Srinagar, Jan 22 : In its second case since J&K became Union Territory, the CBI has booked an official of Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank on charges of misappropriation of bank funds to the tune of Rs 1.33 crore by "tempering" with the computer system and documents during January 2016 and January 2020. In an FIR registered on Tuesday following a written complaint received on Monday from Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank, Branch office Khumariyal, Kupwara district, the CBI booked Shariq Hussain Khan (Office Assistant) under charges of cheating, forgery, criminal misappropriation or misconduct and abusing official position. The Central Bureau of Investigation filed the FIR on a complainant of Farhan Gul, Senior Manager (Audit Inspection and Vigilance), in Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank. "It is alleged in the complaint, dated January 15, 2020, that Shariq Hussain Khan during his previous posting at branch office Khumariyal had misappropriated banks funds to the tune of Rs 1.33 crore by way of tempering and manipulation with the bank's computer system and other documents," the FIR said. As per the FIR, the act prima facie established criminal misappropriation by Khan who abused his official position and that the fraud, which has started from January 2016, has surfaced during an internal investigation conducted by the bank in December 2019-January 2020. Earlier, the CBI in December carried out searches at 13 locations in Jammu and Kashmir and the National Capital Region (NCR) in connection with an arms licence case, the first major operation of the agency after the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory. It has given the CBI the jurisdiction to operate there under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act that governs it. The state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh on August 5 by the government. Residences of IAS officers Yasha Mudgil and Rajiv Ranjan and former senior officers were searched in December in connection with two CBI cases related to alleged irregularities in the issuance of around two lakh arms licences from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It was also alleged the then public servants received illegal gratification in issuing licences to non-residents of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of rules. In Pragadavaram village in India's state of Andhra Pradesh, a man was killed by a rooster during an illegal cockfight. The birds' owners tie razors to the animals' natural spurs and fight them to the death. From the New Zealand Herald: As one of the organisers held the bird, preparing to release it into the arena, it struggled free and lashed out, inflicting a deep wound on the victim who stood nearby. Cockfights were banned by the Indian Supreme Court as part of the 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act but the practice remains popular in some areas, especially as part of celebrations for Makar Sankranti, a Hindu festival day A dozen other injuries were reported from cockfights held during the celebrations. She was never given a test to categorically confirm whether it was the virus. Nor was her daughter-in-law, who cared for Chen and now has low-grade symptoms. Her husband and elder son have not been tested, either. Now Hui, having returned to Shanghai, has quarantined himself from his wife and son, lest he also be infected. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Boy Group Inc. announced today that is has acquired the business of Sweet Nature Inc., an importer and distributor of specialty non-GMO and organic syrups based in Ontario, California. The takeover of the business expands Green Boy's value-added liquid sweetener ingredients footprint in North America. Established in 2006, Sweet Nature offers an extensive portfolio of specialty non-GMO and organic syrups to customers in the natural and organic food industry. Sweet Nature's specialty syrups are utilized by multinational snack bar makers, chocolate producers, confectionary manufactures, bakeries, blenders and distributors throughout the United States. Especially notable is Sweet Nature's beet syrup 'Beet Sweet' which enjoys high demand due to the fact it is the only NON-GMO project verified beet syrup available in the world. "We are thrilled about this acquisition and the opportunity to enlarge our growth in the non-GMO and organic syrup market in the United States and Canada," said Peter van Dijken, Green Boy Co-Founder and CEO. "It aligns with our ambition to broaden our network of customers and producers and to supply differentiated value-added specialty ingredients. We are excited to offer our customized supply chain management to our new customers, and to allow them to make use of our existing product portfolio which includes non-GMO and organic plant-based proteins, starches, fibers and other sweeteners," van Dijken added. Green Boy, founded in 2016 by Frederik Otten and Peter van Dijken, was born out of the idea to meet the growing demand for non-GMO and organic food ingredients by connecting high quality producers from overseas with premium food manufacturers in North America. Green Boy has seen exponential growth since its inception and strives to ensure the North American food industry's access to sustainably grown ingredients through a transparent supply chain. Green Boy is based in Los Angeles, California and Amsterdam, Netherlands. SOURCE Green Boy Group Related Links greenboy.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 11:43:39|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BANGKOK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Thai Ministry of Public Health announced Tuesday that it would step up measures to screen Chinese tourists arriving in Thailand for Lunar New Year celebrations. Thailand has to implement stricter control measures as China has confirmed that the new coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person, said Dr Tanarak Plipat, deputy director-general of the ministry's Department of Disease Control. Stricter screening has been implemented at immigration checkpoints and airports in Thailand since Monday. Additional screening machines have also been installed at airports where there are direct flights from the Chinese cities of Wuhan, Beijing and Shenzhen to Thailand, said Tanarak. According to Tanarak, about 16,000 Chinese people arrive in Thailand daily, about 30 of whom have been quarantined for suspected coronavirus infections this month. Two Chinese people have been detected to be infected with the new coronavirus in Thailand. One of them has recovered and returned home in China after being treated at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Thailand. On his recent trip to Texas this past weekend, President Donald Trump had something to crow about. It was Trumps 14th visit to the state since being elected president, which some Democrats view as a measure of his vulnerability in a potential battleground state this fall. And certainly, Trump was more embattled than usual when he arrived in Texas to address the American Farm Bureau Federations convention on Sunday. It was the eve of his impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, following his impeachment in December, on a mostly party-line vote, by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Its highly unlikely that the trial, which began on Tuesday, will result in Trumps removal from office. And perhaps with that in mind, the proceedings looming in Washington didnt seem to put too much of a damper on the presidents outlook as he addressed the farmers and ranchers gathered in Austin. Trump touted what he described as stunning, groundbreaking, and tremendous trade-related victories. Those successes have gotten relatively little attention, given their potentially sweeping impact. This is particularly true for states such as Texas, which leads the nation in exports, and cities such as Houston, with a globalized economy that has been exposed to some risk as a result of Trumps generally protectionist instincts, among other things. Houstonians shouldnt assume that trade, foreign investment and immigration will grow at the same pace over the next 10 years, the Greater Houston Partnership warned in a June 2019 report. All three face headwinds. Its good news, then, that the Senate on Thursday passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, by an 89-10 vote. The agreement is a modernization of the landmark North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which went into effect in 1994. Trump, who blasted NAFTA during the 2016 campaign, is expected to sign the new trade agreement this week. And last week, Trump signed an initial trade deal with China, the worlds second-largest economy in terms of nominal gross domestic product. In Austin, the president struck a victorious note in describing these accomplishments. The two momentous trade deals we completed last week are just the beginning of a really incredible story. Because nobody thought wed ever get here, the president said. Theyd say the deal with China would be impossible to make, and getting rid of NAFTA would be totally impossible. Getting there had not been easy, Trump allowed, particularly for Americas farmers and ranchers. Many have been hit by retaliatory tariffs during the course of his first term, a result of his own hardball negotiating tactics. In fact, many farmers and ranchers are still struggling as a result of those tariffs, because neither of the deals has taken effect yet. The president acknowledged as much, marveling at the fortitude those Americans have shown in continuing to support him despite what he described as the medias efforts to stir up mischief by asking questions. He cited a new poll from Farm Journal, a trade publication, that found 83 percent of the countrys farmers and ranchers approve of his performance as president. But, I want to know, really: Who are the 17 percent? Who are they? Trump said, to laughter from the audience. Trump also reminisced about the first time he met Texas Agriculture Sid Miller, who has billed himself as Trumps man in Texas and was among the state leaders in attendance at the convention. I didnt know Sid, Trump said, when they first met during the 2016 campaign. But he was big, and he had the big, beautiful cowboy hat on. I love that hat. Trump was right to compliment our cowboy hats, of courseand to celebrate his success in negotiating the trade deals in question. It might be tough for Trump critics to agree with that, particularly in an election year. Neither deal is perfect and his negotiating style has been nerve-wracking, if nothing else. The agreement with China, in particular, is at most a first step. It leaves Trumps tariffs on most Chinese imports in place for the foreseeable future. It also sets targets for China to buy specific amounts of American exports in the coming years, meaning that its a trade deal with a certain built-in skepticism of free trade. The USMCA, meanwhile, might be described as NAFTA 2.0. It addresses some of Trumps stated concerns with the latter agreement for example, Canada has agreed to reduce its tariffs on American dairy imports but preserves the overarching framework and ethos of that landmark deal. Still, Texans should be relieved that such deals are getting done, on a bipartisan basis, given the deep divide in Washington and the discord arising from the impeachment process. Trump is a longtime critic of free trade, and a proponent of trade wars, to boot. He has described the latter as good and easy to win, a claim that few would agree with. He has also derided NAFTA, which has had a particularly seminal effect on the states economic development since the end of the 20th century, as the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals. So Texans most of whom support trade should take a moment to exhale. The deals that Trump touted in Austin arent perfect, but the alternative would be an escalation of the trade war, and none of us want that. erica.grieder@chron.com One of the best times of year to get away in any year is in its first three months. Not only does traveling at this time of year provide a welcome break from cold and snow, but it is also low season throughout much of the world. That in turn means less crowds and better value. With winter doldrums setting in, more travelers are seeking both quick and lengthier getaways this year, according to Ovation Travel Group one of the largest independently owned travel management and luxury leisure travel companies headquartered in the US. Today, Ovation unveiled some of the top destinations its leisure advisors are recommending. While the most highly recommended destination is St. Barts, which offers a close-to-United States respite from the cold in the Caribbean, Ovation advisors recommendations span the globe. One of the best times of year to get away in any year is in its first three months. Not only does traveling at this time of year provide a welcome break from cold and snow, but it is also low season throughout much of the world. That in turn means less crowds and better value, explained Paul Metselaar, CEO and Chairman of Ovation Travel Group. We recently asked our luxury leisure travel advisors for the destinations they recommend to clients seeking a reprieve from wintry weather, noted Gina Gabbard, Senior Vice President of Leisure and Independent Advisors. The hands-down favorite winter getaway among Ovations expert advisors is the French hot spot, Saint-Barthelemy Island, or St. Barts, where beloved properties like the fabled Eden Roc have not only reopened, but they are better than ever. Not only is the journey from the United States relatively easy, but it offers a level of sophistication, elegance and exclusivity unmatched throughout the rest of the Caribbean. St. Barts and the Caribbean St. Barts is very happening in the winter, yet has the laid-back island vibe that sets the tone for definitive relaxation, stated Jill Fischbarg, Luxury Travel Consultant for Ovation. During our cold months, the sun shines and the beaches and restaurants are lively with music, sunseekers and great food. Offering a number of chic hotels, beautiful beaches, fun shops and a variety of restaurants, St. Barts is the ultimate setting to unwind and be playful. Limor Decter, Luxury Travel Advisor and Concierge with Ovation agrees, The chic French island is back St. Barts is better than ever with newly renovated hotels, stunning beaches, world-class shopping and a festive club scene set on this lush tropical island. Also extolling the virtues of St. Barts and other Caribbean destinations is Andrew Steinberg, Luxury Travel Concierge for Modern Travel, Inc. an affiliate of Ovation Travel Group. The Caribbean is always a great spot in the winter to get a dose of Vitamin D and soak in the healing waters of the sea. St. Barts is at the top of the list since it has the beauty and soul of the Caribbean as done by the French with great food and shopping. He added, Grenada is really coming on with the new Silver Sands resort, and all eyes are looking toward the reopened Rosewoods Little Dix Bay (Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands), which is getting many inquiries. Domestic Destinations: From California to Charleston Also close to home, Ovation leisure advisors named their picks for top winter getaways across the United States, including Malibu and Napa in California, as well as Charleston, South Carolina. After the holidays, a wellness vacation is a great time to reset your mind and body by placing your New Years resolutions in motion, explained Fischbarg. The Ranch at Malibu incorporates physical and mental health, plant-based cuisine and its life-changing program. Hiking, fitness, wellness and spa opportunities transform your body and energy in the winter. Its a great place to visit on your own, with a friend or a significant other. Napa is a mecca for food and wine with stunning scenery, mild weather and world-class resorts an ideal place to visit in the Golden State, said Decter, who also offered, Southern hospitality coupled with sunny skies and sumptuous cuisine make charming Charleston a wonderful place to visit and escape the winter blues. Off Southern Europes Beaten Path: Portugal and Italys Dolomites Ovation advisors shared two special places that are not overrun with tourists, even during summer months in ways that much of the rest of Europe is: Portugal and the Dolomites in Italy. This year, I find myself recommending sunny Portugal to my clients over and over again, noted Denese Senno, Luxury Travel Advisor with Ovation. Portugal is an incredible value and has so much to offer. The temperatures are mild and the food and wine are just off the charts! Being a small country, its possible to visit several regions even in just one week. There is much to explore: the Moorish and Roman history of Lisbon, the Port cellars and fish markets in the vibrant city of Porto and the vineyards and stunning landscape of the Douro Valley. Portugal also offers hiking, biking and horseback riding while staying at an authentic farmhouse in the Alentejo Region or sampling traditional fish and seafood dishes while exploring secluded islands in the Algarve, all without the summer crowds. For a winter getaway that embraces the snowy season, look no further than the Italian Dolomites. Located just two hours from Verona, the Dolomites offer the perfect destination for skiers of all levels and those who enjoy apres ski, too, noted Lauren Shook, Travel Concierge for The Stein Collective, an affiliate of Ovation Travel Group. A true winter wonderland, the Dolomites offer world-class adventure activities paired with a glorious setting. From local farm-to-table restaurants and many Michelin-star offerings, travelers can experience Northern Italian cooking in a whole new way. The Dolomites, the cushy cousin to the Alps, are gaining in popularity thanks to the areas first luxury wellness resort, Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti. The resort is situated in the Madonna di Campiglio ski region and is comprised of a 50,000 square foot spa one of the largest in the region. The majestic backdrop of snowcapped peaks makes the Dolomites and this eco-friendly, hillside retreat a top winter escape! Ultimate Winter Getaways: South Africa and the Maldives For those who have more time for a completely relaxed winter getaway, Ovation advisor Jill Fischbarg also recommends two far-flung destinations that are more than worth the time it takes to travel to them. January through March is a great time to visit South Africa, especially with United Airlines new seasonal nonstop flight from Newark to Cape Town. The weather is great and South Africa offers many activities from active to cultural adventures, Fischbarg stated. Though Kruger National Park can be hot, it is a year-round destination and safari rates and space are better after the December holidays. The Maldives is the ultimate winter escape with over-water bungalows, pristine beaches and that deserted island feel. The Maldives offer complete relaxation and the sense of being away from it all, noted Fischbarg. The weather is dry and sunny from January through March, making it an ideal time to visit. For counsel and assistance with luxury getaways and vacations around the world, travelers are invited to tap into the expertise of Ovation Travel Groups experienced advisors by calling 800.977.5893 or emailing vacations@ovationtravel.com. Ovations luxury leisure travel division is also inviting independent advisors to learn how to qualify for its program by visiting https://www.ovationtravel.com/become-an-independent. About Ovation Ovation Travel Group, whose flagship brand, Lawyers Travel, began operations 35 years ago, is one of the largest independently owned travel companies headquartered in the US. Ovation is a $1.4 billion travel company with travel consultants in more than 30 locations throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. Ovation is committed to providing exceptional service and unforgettable luxury leisure travel experiences for its clientele. Its trusted advisors act as a one-stop shop source for the best value and candid, personalized advice. From traditional getaways to exotic adventures, Ovations leisure travel consultants develop the right vacation experiences for its clients year-round. For more information, please visit https://www.ovationtravel.com. Boris Johnson's majority has ensured he will be able to deliver Brexit at the end of January. (AP) A Tory peer has launched a scathing attack on a conspiracy of Remainers as Lords debated the Brexit bill. Lord Hamilton of Epsom said the government has a great feeling of relief following the result of the General Election ensuring it could now allow Brexit to pass. But he also made clear his feelings about Remain-supporting politicians for their role in delaying Brexit since the EU referendum. Lord Hamilton of Epsom hit out at Remain-supporting MPs during the Withdrawal Agreement debate (parliament.uk) Speaking during the debate, Lord Hamilton said: The government, and the other people I talk to in the other place, feel that there has been a conspiracy of Remainers, both in this House and in the House of Commons, to ensure that we stayed in the EU. Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer speaks at the anti-Brexit 'Trust the People' march. (PA) The debate I have listened to here on this Bill gives me the impression that this House is now resigned to the fact that we are going to leave the EU, but will make those negotiations as difficult as possible for the government, so that we will get a very bad deal and people can be justified in their view that we should never have left. The storm clouds are gathering, and there is constant speculation in the press on what will happen to this House but we seem to be completely oblivious to it. We should be very careful about where we go over the coming months. Despite Boris Johnsons huge majority in Decembers election, defiant peers are on a collision course with the Commons after inflicting five defeats on his Brexit deal. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Wonky-faced dog who was attacked as a puppy is finally re-homed Keir Starmer urged to quit Labour leadership race so a woman can win Thomas Markle says Meghan and Harry won't see him again In a mauling for ministers, the Lords has backed two more amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill. This follows three defeats yesterday on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings. In the latest reverses, the government was heavily defeated as peers backed a move to ensure the rights of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK post-Brexit. Story continues The House of Lords inflicted five defeats on the prime minister's Brexit deal. (AP) With Brexit day looming on 31 January, the Bill, which was passed with big majorities by MPs, will have to return to the Commons for further scrutiny today. The prime minister looks certain to overturn all the defeats using his 80-strong majority. It will then be up to peers to decide whether to prolong the bout of parliamentary ping-pong or bow to the will of the elected House, which seems the most likely. Labour, Liberal Democrat and independent crossbench peers ignored repeated ministerial warnings not to amend the Bill, insisting their objection was not to stop Brexit but to ensure the legislation was better drafted. Mr Johnson's official spokesman told reporters: "We are disappointed that the Lords has chosen to amend the Withdrawal Agreement Bill after the Commons passed it unamended. "We will seek to overturn this amendment as the Bill returns to the Commons." Watch more from Yahoo UK: People are storing the ashes of their loved-ones in presses and cupboards because cemeteries do not have facilities for the interment of ashes. A meeting of Kerry County Council heard undertakers are storing the ashes in urns on their premises because there is nowhere else for them to be placed. It was told that since 2017 undertakers in the county have reported a growing demand for cremation and there is now an "urgent need" for facilities to store ashes. Councillors heard that none of the county's 154 public cemeteries has columbarium walls which are designed to store urns. The county's newest graveyard, the multi-faith and non-denominational Killarney Cemetery, which opened in 2018, still has no columbarium wall - despite this being "a key element" of the original plans, the meeting heard. Independent Councillor Brendan Cronin said: "The ashes of deceased relatives are in presses and cupboards because there is nowhere to put them." He said a columbarium wall was meant to be included in Killarney Cemetery. "What in the name of God is taking so long?" Mr Cronin asked council management. He said there is an "urgent need" for such a wall but the council had failed to recognise this. Labour Councillor Marie Moloney told of a recent burglary in Dublin where the house was ransacked and the owners returned to find the ashes of a loved-one "spread all over the place". "A lot of people are happy to keep the ashes in their homes, but others are not. What is the delay with Killarney?" she said. Director of services John Breen said funding for the development of columbarium walls in both Tralee and Killarney had been approved. The tender for Killarney will be advertised by the end of January, he said. "As this is the first development of its kind in the county, appropriate consideration had to be given to its design, layout and setting," he added. Meanwhile, Galway County Council is piloting an urn tower memorial vault at the graveyard at Renville, Oranmore. The vault allows for the ashes of the deceased to be placed inside a labelled vertical vault which can be extended to hold the urns of more family members. As in other counties, most graveyards in Co Galway do not facilitate ash-only interments. But if the pilot is successful it may be extended to other cemeteries. While some faiths do not allow cremation, all Christian denominations do. Recognising the growing demand for cremation in 2016, Pope Francis approved a directive that the ashes of baptised Catholics should be placed in consecrated cemeteries rather than scattered or kept at home. | Welcome Guest! You Are Here: SC directs Registrar General of Punjab & Haryana HC to submit documents on security arrangements for PM's visit to Justice Indu Malhotra. PM security breach:SC appoints IG,NIA, DGP, Chandigarh, Addl DGP of Punjab & Registrar General of Punjab & Haryana HC as probe panel members. NEW HAVEN Jose Morales of Ansonia, who police have said is a suspect in the death of his girlfriend, Christine Holloway, had a separate case continued Wednesday in New Haven court. Morales, 43, has been detained on two counts charging him with being a felon in possession of stun guns. The weapons allegedly were found during a search of his New Haven home Dec. 3 the morning after Christine Holloways badly beaten body was found in her Myrtle Avenue home. On Wednesday, Senior Assistant Public Defender Margaret Moreau said Morales wanted to see a copy of the search warrant police used to go through his home. The warrant is still sealed, according to the state, and thus unavailable. Judge Melanie Cradle asked both parties to supply an update on the status of the warrant by Feb. 5. Morales was Holloways boyfriend and father to 1-year-old Vanessa Morales, who has been missing for weeks. The mother and child last were seen with him the day after Thanksgiving. He also is a suspect in Vanessas disappearance, police have said. Police Chief Andrew Cota III said last week that a warrant charging Morales with Holloways slaying was in the works, but needed to be reviewed by the state attorneys office in Milford before it could move forward. Lt. Patrick Lynch did not immediately respond to a request for an update Wednesday. An Amber Alert for Vanessa Morales was issued Dec. 4. She has not been found. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can lead investigators to Vanessa or who turns her over to police. FBI officials ask anyone with information about her whereabouts to call the FBI New Haven Hotline at 203-503-5555 or the Ansonia Police at 203-735-1885. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com A teenager is today fighting for his life in hospital after being knifed in a double stabbing in north London. Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene outside a Costa coffee shop in Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, on Wednesday evening. They arrived to find two 18-year-old men suffering stab injuries. Both were treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital. One of the victims is in a critical condition and the other's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening. Police officers at the scene of the knife attack in north London / NIGEL HOWARD Shocked witnesses told how officers closed off the popular coffee shop, near Finsbury Park station, and taped off area area surrounding the scene. One tweeted: "The Met have just closed Costa Coffee by Finsbury Park Station, & ejected the customers, inc me, bc of a stabbing outside. "The doors are part of the crime scene & now tapped [sic] off." Pictures from the scene showed police vehicles lining the street, with forensic officers working inside the cordon that was in place in front of Costa. Blood was seen on the ground outside the shop. A crime scene was put in place following the knife attack / NIGEL HOWARD A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers were called to the scene just before 5pm. He added: "The condition of one of the men has been assessed as critical; the condition of the second man is not life-threatening. "There have been no arrests. Enquiries continue." Sheree Ann Martines, a prolific writer and contributor to NPR, from the North Carolina mountains, and John Robert Whedbee, a hardworking and successful Tennessee business owner in the insurance industry and the subject of the story, have completed their new book Rude Awakening : a spellbinding narrative that keeps the pages turning until the stunning conclusion. Rude Awakening tells the tale behind the Tennessee Love Triangle, a Knoxville murder conspiracy case that generated significant national media coverage, showing up on the front pages of The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, People Magazine, and other major newspapers and magazines across the country. The reporters said it was a sexy storychurch, money, greed, adultery, blood, a defenseless child with profound disabilities, and a good man who never saw it coming, all the elements that garner column inches and high ratings. The strange details behind the attempted murder of a well-known and respected Knoxville businessman, captivated curiosity, and soon cameras were rolling for episodes on A Current Affair, City Confidential, Investigation Discovery, Hard Copy, and Snapped. The case made Tennessee legal history when, for the first time, the doors of justice swung open for Court TV, and reporters and legal pundits lined up in Knoxville, Tennessee to provide commentary about the unusual proceedings. Published by Page Publishing, Sheree Ann Martines and John Robert Whedbees engrossing book is a shocking and suspenseful true story with previously unknown details from the victims perspective. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Rude Awakening at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. Information also available at http://www.rude-awakening-rob-whedbee.com For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Environmental concerns have trimmed Chinas gold production, while consumers have also cut buying in the country, said BMO Capital Markets. Analysts offered an assessment of a report Tuesday from the China Gold Association saying that 2019 production fell 5.2% year-over-year to 380.2 metric tons, while consumption was down 12.9% to 1,002.8 tons as an economic slowdown and high prices hurt demand. BMO noted that Chinese output has now fallen three years in a row, which in our view reflects increased environmental pressure on the Chinese industry, a trend we do not expect to reverse, BMO said. China remains the worlds largest gold producer, but with a further drop expected in 2020, we see the current year as having peak mined gold for the coming years at least. Meanwhile, the high prices have been dissuading Chinese consumers, with consumption dropping 12.9% y/y. This is further evidence that as macro asset allocators have stepped into gold, the traditional retail consumer has pulled back in terms of purchases. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com FXTM: gold could hit $1,600 if virus concerns escalate Gold has given up the recent gains that came following initial reports of the coronavirus outbreak in China, says FXTM. As of 8:16 a.m. EST, spot gold was down $2.10 to $1,555.70 an ounce. The virus outbreak was a financial focus of markets on Tuesday. The case for gold breaching and staying above $1,600 will become stronger if there are more widespread cases of the coronavirus, coupled with lingering concerns over geopolitical risks, FXTM said. However, once such fears subside and investors can refocus on the global economic recovery, gold is then expected to moderate over the course of the year. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Commerzbank: Indian gold consumers price-sensitive An Indian industry organizations prediction that gold demand in the country will bounce may be bold since consumers tend to be affected by higher prices, said Daniel Briesemann, analyst with Commerzbank. Indias government previously said the countrys gold imports have fallen to a three-year low. The All India Gem & Jewelry Domestic Council is confident that India will import considerably more gold again this year, explaining that consumers have now become used to the high prices, Briesemann said. This is a bold claim in our view, given that Indians have shown themselves in recent years to be very price-sensitive. What is more, the Indian economy looks set to cool further, and the gold import tax is also deterring some consumers. As a result, he pointed out, there are efforts under way to convince government officials to roll back the import-tax increase from last year. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Commerzbank: no sign of palladium reversal despite price decline Palladium corrected sharply lower on Tuesday, but its too soon to say the market trend has reversed lower after the recent run-up in prices, said Daniel Briesemann, analyst with Commerzbank. He noted the metal lost 5.6% Tuesday for the largest one-day decline since early August. We attribute this to profit-taking after the price reached a record high the day before yesterday, Briesemann said. However, we would not read too much into yesterdays price slide after all, one swallow does not make a summer. There is no sign as yet of any trend reversal, and the price is already rising again this morning. As of 8:16 a.m. EST, spot palladium was $33 higher to $2,319 an ounce. Ride-hailing group Grab, gaming firm Razer, AirAsia, telecoms firm Axiata and lender CIMB are among companies looking to apply for digital banking licences in Malaysia, sources told Reuters. Some of these companies have begun talking to consultancies as they explore a possible foray into digital banking, said the people familiar with the matter. Across Asia, regulators are opening up banking to new digital players, encouraged by a boom in mobile connectivity and the prospect of tech firms - not shackled to expensive physical branches - offering low-cost financial services. This month Singapore received 21 applications for five digital bank licences. In December, Malaysia's central bank announced plans to issue up to five licences to new online banks offering either conventional or Islamic banking under a proposed licensing framework set to be finalised by June-end. "Many financial and non-financial institutions are sizing up market opportunities and working with external parties," said one of the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Malaysia has said it prefers bidders whose equity is controlled by local companies. The people said Razer - whose fintech unit led a consortium for a Singapore application - was in talks with a local conglomerate for a Malaysian licence. Local lenders Hong Leong Bank and Maybank are also considering bidding for a licence, the people said. Razer Fintech's CEO Lee Li Meng told Reuters the company had extensive operations in Malaysia in the digital payments space and would evaluate the digital banking opportunity. One option for Axiata is to apply through Axiata Digital Services, which houses all of the group's digital ventures and owns the e-wallet Boost. AirAsia's financial services venture, BigPay, operates an e-wallet that comes with a prepaid card. Ant Financial and Touch n' Go's e-wallet is the largest e-wallet service in Malaysia with 6.9 million registered users. CIMB, which owns a majority stake in Touch n' Go, is exploring a licence bid, the people said. Axiata Digital said it had signalled interest for digital banking. Grab, AirAsia and Maybank declined to comment. CIMB did not respond to Reuters queries, while Ant Financial said it was too premature to comment. Under Malaysia's draft proposals, digital banks have to offer products and services to address market gaps in "underserved and unserved segments" and maintain 100 million ringgit ($24.5 million) in capital initially and ramp that up to 300 million ringgit. Your browser does not support the audio element. A German man living in Ho Chi Minh City is lighting up taste buds with his creative twists on traditional Italian gelato, particularly his specialty flavor: fish sauce. Raft Ehresmanns shop has made a name for itself over the past three years as a go-to dessert spot for anyone looking to satiate their sweet tooth with homemade creamy gelato. Located on Dang Thi Nhu Street in District 1, Ralfs Arisan Gelato offers traditional flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, and strawberry alongside local fusion twists, such as his famed fish sauce gelato. A haunt of local diners, Ralf's Artisan Gelato has been on the receiving end of a great deal of praise from foreign tourists and expats alike. The small shop is currently ranked sixth among over 180 dessert spots in Ho Chi Minh City on TripAdvisor. It was also featured in American Airlines magazine American Way piece titled Fish sauce is the new vanilla. Is it edible? They always laugh, Ehresmann said of customers reactions to his fish sauce gelato. According to Ehresmann, customers typically laugh when given a small spoon to sample the gelato. Adventurous eaters then choose to buy a scoop to dive deeper into the unique flavor a soft balance between sweet and salty, similar in some ways to salted caramel. After swallowing the gelato for a moment, people always go oh I can really taste the fish, the German man said, adding that he typically sells out a three-liter container of fish sauce gelato every 2-3 days. The Munich-born gelato pioneer is now used to people visiting his shop solely to find out if fish sauce gelato is a real thing. Its weird, but I want try it again, said Hai Hoang, a Vietnamese customer at Ehresmanns shop, after sampling the fish sauce gelato. I think foreigners would accept this flavor easier than Vietnamese because, in our mind, fish sauce is not for dessert, he added. Hoang also shared his appreciation for Ehresmanns interest in Vietnamese cuisine and his vision to integrate an iconic Vietnamese ingredient into his gelato in such a surprising way. Its a way to help promote Vietnamese food culture, Hoang said. Fish sauce gelato is served with peanuts and a piece of waffle at Ralfs Arisan Gelato. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News An Aprils Fool prank finds life The idea for fish sauce gelato first hit Ehresmann about three years ago, shortly after he opened his shop, when a French advertising company invited him to participate in an April Fools Day collaboration project. For the project, Ehresmann would participate in a video in which he pretended his shop was selling 'authentic' Vietnamese-flavored gelato made from chicken feet, frog, silkworm, pho bo (beef noodle soup), and fish sauce. The video quickly became an Internet sensation and Ehresmann started to worry. What if customers come and find no gelato flavors like in the video? he thought. That was when the shop owner decided to give it a shot. He began putting in serious work to make real versions of the pho bo sorbet and fish sauce featured in the joke video. For the gelato, Ehresmann mixed fish sauce with other gelato ingredients to create his own unique recipe that would highlight the Vietnamese ingredient. For the pho bo sorbet, he bought real bowls of pho from nearby restaurants, added all the herbs and vegetables like a real bowl of pho," let it sit, and then separated the flavorful broth from the solid ingredients. Afterward, he blended it with other sorbet ingredients. Of course, Ehresmann reminds his customers that neither the pho bo nor fish sauce-flavored deserts are vegetarian. Though both the pho bo sorbet and fish sauce gelato came to life after the April Fools prank, the former was never a big hit and he eventually took it off his menu. Another Vietnamese flavor is now also being sold at Ehresmanns gelato shop is sua chua nep cam (black glutinous rice yogurt). Before moving to Vietnam, Ehresmann spent seven years making gelato in Munich. Fish sauce gelato is seen being sold along with other flavors at Ralfs Arisan Gelato. Photo: Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News He made his first visit to Vietnam in 2013. During that trip he tried pho for the first time and decided he would try making it into a sorbet, but never quite got around to it. A few years later, his business in Munich began to go downhill and he decided to begin a new life with his Vietnamese wife in her home country. After a few years in the Southeast Asian country, Ehresmann said he has become a little bit Vietnamese. You know, fish sauce is unavoidable in Vietnam, he said with a smile. Meanwhile, his wife admitted she never truly believed her husbands fish sauce gelato would be such a big hit. I thought it would be very hard to eat, she recalled. But when it turned out to be good, I started to feel a bit proud of my husband and his work combining Vietnamese flavors with Italian gelato. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador looks on during his daily news conference at National Palace in Mexico City on Nov. 6, 2019. (Luis Cortes/Reuters) Mexicos Murder Rate Reaches Record High in 2019 The number of murders in Mexico last year hit a new record high with more than 35,500 homicides, according to government data, despite President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors pledge to tackle crime and violence in the country in his first year in office. Lopez Obrador has, in the past, acknowledged that crime and violence are the toughest challenges he faces. But on Jan. 22, he said corruption is the countrys main problem. A total of 35,588 murders were committed last year, up 2.7 percent from the previous year, according to data released by the national public security system. It marked the highest murder rate in the country since 1997 when official records began, Al Jazeera reported. Figures showed, however, that the annual rate of increase in murders has slowed, as in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, homicides grew by yearly rates of 27 percent, 28 percent, and 17 percent, respectively. The president emphasized how damaging white-collar criminals have been to the country, more so than drug cartels responsible for many of the murders. We are giving almost the same weight to [fighting] white-collar crime as we do to drug cartels, Lopez Obrador said. He said that focusing on drug lords like Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, as past administrations did, would be a distraction, as Guzman stole less than corrupt businessmen and politicians. State police patrol ahead of the visit of Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to Badiraguato, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa on Feb. 15, 2019. (Daniel Becerril/Reuters) While it is unclear what percentage of Mexicos murders last year were linked to drug gang violence, the fact that those gangs have expanded into extortion and kidnapping makes them the countrys primary single source of violence. The single worst day of violence in Mexico last year was seen on Dec. 1 with 127 murders, on the day Lopez Obrador marked his first anniversary in office. Violence has continued to rise in the murder-plagued country since Lopez Obrador assumed the presidency in December 2018, vowing to pacify Mexico with a less confrontational approach to security. In November last year, a gun battle between suspected Mexican drug cartel members and security forces near the U.S.-Mexico border left at least 21 dead. Two months prior, Mexican officials discovered at least 44 bodies stuffed in about 100 black bags in a well near the city of Guadalajara in Jalisco State. Mexico has struggled for years with violence as consecutive governments battled brutal drug cartels, often by taking out their leaders. That has resulted in the fragmentation of gangs and increasingly vicious fighting. Lopez Obrador has blamed the economic policies of previous administrations for exacerbating the violence and said his government was targeting the issue by rooting out corruption and inequality in Mexico. The Associated Press and Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Larry Kaiser, former head of the Temple University Health System, has joined the board of directors of FSD Pharma Inc., a Canadian-listed marijuana company. Read more Larry Kaiser, who led the Temple University Health System for nearly a decade, has joined the board of directors of medical marijuana company FSD Pharma Inc. Kaiser was president and CEO of Temple Health until he stepped down Dec. 31. He also served as dean of Temples Lewis Katz School of Medicine and was senior executive vice president for health sciences at Temple University. FSD Pharma is a Canadian-listed medical marijuana company with a subsidiary, FV Pharma, that has plans to grow nearly one million pounds of cannabis a year for the global market. FSD Pharma also will manufacture synthetic cannabinoids to market as licensed drugs for the U.S. market. Though FSDs corporate headquarters are in Ontario, the executive team operates out of Philadelphia. Kaiser is married to Lindy Snider, a prominent cannabis advocate, entrepreneur, and investor. Since July, Kaiser has served as chairman of the FSD Pharmas scientific advisory board. He is managing director with the Healthcare Industry Group at Alvarez and Marsal, a corporate restructuring consultancy. Dr. Kaiser has already contributed immensely as chairman of our world-class scientific advisory board, where his input has been very meaningful in shaping our biosciences strategy to focus on assembling synthetic compounds that target the CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system of the human body, said Raza Bokhari, CEO of FSD Pharma. As a director, we are relying on his leadership and sage counsel as we continue to double down on our biosciences effort to eventually bring to market prescription-based drugs by conducting rigorous FDA-approved trials. In past interviews, Bokhari said that until federal law changes, FSD Pharma has no interest in marketing plant-based cannabis in the U.S. Human ingenuity has created a way of living that is, by nearly every measure, preferable to the past. Billions of us are warm in winter, cool in summer; we eat refrigerated foods cooked on reliable stoves; we drink clean water delivered to our taps by unseen electric pumps. Modern hospitals, homes and hotels are miracles of microchips, each silicon wafer fabricated in an energy-intensive plant, and the roads that connect these miracles hum with commerce and supplies. Freed from scrubbing clothes, wrestling plows and salting our meager stores for winter, our worries student loans, for example have moved so far up Maslows hierarchy of needs that our forebears could not have imagined them. The rest of humankind is eager to climb the same ladder. . , The Hill, , ... Seamus Coffey will not seek another term as the head of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council after his tenure expired at the end of last year. Mr Coffey who was an outspoken critic of repeated government overspending on healthcare and who highlighted the slow pace of budget consolidation under Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, chaired the council from 2017 until the end of 2019. Mr Coffey, now in his early 40s, entered the public domain when he undertook the governments review of corporation in the wake of the Apple EU court case. Although the University of Cork Economics lecturer took a pragmatic view of some government spending, endorsing for example plans for Brexit, he was highly critical of repeated failures to control the budget and of the risk of frittering away a boom in corporation tax receipts. In typically tough form, he addressed Minister Donohoe in the Irish Independent just days before he stepped down from the Fiscal Council. Periodic speeches from a minister for finance warning of the dangers of inappropriate fiscal policy are all well and good, but surely it's time we did something credible about it, he wrote. "We have had vague commitments for domestic fiscal targets from previous ministers and most of these have been forgotten," Mr Coffey added. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Amazon Prime Video releases a new song 'Azaadi Ke Liye' the anthem of the song and it will give you goosebumps. The makers shared the release of the anthem on social media with the caption,"meri nass nass bahe tu watan, meri nass nass kahe ae watan. jo ladey #AzaadiKeLiye, yeh freedom anthem unke naam." The video showcases our rich army heritage and celebrates both the remembered and forgotten. The complete social media is filled with pride and love for our Indian Army. Twitterati have flooded the social media with their reactions.A user on the micro-blogging site Twitter wrote, "This got me goosebumps. What a soulful song Arijit Singh you have just blown my mind with this patriotic song. Thanks to @primevideoin #TheForgottenArmy." "This is a must watch. #TheForgottenArmy" wrote another. A post read, "Wow just a Amazing song and nothing could be better than this. and it's made my day." A Tweeple remarked, "One of the best patriotic song I have ever listened. Kudos to @primevideoin...waiting for #TheForgottenArmy." The freedom anthem- Azaadi Ke Liye video song, composed by Pritam and in the soulful voice of Arijit Singh & Tushar Joshi with lyrics written by Kausar Munir & Shloke Lal. The 'The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye' is a new Amazon Original series based on a true story, is directed by Kabir Khan, starring Sunny Kaushal, Sharvari which is releasing on 24th January 2020. For more than 30 years, Northwell has supported facilities and programs that provide this specialized care. The collaboration with TCFD furthers Northwell's commitment of support and funding for research in this area. Established in 1948, TCFD (www.tcfd.org) provides health care and education for more than 1,200 children and adults with complex disabilities, medical frailties and autism spectrum disorders. TCFD educates and provides residential services for 300 children between the ages of five and 21-years old. The Center also provides residential services for nearly 200 adult residents. Designated by the New York State Department of Health as a Center of Excellence, TCFD has pioneered a Lifestyle Medicine model of care that focuses on preventative and proactive treatment of complex conditions. In addition, TCFD is creating a Children's Specialty Hospital Center and Research Institute for Brain and Body Health that will serve as a national model of care for people living with autism spectrum disorders as well as other complex conditions such as Alzheimer's, Dementia and PTSD. The Hospital is scheduled to open in early 2021. "The Center for Discovery shares our values of providing extraordinary care through a program of continual innovation, education and a commitment to excellence," said Michael J. Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health. "We look forward to working together with them to provide a full continuum of medical and behavioral health services that help enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and medical complexities." "We are very excited about the many positive benefits this affiliation will bring" said Patrick H. Dollard, President and CEO of The Center for Discovery. "With Northwell's expansive resources and expertise this new collaboration can truly advance vital research and improve the lives of many more people with complex conditions. We can do great work together." About Northwell Health Northwell Health is New York State's largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, about 750 outpatient facilities and more than 13,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 70,000 employees 16,000-plus nurses and 4,000 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners are working to change health care for the better. We're making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. About The Center for Discovery The Center for Discovery (TCFD) is a leading provider of healthcare and education services for more than 1,200 children and adults with complex conditions, medical frailties and Autism Spectrum Disorders, located 90 miles northwest of New York City. Named a Center of Excellence in 2016, TCFD has long been a leader in developing new models of care for individuals with complex conditions. Located on 1,500 acres of land in Sullivan County, TCFD houses school campuses, residences, medical and research facilities, organic and biodynamic farmland, and leased private businesses offering meaningful employment opportunities. Deeply focused on an individual's personal potential and possibilities, rather than a disability, TCFD strives to create better care and unique and challenging opportunities for the most vulnerable populations. For more information about TCFD, please visit www.tcfd.org. Contact: Northwell Health Andrea Mineo Sr. Public Relations Specialist 516-321-6706 [email protected] The Center for Discovery Michael Rosen Executive VP of Marketing and Strategic Communications (917) 232-5556 [email protected] SOURCE The Center for Discovery Related Links https://thecenterfordiscovery.org/ UOB is aiming to ease the tedious process of journey planning for Malaysian travellers with its launch of The Travel Insider. Touted to be the first online travel marketplace to be designed by a bank, The Travel Insider prides itself as a one-stop travel platform where you can easily search, plan, and book your trips. Travel is a high priority among our customers, with one in five UOB Malaysia debit and credit cardmembers travelling abroad at least once in 2019. We have also seen a shift in the way our customers plan and book their travels, with 81% of their travel-related spend last year taking place online, a 34% increase from the previous year, said UOB managing director and country head of Personal Financial Services, Ronnie Lim. Drawing from the services and knowledge of more than 500 leading companies from the airline, hospitality, and travel industries, the site offers a comprehensive set of services. It features functions such as flight bookings, accommodation recommendations, and tour deals, as well as travel itineraries, travel guides, and tips. Navigation in the site is made easier as it taps into the familiar user interfaces from Agoda, Expedia, Booking.com, and Singapore Airlines to offer the best hotel and flight options. You can also make use of the in-built planning tool, where you can create and save your itinerary to share with your travel buddies for planning purposes. Additionally, The Travel Insider features various deals ranging from accommodation and restaurant discounts to activities and shopping rebates although most are exclusive to UOB cardholders. So, if youre a UOB cardmember, remember to tap into the discounts to sweeten your holiday experience. That said, non-UOB cardmembers looking to book their flights and accommodation from the site will still able to do so with other cards. Unlike other travel websites and platforms, however, The Travel Insider is fairly focused in its coverage. UOB selected the content of its travel marketplace based on data collected from its customers card spend and the partners involved in this collaboration. The page is highly curated it features 24 travel destinations most popular with its customers such as France, Germany, and Iceland. The platform also caters for the present-day travellers preference for authentic local experiences, inviting 29 local influencers from its shortlisted destinations to provide personal insights of their home cities. If you like travelling like a local, then youre in luck! The Travel Insider was first launched in Singapore two years ago. Since then, it has reported a monthly traffic of close to 25,000 unique visitors to the site, which UOB took to be an encouraging enough sign to expand the marketplace to its customers in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE Navneeraj Sharma In 1991, India decided to change its development strategy and unshackled its private sector, increased integration with the global economy and kickstarted the process of exit of government from many sectors. Since then, the government has been slowly trying to exit various sectors of the economy and shifting its focus to be a policy enabler and regulator. The past strategic disinvestment in hotels, mining, telecom, and information technology has given a boost to the economic activity. This overall strategy has paid rich dividends and Indias economic growth has shot up from 4.2 per cent during 1951-90 to 6.6 per cent during 1991-2019. The current disinvestment plan has been subject of deep interest because it is seen to plug fiscal gaps so that the government can meet its expenditure commitments. However, this is at best a secondary reason to disinvest. With the economy in the midst of a slowing growth, the governments exit from several sectors through strategic disinvestment is one of the key tools to effect a turnaround. That is so for the following reasons. Market economies display an inherent Darwinian natural selection through which inefficient firms get outsmarted by their efficient rivals and exit the market. However, when the government is at helm of affairs, it becomes tough to shut down those firms as it can always find resources to fund them. This problem gets further complicated when collective institutions like governments sport behaviourial biases just like human beings, and they dont want to part with what they own. This makes the exit of the governments from a sector very difficult one. Reports by the Department of Public Enterprises and the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) highlight the extent of this problem. At the central level, loss-making government enterprises ran up collective losses to the tune of Rs 80,000 crore between 2015-16 and 2017-18. This problem is even more severe at the state level where the losses were in the order of Rs 62,000 crore for 15 states in 2015-16. It is also very difficult to achieve a level-playing field between government companies and the private ones. The government as a principal shareholder acts in the interest of its own firms, but this could interfere with its larger function of efficiently regulating the market and developing a sector. This issue becomes even more challenging if the sector is going through a distress where the government intervention is required. It may so happen that the governments responsibility of managing growth of the sector and its own firms may not align with each other. The other salient feature of a well-running market is that a new technology or an idea can completely disrupt an old model. A behemoth is replaced by a startup which itself becomes a giant, only to be disrupted by a new entrant with better technology. The governments involvement in the ownership can delay this process as they try to prolong the life of the firms they own, and it slows down the process of the technology adoption in a country. The most fundamental problem of having public sector firms is that they in the long run end up blocking resources which the government should be using to finance its core social sector spending in health, education, defence and promotion of basic sciences through research and development. A comparison of the overall size of the government across the world throws up crucial facts. The Indian government is smaller in size than many of its capitalist counterparts such as the US, the UK and Germany. However, the latter countries focus more on social sectors like health, education and less on running public sector firms. Therefore, the natural corollary of this analysis is the government needs to find a mechanism to exit from the public sector and use the saved resources for health care and education. At the same time, it needs to set up sectoral regulators or strengthen the existing ones by increasing their strength and capacity to monitor the functioning of the firms. In nutshell, the government needs to get smaller and bigger at the same time, depending on the context. It is likely that this will unleash a wave of productivity gains that can power the economy. The Prime Minister recently affirmed his philosophy that the government has no business to be in business. As the Union finance minister presents the first Budget of this decade, we hope that it starts off a process where the government gets itself out of all businesses in the next 10 years. Cigarette prices are approaching $50 a packet in Australia, but the country's smokers are using finding clever ways to buy cheap tobacco instead of giving up. From using 'chop chop' tobacco to buying black market cigarettes sold under the counter, more and more smokers are refusing to pay full price. Australians have become so adept at finding cheap cigarettes the rate of smoking cessation has slowed to a crawl, lagging behind world leaders. Cigarette prices are approaching $40 a packet in Australia, but the country's smokers are using finding clever ways to buy cheap tobacco instead of giving up (stock image) From buying illegal 'chop chop' tobacco to buying black market cigarettes under the counter, the hacks used by smokers are rising faster than the price of a pack (pictured are illicit cigarettes seized in January) With the latest round of tobacco excise hikes set to bring prices up to $40 a packet within the next year, there is no respite in sight for cash-strapped smokers. Rather than pay the extra $3 a packet, many Australians are buying 'chop chop' - illegal loose-leaf tobacco, which is often home-grown, instead of the heavily taxed legal products available from shops. 'Price hikes don't bother me,' said one social media user in a discussion about tobacco prices. 'I don't buy smokes from the supermarkets, that's what "chop chop" is for. I'm happy with getting 250 grams for 60 dollars, does me ages.' Australians have become so adept at finding cheap cigarettes the rate of smoking cessation as slowed to a crawl (pictured are cigarettes seized last year) Others said the trick to finding cheap smokes is knowing what shop to go to, with one person saying they frequent several different stores. Illicit tobacco busts in the financial year so far - More than 52,500 detections of illicit tobacco in the 2017/18 financial year to April 30 - The ABF seized 129 tonnes of loose leaf and molasses tobacco - A total of 173 million illicit cigarettes were found - The total duty evaded on these detection is almost $230 million. Source: Australian Border Force Advertisement 'Can get a pack of 20 under the table in Sydney for $10,' said one person. 'I have been enjoying smoking at this price for years.' While some complained that black market cigarettes smell bad, others disagreed, saying they can find good brands smuggled in from overseas for $12 a pack. In another clever price hack, young people in particular are switching to rolling tobacco in an attempt to maintain their increasingly expensive habit. Despite being hit by a tax increase in September last year, smokers of roll-your-own tobacco make up about one third of the nations smokers. The proportion of rolling tobacco smokers rose from 26 per cent in 2006 to 36 per cent in 2016, boosted by an 82 per cent increase in smokers under 40. Poll Do you think cigarettes in Australia are too expensive? Yes, smokers are paying too much No, smokers should pay more I think tobacco prices are about right Do you think cigarettes in Australia are too expensive? Yes, smokers are paying too much 2383 votes No, smokers should pay more 179 votes I think tobacco prices are about right 64 votes Now share your opinion Although cigarette prices keep rising, Australia recorded a mere 0.2 per cent drop in smokers in three years. Australia came in at number seven worldwide, with Iceland topping the list with a 12 per cent drop, followed by Norway at seven per cent. Rising prices have been accompanied by an increase in massive illegal tobacco busts. In one month alone the Australian Border Force has seized 20million cigarettes and almost 12tonnes of illegal tobacco. On June 1 2018 a joint Australian and Taiwanese operation intercepted two sea cargo containers full of black market smokes en route to Australia. The 20,100,000 illicit cigarettes would have resulted in about $14.2million in lost revenue, according to the ABF. Rather than pay the extra $3 a packet, many Australians are buying 'chop chop' instead (pictured are cigarettes seized by the ABF) Just four days earlier ABF officers seized 1.6tonnes of illicit tobacco during a series of raids in Adelaide. The raids came three days after another bust, this time involving about 10 tonnes of illicit tobacco. WATERLOO A Waterloo man who fled from a halfway house after serving prison time for a federal firearm charge has been found guilty of escape. Authorities said Lonnel Bernard Porter, 35, had checked out of the Waterloo Reentry Release Center to attend work on Sept. 16. When corrections officials checked at his job, they found he wasnt there, and he refused to return to the center when reached by phone, according to court records. Federal marshals detained him on Oct. 2, he was sentenced to an additional 14 month in prison for his firearm charge for violating conditions of his supervised release and later indicted on a new charge of escape. Porter waived a jury trial for the escape charge. A bench trial began with the defense arguing that Porter cant be guilty of escape because the main reason he was at the Reentry Center was because he would have otherwise been homeless after being released from prison, not because of his conviction. District Court Judge C.J. Williams sided with the government in a ruling handed down Thursday. The plain language indicates that a court should determine the original source for the defendants custody, such as whether the custody flowed from a conviction for an offense, as opposed to an arrest for a misdemeanor offense, for example, Williams wrote in his ruling. Porters original charge stemmed from a July 2008 incident where he brought out a SKS rifle to settle a neighborhood dispute on Mulberry Street, the main issue being that Porter was barred from possessing guns because of prior felony convictions. In 2012, while serving his prison time for the rifle incident, Porter was sentenced to an additional two years after assaulting a correctional officer and injuring the officer, according to prosecutors. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 China's novel coronavirus is affecting people in China and has resulted in nine confirmed deaths so far in the country. The cases has also risen to 440 with the health authorities warning that the disease could spread further in the ongoing Chinese holiday season during which millions travel at home and abroad. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a novel strain and not seen before. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, according to the WHO. afp The Chinese health authorities announced on Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday. The cases had resulted in nine deaths, all in central China's Hubei Province, Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission told at a press conference on Wednesday. Altogether 149 new confirmed cases were reported on Tuesday, Li added. afp Li said China was now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control following confirmation that that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place. The official said there was evidence that the disease was "mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract". Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, and one in Korea. The first case of the virus has now been reported in US with official confirmation that a person arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus. The patient was hospitalised on Sunday, after arriving in Seattle from Wuhan on January 15, officials at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sad. afp Li said the figures from the commission show a total of 2,197 close contacts have been traced. A total of 1,394 are under medical observation while 765 people have been discharged. All of the deaths were reported in central Hubei province, where the virus first appeared in the city of Wuhan. China yet to confirm the exact source of the virus. "Though the transmission route of the virus is yet to be fully understood, there is a possibility of virus mutation and a risk of further spread of the epidemic," Li said. afp The warning comes as millions of people across China are travelling within the country and abroad for the Lunar New Year week-long holiday. The holiday season began on January 10 and would last for 40 days. Officially, China will declare week-long holiday from January 24. The Wuhan Health Commission said it would authorise medical institutions to quarantine all patients and people in close contact with them as a prevention and control measure, Li said. On Tuesday, the National Health Commission (NHC) upgraded the coronavirus to a Class B infectious disease, but said it would use the stricter control measures for a Class A disease to handle the outbreak, meaning any infection nationwide must be reported within two hours and monitored. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO), which is holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday, will consider declaring an international public health emergency over the virus - as it did with swine flu and Ebola. Such a declaration, if made, will be seen as an urgent call for a coordinated international response in view of fears that millions of Chinese are travelling at home and abroad for the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival holidays starting from January 24. The week-long festival triggers biggest mass migration, clogging road, rail and air networks every year. India has already issued a travel warning. Several countries started screening travellers coming from China, especially from Wuhan to detect symptoms like fever. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed on Monday about Chinese official's attendance at the emergency meeting of the International Health Regulation (IHR) called by the WHO. (With agency inputs) ALBANY Earlier this week, Zephyr Teachout called out the corrupting influence of corporate money in politics. Nothing new there. The fight against corruption has been at the center of Teachout's legal and political career. She's written books about it. She's campaigned against it. She's an expert on the topic. This time, Teachout's target was Joe Biden. In a piece for the Guardian newspaper, she said the former vice president has "a big corruption problem." The blowback was immediate. Some Democrats, in their eagerness to beat Donald Trump, said there was no place for criticism that could weaken the party's likely 2020 nominee. Some claimed Teachout was parroting a GOP narrative. Some questioned the timing, saying it undercut impeachment. So hot was the reaction that Bernie Sanders felt compelled to apologize for Teachout's words, though her criticism had no connection to his presidential campaign. (Teachout is a Sanders supporter, but wrote on her own behalf.) It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way," Sanders told CBS News. "And I'm sorry that that op-ed appeared." It will be hard for Teachout to scrub away the tire tracks from that bus. But was she wrong about Biden? Not at all. Teachout's piece simply noted how contributions from the financial and health-care industries have guided Biden's policy choices, past and present. Her words echoed criticism Teachout leveled against Andrew Cuomo when she challenged the governor's corruption during the 2014 Democratic primary, and were just as valid. In particular, Teachout highlighted how Biden's career has been financed by the credit-card industry in his home state of Delaware. In turn, Biden pushed legislation sought by the industry, including changes that made it harder for Americans to shed credit-card debt in bankruptcy. Teachout was hardly the first to notice the connection. In 2008, Tom Brokaw grilled Biden on the very same topic. The former NBC anchor started by noting that Hunter Biden (yes, him again) was given a $100,000-a-year job by credit-card giant MBNA while the elder Biden received $214,000 in campaign contributions from the company and its employees. "At the same time, you were fighting for a bankruptcy bill that MBNA really wanted to get passed through the Senate, making it much tougher for everyone to file bankruptcy," Brokaw said, before asking Biden whether his family's relationship with the company was inappropriate. "Absolutely not," Biden answered. You can almost understand why Biden didn't see the conflict. After all, Biden was only engaging in business as usual in Washington, Albany and other places where politicians and lobbyists mingle. What's the problem? The problem, of course, is that the transactional relationship between big donors and elected officials corrupts how democracy is supposed to work. It puts corporations ahead of people, the wealthy ahead of the majority. It deepens the pessimism felt toward government, depressing voter turnout. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Maybe you disagree with Teachout's progressive politics or prefer that a Biden-style moderate wins the Democratic nomination. Maybe you're glad the law professor from Dutchess County didn't beat Cuomo or win her subsequent races for Congress or attorney general. But can't we all conservative, liberal or somewhere in between see that corporate donations have a warping influence on policy? And if so, isn't it to Teachout's credit that she's willing to call out corruption on both sides of the political aisle? More Information Columnist Chris Churchill can be reached at cchurchill@timesunion.com or 518-454-5442. Sign up for his weekly newsletter. See More Collapse Teachout has the courage to point out what everybody knows is true, even when the truth is inconvenient or unpopular. In her Guardian piece, Teachout conceded that Biden's corruption pales next to Trump's, but argued that the former vice president's coziness with donors will make it difficult for him to credibly call out the president's malfeasance. Speeding is speeding, after all, whether you're going 80 or 110. "We don't have to choose Bidens way, which would give Trump a perfect foil," Teachout wrote. "The 2020 election should be about a crystal clear contrast between truth and lies, corruption and integrity, compassion and cruelty." Critics of Teachout's piece said the focus should be on issues only, while Biden said these kinds of attacks have no place in this primary." That's nonsense. The relationship between donors and policy is a campaign issue in the primary, given how Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have rejected big-money donors. And if Democrats aren't deciding who would be the best Trump opponent, what, exactly, are they deciding? Plus, Biden's history with donors points to who he would listen to as president. As Teachout noted, his record isn't encouraging. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill Imagine a pristine T&T where there are no more homeless people or animals. One where hunger has been eliminated as the relic of a bygone era. A world where pipe-borne water is delivered to every home every day, not wasted in an archaic system where significant leaks are either ignored or washed out to sea. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys export of chemical products to Tajikistan dropped by 1.3 percent from January through December 2019 compared to the same period of 2018, amounting to $32 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 22. In December 2019, Turkeys export of chemical products to Tajikistan dropped by 15.2 percent compared to December 2018, and amounted to $2.1 million. Export of chemical products from Turkey increased by 18 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, amounting to $26 billion or to 11.4 percent of countrys total export. Turkeys export of chemical products increased by 20.5 percent in December 2019 compared to the same month of 2018, reaching $1.8 billion or to 11.8 percent countrys total export. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a campaign blitzkrieg for the Delhi Assembly polls with party president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah leading from the front. Shah and Nadda will either hold a padyatra or address group meetings in every constituency, sources said. The candidates will also be asked to hold padyatras in their constituencies every day. On Monday night, Shah along with Nadda, general secretary BL Santhosh along with three general secretaries (organisation) from the states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, MPs including Manoj Tiwari, Vijay Goel, Pravesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, Meenakshi Lekhi, Harshavardhan, Gautam Gambhir and Hansraj Hans, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Prakash Javadekar and Hardeep Singh Puri brainstormed on the campaign strategy in Delhi polls. According to their campaign strategy, 70 ministers, the majority of them from the Centre, would hold one public meeting and one padyatra each for two days. "The campaign would begin from January 23 and a total of 280 group meetings and padyatras have been planned over a span of two days," stated a senior party leader. "On January 23 and January 24, a total of 70 minister-rank leaders would address one group meeting and hold one padyatra in the constituency allotted to them. This would go on for two days," stated a source in BJP. The strategy for carpet bombing was planned last night to destabilise the hold of AAP in Delhi and Shah asked senior leaders present in the meeting to organise meetings for him even if these were small gatherings. These meetings could take place at the residence of the candidates to strengthen their stature further or in slums or colonies which were authorised by the government recently. Other programmes planned by the party are youth 'sammelan' which will be organised between January 24 to January 26 and women 'sammelan' that will be held between January 27 to January 29, while meet-up of other segments, profession-specific could take place between January 30-31. From January 31 to February 2, BJP leaders will highlight the schemes of the Central government. The leaders have been asked to communicate to the candidates that from January 25 onwards every day there should be a bike rally, a group of 20 people who would tour the constituency with flags and banners of the BJP candidate. "With bike rallies, literature will also be distributed outside metro stations. Every car or other vehicle that is in support of BJP should have the candidate's sticker," added the source. Polling on 70 Assembly seats in the capital will be held on February 8 and the counting of votes will take place on February 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After decades of false starts and unfulfilled proposals, Chula Vistas bayfront redevelopment finally has the financial backing it needs to build its flagship project. Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego approved a development agreement, revenue-sharing plan and public subsidy for the $1.1 billion hotel and convention center Tuesday. Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas called the unanimous vote to approve the financing a historic moment. Good things come to those who wait, she said. Advertisement Salas, who was first elected to the City Council since 1996 and heard multiple proposals throughout the years, said the hotel and convention center will spur development along Chula Vistas bayfront. The citys master plan envisions the area turning into a tourist hub with hotels, restaurants, stores, and water front parks. Houston-based RIDA Development will put up $785 million to build the hotel and convention center. Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego will pay $343 million $240 million for the hotel and convention center and $103 million for infrastructure and parking improvements. Additionally, the port will forego ground lease revenues for 38 years, resulting in a $245 million subsidy. To fund their portion of the project, Chula Vista and the Port created the Chula Vista Bayfront Financing Authority and will issue taxable and tax-exempt bonds. The city and port will pay for the bonds with a combination of general fund revenues and tax revenues from the hotel and convention center. Once completed, the project is expected to bring in annual tax revenues of $23 million to Chula Vista, which will help pay the bondholders. After the debt is paid, those revenues will go toward the general fund. The project sits on a 36.5-acre site on the bay near H Street. Part of the site is currently occupied by the Chula Vista RV Resort, whose lease expires next year. On Monday, the Port of San Diego approved a new RV park a few yards north of the existing one. Ira Mitzner, CEO of RIDA Development, envisions the hotel and convention center being the best resort in California. Were excited, he said. Quite frankly, we believe this is going to be the best resort in the state and, as a partnership, the best free-standing conference hotel. The project includes a 1,600-room hotel, 275,000 square feet of event space, a 1,500-space parking garage and resort-style amenities such as a wave pool. The project is expected to bring in approximately 2,200 construction jobs and 4,470 permanent jobs. Estimates include, direct, indirect, and induced jobs, generated by the project. In addition to tax revenues from the hotel and convention center, Chula Vista will pay off the bond with annual payments of $1.3 million from its general fund and the Port of San Diego will pay $2.1 million from its general fund. Both payments begin July 1, 2018, according to a staff report. Chula Vistas general fund expects to see net positive from the hotel and convention center 23 years after it opens, according to the staff report. Chula Vista currently faces a $2.2 million deficit in the fiscal year 2019 budget and city officials are asking taxpayers to vote for a sales tax increase to hire more police officers and firefighters. The citys finance director, David Bilby, says the city can make up the $1.3 million that will go toward the bond payments. Its about what the project does as a whole, he said. Theres lots of ways that we can leverage our citys resources to move funding up and back as long as theres a net positive impact in the long term. Because the $1.3 million coming out of the citys general fund is a relatively small percentage of the citys $180 million budget, staff can find one-time funds until the project become cash-flow positive, Bilby added. Chula Vistas contribution is no different than what other cities and states offer to businesses to try to woo them into their communities, said Seth Kaplowitz, a lecturer at San Diego State Universitys Fowler College of Business who has worked in real estate development and construction. Kaplowitz called the move a long-term, patient money play. The long and short of it is, I dont see any red flags to tell me this is a bad deal, he said. I see the city is willing to take a calculated risk in an effort to preserve and improve the character of the city. As San Diego keeps moving south and the border keeps moving north, theyre betting on that entire area to become much more user-friendly. Analysts who wrote the economic development subsidy report have reservations about the developers ability to generate revenues that are consistent with the rest of the industry. Councilmember Pat Aguilar asked Paul Marra, the managing principal at Keyser Marston Associates San Diego office, what they meant when they wrote, RIDA will need to control development costs and or improve operating performance in order to achieve satisfactory long-term return. Marra explained that RIDAs internal long-term rate of return is 13.8 percent but their target should really be up to 16 percent or 17 percent. So our conclusion was that even with the proposed contribution for the project, RIDA is not fully feasible, he said. They will need to tighten their development budget or achieve better revenue projections, lower operating expenses in order to achieve an industry standard return. Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter Well, you might be thinking that month after month you read about a small Italian town selling and listing houses in tiny villages for the price of peanuts. Trust me, I feel the same when I read and then write about it, but turns out not all things in life are complicated. At least not for the Italians, who have given us wonderful cuisine and picturesque holiday destinations. So in case you have always fancied about buying a sapno ka ghar for yourself, maybe this is your time to do some research and homework. Bisaccia, a small town in the Campania region, near the beautiful Naples has a cluster of houses waiting to be taken and given some major TLC. However for Rs. 78, they are not giving you Italian furniture and marbles but heres what the real deal is. The tightly-knit architecture of the villages there are apt for a big group of friends or families to move in together and buy land jointly. Mayor Francesco Tartaglia elaborated the situation and explained how it could work ideally. "We face a very particular situation here. The abandoned [area] spreads throughout the most ancient part of the village. Forsaken houses are clustered together, one next to the other along the same roads. Some even share a common entrance. That's why we welcome families, groups of friends, relatives, people who know each other or investors to join forces. We encourage them to buy more than just one house to actually have an impact and breathe new life, he said. Many towns in Italy have been happily disposing off unused, vacant village houses for sale and luring people with insane prices because the population there is next to nil. The good part is that you get to buy land from the government and no third party brokers are involved. The mayor also explained what awaits new residents in this beautiful town. Our folklore and traditions are the product of a picturesque contamination between regions, we celebrate Carnival with local masks and have a variety of fairs and foods that embrace all regional traits. It's like getting the best of three regions in one single place, he said. Bisaccia is dubbed the 'genteel town' because, despite the hardship, its people have always been respectable, welcoming, hard-working and resilient. Newcomers here are pampered and taken care of. We want this place to shine again," he added. If you ask me, Id love to move in right away if only I had a group of friends whod be willing to leave. Anyway, a human being can dream right? smarTours According to a new survey from smarTours, the leading provider of affordable trips to bucket list destinations, nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of women are willing to travel alone for pleasure including more than half of married women are willing to travel alone. For this survey, smarTours surveyed more than 1,400 travelers on their travel companion preferences. Of the 38 percent of women not interested in traveling alone for pleasure, 62 percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to travel alone as part of a group tour. Women not in relationships are even more open to traveling alone for pleasure, particularly divorced women. 71 percent of non-married (and not in long-term relationships) women said they are willing to travel alone. 77 percent of divorced women and 62 percent of widowed women said they are willing to travel alone. Divorced female travelers who arent willing to travel alone are most open to traveling alone as part of a group as 75 percent reported interest in traveling alone as part of a group tour. Additional smarTours survey findings included: No one wants to travel with their family- only 8 percent of surveyed travelers (both genders and of any marital status) expressed interest in traveling with their families (not including their significant other). Women are willing to travel alone at almost the same rate as men- 61 percent of surveyed men said they are willing to travel alone for pleasure compared to 62 percent of women surveyed. This survey verifies our belief that an increasing number of women are open to and interested in traveling alone to destinations across the globe, and for reasons of safety, ease, access, and connectedness, they are choosing escorted tours, said Kendra Guild, Director of Product & Operations for smarTours. We launched our new women-only tours earlier this year to meet this growing interest among women of all ages open to traveling alone or with other women as part of a larger group tour. Women are eager to experience their bucket list destinations, and we are happy to coordinate all the logistics of getting them to these locations, and getting even more immersed with the local culture once they get there. We hope to encourage and empower women to travel the world and connect with women across the globe. smarTours women-only tours feature female tour leaders and include immersive experiences with female business owners, community leaders, professors, artists, and families in destinations, including some places where engagement with local women would otherwise be much harder to access. Travelers will get to take part in a discussion with a Cairo professor on the modern Egyptian Woman, visit the Nakhom Panthom Temple with female monks in Thailand, make a Kaftan in Morocco, learn about the role of the Goddesses in ancient Greece, bake bread underground with women in Iceland, among many other unique female-focused local experiences. smarTours women-only tours include: Majestic Morocco Amazing Thailand Splendors of Egypt Vietnam & Angkor Wat Spectacular Greece Incredible Iceland with Northern Lights For more information please visit: https://smartours.com/women-only/ Methodology: Findings are based on an email survey fielded by smarTours on December 6th- 9th to 1,494 travelers. *According to Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/ About smarTours: smarTours is the leading provider of affordable trips to bucket list destinations worldwide. The company currently offers more than 50 guided tours to 62 countries across all continents. All smarTours include international airfare, hotels in convenient locations, knowledgeable English-speaking local guides, in-depth excursions and sightseeing, and many meals. Based in New York City, more than 225,000 travelers have taken a smarTours trip since the founding of the company in 1996. - Lupita was honoured with the award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in Santa Barbara, California - The actress was given a tribute by renowned actor Jordan Pelle - The Kenyan star was recently stunned after she received four nominations for the NAACP Image Awards Hollywood based Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o is having a great start to the year 2020. On Wednesday, January 22, Lupita was honoured with a prestigious award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in Santa Barbara, California. READ ALSO: From Prince to Commoner: Harry flies commercial to Canada reuniting with wife Meghan READ ALSO: Inspekta Mwala takes on Sonko Junior in 11 photos for best short stature actor in Kenya She shared the news on Instagram with her fans as she took home the Montecito Award. The award-winning star was given a tribute by renowned actor Jordan Peele and she could not be happier as it showed with her message. "What a lovely evening at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Thank you to Jordan Peele for the heartwarming tribute, to Dave Karger for the scintillating (and at times goofy) conversation, and to the SBIFF for honoring me with the Montecito Award," she wrote. READ ALSO: Viral video of teacher dancing with her young pupils warms hearts online READ ALSO: Jaji Mumbi Ngugi ajiondoa kwenye kesi ya Gavana Sonko To receive such honours shows just how much the lovely lass has come of age in her acting career. Just recently, Lupita got several nominations for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards. According to the star, she will be contesting for four categories among them Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. She shared the great news on her Instagram as she thanked the organisers for such an amazing recognition. "Four real? Thank you NAACP Image Awards for todays nominations!" she wrote. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. My husband left me after I made him a millionaire - Mary Miriti | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke The GenAlpha team will be exhibiting at World of Concrete throughout the week. Contact Jim Vogel, VP of sales at 414-975-0844 to arrange for scheduled appointments or drop by at booth C6786. GenAlpha Technologies LLC will be exhibiting at World of Concrete 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center February 4-7 to showcase their Equip eCommerce offering for manufacturing firms. Equip is an eCommerce software offering designed specifically for manufacturers for providing a feature-rich buying experience for manufacturing customers, distributors and dealers. Attendees will be able to speak directly with GenAlphas aftermarket experts and receive demos of Equips unique capabilities. Firms in need of assistance with their eCommerce strategies can benefit from GenAlphas extensive knowledge and experience. Our World of Concrete team is very excited to be attending this fantastic gathering of manufacturers again this year. Our Equip offering represents years of analysis and development, working with world class OEMs to create a unique customer experience for dealer, distributor and customer relationships. Our representatives look forward to sharing the Equip experience with World of Concrete attendees interested in taking their digital services to the next level, says Stan Eames, GenAlphas CEO. Features such as an integrated commerce-enabled electronic parts catalog, BOM illustration hot-spotting and interactive 3-D drawings make Equip a premier consideration when selecting an eCommerce solution. Beyond parts, the system is also a solution for small equipment, used fleet sales, consumable and accessories. These features, coupled with strong aftermarket expertise and the ability to integrate with virtually any ERP or CRM platform are what makes GenAlpha stand out in the eCommerce landscape. The GenAlpha team will be exhibiting at World of Concrete throughout the week. Contact Jim Vogel, VP of sales at 414-975-0844 to arrange for scheduled appointments or drop by at booth C6786. Headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, GenAlpha Technologies LLC is an innovative provider of eCommerce, eCatalog and customer portal solutions specifically for manufacturers looking to digitize their aftermarket sales efforts. More information may be found on-line at http://www.genalpha.com. Opinion banner Business Insider donald trump david perdue tom cotton Associated Press/Evan Vucci Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump and other Republicans have worked especially hard to discredit or silence critics of their actions. This behavior echoes that of Joseph McCarthy, as it involves falsely labeling loyal American citizens as disloyal. But it goes further in that it is not the effort of one senator but instead a kind of hyperpartisanship in which many Republicans see Democrats as no better than foreign adversaries, writes longtime intelligence veteran and security analyst Paul R. Pillar. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A surge of attempts to silence legitimate and thoughtful foreign policy criticism has reached new depths, impugning the loyalty of those who happen to have policy differences with those doing the impugning. The resulting damage is not just to individual reputations, but also to freedom of speech and to the care and wisdom that should be applied to the formulation of policy. The Trump administration has set the tone, as it did when briefing members of Congress about the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Many members had problems with what they described as a vague and unconvincing briefing, but what especially angered Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was that the administration briefers told members they should not debate such matters in public at all. Also following the Soleimani assassination, Facebook began deleting posts on its Instagram network that questioned the operation (while running paid pro-Trump ads that supported the killing). Facebook justified its actions with an erroneous interpretation of the 1996 law that criminalizes material support to terrorist groups, contending that any posts arguing that it was unwise to assassinate Soleimani could be construed as material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (which the Trump administration, in a gross misuse of a law that never was intended to apply to government entities, had designated as a foreign terrorist organization). Thus silenced were voices who would never dream of materially supporting anything connected with the Iranian regime, but who had good reasons to say that the assassination operation was a bad move from the standpoint of US interests. Story continues FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a statement about Iran flanked by U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Army Chief of Staff General James McConville and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark Milley in the Grand Foyer at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Reuters Facebook's move is best interpreted as a pusillanimous effort to stay in good graces with the Trump administration while the company is under fire over antitrust, privacy, and other issues. Principles certainly have nothing to do with the move. This is the same Facebook whose boss declared to Congress that he will not delete from his online service many blatant political lies because people in a democracy should be able to "judge for themselves." Note the progression these two examples represent. The administration briefers who went to Capitol Hill did not accuse members of anything dishonorable. They just told members to shut up and not openly question practices such as bumping off senior leaders of foreign governments because such discussion might somehow give comfort to an adversary. The Facebook move goes a step further by implying that such policy discussion could materially support, even if inadvertently, an outfit that does terrorism. The next step in this ladder of censorship, which turns it also into a ladder of calumny, is to accuse those being censored of actively working on behalf of an adversary regime. That is exactly what Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and two other Republican senators, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Braun of Indiana, have done with a letter calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) for possible violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, accusing NIAC of acting on behalf of the Iranian regime. This call is baseless, in addition to trying to make the Justice Department even more of a partisan political weapon than it already has become under William Barr. There is no indication, and the senators provide none, that NIAC works on behalf of the Iranian government or any other foreign government. NIAC's prime constituency consists of Americans of Iranian ethnicity, and its foreign policy line is one of supporting diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes, all from the perspective of what is best for US interests. People familiar with the organization know this, as reflected in a statement of support from scores of signatories. The senators' suggestion of working on behalf of the Iranian regime is especially bizarre given that NIAC often has criticized that regime for its human rights abuses, such as during its harsh crackdown on citizens protesting fuel price increases in November. Cotton's slur against NIAC has nothing to do with curbing foreign influence and everything to do with trying to discredit a voice that has pointed out the futility of Cotton's preferred policy on Iran of nothing but punishment, isolation, and the threat of war. That policy, as implemented by the Trump administration, has been a failure on every front. Cotton is no stranger to irregular moves in support of that dead-end policy. Five years ago, he organized an open letter to the Iranian regime, signed by most Republican senators, that essentially advised the Iranians to distrust or disregard whatever the Obama administration was saying in the then-ongoing negotiation of what would become the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the agreement that restricted Iran's nuclear program, because Congress or a future Republican president could kill the deal. If the Justice Department or anyone else wants to look for Americans giving what appears to be friendly advice to the Iranian regime while undermining the conduct of US foreign relations in the process, Cotton's own earlier letter was an excellent example. joseph mccarthy William J. Smith/AP Accusations such as the one against NIAC constitute McCarthyism. Like Joseph McCarthy's original version, today's version involves falsely labeling loyal American citizens as disloyal. What's different about this newer incarnation is that the background is not the ambition of a lone demagogue but instead a hyperpartisanship in which many Republicans view Democrats as no better than foreign adversaries. Or even worse than foreign adversaries consider this comment from an anonymous Republican senator last year when rebuffing suggestions for a conciliatory US move to resolve the impasse with Iran: "Why would we give them anything? They just called the president mentally retarded. They are almost as bad as the Democrats now." Efforts to silence rather than rebut opposing views about foreign policy are not entirely new. One of the most familiar examples is the recurrent effort to silence criticism of Israel's policies by playing the antisemitism card. An irony in view of Cotton's attack on NIAC is that those following his hardline approach toward Iran are among those quickest to denounce any criticism of undue American deference to Israel as propagating a bigoted "trope" about divided loyalties. This occurs even though some of those displaying such deference are quite open and even passionate about their attachment to that foreign country most notably casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who has been financially and thus politically one of the biggest influences on US policy toward Israel and has said that "unfortunately" he did his military service in an American uniform rather than an Israeli one. (Adelson also has said the United States should drop a nuclear weapon on Iran.) Cotton recklessly accuses those on the other side of Iran-related policy issues of divided loyalties in the absence of anything remotely like this. Nobody at NIAC expresses regret about having served in the U.S. military rather than the Iranian one. The new McCarthyism is an affront to the First Amendment of the Constitution. It also is a prescription for bad policies that never get adequately reviewed, discussed, and debated before they are adopted. A major lesson in this regard is the Iraq War, which was launched with no policy process in the executive branch and only cursory consideration, with no hearings, in Congress. Paul R. Pillar is Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Studies of Georgetown University. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Geneva Center for Security Policy. He retired in 2005 from a 28-year career in the US intelligence community, after which he was visiting professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. Read the original article on Responsible Statecraft. Copyright 2019. Follow Responsible Statecraft on Twitter. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump says Elon Musk does good at rockets and that he must be protected. In a new interview with CNBC during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the president marvelled at Musks rocket company SpaceX, and said he was one of our great geniuses. I spoke to him very recently, and hes also doing the rockets, Trump said. He likes rockets. And he does good at rockets, too, by the way. Trump went on to praise SpaceXs work to design rockets that can land themselves, allowing them to be reused in future missions, referring to them as engines. SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission Show all 15 1 /15 SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission Space X Dragon departs from the International Space Station and heads for earth AP SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission Space X Dragon undocks from the International Space Station NASA SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission SpaceX Crew Dragon is pictured about 20 meters (66 feet) away from the International Space Station Nasa/AP SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifts off on March 2 2019 Reuters SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission Astronauts aboard the Space Station preparing to open hatchet to the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying a instrumented dummy after it successfully docked with Space Station Nasa TV/EPA SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission A dummy(L) named Ripley onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard after the opening of the hatch during the Demo-1 missioN Nasa TV/AP SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission The SpaceX team watches as the SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with the International Space Station Nasa/AP SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket docked with the International Space Station during the Demo-1 mission Nasa/AFP/Getty SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft Reuters SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission Astronaut David Saint-Jacques taking a look inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying a instrumented dummy Nasa TV/EPA SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft lifts off on an uncrewed test flight Reuters SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifts off on an uncrewed test flight Reuters SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a demo Crew Dragon spacecraft on an uncrewed test flight AP SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission SpaceX's new crew capsule approaches just before docking Nasa TV/AP SpaceX Dragon heads back to earth after ISS mission Astronaut Eric Boe, assistant to the chief of the astronaut office for commercial crew, left, and Norm Knight, deputy director of flight operations at Nasa's Johnson Space Center watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft Nasa/AP I never saw where the engines come down with no wings, no anything, and theyre landing, Mr Trump continued. I said Ive never seen that before. The president was asked for his views on Musk after an interviewer noted that his other company, Tesla, was now bigger than traditional car companies GM and Ford. After discussing SpaceX, Trump moved on to praise Musk as one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius. Recommended White House mistakenly says Trump met with Iranian president You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison and we have to protect all of these people that came up with originally the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things, he continued. And hes one of our very smart people and we want to cherish those people. Musk has praised Thomas Edison in the past. He was a rival of the scientist Nikola Tesla, for whom Mr Musks electric car company was named. Trump also said that Musk was building a very big plant in the United States, which he had to do because we help him, so he has to help us. Musk has been largely quiet about his feelings about Trump in recent times, though the two have disagreed in the past. In 2017, he stopped advising the president in the wake of his decision to pull out of the Paris agreement on the climate. Am departing presidential councils, he tweeted at the time. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world. Guatemala City Guatemalas new government will continue to receive Honduran and Salvador asylum seekers from the United States under a controversial asylum deal, the countrys minister of foreign affairs confirmed on Wednesday. The US has sent more than 230 Hondurans and Salvadorans to Guatemala since November under the terms of an asylum cooperation agreement, signed in July by former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. According to the so-called safe third country agreement, US immigration officials can send migrants to Guatemala to seek asylum there or return home to their home country. Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei, who was sworn in last week, had reserved judgment on the agreement until annexe documents withheld by the previous administration could be analysed. In the end, the US provided the documents for review, Giammattei said Monday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Pedro Brolo told reporters on Wednesday that the signed agreement was a state commitment and that the government would review the implementation details with US assistance. We already have communication with the US embassy. A team of specialists is going to come so that we can sit down and see what capacities we have to do this in a more transparent way, Brolo said. Brolo added that officials will work to remove the secrecy surrounding the agreement and engage international agencies in the development of protocols. But the agreements very foundation has faced widespread criticism in Central America and the US. Rights groups have repeatedly noted that Guatemala the top country of origin of migrants and asylum seekers apprehended at the US southern border is not a safe country for others fleeing violence and poverty. Violent crime, such as armed robbery and murder, is common. Gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, and narcotics trafficking, is widespread, the US State Department notes in its travel advisory for Guatemala. They throw everyone here Of the first 181 Hondurans and Salvadorans sent to Guatemala under the deal, fewer than 10 percent took steps to seek asylum in the country and only two continued in the process as of earlier this week, according to the Guatemalan Immigration Institute. Meanwhile, thousands of Central Americans have made their way through Guatemala in hopes of making it to the US in the latest migrant caravan to leave the region. Mexico, also under pressure from the US to prevent migrants from reaching the US border, blocked large groups of the caravan. Hundreds have been deported to Honduras by Mexico or opted to return from Guatemala. Two asylum seekers, one from El Salvador and one from Honduras, waiting inside a migrant house in Guatemala City after being sent to Guatemala from the United States under the so-called safe third country agreement [Oliverde Ross/AP Photo] The majority of migrants sent to Guatemala as part of the asylum deal end up at the Casa del Migrante, a non-profit missionary-run migrant shelter that has been sheltering and assisting the thousands headed towards the US. Father Mauro Verzeletti, director of the shelter says like the previous administration, the new government has not provided any financial support for the basic needs of asylum seekers returned under the deal. They throw everyone here, Verzeletti told Al Jazeera at the shelter, where packages of soup were piled up against one wall and latex gloves and other supplies against another. Verzeletti, like many rights advocates, has been a fierce critic of the asylum deal. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the US government last week to challenge the policy of sending asylum seekers to Guatemala or potentially also to El Salvador or Honduras, where similar deals have been in the works. We should not permit this, Verzeletti said. BOGOTA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Colombian police clashed with small numbers of protesters and some public transport infrastructure was damaged in Bogota on Tuesday after a renewal of demonstrations. Marchers held mass protests in November and December last year to demand concessions from President Ivan Duque's right-wing government. Tuesday's protests were the first this year, and organizers say larger ones will come in March. The "immense majority" of the demonstrations on Tuesday were peaceful, Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez told journalists in an evening press conference, with 16 of 20 gatherings ending without violence. Some demonstrators attacked the ESMAD riot police force, she added. "It was not the ESMAD attacking civilians, but some violent, hooded protesters attacking members of our police," Lopez said. Protesters were dispersed from some areas in the capital with tear gas, while others threw rocks and set tires on fire, blocking roads. In separate remarks to journalists, Interior Minister Nancy Patricia Gutierrez and national police director Oscar Atehortua said some 20,000 people marched in 103 cities and towns across the country. Ten police officers were injured. "We have found with great sadness that these marches are taken advantage of by vandals who affect the wellbeing of citizens, especially when there are blockages and effects on mass transit systems, when there are road blockades, when private and public installations are attacked," Gutierrez said. Protesters have a wide variety of demands, including stepped-up efforts to stop killings of rights activists and implement a peace deal with leftist rebels. Others opposed a tax reform that was passed by Congress late last year. Protester Diego Henao, 47, said he was demonstrating on behalf of his 15 nieces and nephews. "I want there to be education, for there to be work," he said. "I want the government to make to make good on the peace deal, for there to be rights, health and social justice." (Reporting by Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta. Editing by Gerry Doyle) The veggie and fruit sector aims to gross 5 billion USD from exports this year on the back of new-generation free trade agreements, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT) said. The veggie and fruit sector aims to gross 5 billion USD from exports in 2020. As the EU Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is expected to take effect in 2020,tariffs on Vietnamese fruits and vegetables will fall to zero, helping theirvalue increase significantly. Besides, the clinched Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-PacificPartnership (CPTPP) will open new markets for the Vietnamese products. According to Dang Phuc Nguyen, the associations general secretary, the targetis achievable, especially when a large area of fruits and vegetables is beinggrown under VietGAP and Global GAP to meet requirements of choosy markets. Last year, shipments of fruits and vegetables laggedbehind expectations as they brought home only 3.8 billion USD, a year-on-year slideof 1 percent. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that 2019 was really a tough year withthe veggie and fruit sector. China, the largest importer of Vietnam, tightenedrequirements for imports from Vietnam via applying strict quarantine measuresand enhancing origin traceability. However, growth was seen in the shipments to several markets such as ASEAN(26.6 percent), the US (10.7 percent) and the EU (32.2 percent)./.VNA HOLYOKE Holyoke 420 can pursue a state cannabis license after the City Council on Tuesday granted a special permit for the business. The council voted 11-1 in favor of the permit, with Councilor Howard Greaney voting no. The company plans to open the Holyoke Cannabis Co. at 380 Dwight St., a short walk from City Hall. The Cannabis Control Commission, which oversees the states medical and recreational marijuana industry, requires companies to obtain local approval. Attorney Blake Mensing, Holyoke 420s co-owner, outlined the companys proposal before the City Councils Ordinance Committee last week. If approved by the state, Holyoke Cannabis Co. plans to operate a 1,900-square-foot facility with nearly half the space set aside for customers. The company will not grow marijuana itself. Mensing told the committee the store would operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. He expects the company to hire 20 employees, with staff members dedicated to assisting Spanish-speaking customers. City Councilor Rebecca Lisi, who chairs the Ordinance Committee, said the company plans to renovate a space in the former Canal Gallery Building. She said Holyoke 420 would serve around 200 customers daily. Ward 3 Councilor David Bartley said he only recently learned the Holyoke Police Department requires armed security at cannabis businesses. Holyoke Police Capt. Matthew Moriarty said the department set the policy during Police Chief James Neiswangers tenure. Moriarty added that the department does not dictate who cannabis companies can hire for security personnel. That requirement rests with the Ordinance Committee. Lisi wants to hold future conversations with police officials about the armed guard requirement. The Police Department also makes sure cannabis companies conduct monthly crisis training such as CPR, fire and evacuation drills. The department has policies pertaining to shipping and receiving practices and securing vaults that hold cash and marijuana products. The special permit for Holyoke 420 sets forth conditions including submitting a traffic mitigation plan, filling at least 30% of nonsecurity positions with Holyoke residents and giving hiring preference for security positions to retired police officers. Entrepreneurship has been described by various sources as being in the DNA of every Nigerian. An innate drive to create new opportunities and create value for survival and posterity is at the heart of the success of many businesses and individuals in the country. Thanks to you Joshua Joseph, 2018 British Council Business Acceleration Bootcamp participant, and social entrepreneur, farmers in Nigeria are being helped with their productivity issues. Today Joshua Joseph is the CEO of Josult Oil Processing Company, thanks to his selection for the 2018 British Council Business Acceleration Bootcamp. The Bootcamp was the start of something big for Joshua. His was among the 10 startups that won the Business Acceleration Investment Grant of N250,000 each. He says, It was a three-day business mentorship and training programme that made available opportunities for networking, learning and knowledge sharing with mentors and other entrepreneurs. The training focused on helping startups identify assumptions, testing and creating MVPs and also integrating social impact into new businesses. His new company offers an efficient, easy and stress-free method of extracting palm oil for smallholder farmers and also market the products for the farmers. He also launched his branded palm oil in May 2018 after the training. We offer the best quality palm oil produced in a hygienic environment and packaged in a classic way to suit consumers needs at the best-valued price in plastics and sachets. Currently, we have helped over 45 Smallholder Farmers increase their profit margin by selling through our brand and I am also able to train and guide other startups to launch their products and businesses through the creation of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), he says. A few among Joshuas several achievements are Alumni of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, Pioneer Award winner Selfless4Africa Emerging Leaders Award and one of the Pioneer Winners of the TKC-3FM Investor Pitch, Ghana. He is also a member of the Global Alliance for Youth Leaders and an Alumni of the President Obamas Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Visit www.britishcouncil.org.ng for more information about how to participate in the 75 Stories campaign or follow on social media #ThanksToYou #75Stories #BritishCouncilAt75 Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Amrit Singh always knew he wanted to work as a peace officer. He spent years in law enforcement explorer programs, five months in a police training academy, and many dozens of hours working out and studying. After all that work, the 21-year-old Sugar Land residents swearing in as one of the newest members of the Harris County Precinct 1 Constables Office took less than a minute. The move made him the first Sikh deputy constable in Harris County and represented an important step forward in religious inclusion, local Sikhs said. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in what is now India. Practicing Sikhs wear a turban and five articles of faith: uncut hair, a wooden comb, an iron bracelet, an iron dagger and a Kachera, or type of undergarment requirements that would be prohibited by many law enforcement departments that operate as paramilitary organizations with strict uniform policies. Harris County made national headlines in 2015 after sheriffs deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal fought for and won the rights to wear his turban and beard on duty. At the time of the beloved deputys murder last year, just a few dozen law enforcement agencies across the United States and the U.S. Army had uniform policies with religious accommodations allowing Sikhs to serve in accordance with their faith. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston Police Department changes uniform policy to allow practicing Sikhs to serve in honor of HCSO Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal Dhaliwals death left the region reeling but galvanized the Houston Police Department in October to make similar accommodations in its policies. On Tuesday, Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen announced at Singhs swearing-in ceremony that the countys eight constables supported accommodations for Sikhs to serve while adhering to their religion. As a man of the Jewish faith, I know how it feels to be religiously targeted and how important it is to teach inclusion, understanding and tolerance, Rosen said, standing in front of representatives from the countys other constable offices. To me, wearing a yarmulke or him wearing a turban really doesnt impact the quality of work of what hes going to do. It should have zero impact on public safety or what job we do. Are you going to care if the person showing up to your door to help save you has a turban or yarmulke? Youre not. You're just happy theyre there to save you and keep you safe. Singh said hed wanted to serve in law enforcement ever since he was a child he always felt a need to protect people around him. But he wanted to find a department that would respect his faith, he said. I didnt want to give up my religion to serve, Singh said. And I knew if I was that passionate about it, there would be some leader out there who would feel the same way. In a brief interview, Singhs parents said they supported their son even though the job could be dangerous. I have no doubt he will be a very good law enforcement officer, said his father, Suhel Singh. On HoustonChronicle.com: Thousands mourn slain HCSO deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal as ambassador of all that is good Singhs mother, Sukie Kaur, said she hoped her son would excel in his new profession. I want him to do [his job] to the best of his ability, she said. Leaders from the Sikh community said Singhs hiring marked the latest step in a series of events that have made Houston a beacon for Sikhs and for religious tolerance. You cant have diversity without inclusiveness, said Bobby Singh, a Houston businessman and Sikh community leader. This is what were about in this region. In the months since Dhaliwals death, law enforcement agencies in California, Washington and others in Texas have signaled willingness to change their policies, said Manpreet Singh of the Sikh Coalition, which advocates for religious accommodations for minority communities in public and private sectors. It makes me proud to be a Houstonian, and a Texan, she said. I hope the rest of the nation follows Texas. st.john.smith@chron.com twitter.com/stjbs Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris returned for his first appearance under Jose Mourinho against Norwich on Wednesday after over three months out with a dislocated elbow. The French number one suffered the injury in conceding the first goal of a dispiriting 3-0 defeat to Brighton in early October. Just over a month later, Mourinho replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino. The 32-year-old returned to training earlier this month, but was not expected to feature until early February. However, with Spurs badly in need of a win against the Canaries to boost their chances of a top-four Premier League finish, Mourinho dropped Paulo Gazzaniga to the bench, despite the Argentine saving a penalty in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Watford. Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris returned to the starting line-up for the first time in over three months against Norwich An Iranian student attending college in Boston was denied entry to the US and ordered to immediately fly back to his native country. The action was taken despite a court order temporarily staying his removal, immigration lawyers and civil rights groups said Tuesday. Shahab Dehghani, a 24-year-old economics student at Northeastern University, arrived in Boston with a valid student visa but was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at Logan International Airport, according to his lawyer Kerry Doyle. Shahab Dehghani (pictured), a 24-year-old economics student at Northeastern University, was denied entry to the US and ordered to immediately fly back to his native country Customs officials ordered Dehghani, whose full name is listed as Mohammad Shahab Dehghani Hossein Abadi on federal court filings, to leave on the next available flight because they determined he was intending to reside in the U.S. longer than his temporary student visa allowed, Doyle said. Dehghani's lawyers reject that claim. They say he had attended the University of Massachusetts Boston before transferring to Northeastern, had undergone a nearly one-year visa review and planned to return to Iran when he completed his studies. 'He's understandably upset,' said Heather Yountz, a lawyer also involved in Dehghani's case. 'He's been a student here in Massachusetts for two years. His life has now been turned around.' Customs and Border Patrol declined to comment on specifics but said each person seeking entry to the country has the burden to prove they can overcome 'all grounds of inadmissibility,' including 'health-related grounds, criminality, security reasons, public charge, labor certification, illegal entrants and immigration violations, documentation requirements, and miscellaneous grounds.' While he was at the airport Monday, Dehghani's attorneys filed an emergency lawsuit seeking to hold off his removal, which a federal judge quickly approved, pending a court hearing Tuesday. But Judge Richard Stearns on Tuesday said the case was moot and out of his jurisdiction because Dehghani ended up flying out of the U.S. that night. Doyle confirmed Dehghani took a flight to Paris on Monday but disputed the judge's assertions. She also challenged federal prosecutors who argued Dehghani was removed from the country before the emergency order was issued. Doyle a rgued he was still at the airport at the time the judge issued the temporary stay , suggesting customs officials violated the order. She said her client intends to fight the case and will weigh his legal options. Protesters stand outside the federal courthouse where a hearing was scheduled for Northeastern University student Shahab Dehghani on Tuesday, above and below Northeastern University said it has also been in touch with federal officials to try and get Dehghani back to Boston for his classes. 'We still have not received a satisfactory explanation from Customs and Border Protection for this action,' the university said late Tuesday. 'Only in the most extreme instances should students have their academic pursuits interrupted by government intervention.' Doyle and other immigrant rights activists say Dehghani's case is the latest example of customs officials at Logan Airport ignoring court orders since President Donald Trump issued a ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim countries in 2017, including Iran. Since August, at least 10 students have been sent back to Iran upon arrival at U.S. airports. Seven had flown into Logan, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which is also assisting Dehghani. 'We feel the Iranian community has been unfortunately targeted,' Doyle said. 'We're hearing many reports, especially at the Boston port of entry, of Iranian students and other individuals being subjected to increased and severe interrogation at secondary inspections.' Civil rights groups and lawmakers complained this month to federal officials after Iranian Americans said they had been questioned for hours at the Canadian border in Washington state in the days after U.S. forces killed a top Iranian general and the Trump administration feared retaliation from Iran. Dehghani arrived on a flight into Boston on Monday but was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at Logan International Airport and deported Hamed Yarmand was among more than two dozen people who rallied outside of Boston federal court Tuesday in support of Dehghani. Yarmand, who is Iranian American, said he was one of Dehghani's professors at UMass Boston and described him as a good student who was involved in school activities. 'It's not fair,' Yarmand said. 'President Trump says he supports the Iranian people. But how does that work, with these sanctions and this travel ban? There seems to be a contradiction with what he says and what this administration is doing in practice.' Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Thousands of commuters faced delays Wednesday after a partial train derailment on the Bloor-Danforth line shut down service between Jane and Ossington stations during the morning rush. Frustrated passengers packed Bloor Street West, cramming onto packed shuttle buses while others took alternate routes to get to work. Some said that their commute times were more than doubled by the delay. This is the first major unintended TTC subway shutdown of 2020. Just last month, almost 200 people were evacuated from a train at Dundas West station after a wooden board touched the third rail, sparking a fire. The Stars transportation reporter Ben Spurr answered readers questions about the delay: Is there a way to get a fare refund if theres an alert while youre waiting on the subway platform? The TTC doesnt offer refunds for service problems, but riders can get transfers at stations to use alternate routes. There was some discussion in 2015 about the possibility of starting a refund program akin to GO Transits, which repays customers whose trains are seriously delayed. But the TTC said at the time it would require significant overhead and administrative costs. Many transit advocates would argue that money would be better spent making the system more reliable. How many people does a subway car versus a bus hold? The T1 subway cars used on Line 2 each have a standing capacity of 184 passengers, and there are six cars per train. The TTCs longer articulated buses (the bendy ones) each have a standing capacity of 77 riders. Is John Tory ever going to fix these TTC delay problems? While it often feels like subway delays happen frequently, according to the latest statistics in TTC CEOs report, as of November delay minutes on Line 1 were down 3.9 per cent compared to the same time in 2018, and delay minutes on Line 2 were down 10 per cent. Should we get rid of all our subways and switch to buses? From a transit service perspective, this would be a bad idea. Subways carry far more people, far more efficiently than buses, and dont mix with private car traffic. Trying to fit the current number of TTC subway riders onto buses would likely lead to mass gridlock on Torontos roads. Why are TTC fares constantly being raised, instead of critically examining the countless issues this transit system has? The 10-cent fare increase scheduled to go into effect March 1 will be the ninth since 2009, and has angered many riders. There is a reasonable debate to be had about whether it is fair to continue to ask transit riders to pay more when the city hasnt tapped other revenue sources, such as property tax increases, to the extent that it is able. However, just because fares are going up doesnt mean the TTC isnt paying attention to the problems afflicting the transit system. Every day and night the agencys employees perform important maintenance on the subway network and vehicles. Last year, CEO Rick Leary introduced a new report on the long-term needs of the TTC, which he said enumerated for the first time the cost of all the work required to keep the subways, buses and streetcars running. It outlined more than $33 billion worth of work required over the next 15 years (the number has since risen to more than $36 billion), two-thirds of it unfunded. Its now up to the politicians who oversee the TTC to decide how to fund the work. File image Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on January 22 discussed issues relating to bilateral trade and investment with South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hi, as he met a number of industry leaders and foreign ministers here at WEF 2020. Goyal, who also holds the railways portfolio, discussed ways for accelerating investments in Indian Railways during a roundtable session with industry leaders here on the sidelines of WEF. Goyal highlighted the focus on innovation and modernisation in Railways, paving the way for new and higher investment opportunities. Separately, the minister held a number of bilateral meetings including with Carlos Brito, Global CEO of Anheuser Busch InBev, and discussed the various initiatives taken by the Indian Government to enhance Ease of Doing Business. He also met Alfred F Kelly Jr, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Visa, and Alan Hope, CEO of Unilever. With the South Korean minister, Goyal had a discussion on India's concerns to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment between the two nations, he tweeted. A member of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday backtracked on his remarks about breaking ties with ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). G Baskaran, who is also the minister for Khadi and Village Industries, had said on Tuesday, In the cabinet, all the ministers were opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA. We are waiting for the opportune time to snap ties with the BJP. It is the BJP that had let us down in the elections. We want to be on our own. He was addressing the 103rd birth anniversary celebration of party founder M G Ramachandran at Ilayankudi in Sivaganga district. The BJP votes had not come to the AIADMK, as they had supported the DMK even in Muslim pockets like Ilayamnkudi, he further claimed. He represents Sivaganga in the Assembly which has a sizeable Muslim population. But on Wednesday, Baskaran made a u-turn saying he had only spoken about the CAA, against which protest rallies are being held across the state. I have only elaborated the partys position on the CAA and have not said anything about the ties with the BJP which remain strong, he told reporters at Karaikudi. This comes after senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar made it clear that Baskarans comments could be his personal view and not that of the party. But this is not the first time that AIADMK ministers have criticised their ally. Senior AIADMK leader and the partys popular Muslim face, Anwar Raja, had put the blame on the CAA for the partys poor show in the panchayat polls. The partys minority support base had drifted away since the AIADMK is being seen as playing ball to the BJP, he had alleged. After the panchayat elections, the allies were engaged in war of words after senior BJP leader and former Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan gave vent to his ire against the Dravidian major. The BJP could have won at more places had it contested alone, he had said blaming the AIADMK for playing a big brothers role in seat sharing. This led to a heated exchange between Jayakumar and Radhakrishnan. Though it did not lead to a break-up of ties, the simmering discontent between the two had not seen a closure. Further deepening the divide between the two is the Rajinikanth-Periyar controversy. While the state BJP leaders have been backing the Tamil superstar, the AIADMK had stuck to its Dravidian roots. We cannot tolerate any insult to our icons Periyar, Anna (CN Anndurai), MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. Rajinikanth talked about what had not happened at the rally led by Periyar in 1971 at Salem. When Thuglak (magazine started by political commentator Cho Ramasamy) itself had not reported about it, he is talking about it. We cannot allow insult to Periyar and the government will take steps to put an end to this, Jayakumar told the media. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) also made it clear that the party considers Periyars ideas are like a kalash (urn) in a temple tower. It was because of Periyars yeoman service to uplift the underprivileged, an ordinary person like me could reach such a height. People criticising Periyar should first read his works in its entirety, he said. Regulators want owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline which pumps 560,000 barrels of oil through west-central Illinois on average every day to provide expert analysis to back up the companys claim that doubling the lines capacity wont increase the likelihood of a spill. Texas-based Energy Transfer wants to double the capacity of the pipeline, which goes through portions of Brown and Morgan counties, to as much as 1.1 million barrels daily to meet growing demand for oil shipments from North Dakota, and is seeking permission for additional pump stations in the Dakotas, Iowa and Illinois to do it. Commissioners in a South Dakota county last year approved a conditional use permit for a pumping station needed for the expansion. Permits in the other states are pending. The Iowa Utilities Board ordered the company last week to provide expert explanation of whether the increased flow will increase the amount of oil that will be released if a spill occurs. The nonpartisan panel, whose three members all were appointed by a Republican governor, also wants information on pipeline pressure levels currently and if the expansion occurs. The company also must provide expert explanation on the effect any additives to the oil would have on the longevity of the pipeline. The $3.8 billion pipeline has been moving oil from the Dakotas through Iowa to Illinois for more than two years. It was subject to prolonged protests and hundreds of arrests during its construction in North Dakota in late 2016 and early 2017 because it crosses beneath the Missouri River, just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The tribe draws its water from the river and fears pollution. Energy Transfer insists the pipeline and its expansion are safe. Tribal members are asking the North Dakota Public Service Commission to deny the expansion of the pipeline, saying it would increase both the likelihood and severity of spill incidents. The company said in court filings that its $40 million pump station built on a 23-acre site would produce only minimal adverse effects on the environment and the citizens of North Dakota. The North Dakota PSC in November held a hearing on the proposed expansion that was overseen by an administrative law judge. The 17-hour-long hearing was held in Linton, a town of 1,000 along the pipelines path and near where a pump station would be placed to increase the lines capacity from 600,000 barrels a day to as much as 1.1 million barrels. A barrel is 42 gallons. The three-member, all-GOP elected North Dakota panel has scheduled a work session Thursday in Bismarck to discuss issues raised at the hearing two months ago. PSC spokeswoman Stacy Eberl said no action on the permit request would be taken at the work session, which could extend to at least one more meeting. Standing Rock attorney Timothy Purdon applauded the action by Iowa regulators requiring expert analysis to back up Energy Transfers claims. You cant properly evaluate the safety of the pipeline without this information and the tribe has asked for this stuff but its not part of the record in North Dakota, Purdon said. The Saudi embassy in Washington has dismissed suggestions the kingdom hacked the phone of Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, as media reports linked the security breach to a WhatsApp message from an account of Crown Prince The 2018 intrusion into the device led to the release of intimate images of founder Bezos, whose Post newspaper employed as a contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist murdered later that same year at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. "Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd," the Saudi Arabian embassy said on its Twitter account on Tuesday. "We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out." Late Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that a United Nations investigation will report on Wednesday that Bezos's cell phone was hacked after he got the WhatsApp message from an account purportedly belonging to Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler. Soon after the message was sent, a massive amount of data was extracted from Bezos's phone, the Post said investigators concluded. The Guardian earlier reported that the encrypted message from the number used by Prince Mohammed is believed to have included a malicious file that infiltrated Bezos's phone, according to a digital forensic analysis. The two men were having a seemingly friendly WhatsApp exchange when the unsolicited file was sent, according to sources cited by The Guardian. Bezos hired Gavin de Becker & Associates to find out how his intimate text messages and photos made their way into the hands of the National Enquirer, which reported on the chief's extramarital affair, leading to his divorce. In March last year de Becker said he concluded that Saudi Arabian authorities hacked the chief's phone to access his personal data. "Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information," de Becker wrote on The Daily Beast website at the time. But de Becker did not specify which part of the Saudi government he was blaming for the hack, and gave few details about the investigation that led him to the conclusion that the kingdom was responsible. In December a Saudi court exhonerated Prince Mohammed's top aides over the murder of Khashoggi, a verdict condemned globally as a travesty of justice but backed by Washington. Both the CIA and United Nations special envoy Agnes Callamard have directly linked Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies. Were going to get back to living life, even if it kills us Channel 4 has appointed Miketta Lane as Head of Production and Operations for its in-house creative agency 4Creative. Reporting into Chief Marketing Officer Zaid Al-Qassab, Lane will be responsible for the production and financial control of 4Creatives on-air and off-air campaigns, as well as managing relationships with key external suppliers. Her role will also be instrumental in helping to shape the operational running of Channel 4s new Digital Creative Unit (w/t), based in Leeds. She will join 4Creatives senior leadership team and will work closely with Head of 4Creative Lynsey Atkin. Zaid Al Qassab, Chief Marketing Officer Channel 4 said: I am absolutely delighted that after a thorough external search we have found the talent needed to lead the 4Creative production team right here within Channel 4 and will be promoting Miketta Lane to this role. Her knowledge of Channel 4 will be invaluable in helping us set up the operations in Leeds where we are building our new Digital Creative Unit. Miketta Lane said: I love everything Channel 4 stands for, and 4Creatives output is among the best in the business. As the marketing landscape changes, how we operate and how we make things is crucial in our ability to deliver noisy, award-winning, multi-platform campaigns. 4Creative is home to some of the industrys greatest talent, and its an honour to be stepping into such a vital role, at such a vital time. Lane first joined 4Creative as a Producer in 2005 and after four years left to assist U2 on tour. Following this, she freelanced as a Producer working with clients including LOreal, Nike, Google, ITV and Dubai before returning to 4Creative in 2014 to manage the day to day production across all of Channel 4s multimedia advertising campaigns and in 2019 was promoted to Executive Producer. Share this story A person close to Mohammed called it inconceivable that the crown prince would try to hack Bezoss phone but said one of his aides might have. Like others, the person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the issue. Khashoggis columns in The Post hit Riyadh like a bombshell, the person said. There is also this thrill when you buy some software, and you dont know your limits. Sharetea. | Photo: Kassie E./Yelp Craving coffee or tea, but don't want to break the bank? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the most exceptional destinations for affordable coffee and tea in Plano, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to get your caffeine fix on a budget. 1. BobaLand Photo: Kassie E./Yelp Topping the list is BobaLand. Located at 240 Legacy Drive, Suite 110, the outlet to score coffee, bubble tea, juices and smoothies is the highest-rated low-cost coffee and tea establishment in Plano, boasting 4.5 stars out of 354 reviews on Yelp. "At BobaLand, we want drinks that not only satisfy your thirst, but are nutritious and healthy," touts the business' Yelp profile. Concerning signature items, BobaLand offers "an assortment of beverages, from the everyday milk teas to the exotic drink like the Red Galaxy and Rising Phoenix." 2. Sharetea Photo: Katherine W./Yelp Sharetea, located at 3933 N. Central Expressway, is another prime choice, with Yelpers giving the inexpensive shop that offers coffee, bubble tea, juices and smoothies 4.5 stars out of 167 reviews. "Sharetea started off business with to-go black tea and pearl milk tea drinks in Taipei, Taiwan," states the history section of the business' Yelp bio. As far as what the business is known for, "Boba tea, bubble tea [and] pearl milk tea," it continues on Yelp in the section about specialties. "Sharetea's boba tea, or called bubble tea, are made from high-quality tea leaves and selected ingredients shipped directly from Taiwan." 3. Heavenly Kup Photo: Christopher B./Yelp Heavenly Kup, an outpost known for its bubble tea, shaved ice, coffee and other beverages, is another much-loved, reasonably priced go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 124 Yelp reviews. Head over to 6505 W. Park Blvd., Suite 322, to give it a try for yourself. According to its Yelp page, Heavenly Kup specializes in coffee drinks, milk tea, desserts, hot tea, iced tea, boba, taiyaki, shaved snow, snow ice and shaved ice. Story continues 4. Dubs Tea N Eats Photo: Dubs Tea N Eats/Yelp Next, check out Dubs Tea N Eats, which has earned five stars out of 49 reviews on Yelp. Dig in at the economical cafe, which serves coffee, tea, pretzels and more, by heading over to 3131 Custer Road, Suite 178. "With over 50 flavors of iced and big hot tea selection, you will find a great drink at Dubs," the business explains on its Yelp page in the section about specialties. 5. Fulll Last but not least, there's Fulll, a local favorite with 4.5 stars out of 124 reviews. Stop by 240 Legacy Drive, Suite 308F, to hit up the economical source for bubble tea, juices, smoothies and coffee next time you're looking to quench your thirst without emptying your wallet. Per its Yelp bio, Fulll serves "authentic boba teas with all natural house-made ingredients, no artificial flavors or colors, no powdered drink mixes or syrup added." This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Its a big shift for him personally, and his use of the bully pulpit is a new dynamic in Democrats push to shore up voting laws in key states before its too late to make a difference for them in the midterms. The Trump administration is planning to add seven countries to its travel ban list that restricts the flow of immigrants and visitors into the United States, the Wall Street Journal has reported. According to the report, Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania will be added to the travel ban list. People from these countries may not necessarily face blanket bans on travel to the US, but could face restrictions on specific types of visas, such as business or visitor visas, WSJ has reported citing administration officials familiar with the development. However, this list is not final yet. The expanded travel restrictions could roll out on January 27 the three-year anniversary of the initial travel ban Donald Trump had signed on his seventh day in office as the US President. This had sparked a major controversy. Countries that failed to comply with security requirements, including biometrics, information-sharing and counter-terrorism measures, faced the risk of limitations on US immigration, a Reuters report suggests, attributing a senior Trump administration official. According to the Reuters report, the move is likely to sour relations between the United States and the countries added to the expanded travel ban list. Nigeria, for example Africa's most populous country and largest economy is a US anti-terrorism partner. The country also has a large diaspora residing in the US. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the reports. Under the current version of the ban, citizens of Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, and some Venezuelan officials and their relatives are blocked from obtaining a large range of US immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Chad was previously covered under this ban, but was removed from the list in April 2018. Citizens of the countries can apply for waivers to the ban, but such instances are exceedingly rare. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 23, 2020 Civil society groups have accused the government of misconduct in its decision to restrict internet access in restive Papua last year as part of efforts to contain the spread of hoaxes, according to a lawsuit filed at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN). The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) is suing President Joko Jokowi Widodo and the Communications and Information Ministry over the internet access restriction imposed in Papua and West Papua between August and September last year. Government officials argued that the move was taken to prevent the spread of hoaxes following incidents of racial abuse suffered by Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, which had heightened tensions in Indonesias easternmost provinces. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the state government and three former CMs on a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of an act which exempts them from paying market rent for government accommodations allotted to them. The notices were issued by Justice RC Khulbe of the High Court to the state government and former CMs Vijay Bahuguna, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the petitioner's counsel Kartikey Hari Gupta said. Nishank is now the Union HRD minister and Koshyari is the Governor of Maharashtra. The next hearing is scheduled for February 11, Gupta said. The PIL has prayed to the court to declare the act unconstitutional, he said. The act is an attempt by the state government to overrule the specific mandamus issued in order to recover market rent from the ex-CMs, he said. The Uttarakhand Former Chief Minister Facility Act was passed recently after the High Court ordered the recovery of market rent running into crores of rupees from ex-CMs for the entire period during which they occupied such accommodations. The act notified on Tuesday says that former state CMs will have to pay 25 per cent more than the standard government rate for their accommodations whereas other facilities like vehicle, driver and PRO etc will be provided to them free of cost. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ANN ARBOR, MI A waiver allowing Washtenaw County schools to start before Labor Day is being pursued by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. If approved, the waiver submitted to the Michigan Department of Education would allow districts to have an earlier first day of school starting in 2020-21. Michigan law requires K-12 public schools to begin their academic year no earlier than the Tuesday after Labor Day, but schools can apply for waivers from that requirement. The intermediate school district and Michigan Department of Education are hosing a public hearing regarding the waiver request at 5 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, 1819 S. Wagner Road in Ann Arbor. The move would allow local school districts to align with existing education programs, such as the Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University, WISD Superintendent Scott Menzel said. After the hearing, Menzel said the state should decide on its waiver within a month. This has come up the past few years at the superintendents table, Menzel said of discussion regarding an earlier start date. A number of local school districts expressed interest, including Manchester, which actually had a hearing already scheduled (for a waiver). Some other (districts) have indicated that while they havent decided one way or the other, they would like county-wide authorization if the community and their staff wanted to eventually go in that direction. Two Washtenaw County districts Saline Area Schools and Whitmore Lake Public Schools applied for and were granted waivers from the state and began the 2019-20 academic year on Aug. 26. Under the waiver, districts would have the ability to opt out of starting the academic year early, Dexter Community Schools Superintendent Chris Timmis said. Because the academic calendar is negotiated with the teachers union and the district has not yet discussed the possibility of an early start date, Timmis said Dexter will not participate in starting the year early at least in 2020-21 if the waiver is approved. With the summer dedicated to a number of construction projects within the district, Timmis said it would not make sense to change to the academic calendar at this point in time. We would have to see how the community feels about it, Timmis said. A lot of families have gotten used to (starting after Labor Day) and plan their summers around starting after Labor Day. We need to give them enough warning. The Saline Area Schools community was divided on starting school before Labor Day when it applied for its waiver in 2018, Superintendent Scot Graden said. He said he believes the change has been viewed positively in its first year of implementation. It has been well received by staff and feedback from families has been positive in terms of the start of the year this year, he said. ... With the late date for Labor Day next year, we have gotten positive feedback that (Aug. 31) will work well for the start of school in 2020. While completing the academic year earlier into the month of June was not a motivation behind the waiver request, it is a side benefit of getting the waiver if it happens, Menzel said. (When the year ends) still varies by district and depends on what other time off they have built in to the schedule, he said. Those who cant attend the hearing can still direct or submit questions to Menzel via email at smenzel@washtenawisd.org Saline Schools will start before Labor Day in 2019-20 school year Students will continue to start school before Labor Day in Jackson County How post Labor Day school start law impacts Michigan tourism Yet the rigging of the trial process may not be the most damaging legacy of the exhibition Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is orchestrating in full collaboration with the White House. That might flow from the brazen case being laid out by Mr. Trumps lawyers. The defense brief they filed Monday argues that the president did absolutely nothing wrong when he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch investigations of Joe Biden and a Russian-promoted conspiracy theory about the 2016 election. It further contends that Mr. Trump was entirely within his rights when he refused all cooperation with the House impeachment inquiry, including rejecting subpoenas for testimony and documents. It says he cannot be impeached because he violated no law. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-22 08:02:02 Funding includes 13.9M in equity and 6.1M in grants; will support companys phase I/II trial with PDC*lung01 candidate in lung cancer PDC*line Pharma Raises 20 Million in Series B Financing Round Media and analysts contact Andrew Lloyd & Associates Jo Reeder - Juliette Schmitt-dos Santos jo@ala.com / juliette@ala.com UK: + 44 1273 675 100 @ALA_Group PDC*line Pharma, a clinical stage biotech company developing a new class of potent and scalable active immunotherapies for cancers, announces today the completion of its Series B round of financing. The company has raised a total of 20 million ($22.2M). Two and a half years after its last round of fundraising in July 2017, PDC*line Pharma has attracted new investors, securing a further capital increase of 13.9M ($15.5M). In addition, the company will receive 6.1M ($6.8M) in loans and subsidies from the Walloon Region of Belgium, which has backed the company since it expanded its operations there in 2016. PDC*line Pharma has attracted five new investors: Korean Investment Partners, the leading multi-billion dollar South-Korean fund, two further South-Korean funds, Shinhan-Cognitive Start-up Fund and UTC 2019 BIOVENTUREFUND, as well as two Belgian funds, SRIW (The Regional Investment Company of Wallonia) and Sambrinvest (the investment fund of Charleroi). They join the companys historical investors: SFPI-FPIM, the Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company, Noshaq Group (ex-Meusinvest), the Financiere Spin-off Luxembourgeoise/INVESTSUD Group and a group of international business angels and well-known entrepreneurs. We are delighted by the trust our investors have placed in us and the opportunity to successfully complete this fund raising, said Eric Halioua, president & CEO of PDC*line Pharma. The competitive advantage of our vaccinal platform in cancer immunotherapy and the significant achievements we have made over the last three years, including the signing of an important licensing deal with LG-Chem in Asia and the start of our phase I/II trials in France and Belgium in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), have been key factors in our investors decisions. The objectives of the phase I/II study (PDC-LUNG-101) are to assess the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and preliminary clinical activity of the drug candidate, PDC*lung01, associated or not with anti-PD-1 treatment in NSCLC. A total of 66 evaluable HLA-A*02:01 positive NSCLC patients are expected in three clinical centers in Belgium and six sites in France. PDC*lung01 comprises PDC*line professional antigen-presenting cells loaded with HLA-A2 restricted peptides derived from six shared tumor antigens. According to Francois Fontaine, general advisor to PDC*line Pharma at SFPI-FPIM, PDC*line Pharmas cancer vaccine platform is both highly innovative and meets an important medical need. It also has a clear societal impact for the Liege region, for Belgium and beyond. We welcome the continued strong support of the Walloon region and the new funding by existing and new investors. In line with our strategy to support transformative technologies, we are thrilled to join PDC*line Pharma in advancing its Smission to treat cancer patients, said Sangwoo Lee, managing director at Korea Investment Partners. PDC*line Pharmas scientific expertise is matched by the management it has assembled to advance its clinical and research programs. About KIP Korea Investment Partners (KIP) is Asias leading venture capital and private equity house. As an affiliate of Korea Investment Holdings, one of the top financial conglomerates in Korea, KIP is a leading venture capital and private equity firm with ample investment experience. Since 1986, KIP has shown steady and unprecedented investment performance in various industries. From early stage ventures to growth stage companies, KIPs investments deliver unified goals to create more value by forging strong relationships, integral to building business across different industries. Its mission is to be a trustworthy partner for rapidly growing companies through diversified value-enhancing investments, supporting business operations and global expansion. www.kipvc.com About Shinhan-Cognitive Start-up Fund The Shinhan-Cognitive Start-up Fund is a venture fund run jointly by Shinhan Investment and AG Investment. Shinhan Investment, part of the Shinhan Financial Group, is one of Korea's leading securities brokerage and investment banking houses. AG Investment, a young Korean VC firm, was founded in 2016 by Mr. Chun Yang-Hyun, the first generation of Korean Internet Venture Entrepreneurs. The Shinhan-Cognitive Start-up Fund aims to discover and invest in promising young entrepreneurs and revitalize the growth of the Korean economy. It also invests in overseas ventures supporting innovative technologies. About UTC 2019 BIOVENTUREFUND The UTC 2019 BIOVENTUREFUND was formed to discover biotech companies in Korea and abroad developing innovative technologies with high growth potential. Since UTC investment was established in 1988, its talented team of investment professionals has built up a successful investment track record in venture capital and private equity buyouts. In venture capital, it has especially focused on investing in healthcare, IT and foodtech. http://utc.co.kr About Sambrinvest Sambrinvest is an actor in risk capital in the region of Charleroi, Belgium, based in the Aeropole of Gosselies, with the objective of supporting the development of SMEs. With its expertise, it advises entrepreneurs at every development stage of a project whilst respecting their management autonomy. www.sambrinvest.be (FR) About SRIW Life Sciences Societe Regionale d'Investissement de Wallonie (S.R.I.W.) is an evergreen investment company. It provides equity and/or debt to companies that generate economic activity and employment in Wallonia. Its assets under management are currently about 3 billion euros. In the life sciences sector, its current portfolio includes private and public companies, in both venture and growth segments, for a total fair value close to 200 million euros. https://www.sriw.be/en/ https://www.sriw.be/assets/574d4b4f-17da-439a-8259 About NOSHAQ Noshaq (formerly Meusinvest) is the reference financial partner for the set-up and development of SMEs in the Region of Liege. Over the years, Noshaq has developed a range of financing vehicles in line with market needs and trends and with its strategy (For example: Spinventure for the spin-offs of the University of Liege, LeanSquare for the new economy start-ups, Epimede, a private growth fund, active in Belgium and beyond). Each service offered by Noshaq (capital-loan-leasing) is always determined according to the demand and needs of the owner-investor. The objective is always to have a leverage effect on the company's development. www.noshaq.be/en/ About Financiere Spin-off Luxembourgeoise/Groupe INVESTSUD Financiere is a specialized VC fund investing in seed and early-stage startups. Its portfolio of companies features some of the leading young technological companies in Wallonia. Financiere belongs to the INVESTSUD Group, which is a private venture capital firm in Wallonia, Belgium, dedicated to accompanying small- and medium-sized family companies with equity or quasi-equity funds. www.investsud.be About SFPI-FPIM SFPI-FPIM, the Federal Holding and Investment Company, was created on November 1, 2006 as a result of a merger between the Federal Participation Company and the Federal Investment Company. The federal government is its sole shareholder. SFPI-FPIM centrally manages the federal governments shareholdings, cooperates with the government on specific projects and pursues its own investment policy in the interests of the Belgian economy. The core business of SFPI-FPIM is as an investment company, to invest in companies with an attractive added value for society in one of the SFPI-FPIM priority sectors. As a holding company, it acquires equity in companies that are of strategic importance as far as federal policy is concerned, either making use of its own funds or by using funds that the state provides for a project. www.sfpi-fpim.be/en About PDC*line Pharma Founded in 2014 as a spin-off of the French Blood Bank (EFS), PDC*line Pharma is a Belgian-French clinical-stage biotech company that develops an innovative class of active immunotherapies for cancers, based on a GMP-grade allogeneic therapeutic cell line of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC*line). PDC*line is much more potent than conventional dendritic cell-based vaccines in priming and boosting antitumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cells, including T-cells specific for neoantigens, and is synergistic with checkpoint inhibitors. The technology can be applied to any type of cancer. Following a first-in-human phase I feasibility study in melanoma, PDC*line Pharma focuses on the development of PDC*lung01, a candidate for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) currently in phase I/II, and PDC*neo with neoantigens in preclinical development. The company has a staff of 22, with an experienced management team. In March 2019, the company granted an exclusive license to the LG Chem Life Sciences company in South Korea and an exclusive option in other Asian countries, for the development and commercialization of the PDC*lung01 cancer vaccine for lung cancer. The total deal is worth 108M ($120M), plus tiered royalties on net sales in Asia. www.pdc-line-pharma.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121005 Imperial Valley News Center President Trump at the World Economic Forum Davos, Switzerland - President Trump at the World Economic Forum: PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much, Klaus. And a very special congratulations on your 50th year hosting the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum. A truly amazing achievement. Its an honor to address the distinguished members of this organization for the second time as President. When I spoke at this forum two years ago, I told you that we had launched the great American comeback. Today, Im proud to declare that the United States is in the midst of an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen before. Weve regained our stride, we discovered our spirit and reawakened the powerful machinery of American enterprise. America is thriving, America is flourishing, and yes, America is winning again like never before. Just last week alone, the United States concluded two extraordinary trade deals: the agreement with China and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement the two biggest trade deals ever made. They just happened to get done in the same week. These agreements represent a new model of trade for the 21st century agreements that are fair, reciprocal, and that prioritize the needs of workers and families. Americas economic turnaround has been nothing short of spectacular. When I took office three years ago, Americas economy was in a rather dismal state. Under the previous administration, nearly 200,000 manufacturing jobs had vanished, wages were flat or falling, almost 5 million more Americans had left the labor force than had gotten jobs, and more than 10 million people had been added to the food stamp rolls. The experts predicted a decade of very, very slow growth or even maybe negative growth high unemployment, and a dwindling workforce, and very much a shrinking middle class. Millions of hardworking, ordinary citizens felt neglected, betrayed, forgotten. They were rapidly losing faith in the system. Before my presidency began, the outlook for many nations was bleak. Top economists warned of a protracted worldwide recession. The World Bank lowered its projections for global growth to a number that nobody wanted to even think about. Pessimism had taken root deep in the minds of leading thinkers, business leaders, and policymakers. Yet despite all of the cynics, I had never been more confident in Americas future. I knew we were on the verge of a profound economic resurgence, if we did things right one that would generate a historic wave of investment, wage growth, and job creation. I knew that if we unleashed the potential of our people, if we cut taxes, slashed regulations and we did that at a level thats never been done before in the history of our country, in a short period of time fixed broken trade deals and fully tapped American energy, that prosperity would come thundering back at a record speed. And that is exactly what we did, and that is exactly what happened. Since my election, America has gained over 7 million jobs a number unthinkable. I wouldnt say it, I wouldnt talk about it, but that was a number that I had in mind. The projection was 2 million; we did 7 [million] more than three times the governments own projections. The unemployment rate is now less than 3, 4, and 5 percent. And at 3.5 percent, thats a number that is the lowest in more than 50 years. The average unemployment rate for my administration is the lowest for any U.S. President in recorded history. We started off with reasonably high rate. For the first time in decades, we are no longer simply concentrating wealth in the hands of a few. Were concentrating and creating the most inclusive economy ever to exist. We are lifting up Americans of every race, color, religion, and creed. Unemployment rates among African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans have all reached record lows. African American youth unemployment has reached the lowest its ever been in the history of our country. African American poverty has plummeted to the lowest rate ever recorded. The unemployment rate for women reached the lowest level since 1953. And women now comprise a majority of the American workforce; thats for the first time. The unemployment rate for veterans has dropped to a record low. The unemployment rate for disabled Americans has reached an all-time record low. Workers without a high school diploma have achieved the lowest unemployment rate recorded in U.S. history. Wages are rising across the board. And those at the bottom of the income ladder are enjoying the percentage, by far, largest gains. Workers wages are now growing faster than management wages. Earnings growth for the bottom 10 percent is outpacing the top 10 percent something that has not happened. Paychecks for high school graduates are rising faster than for college graduates. Young Americans just entering the workforce are also sharing in Americas extraordinary prosperity. Since I took office, more than 2 million millennials have gotten jobs, and their wages have grown by nearly 5 percent annually a number that was unthinkable. Nobody would have ever thought it was possible three years ago. A record number of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 are now working. In the eight years before I took office, over 300,000 working-age people left the workforce. In just three years in my administration, 3.5 million people have joined the workforce. Ten million people have been lifted off welfare in less than three years. Celebrating the dignity of work is a fundamental pillar of our agenda. This is a blue-collar boom. Since my election, the net worth of the bottom half of wage earners has increased by plus-47 percent three times faster than the increase for the top 1 percent. Real median household income is at the highest level ever recorded. The American Dream is back bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. No one is benefitting more than Americas middle class. We have created 1.2 million manufacturing and construction jobs a number also unthinkable. After losing 60,000 factories under the previous two administrations hard to believe when you hear 60,000 factories America has now gained, in a very short period of time, 12,000 new factories under my administration. And the number is going up rapidly. Well be beating the 60,000 number that we lost, except these will be bigger, newer, and the latest. Years of economic stagnation have given way to a roaring geyser of opportunity. U.S. stock markets have soared by more than 50 percent since my election, adding more than $19 trillion to household wealth, and boosting 401(k)s, pensions, and college savings accounts for millions of hardworking families. And these great numbers are many things, and its despite the fact that the Fed has raised rates too fast and lowered them too slowly. And even now, as the United States is by far the strongest economic power in the world, its not even close. It was going to be close, but a lot of good things happened to us, and some not-so-good things happened to certain other places. Theyre forced to compete, and we compete with nations that are getting negative rates something very new meaning, they get paid to borrow money. Something that I could get used to very quickly. Love that. Got to pay back your loan? Oh, how much am I getting? Nevertheless, we still have the best numbers that weve had in so many different areas. Its a conservative approach, and we have a tremendous upside potential, when all of the trade deals and the massive deregulation starts kicking in which will be during this year, especially toward the end of the year. Those trade deals are starting to kick in already. The regulations are kicking in right now. And I see such tremendous potential for the future. We have not even started, because the numbers were talking about are massive. The time for skepticism is over. People are flowing back into our country. Companies are coming back into our country. Many of you, who I know, are coming back in with your plants and your factories. Thank you very much. Americas newfound prosperity is undeniable, unprecedented, and unmatched anywhere in the world. America achieved this stunning turnaround not by making minor changes to a handful of policies, but by adopting a whole new approach centered entirely on the wellbeing of the American worker. Every decision we make on taxes, trade, regulation, energy, immigration, education, and more is focused on improving the lives of everyday Americans. We are determined to create the highest standard of living that anyone can imagine, and right now, thats what were doing for our workers. The highest in the world. And were determined to ensure that the working and middle class reap the largest gains. A nations highest duty is to its own citizens. Honoring this truth is the only way to build faith and confidence in the market system. Only when governments put their own citizens first will people be fully invested in their national futures. In the United States, we are building an economy that works for everyone, restoring the bonds of love and loyalty that unite citizens and powers nations. Today, I hold up the American model as an example to the world of a working system of free enterprise that will produce the most benefits for the most people in the 21st century and beyond. A pro-worker, pro-citizen, pro-family agenda demonstrates how a nation can thrive when its communities, its companies, its government, and its people work together for the good of the whole nation. As part of this new vision, we passed the largest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history. We doubled the child tax credit, benefitting 40 million American families and lifting 650,000 single mothers and their 1 million children out of poverty and out of poverty quickly. We passed the first-ever tax credit for employers who provide paid paternal leave for employees earning $72,000 less annually, and passed paid family leave for government employees as a model for the country. We made childcare much more affordable and reduced or eliminated childcare waitlists all across the nation. Our childcare reforms are supporting working parents and ensuring their children have access to high-quality care and education, all of which they very much deserve. We lowered our business tax from the highest in the developed world down to one thats not only competitive, but one of the lower taxes. We created nearly 9,000 Opportunity Zones in distressed communities where capital gains on long-term investments are now taxed at zero, and tremendous wealth is pouring into areas that for a hundred years saw nothing. The 35 million Americans who live in these areas have already seen their home values rise by more than $22 billion. My administration has also made historic investments in historically black colleges and universities. I saved HCBUs. We saved them. They were going out, and we saved them. Were removing roadblocks to success and rewarding businesses that invest in workers, families, and communities. Weve also launched the most ambitious campaign in history to reduce job-killing regulations. For every new regulation adopted, we are removing eight old regulations, which will save an average of American households about $3,100 per year. It was going to be, for every one, we do two, but we were able to lift that to eight, and we think thats going to go quite a bit higher. We still have a way to go. Today, I urge other nations to follow our example and liberate your citizens from the crushing weight of bureaucracy. With that, you have to run your own countries the way you want. Were also restoring the constitutional rule of law in America, which is essential to our economy, our liberty, and our future. And thats why weve appointed over 190 federal judges a record to interpret the law as written. One hundred and ninety federal judges think of that and two Supreme Court judges. As a result of our efforts, investment is pouring into our country. In the first half of 2019, the United States attracted nearly one-quarter of all foreign direct investment in the world think of that. Twenty-five percent of all foreign investment all over the world came into the United States, and that number is increasing rapidly. To every business looking for a place where they are free to invest, build, thrive, innovate, and succeed, there is no better place on Earth than the United States. As a central part of our commitment to building an inclusive society, we established the National Council for the American Worker. We want every citizen, regardless of age or background, to have the cutting-edge skills to compete and succeed in tomorrows workplace. This includes critical industries like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and 5G. Under Ivankas leadership who is with us today our Pledge to Americas Workers has become a full-blown national movement with over 400 companies committing to provide new job and training opportunities to already very close to 15 million American students and workers. Fifteen million. America is making sweeping changes to place workers and their families at the center of our national agenda. Perhaps the most transformative change of all is on trade reform, where were addressing chronic problems that have been ignored, tolerated, or enabled for decades. Our leaders did nothing about what happened to us on trade. Before I was elected, Chinas predatory practices were undermining trade for everyone, but no one did anything about it, except allow it to keep getting worse and worse and worse. Under my leadership, America confronted the problem head on. Under our new phase one agreement phase two is starting negotiations very shortly China has agreed to substantially do things that they would not have done: measures to protect intellectual property; stop forced technology transfers; remove trade barriers in agricultural goods and on agricultural goods, where we were treated so badly; open its financial sector totally thats done and maintain a stable currency, all backed by very, very strong enforcement. Our relationship with China, right now, has probably never been better. We went through a very rough patch, but its never, ever been better. My relationship with President Xi is an extraordinary one. Hes for China; Im for the U.S. But other than that, we love each other. Additionally, China will spend an additional $200 billion over two years on American services, agriculture, and energy, and manufactured goods. So well be taking in an excess of $200 billion; could be closer to $300 billion when it finishes. But these achievements would not have been possible without the implementation of tariffs, which we had to use, and were using them on others too. And that is why most of our tariffs on China will remain in place during the phase two negotiations. For the most part, the tariffs have been left, and were being paid billions and billions of dollars a year as a country. As I mentioned earlier, we ended the NAFTA disaster one of the worst trade deals ever made; not even close and replaced it with the incredible new trade deal, the USMCA thats Mexico and Canada. In the nearly 25 years after NAFTA, the United States lost 1 in 4 manufacturing jobs, including nearly 1 in 4 vehicle-manufacturing jobs. It was an incentive to leave the country. The NAFTA agreement exemplified the decades-long failures of the international trading system. The agreement shifted wealth to the hands of a few, promoted massive outsourcing, drove down wages, and shuttered plants and factories by the thousands. The plants would leave our country, make the product, sell it into our country. We ended up with no jobs and no taxes; would buy other countries product. That doesnt happen anymore. This is the wreckage that I was elected to clean up. Its probably the reason I ran for President, more than any other thing, because I couldnt understand why we were losing all of these jobs to other countries at such a rapid rate. And it got worse and worse, and I think its probably the primary reason that I ran, but there are other reasons also. And to replace with a new system that puts workers before the special interests. And the special interests will do just fine, but the workers come first. Our brand-new USMCA is the result of the broadest coalition ever assembled for a trade agreement. Manufacturing, agriculture, and labor all strongly endorsed the deal. And, as you know, it just passed in Congress overwhelmingly. It shows how to solve the 21st century challenge we all face: protecting intellectual property, expanding digital trade, re-shoring lost jobs, and ensuring rising wages and living standards. The United States has also concluded a great new trade deal with Japan approximately $40 billion and completely renegotiated our deal with South Korea. Were also negotiating many other transactions with many other countries. And we look forward to negotiating a tremendous new deal with the United Kingdom. They have a wonderful new Prime Minister and wants very much to make a deal, as they say. To protect our security and our economy, we are also boldly embracing American energy independence. The United States is now, by far, the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world, by far. Its not even close. While many European countries struggle with crippling energy costs, the American energy revolution is saving American families $2,500 every year in lowering electric bills and numbers that people said couldnt happen, and also, very importantly, prices at the pump. Weve been so successful that the United States no longer needs to import energy from hostile nations. With an abundance of American natural gas now available, our European allies no longer have to be vulnerable to unfriendly energy suppliers either. We urge our friends in Europe to use Americas vast supply and achieve true energy security. With U.S. companies and researchers leading the way, we are on the threshold of virtually unlimited reserves of energy, including from traditional fuels, LNG, clean coal, next-generation nuclear power, and gas hydrate technologies. At the same time, Im proud to report the United States has among the cleanest air and drinking water on Earth and were going to keep it that way. And we just came out with a report that, at this moment, its the cleanest its been in the last 40 years. Were committed to conserving the majesty of Gods creation and the natural beauty of our world. Today, Im pleased to announce the United States will join One Trillion Trees Initiative being launched here at the World Economic Forum. One Trillion Trees. (Applause.) And in doing so, we will continue to show strong leadership in restoring, growing, and better managing our trees and our forests. This is not a time for pessimism; this is a time for optimism. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action. But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse. They are the heirs of yesterdays foolish fortune-tellers and I have them and you have them, and we all have them, and they want to see us do badly, but we dont let that happen. They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the 70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s. These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform, and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country, or eradicate our liberty. America will always be the proud, strong, and unyielding bastion of freedom. In America, we understand what the pessimists refuse to see: that a growing and vibrant market economy focused on the future lifts the human spirit and excites creativity strong enough to overcome any challenge any challenge by far. The great scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century from penicillin, to high-yield wheat, to modern transportation, and breakthrough vaccines have lifted living standards and saved billions of lives around the world. And were continuing to work on things that youll be hearing about in the near future that, even today, sitting here right now, you wouldnt believe its possible that we have found the answers. Youll be hearing about it. But we have found answers to things that people said would not be possible certainly not in a very short period of time. But the wonders of the last century will pale in comparison to what todays young innovators will achieve because they are doing things that nobody thought even feasible to begin. We continue to embrace technology, not to shun it. When people are free to innovate, millions will live longer, happier, healthier lives. For three years now, America has shown the world that the path to a prosperous future begins with putting workers first, choosing growth, and freeing entrepreneurs to bring their dreams to life. For anyone who doubts what is possible in the future, we need only look at the towering achievements of the past. Only a few hundred miles from here are some of the great cities of Europe teeming centers of commerce and culture. Each of them is full of reminders of what human drive and imagination can achieve. Centuries ago, at the time of the Renaissance, skilled craftsmen and laborers looked upwards and built the structures that still touch the human heart. To this day, some of the greatest structures in the world have been built hundreds of years ago. In Italy, the citizens once started construction on what would be a 140-year project, the Duomo of Florence. An incredible, incredible place. While the technology did not yet exist to complete their design, city fathers forged ahead anyway, certain that they would figure it out someday. These citizens of Florence did not accept limits to their high aspirations and so the Great Dome was finally built. In France, another century-long project continues to hold such a grip on our hearts and our souls that, even 800 years after its construction, when the Cathedral of Notre Dame was engulfed in flames last year such a sad sight to watch; unbelievable site, especially for those of us that considered it one of the great, great monuments and representing so many different things the whole world grieved. Though her sanctuary now stands scorched and charred and a sight thats hard to believe; when you got used to it, to look at it now, hard to believe. But we know that Notre Dame will be restored will be restored magnificently. The great bells will once again ring out for all to hear, giving glory to God and filling millions with wonder and awe. The Cathedrals of Europe teach us to pursue big dreams, daring adventures, and unbridled ambitions. They urge us to consider not only what we build today, but what we will endure long after we are gone. They testify to the power of ordinary people to realize extraordinary achievements when united by a grand and noble purpose. So, together, we must go forward with confidence, determination, and vision. We must not be timid, or meek, or fearful but instead we must boldly seize the day and embrace the moment. We have so many great leaders in this room not only business leaders, but leaders of nations and some are doing such a fantastic job. We work together very closely. We will draw strength from the glories of the past, and we will make greatness our common mission for the future. Together, we will make our nations stronger, our countries safer, our culture richer, our people freer, and the world more beautiful than ever before. Above all else, we will forever be loyal to our workers, our citizens, and our families the men and women who are the backbone of our economies, the heart of our communities, and the soul of our countries. Let us bring light to their lives one by one and empower them to light up the world. Thank you very much. God bless you. God bless your countries. And God bless America. Thank you. Thank you very much. Two wealthy Russian businessmen clashed in the London's High Court today in a multimillion pound row after their lucrative Graff diamond business hit the rocks. Dmitry Tsvetkov came face to face with former business partner Rustem Magdeev, who is fighting for 8million he insists he is owned for investing in their company. The two multimillionaires set up a Dubai-based diamond wholesale company which saw them buy gems and sell them on to wealthy customers for a significant profit. Dmitry Tsvetkov (left) came face to face with former business partner Rustem Magdeev (right), who is fighting for 8million he insists he is owned for investing in their company Mr Tsvetkov, 38, (pictured in the light blue suit on the right), next to Francois Graff, at the opening of his high-end Graff diamond store in May 2015. Mr Tsvetkov opened the store in Cyprus and a Dubai-based diamond wholesale business with investment from Mr Magdeev Initially business was booming, but soon afterwards the relationship between Mr Tsvetkov and investors soured and the business was closed in 2017. The men also opened up a Graff diamond boutique in Cyprus in May 2015, which was closed three years following financial problems. Mr Tsvetkov is married to Elsina Khayrova (above), the daughter of a Russian politician Mr Magdev, who flew in from Russia to give evidence, told the court that he was enticed to invest in the business because of Mr Tsvetkov's connections to the Graff family, which secured them large discounts on their diamonds and jewellery. He said: 'He (Mr Tsvetkov) told me that he had a good relationship with the Graff family and that he could get very good discounts. 'The basis of this was on buying lots of diamonds and in return, getting bigger discounts and profits. That's why I lent this money to help the business to grow.' Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Magdev told the court that he had confidence in Mr Tsvetkov to run their business as he cannot speak English and had no experience of working abroad. 'He called me older brother, I totally trusted him. In Russia, we always stick to our word and it makes me sad that he did not do this,' he added. The case is expected to last a week. The court will also hear details of further allegations of unpaid debts, people with links to organised crime attending meetings, and the obstruction of a sale of a 11.8m 40-carat diamond. Mr Tsvetko alleges that his former business partner has brought the case against him because he is refusing to accept responsibility for the financial problems they ran into. He also alleges that the two agreed that the 8m would not have to be paid back. Mr Tsvetkov owns this beautiful 22 million mansion in Surrey where he lives with his wife and their two young children Last year, Mr Magdev lost another High Court claim against Mr Tsvetkov to try and recoup some of his investment relating to the Graff store. Mr Tsvetkov became a British citizen in 2010 and is the owner of a spectacular pile in Surrey. The impressive house boasts its own pool, spa, wine cellar and cinema and underground car park with enough space for ten cars. His model wife Elsina Khayrova is the daughter of Rinat Khayrov who earns 105,000 as a member of President Putin's party. Graff Diamonds is a luxury brand and family business founded by Laurence Graff in 1960. National leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC ) Leader and former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu on Wednesday broke his long silence on Amotekun. Amotekun was launched by six governors of the Southwest to tackle insecurity in the region. Tinubu had remained silent as controversial raged following the launch of the security outfit, especially after the federal government declared Amotekun illegal. In a lengthy statement on Wednesday, the former Lagos governor amongst other things said there should be a dialogue between the Attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Southwest Governors. Read Aldo: Tinubu Finally Breaks Silence On Amotekun Since the release of the statement, many Nigerians have taken to Twitter to share their take on Tinubus stance. See some reactions below Just read Tinubus take Amotekun and he left me confused. Thought his article was supposed to be a binary question, with a Yes or No answer, no in-between. But man just bamboozled us with grammer and narrations for a 'Yes' or 'No' question. I did not get a concrete answer. Oke Umurhohwo (@OkeStalyf) January 22, 2020 https://twitter.com/Datoofthecreeks/status/1219974012471738370?s=19 https://twitter.com/FestusGreen/status/1219917147100667904?s=19 Advertisement A long, silent guard of honour formed as a hearse carrying fallen Victorian firefighter Bill Slade left after his funeral service at the State Coal Mine in Wonthaggi. The much-loved husband and father-of-two was farewelled by loved ones and colleagues at a marquee overflowing with mourners at the park on Wednesday. Mr Slade, 60, was working edge of a fire at Angers Rest, near Omeo, when he was struck by a tree on January 11. Mourners carry the coffin of fallen Victorian firefighter Bill Slade after he was hit by a falling tree earlier this month A Parks Victoria worker is seen arriving for the funeral for veteran firefighter Bill Slade and hugging a woman Firefighters and emergency service workers are seen arriving for the funeral for veteran firefighter Bill Slade A Parks Victoria worker is seen hugging a colleague as he arrives for the funeral under sunny skies on Wednesday Bill Slade had worked on major fire incidents in the past including the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires. A woman in a pink dress wiped tears from her eye during the funeral service for fallen fireman Bill Slade He had worked on major fire incidents in the past including the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires. Premier Daniel Andrews and Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien were among the mourners, while back in Melbourne staff at the State Control Centre, including Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville and Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp, observed a minute's silence in Mr Slade's honour. In the order of service, Mr Slade's wife Carol and his children Ethan and Steph thanked those who had provided them with love and support following the tragedy. Mr Slade is one-of-five men killed during Victoria's bushfire crisis. Firefighter workers arrive for the funeral for veteran firefighter Bill Slade at Wonthaggi State Coal Mine in Victoria In the order of service, Mr Slade's wife Carol and his children Ethan and Steph thanked those who had provided them with love and support following the tragedy. Pictured: Firefighters at the funeral Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is seen arriving for the funeral for veteran firefighter Bill Slade at Wonthaggi State Coal Mine Firefighters and emergency service workers at Wonthaggi State Coal Mine in Victoria for the funeral on Wednesday A guard of honour of Forestry and Fire Management workers lines the road as the hearse departs the funeral Job Title: Clinical Officer Organization: Mildmay Uganda Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports To: Head of Adult Medical Services About US: Mildmay Uganda is a Christian NGO that offers General and HIV/AIDS medical services. With support from PEPFAR, Mildmay Uganda also offers technical support in implementation of HIV interventions for Ministry of Health Systems aimed at accelerating HIV epidemic control. Mildmay Uganda also offers Health Professional Development through Mildmay Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS) accredited by Ministry of Education and recognised by National Council for Higher Education; offering academic and short courses in health care. . Job Summary: The Clinical Officer will carry out assessment, accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of HIV and other health conditions in children, adolescents and adults under care at MUg and supported sites in order to reduce HIV and other health related morbidity, mortality and transmission in communities Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal applicant must hold a Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Community with a valid practicing license by the Health Allied Health Professionals Council. The successful candidate must have at least 3 years experience in HIV/AIDS care and management; Knowledge of the WHO and National ART, EMTCT and TB guidelines and ability to mentor others. How to Apply: All Interested candidates who meet the requirements should apply 0n line through the Mildmay Uganda online job application system at the link below Click Here Only candidates with complete Information, and who meet the requirements will be contacted. Deadline: Friday 24th January 2020 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline During the Italian event, PromPeru will launch the " Show your flags at Pitti ," a new collection that reflects the concept of this edition and transmits the essence of each yarn aimed at becoming a product that will surprise the international market. Melbourne had 44mm of rain on Tuesday; its highest 24 hour rainfall since 2011 The SES received 2220 calls for help since rain flooded Victoria on Sunday The hero father then ran to rescue a mother who was trapped in her car nearby Ash Hughes, his wife and their two kids escaped from their car during a flood A father risked his own life to save a terrified woman trapped in a car just moments before it was swept away by powerful floodwaters in Melbourne. Ash Hughes, his wife Sheree and their two young children narrowly escaped from their car during Tuesday's flash flood. But just moments later, the hero father ran through waist-high murky water to rescue a mother who was trapped in her car nearby. 'By the time I got everyone out of the water, before I knew it another car was coming in and I wasn't sure if there was another family in there so I went over to help,' Mr Hughes told the Today Show. Ash Hughes ran through water to rescue a mother who was trapped in her car during Melbourne's flood 'I wasn't sure if she had a young one in the car. As I got closer I saw a baby seat so that was the first thing that went into my mind. 'She was a bit scared, as I got closer I could hear her saying 'help' she was stuck, her leg was a bit stuck under the steering wheel. 'There was a young lady that was in [the car] and I helped her out and got her out to dry land. 'It was a bit emotional, don't get me wrong I was scared myself, but we do what we do to make sure everyone's safe.' Mr Hughes' wife Sheree waited in the car with her three-year-old daughter Olivia and five-week-old baby Jackson while her husband rescued the woman. 'We were okay and Ash kept saying 'everything's fine, everything's fine' and then the water started coming in the doors and the floor mats started coming up,' Ms Hughes said. Ash Hughes, his wife Sheree and their two young children narrowly escaped from their car during Tuesday's flash flood, before Mr Hughes went to save a nearby woman The father-of-two has just rescued his own family from their flooded car before helping the woman 'Then Ash got out [of the car] and we just started to pass the kids through the window. 'We had to give the kids to two ladies that were just standing out the front watching.' The State Emergency Service has received 2220 calls for assistance since rain lashed the state on Sunday afternoon, followed by another bout of storms on Monday. The majority of calls have been for building damage, with about 300 for trees down and 250 for flooding. Melbourne recorded 44mm of rain on Tuesday, which marked its highest 24 hour rainfall since 2011. The rain fell hardest on Monday at Gippsland's Mount Moornapa, which received 139mm, marking its wettest day since 2007. Rain helped containment work on the active blazes, but also caused damage to roads and landslides. There were 14 bushfires still burning in Victoria by Tuesday evening, but they don't pose risks to lives and homes. Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp urged Victorians to remain vigilant, especially when travelling over the Australia Day long weekend. It comes as forecasters have issued Queensland's first flood warning since May last year for a shire that's been fully drought-declared for six years. The past week of showers and storms has pushed the Paroo River at Caiwarro, in outback Bulloo shire, to minor flood levels. More rain is expected over the catchment in coming days, the river at Hungerford is likely to exceed that on Wednesday or Thursday. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor [January 22, 2020] IDC Publishes Digital Innovation Framework to Guide Enterprises Toward Their Future as Digital Innovators and Software Producers Software is becoming a bigger piece of how every enterprise competes in the digital economy. To succeed, enterprises need to become a "digital innovation factory," creating and distributing digital products and services with digital-native speed and scale. To guide organizations through this transition, International Data Corporation (IDC) has published the Future of Digital Innovation framework. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005012/en/ Digital Innovation Supply Chain (Graphic: Business Wire) Becoming a digital innovation factory means that while organizations will continue to consume software such as ERP, CRM, manufacturing, finance, human resources, procurement, and other enterprise applications, they will also shift their priorities toward producing software that is embedded in their products and services, to compete in their own industry. Most of this digital innovation will be focused on creating new value for their customers. "We are now on the future path of digital innovation, where every company becomes a software producer," said Mickey North Rizza, program vice president, Enterprise Applications and Digital Commerce at IDC (News - Alert) . "The organizations with digital innovation supply chains focused on delivering digital products, services, and experiences will reshape our global economy in the coming years." The transition from software consumer to software producer, or digital innovation factory, requires a solid and carefully thought out strategy and execution plan, along with strong skills and substantial agility in the IT department. To build these capabilities, enterprises need a solid methodology. IDC's digital innovation supply chain is made up of four equally important characteristic steps: plan, source, develop, and distribute. Following the digital innovation supply chain enables a very high level of business transformation digitally, as demonstrated by companies that have already begun the journey. When organizations understand they can completely change their operating model, creating more customer value and optimizing their business for success, it completely shifts the strategy and dynamics of their business plan and future vision. But reaching this level of transformation will require a substantial commitment for most organizations. To learn more about IDC's Future of Digital Innovation framework with guidance for the technology buyer and technology vendor or service provider, please read Mickey North Rizza's new blog post at http://bit.ly/IDC_FoDI_Framework. The IDC report, The Future of Digital Innovation: Every Enterprise Must Become a High-Performance Software Producer (IDC #US45720719), introduces the future of digital innovation and the digital innovation supply chain. The report also provides examples of and predictions about each stage of the digital innovation supply chain as well as investment priorities for organizations seeking to accelerate their transition toward digital supremacy. About IDC International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights: http://bit.ly/IDCBlog_Subscribe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005012/en/ [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] MTVs The Challenge has been on television for decades, and viewers are likely to recognize many of the same contestants over the years. One polarizing player whos known for her quirky personality and Challenge wins is Cara Maria Sorbello. While shes a force to be reckoned with during eliminations, its now Sorbellos relationship with fellow competitor Paulie Calafiore that has all eyes on her. Sorbello and Calafiore appeared to be closer than ever during War of the Worlds 2, but their Instagrams are giving mixed signals. While they rarely post about each other anymore, they also havent announced a breakup. And now, theyre both posting about going on a trip to The Bahamas but neither of them talked about going on the trip with each other. Cara Maria Sorbello and Paulie Calafiore havent posted any photos of each other to Instagram in months Cara Maria Sorbello leads a class during The Challenge XXX: Ultimate Fan Experience | Lars Niki/Getty Images for MTV Given what weve seen on The Challenge, Sorbello and Calafiore appear to have a healthy relationship now. But it wasnt always easy. While they first got together during The Challenge: Final Reckoning in 2018, it was later revealed that Calafiore had a girlfriend at the time. Between his girlfriend, Danielle Maltby, coming forward to the press, and Sorbello being stuck in the middle, Sorbello and Calafiore briefly broke up. We know Sorbello and Calafiore got back together, of course. And while they were still in the honeymoon stage, they frequently posted photos of each other to Instagram and videos of each other to their Instagram Stories. We havent seen photos of Sorbello and Calafiore together on Instagram since November 2019, however. On Nov. 13, Sorbello posted photos of the two of them to celebrate Calafiores birthday. And Calafiores last post featuring Sorbello was from Halloween and posted on Nov. 6. Fans wonder if theyre still together Since Sorbello and Calafiore used to include each other in much of their social media activity, fans asked both of them about the status of their relationship. And its unclear where the couple stands now. On Sorbellos Instagram post, a fan asked, i will say that i am more confused on you two then i was previously. its pretty clear yall have stepped back out of the public eye but i truly cant tell if you are together or no. To that, Sorbello commented back that shes not in an open relationship. And when another fan questioned Sorbellos relationship status, she gave another ambiguous answer. We are public figures. Of course people wanna know. We used to put a lot of sweet cute things out there. I miss that too. Its ok. All love girl, the Challenge star wrote. They both posted evidence to Instagram that theyre going to The Bahamas Cara Maria Sorbello from The Challenge heading to The Bahamas | Cara Maria Sorbello via Instagram Story Fans would love to know whether Calafiore and Sorbello are still together. And while theyre still not posting anything about each other in their Instagram posts, it appears theyre both taking a trip to The Bahamas. Im going right to The Bahamas, Calafiore shared on his Instagram Story on Jan. 21. And thank God Ive been putting in that work in order to look somewhat decent in The Bahamas. In a later part of his Instagram Story, he posted a video of himself going through the Delta Sky Club lounge gate. As for Sorbello, shes also posting about her travels to her Instagram Story. Thank you Delta Skylounge, she captioned a photo of her drinking what appears to be an alcoholic beverage. And she then added another photo of her in her plane seat with the caption, Bahamas. Just me and my backpack. Its clear Calafiore and Sorbello are traveling to the same location. But they havent shown each other at all in their Instagram Stories, which seems odd. Perhaps theyre trying to keep their relationship out of social media, but inquiring fans want to know what the deal is. Hopefully, well hear more about their trip soon. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Senators vote on approving the rules for the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump (Senate Television via AP) House Democrats have opened arguments in Donald Trumps impeachment trial, appealing to Republican senators to vote to remove the US president from office to protect our democracy. Mr Trumps lawyers sat by, waiting their turn, while he blasted the proceedings from afar, threatening jokingly to face off with the Democrats by coming to sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces. Democratic accusers say Mr Trump was the one with the corrupt scheme to abuse his presidential power and then obstruct Congress investigation. The challenge before the House managers is clear. Democrats have 24 hours over the next three days to prosecute the charges against Mr Trump, trying to win over not just senators sitting silently in the chamber but an American public, deeply divided over the president and his impeachment. Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appealed to senators not to be cynical about the politics of impeachment, asking them to draw on the intent of the nations Founding Fathers who provided the remedy of impeachment. "We are here today in this hallowed chamber... because Donald J. Trump solicited foreign interference in our democratic elections, abusing the power of his office by seeking help from abroad to improve his reelection prospects at home." -@RepAdamSchiff pic.twitter.com/xiUmeCpdrj House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) January 22, 2020 Over the coming days, we will present to you and to the American people the extensive evidence collected during the Houses impeachment inquiry into the presidents abuse of power, said Mr Schiff, standing before the senators. You will hear their testimony at the same time as the American people. That is, if you will allow it. The proceedings are unfolding at the start of an election year and there are few signs that Republican are interested in calling more witnesses or going beyond a fast-track assessment to bring a quick vote on charges related to Mr Trumps dealings with Ukraine. The trial marks just the third time the Senate has weighed whether an American president should be removed from office. Expand Close House impeachment manager Adam Schiff (Senate Television via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp House impeachment manager Adam Schiff (Senate Television via AP) Democrats argue Mr Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate political rivals while withholding crucial military aid, and also obstructed Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to give evidence in the House probe. Republicans have defended Mr Trumps actions and cast the process as a politically motivated effort to weaken the president in the midst of his re-election campaign. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research shows the public is slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Mr Trump from office than to say it should not at 45% to 40%. But a sizeable percentage, 14%, say they do not know enough to have an opinion. But there is wide agreement that Mr Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About seven in 10 said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats, according to the poll. The idea over witnesses, though, seems all but settled after wrangling over rules for the trial stretched late into the previous night, with Republicans shooting down one-by-one Democratic efforts to get Mr Trumps aides including former national security adviser John Bolton, secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, to give evidence as witnesses. Senators are likely to repeat those rejections next week, shutting out any chance of new evidence. Chief Justice John Roberts opened Wednesdays session as senators settled in for the long days ahead. Mr Trump, who was in Davos, Switzerland, attending a global economic forum, praised his legal team, and suggested he would be open to his advisers giving evidence, though that seems unlikely. He said there were national security concerns that would stand in the way. Expand Close Donald Trump has been in Davos (AP/Evan Vucci) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump has been in Davos (AP/Evan Vucci) After the House prosecutors present their case, the presidents lawyers will follow with another 24 hours over three days to mount a defence. They are expected to take only Sunday off. Then there will be 16 hours for senators, who must sit quietly at their desks, no speeches or mobile phones, to ask written question, and another four hours for deliberations. By the end of next week there is expected to be one last vote on whether or not they want to hear from more witnesses, and it appears increasingly likely that will be the end. History buffs ...with a vintage horse-drawn tram offering rides and, at the nearby Duke of York pub in Harrowby Street, Marylebone, David Benson will perform a one-man play about the conspirators and their fate. > Scroll right for more A-list homes... The CBI has initiated probe into four separate cases registered by Mumbai Police against gangster Chhota Rajan, including those lodged between 1995 and 1998. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the matter and registered the separate FIRs on Tuesday in these cases which were registered in the 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 in separate police stations. In October last year, the CBI had also began probe into five cases against Rajan, including those related to his initial days when he was working as an alleged bootlegger with his mentor Rajan Nair alias Bada Rajan over three decades ago. Those cases were registered by Mumbai Police in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. With the four new First Information Reports (FIRs), the number of cases against Rajan Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, being probed by the agency has increased to 80. Soon after the arrest of Chhota Rajan on October 25, 2015, after his deportation from Indonesia, following an Interpol Red Corner Notice, the Maharashtra government had handed over 71 cases to the CBI. Chhota Rajan is currently lodged in Tihar Jails Super High Security Jail no.2. He is a former member of D-Company, who split with Dawood on communal lines after the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. Cliff Owen/AP Technically, arguments in the impeachment trial of President Trump havent even started. Democrats and Republicans spent Tuesday, the first full day of Senate proceedings, doing battle over the rules that will govern the trial that is set to unfold in the coming days. That rule package was ultimately approved, on party lines, early Wednesday morning after a marathon session of debate and votes on 11 amendments to the package proposed by Democrats. The days significance, however, extends beyond the realm of parliamentary minutiae and dry process detail. The way that senators crafted and passed the rulesand the way those rules were received by the House Democrats prosecuting the case against Trump and the lawyers defending himrevealed some fundamental truths about this historic trial that could hold up until the final vote to acquit or remove the president. The most unexpected thing that became clear on Tuesdayand possibly the most significantwas the emergence of some semblance of boundaries for the most powerful person in this process: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky Republican, whose reputation for political maneuvering is almost mythical at this point, came into the trial phase of the impeachment process touting an extraordinary degree of unity within his conference of 53 senators. As the Senate prepared to receive articles of impeachment from the House last week, McConnell declared that he had within that group the 51 votes required to pass a rules packagegiving him the ability to bypass Senate Democrats. On Monday night, McConnell released a rules framework. As expected, it stipulated a vote on subpoenaing additional witnesses and documents after each sides arguments concluded. More controversially, it provided for up to 24 hours of argument to be used by each sidebut those hours could only be used over a period of two days for each side. Additionally, the rules did not automatically admit the evidence collected by the House during its impeachment inquiry. Story continues McConnell Impeach Plan: Run Like Hell, Pray for No Surprises In the ensuing hours, GOP senators raised concerns about the structure of the trial, forcing McConnell to back down. The resolution he ultimately introduced added an extra day for each side to use their time and admitted House evidencechanges that only became known when the text of the rules was read aloud on the Senate floor Tuesday morning. The usual suspectslike Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)pushed behind the scenes for these changes. But other Republicans who are hardly considered swing votes in the trial also indicated there was a wider backlash against the rules as proposed. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) told reporters, There was pretty broad agreement on the idea that when it came to any evidence thats already been heard in the House, that just gets accepted into the record. A close McConnell ally, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), echoed that point. Easier to accept everything you already saw and we already saw than to have a fight about whether there was evidence or not, or whether there had already been a lot of witnesses, he told reporters Tuesday night. Blunt also said he ultimately didnt see a problem in giving each side an extra day to make its case. Indeed, that change privately came as a relief to members on both sides who would be spared the long nights in the Senate chamber they would have faced if they had kept to the breakneck trial pace initially laid out. The issues of the day, said Blunt, were reflected in the changes to the rules. Some in the Capitol wondered if the apparent balk from McConnell, ever the tactician, wasnt part of some deeper strategy. But some Democrats urged a simpler explanation. It tells me, said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), McConnell doesnt have this completely nailed down in his caucus. If the rules change illustrated possible limits to McConnells authority, the votes that took place immediately afterward were a bitter chaser to any lingering hopes that a bloc of Republicans might consistently push the GOP leader on other matters. As he has promised for weeks, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) used his power to force a lengthy series of votes on subpoenaing documents and testimony withheld by the Trump administration. Several GOP senators have publicly said they are open to hearing new evidence in the trialand others, like Collins and Sen. Mitt Romney (UT), have indicated they are likely to vote in favor of new evidence. But not a single Republican voted in favor of obtaining that new evidence at the onset of the trial. McConnell has made clear for weeks that hed prefer to hold that vote after arguments in the case are heardand on that point, all Republicans have been in lockstep with their leader. Even if they were all voted down on party lines, the content of the amendments Schumer offered to the rules package revealed important details about how the Democratic side will approach the trial. While much of the debate about new evidence has centered on witnesses like acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Senate Democrats charged into Tuesday with a renewed focus on the documents that could tell the story of Trump Worlds scheme to pressure Ukraine for political favors. To that point, the first three amendments Schumer offered were all to issue subpoenas for documents withheld by the White House, the State Department, and the Office of Management and Budget. It wasnt until the evening that an amendment was offered to subpoena Mulvaney. After that, Democrats returned to documents with an amendment to subpoena materials from the Pentagon. The tactic made for a late night on Capitol Hill. But Democrats considered it a sharp strategy. Republicans have dangled the idea of witness reciprocitycalling someone like Hunter Biden, for example, in exchange for Boltonin order to complicate Democrats calls for evidence. But such a tactic will be harder to pull off for documents, which Schumer and others believe could be as explosive as new witnesses in demonstrating Trumps culpability. Republicans Arent Sure They Want to Hear From Hunter Biden The lengthy rules debate also served as something of a mini-preview of the trial arguments, with each sideparticularly the Democratsusing debate about amendments to explore the issues at the heart of the trial. The team of seven impeachment managers, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), went through the factual timeline of the Ukraine allegations, referred to witness depositions, and played video clips of Trumps own words to prove their points. That seemed to wear on some Republicans, who grumbled that Schiff and company were too eager to take advantage of initial interest in the trial to lay out their case. They may very well think, with this case and this repetition, this is the last time that the general public will pay any attention and theyd better drive this home as dramatically as they can, said Blunt. The public has seen plenty of the Democrats impeachment teambut Trumps defense lawyers were basically an unknown quantity until the wall-to-wall TV coverage of Tuesdays proceedings. Those lawyers burst into the public eye with the strident, combative approach embodied by their client. The president has done absolutely nothing wrong, said White House counsel Pat Cipollone. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DDJ Capital Management announces the addition of two industry veterans to its business development team. William G. (Bill) Porter and Meaghan K. Mahoney have joined DDJ to focus on consultant relations and new business development. Mr. Porter joins DDJ as a director of sales & consultant relations following an extensive 27-year career in the investment industry, including work in consultant relations, relationship management, business development and client portfolio management. Prior to joining DDJ, Mr. Porter was a senior vice president, head of institutional distribution for North America at Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, where he also served as a member of the firm's U.S. Management Committee. Mr. Porter received his MBA from Northeastern University and his BA, magna cum laude, from St. Lawrence University. Ms. Mahoney also joins DDJ as a director of sales & consultant relations. Over her impressive 17-year career, she has worked in marketing, investor relations and business development strategy. Prior to joining DDJ, Ms. Mahoney was a senior vice president at Great Elm Capital where she led the investor relations efforts for two publicly-traded micro cap companies. Ms. Mahoney received her BS from Cornell University. "We are thrilled to have Bill and Meaghan join our team," said Jack O'Connor, head of business development and client service at DDJ. "With the addition of these two talented individuals to our already experienced team of professionals, we remain confident in our ability to continue to deliver the high quality of service our clients have come to expect from DDJ while also increasing the firm's ability to prudently grow our assets under management" For more information on DDJ Capital, please contact Jack O'Connor at 781.283.8500, email [email protected] or visit www.ddjcap.com. About DDJ Capital Management: DDJ is a privately-held investment manager that specializes in investments within the leveraged credit markets. DDJ strives to produce attractive long-term investment returns for our clients while minimizing downside risk. Since its founding in 1996, DDJ has focused on identifying investment opportunities in non-investment grade companies in the mid-cap arena. DDJ believes that our disciplined investment philosophy and exhaustive research process positions DDJ to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted rates of return throughout various market cycles. Our investment professionals bring a substantial breadth of experience in portfolio management, research analysis, legal analysis and trading. More information is available online at www.ddjcap.com. SOURCE DDJ Capital Management, LLC Related Links www.ddjcap.com MANILA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - * Philippine agriculture output grew at an annual pace of 0.4% in the last quarter of 2019, the country's statistics agency said on Wednesday, slower than the previously reported 2.9% gain in the September quarter * The Southeast Asian country's crops output, which accounted for half of total production in the December quarter, rose 1.0% as paddy rice harvest increased 4.7%, the Philippine Statistics Authority said * Livestock output dropped 8.5% as hog production shrank 9.8% during the quarter amid an outbreak of African swine fever virus in some backyard farms * Poultry output rose 5.4% and fisheries gained 3.4% * The government will release fourth-quarter GDP data on Thursday, with year-on-year growth seen accelerating to 6.5% from 6.2% in the September quarter, based on a Reuters' poll of analysts * Agriculture in recent quarters accounted for less than 10% of the country's GDP (Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) Home Just In Chinese team coming to Nepal soon to prepare cross-border railway DPR Kathmandu, January 22 A Chinese team will soon come to Nepal to begin its works for the detailed project report of the ambitious cross-border railway line, informs the Department of Railways. The departments Director General Balaram Mishra says the team is expected to arrive immediately after the Chinese New Year, which will be celebrated this Saturday, January 25. The Chinese side has not officially informed Nepal about the dates yet. The two countries have already agreed that the team will carry out a feasibility study for Kathmandu-Keyrong, Kathmandu-Pokhara and Pokhara-Lumbini railway projects. Though China will bear the cost of the feasibility study, Nepal itself is responsible for an environmental impact assessment. We are waiting for the Chinese team, Mishra says, We are ready for the needful facilitation. Researchers have successfully treated age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in mice after finding an unexpected link between the two main forms of the blinding eye disease, the leading cause of vision loss in people 60 and older. Its not as if this is the final answer to the problem [of age-related macular degeneration], but its certainly a big step along the way, hopefully, said researcher Brad Gelfand, PhD. Researcher Brad Gelfand, PhD, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the UVA School of Engineering, cautions that his team is far from being able to use the approach in patients with AMD, but he is excited about the potential it holds. "It's not as if this is the final answer to the problem, but it's certainly a big step along the way, hopefully," he said. 'Equal parts excitement and disbelief' The new discovery links the "dry" and "wet" forms of macular degeneration in a surprising way. Gelfand has focused primarily on the more common, and currently untreatable, dry form. But after making a discovery about dry AMD, he went on to determine that the finding held true for wet AMD as well. "It was almost chance we were like, 'Why don't we just go ahead and look for wet?' When we first saw the results, I was very surprised," he said. "Initially, it was equal parts excitement and disbelief." Gelfand, of UVA's Center for Advanced Vision Science, found that the absence of a particular enzyme could drive both forms of AMD. The enzyme, called Dicer, is lost with age, and that loss leads to an overgrowth of blood vessels in the retina and other damage, he and his team determined. The discovery was so unexpected he wanted to confirm. We weren't really satisfied with just one system. We actually got a different model that had originated from a totally different lab, in Japan, and found the same exact thing. Then we went back to some of our old models where we had gotten rid of Dicer and found the same exact thing." Brad Gelfand, Ph.D., researcher, University of Virginia School of Medicine An enzyme to stop macular degeneration Gelfand was able to restore the enzyme in mice by adapting a form of gene therapy already used to treat other eye diseases in people. His work suggests that a similar approach could treat both forms of AMD, but much more testing will need to be done to determine a potential treatment's safety and effectiveness. If successful, though, it would be the first treatment for dry AMD and could significantly improve treatment for wet AMD. As it stands, patients with [wet] AMD have to undergo frequent injections into their eye, which can be painful and comes with some risks. They have to come to the eye doctor once a month or every other month. A lot of these people can't drive. So it's a huge burden. The idea behind using gene therapy like the one we propose is that one treatment would last for a very long time. It's a sustained therapy. So we can improve their vision and reduce the number of doctor's visits they have to make." Brad Gelfand Developing a Dicer-based treatment will likely take several years if all goes well. For now, though, Gelfand's discovery has shed important light on the poorly understood relationship between the two forms of AMD. "It certainly solidifies the idea that wet and dry AMD share a lot of mechanisms," he said. "It's something that researchers today are still trying to grapple with why might one person have wet AMD and one person have dry. Sometimes it's the case that the same person has wet in one eye and the other eye has dry. Sometimes the same eye has both. This adds another important piece of evidence that the underlying mechanisms of these two processes are really tightly linked." AMD findings published The researchers have described their findings in an article in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research team consisted of Charles B. Wright, Hironori Uehara, Younghee Kim, Tetsuhiro Yasuma, Reo Yasuma, Shuichiro Hirahara, Ryan D. Makin, Ivana Apicella, Felipe Pereira, Yosuke Nagasaka, Siddharth Narendran, Shinichi Fukuda, Romulo Albuquerque, Benjamin J. Fowler, Ana Bastos-Carvalho, Philippe Georgel, Izuho Hatada, Bo Chang, Nagaraj Kerur, Balamurali K. Ambati, Jayakrishna Ambati and Gelfand. The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01EY028027, DP1GM114862, R01EY022238, R01EY024068, R01EY028027, R01EY029799, K99EY024336, R00EY024336, T32 HL007284, R01EY017950 and R01EY017182; American Heart Association grant 13SDG16770008; John Templeton Foundation grant 60763 and the DuPont Guerry III Professorship. Gelfand, of UVAs Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and several of his collaborators are seeking patents related to their discovery. A full list of disclosures from the research team is available in the PNAS paper or by request. The White House is opposed to Israel's moves to annex the West Bank prior to the release of the Trump administrations Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, senior U.S. officials tell me. Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he wants Israel's parliament, the Knesset, to vote on the annexation of the Jordan Valley as soon as next week, but the White House position dramatically reduces the chances of that happening. Between the lines: The U.S. officials said the Trump administration has made its position clear to the Israeli government, and Netanyahu is aware that the U.S. doesnt want Israel to take any unilateral steps before the peace plan is published. Details: Netanyahu's new annexation statements came after his main opponent in upcoming elections, Benny Gantz, visited the Jordan Valley and announced he will annex the Jordan Valley "in coordination with the international community" if he wins on March 2. Netanyahu quickly announced he is ready to bring annexation to a vote in the Knesset. A Twitter brawl erupted between the prime minister and Gantz after Netanyahu's announcement with the politicians attacking each other for not being serious about annexation. The back-and-forth underscores the fierce fight for right-wing voters. The bottom line: It is still unclear when the U.S. peace plan will be presented. U.S. officials say Trump is expected to announce his decision in the next few days. President Trumps senior adviser Jared Kushner had been scheduled to arrive in Israel Wednesday to discuss the issue with Netanyahu and Gantz, but cancelled his trip due to bad weather. Kushner was also supposed to visit Israel to participate in an international conference on fighting anti-Semitism. Go deeper: Trump to decide in coming days on when to release Middle East peace plan More than 1,000 acres of land off Interstate 59 in Etowah County are being prepared for a $2.7 million project to speed development. The slate of improvements for Little Canoe Creek Mega-Site include grading, natural gas lines and a new railroad crossing to an industrial access road off U.S. 11. The upgrades are intended to create a pad-ready, rail-served site that can accommodate a large industry. The project is being funded through a donation from Norfolk Southern Corp., after the Etowah County Commissions application was approved by the Renewal of Alabama Commission. The improvements come about 12 years after the county began buying up property in the area and two years after the tract achieved Alabama AdvantageSite designation from the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey paid a visit to the land in 2018. We are signalling to every company thats looking for a home that they can grow and expand, weve got a site right here in Etowah County," Ivey said at that time. County officials have tried over the years to market the land to a potential large industrial tenant suited to the propertys location and size. In 2015, Mike McCain, the former executive director of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority, told the county it would take about $21 million to properly develop the site, but that it still might be some time before officials saw a return. Marilyn Lott, Economic Development Director for Etowah County, said the improvements will enhance the sites marketability by reducing a companys construction timeline, saving time and money. The mega-site has many location advantages for industrial recruitment and this project will improve upon its assets and greatly increase our overall competitiveness, Lott said. Were very grateful to Daniel Parker and company officials of Norfolk Southern and to the Department of Commerce for partnering with us on this project. Chris Ingraham, Norfolk Southerns assistance vice president of industrial development, said the company and the county are partnering "to develop a rail-served industrial site that will generate mutual benefits for all parties involved, including increased opportunity for new jobs and private investment across the region. The Growing Alabama Credit program, administered by the Alabama Department of Commerce, allows private companies and individuals to get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to 50 percent of their income tax liability for investing in approved projects, including site preparation for industrial sites. This infrastructure improvement project at the Little Canoe Creek Mega-Site perfectly illustrates how we can use the Growing Alabama Credit as a tool to facilitate growth and expand employment, Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said in a statement, The county is following a playbook that has worked in other places in Alabama, most notably Huntsville. In 2008, Volkswagen passed on building a plant on a site off Greenbrier Road. That site later got certified as a TVA Megasite and an Advantage Alabama site. In 2018, it was picked for the $1.6 billion Mazda Toyota manufacturing plant. These types of partnerships are vital in helping the County Commission reach our longstanding goal of seeing high-paying jobs at the mega-site, Etowah County Commission President Jeffery Washington said. More information about the site can be found here. Every winter, black necked cranes fly to the Dashanbao Black Neck Crane National Nature Reserve in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province. After snowfall, the mountain meadows become a world of snow and ice. The black necked cranes flying through white snows and blue skies form an amazing ink painting. As of Jan. 10, 2020, 1,433 black necked cranes had arrived in Dashanbao. The black necked crane is an internationally recognized endangered animal. It is also a national key protected wild animal. Established in 2003, the Dashanbao Black Neck Crane National Nature Reserve is one of the largest winter habitats for black necked cranes in China. In recent years, with the effective implementation of ecological projects such as returning farmland to forest and wetland restoration, the ecological environment of Dashanbao Nature Reserve has gradually improved, providing an ideal winter habitat for migratory birds. (Photo/People's Daily Online) New Delhi: Hours before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the clutch of petitions challenging or supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA), Senior Congres leader Kapil Sibal took a jibe at the Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that the BJP leader should have the courage to listen and try and understand people's concerns. Sibal tweeted, "Amit Shah in Lucknow: 'We are not afraid of protests'. True Mr Home Minister. You should not be afraid but should have the courage to listen and try and understand their concerns. That is your duty as a public servant. You should also know that they are not afraid of you." Amit Shah in Lucknow: We are not afraid of protests True Mr Home Minister . You should not be afraid but should have the courage to listen and try and understand their concerns . That is your duty as a public servant . You should also know that they are not afraid of you Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) January 22, 2020 Shah on Tuesday (January 21) while addressing a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow had dared the Congress, Samajwadi Party, TMC and other opposition parties to prove that the new legislation strips Indians of citizenship. The anti-CAA parties are spreading propaganda and spreading illusions thats why the BJP is running the Jan Jagran Abhiyan, which is a public awareness campaign against those who break the country, he said. He also declared that the opposition parties can protest as much as they want against the CAA but the BJP-led government at the Centre will not scrap the new law. Live TV The CAA, which grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, has triggered widespread protests across the country. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian had meetings with the representatives of leading international companies and business circles on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. In particular, President Sarkissian met with the leading Japanese Mitsubishi Groups Member of the Board, Chairman of the Board, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Shunichi Miyanaga. The officials remembered their previous meeting in Tokyo. They talked about the mutual cooperation, the opportunities to use the leading technologies and experience of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Armenia. Touching upon the Armenian presidential initiative ATOM (Advanced Tomorrow), which aims at developing the latest technologies based on artificial intelligence, big information management and math modeling, the sides agreed that they can be partners in this field. President Sarkissian and Shunichi Miyanaga exchanged views on issues of nuclear fuel and nuclear waste management. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan A good friend recently reminded me of a quote from former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Sam Rayburn who said, "Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one." Fixing blight in a city as old as Albany is like that. It's easy to take shots at city government for decades of decay, but a lot harder to implement solutions that will work. So, I want to shine a light on something that is working. Albany is one of only two cities in the state to win the maximum grant possible under the attorney general's Cities RISE program. Over the past year, the city engaged in a multi-disciplinary, intensive effort to identify the many causalities of blight and develop strategies to address these causalities. Thanks to Cities RISE, we were able to tap into resources at Harvard University and in New York City that would otherwise have been unaffordable to us. We interviewed property owners, tenants, developers, community-based organizations and residents. Using a state-of-the-art database provided through this program, we have a deeper understanding of the multiple issues leading to blight in our city. Behind one "red X" might be a property owned by a Brooklyn LLC that has been cited for multiple code violations, but has avoided collection because the LLC is merely a shell. Behind another might be a home tied up in probate court because the elderly owner had no will and no surviving heirs. It may be hard for those who don't live in our most challenged neighborhoods to grasp the complexity of a problem created by decades of racism, redlining, predatory lending practices, speculative investments, inequity in infrastructure and a host of bad policies. Because we are committed to creating a city where every neighborhood works, we undertook the hard work of deconstructing the problem so that we could develop solutions that will create real change. So here is what our residents can expect as we execute on the $1M grant: Creation of a "Mow to Own" program to grant 40 vacant lots to residents, allowing them to become property owners while also improving and maintaining the lots. Expansion of our "Deep Dive Block Program" that brings multiple resources to blighted blocks to perform on-the-spot code inspections, fix sidewalks, plant trees and provide historically underserved communities with tools to reduce violence, access jobs and improve housing conditions. Creation of a "Good Neighbor School" to provide educational opportunities for both tenants and landlords with the goal of improving the stability of the landlord-tenant relationship. A dedicated code enforcement attorney who will aggressively collect judgments by tracking down bad actors and taking properties when appropriate. Implementing an estate planning program to identify and proactively reach out to at-risk senior property owners for end-of-life discussions about their property and estate planning assistance. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. A new housing services advocate to be a neutral third party helping both landlords and tenants resolve issues and avoid eviction. Undertake at least half-a-dozen proactive demolitions focusing on properties the community believes are direct contributors to blight and violence. We are also committed to strengthening our codes department. We recently settled a new contract with our code inspectors that includes a 12 percent raise over the next two years. They were underpaid, and we fixed it. But simply hiring more code inspectors will not address the complex, underlying structural issues that create blight. Our Cities RISE team has broken free of the bureaucratic "we've always done it that way" mentality and is creating real change. They are carpenters and I couldn't be prouder of them. The fashion label that brought the most 'comfortable heels' to the world is set to launch their most requested item - a pair of leggings. The notion behind San Francisco brand Everlane's latest product was to produce a comfortable and flexible item with functionality and sustainability in mind. The popular brand is a favourite among celebrities too, including the likes of Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid and Angelina Jolie, who have been previously seen wearing some of the versatile pieces. For shipping to Australia, the leggings can be purchased online through the Everlane website. The lightweight and flexible fabric allows you to move around and feel comfortable all day wearing The Perform Leggings Made from a lightweight, technical Italian fabric with a wear-anywhere design, the leggings are so popular there's a waiting list that has attracted 33,000 people prior to their launch date. Not to mention the leggings are comprised of 58% recycled nylon and are dyed without using harmful chemicals. 'Technical' leggings came into the market around twenty years ago with the notion to create functional and sustainable athleisure to meet specific needs. Today they are a staple item and are one of the hardest-working products in the modern wardrobe - though are usually overpriced. Wear anywhere! The notion behind San Francisco-based brand Everlane's latest product was to produce a comfortable and flexible item with functionality and sustainability in mind. Unlike other brands, The Perform Legging is set at the great price of $85 and is available in four colours ranging from XXS to XXL sizes. Some women who have already received a pair the leggings are already raving about it online. 'I love the colours - they can be paired with everything,' one woman said. Another commented on the fabric saying it's 'extremely light and comfortable', making her feel motivated and free throughout the day. The Perform Legging follows the prevalent success of The Everlane Day Heel, which was released in 2017 and rapidly generated a waiting list of 28,000 people. Priced at $207 (US$150), the Day Heel has continued to garner a cult following thanks to its fashion forward, easily wearable and reasonably priced design. After initially launching in just a handful of colors, the range has been expanded to include two different core styles - the original Day Heel, and the Day High Heel - and a wide variety of colour options. Plenty of options: The Day Heel is available 16 colours, and fashion fans are also able to choose either 100 per cent Italian leather or suede The Day Heel is currently available in 16 different colours, as well as two different materials - 100 per cent Italian leather or suede. Everlane also offers a new 'stacked' version of the shoe, which comes with a black block heel and a different colour shoe. Described as 'a heel you can walk in all day', the shoe comes with a sturdy, two-inch heel and a malleable, elasticated back with a 'ballet-inspired silhouette'. Going, going, gone! The shoe sold out less than 24 hours after launching in 2017 and rapidly generated a waiting list of 28,000 people Stylish: Style influencers have also gone gaga for the Day Heel, showcasing how it can be worn with a casual outfit like jeans or dressed up with a stylish ensemble New York-based writer Lisa Przystup called the shoe 'an Italian-made heel that lifts and lengthens, without killing our feet', while one customer praised the Day Heel's soft materials, writing: 'I just love how the leather of this shoe molds to my foot the soft elastic keeps it in place without any pinching.' With Everlane's high success rate across a number of products, The Perform Legging is bound to do just as well. Westport Country Playhouses Family Festivities Series will host two performances of Charlottes Web, produced by TheaterWorksUSA, on Sunday, Feb. 23. The show, based on the classic book by E. B. White, is written by Joseph Robinette, best known for the book for Broadways A Christmas Story: The Musical. Performances are approximately one-hour long and appropriate for grades K-5. In Charlottes Web, a spider named Charlotte weaves a plan to convince Farmer Zukerman that her good friend, Wilber, is a prize pig and deserves a place on the farm forever. The new production of the classic story of friendship and loyalty is infused with original bluegrass music and features madcap and endearing farm animal characters. In advance of the performance, a free-of-charge, interactive program, Story Explorers, featuring a book reading of Charlottes Web and activities surrounding the shows themes, will take place as follows: Saturday, Feb. 8, at 10:30 a.m., Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road, Fairfield; Sunday, Feb. 9, at 9 a.m., Westport Weston Family YMCA, Schine Meeting Room, 14 Allen Raymond Lane, Westport; Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 11 a.m., Westport Weston Family YMCA; Saturday, Feb. 15, at 9 a.m., SoNo Branch Library, 10 Washington St., Norwalk; Saturday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m., Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road; and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m., Bridgeport Public Librarys North Branch, 3455 Madison Ave. The one-hour Story Explorers program is led by staff from Broadway Method Academy, the resident conservatory of Westport Country Playhouse. Story Explorers promotes childhood literacy while also enhancing childrens experiences of attending the Playhouses Family Festivities shows. Story Explorers is sponsored by United Bank Foundation and presented by Westport Country Playhouse and Broadway Method Academy. WASHINGTON San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren made her debut in President Trumps impeachment trial Tuesday, arguing that his refusal to release subpoenaed documents related to his conduct in the Ukraine affair is unprecedented. Lofgren was the second House Democratic impeachment manager, after Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff, to present arguments on the Senate floor as Trumps trial began in earnest. She used her 33-minute presentation to urge senators to support Democratic amendments to allow the Senate to subpoena documents at the trials outset. Republicans who control the chamber beat back one after another on party-line votes. Democrats will be able to seek the documents again after the Senate hears both sides trial arguments and questions the House and Trump teams. Lofgren said the Senate needs the documents to conduct a fair trial on Article One in the impeachment case, accusing Trump of abusing the power of his office. Trump has refused to comply with House Democrats subpoenas for emails and other documents from the White House and federal agencies, forming the basis for the other impeachment count obstructing Congress investigation. We simply want the truth, whatever that truth may be, Lofgren said. Dont surrender to the presidents stonewalling. It will allow the president to be above the law. Lofgren said Trumps refusal to hand over records is a brazen act without precedent in impeachment inquiries. She noted that former Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton each released a trove of records during their impeachment inquiries. Even President Nixon produced more than 30 transcripts of recordings and notes related to White House meetings in the Watergate scandal, she said. Not a single president has categorically refused to cooperate with an impeachment investigation. Trump is accused of abusing the power of his office by withholding military aid to Ukraine while pushing for investigations that could damage former Vice President Joe Biden and call into question whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election. He is also accused of obstructing Congress investigation. Congress and the American people deserve the full truth, Lofgren said. History is watching. Lofgrens presentation was historic in its own right she is the first woman to make a floor presentation as a presidential impeachment manager. Trumps trial is the third of a president. Her presentation drew a sharp response from Trumps defense team, which argued that Democrats push for new evidence shows their case is weak. Its a stunning admission of the inadequate and broken process that House Democrats ran, said Patrick Philbin, deputy White House counsel. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Increasing eligibility for the mortgage to rent scheme would end the spiral of misery for more than 2,000 Cork families, housing and homeless campaigner, Fr Peter McVerry has urged. There are currently 1,200 'active' cases in the mortgage to rent process nationally and Fr McVerry wants to see the number increased significantly this year. The scheme allows homeowners in mortgage difficulty to switch from owning their home to renting their home as social housing tenants. More than 2,000 family home loans in Co Cork are in arrears for two years or more and 120 cases in the mortgage to rent process have either been completed or are being actively progressed. If the next government was serious about tackling this huge mortgage debt legacy from the past decade, it should make it illegal over the next three years to evict people without an offer of mortgage to rent," said Fr McVerry. "However, the next government has to sit down and change the thresholds which limit the mortgage to rent scheme," said the priest, who is a member of the advisory board of mortgage to rent operator - Home for Life. People must be lifted out of the stress and misery they were enduring, he said. It saddens me to think that every week there are thousands of home-dwellers living in needless fear of a knock on the door or a visit from the postman. Fr Peter McVerry Fr McVerry urged those who find themselves in such difficulty not to bury their heads in the sand. Instead, I would encourage them to engage with their local MABS' (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) people or their lender so that their cases can be dealt with." MABS, the State's money advice service, has been helping people deal with problem debt for more than 20 years. If they do that, then they should be able to stay in their home if they pay rent like all local authority tenants." Meanwhile, a newly formed coalition of organisations called Home for Good wants the next government to commit to a constitutional referendum on the right to decent, affordable and secure housing. They believe the protection of property rights need to be "rebalanced" in favour of the common good. Members include the Simon Communities of Ireland, Focus Ireland, Respond and Threshold. It is also supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the public service trade union, Forsa, and the Union of Students in Ireland. Former prime minister Tony Blair became embroiled in a heated row with Labour leadership contender Lisa Nandy today after she tore into his years in power. The Wigan MP used a media interview this morning to claim the 'consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years' under Mr Blair and then Gordon Brown. Her comments are likely to spark fury among moderate Labour supporters and will be seen as an attempt by the leadership outsider to curry favour with Jeremy Corbyn-backing activists and those on the soft-left of the party. But they also prompted Mr Blair to hit back, with a spokesman saying: 'Any assertion that the last Labour government was a continuation of the Thatcher era is bad politics and worse history. '1997-2010 saw huge improvements in Britain's public services, with millions lifted out of poverty and radical changes made to the lives of many, for the better.' It came as Ms Nandy became the second MP through to the final round of Labour's leadership battle today. The straight-talking Wigan MP added the support of the Chinese for Labour group to add to backing from the GMB and NUM unions to make it onto the ballot of members in March. She follows favourite Sir Keir Starmer through, with Corbynite candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey expected to follow - with Emily Thornberry struggling to get enough support. Lisa Nandy, pictured at a campaign event in London this morning, said the political 'consensus' struck by Margaret Thatcher continued under Tony Blair Ms Nandy's suggestion that Mr Blair's governments were in some way influenced by Ms Thatcher is likely to spark anger among moderate Labour supporters Ms Nandy said: 'As someone of mixed heritage, I'm incredibly proud that it is Chinese for Labour who have secured my place on the ballot paper. 'They do incredibly important work to ensure we are a representative and inclusive party that can truly speak for modern Britain.' She had used a media interview this morning to woo left-wing party members by attacking Tony Blair's leadership. It came as Jess Phillips said she will now be backing Ms Nandy after she pulled out of the contest yesterday citing an inability to unite the party. Ms Nandy used a speech in London this morning to call for changes to tax and welfare policies but her remarks about Mr Blair are likely to dominate the day. Candidates need backing from three affiliates including unions to get through to the final ballot of members to avoid taking the harder route of picking up nominations from at least 33 Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs). Sir Keir Starmer is already into the final stage of the contest after securing major union backing while Rebecca Long-Bailey is expected to make it through this week following the expected backing of Unite on Friday. The remaining candidate in the race, Emily Thornberry, is facing an uphill battle after failing to secure the support of any of the major unions. The support of GMB re-energised Ms Nandy's campaign and means she can now look to try to overhaul the lead of the two front runners ahead of members starting to vote. However, Ms Nandy risked angering supporters of the last Labour governments as she appeared to suggest that they had been influenced by the approach of Ms Thatcher. Asked whether she believed Mr Blair had put 'fiscal rectitude' ahead of helping people, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I am not going to trash the legacy of the last Labour government because actually things like the minimum wage were complete game changes in towns like Wigan and the investment that went into health and education was really, really important. 'But it is certainly true to say that the consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years.' She also defended Mr Corbyn's record as leader as she said: 'I don't think he deserves to be trashed for a minute.' Ms Nandy's campaign received another lift this morning as Ms Phillips said she would be voting for the former shadow energy secretary. Ms Phillips also said she would be putting Sir Keir down as her second preference on the ballot paper. A spokesman for the Birmingham Yardley MP said: 'Jess will be backing the candidates who she thinks can bring the party together and win back the trust of the electorate. 'She will be voting for Lisa and Keir. As she has said before, Lisa will be her first preference choice.' It came as Jess Phillips, who withdrew from the Labour leadership race yesterday, said she will be voting for Ms Nandy To make it onto the final ballot the four remaining candidates must win the nominations of 33 local constituency Labour parties or three Labour affiliates, including at least two trade unions. That means without the backing of one of the major unions, a candidate will likely have to go the much more arduous route of sewing up a raft of endorsements from local parties in order to stand a chance. Candidates who do secure the required support will be put to a ballot of party members between February 21 and April 2. The winner of the contest is due to be announced at a special event on April 4. Photo: Unsplash Durham is seeing strong demand for registered nurses' skills. Employers in the industry posted 34 new jobs over the past week, and 200 in the last month, more than for any other job category in the area, according to ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace. Local registered nurses also came in seventh in terms of local employers adding new jobs by occupation. In the past month, nine companies listed open jobs for Durham-based workers in the industry. One of the top employers seeking local registered nurses is HC Solutions Group. "HC Solutions Group specializes in the recruitment and permanent placement of professionals in the health care industry," according to one of the company's recently posted job openings. Other top companies seeking local hires in the same category include Management Registry, Inc. Interim HealthCare also posted jobs for supervisors. This story was created automatically using local jobs data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a unique nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, announced that it will be hosting its annual benefit dinners in three division headquarter cities. During these events, to be held February 27 in Dallas, March 5 in Chicago and March 19 in Los Angeles, each division will present grants to various regional nonprofit organizations and honor remarkable industry executives for their philanthropic work. More than 1,200 insurance professionals gathered for these dinners last year to support their respective communities, raising more than $1.3 million in total. This year, the IICF divisions will honor the following industry executives for their dedication to philanthropic efforts within the community: Richard Blades, Chief Executive Officer, Marsh Wortham, a division of Marsh USA Inc., honored with 2020 Philanthropic Leadership Award in the IICF Southeast Division based in Dallas Kathleen Savio, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich, North America, honored as the 2020 Trailblazer of the Year in the IICF Midwest Division based in Chicago Corinne Jones, Executive Vice President, AmWINS Access, honored with the 2020 Golden Horizon Award in the IICF Western Division based in Los Angeles IICF is proud to recognize the incredible philanthropic efforts and achievements of this years honorees, said Bill Ross, IICF Chief Executive Officer. We are grateful that so many members within the industry are both personally and professionally dedicated to charitable giving and volunteerism in unique ways and to the direct benefit of their own communities and beyond. Details, including information on special celebrity guests, are below: Southeast Benefit Dinner: Feb. 27 at The Ford Center at the Star: Dallas Cowboys Headquarters Guest performer: Two-time Grammy Award winning country artist LeAnn Rimes Contact: Sarah Conway at sconway@iicf.com or click here for event site Blazing the Trail Benefit, Midwest Division: March 5 at the Four Seasons Chicago Guest speaker: Charles Peanut Tillman, former Chicago Bear, founder of the Cornerstone Foundation Contact: Kelly Hartweg at khartweg@iicf.com or click here for event site Horizon Award Gala, Western Division: March 19 at The Majestic Downtown, Los Angeles Guest speaker: To be announced soon. Contact: Melissa-Anne Duncan at maduncan@iicf.com or click here for event site Proceeds from the 2020 dinners benefit the IICF Community Grants Program in the Southeast, Midwest and Western Divisions, which provide grants to regional charities that support a number of causes including education, children at risk, veterans, child abuse prevention, disaster preparedness, safety, and health and human services. About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF has served as the philanthropic foundation of the insurance industry for more than twenty-five years, contributing $36 million in community grants along with 300,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact. IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at http://www.iicf.org or follow us on Twitter @doubleicf. MOD: Armenia soldiers dead body found at midnight after Azerbaijan provocation Newspaper: Casualties of Armenia PM Pashinyan's 'era of peace' US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22 Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China 20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022 Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death Dollar drops in Armenia Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021 Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19 Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties Copper rises in price Erdogan's spokesman, Biden's adviser discuss Armenian-Turkish relations Armenia deputy defense minister: No one can rule out border tension at any moment New commander elected of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia official: Those 100 soldiers absence will not assume any change in terms of border tension Millionaire Robert Durst dies aged 78 Reuters: Over 1.13 million cases of COVID-19 detected in US per day Great Armenian poet Razmik Davoyan dies 2 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Deputy PM Matevosyan: About 1,190 subvention programs implemented in Armenia from 2018 to 2021 243 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia MP: It would be right to put pressure on Azerbaijanis to remove their firing positions Oil is getting more expensive Nearly 10,000 people detained in Kazakhstan in connection with riots Tokayev: CSTO peacekeepers will pull out from Kazakhstan within 10 days Newspaper: Armenia businessmen pay customs duties to Azerbaijanis to go to Iran European Parliament speaker David Sassoli dies Alikhan Smailov appointed Kazakhstan Prime Minister Newspaper: Health minister makes decision full of contradictions in terms of Covid-related restrictions in Armenia Newspaper: Armenia authorities once again showed their being unprincipled, worthless, opposition MP says Germany teacher who had cannibalism fantasies is sentenced to life in prison Israel's military and other security services undergo largest rearmament in years Spain PM calls for a debate to consider COVID-19 endemic disease Flyone Armenia and Pegasus receive permission for Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flights Pope condemns "baseless" ideological misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines Arab foreign ministers to visit Beijing Azerbaijanis stoned an Armenian car on the Stepanakert-Goris road Armenian FM has a phone call with his Polish counterpart Macron travels to French Riviera to discuss internal security issues Artsakh Foreign Ministry: Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior aims to disrupt Russian peacekeepers' activities US COVID-19 cases reach 60 million European Parliament President hospitalized due to immune system dysfunction Washington and Ankara discuss normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey WHO excludes emergence of deltacron strain In Karabakh Azerbaijanis shelled tractor Indian Defense Minister tests positive for COVID-19 US-Russia talks on security guarantees lasting for seven hours already NEWS.am daily digest: 10.01.22 Pashinyan appoints Hayk Mkrtchyan as Deputy Governor of Kotayk province Blast in eastern Afghanistan kills nine children Pashinyan: One of key priorities of Armenia presidency at CSTO is strengthening of crisis response mechanisms Internet cut off in Kazakhstan Armenia, Kazakhstan ombudspersons confer on Armenian communitys rights Armenia, Russia defense ministers discuss Kazakhstan Turkey defense minister meets with their envoy in process of normalization of Armenia relations Iranian Foreign Ministry reports progress in Vienna negotiations Dollar continues going up in Armenia New attempt by migrants in Belarus to storm Poland border Skat Airlines resumes Yerevan-Aktau and Aktau-Yerevan flights New Covid-related restrictions to be introduced in Armenia Karabakh police: Firefighters also targeted by Azerbaijan shooting (PHOTOS) Artsakh Defense Army has not fired on Azerbaijan positions Azerbaijani military are protesting amid military awards deprivation Azerbaijanis open fire in Nagorno-Karabakh Karabakh MFA: Events in Kazakhstan are result of actions planned by Turkey Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:11:26|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14 militants were killed as fighting planes stormed a Taliban hideout in Miwand district of the southern Kandahar province on Tuesday night, said an army statement released here on Wednesday. Acting upon the intelligence report, the fighting planes targeted a Taliban hideout in Miwand district at 11:50 p.m. local time on Tuesday, killing 14 insurgents on the spot and wounding two others, said the statement. A weapon cache of the militants was also destroyed due to the airstrikes, the statement further said. Taliban militants who are active in parts of Kandahar and the neighboring Helmand and Zabul provinces have yet to make comment. Scientists involved in the Borexino collaboration have presented new results for the measurement of neutrinos originating from the interior of the Earth. The elusive "ghost particles" rarely interact with matter, making their detection difficult. With this update, the researchers have now been able to access 53 events - almost twice as many as in the previous analysis of the data from the Borexino detector, which is located 1,400 metres below the Earth's surface in the Gran Sasso massif near Rome. The results provide an exclusive insight into processes and conditions in the earth's interior that remain puzzling to this day. The earth is shining, even if it is not at all visible to the naked eye. The reason for this is geoneutrinos, which are produced in radioactive decay processes in the interior of the Earth. Every second, about one million of these elusive particles penetrate every square centimetre of our planet's surface. The Borexino detector, located in the world's largest underground laboratory, the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, is one of the few detectors in the world capable of observing these ghostly particles. Researchers have been using it to collect data on neutrinos since 2007, i.e. for over ten years. By 2019, they were able to register twice as many events as at the time of the last analysis in 2015 - and reduce the uncertainty of the measurements from 27 to 18 percent, which is also due to new analysis methods. Geoneutrinos are the only direct traces of the radioactive decays that occur inside the Earth, and which produce an as yet unknown portion of the energy driving all the dynamics of our planet," explains Livia Ludhova, one of the two current scientific coordinators of Borexino and head of the neutrino group at the Nuclear Physics Institute (IKP) at Forschungszentrum Julich. The researchers in the Borexino collaboration have extracted with an improved statistical significance the signal of geoneutrinos coming from the Earth's mantle which lies below the Earth crust by exploiting the well-known contribution from the Earth's uppermost mantle and crust -- the so called lithosphere. The intense magnetic field, the unceasing volcanic activity, the movement of the tectonic plates, and mantle convection: The conditions inside the Earth are in many ways unique in the entire solar system. Scientists have been discussing the question of where the Earth's internal heat comes from for over 200 years. "The hypothesis that there is no longer any radioactivity at depth in the mantle can now be excluded at 99% confidence level for the first time. This makes it possible to establish lower limits for uranium and thorium abundances in the Earth's mantle," says Livia Ludhova. These values are of interest for many different Earth model calculations. For example, it is highly probable (85%) that radioactive decay processes inside the Earth generate more than half of the Earth's internal heat, while the other half is still largely derived from the original formation of the Earth. Radioactive processes in the Earth therefore provide a non-negligible portion of the energy that feeds volcanoes, earthquakes, and the Earth's magnetic field. The latest publication in Phys. Rev. D not only presents the new results, but also explains the analysis in a comprehensive way from both the physics and geology perspectives, which will be helpful for next generation liquid scintillator detectors that will measure geoneutrinos. The next challenge for research with geoneutrinos is now to be able to measure geoneutrinos from the Earth's mantle with greater precision, perhaps with detectors distributed at different positions on our planet. One such detector will be the JUNO detector in China where the IKP neutrino group is involved. The detector will be 70 times bigger than Borexino which helps in achieving higher statistical significance in a short time span. ### Indian soldiers deployed in the world's highest battlefield Siachen glacier are getting personal kit worth around Rs one lakh for protection against extreme cold conditions there. Along with the personal kit for protection against winters, every soldier also gets equipment worth around Rs 1.5 lakhs for survival and moving around the Siachen glacier during their deployment there, Army sources told ANI here. The equipment and the personal kit of the troops were examined and reviewed by Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane during his trip to Siachen in the second week of January. "The facilities have been provided to the soldiers for personal protection from winters and survival in the extreme cold conditions. Clear instructions have been issued by the Army top brass that if the troops need more facilities, they should be provided that," the sources said. The most expensive part of the personal kit of soldiers includes the multilayered extreme winter clothing which costs around Rs 28,000 per set along with the special sleeping bag which is worth around Rs 13,000. The down jacket and the special gloves of troops together cost around Rs 14,000 while the multipurpose shoes cost around Rs 12,500. Among the equipment being provided to the troops, is also the oxygen cylinder costing Rs 50,000 per piece which is very important at such altitudes as the oxygen levels are very low there. The Soldiers also get equipment and gadgets for detecting avalanche victims which costs around Rs 8,000. Avalanches are a very frequent occurrence in the glacier which receives very heavy snowfall during the year. India has been deploying forces at the heights ranging from 17,000 feet to 22,000 feet for more than three decades now at the Siachen glacier which was attempted to be usurped by the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army has ceded a significant chunk of their territory to the Chinese near the Siachen glacier area and Army top brass feels the area is strategically important for keeping enemy designs in check. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co <7267.T> will join on Tuesday a growing number of companies signing a White House pledge to boost U.S. job training opportunities. The third largest Japanese automaker will announce in Ohio it will provide expanded job training opportunities to 50,000 workers by 2025. Other major companies including Alphabet Inc's Google unit, Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>, American Airlines , Apple Inc and General Motors Co are among more than 400 firms that previously agreed to offer education and training opportunities for U.S. students and workers. Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America, said in an interview that the company has long been committed to offering job training for its employees, but was trying to be more public about it. He said the 50,000 training figure "was a bit more than in the past." Last week, Honda announced it had built its 20 millionth automobile in Ohio since launching production in 1982 in Marysville, Ohio. Honda has not always seen eye to eye with the White House. The company drew the ire of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump when it joined three other automakers last summer in adopting a voluntary emissions deal with California. It also was among Japanese automakers that expressed dismay with Trump's March 2019 declaration that some imported vehicles and parts posed a threat to U.S. national security. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has emphasized the significant U.S. investments and employment by Japanese automakers in an effort to head off potential punitive U.S. tariffs on imports of Japanese-made vehicles and parts. Honda employs about 15,000 people in Ohio, a key state in the 2020 election and nearly two-thirds of all Honda automobiles sold in the United States last year were made in America. White House adviser Ivanka Trump said companies who are taking part have pledged to ensure the continued success and growth of the American workforce. She added Hondas announcement means that 50,000 people will now have the key skill sets needed to contribute to the jobs of tomorrow. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said the country could borrow another $4 billion more this year and is considering debt in euros, riyals as well as sukuk. His comments to Bloomberg Television follow this week's successful $5 billon eurobond. The bond issue generated $23 billion of orders. Speaking with Bloomberg Television's Francine Lacqua at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, he said he is very confident that the Saudi economy is picking up. Yesterday showed very clearly that demand for Saudi credit is very high and very healthy. We are very pleased not only with the level of debt but also the pricing, he said. "I think Saudi Arabia has made it clear they are going through a well-articulated strategy in terms of going to the debt market, whether international or local. Investors have really started pricing Saudi in the right way. We reduced the pricing significantly compared to the last years issuances." He also said the kingdom is starting to see the results of Vision 2030. "The numbers are proving that reform is working. We are basically cashing on the successes," said Al-Jadaan. Asked if he is worried that the decline in government spending will impact the non-oil economy, Al-Jaddan said: "Not at all, government expenditures are reducing but are reducing relatively in a small way. It is about SR30 billion out of SR1 trillion, a small amount. The reason for that action is the result of all the efficiencies we have done over the past three years have now started yielding results." Al-Jadaan said he is confident the economy is picking up. "You have seen the third-quarter results. The private sector GDP grew by 4%, which is the highest in five years. Non-oil GDP is growing the highest in the last 4/5 years at 3.1% . We are confident the economy is picking up and leading indicators say private sector confidence is back. PMI indices are at the highest in the last five years." He said an international listing of Saudi Aramco is still on the cards but likely wont happen soon. Speaking on the world economy, he said: "Obviously the economy goes through cycles, but I do not think there is any serious risk in 2020. I think it will be stable. A little bit of growth is likely with trade tensions easing with geopolitical tensions easing. That will give the markets a good kick to continue growth through the year." -TradeArabia News Service Veganuary is storming along, with bakeries, retailers and brands across the country launching meat-, dairy- and egg-free NPD to tap into the vegan boom. There has already been a host of new launches including indulgent sweet treats from Dum Dum Doughnuts, Doughnut Time and Deliciously Ella, while retailers including Costa, The Co-op and Marks & Spencer have expanded their vegan ranges. To help bakeries fully embrace the vegan opportunity, British Baker is hosting a webinar Tapping the plant-based bakery boom: how NPD is key to unlocking this multi-million pound opportunity on 6 February. Register free of charge here to hear from experts in the field. Heres the latest round of vegan bakery NPD: Tesco Britains largest supermarket chain has boosted its on-the-go and frozen vegan options, available under its Plant Chef brand, with new sandwiches, wraps and sausage rolls. First up is the Plant Chef Hoisin Wrap, which claims to have all the flavour without the duck. Priced at 2.50, the wrap is filled with pea protein, hoisin sauce and slices of cucumber and spring onion. Also joining the range is the Plant Chef Coronation Cauli Wrap,which sees the usual chicken replaced with cauliflower for a plant-based lunch on-the-go, priced at 2.50. Rounding off the trio of grab-and-go NPD is the Plant Chef Houmous & Harissa Vegetable Sandwich. Costing 2.20, it sees two slices of tomato bread filled with smooth houmous and harissa-coated vegetables. In the freezer, Tesco has looked to tap into demand for vegan sausage rolls with its Plant Chef Frozen Meat-Free Sausage Rolls. They feature flaky vegan filo pastry filled with a soya-based vegan sausage, seasoned with sage and onion. They come in a pack of approximately 30 for 1.75. Fletchers Bakery Fletchers Bakery, part of the Finsbury Food Group, has teamed up with Sheffield-based restaurant Make No Bones to create a Vegan Brioche Bun. The buns, which display the Vegetarian Society vegan-approved and RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil logos on pack, will be available in selected Tesco stores from 27 January. The packs are branded as Make No Bones as it is an established brand in Sheffield with a loyal following, according to Fletchers Bakery. All non-vegan items found in a traditional brioche butter and egg glaze have been replaced with natural butter flavourings and sustainable palm oil. Gato & Co Gato & Co has launched a new biscuit range for Veganuary 2020 called Cookies N Cream. The gluten-free and vegan treats offer a modern twist on classic cookie sandwiches, according to the company, and are available in Boots with an rsp of 1.59 for a two-pack. The biscuits come in four variants: Choc Vanilla, Choc Peanut Butter, Choc Hazelnut Butter Cookies and Salted Caramel. They are made with gluten-free oats and ground almonds in place of flour, while nut butters and coconut oil replace butter. The Fry Family Food Co Frys is tapping into demand for vegan twists on classic junk food with the launch of two pizzas, available via wholesale suppliers. The Smoky BBQ Woodfired Pizza is topped with red and yellow peppers, roasted red onions and Frys chicken-style strips marinated in a smoky barbecue sauce. Also joining the range is the Mediterranean Woodfired Pizza with sliced cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, black olives and Frys chicken-style strips on top, with Italian herbs. Cutter & Squidge London cake brand Cutter & Squidge is no stranger to vegan cakes, with a number already on offer in its range. For 2020, however, it has expanded its portfolio with a four-strong range of vegan cake loaves. Embracing tropical fruity flavours is the Mango Passionfruit Loaves, which feature mango sponge and passionfruit buttercream, topped with dried mango and pomegranate seeds. Keeping things more traditional are the Chocolate Velvet Loaves chocolate sponge cake topped with chocolate buttercream and a swirl of salted caramel and the Vanilla Strawberry Loaves which have a vanilla sponge with pink vanilla buttercream on top and a dusting of strawberry powder. Rounding off the quartet are the Banana Hazelnut Loaves made from banana cake topped with hazelnut buttercream and chopped nuts. Veggie Pret Prets vegetarian venture has expanded its menu with 19 exclusive new recipes, 75% of which are vegan. Of particularly note to the vegan bakery crowd is the Mexican Inspired Sweet Potato Wrap (pictured). It features roasted diced sweet potatoes coated in chipotle ketchup on a bed of refried beans, finished with sliced red pepper, sweetcorn salsa, pickled onions, spinach and fresh coriander. Other new recipes to grace the menu include a Sweet Potato Falafel Mezze Salad Bowl, a Cocoa, Nuts & Berries Smoothie Bowl and a Marinated Tofu Poke Bowl. To find out what other brands and retailers are doing this Veganuary, check out our other stories: Climate Finance Partnership commits to investing in sustainable infrastructure in South East Asia, Latin America and Africa, reaching agreement on core terms and structure of the vehicle Minimum of 25% of capital to be invested in Africa CFP's unique partnership blends philanthropic, government, and private capital to combat climate risk Parties to the Climate Finance Partnership (CFP) have taken another step forward in their partnership to accelerate the flow of capital into climate-related investments in emerging markets, reaching agreement on the core terms and structure of their flagship blended finance investment vehicle. The parties to the CFP are France, Germany, the Hewlett and Grantham foundations, and BlackRock. Featuring a unique blend of philanthropic, government, and private sector capital, the CFP showcases the power and catalytic role of philanthropic and public capital to mobilize top-tier institutional capital investment into climate-related sectors in emerging markets, at scale. And it is consistent with the shared belief of all CFP parties that aggressive action is necessary in order to limit climate change to well below 2C, keeping a view to a 1.5C limit, in a manner that harnesses the economic opportunities embedded in the transition to a global low-carbon economy. CFP investments will be targeted toward select countries in South East Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Notably, investments in Africa will account for at least 25% of the total capital invested. The vehicle's focus on what is generally referred to as climate infrastructure sector will include; (i) grid connected and/or distributed generation renewable energy power; (ii) energy efficiency in residential, commercial and/or industrial sectors; (iii) energy storage solutions; and (iv) ultra-low emission or electrified transportation and mobility services. Remy Rioux, CEO of the French Development Agency ("AFD"), said: "The unique challenges posed by climate change call for stronger joint action. It is therefore with great pride that the AFD Group, through its private-sector subsidiary PROPARCO, is partnering with BlackRock, the largest asset manager worldwide, to accelerate the mobilization of private-sector financing towards climate. This ambitious partnership, forged with Germany and leading global foundations, will help redirect financial flows towards sustainable development investments across the emerging world, and will include a priority focus on Africa as a key continent to France and one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change despite contributing the least to global warming." The vehicle will feature a first-loss tranche of at least $100 million in catalytic capital, anchored by government and foundation partners, that BlackRock will use to mobilize a goal of at least $400 million in institutional capital commitments. This would result in a minimum size of $500 million at first close and CFP parties share a collective goal of further scaling the vehicle going forward. State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth from the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, said: "In 2019, Germany approved a national climate law and an ambitious mid-term climate package to reduce GHG emissions at home. As an EU member state we are committed to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. We are fully aware that a worldwide rise in ambition is required to respond to the climate crisis. Developing countries will need our support to increase their climate action. For that, both public and private funds will be essential. Therefore, we look forward to work together with France, philanthropies and BlackRock to mobilize privatecapital towards investing in the global transformation of our energy systems. By this we are sending a strong signal of the importance of shifting financial flows towards a low carbon development." The Governments of France, through the French Development Agency (AFD), and Germany, with the KfW acting as a trustee, intend to contribute $30 million each to the partnership. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust have committed $10 million and $7.5 million respectively. CFP parties have committed to help raise the additional capital required to reach the $100 million in catalytic capital. Larry Kramer, President of the Hewlett Foundation, said: "The Climate Finance Partnership shows that charitable organizations working in partnership with public and private-sector entities can mobilize capital to solve climate change and reduce human suffering. Populations in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America will benefit from this first-of-its-kind partnership in bringing sovereign, philanthropic, and private capital together to target climate change. We hope it will serve as a model for scaling climate friendly projects all around the world." The CFP demonstrates an unprecedented partnership to bring sovereign, foundation and private capital together to target 100 percent climate friendly investments at such scale. Jeremy Grantham, Trustee of the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, said: "Emerging market equities are substantially cheaper than those in developed economies and they offer the best choice for growth in an otherwise slow-growth world. As clean energy's cost advantage continues to spread around the world, clean energy in emerging markets should see substantial growth from its current low base. The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust is pleased to support this effort to help institutional investors begin building an allocation to this promising sector." The CFP is BlackRock's first vehicle focused on climate infrastructure investments in emerging markets. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has extensive experience in renewable power and sustainable investing and is committed to factoring climate- and other environmental-related risks into their investment and risk management processes, including developing new approaches to measuring physical climate risks, and stress testing portfolios for future carbon price scenarios. The CFP is part of BlackRock's ongoing efforts to provide investors with more and more ways to invest their capital in strategies that accelerate the global low-carbon transition. Brian Deese, Global Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, said: "In line with BlackRock's recently announced acceleration of a number of sustainable investing initiatives, we are tremendously excited to launch the Climate Finance Partnership together with government and foundation partners. We believe creative collaboration is essential to mobilizing investment into climate infrastructure in emerging markets at scale, providing our clients with further opportunity to invest in the global low-carbon transition." CFP partners have been engaged in an intensive and collaborative design process since the CFP was announced at the One Planet Summit in September 2018 under the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron. Partners are now committed to finalizing due diligence and launching this fund with a goal of Q3, 2020. John E. Morton, Managing Coordinator of the Climate Finance Partnership and Senior Advisor to Aligned Climate Capital said: "The transition to a global low carbon economy presents tremendous economic opportunities for those investors willing to lead. Parties to the CFP should be proud of their collaborative progress over the last year and of the fact that this partnership provides a replicable template for unlocking private capital toward climate-related investments in fast growing markets around the world." About AFD: The Agence francaise de developpement (AFD) Group funds, supports and accelerates the transition to a fairer and more sustainable world. Focusing on climate, biodiversity, peace, education, urban development, health and governance, our teams carry out more than 4,000 projects in France's overseas departments and territories and another 115 countries. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and French people to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). www.afd.fr/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006178/en/ Contacts: For the AFD: Magali Mevellec +33 1 53 44 40 31 mevellecm@afd.fr For the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany (BMU): Stephan Gabriel Haufe + 4930183052010 presse@bmu.bund.de For BlackRock: Ed Sweeney +1 (646) 231-0268 ed.sweeney@blackrock.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto will deploy more ships to protect the Natuna waters near Indonesias northern maritime border by relocating existing vessels operating in other locations to the area and purchasing an ocean-going vessel (OGV) from Denmark. The plans have been made due to reports of illegal fishing by foreign ships at Natunas exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recently, Indonesia filed a protest against Beijing for alleged territorial violations by a Chinese coastguard vessel around Natuna. Prabowo presented both plans during a closed-door meeting with the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense on Monday, a member of the commission confirmed. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The Countess of Wessex was visibly moved today as she made an emotional visit to a peace museum in Sierra Leone. The royal, 55, is currently on a two day visit of the African country, and made her first appearance of the trip at the Sierra Leone Peace Museum in Freetown. Sophie looked elegant in a smart floral blouse and white trousers with a pair of brown espadrille wedges for the occasion. The mother-of-two appeared moved as she was given a tour of the museum, and looked emotional as she chatted with women from the armed forces in a round table discussion. Sophie Wessex, 55, appeared visibly moved during her first engagement during a whistlestop tour of Sierra Leone earlier today (pictured, looking at clothing worn by the CDF, a civil militia) The royal donned a smart floral blouse with a pair of white trousers and espadrille wedges for her visit to the peace museum Sophie beamed as she signed the visitors book at the Sierra Leone Peace Museum on the first day of her two day visit to the country Sophie is currently visiting Sierra Leone at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a whistlestop two day visit. For her first appearance of the quick visit, Sophie, who is married to the Queen's youngest son, kept her makeup natural, adding a touch of blusher, layer of mascara and a nude lipstick. She wore her blonde hair gently scraped back in a half-up, half-down style, and looked in high spirits as she met with local women in the museum. She was set to undertake a programme of engagements in Freetown today, focusing on addressing sexual and gender based violence, supporting survivors, and championing womens role in peacebuilding. Sophie was greeted by Binta Mansaray, Registrar of the Residual Special Court as she arrived at the museum in Freetown during the first day of her visit to the country The mother-of-two appeared pensive as she studied a display case containing clothing worn by the CDF, a civil militia, during a visit to the museum She was also shown the archive testimony of those involved in the civil war in Sierra Leone which is stored in boxes as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission As she arrived at the Sierra Leone Peace Museum in Freetown, she was warmly greeted by Binta Mansaray, Registrar of the Residual Special Court. The Countess appeared visibly moved as she studied archive material in the museum, including clothing worn by the CDF, a civil militia, during the civil war. Almost 20 years after the end of the 1991-2002 civil war, the royal heard how Sierra Leone has successfully transitioned to a sustained peace following the conflict. As part of the visit, she learned about the role of the Special Court and Truth and Reconciliation Commission in bringing justice to survivors of the conflict, including survivors of sexual violence. The royal appeared move as she was shown the archive by the Registrar of the Residual Special Court at the museum earlier today She went on to join a roundtable discussion with female members of the armed forces during her visit to the museum Sophie could be seen chatting to the women at the museum in Freetown, smiling as she spoke with the members of the armed forces She was also shown the archive testimony of those involved in the civil war in Sierra Leone, both perpetrators and victims of violence, which is stored in boxes as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The royal went on to join roundtable discussions with civil society members on current societal issues and the continued violence faced by women and girls in Sierra Leone. She also heard how efforts are being made to tackle these issues - particularly reducing stigma - which is helping more women to report incidents of rape. The royal appeared pensive as she spoke with the women during a discussion at the peace museum The royal could be seen leaning forward as she listened to the women speak about their experiences in the armed forces during a visit to the museum She appeared to share a smile with some of the women as they spoke on her first visit to the African country Later, Sophie joined the group as they posed for a picture together during her visit to the peace museum The Countess of Wessex could be seen smiling as she signed the guestbook in the museum on the first day of her tour of the country The mother-of-two also met with women from across government, the armed forces, civil society and communities to celebrate the role they are playing at home and abroad in advocating for peace in other regions. She was given a tour of the government chambers of Parliament in Freetown, where she was serenaded and given a gift by local women. She was gifted an embroidered sash from members of a women's parliamentary group during her visit. Later, the royal met with a women's parliamentary group in Parliament, Freetown, on the first day of her visit to Sierra Leone The Countess of Wessex (left) joined a roundtable discussion with a women's parliamentary group in Parliament, Freetown, on the first day of her visit to Sierra Leone Sophie donned a pretty pink midi skirt for the visit with a smart white blouse (pictured, talking to Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh at the State House) The Countess appeared relaxed as she chatted with Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh at the State House The royal was later given a tour of the chamber of Parliament, Freetown, on the first day of her visit to Sierra Leone The Countess posed for a snap alongside members of a women's parliamentary group and staff during a tour of the chamber Later, Sophie received a gift from the women's group in the form of an embroidered sash (pictured, in Freetown) The royal went on to visit a reception for UK partners at the British High Commissioner's residence in Freetown. Sophie could be seen laughing and joking with attendees before giving a speech to guests at the reception. Later, she's scheduled to visit a health centre to see how investments in education and family planning are helping to empower girls and women to have greater choice and control over their bodies and lives, and to achieve their aspirations. The Countess of Wessex receives a gift of an embroidered sash and welcome plaque from members of a women's parliamentary group in Parliament, The royal was serenaded, after receiving gifts of an embroidered sash and welcoming plaque, by members of a women's parliamentary group She will then visit a secondary school to see first-hand how support from the UK government is helping to keep girls safe and in education. The Countess will hear how the UK has helped Sierra Leone to increase the part that women play in promoting peace and security. The royal donned a stunning green gown as she chatted with UK partners in Sierra Leone while at the British High Commissioner's residence Later, Sophie gave a speech while at a reception for UK partners in Sierra Leone at the British High Commissioner's residence in Freetown The royal appeared in high spirits as she met with locals at the reception, including the mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr The Indian pharmaceutical industry expects the government to restore the tax benefit offered on research and development expenditure in the upcoming Union Budget. The industry also hopes the government will announce incentives in the budget to encourage setting up bulk drug manufacturing units in the country, in addition to scale-up of spending on healthcare. "India must move from predominantly branded generic drugs to discovering and developing new drugs; for that the government should resume tax exemption of 200 percent on R&D, said Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), the industry body that represents large domestic pharmaceutical companies. Jain sought government to announce incentives to set up 4-6 bulk drug clusters across India to reduce dependence on import. He also sought government to set up innovation clusters. Indian pharmaceutical industry imports almost 80 percent of its raw materials from China, exposing Indian industry to vagaries of prices hikes and shortages, the government is also worried about drug security, especially antibiotics in cases of emergencies like natural calamities and wars. The government had introduced a weighted tax deduction of 200 percent on company expenditure on in-house research and development (R&D) in the 2010 Budget, in order to boost innovation in the country. In weighted tax deduction, double the amount spent on R&D is deducted from the profit of the company providing them additional cash to invest in R&D. While the tax incentive isn't specific to the pharma industry, but pharmaceutical companies have been major beneficiaries as they have increased their average R&D spend from 5.3 percent of revenue in FY12 to 8.5 percent in FY19. However, the 200 percent weighted deduction on R&D was short-lived, with the government in 2016 Budget cutting it to 150 percent from 2017 onwards and to 100 percent from 2020 onwards. To allay industry concerns the government in the same budget announced a patent box-type of incentives for the first time, wherein income received by Indian companies in the form of royalties and technology license fees would be taxed at a reduced rate of 10 percent from the fiscal year 20162017 onwards. The government said this move was designed to stimulate innovation by raising the revenue that companies could earn from their intellectual property. The industry now wants taxes to eliminated on royalties and technology license fees it earns. To give fillip to exports - IPA said the government should announce a new scheme of export incentives or subsidies in place of the now scrapped Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) to promote pharmaceutical exports. Under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), the government provides duty benefits at different rates depending on product and country. The government had to scrap MEIS, as it wasn't compliant with WTO regulations. Pharma companies were major beneficiaries of the scheme. India's pharmaceutical exports rose 11 per cent to $19.2 billion in 2018-19. Call to increase spend on healthcare The pharma and healthcare sectors have sought the Finance Minister to increase spend on healthcare in proportionate to GDP. "The Indian Budget should focus on increasing public spending on healthcare, considering Indias demographics, growing population and increasing disease burden. The Budget of 2019-20 saw Rs 62,398 crore outlay for the healthcare sector which was just 1 percent of GDP. This should be increased to 2.5 percent or around Rs 150,000 crore to drive the health sector fast forward," said Dr. Azad Moopen-Founder Chairman & Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare. Moopen also stressed on the need for a viability gap funding by the government for investors who setup hospitals in smaller cities to increase the provider base for Ayushman Bharat and sought an increase of package rates of Ayushman Bharat for more hospitals. Public sector investment on healthcare in India is one of the lowest globally, at 1.3 percent of GDP. The budgetary outlay for the Ayushman Bharat the flagship health insurance scheme of the central government remains low (Rs. 6400 crore in BE 2019-20) vis-a-vis its funding requirement. "Increase in the budgetary support to the scheme will help expand the network and the coverage, while providing affordable healthcare facilities to beneficiaries. The same is also expected to be positive for hospitals in Tier II and III cities and smaller towns, particularly for those that have low occupancies or those that are positioned for affordable care," rating agency ICRA said. Contributing to the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine is an utmost priority for the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship in 2020, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albania's Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, has said. "Contributing to a peaceful resolution is an utmost priority of the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship in 2020. That is why I wanted to start my official visits with Ukraine, within my first month in the role," Rama said after a two-day visit to Ukraine. According to him, the "crisis in and around Ukraine" is the most pressing challenge to the security and stability in Europe today. During his stay in Kyiv, Rama met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko and Parliament Speaker Dmytro Razumkov. Rama also welcomed the decisive action undertaken by the Ukrainian leadership towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He committed to actively strive to ensure respect for OSCE principles and commitments and full implementation of the Minsk agreements by the sides. "Our aim first and foremost - must be to ensure a full and sustainable ceasefire. In 2020, we will endeavour to improve the security situation and the daily lives of the people living in conflict-affected areas," Rama said. After meetings in Kyiv, the Chairperson-in-Office visited eastern Ukraine on January 21, to gain first-hand experience of the security and humanitarian situation in the conflict-affected areas, and to observe the practical impact of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) on the ground. Visiting the repaired and reopened bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska, Rama called it "an excellent illustration of what political goodwill can achieve, and how improved security and the easing of people's hardship go hand in hand." Rama expressed strong support to the efforts of the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG). "The resumption of dialogue and the outcomes of the Normandy summit are steps in the right direction. Nevertheless, there is much more to be done. It is a long road ahead to lasting peace. My Special Representative in Ukraine and in the TCG, Ambassador Heidi Grau, will be exploring how best to move the process forward," he said. op NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Safety light curtain market to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2019 to 2025 The safety light curtain market is expected to grow from USD 1.1 billion by 2019 to USD 1.6 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2019 to 2025. A few key factors driving the growth of this market include the rise in Industry 4.0; the growing use of robotics in the packaging industry; and mandatory safety regulations across industries. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05219037/?utm_source=PRN Safety light curtain market for type 4 safety level to hold larger share during the forecast period The safety light curtain market for type 4 curtains is expected to hold a larger share during the forecast period.These safety light curtains are based on redundant automatic cross-checking architecture, which allows immediate failure detection with low response time. The prevalence of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and rapid industrialization in developing countries such as China, India, and Mexico, contribute to the large share of this segment. Control units segment of safety light curtains to witness highest CAGR during forecast period The safety light curtain market for control units is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.A control unit controls all activities of a safety light curtain and ensures the proper operation of equipment. It is one of the major components of a safety light curtain and is used to determine the sequence and modulation of LEDs to match them with those of photoelectric cells. It can also detect deviations caused in the system in the event of an object entering the curtain of light beams. Healthcare industry to witness highest CAGR in safety light curtain market during forecast period The safety light curtain market for the healthcare industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Growth in the healthcare industry in APAC is supporting the growth of the safety light curtain market. The comparatively cheap labor available in APAC, compared to Europe or North America, is one of the major drivers for pharmaceutical companies investing in this region to set up production plants. These factors are contributing to the growth of the safety light curtain market for the healthcare industry. APAC to account for largest size of safety light curtain market during forecast period APAC is expected to hold the largest size of the safety light curtain market during the forecast period.The region has been a major contributor to the growth of the overall safety light curtain market as this region is emerging as an important hub for automotive manufacturing. Automotive is one of the prominent industries in APAC, owing to the presence of global automotive giants and the increasing demand for automobiles by an ever-growing population with high disposable income in this region. Breakdown of the profile of primary participants: By Company Type: Tier 1 31%, Tier 2 37%, and Tier 3 32% By Designation: C-Level Executives 45%, Directors 36%, Others - 19% By Region: Americas 32%, Europe 30%, APAC 24%, and RoW 14% Keyence Corporation (Japan), Omron Corporation (Japan), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (US), SICK AG (Germany), Pepperl+Fuchs (Germany), Banner Engineering (US), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Schneider Electric (France), Datalogic S.p.A. (Italy), Leuze Electronic (Germany), and Pilz GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) are among a few major players in the safety light curtain market. Research Coverage The safety light curtain market has been segmented by safety level type, component, resolution, application, industry, and region.Based on safety level type, the market has been segmented into type 2 and type 4. Based on component, the market has been segmented into LEDs, photoelectric cells, control units, displays, and others (enclosures and mirrors).Based on resolution, the market has been segmented into 924mm, 2590mm, and more than 90mm. Based on application, the market has been segmented into packaging, assembly, material handling, robotics, and others (presses, positioning, and metal working applications).The safety light curtain market study has been segmented on the basis of industry into automotive, semiconductor & electronics, food & beverages, healthcare, and others (wood, chemicals, financial institutions, and art). Based on region, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW). Reasons to Buy Report The report would help market leaders/new entrants in the following ways: This report segments the safety light curtain market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the overall market size, as well as that of the subsegments across different offerings, product types, applications, and regions. The report helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. It would help stakeholders understand their competitors better and gain more insights to enhance their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystems, product launches and developments, acquisitions, and partnerships in the safety light curtain market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05219037/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com Islamic State fighters did not capitalize on a recent break in U.S. operations to significantly reconstitute their ranks in Iraq, according to a top general. After a U.S. airstrike killed Iran's top military commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the U.S. briefly suspended coalition training activities in Iraq on Jan. 5. The move came during a heightened state of alert to protect facilities housing U.S. troops amid unpredictable retaliations from Iran's proxy forces. Air Force Maj. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve at U.S. Central Command, told an audience at a Mitchell Institute event outside Washington, D.C., that U.S. and coalition troops have not observed a compelling uptick in ISIS activities throughout Iraq and Syria recently. He added that targeted strikes on ISIS fighters have waned in recent months to about "two to three airstrikes per week." Related: Additional US Troops Under Medical Evaluation after Jan. 8 Iran Missile Attack "[But] we certainly want to get back to providing that overall pressure" to keep ISIS at bay for the foreseeable future, Grynkewich said Wednesday. He credited Iraqi forces with keeping the pressure on ISIS during the break. The U.S. announced it was resuming operations against the Islamic State on Jan. 15. Lower-level training and advising activities with Iraqi partner forces continue, Grynkewich said, but "some of the-higher level advisory efforts have stopped" amid tensions with Iran. He said the majority of attacks by Iranian proxies in recent days have remained largely unsophisticated, with a reactionary approach versus a well-planned one. "My personal assessment is, there's more continuity in that approach. Most of them are a couple of fighters running out of a parking lot and setting up [a rocket launcher] from there," Grynkewich said. With the help of Iraqi forces, the U.S. has been able to identify the origin points of attacks fairly quickly with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, he said. In the case of the more elaborate Iranian missile attack on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq on Jan. 8, Grynkewich credited "lower-level commanders, soldiers and airmen, primarily" who made the right call as they were given advance notice to shelter during the strike, saving lives. "I just couldn't be more proud. In a time like that, you really don't know what's going on," he said. Last week, defense officials confirmed that 11 U.S. service members were flown from Iraq to U.S. medical facilities for additional evaluation and treatment of concussion-like symptoms. The Associated Press on Tuesday reported that more troops are now being evaluated in Landstuhl, Germany, for similar injuries. Grynkewich said officials now estimate that the total number of troops who will need evaluation is in the teens. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, President Donald Trump on Wednesday downplayed the injuries as "headaches." "I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things," he said during a press conference. "But I would say, and I can report, that it is not very serious." When asked about possible traumatic brain injuries and whether the president mischaracterized their severity, Grynkewich demurred. "I haven't seen [the president's] remarks and, even if I had, I wouldn't comment on them," he said. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read more: Magpul Unveils New Backpacker Stock for Ruger Pistol-Caliber Carbine Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) The House of Representatives has adopted two resolutions that will pave the way for a supplemental budget and immediate release of funds to assist the Taal victims. During its special session in Batangas on Wednesday, the lower chamber, with 204 congressmen present, adopted Resolution 665 calling for the immediate release of funds for the aid, relief, resettlement, rehabilitation of areas affected by Taal Volcanos unrest. Under the measure, funds which will be appropriated under the 2020 General Appropriations Act may include the calamity fund and appropriations for development and social programs and services of various national government agencies. It also designates a House committee which will coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for a briefing to assess the situation and determine the needs of the affected localities. The House also adopted Resolution 662 expressing the chambers support and commitment to work with all the concerned agencies to pass a proposed supplemental budget to expedite effective and responsive assistance to the affected victims. Six congressmen from Batangas Reps. Vilma Santos-Recto of the 6th District, Elenita Ermita-Buhain of the 1st District, Raneo Abu of the 2nd District, Theresa Collantes of the 3rd District, Lianda Bolilia of the 4th District, and Mario Marino of the 5th District were among those who filed the resolutions. While these two measures stress the impending action of the lower chamber following the latest developments in the situation in Taal, over 30 billion worth of supplemental budget is in fact being targeted in the House, through a separate bill. 30-billion supplemental budget sought Also on Wednesday, the six Batangas lawmakers filed House Bill 5998, or an Act appropriating the sum of 30 billion as supplemental appropriations for FY 2020, and for other purposes. The measure states that the proposed amount, to be appropriated out of any available funds in the National Treasury, will give immediate relief to communities affected by the eruption, establish resettlement centers, homesites and townsites for displaced families, provide livelihood and employment opportunities for local residents, construct and rehabilitate public infrastructure, and adopt other interventions that could expedite the return to normalcy in the affected localities. The amount appropriated will be released by the Department of Budget and Management to the implementing agencies in accordance with the approval of the President who may consider the recommendation of the NDRRMC. Not only are we supporting the 30-billion additional funding this year plus supplemental budget, we are asking our chairman on committee on appropriations to make representation with the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) to include all rehabilitation funds in the 2021 budget not only in the Taal eruption but also in the Mindanao earthquakes, [Typhoon] Ursula and other areas awaiting rehab funds, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said during the session. No action was taken on the measure so far. Department of Disaster Resilience bill still hanging Meanwhile, the bill seeking the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) is still pending second reading approval. Deliberations on House Bill 5989, or an Act seeking to create the "Department of Disaster Resilience, defining its mandate, powers and functions, appropriating funds therefor only reached sponsorship level in the afternoon. Nagagalak po kaming mga Batangueno, na isinigawa ang session na ito. With the recent calamities that hit the Philippines, ito po ay isang napaka-importanteng departamento na [gagawin] said Rep. Marino who sponsored the measure. [Translation: We Batanguenos are happy that a session has been made here. With the recent calamities that hit the Philippines. This is a really crucial department that needs to be made.] Hours before congressmen are set to hold a special session in Batangas, a House committee approved Wednesday a measure creating the DDR. The House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, voted to approve the consolidated bill which will allow for the funding and operations of the new agency. The proposed new body will oversee the countrys disaster risk reduction efforts and emergency response. At least 34 bills were consolidated into the unnumbered measure this morning, with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano as its principal author. Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, a co-author of the bill, said the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience would absorb the Office of Civil Defense and other relevant agencies, their personnel and their funds. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, also a co-author of the measure, previously told CNN Philippines that the implementation of the DDR stands as the most critical of other pending disaster-related measures as it could decide on matters involving disaster response at the highest levels of government and unify the currently fragmented disaster response mobilization of different agencies, among other functions. The House-approved bill on the DDR failed to hurdle the Senate before the 17th Congress closed in June. The current version of the bill is still pending approval on second reading in the House so far, but it is slated for discussion in the plenary later today. The session in Batangas will be the first-ever-out-of-town regular session by the lower chamber in history, amid the threat of an imminent hazardous eruption of Taal. Cayetano said it was proposed by lawmakers was a bid to connect with the Taal victims, listen to the different representatives from Laguna, Cavite, and Batangas, as well as the first responders amid the calamity. READ: House to hold Wednesday session in Batangas amid Taal unrest Alert Level 4 remains raised over Taal Volcano after it spewed ash and steam on January 12. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that despite numerous contacts with foreign officials in recent months, there's no sign Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is willing to hold free elections. "There have been lots of conversations with Nicolas Maduro over these past months. There's been no demonstration that he is prepared to permit free and open presidential elections," Pompeo said in Costa Rica, the second stop of a tour of Latin America and the Caribbean. An aide said Pompeo was referring to talks held with Norway, and not the United States. Pompeo had been asked about Maduro's interview with the Washington Post last weekend in which he said he was open to holding direct talks with Washington. "We've seen no evidence that Maduro is remotely interested in having free and fair elections. He knows that he would lose," Pompeo said. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions against the socialist regime, blocking 15 aircraft used by state oil company PdVSA. "Several PdVSA aircraft have been used to transport senior members of the former Maduro regime," it said, adding that the planes would seized as "blocked property" if they entered the US. Maduro told the Post in the interview published Sunday that direct talks would create "a new type of relationship" between the foes. "If there's respect between governments, no matter how big the United States is, and if there's a dialogue, an exchange of truthful information, then be sure we can create a new type of relationship," Maduro said. The socialist leader said he was ready to hold talks with the US to negotiate an end to sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump intended to throttle the South American country's oil industry and force Maduro from power. Maduro indicated that, if Trump were to lift sanctions, US oil companies could benefit immensely from Venezuela's oil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ousted Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan (pictured) has filed a discrimination complaint, alleging that she was removed after complaining about sexual harassment and pay disparities and for calling out conflicts of interest in the nomination process The ousted Grammys CEO has fired back at the Recording Academy and filed a discrimination complaint, alleging that she was deliberately removed after complaining about sexual harassment and pay disparities, and for calling out conflicts of interest in the nomination process for music's most prestigious awards. Lawyers for Deborah Dugan, who was placed on administrative leave last week after six months in the job, filed the complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just five days before the Grammy Awards. Th Grammys first ever female boss alleged she was sexually harassed by the academy's general counsel, Joel Katz, who denied her account late on Tuesday. Dugan detailed the harassment and other issues in an email to an academy human resources executive on December 22, according to the complaint, in which she accused the Academy of being a 'boy's club'. The complaint also stated that Dugan was paid less than former academy CEO Neil Portnow, who left the post last year, and that she was also subject to retaliation for refusing to hire Portnow as a consultant for nearly half his former salary. Portnow had been criticized for saying women need to 'step up' when asked backstage at the 2018 show why only two female acts won awards during the live telecast. Portnow called his comments a 'poor choice of words' and later said he chose not to seek an extension on his contract. A filing with the Internal Revenue Service shows that Portnow was paid $1.74 million in 2016. Dugan said she was pressured to hire him as a consultant for $750,000 annually. Dugan's Grammys compensation was not revealed in Tuesday's filing. She earned nearly $537,000 in 2016 in her previous job as CEO of Bono's (RED) charity organization. Dugan detailed the harassment and other issues in an email to an academy human resources executive on December 22, according to the complaint Last week, the academy said Dugan was put on leave following an allegation of misconduct by a senior leader at the organization. On Tuesday, the academy said the issue was a complaint by a female employee that Dugan had been 'abusive' and created a 'toxic and intolerable' work environment. Dugan's attorneys called that accusation false, saying there was no mistreatment and identifying the employee as the executive assistant she inherited from Portnow. In her December 22 email, Dugan called the academy 'a boys' club.' In her December 22 email, Dugan called the academy 'a boys' club' While trying to resolve a lawsuit against the academy, Dugan said one of the claimants characterized the organization's leadership as 'a boys' club' that 'put their financial interest above the mission.' 'At the time, I didn't want to believe it,' said Dugan. 'But now after 5 months of being exposed to the behavior and circumstances outlined here, I have come to suspect she is right.' The academy said in a statement that it 'immediately launched independent investigations to review both Ms. Dugan's potential misconduct and her subsequent allegations. Both of these investigations remain ongoing.' Dugan, according to the statement, was placed on administrative leave after offering to step down and demanding $22 million from the Academy, which is a not-for-profit organization. 'Our loyalty will always be to the 21,000 members of the Recording Academy. We regret that music's biggest night is being stolen from them by Ms. Dugan's actions, and we are working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.' An email from Katz said the attorney was out sick. Katz's firm said it had not yet seen the complaint and could not comment on its allegations. In the complaint, Dugan alleged that in May 2019, when she had accepted the CEO position but had not begun her work, she had dinner with Katz, the academy's general counsel, alone at his request in Laguna Niguel, California, on the eve of a meeting of the academy board. There, Katz acted 'extremely inappropriately,' according to the complaint, calling Dugan 'baby' and making 'an obvious and unwelcome attempt to "woo" Ms. Dugan into a romantic relationship.' Th Grammys first ever female boss alleged she was sexually harassed by the academy's general counsel, Joel Katz (pictured) Dugan, the complaint said, made it clear she wasn't interested and was in a relationship, but he still attempted to kiss her at the end of the night. She 'quickly turned away, repulsed.' Katz continued the harassment in subsequent interactions, the complaint alleged. Katz 'categorically and emphatically denies her version of that evening,' his attorney, Howard Weitzman, said in a statement. The statement said the dinner occurred two and a half months before Dugan started as CEO. 'Mr. Katz believed they had a productive and professional meeting in a restaurant where a number of members of the board of trustees of the academy, and others, were dining,' Weitzman's statement read. Dugan also contends Katz and his firm were paid inappropriately by the academy, and that his role representing both the academy and artists who are up for Grammys was a conflict of interest. Dugan, according to the statement, was placed on administrative leave after offering to step down and demanding $22 million from the Academy, which is a not-for-profit organization Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan and Chair of the Board of Trustees Harvey Mason Jr are pictured at the 62nd Grammy Awards Nominations last year in New York. Dugan was placed on administrative earlier this month, just six months after getting the job Katz's firm said the harassment allegations against the attorney were not known until Tuesday, but that the firm would cooperate with all investigations into the matter. Tuesday's academy statement alleged Dugan raised her concerns only after being accused of misconduct. Dugan's attorneys denied that, saying in a statement that she had spoken on those issues throughout her tenure. The complaint was also critical of the Grammys voting process, specifically its use of nomination committees to select the final list of nominees, which can range from five to eight depending on the category. The complaint was also critical of the Grammys voting process, specifically its use of nomination committees to select the final list of nominees 'Rather than promoting a transparent nomination process, the Board has decided to shroud the process in secrecy and ultimately controls, in large part, who is nominated for Grammy Awards,' the complaint read. For the top four awards, committees select the final nominees from the top 20 contenders, based off ballots from its voting members. But the complaint said the committee members sometimes include artists who did not make it in the top 20 because of their personal or business relationships with those artists. 'This year, 30 artists that were not selected by the membership were added to the possible nomination list,' the complaint read. The complaint also claimed that one of the song-of-the-year nominees - who placed 18th in the top 20 - sat on the committee deciding the song-of-the-year nominees and is represented by a member of the academy board. A Spring woman with an extensive rap sheet was charged with murder after allegedly running over her partner in crime during a daring high-stakes police chase Tuesday morning through north Houston. Diawannah Corteasher Thomas, 54, was also charged with aggravated assault of a police officer and misdemeanor DWI, charges that are keeping her in jail in lieu of a $150,000 total bond amount. Thomas was behind the wheel of a U-Haul truck spotted by and off-duty Houston police officer leaving Sunnys Food Mart in the 9800 block of Bauman around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday after reports of burglary at the business. Thomas and two other men suspected in the burglary were inside the U-Haul as she sped away, police said. Officers caught up with the truck and attempted to pull it over, but Thomas allegedly refused to stop. Both of her accomplices attempted to jump out of the moving truck, according to police One managed to safely jump early on in the chase along Yale Street near Parker, prosecutors said in court Tuesday. The other suspect attempted to jump out but slipped, prosecutors said. He was hanging from the passenger-side mirror when Thomas swerved, which knocked the man underneath the trucks rear tires as the pursuit ran along Main Street underneath North Loop 610. He was pronounced dead by paramedics. Thomas kept driving after running the man over, police said. She eventually stopped after striking a patrol car and being hit with spike strips nearby. Fleeing the police is such a dangerous thing, Houston Police Department Asst. Chief Larry Satterwhite said on the morning of the pursuit. This male may have been involved (in the burglary), but now weve lost him. Its a very sad thing. Thomas is facing up to life in prison on the murder and aggravated assault of a police officer charges, both first-degree felonies. Her criminal history dates back to 1989 and include felony arrests for robbery, theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, drug possession and prostitution, according to court records. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com Advertisement Snow is expected to fall in parts of Britain this weekend as a 'polar maritime' blast hits the country and brings with it near-freezing temperatures and possibly severe gale-force winds. Flurries of snow could hit in low-lying areas of north-west Scotland and Northern Ireland on Sunday, before arriving in some parts of Northern England by Monday morning. The potential snow showers will be brought on by a polar maritime air mass making its way across the Atlantic, with rain expected to fall and some parts of Scotland struggling to get above 1C during this time. An area of high pressure currently above the UK means the weather will stay cold but stable up until the weekend, but as it moves on it will be replaced by an Atlantic front that will bring with it rain showers and strong winds. The Met Office said people should stay vigilant and check for severe weather warnings, which could be issued as early as tomorrow morning. Snow is expected to fall in parts of Britain this weekend as a 'polar maritime' blast hits the country (left). Shown right is the forecast for the UK on Sunday, with rain and possible snow expected An area of high pressure currently above the UK means the weather will stay cold but stable up until the weekend, but as it moves on it will be replaced by an Atlantic front that will bring with it rain showers and strong winds Met Office forecaster Matt Box said: 'The Atlantic front will be around on Saturday but will be non-affecting. It will linger in the south east, moving slowly, and once the high pressure shifts away, that will allow it to move in. 'This cold front will bring showers through late on Saturday and into Sunday. There will be more showers in the north west and western parts of the UK, with a risk of hail and snow at low levels. 'A threat of gales, some of which will be severe in exposed areas, such as hill tops for example, will arrive later on Sunday. 'It could also be a wet and windy start to the working week on Monday, with heavy rain across western and northern parts of England in the afternoon.' The European Union will advise member states to consider banning some suppliers from parts of their 5G networks, in a policy document that may give them more scope to restrict the activities of China's Huawei Technologies Co. The proposal is part of a so-called "toolbox" of measures seen by Bloomberg, to help national governments mitigate risks arising from 5G mobile technology. The recommendations will help coordinate the policies of member states to reduce the likelihood of espionage and sabotage. While the measures don't explicitly mention China, they will help EU governments decide whether to limit the access of Huawei and other Chinese vendors to 5G as phone companies accelerate investment in the technology. Member states will act following risk assessments that take into account criteria outlined in a previous report, such as the "democratic checks and balances" in the home country of the supplier, according to the proposals. The document is due to be unveiled by senior EU officials next Wednesday. The proposals also include bolstering the role of national authorities, audits of telecom operators and measures to ensure diversity of suppliers for any single telecommunications company. 5G promises to fix data bottlenecks in busy areas and open up more sophisticated mobile applications such as augmented reality gaming and mapping. The technology will also be used to connect factories, transportation systems and critical infrastructure. U.S. officials have long urged European governments to exclude Huawei from their networks, arguing it threatens their national security. Huawei and Chinese officials have repeatedly denied the company poses a spying risk. Despite the U.S. lobbying, the long-anticipated document won't point to a blanket European ban of Chinese companies from lucrative 5G contracts. The proposals do, however, include stricter screening of foreign direct investment in the area of 5G, to avert takeovers of companies deemed critical for network security. The document also proposes anti-dumping duties and other penalties for companies benefiting from state subsidies, in what could pave the way for import levies on Chinese equipment. The European Commission's own powers are limited as decisions to ban companies for national security reasons rest strictly with member states. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The wording of the toolbox and the political agreement leave room for countries to interpret the guidelines as they wish. Telecom companies in various European countries have already struck deals with Huawei on 5G. Still, the attempt at a coordinated approach among EU members may avoid potential U.S. or Chinese retaliation against a single European country. Many governments are wary of angering Beijing, a significant trading partner. China's ambassador to Germany, Wu Ken, warned last month that a Huawei ban would result in consequences, and cited German auto sales in China. The U.S. is an important security ally that has said repeatedly it may reassess intelligence sharing with countries that use Huawei in their 5G networks. British Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan has said the U.K. plans to keep Huawei out of critical national infrastructure. A final decision is expected later this month. TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Responding to the CBCs release of new Ontario hospital overcrowding data that shows the majority of the provinces hospitals have been operating at gravely unsafe levels of overcrowding for more than a month out of the most recent six months measured, the Ontario Health Coalition reported that the data should spark outrage. One-third of Ontarios hospitals hit levels of overcrowding that are higher than those deemed a humanitarian crisis by the Red Cross in the U.K. The numbers are unparalleled in any jurisdiction we have seen in the developed world, says the Coalition, which has organized mass protests over the last year of thousands of patients, front-line hospital nurses, professionals, support workers, doctors and advocates, calling for a stop to the cuts and restoration of services. The Coalition released its pre-budget report this week. The report adds to the CBC data by using national health care database figures to calculate Ontarios ranking compared with other provinces and international jurisdiction in terms of hospital funding and hospital capacity. The data is available here: https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/ontario-pre-budget-hearing-2020/ The Coalition expressed anger that the provincial government and hospital leadership continue to use the same rhetoric to cover for cuts that hospital-cutting governments have used for the last 25 years. Coalition spokesperson Natalie Mehra said that too little is being done address the suffering of patients who cannot access care. This situation is a result of provincial government choices that have made cornerstone to health restructuring the most radical hospital downsizing policy of any jurisdiction in Canada or among our peer nations. The Ford government and hospital leaders continue to make false claims that even more patients can be offloaded from hospitals to other (cheaper) levels of care. This is unconscionable given the suffering we are already seeing and given the data that irrefutably shows that Ontarios hospitals are being run at levels of overcrowding that are dangerous and inhumane, said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Far from ending hallway medicine the Ford government has adopted the same tired excuses and rhetoric to cover for cuts and downsizing as the previous government while the situation has measurably worsened. This is not a partisan issue. It is unsound public policy that has created a crisis in patient care that must be addressed urgently by reopening closed beds and wards, reopening Operating Rooms that are closed because there is not enough funding for them, and restore funding to improve care. In its pre-budget data run released this week the Coalition found that: Ontario hospitals have 14,320 fewer hospital beds staffed and in operation compared to the average of other provinces in Canada. (Aggregate per person beds.) Our province has the fewest hospital beds left per person of anywhere in the country. Yet there are closed wards and even entire floors in hospitals across the province due to funding constraints and bed cuts are continuing even today. Ontario has fallen in rankings compared to all OECD countries in the number of hospital beds staffed and in operation per capita. Ontario ranks third last and the only countries with fewer beds are Chile and Mexico. Ontario has the least nursing care per patient of any province. Ontario funds it hospitals at the lowest rate of any province, which has led to the most radical hospital downsizing in Canada. Ontario funds all of health care at the second lowest rate of any province. Ontarios wait list for long-term care beds has climbed to more than 36,200 over the last year. The Fiscal Accountability Office of Ontario released a report in October projecting that once the 15,000 long-term care beds that the Ford government promised to build in 5-years are complete, the long-term care wait list will have increased to 37,000 due to the increase in the elderly population needing care. Note: not even the first 100 of those promised beds are built yet. The Coalition warns that privatization is not a solution. Private residential care is beyond the means of even higher income Ontarians and many private residential care facilities are entirely unregulated with dubious safety and user charges that are both exorbitant and violate the Canada Health Act. Private home care is also extremely expensive. Private hospitals and clinics charge user fees that range from two to five times the cost of OHIP-covered services, according to two major surveys of private clinicss pricing done by the Ontario Health Coalition. Privatization would yield a whole new array of suffering and user fees, undermine regulatory regimes that protect patients from harm, draw public funds away from care to profit-taking and increase costs. The Coalition notes that the evidence demonstrates the need to restore public hospital funding to the average of the rest of Canada and to rebuild capacity, including reopening acute and complex continuing care hospital beds, reopening Operating Rooms as soon as possible and developing a real evidence-based capacity plan to meet population need for hospital care. For more information: Salah Shadir, Administration and Operations Manager (416) 441-2502 (office), (647) 648-5706 (cell); Natalie Mehra, executive director (416) 230-6402 (cell). A first-of-its-kind clinical trial involving more than 600 children in Kenya and Tanzania, in which community members were trained to deliver mental health treatment, showed improvement in participants' trauma-related symptoms up to a year after receiving therapy, new research shows. Led by the University of Washington and Duke University, researchers trained laypeople as counselors to deliver treatment in both urban and rural communities in Kenya and Tanzania, and evaluated the progress of children and their guardians through sessions of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. The study will be published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry. An estimated 140 million children around the world have experienced the death of a parent, which can result in grief, depression, anxiety and other physical and mental health conditions. In low and middle-income countries, many of those children end up living with relatives or other caregivers where mental health services are typically unavailable. "Very few people with mental health needs receive treatment in most places in the world, including many communities in the U.S.," said lead author Shannon Dorsey, a UW professor of psychology. "Training community members, or 'lay counselors' to deliver treatment helps increase the availability of services." Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy, generally involves focusing on thoughts and behavior, and how changing either or both can lead to feeling better. When CBT is used for traumatic events, it involves talking about the events and related difficult situations instead of trying to avoid thinking about or remembering them. The approach has been tested before among children, and in areas with little access to mental health services, Dorsey said, but this study is the first clinical trial outside high-income countries to examine sustained improvement in post-traumatic stress symptoms in children over time. This research built off the work of study co-author Kathryn Whetten, a professor of public policy and global health at Duke. Whetten has been conducting longitudinal research in Tanzania and four other countries on the health outcomes of some 3,000 children who have lost one or both parents. While concerned with the material needs of the household, caregivers of the children repeatedly asked the study team to find ways to help with the childrens behavioral and emotional problems that made it so that that the children did not do well in school, at home or with other children. We knew these behaviors were expressions of anxiety that likely stemmed from their experiences of trauma, Whetten said. We therefore sought to adapt and test an intervention that could help these children succeed. Africa is home to about 50 million children who have been orphaned, most due to HIV/AIDS and other health conditions. For the Kenya-Tanzania study, two local nongovernmental organizations, Ace Africa and Tanzania Women Research Foundation, recruited counselors and trained them in CBT methods. Based on researchers' prior experience in Africa, the team adapted the CBT model and terminology, structuring it in groups of children in addition to one-on-one sessions, and referring to the sessions as a "class" offered in a familiar building such as a school, rather than as "therapy" in a clinic. The changes were aimed at reducing stigma and boosting participation in and comfort with the program, Dorsey said. "Having children meet in groups naturally normalized their experiences. They could see, as one child said, 'I'm not the only one who worries about who will love me now that my mama is gone.' They also got to support each other in practicing different skills to cope with feelings and in thinking in different ways to feel better," she said. Counselors provided 12 group sessions over 12 weeks, along with three to four individual sessions per child. Caregivers participated in their own group sessions, a few individual sessions, and group activities with the children. Activities and discussions were centered on helping participants process the death of a loved one: being able to think back on and talk about the circumstances surrounding the parent's death, for example, and learning how to rely on memories as a source of comfort. In one activity, children drew a picture of something their parent did with them, such as cooking a favorite meal or walking them to school. Even though children could no longer interact with the parent, the counselors explained that children could hold onto these memories and what they learned from their parents, like how to cook the meal their mother made, or the songs their father taught them. "The children learned that you don't lose the relationship," Dorsey said. "You have to convert that relationship to one of memory, but it is still a relationship that can bring comfort." The guardians learned similar coping skills, she said. Children who have experienced parental death are usually cared for by a relative, so caregivers, be they the other parent, a grandparent or an aunt or uncle, were also grieving the loss of a family member while taking on the challenge of an additional child in the home. Participants were interviewed at the conclusion of the 12-week program, and again six and 12 months later. A control group of children, who received typical community services offered to children who are orphaned, such as free uniforms and other, mostly school fee-related help, was evaluated concurrently. Improvement in children's post-traumatic stress symptoms and grief was most pronounced in both urban and rural Kenya. Researchers attribute the success there partly to the greater adversity children faced, such as higher food scarcity and poorer child and caregiver health, and thus the noticeable gains that providing services could yield. In contrast, in rural Tanzania, children in both the counseling and control groups showed similar levels of improvement, which researchers are now trying to understand. One possible explanation with some support from an ongoing qualitative analysis, Dorsey said, is that children and caregivers in Tanzania, and particularly in rural areas, may have been more likely to share with others in their village what they learned from therapy. Even with the different outcomes in the two countries, the intervention by lay counselors who were trained by experienced lay counselors shows the effectiveness and scalability of fostering a local solution, Dorsey said. Members of the research team already have been working in other countries in Africa and Asia to help lay counselors train others in their communities to work with children and adults. "If we grow the potential for lay counselors to train and supervise new counselors and provide implementation support to systems and organizations in which these counselors are embedded, communities can have their own mental health expertise," Dorsey said. "That would have many benefits, from lowering cost to improving the cultural and contextual fit of treatments." ### The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health. Additional co-authors were Leah Lucid, Prerna Martin and Kevin King of the UW Department of Psychology; Karen O'Donnell of Duke; Laura Murray of Johns Hopkins University; Augustine Wasonga of Ace Africa; Dafrosa Itemba of the Tanzania Women Research Foundation; Judith Cohen of Drexel University College of Medicine; and Rachel Manongi of Kilimanjaro Christian University Medical College. For more information, contact Dorsey at dorsey2@uw.edu. Grant number: R01 MH96633 Sex is totally natural, great fun and an interesting exercise as well. Having said this, it needs to be emphasized that sexual intercourse involves certain health risks because of the exchange of bodily fluids among partners. Any kind of sexual activity penile-vaginal sex, genital-oral sex or anal sex can lead to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) if those involved have multiple partners, or have unprotected sex with people who may be infected with STDs such as genital herpes, genital warts, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and many others. It also increases the risk of protracting deadly diseases such as AIDS, Hepatitis B and C. STDs Can Ruin You Forever Media reports suggest that there is gross ignorance among many young people who believe sexually transmitted diseases are easily curable. Truth is, only some STDs like Chlamydia can be cured. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can only be managed with medication and there is a serious danger that HIV will eventually lead to AIDS, the killer disease. According to a recent UNICEF survey, more than half of fresh HIV cases all over the world happen to be that of young people aged 15-25 yearswhich simply means, young and sexually active people are currently at a higher risk of becoming HIV positive. Likewise, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes genital warts and can lead to the fatal cervical cancer in women. British model and Reality TV star Jade Goodys swan song as she died a painful death from cervical cancer is a sad reminder that the clock cannot be set back once the damage is done. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) causing Genital Herpes can be managed but cannot be cured. Though HSV 2 is generally associated with Genital Herpes, HSV1 known to cause cold sores is also known to cause genital herpes. Since there is no known cure for genital herpes, the infected person has to suffer painful lesions in and around the genital area during each outbreak and also the possible transmission of the herpes virus to a partner for the rest of their life. Moreover Herpes infection outbreak makes a person more vulnerable to HIV infection because the virus can easily enter the body through the herpes lesions. Those who have multiple sex partners and who indulge in unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex can contract and transmit Hepatitis B and C, which are deadly viral diseases that cause hepatitis. Chronic infections can lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer, which has a poor outcome. More recently it has been discovered that hepatitis C virus has serious implications on the lung too. Condoms are not known to prevent Hepatitis viral infection, but their proper use can minimize infection. Keep Condoms Handy A condom prevents the intermingling of body fluids (saliva, blood, semen or vaginal fluids) from one person to another during sexual intercourse. These body fluids can contain disease-causing germs that can cause syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis, genital herpes, genital warts and even AIDS. If a condom is not used, an infected partner can pass on the disease to an unsuspecting, uninfected partner. Though condoms are not entirely dependable in their protection against all STDs, they still offer the best protection against most sexually transmitted diseases. Safe Sex and Women STDs can be dangerous for anyone, but women are known to suffer the consequences more than men. For instance, many STDs can seriously damage a womans reproductive organs rendering her infertile. Women are prone to cervical cancer caused by HPV. Worldwide statistics prove that women belong to the vulnerable group that is getting increasingly infected with HIV. Additionally, if a woman has an STD while she is pregnant, she can pass on the infection to her baby. Women who have an outbreak of herpes virus while they are pregnant, risk entering premature labor and passing on the virus to the infant that can in turn lead to the babys nerve damage and death. So it is with AIDS, Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases. Women who engage in prostitution are generally open to risks of sexually transmitted diseases. Though they are aware that condoms can prevent STDs to some extent, they are rarely in a position to dictate terms to a customer. Female condoms are expensive and often not user-friendly. Surveys done among sex workers, especially in under developed and developing countries, suggest that female sex workers would say No to condoms and Yes to customers, rather than insist on using condoms and risk losing customers who demand the natural feel. Safe Sex Today is Abstinence "There is no such thing as safe sex for someone contemplating sex with an HIV-positive person." Dr. Michael Gottlieb (his was the first original report to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on gay-related immune deficiency (GRID). It was later renamed AIDS.) With increasing health risks in sex, many people agree that abstaining from sexespecially of the casual, sexual play is the only sure way that can guarantee freedom from unwanted pregnancy and sexual disease infections. Sexual abstinence is practiced by many people all over the world who wait until marriage or until they have established a permanent relationship with another and then get sexually intimate with the partner. Abstinence can fail on two counts. For many, sex is an uncontrollable basic instinct and when caught in a passionate moment, all vows of abstinence are forgotten. Secondly, abstaining from sex is not often a choice for women and girls in underdeveloped countries reeling under male domination. The ABC Approach The three key behaviors that can control sexually transmitted diseases summed up as the ABC approach are: Abstinence or delaying sexual initiation among youth, Being faithful to a single sexual partner (avoiding multiple partners) and correct and consistent use of condoms especially in high-risk groups. The USAID reports a remarkable decline in HIV in countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Thailand, Cambodia, India, by implementing the ABC approach and other preventive behaviors. Safe Sex Tips Postpone your sexual experimentation or sexual initiation till you are out of your teens or really mature enough to have safe sex or sexual initiation till you are out of your teens or really mature enough to have safe sex Avoid reckless sexuality and take precautions before you become sexually intimate with a person Refrain from wild partying that involves alcohol, drugs and risky sexual behavior Beware of irresponsible partners who can lace your drink with ketamine drug and exploit you sexually when you are senseless drug and exploit you sexually when you are senseless Talk with your partner about his/her sexual history and it is safer for both of you to get tested for STDs if you are frequently changing partners and it is safer for both of you to get tested for STDs if you are frequently changing partners Never have any type of sexual intercourse without condoms If using sex toys make sure you clean them always with disinfectant before and after use each time Avoid anal sex because it involves a greater amount of friction and other stress that can induce the condom to tear. Even otherwise, anal intercourse is too risky because rectal tissues can tear and bleed and disease germs can be easily transmitted from one person to another through the wounds. The only safe sex that is truly safe is lovemaking in a mutually faithful relationship where both partners are HIV negative and free from sexually transmitted diseases. Sex is a great stress buster and a powerful expression of love. It is important that a man and a woman stay faithful to each other for life in a sexual relationship in order to ensure that the wonderful fun doesnt become the worst nightmare. It's 2020 and ISRO is inching closer to the Gaganyaan mission. Weve already had some information of Indias first manned space mission, however today, ISRO Chief K Sivan shed light on some more information on the mission at an event in Bengaluru. Reuters Previous reports had revealed that it has planned two unmanned missions scheduled for this year with the GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) that will board a human-like robot to understand the kind of stress humans will experience on the spacecraft and make changes accordingly. And today, ISRO has unveiled the humanoid robot that will embark on these missions -- meet Vyomitra. Meet ISROs Vyomitra Vyomitra is a spacefaring humanoid robot that looks and talks like a human, while also conducting experiments aboard the rocket. Vyomitra is a half-humanoid robot as the robot only has the top half of the body, without any legs. K Sivan stated, We are on schedule and we are going to do a lot of demonstration tests this year. After the demonstration test, we will conduct our first unmanned mission by this year-end. The half humanoid that you saw today is going to simulate the human systems to that understand how the human system will behave, how the life support system will behave. So that way the mission is on schedule. K Sivan: Indian Astronauts Will Fly In an Indian Module ISRO Chief K Sivan also shed light on some more key features on the advancement of Gaganyaan mission that is scheduled for sometime in 2022. He revealed that four Indian Air Force pilots have been shortlisted for the mission and will commence their training in Russia by the end of January. ISRO/ AFP He further stated, In 1984, Rakesh Sharma flew in a Russian module, but this time the Indian astronauts will fly in an Indian module from India. Work On Chandrayaan 3 has started The space agency will conduct six microgravity experiments in the crew capsule during the two unmanned missions. K Sivan also spoke about the next Chandrayaan mission -- Chandrayaan 3 that is also on schedule stating, "The work on Chandrayaan-3 has started and it is going at full speed." Chandrayaan 3 will be having a lander and rover with propulsion module for a better landing on the Lunar surface. ISRO The total budget of Chandrayaan-3 is also expected to be lesser than Chandrayaan-2, according to the government, even as a recent TOI report revealed that ISRO had asked for 75 crores more than the previously assigned budget for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. China says the death toll from a new respiratory virus has risen from six to nine and the number of cases has reached 440 across 13 provinces. Deputy Director of the National Health Commission, Li Bin, told reporters on Wednesday that the figures were current as of midnight on Tuesday and all the deaths had been in Hubei province. A Chinese man wears a protective mask as he arrives to board a train at Beijing railway station ahead of the Lunar New Year. Credit:Getty Images The coronavirus 2019-nCoV was first detected in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, last month but cases have since been diagnosed in Beijing, Shanghai and other provinces. China will start nationwide screening to tackle the growing outbreak of the virus, with hundreds of millions set to travel during the looming Lunar New Year holiday. Proper structures must be instituted to ... New Delhi: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address public rallies and meetings across the country to highlight the countrys economic problems, unemployment and farm distress. He will start his rally with Jaipur on January 28. Party leaders in Rajasthan are busy preparing for the rally. Gandhi would also address anti-CAA rally, said AICC General Secretary and state in-charge Avinash Pandey. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot along with Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and other party leaders reviewed arrangements at the Vidhyadhar Stadium, the venue of Gandhi's rally. Rahul Gandhis rally comes ahead of the Union Budget scheduled to be presented on February 1. Apart from Rajasthan, Gandhi will also address a rally in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and other states. He is expected to highlight issues related to tribals, farmers, and rural workers. He is likely to raise issues of small and medium industrialists, traders and professionals, the party leaders said. They said the schedule of these and other rallies are being worked out. On January 28, Congress leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi will be on a visit to Jaipur to address a rally. This rally will give a message in the country. The rally will attract the attention of the Centre on the burning issues of the country, Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot told reporters in Jaipur. Sachin Pilot becomes longest-serving Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee Pilot, who became the longest-serving Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president on Tuesday after completing six years on the post, alleged the Modi government was not taking any concrete step on the issues of public interest and the economy, but was busy diverting public attention by bringing laws which are unnecessary. For the first time, protests are happening in different parts of the country against a law passed by the Parliament. State assemblies are passing the resolution. And the young people, in particular, are hurt, suffering, frustrated, he said without mentioning the amended citizenship law. Pilot said that many state governments have gone to the Supreme Court and any legislative assembly is free to pass a resolution and to vote on it as law can be amended or reconsidered. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A fact-finding team comprising students from several prominent universities such as JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia and Banaras Hindu University on Wednesday accused the Uttar Pradesh police of "brutality" in dealing with anti-CAA protests and targeting Muslims. The fact-finding team travelled to all 15 violence-affected cities in Uttar Pradesh from Meerut to Bijnor to Firozabad from January 14-19. "Police exclusively targeted Muslim ghettos and economically marginalised people who worked as ragpickers, daily wage labourer, at small dhabas, etc," the report released to the media by the group of students at a press conference here alleged. It claimed that the police, instead of curbing the protest and dispersing people, open fired on the people killing mostly youngsters especially minors. The UP government and police has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and asserted that security personnel deployed to maintain law and order were attacked. Violence during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests claimed lives in districts such as Bijnor, Sambhal, Firozabad, Kanpur, Varanasi and Meerut in the state. "Police did not conform to the basic principles of the use of fire arms and fired above the waist. UP police have been arresting people across the state without evidence and especially at night," the report titled 'Lawless Uttar Pradesh -- Students report on Police brutality' alleged. A student, who was part of the fact-finding team, said families of the deceased were not allowed to take dead bodies back to their homes and were forced to bury them within an hour or so under heavy police deployment. The police entered through roofs and broke down doors and due to this many families have temporarily fled and, in many cases, male members of the family have not been returning home and have been staying somewhere else after work, the report claimed. "This violence could be seen as the culmination of communal polarisation spread by government and media over the past few years affecting the administration and common people's psyche and generating a sense of hatred towards a particular community," the report said. Besides JNU, Jamia and BHU, students from universities and educational institutions such as the Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University, IIT Indore and IIMC Delhi were part of the fact-finding committee. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trump today claimed the EU makes it 'impossible' to trade as he praised Boris Johnson and said the UK is in a 'good position' to get a strong post-Brexit deal from the bloc. The US President delivered a savage attack on Brussels as he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this afternoon. He said the EU was 'more difficult to do business with than China' but predicted the bloc would agree to better trade terms with the US because 'they have no choice' as he threatened to impose punishing tariffs on European goods. Despite his criticism of the EU, Mr Trump said he believed Mr Johnson was well placed to strike a beneficial future partnership agreement with Brussels. He said Mr Johnson had 'a lot of guts' and was doing a 'terrific job' as he insisted doing a quick UK/US trade deal was 'okay with me'. Donald Trump, pictured in Davos today, said it is 'impossible' to do business with the EU as he praised the 'terrific job' done by Boris Johnson Mr Trump said: 'The United States has been losing $150 billion and more for many years. 150 billion more. I mean really more than that with the European Union. 'They have trade barriers where you can't trade. They have tariffs all over the place. They make it impossible. They are frankly more difficult to do business with than China. 'We have a great relationship with China now. We had some testy moments. Very testy. Beyond testy. Worse than a lot of people would understand. 'But we got it done and I think phase two will go nicely also. But with the European Union, and frankly I will be honest I wanted to wait until I finished China before I went to work on, respectfully, Europe. 'But Europe, you know it is so beautiful, I guess a lot of us come indirectly from Europe, isn't that nice. 'But they are actually more difficult to do business with than China. All you have to do is ask Boris. But I think Boris is going to be okay too. 'I think he is going to come out great. I think he has a lot of guts. He has done a terrific job. 'I think he is in a good position which they would have never been able to do before Boris.' Mr Trump told broadcaster CNBC in an interview that trade talks with the UK were already starting. Mr Trump said Mr Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today, has 'a lot of guts' and had put the UK in a 'good position' He said: 'He [Mr Johnson] wants to make a deal and that is okay with me. They want it. They need it. We are starting. We have already started negotiating.' He then warned the EU that if it did not agree to more favourable trading terms for the US then he would impose 'very high tariffs' on European imports, specifically mentioning cars. He said: 'They are going to make a deal because they have to. They have to. They have no choice.' Mr Trump also said that while he considered the old president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker a friend, he was 'impossible to deal with'. Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, as his impeachment trial gets underway in the US Senate: AP The Trump administration has released a stash of heavily redacted documents about the withholding of military aid to Ukraine just two minutes before the deadline. As the Senate continued to block attempts to subpoena official records for Donald Trumps impeachment trial, 192 pages of emails were disclosed under a Freedom of Information request. They include communications between budget officials on the day of the presidents phone call to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksy to press for an investigation into his Democrat rival Joe Biden. American Oversight, the non-profit organisation that requested the documents, said that some of the records have not been given to the US Congress for its impeachment investigation. President Trumps lawyers stood in the Senate on Tuesday arguing that documents are totally unnecessary for the impeachment trial, but these documents give lie to that entire position, said executive director Austin Evers. Despite the Trump Administrations obstruction and the rhetoric at the trial, the public can now see even more evidence of the presidents corrupt scheme as it unfolded in real time. The volume of material released, and the volume of material still secreted away, only highlights how much the administration has withheld from the House, the Senate, and the American public. The documents were released in response to a request to the White Houses Office of Management and Budget for directives and communications that may relate to any effort to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate one of President Trumps political opponents as part of an effort to give the president an electoral advantage. They begin with an email drawing attention to a news story about the Pentagons plans to send $250m in military aid to Ukraine on 19 June 2019. Further documents reveal a series of communications involving OMB officials, including acting director Russell Voight and associate director Michael Duffey, as well as deputy under secretary of defence Elaine McCusker, who raised questions about the freeze of funding. Story continues However the details of what was being discussed are almost entirely blacked out on the grounds that disclosing them would inhibit the frank and candid exchange of views that is necessary for effective government decision making. The emails continue through July when the funds were withheld, according to evidence heard during the House impeachment inquiry, and the filing of the whistleblowers complaint on 12 August about the Trump-Ukraine phone call three weeks earlier. One of the few emails to survive redaction reveals Mr Duffey telling Ms McCusker: We have no interest in delaying any action up until just before the obligation event occurs and want those processes to proceed. Later emails show a series of enquiries by members of congress and the media about the alleged withholding of military aid in the two weeks before the House launched its investigation on 9 September. Last month internal emails revealed that the Trump administration ordered the Pentagon to freeze $391m (300m) of military aid to Ukraine just 91 minutes after the 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president. Mr Trump, who has refused to cooperate with the impeachment hearings, has repeatedly denied that there was a quid pro quo the allegation he withheld the military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Mr Biden. Read more False claims from the start by Trump's impeachment team SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MC Companies San Antonio has won the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's 'Rookie Fundraiser Team of the Year' award for their presence as a national sponsor and powerful impact at San Antonio Great Strides. Through combined efforts of their employees at The Place at Castle Hills and The Place at Oak Hills, both located in the Castle Hills neighborhood, and the MC Companies Sharing the Good Life Foundation, MC was able to build a team of 22 Great Strides Walkers and donate a total of $4,478 to the San Antonio Great Strides Walk. MC is extremely honored by this award, but even more so by the impact they were able to make on the national stage. In 2019 MC had Great Strides walk teams in five cities, officially designating them as a National Sponsor. Throughout the course of 2019, MC Companies participated in 7 different Cystic Fibrosis walks across three states with 118 walkers, and raised an impressive $39,000. Combined with MC Companies' employee driven Sharing the Good Life Foundation donation of $63,000, MC Companies was able to donate a grand total of $100,000 the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 2019. MC Companies is no stranger to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a long-time supporter of the Great Strides Walk. However, their philanthropic ambitions do not end with CF. Giving back it as the core of MC, which is why they created their employee driven Sharing the Good Life Foundation which encourages and gives employees countless opportunities to volunteer, get involved, and give back to our local communities. 2019 was an incredible year for MC's contributions to the CF community, and they have no intention of slowing down. A new year marks a new opportunity to give back and better our communities. MC is invigorated by the challenge to surpass their 2019 goals and make 2020 another landmark year in their support for the CF community. You can donate to our 2020 walk teams and learn more about MC's efforts by visiting the MC Companies Great Strides National Team Page. Find MC at these 2020 Great Strides walks. Phoenix, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Scottsdale, Arizona Tulsa, Oklahoma San Antonio, Texas Dallas, Texas Houston, Texas Corpus Christi, Texas Build your walk team, find and join other walk teams, and learn how you can get involved at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides website. About MC Companies: MC Companies http://www.mccompanies.com is a real estate investment, development, construction, and management company specializing in the multifamily properties and commercial markets. MC Companies has completed over $750 million in multi-family and commercial value-added transactions since 1985. Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12806931 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE MC Companies Related Links https://mccompanies.com Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified in Antrim, Charlevoix counties The omicron variant of COVID-19 has been identified in one Antrim County resident and one Charlevoix County resident. - Jared Otieno first came to the limelight after spending over KSh 15 million for his wedding that had choppers and high-end cars - In 2019, he was among prominent Kenyans who were accused of defrauding Saudi Arabian royals over KSh 250 million in fake gold deal - Otieno drives Porsche Panamera GTS and a Bentley Continental GT which together cost over KSh 120 million - Since 2014, the gold scammer has been filing nil returns with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) The Asset Recovery Agency (ASA) has moved in on city millionaire Jared Otieno who is well known for living large and driving luxury vehicles but with no clear source of income. According to investigators, Otieno has a fleet of high-end cars that were bought through his companies whose business are not known and he has been filing nil returns with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) since 2014. READ ALSO: God is good: Radio host Anthony Ndiema discloses son spoke for the first time after 4 years Controversial millionaire Jared Otieno when he appaered in court in May 2019. Photo: Citizen TV Source: UGC READ ALSO: Jaji Mumbi Ngugi ajiondoa kwenye kesi ya Gavana Sonko According to a report by The Standard, Otieno is suspected to be part of an international syndicate that has been in existence since 2012 obtaining money fraudulently from investors with false promises that they have precious metals, including gold to supply them. The respondent has no source of legitimate income and has been filing nil returns with the Kenya Revenue Authority since 2014 to date, which is the period the said motor vehicles were acquired, said ASA in document filed in court. The vehicles are a Porsche Panamera GTS and a Bentley Continental GT. Jared Otieno's Porsche Panamera GTS and a Bentley Continental GT which together cost over KSh 120 million. Photo: Lamiso Sato Emmanue Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Miguna Miguna eulogises late father-in-law in rare heartwarming letter Otieno had concealed the ownership of the Bentley by registering it under Yugni Holdings Ltd whose shareholders include Mary Anyango and John Kaisa as well as a company secretary, Wambui Nyamathew. The questionable businessman owns 50 shares while the other two shareholders own 25 shares each. Wambui has no shares. "The transactions depict a scheme of money laundering meant to conceal, hide and disguise the source and usage of funds contrary to the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, said Jeremiah Matipei, a lead investigator on the matter. Jared Otieno's KSh 100 million palatial home in Nairobi's Karen estate. Photo: Lamiso Sato Emmanuel Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Msanii Akothee aonyesha mapenzi yake ya dhati kwa Gavana Joho Court documents showed he bought the Bentley for KSh 45.3 million and paid a Bentley sales consultant, Dimitris Karakloulas, KSh9.6 million as an advance deposit and the rest of the money was paid in 14 installments over one year. The documents also show that Otieno spent KSh 30 million to buy the Porsche for a grand total of KSh 75 million. "The transactions in respect to the purchase of the motor vehicles are dubious, suspicious and constitute reasonable grounds to believe that the source of the funds used to purchase the particular motor vehicles are proceeds of crime, the court papers read. In addition, the cars which have since been impounded by the state had some additional optional features that were implemented to fit the needs of Otieno. Otieno captured public attention after conducting a KSh 15 million wedding ceremony that featured choppers and top of the range vehicles. Photo: Lamiso Sato Emmanuel Source: UGC READ ALSO: 9 best memes of musician Stivo Simple Boy cracking ribs online The Porsche has a special leather interior, adaptive seats and his name, Jared K. Otieno, in illuminated letters. He also wanted a top-end audio system for the car so he settled for a Burmester. The Bentley has front comfort seats with massage and ventilation that cost KSh 711,300. It also incorporated night vision, which cost KSh 626,000. In May 2019, Otieno was charged with obtaining KSh 300 million from Sounthorn Chanthavong, a director of Simoung Group Company, claiming that he would sell him gold. Otieno captured public attention after conducting a KSh 15 million wedding ceremony that featured choppers and top of the range vehicles. He owns a KSh 100 million palatial home in Nairobi's Karen estate. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke Bangkok, Jan 22 : India didn't have a great start at the Thailand Masters as Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma bowed out of the competition after losing their respective matches in the first round itself on Wednesday. While, Kidambi lost to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia, Verma suffered crushing defeat to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia. Kidambi, the fifth-seeded player, lost 21-12, 14-21, 11-21 to Rhustavito in 48 minutes to make his third straight first round loss of the year. With this loss, his hopes of making it to the Tokyo Olympics have been further dented. Srikanth was knocked out of the Indonesia Masters 500 tournament after suffering a first-round defeat to Rhustavito. Before that, he had also made a first-round exit from the Malaysia Masters. On the other hand, Verma was also outplayed 16-21, 15-21 by Zii Jia in just 38 minutes. Later in the day, Saina Nehwal and H.S. Prannoy will begin their campaign. While Saina will begin her campaign against Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt, Prannoy will face Malaysia's Liew Daren in the first round. Saina and Srikanth are placed at the 22nd and 23rd spots in BWF's rankings as April 26 has been set as the deadline date for Tokyo Olympics qualification. As per BWF Olympics qualification regulations, just a couple of shuttlers each from the singles category could qualify if their ranking lies within the top-16. Boeing Co (BA.N) said on Tuesday it does not expect to win approval for the return of the 737 MAX to service until mid-year due to further potential developments in the certification process and regulatory scrutiny on its flight control system, Trend reports citing Reuters. Boeing said it has informed airlines and suppliers of the new estimate, which is longer than previous forecasts and also takes into account new anticipated pilot training requirements. Reuters reported last week that regulators had been pushing back the time needed to approve the plane, which was most recently expected to happen in February or March, a year after the jetliner was grounded worldwide. Based on regulatory approval in the first quarter, the three U.S. airlines that operate the 737 MAX - American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) and Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) - were scheduling MAX flights in early June. They will now likely have to extend the timeline again. They have said it could take at least 30 days to resume flights following U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval because of the time needed to ready the planes and train pilots. The Chicago-based planemaker has been updating the 737 MAX flight control system and software to address issues believed to have played a role in two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people within five months. Boeing shares closed 3.3% lower at $313.37 after falling as much as 5.7% during the session. Returning the MAX safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen, Boeing said in a statement. We acknowledge and regret the continued difficulties that the grounding of the 737 MAX has presented to our customers, our regulators, our suppliers, and the flying public. Boeing said it will provide additional information with quarterly results next week. The FAA said in a statement on Tuesday that it is following a thorough, deliberate process to verify that all proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 MAX meet the highest certification standards. The agency is working with other safety regulators to review Boeings work and reiterated it has set no time frame for when the review will be completed. Reuters reported on Monday that Boeing is in talks with banks about borrowing $10 billion or more amid rising costs after the two crashes involving the 737 MAX. Boeing in recent days temporarily halted production of the 737 MAX in Washington state, a move it announced in December as it became clear that regulatory approval was taking longer than it had forecast. Boeing has estimated the costs of the 737 MAX grounding at more than $9 billion to date, and is expected to disclose significant additional costs during its fourth-quarter earnings release on Jan. 29. The company faces rising costs from halting production of the plane this month, compensating airlines for lost flights and assisting its supply chain. Following Boeings announcement, Canadas WestJet Airlines said it would remove the 737 MAX from its schedule through June 24. Air Canada (AC.TO) declined comment. Knock him down and Sheldon Silver has consistently gotten back up again. In the last five years, New York has seen the former Assembly Speaker convicted of corruption, spared on a technicality, and then convicted again. And on Tuesday, a federal appeals court partially overturned the second conviction. But the once-powerful former lawmaker is unlikely to avoid prison this time around. Silver, originally convicted on multiple counts of corruption in 2015, won a minor victory on Tuesday when the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned a subsequent 2018 conviction on the grounds that it didnt identify specifically enough a quid pro quo between Silver and a Columbia University cancer researcher from whom Silver was found guilty of taking bribes. Still, the three-judge panel affirmed the bulk of the conviction, likely guaranteeing that Silver will see prison time. Tuesdays ruling like the 2017 ruling in which Silvers original conviction charges were overturned reflects a narrower definition of what constitutes corruption by a public official thats been the standard since the 2016 Supreme Court ruling that overturned former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell own corruption conviction. In Silvers case, not all of the corruption charges levelled against him stood up to the new test. To make it easier to follow this winding, years-long saga, City & State has made this handy FAQ: Whats new in Tuesdays ruling? Silver was first convicted on federal corruption charges in 2015 on seven counts relating to bribery schemes with two real estate development firms and Dr. Robert Taub, a cancer researcher at Columbia University. In total, he was accused of taking almost $4 million in illegal payments from those groups, while taking official actions in office to benefit them, including arranging meetings and supporting legislation they favored. The former Assembly speaker was sentenced to 12 years in prison. But that ruling was thrown out in 2017, on the basis that the judges instructions to the jury were too broad in explaining what constitutes an official action, which, according to a 2016 Supreme Court ruling, must be a formal action, such as holding a hearing, and not just courtesies like arranging meetings. In his second trial in 2018, Silver was again convicted on all seven counts, and sentenced to seven years in prison. On Tuesday, the Second Circuit court overturned three of those counts, ruling that prosecutors hadnt identified specific or concrete enough actions that Silver took to benefit Taub in exchange for bribes. Without a requirement that an official must promise to influence a particular question or matter, the ruling read, any official who accepts a thing of value and then later acts to the benefit of the donor, in any manner, could be vulnerable to criminal prosecution. The court did acknowledge that there was evidence Silver had once arranged grants for Taub in exchange for Taub referring patients to a law firm that Silver received fees from, but that arrangement occurred before 2007, outside the statute of limitations. Since when does corruption have such a narrow definition? When Silvers original conviction was thrown out in 2017, it all stemmed from the corruption case of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. McDonnell was convicted of using his office to help someone he took more than $175,000 in gifts from, but he appealed. The case reached the Supreme Court, which, in an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, ruled in McDonnells favor, making it more difficult to prosecute public officials on corruption. If a government official receives a bribe from a constituent, for example, the quo in that quid pro quo has to be something concrete, like granting that donor a government contract. The Supreme Courts restriction of what kinds of acts can be used to convict a public official trickled down to the Silver case. And good government advocates arent happy about that new standard. New Yorkers, including the Silver jury, recognize corruption when they see it; its only the U.S. Supreme Court that is confused, Susan Lerner, executive director of the watchdog group Common Cause New York, wrote in an emailed statement. Lerner added that the Second Circuit panel had no alternative but to follow the bad precedent set by McDonnell and let Shelly Silver off the hook for one of his clearly corrupt schemes. The panel on Tuesday did, however, rule that Silvers arrangements with the two real estate development firms in which the developers directed business to a law firm that gave kickbacks to Silver constituted corruption. In those arrangements, Silver performed favors including supporting tax breaks and landlord-friendly regulations, in exchange for $800,000 in legal fees. He will be punished for at least one of his crimes that we are aware of, Lerner wrote. Whats next for Silver? With four of the seven original counts upheld, Silver is now facing resentencing by the trial judge, though its not clear how much she will adjust the seven-year sentence, if at all. Silvers lawyer, Meir Feder, declined to comment on Wednesday.In the meantime, critics have been consistent in pointing out that five years after the original conviction, Silver has yet to serve a day of prison time. Chinas National Health Commission reported Tuesday that six people have died and nearly 300 have been infected with a new coronavirus. The report came one day after the government confirmed the virus can spread from one person to another. The finding raises the possibility that the virus could spread quickly and widely. Zhong Nanshan is a respiratory expert and the head of a Chinese government team. He said two people in Guangdong province in southern China caught the virus from family members, state media reported. Some medical workers were also found to have the virus, the newspaper China Daily reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the government to take every possible step to fight the disease. The recent outbreak ofcoronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan and other places must be taken seriously, Xi said, in his first statement on the crisis. State television reported his comments. WHO committee meeting In Geneva, the World Health Organization announced it would call an Emergency Committee meeting on Wednesday to decide if the outbreak should be declared an international health crisis. Such declarations are usually made for severe diseases that threaten to cross national borders and require medical teams from different countries to work together. In recent years, international emergencies have been declared for crises such as the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Zika virus in the Americas in 2016. The spread of the coronavirus comes as China enters its busiest travel period. Millions of people will travel for the Lunar New Year holiday. The outbreak is believed to have started last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, a city in central China. Zhong said the two people in Guangdong had not been to Wuhan, but became sick after family members had returned from the city, the China Daily reported. Spreading overseas The outbreak has health officials in other countries worried as millions of Chinese travel for Lunar New Year. Officials in Thailand and in Japan have identified three cases, all the result of recent travel from China. South Korea reported its first case on Monday. A 35-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan was found to be infected with the virus on arrival at Seouls Incheon airport. She has been isolated at a hospital in Incheon City, just west of Seoul, said the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Tuesday, the United States confirmed its first case. At least three U.S. airports and six countries in Asia have started testing incoming airline passengers from central China for the virus. Videos published on social media show people in protective clothing measuring the temperatures of plane passengers arriving in Macao from Wuhan. A Macao Health Bureau official confirmed over the phone that such exams are taking place in southern China. Canadas Chief Medical officer, Theresa Tam, said signs will be placed at airports in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in the coming days. Airport officials will ask people if they have traveled to the Wuhan area and if they feel sick. The Chinese lunar year is coming so out ofprecaution thats why we are putting out additional information for travelers, Tam said. Coronaviruses cause everything from the common cold to SARS, short for severe respiratory syndrome. SARS first infected people in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than 20 other countries. The disease was blamed for nearly 800 deaths. In the early days of SARS, reports were delayed and covered up, said an editorial in one newspaper. Thatmust not happen again in China, it also said. Chinese president Xi Jinping told government agencies this week to immediately release information on the virus and deepen international cooperation. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press and the Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story respiratory adj. of or relating to breathing or the organs used in breathing outbreak n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease; the violent or sudden start of something unwelcome ongoing adj. continuing isolate v. to put or keep someone or something in a place or situation that is separate from others syndrome n. a disease or disorder that involves a number of signs or conditions epidemic - n. a large number of cases of a disease in a community at a given time editorial n. a commentary written by the leaders of a newspaper or magazine that gives an opinion on an issue Turkey says Libya's Haftar must choose political solution Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar meets Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) at the Parliament in Athens ANKARA (Reuters) - Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar must abide by calls for a political solution to the conflict in Libya and take steps to secure "calm on the ground", Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. Haftar abandoned talks for a ceasefire in Moscow last week and the blockade of Libyan oilfields by his forces overshadowed a summit in Berlin on Sunday aimed at shoring up a shaky truce. His Libyan National Army (LNA) aims to capture the capital, Tripoli, through the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russian mercenaries and African troops. Turkey supports Haftar's opponents, the Tripoli-based internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Serraj, and has dispatched military advisers and trainers to help the GNA. Cavusoglu said Haftar's refusal to sign a joint communique in Berlin had raised questions about his intent. "Does Haftar want a political or military solution? Until now, his stance has shown he wants a military one," he told Turkish broadcaster NTV at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "Haftar must immediately fall back to the political solution line and take concrete and positive steps in line with calls of the international community for calm on the ground". Libya has had no stable central authority since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by NATO-backed rebels in 2011. For more than five years, it has had two rival governments, in the east and the west, with streets controlled by armed groups. At the Berlin summit, foreign powers active in Libya committed to uphold an existing U.N. arms embargo and stop shipping weapons there, but Cavusoglu suggested that the commitment was dependent on a ceasefire holding. "There were calls for no one to send additional forces or weapons there. All participants pledged to abide by this as long as the ceasefire continues," Cavusoglu said. "Our president was clear on this... and we voiced it at the end of the summit too." (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans) Regardless of whatever your political affiliation is there's no denying that the past three years have been an emotional roller coaster fueled by all of the emotions of a reality television series. And with a former reality television star as the head of the nation, that kind of unwanted excitement is to be expected. This has prompted many politicians to throw their hats in the ring at a chance of dethroning our current leader for a better and brighter tomorrow. There truly has been no greater time in history to remain informed about the power of politics, because on the world stage our nation has become tabloid fodder and punchlines for very nasty jokes at our expense. The sad part of that last statement is that sometimes the meanest jokes come from within our own borders. And there were a few Americans who realized they couldn't sit by on the sidelines awaiting change to happen. They've chosen to be the change they wish to see. According to Ballotpedia; As of January 13, 2020, 1,027 candidates have filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for president.[1] This page lists the names of every candidate who has registered with the FEC and their party affiliation.A candidate for president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.[2] Some candidates that have already bowed out gracefully include Julian Castro, Senator Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, and now it's being reported that beloved New Jersey senator Cory Booker is also throwing in the towel. The New York Times reports. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Monday, ending a nearly yearlong quest built around a message of peace and unity that failed to resonate with voters eager for a more aggressive posture against President Trump. The departure of Mr. Booker from the crowded Democratic field, heralded at the outset as the most diverse in history, leaves just one African-American candidate, Deval Patrick, vying for the nomination in a party where black voters are an essential bloc of the Democratic base. After hearing about Booker's departure from the presidential race Senator Harris took to Twitter to thank him for his time and dedication."@CoryBookerevery moment on the campaign trail with you, my dear friend, was a joy. I'm incredibly proud of the issues you elevated and the work your team put in day in and day out to fight for justice. Were all better because you were in this race."Booker's absence from the race will definitely be felt in the coming months. But he will still be fighting social injustices as a Senator for many years. Syracuse, N.Y. -- New York is just the latest state to try to reform its bail laws so that the poor dont languish in jail while the rich go free. As reform swept the country, nearly every state has empowered judges to make an exception to bans on bail. Judges still could lock up an accused criminal before trial if he or she was considered a threat: the dangerousness provision. Who hasnt put in this protection? New York and Mississippi, two states you dont often see in the same sentence. Somehow, as the new bail law got cooked in Albany, lawmakers ignored the lesson of New Jersey and other states. The New Jersey bail law, signed by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie three years ago, has been a success: Jail populations have been cut nearly in half and theres been no crime spike or a significant increase in people skipping court, according to state statistics. New Jersey gives judges the power to consider a persons dangerousness. New Yorks new bail reform has been met with a lot of criticism. Many of the complaints are the product of hype, fear, politics and confusion. But the critics are starting to focus on this idea of letting judges, in rare cases, consider the dangerousness of a suspect. And that might be the place where lawmakers will go back and change the law. The New York bail law, which went into effect Jan. 1, takes control away from judges by declaring which crimes are eligible for cash bail. Only violent felonies the worst of the worst generally qualify. People charged with anything else must be released before trial. Critics say that means some dangerous people accused of crimes cant be kept in jail before trial: Out-of-control drunken drivers who kill or accused killers who didnt mean to kill. Someone accused after a string of burglaries. Bail jumpers or escapees. And convicted felons, even violent ones, arrested again on a non-violent charge. New York has plenty of places to look when it comes to bail reform. All 50 states have passed new bail laws in recent years, mainly in pursuit of a noble goal: taking money out of the criminal justice system, according to a non-profit that monitors state governments. But in New York like Mississippi lawmakers have legally allowed bail only to be used to ensure someone returns to court. (Mississippis bail law dates back to its 1890 constitution and critics say is broad enough to ensnare nearly any poor criminal defendant, anyway.) New York law actually prohibits judges from considering dangerousness of the accused or public safety. Theres an argument for not giving judges leeway to lock up a suspect a judge considers dangerous. That offers too much discretion, civil rights advocates say. How can the public be sure that a particular judge doesnt simply find a young, black man to be more dangerous? Is a suburbanite with a good job automatically a low danger risk? In states like New Jersey, judges can now simply lock people up before they get their day in court, so long as those people are considered dangerous. Theres no hope for release, because bail is no longer an option. One point of bail reform is to drive such judgments from the process all together, advocates say. But even liberal states like California have, for decades, allowed the consideration of dangerousness, or preventive detention, as its called. Sweeping bail reform elsewhere like California and New Jersey -- includes provisions intended to keep dangerous criminals jailed before trial. New Yorks does not. In other states, the heated debate comes down to how to fairly measure dangerousness, not whether it should be a bail factor or not. It already has been, and for a long time. New York has never had an explicit dangerousness standard under law, and bail reform advocates have repeatedly kept dangerousness out of the equation. Yet nearly everyone from the states criminal justice task force to former prosecutors and judges admit that the public assumes that state judges consider dangerousness, anyway, when setting high bail. People arent wrong. New York judges, under the old bail laws, often appeared to do just that, setting higher bail for defendants considered more dangerous or who had committed serious crimes. Recently, Onondaga County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty called New Yorks bail reform law dangerous in an unusual rebuke from the bench, while praising New Jerseys law for allowing judges to consider the dangerousness of the accused. Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway, and others, have also argued that bail reform lets dangerous criminals walk free. Why is danger not a bail factor? New Yorks longtime prohibition is rooted in history. More than 50 years ago, dangerousness was not explicitly considered a bail factor anywhere in the United States when jailing someone who hadnt been convicted of a crime. On paper, bail was simply justified as a way to make sure a criminal defendant returned to court. Yet cash bail became the accepted norm for most criminal defendants across the country, so many people were locked up on minor crimes simply because they were poor. New York was the first state to seriously consider fixing the cash bail problem in the late 1960s by replacing it with a dangerousness standard, an analysis by New York Universitys School of Law found. But advocates then, like now, argued that "the practice would be weaponized against vulnerable groups to produce de facto discrimination, the NYU report noted. Instead of becoming the first state to openly endorse preventive detention, New York intentionally left it out of early bail reform, the report concluded. By 1970, in a wave of law and order politics, more than a dozen other states had enacted laws allowing a judge to consider preventive detention. In the mid-1980s, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that dangerousness considerations did not violate a persons Constitutional rights. That opened the floodgates for states like California and others to give judges more freedom in setting bail. But New York always held the line: Dangerousness was a non-starter in discussions of criminal justice reform, especially in the Democrat-held Assembly. In 2016, Cuomo, a Democrat, first announced plans for sweeping bail reform in New York. And he pushed to add dangerousness as a factor for judges to consider. A year later, Cuomo doubled down in a proposal much like what New Jersey had just enacted that year. Under Cuomos proposal, judges would be allowed to consider public safety under certain conditions. Judges would use a risk assessment tool, including factors like age, current offense, other ongoing charges, prior convictions and prior failures to return to court. Opponents of cash bail didnt like the idea of empowering judges to send people to jail before trial without any hope of getting out. Liberal advocacy groups are suspicious of such risk-assessment tools. Do they unfairly score poor minorities, like SAT tests are said to do? Can anything accurately predict someones future risk of danger? A year later, Cuomo no longer advocated for putting the dangerousness rule into the law and supported the release of anyone charged with only but the worst crimes. Cash bail would remain for the worst crimes. The same year, the Assembly passed a similar bill. That bill, from 2018, is not much different from what we have today: a mixture of cash bail those with enough money can get out -- for serious crimes and release for everything else. But it never passed the Senate, still controlled by Republicans. Even after Democrats gained control of the state Senate in 2019, bail reform was still in flux. Staunch liberals wanted to get rid of cash bail all together and keep dangerousness off the books (the Bail Elimination Act), while more moderate Democrats advocated for judicial discretion. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, both Democrats, supported adding dangerousness as a factor. After all, its what judges appear to do in reality and what the public expects. The fight continued until the final hours before the 2019 budget was passed. The bail reforms were written into the budget, which made it difficult for lawmakers to reject, debate or change the law. As it turned out, New York did not join other states in condoning dangerousness as a factor for bail. Instead, someones release would be heavily predicated upon the crime charged, not a judges discretion. It was a big victory for bail reform advocates, who successfully fought back another attempt to bring dangerousness into the bail equation. And it means New York remains an outlier, forging its own path on bail reform. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. A FORMER Rawmarsh teacher has admitted raping a teenage boy. Christopher Darler, who worked at Rawmarsh School, abused the boy (13), who was not a pupil at the school, last September. Darler (37), of Heyhouse Way, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to eight counts, including two of rape, at Sheffield Crown Court today (Wednesday). A spokesperson for Rawmarsh Community School said Darler had been suspended after he was arrested in October and no longer worked for the school. "It came as a great shock to us when we were informed Mr Darler had been arrested as part of a police investigation in October 2019 over non-school matters," said the spokesperson. "He was immediately suspended and is now no longer employed by the school. "Following the initial allegations of inappropriate behaviour, the school worked closely with the police and the local authority designated safeguarding officer to ensure that all appropriate action was taken in respect of this matter. "At this stage of the inquiry, there is no evidence whatsoever of any inappropriate contact between Mr Darler and any pupils from our school. "Professional conduct concerns and safeguarding allegations within the trust are rare. Where allegations or concerns do arise, the trust works closely with the relevant agencies and authorities to ensure any allegation is properly investigated and formal action is taken. "School life will continue as normal. We are offering support to the children in school, through our pastoral support systems and have informed parents so that they can be vigilant to any change in your childs emotions and behaviour." As well as the rape offences, which were committed in Barnsley, Darler admitted to meeting the boy following grooming, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of possession of a prohibited image of a child and one count of distributing indecent photographs of children. Darler was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on February 3. Golden Globe winner Laura Dern is the latest name from Hollywood to team up with Quibi and the actor will star in the series, "Just One Drink". According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dern will also executive produce the series, penned by "About a Boy" writer Nick Hornby. Set at the shortform streaming platform, "Just One Drink" will be a series of one-act vignettes between a bartender (Dern) and the customers she serves, all of whom are in various states of emotional disrepair. Hornby and Platform One's Elisa Ellis are also attached to executive produce. Dern has been nominated for best supporting actress Oscar for her turn as the fiery divorce lawyer Nora Fanshaw in "Marriage Story". She was last seen in Greta Gerwig's big screen adaptation of "Little Women". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As more than 40 world leaders ascend to Jerusalem this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Israel should be careful not to assume that those who attend this largely ceremonial event are working to combat antisemitism, or even desire to be the countrys ally, The Jerusalem Post reports in its article At Auschwitz tribute, Israel should study tale of two monuments. Lithuanians, Armenians, Poles and others are rewriting and distorting their roles in this tragic history. Take Armenia. In May 2016, the west Asian country erected a monument in its capital of Yerevan honoring Garegin Nzhdeh (1886-1955), a Nazi collaborator and commander of the Wehrmachts Armenian Legion. The unit fought in Crimea, the Caucasus and southern France as the Nazis rounded up Jews and resistance fighters and marched them to death camps. In 1945, Nzhdeh was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Soviet court for his war crimes and collaboration with the Nazis. Moreover, he was the founder of the racist Tseghakronism movement, designed to represent those who embody the spiritual and biological essence of the classical Armenian, whose obligation it is to rule the country. Its ideology is reminiscent of the Aryan supremacy espoused by Nzhdehs Nazi comrades. Nzhdeh is considered a national hero in Armenia. A square and a subway station in Yerevan are named after him, and his legacy is taught to children in Armenian public schools. When the statue was erected in 2016, opposition fell on deaf ears. Holocaust scholar Efraim Zuroff called the move outrageous... an unfortunate mistake, and an insult to the victims of the Nazis and all those who fought against the Nazis. The monument was never taken down. In fact, in Armenia, Nzhdehs legacy is shared with another glorified Armenian Nazi general and commander, Drastamat Kanayan, whose name adorns the government-founded Drastamat Kanayan Institute of National Strategic Studies. Armenias Ministry of Defense established a medal in his name to decorate military personnel and civilians who excel in military training. The glorification of Nzhdeh should not be seen in isolation. There is abundant empirical evidence that Armenian society is systemically antisemitic. The Anti-Defamation Leagues most recent survey on antisemitism in over 100 countries in June 2014 conducted even before the statue was built showed that the rate of support for antisemitic views in Armenia (58%) was the third-highest in all of Europe, and the highest in all of the countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Some 68% of Armenians believe that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to [the countries they live in] and 72% agree that Jews have too much power in the business world, according to that report. Moreover, a Pew Research Center study conducted soon after showed that 32% of Armenians would not accept Jews as fellow citizens. Perhaps this high level of antisemitism comes due to the vestiges of ancient Eastern Orthodox church-based antisemitism. This past June, 60 students of the Armenian Church attacked two young Jews who were walking on Armenian Patriarchate Street in the Old City of Jerusalem, severely beating them. Before the countrys independence in 1991, the Armenian Jewish community was comprised of more than 5,000 members. Today, that number is less than 100. MEANWHILE, AZERBAIJAN, which likewise attained its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union and today remains in a decades-long territorial conflict with Armenia, unveiled a statue in its capital of Baku last November in honor of the nations Jewish war hero Albert Agarunov (1969-1992). The contrast between the Agarunov monument and Armenias Nzhdeh monument could not be starker. Agarunov attended Azerbaijani music school and later worked in oil production. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, he fought for Azerbaijan against Armenia and its brutal military invasion in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. At the time, Agarunov told journalists covering the war: This is my land. I dont have another motherland. Its natural for me to defend my home. In May 1992, he was killed by an Armenian sniper. Agarunov posthumously received the National Hero of Azerbaijan recognition, his countrys highest honor awarded for military service. The legacy of Agarunov remains a powerful symbol of Jewish integration and pride in a nation whose population is more than 90% Muslim. During this time of rising antisemitism worldwide, Azerbaijan is a place where antisemitism is absent and where interfaith ties thrive, according to nearly all reports. Any examination of this weeks Holocaust remembrance ceremonies in Jerusalem should not end with the Armenia-Azerbaijan contrast. Lithuania, which will also be present, represented by its speaker of Parliament, has pushed back against allegations of collaboration between the local population and the Nazis during the Holocaust, and is considering passing legislation similar to Polands, which would formally declare that the country and people did not collaborate in the murder of Jews during World War II. It is estimated that 230,000 Jews were murdered by locals in Lithuania in just the first six months after Germanys invasion in June 1941; there are more than 200 mass grave sites in Lithuania. Yet the legislation claims that because Lithuania was an occupied nation first by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany it is not responsible for these murders. The Germans no doubt perpetrated the Holocaust, but they continue to acknowledge, confront and apologize for their dark past. In contrast, Lithuanians, Armenians, Poles and others are rewriting and distorting their roles in this tragic history. Monuments in honor of Holocaust heroes like the Nzhdeh memorial in Armenia reinforce the need to call out and counter the ongoing, disturbing attempts to whitewash the Holocaust across Europe and Asia. This week, when photos of smiling leaders shaking hands make their way across the Internet to great fanfare, the Israeli people and their leaders would be well-served keeping in mind who their true friends really are. KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Discovery Labs and Deerfield Management Company have formed The Center for Breakthrough Medicines, a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and specialty investment company, to alleviate the critical lack of capacity that is preventing patients from accessing critically needed cell and gene therapies. The CDMO is occupying over 40 percent of The Discovery Labs' 1.6 million square foot biotech, healthcare and life sciences campus in King of Prussia, PA. The CDMO provides preclinical through commercial manufacturing of cell and gene therapies and component raw materials. It offers process development, plasmid DNA, viral vectors, cell banking, cell processing, and support testing capabilities all under one roof. The immense $1.1 billion facility will provide instant capacity as the largest known single source for accelerating the delivery and affordability of lifesaving and life-changing therapies from the bench to the patient's bedside. The Company has initiated a substantial hiring effort targeting the best and brightest of the life sciences community including, experts in CGMP manufacturing. The Company expects to hire over 2,000 team members within the next 30 months. The CDMO has retained Nucleus Careers, a cloud-based specialty life sciences human capital recruiting and retention management expert, to buildout the entire team. Nucleus has proprietary recruiting and retention software designed for large scale human capital buildouts of high growth companies. In addition to developing the world's largest single-point cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility, The Discovery Labs is establishing THE COLONY which will provide custom built discovery labs, breakthrough funding, sponsored research agreements, housing and relocation for the world's leading iconic experts in cell and gene therapy. THE COLONY will seek to work hand in hand with scientists from both academic and pharmaceutical institutions to unlock and expedite groundbreaking therapies. Marco A. Chacon, Ph.D., Founder of Paragon Bioservices and Chairman of The Discovery Labs states, "musicians, artists, members of religious communities and great thinkers throughout time have formed colonies where freedom of thought and expression combined with unlimited dreams and potential have resulted in the world's greatest accomplishments. The United States of America is a perfect example." Dr. Chacon went on to say, "the goal of THE COLONY is to unshackle the potential of the world's greatest scientific minds." The ability for the industry's greatest scientists to cohabitate, collaborate, cooperate, and communicate via technology and in person will create an exponential therapeutic "X FACTOR." THE COLONY seeks to unlock institutional barriers prohibiting the world's greatest scientists from moving at a pace necessary in today's ever-changing therapeutic revolution. THE COLONY will partner with the institutions where the scientists currently work by providing equity, license fees, and revenue sharing. "The Center for Breakthrough Medicines will be serving companies from the earliest stages through commercialization. Its exceptional scale and offering will quickly relieve the production bottleneck for advanced therapies by reducing the time, complexity, and cost of commercializing vitally needed gene and cell therapies," noted Audrey Greenberg, Board Member and Executive Managing Director for The Discovery Labs. The addition of this end-to-end manufacturing capability is expected to significantly enhance the offerings of The Discovery Labs in an area that has become one of the largest life sciences hubs in the world. Renovations are underway to construct a total of 86 plasmid, viral vector production, universal cell processing, CGMP testing, process development and cell banking suites. The viral vector and cell processing suites will be fully compliant with both U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency standards. All suites will offer the flexibility to meet client-specific workflows and will be able to adapt quickly to meet demand. The Company is in the process of reserving capacity now for late 2020. "Today brilliant scientists are advancing an unprecedented number of gene and cell therapy drug candidates. The real tragedy, however, is a scarcity of manufacturing know-how, which is complex and expensive," said Alex Karnal, Partner and Managing Director of Deerfield Management and a Board Member of the Discovery Labs. "With its visionary business model, it is hoped that The Center for Breakthrough Medicines will help realize the promise of cell and gene therapies in time to treat the many patients who need them." The Discovery Labs provides a central campus where the world's greatest scientists can collaborate on new therapeutic discoveries to eradicate diseases affecting small and large segments of the global population. The Center for Breakthrough Medicines will work with these leaders, life sciences companies, large pharmaceutical companies, and academic and government institutions. This new manufacturing capability is a transformational addition to The Discovery Labs market offering and dovetails with The Discovery Labs biotech incubator, Unite IQ. Unite IQ offers immediate space to emerging life sciences companies and scientists giving them the ability to grow from startup to enterprise company on one campus. The incubator and accelerator space at Unite IQ provides a comprehensive home for startups with every resource needed to initiate business operations. Unite IQ tenants are expected to utilize the discovery, development, testing, and manufacturing capabilities of the Center for Breakthrough Medicines with seamless forward integration of processes and analytics, and seamless tech transfer from research lab to large scale production The Emerging Field of Cell and Gene Therapy in Pennsylvania The demand for clinical and commercial manufacturing capacity is acute and expected to remain that way. The current shortfall in manufacturing for cell and gene therapies is severely underserved with few approved products. There are currently approximately 1,100 advanced therapies in the pipeline pending FDA approval. This will greatly increase highly skilled manufacturing demand. Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, states, "what keeps me up at night is will we be able to manufacture these on a scale that will allow us to bring the benefit of these therapies to patients?" He further added that "if we can help see cost of goods and ability to manufacture reproducibly improve, I think that'll be a big thing." All of this adds up to a supply constrained market that The Center for Breakthrough Medicines aims to help address. With the potential to treat and even cure disabling, and deadly diseases, gene and cell therapies are ushering in a new era of medicine. These therapies may eventually be able to cure genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia A, and a range of cancers. The Philadelphia area has become the epicenter for the flourishing field of gene and cell therapy. Research from CBRE currently ranks the market among the top biotech clusters for medical research and health services. The cluster has become known worldwide as " Cellicon Valley" for its leadership in research and development of this rapidly evolving field. The Discovery Lab's suburban Philadelphia location offers a talent rich environment due to the area's preponderance of large pharmaceutical companies and the Philadelphia region's position boasting the top 10 universities and primary school systems in nation. Over the past three years, multiple Philadelphia companies have received approvals for major breakthroughs in cell and gene therapy. In 2017, the U.S. FDA approved the first-ever CAR-T cell therapy, Novartis's Kymriah, which originated at the University of Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, the FDA gave landmark approval for the first-ever gene therapy to treat a genetic blindness condition to Spark Therapeutics, a start-up founded by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. These discoveries and others in the pipeline are attracting billions of dollars of venture capital. The Greater Philadelphia Region set a recent record in venture capital financing. The Discovery Labs Center for Breakthrough Medicines joins more than 25 healthcare, life sciences and tech-enabled companies that already call The Discovery Labs King of Prussia home. Contact Audrey Greenberg at [email protected] for more information about development services, manufacturing capacity, incubator space or leasing information at the property. About The Discovery Labs Part of MLP Ventures, The Discovery Labs is a global provider of world-class cGMP manufacturing, turnkey laboratory solutions, critical materials and office space that support therapeutic products and services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry so that groundbreaking medicines get to the patients that need them. The location in eastern King of Prussia is a prototype for a global rollout of The Discovery Labs, providing Big Pharma, emerging life sciences, consumer and technology companies flexible, end-to-end technical real estate and business infrastructure for the customer's entire lifecycle from discovery to delivery, including manufacturing capacity. It is the first fully integrated environment that merges technology and life sciences under one roof to drive innovation. About Deerfield Management Deerfield is a healthcare investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information and philanthropy. Media Contact: Tony DeFazio, DeFazio Communications (o) 484-534-3306 (c) 484-410-1354 [email protected] SOURCE The Discovery Labs Related Links https://thediscoverylabs.com/ European Union privacy regulators are gearing up to make full use of expanded powers under new data protection rules, according to a report that found 114 million euros ($126.5 million) in fines have been levied so far for data violations, with even higher penalties expected. Regulators in France, Germany and Austria levied the biggest fines so far, while the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K. topped the list for the number of data breaches notified to their authorities, the survey by law firm DLA Piper found. Frances data protection commission, the CNIL, last January slapped Google with a 50 million-euro fine over transparency, information and consent failures. The French fine was the biggest issued so far since the EUs General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR, took effect in May 2018. Regulators for the first time got the powers to fine companies as much as 4% of global annual sales for serious violations. The U.K. watchdog, the Information Commissioners Office already announced its intention to fine British Airways 183.4 million pounds ($239 million) over computer attacks that exposed customer data, and Marriott International Inc. 99 million pounds over a cyber-attack. The total amount of fines of 114 million euros imposed to date is relatively low compared to the potential maximum fines that can be imposed under GDPR, indicating that we are still in the early days of enforcement, Ross McKean, a partner at DLA Piper specializing in cyber and data protection, said in a statement. We expect to see momentum build with more multi-million euro fines being imposed over the coming year as regulators ramp up their enforcement activity. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Europe The delegation of Party, State leaders and former leaders pay respect to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum on January 22nd (Photo: VNA) The delegation included Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man. Many former Party and State leaders were also present. The delegates expressed gratitude to the great contributions of President Ho Chi Minh, who is a genius leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people and the great teacher of the Vietnamese revolution. The President had dedicated his entire life to the Vietnamese nation and revolution. The delegates pledged to the late President that the entire Party, army and people will persistently follow the path chosen by him, and unite in efforts to build a peaceful, independent, united and prosperous Vietnam, firmly advancing to socialism. The delegation also paid tribute to national heroes and fallen soldiers at the Monument in Bac Son street, and Mai Dich cemetery in Hanoi./. HIGHLIGHTS 17 diamond drill holes (totaling 1,905 metres) completed at Kilembe to test high-grade Cu-Au anomalies. Partial results received with Phase 1 drilling highlights of: 9.90m @ 1.37 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") from 29m - hole 19DDHS001 Including 0.45m @ 9.98 g/t Au; 0.1 percent copper ("% Cu") from 34.05m Including 1.90m @ 3.59 g/t Au from 37.0m 2.0m @ 723 grams per tonne silver ("g/t Ag"); 0.15% Cu from 127m - hole 19DDHS003 13.5m @ 0.52 g/t Au from 32.5m - hole 19DDHS005 1.8m @ 2.92 g/t Au from 50.7m - hole 19DDHS005 Including 0.8m @ 6.26 g/t Au; 0.36% Cu from 50.7m 1.0m @ 0.65 g/t Au; 1.66% Cu from 38.2m - hole 19DDHS012 2.0m @ 1.49 g/t Au from 54.0m - hole 19DDHS012 Groundwork at Kilembe extends mineralization at surface to over 6.0km strike length, with only 1.5km tested. New rock chip highlights include: 41.0 g/t Au; 20.5 g/t Au; 10.3 g/t Au and 9.8 g/t Au Drilling completed at Bujagali, which targeted a large <20km Cu-Co geochemical anomaly 10 diamond holes drilled at Waragi (totaling 1,740 metres). Early Phase 2 results include: 1.0m @ 0.20% cobalt ("% Co") from 13.4m - hole 19DDHW010 1.5m @ 0.23% Co from 13.5m - hole 19DDHW011 Latest results continue to expand the prospective areas and improve understanding of mineralization at Ugandan properties Drilling has resumed at Kilembe following the year end pause; carryover expenditure from the Q4 budget is continuing with receipt of these drill results meaning 1H 2020 Ugandan field plans and budgets are being modified in light of these early but positive signs Melbourne, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2020) - Jervois Mining Limited (ASX: JRV) (TSXV: JRV) (OTCQB: JRVMF) (FSE: IHS) (the "Company" or "Jervois") is pleased to provide an update on drill programmes at its Kilembe and Bujagali area properties in central and western Uganda, following partial receipt of confirmed assays from 2019 exploration. Drilling at the Kilembe Area Properties targeted surficial Au-Cu mineralization detected through earlier geochemical programmes. In total, 1,905 metres of diamond drilling was completed in 17 holes drilled at the Kilembe Area Properties. The drill hole locations are shown in Figure 1 and the drilling result highlights are in Table 1. Kilembe drilling has recommenced after the year end period and basis the early but positive results is expected to continue across 1H 2020. Figure 1: Phase 1 - Kilembe Area Drilling To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_001full.jpg Further groundwork at the Kilembe Area Properties, including ground geophysics; soil and rock chip sampling, and prospecting have extended the strike length of mineralization at surface to over 6.0km, of which only 1.5km has been tested. Newly discovered rock chip sample highlights include: 41 g/t Au; 20.5 g/t Au; 10.3 g/t Au and 9.8 g/t Au. The surface rock chip samples are summarized in Table 2 and are shown on Figure 2. Exploration planned during Q1 2020 within the Kilembe Area properties includes ground geophysics and further drilling. These initial results are currently being used to prepare field plans for 1H 2020. Table 1: Kilembe Area Drilling Highlights, Au > 0.3 g/t, Ag > 10 g/t; Cu > 0.1%* Hole ID Location UTM WGS 1984 Dip Azimuth Depth From Depth To Intercept Au g/t; Ag g/t; Cu %* 19DDHS001 828690_X/9587_Y -65 320 29m 38.9m 9.90m 1.37 g/t Au Including 34.05m 35.0m 0.95m 4.98 g/t Au Including 34.05m 34.47m 0.45m 9.98 g/t Au 0.1% Cu Including 37.0m 38.9m 1.90m 3.59 g/t Au Including 37.0m 37.90m 0.90m 5.74 g/t Au 19DDHS002 828690_X/9587_Y -45 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS003 828758_X/9587_Y -65 320 127.0m 129.0m 2.0m 723 g/t Ag 0.15%Cu 19DDHS004 828591_X/9539_Y -45 320 62.1m 63.1m 1.0m 1.68 g/t Au 0.14%Cu 19DDHS005 828644_X/9557_Y -45 320 32.5m 46.0m 13.5m 0.52 g/t Au Including 33.5m 34.0m 0.50m 2.04 g/t Au 0.22%Cu Including 36.0m 37.0m 1.0m 1.74 g/t Au Including 40.5m 41.5m 1.0m 0.58 g/t Au 0.12%Cu Including 41.5m 42.5m 1.0m 1.55 g/t Au 50.7m 52.5m 1.8m 2.92 g/t Au Including 50.7m 51.5m 0.80m 6.26 g/t Au** 0.36%Cu 19DDHS006 827701_X/9450_Y -65 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS007 827665_X/9351_Y -45 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS008 827369_X/9085_Y -45 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS009 828005_X/9482_Y -45 320 49.0m 52.0m 3.0m 0.35 g/t Au 0.33% Cu Including 49.7m 52.0m 2.3m 0.43 g/t Au 0.4%Cu Including 49.7m 50.4m 0.70m 0.79 g/t Au 0.80%Cu 66.0m 68.0m 2.0m 0.34 g/t Au 19DDHS010 828005_X/9482_Y -65 320 59.0m 60.0m 1.0m 0.11%Cu 66.0m 67.0m 1.0m 0.45%Cu 19DDHS011 828005_X/9482_Y -45 300 44.0m 46.0m 2.0m 0.32 g/t Au 71.0m 72.0m 1.0m 0.38 g/t Au 106.0m 108.0m 2.0m 0.39 g/t Au 19DDHS012 828005_X/9482_Y -45 340 38.2m 39.2m 1.0m 0.65 g/t Au 1.66%Cu 54.0m 56.0m 2.0m 1.49 g/t Au 19DDHS013-017 Results Pending * As this is an initial drilling programme true widths are currently unknown. **Sample was analyzed by screen fire assay due to the presence of coarse visible gold. Figure 2: Kilembe Area - Rock Chip Sample Highlights* To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_002full.jpg *Rock chip samples are by their nature selective and are not necessarily indicative of the general geology or the grade within the Property. Table 2: Kilembe Area Drilling - Rock Chip Sample Highlights Au>0.75g/t* To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_003full.jpg Drilling at Bujagali targeted the Waragi anomalies detected through earlier geochemical and geophysical (IP) programmes, with 1,740 metres of diamond drilling completed: 10 additional holes were drilled at the Waragi area. The drill hole locations are shown in Figure 3. Target mineralization was intercepted though not with the consistency of width and grade necessary to support a potentially economic resource. Highlights are included in Table 3: Figure 3: Phase 2 - Bujagali Drilling To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_004full.jpg Table 3: Bujagali Drilling Highlights, Co > 0.15%, Cu > 0.1%* Hole ID Location UTM WGS 1984 Dip Azimuth Depth From Depth To Intercept Cu % / Co % 19DDHW010 362284_X/95073_Y -65 360 13.4m 14.4m 1.0m 0.20% Co 19DDHW011 362284_X/95073_Y -45 360 13.5m 15.0m 1.5m 0.23%Co 19DDHW012 360000_X/95550_Y -65 360 No Significant Results 19DDHW013 359530_X/95575_Y -65 360 No Significant Results 19DDHW014 353610_X/98440_Y -90 360 No Significant Results 19DDHW015-019 Results Pending *As this is an initial drilling programme true widths are currently unknown. These latest drilling results and high grade rock chips provide further encouragement to continue with the current exploration pace on Jervois' Ugandan projects for both copper-cobalt and copper-gold. The highly anomalous results achieved to date continue to expand the prospective areas and improve the understanding of the mineralization present. The Company will provide further information from the ongoing exploration as the results are received. Quality Assurance All rock and soil samples are sent to ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd, an independent and fully accredited laboratory in South Africa for analysis for gold multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy. Jervois also has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control program where at least 10% duplicates and blanks are inserted into each sample shipment. On behalf of Jervois Mining Limited, Bryce Crocker, CEO. For further information, please contact: Investors and analysts: Simon Clarke EGM Corporate Affairs sclarke@jervoismining.com Cell: +1 604 551 9665 Media: Nathan Ryan NWR Communications nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Mob: +61 420 582 887 Competent Person's Statement The information in this release that relates to Mineral Exploration is based on information compiled by David Selfe who is full time employee of the company and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Dean Besserer, P.Geol. who is the GM Exploration for the company and a member of The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. Both David Selfe and Dean Besserer have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. David Selfe and Dean Besserer consent to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. Disclosure required for TSX-V Regulations Qualified Person's Statement The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geol., the GM Exploration for the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to exploration work to be undertaken in Uganda, the reliability of third-party information, and certain other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1 Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Sampling to date includes 2,401 diamond drill samples (from 27 diamond core drill holes); 21,646 soil samples; 3,173 rock samples, 26 Heavy Mineral Concentrates; 25 stream silt samples; 1,258 trench samples (rock); and, 379 trench samples (soil). All drill core was generally sampled on 1m intervals, contingent on geology and core recovery: Core was collected directly from the core barrel into core boxes, and Core samples were split in half, with the top half of the core analysed and other half retained as reference core in the tray. Core trays were clearly labelled with the hole number, tray number and metre intervals marked. Bottom-of-hole orientation line was marked prior to geological logging and sampling. Soil samples (B Horizon) are collected using a pick and spade to dig small pits which are filled back in after the sample is collected. The samples are collected in 4x6' kraft bags and closed/sealed with a zip tie. All sample information is recorded on hand-held devices utilizing the Fulcrum App. ALS Sample tag books are utilized for sample identifiers which are scanned and/or entered manually. The sample identifier is written on the bag and a tag is placed in the bag. Sample and site photos are recorded at every site. Devices are downloaded daily are all information is stored to the cloud. Rock samples (typically grab samples) are collected using a rock hammer. The samples are selective and are not necessarily indicative of mineralization. The samples are collected in 12x20 plastic ore bags and closed/sealed with a zip tie. All sample information is recorded on hand-held devices utilizing the Fulcrum App. ALS Sample tag books are utilized for sample identifiers which are scanned and/or entered manually. The sample identifier is written on the bag and a tag is placed in the bag. Sample and site photos are recorded at every site. Devices are downloaded daily are all information is stored to the cloud. Samples were cut along the orientation line before being correctly placed back into the tray. The half-core was sampled, ensuring that the same side is consistently sampled, and placed into sample bags labelled with the assigned sample number. Orientation lines are determined using a Reflex ACTIII orientation tool. Downhole measurements are recorded using a Reflex EZ-Gyro Kit at multiple intervals down each hole and always at the end of every hole. Field sampling followed Jervois protocols including industry standard quality control procedures. All samples were sent to ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd., an independent and fully accredited laboratory in South Africa ("ALS") for analysis for gold multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy ("ICP"). Jervois also has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control ("QA/QC") programme where at least 10% duplicates and blanks are inserted into each sample shipment. Sample representativity is ensured by: Diamond Core: For all drilling core was halved for sub-sampling with a diamond saw. Sample intervals range from 0.1 to 2 m in length, with majority of samples assayed over 1 m intervals. Rock grab samples are by their nature selective and are not necessarily indicative of the general geology of the property. Handheld XRF instruments were used to spot check rock grab and/or drill core for mineralization, however those results were not relied on. All sample results reported on are from ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Some Drill holes were lined with PVC piping and in most holes, downhole Electromagnetics were completed after drilling was complete. All of the drilling was diamond drill core (HQ/NQ). Typically, drill core was sampled on nominal 1m half core samples. All sample analyses were completed at ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd. and/or ALS Chemex Vancouver, Canada. ALS is a global independent laboratory which is ISO accredited. Samples are received at the laboratory: Bar codes are scanned and logged; samples are weighed and dried; samples are crushed and pulverized (-180 mesh soils; -75microns rocks) then riffle split; all samples are analyzed for 35 elements using ICP-AES and gold using 30 gram fire assay for soils and 50 gram Fire assay for rocks, both with an AA finish. Any samples with over-limits specific to base metals or gold are re-analyzed. Samples with visible gold were check analysed by using a screen fire-assay method. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). HQ casing/coring within saprolite yet the majority of the core was NQ Holes were generally angled from 45 to 90 degrees at varying azimuths. Reflex Orientation tool was used for structural orientations, and depths varied from 8.85m to 418.8m. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. All holes are teched and all intervals are measured for recovery and RQD's are calculated. Recovery % recorded in the geotechnical records as equivalent to the length of core recovered, as a percentage of the drill run. Excellent recoveries were obtained from Diamond drilling. There is no bias noted between sample recovery and grade. Excellent recoveries were obtained from Diamond drilling. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Diamond drilling: Drill core is photographed and logged prior to sampling; Core has been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail appropriate to support mineral resource estimation and mining studies. Logging has been conducted both qualitatively and quantitatively; full description of lithologies, alteration and comments are noted, as well as percentage estimates on veining and sulphides. In total, 9,135m of diamond drill core have been completed. All drill holes are logged in their entirety. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Core was half-cut lengthwise using a diamond saw along the orientation line. The half-core was sampled, generally on metre intervals. Samples are received at the laboratory: Bar codes are scanned and logged; samples are weighed and dried; samples are crushed and pulverized (-75microns rocks) then riffle split; all samples are analyzed for 35 elements using ICP-AES and gold using 50 gram Fire assay with an AA finish. Any samples with over-limits specific to base metals or gold are re-analyzed. For core sampling the same side is consistently sampled, half-core with the bottom of hole line is retained in the tray. The assay sub- sample is placed into sample bags labelled with the assigned sample number. One in 20 samples is duplicated where the core is quartered and a quarter cut sample is analysed as a duplicate. The remaining quarter samples is retained in the tray. Sample sizes of 2-3 kg are appropriate for the grain size of material. The sample preparation technique and sample sizes are considered appropriate to the material being sampled. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. The ICP-AES and Fire Assay (50 gram) are considered total and are high quality. Jervois has a regimented Quality Control protocol which has consisted of systematic submission of blanks and duplicates in addition to those conducted at the laboratory. Precision levels for all blank and duplicate samples fell within acceptable ranges. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Since no economic intersections have been reported, independent verification has not yet been necessary. No holes have been twinned. Data is collected using a customized version of the Fulcrum app. The data is backed up systematically on and off site as well as on the cloud. As well, data is recorded using a master Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet and all location and assay data are compiled in a Microsoft Office Access database. All data below detection limit have been entered as zero. Samples received damaged at the laboratory, or with insufficient sample weight for analysis had the interval or location left blank, but in general were re-sampled and/or re-collected (specific to soils and rock grab samples). Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. All collars were surveyed by trained surveyors using a Leica Differential GPS. Down-hole surveys were routinely carried out on all holes using a Reflex EZ-Gyro Kit. Trenches and surface samples were recorded using handheld GPS. All datum is collected and recorded in UTM WGS 1984. The 3D location of the individual samples is considered to be adequately established, consistent with accepted industry standards. Locations are shown on maps provided. Cross sections and a complete table of results are only reported when target mineralization was intercepted with the consistency of width and grade necessary to support a potentially economic resource Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. To date, due to the exploratory nature of the drilling, the spacing is highly variable. Similarly, rock grab sample spacing is random. Soil samples are collected in grids designed at varying spacings from >350m to 25m spaced samples. To date all exploration is exploratory and data spacing would not be considered sufficient to establish a Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve Estimation. Samples intervals are reported as weighted average grade. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Drilling sections are orientated perpendicular to the strike of the host rocks. Drill holes were inclined between 45 and 90 to optimize intercepts of mineralisation with respect to thickness and distribution. Drilling with angled and vertical holes in most instances provides a representative sample across the stratigraphy. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. All individual samples are bagged and sealed with a zip tie. Then individual samples are bagged in poly woven sacks and sealed with coded security seals. The laboratory reports all the security seals numbers to Jervois and any problems with the samples. To date, no sample shipments have had reported problems and/or a breach in security. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Jervois protocols consist of a regimented internal QA/QC which match or exceed global industry standards. Thus far, due to the exploratory nature of the programme, no audits or external reviews have been conducted. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51708 The City of London Corporation, the financial hub of the UK capital, is pitching itself as an ideal centre for Indian multinationals to base their corporate treasury departments as Britain prepares to leave the EU. Catherine McGuinness, the Policy Chair of the Corporation, will embark on a four-day visit to India next week with a post-Brexit message of reassurance of London's inherent strengths. "The message I will be carrying with me is that we are still a great global financial centre because some of the noise around Brexit rather disguises that," said McGuinness ahead of her visit. "One area we would like to explore with India is what more we could do to attract corporate treasury departments to base themselves here because this is the foreign exchange capital of the world, as well as other services," she said as Britain prepares to leave the European Union (EU) at the end of the month. The City of London Corporation released a new report this week to highlight London's strengths as a centre for financial risk management and corporate treasury, a function which has evolved from that of a data provider which aids financial reporting into critical support for corporate strategic planning and risk management. The Corporation aims to boost London's lead in the sector and encourage overseas multinational companies to choose the UK as a place to locate their corporate treasury operations, leveraging the city's deep capital market, wide range of financial instruments and global reach. "The UK's unique capabilities as an international financial centre mean it is perfectly positioned to help multinationals mitigate a diverse range of financial risks. "With an extensive network of 250 international banks and channelling 43 per cent of global forex trading, we can support multinationals in managing currency and liquidity risks on a global scale," explains McGuinness. Her India visit, which covers Mumbai and New Delhi between January 26 and 29, is themed around innovation. Among the other key focus areas would be green finance as well as a 'Women in Finance' event to explore shared best practices to encourage greater diversity within the financial sector. Besides, the Corporation is keen to add its weight behind a renewed focus on the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD). "We welcome the EFD being held. There has been a hiatus for all sorts of understandable reasons but given the great potential for closer relationship, a UK-India EFD would be very timely and we would be keen to contribute, particularly around the area of green finance and tech," said McGuinness. She highlighted the reforms initiated by the Indian government to the country's insolvency regime and other areas as a sign that India is in a place where it is ready to take off over the next few years, offering a "fantastic" trading opportunity both ways. Bilateral India-UK trade was pegged at 20 billion pounds in 2018, out of which 440 million pounds accrued to financial services, which the City of London believes offers a lot of capacity to build on. "We have 15 financial firms from India in the Square Mile and we are the number 1 listing venue for Masala Bonds. We'll be concentrating particularly on what we can do together on innovation and tech, what we can learn from each other on the flip side of that which is the cyber threat. We will be concentrating also on green finance and also talking to British businesses on how to increase trade and asking what they would like to see out of the EFD," said McGuinness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Wednesday that his government will help to ensure an objective and thorough investigation into the death of Georgi Kutoyan, a former head of Armenias National Security Service (NSS). Pashinian also denied showing a lack of respect for Kutoyan and his family. The 38-year-old Kutoyan, who ran the NSS during the final years of former President Serzh Sarkisians rule, was found shot to death on January 17 at a Yerevan apartment belonging to the family. Investigators suggested that he most probably committed suicide or was driven to it. Pashinian called that the main theory of Kutoyans death investigated by law-enforcement bodies. Speaking in the Armenian parliament, he also said: I think that members of Mr. Kutoyans family must be interested the most in the full establishment of circumstances of the incident, and I think that they should fully cooperate with the investigating body so that the truth is established in full. I have already said and will say again that I guarantee that the government will use its all possible levers so that this case as well as all other cases are solved in full, he added during the governments question-and-answer session in the National Assembly. Sarkisians political allies and other critics of the Armenian government have accused it of not paying sufficient respects to Kutoyan. In particular, they have deplored Pashinians failure to directly offer condolences to the former NSS chiefs relatives. Pashinian rejected these accusations. In response to a question from media I expressed condolences to Kutoyans grieving family, he said. Pashinian also argued that the current leadership of the NSS as well as the secretary of his National Security Council attended a requiem service for Kutoyan and his funeral. The prime minister further noted that the NSS honor guard escorted Kutoyans body during the funeral. I believe that we properly did what had to be done, he said. Kutoyan was appointed as director of Armenias most powerful security agency in February 2016. Pashinian sacked him in May 2018 immediately after coming to power in the Velvet Revolution that toppled Sarkisian. Chaibasa (Jharkhand) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Jharkhand Police on Tuesday received information regarding the murder of seven people in Chaibasa town's Gulikera village during the Patthargarhi movement, however, no body has been recovered yet. "We received information on Tuesday regarding the murder of seven people in Gulikera, Chaibasa during the Patthargarhi movement. The information is being verified, no body has been recovered yet. The search is underway. No formal murder or missing person complaint has been received, till now," said Jharkhand Police in a statement. Following the standard operating procedure, a heavy police force is camping in Gulikera village. Further reinforcements have also been called. Since it is a big tip-off, the police is taking all the necessary measures, the police added. Some reports of clashes came in police' notice, a few days back in this village during the Patthargarhi movement. (ANI) President Donald Trump said Wednesday that U.S. service members treated for concussion symptoms after Iranian airstrikes earlier this month had "headaches," adding it was "not very serious." On Jan. 8, Iran struck bases where U.S. and Iraqi troops train together in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike days before that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Despite initial comments by the Trump administration that "no Americans were harmed" during the attack, officials confirmed reports last week that 11 troops were medically evacuated for treatment in Germany and Kuwait and are "still being assessed." The Associated Press reported Tuesday that a small number of additional troops have also been flown to Germany so that concussion symptoms can be evaluated. "I heard they had headaches and a couple of other things and I can report it is not very serious," Trump said at a press conference in Davos, Switzerland, according to an AP report. Related: 11 US Troops Injured in Iranian Missile Attack on Iraq Base, Officials Confirm The commander in chief also said traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, known as the signature wounds of post-9/11 wars, are less severe than losing a limb. "No, I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I've seen," Trump said. "I've seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops. I've seen people with no legs and with no arms. I've seen people that were horribly, horribly injured in that area, that war. "No, I do not consider that to be bad injuries, no," he added. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center estimates almost 408,300 service members have been diagnosed with TBI since 2000. Part of the Military Health System, the center labels TBI as a "significant health issue" that can cause temporary gaps in memory, sleep disturbance, irritability, anxiety and depression, among other problems. Phillip Carter, a researcher with Rand Corp., expressed surprise via Twitter to the president's comments. "Wait what? Headaches? Perhaps the president (or his staff) would like to review the literature on blast injury and #TBI," he wrote, linking to an entire page on the illness. "The [Department of Veterans Affairs] and [Department of Defense] literally spend *billions* to research, diagnose, and treat #TBI -- an injury which affects hundreds of thousands of veterans. These are not just 'headaches.'" The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $234 million on TBI treatment in fiscal 2015, according to a 2018 study Carter linked to. The study estimated treatment costs would total $2.2 billion over the next decade. -- Dorothy Mills-Gregg can be reached at dorothy.mills-gregg@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DMillsGregg. Read More: Army's 10th Mountain Division Headed to Afghanistan as US Talks Withdrawal Advertisement The amazing winning and shortlisted images from the 2019 Travel Photographer of the Year competition have been revealed - and they are guaranteed to enchant, fascinate, and prompt the jaw to generally drop. Photographers from 144 countries submitted over 20,000 stunning pictures in categories including endangered planet, people and cultures, thrills and adventures and dusk to dawn. With a portfolio of 'atmospheric and diverse' black-and-white images captured around the globe, amateur photographer Katy Gomez Catalina, from Spain, scoops the top prize and the title of Travel Photographer of the Year 2019. Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2019 is 11-year-old Indigo Larmour - one of the youngest-ever entrants to take the crown. The youngster, who is Irish, won over the international panel of judges with the images she snapped during travels across India. Other amazing podium pictures include an incredible shot of crabeater seals resting on broken ice in Antarctica, a fascinating photo of a band of wild stallions in the Utah desert and a mesmerising image of the biggest waterfall in the Faroe Islands. The winning images can be seen at the Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition at London's Coal Drops Yard from April 7 to May 12, 2020. They will also be on show at Chester Cathedral in June and at the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah in the UAE in September. MailOnline Travel has kindly been granted permission to publish a stunning selection of the 177 winning and shortlisted images. Scroll down to see our picks of the bunch... This dramatic shot shows Lake Gosaikunda, a high mountain lake in the Himalayas, underneath the Milky Way. It was captured by Ukrainian photographer Yevhen Samuchenko, the runner up in the dusk to dawn category's portfolio prize Italian photographer Marco Grassi is commended in the thrills and adventures category thanks to this spectacular image of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains in the Italian Dolomites. He describes the mountains as 'some of the most spectacular peaks in Italy' American photographer Brian Clopp is the winner of the portfolio prize in the thrills and adventures category. This image that he snapped shows a band of wild stallions walking towards a looming dust cloud on Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. He said: 'The stallions are accustomed to their harsh desert environment and face whatever challenges nature throws their way' Highly commended photographer Marco Grassi is pictured shooting in the middle of the night from the top of one of the highest peaks on Senja Island, Norway. This picture is listed in the thrills and adventures category Amit Eshel, an Israeli photographer, snapped this sweet image of Eurasian brown bears in Oulu province in Finland. This photo is given a special mention in the endangered planet category. Amit said: 'After a long wait, my efforts bore fruit and I was privileged to witness this beautiful family of a mother and triplet wild Eurasian brown bears stepping out of the forest and playing in this beautiful setting' Russell Millner receives a special mention in the thrills and adventures category for this fascinating image of a bear and a wolf in Nanuk, Hudson Bay, Canada. The British photographer explained: 'This wolf approached the bear, it seemed to be the alpha female. After this wary meeting of apparent mutual respect, each continued about their business, tolerant of the other' Belgian photographer Alain Schroeder is the winner of the endangered planet category's portfolio prize. This fascinating shot, taken by him in Indonesia, shows an orangutan called Brenda, who has a broken arm. He explained: 'Brenda, who is estimated to be a three-month-old female orangutan, was confiscated from a villager in Aceh. The humerus bone in her left arm was completely snapped in two. Yenny, the vet, is standing next to Brendas X-ray that shows the broken bone' This heartwarming shot by Alain Schroeder, winner of the endangered planet category's portfolio prize, was snapped at the Jantho Orangutan Reintroduction Centre in Aceh province in Indonesia. It shows veterinarian Pandu crossing the river on a small boat carrying Diana, an eight-year-old female orangutan, who is set to be released back into the wild A bald uakari, an endangered primate from the forests of the Amazon basin, is pictured in Iquitos, Peru. The image, taken by Australian photographer Jason Edwards, is given a special mention in the endangered planet category. Jason said: 'This male was confiscated from poachers and now resides with an Indian family. Given it was not raised by its mother and did not learn the skills necessary to survive alone, it cannot be released back into the wild' Florian Ledoux is runner-up in the endangered planet category's portfolio prize. This shot of his shows crabeater seals resting on broken ice in the Antarctic Peninsula after a night feed. He said: 'Crabeater seals depend on the ice to feed, rest and give birth' This underwater image taken in Tasiilaq, Greenland, earns German photographer Uli Kunz a special mention in the thrills and adventures category. He said: 'In autumn, large icebergs may drift into the bay and get stranded in shallow areas. In winter, the ocean surface freezes, trapping the icebergs. Divers in water as cold as -2C can marvel at 500 shades of blue for about 30 minutes until their faces and fingers get numb, forcing the divers back to the surface' Alexey Nikitin, an 18-year-old from Russia, is runner-up in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year aged 15 to 18 category. This aerial shot that he captured shows Mesherskiy Park in Moscow in the autumn The 459ft-tall Fossa waterfall, the biggest waterfall in the Faroe Islands, is pictured left after a night of heavy rain. The image was snapped by Italian photographer Marco Grassi, who is commended in the thrills and adventures category. Irish photographer Trevor Cole is the winner of the portfolio prize in the people and cultures category. He captured a dramatic image, right, of Mundari people with their cattle in Terekeka County, South Sudan. He explained: 'The bond between the tribesmen and their animals is reflected in the tribal bond itself. The smoke, fires and dust create a scene, which is almost biblical. The symbiotic bond between man and the cattle is a scene to behold' The winner of the best single image in the endangered planet category is Australian photographer Jason Edwards. His heartbreaking picture shows the tortured and charred remains of an African elephant at the roadside in Chobe National Park, northern Botswana. He explained: 'It was originally slaughtered for bushmeat, but the poachers were disturbed before they could dismember the carcass' Runner-up for the portfolio prize in the people and cultures category is British photographer Victoria Dempster. Pictured is one of her images of a cowboy called Dominic in Olathe, Colorado. It shows his pet snake wrapped around his belt buckle. Victoria says he won the serpent at the Hotchkiss Rodeo in Colorado The overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year contest is Spanish photographer Katy Gomez Catalina. Pictured is one of her winning snaps, which shows the Louvre in Paris. She said: 'It was raining and people formed a perfect row to enter the Louvre Museum. The only dynamic note of the scene was a boy who ran across' Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2019 is 11-year-old Indigo Larmour from Ireland. This shot of hers shows a street food seller in Kolkata, India. She explained: 'Any journey needs street food! This street snack seller was cooking us some puffed rice' Chinese photographer Zhiyuan Liao is commended in the people and cultures category for a portfolio of stunning pictures captured in Tibet. He said of this image: 'Whenever a neighbour, relative or friend visits, they will be offered a bowl of butter tea' Debdatta Chakraborty from India is the winner of the best single image in the people and cultures category. He captured this fascinating photo in Kolkata, India. He explained: 'On the day of the Chhath festival in India, Hindus, mainly the women, perform Dondi, a kind of penance to appease the divinity and thereby praying for a happier future' Indian photographer Ankit Kumar, 16, scoops the title of Young Travel Photographer of the Year aged 15 to 18. The judges were impressed with his work, including this amazing shot of clouds wrapped around trees in the Danum Valley of Borneo in Malaysia This image of frozen trees in Finnish Lapland was captured by Spanish-Australian photographer Ignacio Palacios. He is runner-up in the art of travel category's portfolio prize British photographer Geoff Shoults is the winner of the best single image in the art of travel category. His gong-luring shot shows a walker in the Scottish Highlands British photographer Kiran Ridley is the winner of the Travel Photographer of Year's Timothy Allen Photography Scholarship Award. This recognises original documentary travel photography. Kiran put together a portfolio of images that included scenes of unrest in Hong Kong last year. One image he snapped shows a pro-democracy protester throwing a Molotov cocktail towards police during anti-government demonstrations, setting fire to other protesters in the process Ted Lau, a photographer from Hong Kong, is highly commended in the art of travel category. This shot of his was captured at the Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea. He said: 'Since the Mass Games resumed in 2018, all of the school children get involved. After months of training, most of them are near professional gymnasts' Colourful houses in the city of Malang in Indonesia. This eye-catching shot was captured by 17-year-old Patria Prasasya from Indonesia. She is highly commended in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year aged 15 to 18 category Clearpool Group, a New York-based provider of holistic electronic trading solutions and an independent agency broker-dealer, is to be acquired by BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO). The transaction is subject to receipt of required regulatory approval and other customary conditions and is currently expected to close in the second quarter. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2014 and led by Joseph Wald, CEO, Clearpool Group offers holistic electronic trading solutions and provides independent agency broker-dealer execution services. The firm has approximately 60 employees and over 100 clients, primarily U.S. broker dealers who utilize the companys trading technology and execution services. Its Algorithmic Management System (AMS) provides a fully customizable suite of algorithmic trading tools designed to service the best execution needs of institutional clients. The acquisition positions Clearpool to accelerate the next step in its platform development and provide the infrastructure to become a global, multi-asset class electronic trading solution. As part of this strategic acquisition, Clearpool clients will maintain access to the technology and open architecture platform. Led by Dan Barclay, CEO, BMO Capital Markets is a financial services provider offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of products and services including equity and debt underwriting, corporate lending and project financing, mergers and acquisitions advisory services, securitization, treasury management, market risk management, debt and equity research and institutional sales and trading. The firm has approximately 2,700 professionals in 33 locations around the world, including 19 offices in North America. FinSMEs 22/01/2020 New Delhi, Jan 22 : After a long gap of four years, the state of Rajasthan would be getting an opportunity during the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday to showcase its tableau, an official said on Wednesday. Interacting with IANS, Vinay Sharma, Assistant Secretary of Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy, said: "For four years, the tableau of Rajasthan was not getting a chance to participate in the Republic Day Parade. Now, the state would make all use of the opportunity to make the Rajasthani heritage visible to everyone. The tableau has been given a pink colour to recognize the Rajasthani tradition." The official said that Harshiv Sharma, a well-known artist of Rajasthan, was entrusted with the responsibility of designing the tableau to make it appear distinct and unique. The tableau will also take part in the full dress rehearsal to be held on Thursday, before the Republic Day parade. The pink tableau was visible at a press preview here on Wednesday. An attempt has also been made to give a glimpse of the glory of the heritage buildings of Jaipur in the tableau. The entrance of the markets, monuments equipped with vents, look quite attractive. The tableau also depicts Tripolia Darwaza, Statue Circle and City Palace Gate. On the tractor part of the tableau, the statue of Jaipur founder Sawai Jai Singh is seen with an umbrella in a decorative marble stone which makes the tableau even more attractive. The beautiful dome with the colourful design door of the Chandramahal located in the City Palace of Jaipur is also shown. In the trailer part of the tableau, the beautiful pink coloured walls of the city of Jaipur have been decorated with 'chhatris', mesh walls, etc. Folk artists can be seen in this pink tableau, performing well known puppet dances. Folk instrumentalists are shown playing sarangi manjira dholak etc. on the tableau. Besides, dancers can be also seen on the beautifully-designed pink tableau. On both sides of the tableau, the dance of the famous folk god of Rajasthan, Ramdev Ji Pir, performed by the dancers on the song 'Rune Jhun Baje Ghunghara' folklore, gives the pink tableau an emotional touch. (Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be contacted at sanjeev.c@ians.in) After one too many regrets, Dave Hughes took his last sip of alcohol in 1992 at the age of 21. And almost three decades later, the 49-year-old comedian has revealed that his decision to lead a sober life was a 'real light bulb moment'. While he doesn't feel burdened by his past, he told Daily Mail Australia that a simple philosophy has ensured he's never been tempted to drink again. Scroll down for video EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Dave Hughes has revealed the one fear that keeps him sober after 27 years - but says he won't forbid his children to drink alcohol when they're older Dave said that his uncertainty over how his mind and body would react to alcohol after 27 years of sobriety has kept him firmly on the wagon. To illustrate this point, he recalled a conversation he'd had years ago with his wife, Holly, who is the mother of his three children, Tess, six, Sadie, eight, and Rafferty, 10. 'Holly reminded me of a conversation we'd had when we'd just started going out 17 years ago,' he said. 'I don't want to risk it': Dave (pictured with his wife, Holly Ife) said that his uncertainty over how his mind and body would react to alcohol after almost three decades of sobriety has kept him firmly on the wagon 'She apparently said to me, "What do you think would happen if you drank again, would you be a raging alcoholic?" 'I replied that I didn't know, possibly not. But since I'd decided not to drink, my life had got so much better that I didn't want to risk it. 'It still holds true today, and that's why I don't drink.' 'It's what really turned me around': Dave told Daily Mail Australia that quitting alcohol and marijuana in the early '90s had made his life 'so much better'. Pictured on May 6, 2007 Dave added that his willpower never faltered, even during the difficult early years of his recovery. 'I was really strong,' he said. 'It was a real light bulb moment when I decided, "No, I'm not going to drink anymore." 'I honestly believe the decision to stop smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol is what really turned me around... the decision to stop doing those two things means that I'm having the happy life I'm having. 'I really think they were the biggest and the best decisions I have ever made.' His preferred tipple: In 2018, Dave had his first beer in 25 years, a non-alcoholic Asahi Dry Zero Troubled past: The stand-up comic has previously spoken about how drinking had affected his mental health in his youth, leading to depression. Pictured on Hey Hey It's Saturday in 1998 In 2018, Dave had his first beer in 25 years: a non-alcoholic Asahi Dry Zero. 'I'm very much an advocate for no-alcohol beer, it makes me feel like I'm back hanging out with the boys drinking lager, but without any of the side effects - the bad side effects,' he said. The stand-up comic has previously spoken about how drinking had affected his mental health in his youth. He experienced depression and even feared he had schizophrenia. No secret: Dave and Holly's children - Tess, six, Sadie, eight, and Rafferty, 10 - know all about his 'wayward younger days', but he won't forbid them to drink alcohol when they're older 'I'm certainly not going to ban them from drinking or anything, within reason,' he said Dave - who hosts Hughesy, We Have a Problem on Channel 10 - also told Daily Mail Australia his children know all about his 'wayward younger days'. 'They want to hear stories, including from when I was a big drinker,' he said. But when it comes to his kids drinking when they're older, Dave insisted he won't be too strict with them. 'Hopefully they see the example that I lead - that you can have fun without drinking or without drugs. So hopefully they see that, but they'll make their own decisions,' he said. 'I'm certainly not going to ban them from drinking or anything, within reason.' Hughesy, We Have a Problem airs Monday nights from 9pm on Channel 10 Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: USMJ) ("USMJ") today announced that HEMPZ Body Moisturizer is now available for sale on the company's eCommerce site www.USMJ.com. The North American Cannabis Holdings eCommerce site product line is growing with new products being added regularly. The USMJ.com brand name recognition is growing bolstered by the brand recognition of the products available on the site like HEMPZ. 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Today the company is featuring HEMPZ: Hempz Sweet Pineapple & Honey Melon Herbal Body Moisturizer To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6694/51734_9fc160f934346913_001full.jpg FEATURES: Enriched with 100% Pure Natural Hemp Seed Oil Paraben-Free, Gluten-Free, 100% Vegan, THC-Free BENEFITS: Miracle Oil Blend - Signature blend of essential oils effectively nourish skin helping to hydrate, repair and restore skin's moisture barrier leaving skin soft, smooth, supple and nourished Pineapple Extract - helps to condition, soften and invigorate skin Honey Melon Extract - a natural antioxidant with Vitamin A and E properties help hydrate and nourish skin Jojoba Seed Oil - natural anti-inflammatory properties help to provide even skin tone while keeping skin hydrated, nourished and conditioned To learn more visit www.USMJ.com and www.GrowUSMJ.com. Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Steven Rash CEO North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. info@aciconglomerated.com +1-800-861-1350 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51734 The north side of Cork has been neglected by its political representatives with one Government TD not even bothering to show up for work, said Labours general election candidate for Cork North Central. Cllr John Maher said: For the last four years, the north side has been left down. One guy didnt show up for work but got paid for another job, another went to Europe elected and another two just make noise. Enough is enough. Clr Maher is hoping to gain a seat in the north Cork constituency which has seen a lot of recent change after Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher left for the European Parliament and Fine Gael's Dara Murphy resigned to work with the European Commission - and whose Dail attendance record and expenses have come under heavy scrutiny. If elected, Mr Maher said that housing and providing infrastructure on the north side will be his priorities. We have to solve the housing crisis," he said. My friends are living with their mams and dads. These are working people and they cant afford to buy a house. "We all know the solution - build more social and affordable houses - but it's not being done." Cllr Maher said that crime is another problem that needs to be tackled by deploying more gardai to Cork's streets and he is calling on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to come to Cork "to see how bad things are" on the ground. He said: The people of North Central are sick of noise. They know it achieves nothing. They want a progressive candidate who is like them, who works with them, volunteers with them, will go for a pint with them. Were knocking on doors, asking people to vote for us, to trust us. People are listening to us and they like what were offering. Mr Maher is one of 16 candidates contesting the four-seat constituency. But his party leader, Brendan Howlin, who was out canvassing with him in Cork, said that he is confident that Mr Maher can win one of those seats. Deputy Howlin said: "Were very confident of John taking this seat in Cork North Central. It's a seat with a long long labour tradition - Kathleen Lynch has a distinguished record of service, Jerry OSullivan was much loved and we've had fantastic Labour councillors and Lord Mayors from the north side of cork. That heritage is important. "[John Maher] our new candidate did terrifically well in the local election and by-election. "From the result of that by-election we think he's reasonably set - we must just garner that vote and supplement it and I think well do that." Former Labour TD for Cork North Central, Kathleen Lynch, who was also on the canvas said that the constituency has a strong Labour heritage. She said: "That residue of affection and loyalty still exists here, it buoys you up." Concern in China as coronavirus death toll rises. [Photo: Getty] Editors note: This article was updated on January 24 to include context that the potential 1-2% death rate of the coronavirus would be comparable to the death rate of Spanish flu in the UK specifically, rather than globally where the death rate is thought to have been higher Chinas deadly coronavirus may have the same death rate as Spanish flu, an expert has warned. While this is the early stages of the disease, deaths from the new virus rose to 17 on Wednesday with hundreds of cases now confirmed, increasing fears of widespread contagion. The previously unknown flu-like coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from an animal market in central Wuhan city, with cases now detected as far away as the US. Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said the current rate of disease could be comparable to the death rate of Spanish flu. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 is widely regarded as the deadliest in history, and is believed to have infected around 500 million people worldwide, killing between 20 and 50 million. In the UK, it is thought around 228,000 thousand people died of Spanish flu from around 10 million people who were thought to have been infected - a death rate of around 2%. The new coronavirus strain has caused 17 confirmed deaths so far. [Photo: Getty] READ MORE: What is the mystery illness affecting China? Chinese officials have confirmed 440 cases of the new coronavirus strain - 2019-nCoV - so far, with 17 deaths. Based on existing data, the disease is said to have a 2% death rate. This means that for every 50 people who catch the infection, one will statistically die. To put this into context, around one in every 1,000 who develop flu die, giving it a death rate of 0.1%. Death rate is different from the death toll. For example, if 100 people caught the infection and the death rate was 2%, the death toll would be two. Whereas if 1,000 people became ill, 20 would die. The total number of deaths in part comes down to the fatality rate and how many people catch the virus. This [2019-nCoVs death rate] could be 2%, similar to Spanish flu, said Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London. Story continues Patients with pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus are being treated in Jinyintan hospital, in Wuhan. (Reuters) Professor Peter Horby from the University of Oxford pointed out that fatality estimations are based on clinical data around hospital cases. Of those in hospital, 15%-to-20% are severe cases, defined as needing ventilation. Coronaviruses as a class are common, causing everything from the common cold to epidemics like severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars). 2019-nCoV is thought to have originated in animals before jumping over to humans. Novel viruses spread much faster because we have no immunity, Prof Ferguson said. READ MORE: Billions of journeys for Chinese New Year raise fears coronavirus will spread A health official scans the body temperature of a passenger as she arrives at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Fatalities are occurring as a result of pneumonia, which comes about when a respiratory infection causes the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs to become inflamed and filled with fluid or pus, according to the American Lung Association. The lungs then struggle to draw in air, resulting in reduced oxygen in the bloodstream. Without treatment the end is inevitable, said the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres. Deaths occurs because of asphyxiation. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned there is no specific treatment for coronaviruses If the infection triggers pneumonia, doctors work to combat the complication. When a virus is to blame like 2019-nCoV pneumonia may be treated via antiviral medication, according to the American Lung Association. Yet, Prof Horby argued there is no effective anti-viral. Most pneumonia is bacterial, he said. These infections tend to respond to antibiotics. With viral pneumonia, care is supportive, Prof Horby said. 2019-nCoV is not the first coronavirus that has got people panicked. Sars made headlines in the early 2000s after 774 people died across dozens of countries, mainly in Asia. Genetic analyses reveal 2019-nCoV is more closely related to Sars than any other coronavirus. Sars was nearly universally severe, Prof Ferguson said. Most cases in China are described as mild. Were not sure what that means. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 has been called 'the deadliest in history'. [Photo: Getty] What is the coronavirus 2019-nCoV? The city of Wuhan is at the centre of the outbreak, which likely originated from infected animals at a market. Most of those who initially fell ill worked at, or visited, the market. China's National Health Commission confirmed the virus can spread person-to-person, with patients in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Cases have also arisen in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and the US. Prof Ferguson claims Wuhan likely has around 4,000 cases, Yahoo UK reported. Like other strains of coronavirus, 2019-nCoV typically starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Six coronaviruses are known to infect people, with this strain being the seventh. (PA) READ MORE: Novavax Working On A Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate As First US Case Emerges The pathogens trigger mild-to-moderate upper respiratory tract infections, like the common cold, according to the CDC. In rarer cases, coronaviruses can lead to lower-respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. These tend to occur in babies, the elderly or those with weak immune systems. Coronaviruses commonly spread via coughing, sneezing, shaking hands or touching a contaminated object. The virus enters the body if contaminated hands touch the eyes, nose or mouth. In rare cases, faecal contamination is to blame. US health officials are working on a vaccine against 2019-nCoV; however, it will likely be months before the first stage of trials are underway and more than a year before one is available to the public, CNN reported. For now, the World Health Organization advises people avoid unprotected contact with live animals, thoroughly cook meat and eggs, and stay away from those with flu-like symptoms. *The death toll was accurate at the time of publication. Former AFL star Brendan Fevola was rushed to hospital this week and had emergency surgery to remove his appendix. According to The Herald Sun, the 39-year-old had the operation on Wednesday, after eating a meat platter on Monday and suffering stomach pains. On Wednesday, Brendan took to his Instagram stories to give fans an update, saying that his surgery went well. Health scare: Former AFL star Brendan Fevola (pictured) was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery to remove his appendix this week... after complaining of stomach pains after eating a meat platter 'OP (sic) went well guys, thanks for all your messages,' Brendan wrote online, adding a love heart emoji. The former Carlton and Brisbane Lions star shared a snap of himself from his hospital bed, wearing a blue robe. Brendan also shared a sweet video to his Instagram of his partner Alex Fevola and their daughters, doing a TikTok video while sitting at his bedside. Family support: Brendan also shared a sweet video to his Instagram of his partner Alex Fevola and their daughters doing a TikTok video while sitting at his bedside Get well soon! Brendan received plenty of well-wishes from fans, with one writing: 'Wishing you a speedy recovery Fev' 'After surgery Tic Tok (sic) with the family. I'm so lucky to have such amazing females in my life, I'm blessed,' Brendan said. Brendan received plenty of well-wishes from fans, with one writing: 'Wishing you a speedy recovery Fev.' Another added: 'Oh no, hope you're ok (sic) and recover well.' Makeup artist Alex also shared a clip of Brendan singing, writing: 'Post op meds (sic).' Sweet: 'Oh no, hope you're ok (sic) and recover well,' one fan wrote on Instagram According to The Herald Sun, Brendan was warned of future health problems by a fortune teller in Japan in 2019. A segment was aired on his radio show, the Fifi, Fev & Byron show on FOX FM and he was told 'it might affect your stomach', which left daughter Leni in tears. Brendan shares four daughters with longtime partner Alex; Mia, 19, who is from Alex's previous relationship, and daughters Leni, 12, Lulu, eight, and Tobi, one. Alex, 42, and Brendan married in 2005 before getting divorced in 2014. In 2016, they announced that they were engaged once again. Joseph Park, a North Korean defector turned coffee shop owner, roasts coffee beans at one of his cafes in Seoul. Park has aided fellow defectors to get back on their feet through free barista lessons. Courtesy of Joseph Park By Kim Hyun-bin Joseph Park, a North Korean defector, has been helping other colleagues get back on their feet in the South, as they face difficulties in finding economic independence and regaining emotional stability. "It is difficult for defectors to adapt to the culture and to become independent here, as they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a lack of social capital, discrimination, identity crises and being separated from their families," Park said in an interview with The Korea Times. "I saw in an article that South Korea's suicide rate is one of the highest among OECD countries, but I was saddened by the North Korean defectors' suicide rate here, which was three times that of South Koreans, so I wanted to find the means to help them adapt to society." Park has been teaching defectors to become baristas at his coffee shop in addition to brainstorming "fun, relational, respectful" ways to help get them back on their feet. "Starting last summer, we started a coffee bean roasting program for defectors," Park said. It was a long and harsh journey for the 40 year old to defect to the South. He first walked 100 kilometers secretly crossing the North KoreaChina border in 1998 and worked as an illegal immigrant "like a slave" for five years there. In 2003, Park lived as a fugitive in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for six months and again moved on to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he stayed in hiding for four months, before arriving at Incheon International Airport in 2004. "It takes a few hours to come to South Korea distance-wise from North Korea, but it took me five years to come to Seoul," he said. Park says the first year after arriving to Seoul and adapting to the culture was one of the most difficult times he had encountered in his lifetime. "I first thought we used the same language and share the same culture, but Seoul was filled with unfamiliar foreign languages and even in everyday conversations, I did not recognize many of the phrases spoken in Korean," Park said. Joseph was chosen to take part in the Obama Foundation Leaders: Asia-Pacific Program, which is a one year leadership development and engagement program that seeks to empower, inspire and connect emerging leaders from the Asia Pacific region. Not only did the program allow him to meet like-minded people, it also influenced his way of thinking about problems. "I think change happens on the fringe, not in the center," he said. "If you connect lots of small things one by one, it can bring big changes." South Americas largest oil producer, Brazil, will launch discussions on potentially joining OPEC in July, Brazilian Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque told Reuters on Wednesday. In July, Albuquerque is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, and on that occasion, Brazil could begin talks on becoming a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the minister said. Even if talks are successful, Brazil is not expected to become a member of OPEC this year, Albuquerque told Reuters. Currently, the South American oil producer is okay with the Brent Crude price at around US$64 a barrel as it is a fair price, the minister said. The idea that Brazil may join OPEC was first aired in October last year, when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that OPECs top producer and de facto leader Saudi Arabia had informally asked Brazil to join the organization. I personally would very much like Brazil to become a member of OPEC, Bolsonaro said at the Future Investment Initiative 2019 in Riyadh in October. The idea was met with resistance from the Brazilian industry because producers are concerned that once an OPEC member, Brazil may have to play along and comply with any organization-level production cuts just as its oil production is rising and set to continue to increase. Production in Brazil is rapidly growing thanks to start-ups of new offshore oil fields. OPEC itself estimates that Brazil will be the second-largest contributor to non-OPEC supply growth in 2020, after the United States. Brazil, like the United States, is not part of the OPEC+ coalition that currently restricts production hoping to draw down global oversupply. In November, Brazils crude oil production topped 3 million barrels per day for the first time ever, the National Petroleum Agency reported, adding that total oil and gas production rose to 3.95 million barrels of oil equivalent daily - also a record-breaking figure. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In an interview, Ms. Trump said she planned to continue talking about work force development at home, as part of a campaign message that will help her father. She is seen by campaign officials as one of the top fund-raisers and surrogates for the re-election campaign, though she said, Ive always bristled at the term surrogate, which she said suggested merely talking about things I havent been involved in. Her draw comes in large part because of her high name recognition across the United States, aides said, and her potential to sway the critical voting block of suburban women with a message about newly enacted benefits that she championed. In the White House, she pushed successfully for an expanded child tax credit though much of the benefit goes to well-to-do families and paid family leave for federal workers. I do think we have a lot of wins on the board the American people dont know about, she said. Ms. Trump, however, views herself less as a political voice like her brother Donald Trump, Jr., and more as someone who can mobilize voters and help her father through a focus on two issues the Democrats claim as their own: womens empowerment and the American work force. She said that she would continue to be focused on the areas where Ive helped the president move the ball. I gave up my life to move to Washington to try to help Americans, and Im proud of what weve been able to accomplish. Ms. Trump has become a fixture at major international gatherings since she raised hackles at her first one in 2017, when she briefly took her fathers chair at a Group of 20 summit meeting in Hamburg, Germany. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan invited her to the Group of 20 meeting last July in Osaka, where she gave a keynote address on womens empowerment, and then delivered a video report on Mr. Trumps dealings with foreign leaders. A brief video from a private gathering, showing her awkward foray into a conversation with the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and the International Monetary Fund, quickly went viral and fed criticism that she was out of her depth. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's open challenge to the opposition for a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was on Wednesday accepted by Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav threw a counter challenge for a debate on development. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi also responded to the challenge, telling Shah, "Daadhi wale se karo na' (Debate with a bearded man)." Accusing the Opposition of 'misleading' people on the amended citizenship law, Shah on Tuesday threw the challenge for the debate to Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. 'The BSP is ready to accept the challenge thrown by the central government, which is troubled by the organised struggle and agitation all over the country against the most controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, especially by the youth and women, for a debate on the issue on any platform and anywhere,' Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. Asked by reporters in Lucknow about Shah's challenge, Akhilesh Yadav said, "I challenge the BJP for a debate on development." "I ask them to fix a place or a forum, with their favourite channels and anchors, for a debate on development. We Samajwadis are ready for it. Why did they not want to debate on the state of the economy and demonetisation," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Yadav said those who 'understand the soul' of the country are opposed to the contentious law and accused the BJP of discrimination on the basis of religion. Speaking at a rally in Karimnagar district in Telangana, Owaisi wanted Shah to discuss the new law with him instead of others. "I am here.. debate with me.. why (debate) with these people.. 'daadhi wale se karo na' (debate with a bearded man). We will talk and debate on CAA, NPR and NRC," the leader of AIMIM said. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has already challenged Shah for a debate while party colleague P Chidambaram asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why he or his government did not accept his suggestion of the PM holding an open debate with five critics of the amended Citizenship Act and let people draw their own conclusion. 'I had suggested that the PM should select five of the most articulate critics and hold a Q&A session with them. Why doesn't the PM/Government accept the suggestion? 'Let five critics of CAA-NPR debate the PM. Let the event be televised live. And let the people draw their own conclusions,' he said on Twitter. In another tweet, he said, 'HM (home minister) has dared the Opposition to debate CAA. Is that not what the Opposition, jurists, academics, writers, artists, students and youth have been doing since Dec 12?' Shah challenging those who haven't come out of their homes to fight against him on CAA: Priyanka Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said Home Minister Shah is challenging those leaders on the citizenship law who have not come out of their homes to fight against him but are instead talking about problems of other states. In a tweet, she also mentioned the opening line of a hit song from the 1960s film Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai -- 'Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh, Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam' ...(This is a strange story with confusion over its beginning and the end)'. She wrote in the tweet in Hindi, 'The home minister is challenging those who have not even come out of their homes to fight against him, and the people whom he should throw a challenge are talking about problems of other states.' She went on to add, 'The people of Uttar Pradesh understand everything.' BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended a session on "Strategic Outlook: Eurasia" held in Davos as part of the World Economic Forum. The issues of cooperation between the Eurasian countries in trade, energy and transport areas were discussed, the importance of the fourth industrial revolution for the region was emphasized at the session. The session participants included President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga. Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakhariya, Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti and other influential people. [January 22, 2020] Ethereum Classic Labs Commits $1 Million in Partnership With UNICEF Innovation Fund to Promote Blockchain-Based Social Impact Solutions Ethereum Classic Labs, the core development and accelerator organization for the Ethereum Classic blockchain, today announced a $1 million commitment that will launch a key partnership with the UNICEF Innovation Fund. Blockchain start-ups that are working on social impact projects in emerging markets with the support of the UNICEF Innovation Fund will be selected to receive follow-on development funding from ETC Labs. Project teams will also receive ETC Labs training and mentorship that will help to expand the availability and use of impactful blockchain applications that solve social issues. ETC Labs will directly invest $750k in global startups that have graduated from the UNICEF Innovation Fund. In addition to the cash investment, the cohort of blockchain companies selected from the UNICEF Innovation Fund portfolio will receive support for project creation from the acclaimed developer team at ETC Labs Accelerate. The ETC Labs program provides developer training and mentoring to build products and services for a variety of use cases on Ethereum Classic, one of the world's major public blockchains. As part of the partnership, ETC Labs will contribute an additional $250k to the UNICEF Innovation Fund. The ETC Labs investment will help the UNICEF Innovation Fund to promote the creation of digital public goods and the adoption, use, and development of blockchain solutions across the blockchain ecosystem. "The future of blockchain depends upon use cases that demonstrate true social and economic impact, and the collaboration with UNICEF Innovation Fund helps achieve this goal," said James Wo, founder, ETC Labs. "ETC Labs is committed to driving forward and fulfilling the original promise of blockchain to deliver meaningful social impact solutions," said Terry Culver, ETC Labs CEO. "We're honored and excited to work with UNICEF; we share a common vision of harnessing blockchain to improve people's lives in some of the most challenging contexts around the world. This partnership with the UNICEF Innovation Fund will serve as the delivery vehicle to accomplish this goal." Three companies have been selected to date for follow-on investment based on the social impact, technology advancement, and capacity of their work to improve the lives of people in emerging markets: OS City, a Latin American company that leverages cloud computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence to create digital government services that help improve efficiency by increasing transparency and accountability in public allocation of resources. W3 Engineers, a Bangladesh-based company that provides connectivity solutions using open-source and blockchain technology in emerging markets that lack Internet or cellular network coverage. Prescrypto, a healthcare app launched in Mexico and designed to assure portability of sensitive clinical data in a secure and private way, ensuring that health prescription information remains accurate and accessible to necessary healthcare provider stakeholders. The UNICEF Innovation Fund invests in the exploration and prototyping of frontier technologies like data science, machine learning, drones, and blockchain. An early champion of blockchain technology, since 2016, UNICEF has undertaken large blockchain explorations such as smart contracts for organizational efficiencies, digital scarcity, digital collectibles, tokens, and ways to improve transparency and oversight of the appropriation of funds in the countries where UNICEF works. UNICEF has funded 39 startups in 23 countries, and will continue to support early stage, open-source projects advancing opportunities for people and communities in the countries and contexts where UNICEF works. About UNICEF The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. UNICEF USA supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit unicefusa.org or unicefinnovationfund.org. About Ethereum Classic Labs The mission of ETC Labs is to build relevant, accessible, and high-quality technology, and to use that technology to create communities of value in a mature and regulated ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to fulfill the promise of blockchain to improve people's lives using Ethereum Classic, one of the world's major public blockchains. The ETC Labs team of experts also fosters partnerships with organizations and institutions in order to address fundamental challenges in developing and deploying this innovative technology. We fulfill our mission in three ways: ETC Labs Accelerate, which invests in up to 25 blockchain projects annually that contribute to sustaining a robust ecosystem; strategic investments in innovative projects focused on economic and social development; and the ETC Core team of experts and developers who maintain the Ethereum Classic blockchain and build key applications, solutions, and tools. For more information, visit etclabs.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005733/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Baghdad, Iraq On January 3, soon after Iranian General Qassem Soleimani left Baghdad airport in an armoured vehicle, a US drone fired rockets at his convoy, killing the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iraqis accompanying him. The brazen assassination sent shockwaves through the Middle East and beyond, triggering fears of an all-out war between the United States and Iran in Iraq, where the two foes compete for influence. Iran did choose Iraqi soil to retaliate, sending a volley of missiles at two bases hosting US forces outside Baghdad and Erbil. The attacks on January 8 ended without any fatalities, however, easing worries of a regional conflagration. But as the smoke clears, what is worrying observers in Iraq is the death of the powerful Shia militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in the same US strike targeting Soleimani. His death leaves the paramilitary he commanded the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) without a clear successor, throwing the future of the 100,000-strong force into uncertainty and raising new concerns over instability in war-ravaged Iraq. The leadership vacuum is also likely to weaken Tehrans hand in Iraq, according to experts. The PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi, was formed in 2014, in response to a fatwa by Iraqs most influential Shia leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The religious leader had put out a call for volunteers to take on ISIL (ISIS) after the Sunni armed group conquered more than a third of Iraqi territory. Al-Muhandis, the widely used nom-de-guerre for Jamal Jaafar al-Ibrahimi, was the creator of the PMF, its over-seer, said Sajad Jiyad, managing director of Baghdad-based think-tank al-Bayan. With military backing from Soleimanis Quds Force, al-Muhandis helped unite the group of 50 disparate militias most of them Shia fighters into an effective force against ISIL. Mourners gather during a funeral procession for Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Basra, Iraq [AP] A fluent Farsi speaker who spent most of his adult life in Iran, al-Muhandis was the dominant administrator in charge of handling logistics, supply, personnel administration and coordinating the various competing factions of the PMF many of whom had a history of conflict with one another and represented a range of allegiances, including to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the powerful Iraqi nationalist and Shia leader, Moqtada al-Sadr. While Iran-aligned groups likely constitute a minority in the PMFs total number of fighters, al-Muhandiss command of the umbrella group gave Iran an influential stake in its affairs, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a London-based think-tank. Some experts contend it was Iranian pressure that pushed Iraqs government to incorporate the PMF into the states security apparatus in 2016, a move that provided the militia with heavy weaponry and significant financial resources. In 2019 alone, the group was allocated $2.16bn from the Iraqi state budget. Al-Muhandis played a key role in the process. He brought a visionary aspect to the PMF. He saw it not just as an organisation or state-sanctioned business, but more as a system relying on feedback loops, he understood the dynamics underlying the different divisions within the organisation, said Inna Rudolf, research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at Kings College, London. Perilous time In recent years, the PMF has also grown into a powerful political faction, with politicians aligned to the militia taking the most seats in Iraqs parliament in the 2018 legislative elections. Politicians from the Iran-allied factions in the PMF won 48 seats, coming in second behind al-Sadrs Sairun alliance, which took 54 in the 329-member assembly. The forces political and military clout has worried Washington, which has thousands of troops in Iraq to prevent a resurgence of ISIL, which was defeated in 2017. And as US-Iran tensions escalated last year in the aftermath of US President Donald Trumps pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposing punishing sanctions on Tehran the US army and the PMF accused the other of attacks on their positions in Iraq. The long-simmering hostilities boiled over late last year when a rocket attack on an Iraqi base hosting US troops killed an American defence contractor. Washington blamed the incident on Kataib Hezbollah, a militia founded by al-Muhandis, and carried out air raids on the groups bases in Syria and Iraq, killing 24 of its fighters. Days later, on December 29, PMF supporters stormed the US embassy, prompting a severe diplomatic crisis that culminated in the US killing of Soleimani. A woman wears the words powerful revenge on her hand, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, January 5, 2020 following the US air strike in Iraq that killed Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis [Maya Alleruzzo/ AP] It is not clear if the US intended to kill al-Muhandis in the same attack, but the dramatic US escalation makes for perilous times for Iraqs Shia militias, said Ranj Alaaldin, fellow at the Brookings Institute in Doha, Qatar. Iraqs Shia militias have been at the precipice of a major confrontation for a while. The threat perception among these groups is such that there is a palpable fear of becoming displaced or weakened by rivals looking to exploit the fallout, said Alaaldin, predicting a contentious succession battle pitting Iran-aligned groups that dominate the PMF against al-Sadrs bloc. Tehran has a lot at stake. The main contender from the pro-Iranian faction is Hadi al-Amiri, a former transport minister and the head of the Badr Organization, which forms the backbone of the PMF. Al-Amiri is a fluent Farsi speaker and an admirer of Soleimani, and thus likely to prioritise Irans interests, according to observers. Al-Sadr, however, has long opposed both US and Iranian influence in Iraq. The uncertainty hanging over the PMF presents a rare opportunity for the US to curb Tehrans hold over Baghdad, said one Iraqi diplomat who spoke to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity. Since Qassem Soleimani was killed, Iranian influence has lost the aggressiveness, the expansionist idea it used to have. So we have three or four years for a functional US policy in Iraq, after that, well go back to how it was before Soleimanis death, so its now or never to do something to confront the Iranian influence in Iraq. Iraqi demonstrators gather during continuing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq January 20, 2020 [Thaier al-Sudani/ Reuters] Public opinion, too, appears to be turning against the PMF. There have been calls to disband the group from protesters who have taken to the streets across cities in Iraq since October. Many question the value of the group in the wake of ISILs defeat, while human rights groups have accused some groups of war crimes and extortion in some of the areas they took back from ISIL. Yet, others said any attempts to sideline the group could provoke a backlash given its entrenchment in the Iraqi state. Can you just suddenly clamp down on this behaviour? Its very difficult to do without leading to violence and blowback, said Jiyad of al-Bayan. For now, despite the lack of a figurehead, the PMF appears to be united. Its various factions have promised to avenge al-Muhandiss killing by expelling US troops from the country. On January 13, al-Sadr held a meeting in the Iranian city of Qom to coordinate the PMFs efforts to expel US forces. In attendance were the leaders of several militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba. The groups have now announced a million-man march against the USs military presence for Friday. Meanwhile, PMF-aligned legislators pushed through a resolution on January 5 ordering caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdis government to end US military presence in Iraq something Washington has opposed vehemently. Abu Hadi al-Daraji, spokesman for the PMF, told Al Jazeera the group would remain a force in Iraq. As long as the Iraqi army, and the Iraqi police force are legitimate forces under the control of the Iraqi government, the Hashid Shaabi will be too, he said. Its a legitimate organisation. Gareth Browne reported from Baghdad. Zaheena Rasheed reported from Doha The health properties of tea have long been advertised. It maketh the body active and lusty a 1660 promotion suggested. However, before you dunk your teabag into a mug of steaming water, spare a thought for the environment. Some of them have polypropylene to help to seal them and it doesnt decompose. Loose tea is a simple alternative. If enough tea leaves could be grown, as Theresa Storey of Green Apron in Limerick has shown, we would really be able to support local. She is unlikely to be able to meet national demand, but she has made a brave and interesting start. For those who enjoy the subtleties of life, tea has much pleasure and amusement to offer, without breaking the bank. For this survey, we looked at breakfast-style black tea a refreshing cup which delivers a morning boost. Black tea has 60mg to 90mg per 225g cup of caffeine (coffee usually has double) and has plenty of healthy antioxidants too. Many now drink tea weak, without milk. Milk changes the flavour, so we blind-tested several times, black and with milk, varying quantities too. All those we tested specified it should be made with freshly boiled water (boiling reduces oxygen), allowing 1-2 teaspoons per person in a pot (a cafetiere works perfectly) for three minutes for the tea to infuse. (Some blenders cut the leaves for quicker infusion.) There are lots of filters, strainers and baskets available to make in a cup. Whittard 01 English Breakfast 140g 15 Tops with all tasters, it had a bright golden colour and bright flavour too. While the taste was of traditional tea, it was also elegant. Very good without milk, use a heaped teaspoon per per person with milk. In a pretty, floral-patterned, well-sealed caddy, while expensive, it has a double seal and can be re-used. Without caddy online 100g is 7, whittard.co.uk/tea. We bought in Brown Thomas. Score: 9.25 Dunnes Stores Traditional Tea 227g 1.99 Immediately all tasters agreed this tea was well balanced with a clean taste. Later, when they saw it was such good value, they liked it all the more. Blended by Barrys and packed in Co Cork, its a quite an elegant tea, with and without milk. Score: 9 Mahers Assam 100g 3.40 A grand cuppa, said one taster and the others agreed it had a lot going for it. Interesting, delicate, most thought it was best without milk, but would make it stronger if using some. They were right, it worked. From Mahers Oliver Plunket Street, Cork, shop, where there is a good range of pots, strainers and filters. Score: 9 Three Spoons FTGF0P1 Mokalbari East from Assam 100g 5.45 This tea had a nutty freshness, clean, yet with a deep, traditional tea flavour. Leaves plump up nicely and didnt flow through the strainer. A delicious brew. We also loved OP (Orange Pekoe) Blackwood (100g 6.95), an organic and Fair Trade wiry leaved tea from Ceylon which has a deep red colour with an impressive bouquet and rich aftertaste. From an extensive range at Market Parade, 10, Patrick Street, Cork. Score: 9 Lyons Gold Blend 250g 3.69 The flavour here was strong and lively, and while not any tasters favourite, there were no real criticisms of it either. A blend of Kenyan, Assam and Ceylon teas, with Rainforest Alliance accreditation. While originating in UK and blended there, it once had an Irish holding company. It is now owned by multinational Unilever. Score: 8.25 Barrys Classic Blend 250g 4.15 From Rainforest Alliance certified farms, by far the oldest and best loved Irish tea blenders and still based in Cork, the black box is the companys premier offering and has plenty of richness. Described as a good builders tea by one taster, it can take a lot of diluting when served without milk. We made it at half strength and still pleased those who like a milder, but robust, brew. Score: 8.75 Loose Leaf The Merchant Prince 100g 6 timg]ImFromCorkTea_large.jpg[/timg] A blend of Ceylonese highland, Assam and Java teas, this is a strong, highly flavoured, large-leaved aromatic tea, best suited to drinking with milk (or weaker without). We also liked its Russian blend Samowar and Irish Breakfast teas. From Loose Leaf, a charming shop with a huge range suited to many tastes at 4 Fenns Quay, Cork. Score: 9 McEntees Gold Blend 250g 6.75 Earthy was the word used by one taster to describe this classic traditional blend of Assam and Kenyan teas with lively, complex flavours blended by Helen and Donal McEntee in Co Louth. Ease off quantity if drinking black. If serving with milk, use a teaspoon of tea per person. Score: 8.75 The 18th meeting of the Governing Council of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN IPR) took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 21, the first during Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. Ambassador Tran Duc Binh, head of Vietnams permanent delegation to ASEAN and Chairman of the ASEAN IPRs Governing Council. (Photo: VNA) The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Tran Duc Binh, head of Vietnams permanentdelegation to ASEAN and Chairman of the ASEAN IPRs Governing Council. Addressing the meeting, Ambassador Binh congratulated Thailand on thesuccess of the year it held the Chairmanship of the ASEAN, and praised Thailandscontributions as Chair of the ASEAN IPR in 2019. He shared Vietnams priorities during the year it serves as ASEAN Chair,noting that one of them is to promote programmes and activities related towomen, peace and security in ASEAN in the context that maintaining peace andsecurity continue to be one of the focuses of the association. The council discussed and adopted the ASEAN IPRs working programme in2020, acknowledged the financial report for 2019 and proposed working budget in2020 for the ASEAN IPRs Secretariat. The meeting also considered some proposals on projects and activities ofthe ASEAN IPR in the time ahead, including training to raise peace andreconciliation capacity, a research project to support women, peace and securityin ASEAN, a symposium on young people and technology, and Vietnams proposal onorganizing a workshop on ASEAN womens role in maintaining sustainable peaceand security in the digital era in Vietnam in May this year. Established in 2012, the ASEAN IPR is an ASEAN institutiondedicated to researchactivities and supporting the ASEAN bodies on the issues of peace, reconciliation, conflict management and conflictresolution./. VNA An alcohol brand is giving one lucky Australian the chance to party hard, craft world-class cocktails and travel the globe for a living. New York-based rum label Sailor Jerry is hiring a 'chief party innovator' in Sydney to throw 'the most epic parties Australia has ever seen'. To be successful, applicants should have a passion for music, art and alcohol, be prepared to travel the world at a moment's notice and above all - know how to party. Hopefuls must upload their CV, Instagram handle and a unique video showcasing all the reasons they are the perfect candidate for the job to Sailor Jerry's official application site. New York based rum label Sailor Jerry is looking to hire a 'chief party innovator' in Sydney to throw 'the most epic parties Australia has ever seen' (stock image) WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A 'CHIEF PARTY INNOVATOR' To be successful, an applicant should... - Know how to command a room - Know how to throw an 'epic' party - Live a 'rock'n'roll' lifestyle - Always be the centre of attention - Have a strong appreciation of tattoos, music, art and travel - Enjoy drinking all sorts of rum Source: Sailor Jerry Advertisement Desirable qualities for the role include natural charisma, the ability to command a room and hold an audience's attention, the tendency to follow a 'rock'n'roll' lifestyle and a passion for drinking all kinds of rum. The successful applicant will spend less time in an office and more time in bars, mingling with bartenders, industry experts and rum connoisseurs. Days will be spent socialising at festivals and events, while nights will be whiled away in pubs and clubs, entertaining and ordering 'large rounds' for guests and exploring new opportunities to bring rum to a wider audience. The dress code is a 'free for all', with employees who arrive in suits or smart attire likely to face a 'formal warning' from Sailor Jerry bosses. New York based rum label Sailor Jerry is looking to hire a 'chief party innovator' in Sydney to throw 'the most epic parties Australia has ever seen' 'We prefer the sleeveless look - the only sleeves accepted are tattoos. 'This is a role that won't come round too often. Don't live a life full of regrets,' the job advertisement says. The unique position has been created to celebrate the launch of the brand's first ever 'Ready To Drink' cans (RTDs), a pre-made blend of alcohol and mixer in two flavours, rum and cola and rum, ginger ale and lime. Australian rum lovers will be the first to taste Sailor Jerry's RTDs before they launch across Europe and North America later this year. Sandra Gonzalez, shareholder of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will speak on a panel at the American Conference Institute (ACI) Forum on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Jan. 29-30, in Houston, Texas. Gonzalez will participate in a session titled, The New Risk of a Parents Liability for the Acts of Minority-Owned Subsidiaries and Affiliates. Gonzalez and fellow panelists will address a parent companys responsibilities when it has a minority stake in a subsidiary/affiliate, how to address conflicting policies and approaches to compliance, and more. With a packed conference agenda, Gonzalez will speak on Jan. 30 at 1:15 pm. The annual ACI Forum in Houston brings together 1700+ professionals to discuss best approaches and solutions to global legal and compliance issues. ACIs Forum on the FCPA in Houston is the premier FCPA conference in Texas. It is fantastic both in terms of its sophisticated content and the high-caliber professionals that attend, Gonzalez said. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with attendees and to learn from others. Gonzalez focuses her practice on international compliance matters including the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act, among others. She assists clients in designing and implementing anti-corruption compliance policies and procedures, assisting in compliance investigations, and performing risk assessments. In addition to her practice, Gonzalez serves as the co-chair of GTs Latino affinity group. She is also the pro bono liaison for the Austin office and regularly organizes events to facilitate involvement from other attorneys. Individually, she provides pro bono counsel to numerous clients through her work with American Gateways. Gonzalez has held leadership and committee positions in the Travis County Women Lawyers Association (TCWLA). She received TCWLAs Presidents Award in 2015. To learn more about the ACI Forum on the FCPA visit https://www.americanconference.com/fcpa-houston/ About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig and part of its history. With more than 125 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports. About Greenberg Traurigs Womens Initiative: Greenberg Traurig is committed to its women lawyers success, which includes a firmwide womens affinity group encompassing recruiting, retention, and business development. The firm regularly collaborates with like-minded organizations to address these issues on a broader scale in a variety of industries and communities. Greenberg Traurig also takes thoughtful action to when addressing issues such as maintaining a healthy work-life balance, breaking the glass ceiling, mentoring, creating and maintaining healthy lifestyles, and giving back to the community. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2100 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father told a bombshell documentary how he cried as he watched her marry Prince Harry on TV from a 'safe house' after his release from hospital. In the 90-minute documentary that aired on Channel 5 last night, a visibly crestfallen Thomas Markle described having to watch his daughter Meghan walk down the aisle on television as he recovered from a heart attack. An emotional Mr Markle told the interviewer he was 'jealous' of the Prince of Wales walking his daughter down the aisle was something he 'really wanted to do'. He said: 'My daughter looked beautiful. I wish that I could have been there with her. I was certainly appreciative Charles was there. I admit I cried a bit about that. To this day I can't forget that moment.' In the extraordinary film the 75-year-old American, who has not spoken to his daughter since her May 2018, detailed the breakdown of their relationship and accused Prince Harry of acting like a 'sensitive' 12-year-old. And he defended his decision to speak out in the film and to be paid for the lengthy interview. He said: 'At this point, they owe me. The royals owe me. Harry owes me, Meghan owes me. What I've been through I should be rewarded for. My daughter told me that when I reach my senior years she'll take care of me. I'm in my senior years now it's time to look after Daddy.' In a Channel 5 TV documentary, Thomas Markle describes Meghan and Harry's behaviour as embarrassing The opening scenes showed Thomas Markle looking at various royal gifts he has received, such as a mug commemorating the birth of Archie, his grandson. Mr Markle, proudly shows a picture of Meghan on the day of her birth, and describes her as a 'natural beauty' and the most 'special thing in my life.' The documentary moves onto his upbringing, and he shows a number of pictures of him as a young boy, in which he jokes: 'I looked like Harry...better looking' (pictured) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 The retired Hollywood lighting director, who has never met the royal couple's baby son Archie, described his relationship with his daughter as 'complicated'. He insisted: 'To them I don't exist and now Harry, whether he realises it or not, is part of my family and I'm part of his. We should be talking.' He added: 'He's not 12 years old any more he's got no right to be this sensitive.' Mr Markle, who divorced Meghan's mother Dora in the late 1980s, said the last time he spoke to his daughter was during an emotional series of phone calls days before her wedding. He was due to walk Meghan up the aisle for her wedding in Windsor, but offered to pull out when it emerged that he had made a secret deal with a photographer. He agreed to pose for photos which showed him preparing for the wedding shortly after Kensington Palace appealed for the media to respect his privacy. Mr Markle said his involvement in the deal would 'haunt me for the rest of my life', and detailed a phone call in which Harry reprimanded him over the decision. The American has not spoken to his daughter since her wedding in May 2018, and admitted crying as he watched her tie the knot with Prince Harry He said that he offered to apologise to the Queen and the Royal Family, but was told not to do so. Days later, he was taken to hospital for emergency heart surgery and was told by doctors he would not be able to fly to Britain for the wedding. Recalling the series of phone calls, he said Harry had told him off over the deal with the photographer. He added: 'Harry said to me, 'If you had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened to you'. I said to him, 'It's too bad I didn't die because then you guys could pretend you were sad,' and then I hung up on them. I was done.' Mr Markle said he had spoken to the couple after his operation when he learned he would not be able to fly to Britain. He said: 'I'm sure Meghan cried and was very upset, and I'm sure Harry seemed upset.' Mr Markle also told the programme: 'Meghan and Harry said they would protect me from [stress]. Their protection was simply to say, 'don't talk to anybody'.' He did not hold out much hope of a reconciliation, saying: 'The last time they might see me is being lowered into the ground. I don't think at this point they're thrilled to see me or want to talk to me.' The 90-minute documentary used previously unseen photographs and home videos to chart Meghan's early years The documentary also looked at the early parts of Mr Markle's life before Meghan was born, Pictured: Mr Markle as a young man In the film, Thomas Markle: My Story, he said he was embarrassed and disappointed by Meghan and Harry's decision to step back from their duties as senior royals. The 90-minute documentary used previously unseen photographs and home videos to chart Meghan's early years, when she lived with her father between the ages of 11 and 18. In the past, Mr Markle has claimed that he paid for his daughter's education. He said he had sold Facebook shares to pay 15,000 towards her first wedding to producer Trevor Engelson in 2011, but claimed she had given him no financial support since marrying Harry. Mr Markle, speaking from his home in Mexico, also told how he only learned Meghan was pregnant when he heard it on the radio. He added: 'It's almost a joke when you tell people you heard it on the radio. This is my daughter talking about my grandchild. She's going to have a grandchild that's mine and I'm not hearing about it on the phone. I'm hearing about it on the radio.' Mr Markle said he was ready to give evidence against the couple in a court case they launched after he gave one of Meghan's letters to the Mail on Sunday. She lived with her father between the ages of 11 and 18. In the past, Mr Markle has claimed that he paid for his daughter's education. He told Channel 5 he wanted to set the record straight after Meghan's friends had briefed a US magazine that the letter was a 'loving' attempt at a reconciliation, when he believed it was an attack. He insisted he had held back parts of the letter which were 'too offensive and too hurtful to me', but added: 'I'm going to defend myself.' The duchess has alleged that the Mail on Sunday the sister paper of the Daily Mail breached her privacy, her data rights and her copyright when it published parts of the letter. The newspaper denies her claim and is expected to call Mr Markle as a witness if the case is heard at the High Court. At his home Mr Markle proudly showed off various royal gifts he had received, such as a mug commemorating the birth of Archie, his grandson. And he even joked that he had heard about Meghan and Harry branded condoms. Viewers were treated to pictures of Meghan on the day of her birth, and he describes her as a 'natural beauty' and the most 'special thing in my life.' There were also pictures of Mr Markle's upbringing, with pictures of him as a young man. In one picture of him as a boy, he jokes: 'I looked like Harry...better looking.' He told the 90-minute documentary about meeting Meghan's mother, and and how he felt about his daughter was born by C-section. A number of new unseen clips and photographs were seen in the documentary on Channel 5 'Not everybody seems to approve of those kind of relationships,' he added with regards to being in a mixed-race relationship with Doria. 'People would look at Doria like she was a housekeeper. It wasn't fair. Of course it wasn't fair. 'I think she's going through the same problem right now with the royals. I don't think they know where to place her. She always looks scared. She always looks like a deer in the headlights.' He spoke of his elation when he found out that Doria was pregnant and that he was 'knocked out by that child' when Meghan was born. He added: 'When they handed me the baby I was thrilled I could not be happier. I looked at her and saw her face and finger around my finger and that was it. I knew she was going to be special.' The documentary was spliced with adorable images of Meghan fishing and joking with her father on various home movies. The 90-minute documentary, Thomas Markle: My Story, explores the background to what it calls his 'complicated' relationship with his daughter and their dramatic fallout in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. The 90-minute documentary, Thomas Markle: My Story, explores the background to what it calls his 'complicated' relationship with his daughter and their dramatic fallout in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. Mr Markle's intervention in the monarchy's worst crisis for a generation came as the Queen's top aides finalised a deal for the couple, who are quitting as frontline Royals and leaving Britain to seek financial independence. The 90-minute documentary explores the background to what he calls his 'complicated' relationship with his daughter and their dramatic fallout in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. In addition, it charts Meghan's formative years she lived with Thomas between the ages of 11 and 18. 'Uncomfortable to watch...why didn't the royals help Thomas Markle more?' Viewers feel sorry for Meghan's father after bombshell documentary about his relationship with his duchess daughter Viewers said they felt sorry for Thomas Markle in tonight's bombshell documentary which charted his relationship with the Duchess of Sussex. In a tell-all 90-minute film, he accused his daughter and son-in-law of saying 'trashy things' about him and revealed he cried while watching Meghan walk down the aisle on her wedding day. Mr Markle also said that Meghan had promised to look after him in his 'senior years'. He said: At this point, they owe me. The Royals owe me. Harry owes me, Meghan owes me. What I've been through I should be rewarded for. My daughter told me that when I reach my senior years she'll take care of me.' Social media users watching the extraordinary film seemed sympathetic to Mr Markle, with a number of people saying he seemed like a good father and a 'genuine guy'. In a tell-all 90-minute film, he accused his daughter and son-in-law of saying 'trashy things' about him and revealed he cried while watching Meghan walk down the aisle on her wedding day Shanelle Stephens said: #ThomasMarkle seems like he was a really decent dad to Meghan. It's so sad now she's married into a prestigious family she doesn't want anything to do with him. 'It's not like he wasn't there for her when she was growing up. He was in your life #MeghanMarkle reach out to him. Captain Tykey said: 'Bless #thomasmarkle, so sad watching this. Clearly loves her very much.' Another Twitter user said: '#Thomasmarkle has every right to tell his story. The guy has been slaughtered across the news and social media for two years.' And Meg La Maniac, said: 'The Thomas Markle documentary is a tear jerker. He's a sweet humble man. Both taz and I are crying!' Mr Markle's intervention in the monarchy's worst crisis for a generation came as the Queen's top aides finalised a deal for the couple, who are quitting as frontline Royals and leaving Britain to seek financial independence. The 90-minute documentary explores the background to what he calls his 'complicated' relationship with his daughter and their dramatic fallout in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. In addition, it charts Meghan's formative years she lived with Thomas between the ages of 11 and 18. A Lakeview man who fled from a state trooper instead of pulling over, and who led them on a short foot chase, was arrested Friday on a range of charges. His female passenger was also arrested. Troopers from the Mt. Pleasant post attempted to pull the GMC pickup over at approximately 2:45 p.m. Friday near the intersection of 170th Avenue and 8 Mile Road in Mecosta Countys Cedar Township, according to a state police press release. Instead, the 47-year-old Lakeview man drove south on 170th Avenue. The truck slid off the road at an icy patch near its intersection with 7 Mile Road. When troopers arrived on the scene, the man had fled, but his 32-year-old female passenger was in the ditch with the vehicle. Troopers caught the man after a short foot chase. He was arrested for fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing, driving without a license and a probation violation. They also found that he was wanted on a narcotics-related warrant. She was arrested for violating probation. Troopers found she was also wanted on a retail fraud-related warrant. While searching the scene, officers found methamphetamine. Both were taken to the Mecosta County Jail. Troopers were assisted by deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriffs Office, and Curries Towing of Big Rapids. READ MORE: - Total funding exceeds $180 million, including the most recent Series B round of $161 million. This is the largest funding round in the cell-based meat industry. - Memphis Meats intends to use the funds to build a pilot production facility, grow its world-class team and bring products to market. - New investors include SoftBank Group, Norwest and Temasek. BERKELEY, California, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The leading cell-based meat, poultry and seafood company Memphis Meats has announced the close of a $161 million funding round. This breakthrough round marks the largest funding moment in the history of the cell-based meat industry, and will enable Memphis Meats to reach a historic milestone of bringing its products to consumers. In total, the company has raised more than $180 million. Memphis Meats expects to use the funds to build a pilot production facility, continue to grow its world-class team, and to hit a major milestone of launching products into the market. The company has not yet announced a date for product launch, and is working with regulatory agencies to ensure a timely and safe market entry. The Series B round is led by SoftBank Group, Norwest and Temasek. Also joining the round are new and existing investors including Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Threshold Ventures, Cargill, Tyson Foods, Finistere, Future Ventures, Kimbal Musk, Fifty Years and CPT Capital. This round extends the Memphis Meats coalition to Asia, which is a strategically valuable market for cell-based meat and faces significant challenges in meeting growing demand for meat. "We are excited to welcome these investors into our Big Tent," said Uma Valeti, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Memphis Meats. "Memphis Meats is revolutionizing how meat is brought to every table around the world. We are providing compelling and delicious choices by producing real meat from animal cells, its natural building blocks. Cell-based meat is poised to dramatically expand humanity's capacity to feed a growing global population while preserving our culinary traditions and protecting our planet." As an expert in consumer businesses, Jeff Housenbold, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers said, "I am delighted that SoftBank Group is supporting Memphis Meats and its talented team in their mission to deliver a more sustainable, humane and secure food system." Said Priti Youssef Choksi, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners: "The reality is that conventional production methods for meat can't keep up with global demand, which is expected to double by 2050. Cell-based meat addresses this issue while offering enormous potential to improve the environment and have a positive impact on food safety and animal welfare. Memphis Meats is on a mission to serve up real meat without the compromise. We are thrilled to partner with this visionary team." About Memphis Meats Based in Berkeley, CA, Memphis Meats is developing methods to produce meat directly from animal cells, without the need to breed or slaughter animals. The company released the world's first cell-based meatball in February 2016 and the world's first cell-based poultry in March 2017. It aims to bring to the market delicious, real meat that is significantly better for the environment, animals and public health, while claiming a share of the $1.4 trillion global market for meat. For more information, please visit www.memphismeats.com . About Norwest Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $9.5 billion in capital. Since our inception, we have invested in more than 600 companies and partner with over 150 active companies currently in our venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early to late stage companies across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise, and healthcare. We offer a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com . Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP. About Temasek Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$313 billion (US$231b) as of 31 March 2019. Temasek's Charter roles as an investor, institution and steward, shape its investment stance, ethos and philosophy, to do well, do right and do good. Its investment philosophy is anchored around four key themes - Transforming Economies, Growing Middle Income Populations, Deepening Comparative Advantages, Emerging Champions. Temasek actively seeks sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as it captures investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, Temasek has 11 offices around the world: Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore in Asia; and London, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Mexico City, and Sao Paulo outside Asia. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg . Additional quotes about this announcement: Richard Branson: "I am proud to invest once again in Memphis Meats, the world's leading cell-based meat company. In the next few decades I believe that cell-based meat will become a major part of our global meat supply. I cannot wait for that day!" Heidi Roizen, Partner, Threshold Ventures: "Memphis Meats is a game-changer - a company that can not only be a massive force in the market, but also one that will have a huge positive impact on the challenge of feeding the world in a sustainable way. We are thrilled to continue to support their ambitious vision." Elizabeth Gutschenritter, managing director of Cargill's alternative protein team: "To meet the growing global demand for protein, it will take all of us working together - we need both animal and cell-based. Our continued investment in Memphis Meats underscores our inclusive approach to the future of meat. We need all options on the table to meet customer and consumer needs now and in the future." Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO, North American Meat Institute: "We embrace innovation that can expand consumer choices and feed the growing demand for protein around the world. We're delighted to see Memphis Meats continue to lead the way in developing this new technology." Anne Veneman, former US Secretary of Agriculture, former executive director of UNICEF, Memphis Meats advisor: "The success of food and agriculture in the US is driven by innovation. And Memphis Meats is a leader in innovating new sustainable products to give consumers more choice." Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director, Good Food Institute: "Memphis Meats pioneered the birth and growth of the cell-based meat industry and has been raising the bar ever since. This investment round is a monumental milestone in the progress of the field and will help Memphis Meats move toward the scale they need to get their products to market, with huge positive results for climate change, food security, and global health." More information: www.memphismeats.com www.twitter.com/MemphisMeats www.instagram.com/memphismeats/ www.facebook.com/memphismeats Media kit: Press kit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a8d448rg2ia38wb/AADuRbATpdsm6zlkzXWFBB53a?dl=0 By IANS MUMBAI: The CBI has initiated a probe into four separate cases registered by Mumbai Police against gangster Chhota Rajan, including those lodged between 1995 and 1998. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the matter and registered the separate FIRs on Tuesday in these cases which were registered in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 in separate police stations. In October last year, the CBI had also begun a probe into five cases against Rajan, including those related to his initial days when he was working as an alleged bootlegger with his mentor Rajan Nair alias Bada Rajan over three decades ago. Those cases were registered by Mumbai Police in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. With the four new First Information Reports (FIRs), the number of cases against Rajan Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, being probed by the agency has increased to 80. Soon after the arrest of Chhota Rajan on October 25, 2015, after his deportation from Indonesia, following an Interpol Red Corner Notice, the Maharashtra government had handed over 71 cases to the CBI. Chhota Rajan is currently lodged in Tihar Jail's Super High-Security Jail no. 2. He is a former member of D-Company, who split with Dawood on communal lines after the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. Greta Thunberg was among four young climate activists to criticise the elites gathered at the World Economic Forum for not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency and warned them time was running out. At a panel in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the four said they hoped their generation had found its voice and can work with those in power to bring about the necessary change to limit climate change. Yet Greta said not enough has been done. "We need to start listening to the science, and treat this crisis with the importance it deserves," said the 17-year-old, just as US President Donald Trump was arriving in Davos and was due to give a speech. Mr Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris accord to limit climate change and has traded barbs with Greta on social media. "Without treating it as a real crisis we cannot solve it," Greta said. The Swedish teenager came to fame by staging a regular strike at her school, sparking a global movement that eventually earned her 'Time' magazine's 2019 Person of the Year award. She said that people are more aware about climate issues now. Expand Close Criticised over stance: US President Donald Trump in Davos. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Criticised over stance: US President Donald Trump in Davos. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images "It feels like the climate and environment is a hot topic now, thanks to young people pushing," the campaigner said. Speaking in the afternoon, she brushed aside Mr Trump's announcement that the US would join the economic forum's initiative to plant one trillion trees across the globe to help capture carbon dioxide from Earth's atmosphere. "Planting trees is good of course, but it's nowhere near enough. "It cannot replace mitigation," she added, referring to efforts to drastically cut emissions in the near term. Greta accused leaders of "cheating and fiddling around with numbers" with talk of cutting emissions to 'net zero' - that is, emitting no more carbon than is absorbed by the planet or technical means - by 2050. While there has been widespread criticism both inside and outside the United States over Mr Trump's decision to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate accord, Greta said the rest of the world, too, was effectively missing the targets set down in that agreement. She dismissed the notion that climate change is a partisan issue, insisting that "this isn't about right or left". Responding to those who have accused her of doom-mongering, she said her message was simply based on scientific facts, not irrational fears. "My generation will not give up without a fight," she said. The others that were on the panel were just as forceful and passionate about the effects of global warming and how they, as young people, need to play a central role in raising awareness and insist on change. "The older generation has a lot of experience, but we have ideas, we have energy, and we have solutions," said Natasha Wang Mwansa, an 18-year-old activist from Zambia who campaigns for girls' and women's rights. Salvador Gomez-Colon, who raised funds and awareness after Hurricane Maria devastated his native Puerto Rico in 2017, said young activists are doing more than just talking. "We're not waiting five, 10, 20 years to take the action we want to see," he said. "We're not the future of the world, we're the present, we're acting now. We're not waiting any longer." Greta said the time for action was now, that being at the top of the agenda meant nothing if the world doesn't get to grips with the climate emergency. "I am not the person who can complain about not being heard. I'm being heard all the time," she said. "But in general the science and the voice of young people is not in the centre of the conversation." Autumn Peltier, the chief water commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation of indigenous people in Canada, said plaudits are not what they are looking for at the World Economic Forum. "I don't want your awards. If you are going to award me, award me with helping to find solutions and helping to make change," said the 15-year-old. Sentsov was released from Russian jail as part of a prisoner exchange on September 7, 2019. The Ukrainian State Film Agency has announced that the world premiere of Numbers (Nomera) by Ukrainian film directors Oleh Sentsov and Akhtem Seitablaiev will take place at the Berlin International Film Festival (the 2020 Berlinale) on February 18. Based on Sentsov's eponymous play, the film will be shown for the first time as part of special screenings dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Berlin International Film Festival, the agency's press service said on January 21. Numbers is a film that is "unique to the Ukrainian film industry," as during Sentsov was serving time as a political prisoner in Russia's high-security penal colony as he co-directed it remotely, sending piles of letters to his colleagues in Ukraine. Co-director Akhtem Seitablaiev and producer Anna Palenchuk helped Sentsov embody his plot on the set. "Oleh and Akhtem discussed the work process in more than a hundred letters, according to Anna," the press service said. Read alsoSentsov gets Polish Film Academy's special prize for courage As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian FSB detained Sentsov in the occupied Crimea in the spring of 2014, later transferring the film director for a court hearing in Russia. In August 2015, Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison on trumped-up terror and arson charges. Sentsov had been serving a sentence at a penal colony in a remote town of Labytnangi in Russia's Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. A major international effort involving politicians, media, artists, and civil activists had been urging for Sentsov's release and stressing the political nature of his case. He was eventually released and returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner exchange on September 7, 2019. - Bishop Thomas Kakala said the current locust invasion in Kenya is like the one that was documented in the book of Exodus in the Bible - He said the only solution to the problem was for Kenyans to return to God and repent -The man of God called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to call for a national prayer day to solve the problem A preacher in Malindi, Kilifi county, has claimed God is punishing Kenyans with locusts infestation due to bad leadership in the country. According to Bishop Thomas Kakala of Jesus Cares Centre Ministries, locust invasion is the Biblical plague that God usually sends to punish a nation for messed up leadership. READ ALSO: Babu Owino to benefit from mattresses donated to Industrial Area remand by MP Jaguar Bishop Thomas Kakala when he spoke to journalists during a past press briefing in Malindi. Photo: The Star Source: UGC READ ALSO: Tangatanga wageuza vichwa, wasema wako tayari kushiriki mikutano ya BBI Speaking to KTN News, the man of the cloth opined that the problem could only be solved through serious prayers. "What is happening has two perspectives, there is a worldly view and a spiritual view- everything that happens in the physical world has its spiritual basis. "Locusts were among 10 plagues sent by God to Egypt because the leader of the nation was arrogant to God, if God wants to punish a king he punishes the people," said Kakala. READ ALSO: Elgeyo Marakwet woman stirs internet with passionate defence of William Ruto The Malindi-based man of God drew his analogy from the Bible in the book of Exodus in which he likened the locusts that destroyed crops to the situation that the country is currently experiencing. ''I am watching and have no problem with anyone. The locusts are God sent because of the problems of the rulers,'' he said. Kakala said in the case of the Exodus story, the only remedy Pharaoh used was to call Moses and repent but current political leadership had no prophets. A resident of Garissa trying to chase away locusts. The invasion started with the northern parts and has since spread to other counties across the country. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: PM without portfolio? Raila's beefed up security detail raises eyebrows ''When Pharaoh repented, God sent wind and removed all locusts to where they had come from, "Kenya must change and turn to God. People should repent their sins, and this begins with the king to call his prophets and organise a national prayer day,'' he urged. Kakala called for a national prayer day like in the case of Tanzania which he said had turned into a food basket under the leadership of President John Magufuli. The locust invasion started off in the northern parts and has currently spread to other counties in Mt Kenya. Government's efforts to contain the situation by spraying them with insecticides have yielded very little returns given the fast rate at which the insects are spreading. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke E x Love Island stars Ellie Brown and Michael Griffiths have revealed that they are both single, despite getting together while appearing on Ex On The Beach. Ellie confirmed that they coupled up after she saw a new side of Michael in the Ex On The Beach villa - one she said people did not see on Love Island in 2019. However, they decided to not go further with their romance in order to prevent anyones feelings from getting hurt. The star, who appeared on Love Island in 2018, explained on The Reality Tea podcast: Obviously, Michael had been through the experience that he had been through with Love Island so he was a little bit sensitive and he was so scared to go through what he went through again, so we all became quite protective of him quite quick. Ellie found fame on Love Island 2018 / ITV When we got to know him we realised Oh my god, youre really nice and understood situations that didnt look right on the TV. And we could see how much he was hurting and we all got quite protective over him. The 22-year-old added: It was the final week, wasnt it? And we kind of just like got closer through being best mates in there. It was like it werent supposed to happen. And then we are together on the last week, but it wasnt supposed to happen. But its quite cute to watch. However, the unlikely relationship did not last long as they split up after the show finished filming, with Michael telling Ellie that he didnt want to hurt her, so they decided not to make things official. Michael Griffiths found fame on Love Island 2019 / ITV Michael chipped in and added: Right. So Ill explain it from my point. So from the get go, I said to Ellie that I didnt want anything to kind of progress any way because I thought that I would hurt her. In response, Ellie said: Yeah, when we left the villa we said we werent in a relationship. That was always like set in stone. Michael concluded: So was I. I dont want it to go anywhere because I know Im gonna hurt you. And I dont want to lose the friendship that Ive got with you because I adore Elllie, I do. Speaking about the break-up, Ellie revealed: Its such a tough one, I dont even think we really understand it. I think its more just that we hit the nail on the head before. Amber Gill and Michael Griffiths famously broke up in Love Island 2019 / ITV Like you always said, you never go beyond that point because you didnt want me to get feelings or whatever and then I think when it did go beyond that point, thats when it got a bit messy. And it was kind of just like it had to be left. While on Love Island, Michael famously broke up with eventual winner Amber Gill in scenes that dominated headlines. He went on to couple up with Joanna Chimonides before attempting to return to Amber when Joanna was dumped from the villa. Ellie was coupled up with socialite Charlie Brake the year before, and ended her relationship with Charlie just months after they left the villa in the summer of 2018. Ellie emerged from the sea on the first episode of Celebrity Ex on The Beach on January 21 to greet ex Joey Essex, having had a brief romance with the TOWIE star after she left Love Island two years ago. Celebrity Ex On The Beach launched yesterday on MTV and is billed as the celebrity version for the 11th series because, for the first time, it features a set of famous cast members including TV personality Calum Best, Olympic athlete Ashley McKenzie, Love Island Georgia Harrison and The Valleys star Lateysha Grace. Invisible Jails, by Orwa al-Ahmad, examine the lives and fears of Syrian refugees who are now living in the West writes Zaman Al Wasl. The Syrian documentary Invisible Jails by Orwa al-Ahmad has recently won five international awards, including Best Documentary and Best Director at the Kosice Film Festival in Slovakia, the jury prize at the Beyond Earth Film Festival, and was also nominated for Best Film Award at the 50th edition of the KRAF Festival in Croatia. The film addresses the concerns of Syrians in Europe, who become involved with the cultures of their alternative homelands, as their return to Syria is no longer a possibility. The movie attempts to intertwine their concerns with Western individuals, highlighting their feelings of fear and confusion about the past, present and future. Nine years of war in Syria has driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6 million as refugees to neighboring countries. Ahmad explained that the movie idea emerged while he was thinking about common features in all human beings, regardless of culture, language and attitude, finding that fear and pain are humankinds most shared experiences. Therefore, before starting the production of the film, he asked a group of people specific questions about the things they fear in life. The movie included four main protagonists, including Ahmad, each of them with a different experience, from a man who sought asylum by sea, to a girl who fears never seeing her mother again after moving to Europe. Ahmad was looking into the causes for their fears. Some people feared the past, carrying it with them to Europe and some feared the future. All these fears are caused by the same people who feel them. They built these invisible jails in their minds, and they accepted them and imprisoned themselves inside them, Ahmad explained. Fear is a prison. You either become trapped in it, or you choose to fly out of the reach of its bars. Invisible Jails, a short documentary, took about a month to film and includes fantastical and dramatic scenes of the heroes as they struggle and fight fear, time and anxiety. The young director said that his film expresses the biggest fears of all humans: the loss of loved ones, loneliness, and saying that they are fine, when in fact they are not, which is the last sentence in the movie. Invisible Jails was filmed between the Netherlands and France, and was his most difficult cinematic project not only in terms of mental effort, but also in terms of execution. The director was forced to not interact emotionally with the stories in order to be able to see his project through. He concluded by thanking and commending his team for having the courage to go through this experience, which required, along with boldness, reconciling oneself to it. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. NANJING, China, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 18, 2020, Suning, one of the leading commercial enterprises in China, released a report of consumption data for the Suning New Year Shopping Festival. Data shows that 5G mobile phones, headsets, and charging devices replaced instant noodles, becoming "the most popular things" of the Chinese New Year Festival. In addition, New Year's Eve dinner is gradually breaking the traditional impression of a big family's reunion. Instead, the sales volume of "Family Dinner for Three" has increased by 125% year-on-year, and consumers are mainly from three major cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Chinese New Year is an annual ritual of family reunification and indulgence, with online and offline players vying for a larger consumer share amid a climax of festivity and pro-consumption policies. It is the largest consumption time in China, and the scale of consumption during this period has also increased year by year. Data shows that retail revenue during the Chinese New Year period from 2011 to 2019 is on the rise. More specifically, retail revenue during the Spring Festival period in 2011 was 405 billion RMB, and the retail revenue in 2019 was 1.005 trillion RMB. With the continuous increase of mileage of high-speed rail and the popularization of new consumption concepts, not only has the time for people to return to their hometowns shortened, but also "the most popular things " of the Chinese New Year Festival have changed. Digital products are becoming people's favorite items, no matter if they're for self-use or as a gift. As the 5G concept expanded in 2019, 5G mobile phones have also become a hot consumer item. During the New Year's Festival, the top 3 brands of Suning's overall sales of 5G mobile phones are Huawei, Honor, and Xiaomi. Consumer age is mainly concentrated between 25-36 years old, accounting for 60% overall and demonstrating the consumption trend among young generations. In addition, the sales of handheld gimbals increased by 294% year-on-year, and the sales volume of DJI drones was even higher than that of Single's Shopping Festival in 2019, increasing by 108%. Additionally, Chinese consumers like to purchase home appliances and fruit during the New Year Shopping Festival. Sales of TVs are trending towards large screens and smarts, with 75-inch large-screen sales growing fast at an increase of over 300% year-on-year. In addition, Suning teamed with Midea to build a total of 12,156 units of the first C2M customized washing machines. Moreover, 300,000 kg of cherries was sold on the national pre-sale channel, which also breaks the previous sales record on Suning.com. Along with shopping, Chinese consumers have a tradition to celebrate the New Year with their families. However, this year more consumers have chosen to book dinner for three, instead of a big family reunion with relatives. The orders increased by 125% compared to 2019, mainly located in larger cities. To welcome more consumers to come to the brick-and-mortar store, Carrefour stores of Suning have extended their operating hours, providing consumers enough time to purchase New Year's gifts. Similarly, Carrefour offered consumers more than 200 million RMB in out-of-season promotional resources, sales increased by 92% year-on-year and the number of purchasers exceeded 3.58 million. About Suning: Founded in 1990, Suning Holdings Group is one of the leading commercial enterprises in China, with two public companies in China and Japan. Suning, which ranks third in the top 500 Chinese private enterprises, is dedicated to serving more than 600 million customers worldwide with over 280 thousand employees. With its mission of "Leading the Ecosystem Across Industries by Creating Elite Quality of Life for All", Suning has shaped an industrial layout featuring coordinated development of real estate and financial service with retail at the core. SOURCE Suning Holdings Group A 25-year-old Wyandotte man was arrested after he put on a display of bizarre behavior inside a liquor store. The incident occurred at Discount Drinks, 2811 Fort St., at about 6:45 p.m. Jan. 13. Police were originally sent to the bus stop directly in front of the store regarding a disorderly man who refused to exit the transit bus. Prior to officers arrival, the man did get out of the bus, allowing the bus to continue on its way without further issues. While at the bus stop, a dispatcher informed officers that the man entered Discount Drinks and created a disturbance. Police were told he was being held down by two men inside the store. Just as police were told, they found the disruptive man being held down by two people, one of whom was listed as a store employee. The disorderly man was handcuffed and escorted to his feet. While escorting him to a patrol car, he screamed profanities. Once inside the vehicle, he gave police a name that could not be found in the computer database. Police were told that the man entered the store and began shouting. He went up to the counter, opened a shooter container, drank its contents, slammed the shooter containers off the counter and then ran around the store. The employee and an unidentified man tried to escort him outside. But once near the doorway, he dove to the ground and continued screaming profanities. They held him to the ground until police arrived. The employee said no one was assaulted and the store did not wish to prosecute the man for larceny of the alcohol that he consumed. The man was arrested for disorderly conduct, as well as for fraudulent schemes/disguises. En route to the police station, he slammed his head on the partition inside the patrol vehicle. He stopped after police commanded him to do so. The man said he was sorry, and that he lied about his name. He then provided his correct name and date of birth. Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny has said there is a critical need for additional medical beds in Sligo University Hospital and pointed out that despite Fianna Fail promising 80 new beds for the hospital in 2011, that nine years later these beds had never materialised. Martin Kenny said: Sligo University Hospital was among the top ten for trolley figures in 2019. This is due to an ongoing lack of capacity at the hospital. "Sick patients in Sligo, Leitrim, South Doneal, north Roscommon and west Cavan are being forced to wait longer for treatment due to this lack of capacity. We also need to get patients off trolleys. It's the least they deserve. Sligo University Hospital has been put in a position where it has had to publicly apologise to patients waiting for admission to a hospital bed. Numbers attending Sligo Hospital continues to increase as the population grows. The number of patients aged 75 years and over, who are presenting at the hospital has been rising year-on-year, in line with changes in the population. Older patients may have more complex care requirements, are more likely to need to be admitted to hospital for treatment and will also have a longer length of stay in hospital. There is a critical need now to address bed capacity at Sligo Hospital. Fianna Fail promised 80 new beds for the hospital in 2011. Nine years later these beds still havent materialised. Meanwhile, Fine Gael came to office with a promise to end the scandal of trolleys in our Accident and Emergency departments. But last year was the worst on record and this year has started out even worse again. Neither Fine Gael, nor Fianna Fail can be trusted to deal with the crisis in our hospitals. Since Fine Gael came to office in 2011, Sinn Fein has been telling them that the solution to hospital overcrowding is more capacity and more staff. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have shown that they are not up to the challenges in the health services. It is time for change. [January 21, 2020] FB Financial Corporation Announces Merger With Franklin Financial Network FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK), parent company of FirstBank, and Franklin Financial Network, Inc. (NYSE: FSB), parent company of Franklin Synergy (News - Alert) Bank, jointly announced their entry into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Franklin will be merged with and into FB Financial. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006058/en/ Franklin is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee with 15 branches throughout Williamson, Rutherford and Davidson counties in the Nashville MSA. Franklin is the leading community bank in its primary markets, demonstrated by its strong market shares in Williamson and Rutherford counties. Franklin reported total assets of $3.9 billion, loans of $2.8 billion and deposits of $3.2 billion as of December 31, 2019. The combination significantly enhances FirstBank's operations in the Nashville MSA, specifically in the attractive Williamson and Rutherford counties where Franklin has a strong community presence. Pro forma for the transaction, FirstBank's deposit market share will be #6 in the Nashville MSA, #1 in Williamson County and #2 in Rutherford County. FB Financial's President and CEO Christopher T. Holmes commented, "We are very excited to announce our proposed merger with Franklin. Franklin is a well-known, high-service community bank with a leading position in Williamson and Rutherford counties. We are joining forces with the leading community bank in two of the most attractive counties in our market area. We look forward to building on the strong customer relationships that Franklin has fostered." Franklin's CEO, J. Myers Jones, III, commented, "Our team is excited to join the FB Financial family. We believe that this transaction benefits all of our stakeholders, and we firmly believe that we will be better together. Our focus will remain concentrated on our customers, and our ability to serve their needs will be stronger than ever." As part of the transaction, key Franklin executives have agreed to remain with FB Financial following the closing and have entered into employment arrangements that will become effective upon the completion of the merger with FB Financial. Following the transaction, FB Financial will establish a primary operations center and its mortgage headquarters for the combined company at Franklin's existing corporate headquarters in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. Following the close of the transaction, three members of Franklin's board of directors will be appointed to the FB Financial board of directors. According to the terms of the merger agreement, Franklin shareholders will receive 0.9650 shares of FB Financial common stock and $2.00 in cash for each share of Franklin stock. Based on FB Financial's closing price of $38.80 per share as of January 17, 2019, the implied transaction value is approximately $611 million in the aggregate or $39.44 per share. The transaction is expected to be approximately 10% accretive to FB Financial's earnings per share on a fully-phased in basis and neutral to FB Financial's tangible book value per share at the close of the transaction. These strong return metrics include a substantial loan mark and achievable cost savings assumptions as well as plans to reduce the risk of Franklin's balance sheet by exiting approximately $430 million of shared national credits and non-strategic healthcare and corporate loans and paying down non-core funding with the net proceeds. Additionally, Mr. Holmes commented, "The combination provides FB Financial meaningful earnings accretion, while remaining neutral on tangible book value per share. As in every combination, protecting the balance sheet is paramount, so these financial returns come after taking a conservative approach to the balance sheet; we are assuming a 3.9% mark to loans. We are also assuming 30% cost savings, even though we have significant overlap in our respective branch networks. We will accelerate Franklin's strategy of exiting non-strategic assets and growing the core community bank. The combined franchise will be well positioned to build on our strong existing customer relationships and grow our greater Nashville area presence." The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by both companies' boards of directors. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020 and is subject to regulatory approvals, approval by FB Financial's and Franklin's shareholders and other customary closing conditions. James W. Ayers, FB Financial's Executive Chairman and 44% owner of FB Financial, has entered into a customary voting agreement to vote his shares in favor of the transaction. Additionally, each member of Franklin's board of directors has entered into similar voting agreements. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as financial advisor to FB Financial Corporation, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal advisor. Evercore served as financial advisor to Franklin Financial Network, Inc., and Alston & Bird LLP served as legal advisor. In addition to the information contained within this press release, an Investor Presentation has been posted to FB Financial's website (www.firstbankonline.com) and Franklin's website (www.franklinsynergybank.com) and has been furnished as an exhibit to a Form 8-K filed by each company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION FB Financial Corporation will host a conference call to discuss the announced merger with Franklin Financial Network, Inc. and the company's financial results at 5:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, and the conference call will be broadcast live over the internet at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1631/32670. An online replay will be available approximately an hour following the conclusion of the live broadcast. ABOUT FB FINANCIAL CORPORATION FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK) is a bank holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. FB Financial operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, FirstBank, the third largest Tennessee-headquartered bank, with 68 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, North Alabama and North Georgia, and mortgage offices across the Southeast. FirstBank serves five of the largest metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $6.1 billion in total assets. ABOUT FRANKLIN FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. Franklin Financial Network, Inc. (NYSE: FSB) is a financial holding company headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. The company's wholly owned bank subsidiary, Franklin Synergy Bank, a Tennessee-chartered commercial bank founded in November 2007 and a member of the Federal Reserve System, provides a full range of banking and related financial services with a focus on service to small businesses, corporate entities, local governments and individuals. With consolidated total assets of $3.9 billion at December 31, 2019, the Bank currently operates through 15 branches in the growing Williamson, Rutherford and Davidson counties and one loan production/deposit production office in Wilson County, all within the Nashville metropolitan statistical area. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SHAREHOLDERS AND INVESTORS In connection with the proposed merger, FB Financial will file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC (News - Alert)"). The registration statement will contain the joint proxy statement of Franklin Financial Network, Inc. ("Franklin") and FB Financial to be sent to the FB Financial and Franklin shareholders seeking their approvals in connection with the merger and the issuance of FB Financial common stock in the merger. The registration statement will also contain the prospectus of FB Financial to register the shares of FB Financial common stock to be issued in connection with the merger. A definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus will also be provided to FB Financial and Franklin shareholders as required by applicable law. Investors and shareholders are encouraged to read the registration statement, including the joint proxy statement/prospectus that will be part of the registration statement, as well as any other relevant documents filed by FB Financial and Franklin with the SEC, including any amendments or supplements to the registration statement and other documents filed with the SEC, because they will contain important information about the proposed merger, Franklin, and FB Financial. The registration statement and other documents filed with the SEC may be obtained for free on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). The definitive proxy statement/prospectus will also be made available for free by contacting FB Financial Corporation Investor Relations at (615) 564-1212 or [email protected], or by contacting Franklin Investor Relations at (615) 236-8327 or [email protected]. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION FB Financial, Franklin, and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from FB Financial and Franklin shareholders in connection with the proposed merger under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of FB Financial may be found in the definitive proxy statement for FB Financial's 2019 annual meeting of shareholders, filed with the SEC by FB Financial on April 16, 2019, and other documents subsequently filed by FB Financial with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Franklin may be found in the definitive proxy statement for Franklin's 2019 annual meeting of shareholders, filed with the SEC by Franklin on April 12, 2019, and other documents subsequently filed by Franklin with the SEC. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described in the paragraph above. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements contained in this communication may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the timing, benefits, costs, and synergies of the proposed merger with Franklin (which we refer to as the "Franklin merger"), and FB Financial's and Franklin's future plans, results, strategies, and expectations. These statements can generally be identified by the use of the words and phrases "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "goal," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target," "aim," "predict," "continue," "seek," "projection," and other variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based upon current expectations, estimates, and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond FB Financial's or Franklin's control. The inclusion of these forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by FB Financial, Franklin or any other person that such expectations, estimates, and projections will be achieved. Accordingly, FB Financial and Franklin caution shareholders and investors that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions, and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, (1) the risk that the cost savings and any revenue synergies from the proposed Franklin merger or another acquisition may not be realized or may take longer than anticipated to be realized, (2) disruption from the proposed Franklin merger with customer, supplier, or employee relationships, (3) the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement with Franklin, (4) the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals for the Franklin merger, (5) the failure to obtain the approval of FB Financial and Franklin's shareholders in connection with the Franklin merger, (6) the possibility that the costs, fees, expenses, and charges related to the Franklin merger may be greater than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected or unknown factors, events, or liabilities, (7) the failure of the conditions to the Franklin merger to be satisfied, (8) the risks related to the integration of the combined businesses (Franklin, as well as FB Financial's pending acquisition of FNB Financial Corp. and any future acquisitions), including the risk that the integration will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected, (9) the diversion of management time on merger-related issues, (10) the ability of FB Financial to effectively manage the larger and more complex operations of the combined company following the Franklin merger, (11) the risks associated with FB Financial's pursuit of future acquisitions, (12) the risk of expansion into new geographic or product markets, (13) reputational risk and the reaction of the parties' customers to the Franklin merger, (14) FB Financial's ability to successfully execute its various business strategies, including its ability to execute on potential acquisition opportunities, (15) the risk of potential litigation or regulatory action related to the Franklin merger, and (16) general competitive, economic, political, and market conditions. Further information regarding FB Financial, Franklin and factors which could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein can be found in FB Financial's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2019, June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2019, and its other filings with the SEC, and in Franklin's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2019, June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2019, and its other filings with the SEC. Many of these factors are beyond FB Financial's and Franklin's ability to control or predict. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, shareholders and investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this communication, and neither FB Financial nor Franklin undertakes any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for FB Financial or Franklin to predict their occurrence or how they will affect FB Financial or Franklin. FB Financial and Franklin qualify all of their forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. 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Making of Worlds Beyond Earth_DF D. Finnin/ AMNH Visualizing distant planets, moons, and comets in our solar system can be challenging. Typically, astronomers use images from NASA missions or artistic renditions to show what space objects look like. Now, planetariums like the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium are turning to a new method data visualization to depict our solar system. This helps viewers see planets and moons in unprecedented detail. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. For many years, there were only two ways for astronomers to see distant worlds in our solar system: Either they used a powerful telescope, or they sent spacecraft into the inky blackness to get up close and personal. But a third option is emerging to offer unprecedented detail and accuracy: data visualization. At the American Museum of Natural History, a new planetarium show reveals images of Saturn's moon Titan, the 67P comet, and the lunar surface, all generated using data collected during 50 years of space missions. "We're not making anything up here," Carter Emmart, director of astrovisualization for that show, said at a press conference. "The height, color, and shapes we see come from actual measurements. You get to see these beautiful objects as they actually are, to the best of our abilities." Carter and his team relied on data gathered by robotic probes, telescopes, and supercomputer simulations from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration since the 1970s. "We're taking numbers and turning that into a picture," he told Business Insider. "We've created a 3D world that lives in the computer and can be shown on screen." Take a look at some of the most impressive visuals from the show,"Worlds Beyond Earth," which opened Tuesday. "It's not an animation or cartoon," Vivian Trakinski, the new show's producer and director of science visualization, said. "These are authentic digital artifacts of science we can create and experience." Story continues 10c. Making of Worlds Beyond Earth_DF AMNH Other planetariums, like Chicago's Adler Planetarium, also utilize data visualization, relying on research about planetary orbits, surface maps, and the location of spacecraft to create accurate imagery. But the Hayden Planetarium in New York displays the most comprehensive color palette. Data from robotic missions like the Apollo 15 lunar module, called "Falcon," helped reveal what the moon's surface looks like in staggering detail. 2. Moon landing AMNH In 1971, "Falcon" carried astronauts David Scott and Jim Irwin, along with the first Lunar Roving Vehicle, down to the moon. That so-called "moon buggy" helped Scott and Irwin explore a much wider swath of the lunar surface. "Spacecraft are extensions of ourselves: our eyes, ears, and nose," the show's curator, Denton Ebel, told Business Insider. Ebel and his colleagues also relied on high-resolution maps from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Global Surveyor, as well as the ESA's Mars Express, to reconstruct Mars' surface. 8b. Mars AMNH The red planet was once akin to Earth, with plentiful water and active volcanoes. But the planet's core cooled just 500 million years after Mars' formation. That cooling, according to museum scientists, caused the decay of Mars' magnetic field, which protected the planet from solar winds. Without it, Mars lost its atmosphere. Between 1989 and 1994, NASA's Magellan mission explored the surface of Venus. Venus SDO/NASA via Getty Images According to Ebel, Magellan revealed that Venus was also once like Earth but now has a surface hot enough to melt lead. Venus is a "hellscape, really," Ebel said, because it, too, lacks a magnetic field. Without that protection, solar winds stripped away any water. Cassini was one of NASA and the ESA's most ambitious missions. The spacecraft orbited Saturn 294 times, exploring the planet's rings and moons for 13 years. 4b. Saturn's rings AMNH Cassini discovered that Saturn's moon Enceladus sprays plumes of water into space. That told scientists that the moon has an ocean of liquid water under its icy surface. Cassini also carried the Huygens probe, which landed on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. 5. Huygens landing AMNH Titan boasts a thick atmosphere and weather. But it's too cold to hold liquid water; its lakes and rain are made of liquid methane. Cassini showed astronomers that Saturn's rings are always changing. 4c. Saturn's rings AMNH Saturn's rings bubble with moonlets: house-sized baby moons that form as space dust coalesces. Ebel said the process by which these moonlets were born parallels how all eight planets in our solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago. Similarly, our solar system started as a cloud of gas, ice, and dust. Gravity caused this cloud to collapse, forging a central star the sun and a swirling disc of debris. 3. Solar system formation AMNH Planets formed within this disk which resembled Saturn's rings as did moons, comets, and asteroids. Then eight planets (along with dwarf planet Pluto) grew as they incorporated more material. The museum's new data visualizations also reveal the surface of Jupiter's moon, Io, which boasts volcanoes so powerful they can be viewed via telescopes on Earth. 6. Jupiter and Io AMNH In 1979, NASA's Voyager I mission took snapshots of Io, revealing the moon to be the most volcanically active object in the solar system. Some of Io's volcanoes spew lava dozens of miles into the sky; its surface is peppered by lakes of lava. "We're vicariously visiting these places with our robots, and that's as close as I personally want to get," Ebel said. 1c. Worlds Beyond Earth_MS AMNH Ebel's group used data from NASA's Galileo mission to glean insight into Jupiter's magnetic field. The largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter has hot, liquid, metallic hydrogen churning around its rocky core. That generates a powerful magnetic field. One of Jupiter's moons, Ganymede, also has such a field. Missions to comets have also unraveled secrets of our solar system. In 2014, the ESA's Rosetta probe landed on a comet 372 million miles from Earth. 7a. Comet 67P AMNH The comet, called 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, is only a few kilometers across, but it contains frozen water, dust, and amino acids the basic chemical building blocks of life. When comets collided with planets and moons earlier in the solar system's history, some delivered life-giving chemicals like phosphorus. It took Rosetta 10 years to reach 67P, enter its orbit, and send a lander down to the surface. "The ability to construct what something looks like without having been there is the next frontier of space exploration," Carter said. 9b. Earth dynamics AMNH He added that production work on the "Worlds Beyond Earth" show lasted a full year so that the team could "make damn sure that every bit of space that we're putting up there on the screen is accurate to the best of our knowledge." Read the original article on Business Insider Meme SDO Ntou'ou Ndong with the rescued school children Screenshot from amateur video Security forces in Meme Division waged a spirited battle Tuesday, January 21, 2020, rescuing no fewer than 23 school children abducted in the Fiango neighborhood of Kumba II Subdivision earlier in the day. Chamberlin Ntouou Ndong, Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme Division in the South West Region said armed separatists, otherwise referred to as Amba Boys, had carried out the abductions apparently in a bid to frustrate schools that had braved the odds to resume. According to the administrative official, the children were en route to school when about four armed men court marshalled them to an unknown destination. Informed of the incident, Ndong said the security forces immediately set to work. In the process, two of the four kidnappers were killed while all the children were rescued. I can confirm that early this morning, these children you see behind me were on their way to school unfortunately, they were kidnapped by four Amba boys. The four Amba boys took them to an unknown destination. I was informed and immediately we sent the forces of law and order to follow them and we thank God all of them, 23 have been released, Ntouou Ndong is quoted as saying. He adds that: We seized many guns. You see those Amba boys, two of them were neutrlaised and today I can testify that a good job has been done here in Meme Division. Let me also seize this opportunity to once more tell those Amba boys that we are here for the security of our population. If you try, you are going to face the forces of law and order. And today, all my children are available just beside me, and I thank God for that. And I will also thank the forces of law and order for what they are doing to keep Meme Division safe. Locals have been urged to work closely with the defense and security forces who have as mission to protect the population and their property. Several other separatist incursions into schools in the division have in the past been foiled by the defence and security forces. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, declared that the recently launched Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun, has come to stay. Governors from the six states in the South West region; Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) had, two weeks ago, launched the new security outfit with a motive to complement the efforts of the existing security agencies in the country. Since the launch, several opinions have been expressed by individuals, groups and organisations on the rationale and legality of the new security outfit. Last week, the federal government declared the regional security outfit illegal. Mr Makinde who was the host during the launch of the new security outfit in Ibadan, in his expression said that the new security outfit has come to stay. While addressing some groups under the umbrella of Yoruba Worldwide Congress (YWC) who protested in support of the new security outfit on Tuesday, Mr Makinde added that the new security outfit was targeted at complementing the effort of the existing security agencies and not targeted against some individuals as erroneously circulated. The governor, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka, insisted that the demonstrations will show further commitment to this idea. Mr Makinde said, The idea of Amotekun is one that has come to stay. It is not one that is supposed to rival either the police or other security apparatus which are national in nature. All were trying to do is to complement their efforts. Its a fact that the police cannot be everywhere, they cannot be in all the nooks and crannies of this state, but, we know that the national security apparatus is well stretched so were only trying to complement. But, it is an idea that has come to stay because we have security challenges in this part of the world and in order that we can address them and complement the efforts of the police, this is an idea that has come to stay. I am sure the commitment that the governors have demonstrated is just the beginning. The demonstrations will demonstrate further commitment to this idea. So, people can buff and puff, nothing is going to change, the idea has definitely come to stay. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates New Nebraska Economic Development Director Tony Goins said Tuesday that when Gov. Pete Ricketts asked him in July to serve in the position, he had reservations. "I'm not versed in the details of politics, nor is that appealing to me as a profession," he told the Legislature's Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee at his confirmation hearing. "I'm not a classically trained economic developer or a real estate guy." But the governor was interested in Goins becoming the chief sales person for the state and growing Nebraska, in line with his professional business track record. That challenge he could accept, he said. Indeed, the Lincoln, Omaha and Nebraska chambers of commerce see his abilities to lead the department, too. Bruce Bohrer, lobbyist for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has always been impressed with Goins' knowledge of finance and business development and his national network of business contacts. "We firmly believe Mr. Goins has the business experience, leadership skills and positive temperament to be an excellent director for the Department of Economic Development," Bohrer said. "He's already done that." Goins, 56, moved to Nebraska in August 2014 with his family. Throughout his professional career he's lived in 10 states and 14 cities, he said. "Without question, Nebraska's No. 1," he said. "This is our home and we're done moving. We're full-fledged, all-in Nebraskans." Goins joined the Marine Corps in 1981 and has had jobs with American Express, Key Bank, Ford Motor Credit Co., USAA, J.P. Morgan Chase, and in Cabela's Lincoln-based credit card business, World's Foremost Bank, which was purchased by Capital One. He started a consulting firm in 2018 and with partners opened the Capital Cigar Lounge in Lincoln. "The values and leadership principles that I have learned as a Marine have been the foundation for my life's work," he said. His goals are energetic, including to enhance technology to support agriculture, manufacturing, insurance, banking, financial services and health care. The state has to increase and expand small businesses and recruit and develop talent, with an emphasis on hiring veterans from around the country, he added. Goins said the state has to strengthen partnerships between the educational system, businesses and community leaders to create more internships and apprenticeships. "We must stop the exodus of talent to neighboring states that intentionally target our post-educational system," he said. Goins told the committee the state should be positioned to highlight and grow the arts, music, theaters, humanities and create "cool places for people to live and play, and spaces that drive harmony and chemistry." He also wants to develop a marketing plan, with a new narrative about the state that will attract talent and revenue. The Silicon Prairie, and Nebraska as a tech state, must be promoted, he said. Along with the state's diverse landscape. "Logistically, we're the middle of everywhere," he said. The committee voted unanimously to forward Goins' name to the full Legislature for confirmation. His salary will be $200,000 a year, which is a more than a 40% increase over the $142,000 paid to Dave Rippe, who stepped down in August to return to Hastings. Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Saudi Arabia has described the claims that Prince Mohammad bin Salman helped hack the phone of Jeff Bezos as absurd and called for a thorough investigation so that we can have all the facts out. At first glance, it does indeed seem absurd that accounts directly linked to the crown prince would play such a blatant role in a risky operation. The first reaction of many security analysts was to question why such a fraught path would be taken when there were other ways of spying on the communications of the Amazon CEO. Absurd was also the term used by Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the kingdoms foreign minister, when asked about the affair at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. I think absurd is exactly the right word. The idea that the crown prince would hack Jeff Bezos phone is absolutely silly, he wanted to stress. Recent events tend to show, however, that normal rules of caution do not apply when it comes to the kingdom and its royal family, and that it would be wise not to take even the strongest denials of wrongdoing at face value. One only has to remember that the official Saudi reaction to the first reports that Jamal Khashoggi had been killed in the countrys consulate in Istanbul was that the allegations were absolutely false and baseless, along with calls for an investigation which will categorically prove that this did not happen. The various investigations into the murder of the journalist did not go well for the kingdom of course. The crown prince, also known as MBS, and his most senior aides were implicated, the Saudis were forced to admit culpability for the murder and dismemberment. Their own investigation and court case, which concluded that just five mid-level officials were responsible, were widely dismissed as a whitewash. Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Show all 7 1 /7 Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi Washington Post journalist who was critical of the Saudi regime and the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he was murdered on 2 October in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul AFP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Heir to the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman has been implicated in the murder, with US officials claiming that he must have known of the plot AFP/Getty Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures 15 man hit squad Turkish police suspect these 15 men of being involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, issued 10 October, 8 days after the journalist disappeared EPA Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saud al-Qahtani Aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saud al-Qahtani is claimed to have ordered Khashoggi's murder Saud Al-Qahtani/Twitter Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb A former diplomat who often travelled with the Crown Prince, Mutreb was initially claimed to be the leader of the hit squad and is pictured here entering the Saudi consulate on the day of the murder AP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Mustafa al-Madani First implicated in the 15 CCTV photos released by the Turkish police, al-Madani was later found to have been used as a body double for Khashoggi, leaving the Saudi consulate dressed in his clothes on the day the journalist was killed CNN Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi (L) Son of the murdered journalist met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 23 October EPA Nevertheless, the Saudis will presumably back the call by the United Nations for an immediate investigation into the claims of the hacking in which Bezos was targeted as the owner of The Washington Post, the newspaper that employed Khashoggi as a columnist. It said in a statement, Agnes Callamard, a special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, a special rapporteur on freedom of expression, said: The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the crown prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos... The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents. The UN officials say that they had found credible a forensic report commissioned by Bezos security team, which concluded that there was a medium to high probability that his phone had been breached through an infected video sent from an account belonging to MBS. The report by FTI Consulting is also said to have concluded that a huge amount of data began to be extracted from Bezos phone around four weeks after the video was shared in mid-2018. Prince Mohammads alleged involvement in the hack was first widely reported by The Guardian newspaper this week. It claimed that an encrypted message from the number used by him is likely to have infiltrated the telephone used by Bezos. Bezos has said in an online post published in February 2019 that he has begun to be perceived as an enemy by the Saudis because of the critical articles Khashoggi wrote for The Post and the newspapers coverage of his killing. Gavin de Becker, a security consultant working for Bezos, has also suggested that the Saudis were involved in hacking. He wrote in The Daily Beast website in March 2019: Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone, and gained private information. Bezos has suggested that the phone attack allowed the supermarket tabloid, the National Enquirer, access to private texts he exchanged with former television presenter Lauren Sanchez, with whom he was having an extramarital affair. Prince Mohammad, according to The New York Times, had met David Pecker, the chief executive of American Media Inc (AMI), the owner of the National Enquirer, in Saudi Arabia in September 2017 and the two men had remained in touch. Peckers company published a hagiographical article supplement on MBS when he visited the US in March the following year. Pecker is no stranger to doing favours for his political allies. A Department of Justice investigation revealed that he had bought up and then suppressed scandalous stories about Donald Trump and women during the 2016 presidential election. A spokesperson for the publisher of the National Enquirer, American Media, has insisted: American Media does not have, nor have we ever had, any editorial or financial ties to Saudi Arabia. A lawyer for Pecker stated that the source for the Bezos story was not Saudi Arabia. However, if we are to believe Bezos, the motivation for the hacking was there. But what about the means? The Saudi government, like many others in the region and beyond, have extensive dealings with private security contractors from a variety of countries including the US, UK and Israel. Opponents of the Saudi government had complained about being subjected to regular cyber-attacks. Omar Abdulaziz, a dissident in exile in Canada, is suing the Israeli firm NSO Group for allegedly providing the kingdom with surveillance technology, named Pegasus, to hack his conversations with Khashoggi. In a separate action, WhatsApp is also suing NSO Group, claiming that its spyware had been used to infect 1,400 cell phones with the purpose of breaching the communications of its users. Saudi interaction with security companies is not restricted to cyber. Two-and-a-half years ago claims began to surface in the security world that highly placed Saudi officials, close to the royal family, were trying to take out contracts to assassinate enemies of the kingdom with major general Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. The proposition was said to have been made at a meeting in Riyadh in March 2017. Among those present was major general Ahmed Al-Assiri, the deputy head of Al-Mukhabarat Al-Aamah, the intelligence service, who was later to be tried and acquitted by a Saudi court over the murder of Khashoggi. MBS speaks about his role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi The Saudi authorities refused to comment on the alleged meeting, as did lawyers for two businessmen supposedly present, George Nader, a Lebanese-American, and Joel Zamel, an Israeli with close connections to his countrys intelligence apparatus. According to security and diplomatic sources, the two men refused to get involved. Reports of the meeting were published in a number of news outlets after the Khashoggi killing, including The New York Times, which also claimed that while turning down the offer, Nader told the Saudis of a London-based private security company run by former SAS personnel who might take the contract. The identity of the company has never been established. Representatives of Nader refused to verify whether he made the suggestion. Soleimani has since been assassinated on the orders of Donald Trump. Nader, a former advisor to Trumps presidential transition team and an important witness in former special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the US election, has pleaded guilty to multiple sex crimes involving minors. Nader has admitted to possessing child pornography and bringing an underage boy to the US for commercial sex. His telephone played a part in uncovering his guilt FBI agents discovered incriminating material while searching it for Russia-related evidence. The hacking story is not going to go away. An investigation into whether the Saudi crown prince played a part in compromising the phone of Amazons CEO may find that the allegation was indeed absurd. But it also may yield more extraordinary information from the dark world of secrets, lies and cyber warfare. Cheonghae Unit's battleship Gang Gam Chan. Yonhap The United States said Tuesday it welcomes South Korea's decision to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard its citizens and vessels passing through the strategic waterway. South Korea's defense ministry announced earlier that it will expand the operational area of its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden to cover the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The 300-strong Cheonghae Unit will operate independently of the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct based in Bahrain, but two liaison officers will be sent to the coalition to coordinate information-sharing, it said. "The United States welcomes and appreciates the ROK decision to expand the mission of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit to the Strait of Hormuz," a State Department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, using the abbreviation for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. "This decision is a demonstration of the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and our commitment to cooperate on global security concerns." Shocking photos show the filthy, rodent infested flat where an elderly man with dementia died in agony after he was neglected by his wife. Koong Boon Khan, known as Kenny, was described as having 'visibly rotting flesh' but his family failed to seek medical help and tried to treat his wounds with Sudocrem antiseptic cream. Police were called to the home he shared with his wife, Lorraine Khan, and daughter, Juliette Khan in Aigburth, Liverpool on February 22, 2018, where officers recorded squalid conditions infested with mice. Police spotted 'around 20 live mice' running around the flat in Aigburth, Liverpool where Koong Boon Khan, known as Kenny, was found with 'visibly rotting flesh' PC Gareth Ward was so shocked by the state of the flat he began recording it on his body worn camera, recording nightmarish conditions with piles of rubbish bags almost head height (pictured, some of the rubbish inside the home) This week Lorraine Khan, 65, was spared jail after a judge at Liverpool Crown Court said her 'inadequacies' meant she had 'let down' the man she loved (pictured, the conditions inside their flat) PC Gareth Ward was so shocked by the state of the flat he began recording it on his body worn camera, recording nightmarish conditions with piles of rubbish bags almost head height. The officer also spotted 'around 20 live mice' running around and bizarrely recorded several Tesco shopping trolleys inside the flat. This week Lorraine Khan, 65, was spared jail after a judge at Liverpool Crown Court said her 'inadequacies' meant she had 'let down' the man she loved. She initially denied manslaughter and a trial began, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agreed to drop that charge and accept a guilty plea to neglect. Juliette Khan, 36, also stood trial for manslaughter but was cleared after the CPS dropped the charge. In a 999 call, Lorraine reported her husband was not breathing and told the operator: 'Poor Kenny, god love him. Do you know what, he didn't deserve this. He didn't. 'Such a lovely, lovely human being and he didn't * nobody deserves to get dementia.' Shopping trolleys were found inside the disgusting flat, where other rubbish included a bird cage, plastic crates and bicycles Filthy conditions inside the home of Lorraine Khan, 65, who was convicted of neglect after her husband, Kenny Khan, 78, died in agony with rotting pressure sores Paramedics found Kenny, 78, slumped in a wheelchair on a landing outside the flat, but the court heard Juliette did not allow them to come in. Despite performing CPR, they were unable to revive the pensioner, originally from Malaysia, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and Merseyside Police were informed. Gordon Cole, QC, prosecuting, told the court that PC Gareth Ward arrived and pressed the buzzer for their flat, but he was unable to gain entry for around five minutes until a neighbour let him in. Mr Cole said: 'The door to the flat was slightly ajar. PC Ward pushed the door open and immediately noticed an horrendous smell. 'He looked up the hallway and saw two females, Lorraine Khan and her daughter Juliette Khan. They appeared shocked to see the police and they were throwing bags into another room.' A post-mortem was carried out on Kenny's body which found two foul-smelling and 'very large and very deep' pressure sores on his buttocks and lower back, along with several other sores. A pathologist stated that the sores would have been present for around three months before his death, and would have caused 'great pain'. Discarded rubbish was rotting underneath bin bags inside the filthy flat, where a man was found 'physically rotting' in wheelchair outside the property Mr Cole told the court: 'Despite the visibly rotting flesh no assistance from health care professionals was sought by his family. 'The pressure ulceration and infection reached his bones. Other areas of pressure damage followed. In excess of 10% of Mr Khan's body surface was damaged.' At the time of his death Kenny, 78, had a range of serious health conditions including Lewy Body Dementia, bronchopneumonia, osteoarthritis, emphysema and liver disease. But it was the rancid pressure sores on his body that became infected and led to septicemia, which caused his death. In interview Lorraine Khan said she had cared for her husband as best she could and had tried to treat his pressure sores with Sudocreme and a 'nice clean pad and a nice plaster'. But despite his terrible condition, police found Kenny had not been taken to see a doctor since April 2017 and district nurses had not been allowed to visit. Nigel Power, QC, defending Lorraine Khan, told the court his client had previously led a 'blameless life'. He said: 'The tragedy in this case, and that is an overused word but apt here, is that after a difficult childhood the happiness that life brought her came from her marriage to her husband. 'They were married for more than 30 years and she found in him, and him in her, both security and love.' This week, Lorraine Khan, 65, was spared jail after a judge at Liverpool Crown Court (pictured) said her 'inadequacies' meant she had 'let down' the man she loved Police were called to the home he shared with his wife, Lorraine Khan, and daughter, Juliette Khan in Florey House, Aigburth Road, Aigburth (pictured) Mr Power said Khan felt 'overwhelming guilt' about her husband's final days and accepted her inadequacies meant she had failed to care for him. Judge David Aubrey, QC, passing sentence, told Khan: 'He was an extremely ill person and you simply didn't have the capability or wherewithal to care for him, he also being so immobile as a consequence of his illness. 'You were all living, yourself, your husband and your daughter, in my judgement, in such appalling home conditions, that with respect to you, one would not have thought possible in the 21st century. 'I emphasise that not only was your husband living in such appalling conditions, but so were you and so was your daughter, which in my judgement illustrates your total inadequacies.' Describing the case as 'tragic,' Judge Aubrey handed Khan 16 month in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements with the Probation Service. The pursuit of success can derail everything important in life. Thats a lesson that Casey Weade didnt learn until he took a long, hard look in the mirror one morning during his late 20s. Weade should have felt overjoyed. Facing him in the mirror was a list of life goals hed outlined since graduating college and hed accomplished every single one. His business was running itself, and he no longer had to work because of the financial independence he had achieved. Weade had made it, yet he felt empty and disillusioned, not knowing what to do next. Its a strange feeling to focus on money your entire life and then realize you dont need it anymore, says Weade, who is CEO and "Chief Visionary" of the retirement planning firm Howard Bailey. His obsession with building wealth had taken priority over almost everything else in his life, including family. Weade considered early retirement, but as a man of faith, he felt like he would be rejecting the God-given gifts bestowed upon him. So instead, he decided to help others identify what they wanted from life and achieve financial freedom like he had, allowing them to deliver even more to the world. Weade developed a purpose-driven retirement planning philosophy thats reshaping the conversation around life after work. But his journey to fulfillment wasnt smooth sailing. Soon after redefining his purpose, a rare congenital defect threatened his newborn sons life, testing his revived commitment to the maximum. Facing the man in the mirror. Weade started writing down his goals and sticking them to the mirror in elementary school. His drive stemmed from being bullied as a kid growing up in a small community, in a relatively well-off family. He didnt want his peers to think he was given anything and developed fierce independence. I wouldnt accept anything from anyone, including money from my parents. I got a job as early as middle school so I could pay my own way, he says. Weade even asked the school bus driver to drop him off three doors down from his house so the other kids couldnt see that it was one of the nicest in the neighborhood and get the wrong idea. Weades family didnt come from money, however. His mother was a talented school teacher, and his father started from nothing before building several businesses. Seeing his father work around the clock from a young age motivated Weade to achieve financial freedom as fast as possible, so as not to have to obsess over work for the rest of his life as it seemed his father had. Image credit: Casey Weade After graduating college, Weade joined his fathers financial planning firm, arriving earlier and leaving later than everyone else. When Weade purchased the firm from his father in 2011 and renamed it Howard Bailey, his hectic work schedule quickly descended into 18-hour slogs and constant obsession over business and money. So when he finally looked in the mirror that day after accomplishing his lifelong goals, he felt despair that success hadnt brought the anticipated joy and relief. Instead, he felt somewhat empty. Confronting realizations and challenges. I realized that none of my accomplishments brought meaning and purpose to my life. It was all about building wealth and growing a business instead of being intentional with my family, giving, and serving others, admits Weade. He rededicated himself to his family, blocking time on his calendar solely to reconnect with his family and grow his family skills. This recommitment proved to be timely. After Weades first son was born healthy in 2015, his second son was born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in 2017, a rare and dangerous condition that caused his organs to migrate from his gut to his chest. The Weades were told he would have almost no chance of survival unless they relocated from Indiana to Ohio, where a team at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center specialized in CDH. So they did. After nearly six nerve-wracking months, his son was in the clear. That experience made me question my mortality and reflect on whats most important in life, says Weade, who also experienced his first mini-retirement. Its good that Id achieved financial independence, which enabled me to step away from the business. But I felt the same depression, anxiety, and general feeling of malaise that many retirees talk about, reinforcing my beliefs on the importance of having meaning and purpose outside of money and work. What retirement is really about. Weade assessed how he could help others using his gifts: planning, achieving goals, and managing finances. Like his mother, he also loved to teach, and he reconnected with the founding philosophy of his company. My grandfather, Howard Weade, lived through the great depression and inspired my financial philosophy: that its not just about how much money you make, but how much you keep. My other grandfather, Ralph Bailey, inspired my passion for educating and serving others. Most people dont think about what it means to no longer work and how that will impact their lifestyle and sense of meaning, explains Weade. He now bases his companys retirement planning process on his personal financial framework, leading with identifying each clients purpose in life, followed by four pillars (liquidity, income, growth, estate), and finishing with tax planning. Image credit: Casey Weade Weade is so confident in the process that he doesnt have to worry about whats next. I dont have to worry about what the market or tax rates are going to be, or who the next president is and how much money Ill make next year. Weade says that he works with individuals and investors who are frustrated with their current financial advisors, who often arent addressing their big-picture goals or organizing their finances in a way that creates more meaning in their lives. When your biggest concerns about money arent addressed, you cant achieve your purpose. But when youre financially defended against known risks with a reliable income you cant outlive you can focus on accomplishing your highest priorities in life outside of money, says Weade. Retirement isnt about money. Its about impact. Your purpose is bigger than money. Imagine the kind of impact you can make in this world with your accumulated experiences over 50 years, once you realize you no longer have to worry about money. Finally living and teaching. Weade has created systems in his business that enable him to be less hands-on and invest time in what he enjoys doing to further his purpose. His latest of several books, Job Optional, hit the 2019 Wall Street Journal e-books bestseller list, and his Retire With Purpose podcast made it into Feedspots top 20 retirement podcasts for 2019. In late 2018, he joined Front Row Dads to connect with others who wanted to be family men first and business leaders second. With his wife, Chelsie, Weade decided to adopt a child through open adoption, a form of adoption in which the biological parents participate in the process of placing the child with an adoptive family and can continue to have contact thereafter. Image credit: Casey Weade Whats made the experience so meaningful and exciting is that well essentially have a partnership with the birth mom for life, says Weade. Well be there for her financially and emotionally through the birth, and will support her and her child so they can have a relationship they couldnt otherwise. Weade acknowledges that this isnt something everyone can do unless they have the kind of money and time hes been able to engineer. Almost anyone can adopt a child, but not everyone is ready to create a relationship with the birth mom. If you want as much quality time as possible with your family, it pays to be successful as early as you can. In addition to spending time with his family, Weade also works 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. four days a week, even though he doesnt have to. I only do what fulfills me. If you look at my calendar, I have time blocked to spend with my wife, family trips planned, and retreats scheduled to make myself a better husband, father, and human being. What is most meaningful in your life? Does your calendar reflect that? Weade also invests time in his team to help them uncover their purpose and achieve their goals. He asks them questions like, What are your personal and financial goals? How are you going to accomplish them? What will you do when you get there? By digging into their past and where they find meaning, he helps them create a plan to experience more fulfillment in life and work. Hes often surprised to find that his team members have never had this type of conversation before, let alone set goals for themselves. Retaining great people has little to do with compensation and everything to do with helping them level up both personally and professionally. So, how does Weade define his purpose today? Simple; live every day with intention, maximizing the value he creates for his family and others. Connect with Casey Weade at Howard Bailey, and listen to the Retire With Purpose podcast. Related: How to Build Your Customer List and Get Your Business Off the Ground Why the Day You Feel Like a True Entrepreneur May Never Come This Start-up is Making Investing Easier For the Younger Generation Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved The Suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Davinder Singh was brought to Jammu by Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday. Davinder Singh was arrested on charges of trying to assist terrorists to travel outside Jammu and Kashmir. Director-General of Police (DGP), Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbag Singh had on Monday said that the Bangladesh visits of Davinder Singh, who was arrested with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists a few days back, are being investigated. The NIA has registered a case and begun investigations in connection with the arrest of Davinder Singh after it was instructed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on January 16. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SARATOGA SPRINGS Experts agree, the solutions to ending homelessness are simple: provide more affordable housing and prevent people from losing their homes in the first place by supporting those struggling to pay their rent. But unfortunately, national homelessness consultant Erin Healy said many communities, including Saratoga Springs, are locked in a broken cycle that doesn't lift people out of homelessness, rather it keeps them there. A lot of systems are stalled in the 1980s vision of emergency shelter, Healy said as a new local coalition works to tackle the problem. That was a crisis response that by default became the system. Now we are trying to define a system that's output is getting people housed. Right now, we have a system that produces homelessness. The executive director of the Shelters of Saratoga, which manages the Code Blue, the overnight emergency winter shelter, agreed. We need to work together as a community to think differently and move away from Band-Aid approaches to the ultimate solutions around homelessness, which are prevention and housing, SOS Executive Director Karen Gregory said. That's why SOS and the Presbyterian New England Congregational Church have formed the Saratoga Collaborative to End Homeless. The group will be facilitated by Healy, a Spa City native now based in New York City, who has worked on successful national efforts to end homelessness. These include the ongoing Built for Zero effort, a program where 85 communities are striving to achieve "functional zero" in their homeless population, and the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which housed more than 100,000 of the nation's most vulnerable homeless from 2010-2014. In addition to SOS and PNECC, the local collaborative will take input from other organizations that serve the homeless including Captain Youth and Family Services and the United Way as well as Saratoga Spring police, individual donors and volunteers. The collaboratives launch coincides with Thursdays Saratoga County-North Countrys Point in Time count of the homeless population, which last year estimated that there were 268 homeless people in Saratoga, Warren, Washington and Hamilton counties. Thats up from 2018s count of 257. While Healy said the solutions are simple, implementing them is complex. She said the main roadblock is the NIMBY or not-in-my-backyard factor those who fear their home values will plummet if their neighborhood includes affordable housing and those who generally fear the homeless population. In September 2018 a group of neighbors on Walworth Street legally blocked a permanent Code Blue shelter from being built there, and neighbors near PNECC blocked a temporary shelter last spring. Anything that hints of low income, people are just worried, Healy said. What kind of people will be housed and who is worthy of housing? Its fear. You are going to always have resistance. You can't stay frozen in the NIMBY space." The city landed in this situation, Healy said, here because "Saratoga is successful. With gentrification, comes homelessness." Success also brings rent hikes. She noted that since 2014 rents in Saratoga Springs have increased by 78 percent for a one bedroom and 60 percent for a two bedroom. Moreover, the Economic Policy Institute lists Saratoga County as No. 3 in income inequality in the state and No. 28 in the nation, with the largest gap between rich and poor. To overcome the gap, Healy said the city will need to invest in its agencies that support the homeless -- with staff and funds for programs. She also said it's necessary to have a safe space for the homeless to go during the day a place where they can connect with services that fulfill social, emotional and medical health. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Without that, people will be upset that they are marching through downtown, sitting on peoples lawn and using public areas as bathrooms, Healy said. Not everyone is going to be happy with the solution. But I think most people will be pleasantly surprised. She also said that only 20 percent are in need of mental health or addiction services and that a majority of the homeless simply can't afford rent. However, she said, those with mental health and addiction issues are among the most visible, leading to the misconception of who is homeless. She knows that resistance to affordable housing in all neighborhoods is a given. That is why, she said, it's it is key to tap into the coalition of the willing. You cant wait until everyone thinks its a good idea, Healy said. You have to do what you think will solve the problem. If you educate that the end game in 10 years is functional zero and that the shelter is now doing prevention and is responding to a housing crisis, you will get there. On paper, it's not rocket science. But carrying it out and shifting attitudes, shifting practices, shifting investments, it takes time. It takes focus and commitment." Gregory said the goal is to end homlessness and community partners are essential. "No matter how comprehensive your services no one program can do it all," she said. "Partnerships and collaborations across systems are key - we need to be community partners. Collaboration is not a new idea. However, in many communities like us, collaboration is still limited to those entities that are already focusing on homelessness. In order to really increase progress and meet the goals of The Saratoga Collaborative to End Homelessness, we have to do business differently. We will need to think outside the box and establish partnerships that are not already engaged." The United States has never had a wealth tax. Now this possibility has emerged as a defining issue of the 2020 presidential campaign. Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the leading candidates for the Democratic Party nomination, has made taxing wealth a signature issue of her campaign. Her proposal is crafted in part by two University of California, Berkeley professors, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman. Saez and Zucman have similarly made the idea of a wealth tax the centerpiece of their new book, The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay. Its not simply that wealth taxes have the support of prominent politicians and respected public finance economists. More fundamentally, there is an awareness that America has an inequality problem. The Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton, in another remarkable new book, Deaths of Despair, show that this inequality has devastating personal consequences for those at the bottom of the income distribution in particular. To date, most discussion has focused on the distribution of income rather than the distribution of wealth. Economists have a tendency to look under this lamppost because that is where the data are. This is partly because incomes are reported to the tax authorities on a regular basis. And partly because the illiquid, intangible, irregularly traded assets that comprise a substantial share of the wealth of the richest are difficult to value. A number of factors have now contributed to the shift of focus. First, there is the extraordinary wealth accumulated by the richest Americans, many of them recently minted high-tech entrepreneurs: Jeff Bezoss $109 billion, Bill Gates $107 billion, Mark Zuckerbergs $72 billion, Elon Musks $24 billion. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the top 10% of families hold more than three-fourths of all wealth in the United States. Moreover, wealth inequality is rising. Saez and Zucman estimate that the wealth share of the richest 0.1% has nearly tripled, to more than 20%, since the late 1970s, while the wealth share of the bottom 90% has fallen from 35% to 25%. In addition, wealth as well as the social and economic advantage it confers are passed down through the generations. Federal taxation of inheritances kicks in only when estates exceed $11.4 million. Once upon a time, it could be argued that wealth inequality was not a problem, since the United States was a country of high social mobility since todays poor had a fair chance of becoming tomorrows wealthy. But Raj Chetty and his collaborators have shown that intergenerational mobility is in decline. The recent college admission scandal, in which it was revealed that wealthy parents were paying as much as $500,000 for fraudulent credentials needed for their children to gain admission to universities such as Stanford and Yale, reinforces this view that great wealth commands great advantage. Then there is the argument that the wealthy are able to shape political outcomes in their favor. Examples include the Koch brothers, Charles and David, who have generously funded a network of influential libertarian organizations, and Robert Mercer, the single largest donor in the 2016 US president race. Finally, there are new pressures for social spending, on inter alia universal health insurance and universal child care, the cost of which wealth tax could help to defray. Senator Warren estimates that her proposed 2% annual tax on the net worth of households with between $40 million and $1 billion, together with a 1% surcharge on billionaires, would raise $2.76 trillion over ten years. She suggests that this money could be put to better use than paying for the billionaires yachts and funding their offsprings inheritances. But proposals for a wealth tax face both economic and political objections. These start with mundane administrative problems, such as how to value a company that has not yet gone public or art that has been in the family for generations. Wealth-tax proponents suggest that taxpayers can be deterred from underreporting the value of such assets if the government is given the option of purchasing them at the reported price. However, it is hard to imagine the US government employing an army of fine art appraisers when the Internal Revenue Service is incapable even of retaining an adequate number of plain-vanilla tax auditors., A related problem is taxpayer flight. Saez and Zucman suggest that this danger is exaggerated that few people are likely to change their country of residence in response to an annual wealth levy of 2% or 3%. Warren notes further that the US taxes citizens on their global income regardless of where they reside, so that relocation is not an effective means of evasion. She proposes levying a 40% exit tax on the assets of individuals worth more than $50 million who renounce their citizenship. Still, there are likely a variety of ways to evade taxation. Individuals modestly above the taxable threshold could divide their assets with their grown children sooner rather than later. They could donate to philanthropies that espouse their political values, bringing their wealth below taxable levels without diminishing their sway over public affairs. They could consume, since a dollar spent on consumption rather than invested is immediately free of this form of taxation. If nothing else, a wealth tax would be good for the luxury goods industry. These are all reasons for suspecting that a wealth tax is unlikely to yield $2.76 trillion of new revenue over ten years. And even if it does, this will go only a small way toward financing programs like universal health care, which Warren herself prices out at $20.5 trillion over a decade. Politically, the challenges are, if anything, even more daunting. Whether a federal wealth tax would be judged constitutional by the Supreme Court is uncertain. The question applies with even greater force to Warrens proposed exit tax, which might be deemed to violate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment prohibiting the federal government from taking private property for public purposes without just compensation. A candidate on the left advancing a wealth tax would be attacked by the right for engaging in class warfare. A wealth tax may appeal to left-leaning progressive voters, but it is not clear that the apocryphal median voter is on board with the idea. Commentators swayed by these objections but nonetheless concerned about wealth and income inequality have suggested tightening existing income tax rules and enforcement rather than creating an entire new fiscal bureaucracy. Forms of income currently enjoying concessionary tax treatment, such as carried interest (funds paid to investment managers in excess of the amount that the manager contributes to the partnership), could be taxed as ordinary income that is to say, at higher rates. Taxes on wealth could be raised at least modestly within the current framework by increasing estate tax rates and lowering the taxable threshold. What is the likely outcome? The author of next years Letter from America, written in the aftermath of the 2020 elections, will be in a better position to answer this question. [January 22, 2020] Hyperledger Kicks Off 2020 at Davos, Welcomes Six New Members SAN FRANCISCO and DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyperledger , an open source collaborative effort created to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies, took to the stage at "Blockchain Central" in Davos during the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting with an update on the growing impact of the global Hyperledger community on the adoption of enterprise blockchain. The multi-venture, multi-stakeholder effort hosted at the Linux Foundation also welcomed six more members to its global community, including Adoriasoft, Cognizant and the University of Hong Kong. In addition, this week Hyperledger launched two important community groups. The Hyperledger Climate Action and Accounting Special Interest Group (SIG) will bring stakeholders together to look at climate related use cases with an initial focus on a global and open climate accounting system that will help achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Diversity, Civility and Inclusion (DCI) Working Group is geared toward building a community with a culture of encouraging people to voice their diverse opinions. Part of its launch includes the release of a survey to benchmark current sentiment and experiences in the Hyperledger community. "Being a part of the Global Blockchain Business Council's 'Blockchain Central' in Davos is a great chance to see the global momentum for blockchain and help us keep our focus on the impact the technology can have on business and beyond," said Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director, Hyperledger. "The pace of innovation and the real-world impact of enterprise blockchain are top of mind for us as we head into Hyperledger Global Forum, which is just over two months away. We look forward to the role these new members and community-driven initiatives like the Climate SIG and DCI Working Group will have on the evolution and application of blockchain in the near and long term." Hyperledger allows organizations to create solid, industry-specific applications, platforms and hardware systems to support their individual business transactions by offering enterprise-grade, open source distributed ledger frameworks, libraries and tools. General members joining the community are Adoriasoft, Cognizant, inwinSTACK and Symbridge. Hyperledger supports an open community that values the contributionsand participation from various entities. As such, pre-approved non-profits, open source projects and government entities can join Hyperledger at no cost as associate members. Associate members joining this month include Substra Foundation and The University of Hong Kong. New member quotes: Adoriasoft "It is the right time for distributed ledgers to become an integral part of a variety of business IT solutions considering their well known advantages and benefits," says Volodymyr Kostanda, CEO of Adoriasoft. "For us as a blockchain R&D provider, it's crucial to join the Hyperledger and Linux Foundation communities to share ideas, contribute to the ongoing development efforts of Hyperledger technologies and support the ecosystem by bringing in our previous expertise and background in science-intensive DLT and cryptography spaces. Moreover, we are launching a blockchain education initiative and it is important for us to hear the community. We consider it as the right strategic step." Cognizant "As a global professional services leader, Cognizant is helping clients achieve their digital transformation goals," said Lata Varghese, Vice President, Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies, Cognizant. "By joining the Linux Foundation and Hyperledger, Cognizant will be working with several notable organizations to advance the Blockchain and DLT ecosystems for users around the globe." inwinSTACK "inwinSTACK is proud to be one of many pioneers joining the open source Hyperledger community," said Joseph Wang, Vice President of inwinSTACK. "Hyperledger provides a lot of useful collaboration tools to enable contributors to engage in blockchain technology enhancement and integration. As a member of Hyperledger, we will work with the community to assist enterprises in building blockchain solutions and make use of the interoperability with ease." Symbridge "We are honored to join the formidable Hyperledger community," said Michael McGuire, CEO and co-founder of Symbridge. "As the first blockchain native digital asset exchange to leverage Hyperledger Fabric blockchain technology, we are helping to bridge the gap between digital asset innovation and traditional markets creating a public, peer-to-peer staked network. After analyzing different blockchain platforms, Hyperledger Fabric quickly became the obvious choice due to its scalability, high availability, and industry adoption. We will be entering beta shortly, and we are actively hiring experts who can help us further leverage the Hyperledger Fabric open source network and promote adoption." Members big and small are collaborating across company and country lines to ensure the success of Hyperledger business blockchain technologies, building products, services and solutions on top of Hyperledger code bases that are critical to their lines of business. Learn more about becoming a member of Hyperledger. About Hyperledger Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort created to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies. It is a global collaboration including leaders in finance, banking, healthcare, supply chains, manufacturing and technology. Hyperledger hosts many enterprise blockchain technology projects including distributed ledger frameworks, smart contract engines, client libraries, graphical interfaces, utility libraries and sample applications. All Hyperledger code is built publicly and available under the Apache license. The Linux Foundation hosts Hyperledger under the foundation. To learn more, visit: https://www.hyperledger.org/ . About Hyperledger Global Forum 2020 (March 3-6, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona, #hyperledgerglobalforum) Hyperledger Global Forum will offer the unique opportunity for more than 1,000 users and contributors of Hyperledger projects from across the globe to meet, align, plan and hack together in-person. Open to members and non-members alike, attendees will have the chance to talk directly with Hyperledger project maintainers and the Technical Steering Committee, collaborate with other organizations on ideas that will directly impact the future of Hyperledger, and promote their work among the enterprise blockchain community. Standard pricing for Hyperledger Global Forum 2020 ends on February 18. Register today and save up to $400. Contact: Emily Fisher Linux Foundation/Hyperledger [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyperledger-kicks-off-2020-at-davos-welcomes-six-new-members-300990886.html SOURCE Hyperledger [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Trump Speaks at Davos to the American People There was considerable irony and some drama in President Donald Trumps excursion to Davos on Jan. 21 as the contemptible charade of an impeachment trial began in the U.S. Senate. Davos is the epitome of everything Trump considers suspect in the world that is yet within the West and essentially a democratic and capitalist institution. Its an international meeting in a nondescript and inconvenient little Swiss mountain city of unusually little aesthetic merit for the Alps. Its frequented in approximately equal numbers by social-climbing networker-hustlers, groupies, and some adroit dual-taskers who are both, and also by fervent internationalists who see all meetings involving even two people of different nationality as a step toward world government and the abolition of nations, religions, and anything that makes groups of people and ultimately individuals readily distinguishable from each other. For the first group, Trump is the worlds greatest celebrity and foremost capitalist, and his presence among them lent some importance and enhancement of status to them and to any meeting so distinguishedly attended. For the second group, the true believers in world homogenization, Trumps presence could, with an Olympic-scale stretch of the imagination, be construed as Henry IV (Holy Roman emperor) coming to Canossa (1077) and standing (literally) in the snow to pay homage, if not do penance, before the supreme totem of internationalism, (in the original version, Pope Gregory VII). To the first group, the presence of the worlds greatest officeholder was symbolically and emblematically pleasing, a cubit of enhanced status; to the second, it was galling and disquieting. Practically every public policy, every canon of international relations, every precept of international assistance and environmental enlightenment revered at Davos, was rubbed into their faces (verbally, of course) like a cigarette butt. Economic Success Trump was even more casual and underwhelmed by the surroundings than he usually is, other than when he is haranguing tens of thousands of MAGA hat-wearing followers cheering his every sentence anywhere in the United States between New York and Washington and Los Angeles and Seattle (except Chicago). His remarks at Davos were agreeably reminiscent of his inaugural address almost exactly three years before, and must presage his approach to his electors later this year. He emphasized again and again what he had done for lower-income groups in America: the sharp decline in food stamp use and statistical poverty, the decrease of unemployment and increase in the workforce, and the swifter gains of the disadvantaged over the (still appreciable) gains of upper-income groups. Though he didnt present it in this light, he highlighted the only progress the democratic world has made in turning back the ever-steepening income gap. He went to some, and as always with him rather amusing, lengths to disparage the academic and journalistic experts. (This would include at least 75 percent of his live audience.) He made it clear that he was no enemy of the rich, but that they would take good care of themselves. He was doing what, he said, had motivated him to enter public life in the first place: to end policies that victimized American working- and middle-class people and families, such as free-trade deals that effectively exported jobs to the world and imported unemployment into the United States. Some of his statistics reminded his audience that the United States operates on a scale the world had never imagined to be possible and has done so for over a century, such as when he mentioned that U.S. stock exchanges had added $19 trillion of value in the three years of his presidency. The decrease of unemployment and nearly 5 percent annual gains in income for the lower quarter of the U.S. income scale and a host of similar facts and statistics rolled over the blank faces of his audience as he reeled them off, fluently but with a complete absence of any attempt at theatrics. The sub-text, and the balloon above him if it were presented in a cartoon, was: I told you I would do this when I was here two years ago and I did. Debunked Climate Alarmism They sat stone-faced and unresponsive. The only applause, apart from the beginning and the end, was when he said the United States was happy to join the 1 Trillion Tree initiative. His several amusing lines, apparently improvised as is his custom, elicited no response, such as when he referred mockingly to the absurd practice of negative-interest lending: he said that would have suited him perfectlyhe was greeted by the oblivious expressionlessness of the German Swiss at almost all times. For good measure, Trump debunked the climate theories of which Davos has been one of the great propagators. No one has been a more faithful echo chamber for the ecological militants than the business community of Western Europe. It was a cause they could embrace while laying most of the cost of it on the public sector, and it enabled them to march in unison with organized labor, the bourgeoisie, the academics, and the left. This was social democracy, the social market, the ultimate compromisewelcome the lion of the ecological left into the tent, then it wont devour us. Trump batted it away as the pusillanimous, deracinated, innumerate Euro-flim-flam that it is. I love the environment, he said ingenuously, but dismissed climate alarmists as charlatans, cowards, and poseurs (without using any of those words, but his gist was clear). Trump spoke warmly of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, admiringly of the great European cultural heritageciting especially the cathedral of Notre Dame in Parisand invoked God tastefully and in passing several times, to an audience that most of whom would like to transform the worlds houses of worship into workshops for the unjudgmental discussion of psychoses, anger management, and the art of submission to regulators. Preview of Election Strategy Trumps Davos speech was what was called a century ago a great state paper. It updated his inaugural address (which George W. Bush whispered to Hillary Clinton was some weird [expletive]). It also gave his opponents notice of his reelection strategy: I have saved the disadvantaged of America, reassured the great middle class of America, and have shown the limousine liberal wealthy how to share the wealth without losing any of it. He touched every electoral base with any votes on it, and he invited the Democratic impeachersby his colossal indifference to their puling and squallingto do unmentionable things with their endless, spurious, and pseudo-moralistic harassments of him. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are playing in sandboxes and the Trump-haters are milling nervously about reciting witless epithets, while Trump leads the rampaging army of his supporters over the walls and to the top of the commanding heights of U.S. government, like the Marines at Mount Suribachi 75 years ago. The Davos-goers didnt understand any of it, but Trump wasnt addressing his message to them; they were straight-menunpaid plants in the theater. The American people are the jury, and they will bring down their verdict in 285 days. Conrad Black has been one of Canadas most prominent financiers for 40 years, and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world. He is the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, and, most recently, Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Question:Do I need to obtain the new Real ID and Drivers License when my license expires? Answer:The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division (DPS-DVS) began issuing REAL ID-compliant drivers licenses and ID cards on Oct. 1, 2018, to comply with the federal REAL ID Act. Minnesotans are not required to obtain a REAL ID drivers license or ID card; however, starting Oct. 1, 2020, a REAL ID, enhanced drivers license or ID card, passport or passport card or another acceptable form of identification will be required to board a domestic flight or enter federal facilities. As of early January, nearly 11 percent of Minnesota drivers license and ID card holders have a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card. There are about 3.7 million Minnesota license holders who will need to decide if they need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification before the federal deadline later this year. Determining which type of license or ID card to apply for depends on what you need your card for. ADVERTISEMENT Minnesota offers three different options: a standard drivers license or ID card, a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card and an enhanced drivers license or ID card. All three can be used as a valid form of identification and for lawful driving privileges now and after Oct. 1, 2020, but starting that date your standard Minnesota drivers license or ID card will not be accepted to board domestic flights or enter federal facilities. Enhanced drivers licenses and ID cards can also be used for U.S. border crossings by land or by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean and cost $15 more than a standard drivers license. A REAL ID costs the same as a standard drivers license or ID card. Now is the time to apply for a REAL ID or enhanced drivers license or ID if you will need one later this year. The best way to make sure you have everything you need before visiting a drivers license office is to pre-apply online at drive.mn.gov . This feature allows Minnesotans to enter a significant portion of their application online, reducing the time they spend in the office. It also lists the required documents for each license type. A REAL ID requires additional documentations compared to a standard drivers license including: One document proving identity, date of birth and legal presence in the United States. One document proving social security number. Two different documents proving current Minnesota residency. Here is a video that will explain more: Minnesota REAL ID: Be REAL ID Ready by October 2020 If you have questions about REAL ID, visit REALID.dps.mn.gov or contact DPS-DVS at dvs.driverslicense@state.mn.us or 651-297-3298. You can avoid a ticket and a crash if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal One year after Netflix inked its deal to purchase Albuquerque Studios, it is announcing additional investments in New Mexico, including a blockbuster that will be filmed here and a partnership with NBCUniversal and the state to launch a training program for local production jobs. The upcoming Netflix original film set be housed in New Mexico stars Idris Elba and is produced by Jay-Z. The Harder They Fall begins production in March. The film is a Western that follows the story of an outlaw, played by Jonathan Majors, who discovers that the man who killed his parents two decades ago is being released from prison. Elba plays the prisoner. The outlaw reunites with his gang to track down the enemy and get revenge. Preproduction and casting for extras have begun. The project will film in and around Santa Fe County, as well as Diablo Canyon and ranches in the area. The film is directed by Jeymes Samuel. The training program, meanwhile, will be for below-the-line production jobs to serve New Mexicos growing industry. Netflix and NBCUniversal have pledged to each donate $55,000 a year over the next decade to support the program. New Mexico has made great strides in positioning itself as a leading production center for the Southwest and is home to a welcoming business community and an outstanding crew base with experience across all types of productions, said Ty Warren, vice president for physical production at Netflix. Were thrilled to have put down roots here with the acquisition of ABQ Studios in Albuquerque and looking forward to continuing our relationship with the state well into the future. State Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes said the training program will help crew members get advanced training. The higher education institutions offer great programs to get crew ready, Keyes said. This program will help elevate the crew members in moving up. Productions will be able to hire more New Mexicans through this program. On Oct. 8, 2018, Netflix announced its plans to purchase Albuquerque Studios. The deal was signed last January. It calls for Netflix to spend $1 billion over a decade and add 1,000 jobs a year. The state and city of Albuquerque pitched in $10.4 million in Local Economic Development Act funds to get the deal. Netflix was to meet a $75 million in direct spending in the state by Dec. 1. The state said Netflix met its benchmark by more than double. According to the state, Netflix has spent more than $150 million qualified production in the state, used more than 2,000 production vendors and hired more than 1,600 cast and crew members during the last year. Netflix was able to reach the benchmark with several productions, such as El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Army of the Dead, Daybreak, Chambers and Messiah. The success of Netflix proves the state is serious about growing the industry and making sure New Mexico is the place to be for film and television productions, Keyes said. Thats good news for the state economy and for cast and crew members hoping for steady year-round employment. After the 2019 Legislative session, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a revised tax incentive package, which went into effect July 1. The program offers up to 30% of qualified production spending, with an extra 5% rebate for productions that work in rural areas more than 60 miles from the Albuquerque-Santa Fe corridor. That incentive has succeeded in generating more film activity in rural communities, which helps diversify the state economy, Keyes said. Netflix has already made a splash. They have exceeded their commitment to the state, demonstrating their belief in New Mexico as a hot spot for production and growth and underscoring our ability as a state to provide the talented workforce needed to keep our film and television industry on the rise, Lujan Grisham said. I couldnt be more excited to see what comes next. A West Shore development company is appealing Camp Hill borough councils December rejection of plans to locate a Chick-fil-A restaurant at the southeast corner of 32nd and Chestnut streets. Consolidated Properties and its owner, Michael Serluco, filed the suit against the borough Tuesday in Cumberland County court, asserting that the councils action was not based on good faith adherence to the boroughs land use and development requirements. As a result, Serluco argues, the court should void councils action and order that the plan be approved. The appeal had been expected. The Chick-fil-A project had generated fierce opposition from nearby residents, who were worried about traffic to and from the popular chain restaurant overwhelming the fragile balance between their residential neighborhood and the heavily-trafficked highways that ring it. Those opponents, many of them aligning with the grassroots group Safe Streets Camp Hill, had routinely packed borough meetings on the plans over the last year, and their people power" campaign ruled the day when the council, in a 6-0 vote, rejected the plan on Dec. 11. Serluco argues in his suit that conceptual plans for the 1.4-acre tract had been vetted with borough officials in a series of private consultations throughout 2018, prior to the plans formal submission, at which time the developer was led to believe that the proposal was in significant compliance with Camp Hills subdivision and land development requirements. He argues that the boroughs zoning officer and other consultants then belatedly sought to apply additional conditions to the plan, only after it became apparent that there was significant public opposition. Serluco also argued that in the 33 points that make up its formal denial, Camp Hill officials also: Misapplied various sub-division and land development ordinance requirements; raised technical matters that are easily addressable; and cited issues that heretofore had been presented to Consolidated Properties as suggestions or recommendations, but not mandatory. Finally, Serluco argues that the boroughs denial letter, on at least eight points, either contains errors of fact or is so vague as to prevent the borough from having met its requirements to clearly describe to the developer the requirements that have not been met, and to cite the legal authority relied upon. In sum, the appeal contends Camp Hill officials and the borough council acted in bad faith in its consideration of the plan, giving the development team an ever-moving target to hit, and constantly creating new hurdles for Consolidated Properties to overcome in order to appease the public opposition. In a telephone interview about the appeal Wednesday, Camp Hill Solicitor Joshua Bonn said he remains comfortable with the councils denial of the Chick-fil-A plans for the reasons stated in the denial letter, which cited the development teams failure to meet necessary zoning, traffic, engineering and other conditions needed to comply with borough ordinances. As for the moving target argument, Bonn noted Wednesday that the developers submitted three sets of revised plans for the site between February and July of 2019, and each time a new set of plans was filed, the borough and its consultants were entirely within their rights to raise new issues. Bonn also noted that of the substantive reasons for denial of the plan cited in the boroughs Dec. 19 letter to Consolidated Properties, public opposition to the plan is never mentioned. Its not immediately clear who will represent the borough in the Consolidated Properties case, however. Camp Hill recently put out advertisements for new proposals for legal services. Bonn is expected to be a candidate to continue in the role, but its possible there could be a change. In addition, the borough could presumably decide to retain special counsel for this case. WASHINGTON - D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued President Donald Trump's inaugural committee and business Wednesday, alleging that the committee violated its nonprofit status by spending more than $1 million to book a ballroom at Trump's District of Columbia hotel that its staff knew was overpriced and that it barely used. During the lead-up to Trump's January 2017 inauguration, the committee booked the Trump International Hotel ballroom for $175,000 a day, plus more than $300,000 in food and beverage costs, over the objections of its own event planner. The committee was formed to organize the events around the inauguration, but Racine alleges it instead "abandoned this purpose and violated District law when it wasted approximately $1 million of charitable funds in overpayment for the use of event space at the Trump hotel." "These charges were unreasonable and improperly served to enrich" Trump's business, the complaint reads. He alleges that Trump and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, were probably aware of the charges, based on documents Racine subpoenaed from the committee and the Trump Organization. District law requires that nonprofit organizations not operate for the purpose of generating profits for private individuals.In the civil suit, Racine, a Democrat, asked for an order from District Superior Court directing that the money be returned and given to charities promoting civic engagement. In an email, a spokesman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee said: "The facts will show that the PIC operated in compliance with the law and this suit is without merit. . . . Despite the PIC's cooperation with his office's investigation, the DC AG did not coordinate with the PIC's legal counsel to interview a single former PIC employee or staff member nor discussed with counsel any particular concerns about the PIC's full compliance with the law. In fact, the PIC has received no outreach from the DC AG since last summer." In response to previous inquiries about spending by the committee, its chairman, Thomas Barrack Jr., issued a statement saying that the inauguration and the more than 20 related events "were executed in elegance and seamless excellence without incident or interruption, befitting the legacy and tradition that has preceded us." The Trump Organization issued a statement Wednesday calling the lawsuit "an attempt to regulate what discounts it believes the hotel should have provided" and "a clear PR stunt." "The rates charged by the hotel were completely in line with what anyone else would have been charged for an unprecedented event of this enormous magnitude and were reflective of the fact that hotel had just recently opened, possessed superior facilities and was centrally located on Pennsylvania Avenue," the company said. The company also released an email from Ivanka Trump to Trump hotel executives saying that the company should charge a "fair market rate." Racine's lawsuit specifically targets a $1 million deal made between the committee and the Trump Organization for the ballroom during four days around the inaugural, which he alleges was a knowing waste of the nonprofit's resources to benefit the Trumps. Racine has litigated against other nonprofit groups in the past, including charter schools and the organization managing the Howard Theatre. Documents submitted with the 18-page complaint show discussions between Trump's company and his inaugural committee, ending in a deal that Racine argues is such a waste of the committee's funds that it violates the law and the organization's mission "to further the common good and welfare" of American citizens "by supporting the activities surrounding the 2017 Presidential inauguration." Hotel management emailed the committee in November 2016 saying an eight-day package of meeting rooms, food and drinks would cost $3.6 million - an enormous number even by the standards of luxury hotels during the inauguration. Rick Gates, a lobbyist and the committee's deputy chairman, then emailed Ivanka Trump to say that cost "seems quite high compared to other properties" and said he worried it would generate negative publicity. Ivanka Trump, then an executive at her father's business, responded to say she had directed the hotel's general manager to speak with Gates directly. (Gates was later sentenced to 45 days in jail plus three years probation for conspiracy and lying to the FBI as part of special counsel Robert Mueller III's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.) After hotel management agreed to charge $175,000 per day for meeting space and to charge separately for food and beverage, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a friend of first lady Melania Trump who had previously produced the Met gala and New York's Fashion Week, expressed alarm, writing that other properties had been offered to the committee at little or no cost. She warned that one of the committee's two planned events at the hotel was for the Trump family and that "when this is audited it will become public knowledge." Wolkoff said the meeting space should cost a maximum of $85,000 per day. Even that was pricey compared with offers from other hotels. The committee separately received free meeting space from the Fairmont hotel near Georgetown after booking a large block of rooms and agreeing to spend at least $46,000 on food and drinks, according to the documents. The committee also received two meeting rooms at no cost from the W Hotel near the White House after booking a block of guest rooms and agreeing to spend at least $75,000 on food and drinks. There is disagreement about how many guest rooms the committee booked at the Truimp hotel, a figure that hotels often use to determine whether to offer discounted meeting space. Racine's staff said they determined the committee booked up to 80 percent of the rooms the week of the inaugural. Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten said that the committee paid for 5 or 6 percent of the hotel's rooms at most. "Not only was there never any room block but in the end the PIC was only responsible for a nominal number of rooms," he said. Neither side provided evidence to support their claims. The lawsuit is the second brought by Racine over Trump's business practices. In the other, Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat, allege that Trump violates the Constitution's foreign "emoluments" clause by doing business with foreign governments. The Trump inaugural committee raised a record-shattering $107 million, more than double the largest haul for any other incoming president. Trump broke with the practice of most recent inaugural committees and placed no limits on corporate or individual donors, leading more than 45 individuals and companies to donate at least $1 million each. In the three years since, negative revelations about the committee's work have emerged. Federal prosecutors in New York are pursuing a criminal investigation related to donations and spending by the committee and have issued their own subpoenas. Wolkoff was criticized also after the committee directed $26 million to her 12-person firm, though all but $1.62 million of that was reportedly routed to subcontractors. Although Trump and his children weren't managers of the committee, they have since run into trouble for misuse of charitable funds when a judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million in damages for using funds from his foundation for his own benefit. Trump agreed to close the organization. The documents appear to show that Wolkoff planned to raise the issue of the hotel prices with the president-elect. On Dec. 16, 2016, according to her task list, Wolkoff had a meeting scheduled with Trump at which the "cost of ALL EVENTS at Trump Hotel" was on the agenda. The cost of the ballroom was raised at least two other times by committee officials, according to the documents. The hotel had earlier booked another group, the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast, for the morning of the inauguration - meaning the ballroom was double-booked. Correspondence between the committee and hotel management appears to show that committee staff expected a $70,000 discount since the room was unavailable for half that day, but ended up paying full freight anyhow. (The prayer breakfast was booked before Trump's victory for $5,000.) Gates later discussed with hotel management the possibility of canceling a Friday night event he originally thought would host 1,250 people. He wrote to Ivanka Trump to say: "There will be an after party at the [Trump hotel] following the inaugural balls on Friday. DJT is not expected to attend but was more for you, Don and Eric," referring to the president and his adult sons. Racine cites this as misuse of charitable funds to benefit the Trump family. The cost for the ballroom at the Trump hotel never came down. Trump's company is now trying to sell its lease to the hotel. Initial bids are due Thursday for the property. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The cellphone of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was hacked in what appeared to be an attempt by Saudi Arabia's crown prince to "influence, if not silence" the newspaper's reporting on the kingdom, two U.N. human rights experts said Wednesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2017, file photo, Jeff Bezos attends the premiere of "The Post" at The Newseum in Washington. United Nations experts on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 have called for "immediate investigation" by the United States into information they received that suggests that Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked after receiving a file sent from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's WhatsApp account. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The cellphone of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was hacked in what appeared to be an attempt by Saudi Arabia's crown prince to "influence, if not silence" the newspaper's reporting on the kingdom, two U.N. human rights experts said Wednesday. The U.N. experts called for an immediate investigation by the United States into a report commissioned by Bezos that showed the billionaire technology mogul's phone was likely hacked after he received an MP4 video file sent from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's WhatsApp account after the two men exchanged phone numbers during a dinner in Los Angeles in 2018. The video file was sent to Bezos' phone five months before Saudi critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by Saudi government agents inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October. At the time, the crown prince was being widely hailed for ushering in major social reforms to the kingdom, but Khashoggi was writing columns in the Post that highlighted the darker side of Prince Mohammed's simultaneous clampdown on dissent. The Post was harshly critical of the Saudi government after Khashoggi's killing and demanded accountability in a highly public campaign that ran in the paper for weeks after his death. The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia, the independent U.N. experts said. At a time when Saudi Arabia was supposedly investigating the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, and prosecuting those it deemed responsible, it was clandestinely waging a massive online campaign against Mr. Bezos and Amazon targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post, the experts said. Bezos first went public about the hack last year. He said the National Enquirer tabloid, whose owner has ties to the crown prince, was threatening to publish Bezos' private messages and photos if he didn't stop a private investigation he'd sought into the hacking of his phone. Iyad el-Baghdadi, an activist who worked with Bezos' investigators, told The Associated Press it appears the hacking was about free speech. "Its not about trying to compromise a businessman for business purposes," he said. Its not about Amazon, its about The Washington Post. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, called the hacking allegations absolutely illegitimate. FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2019 file photo, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. United Nations experts Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 called for an "immediate investigation" by the United States and others into information they received that suggests that Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked after receiving a file sent from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's WhatsApp account. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) There was no information in there that's relevant. There was no substantiation, there was no evidence, he told an AP reporter at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It was purely conjecture, and if there is real evidence, we look forward to seeing it. The independent experts, Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, were appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council. They published their statement after reviewing the report conducted by FTI Consulting, which was hired by Bezos' security adviser to manage the investigation. The report was published in full exclusively by VICEs Motherboard later on Wednesday. The digital forensic investigation assessed with medium to high confidence that Bezos' phone was infiltrated on May 1, 2018, via the video file sent from the crown prince's WhatsApp account. The U.N. experts said that records showed that within hours of receiving the video from Prince Mohammed's account, there was an anomalous and extreme change in phone behaviour with enormous amounts of data being transmitted and exfiltrated from the phone, undetected, over months. The report stated that Bezos' phone was compromised possibly via tools procured by Saud al-Qahtani," the former adviser to the crown prince who was sanctioned by the U.S. for his suspected role in orchestrating the operation that killed Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia's justice system found al-Qahtani not guilty of any wrongdoing in the killing. A judge sentenced five people to death and sentenced three others to a combined 24 years in prison in December for Khashoggi's slaying. Al-Qahtani was also head of Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity federation and allegedly behind campaigns that created artificially-trending tweets to attack the prince's perceived enemies, rally support around the leadership and stymie criticism on social media. The full investigative report, reviewed by The Associated Press, found that due to end-to-end encryption, it was virtually impossible to decrypt the contents of the downloader to determine if it did indeed have any malicious code. Saudi Arabia has already been accused of spying in America in a case involving Twitter. U.S. prosecutors in California allege that the Saudi government, frustrated by growing criticism of its leaders and policies on social media, recruited two Twitter employees to gather confidential personal information on thousands of accounts that included prominent opponents. Adam S. Hickey, deputy assistant attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division, would not confirm or deny a U.S. investigation of the latest allegations was underway, but said "we investigate nation state-sponsored hacking all the time." Separately, a Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, said presidential adviser Jared Kushner has communicated with the Saudi crown prince on WhatsApp. Bezos visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 to meet with Prince Mohammed before the two men met again during the prince's tour of the United States in 2018. The billionaire had been looking for a site in the Middle East to expand Amazon's cloud services. The company ultimately selected the island nation of Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia. During that time, Amazon had already expanded into the Middle East with its 2017 purchase of e-commerce website Souq.com, which is a competitor of Noon.com, a platform launched that same year and is heavily funded by Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, which is overseen by the crown prince. Bezos went public last February after allegedly being shaken down by the National Enquirer, which he said threatened to expose a below-the-belt" selfie he'd taken and other private messages and pictures he'd exchanged with a woman he was dating while he was still married. Bezos wrote in a lengthy piece for the Medium that rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, Ive decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten. While he did not accuse Saudi Arabia's crown prince of being behind the hacking of his phone, he noted that the owner of the National Enquirer had been investigated for various actions taken on behalf of the Saudi government. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Bezos' chief investigator, Gavin De Becker, went further, saying in a published report last March that the investigation "concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone, and gained private information. In a piece for The Daily Beast he outlined in detail what he said was the crown prince's close relationship with David Pecker, the chairman of AMI, which is the parent company of the National Enquirer. The investigation said that any number of cyber weapons could have been used, including Israeli spyware firm NSO Group's Pegasus. The firm's wares have been used by governments to target journalists in Mexico, opposition figures in Panama and human rights activists from the Middle East. The U.N. experts said Bezos' phone hacking occurred during a period in which the phones of two close associates of Khashoggi were also hacked, allegedly using the Pegasus malware. In response, the company denied involvement in Bezos' phone hack and said its technology was not used in this instance". ___ Associated Press writers David Rising and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Jamey Keaten in Davos, Switzerland, Chris Den Hond in Paris and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report. Energy companies will meet Energy Minister Angus Taylor on Thursday to discuss the bushfire response but one peak business lobby says they must also address climate change. Mr Taylor said the roundtable meeting would discuss how to help people who lost power supply, and how to target recovery efforts where infrastructure was damaged. Fires have razed poles and wires in areas including Dargan in the Blue Mountains. Credit:James Brickwood AI Group chief executive Innes Willox said while the meeting must address community and industry impacts, policy makers had to acknowledge Australias huge interest in achieving global net zero emissions by 2050. The frequency and severity of future bushfires is going to hinge on how far climate change goes, Mr Willox said. WASHINGTON Alarmed by a deadly new twist in the nations drug addiction crisis, the government will allow states to use federal money earmarked for the opioid epidemic to help growing numbers of people struggling with meth and cocaine. The little-noticed change is buried in a massive spending bill passed by Congress late last year. Pressed by constituents and state officials, lawmakers of both parties and the Trump administration agreed to broaden the scope of a $1.5 billion grant program previously restricted to the opioid crisis. Starting this year states can also use those federal dollars to counter addiction to stimulants, a term the government uses for methamphetamine and cocaine. Meth and cocaine are making a comeback and they are more potent than they were during the last wave, said Mark Stringer, director of Missouris Department of Mental Health. He oversees the states efforts to prevent addiction, get drug-dependent people into treatment, and support them in recovery. Where meth is much more prevalent than opioids, this will be a game-changer. About 68,000 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2018, with opioids involved in about two-thirds of the cases. Opioids are a drug class that includes fentanyl, heroin, certain prescription painkillers and various chemical combinations concocted for street sales. But the national numbers also hide dramatic differences in the deadliest drugs across the land. In most states west of the Mississippi, meth is the biggest killer, according to government data for 2017. Meanwhile, the highly lethal opioid fentanyl maintains its grip on the East and Midwest. Cocaine ranks third overall nationally in drug-involved deaths. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., whose state has been hard-hit by the opioid epidemic, said she was hearing from all quarters last year that the drug addiction scourge is gradually changing. They were seeing much more impact from meth and from cocaine, substances they couldnt address because of specific language in the law, said Shaheen, referring to previous restrictions in the federal grant program aimed at opioids. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which writes spending bills, Shaheen said she worked with Republican and Democratic leaders to add stimulants not only opioids to the language of the 2020 spending bill. White House drug czar James W. Carroll said the Trump administration was also hearing calls for more flexibility from state officials, and supported the change. I know the term opioid crisis is used a lot, and its not my preferred way of describing what were up against, said Carroll. I say what we really have is an addiction crisis. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar is an Associated Press writer. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some of Ohios highest-ranked colleges and universities enroll low-income students at far below the national average, according to a report released Wednesday by Washington D.C.-based Education Reform Now. The group examined the percentage of students receiving Pell grants at Ohio colleges, and found that seven schools -- including Case Western Reserve University and Miami University -- fell far short of both the national and state averages. Federal Pell grants dont need to be repaid and largely to go to students with household incomes less than $60,000 a year. The national average is 31 percent, according to the report. The Ohio average is 29.38 percent. First-year classes at 42 Ohio four-year colleges and universities met or surpassed the national average. Among them: Kent State University, University of Akron, Cleveland State University and Ohio Wesleyan University. Cleveland State University came in at 45.12 percent. Central State University, a historically black college in Columbus, has an 87 percent Pell share. But the many of the states most well-regarded universities do not meet that bar. First-year Pell percentage rates for the seven schools identified in the report as falling short are: -- Case Western Reserve University: 13 percent -- Kenyon College: 9.4 percent -- Oberlin College: 9.5 percent -- Miami University: 10.9 percent -- Ohio State University: 16.7 percent -- The College of Wooster: 17.3 percent -- University of Dayton: 13.2 percent James Murphy, the author of the report, said its important to compare these schools to others in Ohio with similar admission rates that boast higher access for low-income students. We are under no illusion that its simple and easy to increase access at these colleges, he said. Its expensive, right? For every low-income student you enroll, youre potentially losing a student who will pay full tuition. So it comes at a cost for these institutions. The thing is to acknowledge that its difficult, but why have all these other colleges and universities done this? For example, CWRU, when compared to other selective, private STEM schools across the county, falls below the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology for low-income access. MIT and RIT had rates of 17.5 percent and 30.4 percent, respectively. And, CWRUs share of Pell students dropped steadily over the last decade, from over 20 percent, though the share increased nearly 5 percent between the 2016 and 2017 school years. Oberlin and Kenyon fall short compared to Denison University, which has a 20.77 percent Pell grant student share. Where Oberlin and Kenyon have 28 percent and 30 percent admit rates, Denison has a 42 percent admit rate. The data is distorted by only focusing on low-income students and minority students that are first-time, full time, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Ohio President C. Todd Jones said. We know from studies of population that these students tend to be more likely to be transfer students, and they tend to be part-time students. As a result the data in here that claims to be the population of low income and minority student is actually omitting a significant number." He added that the data does not include Ohios College Credit Plus program and that several of the schools on the list do excellent work in that area. Miami University has the smallest Pell grant share among Ohios public schools. Miami falls behind other selective schools, including the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (14.9 percent), Purdue University in Indiana (17.2 percent) and the University of Illinois (22.32 percent.) Miami issued a statement in response to the report which included that factoring in scholarships, grants and all financial aid, nearly 30 percent of Ohio students at Miami last year paid between zero and $5,000 in tuition and fees to attend the Oxford campus. This year, approximately 80 percent of Oberlin students received financial aid, totaling more than $63 million in state, federal, and institutional grants, according to the university. Miamis statement also cited the schools graduation rate of Pell grant receiving students, which is 71 percent and among the highest in the state. The report did not use graduation rates as its main metric. These universities arent necessarily doing a bad job when students get in. In fact, I think in many cases they are doing a terrific job," Murphy said. "But the problem is, if you dont let those students in, if youre not going out and finding the really qualified students who are low-income and working class, then youre essentially not doing much at all for social mobility in the state and nationally as well. The Ohio schools that had the lowest share of Pell grant students also are among some of the most expensive. Miami Universitys tuition, fees, housing and meals come out to $30,033 before financial aid. University of Dayton, a private Catholic school, charges more than $50,000 per year for tuition, fees, housing and meals. Ohio State University, gaged at 16.7 percent, launched a new program after the data cut-off in the study targeting low-income students. The Buckeye Opportunity Program covers any gap between state and federal funding and tuition and mandatory fees. As of fall 2018, when the program launched, 22.4 percent of new first year freshmen on all Ohio State campuses were Pell eligible. The program expanded to regional campuses in spring 2019. Ohio States regional campuses are open to all Ohio high school graduates. Since the program launched, it supported approximately 4,000 Pell-eligible students from Ohio. The best bet for low income families is to go to the kinds of institutions that have really high graduation rates that are well known in the region and nationally, because they have a greater chance of essentially escaping poverty in some cases, or, you know, if not something quite that drastic, a chance of moving up the economic ladder," Murphy said. Education Reform Now announced the results of the report on Wednesday morning at the Ohio statehouse. State Rep. Catherine Ingram, a Democrat from Cincinnati, wrote a letter to higher education Chancellor Randy Gardner asking for an assessment of college access at these schools. To my mind and I hope yours, college access, affordability, quality, and student body diversity go hand-in-hand, Ingram wrote in the letter. Murphy said though private schools dont receive direct financing from the state, their students receive state funding and the state can issue bonds to support capital projects at these universities. Jones said this is misleading. The bond program only allows private colleges to borrow at the same rate as public colleges. But private colleges pay the bonds back with private money, not public money. Gardner, in an email to Ingram, said he was willing to meet with her about any concerns. He released a statement on Wednesday afternoon as a response to the report and the letter: "The DeWine Administration is committed to ensuring access to higher education for all students who seek postsecondary education in Ohio. Our budget includes the largest increase in history in need-based financial aid through the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), on top of continued support for College Credit Plus, which has saved Ohio families $569 million in tuition costs over the past four years. These priorities and other initiatives provide aid and support to Ohios students. These include transfer students, non-traditional students, and those who attend university regional campuses. Notably, these groups of students were not included in the report." See the full report here. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 14:13 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607db24 1 Business Indonesia,Oil-and-gas-production,investment,crude-oil-price,subsidy,Pertamina-Hulu-Energi,ESDM,SKKMigas Free Indonesias oil and gas industry will continue to face challenges this year as the government projects lower crude oil prices, production and investment while demand continues to grow. The government projects this years oil and gas production rate to reach 1.95 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) and Indonesian Crude Prices (ICP) at $58 to $63 per barrel. Both are lower than last years expectations of 2 million boepd and $70 per barrel. With a high sensitivity toward global dynamics, the government continues to monitor the movement of oil prices and global commodities, said President Joko Jokowi Widodo at the House of Representatives complex in August 2019. Meanwhile, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry expects the oil and gas industry to raise $127.3 billion in investments this year, which is lower than last years target of $159.8 billion and of which only 72 percent was realized. In stimulating investment, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif vowed his office will no longer be a factory for rules but a facilitator of industry growth. This included building infrastructure, deregulating industries and improving electricity and natural resource supplies. With such a bearish outlook, top-level stakeholders will pay more attention to the upstream industry, such as the Upstream Oil and Gas Special Regulatory Taskforce (SKK Migas), which expects 12 oil and gas projects to come onstream this year. The largest among them is Italian Enis Merakes facility, which has an expected production capacity of 400 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd). The largest oil project is publicly listed Energi Mega Persadas Malacca Strait Phase-1 facility with a production capacity of 3,000 bopd. State-owned oil company Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati said that given the declining production rates, Pertamina will allocate the most in upstream this year. Upstream investments will be 60 percent of our total investments. SKK Migas also aims to launch its One Door Service Policy (ODSP) website in the second quarter. The site will allow oil and gas companies to apply for various licenses from a single platform, subsequently cutting down on bureaucratic red tape. We have set a target of 1 million bpd by 2030, said SKK Migas head Dwi Soetjipto. Commenting on the ambitious plan, Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) president Louise McKenzie said: That will take a lot of investment. It's going to be hard to get that out of existing fields. It will require new projects, new discoveries as well. Jokowi is expected to make a critical decision on reducing industrial gas prices to US$6 per mmbtu by March as promised in a 2016 presidential regulation. The President publicly forwarded three possible solutions that are a financial incentive, domestic market obligation (DMO) and import relaxation. This problem has been going on since 2016. I need a solution, and those three are the options, said Jokowi. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry recently came out with a solution that combines the first two options. The ministry will order oil and gas producers to prioritize supplying gas to state-owned gas distributor PGN in suppressing midstream costs through economies of scale. Should PGN fail, the ministry can suppress upstream costs by slashing non-tax state revenue from producers. Nevertheless, the final decision rests with the President. PGN, which is Indonesias largest midstream gas player, appears to favor a DMO. Out of the three options on the table, PGN only mentioned the DMO in a statement issued on Jan. 6. Under the DMO policy, the producer will be required to sell a certain percentage of its production to the domestic market under the governments benchmark prices. A gas DMO is one of the solutions to ensure industry growth while still minding the long-term interest of other stakeholders, namely the government and upstream oil and gas investors, said PGNs corporate secretary Rachmat Hutama. In the downstream, another ministerial agency expects the annual diesel subsidy to exceed the quota for the second consecutive year this year. In 2019, diesel subsidies exceeded the 14.5 million kiloliters (kL) ceiling by 1.28 million kL. The Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Taskforce (BPH Migas) projects subsidized diesel and kerosene consumption to exceed this years quota by 700,000 kL. The quota is set at 26.87 million kL. We exceeded [last] years subsidized diesel and kerosene quota, said BPH Migas head Fanshurullah Asa at a press conference in Jakarta. With similar economic growth and consumption rates, there is a potential for an over quota in 2020, BPH Migas is similarly set to expand the single fuel price policy to 83 new locations this year, 50 of which are in Papua and 25 in Nusa Tenggara. The populist policy, which distributes fixed-price gasoline and diesel to remote regions, is currently available at 170 locations. The House Commission VII overseeing energy aims to issue a revised 2001 Oil and Gas Law this year. Legislators will add the law, along with two other bills, to the 2020 national priority legislation program (prolegnas) and establish working committees to direct further deliberations. God willing, we will finish the three draft laws by [2020]. Though normally, we only finish two laws a year; we will forward three laws [for 2020], said Commission head Sugeng Suparwoto. Amendment discussions have dragged on for the past 11 years handed down from three commissions since 2009 amid disagreement over revisions that generally focus on tightening state control over oil and gas assets. A case in point, a draft law made publicly available in 2018 grants the government more flexibility in fixing the domestic market obligation rates of oil companies. In a practical sense, the manifestations of this, including more fluid domestic market obligations and a less rigid approach to contractual terms, are likely to be viewed with some concern by investors, wrote business consultancy PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in its 2019 Oil and Gas in Indonesia Investment Guide. There is a little over a week to the normal deadline for CAO applications, February 1. Of course, all applicants should give care and attention to completing this process and thoroughly research all courses, but there is a group of courses to which it is particularly important to pay attention at this time of year - they are restricted entry courses. The flexibility offered by the CAO allows applicants a number of opportunities throughout the year to add courses to their list. Initially, applicants can list courses between November and February 1. They can pay a fee to add courses to their application from February 5 until March 1 (more on this later) and courses can be added/deleted at no charge during the 'Change of Mind' period, which runs from May 5 until July 1. However, it is important to note that restricted entry courses should be listed on CAO applications before February 1. Restricted courses are courses that require some element of assessment beyond subject requirements and points: that could be an audition in the case of Drama or Music courses, an aptitude test, interview, oral assessment, portfolio etc. These additional assessments are held in the spring and therefore cannot be listed on the CAO during the 'Change of Mind' period as the applicant will have missed the opportunity to participate in the assessment at that stage. Therefore, if any applicant is even considering applying for a restricted entry course, they should ensure it is listed before the February 1 deadline. When these courses are listed on an applicant's CAO, the college will contact that applicant with further information on the application process or issue an invitation to the relevant assessment day. It is possible for an applicant to change their mind about this course and remove it from their CAO application at a later date, but as it is not possible to add these courses to your CAO at a later date, it is better to list it now. Some students may participate in the assessment and then remove the course from their application because they realise they will not be successful or because they gain a clearer idea of the course and realise it is not for them. All restricted entry courses are clearly marked in the CAO handbook. If, in the rare event that an applicant fails to list a restricted entry course on their CAO application by February 1, it is possible to add it to the CAO form between February 5 and March 1 for a fee. This small window allows applicants, who cannot wait for the 'Change of Mind' period for whatever reason, to make changes to their form, including adding courses. Each change made will incur a fee of 10. Aoife Walsh is a guidance counsellor at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin Q I have heard that I can get into RCSI to do Pharmacy or Physiotherapy if I have a particular Level 7 qualification, Is that right? A Many career areas and courses have a number of different access routes that can be used by students to gain a qualification. These can include taking a Level 5 qualification and using this to transfer to a Level 8 degree, as in the case, for example, of Engineering. College hopefuls who struggle to achieve the required points or entry requirements for a Business degree may choose to start at a Level 7/6 course in the same institute and progress to Level 8, and leave with the same qualification as their classmates who entered the Level 8 programme directly with, perhaps, 100 points more. Some courses offer graduate entry degrees, a highly restrictive and privileged option, which is not viable for many, but they exist, for example in Medicine and Veterinary. And some courses and career areas offer little or no opportunity for alternative entry. The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) recently clarified its alternative entry process for certain course areas. In the case of Physiotherapy, RCSI will consider applications from graduates of Level 7 courses: SG 435 Health Science and Physiology, SG 406 Health and Exercise Science, and LY 826 Health Science with Physiotherapy Studies. In the case of Pharmacy, the RCSI will consider applications from graduates of the following Level 7 courses: TL 652 Pharmacy Technician, LY 806 Pharmacy Technician, TU 654 Pharmacy Technician, and AL 630 Pharmacy Technician. Hopeful applicants should, however, be aware that there are only two places available on each programme for applications coming from this route. Students will go into year one of the Level 8 programme and will continue to qualify for 'free fees' for the duration of the Level 8 programme". As with other Pharmacy degree courses, students doing the MPharm will become liable for fees. Email Aoife at aoifewalsh@ independent.ie; Twitter @edguidance STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Sunday is the last day to apply for kindergarten in a New York City public school for the 2020-2021 school year. To apply for kindergarten, your child must be a current New York City resident who was born in 2015. Admission is open to all students of this age, including current pre-kindergarten students at public schools, Pre-K Centers, NYC Early Education Centers, charter schools and private and parochial schools. It is also open to students with disabilities, students with accessibility needs, students learning English, students in temporary housing and LGBTQ and gender nonconforming students. There are two types of schools you can add to your kindergarten application: zoned and non-zoned schools. If you live in an area zoned for a specific school, your children have priority to attend that school. Non-zoned schools are schools that do not have a zone; families who live anywhere in the district or borough can attend them. You can add up to 12 schools on your childs kindergarten application. Admission is not first-come, first-served. All applications received by the Jan. 26 deadline are treated the same, according to schools admissions priorities. Parents need to fill out the kindergarten application online with MySchools. Parents can also apply by calling 718-935-2009, or apply in person at a Family Welcome Center. Staten Islands Family Welcome Center is located in Building A at the Michael J. Petrides campus in Sunnyside. Kindergarten offers are made in the early spring. The offer letter will tell you where your child will go to kindergarten next fall, and will also tell you where your child is wait-listed. Charter schools have a separate admissions process. Contact charter schools directly to learn how to apply. The Common Online Charter School Application for the 2020-2021 school year allows families across the five boroughs to apply, through a single application, to 228 different charter school sites in New York City. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Washington: The Senate impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump began with a day of bitter partisan wrangling in the US capital, as Republicans voted down Democratic attempts to introduce fresh documents and witnesses to the case. The Senate trial is just the third time in US history a president has faced being removed from office by Congress for allegedly breaching the US constitution. Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell made some minor concessions to Democratic demands regarding Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial. Credit:AP While there is no realistic prospect of Trump's conviction and removal, there is considerable uncertainty about how the Senate trial will play out and how it will impact this year's presidential election. Democrats say that Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to announce an investigation into his potential presidential rival Joe Biden - including withholding military aid - make him unfit for office. A Lotto winner has admitted they weren't in a rush to claim their $17.1million prize. The lucky punter became New Zealand's latest millionaire after purchasing their winning ticket in the December 28 draw. The winner on Wednesday said they spent the last three weeks coming to terms with the life-changing prize, the New Zealand Herald reported. 'I wasn't in a rush to claim the prize and I needed some time to process things. It's all been very surreal,' they said. A Lotto winner has admitted they weren't in a rush to claim their $17.1million prize The unidentified millionaire said they 'couldn't believe it' when they checked their ticket and realised they had the winning numbers. 'I had to re-check the ticket multiple times before I was convinced that I had won and even then I kept going back and looking at the ticket to make sure I had got it right,' the winner said. They admitted they are still in 'shock' over the life-changing sum of money. The cash will be spent helping close family members pay off their mortgages, as well as jetting off overseas. Some will also be given to charities. 'I've travelled a little, but never thought I would ever have the chance to travel more. I have so many options now, and life will be so much easier,' the winner said. The victorious ticket was purchased at the Market Store in Twizel, in the Canterbury Region of South Island. The lucky punter became New Zealand's latest millionaire after purchasing their winning ticket in the December 28 draw On January 7, Marie Winfield, Lotto NZ Head of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility said the $17.1million remained unclaimed. 'Most Powerball winners claim their prize within a few days of winning but occasionally we have these big wins go unclaimed for a while,' Ms Winfield said. In August 2019 a $12.2million Powerball prize went unclaimed for over two weeks and in 2017, a Gisborne couple took two weeks to claim their $6.5million Powerball win. They say some have a face only a mother could love. But for a dog attacked by its mother as a puppy and left with a wonky face the opposite seems to be true. Brodie the German Shepherd Border Collie has a unique slanted set of features following the attack by his mom when he was just 13 days old. She bit the puppy's head causing severe cranial and facial injuries. The lasting damage meant that Brodie's jaw fused together as he grew but the left side of his face was stunted and he is partially blind in one eye. Scroll down for video Brodie the German Shepherd Border Collie (pictured) has a unique 'wonky' face after being attacked by his mother when he was just 13 days old Happy at last! New owners Amanda Richter, 30, (right) and boyfriend Brad Ames, 23, (left) said it was 'love at first sight' when they saw Brodie (pictured) online New friends! Brodie (left) with the couple's other dog Rosie The rescue dog has now found a loving new home after hundreds of people wanted to adopt him. New owners Amanda Richter, 30, and boyfriend Brad Ames, 23, said it was 'love at first sight' when they saw Brodie's picture online. Richter told Yahoo News: 'I looked at his photos every day and even cried a few times. We felt drawn to him for some reason.' Richter and Ames (pictured with Brodie) traveled to the Old MacDonald Kennels in Alberta, Canada in September and brought him home that day His mother bit his head causing severe cranial and facial injuries. For Brodie (pictured) this meant his jaw fused together as he grew but the left side of his face was stunted and he is partially blind in one eye The shelter said hundreds of people had come forward to adopt the unusual-looking dog but that Richter and Ames were the right owners for Brodie. The couple traveled to the Old MacDonald Kennels in Alberta, Canada in September and brought him home that day. 'We met him, took him for a walk and hung out with him for a few hours and ended up bringing him home the same day because the rescue really felt we were a great fit,' Richter added. Brodie also has a new friend to play with, as he joins the pair's other dog Rosie in his new home. Richter said she 'cried' when she saw Brodie's picture and felt 'drawn' to him The shelter said hundreds of people had come forward to adopt the unusual-looking dog but that Richter and Ames were the right owners For the wonky-faced pooch it's a case of second time lucky, after he was adopted as a puppy but returned to the rescue shelter after five months because he was 'too hyper'. Brodie's new family say he may be hyper but just needs 'patience'. 'Hes definitely hyper but he is so intelligent. His brain is perfectly fine and he learns tricks within 10 minutes usually which tells me he is a smart boy,' said Richter. 'He just needed patience and someone to be consistent. He gets better every week.' The lovable pup (pictured) is none the wiser how much of a stir his looks have caused and just wants to play in the park 'He enjoys his life just the same as any other pup': His new owners hope Brodie will go on to help people with disabilities after training as a therapy dog Sadly, Brodie's struggles may not be over as his injuries may cause more complications in future. But, for now, the lovable pup is none the wiser how much of a stir his looks have caused and just wants to play in the park. Richter said: 'Dogs are resilient and he has no idea he looks different so he enjoys his life just the same as any other pup.' His new owners even hope Brodie will go on to help people with disabilities after training as a therapy dog. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to suspended Maharashtra deputy inspector general of police Nishikant More, who is accused of molesting a 17-year-old girl. Justice P D Naik directed More to appear before Taloja police in Navi Mumbai on January 29, 30 and 31 to cooperate with the probe in the case. The court in its order noted that the accused and the family of the girl shared cordial relations, which later turned sour after the victim's father refused to return money that he allegedly borrowed from the accused. The court also said that when the alleged molestation incident took place on June 5, 2019 during the victim's birthday celebration, her family was present. "The manner and conduct of the victim in the video creates doubt on the alleged incident," Justice Naik said. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on February 17. More approached HC last week after the Panvel sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail application. In his plea, the accused claimed all the allegations were "baseless", and the complaint against him was made because of the financial dispute between the two families. According to Navi Mumbai Police, the girl was allegedly molested at her home in Taloja town of neighbouring Raigad district during her birthday celebration on June 5, 2019. The victim's father claimed that while they had lodged a complaint on July 12, 2019, the police refused to take cognisance of it and an FIR was belatedly lodged on December 26, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The explanation from University of New Mexico Hospital officials that it doesnt rate well because it cares for the sickest patients in the state is likely cold comfort to those who rely on the hospital for acute medical care. Which would be everyone in New Mexico. UNMH is the states lone Level 1 Trauma Center. Sustain multiple injuries from a car wreck or a fall, break your neck, get shot or stabbed, UNMH is your only treatment option in New Mexico. And as a teaching hospital and the Albuquerque metro areas version of a public county hospital, theres also no question UNMH treats many of the regions lowest-income, chronically ill patients. But the hospitals expected basement ranking one out of five possible stars, same as last year from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is troubling. CMS calculates ratings based on mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care and efficient use of medical imaging. Kate Becker, the CEO of UNM Hospitals, said during a recent UNM board meeting that UNMHs poor rating was in large part due to the hospitals mortality rate. Dr. Michael Richards, the vice chancellor for clinical affairs at UNM, said some hospitals that dont take care of complex patients do really well on the CMS scoring system, whereas hospitals that treat difficult patients transferred from surrounding hospitals dont rate so well. And while it is an apples-to-oranges comparison to pit UNMH against non-Level 1 Trauma Centers like Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe (five stars from CMS this year, up from four last year, according to the Journals Ryan Boetel in a Jan. 12 story), UNMH doesnt fare well when compared to other Level 1 Trauma Centers in the region either. So UNMHs claim that the CMS ratings dont adjust for factors such as treating patients at the greatest risk is simply a pill no one should swallow. Flagstaff Medical Center in Arizona was a five-star hospital in 2019, and UCHealth Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs earned four stars from the CMS. The University Medical Center of Lubbock had three stars in last years CMS ratings, while Banner University Medical Center-Tucson and University Medical Center of El Paso were two-star hospitals. All are also Level 1 Trauma Centers. Its possible UNMH handles certain types or volumes of cases that these other Level 1 Trauma Centers dont. But UNMH did not make that case. What is clear is that UNM should focus on making improvements that boost the hospitals rating. 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. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Archdiocese of New York announced that St. Marys R.C. Church in Rosebank may be sold and no longer is a sacred site to be used for Mass or other sacraments. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, signed a decree on Jan. 4 that allows the space at 1101 Bay St. to be repurposed for secular use. Negotiations that may lead to the sale of the property can start, according to the decree. The decree states that all sacred objects, relics, sacred furnishings, stained-glass windows, bells, confessionals, altars, etc., are to be removed for use in other sacred edifices or stored in ecclesiastical custody. In case the altars cannot be removed, they must be destroyed. Any challenges to the decree had to be made to the Archdiocese within 10 business days. St. Marys was one of the churches closed under the New York Archdioceses Making All Things New initiative. The parish was merged with St. Josephs R.C. Church in Rosebank and Immaculate Conception R.C. Church in Stapleton in changes that went into effect on Aug. 1, 2015. The Rev. Fredy Patino Montoya is pastor of St. Joseph and St. Mary Immaculate Parish, the new name for the combined parishes of St. Josephs and Immaculate Conception, which includes former parishioners of St. Marys. The pastor requested in a letter dated last March 19 that the church be relegated to non-religious use because of the immense financial burden to repair and to maintain the building, and the lack of parochial resources, according to Cardinal Dolans decree. NO DEALS ON TABLE Father Fredy said that the property is not listed for sale and that no deals are on the table. The decree was given so that we can have the freedom to look into possibilities," he said. "We dont know if were selling, we dont know anything at this point. The church has been closed for nearly five years and the parish council has agreed that it is time to explore options for the property, he said. The former St. Mary's Church in Rosebank has been deemed a secular site and could potentially be sold. The property is showing signs of disrepair on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Maura Grunlund) However, change is not expected anytime soon, the pastor said, noting that the church has been closed for nearly five years and the parish still is paying costs such as heat and maintenance. Due to canonical protocols and other issues, these things move very, very slowly, he said. He stressed that the parish stretching from Rosebank to Stapleton is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds who unite for charitable endeavors, serving as an inspiration in a world that is so divided. Joseph Zwilling, Archdiocese director of communications, was asked what the plans are for the former church. The building still belongs to the parish, Zwilling said. There have been no decisions yet made about the buildings future, although the parish does now have extra flexibility in deciding, in consultation with the Archdiocese, what future steps it might wish to take. Echoing words in the decree, Zwilling said that the parish requested the move because of the immense financial burden to repair and maintain the building, and the lack of resources by the parish to do so. He added, "the request was discussed with the priest council of the Archdiocese, which gave a favorable response. When asked whether the parish has been listed for sale or if there were any challenges to the decree, Zwilling reiterated, There have been no decisions made on the future of the property. CHURCHS HISTORY Barbara Sanchez was part of a group that tried in 2017 to obtain landmark status for the church from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Advocates for landmark status werent even allowed inside the church to take photos to support their effort that ultimately was unsuccessful, she told the Advance. Sanchez remains a key player in the effort to save Mount Manresa from development. Its really sad because its a visual landmark for Rosebank, Sanchez said. She predicted that St. Marys is going to go the way of Mount Manresa, the former Jesuit retreat property that was bought by a developer. Staten Island landmarks -- which are what make us special and what people look to return to and visit and remember -- are quickly disappearing to overdevelopment, Sanchez said. St. Marys opened in 1852, as the second Roman Catholic parish on Staten Island, after St. Peters, which was established in 1839. The first pastor, the Rev. John Lewis, came to Rosebank (then known as Clifton) from Alsace-Lorraine, and he celebrated mass the next morning in a parishioners home. Without delay, he began construction of a temporary frame building on the "Wood Road'' (now named St. Marys Avenue), which served as a church and a school, according to Advance records. Five years later, construction of the present brick church in the Romanesque Revival style of Italy was underway on "New York Avenue'' (now Bay Street). The first mass was celebrated in 1857, and a brick rectory was added the following year. After removing the old school on St. Marys Avenue in 1862, Father Lewis sold the property and built St. Marys School (on Bay Street at Virginia Avenue across from the church), according to Advance records. New York Avenue (Bay St. and Rosebank), with St. Mary's R.C. Church at the right. Alice Austen photo November 1882. Also on the site stood other works initiated by the pastor -- an orphan asylum for the parish, a residence for the Sisters of Charity, and a dwelling for the male teachers. In 1878, at Father Lewiss behest, St. Marys Hall was erected on Virginia Avenue for lectures, concerts, dramatic performances and meetings. Opposite St. Marys Hall rose the "Catholic Young Mens Literary Union'' rooms, which Father Lewis built for the young men of his parish to spend their evenings in recreation and literary activities. In addition, he established St. Marys Cemetery on a seven-acre site of the Parkinson estate in "Southfield,'' now Grasmere, according to Advance records. Father Lewis also constructed, at a personal cost to himself of $10,000, a chapel-of-ease in Stapleton for the aged and infirm, where services were held on Sunday mornings -- the embryo of the future Immaculate Conception Church. The old St. Marys is still dominated by its impressive bell tower, which Father Lewis wanted to be built tall enough to be seen by all who traveled through the harbor. The structure was marked on navigational maps as an aid to 19th-century mariners making the trip between the Lower and Upper Bays. The original bell was replaced with an electronic mechanism, but the peals from the tower continued to be referred to as "The Bells of St. Marys.'' Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Everyone on the flight reportedly boarded by the family of the first Wuhan coronavirus case in Hong Kong was screened by the Bureau of Quarantine in Manila but none of them were flagged, according to airline Cebu Pacific. Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post first reported that four family members of the 39-year-old man from Wuhan a Chinese city which is at the center of a new strain of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) flew to Manila from Hong Kong onboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J111 on Wednesday. They arrived at 1:32 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. Charo Lagamon, Cebu Pacific's corporate communications director, said all passengers and crew on board that flight "were screened by the Bureau of Quarantine upon arrival in Manila but none of them were held for further observation." "Nonetheless, we are trying to coordinate with Hong Kong authorities to verify information in media reports," she added. In a separate statement, the airline assured that they are closely monitoring the spread of the Wuhan virus, and have precautionary measures in place for our flights to and from China. The Bureau of Quarantine has been ordered to be stricter in monitoring travelers coming to the Philippines amid the outbreak of the infection caused by new, novel or Wuhan coronavirus. SCMP said the man was found to have a runny nose and a fever upon his arrival to West Kowloon, where he was intercepted. Dr. Constance Chan Hon-yee, Hong Kong's director of health said in an interview Wednesday that the man from Wuhan tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was confined at the Princess Margaret hospital. Hon-yee also said that her colleagues notified the airline and the Philippine government of the matter. His other family members, whom he had stayed with at Empire Hotel Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui, were allowed through because they were not showing any symptoms, SCMP reported. His relatives are actually not cases. They are close contact of this now preliminary-positive result patient, said Constance Chan, director of Hong Kongs Department of Health said in a press briefing Wednesday night. So what we are doing, we are following international practice, we will inform the Philippines authority so that they will do the necessary control measures on their side, Chan added. The Philippines Department of Health is still waiting for results from Australia for tests ran on a blood sample and a throat swab from a five-year-old boy from Wuhan who also exhibited flu-like symptoms symptoms upon arrival in Cebu City. The boy, who tested positive for a type of coronavirus which is not SARS or MERS, is still currently under observation, along with his mother, who has not exhibited symptoms of infection. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said, however, that it is possible that the boy may not have contracted 2019-nCoV. Officials in China are racing to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that has left at least 17 people dead and sickened nearly 500, CNN reported. To stop the virus from spreading, Wuhan's airport and railway stations will be temporarily closed for departing passengers, CNN said Wednesday, citing an announcement from the city's coronavirus command center. They take effect at 10 a.m. local time Thursday, it added. The World Health Organization said there are confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV in Thailand, Japan and South Korea, Health authorities in the United States also reported Tuesday the country's first confirmed novel coronavirus case. CNN reported cases were also confirmed in the Chinese territory of Macao and the self-governing island of Taiwan. The W.H.O. said confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV have also been reported in Thailand, Japan and South Korea. Common symptoms of the 2019-nCoV include fever, cough and colds, breathing difficulties, shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases such as such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), according to the World Health Organization. They can be transmitted from animal to person or infected human to others, according to the WHO. Health experts also urged people to practice good hygiene, as it could help them stay healthy and free from sickness. -wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds -avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands -avoid close contact with people who show respiratory illness symptoms (ex. coughing and sneezing) -thoroughly cook meat and eggs -cover your mouth and nose with tissue when you cough or sneeze, then wash your hands -clean and disinfect objects and surfaces -seek medical attention if you have flu-like symptoms (especially if you have travelled from Wuhan, China) CNN Philippines Xave Gregorio and Currie Cator contributed to this report. A 30-year-old woman is facing manslaughter charges in connection with the death of a 9-month-old at a Sioux Falls daycare in November. Police responded to the 4700 block of S. Wassom Avenue in southwest Sioux Falls on November 15th, 2019. Police say the 9-month-old was found unresponsive and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Following the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for 30-year-old Kayla Jean Styles on January 15. According to city records, Styles had a license to operate a daycare at that address but that license is now suspended. According to an affidavit, Styles lied to investigators about how the 9-month-old died. She first told them she found the baby in his crib not breathing but when pressed further, Styles admitted she had actually let the baby sleep in a car seat for two hours. Autopsy results showed the boy had a red mark and bruising on his neck. His cause of death is listed as "positional asphyxia due to inappropriate sleep environment." Styles admitted to investigators the baby was "slumped over" and had "suffocated" by the car seat straps. Authorities arrested Styles Tuesday morning. Styles is charged with second-degree manslaughter and abuse or cruelty to a minor. This is a developing story. PREVIOUS STORY 11/15/2019 Authorities are investigating after a 9-month-old child died at an in-home daycare in southwest Sioux Falls. According to Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens, emergency responders were called to a home on the 4700 block of South Wassom Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Clemens said the infant was found unresponsive. The child was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No arrests have been made. Clemens said it is still too early in the investigation to determine whether the child's death was suspicious. Clemens did say the daycare provider was caring for too many children. In-home daycares are allowed to have four children under the age of 2, but the daycare had five 1-year-olds and two under the age of 1, including the baby who died. Clemens said the daycare also had two 2-year-olds and a 4-year-old , in addition to the familys six children. The daycare has been closed while police investigate the case. From the period that we have worked without an assembly, our nurse vacancy in that period doubled, said Pat Cullen, the director of the Royal College of Nursing, simply because we had no decision makers in place, no one in charge, no political leadership and everything was just in a state of inertia. Northern Ireland has the highest rate of nurse vacancies in the United Kingdom, at 14 percent the equivalent of about 2,800 nurses absent from work each day. Ms. Cullen says the gap has placed huge pressure on nursing staff, who are presenting with mental health issues and sickness resulting from trying to fill the empty slots. They are not able to switch off, because as soon as they get home the phone starts to ring, and a manager is begging and pleading with them to come in the next day and fill in for someone, Ms. Cullen said. They never get a break. Then, when they get to work, she said, they are having to care for the patients that are in the 24 beds within their ward, but finding that theres another four or five beds lined up on the corridors. Northern Irelands health service is also struggling to cope with hospital waiting lists that have expanded to record levels. About 300,000 people are waiting for treatment, according to figures published by Britains Department of Health. More than 100,000 people have been on a waiting list for over a year for surgeries like hip or knee replacements, Ms. Cullen said. A woman who lost her leg when she was hit by a taxi in New York has told how she had a prosthetic limb made out of a vintage Louis Vuitton bag. Sian Green-Lord, 29, from Leicester, was struck by the yellow cab near the Rockefeller Center shortly after arriving in the city for a holiday in 2013. The aspiring model, who studied fashion buying at university, was rushed to hospital following the accident but later had her leg amputated. Sian Green-Lord, 29, from Leicester, had only arrived in the city when she was mown down by the yellow cab near the Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan in 2013 She was fitted with a prosthetic leg but that didn't stop the mother-of-one from letting her stylish flair shine through, and she came up with the idea to have her prosthetic limb transformed by her designer gear. 'It's going to sound really corny but it actually came to me in a dream, that I had this super leg and I remember telling my husband in the morning. He was like "why is that crazy? Why don't you just do it?" And I was like "OK",' She told the BBC. 'I wasn't able to wear heels because you need the foot prosthetics to be able to wear them. I just thought if I'm going to go big with this leg it has to be a heel foot.' Sian revealed she found the perfect pair of matching Louis Vuitton heels to go with her new leg, and luckily the new prosthetic fitted perfectly into them. 'I had a vintage holdall bag, so I used that. I actually found the boots after, which was when I went into Louis Vuitton. I thought 'they're not going to fit'. I had my heart set on them. But I fit just like a dream,' she told the BBC. Sian revealed she found the perfect pair of matching Louis Vuitton heels to go with her new leg, and luckily the new prosthetic fitted perfectly into them The prosthetic didn't stop the mother-of-one from letting her stylish flair shine through, and she came up with the idea to have her prosthetic limb transformed by her designer gear The mother, who models and is a motivational speaker in schools, says her new look has given her bags of confidence - and she documents her stylish looks on her Instagram page. And Sian says she now receives floods of message from fellow amputees who say it's the best prosthetic leg they have seen. Sian, then 23, had just bought a hot dog and was eating at the plaza with her best friend when the taxi mounted the kerb. The aspiring model, who studied fashion buying at university, was rushed to hospital following the freak accident but sadly had her leg amputated and was later fitted with a prosthetic leg A plumber used his belt to make a life-saving tourniquet for her leg while a pizza truck owner raced to put her severed foot on ice. Witnesses said the vehicle was on Sixth Avenue and 49th Street when it hit a cyclist before jumping the curb, crashing into Sian and coming to a stop by a fountain. Sian, who studyied to be a fashion buyer a De Montfort University Leicester, was conscious throughout the ordeal and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where she underwent surgery. One of her legs was severed at the ankle and she suffered injuries to the other. 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. PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Asset manager BlackRock, Inc. (BLK) said it has entered into a Climate Finance Partnership or CFP to accelerate the flow of capital into climate-related investments in emerging markets, with a priority focus on Africa. The other parties to the CFP are France, Germany, and the Hewlett and Grantham foundations. The company said CFP investments will be targeted toward select countries in South East Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Investments in Africa will account for at least 25% of the total capital invested. The vehicle's focus will include grid connected and/or distributed generation renewable energy power; energy efficiency in residential, commercial and/or industrial sectors; energy storage solutions; and ultra-low emission or electrified transportation and mobility services. French Development Agency or AFD Group, through its private-sector subsidiary PROPARCO, is partnering with BlackRock, to accelerate the mobilization of private-sector financing towards climate. The vehicle will feature a first-loss tranche of at least $100 million in catalytic capital, anchored by government and foundation partners, that BlackRock will use to mobilize a goal of at least $400 million in institutional capital commitments. This would result in a minimum size of $500 million at first close and CFP parties share a collective goal of further scaling the vehicle going forward. The Governments of France, through AFD, and Germany, with the KfW acting as a trustee, intend to contribute $30 million each to the partnership. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust have committed $10 million and $7.5 million respectively. CFP parties have committed to help raise the additional capital required to reach the $100 million in catalytic capital. State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth from the German Ministry for the Environment,Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, said, 'We are fully aware that a worldwide rise in ambition is required to respond to the climate crisis. Developing countries will need our support to increase their climate action. For that, both public and private funds will be essential.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de OSCE to pay maximum attention to building sustainable peace in Donbas Rama KYIV. Jan 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Edi Rama has said that the organization will pay maximum attention to changing the situation and building sustainable peace in Donbas, the press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said. The OSCE will pay maximum attention to changing the situation and enable sustainable peace, Rama said during a visit to the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas, adding that the situation is especially difficult for the locals who live along the contact line. He also checked how Ukraine fulfills its obligations to disengage forces and military equipment in the sections determined under the Minsk agreements. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office also visited the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint to see its work, as well as the passenger flow there and the conditions in which the JFO border guards carry out the control procedures. During the meeting with Rama, the command of the JFO staff said that the OSCE mission should start monitoring the situation also during late evening and night time as that is the time when the enemy usually violates the ceasefire regime. CPI(M) Politburo member Mohammed Salim on Wednesday alleged that the ruling TMC in West Bengal has a "secret understanding" with the BJP-led government at the Centre on the NPR. Referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement that none of her officials would participate in any meeting on the National Population Register (NPR), he questioned the state chief secretary's visit to New Delhi earlier this month to participate in a census meeting instead of those involved in the survey. "She (the CM) had said that none of her officers will be participating in the NPR meeting but only the census-related meeting. Then why had the chief secretary gone there ? He has nothing to do with census. Why didn't those involved in it? Look at the profile of the officers who participated in the census meet," Salim told reporters at the party office here. The Left leader claimed that the other states like Kerala and Punjab who had participated in the census meeting had opposed the NPR and had stressed their stand there. "But the Bengal government did not do it because they spoke seperately to them (central government). The state government boycotted the meeting because they had spoken to the central government seperately. "Why did the chief secretary go to the meeting, there was no need for him to do so," he said. Criticising West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, the CPI-M leader said that the daily mudslinging between him and the state government was not "good" for the administration in the state. "The governor is a representative of the central home ministry and the manner in which they are appointed these days - the political agenda is very clear. The daily mudslinging between the governor and the chief minister is not good for the day to day administration. "The Governor is trying to be over smart and trying to outsmart the government machinary or the ministers. He may have some personal agenda, or political agenda or some directives from the central government. But this is totally uncalled for, unnecessary and damaging," he said. In this situation the day to day problems of the people of Bemgal are not being are not being addressed and the governor should concentrate on the deteriorating condition in the field of education in West Bengal. The governor is the chancellor of state-run universities in the state. "This way the day-to-day problems of the people of Bengal are not being addressed. Their problems are the NPR, CAA, everyday livelihood of the common people, salaries of the worker community, the social security schemes and the problem in the education sector. "He (the Governor) is the constitutional head of the educational insitutions and he should address those things," Salim said. The governor has had a series of faceoffs with Dhnakhar since he took over office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 17:15:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Ao Ieong U, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, speaks at a press conference held by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of Macao SAR government in Macao, south China, Jan. 22, 2020. The center said on Wednesday that the first case of novel coronavirus has been reported in a local hospital. (Xinhua/Cheong Kim Ka) MACAO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government said on Wednesday that the first case of novel coronavirus has been reported in a local hospital. A 52-year-old woman traveling from Wuhan in central China was diagnosed with the disease by Macao's Centro Hospitalar Conde de Sao Januario on Tuesday afternoon and has been quarantined and treated in the hospital. The patient had taken a high-speed train to Zhuhai of Guangdong Province and arrived in Macao through the Border Gate on Sunday, and checked into a hotel in Macao. She had a sore throat and a cough for about a week before she went to the hospital by herself at 6 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) on Tuesday. The patient began to develop a fever without any breathing difficulties after she has been quarantined in the hospital. Before going to the hospital, she had remained in the hotel and the casino for the most of the time and had gone out for meals. There have been three people in close contact with her in Macao, and they were under quarantine observation for 14 days, the center added. All their rooms, including the one of the patient, were disinfected soon after. The SAR government's Health Bureau Director Lei Chin Ion said the confirmed patient would not been highly contagious, but it still needs the medical observation result of the people in close contact with her. Chinese health authorities said Wednesday that over 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by Tuesday. Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, one in South Korea and one in the United States. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and their jackal pack are already howling that a Senate trial dismissal vote or a trial without witnesses amounts to a "cover-up." We don't care what they think. But we must care very seriously about what Americans think, and Americans have not heard the president's defense against the bogus charges because the House Democrats forbade this basic fairness. The Senate trial is his perfect chance to destroy the Democrats' sham impeachment. If most Americans knew about the vicious covert war waged by anti-Trump officials at the highest levels of our revered security agencies to usurp the presidency, they would be outraged. Poll numbers would reflect their overwhelming disgust with the powerful weasels at the DOJ, CIA, FBI, maybe even the FISA court, working hard undercover to undo an election that Trump won overwhelmingly. But most Americans have busy lives, and when they do tune in, they mostly hear the leftstream media's Trump-hating desk-pounders who deliberately ignore the Deep State conspiracy to annihilate the president. And the usurpers' tangled web is so wicked complicated that following it requires a flow chart that would cover several walls. So there's no way to know how many millions of Americans actually believe that Adam Schiff's lying "parody" of the Trump/Zelensky phone call is what the president really said: "You better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it. ... [Y]ou know what I'm asking, and so I'm only going to say this a few more times...and by the way, don't call me again. I'll call you when you've done what I asked." This is not anything like what Trump actually said. For many, this malicious fiction, which Schiff presented as if he were reading a transcript, is the first and only version of the phone call they've heard. Schiff's obvious goal was to make Trump sound like a Sopranos mob boss ordering a hit job. That the call was a perfectly legitimate question about Ukraine (and, yes, Biden) corruption before the president's release of U.S. aid this reality is totally lost on many millions. That's why, if the president is to be entirely cleared, the Senate trial needs witnesses for the defense. The president has been impeached. During that process, he was not allowed by the hater mob of Democrats who rule the House committees to call witnesses in his defense. Thus, the Senate trial will be his only opportunity to present witnesses to exonerate him in front of a watching nation and in fact a world gripped by the historic televised proceedings. It's an opportunity he and his defense team must seize with his typical enthusiasm and masterful political savvy. Here's a partial list of schemers and plotters whose witness testimony will shock the public as the rotten layers of the plot are peeled back from its poisonous beginnings (legal team, feel free to add): John Brennan (CIA) James Clapper (FBI) James Comey (FBI) Andrew McCabe (FBI) Peter Strzok (FBI) Lisa Page (FBI) the whistleblower (a CIA operative who helped gin up the Trump/Russian collusion fantasy and can reveal how he worked during the Obama years with thenvice president Joe Biden, and thenCIA director Brennan as well as "huddling for guidance" with the staff of House Intel Committee Chair Adam Schiff while the House impeachment was actually underway) Adam Schiff himself (testifying about his and/or his staff's collusion with the whistleblower) the Democratic National Committee (DNC) their law firm Perkins Coie Hillary Clinton campaign operatives Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS, who with the previous three parties together conspired to fund and commission the phony Steele dossier Christopher Steele (onetime FBI source who created the dossier) Bruce Ohr (associate deputy A.G.) and wife Nellie (Fusion GPS operative) the unnamed Steele "subsource" who is quoted in I.G. Horwitz's report as saying "'that Steele misstated or exaggerated (source's) statements in multiple sections of the reporting' (p. 187). The salacious claims about Mr. Trump were 'rumor and speculation,' offered in 'jest.' What (the source) had passed along to Steele 'was just talk,' 'word of mouth and hearsay' that Steele's source had acquired from 'friends over beers'" (p. 18788). In other words, the inflammatory, licentious, vile Steele dossier that started a four-year nightmare to depose a president, obtain fraudulent FISA spying warrants on innocent Americans, and ruin the lives of Trump allies like Carter Page was just a farcical spew of drunk talk. Do you think Americans would be interested in that sobering fact? And how about calling forth the big kahuna Barack Hussein Obama himself, under whose regime this whole scheme was birthed? He needs to be asked what he meant by a 09/02/16 Lisa Page (FBI) text in which she told lover Peter Strzok (FBI) "potus wants to know everything we're doing"? Hmmm. Subpoenaing witnesses in the trial has a yummy bonus beyond laying bare the subversive lefty coup conspiracy. That's perjury. Most of these witnesses will necessarily lie to the Senate under oath, opening themselves to perjury prosecution, especially when federal prosecutor John Durham releases his investigative report, much of which will likely contradict their testimony. Durham is reportedly already "scrutinizing" Brennan, Clapper, Strzok, Steele, and Comey. Big fun ahead! But wait there's more! If the trial goes on for several weeks, which it will if witnesses are called, the senators running for president (Sanders, Warren, and Klobuchar) will be stuck to their chairs by the superglue called the Constitution, unable to campaign for the critical upcoming Iowa caucuses and other important contests. This ironically Nancy Pelosiimposed paralysis could well result in Joe Biden landing the Democrat presidential nomination, especially since he's already leading in most polls. Thank you, Nancy oh, please do throw us into that Biden briar patch! Biden's role in enriching his relatives (not just Hunter) by creatively corrupt means during his decades in government will bubble to the top of his stinky stew of a campaign. That tape of him bragging about threatening Ukraine to withhold a billion dollars in aid unless the prosecutor looking into son Hunter's Burisma gas company was fired that tape it will be everywhere like a pillow commercial. So let the Democrats subpoena John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney. We know why the House didn't do so during the impeachment they knew that Trump would invoke executive privilege, and he would likely prevail. Executive privilege has a well established legitimate pedigree starting with President George Washington. It's been invoked by many presidents in order to preserve the confidentiality of the Executive and the integrity of the separation of powers. It operates under the commonsense principle that the president must have some guarantee of confidentiality in his dealings with foreign leaders and his discussions with close advisers like Chief of Staff Mulvaney and former national security adviser Bolton. It's meant to make sure one branch of government say, the Legislature can't wield limitless power over the Executive. The only executive privilege claim that ever went to the Supreme Court and was denied was when Nixon refused to release his recorded conversations during the Watergate investigation. Senators, subpoena the jackal pack and expose the evil coup to overturn our presidential election. Go full Trumpian! Joy Overbeck is a Colorado journalist and author who has written for American Thinker, Townhall, The Daily Caller, The Washington Times, The Federalist, Complete Colorado, and elsewhere. More columns: https://www.facebook.com/JoyOverbeckColumnist. Follow her on Twitter at @JoyOverbeck1. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. Rescuers in Nepal began digging through snow on Wednesday as they searched for the bodies of four South Korean trekkers and three locals swept away by an avalanche in the Himalayas, officials said. The trekkers were descending near the Annapurna base camp in Nepal around 3,230 metres (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck on Friday after heavy snowfall. The search team of nine Nepal Army specialists, several South Korean personnel and locals dug into marked areas where signals from various tracking devices have been recorded from early Wednesday. "The Nepal Army rescue team dug about five metres deep in the area where it was assumed that Korean tourists might be buried, but nothing was found," the military said in a statement on Wednesday. Relatives of the missing Koreans have arrived in Nepal. "They wish to get progress in the rescue activities," South Korean ambassador Park Young-sik told reporters on Tuesday. Heavy snowfall has hampered the search, with officials stating that some snow could thaw in two weeks if the weather is sunny. But it could take up to a month for most of it to melt. Six of the missing were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group. The four foreigners -- two men and two women -- were part of an 11-member team of South Korean nationals. Others have safely descended. Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in Nepal. Thousands of trekkers visit Nepal every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas and routes lined with picturesque villages. The Annapurna region is particularly popular among tourists, with 172,720 visiting the area in 2018. A snowstorm killed about 40 people on the Annapurna circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit Nepal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) France, Israel to establish strategic dialogue French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Israel to take part in the 5th World Holocaust Forum slated for Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced his agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron to "launch a strategic dialogue between the two countries." NETANYAHU TO MACRON: PUT PRESSURE ON IRAN "I just finished a very interesting and fruitful meeting with my friend French President Emmanuel Macron," Netanyahu said in a televised statement. "This meeting covered many topics in the region including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Libya. "We agreed to establish a strategic dialogue between Israel and France that would continue cooperation between both countries on our common interests; this is a very important development in Israel's foreign policy and it can help us to achieve very important things for state security," he said. Also, the Office of Israeli Prime Minister said in a written statement that Netanyahu called on Macron to put "pressure and sanctions that are being exerted on Iran following the steps taken by Tehran in the nuclear field and its aggressive actions in the region." "The Prime Minister and President Macron decided to launch a strategic dialogue between the two countries in order to enhance cooperation between them and achieve their goals also regarding regional issues," it added. Following the completion barrage project on the Ravi river, Union Jal Shaki Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that not a single drop of water belonging to India will be allowed to flow into Pakistan. After holding a meeting with the administrative officials of the Ranjeet Sagar Dam, the Union Minister hoped the project will be completed by 2022. "All of the water which belongs to India will be used in the country. Not even a single drop will flow into Pakistan. The barrage project will provide the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan their fair share of water," said the Union Jal Shakti Minister after his visit to the under-construction barrage project on the Ravi river. "The excess water, after the dam's capacity is filled, will be sent to more than 100 villages in the border areas. On this project, the Centre will provide 86 per cent funds while 14 per cent will be shared by the Punjab government," added Shekhawat. India and Pakistan had signed a treaty for sharing of water of the rivers of the Indus drainage system in 1960. The agreement, mediated by the World Bank, is known as the Indus Waters Treaty. Under this treaty, Pakistan got a favourable division of waters of the six rivers of the Indus system. India is allocated the waters of the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi - the three less voluminous eastern tributaries of the Indus. READ: Gajendra Singh Shekawat concerned about India's water availability READ: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat talks about Dam Safety Bill in Delhi Underground Water Resources Up To 22% Dried Up Or In Critical Category A month earlier, Shekhawat said that almost 22 per cent of underground water resources in the country have either dried up or fall in the critical category. He also mentioned that the government has initiated work on mapping all the aquifers in the country for their better management. Speaking at an event, the Minister said that the government is committed to complete the mapping of all the aquifers (groundwater resources) in the country by the next two years, while work on mapping the aquifers in the critically exploited districts is aimed to be completed by March 2020. READ: Gajendra Shekhawat: 'Developing countries are looking towards India for leadership' (With Inputs from ANI) Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed after taking off from Tehrans main airport earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board. The new preliminary report by Irans Civil Aviation Organization however stopped short of blaming the TOR-M1 for the crash of the Boeing 737-800, flown by Ukraine International Airways. For days after the January 8 shootdown, Iran denied that it fired missiles at the plane, initially blaming a technical malfunction and engine fire for the crash. However, after the US and Canada blamed missile fire for the crash, Irans armed forces said anti-aircraft fire from the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard had downed the flight. The new report identified the missiles fired at the aircraft as coming from the TOR-M1. In 2017, Iran received the delivery of 29 TOR-M1 units from Russia under a contract worth an estimated USD 700 million. However, the report said, The impact of these missiles on the accident and the analysis of this action is under investigation. Surveillance footage earlier obtained by The Associated Press showed two missiles were fired at the plane. The two minutes of black-and-white footage purportedly shows one missile streaking across the sky and exploding near the plane. Ten seconds later, another missile is fired. Some 20 seconds after the first explosion, another strikes near the plane. A ball of flames then falls from the sky out of frame. The footage corresponded with AP reporting, appeared genuine and matched geographic features of the area. It also explained how so many people filmed the shoot down: the first explosion drew their attention so they turned their mobile phone cameras to the predawn sky. The fire from the explosion, however, appears not to have reached inside the cabin, the report said, citing the condition of debris later recovered from the crash. The Tor short-range air defense system, code-named the SA-15 by NATO, was designed during Soviet times to shoot down aircraft and precision guided weapons. It is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles. Each vehicle can operate independently. Tor has a range of up to 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) and can hit aerial targets at altitudes of up to 6 kilometers (about 19,700 feet). Tor missiles explode near their target, taking it down with shrapnel that devastates engines, fuel tanks and other vital components. Iranian officials have offered contradictory remarks on whether theyll send the planes flight data and cockpit voice recorders abroad to be analyzed. The preliminary report by the Civil Aviation Organization said Iranian officials had asked French and American authorities to send them up-to-date equipment to pull the data in Iran. In other developments on Tuesday, South Korea Defense Ministry announced its anti-piracy unit operating in the Gulf of Aden was temporarily expanding its mission to the Strait of Hormuz. A ministry statement said the decision was meant to help ensure the safe passage of South Korean vessels and nationals through the waterway. It said the units expanded operation will include the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The ministry said the unit will conduct an independent operation but will cooperate with a US-led coalition if necessary. Already, a US-led operation is doing surveillance of the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 per cent of all the worlds oil passes. A French-led naval coalition is also being created. The missions began after mysterious explosions last summer targeted oil tankers near the strait, attacks the US blamed on Iran. Tehran denied being involved, though it did seize tankers amid wider tensions with the West over its unravelling nuclear deal with world powers. Meanwhile, a little-known Iranian lawmaker was quoted as offering a USD 3 million cash prize for anybody that would kill (President Donald) Trump, apparently in retaliation for the US targeted killing of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq earlier this month. It wasnt clear where Ahmad Hamzeh, a lawmaker for the town of Kahnouj in Kerman province, believed the money would come from, though he implied the province would offer the cash. Later on Tuesday, the Iranian government announced it was establishing a Soleimani Prize to be awarded on an international level, the official IRNA news agency reported without elaborating. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension of the term of the commission to examine the issue of sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by six months up to August 31 this year. The Cabinet has also approved an addition to the terms of reference of the commission, which will now also study various entries in the 'Central list of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription.' An official release said the communities in the existing list of OBCs which have not been able to get any major benefit of the scheme of reservation for OBCs for appointment in Central government posts and for admission in central government educational institutions, are expected to be benefitted on the implementation of the recommendations of the commission. The commission is likely to make recommendations for benefit of such marginalised communities in the central list of OBCs. The Commission, headed by Justice (Retd) G Rohini commenced functioning on October 11, 2017, and has interacted with all the States and Union Territories that have subcategorised OBCs and the State Backward Classes Commissions. The release said that the commission has come to the view that it would require some more time to submit its report since repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and errors of spelling or transcription appearing in the existing central list of OBCs need to be cleared. The commission had sought extension of its term by six months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moroccos Atlantic coastal city of Agadir welcomed last year more than 1,1 million tourists, including Moroccan nationals, up 6.4 pc from previous year, according to latest figures released by the local tourism center. The number of Moroccan travelers who spent their holidays in Agadirs hotels, tourism residences and centers rose to 436.794 in 2019, a 14.9 pc increase compared with the previous year. The French tourists rank second totaling 213,982 holiday-makers, followed by the Germans (126,998) and the British (123,674). The four-star hotels received the largest number of tourists in 2019 totaling 340,304, followed by tourism clubs, five-star hotels and tourism residences. Holidaymakers flock to Agadir throughout the year to top up their tans, particularly during winter when there are still blue skies and plenty of sunshine. The city is renowned for its beautiful beach, its Kasbah dating back to mid-16th century, its marina, Grand Mosque, Amazigh Museum, Agadir Memorial Museum and Crocopark, home to Nile Crocodiles. Cap and trade (CAT), also referred to as emissions trading, is a market-based method of managing pollution by introducing various economic incentives for reducing the emission of pollutants. Unlike the command-and-control regulation, CAT is a flexible environmental regulation program that allows markets and organizations to decide the best methods to lower emissions. CAT allows the market to set the cost of carbon emission and the price spurs market innovations while driving investment decisions. With CAT, the government does not dictate technology choices or set performance standards for carbon emissions. How Does It Work? With the CAT system, the government sets the emission cap and then sells or allocates a limited number of permits that allow companies to discharge a specific quantity of a particular pollutant in a given time. All the polluting companies in the region are required to purchase and hold permits for the amount that equals their emissions. Therefore, any polluter who wants to increase his/her pollutant emissions must buy permits from other polluters who have managed to reduce their emissions. The buying and selling of the permits established the emission price. Firms are taxed if they emit more pollutants than their license allows. The government reduces the number of issued permits annually, thereby lowering the emission cap. Reducing the number of permits every year makes them very expensive. Therefore, polluters will have to invest in clean technology since purchasing permits will be more costly. CAT System In Action CAT systems are being developed and used to reduce emissions in different parts of the world. The EU Emission Trading Scheme is the worlds GHG trading scheme that has been in use since 2005. Numerous Chinese provinces and cities have been using the CAT since 2013, and currently, the Chinese government is in the process of developing a national program. In the U.S., 9states participate in the RGGI (Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative). The RGGI was the first CAT program in the U.S. to reduce carbon emissions. Some of the 9states participating in the RGGI include Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine, among others. California started operating a CAT program that is associated with another program in Quebec in 2013. Efforts to introduce a national CAT system in the U.S. resulted in the House approving the American-Clean-Energy-and-Security Act in 2009. However, the efforts were stopped by the senate. Pros And Cons Of The CAT The CAT is a market-based system that creates an exchange value for GHG emissions. The supporters of the CAT argue that this program will force polluters to invest in clean-technologies to avoid purchasing permits whose prices are increasing every year. Opponents argue that the CAT could lead to the overproduction of GHG to the cap limits every year. Opponents predict that the cap set by many governments is too generous, and this will slow down the journey to achieving cleaner energy. Challenges Of The CAT One of the main challenges when developing a CAT policy is if the government can impose the correct cap on the polluters. A limit that is too low will be considered to be a burden on the polluter, while a high cap will result in higher emissions. The burden of a cap that is too low will be passed on to the consumers. DES MOINES Vaping would be outlawed for everyone in most of Iowas public places and illegal anywhere in the state for those under 21, according to measures that advanced Tuesday in separate Senate subcommittees. Supporters said the changes are needed to keep people safe and make sure Iowa doesnt lose federal grants by having a legal age of 18, which is at odds with a new U.S. law of 21. We dont want to depend on the FBI to come and enforce local smoking laws, said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, in supporting legislation proposing to raise the legal age to 21 for buying, possessing or using tobacco, vapor or other nicotine products. Vaping industry officials argued their product is different from cigarettes and should not be equated with secondhand smoke risks by coming under Iowas smoke-free air act. The 3-0 Senate State Government subcommittee decision came on the heels of federal legislation that bans nationwide the sale of tobacco products and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21. Backers of the Iowa legislation said the state could be at risk of losing nearly $4 million in block grants if state officials do not follow suit. Senate Study Bill 3016 would prohibit a person from selling, giving or supplying any tobacco, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, vapor products or cigarettes to anyone under 21. It also bars those who are 20 or younger from smoking, using, possessing, purchasing or attempting to purchase those products. If passed by the Senate and House as a way of heading off what health officials have called a vaping epidemic among high school students, the bill would take effect immediately upon the signature of Gov. Kim Reynolds. Public health advocates praised the proposal, saying it would be a good first step in helping reduce kids access to vaping products as well as their ability to get them from older friends or acquaintances. Four middle-school students from DeWitt linked through an online video hookup were among those who favored SSB 3016 as a way to limit social access for kids who get vaping products from online sources. No one spoke in opposition to the change. However, Mike Triplett, a lobbyist with Iowans For Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco representing a trade association of vape shops, cautioned senators against going beyond the bills parameters or tinkering with definitions that might have unintended consequences for Iowa businesses. Earlier in the day, Triplett and other vaping industry officials spoke in opposition to a separate measure, SSB 3052, that would bring vapor products as well as environmental tobacco smoke under the enforcement umbrella of the states smoke-free air act that has been in place for more than a decade. We dont think that vapor should be treated the same as secondhand tobacco smoke, Triplett told a Senate Human Resources subcommittee. The science is not there for vapor, let alone secondhand vapor. Travis Puls, who owns Atmosphere Vapors in Grinnell, told senators that smoke and vapor are very different. Corey Halfhill, president and chief executive officer of Central Iowa Vapors, which has 11 stores employing up to 75 people, said applying smoke-free air act regulations to vaping is something that could drastically affect our business as well as the employment. Nathan Blake, a deputy Iowa Attorney General, offered a similar caution, telling senators that Attorney General (Tom) Miller is always concerned when regulations equate cigarette smoke with vaping because one is much more harmful than the other. Others credited vaping with helping Iowans quit smoking cigarettes. However, public health advocates applauded the measure and called for expanding them to include vaping in state-regulated casinos and of marijuana and other plant products intended for inhalation. Quirmbach said he feared enforcement of Iowas clean indoor air regulations would be hampered if some Iowans were barred from smoking cigarettes but others were allowed to vape in the same places. We have enough evidence already to be wary of introducing this product into public spaces, he said. The burden of proof should be on the industry to prove that it is safe. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Kanye West shares how Jesus saved him from devil; hundreds dedicate lives to Christ at youth conference Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. Kanye West shared how Jesus radically changed his life and saved him from the devil while performing along with his Sunday Service choir at a youth conference where hundreds of students dedicated their lives to Christ. I believe Jesus died for my sins. There was a time when the devil had me, West testified before the 12,400 students gathered for the Strength to Stand Conference on Sunday. Do you know the good news? Jesus can save a wretch like me, he continued as the 135-member Sunday Service choir around him sang the words, I stretch my hands to you/Father I stretch. When I dont know what to do, I can still stretch my hands, he said. Surrounded by 38,000 flowers, West and the choir put on an unforgettable service at the East Tennessee conference, complete with rap, gospel-infused songs, and traditional hymns. By wearing the same gray outfit as the choir, West took the focus off himself. With little stage presence, the hip hop artist stayed within the choir throughout the majority of the service and spoke few words as he performed. The goal of the Sunday Service was clear: God, and not Kanye, was going to be glorified. And glorified He was. West powerfully spoke the lyrics of Jesus Is King tracks Selah, Follow God, and the fan-favorite Closed on Sunday. During the service, the Sunday Service Choir belted out songs including Ultralight Beam, Every Hour and Revelation 19:1, along with traditional hymns including How Great Thou Art and Jesus Loves Me. Hallelujah, He is wonderful! the choir sang as students raised their hands in worship, reflecting the communal spirit of the church. Wests pastor, Los Angeles-based Adam Tyson, delivered a short sermon on the story of the Prodigal Son. The Father is saying to his son, If you'll come back, I'm so glad you're back. I love you, Tyson said. Are you hearing me this morning? If you come back to the Father, He runs after you. He loves you. He wants to embrace you. He wants to give you a holy kiss; a kiss of mercy, a kiss of love, a kiss of acceptance. It's from the Father and it's for you. It's forgiveness for you. When you come to Christ, when you come to the Father through the blood of Jesus, He gives you the garment of praise, he continued. He gives you authority over sin and you have authority over the devil and over this world. Tyson concluded his message with an altar call, during which over 200 students dedicated their lives to Christ, according to event coordinators. He told students gathered in the audience, God's calling you home. You might be here this morning in a bad place because of your own sin. God says this morning through His Word, I love you. I'm calling you home. And when you return to the Father, He runs up to you. He's not shy. He's not angry with you. He's inviting you back into relationship with Him. Following Tysons message, the Sunday Service Choir performed the Coldplay song Fix You, altered to include the lines: Christ will guide you home/and revive your soul/Christ is here to fix you. West closed the Sunday Service with a powerful rendition of his 2005 hit, Jesus Walks, before silently filing out of the venue behind choir members. Scott Dawson and his organization, the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association, has held Strength to Stand in Pigeon Forge since 1994. In total, 17,000 students took part in the three-day conference the largest gathering to date. Dawson told The Christian Post that he began working with Kanye West for the conference 10 weeks ago when they needed to replace John Crist, the former headliner for the conference. We're just humbled that we were able, through a divine orchestration, to deliver a cultural icon like Kanye West and the transformational power of the Gospel, Dawson said. We believe this is part of Gods divine appointment for a movement to go across our country. Were in awe: You plan a conference, and all the sudden God is developing a movement. Dawson said that the humility shown by West and his team has been refreshing but also convicting to those of us who are in full-time ministry. If some of our leaders would show that type of humility, maybe we'd start seeing revival across our country, he said. What you're seeing is that the Gospel never changes, but the Gospel can penetrate any culture. And I think what's happened is a lot of times we tried to retreat when in Scripture it always tells us to go forward. I think it may be Christianity going into pop culture instead of pop culture coming into Christianity. To Christians who are skeptical of Wests conversion, Dawson said, You need to understand the transformational power of Christ in a man's life. ... Anyone who reads the New Testament understands the power of Jesus. He pointed to the Apostle Paul, who was famously thrown off his track of persecuting Christians after an encounter with Jesus. I don't know what's going to happen in his life. I don't know what's going to happen in my life. I don't know what's going to happen in your life. But I am firmly convinced I'm speaking to a brother in Christ, Dawson said of West. Geared for students from middle school to college-age, the conference seeks to go beyond the surface of casual Christianity and bring them into a lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ, Dawson told CP. Other headliners at the Strength to Stand conference included Hillsong Young & Free, Lecrae, and Jonathan Edwards. Dawson told CP that the first night of the event, over 400 students dedicated their lives to Christ. We not doing this for an experience, we're doing this for eternity, he told CP. There's an atmosphere that's conducive for the Holy Spirit to speak to a young person's life and for them to see someone that may have experienced the power of Christ. Dawson added, Ultimately, I hope to see them to walk out of here and take Jesus with them. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 23:44:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Somalia, the UN and humanitarian agencies on Wednesday launched the 2020 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), seeking 1.03 billion U.S. dollars to provide life-saving assistance and livelihood support to three million people. The plan aims to provide food assistance monthly to 2.1 million people, support access to education for more than 300,000 children, provide health assistance to 2.5 million people, deliver safe water to more than 1.2 million people and non-food items to 1.24 million people, and address conflict-related protection concerns including the risk of gender-based violence. According to the HRP, more than half of Somalia's population live below the poverty line, noting that huge food and nutrition gaps exist among poor agro-pastoral, marginalized and displaced communities. Hamza Said Hamza, minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, expressed the government's commitment to working with all humanitarian agencies operating in the country to implement the HRP. The HRP aims to reduce the prevalence of acute malnutrition and health needs, meet the basic needs of people across 74 districts, strengthen protection, right to safety and dignity, and enhance the capacity of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and non-IDPs to cope with significant shocks. Gov. Greg Abbott recently became the first governor to shut his states doors to refugees. Falsely conflating border migration with the refugee program, he echoed the Trump Administrations lies about Texas being burdened by refugees. While President Donald Trumps executive order giving states the right to block refugees has been halted, its an important development on how we welcome and value refugees. I am one of many people who believe there is a moral imperative to accept refugees into our country. But there are other reasons we should be demanding more refugees for the U.S. and for Texas. First, refugees have been instrumental to economic growth, and second, there are national security considerations. Abbotts decision is economically shortsighted, ignorant of national security concerns and out of step with Texan values. The current refugee program was signed into law in 1980. It has nothing to do with undocumented border crossings, and is a formal program that vets and admits refugees. The refugee admissions ceiling has varied with each sitting president, but hasnt gone below 70,000 until recently. Only under the Trump administration has the U.S. abandoned its commitment to global leadership in accepting and caring for refugees, steadily lowering the ceiling each year until it has reached the current max of 18,000, less than 13 percent of the highest cap under President H. W. Bush and a mere 8 percent of the high under President Ronald Reagan. Utah, the only state to rival Texas in population growth last year, wants more refugees resettled there. Utah currently has more employers looking for refugee workers than it has refugees to fill jobs its Republican governor and Republican legislature are eager to welcome refugees to job training programs. Abbotts decision puts the Texas economy at a disadvantage at a time of sustained growth. In fact, the Trump Administration knows refugees are a net positive for the economy, because it suppressed a report that said so in 2017. Perhaps of greater concern is how the Trump Administration has framed the refugee program as a national security threat. The reality is that when America closes its doors to refugees, we create national security risks. New American Economy found crime rates precipitously dropped in nine out of 10 cities that accepted large numbers of refugees. Additionally, asking our allies in Europe and the Middle East to play permanent host to refugee camps risks destabilizing fragile countries and leaves significant populations vulnerable to radicalization and recruitment. I am not saying refugees represent a Trojan Horse who wish to do harm: our vetting system works. Im saying that by closing our borders to refugees, by claiming that we can no longer vet refugees when we have done so for decades without error, is to force vulnerable people to remain in compromising situations. At a time when the worlds refugee population has grown due to global conflict, climate migration and other factors, its irresponsible for the U.S. to refuse to provide a safe haven for people fleeing conflict and persecution and leave our allies to pick up the slack. Abbott would be wise to be more welcoming in the name of economic growth and national security. Frankly, his position is inhospitable, and any Texan should know better. Steven Leach was born in Houston, went to college in San Antonio, and currently splits time between Colorado and Houston. He is a national security fellow at Truman National Security Project. The views expressed are his own. The first thing she noticed, she said, was that some emojis look like hieroglyphs. A chart at the entrance of the exhibition pairs a column of hieroglyphs with a column of emojis. The similarities are uncanny: Theres no need for translation. The Egyptian depiction of a slender, generic dog closely resembles the emoji of a prancing canine in profile. A duck (often used as a generic for a winged creature in ancient Egyptian) reappears thousands of years later as an almost identical, left-facing emoji duck. And the emoji man dancing strikes a similar pose to a hieroglyph of a dancing man, one arm raised and with little but a purple disco suit and a loin cloth from 3,000 years ago to distinguish between them. The exhibition, in a small gallery in the museums Bronfman Archaeology Wing, has more than 60 ancient Egyptian artifacts on display; most are from the museums collection and many of them on view for the first time. Visitors can quiz themselves on their understanding of emojis and their newly acquired knowledge of hieroglyphs on interactive screens. Data on the differing interpretation of some emojis will be gathered as part of a survey. Facebook: Bexar County Sheriff's Office Texas Governor Greg Abbott thanked deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for arresting "one of Texas' most wanted gang members" in San Antonio. The BCSO announced the arrest on its Facebook page Sunday, stating the Sheriffs Habitual Offenders Team and the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force worked together to arrest aggravated robbery suspect Xavier Johnson, 25, in the 500 block of Sunrise Canyon. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have hit 11 million followers on Instagram, catching up with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge just two days after they were still 100,000 fans behind the couple. Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, who run Sussex Royal, have seen their following skyrocket since announcing their retreat from the public eye last week. The couple, who will be splitting their time between Canada and Windsor Castle after they stepped down as senior royals, have been on course to overtake Kensington Royal, run by Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, for some time. This is despite the Cambridges' account Kensington Royal being around for much longer, while the Sussexes only started their account last April. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (seen last July on the red carpet) have hit 11 million followers on Instagram , catching up with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge just two days after they were still 100,000 fans behind the couple Prince Harry , 35, and Meghan Markle , 38, who run Sussex Royal, have seen their following skyrocket since announcing their retreat from the public eye last week and are now head to head with Kate and William While Kate and William have shared 1,982 posts, Harry and Meghan have only posted 185 times since last April. The Kensington Royal account gets an average of 300,000 likes for their posts, with statement posts including Kate Middleton's birthday racking up 1.2 million likes. Meanwhile Sussex Royal gets a similar average, but their recent post announcing they would be stepping down garnered almost 2 million likes from supportive fans. While William and Kate's account follows just under 100 people, Harry and Meghan follow new accounts each month to highlight charitable causes. The couple, who will be splitting their time between Canada and Windsor Castle after they stepped down as senior royals, have been on course to overtake Kensington Royal, run by Prince William , 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, (seen on Monday at Buckingham Palace) for some time This is despite the Cambridges' account Kensington Royal being around for much longer, while the Sussexes only started their account last April. They also stand at 11m On Sunday night the Duke of Sussex has said he is 'taking a leap of faith' in stepping back from his life as a member of the royal family, but 'there really was no other option'. Harry gave an emotional speech, where he told the 'truth' about leaving royal duties behind in a bid for a 'more peaceful life' for his family. The duke has attended his first public event since the announcement was released on Saturday that said from the spring, the duke and duchess will stop using HRH, spend the majority of their time living in Canada, and pay back the taxpayers' money spent renovating their Frogmore home. Harry was spotted arriving at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London, where he held a number of private meetings, and was photographed shaking hands with the prime minister of Morocco Saad-Eddine El Othmani. Doria, 63, who lives in LA, is thought to have spent part of the couple's six week break in Vancouver over the Christmas period with the family, and reportedly described grandson Archie, eight months, (seen last September in South Africa) as 'the cutest' On Sunday night the Duke of Sussex has said he is 'taking a leap of faith' in stepping back from his life as a member of the royal family, but 'there really was no other option' In a speech at a private event for his charity Sentebale on Sunday night, Harry told invited guests: 'What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you. 'Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. 'I've accepted this, knowing that it doesn't change who I am or how committed I am. 'But I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.' Earning money while being a member of the royal family appears to have been the crux of the discussions Harry held with the Queen, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge about the future role of he and his wife. Agents from Venezuela's Sebin intelligence service on Tuesday raided the offices of opposition leader Juan Guaido while he was in London for talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an opposition lawmaker said. "We have just confirmed that Sebin officers are inside the office of president Guaido," lawmaker Delsa Solorzano told reporters after speaking with security guards at Caracas' Zurich Tower. National Assembly leader Guaido has been recognised as president by the United States and around 50 other countries in his power struggle with socialist President Nicolas Maduro. The tower where the offices are located had been surrounded in the afternoon by hooded and armed Sebin officers dressed in black. The offices were empty when the search began, the opposition said, adding that several lawmakers had been unable to gain access. Lawmaker Angel Torres said the agents "abruptly entered" the offices, amid opposition fears they could plant false evidence. The 36-year-old Guaido has defied a travel ban to fly to London as part of a European trip which will include a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Despite international support, efforts to oust Maduro have stalled and the socialist leader retains the support of the powerful armed forces, as well as that of allies China, Russia and Cuba. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Xi urges military to focus on improving capabilities PLA Daily Source: China Daily Editor: Chen Zhuo 2020-01-21 15:38:14 President Xi Jinping urged the Chinese military on Monday to strive this year to realize its goals and missions given by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people. "We are determined to build a moderately prosperous society and eradicate absolute poverty before the end of this year. We also aim to achieve the goals set for our national defense system and the People's Liberation Army this year. There are numerous tough tasks for us to do," said Xi, who also is general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. "I hope you stick to the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, uphold the Party's thought on strengthening the military, and implement military strategies in the new era. You must enhance the sense of mission, be focused on improving your capabilities, make sure all of your jobs are fully done, and unswervingly complete the goals set by the Party and the people." The president made the remarks on Monday in Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan province, as he met with officers from military units in the province. He said troops in Yunnan performed well in terms of implementing the instructions from the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, and he praised them for steadily moving forward toward their goals and completing their tasks with outstanding results. The troops made remarkable contributions to the protection of sovereignty, national security and development interests as well as to economic and social development in Yunnan, according to Xi. When addressing the officers during the meeting, Xi offered his best wishes for the coming Spring Festival to all members of the PLA, the People's Armed Police Force, the reserve forces and the militia. On Sunday, Xi inspected a border defense battalion in Yunnan. He checked the troops' living conditions and chatted with soldiers. Video clips broadcast by China Central Television showed that Xi visited a squad's dorm, the battalion's medical room and its kitchen. He checked the cooked meals and examined the freshness of vegetables. During the tour, the president also held a teleconference with soldiers from a landmine clearance unit and a border patrol squad, and encouraged them to honor their duties. Also on Sunday, the president visited a village of the Wa ethnic group in Tengchong, a city in Yunnan. He stressed the need to promote rural vitalization and address problems including the imbalance between urban and rural development after China constructs a moderately prosperous society. Xi told the villagers that efforts should be made to develop rural industries, improve the rural economy, increase incomes and improve people's livelihoods. He also extended Lunar New Year greetings to the villagers, and beat a wooden drum three times, in accordance with local customs, to wish favorable weather for bumper harvests, peace for the country and the people, and peace for the whole world. While visiting the old town of Heshun, a popular tourist destination in Tengchong, Xi exchanged greetings with tourists. A video clip on the internet showed that a tourist asked the president where was his wife Peng Liyuan. "(She) didn't come," Xi replied with a smile. "Just busy preparing for the New Year at home like everyone else." In Heshun, Xi also visited a local library and museum on the ancient Southern Silk Road as well as the memorial hall of Ai Siqi, a Chinese philosopher who made contributions to promoting the Party's theories, popularizing Marxism in China and adapting it with Chinese characteristics. On Monday, Xi visited a wetland near Dianchi Lake in Kunming and learned of the efforts to protect the environment of the lake. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 12/29/2021 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Which couples are still together and which MAFS couples have split up and divorced? And where are they now? 's first thirteen seasons featured 49 different couples getting married at first sight -- so which couples are still together, who has split up and divorced, and where are they all now?Each season of -- which premiered in the United States seven years ago and is based on a Danish series -- features couples (previously three couples, but four couples on Seasons 8 and 9, and five couples beginning with Season 10) being matched together by relationship experts and agree to marry when they first meet.Complete strangers become husband and wife in a matter of minutes, and the couples' lives are then documented by TV cameras over the course of the next four to eight weeks (eight weeks, in the case of 's most recent seasons).The couples typically enjoy their first night together in a hotel after exchanging vows -- with some couples deciding to consummate their marriage immediately -- and then embark on a honeymoon, move in together, and simply attempt to deal with the struggles of daily life as man and wife.At the end of the extreme marriage experiment, each couple must decide whether they'd like to stay married or get a divorce on "Decision Day."has experienced very mixed results over the years. While a significant number of couples decide to stay together and continue their new marriage at the end of their season, the real world seems to hit them hard after the cameras leave, resulting in the couple splitting up only months later.Do cast members see a different side of their spouses once cameras are gone, or do the romances naturally fizzle over time?Some couples are still together to this day and are extremely happy. Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from Season 1, for example, have had two children.Several other couples have also had children -- including Ashley Petta and Anthony D'Amico Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre Danielle Bergman and Bobby Dodd Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie , and Jessica Studer and Austin Hurd However, there are also relationships that ended badly. Jessica Castro from Season 2, for instance, accused Ryan De Nino of alleged death threats, and she went on to file a restraining order and lawsuit against him.Some couples have also never even made it to "Decision Day" and ended their marriage prematurely, including Season 4 couple Heather Seidel and Derek Schwartz as well as Season 6 couple Molly Duff and Jonathan Francetic Are the remaining couples now lovers, friends or enemies?! What about early season couples like Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion, Jaclyn Methuen and Ryan Ranellone, Vanessa Nelson and Tres Russell, Sonia Granados and Nick Pendergrast, and Lillian Vilchez and Tom Wilson?And how about more recent season couples like Danielle DeGroot and Cody Knapek Sheila Downs and Nate Duhon Jaclyn Schwartzberg and Ryan Buckley Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana , and Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally Keith Dewar and Kristine Killingsworth , and AJ Vollmoeller and Stephanie Sersen Click thelink below to see photos of each couple and find out! BEGIN GALLERY >> Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. Today, a 23-year-old Russian suspected to have the coronavirus was hospitalized from St. Petersburg airport. This is the second patient in S.P Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital. The first patient, a 20-year-old Chinese citizen, was hospitalized the same day and now is being examined for the coronavirus infection. The third possible carrier of the Chinese virus was hospitalized at the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. In China, the coronavirus death toll rose to 17 people. A new form of viral pneumonia is spreading in China and has already been detected in neighbouring countries, ITV writes in the article What is Coronavirus and what are the symptoms? in response to the outbreak of new strand of coronavirus, the World Health Organization has urged countries to strengthen their preparedness for health emergencies. Meanwhile the Chinese government is keen to avoid a repeat of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, another coronavirus that started in 2002 and killed nearly 800 people. But what is this new strand and what effect does it have on people? Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses causing illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). It is called a novel coronavirus (nCoV) when a new strain has been identified in humans. Public Health England (PHE) is currently using the name Wuhan novel coronavirus (WN-CoV) for the new strand - named after where it was discovered - until there is an internationally accepted name for the virus and the disease or syndrome it causes. You may also see it referred to as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) elsewhere. Where did the virus come from? On December 31 last year, the World Health Organization was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On January 12 this year the novel coronavirus had been identified in samples obtained from cases. Initial analysis suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak. Many, but not all, of the cases identified in Wuhan had been to or worked in a seafood and live animal market in the city (Huanan South China Seafood Market). This market was closed on January 1, 2020, and sanitised. What are the symptoms? Fever, fatigue and dry cough are the main symptoms in the early stage of illness and some patients may not progress to more severe illness, according to PHE. Dyspnoea a condition that causes difficulty with breathing - is said to be common in hospitalised patients, while vital signs were reported to be generally stable at the time of admission. Older patients with an underlying disease were more likely to progress to severe disease. How is the virus passed on? Some coronaviruses are passed on easily from person to person, while others are not. Little is known about WN-CoV at this stage and investigations are ongoing but it is reasonable to assume the strand could be passed on between animals and humans, according to government advice. Thats because many cases were associated with a market containing a range of dead and live animals. According to PHE, authorities in China reported on January 14 that an infected man had worked in the Huanan seafood market, but his wife, who is also a confirmed case, denied having been to the same market. This means it is possible that there is limited human-to-human transmission within a family setting, but investigations are ongoing. Other coronaviruses are airborne and can be passed on between humans. Should tourists avoid any countries? The World Health Organization is not currently recommending any trade or travel restrictions, based on information available. Is there a vaccine? When a disease is new, there is no vaccine until one is developed. It can take a number of years for a new vaccine to be developed, according to WHO. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:41:14|Editor: zh Video Player Close PORTO, Portugal, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Metro do Porto on Tuesday signed a contract for the acquisition of 18 light rail vehicles from China's CRRC Tangshan Co. Ltd., with the maintenance for five years. The total value of the contract reached 49.6 million euros (55 million U.S. dollars). According to Metro do Porto's head Tiago Braga, "the objective is that these new vehicles can start to be delivered as early as 2021 till 2023..." Zhou Junnian, general manager of CRRC Tangshan Co. Ltd., said at the signing ceremony that the company has capability and confidence to provide products and services of high quality to the Portuguese people, and will strengthen the cooperation with Metro do Porto. ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine H2O (IH2O) is a mission-driven nonprofit that supports startups to develop and deploy their technologies and solutions to solve global water issues. One vehicle IH2O utilizes to drive this mission is through its annual Clean Water Accelerator program. ecoSPEARS IH2O announced earlier this month the 13 companies chosen - from over 215 applicants across 33 countries - to participate in this year's Accelerator program. Included in this year's cohort is Orlando-based startup ecoSPEARS, a clean technology company with the exclusive license of NASA-developed environmental technology capable of removing the world's most persistent toxic chemicals from contaminated land and waterways. The Imagine H2O Accelerator will take place from January - October 2020 with the thirteen cohort companies assembling in San Francisco this coming March for Water Innovation Week which will include a Demo Day and pitch to judges on March 25. Pitch winners will be announced on the following day's Gala event. "We are excited to be a part of this year's Imagine H2O Accelerator program," said Ian Doromal, Co-founder and Executive Vice President of ecoSPEARS. "We are fortunate to have been selected for a number of cleantech accelerator and incubator programs, including Port of San Diego's Blue Economy Incubator, Cleantech Open and Black & Veatch's Cleantech IgniteX, WeWork's and the Washington State Maritime Blue Accelerator but Imagine H2O will be the first program that ecoSPEARS is a part of with the exclusive focus on clean water technology." "It's time to accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies to solve the world's most pressing issues: clean water," said ecoSPEARS Co-founder and CEO Sergie 'Serg' Albino. "Clean water is a human right which everyone deserves access to. Being a part of this year's IH2O Accelerator will help us spread the message that a solution finally exists to clean the most persistent toxins from the sediment layer of waterways while protecting the sensitive aquatic ecosystems in the process." IH2O and ecoSPEARS are but two entities seeking to accelerate worldwide sustainability through innovation. About ecoSPEARS: At ecoSPEARS, we envision a world where everyone has access to clean food, clean water, and clean air. ecoSPEARS is committed to creating a better future by providing cost-effective, green solutions to usher in the carbonless future of environmental cleanup. To learn more about ecoSPEARS, please visit www.ecospears.com. Media Contact: Sam Johnson [email protected] (407) 792-3400 Related Images image1.png Related Links Watch company profile video Follow us on Facebook SOURCE ecoSPEARS Related Links http://www.ecospears.com Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey Successfully Completes First Flight New U.S. Navy variant demonstrates tiltrotor capability AMARILLO, Texas, Jan. 21, 2020 -- The first CMV-22B Osprey, built by Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, completed first flight operations at Bell's Amarillo Assembly Center. The CMV-22B is the latest variant of the tiltrotor fleet, joining the MV-22 and CV-22 used by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Navy will use the CMV-22B to replace the C-2A Greyhound for transporting personnel, mail, supplies and high-priority cargo from shore bases to aircraft carriers at sea. Bell Boeing designed the Navy variant specifically for carrier fleet operations by providing increased fuel capacity for the extended range requirement. The mission flexibility of the Osprey will increase operational capabilities and readiness, in addition to ferrying major components of the F-35 engine. "With the ability to travel up to 1,150 nautical miles, the CMV-22B will be a lifeline for our servicemen and women out at sea," said Kristin Houston, vice president, Boeing Tiltrotor Programs and director, Bell Boeing V-22 Program. "The quality and safety built into this aircraft will revolutionize the way the U.S. Navy fulfills its critical carrier onboard delivery mission." Bell Boeing will deliver the first CMV-22B to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 in early 2020 for developmental test. For more information on Defense, Space & Security, visit www.boeing.com. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense and @BoeingSpace. # # # Contact: Kelsey Swanson Defense, Space & Security Office: +1 610-591-1990 Mobile: +1 610-379-6191 kelsey.a.swanson@boeing.com Jay Hernandez Bell +1 817-280-1949 jhernandez09@bellflight.com NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MBABANE Frustrated local distance commuters have been advised to request for tickets and take them to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport if they dont receive their E0.30 change from bus conductors. Controversy still surrounds commuters and bus conductors in local distances a week after the implementation of the new bus fare hikes. Local distances encompasses any journey from zero to eight kilometres and commuters previously paid E6 before the Eswatini government gazette, tilted Maximum Bus and Taxi Fares Hike, increased the fare to E7.70. The bone of contention between the commuters and conductors emanates from the minimum E0.30 change when the former pay E8 for the journey, which the conductors, in most instances, fail to give to the commuters with the excuse that they have run out of E0.10 or E0.20 that make up the change. Confirmed Speaking to one of the conductors at the Mbabane Bus Rank, he confirmed the storm between them and the commuters on their change and stated that they tried to gather the 10 and 20 cents but quickly ran out of them, which then caused the arguments and hullabaloo. His suggestion was that commuters should also take it upon themselves to organise the change before they board a public transport vehicle to avoid the altercations. We are not wrong to charge the E7.70 because the gazette gave us a green light on that but the issue of the change needs for us and the commuters to have a joint responsibility because we quickly run out of the 10 and 20 cents. They need to also make it their responsibility to come with the actual bus fare to avoid the arguments over change, he said. Road Transportation Director in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Mduduzi Lukhele said public transport conductors had the responsibility to organise the change and he echoed the words of the Principal Secretary, Khangeziwe Mabuza, that if need be, transport operators should approach the Central Bank of Eswatini and ask for coins so that they could give change to commuters and avoid the overcharging, as it was against the law. Lukhele said overcharged commuters should request a ticket and take it to the ministry so that those who were overcharging could be probed. He said the ticket would help them identify the public transport vehicle that the commuter boarded as it had its details. He said it would not be unfair to generalise the matter as others were charging correctly. Commuters should not be shy to also go to the police to report if they are not given their change. One 30 cents is too many if it would be illegally and repeatedly taken away from you, Lukhele said. If the issue of the change persists, it means, on average, a commuter would lose slightly over E218 in a year if the commuter travels to and from town daily. A day after the new bus fare hikes were implemented, it was reported that there was confusion on the actual fares commuters had to pay for the local distances. This was merely because some public transport conductors made commuters pay E8 while others were made to pay E7.50. Valid However, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mabuza, gave clarity on the issue last week, stating that the E7.70 fare in the gazette was valid and recognised by the ministry. However, she did acknowledge that commuters didnt have to pay E8 because prices on the gazette are not rounded up but can only be rounded down, and they can never exceed the ones stipulated in the gazette. Public transport operators and their customers are at liberty to agree on a standard price that suits them and then implement it. They can reduce the fares to an amount that would be suitable for both parties but they cannot charge prices above those stipulated in the gazette. If what commuters are complaining about is anything to go by, then public transport operators were wrong to do so, she said. Recent spy shots of a heavily camouflaged 3 Series sporting Electric Test Vehicle stickers recently made their way into the Interwebs, providing us with all we need to know that the car under all the swirly bits is nothing else but the electric 3 Series. Theres no set timetable on when the electric 3 Series will hit the market, but with testing ongoing, it wouldnt be surprising to see BMW debut the model this year ahead of a possible launch in 2021. The BMW 3 Series is arguably Bimmers most popular model, and its about to go electric. The all-electric 3 Series is one of the 25 electric and electrified models that BMW has in the pipeline, and while most of those models will probably end up being electric crossovers and SUVs, the 3 Series EV is arguably the most intriguing, in part because its shaped as a sedan and has big shoes to fill. Exterior Rides on a long-wheelbase platform Closed kidney grille Possible new design cues Ill be honest. The Electric Test Vehicle stickers give away the mystery, dont they? Its one thing to have just one plastered on a test mule. Its another to have them all over the prototype. Fortunately, even without the sticker spoiler, it is relatively straightforward to piece together the clues that are out in the open with this test mule. The front section is wrapped heavily in the camouflage, but you can see that BMWs using an opaque cover on the kidney grilles. That suggests that the grille is closed because it doesnt need any air to go through it. We already know, too, what a closed kidney grille looks like after BMW unveiled the iX3 crossover last December 2019. The big question is what kind of grille design BMW is going to use on the 3 Series Electric. Is it going with the stylized version that the iX3 sported in its debut or is BMW going to use the incredibly ugly grille design that BMW unveiled in the iNext? You know where our moneys going. Outside of the grille design, the rest of the front section appears to follow the same design qualities of the 3 Series family, though dont be surprised if BMW decides to give the 3 Series Electric a stylistic twist since parts of the body will no longer need vents for engine cooling. That can be the case in the back, too. The exhaust pipes are not present in the test mule as you can see by the absence of cutouts in places where those pipes are normally located. Less noticeable though still important in the larger scheme is the size of the 3 Series Electric. The test mule appears to be using the body of the long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series. If BMW uses the LWB platform on the production electric 3 Series, it would make the model almost five inches longer than the standard 3 Series with an overall length of 190.1 inches. The use of the LWB platform also feeds into the notion that BMW has its eyes set on offering the 3 Series Electric in the Chinese market since thats the only market in the world where the 3 Series LWB is offered. Thats not to say that Europe and the U.S. wont get an electric 3 Series. Both markets will probably get something similar, though its unclear if BMW will offer the same model or if it will develop a 3 Series Electric thats sitting on a standard-wheelbase platform. In any event, the longer platform is a smart choice since its better suited to accommodate the batteries that will power the 3 Series Electric. Interior Could have more interior space Cabin should be largely similar to 3 Series LWB Only the newest technology on this one There are no photos of the 3 Series Electric test mules interior. Thats not at all surprising, though it wouldve been cool if we caught even a tiny glimpse of it. That said, weve already seen what the interior of the long-wheelbase BMW 3 Series looks like so we can at least piece together what we can expect from the all-electric 3 Series. The first and probably the most important thing to highlight is the interior space. If the 3 Series Electric sits on a long-wheelbase platform, its not unreasonable to expect that it will offer more space in the cabin than the standard-wheelbase 3 Series, even with the cars batteries in place. On that end, the long-wheelbase 3 Series offers an extra 1.7 inches of legroom for rear passengers. Thats a byproduct of the increased length of the LWB 3er, which measures 190.11 inches. Depending on the size of the batteries, the 3 Series Electric could also offer as much as 17 cubic feet of cargo space in the back. The interior layout and feel of the cabin should remain the same, too. The BMW 3 Series LWB is noted for its plush interior. Its dripping in premium materials, which we can expect from BMW without hesitation. The dashboard setup should be similar to the 3 Series LWB. Im a big fan of the 3 Series dashboard. I like how clean and premium it looks, the latter of which is likely due to the cool brushed metal-effect trim on the dash. I also like how neatly laid out all the buttons in the center console are. Theyre grouped in sensible clusters, too, so you dont have to worry about confusing which buttons serve which functions. One thing Im not particularly fond of is the plastic trim masquerading in a glossy piano-black finish. Fortunately, there are options to upgrade to varnished ash wood, unpolished oak, or even aluminum effect trims. Options and accessories are big parts of the BMW 3 Series. Expect BMW to offer a treasure chest full of them in the 3 Series Electric, especially if it sits on an LWB platform. Drivetrain 74-kWh battery pack and electric motors 282 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque 0 to 60 mph in under six seconds Estimated range of over 270 miles BMW has kept drivetrain details of the 3 Series Electric under wraps, though judging by whats already been revealed with regards to its other electric vehicles, theres reason to believe that the 3 Series Electric will have a similar drivetrain setup as some of its peers. Heres what we know. The BMW iX3, as well as the i4 and iNEXT, will use the same all-electric powertrain and 74 kWh battery pack setup. The output generated by this drivetrain adds up to 282 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. These figures arent going to blow anyones head off, but they are significant enough for a car of the 3 Series Electrics stature. Remember, the gasoline-powered, long-wheelbase 3 Series is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 181 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. Theres a significant power difference between the two models not the mention completely different drivetrains that allows both to thrive in the same ecosystem, or in this case, the Chinese market. The power generated by the 3 Series Electrics drivetrain goes straight to the two rear wheels. No mention of performance times has come out, but considering that the four-cylinder engine-powered 3 Series LWB can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in the high seven-second range, its reasonable to expect that the 3 Series Electric, with its electric powertrain and rear-wheel-drive layout, can cover the same distance a lot faster than its gas-powered counterpart. A sprint-to-60-mph time of under six seconds isnt unreasonable, is it? After all, the iX3 crossover is reportedly capable of covering that ground in around 5.5 seconds. Speaking of the BMW iX3, Bimmer has already come out and said that the electric crossover will carry an estimated range of 273 miles based on the WLTP test cycle. Thats an impressive number for a crossover, but since the 3 Series Electric is expected to be lighter and more aerodynamic even in LWB form theres reason to be optimistic that the 3 Series Electrics full range can reach up to 300 miles before it needs to be recharged. All these numbers are predicated on the assumption that the BMW will give the 3 Series Electric the same drivetrain setup as the iX3. If the German automaker goes on a different route and offers a different battery and electric motor setup, then all bets are certainly off. Prices Theres word on how much the BMW 3 Series Electric is going to cost. We do know that here in the U.S., the BMW 3 Series can cost anywhere from $40,750 to $56,000 depending on the trim thats chosen. Obviously, the 3 Series Electric is going to cost more than those models, owing to its longer wheelbase and all-electric powertrain. So if the non-M version, top-of-the-line 3 Series M340i tops out at $56,000 with the xDrive setup, it wouldnt come as a shock to see the 3 Series Electric fetch north of $60,000 or around 410,000 yuan in the Chinese market. Unfortunately, thats the sad reality facing all of us in the U.S. The 2020 BMW 3 Series Electric is rumored to be a China-only model. It would make sense because the model thats based on the 3 Series LWB is only available in the Chinese market. Hopefully, though, BMW offers the 3 Series Electric in other markets, including Europe and the U.S. It is, after all, an electric vehicle, and if theres one thing we know about the European and U.S. auto markets, its that EVs are fast becoming the go-to car purchases among their residents. Competition When the BMW 3 Series Electric arrives in China and, hopefully, in other parts of the world, too it will immediately face strong competition from a number of rival models, none more daunting than the Tesla Model 3. Teslas mainstream electric sedan is set to take the Chinese market by storm. At the moment, the Model 3 is available in two battery sizes. The Standard Range trim comes with a 50-kWh battery pack and a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. Together, they produce a peak output of 340 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. All that power goes to the two rear wheels, which then allows the Model 3 to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds on its way to hitting a top speed of 130 mph. The Model 3 Standard Range can travel 220 miles on a single charge via the EPA test cycle and 237 miles via the WLTP test cycle. If you want more from your Model 3, you can opt for the Model 3 Extended Range. This version uses a pair of electric motors and a 75-kWh battery pack, netting an output of 447 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. It only takes 4.4 seconds for the Model 3 Extended Range to sprint from 0 to 60 mph before peaking at a top speed of 145 mph. This version of the Model 3 has a range of 322 miles in the EPA cycle and 348 miles in the WLTP cycle. The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range is priced at $35,000 while the Extended Range costs a tick under $50,000. The prices are roughly the same in China, though Tesla does qualify for government incentives that can knock as much as $3,500 off the $50,000 domestic price tag. If BMW wants the 3 Series Electric to succeed in the face of the Model 3, its going to have to price the EV closer to the Model 3s price tag. Any other scenario and we could be looking at Tesla dominating the EV market in China. Read our full review on the 2020 Tesla Model 3 BMW isnt the only German automaker thats in the laboratory developing a future electric sedan that can compete with the Model 3. Longstanding rival Audi is also working on an electric version of the A4 sedan, and while that model isnt scheduled to arrive until 2023, the development of the model has already begun. On that note, there are very few details surrounding the A4 electric other than it will sit on Audis new PPE architecture, which is already in use by the automakers first-ever all-electric vehicle, the e-Tron. Whatever Audis plans are for the A4 Electric, you can be sure that its going to have the chops to compete against whatever model it lineups against, whether thats the Tesla Model 3 or the BMW 3 Series Electric. Read our full review on the 2020 Audi A4. Conclusion Its one thing for BMW to announce its intentions to develop a roster of all-electric models. Its another thing entirely for BMW to start developing the 3 Series Electric. If theres one model that clearly signals that Bimmer is serious about its all-electric push, its the 3 Series Electric. Expectations are understandably high, largely because of the 3 Series stature in BMWs entire product lineup. Its arguably BMWs most popular model and certainly one of its best-selling ones, too. Theres a lot of pressure that comes with that, and you can be sure that BMW knows it. Im bullish about the BMW 3 Series Electric and what its going to be like once it finally hits the market. Ask me why Im bullish and Ill tell you the same thing. BMW has no choice but to develop the business out of this model. The 3 Series Electric is going to be one of the faces of BMWs all-electric push, and anything short of an extraordinary electric sedan is going to be a failure on Bimmers part. The pressures on for BMW to deliver, and if you know the automaker as well as we do, you know that it understands what all that pressure comes with. SBA List launches $52M effort to reelect Trump, 'most pro-life president in history' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A prominent pro-life group is launching a $52 million campaign to help reelect President Trump by galvanizing pro-life voters in 2020. The Susan B. Anthony List announced Friday that along with its partner super PAC, which is called Women Speak Out PAC, its plans include a robust boost to on the ground grassroots efforts, voter contact mail, phone calls, and digital ads. Their teams have reportedly already visited over 460,000 homes in swing states and are reaching out to voters in battleground states such as Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina. Before Election Day, the SBA List intends to expand its efforts to Iowa, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin and visit 4 million voters. "The stakes have truly never been higher for unborn babies and moms," SBA List founder and President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a tweet Friday about her group's efforts. In an interview with LifeNews, the group's national spokeswoman Mallory Quigley said she expects the abortion radicalism of the Democratic Party will be a "liability" when it comes time to vote. "From now until Election Day, our team will go door-to-door visiting traditional Democrat voter groups who may simply be unaware of the Democrats support for extreme pro-abortion policies. Our focused, battle-tested voter outreach method will ensure we reach the voters who can provide President Trump and pro-life Senate candidates the winning margin on Election Day, Quigley said. To the surprise of many, even though Trump identified himself as pro-choice years before his political career ever began, pro-life advocates have often noted that his administration has delivered on its promises when it comes to pro-life policies. And though abortion giant Planned Parenthood remains federally funded through certain avenues like Medicaid a 2017 attempt to defund the outfit failed in the Senate during a failed vote repeal of the Affordable Care Act the Trump administration instituted a new rule last year forbidding Title X grant recipients from providing or referring pregnant women for abortions. As a result of the new rule, Planned Parenthood withdrew from the program, forfeiting approximately $60 million annually in federal funds. Soon after taking office, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, barring foreign aid dollars from funding entities that provide abortion overseas. The abortion issue rose to the fore of American politics in 2019 as liberal state legislatures in New York and Illinois expanded abortion access up to the moment of birth. Vermont lawmakers also passed a bill that codifies the states existing abortion laws that allow abortion in the third trimester up to birth. Other states with majority pro-life legislators and governors passed laws that require clinics to meet health and safety standards and place limits on abortion. Those states are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah. Utah and Arkansas both passed laws banning the abortion of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome. Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio passed laws banning most abortions as soon as a preborn babys heartbeat is detected. Kentucky also passed a law banning abortion based on sex, race and disability, as well as a law banning second-trimester dismemberment abortions that was later blocked by a judge. Alabamas Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law making abortion a felony in the state, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Many pro-life state laws are already being contested in courts, representing ongoing conflicts that will likely percolate up through the federal judiciary and perhaps challenge the national abortion regime as set forth in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Whether the Supreme Court will revisit the core holdings in those cases remains to be seen, but with the balance of the high court now tilting more conservative with the addition of Trump-nominated Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the bench, pro-lifers are cautiously optimistic and note that abortion policy is at a critical juncture. The high court will soon hear oral arguments in the case of a Louisiana law requiring abortion facilities to have admitting privileges to hospitals within a 30-mile radius in June Medical Services v. Gee. Politico quoted an official with the SBA List Friday who said the group was distressed during the 2016 campaign when a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape was released in which Trump was heard making lewd remarks about women in a conversation with then host Billy Bush. Trump subsequently apologized for his comments and the pro-life group stuck by their support for Trump, with the official adding that, "what we have now is the most pro-life president in American history. - A video of a woman cleaning a portion of a road with soap and sponge has caused a stir on social media - In the video, the woman, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, is seen wearing a straight dress and cleaning the street - Some Ghanaians have taken to social media to react to the video Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in A video of a woman seriously washing a portion of a road with sponge and soap has caught the attention of social media users. In the video, the woman, who is wearing a straight dress, is seen on her knees and wiping the road with a sponge. Beside her is a blue bucket which appeared to be filled with soapy water and passersby stared at her as she busily wiped the road clean. READ ALSO: Video of Kotoko captain's wedding pops up; Aduana Stars gives him GHc2000 YEN.com.gh is yet to ascertain the reason behind the woman's actions. Some Ghanaians have however taken to social media to react to the video: @ama_247s: "den she has a long way to go" @rich_boy_youngest: "Wife material" @iamsizzla05: "She might be a hairdresser, thats one of their punishments" In other news, Millie Odhiambo, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suba North in Kenya, has cautioned men against giving money to women they invite on a date. According to her, it is also foolish to pay a womans lorry fare as it is better for them to deal with it on their own. She went on to say that it is better for women to pay their own fares and also for men to pay their own fare to visit women. Per a report by pulse.com.gh, she went on to say that we are living in an equal world and for that reason, women should be able to pay their own fares. Millie added that foolish men who allow themselves to be used as ATMs by women should not complain when they are broke. "Why send them money, to begin with? In an equal world, let everyone pay their fare. Pay fare to visit the man and let the man pay his fare to visit you. If you are foolish enough to send fare, then do not complain if they use it because you are no longer in a relationship," she argued. In her opinion, "relationships should not be commercialized by either men or women. READ ALSO: Cleaner stakes lotto with GHc2 and wins GHc126000 Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Playstore now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Ghanaian Traders Share Thoughts on Sales During Christmas | #Yencomgh Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: YEN.com.gh The National Green Tribunal Wednesday sought response from the DDA on whether to set up a Work Front Management Authority on the cleaning of the Yamuna river. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel sought Delhi Development Authority's response on Yamuna Monitoring Committee's (YMC) suggestion on setting up of the Work Front Management Authority under DDA. In its report, as noted by the tribunal, the YMC suggested that in view of lapse of time and new challenges, a new mechanism may need to be developed under the aegis of DDA to be assisted in appropriate manner to deal with all the relevant issues relating to the river front. The bench further sought responses from the Delhi Chief Secretary, DDA, DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation), PWD (Public Works Department), Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Cantonment Board, Delhi's Municipal Corporations on YMC's suggestion for entrusting the functions of management of all the drains in Delhi to a single agency. It directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a report to the YMC by February 7 containing at least 10 generic and representative models which are techno-economically feasible and can be implemented after customization to the YMC. The tribunal passed the direction noting that a report filed by YMC in this regard did not mention the generic and representative models which could be customised, adapted and adopted to the natural scenario including the drains. "The YMC may include the report with its comments in its report to be submitted to this Tribunal before the next date," the bench said. The tribunal further directed the Haryana government to take remedial action regarding untreated discharge of sewage into river Yamuna at Faridabad, and directed the state Chief Secretary to file a report in this regard. All the reports have to be send to the tribunal at judicial-ngt@gov.in before February 18, the next date of hearing. It noted that the YMC has observed that the survey of drains was required to ascertain the places where phyto/bio remediation is viable for which a survey team may complete the exercise within one month. "In the second phase, the work may have to be assigned," it noted. The NGT had on July 26, 2018 formed a monitoring committee on the cleaning of Yamuna. The bench had appointed retired expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra as members of the committee. The NGT had earlier rapped the Delhi Jal Board over cleaning of the Yamuna and had said there has been no "meaningful progress" on the ground in the last three years. The green panel had said pollution in the Yamuna was of serious concern as it was highly contaminated with industrial effluents and sewage. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ children is now banned in Utah, making it the 19th state and one of the most conservative to prohibit it. Supporters navigated a winding path to passage and some dissent remains, but barring it in Utah could give a boost to similar efforts in other right-leaning states, said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. 'Its really given people a lot of hope,' said Minter, whose group has pushed for bans around the US Virginia is considering a ban, and the issue could also come up in this year in Texas and Kentucky, he said. The new rule banning subjecting LGBTQ children to controversial 'conversion therapy' was finalized Tuesday, with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert calling on regulators to push it through Utah is now the 19th and most conservative state to prohibit conversion therapy. Utah Rep. Craig Hall was the original sponsor of the proposal and said it will 'save lives' The change in Utah comes after the state hammered out a regulatory rule that had the support of the influential Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leaders had opposed a previous version because it didn't have certain exceptions for clergy. Republican Gov. Gary Herbert took the unusual step of calling on regulators after a proposed law was derailed by changes made by conservative lawmakers. State officials confirmed the rule became final late Tuesday. The original sponsor of the proposal, GOP Utah Rep. Craig Hall, applauded the rule going into effect, saying in a statement that it prohibits dangerous practices while protecting healthcare professionals. 'This measure will truly save lives,' he said. Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity. Many people who have been through it say it deepened feelings of depression and increased thoughts of suicide. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints supported the rule after being assured church leaders and members who are therapists would be allowed to provide spiritual counseling for parishioners or families (The LDS Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, is pictured) The rule bans Utah therapists from putting LGBTQ minors through conversion therapy. A pride flag is seen hanging in front of the historic LDS Temple in Salt Lake City during a 2015 protest The new rule bans Utah therapists from subjecting LGBTQ minors to the practice that the American Psychological Association has said is not based in science and is harmful to mental health. Still, the ban has drawn pushback in Utah. Opponents argued it would prevent parents from getting help for children with 'unwanted' gay feelings and keep therapists from even talking about sexuality with their kids. The rule could become an issue during the 2020 legislative session. Utah's predominant faith, known widely as the Mormon church, opposes same-sex marriage and teaches that intimate same-sex relationships are a sin. But it also urges members to be kind and compassionate to LGBTQ people. The religion holds tremendous influence in Utah, where the majority of state lawmakers and nearly two-thirds of the state's 3.1million residents are members. The faith got behind the conversion therapy ban after supporters included assurances that church leaders and members who are therapists would be allowed to provide spiritual counseling for parishioners or families. Political observers from Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are reacting with surprise and skepticism to media reports that their former Soviet republics could be added to a U.S. travel-ban list. Officials from Washington, Minsk, and Bishkek refused to comment on the record about reports that Belarus and Kyrgyzstan will be added to the controversial list of states whose citizens face travel bans or severe restrictions on entering the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on January 22 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that his administration planned "very shortly" to expand its travel ban. But Trump did not specify which countries would be added. The current list includes Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, North Korea, and Venezuela. "We are adding a couple of countries to it," said Trump, who suggested the list was being expanded because of security concerns. "We have to be safe," he told reporters at the World Economic Forum. "Our country has to be safe." On January 21, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Politico all quoted unnamed officials in Trump's administration as saying Kyrgyzstan and Belarus were being considered for the travel ban. They said other countries that could be added to the travel-ban list included Burma (Myanmar), Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. A Misunderstanding? Those reports said citizens from the banned countries would not necessarily face a total prohibition on visits to the United States. But immigration restrictions could be imposed and additional restrictions introduced on certain types of visas for tourists and business travelers. Artyom Shraibman, a political commentator in Minsk, says that "if Belarus falls under U.S. visa restrictions, it would be the result of a misunderstanding." Shraibman says he thinks any move by the White House to add Belarus to the travel-ban list was probably triggered automatically on the basis of some security criteria. Indeed, one senior Trump administration official told Reuters on January 22 that countries that had failed to comply with Washington's security requirements face the risk of limitations on coming to the United States. AP reported that countries on the proposed expansion list include allies that fall short on certain security measures called for by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security following a review of security protocols in 200 countries. Such measures include the introduction of biometric passports, information sharing, and cooperation on counterterrorism measures. The Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. embassies in Minsk and Bishkek have all refused to comment on the proposed expansion of the travel-ban list. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley also declined to confirm any details about plans to add to the list. He said the existing travel ban "has been profoundly successful in protecting our country and raising the security baseline around the world." "While there are no new announcements at this time, common sense and national security both dictate that if a country wants to fully participate in U.S immigration programs, they should also comply with all security and counterterrorism measures," Gidley said. "We do not want to import terrorism or any other national security threat into the United States." Shraibman says he does not think the White House has coordinated with the U.S. State Department about the idea of adding Belarus to the travel-ban list. That's because Washington has been eager to improve relations with Belarus, which is seen as being heavily influenced by Russia but which also has serious problems in its bilateral relationship with Moscow. One day after the reports of a possible expansion to the travel-ban list, it was announced that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would visit Belarus on February 1 as part of a five-country tour that was postponed amid rising U.S.-Iranian tensions. Sources told RFE/RL's Belarus Service that Pompeo was expected to stay for only a few hours in Belarus before traveling to Kazakhstan later on February 1. Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich notes that the current U.S. travel-ban list is comprised of countries with ongoing military conflicts or where U.S. sanctions already exist. Apparently, he adds, the "structure" for expanding the travel-ban list is "guided by a purely formal approach." "There are U.S. sanctions against Belarus," Karbalevich says. "Some of them have been suspended, but they have not been canceled." Surprise In Kyrgyzstan RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports that possible reasons Kyrgyzstan -- the most democratic country in Central Asia -- could be added to the U.S. travel-ban list include the possible presence of Islamic State (IS) militants in the country as well as a glut of fake Kyrgyz passports around the world. Kyrgyzstan's southern city of Osh is seen as a hub for counterfeit Kyrgyz passports -- which are thought to have been used by organized crime bosses from Russia and other former Soviet republics, money launderers, and suspects in international criminal investigations. Kyrgyz students studying at universities in the United States or coming for visits also have a poor record in terms of overstaying their U.S. visas and remaining in the country as illegal aliens. Kadyr Toktogulov, who was Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to the United States and Canada from 2014 to 2019, describes the reports about Kyrgyzstan being added to the travel-ban list as "bad press for sure." He says it is "confusing why Kyrgyzstan is the pick of all Central Asian countries." He pointed out in a tweet that the Politico report said the ban might apply only to certain government officials or certain types of visas. Im interested in what this...means," he added. Toktogulov also noted on Twitter that Kyrgyz passport-holders already had a "relatively high visa-rejection rate for U.S. visas." "These additional visa restrictions that are reported to be considered by the U.S. will probably not make the situation much worse for Kyrgyz citizens who have been eligible to travel to the U.S. before," he wrote in a tweet on January 22. With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus and Kyrgyz services, Reuters, AP, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times In a message posted on the University of Texas at Austin website, President Gregory Fenves touts the institutions commitment to diversity. Our history of exclusion and segregation gives us a responsibility to stand as champions of the educational benefits of diversity, the statement says. It is a worthy goal one backed by research showing that all students benefit from a diverse learning environment. Unfortunately, UTs pledge doesnt always translate into reality. A recent 188-page Hispanic Equity Report found gross disparities and discrimination for Latino faculty at the states flagship university. History professor Alberto Martinez, chair of the committee that produced the report, described the inequities to the editorial board in three words: Flabbergasting. Demoralizing. Heartbreaking. Well add another: Unacceptable. Consider these findings: Latino professors are paid less than their white peers, ranging from a difference of $10,000 for associate professors to $25,000 for full professors. The pay gap is even wider for Latinas. Latinos are virtually shut out of leadership positions. Among the 130 dean positions, only 7.7 percent are Latino and none are held by a Hispanic female. In Texas, Latinas are 20 percent of the population. Some departments, such as the 130-year-old history department, have never been chaired by a person of color. The Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, named after an Hispanic alumna who endowed it with $15 million, has had no Latino directors since it was founded in 1940. Only 62.5 percent of Latino applicants received tenure from 2010-18, compared with 85 percent of white applicants. The report recounts the experience of a Latino professor who was denied tenure despite having a resume that includes three single-author books, two edited volumes, more than 30 scholarly articles and book chapters in print, and others in the works. Very few candidates in the humanities have such extensive scholarly publications when they receive tenure, the report noted. Denials despite professional achievement are common, Martinez says. Qualifications arent the issue. The problem, he says, stems from a lack of Latino representation on committees that determine hiring, promotion and salaries. UT-Austin has fought successfully at the U.S. Supreme Court to include race as part of its holistic student admission criteria, arguing that a diverse student body brings with it educational benefits for all students. That idea must extend to the universitys faculty, as Fenves himself noted after the 2016 court ruling. Its especially critical on a campus where 23 percent of undergraduate students are Latino, and in a state where nearly 45 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds are Latino. At UT, only 7 percent of tenure and tenure-track professors are Latino. Compare that with Texas A&M, where 22 percent of students and 16 percent of the faculty are Latino. The disparity means that many Latino students never have a Latino professor during their time at UT, missing out on mentoring opportunities or simply the connection to a faculty member who shares the same cultural background. Studies show that Latino and black students perform better with teachers of color who serve as role models. The obstacles to advancement and inequities in pay lead to a high turnover rate and to frustration among those who stay, Martinez said. From 2013-2018, the report found, 60 percent of Latino assistant professors on tenure track left the school. In a statement, UT officials said the university is working to address issues of faculty equity. Provost Maurie McInnis has committed the university to understanding the source of the disparities. The provost has also asked the deans to review and report their processes and outcomes in leadership selection, to improve transparency into these processes, and [make sure] equity is considered in the selection of leadership. That is encouraging. School officials should also follow recommendations outlined in the report, including hiring more Latino professors, especially those who are Tejano and who are originally from disadvantaged groups, raising the salaries of Latino faculty already on staff to achieve equity with white faculty, and creating a rotation that allows all faculty to serve in leadership positions in university and departmental governance. The universitys promise to embrace diversity in many forms should include fair pay and opportunity for the Latino professors and other faculty responsible for educating our leaders of tomorrow. The day after the Westminster attack in 2017, Adeel Shah, along with 500 other Ahmadiyya Muslims, went to the bridge where Khalid Masood had killed five people, wearing a blue T-shirt with the slogan: Im a Muslim, ask me anything. Shah and his brothers and sisters stood in a line, held hands and encouraged people to ask them questions about Islam about the religion Masood had claimed to commit this act of terror in the name of. Press from all around the world captured the historic move made by the Ahmadiyya community and it was met with both understanding and hostility. On that day, when we decided it was necessary to go and visit Westminster and teach people the truth about being a Muslim, I was holding a banner which had the motto of our community on it Love for all, hatred for none and a person came up to me and said: Why are you here? It was very clear from the way he asked that he didnt really want to know why I was there at all, rather he wanted me for us to go away, Shah tells me, when we meet in between prayers in the (currently) quiet Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, the largest in Britain. But then, what happened was that he was actually open to hearing me out. I spoke about our humanity projects and the work we do. And explained that it isnt just local: its international. And he was so happy, in fact, that he gave me a hug. Drivers could soon face losing hundreds of dollars in fines and being docked demerit points for failing to take steps to keep cyclists safe. Motorists in Victoria will be hit with a $330 fine and lose two demerit points if they fail to leave at least a metre of space when passing bikes, if a proposal from the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria is adopted. At least one metre must be left when passing a cyclist in zones less of 60km/h or less in NSW (pictured) with campaigners hoping the rule will be adopted in Victoria The controversial law is already in place in NSW, where at least one metre must be left when passing a cyclist in zones where the speed limit is 60km/h or less. A further 50 centimetre-buffer is required when passing at higher speeds. The RACV is calling for a trial of the law to improve safety for cyclists. 'We are the only state in Australia that doesnt have a law, or isnt at least trialling a law, for minimum passing distance rules,' RACV senior manager of transport Peter Kartsidimas told 3AW. A further 50-centimetre buffer is required when passing at higher speeds in NSW (pictured), which campaigners say improves safety for cyclists 'So were calling on government to do what theyve done in other states and undertake a trial in Victoria for the minimum passing rule, and hopefully it saves a lot of cyclists' lives. 'Theres a lot of motorists at the moment that are driving much closer than that, and you can definitely tell when youre driving half a metre away from a cyclist.' The Queensland and and Western Australian governments also have one-metre minimum gap laws in place. But the punishment is more severe in Western Australia, where motorists can be fined $400 and stripped four demerit points. Laws were also introduced in South Australia in 2015 that encouraged cyclists to ride more often on footpaths, and forced motorists to start leaving a minimum one-metre gap. Drivers in Melbourne (pictured) could soon face the same rule already in place in NSW which means they have to give adequate space when passing cyclists The permanent introduction of the rule in NSW in 2018 led to an outcry from enraged motorists, who accused some cyclists of being a 'menace' to the roads. 'What about protecting motorists from this menace called cyclists, with their aggressive tendencies and arrogant and dangerous attitude,' one person wrote. Another said: 'Once cyclists have a number plate so they can receive fines and penalties for disobeying the road rules then they should be included in the road rules.' Bijapur : , Jan 22 (IANS) In the dense forests of Bijapur village, Padeda, a Maoist hub, has little to boast of in terms of healthcare facility, roads and logistics. On Monday, Boondi, a pregnant woman in advanced labour, needed angels to save her own life and that of the yet to be born baby. CRPF jawans in Bijapur, who were patrolling the Maoist-affected area, proved to be just the angels the lady in distress needed. People in Padeda informed Commander Avinash Rai about Boondi's plight and he readily offered to help. Several villagers joined the effort to foot out a 6 km stretch in about 40 tense minutes with Boondi in acute pain. They shouldered her on a cot and walked to the nearest point which could provide an ambulance. Boondi was rushed to the hospital in the ambulance to Bijapur where she gave birth to a male child. Both mother and son are fine. Such stories of soldiers going beyond the call of duty to turn good Samaritans are rare, given the intense conflict between the Maoists and the forces that has continued for over 50 years now. The Kano State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rabiu Sulaiman-Bichi, has decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Sulaiman-Bichi told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that he will make a formal announcement of his defection soon. His defection comes two days after the Supreme Court affirmed Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC as the duly elected governor of Kano State. The PDP and its governorship candidate had challenged Mr Gandujes election. Mr Sulaiman-Bichi is one of the closest political associates of former governor of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso. He had worked with the former governor in different capacities. During the first tenure of Mr Kwankwaso as Kano governor, 1999-2003, Mr Sulaiman-Bichi was the managing director of Kano State Urban Planning and Development Board (KNUPDA) and also the commissioner for land matters. He was also the secretary to the Kano State Government during the second tenure of Mr Kwankwaso (2011- 2015) and in the early part of Mr Gandujes tenure before he voluntarily resigned due to the Kwankwaso-Ganduje feud. Mr Kwankwaso nominated him to chair the state interim committee of PDP when he returned to the party, from APC. Mr Sulaiman-Bichi was also the returning officer of PDP during the governorship and presidential elections in 2011 and 2019. He also served in the same capacity for APC in 2015 for Messrs Ganduje and then presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari. Ruling on extension of detention of Moscow student accused in illegal rally case vacated RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 18:09 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Wednesday overturned a lower courts ruling extending detention of the Moscow Aviation Institute student Andrey Barshay, who had allegedly gave a National Guard officer a poke in the back during an unauthorized July 27 rally, his lawyer Svetlana Bayturina told RAPSI. Until the matter is reconsidered, Barshay is to remain in detention. In early December, his detention was extended until January 27. He was absent in court as he was undergoing a mental examination, which later revealed that the student was sane and healthy. Barshay stands charged with using force against a representative of authority. The student pleads not guilty, denies involvement in the crime he is accused of, and claims that his detention is related to the escape of one more defendant in the 27 July riots case Aidar Gubaidillin. Protest actions began in Moscow in mid-July after election commissions denied registration of certain opposition members as candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections reasoning that documents submitted by them contained numerous violations. The first unauthorized rally took place hear the Moscow City Election Commissions building on July 14 and looked like a provocation, according to law experts. Unauthorized rallies in support of candidates seeking to become lawmakers of the Moscow State Duma but refused registration by the Election Commission were also held on July 27 and August 3 in central Moscow. Over 1,000 people were arrested for various violations as a result. Following the 27 July rally, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over mass riots. Investigators believe that the protest action was held with the use of force against representatives of authority. Several activists have been already convicted and sentenced. Prosecution of five defendants has been dropped. There's something so appealing about a new house: the smell of fresh paint, the unmarked floors, the appliances that still have plastic-wrapped warranty information inside. But ... there's something so appealing about a lived-in house, a place that has proven it can weather a storm, maybe with gorgeous oak floors hidden under linoleum, rose bushes that come up to surprise you in the spring and character that can't be bought. Which one is right for you? It's a personal decision, but, like most real estate choices, driven by location and price. And, in this tight sellers market with a low inventory of houses for sale, by what's available. Rebecca Beers remembers looking for a new house as it became clear her family of four was growing out of their first house. Rebecca and her husband, Brett, knew they didn't want to move out of Saratoga County, but there was nothing in their price range under $400,000 they liked. They decided to build in Milton and hired McPadden Builders. "We took this route because the inventory wasn't there and what we did find would have been a huge compromise," Beers said. "If we were going to increase our mortgage payment, we wanted what we wanted, not what someone else wanted." Construction of the Beers' four-bedroom, 2,364-square-foot house took six months, a reasonable time locally for new residential construction of that size. There were hurdles: the Beers sold their house in Saratoga Springs, moved into temporary housing, then moved again when their new home was complete. It was worth it, Beers said. "It was exciting to walk into a fresh, clean slate and know it's yours," she said. However, there are not nearly enough houses being built to stabilize the inventory slump. Market data provided by the Greater Capital Association of Realtors continues to show a drop in pending and closed sales. In its latest report, GCAR summarized: "The lack of affordable inventory and the persistence of historically high housing prices continue to affect the housing market, leading to lower-than expected existing home sales at the national level." In other words, the lack of houses on the market is driving the price up all around and new construction is out of reach for many buyers. "There's a specific buyer for new construction: No requirement to sell a house, have at least 10 percent to put down and be more affluent because the price per square foot is going to be higher," said Alex Monticello, who owns Monticello Real Estate and has been in the business for 10 years. "Plus, you pay up-front for upgrades, and no builder will build on a contingency if you sell your house, then you can move forward." Real estate agent Jamie Mattison of 518 Realty, who has sold both new construction and existing homes, pointed to one of his current listings as an example of getting a better deal buying a resale versus new. The house, at 1 Countryside Court in Glenville, is 4,056 square feet on a 4-acre lot and has five bedrooms and four bathrooms. The house was built in 2004, and according to county tax records is assessed at $557,000. It's listed at $564,900. Mattison estimates it would cost close to $850,000 to build the same house today because of building code changes that have increased construction expenses; a shortage of skilled workers; an increase in the cost of upgrades and the scarcity of big pieces of buildable land close to the area's downtowns. Cindy Quade, the owner of Signature One Realty Group and a real estate agent for 35 years, said a buyer's timeline is an important factor after budget. In some cases, a builder will have a spec house ready for a buyer. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "There's a lot of peace of mind that comes with a warranty," Quade said. New York state has what's called a housing merchant implied warranty, which means the buyer and builder don't have to draw one up for it to be in place. The warranty covers the construction, materials, appliances, systems, and building components of a home for one year. Quade brought up other things to consider when buying new. "Take into consideration how long you will be in the home; if it's a large neighborhood and you won't be there long, you might compete with the builder when you put the house on the market and the neighborhood isn't built out yet," Quade said. Older homes, Quade said, usually have the benefit of their value growing over time. Regardless of whether you choose to hire a builder or buy an existing house, do your research. "Talk to at least three people who have had a house built by the builder and get feeback. Reputation is very important," said Jay Christiana, owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake and president of GCAR. "Look at the details in other homes and check with the local homebuilders association." lhornbeck@timesunion.com 518-454-5352 @leighhornbeck (Adding TUI, Senior shares) PARIS/LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Airbus' shares rose to record highs on Wednesday, after its U.S. arch rival Boeing warned of new issues with the Boeing 737 MAX plane, while customers and suppliers slumped after the latest blow from the U.S. aerospace company. Airbus was up by 1.5% at 138.48 euros at 1005 GMT, the top performer on France's benchmark CAC-40 index after scaling record highs in early deals. In contrast, holiday company TUI's London listed stock was down as much as 4.7% - the lowest since September and the biggest faller on the FTSE 100. Shares in suppliers, Britain's Senior and France's Safran which make the engine for the jet with General Electric, were lower. Late on Tuesday, Boeing said it did not expect to win approval for the return of the 737 MAX to service until mid-year due to further potential developments in the certification process and regulatory scrutiny on its flight control system. In December, TUI warned that if the 737 MAX was not back in service by May that could wipe off as much as 400 million euros ($443.6 million) from its annual earnings. ($1 = 0.9017 euros) (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta in Paris and Josephine Mason in London, editing by Louise Heavens) Localities in Vietnam have taken a number of measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing since the country received a yellow card warning from the European Commission (EC) in 2017. Staff from the provincial Fisheries Department checks a monitoring device on a fishing boat before it operates offshore at Qui Nhon fishing port in Quy Nhon City. VNA/VNS Photo But experts say more work needs to be done to improve their fisheries governance and retain access to EU market. Nguyen Cong Binh, deputy head of Binh Dinh Fisheries Department, said by the end of July last year, the province has completed installing Movimar device a system to monitor fishing vessels and aquatic resources by satellite technology) for all vessels with a length of 24m or more. Only 603 out of 3,231 boats of between 15 and 24m in length have the system installed. In accordance with the recommendations of the EC for offshore fishing vessels to be transparent and to fight illegal fishing, the installation of monitoring equipment must be finished by the end of March, this year. The high number of fishing boats which have not yet installed the equipment was causing difficulties for the management of vessels and traceability, Binh said. Even after the installation completed, it was still a hard job. To supervise 3,300 fishing boats, there should be an adequate staff are on duty around the clock and specialists in traceability and supervision of fishing vessels. However, it is still short in demand, he said, adding that a lot of fishing ports in the province have not yet received the software to trace the operating areas of fishing boats. The southern most province of Ca Mau also faces similar problems. The monitoring systems have been installed on 55 per cent of vessels of 15m in length and 88 per cent of those with a length of 24m or more. Mai Anh Nhin, deputy chairman of Kien Giang Provinces Peoples Committee said the installation of monitoring devices was an important issue but many boats did not turn on the device when going to sea. Traceability was also an issue. The traceability has not met ECs requirement for the control of products legality before exporting to EU market, said Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development at a workshop held in December on the issue. Currently, there were 129 fishing boats in waters outside Vietnams territory and 69 boats in disputed areas, he said, adding that Vietnam has explained this to the EC. Tuna caught by fishermen transported to Tam Quan Bac fishing port in Binh Dinhs Hoai Nhon District are supervised to ensure the requirements about tractability. VNA/VNS Photo To solve the problem, Binh said the province would coordinate with other provinces and agencies to complete the installation of monitoring device and closely supervise vessels operating offshore. The locality would strengthen the dissemination for boat owners and captains to hand in fishing records as required. Trieu from Ca Mau Province proposed the Government to issue guidance on software management and support localities in demanding vessels to install monitoring devices. Nhin suggested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security assist provinces to stop illegal fishing by local vessels. VNS Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng launched the Cashless Ecosystem for Cyberjaya, making Cyberjaya the first city to adopt the national QR code standard, DuitNow QR. Cyberjayas new cashless ecosystem is a collaboration between Cyberview and PayNet, the nations shared payment infrastructure provider. Cyberview will spearhead this with our partner, PayNet, to encourage more businesses to adopt cashless solutions and further ease payment transactions for communities in Cyberjaya, said Cyberview Managing Director Mohd Najib Ibrahim. DuitNow QR is established under the Bank Negara Malaysia Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework (ICTF). PayNet group CEO Peter Schiesser explained that the DuitNow QR standard allows a merchant to sign up with one acquirer, which will then eventually enable 22 million bank customers and millions of e-wallet customers to make payments. Currently, nine banks are offering DuitNow QR in their mobile banking apps, with 23 banks and 4 major e-wallets expected to implement the QR standard over the next six months. The first bank to sign up for DuitNow QR was Public Bank in August of last year, whereas GrabPay made headlines as the first e-wallet to do so in November 2019. The ongoing implementation of the national QR standard is a welcome development as the government pushes for increased cashless payments adoption in Malaysia through programmes like the recent e-Tunai Rakyat initiative. (Source: The Malaysian Reserve) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE The Independent ended 2019 as the UKs largest quality digital news brand for the second consecutive month, with 26.5 million readers in December, the latest industry figures show. Monthly figures released by analytics firm Comscore showed the website recorded its best-ever UK performance and remained ahead of theguardian.com when it came to UK-based unique monthly users after overtaking the news outlet in November. Comscores data also showed the gap at the top widening, with The Independent recording 1.4 million more readers than The Guardian website more than doubling the 546,000 lead of the previous month. The record figures were achieved in the month of the general election, which saw the Conservatives win their biggest majority in Westminster since Margaret Thatcher's 1987 victory, while the historic impeachment proceedings against US president Donald Trump prompted a surge of interest in US politics. Christian Broughton, the editor of The Independent, said: This is a hugely encouraging endorsement from our growing number of readers. In the month of a general election and at a time when politics is changing fast, people value a respected, trusted title free from the Fleet Street tradition of ties to a particular political party. We have always been clear and passionate about the values we champion, but we credit our readers with the ability to make up their own minds. Minh Phu Seafood Corp shares fell for a second day after the company confirmed it would co-operate with the US investigation into whether the Vietnamese firm had evaded anti-dumping taxes or not. Shrimp processing at MInh Phu Seafood Corporation.Photo tienphong.vn The statement was made after international and local media last weekend reported the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had launched an investigation into whether MSeafood, a US division of Minh Phu Seafood, violated US trade laws by evading anti-dumping taxes on frozen warmwater shrimp from India. A report on undercurrentnews.com on January 16 said the CBP had sent a letter to MSeafood Corporation, located in Fountain Valley, California, regarding the initiation of investigation and interim measures. In the letter, the CBPs acting director of Trade Remedy and Law Enforcement Directorate informed Minh Phu Seafood chairman Le Van Quang about the formal investigation as the CBP had found evidence that supports a reasonable suspicion that MSeafood entered covered merchandise into the customs territory of the United States through evasion and the CBP had imposed interim measures. The investigation was initiated upon an allegation submitted by the Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Enforcement Committee (AHSTEC) on evasion of anti-dumping duties by MSeafood, the letter said. The AHSTEC claimed MSeafood imported Indian-origin frozen shrimp into the US, which was transshipped through Viet Nam, the letter said. Minh Phu Seafood Corp has responded it had not received any official inquiries from the CBP and the interim measures were based only on evidence provided by AHSTEC without asking for co-operation from Minh Phu Seafood. The firms US lawyer had registered with the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) to deliver evidence so the final measures could be made, the company said. Minh Phu does not export finished Indian shrimps to the US. The company only buys raw materials for processing, the firm said, adding some information provided by CBP regarding its production and imports was inaccurate. The company said it would fully co-operate with US regulators to settle the case. In 2019, Minh Phu Seafoods total production was down 9.05 per cent on-year to 59,500 tonnes. Total exports were 57,700 tonnes, worth US$643 million. The figures were down 14.69 per cent and 14.25 per cent on-year. In the US market, the company recorded a 19.57 per cent annual drop in its exports, which retreated to $246 million. Minh Phu Seafood shares (UPCoM: MPC) dropped 1.7 per cent to end Monday at VND22,500 ($0.97) per share. Its shares tumbled 6.2 per cent on Friday after the investigation was reported. VNA Seafood processor Hung Vuong to sell 5 million treasury shares Hung Vuong Corporation (HVG), one of the biggest seafood processors in Viet Nam, plans to sell five million treasury shares to raise capital to supplement business activities and enhance operational efficiency. The Kerala government has set up screening centres in many airports in the state on the advice of the Centre in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in China, official said Wednesday. In the Cochin international airport screening centres have been set up for incoming passengers. So far 28 passengers, who came directly from the affected areas have undergone screening test and all tests were negative, No alarming situation inferred, said a statement from the Cochin International Airport Limited. It said special masks and gloves were distributed to all officials deployed in the international arrival area of the airport. ALSO WATCH | Coronavirus: Death toll rises; India screens China travellers at 7 airports The state health department has also issued a circular directing all passengers who have travelled to China recently to report to district medical officers immediately. It also reviewed preparedness in all major hospitals in the state. So far risk level remains so low but state health minister K K Shailaja has asked officials to be on high alert. No need of any panic. But it is always good to take precautions, she said. The deadly virus was first reported in Wuhan, capital of central Chinas Hubei province, has claimed nine lives so far and infected 440 people, reports from China say. In a bid to contain the virus, Chinas national health commission has asked residents of Wuhan not to leave the city. Scientists believe that virus which was detected in the last week of December can spread from person to person in close contact through the respiratory tract. On January 17, authorities at three international airports - Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata began thermal screening of passengers returning from China. Kerala had effectively contained an outbreak of another dangerous virus nipah two years ago and initiated many steps for medical emergencies. The state had won many laurels for effectively containing the nipah outbreak two years ago. Health experts had hit a blind alley in initial stages of the outbreak in north Kerala in May 2018 because nipah was an unknown virus and had no history of treatment. But officials and a team of dedicated doctors responded valiantly and contained its secondary infection and nursed two nipah-positives patients back to health. Seventeen people died in the nipah outbreak in 2018. In 2019, a case was reported but it was contained locally. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A social media user has shared the story of a man who was caught in the act after disguising as a female Muslim to sleep with another mans wife. According to reports, the man and the woman have been lovers for long. The man would disguise as a Muslim lady when the womans husband leaves home so as to move into the house without suspicion. Read Also: UNIABUJA Muslim SUG President Proposes To His Christian 100-Level Girlfriend (Video) However, luck ran out on him when the womans husband returned back home unannounced and caught the two of them right in the act. Read the full story below: The 2020 Toyota Supra is pretty awesome, even if it is powered by a BMW heart, and now you can represent the new Supra on your wall with a free poster sent directly from Toyota . They are, naturally in limited supply, but this is the best way to relive your childhood a little more and hand a cool car poster on your wall. To claim your poster, head over to Toyotas Supra site, but hurry up as theres no telling when the promotion will end. On top of this there are some free wallpapers and even some free ringtones. Weve added the wallpapers to this article a little further down the page. Official 2020 Toyota Supra Poster Preview What You Need to Know About the 2020 Toyota Supra Looks aside, the 2020 Toyota Supra is quite the performer. Until the four-cylinder Toyota Supra arrives in North America youll only find that BMW-sourced 3.0-liter inline-six under the hood. Toyota reports that its good for some 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque, but two different independent tests, one ran by Motor Trend and the other by Car & Driver, have shown considerably more power than expected at the wheels. Theres been no word on how the real power ratings affect performance, but Toyota promises a 4.1-second sprint to 60 mph, so its not exactly a slouch anyway. If youre someone thats looking forward to modding the Supra and, its okay if you are as we practically live for that kind of thing then that BMW powertrain comes with huge advantages. First, BMWs 3.0-liter inline-six has been worked over seven ways to Sunday a number of times. Theres even a Supra-specific program available that will let you revamp the ECU to boost output to as high as 420 horsepower nearly 100 more than stock. Swapping out the exhaust for something aftermarket will give you even more oomph and, together, you can probably get the sprint time down intpo the 3.5-3.6 second range. On that note, you should keep in mind that early reports suggest the Supras weak points include the rear differential and the axle shafts, so be prepared for disaster if you go too far before aftermarket solutions are made available. Theres also a video of someone tuning the 3.0-liter to 1,000 horsepower but its a little more in-depth than a simple ECU tune and very time consuming. Were still not sure how well the Supras stock driveline handled that built, but were guessing it wouldnt go very well. 2020 Toyota Supra Specifications Engine 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo six Horsepower 335 HP Torque 365 LB-FT Transmission 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters 0 to 60 mph 4.1 seconds Top Speed 155 mph Awesome 2020 Toyota Supra Wallpapers Farm store Coastal to fill longtime Monroe vacancy MONROE It appears that the long-vacant former Albertsons storefront at 19881 U.S. 2 will have a new tenant. Coastal Farm & Home Supply has applied for a permit toward remodeling the interior of the former grocery thats been unused since 2015. The Oregon company has 17 stores in Oregon and Washington, selling outdoor-related products ranging from clothing to farm supplies. There are Coastal Farm & Ranch stores in Marysville, Mount Vernon, Auburn and Sequim. Though the permit is still being reviewed, Community Development Director Ben Swanson said the city is absolutely excited about the prospect of a new business at the site. This is one of the mayors highest priorities, Swanson said. That building has been vacant for quite some time. It is unclear at the moment when interior demolition would begin. A company representative at the Marysville Coastal store said the new Monroe store should be open come spring. Corporate representatives for Coastal did not return phone calls and emails seeking more details. Strands Home Furnishings, in the same shopping plaza, announced it will be relocating from its longtime space. In a letter to customers, owner Ron Strand said the store will move in February to the plaza nearby that houses Grocery Outlet, and blamed the landlord for the move. In other Monroe business news, chef Adam Hoffman has announced he's closed Adams Northwest Bistro and Brewery at 104 N. Lewis St. Hoffman opened the establishment in 2011 after a distinguished career at several top-tier Seattle restaurants. I worked hard, sometimes to my own regret at not using that time for other important elements in my life like spending time with family, Hoffman posted on the restaurants Facebook page. Now it is time for me to turn to some of those things, including a little time off for pestering trout with lint on a bent pin. I have put off the use of personal time in order to serve the business and my community. It has been so gratifying and rewarding in terms of personal growth and learning and I am deeply appreciative of how that time was spent. What I do next is to spend some time with my wife and kids, who have allowed me to indulge myself in building the business at some expense to them. I owe them much. And I love you all for making my dreams come true. I remain a diehard Lakers and Beatles fan and will miss you but never forget you. Hoffman hinted in the same Facebook message that the restaurant site has a future in capable hands. I have sold my business to someone who I believe will carry it on in the fashion that people here will appreciate because the new owner once was a chef here, he wrote. In further news Countryside Sewing and Vacuum, 14961 Chain Lake Rd., is working to rehome its store, its owners posted on social media. The mom-and-pop machine sales and repair store opened in 2004. With material contributed by Tribune staff This rendition of the story is edited from the version printed in the Tribune. Check out our online Publications! Best seen in the Firefox or Chrome Browsers Irish startups from across the country are being encouraged to apply for Googles Adopt a Startup Programme which was launched last week. The 12-week programme is designed to support ambitious startups with potential to scale in Ireland and internationally. The Adopt a Startup programme was launched by Google in 2014 and has mentored over 150 companies, helping them to develop and grow. FoodCloud, UrbanVolt, Jobbio, Beats Medical and EdgeTier, the 2019 Adopt a Startup winner, are just some of the companies who have participated in the programme and have gone on to achieve significant success in their industries. The programme was created in Dublin and has become such a success that is now being implemented in dozens of other countries around the world. This years programme will focus on the areas of Business Planning & Structure Digital Strategy and International Expansion. Senior Google advisors and experts will share their expertise through hands on mentoring to help startups overcome obstacles to their ongoing growth and development. Participating startups will also have access to exclusive workshops and lectures, in addition to networking and 1:1 opportunities, which will be tailored to meet the startups needs where required. Following the 12 weeks, startups will present their progress through a competitive pitch to a panel of judges at Google EMEA HQ, where one participating company will be crowned the winner of Adopt a Startup 2020. Previous winners have walked away with up to 10,000 Ads credit and 100,000 Cloud Credit. Places on the programme are limited to 15 companies, with applications closing tomorrow. Source: www.businessworld.ie (Bloomberg) -- As the global rich gather in Davos, Boris Johnson is reminding voters in Britain why he called his new administration the peoples government. The prime minister, who is staying away from the annual jamboree of the World Economic Forum, is considering the idea of moving the House of Lords out of London, possibly to York 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of the British capital. The shock revelation emerged a day after Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid warned business leaders to expect divergence from European Union rules after Brexit, whether or not a free-trade deal is concluded by the end of 2020. Johnson reinforced his vision of a global Britain trading freely outside the EU on Monday at an inaugural investment summit with African leaders. He called for the U.K. to be the investment partner of choice on the continent. Johnson won a commanding majority in the general election by persuading pro-Brexit districts in northern England and the Midlands to back his Conservative Party for the first time. He did so by promising to take Britain out of the EU on Jan. 31, but he must now deliver economically if hes to retain their support. The premier has spoken repeatedly about leveling up across the U.K. and the budget due in March is expected to include billions of pounds of new infrastructure projects to boost the economy of northern England, which has been hit by a decade of austerity and the decline of heavy industry. In an indication of his new focus, ministers on Sunday confirmed that the House of Lords -- the upper, unelected chamber of Parliament -- could be moved permanently to York, an historic city of little more than 200,000 people, or Birmingham in central England. The news was first reported by the Sunday Times. Its one of range of things we are looking into. Its about demonstrating to people we are going to do things differently, Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly told Sky TVs Sophy Ridge on Sunday show. The Labour Party lost millions of voters because they failed to listen. Story continues Suspicions Quashed Suspicions that Johnson might use his House of Commons majority to sever ties with Brexit hard-liners in his party and deliver a soft divorce appeared to be quashed by Javid in an interview with the Financial Times published Saturday. The chancellor said Britain would no longer abide by EU regulations and businesses needed to adjust, raising the stakes as the government prepares to embark on trade talks with the EU. Johnson has given himself just 11 months to tie up a deal. If he fails, Britain will be headed for another cliff-edge Brexit at the end of the year. Javids comments prompted dismay among businesses, which fear divergence could cost billions of pounds with sectors such as car making, aerospace and food manufacturing bearing the brunt. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry lobby group, said alignment had supported jobs and competitiveness in some of the most deprived regions of the U.K. Johnson also appears to be on a collision course with businesses over immigration, with reports that the government is proposing to bring in restrictions on low-skilled migrants at the end the year, two years earlier than planned. Africa Focus As Britain leaves the EU, Johnson is seeking to build economic ties with fast-growing regions, such as Africa. He addressed the U.K.-Africa Investment Summit in London, with the government promising 620 million pounds ($804 million) of financing to spur U.K. exports to Ghana, Zambia, Gabon and Uganda. Africa is the future and the U.K. has a huge and active role to play in that future, Johnson said. The gathering underscores fears that Britain risks losing out in the region. China, already a huge investor on the continent, hosted dozens of African leaders in 2018 and Russia, an expanding presence, followed suit last year. France and Turkey are also aggressively pushing trade on the continent. Johnson also said the U.K. will halt all support for thermal coal mining or coal power plants overseas as part of efforts to tackle climate change. (Updates with Johnson comment three paragraphs from bottom) --With assistance from Stuart Biggs, Olivia Konotey-Ahulu and Steve Geimann. To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Atkinson in London at a.atkinson@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Mark Williams For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Indian tourists rescued miles offshore from Phi Phi on capsized kayak PHUKET: An Indian tourist couple from Mumbai are safe after spending hours in the water off Phi Phi Island clinging on to an overturned kayak after they were blown offshore by strong winds late yesterday afternoon (Jan 21) tourismmarineSafetyIndian By Kiattikul Chumanee Wednesday 22 January 2020, 06:58PM The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police The Indian tourist couple were found safe, clinging to their upturned kayak some 7.8 kilometres from Phi Phi Island. Photo: Phi Phi Island Police Snr Sgt Maj Sanya Chansuan of Phi Phi Island Police identified the rescued couple as Shanmitha Suhas Basakhetre, 28, and Dinesh Pawan Kunar Jain, 30. The couple went kayaking at around 4pm yesterday (Jan 21), Snr Sgt Maj Sanya told The Phuket News. Staff at the hotel where the couple were staying notified police yesterday evening after the couple had contacted relatives back in India, complete with their location, Snr Sgt Maj Sanya explained. The relatives in India then informed the hotel, he added. Strong winds hampered the search for the couple, Snr Sgt Maj Sanya explained. The wind keep moving them away from the position they had given. Local fishermen and tour boats joined the search of them, and finally a fishing boast named Yuththanawee Numsup 11 found the couple at around 9pm, he said. They were finally found about 7.8 kilometers northwest from Monkey Beach, Snr Sgt Maj Sanya explained. A crewman on the boat saw a light on the water, so they went to see what it was and found Mr Jain and Ms Basakhetre were hanging onto their kayak, which was upside down. They had used the flashlight on their phone. One of their paddles was missing. They seemed exhausted and shocked when crew saw them, Snr Sgt Maj Sanya said. Snr Sgt Maj Sanya and Tourist Police boarded a speedboat ro rendezvous with the fishing boat, and brought the couple safely on board at about 10pm. We safely delivered them back to their hotel back here on Phi Phi, Snr Sgt Maj Sanya said. The couple explained that they had rented a kayak at Loh Dalum Beach in order to go to Monkey Beach, but the wind was too strong and they never made it. Mr Jain knows how to paddle properly, but Ms Basakhetre does not. That made it difficult for them, especially against the strong wind, Snr Sgt Maj Sanya said. Snr Sgt Maj Sanya warned any other tourists looking to rent kayaks in the current windy conditions to exercise sensible caution when taking to the open water. RFE/RL President Jamie Fly has told the Tajik government it failed to honor its commitments to allow the organization's Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, to function without obstruction. RFE/RL may have to consider alternatives to its current operations as a result, Fly said in a letter to Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin on January 21, after the ministry granted six-month accreditations to four members of the Tajik Service. The move falls short of the year-long accreditations mandated by Tajik law, and does not address the circumstances of seven Ozodi correspondents who remain without credentials, or another seven who were granted partial accreditations in October. "These partial accreditations, together with the continued harassment of Ozodi colleagues, fail to demonstrate your government's sincerity to allow Radio Ozodi to function unimpeded," and to "fulfill Tajikistan's international obligations to respect independent media," Fly wrote in his letter. The credentials of the 18 RFE/RL journalists and staff members were withheld by the ministry or expired on November 1. The OSCE, The Washington Post, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, and local Tajik media-advocacy groups have decried the government's withholding of accreditation as a violation of media freedom and a means of censorship. Members of the U.S. Congress have sent letters to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon criticizing the use of accreditation to restrict Radio Ozodi's independent reporting, and saying that a failure to allow RFE/RL to operate freely could affect U.S.-Tajik relations. Tajik law prohibits foreign-media journalists from working without accreditation. RFE/RL, which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, operates as an international media organization in Tajikistan. Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts on Jan. 20, 2017. The District of Columbia's attorney general sued President Donald Trump's inaugural committee and companies Wednesday, saying the nonprofit organization "grossly" misused its funds by overpaying for space at Trump's hotel in Washington during his inauguration. The Trump inaugural committee's decision to pay $1.03 million for event space and food over four days at the Trump International Hotel was "unreasonable and improperly served to enrich" Trump's business, Attorney General Karl Racine's office alleged in its lawsuit. Racine's complaint says the committee's event planner advised against booking the Trump hotel because it was above market rate. The committee did not consider other bookings at lower rates and paid for the space even when it was not using it, the lawsuit says. When better offers were made, the committee still used the Trump hotel, violating the committee's purpose "to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of the United States of America by supporting the activities surrounding the 2017 Presidential inauguration," the lawsuit says. "District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies," Racine said in a statement. "In this case, we are seeking to recover the nonprofit funds that were improperly funneled directly to the Trump family business." A statement from the Trump hotel dismissed Racine's claims as "false, intentionally misleading and riddled with inaccuracies." "The rates charged by the hotel were completely in line with what anyone else would have been charged for an unprecedented event of this enormous magnitude and were reflective of the fact that the hotel had just recently opened, possessed superior facilities and was centrally located on Pennsylvania Avenue," the statement said. In a statement, the inaugural committee called the lawsuit "without merit." Story continues "The facts will show that the PIC operated in compliance with the law," the statement said. "In fact, it reads more like a partisan press release than a legal filing." The lawsuit is the latest allegation that Trump and his family improperly enrich their businesses through nonprofit and public funds. Trump promised to insulate himself from his business after taking office. Democrats and some states' attorneys general said that he routinely benefits when he uses his office to promote his business and that this violates the Constitution's "Emoluments Clause." Racine's office sent subpoenas for months related to the investigation. New York and New Jersey authorities also investigated the committee, which raised a record $106.7 million. D.C. law requires nonprofit groups, such as Trumps inaugural committee, to seek out and pay reasonable fair market value for services rendered, the D.C. lawsuit says. Racines office said Rick Gates, a deputy chairman for the inaugural committee, headed negotiations with the Trump hotel to use the space. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, an event planner with the inaugural committee, warned Gates, Trump and Ivanka Trump, who worked for the Trump Organization, that the price was too high. The hotel originally gave the inaugural committee a quote of $3.6 million for eight days of all the event space in the hotel and food. Gates expressed concern to Ivanka Trump about the high cost and said he worried about the "optics" of the committee paying a high fee to the hotel and "the media making a big story out of it." Gates and Mickael Damelincourt, the hotel's managing director, met and settled on $175,000 per day for the ballroom and separate food and beverage costs. The lawsuit says the committee paid a total of $1,033,757 for all costs for the events. In an email to Gates and Ivanka Trump, Winston Wolkoff raised concerns over this price, too, saying that "when this is audited, it will become public knowledge." Winston Wolkoff said the rental cost should not exceed $85,000 per day. Days later, Gates and Damelincourt discussed the inaugural committee booking a majority of the rooms in the hotel. According to the lawsuit, Trump hotel policy and industry standards are to provide event space for free or at reduced rates when a large block of rooms is rented. Other event spaces offered to charge only a food and drink minimum or reduced rates, including at least two hotels where the inaugural committee also rented a bulk of rooms, the lawsuit says. The Trump hotel double-booked at a lower rate one of the ballrooms the inaugural committee rented, the lawsuit says. The Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast paid $5,000 for the Presidential Ballroom when the inaugural committee had been promised the space. The lawsuit says the hotel knew about the double booking but still charged the inaugural committee $175,000 for the partial day. Gates followed through on plans for a private party for the Trump family at the hotel, costing the inaugural committee more than $300,000, despite concerns raised by the nonprofit group's staff, the lawsuit says. In an email to Ivanka Trump, Gates said the party Jan. 20, 2017, was "more for you, Don and Eric," the president's two sons. Gates was sentenced in December to 45 days in jail as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements about his status as a foreign agent, both felonies, and cooperated with prosecutors as part of the investigation. Racine's office said it seeks to recover the amount paid to the Trump hotel and direct it to "another nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting civic engagement of the citizens of the United States of America." Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump inaugural committee, Trump hotel sued by DC government 'The economy of Kashmir has collapsed.' IMAGE: A scene from Srinagar in the post August 5, 2019 era. Photograph: S Irfan/PTI Photo With the restoration of Internet in the 10 districts of the Kashmir region from January 19, the region's economy is back in focus. A Preliminary Economic Loss Assessment Report released by the region's apex business unit, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry has estimated the economic loss at Rs 17,800 crore or more than $2 billion between August 5, 2019 and December 3, 2019. While the travel and tourism and manufacturing of handicrafts sectors have contributed the maximum to this loss, other sectors affected by the Internet shutdown, security clampdown and arrests of Kashmiris include the agriculture, horticulture, real estate and construction sectors among others. "Four lakh people in the 10 districts of Kashmir were jobless during the time there was a ban on the Internet, the clampdown and arrests," says Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad, president, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the apex business organisation in the valley. "How quickly do you think a patient suffering for more than 30 days will recover if he gets medicine on the 31st day? You have to see how much harm has come the patient's way in the last 30 days before knowing how long it will take for the patient's health to recover," Sheikh Ahmad, below, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com. What kind of losses have the 10 districts of Kashmir faced because of the Internet shutdown? We have lost anywhere between Rs 4,500 crore and Rs 5,000 crore because of the Internet shutdown since August 5. Our export-oriented industries have suffered a huge blow. Our exports have declined by 62 per cent. Handicraft items like silk carpets and shawls to the European Union and USA have come to a complete standstill. The last five months, especially the period prior to Christmas, were the peak season for these exports and we lost that entire season. Inbound and outbound tourism has also suffered big losses. We had more than 50,000 people going for Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken by Muslims) who could not go owing to the ban on the Internet. The Internet is the backbone of tour operators sending people to Umrah. Getting visas, ticketing, everything is done online. They were deprived of the infrastructure. The Internet connection to these tour operators was restored only two days ago. Please remember that if businesses have suffered, the government of the Union territory of Kashmir also loses revenue. So, it is a loss to the government when businesses suffer losses. The Internet is very vital for the growth of the hotel, tourism and travel industries. Though the advisory issued by the central government was taken off, who will visit a place that has no Internet connectivity? First, they gave an advisory on August 3 that every tourist should leave. Then in October they issue an advisory saying tourists can visit Kashmir. But how many people have actually come after that? What is the kind of drop in the number of tourists? (The region saw) almost 90 to 95 per cent drop in the number of tourists coming to Kashmir after the advisory. Our hotels are almost vacant. Ask any friend or family you know if they will prefer going to a place where the Internet is blocked? The first impression tourists get if the Internet is shut down is that the situation is not normal in Kashmir. Thousands of boys and girls who were employed in logistics businesses related to the e-commerce portals were without jobs. What kind of job losses has Kashmir seen since August 5? It is a chain. If the exporter doesn't get orders, the manufacturers don't hire weavers and artisans associated with the carpet and shawl industry. There are no work orders coming from anywhere. In the last five months, more than 50,000 workers employed in the export-oriented industries were jobless. If tourists are not coming to Kashmir, the hotels, restaurants and transportation business employees face unemployment. Four lakh people in the 10 districts of Kashmir were jobless during the time there was a ban on the Internet, the clampdown and arrests of people belonging to civil society, the business community. The economy of Kashmir has collapsed. Based on the 2017-2018 GDP of the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Survey, the state has lost anywhere between Rs 17,800 crore to Rs 18,000 crore in the last five months in the 10 districts with a population of 55 per cent. I can see an economic collapse happening due to the Internet shutdown, clampdown on businesses and restrictions. Do you see the situation improving now that Internet connectivity has been restored? How quickly do you think a patient suffering for more than 30 days will recover if he gets medicine on the 31st day? You have to see how much harm has come the patient's way in the last 30 days before knowing how long it will take for the patient's health to recover. The Internet is a basic right in the 21st century. I think the Union government shouldn't have taken this long to restore connectivity. How is the Union Territory administration reacting to this economic collapse? Whenever I meet any government official from the UT or the central government, I tell them that the duty of the government is to undertake the welfare of the people associated with the businesses who have suffered. They should immediately come out with an economic, commerce and trade policy for the region. The lieutenant governor has plans to make Kashmir an 'economic paradise'. Is that possible given the political situation in the valley? I have never been a pessimist in my life. If the intent is good, everything is possible. But one must also tend to the hardships faced by the existing businesses on ground. Will it help if existing businesses suffer and new investors come in with new business ideas? You have to first tend to the businesses whose backs have been broken because of the Internet ban and clampdown in the valley. I would look forward to policies that do not ignore the businesses that already exist. However, this business meet organised by the lieutenant governor was just a curtain-raiser and I would like to focus more on other pressing issues at hand. Do you expect investors to flock to Kashmir? They (the administration of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the central government) are making an effort towards that end, but one can't say anything at the moment about how much money will come into the region. The KCCI has always emphasised the importance of foreign investments since 2009. Our focus would continue to attract more foreign investment in the valley. We need foreign investments to create more jobs, tackle unemployment, and expose our young entrepreneurs to new business ideas. We will soon, Insha Allah, be unveiling the economic and business vision of the KCCI. We have become a consumer economy and our efforts will be on making Kashmir a self-reliant region in poultry, livestock farming and agriculture. The KCCI has already started a programme where we are encouraging our young girls and boys to set up their own basic industries and plan to become a manufacturing hub of non-polluting products. Do you think buying of land by those outside the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir could lead to problems for investors given the opposition of the people of the Kashmir valley towards purchase of land by outsiders? The (central) government is not clear on this issue. Every day there are certain demands from Jammu region that ask for bringing in a Domicile Act in place that would safeguard the ownership of land to the locals as well as secure jobs of the locals. Even the people of Jammu region are apprehensive about selling their land to outsiders. As far as investments in industrial belts are concerned, even when Article 370 was in existence, the then state government of Jammu and Kashmir would offer land to investors on a long lease of 99 years. Even today the same mechanism for allocation of land will take place. Nobody stopped this (method of allocation of land to set up industries) earlier, nor will anybody stop it if it happens tomorrow. How is the administration responding to your pleas? I have met Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyalsaab with a business delegation from Kashmir; I have, in person, met Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu. In the one-and-a-half hour meetings with these officials I have explained how Kashmir's economy is on the verge of collapse. The minister and the lieutenant governor have assured us that they will look into our grievances. Let's see what they bring to the economy now. They have to take a call. We have done whatever we could do to highlight the plight of the businesses in Kashmir. How long will it take for these 10 districts in Kashmir to get back to economic normalcy? If there is no concrete policy soon, the region will further suffer economic hardships. You can see more non-performing assets coming from this region in the days to come. Those young boys and girls who we encouraged to become entrepreneurs had taken loans from various lenders. Now, since the businesses have been shut for the last five months, their EMIs (that were to be paid to the banks and other lenders) too have taken a hit. Banks's policy doesn't give a moratorium on interest paid and these business people have to anyhow make their loan repayments. Those who cannot make payments have stopped paying their EMIs. To set the record straight, we have already released a report about the losses to the industry and economy. As the head of the business community I say it is the duty of the government to come out with a plan to help revive the economy in Kashmir. The ways and means at the disposal of the Union government are beyond the imagination of the common man and it can work (economic) miracles if it wants to. Did you get any assurances about compensation to be paid for these losses by the UT administration or the central government? They have assured they will look into the issue and come up with a plan. In the absence of any solid plan for revival of business in the Kashmir region, I don't see a very good future for businesses here. The feedback I am receiving from business across these 10 districts is we are nearing a collapse. How do you look at the future of business in the region? As a businessman I can only say that I have no other option, but to get back to business. It will only help if we don't face any more difficulties and challenges we have already faced. What would you like to say to Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Anilchandra Shah? The economic condition of Kashmir is not good at all. Adopting and implementing a humane approach is the need of the hour. We appeal for early release of people belonging to the business fraternity who have been detained for no reason as a preventive measure. There are some five business leaders under arrest. Please release people from the business fraternity, civil society, eminent lawyers and youth. There is so much of public pressure from our fraternity for their release. The shopkeepers whose children have been arrested complain that they can't focus on business when their children are under arrest. My appeal to the PM and home minister is that before the 26th of January, all these people should be released. Davos, Switzerland Greta Thunberg isn't easily intimidated. The 17-year-old Swedish activist wasted little time on Tuesday to push back against President Donald Trump's description of climate campaigners as "the perennial prophets of doom" who predict the "apocalypse." Though Trump didn't mention her directly in his speech at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos, it was clear he had his sights on Thunberg, who shot to fame a year ago by staging a regular strike at her school and sparked a global environmental movement. She then beat the U.S. president to receive Time Magazine's award as the 2019 Person of the Year. "The facts are clear, but they are still too uncomfortable for you to address," she told business and political leaders in Davos just after Trump's speech, also without directly mentioning the president. "You just leave it because you think it's too depressing and people will give up, but people will not give up. You are the ones who are giving up." Thunberg brushed aside Trump's announcement that the U.S. would join the economic forum's initiative to plant 1 trillion trees across the globe to help capture carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere. "Planting trees is good of course but it's nowhere near enough," Thunberg said. "It cannot replace mitigation," she added, referring to efforts to drastically cut emissions in the near term. Thunberg accused leaders of "cheating and fiddling around with numbers" with talk of cutting emissions to 'net zero' that is, emitting no more carbon than is absorbed by the planet or technical means by 2050. She and Trump have been sparring for months, but Thunberg did not seek to upstage the U.S. leader by walking out of his speech, which was largely focused on trade and economics instead of the climate issues that the WEF has made a focus of at its meeting this year. Last month, Trump told Thunberg in a tweet to "chill" and to "work on her Anger Management problem." It prompted a dry and humorous response from Thunberg, who then changed her Twitter caption to read: "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old-fashioned movie with a friend." Earth just finished its hottest decade on record with the five last years as the five hottest years on record, according to U.S. and other science agencies. Scientists repeatedly point to more extreme weather as a problem worsened by human-caused climate change. There have been 44 weather and climate disasters in the United States that caused at least $1 billion in damage since 2017, killing 3,569 people, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Thunberg is not the only young activist to highlight the climate emergency, and was joined on a keynote panel by three others, all of whom said politicians and executives are not doing enough. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. A survey of CEOs released this week by financial firm PwC showed that executives rank climate issues as only the 11th most serious risk to their businesses' growth. Natasha Wang Mwansa, an 18-year-old from Zambia who campaigns for girls' and women's rights, said "the older generation has a lot of experience, but we have ideas, we have energy, and we have solutions." And Salvador Gomez-Colon, who raised funds and awareness after Hurricane Maria devastated his native Puerto Rico in 2017, said young activists are doing more than just talking. "We're not waiting five, 10, 20 years to take the action we want to see. We're not the future of the world, we're the present, we're acting now. We're not waiting any longer." Thunberg cited a report released in 2018 by the U.N.'s science panel that calculated the amount of additional carbon dioxide the atmosphere can absorb before global average temperature increases exceed 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaders agreed to try to stay below that threshold when they signed the 2015 Paris climate accord, but scientists warn the chances of doing so are dwindling. Thunberg noted that the remaining carbon "budget" to confidently meet that target stood at just 420 gigatons of CO2 two years ago, the equivalent of 10 years of global emissions. Even with a more optimistic calculation, keeping the global temperature rise below 2.7F would require a massive reduction in emissions over the next two decades. Amid a scare about the so-called Wuhan virus, Hong Kong SAR CEO Carrie Lam on Wednesday said robust processes are in place to deal with the situation, including use of holiday camps if quarantine is required. "A couple of hours ago, Hong Kong health authorities have announced we have the first case of a highly suspicious infection from a passenger from Wuhan... My health colleagues are really on guard," she said. Speaking here at the WEF 2020, she said, "With this rapid flow of people across the border we are vulnerable. But robust processes are in place, including making use of holiday camps if quarantine is needed." On the long-running protests in Hong Kong, she said, "We are very used to protest and demonstrations with police handling around 10,000 a year." "We have absolutely no problem with peaceful demonstrations against anything under the sun... What we have seen which is totally unfamiliar and unprecedented to us is a high degree of violence, a lack of respect for differences in opinion. "To simplify all these protests as fighting for democracy and continued freedoms may have underestimated the situation," she maintained. She further said the "one country, two systems" governance model with China -- a key factor in the protests -- is important to the city's stability. "We hold the rule of law dearly in Hong Kong. I cannot agree to demands that will destroy Hong Kong's institutions," Lam added. She also stressed the importance of a free press and said she has resisted pressure to control how journalists access the protests. "While people focus on what has happened in Hong Kong, what has not happened in the last months is massive bloodshed on Hong Kong streets.... A curfew has not happened. The gagging of the media has not happened," she said. "If everybody is committed to one country, two systems, all these freedoms and rights are enshrined under basic law," Lam added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk met with Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The first meeting within the framework of a working visit to Davos is held with Finlands Prime Minister Sanna Marin. The last meeting at the government level took place five years ago. Ukraine is one of the largest emerging markets. I called on Finland to invest in Ukraine, Honcharuk posted on his Telegram channel. Honcharuk assured his colleague that Ukraine appreciates Finland's support for the implementation of energy efficient solutions in Ukraine. The Finland Ukraine Trust Fund encourages cooperation between the two countries in this area. Heads of government of the two countries discussed strengthening cooperation in the educational field, in particular, within the framework of the project Finnish Support for the Ukrainian School Reform. The project is aimed at reforming the school and vocational education system in Ukraine. Honcharuk thanked Finland for its unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for its firm stance on anti-Russian sanctions imposed over the armed aggression against Ukraine. ol New Jersey agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a state-run developmental center employee who alleged in a lawsuit that her bosses failed for three months to address a male coworkers sexual harassment. Shontrell Coleman, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, had been working at the New Lisbon Developmental Center as a cottage training technician for about 15 years in 2016 when a new coworker, Robert Kardio, began making sexual advances, according to the lawsuit, which filed in August 2018. Coleman reached a $150,000 settlement with the facility this past October, records show. Details of the suit were first reported Monday on a blog by open-government advocate John Paff. New Lisbon, in Pemberton Township, is comprised of cottages which house more than 450 developmentally disabled men and women, according to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, which runs the center. The Human Services department did not immediately return a message Tuesday seeking comment. In the suit, Coleman alleged Kardio told her he liked her and that she she could use him anyway she wants." On another occasion, Kardio cornered [Coleman] in the womens break room and told her that the only way she could leave was if she gave him a kiss. Coleman said she reported Kardios behavior to her direct supervisor more than once before he told her to talk to an upper-level manager, who implied Kardio had a history of acting inappropriately with women. Another manager told Coleman that behavior was Kardios reputation, and that shed talk to him about it, the suit said. But Kardio inappropriately touched Coleman the day after she talked to that manager, the suit claimed. "Mr. Kardio had a lengthy reputation of sexually harassing women more than once while working with the State of New Jersey, the suit said. The suit said a manager later told Coleman that Kardio admitted to sexually harassing her, but there was little the facility could do other than separate them at work. This did not happen, the suit said, and Kardio continued to harass Coleman over the course of three months. It wasnt until after court documents were filed that Kardio was temporarily moved to another area, according to the suit. Rather than properly resolving the issue, [Colemans] management has instead shifted Mr. Kardio around from building to building so that he can sexually harass his next victim," the suit said. Jenna Wise may be reached at jwise@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennaRWise. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. An army veteran has told how he was kicked out of McDonald's for carrying a four-inch blade around his neck which he uses for martial arts. Jonathan Nagel, who served in Afghanistan, was refused service at a McDonald's in Everett, Washington, Friday following a dispute about the weapon. Nagel practices martial arts and carries the four-inch curved blade, called a karambit, in a leather sheath around his neck every day, he told King 5 News. Under Washington state's open-carry law, Nagel is allowed to have the knife on him in public but it must remain visible. 'I'm a martial artist,' he said. 'I'm not the type of guy that goes around attacking people.' A US army veteran (pictured) was kicked out of McDonald's for carrying a four-inch blade around his neck Nagel practices martial arts and carries the four-inch curved blade, called a karambit (pictured), in a leather sheath around his neck every day. Under Washington state's open-carry law, Nagel is allowed to have the knife on him in public but it must remain visible The altercation broke out about 6pm when Nagel, who is African-American and disabled, entered the fast food joint with two women. Nagel said the manager told him to put the knife away because there were children present in the restaurant. The veteran told the manager that he couldn't put the blade away because that would be illegal under state laws. 'It's supposed to be out in the open,' said Nagel. Nagel said he later put the knife away at the manager's request but the dispute continued between his party and the McDonald's crew member. Nagel was turfed out of the restaurant and police were called. In cellphone video footage posted by Nagel on YouTube, which he appears to have later removed, the manager is heard saying 'I have the right to refuse service'. In cellphone video footage posted by Nagel on YouTube (above), which he appears to have later removed, the manager is heard saying 'I have the right to refuse service' The altercation broke out about 6pm when Nagel, who is African-American and disabled, entered the fast food joint with two women. Nagel said the manager told him to put the knife away because there were children present in the restaurant (pictured above) 'He said, 'No, I don't want your service, you can leave,' just that plain and simple,' Nagel said. The disgruntled veteran feels he shouldn't have faced the 'discrimination' by the McDonald's staff. 'I fought for this country, I deserve to be here. I deserve a quarter-pounder with cheese if I want one. I don't deserve to be discriminated against,' he said. Nagel added: 'I'm in my country, being treated like I'm some kind of criminal or foreigner who has ill intent and I'm not.' Everett police said both parties had acted within their lawful rights. Nagel has the right to open carry his form of protection as a citizen. The manager has the right to use his discretion regarding safety and refuse service to customers. 'I'm in my country, being treated like I'm some kind of criminal or foreigner who has ill intent and I'm not,' said Nagel (pictured in a Facebook post) Everett police said both parties acted within their lawful rights. Nagel (pictured in a social media post) has the right to open carry his form of protection as a citizen and the manager has the right to use his discretion regarding safety and refuse service Nagel said he is looking for an attorney because he is not happy with the way he and his friends were treated by the fast food giant. McDonald's released a statement saying that safety of customers and staff is 'top priority'. 'The safety and security of our guests and crew are our top priority. We will continue to ensure our restaurants are a safe space open to anyone in the community where customers and crew feel comfortable,' said McDonald's owner-operator Alefa Eserjose. NEW DELHI The children in Jammu and Kashmir are nationalists but they are sometimes motivated in the wrong direction, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. Addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of a function at the National Cadet Corps Republic Day Camp in New Delhi Singh said, The children of J&K are nationalists. They shouldnt be seen in any other way. Singhs comments have come days after Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat advocated the need to start deradicalisation programmes for the youth in Jammu and Kashmir. We should start counter-radicalisation programmes while identifying who are the people to have been radicalised and to what degree. Then look at them who are completely radicalised and then look towards the future. What we are seeing in Kashmir, young boys and girls as young as 10 years old have been radicalised, but they can still be isolated from radicalisation in a gradual manner, General Rawat had said at the Raisina Dialogue 2020 last week. The defence minister said, Youngsters are youngsters only. Sometimes, the way they should be motivated, people do not motivate them. In fact, they are motivated in the wrong direction. That is why the kids should not be blamed for this. The ones who are wrongly motivating them should be blamed. Singh said that Indian values considered all religions to be equal. We said we would not discriminate among religionsOur neighbouring country has declared that their state has a religion. They have declared themselves a theocratic state. We didnt do so, he said. Even America is a theocratic country. India is not a theocratic countryBecause our saints and seers did not just consider the people living within our borders as part of the family, but called everyone living in the world as one family, he said, adding that India never declared its religion and people of all religions could live in the country. Earlier in the day, Singh awarded Raksha Mantri Padak and Commendation Cards to NCC cadets for their exemplary performance and devotion to duty. NCC plays an unparalleled role in transforming the youth into future leaders. Today, NCC cadets can be found in almost every field, including armed forces, politics and sports. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is taking our country to newer heights, was an NCC cadet, said Singh, who himself was an NCC cadet. ABC News Former President Donald Trump, his sister Maryanne Trump Barry and the estate of his late brother Robert Trump tried on Tuesday to convince a New York judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Mary Trump that accused her family of swindling her out of at least $10 million. Attorneys for the Trump siblings argued Mary Trump's claims are time-barred by a six-year statute of limitations and prohibited by legal releases she signed in 2001 when the family settled the estate of Fred Trump Sr., the former president's father. The Trumps also argued Mary Trump possessed "boxes and boxes of information" about the estate settlement that should have given rise to any claims at the time. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had a breakfast meeting with his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Kamal Nath in Davos and discussed the economic conditions of their respective states. Nath appreciated the Karnataka government's efforts to bring in the investments and the existing industrial atmosphere in the state. "We are unable to beat you on this score as every investor speaks about Bengaluru and its emergence as the knowledge hub in the east," said Nath complimenting Yediyurappa. Yediyurappa briefed Kamal Nath on the measures initiated by the BJP government on the farming front and said that his government is giving Rs 4,000 in addition to 'Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi', which gives Rs 6000 to each farmer. More than 40 lakh farmers are benefited by the scheme. Nath was very keen to know about Karnataka's take on developing Bengaluru as a center of artificial intelligence and hospitality sectors. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also appreciated Karnataka pavilion here at Davos and officers who are involved in the exercise at Economic Forum to make investments a reality. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after the Akali Dal accused Amarinder Singh of making the Gandhi family happy to "save" his chair, the Punjab chief minister on Wednesday retorted, saying the SAD was not quitting the NDA at the Centre to save Harsimrat Kaur Badal's chair in the Union cabinet. Following the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) decision to not contest the Delhi assembly polls on being told by the BJP to change its stance over the amended Citizenship Act, Amarinder Singh had on Tuesday too dared the party to quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had asked him not to issue "ridiculous" statements which only exposed his "subservience" to the Gandhi family and his desire to make the "family happy to save" his chair. On Wednesday, Singh asked Badal to explain how his demand for the Akalis to quit the NDA over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act amounted to "subservience" to the Gandhi family. "Or are you trying to say that lakhs of people out on the streets to protest against CAA are doing so simply out of subservience to the Gandhi family," Singh said. The SAD chief had also said that by opposing the CAA, the chief minister was opposing the relief given to Sikhs under the amended law. The chief minister, in a statement here on Wednesday, said his chair was "quite secure". "But apparently, you (Badal) are worried about your wife Harsimrat's chair in the Union cabinet and do not want her to lose that at any cost," said Singh, adding that this could be the reason for SAD refusing to walk out of NDA despite claiming to take a stand against CAA. As he questioned Badal's logic in interpreting his criticism of SAD's stand on CAA as being "anti-Sikh", Singh sent the Akali chief a copy of 'Mein Kampf', advising him to read Adolf Hitler's autobiography to understand the "dangerous implications of the unconstitutional" legislation passed by the central government, of which the Akalis are a part. Given the "current attempts" by the Centre to "replicate Hitler's agenda" in India, it was important for the SAD leaders to read the former German Chancellor's autobiography before coming out with "irrational reactions" on CAA, said Singh. The chief minister further said that the recent statements of various Akali leaders, including Badal, clearly exposed their "ignorance" on the sensitive issue and urged him to read the book and decide "whether it's country first or political expediency". "Supporting the bill in both houses of Parliament and in the Vidhan Sabha and opposing it on other platforms is unbecoming of a political leader," the CM said in a letter sent to Badal along with the book. Singh recalled that during the last Vidhan Sabha session, he had promised to send SAD copies of 'Mein Kampf', which in English translates to 'my struggles.' "These were his (Hitler's) beliefs which he sold to the German people in his rise to power which later became his governments policy, when his Nazi party assumed office," wrote the chief minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shortlisted nine finalists in the student naming contest for its next Mars rover, which is currently called Mars 2020. It is to be noted that students across the US, ranging from kindergarten to high school, submitted more than 28,000 potential names for NASA's Mars 2020 rover. However, a panel of 4,700 volunteer judges picked only 9 names that have gone for the online poll. The online poll will be opened until January 27, 2020. The maximum votes will decide the name of a rover that will roam across Mars. You can vote for your favorite name for Mars rover 2020 at go.nasa.gov/name2020. According to NASA, the space agency picked three submissions in each of the three age categories grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. What best describes a Mars rover? Tenacity? Fortitude? Courage? Weve selected nine potential names for the #Mars2020 rover. You can vote for your favorite; results will be considered in selecting the rovers name. https://t.co/PuiJ47SDeb pic.twitter.com/3oxEqWKa9N NASA (@NASA) January 21, 2020 Below are the nine finalists: Endurance, (Kindergarten to 4th grade, by Oliver Jacobs of Virginia) Tenacity, (Kindergarten to 4th grade, by Eamon Reilly of Pennsylvania) Promise, (Kindergarten to 4th grade, by Amira Shanshiry of Massachusetts) Perseverance, (5th to 8th grade, by Alexander Mather of Virginia) Vision, (5th to 8th grade, by Hadley Green of Mississippi) Clarity, (5th to 8th grade, by Nora Benitez of California) Ingenuity, (9th to 12th grade, by Vaneeza Rupani of Alabama) Fortitude, (9th to 12th grade, by Anthony Yoon of Oklahoma) Courage, (9th to 12th grade, by Tori Gray of Louisiana) In a statement, NASA said, "After the poll closes, the nine student finalists will discuss their rover names with a panel including [NASA Planetary Science Division director Lori] Glaze, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, NASA-JPL rover driver Nick Wiltsie and Clara Ma, who earned the honor of naming the Mars rover Curiosity as a sixth-grade student in 2009." "The contest will conclude in early March, when the rover's new name and the student behind it are announced. The grand prize winner will also receive an invitation to see the spacecraft launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida," the US space agency added. Also Read: SpaceX In 'Perfect' Test Of Crew Dragon Emergency Abort System Mars 2020 is scheduled to launch towards the red planet in July next year. The rover is expected to land in an expansive impact crater called Jezero, where liquid water once flowed, about seven months (February 2021) after departing Earth. Mars 2020 will use a suite of high-tech tools to scout for signs of ancient alien microbes. The robot will have a laser blaster to analyse interesting rocks from afar. The rover weighs 2,314-pound (1,050-kilogram). For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that poses a bizarre question: Once states provide public funds to private schools, are they obligated to fund parochial schools, too? The answer should be obvious: Of course the Constitution does not require states to subsidize religious educationto the contrary, it limits the governments ability to finance religion. Yet the courts conservative majority may be prepared to turn the First Amendment on its head, compelling states to underwrite the religious indoctrination of children. Advertisement Wednesdays case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, demonstrates just how far the Supreme Court has shifted to the right in recent years. SCOTUS did not uphold vouchers for parochial schools until 2002s Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, a 54 decision that drew sharp dissents from the liberal justices. Zelman opened the door to indirect funding for religious education, which proliferated in its wake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico provide either vouchers or tax credits that reimburse parents who send their children to private schools. Montana is one of those states, but it might not be for much longer. In 2015, the legislature enacted a program that gave a tax credit of up to $150 to individuals who donate to scholarship organizations. These groups then use the donations to award scholarships to students who attend private schools, including religious ones. But the Montana constitution bars the state from using public funds to aid any school that is controlled in whole or in part by any church, sect, or denomination. In light of this provision, the Montana Supreme Court ruled the tax credit scheme unlawful in 2018. Rather than limit state funding to secular schools, the court invalidated the entire program. Advertisement Advertisement The plaintiffs in Espinoza, who are represented by the libertarian Institute for Justice, are parents who wanted scholarships to keep their children at a Christian school. They allege that the Montana Supreme Court violated the First Amendments free exercise clause by axing the scheme. But the plaintiffs have a problem. The core of their argument is that once states fund private schools, they have to include religious schools. Montana, however, can no longer fund any private schools, secular or sectarian. So, the plaintiffs make the broader claim that states cannot stop funding all private schools to avoid giving money to religious ones. Advertisement During arguments on Wednesday, the liberal justices were skeptical of all this. Because of the Montana Supreme Courts decision, Justice Elena Kagan told the Institute for Justices Richard Komer, whether you go to a religious school or you go to a secular private school, youre in the same boat. So there is no discrimination at this point going on, is there? Komer claimed that the Montana Supreme Court itself discriminated against religious students by shooting down the tax credit program. Does that mean, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wondered, that Montana has to keep the program alive? Yes, Komer said: Once the state chose to give aid, it could not stop giving aid to refrain from helping parochial schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This claim is, to put it mildly, a stretch. There is some precedent for the idea that states cant deny funding to religious institutions because they are religious. In 2017s Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, the court held that Missouri violated free exercise by refusing to let a church daycare center compete for a grant to resurface its playground. The exclusion of a church from a public benefit solely because it is a church, the court declared, is odious to our Constitution. But Trinity Lutheran was explicitly limited to express discrimination based on religious identity with respect to playground resurfacing, and disclaimed any impact on religious uses of funding. Advertisement Advertisement Everyone agrees that religious schools, unlike the daycare center, will use taxpayer money to indoctrinate students. So Komers argument is pretty radical, a far cry from Trinity Lutheran. Just how radical? In his brief, Komer wrote that a student may not be forced to choose between attending a school that accords with her beliefs or receiving thousands of dollars in government benefits. But doesnt that mean states have to fund religious education in par with public education? Komers claim would seem to give every child a First Amendment right to attend religious schools on the taxpayers dime. Advertisement Advertisement Justice Stephen Breyer raised this point with Jeffrey Wall, principal deputy solicitor general, who supported the plaintiffs. If a state spends $500 million on public education, Breyer asked, does it have to give the same amount to parochial schools? Wall said no, but Breyer wasnt satisfied. What, he asked, is the difference? Chief Justice John Robertswho was remarkably perky given his side hustle presiding over the Senates impeachment trialhad the same question. He asked Adam Unikowsky, who represents Montana, whether Komers theory leads to a situation where the funding that goes to public schools would have to go to religious schools, as well. Unikowsky wasnt sure, but the chief seemed troubled by the possibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Predictably, Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh went to bat for Montanas religious families, framing them as victims of appalling discrimination. Kavanaugh told Unikowsky that grotesque religious bigotry against Catholics was the clear motivation for Montanas ban on sectarian aid. But as Unikowsky told Kavanaugh, Montanas ban was enacted in 1972, not to burden religion but to protect it from state interference. Thirty-seven states have similar provisions in their constitutions, and school choice proponents assert that they were motivated by anti-Catholic bias. Its true that Reconstruction-era nativists favored these provisionsbut so did advocates for universal education regardless of creed. Alito tried a different angle: Imagine if a state shut down a scholarship program because money was mostly going to blacks and we dont like that. If thats unconstitutionaland it surely isisnt it also unconstitutional to shut down a program because money went to religious schools? Advertisement We just dont think that race and religion are identical for all constitutional reasons, Unikowsky said. Basically, what youre saying, Alito snapped, is that the difference between this and race is: its permissible to discriminate on the basis of religion. Breyer jumped in to help: Yes, he said, race is different from religion. Why? There is no establishment clause in regard to race. What is the establishment clause? Well, it has something to do with not supporting religion. And there is nothing more religious, except perhaps for the service in the church itself, than religious education. Advertisement Advertisement Here, Breyer came the closest of any justice to acknowledging a foundational principle oddly obscured in this case: The Constitution mandates the separation of church and state for good reason. Stillwater Christian School, where the plaintiffs send their children, inculcates students with a theology-based anti-LGBTQ ideology. So do at least three other schools that participate in the scholarship program, as HuffPost reported on Thursday. One places homosexual and lesbian behavior in the same category as incest and bestiality while stating that no non-Christian or uncommitted Christian could teach there. Another expels students on the basis of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender conduct and requires employees to affirm that they have not and will not engage in such behaviors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christian schools have a right to teach this ideology, and Christian parents have a right to send their children to these schools. But shouldnt Montana taxpayers also have a right not to subsidize these teachings, which may violate their own religious beliefs or freedom of conscience? Cant state embrace the principles of the establishment clause by declining to compel residents to fund faiths that clash with their own beliefs? If parents want their children to learn that same-sex intimacy is no different from bestiality, is everyone else obligated to help pay for those lessons? Advertisement The fate of Espinoza lies, as usual, in Roberts hands. Because the chief seemed concerned about the alarming implications of the plaintiffs argument, he might join with the liberals to throw out the case. But its just as likely that the five conservatives will order Montana to revive its tax credit scheme and proclaim that once states give money to private schools, theres not takebacks because religious schools would otherwise face discrimination. That outcome might appear narrow, because it does not force states to fund religious schools in the first place. But it would actually constitute a revolutionary rewrite of the First Amendment. However this case turns out, it is only a matter of time before the courts conservatives again manipulate the free exercise clause to finance religious exercise with taxpayer money. Over the past year, what has China imported from other countries? A look at the shopping carts of Chinese consumers will tell you the answer. Foreign products displayed at the first China International Import Expo. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu) There are imported cherries, avocados, lobsters and king crabs, and many products. According to a report on Chinas import food industry in 2019, China is now importing from 185 countries, and the retail volume of import market has exceeded 1 trillion yuan. The import scale of seafood, meat and dairy products has all surpassed $10 billion and the momentum for growth is still strong. There are also high-tech and innovative products. In the first three quarters of the year, the value of high-tech imports reached 3.3 trillion yuan, increasing by 14.8 percent. Throughout the year, the import of electronic vehicles increased 1.2 times and that of consumer products by 19 percent, according to an analyst from the General Administration of Customs (GAC). At the end of 2019, China approved an import port of drugs in Zhengzhou, central Chinas Henan province, which is expected to deliver more cost-effective drugs to patients at a faster speed. In the same year, the import of vaccines grew by nearly 90 percent, and that of drugs by 25.8 percent. Last year, Chinese companies exported 17.23 trillion yuan worth of products and services, an increase of 5 percent. The price index of exported Chinese products surged by 2.8 percent and that of imported products by 1.4 percent, and the index of trade conditions stood at 101.4 percent, according to Zou Zhiwu, deputy head of the GAC, adding that it indicates that the trade competitiveness of Chinese products is on the rise. The competiveness is seen from many aspects. The first is expanding global market share. Yiwu, Chinas market of small commodities, exported 35.7 billion yuan worth of Christmas products in the first 11 months of the year, increasing by 32.6 percent year on year. Behind the small products is strong power of foreign trade. According to WTO statistics, in the first nine months of 2019, the global market share of Chinas mechanical and electrical products rose by 0.2 and 0.9 percentage points, respectively. The added value of Chinese exports is higher and the import of products with high added value maintains strong momentum. Last year, the exports of integrated circuits grew by 25.3 percent, solar batteries by 47.5 percent and metal working machines by 15 percent. Chinese enterprises have made remarkable achievements in brand building. Last year, the export value of self-owned brand reached 2.9 trillion yuan, an increase of 12 percent, and 1.1 percentage points higher from 2018. The reason why Chinas foreign trade keeps steady growth over the last year amid a slowing global economy and rising domestic and external challenges is that the countrys economy is stable and resilient and the policies are effective. For the first time, private companies replaced foreign-funded companies to become the major foreign trade player by accounting for over 50 percent of the exports last year. Tejas Express (Image: PTI) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said on January 22 that it will pay a compensation of Rs 100 each to around 630 passengers of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express because of a delay. The Express, the second IRCTC-run train which commenced commercial operations from January 19, was delayed for over an hour on Wednesday afternoon as it was entering Mumbai. The train reached the Mumbai Central station around 1 hour and 30 minutes late. "Passengers will have to apply as per our refund policy. They will be given refund after verification," said the IRCTC spokesperson. According to railway officials, the premium train departed from Ahmedabad at 6.42 am, two minutes late. But it arrived at Mumbai Central at 2.36 pm instead of the scheduled time of 1.10 pm. The Tejas Express and a few other suburban and outstation trains were held up due to a technical problem between Bhayander and Dahisar stations on the outskirts of Mumbai. "...the OHE (Overhead Equipment) on UP fast line between Dahisar and Bhayander did not hold power from 12.15 hrs. It was restored between Dahisar- Mira Road at 12.30 hrs and between Mira Road and Bhayander at 13.35 hrs," said a spokesperson of the Western Railway. Until 3.30 pm at least eight suburban services were canceled. The IRCTC spokesperson said that as the train was delayed, around 630 (of the total 849 passengers) who traveled upto Mumbai Central will be given compensation. As per the IRCTC's policy Rs 100 are paid for a delay of over an hour and Rs 250 for a delay of over two hours. It means the Corporation will be paying around Rs 63,000 to passengers, depending upon the number of claims. IRCTC officials said that passengers can claim the compensation by calling at 18002665844 or sending email to irctcclaims@libertyinsurance.in. They will have to provide a canceled cheque, PNR details and Certificate of Insurance (COI) number. Sources said several passengers were irked by the delay. The train was given a two-minute "technical halt" at Andheri for the benefit of those who wanted to reach the airport. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- We live in an era of political earthquakes; but the Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyis defense of her countrys ethnic-cleansers before the International Court of Justice at The Hague last month still came as a shock. Not so long ago, Suu Kyi was hailed as an icon of democracy in the West. Her apostasy now adds to the growing sense that democracy is in danger worldwide. The mood is certainly bleak at The Journal of Democracy, the house periodical of one of the Beltway institutions promoting democracy around the world. Writing in its 30th anniversary issue, Francis Fukuyama claims that we are living through a democratic recession, with reason to worry that it could turn into a full-scale depression. This jeremiad then opens out to denunciations of various authoritarian populists today, and to vague hopes of rebuilding the legitimate authority of the institutions of liberal democracy. As in many such dirges these days, it is never asked: What and whose democracy? History has continuously revealed democracy as the most radical idea of the modern world, which more often generates chaos than freedom. Yet the massive infrastructure of democracy-promotion that came into being during the Cold War assumed that it was a guarantor of political stability and economic progress: In other words, it delivered something that totalitarian communism could not. Ignoring democracys tormented history, its ideologues naively reduced it to a magical formula, consisting mostly of elections, that can be applied to any political context and guarantee benign political outcomes. Talking up the ideal of democracy abroad, they overlooked its daily violation at home, as a range of figures from Jawaharlal Nehru to Martin Luther King pointed out. (Abroad, too, avowed democrats expediently supported right-wing or military dictatorships from Congo to Iran, Chile to the Philippines.) Of course, the boosters of democracy who aimed largely at securing a moral advantage against communism were assured of victory. Democracy-mongers, in retrospect, had it far too easy, ranged against regimes that were as inept as they were brutal. Story continues Their sense of confidence could only inflate after communism collapsed, and history appeared, in Fukuyamas own conception, to have reached a safe terminus in liberal democracy. Even Samuel Huntington, Fukuyamas mentor, set aside his profound reservations in the 1960s about Americas democracy-promoters, to hail a third wave of democratization. Such was the complacent mood in 1990 the year that The Journal of Democracy confidently started publication that the old and deep problems of democracy that date back to the French Revolution seemed to have disappeared along with the enemies of the West. But in the postcolonial world, the challenges of democracy had long been in plain sight. The teachers of democracy in the West had accomplished high economic growth, partly with the help of imperialism and slavery, well before they began to gradually extend democratic rights to most citizens. But Asian and Africans in the worlds poorest and weakest countries faced the task of instituting democratic rights simultaneously with economic development and political cohesion. Moreover, the new nation-states in which democracy was meant to be implanted lacked some crucial ingredients. The people rather than a monarch or despot are supposed to be sovereign in a democracy. But in racially and ethnically diverse societies, potentially many peoples can claim to be the people. Take, for instance, Iraq. Summarily democratized by the American military in 2004, a new people, representing the Shia majority staked its claim on power, provoking many among the previously regnant people, the Sunnis, into open and still ongoing rebellion, and another minority into secessionism. For a long time, the promise of growth and general improvement kept many new and artificial nations from damaging struggles over power and sovereignty. In some countries liberated from foreign rule, such as Burma, pitiless local despots kept the lid on the many conflicts and contradictions of nation-building, democracy and economic development. The opening of this Pandoras box in the third wave of democratization was always likely to plunge much of the world into a prolonged era of instability. Unshackled from great power rivalry, history since 1990 has accelerated crazily, and often calamitously derailed, instead of coming to rest in the terminus of universal democracy. Even in countries with routine elections and peaceful transfers of power, such as India, uneven economic growth and high inequality have corroded the few democratic norms that existed. In 2014, a demagogue rose to power in classic fashion by blaming minorities and immigrants; he is now busy boosting a new people, the apparently neglected Hindu majority, while relegating many Muslims to second-class citizenship. Likewise, the politics of xenophobia in the United States and Britain against a background of stagnant wages and growing inequality has exposed a democratic deficit long covered up by Cold War moralizing and posturing. It is clear now that, with governments shrinking social welfare and marketizing public goods, and moneyed special-interests entrenched in legislatures, many citizens became militantly disaffected with their political representatives and institutions, and vulnerable to demagoguery. Bewildered by their punitive mood, democracy-mongers seek fresh self-validation and moral high ground, this time by counterposing democracy to authoritarian populism at home rather than totalitarian communism abroad. This reheating of the Cold Wars moral oppositions and belated lamentations about democratic recession wont do. The so-called populists, whether you like them or not, have been empowered through democratic processes. They represent, albeit in grossly distorted form, long suppressed and fundamentally democratic aspirations for freedom, equality and dignity. And they serve to remind us that democracy remains a radically destabilizing force, not a magical formula that, for all its repeated failures, keeps its vendors in stable employment. To contact the author of this story: Pankaj Mishra at pmishra24@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Gibney at jgibney5@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Pankaj Mishra is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. His books include Age of Anger: A History of the Present, From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia, and Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet and Beyond. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Meghan Markle has lost her ninth member of staff in just 18 months after a top aide tasked with running the Sussex Royal foundation quit her role. Diversity campaigner and social entrepreneur Natalie Campbell has left for a new job after just five months. Ms Campbell - who was heralded as Harry and Meghan's big hire to lead the foundation - will become the chief executive of water company Belu. She was originally poached from William and Kate's Royal Foundation in August to work with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The latest departure signals the ninth staff member to ditch the Sussexes since their royal wedding in May 2018. Diversity campaigner and social entrepreneur Natalie Campbell has left for a new job after just five months Natalie Campbell (right) was poached from Kate (second right) and William's foundation and was instead employed by the Sussexes as 'director of insight and innovation' The turnover have frequently raised eyebrows and prompted claims that the couple have not endeared themselves to staff with reportedly dictatorial behaviour. According to The Sun, the list comprises two press aides, a private secretary, a deputy private secretary, Meghan's PA, a female bodyguard and two nannies. Ms Campbell worked with Meghan on her Together cookbook which highlighted the Hubb Kitchen. The Hubb Kitchen was a support group that formed to provide fresh meals for those affected by the Grenfell fire tragedy in Kensington, west London. Ms Campbell will start her job at Belu at the start of March and released a statement confirming the move. She said: 'It is a career highlight to be joining Belu at such an exciting time for the business and the social enterprise movement more broadly. Zahira Ghaswala and Natalie Campbell (right) hold a copy of Together, a book that tells how women came together after the Grenfell Tower tragedy to cook for the local community, which has a foreword by the Duchess of Sussex (pictured in Dublin in 2018) The nine staff members to quit the Sussexes since the royal wedding September 2018: Senior comms secretary Katrina McKeever November 2018: Meghan's personal assistant Melissa Toubati January 2019: Female royal protection officer March 2019: Assistant private secretary Amy Pickerell March 2019: Senior communications secretary Jason Knauf June 2019: Two nannies leave within weeks of each other October 2019: Private secretary Samantha Cohen January 2020: Sussex Royal charity foundation's Natalie Campbell Advertisement 'I have been an admirer from afar for the last 10 years; leading Belu into the next 10 continuing purposeful growth and changing lives as a result is a privilege and honour. 'The world needs more businesses that put the environment, human rights and sustainable practice at the core of their values and operations, I can't wait to get started'. Harry and Meghan's staff makeup has undergone constant change since the couple married in the summer of 2018 and created the Sussex household. The first big departure was Harry's private secretary and 'right hand man' Ed Lane Fox, who announced he was quitting ahead of the wedding. Senior communications secretary Katrina McKeever a point of liaison for Meghan's family during the first months of the couple's relationship quietly left the Kensington Palace press office in September. Harry and Meghan's staff makeup has undergone constant change since the couple married in the summer of 2018 and created the Sussex household. The first big departure was Harry's private secretary and 'right hand man' Ed Lane Fox (pictured), who announced he was quitting ahead of the wedding In November of that year, Meghan's personal assistant Melissa Toubati (left) is said to have handed in her notice after the duchess had 'left her in tears with her demands'. Two months later, a female royal protection officer (right) quit her job as the top bodyguard for Meghan In November of that year, Meghan's personal assistant Melissa Toubati is said to have handed in her notice after the duchess had 'left her in tears with her demands'. Miss Toubati had previously worked for X-Factor judges Robbie Williams and Ayda Field. When she resigned as Meghan's personal assistant, a palace source was authorised to praise her and the role she played organising the royal wedding. Two months later, a female royal protection officer also quit her job as the top bodyguard for Meghan. The officer, who has not been named for security reasons, had been head of Meghan and Harry's security for less than a year when she left the role. At the time, a Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'It's for personal reasons and absolutely nothing to do with the duke or duchess, who are hugely disappointed at losing her.' In March 2019, it was announced that Meghan's deputy private secretary Amy Pickerill would be leaving her role following the birth of Archie in May. In March 2019, it was announced that Meghan's deputy private secretary Amy Pickerill (left) would be leaving her role following the birth of Archie in May. Private secretary Samantha Cohen (right) quit the high-profile role in October Private secretary Samantha Cohen is pictured alongside Meghan and the Queen at Buckingham Palace in June 2018 The Duchess of Sussex described the loss as 'very sad', with sources insisting the split was amicable with Ms Pickerill moving abroad. She played a key role during last year's Royal tour to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, including helping to whisk Meghan to safety during a scare at a market. That same month, Jason Knauf quit his senior role as a communications secretary for both the Sussexes and the Cambridges to become the chief executive of the The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Following the birth of Archie in May, Harry and Meghan went through two nannies before eventually hiring a third that is thought to still be in the role. October of that year saw perhaps the biggest departure when private secretary Samantha Cohen quit the high-profile role. Ms Cohen resigned and took up a volunteer job with Cool Earth, an organisation that aims to halt tropical deforestation. This week, it was announced yet another top aide would leave her role, with the Sussex Royal charity foundation's Natalie Campbell quitting her post. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Nearly three months after settling a racial discrimination lawsuit, Founders Brewing Co. says its redoubling its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, and is working to ensure theres a process for all employees to have their voices heard. One of the biggest challenges is you look back 13 years ago and there was 16 employees, Dave Engbers, co-founder of the Grand Rapids-based brewery, told MLive Tuesday, Jan. 21. Now theres 600 employees. Weve grown so quickly maybe the process wasnt always in place. I think thats why were all excited everyones going to have a voice at the table now. Founders is working to improve its diversity and inclusion program with the help of Buzz Thomas, principal of Detroit-based Thomas Group Consulting and Skot Welch, principal of Grand Rapids-based Global Bridgebuilders. The brewer became engulfed in controversy in late October after a deposition connected to its racial discrimination lawsuit was leaked to the Detroit Metro Times. In the deposition, the former general manager at Founders Detroit tap room wouldnt concede that the employee who filed the racial discrimination lawsuit was black. In early November, Founders announced that it had settled the racial discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by Tracy Evans, a former manager at Founders Detroit tap room who claimed his colleagues used racial slurs with impunity as part of a racist culture. Evans worked at Founders Grand Rapids production facility from 2014 to 2017 and then became a manager at the Detroit taproom before he was fired in 2018. He later filed his lawsuit. Since launching its efforts to bolster its diversity and inclusion program, Founders has surveyed its 600 employees on areas such as leadership and communication. The company is also hosting focus groups with employees, and has decided to create an employee-led diversity advisory council. The council will be made up of employees from all parts of Founders organization, from sales and marketing to administration and production, Welch said. The idea is to ensure more employees have their voices heard, and that efforts surrounding diversity and inclusion seep into all aspects of the companys operations not simply one office. Its literally the employees being able to take ownership of helping make Founders a better organization, he said. It doesnt matter if youre new, if youre at the top-level, if youre at the middle-level youre going to have input. Founders was the 14th-largest brewing company in the U.S. in 2018, according to the Brewers Association. The company was launched in 1997 Engbers and Mike Stevens. Its beers are now distributed internationally and in all 50 states, and its most popular product is All Day IPA. On Tuesday, Engbers declined to discuss his companys settlement with Evans. The terms of the settlement have not been made public. He also said that Founders expects to reopen its Detroit tap room, 456 Charlotte St., later this year but that an opening date has not yet been set. Founders, once it opens its taproom, has announced that it will donate all profits from the facility to charities and community organizations in Detroit through at least 2022. The controversy over Founders racial discrimination lawsuit last fall prompted some bars and shops to pull Founders products from its shelves. When asked whether the pushback against Founders in Detroit has impacted the companys bottom line, Engbers said: More importantly than the bottom line is the lack of trust that we had amongst some retailers and some consumers, he said. I think that when people see were taking this extremely seriously, when people see our commitment to the city of Detroit, when people see our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion hopefully that trust will be rebuilt, he said. Read more: Truck rollover crash causes hours-long delay on westbound I-196 Grand Rapids Fire given greenlight for new station, equipment Lake Michigan-Huron pacing at a record level for January with highest level in 33 years Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:20:13|Editor: ZD Video Player Close TEGUCIGALPA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Honduras is preparing for the arrival this week of at least 1,900 nationals deported from Mexico for trying to enter illegally on their way to the United States, the Honduran ambassador in Mexico City said. According to Alden Rivera, Mexican authorities said two groups of Hondurans attempted to sneak into southern Mexico from neighboring Guatemala at two different border points: one in south Chiapas state and another in southeast Tabasco state. "Immigration authorities detained a significant number" of Hondurans, said Rivera. Honduras' deputy foreign affairs minister for consular and immigration affairs, Nelly Jerez, said the first flight carrying 110 deported nationals was expected to arrive later in the day from Tabasco. Starting Wednesday and through Friday, some 500 deported nationals are expected to arrive daily by bus, she said. The latest migrant caravan heading toward the United States set out from the north Honduran town of San Pedro Sula before daybreak on Jan. 15. At the end of 2018 and in 2019, waves of migrant caravans succeeded in crossing into Mexico and amassing at the U.S. border, raising tensions between Mexico and the United States. The two countries later agreed to bolster border security to promote the orderly entry of migrants. Press Release 22 January 2020 Airbnb is powered by our community. As co-founder, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky has said, we are committed to serving all stakeholders in the Airbnb community. Indeed, we believe that our success depends on a series of shared commitments that balance the interests of our stakeholders: Advertisements At Airbnb, we know that our success depends upon making sure our Hosts are successful. Hosts do well if their Guests have experiences that exceed expectations. Guests have great experiences when they feel welcomed in the communities they visit. Communities welcome Guests when the economics of travel directly benefit those who live there. Today, Airbnb Hosts offer millions of listings in more than 220 countries and regions and over 100,000 cities, and many of these listings are only available on Airbnb. Hosts sharing their homes have earned over $80 billion. Our Hosts have also promoted sustainable travel and helped millions of travelers feel like they can belong anywhere in the world. In 2019, we made significant foundational investments to grow and support our community over the next decade and beyond. These investments included improvements to our technology platform. We also invested in building out and marketing new initiatives and offerings such as Airbnb Experiences, Airbnb Luxe, Airbnb Plus, Airbnb China and hotels (including our HotelTonight acquisition). In 2020, we are looking forward to supporting our Hosts and helping travelers access even more amazing places to stay and things to do. This memo offers a brief update regarding our company and our community around the world. Holiday Update The holiday season is always busy for Airbnb Hosts who see more demand from Guests traveling to spend time with family and explore new places. From December 24 through December 31, there were over 10.4 million Guest arrivals in Airbnb listings, up from 8.2 million Guest arrivals over the same time period one year ago. These stays took place around the world: for example, 80 percent of Guests on New Year's Eve stayed in listings outside the US. And Guests spent New Year's Eve in a wide range of unique Airbnb listings: over 11,000 Guests stayed in tiny houses; over 2,700 in castles; over 1,300 in treehouses; and over 1,000 in yurts. Building Trust We have dedicated an additional $150 million in 2020 for new policies, protections and tools that will help protect our community of Hosts and Guests around the world. Some of our work includes: We are working to review and verify all listings on the Airbnb platform and have instituted the Guest Guarantee: If a Guest checks into a listing that does not meet our accuracy standards, we will help the Guest rebook a new listing of equal or greater value, or offer 100 percent of their money back. We have expanded manual screening of high-risk reservations flagged by our automated systems in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with the goal of stopping unauthorized parties before they start. We will expand this methodology to more markets in 2020. We established an additional urgent communication channel for nuisances requiring real-time support, the Neighborhood Support Line. This number is available at www.airbnb.com/neighbors starting in the US and will be expanded globally throughout 2020. We launched a discount coupon program for Hosts from around the world to purchase noise detector devices to help address potential unauthorized parties and neighborhood disturbances. These devices can help detect and alert for noise issues, all while protecting Guests' privacy. We will be working in 2020 to further explore this and other technology to support our Hosts in efforts to promote trust and safety in their spaces and neighborhoods. The Airbnb app both on iOS and Android mobile phones now has an easy feature to make a direct call to local authorities in the event of an emergency. The feature is available for residents of the US, UK, Ireland and Australia when traveling in 31 countries and regions. We will expand access to additional countries and regions in the coming months. As part of our ongoing commitment to work with cities around the world, we're launching a dedicated channel where mayors and city officials can connect with appropriate Airbnb representatives about our new policies. Between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019, 0.06 percent of trips on Airbnb had a safety-related issue reported by a Host or Guest and 0.03 percent of trips on Airbnb had a significant claim ($500 USD or higher) paid out under our Host Guarantee. We will continue sharing updates about our sustained efforts toward keeping our community safe in 2020. Airbnb + Real Estate By working with real estate developers, owners, property managers, and many others, we provide online tools and offline solutions to make it easier for residents to share their homes, provide owners and operators more visibility and new revenue streams, and give guests more accommodation choices. Earlier this month we announced our agreement to work with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) to leverage the Airbnb ecosystem to help create a new pipeline of union jobs. As we continue to expand on these efforts, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Jesse Stein as Global Head of Real Estate reporting to co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk. Jesse joins Airbnb from KHP Capital, a real estate private equity firm focused on investments in boutique and independent hotels, and has deep expertise in sourcing and executing development projects including hotel, timeshare, residential, and fractional assets. Jesse will oversee Airbnb's strategy to create new supply and growth opportunities through real estate development projects and partnerships. Promoting Healthy Travel Rather than seeking to concentrate tourism in major hubs as much of the travel industry does, we aim to diversify it by more broadly distributing the economic benefits of tourism. We also aim to alleviate overtourism by distributing travelers more broadly across cities and across nontraditional travel seasons. In addition, within cities in general, the vast majority of Airbnb listings tend to be outside of traditional tourist areas, bringing valuable Guest spending to these neighborhoods. This kind of travel has a significant and positive economic impact: Airbnb's host and Guest community generated over $100 billion in estimated direct economic impact across 30 countries in 2018 alone. Additionally, in 2018, we estimate that Guests spent $25 billion in restaurants and cafes in cities around the world. We have also used our platform in other ways to promote sustainable travel. In 2019, we launched the Airbnb Sabbatical Program, which provides eye-opening opportunities for people around the world to travel with purpose and do good. Sabbaticals to Italy and Antarctica took place in 2019 and additional Sabbaticals will be announced in 2020. Experiences Around the World Airbnb offers over 40,000 Experiences around the world. Airbnb Experiences immerse travelers in local communities by offering one-of-a-kind activities that are handcrafted and led by local experts. From walking with wolves in Los Angeles to listening to live jazz in a repurposed shipping container in London, Experiences go beyond typical tours or classes by immersing Guests in each host's unique world. In 2019, we launched new categories of Experiences including Airbnb Adventures, Cooking Experiences and Animal Experiences. For example, Cooking Experiences allow Guests to do anything from learning grandmas' recipes to traditional Uzbek home-cooking, while Animal Experiences help people better understand animals through caring for them, guided by expert Hosts, and set a new standard for animal tourism. We will launch additional categories in the coming year. Experiences have continued to grow, giving Guests more options for amazing things to do whether they are traveling or staying close to home. The number of Guests booking an Airbnb Experience from December 24 to December 31, 2019 more than doubled compared to the same timeframe in 2018. The Olympics In November 2019, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Airbnb announced an agreement to support the Olympic Movement through to 2028. In 2020, we will support the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo and launch Airbnb Olympian Experiences, which will include everything from the chance to train with an Olympian, to exploring a city with an elite athlete. We expect that this partnership will generate hundreds of thousands of new Hosts over nine years, giving community residents the opportunity to earn extra income by providing accommodation and local experiences to visiting fans, athletes and other members of the Olympic Movement. Our partnership with the International Olympic Committee is part of our evolution from a travel industry disruptor into a leader. We look forward to continuing to work with the IOC and others to promote healthy, sustainable travel that empowers local communities. Working with Cities For years, Airbnb has worked with cities to support common-sense short-term rental regulations and collect and remit taxes. To date, we have reached a landmark cumulative $2 billion in tourist-related taxes that have been collected and remitted to local governments on behalf of our global host community over the past four years. Over 400 agreements with local, state, territorial and national governments around the world have streamlined and facilitated tax collection for hosts, most of whom are sharing their homes for extra income and may not be equipped for complex accounting processes. Voluntary Tax Collection agreements are in place in jurisdictions in the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe. For example, Airbnb remitted 58 million in tourist tax to French cities in 2019, more than twice the amount collected and remitted to French cities in 2018 (24 million). Tax collection is just one way we work with communities. In 2016, we partnered with Chicago to create a product solution enabling Hosts to register with the city through our platform. To make this system work, we counseled city officials as they built an extensive system to meet their specific needs. We later implemented similar tools in San Francisco and New Orleans, among other cities. And in 2019, we began offering similar support to cities from Seattle to Hamburg. This solution isn't right for every city, which is why we've worked with other communities to support efforts that fit the needs of their communities. For example, in Buffalo, NY, the second most popular destination for Airbnb Guests in New York State we have worked with city officials and our local host community for the last three years to craft new, fair short-term rental regulations that allow any city resident to share their home to make extra income, with some restrictions on rentals that are not the Host's primary residence, while establishing a host registration system and reasonable licensing fee structure. More than 5,500 miles away, in Buenos Aires, city officials passed a new short-term rental law this November creating a free, online registry for Hosts, setting basic safety standards and establishing a positive precedent for inclusive regulation of short-term rentals across South America. Click here to learn more about our work with different communities around the world. Through our work with cities, we have learned that Hosts can share their space and Guests can have accommodation options even when regulations are put in place. In both San Francisco and Japan, the resolution of several years of debate brought about new rules and regulations, and after a temporary period of adjustment, our community in both cities has continued to expand. In Tokyo, the number of New Year's Eve Guests increased 63 percent, year-over-year. Finally, the end of 2019 also brought a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union, which found that that Airbnb should be regulated as an information society service and that a piece of 1970s-era French real estate law should not be applied to our platform. We welcomed this ruling and issued a letter to Mayors across Europe underscoring our commitment to work with them on innovative solutions to the challenges facing cities, while working together to generate new revenue streams for local families, businesses and communities. Serving all Stakeholders We are committed to building a 21st-Century Company that serves all our stakeholders in the Airbnb community: Hosts, Guests, Communities, Employees and Shareholders. We have long recognized that our success depends on a series of shared commitments between everyone in our community. Last week, we announced more details regarding this work and we will have additional updates in the months ahead. First, there needs to be leadership in the White House. President Barack Obama followed his designation of an Ebola response coordinator in October 2014 with a permanent office on pandemic preparedness and response in 2015. While Trump maintained this structure into 2018, John Bolton abolished it when he took over as national security adviser. With threats such as the new coronavirus requiring an all of government response domestic and foreign; health and security agencies; federal, state and local authorities someone needs to be in charge at the highest level of our government. Additionally, critical organizing structures throughout the executive branch that have been weakened in recent years including the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise need to be reinvigorated and empowered. By PTI HOUSTON: Amrit Singh, an Indian-American law enforcement officer, has scripted history by becoming the first-ever turban-wearing Sikh to be sworn in as Deputy Constable in Harris County in the US state of Texas. Singh, 21, will be the first in his profession to wear his articles of faith - a turban, beard, and uncut hair in the line of duty. It was a historic day on Tuesday as Singh's swearing-in coincided with the adoption of a new policy that allows law enforcement officers in nearly every single Harris County Constable's Office to wear articles of their faith while in uniform. For Sikhs, that means being able to wear a turban and beard while on duty. Singh always wanted to work as a peace officer. He spent years in law enforcement explorer programmes and five months in a police training academy. "Growing up, I always wanted to be a deputy and my Sikh faith was also very important to me," Singh said. "Constable Alan Rosen was the first one to give me a callback. He opened this agency with open arms for me," he said. Speaking at Singh's swearing-in ceremony, Precinct 1 Constable Rosen said the county's eight constables supported accommodations for Sikhs to serve while adhering to their religion. "As a man of the Jewish faith, I know how it feels to be religiously targeted and how important it is to teach inclusion, understanding and tolerance," Rosen said, standing in front of representatives from the county's other constable offices. "To me, wearing a yarmulke or him wearing a turban really doesn't impact the quality of work he's going to do. It should have zero impact on public safety or what job we do. Are you going to care if the person showing up to your door to help save you has a turban or yarmulke? You're not. You're just happy they're there to save you and keep you safe," the officer said. Singh will now go on to months of field training, after which he will be assigned to patrol within Precinct One. In 2015, Harris County made national headlines after sheriff's deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal fought for and won the rights to wear his turban and beard on duty. At the time of the deputy's murder last year, just a few dozen law enforcement agencies across the United States - and the US Army - had uniform policies with religious accommodations allowing Sikhs to serve in accordance with their faith. "Legacy of Dhaliwal is not far removed, it clearly recognised and acknowledge his service and this is a gift that continues to give in his recognition and legacy," said Bobby Singh, a Sikh community leader. In 2009, Dhaliwal was the first Sikh to join the Harris County Sheriff's Office and in 2015, he became the first Sikh law enforcement officer to be allowed to wear his articles of faith in uniform. He was shot and killed during a traffic stop last year. "We honour his legacy by honouring his faith here today," Rosen said. In the months since Dhaliwal's death, law enforcement agencies in California, Washington and in Texas have signalled willingness to change their policies, said Manpreet Singh of the Sikh Coalition, which advocates for religious accommodations for minority communities in public and private sectors. "It makes me proud to be a Houstonian, and a Texan. I hope the rest of the nation follows Texas," she said. "I could just hope that I could be half as decent a cop as he ever was, and everything I do, I want people to know that I'm doing it following in his footsteps," Deputy Singh said. "He made our community proud," said Suhel Singh, Deputy Singh's father. Singh's parents were recognised at the ceremony. They told FOX 26 that they were proud to see their son pursue his passion even though it is a dangerous job. "The way I look at it, maybe it will make me pray harder and be more praying for his protection from God," said Singh's mother Sukie Kaur. Singh is now one of just two law enforcement officers in the county wearing a turban. DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer Advances, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for gastrointestinal cancers, will present a poster at the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncologys (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium being held from January 23-25, 2020 at the Moscone West Building in San Francisco, CA. The poster is entitled, Use of gastrin vaccine to increase gamma-delta and NKT cells and alter pancreas tumor microenvironment to improve survival. The researchers examined whether Cancer Advances Polyclonal Antibody Stimulator (PAS) vaccine could alter the tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic cancer and reduce metastasis in mice. The group also assessed the impact of combination therapy using PAS plus a PD-1 antibody on tumor volume and growth rate. The abstract is available at the ASCO meeting website at https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/182319/abstract . Lynda Sutton, President, Cancer Advances Inc., and Jill Smith, MD, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, will be available to answer questions following the presentation. Details of the poster presentation are below: Abstract Title: Use of gastrin vaccine to increase gamma-delta and NKT cells and alter pancreas tumor microenvironment to improve survival. Abstract Number: 696 Board: K7 Date: January 24, 2020, 12-1:30 and 4:30-5:30 pm PT About Cancer Advances, Inc. Cancer Advances, Inc. (Durham, NC) is a biotechnology company focused on impacting human health and preventing the progression of gastrointestinal cancers by enhancing the adaptive immune system. The company is led by an experienced management team and has a broad intellectual property portfolio. Cancer Advances, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cato BioVentures. The company will be initiating new clinical studies for its lead compound, Polyclonal Antibody Stimulator (PAS), in multiple gastrointestinal cancers. About Polyclonal Antibody Stimulator (PAS) PAS vaccine is an immunomodulator potentially applicable in multiple cancer types including gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, and liver. The vaccine is a peptide-conjugate that includes an N-terminal epitope of human gastrin-17 (G17) linked to carrier diphtheria toxoid. PAS has already been studied in multiple clinical trials, in over 1,500 subjects, and has demonstrated an excellent safety and tolerability profile. Cancer Advances exclusively owns PAS and is funding and managing all aspects of the PAS gastrin vaccine program. Contact By Jeremy Roebuck | The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA A Delaware County man serving a 30-year prison term for hiding his past as a brutal Liberian warlord to gain entry into the United States urged a federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Tuesday to overturn his conviction and sentence. Lawyers for Mohammed Jabateh, 53, of East Lansdowne, argued that their client may have committed numerous murders, rapes and acts of enslavement, torture and ritual cannibalism during the first Liberian civil war a protracted, multifaction conflict that ravaged the West African nation between 1989 and 1997 but as terrible as those crimes were, they did not necessarily amount to genocide. Liberia, for all its horrors in the early 90s, was not Rwanda, not Bosnia, not Cambodia and not the Third Reich, Jabatehs attorney Peter Goldberger said in court papers. Genocide is a term with a precise and narrow meaning. That distinction could prove key as a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit considers whether to upend a historic verdict that resonated from Philadelphias sizable community of West African expats to Liberia itself, a nation more than 4,500 miles away. Before Jabatehs 2017 trial, no one had ever been held criminally accountable for the numerous documented atrocities committed on all sides of the nations first civil conflict, a war that left more than 250,000 civilians dead. And despite a decades-long push by some advocates to establish a war-crimes tribunal in Monrovia, suspected perpetrators continue to live openly and, in some cases, continue to hold prominent roles in Liberias national government. A decision by the U.S. appeals court in Jabatehs favor could cut off one of the few avenues of justice afforded to a generation of Liberian war victims. It could also upend the chief tactic U.S. authorities have relied upon to weed out war criminals seeking refuge in the United States. As it has done in dozens of other cases in recent years including a similar 2018 case against Tom Woewiyu, of Collingdale, another Liberian who fought on the opposite side of the war the Justice Department charged Jabateh not with any of his alleged wartime misdeeds but with lying about them on his application on his application for political asylum in the late 90s and later legal residency. Goldberger stressed Tuesday that chief among those alleged lies was Jabatehs no answer to a question asking whether he had ever engaged in genocide or participated in the killing of another person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity or political affiliation. His clients tactics might have been brutal, the lawyer contended, but they werent persecution and were committed in a general atmosphere of cruelty and violence in the context of a civil war seemingly waged without rules or restraint. But Robert A. Zauzmer, chief of appeals for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Philadelphia, balked at the idea that the Third Circuit judges would give Jabatehs argument any serious consideration. He pointed to the roughly dozen Liberian victims who flew to the U.S. nearly three years ago to identify Jabateh as their tormento a sadistic warlord who fought under the nom de guerre Jungle Jabbah. One woman testified she had been captured, turned into a sex slave at 13 and raped daily for weeks until she managed to escape. Another, the wife of a village chieftain, alleged that Jabatehs soldiers killed her husband, delivered his heart to her on a platter, and forced her to cook it for Jabateh and his men. Mr. Goldberger likes to say that these were combatants at war and likens this to the American Civil War, Zauzmer told the Third Circuit on Tuesday. This was not the blue and gray meeting on the field of Antietam. These were atrocities committed against local citizens, local villagers, based on their ethnicities and their affiliations with rival political groups. The appellate panel appeared just as skeptical. But they also expressed hesitation Tuesday about Jabatehs three-decade sentence a punishment more than 17 times greater than the 15 to 21 months called for under federal sentencing guidelines. It is the longest prison term ever imposed against an alleged foreign war criminal convicted solely on violations of U.S. immigration law. In explaining his decision in 2018, U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond described the suggested guideline sentence as outrageously offensive in light of Jabatehs wartime conduct. He cautioned, however, that he was not departing from it based on the horror of the atrocities (Jabateh) committed abroad but rather because of the egregiousness of his lies to U.S. immigration authorities. Still, Circuit Judge Thomas A. Ambro questioned Tuesday why the judge, as in other cases involving immigrants, had not sentenced Jabateh to something more in line with the roughly 12 years recommended by the U.S. Probation Office. Then, he could have been deported and Liberia could have decided whether to try him for his war crimes, Ambro explained. One could look at (Diamonds sentence), the circuit judge said, citing the judges 36-page sentencing opinion recounting testimony of Jabatehs purported atrocities, and see, I, today, am sentencing you for crimes committed in another country. While it has not been uncommon for sentencing judges to exceed the sentencing guidelines in other cases involving purported war criminals hiding in the United States, the punishments have averaged from 10 to 15 years. The longest prison term before Jabateh was 22. The point thats being made here is if youre a war criminal like this and a leader of war criminals like this, then you face a significant sentence for abusing U.S. immigration law, Zauzmer said. (The judge) wanted to communicate to the abusers of our world that we are not your refuge. The Third Circuit panel, which also included Circuit Judges Paul Matey and Julio M. Fuentes, did not issue a ruling Tuesday. Jabateh, who was not in court, remains incarcerated at a federal detention center in Union County, Pa. 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Contact: Tel. +82 53 581 7385 / [email protected] Related Link: http://www.ibche.co.kr/eng/ SOURCE IBCHE Corporation Related Links http://www.ibche.co.kr/eng/ (Alliance News) - Britain's government on Wednesday said it expected a Chinese takeover of bankrupt British Steel to "complete in the coming weeks" despite a report that London was exploring alternatives.A Chinese industrial giant Jingye Group in November agreed to buy British Steel, a former state-owned company, for an undisclosed amount. But the Guardian newspaper on Wednesday reported that the UK government is holding talks with the Turkish conglomerate Cengiz Holdings amid fears that Jingye's deal could still collapse.A Without providing any names, a spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, confirmed in a statement that "officials have met and continue to meet all parties interested in acquiring British Steel".A The statement added: "The government believes the Jingye transaction will complete in the coming weeks." Although the UK government has not taken the steel producer back into state ownership awaiting a buyer, it has been paying staff wages since the collapse in May. Some 5,000 people are employed by British Steel, while another 20,000 jobs have links to its supply chain. A total 4,000 British Steel staff work in the UK, with an additional 1,000 based in France and the Netherlands. Before Jingye stepped in, Turkish military fund OYAK had in October pulled out of a deal to rescue British Steel, whose owners Greybull had blamed Brexit for its financial collapse. Britain's steel sector has struggled for some time also owing to fierce Chinese competition. source: AFP Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Rome, Jan 22 : A new humanitarian staging area has been inaugurated in Nepal that will be able to store essential supplies for over 60,000 people, the United Nations World Food Programme said in a statement on Wednesday. Constructed by WFP, in collaboration with the Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs and the Civil Aviation Authority, the HSA is part of Nepal's emergency response operations. Once completed, it will be able to store 1,535 metric tonnes of supplies including shelter materials, health and hygiene kits, and water and sanitation equipment, said the statement. The new HSA will also be equipped with logistical items, such as generators, satellite phones, fuel, boats, and search and rescue tools, the statement said, noting that there are plans to build other similar HSAs. The Dhangadhi HSA is the first of its kind at a provincial level, according to the statement. The creation of a HSA network across Nepal follows the success of the UK-funded Kathmandu Humanitarian Staging Area, which was launched one month before the devastating 2015 earthquake. The activation of the Kathmandu facility helped humanitarian partners reach the affected population quickly, the WFP said. Without it, some 21 days could have been needed before the relief efforts reached those in desperate need. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 10:30 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2060733c8 1 National drug-dealer,drug-courier Free Officers of the narcotics division of the Jambi Police have foiled a marijuana-trafficking operation and confiscated 29 kilograms of the drug at a warehouse within an elementary school compound in Jambi. The Jambi Police received a tip off about drug trafficking from North Sumatra to Jambi after arresting a North Sumatra resident identified only as JT on Jan. 18. JT was arrested at KM 181 in the Tanjabbar area. After further investigation, the police found out that JT worked as a courier for the drug-trafficking operation. He stored the drugs at the warehouse of an elementary school where he worked as a security guard. He could keep the marijuana freely at the school because of his job, and the school officials were unaware about what he was doing, Jambi Police chief Insp. Gen. Muchlis AS said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. He added that based on JTs statement, the police arrested another suspect identified only as JH who also worked as a security guard at the school. Based on the police investigation, this was not the first time JT and JH were involved in drug trafficking. In October 2019, the police found out that both of them had also smuggled marijuana. They managed to smuggle 15 kilograms of marijuana before, said chief of the narcotics division Sr. Comr. Eka Wahyudianta. He added that JH had previously been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a drugs case and served time in Padang Pariaman Prison. (dpk) The dogfight for the third seat in this mostly rural constituency could prove crucial for the overall picture, writes Juno McEnroe. This constituency is likely to be a microcosm of the national picture for the general election. This is farming country and the successes (or otherwise failures) of Agriculture Minister Michael Creed will, in part, influence voters, aswill geography in the three-seater. Cork North-West stretches from the borders of Kerry and Limerick right in towards Cork City. There is huge pressure on Fianna Fail to hold its two seats for Aindrias Moynihan, a returning first-time TD, and Michael Moynihan, the partys chief whip. For Fianna Fail to be in government, it has to win the second seat here, said a party figure candidly. However, while Fine Gael only had one TD here since the last election in 2016, it stands a real chance of taking back a second seat, once held by Aine Collins. If her supporters back John Paul OShea, Creeds running mate and a former Independent, the cumulative vote could swing a victory in both the north and the south of the constituency for Fine Gael. Many constituency activists admit this is a head-to-head between the two major parties and, unlike most other constituencies, other groups and candidates are seen as a very long shot forin wresting one of the three seats from them. This may explain why there are just eight candidates running this time. Nonetheless, neither of the two big parties are taking the race for granted, and instead are talking up being underdogs, a tactic that often helps get the vote out. There are disadvantaged pockets in Gaeltacht areas here, including Muskerry, but overall unemployment is low. A lot hinges on the farming sector, multinationals, and the road infrastructure linking other counties and, of course, Cork City. One of the biggest demands is the Cork-Limerick motorway, the M20, which has got the green light under the Governments Project Ireland 2040. Work on the long-promised 300m Macroom bypass, expected to cost , is also under way. Both of these projects go towards supporting commuter and the bigger towns in the constituency, including Ballincollig and Macroom, as well as market towns such as Kanturk, Charleville, and Newmarket. Another problem is the lack of housing in Ballincollig, as well as demands fora third secondary school in the town. With a young and growing population, this community may not backthe incumbents, as there are also concerns about Garda services for the town. Fine Gael sources also admit that families have complained about the lackof special needs services, including supports and resources for St JosephsFoundation, which helps those with intellectual disabilities and is based in Charleville. All eyes in farming households are focused on the upcoming Common Agriculture Payments deal and what it could bring for the beef and dairy sectors. However, there is also frustration among farmers, after the handling of the fodder crisis and the latest beef price war with factories. And it may seem impressive to be on the national and international stage, as the AMr Creed has been, but Fine Gael sources privately worry whether Fianna Fails work on the ground at home will beat them. It is all very well to be out in China signing [beef] deals, but you are leaving the back door open at home, confided a party insider. Observers in Cork North-West say first preferences will be crucial. This is for a There are a number ofreasons for this. With such a small field of candidates, there will be little or no surplus votes, and few transferswith such a small field of candidates. Moreover, it really is a dogfight between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail that will likely mirror a national trend and indicate whether Leo Varadkars party will get a third successive term or whether the winds of change will put Fianna Fail back into Government Buildings. On the campaign trail with Ciaran McCarthy of the Social Democrats in the Cork North-West constituency. In general, while many would agree that Cork North-West has moved away from its conservative profile, this election will be an old-style dust-up between the traditional two big parties. Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats, the Greens, and Aontu are fielding candidates, but they are unlikely to will not get the votes needed for a seat. Expect the fight for the third seat to be in the north of the constituency between John Paul OShea and Michael Moynihan, with votes in Charleville seen as key to a win. In conclusion, Cork North-West is on a knife-edge and whichever party tips the scales and gets that second seat not only adds to their leaders tally, but denies their opponent an extra TD. This makes it is a key battleground in Election 2020. Missing evidence forced a second mistrial Tuesday for a San Antonian charged with fatally shooting a man at a West Side convenience store in 2017. Nathan Knowles, 36, is accused of killing Michael Berlanga, 40, on Oct. 7, 2017. Testimony established that Knowles and Berlanga got into a fight at a convenience store in the 1600 block of North Zarzamora near Culebra. Knowles first trial ended in July after the jury became hopelessly deadlocked, forcing Visiting Judge Raymond Angelini to declare a mistrial. His retrial began last week. The state was still presenting evidence when it was determined that audio recordings between San Antonio police at the scene of the incident and Eagle, SAPDs search helicopter, were destroyed because they were not properly stored, Knowles attorney Daniel Rodriguez said Tuesday. He said the audio was not part of discovery, and he became aware of it when an officer testified about the communications between officers on the ground and in the sky. The best thing would have been to have the audio preserved, said Rodriguez. We are in a position that we will never know if there were other suspects that would exclude Nathan Knowles as a suspect. Prosecutors Stacy Harrington and Jason Garrahan argued eyewitness testimony pointed to Knowles as the shooter, but defense attorneys Rodriguez and Loraine Efron disputed that, adding that there was no video surveillance and no DNA to back up the witness claim. Rodriguez argued to Judge Lori Valenzuela, who granted the mistrial, that he would have prepared his case differently had he known there was additional evidence within the recordings of the officers speaking about what was going on at the scene. Knowles case will go back on the 437th state District Courts docket for retrial in the future, Rodriguez said. If convicted of murder, Knowles, who has been out on bond, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 VANCOUVERCherie Wong says she and her organization will be watching Canadian politicians. Sitting at a table in an empty restaurant a few floors above Vancouvers West Georgia Street, the Ottawa resident talks about how Canadas government seems to have abandoned principles when dealing with Beijing. A few feet away, in another room, the official launch of her new group called Alliance Canada Hong Kong (ACHK) is taking place. Ultimately, it comes to the bad choices of this government, Wong says of the reason the alliance was formed. She is now executive director of the group. Ottawa, she says, has been silent on the Chinese Communist Partys human rights abuses in mainland China and Hong Kong. The government ignored the physical intimidation by CCP supporters here in Canada when they surrounded pro-democracy protesters last year in Vancouver at events meant to show support for Hong Kong protesters. The ACHK will act like an umbrella for other groups advocating for democracy and human rights. Currently there are 14 member groups who have joined across Canada. About 300,000 Canadians live in Hong Kong. The region has been rife with rioting and protests since last year when the local legislative body tried to implement a law enabling China to quickly extradite criminals from Hong Kong to Mainland China. Opponents said such legislation would make it too easy for China to extradite political opponents from Hong Kong. It was eventually withdrawn by the local government, but opened a firestorm of demands for democratic reform. Meanwhile, Canadian politicians push for more trade and cultural ties with Beijing, Wong says, and its no longer going to be accepted by Canadians like her. What we want to do is mobilize the community groups in ridings to confront their own MPs, she says. It is their own constituents, and their own friends and family, who are being harassed and intimidated. At Tuesdays press conference, speakers talked about efforts by Beijing to influence Canadian society and decision making, including the United Front Work Department (UFWD), the Communist Partys vehicle for such operations. Some community organizations in Canada claiming to represent Chinese communities have links to the UFWD. Experts often blame the group for harassment and attempts to intimidate Chinese diaspora communities into supporting Beijings policies abroad. At todays official launch, the organization unveiled five demands to be made to the Canadian government, crafted from a survey of 13,000 Hong Kong and Canadian residents, 2,000 from Canada. The survey was open to anyone and posted on social media by pro-Hong Kong democracy activist organization Citizens Press Conference. The demands include using Canadas so-called Magnitsky legislation to punish Chinese officials who have committed human rights violations, investigate foreign influence into Canadian public and private institutions and to provide humanitarian support for asylum seekers from China. Ottawa must also condemn Chinas human rights violations and protect Canadians freedoms from erosion by CPC supporters in Canada, say the demands. But ACHK isnt just disappointed in the federal government. The organization has also targeted progressive Canadians, accusing many on the left of being silent on the issue of Chinas human rights abuses. She said she knows many progressives, including members of political parties, who are afraid to speak up against Canadas approach to mainland China. Wong says she isnt sure why those who champion human rights and social justice elsewhere say nothing about Beijing. I would like to know because I am a progressive, Wong said. Theres no excuse or rationale for why theyre silent. After todays launch, the group is hosting a reception for politicians and community leaders and expect about 20 attendees. How many will show up remains to be seen, she said. The Chinese government, however, has had no problems getting Canadian politicians to attend their events. MPs, MLAs and municipal politicians are often photographed at events held by Chinese officials or organizations linked to Beijing. On Monday, the Star reported that a number of B.C. politicians, including the NDPs Don Davies and Jenny Kwan, attended a Lunar New Year celebration hosted by the Chinese consulate. I think they are afraid, or they want to continue to play this economic and trade game with China, Wong said. But ultimately were sacrificing Canadian values and were sacrificing Canadians safety and freedom and liberty for these so-called economic gains. Read more about: The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has condemned the killing of Lawan Andimi, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa, by the Boko Haram terrorists, describing it as a sad and disturbing event. The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, made the condemnation on behalf of the forum, in a statement issued to News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Wednesday in Jos by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Makut Macham. Mr Lalong also described the killing as an inhumane act by the terrorist group that was bent on unleashing sorrow in the hearts of Nigerians. He commiserated with the family of the deceased, the church and people of Adamawa over the loss, while urging them not to allow the incident to affect their faith in God. He also appealed to them not to allow the loss to deter their love for humanity and create hatred among Nigerians, who were disgusted by the cruelty of the terrorist group. The chairman said the forum remained united in supporting security agencies to put an end not only to terrorism, but all forms of criminality that threatened the unity of the country along ethnic, religious or political lines. READ ALSO: He stressed that the NGF was supporting President Muhammadu Buhari in his commitment as he rallied the world toward defeating the terror groups, their sponsors and purveyors of their bizarre ideology, which propagated sorrow, hatred and pain on innocent persons in the name of religion and others claims. The cleric who was reportedly killed by the terrorist group on Monday, was also a pastor with the Church of the Brethren (EYN) at the District Church Council of Michika, Adamawa. He was abducted by the insurgents two weeks ago following an attack on Michika town. (NAN) The Toronto police officer named to the Ontario Human Rights Commission by Premier Doug Ford has broken his silence on the controversial appointment revealed by the Star. Const. Randall Arsenault took to Twitter to apparently underscore his qualifications to serve on the independent rights watchdog. This is taken from the OHRC website. Very important differences, different duties. I encourage people who are interested to look into it further or ask. Off to bed for me, nightshift 2 of 6 completed, Arsenault wrote Wednesday after an overnight shift at his Scarborough detachment. Its truly an honour to Serve and Protect. Be safe, the 19-year police veteran added. Beneath that tweet, he posted the following: The Ontario Human Rights System is made up of three separate agencies: 1. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (thats us) works to promote, protect and advance human rights through research, education, targeted legal action and policy development. 2. The Human Rights Legal Support Centre gives legal help to people who have experienced discrimination under the Code. 3. The Human Rights Tribunal is where human rights applications are filed and decided. At 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Arsenault replied to an interview request the Star made Tuesday. Good morning, my apologies as I dont receive these emails when Im off duty, he wrote in an email. I believe the story has been completed. Thank you, and enjoy your day. Be safe. Randy There is unease about Ford quietly naming an active police officer to the commission amid an ongoing inquiry into allegations of racial profiling and discrimination against the Toronto Police Service. On Twitter, Farrah Khan, a member of the commissions community advisory group, said she was very concerned by the choice of Premier Doug Ford to bypass the OHRC application process to self-appoint two people. Khan, manager of Ryerson Universitys Consent Comes First office of sexual violence support and education, said appointments should be based on merit to ensure independence of the commission. NDP MPP Peter Tabuns noted the appointments of Arsenault and Violetta Igneski, a McMaster University associate professor in philosophy with Conservative links, come in the wake of the June cronyism scandal that resulted in Ford parting ways with his chief of staff, Dean French. French resigned after it emerged his family and friends received plum jobs, including a pair of six-figure foreign postings. Ford revoked those and five other people stepped down after the controversy. Igneski is related to Jasmine Igneski, who served in senior roles in the governments of Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper and Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris. She has not responded to inquiries from the Star. Renu Mandhane, the chief commissioner of human rights, was blindsided by the appointments because Arsenault and Igneski were not among 330 applicants vying for the part-time posts that pay up to $10,000 a year. Mandhane delivered a short list of about 30 candidates vetted from the 330 who applied to Attorney General Doug Downey late last year. The chief commissioner said she was particularly concerned a Toronto police officer on active duty was named while the commission is conducting its inquiry into the force. Downeys office said Arsenault and Igneski were appointed to support and advance the commissions mandate to provide leadership for the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights, and builds partnerships across the human rights system. The attorney general said it would be up to Mandhane to manage potential conflicts between commissioners and their duties as members of the commission. Since Fords election, the number of human rights commissioners went from nine to none, as all of the appointments were allowed to lapse. The commissioners work with the chief commissioner, whose term expires in October. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: The President of the Senate, Teodor Melescanu, said on Wednesday that in December 1989, when he was in Vienna, he did not receive any information from the country regarding the events in Timisoara and mentioned that he saw in the foreign press that clashes were taking place between the army and the protestors, resulting in loss of human lives. "At the end of the meeting [ed.n. - in Vienna], the Swiss ambassador, who was also the president of the works, officially asked the Romanian delegation for information regarding the situation in Timisoara. As I, first secretary, was the only one left in the room from the Romanian delegation, I said the following: I did not receive any information from the country regarding the events in Timisoara. I saw from the foreign press that clashes took place between the army and the protesters, which resulted in loss of human lives. I finally said that if the information is confirmed, then those who have been guilty must take responsibility," said Melescanu. He added that, at that time, the Romanian state did not have the capacity to give him "instructions or information". "I assure you that at that time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Romanian administration were in a position in which they did not have the capacity to give us new instructions or information," said Melescanu. Teodor Melescanu was asked how he responds to the referral made by the Institute for Investigation of Communism Crimes and the Memory of Romanian Exile (IICCMER) on how he acted as a representative of the Romanian delegation at the meetings in Vienna from December 19-20, 1989. The IICCMER has taken notice ex officio about the way in which Teodor Melescanu acted as representative of the Romanian delegation at the meetings in Vienna from December 19-20, 1989. According to the diplomatic telegrams, Teodor Melescanu would have participated, in an official capacity, in the misinformation and diversion exercised by the totalitarian communist regime, mention the representatives of the institute. The ousted first female Grammys president mightve just broken the dam on musics worst secrets. Photo: John Parra/Getty Images for LARAS On March 2, former Recording Academy CEO and president Deborah Dugan was fired nearly two months after being put on paid leave. The following post has been updated throughout. Musics biggest night carried on mostly business as usual this year, but prior to the Grammys ceremony, was overshadowed by weeks-long behind-the-scenes tension. Just over a week before the show, a dramatic news story broke revealing that Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan, newly in the role as of August 2019, was put on administrative leave only ten days ahead of this years Grammys ceremony. Dugan, the former CEO of (Red), was brought in following the departure of Neil Portnow. She became the first female president of the Grammys, hired after Portnows resignation last summer following his controversial comments in 2018: Responding to criticism that the Academys voting was sexist and lacked female representation, he placed the responsibility on female artists, whom he advised to step up in order to be recognized. The statement inspired the creation of a task force by the Academy, led by Times Up CEO Tina Tchen who, alongside artists, label representatives, and academics, investigated the changes that needed to be made after Portnows missive. Dugans hiring followed. The news of her suspension arrived only three weeks after Dugan sent a jaw-dropping, detailed memo to the Academys HR department, containing numerous complaints about the Academy. The details of that memo only came to light after Dugans newly hired legal team, Wigdor LLP, filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the Academy. Her legal team alleges that the memo is why she was put on leave and claims that the institutions practices highlight tactics reminiscent of those deployed by individuals defending Harvey Weinstein. Meanwhile, the Academy says Dugan was suspended following a complaint by Portnows former assistant over Dugans bullying managerial style and abusive work environment. The complaint was made back in November 2019, which raised the question of why action has suddenly and noisily been taken now. On March 2, the Academy officially terminated Dugan as CEO and president. Still, Wigdor LLP is accusing the Academy of putting Dugan on leave close to the ceremony in order to divert attention from its own unlawful activity. It tweeted: This blatant form of retaliation in corporate America is all too common, even post #MeToo, and we will utilize all lawful means necessary to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions. If this is the case, then Dugans dismissal could become one of the biggest stories in the music industry since the Me Too era began. Heres a rundown of all the major developments so far. What are Dugans complaints against the Academy? As the New York Times reported, Dugan sent a memo to the HR department of the Academy with shocking details about goings-on within the organization. On Tuesday, Dugans legal team revealed the full scope of the allegations she sought to bring to light. They include, but are not limited to: details of sexual harassment of Dugan by Joel Katz (the Academys general legal counsel) during a dinner, which Katz has categorically denied Grammy voting irregularities stemming from the board, who dont promote a transparent nomination process (submissions for awards are voted on by the Academys 12,000 members and the top 20 selections are reviewed by secret committees; artists who have prior relationships with the board are often the ones given priority, and in some cases, added at a later date at the behest of major stars. Dugans complaint alleges that Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande were snubbed for 2019 Song of the Year nominations for this reason) an outstanding allegation of rape against Portnow made by a female recording artist, which Portnow has denied in a new statement calling the allegation ludicrous and untrue, and claiming that he was completely exonerated by an internal investigation that was never previously publicized a request she rejected from the Board to offer Portnow a $750,000 consulting job at the Academy following his exit, which Portnow now says he at no time demanded a boys-club mentality that has led to sexist treatment of other women in the Academy, including chief information officer Megan Clarke, former vice-president of MusiCares Dana Tomarken, and two other unnamed women The complaint also alleges that Dugan was paid significantly less in her position than her predecessor, Portnow, and claims that minutes after Dugan had been reassured her leave wouldnt be made public, the Academy informed the press. What are the Academys complaints against Dugan? Dugan has been accused of acting in a hostile way toward her executive assistant, Claudine Little, whom she inherited from Portnow. Little took a leave of absence in October before she filed a claim. Dugans lawyers are insisting that Little was unsuitable for the job, that Dugan kept her on anyway out of the goodness of her heart, and that the situation was blown out of proportion by the executive committee who then began to cut back Dugans responsibilities. There is an ongoing investigation against Dugan within the Academy. Dugans temporary stand-in, Harvey Mason Jr., also wrote a letter to the Academy members hitting back at both the media and Dugan for leaks and misinformation and claiming that Dugan was extorting the Academy for $22 million in exchange for dropping her allegations and resigning from her role. Portnow, in his response to the claims in the EEOC complaint, said the filing and its allegations are a diversionary tactic and will not convert them to truth. Meanwhile, the women on the Recording Academys Board Tammy Hurt, Christine Albert, Leslie Ann Jones, and Terry Jones issued a joint statement standing by the Academy and hitting back at Dugans allegations of a boys-club attitude within the institution: It is deeply disturbing to us and quite frankly, heartbreaking to witness the firestorm against our organization that has been unleashed. The Academy is keenly sensitive to any and all allegations of harassment or abuse, and we support the independent investigations that have been launched. We have collectively volunteered many years of service guiding and supporting this organization. We would not have taken precious time away from our families and careers if we felt that it was a boys club. We are leaders of this organization and fully committed to transformational change both within the Academy and within our industry at large. We stand ready to address all concerns, allegations and accusations with facts in hand. Following mounting allegations of voting irregularities and corruption, interim Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. issued a new statement denying any wrongdoing: It is the goal of the Recording Academy to ensure the GRAMMY Awards process is led in a fair and ethical manner and that voting members make their choices based solely on the artistic excellence and technical merits of eligible recording. Spurious allegations claiming members or committees use our process to push forward nominations for artists they have relationships with are categorically false, misleading and wrong. This process is strictly enforced with everyone involved and has no exceptions. What has Dugan said? Speaking publicly for the first time on Good Morning America, Dugan initially praised some amazing, amazing people in the Academy and on the board. She then spoke about Grammy lawyer Joel Katzs proposition over dinner before she even stepped into her post, how he called her babe and commented on her attractiveness. The evening went on to trying to kiss me, she said. All the way through I felt like I was being tested in how I would acquiesce. She maintained that she was raising issues the entire time she served as president, but as soon as she filed a formal complaint to HR she was put on leave. When asked why she didnt want to take legal action, Dugan said, Because I actually wanted to make change from within. I moved across country, I had a great job, I believe in what the Recording Academy should stand for: artists. She says she thought, I can fix this, I can work with this team. Dugan said she found out about the rape allegation against Portnow at the start of her post. On the voting rigging, she said, The system should be transparent and there are incidents of conflict of interests that taint the results. Dugan revealed that she has further evidence about voting irregularities in the jazz category and that shes filed a complaint there. When probed on the Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande complaint, Dugan said, Its very serious and I wouldnt be here if I didnt think I would make a difference. (She would not, however, name the artist who was nominated in their place.) Dugan warmly and wistfully said she will still watch the 2020 ceremony; her lawyer said that the Grammys are on life support right now. Dugan later appeared on NBC in a longer segment in which she was unflinching about the sexism and corruption in the Recording Academy, and stated that predominantly white males are the ones who call the shots. Dugan confirmed that certain artists due onstage on Sunday night have been chosen through improper channels; she talked about a culture of distrust, a lack of transparency, and large sums of money being spent on Academy interests over artist interests. She also went into further detail about being excluded from meetings the more she attempted to put artists interests first. When challenged on the claims made against her by her assistant, Dugan pointed to her spotless track record as a CEO: I was not abusive, she said. Dugans legal team has also continued to argue on her behalf that she wasnt put on leave because of the staff allegation against her, but because she was due to bring legal action against the Academy over her claims of discrimination and the reaction to her internal whistle-bowling. It was retaliation, the EEOC filing claims. They also insist that the claims are not the sort that should lead to a CEO being put on leave, particularly ten days before the Grammys. Those on Dugans side paint a picture of a successful businesswoman who uprooted herself from New York to L.A. with her family and was actively engaged in conversations with artists about their concerns with the Academy in order to fulfill her task of remedying the inequalities within the Academys culture. According to her lawyers, the Academy is defaming her as a money-hungry liar. On January 29, three days after the Grammys, Dugan sent a new letter to the executive committee of the Recording Academy to call for transparency and accountability during the investigation into her claims, demanding that they put an end to the week-plus confusion over her ouster: The Academy intentionally brought this dispute to the publics attention, and I am asking you to agree to let the public and music industry access the legal proceedings to come in this case. I have nothing to hide. The public and the music industry have the right to know what is going on behind closed doors at the Academy. Dugan claims that when she was hired last August, she was required to agree to arbitrate any and all disputes between myself and the Academy, meaning any disputes that would otherwise be resolved by a judge and jury are instead privately and confidentially decided by a single arbitrator. Her letter asks that the Academy voluntarily release her from that agreement so that the details of the ongoing arbitration process can be made public. She writes, Forced arbitration takes away a victims right to a trial by a jury of her peers, and at the same time provides protection for perpetrators of misconduct. The bulk of Dugans letter lodges a heavy complaint over the Academys choice for investigator, whom she says the law firm Proskauer Rose recommended and handpicked. The issue, she writes, is that in her EEOC charge, she identified Proskauer as one of the law firms in bed with the Academy. She specifically claims that Proskauer partner Chuck Ortner, who simultaneously serves as National Legal Counsel to the Academy and sits on the board of the Academys Museum, is known to largely run the Academys board. This presents a glaring conflict of interest, she argues: Thus, we have a situation wherein you have Proskauer tasked with hiring the investigator that will, in part, investigate Proskauer. Adding to the conflict, she says that the Proskauer lawyer who chose the investigator also represented the Academy against her following the bombshell memo to HR that she alleges led to her being put on leave. Dugan now says shes expected to cooperate with the investigation despite the investigator denying her access to evidence compiled during the investigation, and refusing to say whether or not that evidence will be available to the public. She concludes: I cannot, in good conscience, participate in an investigation rife with conflicts of interest and obvious partiality. Thus, I am proposing that we, together, mutually select an investigator who is independent and who would report to all parties and not just the Academy. Dugans lawyers, Wigdor LLP, responded to the news of her March 2 firing in a statement calling the decision despicable and warning that, in due course, the Academy and its legal representation will be held accountable under the law. Their full statement follows: The Academys decision to terminate Ms. Dugan and immediately leak that information to the press further demonstrates that it will stop at nothing to protect and maintain a culture of misogyny, discrimination, sexual harassment, corruption and conflicts of interest. The decision is despicable and, in due course, the Academy, its leadership and its attorneys will be held accountable under the law. On March 3, Dugan released another statement via her lawyers, to the L.A. Times, saying her firing was par for the course with the Academys treatment of people who speak out against it. I was recruited and hired by the Recording Academy to make positive change; unfortunately, I was not able to do that as its CEO, it reads. While I am disappointed by this latest development, I am not surprised given the Academys pattern of dealing with whistleblowers. The rest of her statement follows: Is anyone surprised that its purported investigations did not include interviewing me or addressing the greater claims of conflicts of interest and voting irregularities? So, instead of trying to reform the corrupt institution from within, I will continue to work to hold accountable those who continue to self-deal, taint the Grammy voting process and discriminate against women and people of color. Artists deserve better. To me, this is the real meaning of stepping up. What is the Recording Academy telling its voting members? The board of trustees sent voting members of the Recording Academy three emails the week of the Grammys, which Vulture obtained. The first was merely an update from Harvey Mason Jr. to announce his temporary takeover and to reassure artists that our focus on service to the music community and to you, our members will remain uninterrupted and undiminished. In the second email, sent by the women on the executive committee, the female members of the board asserted that theyve been working with their male colleagues making great strides in increasing diversity in both leadership and nominations. They referred to Dugans claims as a firestorm and said that the interim media attention has been deeply disturbing. The third email was intended to clarify the nomination process, and in it Mason Jr. refers to Dugans claims as misleading. The accusations are deeply unsettling and just not right, he writes, repeating that its not fair to the artist community. Dont let anyone cheapen or take away from what you have achieved, he stated. In an offering of facts, Mason Jr. highlighted the systems transparency, the diversity of the nomination reviews committee, the rules in place to prevent conflicts of interest, and the confidentiality of committee members names. We look forward to seeing you this weekend and celebrating our deserving winners on Musics Biggest Night, he concluded. On Grammys morning, interim president Harvey Mason Jr. sent another email to voting members of the Academy. This one made no mention of Dugan. It also didnt address the rape allegations, claims of excessive legal fees, or the specific aberrations in voting. Instead, Mason Jr. outlined a plan for further action to tackle problems such as exclusion. Its the right thing to do, he wrote. The letter states that the Academy has been working on implementing 17 of the original Task Forces 18 changes, but admits to it being a slower process than some would like. But its not enough to pledge ourselves to change. We must take action. There is no excuse for waiting, he wrote. Mason Jr. laid out five actions: to implement a Diversity & Inclusion Officer within the next 90 days, a fellowship responsible for independent review and reporting of this progress, an annual fund for different women in music organizations, a reunion of the original Task Force for a deeper exploration into voting, and that the first meeting will be in 45 days. He continued: Its been a challenging week for our Academy family, he wrote. Ive heard from many of you who feel betrayed and hurt by the untruths being spread about our motives and actions, the integrity of our process and the artists whove rightfully earned their GRAMMY Nominations we are recommitting ourselves to transparency, to independent investigations, and to following the facts wherever they lead. Dugans lawyers responded to Mason Jr.s letter in a statement calling it smoke and mirrors given that each of his so called new initiatives had already been agreed to under the direction of Ms. Dugan. The statement continued, If the past ten days have shown anything, it is that the current Chair is not the appropriate individual to effectuate meaningful change at the Academy. Dugans lawyers called for four points of action in order for there to be real change, asking that they happen immediately: an independent and qualified professional Chair and Board; immediate suspension of the conflict-rife nominating review committees immediate suspension of the conflict-rife nominating review committees a truly independent investigation into the Boards relationships, self-dealings, and use of public non-profit monies the immediate reinstatement of Dugan as Recording Academy CEO to oversee and effectuate such changes On February 13, interim president Harvey Mason Jr. sent his first update to voting members of the Recording Academy since the Grammys in a memo viewed by Vulture. The letter reaffirms that Deborah Dugan remains on administrative leave and there wont be a search for a new CEO until their dispute is resolved. Dugan has requested that the Recording Academy waive the arbitration agreement. The Academy have refused but agreed to waive confidentiality in arbitration, which is underway; Dugans team has yet to respond. Mason Jr.s letter further states that the Academy has hired a law firm with no previous ties to the institution to independently investigate Dugans sexual harassment claim against its legal counsel Joel Katz, saying we take that allegation very seriously. Mason Jr also claims that the Academy remains fully committed to a transformative agenda and will implement those 17 task force recommendations, with plans to reconvene with them shortly and hire a diversity and inclusion officer at the executive level by late April. The letter also defends both the Academys legal expenses, which Dugan alleges are exorbitant, and the Grammys nominations and voting process, which Dugan has claimed is rigged; the Academy says only that the latter needs to be better understood, pointing to a link to their FAQ. The memo notes that members may submit proposals for new procedures until March 1 and the board will meet in April to vote on which, if any, to pass. Mason Jr. adds, We will do our best to think about every loophole and caveat, and develop safeguards to maintain integrity in the process. And he insists, The suggestion that Deb was hindered by the Academys resistance to change is simply untrue, and we are continuing on the path of change even during this time. In a separate February 13 note sent only to elected leaders of the Recording Academy, and also viewed by Vulture, Mason Jr. says that while he understands that they may be feeling out of the loop, he asks that the leaders maintain the companys confidentiality restrictions and consult their communications department before speaking with media. The letter goes on to share the same announcements made to voting members albeit in more emphatic language: [Dugans] outrageous assertion that the GRAMMYs are rigged is utterly false and claims that the Academy tried to work with Dugan to correct concerns about her performance. Mason Jr. further writes: It is difficult to read unfair criticism of the Academy in the media, but our reticence to respond should not be misinterpreted. We are confident that when we are able to share all the facts, our members, the industry, and the public will understand that all our actions have been appropriate and in the interest of making progress towards our shared goals of diversity, inclusion, and our mission to recognize musical excellence, advocate for the well-being of music makers, and ensure that music remains an indelible part of our culture. On March 2, the executive committee sent out another update to its voting members informing them that Dugans position as CEO has officially been terminated nearly two months after she was put on paid administrative leave. The Board of Trustees voted to fire her based on three factors, the latest memo notes: two exhaustive, costly independent investigations relating to Ms. Dugan and the allegations made against her and by her; the unwarranted and damaging media campaign that she launched in an attempt, without justification, to derail the GRAMMY Awards show, including her false allegations that the system was in her words rigged and that the Academy was corrupt; and her consistent management deficiencies and failures, and other factors. The memo continues, All of this led the elected leaders of the Academy to conclude that it was in the best interests of the Academy to move on. The committee also notes that the Recording Academy participated in some settlement discussions with Dugan after she expressed desire to exit the Academy and be bought out of her contract but we were ultimately compelled to dismiss Ms. Dugan as our President/CEO. The rest of the strongly-worded statement elaborates on the decision: Not removing Ms. Dugan from the organization at this time would have caused us to compromise our values. We could not reward her with a lucrative settlement and thereby set a precedent that behavior like hers has no consequence. Our members and employees, and the entire music industry, deserve better than that. The Academy says it now plans to launch a search for a new CEO in the coming days who will leverage the Academys diverse membership and rich history and help us transform it to better serve our members today and into the future. As we structure this new search, we will look carefully to see where the last one led us astray and make any necessary changes going forward. In an interview with the L.A. Times, Academy chair emeritus Christine Albert doubled down on the need to fire Dugan: It was not one thing that led to this action but rather the large number of incidents that demonstrated poor judgment, both before and after Ms. Dugan went on administrative leave. There was just no way she could continue to serve this organization. Interim president Harvey Mason. Jr added, For us as an organization, its a setback, and its not something that were going to spend a ton more time and energy on. Were focused on the future, and on transforming the academy. He reaffirmed that the search for a new CEO will begin on Friday and that they are considering a wide pool of candidates, not just women. For us the emphasis is on finding a great CEO. The first and foremost priority will be interviewing a diverse and inclusive slate of candidates, he said. What do the members of the original task force think? Eighteen individuals sat on the original task force itself created to examine bias in the Academy in March 2018 in the wake of Portnows comments. The task force issued a statement in response to the controversy on January 23, 2020, which did not mention Dugan by name, but instead talked about the members shock and dismay at the allegations surrounding the Recording Academy and its leadership that surfaced this week. The task force reiterates in their statement that a report was delivered to the Academy outlining issues with inclusion and diversity. The statement goes on to explain that the task force will be reconvening in 90 days and expects to hear progress from the Academy by that time. It closes by stating that the task force is deeply disappointed at the level of commitment by some of the Academys leadership in effecting the kind of real and constructive change presented in our report. You can read the statement in full here. We as a Task Force were tasked with meeting with her and pushing her to do this. And then they fire her. I dont trust it. Vulture got in touch with one task force member: Terri Winston, executive director of Womens Audio Mission. She had no specifics on the case, and knew nothing of the claims made against Dugan, revealing that the task force was not consulted ahead of the decision to suspend her. I am very suspicious! says Winston. Its right before the Grammys. Its very, very strange timing. The first time youve put a woman in charge and they magically fail right before the Grammys? And you make it a big media push? Winston only met Dugan in the context of the task force, but questions that her offense was this alleged bullying management style. Of course! Shes a bitch, right? Classic, says Winston. We as a Task Force were tasked with meeting with her and pushing her to do this. And then they fire her. I dont trust it. Winston also believes there may have been a superficiality to the Academys commitment to change and that the task force was arguably a plaster placed over a deep wound that was never going to heal. It made some things happen, she says. You did see an awards show [in 2019] that had more women in it, and the nominating committee became more diverse. Thats progress. But I also think they thought, We did it and were done. We dont need to do anything else. When in fact that was just the beginning. What do people in the music industry think? Celebrities such as Gabrielle Union, Sheryl Crow, and Megyn Kelly have sprung to Dugans defense publicly. Crow calls Dugan a fantastic and brilliant woman. Union tweeted, Coulda sworn this is the same board that told women to step up Clearly what they really meant was stand down, turn a blind eye to problems, or be fired. #DeborahDugan truly stepped up & tried to make necessary changes & was shown the door. Chuck D also weighed in, calling the Academy out for the same old bullshit. Im not surprised that Deborah Dugan is out, he wrote. I am appalled because it reeks of the same old jive, a New Whirl Odor that considers the masses simply as them asses. Coulda sworn this is the same board that told women to "step up" Clearly what they really meant was stand down, turn a blind eye to problems, or be fired. #DeborahDugan truly stepped up & tried to make necessary changes & was shown the door. Been there, done that, got fired too. https://t.co/xwm3qUln3x Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) January 18, 2020 How did this affect the 2020 ceremony? Ultimately, the Recording Academy lucked out in the worst way. Hours before Sundays ceremony kicked off and while the red carpet was just getting underway, news of NBA legend Kobe Bryants shocking death broke, largely overshadowing all other conversation on the ground the Dugan scandal included. Many artists skipped the red carpet and media room altogether; of the few major stars running across the carpet at the 11th hour before taking their seats, none were prepared to address the Dugan controversy. Ive had ups and downs in the music business, but as a musician or creative person you realize that the Grammys is not a measure of anything, but its a fun party, Esperanza Spalding, one of the few artists who spoke up, told Vulture. And despite the loss of at least one sponsor, all performers showed up as scheduled, awards were politely accepted, and the show went on without a single explicit mention of Dugan, appearance from her, or speech from interim president Mason Jr. Host Alicia Keys merely offered in her piano-led monologue, Its a new decade. Its time for newness and we refuse the negative energy. We refuse the old systems. Feel me on that. As the new year gives way to a new round of road closures, Perth commuters must surely be wondering if they will ever get a clear run down the Kwinana Freeway. Ironically but inevitably the roadworks between Canning Bridge and the Narrows which aim to help alleviate congestion have caused major delays along the freeway during their development. But whats even more darkly ironic is that after the works to complete the smart freeway project are complete (in mid-2020, according to Main Roads), and the broader Kwinana Freeway projects come to an end (next year), commuters will still have precious little time before the congestion crunch returns once more. The smart freeway system, which is whats currently being built between the Narrows and Canning bridges, is a noble attempt at alleviating congestion on a stretch of the freeway where widening is literally impossible, thanks to housing on one side and, well, the Swan River on the other. BEIRUT, Lebanon United Nations experts broadened the inquiry into Saudi Arabias efforts to squelch criticism on Wednesday, accusing its crown prince of personally hacking the cellphone of Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of The Washington Post, to influence, if not silence the newspapers critical coverage of the kingdom. The accusations, by two prominent United Nations rights experts, threatened to hamper efforts by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to shake off the stigma of the 2018 murder and dismemberment of a Washington Post columnist by Saudi agents in Istanbul. The experts did not directly investigate the hack, which The New York Times could not independently verify. But giving their imprimatur to an outside investigation bolstered criticism of the kingdoms covert efforts to silence critical voices and widened the possibilities of who could be targeted. The hacking of Jeff Bezos is in a different league, said Agnes Callamard, one of the United Nations experts. He is not a Saudi citizen. He is a person of strategic interest, and his hacking appears to have been driven by his ownership of The Washington Post. The Problem of War in the Old Testament is the Problem The problem with the holy war texts of the Old Testament is that they are a problem that some think are not a problem. For many this there is not really a problem is not a possible solution to the problem, and below we will provide some of the important texts in the Bible. Over my career this problem has been a problem for me, and I began to sort it out long ago with a book by Peter Craigie called The Problem of War in the Old Testament. Next I read Millard Linds book, Yahweh is a Warrior. Eric Seiberts book Disturbing Divine Behavior came along and I thought I had put this aside for some time but Greg Boyds monster book, The Crucifixion of the Warrior God, has brought the conversation back to us. (There are many books and studies of this topic, but these are the ones that I have given most attention to.) Image: IVP Cover A new one is now available, but first here are some of the problem texts about war, quoting the NRSV: Josh. 6:21 Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys. 1Sam. 15:3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. Num. 21:2 Then Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, If you will indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their towns. 3 The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and handed over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their towns; so the place was called Hormah. Deut. 2:34 At that time we captured all his towns, and in each town we utterly destroyed men, women, and children. We left not a single survivor. Deut. 20:16 But as for the towns of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes remain alive. 17 You shall annihilate themthe Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusitesjust as the LORD your God has commanded. Here are three problem texts about war rape: Num. 31:17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by sleeping with him. 18 But all the young girls who have not known a man by sleeping with him, keep alive for yourselves. Num. 31:35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, women who had not known a man by sleeping with him. Deut. 21:10 When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God hands them over to you and you take them captive, 11 suppose you see among the captives a beautiful woman whom you desire and want to marry, 12 and so you bring her home to your house: she shall shave her head, pare her nails, 13 discard her captives garb, and shall remain in your house a full month, mourning for her father and mother; after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you are not satisfied with her, you shall let her go free and not sell her for money. You must not treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. William J. Webb and Gordan K. Oeste in their new book, Bloody, Brutal, and Barbaric: Wrestling with Troubling War Texts, map out five views. (They admit there are many views between these views so this is little more than a discussion starter, but a good one.) [#ad] This book will be featured on this blog for some time so please join us in the conversation. Image: Scot McKnight Image from Book First, the Traditional Plus view that they describe as Ultra-pristine, beyond ethics in which God can do what God wants to do and, since God did these things in the Old Testament, they are ultimately good. For this view, and they class Greg Beale here, there is no ethical problem in the holy and rape texts. Second, the Traditional view, which has pristine, good ethics. These texts are morally difficult, and God is constrained by character and we do not fully understand these texts. Since God is holy and just, these commands and actions by God are somehow holy and just. They connect this view to Eugene Merrill and Tremper Longman. Third, their view: Re-aligned Traditional View that has incremental, redemptive-movement ethics. One must connect these texts to the broader story lines of that day, to the redemptive movement approach to the Bible, not to moral questions arising in our war contexts today, and they find hyperbole, accommodation, redemptive movement, converging God [OT and NT] porttaits, as well as unfinished justice that will be completed in the kingdom. The ugly and the beautiful are recognizable and recognized. Fourth, the Antitraditional View that has rather dark, evil ethics. If we look to Jesus and then to these texts, the latter falls off the platform of moral behaviors and thinking. What we find in these texts is dark portraits of evil. These are human actions, human thinking, and not divine actions and thinking. We see here a textual version of God but not the real God. They connect this view to Eric Seibert and C.S. Cowles. Fifth, the Antitraditional Plus view. The new atheists think the God of the Old Testament is a genocidal baby killer, some actions are abominable, and there is no reason to trust such a god. This view is connected to Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris. Knowing what people are thinking is often the pathway to learning, so this post does nothing more than present the views (as presented by Webb and Oeste). Many Democrats are growing increasingly uncomfortable supporting charter schools, but twice in the last month, a group of New Hampshire legislators have taken the unusual step of rejecting federal charter school grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education last year. In August, the Education Department awarded New Hampshire about $46 million over five years to expand charter schools. Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, and state education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, a Sununu appointee, welcomed the news about the Charter School Program grants. But Democrats control both chambers of the legislature, and thats from where pushback to the grants has come. While the grant money comes from the federal government, in this situation, the state legislatures joint fiscal committee signs off on whether the state education department can begin disbursing the funds. After the grants were awarded, the committee tabled an initial scheduled vote on releasing the money. Then lawmakers asked the state education department about the impact of the grants and the process that went into applying for them. The answers apparently did not satisfy a sufficient number of lawmakers, because last month, the committee barred the department from distributing the money. The vote was 7-3, with all Democrats rejecting it and all Republicans voting in favor of it. Democrats argued that once the grant support for the expansion of new charter schools runs out after five years, the state would be on the hook for keeping them up and running without the federal funds. We know this grant would cost the state tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions out of the education fund in the future, Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, a Democrat and the committees chairwoman, told WMUR, a New Hampshire TV station, after that vote. The state affiliate of the National Education Association applauded the decision. Cashing Betsy DeVos $46 million check obligated New Hampshire taxpayers to coming up with new long-term funding for years to come, jeopardizing our neighborhood public schools, said Megan Tuttle, the affiliates president, in a statement on the associations website after that vote. We support efforts to increase charter accountability and slow the diversion of resources from neighborhood public schools to charters. Then, on Jan. 10, another vote took place, with the same result. One Democratic lawmaker said that if the state education department is applying for grants specifically for charter schools, it should also seek out additional federal aid to traditional public schools. New Hampshire has 28 charter schools, serving 3,800 students, in addition to a virtual charter school, and an additional 1,300 students are on the waiting list to get into charters, according to the state education department. Theres also a connection between the situation in New Hampshirethe state with the first primary election in the 2020 presidential raceand the national political climate. The federal Charter School Grant program, which exists in large part to help charters expand, has been sharply criticized by two Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Both have said they would shut it down, in so many words. Edelblut, the state education commissioner, said in an interview that New Hampshire is required by law to apply for those grants. He also said the argument from Democratic lawmakers that the state will incur long-term and burdensome financial obligations for the charter schools is inaccurate, since the grants cover startup costs and not operational expenses. The cost of educating New Hampshire students falls to New Hampshire taxpayers. We are going to be paying to educate these students one way or the other, said Edelblut, who noted that on a per-student basis, charter school students cost significantly less in total than their peers in traditional public schools. If there is a cost concern, then one would absolutely want to embrace this opportunity ... for education innovation through grants. And on a long-term basis, were on the hook for far less to educate those students than we would be otherwise. State-Specific Context Charter schools can be formed by groups of parents and teachers as well as school districts, the commissioner said, but they cant be managed by for-profit entities. That means, in his view, that theres less of the tension that exists in other states where traditional public schools and districts feel shut out of the charter community. And these new charter schools charter schools would be eligible for federal grants, such as Title I grant aid for disadvantaged students, just like public schools, he added. But in an interview, Tuttle, the NEA-New Hampshire president, rejected the notion that charter schools wouldnt constitute a long-term additional cost for the state. And ultimately, she said, taking the money would mean that traditional public schools would lose out on aid to charters, which, she said, dont have the same accountability and oversight measures as their counterparts. The New Hampshire union, she said, doesnt oppose charters in all cases. We need to fix whats going on with the current charter schools in New Hampshire, Tuttle said. As far as the grants aim of expanding the number of charters in the state goes, she added, Maybe in business thats an OK model. But Im not gambling my childrens future, the children of New Hampshires future, on, Well hopefully, its going to work. Edelblut said federal officials havent given him a deadline for disbursing the money or sending it back to Washington but that hes going to continue working with lawmakers to free up the money. The state education department, not the legislature, is the federal grantee in this case. If New Hampshires education department and lawmakers cant work out a deal, the money would revert to the U.S. Department of Education. And New Hampshire would forfeit any claim to the grant money going forward. Todd Ziebarth, a senior vice president at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said its the first time hes seen a state reject federal charter school grants in this way. He said the state has done a good job satisfying some common concerns about charters, and operators there are interested in expanding. A key piece of this grant is actually trying to give some money to districts so that they can innovate, probably with small schools, Ziebarth said. Theyve made a pretty good case for demand from a variety of angles. An effort to screen middle and high school students in New Jersey for signs of depression will not move forward, as Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday declined to sign the bill into law. The measure would have applied to public school students in seventh through 12th grade and required parents to consent to the computerized surveys. The bill came amid a mental health crisis that has driven an increase in teen suicide both in New Jersey and nationwide. Federal data shows the number of suicides among 10 to 24 year olds increased 56% between 2007 and 2017. Murphy had until noon Tuesday to decide the fate of more than 100 bills the state Legislature passed at the end of its two-year legislative session. The 33 he did not act on died. When asked why Murphy did not sign the bill, Alyana Alfaro, a spokeswoman for the governor, said he declined to sign a small percentage of bills for various reasons, including fiscal impact, technical issues, and, in some instances, policy or legal concerns. On issues where the Governor agrees with the sponsors intentions, he is willing to continue discussions with them during the next legislative session or in the context of the budget, she said. New Jersey documented 100 suicides in the 15- to 24-year-old age group in 2017, the highest total since the 1990s. Many schools in New Jersey do not have the recommended number of counselors on board, an NJ Advance Media investigation published in October found. The state Senate voted 26-14 and the state Assembly voted 69-4 to pass the bill (S2835). Both houses are controlled by Democrats. Lawmakers could re-introduce and re-vote on in the bill in the new two-year session. NJ Advance Media reporter Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Panaji, Jan 22 : Three persons from Maharashtra were arrested by the Goa Police on Wednesday for allegedly trying to extort Rs 3 crore from state Public Works Department Minister Deepak Pauskar. Pradip Malik, Amol Swami and R. Patil were nabbed from outside the residence of Pauskar, police inspector in-charge of the Panaji police station Sudesh Naik told reporters. "We have arrested the tree persons. During initial questioning they have said that they were working on behalf of another person who runs the extortion racket," Naik said. Pauskar told reporters that he had received received several calls from an unknown phone numbers demanding that he pay Rs 3 crore in ransom failing which he would be "fixed". "I thought it was a joke, but when they kept calling and threatening me. I decided to inform the police," he said. As instructed by the police, Pauskar called the callers to his residence here on Wednesday evening, before the police arrested them. "The police should investigate their motive," he said. A bodybuilder who was questioned over the shooting death of his former lover on the Gold Coast last year will spend more time in jail on unrelated charges. Christos Panagakos, 27, appeared in court on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to a string of charges, including unlawful possession of a weapon, failing to dispose of a syringe, receiving tainted property and other related offences. The charges are relation to a butterfly knife, taser and police cap allegedly found in his bedroom at a home where he lived with his mother last September. The court heard the items were found at the home where Panagakos' former girlfriend Ivona Jovanovic, 27, was fatally shot in the chest three days prior on September 8 while getting ready for a night out. Christos Panagakos has had his jail time extended after pleading guilty to a string of charges Panagakos has been in custody since his arrest on a return-to-prison warrant hours after Ms Jovanovic was fatally shot. Four months on, no charges have been laid over Ms Jovanovic's death. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Panagakos was involved in his former girlfriend's death. Panagakos' solicitor Michael Gatenby told the court this week the butterfly knife was among his client's large collection which 'regrettably, two of the items were unlawful,' The Gold Coast Bulletin reported. He added his client had no idea the police hat which belonged to a woman was genuine. Panagakos' former girlfriend Ivona Jovanovic (pictured) was shot in the chest at a home on the Gold Coast and later died in hospital. No charges have been laid in relation to her death 'What's occurred is there's an incident at the home, for which my client is not charged,' Mr Gatenby told the court. 'And you can see a crime scene warrant is executed as a consequence of that, after my client's in police custody and police enter the home.' Panagakos has an extensive criminal history and allegedly has strong ties to the Mongols outlaw bikie gang. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars in Mackay Supreme Court in 2017 for drug offences. Panagakos was then convicted of trying to smuggle drugs into jail after meth and valium dropped from his rectum as he was being searched after his sentencing. Christos Panagakos will be eligible for parole next month, despite facing more jail time Ivona Jovanovic (pictured) was fatally shot in the chest while getting ready for a night out He was released on parole after serving 10 months behind bars, which he breached by committing the most recent offences last September. 'When butterfly knives, tasers and police hats are kept in the way they were kept at your place there is a risk they can fall into the wrong hands,' Magistrate John Costanzo told the court on Tuesday. Panagakos had his jail sentence extended by three months. He will be eligible for parole on February 20. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:08:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Counter-Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) and detective security organizations have arrested 112 drug-related suspects during past Afghan month, authorities said on Wednesday. "The arrested suspects were linked to 92 cases of transportation or keeping of narcotics from various provinces during the Afghan month of Jadi," Counter-Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of Afghanistan (CJTF) said in a statement. Month of Jadi started on Dec. 22 and ended on Jan. 20, according to the statement. After initial investigations, the CNPA has handed over the cases to the Central Narcotics Tribunal or CNT, a special Afghan court for jurisdiction of major drug cases, it said. Up to 159 kg heroin, 15 kg morphine, 1,376 kg of poppy opium, 37,900 kg hashish and 70 kg methamphetamine were among other narcotics seized from the suspects during the period, the statement noted. Further detailed evidence has been produced in a Spanish court that the CIA systematically and illegally recorded conversations between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his lawyers, and all other visitors, while he was trapped inside Ecuadors London embassy before he was dragged out and arrested last April to face extradition to the US. The Spanish newspaper El Pais yesterday reported that three people who worked for the Spanish security company UC Global S.L. have testified as protected witnesses in Spains High Court, the Audencia Nacional, that the companys head David Morales handed over the surveillance material to the CIA. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange [Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham] The testimony is another devastating exposure of the decade-long political conspiracy conducted against Assange by the American, British and Australian governments, and their collaborators in Sweden and Ecuador. US imperialism and its allies want to silence him for life for publishing hundreds of thousands of documents laying bare the war crimes and other criminal activities of the US and its allies around the world. They are equally desperate to prevent further damning leaks by courageous whistle blowers and journalists as they prepare new wars, assassinations and coups. The witness statements also confirm the extraordinary extent to which these governments have trampled over Assanges legal and democratic rights, including the fundamental and precious protection of lawyer-client confidentiality. This evidence alone requires the US extradition case to be thrown out of court on the grounds of illegality. According to the evidence provided by the witnessesvideos, audio tapes and dozens of emailsthe surveillance operation was extensive. In particular, Assanges meetings with his legal team were videoed and recorded in order to gain material to try to incriminate him and to identify the evidence and legal arguments they would marshal against any prosecution under the US Espionage Act. Under Morales express orders, the security company photographed the passports of all of Assanges visitors, took apart their cell phones, downloaded content from their iPads, took notes and put together reports on each meeting. The Ecuadorian diplomats who worked in the London embassy were also spied on. Morales, a former Spanish military officer, is being prosecuted in Spain, after being charged in October with privacy violation, bribery and money laundering. His company was officially employed by the Ecuadorian government to provide security at the embassy but that became a cover for a bugging operation against Assange. According to El Pais, two of the witnesses confirmed that, in December 2017, Morales ordered workers to change the surveillance cameras in the embassy and replace them with others that could capture audio. From that moment on, they monitored conversations between Assange and his lawyers, even in the female toilet that Assange and his legal team used in attempt to avoid illegal bugging. During these meetings with his lawyers, Assange prepared his legal defence. The Australian citizen faces trumped-up charges under the US Espionage Act that carry penalties of a total of 175 years in prison. While awaiting the extradition hearing, due to commence in the last week of February, he also has been sedated and denied adequate medical treatment, placing his life in danger. El Pais reported that the three witness statements all described the phrases that Morales used with his most-trusted workers, referring to UC Globals collaboration with the US secret service. These included: We are playing in the first division, I have gone to the dark side, Those in control are the American friends, The American client, The American friends are asking me to confirm, The North American will get us a lot of contracts around the world, and US intelligence. The recordings from the cameras installed in the embassy were extracted from the hard drive every 15 daysalong with recordings from microphones placed in fire extinguishersand delivered personally to Morales at the headquarters of UC Global, located in Jerez de la Frontera in the south of Spain. Morales travelled to the US once or twice a month, allegedly to hand over the material to the Americans. Morales also had installed remote-operated computer servers that collected the illegally obtained information, which could be accessed from the United States. The witnesses testified that the material on Assange was handed over to the CIA by a member of the security service of Sheldon Adelson, the owner of the casino and resort company Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Adelson is a friend of US President Donald Trump and a large donor to the Republican Party. Last year, the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, obtained files evidencing UC Globals spying operation, including on doctors, journalists, politicians and celebrities who visited Assange. UC Global compiled profiles on Assanges London-based lawyer Jennifer Robinson and the head of his legal team in Spain, Baltasar Garzon. The video and audio footage showed a half-naked Julian Assange during a medical check-up and two of his lawyers, Gareth Peirce and Aitor Martinez, entering the womens bathroom for a private conversation with their client. The extradition and prosecution of Assange is an historic assault on basic democratic principles enshrined over hundreds of years in constitutional and common law, including in the US and Britain. Assanges legal team has already submitted evidence showing the blatantly political nature of the persecution of Assange, including material relating to Chelsea Manning, the former soldier being imprisoned indefinitely to attempt to force her to testify against Assange. They have also submitted public statements by US politicians denouncing Assange and WikiLeaks that jeopardise any prospect of a fair trial, and evidence relating to abuse of due process, vindictive prison conditions and denial of medical treatment. In any criminal proceeding, evidence that the prosecution had illegally recorded conversations between the defendant and his lawyers would result in a mistrial, the dropping of charges, the release of the defendant and the disbarring and possible prosecution of all those involved. In 1973, whistleblower Daniel Ellsberglike Assangewas prosecuted under the Espionage Act for leaking documents to the New York Times and the Washington Post. The Pentagon Papers revealed how the US government had for years lied to the public in order to expand the Vietnam War, which led to the deaths of three million Vietnamese people and 55,000 US soldiers. Their publication triggered an explosion of public anger and fuelled anti-war protests. During Ellsbergs trial, President Richard Nixons plumbers broke into the office of Ellsbergs psychiatrist and wiretapped his phone. In that case, Judge William Matthew Byrne ruled that the surveillance had incurably infected the prosecution and dismissed the charges, setting Ellsberg free. But even more is at stake in Assanges case, because WikiLeaks has helped expose the much greater crimes being committed by the US and its partners, including Britain and Australia. Moreover, the trampling over legal and democratic rights has advanced far further since the 1970s as the US ruling class has increasingly resorted to military aggression to try to overcome the erosion and decay of the global economic hegemony it asserted after World War II. Moral appeals to politicians will not halt this travesty, let alone the underlying drive by US imperialism. The fight to defend democratic rights and stop the global lurch toward dictatorship and war requires a mass movement. The new year has begun with the resumption of momentous struggles by the working class around the world against government austerity measures, social inequality, environmental catastrophe and war. This is the force that must be mobilised, against capitalism, in order to free Assange and Manning. BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- While Chinese families are preparing for the upcoming Lunar New Year, President Xi Jinping made an inspection tour in the southwestern province of Yunnan, an ethnically diverse province long stricken by poverty. The message of his first domestic tour in 2020 is clear: The nation is making a final push to complete the building of "xiaokang," or a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and not a single ethnic group, family or individual will be left behind. During his tour, Xi traveled to Simola Wa Village, in the city of Tengchong, to learn about local poverty alleviation efforts, congratulating local villagers on shaking off poverty. The move echoed his reply in April of last year to a letter from people of the Dulong, one of China's smallest ethnic groups, in Yunnan. Xi congratulated them on their collective rise out of poverty, encouraging them to create an even better future. Dulong people have now all moved into newly built houses, and all of the six administrative villages have access to paved roads, 4G and radio and TV signals. The list of ethnic minority groups shaking off absolute poverty will continue to grow. However, eliminating poverty is not the end of the story. Giving people of all ethnic groups the chance to have a good life is the goal of China's drive for a xiaokang society. That is why Xi, during his tour, said it is necessary to comprehensively promote rural vitalization. He called for efforts to develop rural industries, improve the rural economy, increase incomes and improve people's wellbeing. A moderately prosperous society in an all-around way requires innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development for high-quality growth. Ecological protection is definitely included in the agenda. As part of his Yunnan tour, Xi went to the provincial capital of Kunming to inspect the protection of Dianchi Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan and once one of the most severely polluted lakes in China. Thanks to a relentless treatment over the past few years, the ecological environment has been greatly improved. Building a well-off society also requires enhanced efforts of opening up. Yunnan, once a border province isolated by mountains and rivers, is standing at the frontline of the cooperation with South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Benefiting from enhanced connectivity with neighboring countries, the province will better open up through the Belt and Road Initiative. Xi's tour was far more than a trip. His instructions during the tour will serve as guidance for the central and local governments to complete building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and do more after the goal is achieved. The building of a modernized economic system should be stepped up. Supply-side structural reform, the development of the real economy, the upgrading of the manufacturing industry, the overhaul of the tourism industry, infrastructure building, agricultural production, ecological protection, and opening up all need to be accelerated. Ethnic solidarity, the work of religious affairs and cracking down on cross-border crimes also bear great significance to the people's wellbeing. The tasks at hand are daunting, but the government will complete them nevertheless, because establishing a xiaokang society by 2020 is a promise China is determined to keep, through real actions, with concrete results. The Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 25, is the most important festival on the Chinese calendar. It is a time to wish for the future. While extending Chinese New Year greetings, Xi wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups a better life and the country greater prosperity in the new year. Completing the building of a moderately prosperous society is the shared aspiration of the country's 1.4 billion people, and they have every reason to believe better days are still to come. Agartala: The Rs 1,550 crore special economic zone (SEZ), to be set up along the Bangladesh border in Tripura, would be a multi-sector SEZ and not just agro-based food processing SEZ, official said here on Saturday. The Centre has decided that all notified SEZs will be deemed to be a multi-sector SEZ. "According to the previous notification, the proposed Tripura SEZ at Paschim Jalefa (near the India-Bangladesh border town of Sabroom) in south Tripura was to be agro-based food processing SEZ," said a Tripura Industries and Commerce Department official. The SEZ is expected to open new avenues and attract private investment across sectors considering its proximity to Bangladesh's Chittagong international sea port. A bridge -- Maitri Setu -- is under construction across the Feni river near the proposed SEZ. On completion by April, it will connect Tripura with southeast Bangladesh and facilitate transportation of goods to the Chittagong port, which is around 70 km from Sabroom. The official said the SEZ, to be developed by the Tripura Industrial Development Corp, could create 12,000 skilled jobs. Rubber-based industries, textile and apparel units, bamboo and agri-food processing industries will be set up in the SEZ. "The Centre will allow 100 per cent income tax exemption on exports for SEZ units under Section 10AA of the Income Tax Act for the first five years. Exemptions from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and supplies to SEZs will be zero under IGST Act," he said. Addressing an event, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said on the request of the state government, the Centre decided to set up the SEZ with an aim to attract Bangladeshi investors. They could set up tea and rubber-based industries in the SEZ, he said. The state would get sincere support from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, slated to visit Tripura in February, he said. The Chief Minister said 25 acres of land had been acquired for the SEZ. At an expenditure of Rs 1,150 crore, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has extended railway lines up to two bordering sub-divisional towns of Sabroom and Belonia. The government-owned IRCON International has also been laying 12.23 km rail at a cost of Rs 972 crore to link Agartala with the Bangladeshi railway network at Akhaura. The Agartala-Akhaura railway line would facilitate easier ferrying of goods. Also, the journey distance between Agartala and Kolkata, via Bangladesh, will come down by a third, from 1,613 km through mountainous terrain via Meghalaya and Assam, to 514 km. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-23 00:49:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States should stop spreading fabricated cliches repeatedly rejected by China and Pakistan about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said in a statement on Wednesday. On Tuesday, during her visit to Pakistan, Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the U.S. State Department, made groundless negative comments on CPEC again, questioning the transparency in CPEC projects and the so-called debt issue. "Although you can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, we have to make our position clear and reject the negative propaganda (made) by the United States. We must not let the truth be distorted and the lies run wild," the statement said. According to the statement, China and Pakistan have been firmly committed to the principles of mutual consultation and cooperation for shared benefits under CPEC. With 32 CPEC projects having achieved early harvests, local transportation infrastructure and power supply have been significantly improved and over 75,000 direct jobs have been created, it said. "All projects strictly follow the market-oriented and internationally accepted business model, and adopt state of art technology and strict environmental protection standards. The entire process is open and transparent and is in line with international norm. We keep in touch with the relative accountability agencies of Pakistan and it is agreed that the CPEC is clean," the statement added. The statement quoted the statistics released by the State Bank of Pakistan as saying that the loan for CPEC is about 5.8 billion U.S. dollars, which accounts for only 5.3 percent of Pakistan's total foreign debt of 110 billion dollars. "If the United States truly cares about the development and prosperity of Pakistan and this region, it should bring cash and funds, and promote win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, fairness, and justice, rather than act as a world policeman, spreading rumors and provoking China-Pakistan relations," the statement said. COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - This undated photo provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police shows Patrik Mathews. FBI agents on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, arrested the former Canadian Armed Forces reservist and two other men who are linked to a violent white supremacist group and were believed to be heading to a pro-gun rally next week in Virginia's capital. The three men are members of The Base and were arrested on federal charges in a criminal complaint unsealed in Maryland, according to a Justice Department news release. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police via AP) COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday. Former Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Jordan Mathews also videotaped himself advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains, a prosecutor wrote in urging a judge in Maryland to keep Mathews and two other members of The Base detained in federal custody. But the 27-year-old Canadian national didnt know investigators were watching and listening when he and two other group members talked about attending the Richmond rally in the days leading up to Monday's event, which attracted tens of thousands of people and ended peacefully. Last month, a closed-circuit television camera and microphone installed by investigators in a Delaware home captured Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a "boundless" opportunity. "And the thing is youve got tons of guys who ... should be radicalized enough to know that all you gotta do is start making things go wrong and if Virginia can spiral out to (expletive) full blown civil war," he said. Mathews and fellow group member Brian Mark Lemley Jr., 33, of Elkton, Maryland, discussed the planning of violence at the Richmond rally, according to prosecutors. Lemley talked about using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to ambush unsuspecting civilians and police officers, prosecutors said. "I need to claim my first victim," Lemley said on Dec. 23, according to Tuesdays detention memo. "We could essentially like be literally hunting people," Mathews said, according to prosecutors. "You could provide overwatch while I get close to do what needs to be done to certain things." Lemley talked about ambushing a police officer to steal the officers weapons and tactical gear, saying, "If theres like a PoPo cruiser parked on the street and he doesnt have backup, I can execute him at a whim and just take his stuff," according to prosecutors. FBI agents arrested Mathews, Lemley and William Garfield Bilbrough IV, 19, of Denton, Maryland last Thursday as part of a broader investigation of The Base. Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men linked to the group. Detention hearings for Mathews and Bilbrough are scheduled for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland. Their attorneys didnt immediately respond to the memo filed Tuesday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom. Mathews and Lemley are charged with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony. Bilbrough is charged with "transporting and harbouring aliens." Bilbroughs attorney, Robert Bonsib, said last Thursday that he was "underwhelmed" by a prosecutors arguments for keeping his client detained. Bilbrough was the only one of the three men not facing a firearms-related charge. "I think this 19-year-old man should be released," Bonsib told reporters. Lawyers for Mathews and Lemley declined to comment after last Thursday's hearings. Mathews, who was a combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve, illegally crossed the U.S. border near Minnesota in August after reporting by the Winnipeg Free Press led to his identification as a member of The Base. Investigators believe Bilbrough and Lemley, who was a "cavalry scout" in the U.S. Army, drove from Maryland to Michigan to pick up Mathews and bring him to the Mid-Atlantic region, authorities said. On Jan. 5, Mathews and Lemley returned to the Delaware home from a gun range in Maryland and began packing rations and other material that investigators believe they planned to use during and after the Virginia rally, court documents said. They packed containers with food and supplies before Mathews remarked about needing to bring a gas mask, investigators said. Lemley also said he thought theyd have food to last between three and five months and that it "might be enough til the war is over," according to the filing. Lemley had also discussed loading the truck "for the war," the documents said. Authorities said Lemley had also bought a 4-foot (1-meter) metal antenna to attach to his truck to get a better radio signal to communicate after any Virginia confrontations. A day before their arrests, Lemley told Mathews that "there cannot be no trust among a group of murderers," the detention memo says. "I cannot trust you to keep my murdering secrets. Not under threat of 30 years in jail and torture. Why should I trust you?" Lemley asked. "You realize that theyre just going to call us terrorists," Mathews said minutes later. As federal agents moved in to arrest Lemley and Matthews on Thursday, the men smashed cellphones and dropped the pieces in a toilet, a prosecutor said. Bilbrough was arrested in Maryland. Prosecutors say Bilbrough has repeatedly expressed an interest in travelling to Ukraine to fight alongside "nationalists" for several months. U.S. and Canadian authorities had been searching for Mathews after his truck was found in September near the border between the two countries. The Canadian militarys intelligence unit was investigating Mathews for "possible racist extremist activities" for several months, according to the Canadian Department of National Defence. The Anti-Defamation League said members of The Base and other white supremacist groups have frequently posted online messages advocating for "accelerationism," a fringe philosophy in which far-right extremists "have assigned to their desire to hasten the collapse of society as we know it." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Last Friday, Georgia authorities announced that they arrested three members of The Base on charges they conspired to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group. The arrests came after an undercover FBI agent infiltrated the group and participated in shooting drills in the mountains of northern Georgia, according to a police affidavit. Separately last Friday, the Justice Department charged a Wisconsin man who they say was also a member of The Base. That man is accused of spray- painting swastikas, the group's symbol and anti-Semitic words on a synagogue in Racine, Wisconsin , in September. ___ Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that Patrik Jordan Mathews is a former Canadian Armed Forces reservist. Congressman (and impeachment manager) Jerry Nadler made a fatal mistake by running his mouth only two days before President Trump's absurd trial was scheduled to begin. He just couldn't keep quiet for two more days. Now the entire country can be very confident that this impeachment trial is nothing but a sham and a political hatchet job. How so? While arguing against calling Hunter Biden as a witness by the president's defense team during a Sunday appearance on Face the Nation, Nadler foolishly said: "Did the president...as the evidence shows that he did, betray his country by conspiring with a foreign country to try to rig the election?" See the problem? Congressman Nadler just claimed on national television in front of millions of viewers that evidence shows that President Trump committed the worst possible crime against our nation, which is treason. However, the two articles of impeachment are only about obstruction of Congress and abuse of power, neither of which is a criminal act as codified by law. Nadler also accused Trump of extortion. If the evidence really shows that President Trump betrayed the United States and conspired with a foreign country (when he wasn't busy extorting political favors from them), why isn't that listed as the very first article of impeachment? Extortion is also a crime according to the law; why isn't that another article? Nadler claims that Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice, a legitimate crime, but that isn't part of this charade, either. The evidence is eventually going to show that people like James Comey, James Clapper, and John Brennan are the ones who betrayed our nation, and people like Jerry Nadler are guilty of sedition for openly promoting lies they know to be untrue purely for political gain. By not making his salacious accusations with the gravitas of an impeachment article to support them, Nadler is tacitly admitting that evidence to support those charges does not exist. He's simply assassinating the character of President Trump in front of a national audience, with no one to defend the president against the slander. Not only must this national disgrace be put to a swift end, the perpetrators of this farce must be made to suffer the consequences in November. People like Nadler are safe no matter what they say or do, but we can turn the House back over to Republicans make render him irrelevant once again. Otherwise, the United States of America will be doomed, and the Deep State will be able to drop the pretense of fair elections. And if that isn't enough motivation to turn out and vote, consider a future in which you don't have to see Jerry Nadler on Face the Nation again because he's no longer worth interviewing. Dublin City councillors have backed a plan to turn the old Magdalene Laundry on Sean McDermott Street in Dublin into a centre for third-level education. The plan also includes social housing for older people and a memorial for the victims and survivors of institutional homes. Councillors voted to block the sale of the site to a Japanese hotel chain in 2018. Social Democrats councillor Gary Gannon says the local authority outlined its plans at a meeting yesterday. "It is going to be some sort of third level education facility and we have been in talks with different colleges," said Mr Gannon. "Remember, Dublin 1 has one of the lowest access to third level rates in the whole country. "It is only 21% of people get any form of college education so that will make a massive difference." There will be a memorial for the surviovors of the Magdalene Laundries. "The memorial for me is really important to me," said Mr Gannon. "The plan on approaching that is very unique. They are planning on developing the memorial in consultation with the survivor community and the local community as well. "We don't know what the memorial is going to look like yet. We just know that it is going to be something substantial and that it will be developed in consultation with those who matter the most." - SOGOG says there is noresearch to back the claim that IUD device causes cervical cancer - The month of January is cervical cancer awareness month - The disease is virtually always preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening (Pap and HPV tests) - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG) has allayed the fears of Ghanaians that intrauterine Contraceptive device (IUD) device causes cervical cancer. Popular media personality, Stacey Amoateng in an interview revealed that she contracted cervical cancer from a copper Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUD). But the SOGOGs President, Dr. Ali Samba in a signed statement issued in Accra on Wednesday, January 22 said there is no scientific research to support the claims made by the Mrs. Amoateng. READ ALSO: ADB to publish names and photos of loan defaulters in the coming weeks The statement by the Association refuted the claims of the TV personality, saying there is no scientific evidence proving that her predicament was truly caused by the birth control device. SOGOG hereby informs all persons that at present, there is no scientific data or evidence to support the assertion that any form of the Intrauterine Contraceptive device (IUD) device causes cervical cancer, the statement read. But instead, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana say the Copper Intrauterine Contraceptive device (IUD) is a safe and effective form of long-term reversible contraception. The society states emphatically that the copper IUD, which is one of two forms of IUD is a safe and effective form of long reversible contraception and couples who desire to use them or are using them can do so without fear or panic. The month of January has been designated as cervical health awareness month. READ ALSO: Ghana Air Force plane overruns apron during routine engine run Cervical Health Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about how women can protect themselves from HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer. HPV is a very common infection that spreads through sexual activity, and it causes almost all cases of cervical cancer. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana According to research, the disease is virtually always preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening (Pap and HPV tests). YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu told the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to go ahead and boycott the upcoming national voter registration exercise. The NPP scribe says the NDC is being insincere in their decision on the new voters register. Burna Boy's full performance at Manifestive 2019 | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: I rebuked Ahmed to put the fear of God in him - Nyantakyi speaks Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Burundi lawmakers on Tuesday adopted legislation offering a golden parachute to outgoing presidents, including a luxury villa and a one-off sum equivalent to more than half a million dollars. The move comes four months ahead of May 20 elections for which President Pierre Nkurunziza has said he will not run. In 2015, his campaign for a third term plunged the country into violence and led to an enduring political crisis. The new law states that at the end of the mandate, the president will receive "a luxury villa built with public funds in the location of his choice within five years, as well as a one-off allocation of one billion Burundian francs" ($530,000, 480,000 euros). This amount is a fortune in Burundi where more than 65 percent live in poverty and where 50 percent of the country is food-insecure, according to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). The legislation, adopted with 98 votes for and two against, differentiates between former heads of state elected via universal suffrage -- of which Nkurunziza is the only candidate -- and those who came to power via peace deal or military coup. "A president who came to power via the simple consensus of a group of politicians does not have the same regard as one who was democratically elected," Justice Minister Aimee-Laurentine Kanyana told the national assembly. The retired president will also get the same benefits as a serving vice-president for seven years after he steps down, and will for the rest of his life get an allowance equal to that of a lawmaker. The cost and size of the villa that will be provided are not specified. "The benefits that will be given to a president at the end of his mandate are exorbitant if one takes into account the crisis in the country, but it is a positive measure as it seems to indicate very clearly that Nkurunziza will in fact not run for the presidency," a diplomat in Burundi told AFP on condition of anonymity. Nkurunziza surprised observers when he announced he would not seek another term in office, despite a new constitution in 2018, adopted by referendum, allowing him to do so. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has requested that proposals on refining National Projects and programs for the implementation of President Vladimir Putins State of the Nation Address to be submitted to the government by February 20, 2020, the official website of the cabinet reported. "Heads of federal executive authorities heads of National Projects (programs) to submit proposals on refining respective National Projects (programs) to the government of the Russian Federation by February 20, 2020," according to the list of requests. Moreover, proposals on revising state programs should be submitted by February 28. Russias Economic Development Ministry together with relevant federal executive authorities is to draft proposals on refining the joint plan on achieving the countrys national development goals through 2024 and submit them to the cabinet by February 20. President of the Union of Oil and Gas Producers of Russia, Gennady Schmal, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza earlier, stressed the need to increase the management's efficiency, including in he sphere of national projects. "Unfortunately, many of our troubles caused by the fact that when good decisions are made, no one is responsible for them. A typical example is national projects where the development of capital investments last year is unacceptable. That is, the management is the number one issue, "he pointed out. Representative of the Federation Council from Bashkortostan Lilia Gumerova, in turn, spoke about the need for a systematic approach to national projects. "The enormous task of implementing national projects requires systemic decisions that would take into account the specifics of Russia's constituent entities and give uniform approaches throughout the country. We must not allow national projects to become a development of money, their implementation should be aimed at achieving specific indicators that the president speaks of, which would be felt in families, villages and cities of our country," she urged. Head of the State Dumas Committee for Financial Markets Anatoly Aksakov noted that the Russian economy's future depends on the implementation of national projects. "I think the key task will be to solve the issues voiced during the Presidents Address yesterday - demography, education and healthcare. All this can be realized only on the basis of economic growth, and in order to support economic growth, all national projects must be actively implemented," Anatoly Aksakov concluded. The Jerome Bruner library opened January 8, 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, making the celebrated psychological scientists personal collection of over 3,200 books publicly available to scholars for the first time. The library is a lasting tribute to one of the greatest scientists in our field, reflecting his rich mental world and his worldwide scientific network, said Willem Pim Levelt, founding head of the Institute. There is no other accessible personal library which so well reflects developments in the social sciences, in particular the cognitive sciences in their full breadth, since World War II. An APS William James Fellow, Bruner served as chair of the Institutes Scientific Council from 1977 to 1990 and was known worldwide for his contributions to cognitive psychology and the science of perception before his passing in 2016. The Bruner catalog can be accessed through the Max Planck Institute Library. Bruners research on learning established three modes of knowledge acquisition enactive action-based learning, iconic image-based learning, and symbolic language based learning. His constructivist theory of learning, also known as discovery learning, built on this foundation by further emphasizing the role of students as active learners who build knowledge by engaging with the educational process, rather than passively absorbing it from teachers. His work also highlighted the social nature of learning, including how the teacher-student environment functions as an essential scaffolding for education. Jerrys curiosity was cosmic and insatiable, wrote Anthony Amsterdam (New York University School of Law) for the APS Observer in 2017. No precept or principle, theory, text, or brute fact was armored in a shell that could resist his fascinated penetration. Brilliant as he was, the depth and clarity of his insights were matched only by the breadth of his excitement and concern, his instinctive and irrepressible intellectual stance: homo sum, humani nihil a me puto alienum. Or, I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me. APS Fellow Patricia Marks Greenfield (University of California, Los Angeles) noted Bruners seminal contributions to an astonishing number of fields as well as his support to her as both mentor and friend. She remembered sharing with him her newfound love of rowing. Before I knew it, he had gone to Florida and taken a sculling class. Over the years we enjoyed rowing together in Vermont and Los Angeles. Levelt also contributed to the tribute. In Bruners service on the Max Planck Institutes Scientific Council, he was generous with his ever-stimulating ideas, with his precious time, and especially with his personal, cordial attention. And referring to the collection that is now at the Institute, Levelt described a fascinatingly rich collection of cognitive psychology, linguistics, psycholinguistics, developmental and educational psychology, anthropology, and philosophy beaming Jerrys great intellectual breadth. Many books contain personal dedications from their authors, such as in George Millers, Alexander Lurias, and Jean Piaget and Barbel Inhelders books. For more on Bruners life and work, watch the APS video, Inside the Psychologists Studio with Jerome Bruner, or read Remembering Jerome Bruner in the APS Observer, a collection of remembrances by friends and colleagues. PROVO, Utah, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BYUtv today announced a partnership with Kelencontent to represent the distribution and format rights for its long-running hidden camera prank series "Random Acts." "We look forward to partnering with Kelencontent to roll out the series distribution and format rights for 'Random Acts' in new markets," said Michael Dunn, managing director of BYUtv. "This agreement is a strategic extension of our desire to share our programming with family audiences wherever they may be." "Random Acts," now in Season 5 (50 x 30'), is a proven hit on BYUtv (USA). The series delivers meaningful mischief where each unscripted half-hour episode offers audiences a new twist on the hidden camera genre with heartwarming and whimsical hidden pranks. Hosts go undercover to perform hilarious and unexpected antics on the unsuspecting public. The series offers viewers pranks with a purpose and unique storylines that help make people's dreams come true. "Random Acts" delivers a winning combination of comedic pranks with acts of kindness and service that keep everyone on their toes while spreading smiles, laughs and goodness to the world. The series engages kids and families of all ages. "Viewers are craving more content with a purpose, and 'Random Acts' delivers laughs with kindness to random strangers," said Tanya Kelen, founder of Kelencontent. "The series is a refreshing offering for our buyers who are looking for innovative series that refresh the hidden camera genre." In addition to "Random Acts," BYUtv's original programming slate includes "Dwight in Shining Armor," a comedy in which the Middle Ages meets Middle America; the long-running sketch comedy series "Studio C," which touts over 1 billion views on YouTube; and "Relative Race," the first family-history based competitive reality show that follows four teams as they meet relatives linked by DNA for the first time in a race throughout the United States. BYUtv is available across the country via cable, satellite and multiple digital media platforms. For a complete listing of BYUtv's programming and to view full episodes, visit www.byutv.org. About BYUtv BYUtv provides families more than 1,700 hours of entertaining and compelling programming they can enjoy together. The network's content is trusted, contemporary and clean, yet clever and sophisticated enough to inspire children and parents alike. BYUtv's diverse portfolio of original, co-produced and acquired content includes scripted and unscripted dramas and comedies, 700+ hours of live HD collegiate sports, game shows, and holiday special made-for-tv movies, docudramas and concerts. BYUtv is available in 50 million homes in every state of the country on DISH Network, DirecTV and 146 other major cable systems. A digital pioneer, BYUtv was the first U.S. television network to stream all of its content live and unencrypted over the internet. Today, BYUtv has over 1 million YouTube subscribers and 1 billion views and is available live and on-demand on multiple digital platforms free of charge, including Apple TV, YouTube, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Xbox One, Windows Media, digital apps for iOS and Android, and BYUtv.org. Based in Provo, Utah, BYUtv is part of BYU Broadcasting, which is owned by Brigham Young University. About Kelencontent Inc. Kelencontent loves content that inspires kids, families and adults. Founded in 2008 by Tanya Kelen, the company provides production, global content licensing, representation and packaging services to develop, produce and co-produce original scripted and unscripted content as well as formats. The company represents leading studios, networks, and third party content providers including corporations, brands and academic institutions. The company specializes in nurturing unique content partnerships and collaborations between emerging and established creative talent that maximizes return on investment and return on experience for all stakeholders. Ask us about how our unique content partnerships align with The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. SOURCE BYUtv Related Links http://www.byutv.org A year ago, much of Americas heartland was inundated by Missouri River flood waters. At least 1 million acres of U.S. farmland in nine major grain-producing states were under water. More than 14 million people were impacted. Damage exceeded $1 billion. With 11 dams on the Missouri, why was the flooding so severe? Why didnt the dams absorb the excess waters? Its dams are above the flooded areas. The last impoundment is at Gavins Point Dams in South Dakota, and heavy rainfall and snow melts were downstream in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. Complicating the situation was that the Missouri River managers were forced to release water because reservoirs were at capacity due to heavy snow in Montanas Rockies. Our network of dams in the Pacific Northwest is more extensive. There are 60 in the Columbia River watershed. Without that network, wed be in the same fix. It wasnt always that way. For example, on May 30, 1948, a levee on the flood-swollen Columbia River ruptured, and within a few hours, a 10-foot high wall of water reduced Vanport, now North Portland, to a shattered, muddy ruin. Sixteen people died, and Vanport at the time, Oregons second largest city disappeared forever. President Harry Truman flew west to see the water-logged mess. Speaking to an audience in Portland, Truman said the flooding could have been averted if the string of dams along the Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers had been in place. He scolded Congress and told them to get off the dime and fund the Bureau of Reclamation to complete its flood control projects. Over the next 20 years, the McNary, Dalles and John Day dams were constructed on the lower Columbia, and Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams were built on the lower Snake. They added flood control capacity, generated much-needed hydropower, and established a 465-mile water transportation network from the Pacific Ocean to Clarkston. Other dams along the west side of the Cascades were constructed. They have added water storage capacity. For example, Mossyrock Dam, built in 1968 on the Cowlitz River, has a 23-mile storage reservoir absorbing runoff and heavy rains from the south side of Mt. Rainier. Meanwhile, undammed rivers, such as the Chehalis and Snoqualmie, often flood and drive people out of their homes, force livestock to higher ground, and close roads. Too often during discussions over dam removal, particularly on lower Snake and Columbia rivers, important aspects such as flood control, barging and irrigation are minimized. The main focus centers on hydropower and fish. Gov. Jay Inslee, who supports breaching of the lower Snake River dams, added $750,000 to last years state budget to take stakeholder input on breaching the four dams. That discussion must be inclusive and comprehensive. A study commissioned by the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association found that removal of barging from the lower Snake would cost $4 billion over 30 years. The Columbia-Snake River system is the top wheat export gateway in the nation, and it would take 135,000 semi-trucks and 35,140 rail cars to move the cargo currently barged on the Snake River alone in a year. Breaching the dams would cause diesel consumption to increase by 5 million gallons a year and increase CO2 emissions by 1.2 million tons a year. Northwest electric ratepayers have spent billions to improve salmon and steelhead fish runs over last 25 years with some success. Meanwhile, overfishing, ocean conditions and predators such as California Sea Lions and Cormorants are devastating our runs. The problem is complex and not just simply one between dams and fish. We need to remember that network of flood busters is saving our bacon. Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He recently retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the states oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com. The Brazilian governments filing of criminal charges against the American journalist Glenn Greenwald is an increasingly familiar case of shooting the messenger and ignoring the message. Mr. Greenwald is best known for his role in the release of national security documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, in 2013. In Brazil, where he moved 15 years ago to be with his now-husband, an opposition Brazilian congressman, Mr. Greenwald co-founded a Portuguese-language version of his investigative news site, The Intercept, which has become a thorn in the side of the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro. Last June, The Intercept Brasil published a series of articles, based on leaked cellphone messages, that appeared to show illegal collusion with prosecutors by Sergio Moro, the judge who had become a superstar corruption-buster for jailing scores of businessmen and politicians, including the popular former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Jailing Mr. da Silva knocked him out of the race for president, clearing the way for the election of Mr. Bolsonaro who then appointed Mr. Moro as his justice minister. Now, in addition to that implicit conflict of interest, the hacked messages suggested that Mr. Moro had violated Brazilian law, under which judges are supposed to be neutral arbiters, to help Mr. Bolsonaro. And this by a man previously lionized for his assault on entrenched corruption. Chief Minister Kamal Nath held a meeting with Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra group Pawan Goenka on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21. The discussion revolved around investment in automobile, agricultural equipment, irrigation and agrochemical sectors in Madhya Pradesh, a statement said. The Chief Minister also discussed with Goenka about the possibility of operating a logistics hub and IT delivery centre in the state. Investments in manufacturing units for electric vehicles, passenger cars and commercial vehicles were also discussed during the meeting. Chief Minister Kamal Nath is on a four-day visit to Davos in connection with the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Along with Nath, there is a high-level team of senior officers of the state at the meet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The president has already said his phone call with the Ukrainian president, a central part of the impeachment case, was perfect. He has already said the impeachment is a hoax and a sham. By never reading a single fact-check, I have seen zero evidence that President Trump is capable of lying, so why in the world do Democrats think he needs more people to step forward and prove his innocence? LAST August, the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba announced a program of tax cuts over the next four years that would involve reducing the provincial sales tax from eight to seven per cent, removing the PST on home insurance, personal care services, professional tax preparation and the preparation of wills and indexing the basic personal exemption and the personal income tax brackets by the changes in the annual consumer price index (CPI). Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion LAST August, the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba announced a program of tax cuts over the next four years that would involve reducing the provincial sales tax from eight to seven per cent, removing the PST on home insurance, personal care services, professional tax preparation and the preparation of wills and indexing the basic personal exemption and the personal income tax brackets by the changes in the annual consumer price index (CPI). The press release said that, in total, these measures would save the average Manitoba taxpayer $2,020 over the next four years and make life more affordable, secure and prosperous for all Manitobans. To test these claims and to see if alternative changes to the tax system could lead to better outcomes, we modelled the proposed changes using Statistics Canadas tax/transfer modeling program (SPSD/M, version 28.0). The proposed PCP tax changes were modelled using 2019 as the base year. For that year, we reduced the PST from eight per cent to 7.5 per cent, to reflect the mid-year change in the rate. For 2020, we reduced the PST to seven per cent and kept it at that amount out to 2023, but we were not able to model the effect of eliminating the PST on the four items listed above. For the Basic Personal Exemption, we kept the announced level of $9,626 for 2019, but increased it by between 2.0 and 2.1 per cent for 2020 to 2023, as indicated by the SPSD/M projected CPI increases. Similarly, we maintained the personal income tax thresholds at their announced levels for 2019 ($32,670 and $70,610) but increased them by the same changes in the CPI for the years 2020 to 2023. We then took the aggregate amount of these tax cuts over four years ($1.137 billion) as the budget available to model an alternative use of those foregone tax dollars. The option we chose was to enact a partial refund of the unused portion of non-refundable tax credits (NRTCs). Under the current rules, a tax filer can use non-refundable tax credits only to reduce their basic tax to zero. If the value of their NRTCs exceeds the basic tax, the excess amount is not rebated to them. Within the total budget constraint of $1.137 billion, we were able to model a rebate of up to $603 per filer for those whose basic tax did not exceed the total value of their NRTCs. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. First, we found that the PC plan resulted in total savings of $1,177 per filer and $2,157 per household, as compared to the PC press-release claim of $2,020 per filer. We then compared the distribution of tax savings under these two equal-cost plans and found that the partial rebate of non-refundable tax credits left the bottom 50 per cent of households better off by an average of $716 (or 1.8 per cent of household income) per year. The poorest 10 per cent of households saw their income rise by seven per cent per year under our partial rebate plan, compared to a 1.6 per cent increase under the PC plan. Conversely, the wealthiest 10 per cent of households saw a 0.13 per cent increase in income under the partial rebate plan, compared to a 0.42 per cent increase under the PC plan. Thus, while both plans led to increases in household income, the partial rebate option provided more income support to lower-income households than the PC plan Thus, while both plans led to increases in household income, the partial rebate option provided more income support to lower-income households than the PC plan. As a result, the partial rebate plan reduced the poverty rate by 0.9 per cent (from 13.7 per cent to 12.8 per cent) while the PC plan only reduces the poverty rate by 0.3 per cent, or one-third as much. While the PC plan spreads the benefits more widely across Manitoba households, it misses an opportunity to assist lower-income households in a significant way through a partial refund of the unused portion of non-refundable tax credits. Our alternative demonstrates that, with the same overall expenditure, lower-income households can be helped more and three times as many Manitobans can be lifted out of poverty through the application of refundable credits, a significant achievement for what amounts to a modest tax reduction measure. Wayne Simpson is a professor in the department of economics at the University of Manitoba and a research fellow at the school of public policy at the University of Calgary. Harvey Stevens is a retired civil servant and professional affiliate in the department of economics at the University of Manitoba. President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle has described the killing of Adamawa State CAN chairman, Rev. Lawan Andimi as gruesome, unfortunate and a shame on the federal government. Recall that Andimi was abducted by Boko Haram on January 2 when the insurgents stormed the community. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s protest against the Supreme courts judgement on Imo governorship election as a disgrace. The leaders of the opposition party embarked on a peaceful protest in Abuja on Monday. The apex court had sacked Emeka Ihedioha, PDP candidate, and declared Hope Uzodinma, APC candidate, as the duly elected governor of Imo, a judgement that was outrightly rejected by the opposition party. Nine lawmakers of the Imo state House of Assembly have decamped to the All Progressives Congress, APC, following Hope Uzodinmas election victory at the Supreme Court. The Deputy Speaker of the House, Okey Onyekanma, is also said to have resigned his position. There are reports that more lawmakers in the state are preparing to join the ruling party soon. Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika local government area of Adamawa state has been killed by Boko Haram fighters that abducted him. The sect was said to have rejected N50million ransom for the release of Rev. Andimi. The CAN chairman was abducted by the insurgents early January when his village was attacked. A Kaduna High Court has restrained Governor Nasir El-Rufai and agencies of the Kaduna State Government from further demolition and take over of any part of Durbar Hotel Plc. The building was demolished by an agency of the state government last week as part of its urban renewal programme of the Kaduna state government. Some popular Nigerian English words have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary for the first time. These words are typically those which Nigerians have coined from Nigerian languages since the 1970s and 1980s. The words include; Buka: a word borrowed from Hausa and Yoruba which refers to a roadside restaurant that sells local food at low prices. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the governor of Enugu state, says the state is the only Nigerian state that can survive without allocations from the federation accounts allocations committee (FAAC). The governor said this while speaking on Tuesday during the launch and public presentation of the revised Enugu state business agenda (SBA) which was introduced by the Enugu coalition of business and professional association (ECOBPA). Following the drama that ensued within the PDP camp after Daisy Danjuma, a member of the board of trustee of the party, endorsed Godwin Obaseki, an APC Member, she has voiced out that she owes no one an apology over her action. She made this known while speaking with reporters in Benin city on Monday, The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre four weeks to respond to pleas challenging the validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act and said it will set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear the petitions. IMAGE: Women protesters shout slogans during a demonstration against CAA, NRC, NRP in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo While making it clear that it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on CAA till it decides the petitions. The bench said it will hear petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura separately as the problem with CAA in these two states is different from rest of the country. "The petitions concerning Assam and Tripura as well as matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately," the court said. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to pleas which have not been served on it. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of CAA and postpone exercise of the National Population Register for the time being. The court said it will not grant any stay on CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. "Will pass order on granting any interim relief to petitioner opposing CAA after four weeks," the bench said. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA, including by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Several other petitioners include Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union, Peace Party, Communist Party of India, NGOs 'Rihai Manch' and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the act. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/21/2020 -- The latest market intelligence study on the Electric Vehicle Market applies the best of both primary and secondary research techniques to bring to light the growth rate of the Electric Vehicle Market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2025. Scope of the Report: The researcher assessing the Electric Vehicle Market dive deep to unearth intangible facts related to the key restraints, opportunities, and threats expected to shape the progress of the industry during the forecast period, 2018 - 2025. Significant evaluation of other factors such as demand and supply status, import and export, distribution channel, consumption volume, and production capability play a vital role in offering business owners, stakeholders and field marketing personnel a competitive edge over others operating in the same space. All important data are presented in self-explanatory charts, tables and graphic images that can be incorporated into any business presentation. 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To Purchase this Report click here @ https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/checkout/38675 The study objectives of this report are: - To analyse and study the global Electric Vehicle capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025); - Focuses on the key Electric Vehicle manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future. - Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyse the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis. - To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. - To analyse the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. - To analyse the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. - To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyse their growth strategies. Besides exploring the Electric Vehicle Market profiles of prominent market leaders, the research gather and analyses raw data on the regulatory framework, cost structure, import and export status, supply chain management and supply chain management expected to shape the trajectory of the business landscape. The researchers behind the study have further leveraged the industry-leading assessment tools to gauge the growing level of competition, recent acquisition and mergers, product launches and new entrants. Key Points from TOC: CHAPTER 7: COMPANY PROFILES 7.1. Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft 7.1.1. Company overview 7.1.2. Company snapshot 7.1.3. Operating business segments 7.1.4. Product portfolio 7.1.5. Business performance 7.1.6. Key strategic moves and developments 7.2. BYD Company Limited 7.2.1. Company overview 7.2.2. Company snapshot 7.2.3. Operating business segments 7.2.4. Product portfolio 7.2.5. Business performance 7.2.6. Key strategic moves and developments 7.3. Daimler AG 7.3.1. Company overview 7.3.2. Company snapshot 7.3.3. Operating business segments 7.3.4. Product portfolio 7.3.5. Business performance 7.3.6. Key strategic moves and developments 7.4. Energica Motor Company S. p. A 7.4.1. Company overview 7.4.2. Company snapshot 7.4.3. Product portfolio 7.4.4. Business performance 7.4.5. Key strategic moves and developments 7.5. Ford Motor Company 7.5.1. Company overview 7.5.2. Company snapshot 7.5.3. Operating business segments 7.5.4. Product portfolio 7.5.5. Business performance 7.5.6. Key strategic moves and developments Continue Read more @ https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/38675/electric-vehicle-market About Market Growth Insight: Market Growth Insight is a one stop solution for market research reports in various business categories. We are serving 100+ clients with 10000+ diverse industry reports and our reports are developed to simplify strategic decision making, on the basis of comprehensive and in-depth significant information, established through wide ranging analysis and latest industry trends. We are striving to provide the best customer friendly services and appropriate business information to accomplish your ideas. Contact 2nd Floor, Manikchand Ikon, B-Wing, Dhole Patil Road, Sangamwadi, Pune 411 001, Maharashtra,India. +1 347 767 5477 (US) +44 131 463 4161 (UK) + 91 8956 049 020 (IN) Email: Sales@marketgrowthinsight.com Website- https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com Follow Us:- LinkedIn | Twitter | Google+ | Facebook US President Donald Trump, fresh from calling a trade truce with China, threatened on Wednesday to impose crippling tariffs on European autos unless the EU budges on a long-delayed deal. Trump, attending the Davos conclave as his dramatic Senate impeachment trial unfolds back home, revived an offensive against the European Union a day after dismissing climate campaigners as "prophets of doom". Washington also took aim at European nations that are introducing a digital services tax against US technology giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, which stand accused of depriving governments of a fair share of their mammoth cross-border profits. "The European Union is tougher to deal with than anybody. They've taken advantage of our country for many years," Trump told Fox Business on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps. "Ultimately, it will be very easy because if we can't make a deal, we'll have to put 25 per cent tariffs on their cars," he added. There was no immediate response from Germany, Europe's biggest auto exporter. The price of high-end marques such as BMW and Audi risks spiralling beyond consideration for many American drivers if Trump goes through with the threat. But European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen emerged from a "very good conversation with" the president in Davos talking up the prospects of a deal covering trade, technology and energy. "We are expecting in a few weeks to have an agreement that we can sign together," she said. Trump said his attention was turning to Europe after he sealed a ceasefire on trade with China this month. That cooled a destabilising tariffs war Trump ignited between the two biggest economies, after he took office vowing also to rewrite a North American accord and overhaul the World Trade Organization (WTO). "I wanted to wait till I finished China, to be honest with you. I always like to be very transparent. I wanted to wait till I finished China. I didn't want to go with China and Europe at the same time," he said. The US and EU agreed to pursue a trade deal in July 2017 as a tentative truce after Trump had taken office and declared a war on America's yawning trade deficits with the likes of China and Europe. Europe's auto industry has remained outside a tit-for-tat tariffs round so far. But US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned that would change if Europeans go through with the digital tax. "If people want to arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies we will consider putting taxes arbitrarily on car companies," Mnuchin told a panel at the four-day meeting in Davos. Britain, however, said it would push through with its digital tax while continuing multilateral talks at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). "We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April," said British finance minister Sajid Javid, emphasising that the legislation would "fall away" if there was an international solution. "It is a tax that is deliberately designed as a temporary tax," he said. "This year could be the year of change. There is no agreement yet but I think we should all focus on that and reach a deal this year." Mnuchin emphasised the US was still involved in the OECD dialogue, but insisted that a digital tax was "discriminatory in nature". France is also planning a digital tax and in response, Trump has threatened tariffs on French goods including wine. But he agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call over the weekend to give more time to talks. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told AFP in Davos that the presidents' conversation had "helped calm things down" and "define a peaceful framework for negotiations". But he stressed that the major digital companies would pay some kind of tax in France this year: either one agreed at the OECD or a unilateral levy already agreed by the French parliament. Trump has meanwhile paralysed the WTO's dispute settlement process by refusing to name new judges to the Geneva-based body, arguing it is biased against the United States. The EU and others have had to resort to bilateral negotiations to resolve recurrent differences in trade, but Trump said he backed reform of the WTO. "I've had a dispute running with them for quite a while because our country hasn't been treated fairly," Trump said, speaking alongside WTO chief Roberto Azevedo. "We're going to do something that I think will be very dramatic," Trump told reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OTTAWA - The Conservative leadership race is underway and the deadline to register as a candidate and meet the first round of requirements is Feb. 27. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - The Conservative leadership race is underway and the deadline to register as a candidate and meet the first round of requirements is Feb. 27. These candidates have officially declared they intend to run: Conservative MP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington Derek Sloan is seen in this undated handout photo. A rookie member of Parliament from Ontario says he's going to enter the Conservative leadership contest. Derek Sloan made the jump from the private sector into politics in the last election, winning the Liberal-held riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Conservative Party of Canada *MANDATORY CREDIT* Marilyn Gladu: Conservative MP for Ontario riding of Sarnia-Lambton, formerly a professional engineer. Peter MacKay: former Progressive Conservative leader, Conservative cabinet minister and longtime MP from Nova Scotia, who now lives in Toronto. Rick Peterson: Alberta businessman, candidate in 2017 leadership campaign. Aron Seal: former director of policy for two Conservative cabinet ministers. Bobby Singh: entrepreneur and Conservative candidate in 2019 election in riding of Scarborough-Rouge Park. Derek Sloan: Conservative MP for the Ontario riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington. Others, in alphabetical order, who are considering bids: Michael Chong: former Conservative cabinet minister, current MP for Ontario riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. Ran in the 2017 race. Richard Decarie: political aide under former Conservative leader Stephen Harper while in opposition, helped run Harper's Quebec operations. Michelle Rempel Garner: Conservative MP for the riding of Calgary Nose Hill. Vincent Guzzo: movie-theatre mogul from Quebec who also stars in the reality-TV program "Dragons' Den." Rudy Husny: longtime Quebec operative for the Conservative party, and businessman. Erin O'Toole: former Conservative cabinet minister and current MP from the Toronto-area riding of Durham. Ran in the 2017 race. Pierre Poilievre: former Conservative cabinet minister and current MP from the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. bolton trump.JPG REUTERS/Leah Millis President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he was opposed to his former national security adviser John Bolton testifying in his impeachment trial because "he knows some of my thoughts." "He knows what I think about leaders," Trump said. "What happens if he reveals how I feel about another leader and it's not positive ... it would make the job a lot harder." Bolton is a firsthand witness to the president's efforts to strong-arm Ukraine into pursuing investigations that would be politically beneficial to him while he withheld military aid and a White House meeting for Ukraine's president. If the Senate allows Bolton to testify, he would be the highest-profile witness against the president to date. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was opposed to his former national security adviser John Bolton testifying in his impeachment trial because "it's a national security problem." "He knows some of my thoughts," Trump told reporters. "He knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals how I feel about another leader and it's not positive ... it would make the job a lot harder." Trump's statement, however, underscores why Democrats believe Bolton's testimony is crucial: He "knows some of" Trump's thoughts. The president made the comment hours before opening arguments are set to kick off in his Senate trial only the third in US history. Trump was impeached last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Bolton, who announced this month that he was willing to testify in the impeachment trial, is a firsthand witness to the president's efforts to strong-arm Ukraine into pursuing investigations that would be politically beneficial to him while he withheld vital military aid and a White House meeting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky desperately sought. Story continues Bolton left his role in the Trump administration last summer but was privy to several key events at the center of the impeachment inquiry, according to his lawyer and public testimony from other current and former government officials. The White House last year directed all executive-branch officials not to comply with congressional subpoenas for testimony. While more than a dozen lower-level officials refused to follow the White House's directive, all senior officials including Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff followed the order. Bolton, if he testifies, could be the president's worst nightmare. As the former national security adviser, Bolton would be the highest-profile witness to testify against Trump and one who held frequent meetings with him. Bolton attended a July 10 White House policy meeting between senior US and Ukrainian officials. Gordon Sondland, the US's ambassador to the European Union, hijacked the meeting when he told the Ukrainians that Trump wanted a "deliverable" specifically, politically motivated investigations in exchange for a White House meeting. Bolton cut the meeting short at that point and informed Fiona Hill, who at the time was the National Security Council's senior director in charge of Russian and Eurasian affairs, to "tell the lawyers" what had happened. Hill said in her testimony that Bolton ordered her to tell John Eisenberg, the NSC's chief counsel, that he was not part of "whatever drug deal" Sondland and Mulvaney were "cooking up" in Ukraine. Bolton was staunchly opposed to Trump making the infamous July 25 phone call to Zelensky. Hill and other witnesses testified that Bolton was against the phone call because he feared the president would use it to air his personal grievances to Zelensky, which is exactly what ended up happening. The former national security adviser described Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer who spearheaded what witnesses have said was the "irregular channel" of foreign policy in Ukraine, as a "hand grenade." Bolton was also opposed to the smear campaign Giuliani and Trump carried out against Marie Yovanovitch, the US's ambassador to Ukraine. Asked why Bolton described Giuliani as a "hand grenade," Hill told Congress that the former New York mayor was "clearly pushing forward" issues that would "probably come back to haunt us," adding, "That's where we are today." Bolton's lawyer, Chuck Cooper, dropped a tantalizing hint in a letter to Congress indicating that Bolton knows even more than what's already been revealed. Bolton "was personally involved in many of the events, meetings, and conversations about which you have already received testimony, as well as many relevant meetings and conversations that have not yet been discussed in the testimonies thus far," Cooper wrote. Bolton has receipts. Current and former senior administration officials told the news website Axios in November that people in Trump's orbit were terrified of what Bolton may have documented and what he might divulge. According to Axios' sources, Bolton is a prolific note-taker and likely has more details than any witness in the impeachment inquiry so far about Trump's shadow campaign in Ukraine. "Bolton was a voracious note-taker, in every meeting," one source who attended several meetings with the former national security adviser told Axios. Apparently, Axios reported, while others sat and listened in meetings with the president, Bolton "distinguished himself by filling legal pads with contemporaneous notes on what was said in the room." Read the original article on Business Insider HUNT VALLEY, Md., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC), a global leader in flavor, today issued its 2019 Purpose-led Performance (PLP) Report, which highlights McCormick's efforts to help improve the health & wellbeing of people, build vibrant communities and make a positive impact on our planet. The company was also recently named the world's 22nd most Sustainable Company and No. 1 in the Food Products Industry for the 4th year in a row by the Corporate Knights Global 100 Sustainability Index. The newly released report highlights significant progress against the Company's commitments to the advancement of Women and Ethnically Diverse Talent, improving health outcomes through Scientific Research and working with partners like IFC, USAID, CARE, WWF and NCBA CLUSA to increase farmer's skills, capacity, access to financial services, education, and nutrition and health. McCormick also announced the introduction of the first ever Herbs & Spice Sustainability Framework called Grown for Good a new certification standard that includes quality and traceability requirements along with farmer and community resilience criteria. The company also highlighted areas for improved performance including Greenhouse gas emissions and Water use. McCormick intends to achieve overall reductions in these areas by 2025 even with its larger size following the acquisition of Frank's and French's. Recently announced partnerships with Skipjack Solar to move to 100% Renewable energy for all facilities in Maryland and New Jersey by 2022 will significantly reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. Water use reduction remains a top priority with facility specific plans being implemented beginning in 2020. "Companies have a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact on the people and places they touch. McCormick's PLP agenda is how we ensure that our impact is a positive one," said Lawrence E. Kurzius, Chairman, President and CEO of McCormick & Company. Highlights from the 2019 report include: Increased representation of women and ethnically diverse talent in leadership positions, including the Board of Directors Supported the resilience of nearly 16,000 farmers across the globe with sustainable agricultural practices and partnerships Significant progress towards sustainably sourcing the five iconic ingredients (Black Pepper, Red Pepper , Cinnamon, Oregano and Vanilla) , Cinnamon, Oregano and Vanilla) Achieved 84% plastic packaging that can be reused, recycled, or repurposed Significant increase in McCormick Science Institute citations which provide important research findings to the public on the health benefits of the culinary use of herbs & spices Introduced a new sustainable sourcing framework, "Grown for Good" the first-of-its-kind for the Herb and Spice Industry Solidified plans to power Maryland and New Jersey facilities with 100% renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions For more information and to view the PLP Report, visit https://www.mccormickcorporation.com/en/responsibility/purpose-led-performance About McCormick McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor. With $5.3 billion in annual sales, the company manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry retail outlets, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. Every day, no matter where or what you eat, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick. McCormick Brings the Joy of Flavor to Life. For more information, visit www.mccormickcorporation.com . For information contact: Corporate Communications: Lori Robinson (410-527-6004 or [email protected]) SOURCE McCormick & Company, Inc. Related Links http://mccormick.com "Star Trek" fans worldwide are rejoicing at the return of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in a new CBS All Access series named for him. But Patrick Stewart, who plays the legendary character, says his younger self would have been surprised to reprise the role. Stewart played the captain for seven years on television between 1987 and 1994 in " Star Trek: The Next Generation ." By the end of the run, he was "pulling down the shutters I had said and done everything I had wanted to do, and [thought] there was nothing to say," he said in an interview at the premiere of "Picard." Yet something apparently convinced Stewart . "Picard" is debuting for its first season on Thursday (Jan. 23) and has already committed to a second season. Stewart said that discussions with the creative team convinced him Picard still had new directions to explore after the television series and a handful of movies, which concluded in 2002. Video: Patrick Stewart and Isa Briones Talk Trek with Space.com! Related: 'Star Trek: Picard' Couture: Jean-Luc's 15 Best TNG Outfits Isa Briones and Patrick Stewart speak before the premiere of "Star Trek: Picard." (Image credit: Space.com) "The team that I found myself talking to proved me wrong," Stewart said. "They introduced elements that I had never anticipated would be part of 'Star Trek,' and they've done so successfully." When asked why "Star Trek" has such staying power after multiple franchises and more than 50 years on the air, Stewart's answer was simple: "Hope. It resonates positive feelings about the future that things can be better." One of his co-stars, Isa Briones, who joined Stewart during the interview, agreed. "[That's] a sentiment we need more than ever." Briones plays a new character called Dahj, whose background has not been described in detail by the showrunners. "You speak truth," Stewart said to Briones. "We have to be positive about the difficult situations that we find ourselves in." Stewart is from the United Kingdom, which is discussing leaving the European Union, in Brexit. But he is also a longtime resident of the U.S., which faces a contentious election this year. "I am speaking personally as an Englishman and yet someone with deep attachment to the United States," he said. "I am just a resident alien." At age 21, Briones wasn't even born when "The Next Generation" finished its run on television, but grew up with an awareness of "Star Trek" and would occasionally see bits of it while channel-surfing. But Briones didn't watch the show seriously until she knew she would be starring in a Star Trek show, she said. "I got to a certain point [in the series] I think it was the episode where Picard gets assimilated by the Borg," said Briones, referring to a notorious alien species in the previous series. "I just got hooked, and started watching the whole way through. I've become a much bigger fan than I knew I would be." Editor's note: Space.com contributor Scott Snowden contributed to this story with video interviews. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . An Indonesian boy has required lifesaving surgery after being impaled in the neck by a flying needlefish. Muhammad Idul was fishing with his parents in Buton waters off the South East Sulawesi province on Saturday when a needlefish jumped out of the water. The fish's long slender snout sliced straight through the 16-year-old's neck and pierced the back of his skull. The student was rushed to hospital for treatment, before undergoing risky surgery to remove the fish from his neck two days later. Muhammad Idul, 16, had a narrow brush with death after he was stabbed by a needlefish Graphic photos which have gone viral on social media show how the fish pierced all the way through Muhammad's neck from under his chin right through to the back of his skull. The delicate two-hour operation involved three surgeons and two anesthetists on Monday. 'To remove the fish snout, one must be very careful because there is a large vessel in the neck, Professor Dr Syafri K. Arif told local news site Makassar Terkin. Muhammad is recovering well but remains in hospital due to infection risks. Graphic photos show how far the needlefish pierced right through to Muhammad's skull 'The child is relatively stable, but at present, the patient is still feverish,' a hospital general director told Antara News. 'We will wait for the fever to subside. Hopefully the fever won't rise.' Television show IFish described the graphic photos as 'worst nightmare material right here,' when they were shared on its Facebook page. 'Amazing he survived,' one person commented on the Facebook post. Another added: 'What a pain in the neck!' Needlefish are distinguished by their long, slender jaw which bears multiple sharp teeth capable of inflicting deep wounds. They are also adept jumpers renowned for leaping out of the water at up to 60 km/h. The needlefish (pictured) was removed in a delicate procedure two days after the attack There have been two known fatal needlefish attacks around the world, while several others have been seriously injured. A 10-year-old Hawaiian boy died while fishing at night with his father in 1977 after he was attacked by a needlefish which pierced his eye and brain. Thai navy cadet Kriangsak Pengpanich, 22, died in December 2018 when a needlefish speared through his neck during a training exercise. The Supreme Court has reinstated in service a former woman employee who had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against previous Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, highly placed sources said. According to the sources, the woman has joined the duty and proceeded on leave. All her arrears too have been cleared, the sources added. The apex court's three-member In-House Inquiry Committee, headed by Justice S A Bobde (now CJI), had in May this year given a clean chit to the then CJI as it 'found no substance' in the allegations levelled against him by the woman. A Delhi court had in September last year closed a cheating and criminal intimidation case against the woman employee, accepting the closure report filed by the city police after the complainant in the case, Naveen Kumar, a resident of Jhajjar in Haryana, said he had no opposition to the plea and that he did not want to pursue the case. A first information report for the alleged offences of cheating, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy was lodged against the woman on March 3 last year after a complaint was filed by Kumar at the Tilak Marg Police Station in New Delhi. Kumar has alleged that the woman had defrauded him of Rs 50,000, which he claimed she took as part of a bribe, promising him a job at the Supreme Court. The woman was arrested by the police on March 10 last year and sent to judicial custody by a court here the next day. She was granted bail on March 12. The woman had in April last year sent a sworn affidavit to the residences of 22 apex court judges levelling allegations against CJI Gogoi. She claimed she was transferred and then terminated from service. PLATTSMOUTH Since last springs devastating flood, much effort and perhaps rightly so has been made in helping victims with their financial losses. But, there has been much anguish mentally, also. An organization called Nebraska Strong Recovery Project has been in town for many months to help with that issue. It plans to stay for months to come. Were more on the mental health side of things, said Stephanie Skeem. Weve talked to a lot of people in distress, added Teresa ODonnell. The two women are trained crisis counselors for the organization. Stress can cause physical, mental, emotional pain, Skeem said. Maybe they are not sleeping well, ODonnell said. This past Tuesday, the two women spoke about the organization at the Cass County Board of Commissioners. Later, they set up a table, like every Tuesday, at the Under His Wings Thrift Store in downtown Plattsmouth. Each Monday, they do the same at the Plattsmouth Public Library. They have plenty of handout materials on dealing with such stress. Other times they are speaking to groups or individuals about their services. They even went door-to-door in hard hit areas to see if they could assist people. Were here to assess their needs first and then go from there, Skeem said. Even those who helped disaster victims may become stressed themselves, she added. Their organization works closely with other such groups to ensure victims get the proper care needed. We work together and depending on what the person needs, we will direct them to the appropriate resources, Skeem said. Perhaps most importantly, they try to convince flood victims that it is okay to admit they are feeling stressed out instead of keeping it inside themselves. Thats what we are here for, Skeem said. They plan to be around until this May, she added. Every Monday, these two counselors are at the library from 1 to 4 p.m. and at the thrift store every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. People can also call the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or the National Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990 24 hours a day. Nebraska Strong is a non-profit organization and the services provided are free. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. US President Donald Trump on January 22 said he would prefer a longer impeachment trial so that current and former top administration officials could testify, but that having them appear would present national security concerns. Trump, speaking to reporters as he prepared to leave the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, also said he would love to go appear at the Senate trial in his own defense but that his lawyers would likely object. "I'd love to go," he said during a roughly 40-minute-long news conference. "I'd love to do it." The Republican president said it was up to the Senate to decide how to handle the trial, but that he would like to have former national security adviser John Bolton and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testify. "The problem with John (Bolton) is that it's a national security problem," Trump said before returning to Washington, where opening arguments were set to begin in the historic proceedings. "He knows some of my thoughts, he knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and it's not very positive?" he said, adding that Pompeo testifying would also be a risk. "You could call it presidential prerogative," Trump said. "The way I look at it, I call it national security, for national security reasons. Executive privilege." Senators must decide whether to remove Trump from office after he was impeached last month by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival, and impeding the inquiry into the matter. Trump also said he would want to have his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney testify but that he would not have much more to add to his public comments in television interviews. He also said he would want Rick Perry, adding that the former U.S. Energy Secretary had asked him if he could testify. "I would rather go the long way," he said. But, he added, "I'll leave that to the Senate," adding that he would watch the proceedings after leaving the summit. Trump also said that he would like to have his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, whose efforts on behalf of the president in Ukraine are at the center of the impeachment, serve on his legal team in the Senate but that there could be a conflict. "He could be a witness at some point," he said. Small finance lender Ujjivan Small Finance Bank on Wednesday said its profit doubled to Rs 90 crore in October-December 2019, helped by improvement in operational efficiency, stable margins and cost controls. In the year-ago period, the lender had reported a profit after tax of Rs 45 crore. "We saw improvement in all parameters. We could maintain our NIMs, costs were under control and operational efficiency also improved," the bank's managing director and CEO Nitin Chugh told PTI. Net interest margin stood at 10.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2019-20, against 11 per cent in last year. The bank saw its cost of funds reducing to 8.1 per cent during the quarter from 8.6 per cent in the year-ago period. Gross advances grew by 46 per cent to Rs 13,617 crore. Non-micro banking portfolio contributed 22 per cent to the total loan portfolio. Chugh said the bank faced some issues on repayments in its microfinance portfolio in Assam and a few neighbouring areas after the protest erupted following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in December. Of the total microfinance lending book of Rs 10,000 crore, the lender has an exposure of Rs 430 crore in Assam. As a prudent measure, it has made a provision of Rs 4.9 crore towards its loan portfolio in the north-eastern state. "We are working with the state government and Microfinance Institution Networks (MFIN), a self-regulatory organisation (SRO), to resolve issues at Assam," Chugh said. Gross NPA was at 0.9 per cent as against 1.4 per cent while net NPA stood at 0.4 per cent from 0.3 per cent. It wrote-off of Rs 12 crore of loans in the third quarter. Its deposit base stood at Rs 10,656 crore as of December 31, 2019. It serves over 51.0 lakh customers through 574 branches and 17,783 employees spread across 244 districts and 24 states and union territories in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bernie Sanders campaign remained largely and uncharacteristically quiet Tuesday in the wake of fiery attacks by Hillary Clinton. Privately, Sanders aides and allies feel that Clinton is trying to bait them after she reiterated in a Hollywood Reporter article that nobody likes the Vermont senator, and refused to commit to supporting him if he wins the primary. In her remarks, published two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, they see a political establishment that is trying to stop him as he rises in early-state polling. Yet it was more important to regain control of its message after a week-long whirlwind featuring unplanned spats with Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and now his 2016 rival. Sanders campaign told staffers internally to not discuss Clintons comments, and Sanders released a statement saying he is focusing on impeachment and that together, we will defeat President Donald Trump. His aides are also urging his online fans to volunteer for him instead of tweeting about Clinton. A less petty, self-absorbed person would look at a devastating, embarrassing election defeat and thank her former primary opponent who, based on the record, went to extraordinary lengths to support her, said Jonathan Tasini, the author of "The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America" and a national surrogate for Sanders in 2016. Bernie, as he often does, sidestepped engaging in this nonsense, choosing to focus on the important matters at hand, mainly impeachment. Bottom line is that the more Hillary Clinton speaks, the less people care what she says and devalues her own role so I think it will have close to zero impact on the race. If anything, the bomb thrown by Clinton had a galvanizing effect: Sanders grassroots supporters posted images of receipts of their donations to him on social media Tuesday, and the hashtag #ILikeBernie trended on Twitter. While the Sanders campaign is attempting to maintain restraint in the wake of Clintons recent interview, though, the operation has in recent weeks shown the strain of a disorganized team that has struggled to stay on the same page with the candidate himself. Story continues An episode on Monday illustrated the dynamic: David Sirota, Sanders speechwriter, shared an op-ed with supporters via email titled Middle Class Joe Biden has a corruption problem it makes him a weak candidate, which was written by Sanders surrogate Zephyr Teachout. But when asked about the opinion piece on MSNBC, Sanders national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray said that if someone wants to describe that as corrupt, that is up to them. Later in the day, Sanders apologized: It is absolutely not my view that Joe Biden is corrupt in any way. And Im sorry that that op-ed appeared. To some who watch Sanders orbit closely, mixed messages such as Mondays are one of the weaknesses of a movement campaign that includes legions of activists who see it as their own. A former Sanders aide said the back-and-forth knocked the team off what its message should have been this week: The co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan, recently threw their weight behind him, showing that he is consolidating left-wing endorsements and growing his campaign. What they would be doing is spending all their time talking about how much support theyre getting from people who spent the last 10 months on the fence, the person said. Look at Pocan. Look at Jayapal. After Clintons comments, Sanders stayed above the fray when peppered with questions from reporters and sought to use humor to move on. On a good day, my wife likes me, he said. His campaign staff largely remained positive as well, circulating their #ILikeBernie stories. But others were more aggressive: Shaun King, a Sanders surrogate, highlighted brutal comments made by a top Clinton aide and consultant in 2016 online. And without naming names, Gray said on Twitter canvassers are running on haterade and the unshakable understanding that healthcare is a human right. Where would you stick the knife in? Bernie needs to be ground to a pulp...crush him as hard as you can. I need you to understand how they think of Bernie behind the scenes in her world. Its gross and harsh. And not normal. We can do better than this.#iLikeBernie pic.twitter.com/5O5pT00Xqd Shaun King (@shaunking) January 21, 2020 Still, the episode allowed Sanders and the progressive movement to be seen by mainstream Democrats as the victim of party division for once, instead of as an instigating force. Tom Steyer, one of Sanders primary opponents, jumped in on the I like @BernieSanders trend. Justice Democrats, the left-wing group that recruited Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Congress, launched a petition calling on Clinton to back the eventual nominee. Hillary Clinton has the right to support or oppose any candidate she wants and every right to express that sentiment publicly, said Dan Pfeiffer, a past adviser to former President Barack Obama, of the primary. But every Democrat should commit to supporting the nominee against Trump. A former Clinton 2016 aide said, Bernie is far from my favorite candidate, but he has been crystal-clear that hed back any nominee to the hilt and with Trump in the White House, it is a travesty for any Democrat to suggest theyd behave otherwise. Clintons longtime spokesman, Nick Merrill, did damage control in the wake of the interview, saying on Twitter that we all need to work our heart out for the nominee and Clinton wont be any exception. But Clintons comments in the article were far from clear on that front: Asked if Sanders gets the nomination, will you endorse and campaign for him? she replied, Im not going to go there yet. We're still in a very vigorous primary season. After pressure, Clinton tweeted on Tuesday night: I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views! But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee. David Brock, a longtime Clinton ally who founded a super PAC to support her in 2016, suggested it is difficult to know why she is weighing in now on Sanders. Hard to know about the timing, but the quotes were clearly going to come out in the middle of the primary, he said. I think shes expressing a pretty widely held view of Sanders and especially some of his supporters, that theyre a negative force in the primary routinely smearing the Democratic Party as corrupt, unfairly maligning the reputations of opponents, lying about their records. Sanders grassroots supporters likewise express the sense that Clintons comments show that she looks down on them. They grate at the term Bernie Bros, which she used in her interview, especially at a time when some of Sanders most well-known supporters are women of color such as Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., greet the crowd during a rally in Venice, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo) And many feel the outrage over his supporters is manufactured. According to Google Trends, the term Bernie Bros was searched most frequently in 2016 around the Iowa caucuses, which Sanders narrowly lost to Clinton, and the New Hampshire primary, in which he defeated her by more than 20 percentage points. This year, the term has been searched most in recent days as well as immediately after he entered the primary in February. In a call with staff Tuesday, Jayapal urged Sanders campaign to stay positive and ignore attacks, according to people on the line. She said strength emerges in times of crisis, and talked about why she came to support Sanders. It remains to be seen whether or for how long the Vermont senators team can listen to Jayapal, however, when many in his world feel that they are held to a double standard. After thanking Sanders on Twitter Monday night for his apology, Bidens campaign is now texting supporters that Sanders campaign has unleashed a barrage of negative attacks and asking them to donate. Weve got to focus on beating Donald Trump, and weve got to keep our eyes on the prize, Sanders surrogate Abdul El-Sayed told POLITICO. Any conversation or argument that isnt helping us do that isnt worth any of our time. A day after the Balakot airstrike wherein Indian warplanes crossed the border into Pakistan and dropped bombs in the vicinity of Balakot on 26th February 2019, an MI-17 helicopter crashed in Budgam, where six Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel and a civilian were killed. During the incident, a 17-year-old boy emerged as a hero as he proved indispensable to the IAF with his help to save lives. Mudasir Ashraf was amongst the many villagers that ran towards the site where the helicopter had crashed and a local was also ablaze. According to Dailyhunt, Ashraf took the lead and went close to the crash site where Kifayat was still ablaze and tried to save him, but sadly, he succumbed to his injuries. Ashraf received the National Bravery Award for his courage and bravery and is the oldest out of the 22 recipients who received the awards at the Indian Council for Child Welfare. When I rushed in, I thought I was helping the pilot because I could see a man trapped under the helicopter debris. We started running as we heard two loud sounds of the blast, Ashraf said. Met this braveheart last night. Mudasir Ashraf from Kashmir has won National Bravery Award for helping IAF in rescue operation after an Mi-17 crashed in Budgam. This boy stood his ground and tried to rescue a villager who was hit by the helicopter and caught fire.#TheRealHero pic.twitter.com/fNey2jI0Wd Pratham Dwivedi (@IPrathamDwivedI) January 22, 2020 Besides helping the rescue team, consisting of various forces and the NDRF, to save as many lives as possible, Ashraf further helped them in extracting the mortal remains of the crew members who were on-board. He also showed bravery in motivating the villagers to help the Armed Forces. "I was told I had won an award. A few days later I received a letter from the post office. I am grateful to ICCW for being persistent for the two recipients [from the Valley]. I know they had a hard time tracking us, Ashraf said, referring to the internet ban in the Valley. We are proud of Mudasir for showing bravery without sparing a thought about his own life and our nation certainly needs more young men like him. Mudasir is among the 10 girls and 12 boys who received the National Bravery Award by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). Kupwara native Sartaj Mohidin Mugal, 16, and Mudasir Ashraf, 19, from Budgam are also among the awardees for performing acts of bravery in Kashmir in 2019. T he Prince of Wales met teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg following his speech in Davos. Clarence House tweeted images of Prince Charles shaking hands with the 17-year-old after his first keynote speech at the Davos World Economic Forum in 30 years. The meeting came at the annual Swiss gathering of government and business chiefs which this year has been dominated by the growing threat of climate change. Ms Thunberg told Prince Charles it was nice to meet him, adding that he must be "very used" to intense media attention. Charles replied that it had taken him years to get used to the limelight with Ms Thunberg saying she had not yet got to grips with it. The Prince of Wales later told CNN: "She's remarkable. She represents one of the main reasons why I've been trying to make all this effort all these years because, as I said, I didn't want my grandchildren to accuse me of not doing something about this in time and of course there they are. "All her generation, almost my grandchildren if you know what I mean, are all desperate because not nearly enough has happened - we've left it so late. "I've always worried about the fact that so often in terms of humanity we leave everything too late. Prince Charles and climate activist Greta Thunberg / Clarence House "So you have to hit a brick wall and experience a catastrophe before anything happens but this time, with this kind of disaster we have engineered, it takes a huge amount to turn the whole thing back to how it should be, to restore the balance." Earlier on Wednesday, Charles delivered his strongest warning on the environment yet as he told world leaders the next decade is crucial to saving the planet. In his first keynote speech, Charles urged government and business chiefs to help the private sector lead "the world out of the approaching catastrophe". The prince, who has long been known for his environmental campaigning, was pictured meeting and shaking hands with 17-year-old Greta following his passionate address. 'Your Inaction Is Fuelling The Flames By The Hour' Greta Thunberg At Davos He told leaders gathered at the Forum: "Ladies and gentleman, you all have a seat at the table as this must be the year that we put ourselves on the right track." He added: "Do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink, in trying to restore the balance, when we could have done? I don't want to. "Just think for a moment, what good is all the extra wealth in the world gained from business as usual if you can do nothing with it except watch it burn in catastrophic conditions. "This is why I need your help, your ingenuity and your practical skills to ensure that the private sector leads the world out of the approaching catastrophe into which we have engineered ourselves." He added: "We simply cannot waste any more time. The only limit is our willingness to act. The time to act is now." Charles travelled from St Gallen in Switzerland to Davos in a fully electric Jaguar I-Pace, rather than using a helicopter. He warned the world is in the midst of a crisis that "is now I hope well understood". He added: "Global warning, climate change and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced." He described his dedication to encouraging corporate, social and environmental responsibility as an "uphill struggle". But he added: "Now it is time to take it to the next level. In order to secure our future and to prosper we need to evolve our economic model." A San Antonio-based communications company that holds a hard-won, multi-million dollar contract with the city and Bexar County is now at the center of a federal corruption case in West Texas. Federal prosecutors have charged former San Angelo police chief Timothy Ray Vasquez with taking $134,000 in bribes to help Dailey & Wells Communications win contracts for first responder radio systems in San Angelo worth more than $11 million. Dailey & Wells of San Antonio and two of its affiliates made several payments to Vasquez and his wedding band, Funky Munky, after winning the contracts in 2007 and 2015, a Jan. 8 indictment alleges. Two company executives CEO Richard Wells and senior vice president Joanne Wells are prolific donors to local political candidates. Theyve given at least $166,000 to sitting city and county officials since 2014, campaign finance records show. Read what some of those local politicians who received contributions now plan on doing with the money in our subscriber story at ExpressNews.com. Two years ago, San Antonio City Council members awarded Dailey & Wells a 15-year, $106 million contract to overhaul the citys radio system for first responders, which is also in use by the fire department and the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. The city hired Dailey & Wells to build the current radio system in 2004. The new system is expected to come online in December 2021. Dailey & Wells isnt named in the indictment and none of its employees have been charged in the case. But San Angelo City Council documents show they hold the San Angelo contract. And state filings show the companys affiliation with the entities that allegedly funneled funds to Vasquez and Funky Munky. A company representative did not return a call requesting comment. Click through the gallery to see who accepted donations from Richard and Joanne Wells: Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio city government and politics. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFReports By Express News Service KOCHI: Archbishop Joseph Attipetty, the first indigenous head of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Kerala, has been proclaimed a Servant of God. This is the initial endorsement for his cause for sainthood in the Universal Church. The proclamation was made during a solemn thanksgiving Holy Mass at the St Francis Assisi Cathedral at Broadway in Ernakulam on Tuesday, the 50th anniversary of his death. The official decree declaring Archbishop Attipetty as a Servant of God was promulgated by Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil of Verapoly, the competent Ordinary of the Cause thus initiating the long process of canonical investigations into the life and deeds of the Servant of God. Archbishop Kalathiparambil also unveiled the portrait of the Servant of God and invoked a prayer for canonisation. He was a man of God, who lived an exemplary life of holiness and virtues, full of piety and spiritual grace, sanctifying the lives of the people of God entrusted to his pastoral care, said the Archbishop. A large congregation of the clergy, the religious and the faithful from the Archdiocese of Verapoly and Kottapuram diocese, which was part of the vast ecclesiastical territory under Attipettys jurisdiction, joined together in exultation singing during the Eucharistic celebrations officiated by Archbishop Kalathiparambil. Bishop Karikkassery, in his homily, recollected the contributions made by Archbishop Attipetty. Rev Job Vazhakoottathil, as master of ceremony, introduced the liturgical proceedings. A Miami judge has turned down Mexican Netflix star Pablo Lyle's petition to return home as he awaits a manslaughter trial for killing a man with a single punch during a road-rage altercation last year. In Wednesday morning's hearing, Miami-Dade County Judge Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos however did grant the 33-year-old soap actor freedom to move around on the condition he returns every night to the apartment owned by his sister and brother-in-law in Florida. Lyle was hit with manslaughter charges after surveillance video showed him punching Juan Ricardo Hernandez in the middle of a busy Miami street the afternoon of March 31. The blow sent the 63-year-old Hernandez crashing to the pavement. He suffered a fracture to the right side of the skull and internal bleeding from the fall, and was declared dead April 4 after his family gave the order to have his life support turned off. Lyle previously appeared in court January 15 asking Fernandez-Karavetsos to modify the bail conditions that would allow him to see his family in Mexico and perhaps allow him to return to work. But Fernandez-Karavetsos told the Netflix 'Yankee' actor and his legal team that there would be no guarantees that the actor would come back to Miami. According to the extradition treaty in place between Mexico and the United States, the Mexican government can decided against handing Lyle over if he purposely does not show up for his trial. Scroll down for video Mexican Netflix star Pablo Lyle (front center in court on Wednesday) has to remain in Miami and await his manslaughter trial for killing a man with a single punch during a road-rage altercation last year. A Miami-Dade County judge says there are no assurances Mexico would hand over Lyle if he decided not to return to the United States to face trial Juan Ricardo Hernandez (pictured) suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding following the March 31 road-rage incident with Mexican actor Pablo Lyle. He was declared dead four days later when his family gave the order to have his life support turned off. Miami-Dade County Judge Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos (pictured) granted Pablo Lyle roaming status with no curfew during Wednesday's hearing 'There is no assurance that Mexico would agree to return [Lyle] to the United States,' said Fernandez-Karavetsos, according the Miami Herald. Lyle has been under house arrest and wearing a GPS ankle monitor since the incident. 'The judge was very generous and allowed him to change from a very restrictive house arrest to roaming, which means he can live his life in Miami,' said Lyle's lawyer, Brian Lehr, according to Miami ABC affiliate WPLG. 'He is just restricted to sleep in the apartment, but he is able to go around and live a normal life pending trial.' In the video, the unarmed Hernandez confronted Lucas Delfino, Lyle's brother-in-law, who was behind the wheels of the SUV that allegedly cut off Hernandez on a highway. Still image from a surveillance camera shows the moment Juan Ricardo Hernandez (pictured in white t-shirt) confronts Lucas Delfino, the SUV driver, at a traffic light Lucas Delfino (left) goes back to his vehicle before Pablo Lyle (middle) rushes at Juan Ricardo Hernandez (right) Delfino then hopped out and then turned away from Hernandez when he noticed the car started to roll across the intersection. Lyle then came out of the car and rushed towards Hernandez, knocking him out. Fernandez replaced Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Alan Fine, who in August shot down Lyle's request to have the case thrown out on under Floridas Stand Your Ground immunity law. Fine then ruled that the law did not apply to Lyle because he charged at Hernandez as he was walking away and the assaulted him. Lyle has argued in court that he acted in self defense because Hernandez threatened him and his family. An appeal of Fine's decision was made. Lyle was once named on People en Espanol's '50 Most Beautiful' list in 2015. Mexican soap opera star Pablo Lyle (pictured) allegedly punched 63-year old Juan Ricardo Hernandez during a April 2, 2019 in Miami. Lucas Delfino (left) confronts Juan Ricardo Hernandez (right), as his SUV starts to roll away Kishor and Pavan Varma are two prominent JD(U) leaders who have been raising questions on the CAA-NPR-NRC. Patna: JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Wednesday challenged Union home minister Amit Shah to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the chronology that was announced to the nation. Mr Kishors tweet is significant as Mr Shah during a public meeting in Lucknow on Tuesday said that the CAA would be implemented despite ongoing nationwide protests. Being dismissive of Citizens dissent couldnt be the sign of the strength of any government. If you dont care for those protesting against CAA-NPR, why dont you go ahead and try implementing the CAA and NPR. in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation (sic), Mr Kishor tweeted. Reports also suggest that Mr Kishor in his tweet was referring to Mr Shahs earlier statement in which he had claimed that the CAA would be implemented first, followed by the NRC. In a hard-hitting reply to Mr Kishors tweet, BJP state unit spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, He has all the right to disagree, but selective propaganda on religious lines to suit the Congress style pf politics of Muslim appeasement must not be encouraged. The gazette notification to start the process of National Population Register and implement CAA is published and wont be taken back. Mr Kishor and Pavan Varma are two prominent JD(U) leaders who have been raising questions on the CAA-NPR-NRC. CLEVELAND, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Acme Express Inc., a Cleveland-based, technology development company, has been awarded a $1-million Small Business Innovation Research grant funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. The grant will enable Acme to research and develop Roll-A-Rack, a new patent-pending solar-panel racking system that reduces racking and installation costs of traditional systems by 33 percent. Similar to rain gutters, which are formed and cut on demand, roll-form machines will produce custom solar racking on site and on demand. The single-component Roll-A-Rack is significantly simpler than today's multicomponent racking systems, which require pre-ordering, shipping, inventory and assembly. Acme Express will use the grant to test and refine Roll-A-Rack. Additional research includes efficiency refinements, high-wind pressure testing and proof of an anticipated 25-year service life. "This will change the way solar panels are installed throughout the industry, making solar energy far more accessible and affordable," said Don Scipione, president of Acme Express. "Furthermore, this project harnesses a wide range of community resources and Cleveland's rich engineering and manufacturing expertise." NASA's Glenn Research Center is advising on wind uplift forces. Ohio Aerospace Institute is supporting product commercialization. BT Solar, a local solar installation company, will provide technical assistance and end-user feedback. MAGNET, a nonprofit manufacturing consultancy, is validating the mechanical design and advising on strategic business development. SDLE Research Center at Case Western Reserve University will perform accelerated weather testing. The New Tech Machinery division of Mazzella Companies will build the roll-forming machines, and Sheffield Metals International, also a division of Mazzella, will provide raw materials. The technology is being tested in Cleveland's MidTown neighborhood, with support from real estate developers J&M Real Estate Advisors, Hemingway Development and Cumberland Development. Additional testing will be performed at Ohio Aerospace Institute, Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center in Warren, Ohio, and the City of Cleveland Crown Water Plant. The Greater Cleveland Partnership is helping to identify other test sites throughout the country. Roll-A-Rack is expected to become commercially available by the end of 2020. The company is currently working with solar installers interested in evaluating cost-saving opportunities. For more information visit roll-a-rack.com. About Acme Express Acme Express, Inc. is a technology company that develops applications for the transportation, finance, education and healthcare industries. Acme is certified as a Cleveland Small Business. The company's founder, Don Scipione, an experimental elementary particle physicist, has been awarded multiple innovation grants from Ohio Third Frontier, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Research Resources, National Library of Medicine, and U.S. Department of Energy. About the Solar Energy Technologies Office The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office supports early-stage research and development to improve the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. Learn more at energy.gov/solar-office. News Media Contact Joe Mosbrook 216-375-2141 [email protected] SOURCE Acme Express Inc. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 22, 2020 Some New York state lawmakers are proposing to tax companies that glean income from consumers' data. On Tuesday, Assembly member Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach) introduced Assembly Bill A09112, which would impose a 5% tax on gross revenues of all corporations that derive income from data shared with them by state residents, and would establish a data fund to distribute the tax to residents. New York's consumers should also be able to share in the wealth that is created from their data, Pheffer Amato's memo in support of the bill states. Turn on your phone, check your email, watch TV, browse the web, drive through a toll or, talk to a friend on the phone. In all of these activities, data about our actions, behaviors, likes and dislikes, mood and feelings, purchases and choices are being recorded by a huge variety of organizations that never will inform you of the data they collect, sell and share. advertisement advertisement The bill is a companion to one introduced last year in the state Senate by David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester). Carlucci's bill was seen as a long shot. State Senator Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore) told News 12 Long Island in December that the proposed tax could keep tech companies out of the state. New York politicians aren't the only ones to float the idea of a data tax. Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested that Silicon Valley companies should pay residents a data dividend to compensate them for their information. "California's consumers should also be able to share in the wealth that is created from their data," Newsom said last February. He didn't elaborate on his proposal other than to say that California could do something bold in this space. Burkina Fasos government has declared two days of national mourning following an attack on two villages, in which at least 36 civilians were killed, in the latest violence to rock the country. A terrorist group on Monday killed 32 civilians when they attacked and burned a market in Nagraogo village before killing four more people in Alamou village, Communications Minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said in a statement late on Tuesday. Three other people were wounded in the attacks in Sanmatenga province, he added. The incidents prompted hundreds of people to flee the area and take refuge in the city of Kaya, residents told AFP news agency. Dandjinou expressed the governments consternation and anger over the attack, while President Roch Marc Christian Kabore announced a two-day period of mourning on Wednesday and Thursday during which flags will be flown at half-mast and festivals will be prohibited. Burkina Faso, as well as neighbouring Mali and Niger, has seen frequent attacks by armed groups since the start of 2015 when violence began to spread across the Sahel region. According to the United Nations, some 4,000 people were killed in attacks in the three countries last year. Many areas of the semi-arid region that have seen the most fighting are severely underdeveloped, with armed groups exploiting poverty as well as religious and ethnic divisions to recruit fighters and stoke more violence. In Burkina Faso, tensions have been particularly high between the majority and politically dominant Mossi group and the minority Fulani group. Private feuds between individuals can also play a role in the worsening security situation, analysts say. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), last year there were more than 570 incidents in Burkina Fasos conflict, with only a fraction claimed by armed groups among them, Ansural Islam, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Volunteer plan Faced with repeated attacks against civilians, Burkina Fasos government also launched an appeal for the peoples frank collaboration with security forces. On Tuesday, Parliament adopted unanimously a law allowing for the recruitment of local volunteers in the fight against armed groups. According to a document seen by the AFP, volunteers aged over 18 will be recruited in their regions in agreement with local populations. They will be given 14 days of military training, after which they will be given small arms and communication equipment. The recruits would be expected to conduct surveillance and provide information and protection for their local communities in the event of an attack while waiting for security forces to deploy, according to Defence Minister Cheriff Sy. Burkina Fasos army is ill-equipped and poorly-trained to deal with the threat posed by armed groups in the country. However, in recent months they have had a series of successes, claiming to have killed 100 fighters in operations. There are 4,500 French troops deployed in the Sahel region as well as a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Mali to fight rebel groups, backing up national forces of the regional G5 organisation Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Following the latest attack, European Commission diplomatic spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson said it was a reminder of the urgency of a plan to increase European security and development action in the region. Thoughts for the families of the victims of this new terrorist attack in a market in Burkina Faso, she said on Twitter. A leukaemia sufferer who wrote 'F**k cancer' on her face for a selfie that went viral has died aged just 28. Kathryn Cartwright went on to become an inspirational figure after making headlines with the photo in 2014. She had been diagnosed with leukaemia when she was 16 and told there was an 80 per cent chance the disease would kill her. But Ms Cartwright, from Sutton, Coldfield, defied the odds year after year, and was keen to make it to her 30th birthday. Despite being considered in remission, she passed away on January 18 from a liver infection after being unwell for weeks. It's thought she contracted the antibiotic-resistant superbug Klebsiella, which her immune system was unable to fight off because it had been devastated by cancer. Her family announced Ms Cartwright died peacefully in hospital, surrounded by her loved ones. Kathryn Cartwright became an inspirational figure since her leukaemia diagnosis 13 years ago, aged 16. She wrote 'F***k cancer' for a viral selfie in 2014 after falling from her wheelchair and bruising her face (pictured). She died on January 18, her family have announced Ms Cartwright's family revealed she had died of an 'insurmountable' liver infection caused by a superbug called Klebsiella. She had fought the bug before Her death was announced in an update on her website, which read: 'As many of you will have realised, Kathryn has been unwell and in hospital for some weeks. 'The infection in her liver returned and this time proved to be insurmountable. Kathryn died peacefully on Saturday 18 January with her family at her side.' The statement was accompanied by a drawing of Ms Cartwright on the website she called 'In one of the stars I shall be living'. Ms Cartwright had suffered from Klebsiella at least twice. The superbug infects and starts to shut down organs that it infects. In a post on her website in November, Ms Cartwright penned: 'The pain returned on the 27th of November, so we went to A&E, and essentially, the klebsiella is back. 'It is ironic that I have been trying to write a piece about how this was going to be my tenth consecutive Christmas at home, and this strikes. I am not expecting to wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning. 'I know I keep writing pieces saying that I think the end is nigh, but every single time, that is how it feels. 'This infection is going to take a long time to shift, and in the long term, there isn't really a plan yet.' The Anthony Nolan charity - for which Ms Cartwright was an ambassador - paid tribute on its website. Chief executive Henny Braund said: 'Many of us will remember fondly Kathryns strong and positive attitude coupled with a dry sense of humour; a remarkable individual who shared her own story to inspire others.' Seven years after her diagnosis, Ms Cartwright posted a shocking selfie of her bruised face after falling out her wheelchair. She is pictured at her home in Sutton, Coldfield Her death was announced in an update on her website accompanied by a drawing of Ms Cartwright on the website she called 'In one of the stars I shall be living' WHAT IS ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA? Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that starts in young white blood cells in the bone marrow. AML affects around one in 200 men and one in 255 women in the UK at some point in their lives. Approximately 19,500 new cases occur every year in the US. It is most often diagnosed in older people. Symptoms can include: Fatigue Fever Frequent infections Bruising or bleeding easily, including nosebleeds or heavy periods Weight loss Bone and joint pain Breathlessness Swollen abdomen Pale skin AML's exact cause is unclear, however, risks include: Smoking Being overweight Radiation exposure Previous chemotherapy Certain blood disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome Some immune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis AML is usually treated via chemotherapy. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be required. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement Ms Cartwright was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) in August 2007. The disease left Ms Cartwright weak and reliant on a wheelchair at times. Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells that protect the body against infections. AML - which affects around one in 200 people in the UK - is a very aggressive form of the disease because it attacks the body's defence. In the US, of all 61,780 new cases of leukaemia every year, about 21,450 will be AML, mostly in adults. Seven years after her diagnosis, Ms Cartwright posted a shocking selfie of her bruised face after falling out her wheelchair. She had written 'F*** cancer' under her blackened and bloodshot eye, an image that made headlines in 2014. Ms Cartwright had undergone three bone marrow transplants to treat her AML. The procedure replaces unhealthy blood-forming cells (stem cells) with healthy ones. The new cells travel to the inside of the bones and begin to make healthy blood cells. Each year more than 400 patients in the UK can't have this potentially lifesaving treatment because there aren't enough donors. Ms Cartwright spent years campaigning for the public to sign up for the stem cell registry so other AML sufferers can have the transplants. Her last post on her website was posted just before Christmas, on December 21. Ms Cartwright published a picture of her Christmas tree in the living room but said she would not be updating until she could type 'reliably'. She added: 'Currently I have side-effects from having one of my drugs messed about with in hospital, so I randomly shake or flail. Normal proceedings shall resume as soon as possible.' Ms Cartwright's last tweet, on January 8, said she had been in 'agony' all day but felt frustrated with her care. In a post on her website in November, accompanied with this photo, Ms Cartwright penned: 'The pain returned on the 27th of November... essentially, the klebsiella is back' Ms Cartwright had undergone three bone marrow transplants - the last of which left her fighting for her life. She is pictured after her first one in 2008 Ms Cartwright had a liver transplant when her liver failed. Her skin turned yellow with jaundice (pictured) as she was in desperate need of a new liver She wrote: 'I have been quiet all day because the bad pain has come back and the doctors have not listened to me so I have been in agony all day, waiting for different drugs, wailing and flailing, trying to find a comfortable position. What is this bug?' In her last interview with Birmingham Live, in November, Ms Cartwright talked about living with AML, including having an oxygen tank everywhere she goes. She said: 'Twelve years ago I was told you've got leukemia. 'Since then people keep telling me you're going to die and I just haven't. 'I would really like to make it to 30. 'All I really want to do now is get to 30 so I can hold a benefit party for myself so that I can hold a comedy gig to raise money for Anthony Nolan.' Ms Cartwright said she thought about death 'a lot' and said: 'It is sad but I am more concerned for my family. If I am dead I am gone but my family have to live with that. 'I've never been scared, just sad because I might not be able to say goodbye to them. 'In reality living a long life is not going to happen.' To sign up to the stem call register, click here. The OPEC+ deal has resulted in economic benefits for Russia which has seen its National Wealth Fund (NWF) double its financial reserves to US$124 billion in 2019, Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive at the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told the TASS news agency on Wednesday. Russias National Wealth Fund is a part of federal budget assets, primarily supporting the countrys pension system. Russia has been leading the group of non-OPEC producers that joined forces with OPEC at the beginning of January 2017 to reduce their combined oil production in the hope of draining down the oil oversupply and raising oil prices. Russias budget has benefited from the higher oil prices over the last couple of years since the so-called OPEC+ production cuts entered into force, top Russian officials have said. The NWF saw its reserves double from US$65 billion (4.04 trillion Russian rubles) to US$124.4 billion (7.7 trillion rubles) last year, Dmitriev told TASS today. The Russian budgetexcluding the NWFreceived an additional US$113 billion (7 trillion rubles) during the years in which the deal has been in force, he added. This largely indicates that the NWF resources through the fiscal rule have come exactly from the OPEC+ deal, increasing our reserves twofold, Dmitriev said. Related: This Emerging Oil Hotspot Threatens The OPEC Deal The investments the NWF plans for various projects of national importance are mainly the investment of extra money Russia has earned on account of the OPEC+ deal, Dmitriev told TASS. Crude oil and condensate production in Russia hit a record high for the post-Soviet era in 2019, despite Moscows key role in supporting the ongoing OPEC+ production cuts. The new record oil production shows that one of the key parties to the OPEC+ deal, and certainly the key party in the non-OPEC camp of producers in the agreement, did not comply with its share of the cuts for most of 2019. Removing condensate from the level of compliancea concession Russia won at the December OPEC+ meetingwould make Russias compliance record look more acceptable to OPECs leader and key partner in the deal, Saudi Arabia, which is pushing for all rogue producers in the pact to fall in line with their quotas. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Police in China's Wuhan Move to Quash 'Rumors' About Virus Outbreak 2020-01-21 -- Authorities in the central Chinese city of Wuhan have summoned and questioned eight people for allegedly posting "rumors" about the outbreak of viral pneumonia in the city, as experts warned the epidemic has likely spread much further than reports currently indicate. "Some internet users have been publishing and forwarding fake news without verification, which has had an adverse social impact," the Wuhan municipal police department said in a recent statement. "Eight people who engaged in illegal activities were summoned and their cases handled according to law, following a police investigation," it said. "Anyone posting information and comments online should abide by [China's] laws and regulations," the police said in a statement reported by the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper. "The police will investigate and punish anyone fabricating and spreading rumors and disrupting social order." Authorities in Wuhan have set up a prevention and control center to manage the outbreak of novel coronavirus (nCoV), as epidemiologists warned that the number of cases likely far exceeds the 270 confirmed cases reported by authorities in the city by Tuesday. An epidemiologist at Imperial College London has previously estimated that there are more than 1,700 confirmed cases in Wuhan alone, while former top Hong Kong health official Gabriel Leung said the virus has likely already spread to at least 20 Chinese cities, including Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Scientists from the University of Hong Kong arrived at the estimate by taking into consideration the air, rail and road links between Wuhan and other mainland cities, Hong Kong government broadcaster RTHK reported on Tuesday. Their estimate of current cases was similar to that of the Imperial College scientist. Rapid spread Leung warned that the outbreak seems to be developing far more rapidly than the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003 that left more than 800 dead. "[There is] a very strong sense of deja vu, except the timescale has been compressed, whereas you saw an unrecognised epidemic brewing for months since the end of 2002 up until, say, the peak of it, March, April [2003] in Hong Kong," Leung said. "Here, you're talking about the same number, but the unit is weeks." A Chinese health expert who had earlier claimed that the outbreak was "controllable" revealed on Tuesday that he caught the virus himself after visiting Wuhan to investigate the epidemic. "I was diagnosed [with nCoV]," he told Hong Kong's Cable TV. "My condition is fine." Human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi said the ruling Chinese Communist Party has huge structural problems when it comes to dealing with emergencies of this kind. "Under this autocratic regime, officials at any level of government are never held accountable to the people, only to their superiors," Xie said. "All they have to do is to sit on information and cover up the truth, because their future is determined by their bosses." "Ordinary people have no right to vote, no right to know what the government is doing, and no way of holding them accountable," he said. 'They haven't learned anything' He said the authorities had started out insisting that there had been no cases of human-to-human transmission, and that there was little to fear from the virus. "They're haven't learned anything from SARS back then, and they are continuing to cover things up," Xie said, adding that he wrote to China's National Health Commission to request full disclosure of all information relating to the Wuhan outbreak. Government health expert Zhong Nanshan said: "We now know that human-to-human transmission is happening, and we are isolating patients and their close contacts, which is the most important thing." "As long as it remains in this area and doesn't develop anywhere else, I don't think it will turn out to be similar to SARS," he said. The outbreak comes as billions of passengers head to their hometowns by plane, train or automobile ahead of Lunar New Year's Eve on Jan. 24. The Wuhan municipal party committee has already begun restricting the movements of government employees, banning them from leaving the city until the epidemic is under control. Tour groups have been canceled and police are conducting random inspections of private vehicles to limit the flow of live poultry into the city. Restrictions not effective Huang Yongxiang, a resident of the southern city of Guangzhou, said the restrictions hadn't been very effective, because many people had left the city long before the restrictions were brought in. "A lot of people have already left," Huang said, citing friends who live in Wuhan. "I asked a lot of friends about this, in Wuhan and in other cities, and they said that hardly anyone is wearing surgical masks because the government has been deleting news [about the virus], so the public has no sense of urgency." A resident of the central province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital, said people are beginning to get worried since the authorities admitted that the virus is being transmitted between people, however. "There is a sense of fear, and they have sold out of masks in some places," the resident, who declined to be named, told RFA. He said the most effective masks were now unobtainable, while the less effective ones that had previously sold for 30 yuan a box are now changing hands for ten times that amount. Reported by Tseng Yat-yiu for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Lu Xi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Zandi Shabalala LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Nigeria will lift a ban on mining in Zamfara state by the end of March after the government deployed a surveillance team to stifle illegal activity in the northwestern region, the minister of mines and steel development said. The government suspended operations in April on concerns that illegal mining was connected to a surge in banditry in the state that was the worst hit by a wave of violence that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands. "The ban is about to be lifted because a lot of genuine investors who want to come (to invest) into Zamfara state," minister Olamilekan Adegbite told Reuters during a visit to London, adding this would happen "within the first quarter". "When the ban came into effect there were a lot of investors who were already putting in money had to stop ... they are anxious to realise their investments." Adegbite said the government had deployed a "surveillance team" to quell unrest and "discourage illegal activity". But the United Nation's refugee agency said in September that worsening violence caused by organised armed groups had displaced about 40,000 people since the beginning of 2019. In June, an armed group killed at least 34 people in attacks on villages. Nigeria has largely untapped deposits of minerals including gold, nickel, tin and zinc. Some 80 percent of mining in Nigeria is carried out on an artisanal basis and gold in Zamfara is routinely smuggled out of the country illegally to neighbouring Niger and Togo. About 500 kg of gold per month is illegally smuggled out of Nigeria, Adegbite said. At current prices, this is worth about $25 million and implies millions in lost tax revenue and unpaid royalties. A Reuters analysis published in April found that billions of dollars' worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa every year through the United Arab Emirates, a gateway to other markets. Story continues The government has granted refining licences to local firms Kian Smith Trade & Co and Dukia Gold, which will have a combined capacity of 37 tonnes per year, said Adegbite. Nigeria's central bank would purchase some of the gold. (Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; editing by David Evans) Washington, Jan 22 : The AAPI Victory Fund has recently announced its formal endorsement of Democratic front-runner Joe Biden for the November presidential election in the US, as he is hugely popular with the Indian-American community, it was reported. Launched in 2015, the AAPI Victory Fund aims to mobilise Indian-Americans and other Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to participate in the electoral process. Indian-American Shekar Narasimhan, co-founder of the AAPI Victory Fund, told the India-West newspaper that the organisation had met several of the party candidates in the crowded race. "We asked the community what their priorities were and determined the top two concerns were having a candidate who can beat (President Donald) Trump and one who would listen to our community," Narasimhan said, adding that Biden was hugely popular among Indian-Americans, who gave the former Vice President the bulk of their donations in the third quarter of 2019, which was about $246,000. He said that the AAPI Victory Fund had also preferred Andrew Yang, who is Asian American, but due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East following the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in a drone attack on January 3, "we started asking ourselves 'who has the best interest of our country?'" "Joe Biden can lead this country in a way in which we gain back our sanity and our stability in the world," stated Narasimhan. The AAPI will now organise on-the-ground rallies and digital events, invest in in-language media buys, among other efforts, "to get Biden to the finish line", Narasimhan told India-West. In a statement last Friday, the AAPI Victory Fund said: "We make this endorsement with enormous respect for the three AAPI candidates and others who entered the presidential race. There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done in the next ten months, and AAPIs are more engaged than ever." "We are committed to continuing our work for 2020 victories and delivering one million new voters for Joe Biden to win the presidency and for Democrats to increase their House majority and to take back the Senate." 'Biden For President' campaign manager Greg Schultz told India-West: "We are thrilled to have the AAPI Victory Fund as a partner in this monumental task of making Donald Trump a one-term President." Hankook Tire R&D center in Daejeon / Courtesy of Hankook Tire By Nam Hyun-woo Hankook Technology Group Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sik There was just one rule for Katie Garners children when it came to sleepovers: They were all single gender. But when Garners daughter came out as a lesbian, she had to figure out if her sleepover rule was still relevant. Relations between Bezos and the Saudi government seemed to go from promising to poisoned over the past two years. After Trump picked Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip as president, and Mohammed visited the United States in early 2018, Bezoss company continued its efforts to make a $1 billion deal to build three data centers for Amazon Web Services in the desert kingdom a project that seemed to dovetail with the princes desire to expand his countrys participation in the global economy. From 40 per night 7.9 Good 340 reviews This was the best stay so far in Italy because everything needed for a B&B was above average compared to other accommodations in Italy. 1. The staffs are very generous and kind. They are in the hotel 24/7 for the guests. One of the staffs let me use hot water and forks. They also helped us with taxi service. 2. The hotel room and the bathroom are clean and delightful. The air in Rome when we stayed here was so clean and fresh as well. It was very refreshing to stay at this hotel. Sharon Osbourne has thanked her friends, family and fans for their 'outpouring of love' following news that her husband Ozzy Osbourne has Parkinson's Disease. The 71-year-old rocker announced Tuesday on Good Morning America that he is battling a 'mild form' of the progressive nervous system disorder, which affects movement. The Crazy Train artist said on he and his wife are 'taken aback' by the support they've received. Emotional: Sharon Osbourne, 67, has thanked her friends, family and fans for their 'outpouring of love' following news that her husband Ozzy Osbourne, 71, has Parkinson's Disease Speaking on her chat show The Talk, the 67-year-old television personality said that it was 'good to be with you guys, and to be with everybody here, who is a family.' Sharon continued: 'So I have a second family. I don't only have one, I have two. And just to have all this outpouring of positive reaction from everyone that watches the show, and our friends, it's heartwarming.' She said that the warm wishes from everyone have helped both she and the No More Tears artist trudge on through the troubling times. 'And I know that Ozzy will be just over the moon,' she said. 'He will be taken aback. I'm good. I feel very good. I feel very strong. People have been amazing with their outpouring of love for my husband, and I thank you.' Support: Sharon was flanked by castmates (L-R) Sheryl Underwood, Carrie Ann Inaba, Eve and Marie Osmond on Tuesday's edition of the program Beaming: Sharon said that 'just to have all this outpouring of positive reaction from everyone that watches the show, and our friends, it's heartwarming' Helping hands: Sharon, flanked by Inaba and Eve, said she has 'a second family' with her friends and co-workers She continued: 'Friends that we haven't spoken to in years have come out and supported Ozzy, and it makes me feel good. And to everyone, thank you.' Sharon said she's determined to get Ozzy - who had to postpone his tour last year - back on stage 'where he belongs. 'We're not going to stop until Ozzy is back out there, on that stage,' she said. 'It was what he was born to do.' Determined: Sharon said that 'we're not going to stop until Ozzy is back out there, on that stage' Emotional: The couple appeared on GMA Tuesday to discuss Ozzy's health battle Ozzy is currently on a host of medications, but the couple will now looking to seek treatment for him in Switzerland after exhausting the medical options in the U.S. 'I got a numbness down this arm for the surgery, my legs keep going cold,' he said on GMA. 'I don't know if that's the Parkinson's or what, you know, but that's - see, that's the problem. 'Because they cut nerves when they did the surgery. I'd never heard of nerve pain, and it's a weird feeling.' The national death toll of Australia's 2019/2020 bushfire season was 33 as of Monday, March 2, with 25 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and five in Victoria. OCTOBER New South Wales: Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwen Hyde, 68, were found in their burned out Coongbar home near Casino on October 9th. NOVEMBER New South Wales: The body of 85-year-old George Nole was found in a burnt out car near his home in Wytaliba, near Glen Innes. Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze. The body of 63-year-old Julie Fletcher was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. Barry Parsons, 58, was found in a shed at Willawarrin, near Kempsey. Chris Savva, 64, died after his 4WD overturned near burnt-out South Arm bridge, near Nambucca Heads. A 59-year-old man was founded sheltered in a Yarrowitch water tank on November 7. He died of injuries on December 29. Victoria: David Moresi, 69, died after being involved in a traffic incident while working at the at the Gelantipy fire in East Gippsland on November 30. DECEMBER New South Wales: Firefighters Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney. Samuel McPaul, 28, was battling a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, on December 30 when a 'fire tornado' caused his 10-tonne firetruck to roll. South Australia: The body of 69-year-old Ron Selth was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. NEW YEAR'S EVE FIRES New South Wales: Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega, on December 31. A 70-year-old man, named by local media as Laurie Andrew, was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola. The body of a 70-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah on the morning of New Year's Day. The body of a 62-year-old man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am on New Year's Day. A body, believed to be a 56-year-old man, found outside a home at Coolagolite, east of Cobargo on New Year's Day. An off-duty RFS firefighter, believed to be 72-year-old Colin Burns, was found near a car in Belowra after the New Year's Eve fires swept through. Victoria: Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on the morning of New Year's Day. Fred Becker, 75, was the second person to die in Victoria. He suffered a heart attack while trying to defend his Maramingo Creek home. JANUARY New South Wales: David Harrison, a 47-year-old man from Canberra, suffered a heart attack defending his friend's home near Batlow on Saturday, January 4. A 71-year-old man was found on January 6. Police have been told the man was last sighted on December 31, 2019 and was moving equipment on his property in Nerrigundah. An 84-year-old man who stayed to defend his home in Cobargo, NSW, dies in hospital three weeks after fire hit. His pet dog Bella, who stayed by his side as fires raged, was also killed in the disaster. Three American firefighters are killed when Coulson Aviation C-130 Hercules water bomber Zeus crashed while fighting fires near Cooma on Thursday January 23. They have been named as Capt. Ian H. McBeth, 44, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr, 43. On January 24, Michael Clark, 59, was found in a Bodalla home destroyed by bushfires near the NSW South Coast town of Moruya. Victoria: Forest Fire Management firefighter Mat Kavanagh, 43, was killed Friday January 3 when he was involved in a two-car crash on the Goulburn Valley Highway. Bill Slade, a 60-year-old father of two from Wonthaggi was fighting fires with Parks Victoria at Omeo when he died on January 11. He has been remembered as one of the longest serving, most experienced and fittest firefighters. South Australia: Well-known outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son, Adelaide surgeon Clayton Lang, died in the Kangaroo Island bushfire after their car was trapped by flames. In the middle of the last century, the U.S.-Russia space race launched astronaut and rocket scientist as new dream jobs for a generation. But since the start of this century, the career aspirations of teenagers have narrowed, not expanded, in spite of arguably equally dramatic technological and social changes. A new global study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finds teenagers dream jobs today are nearly identical to those in 2000, and could leave many students at a disadvantage in the emerging economy. What is striking is that most [dream jobs] are actually 19th- or 20th-century jobs. Very few aspire to 21st-century jobs by the age of 17, said Andreas Schleicher, the OECDs director for education and skills and a co-author of the study, at a discussion of the study Wednesday at the 50th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which was livestreamed via Twitter. You see the world of work becoming more diverse, but what young people cite is becoming more myopic, more concentrated. ... What we know about the future of work doesnt make its way into classrooms and experiences of young people. OECD oversees the Program for International Student Assessment, which measures the academic skills of more than a half million 15-year-olds in 79 countries. As part of the 2018 tests, PISA also surveyed students in 41 countries and economies, including the United States, about their career goals and what preparation and guidance they had been given in career-planning. Analysts found in 2018, 47 percent of boys and 53 percent of girls worldwide said they expected to work in one of only 10 jobs, a significantly higher concentration than in 2000. Both boys and girls preferred to be doctors, teachers, business managers, lawyers, architects, and police. Separately, girls also favored nurses/midwives, psychologists, designers, and veterinarians, and boys also expressed interest in becoming information technology professionals, sportspeople, and motor vehicle mechanics. Girls career goals changed somewhat since 2000, with designers, architects, and police edging out writers, secretaries, and hairdressers in the top 10 jobs. The most popular jobs among boys didnt change at all. Perhaps the world of work is just becoming more confusing, Schleicher said. In the past, most occupational types were pretty clear. Today there are new emerging jobs all the time, and people stick more closely to what they know best when the world is changing fast. He noted that even if students learn that a data scientist is a well-paying job, most have never experienced it and cant understand what one does. It highlights that we just need to do a much better job in bringing this future of work to classes of young people who do not see it. Career Mismatch Students most sought-after jobs overwhelmingly required postsecondary or even advanced degrees, but researchers found a mismatch between students career goals and their academic performance and educational plans. High-performing students from low-income backgrounds were four times less likely to aim for a professional or managerial career than wealthier high-performing students. And disadvantaged students who wanted a professional career were more likely than wealthier students to believe they did not need more than a high school diploma to get one. The focus on fewer careers and the misunderstanding of the preparation needed for different jobs meant that students often overlooked more accessible jobs in expanding fields, the OECD found. For example, students ranked a travel agent as the 65th most popular job, compared to a rating of 71 for an occupational therapy assistantboth jobs that require an associate degree. But the therapy assistant makes on average more than $60,000 a year, and demand is expected to rise 27 percent in the next decade, while economists expect demand for travel agents to shrink nearly 6 percent by 2028, and they make $21,000 less annually than the therapy assistants. More than a third of the jobs U.S. students favored are considered at high risk of being automated in the next 15 years. In the United States, as in all of the countries studied, boys and low-income students were more likely to prefer jobs in danger of being automated. Oftentimes we say, the jobs today wont exist tomorrow, but we need to also talk about what jobs will be there and be very clear, said Brittany Singh Williams, the chief ecosystem officer at Spark Education, a Jamaica-based international education development group. If you come from a socioeconomic background that does not give you a lot of opportunities, youre not going to even know what to strive for or have any role models to look to. If we limit our childrens experiences to just what happens in the classroom, then its going to make it a lot harder for them to see where they fit in the world, she said. Building Job Exposure Across the 41 countries studied, fewer than 40 percent of 15-year-olds reported taking part in any career-development activities in primary or secondary grades, the OECD found. Students who participated in job fairs, work-shadowing, and internships were more likely to be motivated to work hard at school and to see education as relevant to their future, the study found. High-performing, low-income students who participated in those activities also were more likely to say they expected to be professionals or managers. By contrast, high-performing, low-income students who researched different occupations on the Internet or completed a work questionnaire about their interests and abilities were significantly less likely to aim for professional jobs. Nick Chambers, the chief executive of the international charity Education and Employers, which matches schools with volunteers from business and other fields to improve college and career planning, argued that schools not only need to ensure students participate in more career guidance and activities, but also must start them in earlier grades. Chambers pointed to the 2018 Drawing the Future study, in which 13,000 children ages 7-11 were asked to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up and answer questions about how they had learned about the job. The childrens responses were matched to actual careers, more than 90 percent of which had been named as preferred jobs by 16-year-olds in an earlier survey in the same series. Across countries, Chambers and his colleagues found, children began to develop gender and socioeconomic stereotypes about careers as early as 7 that were visible in teenagers career preferences. Children overwhelmingly learned about their chosen job through a family member or teacher; fewer than 1 percent of children had learned about a job from someone in the career coming to their school. If you live in a middle-class family and your children go to a friends house, a lot of those will be professionals. Theyll be surrounded by really interesting people and it will just be normal. But if youre not in that network, how do you know? Chambers said. Unless people make the effort to go into schools when students are at a young age, those kids will start ruling out options. Its not about career advice in primary [grades]; its about bringing the world to life. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 FORT COVINGTON, N.Y. -- A man in a car stopped for speeding suffered a heart attack while running from troopers and later had a car tire shot out by the trooper, according to New York State Police. The names of the cars passenger and driver and the troopers names have yet to be released. On Saturday at 8 p.m., troopers tried to stop a car for speeding on State Route 37 in Fort Covington, according to state police. The driver did not stop the car, so troopers pursued it, police said. On Frye Road, the driver stopped the car and a passenger in the car ran from troopers, police said. Police later found that the passenger suffered a heart attack while running from his car on Frye Road, according to police. A trooper fired his gun toward the left rear tire of the car to try to stop it, according to police. Troopers then chased the car being driven by the man for another four miles, police said. Police have yet to file charges against the men and state police are still investigating the incident. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. At least five women labourers were killed and six others injured after a speeding car mowed them down in Odisha's Sundargarh district on Wednesday, police said. The accident took place when, at a sharp turn in Ramabahal, the car jumped the road divider and ran over a group of women engaged in some work before ramming into an SUV. While two women died on the spot, doctors declared three others dead on arrival when all the injured were taken to Rourkela Government Hospital, its Chief Medical Officer S Kabi Satpathy said. The car, which was going towards Rourkela from Sundargarh, and the SUV were carrying three occupants each. These six injured persons were sent to a hospital at Rajgangpur, Satpathy said. Both the vehicles were badly damaged. Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Rajgangpur, BK Nanda said a board informing people about the ongoing work on the road had been put up at the spot where the accident occurred. "Investigation is in its preliminary stage. Police are yet to ascertain the circumstances that led to the accident," he said. Meanwhile, local people including relatives of those killed demanded adequate compensation for those killed in the accident. Unconfirmed reports said the car was carrying a patient in it and was going to Rourkela at a very high speed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu in Davos. The sides hailed the successful development of bilateral friendly and brotherly relations and underlined that the bilateral ties were expanding in all areas. The role of high-level meetings between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey in strengthening relations was emphasized. The importance of globally significant projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Turkey was stressed. USAA employees Tuesday saw their annual bonus decline for the fifth straight year, most likely because of 2019s severe weather and an onslaught of customers damage claims. The San Antonio insurer and financial services company awarded workers a 14.5 percent bonus for 2019, down from the 14.8 percent bonus for 2018. This years performance pay is the smallest since 2008 when employees received a 13.5 percent bonus. The peak bonus over the last decade was 18.8 percent in 2012. The companys annual bonus announcement, made both internally and externally, almost has become a public rite. For USAA workers, its the moment they know exactly how much extra theyll have for vacations, their childrens tuition or credit card payments. For San Antonio workers whose employers dont provide bonuses well, its at least nice to think of what theyd do with thousands in extra cash. USAA didnt provide an explanation for the most recent drop in its bonus, but 2019 marked the fifth consecutive year the United States registered at least 10 weather and climate events with at least $1 billion in losses. There were 14 such events last year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. From 2016 through 2018, USAA said it had annual catastrophe-related claims surpassing $2 billion. The company didnt provide figures for 2019. On ExpressNews.com: April hailstorm still causing hassles for Dominion homeowners Eligible workers receive the annual bonus as a percentage of their base salary. USAA has about 35,000 employees, including 19,000 locally, making it one of San Antonios largest employers. Under USAAs compensation program, a staffer who earns a $50,000 base salary will receive a $7,250 bonus for 2019. In 2018, the bonus was $7,400 bonus for the same base salary. The latest bonus amount represents a 2 percent dip from 2018. One reason USAAs bonuses receive so much public attention is the number of big companies that award annual incentives is tiny. Overall, the percentage of U.S. adult workers who receive cash profit-sharing was 38 percent in a 2018 survey by the University of Chicago, CNN reported. The median payout was $2,000, or 5 percent of pay. So whether its envy or just plain curiosity, USAAs announcement always sparks a lot of local interest. In the past, USAA has said that while the bonus is part of its payment structure, its not guaranteed. Nevertheless, the bonus serves as an effective tool in recruiting strong job applicants and retaining employees. The bonus is one part of USAAs benefits package, which it said ranks in the 90th percentile of its industry. It said employees also are eligible for an extra paycheck in December each year and company-matched retirement contributions of up to 8 percent of pay, among other benefits. The company is a mutual association owned by its members, who received $2.4 billion in distributions, dividends, bank rebates and rewards last year. Thats up from $1.8 billion in 2018. Last year was one of major change at USAA. It unexpectedly announced last month that CEO and President Stuart Parker would retire at the end of next week after about five years in the post. Hell be replaced by longtime executive Wayne Peacock, who served the past three years as president of the Property & Casualty Insurance Group. Peacock will become the first chief executive without a military background to lead the company in its nearly 100-year history, though USAA has trumpeted his more than 30 years of experience across all of its business lines. On ExpressNews.com: USAA names Wayne Peacock to replace Stuart Parker as CEO USAA revealed in November its selling a controlling stake in USAA Real Estate Co. to current management and a private investment group for an undisclosed amount. The company manages about $30 billion in real estate. In July, USAA completed the sale of its asset management business to Victory Capital Holdings in a deal valued at $850 million. The deal included USAAs portfolio of 47 mutual funds and six exchange-traded funds. That same month, USAA announced it would sell its investment management, including brokerage and managed portfolio accounts, to the Charles Schwab Corp. for $1.8 billion. The deal for USAA Investment Management Co. assets is expected to close this year, pending regulatory approvals. USAA has said the changes are part of an evolution to a simpler, more efficient company focused on our businesses of auto and homeowners insurance, banking and life insurance. Meanwhile, USAA Federal Savings Bank took heat from regulators last year. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last January directed the bank to pay a $3.5 million penalty and $12 million in restitution to settle charges that it violated banking laws. The following month, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, issued a cease-and-desist order against USAA Bank for engaging in unsafe and unsound practices. The OCC found the banks internal controls and information systems did not comply with certain guidelines. In 2019, we served members with excellence, increased financial strength and addressed regulatory concerns, USAA spokesman Matt Hartwig said in an email. The company offers insurance and financial services to members of the military, veterans and their families. It had about 13 million members at the end of 2019, up from about 12.8 million members at the end of 2018. The bonus for 2019 was announced at an employee meeting hosted by Parker on Tuesday at USAAs headquarters. Our employees are the heart and soul of USAA, and I am proud of the way we unite to deliver the military community, Parker said in a statement. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox USAAs board reviews annual results in several areas, including financial strength, employee productivity and how well the company delivers on its mission, to gauge corporate performance and calculate the bonus. The (bonus) score is evidence of the high standards we hold ourselves to, as well as employees commitment to members and to a stronger USAA in the years to come, Hartwig said. The maximum performance bonus nonexecutives and nonmanagers can earn in any given year is 20 percent under the scoring system USAA uses. The privately held company will release 2019 financial results in April, but said its net worth rose more than $4.5 billion to $35 billion last year. USAA officials view the figure the difference between the companys assets and liabilities as one measure of its financial health and strength. Also Tuesday, Fortune magazine ranked USAA as 24th on the list of the worlds most admired companies the same spot it held a year ago. USAA was just behind consumer products company Procter & Gamble but just ahead of investment management company BlackRock Inc. Apple Inc. topped the list. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD If the presidential election were today, only about 37 percent of Pennsylvanians would vote for President Donald Trump, according to a new poll focusing on four battleground states which may well decide the 2020 election. About 47 percent of Pennsylvanians would vote for the Democratic candidate (the poll didnt name one) challenging Trump, according to The Baldwin Wallace University Great Lakes Poll. The poll found a good chunk of Pennsylvania voters - 16 percent - were undecided. The New York Times published a lengthy profile on Sunday of a company called Clearview AI that has developed a breakthrough facial recognition app reportedly being used by more than 600 law enforcement agencies across the US. The Times feature, entitled The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It, is part of a renewed effort within the US political establishment for the adoption of legislative regulation of facial recognition technology that is increasingly and ubiquitously being used by law enforcement. According to the Times, Clearview AI has been adopted by local police departments, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security because of its extraordinary ability to determine within minutes the identity of any individual from a single uploaded photo. The Clearview app returns publicly available photos that match the uploaded photo of the individual along with links to the locations on the internet where the public photos appeared. The Times explains, The systemwhose backbone is a database of more than three billion images that Clearview claims to have scraped from Facebook, YouTube, Venmo and millions of other websitesgoes far beyond anything ever constructed by the United States government or Silicon Valley giants. Clearview AI promo graphic showing how its facial photo database is many magnitudes greater than other police databases According to the report, there are two aspects to this Clearview backbone. The first is a program that crawls the internet and social media platforms, scrapes every face image it can find and records its location. The second is the facial recognition algorithm that converts each face image into a vector face profilethe mathematical relationships within facial geometry such as the distance between the eyes, the distance between the nose and the chin, etc.and stores these profiles into the searchable database. On a barebones website, Clearview AI offers marketing language to explain that the system is for law enforcement and is a technology that helps solve the hardest crimes. The site also includes a Request Access form for prospective police users to sign up for a login. According to the Times, police departments are encouraged to sign up and try the system with a 30-day free trial. Clearview marketing materials obtained by the New York Times through a public-records request in Atlanta The Clearview Facts portion of the marketing information seeks to cover up the invasive and unconstitutional activities of the service by reassuring the public that the system only searches the open web for everyones photos. It says, Clearview is an after-the-fact research tool. Clearview is not a surveillance system and is not built like one. This dubious explanation ignores the fact that the act of gathering every publicly available facial photo of every person and enabling the state to scan through these photos at will is a gross violation of Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. One of the more frightening revelations of the Times report is that Clearview is developing an interface between the facial recognition app and augmented reality glasses. In theory, such a technology would enable law enforcement to walk down the street or into a crowd or demonstration and every person encountered would be identified in their field of vision in the same way that Facebook tags friends in photos posted to its social media platform. As is now standard operating procedure from the Pentagon and CIA on down to local sheriff and police departments, the assault on democratic rights is justified by the need to help to identify child molesters, murderers, suspected terrorists, and other dangerous people quickly, accurately, and reliably to keep our families and communities safe. Clearview also says that it has been certified as 100% accurate across all demographic groups according to the ACLUs facial recognition accuracy methodology. According to the Times report, Clearview AI was founded in 2016 by Hoan Ton-That, who was born in Australia and moved to Silicon Valley in 2007. Ton-That had been involved in several unsuccessful internet startups before he met Richard Schwartza former aide to Rudy Giuliani when he was mayor of New York City between 1994 and 2001and shortly thereafter founded the company. Through Schwartz, Clearview AI secured Silicon Valley investment funds of $7 million from billionaire Pay-Pal cofounder Peter Thiel, a prominent supporter of President Donald Trump, among others. Schwartz was also instrumental in leveraging his connections with Republicans to help promote Clearview and present it to police departments across the country. According to police detectives interviewed by the Times, the Clearview solution is superior to other facial recognition and biometric databases currently available to law enforcement because it contains far more facial images in its database. Plus, users claim, the software can find the identity of individuals from imperfect photos because the algorithm doesnt require photos of people looking straight at the camera. According to one example provided by the Times, the police department in Clifton, New Jersey identified shoplifters, an Apple Store thief and a good Samaritan who had punched out a man threatening people with a knife, during its free trial use period. Frankly, some of the claims made by the company and the users of the Clearview technology sound more like corporate promotional hype than facts. In any case, it is apparent that several economic and political trends are driving forward the massive development of facial recognition technology and its increased use by the state. A basic Google search of facial recognition solutions yields dozens upon dozens of companies that are offering biometric identification systems with various features from surveillance to access control to hardware systems, software systems, database management and analytics. With the explosion of big data and artificial intelligence technologies for business and government, enormous financial resources are being invested in various facial recognition technologies with the expectation of fantastic returns. According to some estimates, the market for facial recognition systems will reach $7 billion by 2024 and, more generally, AI technologies will reach $126 billion by 2025. At the same time, the intensification of the class struggle and the growing use of encrypted communications by the public has driven the state into the more aggressive deployment of biometric tools such as facial recognition technologies as a primary means of building up the surveillance apparatus. If the claims about the performance of technologies like Clearview AI are true, the ability of law enforcement to retrieve the identity of anyone within seconds of capturing a photo of them represents a new level of encroachment on the democratic rights of the public. Like the New York Times, many of the critics of the use of facial recognition tools including the ACLU, accept the use of the technology by the state with the proviso that there be laws governing its use and standards of accuracy established. The timing of the Times article, in fact, coincided with the third facial recognition hearing in the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee on January 15. The hearing took testimony from nongovernment and government technology experts on the state of the technology and was once again preoccupied with the subject of race and gender bias in face recognition algorithms. None of the speakers called for the use of facial recognition by the police and military to be stopped immediately. Typical of the outlook of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, Rep. Gerry Connolly (Democrat from Virginia) said, Were going to have to really grapple with what are the parameters of protecting privacy and controlling the use of this technology? Irrespective of its accuracy, there are intrinsic concerns with this technology and its use. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make a deal in the Middle East and that could become a reality if he is reelected, according to a Dubai property magnate. "In my view, most of the people in the region are tired of war," Hussain Sajwani, chairman of Damac Properties, told CNBC's Hadley Gamble Tuesday. "I think there is a good chance of peace happening, a deal happening in the second term of Trump if he gets elected." In 2018, the U.S. withdrew from a 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. Tensions between the two countries ratcheted up in early January after an American airstrike killed Iranian top military commander, Qasem Soleimani. After Tehran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq, both sides appeared to step back from further military escalation. "I genuinely think he wants to make a deal," Sajwani said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "I think if Trump gets elected for a second term, he will make a deal." However, it "depends on the other side" as well, he said in reference to Iran. "My gut feeling is I don't think there'll be a deal this year. I think Iran is going to take a long time to make a deal," he said. "I think they're under pressure, they may want to make a deal." By Joseph Menn and Raphael Satter SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.N. experts have demanded an immediate investigation by U.S. and other authorities into allegations that Saudi Arabia's crown prince was involved in a plot to hack the phone of Amazon boss and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. The U.N. special rapporteurs, Agnes Callamard and David Kaye, said on Wednesday they had information pointing to the "possible involvement" of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the alleged 2018 cyberattack, which preceded alleged threats by the National Enquirer to publish intimate photographs of the billionaire tech tycoon. Callamard, the special rapporteur for extra-judicial killings, and Kaye, special rapporteur for free expression, said in a statement that they believed the hack was carried out "in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia" and called for an "immediate investigation by U.S. and other relevant authorities." Their recommendation is not binding, and how quickly - if at all - U.S. officials might act on it was not immediately clear. The Wall Street Journal said an FBI investigation into the hack was ongoing. The bureau declined to comment. Saudi officials dismissed the allegations as absurd. The rapporteurs based their call for an investigation on a 17-page forensic report drawn up by Washington-based FTI Consulting, which a source familiar with the matter said had been commissioned by Bezos. The report alleges with "medium to high confidence" that the billionaire's iPhone X was hijacked by a malicious video file sent from a WhatsApp account used by the crown prince on May 1, 2018. The report, a copy of which was first published by Motherboard, said that within hours of receiving the video file there was "an anomalous and extreme change" in the device's behavior, with the level of outgoing data from the phone jumping nearly 300-fold. Story continues FTI Consulting said in an email that its work was confidential and it would not comment further. KHASHOGGI KILLING The allegations could further damage relations between Bezos and Riyadh and risk harming the kingdom's reputation with foreign powers and investors. Amazon.com Inc declined to comment. The hacking is said to have taken place months before the October 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the crown prince. The CIA believes that Prince Mohammed ordered the killing of Khashoggi, sources told Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-cia/cia-believes-saudi-crown-prince-ordered-journalists-killing-sources-idUSKCN1NL2P4 weeks later. He was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by Saudi agents and his body dismembered. Prince Mohammed, or MbS, said last year that the killing was carried out by rogue operatives and that he did not order it. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud dismissed the allegations of the prince's involvement in any phone hack of Bezos. "I think 'absurd' is exactly the right word," he told Reuters in an interview in Davos. "The idea that the crown prince would hack Jeff Bezos phone is absolutely silly." Saudi Arabia's U.S. embassy also dismissed the allegations. "We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out," it said in a message posted on Twitter. On Twitter, Bezos published a photograph of himself at a service for Khashoggi with a single word: "Jamal." SPYWARE SUSPECTS The special rapporteurs, who released their findings in a statement, report to the United Nations Human Rights Council but are independent watchdogs and not U.N. officials. They stopped short of identifying which specific technology might have been used in the alleged hack, but said software like that made by Israeli company NSO Group or Italian spyware maker Hacking Team could potentially have been deployed. NSO denied its technology was used in the alleged hack. "We know this because of how our software works and our technology cannot be used on U.S. phone numbers," it said. "Our products are only used to investigate terror and serious crime." After a merger last year, Hacking Team is now part of Swiss-Italian cyber intelligence firm Memento Labs. Memento Labs' head, Paolo Lezzi, was not immediately available to comment but has previously said he has no knowledge of Hacking Team's former operations. NATIONAL ENQUIRER The alleged hack deepens the intrigue around how the Enquirer - which had close links with U.S. President Donald Trump at the time of the alleged extortion - obtained messages exchanged between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, an ex-TV anchor who the tabloid said he was dating. Last year Bezos' security chief said the Saudi government was the source of the messages. A month before, Bezos had accused the Enquirer's owner of trying to blackmail him with the threat of publishing "intimate photos" he allegedly sent to Sanchez. All this took place as Trump - who has closely allied the United States with bin Salman - was clashing with Bezos and the Washington Post in public. "So sorry to hear the news about Jeff Bozo being taken down by a competitor," Trump gloated https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1084627451983073280 on Twitter as news of the clash between Bezos and the Enquirer went public. Trump also took the opportunity to take a shot at the Post: "Hopefully the paper will soon be placed in better & more responsible hands!" The Saudi government has denied having anything to do with the National Enquirer's reporting. The Guardian newspaper first reported the crown prince's alleged involvement in the phone hacking targeting Bezos. (Additional reporting by Hesham Abdul Khalek in Cairo, Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco and Kevin Krolicki in Davos; Writing by Pravin Char; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Tom Brown) Femi Otedola, won the Philanthropist of the decade award Peoples Choice, at the Thisday newspaper awards 2020 held in Lagos on January 20th. The billionaire attended the award with one of his daughters, Dj Cuppy. In November 2019, Otedola had donated a whooping N5 billion to his daighter;s foundation, the highest donation ever made by an individual to charity in Nigeria. He dedicated the award to the millions of children in the areas of conflict who have no food to eat or secured a future. His speech I would love to dedicate this award to the millions of children out there who are in the areas of conflict, who have no food to eat, who are not guaranteed of the future. I pray to God Almighty that he would bring succour to these children and I want to also say a few things about the N5 billion I gave to Save the Children for the children of the North East. When I sold one of my businesses, my majority shareholding in Forte oil, I woke up one day and I said to myself I am 57 years old and for me, the age for the departure lounge from this world is 85 so I now said I have only 28 years left. Out of the 28 years, of course I sleep 10 hours a day, so I said most likely if God permits me like our father Chief Adebanjo, I would have 12 years awake. I said Okay and then called my CFO, she said Sir, you have sold the business, one of the arms of the business, in 5 months you have N5 billion interest. I said okay, we will give it to charity. She looked at me Sir and was like what did you say? I now had a meeting with my family. I think one of my children said to me Papa you are giving out our inheritance. I said I have done my best for you kids, giving you the best education, so you go run with that. I thank you very much he said Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the CPI(M) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP over its public outreach programme in the Union Territory, saying "the move to parachute 36 ministers is a propaganda in panic mode as the party has failed on every count throughout the country". "What is the need for the BJP ministers to visit J&K when the government claims everything is normal? Reality is that they want to sell Kashmir's 'normalcy' and 'all is well' story for those in mainland India who are ignorant about Kashmir's ground realities," senior CPI(M) leader and former legislator M Y Tarigami said in a statement here. Reacting to the statement of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in Srinagar that his government's "outreach programme is aimed at resolving all the issues" confronting people in Jammu and Kashmir, he said the visit is "nothing but a hoax". "Did the BJP government assess what has befallen on people of J&K after abrogation of Article 370? How the economy of J&K got shattered due to its misadventure," Tarigami said, adding that the abrogation of Article 370 was an "assault" on the Constitution of India. In the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 provisions and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into UTs in August last year, the Centre launched a major week-long public outreach programme on January 18 to aware people about the benefits of the move and to disseminate information about the implementation of its policies and programmes for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. "If the BJP claims that its misadventures will bring development to J&K, let it put its report card for last six years in Parliament. Since 2014, the BJP is in power and what it has done for the development of J&K?" the senior CPI(M) leader said. He said the political activities of all other parties other than the BJP have come to a standstill in J&K for the last six months. "Almost all the political leaders are either under detention or their activities have been restricted. In such a situation, parachuting Union ministers to J&K and trying to project all is well theory is nothing but a sham," the CPI(M) leader said. He said internet services continue to remain snapped and the BJP claims its ministers would make aware people about schemes of the central government. "The parachuted ministers are inaugurating those projects which had been sanctioned before 2014," Tarigami said, adding "Where was the BJP government and its ministers when horticulture in Kashmir and agriculture in Jammu suffered massive losses due to heavy snowfall in the Valley in November and rainfall in Jammu?" "Why did the BJP government forget about development that time when farmers of J&K were crying?" he asked and said almost three months have passed since, but even proper assessment of losses has not been done so far. He claimed that the people are eking out a tough existence in Kashmir. "Daily wagers are not able to find work to feed their families. Thousands of businesses cannot pay their staff or keep them on their rolls. 'Shikara-walas' (boatmen) of Dal Lake, pony-walas of Gulmarg, handicraft sellers and hoteliers, their staff and their suppliers are facing the worst crisis since last August (when Centre abrogated the Article 370 and announced the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two UTs)," Tarigami said. "More than the losses to the economy, job loss due to clampdown on internet services and restrictions is more worrying. According to a recent report of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, present disruption has resulted in loss of jobs of lakhs of people while J&K economy suffered losses worth thousands of crores," he said. The former MLA said the snowfall in early November caused losses worth thousands of crores to horticulture sector. "Education sector has been worst affected as most of the schools, colleges and universities remain shut since early August last year," the CPI(M) leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Members of the 14th Chinese military medical expert team are awarded the "Peace Knight Medal" by the Cambodian Defense Ministry at a ceremony on the afternoon of January 21. By Mao Pengfei and Gao Bingnan PHNOM PENH, Jan 22 -- The 14th Chinese military medical expert team sent by the Naval Military Medical University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to Cambodia were awarded the "Peace Knight Medal" by the Cambodian Defense Ministry at a ceremony on the afternoon of January 21. At the ceremony, deputy director of the General Administration of Logistics and Finance of the Cambodian Defense Ministry conferred the medals and certificates of honor on the five Chinese military medical experts including Li Ling, Qin Wenxing, Sun Guangyuan, QiuYiqing and Zhang Dan. Lieutenant General Ly Sovan, director of the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital, the general hospital of Royal Cambodian Army, said that the Chinese experts and the Cambodian doctors jointly established a multidisciplinary team for trauma treatment, participated in the diagnosis and treatment of more than 800 cases of craniocerebral, chest, spine, abdominal and urinary system diseases and advanced tumors, guided the treatment of more than 100 cases of acute, difficult and critical cases as well as almost 200 surgeries. All these have significantly improved the capability of the hospital to diagnose and treat in various disciplines and the level of comprehensive hospital treatment, said Lieutenant General Ly Sovan. Li Jingfeng, military attache of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia, said that China and Cambodia are close and friendly neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners. Medical assistance plays an important role in China's assistance to Cambodia and is an important part of the exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and Cambodian militaries. As of press time, the 15th PLA medical expert team has arrived in Phnom Penh on January 21 and will carry out a one-year medical assistance mission soon. NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / TGI SOLAR POWER GROUP INC. (OTC Markets:TSPG) ("TGI"), a diversified technology company, today announced that it has received an order for 2,500 FireFly ESV Essential Service Vehicles. The FireFly ESV vehicles will be used in the Ukraine for traffic control, as well as for a wide variety of utility functions. TGI estimates this contract to be valued at approximately $50M, with all accessories and services expected to be provided. Final numbers will be available when the actual FireFly ESV vehicle configurations and services required are determined. TGI and ev Transportation Services ("evTS"), provider of the FireFly ESV vehicle, will work diligently to establish a presence in Europe, leveraging established relationships developed by TGI Management. evTS will be responsible for engineering and new vehicle designs, while TGI is responsible for business development, sales, marketing, financing and working with the local workforce. The initial hub for TGI's operations in Europe is being established in Kiev. TGI CEO Henry Val traveled to Ukraine in December with ADOMANI CEO & CFO (OTC Markets:ADOM, a leading company in the EV industry) to met with various Ministries and Municipal Agencies to discuss establishing a presence in the country to manufacture EVs and components for electric vehicles, as part of Ukraine's push to electrify vehicles in the coming years Henry Val stated "This is one of many milestones for TGI's soon to be established European Division in the Ukraine. We feel that by securing and fulfilling this first order in the near future with the various branches of Ukrainian local and municipal governments will create a lifelong partnership which in essence is an excellent first step for TGI. This will bring stability and steady revenue to the company and create significant shareholder value. This is one of many steps that we have been working on. Stayed tuned. We will keep you updated on our new developments, as they become available". About ev Transportation Services, Inc. ("evTS"), http://evtaas.com. evTS' mission is to become premier company in the fleet management solutions business through the design and development of energy efficient all-electric utility vehicles for the "Essential Services" transportation market, providing tightly integrated vehicle connectivity. About ADOMANI. ADOMANI, Inc. is a provider of zero-emission electric drivetrain systems for integration in new school buses and medium to heavy-duty commercial fleet vehicles, as well as re-power conversion kits for the replacement of drivetrain systems in combustion-powered vehicles. ADOMANI is also a provider of new zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership, and helps fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology and address the challenges of traditional fuel price cost instability and local, state and federal environmental regulatory compliance. For more information visit www.ADOMANIelectric.com About TGI Solar. TGI SOLAR POWER GROUP INC. is a diversified holding company. TGI's strategy is to acquire innovative and patented technologies, components, processes, designs and methods with commercial value that will give competitive market advantage and generate shareholder value. For more information please see www.otcMarkets.com under ticker symbol "TSPG", and visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TGISolarPower/ Safe Harbor Statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1965: Those statements contained herein which are not historical are forward-looking statements, and as such, are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual operating results to materially differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, certain delays that are beyond the company's control, with respect to market acceptance of new technologies, or product delays in the testing and evaluation of products, and other risks, as detailed in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further info: INFO@TGIPOWER.COM 917-353-5099 SOURCE: TGi Solar Power Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573851/TGI-Secures-Estimated-50m-Contract-For-2500-Firefly-ESV-R-Vehicles BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Your choice of clothing could affect the behavioral habits of wildlife around you, according to a study conducted by a team of researchers, including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. Lindsey Swierk, assistant research professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University, collaborated on a study with the goal of seeing how ecotourists could unintentionally have an effect on wildlife native to the area. Swierk and her team went to Costa Rica to conduct this study on water anoles (Anolis aquaticus), a variety of the anole lizard. "I've studied water anoles for five years now, and I still find myself surprised by their unique natural history and behavior," Swierk said. "One reason water anoles were chosen is because they are restricted to a fairly small range and we could be pretty sure that these particular populations hadn't seen many humans in their lifetimes. So we had a lot of confidence that these populations were not biased by previous human interactions." The researchers went to the Las Cruces Biological Center in Costa Rica. To collect data, they visited three different river locations wearing one of three different colored shirts: orange, green or blue. The study's focus was to see how these water anoles reacted to the different colors. Orange was chosen because the water anole has orange sexual signals. Blue was chosen as a contrast, as the water anole's body lacks the color blue. Green was selected as a similar color to the tropical forest environment of the testing site. "Based on previous work on how animals respond to color stimuli, we developed a hypothesis that wearing colors that are 'worn' by water anoles themselves would be less frightening to these lizards," Swierk said. The results of the study supported that hypothesis, with researchers with orange shirts reporting more anoles seen per hour and a higher anole capture percentage. Despite predicting the result, Swierk said that she was surprised by some of the findings. "It was still very surprising to see that the color green, which camouflaged us well in the forest, was less effective than wearing a very bright orange!" Swierk said that one of the biggest takeaways from this study is that we may not yet quite understand how animals view the world. "We (both researchers and ecotourists) need to recognize that animals perceive the world differently than we do as humans," said Swierk. "They have their own 'lenses' based on their unique evolutionary histories. What we imagine is frightening for an animal might not be; conversely, what we imagine is non-threatening could be terrifying in reality." Swierk hopes that these results may be used within the ecotourism community to reduce impacts on the wildlife that they wish to view. She said that more research needs to be done before this study can be related to other animals with less-sophisticated abilities of color perception, such as mammals. Swierk collaborated with Breanna J. Putman, Department of Biology at California State University at San Bernardino; and Andrea Fondren, undergraduate researcher in the Iowa State University Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology. The paper, "Clothing color mediates lizard responses to humans in a tropical forest," was published in Biotropica. ### Cruise unveiled Tuesday evening a "production ready" driverless vehicle called Origin, the product of a multi-year collaboration with parent company GM and investor Honda that is designed for a ridesharing service. The shuttle-like vehicle branded with Cruise's trademark orange and black colors has no steering wheel or pedals and is designed to travel at highway speeds. The interior is roomy, with seats that face each other, similar to what a traveler might find on some trains. Each seat is meant to accommodate the needs of an individual, with personal USB ports, CTO and co-founder Kyle Vogt noted during the presentation. Digital displays are located above, presumably to give travelers information about their rides. The doors dont hinge outward, Vogt added. Instead, he said, "they slide open, so bikers are safer." Splashy looks aside, the Origin is meant to show Cruise's muscle and intent to deploy an autonomous ridesharing service at scale. When and how that will happen are the important questions left unanswered. cruise inside CEO Dan Ammann stressed that the vehicle is not a concept, but instead is a production vehicle that the company intends to use for a ridesharing service. However, don't expect the Origin to be on public roads anytime soon. The driverless vehicle doesn't meet U.S. federal regulations known as FMVSS, which specify design, construction, performance and durability requirements for motor vehicles. For now, the Origin will be used on private, closed environments such as GM facilities in Michigan or even Honda's campus outside of the U.S., Ammann said in an interview after the presentation. Cruise Origin Cruise unveiled Origin, a driverless shuttle designed for ridesharing. Ammann also emphasized the low cost of the vehicle, which he added is designed to operate 1 million miles. "We've been just as obsessed with making the Origin experience as inexpensive as possible," Ammann said while onstage. "Because if we're really serious about improving life, and our cities, we need huge numbers of people to use the Cruise origin. And that won't happen unless we deliver on a very simple proposition, a better experience at a lower price than what you pay to get around today." Story continues GM will manufacture the vehicle, although Ammann wouldn't provide more details on where except to say "you'll find out in a couple of days." He did say that the vehicle will be produced "for roughly half the cost of what a conventional electric SUV costs today." The reveal offered more clues about Cruise's hardware development, which has been growing in the past 18 months under the leadership of its vice president of hardware, Carl Jenkins and Brendan Hermalyn, director of autonomous hardware systems. The vehicle is outfitted with what Vogt called an "owl," a hybrid sensor assembly that seems to combine camera and radar. The team responsible for developing the "owl" was at the event, and seen posing for photos long after the presentation had ended and most revelers had left. Northern Ireland's political parties are exploring ways to reverse a 1,000 pay rise given to MLAs after power sharing was restored. MLAs' pay increased from 49,500 to 50,500 with the return of power sharing. The increase had been put on hold with the suspension of devolution. However, following public anger several MLAs said the pay rise was wrong, with some saying they will give the extra money to charity. DUP and Sinn Fein said they were exploring options to see if pay rise can be returned. The SDLP said all its MLAs would donate the money to charity while the UUP and Alliance said it was a matter for individual MLAs. Read More Sinn Fein MLA Michelle O'Neill tweeted: "MLAs pay is set by an independent body, not by MLAs. "MLAs had no input into this decision, nor did they seek it. Given that the assembly has just been restored this is unjustifiable and should not be paid." DUP MLA Diane Dodds, who is the Minister for Economy, told Good Morning Ulster that she had "no idea" that the pay rise was coming. "I think whoever thought that this was a good thing to do at this particular juncture is way of the mark. I don't think folk out there will understand in any sense how it is sensible to have a pay rise for people who sit in an institution who hasn't met for three years." Read More The DUP and Sinn Fein released statements yesterday saying MLAs' pay is set by an independent body and not by MLAs, and that members of the Assembly had not sought the pay rise. TUV MLA Jim Allister said: "I completely understand why there is such public anger. The timing of this pay rise is inappropriate. "MLAs haven't been functioning in all regards for three years. Yet 10 days after they return to work, they secure a salary increase. While it is not of their making, it is immensely embarrassing." People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, who vehemently opposes the pay rise, said it was a "slap in the face" to nurses who had to take to picket lines over pay and working conditions they faced. The Belfast Telegraph has again contacted each of the political parties to ask them their position on what MLAs should do with the extra money. A Sinn Fein spokesperson said the party was opposed to the increase. "Given that the assembly has just been restored this increase is unjustifiable. Sinn Fein will not accept it," the spokesperson said. We are actively exploring options for stopping this pay rise. If thats not possible then we will see if this money can be returned to public funds or donated to charity. The DUP said it was "totally opposed to this pay rise in light of the very recent restoration of the Assembly. "The DUP supports the concept that pay levels should be entirely independent of any MLA input." "We are currently examining options to see whether this rise can be returned and if not then it is the view of our members that they will not keep any additional salary but instead support local causes." An Alliance Party spokesperson said: "Charitable donations are a personal and private matter for individual MLAs and not something on which Members generally comment publicly." "MLA pay is set by an independent body to ensure MLAs don't control their and their staff pay and conditions. "The rise is a result of the Independent Financial Review Panel determination and not a decision for MLAs. Any reasoning for the rise needs to be explained by the panel. "We are not happy with the timing or content of this increase but it is not within our gift to refuse it unless sole control of salaries and office cost allowances is returned to MLAs, and that would be a retrograde step in terms of public confidence." A SDLP spokesperson confirmed that each of its 12 MLAs have taken the decision to donate their pay increase to a number of charities. A spokesperson said: MLA pay and office costs should not be determined by Assembly members and it's right that an independent body is responsible for reviewing these matters. This pay increase, however, is poorly judged and even more poorly timed. SDLP MLAs have each decided to donate this salary increase to a charity of their own choice. The SDLP will also make representations to the Independent Pay Review Body urging them to consider public confidence in the political process when making future awards." An Ulster Unionist spokesperson said: MLAs didn`t seek this pay rise and the timing of its announcement further undermines the perception of politics in the eyes of the public. It is down to individual MLAs what they do with the pay rise. In the next 10 days, there will be 5,000 more protest sites like Shaheen Bagh across the country, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad said on Wednesday evening as he reached the iconic demonstration spot in south Delhi to extend his support to the women protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens. IMAGE: Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad holds a copy of the Constitution during the ongoing protest against NRC and CAA at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo Addressing a massive gathering, the Dalit leader said the Citizenship Amendment Act is a 'black law' that is dividing people on religious lines. "I congratulate those who have participated in this protest. This is not just a political agitation. We have to save the Constitution and unity of the nation," he told the women who have been staging a sit-in against the CAA for more than a month now. Aazad said even the record-breaking cold has not been able to break the will power of the women. The protesters, singing Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Urdu poem Hum Dekhnege before Aazad's arrival, got charged as he reached the venue. Holding the Constitution, he said, "I promise you that in next days there will be at least 5,000 Shaheen Baghs across the country." His visit to Shaheen Bagh comes a day after a Delhi court modified the conditions imposed on him while granting him bail. He was arrested last month for giving "inflammatory speeches" during an anti-CAA protest at Jama Masjid here. The court allowed him to visit Delhi for medical reasons and election purposes. It also directed Azad to register his presence to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Fatehpur police station in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, every Saturday for four weeks and on the last Saturday of every month. Meanwhile, with the Supreme Court giving four weeks to the Centre to respond to pleas challenging the CAA, protesters at Shaheen Bagh said they too are eager to put forth before the judges their point of view on how unconstitutional the amended citizenship law is. Tasmin Bano, a resident of Shaheen Bagh who has been coming to the demonstration site along with her one-year-old daughter Umema since the protest began, said they will not move from the spot unless the CAA is revoked. "We have heard the Supreme Court has given time to the Centre and till that time they would not stay the CAA. We are also ready to prove our version and can tell the court how unconstitutional this law is," Bano said. Alexender Fleming, a protester who was holding the Bible, said listening to only one party is not the way of solving an issue. "They (the other petitioners) also need to be heard and we are ready for that. We have full faith that we will prove our stand on how anti-constitution this law is," he said. The Supreme Court made it clear on Wednesday that it would not stay the operation of the Citizenship Amendment Act without hearing the Centre and said a five-judge Constitution bench would decide the validity of the amended law. Seeking response of the central government in four weeks on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue. Tanvir Akhtar, a software developer who comes to the site everyday after work, said there are already 100 Shaheen Baghs across the country. "Till the time the law is not revoked, the protesters will not move an inch," he said. Zeba Qasi, another protestor and local, alleged that the government is trying to 'demean' this protest. "We all are here. We have come here for our rights and want the government to amend this. We have heard that 'Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai, hum sab hai bhai bhai'. If you will remove Muslim from this, then the poem will not be completed," she said, rebutting the charges that protesters at Shaheen Bagh are being paid. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Lifestory Research 2020 America's Most Trusted Kitchen Appliance Study, consumers are becoming more concerned with the brand name of appliances in their kitchen, in addition to efficiency and quality. Solitary brands are capturing and dominating the trust of people across multiple different appliance segments within home kitchens, reflecting a changing condition in which the brand name is at the forefront of the purchase decision. Bosch ranks highest in trust among kitchen appliance brands according to Lifestory Research 2020 America's Most Trusted Kitchen Appliance Study. The Bosch brand happens to be the most trusted in all kitchen appliance product categories measured in the study including refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher brands. The annual study examines trust among residential customers actively shopping for a specific kitchen appliance. More than 30,000 consumers throughout the United States participated in the study in which they reported how much they trust different brands within each category measured. "We found in our 2020 study that Bosch is the brand that people trust the most when shopping for kitchen appliances," said Lifestory Research President Eric Snider. "When people are evaluating the merits of purchasing a new home, or when they are actively looking to replace the appliances in their kitchen, they tell us that brand matters. In the case of kitchen appliance, we find that product features and functionality are falling behind the brand name when it comes to how people shop." America's Most Trusted is an annual study performed by Lifestory Research in which over 30,000 opinions are collected each year to identify the brand's people trust the most. Trust is measured through the Lifestory Research Net Trust Quotient Score which identifies customers that are trust advocates and trust antagonists. America's Most Trusted Dishwasher Brand In the Lifestory Research 2020 America's Most Trusted study, consumers indicated their level of trust among the most recognized brands in the category. Study participants responses identified 8 brands that were widely known and recognized among people who indicated that they were actively considering a new dishwasher for their home. Trust was measured with the Lifestory Research Net Trust Quotient Score which measures the trust people hold of brands in multiple different product categories. Scores are standardized across more than 300 brands and product segments included in the study, and then rank ordered within each segment. As the 2020 Lifestory Research America's Most Trusted Dishwasher brand, Bosch produced a Net Trust Quotient Score of 117.1. The other top trusted dishwasher brands in order included (2) Maytag, (3) Whirlpool, (4) KitchenAid, and (5) Samsung, followed by LG, Kenmore, GE, Frigidaire, and Amana. The 2020 ranking is based on 12,253 opinions of people surveyed between January and December in the United States who indicated they were actively shopping for a dishwasher. America's Most Trusted Microwave Brand The Lifestory Research 2020 America's Most Trusted Microwave brand is Bosch. As the 2020 Lifestory Research America's Most Trusted Microwave brand, Bosch received the 5 Star Trust Rating with a Net Trust Quotient Score of 113.2 among people actively shopping for a new microwave. The most trusted microwave brands, in order, were Bosch, Cuisinart, KitchenAid, Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, Frigidaire, Panasonic, Amana, Sharp, Westinghouse, Oster, and MagicChef. The 2020 ranking is based on 11,304 opinions of people surveyed between January and December in the United States who indicated they were actively shopping for a new microwave. To be considered, brands needed to receive enough survey responses to achieve a 95% confidence level with no more than a 3% margin of error. If a brand had a low brand awareness and did not have enough brand judgments, it was excluded from the national rankings. America's Most Trusted Refrigerator Brand The Lifestory Research 2020 America's Most Trusted Refrigerator brand is Bosch. Bosch received the highest Net Trust Quotient score (111.6) and earned the #1 ranking of most trusted refrigerator appliance brands in the 2020 Lifestory Research America's Most Trusted Refrigerator Study. The most trusted refrigerator brands, in order, were Bosch, Maytag, Samsung, and Whirlpool. Other brands in the study included KitchenAid, LG, GE, Kenmore, Frigidaire, and Amana. The 2020 ranking is based on 13,364 opinions of people surveyed between January and December in the United States who indicated they were actively shopping for a new refrigerator. About the America's Most Trusted Study America's Most Trusted is a consumer-based research program based on the opinions of thousands of people actively shopping products. To identify America's Most Trusted, Lifestory Research conducts an ongoing annual survey in which people anonymously assess the trust they have in brands they encounter during their active search for specific products. Lifestory Research surveys people using well established social science research practices that seeks to adhere to the highest quality standards of consumer insight. America's Most Trusted is a registered trademark of Lifestory Corporation. About Lifestory Research Leaders, companies, and brands know that great ideas are only useful if they move people toward action. Lifestory Research is an independent, science-driven consumer insights and strategy consulting firm that ignites relationships between companies and their audiences. We are passionate about customers, employees, brands and the science of influence. We use quantitative and qualitative research to create customer insights, drive innovation, deliver brand strategy, and move people forward. America's Most Trusted is a registered trademark. No advertising use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of Lifestory Research. Learn more. #mostrustedbrands For more information, please visit www.lifestoryresearch.com SOURCE Lifestory Research Related Links http://lifestoryresearch.com All of which illuminates the miracle of Shostakovichs Symphony No. 13, which offers not a simplistic message about genocide but a complex one, encompassing horror, rage and aspiration. Muti brings forth this range of emotion not only by ensuring that the vocalists whisper as well as roar, but also by the colors he draws from the orchestra. When the CSO strings swell, when the brass ignite shattering staccato chords, when the percussion seem to make the room tremble, we are hearing a virtuoso orchestra providing vivid commentary. As Indians, we take great pride in our diversity and culture. fbb Indias fashion hub celebrates this Diversity through a special campaign curated to commemorate the countries 70th Republic Day. The fashion brand has designed an exclusive collection of, Scarves that are inspired from the Indian National Flag. For a country of many faces, many styles, many cultures and many expressions, there is no one way of expressing your patriotism. Hence, fbb is celebrating this diversity with a symbol as versatile as the Indians themselves - The Tricolor Inspired Scarf. Through the campaign social media influencers, youth and activists who have been contributing to the society will share their ways of wearing their patriotism on the digital platform. Using Tik Tok as a platform fbb has created a special rap that will connect instantly with the younger audience. Sharing his views on the campaign Mr. Pawan Sarda, CMO, Future Retail says, As a country, we are blessed to have a diversity like no other nation. 70 years now, India has come a long way and is still rooted to its culture. Wear your patriotism is a simple campaign that gives each one of us a way of showing our love towards our country. This campaign is also a small gesture of supporting the Indian army who guard us 24/7 because of which we live minute with a smile. fbb has a wide range of scarves that are designed with tricolors; for both men and women. The new collection is available at all fbb stores in the country. All sales proceedings from the scarves will be handed over by fbb in support of the Indian Army. Labour left-winger Rebecca Long-Bailey admitted she had no Tory friends in Parliament today - and would be 'angry' if her mates voted for Boris Johnson. The Corbynista candidate to replace Jeremy Corbyn as party leader made the admission as she insisted she was an 'outgoing' and 'warm person'. The Salford and Eccles MP's admission in a BBC interview has echoes of comments made by Laura Pidcock, the former Labour MP who lost her seat in December's election. In 2017, the then MP for North West Durham gained notoriety for saying she could not be friends with Tories because they were the 'enemy'. In the interview with the broadcaster tonight, Ms Long-Bailery also claimed that Labour had 'a great set of policies' at December's election - which saw Boris Johnson win an 80-seat majority - but failed to sell them well enough. Asked if she had any Tory friends outside of politics she said: 'I'm sure I have ... I've got a group of friends who aren't political, who we don't talk about politics because you kind of don't talk about politics with your non-political friends, and I bet you they've not voted Labour all their lives, probably voted for all sorts of different people.' She then joked: 'I don't know is the question (sic). They wouldnt tell me if they did because Id be angry.' Interviewer Laura Kuenssberg then asked if she had any Tory friends in politics and she replied: 'Not really, no ... but I'm friendly to everyone. The Corbynista candidate to replace Jeremy Corbyn as party leader made the admission as she insisted she was an 'outgoing' and 'warm person' Laura Pidcock, the former Labour MP, gained notoriety in 2017 for saying she could not be friends with Tories because they were the 'enemy' Ms Long-Bailey, was later asked how she would describe herself, replying: 'I am outgoing, friendly, I'd like to think I was a warm person. 'The reason that I'm in politics is because I want a better world where we respect each other and we love our communities and treat people as we expect to be treated - and that's a mark of who I am as a great human being.' Earlier one of Ms Long-Bailey's leadership rivals became embroiled in a heated row with former prime minister Tony Blair after she tore into his years in power. Wigan MP Lisa Nandy used a media interview this morning to claim the 'consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years' under Mr Blair and then Gordon Brown. Her comments are likely to spark fury among moderate Labour supporters and will be seen as an attempt by the leadership outsider to curry favour with Jeremy Corbyn-backing activists and those on the soft-left of the party. But they also prompted Mr Blair to hit back, with a spokesman saying: 'Any assertion that the last Labour government was a continuation of the Thatcher era is bad politics and worse history. '1997-2010 saw huge improvements in Britain's public services, with millions lifted out of poverty and radical changes made to the lives of many, for the better.' It came as Ms Nandy became the second MP through to the final round of Labour's leadership battle today. The straight-talking Wigan MP added the support of the Chinese for Labour group to add to backing from the GMB and NUM unions to make it onto the ballot of members in March. She follows favourite Sir Keir Starmer through, with Ms Long-Bailey expected to follow - but Emily Thornberry is struggling to get enough support. SUTHERLAND, Australia Throughout Australias devastating fire season, one Facebook page has rallied an angry public like no other, with more shares and comments than anything coming from the prime minister or the countrys largest environmental groups. That page belongs to Craig Kelly a former furniture salesman who has spent a decade in Parliament setting himself up as the climate-change denier in chief. Now, in Australias dark hour, Mr. Kelly has found his moment. As the country fears it is being condemned to a fiery future by heat and drought, Mr. Kelly has been gathering and goading a right-wing tribe under the banner of posts that shout in all caps: Bushfires have nothing to do with climate change or Beware of climate alarmists: Everything they tell you is a lie. Mr. Kelly, 56, insists that he is just trying to protect everyday Australians from higher energy prices and lost jobs in coal and other industries. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought direction from Supreme Court that if the convict in the death sentence case, wants to file mercy petition, it would be mandatory to do so only within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of death warrant issued by the competent court. The MHA also further sought a direction from the Apex Court that it would be permissible for the death convicts to file curative petition after the rejection of review petition only within a time to be stipulated by this Court and not thereafter. It sought that the Supreme Court should clarify/modify its common final judgment of January 21, 2014, passed in a writ petition. It also sought a direction from the apex court to mandate all the competent courts, State Governments, prison authorities in the country to issue death warrant of a convict within seven days of the rejection of his mercy petition. The MHA also stated that this court should make a direction that to execute the death sentence within seven days thereafter irrespective of the stage of review petition/curative petition/mercy petition of his co-convicts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 22, 2020] 13 Fairfax County-based Companies Make Forbes Ranking of 'America's Best Employers for Diversity 2020' Thirteen Fairfax County companies rank among the top 500 on Forbes magazine's third annual America's Best Employers for Diversity for 2020. The list recognizes 500 companies across all industries that demonstrate a dedication to diversity and inclusion. The Fairfax County-based businesses account for half of the 26 companies on the list from the Washington, D.C., area. Fairfax County also has more companies on the list than 38 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. "The workforce today - and the workforce of tomorrow - want to see a commitment to diversity and inclusion by employers, and it is a testament to these Fairfax County companies' efforts to attract talented employees from all backgrounds and walks of life that they are part of this impressive national ranking," said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. The Fairfax County-based businesses represent a broad range of industry sectors. One of the companies on the list, Mars, Incorporated, is a global manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products, and a provider of pet-care services. "Mars is dedicated to inclusion and diversity across our U.S. business," said Brad Figel, vice president of public affairs at Mars, Incorporated. "We value each of our associates and are committed to fostering an environment where everyone is comfortable being their full selves at work." Here are the Fairfax County companies on the new Forbes "America's Best Employers for Diversity" list: Rank Company Industry 51. Navy Federal Credit Union Financial services 54. Booz Allen Hamilton (News - Alert) Technology consulting 91. SAIC (News - Alert) Technology consulting 282. Hilton Worldwide Hospitality 302. Capital One Financial Financial services 316. Northrop Grumman (News - Alert) Aerospace and defense 355. Mars Food products 368. Five Guys Restaurants 436. CGI (News - Alert) Group Technology consulting 441. Volkswagen Group of America Automotive 447. Gannett Media 455. Leidos Technology consulting 500. Bechtel Engineering and construction In addition, the top-ranked company on the list, SAP (News - Alert), has operations in Fairfax County. An additional firm, Nestle, is based in neighboring Arlington County. Forbes developed the rankings in partnership with market research firm Statista. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA maintains business investment offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. The FCEDA is a member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, which promotes and markets Northern Virginia outside the region. Other members of NOVA EDA are the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Arlington County, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park and the Prince William County Department of Economic Development. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005731/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The gift also creates the Lomax KIPP Scholarships, a unique, debt-free financial aid program for graduates of KIPP, the Knowledge is Power Program, a nationwide network of high performing public schools in underserved communities. Lomax KIPP Scholarships are named in honor of Michael L. Lomax, CEO and President of United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and a longtime distinguished advocate and inspiration for African American students seeking higher education. "We are grateful to Martha and Bruce Karsh for their transformative investment and support of our students and our vision to create a diverse workforce of highly-skilled scholars equipped to take on careers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math," said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA. "When we created this program, with the support of the Board of Trustees, we envisioned building a model program to demonstrate how higher education can serve as a pipeline to diversify STEM fields nationally, but we knew it wouldn't be sustainable without external resources. This gift will ensure that Howard can train the nation's brightest students who desire to obtain their Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. for generations to come." The Karshes' gift will support the overall KSSP graduate scholarship and ensure its future viability to fund cohorts of approximately 30 scholars per year. The announcement arrives just as applications for the fourth cohort are streaming in prior to the Jan. 30 application deadline. "We are excited to endow this visionary program at Howard," said Martha and Bruce Karsh. "Simply put, we believe education, expertise and research in STEM fields will define mankind's future, and we are proud to be able to help Howard attract and support the best and brightest students for its already renowned program." According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Howard University is the No. 1 baccalaureate institution of African American science and engineering doctorate recipients. Each year, the STEM program attracts hundreds of competitive high school students who are interested in careers as research scientists, surgeons, policy makers and corporate leaders. Scholars selected for the program receive a scholarship that covers 100 percent of the tuition and fees associated with attendance. The program provides an inclusive learning environment to challenge students, through rigorous coursework, mentorship and immersion experiences. "Thanks to this generous gift, the Karsh STEM Scholars Program will realize its full potential to cultivate a workforce pipeline of talented students from underrepresented communities who are well equipped to become leaders in the global STEM community," said KSSP Program Director Ronald Smith. The Karsh Family Foundation was founded in 1998 by Bruce A. Karsh, Oaktree Capital Management co-founder and co-chairman, and his wife Martha L. Karsh, an attorney and designer. The Foundation's philanthropic focus and mission is educational equity and opportunity; to date, it has made gifts and pledges of approximately $250 million to support education and scholarship at all levels. "We are inspired by Dr. Lomax's passion to remove all obstacles for underserved students, and his relentless passion to advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)," said Martha and Bruce Karsh. "We share his vision of creating a more equitable and affordable education system from preschool to graduate school, and we are proud to honor his name with this scholarship at an institution as prestigious and historically significant as Howard University." Martha Karsh serves on the board of the KIPP Foundation along with Dr. Lomax, where together, they have collaborated to secure scholarships and other educational support for KIPP graduates and African American students. The Lomax KIPP Scholarships help make college more accessible to deserving students and is unique in that it promises a debt-free education for its recipients. "Thank you, Martha and Bruce for helping to build a pipeline of KIPP students to HBCUs and for believing as I do that 'a mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in,'" said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF. Two Lomax KIPP Scholarships will be awarded each year. Each scholarship will cover the gap between financial aid and the cost of attendance, ensuring students have full coverage to graduate debt-free in four years. The first recipients will be selected this spring, entering Howard University in fall 2020. The gift also designates on campus support for all KIPP alumni at the university. Currently, 53 KIPP graduates are enrolled at Howard University. "We are filled with gratitude for the continuous support the Karsh family, Dr. Lomax and Howard University have given to our KIPP students," said Richard Barth, CEO of the KIPP Foundation. "This scholarship and our partnership with Howard will ensure more KIPP students have access to a phenomenal college education and the opportunity to pursue their passions." KIPP surveys show that, at HBCUs like Howard, KIPP alumni report a stronger sense of belonging and stronger health outcomes, and are more likely to have a mentor and to seek out academic supports than students at non-HBCUs. And, KIPP's early data indicates that KIPP alumni enrolled in HBCUs experience higher 1st to 2nd year persistence rates than peers with similar academic backgrounds enrolled in other colleges. The Karsh gift will fund a shared on-campus persistence advisor for KIPP students; a program that makes a significant difference in the success of first-generation college students. In addition, this donation establishes Howard University as one of almost 100 college partners for KIPP. Applications are currently being accepted for the fourth cohort of the Karsh STEM Scholars Program at Howard University. The deadline to apply is Jan. 30. Interested and qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit the Karsh STEM Scholars Program website https://karshstemscholars.howard.edu. About Howard University Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu. About UNCF and Dr. Lomax Founded in 1944, UNCF, which is the nation's largest scholarship provider to students of color and was founded on the principle of providing equal access to higher education, has always held true to its mottoA mind is a terrible thing to wasteover time, raising $5 billion to help more than half a million students graduate from college. UNCF annually awards 10,000 scholarships$100 million a yearto deserving, students, often the first in their families to go to college. Since 2004, under the leadership of Dr. Lomax, UNCF has raised more than $3 billion and fought for college readiness and education reform through partnerships with reform-focused leaders and organizations and worked to further advance HBCUs with Congress, the administration and the Department of Education. Before joining UNCF, Dr. Lomax was president of Dillard University in New Orleans and a literature professor at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. He serves on the boards of the KIPP Foundation, America's Promise, the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of African American History and Culture and the Studio Museum in Harlem. About KIPP KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 242 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll 100,000 students in all grades from Pre-K through high school. Nationwide, KIPP students complete their bachelor's degree at a rate comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average for students from low-income families. Media Contact: Alonda Thomas, [email protected] SOURCE Howard University Related Links http://www.howard.edu INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Eric Holcomb will join state legislators and students for a breakfast celebrating Indiana's K-12 educational choices on Wednesday, Jan. 29. One of Indiana's most prominent events during School Choice Week, the Quality Education Celebration will take place 7:30-9 a.m. at the Conrad Hotel. Besides giving policymakers, parents, and students a unique opportunity to discuss how educational choice has impacted them, the breakfast will reveal the winning submissions to a school choice video contest hosted by the Institute of Quality Education. The winning videos will be shared at the event and student winners in attendance will be honored. At 8:15 a.m., Gov. Holcomb will present the official Indiana School Choice Week proclamation and deliver remarks on the state of education in Indiana. Attendees will enjoy a photo opportunity with the governor following his speech. The Quality Education Celebration breakfast is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "We look forward to our Quality Education Celebration each year during National School Choice Week as it brings together state lawmakers, students, parents and educators from all over Indiana and all types of schools to hear firsthand the positive impact that Indiana's robust and diverse school choice environment is having on tens of thousands of Hoosier students," said Betsy Wiley, president of Institute for Quality Education. "Today, we share directly with policymakers the importance of strengthening our educational choice policies and programs." The legislative breakfast is organized by the Institute for Quality Education, an organization that seeks to improve the quality of education for all Indiana students. The Conrad Hotel is located at 50 W. Washington St. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/indiana. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 13:29:47|Editor: zh Video Player Close DAVOS/WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday lavished praise on his country's "economic boom" in the Swiss resort of Davos, in a bid observers say to deflect attention from the ongoing impeachment trial against him in Washington. "The United States is in the midst of an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen before," Trump said at the World Economic Forum, in remarks that resemble a stump speech at a domestic campaign rally. He referred to high job creation numbers, low unemployment rates, growing workers' wages and other factors to show that "America is winning again like never before." Trump's trip to Davos came as the impeachment case against him was moving on in the U.S. Senate, where the impeachment trial formally kicked off on Tuesday, with the chamber beginning to debate rules guiding the process. On a separate occasion in Davos, the U.S. president once again lashed out at the impeachment process, saying "that whole thing is a total hoax." In the eyes of many analysts, Trump's emphasis on the economy was aimed at taking the focus off the impeachment trial. "Trump's best card in the United States and around the world is the strong economy," Darrell West, a senior fellow with Brookings Institution, a think tank, told Xinhua. "He argues that his stewardship has been strong and delivered great economic news," West said, adding that Trump sees this as a "way to make the argument that none of the other controversies matter much." Experts overwhelmingly predict that the Republican-dominated Senate will acquit the president, with many believing that the trial will cause no major impact on the November elections. "My guess is that it fades into the background and just becomes one more Trump scandal," Christopher Galdieri, an assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua, noting "that doesn't mean zero impact." The accumulation of controversies has kept Trump's approval ratings in mediocre territory, Galdieri said, adding that any other president, amid an economy this strong, would be "cruising to re-election." Meanwhile, others painted a not-so-rosy picture of the U.S. economy. After the central bank's policy meeting in December, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell noted that although household spending has been strong, supported by a healthy job market, rising incomes and solid consumer confidence, "business investment and exports remain weak, and manufacturing output has declined over the past year." A panel of professional forecasters recently surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics estimated that the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth would slow from 2.9 percent in 2018 to 2.3 percent in 2019. (L) Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the Time 100 Summit event on April 23, 2019, in New York. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images) (R) Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks during the fourth U.S. Democratic presidential candidates 2020 election debate in Westerville, Ohio, U.S., Oct. 15, 2019. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) Tulsi Gabbard Sues Hillary Clinton for Defamation Over Alleged Russian Asset Smear Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) filed a lawsuit against former Secretary of State and 2016 contender Hillary Clinton, claiming the former first lady and secretary of state defamed her by suggesting last year that shes is a Russian asset. Clinton deliberately and maliciously made false statements in an attempt to derail Rep. Gabbards campaign, by alleging that Gabbard is a Russian asset, Gabbards campaign said in a news release on Wednesday. Clintons office has not responded to a request for comment on the lawsuit. The lawsuit noted that in October, Clinton publicly said that somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary [is a] favorite of the Russians Yeah, shes a Russian asset. The comment was widely interpreted as Clinton referring to Gabbard. The lawsuit (pdf), which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is seeking compensatory damages and an injunction that bans the further publication of Clintons comments. Tulsi Gabbard is running for President of the United States, a position Clinton has long coveted, but has not been able to attain, the suit reads. In October 2019whether out of personal animus, political enmity, or fear of real change within a political party Clinton and her allies have long dominatedClinton lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard. Clinton made the comments during a podcast appearance on Campaign HQ with David Plouffe. She said Republicans were grooming a Democratic presidential candidate for a third-party bid and also said the candidate is a favorite of the Russians. She didnt specifically identify Gabbard. Theyre also going to do third party. Im not making any predictions, but I think theyve got their eye on somebody whos currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate, Clinton said at the time. Shes the favorite of the Russians, they have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far, and thats assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not, because shes also a Russian asset. Yeah, shes a Russian asset, I mean totally. They know they cant win without a third-party candidate, Clinton said. When asked if Clinton was referring to Gabbard, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill later told CNN: If the nesting doll fits A nesting doll is a Russian toy thats also called stacking dolls, Matryoshka dolls, Russian Tea dolls, or Babushka dolls. This is not some outlandish claim. This is reality. If the Russian propaganda machine, both their state media and their bot and troll operations, is backing a candidate aligned with their interests, that is just a reality, it is not speculation, he said of Clintons statements. But on Twitter, he attempted to clarify Clintons remarks: Folks, listen to the podcast. She doesnt say the Russians are grooming anyone. It was a question about Republicans. Folks, listen to the podcast. She doesnt say the Russians are grooming anyone. It was a question about Republicans. Cc:@VanJones68 https://t.co/xU7WAob0Ve Nick Merrill (@NickMerrill) October 19, 2019 Following the remarks, Gabbard went on the offensive against Clinton and made a number of politically charged accusations. She also demanded that Clinton retract her statement. Her suit is also claiming that Clinton made the comments with obvious malicious intent, causing harm to Gabbards campaign and American democracy as well. Gabbard seeks to hold Clinton, and the political elites who enable her, accountable for distorting the truth in the middle of a critical Presidential election, according to the filing. Although Rep. Gabbards presidential campaign continues to gain momentum, she has seen her political and personal reputation smeared and her candidacy intentionally damaged by Clintons malicious and demonstrably false remarks, Brian Dunne, a partner at Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP, said in a statement to NBC about the lawsuit. Reports said Gabbard is seeking around $50 million in damages. US president Donald Trump threatened to impose high tariffs on imports of cars from the EU if it doesnt agree to a trade deal. Mr Trump has previously made threats to place duties on European automobile imports, with the intent of receiving better terms in the US-Europe trade relationship. He has delayed imposing the tariffs a number of times. I met with the new head of the European Commission, whos terrific. And I had a great talk, Mr Trump told CNBCs Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. But I said, look, if we dont get something, Im going to have to take action, and the action will be very high tariffs on their cars and on other things that come into our country. Former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen succeeded Jean-Claude Juncker at the end of 2019 as president of the commission, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Mike Manley, head of European car industry lobby group Acea, said businesses need certainty and hoped that a clash with Mr Trump could be avoided. If you look at president Trumps track record I think he is incredibly serious, said Mr Manley, who is the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler. If the parties involved approach those discussions in a serious manner it will be possible for an amicable conclusion to be reached. An escalation of the tariffs is not to the benefit of anyone. The US has also threatened duties of up to 100% on French goods, from champagne to handbags, because of a digital services tax that Washington says harms US tech companies. Mr Trump told CNBC that the EU has to make a deal on trade. They have no choice, he said. In an interview in Davos with Fox Business News, he said the tariffs on EU cars could amount to 25%. Ultimately, it will be very easy because if we cant make a deal, well have to put 25% tariffs on their cars, said Mr Trump told Fox Business Maria Bartiromo in an interview . The US struck a phase 1 trade deal with China last week, soothing some of the worries which have hampered the world economy in recent times. Asked if a trade pact with Britain could come next, Mr Trump told CNBC he is ready to make a deal with British prime minister Boris Johnson. Boris and I are friends, and he wants to make a deal, and thats OK with me, he said. Mr Johnson has said that one of the main advantages of being outside the EU would be the ability for Britain to negotiate its own trade deals, including with the US. -Reuters A 63-year-old Northborough man facing human trafficking and rape charges for allegedly preying on drug-addicted women was employed at a Worcester college and has been a foster parent, according to officials. John B. Clayton IV turned himself in to Massachusetts State Police on Tuesday morning. He was the target of a two-year investigation by the Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit, with assistance by Northborough and Worcester police. Clayton targeted and exploited women who were drug-addicted, engaged in prostitution, isolated from support and had very little financial means, according to a statement from state police. The offenses occurred between 2015 and 2019, according to the Worcester District Attorneys office. The district attorneys office said Clayton has taught at both the high school and college level. Earlier today John Clayton IV of Northborough was charged in Worcester Superior Court with a number of serious criminal charges. Mr. Clayton was employed periodically as an adjunct instructor at Quinsigamond Community College since 2015, but is no longer employed by QCC in any capacity," the college wrote in a statement. "As there is an active criminal investigation underway, all inquiries concerning this matter should be directed to the District Attorneys Office. WHDH News and NBC 10 News reported that Clayton was formerly a teacher for the Worcester Public Schools. Officials said Clayton was formerly a foster parent. Due to state and federal privacy requirements, DCF cannot provide any information," a DCF spokeswoman said. During Claytons arraignment, prosecutor Courtney Sans said that Clayton would reach out to women on social media and offer to help them beat their addiction. Instead, he forced them into sex, offering money and marijuana in return, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported. Clayton pleaded not guilty to seven counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude, two counts of rape and two counts of intimidation of a witness. Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr. ordered Clayton held on $15,000 cash bail. If he posts bail there are conditions that he stay on GPS monitoring with home confinement, have no contact with any victims in the case and surrender his plots license and passport, the district attorneys office said. Officials said Clayton was out of the state when indictments were handed up against him last week. He returned to Massachusetts Tuesday and turned himself in. Clayton is slated to return to court Feb. 27. Google's chief executive Sundar Pichai addresses the audience during an event on artificial intelligence at the Square in Brussels, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020. Google's chief executive called Monday for a balanced approach to regulating artificial intelligence, telling a European audience that the technology brings benefits but also negative consequences. Read more The hottest trend among Silicon Valley executives is embracing regulation. As long as the rules are written on their terms. Sundar Pichai, the new chief executive of Googles parent company, Alphabet, was the latest tech titan to jump on board: He wrote in the Financial Times on Monday that theres no question in my mind that artificial intelligence needs to be regulated. "There are real concerns about the potential negative consequences of AI, from deepfakes to nefarious uses of facial recognition," Pichai wrote. "While there is already some work being done to address these concerns, there will inevitably be more challenges ahead that no one company or industry can solve alone." The op-ed, which was released the same day that Pichai gave a policy speech in Brussels, signals that Google wants a seat at the table as Europe aims to develop legislation that would address ethics in artificial intelligence. Pichai said he was open to sensible policies that take a proportionate approach to weigh the potential risks of AI against its social benefits. Europes privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, could serve as a model for AI-specific rules, Pichai proposed. Pichais public outreach is a sign of how far the tech industrys relationship with regulators around the globe has shifted due to techlash. Companies, after years of simply not engaging with regulators, have accepted regulation is coming no matter what -- and are actively working to shape the debate so they can live with the results. Pichai has plenty of company: Apple chief executive Tim Cook took this tack in influencing the global privacy debate, calling on policymakers to focus on the shady practices of data brokers and free tech services that suck up peoples data. Microsoft president Brad Smith has called for facial-recognition regulation to ensure that there are guardrails to limit surveillance or bias. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg published a carefully crafted op-ed last year, calling for multiple forms of regulation as an alternative to breaking the company up. Pichais call for AI regulation was panned for being short on specifics. After all, its just a first step to say its time for regulation. Its an entirely different challenge to determine what specifically such regulations entail. But Pichai did make clear that one of his top priorities in the AI debate is ensuring theres international alignment -- and not a patchwork of laws around the world. The European Commission is expected to release a series of proposals to regulate the tech industry, including a white paper due next month on possible rules for AI, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump administration officials, meanwhile, have favored taking a lighter-touch regulatory approach when it comes to AI. Thats so far left companies to develop their own norms and ethical guidelines as they develop the technology. Google published its own AI principles in 2018 that prevent the company from deploying AI for weapons, or to violate human rights. Competition may also be an incentive for Google and other tech titans to ensure governments adopt regulation. After all, companies have a financial motivation to ensure their rivals have to uphold the same ethical guidelines. Pichais warning about facial recognition was timely in light of a New York Times story over the weekend which revealed that a small start-up has developed a database that can match unknown people to their online photos. The company is already working with 600 law enforcement agencies. The Times report said that tech companies including Google that were capable of releasing such a tool refrained from doing so because of ethical considerations. In 2011, Googles then-chairman said it was the one technology the company had resisted because it could be used " in a very bad way ." Hunter Biden is 'hunkered down' inside his Hollywood Hills home 'prepping' in case he's called as a witness in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, DailyMail.com can reveal. Joe Biden's son - who is at the center of the trial over his business links to the Ukraine - is said to be taking 'no chances' over the looming prospect of being called to testify in Washington D.C. and wants to be fully prepared. A source close to the Bidens told DailyMail.com: 'Hunter is taking no chances, he knows that he could get called as a witness any day so he wants to be fully prepared, he's going over every fine detail. 'He's been keeping low for a while ever since Trump decided to start attacking him, but for the past week or so he has asked to be left alone and isn't taking visitors or too many calls. 'He's taking the trial very seriously and wants to make sure he's ready for whatever the Republicans throw at him.' Hunter Biden, here with his pregnant wife Melissa, is 'hunkered down' inside his Hollywood Hills home 'prepping' in case he's called as a witness in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, DailyMail.com can reveal A source close to the Bidens told DailyMail.com: 'Hunter is taking no chances, he knows that he could get called as a witness any day so he wants to be fully prepared, he's going over every fine detail.' Pictured: Adam Schiff speaking during Trump's impeachment trial on Wednesday Trump came under fire for a phone call with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, urging him to investigate Hunter's work with Burisma, while withholding some $400 million in military aid. The President himself has demanded that Hunter be called as a witness in the trial Senate Republicans have warned Democrats that if witnesses are permitted in the impeachment trial they will call Hunter - who served on the board of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma from 2014-2019. Trump came under fire for a phone call with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, urging him to investigate Hunter's work with Burisma, while withholding some $400 million in military aid. The President himself has demanded that the 49-year-old be called as a witness in the trial. Trump has also pushed for Senate Republicans to call the still-anonymous whistle-blower, whose report of the president's July 25 phone call with President Zelesnky sparked the events that led to the impeachment inquiry. Adam Schiff, who is heading the Democratic manager team assembled to prosecute Trump, has said Trump's defense team should have the right to call witnesses along with Democrats being able to call individuals, as well. But Schiff insisted in an interview that aired on Tuesday morning, that calling Hunter as a witness would be an 'illegitimate' move. The House Intelligence Committee chairman said it would only be okay for Trump's legal team to call witnesses who can 'provide material information on the charges.' The Senate reconvened on Wednesday for the second day of the impeachment trial where Democrats began presenting their opening arguments after they lost more than 10 motions to change the rules of the proceedings on Tuesday. The President started using the 'Where's Hunter?' slogan at political rallies and his 2020 campaign website is even selling $25 t-shirts reading 'Where's Hunter?' (pictured) The President's stance has provoked a tidal wave of online abuse and hate against Biden and his wife All about the Bidens: The trial grows out of Trump's attempts to get Ukraine to investigate Hunter and Joe Biden over the former vice-president's son's role as the director of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy giant, despite having no expertise in energy or ability to speak Ukrainian Joe Biden has had enough of the focus on Hunter, lashing out during December's presidential candidate debate, claiming Republicans were 'attacking' his son. He said: 'The way they've attacked me, my son and my family, I have no love. But we must get things done and if we can't convince them, we have to go out and beat them.' Scandal-hit Hunter has been laying low at his $2.5 million Hollywood Hills home with his pregnant wife Melissa Cohen as he's repeatedly attacked by Trump and his supporters. DailyMail.com published exclusive photos of Melissa running errands around Los Angeles in December, revealing her blossoming baby bump. A close friend of Melissa's told DailyMail.com that while the couple is 'thrilled' at having a baby, there's also a lot of anxiety around the pregnancy. They said: 'Friends are deeply concerned, anyone who knows Melissa knows that she's one of the sweetest people you can meet. 'She's in love with Hunter and of course they're thrilled, but the pain and stress they're going through every day is cause for real concern.' Scandal-hit Hunter, 49, has been laying low at his $2.5 million Hollywood Hills home with his pregnant wife Melissa Cohen as he's repeatedly attacked by Trump and his supporters. DailyMail.com published exclusive photos of Melissa running errands around Los Angeles in December (pictured), revealing her blossoming baby bump Meanwhile, Hunter was ordered to appear at court in Arkansas next week and show why he shouldn't be held in contempt for allegedly not handing over financial records in his child support case with his baby mama Lunden Roberts (pictured) The friend continued: 'There is constant hatred directed towards them from Trump supporters and the President himself. 'People are attacking her, she's not running for office, her husband's dad is, all she wants to do is keep her unborn child safe.' Meanwhile, Hunter was ordered to appear at court in Arkansas next week and show why he shouldn't be held in contempt for allegedly not handing over financial records in his child support case with his baby mama Lunden Roberts. Trump has ramped up the pressure on Joe Biden's son in recent months. In October last year he tweeted: 'Where's Hunter?' and in another tweet he wrote: 'He has totally disappeared!' The President started using the 'Where's Hunter?' slogan at political rallies and his 2020 campaign website is even selling $25 T-shirts that read 'Where's Hunter?'. Trump's stance has provoked a tidal wave of online abuse and hate against Biden and his wife. India on Wednesday expressed interest in raising the import of from as the world's third largest oil consumer is looking at diversifying its import basket beyond the highly volatile Middle East region. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met visiting Brazilian Minister for Mines and Energy Bento Albuqueroque to review cooperation between the two countries. "India is diversifying its supply and our oil companies have expressed interest in sourcing more crude from if offered favorable commercial terms," Pradhan tweeted after the meeting. India imports 84 per cent of its oil needs and two-thirds of its import come from the Middle East with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the top suppliers. Pradhan said he also sought intervention for the early monetization of India's existing investments in the Brazilian energy sector. ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has two exploration blocks in - BC-10 and BM Seal-4 and is looking at monetizing discoveries made there. Pradhan said during the meeting the agreements/MoUs to be signed in bioenergy and oil & gas sector during the Summit level meeting with the visiting Brazalian President were also reviewed. Separately, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Brazil on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas. "The MoU will enhance cooperation between the two sides in the oil and natural gas sector. Under the MoU, both sides will work towards establishing cooperation in the exploration and production (E&P) initiatives in Brazil and India, research & development in this sector, explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Brazil, India and third countries, and also encourage collaboration in oil energy and environmental issues, including energy policies such as energy efficiency, energy research development and expansion of the regional energy infrastructure networks," an official statement said. The MoU will be signed during the visit of Brazalian President. "We further discussed to collaborate our efforts in the field of Biofuels. We are targeting to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol & 5% bio-diesel blending capacity by 2030. In this regard expressed India's interest to work with Brazil in the field of Bioenergy," Pradhan tweeted after meeting his Brazalian counterpart. Also discussed was developing cooperation in technologies, particularly in the areas of mining and pelletization, he added. Police Officer Ysmael Baraquir MANILA, Philippines A police officer tagged in the 2009 Ampatuan massacre case has surrendered after more than 10 years of hiding, authorities said Wednesday. Police Officer Ysmael Baraquir of the Maguindanao Provincial Police Office surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) regional field unit 15 around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Barangay Linandangan, Pagalungan in Maguindanao. Police said they took Baraquir into custody based on an arrest warrant for 56 counts of murder signed by Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QC RTC) Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes. Baraquir is also listed in the national level most wanted persons, according to a report to CIDG acting director Brig. Gene. Joel Napoleon Coronel. Earlier, two massacre suspects were separately arrested by authorities in Maguindanao after the court released last December 2019 its verdict on the gruesome killing. On December 19, QC RTC Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes handed down a guilty verdict to several members of the political Ampatuan clan, including former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, Anwar Ampatuan Sr., Anwar Ampatuan Jr., and Anwar Sajid Ampatuan, for their involvement in the murder of 57 people, including members of the media. Originally, there were 58 victims in the massacre but the 58th person, photographer Reynaldo Momay of the local paper Midland Review, was declared missing after his body was not found in the scene. The Ampatuan massacre is considered the worst election-related violence and attack on press freedom in the Philippines. The post Cop linked to 2009 Ampatuan massacre surrenders to CIDG appeared first on UNTV News. Hemant Soren Soren said government didn't give the right to anyone to take law in their hands (Photo Credit: PTI File) New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the killing of seven people in West Singhbhum district. Seven villagers were killed in Burugulikera village of Chaibasa for allegedly opposing Pathalgarhi. The order from Soren came after he held a high-level meeting with Director General of Police (DGP), and other top officers. Hemant Soren said government didn't give the right to anyone to take law in their hands. He said that lots of rumours are being spread but government will take strict and unbiased action. The bodies of the seven villagers were recovered from a forest, four kilometres from the Burugulikera village. Inspector General of Police (Operation) Saket Kumar Singh said that the police had reached Burugulikera village on Tuesday night after getting information about seven villagers being killed and their bodies dumped in a forest. A panchayat representative was among those killed, he said. There was a meeting over 'Pathalgarhi' movement at the village on Tuesday when a dispute had arisen, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Indrajit Mahata said. Following the development, 'Pathalgarhi' supporters had kidnapped the seven villagers, he said. The supporters of Pathaligarhi had allegedly perpetrated the crime in which lathis and axes were used, the police officer said. What Is Pathalgarhi Movement 'Pathalgarhi' means carving a stone. The stones signify self-rule by the local gram panchayat, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of outsiders into the village. In last few years, many Adivasi villages in Jharkhand have put up giant plaques declaring their gram sabha as the only sovereign authority and banning 'outsiders' from their area. The movement is mainly concentrated in the four districts in the State namely Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum. In Munda tribal custom, placement of a huge stone marks the death of a person. The Pathalgadi movement draws on this tradition of honouring the communitys ancestors. Usually placed at the entry points of tribal villages, these stone plaques have provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA written on them. These are meant to serve as warnings to the outsiders. They proclaim allegiance to the Constitution but reject any authority except their gram sabhas (village assemblies). They claim to be the real "Bharat Sarkar" (the government of India). Their fight is aimed to reclaim their rights over "jal, jangal and zameen (water, forest and land)". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Boris Johnson is tonight engulfed by the worst crisis of his premiership over the Downing Street party scandal. On a day when his future as Prime Minister was being openly questioned, Tory MPs broke ranks to demand he urgently address claims of a lockdown-busting gathering in the No 10 garden. Mr Johnson failed to appear before the cameras or make any public comment yesterday - despite explosive allegations that he and his wife attended the event at a time when all parties were illegal. No 10 also refused to deny he had been at the 'bring your own booze' bash on May 20, 2020. The Prime Minister is expected to make a statement at the start of PMQs tomorrow in a bid to quell mounting anger from the public and his own party. Today he faced a ferocious backlash from families who were prevented by lockdown rules from saying a proper farewell to loved ones. As support drained away, senior Tory figures put the PM on notice, warning that his survival in No 10 depended on addressing the 'utterly despicable' allegations and restoring trust in his Government. Several warned he would have to resign if wrongdoing was proved, while others suggested he could soon face a confidence vote from mutinous backbenchers. Those close to Dominic Cummings, the ex-aide who has waged a determined campaign against his former boss, were said to be claiming Mr Johnson had only a 20 per cent chance of political survival. The bad news is that around the world in 2019 at least 25 journalists were killed and at least 250 were imprisoned for doing their jobs. The good news is that the number of journalists killed fell sharply. In 2018, 56 journalists were killed. The numbers are in reports by the Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York. The reports cover the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 13, 2019. Why the reduction in the number of journalists killed? In one report, CPJ gives two reasons. One is that regional armed conflicts subsided, and therefore fewer journalists were exposed to the dangers of covering combat. The other is that there was less deliberate targeting of journalists. The total was 34 in 2018 vs. 10 in 2019. That drop may be the result of increased concern about the reprisal killing of journalists by criminals, terrorists and repressive regimes. The 2018 slaying of dissident Saudi Jamal Khashoggi, a contributing columnist for The Washington Post, inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was a major global news story, CPJ notes. Recently, Saudi Arabias public prosecutor announced that five people have been sentenced to death for the murder. But two senior officials, including an adviser to Crown Price Mohammed bin Salman, were cleared of wrongdoing. The deadliest country for journalists was Syria, where seven were killed. Three of them perished in Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish targets, which came after President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. withdrawal from the area controlled by independence-seeking Kurds. The second-deadliest country was Mexico, where at least five journalists were killed in reprisal. Murder investigations in that country are deeply flawed, according to CPJ. In another report, CPJ says the number of journalists imprisoned remained about 250 for the past four years. An increasing number of journalists were accused of disseminating fake news. The countries that imprisoned the most journalists in 2019 were China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In China, at least 48 journalists were imprisoned as President Xi Jinping tightened controls on the media. In Turkey, a member of NATO, 47 journalists were imprisoned. Thats down from 68 in 2018, reflecting the closing of more than 100 news outlets by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In Saudi Arabia, 26 journalists were imprisoned. There were reports of burning, beating and starving political prisoners, including four journalists. In Egypt, 26 journalists were locked up, but some were released. Arrests came just before protests demanding the resignation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. In the U.S. no journalists were killed or imprisoned in 2019 for doing their jobs. Even if they were accused of disseminating fake news. Paul Janensch, of Bridgeport, was a newspaper editor and taught journalism at Quinnipiac University. Email: paul.janensch@quinnipiac.edu. Mulleriyawa Police in the Central Province of Sri Lanka refused on January 10 to record the death threat complaint of a court correspondent. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) strongly urge Sri Lankas police to accept the complaint and conduct an investigation into the matter. On January 10, the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Mulleriyawa Police in Sri Lankas Central Province refused to take the complaint of Nimanthi Ranasinghe, a court correspondent for the daily newspaper Lankadeepa. It is alleged that the police officer turned the journalist away when Ranasinghe refused to reveal her source. According to FMM, the police then humiliated Ranasinghe for standing up for her right to protect her sources anonymity, telling her that no action could be taken under the Criminal Code. On January 13, Ranasinghe then went on to lodge a further complaint against the Mulleriyawa Police OIC for his refusal to file the case and for the subsequent humiliating behaviour with the Nugegoda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office in Colombo. Ranasinghe also requested the Nugegoda police to action the initial complaint. The FMM said it strongly condemned the demeaning way the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Mulleriyawa Police allegedly treated the professional journalist, saying it set a deplorable precedent. It urged all relevant stakeholders to conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident to ensure that the guilty offenders are charged. The IFJ said: Threats against journalists are a critical human rights abuse and a major warning sign in terms of journalist safety. To ignore or fail to act against threats to journalists and officially recognise these abuses further adds to a climate of impunity for violence against journalists. It is critical that Sri Lankas police treat such complaints with the seriousness they deserve and thoroughly investigate the matter, the IFJ added. The irresponsible behaviour of the OIC demonstrates the complete ignorance of the implications for both citizens and journalists and should also be investigated in terms of an abrogation of duty. Cancers used to be defined by where they grow in the body - lung cancer, skin cancer, brain cancer, etc. But work in recent decades has shown that cancers sharing specific genetic changes may have more in common than cancers that happen to grow in an area of the body. For example, lung cancers, skin cancers, and brain cancers may all be caused by mutation in a gene called BRAF. And drugs targeting BRAF have changed the treatment landscape for melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, and are also in use against lung cancers and brain cancers with BRAF mutations. Unfortunately, cancers eventually tend to develop resistance to drugs that target BRAF and so a major question is What's next? How should we treat BRAF cancers that have developed resistance to BRAF inhibitors? Or, what could we combine with a BRAF inhibitor to keep cancers from developing this resistance in the first place? Now, an Innovative Collaborative Research Award from the Curing Kids Cancer will help researchers at University of Colorado Cancer Center and collaborators at two other top cancer research institutions explore these questions. In fact, because BRAF was studied first in melanoma, researchers have a head start in identifying the genetic changes that make melanomas resistant to BRAF inhibitors. But we don't know if brain tumors with BRAF mutations change in the same way. We know many ways melanoma becomes resistant, but we don't see the same resistance mutations in brain tumors. We think that means brain tumors are developing unique or different ways to resist BRAF inhibition." Jean Mulcahy Levy, MD, CU Cancer Center investigator and associate professor in the CU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics To discover the genetic changes that create BRAF inhibition resistance in brain cancer, Mulcahy Levy and colleagues are taking a "deep genetic dive," she says, into samples of the brain cancer known as pediatric glioma, collected from patients at the time of their initial diagnosis and samples collected when the cancer relapses after treatment with a BRAF inhibitor. The deep dive has three major steps. First, the researchers are looking for changes in any of 500 genes known to be associated with cancer. Changes in genes between pre-drug and post-drug samples may suggest the cancer is using this gene to drive drug resistance. Then the group will evaluate samples using RNA sequencing to discover whether changes in gene expression (with or without gene mutation) could be driving resistance. And third, the group is using whole-exome sequencing to evaluate the entirety of tumors' DNA before and after exposure to BRAF inhibitors, which could show previously unknown genetic changes associated with drug resistance. "This is important because we want to make sure any combination therapy we use is based on what brain tumors actually do and not just what we think they would do based on what melanoma does," Mulcahy Levy says. The ongoing project has successfully identified gene candidates that could be driving resistance and is following up on the most promising genes to see if these changes are in fact creating drug resistance or if they just happen to ride along as nonfunctional byproducts of drug treatment. The three labs, at CU Cancer Center, John Hopkins University, and New York University, will seek to replicate the other labs' results with samples graciously contributed by their patients and by other researches in the brain tumor treatment community. "The ultimate goal is to identify new potential targets for combination therapy - new agents we could add to BRAF inhibition in brain cancer to keep the cancer from developing resistance," Mulcahy Levy says. Ukraine has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with German railway operator Deutsche Bahn. Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk stated this. This memorandum was signed as part of the Ukrzaliznytsia restructuring plan. It can improve the efficiency and quality of rail transportation in Ukraine. "After meeting with the leadership of Deutsche Bahn last week in Kyiv, we came to understand the format of cooperation, namely, Ukraine will completely retain control over the Ukrzaliznytsia," Oleksiy Honcharuk stated. He added that German experts will work on reforming the management mechanisms of the enterprise. They will not lease or sell Ukrzaliznytsia. As we reported, over the last year, Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine's state-run railway company carried 942,000 passengers to the EU and back to Ukraine. That's 14.9 percent more than the number in 2018. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the strategy for Ukrzaliznytsia for 2019-2023. According to the approved strategy, the company will hold ten key events, including the implementation of reasonable tariffs for 2019-2022, reorganization of the society from the regional structure in business-segments in 2020-2022. [January 22, 2020] Augmented Reality on Every Australian Wine in 2020 GEELONG, Australia, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Every Australian wine will have the benefit of augmented reality, as a ground-breaking smartphone App prepares to launch worldwide. From April 2020, consumers with the Winerytale app will be able to scan the label of almost any Australian wine label to see the story of the wine and the winery come to life with stunning augmented reality. More than 2,000 Australian brands will benefit from the initiative, in what is being touted as a tremendous opportunity for the local industry. View the demonstration video Bold Move to Benefit Smaller Australian Wineries Winerytale Managing Director Dave Chaffey said the technology was being rolled out at no cost to Australian wineries in a move designed to level the playing field for small and medium-sized wineries, for whom the technology and marketing magic of augmented reality has been too expensive and complicated to access until now. Chaffey said the company was opening up the market - and the increased sales potential - to all Australian wineries embracing the groundbreaking technology. "In the past few years a handful of wine producers have createdaugmented reality apps for their specific brand," Chaffey said. "Winerytale is blowing the augmented reality door open to any winery." "Making technology accessible is our aim. Up until now smaller wineries have been priced out of the technology and the profits. This levels the playing field and in fact means wineries have a fair chance of increasing their sales against the big players." Showcasing Australian Wine to Aid Exports Chaffey said Winerytale is currently taking existing available content for each winery and turning it into an impressive augmented reality display. Wineries haven't had to do anything different, though they may wish to opt out, or add additional content in the future. The technology behind the App is designed to work on any wine label, using artificial intelligence to scan and recognise labels and augmented reality to showcase the wine's backstory from a virtual space in front of, and within the bottle. Field testing of the Winerytale App attracted world-wide interest and more than 500 leading wine producers are already on board from across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France and North America. Chaffey said the augmented reality app offer would shortly be extended to wineries in the rest of the english-speaking world. "We're really excited by the endless possibilities of augmented reality for the wine industry," he said. "Both wine and augmented reality are growth industries and demand will continue to soar in such competitive sectors. "This is a world-class opportunity to be part of the push into a future that successfully makes the most of both." WINERYTALE MEDIA CENTRE For information, demonstration videos, and images please visit https://winerytale.com/media Download the App | Google Play | iOS Media inquiries: Dave Chaffey, [email protected] | Ph: +61 1300 633 390 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/augmented-reality-on-every-australian-wine-in-2020-300991226.html SOURCE Winerytale [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has said he is to step back from farming in order to prevent any perception of a conflict of interest in his new post. Mr Poots grew up on a mixed farm outside Lisburn and still lives with his family in the farmhouse in which he was raised. The DUP stalwart revealed the move in a briefing to journalists yesterday and said he is in the process of finalising the paperwork to give effect to the decision. Mr Poots said one of the biggest challenges his department is facing is climate change. "If we get to the point where we have a sustainable environment but no food to feed it with, that's not very sustainable," he said. "We face many challenges and the environment is going to be a very significant one. "Having a department of agriculture and environment together means we can work with the agriculture side, in particular, to reduce its carbon footprint." One of the keys issues on his desk is a new agriculture policy for Northern Ireland, however with two years left of the current Stormont mandate, he admitted there is a "very tight time frame" to reach an agreement on the issue. "We hope there will be many 'win-wins' and we can assist farmers to reduce their ammonia and methane emissions, while allowing production to increase further," he added. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy unless you have disabled them. You can change your cookie settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them. [Close] [January 22, 2020] InterActive Legal Founder, Jonathan G. Blattmachr, is the recipient of Bloomberg Tax & Accounting's Leonard L. Silverstein Award MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Tax and Accounting presented the Leonard L. Silverstein Award to InterActive Legal Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan G. Blattmachr. The Leonard Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award, named after the founder of the Tax Management Portfolios for his longstanding contributions to the field of tax, is generally awarded to individuals that have demonstrated excellence in their field throughout their career, made contributions to the tax community at large, and contributed to the success of BNA's Portfolios. A recent communique from an official at Blomberg Tax and Accounting had this to say about Jonathan: "There is no doubt that you [Jonathan Blattmachr] not only fit, but exceed by leaps and bounds, all criteria, and we would be honored to celebrate such contributions via this award." In receiving this award, Jonathan Blattmachr said, "One of the great honors I got, is for 20 years, I was Leonard's personal attorney. That was a great honor. I just adored the man and I'm just so sorry he isn't with us anymore." Bloomberg Tax provides comprehensive global reserch and news services, enabling tax professionals to get the timely, accurate, and in-depth information they need to plan and comply with confidence. This award was presented on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at Bloomberg Tax and Accounting's awards luncheon during the 54th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning conference. Mr. Blattmachr graduated from Columbia University School of Law cum laude, where he was recognized as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and received his A.B. degree from Bucknell University, majoring in mathematics. He has served as a lecturer-in-law of the Columbia University School of Law and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University Law School in its Masters in Tax Program (LLM). He is a former chairperson of the Trusts & Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and of several committees of the American Bar Association. Mr. Blattmachr is a Fellow and a former Regent of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and past chair of its Estate and Gift Tax Committee. He is author or co-author of eight books and more than 500 articles on estate planning and tax topics. Among professional activities, which are too numerous to list, Mr. Blattmachr has served as an Advisor on The American Law Institute, Restatement of the Law, Trusts 3rd; and as a Fellow of The New York Bar Foundation and a member of the American Bar Foundation. InterActive Legal, headquartered in Melbourne, FL, is a leading provider of software solutions and practice development initiatives to the estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning community nationwide. InterActive Legal's automated document drafting suites helps legal practitioners in this arena make quantum gains in efficiencies and accuracy, thus enabling them to better represent the needs of their clients. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interactive-legal-founder-jonathan-g-blattmachr-is-the-recipient-of-bloomberg-tax--accountings-leonard-l-silverstein-award-300991454.html SOURCE InterActive Legal [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Sudbury, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - Transition Metals Corp (TSXV: XTM) ("Transition", "XTM") holds a 100% interest in its Wollaston Copper Project (15,144 Ha), located approximately 65 km south of XTM's Janice Lake Property, Saskatchewan. The property covers copper showings interpreted to have potential to host sedimentary-hosted copper mineralization similar to that at Janice Lake. The rocks underlying the Project are interpreted to be on-strike equivalents to the Janice Lake Property where XTM has been advised by its partner Forum Energy Metals (Forum) that Rio Tinto Canada (RTEC) has received permits from the Saskatchewan Government to construct a 99 km winter access trail and installation of a temporary 65-80 person capacity work camp to support drilling and mineral exploration at the Janice Lake copper project. As a result of the commitment by RTEC, Transition will focus attention on its Wollaston Copper Project with the purpose of attracting a partner to jointly explore the property. Commenting on the project, Transition CEO and President Scott McLean, P.Geo. stated, "We are pleased at the successes achieved thus far by our partners at Janice Lake and we are encouraged by the substantial commitment RTEC is making to the district. We view the Wollaston Copper Belt as an emerging copper district. Transition will focus on its Wollaston Copper Project and the RTEC investment will not only advance the Company interest in Janice Lake, but we hope will bring attention to our 100% owned property as we seek a partner for it." On the Janice Lake Property, construction is planned for this winter to support drilling programs in 2020 and 2021 (see Forum news release; January 21, 2020). Janice Lake is under option from Transition to Forum which subsequently optioned a portion of its potential interest to RTEC whereby RTEC can earn up to 80% interest in the project by spending $30M (see XTM news release; May 9, 2019). If Forum earns its interest in the project Transition will hold a 2% Net Smelter Return royalty and will be eligible for $6M in milestone payments downstream (see XTM news release of February 6, 2018). Fig 1: Location of Wollaston Copper and Janice Lake Projects To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2766/51727_f876af17d4dd2b5f_002full.jpg Qualified Person The technical elements of this press release have been approved by Mr. Thomas Hart, P.Geo. (APGO), a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Historical trench and drill results reported herein have not been verified by Transition as seasonal weather conditions prevent a qualified person from accessing any part of the property or obtaining beneficial information from it, and hence should not be relied upon. About Transition Metals Corp Transition Metals Corp (TSXV: XTM) is a Canadian-based, multi-commodity project generator that specializes in converting new exploration ideas into Canadian discoveries. The award-winning team of geoscientists has extensive exploration experience in established, emerging and historic mining camps and actively develops and tests new ideas for discovering mineralization in places that others have not looked, which often allows the company to acquire properties inexpensively. The team is rigorous in its fieldwork and combines traditional techniques with newer ones to help unearth compelling prospects and drill targets. Transition uses the project generator business model to acquire and advance multiple exploration projects simultaneously, thereby maximizing shareholder exposure to discovery and capital gain. Joint venture partners earn an interest in the projects by funding a portion of higher-risk drilling and exploration, allowing Transition to conserve capital and minimize shareholder's equity dilution. The Company has an expanding portfolio that currently includes more than 25 gold, copper, nickel and platinum projects across Canada. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding estimated capital and operating costs, expected production timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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. Further information is available at www.transitionmetalscorp.com or by contacting: Scott McLean President and CEO Transition Metals Corp. Tel: (705) 669-1777 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51727 Digital brokerage app, Stake lands in the UK for unrivalled access to US stock market Global brokerage app, Stake, has today launched its beta in the UK. Stake is opening up the world's biggest and most dynamic stock market to investors outside of the US with the opportunity to trade and invest directly in more than 3,500 US stocks and ETFs. Founded in Australia in 2017, Stake already has 50,000 customers and will officially launch in the UK in February, before expanding across Europe in the coming months, as part of its mission to bring the US market to the rest of the world. Built by expert traders, software engineers and designers, Stake's seamless platform was created from scratch to provide an enhanced brokerage experience. From today, UK investors can access Stake's beta to test the app, simply by signing up online and sending a referral code to friends. As soon as the referral code is used to register, it will be possible to start trading right away with no waiting list, and to be one of the first to try Stake in the UK. Despite digital brokerage becoming more accessible in recent years, Stake believes investors are still experiencing the limitations of the services on offer and falling prey to opaque pricing systems. Stake gives customers the simplest, most intuitive and sophisticated direct access to the US stock market possible. Established solely to create a better way to buy and sell US shares from outside America, Stake offers direct access to the $31 trillion of investment opportunities the US market represents. Founder and CEO, Matt Leibowitz said: "We're on a mission to build the future of brokerage and are hugely excited to be launching in the UK as we expand into Europe. We know UK investors want to take the way they trade US stocks to another level. The UK stock market provides plenty of opportunity, but many of the largest and fastest growing companies in the world are listed elsewhere. If you want to buy shares in game-changing companies like Amazon, Google or Tesla, you have to trade in the US. "If you want to be hands-on and enjoy making investment decisions, we make it easier than ever to execute, track and trade individual shares and ETFs. Typically, we don't attract beginners; 77% of our existing customers have traded before and they've got some knowledge of the markets. Our customers want to invest globally without having to pay through the teeth for it or being surprised by hidden fees. We don't think they are being fully catered for in the UK and Stake is here to fill that gap for them. Our personal experience showed us what could be done and we want to bring that to the rest of the world." Currently, opening a US brokerage account from the UK can be difficult with US tax considerations and forms to fill in. Stake has made it quicker and easier to get set up, streamlining the sign-up process and automating the documentation including the hefty W8-Ben form directly with its US dealer, so the appropriate withholding tax can be applied to accounts and compliance is all taken care of without form filling and processing delays. Unlike other brokerage platforms that charge FX fees on every trade, Stake only charges a small FX fee when money is converted into USD, as part of its clear and upfront pricing model. There are three tiers of Brokerage Packs to suit customers' different trading needs: Starter, Unlimited and Black. Starter is free and the others have fixed monthly prices, but all packs will be free in the UK until 1 July 2020. The average deposit of Stake's customers is around $6,000USD, but users can trade with a minimum of $100USD. For more information, visit: hellostake.com/UK Notes to editors: Stake is a global brokerage app and website that was established solely to give users direct access to trade US stocks from outside America. The platform was built by a team of traders, software engineers and designers to give users a simple, intuitive and yet sophisticated direct to market access. It offers global traders a better way to diversify their portfolios by directly investing in over 3,500 US stocks and ETFs, including Tesla, Amazon and Google. Stake also offers day trading on unsettled funds and the option to buy fractional shares any dollar amount of any share. With a fully automated and digital sign up process to create an account within minutes, users can access Stake via a completely transparent and upfront pricing system. It offers three tiers of Brokerage Packs to suit customers' different trading needs: Starter, Unlimited and Black. For more information on the Brokerage Packs and how to access Stake, visit: https://hellostake.com/pricing/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005358/en/ Contacts: Sian Byford 07880382624 The bodies of the eight Indian tourists, including four minors, who died due to possible asphyxiation in their room at a mountainous resort in Nepal are undergoing postmortem here on Wednesday and would be flown back home on Thursday, according to a senior Indian official. Tragedy struck a group of 15 tourists from Kerala when eight of them, including four children, died after they fell unconscious probably due to a gas leak from a heater in their room at a mountainous resort in Makwanpur district, amidst cold wave in the Himalayan region. The tourists were airlifted to HAMS hospital here where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Makwanpur police said the victims might have fallen unconscious due to asphyxiation. "Postmortem of the bodies is being conducted at the Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and they would be flown back home tomorrow (Thursday) morning," a senior official at the Indian Embassy told PTI. The official said that out of the seven who survived, two stayed with the bodies while the others are already on their way back. The victims were identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair, Saranya Sasi, Sreebhadra Praveen, Aarcha Praveen, Abhinav Saranya Nair, Ranjith Kumar Adatholath Punathil, Indu Lakshmi Peethambaran Ragalatha and Vyshnav Ranjith. The deceased - two couples and four children - were part of a group of 15 people travelling from Kerala to Pokhara, a popular mountainous tourist destination. They were on their way back home and stayed at Everest Panorama Resort in Daman in the district on Monday night. The official said that the Indian Mission is in touch with the local authorities, family and friends of the deceased and the hospital authorities. "We are ensuring that the process to send back the bodies is expedited," the official said. According to the manager at the resort, the guests stayed in a room and turned on a gas heater to keep themselves warm. Although they had booked a total of four rooms, eight of them stayed in a room and remaining others in another room, the manager said, adding that all the windows and the door of the room were bolted from inside. "They ordered snacks from the resort restaurant," the resort manager, Shiva KC, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. After dinner at 10:30 pm, the guests of two cottages went to their rooms, while the others stayed back at the restaurant. "In spite of our objection, they were constantly requesting to take the heater they were using in the restaurant to their rooms. They took it at around 2 am from the restaurant," the manager said. Nair and Ranjit, both IT professionals, were engineering college classmates and the tour was arranged after a get-together with old friends in Delhi, a family member said. Nair, who hails from Chempazhanthi in Thiruvananthapuram, was an engineer in Dubai, while his wife, Saranya, was staying in Kochi along with 3 children and was a nursing student. Ranjit was working in an IT firm at Thiruvananthapuram, while his wife, Indu, was an accountant in a cooperative bank at Kozhikode, a family member said. Ranjit's elder son Madhav had a lucky escape as he was sleeping in another room. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close New Delhi, Jan 22 : Actor Alia Bhatt has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Ayurveda-based personal care brand Vicco. "Alia will be representing the brand's popular product, Vicco Vajradanti and its variants, a trusted name in the personal care category," the brand said in a Wednesday statement. It added that the young actor will be shooting for TV commercials, theatre spots and advertisements. Alia's image will also feature on product containers and packaging. "I have grown up seeing Vicco's advertisements in theatres and they are imprinted in my mind. To take on this mandate of Vicco's brand overhaul is a huge responsibility because this is a brand with legacy and deeply entrenched in the market," Alia said. Richard Hooker Jr., the new union leader for Teamsters Local 623, shakes hands with Fred Zuckerman, president of Teamsters Local 89, who came from Louisville, Ky., to swear in the new leadership slate last week. Read more When the meeting was called to order, some UPS workers who had been with the company for decades could barely believe their eyes. Membership meetings like these are mostly empty. But on this snowy Saturday morning in Bridesburg, a sea of black-and-yellow satin Teamsters Local 623 jackets buzzed around a packed hall. For the first time in more than two decades, theres a new crew running the shop. And at the top of the elected slate is an African American man the first to lead the 101-year-old local and one whos spent his entire adult life doing the backbreaking work of a package handler at UPSs massive East Coast facility by the Philadelphia airport. The rise of Richard Hooker Jr., 40, and his slate, dubbed #623livesmatter, marks the culmination of a grassroots effort to revitalize a 4,500-member shop at a major corporation during a time when legacy unions have languished. Around the country, rank-and-file union activists from teachers to journalists to warehouse workers have challenged the establishment, which they say is too complacent, too cozy with management, to fight for workers and keep corporations in check. That struggle has been brewing for some time within the storied International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union of 1.4 million members. Given the Teamsters size and presence in strategic sectors from truck drivers to logistics workers a successful challenge has important lessons for the entire labor movement. READ MORE: Why these Philly teachers say the school district is afraid of them winning the union election Grievance kings It was during contract negotiations in 2014 when Hooker became disillusioned with his unions leadership. Hooker, who grew up in Fayetteville, N.C., and started working at UPS part time while attending Drexel, had been a shop steward for six years, tasked with being the first line of defense for members when theyd deal with such problems as harassment from supervisors or supervisors doing the work of the rank-and-file a common contract violation. Hookers coworkers were unhappy with the contract that the international union had negotiated for them. They felt misled by officials about the cost of their health-care benefits. On top of that, workers felt as if their elected leaders never came around to the shop floor to proactively investigate contract violations. When Hooker raised the issue with union leaders, whom he had grown close to, they told him to tell members to suck it up. Hooker, a devout Baptist with a deep sense of right and wrong, was floored. When our leaders tell me to tell our members that they have to grin and bear it, pull your pants up and stop crying, thats an issue because we pay them to protect us, he said. He teamed up with other union activists who had already been agitating for change. Most, like Hooker, were longtime shop stewards, people such as Nathan Jumbo Daniels, who had a reputation for defending their coworkers rights and not fearing management. They were the grievance kings, as 15-year UPS veteran Kissy Thomas-Hampton put it, referring to the formal complaint that union members can file when they think the contract has been violated. They put Hooker, or Hook, as they call him, at the top of the slate because he has the best personality of the bunch, said Joe Esposito, vice president on the slate. Hooker was known for treating everyone with respect, regardless of seniority or job title, said James Romeo, another slate member. Levelheaded and charismatic but firm, the father of four knows how to talk to people. At times, he sounds like a preacher his fathers profession extolling the virtues of a strong union and what the possibilities are when workers stand together. And it was significant that Hooker and most of his slate were inside guys those who do the most physically demanding work inside the facility but get paid less than most drivers. Part-time inside workers, the first job most UPS workers get at the company, start at $14 an hour. Most full-time drivers start at $21 an hour. Inside workers in his local are overwhelmingly people of color, Hooker said. In the 2016 election, the #623livesmatter slate lost by 37 votes. Thats when I knew we were gonna win if we stayed at it, Hooker said. Ousting the old guard Its not easy to unseat incumbents in a union. Most unions are the equivalent of a one-party state, where leaders have held power for decades. The incumbents have access to the members and the money to mount a campaign. And because insurgent candidates are also workers themselves, they have to run their campaigns on top of a 40-plus-hour workweek. The traditional old guard view is if you train and develop grassroots leaders in the union, then youre training your opposition to run against you, said David Levin, lead organizer at Teamsters for a Democratic Union, the long-standing reform movement within the Teamsters. And thats a problem, Levin said, because the real issue plaguing unions is not that there are bad leaders. Its that there arent enough leaders not just elected ones, but rank-and-file leaders who feel empowered to file grievances when they see supervisors breaking the rules, those who can rally their coworkers around a vision of power. That power was in full force in 1997, when the Teamsters executed the biggest strike the country had ever seen: 185,000 workers shut down UPS for 16 days to fight the companys reliance on part timers, resulting in thousands of workers becoming full time. Given that history and the recent uptick in national strikes, Levin said theres a sense of untapped worker power within the union and reformers are seizing on that unrest. In the fall of 2018 came a decisive move that unwittingly fueled an expansion of opposition caucuses across the country, said Robert Bruno, a labor historian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who wrote the 2003 Reforming the Chicago Teamsters: The Story of Local 705. After rank-and-file activists like those with #623livesmatter spent weeks organizing workers against what they believed was a bad contract, 54% of the 92,604 voting UPS workers voted down the tentative agreement. But top leaders used a clause in the union bylaws to impose it anyway a move that even the Eastern regions highest Teamsters official, Bill Hamilton, said he disagreed with. It sent the message, Hooker said, that members votes didnt count. If you want better, Hookers team told members, vote better. READ MORE: From Oct. 2019: Why Philly GM workers on strike for 40 days voted down a deal that just got approved by its union His team mounted a more aggressive campaign this time and used social media and their weekly radio show on South Philly community radio to educate members about their rights, covering topics such as how to win a grievance, deal with an aggressive supervisor, and file for family or medical leave. In November, #623livesmatter won by more than 200 votes. Hooker, who is now secretary-treasurer, says his only regret is not having a woman on the slate, something he hopes can change. Hooker, who lives in Mayfair, now makes about $104,000 a year 5% less than his predecessor and a pay cut he imposed on himself. And his slate wasnt the only instance of rank-and-file workers pulling off a successful challenge. In the last year, opposition slates won leadership in seven other Teamsters locals across the country and narrowly lost in four others, said Levin, whose Teamsters for a Democratic Union trains union activists like Hooker. Bill Shanahan, the former top official of Local 623, did not respond to requests for comment. A new sense of backing At the union hall after the first membership meeting run by Hooker and his team, as members shared wings and pitchers of Budweiser, the new union officers passed out grievance forms and pocket-size, mint-colored books outlining the contract. Clarence Bagby, a longtime shop steward and Hookers deputy on the executive board, fielded questions from members about potential contract violations and reminded them over and over: Dont take supervisors at their word. Study the contract. File the grievance. Some said they can already feel a difference. The old leaders, said UPS driver Nicholas Ruggiero, they didnt stick up for us. That kind of backing is crucial at UPS, said Ruggiero, 32, who has been with the company for 10 years. And the new leaders are on the ball. Last week, he called his shop steward at 12:30 p.m. about a problem and the steward arrived on the scene an hour later. UPS spokesperson Dan Mackin said the company is committed to contract compliance. Joan-Elaine Miller, a driver who spent nearly three decades at UPS and once ran for union leadership, said it was remarkable that the new leaders were already out doing building raids the practice of checking for contract violations, such as a supervisor doing member work. That was never the norm under the old guard, she said. Its the kind of support, the workers say, that makes a tough job bearable, that makes them feel less alone on the shop floor. And to Hooker and his team, as well as other union activists challenging the old guard around the country, thats what a union should be. The hearing on plea challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution will continue in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The move took away the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. Petitioners challenging the Centres decision taken on August 5 last year contended that the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be repealed in exercise of powers under the Article, which gave special status to erstwhile state. The petition, filed by bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal, Shehla Rashid and others, is being heard by five-judge bench of Justices NV Ramana, SK Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, BR Gavai and Surya Kant. During the course of hearing on Tuesday, senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the bench that the issue needs to be referred to a larger bench as there is a dispute between two judgements of a five-judge bench which dealt with provisions of Article 370. The judges said they would first hear the submissions on reference and then would take a call on whether to refer the issue to a larger bench. Dealing with the Presidential orders of August 5 last year, Dwivedi said due to these orders issued under Article 370 (1) and (3), all provisions of the Indian Constitution have been applied to Jammu and Kashmir. This virtually abolishes the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Its a case of implied repeal where a Constitution has been repealed by an executive exercise of powers, he argued. Dwivedi said the Centre has limited powers to legislate when it comes to Jammu and Kashmir by virtue of the Instrument of Accession. Article 370 was the only tunnel of light connecting the Centre to erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Article 370 required that action of government of India should have concurrence of Jammu and Kashmir constituent assembly, which was dissolved in 1957 after framing the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, Dwivedi said. He said the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was not created under the Constitution of India or Article 370 and therefore J&K constitution cannot be repealed in exercise of powers under Article 370. The lawyer also said that Article 370 was temporary in nature and was to cease after the enactment of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Thereafter, the governing relationship between Union and the State was to be regulated by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Dwivedi said the sole object of Article 370 was to ensure that people of Kashmir have a say in their own governance through their own Constitution but this guarantee has been wiped out after the entire Constitution of India is made applicable in the erstwhile state. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandaran had earlier argued that in the scheme of Article 370, while the democratic power is with the state, the executive power is with the Union government. A number of petitions have also been filed by lawyers, activists, political parties and other people who have challenged the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits J&K into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. A retired Minnesota carpenter whom The Associated Press exposed as a former commander of a Nazi-led unit accused of war atrocities has died. Michael Karkoc, whose family maintained that he was never a Nazi or committed any war crimes, lived quietly in Minneapolis for decades until APs review of U.S. and Ukrainian records in 2013 uncovered his past and prompted investigations in Germany and Poland. Karkoc died Dec. 14, according to cemetery and public records. He was 100. His son, Andriy Karkoc, hung up on an AP reporter without confirming his fathers death. Officials at the Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapel, which was listed on one website as having handled the funeral arrangements, declined to comment. But records at Hillside Cemetery in Minneapolis show he was quietly buried there Dec. 19, next to his wife, Nadia Karkoc, who died in 2018. And Minnesota Department of Health records show that a Michael Karkoc with the correct birthday died Dec. 14. The family and funeral home did not publish a public obituary. Karkocs involvement in the war surfaced when a retiree who researched Nazi war crimes approached the AP after coming across Karkocs name. The AP investigation relied upon a broad range of interviews and documents, including Nazi military payroll information and company rosters, U.S. Army intelligence files, Ukrainian intelligence findings and Karkocs self-published memoir. The records established that Karkoc was a commander in the SS-led Ukrainian Self Defense Legion, which attacked a Polish village where dozens of women and children were killed in 1944, then lied to American authorities to get into the U.S. after World War II. His family denied he was ever at the scene of the attack, though a second AP report uncovered testimony from a former soldier in Karkocs unit who said Karkoc ordered his men to attack the village, Chlaniow, in retaliation for the slaying of an SS major. Andriy Karkoc has said his father was never a Nazi and denied he was involved in any war crimes. He has also questioned the validity of APs sources and accused the AP of defamatory and slanderous allegations. The AP stories prompted Germany and Poland to investigate. German prosecutors announced in July 2015 that they had shelved their case because the then-96-year-old Karkoc wasnt fit for trial. But Polish prosecutors announced in March 2017 that they would seek his arrest and extradition, saying his age was no obstacle in seeking to bring him to justice. Dr. Efraim Zuroff, the top Nazi hunter for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said he was in no doubt that Karkoc should have been extradited and he called it unfortunate that Poland and the U.S. didnt move more aggressively to do so. They seem to have handled this case with a lack of urgency, Zuroff said in a telephone interview from Israel. This is a typical case of a person who joined forces with Nazi Germany and was involved in crimes against innocent civilians, and he didnt deserve the privilege of living in a great democracy like the United States, he said. A U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman declined to comment on Karkocs case, referring a reporter to the Polish government. An investigative file from the Ukrainian intelligence agencys archive revealed testimony from Pvt. Ivan Sharko, a Ukrainian soldier under Karkocs command. Sharko testified in 1968 that the initial order to attack Chlaniow was given by another officer, but that Karkoc who fought under the nom de guerre Wolf told his unit to attack the village. The commander of our company, Wolf, also gave the command to cordon off the village and check all the houses, and to find and punish the partisans, Sharko told authorities in Ukraine in 1967 and 1968, for an investigation they were conducting against the Self Defense Legion. Sharko, who died in the 1980s, also said the legionaries surrounded homes, set them on fire and shot anyone found inside homes or in the streets, according to the Russian-language investigative file. How many people were killed in all, I dont know. I personally saw three corpses of peaceful inhabitants who had been killed, Sharko was quoted as saying. Stephen Paskey, who led Nazi investigations for nine years as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Special Investigations, said Sharkos testimony is highly credible. He noted that Sharko didnt appear to be in custody or under investigation when questioned, and many of his statements were confirmed by historical documents. Thomas Will, the deputy head of Germanys special prosecutors office that investigates Nazi crimes, concluded in 2013 that there was sufficient evidence that Karkoc was present. In 2017, Polish prosecutor Robert Janicki of the National Remembrance Institute, which investigates Nazi and Communist-era crimes against Poles, said years of investigation confirmed 100% that he was a commander of the unit. Karkoc, an ethnic Ukrainian, was born in the city of Lutsk in 1919, according to details he provided to American officials. At the time, the area was being fought over by Ukraine, Poland and others; it ended up part of Poland until World War II. Several wartime Nazi documents note the same birth date, but say he was born in Horodok, a town in the same region. Karkoc didnt tell U.S. authorities about his military service when he entered the country in 1949. But in a Ukrainian-language memoir published in 1995, Karkoc said he helped found the Ukrainian Self Defense Legion in 1943, in collaboration with the Nazis feared SS intelligence agency, to fight on the side of Germany. He also wrote that he served as a company commander in the unit, which received orders directly from the SS, through the end of the war. The memoir is available at the U.S. Library of Congress and the British Library, and the AP located it online in an electronic Ukrainian library. Karkoc became a U.S. citizen in 1959. He lived for decades in a heavily Eastern European neighborhood of Minneapolis and was a longtime member of the St. Michaels and St. Georges Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He worked as a carpenter, and was a member and a secretary in the local branch of the fraternal Ukrainian National Association. Antin Semeniuk, a friend of Karkoc in Minneapolis, said after the APs initial report that Karkoc told him he hadnt been a Nazi. Rather, Semeniuk said, Karkoc described himself as a Ukrainian patriot who wanted his country to be democratic and free of Nazi and Communist rule. Trump agrees US-Iraq 'security partnership' Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 President Donald Trump and his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh agreed on Wednesday on the need for a continued US military role in the country, the White House said. The two leaders met in Davos, Switzerland, their first meeting since the US killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, sparking an Iraqi parliament call for expulsion of US troops. "The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the United States-Iraq economic and security partnership, including the fight against ISIS," the White House said. "President Trump reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to a sovereign, stable, and prosperous Iraq." Tensions between Washington and Tehran boiled over onto Iraqi soil this month, with the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and Iran striking back at an Iraqi base hosting American soldiers. Furious at the US hit, Iraq's parliament voted on January 5 to oust all foreign troops, including some 5,200 American soldiers deployed alongside local forces But Iraq's Sunni leaders now find themselves on the other side of the equation -- uneasy about perceived Iranian overreach in their country they have been cautiously lobbying for US troops to stay. "For Iraq's Sunnis, Kurds and other minorities, America creates balance with Shiite politicians who control the government," Iraqi expert Hisham al-Hashemi said. The meeting between Trump and Saleh took place on the sidelines of the Davos conference, which this year is focusing heavily on climate emergency and social inequality. Trump left the annual World Economic Forum get-together in Davos later Wednesday to return to Washington. And what can be done about it? This month has seen several failed attempts by foreign powers to broker a ceasefire in Libya. First, Fayez al-Sarraj, who heads Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), refused to travel to Rome when he learned that his adversary, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, would be present at a meeting convened by Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte. A week later in Moscow, al-Sarraj signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement, but Haftar walked out without signing. And then, the leaders of Germany, France, Russia, Turkey, Egypt and several other countries gathered in Berlin to jumpstart a peace process on Libya. The final communique of the conference called on all parties to respect the nearly decade-old UN arms embargo on Libya an embargo many of those powers have repeatedly violated and reaffirmed the need for a political, rather than a military, solution to the conflict. The renewed call to respect the arms embargo is sensible but it lacks a plan for sanctioning those countries that continue to violate it. Meanwhile, the complex situation on the ground in Libya has worsened. Even while the Berlin meeting was in session, pro-Haftar protesters and militias blocked four key oil terminals. Recently, Turkey announced the deployment of its troops to Libya to back the GNA. The country has already seen the presence of mercenaries from a number of countries including Chad, Sudan, Syria and Russia. This has exacerbated an already complex situation on the ground, making it difficult for the UN and other peace-brokers to navigate. In this context, the failure of European and Middle Eastern actors to stabilise the situation in Libya comes as no surprise, particularly since many of the so-called peace-brokers have actually fed the violence through, for example, repeated violations of the arms embargo. In their interventions in the Libyan conflict, some foreign actors have been pursuing opposing visions for the future of the region. Others, in particular the Europeans, have intervened, hoping to secure economic gains in Libya and its assistance in keeping migrants away from European borders. None have had the best interest of the Libyans in mind. This is quite clear from the absence of representatives of Libyan civil society and grassroots organisations in many of these peace initiatives sponsored by foreign powers. While the fate of Libya continues to be negotiated in various European and Arab cities, the aspirations of Libyans continue to be swept aside. But it does not have to be this way. Libyans can still take the peace process into their own hands. An existing framework, known as the National Conference Process (NCP), is a good starting point. The NCP was a consultative process launched in 2018 and led by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue with the support of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The consultations were informed by the participation of 7,000 Libyans across the country. They resulted in a final report that outlined Libyan consensus on various policy areas that must be addressed to build the country. It might seem futile to return to a process of national reconciliation while fighting is ongoing, but the outcomes outlined in the NCPs final report still provide a critical opportunity to build a Libya by Libyans for Libyans even during protracted conflict. Given the current fragmentation of Libyas political leadership, domestic civil society and business actors should shepherd this process, even if on the sidelines of the brutal theatre of war. These actors include local security and military figures, municipalities and community leaders many of whom were involved in the NCP consultations themselves in 2018. Much of the current fighting is over resource distribution and power no doubt a central reason why several foreign governments in Europe and the Middle East are scrambling to retain influence and control in Libya. Distribution of power and resources is one of the five policy areas identified in the NCP report, alongside national and government priorities, security and defence, constitutional and electoral processes, and national reconciliation. Haftars offensive in April 2019 was an attempt to take control of Tripoli by force, and it put an abrupt stop to plans to hold the national conference that same month. The national reconciliation process was meant to pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya, after which the priorities outlined in the report would be among the issues addressed to build the country. It is no wonder, then, that Haftar and his army timed their offensive to thwart any kind of meaningful dialogue, especially a Libyan-owned one, whereby his legitimacy would have certainly been undercut. But the NCP is, as its name indicates, a process as opposed to a mere two-day conference. The work of Libyan community leaders, civil society and security sector figures that drove the national conference consultations need not stand still because of the persistent fighting. It could, as Yemeni civil society leaders have done through initiatives such as the Yemen Peace Forum, be used to organise strategic workshops at the community level in more stable areas in Libya. Of course, certain Libyan organisations have indeed been working together, but there needs to be a more coherent process that also aims to develop the policy areas identified in the NCP. If the military conflict makes this option difficult, there is a robust group of Libyan civil society leaders operating in the diaspora who could, together with local community leaders based in Libya, pursue such initiatives in other safe spaces. It is difficult to envisage any follow-through on the implementation of the NCP policy areas in the absence of the participation of Libyas rival governments, or at least that of the GNA. It is even more difficult to envisage this without elections. But it is not impossible. Libyas civil society both domestically and in the diaspora has been quietly, but actively, working to support the various policy areas outlined in the NCP. Those efforts must be supported and not meddled with by the international community. They form a crucial part of the groundwork needed to re-build Libya once the violence subsides. Without support for such efforts, foreign military and political interference the very problem that the NCP explicitly warns against will continue to be afforded more space as the demands of Libyans continue to be ignored. As the political squabbling continues in European cities, and as the fighting rages on in Tripoli and other parts of the country, the vision that Libyans put forward in the NCP should no longer be deferred. It is time to revive the National Conference Process in Libya, with or without a ceasefire agreement. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Nonfiction Feb. 4 Dangerous Prayers by Craig Groeschel (Zondervan, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-3103-4312-7) identifies three specific prayers aimed at inspiring greater faith and tackling fears. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Believe in Miracles: 101 Stories of Hope, Answered Prayers and Divine Intervention by Amy Newmark (Chicken Soup for the Soul, $14.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-61159-997-8) features accounts from ordinary people who claim to have had extraordinary experiences. Parable of the Brown Girl: The Sacred Lives of Girls of Color by Khristi Lauren Adams (Fortress, $18.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-5064-5568-6) collects stories of and encounters with young women of color on struggle and resilience. Feb. 11 The Book of Householder Koans: Waking Up in the Land of Attachments by Eve Myonen Marko and Wendy Egyoku Nakao (Monkfish, $18.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-948626-08-8) features a collection of koans created by 21st century Zen Buddhists related to relationships, raising children, money, loss, and more. Suffer Strong by Jay and Katherine Wolf (Zondervan, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-3103-4457-5). A follow-up to 2016s Hope Heals which depicted Katherines near-fatal brainstem stroke at age 26, this new memoir explores Katherine and Jays evolving strategies for coping with struggle and suffering. Feb. 17 Citizen: Faithful Discipleship in a Partisan World by C. Andrew Doyle (Church, $16.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-6406-5201-9). Episcopal bishop Doyle examines what it means to live in a community and explores the larger narrative of faith. Feb. 18 The Mindful Christian: Cultivating a Life of Intentionality, Openness, and Faith by Irene Kraegel (Fortress, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5064-5861-8) looks at mindfulness through the lens of faith and introduces practices aimed at helping readers live more joyfully and wholeheartedly. Loving Well in a Broken World: Discover the Hidden Power of Empathy by Lauren Casper (Thomas Nelson, $17.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-7180-8555-1. Blogger Casper examines what she calls the lost art of empathy in a guide for Christians on how to love neighbors as themselves. Theodor Herzl: The Charismatic Leader by Derek Penslar (Yale Univ, $26, ISBN 978-0-300-18040-4). Penslar, a historian of Zionism, draws on personal, literary, and political writings to trace Herzls path as the leader of the Zionist movement. Feb. 25 On the Bright Side by Melanie Shankle (Zondervan, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-3103-4944-0). Blogger (Big Mama) shares lessons learned about comparison, unexpected change, and finding encouragement in a new memoir. Fiction Feb. 18 More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson (Bethany, $15.99 paper, 978-0-7642-3538-2) follows three women drawn together by a life-altering car accident. A man who claims he was abused by a Catholic priest when he was 13 has hit out at how the church handled the complaint. Denis Cairns said he was left deeply hurt after learning that his alleged abuser's parish collected money for the priest last Christmas, seven months after he was stood down from his duties while the church investigated the allegation. Mr Cairns, who lives in Londonderry, alleges he was abused in 1992 by a priest visiting from a parish in the Nottingham Diocese. He said the collection, along with a weekly request in the priest's parish newsletter asking parishioners to pray for his alleged abuser, who is now ill, were deeply hurtful. He is also critical of how the diocese's Bishop, Patrick McKinney, handled the case. Mr Cairns (40), who is married with two children, first reported his alleged abuse to police in Derry in 1997 when he was 18. He had seen the same priest at a function in the city with a young boy and was concerned for the child's welfare. After investigation, a decision not to prosecute was taken due to a lack of evidence - it was Mr Cairns' word against that of his alleged abuser. It wasn't until 2014 that Mr Cairns contacted the Diocese of Derry and disclosed what happened to him. He was contacted by the diocese's safeguarding officer, who informed her counterpart in Nottingham. At this time the Derry Diocese became aware that, in 2002, Nottingham Diocese carried out an investigation into the allegations made by Mr Cairns and "supervised" and "monitored" the priest for a two-year period. Expand Close Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin The priest had been interviewed by the RUC at his parish in Nottingham in 1997. They also spoke to the Bishop at the time. This is when the diocese first became aware of the allegation. The diocese investigated in 2002 in response to the publication of the landmark Nolan report in 2001. The priest was not stood down from his duties at this time. The diocese did not contact Mr Cairns as part of this investigation. Files held by the Derry Diocese and Nottingham Diocese about Mr Cairns' allegation were released to him at his request. The Belfast Telegraph has a copy of these files and other correspondences including details of a meeting between Mr Cairns and the Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin. Among these is a letter dated April 2019 from Bishop McKinney, which was read out at all masses in the parish where the priest served, informing them of the allegations. The priest was already absent from his parish at the time because he had returned to his home in Northern Ireland - where he is now residing - for chemotherapy after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer. In his statement, Bishop McKinney wrote: "Your parish priest has been absent from the parish for a long time due to his illness and we continue to pray for his recovery. "However, he is unable at present to act as your parish priest for another reason. An allegation has been recently made against him of historic sex abuse. "Due to the serious nature of the allegation, I have issued a decree which suspends him from all public ministry until an investigation can be done. "It may seem cruel to begin this proceeding against someone who is seriously ill, but the Church must and does take allegations of this nature very seriously." Mr Cairns said the words used by Bishop McKinney showed little concern for the toll on his health, particularly his mental health, which left him suicidal many times. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Cairns said: "I have lived with this on my mind 24 hours a day, seven days a week since I was 13 and I am now 40. "The pain, anger, hurt, frustration and flashbacks never go away and at times I couldn't bear it and attempted to take my own life. I did that eight times, most recently last year. Expand Close Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown "In his statement, the Bishop of Nottingham implied that investigating the priest at a time when he was not in good health was cruel but there was no compassion or understanding for the effect on my health - the effect on my mental health has and continues to be enormous, but that doesn't seem to count. "This has been a long and traumatic journey for me, but last year I thought I was finally going to see a way in which I could get on with my life when the Bishop of Nottingham came to Derry to speak with me at the request of the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown. "We met in Bishop Donal's house and, after listening to my story, he told me he would begin a canonical investigation process. "Part of that process meant my abuser was not allowed to carry out duties as parish priest nor contact parishioners in that capacity, but I discovered just last week that parishioners had been given an update on his health and that a collection taken up in his parish (at Christmas 2019) had been passed to him. "This caused me unimaginable anguish. I was distraught beyond belief because it comes after I repeatedly asked that a weekly notice in this priest parish newsletter which asks people to pray for him is stopped, but my request has repeatedly been ignored." Mr Cairns said he hoped the canonical investigation will, at its conclusion, allow him to move on with his life, which he says has been dominated by the impact of his alleged abuse. He continued: "What happened to me when I was 13 has had a devastating effect on my life since. My abuser told me not to tell anyone what happened because I wouldn't be believed and I saw that he was right about that - who would take the word of a 13 year-old boy against that of a priest? "I told no one until the day (in 1997) I saw this same priest at a function in Derry with a young boy and my blood ran cold because I feared he was doing to this boy what he did to me. "I confronted the priest and he told me the boy was a 'friend' from his parish in England and that his parents had allowed him to bring the boy to Derry. "The next day, I went to the police in Derry and reported what had happened to me, but that came to nothing because it was basically my word against his. "It wasn't until 2014 that I contacted the Derry Diocese and told them I had been abused. "The safeguarding officer contacted me then and she also contacted Nottingham but I didn't know this until I had my files released. "I disclosed my abuse to a priest in Derry again in 2018 and, again, the safeguarding person got in contact with me only this time it was a different person, Noel O'Donnell. "He listened to me and arranged for me to meet Bishop McKeown, who also listened to me and told me they believed me. This was all I wanted - to be believed. "The Derry Diocese and Bishop Donal have been very good to me and have supported me when I needed it. "Bishop Donal even suggested it would be good for me to meet Archbishop Martin before he went off to the Vatican seminar on clerical abuse which I was delighted to do." Entries in the Derry Diocese files made by Mr O'Donnell echo Mr Cairns' sentiments. One dated January 30, 2019 reads: "One of the most important outcomes of the meeting was that Archbishop Martin clearly told Denis that he believed him." Another dated February 18 reads: "Denis does take comfort from the fact that he is believed by Archbishop Martin, Bishop McKeown and me (Mr O'Donnell)." Bishop McKeown also organised and facilitated a meeting between Mr Cairns and the Bishop of Nottingham in March 2019 which took place in his home but for which he was not present. Mr Cairns continued: "After the meeting with Bishop McKinney, it was agreed they would provide a care plan for me which included providing support and giving me regular updates on how the investigation is progressing. "Very early on in the investigation, two canon lawyers came to Derry and interviewed me - that was almost a year ago. "But despite me asking Nottingham Diocese if my abuser had been interviewed, I am still in the dark. "It seems to me Nottingham diocese is dragging its heels on the investigation because this priest is so ill and they are waiting on him to die so he can go to his grave with his reputation intact." A spokesman for Nottingham Diocese confirmed the priest at the centre of Mr Cairn's allegation has not yet been interviewed by canon lawyers - almost a year after the process began. The Belfast Telegraph has also learned that the boy Mr Cairns saw the priest with in Derry in 1997 has been identified. The Nottingham Diocese does not know if he has been contacted by the safeguarding team, police or social services. The spokesman said: "The priest is seriously ill and many of his parishioners would find it cruel that disciplinary proceedings had been begun against him while he was being treated for various cancers; nevertheless, the Bishop's concern that justice be done and be seen to be done meant that he began those proceedings which are ongoing. "The priest cannot function as a priest pending the outcome of those proceedings. We understand that seeing prayers for (the priest) would cause hurt to Mr Cairns; however, this was obviously never the intention. The editor of the parish bulletin is no longer fulfilling that role." The Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, was contacted prior to publication. He declined to comment. [January 22, 2020] Arrivalist Announces Several Promotions Arrivalist, the leading location intelligence platform in the Travel industry, is pleased to announce several promotions across its marketing, sales, account service and engineering teams: Matt Clement, CDME, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing, Ktimene Axetell has been promoted to Vice President, Insights, Carson Gregory has been promoted to Engineering Manager, Andrew Tran has been promoted to Manager, Data Science, Michael Hansberry has been promoted to Account Director and Catherine Ostuni has been promoted to Marketing Manager. Cree (News - Alert) Lawson, Founder and CEO, said, "We are proud of the extraordinary team we are building at Arrivalist and I am pleased to announce these well-deserved promotions. Matt and Ktimene have each been vital to the growth of the Arrivalist brand, pushing forward product development initiatives and most importantly, strengthening our client relationships. Carson and Andrew have been instrumental in making critical updates to our platform's capabilities and user interface, while Michael and Catherine have made substantial contributions to the success of our account service and marketing teams. These outstanding professionals have strengthened our unique culture and our ability to provide the best possible service to our 150+ clients worldwide. I am tremendously excited to see what they will accomplish next." Matt Clement was promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing. Matt joined Arrivalist in 2017 as Director for Marketing & Industry Relations. He was promoted to Vice President, Marketing & Business Development in 2018. In the last three years, Matt has been directing the company's efforts in marketing, business development and account service. He is a thought leader throughout the travel and tourism industry and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Destinations International and the Texas Tourism Industry Association. Prior to Arrivalist, Matt held leadership positions in tech, DMO and casino gaming organizations including Adara, Visit Fort Worth, and Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Matt earned his Certified Destination Marketing Executive accreditation from Destination International and a B.A. in Aviation Business Management from Henderson State University. Ktimene Axetell was promoted to Vice President, Insights. Ktimene joined Arrivalist in 2018 as Director, Destination Insights. Since joining Arrivalist, Ktimene has spearheaded initiatives in both product development and account services. She is widely recognized in the travel and tourism industry as a pioneer in destination sustainability and has also been credited with the creation of several new partnerships between Arrivalist and leading providers in the connected device space. Prior to joining Arrivalist, Ktimene held leadership positions at Amelia Island and agency and tech organizations including Razorfish, Napster, and Sony Pictures Digital. Ktimene earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in Economics and Communications from the Universita della Svizzera italiana (USI), where she authored a research study in collaboration with United Nations World Tourism Organization. Carson Gregory was promoted to Engineering Manager. Carson joined Arrivalist in 2017 as Senior Software Engineer. Carson has successfully orchestrated automations to simplify complex geographic data workflows; optimizing aggregate analysis on trillions of datapoints; and simplifying user experiences while maintaining a highly flexible analytics platform. Prior to joining Arrivalist, Carson was a Lead Engineer at InfoScout (acquired, now Numerator). Carson received his B.A. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from New York University. Andrew Tran was promoted to Manager, Data Science. Andrew joined Arrivalist in 2018 as a Data Scientist. He was promoted later that year to Data Science Team Lead. Andrew led efforts to improve and optimize ETL processes for current and new products while developing new algorithms for use in data cleaning, user classification and user normalization. Prior to joining Arrivalist, Andrew held multiple data analyst and application support roles at GasDay, a natural gas demand forecasting firm. Andrew earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University and an M.S. in Computational Sciences from Marquette University. Michael Hansberry was promoted to Account Director. Michael joined Arrivalist in 2018 as Strategic Insights Manager. Michael has managed more than 25 Arrivalist clients, including the creation of critical new analytical insights. Michael has become a respected public speaker during his time at Arrivalist, providing thought leadership on several occasions, including an engagement this year at the Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism, where his presentation received the top overall rating by conference attendees. Prior to joining Arrivalist, Michael held positions in account service, insights management and marketing strategy at Lippe Taylor and Deep Focus. Michael earned his B.A. in Communication, Journalism and Related Programs from Auburn University. Catherine Ostuni was promoted to Marketing Manager. Catherine joined Arrivalist in 2018 as Sales and Marketing Associate. Catherine has successfully managed the company's involvement in more than 100 travel and tourism industry events, including planning, logistics and client outreach. Additionally, Catherine has provided critical support to the sales and marketing team including day to day management of Salesforce, email marketing and client agreements. Catherine earned her B.S. in Hospitality Administration from Boston University. About Arrivalist Arrivalist is the leading location intelligence platform in the Travel industry. The company uses mobile location datasets to provide actionable insights on consumer behavior, competitive share, media effectiveness, and market trends. Over 200 travel marketers, including 100 Cities, 40 US States, and 4 of the top 10 US Theme Parks, use these insights to inform media strategy, operations, and destination development. Arrivalist is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco and Toronto View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005037/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The new year isn't even a month old and the food delivery crunch is already taking big bites. Spain's Glovo has today announced it's exiting four markets -- which it says is part of a goal of pushing for profitability by 2021. Also today, Uber confirmed rumors late last year by announcing it's offloading its Indian Eats business to local rival Zomato -- which will see it take a 9.99% stake in the Indian startup. In other recent news Latin America focused on-demand delivery app Rappi announced 6% staff layoffs. On-demand food delivery apps may be great at filling the bellies of hungry consumers fast but startups in this space have yet to figure out how to deliver push-button convenience without haemorrhaging money at scale. So the question even some investors are asking is how they can make their model profitable? Middle East exit The four markets Glovo is leaving are Turkey, Egypt, Uruguay and Puerto Rico. The exits mean its app footprint is shrinking to 22 markets, still with a focus on South America, South West Europe, and Eastern Europe and Africa. Interestingly, Glovo is here essentially saying goodbye to the Middle East -- despite its recent late stage financing round being led by Abu Dhabi state investment company, Mubadala. (It told us last month that regional expansion was not part of Mubadala's investment thesis.) Commenting on the exits in a statement, Glovo co-founder and CEO, Oscar Pierre, said: This has been a very tough decision to take but our strategy has always been to focus on markets where we can grow and establish ourselves among the top two delivery players while providing a first-class user experience and value for our Glovers, customers and partners." Last month Pierre told us the Middle East looks too competitive for Glovo to expand further. In the event it's opted for a full exit -- given both Egypt and Turkey are being dropped (despite the latter being touted as one of Glovo's fastest growing markets just over a year ago, at the time of its Series D). Story continues "Leaving these four markets will help us to further strengthen our leadership position in South West and Eastern Europe, LatAm and other African markets, and reach our profitability targets by early 2021, Pierre added. Glovo said its app will continue to function in the four markets "for a few weeks" after today -- adding that it's offering "support and advice to couriers, customers and partners throughout this transition". I want to place on record our thanks to all of our Glovers, customers and partners in the markets from which were withdrawing for their hard work, dedication, commitment and ongoing support," Pierre added. The exits sum to Glovo withdrawing from eight out of a total 306 cities. It also said the eight cities collectively generated 1.7% of its gross sales in 2019 -- so it's signalling the move doesn't amount to a major revenue hit. The startup disclosed a $166M Series E raise last month -- which pushed the business past a unicorn valuation. Pierre told us then that the new financing would be used to achieve profitability "as early as 2021", foreshadowing today's announcement of a clutch of market exits. Glovo has said its goal is to become the leading or second delivery platform in all the markets where it operates -- underlining the challenges of turning a profit in such a hyper competitive, thin margin space which also involves major logistical complexities with so many moving parts (and people) involved in each transaction. As food delivery players reconfigure their regional footprints -- via market exits and consolidation -- better financed platforms will be hoping they'll be left standing with a profitable business to shout about (and the chance to grow again by gobbling up less profitable rivals or else be consumed themselves). So something of a new race is on. Back in November in an on-stage interview at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin, Uber Eats and Glovo discussed the challenges of turning a profit -- with Glovo co-founder Sacha Michaud telling us he expects further consolidation in the on-demand delivery space. (Though the pair claimed there had been no acquisition talks between Uber and Glovo.) Michaud said then that Glovo is profitable on a per unit economics basis in "some countries" -- but admitted it "varies a lot country by country". Spain and Southern Europe are the best markets for Glovo, he also told us, confirming it generates operating profit there. Latin America will become operation profitable next year, he predicted. Glovo's exit from Egypt actually marks the end of a second act in the market. The startup first announced it was pulling the plug on Egypt in April 2019 -- but returned last summer, at the behest of its investor Delivery Hero (a rival food delivery startup which has a stake in Glovo), according to Michaud's explanation on stage. However there was also an intervention by Egypt's competition watchdog. And local press reported the watchdog had ordered Glovo to resume operations -- accusing it and its investor of colluding to restrict competition in the market (Delivery Hero having previously acquired Egyptian food delivery rival, Otlob). What the watchdog makes of today's announcement of a final bow out could thus be an interesting wrinkle. Asked about Egypt, a Glovo spokesperson told us: Egypt has been a very complex market for us, we were sad to leave the first time and excited to return when we did so last summer. However, our strategy has always been to be among the top two delivery players in every market we enter and have a clear path to profitability. Unfortunately, in Egypt there is not a clear path to profitability. Whither profitability? So what does a clear path to profitability in the on-demand delivery space look like? Market maturity/density appears to be key, with Glovo only operating in one city apiece in the other two markets it's leaving, Uruguay and Puerto Rico, for example -- compared to hundreds across its best markets, Spain and Italy, where it says it's operating out of the red. This suggests that other markets in South America -- where Glovo similarly has just a toe-hold, of a single or handful of cities, and less time on the ground, such as Honduras or Panama -- could be vulnerable to further future exits as the company reconfigures to try to hit full profitability in just around a year's time. But there are likely lots of factors involved in making the unit economics stack up so it's tricky to predict. Food delivered on-demand makes up the majority of Glovo's orders per market but its app also touts being able to deliver 'anything' -- from groceries to pharmaceuticals to the house keys you left at home -- which it claims as a differentiating factor vs rival food-delivery-only apps. A degree of variety also looks to be a key ingredient in becoming a sustainable on-demand delivery business -- as scale and cross selling appear to where the unit economics can work. Groceries are certainly a growing focus for Glovo which has been investing in setting up networks of dark supermarkets to support fast delivery of convenience style groceries as well as ready-to-eat food -- thereby expanding opportunities for cross-selling to its convenience-loving food junkies at the point of appetite-driven (but likely loss-making) lunch and dinner orders. Last year Michaud told us that market "maturity" supports profitability. "At the end of the day the more orders we have the better the whole ecosystem works," he said. While Uber Eats' general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Charity Safford, also pointed to "scale" as the secret sauce for still elusive profits. "Where we start to see more and more trips happening this is definitely where we see the unit economics improving -- so our job is really to figure out all of the use cases we can put into people's hands to get that application used as much as possible," she said. It's instructive that Uber is shifting towards a 'superapp' model -- revealing its intent last year to fold previously separate lines of business, such as rides and Eats, into a single one-stop-shop app which it began rolling out last year. So it's also able to deliver or serve an increasing number of things (and/or services). The tech giant has also been testing subscription passes which combine access to a range of its offerings under one regular payment. In some markets Glovo also has a 'Prime' monthly subscription, offering unlimited deliveries of anything its couriers can bike to your door, for a fixed monthly cost -- which it launched back in 2018. When it comes to the quest for on-demand profitability all roads seem to lead to trying to become the bit of Amazon's business that Amazon hasn't already built out and swiped. TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has said he is willing to form a government with Fianna Fail after the general election. Speaking during the first live televised debate of the campaign, Mr Varadkar last night said it would not be his first choice but said he would work with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin in a coalition or under a confidence and supply agreement. Its not my preference but if its the only way we can form a stable government in this country I am willing to, he said. The Fine Gael leader said his preference was to form a coalition with Labour, Independents and potentially the Green Party. Expand Close Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, Pat Kenny, host of debate, Virgin Media TV and Fianna Fail Leader Micheal Martin at the Election 2020 Debate Photo: MAXWELLPHOTOGRAPHY.IE / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, Pat Kenny, host of debate, Virgin Media TV and Fianna Fail Leader Micheal Martin at the Election 2020 Debate Photo: MAXWELLPHOTOGRAPHY.IE Were willing to work with any other party with the exception of Sinn Fein, he said. Mr Martin did not answer the question directly but instead was critical of personal attacks made against him by Fine Gael TDs during the election. The debate was taking place in Virgin Media studios in Dublin and was moderated by broadcaster Pat Kenny. Mr Varadkar said he has nothing but respect for Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, but said she was a puppet on a string and did not lead a normal party. Mr Martin said he has a fundamental problem with how Sinn Fein is run and said the party justify the murderous campaign of the Provisional IRA. Both said they believed a united Ireland could be a possibility during their lifetime. Mr Varadkar said Fianna Fail coalitions with Labour and the Greens collapsed amid scandal and acrimony. Read More Mr Martin said Mr Varadkar had not been grown up and said there had been many personal attacks on him by Fine Gael in recent weeks. Mr Martin said the rising cost of living is hitting everyone and said the country needs a new government. I believe our country needs a new government, a government that will put aside the obsession with party politics, he said. Speaking on the Virgin Media One debate, Mr Varadkar defended the governments record saying there are more people at work than ever before, incomes are up, poverty is down, there was a deal on Brexit and in the North. He also claimed that the government had doubled the number of homes being built with 21,000 more people and families in home this year. Mr Varadkar said: You expected more from us and I want us to do more." He that Fine Gael has a plan for fairer taxes, and higher wages and reduce the cost of living and pledged more hospital beds and homes in the coming years. Read More Mr Varadkar also responded to claims that Fine Gael is lacking in empathy. He said: "I know people say about party and me but I care deeply about our country". He suggested that he probably hasn't put it into words as well as Mr Martin but added: "I do it in my actions". Mr Varadkar listed bringing in the second highest minimum wage in Europe, reversing cuts to social welfare and disabilities payments and introducing more parental leave "so parents could spend more time with their kids". "I show my empathy, I show the fact that I care in the work I do. Maybe I don't say the right words, but it shows in the work I do." Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin clashed on housing. The Taoiseach was asked about an interview where he outlined how he bought a home in his 20s. He said he wants that to be a reality for everyone and argued that the Help-to-Buy scheme has helped around 15,000 people buy a home. Mr Varadkar said some of the best moments he's had as Taoiseach is visiting new developments and seeing the owners turn their keys. He admitted that not enough has been done and said: "I want to do more." Mr Martin claimed Fine Gael's efforts to tackle the housing crisis have come "too late". He said there are "too many people housing waiting lists, too many people homeless". He said: "There hasnt been the house-building progress we deserve". Mr Martin pointed out that people can't save for homes due to the "excessive high cost of rent". He denied a suggestion from Mr Kenny that Fianna Fail's proposed SSIA-style scheme for first-time buyers is the "same old" politics from the party insisting: "It's designed to help young people". Mr Varadkar claimed the Fianna Fail scheme would increase demand but not supply. Mr Martin accused Fine Gael of "ignoring affordable housing" and promising to end homelessness but failing to do so. Mr Martin said there was no comparison between his and Mr Vardkars time in the Department of Health. Mr Martin said he increased beds by 1,000 while he was Minister for Health and waiting lists for operations were far lower. Mr Varadkar said Mr Martin did some good things in health such as the smoking ban and the introduction of centres of excellence for cancer. However, Mr Varadkar said Mr Martin did not publish figures for the number of people waiting on hospital trolleys when he was a minister. The Taosieach also noted he introduced free GP care for children under 6s. Mr Martin said Mr Varadkar was using GPs for electoral purposes by promising to increase the free service to all children under 18s in his election manifesto. The Fianna Fail leader said Mr Varadkar had no shame and continually offered free this and free that ahead of elections. He said people in rural Ireland could not get on GP lists because of Fine Gaels policies. Mr Martin said voters were not fooled by Mr Varadkars promises Mr Varadkar said Mr Martin was showing unbelievable arrogance by claiming Fianna Fail never made any mistakes in government. He also raised a nursing homes funding controversy which Mr Martin was involved in while Minister for Health. The Taoiseach said the health system can be fixed through the Slaintecare plan which has been agreed by all the parties. Mr Martin said Fine Gael had implemented very little of the plan since it had been agreed. Mr Varadkar said he wanted to express his deep regret to anyone who had to spend time on a trolley. He said Fianna Fail took beds out of hospitals and Fine Gael were going to put them back in. Both Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin said they both have private health insurance. Mr Varadkar said he did no believe politicians are shown favouritism when they check into hospital and said former Communications Minister Denis Naughten was recently in his hospital he spent time on a trolley The leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail both acknowledged the unfairness in the differences between public and private sector pensions. Mr Varadkar said there was unfairness in the fact that private sector workers do not have access to pensions that are available to public servants, including politicians, which he described as guaranteed and good. He said this was why Fine Gael was proposing to establish an auto-enrolment system. Mr Martin said the discrepancy between public and private sector pensions does breed resentment. He said there had been no preparation for the issue becoming a major talking point during this election, but paid tribute to Labour leader Brendan Howlin for raising the issue in a recent party conference speech. He said the government isnt ready for auto-enrolment. Both leaders trades blows on the Votegate, Dara Murphy and recent TDs expenses controversies. Mr Martin refused to rule out appointing Fianna Fail TDs caught up in the Dail voting controversy to Cabinet, and excoriated the Taoiseach for backing Mr Murphys campaign role for the European Peoples Party. Both leaders agreed there should be a reform of the politicians expenses in the next Dail. After a debate on crime, both leaders were asked if they had ever taken illegal drugs. Mr Martin said he had never done so. Mr Varadkar attempted to deflect by saying he had answered the question in a Hot Press interview 12 or 13 years ago, but when pressed by the Fianna Fail leader and host Pat Kenny, Mr Varadkar admitted: "Yes, but it was obviously a long time ago. Both men were asked if they would seek to remain on as party leaders if they don't become Taoiseach after the election. Mr Martin said: "I wont be resigning at all. Im confident we will lead the next government". He insisted he enjoys a "very good relationship" with his party and the possibility they would demand that he goes "doesn't arise". Mr Varadkar said he would "absolutely" want to continue to lead Fine Gael even if his party loses the election. He said: "This is my first election as leader. Its Micheals third. "I dont think its a terrible thing to to go back again and try again. But my real hope of course is that we are going to win this election and form the next government." Read More Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has criticised the format of the debate and insisted she should have been allowed to take part. A debate involving the leaders of all parties will be hosted by RTEs Claire Byrne on Monday night. Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin will take party in a second head-to-head debate on RTE in the last week of the campaign. Mr Varadkar came to studio with an entourage of advisers and Cabinet ministers, including Paschal Donohoe, Regina Doherty and Simon Harris. Meanwhile, Mr Martin was accompanied by a small team of advisers. The JNU administration on Wednesday said it had "relevant information" on the nationality of all the 301 foreign students enrolled in the varsity, contrary to the claim made by an RTI activist. The Right to Information (RTI) application was filed by filed by Kota resident Sujeet Swami. According to the RTI response, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said that it did not have the information on the nationality of 82 foreign students. While the JNU alleged that Swami gave "incomplete data" to the media, the activist hit back saying the varsity's "RTI handling system" was deeply flawed and dared the Vice Chancellor to take legal action against him. The varsity "has all the relevant information regarding the foreign students who have registered in the various academic programmes in the university," it said. "When an RTI comes, a time limit is given to provide the answers... The RTI has a set of different questions pertaining to the different branches of the university," the varsity said. The RTI question was related to the varsity's admission, evaluation and CIS branch. "Different branches of the university keep their data in different formats. The Central Public Information Office directly sends the data available in their respective branch to the applicant," the varsity said. The RTI applicant gave the inputs to the media before getting all relevant information asked by him, the varsity said. "No conclusion should be drawn on the basis of incomplete data from the sources. It is unfortunate that report was published without getting complete information," the varsity said. Swami, however, said that nowhere was it mentioned that the information he had received from the varsity was "incomplete or partial". "In its response, the varsity clearly stated that information regarding nationality of 82 students was 'not available'. If the varsity had lied, then it's a serious matter and all RTI replies given by the JNU till date should be probed," he said. "The JNU's RTI handling system is deeply flawed. I was not informed that different branches of the university will be replying to my queries... If I have indeed misled the media, then the JNU administration should take legal action against me," Swami said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lesbos Island (Greece) (AFP) - Thousands of residents on Greek islands hosting large migrant camps kicked off a day of protests on Wednesday, demanding the immediate removal of asylum seekers. The islanders of Lesbos, Samos and Chios staged a general strike, shutting down shops and public services and rallying in central squares, many waving Greek flags. Packing the waterfront of Lesbos harbour, the protesters chanted: "Our islands are not prisons. Shut down all the camps now." "Soon we will be a minority on our own island," said Vassiliki Ververi, a Lesbos resident. "It's Greece and the islands that are paying the price of migration," she told AFP. Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, who was appointed to the post last week, said local anger was "justified". "The burden borne by the islanders is disproportionate," Mitarachi, who represents the island of Chios in parliament, said in a statement. The largest camp of Moria on Lesbos island, with a capacity for 2,840 people, hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. Samos and Chios each have 7,500 and around 5,000 asylum seekers in camps respectively built to handle 650 and 1,000 persons. Dozens more arrive daily from neighbouring Turkey. Asylum seekers "should be shared out across Greece," 72-year-old Lesbos pensioner Efstratios Peppas told AFP. "And Europe must assume its responsibilities. It too must take migrants," he said. "You can't walk alone outside after dark, people get stabbed," Peppas said. Rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised the living conditions at the camps. The government announced plans in November to build larger camps on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, which currently host a total of nearly 42,000 migrants and refugees and where outbreaks of violence are frequent. Two young asylum seekers have been fatally stabbed in brawls at the Moria camp this month. An 18-year-old Afghan girl was also seriously injured in a knife attack this week and remains in hospital. Story continues And three asylum seekers in Greek custody have committed suicide in recent weeks. "We demand the immediate shutdown of Moria," read a banner carried in the Lesbos demonstration. Greece's new conservative government, which has announced tougher asylum laws and hired additional border guards, vows to expel all asylum seekers who are not entitled to protection. It also reinstated the migration ministry, six months after scrapping it. But the new camp plans have been strongly opposed by island officials, who want smaller facilities after hosting thousands of asylum seekers for the past five years. "They need to leave. It's not that we don't like them. They live in miserable conditions. It's tough for them and for us too," said Zoi Yannaka, who was part of a separate Communist party demonstration on Lesbos. Greece last year again became the main entry into Europe for migrants and refugees, many fleeing war or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Syria. The UN refugee agency in 2019 recorded more than 59,000 arrivals by sea and more than 14,000 via the land border with Turkey. Already more than 3,000 have arrived so far this year. Only a fraction are allowed passage to the Greek mainland while the rest spend months in the camps, waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. On Tuesday, 17 human rights organisations warned the Greek government of a rising "climate of discrimination and xenophobia" towards asylum seekers, who they said also face "serious consequences to their well-being and public health". CRAWFORD COUNTY, MI A promising day of hunting recently ended in citations for a Michigan man when his muzzleloader blew a hole in his deer blind. According to an official DNR report, the incident occurred in Crawford County last month when John Huspen, a conservation officer in DNR District 5, checked on a private property baiting complaint. CO Huspen located an elevated blind looking over a large pile of sugar beets where an antlerless deer was eating. After several minutes, the deer ran off and CO Huspen knocked on the ladder to inform the hunter to come down and speak with him. What did you say? the hunter said. Conservation officer, I need you to come down, Huspen repeated, according to the report. The subject then yelled Hold on as a loud boom came from the blind. The hunter then yelled, My gun just went off. After the officer made sure the hunter was OK, the hunter explained that his gun went off when he tried to move it. He was not harmed, the report said. Further investigation revealed the gun had no safety mechanism and that the hunter was sitting with the hammer cocked. He was not wearing any hunter orange and upon request could not produce a deer hunting license. CO Huspen and the subject walked to his residence nearby. According to the report, the subject acknowledged that he made mistakes while hunting and also ruined his deer blind in the same day. The hunter was cited for hunting without a license and failure to wear hunter orange. DNR District 5 is in Northern Michigan and includes Alcona, Arenac, Clare, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon counties. Navi Mumbai The body of a 30-year-old man, who was missing since Monday evening, was found a few metres away from his house at Turbhe early on Wednesday. He was hammered to death and his body was dumped in a plastic sack, said police. Santosh Kasbe, a daily wage labourer, used to live in Indra Nagar slums in Turbhe with his family. The Navi Mumbai police control room received a call on the helpline number 100 about a suspicious bag in the chawl. The police opened the sacked and found the body inside. He was attacked on the head with a hammer. The body was bundled in a plastic sack and dumped near the chawl. We have registered a case of murder and are probing, said Sunil Shinde, inspector at Turbhe police station. After the police found his body, they traced his family to the same chawl. Police said Kasbes family, including his mother, two elder brothers and their families were sleeping when the police knocked on their door and informed them of Kasbes murder. On Monday around 5 pm, Kasbe left home. His phone was later switched off. He used to drink but never had any problems at home. He got into minor fights and arguments but did not have any serious enmity with anyone, said Kasbes mother, who did not want to give her name. Police sources said Kasbes skull was smashed with a hard object, most likely a small hammer, at least three to four times. The police refused to say whether the hammer was seized. Details of the investigation will not be revealed as we are still probing to find the killer, said Amol Zende, assistant commissioner of police, Turbhe division. In 2015, Kasbes wife died of post-maternity complications four months after delivery. Kasbe lived with his three children two boys aged seven and six and a four-year-old daughter. His body was sent to Vashi municipal hospital for an autopsy. Police are questioning Kasbes two brothers for leads. The police are trying to verify the call detail records to ascertain whom Kasbe called before his phone was switched off. The police will also establish his last location which may provide a clue. WESTPORT More than a dozen parents of special needs students are speaking up after learning about potential changes or budget cuts to the districts Special Education Department. Its not easy for any of us to come up here and speak publicly on these issues, special education PTA Co-Chair Sivan Hong told Board of Education members at their Tuesday meeting. They are profoundly personal, at times deeply painful, and still carry a stigma in our society. SIGN UP here to get daily Westport News and alerts on breaking news Concerns arose after a Jan. 10 work session explored modifying the current administration models at town schools, in an effort to make cuts as the BOE looks to increase its budget by 3.5% this year. Special needs administrators could be affected by these changes. Hong said special needs parents willingness to speak on record is a testament to how strongly they supported the current model. While she understands the district faces a challenging budget season, Hong argued cuts should be made with deep consideration. Weve heard time and time again that tough decisions need to be made, she said. Those decisions should be made with a sense to both head and heart. Several parents echoed Hongs sentiments, highlighting the current models positive impact and claiming the presence of special education administrators has lessened legal fees for the district. We all understand tightening the budget, but there comes a tipping point where you weaken the system to the point of damaging it, said Linda Lipner, a Westport parent. On a separate note, board members stressed the importance of mitigating litigation and settlement costs related to special education cases. The district has budgeted $250,000 in legal fees for the 2020-21 school year, up from $212,000 budgeted last year. Whats happening that we are seeing such continuous increases. And what can we do as a board to help support that number going in the opposite direction? BOE Vice Chair Jeannie Smith asked. Ann Leffert, who is filling in for Assistant Superintendent Tina Mannarino, said the best way to avoid a legal conversation is the ground work. I think its the on the ground work that will help some of that, Leffert said. Through communication, through problem-solving and continuing to engage families in the process. Interim Superintendent David Abbey said a notion of stability and leadership will also be helpful in regulating costs. Around 650 students, or 13% of the schools population, receive special needs services. The way the law is structured in Connecticut, the burden is on the district to prove they have the correct program for a student, Abbey said. The majority of the legal services costs are settlements, which Abbey said can involve covering costs for parents. Parents have a right to exercise due process, Abbey said. Its part of the law, and by necessity its also an expensive part of the law. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com OTTAWA - The NDP's Canadian-heritage critic says he believes Prince Harry and his family should pay for their own security while they're in Canada. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex gesture during their visit to Canada House in thanks for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada, in London, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. The NDP's Canadian Heritage critic says he believes Prince Harry and his family should pay for their own security costs while they're in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool Photo OTTAWA - The NDP's Canadian-heritage critic says he believes Prince Harry and his family should pay for their own security while they're in Canada. Alexandre Boulerice, who is also deputy leader of the party, says he questions whether Canadians would welcome the idea of taxpayers in this country paying for security to protect the English royals. That's why he says he doesn't support it and plans to send a message to the Liberal government that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should cover their own costs. The prince, his wife Meghan and their eight-month-old son Archie are reportedly staying at a mansion north of Victoria, having "stepped back" from royal duties. Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to say who would be pick up the tab for protecting the couple. Trudeau said only that discussions on the matter were ongoing and that he has not spoken to the Queen about it. "If they want to come and live in Canada, they are more than welcome, but they have to fulfil their responsibility and assure their own security," Boulerice said Wednesday in Ottawa. But NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he hasn't made up his own mind yet on what Canada's financial role should be, noting the likelihood of a need that may arise to protect not only the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but also the Canadian public that surround them. That's why Singh says he wants to hear from security experts before he takes a position on royal protection costs. "With anyone that comes to the country there will be an assessment about how to best respond to, maybe, massive crowds for people who are very popular ... the appropriate steps taken for that to make sure communities (are) safe," Singh said. "I'm sure there will be experts that make an evaluation. I want to hear what their decisions are or what their advice is." Buckingham Palace announced last Saturday that the prince and his wife will give up public funding and try to become financially independent. While they have been spending time in British Columbia, it remains unclear where in Canada they will eventually settle. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. New research has found preparing land for palm oil plantations and the growth of young plants causes significantly more damage to the environment, emitting double the amount of greenhouse gases than mature plantations. This is the first study to examine the three main greenhouse gas emissions across the different age stages of palm oil plantations. It was carried out by plant scientists from the University of Nottingham in the North Selangor peat swamp forest in Malaysia with support from the Salangor State Forestry Department. It has been published today in Nature Communications. Palm oil is the most consumed and widely traded vegetable oil in the world. Global demand has more than tripled in the last eighteen years, from around 20 million tonnes in 2000 to over 70 million in 2018 and Malaysia is the world's second largest producer. The University of Nottingham researchers analysed five sites at four different stages of land use: secondary forest, recently drained but uncleared forest, cleared and recently planted young oil palm plantation and mature oil palm plantation. Laboratory analysis of soil and gas from these sites showed that the greatest fluxes of CO 2 occurred during the drainage and young oil palm stages with 50% more greenhouse gas emissions than the mature oil palms. These emissions also account for almost a quarter of the total greenhouse emissions for the region. Intensive drainage Tropical peat swamp forests hold around 20% of global peatland carbon. However, the contribution of peat swamp forests to carbon storage is currently under threat from large-scale expansion of drainage-based agriculture including oil palm and pulp wood production on peatlands. Draining peatlands increases the oxygen levels in the soil, which in turn increases the rate of decomposition of organic material, resulting in high CO 2 emissions from drained peatlands. In addition to CO 2 , peatlands also emit the powerful greenhouse gases (CH4 and N2O8).. Dr Sofie Sjogersten from the University of Nottingham's School of Biosciences led the research and said: "Tropical peat swamps have historically been avoided by palm oil growers due to the amount of preparation and drainage the land needs, but as land becomes more scarce there has been an increased demand to convert sites and the periphery of North Selangor is being heavily encroached upon by palm oil plantations. Our research shows that this conversion comes at a heavy cost to the environment with greater carbon and greenhouse gas emissions being caused by the early stages of the growth of palm oil." Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The death of a spectator at an illegal cockfight in India has drawn attention to a practice that, despite being banned for decades by the Supreme Court, continues on a grand scale in some states. Police say a 55-year-old man attending a fight in Andhra Pradesh state was slashed in the abdomen by a rooster which had razor blades attached to its legs. The practice of arming the birds in this way is common in the state, with big money bet on the fights and organisers keen to ensure the bouts are over quickly with a clear winner and loser. According to local media, an organiser was holding a rooster and waiting to release it in the arena at Pragadavaram village last Wednesday, when it panicked and fluttered, lashing out in the process at the victim, named by police as Saripalli Venkateswara Rao. The injured man was rushed to hospital but declared dead upon arrival. Police said a case had been filed and an investigation is ongoing. Inside Indias first elephant hospital Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Indias first elephant hospital Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the rescued elephants takes a bath in the morning at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Wildlife SOS is a conservation nonprofit organisation in India working for animal welfare, elephant conservation and care EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A specialised ambulance designed to rescue elephants EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj, who was rescued from an Indian royal family, walks inside the treatment area EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Elephants are rescued from heartbreaking conditions in circuses, from street begging and from highway accidents EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj arrives for his treatment EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital An elephant with the chronic foot disease and generalised infection EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A worker hoses one of the rescued elephants EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A volunteer feeds an elephant in the morning EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the rescued elephants takes a bath EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Tethering chains, iron hobbles and hooks, which were used to control captive elephants, on display EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj takes a mud bath EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj receives treatment at the hospital EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the elephants enjoys a meal of fruit and vegetables EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Senior veterinary officer Dr Yaduraj shows scans on the screen of a high-end X-ray device EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Volunteers scrub down an elephant as it takes a bath EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Rescued elephants at the hospital EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital According to a World Animal Protection data, there are more than 3,000 elephants still in captivity in India, used for the tourism and leisure industry, and many of them are in need of proper care and attention EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the elephants receives medical treatment EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A rescued elephant has a snack EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A senior veterinary officer treats an elephant with chronic foot disease and generalised infection EPA Cockfights spike in numbers every year around the Hindu festival of the sun, Makara Sankranthi, in spite of clear Supreme Court rulings that the bloodsport is illegal under both the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act of 1974. In practice, however, the involvement of senior local politicians and large sums of money means police tend to turn a blind eye. It is estimated that R100 crore (10.7m) was bet over three days around the 15 January festival. Animal rights activists complain about the lack of action by police each year, but in 2017 a fresh plea by campaigners for further intervention by the Supreme Court was dismissed. In 2019, the Washington Post investigated what it called the Super Bowl of cockfighting in Andhra Pradesh, and found a fight attended by more than 1,000 people apparently organised by a local MLA a member of the states legislative assembly. The fights are so entrenched that they have become something of a macabre tourist attraction. After attending an event in Ampapuram village, a woman visiting from Belgium named Hannelore told the ANI news agency: This is my first visit to Vijayawada and I have been told that Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival. It is interesting and nice to see local celebrations and culture. The cockfights are interesting and I have seen one fight just now. It is very quick. If it is a local tradition, it is nice to see and learn more about it. Police say they take action to prevent cockfighting where possible, but that to forcibly break up large gatherings would be too dangerous. Almost 1,500 people were arrested in the past week over 540 cases brought against organisers spanning the wider Krishna district, officials told the Express News Service. At least 32 people were killed on Wednesday when suspected nomadic Misseriya herders from Sudan attacked a village in the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei along the border of South Sudan, a local official said. Abyei has been contested since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, while there have long been tensions between the South Sudanese Ngok Dinka community and the Misseriya herders who traverse the area looking for grazing. Kuol Alor Kuol, the chief administrator of the Abyei area, told AFP that heavily armed Misseriya and allied militia attacked the village of Kolom early on Wednesday. "Thirty-two people were killed among them children and women, and secondly about 24 people are wounded...and about 15 people including children were abducted and 20 houses burned," Kuol said. He said the wounded had been evacuated to a hospital in the town of Agok which is run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). In 2011, the UN Security Council deployed a peacekeeping force to the area after deadly clashes displaced some 100,000 people. The United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) is made up entirely of Ethiopian troops, with some 4,500 soldiers on the ground. UNISFA could not be immediately reached for comment on the attack. The UN Security Council in 2018 warned that the situation in Abyei and along the Sudan-South Sudan border "continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace," and called on the two countries to show concrete progress on border demarcation and monitoring. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW/ - Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (TSX: CF) is scheduled to release its third quarter results and supplementary financial information on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 after TSX market close. Interested investors, the media and other stakeholders may review the earnings release and supplementary financial information at www.canaccordgenuity.com/investor-relations/investor-resources/financial-reports/ QUARTERLY CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST: Interested parties are invited to listen to Canaccord Genuity's third quarter results conference call via live webcast or a toll-free number. The conference call is scheduled for Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, 5:00 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 p.m. UK time, 9:00 p.m. China Standard Time, and midnight Australia EST. During the call, senior executives will comment on the results and respond to questions from analysts and institutional investors. The conference call may be accessed live and will also be archived on a listen-only basis at: www.canaccordgenuity.com/investor-relations/news-and-events/conference-calls-and-webcasts/ Analysts and institutional investors can call in via telephone at: 647-427-7450 (within Toronto ) ) 1-888-231-8191 (toll free outside Toronto ) ) 0-800-051-7107 (toll free from the United Kingdom ) ) 0-800-917-449 (toll free from France ) ) 10-800-714-1191 (toll free from Northern China ) ) 10-800-140-1195 (toll free from Southern China ) ) 1-800-287-011 (toll free from Australia ) ) 800-017-8071 (toll free from United Arab Emirates ) Please ask to participate in the Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. Q3/20 results call. If a passcode is requested, please use 8444899. A replay of the conference call will be made available from approximately two hours after the live call on February 6, 2020 until April 7, 2020 at 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 by entering passcode 8444899 followed by the (#) key. ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY GROUP INC.: Through its principal subsidiaries, Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (the "Company") is a leading independent, full-service financial services firm, with operations in two principal segments of the securities industry: wealth management and capital markets. Since its establishment in 1950, the Company has been driven by an unwavering commitment to building lasting client relationships. We achieve this by generating value for our individual, institutional and corporate clients through comprehensive investment solutions, brokerage services and investment banking services. The Company has Wealth Management offices located in Canada, the UK, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Australia. The Company's international capital markets division operates in North America, UK & Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol CF on the TSX. For investor and media relations inquiries: Christina Marinoff, Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications, Phone: 416-687-5507, email: cmarinoff@cgf.com, www.cgf.com Bombardier Inc., the embattled train and plane maker, is exploring a combination of its rail business with French rival Alstom SA, according to people familiar with the matter. The two companies have held preliminary talks about a rail deal in the past few months, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Representatives for Alstom and Bombardier declined to comment. Alstom rose as much as 2.1 per cent in early trading in Paris Wednesday. Bombardier ended 5.7 per cent higher in Toronto Tuesday, giving the company a value of $3.18 billion. The latest considerations between Bombardier and Alstom could face antitrust scrutiny, and theres no certainty they will lead to a transaction, the people said. A rail deal is among several options the Canadian company is exploring to stabilize its portfolio, which also includes business jets, they said. The deliberations started before Bombardier shocked the market last week by warning of disappointing fourth-quarter sales, according to the people. Bombardier also said at the time that it may exit a joint venture with Airbus SE that makes the A220 jetliner and potentially take a major writedown. Bombardier shares dropped as much as 39 per cent on the news, a record decline. China competition A takeover of Bombardiers rail business by Alstom would mark the latest attempt by some of the worlds biggest trainmakers to counter growing competition from China. Bombardier in 2017 held talks to combine its rail operations with competitor Siemens AG until the German company suddenly opted to pursue a deal with Alstom. The European Union then in February 2019 blocked the Franco-German merger, which would have created a European rail champion, after regulators refused to cave in to warnings about the looming threat of Chinese competition. Alstom is unlikely to pursue a merger with Bombardier due to antitrust considerations, according to Bloomberg. While historically best known as a manufacturer of metro, commuter and regional trains, Bombardier has collaborated in high-speed projects including Alstoms high-speed TGV. The Canadian company generated sales of $11.6 billion from the rail transport business in 2018 while Alstoms reached 8.1 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in its latest fiscal year. The potential end of Bombardiers involvement in A220 manufacturing, combined with new stumbles in the companys rail business, have undermined a once-great name in manufacturing just when investors thought they were poised to reap the rewards of a difficult turnaround effort. Walking away from the A220 would close the book on Bombardiers work on an aircraft program in which the company invested more than$7.8 billion. The negative earnings announcement could hamper efforts to reach a deal with Alstom, weighing on the estimated value of the Canadian companys rail operations or spurring both firms to focus on their own separate businesses, the people said. Bombardier in 2015 sold a 30 per cent stake in its Berlin-based train business to pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, valuing the unit at $6.5 billion at the time and helping the firm raise capital as it faced a cash drain from delays for its new jets. Before that, it had considered an IPO of the rail unit. Learjet, Challenger Were Bombardier to exit both rail and the A220 project, control of which it ceded to Airbus in 2018, its operations would be confined to manufacturing corporate aircraft under the Learjet, Challenger and Global brands. The company sold its turboprop business to Longview Aviation Capital Corp. for $391.4 million in a deal completed last year, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. agreed to buy the CRJ regional jet arm for $717.7 million in June. With assistance from Scott Deveau, Geraldine Amiel, Jan-Henrik Forster, Siddharth Philip and Christopher Jasper. Read more about: North Dakota has seen an increase in the graduation rate for Native American students. State school Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said when she was first elected, the Native graduation rate was 57%. Now its 72%. And Baesler said while that is significant progress, theres more to do. The overall graduation rate in North Dakota is 89%. Baesler attributes the better numbers for Native American children in part to more engaged school boards. "When school boards get distracted by spending more time talking about adult issues, and less time talking about issues that impact their students, those schools go astray," Baesler told Prairie Public radio. Baesler said the Department of Public Instruction has been working with local schools to institute more culturally-aware curriculum in schools across the state. "Over 2,000 of our teachers have received the 'Essential Understandings' training DPI has offered for the last five years," Baesler said. "It's our goal to make sure all of our teachers have that training." Baesler said one trend shes noticing is Native American students who take two or more career and technical education courses actually have shown a 94% graduation rate. "If they take two years of marketing, automotive or construction, any CTE course, they're graduating at a higher rate than the state average," Baesler said. "There's something in those courses we need to capture more of." Baesler said in the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress test, Native American reading scores went up three points. Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With so many neighborhoods in the midst of Worcesters renaissance, a Wayfinding Project in the city could present a branding opportunity for up and coming neighborhoods. The project, which involves new signs identifying some of the citys neighborhoods, is intended not just to identify sections of the city, but to awaken community spirit. According to the Worcester Cultural Coalition, markers on Shrewsbury Street, Washington Square, Salisbury Street, and MLK Jr. Boulevard help to convey, Worcesters rich cultural history and future. But its just the beginning. More wayfinding elements are expected to appear throughout the city come spring and summer. As rapid economic development takes hold across many of Worcesters neighborhoods, these signs, kiosks, and identifiers could become key components for districts both new and old that are looking to distinguish themselves. Here are three Worcester neighborhoods with the potential to emerge and help define the citys future. Writer Sarah Connell and her husband Jacob Sanders make their way up Beacon Street on their wedding day. (Joe Gonzalez-Dufresne/photo) The former manufacturing enclave of Beacon Street Beacon Street is one of Worcesters oldest industrial enclaves. Lined with former manufacturing buildings, the neighborhood now offers a variety of fresh outposts where people can work, live, and play. Beacon Street runs parallel to Main South, one of the most diverse and bustling areas in the city with nary an empty storefront. The Ivy Corset Building began attracting a wide range of start-ups and small business owners to the corner of Beacon and Jackson Street, over a decade ago. In 2019, Eastern Boarder arrived across the way, bringing the regions premier snowboarding and skateboarding shop to the neighborhood. Now, visitors can find New Tradition Co. Coffee Shop and Heartland Barber just around the corner. DJ Jon Strader, a tenant of the Ivy Corset Building, takes great pride in operating his business in the Beacon Street neighborhood. Moving to the Ivy Corset Building was like finding a diamond in the rough, Strader said. We have the space to host some cool networking get-togethers and even have the addition of a roof deck for hangs. Strader also shared that new clients often express shock when they experience The Ivy Corset Buildings creative atmosphere for the first time. Recently, our friends opened the New Tradition Co. Coffee Shop directly across the street; its amazing to see the growth and potential for even more happening directly around us, Strader concluded. Photographer Joe Gonzalez-Dufresne is also based at the Ivy Corset building. The building owner, Steven Rothschild, is a big supporter of small businesses and provides unique and affordable offices in the renovated factory building for those looking to grow their business, Gonzalez-Dufresne explained. Like Strader, Gonzalez-Dufresne is thrilled with the recent development around Beacon Street. It is great to run across the street to get a coffee, chat with friends, have a meeting with potential clients, or even get a haircut at Heartland Barber when I feel a bit sloppy up top, joked Gonzalez-Dufresne. Beacon Street also plays home to the Junction Shop Lofts, a luxury development with exposed brick, original beams, towering ceilings, and ample amenities. Last week, Table Talk Pies revealed plans to construct a state-of-the-art bakery at the southwest end of Beacon Street where the former Crompton & Knowles Complex once stood. My Sister's Crawfish II is one of many Vietnamese restaurants along South Park Avenue, an area rivaled by Green Street for the highest density of Vietnamese owned businesses in Worcester. Worcesters Little Saigon Many major American cities, including nearby Boston, have proposed or instituted Vietnamese cultural districts called Little Saigon. In Worcester, Vietnamese businesses are thriving in clusters on both Green Street and South Park Avenue. According to a 2015 report by the Seven Hills Foundation on Worcesters foreign-born population, the third-largest concentration of foreign-born residents hail from Vietnam. The Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts reports more than 10,000 visits to their office by local Southeast Asians annually, many of whom are Vietnamese. According to Executive Director at the Southeast Asian Coalition of Massachusetts Anh Vu Sawyer, Being recognized and having a presence in the city as Little Saigon is crucial for the economic development for the Vietnamese in Worcester, as well as an opportunity for this demographic to be actively engaged in the cultural and civic life of this great city. Vu Sawyer counted at least 11 Vietnamese owned businesses on Green Street including Binh An Market, Pho Ha Tien, My Do Hair Salon, Northeast Nail Supply, Thai Binh Jewelry, Saigon Center, Mai Tai Restaurant, and a new boba cafe set to open in the Worcester Market Building. Many of these businesses have been established on this street for several decades from Vietnamese American residents who have been in Worcester for three generations, Vu Sawyer explained. She also pointed out the proximity to Vietnamese Cuisine, a restaurant in Kelley Square, and Chashu Ramen + Izakaya on Franklin Street. Chashu Ramen + Izakaya is a Japanese inspired spot set to open in February under the direction of Son Vo who also owns Pho Sure, a Vietnamese restaurant in Shrewsbury. Vo recognizes the density of Vietnamese restaurants along South Park Avenue, but he maintains that to build a proper Little Saigon in that part of the city would require an increased number of Vietnamese businesses and services outside of hospitality. In the future, we may have our own little Saigon that includes Vietnamese pharmacists, lawyers, real estate, etc., Vo said. Vu Sawyer believes that Green Street has the true cultural and commerce presence to be Worcester's Little Saigon. Within half a mile, there are 14 successfully Vietnamese-owned businesses and a very busy non-profit Vietnamese organization, Vu Sawyer said. Conservatively, I think this Vietnamese hub draws more than 300,000 foot traffic a year and millions of dollars through services and businesses. The Blackstone Gateway Park boardwalk is located in Worcester's Quinsigamond Village neighborhood. The Village Quinsigamond Village is by no means a new construct, but the neighborhood has long struggled to claim its rightful standing among Worcester's residential districts. No one is more optimistic about The Village than Democratic State Rep. Daniel Donahue, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood. Its a particularly exciting time to be here, with the new Blackstone Heritage Center, the boardwalks of the Gateway Park open, investment in jobs at the new Imperial Distribution building and the old Fire House under renovation, Donahue said. This neighborhood holds onto its roots as a tight-knit working-class area and is ready for a great future. Blackstone Heritage Corridor chairman Harry Whiten is also quick to acknowledge the growth that has occurred in recent years. Quinsigamond Village was once a mess of empty, polluted industrial sites and a gateway to the citys landfill, he said. Today its one of the citys most vibrant neighborhoods, a showpiece of reclaimed land, a great elementary school, the citys newest and most unusual park and the new Heritage Center, which makes Quinsig Village the southern gateway to the city, the Canal District and downtown, and the northern gateway to the wonders of the Blackstone Valley. Whiten sees the Heritage Center as a significant addition to Worcester's cultural landscape. Permanent exhibits celebrate the birth of the Industrial Revolution in North America and tell the story of Worcester's entrepreneurial legacy. Its a popular meeting venue, an election polling place and a community treasure, Whiten said, adding, It serves as the hub of a wheel whose spokes include cultural institutions and educational organizations, recreational opportunities and the natural wonders of the valley itself. The drill are designed raise combat efficiency of naval forces of both brotherly countries to confront current and future marine threats Egyptian and Saudi forces started Wednesday joint naval training activities in Egypt's Red Sea, Egypt's Army spokesman said in a statement. The multi-day training, dubbed Morgan 16, aims to "enhance the skills and capabilities of the participating forces raise combat efficiency of naval forces of both brotherly countries and identify the latest maritime armament systems used in the region," the statement said. Observers from a number of Arab and African countries are taking part in the drills. The training is part of a broader plan for joint military training between the Egyptian and Saudi armed forces designed to "enhance maritime security measures in the region through training on joint action to confront current and future threats and unify the concepts of naval combat actions of brotherly and friendly countries bordering the Red Sea," it added. The training activities involve theoretical lectures and training seminars, several tactical shooting exercises for special forces, including using small arms and conducting raids on a coastal target with live ammunition alongside sniper units. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:12:12|Editor: ZD Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will open government purchasing to foreign firms as a way of combating corruption, a top official said on Tuesday. Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said Brazil plans to sign the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), an international treaty that aims to regulate the purchase of goods and services by the public sector through transparent bidding processes. "It is the agreement with which we will also allow companies from abroad for all the purchases we make --equal treatment," Guedes told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Brazil wants to get into the big league, the first division of best practices. This is really a frontal attack on corruption," Guedes said. Guedes recalled that one of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's campaign pledges was to end corruption. "And we know that a large part of the corruption was permitted exactly through government things, construction companies, government public works, and things like that," said the minister. Brazil stands to benefit from the treaty through increased investment flows and better integration into global business chains, said Guedes. - Vice President Leni Robredo was seen serving free lugaw and pandesal to the evacuees affected by the Taal Volcano eruption - Robredo also mocked her critics by naming the food Lugaw Leni and she was even holding a sign that said it - Aside from the lugaw and pandesal, Robredo shared that they distributed relief goods include masks and toiletries - Earlier, Robredo called out Mocha Uson for spreading claims that the Vice Presidents office only distributed pandesal and bottled water to each evacuee PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News! Vice President Leni Robredo has served some pandesal, lugaw, and other relief goods to the evacuees in Tuy, Batangas. KAMI learned that on Tuesday, the vice president mocked her critics as well who call her Leni Lugaw. Through a post on social media, Robredo showed photos of their relief efforts with a sign that read Lugaw Leni. Dito po nagsasandok tayo ng Leni Lugaw na special saka po mga pandesal, Leni quipped. Aside from the lugaw and pandesal, Robredo said that they distributed face masks, toiletries, and pillows. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, VP Robredo called out Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Executive Director Mocha Uson for her claims regarding Robredos relief efforts. Uson said that Robredo only distributed 5 pieces of pandesal and bottled water to each evacuee. However, Robredo denied these claims. On January 12, the Taal Volcano erupted and spewed lava and ashes over its nearby areas, even in Metro Manila. Alert Level 4 has been raised over the volcano despite being unrest for more than a week now. Leni Robredo is the current Vice President of the Philippines and the second woman to ever assume the post. She is the widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh Bharti Airtel also has the approval of the RBI that allowed foreign investors to hold up to 74 percent stake in the company The Department of Telecom (DoT) has approved raising of foreign direct investment in Bharti Airtel to 100 percent from 49 percent allowed earlier, a stock exchange filing of the company said on Tuesday. Bharti Airtel receives approval from the Department of Telecommunications for increasing the limit of foreign investment up to 100% of the paid-up capital of the Company pic.twitter.com/p88y3g7ImY CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) January 21, 2020 The company also has the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that allowed foreign investors to hold up to 74 percent stake in the company. "Bharti Airtel Limited has received the approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) vide its letter dated January 20, 2020, for increasing the limit of foreign investment up to 100 percent of the paid-up capital of the company," the filing said. The approval comes few days before the company has to clear statutory liabilities of up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore is licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore is spectrum dues (excluding the dues of Telenor and Tata Teleservices), a PTI report said. "...the aforesaid approval read together with the RBI approval dated July 3, 2014 granted to the company allows the FPIs/FIIs to invest upto 74 percent of the paid-up capital of the company," it said. Earlier, in December, Bharti Telecom, a promoter of Bharti Airtel, had sought government nod for the infusion of Rs 4,900 crore investment from Singapore-based Singtel and other foreign entities, a move that would make the country's oldest private telecom operator a foreign entity. The fund infusion will enhance foreign stakeholding in Bharti Telecom to over 50 percent that will make it a foreign-owned entity, an official source aware of the development told PTI. Sunil Bharti Mittal and his family own around 52 percent stake in Bharti Telecom, at present. Bharti Telecom holds around 41 percent stake in Bharti Airtel while foreign promoter entities hold 21.46 percent stake in the telecom firm. Public shareholders have around 37 percent stake in the company. The total foreign shareholding is 43 percent in Bharti Airtel, at present. With promoter firm Bharti Telecom becoming a foreign entity, foreign shareholding in the company will cross 84 percent, the source said. Bharti Airtel was in discussion with Singtel and other entities for fund infusion. The company in August had informed stock exchanges that Bharti Telecom in order to retire some debt may seek equity from its existing promoter group which may include overseas entity and Singtel in proportionate to its holding. Bharti Airtel has said that even a marginal increase in foreign equity would take the foreign investment in Bharti Telecom above 50 percent making it a foreign-owned entity. Bharti Airtel had already applied to raise FDI limit to 100 percent in the company. --With PTI inputs Almost 53,000 homes are at risk of a landslide on Queensland's Gold Coast - with more than 15,000 properties added to the list recently. Gold Coast councillors were handed a confidential attachment at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday which included an overlay map showing the areas that have been added to the list of landslide hot spots. The list of homes on the moderate or high landslide susceptibility list used to sit at 38,129. Upgraded technology, scanning at increments of 10 metres rather than 25 metres, lead to the increase, which could limit development for rural areas. Gold Coast councillors were handed a confidential attachment at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday which included an overlay map showing the newly included areas (stock) The council said they would be informing residents, mainly living in the headlands on the Hinterlands, in mail outs in the coming weeks. More than 34,000 properties have had no change in their hazard rating and 85 had their rating reduced. A property is added to the hot spot list if it sits on a slope of more than 11 degrees. Meanwhile, 3,007 homes that had previously been on the list have been removed. Close to five per cent of the affected properties are publicly owned. A Gold Coast City council spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the updates are needed to build the city's resistance to natural hazards. 'Using higher-resolution photography and topography, the new mapping gives a more accurate representation of landslide risk. This mapping identifies an increase in the number of properties with a potential landslide hazard,' the spokeswoman said. 'The majority of properties triggered by the new mapping are within limited development, low density and rural residential zones. The proposed mapping update will be submitted to the State Government for consideration and assessment. All affected landowners will be notified of the proposed change by mail in coming weeks.' New developments in those areas will be assessed against the new hazard overlay code in a bid to protect residents. The list of homes on the moderate or high landslide susceptibility list used to sit at 38,129 before new technology saw that number skyrocket (stock image) Councillor Glenn Tozer took to Facebook on Wednesday to comment about the change in technology. He said: 'It's important to note that no change has been made to the actual slope; it always existed; so there's no "new risk" unless a property owner has got an excavator in since the data was collected. 'We simply upgraded our software and are letting property owners know what the new information tells us about possible landslip risks. 'Where there is already significant identified risk, there is much less change and those residents will already be aware of the possible issues from when we last wrote to them.' Councillor William Owen-Jones asked if property owners could get their own expert opinion if their property falls into the new zone, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. A website is being set up and the council is getting legal advice on how to deal with insurance companies. EMPLOYERS and training providers offered advice to students at an apprenticeship careers fair held at The Henley College on Monday. Students were able to pick up information from a broad range of local and national employers, including the next steps they would need to take after their studies. The main industry areas covered IT and technology, business, finance, engineering, science, public services, armed forces, construction and social care. Exhibitors included British Airways, the Engineering Trust, Fujitsu, Microsoft, the Royal Air Force, Siemens and Simpson Civil Engineers, which is based in Henley. Julia Lock, who organised the annual event, said There was a great atmosphere and I received many lovely comments from the exhibitors about how interested, engaged and enthusiastic our students are. Satwant Deol, the colleges principal and chief executive, said: The apprenticeship fair gets better every year and we are extremely pleased to see so many companies offering valuable advice to our students. I was particularly impressed that so many of our ex-students attended with their companies, promoting apprenticeships and sharing how their careers have progressed. There was a great deal of buzz and interest from our current students who were all very much engaged through out. Sophie Ware, who studied A-levels in English, business and ICT at The Henley College, is now completing an apprenticeship at Microsoft. She said: Whilst we get a lot of apprentices coming through at 16, there are so many at advantages to coming to College first, as it offers you a great experience and sets you up to succeed at an apprenticeship afterwards The college is holding an information evening for prospective students and parents next Tuesday (January 28) from 6pm to 8.30pm. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.henleycol.ac.uk Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) The Philippine government is implementing stricter measures to evacuate all residents within Taal Volcano's danger zone starting Wednesday. Military and police officers have been ordered to enforce a total lockdown no window hours on all 199 barangays in 15 municipalities and cities in Batangas and Cavite, which have been identified as vulnerable to base surges and volcanic tsunami in case of Taal's explosive eruption. The coverage will include all portions of Tagaytay, a tourist spot that has opened several businesses over the weekend despite the eruption threat. Mandatory evacuation has been in place since the steam-laden eruption of the restive volcano on January 12, but Joint Task Group Taal Commander BGen Marceliano Teofilo said they were now ordered to strictly enforce it. Security officers will go around the danger zone to ask the remaining residents who refuse to leave to head to evacuation centers. "It has been going on pero before may flexibilities that were implemented, sinasabi nating humanitarian considerations. But now we were given orders to strictly implement it... We will exercise maximum tolerance. We will convince them. If we need to force them, we will," he told CNN Philippines. He said the security officers will be held accountable if those who refuse to leave get hurt. Over 459,000 people are residing in the 14-kilometer zone. A total of 148,514 people are currently taking shelter in evacuation centers, while some opted to stay in homes outside the danger zone. However, an aerial inspection around the volcano on Tuesday showed that quite a number of residents are still staying right on the shore of the lake facing Taal in blatant defiance of the governments order to stay out of the danger zone. Some residents who evacuated also temporarily returned home to check their properties and livestock. Related: Batangas official says gov't complacent in enforcing Taal Volcano island danger zone policy Philippine National Police spokesperson Bernard Banac said there is a 48-hour deadline starting Wednesday to evacuate all residents within the Taal danger zone. He said they will pullout all security officers deployed in the danger zone starting Thursday. The security forces will then set up checkpoints or "risk control points" 15 kilometers from Taal. "Meron tayong mga 'risk control points' na itatalaga at doon lamang talaga mananatili na ang mga pulis natin para na rin sa safety ng ating kapulisan. So tayo po ay muling nananawagan sa lahat," he said. Teofilo added, "Kapag na-clear na ang lahat, tsaka kami mag-pullout. Iyan ang instruction ni (Defense) Secretary Lorenzana at (Interior) Secretary Ano." He said the decision to strictly enforce the order was based on the advise of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Alert Level 4 remains State volcanologists observed weaker activity from Taal on Wednesday, but urged residents near the restive volcano not to lower their guard against a possible powerful eruption. Phivolcs reported there is a gradually lower emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2), indicting less magma movement underneath. But Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division Chief Mariton Bornas said this does not mean a hazardous blast is no longer a possible scenario. "Hindi porket bumaba ang SO2 ay safe na tayo dahil pwedeng nababarahan lamang ang mga labasan," she said in a briefing. [Translation: It doesn't mean we're safe just because the amount of sulfur dioxide is low. It's possible it was just blocked.] On Wednesday, Phivolcs recorded an average sulfur dioxide emission of 153 tonnes per day. The day before, it recorded 344 tonnes per day. Those numbers are significantly lower than the over 4,330 tonnes of SO2 emission recorded on January 19. She added the low emission for two days is not enough to declare that the volcano will no longer erupt, saying there has to be a steady downward trend. Bornas also noted there are less volcanic earthquakes and they are becoming "significantly weaker." But the official said the worst is not yet over. "Ibig sabihin ang magma ay nakadaan na, sumampa na. So ano na ang gagawin ng nakasampa na magma? That is the next question. This is a dilemma, kung papaano natin i-interpret 'yung nakapondo na na magma na dumaan at nagbitak-bitak ng lupa dito sa Timog Kanluran at nagsanhi ng pag-alsa ng Taal region," she said. [Translation: The magma has already passed, but what happens now? The dilemma is how to interpret the magma that has escaped, which caused the cracks on the ground and swelling of the Taal region.] She said if Taal continues to show weaker activity for a significant period, Phivolcs may bring down the eruption alert from Alert Level 4, but said they will uphold the entry ban on Taal Volcano Island. "Kapag tuloy-tuloy ang trend, magsa-stand down po tayo sa next alert level, ngunit hindi po ibig sabihin na pwede pong pabalikin lahat. We will not recommend that... Nag-agree na kami na ang Taal Volcano Island ay definitely off limits " she said. Alert Level 4 was raised on January 12 after a steam-and magma-laden eruption. The agency advised total evacuation of residents from Taal Volcano Island and areas within a 14-kilometer radius from the main crater. Should the lowering of alert levels push through, Phivolcs reminded those living in the 14-kilometer danger zone and its nearby areas to remain vigilant and ready to evacuate at all times. "Hindi ito nangangahulugang pwede na mag-relax. Ang kailangan gawin ng na-displace na babalik kapag tayo ay nag-lower ng alert, dapat po sa araw-araw, bawat oras, handa po tayong lumikas in a moment's notice, nang mabilisan dahil maaari po tayong magkaroon ng sususnod na pagputok at magtaas ng alert level," she said. [Translation: This doesn't mean we can relax. Those who will be allowed to go back home should be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice if there will be an eruption and if we raise the alert level.] A Russian tourist has been left with horrific head injuries after falling off a motorbike while in Bali. Katya Sadikova, 29, was wearing a helmet when she fell from the motorbike on January 9. But when the helmet shattered Ms Sadikova was left fighting for her life. She has already had multiple surgeries but still requires ongoing treatment, her friend Yura Klementev told Daily Mail Australia. Katya Sadikova, 29, was wearing a helmet when she fell from the motorbike while in the holiday hotspot on January 9 She has already had multiple surgeries but still requires ongoing treatment, her friend Yura Klementev told Daily Mail Australia It will be at least another two weeks before she will be well enough to fly home. And as she waits, the bills continue to mount, Mr Klementev said. Her hospital bill is currently about $104 millionIDR ($11,000AUD). Ms Sadikova purchased what she thought was full insurance two months ago, but she later found out it does not fully cover her as she has been in Indonesia for more than six months. 'The insurance company told that Katya is too long staying in Indonesia (over 6 months) and not going to cover her $15,000 hospital bill,' Mr Klementev said. Ms Sadikova (pictured after surgery) purchased what she thought was full insurance two months ago, but she later found out it does not fully cover her as she has been in Indonesia for more than six months She regained consciousness last week and has been eating and speaking, however, she still has a long recovery ahead of her He said there were negotiations underway with the consulate of the Russian Federation in Indonesia to hopefully come to an agreement to help Katya pay off the medical bill. Mr Klementev has started fundraising in the hopes of making a dent in her bill. She regained consciousness last week and has been eating and speaking, however, she still has a long recovery ahead of her. 'Katya always helped those in need and now deserves to be helped! She is also turning 30 in a few short weeks the best present will be for her to have this nightmare over and done with,' Mr Klementev said. Christian rapper TobyMac's 21-year-old son died of an accidental drug overdose and he had a history of narcotics and alcohol abuse, a toxicology report has revealed. Truett Foster McKeehan was discovered dead at home October 23, 2019 and in a blog post the following day, his Grammy award-winning father called him 'magnetic' with an 'untamable grand personality and dreams to match'. The Davidson County Medical Coroner in Tennessee noted in the report that he had fentanyl and amphetamine in his system, and the report stated his cause of death was 'acute combined drug intoxication', RadarOnline reports. Almost three months after McKeehan's death at the family home in Nashville, the report reveals that 'postmortem toxicologic studies indicate the presence of multiple substances in the blood'. **WARNING DISTRESSING DETAILS** Christian rapper TobyMac's 21-year-old son Truett McKeehan (left) died of an accidental drug overdose, a toxicology test has revealed He had a history of narcotics and alcohol abuse. Fentanyl and amphetamine caused 'acute combined drug intoxication' according to a report which ruled the manner of his death as 'accidental' In the documents, McKeehan was described as a 'young adult white male with a history of drug and alcohol abuse and possible use of nitrous oxide'. Nitrous oxide is otherwise known as laughing gas and depending on how much is used can result in fits of giggles and feelings of euphoria or calmness due to a slowing down of the brain and the body's responses. Amphetamines are used to stimulate the nervous system as part of treatment for children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy. Fentanyl is an opioid that can be 50-100 times stronger than morphine. A friend had found McKeehan unresponsive. The Nashville Fire Department said McKeehan was pronounced dead at the scene after they were called at around 10.50am to reports of a person in cardiac arrest. Medical examiners noted he had 'multiple small healing scars' as well as a 'dusky brain'. Details of the report state the body was in the 'early state of decomposition'. There was 'no evidence of internal trauma', according to RadarOnline. When the death was announced TobyMac - real name Kevin Michael McKeehan - left his week-long tour of Canada and flew home to be with his wife and other children, citing a family emergency. As this cause of death was revealed, TobyMac was rehearsing for his Hits Deep Tour 2020. It's unclear when he would have heard the official cause of death. TobyMac tweeted on January 9 that 'the last couple of months have been the hardest' TobyMac touched on losing his son as he spoke about his latest track 21 Years Christian rapper TobyMac is pictured performing in 2018. He's currently rehearsing for his Hits Deep Tour On January 9, he touched on losing his son as he spoke about his latest track 21 Years, which is about McKeehan. 'The last couple of months have been the hardest I've ever faced. Thank you for the love and support. Part of my process has always been to write about the things I'm going through, but this went to a whole new level,' he tweeted. 'What started out as getting some of my thoughts and feelings about losing my firstborn son down on paper, ended up a song. '21 Years' is a song I never wanted to write. I hope it's for someone out there, or maybe it's just for me.' Aspiring rapper Truett had performed as Shiloh, truDog, and TRU and had collaborated with his dad on tracks. His last Instagram post was a video of him performing. He wrote: 'Last night it all kinda came together... thank you to everyone who has supported me through the thick and thin.' TobyMac, who has topped the Billboard's Christian Songs chart six times, shared messages the aspiring rapper had sent him just days before he died. The Grammy award winning artist previously shared the texts as he paid tribute to his oldest son, calling him 'magnetic' with an 'untamable grand personality and dreams to match' The artist shared the texts as he paid tribute to his oldest son. TobyMac, 55, said the last moment the pair shared was at his son's first show at the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee. He said: 'As I stood in the audience and watched my son bring joy to a room, I was as proud as a 'pop' (as tru called me) could be.' In the messages TobyMac tells his son: 'I wanted to tell you how proud I was of you last night...Your show was amazing and I think you've got the 'it' factor which is very important but explainable. your joy is infectious and you invite people into it. But one more thing. 'I was very very very proud of you when you went down and stood on the front row after most people left you watched nathan show from the front row and encouraged him...that kind of thing right there will take you farther than great art...God doesn't miss those things like he notices things like that and blesses us I promise.' Truett replies: 'love you dad. thank you so much. you have always believed in me. make me feel like a superhero.' Appointment 22 January 2020 As a nearly 13-year veteran of IHG, Balsley now leads the Loyalty & Partnerships team where she will shape the strategic direction moving forward, applying her extensive industry knowledge and track record of innovation and global scale delivery in her new role. She will be accountable for IHG Rewards Club, IHG's award-winning global loyalty program that spans 16 hotel brands, and strategic partnerships that help deliver a differentiated guest experience and enhanced revenues. Balsley will work with her team to build an even stronger, industry-leading program that offers incredible experiences to members, including global concert selections and attendance at top sporting events, like the US Open. Previously, Balsley served as Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Mainstream Brands where she was responsible for developing and delivering brand strategies that enhance the guest experience and drive sustainable brand performance. Since joining IHG in 2007, she has held leadership roles across the Americas region including strategy and brands and marketing. The US Senate has rejected repeated Democratic attempts to secure new evidence in President Donald Trumps impeachment as his trial began. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell meanwhile backed off on a plan to fast-track the hearings after coming under pressure from fellow Republicans. Democrats said this would have been no less than a cover-up. Mr Trump is charged with abuse of power and obstructing the congressional inquiry. He denies wrongdoing. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Mr Trump dismissed the accusations against him as just a hoax. Senators have taken oaths to act as impartial jurors, hearing arguments for six hours a day, six days a week in a trial presided over by the US Chief Justice, John Roberts. It is only the third time in US history that a president is facing an impeachment trial and it is unclear how long it will last. Mr Trump was impeached last month by the Democratic-led House of Representatives. But the Senate, which is controlled by his fellow Republicans, is not expected to convict the president and remove him from office. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian will depart for Israel on January 22 at the invitation of President Reuven Rivlin to attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, the Armenian Presidents Office told Armenpress. The Forum, entitled Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Antisemitism, will be held in Yad Vashem on January 23 to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, will gather leaders of over 40 countries, including the presidents of Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, Iceland, and other top officials for the event. The event will also include a Memorial and Wreath-Laying Ceremony. During the Wreath-Laying Ceremony, the attending leaders of nations will be invited to lay a wreath at the base of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument created by world-renowned Jewish sculptor and artist Nathan Rappaport. In Jerusalem the Armenian President will meet with leaders of a number of countries participating in the Forum. He will meet with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, other officials, as well as will visit the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. President Sarkissian will also visit Israels scientific-educational institutions. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan JasonDoiy/iStock(NEW YORK) -- The moderators in the Feb. 7 Democratic primary debate have been announced. ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos, World News Tonight anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis will moderate the debate, which airs Friday, Feb. 7, from 8 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET. They will be joined in questioning by WMUR-TV Political Director Adam Sexton and WMUR-TV News Anchor Monica Hernandez. The debate is hosted by ABC News, ABC's New Hampshire affiliate WMUR-TV and Apple News. On Friday, the Democratic National Committee announced the qualifying rules for the matchup. The slightly modified criteria for the debate, which is sandwiched evenly between the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3 and the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11, includes the previous criteria of qualifying through the polling and grassroots thresholds but it also includes a new, second pathway to qualify. Any candidate who is awarded at least one pledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention based on the results of the Iowa caucuses, as reported and calculated by the Iowa Democratic Party, will be able to participate. Forty-one pledged delegates are up for grabs in Iowa on caucus night. To clinch a podium on the debate stage, candidates can also meet both the polling and grassroots fundraising requirements, with the same thresholds as the January debate. The polling requirement will no longer include Iowa polls because, as the DNC says in its news release, "a candidates support in Iowa will be reflected through the results of the Iowa caucus instead of Iowa-specific polling." The first pathway of the polling requirement is the four-poll threshold: candidates must earn at least 5% support in four national or early state polls from New Hampshire, Nevada and/or South Carolina. In order to count as qualifying polls, the polls must be sponsored by different organizations, or if sponsored by the same organization, cover different geographical areas. The second pathway is the early state polling threshold: Candidates must get at least 7% support in two early state polls, again from only New Hampshire, Nevada and/or South Carolina. Unlike the first path, these polls can be sponsored by the same organization and can also be conducted in the same geographical area. The polls must be released between Dec. 13 through Feb.6, the day before the debate. Additionally, the polls must be sponsored by one of the organizations or pairs of organizations from the following list determined by the DNC: The Associated Press; ABC News/Washington Post; CBS News/YouGov; CNN; Fox News; Monmouth University; NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist; NBC News/Wall Street Journal; NBC News/Marist; New York Times/Siena College; Nevada Independent/Mellman Group; Quinnipiac University; University of New Hampshire; USA Today/Suffolk University; Winthrop University. The DNC said it could add another Nevada-specific and/or South Carolina-specific polling sponsor to this list. To meet the grassroots fundraising threshold, candidates must accrue at least 225,000 individual donors and a minimum of 1,000 unique donors per state in at least 20 U.S. states, U.S. territories or the District of Columbia. Candidates have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 6 to hit this threshold. With the donor requirement still intact, the rules appear to preclude presidential contender Michael Bloomberg from qualifying for the debate since he is self-funding his campaign and not soliciting any donations. He has met the polling threshold, according to an ABC News analysis. "I hope the DNC change its rules -- Id gladly participate -- but Im not going to change my principles," Bloomberg wrote in a CNN op-ed. "So Im traveling the country taking my message directly to voters and as a result, President Trump is now finally facing opposition from a candidate in the battleground states." The DNC outlined the new rules on Friday for the crowded field of 12. More details for this debate, including moderators, will be announced at a later date. Under these new rules, the candidates who appear to have cleared the polling and grassroots fundraising thresholds, according to an ABC News analysis, are former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, billionaire Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Andrew Yang, the political novice who missed the cut for the January debate but was the only candidate of color who participated in the December clash, has met the donor requirement but remains two polls shy of crossing the polling threshold, according to an ABC News analysis. None of the other candidates have a single qualifying poll. The New Hampshire debate, which will be held at St. Anselm College in Manchester, will air across ABC, WMUR-TV, which is owned by Hearst Television, Apple News and on ABC News Live, ABC's streaming channel available on the ABC News site, app, and OTT media services. The DNC previously announced two other debates that will held throughout the month of February. NBC News and MSNBC, in partnership with The Nevada Independent, hosts a Feb. 19 debate in Las Vegas prior to Nevada's caucuses. CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute co-host the debate before South Carolina's primary on Feb. 25 at The Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina and Twitter will be a debate partner. Qualifying criteria for those two debates have yet to be announced. Throughout 2019, the party imposed more rigorous qualifying rules as the primary season deepened -- oftentimes putting the committee at odds with the presidential contenders, leading to lower-polling candidates being excluded from the stages. This is the second debate hosted by ABC News following September's matchup at Texas Southern University, a public, historically black university in Houston, which was co-hosted with Univision. That debate featured a roster of 10 candidates, with Biden and Warren, the two polling front-runners at that point in the primary, tangling on the same stage for the first time. They have since stood shoulder-to-shoulder at center-stage in every matchup succeeding that debate. The ABC News Democratic Debate will air live nationally on the ABC Television Network and locally on WMUR-TV. ABC News will livestream the debate on ABC News Live featured on Apple News, Roku, Hulu, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and the ABC News site and mobile phone apps. WMUR-TV will also livestream the debate on www.WMUR.com and WMURs mobile app. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more. 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You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more. Sale of Personal Data We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Social Media Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Wikimedia Commons Baghdad/Xinhua/UNI: Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday that firing rockets at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad is unacceptable and harms Iraq. "Yesterday, Katyusha rockets were fired at the U.S. embassy, and this is painful and incorrect ... Who authorizes those parties to attack the embassy in Iraq?" Abdul Mahdi's office said in a statement after the weekly cabinet meeting. "This act offends Iraq and is unacceptable regardless of their intentions," Abdul Mahdi said without naming the attackers. Late on Monday, an Iraqi interior ministry's official told Xinhua that three Katyusha rockets landed near the U.S. embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad without causing casualties. The heavily fortified Green Zone has been frequently targeted by insurgents' mortar and rocket attacks. The roughly 10-square-km zone is located on the west bank of the Tigris River, which bisects the Iraqi capital. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack which came after growing tensions between the United States and Iran. On Jan. 8, Iran fired ballistic missiles on military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar and near the city of Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. The Iranian attack came after a U.S. drone attacked on Jan. 3 a convoy at Baghdad International Airport, killing Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces. The former speaker of Parliament and the former Legislator for Akatsi south constituency of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Edward Kobby Doe Adzaho has called on members of the party in the Akatsi South constituency to put their differences behind and foster unity for a massive victory in elections 2020. Addressing branch executives and sympathizers of the umbrella fraternity in his welcome speech at a get together organized by the Constituency chairman, Mr.Anthony Owusu( WESTFELIA) in the district capital, Akatsi on Tuesday 21st January 2020, Hon. Doe Adzaho explained the need to have a united party, with a call on every member of the opposition National Democratic Congress to patch up differences that rose during the constituency elections and the 24th, August 2019 Parliamentary Primaries election. He also cautioned against allowing their differences to divide them as he said that could greatly affect the fortunes of the party in its efforts to reclaim power from the super incompetent New Patriotic Party government. He said the huge task of returning to power is a responsibility of all members and would need nothing less of a united party to come out of the triumph. The Volta Regional Chairman of the opposition party and the Volta Regional Secretary of the opposition NDC, Mr.Ametepe and James Gunu, who were guests speakers, urged members and the executives of the party in the Akatsi South Constituency to learn the habit of forgiveness for one another. Mr. Ametepe, the Volta Regional Chairman of the NDC, charged the branch executives to change all those working against the fortunes of the NDC in the subsequent Constituency elections. According to them, the political space is such that those who hold on to grudges and do not forgive will always be on the losing end. One thing is that it is difficult to forgive when someone wrongs you. But in politics, if you dont build the habit of forgiveness, you will always be at the losing side. So we are appealing to the executives o of the party in the Akatsi South Constituency to put aside all differences so that we can work in unionism for victory in 2020, 7th, December. The former speaker seized the opportunity to appeal to the ruling New patriotic party to complete all the Abandoned projects in Ghana most especially those the NDC started In the Akatsi South Constituency. Due to the new conservative makeup of the Supreme Court, we can no longer rely on the court to protect our own rights and freedoms, she said. If Roe is overturned, we need to be a safe haven in Virginia, because West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina are preparing to outlaw abortion. Trump decries climate prophets of doom President Trump attacked prophets of doom on climate change yesterday as he exchanged thinly veiled insults with the teenage activist Greta Thunberg. In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Trump urged executives and ministers to dismiss predictions of the apocalypse. The speech was watched by Ms Thunberg, 17. To embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse, he said. They are the heirs of yesterdays foolish fortune tellers. And I have them, and you have them, and we all have them. And they want to see us do badly, but we dont let that happen.Climate change is a key issue at this years forum. While it has long campaigned for action, it has been accused of hypocrisy because of the high numbers of private jets taken by delegates to attend the week-long event in the Swiss Alps. The Times US President hails tremendous post-Brexit trade deal with wonderful Johnson The Sun Business leaders at Davos face a corporate balancing act Financial Times Im with the teenage zealot Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph Embrace your green future, Mark Carney warns companies The Times Mnuchin warns against digital tax Daily Telegraph Senate agrees impeachment rules BBC Johnson to scrap 30,000 minimum salary threshold for immigrants Boris Johnson will scrap a 30,000 minimum salary threshold for immigrants arriving after Brexit under his plans for an Australian-style points system. The prime ministers approach is in stark contrast to that of his predecessor, Theresa May, who prompted a cabinet revolt after insisting on the income rule despite concerns that it would deter skilled workers. Under Mr Johnsons plan migrants earnings will be taken into account as part of their application to enter the UK. Other criteria could include English proficiency, educational qualifications, occupation and willingness to work in particular areas of Britain. While the prime minister is understood to have the support of his cabinet, ditching the 30,000 criteria will still be controversial in the Tory party. The Times Buckland pledged that serious offenders will serve at least two-thirds of their prison terms Justice Secretary Robert Buckland today pledges to restore faith in the broken criminal justice system. Punishments must reflect the severity of crimes, he said, adding:We owe it to victims. Legislation being brought immediately before Parliament to end soft justice will also mean those let out will face strict licence conditions. Writing exclusively in todays Daily Express Mr Buckland says: Time and again I have experienced victims who feel let down. Let down by a system that can allow rapists and violent criminals back onto our streets within a shorter time frame than could possibly fit their crimes. Todays legislation effective from April 1 will abolish soft touch Labour laws, bringing to an end 15 years of offenders knowing a ten-year stretch for crimes like serious sexual offences really only means five years inside. More than 90 percent of offenders currently sent to prison are automatically released half way through their sentence, including some of the most serious sexual predators and violent criminals. Daily Express Social media firms to be required to protect children from harmful content Social media firms will be legally required to protect children from harmful content under the first-ever code to police the internet. In a victory for The Telegraphs duty of care campaign, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham today publishes groundbreaking rules that will bar Facebook, Google and other tech giants from serving children any content that is detrimental to their physical or mental health or wellbeing. The Government-backed code will be enforced by fines potentially worth billions of pounds and is designed to prevent a repeat of the case of Molly Russell, the 14-year-old who killed herself after viewing self-harm images on Instagram and other sites. It will also require the companies to safeguard childrens privacy to prevent them being groomed by paedophiles, to curb addictive features like notifications that keep them online and to restrict the firms from using personal information for commercial ends. Daily Telegraph The Internet is still far from being a safe space for children Leader, Daily Telegraph Shapps to launch railcard for veterans A new railcard for military veterans will be launched in November, the Department for Transport has announced. The railcard will extend cheaper train travel to more than 830,000 veterans who do not qualify for existing discounts. Holders will be able to save a third off most train tickets, although certain restrictions will apply. The card will be available to buy from November 11 Armistice Day and will cost 21 for an introductory period, before the price is increased to 30. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: Every part of society should honour the debt we owe those whove served our country. Im proud that the Department for Transport, together with other Government colleagues and the rail industry, is doing its bit. This railcard will help open up opportunities to veterans, whether through employment and retraining, or by strengthening links with friends and family. I believe that enabling former service personnel to travel more easily is the least we can do. ITV News Tory MPs not welcome at Durham Miners Gala There is no chance new Tory MPs will be invited to the Durham Miners Gala, the areas miners association president has said. Alan Mardghum paraphrased the prime minister to say he would rather die in a ditch than see members of the Conservative Party, which had done its best to destroy miners, attend. The area was a Labour stronghold but it recently lost four of its seven seats. The gala is the UKs biggest annual gathering of trade union members. Some of the areas new MPs have now expressed a desire to attend. BBC Brexit 1) EU threatens to offer UK worse trade deal than for China or Japan The European Union is preparing to offer the UK a trade deal on tougher terms than its deals with Canada, Japan and a host of other leading trade partners, the Telegraph has learned. In what will be seen by industry as an unusually harsh move, the European Commission has warned EU member states that it would be a mistake to allow some UK industry bodies to be allowed to certify that goods conform to EU standards. The so-called Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) are granted to other key EU trade partners to facilitate the smooth movement of goods in key sectors, but could be withheld from the UK if it only seeks a basic trade deal. The uncompromising European Commission stance surprised even some EU members states when they met on January 10 to discuss future goods trade with the UK, according to an account of the meeting obtained by The Telegraph. Daily Telegraph Javid insists we will diverge from EU rules Daily Telegraph Royal Mail to release Brexit stamp The Sun Welsh Assembly votes against leaving the EU BBC Today: Columnist Daniel Hannan: I wave farewell to the EU in my last column for this site as an MEP Brexit 2) Government defeated in Lords votes on child refugees The government has suffered five defeats on its Brexit deal in the space of 24 hours in the House of Lords, with the heaviest defeat in a vote to restore the right of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK after Brexit. There was a vote of 300 in favour and 220 against, giving a majority of 80 in support of an amendment, proposed by the Labour peer Alf Dubs, requiring the UK government to maintain the principle of family reunion for child refugees fleeing conflict. The Guardian Remainers doomed last stand Asa Bennett, Daily Telegraph Phillips withdraws from Labour leadership contest. Jess Phillips has dropped out of the Labour leadership contest, leaving four candidates in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn. In a video message to supporters, the Birmingham Yardley MP said the next leader had to be able to unite the whole Labour movement. Ms Phillips said she had to be honest with herself that person is not me.She had yet to receive any nominations from trade unions, affiliate bodies or local parties. Confirming her exit, the 38-year old said Labour needed a leader who can unite all parts of our movement, the union movement, members and elected representatives. In order to win the country, we are going to have to find a candidate, in this race, who can do all of that, and then take that message out to the country. A message of hope and change, that things can be better.In a recent interview with LBC, Ms Phillips said if she couldnt be leader, she would support one of the other female candidates in the race. BBC Starmer has most to gain The Times Thornberry wants the rich to pay more tax The Guardian Starmers soft-left approach is the unifying force that Labour needs Zoe Williams, The Guardian Corbyn is Labour members most liked party leader ever Daily Mail How Labour lost the election Heather Stewart, The Guardian ,as Nandy wins endorsement from the GMB Lisa Nandys campaign to become the next Labour leader has received a significant boost after the UKs third biggest union endorsed her nomination. The Wigan MP was confirmed as the GMBs pick on Tuesday after a hustings involving the four remaining candidates. The unions 60-strong executive also nominated Angela Rayner in the deputy leadership race, in which Rayner is the runaway favourite. The GMBs backing was seen as the only viable route for Nandy to gain enough affiliate support to make it to the next round. She already has the support of the National Union of Mineworkers and will have to seek a further endorsement by a socialist society. The Guardian A welcome decision Leader, The Guardian Downing Street warns BBC that the new Director General must bring in reform The next director-general of the BBC will face the sack unless they embrace major reforms, Downing Street warned last night. In an unprecedented intervention, No 10 sources said Boris Johnson is ready to act if the Corporation chooses an unsuitable successor to Tony Hall. Last night BBC grandee David Dimbleby said any suggestion the Government might influence who got the director-generals job was outrageous. He warned any such interference would make the Corporation seem to be a servant of the Government. Daily Mail Corporation faces wave of cuts The Times Teachers pushing pupils to take easy GCSEs to boost grades Teachers are gaming the system by making pupils take easy GCSEs, watchdogs have warned. Some have forced native English speakers to take qualifications in English for speakers of other languages. ..An enormous proportion of students were entered to get the European computer driving licence. But, once it was ditched from school league tables, the number taking it plummeted. Ofsted head Amanda Spielman warned poor children were being dumped with hollow grades which were almost worthless. In an alarming report, she said colleges were flooding the job market with youngsters with low-level qualifications, leaving them woefully underprepared. The Sun Johnson rejects Nasa-style mission control office Boris Johnson has rejected an attempt by Dominic Cummings to force him out of his No 10 office into a Nasa-style mission control. The prime ministers senior adviser was championing plans to move the political operation into No 12 Downing Street. It would have put the so-called weirdos and misfits he hopes to hire at the heart of government, with officials sidelined in favour of political advisers. However, the prime minister is understood to rather like his existing office, and is not willing to move. The aborted plan follows other more dramatic ideas to move civil servants, Conservative HQ and the House of Lords to the north. The Times Thousands of weirdo applications sent in Katy Balls The i Employment hits record high The UKs booming labour market showed no sign of slowing in the three months to November, according to official data, with the strongest jobs growth in nearly a year pushing the employment rate to a new record. The unemployment rate stayed at 3.8 per cent, its lowest since the 1970s, but the number of people in work rose by 208,000, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This was the best growth since the three months to January 2019 and well above analysts expectations. Novembers data covers the month before Boris Johnsons emphatic election victory in the middle of December, following which a number of surveys have shown a rise in consumer and business confidence. City AM The strength of the British economy is defying predictions of post-Brexit doom Leader, Daily Telegraph Finkelstein: HS2 is a test of Johnsons ambition Infrastructure projects pit those who have against those who are yet to have. They pit what is against what might be, and possible loss is felt more strongly than potential gain. The Conservatives now represent both haves and have-nots. So few things have the capacity to divide the partys supporters, new and old, like infrastructure projectsHS2 is a financial decision, sure, and one in which the government must satisfy itself that the judgment of its latest review is correct. But there is more involved than that. Its also a question of will. If this is to be a building government then HS2 is a test of its seriousness and resolve. Daniel Finkelstein, The Times Pull the plug on the obscenely expensive HS2 line before its too late Leader, The Sun >Today: ToryDiary: Johnsons philosophy owes far more to Oakeshott than to Scruton Fraser: The SNP should do a budget deal with the Tories In recent years, we have seen the SNP do a deal with the Greens to deliver a growing tax gap between what individuals pay in income tax in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK. Anyone earning more than 27,000 a year, hardly a group of wealthy individuals, will pay more income tax than their counterparts in England, and there is increasing concern in the business community about the perception that Scotland is the highest taxed part of the UK. Scottish Conservatives set out at the weekend our asks for the Budget. We are clear in our ambition to see the tax gap reduced, and at least no more divergence in tax rates. And, specifically, there should be no clawback of the promised National Insurance cut by the UK Government, through higher income tax rates set in ScotlandI hope that the SNP will be prepared to work with us on delivering a Budget that takes Scotland forward, not back. Murdo Fraser MSP, The Scotsman Northern Irelands Finance minister not pursuing corporation tax cut BBC News in brief Iraq president warns against making Baghdad pick sides in US-Iran tensions Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 Iraq's president warned Wednesday against pushing the country to choose sides in escalating tensions between neighbouring Iran and the US, both allies of Baghdad. Addressing world leaders at the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Barham Saleh said a recent parliamentary vote to oust foreign forces from Iraq should not be understood as a sign of "hostility". Parliament held the vote two days after a US drone strike near Baghdad airport killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and prompted retaliatory strikes from Tehran on an Iraqi base hosting American and other foreign troops. The Iraqi president said the vote was "not a sign of ingratitude or hostility," but a response to a violation of his country's sovereignty. "The escalating tensions between Iran, the Gulf states, and the United States over the past month have reminded us that our aspirations remain subject to political disputes beyond our control and to unwelcome foreign interference," Saleh said. "It is not in our interest to choose to ally with one side at the expense of others, as long as both respect our sovereignty and independence." He added that "no country should seek to dictate to Iraq" the nature of its relationships. Saleh also hinted that the tensions could derail a rare chance for progress in Iraq after decades of conflict, most recently against the Islamic State group. "If our neighbours and allies remain at odds, our sovereignty is not respected and our lands are used as a battlefield, then we cannot hope to achieve our own change agenda," he said. He condemned acts of violence against the months-long protests movement rocking Baghdad and Iraq's Shiite-majority south, which has left hundreds dead since October. Saleh had earlier met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the world summit, hosting a brief press conference but brushing off questions on parliament's vote. A source from his office told AFP the leaders had discussed the US drone strike on Baghdad as well as the withdrawal of forces from Iraq. The source said Trump told Saleh that he "does not want to stay in Iraq" and would draw down forces in an "unprecedented way", but insisted that any withdrawal must be done in a way that is not insulting or disrespectful to Washington. Saleh insisted that the US must not restrict Iraq's access to its oil revenues, which are held in an account at the Federal Reserve in New York. He also stressed that it was crucial to Iraq that the US renew a waiver allowing Baghdad to buy Iranian much-needed gas despite Washington's sanctions on Tehran. The exemption is set to expire in mid-February. NITZANEI OZ, Israel and AMSTERDAM, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KPN Security, the largest IT security specialist in the Netherlands and NanoLock Security, the market leader of flash-to-cloud ironclad protection for IoT and connected edge devices, will demonstrate NanoLock's powerful cyber protection and management through live hacking of smart meters and real-time notifications to KPN's Security Operations Center (SOC). NanoLock provides KPN with a robust IoT security solution for KPN customers, delivering cyber protection and unprecedented device-level visibility. During the NLSecur[ID] event, KPN and NanoLock Security will demonstrate how attackers can tamper with customer electricity usage by hacking into smart meters and how NanoLock's protection can block such attacks and report them in real-time to KPN's SOC. Using NanoLock's solution, KPN can expand its cyber security services to include IoT device-level protection, management and monitoring for products like smart meters, cameras, and other connected IoT devices. NanoLock's 360-degree device-level visibility will expand KPN's capabilities to capture reliable, real-time and detailed alerts and status reporting for a wide range of IoT devices, with analytics and forensic data that includes detailed information about blocked attacks, manipulation details and more. NanoLock's device-level, Security by Design solution protects IoT and connected edge devices against cyberattacks, leveraging the device's flash memory to create a root of trust, and extend a powerful flash-to-cloud defense that secures the entire chain of device vulnerability-- from deeply embedded endpoints in the device, to the cloud -- with no additional device costs and zero computing power. "As the leading telecom provider for the Netherlands, we're in a unique position to provide industry-leading technologies to our customers," said Sjoerd Hulzinga, IoT Security Product Manager, KPN. "IoT connectivity is among the fastest-growing demands from businesses and other customers alike. With NanoLock's protection, management and monitoring of IoT devices integrated into KPN's SOC, we will be able to offer our customers a robust cyber security solution. This will ensure that as our product and customer ecosystem continue to take hold in the IoT space, we are able to keep them protected from growing cyber threats and vulnerabilities." "We're excited to showcase NanoLock's solution with KPN at NLSecur[ID]," said Yoni Kahana, VP Business Development, NanoLock Security. "As IoT continues to gain momentum in the telecom and utilities industries, we believe that more companies will require new techniques to keep these critical devices and networks safe. By leveraging NanoLock's solution, KPN customers will be protected from potential cyberattacks and vulnerabilities, and KPN will receive important monitoring analytics and forensic data that can be leveraged to understand trends and prevent the next attack." The joint KPN and NanoLock demonstration will take place in the IoT Security Stand at the upcoming NL Secure [ID] show, hosted by KPN Security, on January 28, 2020 at the NBC Conference Center, Nieuwegein, Netherlands. About NanoLock Security NanoLock Security protects IoT and connected edge devices against persistent cyberattacks by insiders, outsiders and supply chain attackers. NanoLock provides a device-level, Security by Design solution with powerful flash-to-cloud defense that secures the entire chain of device vulnerability--from deeply embedded endpoints in the device, to the cloud-- with no additional device costs and zero computing power. NanoLock's patented technology is securing a root-of-trust in the flash memory from leading memory vendors disrupting edge device security with ironclad protection secured firmware updates, reliable device-level alerts and a unique cost structure that shifts security investments from CAPEX to OPEX. NanoLock's robust protection and device-level control is crucial to the success of industries like telecom, smart cities, utilities, industrial, automotive and more. NanoLock Security is the 2019 winner of the prestigious "4YFN Barcelona Startup of the Year" award. NanoLock's founding team and senior management is made up of veterans from the cybersecurity domain, representing a wealth of deep knowledge about management and security of next generation edge devices. NanoLock has offices in the United States, Israel and Japan. Please visit www.nanolocksecurity.com for more information and follow NanoLock on Twitter and LinkedIn . About KPN KPN, is the leading telecommunications and IT company in the Netherlands providing mobile, internet and television for consumers and complete telecommunications and IT solutions for business customers. Please visit www.kpn.com for more information. Press Contact: Caster Communications, Inc., 401-792-7080 Alex Crabb, Alex Gil or Meredith Shubel, [email protected] SOURCE NanoLock Security Related Links http://www.nanolocksecurity.com Rescuers intensified an increasingly desperate hunt yesterday for four South Korean trekkers and three Nepalis swept away by an avalanche in the Himalayas as a guide told how he saw people carried off by the snow. Krishna Hari Subedi was helping a Chinese trekker on the trail near the Annapurna base camp when the wall of snow hit on Friday. We were descending when an avalanche came rumbling down. Three people were swept down by it in front of my eyes, Subedij said. I ducked down and my guest followed, we were safe. If we had moved forward, there was a cliff edge, we would have been swept down. Subedi said he saw three people carried away but did not know how many others had been hit in the line of trekkers on the route. When we began heading down again, we heard a cry for help, he added. One of them survived and was walking up. It was nearly 300 metres down. When he saw us, he fainted... he was taken to a hospital. The fate of the other two remains uncertain. Families anxious wait Soldiers have joined a team using drones and helicopters and digging in deep snow at 3,230 metres (10,600 feet) where the avalanche struck. Small helicopters were being used to drop rescuers at the site, Shanta Bir Lama, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said. The narrowness of the area makes the search difficult, explained Lama. There is also a lot of snow. But teams today will try to remove the snow and search. Devices are also being used, he added. A nine-member army team has joined the operation while the South Korean embassy also sent an official to assist. The snow from the avalanche is piled four to five metres (13 to 16 feet) deep at the site. No signs of the missing have been reported as of Monday, an official of the Souths foreign ministry said. Experts say there is a very low chance of survival for those buried in an avalanche for more than two hours. Russia's long-serving Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who held on to his post in a cabinet shake-up on Tuesday, is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin who shares his taste for macho stunts. He has led a drive to modernise and acquire new weaponry for Russia's military, with the country boasting of a new generation of hypersonic missiles, as well as reinforcing its troop presence from the Arctic to the Pacific. Under Shoigu's watch, Russian air strikes in support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria played a decisive role while causing numerous civilian casualties, according to monitors. He took the post after two decades in charge of disaster management and has earned a reputation for diehard loyalty. Shoigu, 57, comes from the remote Siberian Tuva region close to the border with Mongolia, and is one of the few representatives of Russia's ethnic minorities in top politics. A construction engineer by training, he took a traditional route into Soviet politics, first working in construction organisations, then becoming a Communist Party official, following in the footsteps of his father. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, he switched to rescue and emergency work and headed the newly created emergency situations ministry from 1994 to 2012. The ministry, whose remit involves everything from fighting forest fires to flood relief and airlifting disaster victims, was largely viewed as effective, despite some flawed operations. In 1999, he was awarded the Hero of Russia medal, one of the highest state decorations. Unquestionably loyal, he was seen as a safe pair of hands to take over the compromised defence ministry -- replacing sacked predecessor Anatoly Serdyukov, a civilian. Shoigu has the rank of army general although he does not have a military background. Under his leadership, the ministry has built new infrastructure on the far eastern Kuril islands claimed by Japan and in the Arctic. - In the wild with Putin - In December 2019 he reported to Putin that the first Avangard hypersonic missiles had been put into service, in a move hailed as a major coup for Moscow. Regular war games involving thousands of troops show off Russia's military might and irk NATO. Shoigu was one of the founders of the ruling United Russia party, of which he has been a senior official since 2001. He rarely makes political statements and is reticent in interviews. The defence chief has often accompanied Putin on macho fishing and wildlife-spotting trips, but knows how to stay in the background in his camouflage gear without stealing the limelight. The trips have included Putin's Siberian fishing expedition with Prince Albert of Monaco in 2007. Shoigu was also at Putin's side in 2008 when he shot a tiger with a tranquiliser dart and kissed it on the cheek in far eastern Russia. In 2019, on their most recent shared break, Shoigu and Putin picked mushrooms together in Siberia. Shoigu and his wife Irina met as students and have two daughters. One, Ksenya, has been appointed to a government council to promote sport and fitness. The other, Yulia, heads a centre for psychological counselling at the emergency ministry. Proud of his roots in southern Siberia, Shoigu issued a rare controversial statement in 2012, saying he backed moving the Russian capital to the region. Mr. Sanderss current standing might be surprising considering his circumstances as recently as a few months ago. He had a heart attack in October. He seemed stuck in third place in national polls, with around 15 percent support. Well-known candidates with just 15 percent support do not usually go on to win. A factional rival for support on the left, Elizabeth Warren, had steadily gained in the polls. But the events of that same period opened a path for Mr. Sanders. In one sense, Ms. Warrens rise in the polls might have gone too well. Her standing began to falter around the time she matched Mr. Biden in national polls, which invited scrutiny from the news media and her opponents. Her position on Medicare for all funding and her weak standing in hypothetical polling matchups against the president offered avenues for attack. At the same time, Pete Buttigieg surged to the lead in Iowa; he and Ms. Warren promptly clashed, preventing either from solidifying a strong position in the state. In most elections, conflict between these two idealistic liberal candidates would have been good news for the establishment favorite, Mr. Biden. But he never emerged as a classic establishment front-runner, someone with a daunting number of endorsements and superior resources. He found himself outspent, in some cases by a wide margin, by lesser-known rivals at exactly the point in the race when an establishment front-runner would have been expected to spend lots of money to overpower his rivals. Mr. Bidens weak elite support has done more than simply deprive him of the resources to capitalize on his opening in Iowa. It has led many elite supporters to seek an alternative, empowering rivals who have weakened Mr. Biden further. Some have gone to Mr. Buttigieg, who has raised far more money than Mr. Biden. One elite supporter Michael Bloomberg has actually entered the race, and could sap Mr. Bidens support on Super Tuesday on March 3. Well-timed endorsements at Mr. Bidens expense could plausibly push another rival, Amy Klobuchar, into contention in Iowa. The Chinese food market at the centre of the deadly SARS-like virus outbreak claimed they were selling live koalas, snakes, rats and wolf pups for locals to cook and eat. The Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan in China came under scrutiny on Wednesday after Chinese officials said the coronavirus may have originated in a wild animal sold at the food emporium. The market has since been closed and has been labelled 'ground zero' by local authorities. The highly-contagious virus has killed 17 people and infected hundreds in China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and the US. A list of prices for one of the businesses operating at the market showed a menagerie of animals available for sale including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, koalas and game meats, according to the South China Morning Post. The food menu shows a price of 70 RMB for koala meat. Even Chinese social media users were surprised at at the wildlife being sold at the market 'Just took a closer look at the viral wild animal menu - they even eat Koalas', one wrote on Chinese language site, Weibo. 'There's nothing Chinese people won't eat'. There are 112 live animals and animal products on the list. Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market (above) is allegedly selling wild animals including live wolf pups, civets and even koalas according to the South China Morning Post. A list of prices for one of the businesses operating at the market showed 'live tree bears' which is the Chinese for 'koala' (circled above) The highly-contagious virus has killed 17 people and infected hundreds in China, South Korea , Japan , Thailand , Hong Kong and the US 'Freshly slaughtered, frozen and delivered to your door,' said the price list for the vendor called Wild Game Animal Husbandry for the Masses. Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention, said in Beijing on Wednesday that authorities believe the virus likely came from 'wild animals at the seafood market' though the exact source remains undetermined. 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CHINA'S CORONAVIRUS 1. At least 17 people have been killed, all in the Chinese province of Hubei 2. At least 500 people in China's 18 provinces, autonomous regions, special administrative regions and municipalities have been infected 3. The vast majority of patients are related to Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei with a population of around 11 million 4. Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the United States have all reported confirmed cases 5. The virus can be passed between humans 6. It has certain ability to spread within a neighbourhood 7. The virus has mainly been passed through the human respiratory system 8. The source of the virus has been identified as the illegally sold wildlife meat 9. The virus can evolve 10. It is more difficult for children to contract the virus, the reason remains unknown Source: China's National Health Commission, People's Daily Advertisement China bans the trafficking of a number of wild species or requires special licenses, but regulations are loose for some species if they are commercially farmed. The Beijing News published a photo on Tuesday showing the same vendor's now-shuttered store front, as authorities in white hazmat suits milled about. The paper also quoted other merchants as saying trade in wildlife took place up until the market was shuttered for disinfection shortly after the outbreak. A number of the early sufferers of the coronavirus were employees of the market. AFP tried unsuccessfully to contact the vendor. Experts have warned it is 'possible' the virus will hit Australia. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Department of Health's National Incident Room in Canberra. 'We do have a lot of traffic from China and I think it's quite possible we will get some cases here but I'm very confident that we're well prepared to respond if we do,' Professor Murphy said. 'We currently have over 10 million masks even though we distributed 3.5 million during the bushfires, so we've got a good stockpile.' Mr Morrison was adamant that the country was well-equipped. 'The states and Commonwealth are working together to stay ahead of this,' Mr Morrison said. Wild animals ready to be sold at The Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan in China A photo of slaughtered animals hanging at the markets at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak A Melbourne man was rushed to hospital for respiratory problems after a trip to China but was later cleared. Another man in Brisbane was also suspected of contracting the disease but was cleared on Wednesday. Australia will begin screening passengers that land from Wuhan where a new deadly virus was discovered last month. The new screening efforts will only be in place at Sydney Airport where three direct flights from Wuhan land per week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. When China Eastern Airlines flight MU749 lands on Thursday, passengers will be met by biosecurity staff from New South Wales Health and Border Force officials. Huanan seafood market has been closed while Authorities carry out checks and cleaning Passengers are expected to be screened for high temperatures with thermal imaging - but the method is not 100 per cent successful because people can harbour the coronavirus with no symptoms for days. Anyone who does have a high temperature or is feeling unwell will be interviewed by officials. It comes as US health authorities on Tuesday announced the first case of a person on American soil being diagnosed with the virus as millions of travellers prepare to take flights for Lunar New Year on Saturday. Plane passengers in China are being screened after an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus Bats are thought to have spawned SARS, which in 2002-03 killed hundreds of people in Asia, mostly China. SARS was also found in civets in wildlife markets in China, with many scientists believing the bat virus infected the cat-like creatures and then humans who ate them. Following SARS, China cracked down on consumption of civets and some other species, but conservationists say the trade continues. China has so far won praise for its openness and handling of the current outbreak in stark contrast to SARS, when it was accused of stifling information and failing to cooperate with the rest of the world. Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou has since 2018 headed Greeces top administrative court, the Council of State, where she was again the first woman to occupy the post. (Photo | AFP) Athens: A trailblazing judge with particular expertise in environmental law and the constitution will become Greeces first female president on Wednesday. The candidacy of Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou has already won cross-party support and been welcomed by some commentators as a consensus candidate during a difficult time for Greek foreign policy. The time has come for Greece to open up to the future, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said earlier this month, as he submitted Sakellaropoulous name for Wednesdays parliamentary vote. A four-decade justice veteran, 63-year-old Sakellaropoulou has since 2018 headed Greeces top administrative court, the Council of State, where she was again the first woman to occupy the post. The daughter of a Supreme Court judge, Sakellaropoulou completed postgraduate studies at Pariss Sorbonne university and is an expert in constitutional and environmental law. She will take over from Prokopis Pavlopoulos, whose five-year term ends in March. Greek presidents are exclusively selected by parliament. Sakellaropoulou is on track to secure over 260 votes on Wednesday, more than enough for the minimum 200 votes required, thanks to support from the main opposition parties. Main opposition leftist leader Alexis Tsipras said Sakellaropoulou was an exceptional judge and a defender of human rights. The socialist KINAL party has also backed her nomination. Mitsotakis emphasised that the selection breaks with tradition not only because Sakellaropoulou is female, but also because she is not a member of a political party. Past presidents have often been senior party figures, such as former ministers. A spirit of consensus Mitsotakis said the choice embodies unity and progress. Lets not hide from the truth, Greek society is still marked by discrimination against women, the PM said. This now changes, starting from the top. In accepting the nomination, Sakellaropoulou said it was an honour for justice and modern Greek women. Although the president is nominally the head of the Greek state and commander-in-chief, the post is largely ceremonial. Greek presidents confirm governments and laws and technically have the power to declare war, but only in conjunction with the government. Liberal daily Kathimerini commentator Elias Maglinis welcomed the decision to nominate Sakellaropoulou. It had, he wrote, brought about a spirit of consensus, which is absolutely necessary during such a crucial time in foreign policy referring to ongoing tension with Turkey over energy exploration, Aegean territorial rights and migration. When Mitsotakis became prime minister in July, he was criticised for appointing just a handful of women in his cabinet. A 2017 Eurobarometer poll found 63 percent of Greeks thought gender equality had been achieved in politics, 69 percent at work and 61 percent in leadership positions. But Eurostat figures from the same year show a pay gap between men and women in Greece of more than 12 percent in average gross hourly earnings. Unemployment is also higher among women, with one in five jobless according to the latest official figures. The first women won the right to vote in Greece in 1934, even if it was initially limited to educated women aged 30 and over. The first female MP, Eleni Skoura, was elected in 1953. Lina Tsaldari in 1956 became the first female minister, and Anna Psarouda Benaki the first female head of parliament in 2004. The Kano State government has confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state, which has so far claimed the lives of three persons. Addressing journalists on Wednesday, the state commissioner of health, Aminu Tsanyawa, said a pregnant woman, and two medical doctors who diagnosed her have died of the fever. According to him, the ministry currently has a total of 292 persons who had contact with the said victims on a watch list. This, it said, would help to quickly quarantine anyone who shows any symptoms of the disease, to avoid further spread. Mr Tsanyawa, a medical doctor said, the first victim was a 28-year-old pregnant woman from Gwale local government area of the state who fell sick two weeks after the death of her mother. She was referred to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital from a private hospital but also passed away on January 1. Following the report of the outbreak, and confirmation of samples, the state government swung into action, so as to expeditiously curtail the spread of the viral disease to this end, the states isolation centre at Year Gaya has been activated. Other measures taken include; activation of rapid response team, prepositioning of drugs and other consumables, contact tracing as well as daily coordination meeting at the states emergency operation centre amongst others, the commissioner said. Mr Tsanyawa urged the general public to disregard rumours, ensure proper hand hygiene, strengthen environmental sanitation and avoid contact with wild animals and rodents. READ ALSO: Other safety measures according to him are people should avoid poorly cooked meat, contact with suspected or confirmed cases or items soiled by them and urge the public to report any suspected case to the nearest health facility. Mr Tsanyawa reiterated the state governments readiness to partner with all persons, group and organisations in its determination towards providing quality healthcare service for the good people of the state. He applauded the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, for his relentless efforts towards improving the health and well-being of the people of the state stressing that, all is under control and no need for panicking. The NGO analyzed data provided by the Ombudsman's Office. Mortality at checkpoints set up along the line of contact between the warring sides in eastern Ukraine's Donbas in 2019 increased by 40% year-on-year. That's according to East Human Rights Group, whose experts conducted a comparative analysis of fatal cases at checkpoints, earlier published by the Ukrainian Ombudsman's Office. In 2018, nine people died at checkpoints across Donetsk region, and 15 people in the past year. Read alsoUkraine to appeal to Normandy Four states over intensified shelling in Donbas FM Prystaiko In Luhansk region, respectively, it was 10 and 12 people. "So the official reports show the mortality rate increased by 40% in 2019 against 2018," human rights activists noted, recalling the need to ensure constant presence of ER teams at crossing checkpoints. As UNIAN reported earlier, a civilian man died while crossing into the government-controlled territory at a checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska January 21. Prince Charles has declared climate change and the issues it causes the greatest threats humanity has ever faced. Addressing world leaders at a conference in Davos, the Prince of Wales said: We are in the midst of a crisis that is now I hope well understood. Global warming, climate change, and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced and one largely of our own creation. Britain's Prince Charles delivers a special address during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse The comments came during a keynote speech at the World Economic Forums (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The Prince used his address to launch a new project aimed at putting sustainability at the heart of global financial markets. We need to evolve our economic model, Prince Charles said. It is not a lack of capital that is holding us back but rather the way in which we deploy it. To move forward, we need nothing short of a paradigm shift. The Queens son set out ten principles aimed at putting people and planet at the heart of value creation, including funding for cutting edge research, clear plans for decarbonisation across the world, and investing in nature. Prince Charles speaks with Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum, before his special address in Davos on January 22, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Prince Charles also called for an end to what he called perverse subsidies given to polluting industries. It is time to level the playing field and think about how we properly deploy taxes, policies and regulation in a way that catalyses sustainable markets, he said. For many years Ive tried to encourage the adoption of the polluter pays principle. Prince Charles was addressing over 3,000 top business leaders and politicians from around the world. Attendees of this years conference include US President Donald Trump, UK Chancellor Sajid Javid, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Ive dedicated much of my life of the restoration of harmony between humanity, nature, and the environment and to the encouragement of corporate social and environmental responsibility, the Prince told the audience. Quite frankly it has been a bit of an uphill struggle. Story continues The Prince met teenage environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg on the sidelines of the event. Thunberg on Tuesday delivered a searing speech at Davos accusing world leaders of giving up on environmental promises. The Prince of Wales meeting climate activist Greta Thunberg after he gave a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: PA/Clarence House Prince Charles struck a more optimistic tone, while emphasising that urgent reform was needed. The past decade has shown us just how quickly industry transformation can happen when you re-engineer the economic model, the Royal said. New employment opportunities, entire new industries and markets rooted in sustainability are within our grasp. He listed advances made in fields such as solar energy, wood processing, and sustainable investing. We are in fact far further ahead than we might think, making it critical that we leverage the vital work already under way, the Prince said. In nearly every industry we are seeing progress that we can build on. The Prince was visiting the WEFs conference in Davos for the first time in 30 years and arrived at the event in a fully electric Jaguar, driven from the Swiss town of St. Gallen. After nearly 50 years of trying to champion this cause, I cannot help feeling that finally we are ready to change our trajectory, he told the audience. Do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink? I do not want to. Prince Charles delivers a special address during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse The ongoing climate crisis is one of the biggest themes of this years Davos conference. WEF said ahead of the gathering that all the biggest current threats to the world are environment-linked and the topic of sustainability has come up frequently in speeches and on panels. If there is one critical lesson we have to learn from this crisis, it is that nature is not a separate asset class, Prince Charles said. Nature is in fact the lifeblood of our financial markets. As such, we must rapidly realign our own economy to mimic natures economy and work in harmony with it. We all know the problem and increasingly we agree on the direction. 2020 is the time for solutions and practical action. The man was taken by ambulance to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiners office identified the man as 27-year-old Matthew D. Jones of the 2300 block of West 119th Street. Why Guaidos Camp Has Been Unable to Unseat Maduro News Analysis On Jan. 23, 2019, a wiry politician unknown to the worldand most of Venezuelastood onstage in eastern Caracas to invoke the constitution and declare himself interim president in front of thousands cheering and waving tricolor flags. The elections in May the previous year, which had secured Nicolas Maduro his second six-year presidential term, were rigged, Juan Guaido told the frenzied crowds, a claim since widely acknowledged around the world. Guaidos declaration was almost instantly echoed by the United States and later by more than 50 other nations that recognized him as the legitimate leader. The 35-year-old promised that democracy would soon be restored to the crisis-stricken country; the question on many peoples lips was not if, but when. But a year on, far from just clinging to power in Miraflores Palace, Maduro seems to be consolidating it. While the socioeconomic and political crisis ensueswhich has forced millions of people to flee in recent yearsthe emboldened leader is attempting to marginalize Guaido. Earlier in January, Maduro removed him as head of the National Assembly Congress and physically blocked him from entering Parliament. Guaido continues to address crowds in Caracas on the imminent return of democracy, but the now-jaded faces number hundreds rather than thousands. His fresh-faced, unabashed optimism, once emblematic of change, after a number of scandals and political blunders, now appears to them a continuation of the oppositions incompetence and arrogance that have haunted them over the last two decades. But while Guaido is the face of the opposition, he isnt the root of their failings to unseat Maduro, say analysts. Recent blundersbeing photographed with a notorious paramilitary gang at the Colombian border and failing to deal swiftly with accusations of embezzling opposition fundsshow the newcomers inexperience, but those things arent why the opposition has failed to remove Maduro from power. As a leader, Guaido has succeeded in uniting a previously fragmented opposition, drawn huge crowds, and continues to be recognized by the majority in the Western Hemisphere. Yet determination isnt enough when guided by the same fundamental mistakes, said David Smilde, Venezuela expert and professor of human relations at New Orleans-based Tulane University. The opposition historically has a couple of characteristics. They tend to overestimate their power, they overestimate their popularity, and they tend to underestimate the strength of Chavismo, Smilde said of the socialist revolution founded by Hugo Chavez and continued by Maduro. They think if they just give it a good push, its going to fall over, and we have seen this on display this year. They sold the idea that if there were just oil sanctions, if the international community just recognized Guaido, Maduro was going to buckle. Those of us who have been watching this for 20 years did not think this was going to happen. On Feb. 23, 2019, the oppositions efforts to push aid from Colombia into Venezuela were supposed to cause a fatal rift between Maduro and his military supporters, but instead, hundreds ended up injured, and trucks of humanitarian supplies went up in flames. In the lead-up to the efforts, the opposition wouldnt entertain the idea of failure, and as the plan literally went up in flames, it had no obvious backup plan. This complacent approach is typical of the opposition and stems from a failure to understand the general resilience of authoritarian governments under pressure and the dynamics that have made Maduro particularly hard to unstick. Chavismo has this revolutionary, messianic idea that they are absolutely essential to Venezuelas future, and if you add oil to this, they have pretty good control, Smilde said. While Maduros popularity is hovering as low as 15 percent, he has co-opted hundreds of military generals into propping him up by offering generous sums of money obtained from corruption, drug-smuggling, and illegal mining. Guaidos campaign has focused on breaking that with key backing from the United States. Although the United States has stopped short of military intervention, it has made restoring democracy in Venezuela a key foreign-policy objective, ramping up pressure on Maduro and his regime officials with economic sanctions and travel bans, and straining the already-failing economy with a wide-reaching economic embargo. But at least on the surface, there seems to be a lack of clear U.S. strategy on Venezuela. The U.S.s stance complicates and creates lots of uncertainty inside Venezuela. This is one of the biggest problems that the Venezuelan opposition has faced: They dont have a clear strategy, and thats because the U.S. doesnt have a clear strategy, Dimitris Pantoulas, a Caracas-based political analyst, told The Epoch Times. But ultimately, the oppositions failure stems from its own inability to conjure up a political solution to counter the system of political corruption that underpins Maduros power. Maduro and Chavismo after 20 years have created a structure that says, If you are inside the system, your benefits are unlimited, and if you are outside, you lose everything, Pantoulas said. This is where Guaido and the opposition failed: They didnt offer them an alternative that will include these people. As Guaido travels to London and Davos this week, all eyes will be on a potential meeting between him and U.S. President Donald Trump. But without an imaginative solution that counters Maduros, Pantoulas is skeptical that more pressure will break the political deadlock. Art critics were stunned after the restoration of a priceless 15th century painting revealed an 'alarmingly humanoid' depiction of the Lamb of God. The Ghent Altarpiece by Hubert and Jan Von Eyck, which is housed at St Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, has undergone a 1.8 million restoration project which first started in 2012. The eerie 'cartoonish' lamb's face has been said to be 'alarmingly humanoid' by the Smithsonian Magazine, while other critics have called for further research into the discovery. During the second phase of the project, restorers found the original central panel had been modified during the 16th Century. The board depicts a lamb standing on top of an altar with a pierced chest and blood flowing into a chalice, which represents the Lamb of God. An undated photo shows the Ghent Altarpiece's Lamb of God before (left) and after the restoration A December 2019 file photo shows a detail of the restored original of 'Adoration of the Mystic Lamb' altarpiece (1432) by the brothers and Flemish artists Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck at the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK) in Ghent, Belgium The overpaint, which was not visible on technical documents, was removed gradually over the course of three years. Once ripped off the team were 'shocked' to discover an 'intense gaze' and 'large frontal eyes' on the original animal. The representation laying under the overpaint was 'cartoonish' with a lamb that has a 'more intense interaction with the onlookers', according to Helene Dubois, the head of the restoration project. Dubois told the Art Newspaper the discovery came as a 'shock for everybody-for us, for the church, for all the scholars, for the international committee following this project,' she said. Though the lamb's true visage was first revealed in December last year, it has only just been picked up by social media and the art world in past weeks. Critics are struggling to make sense of why it was originally painted in such an anthropomorphic way and why it was changed in the 1500s. The representation laying under the overpaint of the Ghent Altarpiece showed a 'cartoonish' animal, with a lamb that has a 'more intense interaction with the onlookers', according to Helene Dubois, the head of the restoration project The style is novel for paintings from the Netherlands of this era, Dubois said. The overpainting could have been an attempt to offset the severity of the 'humanised identification of the lamb', Koenraad Jonckheere, professor of Renaissance and Baroque art at Ghent University, told the BBC. He added that painters were likely trying to change the lamb's face to look more like an animal. Belgium's Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (RICH), however, said the Van Eyck brothers followed a common style of Middle Age-painting by depicting the Lamb of God in a human-like fashion. 'The choice for removing the overpaint was carefully weighed out, and it was fully supported by all involved,' the institute told the BBC. 'The results of the restoration have been praised by experts, the public and St Bavo's Cathedral.' An undated photo shows a member of the restoration team pictured during the project in Ghent, Belgium The painting, complete with its restored human-like lamb, is being returned to St Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent on 24 January. The altarpiece, which is to be put on public display, is believed to have been started by Jan Van Eyck's brother, Hubert Van Eyck. The altarpiece was plundered by Napoleon in the 18th Century and thieved again by the Nazis in the Second World War. U.S. frequent fliers planning to use miles to take an overseas vacation in big, lie-flat seats better start looking now. If not, they might end up spending a lot more miles than they planned - if they can find business and first class seats at all. Thats according to the Wall Street Journal this week, citing research from IdeaWorks, a consulting company that regularly conducts searches of award seat availability on major U.S. and foreign airlines. The survey looked for front-cabin award seats on 18 airlines, making requests for every airlines 10 busiest routes of more than 2,500 miles. Availability ranged from 2 percent on Scandinavian Airlines to 98 percent on Turkish Airlines. But among U.S. airlines, researchers who queried United Airlines found two award seats at the lowest "Saver" cost level only 4 percent of the time. The comparable results were 14 percent for Delta and 28 percent for American. IdeaWorks president Jay Sorenson told the newspaper that based on the survey results, it appeared that the ability of most loyalty program members at those carriers to take a business class trip to Europe has gone," at least at the cheapest price point. Take a spin through the slideshow at the top of this post for a look at a variety of big business class seats! Availability of front-cabin seats increased if the researchers didnt restrict their search to Saver award tickets, but those seats would typically cost about twice as much as the 100,000-150,000 miles for a pair of roundtrip Saver tickets to Europe. The cost of award tickets in miles has become more complicated in recent years as major U.S. carriers have eliminated fixed prices and moved to a system of dynamic pricing, where the number of miles required is based on supply and demand for specific flights. That means mileage costs fluctuate, so carriers have generally stopped publishing charts of award travel prices or show a range of possible costs for a given route instead of a fixed price. Michael Covey, managing director of MileagePlus premier programs, told the Journal that United is moving away from referring to award levels as Saver or Everyday and instead simply offering a mileage cost that reflects the actual cash price of a given ticket. While MileagePlus members should generally be able to find award space for their desired travel dates, Whether or not were going to have a plethora of awards at the lowest cost throughout the course of a year, I think that is tougher and tougher to find, he said. IdeaWorks He noted that to find them, customers might have to be more flexible with their travel dates. He also noted that award seat availability is greater for top-tier MileagePlus members (Platinum and higher). Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts If things are getting tougher and pricier for premium cabin award travel, IdeaWorks research from last summer showed that economy class award trips are coming down in cost and getting easier to find, partly as a result of the same trend toward dynamic pricing. The research determined that for flights of under 2,500 miles on the major North American carriers, the average reward seat price in 2019 vs. 2014 declined by a whopping 27.4 percent on Alaska Airlines (to 17,000 miles), by 24.8 percent on Delta (to 19,680 miles), by 18.6 percent on American (to 23,700 miles) and by 10 percent on United (to 25,000 miles). The lowest average reward ticket price in 2019 was on Southwest (7,367 points, down 6.6 percent from 2014), followed by JetBlue (16,708 points, a drop of 5.2 percent). Keep in mind these programs are points vs. miles based. Overall, Ideaworks said that average reward ticket prices on U.S. carriers have declined by 17 percent since 2014. While variable pricing has made award travel more expensive as the departure date approaches, "airlines have also lowered reward levels to encourage redemption on off-peak dates and for less popular routes," IdeaWorks noted. So it's cheaper and easier to fly when the airline wants you to and likely more expensive to fly when you and everyone else wants to. So what's been your experience finding big business class seats, frequent fliers? Tell us all about it in the comments. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates! While I agree with Indyk on the need to downsize our objectives in favor of more limited goals that can be achieved with more modest means, I would be a little bit more expansive in defining those objectives. Even though we no longer need the Middle East to fuel our cars, we cannot ignore the economic significance of a region that holds nearly half of the worlds reserves of oil and natural gas. While Indyk suggests that China and India need to be protecting the sea lanes between the Gulf and their ports, not the U.S. Navy, we wont be too happy if Beijing gains a stranglehold on those vital resources. As long as the U.S. Navy controls the sea lanes, Washington can threaten to shut off Chinas oil a powerful point of leverage in a crisis. (Indyk has since told me he favors joint patrols with China and India in the Persian Gulf, reducing rather than ending the U.S. role.) BOISE Republicans unveiled the first major plans of 2020 to provide residents relief on grocery and property taxes with the introduction of a handful of bills on Wednesday. Idahoans would get a deduction for the taxes on the first $187.50 spent on groceries each month under a bill sponsored by House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley. Bedke told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee that his bill would cover the grocery tax for 99% of food bought by Idaho citizens. This cancels the effect of sales tax on food for all Idaho citizens, Bedke said. Groceries are taxed the same as other purchases in Idaho at 6%. Its long been the subject of debate among lawmakers. Some say the revenue is necessary to pay for state services and others say it disproportionately affects low-income residents. Bedke said the average Idahoan currently pays about $124 in grocery taxes annually. Through a tax credit system, the state covers the first $100 of tax on groceries for most residents and the first $120 for senior citizens. The bill would raise the credit for Idahoans who file taxes up to $135 a year. Thats the amount of tax generated by about $2,250 worth of groceries a year, or $187.50 a month. A family of four could get the first $750 of groceries a month tax free. Increasing the credit would cost $49 million, Bedke said. The bill would pay for the increase through money generated from the states internet sales tax, currently held in a tax relief fund. Bedke estimated that fund receives between $6 million and $7 million each month. Theres ample money in there in an ongoing way to fund for this forever, Bedke said. The proposal would allow the state to continue receiving revenue from out of state shoppers who wouldnt be eligible for the credit, Bedke said. The committee also introduced a pair of bills sponsored by Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, that intend to reduce property tax growth. One would place a hard cap on all property tax growth leveraged by local governments at 3%. There is currently a 3% cap but local governments can pay for things like construction separately. The other proposal would freeze property tax growth for one year. That will give the Legislature more time to find a solution for growth that is pricing residents out of homes, Moyle said. It doesnt mean your property taxes are going to go down, Moyle said. It puts a Band-Aid on this and it gives those of us in the Legislature time to find a way to proceed with this. Several Democrats voted against Moyles bills. Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, introduced a bill to increase transparency for local governments that dont collect all the taxes they are allowed and return for that money at a future date. Voters would need to approve before a taxing district could use that foregone balance under the bill. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Vancouver, January 22, 2020 - Contact Gold Corp. (TSXV: C) (the "Company" or "Contact Gold") announces that options to purchase 2,125,000 common shares in the Company were granted to employees, executives and directors of the Company on January 16, 2020, with an exercise price of $0.19 per share. The options have been granted pursuant to the Company's Omnibus Stock and Incentive Plan and will expire five years from the date of grant. All of the options are subject to vesting provisions. The Company also awarded to certain employees and executives an aggregate of 239,220 restricted share units ("RSUs") pursuant to the Company's RSU Plan. The RSUs are subject to vesting provisions and expire on December 31, 2023. About Contact Gold Corp. Contact Gold is an exploration company focused on producing district scale gold discoveries in Nevada. Contact Gold's extensive land holdings are on the prolific Carlin, Independence and Northern Nevada Rift gold trends which host numerous gold deposits and mines. Contact Gold's land position comprises approximately 140 km2 of target rich mineral tenure hosting numerous known gold occurrences, ranging from early- to advanced-exploration and resource definition stage. Additional information about the Company is available at www.contactgold.com. For more information, please contact: +1 (604) 449-3361 Matthew Lennox-King - President & CEO E-mail: info@ContactGold.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51722 Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 10:56:35|Editor: zh Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a ceasefire in Lybia to be followed by "a real political process." Guterres, who briefed the UN Security Council behind closed doors on the Berlin Conference on Libya, said there is still a long way to go. "We have a truce. The truce is having some violations but not widespread violations. They are localized until now. We need to move to a ceasefire, and from the ceasefire, we need to move (to) a real political process and we are not yet there," Guterres told reporters. He said Tuesday's Security Council meeting is important as it laid pressure on the parties to the conflict and those who have an influence on the situation to make sure that this roadmap is followed. "The pressure of the international community is essential. The role of the Security Council is essential," said Guterres, who attended the Berlin conference on Sunday. The Berlin conference is a major step as "it was, for the first time, possible to sit around the table, all those countries that have a direct or indirect influence in relation to the conflict, and to commit them to non-interference," the arms embargo and to supporting a ceasefire as well as the political process, he said. Meanwhile, he cautioned that Berlin is just a beginning. He expressed the belief that the endorsement of the conclusions of the Berlin conference by the UN Security Council and other follow-up steps could be extremely important. Guterres said his message to leaders of the two warring parties in Lybia is "(to) accept fully the conclusions of the Berlin summit and assume that the leadership in a situation like this is a leadership for peace ... (and) for a united Libya able to be ruled by Libyans in peace and security and cooperating with its neighbors in a positive way." Fayez al-Sarraj, prime minister of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli, and Khalifa Haftar, who had been leading the Libyan National Army in an offensive to seize the Libyan capital since April 2019, were both in Berlin on Sunday but did not attend the conference or meet each other. KAMPALA The Ministry of Health has been awarded the CoST Uganda 2019 Infrastructure Transparency Award for exceptional commitment in adoption & promotion of CoST approach of; Disclosure, Assurance, Multi-Stakeholder Working, and social accountability. The award was received by SPRO, Ainebyoona Emmanuel While giving the award, the Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala lauded the Ministry of Health on the infrastructural developments across the country. Congratulations MOH on a well done Kayunga Hospital project The health ministry was further appreciated by CoST Uganda for following PPDA procedures during the bidding process and promoting local content. Timely delivery of projects within scope and quality was also highlighted as a key area of success as witnessed in Kayunga Hospitals works. CoST Uganda is a multi-stakeholder initiative with participating countries spanning four continents. CoST promotes transparency by disclosing data from public infrastructure investment, helping to inform and empower citizens, enabling them to hold decision-makers to account. CoST Uganda is hosted by the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), the largest civil society network promotion citizens right of access to information, open contracting and open government in Africa. Related The New York state director of Latino Affairs in the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing charges of assault and child endangerment for allegedly attacking her partner while their baby was alone in the bathtub. Melissa Quesada, 41, was arrested in late November 2019 in connection to the incident at her home in New Rochelle, New York, which occurred nearly three weeks prior. According to an indictment filed by the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, Quesada was giving her baby a bath when she got into a physical altercation with the father's child, Adrian Roman. New York State Director of Latino Affairs Melissa Quesada, 41, has been indicted on charges of assault, harassment and endangering the welfare of a child The former beauty queen and lawyer (left) is accused of leaving her baby unattended in the tub and attacking her partner, visual artist Adrian Roman (right) The indictment, first reported on by New York Post, alleges that Quesada left her baby unattended in the tub and assaulted the man by digging her nails into his neck and pressing her thumb into his throat. Roman, who works as a visual artist, was left in fear for his safety, according to the document. The victim sustained lacerations to his neck and difficulty swallowing and sought medical attention for his injuries, the indictment stated. Quesada has worked in state government since 2015, first at the Department of Labor and then in Latino Affairs Roman later went to the local police department to file a complaint against the mother of his child. Quesada was charged with misdemeanor assault with intent to cause physical injury, harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. She is due back in Westchester County Court on February 4. According to her LinkedIn page, Quesada, who won the title of Miss Latin America in 2006, has a Bachelors degree in psychology and Spanish from Binghamton University, and a law degree from Hofstra University School of Law. After working in the private sector for a few years, Quesada joined the New York City Law Department as a special associate at the Commercial and Real Estate Litigation Division. In 2015, she became part of Governor Cuomo's administration, working in various capacities at the state Department of Labor. Quesada was promoted to director of Latino Affairs in February 2016 a job that comes with an annual salary of more than $100,000. DailyMail.com reached out to Cuomo's office on Wednesday seeking comment on Quesada's employment status. Caitlin Girouard, a spokesperson for the governor, said in an emailed statement: 'were reserving action while the matter is pending.' According to an online baby registry, Quesada and her then-partner, Roman, welcomed their baby in April 2019. The couple are now said to be separated and there is an order of protection in effect against Quesada. Every 'Bagh' can be Shaheen Bagh: Chandrashekhar Azad vows 5,000 more nationwide protest in 10 days India oi-Mousumi Dash New Delhi, Jan 23: Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, where thousands of women and children have been continuing it's protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) over a month now, was charged up more on Wednesday as the Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad visited and expressed solidarity to the protesters. Azad vowed that in the next 10 days 5,000 more protest sites like it will emerge across the country. Women in South Delhi's Shaheen Bagh has been on a sit-in protest since mid-December 2019. The protest is against the CAA, NRC and the brutal attacks on students in various universities such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. On Wednesday, Azad reached the demonstration spot in south Delhi's Shaheen and expressed solidarity to the protesters. Besides this, he also addressed the vast gathering, he claimed that Centre's new citizenship law is a "black law" dividing people along religious lines. Wishing the protesters who have participated there, Azad, also added that it is not just a political agitation, this protest aims to save the Constitution and the unity of the nation. Praising the valour of the women demonstrators, whose determination were unbreakable even in the chilling cold of the capital, the Bhim Amry chief said, "(BR) Ambedkar had said that women will lead. Today when the Constitution is in danger, women are leading the country and fighting for it." Anti CAA protests: Court modifies bail conditions, allows Chandrashekhar Azad to visit Delhi Challenging the centre's decision on CAA, Azad said the government would have to walk over the dead bodies of the protesters if it refused to withdraw the contentious citizenship law. Azad's statement came days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said that the government would not withdraw CAA and protesters may continue to show agitation. Holding the Constitution, Azad vowed the protesters that in the next 10 days there will be at least 5,000 Shaheen Baghs across the nation. Azad was granted bail last week in a case related to anti-CAA protests at Delhi's Daryaganj on the condition that he should not be in Delhi for the next four weeks. He was accused of inciting people during an anti-CAA protest at Jama Masjid on December 20, 2019. The court also directed him not to hold any dharna in the national capital till the elections. However, on Tuesday, modifying the bail conditions of Azad, the Delhi court said that he could re-enter the national capital providing a full schedule of his movements to be submitted, at least 24 hours prior to his return. The United States' economy would be growing at a pace near 4% if wasn't for the lingering effect of Federal Reserve rate hikes, President Donald Trump told CNBC in an interview on Wednesday. "Now, with all of that, had we not done the big raise on interest, I think we would have been close to 4%," Trump told CNBC. "And I could see 5,000 to 10,000 points more on the Dow. But that was a killer when they raised the rate. It was just a big mistake." U.S. gross domestic product increased at a 2.1% annualized rate in the third-quarter of 2019. Trump nominated Jerome Powell in late 2017 to succeed Janet Yellen as the Fed chair, but he soured on the former lawyer and investment banker in 2018 after Powell steered the Fed through a series of rate increases. Trump has previously blasted the hikes as "loco" and "ridiculous" and accused the Fed of undercutting economic growth. The U.S. central bank subsequently cut rates three times in 2019. In his CNBC interview, Trump also said that Boeing's 737 MAX fleet grounding and the strike at General Motors had weighed on the economy. "But we had Boeing. We had the big strike with General Motors. We had things happen that are very unusual to happen," Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ankara Participates in NATO Naval Drill With European Allies - Defence Ministry Sputnik News 16:21 21.01.2020 ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey is participating in the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean together with Italy, Germany, and Greece, the country's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. "Turkish Orucreis and Salihrei frigates, Italian Carabiniere frigate, German Hamburg frigate, and Greek Limnos frigates are deployed in Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 exercises. The ships' crews will perform joint tactical maneuvering and arrive in the [Turkish] port of Mersin," the ministry said in a statement. Turkey plays an important role among the 30 countries participating in NATO's Second Permanent Naval Group, plays an important role in conducting NATO Sea Guard operations, and also provides support and access to the Allies' fleets in the eastern ports of Axaz and Mersin in the Mediterranean Sea. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The emergence of a deadly new virus in China has ignited fresh anger in neighbouring Taiwan about how the island has been squeezed out of international bodies, including the World Health Organization. Modern Taiwan has been a de facto sovereign nation for the last seven decades and has emerged as one of Asia's most progressive democracies. But it is quarantined on the world stage, only recognised diplomatically by a handful of countries and pushed out of crucial global meetings under pressure from Beijing. That isolation has been thrown into sharp relief by the new SARS-like virus that has emerged in China -- with the first positive case confirmed in Taiwan on Tuesday. Taiwan has been denied access to the World Health Assembly (WHA) -- the WHO's main meeting -- since 2017 under pressure from Beijing which loathes the island's current president Tsai Ing-wen, who won a landslide second term earlier this month. At a press conference on Wednesday, Tsai renewed her calls for Taiwan to be allowed to attend WHO meetings and other bodies. "Political considerations should not surpass protection for the people," she told reporters, adding that the island's 23 million inhabitants face the same health risks and threats as the rest of the world. "I want to again urge the WHO not to exclude Taiwan for political reasons. Taiwan is on the frontline of global infectious disease prevention. The WHO should have a space for Taiwan's participation," she added. Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. It has ramped up its campaign to isolate the island ever since Tsai's first election victory in 2016 because she does not acknowledge their view that Taiwan is part of "one China". The headline-grabbing parts of this campaign have involved increased military and economic pressure as well as persuading seven more countries to abandon Taipei diplomatically. It has also pushed companies to list the island as a province of China rather than a separate territory. Beijing has also waged a successful campaign to keep Taiwan locked out of global bodies. Alongside the WHA, Taiwan has been frozen out of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations agency that covers aviation. - Policy reversed - At the UN itself -- which ditched Taiwan in favour of the People's Republic of China in 1971 -- Taiwanese diplomats and journalists are routinely excluded because of their passports. In December, Axios reported that Taiwanese employees at the World Bank were being told to obtain Chinese travel documents. Axios said the policy was later reversed after their report. In her comments on Wednesday, Tsai called on China to be "open and transparent" about the new virus outbreak as well as sharing information with Taiwan "fully and accurately". Most analysts say China has been far more open and quick to share data on the Wuhan outbreak compared to the 2003 SARS outbreak which was covered up for months. But suspicions still run high in Taiwan because of historical precedent. The island's ability to fight SARS back in 2003 was hampered by the fact that officials were unable to get crucial data from Beijing and the WHO, media reports at the time show. "China's responses were slow during the SARS outbreak in terms of investigating the cause and sharing information," Huang Li-min, president of the Infectious Disease Society of Taiwan, told AFP. "This time China is releasing information more quickly," he added. Among Taiwanese social media users, there has been anger about the island's continued exclusion from the WHO. "Give Taiwan a seat at the table," Jessica Drun, an academic, wrote in a Tweet directed at the WHO's account. Pro-life advocates and ministry leaders are challenging the results of a new study that found that most women do not suffer emotionally after an abortion, and that over time, they are less likely to express regret. Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) followed 667 women across 30 clinics after they received an elective abortion, finding that the majority had either positive feelings or no emotion at all toward their decision both a week later (71%) and five years later (84%), according to a study released last week in the journal Social Science & Medicine. Corinne Rocca, one of the studys authors and UCSF professor, said that the study proves that the idea that women will develop negative emotions after an abortion is a myth and a red herring. Rocca has also participated in multiple research studies and written several articles for the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood. While pro-choice advocates have used the findings to suggest that the idea of abortion regret is merely a scare tactic from pro-lifers, critics say the sample for the survey doesnt justify the debunking its authors have touted in the media. Writing for the National Review, researcher Michael J. New noted that women who volunteer to respond to questions following an abortion are more likely to be the ones who feel positively about it, and therefore the findings do not represent the full spectrum of women who have had abortions. Newa professor at the Catholic University of America and a scholar with the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institutenoted that of all the women asked to participate, less than 40 percent agreed, and roughly 30 percent of the 667 who participated had stopped responding by the end of the five-year study. Plus, Christians working in post-abortive ministry have seen abortion regret stir up in women long after the five-year span of the research. The majority of women we see are usually 15, 20, 30, 40 years removed, said Carrie Bond, former national training director for Surrendering the Secret. Counselors and staff like Bond are particularly likely to encounter those who have grown to regret their abortions, or to discover that they had been holding back the emotional weight of the decision. Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood staffer who went on to become a pro-life advocate, shared a similar observation on Twitter: Heres real talk. Trauma doesnt usually present until 10-15 years post-traumatic event. Those women have NO idea how they will feel about their abortions many years later. Bond said most women are culturally conditioned to either hide their abortion or celebrate it. Those are your two choices, she said. Be silent, or say It hasnt affected me! Some may not even realize that some of the negative symptoms they experience in the years following their abortionnightmares, or an eating disorder, for examplemay have been triggered by their experience. Bond also questioned the researchers conclusion that the lack of emotion is positive. Far from a good thing, she said that can be actually evidence of trauma. One of the most common symptoms of post-abortion stress she sees in women is emotional numbness. One study conducted in the early nineties by pro-life researchers found that 92 percent of women experience some level of emotional deadening up to 10 years after their procedure. (That study surveyed 260 women who had actively sought post-abortion counseling.) While post-abortive ministries, by their nature, are likely to draw in women who are experiencing regret and seeking a place for healingtheir work is not miniscule. As Julie Roys wrote for CT in 2015: In the past 20 years, abortion recovery groups have multiplied in churches nationwide. Surrendering the Secret has trained about 2,500 leaders in churches and crisis pregnancy centers. Another leading recovery ministry, Rachels Vineyard, hosts about 1,000 retreats annually in 48 states and 57 other countries. Yet, these statistics pale in comparison to the number of post-abortive women in the church (not to mention the men who carry regret over their wives or girlfriends abortions). The Silent No More Campaign, a project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life, has hosted 6,469 women and men sharing their abortion testimonies. I Regret My Abortion is a slogan on its campaign protest signs. Abortion rates have been falling for the past few years, reaching an historic low of 625,000 in 2016, the latest year data from the Centers for Disease Control are available. Statistically, 625,000 abortions means there were 12 abortions for every 1,000 women of child-bearing age in the US that year. That number may be higher, given that reporting abortion numbers to the CDC is voluntary for states. Still, it adds to a staggering total. Researchers from varying ideological backgrounds estimate roughly 60 million abortions have been performed in the United States since the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in January 1973. In the UCSF study, researchers approached possible participants at abortion clinic sites. But that potentially left out a subset of women: those who obtain medication abortions. In some states, women can get prescriptions for the abortion medication protocol via a video consultation with a doctor or nurse practitioner and never have to step foot into a clinic. The Guttmacher Institute reports that medication abortions are on the rise, accounting for more than a third of all abortions recorded in 2017. The most commonly-used medication abortion protocol is only prescribed in the first trimester and includes two drugs: the first blocks the embryo from receiving vital progesterone. The second, taken 24 to 48 hours later, induces labor. The medications are currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and in some states must be administered by a licensed doctor or other medical professional, but pro-choice groups are pushing against such regulations. Chuck Donovan, president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, worries that medication abortions have the potential to cause more trauma than an in-clinic procedure, as women may feel more responsibility over the abortion when they have to take the medication themselves. He also said a medication abortion presents the possibility that a woman will see her deceased baby after the medication runs its course. Bond at Surrendering the Secret said shes counseled many women who had that exact experience. She agrees the trauma from medication abortions may be even more acute than that experienced after a surgical procedure. Youre not told the truth, and then left alone to suffer through the trauma: intense cramping, hemorrhaging, delivery of baby, she said The UCSF study also reported that 95 percent of the women they spoke to said they were confident that abortion was the right decision for them. But Bond said even women who express strong confidence at the time of their decision (or even shortly afterward) are still at great risk for post-abortion stress. Expressed confidence at the abortion clinic may in fact be denial, she said, and that could fade later. U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration is preparing to announce the addition of several countries to a travel ban that bars people from certain countries from entering the United States. "You see what's going on in the world, our country has to be safe," he told reporters in Davos, Switzerland. He did not specify the number or identity of the countries, saying only that the details would be announced "very shortly." The current list includes Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela and North Korea. Giving a news conference to close his visit to the World Economic Forum, Trump also called the impeachment trial against him at home a "witch hunt" and the phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that is at the center of allegations he abused his power a "very innocent conversation with a very fine gentleman." Trump also said he expects to reach a trade agreement with the European Union and will start those negotiations. Earlier Wednesday, Trump did not rule out future sanctions against Iraq, but cited what he called "a very good relationship" when asked about potential plans for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. "We'll see what happens, because we do have to do things on our terms," Trump told reporters as he met with Iraqi President Barham Salih. Iraq's parliament passed a resolution urging the government to expel U.S. troops from the country, prompting Trump to respond with a threat not to leave unless Iraq reimburses the United States for a U.S. airbase there. He said Wednesday 5,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, and that his administration will "make a determination" about their future. Salih highlighted the United States and Iraq as being partners in the war against Islamic State militants, and said he and Trump share the goal of a "stable, sovereign Iraq that is at peace with itself and at peace with its neighbors." The Iraqi parliament's demand for U.S. forces to get out was a protest against the U.S. drone attack at the Baghdad airport that killed Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani. Trump also held talks Wednesday with the president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, on the final day of his trip to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum. In a speech at the event Tuesday, Trump touted the conclusion of two major trade deals and declared Americans are "winning again like never before." Trump went through a list of what he celebrated as victories for middle class workers and companies, including the first phase of a trade deal with China and the Senate's approval of a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. He also kept track of the historic proceedings in the U.S. Senate where he is on trial on a charge of abuse of power and another of obstruction of Congress. Trump expressed confidence in his legal team hours before the start of opening statements, saying, "We have a great case." Chris Hannas contributed to this report in Washington Four held in Gujarat, days after 6 workers died due to inhalation of chemical fumes leaked from tanker Old love rekindled: Groom's father 'elopes' with bride's mother India oi-Mousumi Dash Surat, Jan 22: A marriage in Gujarat took twisting a filmy turn after the groom's father and bride's mother eloped. The two have been "missing" since January 10 and a police complaint has been filed to trace them. The missing man and woman's, son and daughter were supposed to get married to each other in February. The incident left everyone jaw-dropped. According to a relative claimed that both the man and the woman knew each other since their childhood and lived in the same neighbourhood till the woman moved away after her marriage. Their kin believes that since they knew each other, so there is possibilities that they might have decided to rekindle their old love and eventually eloped together. Taking advantage of the pre-arrangements for the marriage, that was scheduled for the second week of February, both of them eloped. The woman's husband said the family was put in an embarrassing situation due to her act. Reportedly, the incident has irked everyone in the family, and the wedding has been called off now. Hindu couple ties the nuptial knot at Kerala Mosque Both the families have informed the local police station about the disappearance. As per police inspector B D Gohil, the investigation revealed that both of them had visited Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. Police is trying to talk to them after locating them. Masked gunmen on Wednesday ambushed and killed the local commander of a paramilitary security force in southwest Iran, an associate of Irans top general recently killed in an American drone strike in Baghdad. The slain commander, Abdolhossein Mojaddami, headed the Basij forces, a paramilitary wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used for internal security and other tasks, in the town of Darkhoein. He was shot in front of his home in the town in the countrys oil-rich Khuzestan province, the official IRNA news agency reported. Two gunmen on a motorcycle armed with an assault rifle and a hunting rifle ambushed Mojaddami, IRNA said. Other Iranian media said the gunmens faces were covered with masks and that four shots were fired. The case is under investigation and a motive was not immediately clear, but Basij units had been involved in violent clashes with demonstrators in the area in November, in which many protesters were injured and killed. Amnesty International has reported that more than 300 people were killed in the unrest across the country, though Iran has not announced a death toll. Mojaddamis killing is seen as another blow to the IRGC, following the death of top general Qassem Soleimani earlier this month in a US drone strike in Iraq. Mojaddami was described by IRNA as an associate of Soleimani, who was the head of the Quds Forces, the foreign wing of the IRGC. The red-flag bill, which establishes whats known as an extreme risk protective order, moved more slowly through the full Senate as members of both parties worked to address concerns about how the law would be implemented. Both Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City) and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) had urged senators to build more due process into the measure. Edmonton, January 21, 2020 - Camino Minerals Corp. (TSXV: COR) (OTCQB: CAMZF) (WKN: A116E1) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has agreed to appoint Keith Peck to the new role of Chairman, and Jay Chmelauskas to the role of CEO and Director, to develop the advanced exploration stage Chapitos copper project, based in Chala, Peru. John Williamson has agreed to step down as CEO, but will remain involved with Camino as a member of a newly formed Advisory Board. The new leadership team plans to focus its efforts on the development of the Chapitos copper project as a potential copper oxide heap leach property. The Company is also pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $600,000 which will be used to advance its exploration strategy and for general working capital. The financing will be subscribed for largely by Keith Peck and Jay Chmelauskas. The non-brokered private placement consists of 7,500,000 units at a price of $0.08 per unit, each unit being comprised of one common share and one non-transferable share purchase warrant. The common shares, warrants and any shares issued on the exercise of warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period expiring four months following the date of issue. Each warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.105 per common share for a period of two years following the closing date. Completion of the private placement and appointments are subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Peck is a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) and was a founder of Centenario Copper Corp., a Chilean copper company that was acquired by Quadra Mining Ltd. in 2009. He has over 30 years of investment banking experience including Vice-President and Director of RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Haywood Securities Inc. and Vice-Chairman of Yorkton Securities Inc. Mr. Peck has a broad business background that includes financings in public and private markets, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and business valuations. Mr. Peck commented "we believe Camino has a project that has the potential size and grade to build copper production. We plan to systematically explore the tenements, advance the project, and develop a capital markets strategy to support our efforts. I am very pleased to be back focusing in the copper space, as this is a sector that I think has excellent opportunities for growth." Mr. Chmelauskas was the CEO of TSX listed Jinshan Gold Mines. Jinshan built one of China's largest gold mines, the CSH mine, in Inner Mongolia, China, and China National Gold Corporation acquired a controlling interest in the company in 2008. He is a seasoned CEO and Director of development stage Toronto Stock Exchange listed mining companies and has over 25 years of experience as an executive and geological engineer in the mining and industrial sectors. Mr. Chmelauskas is the former CEO and Director of TSX listed Western Lithium Corporation, that merged with Argentina based Lithium Americas Corp., to become one of the leading developers in the lithium sector. Mr. Chmelauskas commented, "We believe that at the start of the new decade, momentum is now shifting towards decarbonization of the world economy. Our focus will be to use Camino as a platform to advance copper assets, as we believe copper is the enabling metal for an electrified world. The exploration potential at Camino provides excellent prospects for potential heap leach copper production as well as major discovery, to support increasing global copper demand." About Camino Minerals Corporation Camino is a discovery-oriented mineral exploration company. The Company is focused on the acquisition and development of high-grade copper and precious metal projects. For more information, please refer to Camino's website at www.caminominerals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD /S/ "John Williamson" President and CEO For further information, please contact: Jeremy Yaseniuk, Director jeremyy@metalsgroup.com Tel: (604) 773-1467 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking disclosures in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information in the release includes completion of the Private Placement and appointments, the prospectivity of the project for future exploration, development and production on the Chapitos copper project and that actual results of exploration activities are consistent with management's expectations. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release is subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risk factors include, among others, that actual results of the Company's exploration activities will be different than those expected by management, that the Company will be unable to obtain or will experience delays in obtaining any required approvals and the state of equity and commodity markets. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. It is believed a body has been found in the search for missing fisherman William Willie Whelan off the Wexford coast. Mr Whelan, 41, from Saltmills, Co Wexford, disappeared when his trawler, the Alize, a 11.7 metre steel-hulled vessel, sank off Hook Head on January 4 at around 10.45pm. A body was believed to have been found at 11.30am today by Hook Sub Aqua divers inside his boat, but it will not be removed for up to 48 hours due to the complexity of the operation. A second fisherman - Joe Sinnott, 65, from Kilmore Quay - died in hospital after being rescued and was laid to rest last week. The two men were close friends as well as work colleagues. Both men had impeccable safety records around trawlers and when out fishing. The emergency services were alerted to the vessel being in trouble when the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was activated. The emergency beacon is activated once a vessel goes underwater. At the scene of the search today where the fishing vessel sank. Pic: Patrick Browne Fr Michael Doyle, hospital chaplain at Wexford General Hospital said prayers for the missing man at Hook Lighthouse last week and a large number of people attended. Fr Doyle prayed for Mr Whelans family, relatives of Mr Sinnott and for volunteer groups who continued to search amid challenging weather conditions. Volunteers continued to carry out coastal searches for Mr Whelan who only married several weeks ago. The search concentrated on an area about 9km off Hook Head under the guidance of the LE Ciara naval vessel. The Waterford based Sikorsky R117 helicopter along with R116 based in Dublin also assisted when possible. A spokesperson for the Whelan family said: Thank you again to each and every one of you. "I literally can't put into words how grateful the Whelan family are. Mr Whelan, hailed from a well-known fishing family in Co Wexford. Up to 50 volunteers took part in the searches and it is unknown what happened to the trawler which has yet to be recovered. ORLEANS New occasions teach new duties, James Russell Lowell wrote. That thought may be helpful as Nauset Regional School District taxpayers weigh a high school reconstruction project that will benefit not only the districts children but also some from other Cape towns as well as adult learners from the systems four communities. The Eastham high schools student body is a mix of pupils from Brewster, Eastham, Orleans and Wellfleet; a tuition-paying contingent (at about $18,000 per student) from Provincetown and Truro; and youngsters from other communities who have selected Nauset through school choice. The home districts of the last group contribute $5,000 per student, a state-set number that hasnt changed in decades. With planning under way to reconstruct the half-century-old campus to meet the educational needs of the next 50 years, costs are emerging as well. At an Orleans Citizens Forum meeting on the project Jan. 16, building committee chairman Greg Levasseur told an audience of more than 60 that the price tag is $131,825,665, with about $94.5 million to be paid by the regions four towns and up to $36.7 million to be covered by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The towns would be required to bond the full amount over 20, 25, or 30 years and would be reimbursed a percentage by the state. Why, some asked, do the four towns have to pay for a school where more than their own youngsters will be educated? To explain, Superintendent Tom Conrad offered a lesson in modern demographics, economics, and education. He said his Cape colleagues agreed with the findings of a respected demographer that population growth will be flat for a number of years. The issue then became, what are we doing for our kids to continue a robust program academically? Thats a real question for what some are calling the outermost high school. If a limited number of school choice candidates were not admitted, the number, variety, and depth of the educational experience for all students would be reduced. We dont just teach science, math, history, and language, Principal Chris Ellsasser said. We have the kinds of electives you normally find at a private school that will cost you $60,000 a year. Research on education shows that robust offerings of electives ensures that students will attach to some aspect of education and that will give them the strength they need to push through all the rest. The more offerings we have as a school, the more connections there are. In addition, the reconstructed high school is being described as a community center for education. We truly believe that this facility should be open as much as it possibly can be for every citizen in the community, Conrad said. The community and the citizens own this school. We see a really important role we can play in the learning that takes place for everybody in our community. For all of us, we need to continue to learn. To that end, there will be separate access to the gym, new cafeteria, and new performing arts center through a community entrance when the rest of the campus is closed off. After reviewing the schools accomplishments and its physical drawbacks, Ellsasser said the state building authority encouraged immediate action. We jumped to the front of the line because the need is so high, he said. The MSBA was so impressed with our academic program that theyre collaborating with us on a level that usually doesnt happen. They want to make this happen for our school so they can say to other schools in the state that you, too, should make this happen for your kids with the breadth we have. If voters dont approve the project this spring (a two-thirds margin is required), it means more than going back to the front of the line, Ellsasser said. Were out of the mix entirely. We would have to do it all over again and pay for the initial steps. The notion that if we dont get it now we can get it next year is a myth. Audience members were encouraged to call the school to schedule a tour, which is the same one given to officials from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Finance committee chair Lynn Bruneau said the website for her board has extensive information on the project, including a question and answer session with school leaders. The forum itself will be available for viewing on the Orleans Citizens Forum website and on Lower Cape TV. Dr. Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, a distinguished member of Taiwans Academia Sinica and known as the father of coronavirus research in Taiwan, was a major contributor to the successful SARS control in Taiwan back in 2003. He shared some preventative tips with The Epoch Times on Jan. 21. (The Epoch Times) Virology Expert Shares Tips for Protecting Against Viral Pneumonia From China A new SARS-like coronavirus originating from the central Chinese city of Wuhan has been confirmed to spread from human to human. Dr. Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, a distinguished member of Taiwans Academia Sinica, known as the father of coronavirus research in Taiwan, was a major contributor to the successful control of SARS in Taiwan back in 2003. He shared some prevention tips with The Epoch Times. The disease caused by the new virus, also referred to as Wuhan pneumonia, has already claimed the lives of over a dozen people, as of Jan. 22. Cases have been reported outside China, including one in the United States, two in Thailand, and one in Japan. The Spreading Pattern of Coronavirus Zhong Nanshan, a lead scientist at Chinas National Health Commission who helped with disease control during the SARS outbreak, announced on Jan. 20 that the virus has been confirmed to transmit from human to human. In Guangdong Province, two patients had not visited Wuhan recently, but were infected by family members who visited the city. Zhong also cited a more alarming case where 14 medical personnel were infected from tending to a patient. Dr. Lai pointed out that we should be on high alert when human-to-human transmission of a coronavirus is confirmed. At this stage, it may trigger a big outbreak, he said. According to Lai, coronaviruses are RNA (ribonucleic acid) viruses that usually originate from bats. Initially, they transmit from animal to animal; but RNA viruses are very susceptible to gene mutations. The mutated virus then turns into a new variety that can transmit from bats to other animals and eventually to human beings. Looking at SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as examples, the SARS virus was first transmitted from bats to civet cats and then to humans, and MERS was transmitted from bats to camels, and eventually infected humans. In other words, transmission from animal to human is the first infection step for coronaviruses. Once the virus enters a human body, continuous gene mutations may enable it to transmit from person to person. At this stage, the disease can spread explosively. In addition, mutations of the virus inside a human body can make it more contagious, or more deadly, Lai explained. Quarantine and Wearing Masks Are Key Lai has been an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the United States since 1990. He returned to Taiwan in the midst of the 2003 SARS outbreak to help develop vaccines against the disease. The key to preventing the spread of a virus is quarantine, Lai said. Anyone who has been to the epicenter of the disease or may have been in contact with a patient must measure their body temperature daily. As soon as a fever or coughing develops, he should go to a doctor immediately, wear a mask before going out in public, and notify the hospital staff that they need to be quarantined. Thats how we successfully controlled SARS 15 years ago, he added. Those who live in the epicenter should try to avoid crowded public places, wash hands frequently, and wear a mask whenever possible, Lai advised. Wearing a mask is your best prevention. Super-Spreader Some patients are more infectious than others who have the same disease. This group of people is called super-spreaders, and are thus critical in the control and prevention of the disease. The patient in Wuhan who sickened 14 medical personnel could well be a super-spreader. According to Lai, the scientific community suspects that the super-spreaders could carry mutated versions of the virus, or carry a higher viral load because the virus multiplies more quickly in their bodies due to a weakened immune system. Nonetheless, these are just predictions. As no one knows what causes super-spreaders, there is no specific way to prevent the emergence of super-spreaders. Cutting off the chain of transmission is the best method so far, Lai advised. Two SDLP MLAs are to donate their 1,000 pay rise to charity and have expressed hope that other Stormont politicians will follow suit. West Tyrone representative Daniel McCrossan said he would give the money to local mental health charities. South Down MLA Sinead Bradley said she was joining him and it was the right thing to do at this time. Read More MLAs pay increased from 49,500 to 50,500 with the return of power-sharing. The rise had been on hold with the suspension of devolution. The politicians are on course for another 500 pay hike in April. Mr McCrossan said that the public was rightly angered and outraged by the hike. After three years of no government here and public services falling apart, a pay rise for MLAs shouldnt even be the last thing on the table, never mind the first, he said. This pay rise was not voted on and was not agreed by SDLP MLAs. I did not want it nor do I think its something that we deserve. Theres no way to refuse the pay rise. Its automatic and theres no way to give it back to the Assembly, I am going to donate any increase I receive to local mental health charities. It may not be a lot, but it could make a lot of difference to some people struggling out there. In his Facebook post, Mr McCrossan said that nurses, teachers and civil-servants were being forced to fight for a pay rise which they deserve. He added: Theres a lot of anger and frustration out there and huge challenges ahead. As your MLA for West Tyrone, I will not be taking the pay increase and would encourage others to do the same. Announcing her intention to do the same in a separate Facebook post, Ms Bradley said: This is not virtue signalling or an attempt to seek approval, it is just the right thing to do at this time. The SDLP woman said that as she didnt know every MLAs personal financial circumstances, she couldnt call on them all to do the same. But she expressed hope that those who can will do something similar. She added: Peoples trust in our institutions needs to be rebuilt, from bottom up. Both SDLP MLAs were widely praised on social media. Ms Bradley was hailed as a beacon of light and a fine example of a real politician for the people. Mr McCrossans decision was described as thedecent thing to do and there were calls for other politicians to follow suit. MLA pay was set by the Independent Financial Review Panel. Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit said the rise was a slap in the face to nurses who stood on freezing pickets for months for pay parity. TUV leader Jim Allister said he understood public anger and the timing of the pay rise was inappropriate. The Alliance Party said it was not happy with the timing or content of this increase. Neither the DUP nor Sinn Fein expressed an objection to the rise and both said MLA pay was set by an independent body, and not MLAs. A newborn girl was found dead in a gutter at Ulhasnagar town of Maharashtra's Thane district on Wednesday, the police said. The infant's body was discovered when a shopkeeper from Ulhasnagar camp no. 3 found that the gutter chamber near his shop was choked and water was entering the premises, an official said. A plumber was called in to clean the chamber, where he found the baby, he said, adding that the infant was rushed to a government hospital where she was declared dead. The baby was just three to four days old, he said, adding that a case under section 318 (concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against unidentified accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Becca Cason Thrash is a self-professed Francophile. In 2017, she threw a "Liaisons au Louvre IV" masked ball in Paris which raised $3.4 million for the Musee du Louvre. And that's no one-off. Her 2008 black-tie bash set the bar tres high; it lured hundreds of Texans across the Atlantic and raked in $2.5 million for the French art museum and historic monument. This is a woman who takes her American Friends of the Louvre and International Friends of the Louvre board commitments very seriously. So a few years back, when Notre-Dame de Paris tapped Thrash for support to help restore and renovate the cathedral's roof, it pained her to decline. "My house had just taken three feet of water from Hurricane Harvey," Thrash said. "So I had to tell Notre-Dame, 'I'd love to help with your restoration, but I'm working on my own.'" That all changed in April 2019 when the cathedral's roof caught fire. In the immediate aftermath, President of France Emmanuel Macron launched a fundraising campaign which brought in pledges of more than $1.5 billion from the world's wealthiest citizens in less than 24 hours. "Pledge being the operative word," Thrash clarified. "Because the truth is, Notre-Dame hasn't received much of that money." She has a point. Reportedly, less than $100 million has been collected to date - so Thrash decided to take action. She turned to Steak 48 owner Jeff Mastro and the restaurant's chief branding officer Oliver Badgio, who offered up their River Oaks District hotspot for an exclusive Patrons for Notre-Dame de Paris fundraising dinner. And that's how 200 sequin and fur-clad VIPs wound up taking over the steakhouse on Tuesday night. (#SorryNotSorry if your dinner reservation got canceled.) The mood was decidedly Parisian. A late evening cocktail reception transitioned into an even later dinner seating, as is the French style. Glasses of Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence rose swirled as attendees migrated from the downstairs bar to the second-floor dining room. There, by Richard Flowers of the Events Company's expert hand, dim-lit tables were covered by Lucite candelabras, and a single white flower marked each guests' place card. The food, however, was a celebration of all things American, starting with the restaurant chain's signature monkey bread. Next, diners chose between two salad options and five entree offerings, though most ordered the petit filet mignon or bone-in ribeye -- when in Rome, er Steak 48. As main courses were served, wait-staff circled with decadent family-style sides: Chef Jeff Taylor's famous au gratin potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and corn creme brulee. Later, a chunk of the crowd air-kissed their goodbyes before dessert. It was a school night, after all. But for those who lingered, the warm vanilla caramel cake with toasted pecans and s'mores in a jar were well worth the wait -- and calories. Most importantly, Thrash's efforts raised $150,000 toward Notre-Dame's reconstruction, thanks in part to the evening's sole auction item, Hunt Slonem's oil on canvas painting, "Aricari." Vive la France. People shop at a Loblaws store in Toronto on May 3, 2018. Food, patriotism, and marketing will soon converge in a Buy Canadian Promotion Campaign sponsored by taxpayers. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette) Potential and Pitfalls for Buy Canadian Campaign Food, patriotism, and marketing will soon converge in a Buy Canadian Promotion Campaign sponsored by taxpayers. A new request for proposal from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada calls for a five-year, $25 million marketing plan to tell the story of, and build pride in, Canadas food sector and promote Canadian products on the domestic market. The initiative is part of $134 million promised in the spring budget to launch Canadas first-ever food policy. It includes $50 million for local food infrastructure, $24.4 million to address the mislabelling and misrepresentation of food, $15 million to facilitate healthy food in northern isolated regions, and $26.3 million to reduce food waste. As part of the $25 million spent on the promotion campaign, $1.5 million to $4 million will be spent each of the next five years on a digital-first ad strategy, the aim being to tell the story of Canadas agri-food sector and reach audiences on an emotional level. This is a great idea, in theory, but could easily turn into a marketing disaster, says Sylvain Charlebois, professor and senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. The problems start at the premise, he says. What is Canadas brand? Im not sure theres any consensus other than some bureaucrats in Ottawa who could agree on what Canadas brand is. If this initiative is about promoting the industry and providing transparency, then processing, distribution, and service need to be in scope, he adds. A national campaign might be at cross-purposes with the buy local movement that the federal food strategy also seeks to promote. Aliments du Quebec, FoodLand Ontario, Canadas Food Island in Prince Edward Island, and Buy BC are all successful examples of provincial campaigns. At this point, adding a federal layer of marketing would only add more noise, Charlebois says. Besides, Buy Canadian in some parts of the country, like Quebec for example, may not be the greatest of ideas. Just ask Walmart. Their Buy Canadian campaign was a disaster in La Belle Province. Charlebois says it will be tricky to promote Canada without creating the perception of protectionism. At worst, Canada would lose a challenge given to the World Trade Organization, such as the United States did with its Country of Origin Labelling plan. Carla Ventin, senior vice president of government relations with Food and Consumer Products of Canada, says the campaign is a great opportunity, keeping in mind that Canada has some of the safest, highest-quality food in the world. Ventin says food manufacturing is the largest portion of Canadas manufacturing sector and can only be helped by the campaign. We in Canada have a lot to be proud of. And I think that speaking with one voice and a louder voice on the important food products our country makes is really important. Mathew Wilson, senior vice president of National Policy with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, would agree. I think we have a problem in Canada with how we see ourselves, Wilson told the Commons international trade committee in 2017. We dont celebrate anything thats made in Canada anymore. Wilson added, We have a world-class brand image as a grower of healthy, affordable, high-quality food, yet we dont export it. One of the lowest export commodities we make is agricultural products. Its crazy. Canadian producers often send stuff other places and then it comes back in as finished product and we buy it as Turkish or Israeli or something else, when its all Canadian to begin with. Last year, a revamped Canada Food Guide issued by Health Canada de-emphasized meat and dairy in favour of grain and vegetables. The dairy industry really did not like that, Charlebois says. He expects that the current campaign will promote all commodities because the mandate of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is to promote the industry itself. The departments request for proposal notice says, Canadians generally prefer to buy Canadian food products when they are available, believing that food produced in Canada is of good or excellent quality. Even so, this is largely based on perception or very limited actual knowledge, it noted. In a survey conducted by Summit Research last fall, 91 percent of Canadians said they knew little, very little, or nothing about modern farming practices, though 60 percent wanted to know more. Spiritual leader Marianne Williamson ended her presidential campaign before the voting started, but the bestselling author continued spreading the politics of love in Colorado this week by urging her supporters to get behind Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff. "Coloradans, listen up," Williamson tweeted Monday night. "You have a progressive champion in Andrew Romanoff, leading the fight for a Green New Deal and health care for all." Linking to her online fundraising page, she added: "He'll be a terrific senator but he needs your help." Romanoff, a former state House speaker, is one of eight Democrats running for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, one of the most vulnerable Republican Senate incumbents on the ballot this year. He's also one of 21 Democrats running for Congress supported by Williamson, who calls them "progressive candidates who are carrying messages that matter." "I ran for president to help forge another direction for our country," Williamson says on the ActBlue fundraising page listing "Marianne's Candidates." "I wanted to discuss things I felt needed to be discussed that otherwise were not. Now I hope the ideas my candidacy stood for will find seed in other campaigns. Williamson in June stood next to former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, the front-runner in the Senate primary, at the Democrats' first presidential primary debate in Miami. They appeared together again for the July debate in Detroit but stood at opposite ends of the stage. While she never registered above the low single digits in national polls, Williamson made a splash in the primary with her unconventional, spiritual-based approach. Along with what she described as "pretty straight-line progressive policies," Williamson proposed establishing a Department of Peace and suggested distributing as much as $500 billion in reparations for slavery. Saying she didn't "want to get in the way of a progressive candidate winning" upcoming primaries, Williamson laid off her campaign staff at the beginning of January and suspended her candidacy a week later. Romanoff told Colorado Politics on Tuesday that he appreciated Williamson's backing. "I'm deeply grateful for Ms. Williamson's support, and I share the sentiment she expressed so well: 'Each of us has a unique part to play in the healing of the world.' In Hebrew, that obligation is expressed as 'tikkun olam' the core of my campaign and my career," Romanoff said in an email. "Tikkun olam" is usually understood to mean performing acts of kindness or social justice to repair the world. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Julius Berman, President of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), today announced the release of a comprehensive Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Survey of adults in France highlighting both the desire and the need for Holocaust education. Released just days ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, this survey represents the fourth in a series of global surveys conducted by the Claims Conference to determine the current status of Holocaust knowledge around the world. Similar to previous surveys conducted in the United States, Canada and Austria, outcomes from the France study indicate alarming gaps in knowledge of historical facts about the Holocaust. "Once again, we are seeing a significant lapse in understanding about the Holocaust, a history that is critically important," Berman said of the France survey. "Our current education is not ample; it is failing us and the disturbing trend of Holocaust ignorance we are seeing globally demands increased education." The critical gaps exposed by the France study echo findings in previous surveys, with a majority of total French respondents (57 percent) not knowing that six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. That number jumps significantly to 69 percent among Millennial and Gen Z respondents. Matthew Bronfman, Claims Conference Task Force Chair for the Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Survey, commented, "It is devastating to learn that younger generations do not understand the impact of the Holocaust. It was an attempted extermination of an entire people. Without knowledge, how can we ensure that prejudice and unchecked hatred are confronted?" To that end, the France study indicates that more than half of those polled (52 percent) believe that something like the Holocaust could happen again in Europe, an unsettling finding. Worth noting, 36 percent of French respondents feel that something like the Holocaust could happen in the United States, a sentiment that mirrors findings in the previously conducted Austria survey which indicated 47 percent felt that something like the Holocaust could happen in the United States. Similar to the Austria survey, France survey respondents revealed a conflict about their country's Holocaust legacy. An overwhelming number of French respondents (58 percent) believe that France was both a victim and a perpetrator of the Holocaust. There is a clear age gap when it comes to awareness of France's Holocaust history, including events related to the Vel d'Hiv' Roundup with just 56 percent of Millennials and Gen Z aware of the historical mass arrest compared to 74 percent of French respondents overall. Also shocking is the level of knowledge about the Drancy internment camp, located in a suburb of Paris, with a mere two percent of all French respondents knowing about the camp. On an encouraging note, 82 percent of respondents believe it is important to continue teaching about the Holocaust in part so that it doesn't happen again. Further, 79 percent of French respondents indicate that all students should learn about the Holocaust in school, while 75 percent believe it should be compulsory in school. The desire in France for Holocaust education mirrors the findings in the previous U.S., Canada and Austria studies, indicating a consensus, in those countries, for the need for Holocaust education. Robert Ejnes, Executive Director, of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) stated, "This study shows remarkable information that needs to be taken with attention. Much has been done in France for the education of the Shoah, but we all know that education has to be repeated again and again and adapted to speak to each generation. We therefore stress the importance of an always- adjusted education and the necessity of the dedication of every actor to work together to obtain sustainable results in our society." Greg Schneider, Claims Conference Executive Vice President remarked, "As we mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, it is distressing to see a waning level of knowledge about the Holocaust. It is rare to find anything that we can all agree on globally, but this agreement on the need for Holocaust education must be our call to action. (Note: *The term "Shoah" is used in place of "Holocaust" in France) Additional findings from the survey include: Number of Jews Murdered 30 percent of French respondents overall, and 44 percent of Millennials and Gen Z, believe two million or fewer Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Across the four countries surveyed ( United States , Canada , Austria and France ) more than half of respondents did not know that six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust with France having the highest percentage of people unaware that six million Jews were murdered. Camps and Ghettos While 66 percent are familiar with Auschwitz-Birkenau, only 19 percent of French respondents are familiar with the infamous Dachau concentration camp, while awareness of Buchenwald (10 percent), Treblinka (6 percent), Sobibor (5 percent), and Bergen-Belsen (4 percent) is incredibly low. France's Holocaust Legacy and Nazism An overwhelming number of French respondents (58 percent) believe France was both a victim and a perpetrator of the Holocaust, despite 74 percent saying that the Vichy Regime actively collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust. was both a victim and a perpetrator of the Holocaust, despite 74 percent saying that the Vichy Regime actively collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust. 45 percent of Millennials are unaware of the French government's collaboration with the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. Almost one-third of French respondents (30 percent) say there are a great deal or many neo-Nazis in France today. A solid plurality (44 percent) say there are a few. By comparison, just over 4-in-10 French respondents (43 percent) believe that there are a great deal/many neo-Nazis in the United States today. today. A solid plurality (44 percent) say there are a few. By comparison, just over 4-in-10 French respondents (43 percent) believe that there are a great deal/many neo-Nazis in today. 59 percent of French respondents agree that fewer people seem to care about the Holocaust than they used to. Only 18 percent believe that people still talk too much about what happened during the Holocaust. 69 percent of French respondents believe antisemitism is either MORE widespread (35 percent) in France or just as widespread (34 percent) as it was 10 years ago. Just 18 percent say antisemitism is less widespread than it was 10 years ago. or just as widespread (34 percent) as it was 10 years ago. Just 18 percent say antisemitism is less widespread than it was 10 years ago. Twice as many Millennials (20 percent) than all French respondents (10 percent) feel it is acceptable for an individual to hold antisemitic views. Holocaust Education 25 percent of Millennials are unsure if they have ever heard of or have not heard of the Holocaust, compared to 16 percent of all French respondents. 79 percent of French respondents say that all students should learn about the Holocaust in school, and 75 percent believe Holocaust education should be compulsory in school. Additionally, 82 percent of respondents say it is important to continue to teach about the Holocaust, in part, so it doesn't happen again. Approximately 4-in-10 respondents (41 percent) say that the current lessons about the Holocaust could be improved. Nearly two-thirds of Millennials and Gen Z (64 percent) first learned about the Holocaust in school, compared to 46 percent of all French adults surveyed. 64 percent of all French respondents cite " Anne Frank : Diary of a Young Girl" as a point of first learning about the Holocaust, but only 20 percent of respondents know that the Holocaust took place in the Netherlands , where Anne Frank was hidden while keeping her diary, indicating a lack of context in current Holocaust education. Survey Taskforce A survey task force, led by Claims Conference Board member Matthew Bronfman, consisted of Holocaust survivors, as well as representatives from museums, educational institutions, and leading nonprofits in the field of Holocaust education, including the following: Yad Vashem; the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Fondation pour la Memoire de la Shoah; Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), the Claims Conference; and George Washington University. Survey Methodology and Sample The Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Study was commissioned by the Claims Conference. Data was collected in French and analyzed by Schoen Consulting, with a representative sample of 1,100 French adults via landline, cell phone, and online interviews. Respondents were selected at random and constituted a demographically representative sample of the adult population in France. About the Claims Conference: The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), a nonprofit organization with offices in New York, Tel Aviv and Frankfurt, secures material compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world. Founded in 1951 by representatives of 23 major international Jewish organizations, the Claims Conference negotiates for and disburses funds to individuals and organizations, and seeks the return of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust. As a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference since 1952, the German government has paid more than $80 billion in indemnification to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis. In 2020, the Claims Conference will distribute approximately $350 million in direct compensation to over 60,000 survivors in 83 countries and allocate approximately $610 million in grants to over 200 social service agencies worldwide that provide vital services for Holocaust survivors, such as homecare, food and medicine. For more information, please visit: www.claimscon.org SOURCE Claims Conference Related Links http://www.claimscon.org Six new investments in Q4, including two via Apax France IX and four via Apax IX and Apax X LP Investments and commitments totalled 136.7m, exceeding the target of 100m Divestment proceeds totalled a record-high 373.6m, exceeding the target of 250m Paris, 22 January 2020 : Q4 investments: 81.9m invested and committed in six new companies Two companies acquired via the Apax France IX fund: Destiny: Founded in 2008 by Daan and Samuel De Wever, Destiny is a secure cloud communications provider, offering innovative companies fixed-line (VoIP) and mobile telephony, unified communications (UCaaS), data networks and secure cloud infrastructure solutions. With 220 employees, Destiny operates in Belgium and the Netherlands and has become the Belgian B2B market's fastest-growing cloud telecoms company. The transaction should be finalised in the first quarter of 2020 and should represent around 30m for Altamir. GRAITEC is a provider and distributor of building information modelling (BIM) software, in Europe and North America, used for design, calculation, manufacturing and collaborative management. GRAITEC offers a portfolio of innovative products that address digitalisation needs in the architecture, engineering and construction industries. The company's solutions are developed both in-house and by Autodesk, its historical partner and world leader in BIM solutions. GRAITEC enjoys Autodesk Platinum Partner status in Europe and Gold status in the United States, Canada and Russia. With nearly 550 employees and a network of 45 offices in 13 countries, GRAITEC sells its solutions to 15,000 customers, representing nearly 135,000 active users. The transaction is subject to approval by the applicable competition authorities and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Altamir's investment should be in the region of 37m[1]. As a result of these two transactions, the Apax France IX fund is now fully invested. Four companies acquired via the Apax IX LP and Apax X LP funds: Verint Systems is a US provider of software for optimising customer engagement on the one hand and cyber intelligence on the other. The two activities are to be separated in the first quarter of 2021, after which Apax Partners LLP will remain a shareholder of the company focused on customer engagement. This transaction had not yet been finalised as of 31 December 2019 and should represent an investment of approximately 6.2m for Altamir[2]; Coalfire is a US consultancy specialised in cybersecurity. This transaction had not yet been finalised as of 31 December 2019 and should represent an investment of around 4.6m for Altamir. Lexitas is one of the leading US providers of technological litigation support services for law firms, insurance companies and corporate legal departments. The acquisition represents an investment of 2.6m for Altamir. Portuguese company GNB Vida, the first step in creating the Gama Life European platform, offering innovative life insurance solutions. The acquisition represents an investment of 1.5m for Altamir. As a result of these four transactions, the Apax IX LP fund is now fully invested. Investments in 2019: 136.7m invested and committed (154.3m in 2018) During 2019, Altamir invested and committed a total of 110.7m in 12 new companies in 2019, which are very well diversified geographically: five are based in Europe (Destiny, GRAITEC, Inmarsat, ADCO Group, Baltic Classifieds Group and GNB Vida), four in the United States (Assured Partners, Verint Systems, Coalfire and Lexitas) and two in Asia (Fractal Analytics and Huayue Education). Altamir made 9.7m in follow-on investments in portfolio companies, principally to finance the build-up of Authority Brands (3.4m), AEB Group (1.8m) and Tosca (1.6m). The remainder represented an adjustment to the amount invested in Trade Me (1.2m) and follow-on investments in several portfolio companies totalling 1.7m. Altamir also repurchased a 13m commitment to the Apax France IX fund, bringing its percentage interest in the fund to 31.3% (vs 30.0% previously), thereby automatically increasing the amount of its investments and commitments in the companies held by the fund. Lastly, Altamir invested and committed 0.7m in the two transactions announced by Apax Digital in 2019 and 2.6m in the Apax Development fund. After targeting a total of 225m, Apax Development closed the fund at more than 255m, while realising two transactions during 2019. Divestments in 2019: 373.6m in full or partial sales (155.7m in 2018) On the divestment side, there was a record-high amount of full or partial sales in 2019, well in excess of the 250m target set for the year. Five companies were sold for total proceeds of 337.8m: INSEEC U. (sold for 134.4m) and Melita (sold for 98.7m), two companies that were held via the Apax France VIII fund; Altran (sold for 79.3m), a legacy investment alongside the Apax France VII fund; Assured Partners (sold for 13.5m) and Exact Software (sold for 11.9m), two companies that were held by the Apax VIII LP fund. Supplementing these full divestments were partial sales and other revenue totalling 35.8m, related principally to the refinancing of the debt of Marlink (23.6m) and Alain Afflelou (2.5m) and a dividend paid by ThoughtWorks (3.8m). The remainder (5.9m) represented various revenue from portfolio companies. Portfolio as of 31 December 2019: cost basis of investments almost identical to that of 31 December 2018 As of 31 December 2019, Altamir's portfolio included 52 companies, with the following breakdown: 17 in TMT (3 companies sold and 3 companies acquired in 2019) 16 in Services (2 companies sold and 4 companies acquired in 2019) 10 in the Consumer sector (1 company acquired in 2019) 9 in the Healthcare sector. The portfolio did not include Destiny, GRAITEC, Verint Systems and Coalfire. The transactions to acquire these four companies had not been completed as of 31 December 2019. As the total amount invested and committed in 2019 (136.7m) is virtually the same as the residual cost of the companies sold during the year (140.8m), the cost basis of the investments in the portfolio is almost identical to that of 31 December 2018. Maurice Tchenio, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Altamir Gerance, commented: "Portfolio rotation was particularly high in 2019. Divestments reached an all-time high, and there was a favourable investment momentum." Forthcoming events Estimated NAV as of 31/12/2019 5 February, pre-trading NAV as of 31/12/2019 11 March 2020, post-trading * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * About Altamir Altamir is a listed private equity company (Euronext Paris-B, ticker: LTA) founded in 1995 and with an investment portfolio of more than 800m. Its objective is to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation and regular dividends by investing in a diversified portfolio of private equity investments. Altamir's investment policy is to invest via and with the funds managed or advised by Apax Partners SAS and Apax Partners LLP, two leading private equity firms that take majority or lead positions in buyouts and growth capital transactions and seek ambitious value creation objectives. In this way, Altamir provides access to a diversified portfolio of fast-growing companies across Apax's sectors of specialisation (TMT, Consumer, Healthcare, Services) and in complementary market segments (mid-sized companies in continental Europe and larger companies in Europe, North America and key emerging markets). Altamir derives certain tax benefits from its status as an SCR ("Societe de Capital Risque"). As such, Altamir is exempt from corporate tax and the company's investors may benefit from tax exemptions, subject to specific holding-period and dividend-reinvestment conditions. For more information: www.altamir.fr Contact Claire Peyssard Moses Tel.: +33 1 53 65 01 74 E-mail: investors@altamir.fr [1] Subject to the syndication currently underway. [2] Subject to the size of the Apax X LP fund, estimated at $10bn. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: nJpxk51paWzJyG9wYciZl2hrbJtixWfHl5fLxJVua57GmZ9mmWmUb8WeZm9inWZu - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-61818-activite-2019_en.pdf "Serving in the military changes you. The shades and degrees of change vary for everyone, but no one is ever the same as... Slick, immersive, wholly relevant while remaining unafraid of flights of fancy - Indias efforts in 2019 reflect a readers market thats grown decidedly mature over the last decade or so. While bestseller lists continue to reflect the self-help markets dominance in todays society of influencers and the influenced, theres certainly no shortage of interesting stories to be found on the bookshelves of India today. Here are our top picks of last years published fiction: Prelude To A Riot, Annie Zaidi Goodreads/Twitter Amidst a cacophony of public outrage and communal clashes, Zaidis novel focuses not on the big picture, but the subtle, intimate details of the lives of two families from a nondescript South Indian town - one Hindu and the other Muslim. Experienced through the eyes of various characters each with their own complex positions and burning questions, this is socio-political commentary through fiction at its finest. A must read. Realm Of Ash, Tasha Suri Orbit/Twitter Sequel to 2018s Empire of Sand, Tasha Suris novel in The Books of Ambha is just as good as the first, if not better. Loosely based on Mughal history and culture while carrying a great deal of wholly original and well-elucidated mythology, Suris story has it all. Grand magical mysteries, surprisingly touching romances and beautifully written prose are all here - although a sharp focus on serious topics such as gender oppression, death and the afterlife and even ethnic cleansing are visited across a two-part saga thats bound to excite a rising fanbase of eastern fantasy readers. You Beneath Your Skin, Damyanti Biswas Simon & Schuster/Twitter A thematically dense thriller drawing together cops, psychologists and Delhis infamous history of crimes against women, this novel does have its share of gruesome details and downtrodden, unfortunate characters - yet it tosses away old-school voyeurism and instead, asks important questions on not just the psychology behind the men and women who live in a society plagued by violent crime, but breaks into the thoughts and lives of those who are usually pitied out of having a voice. Also interesting to note is that all the author proceeds from this novel go directly to charities for education and rehabilitation of acid attack victims. The Scent of God, Saikat Majumdar Simon & Schuster/Twitter Fluid, poetic and almost meditative to read, Majumdars novel takes on an interesting premise - an observation of the lives and thoughts of young men at an all-boys school, run by a missionary of Hindu monks. While the novel raises several questions on religion, meditation and the divine, one of its more fascinating and unique subjects is that of celibacy - and the ways in which human beings relate to and fraternise with their own temptations. Definitely worth checking out. His Fathers Disease: Stories, Aruni Kashyap Context/Twitter Love, violence, motherhood, sex and cultural identity are all laid bare in Kashyaps short-story anthology - each tale brimming with ancient folklore, modern problems and fascinating glimpses of the Assammese perspective. Drawing on characters from both bustling cities and unknown villages, its easily one of the country's best efforts in short fiction writing from 2019. In January 1967, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. packed several suitcases and secluded himself on the coast of Jamaica, far from the telephone, far from the crises roiling America. It would not go down in history as one of his most famous trips. King was trying to finish writing a new book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? But the answer King found would change the course of his activism until his death. Back in the U.S., tensions were rising. Congress had passed civil-rights protections after his campaigns in the South, but many black Americans remained crushed under poverty. Younger black activists were beginning to question Kings strategy of nonviolence, which had won him a Nobel Peace Prize three years earlier. And the nation was at war. While flipping through Ramparts, a leftist literary and political magazine, at a Jamaican restaurant, King came across a 28-page photographic essay documenting children who had been scorched by U.S. military napalm attacks in Vietnam. King pushed a plate of food away. Advertisement I looked up and said, Doesnt it taste any good? Bernard Lee, an associate, later recalled to one of Kings biographers. King replied, Nothing will ever taste any good for me until I do everything I can to end that war. Fifty years ago this year, King began agitating against the Vietnam War, a lesser-remembered chapter of his career in which the preacher once again launched an unpopular battle against the prevailing opinions of the establishment, the broader public and even some allies. The war is now widely viewed as a catastrophic mistake. But in remembrances today, on the national holiday bearing his name, its likely that few public figures will hearken back to Kings solemn Beyond Vietnam speech at the Riverside Church in New York, where he said, If Americas soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read Vietnam. If Americas soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read Vietnam. Martin Luther King Jr. Americas entanglement in Vietnam dated back to the end of World War II, when France wanted to keep control of its Indochina possessions and the Vietnamese rebelled. The U.S. had provided advisors for Frances failed effort to quell the rebellion. In the 1960s, the United States allied itself with South Vietnam, claiming that a takeover by communist-led North Vietnam would pave the way for communism to spread throughout Southeast Asia. By the mid-1960s, the U.S. began an escalation of bombings and troop deployments. In the beginning, the public had largely accepted politicians arguments that the war was necessary, though a growing number of protesters were starting to raise their voices. King was not the first black activist to take a bold public stand against the war. His wife, Coretta, spoke at an antiwar rally in Washington in 1965. Stokely Carmichael, in his famous Black Power speech in October 1966, given after stepping down as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, called the Vietnam conflict an illegal and immoral war. And while King was in Jamaica in January 1967, James Bevel, a fellow leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, made a surprise visit to tell King hed had a revelation: Why are you teaching nonviolence to Negroes in Mississippi but not to Lyndon Johnson in Vietnam? Bevel said, according to historian Taylor Branch in his book At Canaans Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68. King had previously publicly expressed some concerns about the war, but Johnson posed a major strategic conundrum. Johnson had been one of Kings greatest allies in Washington and had helped shepherd through Congress the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Democratic president also had championed antipoverty programs, another of Kings signature causes. But the growing war also had come under Johnsons leadership. There was a strong feeling that to get the antipoverty programs the support they needed King should not publicly oppose Lyndon Johnsons policies, because that would push him out of the circle of people who Johnson relied on for supporting his domestic agenda, said Clayborne Carson, an editor of Kings papers and the director of the Martin Luther King Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. King pushed ahead. His aides began drafting a speech. Clarence Jones prepared one of the earliest drafts, which King rejected. He said, Clarence, I thought you were my radical, Jones recalled in an interview with the journalist Tavis Smiley, adding that he told King, I dont quite understand what you mean. King said the speech was too wishy-washy. The Vietnam War is either morally right or morally wrong its not on the one hand or on the other hand, King told Jones. The speech was refined, and on April 4, 1967, in front of a packed audience at the Riverside Church, King called the war an enemy of the poor that was swallowing the nations young men and its resources for antipoverty programs like a demonic, destructive suction tube. King complained that black soldiers who couldnt get their full rights at home were doing a disproportionate amount of the fighting in Vietnam. He also said that it was becoming difficult to tell young radicals in America not to pursue their agendas using violence when thats what the nation was doing abroad. Above all, the war in Vietnam symptomized a larger problem with American society, King said, calling for a rapid shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered, King said. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., center right, marches in a protest against the Vietnam War with others including Dr. Benjamin Spock, tall, white-haired man with glasses, in Chicago on March 25, 1967. (Associated Press ) Public condemnation came quickly, especially in the news media. Many who have listened to him with respect will never again accord him the same confidence, the Washington Post said in an editorial. He has diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country and to his people. An April 16 news article in the Los Angeles Times described Kings antiwar views as extreme, and the next day, the newspaper ran an editorial cartoon captioned Dr. King takes the plunge, showing him diving head-first into an empty swimming pool labeled, Vietnam criticism. One opinion poll from that spring showed that 73% of Americans disagreed with Kings denunciations of the war. King also caught flack from his own allies. The NAACPs board of directors unanimously voted that combining the civil rights and antiwar movements was a serious tactical mistake. One professor at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama wrote to King: For many years I have considered you one of the greatest living Americans indeed, one of the greatest living men. Now, however, that you have joined the anti-Vietnam War movement, I am ashamed of you. Donations to Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference began to drop. King also lost his biggest ally in Washington. Once he took the stand against the war, he was really not welcome at the White House anymore, Carson said. Ultimately, Kings speeches and rallies were not instrumental in ending the war, at least not in the way they undermined Jim Crow laws across the South. He was assassinated in Memphis by a small-time criminal in 1968 on April 4, one year to the day after the Beyond Vietnam speech. His antipoverty and job campaigns had minimal effect, and the war didnt end until 1975. The last three years of his life, he failed, Carson said, noting that poverty and war remain ongoing issues for America today. The importance of Kings book Where Do We Go From Here? we still havent answered that question, Carson said. The I have a dream speech is played 100 times as much as the Riverside speech. Probably every American knows the words I have a dream, Free at last those phrases. But when Americans listen to King speeches and see his memorials, Carson said, You dont see that phrase where hes talking about the United States as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today. matt.pearce@latimes.com @mattdpearce ALSO Parade, service projects to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day in L.A. County America just spent 8 years with a black president. For many African Americans, it meant one big thing: freedom to dream 13.5 million Californians are covered by Medi-Cal. Heres how Trumps plan could cost the state David T. Fischer has taken up his position in Rabat as new US ambassador to Morocco and handed this Wednesday a copy of his credentials to Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. According to local website Le360, the new ambassador will shortly hand his credentials to King Mohammed VI, along several other newly appointed ambassadors to Morocco, including that of France Helene Le Gal. David T. Fisher, confirmed by the US Senate as the new ambassador to Morocco, in December, is succeeding Dwight Lamar Bush, who served in the North African Kingdom from 2014 to 2017. The nomination process took several months in the foreign relations committee of the Republican-dominated Senate. During his confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in August 2018, the nominee had pointed out that Morocco is a bridge to Africa, to the Middle East, and to the Muslim world, and the USA-Morocco friendship and continued economic, political, and security collaboration are vital and must be strengthened. Building a strong relationship with King Mohammed VI will be paramount as we strengthen our collaboration from a foundation of trust, he had said. With my business background, I appreciate the tremendous opportunities for trade, as exports from the U.S. to Morocco have tripled in recent years, he had said, adding the North African Kingdom is also a gateway for US companies to enter other markets. The nominee had also pointed out that Washington and Rabat stand firm in advancing religious freedom and rooting out violent extremism, describing Morocco as an active and capable partner of the USA. Turkey Says GNA Forces Training is Legitimate and Will Continue Sputnik News 11:15 21.01.2020(updated 11:42 21.01.2020) On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that there were not any Turkish troops in Libya yet, only Turkish military advisers and instructors. Turkey continues its training of the Libyan Government of National Accord forces; it is legitimate, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at the World Economic Forum, when asked if Ankara's military approach on Libya would change, after last week's agreement in Berlin. "We have an agreement with Libya on education and training. That is what we're doing, it is a legitimate effort," Cavusoglu said. Last week, Ankara revealed it would provide support to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Libya by sending military troops to assist the GNA in fighting its rivals - the Libyan National Army, which control the east of the country. The decision comes in the wake of failed negotiations between the two opposing parties, held in Moscow. Cavusoglu added that Ankara would continue supporting the political process and the ceasefire in Libya, which needs to become sustainable. "It's good that everybody expressed support for the ceasefire and future efforts... but we also need to speed up the political process," Cavusoglu told reporters in Davos." Libya has been torn by an internal struggle in the wake of the murder of the country's former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The two key warring groups existing at present are the UN-endorsed GNA under Fayez al-Serraj, which controls the country's west as well as the capital Tripoli, and the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Khalifa Haftar, which controls the east. The two sides were close to reaching a ceasefire agreement in Moscow on 13 January, but Haftar refused to sign it in the end and the LNA announced the renewal of hostilities. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Azerbaijan sees further potential to develop political consultation and dialogue with NATO, Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told EURACTIV, Trend reports. Last year we celebrated 25th anniversary of the Partnership for Peace Program that Azerbaijan joined in 1994. Since then, cooperation with NATO played an important role in security reform and defense reform in Azerbaijan. Education, training and exercises provided by different NATO programs were important instruments in Azerbaijans defense building and defense reform process, he said. Hajiyev pointed out that currently, Azerbaijan is considered as a reliable and committed partner by NATO. And I am proud to say that today Azerbaijani soldiers shoulder-to-shoulder to NATO allies and partner countries are serving in Afghanistan against terrorism and trying to provide and bring peace and security to this country. Azerbaijan also plays an important role as a transit and logistic hub for the transportation of lifesaving goods for NATO allied partner countries. We also see that there is further potential to develop political consultation and dialogue. Within the visit to Brussels, we had 29 + 1 format, that is NATO + Azerbaijan format of discussions on general political and regional issues, including Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that I had a good chance to brief NATO colleagues and friends from the partner and allied countries, he added. (Bloomberg) -- Iran will withdraw from a major non-proliferation treaty if European nations attempt to refer the Islamic Republic to the UN Security Council over its infringements of the 2015 nuclear deal, the countrys foreign minister said. The U.K., France and Germany said last week they would trigger the accords dispute resolution mechanism, which could eventually mean the matter being referred to the Security Council. The move inflamed tensions with Tehran, which is locked in an economic confrontation with the U.S. that this month sparked a military exchange. If Europeans continue their untenable conduct or send Irans nuclear case to the United Nations Security Council, we will withdraw from the N.P.T., Mohammad Javad Zarif told lawmakers, referring to the international treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, the official parliamentary news service ICANA reported. Iran was an early signatory of the 1970 treaty, which was designed to eventually lead to disarmament. Non-nuclear weapons states that are signatories, including Iran, agree not to pursue weapons and to only develop peaceful atomic technology. Earlier on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran is planning one last step in its gradual draw-down from complying with the nuclear deal, raising the possibility that its close to announcing a complete withdrawal from the embattled international accord. The final measure will have more effective consequences, Mousavi said. Iran has been gradually reducing its compliance with the 2015 accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, since U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned it and began reimposing sanctions on the countrys economy. Earlier this month, Iran announced its no longer observing limits on uranium enrichment or research and development activities, but insisted it was still working within the parameters of the deal and would continue cooperating with United Nations nuclear inspectors. Story continues President Hassan Rouhani last week said all the steps could still be reversed as soon as Europe was able to commit to the agreement and take concrete steps allowing Iran to sell oil. Days before European nations turned up pressure on the Islamic Republic, the U.S. and Iran came to the brink of war after Trump ordered the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. As Iranian forces launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. facilities in the Middle East, they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner over Tehran, triggering protests against the regime. Britain has also infuriated Irans government by proposing that the current accord be replaced with a Trump deal. Mousavi said that while Iran remains open to talks with the EU on the future of the agreement, the Islamic Republic wont agree to any proposals from either the bloc or the U.S. for an alternative to the existing deal. (Updates with Zarif comments) To contact the reporter on this story: Arsalan Shahla in Tehran at ashahla@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Paul Abelsky For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Sheltons Bed, Bath and Beyond store will shut down along with dozens of closings happening nationwide under the big box stores banner. The home furnishings store at 862 Bridgeport Ave. is expected to close in coming months along with 40 locations across 19 states that the New Jersey-based company recently listed with national sources. Bed, Bath and Beyond had a previously announced it plans to close 60 stores by the end of the fiscal year, which ends in March. The closures were supposed to affect approximately 40 Bed Bath and Beyond stores and 20 other concept stores. Company officials said during a recent earnings conference call that theyve delayed closing 20 of the 40 Bed Bath & Beyond stores until the first half of the 2020 fiscal year. The company still plans to close 60 stores across all of its brands. Bed, Bath and Beyond has already shut down 14 stores across all its concepts in late 2019. The company has roughly 1,524 U.S. stores, including locations throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. The company also owns hundreds of World Market, Cost Plus, Buy Buy Baby and Harmon locations. Bed Bath and Beyond is one of the latest retailers to announce plans to shutter underperforming locations, amid the growing foothold that e-commerce has on the industry. It joins GameStop, Forever 21, Payless, Charlotte Russe and Gymboree Group, which all announced closures this year. Nearly 9,100 store closures were reportedly announced in 2019, eclipsing the total closures in 2018 by 55 percent. This is a developing story. jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com A predictable dustup over sexism has arisen in Australia over a KFC ad that has caused KFC to apologize and pull the ad. This has had the predictable effectmillions more people around the world have seen this ad (funny that the oh-so-woke Guardian would embed the adIm sure it was just an oversight by a junior editor), which we are proud to share with Power Line readersonly 15 seconds long: Sort of like the New Coke, no? Brilliant marketing by someone at KFC. Christina Hoff Sommers commented: And for additional push back, see here. (PG-13 rating though.) Only a little more than a week ago, Benny Gantz stated at a Jan. 8 press conference that he couldnt even imagine that the Americans would disseminate President Donald Trumps deal of the century prior to Israels elections. And, Gantz added, should that actually happen, it would constitute harsh interference in the electoral process in Israel. But Gantz made an elegant about-face Jan. 21. He loudly announced, I hope the president will move up [the rollout] and I expect the plan will be released very soon. Several weeks have passed. A lot of dramatic things are happening in the Middle East, and I look forward to the publication of the plan. According to Al-Monitors check, Gantz did not change his stance so drastically because of American pressure. Instead, he had received reliable intelligence information from sources in the United States that President Trump is serious and is examining the option of publicizing the program before elections. Gantz was told by a source knowledgeable of the inner workings of the US administration that Netanyahu is pressuring the president to publicize the program in the coming weeks, according to a Blue and White source. It is not yet clear whether Trump will be able to resist this pressure. The chances are high that the plan will be publicized before elections. Gantz convened the leadership of the Blue and White, including the two former chiefs of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi and Moshe Yaalon, plus Yair Lapid. Their chosen strategy is the direct opposite of their past strategy: Instead of clashing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government regarding the diplomatic plan, they will now align themselves with the plan and go with the flow. Thus, almost overnight, Gantz, who opposed publicizing the peace program, now calls for its publication at this time, without delay. Blue and White seniors hope their decision will minimize the conflicts likely to break out after the plan is publicized. This way, they are hitching their wagons to that of President Trump, one of the most all-time popular US presidents in Israel. This program will evidently be good for Israel, another senior Blue and White official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Theres no way that we can say no, its clear that Netanyahu will say yes. So weve beat him to it; were making it clear that were behind the president. This way, the Blue and White strategists hope that Netanyahu will find it difficult to keep repeating his main campaign message, based on his personal alliance with Trump. Its true that Netanyahu and Trump are close, says one of Blue and Whites campaign managers, but Gantz and Trump are not far apart either. Were also behind any decision that will be made regarding his peace program. Nevertheless, this diplomatic development is not beneficial to Blue and White, to put it mildly. The presentation of the American peace plan in the coming weeks, before the March 2 elections, will allow Netanyahu to change Israels public agenda on the cusp of elections. Instead of the battle for his immunity, in which he faces defeat, Netanyahu is now in his element: The diplomatic front was always his forte. He now enjoys a clear advantage over his rivals. Instead of immunity, well talk sovereignty, one of the prime ministers close associates told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Netanyahu loves to talk about this issue; he has absolute control over it, and thats good for us. The problem of Blue and White is that this change has already begun and the ones responsible for the turnabout in Israels public agenda toward Netanyahus side are no other than the heads of Blue and White. It happened Jan. 21, on a tour that Gantz conducted in the Jordan Valley a dusty plot of land that people have forgotten is actually part of the West Bank. It was conquered by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) in the Six Day War. Gantz did an about-face on this issue, too, and instead of downplaying Netanyahus annexation fever regarding the Jordan Valley, which had begun even before the elections last September, Gantz raised the ante and loudly proclaimed that he, too, is in favor of a quick annexation of the Valley. He did this following a statement made by Yamina senior Bezalel Smotrich, the most extreme right-wing member of Netanyahus coalition, who announced Jan. 20 that he would submit a bill for an immediate annexation of the Valley. Here, too, Gantz worried about finding himself stuck in the left facing a right-wing coalition and Netanyahu with his annexation plans. So, he decided to jump the gun. But this time, it blew up in Gantzs face. After he made his declaration about annexing the Jordan Valley to Israel after elections, Gantz received an immediate answer by way of a Netanyahu tweet: Why wait until after elections, if its possible to impose sovereignty on the Jordan Valley right now, with broad agreement in the Knesset? Benny Gantz, I expect your answer this evening, unless of course Ahmad Tibi [Arab Joint List party senior] hands you a veto. In fact, Netanyahu was quick to realize that Gantz had dug himself a hole, so he hurried to push the Blue and White chairman into it. That is how Gantz found himself tied to a process that could turn out to be catastrophic for Israel. Why? Because Gantz, like the other former chiefs of staff in his party and like Netanyahu, all know full well that annexation of the Jordan Valley has no real strategic significance at this stage. Instead, it constitutes a real political danger, as it could rip the peace agreement with Jordan to shreds. The Jordan Valley, unlike the West Bank, contains only a few thousand Israeli residents. It is viewed as Israels eastern security border, but any official annexation without accompanying peace agreements would turn the entire Middle East against Israel. It would undermine the bloc that Israel is trying to create, in response to the Shiite banana (or Shiite influence zone) extending from the Gulf and Tehran, up to Tartus in Syria and the shores of the Mediterranean. Afterward, to minimize the damage, Gantz tried to correct things and noted that he would only annex the West Bank as part of a strategic plan in coordination with the international community. Gantz clearly knows there is no such animal at the moment and no such global commonwealth that would approve this kind of annexation. On the other hand, he knows that Netanyahu would not hesitate to annex what he can, including Tehran itself, if it would help him win the elections. Thus, this week Gantz actually helped Netanyahu turn the media agenda on its head, to bury the immunity issue in the basement and raise the sovereignty and diplomacy issues to the headlines. Gantz needs to hope that next week will be a better one for him. A widespread series of demonstrations took place on Jan. 18 and 19, supporting a Hong Kong rally where people protested human rights abuses by the Chinese communist regime. Rallies were held over the weekend in 23 cities in 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. The global-coordinated effort was aimed at calling on governments around the world to pass laws similar to the United States Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The bill allows for sanctions, such as freezing the assets of Hong Kong and Chinese government officials who have violated human rights. They may also be denied entry to the region. What the Chinese are doing there with Tibet, with Uyghurs, with Hong Kong, that is not okay. I want to protest it, said Mehmet Kizilkaya, a rally participant in Berlin. So many people going out on the streets, not giving up, its incredible! I admire them, he added. In New York, hundreds of people attended the rally in Manhattan. Colin Smith was one of them. He said he thinks the pro-democracy protesters are gaining the advantage. I really respect the Hong Kong protesters and their resilience and their persistence. And I think that cracks are starting to show. And the Hong Kong protests keep going. And I think its just a matter of time before they get what they want, he said. Laura Sauriat, another rally participant, said: I see that the people of Hong Kong are really looking to the United States to really stand with them. And theyre looking to the U.S. as a beacon for democracy. And I believe that we are still a beacon for democracy and I hope that Hong Kong will, you know, really be able to lean on Americans, she added. New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong (NY4HK) rally organizer, Ken, said: I want Hong Kong protesters to know that they are not alone. As long as they dont give up we wont give up. Crowds gathered in Washington to show solidarity with pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong. Mary Eliz said that the rallies represented something beyond the region of Hong Kong and that it was about incorporating other groups suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party. Its great to see it expand and really become a referendum on not just Hong Kong specifically, which is very insular. Its not uniting for all the people who CCP is oppressing, but now it is. And its nice to see that broad umbrella movement kind of work as an umbrella, she added. The full list of supporting rallies around the world includes Melbourne, Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, Seoul, and London. The Hall County Board of Commissioners approved 370 total tax correction notices Tuesday and more may be brought before the board for approval. At its meeting Tuesday morning, the county board, acting as the Board of Equalization, voted unanimously to approve the tax correction notices. Hall County Assessor Kristi Wold said the issues stem from an error with Vanguard, the accounting software used by her office. She said the software was implemented in February 2019 and was launched in November 2019 with a large transfer of data. We were told it would work seamlessly with the treasurers office and that there would be no issues, Wold said. However, she said that is not the case. We cannot get any help. In our eyes, there should have been an easier way to do it than this. (Deputy Assessor) Mandy (Pfeil) did 39 of them in an eight-hour day. So we are spending our precious, valued time writing tax corrections. Deputy Hall County Attorney Sarah Carstensen said some of the issues are related to instructions given to the assessors office. Almost a year to the day after a Brazil dam disaster killed more than 250 people, homicide charges have been filed against Fabio Schvartsman, the former CEO of mining giant, Vale SA, which co-owned the mine. The details came from a charging document seen by Reuters, Tuesday. Fifteen others have also been charged with homicide and environmental crimes for their role in the disaster. All of them worked for either Vale or TUV SUD, the German company responsible for inspecting the dam. A state prosecutor had previously told Reuters that employees knew the dam was at risk of collapsing, yet failed to act before disaster struck. In a statement, TUV SUD said it continues to be saddened by the tragedy and vowed to continue to cooperate with authorities in Brazil and Germany regarding ongoing investigations. Vale said it was premature to assign blame. The charges come a year after the dam collapse released a river of slurry - the muddy byproduct of iron ore processing - and buried people underneath it. It was one of the worlds deadliest mining accidents... that knocked $19 billion off Vale's market value in a single day. Schvartsman was removed as CEO in early March at the urging of prosecutors who alleged his presence at the company posed a danger to society. New Delhi: As the capital gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, a closer look at the data sourced from the Election Commission shows the highest number of women MLAs in the Delhi Assembly was in the year 1998, with as many as nine female lawmakers. In 1998, of the 57 female candidates in the fray, a total of nine secured a seat at the state assembly which has been the highest so far. That year both Congress' Shiela Dikshit and BJPs Sushma Swaraj had contested the elections with Congress securing enough votes to form the government under the leadership of Dikshit. The representation of women in the 2015 state assembly stood at 8.5% with six female leaders securing victories. Incidentally, there were all fielded by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Among the 66 women candidates fielded, BJP had named eight female leaders, Congress named five candidates while AAP had six female candidates for the running while 17 had contested independently. Live TV In comparison, this year the Congress has fielded 10, BJP 5 and AAP has fielded 9 female leaders. As per the last information received on January 21, as many as 592 nominations have been filed in 55 constituencies. The cumulative total until Tuesday was at 1353. The voting for the 70-member assembly will be held on February 8 and the counting of votes will be held on February 11. The United States announced its first case of the new Wuhan coronavirus that has claimed lives in China and sickened hundreds, joining countries around the world in ramping up measures to block its spread. The man, a US resident in his 30s who lives near Seattle, is in good condition, according to federal and state officials who made the confirmation on Tuesday (local time), and approached authorities himself after reading about the SARS-like infection in news reports. He is "currently hospitalised out of an abundance of precaution, and for short-term monitoring, not because there was severe illness", Chris Spitters, a Washington state health official, said. "This is an evolving situation and again, we do expect additional patients in the United States and globally," Nancy Messonier, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), added. Workers spray antiseptic solution at the arrival lobby of Incheon airport amid rising public concerns over the possible spread of a new coronavirus. Source: Suh Myung-geon/Yonhap via AP She stressed the overall risk to Americans remained low. The man is originally from Wuhan and returned to the US on January 15, two days before health officials began screening passengers at major airports arriving from the central Chinese city, which is at the heart of the outbreak. The efforts are to be extended now to a total of five US airports. In Australia, biosecurity measures have been ramped up for flights into the country from China, and the city of Wuhan in particular, after a Brisbane man tested for the virus was released from isolation. Health authorities confirmed on Wednesday the man did not have the deadly coronavirus. A number of Australians have been tested for the deadly coronavirus but there are no confirmed cases, the federal health minister says. Australia receives three flights from Wuhan per week which would be monitored closely, he said. Fears of bigger outbreak According to US health authorities, the man lives alone and will be monitored in isolation for at least 48 more hours. Doctors began to suspect he had coronavirus as his symptoms matched those associated with the illness and his recent visit to China. Tests confirmed he had the virus on Monday (local time), CNN reported. Story continues The development came as countries intensified their efforts to stop the spread of the pathogen known by its technical name 2019 Novel Coronavirus as the number of cases surpass 400 with nine people confirmed dead in China on Tuesday, raising concerns in the middle of a major Chinese holiday travel rush. Fears of a bigger outbreak rose after a prominent expert from China's National Health Commission confirmed late on Monday the virus can be passed between people. A government worker directs traffic at a toll gate in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. Source: Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images That conclusion is shared by the CDC, which said "person-to-person spread is occurring, although it's unclear how easily the virus spreads between people". The World Health Organisation (WHO) will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to determine whether to declare a rare, global public health emergency over the disease, which has also been detected in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Many experts believe the US case, while not surprising given the frequency of international flights, makes such a declaration all the more likely. Mark Woolhouse, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said more evidence was needed to determine if it spreads through the air or via close human-to-human contact. "It is important to stress that, though similar, it is not as severe an infection as its predecessor, the SARS coronavirus," he added. Holiday rush Early on, many patients had some link to a Wuhan seafood market where live animals were sold, suggesting an animal-to-person spread. Hundreds of millions of people are criss-crossing China this week in packed buses, trains and planes to celebrate the Lunar New Year with relatives. More than 80 new cases have been confirmed, bringing the total number of people hit by the virus in China to 315, with the vast majority in Hubei, the province where Wuhan lies, according to officials. But cases have also been confirmed around the country, including Beijing and Shanghai. Chris Spitters, Interim Health Officer for Snohomish Health District, talks about a confirmed case of 2019 novel coronavirus in Washington Source: Jason Redmond/AFP The first case on the self-ruled island of Taiwan was also confirmed Tuesday, with a woman taken to hospital on arrival at the airport from Wuhan. China's National Health Commission said 440 people in 13 Chinese provinces are confirmed to be infected with a new coronavirus as of Tuesday, with nine deaths. The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its genetic similarities to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. Fever checks At four airports in Thailand, authorities introduced mandatory thermal scans of passengers arriving from high-risk areas of China. In Hong Kong, authorities said they were on "extreme high alert," with passengers from Wuhan required to fill out health declarations and face possible jail time if they do not declare symptoms. Enhanced screening measures have also been set up at airports in Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, Russia, Malaysia and Vietnam. In China, the government announced it was classifying the outbreak in the same category as SARS, meaning compulsory isolation for those diagnosed with the disease and the potential to implement quarantine measures on travel. In Wuhan, authorities banned tour groups and police were conducting spot checks for animals in vehicles leaving and entering the city, state media said. Passengers were being screened for fever at the airport, railway stations and bus terminals. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Australia has avoided its first case of coronavirus for the time being, with a man suspected of being infected cleared of the disease by health authorities. Queensland Health confirmed on Wednesday afternoon the man, who had recently travelled to the Chinese city of Wuhan to visit family, does not have the potentially deadly virus strain. The man had been in isolation at his home in Brisbane after returning to Australia from Wuhan suffering respiratory issues. He self-reported to health authorities, with the isolation being lifted on Wednesday morning after doctors used the latest disease tests from the World Health Organisation to rule out the coronavirus. Experimental data and computer simulations come together to provide an innovative technique able to characterise the different configurations of an RNA molecule; the work opens new roads to study dynamic molecular systems Experimental data and computer simulations come together to provide an innovative technique able to characterise the different configurations of an RNA molecule. The work, published in Nucleic Acids Research, opens new roads to study dynamic molecular systems. The key of the extraordinary functionality of ribonucleic acid, better known as RNA, is a highly flexible and dynamic structure. Yet, the experimental characterisation of its different configurations is rather complex. A study conducted by SISSA and published on Nucleic Acids Research combines experimental data and molecular dynamics simulations to reconstruct the different dominant and minority structures of a single RNA fragment, providing an innovative method to study highly dynamic molecular systems. "RNA plays a central role in the process of protein synthesis and in its regulation. This is also thanks to a structure that is not static but varies dynamically from one state to another," explains Giovanni Bussi, physicist at SISSA - Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati and principal investigator of this work. "It is a 'set' of configurations, with a dominant structure maintained by the molecule for the majority of the time and some 'low population' structures that are rarer but equally important for its function and possible interaction with other molecules." Experimental techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), theoretically allow to probe these sets of configurations. However, to obtain the structure of the molecule, the assumption is often made that a single relevant conformation exists. Unless particularly sophisticated experimental approaches are used, they provide the 'average' structure, in short a mathematical average of the multiple states present, which, in dynamic systems, does not exist in reality. Giovanni Bussi and Sabine Reier, in collaboration with the group of the neurobiologist Stefano Gustincich at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), have developed a new way to identify the different configurations of an RNA molecule. "We studied a fragment of RNA with a characteristic hairpin structure that was identified in Gustincich's group and has an important role in regulating protein synthesis. By combining the NMR data with molecular dynamics simulations, we have mimicked different states of the molecule, including those of low population, and identified those that were able to reproduce the 'average' structure determined empirically." The scientists then searched the Protein Data Bank, a database of molecular structures acquired experimentally: "We found some of the low population configurations identified by the simulations within other RNA molecules, including the ribosomes, the molecular machines responsible for protein synthesis ribosomal RNAs. Thus, we confirmed the existence of these multiple structures in nature and suggested a potential role at the ribosomal level," concludes Bussi. "We have demonstrated the validity of this innovative approach, which opens new roads for the study of molecular structures in highly dynamic systems in which states with different populations co-exist." ### Rhode Island is the smallest American state by area, which occupies an area of about 1,214sq miles. It is the second-most densely populated American state and the seventh least populous. Rhode Island is situated in the New England region, and it is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean (through Block Island Sound and Rhode Island Sound), Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Rhode Island has a maritime boundary with New York. The most populous and capital city of this state is Providence. The Rhode Island colony was the first of the 13 Colonies to renounce its allegiance with the United Kingdom on May 4, 1776. It was the fourth of the first American states to ratify the Articles-of-Confederation and the last to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The states official nickname is the Ocean-State. The Economy Of Rhode Island The fishing industry was the main contributor to Rhode Islands economy during the colonial era. The introduction of Slater Mill by Samuel Slater in 1793 helped the state to transition into an industrial economy. The Ocean state was the leader in textiles; however, most textile firms relocated to the southern parts of the country during the Great Depression. Other crucial historical industries in this state are silverware, costume jewelry, and tool making. One of the most critical outcomes of Rhode Islands industrial era is several abandoned factories that are currently used for elderly and low-income housing, offices, museums, and condominiums. Rhode Island experienced a tough transition during the twentieth century from a heavily industrialized state to a service economy. The process of deindustrialization, which began in the early twentieth century, occurred steadily. Currently, its economy is based on tourism, education, business services, health services, and the government. Rhode Island was the forty-fifth wealthiest American with a GDP of $46.18billion in 2000. Rhode Islands 2018 GDP was $61.341billion, and it ranked forty-sixth in the country. The unemployment rate of the Ocean State was 3.5% in November 2019, representing the 19,585 unemployed people. Rhode Island is home to numerous Fortune-1000 companies (Amica Mutual Insurance, American Power Conversion, FM Global, and Nortek) and Fortune-500 firms (Textron and CVS Caremark). The Biggest Industries In Rhode Island Agriculture Agriculture has been on the decline in the state since the end of the eighteenth century, and currently, the size of cultivated land in Rhode Island in negligible. In terms of generated revenue, the states leading agricultural products are calves and cattle, potatoes, dairy products, sweet corn, and nursery and greenhouse products. The third-ranking agricultural commodity in Rhode Island is Milk. Dairy products account for about 5% of Ocean States agricultural income. Even though Rhode Island is not the leading egg producer in the country, the official state bird is the Rhode-Island-Red chicken. Other animals reared in Rhode Island include hogs and beef cattle. Turf farming and nursery products account for a considerable percentage of Rhode Islands agricultural output. Fishing Rhode Islands economy was based on fishing during the colonial era. Narragansett Bay has been the source of income for the community since the first settlement was established in the region. Narragansett Bay has been a playground for vacationers and visitors since the early 1700s. The shore of this state was referred to as New Englands Playground because it had several amusement parks, beaches, and resorts. Pollution, human waste, and industrialization affected the fishing industry. Efforts to clean-up Narragansett Bay after the fish population reduced started in the 1970s. The cleaning efforts helped improve the health of the bay resulting in an increase in the number of quahogs, oysters, and lobsters by the 1990s. Overfishing in the ocean resulted in the reduction of the population of the preferred commercial species like mackerel, cod, striped bass, and flounders during the 1970s and 1980s. The reduction of the population of these species forced the government to impose a legal limitation on commercial catches, which affected the fishing sector of Rhode Island. Manufacturing After the American Revolution, Rhode Island became a pioneering manufacturing state, particularly in textiles. Some of the products manufactured in this state include textiles, electrical equipment, silverware, fabricated materials, transportation equipment, and jewelry. As the state was transforming from an industrial to a service economy in the twentieth century, the number of employees in the manufacturing sector reduced from over three-fifth of the population to one-sixth. The decline in the textile sector also affected the other firms that are associated with textiles. The Ocean State went through an economic depression, which affected all industries except jewelry making, from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Ocean State has been known as the worlds jewelry capital for a very long time. Rhode Island was the leading producer of costume jewelry in the country until the late twentieth century when global competition forced the industry to decline sharply. Tourism Tourism is the second biggest sector in the service industry that provides over 50,000 jobs and earns the state over $5.75billion annually. Rhode Island is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. The Ocean State has a 400miles long shoreline and several historical and cultural attractions. The Ocean State was known as New Englands playground during the nineteenth century since it had some of the most beautiful amusement parks, beaches, and resorts in the region. Some of the top-rated attractions in this state include the Breakers, cliff walk in Newport, the Benefit Street in Providence, and Herreshoff Marine Museum, among others. Benefit Street was a civic, artistic, cultural, social, and intellectual center of Providence during the early federal and colonial eras. Currently, Benefit Street is the most popular street in this state. Service Industry The leading resources of this state have been its citizens since the colonial period, which made it easy for its economy to transform from manufacturing to the service-based economy. The health service had become the biggest private employer in the Ocean States by the 1990s. Providence is a crucial financial center in New England and home to some of the largest insurance companies and banks. The headquarter Citizens Financial Group, the fourteenth biggest American bank, is situated in Providence. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Migrants in Saigon, former name of Ho Chi Minh City but still popular now, have imported products unique to northern Vietnam to this southern city, catering for the nostalgic needs of the northerner community. The so-called Cho Bac, or North Markets, can be found in several neighborhoods around town. Migrants from the North make up a large proportion of the population in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing with them a variety of northern traditions, customs, and certainly businesses and products. Cho Bac are preferable shopping options for this community. Here they find not just the items they need, but also a touch of their homeland, located more than 1,600km away. The foods, fruits, ingredients, and items for sale at these open markets are reminiscent of their old days. The downtown North Street You can easily tell if a market is owned by a northern migrant, said 62-year-old Dao Trong Hung, a northerner who has lived in Saigon for more than 40 years. They will display all kinds of peanut confectionery, glass noodles, jars of sour cabbage, and Vietnamese eggplants. He frequents a North Street located on Chu Manh Trinh Street in District 1, with a range of food stalls resembling the genuine northern market style. Here buyers can find finely-shaped square rice cakes, bunches of glass noodles, bags of Tam Xoan rice, a type of rice peculiar to the northern region, as well as rich golden pomelos. Another patron, Nguyen Thi Vuong, a 65-year-old resident in District 1, comes around looking for special dried bamboo shoots from the northwest mountains, the scent mushrooms from the highlands of Sa Pa, and some rounded Vietnamese onions. Despite having lived half her life in Saigon, Vuong is still only in love with northern dishes. The North Street really sells like hot cakes, according to 60-year-old Nguyen Thi Kim Lien. This is especially true to choosy northerners who pick every single ingredient of their different purposes. The Tam Xoan rice from Nam Dinh Province is best for daily meals, but for ancestral worship offerings they will purchase a particular sticky rice from the north. With such insights into their fellows needs, Lien and her daughter make their own products for sale, including paper rice cakes, sticky rice mixed with red spiny bitter gourds, dracontomelon and Japanese apricot juices, all of which are popular with northern eaters. Liens brother also sets up shop in Saigon, selling his unique beef loaf wholesale to large supermarkets. Do Dac Market in the suburbs This other northerner hub is special both in its name and in the air surrounding sellers and buyers. Nobody actually knows the full story, but Do Dac Market translates literally as the market of measurement. Located in District 2 in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Do Dac Market started in the 1980s as a mere collection of food stalls by several family businesses from the north. Buyers find northern products at Nguyen Thi Kim Liens store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre People would come here to buy leaves, shrimp paste, salted onions, tough glass noodles, and black carp, among others. Nguyen Quang Nhat, 35, has run a stall in this market for only four years, but he has gained in popularity amongst buyers with his outstanding sour veggies and sticky rice. Originally, he was a construction worker, but he took advice from a relative selling northern products on Chu Van Street in Binh Thanh District and moved to District 2. The man took to the new neighborhood like a fish to water, and his products very quickly found their regular customers. His square rice cakes and meat loaf bars are quite a delicacy along with seasonal fruits. North Markets old and new Another popular destination for cravers of northern items is Tran Quoc Toan Street in District 3. This market attracts buyers as they can find very good options for gift items. Nguyen Cuc Phuong and her husband currently own a store on this street, with 20 years of experience in the trade. They gave up their civil servant lives in Hanoi and moved to Saigon for a new start. Phuongs dried foods and fresh fruits both appeal to potential clients because they are genuinely northern, imported directly from the northern provinces. Their small store now looks like a mini supermarket full of options for choosy northern migrants. Phuong is also very quick in providing the most wanted seasonal fruits, like Vietnamese plums, fresh dracontomelons, golden pomelos and blood limes. Places that have been around for a much longer time include Ong Ta Market in Tan Binh District, Hoa Hung Market in District 10, and Xom Moi Market in Go Vap District. These dated back to 1954 when the first wave of migrants from the north flocked to the south and settled down in different locations around Saigon. Tran Thi Phuong has been a faithful visitor to Ong Ta Market since its first days. From her memories, her father used to find his smoking tools here, like the Vietnamese bamboo pipes, smoking bowls, bamboo slices, and traditional Vietnamese rice wine, while her mother carefully picked the best river crabs to steam her authentic northern jute mallow veggie soup. Some other North Markets have recently sprung up around Tan Son Nhat International Airport as well as a neighborhood in Go Vap District, with stalls catering to the needs of new settlers. Locals around here can find votive paper offerings, peach blossoms, vegetable greens, confectionery, mountain chicken meat, and pork distinctive to the northern provinces. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Congress President Sonia Gandhi arrived here on a two-day visit to take part in the ongoing training camp of party workers. The Congress president, accompanied by party national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, arrived at the Fursatganj airport Wednesday afternoon. The two drove straight from the airport to Uchahar to meet the family of former MLA Ajay Pal whose son died recently. The two stayed with the family for some time and expressed grief over death of the former MLA's son. Later, their cavalcade drove to the Bhueymau guest house where the party's four-day-long training camp is currently going on. The two are here to take part in the camp under which the party's district and city unit presidents of eastern Uttar Pradesh are getting training. They are also being apprised of the functioning of former leaders of the party who had been at the helm in the past. Today is the third day of the training camp. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Acer has launched the Chromebook 871 (Chromebook 712) the first laptop to offer the entry-level Comet Lake-U Pentium Gold 6405U and Celeron 5205U options alongside the Core i3-10110U. Acer has ensured that the Chromebook 871 can withstand the vagaries of the typical classroom environment by making it compliant with leading safety and toughness standards. Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here On the occasion of the upcoming British Educational Technology and Training (BETT) show in London, Acer announced the new Chromebook 871, also known as Chromebook 712 a rugged Chromebook targeted at school-going children. The Chromebook 871 is designed to meet leading toy safety standards (ASTM F963-16 and UL/IEC 60950-1) and is also the first laptop to offer the Comet Lake-U versions of the Pentium Gold and Celeron processors. The Chromebook 871 offers configuration options that include the Intel Core i3-10110U, Pentium Gold 6405U, and the Celeron 5205U, 4 or 8 GB RAM options, and 32 or 64 GB eMMC storage. Also on offer is the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 WLAN with Bluetooth 5. The Chromebook 871 features a 12-inch 3:2 aspect ratio 1366 x 912 Acer ComfyView display that comes in touch (C871T) and non-touch (C871) variants. Port selection includes a two USB Type-C ports, a USB 3.0 Type-A, a microSD card reader, and a combo audio jack. The USB Type-C ports are USB 3.2 Gen1 and support DisplayPort-out and USB charging. A 48 Wh battery offers up to 12 hours of battery life and Chrome OS ensures things keep ticking smoothly with fast, seamless updates and easy IT deployment in the classroom. The Chromebook 871 is built keeping the typical classroom environment in mind. As such, it is MIL-STD-810G-compliant and is designed to take quite a beating. The spill-resistant keyboard's keys are mechanically anchored to ensure that they are easy to replace but not removed. The Acer Chromebook 871 will be available to education and commercial customers in North America in March start from US$329.99 and in EMEA in May starting from 299. The messages burst from the RMS Titanic to other ships navigating the icy waters of the Atlantic in the early morning of April 15, 1912. "Come at once. We have struck a berg. It's a CQD, old man," the famed ocean liner's wireless operator, Jack Phillips, tapped in one of the first calls for help moments after the collision. Soon, he added calls of SOS, a newly adopted distress signal that would ultimately come to replace CQD. Junior wireless operator Harold Bride had suggested using the new code, later telling The New York Times that he joked to Phillips that it "may be your last chance to send it." The state-of-the-art wireless telegraph transmitter, installed by a technology company called Marconi, was the Titanic's sole connection to the rest of the world. And in the hours after the ship hit the iceberg, as frigid water flooded the lower decks and panicked passengers scrambled to the scarce lifeboats on board, the messages grew more frantic. "We are putting passengers off in small boats," said one, according to a BBC account of the calls. "Women and children in boats. Cannot last much longer. Losing power." Then came the last words, just minutes before the "unsinkable" ship foundered: "Come quick. Engine room nearly full." After resting at the bottom of the ocean for more than a century, the rust-covered device that relayed those messages - which summoned the liner RMS Carpathia to rescue survivors - could be recovered. RMS Titanic Inc., the Atlanta-based company with the sole rights to salvage artifacts from the shipwreck, is seeking a court's permission for the "surgical removal and retrieval" of the Marconi set. The request, laid out in documents filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Virginia, represents the first time salvagers would collect something from inside the doomed ship, noted The Telegraph, which was first to report on the plan. The announcement came as British officials announced a "historic treaty" with the United States to better protect what remains of the Titanic. The countries will now have the authority to approve or deny licenses allowing people to enter the wreck and remove items found outside it. "Lying two and a half miles below the ocean surface, the RMS Titanic is the subject of the most documented maritime tragedy in history," British Department for Transport and Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani said in a statement. "This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives." RMS Titanic Inc. argues that the wireless transmitter must be recovered soon, and ideally within the year, as expeditions to the site more than two miles below the ocean's surface have noted deterioration over the years. The "Silent Cabin," the soundproof room where it is housed, withstood years of damage and protected the transmitting switchboards and regulators, the company wrote in court documents. But the deckhouse above the Marconi transmitter has been falling apart since 2005, and holes have been forming over the Silent Cabin. The overheard will probably collapse within the next few years, Titanic expert Parks Stephenson wrote in court documents, "potentially burying forever the remains of the world's most famous radio." The idea of removing items from inside the vessel has been criticized in the past, according to The Telegraph, with the disaster's last survivor among the critics. Previous expeditions have collected artifacts only from the debris scattered alongside it. "I think the ship should be left in peace," Millvena Dean said in a 2000 interview. She died in 2009. "Any bits and pieces that have come out from the ship on the seabed - that is all right. But to go on the ship - no, that is all wrong." RMS Titanic Inc. President Bretton Hunchak, however, has said that the radio recovery mission would be limited in scope and undertaken in an effort to protect the important artifact before it's too late. "It's not some kind of Trojan horse so that we can start grabbing suitcases full of diamonds from the wreck," he said, according to The Telegraph. "This is a careful, surgical operation to rescue a historically significant item so it can teach future generations about the story of Titanic." The Marconi transmitter, which would be extracted by sending a manned submarine to the wreck and then using an underwater robot to perforate the deck and reach inside the Titanic, was key to the rescue of the 705 survivors of the disaster. And it has already brought to life some of the last, previously unknowable moments aboard the sinking ship, Stephenson wrote. In 2001, an expedition revealed that the system was in the reset position - showing that Phillips, who did not survive the sinking, had attempted to boost the signal "one final time before the power completely failed." If carried to the surface, it could perhaps be restored to working order, RMS Titanic Inc. said, meaning that "Titanic's radio - Titanic's voice - could once again be heard." WARSAW, Poland - Over the next several days, world leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of Nazi Germanys death camps. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This combination of photos shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, on Nov. 27, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Poland's President Andrzej Duda in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Nov. 21, 2019. World leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp _ once on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, in Jerusalem and again on Jan. 27 at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland. The competing commemorations underline how politically charged World War II remains as nationalist governments in Russia and Poland seek to make some political gains from their bitter history. (AP Photo) WARSAW, Poland - Over the next several days, world leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of Nazi Germanys death camps. That there will be two competing ceremonies one in Jerusalem on Thursday and the other at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland on Monday underlines how politically charged World War II remains as nationalist governments in Russia and Poland seek to use their own interpretation of the past for contemporary political gain. Leaders at both sites, joined by elderly survivors, will pay tribute to the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. Yet the commemorations risk being overshadowed by a bitter dispute between Poland where Nazi German occupiers operated Auschwitz and other infamous camps and Russia, the successor state to the Soviet Union. "I am afraid this will not help the commemoration of the Holocaust," said Dariusz Stola, a Polish historian and former director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Such commemorations, he said, should ideally be a moment "for the present to serve the past." "Now the past is serving the aims of current politics," he told The Associated Press. Ahead of Thursday's ceremony in Jerusalem, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin implored world leaders assembled for a dinner at his official residence to "leave history for the historians." "The role of political leaders, of all of us, is to shape the future," he said. Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945. But the country had also signed a nonaggression accord with the Nazis shortly before the war began in 1939, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. It contained a secret protocol in which the totalitarian powers agreed to carve up Eastern Europe. Two years later, Germany turned on Kremlin leader Josef Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union, bringing the Soviets into the war on the side of the Allies. Millions of Red Army soldiers lost their lives in the eventual defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany. In this Dec. 7, 2019, photo, railway tracks from where where hundreds of thousands of people were directed to the gas chambers directed to the gas chambers to be murdered, inside the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz Birkenau or Auschwitz II, in Oswiecim, Poland. World leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp _ once on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, in Jerusalem and again on Jan. 27 at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland. The fact that there will be two competing ceremonies reflects how politically charged World War II remains for nationalist governments in Russia and Poland. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File) Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to shift wartime blame to Poland over anger that historical memory in the West has begun to focus more on the Soviet role in triggering the war and less on its role in defeating Germany. The Russian historical moves have outraged the Polish government, which believes Putin's main motive is to weaken Polish influence in the European Union. Warsaw is one of the strongest supporters of maintaining sanctions on Moscow for its annexation of Crimea and has also been fighting a planned Russian gas pipeline. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused Putin of lying deliberately to deflect from his own failures, including a ban on Russian athletes over doping. At the same time, Poland has come under criticism for allegedly minimizing the role its own people played in helping Nazi occupiers kill Jews. Putin and other Russian officials have been claiming that Poland which was invaded in 1939 by German and Soviet forces actually bears blame for starting the war. Western historians see those allegations as a cynical ploy to minimize Soviet responsibility as Moscow today seeks to glorify what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War and more generally a Stalinist era that included mass killings of domestic opponents and suffering imposed on Eastern Europe during decades of communist rule. In recent days, Poland's government has defended the nation's record, recalling how its wartime government-in-exile sought to save Jews, and listing cultural and economic damage that Poland suffered after Soviet troops took control of its territory at the end of World War II. In drawing dozens of world leaders to the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, Israel had hoped to present a united front in commemorating the genocide of European Jewry and warning against the perils of modern-day anti-Semitism. Instead, Polish President Andrzej Duda is boycotting the event at the Yad Vashem memorial because, unlike Putin, he was not invited to speak and wouldn't be able to defend his nation's historical record. Duda will preside at the Auschwitz ceremony, which Putin will not attend. In an apparently related development, Israel's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Lithuania's president, Gitanas Nauseda, had "unfortunately" cancelled. Nauseda's office said he was busy at the Davos economic forum and that Lithuania's parliament chairman would represent the government in Jerusalem. But the Lithuanian government last week voiced its solidarity with Poland and said it would work with Warsaw to resist Russian "lies." Nauseda is attending next week's ceremony at Auschwitz led by Duda. Israel has said it didn't offer Duda a speaking role because his country, while its soldiers fought the Germans at home and on other fronts, was not among World War II's liberating nations. It said the German president was also being allowed to speak to take responsibility for the perpetrators. The deeper explanation appears to be rooted in Israel's sensitive relationship with Russia. The Jerusalem event is being orchestrated by Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress and a billionaire oligarch who is close to Putin. In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs Putin on his side due to Russia's involvement in the war in neighbouring Syria, where Israel is deeply concerned about the presence of Iranian forces. He also is hoping the Russian leader will free a young Israeli woman imprisoned on drug charges in Russia a development that would give Netanyahu a welcome boost before March 2 elections. During Putin's visit, Netanyahu will dedicate a monument honouring the the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad. The city, now known as St. Petersburg, is Putin's hometown. Israeli-Polish relations are still reeling over the Polish government's controversial Holocaust speech law in 2018 that sought to criminalize blaming the Polish nation for the Holocaust. It was part of its wider efforts to portray Poles primarily as rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust while seeking to play down the fact that there were also Poles who abetted the Germans in hunting down and killing Jews. Jan Grabowski, a Polish-Canadian historian at the University of Ottawa, argued recently that Putin was engaging in a "cynical falsification of history," but added that Polish authorities, "discredited by years of twisting the history of the Holocaust, have lost any credibility and moral legitimacy to enter into a dispute in this field." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The insertion of politics into such a solemn event clearly has been unsettling for historians and Holocaust survivors. But Yad Vashem historian Robert Rozett said he hoped the image of more than 45 world leaders coming together to remember the Holocaust would help it "rise above" what he described as unfortunate background noise. "Using history for all kinds of things is very much a part of our world today and we as historians rail against it," he told the AP. "But if if we were waiting for all the stars to line up and for everyone to be on the same page, we would never have an event like this." ___ Heller reported from Jerusalem. ___ See all of APs coverage of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz at https://apnews.com/Auschwitz Michigan Woman Says She Was Sexually Assaulted on a Spirit Airlines Flight: 'Women Are Not Safe' A Michigan woman is calling for action after she says she was sexually assaulted while sleeping on a Spirit Airlines flight. Tia Jackson, 22, says the horrifying incident unfolded early Tuesday morning when she was on a 7 a.m. flight to Detroit from Atlanta, Georgia. Jackson, a student at Eastern Michigan University and mother to a 10-month-old baby boy, tells PEOPLE she was going in and out of sleep as the plane was descending when she felt the hand of the man sitting beside her caressing her thigh. I could feel him being real jittery. He kept moving. I thought he was cold. He took off his coat, sat it across his lap and Im thinking he was cold, so Im not paying attention, Jackson says. Next thing you know, I felt his hand on my thigh, Jackson alleges. Jackson explains she initially thought that maybe the man was just trying to get comfortable and had not purposely touched her, so she leaned closer on her friend (who was sitting on the other side of her on the flight) to give him some room. When he noticed I moved away, he slid his hands in my pants and then he touched my thigh and then part of my butt, Jackson alleges, adding that the man was pleasuring himself underneath his coat. This time, Jackson says she reacted, prompting the man to snatch his hand back. Courtesy Tia Jackson Courtesy Tia Jackson He tried to play it off, Jackson alleges. Alarmed and afraid, Jackson says she rang for a flight attendant in hopes of having the man removed from her row. However, instead of being met with sympathy, Jackson alleges that the flight attendant told her, If he keeps touching you, you should move. Im like, Thats crazy. They basically told me to sit back down and I had to make a scene and I had to refuse sitting down because the pilot wouldnt move until I sat down. Thats when they removed him from my row. Story continues RELATED: Plane Passenger Charged $105K After Disruptive Behavior Forced Landing Escorted by Air Force Jets They asked if he touched me and he said No,' Jackson tells PEOPLE. But he was shushing me. Making the matter all the more concerning, Jackson alleges that the man walked off the flight scot-free once the plane landed. He got away with touching me with no repercussions, Jackson says. Jackson explains she was forced to report the incident to police at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after the flight attendants refused to call on her behalf. Spirit was acting like they werent going to do anything about it, Jackson says. Even the pilot told me to go into the airport towards the front desk to ask for police assistance. Courtesy Tia Jackson Jackson says she then walked to the Spirit Airlines ticket counter, where she was able to talk to police in person. They told me they are taking this serious, Jackson says, adding that she filled out an incident report. The Detroit Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Still angry, Jackson explains she decided to bring the incident to social media after not getting a response out of the airline at the time of the alleged assault. This is really sad because after being a victim of sexual assault and to be sexually assaulted while flying with Spirit Airlines this is sad nobody did anything! Nobody called the police nothing!! Jackson wrote on Instagram. In screengrabs obtained by PEOPLE, an account believed to belong to Spirit Airlines is seen watching Jacksons Instagram Stories detailing the incident. RELATED: Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Crawls Into Planes Overhead Bin as Passengers Board Aircraft The account later sent Jackson a direct message writing, We appreciate you sharing this with us. Please provide your full name as it appears on the reservation, your 6-digit confirmation code, and the best email to reach you. Spirit Airlines also responded to the incident in a statement to PEOPLE saying, We take this claim seriously and are in direct contact with the guest. We thank our crew for their quick and professional assistance to address the situation. Our flight attendants on board that flight learned of the alleged incident 18 minutes prior to landing when the guest pressed the call button and received immediate attention. Once she told the flight attendant who came to her seat, the flight attendant directed her to a different seat. The cabin crew wanted to move her, as opposed to him, because the move would have left him with an empty seat on one side and an aisle on the other, Spirit explains. The crew wanted to keep the male guest isolated in that row. The female guest was asked to move to another open seat to quickly separate the parties. RELATED: Woman Who Says She Was Attacked at Dominican Republic Resort Now Suing Hotel for $3 Million By the time the guest declined to move, landing was imminent and everyone had to be seated as required by federal regulation. Law enforcement began its investigation immediately after the flight arrived. We are supporting law enforcement as they investigate. It was a Spirit team member who reported this to local law enforcement. The FBI is currently investigating, Spirit adds. Jackson tells PEOPLE she declined to move because Im not the one that should have been moved. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org. New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) will on Wednesday (January 22) hear a batch of 133 pleas challenging or supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA). The petitions will be heard by a three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The top court will also hear the plea filed by the BJP-led government at the Centre seeking transfer of all CAA-related petitions pending before several high courts to the SC. Several pleas have been filed in the SC challenging the constitutional validity of the new legislation, including those by RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Several other petitioners include Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGOs 'Rihai Manch' and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and some law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act. Some of the petitions filed later have also sought a stay on the operation of the legislation which came into force on January 10. It is to be noted that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was approved by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 12, turning it into an Act. Since then, there have been severe protests in different parts of the country against the Act. Live TV On January 9, a plea seeking that the CAA be declared constitutional was rejected by the SC. At that time, the SC apex court had said that the country is going through difficult times and there is so much violence that endeavour should be for peace. For its part, BJP is also reaching out to the people to mobilise support for the newly amended citizenship law and "remove misconceptions created by the opposition". Kerala government has also challenged the validity of the CAA in the apex court. Kerala and Punjab assemblies have also passed resolution against the CAA. On Tuesday (January 21), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that it will bring an anti-CAA resolution in the state assembly on January 27. This came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at a pro-CAA rally in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow that the Centre won't take back the citizenship law and the opposition can protest as much as they want. Shah also challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and others to hold an open debate with him on the new legislation. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday held a rally in Darjeeling against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Population Register (NPR). Some protesters in the rally were seen holding banners that read "No NRC" while some were carrying the flag. The TMC chief has been opposing the new law after it was passed by Parliament in December last year. She is continuously holding events against the CAA and has been raising her voice against NRC and NPR. Mamata has assured people of West Bengal that there is "no need to worry" regarding the CAA and NRC as she would not let the laws affect the people in Bengal. "Don't worry about CAA and NRC. I am there with you. Nobody will ever dare to touch you. This is our land and I'll assure you that nobody will create a division here," she had said. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has filed a defamation lawsuit against 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The lawsuit focuses on Clintons comments in October that Russia was grooming a Democratic presidential candidate, saying, Shes a favorite of the Russians. "I'm not making any predictions, but I think they've got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said, speaking on a podcast with David Plouffe, a former adviser to President Barack Obama. READ THE FULL COMPLAINT HERE While Clinton didnt target Gabbard by name, the Congresswoman from Hawaii was one of five women in the race for president at that time Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Marianne Williamson were the others and the only one who has been accused of being boosted by Russia, according to a report from the New York Times. The lawsuit, which was filed in New York, alleges Clinton deliberately and maliciously made false statements in an attempt to derail Rep. Gabbards campaign, by alleging that Gabbard is a Russian asset. Gabbards lawyers are seeking compensatory damages and an injunction banning further publication of Clintons statements made on an October podcast. (Video above: Tulsi Gabbard on Hillary Clinton's Bernie Sanders comments: 'This isn't high school') UMM AL-FAHM, Israel - Leila Jabarin looked every inch the matriarch of the Muslim family that surrounded her on a recent morning, encircled by some of her 36 grandchildren in a living room rich with Arabic chatter and the scent of cardamom-flavored coffee. But Jabarin, her hair covered with a brown head scarf, was talking to visitors in Hebrew, not Arabic, and telling a story that not even her seven children knew until they were grown. She was born not Leila Jabarin, but Helene Berschatzky - not a Muslim but a Jew. Her history began not in this Arab community where she has made her life with the Palestinian man she fell in love with six decades ago, but in a Nazi concentration camp where her Jewish parents had to hide their newborn from the Nazis. As world leaders - including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence - prepared to gather in Jerusalem this week to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Jabarin was sharing a survivor's memory unlike any other, a history of love and hate that exposes not just the power of transformation, but the blindness of prejudice. "First I was persecuted because I was a Jew, and now I am persecuted because I am a Muslim," said Jabarin, who has watched the recent rise of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia with alarm. Jabarin took note of the massacre of 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, synagogue in 2018 and another 51 last year at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. She attributed to both killers the same motivation, a hatred of the other, and is telling her story to show that love for the other is possible as well. "When I was in school, they taught us that Arabs had tails," she said, looking around at her Arab husband and her Arab family, as the Muslim call to prayer sounded across the neighborhood outside. "Everyone should know what happened to the Jews because it could happen to the Arabs." Among those listening in her living room was Erez Kaganovitz, a Tel Aviv photographer who is crisscrossing Israel to document as many such stories and images he can from the rapidly dwindling number of living Holocaust survivors. Through histories like Jabarin's, he hopes to keep the knowledge of those horrors from disappearing with those who endured them. "Ten years from now, what will be the memory of the Holocaust when the last survivor is no longer with us?" asked Kaganovitz. "If well tell the human stories, not just what happened in the camps but how they lived after, they appeal to humans in the way that numbers cannot. Six million Jews killed; it's too big." Kaganovitz launched his project, Humans of the Holocaust, last year in light of research showing Holocaust awareness declining among young people in many countries even as anti-Semitic violence and neo-Nazi movements are on the rise. In the United States, 66 percent of millennials had never heard of Auschwitz, according to a 2019 survey by the Claims Conference, an international survivors advocacy group, and a third of Americans cite the number of Holocaust victims at 2 million, not 6 million. Racing against mortality, Kaganovitz has interviewed and photographed 25 survivors to date, mostly in their 90s, including a kindergarten teacher who wrote children's books about the camps and an artist who portrays her lost family in puppets. A traveling exhibit based on the project will begin in Pittsburgh next year. The trends that motivated Kaganovitz also prompted officials to locate this year's World Holocaust Forum at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial and research center, and to focus the event on confronting the ballooning incidents of hatred against Jews. "We need a moral majority of leaders to come to Jerusalem and say that it is enough and now is the time to stand together and fight anti-Semitism," said organizer Moshe Kantor, head of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation and the European Jewish Congress. A sense of urgency is infusing what will be one of the largest international gatherings ever hosted by Israel. Almost 50 delegations will attend, including world leaders like Pence, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prince Charles. For Jabarin, it was decades before she was willing to speak of her own memories: the dark hiding, the "striped pajamas," the scattered round objects that seemed like balls in her toddler's recollection but now loom as skulls. Her welcoming neighbors knew she was Jewish when she arrived in 1960 as a new bride in this Arab city of 55,000 located in Israel, just south of Nazareth, she said. But only her husband, Mohammed, knew of her Holocaust origins. Her six sons and a daughter didn't understand for decades why she was fascinated by the televised documentaries on the Holocaust, a subject they learned little about in their Arab schools. "I decided to let the pain stay in my head," she said, a serene figure on a brocade couch, eyes bright behind heavy glasses, weathered hands folded over the crook of a walking stick. "It's still difficult. I see the scenes in my head, like a film." But in 2012, at a town meeting for pensioners on Israeli insurance benefits, a government staffer heard Jabarin interpreting his Hebrew for her seatmates. He asked her a few questions, was surprised to learn she was raised Jewish and, further, that she was a Holocaust survivor. Eventually, he helped her navigate the bureaucracy that saw her case investigated and registered with Israel's survivor's program. And only then did she tell her children how she came to be their mother: "It was very difficult to hear her story," said her son Nadar. "I asked her many questions about the war and about the Holocaust." Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. She was born to a Jewish Hungarian mother and Jewish Russian father in a Nazi concentration camp in either Hungary or Austria in either 1942 or 1943. (Her parents didn't like to talk about their time in the camp, and the family's archival file at Yad Vashem, reviewed by The Washington Post, is unclear on key points). The camp doctor her mother worked for hid her family in the cellar of his house, she said, and she was outside very little until the camp was liberated in 1945. With thousands of others, they stayed in a transit camp in Yugoslavia until boarding a ship for Israel in 1948. "They told us it was a Jewish country," she said. They landed in Haifa, eventually settled in Tel Aviv, and Helene, as she was known then, had become a teenager when a young construction laborer working near her house caught her eye. "He was working hard," she said. "I gave him a lot of water." Mohammed Jabarin remembers the kindness still. "She was only a girl," he said. When Helene told her father she wanted to marry Mohammed, he was furious. They were not religious, but he wanted her to marry a Jew. "If you go with him, it will be like going back to Hitler," she recalled her father saying. But she was determined, and in 1960 they wed. "Wherever fate takes a person, that is where you have to go," Jabarin said. She settled easily into her new home, becoming known as Leila and adding Arabic to the Russian, Hungarian and Hebrew she already knew. She reconciled with her father and remained close to her mother. But in almost every way, she was the mother of a booming Arab family. It was only after her children were born that she converted to Islam in 1973, but for reasons more practical than spiritual. With a Jewish mother, her sons would be considered Jewish by the government, and they would eventually be required to serve in the Israeli military. Jabarin decided she had lived with enough war in her life. According to a source, during this meet, they would like to discuss the issue of the collection war between two big films that released recently. The Telugu Producers Guild, established last year to resolve issues among filmmakers, will meet on Saturday. According to a source, during this meet, they would like to discuss the issue of the collection war between two big films that released recently. It has been very unfortunate and has given out a wrong impression regarding Telugu cinema. So we will be discussing the issue during the meet this Saturday, says a producer from the Guild. Sources also inform us that the Guild was supposed to meet last week, but had to postpone the meeting for the coming Saturday as some members were not available then. Nearly 50 active film producers are members of the Guild. A ground-breaking, non-surgical treatment that extracts fat cells from the stomach and injects them into painful joints will be showcased for the first time at Arab Health 2020. The Regenerative Clinic located in the Harley Street Medical Area (HSMA) and the UAE will be attending the exhibition to showcase their award-winning alternative treatment to orthopaedic surgery. Lipogems is a minimally invasive procedure that encourages the body to heal itself naturally. The technology works by extracting natural repair cells (mesenchymal stem cells) from fat, which are then injected directly into the affected area (such as the hip, knee or elbow) harnessing the rejuvenating properties of body fat to treat conditions such as arthritis. The entire procedure from harvesting to the injection is completed in less than 30 minutes. Compared to the months of recovery associated with traditional joint replacement, the quick, non-surgical nature of the procedure means patients can return to normal activity after a day or so. The Lipogems procedure offers huge potential to people from the Middle Eastern and Asian culture suffering joint problems who kneel down regularly throughout the day to pray. Alongside the practical implications in rejuvenating tissue and restoring mobility, surgeons have also found that the treatment also comes with an additional benefit a significant decrease in pain. In a keynote presentation January 30, Nima Heidari, from The Regenerative Clinic, will deliver results on recent advances in regenerative orthopaedics. Heidari is a Consultant Foot, Ankle and Limb Reconstruction Surgeon, BMI Healthcare and St Bartholomew's & The Royal London Hospital, London, UK. He will deliver full results of the first one year knee scores on Regenerative Clinic patients with osteoarthritis showing that 83 per cent patients responded positively. The results are the same average response rate as total knee replacement. Lipogems technology is FDA approved in the USA, and CE marked in the UK. Over 25 000 procedures have been conducted worldwide with no post-procedural infections recorded and a striking early success rate. The treatment is said to be as effective in knees as a knee replacement, but without the complications. As well as having a Harley Street based clinic in London, The Regenerative Clinic has also opened a new clinic in UAE that brings experts surgeons from Britain to the Middle East. Professor Adrian Wilson, Consultant Surgeon and Clinic Founder explains: I have seen the remarkable potential of this treatment first-hand. This is a new-to-the- UK and Middle East procedure with potentially incredible results for patients. It is very exciting to be at the forefront of applying this new therapy, but the real satisfaction comes in giving people back the joints that they used to have. We look forward to showing its extraordinary potentials at Arab Health 2020. The Regenerative Clinic will be among the 17 world-leading clinics and hospital groups joining the Harley Medical Street Area (HMSA) stand at Arab Health where they will be showcasing their revolutionary new treatment for the first time to patients in the Middle East. The Regenerative Clinic brings a globally recognised treatment to the UAE, and has also opened international clinics in Italy, Spain, Pakistan and UAE. Established in 2017, The Regenerative Clinic, is the UKs largest centre for regenerative medicine based in the renowned Harley Street Medical Area, London an area famed for its medical excellence in treating complex and life-threatening conditions. The area, managed by long-term landlord The Howard de Walden Estate, brings together a community of world-renowned medical professionals. Arab Health is largest healthcare trade exhibition in the Middle East. The event takes place January 27 to 30 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. -- Tradearabia News Service New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Around 20 women along with children gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday night to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act ahead of the hearing on the contentious law in the apex court. The protesters squatted at the front gate of the Supreme Court, following which police dispersed them from the area, a police official said. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas seeking to examine the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. A bench, headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, which had issued notice to the Centre on December 18 on various pleas is likely to hear a batch of 143 petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. CAA seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. PTI NIT NSD NSD - On Sunday, January 5, at around 5am, al-Shabaab militia launched attack on Kenya-US army base in Manda Bay, Lamu county - Three American soldiers were killed during the attack and Kenyans are yet to know how many of their soldiers died - Details have emerged indicating Kenyan soldiers who were deployed to guard the airport's fence hid during the attack The New York Times has narrated the events of Sunday, January 5, when heavily armed al-Shabaab militia stormed US-Kenya army base in Manda Bay, Lamu county. According to the newspaper, whereas the American soldiers were busy engaging the militia, their Kenyan counterparts hid in the grass leaving them exposed without any support. READ ALSO: List of top land controversies that have discredited Deputy President William Ruto The militia fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the plane before produced to the fuel storage area. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Wanafunzi wa shule ya Kabianga waliofukuzwa kwa kukosa kufanya mtihani wahitajika shuleni When the militia launched the attack, they first destroyed an American surveillance plane as it was taxing. What followed later were bullets flying all over the base which caught many Kenyan soldiers who were guarding the base unaware and instead of fighting, they allegedly took cover in the nearby bushes. "Surprised by the attack, American commandos took around an hour to respond. Many of the local Kenyan forces, assigned to defend the base, hid in the grass while other American troops and support staff were corralled into tents, with little protection, to wait out the battle," read the US newspaper, based on interview it conducted with individuals who had intricate details of the attack. American troops at Manda Bay in 2019. Photo: The New York Times Source: UGC READ ALSO: Good Samaritan tracks down girl who was teased for oversize uniform, buys her new one On the fateful day, Dustin Harrison, 47, and Bruce Triplett, 64, two experienced pilots and contractors with L3 Technologies, were taxiing their Beechcraft King Air 350 on Manda Bays tarmac. The two men reported that they saw animals darting across the runway but it turned out the animals were actually the al-Shabaab militia who had gained access to the air base. As they loaded the plane with sensors and video equipment for surveillance and began to taxi, the militia fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the plane, killing Harrison and Triplett. With the plane on fire, a third contractor, badly burned in the rear of the aircraft, crawled out to safety and was rescued hours later. He was then flown to Djibouti for treatment where America has its Africa Command base. Smoke that was seen at the airbase during the attack. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Inspekta Mwala takes on Sonko Junior in 11 photos for best short stature actor in Kenya As the plane continued burning, they attackers also went for six surveillance aircraft and medical evacuation helicopters that were on the ground at the time. The militia also destroyed a fuel storage area, rendering the airfield next to useless. Another 23-year-old army specialist, Henry Mayfield Jr, who was in a nearby truck acting as the air traffic controller was also shot dead. The attack alarmed the Pentagon which immediately sent about 100 troops from the 101st Airborne Division to establish security at the base. "The performance of the Kenyan security forces during and after the battle frustrated American officials. At one point, the Kenyans announced that they had captured six of the attackers, but they all turned out to be bystanders and were released," read the newspaper. No much details have been disclosed to the public about the attack. Kenyan officials reported five attackers were killed as the others fled the scene. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke Crown Resorts employees who were arrested and charged with gambling-related crimes in China will not be able to assist shareholders in preparing a class action lawsuit against the Australian casino giant over the affair, a court has ruled. Nineteen Crown employees were arrested in co-ordinated raids across several Chinese cities in October 2016 and were charged with promoting gambling in the country. The shock arrests saw Crown's share price dive almost 14 per cent, wiping more than $1.3 billion from the company's market value. Shareholders are suing Crown over the arrest of its workers in China. Credit:Getty Images The shareholder class action, run by plaintiff law firm Maurice Blackburn, is seeking compensation for the value investors lost when the shares crashed, and argues Crown did not tell shareholders about the risks it was taking in China. The Full Court of the Federal Court on Wednesday unanimously overturned an earlier decision to void confidentiality contracts between Crown and the 19 employees. Mohamad al Jounde, winner of the 2017 International Children's Peace Prize, at the 2019 ceremony in The Hague last November. Photo: Nacho Calonge/Getty Images A Syrian teenager has warned global leaders are forgetting the struggles of refugees as climate change dominates debate at Davos. Mohamad Al Jounde, winner of the 2017 International Childrens Peace Prize, also said refugees needed education to understand and act on climate change themselves. Al Jounde, who won the awar for launching a school as a 12-year-old in a refugee camp in Lebanon, said climate change was crucial but not the only issue for world leaders. The state of the climate has received top billing at the World Economic Forum (WEFs) annual summit of business, government and civil society leaders at Davos, Switzerland. READ MORE: Voters change their minds easily and rapidly over immigration Some critics see the gathering in the Alps ski resort as a talking shop and a symbol of global capitalism, but organisers say it allows discussion and collaboration among leaders. Al Jounde, now 19, appeared on a panel about migration at the summit on Wednesday, telling his own story. He said he had been forced to flee Syria with his mum after she received death threats for participating in the 2011 protests. He volunteered with other Syrian children in a Lebanese camp before setting up his own school, Gharsah. He said it now educates more than 700 students every six months, allowing them to move into formal schooling rather than child labour. READ MORE: 'Racism isnt just a moral issue. This is a profit and loss issue' He told leaders at the debate: Considering all the emphasis on climate change from business to government, people in a sense are forgetting struggles that refugees face. Like finding education, like finding work. Dont get distractedyes, climate change is important, but dont forget that other sectors still need investment, big investment as well, in order for us to solve climate change. We cant demand refugees care about climate change as they have to receive education first. If we cant lift them up to a certain socio-economic level so they can start caring about climate change, we cant solve it. Everythings interconnected. READ MORE: Expert says humans enjoy a $125tn subsidy from nature Deepika Padukone Was Diagnosed With Depression When She Least Expected It: One Morning When I Felt All Was Well, I Fainted Mitch McConnell blinked. At least for a moment. After last-minute pushback from centrist GOP senators, the Senate majority leader slightly eased off his push Tuesday for a compressed calendar during President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. But McConnell still ran all over Democrats on the Senate floor, winning a series of party line votes on the resolution that will govern the trial. The developments on the first real day of the trial are sure to please Trump, who is eager for Republicans to dispense with impeachment. And it highlighted the brute force McConnell deploys against the minority party, as well as the need to deftly handle his own rank-and-file senators during just the third presidential impeachment trial in history. Listen, youre not going to get any kind of dissent from me. Its not easy herding a bunch of a cats, so hes got a difficult task here in terms of organizing everybody, said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who has criticized McConnells tactics in the past but backed him on the impeachment battle. Johnson even argued for providing less debate time during the trial's opening phases, yet he still sided with McConnell. Even Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who spent years in the Senate as a conservative agitator, praised the move to keep the caucus together by making a minor compromise. "We saw Democrats lighting their hair on fire: 'This is an outrageous effort. A cover-up, to have 24 hours of arguments over two days,'" Cruz said. "Senate Republicans did something wise and right which was to say: 'OK we'll make a concession.'" In the organizing resolution he released on Monday night, McConnell had called for allowing only two days for House managers to present their case against the president, raising the specter of exhausted senators sitting in the chamber until well after midnight. Democrats also charged McConnell with trying to bury the trial in the dead of night, long past when most Americans would have stopped watching. Story continues But a few key Republican senators objected, and McConnell agreed to allow three days 24 hours in floor time total for both the House managers and Trumps defense team to present their opening arguments. The organizing resolution was also revised Tuesday so that the Houses evidence is allowed to be used in the Senate trial, although Trumps lawyers will still be able to challenge whats allowed under consideration by senators. These were concessions, but only the slightest of ones and the shift gave McConnell further license to ignore Senate Democrats broader complaints. With all 52 of his GOP senators united behind him, McConnell was able to defeat a series of Democratic amendments calling for more documents from the White House and other federal agencies caught up in the Ukraine scandal. On the biggest issue whether to call additional witnesses now, including former national security advisor John Bolton and others McConnell refused to yield. At the Kentucky Republican's urging, the Senate postponed a decision on that question until after the opening arguments, despite vehement objections from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Its McConnell 101. The Senate majority leader plays by the rules, but he uses them as a weapon to help his cause as much as a restriction on what he can do. The only limits are based on what his members will agree to. And its nothing new to his adversaries. One thing about McConnell is hes ruthless at what he wants. Hes ruthless, said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). He changes the rules with 51 votes to get what he wants. He changes the rules because he can. The total disinterest in talking to Schumer for months was a clear indication he was going to railroad us, noted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Its perfectly consistent with the way hes managed the Senate up until today. If anybody expected anything different from the way he was going to approach impeachment, shame on them. McConnell puts both Republicans and Democrats on the spot by applying maximum pressure. Theres no place for anyone to hide in a McConnell-run Senate. As the impeachment trial opened on Tuesday afternoon, McConnell spoke extensively on the need for fairness, declaring that Trump will finally get a chance to defend himself. McConnell portrayed Trump as a victim of an unfair process in the House, an argument that the president has made passionately for months. McConnell even presented himself as a defender of the House and bipartisanship itself, a claim that Democrats would surely ridicule. Here in the Senate, the presidents lawyers will finally receive a level playing field with the House Democrats, and will finally be able to present the presidents case. Finally, some fairness, McConnell said. On every point, our straightforward resolution will bring the clarity and fairness that everyone deserves the president of the United States, the House of Representatives, and the American people. McConnell also repeated a mantra hes employed for months in saying he wants to use the Clinton precedent for the Trump trial: Fair is fair. Schumer objected furiously to McConnells resolution, using dramatic language that shows the stakes for Senate Democrats in this fight. The New York Democrat is aware that McConnell is trying to set up a final verdict within two weeks, possibly by the time Trump gives his State of the Union address on Feb. 4. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., talks to reporters about the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) On something as important as impeachment, the McConnell resolution is nothing short of a national disgrace, Schumer said. This will go down, this resolution, as one of the darker moments in the Senate history. Perhaps even one of the darkest. McConnell ignored the comments and kept his focus on his own caucus, where he was trying to maintain GOP unity. In fact, his resolution was changing so fast it left some senators heads spinning: As he headed to a party lunch Tuesday, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he hadnt even been able to review McConnells initial version, let alone the revised one. Ultimately, GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Rob Portman (Ohio), among others, said they couldnt support the timeline that McConnell was trying to set for the trial. They wanted three calendar days for both sides to present their cases, rather than two. The party debated the matter at the lunch, and only when McConnells resolution was read on the Senate floor was it clear that he had backtracked. Because the objections were from Republicans and McConnell was relying only on GOP votes to pass the resolution he had to agree to the change, which could add two days to the proceedings. The modest retreat also raises questions about whether McConnell will be able to keep all his rank-and-file members in line for the crucial vote on witnesses next week. So far, three Republican senators have expressed openness to hearing from witnesses, but Democrats need one more. And crossing the president and the powerful majority leader would be a tough decision for any GOP senator. McConnells deputies scoffed at the notion that hed done anything more than give some ground on the cosmetics of the trial. The majority leader was correct that nowhere near that amount of time will be taken. But I think as a visual it just seems fairer to spread the 24 hours over [three] days, said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who serves on the GOP leadership team. I think it probably took some people probably by surprise in squeezing the time constraints, said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) before the resolution was altered. I think hes got a difficult task in front of him, theres just no question about it. Hes done an excellent job of listening to us, and Im sure hes going to continue do that. [January 22, 2020] Vapor IO Raises $90 Million to Build Out its Kinetic Edge Platform in 36 Markets by 2021 AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vapor IO , creators of the Kinetic Edge platform and Kinetic Edge Exchange (KEX), the first nationwide platform for edge colocation and networking services, today announced an additional investment by private equity firm Berkshire Partners and Crown Castle, bringing its aggregate Series C funding to $90 million. The latest tranche of funding will accelerate the company's build-out of its coast-to-coast Kinetic Edge platform. "The Third Act of the Internet requires that we build out edge computing infrastructure as quickly as possible," said Cole Crawford, founder and CEO of Vapor IO. "By deploying Vapor IO's Kinetic Edge exchange, colocation, and networking services in the top U.S. markets, we provide a platform to deliver low-latency edge capabilities at the intersection of the wireline and wireless networks. With a total of 36 multi-site markets coming online over the next 24 months, we expect to be the largest provider of edge colocation, edge networking, and edge exchange services in close proximity to the last mile networks." Already deployed in Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Dallas, the company has another 16 markets in pre-construction, most of which it expects to build out in 2020. The company plans to deliver its Kinetic Edge platform to the top 36 U.S. metropolitan markets by the end of 2021. Vapor IO's Kinetic Edge platform is a fully-integrated system of edge colocation, networking, and exchange services that operates at city-scale in key metropolitan regions. The Kinetic Edge uses custom data centers, dedicated fiber, and networking services to deliver a complete solution for infrastructure edge computing. The nation's largest carriers, cloud providers, CDNs, web-scale companies, and innovative private enterprises place their compute, storage, and networking technologies in Kinetic Edge locations, which are strategically located near the existing wired and wireless access networks, including emerging 5G wireless networks. Vapor IO's unique edge architecture creates city-sized logical data centers by combining geographically dispersed micro data centers into a single fabric on a metropolitan basis, allowing its customers to operate servers in locations that are closest to the access networks, near the end users and devices to enable the next generation of applications and services. The Kinetic Edge Exchange and Digital Realty In November , Vapor IO announced its Kinetic Edge Exchange (KEX) service, the world's first software-defined system for interconnection in edge locations. The company also announced a multi-city deployment with Digital Realty, a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. By deploying the Kinetic Edge Exchange on PlatformDIGITAL, the companies make it possible for customers to build new distributed workflows spanning dynamically from core to edge. 20 Markets Underway; 36 Markets by 2021 Vapor IO's Kinetic Edge is deployed in Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Dallas. The company has also begun pre-construction activities in 16 additional markets and has plans to deploy its coast-to-coast Kinetic Edge platform in a total of 36 markets by the end of 2021. "Vapor IO has the key ingredients to deliver critical edge computing infrastructure to the top U.S. metropolitan markets," said Josh Johnson, principal at Berkshire Partners. "We believe they have the technology, expertise, and access to the required land and fiber to build a nationwide footprint. We're excited to partner with Vapor IO as they deploy fully-integrated edge solutions that improve performance, reduce costs and enable new applications for their customers." The first 20 cities to feature the Kinetic Edge platform are (in alphabetical order): Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Nationwide Partnership with Cloudflare Vapor IO also today announced a nationwide partnership with Cloudflare. As part of this partnership, Cloudflare will roll out its cloud services via the Kinetic Edge platform across 36 U.S. cities. This partnership will unleash a new class of applications, giving developers the power to run serverless functions through the Kinetic Edge platform, in close proximity to end users and devices, using Cloudflare Workers as well as extending Cloudflare's security, performance, and reliability services even farther out at the edge. What is the Kinetic Edge Platform? By placing IT equipment on the Kinetic Edge platform, companies enable a new class of applications that depend on low latency Internet services near the devices that utilize them. Vapor IO's Kinetic Edge platform is the first integrated system that delivers the fundamental infrastructure services required to deliver edge native applications. Kinetic Edge services include: Kinetic Edge Colocation : Kinetic Edge Colocation offers customers the ability to place compute, storage and networking equipment in close proximity to the last mile networks, making it possible to deliver low-latency edge services. The Kinetic Edge services utilize Vapor IO's patent-protected enclosure systems, which feature the proprietary Vapor Chamber and Vapor Edge Modules , which are carrier neutral facilities designed with multiple layers of physical and logical security appropriate for a multi-tenant facility. Multiple colocation sites in any one Kinetic Edge city can be treated as availability zones for resilience delivered via high availability software techniques, such as those available with Kubernetes. : offers customers the ability to place compute, storage and networking equipment in close proximity to the last mile networks, making it possible to deliver low-latency edge services. The Kinetic Edge services utilize Vapor IO's patent-protected enclosure systems, which feature the proprietary and , which are carrier neutral facilities designed with multiple layers of physical and logical security appropriate for a multi-tenant facility. Multiple colocation sites in any one Kinetic Edge city can be treated as availability zones for resilience delivered via high availability software techniques, such as those available with Kubernetes. Kinetic Edge Networking : Networking on the Kinetic Edge platform is provided by the Kinetic Edge Fabric , a combination of physical fiber networks across each Kinetic Edge city. The fabric offers granular software-defined controls to create the network infrastructure needed for each customer or application on top of a flexible foundation. The Kinetic Edge Portal lets customers create real-time, virtual private networks that span multiple data centers across the city. : Networking on the Kinetic Edge platform is provided by the , a combination of physical fiber networks across each Kinetic Edge city. The fabric offers granular software-defined controls to create the network infrastructure needed for each customer or application on top of a flexible foundation. The Kinetic Edge Portal lets customers create real-time, virtual private networks that span multiple data centers across the city. Kinetic Edge Exchange (KEX): Edge meet-me rooms and the software-defined Kinetic Edge Exchange services provide interconnection and data exchange capabilities at every Kinetic Edge location, making it easy for networks on the Kinetic Edge platform to cross-connect via the Kinetic Edge Portal, gaining high-speed access to last-mile networks, regional data centers, metropolitan aggregation points and interconnection centers, as well as public cloud and private data centers. About Vapor IO Vapor IO is developing the largest nationwide edge colocation and edge exchange platform at the edge of the wireless and wireline networks. Serving the world's largest wireless carriers, cable operators, cloud providers, web-scale companies and other innovative enterprises, the company's Kinetic Edge platform combines multi-tenant colocation with software-defined interconnection and high-speed networking. The Kinetic Edge platform delivers the most flexible, highly-distributed edge infrastructure, and the company has deployed its Kinetic Edge in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Pittsburgh. By the end of 2020, the company plans to have its Kinetic Edge live in 20 US metropolitan markets, furthering its goal to deploy over 100 data centers in 36 U.S. markets over the next two years.. Follow @VaporIO on Twitter. Vapor, Kinetic Edge and Kinetic Edge Exchange are trademarks of Vapor IO, all rights reserved. Media contact: For Vapor IO: Jessica Gomez-Rees Publicity Inc. [email protected] 415-889-7444 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vapor-io-raises-90-million-to-build-out-its-kinetic-edge-platform-in-36-markets-by-2021-300991095.html SOURCE Vapor IO [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Villalon attended Waldo Middle School and East Aurora High School. He joined the United States Army in 2018 and, after completing basic combat training and advanced individual training in 2019 at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, he was assigned to Fort Bragg in North Carolina where he served as a combat engineer. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with "C'' Device, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Action Badge. Even if Sanders did tell Warren he didnt think the voters were ready for a female president, so what? The way I see it, the statement was made in a private meeting. The exchange was between two friends. It happened over a year ago. And isnt it a legit question, considering the fact Donald Trump is now in the White House? Isnt it OK to bring it up, considering polls show Democrats are concerned voters would not be able to get past their gender bias to vote for a woman? The first case of a deadly new respiratory virus with the potential to become a major global threat was reported Tuesday in the United States, in a man in Washington state who had traveled to the region in China where the illness appears to have originated. The new coronavirus is related to the virus that caused SARS, which sickened several thousand people worldwide 18 years ago. Public health officials worldwide are now racing to learn more about the new virus, including where exactly it came from, how easily it spreads among people and how it can be stopped. Theres concern this could spread like the SARS virus did, said Dr. Jeffrey Silvers, medical director of infectious disease at Sutter Health in the Bay Area. U.S. public health authorities put out their first alerts about the new virus two weeks ago, and over the weekend began screening passengers arriving from Wuhan, China, to three airports San Francisco International Airport, New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Two more airports, in Chicago and Atlanta, will be added later this week. The Washington patient, who reported himself to public health authorities and is in good condition, had traveled into the United States last week, before federal officials put in place screening protocols to identify cases of the new coronavirus. The virus so far has sickened 440 people, mostly in Wuhan province in central China, and nine deaths were reported as of Tuesday. The American patient was confirmed Tuesday morning by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The man is a U.S. resident from Snohomish County who is currently hospitalized and in isolation. The threat to the public at large remains small at this time, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, in a news conference Tuesday. The new virus was first reported in China at the end of December, with a few dozen patients hospitalized with a mysterious pneumonia. The cases were linked to an outdoor seafood market in Wuhan where live animals were being sold. Within a week of the first cases being announced, scientists discovered that a coronavirus was the cause. Very quickly, genomic sequencing found that it was unlike any coronavirus previously identified. Coronaviruses are a family of pathogens that mostly cause mild symptoms associated with the common cold. But two have been found to cause much more serious illness in humans. A coronavirus caused SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which infected about 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 worldwide before petering out. Another coronavirus causes MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), which has infected about 2,500 people, mostly in the Middle East, and killed nearly 900. For both MERS and SARS, the outbreaks began when a coronavirus jumped from an animal source into a human thats why scientists are interested in whether patients with the new disease were exposed to animals at the seafood market in Wuhan. The SARS virus turned out to be very good at transmitting from human to human, which was why it spread so rapidly around the world. The outbreak was stopped in part by aggressive public health efforts worldwide to quarantine patients, though infectious disease experts said there are still some questions around why it went away. The MERS virus is not so easily spread among humans, but it is now endemic in camels in the Middle East, which may explain why the disease has lingered, said Dr. Charles Chiu, an infectious disease expert who heads the viral diagnostics laboratory at UCSF. Its too soon to know where exactly the new virus came from, how easily it spreads or how dangerous it is. Reports have confirmed that the virus is indeed spreading from human to human, and Chinese health authorities this week reported that 14 health care workers had become ill after being exposed to sick patients. The worst-case scenario is an animal reservoir that harbors the virus as well as efficiency of human-to-human transmission. Thats a recipe for disaster, Chiu said. We cant really answer that question yet. Bay Area infectious disease experts said they are following the ongoing outbreak closely, though the immediate risk to Americans is low. If people are feeling sick right now, theyre far more likely to have the flu or some other common virus. Anyone who has recently been to Wuhan and develops a fever and lower respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or shortness of breath, should contact their local public health department or their own doctor, Silvers said. He said he sent out a notice to health care workers at Sutter on Tuesday, advising them to be alert for possible cases of the new illness, and to ask patients with respiratory symptoms about their recent travel history. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Silvers noted that the experience with SARS in particular helped public health and infectious disease experts prepare for other potential outbreaks like the new coronavirus. The Washington patient arrived in Seattle last Wednesday and did not have any symptoms at the time. When he began to feel ill four days later, he knew that his recent travel had put him at risk of the new virus, so he called his doctor. He was then admitted to a hospital for monitoring. Public health officials said Tuesday that they were interviewing the patient about his travel history and people he might have come into contact with recently. Infectious disease experts said its possible more cases will show up in the United States. And depending on how easily transmissible the virus is, it may be difficult to halt spread of the illness. The first line of prevention at the moment is quickly identifying new cases, which largely involves airport screening. Starting this week, all people traveling from Wuhan into the United States will be forced to travel through one of the five airports, including SFO, picked for screening by the CDC. Passengers going through customs will be asked about their travel history, including whether they have visited a seafood market, and will be checked for fever. SFO gets three direct flights from Wuhan per week, each averaging about 150 passengers, but it wasnt immediately clear how many additional passengers would be screened once more flights are funneled through the airport. We have a lot of people coming from China to this area, and if somebody came from Wuhan and they were sick, Id tell them to stay home. Id want to make sure they were checked, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, medical director for infection control at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford. But the risk to the average person is probably going to be pretty low right now. People need to be cautious, but no one should panic. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Beginning this year, the New York State Fair will be an 18-day event. The announcement was tucked inside a 152-page briefing book detailing Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 2020-21 executive budget proposal. The fair's run will be extended by five days, from 13 to 18 days. This year, the fair will open Friday, Aug. 21, and run through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Preliminary plans for the expanded fair include a motor show at the Expo Center and sensory-friendly days. Troy Waffner, who is the director of the state fair, said there are plans for additional programming to attract new and repeat visitors. The decision to add five days to the schedule, Waffner explained, is part of the state's goal to continue growing the fair. The fair has set all-time attendance records in each of the last four years. In 2019, the fair drew 1,329,275 visitors. "As you continue looking at increasing fair attendance, you have to look at expanding the fair," Waffner said. At 18 days, the New York State Fair will be one of the longest state fairs in the country. The longest is the Texas State Fair, which has a 24-day run. With the New York fair's recent growth, it now ranks as the third-largest state fair. After setting an all-time record in 2019, Cuomo said the state wouldn't stop "until we are number one." Even with an 18-day schedule that will take some work. The State Fair of Texas set an all-time attendance record with 2,514,637 visitors in 2019. The Minnesota State Fair also broke its all-time attendance record when it welcomed 2,126,551 guests last year. As the fair continues to grow, Waffner said they are seeing more people from New York attending the annual event. By adding five more days, fair officials hope to attract visitors from across the Northeast. The fair will add to its workforce to handle the workload for the 18-day event. Waffner said there were between 1,700 and 1,800 employees who worked during the 2019 fair. This year, the fair will hire 300 to 400 additional workers. Cuomo's budget would provide additional funding and full-time staff for the fair. The executive budget plan includes $15 million for the fair's capital appropriations a $10 million increase and the Department of Agriculture and Markets, which oversees the fair, would hire 40 new employees. The executive budget also includes $4.9 million to expand the fair from 13 to 18 days. While the schedule change didn't require legislative action, the state Legislature must approve the funding. The fair has been working to fill out its programming schedule for the additional five days. Waffner noted that they were close to finalizing the music lineup for 13 days before the decision was made to expand to an 18-day event. They've already submitted offers to bring musical acts to either Chevy Court or the Experience Stage on the west end of the fairgrounds. The change won't affect Wade Shows, the fair's midway operator since 2014. The Michigan-based company will continue to provide rides and other attractions at the fair. "They're ready and able to do the 18 days of the fair," Waffner said. The fair will continue to rotate animals in and out of its barns. Waffner said there will be discussions with the farm's agriculture stakeholders about the schedule. As it has in the past, Centro will provide shuttle service from park-and-ride locations across central New York. The fair and Centro are finalizing a list of park-and-rides for the 2020 fair, Waffner said. There will be more improvements at the fair before it opens in August. The state has already invested $120 million in several projects, including the construction of the Expo Center, a new main gate and the expanded midway. The capital funding provided by the state would be used to make electrical upgrades to structures, according to the budget briefing book, and for the "repair and rehabilitation of the fair's facilities to allow for year-round operation of the fairgrounds." The improvements have been significant, but Waffner believes another change has helped boost attendance over the last several years. "It's actually the reworking of the entire marketing strategy of the fair in terms of really growing it," he said. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 4 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 11 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Commissioned by Daniel Pearl (Leaving Neverland) and executive produced by double BAFTA award-winning Paul Sommers, the one-off 1 x 90 documentary Thomas Markle: My Story first aired on Channel 5 in the UK on 22 January. Coming up to date with reaction to the most recent worldwide headlines, Meghan Markles father, Thomas Markle, is telling his side of the story for the first ever time in this premium feature documentary.An Alaska TV special for Channel 5, it features up-to-the-minute, first person insight into the one of the biggest international news stories this year; the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step down from royal duties. Banijay has secured international rights excluding US and Canada.We are thrilled to be bringing this remarkable historical record to international broadcasters and platforms worldwide which comes from an experienced and award-winning creative team, commented Andreas Lemos, commercial director, factual at Banijay Rights. Set to be one of the most headline making feature documentaries of the year, this is first and foremost a stunning and poignant film from a father to his daughter, as she and her husband step down from royal duties, offering a unique insight into the decision that shocked the world. Alaska TV managing director Paul Sommers added: Being able to make a high-quality feature documentary which balances revelation and sensitivity, on such a global and topical current news story, is something we are very proud of. AUGUSTA, Maine, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Maine Association for Charter Schools will host its 10th annual celebration in the State House "Hall of Flags" during National School Choice Week on Wednesday, January 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students, teachers, and school leaders from Maine's 10 public charter schools will host displays and discuss with legislators their innovative school programs and the importance to them of public school choice. A press conference featuring students and school leaders will commence at 11:00. The event is Maine's largest celebration of National School Choice Week. Speakers will include students, staff, and school leaders. The Maine State House is located at 210 State Street. This event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "The availability of 'school choice' is important to many Maine families in meeting the unique educational needs of their child. It can play a major role in their choice of a place to live, as residing in some towns provides a variety of publicly funded public and private school options," said Roger W. Brainerd, Executive Director of Maine Association for Charter Schools. "Expanding publicly supported education options is important for Maine, as we work to overcome rural/urban disparities, income-related achievement gaps, and attracting new workers in an aging population." This event is organized by the Maine Association for Charter Schools, which seeks to enhance public education by promoting and sustaining high quality charter schools. Maine now has 9 operating charter schools and another to open next September. Maine's public charter schools are open to students statewide from PreK through the 12th grade, though admission lotteries are necessary if student applicants exceed the space available. This year, 2,500 students are enrolled from 289 towns across the state, and 519 students have been on waiting lists hoping to attend one of these public schools. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/maine. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com D onald Trump has again lashed out at climate activist Greta Thunberg at Davos saying the teenager "beat him out of Time magazine." The US President also told reporters in a press conference held before he went back to the US that the historic impeachment trial that begun on Tuesday was a "hoax" and called it a "disgrace". Mr Trump was asked questions by reporters for around half an hour on Wednesday, addressing trade with the EU, the impeachment proceedings and the climate crisis. He said that while he does not think climate change is a hoax, environmental campaigners were trying to reach an "unrealistic" target adding that America's "numbers" of air and water were "very good". Donald Trump Blasts 'Hoax' Impeachment Trial At Davos Press Conference Mr Trump said he would have like to have seen Ms Thunberg speak before noting that she "beat me out on Time magazine" - a reference to her winning the Time Person of the Year award. He also said that she should shift her attention away from the United States to focus on "those dirtier places". The American leader yesterday used his speech at the forum to attack climate prophets of doom and snubbed their predictions of the apocalypse in favour of optimism for the future. Soon after he spoke, Greta introduced a talk on Averting a Climate Apocalypse, in which she scolded the elites for not doing enough to deal with the climate crisis. Mr Trump opened his press conference on Wednesday by saying the impeachment trial was a "hoax" that is "so bad for our country," adding that the Democrats "have no case". The President, who was impeached last month by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress, denies any wrongdoing and describes the trial as an attempt to derail his 2020 re-election effort. He later added that he would "love" to make an appearance at the trial but that his lawyers might have a problem with that. The President said he had "great respect for the Senate" and it was up to them to decide how to handle the historic proceedings. He added that he would rather have a long trial with witnesses but that there would be national security issues if that were to happen. "I'll leave that to the Senate," Mr Trump said, adding that he would watch the proceedings after leaving the summit. "I'd rather go the long route." He said the trial is a way for the Democrats to attempt to "beat him" because they "can't beat him in the election". The President also discussed brokering a trade deal with Europe saying he expected it to be tougher than the one he secured with China. "We're going to make a deal I suspect, otherwise we'll have to do something else," he said. Mr Trump also vowed dramatic action with the World Trade Organisation, saying the group's director general would visit Washington as soon as next week, but giving no other details. Serena Williams in the dress by Melbourne-based Cassie Byrnes, who worked with Nike for 18 months on the Australian Open collection. Credit:AAP If you consider fashion merely clothes, it's hard to think of two events more diametrically opposed than Paris Couture Week and the Australian Open. In Paris, this week marks the twice-yearly froth-fest of gowns whose prices starts in the thousands and finish in the stratosphere (as they say, "If you have to ask ..."). Meanwhile, at Melbourne Park, the world's top tennis players are sweating it out (quite literally) in some of the most colourful and sustainable gear the game has ever seen. In the debate about which event is more prestigious, purists will scoff and say Paris, naturally. But if we're measuring in eyeballs alone, then the Grand Slam wins by a double break in the third set. Irrespective, the two events are, right now, fashion's biggest stages, and two designers from Melbourne are playing a starring role. A judge has denied Tekashi 6ix9ine's request to serve the rest of his two-year prison sentence at home after the rapper argued he was a target inside because he turned on fellow gang members as part of a plea deal. The 23-year-old is locked up at a secret facility but his lawyer argued he should at least be moved to a community correctional facility on the basis that he's not eligible to get credit for good behavior or access to programs other prisons provide. On Tuesday, the rapper's girlfriend was fuming after Judge Paul A. Engelmayer turned down the request. He said it it would undermine his decision based on the deal to help convict Bloods members Aljermiah Mack and Anthony Ellison. The judge said the sentence was meant to 'reflect the seriousness of his crimes' and that he was 'mindful' of the details mentioned in the argument when his fate was announced less than a month ago. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer declined Tekashi 6ix9ine's request to move from a private prison to a a community one or be put on home arrest Tuesday. His girlfriend Jade was fuming about the decision He helped convict Bloods gang members Aljermiah Mack (right) and Anthony Ellison (left), reducing his sentence from what could have been decades behind bars But his girlfriend complained about the length of time Tekashi must serve behind bars and compared the case to Salvatore Gravano who helped bring down Gambino crime family boss John Gotti After the announcement, the Fefe artist's girlfriend took to social media where she ranted it wasn't fair and told followers her partner is doomed. 'They kidnapped you, they had sex with the mother of your child, they get caught on the phone trying to kill you & their stealing millions of dollars from you,' Jade, whose real name is Rachel Wattley, wrote in a caption of photo she posted of the pair together. 'If you snitch, for the rest of your life people are gonna try to kill you for being a rat but if you don't snitch, you're doing 47 years in prison where they're gonna kill you anyway because they were already talking about it.' Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, hails from Bushwick in Brooklyn. His attorney Lance Lazzaro said in legal documents that the Nine Trey Gangster Bloods street gang has a presence at his private jail. Tekashi has already served about 14 months of his two-year sentence. Before cooperating with prosecutors and supplying ample information, he faced a minimum of 37 years in prison. But his girlfriend complained about the length of time Tekashi must serve behind bars and compared the case to Salvatore Gravano, who helped bring down Gambino crime family boss John Gotti in a deal where he admitted to involvement in 19 murders. Jade continued in a social media rant Tuesday evening: 'Sammy the Bull kills 19 people and gets 5 years . You kill no one and gets 2 years . This s**t is so f**ked up .... LMFAOOO they can't break you, no one understands why people still love you and support you. '13X PLATINUM 8X GOLD AND YOU HAD NO FRIENDS IN THIS INDUSTRY TO START OFF YOUR CAREER YOU TOLD EVERYONE SUCK YOUR D**K !!! THEY KNOW THE INTERNET HASN'T BEEN THE SAME SINCE YOU LEFT I LOVE YOU BABY #FREEYOU. Tekashi 6ix9ine, 23, has asked the judge in his case to let him finish out his two-year sentence under conditions of home arrest or at a community correctional facility. He was snapped in court in NYC in 2018 The rapper is slated to be released from prison later this year Judge Engelmayer had chastised the rapper for deploying a gang as his 'personal hit squad'. 'Your cooperation was impressive,' he said, according to the AP. 'It was game-changing. It was complete and it was brave.' In a letter he read in court, the rapper said, 'I made a lot of bad choices in life, but that does not make me a bad person.' In testimony he delivered last fall, Tekashi 6ix9ine said that he owed his career to his gang affiliation. 'I got the street credibility. The videos, the music, the protection - all of the above,' he told the jury in the case. He said that his contribution was to 'just keep making hits and be the financial support for the gang ... so they could buy guns and stuff like that.' Tekashi 6ix9ine's help in convicting gang members was 'not only substantial, it was extraordinary,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear told the Associated Press. 'He was truthful. He was forthcoming. He was an open book.' Longyear noted that Tekashi 6ix9ine's testimony helped authorities identify and convict other gang members, putting his life in danger amid potential retribution. 'Forever, in the government's view, he will have to look over his shoulder,' Longyear said. France will further bolster its anti-jihadist force in the Sahel, on top of 220 reinforcement soldiers already sent recently to try to stem a spiral of violence in the region, the country's top general said Wednesday. Defence chief of staff Francois Lecointre told reporters in Paris he would detail the "profile and composition" of the proposed troop buildup to President Emmanuel Macron in the coming days. France has a 4,500-member force in the Sahel region, recently reinforced with a further 220 soldiers, to train and assist local forces fighting an increasingly deadly insurgency in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Chad. Thousands of civilians have been killed and more than a million displaced, with hundreds of troops killed, including dozens of French soldiers. Further reinforcements will be accompanied by "additional logistical and intelligence tools," said Lecointre, with efforts concentrated on the Liptako-Gourma region where the Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger borders meet. "Today in this extremely vast zone, the means at Operation Barkhane's disposal are not sufficient for us to have soldiers deployed 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said, using the official name for France's Sahel mission. A locally raised G5 Sahel force is also focusing its efforts in the three-border area recently targeted by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) group for a number of deadly attacks. France has been working on creating a new European special forces operation dubbed Takuba, which Lecointre said "will be fully operational by this autumn." - 'Not there yet' - "From a tactical point of view, this is what gives us hope that we will reach a tipping point," Lecointre said, while conceding he foresaw a "long engagement." "I do not think, despite this boost, we will be able to claim victory by year's end," he said. Macron hosted his counterparts from the five Sahel countries in southwest France earlier this month, when he announced the deployment of the 220 extra troops for the Barkhane operation and urged the United States to keep its own soldiers engaged in the anti-terror fight in Africa. Lecointre also said the French and Russian armies have been in talks for several months to try to find common ground on some the world's major crises, in a bid to "avoid confrontations that would be unfortunate for them as for us". Perhaps in the future, "we could envisage the possibility of joint operational preparations," he said, though "we are not there yet." Macron said last November that it was crucial to seek a rapprochement with Russia, in an interview in which he said NATO was suffering from "brain death," drawing criticism from many of France's allies. Lecointre on Wednesday singled out the unrest-plagued Central African Republic, where Moscow is training and arming troops seeking to stem violence by armed groups fighting over mineral resources. He called it a "laboratory to test the goodwill proclaimed by Russia to be a partner in the resolution of crises, and not someone who wants to use these crises for the purposes of destabilisation." France has a 4,500-strong force deployed in the Sahel region, recently reinforced with another 220 soldiers, to train and assist under-equipped local forces fighting an increasingly deadly insurgency in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Chad (CNN) Greta Thunberg took the stage at the World Economic Forum Tuesday to admonish world leaders for doing "basically nothing" to reduce carbon emissions despite evidence of a looming climate catastrophe. Speaking just hours before President Donald Trump's appearance at the annual gathering of the world's political, business and financial elite, the teen activist said awareness of the climate crisis had shot up but in other respects, not much had changed. "Pretty much nothing has been done since the global emissions of CO2 has not reduced," Thunberg said. "[I]f you see it from that aspect, what has concretely been done, if you see it from a bigger perspective, basically nothing ... it will require much more than this, this is just the very beginning." Asked what she wanted to see in the future, Thunberg said "that we start listening to the science and that we actually start treating this crisis as the crisis it is." Thunberg said she's spent a year trying to publicize the findings of a 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that shows countries can only release another 420 gigatons of carbon dioxide in order to have the best chance at keeping the rise in global temperatures to under 1.5 degrees. At current levels, that amount will be emitted within roughly eight and a half years. "I don't think I have seen one media outlet or person in power communicating this or what it means," Thunberg said. "I know you don't want to report on this. I know you don't want to talk about this. But I assure you I will continue to repeat these numbers until you do." Since appearing on the sidelines of last year's Davos meeting, Thunberg's profile has taken off and she was named Time's "Person of the Year." Conference participants lined up to get into the discussion Tuesday, with many holding phones aloft to take pictures as she took the stage. Thunberg acknowledged the attention but said that wasn't nearly enough. "I'm not the person who can complain about not being heard I'm being heard all the time," she said during a panel with other youth activists. Sustainability and climate change are top issues at this year's Davos meeting. On Tuesday, Thunberg repeated her call for all companies, banks, institutions and governments to abandon the fossil fuel economy. "Immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels. We don't want these things done by 2050, or 2030 or even 2021 we want this done now," she said. In his speech, Trump announced that the United States would be joining an initiative to restoring a trillion trees by 2050, but said that "to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse." Speaking again shortly after Trump, Thunberg said "planting trees is good" but nowhere near enough. "Let's be clear: we don't need a low carbon economy; we don't need to lower emissions. Our emissions have to stop if we are to have a chance to stay below the 1.5 degree target," she said. "Our house is still on fire. Your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour," Thunberg added. "We are still telling you to panic, and to act as if you loved your children above all else." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Greta Thunberg: 'Nothing has been done' to tackle the climate crisis." Student Kristen Smart, 19, of Stockton, was last seen on morning of May 25, 1996 Kristin Smart (pictured) disappeared 23 years ago and was officially declared dead in 2002 The family of college student Kristin Smart, who disappeared 23 years ago, have been told to prepare for news, suggesting authorities may have made a major development. Kristin's family have reportedly been contacted by the FBI in advance of any announcement. Kristin Smart, 19, of Stockton, California was last seen in the early morning of May 25, 1996, while returning to her dorm after a party near her campus at California Polytechnic State University. Search efforts over the years include the excavation of a site on the edge of the campus. Her mother, Denise Smart, was told by investigators to 'be ready' for news. 'This is really going to be something you don't expect. We want to give you the support you need,' an FBI agent told her, according to The Stockton Record. She was reportedly also told her family might need a spokesperson and it was suggested that they might want to 'get away' for a while. Smart, 19, was last seen in the early morning of May 25, 1996, while returning to her dorm after a party near the campus. Her family have been told to prepare for news, suggesting authorities may have made a major development This missing person poster provided by the FBI in the 1996 disappearance of California Polytechnic State University student Kristin Smart According to the FBI, Smart was last seen alive around 2am on May 25, 1996, by a fellow student, Paul Flores, who told police he parted company with her about a block from her dorm. Flores had reported her missing the next day but other students thought she had gone camping so officers did not declare her missing for three days. The San Luis Obispo Tribune newspaper reported that cadaver dogs homed in on Flores' dorm room during the investigation, specifically the mattress of his bed, and he was questioned by police in June 1996. Excavation work resumed at Cal Poly as the FBI and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office in 2016 look for the remains of Smart at sites on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo But he was not arrested or charged in connection with the case. Smart was officially declared dead in 2002. In 2016, officials renewed a search of California Polytechnic State University to look for her remains at sites on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo. Around 25 FBI agents and more than two dozen sheriff's deputies took part in the excavation and three hillside locations on the campus were searched. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Appointment 22 January 2020 Alex Francis brings over two decades of experience in hotel operations to his new role with Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown. During this time, Francis has opened multiple hotels and restaurants, oversaw multimillion-dollar renovations, and helped his hotels earn coveted awards such as "Sales Team of the Year" and "Hotel of the Year" from Interstate Hotels and Resorts. Francis joined Radisson Hotel Group from Graves Hospitality in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he was the vice president of operations. Before moving to Minneapolis, Francis held general manager positions with Radisson Resort Celebration in Orlando, Florida; Las Alcobas in Napa Valley, California; and the Sheraton Orlando North Hotel in Florida. At the Sheraton, Francis oversaw the property's multimillion-dollar renovation covering 390 rooms, 20,000-square-feet of meeting space, and four food and beverage outlets. Under his leadership, the property saw a 65% increase of topline revenues in three years and 163% increase in gross operating profit. Francis has also worked in hospitality management positions throughout Colorado and Washington. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in humanities with a concentration in English and a hotel restaurant administration degree from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Businessman Nishant Agrawal (name changed on request) was asleep at his home in Delhi when he got an SMS at 1.30 in the night informing him that his credit card had been swiped in London and Rs 60,000 spent. Right after the first transaction, however, he got a call from his banks risk-monitoring department in Chennai enquiring if he had carried out the transaction. Agrawal replied he had not and asked for the card to be blocked. The miscreant tried several more times and I kept getting messages of failed transactions. Thankfully those transactions did not go through as the ... Boris Johnson's plan to scrap a minimum earnings threshold for migrants who want to move to the UK after Brexit has sparked a backlash among Tory MPs. The PM is expected to ditch a proposal put forward by Theresa May's government which would have required people to earn at least 30,000 to come to Britain. Mr Johnson will instead pursue his long-promised Australian-style points-based immigration system, with earnings taken into account along with a myriad of other factors. But the prospect of dropping the 30,000 threshold has prompted Tory concerns amid worries it will make it much harder to deliver on a pledge to cut overall migration. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a leading Brexiteer and a former leader of the Conservative Party, said other measures would be needed to fulfill the Tory promise to 'take back control' of the UK's borders after it has left the European Union. He told The Times: 'They should be cautious about ditching the 30,000 threshold. 'They will need to have very strong checks in place to ensure that they deliver on their pledge to control immigration.' Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street yesterday, is set to ditch a proposed 30,000 minimum earnings threshold for migrants who want to come to the UK after Brexit Sir Iain Duncan Smith has expressed concerns about the shift as he said 'very strong checks' would be needed to control immigration to the UK Downing Street yesterday gave a strong hint that the 30,000 threshold would be dropped. Number 10 also suggested the old government's proposal of phasing in new border control changes next year will be ditched, with the replacement system due to be rolled out in full in January 2021. Mr Johnson set out his 'key guiding principles' which will underpin the new immigration system at a meeting of his Cabinet. He gave a cast iron commitment that unskilled immigration would be reduced under the new system while the overall number of people moving to the UK would also be cut. Sajid Javid ordered a review of Mrs May's planned earnings threshold last June in an initial sign that it could be dropped. The then home secretary ordered the Migration Advisory Committee, an independent body which advises the government, to examine whether the policy would be workable. Concerns have been expressed that the 30,000 figure would mean workers in important and skilled, but not particularly well-paid professions, being unable to come to the UK. The MAC is due to publish its report on the issue shortly, while a major government-ordered review of the UK's overall migration needs is expected to be released next week. The findings of that review will then help inform the government's new immigration system. Asked whether the 30,000 threshold was discussed during today's Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: It wasnt. That is something we asked MAC to do a separate piece of work on and I would expect that to be published shortly as well. I think it is worth pointing out that that obviously reflects the immigration system set out by the former government. The Prime Minister is looking at an Australian-style points-based system which is something slightly different. The Australian-style system would likely see people scored on their skills and what they could contribute to the economy, rather than just on their earnings potential. Downing Street is adamant that the new immigration system will result in an overall drop in immigration to the UK. The spokesman said: I think the governments manifesto set out that there will be fewer low-skilled migrants and overall numbers will come down. EU freedom of movement rules will continue to apply to the UK during the Brexit transition period when the two sides will try to hammer out the terms of a future partnership. The transition period will end in December this year and Mrs May's government had suggested that a new immigration system would be phased in at the start of 2021. But Downing Street suggested yesterday the new system would be rolled out in full on January 1: 'The new system will come into force on the 1st of January next year. Supplier News 22 January 2020 Minneapolis - CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, announces plans to simplify its EMEA operating model within four geographies this month. Following the successful move from a country to a cross-functional EMEA operating model across several major markets last year, CWT is to move its Greece, Morocco, Eastern Europe & Baltic local market management this month into cross-functional Market Management Teams. "I am delighted with the positive customer response we've had over the last year following adjustments made to our customer organization within Germany, Italy, Benelux, UK & Ireland, France, and Spain. Moving from Country Directors to Market Management teams has made us more agile and responsive to our clients' needs across EMEA," said Chris Bowen, CWT's Managing Director, EMEA. "The cross-functional, local management approach has been successfully tried and tested over the last year and well received by customers who see it as proof that CWT knows how innovate internally as well as with our service offering." As part of these changes, the role of Country Manager has been removed for Greece, Morocco, Eastern Europe and The Baltics, incorporating Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Romania and The Ukraine. As a result, the following people are leaving the company at the end of the month: Anthony Venios, Country General Manager Greece; Abdelhamid Bernoussi, General Manager Morocco; Carmen Alexandru, Country Manager Romania; Judit Kollar, General Manager Hungary; Jiri Homolka, Country Manager Czech Republic; Pauls Gusts, Deputy General Manager Latvia and Rasa Barisiene, General Manager Lithuania and Latvia. Kateryna Tarkhanova, Country Manager Ukraine; will leave the company at the end of February. "I thank Anthony, Abdelhamid, Carmen, Judit, Kateryna, Jiri, Pauls and Rasa for their hard work and dedication and wish them all the best in their future endeavors," said Chris Bowen. A Ryanair flight to Stansted airport had to make an emergency landing after the cabin suddenly filled with thick smoke. There were 169 passengers and four crew members on board the flight travelling from the Romanian capital, Bucharest, when smoke flooded the plane shortly after takeoff. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, then declared an emergency and returned to Otopeni airport where the passengers were disembarked, scared but otherwise unharmed. The incident took place on Tuesday morning on the flight that was originally scheduled for 6.40am to London Stansted Airport when passengers had already been made to wait because there was a problem with a first plane and replacement needed to be found. A second plane was then prepared. The flight then set off at 10.57am local time with the replacement aircraft but just minutes into the flight, the captain declared Mayday and signalled an emergency in order to return. The moment (left and right) the cabin of a Ryanair flight filled with smoke not long after take off from Otopeni airport in Romania as it headed to London Stansted airport on Tuesday The smoke started to fill the cabin when the plane had climbed to 5,000ft, and passengers started to panic. After landing many turned to social media to share their experiences such as Cosmin Malureanu who wrote: 'It was a traumatic experience, as soon as I took off everything was filled with smoke. We could not even see two rows in front of us.' They also complained that the crew did little to calm things down. Cosmin said: 'It was very bad, the crew was quiet. We didn't even see the oxygen masks that should fall in such a condition. It was nothing and I was in real panic.' In order to stop inhaling the smoke many passengers stuffed scarves or clothing over their mouths to try and get clean air. The airline arranged the third plane to drive the passengers to the flight to London around 3pm, but 29 people were reportedly so traumatised they refused to travel with the airline. Ryanair said a minor technical problem with aircraft caused the smoke to fill the cabin of the plane. According to witnesses, the smoke started to fill the cabin when the plane had climbed to 5,000 feet and an emergency was declared Passengers filmed the cabin as it filled with smoke. The plane returned to Otopeni airport where the passengers disembarked, scared but otherwise unharmed A spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'This flight from Bucharest to London was delayed due to a minor technical issue with aircraft. 'To minimise the delay, customers boarded a replacement aircraft which was de-iced before it departed to London. 'Shortly after take-off the aircraft returned to Bucharest as a precaution after the cabin crew reported an unidentified smoke in the cabin (which we believe was caused by the de-icing fluid being ingested through the air conditioning system). 'The crew notified local ATC and the aircraft landed normally at Bucharest, where it is being inspected by Ryanair engineers. 'Refreshment vouchers were provided, and passengers boarded another replacement aircraft which departed for London Stansted shortly after. Ryanair sincerely apologised to affected customers for this delay.' Bucharest has been hit with freezing temperatures, with the mercury hitting below zero, although it is not known if this played a role in the aircraft's difficulties. However, it was revealed the plane had to be de-iced before it was allowed to take off. An investigation is ongoing. It is currently unclear why the plane filled with smoke. Francis Erhabor, the divisional police officer of Itam, Akwa Ibom state police command, has received the 2019 Integrity Icon award for r... Francis Erhabor, the divisional police officer of Itam, Akwa Ibom state police command, has received the 2019 Integrity Icon award for rejecting a N6 million bribe to compromise the security system while he was a pipeline commander in Edo. The Integrity Icon summit & award is organised by Accountability Lab in partnership with Luminate, MacArthur and Ford Foundation to name and fame honest government officials, thereby encouraging integrity in the public service. The officer was honoured alongside four other nominees at the event which was held in Abuja, on Tuesday. The other nominees are Tani Ali Nimlan, an official of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Tina Lirmdu, a lecturer at the University of Jos, Plateau state; Kacheilom Roberts-Ndukwe, a teacher in a secondary school in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, and Christian Ahiauzu, head of the network infrastructure unit in ICTC at the University of Port Harcourt. Erhabor, who has served the police for 30 years, said he snubbed a N6 million weekly deal to compromise the system, despite his allowance of N37,500. I almost compromised if not for the mercies of the Lord. The story that is making frontline today that has brought me here was when I had just N800 in my pocket and I was a pipeline commander in Edo state, where I had worked for close to three to four years, he said. My actual allowance was just N37,500 from the government, which was not coming when due. And I had a few persons who dangled N1.5million to me and they were to be giving me N6million every week. And if I were to be there for 30 days, that is N24 million. I eventually spent more than three years. But because of that decision I took before I entered the force because I had taken an oath that the day I compromise myself, Lord just embarrass me, show me on TV. Make me stick to the N37,500 that was not forthcoming. It didnt go without persecution and agonism, sometimes my life was threatened, but the beautiful thing is that at the end of the day, I earned respect, I earned trust, got confidence not only from my colleagues but also from outside forces and it has been fun because the outcome has paid off. In a tweet, the organiser of the award congratulated the police officer, describing him as the peoples choice. Our Peoples Choice Award winner @integrityiconng CSP Francis Osagie Erhabor, who saluted the incredible & inspiring roles played by his mom and his wife in his life and career. Congratulations, it said. Our Peoples Choice Award winner @integrityiconng CSP Francis Osagie Erhabor, who saluted the incredible & inspiring roles played by his mom and his wife in his life and career. Congratulations pic.twitter.com/j6vNEUWDPf January 21, 2020 pic.twitter.com/TphPktTfBB The winner of this years Integrity Icon @integrityiconng award is...wait for it... a policeman, CSP Francis Erhabor. He was voted for by the public. He received a standing ovation from the public. I hope that @PoliceNG also honours him. Cc. @AccountLab January 21, 2020 Joe Abah, director of DAI Nigeria, an international development firm implementing programmes on governance in more than 100 countries, also said Erhabor deserves to be celebrated and honoured by the police.The winner of this years Integrity Icon @integrityiconng award iswait for it a policeman, CSP Francis Erhabor. He was voted for by the public. He received a standing ovation from the public. I hope that @PoliceNG also honours him, he tweeted. The death toll from a sudden collapse of a wooden bench on Monday at a major religious gathering in northwestern Ethiopia's Gondar city has climbed to 10 while 250 people were injured, local government officials confirmed on Tuesday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The deadly incident occurred as a congested wooden bench that was constructed to serve as a sitting place for people attending the epiphany celebrations in Gondar city collapsed as it was forced to accommodate beyond its capacity as tens of thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians gathered in Ethiopia's northwestern Gondar city to celebrate epiphany, the baptism of Jesus Christ. "The accident has left a total of 250 people injured and ten of them died after they were admitted to the hospital," state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) quoted Ashenafi Tazebe, Medical Director at Gonder Referral Hospital, as saying on Tuesday. The wooden bench, which was initially built to accommodate about 700 to 1,000 invited guests, collapsed as it was boarded by many unexpected others who were eager to take part in the baptism event, according to Gondar city peace and security department. Despite majority of the victims who were admitted for emergency healthcare treatments have already left healthcare facilities after receiving minor treatments, Tazebe also indicated that some 80 others are still in the hospital receiving care. According to the Medical Director, some 13 of the injured, who have sustained serious physical injuries, are currently receiving intensive medical treatment, who are said to "need lengthy medical care." Eyewitnesses confirmed to Xinhua that security personnel and volunteers were seen undertaking lifesaving activities shortly after the incident that happened in the early hours of Monday. Tesfa Mekonen, head of Gondar city peace and security department, also disclosed that among the victims that have sustained light physical injuries are two foreign nationals. Authorities are, however, yet to announce the two injured foreign nationals' citizenship. The injured also include two security personnel who were protecting the wooden bench from the crowd, according to Gondar city peace and security department. Various pictures have been also circulating over social media platforms shortly after the tragic incident, showcasing the incident as well as pictures of injured people from the incident. According to Gondar city administration, tens of thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are attending this year's epiphany celebration in the historic city, while about 15,000 foreign nationals are also currently in Gondar city attending the epiphany celebrations. Thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians across Ethiopia travel to Gondar city every year to celebrate epiphany, in which this year's edition of the celebrations in Gondar is also attended by senior Ethiopian government officials, including the Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde. The Ethiopian epiphany (Timket in Amharic), is considered as one of the East African country's highly rated religious and cultural events. It is a colorful festival celebrated all over Ethiopia to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ, in which the commemoration starts on the eve of the main festival, which falls on Jan. 18, or Jan. 19 during leap year such as this year's edition of the celebration. Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially left the monarchy, the news should be a "good" one for Prince Charles, who aims to "slim down" the family. However, far from what people expected, the departure appeared to have shaken him up in some way. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex surprised the royal family with their New Year bombshell announcement about their decision to step back as senior members of the family. Out of all the members of the monarchy, aside from Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles got hit by the news the most since he was only informed about the decision 10 minutes before they officially announced it online. Aside from the short notice, something about Meghan made him feel even sadder than before. Prince Charles' Disappointment Despite Meghan's skyrocketing public family drama, the heir to the throne remained understanding of her. Moreover, Meghan's situation made Prince Charles get closer to her even more. Because of this, he started to call the Duchess of Sussex "Tungsten" -- likening to the tough and unbending characteristic of the strong metal. However, when Prince Harry and Meghan made their announcement, it hit Prince Charles hard and was "devastated" about the news since he thought he has established a "close bond" with Meghan. BBC confirmed that no one in the royal family knew about the Sussexes' plans, which made the Prince of Wales even more enraged about it. As Queen Elizabeth II finally gave them her permission, the reality started to sink in more and put the next king of the monarchy in "deeper sadness." Meghan, Prince Charles Close From the day Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018, she successfully established a "close bond" with her father in law. During the wedding, the bride's father Thomas Markle failed to appear at the ceremony. In the end, Prince Harry requested Prince Charles to walk Meghan down the aisle, to which the heir to the throne agreed without hestation. Moreover, Prince Charles supported his son the most in his decision to marry Meghan in the first place and even helped his son to get a nod from Queen Elizabeth II approve of their union. Persuading the Queen could have been the hardest thing they needed to do during that time, most notably because Meghan is a divorcee as she was previously married to Trevor Engelson before they separated in August 2013. "He pushed his mother to give his son what he didn't manage to achieve for himself when he wed Camilla - marrying a divorcee in church," a source revealed to Daily Mail. In addition, the future King also imparted his knowledge about the history of the royal family to Meghan, who wanted to learn more about the rich history of the monarchy. But despite their closeness, Meghan's behavior trumped their closeness, and it was what hurt Prince Charles even more. Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are away from the royal family, it is safe to say that they will not look back again anytime soon. Moreover, the relationship between Prince Charles and his daughter-in-law might be hard to repair. A man accused of sexually touching a female paramedic in Sydney's west remains behind bars after a magistrate ruled he was a risk to the community. Garang Aguern was found slumped at a bus stop on Carpenter Street, Colyton at 4.20pm on Tuesday afternoon. Mount Druitt father Garang Aguern is charged with sexually touching a female paramedic in Colyton on Tuesday. Credit:Nine News A local real estate agent called triple zero, fearing Aguern had collapsed in the heat. When help arrived, police allege the father was "incredibly intoxicated" and made "phallic gestures" towards a female paramedic. It is alleged the 45-year-old from Mount Druitt was heard yelling "I'll pay you" for what the woman interpreted as sexual acts. When she and her partner finally got Aguern to his feet, he was then alleged to have ran his hand "up the inside of her left thigh". Police were called and arrested Aguern, who is now facing three charges, including sexually touch another person without consent, behave in offensive manner in/near public place/school, and common assault. He applied for bail in Penrith Local Court, but it was refused by a magistrate who told him the "offence is a great concern to the court and the community". Senior paramedics are disgusted by the allegations. Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a true blue desi girl at heart, literally! The Sky Is Pink actor recently attended Umang 2020, in Mumbai, the event is organised every year to honour the police for their hard work and services to the people. Priyanka looked resplendent in a deep royal blue handwoven silk saree from the collaborative collection of fashion house Ekaya Benaras and designer Masaba Gupta. Priyankas post on social media got a lot of attention. Priyankas husband, American pop star Nick Jonas seemed to be smitten by his gorgeous wifes pictures and commented, Stunning. Priyanka wore a matching royal blue sleeveless blouse along with her saree, and matching bangles and bindi. She wore huge earrings in her ears and sported minimal make-up. Urvashi Rautela also seemed taken by Priyanka, and resonated with Nicks view, writing, Stunnnnningggg. Priyanka and sarees are like a match made in heaven, and ever since her stunning saree look and dance moves in Dostanas Desi Girl, people associate the term Desi Girl only with Priyanka. Here are some of Priyankas best saree looks, go ahead, get inspired! On Tuesday morning, Priyanka took part in a fireside chat with many renowned figures at the World Economic Forum 2020 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday. Talking about why she wants to be part of the change, Priyanka said, I want my kids to grow up in a world where the world leaders have listened to Gretas (Thunberg) generation, where the climate crisis is contained if not averted, where a womans ability to succeed is a basic human right and not based on geography and chance. Professionally, Priyanka will soon be seen in the upcoming Amazon Prime series, Citadel alongside Richard Madden. The series is created by Russo brothers of The Avengers fame. She has also wrapped up the shoot for the Netflix movie based on Aravind Adigas Man Booker Prize-winning novel, The White Tiger. Directed by Iranian filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, the film also features Adarsh Gourav and Rajkummar Rao. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MELVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, returns as a Sustaining Sponsor to the 2020 Sundance Film Festival (January 23 - February 2) in Utah. Canon will celebrate filmmakers with programming at the Canon Creative Studio, located at 592 Main Street. At least 57 of the 240 films and projects that will screen as part of this year's slate over 23 percent are shot using Canon equipment. Canon Creative Studio Canon will host Sundance Film Festival attendees for hands-on, interactive displays of Canon equipment, panel discussions moderated by American Cinematographer and IMDbPro, and refreshments at the Canon Creative Studio (592 Main St; open Friday, January 24th from 11am-5pm and Saturday, January 25 - Monday, January 27th, from 11am-7pm). Inside the studio, guests can touch-and-try the latest Canon gear, including the EOS C500 Mark II cinema camera and Sumire Prime cinema lenses, which are now available and shipping. Also on hand will be Canon's complete line up of Cinema Cameras, as well as Canon's CINE-SERVO, COMPACT-SERVO, EF and RF lenses, as well as the new EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR camera. Guests can have their headshots taken by professional photographer Michael Ori, who will be shooting with the EOS-1D X Mark III, and receive an 8" x 10" copy of their portrait, printed on-site with the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Inkjet Printer. All portraits will be available online at orimedia.com/sundance in February after the festival. The Canon Creative Studio will feature two nights of Magic Hours, co-hosted by IMDdPro (January 25th) and Adorama Rental Company (January 27th). Each event presents opportunities to network with companies and organizations that share Canon's mission to support filmmaking. On Sunday, January 26th, Canon will toast creativity behind the lens at the eighth annual invite-only Raise Your Glass with Canon cocktail party, co-hosted by American Cinematographer. Canon will also continue its partnership with American Cinematographer, the world's leading publication dedicated to motion imaging and the art and craft of professional cinematography. The magazine's editors will be on-site at the festival and several of its contributors will moderate a series of six in-depth panel discussions at the Canon Creative Studio. The panels will be streamed through Facebook Live via American Cinematographer's page. American Cinematographer's website, ascmag.com, will also feature a series of online interviews with Sundance cinematographers, along with additional articles exploring cinematography trends at the festival, all sponsored by Canon. For a full schedule of events for Canon's activities at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and to request access to attend, please visit our Sundance website or follow us on Twitter and Instagram . Join the conversation with #CanonCreativeStudio. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2019 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2020. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc. Related Links http://www.usa.canon.com Mason Toney, is alleged to have murdered his friend and employer William Knight at building site in Orlando: WFTV9 A construction worker stabbed to death his Trump-supporting employer with a trowel during an argument over politics before leaving an American flag near his body, police said. Mason Toney was arrested late on Monday following a police manhunt and charged with the alleged murder of William Knight at a building site near Orlando, Florida. The two men, both aged 28 and friends since childhood, had reportedly argued about their opposing political views as they travelled to work together that morning. Mr Toney is accused of attacking his boss soon after they arrived at the site on Floridas Turnpike toll road. Court papers seen by US media described Mr Toney as anti-government and very outspoken about his belief that the government is bad and out to get him. Knight was said to be a proud and outspoken American and pro Donald Trump, detective Fabian Ramirez added in the document. According to court papers seen by local TV news channel WKMG, witnesses told officers they heard Knight shouting for help as he was stabbed repeatedly with a trowel. Bystanders allegedly attempted to intervene and threw things at Mr Tony, who climbed into a truck and drove away. Police were called to the building site at 10.45am by another worker, who rang 911 and reported that Mr Toney had stabbed and killed his boss. Mason Toney has been charged with murder (Orange County Sheriffs Office) Orange County Sheriffs Office said Knight was found dead next to an excavator with a new American flag draped the side of his body. The flags packaging was also nearby. Mr Toney was arrested after crashing the truck during a brief police chase. He was charged with first-degree murder and is being held in custody. Knights family said he had helped his alleged killer find work just two weeks before his death. My son goes, Mason needs help, so he got him a job, his mother Julia Knight told WFTV9 news channel. He would get up early in the morning and he would pick up his friend. We were expecting him to come home tonight in the truck. He never came home. A national health advocacy group says higher taxes on vaping products in Ontario would combat rising use among teenagers and create a revenue stream to tackle the costs of addiction. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has asked Premier Doug Fords government to include a tax hike between 20 and 30 per cent in its spring budget. The groups senior manager of public affairs said a higher cost would make the addictive products unaffordable for teenagers while still allowing adults to use them to quit smoking. Liz Scanlon said while research into vaping is still in early stages, decades of tobacco control studies have shown that taxation is a key tool to keep the products out of the hands of teens. When it comes to cigarette taxes, the research is there to demonstrate that kids are ... more likely to cut back or quit when prices go up, she said. Ontarios health minister has said she is growing increasingly concerned about the jump in youth vaping rates and has promised to announce further government action before the end of the month. Christine Elliott said the government is considering a ban on flavoured vapes, as well as examining the nicotine content in the products and where they should be sold. On Jan. 1, a provincial ban on in-store promotion of vapour products in gas bars and convenience stores came into effect. Three provinces have recently proposed or passed legislation to tax vape products British Columbia, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island. When asked about the foundations proposal on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Finance said the government does not speculate about taxation policy. Scanlon said the group is aware of the governments fiscal challenges and its pledge to eliminate Ontarios $7.4-billion deficit and that the tax could also create a stream of revenue to pay for vapings impacts on the health-care system. We dont have really good cessation programs for vaping, she said. There isnt a lot of public education coming out right now. There isnt a lot of prevention programming. Enforcement is a huge issue. There are lots of areas where addressing this is going to involve spending some money. Vaping proponents defend the products as a safer alternative to smoking that can help people quit the habit. Some have also expressed concerns that hiking taxes could create a black market for the products. We certainly cant make these products more expensive than cigarettes, Scanlon said. Thats not our aim from a policy perspective. NDP health critic France Gelinas said she supports Heart and Strokes call for increased taxes on vaping products, which echoes a measure she included in a private members bill on vaping she introduced last fall. The bill, if passed, would also prohibit the promotion of vaping products, regulate flavours, set a maximum amount of nicotine per vape, restrict sales to specialty shops, and require Ontario Health to prepare an annual report on vaping usage and health effects. Gelinas said the Ford government has been slow to react, and contributed to, the increasing problem when it paused regulations introduced by the previous Liberal government that were set to ban the promotion of vaping products in convenience stores over a year ago. You have tens of thousands of teens addicted to nicotine through vaping, she said. They chose to look the other way and let this disaster happen. Cong, CPI(M) slam TMC for not replying to queries of Guv on pending Bill India oi-PTI Kolkata, Jan 21: The Congress and CPI(M) on Tuesday slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal for not replying to the queries of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on a bill to check mob assaults and lynchings, saying due respect should be given to a constitutional position. After discussing with the governor matters of a Bill that seeks to check incidents of mob assault and lynching in the state, the two parties alleged that the TMC dispensation has kept both the governor and the Opposition in the dark over the Bill. The West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019 is waiting for the governor's nod after it was passed by the Assembly on August 30 last year. Dhankhar has been saying replies to his queries on it were not given by the government. Dhankhar had invited the leader of opposition in the Assembly Abdul Mannan of the Congress and CPI(M) legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty to discuss matters relating to the Bill. "Just as we feel that adverse comments in the House against the governor is objectionable, we also feel that not giving answers to queries by him is also objectionable," the Congress leader said. There are some procedural and technical glitches in the Bill which will not pass the scrutiny of a court of law, Mannan said after the two, along with CPI MLA Ashok Dinda, held a meeting with Dhankar at the Raj Bhavan here. "The government would not have fallen had the TMC admitted its errors pointed out by us and corrected them," Mannan said claiming that the Mamata Banerjee regime is averse to any suggestion made by the opposition. CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty alleged that the government side is keeping the House in the dark over the Bill, and claimed that they had repeatedly told the ruling party leaders that there are technical flaws in the Bill. "We (the Left) think that the position of a governor is not necessary, but since it is there in the Constitution, respect should be given to the position by both the government and the person holding it," the CPI(M) legislature party leader said, in a reference to the ongoing feud between Dhankar and the Mamata Banerjee dispensation. Chakraborty claimed that differences between the two sides were taking the centre stage, putting major issues like job creation and other requirements of the people in the back burner. The CPI(M) leader said they did not discuss with the governor another Bill that will pave the way for setting up an SC/ST commission in the state, since it has not yet been tabled in the House. Arrows of Arjuna had atomic power says West Bengal Governor The 'West Bengal Commission for SC and ST Bill, 2019 is also pending with Dhankhar. Dhankar had invited the West Bengal Chief Minister for a meeting to discuss issues pertaining to the two bills on January 17 but she did not attend it owing to "preoccupations". Ranchi, Jan 22 : The Jharkhand government has declared January 23 as a public holiday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The notification to this effect was issued following order of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The BJP government in 2015 had cancelled public holiday in the state on Netaji's birthday. After reviewing the BJP government's decision, Hemant Soren ordered holiday on January 23 this year by an executive order. "Jharkhand had also been a work place of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. His contribution in getting the Independence of India can never be forgotten and all the people should take inspiration from his life. The youth of today should follow the footsteps of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and contribute to the state and the country," said the Chief Minister. Gomoh railway station in Jharkhand was renamed in the name of Netaji by railway ministry under Narendra Modi government. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Here are some of todays biggest headlines. 6 people dead as China confirms Wuhan coronavirus can be spread by humans Officials in China are racing to contain the spread of a new virus that has left at least six people dead and sickened almost 300, after it was confirmed the infection can spread between humans. Coronavirus explained: What you need to know A new Chinese coronavirus, a cousin of the SARS virus, has infected more than 200 people since the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December. Scientist Leo Poon, who first decoded the virus, thinks it likely started in an animal and spread to humans. Greta Thunberg: Nothing has been done to tackle the climate crisis Greta Thunberg took the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday to admonish world leaders for doing very little to reduce carbon emissions despite evidence of a looming climate catastrophe. Harry rejoins Meghan and Archie in Canada, leaving royal life behind Prince Harry has arrived in Canada to reunite with Meghan and baby Archie after the couple finalized the terms of their split from official British royal family duties. Rafa Nadal breezes through Australian Open first round World No. 1 Rafa Nadal got his Australian Open campaign off to a winning start as he cruised past Bolivian Hugo Dellien 6-2 6-3 6-0. Lesbian couple left overwhelmed with anger as South Africa venue declines their wedding A South African wedding venue is facing criticism after the Christian owners declined to host a lesbian couples wedding. Real Madrid signs teenager Reinier Jesus Real Madrid signed promising teenager Reinier Jesus for an estimated $33 million on Monday, as the Spanish club continues its search for the next Brazilian superstar. Your waist size may be more important than weight for multiple heart attack risk New research says heart attack survivors who carry extra weight around their belly are at greater risk of another heart attack. Iran Acknowledges 2 Russian-Made Missiles Targeted Ukraine Jet DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed after taking off from Tehrans main airport earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board. The Man (And The Mission) Behind Trumps Clash With Venezuela At a campaign-style rally in Miami last February, President Donald Trump issued a clear warning to Nicolas Maduro, the socialist leader of Venezuela whom Trump had wanted to oust from the day he entered the White House two years prior. Trump Jr. Tried To Make MLK Day All About His Dad And It Didnt Go Over Well Donald Trump Jr. drew ire on Monday for attempting to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day all about his dad. President Donald Trump s eldest son praised his father on Twitter for his commitment to empowering black Americans to live happier, more prosperous lives. Tesla: Claims of unintended acceleration are completely false Tesla is vehemently denying theres any truth to claims of unintended acceleration of Tesla vehicles. We investigate every single incident where the driver alleges to us that their vehicle accelerated contrary to their input, and in every case where we had the vehicles data, we confirmed that the car operated as designed, wrote Tesla in a statement published on the companys website on Monday. Sex is better with the lights on Mashables new series Dont @ Me takes unpopular opinions and backs them up withreasons. We all have our ways, but we may just convince you to change yours. And if not, chill. Anne sees lights-on sex as a mirror, or a Mobius strip. Facebook apologetic after a technical issue calls Chinas leader Mr. Shithole More like Egg-On-Your-Facebook, amirite? Facebook is striking an apologetic tone after Burmese text posted on the website showed Chinese President Xi Jinpings name as Mr. Shithole in an English translation. The social network is blaming the error on a tech foul-up. We fixed a technical issue that caused incorrect translations from Burmese to English on Facebook. Dwayne The Rock Johnson opens up about his fathers death in moving Instagram video Dwayne The Rock Johnson has taken to Instagram to speak directly to his fans, following the death of his father, Rocky Johnson, last Wednesday. In a moving eight-minute IGTV video, Johnson thanked people for their support before opening up about his relationship with his father, his sudden death, and dealing with the aftermath. Mr. and Mrs. Savage 22.01.2020 LISTEN Everyone has a special day in his or her life because your life is the most important story you will ever have to tell. Even though your story or the special day may be similar to someone's, your special days will never be forgotten. Remembering the history of life, knowing who you are and why you are here, it is easier to make choices and make important decisions. The world is expanding, characterized by deceitfulness and crime, yet great times are meaningful. January each year, holds three significant personal information about my life. My first blessing falls on January 19, therefore, sixty-three years ago, I was born on January 19, 1957. However, along the way, I lost my father at 19, on January 29, 1976. Even though I hardly remember my birthday, since in my opinion birthday celebrations are for children, my wife and sons make sure I get the VIP treatment I deserve, on this special occasion by giving thanks to God and together as a family sit behind the dining table in a restaurant to share our happiness together Our wedding day The second blessing of my life falls on the first of every January. 26 years ago, I met my wife and we married on January 1, 1994. The wedding day was the happiest moment of my life. I take it as my double portion of blessing and the second special day in my life, I am glad I still love my wife today. There is nothing that gives peace, healthiness, and happiness in life than having the right woman. With so many divorces recorded around the world than marriage, you must be happy that you have a unique story to tell the world about happiness in marriage. Coming to this world and be part of this generation doesn't matter most than what you did with your time while on earth. If you love yourself, you'll understand and respect the views and opinions of others. My second and last son Don't be too greedy in life, just take the little you can and leave the rest for other people because if everything was taken away by the other person, you wouldn't have had the chance to get something. That brings genuine happiness in life. Always remember others. In the end, it is not the years of your life that count but life in your years. Age only matters if the years are well lived, and for that, I am sure that you can take advantage of it. My elder son and son, that means I am now a grandpa Nothing prevents one from doing a good or evil thing but don't forget that in life, whatever one sows, the same he shall reap. Keep this in mind always because it's one of the keys to happiness since you lived your life the way God requires from us. At 63 years today, I am blessed with three sons and a wonderful wife. Bright Now! Dental Team In Partnership with the Smiles for Everyone Foundation, Bright Now! Dental will provide free dental services for low-income, underinsured individuals at its Largo, FL office on March 7th. Dental services provided include same-day procedures such as exams and x-rays, fillings, cleanings and extractions. For more information, please visit the Bright Now! Dental website. About Bright Now! Dental Bright Now! Dental provides general dentistry, childrens dentistry and, in select locations, specialty care services such as orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and endodontics at over 150 offices across Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Bright Now! Dentals Escondido office is operated by Sahawneh Dental Corporation, P.C. (the Group). The Group is affiliated with Smile Brands Inc., one of the largest providers of business support services to dental groups in the United States. Smile Brands Inc. provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long-term service agreements with affiliated dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors (Gryphon), a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit http://www.smilebrands.com. . About the Smiles For Everyone Foundation The Smiles for Everyone Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of delivering smiles for everyone by providing free dental care for those in need, both at home in the U.S. and around the world. Since 2011, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has delivered over 26,000 smiles and over $19 million in donated dentistry. The foundation currently supports programs which provide free dental care to those in need in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Thailand, and the United States. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.smilesforeveryone.org. Contacts: Bright Now! Dental Jody Martin PR@smilebrands.com 714.427.1299 Smiles for Everyone Foundation Crystal Strait crystal.strait@smilesforeveryone.org 714.824.5037 This spring students at Blue Mountain High School will get an Ivy League experience while sitting on their own hometown campus. Thanks to the A minister in Russia's Chechnya region has said it would be "remedial" for an openly gay woman to read the Koran, following beatings she accused her parents of orchestrating over her homosexuality. "You can express yourself as you like, but reading the Koran in a certain setting, situation, and with certain conversations really is therapeutic in traditional Islamic medicine," Dzambulat Umarov, Chechen minister of national policy, foreign relations, press, and information, told the 360 channel on January 22. He refused to believe the accusations made by Aminat Lorsanova, a 22-year-old native of Grozny, that she was tormented and beaten. Such "absurd information," according to the minister, is related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and is deliberately "thrown into the media landscape." Lorsanova the previous day filed a report with the Russian Investigative Committee demanding a criminal case be opened into her parents, their acquaintance, and doctors of a medical clinic in Grozny. According to the woman, she was sent to a medical clinic in August 2018 for 25 days after which she spent an additional four months at a neuropsychiatric dispensary in Grozny. Several times during her stays at the clinics, Lorsanova said her father's acquaintance would come and beat her with a cane while reading the Koran in front of her parents, saying he was "driving the genie out of her." According to the alleged victim, the man would repeatedly strike her in the solar-plexus area and pressed his fingers in the area, causing her more pain. During this period, Lorsanova said her father six times forcibly injected her with tranquilizers. Since early 2017, there have been reports of a coordinated campaign of violence and intimidation of homosexuals in Chechnya, including by law enforcement authorities. Russia has faced international criticism for its record on LGBT rights, including a 2013 law signed by Putin that banned disseminating "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" to minors. Putin denies the law is discriminatory, saying it is aimed only at protecting children. GEORGIA: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. | Martin Luther King Jr., a native of Atlanta, Georgia, is the most influential and well-known figure to emerge from the civil rights movement. More than 900 streets across the country bear his name in honor of his activism against segregation and racism in the U.S. Many of Kings historic and courageous achievements are honored at important African American landmarks across America. (Jeff Kamen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh led a Vietnamese delegation to participate in many activities within the framework of the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21. The talks between Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and Vice President and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research of Switzerland Guy Parmelin in Geneva on January 20. The Deputy PM was a keynote speaker at theplenary session on strategic prospects for the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN), attended other important sessions of the meeting and met withleaders from many countries, international organisations and global leadinggroups. He also met with President of the WEF BorgeBrende and attended a ceremony to announce the conclusion of the Vietnam-WEFcooperation agreement. Binh told the WEF president that Vietnam highlyappreciated the WEFs coordination with Vietnam to implement successfully thebilateral cooperation agreement. He emphasised that the implementation of thedeal since its signing on the occasion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucsattendance at the WEF Davos in 2017, has brought practical outcomes in thefields of infrastructure, agriculture, education, and health care. The agreement could be a model for the WEF toconsider expanding cooperation with other ASEAN member states, he said. Borge Brende said the WEF wants to continuecooperation with Vietnam in specific activities, as well as in early launching aFourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) centre in the country to promote researchand application of the 4IR. He handed over to Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh the conclusionreport of the bilateral cooperation agreement with many recommendations forVietnam on socio-economic development. The same day, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh met withCroatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, President of the European Parliament (EP)David Sassoli, and President of the Swiss National Council Isabelle Moret. The Prime Minister of Croatia, the country holding EU Presidency inthe first six months of this year, and the EP President affirmed their supportfor the early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) andthe EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) to bring benefits for thetwo sides business communities and peoples. They agreed to strengthen coordination withVietnam to promote ASEAN-EU cooperation during 2020 when Vietnam is the Chairof ASEAN. Inthe meeting with President of the Swiss National Council Isabelle Moret, DeputyPM Binh praised the Swiss parliaments support for and contributions to the developmentof the Vietnam Switzerland ties, and conveyed NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi KimNgans invitation to Moret to visit Vietnam in the time ahead. He also informed Moret of the outcomes of his talks with Vice President andHead of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research ofSwitzerland Guy Parmelin as well as the agreed measures to boost the bilateralrelations. Meanwhile, Moret spoke highly of Vietnams potential and position in theinternational arena, expressing her belief that Vietnam and Switzerland need tofurther the cooperative relations and traditional friendship. Sheshared Vietnams call for organizing practical activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, and affirmedthat the Federal Assembly of Switzerland will endorse and make positivecontributions to develop the cooperative ties into a deeper and more effectivefashion. Deputy PM Binh asked the Swiss parliament to continue support for thecooperative programmes with Vietnam, as well as back the negotiations on thefree trade deal between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)to benefit both nations. During his stay, Deputy PM Binh also held meetings with top executives of many leadingcorporations like Standard Chartered, P&G Group, Amazon Web Services,AstraZeneca, Novartis, Carlsberg, Hyosung and Spring Studios. He took the occasion to affirm the Vietnamese Governments consistent policy inimproving business climate and competitive edge through completing the marketmechanism, renewing growth model, restructuring the economy, engaging in theFourth Industrial Revolution and promoting global integration. For their parts, the groups appreciated Vietnams socio-economic development inthe past time, and described Vietnam as a dynamic economy in the context ofeconomic headwinds in the region and the world. They pledged long-term investment in the Southeast Asian country, hoping theGovernment will create an equal and transparent business environment thatfacilitates the operation of both domestic and foreign firms. The Davos 2020 is the most important meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF)this year. It has drawn some 3,000 delegates from 117 countries worldwide,including 53 heads of states and governments along with presidents and managingdirectors of 1,000 partner companies and members. With around 400 sessions during January 21-24, participants have discussed awide range of issues under this years theme Stakeholders for a Cohesive andSustainable World./. Deputy PM highlights ASEANs priorities at 50th WEF meeting Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh (second, right) at the session Strategic Outlook: ASEAN on January 21 (Photo courtesy of the World Economic Forum) Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh highlighted the theme and priorities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Vietnam as ASEAN Chair in 2020 while speaking at a plenary session of the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21. At the Strategic Outlook: ASEAN session, Deputy PM Binh emphasised that ASEAN is a united and dynamic community of 10 independent Southeast Asian states. Among them, Vietnam has an economic growth rate of over 6 percent over the last 20 years and is one of the fastest growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region and the world with an average annual growth pace of 7 percent in the last couple of years. ASEAN is a strategic priority in Vietnams foreign policy, he affirmed, adding that the country chose the theme Cohesive and Responsive for the year it holds the blocs chairmanship to respond to the common concern of the ASEAN members, who want to build a strong community amid a fast changing world. Binh stressed the blocs priorities, including contributing to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region; promoting regional connectivity, improving the adaptability to and making use of chances in the Fourth Industrial Revolution; enhancing community awareness and ASEAN identity; and continuing to expand and intensify the blocs relations with partners around the globe. At the session, the Deputy PM also affirmed that as ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021, Vietnam will strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and the UN to actively contribute to regional and international peace and security, promote the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and boost ASEANs role and voice at other important multilateral forums, thereby helping to uphold multilateralism and international cooperation in regional and global issues. Deputy PM Binh is leading a high-ranking delegation from Vietnam to attend the 50th WEF meeting in Davos. Vietnams participation in the event aims to popularise the countrys achievements in socio-economic development and integration into the world while introducing its major development orientations, policies and measures to other nations, partners and large businesses so as to encourage them to bolster cooperation with Vietnam. The meeting sees the presence of nearly 3,000 delegates from 117 countries, including 53 heads of states and governments, along with presidents and managing directors of 1,000 partner and member companies./. VNA BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda in Davos. The sides discussed the development of relations between the two countries, and exchanged views on exploring opportunities for cooperation in the oil and gas sector and the current geopolitical situation in the region and the world. During the conversation, the importance of Azerbaijan's participation in the Three Seas Initiative Summit to be held in Tallinn in June this year was emphasized, and the further deepening of cooperation within the Visegrad Group and the Non-Aligned Movement was discussed. Representative Image Japanese tech major NTT on January 22 said a significant part of its $7 billion global commitment for data centres business would be spent in India over the next four years. The company also feels that there will be margin compression issues for the data centres business in India as capacity supply goes up along with an increase in competition, NTT's country chief executive for global data centres and cloud infrastructure, Sharad Sanghi, told PTI. In the last few months, a string of corporates, including the Adani Group, Hiranandanis and Reliance Industries have announced investments in data centres, on the back of regulatory moves like data sovereignity which makes it incumbent upon financial institutions to house their data locally. "India is the fastest growing region for NTT and a substantial amount of the $7 billion commitment will be invested here," Sanghi said. When asked if the money will be equally split between the four regions the company operates in, Sanghi said the overall investments are bound to be shared proportionately, hinting that over $1.5 billion or nearly Rs 11,000 crore will come into India. The company, whose revenues have been growing at 30 per cent every year, is targeting to more than double its capacity in the next three years through the investments, Sanghi said. Its overall capacity, which stands at 1.2 million sq ft at present spread across Mumbai, Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru, will go up by 1.5 million sq ft, he said. The company is looking at going to newer locations as well and also adding to its land bank to house the facilities, he said. Demand is coming from global hyperscalers like the cloud service providers, data localisation requirements and as a greater number of enterprises move to the cloud, Sanghi said. The Adanis have committed Rs 70,000 crore for data centres in Andhra Pradesh, Hiranandanis have committed Rs 14,000 crore and RIL has announced a partnership with Microsoft for the same. Sanghi said the high quantum of investments in the business will change the characteristic of the market, which has so far been dictated by suppliers, from 2021 onward once the capacities come on board. While the revenues will keep growing because of the market opportunity, the supply increase can cause a short term blip in profitability by narrowing operating margins, he said, stressing that this will not last for long time. NTT is confident of guarding its business and growing in the face of competition, he asserted, adding data centres is its core business and clients, who sign long-term contracts, partner with companies which are not into different businesses like power and realty. There will be a consolidation in the industry due to the dynamics and the smaller entities may find it difficult to survive, Sanghi said, making it clear that NTT does not look at mergers and acquisition as a strategy but may move in opportunistically for the buys. He also made it clear that aggressive pricing may not work for companies, pointing out to two incidents of companies who tried getting business using this strategy going bust. Sangi pitched for an improvement in power supply in Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru, saying two hours of power down time per week is a worry. NTT on Wednesday announced the launch of an integrated division to look over the global data centre opportunity. Boris Johnson has been Prime Minister only six months yet already there are signs he finds PMQs a bit of a yawn. Watching him yesterday as he plonked his ungainly frame down with a giant exhale of breath, he could have been a truculent schoolboy arriving for morning chapel. Everything about his body language screamed: Cor, what a fag. He mumbled to himself incoherently, he raked his fingers through his hair with mild impatience. Occasionally, he would unsheathe a pen from his inside pocket and doodle something on the papers in his ring binder. By the time he came to face Jeremy Corbyn, the Prime Minister might as well have been completely absent for all the interest he took in him. He looked about as engaged as a checkout boy working the barcode bleeper By the time he came to face Jeremy Corbyn, the Prime Minister might as well have been completely absent for all the interest he took in him. He looked about as engaged as a checkout boy working the barcode bleeper. Mr Corbyn had arrived armed with a series of questions about government welfare reforms. He had unearthed a particularly rum-sounding arrangement whereby workers at Greggs bakery awarded a 300 bonus only received 75 of it if they were claiming Universal Credit. All the standard dramatis personae that feature in a Corbyn rant were there: heartless Tories, rich bankers, food banks etc. As the Leader of the Opposition spoke, Boriss eyes bobbled like ping pong balls. Judging by the way he leafed through his notes, nothing had been included in his folder about this Greggs business. All he had in his locker was a handful of positive statistics. Watching him yesterday as he plonked his ungainly frame down with a giant exhale of breath, he could have been a truculent schoolboy arriving for morning chapel. Everything about his body language screamed: Cor, what a fag Employment is up! he yelled. Wages are up! Not for the first time in his career, the PM was winging it. When Corbyn continued to press, the PM accused him of talking the country down. When is he going to start recognising the extraordinary achievements of the UK economy? Labours leader seethed. Wouldnt it be truly wonderful if the Prime Minister answered a question? he asked. No chance of that. Boris brought up a recent poll showing Corbyn to be the most popular Labour leader among current members. I want him to know those sentiments are warmly shared by many on this side of the House, said the PM, flashing a hippopotamus grin. It says something for Boriss current standing that such an obviously pre-prepared gag still attracted such loud hoorays from the Government benches. But come April, when a new Labour leader is announced, he will likely face far sharper arrows than the quiver of rusty blades Corbyn fires wonkily across the despatch box each week. If he shows up this light on detail to a debate with the current frontrunner, forensic ex-lawyer Sir Keir Starmer, he could be in knots. Not that SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford causes him many sleepless nights either. Once again, Blackford was rabbiting on about Brexit. He mumbled to himself incoherently, he raked his fingers through his hair with mild impatience. Occasionally, he would unsheathe a pen from his inside pocket and doodle something on the papers in his ring binder Scotland said no, and we meant it! he bellowed, feet spread as wide as an old ham delivering a soliloquy. Boris gently pointed out the Scots voted no to leaving the Union, and they meant that too. They meant it because they were told it was once in a lifetime, he said, much to the Chambers delight. Best moment of the session came towards the end when former immigration minister Caroline Nokes (Con, Romsey and Southampton North) rose. Nokes was concerned about the build-up of green algae in the Solent which is apparently causing planning issues for childrens homes and other care facilities to be built. The PM, she urged, needed to get out his plunger. Amid the titters, Boriss brow corrugated. W-w-w-w, he stammered. W-w-we will make sure that the ministerial dyno-rod is employed to sort out the blockage she is experiencing. Nokes shot her best saucepot smile. If she was looking to get the PMs attention ahead of the reshuffle, it was mission accomplished. Before being arrested by the FBI last week, three alleged members of a white supremacist group were plotting deadly attacks at Monday's gun-rights rally in Richmond, Virginia, including shooting "unsuspecting civilians and police officers" in hopes of igniting what one of them called a "full-blown civil war," authorities said in court filings. In legal motions filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Maryland, prosecutors said the three suspects, who were under investigation for weeks before the rally, were recorded discussing the planned mayhem by a microphone and video camera secretly planted in a Delaware apartment by FBI agents in December. "We can't let Virginia go to waste, we just can't," one of the men, Patrik Mathews, said, according to the court filings. Like his co-defendants, Mathews is accused of belonging to a militant hate group whose name, "the Base," is a rough English translation of "al-Qaida." Mathews, according to prosecutors, said: "Here's the thing. . . . You want to create . . . instability while the Virginia situation is happening . . . derail some rail lines . . . shut down the highways" as a way to "kick off the economic collapse." "Virginia will be our day," another of the three, Brian Lemley Jr., said, according to the court documents. In a search of the apartment, prosecutors said in writing, FBI agents "located Base propaganda fliers, communications devices, and empty rifle cases. In a common area closet, 'go bags' were found, which contained numerous Meals-Ready-to-Eat . . . and knives, and certain necessary items to build an assault rifle." On Mathews' computer, agents "found several videos of Mathews espousing violent, anti-Semitic, and racist language," according to the court motions. "Many of the videos discuss killing people in furtherance of 'the movement.' " Lemley and the third man, William Bilbrough IV, also used gun parts "to make a functioning assault rifle" and had been practicing shooting at gun ranges before their arrests, authorities said. At the Richmond rally on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, thousands of heavily armed gun-rights activists protested plans by Virginia's Democratic governor and Democratic-controlled legislature to enact new gun-control measures. The hours-long gathering near the Virginia Capitol unfolded peacefully amid tight security. Mathews, 27; Lemley, 33; and Bilbrough, 19, were together in December at an apartment that Mathews and Lemley shared in Newark, Delaware, prosecutors said in the court filings, asking a judge to keep the men jailed pending further proceedings. A hearing on the request is set for Wednesday in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. The three are charged with federal firearms violations. Lemley and Bilbrough also are charged with transporting and harboring an illegal alien, referring to Mathews, who entered the country from Canada. Defense attorneys have not filed a reply to the motions federal prosecutors submitted Tuesday. Attorneys for the three men could not immediately be reached for comment. On Dec. 13, after obtaining a "sneak-and-peek" search warrant, FBI agents secretly planted eavesdropping devices in the apartment, according to court documents. According to the court filings, "Lemley discussed using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to conduct ambush attacks" at the Richmond rally, allegedly stating, "I literally need, I need to claim my first victim. . . . It's so unfair what I can do to people with that." Mathews allegedly replied that "tons of guys" at the Richmond gathering "should be radicalized enough to know that all you gotta do is start making things go wrong" and the rally can spiral into "full-blown civil war." "We could essentially be like literally hunting people," Matthews said, according to prosecutors. As for killing police officers, "If there's like a PoPo cruiser parked on the street and he doesn't have backup, I can execute him at a whim and just take his stuff," Lemley allegedly said. According to law enforcement officials, the Base emerged in recent years with aspirations of uniting various hate groups for a race war. The group encourages violence against African Americans and Jews and organizes military-style training, including a session in Georgia that Lemley, Bilbrough and Mathews allegedly attended in November, according to court documents. Police in Georgia on Friday said they had also arrested and charged three members of the Base. One of the men confided to an undercover FBI employee about a plan to kill two anti-fascist activists, according to a police affidavit, and he allegedly contemplated forming a side organization to commit murders. A man federal authorities said was a Base member out of Wisconsin was also recently arrested in connection with vandalizing a synagogue. - - - The Washington Post's Rachel Weiner and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report. Sebastien Preel is joining Dreem as Chief Financial Officer NEW YORK and PARIS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dreem is excited to announce the hire of Sebastien Preel, who is joining the company as its new Chief Financial Officer. "As we continue to expand globally, we are thrilled to have Sebastien join our team and lead the financial management of our growing company," said Hugo Mercier, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Dreem. "This is a pivotal moment in the future of Dreem, especially for the US market where we see exponential potential to help those with sleep concerns. Sebastien's expertise and prior experience at BlaBlaCar, where he took the company from 50 to 500 employees and raised $300 million in funding, has us excited to see what our future holds." He will be leading the financial strategy and implementing key policies to evolve with the company's growing number of users. In addition, he will support any fundraising efforts that Dreem in the future. Dreem closed their latest round of funding in 2018 with Johnson and Johnson Innovation and BPI France resulting in a total fundraising effort of $65 million since 2014. Sebastien previously served as Vice President of Finance at BlaBlaCar, where was an integral part in the global expansion of the company. The company went from having a presence in 3 countries to 22 countries globally. In addition, he actively participated in fundraising raising $100M in 2014 and $200M in 2015 from blue chip venture capitalist companies. "Dreem is improving sleep, a problem that many aren't adequately solving, and I am excited to be a part of this dynamic, passionate team" said Sebastien. "Dreem is a unique company that puts people first and listens to feedback to always continue improving their product. I look forward to supporting the expansion into the US and beyond." Sebastien is specialized in the world of startups and became an external consultant to guide companies in the development of their financial and business strategies. Sebastien graduated with a Master's degree in Finance from Paris Dauphine University in 2005, following his studies at ESC Bordeaux. ABOUT DREEM Dreem is a leading digital sleep health company that helps people understand their sleep and improve it. The Dreem headband accurately tracks and analyzes sleep through brain activity, heart rate, respiration and motion, and has been clinically validated against lab-grade equipment. Established in 2014 with offices in New York City, Paris, and Taipei, Dreem has raised $65 million in funding from investors, including Johnson & Johnson and BPIFrance For more information, visit: www.dreem.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080085/Dreem_Sebastien_Preel.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/894627/Dreem_Logo.jpg Jesse Metcalfe and Cara Santana have reportedly ended their almost four-year engagement. The couple 'split and are not together' after dating for over 13 years, according to US Weekly. Sources revealed to DailyMail.com that Cara was completely blindsided by photographs of her fiance being affectionate with two other women this weekend in Los Angeles. Over: Jesse Metcalfe and Cara Santana have reportedly ended their almost four-year engagement; seen in January The 35-year-old designer and actress was nowhere in sight this weekend as Jesse stepped out with a pretty blonde who appeared to be Australian actress Jade Albany after holding hands with Hungarian model Livia Pillman. A source revealed that 'he did not cheat on her' and that Cara and Jesse are 'not even living together.' The pair were last seen together on the red carpet for The Art of Elysium's 13th Annual Celebration - Heaven at Hollywood Paladium on Jan. 4. She was later spotted the next day attending Golden Globes after-parties without Jesse by her side amid reports that Jesse had packed up and 'moved out' of their home in LA. Cara's best friend, Olivia Culpo, seemed to throw shade at the situation on her Instagram account when she posted a Mean Girls meme of Regina George saying: 'Don't cheat ... nobody likes a cheater.' She followed it up with another meme of a young Macaulay Culkin holding a rifle in a still from Home Alone. Cara's best friend, Olivia Culpo, seemed to throw shade at the situation on her Instagram account when she posted a Mean Girls meme of Regina George saying: 'Don't cheat ... nobody likes a cheater' Fighting words: She followed it up with another meme of a young Macaulay Culkin holding a rifle in a still from Home Alone Friends? Jesse Metcalfe appeared to be getting cozy with a woman who appeared to be Australian actress Jade Albany at a bar in Los Angeles this weekend So close: After chatting up a storm at the Attic bar in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, the pair were spotted wrapped in each other's arms She followed it up with another meme of a young Macaulay Culkin holding a rifle in a still from Home Alone. 'When someone upsets my best friend' was written across the top and she made sure to tag Cara across the photo. DailyMail.com has contacted Jesse's representatives for comment. The 41-year-old actor was spotted with his arms wrapped around a tall blonde woman outside of a bar in the San Fernando Valley, just hours after he was out and about, holding hands with Livia Pillmann. Comfortable: Jesse and the mystery blonde stayed close to each other on Ventura Boulevard Hugs: The 41-year-old actor was spotted with his arms wrapped around the pretty blonde Casual: Jesse was dressed in a light blue denim shirt with tattered elements along the sleeves of the buttoned-down top Jesse was dressed in a light blue denim shirt with tattered elements along the sleeves of the buttoned-down top. His 'nine lives' tattoo was prominently displayed on the back of his right bicep, with IX lives inked in thick black lettering. The Desperate Housewives star wore a pair of black slacks and dark brown shoes to complement is casual threads. Chat: The pair found a nice quiet spot to catch up in the corner of the bar Staying warm: His mystery pal was dressed for the night in a light long-sleeved blouse underneath a dark green jacket Walk this way: Earlier in the day, Jesse shared a few smiles with Hungarian model Livia Pillmann as the pair were spotted leaving a late lunch After chatting up a storm at the Attic bar in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, the pair were spotted wrapped in each other's arms. His mystery pal was dressed for the night in a light long-sleeved blouse underneath a dark green jacket, and wore ankle-length slacks and black leather booties. Earlier in the day, Jesse shared a few smiles with Hungarian model Livia Pillmann as the pair were spotted leaving a late lunch. The Chesapeake Shores star enjoyed good company while dining at the trendy restaurant, Gracias Madre. Let's eat! The Chesapeake Shores star enjoyed good company while dining at the trendy restaurant, Gracias Madre Kidding: After dining on vegan fare, Jesse and Livia shared a few jokes at the valet stand while waiting for his ride to roll around Away we go! The pair held hands as they walked to Jesse's car After dining on vegan fare, Jesse and Livia shared a few jokes at the valet stand while waiting for his ride to roll around. Livia sported an electric orange blazer as the pair then walked hand-in-hand to a nearby office space. Despite being engaged for nearly four years, he told Access Hollywood in November that wedding planning was practically 'non existent' as of late due to their demanding schedules. 'Wedding planing is non existent,' he said. 'I've been so busy ... I've literally been out of town the whole year. Cara has been incredibly busy as well ... we're kind of just doing things on our own schedule.' She recently launched a capsule collection with Kohl's called Cara Santana x Apt. 9 and is filming Kurt. with Matthew Lawrence. New sights: Livia sported an electric orange blazer as the pair then walked hand-in-hand to a nearby office space By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 21, 2020 | 03:08 PM | WESTERN KENTUCKY According to a press release from the American Red Cross, with influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross has a critical shortage of type O blood specifically, and urgently needs donors. The Red Cross currently has less than a three-day supply of type O blood, for emergencies and medical treatments. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Although only 7% of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies, when there isn't time to determine a patient's blood type. On a daily bases the Red Cross must collect approximately 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations. Donors of all blood types, especially types O positive and O negative, are urged to make an appointment to give blood now, using either the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting the website linked below, by calling 1-800-733-2767, or by enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Below is a list of all the upcoming blood drives: American Legion, 211 South 7th Mayfield, 42066 1/21/2020: 11 am - 5 pm Caledonia Community Church, 10076 State Hwy 37 Olmsted, IL 62970 2/5/2020: 1:30 - 5:30 pm Calvary Baptist Church, 121 Kentucky Ave. Princeton, 42445 2/6/2020: noon - 6 pm Camden Church of Christ, 1285 U.S. 70 Bypass Camden, TN 38320 2/14/2020: noon - 6 pm Church Street Church of Christ, 305 West Church St. Lewisburg, TN 37091 2/13/2020: 1 - 5 pm First Baptist Church, 307 Massac Creek Road Metropolis, IL 62960 2/10/2020: 11:30 am - 5:30 pm First Baptist Church, Monroe and Jefferson Golconda, IL 62938 2/3/2020: 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm First Christian Church, 415 Audubon Drive Paducah, 42001 2/3/2020: 11:30 am - 5:30 pm First Presbyterian Church, 1601 Main St. Murray, 42071 2/13/2020: 12:30 - 5:30 pm First United Methodist Church, 210 South Washington St. Clinton, 42031 1/27/2020: noon - 6 pm Gospel Mission Worship Center, 6905 Benton Road Paducah, 42003 2/14/2020: noon - 5 pm Lake County High School, 300 Cochran St. Tiptonville, TN 38079 1/29/2020: 9 am - 2 pm. Marshall County High School, 416 High School Road Benton, 42025 1/23/2020: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm Mayfield City Hall, 211 East Broadway Mayfield, 42066 1/28/2020: 8 am noon Mayfield City Hall, 211 East Broadway Mayfield, 42066 1/28/2020: noon - 4 pm Mayfield Middle School, 112 West College St. Mayfield, 42066 1/31/2020: 12:30 - 5:30 pm Murray Middle School, 801 Main St. Murray, 42071 1/31/2020: 1- 6 pm Murray State University, Chestnut St. Murray, 42071 2/10/2020: 10 am - 4 pm Murray State University, Chestnut St. Murray, 42071 2/11/2020: 10 am - 4 pm Paducah Blood Donation Center, 4635 Falconcrest Drive Paducah, 42001 1/21/2020: 8:45 am - 3:45 pm 1/23/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 1/24/2020: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm 1/25/2020: 7:45 am - 2:45 pm 1/26/2020: 7:45 am - 2:15 pm 1/27/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 1/28/2020: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm 1/30/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 1/31/2020: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm 2/1/2020: 7:45 am - 2:45 pm 2/2/2020: 7:45 am - 2:15 pm 2/3/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 2/4/2020: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm 2/6/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 2/7/2020: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm 2/8/2020: 7:45 am - 2:45 pm 2/9/2020: 7:45 am - 2:15 pm 2/10/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 2/11/2020: 8:45 am - 3:45 pm 2/13/2020: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm 2/14/2020: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm 2/15/2020: 7:45 am - 2:45 pm Savannah Church of Christ, 1175 Pickwick Road Savannah, TN 38372 2/7/2020: 1:30 - 5:30 pm Shawnee Community College, 8364 Shawnee College Road Ullin, IL 62992 2/12/2020: 9 am - 2 pm West Kentucky Community & Technical College, 4810 Alben Barkley Dr. Paducah, 42001 1/29/2020: 9 am - 1 pm The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. You can find more information at the links below, or by following the American Red Cross on Twitter at @RedCross. The American Red Cross has extended an urgent call for donors of all blood types. On the Net: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday (local time), began his Tunisia visit with a bilateral meeting with the country's Foreign Minister Sabri Bachtobji. "Began my #Tunisia visit with a meeting with FM Sabri Bachtobji. As two vibrant democracies in different regions, discussed shared interests and challenges," he tweeted. Both the leaders agreed to work closely in multilateral forums especially the United Nations. In another tweet, Jaishankar informed, "Agreed to work closely in multilateral forums especially the UN. Also focused on expanding bilateral economic cooperation and witnessed the signing of an agreement on ICT." The Minister called on the country's President Kais Saied and conveyed the "good wishes of world's largest democracy". "Called on President @KaissSaide of #Tunisia. Conveyed the good wishes of the world's largest democracy. Reaffirmed our commitment to a fair, just and a rule-based global order," he tweeted. Jaishankar also met Rached Ghannouchi, the Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament. The EAM tweeted, "Warmly received by Speaker @R_Ghannouchi. Greatly touched by his strong empathy for India. Agreed on expanding our exchanges, especially between Parliamentary institutions and civil society. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CONIFER, Colo. - As Democrats scramble for elusive Republican defectors so they can take charge of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial and summon witnesses to Capitol Hill, it would seem logical to look west to the freshman senator from Colorado. Young, relatively moderate and with a proven reputation for independence - he didn't vote for Trump in 2016 - Cory Gardner faces a tough reelection this year in a Democrat-trending state where revulsion toward the president runs high. Standing up to the president now could affirm that the senator remains his own man. Yet Colorado strategists on either side of the aisle and nonpartisan analysts all agree: Gardner is highly unlikely to break rank. And the reason reflects the reality of politics for GOP officeholders in the Trump era. It's embodied by voters like Pat Dolan, a committed Republican who has every intention of supporting Gardner's reelection. Unless, of course, Gardner should dare to defy Trump. "In that case, I wouldn't vote for him," said Dolan, a 68-year-old physical therapist, as he paused in a supermarket parking lot nestled among snow-draped hills on the cusp of the Rockies. "Impeachment is all about politics. Conservatives need to stay together to overcome the radical left." To those scanning the political horizon for Republican officeholders with the inclination to stand up to Trump, the lack of prospects can be confounding. As the president's impeachment trial kicks off in earnest, just three Republican senators - Mitt Romney (Utah), Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) - have expressed unease with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's strategy of "total coordination" with the White House. They are considered the most likely senators to buck Trump and McConnell on the crucial questions of whether new witnesses - including, perhaps, former national security adviser John Bolton - and documents will be included. To secure a majority, Democrats need at least one more vote. Among the likely targets are retiring Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, as well as a handful of relative moderates facing reelection in swing states, including in North Carolina and Arizona. Gardner is perhaps the most vulnerable Republican of all this year, seeking a second term in a state Trump lost by nearly five points in 2016. Colorado has only shifted further left in the time since as younger, more liberal voters have flooded in and Democrats have tipped a registration deficit in their favor. But rather than run away from Trump as the evidence mounts of an abuse of power, Gardner has drawn nearer. What little he has said about impeachment - advisers acknowledge he is being conspicuously quiet on the issue - has been critical, describing the process as "a total circus." Having already endorsed Trump's reelection, the 45-year-old has shown no inclination to bow to Democratic demands for what they describe as the basic ingredients of a fair trial. The choice reflects the hyperpartisan backdrop as impeachment moves to the Senate for only the third time in American history: Even in a state where voters are famously independent and where demographics favor the Democrats, Republicans believe they have little to gain politically by swimming against the Trump tide. "Gardner has made a calculus: The Republican base is more necessary to his reelection than being that profile in courage who would try to persuade the persuadable middle," said Kyle Saunders, a political science professor at Colorado State. Strategically, Saunders said, that make sense: Colorado has more unaffiliated voters than it has either Democrats or Republicans. But he estimated that only up to 10% of the electorate is truly up for grabs, with opinions about Trump deeply entrenched on either side. While a significant majority of Coloradans disapprove of Trump's performance, Gardner will need Republicans, who are nearly unanimous in their support of the president, if he has any hope of keeping his seat. "If he takes on Trump now," Saunders said, "he demobilizes the base and has absolutely no chance." Sticking with the president offers its own peril, allies acknowledge. "Cory's got a tough race. The odds are 50-50 - at best," said Dick Wadhams, a veteran Republican strategist in Colorado and a friend of Gardner's. "There's no doubt about it: Trump is a liability." The last time Gardner ran - scoring a narrow upset against the incumbent Democrat, Mark Udall - Trump was a New York real estate mogul and reality television star. Gardner, then a second-term congressman, ran as a politically nimble "new kind of Republican" who would stand up to GOP leadership. "When my party is wrong, I'll say it," Gardner told viewers in an ad that aired during the closing weeks of the 2014 campaign. Two years later, Gardner made good on that vow, rescinding his endorsement of the then-Republican nominee for president after a video surfaced of Trump boasting how he had groped women without their consent. Gardner urged the future president to drop out and said he would write-in Mike Pence's name rather than cast a ballot for Trump. Since Trump's victory, Gardner has occasionally broken with the president; he was critical, for instance, after Trump's "both sides" treatment of the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia. But on most issues, Gardner has fallen into line, voting with the president's position nearly 90% of the time and refraining from any stands that might draw Trump's notorious ire on Twitter. "Cory Gardner has chosen a path, and he's very likely to stick with it: blind allegiance to Donald Trump," said Craig Hughes, a Democratic strategist who managed Michael Bennet's winning 2010 Senate campaign. "There are places where such a path might make more sense. Here, it's going to cause real problems." The object of Gardner's strategy, Hughes surmised, has been to avoid a primary challenge on his right flank. That appears to have been successful, with no serious competition in sight. But Gardner - whose office declined an interview request for this story, as it has with nearly all impeachment-related media queries in recent months - still faces a mortal threat to his senate career. In November, he is likely to be pitted against Democrat John Hickenlooper. The popular former governor has already signaled that he will hammer the senator for his ties to a president who, polling shows, is deep underwater with Colorado voters. Hickenlooper has called for Gardner and other senators to allow fresh impeachment witnesses and documents, saying that "a trial without witnesses and evidence isn't a trial at all - it's a sham." Should Gardner choose to rebel against the White House and vote with Democrats on those issues, "it would be an opportunity for him to recast his image," Hughes said. But a visit to Jefferson County, a traditional Colorado bellwether where Denver's western suburbs begin their jagged ascent into the Rockies, shows why that's unlikely. Gardner and Udall fought to a virtual draw in the county in 2014. Two years later, Hillary Clinton beat Trump comfortably here. And in 2018, Democrats swamped Republicans across the board. All the while, young, well-to-do transplants from the city - as well as from California, Illinois, New York and beyond - have fueled a boom that has housing developments and shopping centers sprouting from seemingly every turn in the twisty hillside roads. The changes mirror those being felt statewide, nudging Colorado even further into the Democrats' column. But far from pushing Gardner toward a more centrist path - and away from his alignment with Trump - Republicans in Jefferson County are urging him to stick as closely as possible to the president at a time when Democrats are pushing for his ouster, said Denise Mund, chair of the local GOP. "The Republicans I know think this thing is all made up," Mund said. "It's political, it's mean-spirited and it's not based in fact. I don't think the president did anything wrong." Mund said some local Republicans consider Gardner too willing to compromise; she herself has raised concerns with him when his votes have been out of sync with Trump's wishes. But on impeachment, she said she has no fear that the senator will step out of line. "I don't think Cory's going to go there," said Mund, who spoke at the party's local headquarters, an office filled with "Keep America Great" ball-caps and T-shirts that she said sell out almost as quickly as she can order them. What animates the Trump base, however, has been alienating to voters who gave Gardner a chance in 2014 but who dislike the president. It has also energizing progressives like Linda Kahanaui, a semiretired teacher who was rushing home from the grocery store one recent afternoon so she could write Gardner a letter demanding he hold Trump accountable for "degrading the office of the presidency." She had little hope it would change the senator's mind. "The only thing Republicans care about is retaining their power," she said. "They don't have the courage to stand up to the cult of Trump." The EU offered a pointedly warm welcome Wednesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is seeking to broaden international support for elections to be held in his country to vote President Nicolas Maduro out of power. Guaido is recognised as Venezuela's interim president by the US and around 50 other countries, though not by the European Commission, which describes him instead as the "legitimate" speaker of Venezuela's opposition-run parliament. Still, the convivial handshake extended by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and meetings with other top officials from the Commission and the European Parliament underlined the bloc's broad support for Guaido. Guaido's message, relayed in an interview with BBC radio, was that he was seeking "support to achieve the free and fair elections, support to fight against dictatorship" in Venezuela. The Brussels stop was part of an international campaign Guaido is waging to shore up backing in his bid to succeed Maduro. He defied a travel ban issued by Maduro's administration to go to Colombia and Britain before Belgium, and was to continue on to Switzerland to take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos and then to Spain at the end of the week. In Bogota, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed President Donald Trump's full-throated diplomatic support for Guaido. That was echoed in Britain, which is among the majority of EU countries that have joined the US in recognising Guaido's claim made early last year as Venezuela's temporary leader. While there was no unanimous EU position on recognising Guaido as such, a European source said "the meeting (between him and Borrell) is a message in itself." - Raid on Caracas offices - Meanwhile, as Guaido was out of the country, hooded Venezuelan intelligence agents raided his Caracas offices, an action that underlined the crucial support Maduro continues to enjoy from his country's security services. The EU, which is concerned by the unprecedented outflow of Venezuelans fleeing economic hardship, has seen its efforts to help solve the crisis in the South American country go nowhere. The European Union has already imposed sanctions on Venezuela, including an arms embargo and the targeting of 25 of Maduro's officials for "human rights violations and undermining of democracy and the rule of law". It has resisted US pressure to ramp up the sanctions. Guaido's status as Venezuelan president for many key countries but not the entire international community has contributed to a political deadlock that has dragged on. "If Guaido wants to break the impasse he needs to count on other allies beyond the traditional support given by the United States and the Lima Group" made up of a dozen Latin American nations and Canada, said Carlos Malamud, an analyst at the Madrid-based Elcano Institute for International and Strategic Studies. While there was no unanimous EU position on recognising Guaido, right, as Venezuela's interim leader, a European source said "the meeting (between him and Borrell) is a message in itself" New Jerseys judges will get a seat on the board overseeing investments of the states $78 billion pension fund, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday. The measure (S3871) add a member of the Judicial Retirement System to the State Investment Council. Unlike other public retirement funds, the Judicial Retirement System is not represented on the investment council. The legislation would bring the councils total membership up to 16. The bill passed 39-0 in the state Senate and 75-0 in the state Assembly. New Jersey judges contribute to the State pension system with deductions from every paycheck, but they had been denied a voice on the body that determines how their retirement savings are invested, state Sen. Christopher Kip Bateman, R-Somerset, said in a statement. Im glad that the new law will finally provide judges the representation they deserve..." The Judicial Retirement System is the least healthy of the seven pension funds. Under the states accounting rules, it has enough assets, $210 million, to cover about 31 percent of its $671 million in liabilities. Measured under national accounting standards, it has $168 million in assets and $922 million in liabilities, for a funded ratio of just 18 percent. The judges pension fund assets are comprised of contributions from the state, from employees and investment returns. The state has for decades now contributed less than what is required by actuaries or nothing at all. A retired state Superior Court judge, Raymond A. Batten, told a Senate committee that the change is a simple matter of fairness and equity. Having that representation on the State Investment Council will give at least some measure of confidence to the Judicial Retirement System beneficiaries that their interests are being protected to the same extent as the other pension fund beneficiaries," he said. Want more pension news? Enter your email address to be the first to know: Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. President Donald Trump has warned Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to be "very careful with his words" after the Iranian called the U.S. leader a clown during a rare sermon he delivered earlier on Friday. "The so-called 'Supreme Leader' of Iran, who has not been so Supreme lately, had some nasty things to say about the United States and Europe," Trump tweeted on January 17. "Their economy is crashing, and their people are suffering. He should be very careful with his words!" Trump tweeted. Trump also tweeted that the noble people of Iranwho love Americadeserve a government that's more interested in helping them achieve their dreams than killing them for demanding respect. Instead of leading Iran toward ruin, its leaders should abandon terror and Make Iran Great Again! Following the killing of Iran's top general in Iraq by a U.S. drone attack on January 3 and the downing of a Ukrainian airliner by Iran's Revolutionary Guard January 8 followed by protests, the embattled Khamenei decided to deliver his first sermon in eight years. During the much-anticipated event, Iran's top ruler mostly repeated his hardliner positions regarding the United States and he also lashed out at Western European nations who are signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement for adopting a tougher stance toward Iran. Khamenei also reiterated his commitment to maintain a military presence in the region, by saying that the Revolutionary Guard have no boundaries. Spanish consumers group alleged that products made by TOUS were not entirely made of gold as advertised. A Spanish jewellery company endorsed by some of Hollywoods biggest stars is under investigation over accusations it sold items it falsely claimed were made entirely of gold and silver. Luxury goods maker TOUS, which sells its jewellery, handbags and accessories in more than 50 countries, is the subject of an inquiry launched by the National Court in Madrid, which investigates serious criminal cases. The case stems from a complaint made by a consumers group alleging that some of the companys products were not entirely made of gold as indicated in its advertising. The criminal complaint was initially made to a court in Cordoba in southern Spain. The court in Cordoba decided that if the case was proven there may be victims across Spain, so it should be investigated by a national, not a local, court, a spokesman for the court told Al Jazeera on Wednesday. TOUS, which is based near Barcelona, has denied the claims. The company, which has more than 700 stores globally, is famous for its bear cub pendants in gold and silver, as shown off in a 2015 worldwide advertising campaign featuring Oscar-winning US actress Gywneth Paltrow. But it was accused by Spanish consumers group Consujoya of selling jewellery it said was pure gold but which in fact contained plastic. When a consumer buys a bear and pays over 400 ($440), do they know that it is mostly made of filling and not gold? the consumer group posted in a statement on its Facebook page. Rafael Valenzuela, of Consujoya, said after a series of complaints from consumers, his group bought two types of gold pendants made by TOUS, opened up the jewellery and found plastic inside. The group accused TOUS of fraud, false documentation, misleading publicity and corruption between individuals all charges the company denies. It seems this case could have repercussions for the entire jewellery business Ruben Sanchez - Facua TOUS, which was founded in 1920, said in a statement that its products were certified by external laboratories in accordance with the highest quality standards. Santiago Pedraz, the investigating judge, has summoned a TOUS manager and a representative of an independent company which assesses the quality of its products for questioning. The company said it uses a process called electroforming, which uses an electrical current to mould jewellery of all shapes and sizes with pieces of greater volumes which at the same time are light and made without using welding. TOUS added that in some cases the jewellery could contain non-metallic cores to help it with stability. The statement added these products abided by legislation regulating precious metals and were always accompanied by a certificate which explains how they were made and guarantees that they contain pure gold or silver. Giovanna Tagliania, secretary-general of the Spanish Association of Jewellers, Silversmiths and Watchmakers, told Al Jazeera that Spanish law allowed jewellery to be made using the process of electroforming. It does not imply fraud nor manipulation. It is a practice which allows companies to offer consumers products with a better design at an affordable price, she said. Under Spanish law, the investigating judge must first decide if there is a case of fraud to answer or not. If the judge decides there is a case, then it will be sent to the criminal division of the National Court for trial at a later date. Ruben Sanchez, vice president of Facua, another consumer action group, said: What is at stake here is whether TOUS fooled customers by not stating clearly that this jewellery was made with products other than gold or silver. It seems this case could have repercussions for the entire jewellery business. The Philadelphia Flyers mascot might be in hot water.(Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers mascot that went viral throughout last season, is being accused of a punching a 13-year-old boy in the back. According to reports, the Flyers held an exclusive event for season ticket holders with the availability to have pictures taken with their superstar mascot, Gritty. During that time, 13-year-old Brandon Greenwell allegedly patted the mascot on the head after their photo was taken. As the boy started walking away, the googly-eyed mascot took a running start, and punched [Brandon] as hard as he could, according to his father. About a month after the alleged assault, and Comcast Spectacor the owners of the Flyers and the Greenwells could not agree on a settlement, the father and son reported the event to Philadelphia police. The investigation is active and on-going, police told the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Flyers and Comcast Spectacor offered special bonuses to the family, despite no physical evidence of the altercation. I have investigated your allegations and cannot identify anyone who witnessed the incident as you described it, wrote Laurie Kleinman, vice president of risk management at Comcast Spectacor, in an email to Greenwell. It is unfortunate that you and your son had a bad experience at our Gritty Photo Event. Therefore, we are offering an opportunity to discuss a creative way to restore your sons love of the Philadelphia Flyers. The two sides are still in disagreement. Philadelphia has become notorious for physical attacks coming from their mascots. The Phillies Phillie Phanatic has earned the title of most-sued mascot in the majors because of multiple reports coming from fans. After the report of the allegation spread, the Flyers issued a statement regarding the incident. We took Mr. Greenwells allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim, the team stated. This isnt turning serious quite yet Greenwell hasnt hired a lawyer but it can turn orange and ugly soon. Story continues More NHL coverage from Yahoo Sports Small-Cap Stocks Some of the best stocks to buy in the past 25 years started as small-cap stocks. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) was a $7 stock in 1998, and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) had a market valuation of just over $1 billion in 2010. Of course, not every small-cap company becomes a giant. Investing in small companies can be rewarding, but also comes with risks that investors need to understand. Heres a close look at small-cap stocks, including our picks for some of the best. What are small-cap stocks? Small-cap is short for small market capitalization, which is equal to a company's share price times the number of shares outstanding. A company is classified as having a small market capitalization when that market cap falls between roughly $300 million and $2 billion. Stocks classified by market capitalization are generally divided as follows: Category Market Capitalization Micro-cap companies Less than $300 million Small-cap companies $300 million to $2 billion Mid-cap companies $2 billion to $10 billion Large-cap companies $10 billion to $200 billion Mega-cap companies More than $200 billion Small-cap companies are often young companies. They tend to have significant growth potential, but also are generally less stable than their larger, more established peers. A comparison of the Russell 2000 (NYSEMTK:IWM), a small-cap-focused index, and the large-cap-focused S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) since 2000 shows that small-cap stocks have handily outperformed large-cap companies. The chart below demonstrates demonstrates the difference: Over short time periods, the prices of small-cap stocks tend to be more volatile than those of larger companies, and the stocks' values fluctuate more dramatically. The longer the evaluation period, the greater the likelihood that small-cap stocks outperform the large-caps Best small-cap stocks Many small-cap companies arent household names -- at least not yet. These are some small-cap stocks to consider: 1. Carparts.com Formerly known as U.S. Auto Parts, Carparts.com (NASDAQ:PRTS) is an online auto parts retailer that has been transformed under new management. By consolidating its web brands under only the Carparts.com banner, the company has streamlined its business, and sales surged during the pandemic. The company is investing in technology and marketing, and just opened two new distribution centers. It also looks primed for continued growth, due to a semiconductor chip shortage in auto manufacturing that is boosting new and used car prices. Over the long term, the company is targeting 20%-25% revenue growth, meaning that Carparts.com is likely more than just a pandemic story. 2. ACM Research As a manufacturer of cleaning equipment for semiconductor wafers, ACM Research (NASDAQ:ACMR) is a "picks-and-shovels" play in the semiconductor industry. Investing in ACM Research provides exposure to a high-growth industry without exposure to the risk of commodity chip prices declining. Additionally, ACM is an American company that conducts most of its business in China, giving investors a relatively safe investing method for gaining exposure to the Chinese market. ACM is one of the rare small-cap companies that offers both high growth potential and solid profitability. 3. AppHarvest One of the more intriguing small-cap stocks that recently began trading is AppHarvest (NASDAQ:APPH), a pioneer in vertical farming that went public in February, 2021, via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). While AppHarvest is essentially a development-stage company, having earned just $2.3 million of revenue in the first quarter of 2021, the company aims to be the worlds largest indoor commercial farm. If its business model succeeds, then AppHarvest's market cap could increase by multiples of its current valuation, which is less than $2 billion. Best small-cap funds If you don't want to choose individual small-cap stocks for your portfolio, then you can instead gain exposure to small-cap companies by investing in a small-cap-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF) or mutual fund. Here are a couple of options: iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEMKT:IWM): This ETF tracks the performance of the Russell 2000, which is considered the leading index of small-cap stocks. The fund's managers charge an annual management fee of 0.19%, which equates to $1.90 for every $1,000 invested. (NYSEMKT:IWM): This ETF tracks the performance of the Russell 2000, which is considered the leading index of small-cap stocks. The fund's managers charge an annual management fee of 0.19%, which equates to $1.90 for every $1,000 invested. Fidelity Small Cap Growth Fund (NASDAQMUTFUND:FCPGX): This mutual fund invests in small-cap stocks that have high growth potentials. It's actively managed, with the objective of outperforming the Russell 2000, so the fund's fees -- 0.94% annually -- are somewhat high as compared with those of most ETFs. Small-cap stocks after COVID-19 Market turbulence at the start of the pandemic caused small-cap stocks to lose greater value than their large-cap counterparts. But small-cap stock prices also recovered more quickly, and have actually outperformed the S&P 500 since the start of 2020, as indicated by the chart below: While the prices for small-cap stocks can recover quickly from crises, small-cap companies typically struggle more in recessionary environments than large-cap companies. Thats because small companies are less likely to be profitable, have less cash on their balance sheets, and face greater difficulty with accessing external capital. All of these disadvantages make their stocks riskier investments in a crisis like a recession or the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the Russell 2000 trades at a significantly higher price-to-earnings ratio than the S&P 500, a reflection of the fact that small-cap companies tend to have lower profits but more growth potential than their large-cap peers. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Congress has congratulated Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for not granting the tender for manufacture of diesel-powered submarines to the Adani HSL joint venture. Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said "We congratulate Rajnath Singh that he did not give Rs 45,000 crore submarine project to Adani Defence, the Congress has raised this issue but he has kept nation above friends, this is because we had raised the red flag." The Adani Group and state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited's joint venture bid to participate in the Rs 45,000 crore submarine project -- referred to as Project 75-I -- was on Tuesday rejected by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The joint venture bid of Adani Group and Hindustan Shipyard Limited for the Project 75-I programme to build six new diesel-electric submarines was rejected on technical grounds. According to sources, Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks Ltd (MDL) and Larsen and Turbo (L&T) have been approved as the Indian strategic partners (SP) and will now compete to be chosen for constructing six submarines in India. Whichever company finally wins the bid will be working with five foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). European Naval Group and Spanish Navantia are among the foreign shipyards that have been chosen to offer their advanced submarine technology to the selected Indian strategic partner for the project. Earlier also the Congress had raised the issue as chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged "The government is flouting norms and the defence procurement procedure 2016 (DPP-2016) in awarding the contract to the Adani-HSL joint venture". "The Submarine Project 75-I is under a cloud of suspicion owing to allegations of favouritism, crony capitalism, violations of the DPP-2016 and an alleged over-ruling of the Indian Navy and its empowered committee by the Modi government," said Surjewala. A new analysis concludes that sperm donations taken from men after death are morally permissible. Experts believe that an opt-in sperm donation option, much like opt-in organ donation, would increase dwindling sperm stocks, following the implementation of strict regulations. Image Credit: Christoph Burgstedt/Shutterstock.com Sperm donation much like organ donation Scientists confirm that sperm collected from men even up to 48 hours after death can be used to create viable pregnancies and healthy children. Experts who ran the analysis, Dr. Nathan Hodson, from the University of Leicester, and Dr. Joshua Parker, from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, believe that collecting a donation of sperm posthumously is like collecting organ donations. They state that the morality of it is much the same, the sperm donation will be used to relieve the suffering of others, in this case, the suffering would be infertility. A growing shortage of sperm donations in the UK 2,345 babies were born in the UK in 2017 following sperm donation. However, the supplies of donations are decreasing, and statistics show that fewer men are opting to make donations, which is suspected to be related to the laws around anonymity. For example, back in 2014 saw the opening of a new national sperm bank based in Birmingham which received a government grant of 77,000. But the bank had stopped recruiting donors less than two years after it opened, with just nine men signing up after the launch, and two of those subsequently dropping out. In the UK since 2005, it has been the law that any children born from sperm donations have the legal right to contact the donor once they turn 18. It is thought that this lack of anonymity is preventing men from feeling comfortable making donations. Not everyone is in support of the idea of allowing the deceased to father a child. Professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, Prof Allan Pacey, believes that rather focusing efforts on collecting sperm donations posthumously, there should be a switch in focus to encourage healthy, young men to donate, so that they are more likely to be around if the child should want to contact them. There is very much a conflict between those who are focused on increasing sperm bank reserves so that more people can become parents who would not be able to otherwise, and those who are focused on the concerns of the potential impact on the child of never having the opportunity to know the man who donated their genetics to them. 500 children born to just 17 donors The shortage of sperm donations in the UK is threatening more than just limiting the availability to couples with fertility problems. Recent figures have shown that just 17 men in the UK have fathered over 500 children between them. Another 104 men have fathered between 20 and 29 children each, and 1557 have fathered between 10 and 19. This is causing medical experts' concern as they point out that because sperm donations are not screened for faulty genes, like those known to cause types of cancer, for example, there could be an unwilling spread of defective DNA to numerous children. Also, it means that there are a lot of children being born with siblings that they are unaware of. Data has revealed that there are now over 18,000 children born with at least nine other half-brothers or sisters, which increases the risk of children of the same sperm donor unexpectedly meeting and unknowingly forming relationships with a sibling. These statistics underline the need for a wider range of sperm donors in the UK, which could be achieved is posthumous donations become legal. WATERLOO Supporters of an overnight emergency shelter are urging the city leaders not to close it for fire code violations until a new location can be found. Supporters of the Waterloo Warming Center lobbied City Council members Tuesday in support of the operation, which opened Jan. 6 at Jubilee United Methodist Church Freedom Center, 1621 E. Fourth St. Members of the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously earlier in the day to ask the city to give more time to the center, which was opened by a coalition of social service agencies and staffed by volunteers. Supervisor Chris Schwartz, who has been heavily involved in the center, called it ridiculous and inhumane on the citys part to expected a new location could be found by Friday, which had been a stated deadline. Waterloo Fire Rescue has said the warming center, which operates from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, is in clear violation of fire codes, which require a commercial building being used for residential purposes to have a sprinkler system. Fire Chief Pat Treloar said hes been meeting with the warming center committee on possible solutions and had indicated the center could stay open past Friday if another location is actively in the works. If theres a plan in place by Friday well look at extending a short period of time past Friday, Treloar said. We are hopeful that (another location) pans out. They will not be able to stay in the current location. Jay Nardini, supporter of the center, was among several residents asking City Council members for additional time to find a better location. I would think that the likelihood of someone being injured by a fire at that facility is far less than the likelihood of someone either suffering severe frostbite or freezing to death in this terrible weather, he said. Nardini is a member of the Hawkeye Community College board of trustees and has asked the college administration to look at allowing the warming center in the former HCC Metro Center building at 844 W. Fourth St. Council members were split on whether they should override the fire marshals ruling, although it was unclear whether they even had that authority. It would very much advocate I would like the current station to stay open until a suitable replacement can be found, said Councilman Jonathan Grieder. It fulfills a political belief that Ive always had, informed by my faith, to do the best we can for the most we can as often as we can. But Councilman Dave Boesen, a former Waterloo fire marshal, said he was concerned about looking the other way when a code violation is noticed. Once you deviate from the code, once you make an exception in any code, you own that deviation or that exception, Boesen said. Anything that happens you open yourself up for the liability personal liability on the person that decided to make that deviation and the city to liability. Boesen suggested the basement of the Black Hawk County Courthouse should be an option, especially given its location in downtown. Its large. It would only be open from 8 oclock at night until 7 oclock in the morning. Its sprinkled. It has a fire alarm system, Boesen said. It would meet all the needs for a temporary solution until we can find a permanent fix for the problem. Mayor Quentin Hart said hes lost sleep over the situation since he learned about it last week and urged people not to demonize fire officials and city staff. Im just hoping and praying that we can find a very good solution where theyre in a safer environment. he said. The warming center is a low-barrier overnight shelter essentially designed to accept people who have been turned away from traditional homeless shelters because they are intoxicated or exhausted limits elsewhere. Schwartz said organizers modeled the operation after similar shelters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Dubuque, which also operate in unsprinkled commercial buildings. Treloar said hes reached out to fire officials in those communities and suggested some of those warming centers might be operating outside the knowledge of fire officials. He noted some fire departments will allow overflow shelters to operate under strict guidelines during high usage times. The difference here is this is not an overflow shelter, Treloar said. It is a facility with an opening date and an end date. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 WESTLAKE, Texas, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of students from Fordham University claimed victory at the Deloitte FanTAXtic national case study competition by presenting the best analysis on a complex, issues-driven business tax case. This year's case challenged students to analyze the impact of using debt versus equity to expand operations for a startup venture. The national finals were held Jan. 17-18 at Deloitte University, Deloitte's learning and leadership development center. "Congratulations to all of the students that participated in this year's competition for their technical proficiency, teamwork and innovative thinking to solve the complexities of the business case challenge," said Steve Kimble, chairman and CEO, Deloitte Tax LLP. "There has never been a more exciting time to be in tax given the magnitude of change we have seen related to tax reform, technology transformation, and globalization. These students are truly getting a real-world experience that provides the opportunity to build their skills and be exposed to the types of challenges that will face them as they prepare for the tax profession of tomorrow." Competition results First place team: Fordham University Second place team: University of Northern Iowa Third place team: DePaul University The other teams that participated were: Brigham Young University , Truman State University , University of Florida , University of Houston , University of Massachusetts, Amherst , and University of Mississippi . "The Deloitte FanTAXtic case competition provides an invaluable setting for students to prepare for a career in tax, interact with peers from other universities, and be inspired by Deloitte professionals," said Stan Veliotis, Associate Professor & Co-Director, Center for Professional Accounting Practices, Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business. "Its use of real business challenges provides our students with the opportunity to hone their communication, analytical and research skills. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this case competition, the Deloitte judges' time and insights, and Deloitte's commitment and sponsorship of this program." "Through FanTAXtic, the Deloitte Foundation is able to show students what a tax career can offer," said Vickie Carr, partner, Deloitte Tax LLP and Deloitte Foundation board member. "Aligning with our mission to help prepare the next generation of talent, the competition connects the academic experience to real-world business scenarios enabling students to use a variety of technical and soft skills to deliver a solution to the case. I am continually impressed by the caliber of students participating in this competition." Each of the nine teams participating in the national competition won the Deloitte FanTAXtic contest in their respective U.S. regions. Before the final competition, nearly 60 teams representing over 40 colleges and universities participated in regional qualifier events at Deloitte offices throughout the U.S., Nov. 7-8, 2019. Sponsored by Deloitte Tax LLP and supported by the Deloitte Foundation, FanTAXtic has engaged 6,249 students since inception in 2002 and is designed to educate and prepare the next generation of tax talent for a career in business and tax. To learn more about Deloitte FanTAXtic, please email [email protected]. About Deloitte Foundation The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators. Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation. About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 5,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Now celebrating 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 312,000 people worldwide make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com . Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. SOURCE Deloitte Related Links http://www.deloitte.com WASHINGTON The District of Columbia is suing President Trumps inaugural committee and two companies that control the Trump International Hotel in the nations capital, accusing them of throwing parties for the Trump family with nonprofit funds, and overpaying for event space at the hotel. The districts attorney general, Karl Racine, said the inaugural committee had been blatantly and unlawfully abusing nonprofit funds to enrich the Trump family. The lawsuit, announced Wednesday, alleges that the committee abused nonprofit funds and coordinated with the Trump family to grossly overpay for event space in the hotel. The committee has maintained that its finances were independently audited, and that all money was spent in accordance with the law. It was the latest allegation that Trump and his family have used public and nonprofit funds spent at Trump-owned properties to enrich themselves part of the peril of Trump not fully withdrawing from his businesses while he is president. Trump has maintained ownership but turned the reins over to his adult sons, who have bristled at the charge that they are profiting off their fathers presidency. The suit alleges the committee coordinated with the hotels management and members of Trumps family to arrange the events and that committee staffers knew they were paying prices that were grossly above market rate but didnt consider less expensive alternatives. Prosecutors found that Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign aide, personally managed discussions with the hotel about using the space, including ballrooms and meeting rooms. One of the events planners raised concerns about pricing with Trump, Gates and Ivanka Trump, according to the lawsuit. Those concerns included a written warning that the price proposal was at least twice the market rate. But Gates went through with it anyway, at a cost of $1.03 million, the suit says. Colleen Long and Michael Balsamo are Associated Press writers. The Roadshow, beginning February, will expand on Falcon.io's recently released Digital Marketing Trends Handbook CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW/ -- Falcon.io, a Cision company, today announced the dates for its inaugural Marketing Trends Roadshow. The 2020 Roadshow meetups will take place in selected cities in North America, Europe and Australia, beginning this February and ending in April. The Roadshow is based on Falcon.io's recently released 2020 Digital Marketing Trends Handbook, an annual report by Falcon.io now in its fourth edition. The handbook lists the 15 digital trends most likely to affect marketers in 2020. The trends were compiled based on industry research, Falcon.io's expertise, as well as input from customers, partners and influencers. At each meetup, an expert panel will discuss the key trends and the consumer behavior driving them, as well as strategies for how marketers can turn these trends to their advantage in 2020 and beyond. Some of the topics explored in the handbook include: How private messaging apps are taking over customer service The latest evolution of social media advertising How the demand for authenticity is changing influencer marketing "Falcon.io's Digital Marketing Trends Handbook has become such a popular piece of content, that we were excited to launch the roadshow to get the opportunity to dive deeper into the trends impacting our industry," explained Dino Kuckovic, Community Marketing Lead at Falcon.io. "We can't wait to see what topics arise in each city, and get the chance to further explore insights and questions with our peers face-to-face." The 2020 Roadshow dates and locations are: Vancouver , February 5 , London , February 12 , Miami , February 27 , Amsterdam , March 5 , Zurich, March 11 Melbourne , March 18 , Hamburg , March 26 , New York City , April 1 , Austin , April 7 , Chicago , April 28 For more details and to register, visit Falcon.io's Events Hub at www.falcon.io/events. Falcon.io will also be hosting a webinar on January 23rd addressing the social media trends covered in the report. The webinar will be co-hosted by social media consultant and influencer Matt Navarra, and will be available on-demand afterwards. To download and read the full 2020 Digital Marketing Trends Handbook, click here. About Falcon.io Falcon.io offers an integrated SaaS platform for social media listening, engaging, publishing, advertising, analytics and benchmarking. The company enables its clients to explore the full potential of digital marketing by managing multiple customer touchpoints from one platform. Its client portfolio includes Carlsberg, Toyota, William Grant & Sons, momondo, Panasonic and Coca-Cola. For more information, visit www.falcon.io. About Cision Cision Ltd (NYSE: CISN) is a leading global provider of earned media software and services to public relations and marketing communications professionals. Cision's software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Cision has over 4,800 employees with offices in 22 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information about its award-winning products and services, including the Cision Communications Cloud, visit www.cision.com and follow Cision on Twitter @Cision. Media Contact: Rebecca Dersh PR Manager, Cision [email protected] SOURCE Falcon.io Related Links https://www.falcon.io Lebanon which has been rocked by anti-government protests for the last several months, finally has a new government, the country's presidency announced on Tuesday (local time). Al Jazeera reported that the presidency announced the formation of the new government after Hezbollah and its allies clinched a deal on a cabinet that must tackle the country's worst economic crisis in decades. The new government headed by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, a 60-year old professor at the American University of Beirut, will consist of 20 ministers-technocrats. Diab said this government represents the aspirations of the demonstrators and stressed that "it will strive to meet their demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of embezzled funds, for the fight against illegal gains." The country has been hit by protests since October last year against the ruling political class. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the debate on the decentralisation and CRDA (Repeal) bills in the legislative council, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday issued a notification to the chairman to send the bills to the select committee. Opposing this, the YSRCP leaders claimed the bills could not be sent to the select committee as the opposition party has not given such notification before the beginning of the house proceeding. Though TDP tried to stop the bills coming for discussion, YSRCP managed to get the bills placed for discussion yesterday. Both the bills were taken up for discussion on Wednesday. From the morning, discussions went on smoothly, barring minor verbal arguments. However, when the bill was to be put for voting, the ruckus started in the House. TDP leader in council Yanamala Ramakrishnudu asked the chairman to send the bill to select committee. Ministers and YSRCP MLCs opposed the proposal stating that "no amendments are proposed in the Bills". Legislative affairs minister Buggana Rajendranath read the rule book mentioning that there is no need to send the bill to select committee as "there are no amendments." Both the parties argued with each other, that lead to a heated argument among the leaders in the council. At that juncture, council chairman MA Sharif announced that TDP's MLC Ashok Babu has suggested some amendments. This created pandemonium in the house following which, the House was adjourned. Andhra Pradesh state assembly on Monday passed the 'Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020'.According to a release, the "Bill provides for the creation of three capital cities to usher in the decentralisation of development."The Bill proposes to have a legislative capital at Amaravati, executive capital and Raj Bhavan at Visakhapatnam and judicial capital at Kurnool. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Is CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) a good dividend stock? How can we tell? Dividend paying companies with growing earnings can be highly rewarding in the long term. If you are hoping to live on your dividends, it's important to be more stringent with your investments than the average punter. Regular readers know we like to apply the same approach to each dividend stock, and we hope you'll find our analysis useful. A slim 2.7% yield is hard to get excited about, but the long payment history is respectable. At the right price, or with strong growth opportunities, CF Industries Holdings could have potential. The company also returned around 6.7% of its market capitalisation to shareholders in the form of stock buybacks over the past year. Before you buy any stock for its dividend however, you should always remember Warren Buffett's two rules: 1) Don't lose money, and 2) Remember rule #1. We'll run through some checks below to help with this. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on CF Industries Holdings! NYSE:CF Historical Dividend Yield, January 22nd 2020 Payout ratios Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. In the last year, CF Industries Holdings paid out 55% of its profit as dividends. This is a healthy payout ratio, and while it does limit the amount of earnings that can be reinvested in the business, there is also some room to lift the payout ratio over time. We also measure dividends paid against a company's levered free cash flow, to see if enough cash was generated to cover the dividend. Of the free cash flow it generated last year, CF Industries Holdings paid out 27% as dividends, suggesting the dividend is affordable. It's positive to see that CF Industries Holdings's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Story continues Is CF Industries Holdings's Balance Sheet Risky? As CF Industries Holdings has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A rough way to check this is with these two simple ratios: a) net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and b) net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA is a measure of a company's total debt. Net interest cover measures the ability to meet interest payments. Essentially we check that a) the company does not have too much debt, and b) that it can afford to pay the interest. With net debt of 2.01 times its EBITDA, CF Industries Holdings's debt burden is within a normal range for most listed companies. Net interest cover can be calculated by dividing earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) by the company's net interest expense. Interest cover of 4.20 times its interest expense is starting to become a concern for CF Industries Holdings, and be aware that lenders may place additional restrictions on the company as well. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of CF Industries Holdings's latest financial position, by checking our visualisation of its financial health. Dividend Volatility One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. CF Industries Holdings has been paying dividends for a long time, but for the purpose of this analysis, we only examine the past 10 years of payments. During this period the dividend has been stable, which could imply the business could have relatively consistent earnings power. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was US$0.08 in 2010, compared to US$1.20 last year. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 31% a year over that time. Dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period. Dividend Growth Potential Dividend payments have been consistent over the past few years, but we should always check if earnings per share (EPS) are growing, as this will help maintain the purchasing power of the dividend. Over the past five years, it looks as though CF Industries Holdings's EPS have declined at around 15% a year. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective, as even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. First, we think CF Industries Holdings has an acceptable payout ratio and its dividend is well covered by cashflow. It's not great to see earnings per share shrinking. The dividends have been relatively consistent, but we wonder for how much longer this will be true. While we're not hugely bearish on it, overall we think there are potentially better dividend stocks than CF Industries Holdings out there. Given that earnings are not growing, the dividend does not look nearly so attractive. Businesses can change though, and we think it would make sense to see what analysts are forecasting for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would love to be attending his impeachment trial under way in the US Senate, but that his lawyers had advised him against it. "I'd love to go. I'd sort of love (to) sit in the front row and stare in their corrupt faces," Trump told reporters as he wrapped up his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos. But he added: "I think they (his lawyers) might have a problem." Search Keywords: Short link: NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventy U.S. college student leaders met with Israeli political, cultural, and community leaders from diverse backgrounds and faiths on the recent Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF) Caravan for Democracy Student Leadership Mission to Israel. The mission aims to facilitate constructive dialogue about Israel and the Middle East on college campuses across America. The 2019/2020 cohort of Caravan for Democracy college students JNF Caravan for Democracy college students explore Tel-Aviv "To help prepare us, ahead of the trip we each received a copy of Be Strong and of Good Courage from JNF," said The Ohio State University student, Jake Horton. "The book talks about Israel's history, and I became aware of how much I didn't know about what existed there before 1948." Over the 10-day mission, these non-Jewish student leaders, who had never before been to Israel, visited significant sites including the Mount of the Beatitudes, the Western Wall, Masada, the Dead Sea, and Yad Vashem Israel's memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. "When we visited Yad Vashem, we realized the true meaning of how those who forget history are doomed to repeat it," said The George Washington University student, Marvelouse Guerrier. "As I grow, as a student leader, and as someone who wants to become involved in government, I have a responsibility to speak up for those who are marginalized. I knew this already, however, it really resonated with me during our visit to Yad Vashem." Supported by a lead gift from the JNF Boruchin Center, Caravan for Democracy participants represent a broad cross section of students who hold leadership positions in university student organizations including; government, ethnic and minority groups, LGBTQ groups, women's groups, service groups, and Greek life. "JNF facilitates Caravan for Democracy because it's important for college students to understand the positive impact Israel has had, and continues to have, on the world," said Jewish National Fund CEO, Russell F. Robinson. "We are showing students a side of Israel they may not see in the media and we are doing it in a way where participants can form their own views." "As a result of the mission I want to work more with my local Hillel to spread positive information about Israel," said U.S. Navy ROTC and Union College student, Brian Huang. "Anti-Israel sentiment isn't as prevalent on my campus, as it is on others, but it is important that we change the narrative in general." Cornell University student, John Dominguez knows the divisive and destructive nature of the anti-Israel movement all too well. "Last year, the BDS resolution at Cornell served as a turning point in my life," said Dominguez. "At the time, I was running for student body president and I knew I had a responsibility to support efforts to block the bill. By organizing more people to come to the student government vote, we were able to defeat the bill." For more information on Caravan for Democracy, visit jnf.org/CaravanForDemocracy or contact Nelson France at [email protected]. Media inquiries: Stefan Oberman, JNF-USA Director of Communications. E: [email protected] P: 212.879.9305 x222 SOURCE Jewish National Fund-USA On January 17, Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei personally delivered the Friday sermon in Tehran for the first time in eight years. This was a response to the highly emotive scenario in Iran following the US assassination of the popular head of the Al Qods Force, General Qassem Soleimani two weeks earlier, and the later revelation that the air wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had inadvertently shot down a Ukrainian civilian aircraft, killing all 176 persons on board, including dozens of Iranian students. Khamenei was tough and uncompromising in his remarks. He referred to the previous fortnight as "historical days". Applauding the Iranian missile attack on US facilities in Iraq in response to the murder, Khamenei said Iran had shown its "ability to slap the face of the world's bully". He also claimed that the attacks had been a "blow to America's superpower image". The shooting of the plane he called a "bitter accident". Khamenei's personal intervention amidst the national upsurge of anger was necessitated by the strong shift in popular mood: when earlier the nation had united in grief and rage after the Soleimani murder, it had later directed the same outrage at the Iranian leadership when the IRGC admitted, after earlier denials, that its personnel had brought down the aircraft believing that it was an American missile directed at Iranian military facilities. Hundreds of young protesters demonstrated in several towns, calling for the resignation of the Supreme Leader and the removal of the government. In one instance, a portrait of Soleimani was also damaged. The Iranian attacks on US bases had more a symbolic value than an attempt to effect lethal damage on US facilities and personnel, which would have triggered further US retaliation. The 22-missile strike on January 8 was directed at the same base, Ayn al-Assad, from where the US drones had been launched to kill Soleimani. Again, the Iranian attack coincided with the exact time of Soleimani's funeral, so that Iran's leaders could claim that the US had been slapped, while President Trump could declare "All's well" and that the US was ready for peace. The US initially said there had been no injuries, but some days later admitted that 11 soldiers had suffered concussion and had been evacuated. There now appears to be a short lull as the region's nations gather their breath and reflect on how they should cope with the implications of the assassination that has thrown the region in such disarray. The immediate concern for Soleimani's successor, Maj Gen Esmail Ghaani, is to retain Iran's influence in Syria and Iraq. Ghaani was Soleimani's deputy for ten years and is fully familiar with both theatres. Early discussions between Syrian and Iranian officials suggest that both sides will attempt to carry on as before. Iran's leaders have conveyed that the removal of US' "corrupt presence" from West Asia is their long-term aim. This could prove more difficult to achieve since US allies Israel and the Gulf Sheikhdoms believe they need an American presence for their security. Iraq has generated some pressure to get the US forces out. Its parliament has passed a resolution calling on the government to end the 2014 agreement that had allowed a US military presence to fight the Islamic State. But this has evoked Trump's ire: he has demanded billions of dollars from Iraq to pay for the US facilities built in the country and promised other dire penal action. In Syria, Trump has repeatedly indicated his interest in a speedy US withdrawal, only to be reversed by his officials claiming the need to prevent Iran from getting to Syrian oil or the fear of an ISIS resurrection. Reports that Trump may have obtained a hardened neocon and Bolton colleague, David Wurmser, as his West Asia adviser suggest that US withdrawal from the region is unlikely, while conflict with Iran would be a priority. Over the last few years, Turkey has made brinkmanship its foreign policy tenet. President Erdogan has maintained close ties with Trump, while steadily building military and political relations with Russia and working with the latter and Iran on the Astana peace process for Syria. As the US-Iran divide acquires a sharper edge in coming days, the US will insist that Turkey work on the US side. This will pose several problems: Turkey and Iran are on the same side against the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, oppose Saudi influence in the Islamic world, and do not trust the Americans, particularly since the US has traditionally been close to the Kurds and could back their aspirations for independence. Turkey would also not like to abandon its ties with Russia which it views as a serious regional player and more reliable than the Trump administration. Putin visited Ankara on 8 January to discuss the regional scenario, even as the two countries are attempting to reconcile their interests in Libya. Brinkmanship may reach its use-by date for Turkey fairly soon. It is interesting to note that the Soleimani killing has evoked little enthusiasm among the Gulf Arab Sheikhdoms. Their principal interest is to reduce tensions and avoid the prospect of conflict, since they will be in the frontline of Iranian attacks. Russian officials have sharply criticised the US for unilaterally contributing to promoting the prospect of a region-wide conflict and "serious negative consequences for the entire system of international security", as the defence ministry put it. The ongoing regional crisis could encourage Russia and China to work more closely with Iran, given that both were identified as principal US concerns in the US National Defense Strategy of 2018. They could even promote a new global financial system to pursue trade with Iran. There will further escalation in regional tensions ignited by the precipitate, ill-judged murder by the US. Having no strategic vision for the region or clear next steps for peace, Trump has placed his friends, enemies and his own nation on the cusp of serious devastation. The writer is a retired diplomat who has served as Indias ambassador to several West Asian capitals STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The knives are out for Bernie Sanders. The way Hillary Clinton and other establishment Dems have been coming at the socialist U.S. senator from Vermont lately, youd think his name was Donald Trump. And those looking to put a spear in Sanders are using some of the same playbook that theyve used against the president. Clinton was the latest to go after Sanders, saying in a story in The Hollywood Reporter magazine that nobody likes Sanders, and that his whole act is just baloney, and thats its too bad that people have fallen for it. She also refused to say outright that she would support Sanders if he were the Democratic nominee for president. Guess that bad blood from their 2016 Democratic nomination battle is still fresh. Clinton and her supporters have slammed Sanders for staying in that race far too long after the nomination was Clintons, preventing Hillary from turning her attention to the fall campaign against Trump. Never mind that Hillary did the exact same thing to Barack Obama in 2008, hoping against hope that some late, big-state wins would lead Democratic superdelegates to stampede her way. It didnt happen. The Clintonites have said that Sanders tough campaign against Hillary did real damage, and helped soften her up for Trump. Because it remains everybody elses fault but her own that Clinton got beat. Shes blamed the Russians. Shes blamed sexism. Shes blamed white women. Shes blamed Obama. And James Comey. And the media. It goes on and on. More telling is the language that Hillary used in the Hollywood Reporter story in lashing out at Sanders supporters, including the famous Bernie Bros cadre. Clinton questioned the culture that surrounds Sanders. It's his leadership team, shes quoted as saying. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. She may as well have called them a basket of deplorables. Hillarys not the only one aiming at Sanders. Obama himself has said that he would personally step in if it looked like Sanders could actually win the nomination. As if Obama still has the golden touch with every Democratic constituency, particularly those who thought Obama wasnt progressive enough as president. And Sanders opponent Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that Sanders told her that a woman couldnt win the White House. She accused him of calling her a liar following the last Democratic debate. Sanders has also tussled with former Vice President Joe Biden over Social Security, and had to apologize when a Sanders supporter said Biden had a corruption problem. So imagine Dems alarm when they saw Sanders right there with Biden at the top of a CNN national poll of Democrats out Wednesday. Hey, guys, seriously. Bernie could actually win this thing. Not such a crazy thought after Sanders gave Clinton the race of her life in 2016, even with the national party openly machinating for Hillary. Sanders has called climate change an existential threat to our planet. But Sanders himself is an existential threat: To his own Democratic Party. And they know it. Sanders is talking about revolution. Targeting the rich. Opening the gates of power to the masses. Hes a swamp-drainer. And like that other swamp-drainer, Trump, he needs to be stopped. The Dems saw it in 2016, and they see it now. Mainstream Dems dont want a revolution. They know all too well that theyd be the first to be purged, to lose their cushy jobs and perks. How long before Sanders supporters start talking about how the Deep State and the mainstream media are lined up against their man? A socialist may not be able to win a general election. But Sanders as the nominee, with lefty supporters like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez marching behind him, could have a massive impact on the Democratic Party itself, including its hold on the House. Nobodys signing up for that. Theres only one solution for nervous Dems: Impeach Bernie Sanders! A shortage of nurses elevated the misery of a woman in my support group during a recent health crisis, she informed us. Because I participate in a clinical trial, in which I am vigilantly monitored in both Bloomington and Indianapolis hospitals, I was surprised. But I quickly began to realize that her ordeal could not possibly be unusual and then to fear that our current health care system is becoming more unfriendly, inhospitable to patients and to nurses as well. My friend Dana arrived at Bloomington Hospitals emergency department with a problem that many people confront after below-the-belt surgery or radiation: a bowel blockage. Dana ended up spending the entire night in the emergency department. When she asked why, she was told that administrators at the short-staffed hospital had closed an entire floor. Once in a room, Dana discovered that it took 45 minutes for the overworked nurses to answer her call button. The young woman who inserted her NG tube was supposed to care for four patients, but had been assigned to six and to the infusion center. While Dana was kept awake the second night by the audio of her roommates TV, she found herself shivering and wondered if she had a fever. Before being discharged the next afternoon, she discovered that the thermostat had been set at 60 degrees. Understandably, the following week Dana became exasperated during an automated phone survey from the hospital: On a scale of 1 to 4, did we make it easy for you? Dana emerged unscathed from her wretched hospitalization, but her experience reminded me that something similar had happened to me a few years ago, although back then I did not know why. Also undergoing a blockage, I too had spent an entire night in the local hospitals emergency room, parked in a sort of closet. After being moved to a room the next morning, I needed to consult a stoma nurse about my nonfunctioning ileostomy. However, another 24 hours crept in their petty pace before one appeared. At that point, I was in no state to profit from her expert advice. Nigerian digital payments startup Paga has acquired Apposit, a software development company based in Ethiopia, for an undisclosed amount. That's just part of Paga's news. The Lagos based startup will also launch its payment products in Mexico this year and in Ethiopia imminently, CEO Tayo Oviosu told TechCrunch The moves come a little over a year after Paga raised a $10 million Series B round and Oviosu announced the company's intent to expand globally, while speaking at Disrupt San Francisco. Paga will leverage Apposit which is U.S. incorporated but operates in Addis Ababa to support that expansion into East Africa and Latin America. Repat founders Behind the acquisition is a story threaded with serendipity, return, and collaboration. Both Paga and Apposit were founded by repatriate entrepreneurs. Oviosu did his MBA at Stanford University and worked at Cisco Systems before returning to Nigeria. Apposit CEO Adam Abate moved back to Ethiopia 17 years ago for an assignment in the country's Ministry of Finance, after studying at Brown University and working in fintech in New York. "I put together a team...to build...public financial management systems for the country. And during the process...brought in my best friend Eric Chijioke...to be a technical engineer," said Abate. The two teamed up with Simon Solomon in 2007 to co-found Apposit, with a focus on building large-scale enterprise software for Africa. Apposit partners (L-R) Adam Abate, Simon Solomon, Eric Chijioke, Gideon Abate A year later, Oviosu met Chijioke when he crashed at his house while visiting Ethiopia for a wedding. It just so happened Chijioke's brother was his roommate at Stanford. That meeting began an extended conversation between the two on digital-finance innovation in Africa and eventually led to a Paga partnership with Apposit in 2010. Apposit dedicated an engineering team to build Paga's payment platform, Eric Chijioke became Paga's CTO (while maintaining his Apposit role) and Apposit backed Paga. Story continues "We aligned ourselves as African entrepreneurs...which then developed into a close relationship where we became...investors in Paga and strategically aligned," said Abate. African roots, global ambitions Fast forward a decade, and the two companies have come pretty far. Apposit has grown its business into a team of 63 engineers and technicians and has racked up a list of client partnerships. The company helped digitize the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange and has contracted on IT and software solutions with banks non-profits and brick and mortar companies. For a decade, Apposit has also supported Paga's payment product development. Paga Interfaces Over that period, Oviosu and team went to work building Paga's platform and driving digital payment adoption in Nigeria, home to Africa's largest economy and population of 200 million. That's been no small task considering Nigeria's percentage of unbanked was pegged as high as at 70% in 2011 and still lingers around 60%, according to The Global Findex database. Paga has created a multi-channel network to transfer money, pay-bills, and buy things digitally. The company has 14 million customers in Nigeria who can transfer funds from one of Pagas 24,411 agents or through the startup's mobile apps. Paga products work on iOS, Android, and basic USSD phones using a star, hashtag option. The company has remittance partnerships with the likes of Western Union and allows for third-party integration of its app. Since inception, the startup has processed 104 million transactions worth $6.6 billion, according to Oviosu. With the acquisition, Paga absorbs Apposit's tech capabilities and team of 63 engineers. The company will direct its boosted capabilities and total workforce of 530 to support expansion. Paga plans its Mexico launch in 2020, according to Oviosu. Adam Abate is now CEO of Paga Ethiopia, where Paga plans to go live as soon as it gains local regulatory approval. The East African nation of 100 million, with the continents seventh largest economy, is bidding to become Africas next startup hub, though it still lags the continents tech standouts like Nigeria and Kenya in startup formation, ISP options and VC. Ethiopia has also been slow to adopt digital finance, with less than 1% of the population using mobile-money, compared to 73% for Kenya, Africa's mobile-payments leader. Paga aims to shift the financial needle in the country. "The goal is straight-forward. We want Ethiopians to use the Paga wallet as their payment account. So it's about digitizing cash transactions and driving financial services," said Oviosu. Paga CEO Tayo Oviosu With the Apposit acquisition and country expansion, he also looks to grow Paga's model in Africa and beyond, as an emerging markets fintech solution. "There are several very large countries around the world in Africa, Latin America, Asia where these [financial inclusion] problems still exist. So our strategy is not an African strategy...We want to go where these problems exist in a large way and build a global payments business," Oviosu said. Fintech competition in Nigeria As it grows abroad, Paga faces greater competition in Nigeria. For the last decade, South Africa and Kenya with the success of Safaricom's M-Pesa product have been Africa's standouts in digital payments. But over the last several years, Nigeria has become a magnet for VC and fintech startups. This trend reached a high-point in 2019 when Chinese investors put $220 million into Opera owned OPay and Transsion backed PalmPay two fledgling startups with plans to scale in Nigeria and broader Africa. That's a hefty war chest compared to Paga's total VC haul of $34 million, according to Crunchbase. Oviosu names product market fit and benefits from the company's expansion as factors that will keep it ahead of these well-funded new entrants. "That's where the world-class technology comes in," he said. "We also take a perspective that we cannot build every use-case, he said contrasting Pagas model to Opera in Africa, which has launched multiple startup verticals around its OPay product, from ride-hailing to food-delivery. Oviosu compares Paga's approach to PayPal, which allows third-party developers to shape businesses around PayPal as the payment solution. With its Apposit acquisition and continued expansion, PayPal may become more than a model for Paga. Founder Tayo Oviosu sees big fintech players, such as PayPal and Alipay, as future competitors with Paga's plans to move into more emerging markets. SAN FRANCISCO Cruise, the autonomous vehicle division of General Motors, unveiled an ambitious new vehicle on Tuesday that its executives said was the beginning of the future beyond the car. Emphasis on beginning. The futuristic electric vehicle, the Cruise Origin, has a long road to travel before any passengers will be able to hail a ride in it. Cruise would not name a time frame for its availability. It provided no details on how many vehicles it planned to produce, or whether it has begun test drives on closed tracks. It has not obtained state or federal regulatory approval to drive on roads. Our work is far from done, Dan Ammann, chief executive of Cruise, said during a presentation in San Francisco. Cruise emphasized that the Origin was more than just an idea, however. In an interview, Mr. Ammann said the company would begin producing prototypes of the Origin and test driving the car in the near future. Many Virginians experience barriers to getting to the polls on Election Day, and there are usually long lines at the polls in the early morning and before the polls close, she said. Virginia has marked a state holiday for Lees birthday since 1889. It added Jackson to the Lee holiday in the early 1900s. In the mid-1980s, the state began marking the federal holiday for the slain civil rights leader on the same day, as Lee-Jackson-King Day. In 2000, Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Republican, called for splitting them into separate holidays. Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, was initially the lone Republican to support the measure but changed her vote. I was moved by [Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg] saying we need to add to history, she said. I know it was a vote that didnt sway the numbers, but I think that it was a vote in favor of preserving our history. Before the vote, Peake spoke about not erasing history. We can promote everyone. We can promote diversity, he said. We can add things without taking away or tearing down other things. (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trumps impeachment trial formally opens in the Senate on Tuesday, promising to shape his legacy, deepen the countrys political divisions and influence control of power in the nations capital for years to come. While the president faces little risk of removal from office by the Republican-led Senate, the trial may bring to light new details of Trumps Ukraine scandal and help sway undecided voters in the 2020 elections. The nationally televised proceedings will be aimed at voters who will decide in November whether to reward Trump with a second term and determine which party should control the House and Senate. The conduct of both Democratic and Republican senators -- who will be forced to remain in the chamber during the sessions and abide by strict rules -- will be under a microscope. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed rules for the trial on Monday that could bring it to a conclusion within days, with much of the action taking place out of public view or late at night. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attacked McConnells plan as a dark of night trial. The Senate GOP Leader has chosen a cover-up for the president, rather than honor his oath to the Constitution, Pelosi said in a statement. With the trial set to start Tuesday, Trump was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he gave a speech taking credit for an economic boom in the U.S. and criticizing environmental alarmists. His remarks came as business and political leaders gathering in the Swiss resort town listed climate change as among their top five long-term concerns. Trump is heading into impeachment with weakened public support, despite having one of the strongest economies in years. Head-to-head national polling shows former Vice President Joe Biden, the presidents top rival, consistently beating Trump in the popular vote. And a survey by CNN released on the eve of the trial showed that a majority of Americans -- 51% -- support the Senate voting to remove the president from office. Story continues The trial could shift those numbers and carries the potential for unpredictability, as Democrats may win enough support from moderate GOP senators to call witnesses. If that happens, top administration officials with potentially damaging information -- such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton -- could speak publicly for the first time, although Trump has indicated he would block them by invoking executive privilege. McConnells Rules New documents could also emerge that provide details on Trumps effort to force Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son Hunter. But McConnell is trying to keep a tight grip on how the trial unfolds and has said he wants it over in a matter of weeks. On Monday, McConnell revealed his proposed rules for the trial, giving House managers just two days to prosecute their case against the president. Its an accelerated pace compared to President Bill Clintons 1999 trial that betrays Republicans eagerness to end the impeachment saga. The compressed timeline could mean that some of the prosecution is conducted into the night, while many Americans are sleeping. McConnell also plans to put off the question of witnesses until after both sides present their case and answer senators questions. The White House would be able to seek a quick dismissal of the two articles of impeachment soon after the trial rules are adopted. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham announced late Monday that eight Republican members of the House who aggressively attacked the impeachment inquiry would join his defense team. Their duties arent clear, but defending the president in the media is likely foremost among them. The first battle -- likely to take place out of public view -- will be over Democrats amendments to the trial rules. Under decades-old Senate impeachment trial rules, all debate will be in secret -- barring the unlikely success of a Democratic bid to open it to the public. So Americans will see only the roll-call votes on amendments and McConnells resolution on trial rules. Assuming McConnells rules are adopted, both House managers and Trumps defense will be given 24 hours of floor time split over two days before senators can submit questions. After that, the Senate could vote to hear from witnesses or move swiftly to final deliberations before declaring Trump guilty or not guilty. No Talking Senators will have to conduct themselves far differently than theyre accustomed. They have been told that once the trial starts, they must stay seated at their desks with only reading material related to the case and to avoid talking in the chamber. Their telephones and other electronics will be kept out-of-reach in cubbies. Republicans are eager to acquit the president and expose what they describe as a partisan and legally dubious effort undertaken by those unwilling to accept a Trump presidency. Democrats will seek to highlight what they see as damaging documents and testimony while arguing that the presidents efforts to solicit a foreign investigation into his political rival should disqualify him from office. The biggest unknown is whether the Senate will hear testimony. Democrats demands for witnesses intensified after a media blitz last week by Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, Trumps personal lawyer. Parnas, who is facing indictment on federal campaign finance charges, told MSNBC that he informed Ukraine officials their U.S. military aid was contingent on announcing an investigation into the Bidens. I wouldnt do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president, Parnas said in the MSNBC interview. Seeking Witnesses Even before Parnass interview, GOP Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee on Tuesday joined Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah in saying they wanted at least an opportunity to vote on calling witnesses in the trial. Four Republican votes would be enough to force the issue, since Democrats fully back calling witnesses. Despite the possibility of testimony, the Senates Republican majority limits the risk faced by Trump over proceedings that so far have been overseen by House Democrats eager to inflict maximum political damage. Some 20 Republicans would have to defect for Trump to face removal from office, underscoring the virtual certainty of his acquittal. Clinton was the last president to be impeached. His Senate trial began in January 1999 and ended a month later with his acquittal. Andrew Johnson, the only other president to be impeached, was nearly convicted by the Senate, escaping removal from office by a single vote in 1868. Highlighting Grievances Trump, who remains deeply popular with his core voters and deeply loathed by Democrats, is trying to win re-election by stoking his supporters sense of grievance and oppression while painting Democrats as unhinged and willing to attack him at all costs. Democrats, too, see the trial as a chance to cement public opinion against the president, and in a pair of pre-trial briefs filed over the holiday weekend, both sides seemed as interested in swaying voters as the Senate. In a 171-page filing on Monday, Trumps lawyers argued the articles of impeachment were a brazenly political act resulting from a rigged process that debase the grave power of impeachment and disdain the solemn responsibility that power entails. House impeachment managers said in their filing that their chamber amassed overwhelming evidence of the presidents guilt through fair procedures rooted firmly in the Constitution and precedent. Outside the impeachment proceedings, Trump sees reason for optimism. His targeted killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month delivered a rebuke to the Islamic Republic without pushing the Middle East into all-out war, which Trumps supporters argue illustrated his foreign policy acumen. The president also is boasting of the phase one trade deal he signed with China last week, pausing a trade war that threatened the economy. His second major trade deal -- the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement that replaces Nafta passed the Senate with a bipartisan 89-10 vote on Thursday, and Trump has said he plans to sign the agreement into law later this week as the trial is ongoing. Trump is seeking to leverage those victories into impeachment counter-programming, with a series of events touting his economic record. Were achieving what no administration has ever achieved before, Trump told an audience of farmers at a speech Sunday night in Texas. And what do I get out it? Tell me? I get impeached! --With assistance from Steven T. Dennis, Jordan Fabian and Laura Litvan. To contact the reporter on this story: Justin Sink in Washington at jsink1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Joshua Gallu For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Hundreds of passengers were trapped on a tram for more than an hour after Sydneys new $2.9 billion light rail service broke down, prompting an evacuation by police. A mechanical failure on a tram at Town Hall at 4pm on Tuesday triggered the closure of about one-third of the problem-plagued network. NSW Police board a tram stalled on Sydney's George Street. Credit:Chloe Groom While nine trams were caught up in the system failure, one was left locked for about 70 minutes, with passengers given no explanation and forced to call the police for assistance. Chloe Groom and her five-year-old daughter were among the passengers who were trapped. To the Editor: Re G.O.P. Blocks Bids to Add Evidence at Start of Trial (front page, Jan. 22): Until today, I have always been proud to say I am an attorney. Ive heard all the lawyer jokes about sleazy lawyers who will say and do anything, tell lies with impunity, to help their clients win. But I always laughed them away with the belief that they depicted a sad but small minority. Now I am no longer laughing because it is no joke. President Trumps lawyers blatantly lied in their legal brief. They have argued that impeachment based on abuse of power is a radical concept and that the framers did not want Congress to judge whether presidents abused their discretion. When a majority of constitutional scholars agree that impeachment is the very tool available to Congress to stop a presidents abuse of power, saying that theory is radical and unfounded is a baldfaced lie. Lawyers may make arguments to a court based on differing analyses of the facts. But they cannot misrepresent the facts. Today I am ashamed to be part of a profession that includes the lawyers representing Mr. Trump. Rosie Rees Evanston, Ill. To the Editor: Forty-five years ago I fled Communism. On Tuesday night I watched the first day of the Senate impeachment trial, which, I felt, was not unlike a dissidents court case in Vietnam it is likely that no witnesses will be called or documents allowed to be presented, only state-generated photos and video clips are provided, and a ready-made ruling is seemingly in store. The only difference is that the defendant in the Senate case the president of the United States will most likely be acquitted. A Delhi court on Wednesday directed the police to file an action taken report (ATR) on the plea of Jamia Millia Islamia university seeking the registration of an FIR against alleged police attack on students on the campus on 15 December during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday directed the police to file an action taken report (ATR) on the plea of Jamia Millia Islamia university seeking the registration of an FIR against alleged police attack on students on the campus on 15 December during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal sought the report from Station House Officer (SHO) of Jamia Nagar Police Station by 16 March stating whether any action has been taken on the complaint by the varsity administration to lodge an FIR. "Let ATR be called from the SHO concerned in the following respect. Whether any complaint has been made by the complainant in the police station. If yes, whether any action has been taken on the said complaint. Whether any investigation or inquiry has been conducted in this regard and if yes, then what is the status of the investigation/inquiry. If any cognizable offence is made out, whether any FIR has been registered or not," the court said. The plea, filed by the Registrar of JMI university, claimed that police officials had "illegally" entered the campus on 15 December, 2019 when the students were protesting peacefully against the newly amended law and attacked students with tear gas shells, lathi charge and firing. It has sought the registration of an FIR under various IPC sections including 295 (defiling place of worship), 297 (trespassing on burial places), 307 (attempt to murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). The plea also sought registration of FIR against relevant provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. JMI students and locals had protested at Jamia Nagar in Delhi the same day against the CAA. Some protesters allegedly torched four buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with the police in New Friends Colony. Police baton charged the protesters and used tear gas shells to disperse the mob before entering the varsity campus, detaining several persons allegedly involved in the violence. "Police officials have committed serious offences ...and state should be held accountable for such illegal and unlawful acts and excessive/unnecessary force used by the police officials against the innocent protesting students," alleged the plea, filed through advocates Asghar Khan and Tariq Nasir. The petition further claimed that despite repeated complaints to the police by the varsity administration to lodge an FIR against the alleged police attack, no action has been taken till date. "Complainant (Registrar) is constrained to approach this court against the Delhi Police officials for illegally breaking out into the campus of University, without seeking any permission from the competent authorities and unlawfully attacking innocent students of the University with tear gas shells, lathi charge and open firing and also for vandalising government property belonging to the University," it said. The plea claimed the civic society along with neighbouring localities had called for a peaceful protest outside the university area and the police allegedly "broke the gates of the campus, without any having any provocation", to clear the crowd and used "unjustified, excessive, arbitrary and brute force, in total disregard of law and order". "Police officials while entering the premises of the university attacked several guards who were on their duty at the gates and at Jama Masjid gate of the university. They were beaten very badly by the officials. "The students of the University were mercilessly beaten, hurled abuses, racial and derogatory comments were herald, tear gas shells were fired, lathi charge was done. That some of the police officials without any just cause broke open the main library gate and also the doors and windows of the library building and fired tear gas shells on peaceful studying students even inside the library," it alleged. It said that the police also allegedly broke open the Mosque of the university, vandalising it while the people were offering their prayers and also man-handled the Imam. It added the police also allegedly detained several students at various police stations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 14:51:56|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese economy is in a good position for future growth as the country is making headway in further reform and opening-up at an appropriate pace, a senior U.S. economist has said. "China is in a quite strong position," Albert Keidel, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, told Xinhua in a recent interview while commenting on China's economic performances. China's urbanization will continue to drive economic growth, as it "gives a lot of potential for investment in infrastructure and potential investment in education," said Keidel, a former senior economist at the World Bank's Beijing office. China has been taking various measures to boost urbanization and ensure that residents can enjoy improved basic public services and social security. The proportion of urban population to total population stood at 60.6 percent in China at the end of 2019, up 1.02 percentage points year on year, official data showed on Sunday. Meanwhile, Keidel said China's policy orientation of opening up its financial sector while managing risks "is on the right level in the right direction." "I'm in favor of and encourage its current policy direction," which is conducive to maintaining financial stability while widening opening-up, he added. China has introduced a raft of opening-up policies in the banking and insurance sectors over the last two years, including expanding the business scope of foreign-invested firms and easing market access. The veteran U.S. economist also spoke highly of China's institutional strength in creating synergy between government and market and underpinning economic resilience. "I am very encouraging of the mix between market and government. I think it's essential, so that those reforms can go ahead gradually," said Keidel. Heavy snow and the rugged terrain of Adirondack High Peaks played a role in two almost back-to-back rescue calls earlier in January. On Jan. 13, state forest rangers got a call from Lake Placid police when two hikers didnt return to their hotel room after plans to climb Whiteface Mountain. Ranger Kevin Burns found the hikers vehicle at Connery Pond, which is on the mountains Lake Placid side. Eight more rangers on off-road vehicles then began sweeping the trail. The next morning, at 10:55, the 38-year-old man and 33-year-old woman from Ithaca were found. They had lost the trail and hiked through the night in waist-deep snow until they found the trail again and were heading back down. Ranger Robbi Mecus found them just past the wilderness gate at Connery Pond, approximately one mile from the trailhead, and walked out with them. Meanwhile at 3:21 a.m. on Jan. 14, rangers received, via 911, a call reporting an injury in the Dix Wilderness. The caller said his hiking partner, a 67-year-old man from Towaco, New Jersey, had broken his shoulder after a short fall on the Macomb Slide in the Dix mountain range. Slides are deep, often steep gashes in the mountains created when trees and soil give way. Many become popular climbing routes. The caller had left the injured man to seek help. Four rangers headed out at 5:40 a.m., with a six-wheeled vehicle to reach the slide, which was four miles in. About three hours later they arrived, tended to the hiker and waited for more rescuers. Due to bad weather the man had to be carried and walked out. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. But first, rangers had to set up a belay system to get him up a 450-foot stretch of steep, icy terrain and back to the trail. He was then walked to where ATVs could bring him out. He was then taken to a local hospital. On Wednesday, the state Department of Environmental Conservation was warning backcountry travelers in the Catskills about rugged conditions including downed trees or trail signs obscured by snow or ice even though there is only between three and 10 inches of snow. Additionally, many snowmobile trails arent yet opened and lakes and streams are not frozen enough to walk on. People can get more information on the region here or at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/108207.html rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU The Australian Red Cross has revealed it will likely take years for the $95million donated to bushfire victims to reach ravaged communities. The charity said on Wednesday $30million of its Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund had been allocated to bushfire victims, but many have received nothing. Robert Gorringe, from Ulmarra in northern New South Wales, told 7News he had been left out the donations that have so far been distributed. 'They've made a lot of promises that they're going to this, that and the other, but I've received nothing,' Mr Gorringe said. The Australian Red Cross has revealed it will take years for bushfire victims to receive donated funds through their 'tailored recovery programs.' Pictured: a crumpled home in Ulmarra in northern New South Wales The Red Cross released a statement saying its bushfire relief funds will be drip fed out to ravaged communities over the next three years through 'tailored recovery programs'. Bega MP Andrew Constance slammed the Red Cross for leaving the money to earn interest in their bank account instead of giving it to desperate victims immediately. 'Australians have donated now so that people get help now, not in three years,' Mr Constance said. The Minister for Transport and Roads offered an invitation to show higher powers the destruction the fires had on communities in his electorate in the hope funding would be fast-tracked. Bega MP has slammed the Red Cross, saying 'Australians have donated now so that people get help now, not in three years,' 'My challenge to every one of these CEO's: sit in my car on Saturday, we'll go and see these people and then they might have a change in heart,' he said. The Red Cross have already approved 474 cash grants, and this week will appoint external advisers to its Fund Advisory Panel to oversee the distribution and allocation of funds. 'Up to four external experts will provide independent advice on the best use of funds to meet immediate needs and to support the long term recovery of impacted communities,' the statement reads. Australian Red Cross Chief Executive Officer Judy Slatyer said: 'We are working hard to ensure the generous donations from the Australian community and others around the world are used in the best way possible to help people and communities cope with the fires and recover well.' President Donald Trump behaves as any other person would and seeks comfort in the midst of adversity. And agriculture proved to be his home away from home. While Capitol Hill was preparing for its third presidential impeachment process in the history of the nation, and all of Washington was politically focused on The Big Show in the Senate, Air Force One was at the airport in Austin, Texas, and Mr. Trump was welcoming applause at the convention center. The venue was the annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). AFBF has been visited by presidents over time, but never annually. And the three consecutive years that President Trump has addressed the assemblage of farmers and ranchers is an unbelievable record in itself. All presidents have an open invitation, but rarely accept. Only AFBF and White House schedulers know if Mr. Trump sought an early invitation himself, and no one is going to say anything about that. But he likes the group. Upwards of 10,000 farmers and ranchers generally cheering and applauding him on Sunday was a welcome balm applied to a smarting psyche of the president. One can only imagine someone with an overwhelming ego being bashed politically in Washington needing to hear cheers instead of jeers. And that is why he found the AFBF stage so welcoming. It was salve for a bad political sunburn. Typical political pollsters report just over 80% of farmers and ranchers favor Trump over any Democratic presidential candidate. His administration made them happy with many decisions, primarily EPA decisions on water issues. Without saying anything, Mr. Trump would have been applauded for that reason alone. When he spoke, he focused on trade, an issue that has had farmers in a financial lurch because of trades negative impact on commodity market prices. But with last weeks signing of a China agreement and the Senates approval of the NAFTA replacement, USMCA, Trump could claim victory and bask in the applause. And he did, time after time. He also spoke about granting year-round ethanol sales, and probably wondered why he did not get the applause he was anticipating. That is because farmers are not pleased with other ethanol decisions of the Trump EPA that have more than offset any year-round sales of ethanol. It is not known if he was following what his speechwriters prepared or was doing his typical ad lib. Nevertheless, the venue and opportunity were perfect. He was in a friendly state, and among more friends than may attend his periodic fundraising speeches. He was at home, so to speak, based on his regular appearances at AFBF where the attendees vote, and will overwhelmingly vote for a Republican, and will more than likely support him in November over anyone else. What he wont know is that many who vote for him will be angry about one or more things that he has done, or his character, or his approach to decision-making and will vote for him, holding their nose. Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene. In addition to his weekly column, you can view his From The Farm and Harvest Heritage reports on WCIA 3 News. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mathematicians, physicists, and materials experts might not spring to mind as the first people to consult about whether you are brewing your coffee right. But a team of such researchers from around the globe--the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Switzerland--are challenging common espresso wisdom, finding that fewer coffee beans, ground more coarsely, are the key to a drink that is cheaper to make, more consistent from shot to shot, and just as strong. Their work appears January 22 in the journal Matter. "Most people in the coffee industry are using fine-grind settings and lots of coffee beans to get a mix of bitterness and sour acidity that is unpredictable and irreproducible," says co-senior author Christopher Hendon (@chhendon), a computational chemist at the University of Oregon. "It sounds counterintuitive, but experiments and modeling suggest that efficient, reproducible shots can be accessed by simply using less coffee and grinding it more coarsely." Though lots of factors are involved, the norm for brewing an espresso shot is to grind a relatively large amount of coffee beans (~20 grams) almost as finely as possible. The fine grind, common sense goes, means more surface area exposed to the brewing liquid, which ought to boost extraction yield--the fraction of the ground coffee that actually dissolves and ends up in the final drink. But when the researchers put together a mathematical model to explain the extraction yield based on the factors under a barista's control--options such as the masses of water and dry coffee, the fineness or coarseness of the grounds, and the water pressure--and compared its predictions to brewing experiments, it became clear that the real relationship was more complicated. Grinding as finely as the industry standard clogged the coffee bed, reducing extraction yield, wasting raw material, and introducing variation in taste by sampling some grounds and missing others entirely. Much number crunching and thousands of shots later, the team reached a recipe to simultaneously maximize extraction and produce espresso that would taste similar from one cup to the next. "One way to optimize extraction and achieve reproducibility is to grind coarser and use a little less water, while another is to simply reduce the mass of coffee," Hendon says. Developing a model representative of espresso brewing was not a straightforward task. At a basic level, extraction yield depends on how water flows under pressure through a mass of coffee grounds. But that mass is made up of millions of individual grains of different shapes and sizes, jammed irregularly into a single filter bed. "You would need more computing power than Google has to accurately solve the physics and transport equations of brewing on a geometry as intricate as a coffee bed," says co-senior author Jamie M. Foster, a mathematician at the University of Portsmouth (UK). To get past this hurdle, the researchers drew on an unlikely source--electrochemistry--likening how caffeine and other molecules dissolve out of coffee grounds to how lithium ions move through the electrodes of a battery. Borrowing modeling methodologies from battery work led to a rigorous coffee extraction model capable of making powerful and testable predictions. Boosting the extraction yield through one or more of the routes illustrated by the model could also lead to economic gains for cafes and to sustainability benefits for the coffee industry as a whole. For example, at the current price of roasted coffee beans, dropping the mass of dry coffee from 20 grams to 15 grams per drink would add up to savings of a few thousand dollars per year for a small cafe, and $1.1 billion per year if scaled up to the whole US coffee industry. Being more efficient with coffee bean usage would also reduce waste at a time when coffee supply is under threat from changing climate in historic production areas. The researchers stress, however, that their results do not purport to reduce all of espresso making down to a single set of brewing conditions or to a lone flavor profile. "Though there are clear strategies to reduce waste and improve reproducibility, there is no obvious optimal espresso point," says Hendon. "There is a tremendous dependency on the preferences of the person producing the coffee; we are elucidating the variables that they need to consider if they want to better navigate the parameter space of brewing espresso." ### Computations for this work were supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). Matter, Cameron et al.: "Systematically improving espresso: insights from mathematical modeling and experiment" https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(19)30410-2 Matter (@Matter_CP), published by Cell Press, is a new journal for multi-disciplinary, transformative materials sciences research. Papers explore scientific advancements across the spectrum of materials development--from fundamentals to application, from nano to macro. Visit: https://www.cell.com/matter. To receive Cell Press media alerts, please contact press@cell.com. European countries are caught in the middle of dueling pressure campaigns from the U.S. and China over whether to let equipment made by Chinese manufacturer Huawei into their 5G networks. Why it matters: It's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" choice that could leave Europe alienating a major trading partner either way. Driving the news: Germany is equivocating, with China threatening to close off a key market for German auto exports if the country blocks out Huawei, while the U.S. is exerting pressure of its own. A German decision is expected soon, but for now, Germany and others in Europe are offering highly ambiguous statements. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would prevent U.S. intelligence-sharing with any country that uses Huawei gear to help build its 5G network. Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei spoke in Davos on Tuesday, aiming to downplay the threat his company poses and, at the same time, insist that the company is fully prepared to withstand any further U.S. "attacks" on its business. The company is already largely prohibited from doing new business in the U.S. and faces severe limits on using U.S. components and services. Background: Huawei is in the spotlight for a variety of reasons. First, security insiders and industry experts are concerned that Huawei equipment might be compromised by the Chinese government. Second, Huawei has become a flashpoint in the broader U.S.-China trade talks, as both sides seek a favorable deal. Huawei executives have urged the U.S. not to conflate the two issues and to mitigate any security risks through a set of rules. What they're saying: Even as it's been drawn into broader political battles, Huawei has made considerable technical progress, according to one tech executive. Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser said at a Davos panel this week that his company had tested gear from all the 5G equipment vendors and found Huawei had a technological edge: "Whether we like it or not, they are a year or two ahead." That's a bold finding. Historically, Huawei's strength has been offering telecom gear at a lower cost than comparable rivals. But Ericsson CTO Erik Ekudden in an interview with Axios touted his own company as far ahead of the competition when it comes to pure 5G technology. Yes, but: Ekudden said that, regardless of who's winning the tech race on 5G, uncertainty over the rules of the 5G road has harmed business. "One thing people may not realize is that, in some cases, the geopolitics are just slowing down 5G development as a whole, unfortunately," he said. The big picture: U.S.-China tensions and the emergence of 5G have been key topics at this week's World Economic Forum. Both issues affect nearly every country and company. Meanwhile: A key court hearing is taking place this week in Canada, from which the U.S. is seeking to have Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou (the daughter of CEO Zhengfei) extradited to face charges. Go deeper ... Axios special report: The next tech wave rides on 5G Seattle: The US on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, centre, speaking after a man in Washington state is identified as the first known person in the United States to catch a new type of coronavirus that officials believe originated in China. Credit:AP The man, identified as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was in good condition and wasn't considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials said. US officials stressed that they believe the virus' overall risk to the American public remained low. "This is not a moment of high anxiety," Governor Jay Inslee said. Jonathan Clark was a Fellow of Peterhouse; at Oxford, he was a Fellow of All Souls College; latterly he has been Visiting Professor at the Committee on Social Thought at Chicago, and Hall Distinguished Professor of British History at the University of Kansas. His latest book is a study of Thomas Paine. We all know Benjamin Disraelis leading idea in Sybil about the division of Britain into two nations, the rich and the poor. But that was then. Disraeli was still only a minor politician, looking to make waves and define himself against the Prime Minister, Robert Peel. His analysis was simplistic, easily invoked because too imprecise to act on. By comparison with 1845, also the year of Friedrich Engels The Condition of the Working Class in England, we are all rich now. Old-fashioned Labour activists keep the issue of poverty going for a bit longer, but only by using a relative, not an absolute, measure of it. Rightly, those of us with modern values now care more about minorities than about the poor. Natural rights and victimhood are our key ideas, not capitalism and poverty. So the people need a different binary choice to simplify political problems to the point where they can understand them, and side with the winners (ourselves). Happily, recent events have provided such a distinction, and we have made it our own. Consider the two places that sum up the big choices in the UK today. One is Workington. We heard all about it during the general election (though rather too often, dont you think?) We have never been there, of course; although, to be fair to ourselves (and we spend a lot of time being just that) nothing in our lives ever took us there. But, then, we didnt really need to visit. Given our social consciences, we already have every sympathy for a place in which there is little else to do but race whippets up slag heaps on wet Sunday afternoons. We have read George Orwell, and know all that we need to know. You cant fool us: were aware that Workington doesnt have a pier (we looked it up on Google Mapping, just to check). But the tripe! Well, lets just say that Waitrose doesnt stock it, and leave it at that. We dont plan to devolve our offices to Workington. Managed decline will be our gift to its inhabitants. The other symbolic place is Wokeington. This is where we now live (my friends and I, of course). We understand its values instinctively. It really is a global village; everyone passes through. Greta was here last week. And I met Titania McGrath at a dinner party the week before: we hit it off at once. It really has developed an appropriate sense of itself quite recently. I looked up the 1993 edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (no internet then), and, of course, woke had no general meaning: it was just a past tense. Now, it stands for the future. Look how far weve come since the 1990s! We have given up trying to be posh; why would we even try? We are woke, since wokeism tells us who we are. We dont even remember when we adopted the identity. It was just a natural response to the world we live in. Wokespeak derives from a series of individual campaigns for separate causes, like the Palestinians, abortion, climate change, and gay rights. But these issues (admittedly, unrelated) were cleverly merged into an ideology, articulated in a new language. Like a knowledge of Latin and Greek in eighteenth century Britain, command of wokespeak now often leads to fame and fortune. Fluency is proof of membership of the elite. Workington schools still do their best to fit their pupils for the world of work, but thats steadily less useful there: we have done our best to take the work out of Workington. Far better to outsource manufacturing to China, where the carbon emissions dont count as part of the UKs figures. We have a higher calling: the University of Wokeington fits its graduates for the world of woke. Nine out of ten of its academics are militant wokeists (we did have a prominent Conservative professor, but he was squeezed out; diversity has its limits). How could the young vote Conservative, after such a value-based education? Wokeington is now a power in the land. The service economy is a perfect environment for us. We dominate the media, the BBC, the quangos, the universities, the Supreme Court. From these commanding heights of the post-industrial economy, we terrorise the Conservatives. When addressed in the new language of wokespeak, they run a mile (or, as we say, a kilometre). When wokeist issues arise, they capitulate; they know in advance that they cant deal with them. Once, the Conservatives learned how to reply to Marxist economics, but all that is long in the past. The doctrines of wokeism explain how our post-imperial, post-industrial, post-patriarchalist, post-sexist neighbourhood really works. In the new language of identity politics, wokespeak has a crucial advantage: it combines identity with unarguable virtue. Hardly anyone notices when a new outlet is captured for wokeism, like the Thought for the Day slot: theres no contrast with the reliably woke Today programme. The general election of 2019 was a setback, yes; but take a wider view, and you will appreciate that it aligned the Conservative Party irretrievably with the declining world of Workington. Its citizens won this battle, but Wokeington is now certain to win the war. Wokeington, diverse, inclusive, victimhood culture, is the future. Oh, and Brexit? No need to worry about that. We still staff the civil service, and will ensure that the slogan of 2020 (behind closed doors) will be Get Brino Done. Almost all the graduates of the University of Wokeington are Rejoiners, and they will lead us back to membership of the United States of Europe after a decade or two. Indeed, the UKs temporary absence will accelerate the EUs drive towards federal unity. Meanwhile, we can be confident that the future is ours. Wokeington is steadily growing in numbers and moral authority; Workington is steadily shrinking. As Shelley, our favourite poet, justified a threat of revolution: Ye are many they are few. BOSTON The New England First Amendment Coalition will honor Hearst Connecticut Media with its 2020 Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award for its project on sexual abuse cases tied to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, the organization announced Wednesday. The FOI Award is presented annually to New England journalists who protect or advance the publics right to know under federal or state law. A committee of First Amendment Coalition board members chooses the FOI Award recipient based solely on merit, the organization said in a release. The committee was very impressed with the work done for the Boys & Girls Club investigation and believed the series to be deserving of the honor, said Justin Silverman, executive director of the coalition. A team of seven journalists at Hearst Connecticut spent more than six months digging through 1,600 pages of public documents and filing more than 100 public record requests. They found more than 100 cases of abuse involving 280 victims in 31 states over the course of 70 years tied to Boys & Girls Clubs of America affiliates. The Hearst staff used the documents it obtained to create a public database that allows parents sending a child to a local Boys & Girls Club to look up information about incidents and how they were handled by the organization. Having their work acknowledged in this way is a testament to the expertise and unwavering determination with which this team of adept journalists carried out this vitally important investigation, said Wendy Metcalfe, VP of content and editor-in-chief for Hearst Connecticut. Not only did they fight for the publics right to know, they brought significant change on both a local and national level, which will have a long-lasting impact helping children. As a result of the reporting, Boys & Girls Clubs of America which oversees 4,600 local affiliates announced it will hire a third-party firm to review how it responds to complaints related to abuse and will provide additional safety training to its staff. Another youth organization also announced it would end all overnight visits between children and mentors as a result of Hearst Connecticuts investigation into Boys & Girls Clubs. Local journalism can have big impact, said Lisa Yanick Litwiller, the lead editor on the investigation. We saw a need in our communities and across the country and we recognized our responsibility as journalists to shine a light on the issue wherever we found it. We are honored to be recognized for the intense, rewarding work of holding power to account. Hearst Connecticut staff members who worked on the project Litwiller, Hannah Dellinger, Viktoria Sundqvist, Meghan Friedmann, Peter Yankowski, Humberto J. Rocha and Tatiana Flowers will be honored Feb. 7 at NEFACs 10th annual awards luncheon at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. During the luncheon, A.G. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, will also be honored with the Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award. Previous recipients of the FOI Award are the Hartford Courant (2019); Todd Wallack of The Boston Globe (2018); The Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine (2017); Jenifer McKim of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (2016); James W. Foley (posthumously), the war correspondent and New Hampshire native killed by the Islamic State (2015); Brent Curtis of the Rutland Herald in Vermont (2014); and Don Stacom of the Hartford Courant (2013). It's official: Murray State becomes member of Missouri Valley Conference A citizens assembly will decide the tough measures required for the UK to achieve net zero carbon emissions, amid criticism of ministers for dragging their heels. A 110-strong gathering will start work this weekend and make ground-breaking recommendations in April before the governments own full strategy is finally revealed. Crucially, the assembly will not be deterred by the price-tag for any measure, which could include taking petrol and diesel cars off the road, stripping out millions of gas boilers, or transforming agriculture. We are not putting any prior limits on it in the end its for the assembly to decide what they want to propose to reduce emissions, Jim Watson, a professor of energy policy and an assembly adviser, told The Independent. The 520,000 idea is the brainchild of six different House of Commons committees, which are determined to ensure the public influences how the target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is met. Recommended Greta Thunberg and Trump exchange glares and veiled barbs at Davos At present, that task is shrouded in mystery in the absence of a government action plan despite it being seven months since it was made a legal commitment. Last week, the independent committee on climate change urged Boris Johnson to stop delaying action and instead deliver a climate change Budget in March. The climate crisis was barely mentioned during the election campaign, when the prime minister boycotted the Channel 4 debate on the issue and he has barely mentioned it since. Now the citizens assembly will meet in Birmingham this weekend, the first of four sessions with experts to decide how not whether the 2050 commitment is achieved. Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Show all 50 1 /50 Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Its membership has been drawn from 30,000 letters of invitation, which triggered around 1,800 expressions of interests to match the make-up of the population on age, home location, gender, ethnicity and attitudes to climate change. There are 18 members from an ethnic minority, 22 from rural areas, 25 aged between 16 and 29 and 41 educated to no more than GCSE level. The determination to match the nations opinions extends to having three members who are not at all concerned about climate change, with a further 16 not very concerned. Each member will receive 600 if they attend all four weekend sessions until March, plus expenses, to ensure the less well-off can afford to take part. They will not be identified unless they choose to identify themselves. However, one taking part, Marc, 46, from Newcastle, said: I felt like Id won the lottery when I got the letter. Id be daft not to do it its amazing to get the chance to have a say and influence what may happen in the future. Andrea Leadsom, the business secretary, gave a cautious commitment to examine what conclusions the assembly reaches. Having committed to end our contribution to climate change entirely by 2050 we will need input from all across the UK, she said. The seventh season of Married At First Sight premieres in less than two weeks. And one of the brides sure to be a standout on the show is Serbian singing teacher Aleksandra Markovic. The 27-year-old is already capturing attention with her unique wedding dress, which she wore during her nuptials to Ukrainian real estate agent Ivan Sarakula. Bride: Married At First Sight's Aleksandra Markovic is already capturing attention with her unique wedding dress The backless gown has an embroidered pattern, long sleeves, a train and a choker around the neck. Aleks exchanged vows with groom Ivan in Western Sydney back in September. Photos from the ceremony show the brunette bride clutching a bouquet of flowers as producers and crew members surround her. Unique: The backless gown has an embroidered pattern, long sleeves, a train and a choker around the neck Married At First Sight isn't Aleks' first foray into reality TV, with her appearing on Channel Seven's now-defunct dating show Take Me Out in 2018. In a recent trailer for the show, Ivan said he hopes his 'wife sticks around long enough' to see beyond his sometimes 'offensive' personality. The same clip showed him spraying deodorant on his feet and clashing with co-star Hayley Vernon at one of the weekly dinner parties. Marriage: Aleks exchanged vows with groom Ivan Sarakula (left) in Western Sydney back in September Ivan's reality TV debut appears to have been a long time coming if his past is anything to go by. Last March, he shared a photo to Instagram with 2019 star Cyrell Paule, whom he described as a 'new friend', as they enjoyed a night out at Sydney's Flamingo Lounge. In 2016, he posted a selfie with Bachelor in Paradise's Keira Maguire in Coogee. Married At First Sight returns to Nine on Monday, February 3 at 7:30pm Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. A ll flights out of a city in China hit with coronavirus have been cancelled as the World Health Organisation delayed its decision on whether to declare an international public health emergency. It comes as the UK Foreign Office issued a warning against "all but essential" travel to the area after the Government announced all direct flights from Wuhan into Heathrow would be subjected to enhanced monitoring. Chinese state media said outbound flights and trains have been halted in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, and citizens have been advised not to leave the city as the coronavirus continues to spread. At least 540 people have contracted the mysterious Sars-like virus, which so far has killed 17 people, Reuters reported. Chinese officials confirmed that 540 people have contracted the mysterious Sars-like virus, which so far has killed 17 people / AFP via Getty Images Other cases have been confirmed in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and the US. WHO said it will decide on Thursday whether to declare a global emergency over the outbreak of a new flu-like virus spreading in and beyond China. Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they needed more time before making a decision, which was expected on Wednesday evening. He said: "I have decided to ask the emergency committee to meet again tomorrow to continue the discussion and the chair has agreed with that request." So far 17 people have died / AP "The decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern is one I take extremely seriously, and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence," he added. He was speaking after the WHO held a day-long meeting of an independent panel of experts in Geneva on Wednesday. The WHO's head of emergencies programme, Mike Ryan, said the priority now was to find the roots of how the virus is passing between people. Earlier on Wednesday, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said precautionary measures were being put in place at Heathrow after cases of the virus spread to other parts of the world. There are three direct flights a week from Wuhan in China to Heathrow Airport, landing at around 6pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Medical staff transfer a patient from an ambulance at the Jinyintan hospital / REUTERS Under the new measures, it was planned that planes would be taken to an isolated area of terminal four. The captain of each flight would then tell passengers during landing to let a flight attendant know if they feel unwell, and these details would then be passed on to public health teams at the airport who would carry out further checks. Meanwhile, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its travel advice for China, with a spokesman saying: "In light of the latest medical information, including reports of some person-to-person transmission, and the Chinese authorities' own advice, we are now advising against all but essential travel to Wuhan. Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang / AP The safety and security of British nationals is always our primary concern, and we advise British nationals travelling to China to remain vigilant and check our travel advice on gov.uk. Public Health England (PHE) upgraded the risk to the UK population from coronavirus from "very low" to "low". Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: "This is a new and rapidly evolving situation where information on cases and the virus is being gathered and assessed daily. "Based on the available evidence, the current risk to the UK is considered low. WHO said it will decide on Thursday whether to declare a global emergency / AFP via Getty Images "If you are travelling to Wuhan, you should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene, and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms. "Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK. "They should phone ahead before attending any health services and mention their recent travel to the city." The Associated Press reported the state-owned People's Daily newspaper said in a tweet no-one would be allowed to leave Wuhan starting at 10am and that train stations and the airport will shut down. Medical staff carry a box as they walk at the Jinyintan hospital / REUTERS The newspaper is also reported to have said that Wuhan authorities are saying city buses, subways, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses would also be temporarily closed. Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the Medical Research Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, said the estimated number of people infected with coronavirus in Wuhan is around 4,000, with a range between 1,000 and 9,700. Asked whether it was possible the virus had already reached the UK, Prof Ferguson said he could not rule it out. He said: "We can't rule out that possibility. "Border screening, and in this case, in the UK, alerting the health system is not 100% foolproof - there could be a mild case. "The UK is not a major destination of visitors travelling out of Wuhan around the world though. "So I would say it was unlikely, but can't be completely sure." Prof Ferguson said "trying to identify people who are sick coming off a plane will only identify, if you're lucky, people who will have fever coming off a plane. "If somebody was infected two days before they travelled, they will arrive without any symptoms at all. A passer-by, hearing the screams of a seven-year-old girl whose head and neck were trapped in electric gates, helped in forcing them open and freeing her, the Circuit Civil Court heard yesterday. Layla O'Neill, now aged 14, was awarded 20,000 over the incident on June 18, 2014. Barrister Alannah McGurk told Judge Kathryn Hutton that the terrifying incident took place a short distance from Layla's home in an apartment block at Marrsfield Avenue, Clongriffin, Dublin 13. Ms McGurk said Layla had been playing with friends near an underground car park at the apartments and had gone to retrieve a ball when the electric gates started to close. "The gates closed on Layla's neck, trapping her by the head," Ms McGurk told the court. "A workman had heard Layla scream and shouted for help, alerting her father." She said that between them the two men had succeeded in forcing the gates open far enough to release Layla. Ms McGurk said Layla had been taken by ambulance under spinal protection to Temple Street Children's Hospital with a suspected head injury. She had been treated for abrasions to her neck and shoulders. She was detained overnight for observation and discharged the following day. Ms McGurk said Layla had afterwards suffered from pain to both sides of her neck and to her left shoulder, which had been bruised. Ms McGurk said Layla's physical injuries had cleared up after about three weeks. She had continued to suffer psychologically from recurring nightmares but was now fully recovered. Layla perceived the incident as life-threatening and had suffered post-traumatic stress. Responsible Layla, through her mother Joanne O'Neill, sued Pierse Contracting (In Receivership) with a registered address at Birmayne House, Mulhuddart, a company responsible for the construction, development, control and operation of the electric gates. Fieldmark Management Company, of Mespil Road, Dublin 4, was a joint defendant. Ms McGurk said the defendants had offered Layla a settlement of 20,000, which she recommended to the court and which Judge Hutton approved. Gulf economies are in for a stronger year than 2019 as investment programs aimed at diversifying them away from oil begin to bear their first fruit, a Reuters poll among economics has suggested. According to the respondents in the poll, Saudi Arabias economy could expand by 2 percent this year, up from 0.3 percent last year. This is further going to rise to 2.2 percent in 2021, the polled economists said. The majority believe that the weak growth last year was the consequence of Saudi Arabias going above and beyond to support prices, and cutting substantially more oil production than it was obliged to under the OPEC+ deal. However, the effect of these cuts should begin to wane as the non-oil industries in the Kingdom gather pace. Real GDP growth in Saudi should benefit from stronger non-oil activity as the investment program gains momentum. The drag from the oil sector should moderate in 2020 following a sharp reduction in oil output in 2019, the chief economist of Abu Dhabi Commercia Bank, Monica Malik, told Reuters. Saudi Arabias third quarter GDP data, showing a fall of 0.5% year-on-year, was broadly as expected, with OPEC+ cuts constraining the contribution of the oil sector to economic growth, Oxford Economics said in a note cited by Reuters, adding that the Kingdoms efforts to shift away from oil were beginning to yield results. Related: This Shale Giant Is Ready For A Rebound Saudi Arabia in December said it would cut spending this year by 7.8 percent but still expected to book a budget deficit at the end of the year. This deficit is expected to hit $50 billion, or 6.5 percent of GDP, up by $15 billion from 2019. Saudi Arabias neighbour, the UAE, will also do well, according to the Reuters poll. Dubai has drafted a record budget for this year of $18 billion, with Abu Dhabi, the second-largest emirate and oil hub, spending $13.6 billion under a three-year package. Dubai is hosting the Expo 2020, which is certainly positive for its economic performance, and Abu Dhabi is investing in Masdar City: a smart city/tech innovation hub project expected to transfer the emirates economy away from oil. The outlook for smaller producers such as Oman and Kuwait is more guarded, but still positive, with Omans GDP seen to expand 1.7 percent this year and 2.3 percent in 2021, and Kuwaits economy expanding by 1.9 percent this year and 2.6 percent in 2021. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A desperate search has been launched in Ibiza a for a British man who may have been swept out to sea as violent storms sweep Spain. Emergency services have begun scouring the Balearic Island coast to find the 25-year-old who was last seen on Tuesday in the Sant Joan de Labritja area of the island. Northern Ibiza has been lashed by Storm Gloria, which began wreaking havoc across the region on Monday. At least four people have died in the devastating storm surge, which has caused major damage to beaches around Barcelona, Valencia and on the Balearic Island. Storm Gloria has battered Spain and the Balearic Islands / AFP via Getty Images The missing 25-year-old is understood to be one of the crew of a boat which docked in the port of Ibiza. The 112 emergency services said he went out on a tour of the island on a motorcycle. His bike has been found in Cala Portinatx. The alert was raised by the boat's captain when the man didnt return from his trip. Another man is also understood to be missing in the Balearic Islands as a result of the extreme weather conditions. On Monday, a young man disappeared while canyoning in Na Mora, in an area of the Serra de Tramuntana between Soller and Escorca . Search work has also resumed today. Strong winds blow thick sea foam through the streets of Tossa De Mar, Catalonia / SILVIA RAGOLTA SOMS via REUTERS Storm Gloria has seen huge waves, heavy rain and gale-force winds crash into buildings in Mallorca, leaving another town cloaked in sea foam and an estimated 200,000 people without electricity. Videos showing powerful bursts of water surging over sea defences and undulating down roads were shared thousands of times on social media yesterday. Valencia on the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands bore the brunt of the storm on Monday, while weather alerts were issued in more than 30 provinces. A flooded field is pictured in Malgrat de Mar, near Girona, as Storm Gloria batters Spain's eastern coast / AFP via Getty Images Port authorities estimated record-breaking waves of 8.44m in Valencia on Monday while other witnesses reported walls of water crashing on to Barcelona's famous Barceloneta beach. A 63-year-old man died at home in the central province of Avila after being hit by roof tiles lifted by a gust of wind, local authorities confirmed. Workers try to free a crashed car on the side of a snow-covered road close to Bocognano, Corsica, as the storm spread / AFP via Getty Images Unusually cold weather was blamed for the death of a 54-year-old homeless woman in Gandia, near Valencia, and another man was killed in northwestern Asturias as he tried to fit chains on his car in a bid to drive through the snow. A fourth person died of suspected hypothermia in the Valencian town of Moixent after being found outside his home on Monday morning, the town's mayor said. Catalonia's regional government ordered a ban on all outdoor activities in the Girona, Barcelona and central Catalonia regions, a spokesman for its interior department said, adding those who did not comply with the ban could face a fine. Dubai's tourism industry registered a record of 16.73 million tourists visiting the most popular city in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 alone. According to the Dubai Media Office, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom remain the top three tourist contributors, with India retaining its number one market status, drawing nearly 2 million visitors in 2019. Saudi Arabia contributed the most among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with 1.6 million tourists last year. The UK, meanwhile, remains Dubais third-largest source market, with an impressive 1.2 million British travellers visiting the city in 2019. Read: IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals Confirm First-of-its-kind Partnership With Dubai Expo 2020 Tourism hotspot According to Dubai Media Office, Dubai tourism chief, Saeed Almarri said, "The strong performances across our diversified spectrum of traditional strongholds and fast-growing high-value segments have continued to solidify the global competitiveness and sustained resilience of Dubais tourism sector. This past decade, and 2019 in particular, have delivered unmatched acceleration in Dubais stature as a Destination of Choice for global travellers assuring advancement towards the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to make it the number one most visited, preferred and revisited global city." Read: Indian Shopkeeper Wins Big In Dubai Raffle After Diligently Buying Tickets For 10 Years According to data provided by Dubai Media Office, Oman secured the fourth position on the list and second among the GCC countries as it saw a sharp 24.3% spike with over a million tourists visiting Dubai in 2019. Fifth-placed China registered 9,89,000 visitors to Dubai in 2019 at 15.5% year-on-year growth, more than doubling its 450,000 volume from just four years ago. Meanwhile, Russia took the sixth spot with 7,28,000 visitors at a strong 7.4% growth. The United States of America followed right behind with 6,67,000 visitors, while Germany takes eighth place with 5,60,000 visitors. Pakistan and Philippines grabbed the ninth and tenth position with 5,01,000 and 4,77,000 visitors respectively. Read: Air India Flight To Dubai Delayed Due To Runway Repair At Indore Airport Read: Dubai Crown Prince's Perfect Shot Of UAE Rains Takes Internet By Storm Five village panchayats in the Maoist affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh will elect a village body for the first time in 15 years, according to district officials. Unlike the previous elections, when several villages boycotted the rural local body polls, officials said in the districts of the Bastar region - Dantewada, Sukma, Jagdalpur, Kondagaon, Kanker and Narayanpur - the report of boycott has been received from only from two villages. The elections will be held in three phases - on January 28, 31 and February 3. Several villages have joined the electoral process this time with Bade Gudra, Chhota Gudra, Badegadam, Telam and Tekam village panchayats of the Dantewada district witnessing candidates filing nomination for the first time in last fifteen years. Dantewada is one of the affected districts by the Maoist problem. In four of these village panchayats only one candidate filed nomination for sarpanch post and hence was declared unopposed. In Bade Gudra, elections will be held for the first time ever on January 31, said Topeshwar Verma, Dantewada district collector. The collector said this indicates that influence of Maoists has drastically reduced in the region and people are now eager to take benefit of different government schemes. People are now trusting government and want to fight for their rights, he said, adding that Maoists prevented the locals from participating in the local body polls. The area comes under Malangir area committee of CPI (Maoist), one of the strongest rebel units in the region. Data released by Chhattisgarh government in January 2020 shows that Maoist violence in 2019 is lowest since 2014 in terms of security personnel killed and encounters. Only 22 security personnel were killed in 2019 as compared to 58 in 2018. Chhattisgarh Director General of police, DM Awasthi, had said in first week of January that 214 Maoists have been killed in the state in the last two years, with majority in Bastar region, the highest in last decade, and had dealt a severe blow to the rebels. In addition, several Maoists either surrendered or got arrested in the past few months further depleting the top rank of the Maoists, he had said. Superintendent of Police, Dantewada, Abhishek Pallav, however, attributed the people joining the electoral process to increased presence of security forces inside the jungles through new camps for building confidence among people. For the first time, candidates filed nominations for all posts like panch, sarpanch, janpad panchayat and zila panchayat in some of these areas. There has been no pamphlet or wall painting by Maoists regarding boycott of panchayat elections, he said. Surendra Thakur, deputy collector of Bijapur, said, In Bijapur, there are 170 village panchayats. Of these, village heads were declared unopposed in 43 panchayats. In only two villages, Balaguda and Mallampenta, polls have been boycotted, he said, claiming that in last rural body polls around one-third of panchayats in the district have boycotted the polls. Some police officials said that many of the village heads elected unopposed have support of Maoists. Many of the village heads elected unopposed are supported by Maoists and no one dares to stand against them in these villages, said inspector general, Bastar, Sunderaj P. He also said that there are some panchayats which have been elected through consensus as extra money is given to such villages. Residents of these villages welcomed the change. We are happy because the elections are happening and we would also get development like other villages. The fear of rebels is much less now, said Arun Prakash, a resident of Kuankonda area in Dantewada. After the death of (Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA Bheema Mandavi, tribals went against Maoists and this is the very reason that people are taking part in panchayat elections. Last time people were in fear but not this time, said Shyama Lal, a resident of Bade Gudda village of Dantewada. Love Island Australia stars Jessie Wynter and Cartier Surjan lit up the screen in racy bikinis while appearing on the hit show last year. And the reality TV stars made a formidable double act on Wednesday, as they posed in skimpy bikinis during a racy shoot at Bronte Beach, Sydney. Jessie, 23, and Cartier, 19, set pulses racing as the pair flashed plenty of flesh in the swimwear during the raunchy summer photo shoot. Double act! Former Love Island Australia Jessie Wynter, 23, (L) and Cartier Surjan, 19, (R) each flaunted their sensational curves during a racy photo shoot on Wednesday Blonde bombshell Jessie opted for a skimpy burnt orange swimsuit bikini top, which flashed a glimpse of underboob and showcased her toned abs. Jessie then opted for a matching high-cut G-string bikini bottom, which highlighted her rounded peachy derriere. The former TV star and model wore her long blonde tresses down, allowing them to cascade past her shoulders. Sizzling: Jessie (pictured) struck a number of poses in the skimpy orange bikini, which showcased her flat stomach and toned thighs The starlet appeared to break into flirty giggles at one point, putting her arm around Cartier's lithe waist while striking a number of poses in the scenic spot. Meanwhile, Cartier flaunted her sensational curves in a skimpy canary yellow triangular bikini which showcased her gym-honed physique. She wore her newly-blonded tresses down, allowing them to frame her delicate face during the shoot, which appeared to be relatively makeup-free. Strike a pose! Jessie was only too happy to show off her sensational curves during the shoot, with her at one point holding her blonde tresses out of her face Born-again Christian Cartier was runner-up on the second season of Love Island, being paired with male model Matthew Zukowski. Waitress Jessie was paired with AFL player Todd Elton, with her leaving after 34 days in the Fijian villa after the pair lost out on a public vote. All the couples were beaten out by Anna McEvoy and Josh Packham, who took home the whopping $50,000 prize money. A mother completed 5,332 burpees over one 12-hour period to raise awareness for her young daughter's rare birth defect and she may have set a world record. Gena Laielli, 37, from Somers Point, New Jersey, hosted a burpee-a-thon at her gym, Genfitness, to raise money for omphalocele research and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in honor of her six-year-old daughter, Emma. 'I love burpees. They have always been my love language,' she told Good Morning America. 'We are known as the "burpee gym" around here.' Scroll down for video Amazing: Gena Laielli, 37, from Somers Point, New Jersey, completed 5,332 burpees over one 12-hour period to raise awareness for her daughter Emma's rare birth defect Support system: Six-year-old Emma joined her mom at the burpee-a-thon hosted at their family gym on January 11 in celebration of Omphalocele Awareness Month Emma was born with omphalocele, a rare birth defect in which a baby's intestines or other abdominal organs stick out of the stomach because of a hole in the belly button. The nurse said she was around 13 weeks pregnant when she learned of Emma's condition, recalling how doctors predicted she would likely miscarry. The mother of two spent weeks on bed rest, and her daughter was given just a three per cent chance of survival when she was born in June 2013, nearly seven weeks early. Success: The mother of two completed 5,332 burpees between 7:40 a.m. and 7:40 p.m. and may have broken the world record The Guinness Book of World Records is currently reviewing Gena's application to confirm she broke the record for female burpees in 12 hours Gena wanted to raise money for CHOP because Emma spent nine months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the hospital, where she received life-saving treatment. After undergoing six surgeries, the kindergartener is thriving and expected to lead a normal, healthy life. Gena and Emma celebrate Omphalocele Awareness Month each January with an event at their gym, which the mom co-owns with her brother. After coming up with the idea for this year's event, the mom decided she wanted to go one step further and break the world record for the most chest to ground push up burpees completed by a female in 12 hours. Six-pack: Gena's love of burpees has helped her develop abs of steal Looking back: Emma was born with omphalocele, a rare birth defect in which a baby's intestines or other abdominal organs are outside of the body Stressful time: Emma was given just a three per cent chance of survival when she was born in June 2013, nearly seven weeks early The current record of 4,785 burpees was set by Australian Eva Clarke in 2018. On January 11, Gena was watched by six independent judges per Guinness Book of World Records' requirements as she completed 5,332 burpees between 7:40 a.m. and 7:40 p.m. The proud mom later took to Instagram to share a video of Emma doing burpees with her during the last 10 minutes of the challenge. 'This made doing 5332 chest to ground burpees all worth it... having my daughter finish the last 10 minutes of my 12 hour attempt with me!' she wrote. 'I love you Emma! You motivate me and you are the strongest person I know!' All smiles: After undergoing six surgeries, the kindergartener is thriving and expected to lead a normal, healthy life Then and now: Gena said her daughter is the 'strongest person' she knows Aww: 'What made everything worth it was my daughter finishing out the last ten minutes of my 12-hour burpees with me,' Gena said The Guinness Book of World Records is currently reviewing Gena's application, which she told Philadelphia Magazine takes a few months. 'It still hasnt sunk in that I did 12 hours of burpees. Thats a whole nursing shift!' she told the publication. 'But Im so glad I did it because it definitely raised awareness and it also shows that when you put your mind toward it, you can accomplish everything. 'What made everything worth it was my daughter finishing out the last ten minutes of my 12-hour burpees with me,' she added. 'That touched my heart more than anything.' "Aditya Rao, 36, a prime suspect in placing a bag with an improvised explosive device (IED) or a crude bomb in it at the Mangaluru international airport on Monday, was arrested after he surrendered at the DGP office," a police official told IANS here. Bengaluru, Jan 22 (IANS) An unemployed depressed mechanical engineer Aditya Rao has surrendered as the Mangaluru airport bomb suspect. He was arrested here when he walked into the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) office in the city centre, police said on Wednesday. The port city of Mangaluru is about 360 km from Bengaluru on the west coast in the southern state. "Rao was taken to a state-run hospital for check-up and will be produced in a local court for his transit custody and interrogation by the Mangaluru police," the official said. State Home Minister Basavraj Bommai told reporters here that the suspect was arrested by the Halasuru Gate police station circle inspector after he surrendered to state DGP-IG (Inspector General) Neelamani Raju at her office near the station. "The suspect seems to have admitted to have left a bag containing some bomb-making material at the outside counter of an airline (Indigo) office in the Mangaluru airport," Bommai said. According to preliminary investigation, Rao, a native of pilgrim town Udupi in the state's coastal area, travelled to Bengaluru from Mangaluru in a lorry overnight and decided to give in to the police. "Rao is said to be a depressed mechanical engineer and out of job. A couple of criminal cases were registered against him and he is on bail after two months in the Chikkaballapura district jail for allegedly making a hoax bomb call last year to Bengaluru international airport in Devanahalli, about 40km north of the city, which falls in the neighbouring district jurisdiction," the official recalled. Interrogation of the driver of the three-wheeler autorickshaw in which Rao was seen leaving the airport in a closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) footage led the police to a hotel where the accused left some bomb-making material like white powder in the room he was staying. "Rao told the police that he was employed in the billing section of the hotel he stayed since the last two months as he could not get a better job," the official added. Panic gripped Mangaluru airport at Bajpe on the port city's outskirts when the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) found a black backpack abandoned at the airline's check-in counter. The bag was taken to an isolated place at Kanjur and detonated by the special bomb detection squad on Monday evening. A massive hunt was launched to identify and capture the accused. In a related development, Mangaluru Police Commissioner P.S. Harsha tweeted that a special investigation team from the coastal city would reach Bengaluru for taking Rao's custody and take him to Mangalore for investigation. "The investigation team will fly to Bengaluru in the afternoon to take Rao into our custody and bring him to Mangaluru for interrogation and investigation," Harsha tweeted. fb/dpb A television journalist has revealed she is battling a life-long autoimmune disease after surgery to remove a cyst on her throat which was spotted by a viewer. Network Ten presenter Antoinette Lattouf received a letter from grandmother Wendy McCoy in November saying she had spotted a lump protruding from her neck. Lattouf, who was previously unaware of the lump, decided to get it checked and discovered she had a potentially deadly cyst on her throat. The married mother of two has since had a painful surgery to remove the cyst and is now having to carefully manage her autoimmune disease as she recovers. On Wednesday morning Lattouf posted a message on Instagram thanking Mrs McCoy for speaking out and revealing that the pair are now friends. Network Ten reporter Antoinette Lattouf (pictured on TV with the lump on her neck), a married mother of two, was shown a message from the viewer to her editor in November On Wednesday morning Lattouf posted a lengthy message on Instagram thanking Mrs McCoy (pictured) for speaking out She wrote: 'In November, a remarkable woman alerted me to a serious health issue that I was not aware of. 'She's a grandmother from regional Victoria with no medical training, but felt compelled to contact Network 10 after spotting a lump on my throat while I was on air. Wendy McCoy and I are now friends.' Recognising Mrs McCoy's good deed, she added: 'Wendy demonstrated just how much impact being kind to a stranger can have.' Lattouf is now waiting for her voice to come back after invasive surgery to remove the lump and a bone in her voice box. She revealed she will 'also have to manage a life-long autoimmune disease' as she battles Hashimoto's disease, a rare condition when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland in the neck. Lattouf (pictured after surgery) is now waiting for her voice to come back after invasive surgery to remove the lump and a bone in her voice box Lattouf sent this bunch of flowers with a thank you note to Mrs McCoy Hashimoto's disease Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. Your thyroid is a small gland at the base of your neck. Your thyroid gland makes hormones that control many activities in your body, including how fast your heart beats and how fast you burn calories. In people with Hashimoto's disease, the immune system makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. This damages your thyroid gland, so it does not make enough thyroid hormone. Source: Women's Health Advertisement The journalist will meet and interview Mrs McCoy when she returns to Studio10 on Tuesday. She told Daily Mail Australia that the pair have kept in touch throughout her ordeal. 'I sent her thank you flowers and checked in on her because the Victorian fires were close to where she lives in Bairnsdale. 'She wished me luck shortly before I went in the operating theatre,' Lattouf said. The journalist has also been made an Ambassador for the Australian Thyroid Foundation for her work in raising awareness about the dangers of cysts in the neck after her story made headlines around the world. In her letter to Network Ten in November, Mrs McCoy from Werribee, Victoria, said she was not a doctor but that Lattouf's lump reminded her a friend who had a cyst. 'Has Antoinette Lattouf had her thyroid checked? I am not being smart or trolling just concerned with what I saw on TV today? 'I felt concerned and thought I should say something,' Ms McCoy wrote. Antoinette Lattouf (pictured) noticed a large lump protruding from the left side of her neck after she watched herself on TV When she saw the message, Lattouf watched back her television section in which she discussed artist Kyle Montgomery's controversial sculptures of the Virgin Mary. Sure enough, she noticed a large lump protruding from the left side of her neck. Writing for 10daily, she explained: 'I was left shocked. It looked like I had an Adam's Apple. Something was definitely protruding from my neck.' Lattouf said she had a family history of thyroid cancer so went to see her GP. What is a thyroglossal duct cyst? A thyroglossal duct cyst happens when your thyroid, a large gland in your neck that produces hormones, leaves behind extra cells while it's forming during your development in the womb. These extra cells can become cysts. This kind of cyst is congenital, meaning that they're present in your neck from the time you're born. In some cases, the cysts are so small that they don't cause any symptoms. Large cysts, on the other hand, can prevent you from breathing or swallowing properly and may need to be removed. Source: Healthline Advertisement After three blood tests, an ultrasound and a CT scan, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease a large cyst that needed surgery. Lattouf explained that her cyst, just above her voice box, was not cancerous but even benign growths can cause serious harm if left untreated. More common in women, they can affect muscle strength, bone health, heart rate and can be deadly in extreme cases. She said it probably has been growing since she was a child and could affect her ability to speak, swallow and breath if she did not have it removed. In a moving Instagram post, Lattouf thanked Ms McCoy for speaking up. 'She wrote: Thank you for caring lovely Wendy!' Lattouf said she also contacted Ms McCoy directly, who told her that she almost said nothing because she didn't want to 'seem to be interfering or meddling'. 'But then I thought bugger it, because it stood out like a dog's hind leg,' Ms McCoy said. Lattouf signed off her article with a plea for people to get checked if they notice a lump on their neck. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 13:44:48|Editor: zh Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday welcomed the formation of a new Lebanese government, said his spokesman. The secretary-general looks forward to working with new Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his incoming cabinet, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. The world body will support Lebanon's reform agenda and its efforts to address the pressing needs of its people, said the statement. Guterres reiterated the United Nations' commitment to supporting Lebanon's strengthening of its sovereignty, stability and political independence, and its effective implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, which remain essential to the stability of Lebanon and the region, it said. Lebanon has been mire in political chaos since October 2019 following protests triggered by planned taxes on gas, tobacco and online phone calls. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in late October. A new government led by Diab was announced on Tuesday. Guterres had repeatedly voiced concern over the violent clashes between protesters and the security forces of Lebanon. Israeli forces have shot and killed three Palestinians by Gazas perimeter fence, the Israeli military has said. The Israeli army said the group threw an explosive device towards them after attempting to cross the fence from the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening. It said troops had cordoned off an area near the southern end of the Palestinian coastal enclave after spotting three suspects crossing the frontier. [They] searched the area towards the suspects who hurled a grenade or explosive device at the troops, who then opened fire on the three Palestinians, the military said in a statement. A military spokeswoman confirmed they were killed. Local media reported that the three slain Palestinians were identified as Mohammad Abu Mandeel, Salem Zuweid an-Naami, and Mahmoud Khaled Said. The three were from al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip. A police source in Gaza told Reuters News Agency they were civilians without affiliations with armed groups in Gaza. He questioned the Israeli account that they threw explosives towards troops. Hani Abu Mandeel, 46, father of Mohammed Abu Mandeel, told Al Jazeera that his son went missing along with his friends on Tuesday evening. Until this moment, we didnt receive any information from the Red Cross, civil affairs or any side uncovering the fate of our son and the other boys, he said. We call on all concerned bodies, Red Cross, Palestinian Authority and human rights groups to intervene. We want to know if our children are alive, injured or killed, and if so, we want their bodies. The three boys are friends, neighbours and classmates. They used to hang out every day in our farming land near the eastern border of Gaza. We live a one-kilometre away from the fence, he added Commenting on the Israeli army statement that they were holding explosive devices, Hani said: They are only children at the age of 17 and didnt have any military actions. A spokesman for Hamas, the group which governs Gaza, said the Palestinians were killed in cold blood. The killing of the three Palestinians last night is a heinous crime, and a form of an organised Israeli terrorism against our Palestinian people for decades, said Fawzi Barhoum in a statement. Ceasefire efforts The incident along Gazas fence threatened to undermine efforts to reach an informal ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Earlier on Tuesday, a senior Hamas official said incendiary balloons Palestinians recently launched from the Gaza Strip were a signal to Israel to accelerate unofficial understandings meant to ease the crippling 12-year blockade on the enclave. Israel has conducted three military assaults on Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory, with dozens of other smaller skirmishes taking place. A two-day surge in violence in November between Israel and the armed Gaza-based faction, Islamic Jihad, left 34 Palestinians dead and dozens of Israelis injured. 191226134320186 For the past 20 months, weekly demonstrations have been organised along the fence, demanding an end to the 12-year blockade. More than 200 Palestinians, mostly unarmed, were killed by Israeli fire during the marches and hundreds of others were badly wounded. Israel, which drew international accusations of using excessive force, has said it is defending itself from attacks and attempts to breach the fence. Israel and Egypt keep the Gaza Strip under a blockade, tightly restricting movement out of the territory that is home to two million Palestinians. Hovering at about 50 percent, Gazas unemployment rate is one of the worlds highest and most of the population relies on humanitarian assistance. Lukashenka Says Russia Blocking Kazakhstan From Delivering Oil To Belarus By Current Time January 21, 2020 MINSK -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says Russia is blocking deliveries of Kazakh oil amid a tariff dispute with Moscow, Minsk's regular supplier. Lukashenka said on January 21 at a meeting with oil experts in Minsk that the situation Belarus's economy is facing "is getting complex." "It is strange, our ally does not agree to deliver oil to us from our other ally. That is an odd situation in the oil-delivery sector and we must take care of it," Lukashenka said. All three countries are founding members of the Eurasian Economic Union, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to use to bolster Moscow's influence in the former Soviet Union and counter the EU and NATO. "Because of the Russian Federation's introduction of the tax tariff maneuver [on oil, Belarus's] state budget gains are constantly dropping and the efficiency of our refineries' operations are worsening. There are no full alternatives to Russian oil and we have to diversify the sector," Lukashenka said, adding that the volume of Russian oil in the Belarusian market must be between 30 and 40 percent. Belarus has been at odds with Russia over oil-transit prices for some time against a backdrop of increasing pressure by Moscow on Lukashenka to deepen integration between the two neighbors. Belarus is heavily reliant on Russia for fuel and funding and is a key transit route for Russian energy supplies to Europe. On January 14, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Dzmitry Krutoy said Minsk had asked several European countries, as well as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, to sell Belarus oil amid the tariff tug-of-war with Russia. Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement in 1999 to form a unified state, but little progress has been made in the ensuing two decades. Meetings between Putin and Lukashenka last year failed to bring the two sides together as the Belarusian president noted he was merely seeking "equal" terms. Belarusian protests in December targeted the perceived secrecy of the talks and objected to closer ties to Russia. With reporting by BelTA Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/lukashenka-says- russia-blocking-kazakhstan-from-delivering -oil-to-belarus/30389521.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Democrats are discussing a possible swap as a way to break the logjam on calling witnesses at President Trump's impeachment trial that would involve former Vice President Joe Biden or his son Hunter and a key Biden ally is entertaining the idea. The idea is to secure testimony Democrats are demanding from former national security advisor John Bolton by offering up potential testimony by Biden or his son Hunter, who Republicans have been demanding. The potential gambit comes as Democrats used their first day of the Trump impeachment trial to call the affair a 'cover-up' of his effort to get the Ukrainian government to announce an investigation of the Bidens. They demanded an early vote on witnesses and crafted amendments that would put the Senate on record to authorize subpoenas of key officials of the Ukraine affair. Democrats are discussing the possibility of a deal on witnesses that would have Hunter Biden or his father former Vice President Joe Biden testify in the Trump impeachment Democrats are trying to secure testimony by Former National security adviser John Bolton A key ally of former Vice President Joe Biden suggested he might take the opportunity of testifying to talk about whether Trump acted appropriately President Trump has bashed impeachment, but earlier had indicated he might welcome testimony by key figures in the Senate The Senate voted down an effort to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney READ THE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP In 1,414 words, the articles of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives lay out two charges against President Donald Trump. Article I: Abuse of Power Using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 United States Presidential election. He did so through a scheme or course of conduct that included soliciting the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States Presidential election to his advantage. President Trump also sought to pressure the Government of Ukraine to take these steps by conditioning official United States Government acts of significant value to Ukraine on its public announcement of the investigations. President Trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit. In so doing, President Trump used the powers of the Presidency in a manner that compromised the national security of the United States and undermined the integrity of the United States democratic process.' Article II: Obstruction of Congress As part of this impeachment inquiry, the Committees undertaking the investigation served subpoenas seeking documents and testimony deemed vital to the inquiry from various Executive Branch agencies and offices, and current and former officials. In response, without lawful cause or excuse, President Trump directed Executive Branch agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with those subpoenas. President Trump thus interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, and assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the 'sole Power of Impeachment' vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives. In the history of the Republic, no President has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate 'high Crimes and Misdemeanors.'' This abuse of office served to cover up the President's own repeated misconduct and to seize and control the power of impeachment -- and thus to nullify a vital constitutional safeguard vested solely in the House of Representatives. Advertisement Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who represents Biden's home state, talked up the potential of a deal. 'If you want to give Joe Biden an opportunity to sit in the well of the Senate and answer the question, 'Do you think the president acted appropriately?' go right ahead,' Coons said, the Washington Post reported. Added Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate whip: 'If there are four Republicans who open the conversation about witnesses, then I assume there will be a negotiation that follows but I can't tell you where it goes.' Senators voted down a series of Democratic amendments, including one that would have subpoenaed acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, another key figure who Democrats believe, like Bolton, would have key first-hand insight into the Ukraine affair. It was knocked down on a 53 to 47 party-line vote. But a small number of Republicans haven't ruled out voting to hear from witnesses later, after initial multi-day presentations during the trial. One risk for Democrats is that by that late point, many senators may have grown weary of the trial and might argue that it had gone on long enough and must come to an end. Trump is on trial for two articles of impeachment, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. It was an amendment by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer that first mentioned the vice president's son in floor debate. His amendment authorized a subpoena of any White House or security documents dealing Ukraine that related to the former vice president, Hunter Biden or 'any of his associates,' or Burisma holdings. It also would subpoena any information related to Ukraine and interference or involvement by Ukriane in the 2016 U.S. elections, the DNC, and crowdstrike areas that Trump mentioned on infamous July 25 call with the president of Ukraine. Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a 'favor though,' and went on to mention Biden, crowdstrike, and the server of the Democratic National Committee. Trump commented on the trial Tuesday by tweeting from Switzerland: 'READ THE TRANSCRIPTS!' As Coons noted, Biden spent decades in the Senate, where he also presided and kept an office just off the floor for eight years during the Obama administration. Testifying would give Biden the opportunity to defend his son and his own conduct, all while joining the impeachment spotlight that forced three rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination from the Iowa campaign trail. It also would give Republicans a witness Trump defenders and the president himself have demanded. Democratic impeachment manages have been replaying clips of Trump saying he would 'love' to hear from key witnesses like Mulvaney. But the Senate voted down a subpoena of Mulvaney on a party-line 53 to 47 vote. The Senate also voted down Democratic efforts to force the release of budget documents about the Trump administration policy toward Ukraine, as well as other Democratic amendments. Bolton has said he is willing to testify in the Senate, though he sought judicial guidance when the House first asked him to appear in its inquiry. Many companies work hard to present an environmentally responsible public image. But how well do these claims stack up? In a new study led by the University of Gottingen, researchers investigated the claims regarding sustainability, including conservation and fair-pay, as presented by the French Michelin Group. The researchers then compared these claims with the effects described by local people in the village of Muara Sekalo in Indonesia. The villagers' reports indicated that land-ownership, ecosystems and biodiversity all suffered; and the researchers found that the pay at the rubber plantation fell well short of the minimum wage for the province. The results were published in the Journal of Land Use Science. The scientists' long-standing relationship with Indonesian researchers (as part of the collaborative German-Indonesian research project EFForTS - Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest Transformation Systems) enabled them to stay with local villagers to conduct their fieldwork. In 2017, they carried out interviews in the village of Muara Sekalo close to the Thirty Hills National Park in Indonesia. The researchers used different techniques such as explorative interviews, narrative interviews and focus group discussions. They then carried out intensive qualitative content analysis, studying press releases and media coverage about Michelin's plantation project. The "Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy" of the French Michelin Group was developed in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Michelin has established "model" rubber plantations in Indonesia which they consider a pilot to show that sustainable rubber cultivation is possible. The tyre industry consumes about 75% of the world's natural rubber so this is big business globally. The company's claims include that the model plantations were sustainable both environmentally and socially, UN Environment adds that they were climate-smart, wildlife-friendly and created fair-wage jobs. Michelin also uses the term "zero deforestation" which could give the impression that no forests are being cleared. The experiences of the villagers and farmers told a different story. Their reports included conflicts over land-use and environmental destruction due to deforestation. This resulted in elephants, who had lost their habitat, invading the villagers' plots in search for food and destroying their crops. Some farmers were forced to abandon their farming because they could not afford to replant and were left no choice but to assign their land to the company. And it turns out that "zero deforestation" only refers to certain areas - such as protected or primary forests or areas of high conservation value - and does not include forests which have regrown following the harvest of timber in the past for instance. "We recognise that some villagers benefited from the presence of the company because new jobs were created. None-the-less, this project cannot be considered 'sustainable' at all." says Fenna Otten from the University of Gottingen's Department of Human Geography and first author of the study. She goes on to say, "Just because a product is labelled or even certified to be green or sustainable, this does not mean that the conditions on the ground reflect conditions that we would consider eco-friendly: there is a clear mismatch between what many people expect sustainability to mean and what is really happening". "We welcome the introduction of sustainable production processes," says Otten. "However, it's vitally important that companies' commitment isn't just corporate greenwash." ### Original publication: Otten F, et al. (2020). Deconstructing sustainable rubber production: contesting narratives in rural Sumatra. Journal of Land Use Science. DOI: 10.1080/1747423X.2019.1709225 Link to publication: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1747423X.2019.1709225 Contact Fenna Otten University of Gottingen Institute of Geography, Department of Human Geography Goldschmidtstrae 5 37077 Gottingen, Germany Tel: +49 (0)551 39 28055 Email: fenna.otten@geo.uni-goettingen.de http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/531811.html Janata Dal (United) leader Vashishtha Narayan Singh on Wednesday took strong exception to party colleague Pavan Varma questioning "in public" the tie-up with BJP for the Delhi assembly polls by extending the alliance beyond Bihar, calling it "absolutely" an act of indiscipline. Singh, a Rajya Sabha member and the head of the JD(U)s state unit, asserted that the decision to align with the BJP was taken after "due deliberation". He further said although the party respected freedom of thought of every member, it was "anuchit" (inappropriate) on part of the career diplomat-turned-politician to make public his letter to the Chief Minister and national president Nitish Kumar. "I consider his (Varmas) conduct as inappropriate and will put forth my views forcefully whenever a party meeting takes place", Singh told a channel. He also said "if there were any reservations, these ought to have been expressed in a party forum. People may have their individual opinions and the party respects that. But airing these in public is something I do not approve of". He also said Varma had "absolutely" committed an act of indiscipline by sharing on the social media his two-page letter to Kumar in which the chief minister was reminded of the unease he had been allegedly expressing "in private" over the BJPs ideology and agenda. Varma had also mentioned that JD(U), which has been contesting separately from the BJP in states other than Bihar, recent examples being Haryana and Jharkhand, has allied with the saffron party in Delhi where an old NDA constituent like Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has refused to do so. Notably, unlike the JD(U) the SAD is a part of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. The party has opposed the exclusion of Muslims from CAA and refused to contest the Delhi assembly polls, despite a large population of Sikhs in the city, in protest against the BJPs refusal to pay heed. "Our tie-up in Delhi has materialized after due deliberation (poori tarah se soch samajh kar)", said Singh whose party will be contesting two out of the 70 assembly seats leaving 67 for BJP and one for Ram Vilas Paswans LJP. Meanwhile, the opposition RJD latched on to the note of dissent struck by Varma and came out in support of his demand for "ideological clarity" on part of Kumar. The partys national vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters in Muzaffarpur "ideological clarity is needed since Kumar has left his own party colleagues confused as to where he stands on the most burning issue of the day". "Pavan Varma is not alone. Prashant Kishor (JD-U national vice president) seems similarly bewildered. Kumar got his party to support CAA in Parliament and on the other hand says he is stoutly opposed to NRC. This is irreconcilable", he added. Another RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary issued a statement, saying Varma has posed the same questions as Tejashwi Yadav had done on the floor of the House at the recent special session of the assembly. "I am sure Varma will get no reply just like Tejashwi went back dissatisfied," he said. Tiwary, who was formerly with the JD(U) also said "Varma can however be sure of one thing. He will face the wrath of the sycophants of Nitish Kumar..Varma had mistaken Kumar for a paragon of secularism remaining oblivious to the JD(U) chiefs capitulation before Modi and Shah. For him, it is time for atonement". Varma, who had on Tuesday upon reaching Patna expressed his wish to have an audience with Kumar, told PTI over phone "I addressed a seminar and thereafter remained tied up with channels till late in the night". "In the morning I had to rush to the airport and board my return flight. I look forward to meeting Mr Nitish Kumar some other time", he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It will basically change 200 years of practice, Ms. Weingarten said. The case challenges a decision to shut down a program that provided tax breaks to donors who funded scholarships that families could use at private schools, including religious ones. Montana discontinued the program after a ruling by its high court found that it had violated a provision in its Constitution that prohibited the use of government funding, either directly or indirectly, for religious purposes. Such provisions, known as no-aid provisions or Blaine Amendments, exist in 37 states and were driven initially by anti-Catholic bias. They are now seen as the last line of defense against widespread acceptance of school voucher programs. The conservative-leaning high court could finally settle whether vouchers blur the constitutional line between church and state. Lawyers at the Institute for Justice, the libertarian law firm that is representing three Montana families, said the case could produce one of the most significant education rulings in the last half-century. The Supreme Court has ruled that states may include religious schools in publicly funded school choice programs, but a ruling that would essentially require it would be groundbreaking. If we win this case, it will be the U.S. Supreme Court once again saying that school choice is fully constitutional and its a good thing, said Erica Smith, a senior lawyer at the Institute and co-counsel in the Espinoza case. And that will provide momentum to the entire country. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has proposed a $5 billion federal tax credit scholarship program that would allow states to adopt initiatives much like the one Montana struck down. Ms. DeVos, who sent her own children to private religious schools, tried to defeat the Blaine Amendment in her home state, Michigan. Glenn Greenwald, founder and editor of The Intercept website during a hearing at the Lower House's Human Rights Commission in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 25, 2019. (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images) American Journalist Glenn Greenwald Charged With Hacking in Brazil American journalist Glenn Greenwald has been charged with cybercrime in Brazil over his alleged involvement in the hacking of messages exchanged between the countrys government officials. According to a criminal complaint released by the Brazilian Public Prosecutors Office (pdf), Greenwald is accused of assisting, encouraging, and guiding a criminal organization that hacked into the cellphones of Bolsonaro government officials who oversaw court proceedings in the countrys major corruption cases. In multiple stories on the investigative news website The Intercept Brasil, which he co-founded, Greenwald made public messages he obtained through hacking. Some of those rather embarrassing messages, according to The New York Times, appeared to show that Sergio Moro, now Brazils Justice Minister, had improperly directed prosecutors to land many of president Jair Bolsonaros political opponents in jail. Prosecutors accused Greenwald of being in contact with his hacker allies while they were still carrying out illegal hacking activities for the Intercept reports and instructed them to keep their connections hidden by deleting communication traces. Greenwald gained journalistic fame around the world in 2013 when he reported on the secrets of United States surveillance programs leaked by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. He maintains that he did nothing wrong and that he worked cautiously within the boundaries of both the law and the ethics of professional journalism. Less than two months ago, the Federal Police, examining all the same evidence cited by the Public Ministry, stated explicitly, that not only have I never committed any crime but that I exercised extreme caution as a journalist, never even to get close to any participation, Greenwald said in a statement. I did nothing more than do my job as a journalistethically and within the law. This accusation is an obvious attempt to attack a free press in retaliation for the revelations we reported about Minister Moro and the Bolsonaro government, Greenwald continued, adding that he would not be intimidated and would keep working on his news reporting. Its not the first time Greenwald has found himself in trouble. In 2013, when Greenwald published the NSAs Prism program documents that had been leaked to The Guardian by Edward Snowden, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) demanded Greenwalds arrest and prosecution, calling the disclosure of those secrets a very unusual case with life-and-death implications for Americans. New York: A French publishing company said on Tuesday that it "bitterly regrets" allowing one of its history books to state that the CIA orchestrated the September 11, 2001, attacks and that the misinformation echoed conspiracy theories "devoid of any factual basis." The twin towers of the World Trade Center burn behind the Empire State Building on September 11, 2001. Credit:AP The book, History of the 20th Century in Cards, which covers French, European and world history in the 20th century, was published by Editions Ellipses in November. It was intended for high school students and those preparing for university entrance exams. In a chapter about Middle East conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries, a sentence about the attacks reads: "This world event probably orchestrated by the CIA (secret services) to impose American influence on the Middle East?" The misinformation was initially discovered by a history teacher's child, and it was widely discussed this week in a closed Facebook group for members of Les Clionautes, an association for history and geography teachers, Bruno Modica, a spokesman for the association, said on Tuesday. Haiti - FLASH : 2020 scholarship for Taiwan, registration open The Embassy of Taiwan (Republic of China) accredited in Haiti informs that registrations for the scholarship program entitled "MOFA Taiwan Scholarship Program" for the year 2020 have been open since Tuesday, January 21, 2020. Applicants must be under 23 years of age for Bachelor studies, and under 30 years of age for Master studies. All must have a good level of English and a good result in the BAC (baccalaureate) or a higher education diploma (no later than June of the current year). The Embassy informs potential applicants that studies in Taiwan will be conducted mainly in Mandarin and that a first year of learning Mandarin is an integral part of the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship Program. Applicants can apply in all disciplines taught in Taiwan after one year of studying Mandarin. For the Bachelor, the scholarship is granted for 5 years: one year of learning Mandarin + 4 years of university studies. For the Masters, the scholarship is granted for 3 years: one year of learning Mandarin + 2 years of academic studies. Applicants wishing to continue their higher education in Taiwan are invited to submit their application before March 9, 2020 to the Embassy of Taiwan (Republic of China) located at # 22, Rue Lucien Hubert, Morne Calvaire, Petion-ville, in an envelope indicating - Application for a "MOFA Taiwan Scholarship Program" grant Qualifications Required : Bachelor studies (licence) : Be under the age of 23 Have a good knowledge of English Hold a high school diploma Having obtained at least the following grades in BAC II: Philo A: 770/1100; Philo C: 1190/1700. ; Philo D: 1120/1600. Or have obtained at least 7/10 average at the BAC Unique. Masters studies : Be less than 30 years old A good knowledge of English Holds an undergraduate university degree Documents required for the submission of applications : A copy of the completed registration form signed by the applicant. Download the registration form (English) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Taiwan-MOFA-Scholarship-Application-Form.odt https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Taiwan-MOFA-Scholarship-Application-Form.odt An autobiography (in English of 500 words) A copy of the national identification card A copy of the end of studies diploma (secondary diploma for the License; university diploma for the master's) authenticated with the competent authority of the Haitian government with a certified English translation. A copy of transcript of marks (BAC II or Single BAC for the License; university notes for the master's) authenticated with the competent authority of the Haitian government with a certified English translation Selection Procedures : Applicants must submit their application before March 9, 2020 to the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), located at # 22, Rue Lucien Hubert, Morne Calvaire, Petion-Ville, in an envelope indicating Application for scholarship "MOFA Taiwan Scholarship Program". Applicants shortlisted will be notified by email or telephone before March 24, 2020 to participate in a written and oral exam at the Embassy. The candidates selected for the final selection will be informed at the beginning of July 2020 according to the conditions and regulations Download the regulations (English) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/MOFA-Taiwan- Scholarship-guidelines.pdf Other information visit the Embassy website: www.taiwanembassy.org/ht_fr/post/2010.html HL/ HaitiLibre Flash Iran has asked the French and U.S. accident investigation agencies, the BEA and NTSB respectively, for the equipment to decode the black box of the crashed Ukrainian plane, Press TV reported on Tuesday. On Jan. 8, the Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Tehran to Kiev crashed near Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, killing all the passengers and crew members on board. Later, Iran's armed forces confirmed that an "unintentional" launch of a military missile by the country shot down the Ukrainian airliner. The latest report by Iran's civil aviation agency noted that two Tor-M1 missiles were fired at the airliner from the north, and how the projectiles contributed to the crash were still under investigation. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, commonly known as black boxes, feature cutting-edge technology and Iran lacks the technical facilities to decode them, according to the report. "If devices are provided, the information (on the black boxes) can be restored and retrieved in a short period of time," the report said. Iran's civil aviation agency has requested French and U.S. accident investigation agencies to provide a list of the equipment required to decode the black boxes, and to possibly transfer them to Iran, it said. However, neither organization has "so far responded positively" to the request, and Iran is considering the purchase of those equipment, it added. On Sunday, Hassan Rezaeefar, director of incident investigation of Iran's civil aviation agency, said that Iran was trying to decode the black box of the crashed passenger plane before planning to send it to a second country. "Iran holds the black box of the Ukrainian Boeing 737 passenger plane and has currently no plan to send it out," Rezaeefar was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency. "We are trying to read the data of the damaged Ukrainian plane inside Iran. Ukraine and France are our next options (for reading the data), but we have not decided on sending it to a second country yet," he added. Rezaeefar earlier told IRNA that Iran possesses no technology to download and read the data of the Ukrainian plane's black box since it is "a modern and advanced Boeing passenger plane." A adorable pet cat shot with a bow and arrow in a disturbing case of animal cruelty has died leaving his distressed owner demanding answers. Daniel Rubick was at home in Port Kennedy, in Perth's south on Tuesday afternoon when he heard whining outside at about 4pm. Mr Rubick opened his back door to find Shadow curled up outside but the cat was not his usual friendly self and instead clinging to life. The black moggy was purring in distress and bleeding from the chest with an arrow protruding from his body. Mr Rubick rushed him to the nearest vet where X-rays revealed the worst possible outcome. Horrific X-rays revealed the arrow had gone through 'under his arms through his and chest to the back' The arrow, which was still lodged in the animal's body, had punctured his back through his spine before piercing major organs. 'He was still alive and bleeding at the back door,' Mr Rubick wrote on Facebook. 'It's hard to comprehend what sort of person would do this.' Mr Rubick was left devastated when vets told him that Shadow couldn't be saved due to the severity of his injuries. He is asking anyone who might have seen anything to come forward. 'Cant believe hes not going to be at home,' Mr Rubick told 7News. A heartbroken Mr Rubick was left devastated after Shadow (pictured) couldn't be saved A person found guilty of intentionally or recklessly injuring an animal could face a hefty fine of $50,000 and up to five years in prison under the Animal Welfare Act (2002), The RSPCA WA said cases of animal cruelty were common with 500 complaints lodged in the state last year. The report comes a year after Bezos and his wife MacKenzie announced that they would divorce after 25 years of marriage. (Photo Credit: File Photos) New Delhi: E-commerce giant Amazons chief executive Jeff Bezoss mobile phone was hacked after receiving a message from the Saudi Arabian crown prince. The Guardian newspaper citing sources digital forensic analysis suggested the data theft from the Bezos phone in 2018 started with an infected video file sent via WhatsApp from the personal account of Mohammed bin Salman. The report comes a year after Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie announced that they would divorce after 25 years of marriage. Based on intimate text messages, the National Enquirer subsequently disclosed an extramarital affair between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor. However, clearing the air on this Bezos published a blog post accusing the tabloid of threatening to publish more embarrassing text messages and pictures unless he publicly affirmed that there was no outside force behind the tabloid's coverage. Bezoss security consultant Gavin de Becker later said, he believed the Saudi Arabian government had accessed Bezos's phone before the massive expose. Bezos also accused the publisher of the National Enquirer of blackmail after it threatened to publish intimate photographs sent by the billionaire to his mistress if he did not cease an investigation into the newspapers alleged links with Saudi Arabia. Bezos also raised the publishers links to Saudi Arabiawhose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is accused of directing the murder of Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, Ive decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten, Bezos wrote in the post, which was entitled No thank you, Mr. Pecker and included copies of emails from AMI. Be assured, no real journalists ever propose anything like what is happening here, he added. Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Divorce Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie finalized their divorce to the tune of a $38-billion settlement. Under the agreement, MacKenzie Bezos, 49, will receive approximately 19.7 million Amazon.com shares, giving her a four percent stake in the company valued at USD 38.3 billion. MacKenzie has also promised to donate half her fortune to charity, joining the ranks of the world's ultra-wealthy philanthropists as a signatory of the Giving Pledge. The personal life of Jeff Bezos was thrust into the spotlight with the announcement in January that he and his wife were divorcing after 25 years of marriage and the revelation by the National Enquirer that he had been having an affair with a former news anchor, Lauren Sanchez. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos married in 1993 and have four children. Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in their Seattle garage in 1994 and turned it into a colossus that dominates online retail. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Members of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) led by Regional and Constituency Executives picketed at the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the Upper East Region on Wednesday, January 22. Their action was in line with the demonstrations by the national leadership of the NDC, in protest against the Electoral Commissions planned compilation of a new Voters Register, ahead of this years general elections. The Bolgatanga exercise was joined by some other parties and Civil Society Organizations . Like their national executives, the NDC Upper East Regional Executives and others who joined the picketing, called on the Electoral Commission to listen to the voice of the masses and rescind its decision on the new register. They also urged government not to support the Electoral Commission, but rather it should spent the resources for the new register to address some social challenges the country is faced with. On Tuesday, the National Democratic Congress in the region, urged its members and sympathizers to come out in their numbers to send a clear message to the Electoral Commission and the government. Even though the numbers were not as big as those recorded in Tamale and Kumasi, the leadership of the NDC in the region believes that their target was achieved and hoped that the Electoral Commission will listen. Similar exercises, according to the NDC Deputy Regional Communication Director, Gaspard Kapuli, were carried out across the region, where NDC members and their supporters presented petition to officers of the Electoral Commission in the districts. In the Bolgatanga Municipality the NDC members converged at the NAFAC grounds and matched to the officer of the Electoral Commission. They carried placards with inscriptions such as We don't need a new register, we need a new president not a new Register. In Navrongo, the leader of the Coalition Group, Dr. Selanwiah S. Abdul-Mumin charged all Ghanaians to join the protest against the compilation of the new Voters Register and not see it as just a problem for a few people. Fellow Inter-Party Coalition patriots, the media and all concern and venerable citizens of our dear nation, the destiny of Ghana lies in our hands and we must be prepared to uphold and defend the holistic prospects of our nation devoid of malice. To that effect I challenge each and every one of you here to strongly resist this insensitive EC Chairperson who has failed to listen to the voice of the ordinary Ghanaians just to enable her and her superiors reap abnormal benefits to the detriment of the tax payers, Dr. Abdul-Mumin said. Daily Guide BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: The statement of Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the country's possible withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was mentioned in the letter of the country's President Hassan Rouhani to the 4+1 group dated May 2019, Spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry Abbas Mousavi said, Trend reports with reference to the ministry's website. The letter of the Iranian president noted that Iran will leave the NPT in case if the nuclear program of the country is referred to the UN Security Council and thepre-Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) sanctions are imposed, Mousavi said. Iran will leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Europeans insist on their unjustifiable behavior or refer the nuclear issue to the UN Security Council, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Jan. 20. On Jan. 14, 2020, the UK, France and Germany issued a statement regarding Iran's suspension of its obligations within JCPOA and announced that they launched a process to resolve nuclear disputes. If problems are not solved in this process, the matter will be discussed at the UN Security Councils meeting. In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions against Iran in November of the same year. In order to preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal stated in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed. On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories having not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal. On Sept. 5, Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA. On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA. Iran no longer faces any restrictions on its nuclear program. Facebook Inc (FB.O) announced limited changes on Thursday to its approach to political ads, including allowing users to turn off certain ad-targeting tools, but defied critics demands that it bar politicians from using its ads system to spread lies, Trend reports citing Reuters. Ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November 2020, the worlds biggest social network has vowed to curb political manipulation of its platform. Facebook failed to counter Russian interference in the 2016 election and allowed misuse of user data by defunct political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Now, it faces intense criticism of its relatively hands-off ads policies, especially after exempting politicians ads from fact-checking standards applied to other content. Facebook said it and its photo-sharing app Instagram will soon have a tool enabling individual users to choose to see fewer political and social issue ads, and will make more ad audience data publicly available. In contrast, Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) banned political ads in October, while Alphabet Incs Google (GOOGL.O) said it would stop letting advertisers target election ads using data such as public voter records and general political affiliations. Online platforms Spotify (SPOT.N), Pinterest (PINS.N) and TikTok have also issued bans. A spokesman for the re-election campaign of President Donald Trump, which has spent more on Facebook ads than any other candidate, said the companys approach to political messages is better than those from Twitter and Google as it "encourages more Americans to be involved in the process." U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, condemned the company on Twitter for "standing their ground on letting political figures lie to you." She has called for Facebooks breakup on antitrust grounds. In a blog post, Facebooks director of product management Rob Leathern said the company considered imposing limits like Googles, but decided against them as internal data indicated most ads run by U.S. presidential candidates are broadly targeted, at audiences larger than 250,000 people. Leathern wrote Facebooks polices are based "on the principle that people should be able to hear from those who wish to lead them, warts and all." Facebook will roll out the expanded audience data features in the first quarter and plans to deploy the political ads control starting in the United States this summer, eventually expanding this setting to more locations. The case has been adjourned to January 24. Mysuru: Former Mysuru University student B. Nalini who held a Free Kashmir placard during a protest against the CAA recently inviting police action, has received the backing of former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah who felt it does not amount to sedition and hence section 124 A of the IPC is not applicable to her case. Mr Siddaramaiah, who earlier practised law, also termed the resolution by Mysore bar association not to appear for Nalini in court, as anti-constitutional and non-democratic. On the cases filed against students who protested against the attack on students of JNU, he said, there is nothing wrong in protesting. In a similar case in the Delhi high court, the judge questioned the advocate who argued against one such protest asking if he had read the Constitution. A team of advocates from Bengaluru and other districts had appeared before the Mysuru court representing Nalini and had argued that holding the Free Kashmir placard does not amount to sedition. The case has been adjourned to January 24. On January 8, as many students and student unions of Mysuru Unive-rsity came together in protest against the assault on Jawaharlal Nehru University students. UPDATED at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday with more details on the arrest. NORMANDY A 17-year-old Normandy High School student is being held on $75,000 cash bail after being accused of bringing a loaded 9 mm pistol to school Tuesday. Christian Fredrick faces two felony charges in St. Louis County: unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. Fredrick lives in the 4000 block of Jenny Drive in unincorporated north St. Louis County, according to online court documents. In November, the gun was reported stolen to the Bellefontaine Neighbors Police Department, said Maj. Ron Martin, assistant chief of police for the North County Police Cooperative. Normandy High School is located at 6701 St. Charles Rock Road. Sharifah Sims-Williams, a Normandy schools spokeswoman, said the school's resource officer noticed Fredrick wasn't in class Tuesday but was elsewhere on the campus. Fredrick ran when the resource officer approached to talk with him. The officer caught up with him and discovered the gun while placing him under arrest, she said. President Donald Trump waves as he leaves the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Washington to attend the annual economic forum in Davos, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Associated Press To remove President Donald Trump from office, two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 senators, need to convict him in his impeachment trial, which began in earnest this week. If Trump is convicted, he would be removed from office effective immediately. The Senate would also vote on a separate measure on whether to bar him from ever holding federal office again. Vice President Mike Pence would take over the office of the presidency if Trump is removed. The Presidential Succession Act designates the vice president is first in the line of succession to the presidency, followed by the speaker of the House (currently Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi). Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate officially opened last week as the House of Representatives impeachment managers read the article of impeachment against him into the record and senators were sworn in as Chief Justice John Roberts presided over the proceedings. This week, the Senate will hear opening arguments from the impeachment managers acting as prosecutors in Trump's trial and the president's legal defense team. The Senate is comprised of 100 lawmakers. Right now, it has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with Democrats. According to the Constitution, two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 lawmakers, need to vote to convict an impeached official in order to trigger their removal from office. That's highly unlikely in Trump's case, since the Senate is controlled by Republicans. But in the event this scenario plays out, the Senate is authorized to pursue one of two options: Removing Trump from office, effective immediately. Removing Trump from office, effective immediately, and prohibiting him from holding any office in the future of "honor, Trust or Profit under the United States." According to the Congressional Research Service, the Senate would vote separately on whether it wanted to bar Trump from holding any federal offices "of public trust" in the future. If a simple majority, or 51 senators, supported such a measure, it would pass. Story continues In the improbable event that Trump is removed from office, Vice President Mike Pence would take over the office of the presidency because of the Constitution's 25th Amendment, which stipulates that "in case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President." Under the Presidential Succession Act, passed in 1947 and amended in 2006, the vice president is first in the line of succession to the presidency, followed by the speaker of the House (currently Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi) and the president pro tempore of the Senate (GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley). After those three officials are the Cabinet secretaries. The secretary of state is fourth in the line of succession, followed by the secretary of the Treasury, the secretary of defense, and the attorney general, with the secretary of homeland security the most recently created department being last in the line of succession. The presidential line of succession is also affected by whether the members of Congress or Cabinet officials in it are eligible for the presidency. Under Article 2, Section 1 of the US Constitution, someone must be at least 35 years old and a "natural-born" US citizen who has lived in the country for at least 14 years to serve as president. The House of Representatives impeached Trump last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Read the original article on Business Insider As part of a restructuring of the American subsidiaries of Kodansha, a major Japanese manga and prose publisher, Alvin Lu, formerly general manager of Kodansha Advanced Media, has been named president and CEO of Kodansha USA Publishing. Under the restructuring, Kodanshas U.S. subsidiaries, which include Vertical Inc., a New York-based Japanese manga and prose house acquired by Kodansha in 2011, and Kodansha Advanced Media, which oversees distribution of Kodanshas digital content, will now be consolidated under Kodansha USA Publishing. Kodansha USA Publishing is headquartered in New York City, with satellite offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Also under the restructuring, Takashi Sakuda has been named COO of Kodansha USA Publishing and Kiichiro Sugawara has been named publisher. In addition, Ivan Salazar, formerly pr and events specialist at Comixology, Amazons digital comics vendor, will join Kodansha USA Publishing as senior marketing director. In his former role at Comixology, Salazar worked closely with Lu to choose popular Kodansha manga series (among them, BECK, Initial D and Drops of God) to distribute in the U.S. market via the Comixology Originals line of exclusive digital content. Kohei Furukawa, senior v-p and board member of Tokyo-based Kodansha Ltd, said Kodansha has more than 50 years of publishing history in the U.S., and we aim to accelerate and expand our global business by setting North America as its main pillar. We believe the consolidation will strengthen our corporate equity and enhance more efficient and speedy business operation. Furukawa praised Lu for his long years of experience in the U.S. market building a successful digital business around Kodansha content. He emphasized that we believe the future of our global business should be not limited to traditional publishing. We seek to challenge conventions. Lu said that Kodansha has enjoyed a decade of pronounced growthboth domestically and in its overseas marketsoff the strength of a string of hit manga properties including Attack on Titan, anime and Hollywood adaptations, and a well-navigated transition to the digital marketplace. The time is right to build on this momentum through the formation of a twenty-first-century global content publisher." Every baby born in New Jersey will be screened for a potentially deadly genetic disease that is often compared to pediatric ALS under a bill Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Tuesday Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a rare, muscular wasting disease, occurring in 1 in 11,000 births. The average life expectancy is about two years. Symptoms of muscle weakness may not appear for months, but if caught early, treatment can help prevent paralysis, said Regina Philipps of Haddon Heights, who has become an advocate for the legislation after her son Shane was diagnosed with SMA. Shane was a very strong baby, until he was about 6 months old. Then, over the course of just a few months, he went from energetic and active to weak and motionless, Philipps wrote in a recent op-ed. There have been medical breakthroughs, including the FDA approving the first drug to treat SMA in 2016. New treatments on their own are not enough. It takes early identification, early diagnosis, and early treatment of SMA to maximize a childs health outcomes, Philipps wrote. Taking fast action around an SMA diagnosis, as early in life as possible, will dramatically improve a childs quality of life and can literally mean the difference between life and death. SMA will now be added to the 59 other disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, that all hospitals test for within 48 hours following a babys birth. One heel prick provides enough blood for the test, according to the state Department of Health. An estimated 165,889 people are SMA carriers in New Jersey, and 304 are currently living with the disease, according to the legislation (S974). About nine babies are born with SMA each year in the state. Universal newborn screening is the best way to ensure every child diagnosed with SMA has the best possible chance at a healthy life, she wrote. Both houses of the New Jersey Legislature easily passed the measure last month. The state Senate voted 38-0 and the state Assembly 76-0. "SMA is the number-one genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers in the United States, Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union), one of the bills sponsors, said in a statement. Treatment administered without delay will improve the quality of life for infants with SMA, leading to better outcomes with potential life-saving results. Screening for spinal muscular atrophy at birth will save the lives of New Jerseys newborns. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. As devastating storms sweep across eastern Spain, a search has been launched for a missing British man who may have been swept out to sea. The unnamed 25-year-old was last seen on Tuesday in the Sant Joan de Labritia of Ibiza as Storm Gloria brought strong winds and heavy rain to the region. The man is understood to be a crew member of a boat that was docked in the port of Ibiza and was reportedly on a tour of the island on a motorcycle. W Barcelona hotel is pictured in the mist while big waves hit El Bogatell beach in Barcelona as storm Gloria batters the Spanish eastern coast (Getty) A flooded field is pictured in Malgrat de Mar, near Girona (Getty) The captain of the boat where he worked raised the alarm when the man did not return from his trip, while his bike has since been found. Yahoo News UK has contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a comment. At least four people have so far died as a result of Storm Gloria, while another man is believed to be missing in the Balearic Islands. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Pensioner 'was shot with crossbow by hidden killer' Conservative peer rants about Remainer politicians trying to thwart Brexit Wonky-faced rescue dog who was attacked as a puppy finally finds loving home The violent storms hit Spain on Monday, causing major damage to beaches around the Balearics, Barcelona and Valencia. Huge waves of up to 8.44m and gale-force winds have smashed into buildings in Mallorca, causing power to fall for some 200,000 people in one beach town. Weather alerts have been issued in more than 30 provinces, prompting Catalonias regional government to place a ban on all outdoor activities in the Girona, Barcelona and Catalonia regions. Policemen and security members walk on a fallen bridge in Malgrat de Mar, near Girona (Getty) Big waves overpass a breakwater at the Port Olympic marina in Barcelona as storm Gloria batters Spain (Getty) Alicante airport was forced to close, leading to nearly 200 flights being cancelled, while the snow-hit region of Asturias saw one man killed as he tried to fit chains on his car. Other deaths include a 63-year-old man who was killed by falling roof tiles, and a man who died of suspected hypothermia in the Valencian town of Moixent. The death of a 54-year-old homeless woman in Gandia, near Valencia, has also been blamed on the storms. Id been going to Civil War reenactments with my grandfather ever since I was a child, and all of a sudden all that seemed good to me had people screaming at me, said Dorsey, who works as a land surveyor. I want to be proud of my history, but I also have to do self- examination. Is there really anything of value here, or are we simply celebrating military prowess? Why are we portrayed as being so much more racist than other whites, which I know is not true? https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/The-Weighing-of-the-Heart.html The Exodus story of how the supreme Power entered history to liberate the supremely powerless, is not just for Jews. It is the worlds greatest metanarrative of hope. In this weeks parsha, before even the first plague has struck Egypt, God tells Moses: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart and multiply My miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt. (Exodus 7:3) The hardening of Pharaohs heart is referred to no less than twenty times in the course of the story of the Exodus. Sometimes it is Pharaoh who is said to harden his heart. At other times, God is said to have done so. The Torah uses three different verbs in this context: ch-z-k, to strengthen, k-sh-h, to harden, and k-b-d, to make heavy. Throughout the ages, the commentators have been concerned with one problem. If God hardened Pharaohs heart, how could he have been to blame for not letting the Israelites go? He had no choice in the matter. It was Gods doing, not his. That he and his people should be punished seems to flout the fundamental principle of justice, that we are guilty only for what we have freely chosen to do. However, the commentators noted that for the first five plagues, Pharaoh is said to harden his own heart. The obstinacy, the refusal, the intransigence are his. Only with the sixth plague is God said to have done so. This led to several explanations. Rashi says that the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in the last five plagues was a punishment for the first five, when it was Pharaoh's own obstinacy that led him to refuse to let the people go. 1 Maimonides interprets God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart as meaning that "repentance was withheld from him, and the liberty to turn from his wickedness was not accorded to him." 2 Albo and Sforno offer the opposite interpretation. God hardened Pharaoh's heart precisely to restore his free will. After the succession of plagues that had devastated the land, Pharaoh was under overwhelming pressure to let the Israelites go. Had he done so, it would not have been out of free choice, but rather under force majeure. God therefore strengthened Pharaoh's heart so that even after the first five plagues he was genuinely free to say Yes or No. 3 It may be that all three are right and are simply responding to the different verbs. K-sh-h, hardening, supports Rashis reading. Pharaoh was hard on the Israelites, so God was hard on him. K-b-d, making heavy, supports Maimonides. Pharaoh lacked the energy, the strength, to repent. Ch-z-k, to strengthen, supports Albo and Sforno. The text allows for all three possibilities. However, part of the truth may lie in a completely different direction. 4 The Egyptians Pharaohs especially were preoccupied by death. Their funerary practices were astonishingly elaborate and were meant to prepare the person for life after death. The tombs of the Pharaohs were among their most lavish creations. Tutankhamuns, discovered in 1922, is a dazzling example. One of the greatest literary works of ancient Egypt was The Book of the Dead. The Torah notes the attention the Egyptians gave to death. At the end of Bereishit, we read of how the Egyptians accompanied Joseph and his family in the funeral procession to bury Jacob. The Canaanites witnessed this and said, The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. They named the place, Abel Mizraim (Gen. 50:11). Note: they called it the place of Egyptian mourning, not Israelite mourning, despite the fact that it was for Jacob, a non-Egyptian. Then we read of how Joseph himself was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. In the Torah, only Joseph, and Jacob at Josephs request, are embalmed. So we have already been forewarned about the significance of death to the Egyptian mind. However, there is one specific aspect of Egyptian belief that opens up an entirely new perspective on the references to Pharaohs heart. According to Egyptian myth, the deceased underwent a trial to establish their worthiness or otherwise to enjoy life after death in Aaru, the Field of Reeds, where souls live on in pleasure for eternity. They believed that the soul resides in the heart, and the trial consisted of the ceremony of The Weighing of the Heart. Other organs were removed after death, but the heart was left because it was needed for the trial. On one side of the scales was a feather. On the other, was placed the heart. If the heart was as light as the feather, the dead could continue to Aaru, but if it was heavier, it was devoured by the goddess Ammit (a combination of lion, hippopotamus and crocodile), and its owner was condemned to live in Duat, the underworld. An illustration, on papyrus, in The Book of the Dead shows the ceremony, undertaken in the Hall of Two Truths, overseen by Anubis, the Egyptian God of the dead. It follows that the root k-v-d, to make heavy, would have had a highly specific meaning for the Egyptians of that time. It would imply that Pharaohs heart had become heavier than a feather. He would fail the heart weighing ceremony and therefore be denied what was most important to him the prospect of joining the gods in the afterlife. No one would have been in any doubt as to why this was so. The feather represented Maat, the central Egyptian value that included the concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, justice, morality, and law. Not only was this fundamental to Egyptian culture. It was the task of the Pharaoh to ensure that it prevailed. This had been an Egyptian principle since a thousand years before the Exodus, found in Pyramid texts dating from the third millennium BCE. Maat meant cosmic order. Its absence invited chaos. A Pharaoh whose heart had become heavier than the Maat feather was not only endangering his own afterlife, but threatening the entire people over whom he ruled with turmoil and disarray. One of the things the deceased were supposed to do as part of the trial was to make a series of negative confessions, 42 in all, declaring themselves innocent of the kind of sin that would exclude them from paradise. These are some of them: I have not done injury to men. I have not oppressed those beneath me. I have not murdered. I have not commanded murder. I have not caused suffering to men. 5 If the heavying of Pharaohs heart is an allusion to the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, it allows us to read the story in a completely new way. First, it suggests that it is directed to Egyptians as well as Israelites; to humanity as a whole. The Torah tells us three times that the purpose of the signs and wonders was so that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord (Ex. 7:5; 14:4; 14:18). This is the core of monotheism. It is not that the Israelites have their God, and the Egyptians their pantheon, but rather that there is one sovereign power in the universe. That is the point of at least three of the plagues: the first, directed against Hapi, the god of the Nile; the second, frogs, directed against Heqet, the Egyptian goddess of fertility and childbirth, represented in the form of a frog; and the ninth, the plague of darkness, directed against Ra, the sun god. The message of these plagues would have been clear to the Egyptians: there is a power greater than those they have worshipped until now. The God of Israel is the God of the world and of all humanity. The religion of Israel is not intended to be the religion of all humanity. Nowhere in the narrative does God imply that He wants the Egyptians to adopt Israelite religious practices. The point is quite different. Religion is particular. Morality is universal. If the story of the heavying of Pharaohs heart does allude to the Book of the Dead, then the story of the Exodus is not simply a partisan account from an Israelite point of view. It is telling us that certain things are wrong, whoever does them and whoever they are done against. They are wrong by Egyptian standards too. That was true of Pharaohs decision to kill all male Israelite children. That was an unforgivable sin against Maat. Justice is universal. That is the point made plainly by the Torahs three stories of Moses early life. He sees an Egyptian hitting an Israelite and intervenes. He sees Israelites hitting one another and intervenes. He sees Gentile shepherds behaving roughly to Jethros daughters and intervenes. The first was a case of non-Israelite against Israelite, the second was Israelite against Israelite, the third was non-Israelite against non-Israelite. This is the simplest way of telling us that Moses sense of justice was impartial and universal. Finally, and most deeply, the Torah is hinting at a self-contradiction at the heart of the Egyptian concept of Maat. The most generous interpretation of Pharaohs refusal to let the people go is that he was charged with maintaining order in the Empire. A successful minority like the Israelites could be seen as a threat to such order. If they stayed and thrived, they might take over the country as the Hyksos had done several centuries earlier. If they were allowed to leave, other enslaved groups might be tempted to do likewise. Emigration is a bad sign when the place people are trying to leave is a superpower. That is why, for many years, the Soviet Union forbade Jews to leave the country. Pharaoh, in his repeated refusal to let the people go, doubtless justified his decision in each case on the grounds that he was securing Maat, order. Meanwhile however, with each plague the country was reduced to ever greater chaos. That is because oppressing people, which is what Pharaoh was doing, was a fundamental offence against Maat. On this reading, the whole issue of Pharaoh hardening his heart was not so much psychological as political. In his position as semi-divine head of state of an empire that practised forced labour on a massive scale, Pharaoh could not let the Israelites go free without creating the risk that other groups would also challenge the Corvee, the unpaid, conscripted semi-slave labour that was part of Egyptian society from the building of the pyramids and abolished only in 1882. For the first five plagues, Pharaoh could tell himself that he was enduring minor inconvenience to protect a major principle. But as the plagues became more serious, reducing Egypt to chaos, Pharaohs room for manoeuvre grew ever less. Having five times said No to the Israelites, he could not now back down without making himself look ridiculous, forfeiting his authority and damaging his standing. Pharaoh was a prisoner of his own system, held captive by his own decisions. Seeking to protect order, he created chaos. That is because the order he was seeking to protect was built on a foundation of injustice: the enslavement of the many for the benefit of the few. The more he tried to defend it, the heavier his heart grew. I believe that justice is universal. The Exodus story of how the supreme Power entered history to liberate the supremely powerless, is not just for Jews. It is the worlds greatest metanarrative of hope. NOTES 1. Rashi to Exodus 7:3. 2. Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuva 6:3 3. Albo, Ikkarim, 4:25; Sforno to Exodus 7:3. 4. My thanks to Rabbi Dr Rafi Zarum for suggesting this line of thought. 5. Negative confessions are rare in Judaism, but one exists: Vidui Bikkurim, the confession to be made over first-fruits: I have not turned aside from Your commands nor have I forgotten any of them I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything You commanded me (Deut. 26:13-14). CONNECT WITH THE CHIEF RABBI Download the Chief Rabbis new iPhone and iPad app via www.chiefrabbi.org for mobile access to his video study sessions as well as his articles and speeches. Alternatively, search for Chief Rabbi in the App Store on your iPhone. SUBSCRIBE TO COVENANT & CONVERSATION To receive Covenant & Conversation and other news from the Office of the Chief Rabbi direct to your inbox each week, please subscribe at www.chiefrabbi.org. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswans suggestion to amend the National Population Register (NPR) forms is not only an attempt to assuage concerns of his vote bank, a sizeable section of whom are the socially and economically deprived Dalits, but is also a message to its ally, the BJP that the partys suggestions on key issues should be taken on board. On Tuesday, Paswan, who is also a Union minister, said in Patna that it was at his instance that the Home Ministry agreed to amend the NPR forms wherein columns like those pertaining to places of birth of parents had triggered fears that the exercise might be a precursor to the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Even I do not know my date of birth. Do I cease to become a citizen on that account? I had told the Home Ministry that these things will cause confusion. Now the ministry has amended the forms, he told reporters. While the LJP has stood with the BJP on the issue of amending the citizenship act and previously when the government decided to read down Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, the party, with a sizeable hold over the Dalit vote in Bihar, where an election is due later this year, has decided to opt for a cautious approach vis-a-vis NRC and NPR. Dalits and other backwards caste representatives have also been part of the anti-CAA protests across the country and these groups are skeptical about how NRC will unroll. Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad has been highlighting that the Dalits who are largely landless fear that the NRC will dispossess them of their rights, should they fail to provide adequate documents to support their claims of domicile. In such a scenario, the LJP is taking no chances. By supporting the NPR and the proposed NRC, it does not want to be seen as a party that has compromised or sidelined its vote bank. So, while Paswan clarified that while the amended citizenship act cannot revoke citizenship of an Indian citizen whether he is a Dalit or from the minority community, in December, when protests against the proposed NRC began, he had to allay fear by pointing out that his party would not support a law that does not take care of interest of the minority and Dalits. There is no divergence of views on CAA. We support the law that gives persecuted minorities citizenship and those spreading canard against it are politically motivated. CAA does not affect Indian citizens. But as far as NRC is concerned, we have said wed like to see the provisions of the bill, said LJP spokesperson Sanjay Saraf. Concern about the provisions of NRC is latest in the rounds of bickering between the allies, which was manifest during the hard bargain that the LJP drove ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. With an eye on consolidating its vote bank, the LJP has in the past questioned the government on what he alleges is negligible representation of Dalits and OBCs in higher judiciary. Ahead of the upcoming election in Bihar, the LJP is expected to up the ante to have it wishes accommodated. BJPs ties with allies under a strain, the Shiva Sena has quit the NDA and the party is not contesting with Shiromani Akaldi Dal (SAD) in Delhi, the LJP will ensure that its demands are met. In the 2015 assembly polls, which the JD(U) fought with RLD, the BJP, which contested 157 seats in alliance with the LJP and others, won only 53 seats. The LJP, which quit the Congress-led UPA to join the NDA ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, is not happy with the BJPs decision to make its candidate contest from Seemapuri in Delhi instead of its strong-hold of Burari. We will ensure that the party is not forced to accept such choices in the future, said a party leader in Delhi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A former Arcola police officer was indicted last month by a grand jury for stealing two purses while working a traffic accident scene, the Fort Bend District Attorneys Office announced Tuesday. The police officer, Cartrell Vonshae Carhee, was indicted Dec. 31, by a grand jury for theft by a public servant, according to Terese Buess, an assistant district attorney for Fort Bend. Carhee is accused of stealing two Michael Kors purses, worth $1,600, from a vehicle during an accident scene on Jan 16, 2019. Arcolas police department is comprised of six officers, including the chief of police. More than 2,000 residents live in the Fort Bend community about 20 minutes down Texas 6 from burgeoning Alvin. Arcola Police Chief Michael Ellison apparently became aware of the theft and reported it to the Texas Rangers, who investigated the incident, Buess said. Carhee has since resigned, according to Ellison. Another Arcola police officer, Hector Aaron Ruiz, was arrested and charged last November with second-degree sexual assault and official oppression after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her during at traffic stop. Ruiz, also has two other arrest warrants executed for charges of sexual assault and official oppression relating to another assault stemming from another traffic stop in August 2019. In the August incident, the woman alleges that Ruiz was helping provide Spanish translations to her and her boyfriend after he was arrested for allegedly driving drunk. She told police that Ruiz gave her a ride home, but when they arrived there, he forced her to engage in a sexual act. Ellison has called the alleged sexual assault in November an isolated incident. We are going to remain transparent so that the community can keep its trust in us, and so the officers that are here can continue to do their jobs at the highest level, said Ellison. Carhee is out on a $5000 bond and is expected to appear in court in March. brooke.lewis@chron.com The chief suspect in the Irish gangland execution of a dismembered teenager is alleged to have previously desecrated the grave of a murdered rival's brother. Detectives working on the case of Keane Mulready-Woods, 17, brutally murdered on January 12, believe the 'psychotic' hitman targeted Michael Maughan's grave. Michael's brother, Willie Maughan, 35, and his pregnant girlfriend Anna Varslavane, 21, are believed to have been murdered in 2015. Willie was never found but a year later Michael's grave was dug up, the family believe, to intimidate them after they appealed for Willie's remains. Michael had died from meningitis in 2008. Willie Maughan, 35, (left) and his pregnant Latvian girlfriend Anna Varslavane, 21, (right) are believed to have been murdered in 2015. Maughan's family said he 'knew so much' about the gang's activities that he was 'taken out' Detectives working on the case of Keane Mulready-Woods, 17, brutally murdered on January 12, believe the chief suspect, a 'psychotic' north Dubliner, targeted Willie Maughan's grave in 2016 Maughan's parents said at the time their son was killed because he 'knew so much' about the gang's activities - a gang which he was previously associated with before changing his ways. The chief suspect in Mulready-Woods' death, a north Dubliner, is believed to be a notorious enforcer and was formerly associated with mobster Owen Maguire - whose gang are suspected of participating in the grave-digging. Willie with his mother Nell Maughan who says the same people involved in desecrating her son's grave were now appealing for help in the case of Mulready-Woods Police sources told The Irish Sun that the Mulready-Woods murder suspect had been named as one of those involved in the horrific grave-digging incident. The source said: 'This young man has been involved in many violent incidents and he was identified as one of the people involved in digging up an innocent man's grave. 'He was part of a gang who were behind a campaign of intimidation against the Maughan family who were just speaking up for their son. 'He was one of the Maguire gang's main enforcers before deciding to go out on his own and quickly turning against his former associates.' Indeed, in July 2018 the man is alleged to have left Maguire paralysed after an attempted drive-by shooting went awry. Nell Maughan, Willie's mother, told the newspaper that the men now expressing their outrage at Mulready-Woods' killing on social media were hypocrites. She told The Sun: 'I don't understand how they can call on people with information to come forward on one awful murder and yet remain silent over my son and his girlfriend's killing.' It comes as Cornelius Price, a prominent figure in the feud and a known associate of Maguire, called for reinforcements from the UK after learning that a 100,000 bounty had been put on his head. Mulready-Woods is believed to have been involved in collecting debts for Price and Maguire before he was found hacked up in Drogheda. Maughan's remains were never found but a year later his brother Michael's grave was dug up - the family believe to intimidate them after they appealed for Willie's remains. Michael had died from meningitis in 2008 Police sources said the Mulready-Woods murder suspect had been named as one of those involved in the horrific grave-digging incident. Price is thought to have a 100,000 bounty placed on his head by the same hitmen suspected of abducting Mulready-Woods in Drogheda, dismembering him and then dumping his bodyparts around Dublin (timeline right) Officers have still not found Mulready-Woods' torso, where they believe the fatal wounds were delivered, and so have been unable to say exactly how he died. Speaking yesterday morning, Chief Supt Christy Mangan said: 'Unfortunately there are missing remains which makes it very very difficult for Keane's family. 'Obviously they are endeavouring to plan for a funeral, that's not easy when all of the remains of Keane are not there. This is obviously a horrific murder.' Associates of Price, who have provided him with protection in the past, arrived in Ireland at the weekend as tensions around Drogheda soared, The Irish Sun reports. The same allies have also provided protection for Maguire, who was left wheelchair-bound after an attempted hit three years ago, in the past. Price and Maguire are both top targets for the gang members who are thought to have murdered Mulready-Woods as part of an ongoing turf war. It is thought that the chief suspect had been intending to dump the teenager's severed limbs on Magurie's doorstep and deliver his head to Price as a warning. Mulready-Woods is thought to have been killed after taunting a hitman linked to one side of an ongoing war in Drogheda But he and another 24-year-old man who is also though to have been involved were spooked on their way to deliver the remains after spotting Garda officers investigating a separate crime nearby. The pair dumped the bag containing the boy's limbs on a housing estate in Coolock, Dublin, where they were found by children. As police descended on the area the men attempted to dispose of the rest of the remains - including the severed head - by burning them in a car. The fire was extinguished before the remains were destroyed. The 24-year-old suspect has subsequently been arrested for parole violations relating to a separate case, and is being held in custody. Investigators believe Mulready-Woods was kidnapped off the streets of Drogheda overnight on January 12 before being taken to a nearby house where he was murdered and dismembered. Forensic investigators have been at the house and are said to have found blood soaked floorboards and a stash of machetes at the property. Officers have still not found the teenager's torso, where they believe the fatal wounds were delivered, and so have been unable to say exactly how he died. Just hours after Keane vanished, and hours before his remains were discovered, a shooting took place in Drogheda which officers believe was related to the feud. An innocent taxi driver was shot in what is believed to be an attempted hit on a known gang member on the Bridge of Peace on Monday night. That was followed by a double shooting on an industrial estate in north Dublin on Friday afternoon that left two men in critical condition. The men suspected of murdering Mulready-Woods are thought to have been planning to drop his severed head on Price's doorstep as a warning Three people, including Mulready-Woods, have been killed as part of a feud between rival gangs in Drogheda, which is located between Dublin and Belfast While that shooting is not thought to have been directly related to the Drogheda feud, it is possible that the suspects used it as a distraction to carry out their hit. Two men in their 20s who are known to police have been arrested after they were found close to a burning car in Dublin after the shooting took place. The Drogheda gang feud has been ongoing since 2018 when gunmen opened fire on Owen Maguire near his home in the town, leaving him paralysed. That shooting sparked a series of tit-for-tat attacks that resulted in the fatal shooting of reputed gang driver Keith Branigan in August last year on a caravan site. Richie Carberry, a close associate of one of the men suspected of Mulready-Woods' murder, was then shot dead outside his home a few months later. Mulready-Woods's killing marked another significant uptick in violence, leaving locals and police fearing further reprisal attacks. A team of researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and Universite de Montreal has shed light on the mechanisms that underlie a rare genetic condition by creating the first cellular model of the disease. The study's findings were published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare hereditary condition that affects one in every 217,000 people worldwide and typically strikes patients at an early age. "It is a primary innate immune defect that typically leads to severe, recurrent infections caused by bacteria and fungi, as well as potentially disabling lung inflammation or inflammatory colitis similar to Crohn's disease," said senior author Dr. Fabien Touzot, a clinical assistant professor in pediatric medicine at UdeM and researcher in pediatric immunology and hematology at CHU Sainte-Justine. "Currently, patients are forced to take antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs for the rest of their lives." Gene editing shows the way forward To better understand the mechanisms that trigger inflammation in patients with CGD, Touzot and his research team created the very first cellular model of the disease in their labs at CHU Sainte-Justine. They then used a technique known as gene editing to recreate and introduce into their model a genetic mutation that causes the disease. This allowed them to model the inflammatory response observed in patients and to study its mechanisms. "CGD is a hereditary illness caused by mutations in the NADPH oxidase enzyme. These mutations prevent white blood cells from working properly and, as a result, the patient's body can no longer defend itself against certain kinds of bacteria and fungi," said researcher Aissa Benyoucef, the study's first author. "More than 90% of affected patients have inflammation that appears to be unrelated to infectious agents," he added. "Treating this inflammation is difficult, since it can put patients at increased risk of infection, which can sometimes be fatal. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease could help us develop new and more effective treatment strategies." The research team showed that restoring NADPH oxydase function in defective cells would put the immune process back on track, thereby proving that this genetic mutation plays a direct role in causing inflammation. "CHU Sainte-Justine is one of Quebec's leading centres of expertise in rare genetic diseases," said Touzot. "We're proud to serve patients by expanding the knowledge base in this area and by contributing to the development of precision medicine." The new cellular model will be useful for the development of targeted treatments that are less toxic and more effective in treating inflammation, significantly improving patient quality of life, according to the researchers. ### About this study "CRISPR gene-engineered CYBBko THP-1 cell lines highlight the crucial role of NADPH-induced reactive oxygen species for regulating inflammasome activation" was published in the January 2020 edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The first author is Aissa Benyoucef, PhD, a lab employee under the supervision of Dr. Fabien Touzot. The senior author is Dr. Touzot, MD, PhD, a clinical assistant professor at Universite de Montreal's Department of Pediatrics and clinician-researcher in pediatric immunology and hematology at CHU Sainte-Justine. The study was paid for by a CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre start-up fund and by Fondation Charles-Bruneau. About the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre The CHU Saint-Justine Research Centre is a flagship institution in mother-child research affiliated with Universite de Montreal. Focused on the discovery of innovative means of prevention, less intrusive and faster treatments and promising avenues of personalized medicine, it brings together more than 210 researchers, including more than 90 clinical researchers, as well as 450 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The centre is an integral part of the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, the largest mother-child centre in Canada. Details at https://research.chusj.org/en/Home Weeks after the city of Bridgeton had not decided on a new council president and solicitor, there is a little more clarity on who is filling the key city roles. After a 3-2 vote during the Bridgeton City Council meeting Tuesday night, Councilman Edward Bethea was elected to the position of Council President. Bethea received votes from outgoing Council president J. Curtis Edwards and David Gonzalez and voted for himself. Councilwoman Rosemary Dequinzio was the other council member nominated. Dequinzio voted for herself, and Councilman Sam Feinstein voted for her as well. I thank my council colleagues for their trust and confidence, Bethea said. It was a little tough getting here, but we are here, and I am going to do my very best to represent the council as the president, and I look forward to working with the administration and the residents of our city. With my council colleagues help and assistance, we will continue to move our city forward. The selection came after the council, missing Gonzalez, reached a split decision during the Jan. 9 meeting on who should become the council president. The meeting also saw the council reject the contract bids to become the city solicitor, and the announcement of Business Administrator Stephanie Bush-Baskette departure. Bush-Baskette would later take the same role in Atlantic City, and Kevin Rabago was appointed as the citys interim business administrator for a 90 day period. Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly said Tuesday he would have Rabago in the position and then evaluate his performance to see if he would fill the role permanently. Bethea joined the council in 2018, filling the vacancy of former councilwoman Gladys Lugardo-Hemple. The city also announced it had filled its vacant solicitor position with attorney Michele Gibson. According to state court records, Gibson was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1992. Gibson takes over for former solicitor Rebecca Bertram. I am glad to be here, and I look forward to working with the mayor and council and for the city of Bridgeton, Gibson said. Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Fresh from forging a new 'influencer' career, outspoken Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has been handed $20,000 of taxpayer money. The polarising Sudanese-Australian scored a government-funded grant from the Australia Council for the Arts and a six-month residency at a Paris artists' studio. Abdel-Magied, 28, was awarded her stay at the Kessing studio next year under the 'international development' funding category. Posts she made on social media after the grant was made public said she would use it to write a non-fiction book. Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has scored a $20,000 grant from the Australia Council for the Arts and a six-month residency at a Paris artists' studio next year Abdel-Magied famously fled Australia for London in 2017 after furious backlash to a string of controversial social media posts. On Wednesday night she wrote that she was surprised the council gave her the grant, given her status as 'Australia's most hated Muslim'. 'To be honest when applying, I wondered if the panel would take into account the blowback they would get for awarding me a grant and elect not to because of it,' she wrote. 'It actually blew me away that despite knowing it would annoy folk, I was still fortunate enough to be awarded the opportunity. 'I guess there is some hope, hay? Things aren't so black and white / straightforward with my relationship with Australia, but I'm always actually grateful that I am a citizen of a country where opportunities like this are available.' Abdel-Magied joked: 'I'm gonna have to write a banger of a book now, aren't I!' The 28-year-old moved to the UK in mid 2017 in the wake of a series of controversies, including a controversial tweet Her project was one of 186 given $6.5 million between them in the council's latest round of grants last week. Melbourne writer and journalist Kate Cole-Adams and writer, poet and comics artist Eloise Grills were also granted residencies at Kessing, but only $10,000 each. The young woman, who was born in Sudan but raised in Brisbane, first drew Australia's ire when she used Anzac Day as a chance to post about refugee camps. 'Lest we forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)', Ms Abdel-Magied wrote on April 25, 2017. She apologised for the Facebook post but her ABC news show as axed and she has courted controversy ever since. On Remembrance Day just seven months later, the Muslim activist was again slammed for a similar post: '#LestWeForget (Manus)'. She said the backlash she received caused her to feel 'betrayed by my own country' and claimed nobody would hire her as a result of her controversial posts. Controversial Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied (pictured) called 2017 a 'traumatic' year On Wednesday she posted an image where she stood in front of a movie poster for 'Bombshell'. The post was paid for by LionsgateUK Since leaving for London, saying she felt 'little bit betrayed' by Australia, her fortunes have improved enough that she is using social media to make money. And as Abdel-Magied's popularity has grown, her Instagram account has started to be filled with 'paid partnerships'. Last week she posted an image of herself standing in front of a movie poster for the film Bombshell, followed by another on Saturday. In the post she raved about 'powerful performances' while saying the movie, about the Fox News sexual harassment scandal 'speaks to how the patriarchy can make us complicit'. The post was a promotion paid for by film company Lionsgate UK and even featured #ad at the end of the caption. Fashion brands, including luxury women's designers ESCADA and Bella Singleton, have also paid the former engineer to promote their products. Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied (pictured) has announced her engagement more than a year after she fled to London following backlash over her controversial Anzac Day comments The 28-year-old Sudanese-born writer flashed her diamond ring (pictured) in a post on Instagram on Tuesday. 'He put a ring on it!' she wrote in the caption from a pool in Marrakesh, Morocco Influencers can command huge figures for beaming brands and products to their followers. It's not clear how much Ms Abdel-Magied has received for her posts, but she could charge between $300 and $600 as she has more than 45,000 followers. During her time abroad she has become engaged. She flashed her diamond ring in a post on Instagram in November last year. 'He put a ring on it!' she wrote in the caption from a pool in Marrakesh, Morocco. Calcutta High Court Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said there has to be a performance audit of the judicial sector to help people assess it. Inaugurating a 'Justice Clock' at the high court, the chief justice said it will provide information on pendency of cases, rate of disposal of cases, number of judges at a court, judge-litigation ratio rates, judge-lawyer ratio rates and also on the performance of the judicial sector. The 'Justice Clock' will display the status of cases in subordinate courts of West Bengal. "There has to be a performance audit. It's not the financial audit (only) that reflects the credibility of an institution, it is also the performance audit," Chief Justice Radhakrishnan said. The utility the system is going to bring forward is in the best interest of the people who will get information on how the institutions of national relevance work, he said. "The dissemination of information will go a long way to help the people to assess the judicial sector," he said. Calcutta High Court Registrar General Rai Chatterjee said the 'Justice Clock' is an electronic board which will display the number of cases pending before each district and subordinate court in the state and the status of cases. The board, installed at the 'E' Gate of the high court, will also show the ranking of the district and subordinate courts, based on their performance in disposing of cases. It will, at present, not display information on litigations before the high court, she said. There are at least 22.81 lakh cases pending before different courts in the state, of which 17.7 lakh are criminal cases, according to the National Judicial Data Grid. Of the total pending cases in the state, including civil and criminal, 3,16,902 cases are pending before different courts for more than 10 years, as per the grid. There are 2,28,161 cases pending before the Calcutta High Court as on November 30, according to data provided by its administration. Of these, 1,70,039 are civil and 38,302 are criminal cases pending before the appellate side of the high court, while 19,820 are original side civil matters. The high court has a sanctioned judge strength of 72, but has only 40 judges at present. It has two circuit benches at Port Blair and Jalpaiguri. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:50:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged greetings in a phone conversation on Wednesday ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Macron wished Xi and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival, and Xi extended the same wishes to Macron and the French people. The year of 2019 witnessed high-level development of China-France relations, Xi said, noting that he and Macron exchanged visits to each other's country, ushering in a new chapter in bilateral ties, and that the agreements they reached are being well implemented. "I'm willing to work with you in the new year to maintain the high-level development of China-France ties," said the Chinese president. Xi called on the two sides to leverage the leading role of high-level exchanges, saying that he is willing to maintain regular communication with Macron so as to exchange ideas on significant issues of mutual concern in a timely manner. He urged the two countries to accelerate the implementation of the consensus their leaders have reached on practical cooperation, accomodate the key concerns of both sides, push forward win-win cooperation in such fields as civilian nuclear energy, science and technology, industry and aerospace, and make good preparations for the 2021 China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. The Chinese market is open to the whole world, and will certainly continue to be open to Europe and France, Xi said. The two sides, he added, should enhance communication and coordination on international affairs, and support each other in hosting the World Conservation Congress and the fourth One Planet Summit in France and the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in China. They should also deepen communication and coordination on the reform of the World Trade Organization, and jointly keep the reform in the right direction, added the Chinese president. Xi noted that China and the European Union (EU) will celebrate the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year, and the two sides will have a series of major exchange programs. Xi expressed his hope that China and the EU will reach a high-level investment agreement as soon as possible, and join hands to uphold multilateralism and free trade, improve global governance, build an open world economy, and tackle climate change and other global challenges, so as to lift the China-EU relationship to higher levels in the new year. For his part, Macron said this year is of great significance both to France-China ties and to EU-China relations, with a long list of items on both agendas. He added that he looks forward to visiting China again. Calling for continuous expansion of bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, environment protection and other areas, he said France hopes to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on such issues as climate change, biodiversity and World Trade Organization reform, and supports the Chinese side in successfully holding COP 15. Macron reiterated that on the 5G issue, France will not adopt discriminative measures against any specific nation or company and stands ready to keep communication with the Chinese side. He also expressed his hope that negotiations on the EU-China investment agreement will achieve progress as soon as possible. On the outbreak of pneumonia in China caused by a novel coronavirus, Macron said France supports China in actively dealing with it and is willing to enhance health cooperation with the Chinese side. Xi said that since the outbreak, China has taken strict measures in prevention, control and treatment, and has been releasing relevant information to the public and keeping the World Health Organization as well as relevant countries and regions posted in a timely manner. China, Xi added, is willing to work with the international community to effectively tackle the spread of the disease and maintain global health security. The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Iran nuclear issue. In the past couple of years, I have had many friends tell me they no longer watch the evening news. I think most of us understand the reason much of it is bad, negative, sensationalized, opinionated, and every day, we are informed that our country and the world are in crisis. Every evening, the newscaster practically shouts, "Breaking news as we come on the air!" Another intro is "A lot to cover on this very busy Wednesday." At times, the anchor sounds like he or she is indicating that Western civilization as we know it is ending, possibly before the end of the newscast. This does get to us. Negative events affect us more than positive events. However, baby boomers have experienced a great deal when it comes to our country. With our experience comes perspective. I just finished reading a book titled "The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It" by John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister. There are many points in the book, but one of them is that Americans are freer, safer, healthier, richer, and in my opinion, more diverse and better educated than ever before in our history, yet day after day, we are told things are dreadful. The book indicates that negativity leads to a perpetual sense of crisis, a feeling that things are getting worse even when things are actually getting better. ADVERTISEMENT Even with weather forecasts, I sometimes mutter to myself, "Good grief," when a weather forecaster states in an alarming tone that 22 million people will be affected by below-freezing temperatures, along with 2 inches of snow. I think, "Hey buddy, well be OK here in Minnesota." I wonder if there is a population estimator who works for major television and cable networks. I sense numbers of those that could be affected by potential weather events may be inflated for effect. Locally, I guess we could use this same concept. One of our local meteorologists could say, "Around 1,000 people in the LeRoy area today may see an additional inch or two of snow." Bad or tragic events can affect our brain in powerful ways. Negativity can affect us in many aspects of our life, including our careers and relationships. How can we manage it? A rule of thumb that is discussed in the book is "That it takes four good things to overcome one bad thing." What does that mean? I guess to me, it means if one day soon, I watch that there has been a school shooting, I need to disengage from that. I dont need to watch the report 10 times. I then may decide to take the grandkids out for ice cream, send them a positive text or call them. I could call a sibling or a friend. I should check in on someone who is having a rough time. Maybe write a check to a charity. Four to one, folks. Look, I get it. News and weather reports are important. However, I think we need to work at painting a different picture of the world for our grandkids. If they are older and will understand, tell them about this concept to move on from sad or negative events and embrace positive reactions. In todays world, this takes some effort. My challenge to all media outlets, national and local, is to report more positive stories. For every drug-deal-gone-bad story, tell four inspirational stories, like the remarkable Rochester couple who have pledged $100,000 to the 2020 Rochester Care Campaign and the Yale psychologist "Happiness Lab" podcast. ADVERTISEMENT These stories are out there stories of heroes and those who care in law enforcement, firefighting, caregivers or first responders. There are accounts of amazing teachers, volunteers and couples who have been married for 70 years. My opinion is that we, the consumer, are desperate for more of these stories. As individuals and as grandparents, lets not be remembered for what our politics were. Lets be remembered as optimistic people, who reflected on our blessings, and best of all, as people who made those around us smile. The power of good is also strong. The Supreme Court on Wednesday said in the present "fragile eco-system", it will not allow anybody to create troubles for elephants in their corridor of Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and decided to appoint a committee headed by a former High Court judge to look into the claims of owners of sealed hotels and resorts there. The top court, on August 9, 2018, had taken note of the report of the district collector of Nilgiris and had asked the Tamil Nadu government to seal or close down 27 commercial establishments including hotels and resorts in the eco-sensitive elephant corridor of the state. "We are dealing with a very fragile eco-system. These elephants can become extinct in no time if illegal activities are not curbed in the elephant corridor. We do not want anybody to create trouble for elephants," said the bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna. The bench said it would appoint a three-member committee headed by a former High Court judge to inspect the Nilgiri area in the state and the panel would consider which hotels or resorts are authorised or unauthorised for the purposes of granting compensation to the owners of such commercial establishments. It asked senior lawyers including Salman Khursheed and Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni to give names of the judges and environmentalists to be appointed in the committee by Monday. The bench said it will not deal with the validity of the declaration with regard to specifying the area as the elephant corridor. It said the owners of commercial establishments in Nilgiri area will be compensated only if their structures are found to be authorised. "We want to protect the routes and areas used by elephants and if you (hotel owners) are found in their way then you will have to be relocated," the bench said. The top court had earlier asked the Tamil Nadu government to seal or close down 27 commercial establishments in the Nilgiri elephant corridor. The district collector of Nilgiris had said in the report that resorts with restaurants were operating in the area even though they did not have approval for the same. The apex court was told earlier that around 18,000 elephants came to Tamil Nadu during the monsoon season and it should direct that the power connection to these resorts and hotels be snapped. The owners of some of these hotels and resorts have also filed appeals in the apex court against a Madras High Court order against them in this regard. The top court had earlier said it was "extremely unfortunate" that several states had not responded to two communications sent by the Centre on the issue of elephant corridors to curb incidents of human-animal conflict and reduce animal fatalities. It had stressed on the need to have elephant corridors across the country to reduce animal fatalities due to accidents and other reasons and asked the Centre to come up with some "workable solution" in this regard. The Centre had told the court that there were 27 "critical" elephant corridors in 22 states across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday sent congratulatory letters to the opening of the China-Italy year of culture and tourism in the Italian capital of Rome. In his letter, Xi pointed out that China and Italy are outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations respectively. He said that more than two thousands years ago, the Chinese and Italian civilizations, which were far apart, complemented to each other thanks to the ancient Silk Road, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative has today refreshed their millenium-old friendly exchanges. Noting that both China and Italy enjoy rich cultural and tourism resources, Xi said he hopes people in the two countries' cultural and tourism sectors can jointly paint new colourful vistas of the dialogue between two old civilizations in a new era so as to make new contributions to cultural diversity and inter-cultural exchanges in the world. Mattarella, in his letter, said that the Italy-China friendship has a long history, adding that the two peoples were once main characters in the exchanges between different peoples in different regions along the ancient Silk Road, and they always respect and appreciate each other. He called on both countries to have a deep understanding of the value of interdependence and mutually beneficial cooperation in the face of an increasingly complicated situation in today's world, and push for quality people-to-people exchanges so as to deal with future challenges. During Xi's visit to Italy in March last year, the two presidents announced that the two sides will designate the year 2020, which marks the 50 anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic ties, as the year of culture and tourism. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says it is "alarmed about threats" to Iranian journalists based outside of the country who are working for Iranian-exile media outlets or the Persian-language services of international broadcasters. In an open letter released on January 22, the Paris-based press-freedom watchdog urged the leaders of the host countries -- Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, and the United States -- to "explicitly condemn" such threats and to "provide threatened journalists with physical protection." The leaders should also "intercede directly with the Iranian government to defend the fundamental right to news and information," the letter said. Iran's media, which is closely controlled by the government control, has "refrained from covering major domestic events," including the anti-government protests that erupted across the country in mid-November, according to RSF. In an effort to silence the only independent news sources for many Iranians, the government has "stepped up its threats" against Iranian journalists abroad who are working for the Persian-language services of the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale, and Radio Zamaneh, it said. According to RSF, journalists working for privately owned Iranian-exile media such as the Iran international and Manoto TV channels and the Kayhan London and IranWire news websites have also been targeted. The threats against Iranian reporters abroad have taken the form of cyberattacks, insults, and intimidation on social media, the watchdog said, adding that journalists working for London-based media have been threatened with "abduction on the street and forced return to Iran." According to RSF, around 200 Iranian journalists living outside Iran -- mainly in Europe and the United States -- have received harassing messages, of which around 50 have been death threats. The Iranian authorities have also harassed the journalists' close relatives still in Iran, who are called in for questioning by intelligence officers, it said. The government on Wednesday pushed back against US president Donald Trumps latest offer to help in resolving the Kashmir issue, with people familiar with developments saying there was no role for a third party in the matter. Despite Indias persistent spurning of his offers to mediate or assist in handling the Kashmir issue, the US president made another attempt at raking up the matter ahead of his meeting with Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos on Tuesday. Our position on the Kashmir issue has been clear and consistent. There is no role for any third party in this matter, said a person who declined to be named. ALSO WATCH | Donald Trump calls Imran Khan good friend, says talking about Kashmir There is nothing further to add, the person said. This was the seventh time since July last year that Trump has offered some variations of assistance for resolving the Kashmir issue, including mediation, arbitration or intervene. India has consistently pushed back every time Trump has raised Kashmir, with the external affairs ministry roundly dismissing the US presidents claim last July that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had requested him to mediate on the Kashmir issue. Ahead of his meeting with Khan on Tuesday, Trump said they would be talking about Kashmir in relation to whats going on with Pakistan and India. He added: And if we can help, we certainly will be helping. The US, he said, has been watching the issue and following it very, very closely. Khan welcomed his remarks and described Kashmir as a big issue for Pakistan. Of course, we always hope that the US would play its part in resolving it because no other country can, he said. However, the readout issued by the White House about the meeting made no mention of Kashmir. Trumps remarks came weeks ahead of an expected visit to India. Experts said they were clearly made with an eye on securing Pakistans assistance for the troubled peace process in Afghanistan. Rajiv Dogra, a former ambassador who served in Pakistan, said: This is a meeting of interests and Imran Khan knows he has Trump where it hurts him the most Afghanistan. Its a beautiful bargain for them and all the strategic theories have gone for a six ever since Trump was sworn in. The Indian government has bristled at all mentions of Kashmir on international platforms, including Chinas recent effort to discuss the issue at the UN Security Council, as it deals with the fallout of the security lockdown, communications blackout and detentions in the erstwhile state. Trumps first offer on Kashmir came on July 22, 2019, during Khans first visit to the White House. If I can help, I would love to be a mediator, Trump had said, in response to an appeal from Khan. It...impossible to believe two incredible countries that are very, very smart, with very smart leadership, cant solve a problem like that. But if you want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do that. He prefaced the offer with the stunning claim that PM Modi had asked him to arbitrate. The response from New Delhi was swift and unequivocal: Modi never invited Trump to mediate and India considers Kashmir a bilateral issue to be resolved with Pakistan. Peru's President Martin Vizcarra attends a swearing-in ceremony at the government palace in Lima By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) - In a win for Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, the country's top court ruled on Tuesday that his dissolution of Congress amid a long-running standoff with lawmakers was legal. With four votes in favour and three against, the court said a claim that Vizcarra exceeded his powers by dissolving Congress on Sept. 30 was unfounded and had not violated the Constitution. The decision means legislative elections will move forward on Jan. 26. "Our government has ... always respected the Constitution," Vizcarra said on Twitter, adding that the courts had "closed this chapter." Vizcarra dissolved Congress amid a protracted showdown with lawmakers over anti-corruption reforms. The move won him support among the armed forces, police and voters in the copper-rich nation. In October, Peru's Constitutional Tribunal unanimously voted to admit a lawsuit to determine whether Vizcarra exceeded his powers with the shutdown. The dissolution of Congress had been rejected mostly by lawmakers from the right-wing Popular Force party of opposition leader Keiko Fujimori. The daughter of disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori was jailed last year for alleged money laundering and receiving illegal payments from scandal-plagued Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Cassandra Garrison and Dave Sherwood; Editing by Tom Brown) This past fall there was a large area of warm water in the Pacific Ocean off the U.S. West Coast. That warm water area is now gone, and the storm track has changed because of the disappearance of the Big Red Blob. Heres a look at the evolution of the fading of the Big Red Blob. In September this large pool of warm water put up a red flag for me, possibly influencing our winter storm track. Water temperature anomalies on September 5, 2019 shows the large red area in the north Pacific. The thought at that time was a high pressure ridge would build over the warm water and block storm systems from entering the U.S. West Coast. The storms would be shoved north and then drop south out of Canada with cold air behind them. As we progressed into November, the Red Blob was still there, but starting to fade. Ocean water temperature anomalies on November 7, 2019 The storm track in November was influenced by that large area of warm water. The storm systems moved up into Canada and dropped south into the Great Lakes, with cold air behind them. November was abnormally cold with many Michigan cities running five degrees colder than normal. Now the Big Red Blob is completely gone. There is even an area of cooler than average water forming off the U.S. West Coast. Ocean water temperature anomalies on January 20, 2020 The storm blocking pattern when we had the Big Red Blob is gone. Now the jetstream is configured to allow storm systems enter the West Coast of the U.S. Weve had at least two storm systems since the jetstream has changed. Now we will have the third storm move across the U.S. over the next four days. And it looks like there is another similar storm for late next week. Heres the new jetstream configuration for the middle of next week. Jetstream forecast for January 27, 2020 shows no blocking ridge along the West Coast. This new stormtrack means storm systems travel from the West Coast to the southern Plains and then turn northeast into the Great Lakes and Northeast. This type of stormtrack definitely does one thing. It puts a lot of moisture in these storms. Whether its snow, rain, freezing rain or sleet, its usually quite a bit of it falling with these storms. Satellite image from January 22, 2020 showing two large-scale storm systems currently in the Pacific Ocean. So with the current stormtrack, the Great Lakes region will have a few weather pattern features. First, storms wont be real frequent. We are running at a once-a-week pace for storm systems. And since it has been this way for a few weeks, the end of the week is when these next two storms will arrive. The storm systems will produce quite a bit of precipitation, whether its rain or snow or a mix of everything. The storms come from the south and are injected with plenty of moisture. So is it a big snow pattern for Michigan or a mixed snow and rain pattern? Right now there is not a lot of ample cold air in place over the Great Lakes or even just north in Canada. The coming storms will have a hard time being all snow in Michigan since daytime temperatures should be a few degrees above freezing as these storms pass through. Id call it a mixed snow and rain pattern. We could get several inches of snow with these storms, but also occasional changeovers to rain. The big picture is this stormtrack should keep us in a heavier-than-normal precipitation pattern for at least the next few weeks. DETROIT (AP) Two different air bag glitches have forced Toyota and Honda to recall over 6 million vehicles worldwide, and both problems present different dangers to motorists. The Toyota recall affects about 3.4 million vehicles globally and is being done because the air bags may not inflate in a crash. The cars have air bag control computers made by ZF-TRW that are vulnerable to electrical interference and may not signal the bags to inflate. The problem could affect as many as 12.3 million vehicles in the U.S. made by six companies. It's possible that as many as eight people were killed when air bags didn't inflate. U.S. safety regulators are investigating. Honda's recall covers about 2.7 million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada with Takata air bag inflators. But they're a different version than the ones blamed for 25 deaths worldwide. Still, it's possible the air bags could blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel at drivers and passengers. Both recalls were announced on Tuesday. In a statement, Toyota said the computer may not have adequate protection against electrical noise that can happen in crashes, such as when the vehicle runs under a different vehicle. The problem can cause incomplete opening of the air bags, or they may not open at all. Devices that prepare seat belts for a collision also may not work. In most cases Toyota dealers will install a noise filter between the air bag control computer and a wiring harness. But in some vehicles dealers will inspect the computer to determine if it needs the filter. Owners will be notified by mid-March. The recall covers certain 2011-2019 Corollas, the 2011 to 2013 Matrix, the 2012 through 2018 Avalon and the 2013 to 2018 Avalon Hybrid in the U.S. Toyota wouldn't say if it will offer loaner cars to people who fear their air bags might not protect them. A spokeswoman suggested that owners call its customer hotline to discuss their issue at (800) 331-4331. In March 2017, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating problems with ZF-TRW air bag computers. The probe was expanded in April 2019 to 12.3 million vehicles made by Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Fiat Chrysler from the 2010 through 2019 model years. Toyota joins Hyundai, Kia and Fiat Chrysler in issuing recalls for the problem. Four deaths that may have been caused by the problem were reported in Hyundai-Kia vehicles and three in Fiat Chrysler automobiles. The investigation was upgraded after investigators found two serious crashes involving 2018 and 2019 Toyota Corollas in which the air bags did not inflate. One person was killed. Toyota said it's cooperating in the probe, which is continuing. ZF-TRW said Tuesday it continues to cooperate with the NHTSA investigation. FILE - In this July 31, 2018 file photo, an employee of Honda Motor Co. cleans a Honda car displayed at its headquarters in Tokyo. Honda is recalling vehicles over air bag problems. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File) APAP The Honda recall covers certain Honda and Acura vehicles from the 1996 to 2003 model years. Honda vehicles included are the 1998 to 2000 Accord Coupe and Sedan, the 1996 to 2000 Civic coupe and sedan, the 1997 to 2001 CR-V, the 1998 to 2001 Odyssey and the 1997 and 1998 EV Plus. Acura vehicles covered are the 1997 and 1998 2.2CL, the 1997 to 1999 3.0CL, the 1998 and 1999 2.3CL, the 2001 and 2002 3.2CL, the 2001 and 2002 MDX, the 1998 to 2003 3.5RL, and the 1999 to 2001 3.2TL. The front driver's inflators being recalled are part of a recall announced by Takata in November covering at least 1.4 million vehicles from five automakers. Honda said it's recalling a larger number of vehicles to make sure it gets all of the bad inflators. In this case, the inflators don't contain ammonium nitrate, which is blamed for previous Takata problems that have killed 25 people and injured hundreds worldwide. Owners will be notified in mid-March, but replacement parts won't be available for another year, Honda said. Asked about loaner cars, a Honda spokesman said customer concerns will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Customers can call Honda at (888) 234-2138 with questions. By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer Photo: Unsplash You can leave your umbrella at home through Friday, but light rainfall is in the forecast for Boston later in the week, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone. The greatest chance of rain is predicted for Saturday, with a predicted accumulation of 0.63 inches. The next few days will also bring cool temperatures, forecast to persist through Sunday. The weather will bring a high temperature of 48 degrees on Thursday, then decline from Monday to Tuesday. Skies will be partly cloudy today and cloudy Thursday through Friday. Winds should reach a modest high of 18 mph on Saturday, and stay in the teens through Monday. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Criminal charges against slain underworld figure Nabil Maghnie have been formally dismissed, after he was shot dead in suburban Melbourne. Maghnie, 44, died after being shot in the upper body following a dispute at an Epping home on January 9. Underworld figure Nabil Maghnie leaves court last July. Credit:Chris Hopkins He had been facing criminal charges over a 209km/h crash at Woodstock, north of the city, in May but these were struck out in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Last Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered in Northern Memorial Park in Glenroy to mourn Maghnie. Photo: The Canadian Press Volkswagen pleaded guilty to dozens of Canadian charges in a wide-ranging emissions-cheating scandal on Wednesday, admitting among other acts to secretly importing cars that violated polluting standards. The German automaker and the Crown submitted an agreed statement of facts in a Toronto court, acknowledging the company imported 128,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles, along with 2,000 Porsches, that violated the standards. Reading from the statement, prosecutor Tom Lemon noted that certain supervisors and other employees at Volkswagen "knew that VW was using software to cheat the U.S. testing process," the results of which are used by Canadian authorities. The federal government charged the auto giant last month with 58 counts of illegal importation under the Environmental Protection Act and two counts of providing misleading information. The statement of facts notes that the automaker has already tried to make some amends in Canada. Volkswagen "has devoted significant resources to, and undertaken extensive measures for, the remediation of the subject vehicles," Lemon read in court. "VW settled Canadian consumer claims by providing compensation and benefits for emissions modification and buyback options to remediate the subject vehicles ... or remove them from the road." Those settlements, according to the document, provided benefits "of up to a potential maximum" of $2.39 billion, and were completed by Aug. 31, 2019. In court last month, defence lawyers said they intended to plead guilty, but the resolution was delayed while three people sought to make victim-impact statements and provide other input. Ontario court Judge Enzo Rondinelli ruled against them, saying it's not their role to prosecute the company accused of harming them. Lemon said at the time he would gather victim impact statements and review them before submitting them to the court on Jan. 22, in line with the typical process. On Wednesday, prosecutors argued that the "community impact statement" turned in to them was not admissible in court. The seven-page document accompanied by 520 pages of reference materials was an attempt to enter untested expert testimony into the record, they said. Rondinelli will now weigh whether to accept that document. Volkswagen previously pleaded guilty in U.S. court to three felonies in 2017 and was fined $4.3 billion. German prosecutors fined the company one-billion euros in the emissions-cheating case in 2018. Several company executives and managers were also charged in the U.S. and Germany, and some were sent to prison. The plan to build a model health system for children is made possible through the unique combination of the premiere free-standing Primary Children's Hospital , the strength of Intermountain Healthcare's network of 160 clinics and 24 hospitals, and pediatric specialty expertise from University of Utah Health . The new model will expand the Primary Children's care network, which serves children in a 400,000 square-mile area in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and Alaska. By bringing together coordinated teams of specialized pediatric caregivers from multiple Intermountain facilities and Primary Children's pediatric partners at University of Utah Health, Intermountain's plan to build the nation's model health system for children will feature advancements in pediatric health research, innovation and technology. "This effort comes at a critical time, as the number of children served by Intermountain Healthcare continues to rapidly grow, and their needs continue to change and become more complex," said Katy Welkie, RN, MBA, CEO of Primary Children's Hospital and Vice President of Intermountain's Children's Health. "To address the growing need for health issues facing children, we must create a new model of pediatric care that will cater to the unique challenges that we see across our large geographic area," Welkie said. "In building the nation's model health system for children, we are positioning Utah as the home for the nation's healthiest kids." Intermountain Healthcare has committed to funding half of the $500 million or more needed to complete the plan, and has commissioned the Intermountain Foundation to seek the remaining funding through philanthropic support. This represents the largest commitment to the care and health of the region's children since Primary Children's was envisioned in the early 1900s. Intermountain's plan to build the nation's model health system for children includes three components and associated projects, programs, and facilities: 1. Strengthen Primary Children's Hospital An advanced fetal care center will offer in-utero treatments including groundbreaking fetal surgery for the first time in the Intermountain West. An enlarged and enhanced Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will give highly vulnerable newborns the highest accredited level of specialty care. An expanded cancer treatment center will provide children with revolutionary treatments in an ideal healing environment. Breakthroughs in pediatric research with University of Utah Health at the new Primary Children's Center for Personalized Medicine will help children with previously untreatable diseases to thrive. 2. Extend excellence in pediatric care across the Intermountain West A second Primary Children's Hospital campus will be constructed in Lehi to address the growing population in Utah County , and a corresponding need for specialty pediatric care. The new five-story, 66-bed Primary Children's Hospital campus will provide trauma and emergency services, behavioral health, intensive care, and surgical and clinic services not available elsewhere in Utah County . to address the growing population in , and a corresponding need for specialty pediatric care. The new five-story, 66-bed Primary Children's Hospital campus will provide trauma and emergency services, behavioral health, intensive care, and surgical and clinic services not available elsewhere in . An expanded pediatric care network will extend the expertise of Primary Children's Hospital throughout the Intermountain West, bringing specialty care closer to families outside the Wasatch Front through nationally-recognized telemedicine technologies, digital health services, and pediatric emergency clinicians in rural areas. 3. Innovatively target emerging children's health needs Additional mental and behavioral health services for children and teens will be added to address an urgent need with new locations, call centers, telehealth and response capabilities, and collaborations with community organizations. Teen-to-adult transition programs will help children with serious conditions such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis access seamless care as they grow to adulthood. A coordinated Healthy Kids program will provide interventions to children experiencing traumatic events to decrease their risk for health issues later in life. This program includes partnerships with school and community groups throughout Utah . Intermountain Healthcare's plan to build the nation's model health system for children inspired a $50 million gift to the Intermountain Foundation from Gail Miller and the Miller family the largest single gift the Miller family has given to any organization. Gail Miller is owner and board chair of Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, which includes the Utah Jazz, and chair of the Intermountain Healthcare Board of Trustees. The Millers' gift will serve as the groundwork for establishing Utah as the home of the nation's healthiest pediatric population. "The time to enhance the health of our children, families, and communities at all levels is now," said Marc Harrison, MD, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, who is also a pediatric critical care physician. "We are humbled and honored that the Miller family has provided this transformative gift to help Intermountain Healthcare achieve the best care for children anywhere," Dr. Harrison added. "We will steward this precious gift for the sole good of our children and hope that it will inspire others to join us and help bring this once-in-a-generation opportunity to life." "Intermountain Healthcare's plan is impactful and innovative, and will improve our collective health through a finite focus on children," said Miller. "Our family is committed to enriching lives and doing good in our communities. We understand from personal experience how important it is to have the highest quality healthcare available to address the needs of children. Our family absolutely recognized the need to be involved in this historic model health system." Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, including Primary Children's Hospital, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs. For more information, see intermountainhealthcare.org. SOURCE Intermountain Healthcare Related Links https://intermountainhealthcare.org For Anaiwan and Kamilaroi elder Steve Widders, 64, Australia has been a multicultural country for thousands of years - since hundreds of Aboriginal nations co-existed on the land. "We were united in our diversity," he said. Mr Widders, who is blind, worked in Aboriginal communities for 40 years before joining New South Wales' multicultural advisory board in 2014 to support refugees and migration. "I am an Aboriginal man but I wanted to do more. I feel very strongly about the changing society we live in," he said. Chinese migrant Stevenson Su and Aboriginal elder Steve Widders share lunch at Mr Su's restaurant in Canley Vale. Both took part in the National Australia Day Council's new campaign. Credit:Louise Kennerley But Mr Widders says the country's future depends on "truth-telling". "We have to educate people about the real history of this country. What are we celebrating on Australia Day? Is it the demise of Aboriginal culture, is it the government policy of removing children?" He hopes Australians will consider these questions in earnest on January 26, the anniversary of when the First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson in 1788, which is why he has taken part in the National Australia Day Councils official "The Story of Australia" campaign that invites viewers to "respect, reflect and celebrate". Schools are well used to supporting and tracking pupils' academic progress and pushing for resources to deliver the best outcomes. But how do they measure up when it comes to promoting student wellbeing and ensuring that, as well as the traditional three Rs, they pay enough attention to the development of other Rs, such as 'resilience' and 'realising' the potential of each individual child? Children learn better if they are happy and feel well supported, but that is not the only reason why there is an increasing focus on wellbeing in Irish education. The central role education plays in a child's life means school is a place not only to nurture the knowledge and skills to realise their academic potential, but also to learn how to be happy and to deal with life's challenges. The World Health Organisation defines wellbeing as being present "when a person realises their potential, is resilient in dealing with the normal stress of their life, takes care of their physical well-being and has a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to a wider community. It is a fluid way of being and needs nurturing through life". Schools already do significant work in this area through curricular approaches such as Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE), PE and the Junior Cycle Wellbeing programme, as well as day-to-day pastoral care. Now, the the national ambition is being raised, through the Department of Education's Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice. It aims to move beyond promoting wellbeing through discrete subjects and extra curricular programmes, and to embed it in every aspect of school life. The work is being led by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) whose director, Anne Tansey, says: "Promoting wellbeing is not about one-off initiatives. Although schools engaging with initiatives have their place in the process, it is about wellbeing promotion happening at all levels in the school." Schools are being encouraged to improve practice in this area, with the help of supports from NEPS, the Professional Development Service for Teachers' (PDST) and other services and resources. From early years centres through to Leaving Cert, the vision is for wellbeing to be at the core of the ethos of every school and centre of education. No two schools are at the same point of readiness, but the plan is that, by 2023, they will all have embraced a whole-school approach to wellbeing and be constantly evaluating their policy and practice. While emotional wellbeing in an individual cannot be measured like numeracy and literacy, evaluating provision for wellbeing gives an indication of its effectiveness. NEPS has the benefit of a wealth of research on the topic and Tansey says that wellbeing is influenced by a range of risk and protective factors, which exist at the individual, relational, community, cultural and societal levels. For instance, at societal level, issues such as poverty, discrimination and inequality are risk factors that decrease a person's wellbeing. Three protective factors known to support children in becoming resilient are the opportunity to develop skills, such as in communicating and problem-solving, supportive relationships and feeling protected in external experiences, such as in school. In a school context, risk factors could include bullying, cultural differences, harsh discipline, poor connection between family and schools and learning difficulties. Protective factors that a school can offer include positive relationships with peers and teachers, nurturing a sense of belonging, fostering expectations, recognising contributions, systems that proactively support children and families and developing skills to cope with online technology. "We have taken our knowledge of those protective factors and have devised a programme that specifically demonstrates to schools how they can zone in on their protective factors and support the wellbeing of children," says Tansey. To assist the process, the Department of Education launched a Wellbeing Action Research Project on October, involving 10 post-primary and 20 primary schools, to see what works, to develop ideas, to offer advice and, generally, to inform a national roll-out of training and supports from September. A bright and welcoming entrance, a friendly gesture, are examples of simple things that work well. The Department also went directly to schools for a logo, inspiring more than 250 entries for a competition, the winner of which has yet to be announced. A spokesperson said the "loud and clear message" from pupils was "wellbeing is important to us and this is what it looks like". A foster father caught trying to solicit sex from a teenage girl during an online undercover sting last year has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Joshua Saavedra, 46, was led to believe he was negotiating with a mother who was offering sex with her 13-year-old daughter in exchange for money and drugs. In fact, the person he was chatting with online was an agent with the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office. And when he arrived at an Econolodge on Central in Albuquerque with cash and pills apparently expecting to meet up with the teen, he was arrested. He was later indicted on three felony charges. Saavedra said at the time that he had no plans to have sex with the child and was only going to report the abuse to authorities. But in October, Saavedra pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children by prostitution. And, on Tuesday, state District Judge Brett Loveless sentenced Saavedra to the maximum time allowed under his plea agreement, eight years. He is also required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Protecting our children from sexual predators remains the top priority for my office, said Attorney General Hector Balderas, whose office prosecuted the case. We will continue to investigate and prosecute dangerous adults who are ready and willing to prey upon New Mexican children. Saavedras attorney could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. So investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo who last year spent some days in prison as an undercover journalist to expose the rots in Nigerian prison cells has just done the same at YABA LEFT and oh boy, its mind blowing. Fisayo says, he spent 3 weeks, including 10 days on admission, as a patient of Yaba Left as an undercover journalist. The Cable reports it this way; After altering his looks and taking psychiatric lessons every day for one week, investigative journalist FISAYO SOYOMBO went under cover for three weeks in November, including 10 straight days on ward admission, as a patient of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, one of the nations most historic mental rehabilitation centres. His report unveils the decrepit state of hospital facilities, gross shortage of critical staff despite a bloated workforce widely believed to be populated by ghost workers, low quality of service delivery, arbitrary charges on patients all stemming from personal and institutional corruption and the hospitals implicit stigmatizing of its very own patients. We believed we had missed our way that sweltering afternoon of Tuesday November 12, 2019, when we prematurely turned off Harvey Road into a building we were half sure was the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos. But we were less than five seconds in when we knew we were indeed at Yaba Left, as the hospital is colloquially, and more popularly, known. Were going to the psychiatric hospital; are we in the right place, please? I asked the gatekeeper as politely as I could. To my utter shock, he flared up. You are at Yaba Left and youre still asking again, he screamed. Oga, you wan enter or you wan comot? In truth, we had expected this sort of aggressive behaviour. This, after all, was a hospital for treating the mentally ill. We just didnt expect it so soon. IN THE BEGINNING The history of mental rehabilitation in Nigeria is incomplete without the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos. Since beginning life as the Yaba Lunatic Asylum in October 1907, when its primary purpose was to serve as a holding place for keeping the mentally ill out of the way of normal people in the society, the hospital has played a leading role in the evolution of mental care to treatment and healing, not just holding, of patients. In the opening years of its founding, and until 1950, it was purely an asylum. The first batch of 48 inmates were admitted in a rundown Nigeria Railway Building in Yaba. It was a time West Africa was generally witnessing the opening of asylums. Before this time, the mentally ill were kept in the custody of native doctors, who often contained but sometimes restrained them. By 1951, qualified psychiatrists, nurses and pharmacists were starting to arrive. After it was managed by expatriates until the mid-1950s, the responsibility of management fell on Abraham Ordia, the first Nigerian psychiatric nurse. The next 20 years would witness the creation of an outpatient department and the commencement of occupational therapy. From the Yaba Asylum, it became the Yaba Mental Hospital. These changes were accompanied by a rising patient population that wasnt matched by increased staffing. One hundred patients in 1925 became 200 in 1944 and 448 in 1961, yet only one doctor manned the facility. It wasnt until 1961 that two more psychiatrists Dr. A Boroffka, a German, and Dr. A Marinho, the first Nigerian psychiatrist to work at the hospital were employed. More recent decades have seen the staffing of nurses and pharmacists, a second name change to the Neuropsychiatric Hospital and the appointment of Nigerias first female psychiatrist as Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital. These strides notwithstanding, Yaba Left was neck deep into violating is guiding principles, listed on its official website to include patient-centred service delivery, patient and staff welfare, transparency and accountability. THE DELICATE JOURNEY TO YABA LEFT After three unrelated complaints in two years about the standard of medical services on offer, I decided to experience the hospital myself as a patient rather than believe the complainants. To help devise a medically impregnable entry strategy, I enlisted the services of a US-based mental health expert. When we communicated for the first time in the first week of October, he explained I could only enter as a drug addict requiring rehabilitation after abusing marijuana and cocaine. If I faked the regular, mentally-ill patient, I would definitely be found out, he explained. That means I have to ingest cocaine just before I go in? I asked. With the benefit of hindsight, I was only displaying the naivety that made me know I had to contract him in the first place. Not on your life! he warned. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself having sex and youre just about to climax. Silence. You see that feeling, cocaine will give you five times of it. Cocaine addiction, if it happens, is almost impossible to solve. You should never touch cocaine for any reason. Never. We agreed I would take no drug, not even marijuana. However, I would be taught how to answer a doctors questions like a drug addict. He told me that on arrival at Yaba Left, I would be grilled by a doctor for roughly three hours. I had to answer the questions in such a manner to make my addiction serious enough for hospital admission yet unserious enough for injection or drugs. Tough one. One mis-answered question could convince the doctor that I was unworthy of admission, which would spell the end of the story or, worse still, I could be admitted but placed on drugs/injection, which will subject me to some unpleasant side effects. One more warning: no patient admitted at Yaba Left could refuse drugs or injections; any patient who tries it would be forcefully subdued by the Crisis Intervention Personnel, famed within and beyond the hospital for their reputation to overpower the hardest of drug addicts and mentally-ill patients. My mental health expert and I knew the three-hour questioning was crucial; for this reason, we held six virtual meetings in late October three for learning the answers to the questions and another three for reenacting the sessions. After making a few alterations to my looks, I presented myself to doctors at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, as a drug addict in need of rehabilitation, just like any other member of the society. My discoveries were disturbing. BED-SPACE CORRUPTION Even though Dr. Akingbola, as I later found her name to be, was evidently in the third trimester of her pregnancy, she proved herself a class act, professionally. Dressed in a loose pair of black trousers and a flowing, silky robe, she stood up when she needed to, talked when she should, listened when she should, despite battling personal discomforts that manifested in the form of repeated sneezes and coughs. Dr. Akingbola did not speed up the questioning one notch; it lasted nearly the full three hours Id anticipated. Her overall professional conduct was impeccable. A consultant whose name I later established to be Dr. Ogunlowo courteously interrupted us from time to time, interacting with the first doctor in a manner suggesting he was trying to help her settle. I easily concluded Dr. Akingbola was either newly employed or relieving another doctor at the hospital. A consummate professional, Dr. Ogunlowos face lit up with glee once Dr. Akingbola announced to him that I voluntarily walked in; medically, I was motivated. Motivation, Id been pre-informed, is big deal to psychiatric doctors. Motivated drug patients stand a better stead of overcoming their psychiatric disorders than those coerced or bundled into the facility. Dr. Ogunlowo couldnt hide his excitement. But there was a little problem. Theres no bed space, he announced to me. I couldnt believe my ears. This, coupled with its annex at Oshodi, is the only Federal Government-owned full-fledged psychiatric hospital serving the whole of Lagos Nigerias ex-seat of federal power, most populated state, current economic capital and only one of two available in the six states of the South West. It is also one of only eight public psychiatric hospitals serving an estimated 200 million Nigerians, one of every eight of whom were long proven by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be suffering from one form of mental illness or the other. Its a 535-bed facility; however, only two male wards comprising 60 bed spaces and a female ward of 30 bed spaces were wholly dedicated to drug patients. Dont worry; come back next week. Ill keep a space for you, Dr. Ogunlowos words interjected my thoughts. I dont usually do this, but I see youre motivated, and I dont want you to go back to drugs. Going back to drugs was not the problem; it was that Id already altered my looks; I couldnt move about this way, yet I wasnt prepared to be idle indoors. Having told them minutes earlier that I came in from Ibadan, I begged them not to allow me go. Please help me, I pleaded soberly. If I go back to Ibadan, I may not come back. Actually, this is the reality of real drug addicts; they hardly reach a point where they opt for admission, and if they ever do, only to get turned back, its bye to the hospital and back to the lure of drugs. Days later, I would overhear a doctor lamenting to a colleague about a young female crack cocaine addict who found time out of her banking job to seek help at the hospital; unfortunately, it was one of those numerous no-bed-space days. The doctor exchanged contacts with the lady, promising to alert her once a space opened up. Space opened up two weeks later but the banker never returned. Its 18 months after but the doctor hasnt quite managed to convince the lady to come back! If I was indeed a drug addict, the system had failed me. Unlike the regular cocaine, crack is far more potent and addictive. Because it is smoked (rather than snorted through the nose), the drug reaches the brain more quickly, producing an intense and immediate high, which, it must also be said, is short-lived. Since the high experienced by abusers is so pleasurable even if ephemeral, they constantly need more of the drug to maintain it. Eventually, an addiction is born, and the user needs the drug to simply feel normal. I begged doctors Ogunlowo and Akingbola profusely, but there was no reprieve. I could tell that the two doctors genuinely felt helpless. One member of my team approached an official of the Crisis Intervention Personnel for help. I had been told that the Crisis, as they were simply called, sometimes pressured doctors into taking patients in. Olaniyi Olawale pressed for hours but didnt succeed. Before we left the hospital a little past 9pm, we greased his hands with N5,000 to say thanks for his effort. At that point, it was an honest gift from us; not a bribe. Soon, Olawale would prove himself a member of a syndicate at the hospital that specialized in arranging bed space for under-pressure patients in exchange for a token, often at the expense of more deserving patients. Realising, shortly before leaving, that he hadnt collected Olawales number, a member of my team approached a hospital orderly, Mrs. Adeniyi, for Olawales number. Mrs. Adeniyi declined to release it, instead insisting that we talk to her. Do you want to give him something? she queried knowingly, furtively flickering her eyes over each one of us. What exactly do you want? Talk to me. Mrs. Adeniyi assured us she could secure bed space for us, but she made it clear we would need to settle. To prove our seriousness, we handed her N2,000 and collected her number. To protect her own interest, Mrs. Adeniyi refused to release Olawales number even though she had it. Well, we found it through alternative means the following day, Wednesday November 13, and contacted him. N10,000 OR N7,000, BED SPACE AT YABA LEFT DOESNT COME FREE On Thursday, Olawales call was what roused me from sleep. He had found a hospital staffer by the name Tosin Karunwi, who was willing to secure bed space for me, provided we understood that nothing comes free. We werent sure if Karunwi was a nurse, an orderly or a Crisis official, but we established that she indeed worked at the hospital. Olawale announced that Tosin had demanded N10,000 to help lock down a bed space for me, but he successfully negotiated a N7,000 deal. He asked us to forward the money to Account Name Olaniyi Olawale Matthew with Access Bank because Tosin didnt want the money sent to her. He passed the money on to Tosin, after she agreed to return it if she didnt secure a bed space. To our utmost shock, once she took possession of the money, Tosin began to sell Oshodi to us. Actually, Oshodi, the neuropsychiatric hospitals annexe, was even worse managed than Yaba. It was graveyard-like, largely abandoned. Oshodi was technically the hospital into which Yabas vomits were spilled. But Tosin argued otherwise. Wait a minute, why dont you want Oshodi? shed asked on phone in the evening of Thursday November 14. Oshodi and Yaba are the same. Three bed spaces are vacant at Oshodi; Id advise you to take one of them. On December 3, three full weeks after Tosin was paid for the bed space that never came, she was told to refund the payment, but she refused, and blatantly too. You cannot get N7,000, she snapped. The [two] nurses I gave money to, do you expect me to pay back on their behalf? Maybe I can send N4,000 to you; its just maybe. Maybe. Thats even if Im able to raise it. Do you expect me to hold the cash or keep it in the bank? Tosin claimed that no space had opened up at all, both at Yaba and Oshodi since last week. What she didnt know was that Id gone in (and come out) as a patient because a space indeed opened up for me, and that at least two more opened up during my stay. YABA LEFT ANNEXE DOESNT HAVE A GOOD DRUG REHABILITATION PROGRAMME Some days after I started discussing admission with Olawale without success, I returned to Yaba to try to force the issue. There, I met a doctor who surprisingly urged me not to waste my money on admission at Oshodi. Instead, this doctor advised me to consider the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. The issue is this: at Oshodi, you may not get the maximum benefit you need, to be sincere with you, the doctor said. I work here, and I know that after a while you may be frustrated, because what you will be doing there is not really rehabilitation. Many of the patients at Oshodi are psychotic; they have one form of behavioural disorder or the other. The hospitals programme for rehabilitation is not well-developed over there, so you may be there for days without seeing a psychologist. When I insisted Id rather take Oshodi than wait endlessly for bed space to open up at Yaba, the doctor replied: Probably its because you dont know how Oshodi is. This was the same Oshodi that Tosin was trying to trick me into accepting admission at. THE ORDERLIES ARE CORRUPT BRAZENLY SO For the fourth time in less than a week, I was back at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, on November 18 without any assurance of securing bed space. After more than six hours of laborious wait, intense lobbying to see doctors and queuing up to pay fees, my admission was finally confirmed. Bring N20,000, Mrs. Adeniyi, the orderly, ordered right inside the hospital reception. She never told us what it was for, and we got no receipt after paying. We would later find out it was for a Ghana-Must-Go bag I was to enter the ward with. The contents were a 400g sachet of powdered Dano milk, a 500g sachet of Milo chocolate and malt powder, two pairs of velvety pyjamas that threatened to tear up at the slightest pull, a medium-size towel, a small takeaway-style food plastic, a 140g package of CloseUp tooth paste, a stick of Oral tooth brush, a small-size cup, Two 65g bars of Premier Cool soap, two pairs of plastic spoon, two pairs of boxer briefs, one low-grade round-necked vest and a sachet of little-known detergent. It wasnt until I arrived at the ward that I discovered other patients had been similarly swindled. The contents of the bag shouldnt even cost up to N15,000. Securing bed space at Yaba Left is so difficult that those who finally succeed are too physically and psychologically exhausted to ask too many probing questions before complying with payment instructions. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF YABA LEFTS UNBELIEVABLY BIG RATS I arrived at Tolani Asuni, one of only two male drug wards at Yaba Left, in a hospital ambulance some minutes past 5pm. It was a block of five rooms comprising six beds each. Thirty patients in all. Opposite it stood Adeoye Lambo, similar in number of rooms and bed space, but spotting a major difference that will be discussed later. The two wards are named after perhaps the two most influential Nigerian psychiatrists ever, both deceased. While Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo, who died in 2004 aged 80, was Nigerias and Africas first-ever western-trained psychiatrist and a former Vice Director-General at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Professor Tolani Asuni, aged 87 when he died in 2011, is remembered till date for his wide-ranging scholarly and leadership contributions to psychiatry in Africa. It was Lambo, in fact, who, in 1956, convinced Asuni to take up psychiatric training. Till date, Lambo is remembered as a world leader and one of the first to promote psychosocial rehabilitation for persons with mental illness and disability, and to develop primary care in the community for persons with mental illness in Africa. Fitting, therefore, that the wards named after both men at Yaba Left stood opposite each other. Dinner, served every 6pm, was eba and egusi, but I waited until a little after 8pm before eating. It was the first time in decades I was seeing eba so full of lumps, and egusi so bland and watery. Even though I had not eaten all day, I lost my appetite instantly. I had ingested no more than three morsels when I spotted a strand of local sponge in the egusi. I showed my neighbour. Welcome to Yaba Left, he exclaimed. I tucked it away quietly under my bed, just beside one of the four iron poles anchoring the bedframe. The plan was to lodge a complaint with the nurses the following morning. How wrong I was! By 7am the next day when I checked, the strand of sponge was gone. Anything you dont want rats to touch, dont put it on the floor, a patient announced to me when I moaned aloud. Even your Ghana-Must-Go bag. Everything you have should be on your bed! I would learn about Yaba Left rats in the evening of my second day at the ward. Well-fed and therefore robust, they roamed the greenery separating Tolani Asuni from Adeoye Lambo in their droves every night. Not that I hadnt seen rats before, I just didnt know rats so big existed anywhere in the world. Its been brought to the attention of the Chief Medical Director several times, but she said theres nothing wrong with it, one patient told me. Actually, many things are wrong with the population of rats inside Yaba left. Lassa fever, a viral infection caused by the Lassa fever virus, is, for example, primarily transmitted to humans via contact with excreta from rats. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lassa fever is spread through direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats; eating food or drinking water contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats; touching of floors, beddings and household materials contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of rats or an infected person; and person-to-person through contact with blood, urine, saliva, throat secretion or semen of an infected person. The Lassa fever virus is a familiar threat in Nigeria. In the week November 25 to December 1, 2019, eight new confirmed cases were reported in Ondo (six) and Edo (two) states, with two new deaths from Ondo. From January 1 to December 1, 2019, a total of 4,771 suspected cases were reported in 23 states. Of these, 793 were confirmed positive, 162 of which resulted in deaths. The rats in the kitchen are even bigger, another patient added. The first day I entered the kitchen was the day Yaba Lefts food began to irritate me. See, we, the patients, and the rats are eating the kitchens food together! MOSQUITOES AND EX-PATIENTS BED SHEETS WELCOME TO YABA LEFT This announcement hit me below the belt. It was my second day at Yaba Left and I hadnt seen anything encouraging. The previous night, the nurse on duty had told me to manage this bedsheet for today after I was checked into my ward. The bed sheet was originally coloured white but had become browned ostensibly by several years of overuse. The bed sheet smelled stale, clear proof it hadnt been washed for days or weeks in the lead-up to the last patients exit. On my 10th day at the ward, I summoned the courage to ask a senior nurse if my sheets would ever be changed. Her response was shocking. We can give you another one if you promise to wash it from time to time, she said. The problem is that when we send them to the laundry, white bed sheets suddenly become brownish. Yet all patients paid for laundry. The bed sheet and rats werent the only oddities on my first night. The mosquitoes stung my legs mercilessly, no thanks to the overgrown lawn bordering the fence outside my ward and the Mrs. Adeniyi-purchased pyjamas that only stretched over a third of my legs. Consequently, my opening night was largely sleepless and turbulent when I did manage to catch some sleep. You can then imagine my consternation when I woke up in the morning to a breakfast that was two slices of yam, tasteless stew and a piece of fish half the size of my index finger. Afternoon was mashy rice close to the kind of rice I once tweeted about and beans. Evening was again eba, this time with vegetable and egusi that was not only insipid but also watery. I ate half and binned the rest. Trouble was already brewing but I didnt know. TROUBLE BREWING A CIVIL, ANTI-FOOD PROTEST I was soaking in Karl Meiers This House Has Fallen, my most frequently-read book, the following morning, my third day at the ward, when the doctor overseeing Tolani Asuni announced that all patients needed to gather for a meeting. That, a two-time patient told me, was unusual for that hour of the day. As we would later discover, some patients had written a protest letter to the authorities on behalf of the group, listing a number of grievances. Majority were minor but two were major: exit date and food. I at once dismissed the clamour for exit on the simple basis that nobody likes to lose their freedom, even though it is evident, in this case, that it must happen if they must be weaned off drugs. For drug patients, the psychiatric hospital is a glorified prison. Theyre locked up in a ward. Whether they were brought in psychotic or conscious, they soon start feeling trapped in a matter of days. Yet, they cant leave of their own volition; only the doctors or their parents or guardians can set them free unless they want to escape, which has happened before. But I was quite happy the bad food had been brought up. Like others, I keenly awaited answers. Dr. Ojo requested to know exactly those who wrote the letters. One was the Captain of the ward, one of the longest-serving patients. Soft-spoken and well-respected by the patients and even the nurses, he had been at the ward for close to three months and that was his second, possibly third, admission. The other, a lawyer, was a returnee-patient too. The lawyer was invited upfront to read the letter to the hearing of all. The session erupted in a cacophony of laughter when, while expressing displeasure with the food, he said: The egusi soup is notoriously known to appear like a lagoon. There was hardly anyone who didnt laugh but this was a very serious matter. For three reasons. WHATS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT YABA LEFTS FOOD? Every drug patient pays a minimum of N120,000 for an initial two-month admission; N60,000 of that is for feeding. Technically, this means feeding is half the service rendered by Yaba Left. If it fails, therefore, the entire rehabilitation project is potentially as good as null. To put this in proper context, the next most expensive item after feeding is drugs, at N20,000. And thats one-third the cost of feeding! Two, among the drugs taken by patients are Artane, which can cause dry mouth, and Thiamine, which can cause nausea. Therefore, patients on these drugs typically need their food tasty. Three, drug patients are battling an addiction problem; if you take drugs away from their lips, you cannot afford to simultaneously take food away. Thiamine, for example, is a known appetite stimulant; you normally dont give it to patients and starve them, which is technically what happens when they bin Yaba Lefts food. And, finally, roughly a week before I was admitted, the hospital banned visitors from bringing in food for patients. The ban was the consequence of an ex-patients bad behaviour. The patient, Ife, had tried to import marijuana into the ward, via a Dundu Nation employee who folded six wraps of the weed among fried yams delicately packaged in a paper and foil. One patient told me arizona had been successfully imported and smoked at the ward a few times because of its discreet smell, but this time, the nurses intercepted the marijuana wraps at the point of entry, prompting uproar in the hospital. On learning of the development after a protocol breach that involved bypassing one or two doctors who could have smothered it, a thoroughly incensed Chief Medical Director, Dr. Oluyemisi Ogun, placed a ban on delivery of edible food to patients, save the ones brought by the two registered relatives who originally presented the patient for admission. Summary of the story, Yaba Lefts concoctions were the only edible food available to patients and they were often terrible to behold, much less consume. The protest letter of November 20 was laid to rest with a promise that things would improve, especially with regards to the food. They never did. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Aldi will increase wages for its staff by 3 per cent, making it one of the UK's best-paying supermarkets. The German discount retailer will raise hourly rates to 10.90 for workers in London and 9.40 in the rest of the country. Workers who have been with the chain for two years or more will get 11.15 in London and 10.41 outside the capital. Aldi also pointed out that it is one of the few retailers that pays staff for their breaks. Managers and office-based staff will also receive pay rises, the company said. "We have the most efficient and productive workforce, and this is why they earn the highest rates of pay in the grocery sector," said Aldi UK's chief executive Giles Hurley. Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Show all 9 1 /9 Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Toys 'R' Us Customers shop at a Toys 'R' Us store. The retail chain announced plans to shut all of its US stores, becoming one of the biggest casualties of the retail shakeout amid the rise of e-commerce. The debt-plagued company announced that it has filed a motion for bankruptcy court approval to liquidate its US operations, a move that could hit 33,000 jobs. The UK retailer failed to find a buyer and said their 105 Toys R Us stores would remain open until further notice, with administrators appointed to begin "an orderly wind-down". AFP/Getty Death of the British high street? The retailers affected New Look New Look announced it will shut 60 stores and cut 980 jobs as part of a restructuring plan agreed with its creditors. PA Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Maplin A Maplin store displays closing down notices after the company went into administration. Reuters Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Claire's Accessories (US only) People walk past a Claire's store in downtown Chicago. The chain that has pierced the ears of millions of teens has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The accessories chain said that its stores will remain open as it restructures its debt. AP Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Carpetright Carpetright announced that it has secured 12.5m of emergency funding from one of its largest shareholders and that it is exploring the opportunity of seeking approval for a restructuring plan under which it would slash rents and shut stores to avoid going into administration. Reuters Death of the British high street? The retailers affected MOSS BROS. Suits specialist Moss Bros has reported a drop in earnings and profit in 2017, blaming a tough end to the year and stock shortages which hurt sales. Chief executive Brian Brick said: Going forward, we are planning for an extremely challenging retail environment, not least because of the uncertain consumer environment and significant cost headwinds. PA Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Mothercare Mothercare warned over profits after UK sales plunged in the run-up to Christmas 2017, with consumer spending falling in both stores and online. PA Death of the British high street? The retailers affected House of Fraser The Chinese owner of House of Fraser plans to sell its majority stake in the troubled department-store chain, adding to the upheaval on the UKs shopping streets. Getty Images Death of the British high street? The retailers affected Conviviality - Bargain Booze Bargain Booze owner Conviviality could be heading for administration after failing to secure emergency funding, placing 2,500 jobs at risk. AFP/Getty Aldi joins other retailers that are attempting to improve what they offer their staff in a sector which is one of the UK's lowest paid. Greggs announced this month that employees would share a 7m bonus after a successful year for the baker. Last year, Tesco took a different approach, scrapping staff bonuses and replacing them with an across-the-board pay rise. Aldi curreently has 874 stores and is aiming to expand to 1,200 by 2025. It increased its market share by 0.4 per cent to 7.8 per cent over the last 12 months. Britain's fifth-largest supermarket is recruiting an additional 3,800 staff as it continues its drive to take market share from its larger competitors. Earlier this month the company hailed its "best-ever Christmas in the UK" after sales increased 7.9 per cent on the year before. (Newser) Ousted days before the Grammys, former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan is hitting back. In a 46-page complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Dugan claims she was put on leave after complaining of "egregious" conflicts of interest; a "boys' club" mentality; and sexual harassment by the Academy's general counsel and former chair of the Board of Trustees, Joel Katz. Dugan says Katz tried to kiss her, called her "baby," and noted "traveling to my many homes could be something nice for us to share" during a May 2019 dinner, per Rolling Stone and the Hollywood Reporter. Katz denies this, though Dugan says such language continued "in every one-on-one conversation" afterward. Around the same time, she says she learned that a "foreign recording artist" had accused former CEO Neil Portnow of rape. story continues below She claims board members only told her of the claim after she accepted the CEO position and refused a request to "hire Mr. Portnow as a consultant for the hefty sum of $750,000." Dugan notes a claim that she created a toxic work environment came from Portnow's former executive assistant, per the New York Times. Dugan further alleges improper spending; self-dealing by board members; and corruption in the Grammy nomination process, which involves "secret committees" of board members who represent "artists with whom they have relationships," some of whom take part in selection meetings. An Academy rep tells Rolling Stone that Dugan instructed HR "not to take any action" in response to her concerns before demanding $22 million. But Dugan's lawyers say it was actually the Academy that offered Dugan "millions of dollars to drop all of this." (Read more Grammys stories.) MEXICO CITY, Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Petroleos Mexicanos ("PEMEX") announced today the pricing of global notes denominated in U.S. Dollars (the " New Money Securities "), and the commencement of two liability management transactions consisting of fourteen separate exchange offers targeting certain series of PEMEX outstanding short-term maturity notes due 2021 through 2026 and long-term maturity bonds due 2044 through 2048 (the " Exchange Offers "). The Exchange Offers are separate from and in addition to the cash tender offers announced earlier today by PEMEX (the " Tender Offers "). New Money Securities The New Money Securities will be issued under PEMEX's U.S. $112,000,000,000 Medium-Term Notes Program, Series C, will constitute unsecured obligations of PEMEX and will be jointly and severally guaranteed by Pemex Exploracion y Produccion, Pemex Transformacion Industrial and Pemex Logistica, and their respective successors and assignees. PEMEX intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the New Money Securities to repurchase notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase by PEMEX in the Tender Offers and the remainder, if any, to repay other outstanding indebtedness. PEMEX priced an issue of: 5.950% Notes due 2031 (the " New 2031 Notes "), for an aggregate principal amount of U.S. $2,500,000,000 (the " New Money 2031 Notes "). The New Money 2031 Notes were issued at a price of 100.000%, plus accrued interest (if any) from January 28 , 2020. Interest is payable on January and July of each year, commencing on July 28 , 2020. The New 2031 Notes will mature on January 28 , 2031. "), for an aggregate principal amount of U.S. (the " "). The New Money 2031 Notes were issued at a price of 100.000%, accrued interest (if any) from , 2020. Interest is payable on January and July of each year, commencing on , 2020. The New 2031 Notes will mature on , 2031. 6.950% Bonds due 2060 (the " New 2060 Bonds " and, together with the New 2031 Notes, the " New Securities "), for an aggregate principal amount of U.S. $2,500,000,000 (the " New Money 2060 Bonds "). The New Money 2060 Bonds were issued at a price of 100.000%, plus accrued interest (if any) from January 28 , 2020. Interest is payable on January and July of each year, commencing on July 28 , 2020. The New 2060 Bonds will mature on January 28, 2060 . Exchange Offers Group A Waterfall Offers The first liability management transaction consists of ten separate offers to exchange (the " Group A Waterfall Offers ") PEMEX's outstanding securities set forth in the table below (the " Group A Waterfall Securities ") for newly-issued New 2031 Notes for up to U.S. $1.0 billion principal amount (the " Group A Waterfall Offer Cap ") of New 2031 Notes, plus Accrued Interest (as defined below): Series of Group A Waterfall Securities(1) Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level Principal Amount of New 2031 Notes Offered as Late Participation Consideration(2) Early Participation Premium(2) Principal Amount of New 2031 Notes Offered as Early Participation Consideration(2)(3) 5.500% Notes due 2021 U.S. $1,102,385,000 1 U.S. $982.66 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,032.66 6.375% Notes due 2021 U.S. $366,023,000 2 U.S. $992.47 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,042.47 4.875% Notes due 2022 U.S. $790,083,000 3 U.S. $995.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,045.00 Floating Rate Notes due 2022 U.S. $568,468,000 4 U.S. $1,000.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,050.00 5.375% Notes due 2022 U.S. $609,655,000 5 U.S. $1,006.50 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,056.50 3.500% Notes due 2023 U.S. $1,360,915,000 6 U.S. $970.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,020.00 4.625% Notes due 2023 U.S. $1,019,571,000 7 U.S. $1,009.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,059.00 4.500% Notes due 2026 U.S. $1,500,000,000 8 U.S. $971.70 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,021.70 4.250% Notes due 2025 U.S. $790,958,000 9 U.S. $987.20 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,037.20 4.875% Notes due 2024 U.S. $1,032,618,000 10 U.S. $1,017.50 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $1,067.50 _____________________________ (1) CUSIPs and ISINs set forth in the table below under "Securities Codes." (2) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of the applicable series of Group A Waterfall Securities validly tendered and accepted for exchange. The exchange consideration does not include Accrued Interest on such Group A Waterfall Securities. Eligible holders whose Group A Waterfall Securities are validly tendered and accepted for exchange will also receive Accrued Interest, if any. (3) Includes the applicable Early Participation Premium. Group B Waterfall Offers The second liability management transaction consists of four separate offers to exchange (the " Group B Waterfall Offers ") PEMEX's outstanding securities set forth in the table below (the " Group B Waterfall Securities " and, together with the Group A Waterfall Securities, the " Waterfall Securities ") for newly-issued New 2060 Bonds for up to U.S. $1.0 billion principal amount (the " Group B Waterfall Offer Cap " and, together with the Group A Waterfall Offer Cap, the " Waterfall Offer Caps ") of New 2060 Bonds, plus Accrued Interest: Series of Group B Waterfall Securities(1) Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level Principal Amount of New 2060 Bonds Offered as Late Participation Consideration(2) Early Participation Premium(2) Principal Amount of New 2060 Bonds Offered as Early Participation Consideration(2)(3) 5.500% Bonds due 2044 U.S. $973,047,000 1 U.S. $875.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $925.00 5.625% Bonds due 2046 U.S. $1,699,232,000 2 U.S. $876.80 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $926.80 6.350% Bonds due 2048 U.S. $3,328,663,000 3 U.S. $938.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $988.00 6.375% Bonds due 2045 U.S. $1,560,481,000 4 U.S. $949.00 U.S. $50.00 U.S. $999.00 _____________________________ (1) CUSIPs and ISINs set forth in the table below under "Securities Codes." (2) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of the applicable series of Group B Waterfall Securities validly tendered and accepted for exchange. The exchange consideration does not include Accrued Interest on such Group B Waterfall Securities. Eligible holders whose Group B Waterfall Securities are validly tendered and accepted for exchange will also receive Accrued Interest, if any. (3) Includes the applicable Early Participation Premium. The following Acceptance Priority Procedures and Proration procedures will apply to each of the Group A Waterfall Offers and the Group B Waterfall Offers. References to Waterfall Securities and Waterfall Offer Cap in the following paragraphs relate to either the Group A Waterfall Offers or the Group B Waterfall Offers: if the exchange of all Waterfall Securities tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date (as defined below) would cause us to issue an aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series that would result in an aggregate principal amount of such New Securities to be issued as consideration in the relevant Exchange Offers (the " Exchange Consideration ") in excess of the relevant Waterfall Offer Cap, then the Exchange Offers will be oversubscribed at the Early Participation Date, and we will not accept for exchange any Waterfall Securities tendered after the Early Participation Date and will (assuming satisfaction or, where applicable, the waiver of the conditions to the Exchange Offers) accept for exchange on the Early Acceptance Date (as defined below) (or, if there is no Early Acceptance Date, the Expiration Date (as defined below)) the Waterfall Securities tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date pursuant to the acceptance priority procedures described below (the " Acceptance Priority Procedures "). If the Exchange Offers are not oversubscribed at the Early Participation Date and the exchange of all Waterfall Securities validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Date would cause us to issue an aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series that would result in an aggregate Exchange Consideration in excess of the Waterfall Offer Cap, then the Exchange Offers will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Date, and we will (assuming satisfaction or, where applicable, the waiver of the conditions to the Exchange Offers), accept for exchange all Waterfall Securities tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date and then accept for exchange any Waterfall Securities tendered after the Early Participation Date pursuant to the Acceptance Priority Procedures. ") in excess of the relevant Waterfall Offer Cap, then the Exchange Offers will be oversubscribed at the Early Participation Date, and we will not accept for exchange any Waterfall Securities tendered after the Early Participation Date and will (assuming satisfaction or, where applicable, the waiver of the conditions to the Exchange Offers) accept for exchange on the Early Acceptance Date (as defined below) (or, if there is no Early Acceptance Date, the Expiration Date (as defined below)) the Waterfall Securities tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date pursuant to the acceptance priority procedures described below (the " "). If the Exchange Offers are not oversubscribed at the Early Participation Date and the exchange of all Waterfall Securities validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Date would cause us to issue an aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series that would result in an aggregate Exchange Consideration in excess of the Waterfall Offer Cap, then the Exchange Offers will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Date, and we will (assuming satisfaction or, where applicable, the waiver of the conditions to the Exchange Offers), accept for exchange all Waterfall Securities tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date and then accept for exchange any Waterfall Securities tendered after the Early Participation Date pursuant to the Acceptance Priority Procedures. subject to the satisfaction of the conditions to the Exchange Offers, we will accept for exchange validly tendered Waterfall Securities in the order of the related acceptance priority level set forth in the tables above (the " Acceptance Priority Level "), beginning with the lowest numerical value of Acceptance Priority Level first. "), beginning with the lowest numerical value of Acceptance Priority Level first. subject to the procedures described below for undersubscribed Waterfall Offers by the Early Participation Date, if the aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series to be issued in exchange for all validly tendered Waterfall Securities corresponding to an Acceptance Priority Level, when added to the aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series to be issued in exchange for all Waterfall Securities accepted for exchange corresponding to each higher Acceptance Priority Level (lower numerical value), if any, would cause us to issue an aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series that would result in an aggregate Waterfall Exchange Consideration that does not exceed the Waterfall Offer Cap, then we will accept for exchange all such Waterfall Securities of such series and will then apply the foregoing procedure to the next lower Acceptance Priority Level (next higher numerical value). If the condition described in the foregoing sentence is not met, we will accept for exchange the maximum aggregate principal amount of tendered Waterfall Securities of such series (on a prorated basis) such that the aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series issued in exchange for the series of Waterfall Securities with the lowest Acceptance Priority Level (the highest numerical value) accepted, when considered together with the aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series issued in exchange for Waterfall Securities with higher Acceptance Priority Levels (lower numerical values), comes as close as possible to the amount of the Waterfall Offer Cap without exceeding such amount. tendered Waterfall Securities with an Acceptance Priority Level lower than the Acceptance Priority Level that would cause us to issue an aggregate principal amount of New Securities of the relevant series that would result in an aggregate Exchange Consideration in excess of the Waterfall Offer Cap will not be accepted for exchange, provided that, if the Offers are not fully subscribed as of the Early Participation Date, tendered Waterfall Securities at or before the Early Participation Date will be accepted for exchange in priority to other Waterfall Securities tendered after the Early Participation Date, even if such Waterfall Securities tendered after the Early Participation Date have a higher Acceptance Priority Level than Waterfall Securities tendered prior to the Early Participation Date. If proration of a series of tendered Waterfall Securities is required, we will determine the final proration factor as soon as practicable after the Early Participation Date or Expiration Date, as applicable, and will inform Eligible Holders of such series of Waterfall Securities of the results of the proration. In the event proration is required with respect to a series of Waterfall Securities, we will multiply the principal amount of each valid tender of such series of Waterfall Securities by the applicable proration rate and round the resulting amount down to the nearest U.S. $1,000 principal amount in order to determine the principal amount of such tender that will be accepted pursuant to the applicable Offer. The excess principal amount of Waterfall Securities not accepted from the tendering Eligible Holders will be promptly returned to such Eligible Holders. If, after applying such proration factor, any Eligible Holder would be entitled to a credit or return of a portion of tendered Waterfall Securities of a series that is less than the authorized denominations, then, in our sole discretion, (i) all of the Waterfall Securities of such series tendered by such Eligible Holder will be accepted without proration, (ii) a portion of the Waterfall Securities of such series tendered by such Eligible Holder will be rejected such that only Waterfall Securities of such series in the Authorized Denominations are credited or returned or (iii) none of the Waterfall Securities of such series tendered by such Eligible Holder will be accepted. Common Terms Applicable to the Exchange Offers The securities to be issued in connection with the Exchange Offers will constitute an additional issuance of New Securities and will be governed under the 2009 Indenture. The New 2031 Notes and the New 2060 Bonds to be issued in connection with the Exchange Offers will constitute a single series with, and are expected to be assigned the same CUSIP, ISIN and common code numbers and have the same terms and conditions as, the New Money 2031 Notes and the New Money 2060 Bonds, respectively, priced earlier today by PEMEX. The Exchange Offers are being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Statement, dated January 21, 2020 (the " Exchange Offer Statement " and together with the related eligibility letter and the letter of transmittal, the " Offer Documents "), which sets forth in more detail the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers. The Exchange Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on February 19, 2020 unless earlier terminated or extended by PEMEX (such time and date with respect to each Exchange Offer, as it may be extended with respect to such Exchange Offer, the " Expiration Date "). Waterfall Securities tendered may be withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 4, 2020 unless extended, but not thereafter. Eligible Holders of Waterfall Securities validly tendered on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 4, 2020 (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the " Early Participation Date ") and accepted for exchange pursuant to the Exchange Offers will be eligible to receive the applicable early participation consideration reflected in the tables above (the " Early Participation Consideration "), which includes the applicable early participation premium applicable to the relevant series of Waterfall Securities as set forth in the tables above (the " Early Participation Premium "). Eligible Holders of Waterfall Securities validly tendered after the Early Participation Date and on or prior to the Expiration Date and accepted for exchange pursuant to the Exchange Offers will be eligible to receive the late participation consideration reflected in the tables above (the " Late Participation Consideration ") applicable to the relevant series of Waterfall Securities, which is equal to the applicable Early Participation Consideration less the applicable Early Participation Premium. Eligible Holders will also receive an amount in cash (such amount " Accrued Interest ") consisting of accrued and unpaid interest on Waterfall Securities accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offers from, and including, the last interest payment date for each of the Waterfall Securities to, but not including, the applicable settlement date of the Exchange Offers (the " Settlement Date "), plus any additional amounts thereon less the interest accrued on the New Securities exchanged therefor from the settlement date of the offering of the New Money Securities, to the extent such interest accrued on such New Securities does not exceed the accrued and unpaid interest on such accepted Waterfall Securities. If the interest accrued on such New Securities exceeds the accrued and unpaid interest on such accepted Waterfall Securities, then the amount of Accrued Interest paid will be zero. Following the Early Participation Date and at or prior to the Expiration Date, we will have the right to elect to accept the Waterfall Securities validly tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date, provided that all conditions of the Exchange Offers have been satisfied or, where applicable, waived by us (the " Early Settlement Right "). If we exercise our Early Settlement Right, we expect to settle the Exchange Offers in respect of Waterfall Securities validly tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date that are accepted for exchange (the " Early Settlement Date ") promptly following the date on which we accept for exchange such Waterfall Securities (the " Early Acceptance Date "). Assuming that we exercise the Early Settlement Right and all conditions of the Exchange Offers have been satisfied, or where applicable, waived by us, we expect that the Early Settlement Date will occur no later than the second business day following the Early Participation Date. For Waterfall Securities that have been validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Date (exclusive of Waterfall Securities accepted for exchange on the Early Settlement Date, if any), and that are accepted for exchange, we expect to settle such Waterfall Securities promptly following the Expiration Date (the " Final Settlement Date "). Assuming that such Final Settlement Date is not extended and all conditions of the Exchange Offers have been satisfied or, where applicable, waived by us, we expect that the Final Settlement Date will occur no later than second business day following the Expiration Date. PEMEX's obligation to accept and exchange the Waterfall Securities of any series validly tendered pursuant to an Exchange Offer is conditioned on the successful closing of the New Money Offering on or prior to the applicable Settlement Date. In addition, the Exchange Offers are conditioned on the satisfaction of other conditions described in the Exchange Offer Statement, including the tax fungibility condition, as fully described in the Exchange Offer Statement. The consummation of an Exchange Offer is not conditioned on the consummation of the other Exchange Offers. Each Exchange Offer is independent of the other Exchange Offers, and PEMEX may withdraw or modify any Exchange Offer without withdrawing or modifying other Exchange Offers. PEMEX reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to waive any and all conditions to any Exchange Offer. If PEMEX terminates any Exchange Offer with respect to one or more series of Waterfall Securities, it will give prompt notice to the Information and Exchange Agent and all Waterfall Securities tendered pursuant to such terminated Exchange Offer will be returned promptly to the tendering Eligible Holders thereof. With effect from such termination, any Waterfall Securities blocked in The Depository Trust Company (" DTC ") will be released. Securities Codes for the Group A Waterfall Securities Series Registered Securities(1) Rule 144A Securities Reg S Securities Authorized Denominations CUSIP ISIN CUSIP ISIN CUSIP ISIN Minimum Denomination Integral Multiples 5.500% Notes due 2021 71654QAX0 US71654QAX07 71656LAD3 71656LAJ0 US71656LAD38 US71656LAJ08 71656MAD1 71656MAJ8 US71656MAD11 US71656MAJ80 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 6.375% Notes due 2021 71654QCA8 US71654QCA85 71656LBJ9 US71656LBJ98 71656MBJ7 US71656MBJ71 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 4.875% Notes due 2022 71654QBB7 US71654QBB77 71656LAL5 US71656LAL53 71656MAL3 US71656MAL37 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 Floating Rate Notes due 2022 71654QCF7 US71654QCF72 71656LBN0 US71656LBN01 71656MBN8 US71656MBN83 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 5.375% Notes due 2022 71654QCE0 US71654QCE08 71656LBP5 US71656LBP58 71656MBP3 US71656MBP32 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 3.500% Notes due 2023 71654QBG6 US71654QBG64 71656LAP6 US71656LAP67 71656MAP4 US71656MAP41 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 4.625% Notes due 2023 71654QCD2 US71654QCD25 71656LBL4 US71656LBL45 71656MBL2 US71656MBL28 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 4.500% Notes due 2026 71654QBW1 US71654QBW15 71656LBD2 US71656LBD29 71656MBD0 US71656MBD02 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 4.250% Notes due 2025 71654QBV3 US71654QBV32 71656LBA8 US71656LBA89 71656MBA6 US71656MBA62 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 4.875% Notes due 2024 71654QBH4 US71654QBH48 71656LAQ4 71656LAX9 US71656LAQ41 US71656LAX91 71656MAX7 71656MAQ2 US71656MAX74 US71656MAQ24 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 ______________________ (1) The security codes associated with the registered series of Group A Waterfall Securities were generated in connection with exchange offers conducted for such Group A Waterfall Securities pursuant to registration rights agreements that were executed in connection with the offering of such Group A Waterfall Securities. Securities Codes for the Group B Waterfall Securities Series Registered Securities(1) Rule 144A Securities Reg S Securities Authorized Denominations CUSIP ISIN CUSIP ISIN CUSIP ISIN Minimum Denomination Integral Multiples 5.500% Bonds due 2044 71654QBE1 US71654QBE17 71656LAN1 71656LAM3 71656LBB6 US71656LAN10 US71656LAM37 US71656LBB62 71656MAM1 71656MBB4 71656MAN9 US71656MAM10 US71656MBB46 US71656MAN92 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 5.625% Bonds due 2046 71654QBX9 US71654QBX97 71656LBE0 US71656LBE02 71656MBE8 US71656MBE84 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 6.350% Bonds due 2048 71654QCL4 US71654QCL41 71654QCJ9 US71654QCJ94 P78625DE0 USP78625DE05 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 6.375% Bonds due 2045 71654QBR2 US71654QBR20 71656LAY7 US71656LAY74 71656MAY5 US71656MAY57 U.S. $10,000 U.S. $1,000 ______________________ (1) The security codes associated with the registered series of Group B Waterfall Securities were generated in connection with exchange offers conducted for such Group B Waterfall Securities pursuant to registration rights agreements that were executed in connection with the offering of such Group B Waterfall Securities. Global Bondholder Services Corporation will also act as the Information and Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offers. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Exchange Offers or for additional copies of the Offer Documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at +1 (866) 470-4500 (toll free) or (212) 430-3774 (collect). You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offers. PEMEX has retained Barclays Capital Inc., BBVA Securities Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. to act as dealer managers in connection with the Exchange Offers (the " Dealer Managers "). Eligible Holders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Waterfall Securities as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from such Eligible Holder in order for that Eligible Holder to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, an Exchange Offer, before the deadlines specified herein and in the Offer Documents. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and DTC for the submission and withdrawal of tender instructions will also be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified herein and in the Offer Documents. The New Money Securities are being sold to qualified institutional buyers in the United States in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and to persons outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The New Securities offered for exchange are being so offered only (1) to holders of Waterfall Securities who are "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act in a private transaction in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2) thereof and (2) outside the United States, to holders of Waterfall Securities other than "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act) and who are not acquiring such New Securities for the account or benefit of a U.S. person, in offshore transactions in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act, and who are non-U.S. qualified offerees (as defined under "Transfer Restrictions on the New Securities" in the Exchange Offer Statement). Only holders who have returned a duly completed eligibility letter certifying that they are within one of the categories described in the immediately preceding sentence are authorized to receive and review the Exchange Offer Statement and to participate in the Exchange Offers (such holders, "Eligible Holders"). The eligibility letter can be accessed at the following link: https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/pemex The New Money Securities and the New Securities to be issued pursuant to the Exchange Offers have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state or other jurisdiction's securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The New Money Securities and the New Securities to be issued pursuant to the Exchange Offers will be issued with registration rights. This announcement is for informational purposes only. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Exchange Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Offer Documents. The Exchange Offers are not being made to holders of Securities in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the securities laws or blue sky laws require the Exchange Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Exchange Offers will be deemed to be made on behalf of PEMEX by the Dealer Managers for the Exchange Offers or one or more registered brokers or dealers that are licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. The communication of this press release and any other documents or materials relating to the Exchange Offers is not being made and such documents and/or materials have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being directed at and made to those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), or high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated in accordance with the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The Exchange Offers were only available to, and the Exchange Offers were engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on any document relating to the Exchange Offers or any of their contents. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature or which relate to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that the transactions described herein will be consummated or as to the ultimate terms of any such transactions. PEMEX undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason. SOURCE Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) Chris Gaskin and University of Otago / Contributed photo Curator of Science Daniel Ksepka will give a talk, March of the Fossil Penguins, at the Bruce Museums Seaside Center in Greenwich on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 2. The talk, which is part of the Fred Elser First Sunday Science Series, will examine the fossil record of Earths most completely aquatic birds. Drawing on his research trips from South America and New Zealand, Ksepka will explore how avian paleontologists are piecing together how the penguins evolved, how they grew to such enormous sizes and even the colors of their feathers. Wiluna High-Grade Reserve Extension Drilling Update Perth, Jan 23, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Blackham Resources Limited ( ASX:BLK ) ( FRA:NZ3 ) ( OTCMKTS:BKHRF ) is pleased to provide an update of resource and reserve development drilling at the high-grade, free-milling Golden Age ore body at the Wiluna underground mine. Golden Age is currently Blackham's highest-grade producing orebody, and the Company continues to test extensions to sustain or increase this production over the next 12-18 months.Phase 1 of the Golden Age program has comprised 17 holes for 971.1m. Assay results presented here are for the first 10 holes, assay results for the remaining holes are expected in the coming weeks. Blackham will now proceed with drilling further extensional targets around the Golden Age deposit as outlined in the ASX release dated 13th November 2019.Drilling has successfully delineated further high-grade footwall mineralisation below the existing Golden Age 1148 development (Figures 1&2*). A significant gold halo can be observed proximal to the high-grade quartz reef. The successful delineation of this additional mineralisation proximal to a location mined by previous owners demonstrates the continuing opportunities to extend the mine life of the Golden Age orebody.Further Wiluna Underground Free-Milling Programs.Further underground drilling is planned to infill and extend the footwall structure, and to test targets that may lead to new mining fronts with the potential to increase production from the underground mine (see ASX release 13th November 2019).Golden Age DeepsBlackham is currently developing an ore drive in Golden Age mineralisation on the 800 level in preparation for stoping this quarter, which is the deepest extent of the Golden Age mine to date (surface is at 1500RL). Below this, isolated pre-Blackham drilling intercepts between the 600RL and 700RL's include AWD0502: 12.9m @ 6.88g/t and AWD0503A: 7.4m @ 7.56g/t (Figure 3*), which show that high-grade mineralisation remains open at depth.Substantial infill drilling will commence in the coming weeks targeting the 600 to 800RL. If drilling proves successful, Golden Age Deeps has the potential to sustain or increase production above the current rate of 10,000t of ore per month for at least 12 months (Table 1*).Golden Age PitThe Golden Age open pit cutback (GAN pit) currently in progress was initiated in October 2019. Waste rock from the cutback and historical in-pit tailings dating from the early 1990's are also being used to cost effectively construct Tailings Storage Facility K. The mineralisation at the Golden Age cut-back remains open at depth with drill intersections beneath the current cutback demonstrating that it may be amenable to underground mining (Figure 3*). An engineering and economic assessment is currently in progress.Golden Age OffsetThe Golden Age ore body is faulted-off across the Bulletin Fault, with modelled displacement of the 'missing' portion in the order of 500-600m. Blocks of Golden Age mineralisation are found along the fault zone, and investigation into historical reports and mapping has yielded backs and face mapping that identifies the Golden Age host dolerite and quartz reef within the Bulletin historical workings (Figure 4*). Two planned holes are designed to intersect the target zone, and if successful the offset portion of Golden Age has the potential to be developed as a new mining front with access from the existing Bulletin mine.Stage 1 Sulphide Reserve DevelopmentBlackham is also pleased to provide an overview of programs to infill and extend Wiluna Stage 1 sulphide project reserves ahead of the commencement of mining in mid-2020 (see ASX release dated 23rd December 2019).Significant exploration programs are planned to develop further high-grade reserves ahead of Stage 1 sulphides concentrate production, with priority on areas to be mined in the first 2 years. Drilling has recommenced with mobilisation of an RC rig to site.Blackham's Stage 1 sulphide expansion project will see underground production ramp up through FY 2021 to 100-120,000oz per annum over an initial 6-year underground mine plan. Wiluna is endowed with a large underground sulphide resource that currently stands at 18.5Mt @ 4.82 g/t for 2.9Moz, including 58% (~1.7Moz) in the Inferred category, which presents the company with substantial reserve conversion and life of mine extension opportunities.Compelling conceptual targets that have the potential to deliver new shallow high-grade shoot discoveries have been identified. Calvert-sized ore bodies (with a current mining inventory 150koz @ 6g/t) are targeted in several shoot corridors down plunge of previously mined zones. Shoots are known to have formed in a structurally repeated pattern as indicated within the steeply south-plunging shoot corridors and with conjugate north-plunging control shown on Figure 5*.Figure 5* shows targeted shoot positions on the main East and West structures at Wiluna, which have a combined strike length of 7.5km and host most of the Wiluna sulphide resources and reserves; only limited drilling has occurred in the modelled shoot positions and at depths greater than 500m below surface (1000m RL). Further high-grade +5g/t shoot discoveries within 300m of surface could be quickly brought into the mine plan with substantial mine development already in place including 5 access declines.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMC) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential. Men are raped too. For some people, this might sound a little unbelievable, but that's a fact that men keep hidden for they also feel humiliated and ashamed. Sometimes, they blame themselves too. Telugu actor Rahul Ramakrishna, who played the role of Vijay Deverakonda's friend in Arjun Reddy recently opened up on the heart-wrenching story of when he was raped. He took Twitter to share about the gruesome incident and how he felt in that moment. "I was raped during childhood. I dont know what else to say about my grief, except for this, because this is what I seek to know about myself." I was raped during childhood. I dont know what else to say about my grief, except for this, because this is what I seek to know about myself. Rahul Ramakrishna (@eyrahul) January 20, 2020 Everything hurts, he added. Everything hurts. Rahul Ramakrishna (@eyrahul) January 20, 2020 Yes, it is painful. Yes, it is atrocious. But, it says more about the other person involved. It doesnt make you a victim. Youre a warrior with a scar. Never give up. I live with the crime perpetrated upon me. There is never justice. Only momentary relief. Teach your men to be nice, he added. I live with the crime perpetrated upon me. There is never justice. Only momentary relief. Teach your men to be nice. Be brave and break societal conditioning. Be nice. Rahul Ramakrishna (@eyrahul) January 20, 2020 It takes a lot of courage to admit something as gruesome as this on social media. To support him at this, Arjun Reddy actress Priyadarshani, who shared screen space with him, said, "I will never be able to understand the trauma you went through even if I try now. I can't do anything too. But want to just say, stay strong. You have come out of every shit and handled it best to your capacity. You are a fighter. Love you brother!" I will never be able to understand the trauma you went throught even if I try now. I can't do anything too. But want to just say, stay strong. You have come out of every shit and handled it best to your capacity. You are a fighter. Love you brother! Priyadarshi (@priyadarshi_i) January 20, 2020 A lot of other social media users also applauded his courage. Whenever we see you on screen, you amaze us with your amazing comic timing and fluent dialogues. But you are a person with strong emotions and u feel for the society. Sorry for what u went through, but glad you gave courage to few people to share their horrors. Hope u r relieved geetha (@geethabuddha) January 20, 2020 Not every one can share their pain like you did. Kudos for speaking up. Sending you love and strength and hoping to see some of the pain translated into your work, with the hope that people stop suffering in silence Ekta Viiveck Verma (@EktaVVerma) January 20, 2020 Bro this is something no one should suffer in lifetime. Even worse that you had to suffer this in childhood. This is not something you ever come out of. Be strong. Arasan andru kolvan. Deivam nindru kollum. Rishi (@GreatBearStars) January 20, 2020 More power to you for confronting the truth! Most people(inc. parents) will never want to talk about what happens to boys. They are expected to be tough and act as if its not a big deal :( Sarva Pindi (@FrustratedCons3) January 20, 2020 Later, he thanked his fans and supporters. "Thank you all for the tremendous support. Your kind words have helped me more than anything else. I request all of you to closely guard your children and look out for sudden behaviour changes- they arent equipped with enough skills to communicate the horrors they survive." Thank you all for the tremendous support. Your kind words have helped me more than anything else. I request all of you to closely guard your children and look out for sudden behaviour changes- they arent equipped with enough skills to communicate the horrors they survive. Rahul Ramakrishna (@eyrahul) January 22, 2020 Rahul Ramakrishna was last seen in Telugu movie Ala Vaikunthapurramloo. Computer & Technology The virtual factory becomes a reality Modern factory planning thanks to the 3D factory layout 22.01.2020 15:08:51 - The path from 2D layout to Virtual Factory does not have to be long. Design software used in conjunction with a VR viewer leads the way. (live-PR.com) - Cambridge, UK and Pittsford, NY 22 January 2020: Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming commonplace due to its increasing popularity in the gaming industry. Companies within industry are also now recognizing the benefits of this technology and are starting to use it. The ability to virtually review designs even before the first physical prototype is created offers enormous advantages for - Cambridge, UK and Pittsford, NY 22 January 2020: Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming commonplace due to its increasing popularity in the gaming industry. Companies within industry are also now recognizing the benefits of this technology and are starting to use it. The ability to virtually review designs even before the first physical prototype is created offers enormous advantages for companies. Design systems continue to develop Factory design methods are advancing rapidly, and even though research has already made far-reaching progress in process and material flow optimization, the results are only slowly finding their way into industry. This is where software providers for factory design come in. As a result, proven design methods are being increasingly incorporated into the functional scope of their software systems. This means that even a small restructuring of a part of the production plant can take place on the basis of optimized design. SMEs benefit from modern factory design It is often wrongly assumed that the cost of using virtual reality for factory design is too high, especially for small and medium-sized companies. For this reason, corners are often cut during the design process. This means that potential is lost and it becomes harder to align production with increasing market demand at the design stage. Companies that use virtual reality to allow staff to immerse themselves in their new factory design, quickly benefit from the advantages. The use of VR often leads to the identification and elimination of problems that would otherwise only have become apparent later on. It is much cheaper to fix problems during the design phase than it is to rectify them during construction, and especially before the plant becomes operational. A very concise argument, especially for SMEs, when it comes to weighing the benefits of the virtual factory today. The path to a virtual factory The path from 2D layout to 3D design, to a virtual factory does not have to be complicated. Software providers like CAD Schroer GmbH offer a state of the art solution. With its factory layout software, entire buildings and production lines can be quickly designed, no matter how large or complex they are. The 3D factory model can then be easily exported to the popular FBX format. The FBX file can then be viewed using a VR viewer. With the M4 VIRTUAL REVIEW VR viewer, which is compatible with Microsoft Mixed Reality, CAD Schroer offers a direct way to achieve and experience a virtual factory. The software developer also supports companies in getting started with VR by providing 3D modelling services to customers whose machinery and buildings are not already available in 3D. CAD Schroer helps companies realise their first project and paves the way to their first virtual factory based on simple 2D layouts. How a virtual factory becomes a reality >> www.cad-schroer.com/news/articles/the-virtual-factory-becomes-a-reality/?pk_campaign=20200122_MPDS4FL-Virtuelle-Fabrik&pk_kwd=arvr&pk_source=presse&pk_medium=email About CAD Schroer CAD Schroer is a global software development company and engineering solutions provider, helping to raise the productivity and competitiveness of customers working in manufacturing and process engineering, including the automotive sector and its supply chain, the energy sector and public utilities. CAD Schroer has offices and subsidiaries throughout Europe and in the United States. CAD Schroers product portfolio includes 2D/3D CAD, plant design, factory layout and data management solutions. Customers in 39 countries rely on MEDUSA, MPDS, M4 ISO and M4 P&ID FX to provide an efficient, flexible and integrated design environment for all phases of product or plant design cutting costs while raising quality. CAD Schroers product and service portfolio also includes Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) solutions. Together with its customers, CAD Schroer develops immersive AR & VR apps using existing 3D CAD data for a wide range of applications, including impressive sales presentations, interactive training workshops, and servicing and maintenance guides. CAD Schroer apps are also used by distributed design teams to collaboratively review designs in virtual meeting rooms. CAD Schroer emphasizes close customer partnerships and supports its clients objectives through extensive consultancy, training, development, software support and maintenance services. Contact Information CAD Schroer GmbH Fritz-Peters-Strae 11 47447 Moers Germany Website: Email: Telephone: UK: +44 1223 850 942 USA: +1 866-SCHROER (866-724-7637) Germany: +49 2841 9184 0 Switzerland: +41 43 495 32 92 France: +33 141 94 51 40 Italy: +39 02 49798666 companies.Design systems continue to developFactory design methods are advancing rapidly, and even though research has already made far-reaching progress in process and material flow optimization, the results are only slowly finding their way into industry. This is where software providers for factory design come in. As a result, proven design methods are being increasingly incorporated into the functional scope of their software systems. This means that even a small restructuring of a part of the production plant can take place on the basis of optimized design.SMEs benefit from modern factory designIt is often wrongly assumed that the cost of using virtual reality for factory design is too high, especially for small and medium-sized companies. For this reason, corners are often cut during the design process. This means that potential is lost and it becomes harder to align production with increasing market demand at the design stage. Companies that use virtual reality to allow staff to immerse themselves in their new factory design, quickly benefit from the advantages.The use of VR often leads to the identification and elimination of problems that would otherwise only have become apparent later on. It is much cheaper to fix problems during the design phase than it is to rectify them during construction, and especially before the plant becomes operational. A very concise argument, especially for SMEs, when it comes to weighing the benefits of the virtual factory today.The path to a virtual factoryThe path from 2D layout to 3D design, to a virtual factory does not have to be complicated. Software providers like CAD Schroer GmbH offer a state of the art solution. With its factory layout software, entire buildings and production lines can be quickly designed, no matter how large or complex they are. The 3D factory model can then be easily exported to the popular FBX format. The FBX file can then be viewed using a VR viewer.With the M4 VIRTUAL REVIEW VR viewer, which is compatible with Microsoft Mixed Reality, CAD Schroer offers a direct way to achieve and experience a virtual factory. The software developer also supports companies in getting started with VR by providing 3D modelling services to customers whose machinery and buildings are not already available in 3D. CAD Schroer helps companies realise their first project and paves the way to their first virtual factory based on simple 2D layouts.How a virtual factory becomes a reality >>About CAD SchroerCAD Schroer is a global software development company and engineering solutions provider, helping to raise the productivity and competitiveness of customers working in manufacturing and process engineering, including the automotive sector and its supply chain, the energy sector and public utilities. CAD Schroer has offices and subsidiaries throughout Europe and in the United States.CAD Schroers product portfolio includes 2D/3D CAD, plant design, factory layout and data management solutions. Customers in 39 countries rely on MEDUSA, MPDS, M4 ISO and M4 P&ID FX to provide an efficient, flexible and integrated design environment for all phases of product or plant design cutting costs while raising quality.CAD Schroers product and service portfolio also includes Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) solutions. Together with its customers, CAD Schroer develops immersive AR & VR apps using existing 3D CAD data for a wide range of applications, including impressive sales presentations, interactive training workshops, and servicing and maintenance guides. CAD Schroer apps are also used by distributed design teams to collaboratively review designs in virtual meeting rooms.CAD Schroer emphasizes close customer partnerships and supports its clients objectives through extensive consultancy, training, development, software support and maintenance services.Contact InformationCAD Schroer GmbHFritz-Peters-Strae 1147447 MoersGermanyWebsite: www.cad-schroer.com Email: marketing@cad-schroer.com Telephone:UK: +44 1223 850 942USA: +1 866-SCHROER (866-724-7637)Germany: +49 2841 9184 0Switzerland: +41 43 495 32 92France: +33 141 94 51 40Italy: +39 02 49798666 Contact information: CAD Schroer GmbH Fritz-Peters-Str. 11 47447 Moers Contact Person: Gudrun Tebart Marketing Phone: +44 1223 850942 eMail: eMail Web: http://https://www.cad-schroer.com Author: Gudrun Tebart Gudrun Tebart e-mail Phone: +49 2841 91840 22.01.2020 15:08:51 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. A British entrepreneur has mysteriously vanished in Bali amid fears he plunged from a cliff beauty spot after leaving a note to his ex-girlfriend nearby. Authorities in Indonesia have identified Ryan Roth, 39, as the missing person after his belongings were found at the top of cliffs near the Selonding Temple in Pecatu Village on Monday morning. An abandoned motorbike was seen parked near the scene and closer to the cliff edge a bag filled with a helmet, a bottle of spirit and a letter to his former lover. The note said: 'I'm sorry Alice. I'm the man you fell in love with but past things I never did maybe you feel I was a stranger. I'll always love you. None of this is your fault. Your oldman xx.' Ryan Roth, 39, has been identified as the missing person after his belongings were found at the top of cliffs near the Selonding Temple in Pecatu Village on Monday morning Local officials stand at the site where Mr Roth's belongings were discovered close to the cliff edge on Monday morning Alice Yu (left), understood to be from Hong Kong, has been identified as the woman Mr Roth addressed his note (right) to by friends of his on social media Alice, understood to be from Hong Kong, has spoken to police since Mr Roth's disappearance and said there had been no problems with him recently. Concerned friends have posted on Mr Roth's Facebook page in recent days and identified Alice Yu as the woman he wrote the note to. As well as images of the note, photographs of Mr Roth's local driving licence and his British passport have circulated on social media. Mr Roth, according to his Facebook profile, is originally from Southampton and has founded several businesses including Roth Management and Kabu and Co. The bottom of the cliffs, which rise over 500ft above the sea, are covered in bushes and difficult to reach, rescue teams said Monday. The bottom of the cliffs, which rise over 500ft above the sea, are covered in bushes and difficult to reach, rescue teams in Bali said An abandoned motorbike was seen parked near the scene and closer to the cliff edge a bag filled with a helmet, a bottle of spirit and a letter to his former lover South Kuta Police chief Adj. Comr. Yusak Agustinus Sooai told the Jakarta Post it was possible that Mr Roth could have jumped from the cliff or fallen by mistake. Searches for Mr Roth are ongoing. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Bali, and are in contact with the Indonesian police who are carrying out the search.' DUBLIN, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Ireland's main opposition party Fianna Fail, leading opinion polls before an election on Feb. 8, would double the state levy on sites suitable for housing but not yet developed in an effort to increase much needed supply. A scarcity of housing has led to rapid rises in rents and homeless levels in Ireland's booming economy and is one of the key cost-of-living issues that could decide whether or not Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael Party wins another term. The fellow centre-right Fianna Fail said on Tuesday that it would increase the vacant-site levy introduced by Fine Gael to 14% from 7%. It also detailed a new scheme where the state would top up the savings of first-time home buyers up to the value of 10,000 euros by one-third, targeting prospective home buyers paying high rents and struggling to save deposits. The scheme would be limited to 25,000 applicants a year and run for five years in conjunction with the current "help to buy" tax rebate for first-time buyers, which Fianna Fail would also increase to 25,000 euros from the current 20,000 euro-level. Varadkar said on Monday that Fine Gael, which introduced the scheme in 2016, would boost the rebate to 30,000 euros if re-elected. Fianna Fail housing spokesman Darragh O'Brien said the party would also cut development levies paid by builders on condition that a project is completed within three years. He said the party would not introduce a temporary freeze on rents that it had previously considered but now believed was unconstitutional. Sinn Fein, Ireland's third largest party which an opinion poll on Monday put just two points behind Fine Gael and four shy of Fianna Fail, wants to freeze rents for three years and refund an average month's rent each year during that period. Other Sinn Fein policies such as lowering the statutory retirement age back to 65 from 66 appear to have struck a chord with voters. But both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail refuse to govern with Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Opinion polls suggest that one of the two largest parties will lead another minority government after the election. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin Editing by Gareth Jones) Silicon Valley AUVSI is proud to offer this symposium to the public and industry free of charge as we welcome the new decade and the immense growth of this industry. We're delighted to partner with NASA Ames Research Center on this event on February 27, 2020 The Silicon Valley Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International has announced a symposium on February 27, 2020 that'll bring together the brightest minds in the unmanned aviation industry to discuss the future of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and the state of Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM). Keynote speakers for this event include Dr. Eugene L. Tu, the Center Director at NASA's Ames Research Center, and Dr. Michael (Mike) Romanowski, the FAA Aircraft Certification Services (AIR) Director of the Policy & Innovation Division (AIR-600). Prior to joining AIR, Mike was the FAAs Director of Commercial Space Integration, where he provided executive leadership and direction for the evaluation and regulation of commercial spaceports, launches and reentries, and the integration of these operations within the National Airspace System. Mike also served as the FAA representative to the White Houses National Science and Technology Council and its Committee on Technology. He was the aviation advisor to the first-ever Chief Technology Officer of the United States during his time in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Mike also served as the FAA Director of NextGen Integration and Implementation, with responsibility for ensuring the integrated application, planning, programming, budgeting, and execution of FAAs NextGen air traffic management modernization portfolio. In these roles, he focused on developing and advancing strategies and policies across the federal government and the private sector to promote innovation and accelerate the benefits of federal investments in aviation and aeronautics. Dr. Eugene Tu leads a staff of civil servants and contractors in providing critical research and development support that makes NASA's and the nations aeronautics and space missions possible. Eugene was most recently director of Exploration Technology at Ames, a position he held from November 2005 until his selection as Ames center director in May 2015. There he led four technology research and development divisions, including two of NASA's critical infrastructure assets: the consolidated arc jet testing complex and the agency's primary supercomputing facility. He began his career as a research scientist conducting computational fluid dynamics research on the steady and unsteady aerodynamics of complex aircraft configurations. This symposium is a unique opportunity for industry, press, and the public to have access to these panelists and presenters. Industry leaders will discuss the most pressing issues related to Urban Air Mobility and UTM on exciting panels that include: Remote Identification, Emergence of Autonomous Urban Air Mobility, Airframe Designs for Urban Air Mobility, and Venture Perspectives. The day will be filled with talks from NASA scientists and thought leaders, as well as industry change makers like Jennifer Richter, Greg Deeds, Dean Donovan and Dr. Lance Eliot. This unique open forum will allow attendees to ask questions and discuss real issues facing the industry including research and operational priorities. Emergence of Autonomous Urban Air Mobility, moderated by NASA, will examine safety and progress in autonomous urban air mobility services. Venture Perspectives, moderator by author and investor Dr. Lance Eliot, will feature Dean Donovan from Diamond Stream Partners, investors in such industry successes as Volaris Airlines and Elroy Air. The day will also include a fireside talk by renowned Dr. Parimal PK Kopardekar of the NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) and Mr. Timothy Bennett, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This event is free and will take place in Silicon Valley at historic Moffett Field in Mountain View, California. The venue sits on the campus of NASA Ames Research Center. Symposium attendees will also have access to a networking reception at NASAs Spacebar. Tickets are available now, and more information can be found at UTM3.com. Contact: Jennifer Deeds Communications Director, Silicon Valley AUVSI Communications@SVCauvsi.org The coronavirus spreading in China appears to be contained for the time being, according to the CEO of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. Speaking to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Pascal Soriot said AstraZeneca had "plans for this kind of event" but, like competitor Merck, was waiting for guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) on how to respond to the outbreak. "It really looks like at this point it's very contained," Soriot told CNBC. "We have a very large presence in China we're the number one pharmaceutical company there, we employ 16,000 people so as you would imagine it matters to us, we really care a lot and we'll monitor this, but it really looks like it's contained for the time being." Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can be transmitted between animals and humans, and cause a range of illnesses from the common cold to more severe respiratory diseases, according to the WHO. A new strain of coronavirus that causes pneumonia was identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this month, with Chinese authorities confirming 440 cases and nine fatalities so far. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first U.S. case of coronavirus on Tuesday, and cases of the disease have also been reported in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The Supreme Court on January 22 rejected the cassation appeal of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) against the decision of the courts of previous instances to refuse the foreclosure of mortgage of Ihor Kolomoisky's company Gadzhibey LLC, the NBU said on the website. According to the report, in October 2014 the indicated company pledged two land plots in Odesa region to the NBU as collateral for a refinancing loan, which was provided to PrivatBank before its nationalization. Since Gadzhibey did not fulfill the obligations undertaken as the property guarantor of PrivatBank, the NBU filed a lawsuit to the Economic Court of Odesa region to repay the debt through foreclosure of the collateral property. The court of first instance on October 26, 2018 and the court of appeals on October 22, 2019 rejected the NBU's claims. The courts justified their position by the fact that the NBU had to collect the collateral from Gadzhibey only if it was impossible to write off the funds from PrivatBank's accounts. The report says when filing the lawsuit, the NBU was guided by the norms, in particular, of the law on the National Bank of Ukraine. The NBU is empowered to both write off funds from the accounts of debtor banks and to foreclose on mortgaged property of financial and property guarantors. Such a right is preferable and unconditional in satisfying the NBU's creditor requirements for the granted refinancing loans, which have matured. In addition, the Supreme Court has repeatedly stated: the right to indisputably write off funds from PrivatBank's accounts is not the NBU's duty, therefore, it does not in any way exclude and cannot exclude the statutory right to foreclose on a mortgage, in particular, in a judicial proceeding. This legal position was clearly indicated in disputes with similar legal relations. SANAA, Yemen - Fighting between Yemens internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels in the rebel-held capital Wednesday left at least 12 fighters dead, including two senior commanders, officials and tribal leaders said. Shells also hit a residential house killing at least three civilians, they said. Among the dead in the fighting in Sanaa were a military brigadier and a rebel commander. The clashes wounded dozens of others and forced scores of families to flee, the officials and tribal leaders said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Tribal leaders did so for fear of reprisals. Fierce clashes erupted late last week in the district of Nehm, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) northeast of the capital Sanaa, after nearly a year of relative calm in the strategic area. The Saudi-led coalition continued its airstrikes on Houthi targets in that area Wednesday, with the Houthis saying the coalition carried out at least 10 airstrikes. Another five civilians were wounded when shells hit their home in Nehm, the sources said. Abdu Abdullah Magli, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said the army made major progress on the ground, breaking through Houthi defences and advancing toward the district of Arhab, north of Sanaa. The Houthis, however, said they repelled several attacks by government forces and killed dozens of them. It wasnt possible to independently confirm the claims of either side. The fighting in Nehm intensified after a Houthi missile attack on a mosque in the central province of Marib killed at least 116 Yemeni government troops over the weekend. The death toll ranked among the highest from a single rebel assault since the start of the war, sparking widespread condemnation. U.S. and U.N. officials warned the military escalation could undermine peace efforts. The Information Ministry of the internationally recognized government said a ballistic missile by the Houthis hit the house of lawmaker Mosad al-Sawadi in Marib on Wednesday killing two family members. It said al-Sawadi, his brother and two children were wounded in the attack. The conflict in Yemen began with the 2014 takeover of the capital, Sanaa, by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who control much of the countrys north. A Saudi-led coalition allied with the internationally recognized government has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015. In the relentless campaign, Saudi-led airstrikes have hit schools, hospitals and wedding parties and killed thousands of Yemeni civilians. The Houthis have used drones and missiles to attack Saudi Arabia. The war has killed over 100,000 people and created the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. Legislation encouraging police to stop arresting Hoosiers for nonviolent misdemeanor crimes, such as marijuana possession, is advancing at the Statehouse. House Bill 1076 was unanimously approved Wednesday by the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee, and next week will go to the full, Republican-controlled House for a decision on whether to advance it to the Republican-controlled Senate. The measure clarifies an existing statute by authorizing police who witness a misdemeanor to simply issue the alleged perpetrator a summons to appear in court within seven days, rather than immediately arresting the person and hauling them off to jail. State Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, the sponsor, said her proposal will help reduce county jail overcrowding across Indiana and save misdemeanor offenders from losing their jobs or suffering other consequences due to being locked up for a day or two. The Lake County Council is among those paying close attention to this legislation, specifically in regard to marijuana possession. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus virus has gone up to nine with the confirmed infection cases sharply rising to 440, the health authorities said on Wednesday, warning that the disease could spread further in the ongoing Chinese holiday season during which millions travel at home and abroad. IMAGE: A thermal screening device at an airport in Kolkata checks passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong in view of outbreak of novel coronavirus in China. Photograph: PTI Photo The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a novel strain and not seen before. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, according to the WHO. The Chinese health authorities announced on Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday. The cases had resulted in nine deaths, all in central China's Hubei Province, Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission told at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Altogether 149 new confirmed cases were reported on Tuesday, Li added. Li said China was now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control following confirmation that that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place. The official said there was evidence that the disease was "mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract". Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, and one in Korea. The first case of the virus has now been reported in US with official confirmation that a person arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus. The patient was hospitalised on Sunday, after arriving in Seattle from Wuhan on January 15, officials at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said. Li said the figures from the commission show a total of 2,197 close contacts have been traced. A total of 1,394 are under medical observation while 765 people have been discharged. All of the deaths were reported in central Hubei province, where the virus first appeared in the city of Wuhan. China yet to confirm the exact source of the virus. "Though the transmission route of the virus is yet to be fully understood, there is a possibility of virus mutation and a risk of further spread of the epidemic," Li said. The warning comes as millions of people across China are travelling within the country and abroad for the Lunar New Year week-long holiday. The holiday season began on January 10 and would last for 40 days. Officially, China will declare week-long holiday from January 24. The Wuhan Health Commission said it would authorise medical institutions to quarantine all patients and people in close contact with them as a prevention and control measure, Li said. On Tuesday, the National Health Commission upgraded the coronavirus to a Class B infectious disease, but said it would use the stricter control measures for a Class A disease to handle the outbreak, meaning any infection nationwide must be reported within two hours and monitored. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization, which is holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday, will consider declaring an international public health emergency over the virus -- as it did with swine flu and Ebola. Such a declaration, if made, will be seen as an urgent call for a coordinated international response in view of fears that millions of Chinese are travelling at home and abroad for the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival holidays starting from January 24. The week-long festival triggers biggest mass migration, clogging road, rail and air networks every year. India has already issued a travel warning. Several countries started screening travellers coming from China, especially from Wuhan to detect symptoms like fever. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed on Monday about Chinese official's attendance at the emergency meeting of the International Health Regulation called by the WHO. PHOENIX Arizonas largest electric utility said Wednesday that it plans to switch to 100% carbon-neutral power generation by 2050, a sharp turnaround from a company that spent tens of millions of dollars two years ago to fight a ballot measure requiring it to use renewable sources. The move by Arizona Public Service is the latest in a string of targets set by states or utilities in the U.S. West to go carbon neutral as climate change pushes the region away from traditional sources like coal. Domestic coal-fired power generation has declined 40% over the past decade, contributing to a steep decline in coal mining and several bankruptcies. APS Chairman and CEO Jeff Guldner said the plan is different than the defeated ballot measure known as Proposition 127, which would have required utilities to get half their power from renewable sources by 2030. The new plan comes close to that but can be changed if needed. Flexibility is always the best thing to have when youre dealing with future energy policy, Guldner said. The biggest concern we had with 127 is there was no flexibility. It would have been ingrained in the (state) Constitution. As part of the plan, the company will close a major New Mexico coal-fired power plant seven years early but rely on the nations largest nuclear power plant as it adds renewable power, battery storage and other sources. The company operates and owns the majority of the massive Four Corners Power Plant outside Farmington, New Mexico. It uses coal from a mine in the Navajo Nation, and 80% of its 327 workers are Native American. The company plans to keep relying on the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix to provide about 25% of its power past 2050. The three-reactor plant is the largest in the nation and will be more than 60 years old by then. It produces power with no carbon emissions. By 2030, APS expects 65% of its power to be carbon neutral, including 45% from renewable sources. The company spent $38 million in 2018 to fight a proposal requiring half its power come from renewables by the same year. In the U.S. West, major utilities in New Mexico and Colorado have announced similar plans. California plans to be carbon neutral by 2045, while Nevada passed a law requiring 50% renewable power by 2030. APS expects to use utility-scale solar power plants, greatly increase battery storage and see growth in rooftop solar. Homeowners are installing solar panels even after Arizona regulators cut the amount they can get for pumping excess power back into the grid. Natural gas will be a significant bridge as the company seeks new technology to replace gas power plants. APS will stop using coal for power generation by 2031, when it plans to end operations at Four Corners. A major plant in northeastern Arizona that APS bought power from closed last year, and it plans to shutter the two units its owns at the Cholla Power Plant in eastern Arizona in 2025. Burning oil and coal emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, that is fueling rising global temperatures and climate change. The Arizona utility, owned by a publicly traded holding company known as Pinnacle West Capital Corp., serves 2.7 million people. Pinnacle West stock traded essentially flat Wednesday. Moodys Investors Service, a bond rating agency, lowered its outlook from stable to negative. Moodys vice president Laura Schumacher said the plan was positive from an environmental perspective but will likely add to a further decline in cash flow-based metrics. APS came under fire in recent years for spending millions to back favored candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities and must approve the companys plans. Guldner, who took over as CEO in November, told regulators this month that the utility wont spend on future commission elections. The decision to move to carbon-free power by 2050 was partially driven by public support for ideas behind the ballot proposal, Guldner said. The measure was initially popular but lost by a wide margin after APS spent big to highlight its costs to consumers. Clean power advocates praised the companys plan but said it was clear APS could have met the terms of the 2018 ballot proposal. We think its a good start, said Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter. Climate change is the biggest challenge we face, and its certainly affecting us big time in here in Arizona. Tom Steyer, a Democratic presidential candidate and billionaire who funded much of the campaign backing the proposition, called the announcement a huge win for the people of Arizona. Our efforts behind Proposition 127 in 2018 have moved the state to a clean energy future, he said in a statement. APS aims to send a clear message to industries supplying utilities that it needs innovative ideas to boost carbon-neutral power. That 2050 piece is not just a symbolic commitment, Guldner said. Its meant to be a signal that says this lets us focus on solving the gaps in the technology and the gaps we have today so that we can get there. The Russian Navy's top officer has admitted the country's hypersonic Zircon cruise missile is suffering 'childhood diseases.' Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said these issues - which he did not elaborate on - would take at least a few years to resolve before the 3M22 Zircon becomes operational. President Vladimir Putin last month boasted of his country's hypersonic arsenal when he unveiled a land-based variant of the 'unstoppable' missile with speeds of Mach 9 (7,000mph). The first sea test of the Zircon has yet to take place despite it being scheduled for the end of 2019, but Evmenov said it would likely be deployed from 'frigates.' Scroll down for video Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said these 'childhood diseases' - which he did not elaborate on - would have to be resolved before the 3M22 Zircon becomes operational Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a new cabinet meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Last month he proudly boasted of his country's 'unstoppable' new land-based variant of the Zircon missile Putin (left) alongside defence minister Sergei Shoigu (second left), Admiral Nikolai Evmenov (black jacket) and Commander of the Russian Army's Southern Military District Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov (right) in the Black Sea earlier this month According to experts this would probably be the Admiral Gorshkov class ships. Putin has said he believes that Russia is at the cutting edge of weaponry, unlike in the past when it was playing catch up with the United States. In addition to the Zircon, he claimed last month that the first unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle was set to go on duty, while the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have already entered service. Putin first mentioned the Avangard and the Kinzhal among other prospective weapons systems in his state-of-the-nation address in March 2018. Putin said then that the Avangard has an intercontinental range and can fly in the atmosphere at a speed 20 times the speed of sound. He noted that the weapon's ability to change both its course and its altitude en route to a target makes it immune to interception by the the enemy. Speaking Tuesday, he described the Avangard as a 'weapon of the future, capable of penetrating both existing and prospective missile defence systems.' A file photo from 2018 shows a display of a flight of the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide warhead over Russia. Speaking at a meeting with top military brass last month, Putin said that Russia has a critical edge in designing a new class of weapons unlike in the past when it was catching up with the United States The Kinzhal which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, pictured in an undated file photo, entered service with the Russian air force last year The Kinzhal, which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, entered service with the Russian air force last year. Putin has said that the missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 1,250 miles and can carry a nuclear or conventional warhead. The military said it's capable of hitting both land targets and navy ships. The United States and other countries also have worked on designing hypersonic weapons, but they haven't entered service yet. A special court of Judge Arun Kumar Aggarwal on Wednesday sentenced five persons to 12 years in jail in a drug recovery case. Police had recovered 47 bags each containing around 34kg poppy husk loaded in a truck from the godown of the prime accused. Those convicted are Pavittar Singh, Karam Singh and Davinder Singh of Ludhiana, Darshan Singh and Ram Lal of Sangrur and Paramanand of Bindashu in Uttar Pradesh. The case was registered on March 3, 2016 under Section 15 of the NDPS Act at Sahnewal police station. The prosecution stated that on March 2, 2016, the police had laid a naka at Kohara Chowk following a tip-off that the accused were moving a huge consignment of contraband. The godown of Pavittar Singh is located on Sahnewal road and the drug was being unloaded at that time, the police had been told by informers. However, the police conducted a raid at the warehouse and found truck full of plastic bags. On request of the accused, a gazetted officer was called to the spot and the truck was thoroughly searched. Samples were collected, which on being examined proved that the bags contained poppy husk. Feigenholtz, a House member since 1995, was appointed by Democratic Party committeemen in the 6th Senate District on the North Side. She was previously an assistant majority leader in the House under Speaker Michael Madigan and was Cullertons chief of staff before becoming a lawmaker. Feigenholtz most recently chaired the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee. Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is out on bail and remains under partial house arrest, leaves the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Jan. 21, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck) Its Time Ottawa Got Tough on China, Former Ambassador Says OTTAWACanada must take a stronger stand when it comes to the Chinese communist regime, says former ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques. His remarks come on day 408 of detention for Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrigimprisoned by China in apparent retaliation for Canadas arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhouand the same week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected a potential prisoner exchange. I have argued that the only language China understands is one of firmness, said Saint-Jacques, Canadas ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016. Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadas former ambassador to China, in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) So far, we have refrained from criticizing China for what its doing in Hong Kong. We have not been very forceful to deplore whats going on in the province of Xinjiang where over one million Uyghur have been in detention. Spavor and Kovrig were arrested in China on Dec. 10, 2018, nine days after Meng was taken into custody by Canadian authorities on a U.S. extradition request. Meng is wanted by U.S. authorities for fraud and conspiracy charges the Huawei CFO allegedly committed while doing business with Iran in violation of American sanctions against the Iranian regime. At a caucus retreat in Winnipeg on Jan. 20, Trudeau nixed the idea of exchanging Meng for Spavor and Kovrig, saying that Canada will abide by the rule of law. Manny Montenegrino, who was an adviser and a lawyer for former prime minister Stephen Harper, says Canada could show some backbone by going after Chinas insatiable appetite for Canadian coal. We are the largest exporter of coal in North America and we export it into Chinathey need our coalso I dont understand why the prime minister isnt saying we are going to retaliate, no more coal, Montenegrino said. It would be a win for the environmentalists in Canada, and its a win for trade, and maybe those two men come home. Why does he not do it? Given that Beijing barred Canadian pork, beef, and soy products due to alleged contamination, Saint-Jacques suggests increasing inspections of Chinese goods entering this country to ensure conformance to Canadian law. The former ambassador adds that Canada should revisit how domestic businesses and cash interact with the Chinese regime. The other thing we could do is a complete review of our investment policy and what were doing in terms of projects that involve the sale of technology or the collaboration on for instance artificial intelligence, he said. Is there a risk the products and technology thats developed through this research could be developed in China to limit freedom of expression? Saint-Jacques also says Canadian authorities should intervene when China tries to interfere on Canadian soil. The government has to be more forceful when we discover cases of interference in Canada because what China now expects from foreign countries is that we will exercise self-censorship, and by that I mean preventing campus debates on the situation in Taiwan, in Hong Kong, in Xinjiang, for example, he said. We know the Chinese government is very active in the Canadian-Chinese diaspora, so any time we catch them putting pressure on a Canadian of Chinese origin, we should react. And all this is a question of fundamental values that we feel are important. Over the years, I have followed the reports our supervisors have filed from their taxpayer-funded trips to the Wine Capitals of the World, all of which I have visited myself. On their trip to Oporto, if the Supervisors failed to visit the adjoining Douro Valley where Port is made, they certainly overflew it for 10 solid minutes. Where once forests thrived are now vineyard-denuded mountains and valleys as far as the eye can see where an occasional tree stands as a commemorative sculpture. Yet our Supervisors policy of replacing our forests with vineyards, wineries and visitor centers continues unabated. In her new capacity as board chairperson Diane Dillon vouched to make climate change a priority. It remains to be seen how our carbon sequestering forests will fare under her leadership. On their trip to Adelaide in South Australia, the Clair Valley and the adjoining Barossa, they must have noticed the scarcity of restaurants in the wine country outside the cities where fewer than a handful of wineries serve nominal food. Tourism is at a minimum, yet the wine business is healthy thanks to its export model. Driving around is a pleasure. Supervisor Ramos commented that: South Australia takes a proactive approach to agricultural biodiversity while Napa County tends to be more reactive. Excellent observation but where is the policy when we know that restoring a degraded biodiversity is a lost cause? In Rioja and the adjoining Ribera del Duero, the most prestigious wine regions in Spain, even the most coveted wineries have no restaurants. Supervisor Pedroza commented: They were puzzled when they were told that Napa County does not allow restaurants and weddings at wineries. Yes, they may have a wedding or two, but we all know that self-restraint needs no regulation, it is excess that does. Yet, we accommodate it. As a result, one can drive from village to village, town to town at 40 miles per hour any time of the day. Exports, distribution, off-site direct sales - the difficult money - rather than the destructive easy money tourism is the model we continue to promote. Following their most recent trip to Bordeaux, they must have realized that restaurants in the actual wine country are few and far between and food-serving wineries a rarity. This is in 284,000 acres, six times larger than the Napa Valley with 17 times the number of wineries, the overwhelming majority of which are and remain tiny. They average 33 acres per winery vs. 90, though even this number is deceptive because our small wineries are snapped up by conglomerates once the supervisors increase their size for the asking -- so elegantly legitimized them as bringing their violations into compliance. Yet, despite three times its winery density, driving around the Bordeaux wine country is a breeze. If oblivious to this, the supervisors must have noticed the different approach to tourism. With rare exceptions, especially at the most coveted chateau, visits are by appointment only no popping in, closed on weekends most practically made through a highly structured small vehicle tour industry. Such reception results in a 60- to 90-minute personalized experience, which promotes long-term loyalty to the region and the brand. Jean-Michel Cazes, owner of Lynch Bages winery and lifelong Bordeaux ambassador likes to say: When you visit, I am not looking to sell you wine, I want to sell you Lynch Bages. Compare that to our overcrowded tasting rooms where visitors hit one winery after another. Long- term thinking vs. short-term, measure vs. excess resulting in the internationally recognized disease, incurable once it has taken over its host: Napafication. When on another visit, one supervisor visited the Canadian Oil Sands, he characterized them merely as controversial. This for what National Geographic has termed: The most destructive oil operation in the world with toxic waste to fill 500,000 Olympic swimming pools. To their credit, the Canadians have instituted sophisticated carbon monitoring and sequestering devices. Yet, it took citizens lawsuits, not supervisor action, to compel Syar Industries to install more effective pollutant monitoring and capturing devices for its mining operation in Napa. As helpful then-Ag Commissioner Whitmers relationship from such a trip was in fighting the European grapevine moth sooner than later, this was not policy. I am not advocating eliminating the program, the $17,500 cost is too small to argue about, but after visiting Spain, Oporto, Adelaide, Bordeaux or the Oil Sands and perhaps others in the future, there is much to learn to adopt or to avoid. It is a shame to waste these valuable insights if they fail to affect policies at home. Christine Tittel Calistoga "He told me to bend over his lap," she said, noting she was then assaulted. "I didn't know what to think," she said of the difficulty of processing the alleged sexual abuse as a child. "It felt like a long time." The latter incident began when Sutherlin called her into his computer room and had her sit on his lap to watch pornography, she told jurors. She testified that she remembered seeing a woman crying in the video. "I said, 'Why is she crying?'" she said. "He said, 'She likes it.'" Sutherlin then switched to an animated Star Wars-themed pornographic movie, the teen testified. Later that same day, the defendant told the alleged victim she would need to be punished again because she had told his wife about the first round of punishment, the teen testified. He then repeated the same approach of molesting her, she told the court. "I didn't want to go back," she said. Sutherlin denies the accusations, and his defense attorney, Jesse Harper, told jurors Tuesday that Sutherlin did nothing more than spank the girl when she became hysterically upset over a cousin. MILWAUKEE, Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual, a leading financial security company, announced today it has been named one of the World's Most Admired Companies in its industry according to FORTUNE's annual survey for the 37th year. Since 1983, top executives and directors from eligible companies, as well as financial analysts, have determined the companies with the strongest reputations within and across industries. Northwestern Mutual secured the number one ranking for the "quality of products/services" and "social responsibility" categories. The company also ranked highly in the "financial soundness," "use of corporate assets," and "quality of management" categories. "It's an honor to once again be named one of the most admired companies in our industry by FORTUNE," said John Schlifske, Northwestern Mutual chairman, president and CEO. "This recognition is a testament to our employees and advisors nationwide and their commitment to helping our clients financially plan for what's most important so they can live their dreams today and every day after." To determine the best-regarded companies in 52 industries, FORTUNE asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate enterprises in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent. About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a distinctive, personalized planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial advisors with a digital experience to help its clients navigate their financial lives every day. With $272.2 billion in assets, $28.5 billion in revenues, and $1.8 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.5 million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. The company manages more than $160 billion of investments owned by its clients and held or managed through its wealth management and investment services businesses. Northwestern Mutual ranks 111 on the 2019 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2020. Northwestern Mutual also received the highest score among individual life insurance providers in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Life Insurance Satisfaction Study. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), and its subsidiaries, including Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC), Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, and member FINRA and SIPC, and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) a federal savings bank. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI. SOURCE Northwestern Mutual Related Links https://www.northwesternmutual.com Dowling recovering at home after long hospital stay State Rep. Matthew Dowling has returned home after suffering a one-vehicle crash in October. Dowling represents parts of Somerset County. Amazon Australia has announced it will speed up deliveries using an Uber-style app to contract drivers, who will need to be covered by insurance for any injuries they cause. The multinational giant launched Amazon Flex in Sydney and Melbourne on Wednesday, saying it would provide workers with an opportunity to "be their own boss and earn extra money in their free time". However, concerns have been raised in the US and Australia about Amazon's avoidance of legal liability for members of the public injured by its contractor delivery drivers. Amazon Flex is a new gig economy style approach to delivery services. Credit:Australian Financial Review Amazon said the Amazon Flex app would expand its delivery network and "speed up deliveries for customers". Its "delivery partners" will use their own vehicle and sign-up to four-hour work blocks. Former US Vice-President Al Gore, speaks at the Securing a Sustainable Future for the Amazon, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2020. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore believes the climate crisis is getting worse "way faster" than most people realize, describing it as a "challenge to our moral imagination." Delivering closing remarks at a World Economic Forum panel session on Wednesday, Gore spoke passionately about the climate emergency. At one stage, the co-founder of Generation Investment Management compared the scale of the crisis to a number of infamous historic events. It is "way worse" than many realize and intensifying "way faster" than people appreciate, Gore said. "This is Thermopylae. This is Agincourt. This is Dunkirk. This is the Battle of the Bulge. This is 9/11," he added. Gore's comments follow the the hottest year on record for the world's oceans, the second-hottest year for global average temperatures, and wildfires from the U.S. to the Amazon to Australia. Earlier this week, International Monetary Fund's chief economist Gita Gopinath raised a few eyebrows when she called India the biggest drag on global growth. IMF now expects the Indian economy to grow 4.8 percent this fiscal, a steep downgrade from the 7.5 percent it had forecast just a year ago. The Harvard economics professor, married to IAS officer Iqbal Dhaliwal, is the first-ever woman chief economist at IMF and is a renowned expert on international trade and finance. But long before her IMF stint, Gopinath has had a professional association with India. In 2016, Kerala had appointed the Mysuru-born economist as its economic advisor. Neo-liberal Gopinath Soon after the appointment, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan faced opposition from some senior leaders in his own party who said Gopinaths economic policies conflicted with the Left ideology. Some others said the Left's neo-liberal phobia was undermining Vijayans effort to bring in professional expertise to steer states growth. But ideology and economics are rarely compatible. In fact, veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan even wrote to the CPM central leadership questioning Vijayans decision. Marxist economist Prabhat Patnaik cautioned the LDF government that it should not fall into the trap of new economic development strategies. Such strategies are often anti-labour and against the interests of the common people. Remember, at that point, the southern states economy was in a parlous state. The main revenue source remittance money from the middle-east-- was hit by labour restrictions in the Gulf. The state was staring at an economic crisis long even before the devastating floods battered its economy. Gopinaths expertise could certainly come in handy. To be sure, many including the BJP-wing of Kerala favoured Vijayans decision to bring in Gopinath. She was seen as a competent economist and also as someone familiar with Keralas economy, and hence better placeed to guide the state out of its economic mess. Her neo-liberal views and pro-industry stance were largely in sync with the strategists in Vijayan's government as well, but not with the CPM's old-guard. They saw Gopinath's induction as an affront to their ideology. This ruffled some feathers in the Left fold, prompting the CPI-M politburo to seek an explanation from Vijayan's government and the CPI to question the appointment. "Neo-liberalism has become outdated worldwide," Kanam Rajendran, state secretary of the CPI, part of LDF in Kerala, told a private TV channel. "So we are not sure whether this Harvard professor (has) also made any change in her earlier stand on this," Rajendran said. Criticised note ban Unlike many economists in India, Gopinath wasnt a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2016 demonetisation programme. In fact, she was among the first prominent economists who criticised the note ban in strong words. "No. I dont think I know a single macroeconomist who thinks that this was a good idea. And, its not something I think should be done for a country such as India and the level of development it has, Gopinth said in a 2018 interview. Her logic: Japan has the highest cash per capita, way more than India. The cash in circulation, relative to the gross domestic product (GDP) for India was 10 percent, whereas in Japan it is 60 percent. That is not black money; that is not corruption," Gopinath said. But Gopinath praised Modis Goods and Services Tax (GST) calling it a real reform. However, at the same time, Gopinath pointed out the problem of lack of quality data on real economic parameters including the suspicious gross domestic product (GDP) figures, the absence of basic data such as state GDP per capita. That Gopinath took up the Kerala assignment showed her interest and willingness to work for India. Many think that with her expertise in international finance, trade and investment, international financial crises, monetary policy, debt, and emerging market crises, probably, she would have been a great addition to Indias economic recovery phase. Indias loss and IMFs gain? By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union's ombudsman has opened an investigation into how the EU's banking regulator approved a move by its executive director to become head of a top banking lobby. The European Banking Authority (EBA) said in September that its executive director, Adam Farkas, was resigning to become chief executive of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME). EBA put in place several conditions, including an 18-month ban on Farkas advising AFME and its members on topics directly linked to his work during his three years at EBA. The AFME declined to comment. Farkas could not immediately be reached for comment. But some EU lawmakers said the conditions were too lenient for what they described as another example of a "revolving door" that allows EU officials to end up in lucrative private-sector jobs too easily. "The inquiry is based on a complaint from the organisation Change Finance, which argued that the Executive Director's move to the Association for Financial Markets in Europe will create conflicts of interest," the ombudsman said in a statement on its website. In a letter dated Jan. 16 to EBA's chair, former Santander banker Jose Manuel Campa, the EU ombudsman sets out a series of questions for the watchdog to answer, including when and how did Farkas become aware of the job opportunity at AFME. It also asked why Farkas appeared to remain a board member of a sister EU watchdog, the European Securities and Markets Authority, after tending his resignation at EBA. "As to the Ombudsman's decision to open an investigation into Adam Farkas move to AFME, of course we acknowledge this decision and remain committed to cooperating with them and replying to their enquiry," EBA said on Tuesday. Change Finance lobbies to end "casino" banking and to press the financial sector to invest more in socially and ecologically sustainable activities. Story continues The ombudsman conducts inquiries into cases of alleged maladministration by EU institutions, though it has no powers to make its rulings binding. Gerry Cross has been nominated to replace Farkas at EBA. He is currently a regulatory policy official at the Central Bank of Ireland and, between 2011 and 2015, was head of lobbying at AFME. (Reporting by Huw Jones, editing by Larry King) HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TPC Group Inc. today announced that it will host an investor relations call on Tuesday, February 4 at 9 a.m. U.S. Central Time. The call will provide an update to investors on the progress of events that have occurred since the Port Neches Operations incident on November 27, 2019. About TPC Group TPC Group, headquartered in Houston, is a leading producer of value-added products derived from petrochemical raw materials such as C4 hydrocarbons, and provider of critical infrastructure and logistics services along the Gulf Coast. The Company sells its products into a wide range of performance, specialty and intermediate markets, including synthetic rubber, fuels, lubricant additives, plastics and surfactants. With an operating history of 75 years, TPC Group has manufacturing facilities in the industrial corridor adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel and Port Neches, Texas, and operates a product terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana. CONTACT: Investor Relations PHONE: 713.840.2435 The UKs access to the single market will be weakened if it does not continue to sign up to EU rules after Brexit, Ursula von der Leyen has said. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the European Commissions president warned of more distance between the UK and EU if such a state of affairs came about. She also insisted that trade talks would begin in February, following speculation that there could be a further delay until March. Her comments came as the chancellor, Sajid Javid, said there was no point in leaving the EU unless the UK was going to ditch the Brussels rule book. Ms Von der Leyens said that the next negotiations will start in February with our British friends and said officials would work day and night to reach a deal. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has set himself a deadline of reaching a trade deal by the end of the transition period in December. If one is not secured by that point, UK firms will face tariffs and quotas that could wreck their businesses. The closer the UK is to the European Union, the better the access to the single market, Ms Von der Leyen told the conference. If it is the UKs choice not to do so, to be more distant to the European Union, well, then there will be more distance to the single market where the level playing field is concerned and where free movement of goods, capital and services is concerned. Mr Javid, who was also speaking at the conference, said a deal could absolutely be agreed by 31 December. There is a strong belief on both sides it can be done, he said. Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes Show all 8 1 /8 Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes Conservative party leader Boris Johnson drives a JCB through a fake wall POOL/AFP via Getty Images Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes PA Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes AFP via Getty Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes PA Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes REUTERS Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes PA Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes AFP via Getty Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes AFP via Getty Both sides recognise, of course, that its a tight timetable, a lot needs to be put together in the time that we have, but it can be done and it can be done for both goods where we want to see free trade, zero tariffs, zero quotas but also on services. The UK is set to leave the EU at the end of the month once the withdrawal agreement has been ratified. (Alliance News) - Ceres Power Holdings PLC on Wednesday said Germany's Robert Bosch GmbH has substantially increased its stake in the UK fuel-cell company in a GBP77 million investment. Engineering firm Bosch will lift its stake in Ceres to approximately 18% from around 4% previously. Bosch has subscribed for 11.9 million new Ceres shares at 320 pence each, raising GBP38 million for Ceres. At the same time, via a reverse accelerated bookbuild, Robert Bosch has purchased approximately 12.3 million existing Ceres shares at the same price. Ceres won't receive any money from this part of the investment, as it involves existing shares. The 320p per share price represents a 7.8% discount to Ceres's closing price on Tuesday, but a 30% premium to Ceres's average share price over the past three months ended Tuesday. The stock was up 2.3% at 355.00 pence in London on Wednesday morning, giving a GBP543.4 million market capitalisation. The reverse accelerated bookbuild was completed Wednesday, conducted on Bosch's behalf by sole bookrunner Deutsche Bank AG. Bosch will have around 30.1 million Ceres shares in total or 17.8% of the enlarged share capital. Ceres plans to use the funds raised from the Bosch subscription to find more uses for solid oxide fuel cells and to diversify its research and development activity with the goal of finding possible electrolysis applications for Ceres' technology. Bosch and Ceres signed a strategic agreement in August 2018, under which they have been collaborating to develop fuel-cell stacks for use in stationary power. This allowed Bosch, in late 2019, to start initial low-volume pilot systems in Germany. The higher Ceres stake aims to support this collaboration between the firms with the goal of "future scale up and mass manufacture of the Ceres SteelCell for multiple applications". Phil Caldwell, chief executive of Ceres, said: "We welcome this investment by Bosch which is further endorsement of our technology and the work done by our respective teams over the past year. Our successful partnership with some of the world's leading [original equipment manufactures], including Bosch, has seen us develop fuel cell applications for home, commercial and heavy transportation applications and establish Ceres as one of the leaders in the fuel cell industry. "This new investment will allow us to build upon this strong position and grow the business further into new areas which are needed for the energy transition such as electrolysis for hydrogen and synthetic e-fuels and developing higher power applications while also continuing to focus on the commercialisation of our core power systems." By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix American Financial Services, Inc. ("Phoenix") is pleased to announce its new client partnership with Forum Partners ("Forum"). Phoenix will support Forum with its full fund administration services suite including fund accounting as well as its industry leading investor services platform. Forum will benefit from Phoenix American's combination of advanced technology, focus on customer service and long experience with the unique operational requirements of specialized alternative investment funds. Phoenix American Financial Services Forum Partners Based in Old Greenwich, CT, Forum invests in and alongside specialized middle market real estate companies with a demonstrated ability to add value. Forum's expertise is in tailoring financial and strategic solutions for partners and driving growth by identifying catalysts to unlock asset and enterprise value. Forum partners with public and private companies, underwriting the sponsor and the real estate. Each investment is approached from a multi-asset class perspective with the goal of aligning interests and prioritizing downside mitigation before focusing on upside potential. Investments typically include a current income component and an equity cushion. Forum maintains a local presence in the geographies in which the company invests. Its strategy seeks to form exclusive relationships with seasoned sector focused real estate operating companies with scalable strategies. As the sophistication of alternative real estate funds increases along with regulatory requirements, more funds turn to Phoenix American's suite of advanced operational solutions. Phoenix has combined the most efficient systems in alternative investments with time tested back office processes since its origins as a fund sponsor beginning in 1972. Phoenix American's industry leading STAR-XMS transfer agent system reflects the Company's experience as a fund sponsor and its decades of experience as an administrator for alternative investment funds. Russell Platt, Chief Executive Officer of Forum Partners, commented: "We look forward to working with Phoenix American Financial Services as we launch Forum Global Investments, LP. We have worked with Phoenix previously and received superior customer service for our investors. We are confident that Phoenix American's technology and commitment to customer service can support our current and future needs." "Forum Partners is a world class fund sponsor with an impressive ability to unlock asset value for investors," said Andrew Constantin, Senior Vice President, Operations for Phoenix American. "It has been our pleasure to work with Forum in the past and we look forward to supporting this next phase in the firm's history of investment success." Phoenix American Financial Services, Inc. provides back office outsourcing, fund administration services and sales and marketing reporting to companies in the alternative investment industry. The Company is an affiliate of Phoenix American Incorporated along with Phoenix American SalesFocus Solutions. The Phoenix American aircraft group, including its Irish subsidiary, PAFS Ireland Limited, provides managing agent services for asset backed securitizations in the commercial aircraft and engine leasing industry. Phoenix American has five offices worldwide, was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in San Rafael, CA. Media Contact: David Fisher 415-485-4673 [email protected] SOURCE Phoenix American Financial Services DAVOS, Switzerland Xiaomi, one of the largest smartphone players in the world, is still hopeful of entering the U.S. market, despite the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing, a top executive told CNBC. The Chinese consumer electronics company has been on a huge international expansion drive over the past few years, launching its products in India, Europe and other parts of the world. But it has yet to enter the U.S., a market dominated by Apple and Samsung. In 2018, a senior executive at Xiaomi told CNBC that the firm was building its "resources" to enter the U.S. So far that has not happened. But speaking to CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Shou Zi Chew, Xiaomi's president of international and current chief financial officer, said the U.S. was still in its sights. When asked if Xiaomi was still looking at the American market despite the ant-China sentiment and dominance of Apple and Samsung, Shou said the company was. "The reality is that we are still a nine-year old company ... Our global expansion only started sometime in 2014, 2015. So we still need more time in order for us to grow into new markets," Shou told CNBC. "And in time, I would like us to grow into as many markets as we can so that we can provide our products to as many users as we can ... including the U.S." Shou said that Xiaomi was in the "preparation stage" of entering the U.S. MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Amir Bajoghli of the Skin and Laser Surgery Center added to the wealth of knowledge of the medical community with his presentation of two medical papers at the largest European dermatology meeting. The annual European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) congress, now in its 28th year, was held in the beautiful city of Madrid, Spain. Here, doctors from around the world met to discuss advances in the field of medicine and dermatology. Highlights of these presentations included two medical papers written and shared by Dr. Amir Bajoghli. In his speech, Dr. Amir Bajoghli discussed the first case of basal cell carcinoma (a common form of skin cancer) arising inside the nostril, that was treated successfully with Mohs surgery. The purpose of his presentation and publication was to educate all other physicians and the medical community at large about the occurrence and treatment of this common cancer in an unusual anatomical location. Dr. Bajoghlis second presentation discussed the occurrence of angioedema (swelling beneath the surface of the skin) of the lips in an adult patient as the first manifestation of a blood cancer known as myeloid dysplasia. This was the first reported case in the world medical literature and Dr. Bajoghli was honored to share this new information with the international medical community. Dr. Amir Bajoghli has been active in the practice of dermatology and laser surgery since the completion of his training at the combined Tufts University and Boston University. He regularly presents lectures to other physicians regionally and internationally, and teaches medical students and dermatology residents at Georgetown University. Dr. Amir Bajoghli can be reached at either of his Virginia offices: McLean: 1359 Beverly Rd., 2nd Floor McLean, VA 22101 (703) 893-1114 Woodbridge: 2200 Opitz Blvd., Suite 100 Woodbridge, VA 22191 (703) 492-4140 Appointment 22 January 2020 A skilled professional recognised for his comprehensive knowledge of international cuisine and specialisation in Italian food, Chef Jacopo Avigo, who hails from the Pianura Padana region of Lombardy in Italy, has joined JW Marriott Chandigarh as its Italian Chef de Cuisine. Having a rich experience of 12 years in managing fine dining, Chef Avigo is known for refining the art of cooking, developing impressive menus and preparing culinary dishes influenced by culturally diverse regions around the globe. In his new role, Chef Avigo has been entrusted with heading the operations of Oregano, the iconic Italian speciality restaurant at JW Marriott Chandigarh. His first task will be to oversee the relaunch of Oregano in an all-new avatar, encompassing a new decor and an entirely new menu curated by him. An expert in Italian cuisine, Chef Avigo has been on a very interesting journey in the world of flavours, something which reflects in his preparations. From cooking at home for his family at the tender age of eight to working at a restaurant as a 15-year-old, Chef Avigo is a well-travelled culinary enthusiast who had left home at the age of 18 in search of enriching experiences. Prior to joining JW Marriott Chandigarh, Chef Avigo worked in properties like Marriott Suites at Pune in India and in various other countries, including Germany, England and Spain as well as different locations within Italy. While always carrying Italian culinary traditions close to his heart, he also embraced the culture of other places with an open mind. This vast exposure has helped define his culinary approach, enabling him to design the new menu of Oregano that offers both Traditional and Modern Italian Cuisine. Abiding by the philosophy of Respect for Ingredients, Chef Avigo, who practices the concept of zero-waste cooking, believes that respect and care for ingredients is the secret recipe for an unforgettable culinary experience. At the same time, this savvy Italian culinary maestro loves to experiment with concepts like molecular gastronomy and spherification. Besides being a culinary artist, Chef Avigo is equally adept in supervising all aspects of kitchen management, including monitoring food production and aesthetic presentation of food & beverages, given his in-depth understanding of health, safety and sanitation. He also knows the nuances of quality management systems, food safety management systems and HACCP. Backed by an iconic brand like Marriott International and the appeal of the region's pioneering hospitality destination, JW Marriott Chandigarh, Chef Avigo is all set to rekindle the region's romance with Oregano, North India's much loved Italian speciality restaurant. One of the closely fought seats this poll season in Delhi will be Hari Nagar in West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Both and the have gone for fresh faces. While the has fielded its rabble-rouser Tajinder Bagga, has replaced its two time MLA Jagdeep Singh with Raj Kumari Dhillon. There are a total of 1,74,463 voters this time from this constituency with 92,731 male and 81,726 female voters. Last time, ally Shiromani Akali Dal fought from this seat and lost by more than 15,000 votes to the candidate. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Jagdeep Singh had won the seat twice in a row -- both in 2013 and 2015. But before the AAP came into being, from 1993 to 1998, the seat has been a BJP bastion. This time around, Bagga, who is also the Delhi BJP spokesperson, has been fielded from this Sikh majority constituency. Dhillon was brought in to counter any anti incumbency by AAP. Soon after Bagga's name was announced on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, he released a poster that says "Neta nahi, Beta (I am a son, not a leader)", which appears to be his campaign slogan. However, Dhillon is riding on the Arvind Kejriwal wind and the party's slogan of "Acche bitey 5 saal (Last 5 years were well spent)". Mayapuri, Nanakpura, Paraag Vihar are key areas that encircle the Hari Nagar constituency. Scarcity of clean water and parking space remain top electoral issues even in 2020. Residents often complain of illegal parking. As candidates, both have to convince the electorates here that they have a formidable road plan to address their concerns. With CAA protests rocking Delhi, it is expected to come up in the discourse during campaign. BJP hopes to capitalise on that, given Sikhs, who form a significant part of the constituency, will be benefiting from the legislation as well. The Citizenship Amendment Act makes it easier for the non-Muslim immigrants facing religious persecution in Muslim-majority nations -- Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan -- to become Indian citizen and reduces the stipulated years one needs to spend in India for applying for citizenship. Delhi will poll on February 8 and the results will come on February 11. Jay Leno joked that she should name her first daughter 'North' three months before her June 2013 birth. Kim Kardashian revealed nearly seven years later that it was the late night host who gave her the idea for the unusual name, even though she dismissed it outright at the time. The 39-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star opened up during an intimate makeup tutorial posted Tuesday to YouTube by her younger sister Kylie Jenner, 22. Influential joke: Kim Kardashian revealed Tuesday in a video with her sister Kylie Jenner, 22, that Jay Leno jokingly gave her the idea to name her first child North; shown in March 2013 While Kylie applied some of her own cosmetic products to her face, the two answer questions from their Twitter fans. One user asked: 'where did get all your baby name ideas? [sic]' 'North took me like a week to name her not a week. Four or five days.' The Kim let slip that it was the comedian who could take credit for giving her the idea. 'I actually got it from Jay Leno, who made it as a joke,' she admitted. Makeover: While Kylie applied some of her own cosmetic products to her face, the two answer questions from their Twitter fans Stumped: 'North took me like a week to name her not a week. Four or five days.' The Kim let slip that it was the comedian who could take credit for giving her the idea 'I actually got it from Jay Leno, who made it as a joke,' she admitted; pictured in December 'And I was like, "No way, I would never name my daughter that." Like, I said that on his show.' But one Jay had mentioned the name it started to pick up steam with the reality star and her friends. 'Everyone was coming up to me like, "It's such a cool name. You should really think about it." 'And then Pharrell had all these cool meanings,' she added. Rejected: 'And I was like, "No way, I would never name my daughter that." Like, I said that on his show' Second thoughts: But one Jay had mentioned the name it started to pick up steam with her friends. 'Everyone was coming up to me like, "It's such a cool name. You should really think about it." Fitting: Kylie certainly thought Kim made the right choice when it came to North's name. 'It's so her,' she interjected Kylie certainly thought Kim made the right choice when it came to North's name. 'It's so her,' she interjected. 'They really become the name that you name them,' agreed Kim. The connection between Leno's joke and North's eventual name was noted in 2013, shortly after her birth was announced, but this appears to be the first time that Kim has given the late night host credit. The entrepreneur also revealed that she was similarly stumped when it came time to name their son Saint, four, though Kanye was able to supply that name. Making it fit: 'They really become the name that you name them,' agreed Kim Third time's the charm: Kim admitted that Saint also was hard to come up with until her husband Kanye West thought of it, while Chicago only took about two weeks of brainstorming Chicago, two, came a little easier, and Kim said the name came to her after about 'two weeks.' And the credit for her eight-month-old son Psalm went to her own youngest sister, Kylie sort of. 'Well you thought of it, and I vouched for it,' Kylie corrected her. The president will be in Wildwood next week, which will mean a major change when it comes to traffic. In preparation for President Donald Trumps campaign rally, Wildwood, North Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest announced Wednesday that the traffic lights in the area would be switched from the flashing yellow signals to the regular traffic rotation beginning Monday, Jan. 27. With the anticipated influx of visitors for the visit by the President, all three of the Wildwoods made the decision to reactivate the street lights for safety reasons, North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello told NJ Advance Media. Trump will be coming to the Wildwood Convention Center for a campaign rally Jan. 28 to support new Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew. In most Shore towns, the signals remain in a flashing yellow during the off-season because the amount of traffic is significantly less than during the busy summer season. The change will only be temporary. Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 29, the lights will revert to flashing yellow signals. Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. This color photograph of Comet Kohoutek (C/1973 E1) was captured from the Catalina Observatory in Arizona, on Jan. 11, 1974. (Image credit: NASA) During the recent holiday season, while doing a bit of housecleaning, I came across a relic from 46 years ago:. a Christmas card from 1973 celebrating the impending arrival of what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime sight a dazzling comet, the Comet Kohoutek (C/1973 E1). I looked at the card and let out a small sigh. For those of a certain age, the name "Kohoutek" will always be linked to the celestial spectacle that never was. Christened for months as "The Comet of the Century," the object never came remotely close to living up to expectations. As one of my fellow stargazing compatriots later commented: "It was one of the few comets that came with a fuse attached to it; it was a bomb of unbelievable proportions." Related: 'Comets of the Centuries': 500 years of the greatest comets ever seen A Christmas Card from December 1973, commemorating the impending arrival of Comet Kohoutek. The comet was expected to be a stupendously bright object, but ended being a visual disappointment; much fainter than predictions had suggested. Inside, the card reads: "May this very special star, which came quickly from afar, bring to you throughout the year peace happiness and good cheer!" (Image credit: Joe Rao/Fair Use) Big expectations Comet Kohoutek was discovered at Hamburg Observatory in Germany by astronomer Dr. Lubos Kohoutek (pronounced "Ko-ho-tek") on March 7, 1973, while he was making photographic observations of asteroids. When first sighted, the comet was some 465 million miles (748 million kilometers) from the sun, out near the orbit of Jupiter (although nowhere near the planet itself). At the time, this was a record farthest distance for the discovery of a comet, and it was then relatively bright, as far as comets go, for being so far from the sun. The hope was that if it was so bright and unusual then, it would continue to be bright and unusual as it neared the sun. But it merely remained unusual rather than getting bright. The first predictions indicated that Kohoutek would become visible to the naked eye in early November, in the early morning sky, and brighten to second magnitude (as bright as Polaris, the North Star) by Thanksgiving, and then become as bright as the planet Jupiter (magnitude -2) by mid-December. On Dec. 28, the comet would arrive at perihelion its closest point to the sun just 13.2 million miles (21.2 million km) away. Estimates of its brightness then ranged upwards to a resplendent magnitude of -10 so bright that it might be possible to see the comet in full daylight with the naked eye, by simply blocking the sun with an outstretched hand. Then all through January 1974, the comet, having switched over into the evening sky, was forecast to evolve into a spectacular object, accompanied by a long gossamer tail so bright that even from big cities it would be plainly evident. Racing back out into the distant reaches of space, the comet would slowly fade, finally becoming invisible to the naked eye by mid-February. Comet craze Artist's conception of a changing Comet Kohoutek, based on sketches and descriptions by Skylab 3 astronaut Edward G. Gibson. (Image credit: NASA) The prospect of such a bright comet sent the mainstream media into a frenzy. By mid-summer of 1973 everybody was aware of the amazing sky show that was being promised by year's end. Tours were arranged to dark-sky sites to view it. There was even a special three-day "Comet Kohoutek Cruise" in December 1973 on the iconic passenger cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, which would sail out into the Atlantic to look for the comet. There were all sorts of comet paraphernalia put into circulation: T-shirts, hats, books, badges, and yes, holiday-greeting cards galore. The only problem? The comet brightened ... but at a much slower rate than expected. By the end of November, the comet was barely visible to the naked-eye and during December it shone 50 to 100 times fainter than anticipated. Countless numbers of people who arose before sunrise, looking for a stunning spectacle, saw nothing. Even the cruise ship ran into bad luck: Clouds constantly prevailed above with rough seas. On board was Dr. Kohoutek himself, who was to give a talk on "his" comet, but was unable to because he got seasick. But then, as Kohoutek rounded the sun on Dec. 28, it suddenly became very bright, giving hope that it would more than make up for its poor showing in the morning sky by putting on a much better display as an evening object. Best views were from space Comet Kohoutek's halo photographed in hydrogen Lyman-alpha light with the electrographic camera aboard Skylab. (Image credit: NASA) By far and away, the very best views of Comet Kohoutek were seen by three individuals who were orbiting 272 miles (438 km) above the Earth: NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, William Pogue and Edward Gibson: the crew of Skylab 3. Gibson noted in the October 1974 issue of Sky & Telescope that "For us it was a very elegant and impressive sight. On December 29, 1973, one day after perihelion, the comet was first seen at sunset while Commander Carr and I were outside during extravehicular activity (EVA) and looking through sun visors. It was an awe-inspiring sight. The comet was extremely bright and had an unusual sunward spike. The overall color of the comet was bright yellow." But apparently, Kohoutek went on a splurge as it swept around the sun, shedding more gas and dust than anticipated. Unfortunately, the splurge was short-lived; only a week later, the comet dimmed rapidly, until it appeared no brighter than an ordinary star. "It was fainter than faint," noted Gibson. Related: Spectacular comet views from Earth and space Changes in the appearance of Comet Kohoutek from Jan. 11 to Jan. 20, 1974. Photographs taken at the Joint Observatory for Cometary Research. (Image credit: NASA/JOCR) We deserved better. Of course, most people on Earth were expecting to see something akin to a spotlight in the night sky during the first two weeks of January 1974. American humorist Art Buchwald wrote a satirical column that was syndicated in many newspapers. The columnist contacted the fictional Universal Star Company, complaining about the comet which Buchwald claimed was a fraud. "I was promised a dazzling display of celestial brilliance that would fill the sky with a million moons," Buchwald wrote, to which the faux company's response was, "Your comet was recalled. It had a faulty tail and a bad paint job." By mid-January, binoculars or a telescope were needed to find the comet. Gibson also wrote: "To have viewed Comet Kohoutek as we did from Skylab was a rare opportunity, and our only regret is that everyone on the ground could not see it equally well while it was so close to perihelion." In the end, Kohoutek was labeled as the "Flop of the Century" or simply "Comet Ko-flop-tek." Astronomy ended up with a public-relations black eye, and because they were "burned," the mainstream media made certain to steer clear of any future stories regarding the subject of comets. This was truly unfortunate, because just two years later, another comet Comet West (C/1975 V1) put on a spectacular show in the predawn skies of early March 1976, briefly becoming bright enough to be glimpsed in daylight and developing not one, but several tails. But it received only short shrift in newspapers, while radio and television all but ignored it. Perhaps one of the most beautiful comets to appear in the 20th century. Comet West was discovered on Nov. 1975, by Richard West of the European Southern Observatory in Chile. At that time, it was only a barely discernible, fuzzy speck on a photographic plate. It swept to within 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) of the sun in late February 1976 and briefly became bright enough to be seen in broad daylight. Its nucleus broke into four parts on its way back out into space. The fragments may return in about 556,000 years. (Image credit: Joe Rao) What happened? The root of all the excitement centered on Kohoutek's abnormal brightness at the time of discovery, which suggested that it was an unusually large and active object. What we have since learned is that Kohoutek was a "new" comet in a parabolic orbit that is, it never passed near the sun before and its surface was likely covered with very volatile materials such as frozen nitrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These ices vaporize far from the sun, giving a distant comet a short-lived surge in brightness that can raise unrealistic expectations. Several other flops have appeared over the years. In addition to Kohoutek, there was Comet ISON (C/2012 S1), which disintegrated when it swept very near to the sun during Thanksgiving 2013, and Comet Austin (C/1989 X1), which was promoted as potentially a "monster comet" in the spring skies of 1990, but never got much brighter than fifth magnitude barely bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. This stunning portrait of Comet ISON, officially designated as C/2012 S1, was captured by John Nassr on Nov. 15, 2013, from his Stardust Observatory in Baguio City in the Philippines. (Image credit: John Nassr) Then there was Comet Cunningham (C/1940 R2), which was expected to become a rather spectacular sight during the Christmas season of 1940. Like Kohoutek, the prospect of a bright Christmas comet came with lots of favorable publicity. Astronomers of that pre-World War II era were frequently queried as to when would be the best time to view it, as well as how to photograph it. At Harvard Observatory, astronomers received a telegram, since published in Sky & Telescope, that gave an indication of what most expected: "Greatly interested [in] your report that Cunningham's comet will flame across the sky this Christmas season. It reminds me of another great star which upon another Christmas, portended the coming of Christianity and peace and good will to men. I should like to photograph this comet for the Queen of Queens, screen drama of Mary of Nazareth. Will appreciate your opinion regarding photographic possibilities. Please wire me at my expense Paramount Studios, Hollywood. Cecil B. De Mille." But Comet Cunningham was a "first-timer" like Kohoutek, and soon after it was discovered its initial surge of brightness inexplicably slowed. By Christmas the comet was only one-hundredth as bright as predictions had originally indicated another flop! Still rife with uncertainty We can't arbitrarily state with absolute certainty that all new comets turn into duds. Comet Arend-Roland (C/1956 R1) was a first-timer that put on a dramatic show during the spring of 1957. So there is always a "chance" that even a new comet can evolve into a spectacular celestial showpiece. We can never really be sure. Lastly, the predictions on Kohoutek were based on what could be expected from it compared to an "average comet." The trouble is, there apparently is no such thing as an "average comet." If there is a proverb to this essay, I leave you with this oft-quoted statement from comet expert Dr. Fred L. Whipple: "If you must bet, bet on a horse, not a comet." Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. US President Donald Trump and climate activist Greta Thunberg talked past each other in duelling speeches at Davos on Tuesday on the climate crisis facing the planet. Trump avoided the World Economic Forums key topic this year of climate change, beyond a dismissive reference to alarmists determined to control every aspect of our lives. Thunberg and three other young climate activists told gathering the world leaders are not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency and warned them that time was running out. We must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse, Trump told an audience that included Thunberg, adding that his stewardship of the booming US economy, spurred on by soaring oil and gas production, meant that this is a time for optimism. Thunberg, in typically uncompromising comments made at either end of Trumps appearance, accused the elite Davos crowd of empty words and promises that amounted to doing nothing about climate change. Even if the anticipated Trump versus Greta rematch (after she scowled at him at the United Nations in New York) may not have quite materialised - neither mentioned the other by name, nor did they meet - their differences reflect equally entrenched sides of the climate debate. Only a handful of executives from the oil, gas and coal industries that are chiefly responsible for warming the planet were seen attending the panel at which Thunberg spoke, for example. Trump was greeted on arrival by giant letters etched in the Davos snow spelling out: ACT ON CLIMATE. Just as Trump was arriving in Davos, Thunberg said, We need to start listening to the science, and treat this crisis with the importance it deserves. Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris accord to limit climate change and has traded barbs with Thunberg on social media. Without treating it as a real crisis we cannot solve it, Thunberg said. It feels like the climate and environment is a hot topic now, thanks to young people pushing. The others on the panel were just as forceful and passionate about the effects of global warming and how they need to play a central role in raising awareness and insist on change. The EU-Ukraine Association Council will meet in Brussels on January 28. Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Matti Maasikas says that the European Union wants to hear the proposals of Ukraine regarding the European New Green Deal initiative, which is being promoted by the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. Maasikas made such an announcement at a public debate entitled "The Agenda of European Integration: Ukraine's Ambitions for 2020," organized by the Civic Synergy project, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoMaasikas nominated for top post at EU Delegation to Ukraine Maasikas recalled that the first high-level meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council would take place in Brussels on January 28, after the appointment of a new government in Ukraine and a change in the European Commission's composition. "I'm absolutely sure that EU leaders will listen very carefully to what Ukraine has to say about the Green Deal about joining one of the highest priorities for the European Commission, which is being led by Ursula von der Leyen," the EU ambassador said. As UNIAN reported, on December 19, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine was interested in taking an active part in the development and implementation of the new European Green Deal. According to him, he is currently coordinating the government's work to draw up a list of proposals on how Ukraine could participate in this EU initiative. The European Commission's European Green Deal is the most ambitious package of measures that should enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from sustainable green transition. Measures accompanied with an initial roadmap of key policies range from ambitiously cutting emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe's natural environment. According to an announcement of the EU-Ukraine Association Council's January 28 meeting on the website of the Council of the European Union, it will review the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and developments related to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This will be the first Association Council chaired by Ukrainian PM Oleksiy Honcharuk. The EU delegation will be led by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi will also participate in the meeting. Ministers will review the implementation of the Association Agreement, with a focus on to the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). They will focus on several areas of interest: political reforms, rule of law and security and economic cooperation. The meeting will take stock of the current situation in eastern Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, including humanitarian issues. The Council will also discuss the non-recognition of the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. The Eastern partnership and regional issues are also on the day's agenda. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) On this day six years ago, student Andrew Boldt was killed after being shot in a Purdue University classroom. As students graduate and move on, this tragic shooting still sticks with professors and law enforcement today. "Why would someone want to harm someone who has been so helpful to so many people," asked Electrical Engineering Professor David Meyer. It's a question Meyer is still seeking answers to today, why Andrew Boldt? "He was one of my very best TA's just characterized by a desire to help others," said Meyer. "He just really had a servant's heart." Boldt was Meyer's teacher's assistant and student for many semesters. He was with Boldt in the lab just 30 minutes before he got the tragic call. "I got a phone call and I started hearing sirens, at that point, the building was locked up, blocked off so I was just kind of stuck in my office trying to find out what had happened," said Meyer. He soon found out another one of his students, Cody Cousins entered that same lab and fired multiple shots at Boldt, who died in the lab. "It was just total shock that we found out who did it and why and well we didn't know why for a long time, I guess we still don't know why," said Meyer. According to court documents, Cousins claimed he did it because he wanted to. He was sentenced to 65-years in prison that year but killed himself in jail months later. "It's one of those flashbulb incidents that you never forget," said West Lafayette Police Chief Troy Harris. "You don't forget where you were you remember every little detail about it." Purdue University Police Department led the investigation but Chief Harris said that day required multiple agencies on deck. "We jumped in as a support role and stood along with them throughout the entire event," said Harris. Experiencing that incident brought a lot of lessons for law enforcement. "We've come a long way in six years, we've really increased the way that we respond to those incidents, the way we train for them," said Harris. As Professor Meyer comes to the end of his 50 years of teaching, he's leaving with lessons he plans to carry beyond the classroom. "Just realize how precious time and family is," said Meyer. Boldt was in his last semester of college before the shooting. He was 21-years-old. Doug Harvey and Hartley Richardson are this years additions to JA (Junior Achievement) Manitobas Manitoba Business Hall of Fame Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Doug Harvey and Hartley Richardson are this years additions to JA (Junior Achievement) Manitobas Manitoba Business Hall of Fame Each year, JA Manitoba honours local individuals who have made an outstanding lifetime contribution in the Manitoba business community. Doug Harvey is the owner of the DHL Group, which includes Maxim Truck & Trailer, Tereck Diesel, Summit Trailer Ltd, Arnes Welding Ltd, Trout River Industries and Toowoomba Land Company. Hartley T. Richardson, is president & CEO of James Richardson & Sons, Limited. He has representation in a board or executive capacity on all of the firms subsidiary companies, including Richardson International Limited, Tundra Oil & Gas Limited, Kingston Midstream Limited, Lombard Realty Limited, Wynward Insurance Group, and Richardson Financial Group Limited. He is also a trustee of The Richardson Foundation which oversees the philanthropy of James Richardson & Sons, Limited and its affiliated companies. Both Harvey and Richardson are widely respected for their integrity, business acumen and community contribution. The JA Manitoba Business Hall of Fame celebrates the cumulative work of individuals who have dedicated their lives to enhancing the economic prosperity of Manitoba through their business endeavours. - JML surrendered himself to Shauri Moyo Police Station on Tuesday, January 21 - The man was recruited in June 2019 and taken to Somalia for six months training together with six others - However, on January 6, 2020,JML escaped from Somalia and walked for two weeks arriving in Nairobi on Tuesday A 23-year-old al-Shabaab recruit has defied all the odds to walk from the jaws of the Somalia-based terror group to Nairobi for nearly two weeks. The man JML arrived at Shauri Moyo Police Station in Nairobi on Tuesday, January 21, having left the terrorist's camp on January 6, 2020. READ ALSO: Babu Owino says he is covered by the blood of Jesus Muimi presented himself to Shauri Moyo Police Sation after trekking for two weeks from Somalia. Photo: NPS Source: UGC READ ALSO: Uhuru, Raila isolate Ruto, pick Governor Tolgos to lead BBI campaigns in Rift Valley According to a police report seen by TUKO.co,ke, JML together with other six Kenyan youths were recruited by al-Shabaab in June 2019. They were taken to Somalia via Mandera where they received vigorous training for six months. "It was reported by Sergeant Charles Chepkwony that while at DCC Kamukunji compound, he was approached by one person namely JML, a Samburu male aged 23 years, who surrendered himself after allegedly being recruited and joined al-Shabaab in June 2019," the police report read in part. The officers noted JML escaped from the heart of the militia group via Kitui, Thika and arrived in Majengo on Monday They recovered a black bag, two mobile phones from the youthful suspect and placed him in cell. TUKO.co.ke could not immediately establish whether the suspect was willingly or forcefully recruited into al-Shabaab. The militants have been conducting a series of attacks in the country including kidnapping of innocent citizens. In November 2019, the militants hijacked two Kenyans at Wardeglo Dam in Garissa while on their way to Liboi where they were reportedly ferrying miraa to. The Somalia-based terror group also waylaid a passenger bus in Wajir county where at least 10 people died including seven police officers belonging to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) and a doctor. Story by Enock Ndayala - Tuko correspondent Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly I have lived without lungs for 7 years because of smoking | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke A judge says lawsuits by Lyft passengers from multiple states accusing the company of failing to protect them from sexual assault by its drivers will be heard in a single court in San Francisco, where Lyft is headquartered. The suits have all been filed in the past several months, starting with one filed in San Francisco in September in which 14 women from across the United States said they had been sexually attacked by Lyft drivers. The women said the ride-hailing company had failed to take any meaningful steps to protect them, like conducting background checks, monitoring rides and removing drivers who have been credibly accused of assault. Lyft said in a court filing that the suits, all filed in California, involve at least 38 alleged incidents in 19 states. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Freeman said the plaintiffs have estimated more than 100 additional cases could be filed. Lyft argued against hearing all the cases in one court, saying each suit arose from different facts, most of them in other states whose laws differ from Californias. But Freeman said the most important issue in each case is whether Lyft is legally responsible for its drivers conduct. All of these cases will turn on the same factual evidence as to whether Lyft adequately addressed the ongoing sexual assault problem posed by sexual predators while driving for Lyft, Freeman said in a ruling issued Friday. The evidence of the companys hiring practices, monitoring of rides and treatment of drivers accused of assault will be similar in every case, he said. Another critical issue is whether the drivers are employees or independent contractors, Freeman said. Companies are more likely to be held legally responsible for the conduct of employees than that of contractors. Lyft contends the drivers are independent contractors, despite a California Supreme Court ruling in 2018 and a state law effective this year that classify workers as employees if they are in the same business as the company. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. This is not a case against the drivers; it is fundamentally a case against Lyft that should be coordinated in one court, Freeman said. The ruling means a single judge, who has not yet been named, will decide the legal issues common to all the cases. They then can be tried separately. Plaintiffs lawyer Rachel Abrams said Tuesday that bringing the cases together will not only be more efficient for the court, it will clearly demonstrate Lyfts responses to the sexual predator crisis among Lyfts drivers has been appallingly inadequate no matter where their customers were assaulted. Attorneys for Lyft could not be reached for comment. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko JLR announced cuts in Halewood. Photo: Dave Thompson/PA via Getty Images Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to cut around 500 jobs at a factory in north-west England. The car giant announced plans to shake up shift patterns at its Halewood plant just outside Liverpool, with employees set to be offered voluntary redundancy. The company, owned by Indias Tata Motors (TTM), said the changes would affect around 10% of the total workforce, which includes just under 4,000 employees and hundreds of agency staff. It is the latest in a line of carmakers to slash jobs in a hugely challenging period for the industry worldwide, hurt by a slowdown in demand, tougher emission standards and tariff tensions. JLR said the changes to working patterns would cut costs through operating efficiencies while meeting growing demand for its new Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport. READ MORE: Sainsburys and Argos set to slash hundreds of office jobs But the Unite union called it a further blow to the industry, and said it believed slower-than-forecast demand for the models produced at Halewood was behind the redundancies. A company spokeswoman told Yahoo Finance UK: Through its ongoing transformation programme, Jaguar Land Rover is taking action to optimise performance, enable sustainable growth and safeguard the long-term success of our business. Jaguar Land Rover Halewood employees have the opportunity to leave through an enhanced voluntary redundancy programme. Staff will move from a three-shift pattern to a two-plus pattern from April, the company said without giving further details. READ MORE: Carmakers grapple with a year of heavy job losses in 2019 The firm said it was agreed as part of pay negotiations last year, and would not lead to a loss of production volume. Unite accepted the shift patterns would deliver flexible efficiencies that longer-term should benefit both employees and the company. But Unites national officer Des Quinn said: This is a further blow to the UK car industry in general and to our members at Halewood in particular. Story continues Unite will be ensuring that the commitment to limit job losses to voluntary redundancies is fully honoured. He added that JLR faced similar challenges to other carmakers, and blamed government inaction for cars no longer being the jewel in the crown of UK manufacturing. Car giant JLR is cutting jobs at its Halewood plant in Merseyside. Photo: PA Until the government ensures that there is long-term frictionless trade and no tariffs with the European Union, along with meaningful investment in the infrastructure to ensure the success of electric vehicles, the UKs car industry will continue to experience severe challenges, said Quinn. But a government spokesperson said: The decision to offer voluntary redundancy to a small number of employees at Halewood is a commercial one by Jaguar Land Rover. Jaguar Land Rover is a much-valued British company with a talented and dedicated workforce, and it continues to invest billions while employing tens of thousands of people. JLR had already warned last year it would cut 4,500 jobs worldwide, with the majority expected in the UK. But it also announced in July it would invest hundreds of millions of pounds in electric vehicle production at its Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday sent a copy of Adolf Hitler's autobiography 'Mein Kampf' to SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, advising him to read the book to understand the "dangerous implications" of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief in turn said the Punjab chief minister had chosen to learn his history lessons from 'Mein Kampf' instead of dozens of books written by Sikhs recounting state sponsored attack on the Golden Temple and genocide of the Sikh community in 1984. Amarinder Singh, in a statement here, said given the current attempts by the Centre to "replicate Hitler's agenda" in India, it was important for the SAD leaders to read the former German Chancellor's autobiography before coming out with "irrational reactions" on the CAA. The recent statements of various Akali leaders, including Badal, "exposed their ignorance" on the sensitive issue, said Amarinder Singh, urging the SAD chief to read the book and decide "whether it's country first or political expediency". "Supporting the bill in both houses of Parliament and in the Vidhan Sabha and opposing it on other platforms is unbecoming of a political leader," the chief minister said in a letter sent to Badal along with the book. In the letter, Amarinder Singh recalled that during the last Vidhan Sabha session, he had promised to send the SAD copies of 'Mein Kampf', which in English translates to 'my struggles.' "These were his (Hitler's) beliefs which he sold to the German people in his rise to power, which later became his government's policy when his Nazi party assumed office," wrote the chief minister. "Apart from destroying Germany in World War 2, to fulfil his territorial ambition, from the time he assumed office in 1933 to the end of the war in 1945, his purification of the German race by his ethnic cleansing, led initially to the removal of his main opposition, the communist parties, followed by persecution of the intellectuals, and finally to the extermination of the Jews," he wrote. "Read the book, as one always learns from history. The world has changed and our television and other media are powerful, and certainly different to that of Germany in the thirties under Joseph Goebbels. Nevertheless, the talk of camps and a national register to eliminate the Muslim and Jewish communities is ominous," Amarinder Singh further wrote. While some of the political parties, including the Congress, were protesting everyday along with university students across the country, "it is time now that others, too, join this movement," he wrote. Meanwhile, taking a jibe at the chief minister, Badal said he would soon be sending him a bundle of books written by prominent Sikh scholars detailing how the Congress party and its first family had "planned and engineered" attack on 'Harmandar Sahib' as well as the "mass killing" of Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country. "I am sure these books will refresh your memory and remove the selective amnesia which has clouded your mind. Please do give the books space in your library and read them also. You will never again give inane suggestions to anyone," he said. "This gift of books could also force you to have a change of mind and forsake servility towards the Gandhi family and make you more sensitive towards the suffering of your own community," added Badal. Earlier in the day, the chief minister had attacked the SAD claiming that the party was not quitting the NDA at the Centre to save Harsimrat Kaur Badal's chair in the Union cabinet, a day after the Akali Dal accused Amarinder Singh of making the Gandhi family happy to "save" his chair. Following the SAD's decision to not contest the Delhi assembly polls on being told by the BJP to change its stance over the amended Citizenship Act, Amarinder Singh had on Tuesday too dared the party to quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the SAD chief had asked him not to issue "ridiculous" statements which only exposed his "subservience" to the Gandhi family and his desire to make the "family happy to save" his chair. Amarinder Singh had then asked Badal to explain how his demand for the Akalis to quit the NDA over the CAA amounted to "subservience" to the Gandhi family. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 21.01.2020 LISTEN In June last year the vessel Lu Rong Yuan Yu 956 was caught with illegal nets and undersized small pelagic fish onboard the staple catch of the artisanal canoe fishers. The US$1 million fine that was imposed is the statutory minimum under Ghanas 2014 Fisheries Amendment Act. However, owners have refused to pay the fine. Last year, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) praised the Fisheries Commissions decision to publicly pursue the full US$1 million fine. This is worthy of recognition, the NGO said, since even after the act was passed other perpetrators have paid lower sums, or undisclosed amounts in opaque out-of-court settlements. In 2017, for instance, the owners of a Ghanaian-flagged industrial trawler, Meng Xin 16, refused to pay a fine imposed by an out-of-court settlement committee in a case of illegal trans-shipment. The vessel has since paid an undisclosed sum and been re-licensed to continue fishing. Another vessel, the Meng Xin 29, which was fined for illegal fishing in 2019, has also refused to pay and since been re-licensed to fish. Around 90% of Ghanas industrial fishing fleet is linked to Chinese ownership, an EJF investigation revealed in 2018 . As Ghanas fisheries laws prohibit foreigners from engaging in joint ventures in the industrial trawl sector, Chinese organisations operate through Ghanaian front companies, using opaque corporate structures to import their vessels, register and obtain a licence. These underhand dealings have precluded attempts to ensure the true beneficiaries of illegal activities are held to account, says EJF. Both the Meng Xin 16 and Meng Xin 29 are linked to a Chinese company a recent investigation by China Dialogue revealed. In the current case, the Lu Rong Yuan Yu 956 is also operated by a Chinese company, Rongcheng Ocean Fishery Co Ltd, according to the website of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The company also owns another vessel which was caught in 2015 taking under-sized fish juveniles that are crucial to replenish fish populations. They paid only GHS 200,000 (US$ 35,394) in fines, well below the US$1 million minimum stated in the law. Failure to sanction those who engage in illegal fishing and especially the destructive trans-shipment practice known as saiko is driving the collapse of Ghanas small pelagic peoples fish and with them, the destruction of the livelihoods of canoe fishers and food security of coastal communities. Such has been the devastating impact of illegal fishing activities that Ghana now has to import around half of its fish, and local fishing communities are increasingly victims of the impact of rapidly declining fish populations. Executive Director of EJF, Steve Trent says: According to the Fisheries Act, failure to pay the fine within 30 days results in the matter reverting to the court. It is now essential that the court uses all legal options available to require payment of the fine and accompanying sanctions to ensure deterrence. [January 22, 2020] Noblegen launches plant-based "whole egg" powder, "the egg.", with their new food and ingredient brand, Eunite PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noblegen Inc. (Noblegen"), an advanced nutritional ingredient company, is excited to announce the launch of its first direct-to-consumer facing product, a plant-based whole egg powder. The product is named, the egg., and its exclusively available on the Eunite website, www.eunitefoods.com . The amazing thing about the egg., is that weve been able to use it in so many different applications, said Adam Noble, CEO and Founder of Noblegen. It has successfully replaced eggs in vegan pancakes, stratas, breakfast sandwiches, quiches, and even a chocolate cake. No other plant-based egg scramble can also be used to functionally replace chicken eggs in a cake, the egg. can. the egg. is a vegan friendly, cholesterol and soy free, alternative to traditional chicken eggs. It contains 6g of plant-based protein per serving, equivalent to that of natures egg. It is also significantly lower than a traditional egg in both calories and fat per serving. The Food Science development team at Noblegen has done a remarkable job in creating an innovative food alternative to the everyday egg, said Peter Erickson, former Executive Vice President and head of Innovation Technology, and Quality at General Mills and Noblegen Board Member. This ingredient shows great promise both in satisfying at home consumer's needs for simple and versatile nutrition, as well as providing numerous commercial applications where the functionality of whole egg can be substituted with a sustainable, affordable and dependable alternative. For a limited time only, the egg. will be available in the continental USA, in a tester form for early adopters to receive the product for only a small shipping cost. It will be sent to consumers interested in trying the product and offering input to Eunite as they continue to develop later versions of the egg.. the egg. will also be available for purchase in pouches equivalent to a dozen traditional eggs. Our Eunite brand is all about uniting people and empowering them to be a part of and have input on what they eat, said Noble. It gives typical consumers a voice in creating a new food product that meets their daily needs. If you want to eat more sustainably, food prodcts with the Eunite seal on them can help you do that! The Eunite seal will be found on all products that contain Eunite ingredients. Noblegen is taking the same marketing approach that Martek Biosciences took when they built lifesDHA into the most trusted brand of vegetarian algal DHA oil in the industry. Marteks former President, and the driving force behind that innovative marketing campaign was David Abramson. Consumers and food companies are both searching for innovative, sustainable, and nutritious ingredients that bring a new approach to the way we eat, said Abramson, Noblegen Board Member. Eunite branded ingredients are plant-based and made with a natural and sustainable process that delivers novel solutions for proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Similar to lifesDHA, the Eunite logo tells both food companies and consumers that Noblegen understands their needs and is responding with a great solution. Noblegen is on a mission to improve the food system through sustainable food products and ingredients. the egg. is being launched under Noblegens Eunite brand. All of Noblegens ingredients and food products will fall under the Eunite brand. the egg. is a way for Noblegen and Eunite to showcase our Protein-Rich Euglena Flour in a food application made directly for consumers, said Noble. Were excited to start laying the groundwork, and beginning the Euglena as a food ingredient education campaign. Its important for us to show how amazing our ingredients are and to share more market evidence with industry leading brands that Euglena is an ingredient consumers are ready to embrace. With Eunite, Noblegen wants the consumer to actively participate in the brand and have a say in what they eat. For more information or to purchase the egg. please visit, www.eunitefoods.com About Noblegen Noblegen is an advanced nutritional ingredients company that makes unique protein, carbohydrate, and oil ingredients from a single microorganism called Euglena gracilis. Noblegen, founded in 2013, is dedicated to increasing global accessibility of sustainably produced, healthy ingredients. The company currently employs over 80 people at its Peterborough, Ontario location. To request a sample of our Protein-Rich Euglena Flour or Euglena Beta-Glucan Isolate visit www.noblegen.com/contact . About Eunite Eunite (pronounced you-nite), established in 2019, is the food and ingredient brand for Noblegen. All of Noblegens ingredients and food products will fall under the Eunite brand. Eunite is an idea. It is a movement. It is a chance to change the way we think about food. Eunite gives the consumer an opportunity to push back against the traditional food industry as we know it today. Were euniting people that want to take a stand and make a difference. Join the movement. Eunite the people. Eunite the planet. Eunite with us. www.eunitefoods.com Associative Links: www.noblegen.com www.eunitefoods.com www.twitter.com/noblegeninc www.twitter.com/EuniteFoods Contact: Bryan Reid [email protected] Communications Coordinator Noblegen Inc. 705-748-1108 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (3PG: FSE) ("Provenance", or the "Company") Provenance Gold is pleased to report significant progress has been made at its Silverbow gold-silver project in Nye County, Nevada. The Blue Horse patented claim has been leased and added to the property. It holds potential for gold from high grade veins and from a very significant breccia hosted lower grade resource that surrounds the veins and is extensively exposed on the surface. Additionally, a new target has been developed called Breccia Ridge which has strong gold values reported over an open-ended 600 meter strike length. The Blue Horse patented claim is the initial target of Provenance's exploration effort. It is the first of seven exploration targets that have been identified on the project, which are discussed below. The Blue Horse agreement is a renewable six-year lease. Historically, miners produced extremely high-grade gold ores from veins on the claim. Provenance confirmed this with random dump samples that returned 293 g/t Au, 12.4 g/t Au and 10.2 g/t Au. The newly identified Breccia Ridge target is defined by rock chip sampling returning gold assays ranging from 0.1 g/t Au to 3.7 g/t Au over an extensive area. The zone could be an extension of the structures which define the North Dome vein and breccia target. The North Dome target consists of a drill tested breccia / stockwork zone adjacent to untested epithermal banded quartz veins. These two related targets could produce a large tonnage of open-pit grade gold above and peripheral to boiling zone level. The boiling zone has good potential for high grade Au-Ag mineralization in quartz veins. Other targets previously identified include the Silver Glance, located within the project just north of the Blue Horse claim. It also has quartz veins and breccias that seem to trend in an easterly direction along a major shear zone. Our sampling has returned multiple mineralized samples including an exposure that assayed 3 g/t Au and 68 g/t Ag. An area called the Spaghetti Bowl is located within the project northwest of the old Silverbow townsite. Considerable past work was done here including the drilling of about 18 vertical conventional rotary holes. No assays exist but considering that the 3 mineralized zones are also vertical, the Company plans to drill angled holes across the mineralized zone. Work by the Company has identified these mineralized zones as hydrothermal breccias suggesting that boiling took place at depth and the gold and silver grades found on the surface will increase with depth toward the boiling zone. A reported angle hole in the area that was drilled at a later date returned 45 feet of 0.4 g/t Au and 109 g/t Ag. The last two lower priority targets include the Mill Site area where brecciated rock with quartz veinlets had been previously mined and the South Dome area which appears to be upper level alteration over a large hydrothermal system. Geologic work is ongoing on these to better define the targets. Rauno Perttu, P. Geo., a Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101), and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this News Release. About Provenance Gold Corp. Provenance Gold Corp. is a precious metals exploration company with a focus on gold and silver resources within North America. The Company currently holds interests in Nevada, USA and Yukon, Canada and is actively involved and working within both jurisdictions. For further information, sponsorship or funding enquiries please visit the Company's website at https://provenancegold.com or contact Rob Clark @ rclark@provenancegold.com. On behalf of the Board, Provenance Gold Corp. Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51723 Beautiful views above Wallowa Lake will soon be accessible to the public, after a yearlong fundraising effort has come to a close. The Wallowa Lake Moraines Partnership announced Tuesday that it has officially purchased nearly 1,800 acres of land on the eastern rim above the iconic northeast Oregon lake, with plans to manage the land for public recreation in the near future. We couldnt have hoped for a better outcome that serves the publics need for permanent protection and access to this spectacular natural landscape, John Hillock, a Wallowa County commissioner, said in a news release. The land overlooking the east side of the lake has been in private hands for decades, but in 2011 owners of a sizable plot announced their intentions to sell, with plans to build a conference center and single-family homes. That caused an uproar among some in Wallowa County who feared the development would sully both the view and the culture of the community. Controversy led to the formation of the Wallowa Lake Moraines Partnership comprised of county officials, Wallowa Land Trust, Wallowa Resources and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The partnership aimed to to buy the land for public use instead. The project received endorsements from local officials, as well as U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden. In 2019, the landowners agreed to sell the property for $6 million, which the partnership successfully raised with a combination of grants, high-dollar contributions and more than $1.1 million in individual donations. More than half of the money $3.5 million came from a grant that the Oregon Department of Forestry received from the U.S. Forest Services Forest Legacy Program, officials said. Another $1 million came from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, while the Nez Perce Tribe contributed $300,000. The tribe will also help develop a management plan for the land. The partnership plans to have a recreation plan ready for public input in spring 2020, when the group will also hold a ribbon cutting event on the property. The long strip of property is on whats known as the East Moraine above the lake. Moraines on either side of Wallowa Lake were formed as an ancient glacier moved down from the Wallowa Mountains, pushing up the earth all around it. When the glacier eventually melted, it became Wallowa Lake. The moraines are considered textbook perfect examples of the geologic phenomenon and are a beautiful destination, blooming with wildflowers in spring, according to Kathleen Ackley, executive director of the Wallowa Land Trust. Its the iconic visual image of Wallowa County; its important to the residents; its sacred to the Nez Perce people, Ackley said at the outset of the project. As long as its been privately owned, the ridge above the lake has been officially off-limits to hikers. However, landowners have largely turned a blind eye to trespassers, who have been using an old logging road to gain access. Public trails that give people access to the moraines promise to be yet another addition to an area thats already replete with natural wonders: the Wallowa Mountains, Hells Canyon, Zumwalt Prairie and Wallowa Lake itself, home to a bustling state park site. The East Moraine is central to our communitys sense of place," Nils Christoffersen, executive director of Wallowa Resources, said in the news release. "This milestone helps us sustain our connection to the land, which is central to the custom and culture of everyone who calls this place home. Its an incredible achievement. --Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB WASHINGTON - Democratic House prosecutors made an expansive case Thursday at Donald Trumps impeachment trial that he abused power like no other president in history, swept up by a completely bogus Ukraine theory pushed by attorney Rudy Giuliani. On Friday, the Democrats will press their final day of arguments before skeptical Republican senators, focusing on the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress investigation. As the audience of Senate jurors sat through another long day, and night, the prosecutors outlined the charge. They argued that Trump abused power for his own personal political benefit ahead of the 2020 election, even as the nations top FBI and national security officials were publicly warning off the theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 election. Thats what Donald Trump wanted investigated or announced this completely bogus Kremlin-pushed conspiracy theory, said Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who is leading the prosecution, during Thursdays session. At the close of the evening Schiff made an emotional plea to senators to consider what was at stake as Trump is accused of seeking Ukrainian probes of political foe Joe Biden and Bidens son while holding back congressionally approved military aid as leverage. Right matters, he said, quoting Army officer Lt. Col. Alex Vindman who had testified in the House. Otherwise we are lost. The president is facing trial in the Senate after the House impeached him last month, accusing Trump of abusing his office by asking Ukraine for the investigations while withholding the aid from a U.S. ally at war with bordering Russia. The second article of impeachment accuses him of obstructing Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe. Republicans, growing tired of the long hours of proceedings, have defended Trumps actions as appropriate and cast the process as a politically motivated effort to weaken him in the midst of his reelection campaign. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and acquittal is considered likely. The Democrats challenge is clear as they try to convince not just fidgety senators but an American public divided over the Republican president in an election year. With Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, Democrats argued on Thursday that Trumps motives were apparent. No president has ever used his office to compel a foreign nation to help him cheat in our elections, Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told the senators. He said the nations founders would be shocked. The presidents conduct is wrong. It is illegal. It is dangerous. Democrats scoffed at Trumps claim he had good reasons for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice-President Biden or other political foes. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas, herself a former judge, aid there is no evidence, nothing, nada to suggest that Biden did anything improper in dealings with Ukraine. Trump, with Giuliani, pursued investigations of Biden and his son, Hunter, who served on a Ukrainian gas companys board, and sought the probe of debunked theories of what nation was guilty of interference in the 2016 U.S. election. On dual tracks, Democrats prosecuted their case while answering in advance the arguments expected from the presidents attorneys in the days ahead. At one point, they showed video of a younger Lindsey Graham, then a South Carolina congressman and now a GOP senator allied with Trump, arguing during Bill Clintons 1999 impeachment that no crime was needed for impeaching a president. Trumps defence team is now arguing that the impeachment articles against him are invalid because they do not allege he committed a specific crime. The presidents defenders turn will come Saturday. We will be putting on a vigorous defence of both facts, rebutting what they said, and the Constitution, said attorney Jay Sekulow. Ahead of the days proceedings, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said the Democrats were putting forward admirable presentations. But he said, Theres just not much new here. During the dinner break, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said it seemed like Groundhog Day in the Senate. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, acknowledged that many senators really dont want to be here. But Schumer said Schiff has been outlining a compelling case that many Republicans are hearing it for only the first time. He contended they cant help but be glued to his testimony. Once reluctant to take on impeachment during an election year, Democrats are now marching toward a decision by the Senate that the American public also will judge. Trump blasted the proceedings in a Thursday tweet, declaring them the Most unfair & corrupt hearing in Congressional history! After the House prosecutors finish, the presidents lawyers will have as long as 24 hours. Its unclear how much time they will actually take, but Trumps team is not expected to finish Saturday, according to a person unauthorized to discuss the planning and granted anonymity. The Senate is expected to take only Sunday off and push into next week. After that senators will face the question of whether they do, or do not, want to call witnesses to testify. Senators were permitted Thursday to review supplemental testimony submitted by an aide to Vice-President Mike Pence, Jennifer Williams, who was among those who had concerns about Trumps actions. Democrats said the testimony, which is classified, bolsters their impeachment case. A lawyer for Williams declined to comment. Holding the rooms attention has been difficult for the Democrats, but senators seemed to pay closer mind to Schiffs testimony that grew dramatic. Most senators, even Republicans, sat at their desks throughout the afternoon session, as the rules stipulate, and not as many of them were yawning or standing to stretch as during the previous long nights. To help senators pass the time, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr of North Carolina, passed out lunch favours of fidget spinners, stress balls and other toys. Democrats thanked the senators for their time and patience, acknowledging the repetition of some of their presentations. The impeachment trial is set against the backdrop of the 2020 election. Four senators who are Democratic presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed the public slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not, 45% to 40%. But a sizable percentage, 14%, said they didnt know enough to have an opinion. One issue with wide agreement: Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About 7 in 10 said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats, according to the poll. The strategy of more witnesses, though, seemed all but settled. Republicans rejected Democratic efforts to get Trump aides including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to testify in back-to-back votes earlier this week. Senators were likely to repeat that rejection next week. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Laurie Kellman, Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama in Washington and Bill Barrow in Osage, Iowa, contributed to this report. The influential speaker of Iran's parliament said on January 19 has warned European powers against "for any reason" taking an "unfair" approach to the dispute mechanism in the 4-year-old nuclear deal that has been in the balance since a U.S. pullout in 2018. Tehran would "seriously reconsider our cooperation" with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a result, the speaker, Ali Larijani, who is also a former chief nuclear negotiator for Tehran, was quoted as saying by state TV. Germany, Britain, and France announced last week that they had triggered the dispute mechanism in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that exchanged curbs on Iran's nuclear program for relief from international sanctions. "What the three European countries did regarding Iran's nuclear issue...is unfortunate," Larijani said. "We clearly announce that if Europe, for any reason, uses Article 37 of the nuclear agreement unfairly, then Iran will make a serious decision regarding cooperation with the agency," he added, according to AFP. The European states -- signatories of the JCPOA along with China, Russia, the European Union, and, formerly, the United States -- said that while the mechanism could lead to UN sanctions against Iran, they were not joining Washington's yearlong "maximum pressure" campaign designed to change Tehran's behavior. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron on January 19 reiterated their commitment to the JCPOA and agreed during a meeting on the sidelines of a Libya-summit in Berlin that a long-term framework was needed, according to a Downing Street spokeswoman quoted by Reuters. "On Iran, the leaders reiterated their commitment to the JCPoA...and also acknowledged the need to define a long-term framework to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon," the spokeswoman said. "They agreed on the importance of de-escalation and of working with international partners to find a diplomatic way through the current tensions." Since the U.S. withdrawal from the deal, Iran has breached its main limitations, exceeding the stockpiles of heavy water and uranium allowed, the number and types of centrifuges it can operate to enrich uranium, and the purity of uranium. U.S. President Donald Trump -- who reimposed tough sanctions on Iran after leaving the JCPOA -- has said he wants Tehran to negotiate a new accord that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear program and restrict Tehran's ballistic-missile program. Tehran has said it won't enter new talks until sanctions are lifted. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has extended an invite to Rahul Gandhi to travel to Ayodhya along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on completition of 100 days in power in the state, stated news agency ANI. Raut said Uddhav will go to Ayodhya to seek Lord Rams blessings and the alliance leaders should also come. Shiv Sena is at the helm of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government in the state in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. The government will complete 100-days on March 6, 2020. According to the agency, Raut specifically mentioned Rahul Gandhi and said, the Congress leader visits several temples and should also come along. Rahul Gandhi was the first member from the Gandhi family to visit Hanuman Garhi in Ayodhya in September 2016 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Rahul was the party vice-president then. Former prime minister and Rahuls father Rajiv Gandhi had visited Ayodhya in 1990. Ever since Rahul has visited several famous Hindu temples while battling accusations that temple visits were mere optics in line with Congress soft Hindutva policy to counter the BJPs rise and checkmate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some of the famous temples visited by Rahul Gandhi include Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, Kamakhya in Assam, Badrinath and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Kheer Bhawani in Kashmir, Guru Gaddi in Chhattisgarh, Khatu Shyamji temple in Rajasthan, Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar temples in Madhya Pradesh, Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra on 28th November after falling out with former ally of more than 30 years, the BJP, over sharing of power in the state and by forging an alliance with the Congress and the NCP, despite concerns over their ideological differences marring the functioning of the government in future. Uddhav had recently visited Ayodhya in June 2019 with his son Aditya Thackeray and offerred prayers at the temporary Ram temple. His party has been one of the most vocal advocates for construction of a Ram Temple at the Hindu gods birthplace in Ayodhya. Uddhavs planned visit in November had to be cancelled due to security concerns. The Supreme Court has recently cleared the path for the temples construction at the site where Babri Masjid, allegedly built by Mughal emperor Babar, once stood. Hindus claim that Babbar had destroyed a temple at the birthplace of Ram to erect the Mosque and that it had been abandoned by Muslims later. The long-standing dispute over the site was finally resolved legally by the Supreme Court that relied on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) findings of the remains of a Hindu temple under the disputed site and handed it over to the government for building of a grand Ram Temple. It also allocated a separate piece of land for construction of a mosque in Ayodhya. Mumbai, Jan 22 : TV star Karanvir Bohra is all set to make his digital debut with the web series "The Casino", and he says these are exciting times for an actor. "It's a great time to be an actor because content is truly on an exponential growth thanks to the digital medium. We are being able to experiment with concepts, make content for niche audiences, and have the artistic liberty without limitations. I am excited about making my digital debut because 'The Casino', on the OTT platform ZEE5, is a unique series, and my character has shades and nuances I haven't experimented with as an actor before," said Karanvir, who essays the protagonist Vicky in the series. "It is going to be interesting to see the audience's reaction to these new shades, as well as the backdrop of a casion, which hasn't been explored in India yet. It's the gambler's world!" said the actor who started his career on TV with "Just Mohabbat" and became a household name with shows such as "Kasautii Zindagii Kay", "Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava?", "Qubool Hai" and "Naagin 2" among others. The 10-episode series also features Mandana Karimi and Andrita Ray. Directed and produced by Hardik Gajjar, "The Casino" will be shot across Mumbai and Nepal and is slated for a release later this year. Bodies of 8 Indian tourists under postmortem in Nepal; to be flown back on Thursday International oi-PTI Kathmandu, Jan 22: The bodies of the eight Indian tourists, including four minors, who died due to possible asphyxiation in their room at a mountainous resort in Nepal are undergoing postmortem here on Wednesday and would be flown back home on Thursday, according to a senior Indian official. Tragedy struck a group of 15 tourists from Kerala when eight of them, including four children, died after they fell unconscious probably due to a gas leak from a heater in their room at a mountainous resort in Makwanpur district, amidst cold wave in the Himalayan region. The tourists were airlifted to HAMS hospital here where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Makwanpur police said the victims might have fallen unconscious due to asphyxiation. "Postmortem of the bodies is being conducted at the Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and they would be flown back home tomorrow (Thursday) morning," a senior official at the Indian Embassy told PTI. 8 Keralites, including 4 kids die due to possible gas leak in Nepal The official said that out of the seven who survived, two stayed with the bodies while the others are already on their way back. The victims were identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair, Saranya Sasi, Sreebhadra Praveen, Aarcha Praveen, Abhinav Saranya Nair, Ranjith Kumar Adatholath Punathil, Indu Lakshmi Peethambaran Ragalatha and Vyshnav Ranjith. SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News The deceased - two couples and four children - were part of a group of 15 people travelling from Kerala to Pokhara, a popular mountainous tourist destination. They were on their way back home and stayed at Everest Panorama Resort in Daman in the district on Monday night. The official said that the Indian Mission is in touch with the local authorities, family and friends of the deceased and the hospital authorities. "We are ensuring that the process to send back the bodies is expedited," the official said. According to the manager at the resort, the guests stayed in a room and turned on a gas heater to keep themselves warm. Although they had booked a total of four rooms, eight of them stayed in a room and remaining others in another room, the manager said, adding that all the windows and the door of the room were bolted from inside. "They ordered snacks from the resort restaurant," the resort manager, Shiva KC, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. After dinner at 10:30 pm, the guests of two cottages went to their rooms, while the others stayed back at the restaurant. "In spite of our objection, they were constantly requesting to take the heater they were using in the restaurant to their rooms. They took it at around 2 am from the restaurant," the manager said. Nair and Ranjit, both IT professionals, were engineering college classmates and the tour was arranged after a get-together with old friends in Delhi, a family member said. Nair, who hails from Chempazhanthi in Thiruvananthapuram, was an engineer in Dubai, while his wife, Saranya, was staying in Kochi along with 3 children and was a nursing student. Ranjit was working in an IT firm at Thiruvananthapuram, while his wife, Indu, was an accountant in a cooperative bank at Kozhikode, a family member said. Ranjit's elder son Madhav had a lucky escape as he was sleeping in another room. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 11:32 [IST] 3.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Adam Schiff explained that the Senate cant allow the election to judge Trumps misconduct because Trump is trying to cheat to win the election. Schiff said: The House did not take this extraordinary step lightly. As we will discuss, impeachment exists for cases in which the conduct of the President rises far beyond mere policy disputes to be decided, otherwise and without urgency, at the ballot box. Instead, we are here today to consider a much more grave matter, and that is an attempt to use the powers of the presidency to cheat in an election. For precisely this reason, the Presidents misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot boxfor we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won. In corruptly using his office to gain a political advantage, in abusing the powers of that office in such a way as to jeopardize our national security and the integrity of our elections, in obstructing the investigation into his own wrongdoing, the President has shown that he believes that he is above the law and scornful of constraint. Video: Schiff warns that we can't let an election judge Trump's misconduct because Trump is trying to cheat to win the election. #ImpeachmentTrial #SenateImpeachmentTrial pic.twitter.com/ELjFskOQtq Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 22, 2020 Schiff is right. The whole let the voters decide argument that is coming from Republicans ignores the fact that Donald Trump is trying to make sure that voters will not be allowed to make a fair decision. The voters must have all of the facts in order to make a decision about Trump, and the impeachment trial is about giving the American people facts that they will need to make an informed decision in November. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Yemen dismisses Saudi, UAE claim of Houthi role in deadly missile attack in Ma'rib Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2020 9:54 AM Yemen's ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement has rejected a claim by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that it was behind a deadly missile attack against the positions of pro-Riyadh militants in the northern city of Ma'rib. Saturday's missile attack targeted a military camp in Ma'rib, where Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to the government of ex-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi are based. Some reports suggested that forces from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries were present at the site when the attack occurred. The death toll increased to 116 from an early count of 83 and is expected to rise further, military and medical sources told AFP on Monday. As many as 150 others were reported to have sustained injuries. The Saudi regime and the UAE two key parties to a Riyadh-led coalition waging war on Yemen blamed the raid on the Houthi movement, which has been defending the country against the massive military invasion. However, Mohammad al-Bakhiti, a member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, denied any role in the missile strike in an interview with the Al Jazeera television network late on Monday. "If we [Houthi fighters] had carried out the attack, we would have announced it publicly," said the official. Tens of thousands of people most of them civilians have been killed in the Saudi-led airstrikes and ground operations in Yemen over the past five years. The Houthis have responded by targeting military positions deep inside Saudi Arabia or sites inside Yemen where Saudi mercenaries and military forces are deployed. The Saudi-led war has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with the World Food Program saying that over 11 million people face a daily struggle to find enough food, and 240,000 people live in famine-like conditions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With the impeachment trial impending, the Government Accountability Office released its opinion that President Trumps brief hold on aid to Ukraine was illegal. It is the sort of perfectly timed hit from the deep state that has become so predictable it should produce groans, if not disgust. Whatever, I doubt it is to be taken at face value. Alan Dershowitz argues in the valuable Gatestone column, for example, Trump Had Right to Withhold Ukraine Funds: GAO is Wrong. Here are the bullet points of Dershowitzs column: The Constitution allocates to the president sole authority over foreign policy (short of declaring war or signing a treaty). It does not permit Congress to substitute its foreign policy preferences for those of the president. To the extent that the statute at issue constrains the power of the president to conduct foreign policy, it is unconstitutional. Even if the GAO were correct in its legal conclusion which it is not the alleged violation would be neither a crime nor an impeachable offense. It would be a civil violation subject to a civil remedy, as were the numerous violations alleged by the GAO with regard to other presidents. If Congress and its GAO truly believe that President Trump violated the law, let them go to court and seek the civil remedy provided by the law. James Freeman took a whack at the thing in the WSJs Best of the Web column What did GAO staff know and when did they know it? Freeman provided the text of an illuminating email from a former member of Congress: The opinion is not what section 686 requires. This brief statutory section mandates that GAO report on a deferral of budget authority that the president has failed to notify Congress about. The purpose of this mandate on GAO is to let Congress know in a timely way, so that Congress can do something about the withholding of funds (i.e., make sure that they are spent as required by law). In order for this statutory provision to do any good, GAO needs to let Congress know within weeks, not months or years. Appropriations are annual. The fiscal year ends September 30. The Impoundment Control Act gives Congress 45 days after notification to veto a deferral. Under section 686 GAO shall make a report on the deferral to both Houses of Congress. The GAO report then operates as if it were the required notification from the President. That gives Congress 45 days to act (or, if the notice comes with less than 45 days remaining in the fiscal year, until September 30). Here, by not acting until the fourth month of the following fiscal year, GAO failed to do what section 686 requires. This last point gives rise to the pointed headline for Freemans column. Although Freemans column is behind the Journals paywall, the Journal posted it with the accessible video below. While were at it, you may want to use the video below for the soundtrack of this post. It cant do any harm and it might even improve your mood. The ITV host appeared to leave his co-host Susanna Reid cringing during the discussion which aired on Tuesday (January 21). Ofcom has confirmed to Standard Online that they have received 297 complaints in just 24 hours. The 54-year-old TV host was discussing Peter Phillips' commercial for state milk, which aired in China, when he made the odd comments. Piers Morgan said he was 'bored' of the Sussexes / Good Morning Britain/ITV After claiming that Phillips had exploited his royal status, Morgan said: At the next royal event, can you imagine Christmas at Sandringham is like, 'I'm sorry your majesty, but I only drink yang yank yong ying ming milk'." As they aired the advert again, Morgan said: "Ok then - ching chang chong, ok I got it." Reid scolded him and said: For god's sake... taking the mick out of languages is rather 1970s." Defending himself, he added: "Surely you can take the mickey out of it! Hes using ching chang chong milk from the Chinese state thats what they said in the advert!" He later defended his actions on Twitter when criticised by social media users and said that he was mocking a member of the royal family and not people from China. Viewers had flooded Morgans Twitter page in shock at his comments, including Barnes, who tweeted: Just saw @piersmorgan on GMB mocking Chinese people on the way they speak, what are the odds he faces no criticism for it. Referring to actor Laurence Foxs recent controversial comments, Barnes added: Theres an example for Laurence Fox of white privilege. The incident took place during a debate about Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step lose their HRH titles and work towards financial independece. (Bloomberg) -- ASML Holding NVs top executive brushed off concerns about tensions between the U.S. and China, a market thats growing in importance to the Dutch chip gear-maker. Someone needs to make those chips and to make those chips you would need EUV, and there is basically only one place where they can get it, Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink said in an interview with Bloomberg Radio, referring to its advanced lithography equipment. For our total business it doesnt really matter. ASML, which has a monopoly on advanced lithography equipment needed to make next-generation chips, is already a crucial supplier to Samsung Electronics Co. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. but hopes to drive deeper into China. Beijing wants to build a world-class homegrown chip industry to wean itself off foreign imports -- an effort that would need ASMLs one-of-a-kind machines. Yet its faced difficulty getting the Dutch government to renew a license to export to China amid ongoing trade tensions. ASML shares rose 0.2% at 1:14 p.m. in Amsterdam trading. Its up to the Dutch government to determine whether there is a national security risk and of course there are views in the U.S. and China whether thats a risk, Wennink said, adding that the company has responded to requests for information from the Dutch government. Asked whether he was optimistic about obtaining the license, Wennink said the Dutch government takes very due care when it concerns the facts and the circumstances. Read more: China Stockpiles U.S. Chips as Silicon Curtain Descends China relies on imported chip manufacturing equipment for its audacious ambition of creating a self-reliant semiconductor industry, which supplies key components for a wide spectrum of electronics from smartphones to satellites. ASML is an essential link in that plan, which will drive Chinese purchases of more than $30 billion of semiconductor equipment between 2020 and 2021, according to industry organization SEMI. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement last week the Netherlands should make an objective decision on ASMLs exports based on its own interests. Story continues U.S. Pressure European businesses have been caught in the middle of trade tensions between the U.S. and China, even as Washington and Beijing last week sealed the first phase of a trade deal. But the U.S. still maintains tariffs on roughly two-thirds of imports from China and both sides still need to negotiate the pacts second phase, with discussions expected to be difficult.U.S. officials have urged allies to scrutinize business ties with Beijing, invoking concerns around national security and espionage. The White House, concerned about Chinas ambitions to dominate a swath of technology from AI to semiconductors, has sought ways to contain the countrys rise. China, meanwhile, has threatened European countries with retaliation on trade if its companies are shunned.European telecom operators are among those squeezed between the two major world powers after Washington called on European governments to exclude Huawei Technologies Co.s equipment from the build-out of their 5G networks. The Dutch government has held back on renewing the license ASML needs to export its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines under pressure from U.S. officials, Reuters reported this month. That equipment is key to any chipmaker that wants to fabricate next-generation chips, say of 7 nanometer or lower nodes.Last week, U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra told Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad that ASMLs technology doesnt belong in certain places, suggesting China. The Chinese ambassador, Xu Hong, had warned days earlier in the same paper that the relationship between the Netherlands and China was at risk if the government blocks EUV machine exports.For its part, the Netherlands says it will take its own decision on the matter, independent of foreign influence. They are free to express their view and we take note of that, but it is not decisive, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said of the U.S. and Chinese ambassadors comments last week. ASMLs EUV technology has both civilian and military applications and therefore is subject to EU dual-use licensing obligations under the Wassenaar Arrangement, according to the Dutch Foreign Ministry. EUV License Wennink said at a press conference the Dutch government had asked the company questions about the EUV technology, how it works, and who the customer is. The level of detail the government is seeking is probably more than they would normally do, he said. The delay in getting the EUV license has zero impact on the companys business, he said. The licensing issue concerns their first-ever EUV order from a customer in China, where few companies are at the stage of ordering the cutting-edge technology. ASML mostly ships the machines, which cost roughly 150 million euros, to the U.S., Korea and Taiwan. The company forecast first-quarter sales largely in line with analyst expectations and said it won orders for nine more of its EUV lithography machines in the last quarter. The Dutch company said it expects sales of 3.1 billion euros ($3.4 billion) to 3.3 billion euros for the first quarter, compared with an average estimate of 3.26 billion euros. ASML also announced a share buy-back program of as much as 6 billion euros over three years, as it said it expects to win 4.5 billion euros in EUV revenue this year. (Updates with CEO comments from the 15th paragraph) --With assistance from Joost Akkermans and Gao Yuan. To contact the reporters on this story: Ellen Proper in Amsterdam at eproper@bloomberg.net;Natalia Drozdiak in Brussels at ndrozdiak1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Amy Thomson For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (ADPower) is illustrating a number of its most advanced initiatives at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2020. This reinforces its firm commitment to driving sustainability within its operations and customer base, and accelerating Abu Dhabis progress alongside the UAEs sustainability goals. Commenting on the initiatives, Saeed Mohamed Al-Suwaidi, Managing Director of ADDC, said: Implementing sustainable practices in our business is not just about corporate social responsibility; it is a key part of our business strategy. It means we are operating in a smarter capacity, driving value for our business and the environment, while improving customers experience. Moving to a sustainable business model has led to the deployment of disruptive technologies, practices and policies that have minimised our impact on the environment, allowed us to better manage consumption and resources, while improving quality, delivery and reliability for our customers, Al-Suwaidi added. ADDCs first initiative, Smart Grid Implementation Management, is an innovative system that allows ADDC to intelligently meet the demands of modern energy distribution throughout the Emirate. The companys second initiative, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, is an intelligent system that utilises two-way communication to supply meaningful data, paving the way for analytical solutions. ADDCs third initiative is its pioneering AquaTEC Biomonitoring System, a smart 24/7 real-time analysis process that gives ADDC the ability to do evaluate water quality as a first line of defence. Abu Dhabis major water and electricity sector is a Strategic Partner at ADSW 2020. ADDC alongside Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company (TRANSCO), Al Ain Distribution Company (AADC) and Al Mirfa Power Company (AMPC) has a strong presence across various platforms, with significant participation during the weeks iconic World Future Energy Summit and Exhibition. -- Tradearabia News Service Last week, the Herald Publication revealed that the City of Fairview Heights in Illinois entered into an agreement with the IDOT to install automatic license plate readers (ALPR) on highway trusses to allegedly "prevent, deter and solve crimes." "The other resolution approved by the council calls for the city to belong to the National License Plate Reader Network which is administered by the DEA. The agreement with the DEA allows Fairview Heights Police to both input data into the national system and retrieve data from it along with establishing the processes for the sharing and use of such information." IDOT trunking system's vehicle surveillance-sharing network Credit: Illinois DoT As far as further plans go, Chief of Police Chris Locke said, "things are advanced to the point that the IDOT trunking system can be used to make connections under the state highway when the time comes to add more to the system." As you can see by the above illustration, the IDOT trunking system, shares personal license plate information with numerous government agencies. (To find out more about Illinois trunking system click here .) "Alderman Frank Menn suggested the possibility of placing such license plate readers around any cannabis dispensaries that may be opening in Fairview Heights and Locke answered that the devices can be placed anywhere the city wants to have them set up." "As part of a DEA program that was initiated in 2015 and has been growing in the United States ever since, the license plate readers are high-speed, computer-controlled camera systems that are typically mounted on street poles, streetlights, highway overpasses, mobile trailers or attached to police squad cars. They automatically capture all license plate numbers that come into view, along with the location, date and time. The data, which includes photographs of the vehicle and sometimes its driver and passengers, is then uploaded to a central server." Which is typical government doublespeak to explain away Big Brother tracking innocent motorists.Taken at face value, Fairview Heights reasons for tracking everyone is nothing new, they use the same cookie-cutter excuses that law enforcement across the country have been using.But what really caught my eye was the "other resolution approved by the council."The other resolution calls for the city to belong to the DEA's National License Plate Reader Network (NLPRN).How does capturing the personal information of everyone driving through or into Fairview Heights prevent or deter crimes?Fairview Heights Police officers "can input data into the national system and retrieve data from it along with establishing the processes for the sharing and use of such information."That same agreement further specifies that the information obtained through the NLPRN can only be used for the investigation of drug trafficking offenses, money laundering, other crimes, amber alerts, silver alerts and in the furtherance of the mission of a traffic stop.But those are not the only things law enforcement uses them for.The Fairview Heights Police Department and other agencies are helping the DEA expand their 343 million license plate database Five years ago, people were outraged to learn that the DEA had created a 343 million license plate database; this past year private ALPR companies have created a list of license plates that makes the DEA database look utterly laughable. Combined, these three ALPR companies have created a list of more than 14 billion license plates that track everyone's movements across the US over many years.Illinois law enforcement and other agencies have also created a statewide vehicle surveillance-sharing network.Apparently sharing everyone's license plate information with local, state, and the Feds isn't enough.Because Fairview Heights also wants to spy on people purchasing legal pot.Menn's statement should serve as a red flag to anyone who still clings to law enforcement's misleading statements about license plate readers.The Herald Publication did a fantastic job in explaining what police ALPR's are really being used for:Do you really want law enforcement to know who is in your passenger seat? Do you want Big Brother to know when you go to the bank, pharmacy, grocery store, liquor store, place of worship, or cannabis dispensary?Law enforcement's lies about ALPR's are apparent to anyone willing to look beyond the headlines and see what everyone has been saying for years: ALPR's can and will be used to track everyone's movements. A live explosive device was found in an unattended bag near a ticket counter of the departure gate of the international airport in Mangaluru on Monday and later defused at a nearby open ground. (Photo | WIkipedia) Bengaluru: A 36-year-old man, who is suspected to have planted the explosive at the Mangaluru Intentional Airport, surrendered before the police here on Wednesday, officials said. The man turned up at the DGP and IGP office here, where he has been detained for inquiry and medical tests. The suspect has been identified as Adithya Rao, a native of Manipal, they said, adding he resembled the one captured on CCTV footage at Mangaluru airport. The suspect confessed to having planted the bomb at the airport, sources said. Meanwhile, a team of police officials from Mangaluru have arrived in the city to question the suspect. Mangaluru city police commissioner P S Harsha tweeted that the investigation team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action. Police sources said, Rao, who was taken to Halsoor Gate police station in Bengaluru for questioning, is an engineering graduate and an MBA holder. He had earlier been arrested for making a hoax bomb call to Bengaluru airport in 2018 and was jailed for six months. This was an act of revenge as he was denied the job of a security guard at the Bengaluru International Airport which he had applied for due to lack of certain documents, they said. Rao had come to Bengaluru in 2012 seeking a job and landed one in a private bank, which he resigned. He then returned to Mangaluru, where he worked as a security guard for six months and then as a cook in Puthige Mutt in Udupi. Later, he went back to the state capital and joined an insurance company, which he left and tried to become a security staff at the airport, the sources said. A live explosive device was found in an unattended bag near a ticket counter of the departure gate of the international airport in Mangaluru on Monday and later defused at a nearby open ground. SARATOGA SPRINGS - Author Lawrence Dudley will release the sequel to his "New York Station" with a launch party at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Northshire Bookstore, 424 Broadway. The new book, "The Hungry Blade," published by Blackstone Publishing, is the second book in the Roy Hawkin series. Both books are set in 1940s during the Isolationist Era in the U.S., shortly after the fall of France and Europe to the Nazis. Both books are based on historical facts. In "The Hungry Blade," Hawkins trails a shipment Nazi looted art to Mexico City where he discovers multiple plots against the U.S., Mexico and its President Lazaro Cardenas. The hardcover book also comes in audiobook and ebook. Dudley is a graduate of New York University. He has worked as an assistant museum curator, at a radio telescope observatory and as a lead reviewer and feature writer for The Saratogian newspaper, covering the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and its resident companies. He's also been a media and advertising consultant, web designer and political campaign manager. New Jersey, NJ, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Radar Sensors market is expected to grow from USD 8.34 Billion in 2018 to USD 38.7 Billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 21.1% during the forecast period 2019-2026, according to the new report published by Fior Markets. Adoption of high-resolution radar imaging sensor and increasing use of sensor fusion technology are the two factors which may propel growth of the radar sensors market. Nowadays, technology has become more advanced and mainly focuses on security and safety needs in various applications such as vehicle collision assistance, industrial and public safety, and robotic assistance. Thus, radar sensors are used as they offer accuracy and provide unique safety and security solution capabilities with superior performance. These radar sensors enable low-power consumption, integrated data processing, small size, and faster response time. These features make radar sensors commercial in applications such as automotive, home automation, transportation, energy efficiency, industrial, and public safety. These factors will drive the growth of the market over the forecast period. A radar sensor is defined as an electronic device that detects the velocity and position of an object located at a distance such as an aircraft, ship, vehicle, or motorbike. Radar sensors senses electromagnetic emissions with the help of a super heterodyne receiver. It then informs the person in the vehicle when the transmission is identified. At present, the GPS technology is embedded into these sensors which enables the storage of locations prompted by the sensor when the user reaches their destination. The high development cost is restricting the growth of the radar sensor market. However, increased spending in the defense segment especially in developing countries and the emerging approach of a driverless car are factors expected to provide numerous growth opportunities in forthcoming years. DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT AT https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/407157/request-sample Key players operating in the global Radar Sensors market include are NXP Semiconductors N.V., Delphi Automotive PLC, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Denso Corporation, Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Airbus Group, Infineon Technologies AG, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Autoliv Inc, and Raytheon Company among others. To enhance their market position in the global radar sensors market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, recent developments, joint venture, collaborations, and partnership. For instance, In January, 2016, NXP Semiconductors N.V. introduced the smallest, single-chip 77GHz radar transceiver. Roughly the size of a postage stamp, the new NXP chip can be hidden practically anywhere in the car a great advantage for vehicle designers as the number of sensors steadily increases in the run-up to fully automated driving. In fact, working prototypes of the new NXP chip were field tested by Google engineers working on their self-driving cars project. In self-driving cars, a cocoon created by 10 to 20 tiny radar sensors all around the vehicle provides a high-resolution, 360-degree view of the environment. The radar detector segment is dominating the market with the highest share of 50.90% in 2018. The type segment is classified as radar detector, radar scrambling and others. The radar detector segment is dominating the market and valued around USD 4.24 Billion in 2018. A radar detector is an electronic device used by motorists to detect if their speed is being monitored by police or law enforcement using a radar gun. Most radar detectors are used so the driver can reduce the car's speed before being ticketed for speeding. The long-range radar segment is dominating the market and valued around USD 3.94 Billion in 2018. The range segment is divided into segments such as short-range radar, mid-range radar, long-range radar, and others. The long-range radar segment is dominating the market and valued around USD 3.94 Billion in 2018 due to their employment in weapon control systems, air mapping systems, marine radar systems, and surveillance systems. The automotive segment is dominating the market with the highest share of 30.10% in 2018. Application segment includes automotive, weather monitoring, security and surveillance, industrial, aerospace and defense and others. The automotive segment is dominating the market with the highest share of 30.10% in 2018. Automotive applications use bands for the lane change assist (LCA), adaptive cruise control (ACC), collision mitigation (CM), and blind spot detection (BSD). Browse full report with TOC at https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/radar-sensors-market-by-type-radar-detector-radar-407157.html Regional Segment Analysis of the Radar Sensors Market North America (U.S. , Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of the Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan India, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil and Rest of South America) Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA) North America region dominated the global radar sensors market with USD 3.43 Billion in 2018 where as the Asia Pacific rapidly growing region in the market. North America is dominating the market due to the technological improvement, rise in adoption of radar sensors, growing safety feature systems in the vehicles and the strong presence of key market players. Asia Pacific is a rapidly growing region due to the rising focus on safety and security features in the automobile sector in China, India, and Japan. About the report: The global Radar Sensors market is analysed on the basis of value (USD billion). All the segments have been analyzed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porters five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution and marketing channels analysis. For Instant Purchase: https://www.fiormarkets.com/checkout.html?reportid=407157&type=single Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client requirements. For further queries, you can contact us on sales@fiormarkets.com or +1-201-465-4211. Our executives will be pleased to understand your requirements and offer you the best-suited reports. About Fior Markets Fior Markets is a futuristic market intelligence company, helping customers flourish their business strategies and make better decisions using actionable intelligence. With transparent information pool, we meet clients objectives, commitments on high standard and targeting possible prospects for SWOT analysis and market research reports. Fior Markets deploys a wide range of regional and global market intelligence research reports including industries like technology, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, food and beverages, chemicals, media, materials and many others. Our Strategic Intelligence capabilities are purposely planned to boost your business extension and elucidate the vigor of diverse industry. We hold distinguished units of highly expert analysts and consultants according to their respective domains. The global market research reports we provide involve both qualitative and quantitative analysis of current market scenario as per the geographical regions segregated and comprehensive performance in different regions with global approach. In addition, our syndicated research reports offer a packaged guide to keep companies abreast of the upcoming major restyle in their domains. Fior Markets facilitates clients with research analysis that are customized to their exact requirements, specifications and challenges, whether it is comprehensive desk research, survey work, composition of multiple methods, in-detailed interviewing or competitive intelligence. Our research experts are experienced in matching the exact personnel and methodology to your business need. Contact Us Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-201-465-4211 Email: sales@fiormarkets.com Web: www.fiormarkets.com To Read Top Industries Reports, Visit our Affiliated Website: https://www.magnifierresearch.com Related Reports Global Asset Integrity Management Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-asset-integrity-management-market-by-service-type-362184.html Global Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-atomic-layer-deposition-ald-market-by-type-362185.html Global Automated Test Equipment Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-automated-test-equipment-market-by-component-industrial-362186.html Global Automatic Lubrication System Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-automatic-lubrication-system-market-by-lubrication-type-362187.html Daniel Hannan is an MEP for South-East England, and a journalist, author, and broadcaster. His most recent book is What Next: How to Get the Best from Brexit. This is it: the last column Ill write for ConservativeHome as an MEP. We were supposed to leave the EU at the end of March 2019. Then at the end of June. Then at the end of October. Now, at last, it is happening. In nine days time, well be out. What an extraordinary three years. If this were played upon a stage now, says the poet, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction. The rise in the Conservative Partys vote from 8.8 per cent at the European election in May (our worst ever result) to 43.6 per cent less than eight months later has no precedent. If anyone foresaw the turbulence, the vertiginous swings, the sudden reversals that followed the Brexit vote, they kept very quiet. I certainly didnt. Several things that happened after 2016 caught me completely off-guard. The first was the radicalisation of many Remainers. Euro-federalism had never really been a thing in Britain. To be sure, there were plenty of people who thought we should stay in the EU, but their reasoning had a pragmatic, faute-de-mieux quality. The usual argument for staying in was along the lines of Yes, the EU may be expensive, remote, meddlesome and all the rest of it, but were in now, and pulling out would be disruptive. The number of people who felt a visceral loyalty to Brussels, who responded emotionally to the 12-star flag, who identified as European, was tiny until the referendum. When people see the same issue leading the news day after day, though, they begin to take sides. As time passes, the side they have taken starts to become a part of their identity. In due course, they polarise, taking up harder and harder positions, more from tribal instinct than from changed circumstances. It happened on both sides partly during the campaign, but mainly after it. Leavers who had argued for years for a common market not a common government were suddenly arguing that a common market was not Brexit. Reluctant Remainers became passionate Europeans: the blue-and-gold flag, largely unseen in the UK before the campaign, began to flap at rallies. The handful of us who tried to argue for an EFTA-style compromise were shot down by both sides. The radicalisation of the Remainers was the more striking. Until 2016, most of the loons had been on my side. I used to wince, during the 1990s, when Eurosceptic meetings were attended by angry, shouty people dressed as John Bull. After 2016, though, there was a polar switch. All of a sudden, the angry, shouty people were standing outside Parliament in blue-and-gold berets. The second thing I failed to foresee was Theresa Mays charmless and inert premiership. In the immediate aftermath of the result, the almost universal assumption was that the Government would be led by someone who had voted Leave. Had that happened, I suspect the tone would have been very different. There would have been no sulkiness about recognising the rights of EU nationals in the UK. There would, I am pretty sure, have been a swift but soft Brexit, reflecting the narrowness of the vote. But the new Prime Minister had no room for manoeuvre. Having voted Remain, she had to prove her credentials. She therefore overcompensated, digging in on relatively trivial issues the timeframe, for example while conceding on important ones, such as trade policy. Again and again, she insisted on making the whole negotiation about border control sacrificing even sovereignty to that end. By the final days of her premiership, she was so desperate to get her deal through the Commons that she was conceding a second referendum. My third miscalculation was failing to see how well Corbyn would do in the 2017 general election. It never occurred to me that the country would vote for a Marxist who sided against Britain in every quarrel. It is worth asking what happened. After all, the disqualifications that counted against Jezza in 2019 were on display in 2017: his support for Hamas and the IRA, his anti-patriotism, his links with anti-Semites, his unaffordable spending pledges. Why didnt he lose in the same way? Two reasons: first, he fought the 2017 election promising to respect the referendum result; second, he was against Theresa May. Which brings me to my fourth mistake. I assumed that, after that election defeat, the Prime Minister would stand down. Had she done so, she would have left with her partys thanks ringing in her ears. But, incredibly, she refused to budge. We were thus stuck with an anti-Brexit majority in parliament, an incapable Prime Minister and an EU that couldnt believe its luck. While all this was going on, the norms and precedents that sustained our system of government began to break down. Completely outre ideas that referendums dont count unless an absolute majority of eligible voters back something, that Russian agents had tipped the result, that previous promises to respect the verdict were void began to be voiced, not just by online nutters, but by Labour MPs, columnists, academics and peers. When the Speaker of the Commons disregarded his officials to rule in a flagrantly partisan way, a large minority the country cheered. By the time May finally stepped down, I was concerned about the future of our parliamentary democracy. How long ago all that seems now. Boris Johnson revived his partys fortunes, won a stunning victory and restored normal government, The Brexit Bill has been passed, the Stormont assembly is back up and running and an ambitious democratic programme is being put before MPs. Six months ago, just before Johnson was elected, I called in this slot for the democratisation of our administrative state, and suggested putting Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings in charge. That is now happening. When I think that it might have happened in 2016, and that we might have been spared the anguish of the intervening 43 months, I almost want to weep. When a resting immune cell that is latently infected with HIV gets reactivated, the cell starts producing HIV virions (red) that bud and release from the cell (blue), as shown here. Credit: NIAID It's a leading research strategy for eliminating HIV from the body: "shock and kill." The idea is to activate the dormant virus from within the immune cells where it hides, then eliminate it. One obstacle has been finding a safe way to wake up the virus. In two complementary Nature papers, researchers now report that they have come closer to that goal. The papers are from researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, funded by the National Institutes of Health. The papers rely on studies involving two animal models of HIV infection. Each study took a different approach. But both yielded promising results, disrupting viral latency at levels not seen before. That means that the virus came out of its hiding places, even in the presence of antiretroviral drugs that had stopped it from replicating for months. The findings do not represent a cure and follow-up studies in animals, as well as clinical studies in humans, are needed and planned. But the results represent an advance because they could potentially be combined with other approaches directed against the virus, the scientists say. "If our goal is to cure HIV/AIDS, then we have to disrupt viral latency," says Guido Silvestri, MD, senior author of one of the Nature papers. "What we're doing now is a new combination approach that provides unprecedented levels of virus reactivation." Silvestri is interim chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, chief of microbiology and immunology at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and a Georgia Eminent Research Scholar. Past results of latency reversal experiments were not as sustained and extensive, says co-senior author J. Victor Garcia, Ph.D., director of the International Center for the Advancement of Translational Science and professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "Previously, no one had successfully demonstrated systemic HIV induction in humans or an animal model with human cells, and then replicated this success in a completely different species infected with a different virus," Garcia says. Ann Chahroudi, MD, Ph.D., co-senior author on both papers, says the studies described in the two papers take different approaches. She is associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Childhood Infections & Vaccines at Emory and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Both approaches were tested at Yerkes in monkeys infected with SIV, a close relative of HIV, and treated with antiretroviral drugs. At UNC, tests were also conducted in mice transplanted with human immune cells. One paper describes a drug called AZD5582, which activates an intracellular pathway that leads to HIV and SIV reactivation. AZD5582 appears to be safe and relatively non-toxic in non-human primates. In 12 monkeys treated with the drug, just one experienced a temporary fever and loss of appetite. With the aim of beginning clinical trials, researchers at UNC and Qura Therapeuticsa partnership between UNC and ViiV Healthcareare investigating compounds related to AZD5582. "AZD5582 was remarkable in its ability to reactivate latent SIV from resting CD4+ T cells, and to induce continued virus production in the blood when monkeys were still receiving daily antiretroviral therapy," says Chahroudi. In the study described in the second paper, researchers stimulated the cells that are the main viral hosts (CD4+ T cells) while also depleting another kind of immune cell (CD8+ T cells), which normally keeps the virus in check. The combination of immune interventions was especially potent; both the stimulation and depletion components were necessary to see SIV re-emerge, Silvestri says. His lab had previously observed a similar but smaller effect with CD8 depletion alone. That means that CD8 T cells must have a role in keeping the virus inactive, which needs to be understood better, he says. "The old paradigm is that you need CD8 cells to clear other infected cells," Silvestri says. "We're showing that CD8 cells are also involved in repressing latency reversal." The main obstacle to a cure for HIV infection is the reservoir: immune cells that harbor the inactive virus when someone is being treated with antiretroviral drugs. Neither interventiondrug or immune stimulation/depletionsreduced the size of the reservoir, because once the animals were taken off antiretroviral drugs, viral levels did rebound. The scientists think the initial viral reactivation needs to be combined with other modes of treatment, such as antibodies directed against the virus itself. "The exciting thing about these papers being published together are the concordance of the results in two animal models with both approaches, and the opening up of new avenues for research towards the goal of an HIV cure," says Chahroudi. Explore further Immunotherapy agent can disrupt viral reservoir in SIV-infected monkeys More information: Robust and persistent reactivation of SIV and HIV by N-803 and depletion of CD8+ cells, Nature (2020). nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1946-0 Robust and persistent reactivation of SIV and HIV by N-803 and depletion of CD8+ cells,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1946-0 Systemic HIV and SIV latency reversal via non-canonical NF-B signalling in vivo, Nature (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1951-3 , nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1951-3 Journal information: Nature [January 22, 2020] TAO Connect Adds Alcohol Prevention and Sexual Education Programs to Its Existing University Behavioral Health Services ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAO Connect , a digital platform designed to make behavioral health therapy more accessible and effective, today announces the addition of two training programs to its online platform: the Alcohol Literacy Challenge (ALC) and the Dimensions Learning sexual education program. The evidence-based programs are now available to both new and existing TAO customers. Universities are required to put students through alcohol prevention and sexual education courses, but most options come with a high price tag, said Dr. Sherry Benton, founder and chief science officer of TAO Connect. We have increasingly received demand from our customers to offer these programs in conjunction with our online assisted therapy services. To meet this need, we have partnered with both ALC and Dimensions Learning to provide universities with a comprehensive behavioral health platform, including these required courses, at an affordable price point. Developed by Dr. Peter Debenedittis to prevent alcohol and substance abuse in college students, the ALC is now available in an online version through TAO Connect. Throughout the program, students learn about standard drinks, the range of alcohol expectancies, the difference between pharmacological effects and placebo effects, social norms and the efforts by alcohol companies to deceptively display positive alcohol expectancies in advrtising. The Dimensions Learning sexual education program consists of 16 engaging videos and interactive exercises to address root causes of sexual violence. The lessons are customizable meaning universities can mix and match them into a course that fits their needs. Beyond sexual violence, topics include sexual agency and gender identity, social judgement and gender socialization, healthy sexuality in a relationship, and changing the overall culture of sexual violence among many others. For students entering a collegiate environment for the first time, alcohol/substance abuse and sexual violence are unfortunately some of the scariest, yet most common risks they encounter, continued Dr. Benton. Programs like these are crucial, and they are most effective when paired with ongoing resources to help students address the everyday stressors they face each semester. Along with its new programs, TAO Connect provides online assisted therapy to help users grasp stress management, problem-solving, mindfulness skills and strategies to avoid overthinking while simultaneously developing more constructive thinking patterns. Its technology can be used two ways: an entire university population can sign up independently for a self-guided experience, or a counseling center can individually assign the online-based sessions to students as a way to enhance in-person guidance between sessions. To learn more about TAO Connect and to inquire about these new programs, please visit www.TAOConnect.org . About TAO Connect: TAO Connect is a virtual platform committed to reducing behavioral health disparities by bringing affordable, effective, and accessible treatment to people who have limited access. The online program provides therapy for common behavioral health problems using a comprehensive platform of virtual tools for therapists and clients. The tools provide information about client education, interaction, accountability, and progress assessment to facilitate effective results. TAOs tools can be used as self-directed, minimally supported help with peer counselors or case managers, custom group support, brief psychotherapy sessions, traditional (50-minute) psychotherapy, or as a transition from inpatient back to the community. Media Contact Daniel Tummeley Uproar PR for TAO Connect 321-236-0102 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By PTI NEW YORK: Harvey Weinstein spawned the #MeToo movement. Now, the former film titan is starring in the biggest trial of its era, a landmark moment in a global reckoning that has empowered women while shining a light on power dynamics in workplaces from Hollywood Boulevard to Main Street. Opening statements and the first witness testimony are expected Wednesday in Weinstein's New York City rape trial, where the possibility of life in prison looms for the once-celebrated 'Pulp Fiction' producer now vilified as a predator by scores of women. Weinstein's accusers include some well-known actresses who plan to testify or attend the trial and others who are looking to the New York case for a form of justice because their allegations haven't resulted in criminal charges. "This trial is so important because the enormity of Harvey Weinstein's international power and fame offers an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the rampant abuse of power that permeates our culture on a global level," actress Jessica Barth said Tuesday. "Not only the outcome of this trial, but the trial as a whole, is precedent setting," said Barth, a star of the 'Ted' films who says Weinstein once invited her to his hotel suite and demanded a naked massage. Weinstein's trial could take more than a month, Judge James Burke said. Judging from an arduous two-week jury selection that netted a panel of seven men and five women, it could be a hotbed of protests and intense media coverage. Extra court officers have been lining the front of the Manhattan courthouse where Weinstein, 67, has been ambling in and out with a walker that his lawyers say was necessitated by a summer car crash and subsequent back surgery. In a failed last-minute push to get the trial moved, Weinstein's lawyers said a flash mob's chanting 'the rapist is you!' at street level could be heard in the courtroom, 15 floors above. Adding to the drama, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is due at the same courthouse Wednesday for a hearing in a case in which several women have accused him of groping. He's denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Though dozens of women have accused Weinstein of sexually harassing or assaulting them over the years, his New York trial involves just a pair of allegations: that he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and sexually assaulted a different woman in 2006. Backed by expected testimony from four other accusers, prosecutors will attempt to portray Weinstein as a monster who used his power to ingratiate himself with women, sometimes promising a film role or other career advancement, before sexually assaulting or raping them. One of them, actress Annabella Sciorra will testify that Weinstein forced himself inside her Manhattan apartment and raped her in 1993 or 1994 after she starred in a film for his movie studio. While Sciorra's allegations are outside the statute of limitations for criminal charges, the judge has said her testimony can be used to prove predatory sexual assault charges, which carries a maximum life sentence and requires prosecutors to show a pattern of misconduct. Weinstein's lawyers say any encounters were consensual. They plan to go on the offensive, pointing to dozens and dozens and dozens of loving emails to Weinstein they say show he and some of his accusers were in consenting relationships. Defense lawyer Damon Cheronis said some of the women 'also bragged about being in a sexual relationship with him.' Once trailed by whispers in Hollywood circles, Weinstein was met with an explosion of allegations from dozens of women after The New York Times and The New Yorker published separate exposes about his behavior in October 2017. After opening statements, prosecutors are expected to call a former member of the board of directors at Weinstein's old movie studio to testify about how the company handled allegations against him. One issue that has remained unresolved in the trial is the defense's objection to a juror who wrote an upcoming novel about young women that includes, according to the book's publicity materials, descriptions of their relationships with predatory older men. If she is removed and replaced as a juror, that'll leave just two remaining alternates for the trial. Once the New York trial is over, Weinstein faces additional rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles. Those charges were filed this month as jury selection in his New York trial was getting underway. Karimnagar (Telangana) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday questioned the customary 'halwa ceremony' of the Finance Ministry before printing of Union Budget documents, citing the Arabic origin of the sweet delicacy's name. "BJP says they will change the name. Ahead of the budget, finance ministry officials were asked to be inside the building until the budget is not prepared. During the process, they prepare halwa. I ask BJP, where did the word halwa come from?" Owaisi said while speaking at a gathering in Karimnagar. "Halwa is an Arabic word and not a word of either Hindi or Urdu. Now you have become Arab. They should shun halwa word as it is an Arabic word. You have seen the Finance Minister saying hello to halwa. There is nothing wrong with this. But they say they will change names," he said. "If God wants, people of the country will change them. From where did halwa come? Remember, I am not halwa but red chili," the AIMIM chief added. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur and other government officials attended the customary 'Halwa ceremony' held on Monday at the Ministry of Finance, North Block in New Delhi. 'Halwa ceremony' marks the beginning of the lockdown of several officials in the Finance Ministry, who remain cut off from their families until the presentation of the Budget by the Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha. As a part of the ritual, which has continued for long, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' and served to the entire staff in the ministry. The Union Budget will be presented on February 1. (ANI) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tania Velazquez Lopez (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 23 2020 The year 2020 marks 60 years of continued friendship between Indonesia and Cuba. It all started in Jakarta in 1959, when then-commander Ernesto Che Guevara arrived in Jakarta as the special envoy of Cubas prime minister. At the end of his visit, an announcement was made: Indonesia and Cuba would establish diplomatic relations. On Jan. 22, 1960, the two states officially opened diplomatic relations. Four months later, Indonesias founding father Sukarno, affectionately called Bung Karno, paid a historic visit to Cuba. He was the first head of state to visit the Caribbean island after the triumph of the Revolution. During his visit, president Sukarno had extensive exchanges with commander-in-chief Fidel Castro. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login A teenage Conservative faced horrendous online abuse after her parents gave her a Brexit cake for her 18th birthday. Poppy Millward was sent dozens of abusive messages for uploading a picture of herself with the cake, which features an edible Boris Johnson and the slogan 'Let's get Brexit done'. The A-Level politics student, from Buckley, Flintshire, was so upset by trolls she claims she had to take days off college. The politics student is a staunch Conservative Party and Brexit backer, despite being too young to vote in the 2016 referendum and living in a traditionally Labour-supporting area of Wales. Poppy Millward, 18, of Flintshire, Wales was sent dozens of abusive messages for uploading a picture of herself with her birthday cake, which features an edible Boris Johnson and the slogan 'Let's get Brexit done' She posted a picture of her and the cake on her Snapchat story on January 10. But it was later re-uploaded by her classmates and posted on Twitter, triggering floods of hateful messages and adding to her anxiety. @FarisSaifelden shared the image of the cake with the caption: 'F*** right off as if a Tory has actually got this cake for their 18th. The cake says 'Happy 18th birthday Poppy... Let's Get Brexit done' 'Needs a wee kerb-stomping if you ask me.' Lewis Keegan added: 'That's taking it too far, sort it out inbred.' @lunaline wrote: 'Literally couldn't think of anything more depressing than receiving this vile piece of s*** (no offence to the cake makers).' Gary Burgess said: 'What a sad state of the UK when this is the sort of thing the young C***-servatives are asking for in their birthday cakes.' Megan Rose-Taylor posted: 'The screenshots have a point, you are an inbred.' And Conor Adams commented: 'I like how you make Boris skinny. Blatantly lying to look good does fit well with the Tory theme.' But some people rushed to Poppy's defence. Tom Bowell replied: 'I'm a proud Labour member and strongly dislike the Tories for their disastrous record in government but this tweet is rather mean. 'It does nothing for our movement and is just plain nastiness for the sake of it. 'Grow up and cut it out man, let's focus on the important things to criticise!' The A-Level student, from Buckley, Flintshire, was so upset by trolls she claims she had to take days off college A distraught Poppy posted an emotional status the next day calling out the abuse. She wrote: 'That's it, I'm name calling. This is disgusting. The birthday cake was a surprise off my parents because it's my hobby and subject choice and I was really happy with it. 'Why is it funny to make fun of someone's 18th birthday cake and ruin their happiness about it because of your political opinion? 'This isn't a 'oh just ignore them thing', this is the stuff that solidifies anxiety I have and makes me think about for weeks. 'This is the stuff that makes me scared to go outside and it's not me being over-dramatic. There were some who rushed to her defence online, including a local Labour member 'This will lead to me being scared to be happy and believe what I want to believe. 'I literally feel so ruined and i'm not going to not share this because it's not something I can ignore. 'It was my 18th birthday, and it made me happy. Sorry you feel the need to make fun.' Speaking today, she added: 'It started with me just posting the cake and getting 30 screenshots on my snapchat, but that didn't bother me because obviously my area is a Labour area. 'Then I came home from work and saw the tweets trying to publicly embarrass me, saying I should be 'curb stomped' and I'm 'inbred'. 'I made the status to effectively do what they did to me - call them out. The only difference was that they were the ones who had done something wrong. 'I suffer from anxiety as mentioned, and it lead me unable to go to sixth form for a few days following it. 'Now every time I'm there I usually have my coat up and sit away from public areas. 'I was really nervous to be in public for a while and it felt like everyone's eyes were on me.' [Read more about Ms. Garcia.] New York Hakeem Jeffries Image Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times A former litigator and the No. 5 Democrat in the House, Representative Hakeem Jeffries is the highest-ranking member of the party leadership on the impeachment team. Many Democrats believe he is poised to become the first black speaker of the House. During the impeachment process, he has emerged as one of the Democrats top messaging lieutenants, deploying punchy declarations of resolve to hold Mr. Trump accountable and icy rebukes of Republicans who have scorned the effort as a partisan ploy. A former litigator at an elite corporate law firm in New York, Mr. Jeffries, 49, once defended CBS in a lawsuit over Janet Jacksons wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl. He won his first political race in 2006, securing a seat in the New York State Assembly after two unsuccessful attempts. He was elected to Congress in 2012. [Read more about Mr. Jeffries.] California Zoe Lofgren Image Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Representative Zoe Lofgren will enter the Senate trial having played a role in two previous impeachment inquiries. She served on the House Judiciary Committee in 1998, when it approved articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton for lying about an affair with a White House intern. And as a young law student in 1974, she helped the committee draft Watergate charges against President Richard M. Nixon. Ms. Lofgren, 72, served as a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and worked for her predecessor, Representative Don Edwards, before she was elected to the House in 1994. The daughter of a truck driver and a cafeteria cook, she holds degrees from Stanford University and Santa Clara University School of Law. [Read more about Ms. Lofgren.] New York Jerrold Nadler Image Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerrold Nadler helped draft and approve the two articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump in December. Campaigning for the committee chairmanship in 2017, Mr. Nadler pitched himself as a lifelong fighter for civil rights and civil liberties as well as an expert in constitutional law who was the strongest member to lead a potential impeachment. In the Senate, he is likely to work alongside the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to make the case for why Mr. Trump should be removed from office. The son of a chicken farmer, Mr. Nadler, 72, was elected to Congress in 1992 after serving in the New York State Assembly. [Read more about Mr. Nadler.] California Adam B. Schiff Image Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times Representative Adam B. Schiff was chosen to be the lead House manager of the impeachment trial after emerging as one of the most prominent Democrats spearheading the inquiry into Mr. Trumps conduct. A former federal prosecutor who serves as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he began digging into the accusations that gave rise to the impeachment inquiry when he pushed for the disclosure to Congress of a whistle-blower complaint alleging a scheme by the president to enlist Ukraine to help him in the 2020 election. Mr. Schiffs high-profile role has made him a favorite target of Republicans, including Mr. Trump, who calls him Little Pencil Neck and Shifty Schiff. Mr. Schiff, 59, graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and was elected to Congress in 2000 after serving as a California state lawmaker. [Read more about Mr. Schiff.] Reporting was contributed by Catie Edmondson, Emily Cochrane, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Michael D. Shear and Nicholas Fandos. Far From Home unveils the first gameplay teaser for their sci-fi, action-survival game coming to Steam Early Access in 2022 and later to consoles. David Walliams and Matt Lucas admit new 'Little Britain' willl have to be more PC (Credit: AP) David Walliams has said he and Matt Lucas will definitely be making more Little Britain, but warned it would have to be more woke. The hit BBC sitcom ran for four series between 2003 and 2008 featuring social sterotype characters such as Ting Tong the Thai mailorder bride; wheelchair-user Andy, who was faking his disablity; cross-dressing ladies Emily and Florence; Daffyd the only gay in the village and Lucas in black make-up as a Mr. T look-alike. Walliams, 48, told The Sun: I would say there will definitely be some more Little Britain coming. I cant say when exactly but at the right time and place. It was fun coming back for radio because thats where we started. Read more: Piers Morgan calls David Walliams a snivelling toady Russell Brand, David Walliams and Matt Lucas in the 'Little Britain' live show for Comic Relief (Credit: PA) He added: Matt and I have been getting lots of offers to do more things together again. We just need to decide whether it is revisiting something weve already done or working on something brand new or doing both those things. But Walliams admitted some of the shows characters may no longer be acceptable in 2020. He said: Youd definitely do it differently because its a different time. Theres all kinds of tolerances that change... Youve got to understand comedy for me is celebrating things. Lucas, 45, told The Big Issue in 2017: If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldnt make those jokes about transvestites. I wouldnt play black characters. Basically, I wouldnt make that show now. It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than Id do now. Society has moved on a lot since then, and my own views have evolved. There was no bad intent there the only thing you could accuse us of was greed. Matt Lucas as Thai bride Ting Tong in the 'Little Britain' live show for Comic Relief (Credit: PA) Read more: David Walliams and Matt Lucas in talks about new 'Little Britain' Little Britain began as a radio show on BBC Radio 4 in 2000 and moved to TV in 2003. It ran for four series and five specials, as well as spawning two seasons of spin-off Little Britain USA and two live tours. Story continues The show returned to BBC Radio 4 for a Brexit special in October last year. Since the sit come came to an end Walliams has become a judge on Britains Got Talent and Lucas has appeared in Hollywood movies including Paddington and Tim Burtons Alice In Wonderland. The pair also teamed up for mockumentary Come Fly With Me in 2010, set in an airport. MEDIA COURTHOUSE An Upper Darby man pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of terroristic threats Tuesday for allegedly telling a woman he was going to kill her. Devin Bostick, 22, of the 7100 block of Clover Lane, was sentenced to time served to 23 months with one year of probation and ordered to have no contact with the victim. Bostick also pleaded to a summary offense of disorderly conduct, for which he received five days of time served between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, 2019. He had served a total of 137 days in the terroristic threats case. Bostick was arrested Aug. 20 for an exchange he allegedly had with another township woman as she walked with her two children along the 600 block of Long Lane Aug. 13. B-, I will get you beat up,' he allegedly told the woman. I got b for you. You better watch your back. Dont forget, I know where you live, I know where your kids go to daycare. I will kill you.' The woman went to police headquarters and gave a statement to detectives, saying she knew Bostick previously and was scared for her life. Bostick had also been questioned by police regarding a July 28 gunfight in which 18 bullets were fired, damaging four cars, but no charges related to that shooting were filed against him. Defense attorney Alyssa Poole said Bostick is still on probation for a 2017 plea in Philadelphia to charges including unauthorized use of a vehicle and fleeing police. Assistant District Attorney Gina Gorbey did not object to probation being transferred to that jurisdiction. Hes looking to put this behind him, Poole told Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Scanlon Tuesday. Hes accepting responsibility and wants to move forward in a positive direction. Jeff Bezos (left) and Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammad bin Salman: AP/Getty On 8 November 2018, amid the storm of accusations and recriminations over the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi just five weeks earlier, Jeff Bezos, the owner of the newspaper, received a bizarre message on his personal phone. It was a photograph sent via WhatsApp of a woman who resembled the TV journalist with whom Mr Bezos was having an illicit affair, months before the matter became public. Even stranger was who had sent the photo, according to reports: Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. It was the first clue that the richest man in the world had had his most private communications hacked, very possibly by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, a pair of United Nations experts called for an immediate investigation by the United States into information suggesting that Mr Bezoss phone was hacked after he received a file sent months earlier by Prince Mohammed, or from his phone. Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on enforced disappearances, and David Kaye, a UN envoy on freedom of expression issues, say information they have collected over the months suggested that Mr Bezos and others have been the targets of a sophisticated campaign of cyber-espionage by Saudi Arabia. The alleged hacking of Mr Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by the US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents, said a statement by the two. The circumstances and timing of the hacking and surveillance of Bezos also strengthen support for further investigation by the US and other relevant authorities of the allegations that the crown prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for but failed to stop the mission that fatally targeted Mr Khashoggi in Istanbul. In an interview, Ms Callamard urged US law enforcement to engage on a matter that she said breached the rights of a prominent US citizen and set a precedent in which anyone could be targeted by the powerful. Story continues The allegations demand on the part of American institutions that they investigate the breach of Bezoss phone by a foreign power it can be done by the FBI or the US congress, she told The Independent. This should be a wake-up call that one of the richest men on earth with a great deal of protection was hacked, she said. It should be wake-up call to the political elite. Their phones are not safe. It remains unclear whether Prince Mohammed himself was in on the scheme to hack Mr Bezoss phone, obtaining information that was later used to blackmail him. But circumstantial evidence amassed by the UN investigators strongly suggests he or those around him had the means and motive to do so. Ms Callamard said that either Prince Mohammed or one of his deputies was behind the surveillance. Mr Bezos and Prince Mohammed struck up a connection in the months before the Khashoggi killing, when Saudi Arabia was being celebrated as a bastion of change under the new crown prince and Amazon was considering an expansion to the kingdom. But Khashoggi was also already penning a highly critical articles for The Washington Post at the time. According to the UN report, Mr Bezos received a video from Prince Salmans personal account on 1 May 2018 via WhatsApp that was reportedly infected with Pegasus, a cyber-espionage tool developed by the Israeli firm NSO. Just two weeks earlier, Khashoggi had written a piece urging greater democracy in the kingdom. Around the same, the phones of several other prominent Saudi dissidents close to Khashoggi were infected with Pegasus. Once Khashoggi was murdered and the kingdom came under pressure to come clean, Saudi officials and Prince Mohammeds army of online trolls vehemently attacked Mr Bezos and The Washington Post for its aggressive coverage of the kidnapping, torture, murder, dismemberment and disappearance of the dissident writer in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Thats when the photo of the woman resembling Lauren Sanchez, Mr Bezoss mistress, appeared. The National Enquirer, a US gossip tabloid which appeared to have ties to the kingdom, threatened to expose the affair with Ms Sanchez unless he backed down on accusations that the magazine was doing the bidding of Saudi Arabia. (A spokesperson for the publisher of The National Enquirer claims it has no editorial or financial ties to Saudi Arabia.) Mr Bezos instead went public, exposing the entire matter in February 2019, after hiring private investigators to find out how his communications were breached. If in my position I cant stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can? Mr Bezos wrote. An annex to Wednesdays report cites a dozen or so in-depth, forensic level tests Mr Bezoss phone underwent by a team of digital forensic experts to locate the source of the invasion. Experts advised that the most likely explanation for the anomalous data was use of mobile spyware such as NSO Groups Pegasus, said the report. Cybersecurity sleuths have repeatedly claimed NSO provided Pegasus to the kingdom. But others said it was possible that Prince Mohammed or someone else may have inadvertently passed along the malware. We dont know for a fact whether or not anybody was conscious of sending any type of malware, and this malware been going around for quite a while, said Theodore Karasik, of Gulf State Analytics, a research consultancy. Ms Callamard and Mr Kaye have been pushing international powers for months to take up a more aggressive stance towards Prince Mohammed. But both the UN, which receives significant funding from the kingdom, and the US, where President Donald Trump remains chummy with the Saudi royal family, have resisted. Allegations that the crown prince, or MBS, as he is often described in shorthand, may have personally taken part in the hacking of Mr Bezoss phone stunned many. I was going to say this is [expletive] insane, wrote Karen Attiyah, Khashoggis editor at The Washington Post, on Twitter. But its not. This is MBS being drunk and high on impunity. Hes never been held accountable for any single f***ing thing, ever. In a message posted on Twitter, the Saudi embassy in Washington said: Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr Jeff Bezoss phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Read more Where is Jamal Khashoggis body and who ordered his murder? Artist Michelle Angela Ortiz spells out "Libertad" with paper flowers, meaning "Freedom," outside Philadelphia City Hall Wednesday during an artistic protest in 2017. Members of the Shutdown Berks Coalition have called on Gov. Wolf to shut down the detention center in Leesport. Read more A 7-year-old Guatemalan child who has spent a record 210 days at the Berks County immigrant detention center cannot leave accompanied by her father, after a federal judge ruled Wednesday that the family must show more than noble goals and an empathetic case to win their joint release. U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson wrote that while he sympathized with the girl, known as Maddie, and her father, called Mr. H in court, they find themselves in a difficult position that is largely of Mr. Hs making. The father and Maddie were detained last spring after illegally entering the United States near Tecate, Calif. The girl is free to go to her mother in New Jersey at any time, the court noted. But the petitioners did not show that either of them has a right to demand that the father be released along with his child. The judge called Maddie an unfortunate victim of circumstance. But to prevail the family must show that they were likely to ultimately win their legal claim on the merits, and they failed to do that, the judge wrote. She has spent more time confined than any child currently held in any of the countrys three family detention centers. The decision comes amid a broad public debate over the nations treatment of migrant children and as advocates press anew in the political arena and in court to try to close the Pennsylvania detention center. Maddie and her father had asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction to release both of them immediately, pending the outcome of their removal proceedings or at least to order the government to conduct a hearing to determine whether they should be released. But in doing so, father and child asked the court to wade into uncharted territory and to declare for them Constitutional rights that no other Court has recognized, the judge wrote. The court declines to do so." Efforts to contact attorneys for the family and for the government Wednesday night were unsuccessful. Judge Wolson wrote flatly: Mr. H and [Maddie] each claims a right to release with the other so that they can be together as a family. No such right exists, however. Apart from the bitter legal wrangling, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement could if it wished, on its own authority, release both father and daughter to the mother in New Jersey. The court cited its own concerns, however, that this particular family might flee, given the concerted effort they have made to come to this country, and given what looked like coordination for Maddie and her father to enter the country while the mother was here on a visa. She subsequently gave birth to a son, a U.S. citizen. All of this indicates that the family is committed to staying here, regardless of the legality of doing so, the judge wrote. Though the mother is at risk of deportation, she has not been placed in removal proceedings. The girls father had sought asylum for both of them after entering the United States illegally, saying they had been threatened by violence in Guatemala, and also in Mexico, where federal authorities had said the two had to wait before their asylum claim could be heard. Federal immigration authorities had offered to immediately release Maddie to her mother in New Jersey. But not freeing her father, the familys lawyers argued, made the overture merely a different form of family separation, one they said would inflict more harm on a suffering child. The hearing featured testimony from a mental-health authority who said Maddie has become deeply depressed and from the attending mental-health provider at Berks who said the girl was fine. Where the plaintiffs witness saw a child so distressed that shes become disheveled, the governments authority saw a girl whose hair may have been mussed by the hood of her unicorn costume. The court found testimony of the childs dire mental-health condition not credible and noted that no one on the familys side took immediate steps to address the harm that the girl was supposedly experiencing. However, the judge also found the Berks mental-health witness not credible, saying he had only limited interaction with the girl. The girls lawyers said that never in hundreds of cases has a child been freed from Berks without the accompanying parent. They characterized the offer to free Maddie alone as retaliation for the familys having filed a federal legal claim along with their immigration case. But no evidence pointed to retaliation by the government, the judge ruled. Evidence that other families were treated differently showed only that government immigration agencies make different rulings based on different circumstances, the court said. Whats formally called the Berks County Residential Center is a 96-bed lockup about 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia in Leesport, operated by the county through a contract with ICE. Critics have assailed Berks as a baby jail that in October held enough children to fill a day-care center. The Computer Society's highest-level volunteer service award, the Merwin Award is given to individuals for outstanding volunteer service to the profession at large, including significant service to the IEEE CS. Fujii was recognized "for his sustained and innovative leadership contributions to IEEE Computer Society standards, strategic activities, and financial transformation." Roger Fujii is the president of Fujii Systems, Inc., providing services in the development of large, trusted systems. He is a 30+ year IEEE volunteer with roles as guest editor of IEEE Software magazine, Press Operations chair and Wiley Book Program chair, conference organizer, standards working group chair (Std 1012), head of the USA delegation to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 International Software Engineering, Fellows and Awards committee member, and IEEE CS Strategic Plan (SC7) chair. His leadership roles include IEEE CS President, IEEE Board of Directors (Division VIII, IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB), IEEE-USA, IEEE Foundation, IEEE CS), IEEE CS First Vice President, and IEEE CS Vice President, Standards. Fujii's recent leadership roles include chair - TAB Financial Transparency, IEEE President's Committee on Publication Strategy (Open Access), IEEE Finance Committee (FinCom) New Indirect Allocation Algorithm, and chair - TAB Shared Service Center Model organizational structure. Previously, he was Vice President/General Manager for Northrop Grumman (Retired) in charge of research-oriented engineering division ($1.086B revenue) developing communication systems for F35/F22 and battlefield networking aircraft systems. His early career role involved the software/systems certification of all US strategic nuclear weapon systems (Minutemen, Peacekeeper, cruise missiles). He was a guest professor at Xiamen University lecturing on nuclear power instrumentation and control systems and lectured at UCLA and California State University, Sacramento on systems engineering concepts/methods. Fujii is an IEEE Fellow, Golden Core Member, Asian American Executive of the Year, Daedalian Award recipient for Systems Excellence in Battlefield Communications, and received numerous IEEE CS awards. Fujii earned a BS/MS in electrical engineering/computer science from UC Berkeley with a thesis on "Suboptimal Sequential Pattern Recognition." He additionally has completed Management of Business Administration programs from Harvard University, UCLA John Anderson School of Management, and Darden School of Leadership and Management, University of Virginia. The award consists of a bronze medal and a $5,000 honorarium and will be presented at the IEEE CS's annual awards dinner and presentation to be held on 27 May during the IEEE CS Board of Governors meeting. Further information about the award, including a list of past recipients may be found at IEEE CS Merwin Award. About IEEE Computer Society The IEEE Computer Society is the world's home for computer science, engineering, and technology. A global leader in providing access to computer science research, analysis, and information, the IEEE Computer Society offers a comprehensive array of unmatched products, services, and opportunities for individuals at all stages of their professional career. Known as the premier organization that empowers the people who drive technology, its unparalleled resources include international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, a unique digital library, standards, and training programs. Visit www.computer.org for more information. SOURCE IEEE Computer Society Related Links http://www.computer.org The BJP on Wednesday cited reported comments of Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan to accuse the Congress of "Muslim appeasement" and "insulting" Hindus, and said that the opposition party should be called "Muslim League Congress". At a briefing, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra referred to comments of several opposition leaders, including those from the NCP and the AIMIM, to allege that they were "abusing" Hindus in the name of anti-CAA protests and sought apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP's Sharad Pawar. Referring to Chavan's reported remarks that the Congress joined hands with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as Muslims wanted the party to stop the BJP from coming to power, Patra said, "The Congress leader says they joined the government for Muslims. What is the sin of Hindus, Sikhs and others. The Congress has insulted Hindus and this comment has exposed it." Hitting back, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said an empty mind is a devil's workshop and added that BJP spokespersons are calling names because of the impact the "rising unemployment" is having on them. He referred to the BJP as "Nathuram Godse party", "bhrasht jumla party" and "bikau janata party". In his press conference, Patra also referred to a statement from an NCP leader to attack the opposition. Asked about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's reported jibe at the RSS for its "non-participation" in the freedom movement, the BJP leader shot back, asking if parents of Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian origin, had fought in India's independence struggle. The Indian National Congress, he said referring to the opposition party's full name, should be called "Muslim League Congress". The Congress does "Muslim appeasement" for the community's votes but has never done any good for it, he claimed. Highlighting a report in an Urdu daily, Patra said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had once described his party as a "party of Muslims" and its leaders coined terms like saffron terror. Since 1946, Patra claimed, the Congress has done "Muslim vote bank politics". He also highlighted comments of AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, whose brother Asaduddin Owaisi heads the party, that Muslims ruled over the country for eight centuries to refer to him as Jinnah, Pakistan's founder. Patra claimed that a video of Shaheen Bagh protests purportedly showed children talking about "murdering" the prime minister and the home minister and asked who has spread such "poison". "It is a tragedy that poison against Hindus is being sowed in the country," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Revelations about Mr. Weinsteins treatment of women in The New York Times and The New Yorker set in motion the global #MeToo movement, a public reckoning about the harassment endured by women for centuries. The prosecutions case largely hinges on the jury believing the womens accounts; there is no physical evidence to support the allegations. Six women will be called to testify about their allegations that Mr. Weinstein sexually assaulted them. Four of those incidents happened too long ago to be prosecuted as separate crimes, but prosecutors hope their testimony will show a pattern of predatory behavior. Mr. Weinsteins lawyers have long made it clear that they intend to discredit his accusers by focusing on emails that suggest the producers relationship with the women was consensual and had lasted long after the alleged crimes. The evidence will show the complaining witnesses sent dozens and dozens of loving emails to Harvey Weinstein, Mr. Cheronis said, adding that one woman gave Mr. Weinstein her new phone number and another sent an email saying she wanted the producer to meet her mother. The judge overseeing the trial, Justice James M. Burke, told Mr. Weinsteins defense lawyers that they could talk about the emails during opening statements but could not show copies of them to the jury. According to a 2018 defense motion, the woman who told the authorities that Mr. Weinstein had raped her in March 2013, who has not been identified, sent him an email on April 11, 2013 saying: I hope to see you sooner rather than later. The next day she wrote, I appreciate all you do for me, it shows. And five days later, she wrote, It would be great to see you later and catch up. It's a sad day for anime lovers, as the iconic narrator for Dragon Ball English dub Brice Armstrong has passed away at the age of 84 years old. According to a released statement by Mary Collins Agency, Armstrong died of natural causes at his home. "Although many of you might not know Brice's work, as he retired in 2009, many more of you knew Brice as an exceedingly talented voice actor, and a very sweet, funny guy." Brice Armstrong is survived by his children, Robin, Joshua, Paul, Matthew, Anthony and Joseph. His wife, Marianna Ash-Armstrong, passed away in 2008. "A girl couldn't ask for a kinder, sweeter, funnier Father in Law than Brice. Love you, Dad," says Mary Anne Armstrong. Voice actor and founder of Oktraton 5000 said in a statement, "Brice was the kindest, funniest person I've ever known. He was always humble, never in a bad mood - not the attitude you'd expect from such an industry legend." Armstrong's raspy voice landed the gig back in 1986, over the last three decades his vocals have brought to life countless fun animation shows. Even one of the world's most famous voices, James Earl Jones, commended the late voice actor on his talent saying, "I wish I had your vocal control." Another voice actor, Ric Spiegel, said, "I like to think Brice is sitting on a stool in the big recording booth in the sky, leaning forward into the mic and announcing, "Sally Forth!' no second take needed." His passing is being mourned by the community of the anime lovers, where fans took to their social media to express their grief. "It pains me to share that voice actor, Dragon Ball narrator, and legend among the anime community, Brice Armstrong has passed away at 84 from natural causes. He of course, has passed through the Other World Check-In Station, may he rest in peace," says Goku on Twitter. "He will be missed R.I.P. but his voice will live on for now," says on Twitter user. Another one thanked him for his hard work for "Best Dub Ginyu and Best Dub Lord Slug. Now you may rest easy, sir." Mary Collins Agency said that Armstrong started working in 1964 for KRLD Radio/TV then moving to KLIF Radio as part of "Charlie & Harrigan Show," even though no one's name is either of the two. Alongside providing narration for Dragon Ball's dub, which aired on Toonami from 2001 to 2003, he also voiced other series characters like Lord Slug and Captain Ginyu. He "breathed life" into characters from other anime shows such as "Fullmetal Alchemist," "Yu Yu Hakusho," "Cased Closed," "Samurai 7" and many more. Armstrong was even part of "Barney & Friends." Armstrong also became the first live announcer on "Good Morning, Texas." Because of announcing on the Texas radio over the year, he was celebrated in 2004 with an induction to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Behind the microphone, Armstrong can also imitate voices of Hollywood icons such as Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne and Alfred Hitchcock. His family has been set up which asks fans to donate to the voice actor's favorite charity, "Heifer International," an organization that fights hunger and poverty. READ MORE: REPORT: Steve Harvey's Stepdaughter Arrested For Hit And Run Case GREENBELT, Md. Patrik Mathews was portrayed as a terrorist, intent on murder and destruction in seeking to spark a neo-Nazi revolution, as a U.S. judge rejected the former Canadian soldier's bid for release Wednesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. GREENBELT, Md. Patrik Mathews was portrayed as a terrorist, intent on murder and destruction in seeking to spark a neo-Nazi revolution, as a U.S. judge rejected the former Canadian soldier's bid for release Wednesday. Patrik Mathews was remanded into custody pending trial. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files) The sound of shackles filled the air as the side door to the Maryland courtroom opened shortly before the detention hearing began. Seconds later, Mathews emerged, wearing the orange jumpsuit of a U.S. federal prisoner. His beard shaven after the Manitoba resident was exposed by the Winnipeg Free Press as a recruiter for the violent neo-Nazi paramilitary group the Base was bushy once more; his hair thick and pushed back on his head. Reflecting upon his appearance, a Washington Post reporter quipped: "He kind of looked like Ted Kaczynski," of Unabomber infamy. Judge Timothy J. Sullivan entered the court soon after, and the hearing got underway. Roughly 40 minutes later, Sullivan ordered Mathews to remain behind bars, pending trial for two felony firearm charges. If convicted of both counts and ordered to serve maximum, consecutive sentences, the 27-year-old Canadian would face up to 20 years in U.S. federal prison. There is no parole in the U.S. federal prison system. Inside the courthouse crowded with police officers, FBI agents and Department of Homeland Security officials Mathews leaned back in his chair and pulled on his beard as he listened to assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom detail the evidence against him. "This is a domestic terrorism investigation. This case does involve firearms If Mathews was a U.S. citizen, this would be a domestic terrorism case," Windom said. "You cannot get more serious than murder, and you cannot get more serious than planning a civil disturbance. Thats exactly what Mr. Mathews planned to do." The evidence in the case was gathered by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives during a lengthy investigation that deployed some of the most sophisticated counter-terrorism techniques at their disposal. Law enforcement tapped into phone calls and encrypted chat rooms, conducted covert searches of properties, trailed suspects in person, accessed cellular location data, and placed the suspects under video and audio surveillance. In delivering his decision, the judge characterized Mathews as a "very dangerous person," with "very dangerous beliefs." "The weight of the evidence against this individual is extremely strong. He faces a lengthy incarceration if convicted," Sullivan said. The state contends Mathews and co-accused Brian Mark Lemley Jr. and William Garfield Bilbrough were gearing up to commit violent attacks at a gun rights rally in Virginia on Jan. 20 the U.S. federal holiday honouring the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. By arresting the alleged co-conspirators five days earlier, the prosecution believes law enforcement saved lives. During its investigation, the FBI seized propaganda videos Mathews recorded of himself urging other neo-Nazis to commit acts of violence in order to spark a "revolution for the white race." "Derail some f---ing trains, kill some people, and poison some water supplies. You better be f---ing ready to do those things If you want the white race to survive, youre going to have to do your f---ing part," Mathews said. As Sullivan read those words into the official court record, Mathews leaned back in his chair and laughed quietly to himself. Throughout the videos, Mathews language was hateful, racist, anti-Semitic and violent, Windom said. During recorded conversations, the accused repeatedly stressed the need to strike at the Virginia rally. "We cant let Virginia go to waste, we just cant Virginia will be our day," Mathews said. "We could essentially, like, be literally hunting people." While the state-appointed defence attorney, Joseph Balter, conceded Mathews words were "odious and repugnant," he argued they should be considered protected speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Balter said the offences Mathews is charged with both firearms-related were ultimately non-violent in nature. "One mans domestic terrorist can be another mans exercise of First Amendment rights," Balter said. He asked for Mathews to be transferred into the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which has a detention order in place for him). Once dealt with by ICE, Mathews could be returned to U.S. federal court to face a second detention hearing on the firearms charges. Prior to the hearing, Mathews told court officials he would return to his Beausejour home if released from custody and sent back to Canada. No family is believed to have been present Wednesday, and Mathews was reportedly not in touch with relatives. Sullivan said Mathews words might be protected speech, but they need to be contextualized within his alleged neo-Nazi activities which include building a fully-automated assault rifle, engaging in paramilitary training events called "hate camps," plotting murders, and stockpiling more than 1,650 rounds of ammunition. Mathews also expressed regret at not planting bombs in his Beausejour home to kill the RCMP officers who raided it hours after the Free Press exposed the active combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserves as a neo-Nazi recruiter. "In all honesty, I could really wish they f---ing all started searching my place, accidently trip a pin, and boom and the whole house goes boom. Boy, wouldnt that be terrible, a bunch of f---ing RCMP search experts got f---ing exploded," Mathews was recorded saying. During the raid, the RCMP seized multiple firearms and took Mathews into custody, but soon after released him without charges. He then disappeared and fled to the U.S., where he was provided safe harbour by fellow neo-Nazis. From court documents: On Jan. 1, at a store in Delaware, Lemley and Mathews (left) purchased approximately 150 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, as well as paper shooting targets. (U.S Attorney Detention Motion) Sullivan rejected Balters argument, calling Mathews a "danger to the community" and a demonstrated flight risk. As the decision was read, Mathews remained emotionless, before standing and allowing the bailiff to handcuff him behind his back. He was then led away through the same doorway hed entered. When approached by a reporter after the hearing, Balter said he was busy and didnt have time to talk. Minutes later, state prosecutors and law enforcement held a joint news conference on the courthouse steps. U.S. Attorneys Robert K. Hur and David Weiss, alongside FBI special agent in charge of the Baltimore field office Jennifer Boone, and acting special agent in charge of the ATF Baltimore field division Toni Crosby, read prepared remarks to a large gathering of media. They took no questions. From court documents: Enroute to Georgia, Lemley (driving) and Mathews (in the passenger seat) passed through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel near Norfolk, Virginia. (U.S Attorney Detention Motion) "Only two days removed from Martin Luther King Day, and mindful of the fact there are few things more pernicious in our society than those who trade in hate and violence, as evidence gathered by the FBI demonstrates," Weiss said. "These defendants, who were self-proclaimed members of the white supremacist group the Base, were dedicated to the idea of doing harm to African-Americans, Jewish-Americans and others who the defendants viewed as a threat to their twisted idea of a white ethno-state." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Boone characterized the three men all of whom are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 30 for preliminary hearings as representing a "specific type of criminality." Bilbrough was also denied bail Wednesday. Lemley waived his right to a detention hearing. "This adversary is one who hides in plain sight, wears many faces, and who is on our own soil. What sets them apart is the desire to do harm to those who do not look like them or believe as they believe," Boone said. "They use violent means in pursuit of their goals." ryan.thorpe@freepresss.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe Thought Leaders Prof. Chris Griffiths OBE MD FRCP FMedSci University of Manchester, Manchester, UK An interview with Prof. Chris Griffiths, OBE MD FRCP FMedSci What is psoriasis and how does it develop? Psoriasis is a chronic immune mediated inflammatory disease, which affects the skin. It occurs in about 2 per cent of the UK population and affects at least 60 million people around the world.[1],[2] The disease manifests as red, heavily scaled plaques, which are raised patches, anywhere on the skin. The most common involved sites are the scalp and the extensor aspects of the elbows, knees, and the lower back. Image credits: Hriana | Shutterstock However, the whole-body surface area can be involved. It produces significant physical, social and psychological detriment and is associated with a number of comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes, which form the metabolic syndrome.[3],[4] Psoriasis can be genetically determined allowing it to run in families, particularly in those where it develops early in life.[5] Most people develop psoriasis before the age of 30 but it has been known for cases to develop after the age of 40, so it can develop anytime in life.[6],[7] It is driven by the immune system in genetically predisposed individuals and there are certain triggers such as infections, for example a streptococcal pharyngitis, various medicines, or stress, but for many cases we don't know why it starts.[8] At present we have no cure for psoriasis. What physical, psychological and social burden does psoriasis have on patients, and how are these linked? The physical burden is that the plaques themselves can be, not just itchy but really quite painful, and they frequently crack and bleed. It can also affect the hands and feet, which can interfere with dexterity and cause discomfort in walking. The comorbidities include psoriatic arthritis, which can have a significant detriment on physical mobility in up to 30 per cent of people who have that condition. The physical side is often underestimated by healthcare workers.[5] However, I think nowadays we are much more cognisant of how it affects the individual physically.[9] Psychologically and socially, psoriasis has very significant consequences.[4],[10] One of the major stressors for people who have psoriasis is that they often practice avoidance coping. They will constrain their lives to avoid people knowing that they have psoriasis, for example they won't go to a local swimming pool because they're concerned that they may be asked to leave the pool. [10][11] Members of the general public often believe that psoriasis, as with other skin conditions, might be contagious. There's a considerable stigma attached, which feeds the psychosocial side effects, such that people may withdraw from life and keep to themselves.[10],[12] They're not able to wear the clothes and have the lifestyle that they want.[13] People with skin disease in general but particularly psoriasis are ostracized from society.[11] As a good example, for someone in a supermarket receiving change from the supermarket attendant, the attendant may not actually put the money into the patient's hand if they have psoriasis on their hands. Overt bullying does also occur, I've heard many stories about children at school who get bullied because they've got psoriasis.[14] What impact does or can psoriasis have on long-term patient health as well as the skin-related symptoms? We now know that there's a significant long-term detriment on patient health, it's not just the skin, though the skin has a very major role. The effects on long-term patient health can be seen as what is termed the cumulative life damage..[10] This means that if people are not managed early, adequately and appropriately in the course of their disease, they can accumulate a chronicity of the condition. Patients can accumulate comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis and cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes, which may come as a consequence of having the disease for a certain period of time.[15] But the exact link is not known or well worked out. Patients can become depressed and anxious. There is debate around whether this is because of the stigmatization and the withdrawal, or whether there's an organic cause and psoriasis is not just inflammation in the skin, but inflammation in other organs, including the brain, which can lead to depression.[16] What is your approach when assessing how best to treat each individual patient? I think that's a very good point. The management of psoriasis is not just getting patients on the right medicine. We know that psoriasis is not a single disease, it's likely many or several different diseases that clinically look very similar which, with time, well be able to differentiate according to genetics and immunology. This will allow us to classify people into different forms of the disease and allow us to place people on the correct treatment, such as a biologic, according to the disease signature or profile. The management also involves altering the patients lifestyle with the right advice to help themselves, for example: losing weight, stopping smoking, stopping drinking alcohol or reducing alcohol intake, more sleep, and more exercise. All of these on their own will help manage the disease to an optimal level. This is a holistic, whole patient view. At the same time, one has to screen for cardiovascular risk factors, such as a high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Please give a bit of background into your work with psoriasis and types of psoriasis treatment. I am an expert on psoriasis, having been in the psoriasis field for 36 years. I have been involved with that whole journey from demonstration that the immune system is involved, to what we now call the biologic era. I did my initial training with Prof. Lionel Fry in St Mary's Hospital, London. That's where we did that original work on psoriasis immunology and further in Michigan with Professor John Voorhees, another acknowledged psoriasis expert. For the past 26 years I've been in Manchester, UK, where we set up one of the first multidisciplinary psoriasis clinics for complex patients, and at the same time, initiated research around what we call the brain skin axis. This work identified the links between brain function and psoriasis. I also helped to establish the national UK and Ireland biologics registry British Association of Dermatologists Biologics and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR) for psoriasis, back in 2007. This is now the leading such registry worldwide with over 18,000 patients followed up long-term on biologics and conventional systemic therapies.[17] I also started the dermatology clinical trials unit in Manchester where we've trialled and navigated the NHS approval process for most of the biologics that we use for psoriasis in this country. I chair the Medical Research Council stratified medicine consortium on psoriasis Psoriasis Stratification to Optimize Relevant Therapy (PSORT), which looks to ascertain what biomarkers can be used in an algorithm to predict which patient will respond to which biologic.[18] A new initiative in Manchester is the psoriasis rapid access clinic where we are now seeing patients with psoriasis within a few months of them first developing the disease. This allows us to enact or operationalize a holistic view of treatment, getting patients onto the right treatment and lifestyle very early on. From Manchester we run the Global Psoriasis Atlas on behalf of the International League of Dermatological Societies, the International Psoriasis Council and the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. The website for this project was launched on World Psoriasis Day, 29th October 2019. This is the first attempt, at the behest of the World Health Organization, to collate all the epidemiological information we have on psoriasis from around the world, in order to ascertain the true burden of the disease. How do you engage with primary care teams to support their role in diagnosis, timely referral and on-going management? The main area to really make a difference, is in primary care. It must be difficult to be a GP, with so many calls on one's time. Often skin disease gets demoted down the hierarchy of importance because it never seems to have the urgency unless it's skin cancer. However, psoriasis is a condition that does have significant systemic manifestations and should be given a higher priority. We need to train and educate GPs more about the recognition and diagnosis of psoriasis. This should include what can be done early on, and not just giving patients a cream but actually giving patients advice about the disease, what it is and what it isn't, and how they can start to get onto the right lifestyle, the right treatments, and also refer them early. The key is not to be inert for years with nothing much happening, as cumulative life damage is occurring. A lot of what we try to do with our rapid access clinic in Manchester is to take some of the pressure off GPs and ask them to refer patients straight to us. We'll take over the initial management. Hopefully we'll be able to manage them at a distance using an app, which will allow them to have the direct connection back to us in the rapid access clinic. I think this has to be the way to manage patients and it has been used quite successfully in the management of early rheumatoid arthritis. We're trialling this in Manchester to see if it will save money in the long-term by reducing comorbidities and cumulative life damage, which should therefore save on the social care budget as opposed to the health care budget. How do you work with your patients in a patient-centred way which manages each individuals expectations from their treatment? The future is going to be much more proactive in the way we manage patients, than the current reactive process. I think that the more we use big data and data streaming from an individual, the more we'll be able to monitor their health in a proactive manner. The approach needs to be a collaborative one, working with patients to develop programmes they are comfortable with and that suits their needs. We are very strong advocates of patient involvement. Can you tell us about the Psoriasis Shout Out programme? Since 2014 we've run the Psoriasis Shout Out programme, an initiative that aims to get people talking about psoriasis and to bring psoriasis patients together with professionals working in the field. Our overarching message is a positive one - it is possible to live well with psoriasis. We run a week-long roadshow of events each year to raise awareness about psoriasis to the general public. The campaign also works to inform patients about what's possible nowadays and that they should seek help early on, whilst providing information around the things they can do to help themselves. We run all sorts of initiatives around this programme, for example weve done flash dances and even poetry projects. In Manchester, we have a trailer and exhibition stand that goes around to various places across the city over the course of the week and members of the team will engage with passers-by about the disease. It's amazing how many people with psoriasis come forward under those circumstances and turns out they've not previously had very much in the way of advice or treatment. How important is it to measure overall quality of life for patients while assessing the impact of their treatment plan? I think measuring quality of life is very important and its not easy to do in psoriasis. We can measure psoriasis using the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) and for quality of life we use the dermatology life quality index (DLQI).[19],[20] This is a 10-point scale that patients complete themselves. We ask questions about how psoriasis has affected certain aspects of their lives over the previous week and that provides a snapshot of whether they have very good quality of life, which would be zero out of 30, or very poor, which would be anything really greater than 10 to 15 or above. You may have people whose psoriasis is physically mild, but they still may have an impaired quality of life. That might be because the psoriasis is very itchy or it's on sites such as the face or palms or genitals even, which are interfering with how they'd like to run their lives, and they feel stigmatized or embarrassed about that. If the patient doesnt have a DLQI quality of life score of zero or 1 then there is still something to be investigated. Its important we include these measures within our clinical trials. We need these data as it's not just about the improvement of the PASI, it is also about the improvements of DLQI. Do you have an example of a challenging case, where the patients life has been transformed through your holistic and patient-centred approach to delivering care? One of the great things about running the psoriasis clinic is that one can experience how biologics can invoke transformational change in people's lives. Just a month ago, there was a 58-year-old lady, who had been on one the biologics for about three to four months. I saw her back in the clinic and she said, "Professor Griffiths, I really want to thank you, my psoriasis is now clear, and I am now doing something that Ive wanted to do since I was 14." I asked her what that was and she said, "Well, my psoriasis began when I was 14, and this is the time when my friends were starting to go to the swimming pool, but I never learned to swim because I wouldn't go with them as I was too self-conscious. But now that my skin is clear of psoriasis I'm learning to swim, so I can do something I've actually put off for 44 years." What do you see as the future of psoriasis treatment? I think we have made phenomenal progress over the past several years with the biologic therapies and some of the newer small molecule therapies, which are truly founded on understanding the basic mechanisms of the disease. However, that's not the answer for everybody. There's still a lot of unmet need and it comes down to understanding what the patients need, which is seeing them early, being able to ascertain barriers to access to care for people with psoriasis, not just in the Western world, but also in the least developed countries. As far as the Global Psoriasis Atlas is concerned, we went to Tanzania in July to do some field work, which was quite an eye opener. Although psoriasis is not as prevalent as it is in the UK, people are frequently misdiagnosed by non-dermatologist, healthcare workers as having fungal disease. Even if they do get a correct diagnosis, the treatments available to them are very limited. I believe passionately that just because they may live in a place, such as Tanzania, doesn't mean that they shouldn't have the best care available. This for me is the key issue, it's looking at psoriasis as a global problem and not just one that's linked to the wealthier countries of the world. About Prof. Chris Griffiths Chris Griffiths OBE MD FRCP FMedSci University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Chris Griffiths qualified from St Thomas Hospital Medical School, London and trained in Dermatology at St Marys Hospital, London, and at the University of Michigan, USA. He was appointed to the Foundation Chair in Dermatology at the University of Manchester in 1994 and is an honorary consultant dermatologist at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. In 2015 he received the Sir Archibald Gray Medal, for outstanding service to British Dermatology and in 2019 the British Society for Investigative Dermatology Medal for contributions to research. In the 2018 Queens New Year Honours he was appointed OBE, for services to dermatology. Chris is the current President of the European Society for Dermatological Research and a past-President of the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and International Psoriasis Council. Chris is Director of the MRC stratified medicine consortium on psoriasis (PSORT); Director of the Global Psoriasis Atlas; and Chief Investigator of the BAD Biologics and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR). He has a career-long research interest in all aspects of psoriasis and is active in global health initiatives being special advisor to the International League of Dermatological Societies on global health research and policy. This article has been sponsored by, and developed in conjunction with, Janssen-Cilag Ltd. EM-24085 Date of preparation: January 2020 A native American sauna has been discovered in Mexico City dating back to the 14th century. The so-called 'sweat lodge' was found at an archaeological site in the neighbourhood of La Merced in Mexico City. It is believed the room was used to purify the body of locals in various circumstances, including for medicinal purposes, religious rituals and child birth. Pictured: the temazcal found in Mexico City. Archaeologists discovered this pre-Hispanic sweat lodge used in religious ceremonies in Mexico City The sweat lodge (pictured) was found at an archaeological site in Mexico City It is believed the room was used by the Aztecs to purify the body in various circumstances, including for medicinal purposes, religious rituals and for child birth The so-called 'sweat lodge' was found at an archaeological site in the neighbourhood of La Merced in Mexico City According to the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the sweat lodge, known as a 'temazcal' in the pre-Hispanic culture, was part of the noble neighbourhood of Temazcaltitlan, in the Teopan area of the state of Tenochtitlan. A sweat lodge is a low profile hut where a purification ceremony was conducted which aimed to cleanse a person by inducing perspiration. The foundation of a colonial house and a tannery inhabited by people of the Mexica nobility between 1521 and 1620 AD were also found at the excavation site. 'The findings suggest that in the 16th Century this area was more populated than we initially thought,' said Victor Esperon Calleja, who led the excavation work, the BBC reports. Temazcals were used to purify the body after exertion such as after a battle and also for healing the sick, improving health and aiding in childbirth. The foundation of a colonial house and a tannery (pictured, the site) inhabited by people of the Mexica nobility between 1521 and 1620 AD were also found at the excavation site According to the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the sweat lodge, known as a 'temazcal' in the pre-Hispanic culture, was part of the noble neighbourhood of Temazcaltitlan, in the Teopan area of the state of Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan was a large city-state inhabited by the Mexica, the indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico who ruled the Aztec Empire between 1428 and 1521 AD. The city is believed to have been built on an island in what was then Lake Texococo in the Valley of Mexico. Victor Esperon Calleja told local media: 'The site is part of a protected area and that is why Archaeological Rescue Office of the INAH has intervened. 'Tenochtitlan was divided into four parts and we are in the part called Teopan in a neighbourhood called Temazcaltitlan where the sweat lodges were.' The INAH has confirmed that the foundation of the temazcal is 16.4 feet (five metres) long and 9.7 feet (2.98 metres) wide with a bathtub and a bench inside its walls. According to historical records, a dame from the Mexican nobility called Quetzalmoyahuatzin bathed in the temazcal in a purifying ritual before giving birth. Archaeologists believe the neighbourhood was used as an area for worshipping female deities such as Ixcuina, the goddess of the labour; Tlazolteotl the deity of vice, purification, steam baths and lust; and Ayopechtli the goddess of birth proper. Other female deities related to fertility, the land or water were also worshipped such as Coatlicue, Toci, Chalchiuhtlicue and Mayahuel. According to historical records, a dame from the Mexican nobility called Quetzalmoyahuatzin bathed in the temazcal in a purifying ritual before giving birth. Pictured, the sweat lodge during excavation The INAH has confirmed that the foundation of the temazcal is 16.4 feet (five metres) long and 9.7 feet (2.98 metres) wide with a bathtub and a bench inside its walls Archaeologists believe the neighbourhood was used as an area for worshipping female deities such as Ixcuina, the goddess of the labour; Tlazolteotl the deity of vice, purification, steam baths and lust; and Ayopechtli the goddess of birth proper Terry Gilliam has paid tribute to fellow Monty Python star Terry Jones after his death, calling him a brilliant, constantly questioning, iconoclastic, righteously argumentative and angry but outrageously funny and generous and kind human being. The actor and comedian, who directed some of the comedy troupes best-loved works, gently slipped away at the age of 77, a statement to the PA news agency on behalf of his family said. Gilliam said Jones, who had dementia and died on Tuesday evening, could not have been a better friend. Writing on Twitter, he said: HE WAS A VERY NAUGHTY BOY!!and we miss you. Terry was someone totally consumed with life.. a brilliant, constantly questioning, iconoclastic, righteously argumentative and angry but outrageously funny and generous and kind human being and very often a complete pain in the ass. One could never hope for a better friend. Goodbye, Tel. ...and very often a complete pain in the ass. One could never hope for a better friend. Goodbye, Tel. 2/2 Terry Gilliam (@TerryGilliam) January 22, 2020 Jones was remembered by other Python stars including Sir Michael Palin, who said Jones was one of my closest, most valued friends. Sir Michael said Jones was kind, generous, supportive and passionate about living life to the full. He was far more than one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation, he was the complete Renaissance comedian writer, director, presenter, historian, brilliant childrens author, and the warmest, most wonderful company you could wish to have, he said. He added in a statement to PA: I feel very fortunate to have shared so much of my life with him. John Cleese tweeted: It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away Expand Close Terry Jones (right) with Michael Palin (Ian West/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Terry Jones (right) with Michael Palin (Ian West/PA) Referring also to sixth Python member Graham Chapman, who died in 1989, he added: Two down, four to go. Eric Idle tweeted that Joness death is a cruel and sad thing, adding: But lets remember just what joy he brought to all of us. Just heard about Terry J It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away... Of his many achievements, for me the greatest gift he gave us all was his direction of 'Life of Brian'. Perfection Two down, four to go John Cleese (@JohnCleese) January 22, 2020 Idle said he loved Jones the moment I saw him on stage at the Edinburgh Festival in 1963. So many laughs, moments of total hilarity onstage and off we have all shared with him. Its too sad if you knew him, but if you didnt you will always smile at the many wonderfully funny moments he gave us. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and messages of support for our dearly beloved brother Terry. It is a cruel and sad thing. But let's remember just what joy he brought to all of us. Eric Idle (@EricIdle) January 22, 2020 Jones appeared in the Monty Pythons Flying Circus TV series in a variety of characters, and was known for his performances in drag. A statement on behalf of his family said they were deeply saddened to announce the death of a beloved husband and father, who had given pleasure to countless millions across six decades. They hailed an extraordinarily talented, playful and happy man living a truly authentic life, in his words Lovingly frosted with glucose. I loved him the moment I saw him on stage at the Edinburgh Festival in 1963. So many laughs,moments of total hilarity onstage and off we have all shared with him. Its too sad if you knew him,but if you didnt you will always smile at the many wonderfully funny moments he gave us Eric Idle (@EricIdle) January 22, 2020 Jones died with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good- humoured battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD, the statement said. Over the past few days, his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in north London. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humour has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades. They said his work will live on forever, a fitting legacy to a true polymath. Farewell, Terry Jones. The great foot has come down to stamp on you. My god what pleasure you gave, what untrammelled joy and delight. What a wonderful talent, heart and mind Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) January 22, 2020 The family thanked wonderful medical professionals and carers for making the past few years not only bearable but often joyful. We hope that this disease will one day be eradicated entirely. The Welsh-born star suffered from a form of dementia which affects the ability to communicate. Jones directed the film Monty Python And The Holy Grail in 1975 with Terry Gilliam. Thank you Terry for a lifetime of laughter. pic.twitter.com/Z1dqfNklJ9 David Walliams HQ (@davidwalliams) January 22, 2020 The groups Life Of Brian film in 1979, about a hapless man mistaken for Jesus, was attacked as blasphemous at the time but has since been voted the funniest classic comedy. On screen, Joness much-loved characters included Arthur Two Sheds Jackson, Cardinal Biggles of the Spanish Inquisition, and Mr Creosote, the monstrously obese restaurant patron. Stephen Fry, David Walliams and Charlie Brooker were also among those paying tribute to the star, with Fry praising Jones as a wonderful talent, heart and mind. Expand Close John Cleese and Terry Jones in rehearsals for their Monty Python Live show in 2014 (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Cleese and Terry Jones in rehearsals for their Monty Python Live show in 2014 (PA) Walliams wrote: Thank you Terry for a lifetime of laughter. Shane Allen, BBC controller of comedy commissioning, wrote that it was a sad day to lose an absolute Titan of British comedy and one of the founding fathers of the most influential and pioneering comedy ensembles of all time. Jones also directed The Meaning Of Life in 1983, the Pythons last film together. "And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin mint" One of Terry Jones' Top 10 Monty Python Movie Moments... Mr. Creosote: https://t.co/LTh2ZnyxcR Monty Python (@montypython) November 13, 2019 His other credits include The Wind In The Willows in 1996, with performances from Idle, Palin and Cleese, 2015 comedy Absolutely Anything, and Personal Services (1987). Jones took part in a reunion of remaining Monty Python members in 2014. He had two children with Alison Telfer, whom he married in 1970, and became a father again, at the age of 67, with second wife Ms Soderstrom. (As delivered) JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: Thank you so much David, and also many thanks to the Chairs of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, and the Delegation for Relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. And its really a great pleasure and honour to be back here and to meet with you all. Many new faces, but also some familiar faces from last time I met this part of the European Parliament. I really appreciate to be here for several reasons. I feel at home among parliamentarians. I have been a parliamentarian myself for twenty years. And I appreciate the symbol of democracy, knowing that people have, or parliamentarians have different views and different positions on many issues, but at the same time we all believe in the institutions, the parliaments as the way to express the will of the people. And parliaments play an important role in our nations in the different countries, but also the European Parliament is important for shaping EU policies and thats, again, important for all NATO Allies and for the cooperation with NATO. Then I also appreciate to be here because I am a strong believer in NATO-EU cooperation. And therefore, every time you invite me, I try the best to come. I also welcome the fact that I have a very close relationship with the new leadership in the European Union. My old friend Ursula von der Leyen, she was Defence Minister for many years, so we developed a very close partnership, cooperation, and also with Charles Michel. And I just, last week, I met the EU foreign ministers in the Foreign Affairs Council, the High Representative Borrell, and in two or three weeks, Josep Borrell will come to the NATO Defence Ministerial meeting. So the fact that I am here and the fact that we meet at different levels, NATO-EU, demonstrates the close cooperation between NATO and the European Union. We are two different organisations and, of course, we have to respect our differences and the decision making processes in both EU and NATO. But I strongly welcome the fact that despite the differences, we have recognised that it is extremely important that we stand together, that we work together. And over the last years we have been able to lift NATO-EU cooperation up to unprecedented levels. We do more together now. We work more together than we have done for many, many years. And the fact that we are able to work together on issues as cyber, as hybrid threats, that we have been working together for many years in the Western Balkans, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, is of importance for EU members, but also for NATO members. I also welcome the fact that, for instance, in the Aegean Sea, we have a NATO deployment, six ships, helping to implement the agreement between the European Union and Turkey, addressing the migrant and the refugee crisis. And also in the Mediterranean, you have the Operation Sophia. NATO provides support to Operation Sophia. And actually, we could do more to provide support if that is requested or called for by the European Union, for instance, to help to implement the arms embargo against Libya. So . . . and we have exercises, we have many other activities where we work together. So the fact is that, yes, we are two different organisations, but we work more and more closely together. And I would like to start by commending the European Union and NATO for being able to deliver more and more activities, more and more joint activities, demonstrating the importance of our cooperation. I believe in this cooperation also because I believe in cooperation between North America and Europe. And by making the European Union and NATO working more closely together, we are also making sure that Europe and North America are working more closely together. And I believe in the transatlantic bond between North America and Europe, despite the fact that I know that people question the strength of that transatlantic bond, on both sides of the Atlantic. And I also believe in the transatlantic bond, symbolised by the NATO-EU cooperation, but also by NATO itself, because NATO is a transatlantic institution, transatlantic organisation. I believe in this transatlantic bond, also, despite the differences and the disagreements we all see today. Because there are differences and disagreements between North America and Europe on issues such as climate change, trade issues, the Iran nuclear deal and many other issues. And these are serious differences on serious issues. But I believe in the transatlantic cooperation because, despite these differences, we have to stand together, because we are safer and more secure when we are able to stand together and address common challenges. And despite differences on issues like trade and climate change, which are important, we have, fundamentally, common interests when it comes to peace and security. And therefore, I strongly believe that we need to strengthen, not weaken the transatlantic bond. And we are faced with a paradox, and that is that: despite the disagreements and I guess that some of you will ask questions about those disagreements afterwards in the . . . when we have the Q&As afterwards despite these differences, there is a paradox. And the paradox is that we have differences, but at the same time, North America and Europe are doing more together than we have done for many years. Because, for instance, I read sometimes that the US is leaving Europe. The US is not leaving Europe. The United States is actually increasing their military presence in Europe. Its correct that after the end of the Cold War, the United States gradually, for good reasons, reduced its military presence in Europe. Thats correct. But over the last years, the United States has not decreased but increased its military presence in Europe, with more troops, more investment in infrastructure, more prepositioned equipment. And now in a few weeks, we will have the big exercise, Europe Defender 2020. And in that exercise, the United States will deploy 20,000 troops directly from the United States to Europe, in the biggest deployment of US forces since the end of the Cold War. So again, you can like it or dislike it, or you can be in favour or whatever, but its not . . . its factually wrong to say that the United States is leaving Europe. There are more US troops now in Europe than have been for many years. So the US is not decreasing, they are increasing. European Allies are also stepping up. Higher readiness of their forces. New battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance, in the Baltic countries and Poland. Stepping up in the efforts to fight terrorism. And also, after years of reducing defence spending all NATO Allies cut defence spending after the Cold War but now, actually, all Allies, including all European Allies, have started to increase defence spending. Im not saying that they invest as much as they should. But Im saying that its a big difference from reducing, compared to increasing. And the fact is that all Allies, all the European Allies, Canada, are now investing more in defence. Just over . . . just since 2016, European Allies and Canada have added 130 billion, 130 billion US dollars more for defence. Thats significant. And if you followed the NATO summit in London in December, you saw that the message also from the United States, actually, was that they recognise the progress. And therefore, I also highlight that we have to remember that we invest in European defence, or European Allies are investing more, not to please the United States or President Trump. They invest in defence because it is in their security interest to do so. And actually, European Allies decided at the Wales Summit of the NATO Allies, decided at the Wales Summit in London in 2014 . . . or in Wales in 2014, to increase defence spending and now they are delivering on that. So the paradox is that despite the questions being asked about whether NATO, the transatlantic bond, is strong, the reality is that it has been strengthened over the last years. We are doing more together than we have done for many years. And I welcome that because we will need North America and Europe, NATO bringing North America and Europe together, the transatlantic bond, also in the future, to address old challenges and new challenges. And let me just briefly mention three of them. One is the fight against terrorism. There are many problems and many reasons to be concerned about the fight against terrorism. But we have to recognise that together North America and Europe have made enormous progress. Not so many months ago, ISIS controlled a territory as big as the United Kingdom. Millions of people. And we saw the brutality of that organisation: beheading people, using rape as a military tool, slavery, a brutality which is hard to imagine. Now, all that territory is liberated and ISIS has lost control over the territory and the people they controlled just a few months ago. This is a joint effort by North America and Europe, with some partners. And its not a small thing, its a big thing. It required an enormous effort, but we managed. I just would tell you that Im afraid that we forget the danger that this can come back, so therefore we need to continue to provide support to Iraq, the fight against Daesh is not over, they are still there. And therefore, also, of course, I regret that both the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, where all Allies, NATO Allies, are a member and also NATO is a member, has been forced to suspend the training activities we provide to Iraq. I regret that, but I really hope that we can resume those activities as soon as possible, because Iraq needs support. If not, we risk that Iraq would slide into conflict, and ISIS may return. And therefore, also, we are now looking into what more we can do. And I will . . . there are many things to say, but I will only share with you one important reflection or message. And that is that when I look into what more NATO, the West, the Global Coalition, we can do to fight terrorism, then I dont look into whether we can do more combat operations. Because I, of course, I believe that NATO has to be able to conduct combat operations, as we have done many times before in the Balkans, in Afghanistan and elsewhere if needed. But in the long run, its much better if we can enable local forces to fight terrorism themselves, to stabilise their own countries themselves, because we will always be, regardless, foreigners as potential occupants. So the thinking in NATO now is not about conducting big combat operations, but the thinking is how can we train and build local capacity? As we do in Afghanistan, as we do in Iraq, and as we are also working, for instance, with other partners in the region, Jordan and Tunisia, to help them build special operation capacity, intelligence, enabling them to fight terrorism. So prevention is better than intervention. Building local capacity is better than big combat operations. And again, we need to work together. EU has a role to play. EU is present, I just strongly believe that we need . . . but, but Europe cannot do this alone, we need to do it, North America, Europe together and NATO provides a platform for bringing us together. The second item is . . . or challenge we also need to address together is Russia. We have, as you know, in NATO developed what we called a dual-track approach to Russia: deterrence, defence and dialogue. And there is no contradiction between deterrence, defence and dialogue. Actually, as long as we are strong, as long as we are united, as long as we are firm, we can also talk to Russia. Russia is our neighbour. Russia is there to stay. We need to strive for a better relationship with Russia. And dialogue with Russia is not a sign of weakness. Dialogue with Russia is a sign of strength. And of course, we need the United States, Canada, North America to provide the necessary capabilities to have credible deterrence and defence. But we also need North America to have meaningful dialogue with Russia. Because an important part of that dialogue is about arms control, and arms control has to involve the United States, at least in many aspects. For instance, the demise of the INF Treaty, the treaty that banned all intermediate range missiles in Europe, its a US-Russia agreement. And NATO was a platform to address that. The New START, of course, is a bilateral arrangement between Russia and the United States, but has a lot to say for European security. So I believe in arms control. But to have meaningful arms control, we need also to have, also, the United States around the table, to also address arms control with Russia. I move on, because I see that I need have some time for the Q&As. So the third challenge I will briefly mention is new and emerging challenges. Technology, artificial intelligence, autonomous weapon platforms, big data. All these emerging technologies will change the nature of warfare as much as the industrial revolution. And we need all the ingenuity, all the capacity of both North America and Europe together to be at the forefront of that development to keep our technological edge. And this is also linked to the rise of China. Because China . . . normally, we have always had the technological edge. But the reality is that when you speak about, for instance, artificial intelligence, we see also that China is actually now investing a lot. And therefore, we need to work together also when it comes to technology and addressing the consequences of the rise of China. There are opportunities, but there are also some serious challenges. China now has the second largest defence budget in the world. Just over the last five years, they deployed 80 new battleships, naval ships. Thats as much as the total UK Navy, just addition for the Chinese Navy, over the last five years. Some . . . I meet, people, both in Europe and North America expressing concern about the size of China. Well, if youre concerned about the size of China, then Europe and North America have to stand together, because together we have 50 per cent of world GDP or 50 per cent of the world military might. So Europe and North America, we are two sides of the same coin. There are differences. There are disagreements. But again, as long as we stand together, as long as we address our common security challenges together, then we are all safe and secure. Therefore, I believe in the strong transatlantic bond, demonstrated through a strong NATO, but also demonstrated through active and strong cooperation, NATO and the European Union. Thank you so much. DAVID McALLISTER: Excellent. Thank you, Secretary General. Colleagues, we now have roughly 35 minutes time for an exchange of views. I have a record list of requests to speak. More than 30 colleagues will take the floor. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to speak. I will give the coordinators in AFET and SEDE priority. I ask for your understanding. But first, I give the floor to the Chairman of our Delegation for the relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, our colleague Kris Peeters. A warm welcome. KRIS PEETERS [Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly]: Thank you, Mr Chair, its very friendly of you to give me the floor. First of all, thank you, Mr Stoltenberg, to be here, to be present and to give all this information. I have two short questions. First question is that Ive read that President Trump proposes NATO expansion into the Middle East. My question is: what is your opinion about that proposal? And secondly, as Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to NATO, you know, that we have a special position. That means that we have no voting right, like other representatives of national parliaments. Is it not the time to upgrade the European Parliament and its delegation. Thats without the Chair, of course, but its, I think, the moment to upgrade to the representatives of the European Parliament. Thank you. DAVID McALLISTER: Wow, good questions, Kris, thank you. And also, you set a good timeframe for other colleagues. Is it okay that we have a round of coordinators, the group, so we start with AFET, EPP, Michael Gahler. MICHAEL GAHLER [AFET, EPP]: Thank you very much. As EPP, we would roughly share your assessment on where we stand. In one of your previous appearances here, you said we have three areas of closer cooperation between EU and NATO: building resilience together, building resilience with our neighbours, and cooperate more on defence investment. On the latter, how would you secure that we are, as between EU and NATO, are not played one against the other, when it is about the setting up of our European Defence Fund. So how is there the cooperation, the coordination, in your view done? Then, you are aware that strategic autonomy is a word that, in NATO sources, circles, causes sometimes some hiccups. Wouldnt you agree that we need to be able to decide on our own, especially you referred to Libya, where Turkey is perhaps not 100 per cent on our line. So what shall we do? Having no recourse to NATO resources if Turkey says no. Wouldnt you think that that alone would require a strategic autonomy, so that we can do in Libya what we need to do? Thank you. DAVID McALLISTER: Thank you. AFET coordinator, S&D, Tonino Picula. TONINO PICULA [AFET, S&D]: Thank you, President. Mr Secretary General, you may feel very welcome in this house, like always. In these challenging geopolitical times, its of crucial importance to maintain NATO unity and the political cohesion of its member states. Having in mind the recent EU reactions of Turkish actions in northern Syria, the Turkish drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as the overall increased Turkish autonomous activity in the region, which is not seen in line with the NATO political cohesion, how do you view the current state of play with a significant NATO member, Turkey? How do you view the closer relationship between Turkey and Russia, especially seeing them exerting influence in the region and having in mind that Turkey recently bought Russian missile defence system? Thank you. DAVID McALLISTER: Thank you, Tonino. For the Renew Group, Petras Austrevicius. PETRAS AUSTREVICIUS [Renew Group]: Thank you, David. Thank you General Secretary, on your statements and I assure you that we, Renew Europe is looking forward very much, I mean, to work along many lines you have mentioned. We are very much in favour of further development of European Defence Union. And will do whatever it takes to make sure and guarantee, bring guarantee that 22 members we share between EU and NATO will stand together at any timing of further challenges we might face. General Secretary, I have a request to you to comment next weeks very sad event, which is coming on our agenda, its UK departure. United Kingdom is about to leave and what is your take on it? What could be done? I mean, and what could be guaranteed in order to keep UK as close partner of European Union? I mean, definitely as a fully-fledged member of NATO. I mean, from my point of view, now were facing a challenge not just developing transatlantic relations, but trans-Channel relations as well. I mean, its coming up on agenda. And my second point would be a request for your comments on like-minded partners, which we might involve in all our activities, which are so needed worldwide, bringing peace and stability. I mean, what is your take on the list of like-minded? Is it . . . I hope its long enough. DAVID McALLISTER: Thank you Petras. For the Greens, Reinhard Butikofer. REINHARD BUTIKOFER: Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Secretary General, for being with us. I would like to ask three fast questions. Number one: NATO just recently, for the first time, dealt with China. And you reiterated over here, Sir and you reiterated that by highlighting challenges and opportunities. I would like you to focus on the challenges. What are the most important challenges in that regard? And would it be good if NATO would provide a stronger presence in the South China Sea? My second question is: what is, in your opinion, NATOs role on dealing with the Libyan mess? And my third question: the buzzword, strategic autonomy has already been mentioned by Mr Gahler. Sometimes I feel this buzzword comes with anti-NATO undertones. So I would be interested in hearing your favourite definition of strategic autonomy. DAVID McALLISTER: Thank you, for the ID group, Jerome Riviere. JEROME RIVIERE [ID Group]: Thank you, Chairman. Secretary General, theres a lot to be said about NATO. Yes, good afternoon. There is a lot to say about NATO and its transformation since the end of the Cold War. Listening to you, I get the impression that Im listening to a US representative, but its not really surprising as the United States are the biggest contributor and you are defending your budget. But when I hear you, what you recently said about Turkey, in a very calm way, that gives me cause for concern. Turkey is an active participant in the Syrian and Libyan crises. And at any stage, the behaviour of this kind could draw us into problems. Theyre violating the rights of Cyprus. Erdogan is interfering in the internal affairs of France and Germany, is financing communitarist groups. Instrumentalising migrants to extort money from the EU who, in their great weakness, are still providing funds. And I think this shows the obsolescence of the Alliance. I would like to understand why you are so gentle towards Turkey. What is your strategy? Quite honestly, I dont see that theres any interest in this for France anymore. DAVID McALLISTER: Thank you. We have both coordinators from the ECR present, I wanted to ask Anna Fotyga, is it okay if I give the floor to Geoffrey Van Orden, because I, presumably . . . I think it might be his last time he takes the floor as a member of AFET? DAVID McALLISTER: Okay, for good trans-Channel relations, Geoffrey Van Orden, the floor is yours. GEOFFREY VAN ORDEN [Conservatives, AFET]: How very kind, Chairman. And Secretary General, you are most welcome, and I speak as a former Secretary of the International Military Staff of NATO. So, naturally, you are highly welcome here. I just want to pick up on two points quickly, which have already been raised by colleagues. But perhaps my . . . my approach is slightly different to theirs. I fear there are two developments that could lead to or could threaten the unity of the Alliance. The first of these is the European Unions pursuit of so-called strategic autonomy, and its rather exclusive approach to defence industrial developments, in spite of lip service to NATO, I have to say. I feel that this could lead to a divide between continental Europeans and North American Allies. My second concern well, actually, its . . . it is the lack of concern for Turkeys interests, and the EUs cold shoulder, which may tempt Turkey, increasingly, to seek allies elsewhere. We need to keep Turkey onside. And it worries me, this tendency. I welcome your comments. Thank you. DAVID McALLISTER: Thank you, Geoffrey. Would somebody like to take the floor from the GUE group? OZLEM DEMIREL [GUE Group]: Thank you very much, Chairman. Thank you, Secretary General Stoltenberg. You have just said that investments are growing, that all NATO members have to invest more money in defence, and that is a positive . . . and you said that was a positive development, but I would cast doubt on it being a positive thing for more money to go into armaments. Ive got questions about the US soldiers being deployed for exercises in Eastern Europe against a peer adversaryWell, who is this peer on the European continent? Do you have an answer for who that might be? And then, the link to PESCO and military mobility. So the dovetailing of these Defender 2020 exercises. Weve also heard about the enormous budget being invested by the US in these exercises. What about other NATO members? And finally, I have a question. Before the last NATO assembly, Mr Macron said that NATO was brain-dead. We know that there are contradictions between NATO members and they are increasingly coming to the fore. The EU is now wanting to build up its own defence industries. So how do you view the future of NATO in this context? DAVID McALLISTER: Secretary General, first round. JENS STOLTENBERG: Yeah. DAVID McALLISTER: I felt a bit like during the hearing of Mr Borrell, I think you got less questions than you did, so feel free to answer as many as possible. Starting with Kris Peeterss question, until Miss Demirels comments. JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you so much. I will really try to answer all the questions, at least address all the issues that were raised. First, Mr Peeters asked me about when the US, or President Trump, asked for more NATO in the Middle East, what does that mean? So, first of all, thats . . . Im not able to tell you, simply because we are now discussing what does that mean? So there is now a process inside NATO, but also with our partners and not least with partners in the region, with Iraq, Jordan and other partners in the region, about if NATOs going to do more, what more could we do? So I cannot give you conclusions. I can just describe the process which is going on. I believe there is a potential for NATO to do more. But, as I stated, not mainly in combat. The issue we are looking into is not whether we can launch new combat operations. The issue is whether we can do something that prevents us from being forced into new combat. Prevention is better than intervention. And if we look at Iraq, I just strongly believe that if we dont act now, we may be forced back in combat. Because back, when . . . was it? I was against the Iraq War in 2003. I was a Norwegian politician. We didnt support it at all. But, but to be honest, I think perhaps we . . . the West left a bit too early when we left, because then suddenly ISIS came back. And then we all agreed, at least from left to right in Europe, that we had to support the military intervention in 2014 to combat ISIS. I cannot speak on behalf of all of you, but at least the countries I know, from the left to the right, we all agreed that we could not just stand idly by and see ISIS grow and kill people, rape women and not only threaten to control a big territory, but actually threaten Baghdad and the whole of Iraq. So therefore, there was a broad agreement, despite what we thought about the Iraq War in 2003. And again, I was against. But it was a very broad agreement that we needed to go back into combat. And we launched a big military operation with thousands of airstrikes, some forces on the ground, special operation forces and we paid, the Coalition paid, but not least the people in Iraqi, the security forces in Iraq, they paid a very high price. And the civilians paid a high price. The liberation of Iraq was a very . . . it was a very hard effort and many people paid a high price for that liberation. And also more so civilians. We must prevent that from happening again. And therefore, we need to build some local capacity, so they prevent ISIS from coming back. And therefore, I think that what NATO can do in Iraq is to build more capacity, train more forces, help them. That will not solve all problems. But what I can tell you, if you dont do that, we will have a big problem for certain. And then we may end up, two or three years down the road, back in the big combat operation. So I just really believe that to avoid a new combat operation in Iraq, Syria and that part of the region, we need to go heavy in and train, build local . . . so, build everything from Ministry of Defence, institutions, command and control, to train forces. NATO can do that, we already do it, but we can scale up. We have a US-led coalition, which provides a lot of training, NATO provides training, we can perhaps look at how we do that together. I have an open mind. We are discussing this with . . . I had a discussion with the Iraqi Prime Minister last week. I meet the Iraqi President later on this week. We will not do anything without, you know . . . we are there by invitation from Iraq, but they actually ask us to do training. Because they understand that they need stronger local capacity to be sure that ISIS does not return. So . . . so if you are . . . so my answer is that, first of all, I cannot give you a precise answer because we are not concluded, but what we are looking into is what can we do to . . . in the region, but in Iraq, in particular, to build local capacity. I mentioned also Jordan and other countries where we can do more. Then, you asked me about the European Parliament and I, I . . . so . . . thats not for me to decide. If I, as Secretary General, what should I say, started to try to dictate the European Parliament . . . no, sorry, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, then I would have been in deep trouble. So this is for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to decide the relationship they have with the European Parliament. Then I had several questions, and I need to group them a bit, about European defence, the European Defence Fund, strategic autonomy. I support more EU efforts on defence. I think its . . . why shouldnt I? NATO has called on more EU efforts on defence for years. So if you, if the European Union starts to invest more in new capabilities, to increase defence spending, to address the fragmentation of the European defence industry, we should only welcome that. No problem. The only thing I also convey at the same time is that and thats exactly the same as, for instance, Ursula von der Leyen expressed in her speech to the European Parliament that this is not about establishing an alternative to NATO, or competing with NATO. More than 90 percent of the people living in the European Union, they live in a NATO country. So when you strengthen defences of the European Union, you also increase the defences of NATO Allies. And thats the only a good thing. As long as its not undermining NATO and not duplicating NATO, but complementing NATO. So when there is a new drone, or a new plane, or a new battle tank developed through the European Defence Fund or PESCO, it should, of course, also be available for NATO operations. And that has been clearly stated, then its okay. But if these new systems are creating new barriers against NATO Allies and non-NATO Allies, or EU Allies, then it will be dangerous. Because, it is also stated, actually, in the EU treaties that for those EU members who are members of NATO, NATO remains the cornerstone for collective defence. And it remains the cornerstone for collective defence also because . . . because if you look at the size, and size matters. After Brexit, 80 per cent, 80 per cent of NATOs defence expenditure will come from non-EU NATO Allies. Three of the four battlegroups we have in the eastern part of the Alliance will be led by non-EU Allies: the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. And also, geography matters, because if you look at the north, with Norway and Iceland, not very . . . I have all the respect for Norway and Iceland, but not very big countries, but are important for the North Atlantic. In the south, I know there are some different opinions about Turkey in the European Union, but strategically important for NATO in the south. And in the west, the US, Canada and the United Kingdom, important for European security. So the European Union cannot provide collective defence for Europe. That has to be a joint effort by the whole of Europe and North America. And then Ill try to then also address the issue of strategic autonomy. If you ask me about my favourite definition, I think its not for me to define that, but I will only say that it is a concept which is not absolutely clear. Meaning that, strategic, for me, sounds like big things, and autonomy sounds like something you do alone. So if thats the case, then I think its not good, because I really believe that Europe and North America have to stand together, not go along. And . . . but maybe there is another definition, and maybe its fine. I dont . . . thats for you, not for me to . . . to define. I will come to that. But then . . . because I believe that any attempt to distance Europe from North America will not only weaken the transatlantic bond, which I believe in, but it will also divide Europe. So it will weaken Europe, too. I know a lot of European countries who will not accept a weakening of the transatlantic bond. So therefore, if youre trying to divide Europe from North America, you will also divide Europe. We need to be together, Europe and North America.. And I speak on behalf of all of us, because I am a European. And I, actually, I actually strongly believe in the European Union. I have fought twice to join this club. Ive failed, but thats another thing. But you can hardly find a politician in Europe which has been campaigning so much for the European Union than I have. Because I have participated in two campaigns to try to convince Norwegians to join. So I strongly believe in the European Union, but not as an alternative to the transatlantic family, but as an important part of the transatlantic family. Then Turkey, northern Syria and those issues. Well, I went to Istanbul a few days after that military intervention and expressed in Istanbul, standing together with Minister Cavusoglu and also after meeting with President Erdogan, that I was deeply concerned, about the consequences of that military intervention. And I also stated the importance of reducing tensions and stopping the fighting. Then, some days after, we had the agreement between the United States and Turkey, and there are many problems that still remain, but at least the fighting in that part of Syria has gone significantly down. We need to build on that to find a political solution, a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria. I, NATO, strongly support those efforts. Then I also, of course, know that that . . . NATO is an Alliance of 29 Allies. There are differences, and there have been different opinions, views about how to deal with the situation in northern Syria. Thats correct. No way to hide that. And NATO is also a platform where, actually, Allies meet and criticise each other when they disagree. Thats part of why NATO is important. The good thing is that we agree on some very important issues also related to the situation in the Middle East, Syria, the importance of fighting terrorism, the importance of providing more support to Iraq and the importance of being part of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, so Daesh is not able to return. Let me also add that Turkey is an important Ally. No Ally has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey. They are important in the fight against Daesh. They are the only Ally which is bordering Syria and Iraq. And the progress, the achievements we have made in that fight has not least been made possible by using Turkish bases, infrastructure to fight Daesh. Then Brexit. So, Brexit will not change the UKs relationship . . . it will change the UKs relationship with the European Union, but not with NATO. You asked me what should we do . . . to keep them close. Well, for me, thats yet another argument for close NATO-EU cooperation, because close NATO-EU cooperation brings all European Allies together, regardless of whether they are EU members or not EU members. And its also an argument for having NATO as a political platform, to bring all Allies together, again, regardless of whether the EU members or non-EU members. Like-minded partners yeah, so if you mean that we should work more with like-minded countries, I strongly believe in partnerships. Thats something I support. Then, Butikofer, China challenge. So first of all, we are not going . . . the plan, the idea is not to move NATO into the South China Sea. But the challenge is that China is coming closer to us: in cyberspace, in investing heavily in our critical infrastructure, in Africa, in the Artic. So we need to respond to the fact that China is coming closer to us. So, its not about moving NATO out, but also the fact that China is now developing weapon systems, which more and more are able to reach all Europe . . . all NATO Allied countries, including Europe. Libya well, Im strongly in favour of supporting the UN-led efforts to find a political solution. I welcome the conference in . . . that was held in Berlin. We need a ceasefire. We need to implement the arms embargo. NATO is a strong supporter of that. So thats the short answer to how to deal with the very difficult situation in Libya. Theres no easy way out, but we need a political negotiated solution. Let me add that, in one way, the Libya operation, for good or for bad, shows how NATO and EU can work together. I was Prime Minister in 2011, when the Libya operation was launched, it was launched totally without NATO. I was actually in Paris and it was Norway, Denmark there. I remember I was together with the Danish Prime Minister, we had Sarkozy and we had Cameron. And it was a European initiative to launch the military campaign against Libya. And I was part of that. So Im not . . . Im not ashamed. I dont . . . so I fully taking responsibility for that. But then, after some time, we realised, as Europeans, that we were not able to conduct that operation against Libya without the support from NATO. And then the Europeans went to NATO and asked for help. And then, NATO provided that help. So the Libya campaign, was initiated as a European campaign, initiated without NATO. But after some days, we realised that we didnt have the capabilities. So we went and then we utilised the NATO command structure and so on, to fully implement that campaign and also, of course, the support from the United States. So whether you agree or disagree with Libya campaign doesnt . . . its not the point here. The point is that it shows that, when needed, Europe and NATO, Europe and North America can work together, as we did in the Libya campaign, after the initiative from Europe. Defender 2020 is an exercise. And its . . . and the exercise is important, because it will show the ability of the United States to support and to protect Europe if needed. And then I would like to highlight that, the reason why we have NATO and the reason why we have the US security guarantees as part of that: one for all, all for one, Article 5 is, of course, to preserve peace. The reason why we have NATO is not to fight the war, but its to deter a war. The reason to have NATO is not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent a conflict. So thats the whole idea with NATO, is that we should never be forced to fight a war. We should be able to prevent the war by sending a clear message to any potential adversary that if one NATO Ally is attacked, then the whole Alliance will come to support. And by sending that message to any potential adversary, we are preventing a war. But to be able to do that in any credible way, we need to show that we are able to reinforce, to get the US troops to Europe, because by doing that we also send an absolutely clear signal that there is no way a European Ally can be attacked without having the support from the whole Alliance. So NATOs main task is to preserve peace. And we have done that successfully in Europe for 70 years by having credible deterrence and defence. Now, Van Orden also asked about strategic autonomy. Spending, that was the last . . . and brain-dead. First of all, NATO is strong. NATO is adapting. NATO has just implemented their largest reinforcement and adaptation of our Alliance since the end of the Cold War. So it shows that NATO is agile. It doesnt mean that we always agree. But it means that we are actually able to, despite differences, to take decisions and implement, and now implement the biggest adaptation of NATO since the end of the Cold War. And this is not only about military, but also political efforts, and its about dialogue with Russia, and its about supporting arms control, and its about preventing a situation in the Middle East where we are forced back into combat operations. Spending, well, I have to tell you that I understand that voters and parliamentarians are sometimes sceptical against spending more on defence. Because most politicians I know, they prefer to spend money on health, on education, on infrastructure, not on defence. And I have been a politician myself for many years. And, of course, it was always hard to get money for defence. And I was also Minister of Finance in Norway back in the 1990s and I reduced defence spending. DAVID McALLISTER: And you have money. JENS STOLTENBERG: Yeah, yeah, and we have money, thats true. So, I mean, its obvious that, for instance, after the Cold War in the 1990s, when I was Minister of Finance, we reduced defence spending. Because tensions went down. We saw less threats. But if we reduce defence spending when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defence spending when tensions are going up. And now theyre going up. It doesnt come for free to defeat ISIS. And especially if you believe that Europe should do more, then you have to spend more. That doesnt come for free. And we see a more assertive Russia, violating the INF Treaty, deploying new nuclear-capable missiles in Europe. And, therefore, we just have to make sure that there is no misunderstanding, no room for miscalculation, that NATO is not able to provide deterrence and defence to protect all NATO Allies. As long as that is absolutely clear, there will be no war. If there is any uncertainty about that, there is a risk for conflict. So therefore, to maintain credible deterrence, to prevent war, we, I regret to say, but we need to invest more in defence. Okay. Its not short, but you had quite demanding questions. DAVID McALLISTER: I would like to give the floor immediately to Nathalie Loiseau. NATHALIE LOISEAU [Chairwoman of Sub-Committee on Security and Defence]: Thank you, President. Thank you, Secretary General. Ill try to run through my comments so that we can conclude this very timely exchange of views. There are two elements that I consider essential. One is NATOs conviction that we must have strategic thinking as we face the Russian threat in various forms. Europe is also confronted with the terrorist threat from the, Sahel region and the Middle East. Fighting against this must be a priority for Europe. At this moment, one of our members, one of the members of the Alliance, Turkey, is a challenge, as is the increase in tensions in the Middle East. We must remember that terrorism has not yet been overcome, youve reminded us of that, Secretary General, and dialogue with Russia remains necessary. Id also like to stress the need to step up European defence. It is a necessary point for the Alliance and for NATO. NATO remains central for those who are a member of it. Europe perhaps doesnt do enough. And Europe is perhaps not listened to enough. One thing is sure: we want to be on the table rather than on the menu. Now, of course, NATO cant do everything for us. We will assume our responsibility when it comes to the defence of our continent. We wont end discussions on these issues today. Thats why I remind you that the Sub-Committee on Security and Defence will continue to be in touch with NATO and on 23rd January, in two days, we will be talking about the two challenges that the Alliance is confronted with, in the presence of the Assistant Secretary General Camille Grand and we will continue be looking at the strategic priorities of Europe and the ways in which we can step up the indispensable partnership between the EU and NATO, which has progressed significantly, thanks to you, Secretary General, and we would like to thank you for that. When her name came up, she was shown a unit on another side of town. But I prayed and hoped that Barry Farm would come up on the list next and it did, says Belt, who is now the president of the Barry Farm Tenants and Allies Association. The unit had chipping paint on the front and back doors, cabinets in need of repair, and unfinished flooring. But Belt knew her neighbors, and she liked that everyone looked out for one another. I was like, I dont care. Ill take it because it will be either this or homeless, she says. THE GREEN Party Candidate for Limerick City has called for social integration to be at the centre of development of cities, towns and villages in the future, especially in Limerick. Cllr Brian Leddin said: A strong Limerick city is built on strong social ties and communities. We need to build a city that prioritises social connection, that allows Limerick people interact with each other in a pleasant and healthy city centre. After a decade of under-investment in our public realm, Limerick City centre is in need of modernisation and rejuvenation, the North City councillor noted. We are now being given the chance to build Limerick city as a truly sustainable city. We can harness this as a moment for considered long term planning in how we want our city to develop. We need to start planning for the city we want Limerick to be in 25, 50 and even 100 years from now. A well-planned city will bring jobs and investment to Limerick, making it the prosperous regional centre and counterbalance to Dublin that it should be. I recently called for Limerick city to adopt a Tall Buildings Strategy so Limerick can plan for future developments. We should embrace proper planning of our city to ensure that it is a pleasant place to live, work and visit. We should be ambitious in our plans. New Delhi, Jan 22 : A woman and her minor son were found murdered in their flat in northwest Delhis Jahangirpuri on Tuesday, said police. The deceased have been identified as Pooja (36) and her son Harsh (12). The incident happened at their flat in Jahangirpuri's K-block. Pooja, whose husband died about two years ago, was an employee at a private company. "The deceased's neighbours, after noticing a foul smell, had called the police control room on Tuesday. After reaching the spot, police broke open the flat and found the dead bodies of the victims," a Jahangirpuri police official told IANS. "The victims' neighbours reported that their house had been locked for last two-three days," he added. According to police, the flat had no signs of forced entry. This suggests that the crime was committed by someone known to them. Police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the killings. Pooja's mother, who lives in the same locality, was clueless about the perpetrators of the crime, police said. Police suspect that the killers first stabbed the woman to death and then her son, who, it seems, had witnessed the crime. Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the case. The dead bodies have been sent to Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital for autopsy. (Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be reached at sanjeev.c@ians.in) The Interpol after a long delay issued a blue-corner notice against self-styled godman Nithyananda on the request of Gujarat Police. Interpol has asked for help to locate Nithyananda who fled India last year amid allegations of rape and sexual abuse. A blue-corner notice would essentially entail -- to locate, identify or get information on an accused. The member countries of Interpol will have to collect additional information about the person's identity, location or activities to the international police. Nithyananda has been seen in videos making bizarre claims in sermons from undisclosed locations. Last month, Ecuador denied the presence of Nithyananda and said it had rejected his request for asylum. The Embassy of Ecuador also suggested he had left the country for Haiti. According to certain reports, he allegedly created a Hindu nation, Kailaasa, with its flag and political setup, on an island near Ecuador. READ | Nithyananda likely in Jamaica, 'accidental death' of counterpart raises questions Nithyananda's location continues to remain unknown The self-styled godman has been charged with kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram. Not just Gujarat Police, Karnataka police have also been investigating a sexual assault case registered against him. Gujarat Police has been carrying out a probe for the last few months. As per sources, when the police had raided the Ahmedabad ashram, they had found out that at least two minors aged 8 to 10 years old had been crying and talking to the ashram officials pleading them to be sent back to their houses. But they were kept forcefully. Allegations have been leveled against the ashram office-bearers. The main complainant in the case has alleged that Nithyananda has abducted his daughters. According to the police, while there were 39 people in the ashram, only half of them were adults. 63 items including many iPads were recovered and the forensic laboratory officials have been asked to find out about the correspondence between the ashram officials. As proxy servers were used by the allegedly kidnapped girls to post videos, their location is being ascertained. What is not known at this point is the current location of Nithyananda. While he remains active on social media, agencies in India maintain that they are trying to ascertain his location. READ | Nithyananda probe picks up speed, police hopeful of girls appearing by next HC hearing READ | MEA on Nithyananda: 'Setting up a website is very different from creating a nation' Harvey Weinstein enters court for his criminal trial on 16 January 2020 in New York City: Scott Heins/Getty Images Two years after he was accused of rape and sexual assault, the opening statements in movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's trial get under way today. Weinstein, once one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, denies the charges. More than 80 women have publicly accused the 67-year-old of sexual misconduct, helping to fuel the #MeToo movement over the last two years. The criminal charges against him refer to three of those accusers. Predatory sexual assault is the most serious charge against Weinstein, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein's lead lawyer, Donna Rotunno, says Weinstein had a "slew of witnesses ready to go". She has said the defence would be introducing emails and text messages to prove that Weinstein's accusers continued relationships with him after his alleged assaults. His lawyers have also said they plan to call psychologist Deborah Davis of the University of Nevada, Reno, to testify as an expert on memory, suggesting that Weinstein may try to call his accusers' recollections into question. Follow our live blog below for updates from the court. Even if he is acquitted in Manhattan, Weinstein faces separate criminal charges announced earlier this month by prosecutors in Los Angeles. On a day of massive strike action, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Catholic teachers union chief Liz Stuart spoke to the Star separately, but jointly share their frustrations. Ontarios education minister is frustrated with the current labour unrest in the school system, calling it unacceptable for anyone who is committed to students to walk off the job. As the latest in a series of daylong strikes shut down Catholic boards across the province as well as a number of public elementary and secondary schools, Stephen Lecce said it concerns him that kids in Ontario are not learning. I find it unacceptable that anyone who is committed to our students would granted, on the instruction of their leaders that they would walk out, Lecce said in a wide-ranging interview with the Star about the ongoing one-day strikes on Tuesday, the biggest job action by teachers to date during this contentious round of bargaining. I find what is most particularly unnerving is that for parents, with a few days notice, their lives are upended The fact is, all people are paying the price. The level of turmoil in Ontarios education sector has not been seen for more than two decades when Lecce was in elementary school. As teachers from three unions walked picket lines on Tuesday, the education minister spent much of the day at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in downtown Toronto, and spoke to the Council of Directors of Education, which represents leaders at all 72 school boards in the province. He later attended a prebudget consultation in his King-Vaughan riding with Finance Minister Rod Phillips. I have always believed that the right approach is to negotiate at the table and not make students the casualty of this, Lecce told the Star. However, the government is currently bargaining only with the union representing the provinces French-board teachers, and has no talks scheduled with the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation or Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. Lecce said the government will wait until a mediator calls the sides back to the negotiating table but does not believe the government needs to make the first move as it has already budged enough. The unions argue they are walking the picket lines to ensure the education system remains strong. While the minister can say its unacceptable to strike, whats truly unacceptable ... is a minister of education pretending to care about Ontarios students while imposing drastic cuts that will have severely negative effects on those students prospects and Ontarios future economy, said Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation. Lecce said he worries about the impact of the strikes on learning: the fact that school boards, including in Toronto, have had to postpone exam periods or delay them, EQAO (standardized) math testing delayed, report cards not being completed and news that some boards are now cancelling winter elementary report cards altogether. These things add up and I think parents are rightfully frustrated that this keeps happening every few years and their kids are in the middle of this, Lecce said, referring to labour unrest during contract negotiations under different provincial governments. Elementary teachers are looking for a promise that full-day kindergarten staffing will remain as is, with a full-time teacher and full-time early childhood educator something Lecce has publicly promised but his negotiators have not as well as commitments for extra supports for special needs students that expired when their contracts did last August. The government is also boosting class sizes from an average of 22 to 25 in high schools down from its original proposal of 28 that will still result in the loss of thousands of teaching positions as well as fewer course options for teens. It also wants to mandate two online courses in high schools, a first in North America. The moves are highly controversial, and unpopular with school boards as well as the public, according to a number of polls. Even a survey of students showed about 95 per cent oppose mandatory elearning. The government has also set any wage increase at one per cent a year, something a number of unions are challenging in court. Lecce said he still thinks there is a path to get a deal, with a win-win-win outcome. He hopes all sides will agree to switch from a government mediator to private mediation, which he says made the difference in getting a deal with CUPE. Samantha Madar | MLive.com Don't Edit BY JOHN GONZALEZ | gonzo@mlive.com BROOKLYN, MI -- Start planning for the Party of the Summer! Faster Horses is back in 2020, announcing on Wednesday, Jan. 22, its headliners and other acts for the three-day festival that takes over Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. In its eighth year, the Faster Horses Country Music Festival is the reigning ACM "Festival Of The Year" and produced by Live Nation. It attracts about 40,000 country music fans each day on two stages. Festival dates are July 17-19, 2020. Read below for: Headliners, Other acts, On sale info, And camping info, including new RV campgrounds. Don't Edit Jason Aldean Don't Edit Samantha Madar | MLive.com Jason Aldean has performed at Faster Horses in 2013 and 2016. He returns as a headliner in 2020. Don't Edit Luke Combs Don't Edit Don't Edit Terry Wyatt/Getty Images Luke Combs was a fan pick in a recent MLive Poll. He is a headliner in 2020. RELATED: Your top choice for Faster Horses 2020? RELATED: What headliners do you want to see at Faster Horses 2020? Photo above: Luke Combs performs onstage during the 53rd annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 13, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. Don't Edit Thomas Rhett Don't Edit Terry Wyatt/Getty Images Thomas Rhett performed on Day 3 of the Faster Horses Festival on July 19, 2015. He is the third headliner at this year's festival. Photo above: Thomas Rhett performs onstage during the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Oct. 16, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. Don't Edit Other Acts Don't Edit Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Photo: Jimmie Allen played Aug. 25 , 2019, at the New York State Fair. Don't Edit Don't Edit All will perform as part of the festivals main stage lineup: Jimmie Allen Ingrid Andress Kelsea Ballerini Russell Dickerson Gone West ft. Colbie Caillat Riley Green HARDY Chris Lane Tracy Lawrence David Lee Murphy Jon Pardi Carly Pearce Mitchell Tenpenny and DeeJay Silver Don't Edit Mark Humphrey Kelsea Ballerini has performed on Faster Horses' Next from Nashville stage. Don't Edit On sale info Passes for the three-day, two-stage camping experience festival go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 7 at www.fasterhorsesfestival.com. As Faster Horses has continued to grow, we continue to look for more ways to provide an enhanced experience. This year is no exception, Brian OConnell, president of country touring at Live Nation, said in a release. ...We are also introducing several new camping options, and a completely reimagined VIP experience for those that are looking for a more upscale getaway this summer. We continually put our resources back in to the festival, from talent to amenities, to meet the growing needs of Faster Horses veterans, and new fans as well. Don't Edit Nikos Frazier | MLive.com Infield camping during Faster Horses at Michigan International Speedway, Sunday, July 22, 2018. Don't Edit RV Campgrounds This year, even more fans can enhance their experience with the addition of three new RV campground options, according to the release. The festivals fan-favorite Tack Room VIP area is also expanding with a two-story deck with lounge, reserved stadium seating and option to reserve a "Mustang Suite offering brand new views of the stage, a private bar and food buffet, souvenir gift bags and more. For more information on Faster Horses, visit www.fasterhorsesfestival.com, Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Need a little motivation to get you through this hump day? Take a look back on one of our favorite years of #FasterHorses so far! #partyofthesummer Don't forget to mark your calendars for July 17-19, 2020! pic.twitter.com/86HgkbNUaU Faster Horses Festival (@faster_horses) September 18, 2019 Don't Edit Social Media Follow Faster Horses on: Twitter @faster_horses Instagram @fasterhorsesfestival And join the conversation on Twitter, #FasterHorses. Don't Edit J. Scott Park | Mlive.com Dierks Bentley performs at the Faster Horses Festival at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, July 21, 2017. Don't Edit Faster Horses Headlines Our 50 favorite photos from the 2019 Faster Horses Festival Our favorite 50 photos from the 2018 Faster Horses Festival The 40K fans at the Faster Horses Festival are extremely patriotic Florida Georgia Line closes out 2018 Faster Horses with rowdy performance Check out awesome time-lapse video of crowd at 2018 Faster Horses Festival The faces of the 2019 Faster Horses Festival Things to see, games to play and places to go at Faster Horses Festival Toby Keith puts on late-night set to close out 2nd day of Faster Horses after evacuation Take a tour of the MIS infield after three days of the Faster Horses Festival Food to look for at the Faster Horses Festival Keith Urban closes out sweat-soaked first day of 2019 Faster Horses Festival Don't Edit Press Release January 22, 2020 'Chinese desks' not enough to curb crime surge - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed alarm over the growing trend of crimes involving Chinese nationals in the country which could worsen if authorities fail to step up their campaign against Chinese offenders. De Lima said the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the leadership of new PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa should intensify its crackdown against Chinese criminals by running after possible presence of Chinese syndicates in the country. "Kung hindi magiging maigting ang pagbabantay at pagsugpo sa mga krimen na kinasasangkutan ng mga Chinese nationals dito sa atin, tiyak na dadami pa ito at lalong lalakas ang loob ng mga sindikato na maghasik ng lagim sa bansa," she said. "Huwag sanang maliitin ang isyung ito ng ating mga awtoridad. Hindi makatarungan na sinasakop at inaangkin na nga ng Tsina ang ating mga teritoryo, patuloy pang inaagrabyado at binibiktima ng mga kriminal at sindikatong Tsino ang mga Pilipino," she added. In 2019 alone, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) recorded the arrest of 421 criminal-foreigners, which included 324 Chinese nationals. In the same year, the Bureau also recorded the arrest of 2,257 erring foreigners, 1,577 of whom were Chinese. In January to November 2019, meanwhile, the PNP-Anti Kidnapping Group (AKG) recorded six Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO)-related kidnappings, wherein thirty suspects, mostly Chinese nationals, have been arrested. De Lima noted that Chinese nationals in the Philippines have been involved in various criminal activities ranging from kidnapping for ransom, extortion, rape, torture, illegal drugs, prostitution, tax evasion and large-scale investment scam, and violation of immigration laws among other fraudulent schemes, in the past six months. The recent reports of crime surge involving Chinese offenders include, among others, the arrest of five Chinese men in Makati City last Jan. 2 for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a POGO employee. Given these alarming records and reports, the lady Senator from Bicol maintained that the PNP should go beyond establishing a "Chinese desk" to curb the rising crime committed by Chinese nationals in the Philippines. "Our authorities cannot just designate a 'Chinese desk' to receive complaints. They need to have concrete action plans on how to go after the members of big-time Chinese syndicates here," she said. Gamboa has announced his plan to establish Chinese desks in which technical working groups from both the Philippine and Chinese governments would be created supposedly to stop the rising trend of crimes involving Chinese nationals in the country. Last year, De Lima urged the government to order the stop of operations of online gambling or POGO firms in the Philippines that have given rise to several crimes and other illegal activities by Chinese nationals, but it was unacted upon. In the previous 17th Congress, De Lima also filed Senate Resolution No. 751 to investigate the surge of Chinese workers in the Philippines, notably in the POGO industry. A man wearing a protective mask takes pictures on the promenade of the Bund along the Huangpu River in Shanghai on January 21, 2020. Hector Retamal | AFP | Getty Images If China's new coronavirus turns into a prolonged outbreak, the country's travel and leisure industry will likely be among the hardest hit. News of the pneumonia-causing virus first emerged in late December in the city of Wuhan, about 700 miles south of Beijing. At least nine people have died from the disease. Authorities have also confirmed more than 400 cases, primarily in China, but other countries have also reported the illness, including the first U.S. instance overnight. It's unclear how threatening the virus ultimately is, but the acceleration of the outbreak has evoked fears of another epidemic similar to the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which broke out in late 2002 in China. Tourism impact The virus also comes as Chinese are expected to make about 3 billion trips for the Lunar New Year that officially kicks off Friday. After growing 12% in 2002, China's domestic tourism growth turned negative for the first time in a decade in 2003 amid the SARS crisis, Eric Lin, head of research at UBS Securities, pointed out in a note Tuesday. "Valuations of tourism companies (incl. scenic sites, hoteliers) de-rated 20-50% from peak to trough between February and June 2003," Lin said. Authorities have announced measures to limit flow of people to and from Wuhan. On Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced that airlines should process refunds for flights to the city free of charge. China Southern Airlines has the highest capacity exposure to Wuhan among the three big Chinese airlines, at about 3%, Goldman Sachs analyst Ben Hartwright wrote in a note published Monday. China Eastern Airlines' domestic capacity for Wuhan is 2.2%, while Air China's capacity is 1.3%, according to Goldman. In fact, the analysis showed that Air China earnings are the least sensitive to a 1% change in domestic traffic volume, at 5.1%, while China Southern Airlines had roughly double the impact at 10.8%. Goldman has a buy rating on all three airline stocks. From January 10 to February 18, Chinese are expected to take about 79 million passenger flights. The economic impact of SARS The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP government of aiding fraudsters in escaping from the country after committing scams and swindling public money to the tune of Rs 2.7 lakh crore. Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill questioned the delay in registering a case against the directors of Frost International for alleged fraud of Rs 3,600 crore and allowing their escape from the country. Shergill said as many as 31 fraudsters, including Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, have escaped from the country after committing scams and looting public money and accused the BJP government of writing off loans to the tune of Rs five lakh crore. "Rising NPA and rising loan write-offs is the BJP's gift to the Indian economy. The BJP government is emptying the pocket of common man with the twin strategy of give and forget, i.e., by giving loans to willful defaulters using public money and then, writing off-the loans arbitrarily without any rational or justification, thereby harming public interest," he told reporters. He said the focus of the BJP government of "Suit-Boot" is only on industry of "Loot and Scoot" as under the BJP's rule the "common man is in pain but the con man is in gain". "Is the BJP government involved in Frost International Bank Scam of Rs 3,592.48 crores and escape of its directors? Political accountability must be fixed on PM and FM for Rs 2,70,513.49 crore public money looted from banks and Rs 5,00,000 crore written off of willful defaulters," he said. Shergill alleged that the recent bank default and cheating case of Frost International Ltd, involving siphoning off and diversion of funds amounting to Rs 3,592 crores and the inability of investigating agencies to trace the location of 10 company directors/officials, once again proves that under the BJP Rule all the industries are sinking due to Modi-government's "manufactured" economic crisis though the industry of "loot and scoot" is flourishing. The CBI on Tuesday booked Mumbai-based Frost International, its directors Uday Desai and Sujay Desai besides 11 other individuals and companies for allegedly cheating a consortium of 14 banks to the tune of over Rs 3,592 crore "The BJP government plays the role of either a facilitator or mute-spectator whenever fraudsters fleece and fly to foreign shores. The surfaced scam of Frost International involving consortium of 14 (lending) banks led by Public Sector Bank (Bank of India) re-affirms the BJP's policy of giving pain to common man and gain to con-man," he alleged. "When, as per the FIR dated January 19, 2020, the lending banks (having Government-appointed nominees on its board) noted default in payments of Frost starting January, 2018 then, why was the complaint filed after a gap of two years on January 19, 2020? "Why did the Ministry of Home Affairs issue a Look Out Circular (LOC) after a gap of eight days on 18.01.2019 after the request was made on 10.01.2019 by the lead bank BOI," he asked. The Congress leader asked when the consortium of lending banks had authorized registration of complaint on 15.06.2019, why did it take the lead bank (BOI) more than six months to register a complaint on 18.02.2020. Was someone in the BJP government preventing the registration of complaint and facilitating the escape of directors/officials of Frost, the Congress asked. Shergill said the Prime minister assumed office with the promise of recovering black money within the first 100 days of his government. "However, in complete insult and betrayal of the mandate of the people, Modi government has comfortably overseen siphoning-off of Rs two lakh crore of public money from India along with the red carpet exit accorded to over 31 willful fugitives/defaulters who are now enjoying BJP gifted achhe-din on foreign soil." He alleged that instead of building a 5-trillion economy, BJP has waived off bad loans and emptied public savings to the tune of 5 lakh crores. "Why did the BJP government allow directors/officials of Frost to go missing after coming to know about irregularities on January 18, 2019. Why till date no investigation has been launched to probe the role of helping hand of the government in the escape of 31 plus fraudsters including Nirav Modi and Mehul Chowksi who have looted India," he asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jose Mourinho is coming under increased scrutiny by Tottenham players amid growing unrest at his style within the squad, according to reports. Spurs have not won any of their last four Premier League games and go into Wednesday night's home clash with Norwich nine points off the Champions League places. Players have spoken highly of Mourinhos methods and the impact of his new assistant Joao Sacramento but Sun sources claim the mood in the camp is different. Jose Mourinho's tactics and training methods are coming under scrutiny by Tottenham players Players are said to be unhappy with the 'uninspiring training sessions' held by the Spurs boss According to The Sun, Tottenham players have been left 'dismayed by his old-school tactics and uninspiring training sessions'. It is claimed several key players have become disillusioned with Mourinho's tactics after just two months in charge, despite initially welcoming his appointment after Mauricio Pochettino's departure. The report suggests Mourinho's training sessions are 'said to have an over-emphasis on long balls, flick-ons and throw-ins' and are too basic for the Tottenham squad. A number of players are also said to be unhappy with the way Mourinho has treated summer signing Tanguy Ndombele. Players are also said to be unhappy with the way Mourinho has treated Tanguy Ndombele Danny Rose and Mourinho, pictured after a Champions League game last November, had a heated exchange after the defender was left out of the weekend goalless at Watford Mourinho publicly criticised the Frenchman over his inconsistent fitness and there are growing concerns that any chance he had of flourishing in north London is now gone. As reported by Sportsmail, Danny Rose and Mourinho had a heated exchange after the left back was excluded for last Saturday's goalless draw with Watford. Rose sought an explanation from his manager on Friday, before taking issue with Mourinho again the day after the match. The former Manchester United manager is also facing the pressure of finding a replacement for Harry Kane in the January transfer window. Mourinho is scrambling for a replacement for the injured Harry Kane in the January window They go into Wednesday night's game at home to Norwich nine points off the top four Kane faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, fueling speculation that Tottenham could target the likes of Edinson Cavani of PSG and AC Milan's Krzysztof Piatek. Midfielder Christian Eriksen also looks likely to leave the club this month for Inter Milan as Spurs face the threat of losing one of their key players for nothing in the summer. Rose, fit to return against Norwich on Wednesday, is wanted on loan by Newcastle, but Spurs would prefer to sell. Meanwhile, Spurs' interest in Norwich right back Max Aarons has cooled because Mourinho wants a taller, more physical player. Secondly, Sainsbury must get Argos, the catalog retailer that Coupe acquired four years ago, back on track. The business, which sells everything from toys to tents, had a poor Christmas. In order to defend itself from the mighty Amazon.com Inc., it must better exploit its combination of online presence and bricks-and-mortar stores, as well as ensure its prices are right. On Tuesday, Sainsbury announced it would further integrate Argos into Sainsbury, axing hundreds of management jobs and cutting costs as it merges divisions including commercial retail and finance. This program must be managed without disruption. Little Britain is coming back to the small screen after 12 years - but there are fears it may fall foul of 'woke' viewers. The BBC comedy, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, is set for a full TV return for the first time since Christmas 2005. It comes after the iconic duo resurrected the show in a special 'Little Brexit' episode for Radio 4 in October. Fans of the programme's unabashed humour may be disappointed, as Walliams and Lucas both said they would have to make a different show to match the times. Walliams, 48, told the Sun: 'You'd definitely do it differently because it's a different time. There's all kinds of tolerances that change.' Lucas has also said: 'We made a more cruel comedy than I'd do now.' Little Britain is coming back to the small screen after 12 years - but there are fears it may fall foul of 'woke' viewers. Pictured: Matt Lucas as Vicky Pollard The BBC comedy, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas (pictured as Lou and Andy), is set for a full TV return for the first time since Christmas 2005 Despite this Walliams added 'there will definitely' be some more Little Britain coming. 'I can't say when exactly but at the right time and place, he said. 'It was fun coming back for radio because that's where we started.' Little Britain was first introduced to the public on Radio 4 in 2000, before it was adapted for the screen two years later. It ran for three series and several specials and was watched by more than nine million viewers at its peak. The sketch mocked different areas of British society and took its inspiration from the phrase Little Englander. Fans of the programme's unabashed humour may be disappointed, as Walliams and Lucas (pictured as Bubbles and Desiree) both said they would have to make a different show to match the times The sketch mocked different areas of British society and took its inspiration from the phrase Little Englander. Pictured: As Emily and Florence Characters including wheelchair-user Andy, Dudley and Ting Tong, Bubbles and Desiree, Emily and Florence and Daffyd (left) may fall foul of today's PC police. Right Carol Beer, who may be an acceptable character for 'woke' viewers Characters including wheelchair-user Andy, Dudley and Ting Tong, Bubbles and Desiree, Emily and Florence and Daffyd may fall foul of today's PC police. Williams was adamant it did not mock minorities, adding 'comedy for me is celebrating things'. The actor and children's author said he and Lucas have faced calls to appear in more shows together. Williams (pictured with Lucas as Dudley and Ting Tong) was adamant it did not mock minorities, adding 'comedy for me is celebrating things' The former comedy duo were not seen together for seven years until May 2018, when they both attended Dale Winton's funeral. In his autobiography, Lucas revealed how tensions boiled between the pair in 2005 during their Little Britain Live tour, leading to a spectacular backstage fight. The pair first met in The National Youth Theatre, and broke onto the comedy scene with Little Britain. In September, Walliams and Lucas reunited when they appeared in a photo together which was posted on Twitter. Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree, approving the new structure of the government, a corresponding document published on the cabinet's website said. "In order to improve the organization of work of Russia's government, to optimize the structure and number of employees of the apparatus of the government: approve the attached structure of the apparatus of the government," the document said. Additionally, Mishustin appointed 11 deputies to his post as head of Russia's government. The most comprehensive exhibition to be held on tyrannosaurs will make its only European appearance in Edinburgh (Neil Hanna/PA) A dinosaurs display described as the most comprehensive exhibition ever mounted on tyrannosaurs is to make its only European appearance in Scotland. Tyrannosaurs will open at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on Thursday and feature rare fossil specimens, one of the largest and most complete T-rex skeletons in the world and models of feathered dinosaurs. Among the skeletons on show is one named Scotty, which was discovered in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1991 and named by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum excavation crew after they toasted the find with malt whisky. I think there is a real sense of wonder that such a seemingly fantastic animal actually walked the EarthDr Nick Fraser, National Museums Scotland Dr Nick Fraser, keeper of natural science at National Museums Scotland, said: For any of us who are fascinated by dinosaurs, T-rex is surely the most recognisable, whether in popular culture or on the front of your first dinosaur book or poster as a kid. I think there is a real sense of wonder that such a seemingly fantastic animal actually walked the Earth. Tyrannosaurs shows visitors not only the mighty scale of T-rex but also their fascinating family tree, including early Asian feathered tyrannosaurs which are some of the most exciting recent discoveries in dinosaur palaeontology. Expand Close Rosa Connolly, 10, gets a preview of the Tyrannosaurs exhibition (Neil Hanna/PA) Neil Hanna / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rosa Connolly, 10, gets a preview of the Tyrannosaurs exhibition (Neil Hanna/PA) The interactive exhibit created by the Australian Museum runs until May 4, having also already been shown in New Zealand, Canada and the US. Its director and CEO Kim McKay said the fossils are the building blocks of everything we know about these awe-inspiring creatures. She added: The Tyrannosaurs exhibition will not only take visitors on a remarkable journey to our Earths ancient past but will also provide a real sense of scientific inquiry and discovery from the latest breakthroughs and research programmes. SWEET HOME When the Sweet Home Public Library opened in 1969, it was supposed to serve the community's needs for about 20 years, library director Rose Peda told the City Council last week. The building is now more than 50 years old and has never had any major upgrades. Its time for change, Peda said. For several months, staff from FFA Architecture and Interiors has been compiling information about the library building itself, the services it offers to the community and what the community would like to see from the facility. Council members approved the $50,000 needs assessment in May. Sweet Home created a public library in 1942 when the community had fewer than 1,100 residents. It now boasts almost 10,000. Starting in 1954, the library operated from the City Hall basement, sharing space with the Police Department. In 1969, the current building at the corner of 13th Avenue and Kalmia Street was constructed at a cost of about $166,000. The single-pane-windowed structure encompasses about 5,825 square feet and hasn't been upgraded for seismic activity. Also, its electrical system isn't conducive to modern computer technology such as smart phones and tablets. Richard Gray and Joseph Store of FFA Architecture said the building is undersized for the communitys current population, is seismically deficient and lacks space for a variety of community needs, such as tutoring for small groups, meetings for large groups, and all-ages story hours. They said adding a second story to the current building would create issues such as a need for an elevator. It also raised a question about how the two stories could continue to be managed by the librarys small, three-person staff. New building sites include the citys public parking area west of the library and the former City Hall site on 12th Avenue. A site near the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam was eliminated because it's in a flood plain. FFA Architecture estimates a new building would need to encompass about 14,000 square feet. That would be larger than the new City Hall that opened in August 2019. The library is supported by a tax levy of $1.17 per $1,000 property valuation. Its current annual circulation is about 40,000. Story hour programs attract more than 100 youngsters and more than 500 children take part in the summer reading program. In November, some 3,329 items were checked out. Staff issued 21 new library cards and six nonresident cards. The library held seven story time events with more than 130 guests. The library is a member of the Linn Libraries Consortium and has five Little Free Libraries at the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Santiam; Foster, Oak Heights and Hawthorne elementary schools; and the Crawfordsville Market. FFA Architecture hosted several community listening sessions, which were not well-attended, Peda said. But we received really good input, she added, noting community response to an online survey. Questions included gauging the importance of event space for children and teens. The survey also asked about the need for quiet space," computer and Wi-Fi printing, large meeting rooms, tutoring areas and an expansion of materials. Council members did not support adding a second story to the current building and were open to learning more about other potential sites. Its important we keep the library close to our schools, Mayor Greg Mahler said. The current library is accessible from that standpoint. The library is very valuable to our community. Councilman Dave Trask said he has attended library programs and was amazed at how well they were attended. Its important to have community involvement in this, he said. It is a very small building. According to City Manager Ray Towry, if the council decides to seek a bond for a new library, the community should be constantly reminded that the library operates on an annual levy of $1.70 per $1,000 of property valuation. It will have to be very clear that the bond repayment would be separate from the operating levy, he said. FFA Architecture will develop conceptual drawings for a new building at the old City Hall site as well as cost estimates, then report back to the council in the coming months, Peda said after the meeting. I think it was a positive meeting, she said. I think the council members are in favor of moving forward with this project. I have enjoyed working with the folks from FFA Architecture and members of our executive staff on this. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Its a bit of a time capsule now, but the feelings Judy hoped it would evoke in the viewer are probably even more necessary today. She wants us to look at the people around us, to be curious, to be engaged. Maybe, I think, she wants us to have the eyes of a camera and the heart of an artist. London: France has shelved a new tax on digital giants like Facebook and Google in a strategic backdown that will avert a showdown that threatened to spiral into a major trade war with the United States. However, the United Kingdom will push ahead with a similar plan, prompting a blunt threat of retaliation from the White House on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. The relationship between French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump soured over the digital tax. Credit:Ludovic Marin France had wanted to slap a 3 per cent levy on firms with an annual revenue of more than 25 million in France and 750 million worldwide in a bid to prevent Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon from shifting profits between countries to avoid taxes. The targeting of Silicon Valley firms infuriated US President Donald Trump and soured his relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron. The White House threatened to retaliate with US$2.4 billion of new tariffs on French champagne, cheese, beauty products and designer handbags and vowed to go even further if the tax wasn't pulled. Rhode Island is in dire need of a new human resources system, according to the state CIO. As it stands, staff use a patchwork of legacy systems, specialized applications and paper-based processes to manage things like personnel time sheets, payroll and reimbursement requests.The lack of modernization even drew the attention of Gov. Gina Raimondo, who included a suggested investment in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in the capital budget presented to legislators Jan. 16 .The States existing IT legacy systems are decades old and have been subject to repeated [critical] audit findings, which the Administration wishes to address with a comprehensive enterprise strategic plan, the budget reads.The total ERP system ask is $73.7 million to be spread over the next seven fiscal years averaging about $21 million from 2022 to 2024 and then tapering off to about $3 million for operating costs through 2027, according to a strategic plan presentation provided to. CIO Bijay Kumar said this reduces pressure for competing priorities in the operating budget, aligns with national software-as-a-service best practices and is a common approach to break up a large investment over a longer timeframe.Raimondos statement tracks with data compiled by the Center for Digital Government* that found about one-third of major IT systems used by state governments are obsolete. The study behind that figure defined a legacy system as a business-critical system that was implemented prior to Oct. 25, 2001, and is currently unable to meet user demands.A common place to air out problems miring an agencys operations are audits, and Rhode Island isnt the only state where auditors have consistently pointed out the need for modernization. After an investigation into Illinois financial reporting system in 2011, officials embarked on an effort to replace a disconnected network of 260 individual financial reporting systems. Today, that states ERP is on track for a full deployment in 2021 with an approximate $350 million price tag.While the fate of a Rhode Island ERP system will be determined this legislative session by the General Assembly, leaders in the Department of Administration (DOA) and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) have laid the foundation to begin work promptly once funding is secured.Kumar, who also serves as chief data officer for the state, said he and other officials have mapped a 57-month project timeline, which includes an 18-month pre-implementation phase followed by a 39-month deployment. The state is finalizing a detailed approach, called the Enterprise Applications Strategic Plan, with its consulting partner Accenture, Kumar said.The lack of an integrated ERP system means employees must manually enter the same data into different systems, which can result in errors and in time-consuming data reconciliation, Kumar said.Currently, state employees must submit physical time sheets, forms to process personnel and payroll changes, and expense reimbursement requests. With an ERP, these procedures would be made digital and require less time to complete, reduce redundancies and provide mobile-enabled time and attendance reporting, he said.As was the case with Illinois, an additional reason to make strides toward implementing an ERP system is the depreciation of institutional knowledge.The handful of experts the state relies on to keep the current systems operational are nearing or already eligible for retirement, Kumar said.Its almost to a point where DOA risks disruptions to business operations if the challenges posed by legacy systems are not addressed, he said. An ERP system would mirror what IT graduates have encountered in school and would allow Rhode Island to recruit the next generation of workers.If the initial $1.2 million for Fiscal Year 2021 is authorized, DoIT staff will begin gathering requirements, documenting current and future processes, and writing an RFP with the goal of phasing in commercial off-the-shelf software through 2024, Kumar said.Kumar is hoping this approach and the governors support will increase the probability for a green light from the capitol. The Legislature typically approves the states budget in June, he said.Government Technology's In his first visit to Uttar Pradesh after taking over as BJP president, J P Nadda will on Thursday address a public meeting in support of the amended citizenship law in Agra, the party said in a statement. He will be joined by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the rally as part of the BJP's nation-wide campaign to mobilise public opinion in the favour of the law. The BJP said Nadda, who was elected BJP president on Tuesday, will be accorded a warm welcome by party leaders at various places during his visit to the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Robert Downey Jr has reflected on his blackface role in Ben Stiller's 2008 comedy movie Tropic Thunder. The actor was asked about the heavily criticised role during an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, insisting that he has no regrets about the part, for which he is was nominated for multiple awards including an Oscar. Robert plays Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder, a character that sparked controversy by having a 'pigmentation alteration' procedure as he prepared to play a black character. Criticism: Robert Downey Jr has reflected on his blackface role in Ben Stiller's 2008 comedy movie Tropic Thunder, insisting he has no regrets about accepting the role (pictured with Stiller in the film) When Rogan asked Robert is if he would accept the Tropic Thunder part today, Robert said: 'When Ben called and said 'hey I'm doing this thing,' I think Sean Penn had passed on it or something like thatpossibly wisely.' 'And I thought, 'Yeah I'll do that after Iron Man.' And then I started thinking, 'This is a terrible idea; wait a minute.'' 'Then I thought, 'Well, hold on, dude, get real here, where is your heart?' And my heart is, a), I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so there's something in it for me. The other thing is, I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they're allowed to do on occasionjust my opinion.' Looking back: When asked in an interview if he would accept the Tropic Thunder part today, Robert said: 'I thought, 'Yeah I'll do that after Iron Man.' And then I started thinking, 'This is a terrible idea; wait a minute''' 'And also Ben, who is a master artist and director, probably the closest thing to Charlie Chaplin that I've experienced... he knew exactly what the vision for this was; he executed it.' 'It was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie, and 90 percent of my black friends are like, 'Dude, that was great.''' 'What about the other 10 percent?' Rogan asked. 'You know, I can't disagree with thembut I know where my heart was,' Downey said. 'And I think that it's never an excuse to do something that is out of place and not of its time, but to me it was just putting a, it was a blasting cap onand by the way, I think White Chicks came out pretty soon after that, and I was like, 'I love that! That was great!'' Hit film: The actor continued: 'Then I thought, 'Well, hold on, dude, where is your heart?' And my heart is I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so there's something in it for me When host Rogan offered that you couldn't do blackface today, the actor responded: 'It's an interesting and necessary meditation on, 'Where is the pendulum?' Downey offered at one point. "Why is the pendulum right? Where is the pendulum maybe cutting a little into what could be perceived as heart in the right place openness of its time?"' 'But again, I mean, you know, there's a morality clause here on this planet. And it's a big price to pay, and I think having a moral psychology is job one. So sometimes you've just gotta go, "Yeah, I effed up." Again, not in my defense, but Tropic Thunder was about how wrong that is. So I take exception.' Rogan asked if anyone on Robert's team or an family or friends had tried to talk him out of it. He admitted 'my mother was horrified. "Bobby, I'm telling ya, I have a bad feeling about this." I was like, "Yeah me too, mom."' Starring role: Robert plays Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder, a character that sparked controversy by having a 'pigmentation alteration' procedure as he prepared to play a black character At the time the actor received critical acclaim for his performance and was nominated in the Supporting Actor category at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Heath Ledger won all of those for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Tropic Thunder also attracted criticism upon its release from the the disability advocacy community over the character Simple Jack. The film shows Stiller's character Tugg Speedman attempting to revive his career after starring in a movie called Simple Jack, about a mentally-challenged farm boy. A coalition of more than 20 disability advocacy groups objected to Tropic Thunder's repeated use of the word 'retard' with groups picketing screenings of the film. Stiller defended the film, stating at the time: 'We screened the movie so many times and this didn't come up until very late ... in the context of the film I think it's really clear, they were making fun of the actors and actors who try to use serious subjects to win awards.' Co-writer Etan Cohen also stated: 'Some people have taken this as making fun of handicapped people, but we're really trying to make fun of the actors who use this material as fodder for acclaim.' My hometown is three time zones and at least two flights away, so I dont make it back as much as Id like to. Whenever Im feeling a bit homesick, I open Google Maps. In the bottom right corner, theres a tiny yellow stick-person icon, and when I drop it onto the neighborhood where I grew up, it shows me the photos Googles Street View car captured when it drove through in 2014 and 2015. After a quick peek at my parents lawn tchotchkes, I can click my way toward my old haunts: friends houses, restaurants, my high school, the church basement where my friends used to play pop-punk shows. Sometimes I see a car I recognize, or if Google has assigned a car to drive through more than once, I can watch how a tree grew over the past decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I used to think that using Street View in this way was my little secret, but Im far from the only sentimental person who travels through time and space using Google. One Twitter user recently posted that her family never got to say goodbye to her grandpa when he died a few years ago, but when she visited her grandpas farm through Street View, there he was, sitting at the end of the road. Thousands of people responded, many with their own stories of finding old Street View shots of their dearly departed grandmas reclining in their front yards or their grandpas getting into their trucks. Those who participated in the Twitter thread are just the latest people to share their serendipitous Street View experiences. Five years ago, Matthew J.X. Malady wrote about discovering how Street View captured his since-deceased mother walking to her front door, groceries in hand. In the New Yorker, he describes the strange confluence of emotions he felt: joy, deep, deep sadness, heartbreak and hurt, curiosity and wonder, and everything, seemingly, in between. When I spoke to him recently, Malady said he isnt religious but seeing his mother was a spiritual moment for him. It was almost as if I could be like, Mom, if youre around, make the light switch on and off, he told me. When this kind of thing happens to you, youre like: This is a fucking miracle. This was meant to happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And who among us has not thought of a strange coincidence as conveying meaning? Just the other day, I had a dream about an old friend I hadnt talked to in years, and woke up to an email from him. I knew it was impossible that wed made some psychic connection, but I couldnt help but feel that there was some force that could explain both mundane events. Its all a trick of the mind; there have been plenty of times Ive dreamt about a friend without receiving an email from them the next day, yet I ascribe no meaning to those instances. The human brain is primed to find patterns and connections between things, and mine invented a link between that dream and that email. Plus, personality traits like having a high need for control (hello!) or being prone to magical thinking are associated with a greater propensity for reading into coincidences, and theres also evidence that people are generally more likely to do this if theyre feeling an extreme emotion, like sadness and anxiety or great happiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its true that seeing someone you know on Street View is extremely unlikely. Most of the world has only been mapped by Google once, if at all, since Street View was introduced in 2007. Quickly developing urban areas tend to see more updates: University Street by Stanford, a few miles from Googles California headquarters, has had 16 updates, whereas Beaverlick, Kentucky, has only been visited by a Street View car once, in May 2018. Theres an infinitesimally small chance that someone you loved was at the exact right spot at the very moment someone drove by in a Street View car and snapped a photo. If youre really close to someone, you have a sense that youre mostly aware of all the images that exist of that person, Malady says, so it can be a strange sensation to discover that a stranger in a camera car created an image that has existed for weeks or years without your knowledge, one viewable by anyone with an internet connection. I swapped some messages with Twitter user @sanitykillsx, who saw her late grandpa sitting in front of his house the one time the Google Street View car came through the town of Las Aguilillas in Jalisco, Mexico, in September 2013. Its amazing to see him again and again on there and to share it with my family, she told me. Like its something funny to see him where everyone else can without other people knowing who he is. Thats the beauty of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What does it mean if the internet has written over your cherished old memories? As Google visits and revisits neighborhoods, these strange coincidences will only become more likely. (Street View keeps a list of its upcoming destinations, if youre curious whether it might capture someone you know and love.) When Malady wrote about seeing his mom on Street View in 2015, he, too, thought he was the only one who visited his old neighborhood through Google Maps, but he was surprised at the number of readers who wrote to him following the publication of his piece saying they had also encountered a loved one while virtually strolling their hometowns. Now, people might even make these discoveries before the loved ones pass, making Street View a way to return to the way things were. Thomas Wayman first saw a photo of his two dogs playing in a park near his home in Conway, South Carolina, about four years ago; since then, theyve both died, and he says hes often gone back to visit the scene. Ever since they passed, I cry every time I see it, he told me. According to Wayman, the initial photo was captured in 2012 and hasnt been updated by Google. Advertisement Advertisement But as places get updated, those coincidences could also be replaced by newer photos. (Luckily, Google keeps all previous shotsbefore Malady knew this, he took screenshots of his mom.) That hasnt happened to anyone I spoke with, but I know I would read into the replacement of my loved ones photo as another kind of sign, accompanied by a new wave of emotions and reflection. What does it mean if the internet has written over your cherished old memories? Advertisement I asked Malady whether hes gone back and looked to see his moms still there, and he said while hes looked at his Street View screenshots, he actually hasnt looked on Google Maps for her. Knowing myself and how I think, I really believe that I havent gone back and looked to see if theyve been updated because I dont want to envision another image being in its place, he says. Its not just random that I havent done it. Advertisement While talking with Malady, I suddenly remembered a Street View location Ive been not-so-randomly avoiding checking on. Its not a loved one, per se, but a place that was dear to me that I know no longer exists. Years ago, I lived in suburban California, next to a small farm run by a friendly man we called Papa Ramirez. In the spring, hed invite our dog to tear through his cornfields to scare away crows; in the summers, Id admire his hulking sunflowers and buy boxes of fresh tomatoes on my way home from work. After I moved away, I heard developers bought the land and were planning to build a 670-unit condo complex. I was back in the area last year but refused to drive past the old farm. I figured that as long as I never saw those awful condos, the farm still lived on, if only in my mind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Curiosity got the best of me, and I clicked over to the farm, now a mess of orange cones and video surveillance signage surrounding the construction zone. But Googles photos from 2011 show the farm I loved: its handwritten signs, a couple approaching the farm stand, someone working in the rows by the front, where they grew carrots. I am at once grateful to Google for the memories as well as amused that the company contributed to the demise of this farm in a distant-but-not-insignificant way: As more tech workers flood the Bay Area, people are now looking at my old neighborhood as a reasonable balance between commute distance and housing prices. Malady, too, has his reservations about the tech giant, but says that Street View has been a force of positivity for him. This is something in my life that has really made my life appreciably better and more interesting, he says, even as its brought up tough feelings after his mothers passing. I wouldnt trade that for anything, and Im super happy that all these other people are getting to have that experience. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Hybrid Vehicle Market - Analysis of Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global hybrid vehicle market is anticipated to register a CAGR of about 10.23% during the forecast period (2019-2024). The market has been segmented by type, vehicle type, and geography. Some of the major factors driving the growth of the market are the enactment of stringent emission and fuel economy norms, government incentives for the promoting purchase and adoption of hybrid vehicles. Asia-pacific is expected to witness high growth rate during the forecast period. However, with countries like India and China, lifting subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles may hinder the growth of the market in the region. For instance, in India, the government in 2017, lifted subsidies on mild-hybrid vehicles under FAME scheme. According to the Norwegian Road Federation (NFR), a public road infrastructure administration in Norway, more than half of the new vehicle sales are accounted by pure electric cars and hybrid cars in the country in 2017 whereas in 2016 the share was only 40%. Norway's parliament has set a resolution goal that by 2025 all cars sold should be zero emissions. Key Market Trends Government Initiatives Around the World Fueling Hybrid Vehicle Demand There has been tremendous growth in electric vehicles all over the world. China remains the dominant player globally in the pure electric vehicles market with more than 47% of the global market share followed by the US. Regarding the year on year growth. The government around the world are offering many subsidies for the customers purchasing electric and hybrid vehicles. For instance, in April 2016, a scheme worth USD 1.13 billion was introduced for plug-in electric vehicles. About USD 678 million was reserved for the purchase of subsidies, which is expected to run until 2019. Another USD 339 million was allotted to finance the deployment of charging stations in cities and on autobahn highway. Nearly, USD 113 million was allocated for purchasing electric cars in the federal government fleet. The Dutch government reduced the registration fees up to 4% for an electric vehicle and 7% for a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Also, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment gives a subsidy of USD 3,574 on the purchase of all-electric taxis or delivery vans and this value has been increased to USD 5957 per vehicle in the main cities, like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, Utrecht, and Arnhem-Nijmegen. With the government taking stringent action, in the form of regulation and incentives, along with the increased initiatives for the provision of the public charging stations for the electric vehicles, the market for these vehicles is expected to grow at a high rate. Europe - Leading the Hybrid Vehicle Market Sales of new energy passenger cars in Western Europe's 17 markets sold an impressive 900,000 units in 2018 with a growth rate of 27% YoY. In 2018, a full hybrid vehicle registered a total sales of 515,000 cars. A full hybrid vehicle has been growing significantly, adding 300,000 sales since 2015 and clearly a beneficiary of the region's recent move away from diesel. The European market is highly dominated by Japanese and Korean brands, with European OEMs resisting the temptation to compete for head-on with the likes of Toyota and Hyundai/Kia. Instead, the European vehicle manufacturers are focusing on their non-plug-in efforts on Mild-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) systems, increasingly with 48V electrical architecture. Approximately 60,000 cars fitted with such systems were sold in 2018 with German premium brands holding the maximum share of volume sold in the region. The more technologically advanced versions of this technology, with electrical assistance of 20kW or more, offer most of the benefits of Full Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FHEV) but with lower cost. New zero emission vehicle (ZEV) incentives in several European countries and the arrival of several new Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) models, including Tesla's Model 3 are fueling the market growth in the region. Competitive Landscape The global hybrid vehicle market is majorly dominated by some of the major automotive players such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, BYD, Mitsubishi, BMW, Ford, and etc., of which, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda holding a significant market share of the global hybrid vehicle market. The companies are making new strategic partnerships, investing majorly in Research & Development projects and launching new products in the market for being ahead from their rivalries. For instance; Ford is investing USD 11 billion in electrification, with plans to add 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles to its lineup by 2022. According to the company, every utility that is either redesigned or added to its portfolio will come with an electrified option, whether it's a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric. Toyota-designed Prius was the world's first mass-produced hybrid car and the firm has sold 13 million hybrid cars since its introduction. The company has taken a strategic step to promote hybrid cars as a bridge to fully electric vehicles (EVs). Toyota will be granting license for around 24,000 patented technologies relating to motors, converters, and batteries. Key Topics Covered 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Deliverables 1.2 Study Assumptions 1.3 Scope of the Study 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Market Drivers 4.3 Market Restraints 4.4 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Force Analysis 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION 5.1 By Type 5.1.1 Micro-Hybrid 5.1.2 Mild-Hybrid 5.1.3 Full-Hybrid 5.1.4 Plug-in Hybrid 5.2 By Vehicle Type 5.2.1 Passenger Cars 5.2.2 Commercial Vehicles 5.3 Geography 5.3.1 North America 5.3.2 Europe 5.3.3 Asia-Pacific 5.3.4 Rest of the World 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Vendor Market Share 6.2 Company Profiles 6.2.1 Toyota Motor Corporation 6.2.2 Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. 6.2.3 Honda Motor Company Ltd. 6.2.4 The Hyundai Motor Company 6.2.5 Kia Motors Corporation 6.2.6 Mercedes-Benz 6.2.7 Volvo Group 6.2.8 Volkswagen Group 6.2.9 BMW 6.2.10 Ford Motor Company 6.2.11 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation 6.2.12 BYD Co. Ltd. 7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lxi9bh Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com US President Donald Trump stands with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, before signing the Phase 1 of a trade deal between the US and China on January 15, 2020. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Wednesday that US tariffs on China would remain in place until a Phase Two trade agreement was signed and said any deal could be staggered. The President has said If we get all of Phase Two done, he will remove the tariffs, Mnuchin said during a panel at Davos. We could easily have Phase Two a), Two b), Two c), it doesnt need to be a big bang, and well take tariffs off along the way. The US and China last week signed a Phase One trade deal after almost two years of negotiations between the two sides. The China deal, we couldnt be more pleased, Mnuchin said Wednesday. It is a very significant agreement. The agreement has eased the trade war between the two countries but over $300bn of US tariffs on Chinese imports remain in place. Mnuchin said tariffs had been a big incentive for China to come to the negotiate table. READ MORE: Google CEO Sundar Pichai: Privacy cannot be a luxury good The Treasury Secretary said there was no deadline for concluding Phase Two talks. Were very focused on implementing Phase One, Mnuchin said. Well start on Phase Two. If we get that done before the election, great, if it takes longer, thats fine. Sitting alongside Mnuchin, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said the world economy was in a better place partly due to the deal between the US and China. She said there was now a truce and a pathway to peace. Free, fair and balanced trade Mnuchin said: Words like trade peace, trade war, those are not the right words. To me its about free, fair and balanced trade. The Treasury Secretary also talked up a possible trade deal with the UK once it leaves the EU, saying this was a big priority. Were looking forward to tremendous growth with the UK and US, Mnuchin said. However, he threatened tit-for-tat tariffs on the UK if it pressed ahead with plans for a tax on Big Tech companies. UK Chancellor Sajid Javid, who sat on the panel with Mnuchin, defended plans to introduce the new tax in April and talked up the prospect of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US. Weve already started work and were working closely together, Javid said. That is a huge priority for us. WATCH HERE: Yahoo Finance at the World Economic Forum in Davos AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: President Klaus Iohannis and his wife, Carmen Iohannis, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Wednesday, where they were photographed with a group of Romanian pilgrims. Several leaders present in Jerusalem for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum titled 'Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Anti-Semitism,' marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and International Holocaust Remembrance Day" taking place in Jerusalem, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Wednesday. Among them was the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. President Klaus Iohannis is visiting Israel as of Tuesday. On Tuesday, he met his Israeli counterpart, Reuven Rivlin, and on Wednesday morning he met with the leader of Israel's "Blue and White" Alliance, Benjamin Gantz. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian head of state will attend the official dinner offered by the President of the State of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, in honor of the heads of delegations present at the forum. On Thursday, President Iohannis will participate in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum titled 'Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Anti-Semitism,' marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, will visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh to mark the completion of 100 days in power in March, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut said here on Wednesday. It will be the first visit of the Sena chief to Ayodhya after his party severed ties with the BJP and the NDA over sharing of power after the results of the Maharashtra elections were declared in October last year. Thackeray had put off his November 24, 2019 visit to Ayodhya, after the NCP core committee resolved to form an alternative government in the state. The Sena subsequently joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form a coalition government. Thackeray was sworn in as the CM on November 28, 2019. "The government is working and will complete five years with the blessings of lord Ram. On completion of 100 days in power, Thackeray will visit Ayodhya to seek blessings of Lord Ram and chart out his future course of action," tweeted Raut. Thackeray had last visited Ayodhya in June, 2019 and offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple along with 18 newly-elected MPs of his party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bo chief executive Mark Bailie will reportedly leave RBS in February Royal Bank of Scotland insists its 100million digital challenger bank Bo remains a core part of its plans to compete for younger customers despite reports the offshoot's chief executive will step down. The reported forthcoming departure of Mark Bailie in February raises questions over the future and direction of the bank - which RBS built from scratch - despite the fact it was launched less than two months ago. While RBS refused to comment on speculation over Mr Bailie, formerly the chief operating officer of RBS and now the chief executive of Bo, the part taxpayer-owned bank insists it remains part of its future plans, along with its new business-focused current account Mettle. RBS reportedly spent 100million building the smartphone-based bank, which uses its stablemate NatWest's banking licence, after it made enquiries about buying challenger bank Monzo in the summer of 2017. RBS also invested 5million into a mobile-based card provider aimed at students called Loot, which folded in May 2019. Around 17 ex-employees of Loot subsequently joined Bo. The investment in Loot and interest in Monzo underlined the attempts the bank - one of the UK's big four lenders - is making to position itself as a more attractive option for younger customers who principally bank on their smartphone. While it is unknown how many customers Bo has at this stage, the account with the bright yellow card has many features common among smartphone-based banking and money management apps. The name of NatWest's new bank became clear last September, but it has been a wait of more than a year for the account to actually launch in full It delivers instant spending notifications, lists spending by category and by retailer and lets you set budgets within its app, though it doesn't offer overdrafts. Mr Bailie's rumoured departure, as reported by Sky News, would represent just the latest shake-up of RBS under new chief executive Alison Rose, who replaced Ross McEwan last November. The bank announced in December that the two most senior members of its investment banking division NatWest Markets would step down, with reports this could be followed by Les Matheson, the head of personal banking at RBS. The name Bo - which contains an Irish accent above the 'o', a 'Fada' - as explained on its website, doesn't have an English meaning. It says as explained on its website: 'It's because we like the way it sounds. It's warm and friendly, gentle even. 'We also like it because Bo doesn't mean anything in English so it's a word that we can own, that will grow with us and become associated with what we're trying to do.' However, it also appears to take its name from the Danish for 'to live', or 'stay'. It remains to be seen if Mark Bailie will live to stay another month in charge at the challenger. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that improvement in the economy should be the top priority in the view of current economic conditions. He also urged nationalised banks to consider one-time settlement of loans of farmers in the state to further strengthen the agriculture sector. Gehlot was addressing the State Level Credit Seminar organised by NABARD here on Wednesday. The chief minister released the State Focus Paper of the year 2020-21 of NABARD. In this paper, NABARD has assessed a loan disbursement of Rs 2,11,659 crore to priority sectors in the state. Out of which 65 per cent has been earmarked for agriculture, 22 per cent for MSME and the remaining 13 per cent for other priority sectors. Chief Secretary D B Gupta said that banks should strive vigorously towards achieving the goal of disbursing loans to priority sectors. This will help in improving the social and economic condition of the people in rural areas and in better implementation of the schemes of the state government. Gehlot said that just as the nationalised banks have given relief to industrialists by making one-time settlement of loans, they should consider one-time settlement of loans of farmers in the state to further strengthen the agriculture sector. Chief General Manager of NABARD, Suresh Chandra said that under the State Focus Paper, the main focus of NABARD this year is on high-tech agriculture. He said that the state government was encouraging Farmer Producer Groups (FPOs) and MSMEs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of Central American migrants who entered southern Mexico in recent days have either been pushed back into Guatemala by Mexican troops, shipped to detention centres or returned to Honduras, officials said on Tuesday. An unknown number slipped past Mexican authorities and continued north.The latest migrant caravan provided a public platform for Mexico to show the US government and migrants thinking of making the trip that it has refined its strategy and produced its desired result - the caravan will not advance past its southern border. "What can I say? It's damn tough to cross the border right now. I think it's better to return home," said Walter Martinez, a Honduran migrant, out of the window of a Guatemalan Police bus taking disillusioned migrants home.What remained unclear was the treatment of the migrants who already find themselves on their way back to the countries they fled last week. The caravan of thousands had set out from Honduras in hopes Mexico would grant them passage, posing a fresh test of US President Donald Trump's effort to reduce the flow of migrants arriving at the US border by pressuring other governments to stop them.Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said 2,400 migrants entered Mexico legally over the weekend. About a thousand of them requested Mexico's help in returning to their countries. The rest were being held in immigration centres while they start legal processes that would allow them to seek refuge in Mexico or obtain temporary work permits that would confine them to southern Mexico. Mexico announced last June that it was deploying the newly formed National Guard to assist in immigration enforcement to avoid tariffs that Trump threatened on Mexican imports. (Image Credit:AP) WWE Superstar Carmella is the moon-walking, trash-talking princess of Staten Island, a character complete with the accent, colorful makeup, big hair, gaudy jewelry and all. But the real woman behind the wrestler, Leah Van Dale, is very much a Massachusetts girl. Van Dale, the daughter of former WWF jobber (a perennial-loser gig that the business now refers to as enhancement talent) Paul Van Dale, hails from Spencer, Massachusetts, is a UMass Dartmouth alum, and a former New England Patriots cheerleader. So how did someone very much from Boston Red Sox country come to represent a very different yet equally distinctive borough around New York Yankees land? Former Laker Girl Van Dale, who has the distinction of being WWEs first Womens Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner, walked TheWrap through that process. Also Read: Bella Twins to Guest on Nickelodeon's 'The Substitute' - See Nikki Go Undercover Here (Exclusive) When I was first coming up with this Carmella character, I wanted her to be from Boston, she told us. However, Sasha Banks was from Boston, so we had to come up with something else. So [the Princess of Staten Island] was what we came up with, the one-time SmackDown Womens Champion said. From that point on I was religiously watching Mob Wives and Real Housewives of New Jersey. Man, I just did so much character research The Sopranos, everything. This Italian-American reporter from central New Jersey can tell you that all of her actor-like preparation has paid off. Also Read: WWE Superstar Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin to Host USA Network Competition Series 'Cannonball' (Exclusive) But dont just take my word for it: Carmella has gone from studying Staten Island, New York TV characters to being praised by Staten Island, New York TV characters. Its funny, the Impractical Jokers, Sal and [Brian Q Quinn] and them, theyre from Staten Island, obviously. And theyre like Oh my gosh, you do that so good! And that makes me feel good, Carmella, also a star of E! series Total Divas, said. Im like cool, I can convince people from Staten Island that Im from Staten Island. Story continues Yes, its like Van Dale moonwalked her way across the Outerbridge Crossing and directly into our hearts. Catch Van Dale doing her thing Fridays at 8/7c on Foxs SmackDown. Read original story How Massachusetts Wrestler Carmella Became WWEs Princess of Staten Island At TheWrap UN military commission to discuss Libyan ceasefire Regarding recent violations of the ceasefire, UN has been following the breaches since the truce was called for by President Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 5+5 Military Commission will convene next week in Geneva to discuss the ceasefire between Libya's warring parties, a UN official said Tuesday. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ghassan Salame, the UN special representative for Libya, said he is grateful for the participation and contribution of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the international conference on Libya in Berlin, Germany on Sunday. THE THREE-POINT-PLAN "I'm [also] extremely grateful for the participation of the Turkish delegation in the sixth preparatory meetings we had for Berlin led by [Turkish presidential spokesperson] Ibrahim Kalin, with whom I had a number of bilateral and positive meetings," he said, praising Turkey's efforts for peace in Libya. The UN envoy pointed out that all parties at the Berlin conference had asked Libya's Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, who were in Berlin but not at the conference, "to extend the truce in order for us to give a chance for diplomacy." Regarding the proposed 5+5 Military Commission to ensure the ceasefire, Salame said: "I have the five names from Mr. Sarraj and the five names from Mr. Haftar to have this joint commission meet as soon as possible so that the truce that has been called for by the two presidents [Erdogan and Putin] by the end of January becomes a full-fledged ceasefire." At the Berlin conference, they agreed to a three-point plan including the economic and financial, military and political track, he said. The first episode of Heston Blumenthal's new show for Channel 4 and Netflix has been branded 'offensive' by some viewers because contestants in the off-beat cookery show have to refer to the three judges as 'gods'. Crazy Delicious, which aired on Tuesday at 8pm, sees three contestants ascending to a heavenly setting to serve the 'food gods' - Blumenthal and fellow judges Carla Hall and Niklas Ekstedt - the creative dishes they've conjured up using ordinary ingredients. However, the faux biblical setting, which saw the judges dressed top-to-toe in white and sitting in the clouds - left some viewers squirming, calling it 'weird' and 'offensive'. Scroll down for video Heavenly creatures? Judges Heston Blumenthal, Carla Hall and Niklas Ekstedt are referred to as 'food gods', wear all-white and gather around a white table in a heavenly setting in new Channel 4 cookery show Crazy Delicious 'God' Heston charges three contestants each week to transform an ordinary ingredient into the culinary alchemy that the top chef is famous for Contestant Hannah ascends to heaven to deliver her strawberry trifle to the food gods Some viewers didn't enjoy the creative set, saying it was 'offensive' to call the judges 'gods' Carla Hall, Heston Blumenthal, Jayde Adams and Niklas Ekstedt on new cookery show Crazy Delicious While others praised the creativity of the six-part show, which is presented by presented by comedian Jayde Adams, many said the tone was off-kilter. Twitter was awash with comments during the show cringeing at the format that sees contestants climbing a staircase to offer the dishes they've made to the judges - the food gods - who are sat around a white table with a blue sky and fluffy clouds all around them. @Ruth33044467 raged: 'Heston is a very good cook - but he is not a god and its offensive.' @xstephster added: 'Ffs they actually have to refer to judges as gods.' @mrsjoscott penned: '#CrazyDelicious this is like being in a weird dream you can't wake up from. It's trying very hard to be edgy. I'm not sure it's much more than utterly pretentious nonsense!' Each episode seeing three contestants trying to wow the 'Food Gods' Heston, Swedish chef Niklas Ekstedt who specialises in cooking over an open fire, and US TV cook Carla Hall in three categories. Pictured, host Jayde Adams with contestant Hardeep Judge Carla Hall takes in the aroma of contestant Hannah's aromatic strawberry dish The first dish on the show used hay and thyme to transform a humble strawberry Heston dubbed Hannah's dish a 'trifle on steroids' after tasting it at the table. @TheRealElwynD didn't have a problem with the term 'god' being used to describe cooks, but said it was assigned to wrong television star. He wrote: 'Im sorry #Channel4, but there is only ONE Food God.'Her name is Mary Berry!' Channel 4 has declined to comment on the criticism. Amateur cooks who post their efforts on Instagram have been invited to compete against each other, with each episode seeing three contestants trying to wow Blumnethal, Swedish chef Niklas Ekstedt who specialises in cooking over an open fire, and US TV cook Carla Hall in three categories. The show is filmed at Elstree in North London and features an edible set, with a prosecco waterfall, edible soil and chocolate jelly rocks. Blumenthal himself has admitted that he wasn't entirely sure about the show's wacky theme. He told Weekend magazine: 'If someone had told me that one day I'd be working on an edible set, sitting on a cloud and wearing a white suit I'd have said, "Get away". The whole thing is gobsmacking.' Crazy Delicious airs on Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 4 Actress Shabana Azmi was injured in a road accident involving her car near Khalapur on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Jan 22 : Shabana Azmi is recovering. The veteran actress, who was injured in a road accident, is currently under observation but her condition is stable. A source close to the actress revealed: "Shabana Azmi is recovering. She is under observation but stable now." Azmi was injured in a road accident involving her UV and a truck near Khalapur toll plaza on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday. The actress was initially rushed to the Mahatma Gandhi Mission Medical College and Hospital (MGM-MCH) at Kamothe, Navi Mumbai but shifted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri the same evening. Azmi's husband Javed Akhtar and his children Farhan and Zoya Akhtar paid a visit to the hospital, and their pictures went viral on social media. They were accompanied by Farhan's girlfriend Shibani Dandekar. Although Azmi is recovering, it is not known when will she be discharged from the hospital. This year its the 101st anniversary since the Act of Unity of the-then Ukrainian People's Republic and Western Ukrainian People's Republic was declared National Unity Day Open source Every year Ukraine celebrates the Day of Unity. This year its the 101st anniversary since the Act of Unity of the-then Ukrainian People's Republic and Western Ukrainian People's Republic was declared at Sofiyska Square in Kyiv. Why is this holiday so important for Ukraine? Historic reference Unity of Ukrainian People's Republic and Western Ukrainian People's Republic was preceded by the IV Universal of the Central Council of Ukraine of January 22, 1918 it proclaimed Ukrainian People's Republic a sovereign and independent state. Western Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed later that year in November 1918. And on January 22, 1919, the two republics officially united. The next day, on January 23 the Congresses of peasants, workers, and soldiers of Ukraine began its work as the all-Ukrainian parliament. The Act of reunification (Zluky Act) was approved by the supreme legislative body. According to the Act, the Western Ukrainian People's Republic became the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The trident officially became the national state emblem, replacing a golden lion on the blue, earlier approved in the Western Ukrainian People's Republic. Apart from the VI Universal, the Congresses of peasants declared that the Ukrainian People's Republic had no intention to gather foreign land under their rule. The state border of the Ukrainian People's Republic was much longer on January 22, 1919, compared the modern border. The Ukrainian People's Republic included the following ethnic lands: Kuban, Stavropolye, Chernomorshchyna, Eastern Slobozhanshchina, Starodubshchyna (now part of Russia), Beresteishchyna and Homelshchyna (now in Belarus, Chelm Land, Podlachia, Nadsanie, Nothern Lemkivshchyna (now in Poland), Southern Lemkivshchyna (now in Slovakia), Marmaroshchyna, Southern Bukovyna (now Romania), Transnistria. 1919 Map of Ukraine Wikipedia The first celebration was held in the city of Khust on this day in 1939. This was not just a manifestation, but the biggest demonstration of 30 thousand of local citizens over 20 years within Czechoslovakia. Unity Day was not celebrated during the Soviet period as an anti-revolutionary holiday. The holiday became an official one after President Leonid Kuchma signed the respective order on January 21, 1999. In 2014 President Petro Poroshenko initiated the Day of Dignity on November 21 and returned the January 22 Unity Day. Live chain a symbol of the Unity Day The main tradition at celebrating Ukraines Unity Day is a live chain. The tradition goes back to 1990 when people from different cities and villages on the way between Kyiv and Lviv made up a live chain to mark the date. Kyiv residents build the live chain every year since 2000 they line up on Paton bridge to connect the right and the left banks of the Dnipro, as a symbol of unity of Eastern and Western Ukraine. People just grab blue-and-yellow flags and join the rally becoming a part of the chain. Another tradition is laying floral tributes to the monuments of Hrushevsky and Shevchenko and other prominent Ukrainians and the participants of the Revolution of Dignity and hostilities in Donbas as well. The Act Zluky (the Unification Act) was not only of a symbolic meaning: unification of Ukrainian lands disabled fratricidal wars when Ukrainians killed each other fighting for the colonial empires (WWI, for example). [January 22, 2020] Dialogue Technologies Inc. acquires German Occupational Health and Safety services company ARGUMED Consulting Group GmbH MONTREAL and MUNICH, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Dialogue Technologies Inc., the leading Canadian telemedicine, health and well-being provider, announced today the acquisition of German Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) services company ARGUMED Consulting Group GmbH. The acquisition marks an evolution in Dialogue's product offering and expansion opportunities in European markets. Since 2016, Dialogue has been focused on making employees healthier, happier and performing at their best potential. This acquisition allows Dialogue to pursue its mission through a different lens and roll out its technology platform to help millions of European employees avoid preventable workplace issues. ARGUMED provides the full range of workplace health and safety services to a diverse portfolio of clients and industries throughout Germany. ARGUMED's expansion strategy is built around digitizing services offerings such as psychological and other risk assessments, instructions, training and hazardous substances management. Applying modern technologies plays a significant role in ARGUMED's approach to reduce existing regulatory complexity by providing tailor-made solutions for employers and freeing their workplaces from preventable health and safety risks. "ARGUMED has set the bar for world-class OHS delivery and we are excited about the opportunity to continue building on that momentum together," said Cherif Habib, Dialogue CEO. "This acquisition enables us to combine Dialogue's industry-leading telemedicine technology with ARGUMED's OHS expertise to further help employers create healthy, safe and productive workplaces for employees." "Wrking with Dialogue will allow us to expand our reach and reinvent the way we deliver OHS products and solutions to our clients," said Maike Laska, ARGUMED founder and CEO. "Dialogue's vision is perfectly aligned with ours and we look forward to developing new and innovative approaches to support employers." "The health technology leadership we have established in Canada will be an asset as we continue to expand our operations throughout Europe," said Philipp Dornbach, Dialogue General Manager, Germany. "Integrating ARGUMED's OHS solutions increases our credibility in the market and gives us a more comprehensive service offering for new and existing clients." "Invest in Bavaria is very happy to welcome Dialogue with its European headquarter in Bavaria! With the acquisition of ARGUMED, Dialogue laid the foundation for growth in Europe," said Dr. Wolfgang Hubschle, Executive Director Invest in Bavaria. "May both companies prosper from their cooperation! We look forward to more jobs being created." Quick facts Dialogue has acquired ARGUMED's full business operations, including the organization's Munich and Freiburg headquarters, along with its 50 partnerships with competence centres across Germany . The ARGUMED acquisition represents a new business line for Dialogue and the opportunity to meet a significant portion of the $28B EU OHS total addressable market (TAM); and Freiburg headquarters, along with its 50 partnerships with competence centres across . The ARGUMED acquisition represents a new business line for Dialogue and the opportunity to meet a significant portion of the EU OHS total addressable market (TAM); As part of the transaction, ARGUMED will continue to serve existing and new clients, while Dialogue builds new technology to support and improve the delivery of OHS services digitally; With support from Dialogue, ARGUMED will expand its operations, customer-facing, product, and technology teams in Germany and throughout the European Union; and throughout the European Union; The transaction will create dozens of highly-skilled local jobs in Canada and Germany . About Dialogue Dialogue is the Canadian telemedicine leader offering integrated health care services for employers to keep their employees happy, healthy, and performing at their highest potential. A full range of health professionals (nurses, physicians and allied health practitioners) are available at the click of a button via mobile phone or computer to help employees optimize their work-life balance. To learn more, visit dialogue.co, follow us on Twitter or visit our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. About ARGUMED ARGUMED is a provider of occupational health and safety services (OHS) with offices in Berlin, Freiburg im Breisgau and Munich. The company covers a wide range of services provided by occupational health specialists and company doctors for clients of all sizes and industries throughout Germany. ARGUMED is proud to be known for providing high-quality services, tailored to clients' needs, conveniently offered through a single point of contact and at transparent pricing. SOURCE Dialogue Technologies Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An unknown perpetrator attempted to rob a Castleton Corners bank by making an unfounded bomb threat against the location, police said Tuesday afternoon. Police responded to Santander Bank, located at 1850 Victory Blvd., just before 2 p.m. after a man with his face covered went through the banks drive-thru and sent a note through the pneumatic tubing system demanding money, according to an NYPD spokeswoman. The note, according to police, said that the man allegedly placed a bomb by the banks ATM which is located inside of the building earlier in the morning, and that if he drives off with no bills, he will set it off in 15 seconds. No money was given to the alleged perpetrator, and he drove off shortly after the message was passed, the spokeswoman said. A level one mobilization was implemented by the NYPD after the incident but was terminated at 4:19 p.m., according to police. The bomb threat made against the location was unfounded. There was a police presence outside the bank at approximately 3:40 p.m., and the bank appeared to still be in operation during the investigation. A spokesperson for Santander did not immediately return a request for comment. No arrests have been made in the case. Chennai, Jan 22 : Danish company Danfoss A/S will be increasing its exports of power solutions products out of India by adding two control valve production at its Pune facility, said a senior official. He also said the company is in talks with Indian trucks and buses makers to supply innovative electrification solutions. "We are in the process of shipping out two valves that controls operation of machines. The products will be shipped to Europe, North America and China," Domenico Traverso, President-Work Function Division and also Danfoss India Board Member told IANS over phone from Pune. He was in Pune where Danfoss Power Solutions' new production facility at an outlay of about 15 million euros was inaugurated on Wednesday. "The two products are now being made in Danfoss' plants in China and North America. These products have demand in India and overseas," Upinder Razdan, Managing Director, Danfoss Power Solutions-India told IANS. The 7 billion euros revenue Danfoss may turn Pune as a major hub for these control valves in the future, Razdan added. According to him, the company is putting up a capacity for 50,000 sections per annum. On the local content in the products, Razdan said it is 95 per cent. The Power Solutions division of Danfoss is a provider of mobile hydraulics for the construction, agriculture and other off-highway vehicle markets. The product portfolio includes electronic controls, pumps, steering, mobile electrification, pumps and valves, motors, sensors and transmitters and others. "The main sectors we serve are construction/farm/material handling and Danfoss Power Solutions contribute about one third of Danfoss' global revenues," Traverso added. Traverso said the division is involved in electrification and supply solutions for buses and trucks which is relative a new segment for the company. Danfoss officials told IANS that the company is in talks with Indian trucks and buses makers for their solutions. "We also serve autonomous and connected vehicles markets. We are working with few tractor companies in India. The e-steering is connected to GPS and as the tractor plies on a particular path there will be savings in fuel consumption as well," Traverso said. According to Traverso, the size of the global market that Danfoss Power Solutions addresses is about 12 billion euros and last year the market was flat. "However, this year we expect to log three per cent growth by gaining market share. We see growth happening in Europe and China. In the marine sector, there is increased demand for hybrid ferries," Traverso added. "India region is among the top ten markets for Danfoss Global in terms of business, with Danfoss Power Solutions being a critical contributing element to the growth of our business in the Indian sub-continent," Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India Region told IANS. According to him the power solutions business over the past five years has seen strong double digit CAGR growth. Danfoss has a major facility here. FILE PHOTO: A Grab logo is pictured at the Money 20/20 Asia Fintech Trade Show in Singapore By Anshuman Daga and Liz Lee SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Ride-hailing group Grab, gaming firm Razer <1337.HK>, AirAsia , telecoms firm Axiata and lender CIMB are among companies looking to apply for digital banking licences in Malaysia, sources told Reuters. Some of these companies have begun talking to consultancies as they explore a possible foray into digital banking, the people familiar with the matter said. Across Asia, regulators are opening up banking to new digital players, encouraged by a boom in mobile connectivity and the prospect of tech firms - not shackled to expensive physical branches - offering low-cost financial services. This month Singapore said it received 21 applications for five digital bank licences. In December, Malaysia's central bank announced plans to issue up to five licences to new online banks offering either conventional or Islamic banking under a proposed licensing framework set to be finalised by the end of June. "The path to profitability will be regional expansion in ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," said Sivaram Krishna, who leads digital banking strategies for Accenture in Southeast Asia. He said anyone applying for a licence in Singapore would consider seeking a licence in Malaysia as well. "The minimum capital entry requirement is substantially lower for them and it's a much bigger market," he said. Malaysia has said it prefers bidders whose equity is controlled by local companies. The people said Razer - whose fintech unit led a consortium for a Singapore application - was in talks with a local conglomerate for a Malaysian licence. Local lenders Hong Leong Bank and Maybank are also considering bidding for a licence, the people said. Razer Fintech's CEO Lee Li Meng told Reuters the company had extensive operations in Malaysia in the digital payments space and would evaluate the digital banking opportunity. Story continues One option for Axiata is to apply through Axiata Digital Services, which houses all of the group's digital ventures and owns the e-wallet Boost. AirAsia's financial services venture, BigPay, operates an e-wallet that comes with a prepaid card. Ant Financial and Touch n' Go's e-wallet is the largest e-wallet service in Malaysia with 6.9 million registered users. CIMB, which owns a majority stake in Touch n' Go, is exploring a licence bid, the people said. In a report issued on Wednesday, Fitch Ratings said new entrants would be likely to target "under-served retail and small and medium-size enterprise segments, which typically have a higher risk profile and lower income". Axiata Digital said it had signalled interest for digital banking. Grab and AirAsia declined to comment. CIMB did not respond to Reuters queries, while Ant Financial said it was too premature to comment. Maybank declined specific comment but said that under its existing licence, it could also operate as a digital bank without having to apply for a new licence. Under Malaysia's draft proposals, digital banks have to offer products and services to address market gaps in "under-served and unserved segments" and maintain 100 million ringgit ($24.5 million) in capital initially and ramp that up to 300 million ringgit. (Reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore and Liz Lee in Kuala Lumpur; Additional reporting by Alun John in Hong Kong; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Barbara Lewis) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed the Kasargod district panchayat's move to introduce a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The court has stayed the panchayat's move for three weeks. Earlier, the panchayat decided to pass the resolution on January 23. The court has also decided to issue a notice to the district panchayat and government. The petition will be heard three weeks later. BJP Kasargod district president Advocate K. Sreekanth had approached the High Court challenging the move of the district panchayat. The petition, pointing out that it is not the responsibility of the district panchayat to pass a resolution against the law passed by the Parliament, said that it was illegal to oppose the amendment. ''In several panchayats and municipalities, LDF and UDF have started to pass a resolution against CAA. It is purely illegal. So, being a member of Kasargod district panchayat, I had received a notice from the district panchayat stating an agenda about passing a resolution against CAA. So I questioned it in the High Court and the court granted a stay," Sreekanth told ANI. "My grievance in the writ petition is that the move to pass resolution is against law and it is totally illegal. District panchayat has no jurisdiction to discuss the matter since the CAA was passed by the Parliament. It is a very big blow to the UDF and LDF for playing politics in passing such a resolution," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | By Wanda Haskel The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law has established a scholarship honoring cherished alumnus Elijah E. Cummings, JD 76, who died in October 2019. Congressman Cummings frequently returned to Maryland Carey Law, exhorting students to work for positive change in the world. Under the leadership of chair Robert J. Kim 83, the Maryland Carey Law Board of Visitors, of which Cummings was a longstanding member, created and swiftly funded the scholarship in the weeks after the congressmans death. The Cummings Scholarship reached its initial endowment goal of $50,000 before the end of 2019. We lost a great man whose contributions to the law school, Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and the nation are immeasurable, Kim said. The Cummings Scholarship honors Elijah by continuing his legacy of empowering students to become legal leaders, using their education to do good in the world. Awarded to one recipient per year, the scholarship will support Maryland Carey Law students who have an interest in public service, a record of academic excellence, and demonstrated financial need. Congressman Cummings meant so much to our community, and I am incredibly grateful to the Board of Visitors for their leadership in creating and supporting this scholarship, said Maryland Carey Law Dean Donald B. Tobin, JD. We will carry on Elijah Cummings legacy for years to come and look forward to selecting the inaugural Cummings Scholarship recipient. The law school also will honor Cummings memory by posthumously awarding him Maryland Carey Laws Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Alumni Honors Banquet in April. He will be only the second recipient since the awards establishment in 2016. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the Alumni Board at the discretion of the dean. A Baltimore native, Cummings graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Howard University before completing his JD at the University of Maryland School of Law in 1976. At the time of his death, Cummings was in his 13th term advocating for Marylands 7th District in Congress and had risen to the powerful position of chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, the main investigative committee in the House of Representatives. Even with his demanding schedule, Cummings was a consistent presence at the law school, serving on the Board of Visitors and mentoring and supporting current students and recent graduates. The Cummings family is delighted that the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law decided to honor our beloved Elijah with an annual needs-based scholarship for a student interested in a public service career, said Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, PhD, MA, the congressmans widow. This scholarship is consistent with Elijahs passionate belief that financial challenges should not prevent promising students from receiving a quality education. To donate to The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings 76 Scholarship Endowment, please visit www.law.umaryland.edu/CummingsScholarship. An Ohio man died after falling into a vat of toxic chemicals at the metal finishing company where he worked on Tuesday morning. Authorities identified the man as Dana Swisher, 60, of Union, Ohio, who had been employed at Techmetals in Dayton, Ohio, for 30 years. The incident occurred shortly before 9am Tuesday at the company, with authorities arriving on the scene after a 911 caller reported that a man had fallen into a four-foot-deep tank, according to WDTN. Dana Swisher, 60, died after falling into a vat of liquid chromic acid Tuesday morning at Ohio's Techmetals (pictured), where he had worked for 30 years Swisher's coworkers were able to pull him out of the tank and start CPR before first responders arrived. Techmetals employees were said to have been 'obviously distraught' after the incident The 911 call about Swisher began as an industrial accident and was changed to a possible drowning, before being upgraded to a HAZMAT incident The tank was later confirmed to contain liquid chromic acid, a toxic and corrosive oxidizing substance that is commonly used in chromium plating. Chromic acid is toxic if swallowed and can cause severe skin burns and eye damage, as well as dermal allergies. It is fatal if inhaled. The caller said that the man - later identified as Swisher - had gotten wedged into a tight space in the tank in an 'accident,' and that it was difficult to pull him out from his position. The call was first made as an industrial accident and was changed to a possible drowning. By the time first responders arrived at the scene, however, Swisher's coworkers had managed to pull him out of the tank and start life-saving measures. Swisher was declared dead at the scene when the Coroners Office arrived. A HAZMAT team decontaminated the workers who pulled Swisher out of the tank at the scene Authorities declared Swisher dead at the scene and believe that he may have had a medical emergency which led to the fall, but an official cause of death is pending Techmetals (pictured) uses a variety of chemicals to provide metal finishes for defense and military clients, as well as for aerospace and medical applications First responders updated the call to a HAZMAT incident, according to WHIO. The employees who pulled Swisher from the chromic acid tank were decontaminated at the scene and advised to go to the hospital, but refused additional treatment, authorities said. Authorities said that the coworkers who pulled Swisher out of the tank and performed CPR on him were 'obviously distraught' following the incident. Not other injuries were reported at the scene, however. It's unclear how long Swisher had been inside the tank and in contact with the liquid chemical before his rescuers were able to reach him. It's thought that the incident was an accident. The Dayton Fire Department told WDTN that Swisher may have had a medical emergency that led to his fall. Authorities have not yet determined an official cause of death and are still investigating the incident. The coroner's office, Dayton police and Occupational Safety and Health Administration are looking into what led to Swisher's death. A man answering the phone at Techmetals on Tuesday said the company had no immediate comment other than to say 'all of the appropriate' people had been contacted, the AP reported. Techmetals' website indicates that it provide metal finishes for defense and military clients, as well as for aerospace and medical applications. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Newly released crime data show that violent crime in San Francisco dropped by 6 percent last year compared to the previous year, police said Tuesday. According to the data, homicides in San Francisco dropped by 11 percent in 2019 from 2018. Forty-one people died last year in homicides-the lowest rate in nearly 60 years. In addition, the data show rapes were down by 15 percent while sex trafficking fell by 57 percent. Both robberies and aggravated assaults were down by 4 percent last year. Police Chief William Scott shared the results during a news conference Tuesday at police headquarters alongside Mayor London Breed. "The fact that we are at an all-time low in homicides in our city is absolutely incredible," Breed said. "Forty-one homicides of course are 41 too many, but the fact is that this is the lowest number of homicides that we've seen since 1961. It is unbelievable. But we didn't get there by accident." Breed said increased efforts by police to connect with residents and the community as a whole has led to reduced crime numbers. "I am proud of the work they (police) have done and will continue to do for the residents of the city. It is getting us to a better place as we can see with the statistics," she said. "Violent crime is always going to be our top priority," Scott said. "We've had a number of high profile cases during this last year in 2019 and we solved a number of them," he said. "With that, our homicide clearance rate this past year was 71 percent." When it came to property crimes, Scott said the department saw a 4 percent overall drop. Burglaries decreased by 14 percent, vehicle burglaries by 2 percent and larceny by 3 percent. According to Scott, a 2018 study by researchers at the California Policy Lab at the University of California at Berkeley found that officers conducting regular foot patrols in downtown San Francisco led to significant drops in assaults and thefts. But both Scott and Breed acknowledged that the Police Department is short by about 100 officers and an increase in staffing would likely lead to an even sharper drop in crime. "We're doing everything we can to recruit and get the people in the academy and put them on the streets," Scott said. "We try to run as efficiently as possible. We're looking at resources and the bodies needed, and the officers are needed in the streets, so that's what we're planning to do." In addition to the data, police said officers seized a total of 933 guns in 2019. The department last year also held its first annual Gun Violence Summit, in order to identify new strategies to reduce gun violence, particularly in the city's Bayview neighborhood. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Lisa Kewley has transformed our understanding of the early years of the Universe, the development of galaxies, and what happens when they collide. For her pioneering investigations across theory, modelling and observation, she will receive the US National Academy of Science's biennial James Craig Watson Medal in Washington DC. At school I thought physics would be too hard. But I had a wonderful physics teacher whose love for astronomy was contagious! says Lisa. Today, Professor Lisa Kewley is Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D) and ARC Laureate Fellow at the Australian National University's Research School for Astronomy & Astrophysics. She is the first person in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere to be awarded the James Craig Watson Medal. In awarding her the Medal, the Academy recognised the global impact of her research on our understanding of how galaxies have formed and evolved over the past 12 billion years. "Now we understand how to make a computer model of the impact of star formation and supermassive black holes on their host galaxies," says Lisa. "We can run the model forward and see how we expect galaxies to evolve, and we can go backwards and see how galaxies like the Milky Way formed, shortly after the epoch of reionisation, when the early Universe lit up." She says we're living in a golden era for astronomy: "Early in my career I benefited from the Hubble Space Telescope and the 10 metre Keck telescopes in Hawaii. Students starting today are going to have access to amazing new telescopes including the James Webb Space Telescope, massive new optical telescopes in Chile and the Square Kilometre Array in Australia and South Africa. "We're going to require astronomers, engineers, data experts and artificial intelligence to use these new instruments, taking us back to the moment of the Big Bang, finding new planets and more." During her career, Professor Kewley has made fundamental contributions to the study of galaxy collisions, cosmic chemical abundances, galaxy energetics, and the star-formation history of galaxies. Her widely cited papers cover the development of theoretical models to identify the power sources of galaxies, deriving the first star-formation rate calibration to correct for chemical abundance, revealing the distribution of oxygen abundances left behind by colliding galaxies, showing that low-ionisation nuclear emission-line regions are powered by super-massive black holes, and measuring the oxygen history of the universe. "I am deeply honoured to have been awarded the James Craig Watson Medal," Dr Kewley says. "It speaks to the strength of astronomy in Australia. In pursuing my academic passion, I have been fortunate to be able to collaborate with many talented and insightful scientists. I am also grateful that my work has been supported by the Australian National University, by ASTRO 3D, and by funding bodies such as the Australian Research Council." Professor Kewley is currently researching the oxygen history of galaxies like the Milky Way. "This award is highly-deserved recognition of Lisa's stellar research and the incredible contributions she has made to our understanding of the Universe," comments Professor Brian Schmidt, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2011 and supported the nomination. "Here at ANU, we push the boundaries of what is known every day. This includes our place in the Universe. The work of Lisa and her colleagues position Australia as a world-leading centre for astronomy. I congratulate Lisa on this richly-deserved recognition." Named after American-Canadian nineteenth century astronomer James Craig Watson, the award has been presented every two years since 1887 "for outstanding contributions to the science of astronomy". It comprises a $US25,000 personal endowment, $US50,000 for research support and a gold-plated bronze medal. ### But like Wolters, Nodjoumi was distressed by those who told bad-news stories or, for Wolters, those who were overly optimistic, saying Dont worry, everything will be fine. As she wrote, People dont want advice on how they should feel (Look on the bright side) or how to be fixed (Things will be better tomorrow); they often just want to be heard. Acknowledging a persons pain or bad day, instead of trying to move them past it, is the most helpful way to go. It is best to simply say, Im sorry you are going through this. Would you like to talk about it? Judson ISD will offer full-day prekindergarten for all its 3-year-olds next year the first district in Bexar County to roll out such a plan. The program will be free for families that qualify under state eligibility guidelines. Other parents can pay tuition, as they can with the districts pre-K program for 4-year-olds. Judson Independent School District doesnt have a partnership with Pre-K 4 SA, the city-funded program that enrolls about 2,000 kids at four centers, so parents of 4-year-olds who want early education for their youngsters can opt for Judsons program or try for a limited number of tuition-based slots in the citys program. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio council members receptive to May election push for pre-k sales tax Judson and other districts in recent years have stepped up pre-K offerings, but options for 3-year-olds remain slim. The district currently enrolls about 1,100 in full-day prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, bolstered by provisions in House Bill 3, a 2019 state law that increased funding for school districts for a variety of purposes. Thats nearly double the roughly 600 who were enrolled in half-day pre-K the previous school year, said Cecilia Davis, the Judson ISD assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. We had districtwide pre-K but we just didnt have many students attending, she said. Its difficult for parents to leave their jobs to pick up their kids from half-day pre-K. San Antonio ISD offers preschool for some of its 3-year-olds on a space-available basis in its federally funded Head Start program and with its state- and district-funded program. Families must meet eligibility criteria to qualify for either program, which offers seats first to 4-year-olds. After school starts in the fall, qualifying 3-year-olds can take the remaining seats. After that, 4- and 3-year-olds who do not meet eligibility requirements also may enroll. The newer options in Judson ISD have been driven by parental demand, Davis said. To attend pre-K at one of the districts 20 elementary schools, families must meet income or other eligibility requirements. If they arent eligible, they can pay $450 per month, or $4,500 total for preschool from August to May. Registration for pre-K for Judson 3-year-olds begins in April and the district will host two informational sessions for parents on April 20 and 27. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox Angelica Trevinos two children both attended Judsons Candlewood Elementary for pre-K. She had also considered IDEA Public Schools, a charter network, but preferred Candlewood because it offered a bilingual program, and her children didnt speak English as toddlers. Trevino had thought about sending her son, now 5, straight to kindergarten and skipping preschool, but when she saw the gains that her older daughter had made, she decided to go the pre-K route for him as well. My expectations were to get them out of the house, but once theyre in there I saw they get many more things out of it, she said. They learn a lot, they become more independent and more social. While research long has shown the importance of quality early childhood education for toddlers, public funding hasnt kept up with a more recent surge of interest in providing it, said Maria Riojas-Cortez, a professor of early childhood education at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I hope that others will follow Judson with the 3-year-old program, she said. You need the funding and the facilities. You cant just have very young children in facilities for fifth-graders. You need a good chunk of funding to be able to provide a good quality program that is developmentally and culturally appropriate for young children. Prior to House Bill 3, the state provided funding for half-day preschool for qualifying students and many area districts have supplemented it with local money or federal Head Start programs. The new law has allowed more districts to expand their offerings to full-day. On ExpressNews.com: Texas school funding reforms please San Antonio-area superintendents I think theyre understanding their role and the importance of those early learning experiences, Riojas-Cortez said. My hope for Texas is that we could get universal pre-K, a big step. And then the second step will be to begin funding for 3-year-olds. Nationally, few states fund preschool for 4-year-olds. The most generous are Florida, Vermont and Oklahoma along with Washington, D.C. which provide universal access to it. D.C. and Vermont do the same for 3-year-olds. In 2018, Texas enrolled about half of the states 4-year-olds in pre-K and 8 percent of its 3-year-olds, according to a report from the National Institute for Early Education Research. Nationwide, about 20 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds are in school. Judson ISD grew by about 800 students this year, which some officials attribute partly to more kids enrolling in preschool. A higher enrollment translates to more state funding, and administrators also hope to stave off competition from charter schools, which continue to be built on Judsons boundaries on the northeast side of the county. There are other schools popping up around our area and we want to make sure Judson is the first to meet the needs of our community, Davis said. ashley.mcbride@express-news.net Although US President Donald Trump had said that he is talking with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan about Kashmir, there was no specific mention of it in the official US readout of their meeting. The readout of the meeting in Davos makes only mention of regional issues" among the many topics discussed, chief among them Afghanistan, where the US is negotiating a settlement with the Taliban.According to a White House transcript, before their meeting, Trump said: "We're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping." (Image: AP) In rare display of unity, Parliament overwhelmingly elects top judge as Greeces next head of state. One of Greeces top judges has become the nations first female president. Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou on Wednesday was elected to the largely ceremonial post after her nomination by the ruling conservative party was backed by 261 ministers of parliament in the 300-member Parliament a rare display of unity in Greeces fractious politics. The 63-year-old expert in environmental and constitutional law will succeed Prokopis Pavlopoulos, whose five-year term expires in March. Sakellaropoulou will take her oath of office on March 13. Sakellaropoulou, from the northern city of Xanthi, was also the first woman to head the Council of State, Greeces top administrative court, taking on that role in 2018 with the support at the time of the government led by the left-wing Syriza party, which lost power to New Democracy in an election in July last year. The daughter of a Supreme Court judge, Sakellaropoulou completed her postgraduate studies at Pariss Sorbonne university. Sakellaropoulou has written numerous papers on environmental protection and chairs a society on environmental law. 200102190218475 For decades, failure by Parliament to elect a president in Greece could lead to a snap election. Following a recent reform, the process to select a president can go up to five voting rounds in Parliament with the threshold starting at 200 votes and gradually falling to the majority of those present in the room. The president is nominally the head of the Greek state and commander-in-chief, officially confirming governments and laws. While they technically have the power to declare war, they can only do so in conjunction with the government. Sakellaropoulou is joining a small group of women leading European Union countries. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel the worlds most powerful woman, according to Forbes magazine was elected in 2005 and will remain in power until 2021. King Philippe of Belgium chose 44-year-old francophone liberal Sophie Wilmes as interim prime minister in October 2019, the first woman to hold that post, while 51-year-old conservative Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was elected president of Croatia in January 2015. Grabar-Kitarovic is due to be succeeded next month by Zoran Milanovic. Former EU auditor Kersti Kaljulaid in October 2016 became the first female president of Estonia, while liberal lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner Zuzana Caputova, 46, took office in June 2019 as Slovakias first woman president. In Denmark, 41-year-old Social Democrat leader Mette Frederiksen became prime minister in June 2019, and in Finland, Sanna Marin became, at the age of 34, the youngest sitting prime minister in the world in December 2019. Elsewhere in Europe, but outside the EU, other women currently in power include Norways Prime Minister Erna Solberg; Icelands Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir; Georgias President Salome Zurabishvili; and Serbias Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. Several European nations have queens who are head of state but are unelected. Ventura hosted a lineup of musicians on Sunday for Living the Dream, an event pegged to Dream Week, which memorializes Martin Luther King Jr. and his nonviolence mission. Gun shots cut into the hip hop sounds that a crowd of about 30 gathered to hear, killing 20-year-old Robert Martinez and 25-year-old Alejandro Robles, and injuring five more. One of the artists scheduled to perform, 19-year-old Kiernan Williams, became a suspect on the loose and Ventura became a crime scene making national headlines. On Tuesday, the bar released its first public statement since the shooting. Known for hosting a variety of music genres, Ventura shared a photo of a sign placed outside the building, scribbled with the message "Stay Strong Ventura." Owner Michael Carrillo has not returned previous requests for comment made by the San Antonio Express-News, but the author of the post said "there are no words" to describe the amount of devastation. Ventura said their "hearts and prayers" are with everyone who was affected by the "senseless act of violence." The San Antonio Police Department released an affidavit detailing the events which witnesses say led to the shooting. One witness told police that Williams got into a verbal and physical confrontation with Martinez before Martinez was shot. Williams was arrested Monday on capital murder charges and remains in custody. "The members of our staff are shaken and in a mixed state of disbelief and grief," the post reads. "Ventura has always been a place of community and inclusion; we have been honored to one of the foremost homes to local music and musicians of San Antonio. We can not understand, nor could we have ever imagined this terrible tragedy that took place in our establishment." The statement also acknowledged Ventura's future, saying "much recovery and healing" will be needed for the staff and community moving forward. RELATED: TABC launches 'standard procedure' breach investigation of Ventura after River Walk bar shooting The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced Tuesday it would conduct a breach investigation on Ventura. TABC officials said these types of investigations are "standard procedure" whenever violence ending in death or serious injury happens at a licensed business. Agents will decide whether or not Ventura took proper steps to ensure public safety. "Investigators will also examine whether the sale or service of alcohol contributed to the shooting," a TABC news release said. Ventura will host a vigil for Martinez on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The Facebook page has also shared the GoFundMe online fundraising pages for Martinez and Robles and encouraged donations. Regulars, musicians and other bar owners reacted to the statement with support. "This is horrible and does not reflect the venue in any way," one person said. "Ventura is love." Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye A total 9,156 passengers from 43 flights were screened for novel coronavirus infection till Tuesday at the seven identified airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata,the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Till now, no cases have been detected through these screening efforts, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said. "As on January 21, a total of 43 flights and 9156 passengers have been screened for novel coronavirus illness. Till now, no case has been detected through these screening efforts. We are on alert and our preparedness is sturdy," Sudan told PTI, while updating on the measures taken by the government for community surveillance and contact tracing. Sudan further said the Indian Embassy in China has been regularly providing the health ministry with updates on the status of the infected cases in that country. "The Embassy has informed that a total of 440 cases of pneumonia with novel coronavirus were confirmed in China and nine people have died till Wednesday. Cases have been reported in 14 provinces (including Taiwan) and municiplalities as well," the health secretary said. She also stated that passengers travelling from China are being requested to report to the nearest public health facility in case they develop any symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat. "With the Chinese New year holidays going on, I request all the people working and studying there to report at the port of arrival or to the nearest public health facility in case they develop any symptoms," Sudan said. The Health Ministry has instructed Airport Health Organizations at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin for screening of passengers coming from mainland China. The Health ministry also has issued a travel advisory asking citizens to follow certain precautionary measures while visiting China. It is put up on the ministry's official website and has been shared on Twitter handle for wider circulation. Signages have been put up at prominent locations in these airports for encouraging public about self-reporting of illness. Immigration officers manning the counters have been sensitized at these airports. "Close coordination is being maintained with Ministry of Civil Aviation to coordinate the screening effort and dissemination of information to inbound passengers through in-flight announcements," the health secretary said. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed for all logistics support and arrangements to be made immediately with regard to screening of passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong at the seven identified airports. Airlines flying in from any airport in China and Hong Kong have been asked to make in-flight announcements requesting passengers with history of fever and cough and travel to Wuhan city in the past 14 days to self-declare at the port of arrival in order to facilitate early isolation. As part of an action plan by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), airlines staff will also guide passengers in filling up the self-reporting forms, before disembarking, to be checked by staff on arrival. Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme has issued advisory to all states and UTs to pick up any travel-related case reported in the community and follow-up contacts of suspect and confirmed cases. The Health Ministry has also sought from the Ministry of External Affairs details of those who have applied for Indian visa since December 31 so that they can be counselled. The MEA has also been requested to disseminate travel advisory to Indian Embassies in China and adjoining countries in local languages for wider circulation and passenger information. The coronavirus (CoV) is a large family of that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a novel strain not seen before. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. The National Institute Of Virology, Pune, and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Laboratory are coordinating testing of samples for the novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the country. The health secretary has also written to states and Union Territories to review their preparedness. The series is a celebration of the UK's diverse multi-cultural society, lending a unique British angle to this ancient custom. During Chinese New Year it is common to exchange tokens and gifts of money in red envelopes symbolising good wishes for the recipient's health, wealth and prosperity. If you were born in the Year of the Rat, you are in good company. William Shakespeare, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bono all share this sign, which is associated with intelligence and optimism. The rat is thought of as a godly creature in Chinese culture, and people born in the Year of the Rat are considered to be optimistic and great at building relationships. Known to be generous and resourceful, the curiosity and intelligence of people born in the Year of the Rat leads them to seek out knowledge. Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, said: "The Shengxiao Collection combines centuries of The Royal Mint's craftsmanship and artistic skills with a centuries-old Chinese tradition. We have been marking each Chinese zodiac symbol since 2014 and are thrilled to celebrate the start of a new Lunar cycle with the Lunar Year of the Rat commemorative coin a beautiful fusion of British and Chinese tradition." The Lunar Year of the Rat commemorative coins are available in a range of precious metal and for the first time in a Brilliant Uncirculated finish to purchase from www.royalmint.com/lunar. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1076574/Royal_Mint_2020_Lunar_Year_Rat_Coin.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1076575/The_Royal_Mint_Logo.jpg Related Links https://www.royalmint.com SOURCE The Royal Mint Brexit is set to raise its head again this year as trade talks will commence after the UK formally leaves the European Union at the end of January Economic sentiment in the Republic rose significantly in the final quarter of last year as the risk of a cliff-edge Brexit faded, according to a new survey. Alongside the stronger outlook for Ireland, the survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants showed global sentiment had recovered modestly. "The Irish economy is buoyant against a global economy facing a sharp slowdown in global trade," said Michael Taylor, chief economist at ACCA. A survey of more than 80 senior accountants found that confidence had picked up from the record lows seen in the autumn survey. However, Brexit is set to raise its head again this year as trade talks will commence after the UK formally leaves the European Union at the end of January. Both London and Brussels are digging in and telling each other they will not compromise, raising the risk of another cliff-edge scenario come the end of this year. "The year ahead will be crucial, notably as the UK and the EU negotiate a post-Brexit trade agreement - Ireland being the most exposed EU economy to the UK," said Mr Taylor. Private sector lender ICICI Bank on Wednesday said it is looking to double its retail loan disbursement in Assam to over Rs 1,200 crore during 2019-20. The lender plans to achieve this target by increasing its consumer loan disbursement comprising personal and auto loans to over Rs 850 crore in the current fiscal and the mortgage loan portfolio to Rs 300 crore. There has been significant growth in retail consumer loans in Assam over the last few years, ICICI Bank Executive Director Anup Bagchi said in a statement. "With growth in the economy of Assam, we see the potential of increasing the retail loan disbursement in the state by more than double to over Rs 1,200 crore in FY'20," he said. The lender is focusing on consumer and home loans to expand its business in the state, he said. "A significant driver of this growth is our technology-led instantaneous loan offerings to our customers and making products available in the tier-II and III towns. "Armed with our technological prowess, we now offer instant sanction of home, personal and auto loans to pre- approved customers through our digital channels," Bagchi said. In the mortgage portfolio, the focus is in the affordable housing segment to drive growth and the bank is concentrating on places like Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Tezpur, Silchar, Sivasagar among others, he said. "We plan to increase our mortgage loan disbursement in Assam by 40 per cent to Rs 300 crore in FY'20," Bagchi said. To achieve growth, the lender has adopted a multi- pronged strategy, he said, adding that it includes focus on affordable housing segment, expansion to tier-II and III markets and credit processing centres. The group has also been actively involved in providing free-of-cost vocational training to the underprivileged youth in Assam through the ICICI Academy for Skills, the statement said. "The academy has one centre in Guwahati and has imparted vocational training to over 5,250 students, of which about 20 per cent are women," it said. By end of FY'20, it will train 5,700 youths with skills, the statement said. The skill academy centre in Assam aims at providing training to the underprivileged youth in skills like retail sales and office administration, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesters raise their hands to symbolize the five demands of the pro-democracy movement during a rally in Central, Hong Kong, Jan. 14, 2020. (PHOTO: AP Photo/Vincent Yu) By Iain Marlow (Bloomberg) -- Singapore, Hong Kong and India have all dropped in a new ranking of democracies around the world, with violent protests and threats to civil liberties challenging freedoms across Asia. The Economist Intelligence Units 2019 Democracy Index, which provides an annual comparative analysis of political systems across 165 countries and two territories, said the past year was the bleakest for democracies since the research firm began compiling the list in 2006. The 2019 result is even worse than that recorded in 2010, in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis, the research group said in releasing the report on Wednesday. The average global score slipped to 5.44 out of a possible 10 -- from 5.48 in 2018 -- driven mainly by sharp regressions in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa. Apart from coup-prone Thailand, which improved its score after holding an election last year, there were also notable declines in Asia after a tumultuous period of protests and new measures restricting freedom across the regions democracies. Asia Declines India, the worlds largest democracy, dropped 10 places to 51 as a result of declining civil liberties, the group said. The administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized by rights groups and western governments after shutting off the internet and mobile phone networks and detaining opposition politicians in Kashmir. Modis Hindu nationalist government has also responded harshly to ongoing protests against a controversial, religion-based citizenship law. Muslims have said their neighborhoods have been targeted, while the central government has attempted to ban protests and urged TV news channels not to broadcast anti-national content. Some leaders in Modis ruling party called for revenge against protesters. Indias score in 2019 was its worst ranking since the EIUs records began in 2006, and has fallen gradually since Modi was elected in 2014. Story continues Hong Kong, meanwhile, fell three places to rank 75th out of 167 as more than seven months of violent and disruptive protests rocked the Asian financial hub. An aggressive police response early in the unrest, when protests were mostly peaceful, led to a marked decline in confidence in government -- the main factor behind the decline in the territorys score in our 2019 index, the group said. In Singapore, which ranked alongside Hong Kong at 75th, a new fake news law led to a deteriorating score on civil liberties. The government claims that the law was enacted simply to prevent the dissemination of false news, but it threatens freedom of expression in Singapore, as it can be used to curtail political debate and silence critics of the government, EIU analysts said. Chinas score fell to just 2.26 in the EIUs ranking, placing it near the bottom of the list at 153, as discrimination against minorities, repression and surveillance of the population intensified. Still, in China the majority of the population is unconvinced that democracy would benefit the economy, and support for democratic ideals is absent, the EIU said. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Kano state, Rabiu Sulaiman Bichi has dumped the party and may be heading to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Bichi, who was a member of the Kwankwasiyya Movement was sacked as the chairman of the party last week. Bichi, a former Secretary to the State Government during Kwankwasos tenure, according to a source said he is likely to announce his defection from the major opposition party in the state and Kwankwasiyya today. Bichi has been under serious pressure from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement since the PDPs defeat at the March 9 governorship election in the state, Daily Trust reports. Read Also: Just In: Supreme Court Upholds Gandujes Election He was accused of working for the incumbent Governor of the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the APC and was sidelined in most of the activities of the Kwankwasiyya movement even though he was an influential member of the movement. My Oga (Dr Bichi) would join Governor Ganduje today at Kano State Government House for the formal declaration of his decamping to APC from the PDP, Daily Trust quoted him as saying. The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal by Abba Kabiru-Yusuf of the PDP challenging the election of Governor Ganduje in the March 9, 2019 governorship election saying it lacks merit. [January 22, 2020] Regent Square Capital and Galtney Partners Team Up to Acquire Generator Source Galtney Partners ("Galtney") and Regent Square Capital ("Regent Square") led the acquisition of Generator Source LLC (the "Company" or "Generator Source (News - Alert)"), formerly known as Diesel Service and Supply. Based in Brighton, Colorado, Generator Source is a market-leading sales and service provider of commercial standby generators and related services. Galtney and Regent Square acquired the Company from founder and owner, Ed Vecchiarelli, Sr., as part of an overall business succession and growth strategy for the Company. Ed Vecchiarelli, Sr. will continue to serve as a senior advisor to the Company. "Generator Source is a respected leader in a fast-growing, highly fragmented industry and we are excited to be a part of the next chapter of the Company's success. The new partnership will combine their exceptional industry expertise wih added resources that will further strengthen and expand Generator Source's position in the sector and will allow the Company to achieve rapid growth and value creation," said Rob Galtney, President of Galtney Partners. "We are excited to partner with Galtney and Regent Square. They share Generator Source's long-term vision to expand its geographic footprint and existing sales channels while maintaining its focus on customer satisfaction and retention. We are confident that the new partnership can build on Generator Source's legacy and allow Generator Source to realize its next stage of growth," said Eddie Vecchiarelli, Jr., the CEO of Generator Source. Kyle Brengel, a partner at Regent Square who now serves as COO of Generator Source added, "As a veteran-owned private equity sponsor, Regent Square is keenly interested in building teams that share our values and that are dedicated to achieving principled, sustainable growth. This partnership between Galtney, Regent Square and Generator Source brings together highly compatible leadership to execute a compelling investment thesis that will be transformative in the aftermarket commercial generator industry." About Generator Source Founded in 1981, Colorado-based Generator Source specializes in late model, low-hour commercial standby generators, ranging from 20kW to 4MW. As a founding member of the used power equipment industry, Generator Source is a go-to resource for customers requiring best-in-class service and quality. In addition to global sales efforts, the Company's certified generator technicians provide in-house and on-call maintenance and repair throughout Colorado and Southern Wyoming. About Galtney Partners Galtney Partners is a Houston-based private investment firm that invests in market-leading businesses, where it provides strategic oversight, financial resources, and access to a network of world-class operating executives to help its portfolio companies reach their full potential. Galtney Partners seeks to make control or value-add investments in middle-market companies, especially family or founder owned businesses. About Regent Square Regent Square is a veteran-owned private equity sponsor founded in Pittsburgh, PA. Regent Square specializes in making investments in middle-market and lower-middle-market businesses that are owned and operated by their founders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005539/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: Austrian business delegation, which includes representatives of 32 companies, will visit Uzbekistan on 24-27 February 2020, Trend reports citing the Uzbek media. In relation with the visit, Trade Advisor at the Austrian Embassy in Kazakhstan Rudolf Thaler arrived in Uzbekistan. The delegation will include representatives companies operating the sectors such as energy, electronic government, oil and gas, processing of MSW (municipal solid waste), treatment facilities, construction materials, ticket-pass systems, production of cochlear implants, engineering, processing of milk and meat, brewing equipment, and transportation and logistics, Thaler said. Meetings of the Austrian delegation with representatives of Uzbek companies are scheduled to be held at Tashkent International Hotel on February 24. On February 27, the winners of Silk Road Biz Award 2020 to be presented by Trade Department of the Austrian Embassy in Almaty will be announced. Last year, the award winner was Salzburg's Oberhofer Stahlbau company, which implements a contract to supply the largest steel structure in Central Asia for the Humo Ice Arena in Tashkent. Earlier, the company supplied the steel dome for the Palace of Forums and the steel structure for the National Stadium (former Bunyodkor stadium) in the Uzbek capital. By initiating the award, which will be presented for the second time this year, we drew attention of mass media to the outstanding services of Austrian companies, stressed Rudolf Thaler. "There are many Austrian companies in Central Asia, and the award should help Austrian companies, which are highly innovative and successful, to publicize their achievements." I want to know what I am breathing and I don't leave home without it. We talk a lot about air quality on TreeHugger, and lately we have been preoccupied with particulate matter, the tiny bits called PM2.5 that get into your lungs and throughout your body. (See our stories on PM in related links at the bottom.) These are barely regulated, there are few standards for them, and really no minimum threshold for safety. For years, when everyone smoked and burned coal for heat, they were background noise, but recent research has shown them to be a major health hazard, taking years off our lives. Flow 2 on table/CC BY 2.0 So I was really intrigued when I learned about the Flow from Plume Labs. It's a little device that measures Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs, from solvents and chemicals all around us), Nitrous Oxides (NO2, mostly from car exhaust and burning fossil fuels), and Particulate Matter in various sizes (PM1, PM10 and what are probably the deadliest, PM2.5). I was curious about the air quality in my home (particularly when cooking) and in the streets. The new upgraded Flow 2 was just released when I started looking, and costs US$ 159. It was not available in Canada at the time but it now is through a partner. Flow on my bike/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 The device itself doesn't look like your usual scientific instrument; it is a nice little bit of industrial design covered with a pattern of holes and a rubber strap so you can fasten it to your pack, belt or bike. It has a tiny fan that goes on and off; for a while it was driving me crazy wondering what that noise in my office was. (Flow says, "If you listen closely, youll soothe your eardrum with its gentle whirr." I find it annoying and moved it farther away on my desk.) And what magic is going on inside that little thing! It measures particulates by firing a laser beam at the air brought in by the fan. "Every time a particle is hit, light is dispersed disco-ball style. This micro light show is detected by a photovoltaic cell that translates the lasers deflected beams into electrical current we can measure." The NO2 and VOC sensor is a sort of toaster. A tiny membrane is heated up to 350 degrees (!), and mercilessly disintegrates any NO2 or VOC molecules passing through. This lets us measure the variations in energy required to maintain the membranes temperature stable as its happily toasting away. They somehow do that with the tiny little battery, then calibrate it all to account for "drift" caused by temperature or humidity. They run programs based on neural networks that detect patterns, turn them into data, and combine them into their Air Quality Index (AQI). All of this is sent to your phone, tied into the GPS, and sent up into the cloud. "This is how well be able to start layering our users data on top of all the maps weve already built from public data. And that, my friends, will truly be the next leap forward in air quality monitoring!" Data download looks like this/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 Note that this is not anonymous data but is tied to your Flow. My iPhone is set to give the Flow app location data all the time, so somewhere in Paris a bunch of scientists know exactly where I have been and what I have been breathing. (Flow warns you about privacy when you download your data, and their privacy policy is explicit, but this may be a concern for some.) However, there is a real benefit to sharing this much detail with Plume Labs. I thought some of the numbers were odd and got on a chat with Alexandria in customer support; she and I both looked at the NO2 numbers and were not happy. She suggested that I get the vacuum out and clean out the machine, that perhaps something got stuck in it. Sure enough, the NO2 readings became more consistent. To add to the things I like, really knowledgable and efficient support. Trip from home to school/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 But the show really starts with the app, which is extraordinary. In this shot you can see my trip from home to Ryerson University on 21 January. You can slide your finger across the time scale at the bottom and the spot where the reading is taking place shows up on the map above. Lloyd Alter/ Food trucks at the University of Toronto/CC BY 2.0 I was particularly interested in the air quality in the University of Toronto because I have been complaining for years about the diesel powered food trucks parked on St. George, the main north-south street on campus. But interestingly, according to the Flow, particulates are highest just before I turn south, in a spot where not much was happening at all. Then it all goes green again until I hit a main intersection where there is a lot of construction going on and a lot of traffic (and a lot of Ryerson University students). Spike in the evening when dinner is on the stove/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 I have become obsessed with this and carry it everywhere with me. I see weird spikes of NO2 inside my home, and am checking the gas boiler flue; am I getting backdrafts? But I am also happy to know that I am adding data that will be used to create a map of air quality where I live. Finally, there is the question: How accurate is it? Flow answers this with their usual style, writing, "Accurate compared to what?" It is not an expensive lab monitor or monitoring station. Flow was built to be road-worthy, for the streets but not for the labs. As such, the advances in electronics and self-calibration Plume Labs was able to achieve make it a truly best-in-class wearable device in many respects, accuracy included. What I love about it is that I don't have to do anything, don't have to press a button when I want a reading. I just have to carry it around and it measures all the time. I am not getting lab-grade measurements but I am getting a lot of information that is useful to me; Plume says it is really good at: Helping users understand the pollution levels they are exposed to in terms of thresholds corresponding to different health risks. Providing context and insights to help users understand their exposure in relation to their environments average as well as the rest of the populations average. Accurately detecting variations and peaks - from a personal health perspective, consistent, dependable and real-time detection of air quality suddenly changing thresholds is on the very top of the priority list. So far, I am very impressed, and will keep carrying it everywhere. LONDONPrince Harry joined his wife, Meghan, and their son, Archie, Tuesday on Canadas Vancouver Island, to begin mapping out a life outside the royal fold. Harry and Meghan won their freedom, but things didnt go quite as planned. Two weeks ago, they announced they wanted to step back as front line royals and carve out a progressive new role within this institution. But they arent stepping back so much as stepping down. As of the spring, the couple will no longer perform royal duties on behalf of the queen, receive public funding or be able to use their royal highness titles. They will continue to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titles gifted to them by the queen on their wedding day. The British tabloids have dubbed it a hard Megxit playing off the most severe version of Brexit discussed in negotiations with the European Union. In his first public comments on Sunday night, Harry suggested he didnt expect quite so many ties would be broken. Our hope was to continue serving the queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasnt possible, he said. Peter Hunt, former royal correspondent for the BBC, tweeted: Theres no third way for senior royals. You either stiffen that lip or you leave. A debate is underway in Britain about whether Harry and Meghan should be allowed to use their SussexRoyal brand the name they use on their social media platforms and their newly launched website, where they still call themselves Their Royal Highnesses. They are also reportedly trying to register the SussexRoyal name as part of a global trademark. Thomas Woodcock, a senior adviser to the queen who was speaking in a personal capacity, told the Times of London: I dont think its satisfactory. One cannot be two things at once. You either are (royal) or youre not. Robert Lacey, a royal historian and consultant to The Crown TV series, suggested there would be a good case for giving up SussexRoyal. Neither Meghan nor Harry have anything special to do with the county of Sussex, and now they have been told they are not royal, Lacey said. I think they should go out to the world as Harry and Meghan. Thats who they are, and thats what people love and respond to. Sussex is a posh, old-fashioned pre-revolution title of privilege and distinction and most people, especially young people, dont get it. They should leave all that behind. While the couple hasnt outlined next steps, they could face a backlash if they attempt to cash in on their status. When Prince Edward, the queens youngest son, ran a television company, he was criticized for exploiting his connections to make royal documentaries, including Edward on Edward, a film about his great uncle, Edward VIII. Even those who dont have any royal titles like the queens grandchildren Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips have faced criticism for allegedly trading off their relations. Lacey said even having a royal aura, as opposed to an actual royal title, can open members of the royal family to accusations of abusing their connections. There may be other reasons, too, why the queen didnt greenlight a hybrid model for Harry and Meghan. Canada, though it remains a member of the British Commonwealth, wasnt especially enthusiastic about becoming an outpost for the royal family. Our royals dont live here. They reign from a distance. Close to our hearts, far from our hearths, The Globe and Mail editorial board wrote last week. But the newspaper seemed satisfied by the terms of the deal agreed over the weekend. The editorial board wrote: The Queens decision announced on Saturday, under which Harry remains a member of the Queens biological family, but is no longer a member of the Royal Family, is a neat bit of splitting hairs, and heirs. It answers the concern about a Royal resident changing Canadas distant, yet solid relationship to the Crown. The queens rejection of a half-in, half-out deal may also address potential grumbling within the royal family. Robert Hazell, professor of government and the constitution at University College London, said the couple must be allowed to opt out of royal life, because if they didnt have that right, then their position is akin to modern slavery. Theyre trapped in a gilded cage. But he said any special treatment could spark complaints within the the Firm, as the royals are said to call their family. If Harry and Meghan wanted to pick and choose, do engagements that interested them and maybe this is unfair, but if they were interested in attending a film premiere in Londons West End with other celebs, but less interested in being asked to go visit a primary school in Yorkshire and do the typical local event, ... other members of the royal family might be rather resentful, Hazell said. The queen, 93, is the undisputed captain of her ship, as she has demonstrated over the past two weeks. But she is also supported by a core team of working royals who fan out across the country, taking part in engagements. Many of the events arent glamorous; royals cut ribbons for new hospital wings, attend basketmaking trade fairs, open the new Highland Pony Society headquarters. I think people dont generally know quite how much hard work, and possibly rather boring work, it all involves. The visits are far more numerous than people think, Hazell said. In 2019, 15 working royals took part over 3,500 engagements across Britain, according to figures compiled and published annually in the Times of London. Princess Anne, the queens only daughter, is known for being one of the hardest working members of the royal family. Last year she carried out 506 engagements, second only to Prince Charles, who did 521 events. In exchange for these public duties, senior royals receive public funds, paying for their lifestyle. As Harry and Meghan enter into a period of transition, there are already signs of a new approach. They are posting videos straight to their Instagram account. Meghan showed up at a Canadian charity wearing a sweater and jeans. A palace official said after the new arrangements come into effect in the spring, they will be reviewed after a year and could be modified. Being a half-in, half-out royal is a non-starter. Youre either one or the other. You cant do both. Both leads to a conflict of interest, said Dickie Arbiter, the queens former press secretary. Harry knows the rules, and Meghan may be frustrated by the rules, but its not an option, which is why they have chosen both feet out rather than one foot in, he said. Read more about: Washington, DC - January 22, 2020 - Candida auris is capable of forming high burden biofilms, which may help explain why this fungal pathogen is spreading in hospitals worldwide, according to a study published this week in mSphere, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The research also establishes a new model to investigate the spread of this emerging fungal pathogen that causes invasive infections and is an emerging problem in hospitals worldwide. "With these findings, we are able to have new tools to examine how Candida auris forms biofilms and spreads in this setting. Understanding more about this process could help us develop new strategies to prevent biofilm formation," said Jeniel Nett, MD, PhD, the study's principal investigator and assistant professor in the Departments of Medicine and Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. "Our tools can be used to determine how the biofilms are formed, which may lead to new strategies to prevent the transmission of or pharmaceutically target Candida auris." Unlike many other Candida species, Candida auris spreads rapidly among patients and is efficient at colonizing skin. Because many of the patients infected with Candida auris have indwelling medical devices such as vascular catheters and endotracheal tubes, the researchers hypothesized that biofilms may be forming on these devices and on skin, facilitating transmission of Candida auris. "Candida species, similar to other fungal species and bacteria, can form communities that are adherent to a substrate, either on an artificial device or other surface," said Dr. Nett. "These biofilms communities are multilayered, and they often resist medical treatment, including antifungals, and host responses." In the new study, Dr. Nett and colleagues developed a synthetic sweat media to represent skin conditions and using this model, they evaluated the growth of Candida auris and Candida albicans, one of the most common Candida species. They also examined the growth of these Candida species using a pig skin model to represent human skin conditions. The researchers found that Candida auris exhibited a heightened capacity to both grow in the skin niche condition and to colonize pig skin and that Candida auris grew and colonized pig skin by forming multilayer biofilms. "Candida auris can grow approximately tenfold greater as a biofilm in this setting when compared to Candida albicans, one of the more common Candida species that does not seem to spread in hospital settings in this way," said Dr. Nett. "We think that this mode of growth is how Candida auris propagates in healthcare settings. Candida auris appears to colonize skin exceptionally well, growing particularly well in skin niche conditions." The researchers said the formation of the biofilms is one of the reasons why Candida auris is difficult to clean in hospital settings. "These biofilms are likely on a lot of medical equipment used in healthcare settings," said Dr. Nett. The researchers said their next steps are to further develop their model and examine Candida auris growth to determine some of the triggers for how Candida forms biofilms. "I was surprised that Candida auris formed such a condensed biofilm in this skin setting, as other species did not," said Dr. Nett. "We hypothesized that Candida auris may have a capacity to replicate in this environment, but we didn't expect it would be tenfold greater than the other Candida species." ### The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of more than 30,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences. Advertisement A sick paedophile who molested young girls including one of his daughter's friends was deported to the United Kingdom after he was released from prison, it can be revealed. James Duncan Smith, now 65, was convicted of sexually assaulting girls under the age of 10 while he was living in St Clair, in Sydney's west. One of his victims Alison Tomasko, a 25-year-old pole dance instructor, exclusively told Daily Mail Australia that Smith abused her 'countless times' from the ages of seven to 11. And now, as the Department of Home Affairs confirm he was booted out of the country when he was released from jail in 2018, a source close to the family say his four children are no longer in contact with him. People in Smith's quiet community have also heard rumours he died once he returned to the UK. Nobody has been able to verify the claims. 'All I know is that he was deported. But I really don't know anything else,' a source told Daily Mail Australia. 'I haven't heard from or spoke to him in years, but I also know those rumours exist.' Pictured: Paedophile James Duncan Smith. In total, he spent 11 years behind bars for serious sex crimes against children The Department of Home Affairs spokesman said: 'The Department takes seriously its responsibility to protect the Australian community from the risk of harm posed by non-citizens who engage in criminal conduct or behaviour of concern. 'Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa will be liable for detention and removal from Australia.' Court documents revealed Smith befriended adults with children and preyed on girls his daughter was friends with. Some of the offences occurred when he was already on bail for other sex crimes. On multiple occasions, children in his care would stay the night at his house. Alison Tomasko (pictured) was abused by her neighbour from the ages of seven to 11 Once the children were asleep, he woke his victim up and forced her to touch him before digitally penetrating her. On another occasion, a victim said 'please stop, it hurts,' but her pleas were ignored, the agreed facts state. As a result of his crimes, Smith's 25-year marriage dissolved while he was in custody. In 2009, as he was being sentenced for new crimes against a little girl, the judge revealed his imprisonment up until that point had been served in protection for his own safety. 'It is likely that Mr Smith will serve good deal of his time in custody, if not all of it, on protection. He has been on protection up until now,' the judge said at the time. Smith was released from jail in January 2018. Alison told Daily Mail Australia she has been living with a lingering concern that he was deported and is now free to hurt other children in his native country. After he served his sentence, she was no longer entitled to information on his whereabouts. 'When he was considered for parole, I was notified and I was able to send through a list of my conditions... They'd include him staying away from children, not coming near me, and not being able to work or join any local community groups,' she said. 'I just want to know for my own sense of closure, I think.' Court documents reveal Smith was assessed as a 'high risk person to re-offend' back in 2006, when he was released on parole for separate charges. He was also granted access to court directed psychiatric interventions, but claims to have gained no insight into his crimes. Between 2002 and 2006, Smith allegedly abused Alison, who lived on the same street as him in a quiet cul-de-sac in St Clair. Alison Tomasko (pictured) pressed charges against James Duncan Smith after years of staying silent about the abuse he subjected her to She was friends with his daughter and used to play at the family home after school and on weekends. Alison told Daily Mail Australia that Smith abused her 'countless times' from the ages of seven to 11. Four years after the final attack, a chance encounter at a party convinced Alison it was time to come forward and share her story. By doing so, she helped jail Smith for six years - but he only served an additional few months for what he did to her because he was already behind bars for charges against other children. Prosecutors could only get Smith on a single charge against Alison - one count of indecent assault on a child under 10 - despite her allegations the abuse lasted four years. And it was a fluke that they got him at all. Alison needed to provide specific dates for each assault - dates which she didn't think to keep as a child - to have him convicted. She was worried he'd never be punished for what he did to her, until she remembered a single diary entry she kept detailing her trip to the Smith household on September 4, 2004. SOME OF THE CHARGES AGAINST JAMES DUNCAN SMITH WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT James Duncan Smith was found guilty of nine charges of sexual offences on May 11, 2009. Shortly after he was sentenced, Alison came forward and he was charged with more crimes in 2011. More victims came forward after Alison. Daily Mail Australia below lists some of Smith's offences. At the time of sentencing, he was 55 years old. Smith was found guilty of committing an indecent assault on a victim under 10 years old between May 1st, 2001 and December 1st, 2002. He was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with the same person, then a child aged under ten, during the same period. Four offences were committed between 1 November 2002 and 31 July 2003. Three of the offences were indecent assaults on a person under ten. She was nine. The fourth offence was sexual intercourse with the victim, who was then under ten. Another of the crimes, the most serious, was having sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent, knowing that she was not consenting and in circumstances of aggravation. She was under sixteen. The victim's father and Smith were friends. He often took his two daughters to Smith's house to play with his children. It was during these visits, all of which involved overnight stays, that Mr Smith committed the crimes. 'It is recorded in the agreed facts, that Mr Smith touched the victim in a sexual manner whenever she stayed at his house,' the judge found. Advertisement Groomed by a man she trusted Alison's family and the Smith family lived on the same street for years. They were friendly long before Alison was born, and as she grew up, she developed a close friendship with James' daughter, Sarah*. 'He was drinking a lot. Whenever he'd come back from the pub he'd continue to drink, wearing a dressing robe with nothing underneath and flashing us,' she said. He told me that's just how families are. Alison told Daily Mail Australia Smith eventually felt confident enough to abuse her basically every time she was at the home after he'd had a few drinks. She later learned all of Smith's victims had the same story. But after years of grooming, she didn't feel like she could tell anybody what was happening to her. 'He told me that was how families are,' she said. 'My family aren't affectionate. We don't hug, we don't kiss, we don't do any of that stuff. We just make jokes. 'I assumed, being naive, that he was right when he told me that's how normal families are. 'He was a really good manipulator. He definitely knew what he was doing, like he was weirdly really good at what he did,' she said. Alison claims her childhood (left and right) was forever tainted by what Smith did to her. She hates being asked about her life as a kid because of the dark memories, her Victim Impact Statement read A life-changing encounter During the abuse and in the years after, Alison didn't tell anybody what happened to her. She hoped that by doing so, she could try to forget herself. It wasn't until she was 15 that the truth came out. She was at a house party, drunk and with friends, when she met a girl in the bathroom who looked familiar. 'I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her from somewhere, and then I remembered I had seen her at James' house. We were both friends with his daughter,' Alison said. When Alison mentioned it to her, the girl said, 'Yep, I'm the girl who put him in jail.' 'I just froze, I was honestly so shocked,' Alison said. Up until that point, Alison hadn't known where James was. She knew he had disappeared years earlier, but said all the pieces suddenly came together. Drunk, confused and with a secret she was desperate to share, Alison asked the girl why he was sent to prison. When the girl refused to tell her, Alison confessed that she already knew, and shared her story for the first time. 'I said to her, ''I think I know because it happened to me too'',' she explained. The girl's mother calmed Alison down and explained that she couldn't talk about it to her daughter anymore, because it could jeopardise future legal proceedings if Alison ever decided to press charges. The 25-year-old married pole dance instructor hopes to help other women who have been through traumatic experiences 'I was just so shocked. Press charges? Courts? What does that even mean? I hadn't even thought of that and in my head I was just like, oh my God.' Alison said she called her brother after speaking with the family. 'I called and said where I was and blurted out what happened to me and told him everything. 'I was crying, he asked if I'd been drinking and if I wanted to come home. I told him I just wasn't ready.' For the next four days, both she and her brother pretended the conversation never happened until Alison decided she was finally ready to tell her parents. She called the one woman who knew her secret - the girl's mum from the party - and asked if she would come to the house to support her through the conversation. Alison told her mother everything, expecting her to go into 'mum mode' and break down. 'But she was so strong,' she recalled. 'She just said ''what do you need me to do, do you want to go to the police? How can I help?''' They decided to tell Alison's father Mick, a project manager. It was the 'hardest thing ever' for her to do. 'He just said ''I'm so sorry this happened, I didn't know, if I'd known I would've stopped it''.' Coming face to face with a monster James Duncan Smith was charged with one count of indecent assault on a child under 10 for what he did to Alison, and it was the September 4 diary entry - written in glitter gel pen in a Harry Potter journal - which brought him unstuck. After an arduous reporting process in which Alison was forced to repeat what had happened to her to two male police officers in excruciating detail in front of her father - she was eventually told there wouldn't be a case unless she could provide dates to match each of her allegations. 'Of course I didn't have exact dates. I was seven years old. It went on for so long, how am I meant to remember the dates at 15? I was just a kid,' she said. I remember the entry was written in glitter gel pen in a Harry Potter diary After months of feeling dejected and wracking her brain, she remembered an entry she wrote in her childhood diary on the day her dog, Pepsi, had to be put down. She was on the way home from the vet and was crying when her dad offered to drop her at Sarah's house for a play date to cheer her up. 'After it happened, I went home still crying and wrote a diary entry because I was really upset,' Alison said. Her mum kept all of Alison's things and after some digging, they found the diary stashed away in a box. 'I remember the entry was written in glitter gel pen in a Harry Potter diary, and it was given to the joint investigations team when we found it.' The police were then able to get Smith on that single charge, to which he initially pleaded not guilty. Alison had to be prepared to take the stand in court, and her team practised cross examinations to imitate what could happen at trial. Just three days before the trial was meant to begin, Smith changed his plea to guilty. Alison said her relationship with her mother (pictured together) is closer than ever after confiding in her about the abuse Alison was told he did so because there was too much evidence against him compared to previous cases. 'Everyone else went through trials,' she said. 'I was the first person he pleaded guilty to. I want to ask him, why me?' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'They told me the plea was a huge deal, because everyone else, they got absolutely nothing out of him.' The two-year process from first reporting in 2009 to his sentencing date in 2011 culminated in Alison standing up, looking James in the eye and reading her victim impact statement in court. She had the choice to film it and have it streamed into the courtroom, but chose to attend to 'take back some of her power'. After building up the courage to face him, she was bitterly disappointed when James didn't walk through the doors. 'They actually brought the wrong person to the courts that day so we had to suspend and come back another day. I couldn't believe someone I trusted could do this. 'He came up and I was sitting there and I was like, ''Why's he got hair?'' and they were like, there's been some miscommunication... we'll have to adjudicate.' When she arrived on the new date, Alison realised none of Smith's family attended. The room was full of her supporters as she read her statement. 'I was telling him how much he hurt me, how he scarred me for life and how I couldn't believe someone I trusted could do this,' she said. 'You know, I thought of him like a dad, how could you hurt someone like that? And choose to do it multiple times, knowing what it would do. 'He sat there, leaned back smirking this smug smile and I just thought 'f**k you'. That's what made me the sickest, I think.' In total, Smith spent 11 years behind bars for serious sex crimes. *James' daughter's name has been changed China is going all out to fight against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which has claimed nine lives and infected hundreds of people. By the end of Tuesday, 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country, said the National Health Commission. Altogether 149 new confirmed cases were reported Tuesday. The virus had resulted in nine deaths, all in central China's Hubei Province. In the province's capital city of Wuhan, the main battlefield, a total of 258 confirmed cases were reported by the end of Monday. Among them, 25 had been cured and discharged from hospitals, while 227 were still being treated in hospitals, including 63 in severe or critical conditions. The pathogen, first discovered in Wuhan in December, has become a major concern during the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush, when hundreds of millions of people travel in packed buses, trains and planes to celebrate the Spring Festival that falls on Jan. 25 this year. Resolute efforts to contain spreading China is sparing no effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus-related pneumonia, rolling out a host of measures. Chinese leaders have ordered resolute efforts to curb the spread of the virus, calling for putting people's safety and health as the top priority and taking effective measures to curb the spread of the virus. The Hubei provincial government activated a level II public health emergency response on Tuesday, the second highest in the country. A headquarters headed by the mayor Zhou Xianwang was established in Wuhan on Monday for the control and treatment of pneumonia. The city has tightened the control and monitoring of outbound travelers by banning tour groups and conducting spot checks for live poultry or wild animals in vehicles leaving and entering the city, according to the municipal health commission. Free diagnosis and treatment of cases are being offered in Wuhan. The Chinese government has classified the outbreak as a category-B infectious disease, the same as SARS, but vowed to take preventive and control measures of a category-A infectious disease. "When a new virus comes out, it takes time for scientists to study it. Based on the experience gained from the SARS outbreak, dealing with it with measures used for category-A infectious diseases is more conducive to controlling infection sources and conducting isolation treatment for patients," said Ren Ningqin, head of the infection department at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan. Though people-to-people transmission of the virus has been confirmed, Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory expert, said the current outbreak is still in the early stage of rapid change. "The current outbreak is concentrated in the city of Wuhan and is sporadic in other places, meaning it is still a regional outbreak," said Zhong, who also heads a high-level expert team of the National Health Commission. Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a member of the expert team, said the ongoing outbreak can be reversed if proper measures are taken now. The whole nation has quickly gone into action to stay alert. In about two weeks, scientists identified the novel coronavirus. Kits that help facilitate diagnosis have been given to medical institutions across the country. China has released the whole genome sequencing of the novel coronavirus to help scientists and health authorities worldwide develop diagnostic kits and study the viral pathogenicity. "The information is very transparent," said Gao Wei, who was buying masks in Anhui Province. "I work in a hotel and have contact with many people at work. My family has urged me to buy masks." Chen Fangcui, 55, is a native of Jiangsu Province in east China. Her family has traveled more than 2,000 km to the southern island of Hainan, to celebrate the Spring Festival. They bought some 50 surgical masks before departure following experts' advice. "Most of the passengers we saw at the airports were wearing masks. People's awareness has improved," she said. Despite the dark shadow cast by the epidemic, Chinese people are still celebrating the upcoming Spring Festival in good spirits. "I just bought a new house in Nanjing this year, so I will take my parents there for Lunar New Year's Eve, and we will go back home together the next day," said 29-year-old Yang Anpei in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu. "My greatest wish for the new year is that everyone in the family would be healthy and safe. I also hope that the epidemic will soon be curbed and the patients healed as soon as possible," said Yang. Transparency and cooperation Hubei provincial authorities said Tuesday it would strengthen information disclosure, make public the epidemic situation, treatment and prevention progress in a timely and open manner, and resolutely eliminate any cover-up, delay or false reporting of infection cases. Besides China, infections of the virus have been reported in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan. Experts say that the average incubation period of the virus is seven days, with the longest reaching 12 days before symptoms develop. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday that with an open, transparent and highly responsible attitude toward global health and safety, Chinese authorities have promptly reported the outbreak information to the WHO and relevant countries and regions, and shared the information on the gene sequence of the coronavirus. China will attend relevant World Health Organization meetings and is willing to join hands with the international community to deal with the outbreak of the virus, Geng said. Hyderabad: IT and industries minister K. Taraka Rama Rao said that India has one of the most compelling business stories in the world. Participating in a panel discussion India: The Investment and Innovation Nation, a part of the ongoing World Economic Forum Summit in Davos, the TS minister pointed out that India has 40 per cent of youth who are between the ages of 20 years and 40 years, which is a huge advantage that no other country has at this point. Elevating a pitch for Telangana state, Mr Rama Rao asserted that the state has consistently ranked top in Ease of Doing Business in the country. In support, he referred to the top five valued technology companies in the world Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon having their second-largest base in Hyderabad outside their respective headquarters. The minister highlighted that among all the Indian cities, Mercer has rated Hyderabad, for five years in a row, as the city with the best quality of living. He also mentioned the JLL report and underlined that Hyderabad emerged as the worlds most dynamic city among 130 cities globally. Mr Rama Rao also met head honchos of several global business houses at the Telangana Pavilion in Davos. Talking about the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various sectors, he said, No business can stay untouched from the AI revolution. AI must be factored into every policy or strategy, whether government, IT or non-IT industries. We consider AI to be integral to all our work and hence in Telangana, we have dedicated 2020 as the year of AI. The minister further said, AI is expected to transform the global economy and early adopters will have the first-mover advantage. Therefore, the state government is setting a vision to accelerate AI readiness and develop a conducive ecosystem in the state. Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel on Wednesday termed the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Shaheen Bagh a "threat to security" and said it was being held by "misled" people. The protest against the CAA at Shaheen Bagh in southeast Delhi has been going on for over a month. The protest began immediately after violent anti-CAA protest in Jamia Nagar on December 15 last year. Goel also praised Delhi Police for containing the "threat to security" due to the protest at Shaheen Bagh. "What is happening in Shaheen Bagh is a very big threat to security. Who are they to tell whether an ambulance or a bus will pass through the road or not," Goel said at a press conference. The traffic linking Badarapur, Kalindi Kunj and other areas in southeast Delhi to Noida has been affected due to the protest at Shaheen Bagh. "The way they are mocking law and order, blocking the road, preventing people from going to office and children to schools for so many days, its a threat to security," he said. Lauding the Delhi Police, he said the force has prevented the "security threat" from becoming bigger. "Delhi Police is applying its mind to prevent it (protest) from becoming a bigger threat to security," he said. Goel said businesses worth crores of rupees and normal life in the area was affected due to road block which has also caused problems to office-goers and schoolchildren. "The silent majority is watching all this. Do not think that if people are not saying anything, they are supporting them (protesters)," said the former Union minister. He said protesters were "misled" and were not trying to read the CAA. "They are being misguided and misled. They are not trying to read the Act, and even those who have read it are defining it in an incorrect manner. I do not have any idea how CAA is going to affect anyone's citizenship in the country," he said. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does not include Muslims. Goel said he will go to the people to give them the real picture of CAA and also tell them about abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq and issues related to the Ram temple. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The SARS disaster was supposed to drag China into a new era of openness and responsibility. The deadly disease rippled across the world 17 years ago, abetted by a Chinese government that covered up its spread. As the scope of it became clear, Chinas journalists, intellectuals and other critics helped shame Beijing into opening up about the problem. SARS has been our countrys 9/11, said Xu Zhiyuan, then a young newspaper columnist and a fierce critic of the governments handling of SARS, in a 2003 interview with The New York Times. It has forced us to pay attention to the real meaning of globalization. Today, China faces the spread of another mysterious disease, a coronavirus, which so far has killed 17 people and infected more than 570. And while Beijings response has improved in some ways, it has regressed in others. It is censoring criticism. It is detaining people for spreading what it calls rumors. It is suppressing information it deems alarming. Though Chinas censors are busily scrubbing the Chinese internet, the countrys online community is registering its disappointment and alarm over Beijings handling of the new virus that has spread since December from the city of Wuhan to other countries, even the United States. Grinding fewer coffee beans more coarsely creates a cheaper, consistent and stronger cup of espresso, an international team of researchers discover. Experts in maths, physics and material science from the USA, UK and Switzerland set their mind to improving the world's most popular drink. Currently baristas use lots of finely ground beans to get a mix of bitterness and sour acidity but it is 'unpredictable and nor reproducible', say researchers. Computer models and experiments revealed that 'just using less coffee and grinding it more coarsely' gives the same taste but more consistently across multiple brews. The team say the drop in the number of required beans could have another impact - in saving the US coffee industry alone up to 850 million per year. Scroll down for video A cup of espresso showing beans in the background. Researchers created a new mathematical model to predict the perfect recipe for an espresso Mathematician Jamie Foster launched the study after finding that sometimes two shots of espresso, made in seemingly the same way, can sometimes taste different. A cup of coffee is composed of over 1,800 chemical components and estimates put the number of cups of drunk globally at more than a couple of billion each day. The norm for brewing an espresso shot is to grind a relatively large amount of coffee beans, just under an ounce, as finely as possible. Researchers say that should be cut by a quarter to create the same high quality cup as traditional methods, but cheaper and with a more consistent flavour. The fine grind, common sense goes, means more surface area exposed to the brewing liquid, in turn boosting extraction yield - but the team found that a fraction of the ground coffee that actually dissolves ends up in the final drink. So the researchers put together a mathematical model to explain the extraction yield based on the factors under a barista's control. These include options such as the masses of water and dry coffee, the fineness or coarseness of the grounds, and the water pressure. The study found that grinding as finely as the industry standard clogged the coffee bed and actually reduced the extraction yield. This resulted in wasted raw materials and introduced variation in taste by sampling some grounds and missing others entirely. After making thousands of shots of coffee and 'crunhing the numbers' the team, including researchers from The University of Oregan, created the 'perfect recipe'. It simultaneously maximises extraction and produces espresso that would taste similar from one cup to the next, says lead author Christopher Hendon. 'One way to optimise extraction and achieve reproducibility is to grind coarser and use a little less water, while another is to simply reduce the mass of coffee.' Developing a model representative of espresso brewing was not a straightforward task, according to co-author Jamie Foster from the University of Portsmouth. 'You would need more computing power than Google has to accurately solve the physics and transport equations of brewing on a geometry as intricate as a coffee bed', the researcher said. To get past this hurdle they used a technique called electrochemistry - likening how caffeine and other molecules dissolve out of coffee grounds to how lithium ions move through the electrodes of a battery. Close-up of espresso pouring from coffee machine. Professional coffee brewing; Shutterstock ID 278456510; Purchase Order: - This led to a rigorous coffee extraction model capable of making powerful and testable predictions. They say this simple discovery will save cafes and the coffee industry a fortune due to requiring fewer beans per cup. At the current price of roasted coffee beans, dropping the mass of dry coffee from 20 to 15 grams per drink would add up to savings of a few thousand dollars per year for a small cafe, and $1.1 billion to the whole US coffee industry, they claim. 'Being more efficient with coffee bean usage would also reduce waste at a time when supply is under threat from changing climate in key production areas.' But the researchers stress their results do not purport to reduce all of espresso making down to a single set of brewing conditions or to a lone flavour profile. 'Though there are clear strategies to reduce waste and improve reproducibility, there is no obvious optimal espresso point', said Dr Hendon. 'There is a tremendous dependency on the preferences of the person producing the coffee; we are elucidating the variables that they need to consider if they want to better navigate the parameter space of brewing espresso.' A spokeswoman for the University of Portsmouth said the new technique was trialled in a small US coffee shop over a year and they found they were saving thousands of dollars with no change in taste. 'The research has been published in the journal Matter. Press Release January 22, 2020 Villanueva: Uneven relief distribution, sanitation issues at Taal evacuation centers show need for disaster czar to oversee Senator Joel Villanueva has called on the government to appoint a disaster czar who will oversee the relief efforts in Batangas for residents displaced by the eruption of Taal Volcano. Villanueva broached the idea after reports showed that relief goods such as food and hygiene packs, among others, were unevenly distributed in various evacuation centers where thousands of displaced residents were taking shelter as the restive Taal volcano showed signs of erupting in early January. "Some evacuation centers have more than other places. If people are expected to stay longer in these evacuation centers, we must be able to manage our available resources well so we can cover the basic needs of our evacuees," Villanueva said in a statement. "For instance, we've observed that there's a lack of portalets to maintain the sanitation around evacuation centers. We need a manager to assess the needs and look after the delivery of relief across affected areas." The senator, who heads the Senate labor committee, likewise suggested to device ways of spurring economic activity in areas affected by the constant volcanic activities of Taal. He explained that one way to jumpstart the local economy is to generate short-term employment to evacuees at shelters. "If you're sending relief to certain evacuation centers, why not hire someone there to take charge in the cooking of food for the people there? Or maintain the place for that matter?" Villanueva pointed out. "We should strive to help our people displaced by the eruption of Taal get back on their feet through employment and livelihood." He asked the labor department to fast-track its emergency employment programs to support evacuees while waiting out for the crisis to end. Under the 2020 national budget, the labor department's programs for emergency employment like the government internship program and the Tulong Pangkabuhayan para sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) received a total allocation of P6.8 billion. Villanueva also called on the officials of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide assistance in the form of scholarships for evacuees who have lost everything when they were displaced. The bulk of Tesda's P12.975-billion budget for 2020 funds the various scholarship programs it offers, the senator explained. The disaster czar could also fill in the requirement in the meantime as Congress deliberates on moves to create a department specifically handling the government's disaster relief efforts and resilience programs, according to Villanueva. He also supported calls for Congress to pass a supplemental budget to cover recovery initiatives efforts, as well as resiliency programs and disaster preparedness as the Taal's volcanic activity showed no signs of abating. "We will support the passage of a supplemental budget, but the proposed amount must be based on reasonable estimates and not ballpark figures. We want to ensure that we will spend for meaningful programs to help Batanguenos get back on their feet," the senator said. Italy is known for its delicious food, lush landscapes, and beautiful people. The country is also home to the beautiful town of Piobbico, near the Adriatic sea. With a population of 2,000 people, Piobbico's natural beauty doesn't stop it from celebrating "ugliness." Where most of us are used to celebrating beautiful people and surroundings, Piobbico began the custom of celebrating ugliness in 1879. The town hosts the Club dei Brutti ("The Ugly Club") since then, per the BBC. A Worldwide Phenomenon Chapters of The Ugly Club have sprung up all over the world and become a spectacle. Today there are 25 branches comprising 30,000 members and calls itself the Worldwide Association of Ugly People. You're probably aware that beauty pageants judge people on attractiveness, members of this association are judged on their ugliness. Prospective members who want to join are ranked on their ugliness on scales from "meh" to "extremely ugly." But the club insists that it's all good fun, as senior members in charge of judging ugliness focus on a person's inner beauty instead. A Club That Began For Women The Ugly Club initially began as a service to help ugly women find a husband. Criteria for joining obviously loosened up as time passed. Today the Ugly Club revels in the fun of shunning the idea of going against standards of beauty that ascribe power to those who are beautiful on the outside. Members insist that inner beauty is important too. Piobbico has recognized The Ugly Club by erecting a statue in the club's honor in 2007, and locals take the message of inner beauty and body positivity in stride. Worldwide Ugliness Every September Members of the Worldwide Association of Ugly People descend on Piobbico every September to celebrate their ugliness in the now-annual Festival of the Ugly. Not only do members enjoy delicious pasta and truffles, but they also choose their new president and initiate new members. The loose organization has attracted new members, sociologists, and scholars who want to change the discourse on what it means to be perceived as ugly today. The festival is known to be fun for attendees and to help them celebrate themselves as they are. Maybe that's why several former Miss Italys have also attendedeven conventionally attractive people want to let go of societal expectations once in a while. An "Ugly" Festival In An Unlikely Place Italians are known worldwide for their sense of style, fashion, and exaltation of all things beautiful. There is even a term for making a great first impression on people "bella figura." The Ugly Festival is an anomaly in a country where classic beauty, architecture, and surroundings are the norm. Considering that ugly people are often ostracized in society because of standards over which they have no control, it's wonderful that The Ugly Club has resonated with so many members for generations. The friendships and connections people make there are a thing of real beauty. US president Donald Trump speaking at the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: Denis Balibouse/Reuters US president Donald Trump on Tuesday said that his country was looking forward to negotiating a tremendous post-Brexit trade deal with the United Kingdom. "We look forward to negotiating a tremendous new deal with the United Kingdom, which has a wonderful new prime minister, who wants very much to make a deal, Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Prime minister Boris Johnson has prioritised trade negotiations with the US once the UK leaves the European Union at the end of this month. READ MORE: World's elite head to Switzerland for Davos Talks with the Trump administration are expected to occur in parallel with negotiations with the EU. The UK has just 11 months to conclude trade pacts, something that raises the risk that it could essentially crash out of its trade arrangements at the end of December. A trade deal with the US is coveted by Brexiteers, who believe it could allow a post-Brexit UK to prosper. Johnson is thought to be planning a major speech on the UKs future after Brexit, ahead of a potential trip to Washington, when he is expected to fire the starting gun on the negotiations. Not a time for pessimism Referencing climate change critics and doom and gloom about trade, Trump said that it was not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process, because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action, he said. But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse, Trump said, in what will likely be interpreted as a veiled jab at climate change activist Greta Thunberg. They are the heirs of yesterdays foolish fortune tellers, and I have them and you have them and they want to see us do badly, but we dont let happen, he said. They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, and starvation in the 70s. And an end of oil in the 1990s. We will never let radical socialists destroy our country or eradicate our liberty. LineSlip Solutions, the SaaS company at the heart of the commercial insurance industrys digital transformation, today announces that Laurie Solomon has joined the company as Strategic Advisor. In her role, Solomon will use her deep industry expertise to help bridge the gap between brokers, carriers, insureds and the up-and-coming insurtech company. LineSlip Solutions president Lee Stevenson says, Laurie is a proven senior risk executive with extensive global experience in insurance and risk management. She is widely recognized as a thought leader and will be a huge asset for LineSlip and our customers. Solomon has experienced the commercial insurance industry from all angles. She started her career as an Underwriter and Account Executive for The Travelers Insurance Company, where she coordinated all service delivery for her clients and underwrote a diverse book of large corporate accounts. Laurie later joined The Coca-Cola Company where she served as Director, Global Risk Management for 11 years. She led a team of 22 professionals and set strategy for Coca-Colas global Risk Management approach. She was selected for the Business Insurance Risk Manager of the Year Honor Roll in addition to receiving Honorable Mention in the Innovators edition of Risk & Insurance Magazine and received the World Captive Forums Company Award of Excellence on behalf of The Coca-Cola Company. In 2016, Laurie established ELT Risk Solutions, LLC, a Risk Management Advisory firm specializing in the property-casualty insurance arena, serving midsize to large companies. ELT works with Risk Managers, Start Ups and Corporate Executives as a strategic partner or outsourced Risk Manager, to lead and manage insurance-related projects, solve risk management problems, strategize for efficiency, leverage data and evaluate alternatives to bring value to the bottom line. Solomon says, I am excited to work with insureds and the greater risk management community to help solve some of the problems in our industry. We have so much opportunity to leverage technology and data to make smarter decisions, but adoption has been slow because insurtech typically lacks the insiders view into the realities of day-to-day processes. I am looking forward to introducing the industry to LineSlip and ushering in a new way of leveraging data that doesnt involve change management or retooling. About LineSlip Solutions, Inc. LineSlip Solutions was founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs with over 40 years of commercial insurance experience as brokers, producers, underwriters and executives. Purpose-built for the commercial insurance industry, we have created a framework that uses Natural Language Processing to automatically extract and structure data previously locked in quotes, proposals and other insurance documents. Using that framework, LineSlip Markets allows brokers to easily generate proposals and present quote comparisons while collecting, analyzing and using the data generated in the marketing process to make smarter, more timely business decisions that affect the bottom line. LineSlip Solutions is based in New York City and is actively working with some of the leading brokerage firms in the country. After dust storms, hail and flash floods battered Australian cities in recent days, wildlife officials are warning residents against another natural threat: the venomous Australian funnel-web spider. The Australian Reptile Park attributes increased activity in these arachnids to the recent weather conditions. We are issuing a message of warning to the public as recent wet weather conditions followed by hot days have created perfect conditions for funnel-web spiders to thrive, the park said in a Facebook post. Dan Rumsey, a reptile keeper at the Australian Reptile Park, said in a video posted on the parks Facebook page that funnel-web spiders are potentially one of the most dangerous spiders on the planet for humans. If bitten by a spider, the park recommends immobilizing the limb, applying a bandage and seeking immediate medical attention. The park has worked with these spiders, since its raw venom is the only way to make life-saving antivenom. According to the reptile keeper, no one has died from a funnel-web spider bite in Australia since the 1980s. A bite from the Australian funnel web spider can be deadly. Rumsey said in the video that as weather conditions persist, ground-dwelling males will most likely be in search of females. Hailstorms struck Australias second-largest city, Melbourne, on Sunday, and the national capital Canberra on Monday. Melbourne has been choked by smoke from distant wildfires in Victoria state in recent weeks. Wildfires seen from space: Dark smoke from Australia fires is circling the Earth, NASA says Baby kangaroos lost moms in wildfires. So, sewing groups are making joey pouches for them Unusually intense storms over the weekend caused flash flooding in the cities of Brisbane and Gold Coast in Queensland state just north of New South Wales, where most of the wildfire destruction has occurred. The fires have claimed at least 28 lives since September, destroyed more than 2,600 homes and scorched more than 25.7 million acres. Widespread recent rainfall in New South Wales and Victoria have helped but have not extinguished major fires in Australias two most populous states. Authorities have warned the fire danger will escalate this week in both states with rising temperatures and drier conditions. Contributing: Associated Press Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Australian wildfires: Deadly funnel-web spiders thrive after storms TO CHECK the condition of residents affected by the Taal Volcano unrest in southern Luzon, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is scheduled to meet with Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas on Thursday morning, Jan. 23, 2020. Labella, the League of Cities of the Philippines national chairman, said he would be accompanied by Harold Alcontin, head of the citys disaster office. We have to find out what kind of help we can extend, to avoid wastage of public funds, Labella said. If we just give without determining first what kind of assistance and how much assistance we could provide, we might just be wasting the resources of the City. Taal Volcano erupted last Jan. 12, spewing ash that blanketed several towns in Batangas province and turning agricultural areas into fields of gray. As of Tuesday, Jan. 21, Mandanas said the number of evacuees displaced by Taal Volcanos eruption had reached one million. Labella said the volcanos unrest has affected Batangas economy. In behalf of the people of the City of Cebu, we extend our sympathies to the Province of Batangas, especially the areas affected by the spewing of ash of Taal Volcano, he said. Labella and his team will check on Thursday the extent of damage suffered by the local government units (LGU) in Batangas. The Cebu City Governments assistance to these LGUs could be in monetary form, he said. (PAC, KAL) The Congress on Wednesday said the BJP should be renamed as 'Nathuram Godse Party' or 'Bhrasht Jumla Party' after the ruling party threw a jibe calling it the "Muslim League Congress" and accusing it of Muslim appeasement and insulting Hindus. Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill hit back at the BJP for its taunts, saying the rising unemployment in the country is having its effect on its spokespersons and their "empty minds" are now turning into "Devil's workshop". "'An empty mind is a devil's workshop'. This is an unfortunate impact of unemployment, which is being seen even on BJP spokespersons. They now keep themselves busy by giving new names to the Congress. "Considering the economic situation and the anti-national mindset of the BJP, and considering the insensitive, thick-skinned approach of the BJP on the present economic crisis of the country, the Congress also has three names. The BJP should be renamed as 'Nathuram Godse Party', 'Bhrasht Jumla Party' and 'Behkao Janta Party'," he told reporters here. Shergill said looking at the "rampant corruption" under the BJP government and how it "helped" fraudsters and scamsters, it should be named 'Bhrasht Jumla Party'. "How the BJP always shies away or runs away from addressing the economic crisis of the country (it should be renamed) 'Behkao Janta Party'," he said. Shergill said he had challenged a BJP spokesperson to address a press conference on the rising fuel, onion and tomato prices, rising unemployment and "rising communal conflict in the country", but they did not do one, he said. His comments came after, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra earlier in the day referred to comments of several opposition leaders, including those from the NCP and the AIMIM, to allege that they were "abusing" Hindus in the name of anti-CAA protests and sought apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP's Sharad Pawar. Referring to Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan's reported remarks that the Congress joined hands with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as Muslims wanted the party to stop the BJP from coming to power, Patra said, "The Congress leader says they joined the government for Muslims. What is the sin of Hindus, Sikhs and others? The Congress has insulted Hindus and this comment has exposed it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 22, 2020] ACT-IAC Releases New Artificial Intelligence Playbook FAIRFAX, Va., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC), the premier public-private partnership dedicated to advancing government through the application of information technology, today officially announced the release of the "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Playbook for the U.S. Federal Government." It was produced through a collaborative, volunteer effort by a working group of 133 leaders from government and industry plus academia and associations, hosted by the ACT-IAC Emerging Technology Community of Interest (COI). "The AI Playbook is designed to help the United States Federal Government achieve successful outcomes and reduce risk in its understanding and application of AI technologies," said David Wennergren, CEO of ACT-IAC, "and this important work directly supports the President's Management Agenda (PMA), Cross Agency Priority (CAP) Goal 6 - Shifting from Low-Value to High-Value Work." The Playbook also follows the General Service Administration's Office of Government-wide Policy Modernization and Migration Management (M3) framework used for Shared Services. AI has the power to accelerate government services in fields as diverse as medical resarch and disaster recovery to help save lives and improve quality of service in impactful ways. It also has the potential to help government mitigate errors and the cost of paper-intensive processes, while enabling collaboration across multiple divisions and agencies to provide more efficient and effective services to citizens. The adoption of AI may enable government agencies to provide new value-added services and serve as a catalyst to modernize IT. With AI near the top of the hype cycle, it is important to separate reality from hype when it comes to which use cases can actually benefit from an AI solution. This AI Playbook, designed for advanced practitioners and those who are new to AI in the federal government, proposes a step-by-step process and a series of phases consisting of assessment, organization readiness, selection, implementation and integration. It's designed to help organizations understand the actions necessary to deliver minimally viable product (MVP), proof of concept (POC), pilot/limited fielding, initial operational capability (IOC), and a fully operational system to support their overarching objectives. ACT-IAC is well aligned to be a leading resource on AI through their government-industry partnership in the Emerging Technology Community of Interest and relationships with government leaders. Explore all the resources and opportunities at ACTIAC.org. Download the AI Playbook for Federal Government at https://www.actiac.org/act-iac-white-paper-artificial-intelligence-playbook. American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) is a non-profit educational organization created to provide a safe haven for collaboration and the only place where government and industry can work together as true partners towards a shared vision of a more effective, efficient and innovative government. For more information: www.actiac.org. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/act-iac-releases-new-artificial-intelligence-playbook-300990872.html SOURCE American Council for Technology [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Government's decision to cancel the controversial commemoration service for members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) following a public outcry "is a warning shot that must be heeded", says a leading academic. Speaking at the opening of the newly refurbished exhibit 'Irish Wars 1919 - 1923' at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks last night, Dr Maurice Manning, who is chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations, said the decision to cancel the event which was due to take place at Dublin Castle this month was "worrying, given some of the extreme language and political posturing we have seen". Dr Manning, who served as a Fine Gael TD and senator for more than two decades, urged all political parties to tread carefully on the divisive issue. "I appeal this evening to all political parties and their leaders to realise that these are fragile times and that genuine leadership requires a proactive approach from them - all of them - in ensuring that the generous, curious and collaborative spirit of the past few years is not shattered." Plans by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan to commemorate members of the RIC and the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) who were killed during the War of Independence have been put on hold. The climbdown came after strong public opposition from those who saw it as commemorating the hated Black and Tans. Expand Close Culture Minister Josepha Madigan. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Culture Minister Josepha Madigan. Photo: PA Some ministers with the Independent Alliance threatened to boycott the event while Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and other politicians called for it to be cancelled. Dr Manning said that while "we were very clear in all of our statements that commemorations should not ignore differences and divisions", the role of the commemoration committee was to "ensure the integrity of the entire process, to ensure that the decade [of commemorations] belonged to the people and that there would be no manipulation for political or other purposes - whether it came from Government, other parties or factions". He said a key consideration was that commemorations should "remember the past while ensuring, as far as possible, that the commemoration does not re-ignite old tensions". He made the comments as a new poll published yesterday found 73pc of respondents believe the Government was wrong to propose the RIC/DMP commemoration. The poll, conducted on January 13 by Ireland Thinks, found 97pc of Sinn Fein supporters and 90pc of Fianna Fail supporters were opposed while Fine Gael supporters were evenly split on the issue. Those aged 25-34 were the most likely to oppose the event. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the event "will only take place on the basis that there is cross-party consensus in favour of them". "We want any commemorations to be inclusive, to be non-judgmental, not to threaten anyone's loyalties and cause division in our country," he said. Japan is the most trusted major power among Southeast Asian nations today as the region becomes a staging ground for a major power struggle between the United States and China. A survey of professionals by Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institutes Asean Studies Centre released last week found that attitudes have shifted in Japans favour becoming the most trusted major power among Southeast Asians today. Respondents from the 10 Asean (Association of Southeast Nations) member states took part in the targeted online poll entitled The State of Southeast Asia, with more than 1,300 professionals from the fields of research, business and finance, public sector, civil society and the media responding. This is the second year the survey has been conducted. Some 61.2 per cent said they were confident Japan will do the right thing in contributing to global peace, security, prosperity and governance in the 2020 edition of the survey. While this dipped slightly from the 65.9 per cent in the previous year, the study noted that Japan is the only major power that achieved an overall confidence vote above 50 per cent. A key finding in the report showed that the majority of Southeast Asians are not confident in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, with 64% of respondents saying they have little or no confidence in China's approach to project loans. The survey also showed that 47 per cent of respondents had little to no confidence in the US ability to be a strategic partner and a provider of national security, up from 34.6 per cent who felt that way last year. If the US is perceived to be increasingly taking a back seat in regional security, who can the region turn to for new partnerships?, the study asked. In response, 31.7 per cent picked Japan, while 20.5 per cent selected the EU and 20.3 per cent chose China. More than 600 survey participants indicated that they had little to no hope in US reliability. Japan also came first in another question on broadening Aseans strategic options, with the researchers noting that Asean member states have hedged against the uncertainties of the US-China rivalry by expanding their strategic options beyond the two superpowers. The survey illustrated the U.S.-China standoff and how it is affecting allegiances in the region, with respondents fairly evenly split over which side ASEAN should choose if forced to align with one of the two countries: 54% opted for the U.S. while 46% preferred China, reported the Nikkei Asian Review. China was given the nod by the majority of respondents from seven of the 10 ASEAN countries, with 69% from Brunei favoring the country, 58% from Cambodia, 52% from Indonesia, 74% from Laos, 61% from Malaysia, 62% from Myanmar and 52% from Thailand. The U.S. was the overwhelming choice among respondents from the Philippines and Vietnam at 83% and 86%, respectively, followed by 61% from Singapore. The strong support shown by the Filipino and Vietnamese respondents appears partly due to ongoing maritime squabbles their countries have with Beijing over the South China Sea. "The take-away from this split response is clear: ASEAN must do all it can to avoid making a binary choice between the U.S. and China, or even putting that choice on the table," said Hoang Thi Ha, researcher at the think tank, in an email interview with the Nikkei Asian Review. The report comes as Vancouver plays host this week to an international conference to facilitate a dialogue on geopolitical issues in the Indo-Pacific - an emerging geopolitical construct that extends from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. The Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Charting a Common Approach international conference, the first of its kind in Canada, is hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, with the support of government and private sector partners. The invitation-only forum will serve as a venue for informed scholarship and policy discussion to develop a strategy and response to regional issues surrounding the Indo-Pacific, said Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The keynote presentation will feature Admiral (Retired) Scott Swift, Former Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute is an autonomous organisation established in 1968. It is a regional centre dedicated to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends and developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic environment. The following are some of the highlights of its 2020 survey: 1. Domestic political instability, economic downturn and climate change are the most pressing concerns in the region. 2. Regional countries are concerned about major power competition and the fear that some members may become proxies of a major power. 3. A third of respondents believe Asean should continue with its position of "not taking sides"in the US-China rivalry to fend of pressure from the powers. 4. Over half of the respondents will go for the US if they are forced to choose between the two major powers. However, countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia favour China over the US. 5. China is seen as the most influential economic and political-strategic power in the region, outpacing the US by a significant margin. 6. The region's confidence in the US as strategic partner and provider of regional security is low. 7. Japan is the most trusted power in the region, followed by the EU, US and China. 8. Japan also shines in terms of education, tourism and language. 9. The EU is viewed favourably by Southeast Asian nations. 10. Most respondents believe the US-China trade war bodes ill for the global economy. 11. More than half of the respondents believe that RCEP membership should be expanded to "all qualified parties" in future. 12. Samsung is the most preferred telecommunications provider to build the region's 5G networks. Chinese companies are nevertheless preferred in countries like Malaysia and Cambodia. Mata Press Service with agencies Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Photo: Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via Reuters The Saudi Arabian embassy in the United States has denied that the kingdom breached the mobile phone of Amazon (AMZN) owner Jeff Bezos, saying that the reports are absurd and calling for an investigation. According to an investigation by the Guardian newspaper, Bezoss phone was infiltrated in 2018 via a WhatsApp message that appeared to come from the number of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The message from the prince reportedly included an infected file that infiltrated his phone, the newspaper said. The Twitter account of the kingdom's US embassy issued a flat denial and called for the claims to be investigated so that we can have all the facts out. Saudi Embassy US tweet Amazon boss Bezos also owns the Washington Post, which employed the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Khashoggi was killed five months after the Bezos phone hack, which reportedly stole huge amounts of data from the phone within hours and stayed active for months. The allegations will ignite debate around whether the Saudi heir was personally involved in leaking private information about Bezos to the National Enquirer tabloid. Bezos revealed that AMI, which owns the National Enquirer, had attempted to blackmail him with intimate photos into dropping his investigation into how it had got access to his text messages the messages revealed he was having an affair. A private investigator hired by the Amazon CEO claimed later that Saudi Arabia had hacked his phone. Saudi analysts told the Guardian that Bezos had likely been targeted because of the Washington Posts coverage of Saudi Arabia, and Khashoggis columns about the crown princes crackdown of activists in the kingdom. Bin Salman has repeatedly denied he was behind Khashoggis murder. MORE than a million tourists visited Ireland's distilleries last year, a record high, despite an unexpectedly sharp decline in US visits. The number of distilleries across the island of Ireland with visitor centres has grown over the past year to 17 from 13. At least two more - the Hinch Distillery near Belfast and The Shed in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim - are due to open this year. Several others have yet to open visitor centres. The Irish Whiskey Association said the number of people who visited distilleries last year rose 10.5pc to 1.02 million. This chiefly reflects growth in the choice and geographic spread of such attractions. Four more distilleries opened visitor centres last year, including two in the capital: Dublin Liberties and Roe & Co; the Clonakilty in Co Cork; and the Powerscourt in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. While Americans and Canadians continued to account for most visitors - more than a third of the total - their numbers fell by 8pc from 2018, reflecting a decline in American tourist arrivals in the second half of 2019. "Recognising the disappointing fall-off in visitors from North America, we will be seeking to prioritise our promotional activities in the US and Canada, working closely with our state tourism agencies," said William Lavelle, head of the Irish Whiskey Association at Drinks Ireland. "We will also continue to keep a close eye on the impact of Brexit on tourism figures," he said, noting that visitors from Britain to Irish distilleries fell by 2pc last year. While visitors from Ireland's traditional two core tourism markets declined, whiskey proved a magnet for a wider range of nationalities. One in 10 distillery visitors last year came from Germany, while visits from France, and the Benelux and Nordic nations all grew. Jameson's Bow Street visitor centre in Dublin remains by far the top attraction among distillers, attracting more than one in three visitors - many of whom pair that tour with a trip across the Liffey to visit the Guinness Storehouse, Ireland's perennial top attraction. Near to Guinness is a growing cluster of boutique Liberties distillers, including the Teeling and Pearse Lyons distilleries, which opened in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of spreading "falsehood" over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and "misleading" the country. Addressing a public awareness meet on the CAA in the Budhapara area here, the BJP leader said the new law is meant to grant citizenship and not to snatch it. He said construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya will start soon after a trust for the purpose is constituted by the Centre before February 9 as announced earlier. Most part of Maurya's speech was focused on attacking the opposition parties over the contentious citizenship law, whose passage in Parliament last month triggered nationwide protests, some of which turned violent, including in Uttar Pradesh. ...an atmosphere is being created through lies in such a way to give impression that the CAA has been enacted to snatch away citizenship of people. The Congress is spreading lies and misleading the people, Maurya claimed. Why the Congress and its gang have been opposing the new law?..it is because they are not able to accept the bold decisions taken by the Modi government whether it is scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir or enactment of the new law against the practice of triple talaq," he said. "They are spreading lies that Muslims will be evicted from the country though the law (CAA) has no such provision. The new law is meant to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from three Muslim-majority countries and not to take away anyones citizenship," he asserted. Maurya singled out the Congress for criticism over the CAA, which seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jain, Christians, Buddhists and Parsis refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. The Congress has spoken lies and spread falsehood. It misled the country that resulted in damage to public property (during anti-CAA protests). "In Uttar Pradesh, recovery is being made from those who damaged public property, the Deputy Chief Minister said. 'Nautanki' (theatrics) is still underway and dharna is being held at several places. Earlier, they (protesters) dont use to sing 'Jana Gana Mana', but they have started doing so now. "You must have seen a video (of a protest) which has gone viral on social media wherein a little girl was speaking against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. "The girl is so young that she cannot speak all those things on her own rather she was made to do that. The Congress and it gang are behind this act, he claimed. Some Congress leaders like Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid are now "enlightened" as they have said states can't block implementation of the CAA, Maurya said. "Now (Chhattisgarh) Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, (Congress leaders) Sonia Gandhi ji, Rahul ji, Priyanka Vadra ji must have understood this," he said. The BJP leader blamed former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the Partition of the country. "There would have been no need of the CAA if the country was not divided on religious lines. The division was not done by Modi ji or Shah ji, but by their (the Gandhi family) forefather Jawaharlal Nehru," he added. Hailing the revocation of J&K's special status, the BJP leader said, Articles 370 and 35A were like a cancer disease given to the country by the Congress. The disease has now been uprooted forever by Amit Shah under the leadership of Modi ji." "Earlier, even the president of the country was not able to build a room or purchase land in Kashmir. But now, the people of Chhattisgarh can purchase land there and set up industries if they wish so," Maurya added. He further attacked the Congress, saying the main opposition party tried to put hurdles in hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi case in the Supreme Court ahead of the last year's Lok Sabha elections. The Supreme Court judgement (delivered in November last year) has paved the way for construction of a temple of Ram Lala in Ayodhya. Very soon its construction will start," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pro-life wins and losses of 2019; whats on the agenda in 2020? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pro-life activists had much to celebrate in 2019 and are looking forward to what's ahead in 2020 as there could be huge developments on the abortion issue this year. We had progress on so many fronts in 2019 culturally, in statehouses, and in the courts, Catherine Glenn Foster, president of Americans United for Life, told The Christian Post in an interview. "Congress was tough, it's always tough. But they did what they could have to defund and they're doing everything that they can to fight back against infanticide, against the abandonment of born-alive children. Foster, president of the nations first and largest pro-life legal organization, spoke with CP to reflect on the gains the pro-life movement has seen over the last year. In 2019, the issue was once again the topic of much national media attention with several states passing bans on late-term abortion and speculation about whether the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn or revise its historic 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade and later rulings providing the national right to abortion. When it comes to culture, we have seen a lot of shift and a lot of momentum building for life, Foster said. Younger generations are really into authenticity and transparency and fairness. They love human rights. When we get the advancing technology in medical science, we get ultrasounds. We can see the child in the womb and see it is not just a blob. We see children being born and surviving at younger and younger ages. The following pages highlight some of the pro-life movement's achievements and setbacks from 2019 as well as AUL's agenda goals for 2020. 1 2 3 Next Chinese and Sierra Leonean Friends Celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year Together 2020/01/22 On January 21, 2020, the Confucius Institute (CI) at the University of Sierra Leone (USL) held a series of cultural experience activities and performance in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, H.E. Hu Zhangliang and his wife Madame Zhou Min, Mr. Festus Kalley, representative of Her Worship mayor of Freetown, teachers and students of CI, representatives from all walks of life in Sierra Leone and representatives of Chinese community were present. The teachers and students of CI put on many wonderful performances, such as Tai Chi, poetry recitation, yoga and aerobics. A chorus both in Krio and Chinese performed by Chinese and Sierra Leonean children won big cheers and applause. Ambassador Hu and Mme. Zhou also presented the lucky prize. Everyone at the event enjoyed the joyous atmosphere of the Chinese Lunar New Year together. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The people living in the shanties that were demolished in Bellandur area on Sunday and those who brought them to Bengaluru as labourers are fleeing the area either due to alleged harassment from the police or the fear that their homes will be destroyed again. The labour contractors who brought these migrant workers to the city - Indian citizens from West Bengal, parts of Karnataka and elsewhere - have started to flee the area alleging harassment from the police. Akram B, who brought 40 people from West Bengal, said he was being threatened by the cops. Two of the 40 labourers I had brought have been picked up. The police have been threatening all of us and telling us to vacate the place. So I and other thekedars are making arrangements to return to West Bengal, he said. He added that he was not responsible for the labourers who had come with his help to Bengaluru. The two labourers - Tanzil Sheikh and Adi Zulf - who were picked up by the police have given them my name. The police have demanded Rs 50,000 as surety for them, but I have no money. If this is the way we are being forced to live, it is better to leave. The labourers and their families will have to fend for themselves, he said. Another thekedar, who did not want to be named as he feared for his safety, said: The police came to our sheds on Monday night also and told us to vacate the place and go or else our homes will be demolished. To save themselves, the labourers are giving our names. We have documents to show that we are Indians. But the police are also questioning us. We are like dealers who deploy labourers to construction sites. We are not involved with the labourers and this being the case we are keen to leave the city, he said. IN PICS | Demolition of Bellandur shanties: BBMP, police in blame game as hundreds become homeless Meanwhile, the labourers held a meeting on Monday and Tuesday to decide the next course of action. Our homes are already demolished and we have nowhere to go. So some of us have decided to shift to another location as there is no safety here, said Abdul S, a labourer. DCP Whitefield MN Anucheth, said, On the request of the BBMP, we gave police protection during the demolition drive. We have not vacated any one. ENGINEER transferred The BBMP has transferred TM Narayan Swamy, an assistant executive engineer on deputation to the BBMP who ordered the demolition of his own accord, back to the Public Works Department (PWD), his parent department. BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kuamr told TNIE: We repatriated him to the PWD late on Monday night and also requested that he be suspended. Since it is not BBMP land, we cannot do anything. APARTMENT DWELLERS filed complaint Labourers from north Karnataka too are crying foul. We have come from places like Raichur, Koppal and other districts to work in Bengaluru as there is no employment there. The police have acted on a complaint filed by residents living in the neighbouring high-rise apartment. We were told that it mars the beauty of the vicinity of the apartment complex, said a labourer. [January 22, 2020] Davos 2020 Climate Finance Partnership Press Release Parties to the Climate Finance Partnership (CFP) have taken another step forward in their partnership to accelerate the flow of capital into climate-related investments in emerging markets, reaching agreement on the core terms and structure of their flagship blended finance investment vehicle. The parties to the CFP are France, Germany, the Hewlett and Grantham foundations, and BlackRock. Featuring a unique blend of philanthropic, government, and private sector capital, the CFP showcases the power and catalytic role of philanthropic and public capital to mobilize top-tier institutional capital investment into climate-related sectors in emerging markets, at scale. And it is consistent with the shared belief of all CFP parties that aggressive action is necessary in order to limit climate change to well below 2C, keeping a view to a 1.5C limit, in a manner that harnesses the economic opportunities embedded in the transition to a global low-carbon economy. CFP investments will be targeted toward select countries in South East Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Notably, investments in Africa will account for at least 25% of the total capital invested. The vehicle's focus on what is generally referred to as climate infrastructure sector will include; (i) grid connected and/or distributed generation renewable energy power; (ii) energy efficiency in residential, commercial and/or industrial sectors; (iii) energy storage solutions; and (iv) ultra-low emission or electrified transportation and mobility services. Remy Rioux, CEO of the French Development Agency ("AFD"), said: "The unique challenges posed by climate change call for stronger joint action. It is therefore with great pride that the AFD Group, through its private-sector subsidiary PROPARCO, is partnering with BlackRock, the largest asset manager worldwide, to accelerate the mobilization of private-sector financing towards climate. This ambitious partnership, forged with Germany and leading global foundations, will help redirect financial flows towards sustainable development investments across the emerging world, and will include a priority focus on Africa as a key continent to France and one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change despite contributing the least to global warming." The vehicle will feature a first-loss tranche of at least $100 million in catalytic capital, anchored by government and foundation partners, that BlackRock will use to mobilize a goal of at least $400 million in institutional capital commitments. This would result in a minimum size of $500 million at first close and CFP parties share a collective goal of further scaling the vehicle going forward. State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth from the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, said: "In 2019, Germany approved a natioal climate law and an ambitious mid-term climate package to reduce GHG emissions at home. As an EU member state we are committed to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. We are fully aware that a worldwide rise in ambition is required to respond to the climate crisis. Developing countries will need our support to increase their climate action. For that, both public and private funds will be essential. Therefore, we look forward to work together with France, philanthropies and BlackRock to mobilize private capital towards investing in the global transformation of our energy systems. By this we are sending a strong signal of the importance of shifting financial flows towards a low carbon development." The Governments of France, through the French Development Agency (AFD), and Germany, with the KfW acting as a trustee, intend to contribute $30 million each to the partnership. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust have committed $10 million and $7.5 million respectively. CFP parties have committed to help raise the additional capital required to reach the $100 million in catalytic capital. Larry Kramer, President of the Hewlett Foundation, said: "The Climate Finance Partnership shows that charitable organizations working in partnership with public and private-sector entities can mobilize capital to solve climate change and reduce human suffering. Populations in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America will benefit from this first-of-its-kind partnership in bringing sovereign, philanthropic, and private capital together to target climate change. We hope it will serve as a model for scaling climate friendly projects all around the world." The CFP demonstrates an unprecedented partnership to bring sovereign, foundation and private capital together to target 100 percent climate friendly investments at such scale. Jeremy Grantham, Trustee of the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, said: "Emerging market equities are substantially cheaper than those in developed economies and they offer the best choice for growth in an otherwise slow-growth world. As clean energy's cost advantage continues to spread around the world, clean energy in emerging markets should see substantial growth from its current low base. The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust is pleased to support this effort to help institutional investors begin building an allocation to this promising sector." The CFP is BlackRock's first vehicle focused on climate infrastructure investments in emerging markets. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has extensive experience in renewable power and sustainable investing and is committed to factoring climate- and other environmental-related risks into their investment and risk management processes, including developing new approaches to measuring physical climate risks, and stress testing portfolios for future carbon price scenarios. The CFP is part of BlackRock's ongoing efforts to provide investors with more and more ways to invest their capital in strategies that accelerate the global low-carbon transition. Brian Deese, Global Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, said: "In line with BlackRock's recently announced acceleration of a number of sustainable investing initiatives, we are tremendously excited to launch the Climate Finance Partnership together with government and foundation partners. We believe creative collaboration is essential to mobilizing investment into climate infrastructure in emerging markets at scale, providing our clients with further opportunity to invest in the global low-carbon transition." CFP partners have been engaged in an intensive and collaborative design process since the CFP was announced at the One Planet Summit in September 2018 under the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron. Partners are now committed to finalizing due diligence and launching this fund with a goal of Q3, 2020. John E. Morton, Managing Coordinator of the Climate Finance Partnership and Senior Advisor to Aligned Climate Capital said: "The transition to a global low carbon economy presents tremendous economic opportunities for those investors willing to lead. Parties to the CFP should be proud of their collaborative progress over the last year and of the fact that this partnership provides a replicable template for unlocking private capital toward climate-related investments in fast growing markets around the world." About AFD: The Agence francaise de developpement (AFD) Group funds, supports and accelerates the transition to a fairer and more sustainable world. Focusing on climate, biodiversity, peace, education, urban development, health and governance, our teams carry out more than 4,000 projects in France's overseas departments and territories and another 115 countries. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and French people to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). www.afd.fr/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006178/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] States' Extreme Variability Moving to the Cloud Learning from Each Other The federal government sends more than $400 billion every year out to states to fund Medicaid programs. It doesn't seem like it's too much to expect for Washington to know what it's getting for that kind of money.But figuring out what states are doing or at least comparing what different states are doing has long been an impenetrable maze. There are variations in Medicaid policy in every state. And because states maintain different Medicaid management information systems, even collecting comparable data has been an impossible dream.When members of Congress want to find out how Medicaid is performing nationwide in any given policy or program area, they can't be given apples-to-apples data from every state. At least, none that's more current than, say, information from 2012."The federal government has long been frustrated by its inability to say definitive and timely and relevant things about all 50 state Medicaid programs," says Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. "On some level, it's untenable in the long run."Things are starting to change. For more than a decade, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Systems (CMS) has been pushing states to upgrade their Medicaid IT systems. The feds want states to break their enormous systems into separate units that can be updated more quickly and easily. They also want states to move systems to the cloud and to make greater use of private vendors.Most of all, they want states to be able to collect and report comparable data. The number of major categories that CMS expects states to be able to report on in such a way will double this spring.The feds want all this so much that they're willing to pay for it, or at least most of it. Washington now pays 90 percent of Medicaid IT upgrade costs, which is a higher share than it pays for Medicaid administrative costs generally.There isn't a state Medicaid program that doesn't support the federal goals, at least in theory. Some even describe them as "noble." But there are still hurdles toward meeting those goals. Upgrading and modernizing Medicaid management information systems has been a difficult process that drags on for years. Finishing the job will take yet more years to come. "It's a reasonable request on CMS' part," says Emily Blanford, a health policy expert with the National Conference of State Legislatures, "but getting there has been really tough."It often comes as a surprise to find out exactly how old many government IT systems are. People are shocked to learn, for instance, that in some states voting machines are now old enough to drive. When it comes to Medicaid, some states have systems that are old enough to have children who are old enough to drive. "There are still states out there that have Medicaid payment systems that were built in the '70s," says Steven Westberg, business information systems manager at the Oregon Health Authority.These are complex systems that have to handle dozens of separate processes on a massive scale patient eligibility, provider enrollment, benefit management, fraud detection, and on and on. Creaky old computers are always being asked to do something more meld with other assistance programs, for instance, to automatically sign up Medicaid recipients for food stamps.When the federal government wants information about any or all of that, it has to contend with the fact that over time each state has developed its own ways of keeping track of things. "We've been given a list of fields and definitions of fields that they want pushed back to them on a routine basis," says Caprice Knapp, medical services division director for the North Dakota Department of Human Services. "Even though they've provided some pretty standardized definitions, locally we have our own codes."It's not just that states code things differently. Their Medicaid programs do entirely different things. Not every state has expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, for example. Some states are imposing work requirements on Medicaid recipients. Some states run entirely fee-for-service programs, while others are 100 percent managed care.State Medicaid information systems were generally built to allow states to figure out how their own programs are performing over time, not to offer comparisons with other states. "The very nature of Medicaid is that there is extreme state variability in terms of everything who is covered, what benefits are covered, how care is delivered, what are the metrics to define success," Salo says. "The extreme variability is a feature, not a bug."The federal government has been prodding states to upgrade their Medicaid information systems since 2006. By that time, some state systems were already 30 years old, in many cases predating widespread use of the Internet. Now, nearly half as much time has passed again.States are making progress. Washington and Wyoming, for example, are among states that have moved or are in the process of moving their entire systems to the cloud. Getting there isn't easy, but once the move is accomplished things are done more efficiently and it's easier and cheaper to make incremental upgrades. Changes that used to take years can be accomplished in a matter of months.Wyoming's system now has eight separate components a fraud, waste and abuse system, a pharmacy system, a benefit management system, and so on. Despite splitting things up, the state's Medicaid system as a whole should be less siloed than it was before because all the various elements are feeding information into a single data warehouse."We're hoping to speed up provider enrollment and offer better customer service," says Jesse Springer, Medicaid technology and business operations unit manager at the Wyoming Department of Health. "Each of these approaches has its own benefits. Some create internal efficiencies, some lead to actual savings."Still, states face a challenge akin to changing horses midstream. Even as they're trying to build entirely new systems, they're having to reconfigure their legacy systems to be able to extract the kinds of data that the feds want. "It's probably going to be a seven- to 10-year project, by the time you plug all the pieces together," says Westberg, of the Oregon Health Authority.The states are all at various stages in terms of modernizing their Medicaid systems. The good news is that, because their neighbors are going through the same thing, they can learn from each other. Nevada, for instance, has studied Colorado's dozen-year upgrade carefully. Illinois and Michigan have been working to design a new Medicaid IT system together. "The nice thing is that states are not in competition with each other," Springer says. "We can share and borrow work from each other. That's encouraged."It's never quite as simple as one state plugging in changes from its neighbor, however. Again, each state's underlying Medicaid policies are different. "Nobody does anything the same," says NCSL's Blanford. "It seems like an IT system should have interoperability, but everyone has little things you have to catch, so then it's custom and more expensive."As soon as you have to make changes, you can end up setting off the whole cycle of planning, then funding and procurement, and then contracting and implementation. But more than the programming hassles, states are worried that moving increasingly to common standards and reporting means they could ultimately lose some of the flexibility that allows them to tailor Medicaid to fit their own needs.The twin problems of upgrading antique systems and making sure each state retains program flexibility have made the Medicaid IT upgrade a generational effort. But states are at last getting closer to giving the feds what they want.In so doing, they're finding that it's useful for them, also, to have a better sense of what's happening in other states in terms of actual Medicaid delivery. "The eventual goal is to be able to benchmark states against each other," says Westberg, the Oregon Health Authority manager, "and find out if there are more effective ways of doing things, so we can learn from what other states are doing." Long before Marie Kondo encouraged us all to cleanse our homes of things that werent sparking joy, fashion designer Han Chong was already living a pared-down, just-the-basics lifestyle in his 5.5-floor London home. People who come to my place say, How come your house is so minimal? Or, Did you just move in? he says. But thats how I like it. Having a lot of stuff is not very me. The Malaysian-born mastermind behind fashion label Self-Portrait actually moved into the concrete-heavy Shoreditch home about three years ago, when he paid more than its asking price to make sure he wouldnt lose it. In London, it's either Victorian buildings or, well, there's not a lot of different choices, especially in the area I wanted to live in, he says. I had been looking for this type of concrete house in London for quite a whileseven or eight yearsso when I found this space I thought, This couldnt be more perfect. The stand-alone home, built in the 1990s by architect William Russell, gives Chong a sense of calm that counteracts his busy day job, but also inspires him when he works from home. My schedule is quite crazy, so when I go home, I want it to be a calming place where I can focus, he says. That meant keeping things simple and not overcomplicating the design. To create a serene scene, Chong lived in the house for a full year before making any major adjustments with architecture firm Casper Mueller Kneer, who also designed Self-Portraits flagship store in London. I had to live in it for a while to see how I felt, how my life was day by day, and how the light would come in, he says. After that, the team went to work and tore down walls to give the cubic concrete slab a warm, airy feel. (Heated floors help, too.) They created hangout zones, and even transformed a second bedroom into a floor-to-ceiling art-book library with a metal wraparound balcony. Story continues Then came furniture, art, and objects, mostly chosen within a neutral palette and sleek midcentury shapesall part of Chongs less-is-more ethos. I wanted to keep the house quite empty, so you can actually feel the space, he says. See the video. Still, he added a few adornments that help him relax: A sleek black daybed on the rooftop is a place where he can gaze at the skyline, and a sunken tub is a chic, soothing spot for catching up on email. In the library, a cream-colored modular sofa is ideal for curling up with a book. The minimalism is all by design. I only collect the pieces I feel relate to, or are from, a particular design period, he says. I dont have a lot of stuff because I dont need that many things. And the things he does have are, well, obviously joy-sparking. Self-Portrait Designer Han Chongs London Home Is a Serene Sanctuary Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest BEIRUT, Lebanon Lebanon announced the formation of a new cabinet on Tuesday, breaking a monthslong deadlock with the nomination of 20 new government ministers who will have to address a perplexing mix of political and economic crises. The government is deep in debt, the currency has lost much of its value on the black market and protesters have taken to the streets for more than three months to condemn the countrys political class for years of corruption and mismanagement. It remained unclear whether the new cabinet, which still must be confirmed by the Parliament, could take swift action to prevent an economic collapse or to appease the protesters. In addition, the new governments support from Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim militant movement that the United States considers a terrorist organization, could dissuade Western and Persian Gulf nations from coming to Lebanons aid. Hassan Diab, an engineering professor and former education minister who was designated prime minister last month, told reporters Tuesday that his new cabinet met the needs of the countrys exceptional situation and that it would seek to recover stolen funds and fight unemployment. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Senate unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday condemning Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega for what it denounced as the oppression of that nations citizens. The vote comes after Democratic Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez said Ortega and his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, resorted to election fraud to consolidate power, and then turned to violence to repress anti-government protests starting in April 2018. Ortega and Murillo responded with violence and brutal repression. Hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded as a result. Theyve exiled, jailed or killed anyone considered to be opposing them, Rodriguez said. The resolution itself says government forces beat detained protesters and in some cases tortured them through waterboarding, electric shock, acid burns, removal of fingernails and rape. Rodriguez said the resolution was important because of the number of Nicaraguans who now live in Florida. Florida had almost 160,000 Nicaraguans in 2018, the most of any U.S. state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It would send a strong message that we here in the state of Florida stand in solidarity with the people of Nicaragua and against the oppression of the Nicaraguan people at the hands of the Ortega regime, Rodriguez said. California Scrutinizes Medical Exemptions to VaccinationAmid Protest SAN JOSE, Calif.At the corner of a busy intersection in downtown San Jose, a group of demonstrators gathered, dressed warmly for the chilly weather. They held up black signs with white and red text. Vaccine mandates violate bodily autonomy, one said. Vaccine makers are exempt from liability, said another. Cars passed, with some honking in support. Angry shouts came from othersVaccines save lives! The protesters in San Pedro Square Market on Jan. 11 aimed to draw attention to two laws that limit parents ability to receive medical exemptions from vaccinating their children. Protesters rally against new laws regarding medical exemptions to vaccination in California, in San Pedro Square Market in San Jose, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2020. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times) New Vaccination Laws Senate Bill 276 went into effect Jan. 1. It was passed with a companion bill, SB 714, in September last year. Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) introduced both bills on the premise that many families were inappropriately obtaining medical exemptions for their children so they could attend school without being vaccinated. In 2015, California started prohibiting personal belief exemptions. Pan argued that personal-belief objectors began to instead seek medical exemptions and obtain them under false pretenses. That claim has been much-debated. A 2018 study published in the journal Pediatrics did report a concern among healthcare staff that doctors were issuing unwarranted medical exemptions. As of October last year, a total of three doctors had been charged by the Medical Board of California with negligence in issuing exemptions. Under the new law, the state will review medical exemptions as suspect in a few cases. Those cases include when a doctor writes more than five exemptions in a year, and when a schools immunization rate falls below 95 percent. Most states still allow exemptions for religious or other reasons, although a handful of states have abolished non-medical exemptions in recent years. California is taking it a step further with these new laws scrutinizing medical exemptions. A Parents Worries Elaine Shtein, one of the protestors at San Pedro Square Market, has two children who currently have medical exemptions. Her daughter will be going into 7th grade next year, a vaccination checkpoint age. Now that SB 276 is in effect, she said her daughter could be kicked out of school if she chooses not to update her vaccinations. If she encounters any problems with receiving a new exemption, Shtein said, Were actually looking to move out of the state. She believes a round of seven vaccines her son received at the age of 15 months caused his autism. I was that mom who followed the rules, listened to my doctor, didnt think to question vaccines or medical professionals. And he is now severely autistic. He cannot speak, he needs 24-hour care. Hes now 10, and weve been at this for years and years and years, and so Im super passionate about teaching other people what I wish I had known, said Shtein. Actually do some research and look to the other side. If then you still want to vaccinate, that is your choice, Shtein said. We live in America. You can decide to feed your kids McDonalds, you can decide to feed your kids organic food, you can decide to use cannabis, you can decide to use pharmaceuticals. We have choices. Vaccines Safe, Says CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states: The United States long-standing vaccine safety program closely and constantly monitors the safety of vaccines. Data show that the current U.S. vaccine supply is the safest in history. CDC recommends an immunization schedule totaling 69 vaccines by age 18. Officials and scientists have widely acknowledged that some vaccines can cause anaphylaxis, a potentially deadly allergic reaction, in a small number of cases. A special federal vaccine court handles these cases and awards some compensation for this kind of vaccine injury. But other serious side-effects reported by thousands of parents remain officially unacknowledged and many label them as debunked. Medical exemptions are generally intended for children who have had severe allergic reactions to previous immunizations, children who are immunocompromised, and children with similar medical reasons for abstaining. Pan, who is also a pediatrician, said in a statement after Newsom signed the bills, I thank the Governor for standing with science, and once again making California a leader in safeguarding children and communities from diseases that threaten our public health. It is my hope that parents whose vulnerable children could die from vaccine-preventable diseases will be reassured that we are protecting those communities that have been left vulnerable because a few unscrupulous doctors are undermining community immunity by selling inappropriate medical exemptions. Informed Decision Joshua Coleman, another of the protesters, said the demonstration wasnt about asking people not to vaccinate. It was about asking people to consider the matter more deeply. Joshua Coleman participates in a demonstration against vaccine laws in San Jose, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2020. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times) His 10-year-old son is in a wheelchair after suffering from transverse myelitis at 17 months old. Vaccines are trying to train your body by allergic reaction to react to disease, said Coleman. His immune system got confused and started attacking the myelin around his spinal cord and did permanent damage. A lot of people who see me on the street with my son ask me, What happened to him? and I say, This is a vaccine injury. The most common response is, Whats that? Because most people have no idea that vaccines can hurt you, he said. Were not asking people to support legislation or not to support legislation, he said. Its more like a informed-consent demonstration. Supporters of the Virginia Citizens Defense League shoot targets on Jan. 17 at the Freedom Shooting Center in Virginia Beach, Va., before an organizing meeting for the rally. MUST CREDIT: Photo for The Washington Post by Ryan M. Kelly Read more In the first 21 days of this year, 31 people were killed in Philadelphia a dramatic increase compared with 17 in the same time period last year and about 90 people were shot. And while data from only three weeks is far too small to make predictions for the entire year, this cluster of gun violence is unacceptable. Of the 710 homicides in the past two years, at least 591 were committed by a handgun (the weapon in seven homicides is unknown or not reported by the police). According to data from the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office, about 86% of the 33,250 guns recovered by law enforcement in Philadelphia between 2001 and 2018 were handguns. It is rare for people who commit gun offenses to buy the firearm directly from the legal markets. Where do the majority of the guns come from, then? Some are passed among acquaintances, some are stolen, and some are bought via straw purchases: When a legitimate gun purchaser sells their firearm illegally. When these guns end up used in a crime, a common defense of the original owner is that the gun was lost or stolen. And yet, according to AOGs data, less than 3% of crime firearms recovered in Philadelphia have been reported as lost or stolen. Since 2008, Philadelphia has a city ordinance on the books requiring gun owners to report a lost or stolen gun to the police within 24 hours from the moment they noticed the gun went missing. The failure to do so is supposed to bring heavy fines and potential jail sentences for repeat offenders. The ordinance was never enforced because of threat of litigation by groups like the National Rifle Association that allege that it violates state preemption a fight the city is now welcoming. READ MORE: Philadelphia promised to stand with Pittsburgh after the Tree of Life shooting. Time to do it. | Editorial READ MORE: Philly should preempt Harrisburg on gun laws | Opinion The ordinance was enforced for the first time ever in November. The city contends that Rashad Armstrong, a Philadelphia man, knew that his gun was lost or stolen in 2018 but didnt report it. The gun ended up at a crime scene in Lancaster a month later. The city is seeking a $2,000 fine. Armstrong has asked the judge to dismiss the case and block the city from ever enforcing it again. The Public Interest Law Center wants to become involved in the case on the side of the city in the name of two mothers who lost their sons to gun violence one of them in Lancaster, who was shot using a gun from Philadelphia. READ MORE: Gov. Wolf urges passage of lost or stolen gun law in wake of Philly police shooting READ MORE: City officials to enforce required reporting of missing or stolen guns Like laws that require gun owners to store their firearms safely, reporting of lost and stolen firearms to prevent straw purchases would save lives without infringing on anyones Second Amendment rights. On MLK Day, thousands of gun rights advocates rallied outside the Virginia Capitol armed to the teeth in opposition to a proposed red flag gun law. The rallys attendees, and their guns, did not deter the Virginia Senate from passing the legislation. Our representatives in Harrisburg could act to allow Philadelphia to enact and enforce gun laws. Theyd rather allow guns and violence to proliferate instead. The pub chain said net debt is likely to land between 780 million and 820 million (Tim Ireland/PA) JD Wetherspoon has warned that its debt would pile up by the end of the financial year as the company invested millions in new pubs and refurbishments. The pub chain said net debt is likely to land between 780 million and 820 million, slightly higher than previously anticipated. It came as the business spent more money in the year than it was expecting, including 80 million extending pubs and opening new ones. It has also spent 57 million so far this year buying 18 pubs that it used to rent. We continue to anticipate a trading outcome for this financial year in line with our previous expectationsTim Martin, chairman The business expects to spend a further 28 million buying freeholds, it said, totalling around 8 million more than in the 2019 financial year. It comes as the firm reported a 4.7% rise in like-for-like sales over the first 12 weeks of its second quarter, ending January 19. Total sales, meanwhile, rose 4.2%. In 25 weeks since Wetherspoon kicked off its financial year, the pub chain has seen like-for-like sales up 5% and total sales rising 4.9%. It has opened one new pub and sold five in the period. The chain plans another 10 to 15 openings during the financial year. We continue to anticipate a trading outcome for this financial year in line with our previous expectations, said Tim Martin, the companys chairman. Mr Martin, an avid supporter of Brexit, was speaking after the business promised to slash the price of 10 drinks to mark the UKs departure from the European Union. Expand Close Tim Martin is a prominent backer of Brexit (John Stillwell/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tim Martin is a prominent backer of Brexit (John Stillwell/PA) The move, called Lets stay friends, will give customers around 60p off drinks from Germany, France, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and Ireland. Some UK drinks will also be included. The chairman took aim at organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry and the Food and Drink Federation, accusing them of doubling down on project fear stories. Mr Martin said the elimination of (EU) tariffs will obviously reduce prices. He added: It is high time these organisations took a wise-up pill and supported the democratic decisions of the UK. Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressed her desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd- turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has "not done enough justice to our history". The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session. Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar. "The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here," she said. Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai -- the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in 'Manikarnika', when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, "It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history". A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood "insiders" like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teacher's stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school. When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic "Thalaivi", based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The actress said her forthcoming release "Panga" is a family drama. Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on 'Litti Chokha', a local delicacy. She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Danny Kemp (Agence France-Presse) Amsterdam, Netherlands Wed, January 22, 2020 07:08 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20606abcb 2 Art & Culture Vincent-Van-Gogh,Van-Gogh,artist,painting,Netherlands,Norway Free A gloomy self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh was declared genuine on Monday after decades of uncertainty, experts identifying it as the only work painted by the Dutch master while he suffered from psychosis. The "Self Portrait (1889)" -- which shows the artist giving a haunted sideways glance against a swirling blue and yellow background -- was confirmed as authentic by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Questions were first raised about whether the painting -- owned by the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway -- was genuine as far back as 1970 but the Norwegian museum finally decided to end the doubts only in 2014, sending it to Dutch experts. Using X-ray analysis of the canvas, studies of the brushwork and references to letters to his brother Theo, experts established it was painted while Van Gogh was in an asylum in Saint-Remy in France in the late summer of 1889. "The self-portrait that is behind me has been doubted for a very long time," Louis van Tilborgh, senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, told AFP as he showed off the picture. "It's a work of art that for all kinds of reasons was by him but nevertheless also had certain aspects that were different from other pictures. "So we had to find an explanation for that and that was difficult, but I think we've solved that and so we're proud that we've more or less given the work back." Read also: 'Fake' still life in US museum confirmed as real Van Gogh 'Very happy' The Oslo museum bought the painting in 1910 from a collector in Paris for 10,000 francs, making it the first Van Gogh self-portrait to enter a public collection, but doubts have swirled about it for some 50 years. It uses less vibrant colors to other works from the same period, including muted blues and sickly yellows, and some of the paintwork looks less finished. But the new findings establish the painting as a companion piece to two famous self-portraits finished weeks later when he emerged from his psychosis, now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. "Although we were open to all possibilities, of course we are very happy" that the painting is genuine, said Mai Britt Guleng, curator of old masters and modern art at the Oslo museum. "This is very important for us to know that we have a genuine Van Gogh again in our collection because it has been doubted for several years." Van Tilborgh said that unlike them the Oslo painting "firmly depicts someone who is mentally ill". A year before painting the self-portrait, Van Gogh had cut off his own ear after a row with his friend the painter Paul Gauguin, beginning a long spell in and out of hospitals and asylums. Read also: Vincent van Gogh: Five things to know 'Remarkable, therapeutic' The Oslo painting is the only one that can be linked to a self-portrait Van Gogh described in his a letter to his brother on September 20 1889 as "an attempt from when I was ill". The painter was hit by a "severe psychotic episode" lasting a month and a half from July of that year, and although feeling able to paint again by the end he said he was still "disturbed". The researchers said the self-portrait must have been painted shortly after another letter dating from August 22 and before the two more famous portraits he painted in September. "Although Van Gogh was frightened to admit at that point that he was in a similar state to his fellow residents at the asylum, he probably painted this portrait to reconcile himself with what he saw in the mirror: a person he did not wish to be, yet was," said van Tilborgh, who is also Professor of Art History at the University of Amsterdam. "This is part of what makes the painting so remarkable and even therapeutic. It is the only work that Van Gogh is known for certain to have created while suffering from psychosis." The painting is currently on display at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and will return to Oslo when its new national museum opens in 2021. OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he wants to take a "thoughtful approach" to ratifying Canada's new North American trade deal, calling for an exhaustive review of the agreement before deciding whether the NDP will support it a move that could slow down the Liberals' plan to get it passed quickly. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stands in front of his caucus as he speaks to reporters after the weekly caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. New Democrat MPs will gather in Ottawa today for a two-day planning session to prepare the re-opening of the House of Commons next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he wants to take a "thoughtful approach" to ratifying Canada's new North American trade deal, calling for an exhaustive review of the agreement before deciding whether the NDP will support it a move that could slow down the Liberals' plan to get it passed quickly. Singh was in Ottawa Wednesday to begin a two-day planning session with his caucus before the House of Commons resumes sitting next week. He told reporters the Trudeau government won't get an easy pass from his party on the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Singh says Canadians were told in the past that Canada got the best deal possible in the initial agreement negotiated with the U.S. and Mexico, but later saw Democrats in Congress make revisions to labour rights and steel and aluminum provisions. A full debate in the House of Commons and a study at committee will ensure Canadians are getting the best deal possible, Singh said. "There's still some ongoing concerns about the changes that were made to help protect workers and the environment," he said. "I'm concerned about the enforceability, and I want to make sure we do an exhaustive debate, a study in committee, to make sure this is a good deal for Canadians." NDP leader Jagmeet Singh speaks at the start of a two day caucus meeting in Ottawa, Wednesday January 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he wants Canada to move swiftly to formally approve North America's new, long-delayed free trade pact. His government plans to introduce a motion to apply some of its elements Jan. 27 when Parliament resumes, and will table legislation to ratify the deal two days later. Getting the deal passed in Parliament will be a priority, Trudeau said. Last week, the Republican-led U.S. Senate passed its implementation bill for the new trade deal. But NDP MPs are not alone in saying they're in no hurry to ratify. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, whose party holds third-place status in the House of Commons, said his MPs will also push for a full debate and committee hearings on the new deal. That leaves the ball in the Conservatives' court, as the Liberals need support from at least one opposition party to pass any legislation in the current minority Parliament. Singh says the deal was negotiated in a "behind closed doors, take-it-or-leave-it way," and that Canadians have a right to fully understand all the implications of the trade pact before it's finalized. He remained on the fence about whether the NDP would ultimately support it. "If it turns out that this is something that is going to be in the benefit of Canadians, then we'll proceed in the right manner," he said Wednesday. The NDP leader spent the day behind closed doors with most of his 24 MPs to discuss strategies for the first extended sitting of Parliament since the 2019 election, which begins Monday. He said the party's focus will be on advancing issues that will make life better for everyday Canadians, including: housing, health care and public transit. They will also push for a national, single-payer pharmacare program and publicly-funded dental care, as well as justice for Indigenous Peoples. But Singh faced questions about a decision by the party's federal council to postpone its annual convention, which was scheduled for this year, to 2021. He would not directly say whether this was due to the costs. The party has struggled to keep up with other parties in fundraising. He also brushed aside suggestions he was trying to avoid a leadership review, saying he has no doubt he has the full confidence of the party. New Democrats want to be in the best position to run an election given the "volatility" of minority governments, he said. "We're in a minority and we want to make sure that we are able to do a good job as parliamentarians, but also that our party is in good standing and good health, so we made the decision to push it back." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. [January 22, 2020] Medica Supports Local Communities through Innovative Program Medica, a non-profit health insurer today announced an innovative program designed to support local economies throughout Minnesota by depositing millions of dollars into local community banks. Medica's President and Chief Executive Officer, John Naylor, stated: "We recognize that there are Minnesotans throughout the state that have significant financial needs. Many of them turn to their local community bank for loans in these times of need. By banking locally, Medica is giving community banks more resources to support families and small businesses in our communities." Under this program, Medica will deposit $20 million of its reserves in local community banks throughout the state. Medica will be supported in this effort by the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota (ICBM). Medica anticipates about 80 banks will participate in the initial rollout of this program. The money deposited by Medica will be used, in turn, to invest in local economies through loans by the participating banks to businesses and individuals in the communities they serve. Medica will select participating banks based on the local economic needs of each community. "As a non-profit health plan, Medica has an obligation to place its reserves in credible financial institutions to ensure that we can meet our health insurance obligations," said Naylor. "At the same time, we are always looking for innovative ways to invest in the communities we serve and we believe this is another way we demonstrate why Minnesotans place their trust in us." "Community banks are conduits to promote the economic success of towns and cities across Minnesota," said ICBM President and CEO Jim Amundson. "At a time when gathering depositsis one of community banks' top priorities, Medica is choosing to bank locally. We are thrilled to partner with one of the state's most respected companies to launch this novel program. We hope other Minnesota companies will choose to follow Medica's lead." About Community Banks Community banks channel their loans to the neighborhoods where their depositors live and work, which helps local businesses and communities thrive. According to the Federal Reserve's "Small Business Credit Survey: Report on Employer Firms," community banks are the small business lender of choice. Community banks comprise 99 percent of all banks, provide more than 60 percent of all small business loans and make more than 80 percent of agricultural loans. Moreover, community bank officers are typically deeply involved in their local communities. About Medica Medica (www.medica.com) is a non-profit health plan headquartered in Minnesota. The company serves communities in the heart of America by providing health care coverage and related services in the employer, individual, Medicaid and Medicare markets. It operates in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica's vision is to be trusted in the community for our unwavering commitment to high quality, affordable health care. Medica's annual report, which includes the organization's community involvement activities, is available online. About Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota The Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota (www.icbm.org) is a Bloomington, Minn.,-based trade association that provides community banks with the resources and advocacy they need to remain independent, grow their banks, and benefit their communities. Founded in 1962, the word "community" is in ICBM's name to emphasize the unique role of community banks in thriving local economies, families, schools, and businesses. ICBM is the only state association comprised solely of independent, community banks. ICBM's vision is that every hometown in Minnesota will benefit from the positive impact of a local community bank. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005597/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Beer sales in Vietnam are down ahead of the lunar new year, bar owners said, as a tough new drink-driving law threatens to put a lid on celebrations in one of the world's fastest-growing markets for the cold stuff. In the run-up to Vietnam's Tet holiday, open-air 'bia hoi' bars are normally packed with rowdy customers sloshing back jugs of the country's favourite tipple. But in many bars in Hanoi, rows of chairs sit empty and some managers complained business is way down since a zero-tolerance policy was introduced on January 1. Nguyen Thi Hanh, a manager at a bia hoi in downtown Hanoi, said she would struggle to pay staff this month. "The new regulation is horrible. The number of customers has dropped significantly, by around 80 percent," she said. "If the situation carries on like this, we can only hold up for one to two months." The strict new law came is part of an effort to change the drinking culture in a country where swigging a few beers before dashing home on a motorbike is common -- and where road accidents are a leading killer. More than 30 per cent of traffic accidents among men in Vietnam are due to excessive drinking, according to the World Health Organization. Under the new law, motorbike drivers who have been drinking will be fined up to $345, while car drivers under the influence could face a penalty of up to $1,800. Both face two-year licence suspensions. Even bicyclists face up to $25 for riding after drinking. Traffic police said they fined around 6,300 drivers across the country in the two weeks after the law was introduced. Fatal accidents dropped by around 13 percent compared to the previous fortnight. Bar manager Tran Anh Minh said takings were down by 50 percent at his bia hoi and they were trying to help customers by offering to keep vehicles overnight or driving them home. One of his few patrons, Nguyen Tien Dung, said he had barely been out to drink in recent days and had only come to have a few with a friend because the bar was close to home. "I support the new regulation but it was introduced quite fast," he said, nursing a beer in the deserted bar. "The habits of Vietnamese people can't be changed right away." With a population of 93 million people, Vietnam is among Asia's top 10 alcohol consumers, according to SSI Securities asset management firm. Beer consumption is expected to hit 4.2 billion litres (1.1 billion gallons) in 2020, and the country is Southeast Asia's biggest beer market. Hanoi's famed "bia hoi" bars are struggling as a new law aimed at stopping drunk drivers bites Many Vietnamese stop off at their favourite bar for a few glasses of beer after work Brampton, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. (CSE: SNA) (CSE: SNA.CN) ("Star' or the "Corporation") announces that on Friday, January 17, 2020, the Commercial Court of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (the "Court") ordered that an Annual General and Special Meeting of the shareholders of Star be held on March 9, 2020. The Special Meeting previously called for February 14, 2020 will be cancelled. The Court further ordered that if Star's audited financial statements for the financial year ended June 30, 2019 are not available for circulation in accordance with applicable timing rules, Star has leave to adjourn its March 9, 2020 Annual General and Special Meeting for no more than thirty days in order to complete preparation of those financial statements. The current management team consists of Peter M. Clausi, Interim CEO, Randy Koroll, CFO, Jean-Louis Larmor, Vice-President - Corporate Development, Barney Lassche, Vice- President- Human Resources and Roger S. Peacock, General Counsel. They, together with the Board of Directors, shall operate Star in the normal course of business. The current management team was not appointed by Court Order. About Star Navigation: Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. owns the exclusive worldwide license to its proprietary, patented In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS , the heart of the STAR-A.D.S. and of the STAR-ISAMM / STAR-LSAMM Systems. Its real-time capability of tracking performance trends and predicting incident-occurrence enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator. Star's M.M.I. Division designs and manufactures high performance, mission critical, flight deck flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide. These displays are found on aircraft and simulators, from C-130 aircraft, to Sikorsky and Agusta Westland helicopters, as examples. Stars' subsidiary, Star-Isoneo Inc., is a specialised software firm, developing complex solutions in engineering, simulation and development for Canadian customers. Star-Isoneo works closely with Star in the development of the Company's MEDEVAC (STAR-ISAMM and STAR-LSAMM ) applications of the patented STAR-A.D.S. technology, and on its current R&D program with Bombardier. Certain statements contained in this Release constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "expected", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Star or its management or board are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect Star's current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Mr. Viraf Kapadia's outstanding litigation and the process initiated by Mr. Kapadia for his personal interests under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act are risks to Star. Many other factors could cause Star's actual performance or achievements to vary from those described herein. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Star does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. 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 the content of this release. Please visit www.star-navigation.com or contact Mr. Peter Clausi, Interim CEO at 1 416 252-2889 or 1 416 890 1232 or Mr. Lassche at 1 647 779-4274 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51740 January 22nd. *1561 Sir Francis Bacon (1561 1626) was born in London. He is best known for his philosophical works concerning the acquisition of knowledge; Novum Organum and The Advancement of Learning. Bacon had a preference for young Welsh serving-men. The roll of attendants for Bacons household in 1618 lists a total of 75 attendants, of whom some 25 were gentlemen waiters. There was Francis Edney, who, upon Bacons death in 1626, received 200 and my rich gown; young Thomas Meautys, who was to become Bacons secretary-in-chief; a Mr Bushell, gent. usher, who came to the household in 1608 as a lad of fifteen, and who remained until Bacons death; Edward Sherburn, groom of the chamber; and, above all, young Tobie Matthew, who was left only a ring to the value of 30, but who had become Sir Tobie through Bacons efforts, and who was well able to care for himself.. Bacons mother wrote him a letter, which still survives, complaining about the long list of servants and envoys who find their way to his bed. She refers to a gay Spanish envoy as that bloody Perez and bed companion of my son. We dont know what she wrote to her other son, Roger, who was also gay. *1788 George Gordon, Lord Byron, was born in 1788. His memoir My Life and Adventures was burned being considered too scandalous for publication. But, bits of his private life have been pieced together. A champion of freedom and an enemy of hypocrisy he had a ravenous sexual appetite. Byrons attraction to adolescent boys had first become evident at Harrow, where he referred to his entourage of adoring younger pupils as his Theban band. At Cambridge, Byron fell in with a sophisticated group of like-minded friends fascinated by the theory and practice of sodomy. Their hero was William Beckford, author of the libidinous eastern dream novel The Caliph Vathek, who had been forced to flee the country rather than face possible criminal charges related to a homosexual scandal. They called themselves by the codename Methodists. In autumn 1805, when he was 17, Byron met and fell in love with John Edleston, a Trinity College chorister, and wrote some of his most beautiful lyrics of lament to his musical protege, using the deceptive female name of Thyrza, after Edleston died young. It is clear from Lord Byrons correspondence of this period that one of his main motives in setting out on extended travels in 1809-10 was his hope of homosexual experiences. In Greece and Turkey, sex with boys was more or less accepted as the norm and he found willing partners. There was Eusthathius Georgiou, the volatile Greek boy with ambrosial curls whose parasol, carried to protect his complexion from the sun, made Byrons valet cringe. There was the Franco-Greek Nicolo Giraud, with his limpid eyes, who taught Byron Italian in Athens, taking a whole day to conjugate the verb to embrace. By the end of Byrons stay in Greece he was boasting to his Methodist friends that he had achieved more than 200 pl and opt Cs, their code for unlimited sexual intercourse, taken from Petroniuss Satyricon coitum plenum et optabilem. When Byron arrived back in England in summer 1811, prejudice against homosexuals was on the increase after a police raid on the White Swan tavern in Vere Street, London. Of the men charged with assault with the intention to commit sodomy, six were sentenced to be pilloried in the Haymarket, where they were pelted with mud and excrement by a savage crowd. Byron was lectured about the need for caution by Hobhouse, who had already persuaded him to burn his early journal, which presumably included an account of his love for the choirboy Edleston. Byron later said the loss of this manuscript was irreparable. From 1812 to 1815, Byrons curld darling years of literary fame, he was swept up in the whirl of London social activity. For its readers in that period of moral and political uncertainty, two decades after the upheavals of the French revolution, the subversive energy of Byrons Childe Harold had struck an extraordinary chord. Its success was entwined with the mysterious persona of its author, the 24-year-old Lord Byron, the handsome, lame young aristocrat recently returned from the east. His sexual conflicts impelled Byron into wild behavior. Due to the hostile climate of homosexuality Lord Byrons relationships with women needed the extreme, the risque, to fan them into life. Cross-dressing was a feature of these complicated sex games. The arousing innuendos of his summer with blue-eyed Caroline, a prostitute passed off in Brighton as Byrons brother Gordon, were recreated on a more sophisticated level in his perilously public affair with Lady Caroline Lamb. The gamine, crop-haired Caro was already a page-fancier and needed no encouragement to dress in pages uniform for Byrons delectation, their increasingly hysterical liaison being sustained by a creaky assortment of Gothic props. It was actually Lady Caroline who doomed Byron. Early in 1815 Byron had made an unenthusiastic marriage to Caros husbands cousin, Annabella Milbanke. Caro had predicted that he would never be able to pull with a woman who went to church punctually, understood statistics and had a bad figure. The claustrophobia of conventional married life in Piccadilly Terrace prompted Byron to behave badly with a thoroughness only he could have achieved, flaunting his relations with Augusta, throwing out dark hints of his homosexual past and shooting the tops off his soda-water bottles while his wife was in labor in the room upstairs. On January 15 1816 Annabella and their infant daughter left London, taking refuge at her parents country house in Leicestershire. Three weeks later her father, Sir Ralph Milbanke, wrote formally to Byron to request a separation. Rumors of marital violence, adultery with actresses and his incest with his sister began to circulate. In early February the villainous intriguante Lady Caroline began spreading her own version of these stories, perpetrating the worst possible revenge of the woman scorned. Accused B of poor fellow, the plot thickens against him, reported Hobhouse. The dash in his diary stands for sodomy. Byrons sexual predilections, up to then known only to his confidential inner circle, were becoming public property. On February 12, Hobhouse brought Byron the alarming news of what he had been hearing in the streets that day. Shortly after nine in the morning of April 25 1816, the poet George Gordon Lord Byron left England for the continent never to return. Arranging a drug deal/robbery with a juvenile is the least of the legal troubles a Lehigh County woman is now facing, Bethlehem police said. Tiana Lopez, 20, faces a handful of felonies and other charges for an early morning incident Tuesday on Bethlehems Southside that started with arranging the drug deal, and ended with Lopez and the juvenile stealing the dealers car and crashing into a house, police said. Lopez, of the 100 block of Cherokee Street in Fountain Hill, is charged with robbery, theft, fleeing police, corruption of minors and eight other related offenses. She was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. Bethlehem police said Lopez arranged for the juvenile to buy marijuana in the 600 block of Carlton Street. The dealer arrived in a black Honda, and Lopez and the juvenile got into the vehicle, police said. The boy asked to see the pot and, once he was shown it, reportedly said, Youre beat and ran out of the car. The dealer ran after the boy and the two were fighting when, police said, Lopez got into the drivers seat. The boy got into the passenger seat and the pair took off in the dealers car, police said. Lopez is accused of hitting a parked car as she fled, and a witness saw the crash and called police. Officers spotted the car on Boyce Street and a chase ensued, where Lopez allegedly ran stop signs and red lights, reaching 70 mph before crashing into a house at 701 Wyandotte St., police said. The pair were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Lopez allegedly admitted to trying to buy pot, trying to steal the pot and then stealing the car, hitting a vehicle and leaving. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. From Cairos perspective, one of the Berlin conferences successes is that it obviated Ankaras bid to hijack the Libyan peace process. Cairo will now contribute to monitoring progress in implementing the Berlin agreement and will attend the follow-up committee that holds its first meeting in Geneva next week. The committee will have 40 members, 13 from the Government of National Accord (GNA), an equal number from the Libyan Parliament, the head of the Libyan Supreme Court and 13 representatives of civil society, as agreed with the UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame. Cairo is also relieved the Berlin conference managed to cap the dangerous escalation precipitated by Ankaras decision to intervene militarily. The conference, in which Cairo participated actively, marks a fresh start in the international drive to solve the Libyan conflict. According to Egyptian diplomatic sources, Cairo had important input in the summits closing statement. In general Cairo, like most of the other participants in the conference, was determined to halt the downward spiral in Libya due to foreign interventions seeking to fuel and prolong the fighting. Turkey has been particularly flagrant in its defiance of the international arms embargo to Libya, arming the radical militias allied with the GNA and sending hundreds of jihadists from Syria to support them. According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), there are now more than 1,000 mercenaries from Syrias Turkish-backed Sultan Murad and Hamza regiments in Libya. The Berlin Summit was firm on the need to stamp out this threat. Point 6 of the Conference Conclusions states: We commit to refraining from interference in the armed conflict or in the internal affairs of Libya and urge all international actors to do the same. Point 18 states: We commit to unequivocally and fully respect and implement the arms embargo established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) and the Councils subsequent Resolutions, including the proliferation of arms from Libya, and call on all international actors to do the same. The proof of such resolve, of course, has yet to be tested. Sources in Cairo note that previous mechanisms for monitoring commitment to the arms embargo have failed. The most important the International Embargo and Monitoring Committee and the maritime surveillance mission Sophia Operation were both ineffective. In fact there was an increase in arms smuggling operations into Libya from at least 32 sources, according to UN reports. Even more recently, the GNA signed a military pact with Ankara from which it has received shiploads of heavy weaponry in recent months. It appears that European powers are divided over the best way to enforce the embargo. Italy favours a return to the Sophia mechanism while other parties point to its failure and urge the search for a new and more effective alternative. Moscow supports the creation of an international monitoring committee, also favoured by Salame. Cairo, for its part, has made it clear that it is willing to take part in any international efforts towards enforcing the embargo. In the wake of the conference a military committee will be set up to which the GNAs Prime Minister Fayez Al-Serraj and the Libyan National Armys Commander Khalifa Haftar have nominated five representatives each. Salame has indicated that he will submit a proposal to this 5+5 military committee outlining ways to end the import of mercenaries from Syria and elsewhere. A diplomatic source who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly from Tripoli said the militias represent the greatest challenge to the Berlin process given how deeply embedded they are in both Tripoli and Misrata. These militias control everything. They control the security agencies, politics, and the economy which they run for their own benefit. These forces are large and heavily armed. Imported mercenaries represent a more complex problem. How do you convince the parties that brought them in to take them out? These parties have little incentive to do this since they believe the mercenaries promote their particular interests. Also, their numbers have proliferated. Is the UN going to fight them? In the opinion of this diplomatic source, Libya needs a national military in order to uproot the mercenaries. In an interview aired on Libyan television Salame said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been invited to Berlin because he had threatened to send Syrian fighters to Libya. In Berlin, Erdogan pledged not to intervene or send mercenaries: Salame said this meant that he could now call Erdogan to account if he violates that commitment. Erdogan told a local Libyan television station that he had not sent forces to Libya. Yet days earlier he had announced that he had sent forces on a training mission there. Moreover, his Libyan ally Al-Sarraj has acknowledged the presence of Turkish-backed mercenaries in Libya. On the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the maritime border and the security agreement that Erdogan signed with Al-Sarraj, Salame said: The security agreement complicated certain things in Libya and intensified the escalation while the maritime MoU jeopardises European interests, especially those of Cyprus and Greece. The security agreement can be reaffirmed or abolished by a unified Libyan government. But the fate of the maritime MoU will be determined by the International Court of Justice because neither Libya nor Turkey have signed the international Law of the Sea convention. The Conference Conclusions mentioned four baskets of issues: countering terrorism and the militias; restructuring the security agencies; monitoring the arms embargo and ceasefire; and humanitarian concerns. Follow through on these matters will be undertaken by various committees while the UN assumes the lead in overseeing the implementation of the outputs of the summit. According to both Libyan and Egyptian sources, the conference in Berlin marked the beginning of a new transitional phase in which a number of political and security steps will be gradually executed in the framework of a partial consensus among key international players. However, the process still lacks mechanisms to ensure commitment and penalise violations. They noted many of the points in the conclusions were more in the nature of calls or appeals and that it will be up to the International Follow-Up Committee (IFC), consisting of the foreign ministers of participant states at the conference, to flesh out the points and their executive measures. The IFC will have its first meeting next week. As for the situation on the ground, sources in Libya told the Weekly that the truce is still fragile and that local stakeholders in the conflict will continue to jockey and manoeuvre in order to strengthen their hands. The sources stress that much remains in the air. The Berlin Conference did not address the specifics of the political process though a source in the Libyan Foreign Ministry said UNSMIL had submitted its proposals on the political process to both Al-Sarraj and Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the House of Representatives in Tobruk. He added that there is an agreement to continue discussions and the next steps will be determined in Geneva. *A version of this article appears in print in the 22 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the title: Berlin road map for Libya Search Keywords: Short link: A tree surgeon who scaled Big Ben in a leotard and Boris Johnson wig claimed he was suffering from 'climate change' anxiety when he appeared barefoot in court to deny trespassing - but a magistrate hit back saying he was really suffering from 'Extinction Rebellion psychosis.' Benjamin Atkinson spent three hours on the scaffolding at Queen Elizabeth Tower last October after unfurling a rainbow flag which read: 'No pride on a dead planet'. The 43-year-old spoke to confirm his name, address and deny a single trespass charge at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Barefoot: Benjamin Atkinson spent three hours on the scaffolding at Queen Elizabeth Tower last October after unfurling a rainbow flag which read: 'No pride on a dead planet'. The 43-year-old denied a single trespass charge at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday An Extinction Rebellion activist wearing a 'Boris Johnson' blond wig climbed the scaffolding surrounding the Elizabeth Tower which houses Big Ben and unfurled two banners Prosecutor David Burns said: 'It is alleged that he ignored warning signs about entering the premises and climbing the tower and unfurling two Extinction Rebellion flags.' Atkinson stood in the dock barefoot and declined invitations to sit down during proceedings. His solicitor Jenny Winter indicated he intends to argue necessity in his defence and will call witnesses to give evidence on his suffering from 'climate change anxiety'. Chief Magistrate, Lady Emma Arbuthnot: 'No, no, no, this is about climbing a tower, necessity is saving life or preventing immediate injury, necessity is a very narrow defence. The court may not allow you to rely on it.' Lady Arbuthnot described his so called climate change anxiety as 'Extinction Rebellion psychosis.' Crowds had gathered at Westminster during the three hour stunt at 3:30pm on 18 October last year. Atkinson, of Rydal, Cumbria, denies trespassing on a designated protected site under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and will return for trial on 14 April Extinction Rebellion environmental activist Ben Atkinson leaves Parliament under arrest after free climbing the Big Ben clock tower and dropping banners While on the scaffolding he told Sky News by phone: 'I don't think Boris is doing his job properly - he needs to get past Brexit and start thinking about the sixth mass extinction event that's happening as we speak.' Atkinson, of Rydal, Cumbria, denies trespassing on a designated protected site under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and will return for trial on 14 April. The maximum sentence for the offence is six months jail and or a fine not exceeding 5,000. Speaking outside court, Atkinson said he wore a costume 'to make it obvious that this was not a terrorist incident occurring'. The father-of-two is a tree surgeon and runs a 'glamping' campsite in Cumbria. Pictured: Ben Atkinson detained by police after climbing Westminster Tower to display an Extinction Rebellion banner Ben Atkinson is watched by police officers after climbing scaffolding on Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster 'I don't wear shoes in general,' he said. 'I put shoes on for the action, those that know me asked 'why were you wearing shoes?'' 'I was there, I did what you say I did, but my necessity overrides my legal right to protest. The necessity is political, environmental and personal.' 'The timing was that it came at the and when the Metropolitan Police had made a one week ban of all Extinction Rebellion protests that was found to be illegal in the High Court. 'That is the testament that is was necessary for me to scale up the level of protest. In a way I'm saying everybody is insane not to be experiencing this anxiety. 'I'm fully aware of the climate crisis that we're in, we're fundamentally committing suicide as a species.' LANSING, Michigan A state lawmaker under investigation for reportedly making inappropriate comments to a female reporter is now being accused by a fellow legislator of sexual harassment. According to mlive.com, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow says the encounter with Sen. Peter Lucido occurred in November 2018 during an orientation for incoming senators. She says when she introduced herself to Lucido, he put his hand on her lower back and held it there. The Detroit Free Press reports that McMurrow also accuses Lucido of grazing her upper rear with his fingers. McMorrow says that she told Lucido where she was from and that she had defeated her opponent in her district, Lucido looked her up and down and said, I can see why, mlive.com reports. It implied, You won because of what you look like, McMorrow tells mlive.com. I know Im a sitting member, I know that my story carries weight. ... Its on us to change this culture and make this a comfortable place for everybody to work. McMurrow says she decided to come forward after hearing about a reporters accusations against Lucido. Lucido sent a statement to the Free Press saying he categorically denies McMorrows accusations. However, Sen. Rosemary Bayer, a Democrat, tells Crains Detroit Business, that she witnessed Lucido holding McMorrow for an extended period. McMorrow filed her complaint with the Senate Business Office, which already is investigating Lucido for comments he reportedly made earlier this month to Allilson Donahue, 22, a reporter with the Michigan Advance. Donahue was standing next to Lucido, waiting for a chance to interview him as he spoke with students from De La Salle Collegiate, an all-boys Catholic high school. Donahue, writing about the encounter in the Advance, says Lucido asked her, Youve heard of De La Salle, right? Donahue responded she had not heard of the school. Its an all-boys school, Lucido said, according to Donahue. You should hang around! You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you. Donahue reports the boys burst into laughter after the remark. She says she walked away, feeling objectified and humiliated. Lucido did not dispute making the comments to Donahue, but told the Free Press the comments were blown out of proportion and that he was not talking about anything sexual." He also said he believed he was being misquoted. He did issue a statement saying I apologize for the misunderstanding yesterday and for offending Allison Donahue. [January 22, 2020] STACK INFRASTRUCTURE and Peterson Companies Announce Development of 125-acre Hyperscale Data Center Campus in Prince William County, VA STACK INFRASTRUCTURE ("STACK" or the "Company"), the data center company built from the ground up to address the technology infrastructure needs of rapidly scaling enterprises and hyperscale businesses, and Peterson Companies, one of the largest privately-owned real estate development companies in the DC region, today announced plans to develop a data center campus in Manassas, Virginia. The 125-acre, multi-phase development will eventually offer more than 250 MW of critical load for flexible build-to-suit facilities to serve large data center users in the Northern Virginia market. The 25-acre initial phase of the project will deliver 700,000 square feet, serving 72 MW of critical capacity beginning as early as the end of 2020. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005489/en/ 125-acre Hyperscale Data Center Campus in Prince William County, VA to be developed (Graphic: Business Wire) "Northern Virginia continues to be the largest, most important data center market in the world, and we are excited to partner with Peterson on this opportunity," said Brian Cox (News - Alert), Chief Executive Officer of STACK. "Prince William County offers robust power infrastructure and low latency connectivity within one of the densest concentrations of fiber networks in the world. This, in combination with the low total costs of ownership available in this market, enables us to offer an especially attractive value proposition to clients." "We are excited to partner with STACK to bring this 125-acre, 4 million plus square foot data center campus online," stated Taylor O. Chess, President of Development for Peterson Companies. "STAK's data center expertise combined with Peterson's expertise in working with local jurisdictions and utilities to develop complex projects makes for a powerful team, as evidenced by the fact that we already have four pad sites cleared and graded." "This new development exemplifies our ongoing focus on ensuring that STACK stands ready to rapidly deliver capacity to our clients in key markets," added Matt VanderZanden, Chief Strategy Officer of STACK. "In partnership with one of the most experienced developers in the DC region, Peterson, and with four pad-ready sites in the Prince William County data center overlay zone, we believe the ability to offer large scale build-to-suit projects to support immediate demand is compelling." "We are very pleased that Peterson Companies and STACK Infrastructure have teamed up to make this significant investment in Prince William County to join the largest concentration of data centers in the U.S.," said Christina Winn, Executive Director, Prince William County Economic Development Department. "Prince William County prides itself in being a pro-business community and a leader in developing policies that support the growth and expansion of this important industry." ABOUT STACK INFRASTRUCTURE STACK is a leading data center company built from the ground up to address the full stack of its clients' critical infrastructure needs, today and into the future. The Company delivers a comprehensive suite of wholesale colocation, build-to-suit, and powered shell solutions in seven markets today: Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas; New Albany, Ohio; Northern Virginia; Portland, Oregon; and Silicon Valley, California. With unparalleled existing and flexible expansion capacity in the leading availability zones, STACK provides the scale and geographic reach that rapidly growing enterprises and hyperscale companies need. For more information, please visit www.stackinfra.com. ABOUT PETERSON COMPANIES As one of the largest privately-owned real estate development companies in the DC region, Peterson Companies consistently delivers some of the area's most exciting destinations. Over the past 53 years, Peterson has created such exceptional landmarks as National Harbor, Downtown Silver Spring, Fair Lakes, and Fairfax Corner. With a proven ability to move quickly on opportunities to reshape and enhance local communities, the company creates vibrant residential and business districts that benefit all who live and work in our region. Combined with our extensive real estate portfolio of mixed-use retail, residential and commercial developments are several other companies and investments, that together, reflect our commitment to improve the lifestyles of those who share the place we call home. For more information about the Peterson Companies, please visit www.petersoncos.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005489/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gov. Noem lauds state economy, but big legislative fights are coming Noems speech flowed between business and economic development, lifestyle issues and social issues that were united by their conservative themes. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 22, 2020 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 22, 2020 | 07:34 AM | PADUCAH Dippin' Dots CEO Scott Fischer will appear tonight on the CBS show Undercover Boss. Fischer, who bought the ice cream brand in 2012, will take a look through the employee lens of the fast-growing business on the award-winning series, which airs Wednesday at 7 p.m. Central Time. According to a Dippin' Dots press release, Fischer works side-by-side in the episode with a franchise location employee, a theme park staff member, and both a production and shipping team member in the companys Paducah manufacturing facility. Along the way, Fischer has conversations with each employee to get their feedback on the business and their roles within the company. This experience elevated my compassion and awareness for the incredible employees we have throughout the country who are instrumental to keeping our brand fun and fresh, said Fischer. Being able to go undercover and get unbiased, solid, legitimate feedback and emotions from our team members is something that will help guide my business decisions ongoing. Fischer says the company is working to finish construction of a second production plant in Kentucky, which he says will increase product output and improve employee and plant efficiency. Dippin Dots beaded ice cream was created in 1988, and is is available in thousands of franchise locations, theme parks, stadiums, arenas, zoos, movie theaters, fairs and festivals, as well as shipped to customers homes. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD has made an arrest in connection with a shocking home-invasion burglary in Tottenville last week where a brave grandma fought off an intruder, the Advance has learned. Gustavo Ramos, 33, of Port Richmond Avenue, Port Richmond, was arrested Wednesday morning for charges that include burglary for two separate incidents, including the one on Jan. 13 on the 300 block of Manhattan Street that sparked a massive NYPD manhunt, according to a spokesman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. In that incident, a courageous 58-year-old grandmother told the Advance in an exclusive interview how the burglar forced his way into her home while she was watching her baby granddaughter and how she managed to fend him off. When she answered the door, she encountered a man wearing a hoodie with the drawstrings pulled so tight that only his eyes and part of his face was showing. I saw him earlier on the corner, but I thought he was a kid because of his hoodie and backpack, she said. He had a checkbook and pen in his hand and he asked if it was mine, so I opened the door a little bit and he pushed me in the house. The man violently shoved her against the wall and entered her home. Then she struggled with him as he attempted to lock the door behind him, she said. I started beating him as hard as I could and said youre not going to do this to me, not today, she told the Advance. 4 Cops probe burglary report in Tottenville Ramos had previously done work in the womans home and she was able to recognize him, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Advance. Ramos also is charged in connection with a Jan. 3 incident on Copper Leaf Terrace on Todt Hill, where money and checkbooks were taken from a home, police said. He was led out of the NYPDs 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George Wednesday afternoon in handcuffs, and is expected to be arraigned Thursday in Richmond County Criminal Court. Bengaluru: Financial expert Punit Sood will head the Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) technology and operations hub in India's tech city to build its strategic capabilities for achieving the bank's goals, worldwide, said an official on Monday. "Punit understands the vital contribution that India makes to the bank and, as we enter a new phase of innovation and transformation, Punit is very well positioned to transform our capabilities in the region for a greater strategic impact," RBS chief administrative officer Simon McNamara said in a statement on the appointment. As the head of technology for RBS in India earlier, Sood shaped the bank's technology business to operate as a centre of excellence. Sood said RBS India has made excellent progress in India in the recent years, emerging to become a more integral part of the bank by becoming an employer of choice in the region. "Look forward to working with our exceptional talent pool to build greater value for our customers, colleagues, and communities,a said Sood. A veteran industry executive with three decades of experience, Sood earlier worked with JP Morgan, Citibank, Mphasis and GE Capital Services. Headquartered in Edinburgh, financial services major RBS operates by its namesake and NatWest subsidiaries, including Ulster Bank and Coutts. UGC vice-chairman Bhushan Patwardhan on Wednesday said university campuses should be used for academic purpose, not for any political purpose. Replying to a question on the ongoing agitations on the university campuses, Patwardhan said the premises should be protected and used only for academic purposes. The campuses should be used for innovation, research, which can benefit society at large, he said. "The students, as citizens of the country, are free to do whatever they like outside the campuses, which are their right. They cannot be converted into battlegrounds to settle cores," he said. Patwardhan was here to inaugurate the 33rd biennial conference on 'trade for futuristic development of home science reserach and innovation'. He gave details of various initiatives taken by the UGC for the benefit of teachers and the students for better employment opportunities. The initiatives include a six-month induction programme for teachers, a national academic credit bank for students replacing the current credit-based choice system which would allow students to join in one university, pursue the course in another university and earn a degree from a different university, he said. Earlier in his address to the conference, Patwardhan urged the Home Science Association of India to put forward their suggestion to shape a curriculum. The UGC has formulated the syllabus already and after getting feedback from the association, it would finalise the curriculum, he said. In her address, association president professor Anjali Karolia said there still existed a lot of discrepancies in the degrees offered by various institutions across the country with BA, BSc and even BCom and a lot of disparities in the curriculum of courses offered. "This definitely is of concern and needs to be addressed," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Xu Bingjun On January 14, 2020, Gen. John W. Jay Raymond, Commander of US Air Force Space Command, was sworn in as the US Space Force's first Chief of Space Operations, marking a major step forward on Americas space militarization after President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2020 last month, with the establishment of the Space Force, the sixth major service, approved. The US has continuously strengthened its military buildup in recent years and taken the space as its strategic goal. On August 29, 2019, the US officially announced to set up the Space Command, stressing that the land, sea, air and cyberspace have all become crucial battlefields and it viewed the space as an independent domain in order to ensure that Americas superiority in space is never questioned and never threatened. After that Washington has adopted a series of measures to accelerate the process of space militarization. To ensure its superiority in space competition, the US has kept putting more investment in space projects, and its 2018 annual budget for space projects was increased by 20% from the previous fiscal year, followed by an increase of over 7% in the fiscal year of 2019. As Washington has sped up the process of space militarization, its space budget will continue to increase substantially. In the meantime, US has moved faster to develop space weapons, especially offensive space equipment including unmanned spacecraft, anti-satellite weapons and sky-based assault weapon systems. The Air Force's X-37B Space Plane to be launched for the sixth time in 2020 is considered a secret space weapon or space spying platform. Realistic exercises are also carried out more frequently to explore future space wars. It is reported that on September 7, 2019, less than ten days after the US Space Command was established, Washington carried out the Schriever space war exercise set against the background that an imaginary enemy state launched a multi-domain war in Europe. It also organized the Space Flag combined operations exercise. With these exercises, Americas space war has shifted from the strategic level to the tactical level. Moreover, instigating the NATO and its allies to enter the space is another important way for the US to push the space militarization more quickly. On December 4 last year, leaders of NATO member states were pushed by the US to reach an agreement at the London Summit, announcing the space to be the fifth battlefield. Whats more, Gen. John Raymond hinted at the annual meeting of US Air Force Association last September that the US plans to form a space inner circle within the wider Five Eyes (FVEY), an anglophone intelligence alliance, and the conglomerations other members are the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a view to leading the formulation of rules for space activities. Driven by Americas aggressive promotion, the space is being militarized at an ever faster pace whether the international community likes it or not. Washington has tied NATO and its allies onto the space chariot, aggravated space arms race and made the space no longer peaceful, which is truly disturbing for all countries in the world. Peace should be an inherent feature of human space exploration. Indeed, because of a dearth of laws protecting our privacy and almost no high-profile political discussion about the stakes at hand Americans are sleepwalking into a future nearly as frightening as the one the Chinese are constructing. I choose the word sleepwalking deliberately, because when it comes to digital privacy, a lot of us prefer the comfortable bliss of ignorance. As a result, much of the surveillance engine operates underground just beyond where many of us dare to look. In recent months my colleagues at The Times and other media outlets have published a series of shattering investigations into modern digital surveillance. Among other revelations: Advertising companies and data brokers are keeping insanely close tabs on smartphones location data, tracking users so precisely that their databases could arguably compromise national security or political liberty. There are few meaningful checks on scanning for people using facial recognition, genetic profiles or other biometric data. Tracking technologies have become cheap and widely available for less than $100, my colleagues were able to identify people walking by surveillance cameras in Bryant Park in Manhattan. This past weekend, The Timess Kashmir Hill reported on a company called Clearview AI that has created a tool that could end your ability to walk down the street anonymously. By scraping pictures from Facebook, YouTube and other websites to create a huge database of faces, the company lets cops identify people just by snapping a photo. Its Shazam for faces, not very different from the kind of facial recognition tools we worry the authorities may be using in China and even though hundreds of police departments may have access to it, almost no one outside the company understands how it works. The Clearview AI story suggests another reason to worry that our march into surveillance has become inexorable: Each new privacy-invading technology builds on a previous one, allowing for scary outcomes from new integrations and collections of data that few users might have anticipated. I was recently confronted by this sort of cascade with my own smartphone tracking data. Late last year, with the help of Stuart Thompson, an Opinion editor, I set up my phone to monitor how certain apps were tracking me. I focused on apps that required me to grant them access to my physical location among them apps to find cheap gas, coupons and nearby retail discounts, and to otherwise help me navigate and find deals as I wandered about the world. The upshot: As the location-tracking apps followed me, I was able to capture the pings they sent to online servers essentially recording their spying. I sent the data to Stuart and his team, who interpreted and mapped the pings the apps had collected about me. Their picture shocked me; the apps had followed me far more closely, capturing much more data and far more often, than I had imagined when Id said yes to their tracking. A lawsuit filed today under New Yorks Child Victims Act accuses a former Weedsport school district employee, Boy Scout leader and village mayor of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in the 1970s. The plaintiff, Scott Coats, spoke publicly about his alleged abuse for the first time at a news conference this morning. It was also the first time Victor Sine, who died in 2018, was publicly accused of sexual abuse. The suit accuses Boy Scout and school officials of failing to act in 1999 when he brought the accusation to their attention. Coats was only able to sue now under a new state law that created a look-back window for old claims. The Weedsport superintendent said the school district had not yet seen the lawsuit, but would investigate the matter. Scout Executive Grey Rolland, of the Longhouse Council based in Syracuse, said his organization had not yet been served with a lawsuit, so he couldnt respond to specific claims. We believe victims, Rolland said. We want to make sure theyre compensated for injuries they have suffered. Sine was a longtime Boy Scout leader and worked as a clerk and business manager for the Weedsport Central School District, according to his obituary. Coats said he first met Sine through the Weedsport schools AV Club, which Sine led. Coats was the son of a single mom who struggled to make friends as the new kid in the district in 1976, he said. Sine took the boy under his wing, giving him rides home from school and encouraging his involvement in clubs, Coats said. Coats later in life, as he began to attend therapy in 1999, came to view this behavior as grooming. Coats said as he came to terms with the abuse in 1999 and reached out to authorities to report Sine. Coats said he contacted the Boy Scouts of America and the Cayuga County District Attorneys Office. He provided a copy of the letter he said he sent to the Boy Scouts. National Boy Scouts of America officials, who received the letter, could not be reached for comment. Coats said the DAs office responded cordially that there was nothing they could do to help him because the states statute of limitations prevented criminal or civil cases dating back as far as Coats abuse. Boy Scout leader and school district employee Victor Sine died in 2018 and served for a time as mayor of the village of Weedsport. A former Weedsport student and Boy Scout Scott Coats, who now lives out of state, spoke publicly for the first time today about his alleged abuse by Sine. (Julie McMahon | jmcmahon@syracuse.com) The Boy Scouts did not respond, Coats said. In 1999 Sine remained a Boy Scout troop leader, according to Coats and his attorneys Mike Finnegan, of the national law firm Anderson & Associates, and Cynthia LaFave, of LaFave, Wein & Framont near Albany. Yet documents provided by Finnegan and LaFave appear to show that the Boy Scouts acknowledged Coats report of abuse in internal files. These files, known as perversion files, became public in 2012 as part of a lawsuit in Oregon. A database of more than 5,000 potential abusers, compiled by The Los Angeles Times based on the files, shows a report associated with the Weedsport Boy Scout troop, Troop 59, in 1999. The file does list a name but instead a four-digit code. Finnegan called this part of a systematic coverup by the Boy Scouts. They didnt share that with the public, didnt share that with the police, didnt share that with the parents who needed to know what a risk guys like Vic Sine posed to kids like Scott across the country, Finnegan said. It still puts kids at risk today. Coats discussed with reporters how he felt Sine had targeted, profiled and worked diligently to turn him into a victim. He said his attempts to take action in 1999, and the lack of response at the time, was devastating. He felt alone, he said. Coats learned one day watching national news that New Yorks Child Victims Act would give him a new avenue to pursue justice. He hesitated at first, but decided after 40 years of trying to bury it" -- that he no longer wanted to live with the silence and frustration, he said. Scott Coats, at right, described himself as an awkward 13-year-old with buck teeth who struggled to make friends in a new school district in the 1970s. Coats said he thought that made him an ideal victim for Scout leader Victor Sine, who also worked for Weedsport schools. Coats with his lawyers Cynthia LaFave and Mike Finnegan (left and center) is suing the school district and Boy Scouts for what they said was about two years of sexual abuse, alleged by Sine. Finnegan is pictured holding a photo of Coats at 13. (Julie McMahon | jmcmahon@syracuse.com) Coats said his primary motivation for filing the lawsuit was for other victims to know they were not alone. He encouraged others to come forward. Dont do what I did. Dont bury this. It doesnt work, Coats said. The only thing that works is getting the truth out there and knowing you are not alone. Coats said he was only was able to escape the abuse because his mother got a job outside of New York state about two years after they had moved to Weedsport. Coats also said he believes people knew of the abuse and were either bullied by Sine -- or thought theyd be humiliated or treated as a pariah in a small town of just a few thousand people. Sine, too, was a pillar of the local community, Coats said. According to Sines obituary, he served as mayor, on the village council, in the Lions Club, Masonic Lodge and American Legion. He was an Army veteran who served in South Korea and was active in his church. He was married and had four children. Coats said over the last year he had researched and investigated his own case, and multiple people had indicated to him they were aware of child abuse by Sine. Someone even said school district employees quietly nicknamed the youngsters who were close with Sine Vics kids. Coats had the option of filing his case anonymously, using the name John Doe." He opted to use his real name instead. I wanted my name out there," he said. I wanted my fellow scouts and classmates to know Im coming forward to tell the story." Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. SPRINGFIELD Paulette Alston and her young daughter have been living in a hotel room in West Springfield since a major water leak destroyed the apartments of more than 150 residents in Bergen Circle on Jan. 12. I have been told I need to vacate the hotel by Friday, and when I went to the housing office for help I was told there was nothing they could do for me, said Alston. Several tenants and two tenant advocates met Tuesday with City Councilors Justin Hurst, Adam Gomez and Michael Fenton, as well as David Cotter, deputy director of code enforcement, for an update on the seven-story building at 15 Girard Ave., which has been uninhabitable for 10 days. A condemnation was put in place to hold the owner of this private property responsible for everything that needs to be done to make the building safe enough to live in, said Cotter. The building has been plagued with bed bugs and field mice as well as other code violations since before the water leak. Now residents are being told there is no timeline for when the apartments will be habitable again. Darrick Wilson, speaking on behalf of the residents, expressed his frustration at the lack of communication between the city, the housing department and the residents. Many Bergen Circle tenants are staying with relatives while others are in hotel rooms in West Springfield and South Hadley. He said some children are not going to school because they have no transportation. We demand that something happens, he said. We want to know what is going to happen. We need a point person so when things dont work out we can call someone to get answers. Cotter said it is not code enforcements responsibility to secure housing for residents. Code enforcement has nothing to do with placement. We are making sure you are safe, that it gets exterminated and clean before you can move back in to your unit, he said. Cotter said a notice to vacate was given to every resident whose apartment was affected. The notice included contact numbers for the local food pantry, housing offices and other agencies that help with temporary or permanent housing. Its very frustrating because when I went to he housing office I was told that they understand its an emergency but nothing could be done for me, Alston said. I have a daughter to provide for and she is asking questions that I cannot answer. Gomez said the next step is to have residents meet directly with the Springfield Office of Housing to establish a simple, direct method of communication by which families can get updates about their apartments. We dont have the answer for you at the moment and I know how uncomfortable that is, he said. We dont want to put a Band-Aid on this, we want to find a permanent solution for you. Ludovic de Saint Sernin did not mince his words when naming his Fall 2020 show, simply called "The Heartbreak Collection." The same designer who gave us *that* famous bath towel skirt and corsets for men in past outings (I overheard front row guest Detox calling his designs "walking sex" prior to the show) was now feeling the lingering effects of a break up he went through at the end of last year. This season, de Saint Sernin channeled his heartache into a more vulnerable and austere collection than we're used to seeing from him, and it was amplified further by the melancholic soundtrack and broken heart symbols that played out in everything from ceramic chest plates to belt buckles. Even a Swarovski crystal chain dressed featured the motif, which was tangled in a complex spider's web. "Through the break up comes fragility and strength," read the show notes, describing the contrasts between the collection's delicate, transparent fabrics and robust leathers and wools. Speaking of juxtapositions, de Saint Sernin was also looking at the concept of superheroes (their outward power vs. internal complexities) which explained the masks, lassos and long leather gloves. While the emotion was indeed felt throughout the lineup, his signature French sexy flair did not go unnoticed. Skimpy crystal bras, clingy one-shoulder knits and ultra-sheer coats were paired with jewelry that featured "tops," "bottoms" and "vers" iconography, an ode to the gay community he's counted as fans since the beginning. With just a few seasons under his belt, de Saint Sernin has already established recognizable codes that don't come easy for young brands. While Paris may be one of the hardest fashion capitals to break through as a new designer, it's clear that the city has embraced him as one of the ones to watch. And from the looks of who was sitting in the front row Kim Petras, Violet Chachki, Rick Owens and his former boss Olivier Rousteing there looks to be no slowing down. See the gallery, below, for every look from the brand's Fall 2020 show. Photos courtesy of Ludovic de Saint Sernin Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters following the weekly policy luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 7, 2019. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters) Senate Rejects Democrats Effort to Subpoena Documents in Impeachment Trial The Senate, in a party-line vote, rejected an amendment to subpoena White House records during the impeachment trial. The motion to tableor killthe amendment passed in a 53-47 vote, which was the first of the Senate trial. It was proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had sought information and conversations about whether President Donald Trump withheld aid to Ukraine. Republicans were unified in the move to defeat Schumers amendment, despite heavy pressure by him and House impeachment managers, suggesting that Democratic efforts to obtain testimony later on in the trial might fail. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) allowed for some changes to the rules on Tuesday, including allowing House managers and the Trump legal team to make their respective cases in three days instead of two. Schumers amendment would have asked Chief Justice John Roberts to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and tell him to turn over documents and communications regarding President Trumps phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden. Democrats have alleged Trump withheld aid in exchange for the probes, whichthey have arguedis an impeachable offense. The vote came after one of Trumps lawyers, Patrick Philbin, told the Senate that it is stunning admission that the Democrats have arrived and said they need more time to obtain evidence, documents, and witnesses. He added that if a litigant showed up in any court on the day of trial and claimed they needed more time to build a case, Theyd be thrown out of court and the lawyers would probably be sanctioned. Schumer had claimed in a statement: The public is understanding how unfair Senator McConnells trial rules are and Republican Senators are beginning to tell him to change them. The real test will be if they pressure Senator McConnell to allow witnesses and documents. For all of the name-calling and fingerprinting from the presidents counsel, we did not hear a single argument on the merits about why there should not be the documents and witnesses we requested in this trial. Earlier in the day, Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session after he called on all 100 senators last week to take an oath to render impartial justice as jurors in the trial. Trumps legal team, in a brief, argued that the two charges against the president dont amount to impeachable offenses and that the president committed no crime. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has achieved 75 million safe work hours at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards of safety, security and quality in the development of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, it said. Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of Enec; Mark Reddemann, Chief Executive Officer of Nawah Energy Company; Nasser Al Nasseri, Chief Executive Officer of Barakah One Company; HoPyeong Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), and a number of senior management officials from ENEC and its subsidiaries attended a special ceremony held at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant to celebrate the safety achievement. Working together, Enec and Kepcos achievement of 75 million safe work hours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI) represents a significant industrial safety accomplishment and is the result of their exceptional safety culture, dedication to the continuous improvement of everyday work practices and empowerment of employees to ensure their own safety through a range of safety-related practices and tools. This accomplishment is a reflection of our enduring culture of safety and steadfast commitment to upholding the highest international standards of security, transparency and non-proliferation, said Al Hammadi. Our numerous safety programs, continuous learning and extensive collaboration with our Prime Contractor and Joint Venture partner, the Korea Electric Power Corporation, have enabled us to achieve this significant safety milestone. The accomplishment comes as Nawah Energy Company, the operating and maintenance subsidiary of Enec, is steadily and safely progressing with its operational readiness activities. The loading of the first nuclear fuel assemblies into Unit 1 is expected to take place in Q1 2020, once all requirements have been met and Nawah is in receipt of the Operating License from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the UAEs independent nuclear regulator. Enec is building four identical nuclear energy units at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi Emirate. The overall construction of the four units is more than 93% complete. Unit 4 is more than 83%, Unit 3 is more than 91% and Unit 2 is more than 95%. The four units at Barakah will be able to generate up to 25% of the UAEs electricity by producing 5,600 MW of clean electricity, preventing the release of 21 million tons of carbon emissions each year. This is to equivalent to removing 3.2 million cars off the roads annually, which is close to the total number of cars registered in the UAE. TradeArabia News Service New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd (HFL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Information Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the company was not operational and the decision only means an official closure of the public sector unit. He said that the proposal, which included a voluntary retirement scheme was accepted by almost all the employees of the company, numbering just 88. "It was a PSU, which was largely shut. Today the CCEA decided on official closure. When VRS was offered in BSNL, over 1 lakh employees opted for it, and here, there are 88 employees, so by and large there was a sort of consensus here," Javadekar said. Hindustan Fluorocarbons was incorporated on July 14, 1983, as a subsidiary company of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL). The plant is located at Rudraram in district Sangareddy of Telangana. The company started commercial production in 1987 and was engaged in the manufacture of Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (PTFE) and of Chloro Di Fluoro Methane (CFM-22), according to the company website. PTFE is used in chemical, mechanical, electrical and electronic industries and has strategic applications in the defence and aerospace sectors while CFM-22 is used pure or in mixture form for refrigeration. The history segment on the company site said: "Over a period of time, some of the plants have become non-functional/obsolete and declared as plant held for disposal." Virginia Rallygoers Say Gun Control Push Is Unconstitutional RICHMOND, Va.Americans from across the country traveled to Virginia on Jan. 20, with some coming in packed buses, others driving from hours away, and a smaller number flying to the state to send a unified message to the Democratic-controlled state legislatureno to gun control. Tens of thousands converged at the steps of the Capitol building and in the surrounding streets, and some gun rights supporters chose not to enter the Capitol so as to not violate the temporary state of emergency declared by Gov. Ralph Northam, which banned guns from the grounds. Capitol police estimated at least 22,000 participants. There was a heavy police presence at the rally, and overhead, security watched from rooftops on nearby buildings and on the Capitol itself. There was only one entrance and a number of security checkpoints to get onto the Capitol grounds. The mood, however, was upbeat, and authorities said there were no arrests or injuries reported as of 1:40 p.m, with most people having left by that time. The event concluded peacefully. The rally, also known as Lobby Day, is organized annually by the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), a nonprofit grassroots organization whose goal is to advance the right to keep and bear arms. In the morning, VCDL staff led Second Amendment advocates inside the Pocahontas building to convey their concerns to lawmakers about gun control proposals that are being advanced in the Democratic-controlled state legislature. Many of the advocates wore bright orange Guns Save Lives stickers. Gun rights advocates take part in a rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Gun rights advocates take part in a rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Gun rights advocates take part in a rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) The VCDL has donated more than $200,000 to state lawmakers since 2002, records show. Its an influential grassroots gun-rights organization with a long record in the state. Democrats won control of both chambers of the state legislature in the November 2019 elections and have vowed to enact stronger gun control policies. They believe that stricter legislation will help reduce shootings and deaths and break the cycle of gun violence. The Virginia Senate on Jan. 16 passed measures to require background checks on all firearms sales, limit handgun purchases to one per month, and restore local governments right to ban weapons from public buildings and other venues. The legislation will now go to the House of Delegates for consideration; it will have to be approved by the House and be signed by Northam to become law. Meanwhile, hundreds of local counties, cities, and towns across the United States are declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries or constitutional counties as part of an ever-expanding movement over the past few years. Local officials in these counties generally state that they wont follow new gun laws they believe are unconstitutional. In Virginia, 91 out of 95 counties in the state have passed measures affirming their support for Second Amendment rights. Second Amendment advocates and gun rights supporters at the rally told The Epoch Times the proposals passing through the General Assembly violate their constitutional rights, and the laws would do nothing to stop criminals. They say they would negatively affect citizens who have never broken the law. Kenneth Evans, Virginia Kenneth Evans at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Im originally from Virginia, born and raised, Kenneth Evans told The Epoch Times. Ive lived in rural Virginia almost all my life and have owned guns. Im not a felon, Im actually a decorated veteran and work for the government now. Its really a shame that its come to this, because Virginia is a great place to live. I hope today we send a message to the governor and the legislature that legal gun owners in Virginia should be left alone. Theres no call for gun control. Its about emotion, its not about the realities. If you look at crime today, crime has gone down, violent crime has gone down. Justin Graf, Virginia Justin Graf (R) and Madison Graf at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) We believe that the bills restrict our ability to protect ourselves, Justin Graf from Virginia told The Epoch Times. You dont have any rights unless you have the power to defend them. The only way that the citizens of the United States have power, is through guns. Its the unfortunate reality of life, and so them trying to restrict our magazine capacities and what types of guns we can hold only restricts our power. Justin Dorton, North Carolina Justin Dorton, from North Carolina, at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Im vehemently opposed to all the gun control legislation that theyre pushing forward, Justin Dorton, from North Carolina, told The Epoch Times. Ultimately, like youve seen here, everybodys been cordial, friendly, and professional. Thats what the gun owners are; theyre law-abiding citizens. Dorton was one of many carrying their rifles openly. Nobody here wants violence; a gun is used to protect you. Its a force multiplier for a single mother sitting at home taking care of her kids, and somebody breaks into their house. With a stroke of a pen, every one of these people would be felonsthats not fair. Thats not good for anybody. The Second Amendment is not a government-given right, its a God-given right. Chris Hill, Georgia Chris Hill at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) I came here to stand with the people in Virginia who are standing against the tyrannical, anti-Second Amendment gun laws sweeping the country, said Chris Hill, from Georgia, who is founder of the III% Security Force militia group. No other state has really stepped up to resist that, except for here in Virginia. I think its a move towards communism. Theyre destroying our constitutional republic. Were fortunate that we have the Second Amendment as our ultimate defense against tyranny, but what theyre doing is destroying our country. If we allow this to continue on unabated, then were not going to have a constitutional republic anymore. Im going to do everythingIll fight to my last breath to ensure that we remain a constitutional republic. I think today felt like a peaceful revolution, and even though they tried to stifle it by scaring people away, it still took place. It has to take place and remain in a peaceful fashion so that it doesnt become a violent revolution. Michael Despres Michael Despres (R) at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) We showed up for the Second Amendment. Theyre infringing on our rights; we dont need any more gun laws. They need to enforce the ones we already have, Michael Despres told The Epoch Times. I feel like theyll put more people in harms way than save anyone. Cody Claxton, Virginia Cody Claxton from Annandale, Va., at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) I dont want to see innocent people punished for the crimes of the guilty, and thats what these gun laws do, said Cody Claxton, from Annandale, Virginia. The goal is to convince the delegates that these laws are going to create a bigger problem than [any] they try to solve and, hopefully, get them to think twice. My goal is to target specific parts of the legislation that are weak, and then we can win. The whole point of today is to lobby peacefully. That is the process: the Democrat and Republican process. We are way far away from any use of force that could potentially come, so the people who are making threats of violence or threatening statements, it is not helping our cause, it just makes us look worse. Steven Willeford, Texas Steven Willeford at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) I think they [gun control bills] all need to go away. I think citizens need to have the right to carry and to protect themselves. You cant have a police officer everywhere all the time, said Steven Willeford, the man who helped take down a gunman at a Texas church shooting in 2017. Lynn Austin Moves to Tyndale Tyndale senior acquisitions editor Stephanie Broene and fiction publisher Karen Watson bought world rights to four books by bestselling author Lynn Austin (Legacy of Mercy). The first two books are works of historical fiction set during World War II, including If I Were You. It follows a British war bride whose American husband is killed, setting her on a journey of self-discovery, according to the publisher, and its slated for publication in June. Information about the third and fourth books in the deal is not yet available. Also announced with the four-book deal, Tyndale is rereleasing Austins debut novel, Fly Away, which has been updated with a new cover and is currently available as an e-book. It is not currently scheduled for print publication. Literary agent Natasha Kern represents Austin. Zondervan Re-Ups with Jennifer Fulwiler Lisa Jackson at Alive Literary Agency sold world rights to Stephanie Smith, associate publisher at Zondervan, to Your Blue Flame: Drop the Guilt and Do What Makes You Come Alive by Jennifer Fulwiler. The book, which features a foreword by author Jeannie Gaffigan, focuses on helping readers find their true passion, and its scheduled for publication on April 28. Brazos Doubles Up Robert Hosack, Brazos Press executive editor, took world rights to two new books by Yale professor and theologian Miroslav Volf (Faith in Public Action, For the Life of the World). The first book in the deal, tentatively titled Gods Home: A Brief Story of Everything, is co-authored with Ryan McAnnally-Linz and addresses the uprooting and migration of millions of people around the world as well as the resulting nationalism in places where migrants and refugees arrive. Its slated for publication in 2022. The second book in the deal, tentatively titled Suffering and Joy, looks at how the two emotions are compatible. The work is slated to release in 2025. Volf is represented by the Martell Agency. Pavlovitz Lands at WJK Senior acquisitions editor Jessica Miller Kelley at Westminster John Knox Press took world rights from Sharon Pelletier of Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret to a new book from John Pavlovitz (A Bigger Table, Hope and Other Superpowers). In the yet-to-be-titled book, Pavlovitz diagnoses the theology of smallness that he says distorts the worldview of many religious communities, making a case for why this limited view of God hinders our ability to love and work for the good of all people, and laying out ways to change it, according to the publisher. The book is slated for publication in fall 2021. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 23:54:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Around 40 world leaders arrived in Jerusalem for the fifth World Holocaust Forum held on Wednesday and Thursday. British Prince Charles, the presidents of Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, the vice president of the United States as well as the kings of Spain and Belgium were among the participants in the two-day forum marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi's Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday in Jerusalem with French President Emmanuel Macron. Netanyahu called on the French president to join the pressures and sanctions against Iran. They discussed the situation in Lebanon and Hezbollah's plan to manufacture precision missiles, as well as the developments in Libya in the light of Turkish military involvement. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also met some of the world leaders and will host on Wednesday evening a special official dinner for the guests. The world leaders have expressed their commitment to remember the Holocaust and combat anti-semitism. Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the leaders of the world to unite in the fight against antisemitism. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the Holocaust "is not only a part of German history but also an awareness that guides us in the present day." WINDSOR, ONT.A concrete manufacturer in Windsor, Ont., has been fined $175,000 for a workplace incident that killed one employee and injured another. The Ministry of Labour says the fine was imposed Monday under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after Prestressed Systems Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to adequately protect a worker. The ministry says the incident took place in April 2018, while employees worked on a concrete form for a large pre-stressed bridge girder. It says an anchor plate slid from its supports and catastrophically failed, striking two workers, one of whom died. The ministry says the company failed to follow requirements of the equipments manufacturer. The court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim surcharge, which goes into a provincial fund for victims of crime. Bronius Aleksandravicius, of Bloomfield, Connecticut, passed away on January 20, 2020 at home surrounded by his loving family. Bronius was born on March 20, 1925, in Kedainiai, Lithuania, son of the late Kazys and Veronika (Osvicas) Aleksandravicius. In 1943, Bronius joined the Plechaviciaus Underground Freedom Fighters against the Soviet Occupation. He was forced to flee Lithuania to Germany. At the end of WWII he served in the U.S. Army Civilian Auxiliary. In 1949, he emigrated to the US. There he met his wife, Marija Grazina Dziubinskas, and they married in 1952. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1955. In 1958 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hartford and then attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After graduating, Bronius worked at Combustion Engineering in the Nuclear Division. In 1961 he founded ALGA Engineering and was its co-owner and president. He returned briefly to Combustion Engineering until 1975 when he founded ProMa Associates specializing in graphite machining. He remained there until his retirement. In addition to his strong work ethic, which served as an example for his entire family, he enjoyed and gave 100% to Lithuanian Scouting, beekeeping, nature and utilized his extraordinary musical talents as a tenor and accordionist. In 1990, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Bronius returned to his beloved Lithuania. On the shores of the Baltic Sea he summered in Nida for the next 20 years. Bronius is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marija Grazina; his daughters, Regina, Virginia Norkevicius, and her husband Povilas; son, Paul; granddaughters, Gintare Grenier, and her husband Scott, Ruta McColgan, and her husband, James; great-grandchildren, Joseph and Paul Grenier and Bruno's faithful companion Skittles. He was predeceased by his sisters, Zofija Adomaitis and Liuda Adomavicius, and daughter, Neringa. Relatives and friends are invited on Friday, January 24, 2020 from 10:00-10:45 AM for a period of visitation prior to the 11:00 AM funeral service at Sacred Heart Church, 26 Wintonbury Avenue, Bloomfield, CT. In lieu of flowers or donations in Bronius' memory, the family asks that you perform an act of kindness. The family would like to give special thanks to Bruno's "guardian angels"; Christen, Stacia, and Stephanie. We will always be grateful. To leave on-line condolences please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com She is currently starring in the acclaimed BBC drama The Trial of Christine Keeler. Ahead of the show's final episode on Sunday, Ellie Bamber has unveiled a major makeover, going from a blonde to a red head for Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday. The British actress wowed with her previously blonde bob dyed red and with an edgy blunt fringe added. New look: Ellie Bamber has unveiled a major makeover, going from a blonde to a red head for Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday (pictured right in November 2019) Ellie teamed her new look with a gorgeous electric blue tweed coat dress from Chanel and white boots, adding to the retro vibe. The actress has been busy promoting her role in The Trial of Christine Keeler, talking about the drama ahead of its airing during a December appearance on This Morning. Playing nightclub dancer Mandy Rice-Davies, Ellie stars alongside Sophie Cookson, 29, as model Christine Keeler, whose sexual liaisons with Tory Minister John Profumo and a Russian military attache led to one of the biggest political scandals of modern times. Fashion fan: Ellie teamed her new look with a gorgeous electric blue tweed coat dress from Chanel and white boots, adding to the retro vibe In character: Ellie is currently starring in the acclaimed BBC drama The Trial of Christine Keeler as nightclub dancer Mandy Rice-Davies, alongside Sophie Cookson as Christine Keeler (left) The scandal contributed to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in October 1963 and the toppling of his Conservative government the following year. Talking about the BBC drama series and her role as Christine's party companion, Ellie revealed that she has been practising Mandy's iconic line 'well he would, wouldn't he' with her friends. The famous phrase gained notoriety when in the witness box of the Old Bailey she dismissed a denial by Lord Astor that he had slept with her, saying: 'Well, he would, wouldn't he?' New role: The actress has been busy promoting her role in The Trial of Christine Keeler, talking about the drama ahead of its airing during a December appearance on This Morning Iconic: Talking about the BBC drama series and her role as Christine Keeler's party companion, the actress revealed that she has been practising Mandy's iconic line 'well he would, wouldn't he' with her friends Ellie said: 'All my friends were like, "Oh, do you want to practice with us?" 'I think I read Mandy's book and she said it came from a very honest place. There's still no way of telling whether she did or not but it came from a very honest place.' Talking about the series, Ellie continued: 'Christine and Mandy were two young girls who worked at Murray's Club they were always... their clients were men of high power, Keeler had a relationship with John Profumo, and he denied that. 'He was set to be the next Prime Minister. Keeler also supposedly had an affair with a Russian spy, we don't know if that did happen, but it supposedly brought the government to its knees. Uncanny: Ellie, pictured on This Morning, left, and Mandy Rice-Davies, pictured right, in the late sixties 'Both the girls, Mandy [Ellie's character] had an affair with Lord Astor, and both the girls were put on trial for being prostitutes.' Ellie added that she doesn't believe Mandy or Christine were 'given a voice' and were just 'two young women having fun and enjoying their sexuality'. She said: 'I think Mandy and Christine weren't really given a voice, they were just two young women who were having fun and enjoying their sexuality. 'Men were able to enjoy their sexuality and women were told off for that. All of our heads of department bar one were female so it was extraordinary to show it from a female side.' Ellie also insisted people shouldn't 'judge' Mandy or Christine, she continued: 'I think people shouldn't be so quick to judge two young women who were having fun, they weren't doing anything wrong and they weren't abusing their power.' Scandal: The scandal contributed to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in October 1963 and the toppling of his Conservative government the following year (Christine Keeler pictured in 1963, left, and Sophie Cookson in character as her, right) Iconic: Mandy's famous phrase gained notoriety when in the witness box of the Old Bailey she dismissed a denial by Lord Astor that he had slept with her, saying: 'Well, he would, wouldn't he?' She added: 'Mandy had an extraordinary life after that she became a millionaire, in the face of this horrible event she was able to. 'She had guts and was able to smile, saying "I don't care what you thing, I'm going to get on with things".' Mandy went on to appear in a Tom Stoppard play, films and even sung cabaret in Germany. She married Israeli businessman Rafi Shauli in 1966 with the two running a chain of restaurants together, they had daughter, Dana, but divorced in 1971. She then married a Frenchman called Jean Charles - but only for about a week, she claimed. Soon afterwards she met her third husband, British businessman Ken Foreman and they married on a private island and lived on Grove Isle, a salubrious part of Miami. They had other homes, in the Bahamas and Virginia Water, Surrey. Choice: Ellie added that she doesn't believe Mandy or Christine were 'given a voice' and were just 'two young women having fun and enjoying their sexuality' (Ellie and co-star Sophie pictured at a photocall earlier this month for the series) Mandy died in December 2014 aged 70 after a short battle with cancer. She had previously said: 'If I could live my life over, I would wish 1963 had not existed. The only reason I still want to talk about it is that I have to fight the misconception that I was a prostitute. 'I don't want that to be passed on to my grandchildren. There is still a stigma.' She also insisted there were no secrets which she would take to the grave: 'Everything is out. That is why I have no concerns whatsoever about anything.' The Trial of Christine Keeler concludes on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One. No judging! Ellie also insisted people shouldn't 'judge' Mandy or Christine, she continued: 'They weren't doing anything wrong and they weren't abusing their power' The constitution of India is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework determining the fundamental political code, structure, procedure, powers and duties of the governments institutions. It also states the fundamental rights, principals and the duties of the citizens. In fact, it is the longest constitution in the world. Times content The constitution of India imparts constitutional supremacy, since it was created by a constituent assembly and was adopted by the people of India with a declaration in its preamble. The parliament cannot overwrite the constitution. The constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949 and came into effect from January 26, 1950. It replaced the Government Of India Act, 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, and the Dominion of India became the Republic of India. It declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic, assuring that all citizens will get justice, quality, liberty and endeavors to promote fraternity. The original copy of the constitution is preserved in a helium filled case at the Parliament House in New Delhi. The words secular and socialist were added to the preamble in 1976 during the emergency. Who all were involved in the drafting committee of the Constitution of India? It had seven main members: 1. Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar: Dewan Bahadur Sir Alladi Krishnaswani Lyer was one of the main members of the drafting committee of the Constitution of India - an important member of the Constituent Assembly of India. Ayyar also served as an Advocate General of Madras State from 1929 to 1944. Alladi Krishnaswami lyer was born in 1883 in the small village of Pudur in Madras State (now the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh). He was born to Ekamra Sastry, who was a priest. He passed his matriculation examination in 1899 and entered the Madras Christian College to study History. Ayyar used his spare time to attend classes in law and passed the B.L exam and become one of the leading members of the bar. He was renowned as Dewan Bahadur in 1930. He played a major role in drafting the Constitution of India. The main architect of Indian constitution Dr. B. R Ambedkar, who also chaired the constitutions drafting committee said about Ayyar's contribution,There were in the drafting committee men bigger, better and more competent as my friend Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Iyer. 2. N. Gopalaswami Ayyanger: wikipedia Dewan Bahadur Sir Narasimba Ayyangar Gopalaswami Ayyangar, a proficient Member of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. He was chosen to be the leader of the Rajya Sabha and a cabinet minister in the Government of India. He was selected as the first minister without a portfolio but he was intensely looking after Kashmir Affairs, and later was appointed the Railway Minister. In his Kashmir Affairs role, he represented India at the United Nation Security Council and later drafted Article 370 of the Indian constitution that granted autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. Gopalaswami was born on March 31, 1882 in Tanjore District Madras. He studied at Wesley School, and then Presidency and Law College in Madras. He was also an Assistant Professor in Pachaiyappas college in 1904. 3. DR. B.R. Ambedkar TOI Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar was a Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit-Buddist movement. He also campaigned against social discrimination towards the untouchables. Babasaheb was Independent Indias first Law and Justice Minister. He was the major architect of the Constitution of India. Ambekar was a brilliant student - he had a doctorate in Economics from both Columbia University and the London School of Economics, and gained a reputation as a scholar for his research in Law, Economics and Political Science. Ambedkar was involved in a lot of campaigning and negotiations done for the Independence of the country, publishing journals and advocating political rights and social freedom for Dalits, and contributing significantly to the establishment of the state of India. In 1990, he received the Bharat Ratna - Indias highest civilian award. 4. K. M Munshi: Indiafacts.org Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi also known as K.M Munshi, or by his pen name, Ghanshyam Vyas, was an brilliant Indian independence movement activist, politician, writer and educationist from Gujarat. He was a lawyer by profession, he later became an author and politician. He was a well-known name in Gujarati literature. He founded Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan an educational trust in 1938. Before the independence of India he was a part of Indian National Congress and after independence, he joined the Swatantra Party and Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Munshi held different posts - he was the member of Constituent Assembly of India, Minister of Agriculture and Food of India, and he was also the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. 5. Mohammad Saadulla: wiki Media Sir Syed Muhammad Saadulla, was the Prime Minister of Assam (British India). He was also a Chairman of Gauhati Municipality in 1919 and minister in charge of education and agriculture for Assam from 1924 to 1934. He got his education from the Cotton College, Guwahati and Presidency College, Calcutta. He was born on 21 May 1885 in Gawahati to an orthodox Assamese Muslim family. The Assam Legislative Assembly elected Syed Muhammad Saadulla to the Constituent Assembly of India in 1947 and later he was elected in the drafting committee as well. He was also an integral part in preparing the Constitution of the Republic of India. Saadulla was the only member from the North East to be elected into the Drafting Committee. 6. B. L. Mitter: Timescontent B.L Mitter worked with the Dewan of Baroda. Mitter is said to have made significant contributions to integration of the Princely States with India. He was later replaced by Madhav Rao on the drafting committee, who was the legal advisor to the Maharaja of Vadodara. 7. D. P. Khaitan: D.P Khaitan, also known as Debi Prasad Khaitan, was the owner of Khaitan & co - one of the oldest working law firms in India. It had 530 fee earners and consultants including 115 partners and directors. Debi found this company in 1911 with the assistance of his brothers. He was a proficient member of the drafting committee including 6 others. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Kashmir had only acceded and it was not merged into the Dominion of India, a counsel representing the Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association challenging the Centre's decision to revoke Article 370 told the Supreme Court on Wednesday. A five-judge bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices S.K. Kaul, R. Subhash Reddy, B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant is hearing the pleas challenging the revocation of Article 370 which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Appearing for the J&K Bar Association, senior advocate Zafar Ahmed Shah contended before the bench that the story of his state is different from others, and urged the court to examine the basis of Article 370 of the Constitution. "The court must look at why this article was ever enforced," contended Shah. He emphasised on three key aspects when a state accedes -- Instrument of Accession, Stand Still Agreement and the Merger Agreement. Jammu and Kashmir did not sign the Stand Still or the Merger agreement, and as a consequence it remained independent. Shah insisted that a separate Constitution gave the state all the powers of governance, as there was never complete accession of the state, and the independent state never ceased to exist. "The whole Constitution cannot be made applicable to the region," he contended before the top court. Shah told the court that the governance should continue to vest in the people of the region of J&K. "Council of ministers should agree (on the aspect of governance) and not Governor. Article 370 subsumes the sovereignty of the state. You have your Constitution and we have our Constitution. The merger was never done, but only accession was made," Shah submitted before the court. He emphasised that both the Constitutions have been working hand in hand, and through Sub-clause (2) of Article 370, there would be no conflict between the Constitution of J&K and the Indian Constitution. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised objection when Shah contended that the revocation of Article 370 was a constitutional fraud. He added that all other state rulers had fully integrated into the Indian Dominion except Kashmir. The arguments on the matter will continue on Thursday. Though the countrys civil war ended in 1990, Lebanons sectarian strife remains relevant to the political status quo. With time, societal fractures have deepened which has enabled outside actors to exploit the situation, turning Lebanon into yet another battleground between the East and West, and more locally, amongst Shia and Sunni Muslims. Of the many catalysts that have contributed to the dismal economic momentum, one of the most obvious is the lack of foreign investment. Exploiting the Chaos For Political Gain In the post-war years, much of Lebanons efforts towards reconstruction were focused on planning and rebuilding Beiruts Central District, notably via the public-private partnership that resulted in the formation of Solidere, a Lebanese joint-stock company in charge of planning and redeveloping Beirut Central District. Designed to revitalize Lebanons commercial, cultural, and political capital, this specific strategy was not without controversy. The companys Disneyland-like approach of building a high-end shopping destination replete with luxurious housing projects put the development outside the reach of most Lebanese citizens. Now, Solidere is facing the consequence of its narrow approach, with the companys shares recently reaching a record low as it grapples with worsening economic conditions. Additionally, the countrys significant sectarian splits mean that these efforts have failed to address widespread societal fragmentation and alleviate many of the economic problems lying beyond Beiruts core. To this day, ongoing conflicts between Maronite Christians, Druze, Shiite, and Sunni Muslims have hobbled the government, giving rise to more extremist elements both inside and outside the nations borders. Moreover, fighting in neighboring Syria has decimated the nations economic momentum, driving GDP expansion to a mere 1.00% in 2018. Political inaction has also stymied foreign direct investment (FDI) to a large extent. After peaking at a record of $872.52 million in December 2009, figures from September 2018 of just $211.14 million highlights the steep decline in foreign interest. This political and economic vacuum has in many ways indirectly supported the rise of Iranian influences within the country, specifically through its proxy, Hezbollah. The funding has supported many narrow interests, namely financing Hezbollahs military wing and social programming, addressing the Shiite community specifically and not Lebanon at large. According to U.S. Special Envoy Brian Hook, the Iranian financial support for Hezbollah was formerly upwards of $700 million annually, supposedly comprising nearly 70% of the terror groups annual inflows. This external influence is especially damaging for Lebanon as a whole and the region at large. Besides supporting a single segment of the population, the continued arming of Hezbollah threatens to spark a conflict with neighboring Israel, bringing the entire region closer to war. Yet, the tides are indeed changing amid a transformation of the U.S. and EU posturing towards Iran. A New Era For Lebanon on the Horizon Recently renewed sanctions imposed by the United States are forcing Iran to reduce its financial support for Hezbollah. Not only are these sanctions harming Iran, but also the Lebanese economy, and in particular, Hezbollahs finances. The U.S. has offered a $10 million reward for information that exposes and disrupts the terror organizations financing. Alongside the U.S., the United Kingdom recently designated Hezbollah as a terrorist group, thereby limiting its ability to access financial networks and hampering its ability to raise funds from wealthy Lebanese benefactors and businesses. However, in tandem with these efforts to break Irans stranglehold on the region, the U.S. and Europe have the opportunity to replace Iran as the most influential external authority in Lebanon. At a time when the Lebanese economy is struggling to find its footing, the incorporation of strategic foreign investment would go a long way towards restoring the country's economic growth. Moreover, it makes increased foreign investment more attractive, especially with efforts underway to cut off all Iranian options for remitting funds to Lebanese actors like Hezbollah. By offering to replace Iranian funding, and engaging in steps that would improve Lebanese infrastructure and overall government stability, the U.S. and EU could incentivize a new era of prosperity throughout the country. Although the responsibility for restoring peace and prosperity within Lebanon depends on the Lebanese themselves, foreign investment is key to improving Lebanons economy and society. Former prime minister, Saad Hariri, stated that positive momentum instilled by foreign investment would provide the push necessary for ridding the country of Irans undue influence. The Strategic Path Forward Lebanon has long been the proxy battleground of Eastern and Western influences. From the era of the civil war that resulted in the establishment of Hezbollah to the present day, decades of conflict have conspired to mute economic momentum and increase sectarian tensions. Now, a new, brighter future is possible for Lebanon if the West is willing to take the necessary steps to restore the countrys former glory. Should the U.S., with the help of the EU, support strategic investment and financial aid across the country (and not solely focus on Beirut) it can effectively displace Iranian funding, and a new, more prosperous Lebanon will emerge bringing stability to the region. As decades-old wounds continue to fester, these types of initiatives show great promise for slowly healing Lebanons vast social divisions and emboldening the government to act, thanks in no small part to a more supportive economic backdrop. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-22 09:05:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 973 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / Ximen Mining Corp. (TSXV:XIM)(FRA:1XMA)(OTCQB:XXMMF) (the "Company" or "Ximen") provides the following update on its plans for developing The Kenville gold mine and Brett Epithermal Gold Project in southern BC.In 2019, Ximen acquired the former producing Kenville gold mine along with all existing permits, infrastructure and equipment. The Company then initiated permitting to develop a new 1200 metre decline and do underground drilling. Once this work gets underway, the Company will move toward extracting a bulk sample for offsite processing. To date, surface buildings and roads were rehabilitated, the portal site for the decline was stripped, a transformer for hydro power supply was installed, and a new mine compressor was purchased. Water and waste rock quality surveys were completed, showing that the mine drainage water is high quality and the waste rock is non acid generating. The Company intends to be extracting a bulk sample this year and then be in a position to move toward continuous production. Historically, the Kenville mine produced 65,381 ounces of gold from 158,842 tonnes processed.Compressor #1 on site at the Kenville Gold Mine.600 v, 200 hp, 1000 cfm, extra high efficiency. Its' ready and waiting.Photos of the Kenville gold mine infrastructure - January 2020.The Brett property was acquired by Ximen in 2014 and has a history of surface exploration drilling, geophysical and geochemical surveys, as well as approximately 240 meters of underground drifting and raising, and a 291 tonne bulk sample processed at the Trail smelter for a recovered grade of 27.7 grams per tonne. Bonanza high-grade and bulk low-grade types of epithermal-style gold mineralization have been identified on surface and in previous drill holes. In 2019 Ximen initiated a permit to extend the underground workings and do diamond drilling to further define the main zone and explore parallel zones. This program is expected to be started this year.Further the Company is pleased to announce that it has engaged Laurentian Bank Securities Inc. to act as strategic financial advisors and to assist the Company to source capital and evaluate potential merger and acquisition opportunities.Dr. Mathew Ball, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Ximen Mining Corp. and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, approved the technical information contained in this News Release.Recent photos of site visit (January 18th, 2020)On behalf of the Board of Directors,"Christopher R. Anderson"Christopher R. Anderson,President, CEO and Director604 488-3900Investor Relations:Sophy Cesar604-488-3900ir@ XimenMiningCorp.com About Ximen Mining Corp.Ximen Mining Corp. owns 100% interest in three of its precious metal projects located in southern BC. Ximen`s two Gold projects The Amelia Gold Mine and The Brett Epithermal Gold Project. Ximen also owns the Treasure Mountain Silver Project adjacent to the past producing Huldra Silver Mine. Currently, the Treasure Mountain Silver Project is under a option agreement. The option partner is making annual staged cash and stocks payments as well as funding the development of the project. The company has recently acquired control of the Kenville Gold mine near Nelson British Columbia which comes with surface and underground rights, buildings and equipment.Ximen is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol XIM, in the USA under the symbol XXMMF, and in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin Stock Exchanges in Germany under the symbol 1XMA and WKN with the number as A2JBKL.This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval and the exercise of the Option by Ximen. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the possibility that the TSX Venture Exchange may not accept the proposed transaction in a timely manner, if at all. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.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.SOURCE: Ximen Mining Corp. Children, often undocumented and unaccompanied, risk the dangerous crossing into South Africa in hope of a better life. According to the World Bank, in 2017 there were approximately four million migrants in South Africa. Of those, 309,000 were refugees or asylum seekers. Save the Children estimates that at least 30 percent of the refugees and migrants who enter South Africa are children. Many of them are unaccompanied and undocumented, the highest proportion globally. According to a 2019 study by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, an advocacy group for refugees and migrants, seven out of every 10 foreign children in state care in South Africa are undocumented they have no birth certificate, identification papers or passport. Many have never had their births registered. These children are at risk of becoming stateless, meaning no country acknowledges them as citizens. On a day-to-day basis, they have difficulty going to school and accessing healthcare and public services. In the first of a four-part series exploring the lives of undocumented child migrants and refugees in South Africa, Obert Makaza, 20, shares his story. The day I decided to cross, I crossed running Obert Makaza cannot remember if he was seven or nine years old when he risked his life to cross the border from Zimbabwe into South Africa, alone and on foot. Now aged 20, he says all he can be sure of is that he had not yet turned 10 when he navigated the Limpopo riverbed that separates the two countries. It had taken him some time to build up the courage, he recalls. He had caught a train from Harare with other children he met on the streets, but became separated from them when they reached Beitbridge, a border town in the province of Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe. Ninety percent of refugees and migrants cross into South Africa via the countrys northern border, and Beitbridge is the busiest crossing. I stayed there for two weeks before I decided to cross, he says. And on the day that I decided to cross, I crossed running. River crossings along the South Africa-Zimbabwe border near Beitbridge can be dangerous; smugglers and opportunists prey on those who cross illegally and the river is infested with crocodiles [Yeshiel Panchia/Al Jazeera] Obert clearly remembers the sound of gunfire as he ran; the sound of his feet and the bullets on the loose sand. I thought I was going to get shot, because they did shoot. But I dont know if they were shooting at other people or at me because there was all sorts of chaos. The border between South Africa and Zimbabwe is always chaos, he adds. I just ran. When I got to the South African side I ran to the taxi rank. There someone gave me a lift to Musina. A place to call home South Africas northern-most town, Musina, is a popular entry point to South Africa. On the pavements, umbrellas cast long shadows across an assortment of wares laid out by informal traders in the sweltering heat. As the sun sets, some cross back into Zimbabwe, returning the next day to continue trading. The N1 highway, which cuts through the centre of town, is the main route connecting Zimbabwe to the bustling border town and the rest of the country. Leading south, the road eventually ends at the entrance to Cape Towns upmarket luxury mall and tourist destination, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Just 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) away is the Homestead Projects for Street Children, which runs a number of intervention projects for young people. One of these is a care home for homeless and undocumented minors at risk of statelessness. It was here, in an unassuming white building, that Obert eventually found a place to call home, although that would not happen for several years. And it is here, today, that he sits on a couch and explains why he fled Zimbabwe. My father had more than four wives my mother was one of them, he says. Originally from the Kadoma District, at the heart of Zimbabwes mining region, she was the least favoured of his fathers wives. The first time his mother left, she took Obert, then a baby, with her. But she soon returned. The next time, she left her son behind. He does not know where she went or what happened to her. Then, when his father died, Obert was sent to live with relatives. His memories of those first few years of his life are vague. But, he says, the bullying and abuse he endured at the hands of his relatives soon became unbearable. The first time he ran away, he was six years old. I ran away multiple times, but every time they found me, and they beat me. So I wanted to be away - much further away - so that even if they looked for me, they wouldn't get me. Obert I ran away multiple times, but every time they found me, and they beat me. So I wanted to be away much further away so that even if they looked for me, they wouldnt get me. While living on the streets of Harare, the Zimbabwean capital, he had heard stories about South Africa and the opportunities it offered money, education, freedom and adventure. So, when some street friends suggested going there, Obert saw an opportunity to escape. I just wanted to have a normal life, he says. Deep down in my heart, it was about getting away from my family. In the back of a truck In Musina, Obert was told to go to the refugee reception centre to get permission to stay in the country. I was so happy, he says, because I thought just getting here was the hardest part. After that, he believed life would be easier. But without identification papers, a passport or birth certificate, Oberts first few years in South Africa were difficult. The Department of Social Development in Musina placed him in a childrens care centre in Venda two hours away by road and for the first time in his life, he was enrolled in school. I stayed there for a while, he says, but then I absconded. He laughs sheepishly as he explains that he has run away from every place he has ever been, apart from Homestead. Trucks crossing the border are often used to carry child migrants and refugees, sometimes without the knowledge of the driver [Yeshiel Panchia/Al Jazeera] Next, he travelled south on the N1 highway, stopping in Polokwane for a while and then living on the jacaranda-lined streets of Pretoria. The thought of not having food or shelter did not faze him, he says, adding that it was part of life already. Obert eventually found himself back on the N1 highway, hiding in the back of a truck with some other young boys, as it made its way to Cape Town. We drove all night, all day, all night, and we kept exchanging different trucks until we got to Colesberg, he recalls. Here, the boys, not yet teenagers, were picked up by the police. They slept in the police station that night but left the next day on the pretence of finding something to eat. We didnt come back. We found another truck, he says. It feels like you dont exist After disembarking in the Western Cape, the boys walked for hours through the Great Karoo, a desert area known for its arid air, rocky landscapes and extreme temperatures, before reaching a service station in the small town of Beaufort West. The manager took them to a shelter in Cape Town. I also ran away there, Obert says. In Cape Town, he lived on the streets, where he says he was harassed every day. The police they were always on my case, he says. The last time they detained him, he was sure he was in real trouble. Instead, a social worker was called and he was taken to the Homestead Shelter. That was in 2010, almost five years after he had left his relatives home. Since I have been in Homestead Ive never run away, Obert says. At the shelter, he has been able to do things he loves, like rock climbing and sailing. I sometimes watch videos of luxury boats it costs other people a lot of money, but Ive been doing that for free, he reflects. Despite excelling at it, sailing competitively lost its appeal after he learned that he could not progress further as to get his skippers licence, he needed some form of identification. Having no official documents has proved a major hindrance in other ways as well. He says the police stopped him on his way home from rock climbing practice one day. They started questioning me, pushing me against the car, kicking me with those big boots. I know that without the documents that could have defended me, there is nothing that I could use against them. Without documents, you miss so much. It feels like you dont exist at all. His forehead creases. For you, you know you are a human being, but for them, you are just something that is useless. You dont exist. Thankful In 2018, Obert completed high school. A birth certificate is normally required to sit final exams but social workers were able to intervene on his behalf. He says he would like to go into business and is particularly interested in artificial intelligence, perhaps relating to agriculture, believing that implementing new technologies to age-old practices like agriculture can lead to the enrichment of Africa and Africans. If I just have the resources, I know that I can do it, he says. But there are other practical issues arising from statelessness. When Obert was younger, getting married, registering his own children, driving a car or applying for university did not cross his mind. Now, he knows his future and safety are in question without the pieces of paper most take for granted. Today, when I walk out there without a passport, I will be vulnerable to the police, he says. He also believes he may be at risk of being attacked. South Africans who kill other Africans and beat other Africans they can do anything and I wouldnt have a say. I may be able to stand up for myself physically but not all the time. Thankfully for Obert, help came from Dream Higher, the rock-climbing academy he joined in Cape Town. I told them, I am stateless, is there any way that you can help me?' he explains. Together, they raised the funds for Obert to travel safely back to Zimbabwe, where he finally managed to register his birth, obtain an identity document and apply for a passport, which he still does not have. I was really not happy to have the Zimbabwean citizenship, he laughs. Ive been here in South Africa and lived here my whole life. The realisation that the very country he fled more than a decade ago was the only place that could legitimise him was a bitter pill to swallow. But to have citizenship is a very important thing, he reflects, so I am thankful. New Delhi, Jan 22 : India on Wednesday ignored US President Donald Trump's yet another attempt to offer mediation with Pakistan on Kashmir. Aarti Tikoo Singh New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) India on Wednesday ignored US President Donald Trump's yet another attempt to offer mediation with Pakistan on Kashmir. President Trump on Tuesday at World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos had revealed that he and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan were "working together on some borders" and discussing the Kashmir issue. "We're working together on some borders, and we're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping. And we've been watching that and following it very, very closely," Trump had said, ahead of his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the WEF summit in Davos. Officials of the Ministry of External Affairs said President Trump's offer wasn't new and that India's response isn't going to be new either. "India has always rejected third party role in its bilateral relationship with Pakistan, including several offers of mediation made by President Trump," an official said. The US President who is facing an impeachment trial at home is visiting India in February. Two days ago, Khan had tweeted that "there is an urgent need for the UNSC to insist India allow UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group in India) return" to the Line of Control in Kashmir. "I want to make clear to India and the international community that if India continues its military attacks killing civilians across LOC, Pakistan will find it increasingly difficult to remain an inactive observer along the LOC," Khan had threatened. However, Khan did not get any response from the US President at Davos on his plea about the UNMOGIP. Though President Trump at Davos did not specify which borders US and Pakistan were working on, Prime Minister Khan hinted, "The main issue is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan. Fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with Taliban and the government." Journalist Glenn Greenwald has been charged by the Bolsonaro government in Brazil with the same prosecutorial angle used by the US to target WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Per The New York Times: Citing intercepted messages between Mr. Greenwald and the hackers, prosecutors say the journalist played a clear role in facilitating the commission of a crime. For instance, prosecutors contend that Mr. Greenwald encouraged the hackers to delete archives that had already been shared with The Intercept Brasil, in order to cover their tracks. Prosecutors also say that Mr. Greenwald was communicating with the hackers while they were actively monitoring private chats on Telegram, a messaging app. The complaint charged six other individuals, including four who were detained last year in connection with the cellphone hacking. This argument is essentially indistinguishable from the argument currently being used by the Trump administration in charging Assange with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act. The US Department of Justice alleges that Assange attempted to provide Private Manning with advice and assistance in covering her tracks while leaking documents she already had access to, therefore making Assange party to a conspiracy against the United States. It is not surprising that Brazil is advancing the same war on journalism weve been seeing in the US, UK, Australia and France. With the election of the overtly fascist Jair Bolsonaro in October 2018 (an election whose corrupt foundations were exposed by Greenwalds reporting with The Intercept Brasil), the Brazilian government moved into full alignment with the the US-centralized empire, which was why his inauguration was enthusiastically celebrated by characters like Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Benjamin Netanyahu. In exactly the same way we saw a coordination between the US, UK, Sweden, Ecuador and Australia to immobilize, and then silence, and then imprison Julian Assange, we are seeing a uniform movement toward silencing oppositional journalism throughout the entire US-centralized empire. This is because a rising China and the increasing coziness of the cluster of nations which have resisted absorption into the imperial blob greatly imperil the USAs position as the unipolar global dominator, meaning that the empire needs to quickly shore up global control in order to avoid being surpassed and replaced by other power structures. In order to accomplish this theres going to have to be a lot of nefarious behavior. A lot of military escalations, a lot of CIA coups, a lot of bullying and subversion, and a whole lot of propaganda to grease the wheels of public consent. Such large, frantic, flailing movements can be easily exposed by a free press, which is precisely why the free press is being clamped down upon now. The empire is setting all these legal precedents against oppositional journalism because it fully intends to use those precedents in the future. It fully intends to use those legal precedents in the future because it knows its going to have to make things ugly. Companies across China are handing out masks and warning staff to avoid the central Chinese city of Wuhan amid fears that the new flu-like coronavirus will rapidly spread with much of population embarking on travel for Lunar New Year holidays. Firms from Foxconn to Huawei Technologies and HSBC Holdings have issued advisories, while the government has urged members of the public to be extra careful if showing symptoms of a fever or a cold and has asked travel and other companies to accommodate people who might be affected. The death toll rose to nine on Wednesday with 440 confirmed cases, Chinese health officials said. At Foxconns Lunar New Year party on Wednesday, founder Terry Gou advised Taiwan-based employees not to visit mainland China during the week-long holiday period. Colleagues and their families who have come back from Wuhan are all in isolation at home. The infection is spreading very fast, Gou added. Company workers in Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, have been wearing facemasks and getting their temperature checked, the Apple supplier also said. Huawei Technologies has asked staff to reduce travel to Wuhan and avoid contact with animals, adding that it had set up an outbreak prevention and control team in the city to carry out disinfecting activities, according to an internal note seen by Reuters. Citic Securities and investment bank China International Capital Corp have asked employees to avoid trips to Wuhan and Hubei province, where the city is located, if they can, sources said, adding that if employees did travel there, they were required to report the trip. Citic has also asked staff to voluntarily quarantine themselves if they do travel to Hubei. Huawei and Citic Securities did not respond to requests for comment. A CICC representative declined to comment. HSBC said it had advised employees that travel to Wuhan could continue but has asked them to be extra vigilant. We have stepped up cleaning measures at all our premises and all employees have been reminded to be more mindful of hygiene procedures and to stay at home or see a doctor if they feel unwell in any way, a spokeswoman said in an email. Didi Chuxing, Chinas largest ride-hailing company, said this week it would issue masks and disinfectant to its drivers and would allow passengers and drivers in Wuhan to cancel trips for free in the days up to Jan. 31, adding that the company would bear the costs. Travel booking platforms such as Trip.com have said users can cancel travel plans to Wuhan for free, while Shanghais Disneyland said it will waive rescheduling fees for entry and hotel ticket buyers within six months of the purchase date given that customers might be changing their travel plans. Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it will allow passengers to Wuhan to change or cancel flights without charge through Feb. 15 and permit cabin crew to wear masks on flights to the mainland. Tencent Holdings also cancelled an annual event in Shenzhen at which founder Pony Ma and other top executives hand employees Lunar New Year red envelopes containing cash. A spokesman for the tech giant declined to comment if it was due to the virus. A group of foreign young people celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Shibadong, a village in Central China's Hunan Province. [chinadaily.com.cn] With the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, around the corner, a group of young foreigners visited a mountainous village in Central China to see its remarkable achievements in the fight against poverty. The foreigners, who attended the filming of a TV program celebrating the Lunar New Year organized by Hunan Satellite TV, visited the Shibadong Village in Hunan Province. Click the photo to watch the video Rhea Slater David, a young man from the US, was surprised to find that wi-fi signal is available in every corner of Shibadong, which prior to the visit he assumed to be a village cut off from the outside world. He made a video call to his families back in the US. In the old days, Shibadong Village was mired in impoverishment due to poor infrastructure and little arable land. A group of foreign young people celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Shibadong, a village in Central China's Hunan Province. [chinadaily.com.cn] In recent years, with the help of targeted poverty relief policies, Shibadong Village has shaken off poverty through industries such as rural tourism, cultivation, and Miao embroidery. The average per capita income has risen from 1,668 yuan (US$243) in 2013 to more than 10,000 yuan. Shi Zhichun is the village's first person with a master's degree. After graduation, Shi returned to his hometown to help locals get rid of poverty. He helps villagers sell local products such as chili pepper, rice wine and kiwi fruit by advertising them on livestreaming platforms. "I was surprised to find that in this tiny village people use the internet to sell their specialty products," said Martin from the UK. "The village is not as underdeveloped as I thought. Instead, they are even more advanced than countryside in our country. What I found surprising is that even the seniors use mobile payment such as WeChat when purchasing stuff." A group of foreign young people celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Shibadong, a village in Central China's Hunan Province. [chinadaily.com.cn] The village development is also attributable to the efforts of outsiders. Among them is Liu Su, a doctorate and graduate of City University of Hong Kong, who left his urban home to dedicate himself to the development of the village tourism. "After hearing the personal story of Dr Liu, I was deeply moved. Instead of embracing a bright prospect in city, and enjoying a warm family life, he chose to sacrifice for the development of Shibadong," said Zeynep Kucuk from Turkey. "This tour let me know that if a country has made the right policies, then everything will get on the right track. The government has built a bridge and provided a platform for people like Dr Liu to make their contribution," he said. The young foreigners also witnessed the villagers receiving year-end bonus collectively from the profits of kiwi fruit sales. As part of the anti-poverty efforts, the villagers have become shareholders in various industries, such as Miao embroidery, traditional Chinese medicine and land renting, which bring them revenues. Saminirina Dinatahina Princia from Madagascar said: "It is the first time I have seen year-end bonus handed out to people in such a massive way. Many elderly women were smiling so happily. Our country is also plagued by problems such as unemployment. I believe many African countries can learn from the experience of Shibadong and improve their peoples' lives." A group of foreign young people celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Shibadong, a village in Central China's Hunan Province. [chinadaily.com.cn] (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington in 2019. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) WASHINGTON United Nations officials have asked the government of Saudi Arabia to explain the apparent hack of a cellphone belonging to Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, a source familiar with the matter told Yahoo News. On Wednesday, special rapporteurs, investigators working for the U.N., will release a statement announcing the findings of a forensic investigation conducted by an outside firm that concludes the hack of Bezoss phone was likely the result of a Saudi scheme. Naked photos sent by Bezos to a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair were likely obtained in the hack. While the findings of the investigation arent conclusive, the U.N. officials are concerned that the attack on privacy is part of a broader campaign to intimidate critics of Saudi Arabia. Shortly after the October 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Bezos skipped a planned appearance at an investment conference that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (also referred to as MBS) was hosting in Saudi Arabia. A few months later, Bezos announced that the National Enquirer had obtained naked pictures of him. While news reports at the time suggested that Michael Sanchez, the brother of the woman with whom Bezos was having an affair, may have been responsible, last March Bezoss longtime security consultant, Gavin de Becker, announced he believed the Saudis were responsible for the hack. U.N. Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye have sent an allegation letter to the Saudi ambassador in Geneva, the source said, asking questions about the Bezos hack, which U.N. officials believe to be significant in part because it connects to both the killing [of Khashoggi] and the use of spyware in general, the source added. Spyware similar to the type that is believed to have been used to infect Bezoss phone was previously deployed by the Saudis to hack into the phone of Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz, who is suing NSO Group, the Israeli maker of the Pegasus spyware. Abdulaziz has alleged that the Saudis hacked into his phone using Pegasus weeks before Khashoggi was killed. Abdulaziz had been working with Khashoggi on sensitive projects targeting Saudi disinformation campaigns in the months before the killing. Story continues The Saudi government denies the allegations. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos phone are absurd, the Saudi Embassy in Washington said in a Tuesday tweet. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. The forensic investigation of the Bezos hack was conducted by FTI Consultings Anthony Ferrante, who declined to comment for this article. But the source familiar with the matter said bin Salman and Bezos had dinner in Los Angeles and exchanged numbers during the crown princes tour of the U.S. in March 2018. A video clip was sent to Bezoss phone by a WhatsApp number linked to bin Salman, the source said, adding that Ferrante determined with a medium to high degree of confidence that the Saudis are behind the Bezos hack. It is unclear who paid Ferrante to investigate. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP) WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, is suing NSO for having violated both U.S. and California laws as well as the WhatsApp Terms of Service, which prohibit this type of abuse, according to a statement from WhatsApp. Last May, WhatsApp discovered a security flaw that allowed hackers to infect victims phones with Pegasus spyware even when they didnt click on a link. The Facebook allegations bolster the claim that the Saudis are behind the hack of Bezoss phone, the source said. The allegation is that a video file was sent from an account controlled by, at least partially controlled by, MBS and was received by the intended recipient, Bezos, the source said. If you line it up with what Facebook alleged in October and November of this past year there was an exploit that didnt require ... the target to actually click on the link if it was sent by WhatsApp. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Highlights Sony has launched a new version of the Walkman in India. The Walkman relies on Android 9 Pie and comes with wireless connectivity options. You can buy the new Android Walkman for Rs 23,990. If you grew up in the 90s, chances are that the Sony Walkman must have been an inseparable part of your life. In 2020 though, the Walkman's duties have been taken over by our smartphones, with digital streaming platforms meeting all our music needs. However, Sony feels that there's still a market for a dedicated portable music player that focuses more on audio quality than anything else and hence, it brings back the Walkman in 2020. This time, it comes in a brand new avatar with the modern conveniences. Sony calls it the NW-A105 Android Walkman and as you must have guessed even without stressing your grey cells, it runs on Android. It still can't make calls but it has been adapted for the modern world with new features. The new Walkman gets a relatively useful 3.6-inch HD display with narrow bezels around. The body gets a couple of control buttons for music playback and volume controls. The device runs on Android 9 Pie, which is not the latest version of Android but it does support all the music streaming apps and services. The NW-A105 comes with 4GB RAM and 16GB onboard storage, of which the latter can be expanded to 128GB via micro SD card. However, for those concerned with storage, the support for Google services means you can rely on Google Drive and other cloud-based backup services. The Walkman is completely meant for music lovers and Sony ensures it offers all the bells and whistles to offer the best music experience. The player supports DSD audio formats up to 11.2MHz, with its high-quality PCM conversion. Sony says it also supports DSEE HX that rebuilds audio lost during digital compression for a full-fidelity audio experience while streaming. The S-Master HX digital amplifier is also meant to amplify the smaller details for the rich audio experience. Even though the player supports playing high-quality offline music tracks, Sony has built-in Wi-Fi to allow streaming music from all the online streaming apps. For those who have made the switch to wireless audio accessories, the Walkman supports Bluetooth connectivity as well as NFC pairing. Sony hasn't mentioned the battery capacity of the new Walkman but it says the players can run for 26 hours on a single charge and it supports fast charging via its USB-C port. And if you have been wondering, it still comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Sony NW-A105 Android Walkman has been priced at Rs 23,990 and will be available in only a black colour variant. The new Walkman will go on sale from January 24. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Californias new Wildfire Safety Advisory Board held its first meeting on Tuesday. Governor Gavin Newsom approved the plan last October. The advisory board will offer wildfire expertise to the California Public Utilities Commission, which until now has never had a divison of wildfire safety. "This board will provide an additional layer of advice and insight to make the best decisions for consumers and Californians," CPUC Deputy Executive Director, Kelly Huston said. Southern California Edison, Laura Gena said the board will be thinking for the state about what it is that we should be doing to mitigate the risk of wildfire. "The board has scientists and experts in utilities," Gena said. The board will also assess the safety culture of California's utility companies. California spends close to $1 billion to cut dead trees and improve resources for wildfire response. RELATED: Sign up to receive the latest updates regarding wildfires in the Northern California region. In their first meeting, the Board designated two members to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the Wildfire Safety Advisory Board. For Chair, Marcie Edwards was selected and Vice Chair, Diane Fellman was selected. Edwards has been the principal of MLE Consulting Inc. since 2017. She was general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from 2014 to 2017, city manager of the City of Anaheim from 2013 to 2014, and general manager for Anaheim Public Utilities from 2001 to 2013. Edwards was interim chief executive officer for the California Independent System Operator in 2004. She held positions at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from 1976 to 2000, including assistant general manager for marketing and customer service business units, bulk power business unit director, energy control center manager and superintendent of load dispatching, according to the CPUC. Fellman was a public utility regulatory specialist at the CPUC from 2017 to 2018. She was vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs for the Western Region at NRG Energy Inc. from 2010 to 2017, director of regulatory and legislative affairs for NextEra Energy Resources Inc. from 2004 to 2010 and an attorney in private practice from 1986 to 2004. Fellman was legal counsel at the California Public Utilities Commission from 1983 to 1986 and a hearing officer and officer manager at the California Energy Commission from 1977 to 1983, the CPUC said. At the Tuesday meeting, the Board briefly went over the Wildfire Safety Division of the CPUC, and reviewed the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act in order to ensure transparency of its work to the public. The board's next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Sacramento. The public is invited to attend meetings and provide input on agenda items, such as the Board's priorities and utility wildfire plans. For more information, CLICK HERE. Beloved southern fast-food chain, Krystal, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This bankruptcy will be the company's second filing in 23 years. The brand, known for its square-like mini burgers, announced its decision in a court filing on Monday as part of a move to reorganize its finances under the protection of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Northern Georgia. According to Jonathan Tibus, the company's chief restructuring officer, "shifting consumer tastes and preferences, growth in labor and commodity costs, increased competition, and unfavorable lease terms" were some of the biggest factors that played a part in the decision. Take a look at the U.S. burger chains that received 'F' for antibiotic beef policy: The documents revealed the company has $50 million to $100 million in debts. To date, the chain has closed nearly 50 locations, including 13 on Dec. 15, to boost its finances. The company operates in 10 states, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennesse, and has more than 6,500 employees. There is no word yet if there will be more store closures. New industrial-scale production of Phyt-N-Resist to supply the market DEINOVE launches the production of a new batch of Phyt-N-Resist to meet the needs of its distributors and future customers. Several projects for the development of cosmetic products containing the first DEINOVEs active made of Phytoene are underway. DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company that uses a disruptive approach to develop innovative antibiotics and bio-based active ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition, announces the production of a new industrial batch of Phyt-N-Resist, its first proprietary cosmetic active ingredient, to meet the needs of its distributors and future customers. Phyt-N-Resist is a colorless carotenoid with clinically proven antioxidant and regenerative properties. This first 100% pure Phytoene is an anti-aging active ingredient whose mechanism of action reveals a prime target for cell regeneration: laminin, a protein that links the different types of collagen and contributes to the adhesion of the epidermis to the dermis. DEINOVE has developed an exclusive process for the bioproduction and extraction of Phytoene. 100% naturally-sourced and vegan, produced exclusively in France, it is derived from fermentation of plant sugars by the extremophile microorganism Deinococcus geothermalis. Phyt-N-Resist has been sampled by nearly a hundred cosmetic brands and incorporated into various skincare formulations, demonstrating its potential in several strategic markets. The partners for distribution of this active ingredient are Solvay in the Americas and Asia, and Univar in EMEA. "Phyt-N-Resist has been tested in different formulations and several tangible projects for the development of cosmetic products containing this active ingredient have been identified. Our distributors work closely with these brands located in different geographical areas. This new industrial batch is essential to address market needs and supply future customers" says Coralie MARTIN, Marketing Manager at DEINOVE. ABOUT PHYTOENE A breakthrough in naturally-sourced active ingredients: DEINOVE bioproduced the 1st pure Phytoene. Both skin cells and plants rely on a common substance to protect themselves from oxidative stress: Phytoene, the original precursor of all carotenoids. However, unlike plants, skin cannot synthesize it. Phytoene counts among these essential molecules that need to be brought through food or external supplementation, either oral or topical. So far there was no way to extract pure Phytoene. None of the available production processes from plants allows the production of pure Phytoene. They provide only a random mixture of carotenoids, at low concentration, and with varying degrees of stability and colors. Tapping into the extraordinary resources of biomimetism, harnessing the potential of Deinococcus geothermalis, a UV-resistant extremophile bacterium, DEINOVE has for the first time ever achieved the bioproduction of pure Phytoene. Extended anti-aging properties Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant properties. Phytoene has been successfully tested for its ability to reduce the amount of lipoperoxidation products, appearing after cells exposure to UV radiations. Indeed, phytoene accumulates in cellular membranes to prevent cellular degradation. By protecting membranes lipids from free radicals, Phytoene reduces the harmful effects of oxidation and, ultimately, skin aging. DEINOVE went even further while putting in place a systematic screening of its active ingredients across several dimensions. This comprehensive, innovative approach has highlighted a previously untapped feature under the carotenoid family: cell renewal stimulation. Wounded skin is able to regenerate under the action of phytoene. These properties were subsequently confirmed by a conclusive clinical study, demonstrating its beneficial effect on skin firmness, elasticity and radiance. Above all, Phytoene has a significant antiwrinkle action. This makes Phytoene a thorough anti-aging active ingredient for the beauty industry. ABOUT DEINOVE DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company, a leader in disruptive innovation, which aims to help meet the challenges of antibiotic resistance and the transition to a sustainable production model for the cosmetics and nutrition industries. DEINOVE has developed a unique and comprehensive expertise in the field of rare bacteria that it can decipher, culture, and optimize to disclose unsuspected possibilities and induce them to produce biobased molecules with activities of interest on an industrial scale. To do so, DEINOVE has been building and documenting since its creation an unparalleled biodiversity bank that it exploits thanks to a unique technological platform in Europe. DEINOVE is organized around two areas of expertise: ANTIBIOTICS, New-generation anti-infective agents : A first antibiotic candidate is now in Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with bioMerieux and Naicons (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). : A first antibiotic candidate is now in Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with bioMerieux and Naicons (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). BIOACTIVES, Active ingredients of natural origin with cosmetics as the first market and potential in nutrition and health: DEINOVE is already marketing a first innovative asset, a second in partnership with Greentech and plans to launch new assets in 2020. Several other cosmetic actives are in development, including Oleos (Hallstar Group) and Dow. It also runs a program in animal nutrition with Groupe Avril. Within the Euromedecine science park located in Montpellier, DEINOVE employs 60 employees, mainly researchers, engineers, and technicians, and has filed more than 350 patent applications internationally. The Company has been listed on EURONEXT GROWTH since April 2010. CONTACTS Investors Coralie Martin Communication, Marketing and Investor Relations Ph.: +33 (0)4 48 19 01 60 coralie.martin@deinove.com Media ALIZE RP Caroline Carmagnol Ph.: +33 (0)6 64 18 99 59 deinove@alizerp.com Attachment Libya's neighbouring countries will discuss future actions in Libya following a summit in Berlin earlier this week Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry flew to Algeria on Wednesday to take part in a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries, which is scheduled for Thursday, the foreign ministry said. The gathering is one in a series of ministerial meetings of Libya's neighbouring countries. The meetings are being held periodically, alternating between the capitals of the group. The ministers are going to discuss the rapid developments of the Libyan conflict during their meeting in the Algerian capital, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Libya's neighbours will look at future actions following the Berlin conference on Libya that was held earlier this week, as well as "ways to push the ongoing efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement that addresses all aspects of the Libyan crisis to lead to the restoration of security and stability" in the country. The foreign ministers of Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, Mali and Niger are expected to take part in the meeting. Earlier this week, world leaders, including President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, attended an international summit on Libya in Berlin, where key players active in Libya committed to abide by an existing UN arms embargo and stop sending weapons to the North African country. Libya is divided between two rival factions, the Tripoli-based government in the west and the eastern forces aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would send troops to Libya to support the countrys internationally-recognised government. He has already dispatched military advisers and trainers. Search Keywords: Short link: Canadian victim of Ukraine plane crash repatriated It has been confirmed that there were 57 Canadians on the plane along with 29 permanent residents. The first remains of a Canadian who died when Iran shot down a passenger plane earlier this month arrived in Canada on Tuesday. The airline disaster claimed the lives of 176 people, 57 of them Canadian. The Ukrainian airliner was shot down inadvertently shortly after departing from an airport near Tehran nearly two weeks ago. TRUDEAU INSISTED TO IRAN TO SEND BACK THE VICTIMS REMAINS The issue of returning remains to Canada has surfaced because Iran considers anyone born in Iran an Iranian, irrespective of other citizenships they might hold. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he has insisted to Iran that if a family in Canada wants the remains brought home that their wishes be followed. We recognize that is a challenge that Iran does not recognize double citizenship, but the focus that weve had on supporting the families has been to ensure that the families wishes are respected with regards to burials, in regards to the next steps, and that is what we have been insisting on with Iran, Trudeau said Tuesday. Respecting the wishes of the families lines up not with a question of citizenship, but it lines up also with international laws and practice and with principles around Islam for burials. There have been reports that Iranian officials are intimidating families to do burials in Iran, but Champagne said if a family complains, Canada acts. PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) is excited to announce the launch of VISIT St. Maarten/St. Martin 2020. Its yearly upscale destination magazine is distributed in each of the guest rooms of member hotels and other properties throughout the island. The association and its publisher North South Net (NSN), a boutique custom publishing company specializing in the Caribbean region, made sure VISIT 2020 has a celebratory character as the association turns 50 this year. VISIT continues to carry on the tradition of informing visitors about all the exciting things to see and do while presenting a fresh take on the best experiences found throughout St. Maarten/St. Martin. The richly illustrated book highlights local personalities and captures the beauty of the island with captivating photography, engaging stories and valuable information about shopping, dining, activities, attractions, and much more. To celebrate SHTAs special 50th birthday, VISITs 2020 edition features a special celebratory section highlighting important moments in the islands history and some of the people who have made a significant impact on the hospitality industry. We are very excited with the launch of this latest edition of Visit St. Maarten/St. Martin, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the SHTA and its commitment to the private sector, says Wyb Meijer, Executive Director of the SHTA. With their vast knowledge of our cosmopolitan destination and the personal relationships they have built over the years, NSN is positioned to be a valued strategic partner, providing us with high-quality print and digital products. NSNs award-winning publishing team serves clients throughout the Caribbean, the United States, and Latin America. In addition to St. Maarten/St. Martin, the company currently produces print and digital products for Hilton Hotels & Resorts (Caribbean and Latin America Region), Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Antigua & Barbuda, Miami Beach and Naples, Florida. Were honored to have entered into a long-term publishing agreement with the stellar team at the SHTA, says Garry Duell Jr., of North-South Net. Travelers from around the world are always looking for inspiration and were proud to produce high-quality print and digital publications, an app and the Maps supplement for St. Maarten/St. Martin helps visitors discover the best of the island. For more information and the opportunity to be a part of the 2021 edition, please contact Garry Duell at +1 786-501-3434. Trump relaunches trade battle with Europe Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 US President Donald Trump relaunched a major trade offensive against Europe on Wednesday, threatening to hit the EU with damaging auto tariffs if Europeans failed to agree a long-delayed trade deal. With observers warning that global harmony on trade was crucial to the health of the world economy, Trump warned Europe that the US would protect its interests, on the second day of his stay at the Davos economic forum. His interventions took the focus off climate change which had dominated the first day of event, where Trump lashed out at the "prophets of doom" who say that the world is in crisis over global warming. "The European Union is tougher to deal with than anybody. They've taken advantage of our country for many years." Trump told Fox Business News on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. "Ultimately, it will be very easy because if we can't make a deal, we'll have to put 25 percent tariffs on their cars," he added. Trump said that his attention would now to turn to Europe, after he sealed a trade truce with China that cooled several years of a bitter trade war that destabilised the world economy. "I wanted to wait till I finished China, to be honest with you. I always like to be very transparent. I wanted to wait till I finished China. I didn't want to go with China and Europe at the same time." - 'Arbitrarily putting taxes' - Trumps comments followed a warning by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that Washington would proceed with long threatened auto tariffs if Europeans go through with a digital tax that mainly affects US firms. "If people want to arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies we will consider putting taxes arbitrarily on car companies," Mnuchin told a panel at the four-day meeting at the elite Swiss ski resort. But France and Britain said they would push through with their digital tax plans as well as continue multilateral talks at the OECD to come up with new tax rules for Google, Facebook and other giants. "We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April," said British finance minister Sajid Javid, emphasising that the legislation would "fall away" if there was an international solution. "It is a tax that is deliberately designed as a temporary tax," he said. "This year could be the year of change. There is no agreement yet but I think we should all focus on that and reach a deal this year" Mnuchin emphasised the US was still involved in the OECD solution, but insisted that a digital tax was "discriminatory in nature." - 'Something very dramatic' - EU-US trade relations deteriorated soon after Trump came to power three years ago and declared a war against the yawning trade deficit with Europe. The earliest transatlantic skirmish came when Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, notably from the EU, which responded by taxing iconic US products, including denim jeans and motorcycles. Trump then threatened duties on European cars, which is of particular concern to Germany, but has so far backed down under the pressure of US lawmakers. The US and EU agreed to pursue a trade deal in July 2017 as a tentative truce, but negotiations have stalled over farming. Trump offered an olive branch to the Europeans meanwhile, giving his backing to a reform of the World Trade Organization, the arbitrator of global commerce that he says is unfair on Washington. "I've had a dispute running with them for quite a while because our country hasn't been treated fairly," Trump said, speaking alongside WTO chief Roberto Azevedo. "We're going to do something that I think will be very dramatic," Trump told reporters. The EU would like to see trade conflicts resolved within the rules of the Geneva-based WTO, but instead the US has effectively shut it down by refusing to fill key jobs. Washington had also moved this month to ease tensions on other trade fronts. The US Senate this month voted to approve a new trade agreement linking the United States, Canada and Mexico. The United States and China also signed a long-awaited, if partial, deal to ease trade frictions. arp-sms-sjw/wai FACEBOOK ANN ARBOR, MI - Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct have led the University of Michigan to place Provost Martin A. Philbert on administrative leave. In a message to the students, faculty and staff, President Mark Schlissel said Philberts leave is effective Jan. 21, pending the results of an investigation that began on Friday, Jan. 17. We take allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously, and our policy is clear: Sexual misconduct will not be tolerated in the University of Michigan community, the message reads. We thank the individuals who have come forward with these allegations. We know that reporting requires courage. The university has offered support services and will work diligently to assist those who report in every way possible. University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald said the University has hired an external law firm, WilmerHale, to lead the investigation, and that the university Department of Public Safety and Security is involved. In his message, Schlissel said there were several allegations of sexual misconduct against Philbert made Thursday and Friday, Jan. 16 and 17. The investigation began Friday, and because the Office for Institutional Equity, which is overseen by Philbert, would normally handle such investigations, the reporting line for all matters related to the investigation was moved to Associate Vice President for Human Resources Richard S. Holcomb. Philbert has climbed the ranks at UM during his 22 years with the university, with promotions to associate professor, professor and eventually dean of the School of Public Health following in 2011. He is paid $570,340 a year. He was appointed as provost and vice president for academic affairs at UM in June 2017. He has served as both the chief budgetary and academic officer for the university, filling the role vacated by former provost Martha Pollack, who was announced as the new president of Cornell University in November 2016. Philbert served as associate chair for research and development in UMs Department of Environmental Health Sciences from 2000-03, and as both senior associate dean for research and interim director of the Center for Risk Science and Communication from 2004-10. A message was left with Philbert seeking comment. UM Regent Jordan Acker reacted to the news in a series of tweets Wednesday, calling it a sad day for the university and expressing sympathy for accusers. Washington The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Tuesday with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two late-night sessions and Democrats arguing for more witnesses to expose Trump's "trifecta" of offenses. The turn of events was a setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the president's legal team, exposing a crack in the GOP ranks and the growing political unease over the historic impeachment proceedings unfolding before a watchful public in an election year. Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session, with House prosecutors on one side, Trump's team on the other, in the well of the Senate, as senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to do "impartial justice." No cellphones or other electronics were allowed. Opening day stretched deep into the night. Senators remained as the clock passed 9:30 p.m., while Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony. However, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department and budget office, with more votes expected rejecting key witnesses with a front-row seat to Trump's actions. By the same 53-47 party-line vote, senators turned aside the Democrats' request to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. McConnell stunned senators and delayed the start of proceedings with his decision to back off some of his proposed rules. Republicans were said to be concerned over the political optics of "dark-of-night" sessions. Instead, 24 hours of opening arguments for each side will be spread over three days, for a moment swelling Democrats' momentum as they push to break the standoff over calling new witnesses. As the visitors' gallery filled with guests, and Trump's most ardent House allies lining the back rows, the day quickly took on the cadence of a trial proceeding over whether the president's actions toward Ukraine warranted removal from office. "It's time to start with this trial," said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the president's lead lawyer, voicing impatience as the proceedings opened in public after weeks of delay. Cipollone scoffed that the House charges against Trump were "ridiculous," insisting that the president "has done absolutely nothing wrong." The White House legal team did not dispute Trump's actions: He called Ukraine and asked for a "favor," which was to investigate Democrat Joe Biden as the U.S. was withholding military aid the ally desperately needed as it faced off with hostile Russia on its border. But the lawyers insisted the president did nothing wrong. "Absolutely no case," Cipollone said. Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, opened for the prosecution, saying America's founders added the remedy of impeachment in the Constitution with "precisely this type of conduct in mind conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit, that undermines our national security, and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election." Said Schiff: "It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment." The other lead lawyer on Trump's team, Jay Sekulow, retorted, "I'll give you a trifecta," outlining complaints over the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry process. The impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trump's actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House. All four senators who are presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. "My focus is going to be on impeachment," Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told reporters. The day began as a debate over rules, and it was only when the clerk started reading the dry language of the resolution that the hand-written changes became apparent. McConnell made the adjustment after encountering resistance from Republicans during a closed-door lunch meeting. Senators worried about the public reaction to cramming the 24 hours of opening arguments from each side into just two days. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, along with a substantial number of other Republicans, wanted to make the changes, according to people familiar with the situation. Some senators argued that the two-day limit would have helped Democrats cast Republicans as squeezing testimony through in the dead of night. Collins and Murkowski, who often ally to buck GOP leadership, sat side by side in the Senate through the day's proceedings. The turnaround was a swift lesson as White House wishes run into the reality of the Senate. The White House wanted a session kept to a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night, according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it in public. "READ THE TRANSCRIPTS!" the president tweeted from overseas, at a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland. That's the transcript of his phone call in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for "a favor." The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Trump, though he repeatedly describes it as "perfect." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. A whistleblower's complaint led the House to impeach Trump last month on a charge of abuse of power for pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Biden and his son Hunter Biden as the White House was withholding military aid from Ukraine. Trump also was impeached on a second charge, of obstruction of Congress, in the House probe. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York said Republican senators "felt the heat" and it "shows that they can make other changes, and that we can get documents and witnesses." Schumer offered the first of several amendments to the rules to issue subpoenas for to the White House for "all documents, communications and other records" relating to the Ukraine matter. It was rejected on a party-line vote, as were the others. Trump's legal team absent its TV-showcase attorneys, Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr, who were not in the chamber argued that in seeking new evidence the House was bringing a half-baked case that would be thrown out in any other court of law. But Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, one of the House managers and the first woman to argue for the prosecution in a presidential impeachment trial, said the House wasn't asking the Senate to do the job for them. "The House is asking the Senate to do its job, to have a trial," she said. "Have you ever heard of a trial without evidence?" The White House had instructed officials not to testify in the House inquiry and refused to turn over witnesses or documents, citing what is says is precedence in defiance of congressional subpoenas. The ambassadors and national security officials who did appear before the House delivered often-striking testimony, highlights of which were displayed on television screens during the Senate proceeding. One manager, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, showed Mulvaney's own press conference comments about Trump's rationale for withholding the Urkaine aid. At one point, Democrat Schiff displayed video of Trump himself suggesting there should be more witnesses testifying. "Don't blind yourself to the evidence," Schiff told the senators. "The facts will come out in the end," he said. " The question is, will it come out in time?" Legal scholars have long contended that the framers of the Constitution provided impeachment as a remedy for "other high crimes and misdemeanors," a particularly broad definition that doesn't mean simply specific criminal acts. Democrats point in particular to a General Accountability Office report that found the White House violated federal law by stalling money to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds vote needed for conviction. Clergy at Christ Church in Londonderry say they have forgiven two men who were jailed for causing 75,000 worth of damage to the church. Harry Duffy and James Anthony Kennedy were both jailed for two years and eight months at Derry Crown Court on Tuesday after they broke into the church in September 2017. The men, who are drug and alcohol addicts, smashed their way in through a 19th century stained glass window. During a search of the church police officers discovered that one of the men had defecated inside the church's boiler room, and excrement was smeared on the church organ and on pages which had been rippled from a Bible. Following sentencing, Rector of Christ Church, Archdeacon Robert Miller, and the parish's Pastoral Director, Rev Katie McAteer, said they forgave the two intruders. We are thankful that this matter has now been dealt with by the courts and grateful to Judge Philip Babington for the sensitive manner in which he has dealt with what has for our parishioners been a most distressing case," a statement read. It is of some comfort to us to learn that, in Judge Babingtons words, there was no religious or sectarian aspect to this offending. Indeed, since the break-in, we in Christ Church have been blessed and encouraged by the sympathy and support shown to us by well-wishers from right across the community most notably by our closest neighbours in St Eugenes Roman Catholic Cathedral." Expand Close Harry Duffy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harry Duffy The statement said Archdeacon Miller and Rev McAteer took "no pleasure" in the custodial sentences handed down to the two offenders but added that everyone should be "accountable before the law". On behalf of the parishioners of Christ Church, we now consider this matter closed. As Rector and as Pastoral Director, we forgive Harry Duffy and James Kennedy for what they did and will be holding them in our prayers," the statement added. "We hope the two men can learn from this incident and that they will succeed in getting their lives back on track. Duffy (25), from Elmwood Terrace, and Kennedy (24), from Glenside Park, had previously clear records. They admitted burglary and stealing items including a crystal decanter, a surplice and a set of readers robes. None of the stolen items were recovered. They also admitted damaging furnishings and fittings in the church, including the organ. In total they caused an estimated 75,000 worth of damage inside and outside the church building, for which the diocesan insurers paid 58,500. Expand Close James Anthony Kennedy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Anthony Kennedy The court heard both men have mental health disorders. Judge Philip Babington said the pair's behaviour was "quite disgraceful, aggravated as it was by taking place at and within a place of worship. He added: Some of the damage caused was both shocking and disgusting. PHILADELPHIA U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore, was honored Tuesday morning for her land-conservation efforts in her congressional district, the state and the nation. Philadelphia-based environment advocacy group PennEnvironment presented Scanlon a simple token of appreciation at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum to help protect open spaces: A scenic photo of the 1,000-acre refuge, the nations first urban refuge that spreads across Delaware and Philadelphia counties. In March 2019, Scanlon voted yes to the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, formerly known as the Natural Resources Management Act, to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund after it expired on Sept. 30, 2018. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law that month. She has since been working on a bill to ensure full funding for the fund which has been cut by $22 billion over the decades. She is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3195, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act, to keep financing of the fund permanent. In the upper chamber, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, introduced a bill for full $900 million funding every year that has yet to leave the Senate for House consideration. We got the Land and Water Conservation fund permanently authorized; We need to get it permanently funded, said Scanlon. Priorities in Congress can change from time to time, but we need to make sure that protecting the environment, protecting these refuges, protecting our watersheds, and protecting our public spaces is made permanently. I am wholeheartedly behind that. And I think its really important that groups like PennEnvironment and the general public remain vigilant and remain advocating for the protection of our environment. Over $23 million in federal funds have been invested in the states 5th Congressional District since 1964, according to PennEnvironment. Projects at FDR Park and Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia, and Upland Park and Darby Creek in Delaware County are some of the funds local investments. Joining Scanlon Tuesday morning were representatives from PennEnvironment and other organizations. The Friends of Heinz Refuge use this national treasure at John Heinz every day to educate the public about the importance of natural resources by offering programs and grants to schools for field trips. The Land and Water Conservation Fund not only protects lands but also provides recreation and education opportunities and health benefits, said President of the Friends of Heinz Refuge Jaclyn Rhoads. It is a unique and wonderful resource for Philadelphia and Delaware counties. Adding sentiments was Susan Miller of the Darby Creek Valley Association which helped to protect the Darby Creek Watershed, which covers the refuge. The DCVA works hard to protect Darby Creek Watershed and all its natural resources. The LWCF has been a big help in doing that by protecting the lands and water which benefits everyone, said Miller. The SARS disaster was supposed to drag China into a new era of openness and responsibility. The deadly disease rippled across the world 17 years ago, abetted by a Chinese government that covered up its spread. As the scope of it became clear, Chinas journalists, intellectuals and other critics helped shame Beijing into opening up about the problem. SARS has been our countrys 9/11, said Xu Zhiyuan, then a young newspaper columnist and a fierce critic of the governments handling of SARS, in a 2003 interview with the New York Times. It has forced us to pay attention to the real meaning of globalization. Today, China faces the spread of another mysterious disease, a coronavirus, which so far has killed 17 people and infected more than 540. And while Beijings response has improved in some ways, it has regressed in others. It is censoring criticism. It is detaining people for spreading what it calls rumours. It is suppressing information it deems alarming. Though Chinas censors are busily scrubbing the Chinese internet, the countrys online community is registering its disappointment and alarm over Beijings handling of the new virus that has spread since December from the city of Wuhan to other countries, even the United States. I thought SARS would force China to rethink its governance model, wrote Xu, now a video talk show host, on social media Tuesday, who also posted a screenshot of his 2003 quote in the Times. I was too naive. In many ways, China has changed for the better since the SARS epidemic. Its economy has grown eightfold. It has built more skyscrapers, subways and high-speed rail lines than any other country. Its tech companies rival Silicon Valleys giants. A more responsive bureaucracy provides more people with health care, social services and even quality of life improvements like parks. When it comes to handling diseases, the public health system has improved dramatically. Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, is also home to one of the most advanced epidemic disease research laboratories in the world. Those improvements have come at a price. The government has tightened its grip on the internet, the media and civil society. It has deeper pockets and a greater ability to control the flow of information across the country. As a result, many of the media outlets, advocacy groups, activists and others who held the government accountable in 2003 have been silenced or sidelined. The system is successful in that it destroyed the people with integrity, the institutions with credibility and a society capable of narrating its own stories, Xu said on social media. Whats left is an arrogant power, a bunch of messy information and many fragile, isolated and angry individuals. Even as the new virus spread through Wuhan, the government took pains to keep up appearances. The first case was reported Dec. 8. As the disease spread, Wuhan officials insisted it was controlled and treatable. Police questioned eight people who posted on social media about the virus, saying that they had spread rumours. On Saturday, two days before Wuhan told the world about the severity of the outbreak, it hosted a potluck banquet attended by more than 40,000 families so the city could apply for a world record for most dishes served at an event. On the day it broke the news to the world, it also announced that it was distributing 200,000 free tickets to local residents for attending festival activities during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins Saturday. The central government backed Wuhans officials. Wang Guangfa, a prominent government respiratory expert, told state broadcaster China Central Television on Jan. 10 that the Wuhan pneumonia was under control and mostly a mild condition. Eleven days later, he confirmed to Chinese media that he might have contracted the virus himself during an inspection in Wuhan. Recognizing an outbreak can take time, and China is not the first government caught flat-footed by a disease. But the choices made by government officials impacted a major commercial and transportation hub. Wuhan is a city of 11 million people, including nearly 1 million college students from across the country. By the time it disclosed the seriousness of the outbreak, the Lunar New Year travel season had already begun, a 40-day period during which Chinese people take an estimated 3 billion trips combined. People might have made different decisions had websites and headlines described growing worries. Instead, they travelled. On Tuesday, all five confirmed cases in Beijing were of people who travelled to Wuhan in January for business, study or leisure. Until a week ago, some people in China called it the patriotic virus. Cases appeared in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and elsewhere in Asia. No other Chinese city but Wuhan reported infection cases. It was not until the Hong Kong news media reported over the weekend that the virus had been found in other cities did officials elsewhere come forward. Some critics see parallels to SARS. In 2003, Guangzhou-based newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily first reported the SARS outbreak. A military doctor named Jiang Yanyong came forward with what he knew. Only then did officials act. The way this virus came into the public view is the same as that of SARS 17 years ago, said Rose Luqiu, an assistant journalism professor who covered SARS as a reporter for Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television. Many of those brave voices in 2003 are gone. Like almost all Chinese media outlets that were active in the 1990s and 2000s, the Southern Metropolis Daily has lost its freedom to pursue coverage that holds local governments, if not Beijing, accountable. Only a few mainland news media outlets are covering the current crisis critically, and then only with an analytical tone. In 2003, Phoenix Television called Luqiu, then a star reporter, back from Iraq to report on SARS in Beijing. She shadowed the newly appointed Beijing mayor, Wang Qishan, for a week to cover how the government dealt with the crisis. Wang later became the vice president of China. That kind of openness is unimaginable now. Last week, when a group of Hong Kong journalists went to the Wuhan hospital that took in most coronavirus patients, they were detained by police for a few hours. They were asked to delete their TV footage and hand in their phones and cameras for inspection. On Tuesday, Luqiu wrote an article for qq.com, the news site owned by internet giant Tencent, about the measures the Hong Kong government has taken in dealing with the virus. The article was deleted 10 hours later. As for Jiang, the military doctor who became a whistleblower in 2003, he has been put under periodic house arrest and forbidden to visit the United States to collect a human rights award. He is also portrayed as a bad role model. A multiple-choice question posed by a test-prep school in 2017 asked about Jiangs decision. The correct answer was B: It was wrong because it harmed the interests of the nation, the society and the community and should be subject for legal punishment. Chinas disclosures have improved in many ways since SARS. The government admitted the problem faster. Beijing officials have shown determination to be more transparent. A top party committee Tuesday said that it would not tolerate any efforts to hide infections. Whoever deliberately delays or conceals reporting for the sake of their own interests will be forever nailed to historys pillar of shame, the committee said in a post on WeChat. The post was later deleted. But when the government is the only source of information, wise advice and valuable clues can be lost. A local police bureau in eastern Shandong province posted on the Twitter-like social media platform Weibo on Wednesday that it had detained four local residents who spread rumours that there was a suspected coronavirus patient in the district. In that environment, others dare not speak out. The authorities are sending a signal, which is that only the government agencies can talk about the epidemic, Yu Ping, a former Southern Metropolis Daily reporter, wrote on his personal blog. All other people should just shut up. Its not public disclosure, Yu added. Its a naked information monopoly. Read more about: The key rebel group behind a 16-year insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority south has met the kingdom's head negotiator for the first official meeting in their peace talks. Observers see the dialogue as the best hope of ending a conflict which has left thousands dead in Thailand's three southernmost provinces. The region has been in the grip of a simmering insurgency since 2004, with clashes between Malay-Muslim rebels and the Buddhist-majority Thai state claiming more than 7,000 lives, mostly civilians. The main rebel group believed to be behind the guerilla attacks -- the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) -- has long refused peace talks with Thai officials. They claim to be fighting for independence after Thailand annexed the three southern provinces -- Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat -- over a century ago. But this week marked a warming in relations as the two sides held their first official meeting on Monday, with Malaysia as a facilitator. The BRN said in a statement Tuesday that after years of back-channelling the two parties had agreed to "resolve armed conflicts... by means of political resolution". The rebel group added that "observers from overseas" had attended Monday's meeting. Thailand's National Security Council also released a statement saying they are "ready to work with every stakeholder". - 'Best hope' - The rebel group has long insisted the talks be overseen by international mediators, which the Thai state has staunchly opposed, bringing the negotiation process to a stuttering halt in 2014. Since then, only MARA Patani -- an umbrella organisation representing other insurgent factions -- has taken part, and progress has been slow. A photo from Monday's meeting shows Wanlop Rugsanaoh, head of Thailand's Peace Dialogue Panel, and BRN representative Anas Abdulrahman clasping hands with former Malaysian police inspector-general Abdul Rahim Noor in the middle. "They have agreed to resolve the issues through peace and not to fight. It can be done," Abdul Rahim Noor told AFP late Tuesday. The two sides agreed another meeting will be held next month, he added. Calling this the "best hope" for the years-long conflict, Matthew Wheeler of International Crisis Group cautioned that a long journey remains. "As difficult as the process has been up to this point, the most difficult work remains to be done," he told AFP. burs-dhc/axn Long-serving Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey has announced her early resignation from the role and revealed ongoing mental health issues. After 16 years in the role, and having previously said she would not contest her seat at October's state election, Ms Stuckey said she had made the "immediately tough" decision to leave on February 1 instead. Long-serving Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey. Credit:Matt Roberts "After lengthy consultation with family and medicos, I have made the heart-wrenching decision to resign," Ms Stuckey said in a statement. "[I] hope I can contribute in the years ahead to this wonderful community who have put their faith in me for so long. Washington: Pakistan's leadership has "limited options" to respond to India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir as many analysts view that Islamabad has "little credibility" on the issue given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there, according to a US Congressional report. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its second report on Kashmir in less than six months also said that Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy. CRS is the independent research wing of the US Congress which prepares periodic reports on issues of interest for US lawmakers so that they can make informed decisions inside the Congress. Currently, two resolutions are pending in the House of Representatives, one of which is being sponsored by Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. In its report dated January 13, CRS said that post-August 5, Pakistan appeared diplomatically isolated, with Turkey being the only country to offer solid and explicit support for Islamabad's position. Live TV Ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories on August 5, evoking strong reactions from Islamabad. Pakistan has been trying to rally international support against India on the issue. However, India has maintained that the move was "entirely an internal matter". The 25-page report said that Pakistan called for a UNSC session and, with China's support, the Council met on August 16 to discuss Kashmir for the first time in more than five decades, albeit in a closed-door session that produced no formal statement. ''Many analysts view Islamabad as having little credibility on Kashmir, given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there. Pakistan's leadership has limited options to respond to India's actions, and renewed Pakistani support for Kashmiri militancy likely would be costly internationally,'' it said. ''Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy,'' the CRS said. ''Given also that Pakistan and its primary ally, China, enjoy limited international credibility on human rights issues, Islamabad may stand by and hope that self-inflicted damage caused by New Delhi's own policies in Kashmir and, more recently, on citizenship laws, will harm India's reputation and perhaps undercut its recent diplomatic gains with Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE,'' it said. According to CRS, the long-standing US position on Kashmir is that the issue should be settled through negotiations between India and Pakistan while taking into consideration the wishes of the Kashmiri people. ''The Trump Administration has called for peace and respect for human rights in the region, but its criticisms have been relatively muted,'' it noted. With key US diplomatic posts vacant, some observers worry that the US government's capacity to address South Asian instability is thin, and the US President's July offer to ''mediate'' on Kashmir may have contributed to the timing of New Delhi's moves, it said. The United States seeks to balance the pursuit of a broad US-India partnership while upholding human rights protections, as well as maintaining cooperative relations with Pakistan, the report said. Michael Bloombergs presidential campaign has aroused the passions of Democratic voters. Unfortunately for Bloomberg a formerly Republican, Wall Street-friendly billionaire who, as New York City mayor, supported the racially discriminatory stop and frisk policing strategy those passions are largely negative ones. These personal and ideological priors aside, many Democrats are angry that Bloomberg, who has indicated he is willing to spend as much as $1 billion of his estimated $50 billion fortune on his campaign, seems to be trying to purchase their partys nomination. The fear is that Bloombergs campaign will prolong the Democratic contest and, in the end, produce a hobbled nominee a nominee who almost certainly wont be Bloomberg. But there is a plausible argument that Bloombergs candidacy could be a boon to whoever faces Donald Trump in November. The vast bulk of his money so far has gone not into renting out arenas for campaign rallies or chartering planes to crisscross the country but into advertising: more than $200 million in less than two months. His television and radio ads represent more than three times the combined ad spending of every other Republican and Democratic presidential candidate, save for his fellow billionaire Tom Steyer, over the last year, according to the data firm Advertising Analytics. If youve tuned in to the N.F.L. playoffs or the Golden Globes, or even tried to watch a Minecraft video on YouTube, youve probably seen Bloombergs ad about health care. The 60-second TV spot begins with creepy music that sounds as if it were borrowed from a horror-movie soundtrack and footage of Trump saying things like Obamacare is a complete and total disaster and Let Obamacare implode. The music then turns upbeat, and a narrator touts Bloombergs health-care-related accomplishments as New Yorks mayor: lowering the number of uninsured and infant mortality rates, increasing life expectancy. Theres a multiracial cast of smiling professionals in scrubs and white coats, pushing happy patients in wheelchairs and checking the heartbeats of adorable toddlers. Was it just me who wondered, this week, if wed gone back to the 1950s in a time capsule decorated with polka-dot bunting? The confusion is courtesy of the growing movement of British women remodelling themselves to fit that decades vision of womanhood. They call themselves Tradwives (traditional wives, get it?). They dont have paid jobs, unless you count domestic work within the home on an allowance provided by their husbands. They cook dinner, and dont expect their husbands ever to cook for them. Their spare time is spent baking cakes, wearing pinnies and doing the cleaning. They submit to their mans demands, always putting him first and probably spoiling him rotten. Susanna Reid (pictured) explained why she isn't joining in with the criticism of women who've decided to join the Tradwife movement The women spearheading the Tradwife movement have been accused of betraying the feminist cause. There is concern that it reinforces oppressive gender roles and rolls back the clock on equality. Even just on a purely practical level, how many couples could afford for one partner to give up their salary? And how many women with fulfilling careers would be content to spend their days pairing up their husbands socks? But Tradwife Alena Kate Pettitt says the point of feminism is choice, and she has chosen to put family first. Put that way, it sounds fair enough. The old saying a womans place is in the home is anathema in feminist circles. But if that is where a woman freely decides she wants to be, then Im not criticising. The motto only rankles if its used to tell women its the only place they SHOULD be. Lets face it, staying at home has its appeal. The modern family set-up with both parents working is fraught with challenges most of us will have experienced. I wonder how many working women wistfully dream of a life at home as they juggle childcare, school admin, playdates, social time and homework while catching up on emails and work deadlines in the evening. Thinking about it, I wonder how many men might like to do that traditional role, too? Certainly not Anthony Dream Johnson, who this week is selling tickets, at $999, for an event called Make Women Great Again in Orlando, Florida. Mr Johnson who, by the way, isnt married has convened an exclusively male panel of 20 to mansplain to an exclusively female audience how to be a good girlfriend, wife and mother. He goes further. He says his movement is a war on feminism that men must win. He says feminism has become rampant man-hating bigotry that promotes a warped female supremacy. Susanna said she's behind women who believe being at home and looking after their husband works for them (file image) As a feminist myself, of course I disagree with this nonsense. And I feel deep unease that fewer than one in five young women in the UK and U.S. would call themselves a feminist. I am proud of what feminism has achieved, opening doors that were closed to women and enabling our mothers to go out to work; smashing stereotypes of masculinity and femininity so that women can be independent, and men dont feel ashamed to spend time with their children or (shock) show their feelings. But now, for some, feminism itself has become a stereotype of endlessly criticising men and putting women before them. Off-air gossip Actor Brian Blessed, he of the booming voice, tells me hes still asked daily to deliver his famous line from the 1980 film Flash Gordon: A Russian submarine surfaced when I was in the North Pole, and the captain, pointing at me, said: Its him please say Gordons Alive!. Some catchphrases follow you to the ends of the earth. Advertisement Sometimes we dont help ourselves. Look at politics. This week, Labour MP Jess Phillips told male politicians it was time to pass the mic to a woman to lead the party. I can understand Jesss frustration. People can get tunnel vision about what a leader should look like male, pale and stale as the saying goes unless that stereotype is challenged. But feminism isnt served by simply promoting women over men. The winner needs to be the best candidate for the job, not the best candidate of a certain gender. And if the Labour leadership battle eventually comes down to a straight fight between front-runners Rebecca Long-Bailey and Sir Keir Starmer, Id put money on Jess (who has withdrawn from the race herself) choosing the man because he is aligned with her values, rather than the woman just because shes female. Women telling men to step out of roles so they can step into them isnt going to endear people to feminism. Neither is telling women they are betraying feminism by enjoying the pleasures of being a traditional housewife. The point is this: no one of either gender wants to be told what they should or shouldnt do. For many women, adopting a traditional full-time domestic role would be unthinkable. But if being at home and looking after your husband works for you, Im behind you. If you want to pay hundreds of dollars for a man to mansplain how to live your life, thats your choice, too. I can think of better things to spend the money on, but that would be womansplaining, and Ill save my breath. I just havent got time for Rosies weight loss tips Susanna admits she may not have the willpower to follow Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's (pictured) secret to staying slim Rosie Huntington-Whiteley says her secret to staying slim is not eating after 6pm and only eating in an eight to ten-hour window. Its part of the craze for intermittent fasting and I am tempted. Remember that extra half stone from Christmas? Its still hanging around. My problem is that my alarm goes off about 4am, meaning my ten-hour eating window would finish at 2pm leaving me facing another seven hours during which I am making a meal for my three sons and trying not to snaffle the leftovers. Not sure I have the willpower for that challenge. What I learned from my 20-year retrospective? Never cut your hair Susanna (pictured left in 2000 and right in 2020) revealed that an emerged clip of her first BBC news bulletin made her cringe I have always stood by the adage that ageing is a blessing and when a clip emerged this week of me doing my first BBC news bulletin in 2000, I realised why! Wearing what I thought was the respectable, authoritative newsreader uniform of a boxy pale jacket, and with a severe short haircut that makes me look like a Playmobil character, I cringed when I looked at it. The clipped received pronunciation speech made me laugh out loud, too. Thank goodness things are more relaxed now. Nowadays I always wear dresses that are way more flattering and have my hair long without having to fear looking too glamorous to be taken seriously. Youth is wasted on the young, as they say. Put them away, lads! Manchester United (pictured) have announced that their players aren't doing well because they spend too much time on social media Manchester United have announced the reason theyre not doing well they lost 2-0 to old rivals Liverpool at the weekend is, partly, that their players spend too much time on social media. Theyre bringing in experts on psychological strain. As someone who receives an unpleasant amount of trolling myself, my expert opinion is this: doing my job is a lot more fun than reading people online telling me how to do my job, so the more time I spend offline, the better. PMA Companies has named Jeanne Consiglio as vice president of the Northeast region. In her new role, Consiglio will be responsible for leading the companys strategic growth objectives in Connecticut, the New York City metropolitan area, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire. She will report directly to Ken Stanley, senior vice president of Distribution and Field Operations at PMA. Consiglio joined PMA Companies in 2015 as territory marketing manager for New England. She has a 25-year commercial insurance industry career in positions of increasing responsibility in account management and business development. PMA is an expert in commercial risk management insurance solutions and services. It specializes in workers comp, commercial auto, general liability, commercial package and umbrella coverages as well as offering claims administration and risk management services. Source: PMA Companies Technological University of the Philippines commonly referred to as TUP, is one of the prestigious centers of excellence in the country. The university has opened its doors to students from across the world and thus experiences high numbers of intakes each year. It offers numerous courses and has several campuses spread across the country. Image: instagram.com, @emmant.ramos Source: Instagram Do you wish to join TUP? There are several things about the institution you need to be aware of before you can make it your university of choice. Some factors, such as courses offered, the application process, tuition fee, Technological University of the Philippines uniform, among others, are a must-know if you wish to become part of the institution. Technological University of the Philippines This is a public and state-managed institution in the Philippines. The center began as a trade school in 1901 before becoming a state university in the year 1978. Currently, the university is known all over for its smart and dedicated graduates in industrial, engineering, and vocational fields. The institution has good vision, mission, and adherent core values that control interactions and activities within it. The Board of Regents governs the institution and board constitutes major stakeholders from it. It has several schools and departments under which different and marketable courses are offered. Technological University of the Philippines courses offered Before deciding whether to join TUP or not, one must first find out whether their course of choice if offered in the institution. Below is a list of the Technological University of the Philippines courses. READ ALSO: University of Baguio student portal, courses, fees, address If you are looking forward to enrolling for undergraduate programs, this is what the institution offers. College of Industrial Technology BSc in Food Technology BSc in Hotel and Restaurant Management Bachelor of Engineering Technology major in (Computer Engineering, Civil Technology, Electrical, Electronic Communications, Electronics, Instrumentation and Control, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Railway Technology) Mechanical Engineering Technology option in (Automotive, Foundry, Heating Ventilating & Air-Conditioning / Refrigeration, Power Plant, Welding, or Dies and Moulds Technology) Bachelor of Technology in Apparel and Fashion Bachelor of Technology in Nutrition and Food Technology Bachelor of Technology in Print Media Technology College of Engineering BSc in Civil Engineering BSc in Electrical Engineering BSc in Electronics Engineering BSc in Mechanical Engineering College of Science Bachelor of Applied Science in Laboratory Technology BSc in Computer Science BSc in Environmental Science BSc in Information System BSc in Information Technology College of Architecture and Fine Arts BSc in Architecture Bachelor of Fine Arts Bachelor in Graphics Technology major in (Architecture, Industrial Design, or Mechanical Drafting Technology) College of Industrial Education BSc Industrial Education major in (Information and Communication Technology, Home Economics, or Industrial Arts) Bachelor of Technical Vocational Teachers Education major in (Animation, Automotive, Beauty Care and Wellness, Computer Programing, Electrical, Electronics, Food Service Management, Fashion and Garment, or Heat Ventilation & Air Conditioning) Bachelor of Technical Teacher Education College of Liberal Arts BA in Management major in Industrial Management BSc in Entrepreneurship Management If you are looking forward to studying for a graduate program, the following are offered in TUP. The Doctorate programs include; Doctor of Management Science (DMS) Doctor of Education major in (Industrial Education Management (Ed.D-IEM), or Career Guidance (Ed.D-CG) Doctor of Technology (DT) Doctor of Philosophy major in Technology Management (Ph.D.-TM) The Masteral programs include; MSc in Civil Engineering (MSCE) major in (General Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or Structural Engineering) MSc in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) major in (Electronics Engineering, Communications Engineering, Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Power System Engineering, Computer Engineering) MSc in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) major in (Energy Engineering, or Production Technologies) Master of Engineering Program (MEP) with options in (Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering) MA in Teaching Chemistry (MAT-CHEM) MA in Teaching Mathematics (MAT-MATH) MA in Teaching Physics (MAT-PHYSICS) MA in Teaching General Science (MAT-GS) Master in Management (MM) Master in Architecture major in Construction Technology Management (M Arch) Master in Graphics Technology (MGT) MA in Industrial Education major in (Administration & Supervision (MAIE-AS), Guidance & Counseling (MAIE-GC), Educational Technology (MAIE-EdTech), Curriculum & Instruction (MAIE-CI) MA in Teaching Technology & Home Economics (MAT-THE) Master of Technology Education (MTE) Master of Information Technology (MIT) Master of Technology (MT) READ ALSO: Holy Angel University courses, address, entrance, fees What is Technological University of the Philippines tuition fee? TUP charges a fee depending on the program one is pursuing. However, there are uniform charges such as the Technological University of the Philippines entrance exam fee, which varies depending on whether one is a local or international student. Technological University of the Philippines admission Every year, TUP accepts several students in its various schools. What does it take for one to get admission to this university? Each student undergoes the Technological University of the Philippines online application in pursuit of enrollment opportunity. Image: instagram.com, @verleemarquinez Source: Instagram Technological University of the Philippines application form is found on the institution's website. The application process is quite simple and has specific requirements that each applicant has to submit. Technological University of the Philippines contact number and address Technological University of the Philippines address and contact number are essential to both current and prospective students. The contact information enables the communication between the institution and the stakeholders. You can always contact the university using the contact information below. Manila Campus Email address : tup@tup.edu.ph : tup@tup.edu.ph Telephone number: 301.3001 Cavite Campus Email address : cavite@tup.edu.ph : cavite@tup.edu.ph Telephone number: 416.4920 Taguig Campus Email address : tupt.edu.ph : tupt.edu.ph Telephone number: 823.2457 Visayas Campus Email address : tupvisayas.edu.ph : tupvisayas.edu.ph Telephone number: (034) 495 3480 You can as well contact them through the above emails for inquiries or clarifications concerning non-academic matters such as the Technological University of the Philippines careers, news, among others. The Technological University of the Philippines is, without a doubt, one of the best research centers in the Philippines. It offers several undergraduate and graduate courses to its students, and it is known for its quality graduates who have had a positive impact in different sectors of the economy. READ ALSO: Ateneo de Manila university courses, address, contact number Source: KAMI.com.gh But this did not protect his Republican colleagues from having to walk the plank and vote down one amendment after another proposed by Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to admit evidence and call witnesses at the beginning of the trial rather than later. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), the lead impeachment manager who burnished his image as a Democratic star with clear and quietly passionate interventions, made the fundamental point: Why didnt the senators want to question witnesses at the outset rather than later? Why indeed? Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Vela Andapita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 13:06 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607cd6d 1 World Prabowo-Subianto,defense-ministry,defense-equipment,defense-industry,France,bilateral-meeting Free Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has played down reports that the Indonesian government plans to purchase weaponry systems from France, which emerged following his visit to the French Defense Ministry in Paris last week. French newspaper La Tribune reported on Friday that, citing "concordant sources", Prabowo was interested in purchasing 48 Rafale jet fighters, four Scorpene-class submarines armed with Exocet SM29 missiles and two 2,500-ton Gowind corvettes from France. The news broke days after Prabowo held a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Florence Parly on Jan. 13, during which the two ministers discussed steps to strengthen bilateral defense ties and efforts to help advance Indonesias defense industry this year. According to La Tribune, the purchase could be made through an intergovernmental agreement and the ministers had arranged to finalize the operation, although nothing is on the horizon at the moment. However, when asked for confirmation about the news, Prabowo only laughed and said, That's probably their [the French government's] wish. The minister, however, conceded that there was an urgency for Indonesia to modernize its weaponry systems and advance its defense industry, particularly following the recent tension with China in the North Natuna Sea. In order to enhance our defense, we definitely need to modernize our weaponry defense systems and repair what we already have, so that we have the power to assert our sovereignty, he said. During his visit to Paris, Prabowo also held meetings with defense companies that produce ammunition, fighter jets, vessels, radars and avionics systems, as he expressed hope that the French defense industry could help Indonesia to improve its defense capacity through technology transfers. Within 10 years, France has reportedly sold 1.36 billion euro (US$1.5 billion) in military equipment to Indonesia, according to the data published by La Tribune. According to Iranian Road Minister Mohammad Eslami, the black box is an inseparable item of the incident. Iranian Road Minister Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday that "the black box of the downed Ukrainian plane, as one of the main items of studying the incident, must remain in Iran." "The black box is an inseparable item of the incident and since the crash has taken place in Iran, according to Annex 13 of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Iran Civil Aviation Organization is in charge of investigations," he said, according to Mehr news agency. He further described that in case of any problems with decoding the black box, required decisions will be made to ask the other involved sides for help. Read alsoBloomberg: Iran says Ukrainian jet was downed by two short-range missiles "A delegation has also traveled to Ukraine to study the documents of the airplane," he added. Heading an Iranian delegation, Eslami traveled to Kyiv on Monday to meet and hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko on the "unintentional downing" of the Ukrainian plane. HIGHLIGHTS 17 diamond drill holes (totaling 1,905 metres) completed at Kilembe to test high-grade Cu-Au anomalies. Partial results received with Phase 1 drilling highlights of: 9.90m @ 1.37 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") from 29m - hole 19DDHS001 Including 0.45m @ 9.98 g/t Au; 0.1 percent copper ("% Cu") from 34.05m Including 1.90m @ 3.59 g/t Au from 37.0m 2.0m @ 723 grams per tonne silver ("g/t Ag"); 0.15% Cu from 127m - hole 19DDHS003 13.5m @ 0.52 g/t Au from 32.5m - hole 19DDHS005 1.8m @ 2.92 g/t Au from 50.7m - hole 19DDHS005 Including 0.8m @ 6.26 g/t Au; 0.36% Cu from 50.7m 1.0m @ 0.65 g/t Au; 1.66% Cu from 38.2m - hole 19DDHS012 2.0m @ 1.49 g/t Au from 54.0m - hole 19DDHS012 Groundwork at Kilembe extends mineralization at surface to over 6.0km strike length, with only 1.5km tested. New rock chip highlights include: 41.0 g/t Au; 20.5 g/t Au; 10.3 g/t Au and 9.8 g/t Au Drilling completed at Bujagali, which targeted a large <20km Cu-Co geochemical anomaly 10 diamond holes drilled at Waragi (totaling 1,740 metres). Early Phase 2 results include: 1.0m @ 0.20% cobalt ("% Co") from 13.4m - hole 19DDHW010 1.5m @ 0.23% Co from 13.5m - hole 19DDHW011 Latest results continue to expand the prospective areas and improve understanding of mineralization at Ugandan properties Drilling has resumed at Kilembe following the year end pause; carryover expenditure from the Q4 budget is continuing with receipt of these drill results meaning 1H 2020 Ugandan field plans and budgets are being modified in light of these early but positive signs Melbourne, January 21, 2020 - Jervois Mining Ltd. (ASX: JRV) (TSXV: JRV) (OTCQB: JRVMF) (FSE: IHS) (the "Company" or "Jervois") is pleased to provide an update on drill programmes at its Kilembe and Bujagali area properties in central and western Uganda, following partial receipt of confirmed assays from 2019 exploration. Drilling at the Kilembe Area Properties targeted surficial Au-Cu mineralization detected through earlier geochemical programmes. In total, 1,905 metres of diamond drilling was completed in 17 holes drilled at the Kilembe Area Properties. The drill hole locations are shown in Figure 1 and the drilling result highlights are in Table 1. Kilembe drilling has recommenced after the year end period and basis the early but positive results is expected to continue across 1H 2020. Figure 1: Phase 1 - Kilembe Area Drilling To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_001full.jpg Further groundwork at the Kilembe Area Properties, including ground geophysics; soil and rock chip sampling, and prospecting have extended the strike length of mineralization at surface to over 6.0km, of which only 1.5km has been tested. Newly discovered rock chip sample highlights include: 41 g/t Au; 20.5 g/t Au; 10.3 g/t Au and 9.8 g/t Au. The surface rock chip samples are summarized in Table 2 and are shown on Figure 2. Exploration planned during Q1 2020 within the Kilembe Area properties includes ground geophysics and further drilling. These initial results are currently being used to prepare field plans for 1H 2020. Table 1: Kilembe Area Drilling Highlights, Au > 0.3 g/t, Ag > 10 g/t; Cu > 0.1%* Hole ID Location UTM WGS 1984 Dip Azimuth Depth From Depth To Intercept Au g/t; Ag g/t; Cu %* 19DDHS001 828690_X/9587_Y -65 320 29m 38.9m 9.90m 1.37 g/t Au Including 34.05m 35.0m 0.95m 4.98 g/t Au Including 34.05m 34.47m 0.45m 9.98 g/t Au 0.1% Cu Including 37.0m 38.9m 1.90m 3.59 g/t Au Including 37.0m 37.90m 0.90m 5.74 g/t Au 19DDHS002 828690_X/9587_Y -45 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS003 828758_X/9587_Y -65 320 127.0m 129.0m 2.0m 723 g/t Ag 0.15%Cu 19DDHS004 828591_X/9539_Y -45 320 62.1m 63.1m 1.0m 1.68 g/t Au 0.14%Cu 19DDHS005 828644_X/9557_Y -45 320 32.5m 46.0m 13.5m 0.52 g/t Au Including 33.5m 34.0m 0.50m 2.04 g/t Au 0.22%Cu Including 36.0m 37.0m 1.0m 1.74 g/t Au Including 40.5m 41.5m 1.0m 0.58 g/t Au 0.12%Cu Including 41.5m 42.5m 1.0m 1.55 g/t Au 50.7m 52.5m 1.8m 2.92 g/t Au Including 50.7m 51.5m 0.80m 6.26 g/t Au** 0.36%Cu 19DDHS006 827701_X/9450_Y -65 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS007 827665_X/9351_Y -45 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS008 827369_X/9085_Y -45 320 No Significant Results 19DDHS009 828005_X/9482_Y -45 320 49.0m 52.0m 3.0m 0.35 g/t Au 0.33% Cu Including 49.7m 52.0m 2.3m 0.43 g/t Au 0.4%Cu Including 49.7m 50.4m 0.70m 0.79 g/t Au 0.80%Cu 66.0m 68.0m 2.0m 0.34 g/t Au 19DDHS010 828005_X/9482_Y -65 320 59.0m 60.0m 1.0m 0.11%Cu 66.0m 67.0m 1.0m 0.45%Cu 19DDHS011 828005_X/9482_Y -45 300 44.0m 46.0m 2.0m 0.32 g/t Au 71.0m 72.0m 1.0m 0.38 g/t Au 106.0m 108.0m 2.0m 0.39 g/t Au 19DDHS012 828005_X/9482_Y -45 340 38.2m 39.2m 1.0m 0.65 g/t Au 1.66%Cu 54.0m 56.0m 2.0m 1.49 g/t Au 19DDHS013-017 Results Pending * As this is an initial drilling programme true widths are currently unknown. **Sample was analyzed by screen fire assay due to the presence of coarse visible gold. Figure 2: Kilembe Area - Rock Chip Sample Highlights* To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_002full.jpg *Rock chip samples are by their nature selective and are not necessarily indicative of the general geology or the grade within the Property. Table 2: Kilembe Area Drilling - Rock Chip Sample Highlights Au>0.75g/t* To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_003full.jpg Drilling at Bujagali targeted the Waragi anomalies detected through earlier geochemical and geophysical (IP) programmes, with 1,740 metres of diamond drilling completed: 10 additional holes were drilled at the Waragi area. The drill hole locations are shown in Figure 3. Target mineralization was intercepted though not with the consistency of width and grade necessary to support a potentially economic resource. Highlights are included in Table 3: Figure 3: Phase 2 - Bujagali Drilling To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51708_0a38c4e1f49e1b95_004full.jpg Table 3: Bujagali Drilling Highlights, Co > 0.15%, Cu > 0.1%* Hole ID Location UTM WGS 1984 Dip Azimuth Depth From Depth To Intercept Cu % / Co % 19DDHW010 362284_X/95073_Y -65 360 13.4m 14.4m 1.0m 0.20% Co 19DDHW011 362284_X/95073_Y -45 360 13.5m 15.0m 1.5m 0.23%Co 19DDHW012 360000_X/95550_Y -65 360 No Significant Results 19DDHW013 359530_X/95575_Y -65 360 No Significant Results 19DDHW014 353610_X/98440_Y -90 360 No Significant Results 19DDHW015-019 Results Pending *As this is an initial drilling programme true widths are currently unknown. These latest drilling results and high grade rock chips provide further encouragement to continue with the current exploration pace on Jervois' Ugandan projects for both copper-cobalt and copper-gold. The highly anomalous results achieved to date continue to expand the prospective areas and improve the understanding of the mineralization present. The Company will provide further information from the ongoing exploration as the results are received. Quality Assurance All rock and soil samples are sent to ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd, an independent and fully accredited laboratory in South Africa for analysis for gold multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy. Jervois also has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control program where at least 10% duplicates and blanks are inserted into each sample shipment. On behalf of Jervois Mining Ltd., Bryce Crocker, CEO. For further information, please contact: Investors and analysts: Simon Clarke EGM Corporate Affairs sclarke@jervoismining.com Cell: +1 604 551 9665 Media: Nathan Ryan NWR Communications nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Mob: +61 420 582 887 Competent Person's Statement The information in this release that relates to Mineral Exploration is based on information compiled by David Selfe who is full time employee of the company and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Dean Besserer, P.Geol. who is the GM Exploration for the company and a member of The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. Both David Selfe and Dean Besserer have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. David Selfe and Dean Besserer consent to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. Disclosure required for TSX-V Regulations Qualified Person's Statement The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geol., the GM Exploration for the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to exploration work to be undertaken in Uganda, the reliability of third-party information, and certain other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1 Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Sampling to date includes 2,401 diamond drill samples (from 27 diamond core drill holes); 21,646 soil samples; 3,173 rock samples, 26 Heavy Mineral Concentrates; 25 stream silt samples; 1,258 trench samples (rock); and, 379 trench samples (soil). All drill core was generally sampled on 1m intervals, contingent on geology and core recovery: Core was collected directly from the core barrel into core boxes, and Core samples were split in half, with the top half of the core analysed and other half retained as reference core in the tray. Core trays were clearly labelled with the hole number, tray number and metre intervals marked. Bottom-of-hole orientation line was marked prior to geological logging and sampling. Soil samples (B Horizon) are collected using a pick and spade to dig small pits which are filled back in after the sample is collected. The samples are collected in 4x6' kraft bags and closed/sealed with a zip tie. All sample information is recorded on hand-held devices utilizing the Fulcrum App. ALS Sample tag books are utilized for sample identifiers which are scanned and/or entered manually. The sample identifier is written on the bag and a tag is placed in the bag. Sample and site photos are recorded at every site. Devices are downloaded daily are all information is stored to the cloud. Rock samples (typically grab samples) are collected using a rock hammer. The samples are selective and are not necessarily indicative of mineralization. The samples are collected in 12x20 plastic ore bags and closed/sealed with a zip tie. All sample information is recorded on hand-held devices utilizing the Fulcrum App. ALS Sample tag books are utilized for sample identifiers which are scanned and/or entered manually. The sample identifier is written on the bag and a tag is placed in the bag. Sample and site photos are recorded at every site. Devices are downloaded daily are all information is stored to the cloud. Samples were cut along the orientation line before being correctly placed back into the tray. The half-core was sampled, ensuring that the same side is consistently sampled, and placed into sample bags labelled with the assigned sample number. Orientation lines are determined using a Reflex ACTIII orientation tool. Downhole measurements are recorded using a Reflex EZ-Gyro Kit at multiple intervals down each hole and always at the end of every hole. Field sampling followed Jervois protocols including industry standard quality control procedures. All samples were sent to ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd., an independent and fully accredited laboratory in South Africa ("ALS") for analysis for gold multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy ("ICP"). Jervois also has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control ("QA/QC") programme where at least 10% duplicates and blanks are inserted into each sample shipment. Sample representativity is ensured by: Diamond Core: For all drilling core was halved for subsampling with a diamond saw. Sample intervals range from 0.1 to 2 m in length, with majority of samples assayed over 1 m intervals. Rock grab samples are by their nature selective and are not necessarily indicative of the general geology of the property. Handheld XRF instruments were used to spot check rock grab and/or drill core for mineralization, however those results were not relied on. All sample results reported on are from ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Some Drill holes were lined with PVC piping and in most holes, downhole Electromagnetics were completed after drilling was complete. All of the drilling was diamond drill core (HQ/NQ). Typically, drill core was sampled on nominal 1m half core samples. All sample analyses were completed at ALS Chemex South Africa (Pty) Ltd. and/or ALS Chemex Vancouver, Canada. ALS is a global independent laboratory which is ISO accredited. Samples are received at the laboratory: Bar codes are scanned and logged; samples are weighed and dried; samples are crushed and pulverized (-180 mesh soils; -75microns rocks) then riffle split; all samples are analyzed for 35 elements using ICP-AES and gold using 30 gram fire assay for soils and 50 gram Fire assay for rocks, both with an AA finish. Any samples with over-limits specific to base metals or gold are re-analyzed. Samples with visible gold were check analysed by using a screen fire-assay method. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). HQ casing/coring within saprolite yet the majority of the core was NQ Holes were generally angled from 45 to 90 degrees at varying azimuths. Reflex Orientation tool was used for structural orientations, and depths varied from 8.85m to 418.8m. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. All holes are teched and all intervals are measured for recovery and RQD's are calculated. Recovery % recorded in the geotechnical records as equivalent to the length of core recovered, as a percentage of the drill run. Excellent recoveries were obtained from Diamond drilling. There is no bias noted between sample recovery and grade. Excellent recoveries were obtained from Diamond drilling. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Diamond drilling: Drill core is photographed and logged prior to sampling; Core has been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail appropriate to support mineral resource estimation and mining studies. Logging has been conducted both qualitatively and quantitatively; full description of lithologies, alteration and comments are noted, as well as percentage estimates on veining and sulphides. In total, 9,135m of diamond drill core have been completed. All drill holes are logged in their entirety. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Core was half-cut lengthwise using a diamond saw along the orientation line. The half-core was sampled, generally on metre intervals. Samples are received at the laboratory: Bar codes are scanned and logged; samples are weighed and dried; samples are crushed and pulverized (-75microns rocks) then riffle split; all samples are analyzed for 35 elements using ICP-AES and gold using 50 gram Fire assay with an AA finish. Any samples with over-limits specific to base metals or gold are re-analyzed. For core sampling the same side is consistently sampled, half-core with the bottom of hole line is retained in the tray. The assay sub- sample is placed into sample bags labelled with the assigned sample number. One in 20 samples is duplicated where the core is quartered and a quarter cut sample is analysed as a duplicate. The remaining quarter samples is retained in the tray. Sample sizes of 2-3 kg are appropriate for the grain size of material. The sample preparation technique and sample sizes are considered appropriate to the material being sampled. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. The ICP-AES and Fire Assay (50 gram) are considered total and are high quality. Jervois has a regimented Quality Control protocol which has consisted of systematic submission of blanks and duplicates in addition to those conducted at the laboratory. Precision levels for all blank and duplicate samples fell within acceptable ranges. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Since no economic intersections have been reported, independent verification has not yet been necessary. No holes have been twinned. Data is collected using a customized version of the Fulcrum app. The data is backed up systematically on and off site as well as on the cloud. As well, data is recorded using a master Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet and all location and assay data are compiled in a Microsoft Office Access database. All data below detection limit have been entered as zero. Samples received damaged at the laboratory, or with insufficient sample weight for analysis had the interval or location left blank, but in general were re-sampled and/or re-collected (specific to soils and rock grab samples). Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. All collars were surveyed by trained surveyors using a Leica Differential GPS. Down-hole surveys were routinely carried out on all holes using a Reflex EZ-Gyro Kit. Trenches and surface samples were recorded using handheld GPS. All datum is collected and recorded in UTM WGS 1984. The 3D location of the individual samples is considered to be adequately established, consistent with accepted industry standards. Locations are shown on maps provided. Cross sections and a complete table of results are only reported when target mineralization was intercepted with the consistency of width and grade necessary to support a potentially economic resource Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. To date, due to the exploratory nature of the drilling, the spacing is highly variable. Similarly, rock grab sample spacing is random. Soil samples are collected in grids designed at varying spacings from >350m to 25m spaced samples. To date all exploration is exploratory and data spacing would not be considered sufficient to establish a Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve Estimation. Samples intervals are reported as weighted average grade. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Drilling sections are orientated perpendicular to the strike of the host rocks. Drill holes were inclined between 45 and 90 to optimize intercepts of mineralisation with respect to thickness and distribution. Drilling with angled and vertical holes in most instances provides a representative sample across the stratigraphy. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. All individual samples are bagged and sealed with a zip tie. Then individual samples are bagged in poly woven sacks and sealed with coded security seals. The laboratory reports all the security seals numbers to Jervois and any problems with the samples. To date, no sample shipments have had reported problems and/or a breach in security. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Jervois protocols consist of a regimented internal QA/QC which match or exceed global industry standards. Thus far, due to the exploratory nature of the programme, no audits or external reviews have been conducted. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51708 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated probe into four more separate cases registered by the Mumbai police against gangster Chhota Rajan, including those lodged between 1995 and 1998. The CBI took over the matter and registered the separate FIRs on Tuesday in the cases which were registered in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 at separate police stations. In October last year, the CBI had also begun probe into five cases against Rajan, including those related to his initial days when he was working as an alleged bootlegger with his mentor Rajan Nair alias Bada Rajan over three decades ago. Those cases were registered by the Mumbai police in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. With four new FIRs, the number of cases against Rajan Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, being probed by the agency, has increased to 80. All the cases registered by the Mumbai police against Chhota Rajan were transferred to the CBI following an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel in November 2015 after his arrest. The first case was registered in July 28, 1995 at L.T. Marg police station by Devang Bipin Parikh, a businessman, against one Suresh (full named not known), Guru Satam and Chhota Rajan accusing them of calling him to seek Rs 20 lakh extortion and threatening to kill him and his father if the amount is not paid. Another case was registered at Khar police station on June 7, 1996 by Shabbir N. Patel, a builder against one Bhau and Chhota Rajan among others accusing them of threatening him and his son to kill them. Third case was registered by the Mumbai police on June 12, 1997 at Antop Hill Police station by Baljit Shersingh Parmar, a journalist. In his complaint, Parmar alleged that two unidentified bike borne assailants shot bullets to kill him leading to serious injuries. Mumbai CID was handed over the case and it named Chhota Rajan and one Rohit Verma in the charge sheet after completion of the investigation. Another case was registered on November 6, 1998 at L.T. Marg police station by Ghisula Jain, a businessman, against one Hemant Krishna Varthadkar accusing him of calling at his shop and residence between June 10, 1998 and November 6, 1998 demanding Rs 25 lakh extortion money. As per the case diary, after completion of investigation, Mumbai Police filed charge sheet against Varthadkar, Suresh Baburao Kurhe, Santram Govind Thakur and two other accused namely Chhota Rajan and Manoj Kotiyan shown as wanted accused. Soon after the arrest of Chhota Rajan on October 25, 2015, and his deportation from Indonesia, following an Interpol Red Corner Notice, the Maharashtra government had handed over 71 cases to the CBI. Chhota Rajan is currently lodged in Tihar Jail's Super High Security Jail no. 2. He is a former member of D-Company, who split with Dawood on communal lines after the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. Analysts say Lebanons new contested cabinet must regain international communitys trust and stem economic crisis. Beirut, Lebanon The formation of a new government in Lebanon after months of political deadlock is unlikely to quell continuing protests, analysts say. The new government, which consists of 20 ministers, is led by the newly-appointed Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who has been the frontrunner for the position for weeks. His government is expected to face economic collapse and widespread corruption something hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have been protesting since October. In its first meeting on Wednesday, the cabinet pledged to form a ministerial committee that includes the finance, judicial, and foreign ministers. Also expected is a government plan to address pressing issues grappling the country, including its banking and electricity crises. Describing it as a rescue government, Diab said the new cabinet does not represent a political group or party. Although the ministers are a mix of professionals and former political advisers, experts say the lineup does not live up to the expectations of the people who have been demanding a technocrat-led government. One colour government There are two major political coalitions in Lebanon: March 8 and March 14. The first most notably includes former Prime Minister Saad Hariris Sunni-led party, and the latter includes Irans backed Hezbollah movement and its allies. The deal for a new cabinet came after an agreement by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a major parliamentary bloc, and its allies including the Free Patriotic Movement led by Gibran Bassil, President Michel Aouns son-in-law. Hariris Future Movement party and others aligned to the west and Saudi Arabia have had no influence over the decision. People were quick to express their dissent on social media, calling the new cabinet a one colour government aligned to Hezbollah. Imad Salamey, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University, said Hezbollah was a major architect of the new lineup of ministers to whom it owes allegiance and depends on its survival amid public unrest. Its makeup does not live up to the protesters aspirations in formation nor orientation, Salamey told Al Jazeera. Similarly, Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre, said this was the case mainly because most of the new ministers are related to a political party. Basically they could not have become ministers had they not been endorsed by the different political parties, Yahya told Al Jazeera. While the new government represents the traditional, confessional-based power-sharing system, it has been a hallmark of the protest demands. Calls to dismantle ruling parties, that include groups which transitioned into politics since Lebanons civil war, have also been a major demand of the protesters. Mona Fawaz, professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the American University of Beirut, said the process of selecting the cabinet did fall into the typical power-sharing system that the political class has mastered in Lebanon. She also noted that several ministers are closely affiliated to banks, which might not sit well with the people. [This], at a moment in our history where we expect a government to address the financial crisis without favouring banks at the expense of people, is a very bad omen, Fawaz, who is a backer of the protests, said. Challenges ahead While it has come to light that the new government, despite some independent figures, mostly consists of ministers linked to the political elite, the government not only has to gain public trust, its most significant challenge is to stem economic deterioration. Yahya said the current crisis is so deep it threatens the sustainability of Lebanon. I dont think we can underestimate, or overemphasise, how challenging this crisis is. Its a triple crisis on the economic front theres also a political crisis overlaying all of this, she said. Over the past few months, the Lebanese lira lost about a third of its value against the US dollar, deepening the countrys economic crisis. A shortage of foreign exchange led banks to enforce capital controls, which has prevented many from being able to withdraw their earnings and savings. Banks have also capped weekly withdrawals at a few hundred dollars while limiting international transfers. The move led people to lose trust in the countrys banking system, further shaking the economic stability. Another pressing challenge facing the current government is to regain international confidence in its ability to impose economic reforms, professor Salamey said. But this requires, among others matters, attracting Arab and western financial support that has been withdrawn due to growing Hezbollah political influence in the country, Salamey said. It is unlikely that this government will be able to present itself as detached from Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, he said, referencing Hezbollahs support for the Syrian government that is struggling to return to the international community. With Hezbollah seemingly running the show, western donors, in particular, may withdraw support to Lebanon. The Iran-backed movement has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States government. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the European Union have also designated the group or its military wing as a terrorist organisation. This may lead to a situation that would most likely expedite the country economic collapse and political chaos, Salamey warned. Police violence Last week, two days of violence marred the mostly peaceful protests that began on October 17. Security forces fired rubber-coated bullets, water cannon, and tear gas canisters at protesters, injuring more than 460 people. The violence continued on Wednesday with police using water cannon to contain protesters throwing rocks in Beirut. Despite condemnation from the United Nations and international rights groups, Fawaz believes that the state strategy to respond to protesters will include increasing police violence. According to Salamey, the only possible way to quell peoples anger is to call for an early election a main demand that accommodates public aspiration for a civil state and non-confessional parliament. However, he does not believe that will happen. The possible scenario that might unfold if the government is unable to call for a national dialogue conference, he said, is that it resorts to security measures to violently suppress the protesters. President Akufo-Addo has encouraged British investors to take advantage of Ghana's political and economic stability and invest in the country. Nana Akufo-Addo said the current economic conditions make Ghana an ideal place to invest. Speaking at the opening of the Ghana-UK Investment Opportunities Summit taking place on the sidelines of the UK-Africa summit in London, President Akufo-Addo said government has laid a strong foundation for prospective investors. Surely, an increase in intra-regional trade in Africa is one of the surest ways to promote the progress we seek for Africa. It should guarantee a rapid increase in exchanges of our agricultural, financial, industrial, scientific and technological products. It will enhance dramatically, our attainment of prosperity and the prospects of employment for the African peoples, particularly our youth. Our economies will then be safe, not by the production and export of raw materials but by the things we make and grow. Unfortunately for us in Africa, we continue to travel along the wrong path of limited success, of being producers and exporters of raw materials a relic of our past colonial association. We are now required to think outside the box. Our thinking and approach to solving problems must be different from the thinking and approach that brought about the problems in the first place, he said. ---citinewsroom TORONTO - Shares of five North American airlines that fly to China, including Air Canada, fell on Tuesday as fear grew about a virus that authorities say has killed six people and sickened 300 more. Investors seemed to worry that the virus could spread beyond Asia, like the SARS outbreak that started in 2002, which hurt travel between the U.S. and Asia. Chinese authorities also confirmed that the virus can spread from one person to another, not just from animals to humans. Shares of Air Canada closed lost 4.5 per cent after being down by as much as 6.8 per cent earlier in the day. Hawaiian Airlines parent fell 5.5 per cent, United Airlines parent fell 4.4 per cent, American Airlines lost 4.2 per cent and Delta was off by 2.7 per cent. Other stocks in the travel sector also took a hit Tuesday, including hotel chains like Marriott, which fell 3.9 per cent. Hilton was down 2.9 per cent and Wyndham slipped 1.5 per cent. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean Cruises slid four per cent. Were obviously watching it carefully, its still way too early to talk about, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson told CNBC Tuesday. I think the Chinese authorities have got to make sure they understand whats going on and well have to watch and see what we learn from it. The outbreak is believed to have started in Wuhan in central China. None of the U.S. airlines fly to Wuhan, but their Chinese partner airlines do, and some passengers do transfer from a Chinese carrier to an American one. Fear about the virus increased just as millions of Chinese prepared to travel for the lunar New Year holiday, which starts Saturday. Cases have also been confirmed in Japan, South Korea and Thailand. With files from The Associated Press. As many as one in four children in some of the most disadvantaged primary schools in the country are homeless, with principals warning that the real figures could be even higher. Schools are reporting that the number of children aged between five and 12 presenting as homeless have increased significantly in the past three years. In news that will heap further pressure on Fine Gael on the campaign trail, a survey of 22 Deis schools in Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Limerick has shown that an increasing number of young children are living in temporary accommodation, which, according to the schools, is having a major impact on the classroom. Every Deis or disadvantaged school surveyed said they have encountered homelessness with at least one of their pupils, but in some areas, the scale of the problem is far more acute, with at least four schools saying as many as one in four of their current intake are residing in hotels or other emergency accommodation. We have seen a steady increase in the number over the past few years, said one Dublin-based principal. And what is worse, the actual number is likely to be higher as some parents are extremely reluctant to make it known that they are living in hotels. As a result, we have to go to great lengths to make sure the children are fed and feel some sense of stability. But it has a devastating impact on teachers ability to teach. The failure to deliver an adequate supply of housing across the country has led to a major crisis in so-called Deis schools in some of the countrys most economically challenged communities. The scale of the problem varies, but in places where immigrant populations are higher, the levels of classroom homelessness is much more acute. In addition to the rise in pupils who are homeless, several principals spoke of an increased number of families squeezing into their grandparents homes, many of which are overcrowded and unsuitable. One Cork-based principal told the Irish Examiner that a large number of children and their parents are now relying on their wider family for a place to stay after falling into homelessness. We are seeing the cruel impact of seeing many children having to relocate back with their parents into their grandparents house, which creates significant difficulty, said the principal. The worrying thing is that these families are not captured by the Governments homelessness figures. The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) members often feel helpless, powerless, and ill-equipped to effectively respond to and support pupils who are experiencing homelessness. The INTO, in conjunction with Focus Ireland, felt the need to produce a formal guide to their members as to how to deal with homelessness in the classroom. In the report, teachers said they find it difficult to prioritise the educational needs of children who are experiencing homelessness when basic needs are not being met. Educational needs can become secondary to the pupils emotional and mental health needs. Childrens play is significantly restricted in homeless accommodation. Politically, Fine Gael has taken considerable criticism for failing to contain the housing crisis, with over 10,000 people experiencing homelessness nationwide. That number continues to rise and includes almost 4,000 children. In response, the Department of Education said there is no compulsion on any student to self-identify as homeless and therefore the department it does not hold statistics on the number of children in temporary accommodation presenting in Deis schools. The department told the Irish Examiner: It should be noted that Deis provides additional supports to schools identified as having the highest concentrations of pupils from disadvantaged communities, including the School Meals Programme. By Kim Hyun-bin KT has established a taskforce to officially resume failed efforts to take over local TV operator D'Live, as competitors SK Telecom and LG Uplus have been increasing their market share in the pay TV sector through mergers and acquisitions (M&A). "The newly appointed KT President Koo Hyun-mo has decided to acquire the third ranking local TV operator D'Live and has established a taskforce to speed up the acquisition," a KT official told The Korea Times, Wednesday. "KT plans to acquire D'Live to bulk up the corporate's position in the pay-TV segment." Koo Hyun-mo, newly appointed KT CEO Asset managers hunt for new themes of investing. This need not always be pure commercial in nature. There have been ways to generate returns through niche themes as well. One such theme is the ESG. The pioneering policy move has been UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). This has evolved into a global network of investors selecting investments ESG criteria. It broadly covers specific areas of marine protection, businesses in sustainable development and natural resource conservation, managements with transparent business practices. In developed markets, it has cornered more than 1/5 of investment assets. In emerging markets, it is gaining ground. "Companies focussing on triple bottom line (People, Planet and Profits) deliver sustained returns over long periods. As investors, focusing on sustainable businesses should not only help portfolio returns, it also sends out a signal to corporates to integrate sustainability in their business practices, which in turn creates long term win-win for all," said Navneet Munot, Chief Investment Officer, SBI Mutual Fund. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) refer to the three central factors in measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a company or business. These criteria help determine the future financial performance of companies better. Interest in ESG analysis has been growing rapidly around the world and in India also it has evoked a lot of interest. Currently, there are three fund houses that offer an ESG fund and slew of others are contemplating launching an ESG fund. SBI Mutual Fund already has a fund called SBI Magnum ESG Equity Fund (renamed in May 2018 from SBI Magnum Equity Fund which was launched in Jan 1991), and Quantum was the second fund house that launched on June 21, 2019 after a gap of almost 29 years. Axis Mutual Fund became the third fund house that floated an ESG fund. The new fund offer that opened on Jan 22 and will remain open until Feb 5. The open-ended multicap scheme will be investing in companies demonstrating sustainable practices across environment, social and governance theme. The scheme will invest up to 30 percent in global sustainable companies. The scheme will exclude sectors/themes that are deemed harmful from a societal perspective. For instance, exclude tobacco, liquor and defence stocks. "By combining ESG analysis with traditional financial metrics, we can come up with a more holistic understanding of each company in our portfolio," said Chandresh Kumar Nigam, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Axis Mutual Fund. The recent spate of corporate governance issues cropping up is increasing, this may force the mutual fund industry to launch funds based on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. All these funds are benchmark against Nifty 100 ESG Index. RETURNS The Nifty100 ESG Index has outperformed the Nifty50 Index in the last 8 years. From 2011-2019, Nifty100 ESG Index Fund delivered 14.5 percent returns while Nifty 50 Index gave 12.9 percent. Since Inception (1991), SBI Magnum ESG Fund has delivered 13.72 percent average returns. In the last five years, SBI the schemes has registered 9.45 percent average returns. ESG being a niche set of assets, the returns are likely to be different from regular benchmark indices. The cost structure of environment-oriented companies is generally low and, therefore, superior returns may be delivered, if invested in quality assets. A skin cream used to treat genital warts may protect people against deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes, such as Zika. Researchers found applying Imiquimod or Aldara on bites within an hour of infection stopped it from spreading in lab trials on human skin. The cream boosts the immune system to send more white blood cells to the site of infection, killing the virus immediately. The cream, also used for some types of skin cancer, worked against four mosquito-borne viruses - Zika, chikungunya, Semliki Forest and Bunyamwera. Scientists at the University of Leeds hope the method will work against other lethal diseases, such as dengue and the West Nile virus. A skin cream used to treat genital warts and skin cancer could protect people against deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes, researchers have suggested (file photo) Dr Steven Bryden, who co-authored the study, said the cream boosted the immune system rather than targeting a specific virus. It therefore had the potential to be a silver bullet for a wide range of diseases carried by mosquitoes, he said. One of those is Zika, first identified in humans in Uganda in 1952. It's named after the Ziika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1947 in monkeys. WHAT IS ZIKA VIRUS AND HOW IS IT SPREAD? The Zika virus is spread by mosquito bites, between people during unprotected sex, and from pregnant mothers to their children. It cannot be cured or prevented with medicines. Although most adults do not become seriously ill from the infection, it can cause serious birth defects if pregnant women get it. Foetuses' brains can be affected by the virus when it is passed on from the mother and it can cause microcephaly. Microcephaly is a condition in which babies' heads are unusually small, which can lead to seizures, delayed development and other disabilities. The virus can also increase the risk of unborn children developing Guillain-Barre syndrome an uncommon illness in which the immune system attacks the nerves and can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. Zika is a tropical disease and is most common in Central and South America, Africa and South East Asia. There was an outbreak of the virus in Brazil's capital, Rio de Janeiro, in 2016 and there were fears that year's Olympic Games would have to be cancelled after more than 200 academics wrote to the World Health Organization warning about it. The virus is not commonly found in developed countries like the UK, US and Australia. But it is present in the Pacific Islands such as Fiji and Tonga, where the pregnant Duchess of Sussex will visit on her royal tour this month. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advertisement It cannot be cured or prevented with medicines. Although most adults do not become seriously ill from the infection, it can cause serious birth defects if pregnant women get it. An outbreak in 2015 spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and was blamed for a 24-fold increase in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads, known as microcephaly, which lead many of them to die. Another mosquito-borne virus, chikungungya, causes fever, joint pain, headaches and a rash. There are thought to have been around two million cases worldwide, with around 2,000 deaths. Outbreaks have occurred in countries in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe, as well as those in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. And while less threatening, the Semliki Forest and Bunyamwera viruses both cause symptoms including headaches and fever. Semliki Forest virus is found throughout Africa and parts of Asia, while Bunyamwera is present throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Bryden and his colleagues took small skin samples from 16 people and kept them healthy in a lab. They cut each sample in half and allowed both to be infected with Zika by a mosquito. After an hour they applied the cream to one half of each sample and left the other half without treatment. Two days later they found that the skin which had not been treated with the cream had more than 70 times the level of viral infection than that which had been treated. For chikungunya, the skin which did not have any cream had more than 600 times the amount of the virus. In both cases, the cream halted the infections from spreading. The researchers believe it would not have infected the whole body had it occurred in a person. The team tested this with mice infected with Semliki Forest, chikungunya and Bunyamwera viruses. The mice were bitten by mosquitoes carrying Semliki Forest and half were treated with the cream and half were not. Two weeks later, all of the mice with Semliki Forest which had not been treated with the cream were dead. But 65 per cent of those which were given the cream survived. Chikungunya causes arthritis in both humans and mice, so scientists could measure the extent of infection by looking at the infected mices ankle joints. Two weeks after being infected, 70 per cent of those which did not have cream had the virus in their ankles, compared to 30 per cent for those which did. In those which were treated, their joints had 90-times less virus, which suggested the cream had prevented a more severe infection. Lastly, researchers looked at the Bunyamwera virus which is genetically distant from other viruses carried by mosquitoes. They did this to see if the cream could work against diseases unlike those already tested. After infection, mice which were not treated with cream had up to 10,000 infectious particles in their bloodstream, compared to less than 100 for those which had been treated. The research team said further tests were needed before the cream could safely be recommended for use on mosquito bites. Co-author Dr Kave Shams said: 'We are hopeful that one day this discovery could help a vast number of people to avoid disease, particularly in parts of the world hardest hit by these devastating diseases. 'If we can repurpose this cream into an anti-viral treatment option, it could be a useful addition to mosquito repellent as a way of avoiding infection from harmful diseases. 'This approach could be particularly valuable for people at high risk of infection, such as those with a suppressed immune system, and in times of disease outbreak. Dr Bryden added: By boosting the immune system and not targeting a specific virus, this strategy has the potential to be a 'silver bullet' for a wide range of distinct mosquito-borne viral diseases.' The team are now hoping to see if the cream can reduce infections in human populations. The research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The MoF announced the financial situation and production of Song Da Corporation, with the total revenue in 2018 reaching $78.26 million, down 32.2 per cent. The Ministry of Finance warned Song Da Corporation Song Da Corporation officially shifed to the JSC format on April 6, 2018. However, the corporation failed to reach the desired financial performance. The corporation's after-tax profit in 2018 was only VND22.4 billion ($973,913), down VND145 billion ($6.3 million) compared to 2017, equivalent to 86.7 per cent. According to the consolidated financial report, Song Da's revenue and profit also dropped sharply. Revenue was VND6.3 trillion ($273.91 million), falling by VND3.4 trillion ($147.8 million) compared to 2017 (35 per cent). After-tax profit was VND221 billion ($9.6 million) lower than in 2017. As liabilities exceeded VND11 trillion ($478.3 million) and receivables went over VND8 trillion ($347.8 million), the MoF pointed out that the debts of the parent company are mainly related to receivables and payables arising from the parent company's investment in its subsidiaries and associates. Song Da Corporation has invested VND3.5 trillion ($152.2 million) in these businesses. Therefore, although the corporation is able to pay its dues, there is a lot of risk in case subsidiaries and affiliates face difficulties. In addition to the effective investment of the corporation in Song Da JSC 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, there are some that do not yield dividends or profit such as Nam Chien Hydroelectricity JSC, Song Da Infrastructure Co., Ltd., and Viet-Laos Power JSC. Additionally, some investments have been lost, such as Song Da 3 JSC, Song Da Investment Construction and Fire Prevention JSC, Song Da 12 JSC, and Phu Rieng-Kratie Rubber JSC. Regarding the difficulties in Viet-Laos Electricity JSC, the MoF clarified that the company has three subsidiaries, of which Xekaman 3 Hydroelectricity Co., Ltd. has been stopped due to a problem since December 2016. Liabilities to equity stands at 3.75x, with loans and financial lease liabilities being over VND9.5 trillion ($413 million), accounting for 81 per cent of the total liabilities. According to the MoF, even after Song Da transferred to the JSC format in April 2018, by the last days of 2019, the Ministry of Construction still has yet to withdraw the state capital from the corporation. VIR Tan Duong The top court seeks govt response to petitions filed against Citizenship Amendment Act, seen discriminatory to Muslims. Indias Supreme Court has sought government response to petitions filed against new citizenship legislation after it refused to stay the law that has sparked widespread opposition and protests across the country. The top court on Wednesday gave the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi four weeks to reply to a batch of 143 pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed last month. I dont think there is anything positive for the petitioners which happened today, Faizan Mustafa, a constitutional expert, told Al Jazeera. Had there been a stay [by the court] all the protests would have come to an end today, said Mustafa, the vice-chancellor of NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad. Critics say the law passed in December is discriminatory to Muslims Indias largest minority as it makes faith the basis for obtaining citizenship. But the Hindu nationalist government says the law aims to give persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries the right to apply for citizenship. The legislation has provoked weeks of protests, with critics calling it discriminatory and unconstitutional as it excludes Muslims from these countries. Justice delayed is justice denied A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde said it may refer the petitions to a larger constitution bench. Routine hearing, another 4 weeks. No stay or even postponement of CAA. This SC is at best a reluctant warrior in the battle to defend letter, spirit & soul of the constitution. We the People of India must continue the movement to save the Constitution that we gave to ourselves. https://t.co/xAfrg8IgvH Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) January 22, 2020 Why does the government need four weeks to reply to them [court]? Shouldnt the government demonstrate willingness to seek a judicial closure in the matter, asked Sanjay Jha, a spokesman of the opposition Congress party. We believe that the matter will be heard by a constitutional bench which will finally take a call. But we must remember that justice delayed is justice denied. A speedy resolution is the need of the hour. The top court had said earlier that it would hear the challenges to the law once the violence stops, referring to incidents during the protests. Nearly 30 people across the country have been killed in the protests amid allegations of police brutality. Political agenda Home Minister Amit Shahs announcement in parliament that his government will implement a nationwide counting of citizens National Register of Citizens or NRC has spooked people, particularly Muslims who form nearly 14 percent of Indias 1.3 billion population. Shah, a close aide of Modi, has ruled out rollback of the law. BJP spokesman GVL Narasimha Rao hailed the court order saying this is a slap for those who were attempting to bulldoze institutions to suit their political agenda. Honourable Supreme Court has rejected unfair demands of the Congress and opposition lawyers to stay CAA, he said. The government will present all the arguments in favour of the CAA and is confident that the honourable court will find this humanitarian legislation within the ambit of constitutional framework and reflecting its spirit. Bilal Kuchay contributed to this report from New Delhi Toyota Motor Corp said it will recall 3.4 million vehicles worldwide because of an electronic defect that can result in air bags not deploying in crashes. The recall, which includes 2.9 million U.S. vehicles, covers 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles and is tied to a report of one fatal crash. The vehicles may have an electronic control unit that does not have adequate protection against electrical noise that can occur in crashes, which could lead to incomplete or non-deployment of the air bags. It could also impede the operation of seat-belt pretensioners. In April, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) expanded a probe into 12.3 million potentially defective air bags covering a number of automakers, including the vehicles Toyota is recalling. NHTSA said in April it had identified two frontal crash events, including one fatal crash "involving Toyota products where (electrical overstress) is suspected as the likely cause" of air bags not deploying. Both involved newer Corolla cars. NHTSA said the air bags under investigation were installed in more than 12 million vehicles from 2010 through 2019 sold by Toyota, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV , Honda Motor Co , Hyundai Motor Co , Kia Motors Corp and Mitsubishi. They were equipped with an air bag control unit initially produced by TRW Automotive Holdings Corp, which is now owned by ZF Friedrichshafen. In total, NHTSA said as many as eight deaths could be tied to the issue. Hyundai, Kia and Fiat Chrysler previously issued recalls for more than 2.5 million vehicles with the TRW air bag control units in question that might not deploy in crashes. When it recalled nearly 2 million vehicles for air bag non-deployments in 2016, Fiat Chrysler said it had reports of three deaths and five injuries that might be related to the defect. Hyundai and Kia ultimately recalled more than 1 million vehicles for air bag non-deployment concerns in 2018. Hyundai and Kia in 2018 said they had reports of four deaths and six injuries in North America tied to the issue. Toyota dealers will install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness if needed. Toyota declined to say how many deaths or injuries have been tied to the defect. Toyota will notify vehicle owners of the recall by mid-March. Recently Saif Ali Khan received a lot of flak on social media after the actor, while speaking about India's current social climate and the polarising politics of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior said that there was no concept of India till the British gave it one. While speaking with film critic Anupama Chopra, the actor said, "For some reason I didn't take a stand. Maybe next time I would. I was very excited to play the role because it's a delicious role. But when people say this is history, I don't think this is history. I am quite aware of what the history was. I don't think there was a concept of India till perhaps the British gave it one. I don't think there is really any constructive point in arguing about loudly, provided you yourself know why you're doing it." Saif's remarks were heavily criticized by netizens on social media. When Kangana Ranaut was asked to comment on the Tanhaji actor's statements in a recent Zee News interview, the actress said, "This is not true. If there was no Bharat then what was Mahabharat? That 5,000-year-old text that was written, what was it? What did Ved Vyas write? Some people have just created these narratives that suit them. Sri Krishna was in Mahabharat. So there was a Bharat, that's why it was mahaan (great). All the kings of India came together to fight that war. So it's natural." She further added, "You see even Europe has these small nations. But these had a collective identity, that's why Sri Krishna went to all these places with Pandavas and the Kauravas, to ask them who will be a part of the war." Later, Kangana's sister Rangoli Chandel shared this video of Kangana on Twitter and wrote, "Kangana asking Saif Ali Khan a very important question ... over to you Saif." Check out her tweet here. Kangana asking Saif Ali Khan a very important question ... over to you Saif ... https://t.co/7lqyIGeQQi via @YouTube Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) January 21, 2020 Talking about films, Kangana Ranaut will be next seen in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's upcoming film Panga where she essays the role of a kabaddi player. Rangoli Chandel Is Full Of Gratitude To Kangana Ranaut For Helping Her After Acid Attack Kangana Ranaut On Her Marriage Plans: 'The World Needs Me, Why Should I Belong To One Person?' New Delhi: Days ahead of the Union Budget 2020, local maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) firms hope the government will provide level-playing field by bringing the taxes at par with neighbouring hubs such as Singapore, Dubai, Colombo and Kuala Lumpur.Expectati ons are also high that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would announce lower import duty on spare parts and suggest directions for a favourable GST regime. Official sources said that MRO players' demand for lower tax and levies have been endorsed by the nodal Civil Aviation Ministry. "The government focus has been on promoting local industry. So, we certainly hope that budget would give some relief to the MRO industry," said an Aviation Ministry official without specifying the tax relief. At present, all the four GST rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 apply on import of various spare parts of the aircraft. The industry has demanded uniform lower rate across spare parts. The MRO industry has also sought lower GST for MRO services locally. Currently, the Indian commercial airline fleet consists of around 685 aircraft held between 13 airlines and the MRO work amounts to about $1.2 billion. Nearly, 90 per cent of this work is going overseas due to high GST rates of 18 per cent. MRO Association of India Secretary General Pulak Sen said that effective GST on MRO done abroad is discharged at the rate of 5 per cent (IGST on Import). "However, when the identical service is performed by Indian MRO, GST is levied at 18 per cent, which discourages MRO business in India," he said. A domestic airline executive said that they were importing aircraft parts in pre-GST regime with no duty levied on it. "Under GST, such import was made taxable at various rates. This has adversely impacted the financial position of local airlines," he said referring to recommendations given by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA). The MRO Association has maintained that India can exploit the tremendous potential of MRO industry by creating a fiscal environment that gives local players an advantage over its foreign competitors for a limited period of 5 years so that they are able to create the necessary infrastructure. "Alternatively, the domestic aviation MRO industry should at least be provided a level playing field so that it can compete with foreign competitors and bring greater MRO business and associated jobs to India," the industry body has said in a proposal to government. South Korean consumer electronics major is betting on India's small towns and rural areas to consolidate its position as the leader in the country's refrigerator market, a senior company official said on Wednesday. The company, which on Wednesday introduced its 2020 refrigerator line up for India, including one that can prepare curd, is banking on innovations and hiked capacity in entry level refrigerators to increase its overall market share to 35 per cent this year from 33.9 per cent last year. "We find that there is a lot of opportunity to be present in the addressable market (in India) with low penetration (of refrigerators) in tier III and tier IV (markets)," India Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Raju Pullan told PTI. The overall penetration of refrigerators in India is 33 per cent and frost free penetration will be at about 18-20 per cent, he added. In its 2020 line up, has introduced five-star rated direct cool single door refrigerator with new 2020 energy norms with capacity increased to 198 litres from 192 litres earlier. The line up is priced between Rs 17,990 to Rs 45,990. "For the first time ever Samsung's launch (in India) is in frost free and also in direct cool refrigerators with innovations and capacity. That's what consumers there want. The first thing that a consumer in tier II, III and IV wants is the capacity," he said. Convenience, storage space and energy efficiency are the key features consumers look for in a refrigerator and Samsung's 2020 range addresses all these needs, he said, adding that the new range of refrigerators would further strengthen its market leadership. "We want to expand the market. Therefore we find a very large scope because of the very low penetration to drive this segment of products," Pullan said. Claiming that Samsung became the number one in overall refrigerator market in India in the second half of last year, he said, "Our intent this year is to consolidate and take a dominant leadership position in the refrigerator category." As per industry estimates, the Indian refrigerator market is valued at around Rs 21,000 crore with LG, Whirlpool, Godrej and Haier the other players in the top five. "Our objective (for 2020) is that from the current 33.9 per cent market share, with these new launches we move up to 35 per cent," Pullan said, adding that the company is looking at 32 per cent market share in direct cool segment from 28 per cent at present. In frost free, he said Samsung is targeting 45 per cent market share, up from 42.6 per cent currently, while the target in side-by-side segment is 50 per cent, up from 48.3 per cent at present, he said. Chennai, Jan 22 : The acquisition of power management company Eaton's Hydraulics business for $3.3 billion augurs well for Danish major Danfoss A/S not only globally but also for its Indian operations, said Danfoss officials. On Tuesday Danfoss and Eaton announced a deal, whereby the former has agreed to buy the latter's global Hydraulics business for $3.3 billion. Interestingly, the hydraulics divisions of both Danfoss and Eaton are present in Pune in India. "Eaton's hydraulics business is similar to that of Danfoss Power Solutions. Eaton is present in industrial hydraulics while Danfoss Power Solutions-India is not. So, it will be an add on in terms of Indian operations," Upinder Razdan, Managing Director, Danfoss Power Solutions-India told IANS. According to Razdan, the acquisition will provide Danfoss greater in-roads into the US market while the Danish company is already a major player in the European markets. "Eaton has a strong brand appeal and presence in India. They also have a big engineering centre in India. The global hydraulics market is majorly shared by handful of players," Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India Region told IANS. According to Eaton India, it manufactures and markets a wide range of products for the power and motion control industry. In addition, Eaton also imports and trades a variety of hydraulic and fluid conveyance products. Eaton has competitive offerings in practically all segments, ranging from mobile to industrial applications, positioned as a hydraulic systems solution provider with a full product range. The Hydraulics manufacturing facility at Pimpri in Pune is an Eaton Center of Excellence (COE) for gear pumps and has been expanded to also manufacturing of steering control units and hitch valves. The other key products manufactured at this facility include Gear Pumps, Vane Pumps, Piston Pumps, Valves, Power Units, and Cylinders, states Eaton India. On the other hand the Power Solutions division of Danfoss is a provider of mobile hydraulics for the construction, agriculture and other off-highway vehicle markets. The product portfolio includes electronic controls, pumps, steering, mobile electrification, pumps and valves, motors, sensors and transmitters and others. "The main sectors we serve are construction/farm/material handling and Danfoss Power Solutions contribute about one third of Danfoss' global revenues," Domenico Traverso, President-Work Function Division and also Danfoss India Board Member told IANS over phone from Pune. Traverso said the division is involved in electrification and supply solutions for buses and trucks which is relative a new segment for the company. Eaton Hydraulics provides products for customers in markets such as agriculture, construction, and in industrial market segments. Eaton's hydraulincs business will be transferred into Danfoss Power Solutions, adding approximately 11,000 employees and 2019 sales of $ 2.2 billion (2.0 billion euros) to the business segment, which will double the hydraulics business. "Today, we take a significant and transformational step in creating a global leader in mobile and industrial hydraulics. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine our largely complementary portfolios and geographic footprints,a Kim Fausing, Danfoss President and CEO was quoted as saying in a statement. "With this agreement, we continue to invest in our core hydraulics business and digital solutions to stay a strong technology partner," he added. "We believe Eaton's Hydraulics business will benefit greatly from being part of a company that has hydraulics at its core," Craig Arnold, Eaton Chairman and CEO was quoted as saying in the statement. "When complete, this deal will bring together two talented teams with deep hydraulics knowledge and expertise.a-And Eaton's hydraulics team will be part of a company that is committed to becoming a global leader in mobile and industrial hydraulics.a-The combined business will also benefit customers and distributors by offering industry-leading technology and a much broader portfolio of hydraulic solutions," Arnold added. Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/22/2020 -- The report on "Banana Powder Market (Application - Beverages, Household, Food Industry, and Cosmetics; Source - Organic and Conventional; Process - Freeze Dried, Sun-Dried, Drum Dried, and Other Processes; Distribution Channel - Direct Sales, and Indirect Sales): Global Industry Analysis, Trends, Size, Share and Forecasts to 2025." The global banana powder market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% over the forecast period of 2019-2025. Ask for Sample Copy of Research Report with Table of Content @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample-request/12794 Imenti Community Based Organization (ICOBO), Meru Got Supply Order from Hungary to Export Banana flour June 2019, Imenti Community Based Organization (ICOBO) health Foods director Kiambi Paul told that they got the opportunity to supply banana flour to Hungary. It will help to boost the income level of banana farmers in the Meru. Now, Meru banana farmers can earn extra income from the processing of raw banana fruits to flour. Earlier, they were forced to sale the raw fruits to throw away prices to the local sources, but after this supply opportunity, they can process the banana fruits in flour and can get a better fair price through export it to Hungary. The Imenti Community Based Organization (ICOBO), currently employ 15 people and directly source the banana for processing purpose from its 2000 contracted farmers. Currently, the organization supplies the processed banana products once every three months, owing to the shipment problem. The organization currently export the processed banana flour at Sh450 per kilo. The organization plant was started in 2004. The organization also exports other agriculture products as porridge flour, chapati flour, sweet potato flour, cassava flour, yam flour, pumpkin flour; arrowroot leaf powder and its tuber flour and Moringa Oloifera. Banana Powder Market: Industry Insights The banana powder is obtained from raw banana. It has numerous applications in day to day life such as the substitute of the banana fruits, used in papad manufacturing, a health supplement, cosmetic ingredients. It is generally used as a rich source of carbohydrates and calories. Further, in the beauty sector, it is used as a color correction element, which helps to improve the color effect of the skin. It helps to reduce excess oil on the skin, helps to maintain the makeup for a longer period.it is best suitable for complexions with yellow, golden and olive undertones. More Insights on this report, Speak to Our Analyst: https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/request-discount/12794 Banana Powder Industry: Segmentation Infinium global research and consulting have prepared a global report on the banana powder market. The global banana powder market is segmented on the basis of application, source, process and distribution channel. On the basis of application, the banana powder market is divided into beverages, pet food and feed industry, household, food industry, and cosmetics. Further, on the basis of the source, the banana powder market is bifurcated into organic and conventional markets. On the basis of process, the banana powder market is divided into freeze-dried, spray-dried, sun-dried, drum dried and other processes. Additionally, on the basis of the distribution channel, the banana powder market is sub-segmented into direct sales and indirect sales. North America Holds a High Share of the Market Regionally, the global banana powder market segmented by North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW. North America holds a high share of the market, owing to the growing demand for gluten-free products among diabetic people and health-conscious people. Further, the growing health awareness among young consumers and middle-aged consumers is helping to grow the demand for banana powder products. Europe is the second-largest market after North America. The Asia-Pacific banana powder is expected to the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the growing demand for gluten-free fibrous products among the health-conscious people and diabetic persons. Browse Detailed TOC, Description, and Companies Mentioned in Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/food-beverage/global-banana-powder-market Banana Powder Market: Competitive Landscape Some of the major players in the market are Kadac Pty Ltd, Pereg Natural Foods & Spices, NOW Foods, Absolute Organic, Royal Nut Company, Slingan Pty Ltd, Stawi Foods and Fruits Limited, NuNaturals Inc, ADM WILD Europe GmbH & Co.KG and Zuvii. Reasons to Buy this Report: => Comprehensive analysis of global as well as regional markets of the banana powder. => Complete coverage of all the product type and application segments to analyze the trends, developments, and forecast of market size up to 2025. => Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in this market. The company profile includes analysis of product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis and the latest developments of the company. => Infinium Global Research- Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify. 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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Details added (first version posted on 09:08) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Mohammad Barkindo in Davos. Recalling a speech of President Ilham Aliyev at the World Economic Forum five years ago, Mohammad Barkindo said: - Mr. President, if you remember, you were the first among world leaders to call on all OPEC member and non-member countries to join forces and work together at the World Economic Forum five years ago. No-one had put forward such initiatives before. You are a visionary and very determined person. Using this global platform, you encouraged all of us to consolidate and work together. Because, as you said, we were all in the same position. Because we all produced the same oil and sold it in the same markets. At that time, market prices fell by more than 80 percent. President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, oil prices dropped to about $30. Mohammad Barkindo: We witnessed the worst possible situation. Mr. President, we began to work as a result of your visionary leadership, your appeal. On 10 December 2016, to be more exact within 12 months, we signed a declaration on cooperation with 24 countries. President Ilham Aliyev: That's exactly right. Mohammad Barkindo: This happened for the first time in history. We did this thanks to your leadership, your views. We will never forget that, Mr. President. This is very important for us, and, as you noted, over the past five years we worked very closely with Azerbaijan, which remained faithful to all the decisions made. President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you for your kind words. I am grateful to you for remembering this. On that day here in Davos, I was asked what needed to be done in connection with this, and I put forward this proposal. I am grateful to OPEC for taking this proposal seriously, and we created a truly unique partnership format. I believe there is no other international organization that would have this format, and not only the format, but that would at the same time effectively execute the decisions made. It is sometimes difficult to come to an agreement even within one and the same organization. However, the OPEC and non-OPEC countries, large and small oil producers joined their efforts. Because it was our common goal. But, of course, without your leadership, our efforts would have been inconclusive, because you, as the head of the organization, not only coordinated all the processes, but also led them. I believe and am sure that one of the reasons for success is that all countries trust you. This was a very important factor. So we had a mix of all the important elements. There was strong leadership on the part of the organization, as well as very serious cooperation between member states and non-members of the organization. I know that it wasnt easy to achieve a certain reduction in production even between some member countries. Of course, there was a very effective monitoring process, as well as a matter of trust. I believe that all members of this process are currently trying to keep their word because it is necessary to maintain confidence. I also want to thank you for the initiative related to the holding of one of the OPEC+ meetings in Baku. I invited you and you accepted the invitation. We look forward to enhanced cooperation. Azerbaijan is already showing itself as a member of OPEC. I am sure that it will be continued this way. RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of bipartisan lawmakers, the Virginia Municipal League, the American Car Rental Association and Virginia car rental operators are calling on the Virginia General Assembly to "Care Before You Share." The coalition has come together in response to the rise of peer-to-peer vehicle-sharing companies currently facilitating rental transactions without paying taxes. Today, under Virginia's Motor Vehicle Rental Tax statutes ( 58.1-1735 et seq.), peer-to-peer vehicle rentals are subject to a 10% tax rate just like vehicle rentals through traditional car rental companies. "In reality, very fewif anyowners are fulfilling this requirement throughout the Commonwealth. As a result, they have created a tax collection problem," said Michelle Gowdy, Executive Director of the Virginia Municipal League . To address this growing concern, the coalition SUPPORTS HB 891 and HB 892 sponsored by Delegate Mark Sickles, and SB749 and SB750 sponsored by Sen. John Cosgrove. This proposed bipartisan legislation will clarify that, under existing Virginia law, the platform not vehicle owners or "hosts" is responsible for collecting and remitting all appropriate rental taxes. "This legislation will not raise taxes and instead will resolve a critical tax collection issue throughout the Commonwealth. The bill will require peer-to-peer vehicle rental companies to collect and remit state and local taxes, the same taxes as other vehicle rental companies currently operating in Virginia must collect and remit, and in doing so, preserve essential state and local tax revenues in an equal fashion," said Gowdy. Fiscal Impact Statement According to the Virginia Dept. of Taxation's Fiscal Impact Statement, while "both peer-to-peer shared vehicles and commercially owned rental vehicles are currently subject to the full ten percent Motor Vehicle Rental Taxes compliance within the peer-to-peer rental industry is extremely low." In fact, the Virginia General Assembly recently addressed this growing "tax collection" concern for online retail sales by passing the 2019 Retail Sales Tax Marketplace Facilitator Law (Virginia Code 58.1-612.1, Chapters 815, 816, and 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly). The proposed legislation directly clarifies that the 2019 Retail Sales Tax Marketplace Facilitator Law applies to peer-to-peer vehicle rental platforms. Fair and Competitive "State government plays an important role in fostering a fair and competitive environment for the benefit of consumers, including their safety and use of taxpayer dollars," said Jim East, vice president of government relations for Hertz Corporation . "Today, peer-to-peer companies use taxpayer-funded facilities without contributing to the infrastructure. Consumers benefit most when we all contribute our fair share." In 2019, the Motor Vehicle Rental Tax raised over $111 million in overall funding. Of this amount, Virginia localities received $46.7 million, which was used to fund schools, police and other local essential services. This tax revenue was also used to support overall transportation funding, such as rail enhancement, highway construction and capital funding for WMATA. "Care Before You Share" coalition members agree with the American Car Rental Association that all consumer transactions, including peer-to-peer vehicle rentals, should be governed in a fair and consistent way. The proposed legislation is a common-sense solution for how rental car operations are defined and regulated in Virginia in a safe, smart and caring fashion. "Our goal is for the legislature to apply basic fairness, where all rental transactions are subject to the same standards," said Mike Bruce, vice president and general manager of Enterprise Holdings in Virginia. Other comments and feedback about peer-to-peer vehicle rental transactions: "... For taxation purposes, treat peer-to-peer vehicles like other motor vehicle rentals in the Commonwealth of Virginia." Virginia Transit Association "While reducing or eliminating rental car taxes would be the ideal solution, if that's not achievable, lawmakers should reform rental car taxes to focus on the use and service at issue." R Street Institute: "3 Paths Forward for Rental Car Taxes" "Recently, a number of airport authorities and city and county government agencies have taken formal and informal steps from litigation to cease-and-desist orders to require P2P car rental companies to comply with state and local tax laws and policies for companies that rent cars at airports." American Car Rental Association (ACRA) Peer-to-Peer Car Rental Timeline " App-based car rental companies such as Turo insist on operating on airport premises without paying concession fees, even though their businesses directly contribute to airport congestion and resulting expenses." Taxpayers Protection Alliance "I question whether rental car taxes should exist, but if they are going to exist, they should be applied equally and in a revenue-neutral fashion." Show-Me Institute: "Is Turo a 'Motor Vehicle Leasing Company?'" "Thankfully, there's a straightforward policy solution to the problem of uneven or ambiguous airport access rules and fees: Airport authorities can work to balance the competing interests of new and traditional companies by adopting an open posture toward new types of rental firms and ensuring that the fees and rules for each firm seeking to access airport property are consistent and equitable." R Street Institute: "Better Managed Airport Car Rental Access Could Ease Holiday Travel" "The goal should be to adopt an open posture for new market entrants, while at the same time requiring that all transportation companies who seek to access airport property and serve travelers are subject to the same transparent rules and fees." R Street Institute: "R Sheet on Airport Rental Car Access" "A taxation system that is based on the service at issue rather than other factors will help ensure mode neutrality for transportation and an equal playing field in the marketplace." R Street Institute: "R Sheet on Rental Car Taxes" " the canons of statutory construction require that the terms of such remedial statutes be read broadly, so that consumers will benefit from these protections regardless of whether they happen to rent a car on Turo's website or on, say, Avis's website." City and County of San Francisco "Allowing certain businesses to avoid paying taxes is essentially picking winners and losers, which creates a very real threat to maintaining and promoting one of our greatest economic drivers: tourism." Arizona Tourism & Lodging Association "Because peer-to-peer operators are entering into commercial car rental transactions, they must be held to the same consumer protection standards as any other car rental or car-sharing service." National Consumers League "This legislation is a common-sense solution for how we define and regulate rental car operations in Pennsylvania. It will bring all types of vehicle rental platforms under the same standards to ensure consumer protection, while still allowing the industry to continue to grow and innovate." Sen. Pat Stefano (R-32), Pennsylvania "My objective in working through this issue was two-fold. To establish clear standards for insurance coverage in these three-party transactions, and to ensure all peer-to-peer platforms that receive the end customer's money are paying applicable state taxes as the facilitating vendor." Ohio House Majority Leader Bill Seitz (R-30) SOURCE Enterprise Holdings, Inc. William and Margaret with Annette and Kim the dog The granddaughter of a local seaman who perished in a shipping disaster has spoken of the tragedy ahead of the 50th anniversary of the sinking next month. Captain William Hood, originally from Larne, Co Antrim, died after cargo ship the Lairdsfield sank in the North Sea off the Co Durham coast on February 6, 1970. The ship had departed from Middlesbrough Wharf on its way to Cork when it capsized in Tees Bay with the loss of all 10 crew members. Improperly loaded cargo was blamed for the sinking. It was later reported by local newspaper the Evening Gazette that the Lairdsfield had tried to set sail three times, but twice had to turn back - once because a crew member broke a leg onboard, then because of engine trouble. The headline, which was printed the day after the sinking, highlighted the apparent ill-fated 'omens' and read 'The Ship That Didn't Want To Go To Sea'. Tragically, Captain Hood, born in 1906, was only on the doomed vessel because he offered to stand in for the ship's second officer, who had taken sick. The naval officer - who at the time had been living in north Belfast - was visiting his daughter in England when he decided to return to Ireland by "getting a lift" aboard the vessel. Annette Woolfson (59), who grew up here but now lives in Northumberland, said she only recently learned her grandfather had been due to retire the following month. "He was from a seafaring family," she told the Belfast Telegraph. "His family, the Hoods, had ran a ferry between Islandmagee and Larne. "My granda spent most of his life at sea. During the [Second World] War he was away quite a lot." At the time of the disaster Captain Wood had been living off the Antrim Road with his wife Margaret, Annette's grandmother. "I've heard different versions of this over the years, but my grandmother would tune into the shipping radio and know when my granda's ship would be coming up the lough and get the frying pan on for him," revealed Annette. She was about to celebrate turning 10 years old at her family's home in Portadown when she heard the devastating news that her grandfather had perished at sea. "It was just before my 10th birthday. "I was watching a TV programme when the 10 o'clock news came on with news of the sinking. I remember thinking 'that's terrible' because of my granda. "I had no idea that he had been onboard." She learned the tragic news from her mother Sadie. Annette recalled that her devastated mother collapsed against a door frame, saying: "My daddy's boat's gone down." Her grandfather's body was never recovered. The ship's chief officer Kenneth Campbell, who was from Belfast, also died in the disaster. A memorial service for all of the crew members will be held in the English coastal town of Redcar on February 6. It will be attended by members of the Royal British Legion and the Merchant Navy Association among others. Annette said the anniversary comes after her mother recently passed away. "My poor mother would be so proud that her father's story is at last being told," she added. A Cork-based cybersecurity firm has warned of an almost 300% increase in cyber attacks from Iran in recent weeks. Smarttech247, based in Cork Airport Business Park, says there has been a spike in 'malicious activity' since the escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States which, it says, illustrates the threat posed by nation-state cyber attacks. Key infrastructure, including power grids and healthcare systems, are among the targets of such attacks. Tensions between Iran and the United States dramatically escalated after a top Iranian military commander was killed in a US airstrike in Iraq in early January. Iran responded by firing more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases hosting US troops in the days that followed. Raluca Saceanu, general manager of Smarttech247 said the threat of nation-states targeting critical infrastructure with cyber attacks is real and steps need to be taken to minimise risk. "Attacks on critical infrastructure and their operational technology are on the rise, as witnessed in the wake of new tensions between Iran and the US," she said. We have seen a significant 286% increase in our Security Operations Centres (SOCs) in malicious activity coming in from Iran, making the threat of a nation-state cyber attack on high profile corporations, government agencies, and critical systems a very real one. Malicious hackers are threatening public safety all over the world, she said, which means government agencies in Ireland need to ramp up their cybersecurity strategies and adopt a defence-in-depth methodology. Cybercriminals have decided to deliberately target hospitals, payment systems and utilities as their IT is often integrated into critical infrastructure, vital national networks and consumer devices. Ms Saceanu said: "Without a doubt, Iran has the capability and the tendency to launch destructive attacks. Whats important to note is that hackers will use the current geopolitical tensions to launch attacks that may not necessarily be connected to Iran but they are simply leveraging the momentum." There have been numerous high profile cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, including one on the Ukranian power grid and multiple attacks on the US healthcare system. Andy Grzess, Chief Technology Officer at Smarttech24, said: "Government agencies need to ensure all systems are up to date. Failure to pay close attention to the critical patches has made cities and hospitals easy targets. Hackers will continue to exploit global security loopholes for localised gain." In response to this, Smarttech247 has announced a significant investment in its industrial security operations to help organisations which rely on critical infrastructure to defend themselves against cyber attacks. The risk to such infrastructure has been heightened by increased global tensions, with a significant increase in attempted attacks in the past fortnight. Smarttech247 is using innovative OT security technology from Indegy in its state-of-the-art 24/7/365 Security Operations Centres (SOCs) to deliver its industrial security services. The value of this latest investment is estimated at approximately 300,000. The announcement follows the publication of the Irish government's National Cyber Security Strategy, which aims to improve the network and information security used by Government departments and agencies, and ultimately protect citizens and businesses from cyber threats. The cyber-security strategy sets out how to ensure the State's critical infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, enterprises, energy networks and security systems, and computer networks are "resilient, safe and secure". MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's government said on Tuesday that it largely halted a caravan of undocumented Central Americans migrants who waded across a river into Mexico, and says others who attempt to enter the country illegally will face the same consequences. The caravan, part of a group of several thousand people who last week fled rampant gang violence and dire job prospects in Honduras, are a major test for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's strategy for stopping U.S.-bound migrants. Though President Donald Trump's promised border wall has not been built, the number of migrants crossing the southern U.S. border has dropped sharply as Mexico stepped up the policing of its borders under the threat of punitive U.S. tariffs. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said about 1,000 people managed to cross the country's southern border on Monday from Guatemala. Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) said it deported 219 migrants to Honduras by plane in two separate flights. Ebrard said another 144 people were sent by bus. "These two flights are the first of the year and we expect to carry out more in the coming days," the INM said. On Monday the INM said it detained 402 migrants and transferred them to immigration stations where they will receive food, water and shelter. The INM will return them to their home countries via airplane or bus if their legal status cannot be resolved. It is unclear if some of those deported are the same people whom the INM said it had detained. "We do not know if another group will arrive and, if so, we will have the same type of response," Ebrard said at a news conference. Mexican security forces clashed with the Central American migrants who crossed into Mexico on Monday, in a chaotic scramble that saw mothers separated from their young children. The Human Rights Observation and Monitoring Collective in Southeast Mexico, a collective of aid groups, said it spoke to an "upset" woman being escorted by an INM official and National Guard soldier who had lost track of her son and daughter. Story continues "The woman said that when she was detained she asked the officers to let her go find her 5-year-old daughter, but they didn't let her do so and she lost contact with her," the collective said in a statement. A Reuters witness on Monday spoke to at least two mothers whose young children went missing amid the chaos, as the migrants on Mexican soil scattered in an attempt to avoid being detained by Mexican officials. The attorney general's office for the state of Chiapas, where the migrants had crossed into Mexico, said it had located two Honduran minors. A spokeswoman at the INM said there are now no reports of lost minors. Lopez Obrador told a news conference on Tuesday that the operations to control the flow of migrants at the country's southern border were meant to protect them. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Julia Love and Abraham Gonzalez; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler) Emmy-winning director Alan Weiss and producer Marilou Yacoub were on hand to film what will become the 30-second public service announcements after coming in from New York. Thats one of the perks offered to the finalists. They also were filming for an episode of Teen Kids News, which is syndicated on more than 160 TV stations. T eenage activist Greta Thunberg blasted the US President about his "inaction" in tackling the climate crisis and said his lack of urgency is fuelling the flames. Speaking to world leaders and global business players at the World Economic Forum (WEF), the 17-year-old said Donald Trump s plan to plant more trees was sorely inadequate. She also called for an immediate end to fossil fuel investment in front of a packed audience. Unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight. Our house is still on fire, she told the room at the conference in Davos, Switzerland. Your inaction is fuelling the flames. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg addresses guests at the World Economic Forum in Davos / AP Her comments come after Mr Trump attacked Ms Thunberg and other campaigners who have repeatedly asked world leaders to address the climate crisis. Addressing such activists, Mr Trump earlier said the US would plant one trillion trees but also spoke at length about the economic importance of oil and gas. Donald Trump arrived at the resort by helicopter / REUTERS This is not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism, he said during his keynote speech at the luxury Alpine Ski resort. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action. The US president vowed to plant one trillion trees / AP He added: To embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse. In the latest to and fro between the pair, Ms Thunberg said her speech addressed the empty words and promises from world leaders. Davos: World Economic Forum 2020 - In pictures 1 /46 Davos: World Economic Forum 2020 - In pictures AP Clarence House/AFP via Getty Images AP AP REUTERS REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP REUTERS AP US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland AP Prince Charles and climate activist Greta Thunberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Clarence House White House Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump gestures as she delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators protest during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters US President Donald Trump holds a news conference at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland Reuters Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davo AFP via Getty Images Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg addresses guests at the World Economic Forum AP Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump follow U.S. President Donald Trump as they leave the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland AP Demonstrators protest during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters Bank of England head Mark Carney attends a session during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the World Economic Forum, AP U.S. President Donald Trump listens to FIFA President Gianni Infantino speak during a dinner with global CEOs during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters A banner hangs from the window during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters President Donald Trump meets with European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen at the World Economic Forum AP President Donald Trump delivers the opening remarks at the World Economic Forum AP Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg attends a session at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters Police officers on a tower wait for U.S. President Donald Trump arrival to the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland Reuters Air Force One carrying US President Donald Trump arrives at the airport in Zurich, Switzerland AP US President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the airport in Zurich, Switzerlan AP U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters President Donald Trump delivers the opening remarks at the World Economic Forum AP Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg takes her seat prior to the opening session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, AP Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg attends a session at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Reuters Marine One, center, carrying US President Donald Trump leaves the airport in Zurich, Switzerland headed to Davos AP She added: You say children shouldnt worry... dont be so pessimistic and then, nothing, silence. The activist also referenced the US without naming the country, after Mr Trump withdrew America from the Paris climate agreement and published policies that critics have claimed weakens environmental standards. We need to start listening to the science, and treat this crisis with the importance it deserves, she said. Old Testament prophets spoke of a man who would carry a message that Gods people would be eagerly awaiting - the coming of the Messiah. A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God (Isaiah 40:3). I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the LORD Almighty (Malachi 3:1). This man would also have a ministry of his own, preparing the hearts of those who listened to receive their Savior. His name was John. Later, the word baptist (which means immerser in Greek) was added because he performed water baptisms. Who Was John the Baptist? John's parents, Zachariah and Elizabeth, lived in the hill country of Judea. Zachariah was a priest, and according to Scripture, they were a devout couple who faithfully followed the Lords ordinances. Elizabeth was actually descended from the line of Aaron, and was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. So, John and Jesus were cousins, only months apart in age. John's birth was divinely foretold, and his name was given directly by God. An angel visited Zachariah at the temple one day to announce Elizabeths pregnancy. Because Zachariah reacted with disbelief at the news, his voice was taken away until the birth of his son. When his tongue was loosed, his first words were, His name is John. In Hebrew, the name means Jehovah is gracious. Zachariah, back in full voice, lifted up joyful praise to God and spoke over his son in a beautiful song: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago) ... And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins (Luke 1:68-70, 76-77). As foretold, Johns lifestyle kept him removed from regular society. He dressed as many Old Testament prophets did, in rough basic clothing - his was made of camels hair. According to Scripture, he ate locusts and wild honey like other poorer people in the region. But even after years of avoiding the mainstream, he ended up impacting many from all walks of life when the right time came. Just as the prophecies said, Johns ministry was built around the message of Gods salvation and living righteously: Produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8). He traveled in the country around the Jordan River, preaching and baptizing the crowds who came to hear him. When asked by people about what they should do, he gave instructions such as, Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same (Luke 3:11). To tax collectors he advised, Dont collect any more than you are required to (Luke 3:13). Soldiers who went to him heard this command, Dont extort money and dont accuse people falsely be content with your pay (Luke 3:14). Johns ministry and life was cut short when he was arrested by Herod, one of the rulers in the region. John had told Herod that taking his brother's wife was unlawful, which angered the tetrarch. John was put into prison, and later beheaded. Though it ended tragically, John the Baptists life is a powerful example of a life fully given over to God. As Ive studied about him in Scripture, Ive noticed three qualities about John that especially stood out. 1. His Faith Now this was Johns testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, I am not the Messiah. They asked him, Then who are you? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the Prophet? He answered, No. Finally they said, Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, Make straight the way for the Lord (John 1:19-23). John quoted the passage from Isaiah 40 to answer the religious leaders about his identity. Being the son of a priest himself, he no doubt spent his childhood learning Old Testament accounts about God and His people. Prophecies and promises must have been stored up in his mind and heart. But John did more than just repeat what hed heard. His parents faith was a solid foundation. Then, as he walked through life with God, his parents legacy became his own personal belief. Living in the wilderness, away from the influences of society, must have helped him to stay directly connected to his Lord. By the time he began his ministry, John was filled up with knowledge and passion about Gods saving grace. His journey of faith equipped him to proclaim his message, and the conviction he felt added power to his cry to repent. 2. His Humility John answered them all, I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). Having your life call being spoken of in ancient prophecies could be an overwhelming thing to handle. But John seemed to carry it all with a sense of dignity and self-awareness. He clearly understood who he was, and more importantly, who he was not. This humility served him well all through his ministry. As others flocked to him, he took the chance to give glory to God rather than accept accolades. When Jesus came to seek baptism from him, John recognized the enormity of the moment, and was astonished by the honor of it. But John tried to deter him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? (Matthew 3:14). Later, when Johns disciples worriedly report that people were beginning to go to Jesus for baptism instead of them, Johns reply reveals a man who knows his place and is content with that. He must become greater; I must become less (Luke 3:30). 3. His Obedience He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3). Paul said, Johns baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus (Acts 19:4). Though Johns life had been anointed for Gods purpose, he could have chosen another path. But John made decisions all along the way to follow Gods plans rather than his own. He knew the urgency of the message he spoke, and felt the anticipation of what, and who, was to come. This submission to his Lord was deeply rooted and stood firm, through his early hardships in the wilderness to his suffering in prison. Though he reached out to Jesus for reassurance during that confinement, John never lost sight of his duty. The cost - losing his freedom, and ultimately his life - was worth it if God was glorified. John the Baptist was given the great task of announcing the coming of Jesus. The message he spoke, one of living repentantly and rightly, is one the world still needs to hear. If we are willing to cultivate those qualities that John displayed, God will give us places to speak our Savior's name and His truths. Then we will each have a more impactful ministry to those around us. Photo credit: Getty Images/rudall30 Heather Adams is an author, speaker, and singer living in Connecticut. Heathers passion is to equip and encourage believers to seek more of Gods truth and to experience more of His joy each day. Her book, Bow Down: The Heart of a True Worshipper is a practical, 30-day devotional about worship based on the writings of King David. Heather's blog, Worship Walk Ministries, offers weekly Scripture passages and insights to ponder. A native New Englander, Heather is settling into her home in the South, trying out local foods and watching for the alligators that live nearby! You can connect with her on her website: heatheradamsworshipwalk.com Gnowangerup has been crowned the booziest town in Australia, with one-third of its adult residents necking two or more alcoholic drinks every day. An astonishing 30 per cent of people in the Western Australian town drink that amount daily, which is almost double the national rate, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data analysed by Daily Mail Australia. One in six Australian adults - 16 per cent - hit or exceed two alcoholic beverages a day, exceeding the risk guideline. Australia's booziest towns at a glance (% of people who guzzle more than two drinks a day) 1) Gnowangerup/Kojonup , WA (30%) 2) Brookton, WA (29.2%) 3) Geeveston, TAS (29.2%) 4) Sarina, QLD (29.1%) 5) Manjimup, WA (28.9%) 6) Bombala, NSW (28.7%) 7) Kulin, WA (28.2%) 8) Merimbula, NSW (28.1%) 9) Albany, WA (28.1%) 10) Mansfield, VIC (28%) Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Advertisement This was a slight decline from 17.4 per cent in 2014-15 and 19.5 per cent in 2011-12. The lifetime guideline from the National Health and Medical Research Council said that healthy men and women should 'drink no more than two standard drinks on any day'. It explained doing so reduces the 'lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury'. Men were more than twice as likely to exceed the lifetime guideline as women, with 23.7 per cent doing so nationally compared to 8.8 per cent of women. And while an area's obesity level is usually linked to levels of poverty, the same can't be said of towns where residents have too much to drink. Instead, unhealthy drinking levels are found in areas with high numbers of farmers, fishermen and lumberjacks. They also tend to have very low unemployment rates. Residents of the Western Australian town of Gnowangerup (pictured) have the worst drinking levels in the country Australia's top ten booziest towns 1) Gnowangerup/Kojonup, Western Australia Unlike obesity rates, a person's drinking habits are not linked to their economic status, according to the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Instead, they are more often linked to the kind of jobs people do in the town - with farmers and fisherman more likely to hit the bottle. A third of people living in the Western Australian town of Gnowangerup drink more than two alcoholic drinks every day. But the small area, 340km south-east of Perth, boasts an unusually low unemployment rate of just 2.3 per cent. This is far below the Australian average of 6.9 per cent. An incredible 51.7 per cent of residents work in the agriculture, forestry or fishing industry. Brookton in Western Australia (pictured) has the second highest level of heavy drinking rates 2) Brookton, Western Australia Next up is the Western Australian town of Brookton - 138km south-east of Perth - with 29.2 per cent of people drinking heavily every day. Similarly, it also has an unemployment rate lower than the national rate at just 6.8 per cent - but just 6 per cent of people have a bachelor's degree. Its income is also relatively healthy, with residents getting $45,186 on average, but below the national figure. A huge 38 per cent of its residents work in agriculture, forestry or fishing, while the next biggest employer is the construction industry. 62 km south-west of Hobart, the Tasmanian town of Geeveston (pictured_ suffers wages that are significantly lower than the Australia average 3) Geeveston, Tasmania The Tasmanian town of Geeveston is third on the list of big boozers, with 29.2 per cent of people regularly drinking more than the recommended level. It has a slightly higher unemployment rate than the national average at 8.2 per cent. Geeveston suffers wages significantly lower than those enjoyed across Australia, with incomes sitting at just $37,000. Again the biggest employer is agriculture, forestry and fishing, with 27.7 per cent of adults working in the industry. Construction is the area's next biggest employer. Sarina in Queensland (pictured) is a coastal town with a huge mining industry and high wages 4) Sarina, Queensland Sitting south of Mackay on the Queensland coast, the town - unlike other boozy areas - has most residents working in the mining industry, not farming. 29.1 per cent of its residents drink excessively, but it also enjoys relatively high wages of $52,241. But it does have more farming and agriculture-based businesses than any other industry. Manjimup in Western Australia (pictured) has an unhealthy drinking rate of 28.9 per cent 5) Manjimup, Western Australia Like other booze towns, in Manjimup - 307km south of Perth - 16.3 per cent of people working in agriculture. It has an unhealthy drinking rate of 28.9 per cent. Its unemployment rate is just 5 per cent, and wages are a relatively healthy $42,528. The next biggest industry is construction. Bombala in New South Wales (pictured), near the Victorian border, is a big agricultural area 6) Bombala, New South Wales The south-eastern NSW town sits 485km south of Sydney, and 80km south of Cooma, and has a heavy drinking rate of 28.7 per cent. Sitting near the Victorian border, it also has a good average income of $47,525, only slightly below the national level. Its unemployment levels are also low at 4.5 per cent. Again, its main industry is agriculture. The small town of Kulin in Western Australia (pictured) has a huge farming population, namely growing wheat and barley 7) Kulin, Western Australia A town in the Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, Kulin is 280km from Perth and 28.2 per cent of its residents drink too much. It is one of the most agriculturally productive districts in the Wheatbelt, with wheat being the major crop grown followed by barley. 48.3 per cent of people there work in farming, with an unemployment rate of just 2.8 per cent. The coastal town of Merimbula (pictured) has a thriving hospitality industry and low unemployment rates 8) Merimbula, New South Wales In Merimbula, a coastal town in southern NSW, 28.1 per cent of people have more than two alcoholic drinks every day. It has a large lake, meaning a number of fisherman, but its position on the east coast means its biggest employer is hotels and restaurants. Again, its unemployment rate is low at just 4.6 per cent. Albany in Western Australia (pictured) is celebrated for it stunning beaches. 28.1 per cent of people who live their regularly drink excessively 9) Albany, Western Australia A city at the southern tip of Western Australia, Albany is known for its beaches and boozing - with 28.1 per cent of people drinking excessively. Its main employer is health care and social assistance and has relatively high disability rates of 7.9 per cent compared to 5.1 per cent nationally. The Victorian Alps town of Mansfield (pictured) is the first place in the state to appear in the list 10) Mansfield, Victoria The first Victorian area on the list, Mansfield has heavy drinking rates of 28 per cent. It is in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, 180km north-east of Melbourne. A hard-working town, it also has a very low unemployment rate of just 3.4 per cent. But its main industry hotels and food services. Meanwhile, the area with the lowest percentage of unhealthy drinkers is the NSW region of Girraween, Westmead, Parramatta and Rosehill. Just 3.4 per cent of its residence drink more than two alcoholic drinks every day. Its primary industry is professional, scientific and technical services, with 16.9 per cent of residents working in that sector. Young adults were less likely to exceed the lifetime risk guideline compared with older adults. One in ten young adults aged 18-24 years exceeded the lifetime risk guideline, compared with 18.2 per cent of adults aged 35-74 years. The Portuguese Army is carrying out a mid-life upgrade for their German Leopard 2A6 tanks. This will keep the Leopards operational and up-to-date for another decade or two. Their 2A6 models were the latest version when obtained second-hand (and barely used) from the Netherlands in 2008. Since then most of the more than 2,000 2A6s in service have undergone this refurbishment and a growing number have been upgraded to 2A7 and later standards. Work on the Portuguese Leopards will be carried out from 2026 to 2030 and cost about $51.2 million. Worn components repaired or replaced while some major systems will undergo modifications that include many upgrades aimed to improve crew situational awareness and comfort. The driver will receive a passive imaging camera suite to improve the front and rear-view camera. Other upgrades involve an air conditioning unit to cool electronics in the turret and improve crew endurance. Another upgrade will be an APU (auxiliary power unit) to cope with increased power demand and deliver continuous power supply while the vehicle is idle for long periods. There will also be a new fire extinguishing system in the driver and combat compartments plus better capacitors in the electrical suite to mitigate harmful electrical discharges. The main gun will get mechanical and hydraulic gun stabilization, while the turret control and drive systems will be replaced by electric ones. Portugal agreed to purchase its 37 Leopard 2s from the Netherlands in 2007. All of these arrived in 2009. These used Leopards replaced 97 American M60 tanks, a 1960s design that was popular for several decades. Some 15,000 M-60s were produced from 1959 to 1983 but it was largely replaced by the American M1 and Leopard 2 in the 1990s. The M1 entered service in 1980 and 10,300 have been built so far. The Leopard 2 followed in 1983 and 3,600 were built. Production of both these tanks sharply declined after the Cold War ended in 1991. At that point, a lot of existing Leopard 2s were no longer needed and became a hot item in the second-hand market. By 2010 secondhand Leopard 2s were hard to come by because so many had already been sold or scrapped. Portugal tried to acquire more used Leopard 2 tanks but unfortunately for them there no more to be had. Portugal was not the only one trying to obtain more Leopard 2s. Germany sold off or retired so many of its Leopard 2s that, by 2017 when they sought to rebuild their tank force to face the new Russian threat, it found Turkey, Chile, Greece, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and Poland each have more operational Leopard 2 tanks than Germany. This odd situation was revealed in late 2017 when it was discovered that 53 Leopard 2s were unavailable because they were undergoing upgrades and 86 were inoperable because of spare parts shortages. That meant Germany only had 95 Leopard 2 tanks that were combat ready. Thats 39 percent of the 244 Leopard 2s then operated by the German army. This was all attributed to a 2015 program to expand and upgrade the German tank force. That involved taking 104 retired (in the 1990s) Leopard 2A4 tanks and putting them back into service after refurbishing the older tanks and upgrading them to the A7V standard. The 104 reactivated Leopard 2A7Vs did not begin arriving until 2019 and it will take until 2023 to complete the process. There may be further additions to the active tank force depending on how much of a threat Russia continues to pose. Most Germans believed peace would last after the communist governments Russia had imposed on most East European nations after 1945 suddenly collapsed in 1989 followed by the Soviet Union dissolving in 1991. That marked the end of the Cold War. On top of that Germany was reunited in 1990 and the Russian-equipped East German military was largely scrapped. At that point, the German Leopard 2 fleet shrank over 85 percent (from 2,000 to 225). Germany also retired over older 2,200 Leopard 1s. Most of the retired Leopards were sold off or scrapped. But nearly a thousand Leopard 2s were put in storage just in case. Until 2014 Germany believed that those retired Leopard 2s would eventually be sold off or used for spare parts. A minority of Germans thought there was still a risk of a renewed Russian threat and so plans were made to keep upgrading Leopard 2s for foreign customers who were now operating most of the remaining Leopard 2s. Only 225 German Leopards were kept on duty. Continuing to encourage Leopard 2 upgrades made business sense because back in the 1990s the two most modern and effective tanks were the American M1 and the Leopard 2. In many respects, the Germans were just trying to stay competitive with the M1 upgrades. For example in 2014 Germany, Canada and Denmark agreed to upgrade over a hundred of their Leopard 2A6 tanks with ATTICA thermal imaging systems used by the tank commander and gunner. In most modern tanks both the commander and the gunner have high tech sights, usually with thermal (heat imaging) capability. The ATTICA sight is 3rd generation and that means images are sharper, more easily linked with other systems and the equipment is more reliable and easier to maintain. Third generation also means the engineers have added more wish-list items they have been receiving from earlier users over the years. The upgrade costs about $100,000 per sight and give Leopard 2 users something most M1 users already had. In 2009 Germany began upgrading its few active duty Leopard tanks from the 2A6 to the A7+ standard. That meant more armor on the sides and rear. This was needed to provide protection against RPG rockets. There were also more external cameras so the crew inside could see anything in any direction, day or night. That made a remotely (from inside the tank) controlled machine-gun station on top of the turret more useful. Other upgrades included better fire control and combat control computers and displays, a more powerful auxiliary power unit and better air conditioning, and numerous other minor improvements to mobility (engine, track laying system, wheels and related gear), soundproofing and the thermal sights. This would increase the weight of the tank to nearly 70 tons. The Leopard 2A7+ also got more effective ammunition for its 120mm gun. This included fragmentation shells that detonate above or behind a target. Non-lethal ammo has also been developed for the Leopard 2A7+. The manufacturer also announced it was beginning work on Leopard 3 (a major upgrade of the Leopard 2). In 2016 the Leopard got its latest upgrade; the A7V. This added a few features to the A7+ including a 20 KW auxiliary power supply so the stationary tank could continue to operate all its electronics when the main engine was shut down. The other addition was the ability to easily add additional armor modules. The 55 ton Leopard 2A6 was introduced in 2006, is still the most commonly used model, and is a contemporary of the American M-1. The 2A6 model has a stabilizer (for firing on the move) and a thermal imager (for seeing through night, mist and sand storms.) Germany has been selling less capable (but refurbished) 2A4s since the 1990s. This enabled many nations to inexpensively upgrade their aging armored forces. Since 2000 many nations have upgraded to the A6 standard. Most users prefer to continue upgrading their Leopards, mainly because there are no new tanks to buy. Thus the appeal of an upgrade to the Leopard 2A7+ standard. Until the 1980s, the German Leopard I was considered one of the best tanks available. Entering service in the late 1960s, it was the first post-World War II German tank design. Although a contemporary of the American M60A3, the German tank was considered superior. For this reason, Germany was able to export Leopards to many nations. Most of the 4,744 produced (plus 1,741 Leopard chassis adapted to other uses, like recovery and anti-aircraft) have since been retired (in storage) or scrapped. Many owners eventually had to melt down their Leopard 1s is because there was not much of a market left for 44 ton tanks, even those equipped with a lot of nifty upgrades. The original buyers of Leopard Is have already flooded the market and by the 1990s only Leopard 2s were wanted. The German Leopard 2 appeared in 1979 and was an immediate export hit, especially to replace elderly U.S. M-60 tanks (a 1960s design.) But when the Cold War ended in 1991 many Leopard 2 users looked to sell off many of their Leopard 2s. Most of the original 3,500 Leopard 2s have been sold as second-hand vehicles to Austria, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Chile, Turkey and Spain. Originally, West Germany bought 2,125 new Leopard 2 tanks, the Netherlands 445, Switzerland 370, Sweden 120, Spain 219 and Greece 170. Although a contemporary of the U.S. M1, many consider the 62 ton Leopard 2 a superior tank, even though the M1 has much more combat experience and subsequent upgrades based on the experience in battle. In 2003 both Germany and the United States believed the usefulness of heavy tanks like the M-1 and Leopard 2 were over. Then came Iraq and Afghanistan where it was found that these traditional designs were still very useful, especially with the most modern accessories like thermal sights, vidcams for all-round visibility from inside the tank and modern air-conditioning systems that can withstand tropical heat. Thus upgrading the Leopard 2s remains a big business. --- Przemyslaw Juraszek President Donald Trump on Wednesday downplayed the injuries suffered by U.S. soldiers during Irans attack on a military base in Iraq earlier this month, suggesting he doesnt consider traumatic brain injuries to be very serious. Trump has said several times that no Americans were hurt when Iran launched a missile attack against Ain al-Asad air base on Jan. 8 in retaliation for U.S. forces killing Iran military leader Qasem Soleimani. But the Pentagon acknowledged last week that 11 U.S. soldiers required medical attention outside of Iraq as a result. Eight suffered concussion-like symptoms and three sought behavior-health treatment. CBS News reporter Weijia Jang asked Trump Wednesday about the injuries during a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Initially, you said repeatedly to Americans that after Iran retaliated for the Soleimani strike no Americans were injured, Jang said. We now know at least 11 U.S. servicemen were airlifted from Iraq. Can you explain the discrepancy? No, I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, Trump responded. But I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a concussion as a traumatic brain injury that can occur from a blow to the head. Concussions are not usually considered life-threatening, but their effects can be serious. Asked Wednesday if he considers potential traumatic brain injuries to be serious, Trump suggested he did not and urged Jang to follow up with the Defense Department because he was only told about the injuries numerous days later. I dont consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that Ive seen, the president said. Ive seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops. Ive seen people with no legs and no arms. ... I can consider them to be really bad injuries. No, I do not consider that to... Continue reading on HuffPost Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabis business and lifestyle destination, will once again host its renowned Chinese New Year celebrations, welcoming the Abu Dhabi community for the seventh consecutive year. Visitors of all ages will enjoy an array of events on Al Maryah Islands waterfront promenade from January 23 to 24, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display. Complementing the waterfront celebrations, The Galleria Al Maryah Island will be offering exciting retail and dining deals from January 23 to February 1. Ali Eid Al Mheiri, executive director, Real Estate & Infrastructure, Mubadala, commented: In celebration of Chinese New Year, we are bringing back an exciting experience for all of our guests on Al Maryah Island. As a world-class business and lifestyle destination, we are committed to not only delivering engaging community events, but also promoting Abu Dhabi as a global tourism hub. We wish all our Chinese guests and tourists a happy Chinese New Year, and look forward to celebrating with them. Al Maryah Island has quickly become the hub for cultural activities and unique events, bringing thousands of visitors and residents from the Abu Dhabi community together. Chinese New Year is the first public event of 2020 on Al Maryah Island and with this spectacular celebration, we are excited to deliver new experiences and showcase the diversity of other cultures and a rich heritage right here in the heart of the capital. Since 2014, Al Maryah Island has been home to the most extravagant and influential Chinese New Year celebrations in the UAE, and for the Year of the Rat, the waterfront promenade will introduce visitors to an authentic Chinatown experience, with festive decorations and illuminated with traditional Chinese lanterns. Throughout the two days, a packed schedule of live shows including the highly-popular Height Stunt Lion Dance, Monkey King Martial Arts, Chinese Acrobats, and Chinese Drummers will entertain visitors. Moreover, the event will feature Chinese mask changers, and traditional Chinese mascots. Lining the promenade will be a wide array of outlets offering visitors a chance to indulge in Chinese food, as well as Asian-fusion dishes, including Beijing Duck Wraps, Xinjiang Meat Skewers, Chongqing Noodles, Sichuan Spicy Wantons and Hong Kong Dim Sum among others. For the youngest visitors, Chinese New Year on Al Maryah Island will showcase authentic Chinese keepsakes and workshops such as New Year-themed fans, lanterns, face painting, chinese calligraphy, chinese hats, New Year puppets, slime making and so much more. Al Maryah Islands Chinese New Year celebrations will conclude in a spectacularly choreographed fireworks display on January 24 at 9:00 pm. - TradeArabia News Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Auto Show's MobilityTalks International Conference will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, gathering automotive industry executives, policymakers from across the world, and technology leaders for a one-of-a-kind event filled with interesting and newsworthy topics around auto safety, technology, and innovation. The programming begins at 8:30 a.m. with a joint announcement from Audi, Qualcomm, and the Virginia Department of Transportation regarding a major traffic safety initiative, and continues with presentations by government representatives from more than half a dozen major nations, including the United States, the Republic of Korea, Germany, France, the European Union, Japan, and more. The day's program continues with panels covering a range of automotive policy matters, including smart cities, clean energy, interconnected vehicles and digital spectrum growth, and much more. Among the more than three dozen speakers and panelists appearing at MobilityTalks are: William Peduto , Mayor of Pittsburgh , Mayor of Jeff Marootian , Director of the D.C. Department of Transportation , Director of the D.C. Department of Transportation Mark Rosekind , Former National Highway Transportation Safety Administrator , Former National Highway Transportation Safety Administrator Jennifer Stockburger , Director of Operations, Auto Test Center, Consumer Reports , Director of Operations, Auto Test Center, Consumer Reports Hilary M. Cain , Director, Technology & Innovation Policy, Toyota On Thurdsay, Jan. 23, MobilityTalks gives way to The Washington Auto Show's Industry Media Day, which will feature keynote addresses and presentations from policymakers and regulators, including FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly and Department of Energy Under Secretary Mark Menezes. There will also be media availabilities from Ford, Maserati, Toyota, and Honda/Acura, plus the presentations of the 2020 Luxury Green Car Awards and the U.S. News 2020 Best Cars for the Awards. A full Media Day schedule can be viewed on the Auto Show's media information page. The 2020 Washington Auto Show opens to the public at 12 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, and will be open daily through February 2 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. More than 30 domestic and import auto manufacturers will be displaying more than 600 new vehicles at the show. For more information, visit www.washingtonautoshow.com. SOURCE Washington Auto Show Related Links https://www.washingtonautoshow.com President Donald Trump cant keep his hands off Kashmir, apparently. Now, as he said in Davos, with Prime Minister Imran Khan by his side, he wants to help resolve the Kashmir issue. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping, he said, referring to the Kashmir issue, which he had said he would be discussing with Khan. And they must have, but the readout issued by the White House about their meeting did not mention it. Trump has used variations of the offer before using words like mediate, mediation, arbitration or just, intervene. It has been seven times so far, at least, in some form or the other. The first offer came on July 22, 2019, during Khans first visit to the White House. If I can help, I would love to be a mediator, Trump had said, in response to a direct appeal from Khan. It shouldnt be -- I mean, its impossible to believe two incredible countries that are very, very smart, with very smart leadership, cant solve a problem like that. But if you want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do that. Trump had prefaced that offer with a stunning claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also asked him, in fact, to arbitrate during their last meeting. Response from New Delhi was swift and unequivocal: Modi never invited Trump to mediate and that India considers Kashmir a bilateral issue to be resolved by India and Pakistan. But no one told Trump about Indias reaction. A week later, on August 1, he repeated it. If they wanted somebody to intervene or to help them, Trump said in response to a question from a reporter at the White House about his July 22 offer, adding, and I spoke to Pakistan about that I spoke frankly with India about it if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene. President Trump could be demonstrably nuanced, such as on this occasion in Biarritz, France on August 26: We spoke last night about Kashmir, he said to reporters. And the Prime Minister (Modi) really feels he has it under control. I know they speak with Pakistan, and Im sure that they will be able to do something that will be very good. We spoke about it last night at great length. And back he went again, on August 29: I think we are helping the situation but there are tremendous problems between those two countries, Trump said to reporters, and I will do the best I can to mediate or do something. And yet again, on September 9: Im willing to help them, Trump told reporters in response to a question. I get along well with both countries very well. Im willing to help if they want. Nope, India doesnt. But there it was again, on September 23: I am ready, willing and able, Trump said to reporters before his meeting with Pakistans Prime minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the UN general assembly debates in New York. Its a complex issue and its been going on for a long time. But if they are both willing then Im ready to do it. And the offer stands, he said on September 25, also in New York. I offered, whether its arbitration or mediation, or whatever it has to be, Ill do whatever I can, he said at a news conference at the end of his UNGA visit. Because theyre at very serious odds right now, and hopefully thatll get better. Calling Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Imran Khan as good friends of mine, the US president said, he told them Fellas, work it out. Just work it out. Those are two nuclear countries. Theyve got to work it out. 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. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, beats a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times to bless the coming year in Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 19, 2020. Xi has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people during a three-day inspection tour to Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) KUNMING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people. He wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups a better life and the country greater prosperity in the new year. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a three-day inspection tour of southwest China's Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. During a visit to Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong on Sunday afternoon, Xi learned about poverty alleviation efforts and called for efforts to speed up the development of ethnic minorities and areas with large ethnic minority populations. After joining local villagers in making rice cakes, a traditional local festival food, Xi noted that shaking off poverty is the new starting point, calling for vigorously promoting rural vitalization after China completes the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. According to local custom, Xi beat a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times to bless the coming year. Later that day, Xi went to the old town of Heshun, a gateway on the ancient Southern Silk Road, where he visited a village-level library built over 90 years ago. Visiting the memorial hall of Ai Siqi, a renowned philosopher, Xi said the country needs a large number of talented individuals who can explain the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context well and who can use easy-to-understand language to spread the Party's new theories to more ordinary households. Visiting an ecological wetland of Dianchi Lake in Kunming on Monday, Xi stressed resisting the old way of developing the economy at the cost of the environment. Dianchi Lake, once among the most polluted lakes in China, has seen its ecology greatly improved after years of conservation efforts. Inspecting market supply for Chinese New Year at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center, Xi demanded a sufficient supply of safe and reliable goods during the festival. There, Xi extended Chinese New Year greetings to local residents, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese nationals. Xi then went to the former site of the National Southwest Associated University in Kunming. He stressed the close link between education and the fate and future of the country and noted that the goal of China's education system is to nurture a new generation of capable young people who are well-prepared to join the socialist cause. After hearing the work reports of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and the provincial government on Tuesday morning, Xi encouraged Yunnan to break new ground in promoting ethnic unity and progress, pushing forward ecological conservation, and pursuing greater cooperation with South Asia and Southeast Asia. Xi urged efforts to promote high-quality development, accelerate building a modernized economy, consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation, boost the healthy and sustainable development of tourism, while continuing to fight air, water and soil pollution. He also required further opening-up to neighboring countries, speeding up the building of connectivity networks and strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Xi demanded efforts to strengthen governance capacity in border areas and areas with large ethnic minority populations, implement the plans to boost the development of ethnic minority areas and ethnic groups with small populations, step up the fight against cross-border crime, gangs and their "protective umbrellas," and maintain the stability of border areas. On the anti-poverty fight, Xi ordered focusing on areas with extreme poverty, preventing people from falling back into poverty due to illness, injury or the lack of follow-up policies, and further aligning developmental poverty relief with protective poverty relief. On Party building, Xi said the "staying true to the Party's founding mission" campaign should be regarded as a lifelong task for strengthening Party building among all Party members and a source of inspiration in the new era. Vaping is harmful to the developing brains of teenagers and can damage a growing foetus, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In its strongest warning yet about e-cigarettes, the international body claimed the devices also increase the risk of heart disease and lung disorders. It warned there was 'little evidence' they help smokers quit and said they may actually get non-smokers hooked on nicotine. The WHO issued the bleak assertions during a Q&A on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. It signed off by refusing to say whether vaping was less harmful than cigarettes. E-cigarettes are harmful to health and are not safe. E-cigarettes increase the risk of heart disease and lung disorders,' the WHO said in the first of a series of tweets. They pose significant risks as they can damage the growing foetus. They also expose non-smokers to nicotine and other harmful chemicals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued its strongest warning to date about e-cigarettes, claiming they are not safe. In a series of strongly worded tweets, it claimed vaping is harmful to the developing brains of teenagers and can damage a growing foetus The international body said the devices also increase the risk of heart disease and lung disorders It signed off by refusing to say whether vaping was less harmful than cigarettes during the Q&A They are particularly risky when used by adolescents. Nicotine is highly addictive & young peoples brains develop up to their mid-twenties. Exposure to nicotine can have long-lasting, damaging effects.' When asked if vape devices were less dangerous than regular cigarettes, the WHO refused to give a definitive answer. It added: 'This depends on a range of factors, including the amount of nicotine and other toxicants in the heated liquids, but we know that e-cigarettes pose clear health risks and are by no means safe.' The WHO's stance on e-cigarettes is in stark contrast to that of Public Health England. PHE recommends smokers make the switch and claims it is 95 per cent safer than smoking tobacco. The government body's recommendation is based on the findings of a 2014 study, which some experts have since called into question after it was revealed to be funded by the tobacco industry. Earlier this month scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University said e-cigarettes have changed significantly since that study. The researchers claimed the devices are now up to 20 times more powerful than they were, meaning they produce more chemicals in a puff. Latest Department of Health figures show that one in 16 adults in Britain now vape, and nearly one in five current smokers use the devices alongside normal cigarettes. Public Health England maintains that vaping is 'at least 95 per cent less harmful' than smoking tobacco. This image was used in a post on its Public Health Matters blog in October 2019 Public Health England, a department of the UK Government, has been claiming for almost five years that e-cigarettes are 95 per cent healthier than smoking. Scientists in the US now say the claim is outdated and no longer relevant because the devices have changed so much A handful of recent studies have found the chances of strokes and heart issues surge when users puff e-cigarettes and normal ones. Commenting on WHOs tweets, Professor John Newton, director for health improvement at PHE, said they were continuing to review evidence of e-cigarettes. He told The Telegraph: However smoking kills half of life long smokers and accounts for almost 220 deaths in England every day. PHE has always been clear that while not completely risk free, UK regulated e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoked tobacco. If you dont smoke dont vape. But if you smoke there is no situation where it would be better for your health to continue smoking rather than switching completely to vaping. The WHO also claimed the liquid in e-cigarettes can cause burns and rapidly lead to nicotine poisoning if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. In a tweet, it said: 'There is a risk of the devices leaking, or of children swallowing the liquid. The liquid is also highly flammable.' It also refused to say whether vaping was less harmful than cigarettes. The WHO called for governments to consider taxing vape products the same way they do with traditional tobacco products. LAS VEGAS -- At SHOT Show 2020, Magpul Industries introduced its new backpacker stock for the Ruger Pistol-Caliber Carbine to offer hikers an extremely stowable survival rifle for the trail. Ruger designed its PC Carbine -- which comes in 9mm and .40-caliber -- with a quick disconnect for the barrel assembly. Magpul's new Nylon-polymer PC Backpacker Stock allows the barrel assembly to stow securely in a cutout on the bottom of the buttstock, while including several other handy features. "We had to do it," said Clint Lynch, product design manager for Magpul, explaining that the company already makes the X-22 Backpacker stock for the takedown version of Ruger's .22-caliber 10/22 rifle. Related: SHOT Show 2020 Coverage "That was the original backpacker. This is a follow-on for the gun Ruger introduced in [2017]. This needs to exist," he said. The stock breaks down by pulling the bolt slightly to the rear and pressing a thumb lever to release the barrel assembly. The barrel and forend snap securely into a space at the bottom of the buttstock to create a roughly 18-inch package that can slide into a backpack for use as a survival rifle or for self-defense against small predators or threats on the trail. The new Magpul Industries Nylon-polymer PC Backpacker Stock for Ruger PC Carbine presented at SHOT Show, January 22, 2020. (Matthew Cox/Military.com) Pressing two small buttons releases the barrel assembly when it's time to put it back together. The cheek rest flips up to reveal a compartment for a spare magazine. "It's sized perfectly to fit our 21-round magazine," Lynch said. Ruger designed its carbine to take all Glock-pattern magazines. "One of the things I am really excited about is the addition of the M-LOK slots [on the forend], so you can add a laser or a light or a different sling attachment," Lynch said. The backpacker stock features an ambidextrous magazine release, so it can be swapped from left to right. There is a small, water-tight compartment in the grip to store a cleaning kit or survival items. The Magpul PC Backpacker Stock will retail for about $150, and it is scheduled to be available in the fall. Black will be the first color and then olive drab, flat dark earth and gray, Lynch said. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Read more: A Truly Shootable Tactical Pistol: Shadow Systems Shows Off Its New Take Veriheal, another company that certifies medical patients, also saw a bump in business at its three Illinois locations. But its not just people who want their cards, said Sam Adetunji, managing partner at the Washington, D.C.-based company. Many just want to know more about how weed might affect them. Doctoral candidate Danielle Salcido of the University of Nevada, Reno's College of Science works with Earthwatch volunteers in Costa Rica, including this team of high school students from Beacon Academy in Chicago, to collect caterpillar, parasite and plant data for research. Credit: University of Nevada, Reno Using a 22-year dataset of plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions collected within a patch of protected Costa Rican lowland Caribbean forest, scientists report declines in caterpillar and parasitoid diversity and density that are paralleled by losses in an important ecosystem service: biocontrol of herbivores by parasitoids. The study by University of Nevada, Reno researchers, published in Scientific Reports this week, reveals distressing declines among common caterpillar genera and the ecosystem services provided by their natural enemies. "Declines in herbivore and enemy diversity, as well as parasitism frequency, are partly explained by changes in climate, including increases in extreme precipitation events and increases in mean temperatures," lead author of the study Danielle Salcido said. In 2017, the observation by Professor Lee Dyer, of the University's College of Science, that La Selva Biological Research Station, Costa Rica experienced more frequent flooding events, became the catalyst for a study led by graduate student Salcido to examine patterns in extreme precipitation events and their potential ecological impact for plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions in this lowland tropical forest. "La Selva is an isolated patch of forest surrounded by agriculture that is responsible for global exports of banana, pineapple and palm," Salcido said. "Habitat patches like La Selva are source populations of parasitoids that control pest populations in surrounding agriculture plantations. Reductions in parasitism by specialized parasitoids threaten this service and ultimately ecosystem health within the forest." Along with the help of coauthor and University of Nevada, Reno professor, biologist and butterfly expert Matthew Forister, these researchers found staggering declines in caterpillar and parasitoid diversity and density across the 22 years of the study. More than 40% of the 64 common caterpillar genera collected declined in frequency- a result that suggested the loss of entire groups of caterpillar. Researchers also found an ecological cost associated with the observed losses. Tandem with declines in diversity, was the reduction in parasitism across years- a natural form of biocontrol and important ecosystem service. Observed declines represented a 30% reduction in parasitism over the next 100-years. Increased precipitation variability and shifts in mean maximum and minimum temperatures were the most important climate variables associated with declines in diversity. "We show climate change partially explains the observed declines," Salcido said. "The variable with largest effect in all models was the effect of time, and indicates the role of unmeasured variables such as surrounding land-use change and pesticide use." In the decades prior to the study, much of the forest surrounding La Selva was deforested for pasture which was converted to high-yield, high input plantation farming such that pesticide use increased substantially during the years of the study. Time-lag effects of extreme climate events were a notable contributor to the reduction in parasitism. "We found floods in a given year affected parasitism in the subsequent year," she said. "Caterpillar-parasitoid interactions are intimately linked and depend on narrow windows for synchronous development. Subtle shifts in host and parasitoid population cycles due to variable lag effects can have major consequences for these highly-specialized and synched interactions." Declines in insect biodiversity reported in this study come as little surprise amidst a recognized global biodiversity crisis. This study maintains a level of urgency to the matter of insect declines and more importantly, has revealed the vulnerability of the most speciose regions and taxa even within protected habitats, and the role of extreme climate events on ecosystem function. "This dataset represents one of few of its kind and is notable for the contribution by Earthwatch community scientists," Salcido said. "Ideally results like ours provide an impetus for policy change that promotes research, conservation and management. In the least, we hope it motivates continued research related to the ecological effects of global change drivers in the tropics." The data used for this study is primarily collected by continuous teams of community scientists the scientists bring to the site each year, which highlights the importance of harnessing public participation for the success and longevity of long-term and continuous tropical collection and monitoring. The Paper in the Nature research journal Scientific Reports, "Loss of dominant caterpillar genera in a protected tropical forest," was authored by Salcido, Forister, Humberto Garcia-Lopez and Dyer. Forister and Dyer recently coauthored, with 70 other scientists from around the world, a second paper in the Nature publication Nature Ecology and Evolution titled "International scientists formulate a roadmap for insect conservation and recovery" that is testament to the call-to-action prompted from increased public awareness on insect declines. Their road map to insect conservation and recovery was published this week. Explore further New information on tropical parasitoid insects revealed A mother has been accused of strangling her nine-year-old daughter to death then jumping out of an eighth-floor window after having a mental breakdown in Russia. Maria Russkikh , 29, survived the fall and was rushed to hospital in the city of Novosibirsk, southwestern Siberia. According to local reports police suspect the mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer, bludgeoned and strangled her daughter to death before jumping out of the window in a suspected suicide bid. She was found lying on the snow and moaning in pain by residents of her apartment block who called emergency services. A male resident said to local media: The woman was almost naked. Her legs and hands were covered with blood though there were no wounds on her body. I asked her what happened but she did not reply. She was only saying, Help me, I cannot feel my legs and arms. Paramedics loaded the woman in the ambulance as police officers entered her apartment and discovered her daughter, nine, lying dead in a pool of blood near the front door. Forensic examination found the child had been hit on the head with a heavy object before being strangled to death. The blood found on Russkikhs body belonged to her daughter, investigators said. The mother, who reportedly has terminal cancer, left a death note in the apartment. According to a source, the note said: I cannot live with these unbearable headaches anymore. Forgive me. At the end of her letter Russkikh wrote that she loves her daughter very much, the source reported. The mother is now at a hospital where she is being treated for numerous fractures she had received due to the fall. Doctors say her condition is serious but stable. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates PDC*line Pharma, a Liege, Belgium and Grenoble, France-based clinical stage biotech company developing a new class of potent and scalable active immunotherapies for cancers, completed its 20m Series B round of financing. This included 13.9M ($15.5M) from new backers Korean Investment Partners, Shinhan-Cognitive Start-up Fund and UTC 2019 BIOVENTUREFUND, SRIW (The Regional Investment Company of Wallonia) and Sambrinvest (the investment fund of Charleroi), and 6.1M ($6.8M) in loans and subsidies from the Walloon Region of Belgium. The new investors joined historical backers SFPI-FPIM, the Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company, Noshaq Group (ex-Meusinvest), the Financiere Spin-off Luxembourgeoise/INVESTSUD Group and a group of international business angels and entrepreneurs. The company intends to use the funds to advance its development efforts. Founded in 2014 as a spin-off of the French Blood Bank (EFS) and led by Eric Halioua, president & CEO, PDC*line Pharma is a clinical-stage biotech company that develops an innovative class of active immunotherapies for cancers, based on a GMP-grade allogeneic therapeutic cell line of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC*line). Following a first-in-human phase I feasibility study in melanoma, the company focuses on the development of PDC*lung01, a candidate for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) currently in phase I/II, and PDC*neo with neoantigens in preclinical development. The company, which has a staff of 22, granted an exclusive license to the LG Chem Life Sciences company in South Korea and an exclusive option in other Asian countries, for the development and commercialization of the PDC*lung01 cancer vaccine for lung cancer. The total deal is worth 108M ($120M), plus tiered royalties on net sales in Asia. FinSMEs 22/01/2020 It comes after Trump took aim at "perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse" and challenged world leaders to be more optimistic about the economy and climate change in a highly anticipated address to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland . "[Mr Trump] is leading the most influential nation in the world and he is actively working against global action to reduce emissions," said Mr Turnbull on the BBC overnight. "This is not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism," Trump told the crowd of elite political leaders, business figures, and climate campaigners, including Greta Thunberg. "Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action. "But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse. They are the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune tellers. I have them, you have them, we all have them and they want to see us do badly but we don't let that happen. "These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country or eradicate our liberty." "In America, we understand what the pessimists refuse to see: that a growing and vibrant market economy focused on the future lifts the human spirit and excites creativity strong enough to overcome any challenge." BJP leader Sambit Patra on Wednesday said the opposition parties and Congress, in particular, have made it a practice to abuse Hindus in the name of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "We are observing how the environment is being vitiated by the opposition parties in the name of protests against CAA and NPR. To protest is a democratic right but taking the cover of protests, Congress and other opposition parties are abusing Hindus," Patra told reporters here at a press conference in the BJP office. The BJP leader cited some statements made by various opposition leaders to back his claim. "Two days back former Maharashtra CM and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that a coalition government was formed in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena as Muslims had said that BJP is their biggest enemy. This means that Congress party forms the government only by asking Muslims but not consulting Hindus," he said. "NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said a few days back in a public meeting that Muslims can say where their ancestors' graves are but Hindus cannot say where their ancestors' last rites took place. AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said a few days back that Muslims have ruled the country for 800 years and constructed many monuments and questioned what is it that the Hindus have done," he added. Patra further said: "I will say what the Hindus have done. The Hindus have made this country tolerant and a great civilisation." He took a jibe at Congress and said that Congress is not Indian Congress but MLC which is Muslim League Congress because of their long history of appeasement from independence till today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pursuing the Opportunity to Increase Indonesian Furniture Competitiveness and Export Value JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the organization that houses Indonesian furniture industry players, Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association or HIMKI regularly conducts events to promote the industry's growth to the local and international public. One of HIMKI's annual event is the Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX) that has been successful in introducing and promoting Indonesian quality furniture to the global audience. In 12-15 March 2020 at Jakarta International Expo, HIMKI and Dyandra Promosindo will be hosting the largest business-to-business (B2B) furniture exhibition in Indonesia and the region. The furniture industry is still regarded as one of the main backbones for the economic growth of Indonesia. The industry absorbs a huge amount of human resources and the number is increasing from time to time. The data from the Ministry of Industry of Indonesia shows an increase in furniture export value. Last year, Indonesian furniture export valued was recorded at US$1.69 billion. On average, the industry is experiencing a growth of 4 percent per annum. The Indonesian furniture industry is projected to remain growing considering the country has several advantages such as the high number of human resources and abundant raw material supply. To date, Indonesian forest land reaches around 120 million hectares, of which 12 million hectares are categorized as production forests. Indonesia is also famous as the world's largest rattan producer with 312 types of rattan that the industry can utilize. "Indonesia's furniture industry needs continuous innovations in terms of the design, the technology, the marketing strategy, and the after-sales service to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction," said Soenoto, Chairman of HIMKI. Indonesian furniture export is still lagging behind Vietnam, which currently sits on 7th place. Globally, the furniture export market is dominated by China followed by Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United States. The Opportunity to Increase Export IFEX has managed to attract thousands of buyers and visitors and offers a golden opportunity to local industry players to exhibit their best products to these international audiences. Last year, IFEX managed to draw 12 thousand visitors and recorded an on-the-spot transaction of US$370 million. One of IFEX 2020 target is to take advantage of the US market that is left by China due to the trade war between the two countries. In addition to Europe, the US is one of the major export destinations for Indonesian furniture products. HIMKI encourages the country's industry players to find the right strategy to win the US market that was previously dominated by China products. Contact: Maulana Jaelani Dyandra Promosindo +62-85840030371 press@ifexindonesia.com Related Links www.dyandra.com SOURCE PT. Dyandra Promosindo The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. (Sharecast News) - Morgan Stanley upped its rating on shares of credit-checking firm Experian to 'overweight' from 'equalweight' on Wednesday as it pointed to a change in regulation in Brazil that should benefit the group. The bank, which upped its target price on the shares to 2,950p from 2,360p, said the change in regulation from 'opt in' to 'opt out' in Brazil will accelerate the collection of positive credit. In turn, this should lead to higher consumer credit penetration and a richer credit data set for bureaus. "We estimate higher credit penetration will add 2% organic growth for Experian in Brazi and a richer data set should drive development of Experian's Decisioning and Consumer business, adding a further 4% to its Brazilian organic growth," MS said. The bank said the full benefits will take time to come though as bureaus build credit history, but the cyclical recovery in Brazil should drive strong organic growth in the near term, meaning Brazil can show higher growth for longer. MS said it sees $1.2bn incremental revenue in Brazil from the changes. At 1515 GMT, Experian shares were up 1.2% at 2,640p. An incredible video showing a 'firefall' in California has been compared to horrific bushfires ravaging Australia. The stunning phenomenon appeared at Yosemite National Park, showing an ordinary waterfall illuminated by the sunset, giving it a fiery glow. While many found the 'firefall' mesmerizing, Australians quickly pointed out the stark similarities it had to scenes of destruction caused by bushfires. Scroll down for video Incredible video showing a 'firefall' in California has been compared to horrific bushfires ravaging Australia While many found the 'firefall' mesmerizing, Australians quickly pointed out the stark similarities it had to scenes of destruction caused by bushfires (pictured in the Blue Mountains) A video posted to Twitter shows the insane optical illusion and clarifies that it is 'an ordinary waterfall' illuminated by the sunset, giving it the fiery glow. It occurs every year in the Californian mountains as the light hitting the water makes it look like falling flames and smoke. Some Aussies had even accidentally mistaken the waterfall for fires that have ravaged the New South Wales landscape since November. 'We have those in Australia, although as you'd expect they go up, not down,' an Australian Twitter user replied. Another woman replied saying they thought it was a video of the Blue Mountain ranges on fire. AUSTRALIA'S FIRES BY THE NUMBERS: - 10 million: The number of hectares of land that have burned across Australia this summer - 1 billion: Animals are estimated to have been killed in the devastation - 250: The estimated number of threatened species to have been eradicated because of fire - 29: Lives have been lost across the nation - $2 billion: The amount donated by the federal government to help recovery - $250 million: Has been donated to a wide variety of charities by the public Advertisement 'Awesome to read that it is not,' she wrote. 'Oh thank goodness for that explanation, I was worried yet another beautiful part of the world was on fire,' another tweeted. Australians compared the phenomenon to the devastating megafire that tore through the Blue Mountains before Christmas. The megafire was filmed climbing up a 200m cliff in the Grose Valley. The clip, taken just before a southerly wind hit, creates the illusion of a 'lava waterfall' as vegetation on the cliff catches alight. For just a few days every February, the setting sun illuminates Horsetail Fall, making it glow like a cascade of fire. Tourists flock to Yosemite National Park every year to see the phenomenon, which happens when the sun remains low in the sky. The devastating impact of Australia's horror fire season has been felt across five states since October. A video posted to Twitter shows the insane optical illusion and clarifies that it is 'an ordinary waterfall' illuminated by the sunset, giving it the fiery glow Horrific footage from the Blue Mountains shows a wall of fire down a mountain face One of the hardest hit areas is along the Victorian and New South Wales border, where a pair of enormous fires combined to create a 'mega blaze' stretching for 600,000 hectares. At Mallacoota, a small coastal town in the north-east corner of Victoria, about 4,000 tourists and residents found themselves stranded on the beach and had to be evacuated by the Australian Navy as fires closed in. The fires in the East Gippsland claimed the lives of four people, while another man was killed driving along a smoke-affected Hume Highway in the state's north. But the impact of the fires hasn't only been felt in rural areas, with smoke travelling to Sydney and Melboure hundreds of kilometres away. Bushfires claimed 21 lives in NSW this summer, while almost 400 homes were lost in the state's south-east alone. tech2 News Staff After announcing the Radeon RX 5600 XT GPU at its CES 2020 conference, AMD has now released the card worldwide. The card is being targeted for gamers who want an Ultimate 1080p Gaming experience. Priced at $279 in the US, the card has a price of Rs 19,990 excluding taxes in India. The RX 5600 XT will fill the gap between the RX 5500 and 5700 series. Meant to go up against the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 graphics cards, the RX 5600 XT has up to 6 GB of GDDR6 memory. It features 36 compute units (CUs) and 2,304 stream processors. Running on clock speeds between 1,375 MHz and 1,560 MHz. In AMDs words, the RX 5600 series is meant for Ultimate 1080p Gaming" which essentially means frame rates between 60-120 fps at 1080p resolution. The company is claiming about 55 percent more performance compared to the Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB card, suggesting the RX 5600 XT as an upgrade from Nvidia. AMD has said that there wont be any reference cards for the GPU. Board partners including ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, SAPPHIRE and XFX will be releasing their own models of the RX 5600 XT. Apart from the RX 5600 XT, AMD also released the RX 5600 for pre-configured gaming desktop PCs and the RX 5600M for gaming laptops. The latter will be coming first to the Dell Gaming G5 Special Edition laptop that was also revealed at this years CES. The laptop is powered by AMDs latest Ryzen 4000 series CPU. Mary-Louise Parker posed with her 16-year-old son on Tuesday evening. The Weeds actress had William Atticus Parker with her boyfriend at the time Billy Crudup, but he famously left her when she was seven months pregnant to be with Claire Danes back in 2003. Mary and William looked close as they posed on the carpet for the Broadway Opening Night performance for The Roundabout Theatre Company's A Soldier's Play at the American Airlines Theatre in New York City. Her boy: Mary-Louise Parker posed with her teen son on Tuesday evening. The Weeds actress had William Atticus Parker with her boyfriend at the time Billy Crudup Scandal: Crudup famously left his seven months pregnant wife Mary-Louise Parker for Claire Danes back in 2003 Parker also has daughter Caroline Aberash Parker. In 2015, Danes spoke about her previous relationship with Crudup and the circumstances surrounding it during a chat with shock jock Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show. In 2003 when the actress was 24 years old, she fell for the actor, who left his pregnant girlfriend of eight years Parker to be with her. Looking back on her actions, Claire boiled it down to love and naivete on her part. Family time: Mary and William looked close as they posed on the carpet for the Broadway Opening Night performance for The Roundabout Theatre Company's A Soldier's Play"at the American Airlines Theatre in New York City The other woman: In 2003, a 24 years old Claire Danes fell for the actor, who left his pregnant girlfriend of eight years Mary-Louise Parker to be with her. The couple seen in 2005 'I was just in love with him and needed to explore that and I was 24... I didnt quite know what those consequences would be,' she admitted. 'But its okay, I went through it,' Claire said, adding that she's still on good terms with the Eat Pray Love star. 'Were friendly,' she said of Crudup. The Homeland star went on to wed English actor Hugh Dancy in 2009 and the couple share two sons. Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Choreographer Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it as "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Jan 22 : Rahul Shetty, who has choreographed several songs in "Street Dancer 3D", considers it a "once in a lifetime" experience" to work with renowned actors like Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor in the film. Sharing his experience choreographing the songs of the film, Rahul said: "It was definitely challenging to choreograph the whole cast. There were greatest dancers of our country along with Varun, Shraddha, Nora and the legend Prabhudeva. It's dance film and 'ABCD2' was already a great hit. So it was responsibility on my shoulders to make tem stand out than the earlier parts." Directed by Remo D'souza, "Street Dancer 3D" features recreated versions of hit songs "Illegal weapon", "Lagdi lahore di" and "Mukkala muqabla". On talking about the uniqueness of each song, Rahul added: "There are 12 songs and many different dancing pieces . each song has different elements like 'Garmi' is an out and out peppy song with powerful moves, 'Muqabla' is totally Prabhudeva's song. 'Illegal weapon' is a face off between Varun and Shraddha on the streets of Dubai in hot weather, 'Lahore' we shot at the air runway and on roof with great height with minus temperature." "Each song has its own set of challenges and we tried to come up with the best. My experience in choreographing all 10 to 12 songs along with Kriti Mahesh was till now the best experience in my choreographing career. It's once in a lifetime experience for a choreographer to do 10 to 12 songs in a film. The film is set to release on January 24. A family of three was arrested Wednesday for allegedly running an illegal gambling operation in San Antonio. In October 2019, police were called to a trailer in an unidentified area of town for a family violence incident involving a gun. When police arrived, they discovered the call had been a ruse and instead found a makeshift casino with several 8 liner machines inside the trailer, an arrest affidavit said. Inside, 31-year-old Andres Barbosa IV and his 61-year-old parents, Sandra Barbosa and Andres Barbosa III, along with at least three other people, initially claimed they were gambling, and had won and been paid cash from the 8 liners. It was later discovered that the Barbosa family had been running the illegal gambling operation. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Police found nearly 30 gambling machines as well as an ATM, though employees told police the ATM company didn't know the machine was at the location. Several documents and a cell phone were also recovered that made reference to the illegal operation. During the initial raid, Andres Barbosa IV told police he needed to get a backpack inside the trailer that contained items for his job at Amazon a payroll check, his car keys and a work deposit. Police searched the backpack, which actually contained a 9mm handgun, 8 liner machine keys, two gun magazines, 13 rounds for the 9mm, five 12-gauge shotgun shells, a flashdrive and gun licenses. One of the women working at the gambling location told police that Sandra Barbosa's sister had operated another illegal gambling location on Zarzamora Street that was raided and shut down by police earlier that year. That location was allegedly back up and running, the woman said. The Barbosa family was arrested Wednesday on charges of gambling-organized crime, and each are being held on a $2,000 bond. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway Learn what you can do when your child is "emotionally dysregulated" at Rochester Center for Childrens Parent Group. Held monthly, this months meeting features guest speaker James Rechs from the Autism Society of Minnesota and is geared toward parents of children with autism or developmental disabilities. "James provides individual therapy for adults and teens as well as psycho-education and support for parents, families and caregivers. He emphasizes that social and emotional struggles are not a sign of abnormality, but rather a reflection of the diversity and challenges of human experience," said Lindsey Hanson, lead behavior therapist and parent group co-organizer. "Your child may have social/emotional struggles, but so does everyone. How you approach it might just need to be a little different than with a neurotypical child." Held at the RCC office and facilitated by RCC staff, in addition to a guest speaker, each monthly meeting also includes a parent-led discussion. "We always start with a speaker maybe someone talking about adaptive recreation or someone from the legal field, or in this months case, emotional dysregulation. We often bring speakers back from one year to the next, but if we do, we encourage them to highlight whats new changes to insurance, new laws, new programming that is available," Hanson said. "Then theres always time at the end of each meeting for parents to talk, to share their experiences in a safe and open group format. Its the opportunity to sit with parents who have similar concerns, similar challenges. For parents to offer their perspective and ask questions." Rochester Center for Children, formerly Rochester Center for Autism, is an integrated multidisciplinary program serving children with autism and developmental disabilities. Although many parents who attend RCCs monthly group meetings have children who attend RCC, many do not. ADVERTISEMENT "The parent group is open to everyone," Hanson said. "We have some families who are current clients, some who are past clients, and some who have no affiliation with RCC. We draw group members from all over, including Steele and Dodge counties. We offer support group meetings September through May and always post online each months speaker topic. Attend as many or as few meetings as you like. Pick and choose the topics that are relatable to your family, your situation." What:Rochester Center for Childrens Parent Group Where:RCC, 3640 9th St. NW When:Jan. 29, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Phone:507-424-3234 On the web: rcautism.com Email: lindseyhanson@rcenterforchildren.com or stephaniejohnosn@rcenterforchildren.com ADVERTISEMENT More to know RCC offers a Sibling Group the same day and time as the Parent Group. Open to children ages 5 and older, the group is facilitated by RCC staff and includes activities and opportunities to share and learn. Join RCCs email list to receive a list of upcoming group meeting dates and topics. Child care is offered at group meetings, as is dinner (starting at 5:30 p.m., provided by Sams Club). Registration required. Call or email to find out more. Thulani Nkambule (30), who was based in the Matsapha branch of FNB, surrendered to the police yesterday at around noon, accompanied by his attorney. (Courtesy Pic) MANZINI - After being on the run for slightly over a year, the First National Bank (FNB) employee who allegedly stole E2.8 million belonging to the institution has surrendered himself. The suspect, Thulani Nkambule (30), who was based at the Matsapha branch of the bank, surrendered himself to the police yesterday at around noon, accompanied by his attorney, whose law firm is based in Mbabane. The two are said to have arrived at the Police Regional Headquarters in a BMW sedan and went into the Fraud Department. Information gathered is that the suspect, who allegedly committed the fraud offence in December 2018, returned to the country recently after spending time in Mozambique, Matola. Well-placed sources revealed that he allegedly informed officers that he had decided to surrender himself to the police after a hard life in that country, where he ended up cashless. Poverty He stayed in expensive hotels and restaurants, where he was with friends when he first arrived in Mozambique. As time went on, he became broke as most of the money he had allegedly stolen had been frozen by FNB. He got broke and basically survived months of poverty until he made a decision to return to the country, where his family is and handed himself over to the police, the source alleged. It was further gathered that the suspect was once arrested while in Mozambique and detained after he was nabbed while driving a vehicle without valid documentation. His attorney, who refused to have his name published, said Nkambule contacted him on his cellphone last week Friday where he revealed his side of the story and requested that he handed him over to the police. Unfortunately, I was not available on the day, however, his intention was to go and hand himself over to the police on the same day. We made a decision to do it today (yesterday) and after hours of questioning and statements, he was booked and confined to holding cells, the lawyer said. Finished Allegations are that Nkambule informed a team of police officers who were questioning him yesterday that he did not have a lot of money while in Mozambique, but about E400 000, which immediately got finished as he lived a flashy life. Meanwhile, Nkambules friend, Thembela Mamba (26) of Kwaluseni, who is also alleged to have taken part in the commission of the same offence, surrendered on January 09, 2019 at the Regional Headquarters, Fraud Department. During a four-hour confession before then Senior Magistrate Phathaphatha Mdluli, Mamba said he returned to Eswatini after he had discovered that life in Mozambique was not at all rosy. The accused told the court that he only received a portion of the E2.8 million allegedly stolen by Nkambule, which was E1 173 000. The accused is said to have given details on the matter, beginning from when the suspect (Nkambule) allegedly started contacting him to reveal that he was going to commit the theft offence at the bank. He called me before committing the offence and said ufikelwa busathane, and when I asked him what he wanted to do, he told me and requested that I furnish him with my banking details. On the following day, he called me once again and told me he would deposit some money into my account in smaller amounts of about E70 000 and slightly above. The amount totalled E1 173 000 and from there, we were ready to move to another destination. Since my bank limit was about E2 000, it was increased by my friend and the money was withdrawn, in different amounts, Mamba alleged last year. He mentioned that after they had spoken about the next destination, which was Mozambique, they packed their bags, resided in a guest house, spent part of it on new clothing, smartphones and further bought a new vehicle, an Altezza sedan, which they used to cross through the Mhlumeni Border to Maputo, Mozambique. Mamba also alleged that upon arrival in Mozambique, they allegedly booked themselves into guest houses and spent the money they had. Blocked However, after some days when we needed to withdraw more, we discovered that all our bank cards had been blocked and the accounts were frozen. One of us tried contacting his father, who was in South Africa and who had received part of the money, who told us that his account had also been frozen and he could not withdraw more money, Mamba also alleged. He told the court that he made a decision to return to the country after Nkambule had allegedly left them stranded and went to another city in Mozambique. Mamba had alleged that upon arrival at Lomahasha Border, he handed himself over to the police who noticed him through scanning his travel document that he was a wanted suspect. Meanwhile, Nkambule, who was a Supervisor for Consultants at the bank and won an award for Best Performing Employee of the Year in 2018, is expected to make his first court appearance this morning. All in all, three suspects have been arrested and charged with the theft of the money belonging to FNB. After Mamba had surrendered, another accused implicated in the matter, Max Ntokozo Mkhatshwa, was also arrested by the police. He was admitted to E70 000 bail at the High Court together with Mamba. Each of the suspects was ordered to pay E20 000 cash and E50 000 as surety. They are both currently out on bail. Confirmed Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that the key suspect, Nkambule, had been arrested and charged with a theft/fraud offence. The accused was surrendered yesterday and will make an appearance this morning at the magistrates court, Superintendent Vilakati said. How Nkambule is alleged to have stolen the E2.8 Million Information gathered is that the suspect, who is believed to have carefully planned the theft, reported for work on a Friday as normal and was in his office the whole day, going about his daily duties. It was established that he allegedly transferred the money into different accounts, one of them belonging to his distant brother. Nkambule, on the following day, failed to report for work. He is also alleged to have withdrawn about E300 000 on the Saturday in the country before escaping. It was also gathered that another amount was withdrawn from a South African account over the same weekend by an unknown individual, whose account was used by the accused person. Protesters participate in a demonstration against the NRC and the CAA, in Jabalpur on Wednesday. (PTI) New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it would not stay the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) without hearing the Centre and added that a five-judge Constitution bench would decide the validity of the new law. Seeking the Central governments response in four weeks on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue. The matter is uppermost in everybodys mind. We will form a five-judge bench and then list the case, a bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjeev Khanna said, while turning down the plea for interim stay on CAA for a couple of months as the grant of citizenship to religiously persecuted migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh would be irreversible. Wondering how any exercise was irreversible, CJI Bobde said, I dont think anything is irreversible, with attorney general K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Central government, adding, There are provisions in the law itself to revoke the citizenship. The bench said the court would hear some of the petitions in-chambers for deciding the modalities and thereafter a five-judge bench would be constituted after four weeks for day-to-day hearing on a batch of 143 petitions. The court also made it clear the matter relating to Assam and Tripura would be heard separately as the issues relating to CAA in these two states were different from the rest of the country. Senior counsel Vikas Singh, appearing for petitioners challenging the process of grant of citizenship under the CAA to 40 lakhs Bengali Hindus, who had migrated from Bangladesh to Assam, said that the Act will create a peculiar situation. Postpone CAA implementation: Sibal He said that the operation of CAA be stayed as it violated Assam Accord of 1985, which fixes cut-off date for grant of citizenship as March 24, 1971. Assam is facing a peculiar situation due to the migrants coming from Bangladesh as earlier cut off date for grant of citizenship was 1950, then cut of date was extended to March 24, 1971. This extension has been challenged before the apex court and the matter is pending, he said. Another senior counsel, K.V. Vishwanathan said marking people as doubtful citizens was creating a huge problem as there are apprehensions of them being disfranchised. There was insecurity, amongst the minorities and anguish amongst the Hindus, Vishwanathan told the bench. On the larger issue, senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for one the petitioners opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, told the bench that they were not asking for stay of the law under challenge but were only asking for the postponement of its implementation. Sibal was joined by senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi who told the court that if this process has not started for last 70 years it can sure wait for another two months. Referring to Uttar Pradesh, Singhvi said that even without framing of the rules for the implementation of the amended citizenship law, in 19 districts over 40,000 people have been tick-marked for verification and this is creating anxiety amongst the people. Opposing their plea, Venugopal said postponement was as good as staying the law itself. The top court is flooded with the petitions challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act. It has been contended by the petitioners that besides being violative of the secular principles and spirit a component of the basic structure of the Constitution the amended law is in breach of Articles 14, 21 and 25. Starting with Indian Union Muslim League, the law has been challenged by the Kerala government, Communist Party of India, Trinamul Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra, Congress law maker in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh, former high commissioner Deb Mukherjee, All Assam Students Union and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, among others. They have contended that religion based citizenship is a negation of secularism. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the amended citizenship law is a brazen attack on the core fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution and violates the fundamental guarantees under Article 14. JUNEAU, Alaska - A Juneau man suspected of harming kittens has been arrested, Juneau police announced Wednesday. Bradley Bethel, 32, was arrested Tuesday on a $20,000 cruelty to animals felony warrant, police said. Police investigating another case found a video of a man repeatedly suffocating and torturing one more more kittens, Lt. Krag Campbell told the Juneau Empire last week. Police believe the man in the video was Bethel, who has a distinct tattoo of a star near his right eye, Campbell said. A Juneau grand jury on Thursday indicted Bethel. Police late Tuesday morning spotted a man matching Bethels description entering a downtown home. Officer knocked on the door and received no response, police said. After obtaining a search warrant, officers found Bethel inside. Bethel is jailed at Lemon Creek Correctional Center. Online court documents do not list an attorney for Bethel who could comment on the case. LONDON Brexit legislation once reduced Britains Parliament to recriminations and paralysis. But on Wednesday a bill that paves the way for the countrys departure from the European Union next week completed its final parliamentary stage with a noticeable absence of the fuss and drama of recent years. The measure is expected to be enacted into law as soon as Thursday, after the House of Commons on Wednesday followed the governments request and rejected a series of amendments added by the unelected second chamber, the House of Lords. That more or less completed the legislative process in Britain, although the European Parliament will vote on the withdrawal agreement next week before Brexit happens formally on Jan 31. That vote is expected to pass with ease. [Read: Battered at the polls, pro-Europe Britons gird for the next fight.] Among the five amendments rejected was one designed to protect the rights of refugee children to join their families in Britain after Brexit. The World Economic Forum will be hosting its 50th meet at Davos, where over 3000 delegates from all across the world will be participating. WEF will be held between 21-24 January. Considering the importance of the event, Zee Business will give you LIVE updates from Davos. Zee Business has partnered with luxury car-maker Mercedes Benz to bring you updates from the event as and when they happen. Stay tuned to Zee Business channel or follow us on #ZeeBusinessatDavos. Switzerland's Davos is home to the world's biggest economic summit, the World Economic Forum, which sees a congregation of who's who in governments, corporate world and civil society to brainstorm on world affairs. They assemble to find viable solutions to problems and highlight potential ones that can have a wide impact. This edition of the Davos meeting will see the participation of over 3000 delegates. But first, know about the agenda for this year's meet. Davos is the annual meet of the World Economic Forum. Many parts of the world are experiencing winters, as is Davos, but the global dignitaries assembling for the WEF will be sharing a warm space together where they can share their ideas - they will be deliberating on making the world a better place to live in. This WEF meet is special also because this is the 50th annual meet. Some of the top leaders to be present during the meet will be US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Finland's Prime Minister Sana Marin and Iraq's President Burham Saleh along with the state heads of Ireland, Brazil and Singapore. Apart from this, other leaders across the world would also participate in the event. India is planning a big show of strength in the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit to be held in Davos. The world's biggest economic summit will be held between 21-24 January. This will be the 50th summit of the WEF. The sixth-largest economy, India is also the fastest growing economy among large economies. Despite the global slowdown the world is looking at India with a lot of expectations. To bring you each and every major point raised at the meet LIVE will be Zee Business direct from Davos! Zee Business has partnered with luxury car-maker Mercedes Benz to bring you live updates from the event. The 4-day event is happening between 21 January and 24 January. Stay tuned on #ZeeBusinessatDavos for tracking all details. The theme for this year's meet is 'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World' where the discussion on the global economy will take place. The global leadership will also deliberate on how to make the world a better and liveable place. There will be six different topics - economy, technology, society, geopolitics, and industry - where almost 650 speakers will put their thoughts before the delegates and the wider world. According to the World Economic Forum, a 'Davos Manifesto' could be made this year to redraw the economic goals of companies and governments. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo County Republicans are supporting the Republican running to keep Michigans 61st state House district red. Bronwyn Haltom ,28, of Texas Township is campaigning this year for the Republican nomination to state Rep. Brandt Idens seat. Iden is prevented from seeking reelection by term limits. The regions longtime congressman, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, has thrown his support behind the young Republicans state House campaign. Bronwyn is sharp, thoughtful, and hardworking. She will make an exceptional representative, Im proud to support her campaign," Upton said in a statement. The congressman was elected to a 17th term in Congress in 2018, taking about 50% of the vote. Upton has not announced whether he will seek reelection in 2020. Haltom previously worked as an intern in the congressmans Kalamazoo office. Fred has been a work horse in Washington, he gets results, Haltom said. Thats exactly what I want to bring to Lansing. Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema and former state senator and county chairperson Dale Shugars, also Republicans, have also publicly endorsed Haltom. Haltom returned home to Michigan after working during President Donald Trumps transition and then as a political appointee in the White House Office of Political Affairs as regional political director. She acted as a D.C. liaison for political affairs for state-level politicians in eight states, she said. Before moving to the east coast to work within the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Haltom worked with the Republican Party of Kentucky to reelect U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014. Kalamazoo County Commissioner Christine Morse, a Democrat, has also filed to run for the seat. A second Republican candidate Tom Graham has created a campaign finance committee, according to the Michigan Secretary of State Campaign Finance database. Democrats and Republicans seeking their partys nomination to run for state representative in 2020 have until an April 21 filing deadline to file officially as candidates. After party nominees are named after the August primary, the chosen candidates will face off in the November general election. The state representative elected to the District 61 seat in November will represent the city of Portage, Oshtemo, Texas, Prairie Ronde and Schoolcraft Township and the villages of Schoolcraft and Vicksburg in Kalamazoo County. Also on MLive: Kalamazoo teacher challenges U.S. Rep. Fred Upton for congressional seat Former White House aide runs for state House seat in Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo County commissioner announces run for state House Kalamazoo County vice chair drops out of state House race Mumbai, Jan 22 : Actor Naseeruddin Shah called his industry colleague Anupam Kher a "clown" earlier on Wednesday, and now the latter has responded to the jibe saying Shah is a "frustrated" man despite of all the acclaim he has won. In an interview with The Wire earlier in the day, Shah opened up about the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and said his fellow actor Kher, who has been "very vocal" in his support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its policies, is a clown. Responding to his "A Wednesday" co-star, Kher took to his Twitter to share a video message for him, attributing him as "Jenaab Nasseruddin Shah Saab". "I saw the interview you gave about me. Thank you. I would like to inform you that I never take your remarks seriously. Even though I have never bad-mouthed about you. But now I will say -- you have spent your entire life (even after achieving success) in frustration. If you can criticise Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajesh Khanna, Virat Kohli... then I am sure, I am in great company," Anupam said in the video. "These celebrities have never replied to your statements and no one has taken your statement seriously because we all know that this is not you... but the external substance you have consumed since years... and that is why you can't differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. If by saying bad about me gives you the publicity for 2-3 days, then I wish you this happiness. May god bless you. And do you know what is in my blood? Hindustan. Do understand this," he added. In an interview with The Wire, Naseeruddin talked about the protests against the CAA, about many Bollywood stars keeping mum over the issue, and also about the student protests and actress Deepika Padukone's show of solidarity at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), reports hindustantimes.com. Asked if speaking against the ruling party or voicing opinion could harm actors or the film they are associated with, Shah said actors usually think only of themselves. "Otherwise there'd be more parity. But that's a story for another day," he said. On Anupam, Shah said: "Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously. He's a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it." The Democratic majority of the state House and Senate is lining up behind a plan to charge the largest tractor-trailers to use Connecticuts bridges. Its taken a long time years to get to this compromised point. Thats because toll is a four-letter word that most legislators have been reluctant to tout and theres been a vocal and visible grassroots effort to keep tolls from returning to Connecticut. You might remember then-Gov. Dannel Malloys effort to slip into the Bond Commission a $10 million study of tolls before leaving office; it went nowhere. But Gov. Ned Lamont has been trying to make his CT2030 plan to spend $19 billion on transportation infrastructure over the next 10 years, first proposed in November, more palatable to legislators. Most recently, he scaled back tolling to only the 18-wheelers. Closed-door caucus meetings of both chambers Tuesday brought the sides closer to agreement. Theres no question that Connecticuts highways and bridges need repair and mass transit needs improvement. How to pay for the required work is the sticking point. Before any compromised plan comes to a vote in Hartford, however, two elements are imperative: More details must be provided and a public hearing must be conducted. Details include exactly how much revenue realistically could be projected by charging tolls on a dozen bridges to class 8 and higher tractor-trailers, and how could Connecticuts plan save it from a similar court challenge faced by Rhode Island over its trucks-only tolls? Other details include the responsibilities of a Transportation Oversight Board, namely whether that group could set tolls, which should remain the purview of the General Assembly. Exempting smaller trucks those that deliver oil, for example removes a central argument that truck tolling could cripple the local economy. The compromise is fairer as its the 18-wheelers that cause the most wear and tear on the highways. By limiting the size of trucks, however, less money will be collected about $170 million net annually vs $186 million and the public needs to know how that will affect the infrastructure repair plan. Citizens are highly engaged with the tolling issue, from demonstrators who are against any form of tolling to supporters who argue that out-of-state drivers using Connecticuts roads should help pay for them. Their concerns deserve to be aired in a public hearing before the General Assembly votes. They need to hear what safeguards would be in place to ensure that 18-wheeler tolls couldnt morph into car tolls, a safeguard that any politician considering reelection would also want. With details satisfied and a public hearing conducted, we support dealing with this controversial issue in a special session of the General Assembly this month. One might question why not wait until the new session opens on Feb. 5. But it is better to clear the air now and deal with this issue thats been hanging over the states head too long. Storyful An affable deer created somewhat of a buzz in a neighborhood near Salt Lake City, Utah, he regularly visited over the holiday period.The deer, nicknamed Cooper by local residents, has been playing with children in the neighborhood of Herriman and was even spotted posing for photos, reports said.Herriman resident Angelica Lujan recorded footage of the tame deer interacting with her children outside of her home on South Rowell Drive.Speaking to KSTU, a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources representative said despite the deers friendly attitude, the best thing for the animal is for people to leave him alone.People dont realize these beautiful, cute deer can be aggressive as they get older. Weve had times in the past where these friendly deer, they do get aggressive, said Scott Root, Conservation Outreach Manager, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.Weve had kids hurt at bus stops. Bad things happen when we feed deer in a residential area, Root added. Credit: Angelica Lujan via Storyful An FIR was filed against Magsaysay Award winner and human rights activist Sandeep Pandey for allegedly making inappropriate comments against Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar An FIR was filed against Magsaysay Award winner and human rights activist Sandeep Pandey for allegedly making inappropriate comments against Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during his speech at the Aligarh Muslim University. On Tuesday, national vice president of Hindu Mahasabha Rajiv Kumar filed a complaint alleging that Pandey made the comments while addressing anti-citizenship law protestors at AMU on Sunday, police said. The FIR was lodged at the Civil Lines police station under sections 153 A (provocation with intent to cause riots) and 505 (1)b (inciting public or community to commit an offence). "Investigation is underway," police were quoted as saying by The Times of India. In his address, Pandey had also said that the same people are "dividing Hindus and Muslims" who had done the same thing during the British Raj. He had claimed that "masked goons" hired by some right-wing organisations have disrupted peaceful protests in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Milia Islamia and AMU and they were the real culprits behind the violence in these varsities. The students are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in a disciplined manner, both in Jamia and in JNU. They can't be blamed for the violence," the report quoted him as saying. According to the report, Kumar had demanded that Pandey be arrested immediately and threatened a nationwide agitation if the police failed to discharge their duty. According to a report in the Scroll, Pandey was among the group of people stopped from travelling to Lucknow on 15 January by the Uttar Pradesh Police, who cited Section 144 of the CrPC. The police had, however, denied stopping the group. Pandey, who co-founded the Asha for Education foundation, was awarded the Ramon Magsasay award for "Emergent Leadership" in 2002. He has been at the forefront of protests against the scrapping of Article 370, for which he has been put under house arrest four times since August, the Scroll report said. Pandey has also been participating in protests against the CAA and proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC). Meanwhile, noted historian Irfan Habib has accused Uttar Pradesh Police of using pressure tactics to crush the democratic rights of citizens to protest peacefully. He said police were behaving in a partisan manner and deliberately trying to suppress dissent. With inputs from PTI Benton County took another step toward acquiring a new office building Tuesday when the Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 to authorize up to $10 million in debt financing. The board voted unanimously on Jan. 6 to buy a two-story, 54,000-square-foot building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis for $7.1 million. The sale is scheduled to close Feb. 14. Remodeling costs are estimated to run $1.5 million to $2 million. The county will buy the building with cash on hand but will refinance the purchase either by issuing bonds or taking out a bank loan. Tuesdays vote allows the county to move ahead with the acquisition while it evaluates which financing option makes the most sense. The financial services firm Fiserv, which currently occupies 60% of the building under a lease agreement, will remain as a tenant until at least Sept. 30, 2021, but will vacate the premises no later than September 2027. Lease revenues, which currently amount to $550,000 a year, will partially cover the debt service on the purchase. Fiserv once occupied the entire building but has downsized its Corvallis operations from about 300 employees to 70 today. However, the Brookfield, Wisconsin-based company has about 250 employees working remotely in Oregon. The Fiserv building is within walking distance of the Sunset Building, which houses several county departments. Both are served by Corvallis Transit System buses. County Administrator Joe Kerby, who brought the purchase proposal to the board, told the commissioners in a previous meeting that it would allow the county to replace a labyrinth of facilities and consolidate numerous public-facing county services in one compact location. This is a long-term investment, he said during the boards Jan. 7 meeting. This is not just about our needs right now but also about our needs 10 to 15 years from now. The financing question was just one item on a lengthy agenda for the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. In other action, the board: Voted to hire DLR Group as the predesign consultant for the criminal justice system improvement project. DLR, which was retained under a previous contract to assess the needs of the county criminal justice system, was one of two firms that responded to a request for proposals. As a predesign consultant, DLR will be tasked with organizing a public engagement process to determine how to move forward on system improvements and which improvements to prioritize. Potentially, those improvements could include a new jail, courthouse, 911 dispatch center and transitional housing. Now that a consultant has been selected, the county will begin negotiating with DLR Group on a fee for its services and the scope of work to be covered by the consulting contract. Adopted a supplemental budget resolution adding $10,487,400 to total appropriations in the 2019-21 county budget. Most of that total $10,362,400 represents financing and other costs associated with the purchase of the Fiserv building, Chief Financial Officer Mary Otley said. The remaining $125,000 represents money from the city of Corvallis to cover the citys share of a joint program to address homelessness. Ratified a tentative performance-based pay agreement with the Oregon Nurses Association. Nurses employed by the county will receive a 1.5% salary range increase retroactive to Dec. 1 and a 1.5% base pay increase retroactive to July 1. The agreement also calls for nurse salary ranges to be adjusted by the Employment Cost Index in July. Authorized an auction to sell nine pieces of property acquired by the county through tax foreclosure. Formally approved the establishment and formation of a new taxing district to provide funding for 911 emergency communications. The district was approved by voters in November. Removed a weight limit on the Tobe Creek Road Bridge over the South Fork of the Alsea River. Scheduled a vote for Feb. 4 on an updated climate crisis resolution. The proposed language calls for Benton County government to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half compared to 2010 levels by 2030 and for the countys emissions to be net-zero by 2050. Heard an update on plans for a rebuilt county health clinic at Lincoln Elementary School in Corvallis. Design changes and a proposed agreement with the Corvallis School District to allow the clinic to operate from a modular building on school grounds during construction could save the county about $310,000, consultants said. The overall project cost would be about $3.3 million. Scheduled a vote for Feb. 4 on whether to accept right-of-way dedication for a portion of Starr Creek Road in south Benton County from Dana Andrew Taylor. Reporter Bennett Hall can be contacted at bennett.hall@lee.net or 541-812-6111. Follow him on Twitter at @bennetthallgt. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BJP's campaign for Delhi Assembly elections will go full steam ahead on Thursday when Union Home minister Amit Shah will hold public meetings and a 'padyatra' in the city. The party has planned to raise national issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, the violence over it, and the abrogation of Article 370; it will also try to expose the "failures" of the ruling AAP, said a senior Delhi BJP leader. Shah, who has made it clear that the new citizenship law will not be withdrawn and those protesting against it can continue to do so, will address two meetings in Matiala and Nangloi Jat assembly constituencies. He will then lead a padyatra in Uttam Nagar in the evening, said a Delhi BJP statement. The party has drawn up a list of "star campaigners" for the February 8 election, who include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, and chief ministers of the party-ruled states, besides Shah. The list also includes Bhojpuri film stars Ravi Kishan and Dinesh Lal 'Nirahua', who will campaign in constituencies having a sizeable number of Purvanchali voters. Other top BJP leaders and Union ministers will also campaign extensively ahead of the elections. The top leadership of the BJP, including Shah, Nadda, organisation secretary BL Santosh, on Wednesday held a three-hour meeting at the Delhi BJP office to analyse poll preparations. "The thrust of the party will be CAA and the recent developments related to it including incidents of violence and arson in Delhi and how the AAP and Kejriwal government have been dealing with it," said a person who participated in the meeting. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel said the party will reach out to people to make them aware about the citizenship law, abrogation of Article 370, Ram temple and other issues besides exposing how Kejriwal government has "failed" them in last five years. The party has also planned to hold more than 5,000 small meetings and padyatras in all 70 constituencies across Delhi to contact voters. "National office-bearers, chief ministers, Union ministers and other senior party leaders will hold these small meetings of 200-300 people, besides holding padyatras," said a member of Delhi BJP's election campaign committee. Another important aspect of the campaign will be to highlight the Modi government's work like providing ownership rights to residents in unauthorised colonies and slum redevelopment scheme to provide permanent houses to those living in Jhuggi-Jhopri (JJ) clusters in the city, he said. Voting for Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 8 and results will be out on February 11. BJP is contesting on 67 seats and has left two seats to JD(U) and one for LJP, its alliance partners in Delhi Assembly polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Earlier this month, 250 people summoned as prospective jurors for the MAX train double murder trial of Jeremy Christian were asked to fill out a questionnaire of in-depth questions about their backgrounds and their beliefs. Among 130 questions on the 22-page survey: Are you familiar with the term White Nationalism? ...What does the term mean to you? Please name three people, living or dead, whom you hold in low esteem. What bumper stickers or signage do you and/or your family members have on your vehicles? Do you have an opinion about groups such as Antifa or Patriot Prayer? The questionnaire represented the best attempts of defense attorneys and prosecutors to size up respondents before choosing a jury of 12 that will be tasked with deciding Christians guilt or innocence. Wednesday, for the second day, prosecutors and defense attorneys continued to call back some of those survey respondents to question them in person. Thats expected to continue over the next few days. In all, the lawyers have interviewed 28 jurors face-to-face so far. The lawyers hope to have a jury seated by early next week, with opening statements scheudled Tuesday. The trial is expected to last another five weeks. The survey asked the usual biographical questions: age, current and past jobs, family members professions, how long theyve lived in Multnomah County and what neighborhood they live in now. But the lawyers also wanted to know a lot about prospective jurors political roots. That included which organizations they donate money to. Do you consider yourself to be Liberal, Moderate (or) Conservative? asked another question. One chief concern of defense attorneys Greg Scholl and Dean Smith has been that theyll struggle to select a jury that hasnt already formed a negative opinion of Christian from news stories published and aired since Christian fatally stabbed MAX train passengers Ricky Best and Taliesin Namkai-Meche and seriously injured Micah Fletcher on May 26, 2017. Witnesses said Christian launched a racist, xenophobic rant against two teenage girls, including one who is African American and the other who is a Somali immigrant and was wearing a hijab. In April 2019, the defense attorneys asked Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl Albrecht to move the case to another part of the state, but she denied their request by saying she thinks its possible to select an impartial jury in the same county where the killings took place. To that end, respondents were asked a series of questions about what theyve read or seen about the case, what news sources they rely on, whether they could listen to the case with an open mind, whether theyve ever been on a MAX train and if theyve been frightened because of the people theyve encountered there. If you are familiar with public transportation, how would you describe the best and worst things about it? Have you ever had concerns about your personal safety while using public transportation? Have you ever been a victim of a crime or witnessed a crime while using public transportation? Have you had to take action to defend yourself or another from an attack? Have you or someone close to you ever been the victim of a bias crime? Lastly, prospective jurors were given a list of 56 possible prosecution witnesses and 31 possible defense witnesses and asked if they knew any of them personally. Among those on the prosecution list were police officers, witnesses from the train, a Portland psychologist who presumably will offer expert testimony about Christians mental state and a sociology professor who co-wrote the book American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movements Hidden Spaces of Hate. Defense attorneys listed among their potential witnesses three apparent relatives of Christians, Portland police officers, sheriffs deputies who work at the jail, a psychologist who evaluated Christian and three psychologists who have presumably evaluated Christian or can speak about any mental health conditions he might have. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee Keep up with key trial events and takeaways by signing up for The Oregonian/OregonLives Jeremy Christian trial newsletter at oregonlive.com/newsletters. Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The chance to pick up additional hours or overtime at work, take a promotion or accept more pay can put some Nebraskans and their families into a difficult situation. Accepting even as little as an extra dollar more per hour can push workers out of eligibility for federal assistance programs such as the Child Care Subsidy and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program but leave them unable to cover all of their familys expenses. Two bills one (LB1049) introduced by Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz last week and another (LB255) brought by Omaha Sen. John McCollister last year would raise eligibility levels for both programs to help Nebraskans transition to better work. Bolz said her bill would help retain 20- to 30-somethings in Nebraska and allow them to develop new skills to fill jobs in health care, technology and other workforce needs in the state. Child care assistance is an essential part of this puzzle, Bolz said. But Nebraskas current eligibility level ranks among the lowest in the nation, meaning it can be hard for working families to qualify for help. We dont afford families the opportunity to access child care assistance while they pursue their careers. Its backwards, she said. In systems like scholarship programs or grants for the arts, people are rewarded for their hard work and merit. In systems like child care and food assistance, they are punished for getting ahead. Her bill would raise the qualifying family income from 125% to 150% of the federal poverty level beginning in 2021-22, allowing more families to access child care assistance, paying for the program for five years out of excess federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds. McCollisters bill would similarly raise the SNAP eligibility level from 130% to 140% of the federal poverty level, which he said would allow families to continue to be food-secure and be able to afford child care. Nebraskas share of the increase would be just half of the administrative costs, or about $150,000 annually, according to the bills fiscal note. We want to reward work and forward momentum, McCollister said. On average in 2017, the federal SNAP provided $117 per month for each household member in Nebraska, or about $1.25 per meal. About 176,000 Nebraskans accessed the program in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available. The benefits provided to Nebraskans also translated into $241 million in economic activity in the state, McCollister said. Both bills have the backing of the Lincoln, Omaha and Nebraska chambers of commerce. Leslie Andersen, CEO of the Bank of Bennington and a member of the Omaha Chamber board, said employers are well aware of the benefits cliff that can keep their employees from advancing. Employees are offered promotions, pay increases and additional hours, and some employees are faced with very difficult situations, she said. Take the promotion, take the pay increase, move from part-time to full-time and lose the assistance that is helping them get by. Extending assistance to workers transitioning into better jobs and careers in the states economy would have a long-term benefit, Andersen added, both in higher earnings for those families that translate into new opportunities, as well as increased income and sales tax revenue for the state. Diane Temme Stinton, chief administrative officer of TMCO Inc. in Lincoln, said she once saw employment opportunities as the best assistance program for the underemployed. As an employer, its easy to assume youve given someone an opportunity to be self-reliant without the need for extra benefits, she said. However, these assumptions also point to common blind spots concerning the reality of many familys situations. One merit-pay increase could inadvertently cause a bigger financial burden on a family by causing a loss of benefits, Temme Stinton added: Proverbially, this is two steps forward and three steps back for the employee. Bolz said both the Child Care Subsidy and SNAP benefits should be geared toward helping families move ahead, while also improving Nebraskas workforce. I think we all have a responsibility to grow our workforce and grow our economy, she said. Among other legislation introduced Tuesday: MAIL-IN ELECTION REQUIREMENTS: Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon introduced a bill (LB1055) that would allow counties with fewer than 10,000 residents to apply to hold an all-mail election but would require those counties to keep open at least one polling location at the office of the county clerk on Election Day. HEALTH CARE INFORMATION: The Population Health Information Act (LB1058) introduced by Omaha Sen. Sara Howard would gather aggregate information from health care facilities in Nebraska to provide information about the access to and quality of health care in the state. PROTECTED HAIRSTYLES: Employers could not discriminate against an employee based upon their race, ancestry, ethnicity or hairstyle, under a bill (LB1060) brought by Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh. REENTRY PROGRAMS: Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop introduced a bill (LB1062) allowing the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to contract with residential reentry programs in counties to prepare parole-eligible inmates or inmates within 12 months of their mandatory discharge for reentry. RAISE SMOKING AGE TO 21: Sen. Tom Briese of Albion sponsored a bill (LB1064) to make it illegal to sell cigarettes or other tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21, bringing Nebraska in line with federal law. FLOOD PROTECTION: Natural resource districts excluding those in Lincoln and Omaha could, by a two-thirds majority vote of the board, issue bonds and levy a property tax to pay for flood protection projects, under a bill (LB1072) by Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango. REPORT GROOMING: Lathrop also introduced a bill (LB1080) to require school districts to adopt policies to report suspected grooming by employees of current or former students for sexual activity and outline which communication systems are appropriate for teachers and students to communicate. UNMC FUNDING: Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward introduced a bill (LB1084) with 26 co-sponsors that would set aside $300 million in funding for the University of Nebraska Medical Center if the university secured $300 million in private funding for a proposed $2.6 billion research and treatment tower. FAFSA REQUIREMENT: All Nebraska high school students would be required to complete the Free Application for Financial Student Aid, or FAFSA, before they could graduate, under a bill (LB1089) from Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas. FACIAL RECOGNITION: Vargas also brought a bill (LB1091) barring government agencies in Nebraska from obtaining or using facial-recognition technology and making any data collected from facial surveillance inadmissible as evidence in a trial. Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Boris Johnson Meets EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Getty The European Union is reportedly planning to offer the UK a much worse trade deal than its agreements with Canada, Japan, and other major trade partners. The EU has warned member states that UK industry bodies should not be allowed to certify that British goods conform to EU standards after Brexit, according to the Telegraph. The European Commission's position reflects concerns that the UK will seek to maintain access to the EU single market while diverging away on rules and regulations to gain an advantage. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The European Union is reportedly planning to offer the UK a trade deal with much worse terms than it agreed with either Canada, Japan, or other major international partners. The European Commission, which will lead negotiations for the EU, has warned member states that UK industry bodies should not be allowed to certify that British goods conform to EU standards after Brexit, EU sources told the Telegraph. The EU has granted this so-called Mutual Recognition Agreements with its other major trading partners in order to facilitate the movement of goods in key sectors including medicines and manufacturing. However, the European Commission's is planning to block the UK from securing similar rights due to concerns that the UK will seek to move away from EU trade rules and regulations in order to gain a competitive advantage over its European neighbours. Chancellor Sajid Javid has insisted that the UK will "not be in alignment" with the EU after Brexit. Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, he said: "We will not be in the single market, we will not be in the customs union. We will not be rule-takers," but added that the UK still hoped to sign "a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement" with the EU. Brexit trade deal in 2020 just not possible' phil hogan.JPG Reuters Boris Johnson has pledged to secure such a deal by the end of 2020 and insisted such an outcome is "epically likely," even legislating to ensure he cannot extend the negotiating timetable. Story continues But EU negotiators have warned the prime minister has not given himself enough time to secure the deep trade deal he is seeking. Phil Hogan, the new EU Commissioner for trade who will play a central part in negotiations, said last week that a full free trade deal was "just not possible" by the end of 2020. "Certainly by the end of the year, we are not going to get everything that's in the 36-page document about the future relationship agreed," he told a panel at a Global Counsel trade conference in London. "Prime Minister Johnson has decided that he wants to have everything concluded by the end of the year. It's just not possible," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Last week, the Texas State Securities Board released its list of 11 top threats to individual investors. Losing money on investments isnt funny. But if you, like me, have a perverse sense of irony, a few of these are worth spending a little time on. The securities board wants to warn us about patterns of fraud. You should share this frequent-flier fraud list with your loved ones, especially your elderly relatives. In fact, elder-targeting is No. 3 on the list, partly because seniors often have more money and partly because criminals take advantage of the loneliness or cognitive decline of their victims. I was pleased to read Nos. 1 and 5 on the list warning about precious metals investing and cryptocurrency because gold and bitcoin in particular form part of Mikes Four Horsemen of Your Personal Financial Apocalypse. The securities board isnt saying gold and cryptocurrencies are always bad although I am but they are saying that an unusual number of frauds involve these investment vehicles. So we should watch out. Threats No. 3, 6 and 7 involve oil and gas investments, promissory notes and private placements, respectively. Unlike gold and crypto, there are plenty of reasonable investments involving those three types of assets. The key point from the securities board is to use extra caution with these assets, since bad folks have a pattern of taking advantage of the credulous investors. The board also warns against investments that require self-directed IRAs. I greatly enjoy investing via my own self-directed IRA. But I agree the extra level of complexity, work and due diligence required isnt for everyone, and you should think twice and then a third time before jumping into the deep end of self-directed IRAs. There are much easier ways to make money with investments. Finally, lets talk about two of the warnings that sort of tickled my irony bone. The No. 2 threat on the list is purchasing investments from unregistered salespeople. This means someone selling you stocks, bonds, currencies or a private placement then getting paid for that service without being a licensed securities salesperson. Something that doesnt get talked about enough in Texas is the 2015 Collin County grand jury indictment of Attorney General Ken Paxton for felony securities fraud and selling investments without a license. That was followed by the federal Securities and Exchange Commissions civil enforcement action against Paxton for receiving a commission worth $100,000 for encouraging associates to invest more than $600,000 in a private technology company. The SEC said Paxton claimed in the past that the $100,000 was a gift from the company, not a commission. Paxton claims he attempted to invest $100,000 of his own money in the technology company, but the CEO, during a meeting at a Dairy Queen in the summer of 2011, replied: I cant take your money. God doesnt want me to take your money. You can understand why Paxton and his CEO friend wouldnt want to defy God. You can always check the Texas State Securities Board website for registered representatives, and whether they are licensed or have any black marks on their record. A search of the website would tell you that in 2014, Paxton received a reprimand and was fined $1,000 for unlicensed sales of investments dating from 2004, 2005 and 2012. In other words, he was reprimanded for the No. 2 threat named by the securities board. The 2016 SEC claim was ultimately dismissed. Since 2015, however, the criminal case has gone unresolved. The court venue switched from Collin County, Paxtons home base, to Harris County, and then back to Collin County at the request of Paxtons lawyers. The states appointed special prosecutors invoices for fees were denied by a judge in 2018, possibly ending the prosecution, or maybe just extending it for a few years while new prosecutors get appointed. Selling investments without a license is always bad, as the securities board warns. But its both bad and ironic when a person in Paxtons position is suspected of doing something like this. Hes the chief legal officer of the state. He serves as legal counsel to all state boards, including the Texas State Securities Board. As a Beaumont Enterprise editorial argued in December, It is virtually unheard of for an attorney general to face something as serious as felony charges. On the rare occasions that it has happened, the case was either resolved or the attorney general resigned while it played out. Nevertheless, Paxton was re-elected in November 2018 with 50.6 percent of the vote. Theres one other ironic warning from the Texas State Securities Board. The example of this threat also comes from Collin County. Warning No. 8: Beware of financial experts. A radio host and author of the book Robbed With a Pen Again: A Guide to Protecting Your Assets named Bob Guess was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2018. The securities board first brought a complaint against Guess in 2016. Does it get any more ironic than the guy writing a book with that title was himself a fraud? Alanis Morissette herself couldnt write a better lyric. As the securities boards news release says: Its easy to believe that someone who dispenses financial advice on the radio, online, or in books has special expertise that can put you on the safe and secure path to wealth. Not bloody likely. Well said, securities board, well said. I shouldnt joke too much. Fraud is a serious problem, not at all hilarious to victims. Alleged victims of the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and convicted fraudster Bob Guess are not laughing. And always remember Texas State Securities Board warning No. 8: Never take investing advice from a finance columnist. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and author of The Financial Rules for New College Graduates. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com twitter.com/michael_taylor Paddy McGuinness, The Stig and Chris Harris attending the 'Top Gear' Season 28 Premiere in London (Credit: PA) Paddy McGuinness has revealed he underwent therapy in order to combat his fear of flying and land his Top Gear presenting job. The Take Me Out host took over presenting the BBC car show last year as part of a new hosting line-up along with Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris - but had to battle his aviophobia in order to travel as the show is filmed around the world. Read more: Paddy McGuinness didnt know he was bad driver until Top Gear McGuinness, 46, told Metro.co.uk at at the Top Gear season 28 premiere in London: For myself personally, I wasnt very well travelled - been to Portugal once. So when I got the gig I went to The Priory and saw a doctor to get me over my fear of flying and all that. Ive seen parts of the world Id never normally see and its just been amazing. The comedian also revealed that Top Gear producers do not reveal what stunts the presenters will be taking on until they arrive on location - to prevent them backing out. Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff present 'Top Gear' on BBC One (Credit: PA) McGuinness said: They dont give you the option. If they told you beforehand, Youre going to drive this road and its really high up and windy, you might say, Oh I dont fancy that. But you just come to it in a car, so you cant do anything else. You have got to drive it. When you are there you are that in it, you just do it. For the Top Gear Christmas special, McGuinness travelled to Nepal and the new series will see them film in Mexico, Switzerland and Bognor Regis. Read more: 'Top Gear' paints rainbow flag on cars used for Brunei filming McGuinness previously admitted to Yahoo UK that he took his own food with him when went to Nepal because he is so unused to travelling. He said: No word of a lie, they have to take a little box just for me and its got like little pots of spaghetti hoops, flumps, Angel Delight its like a six-year-olds tea party. Wednesday, January 22 marks the day that Jeanine Anez is set to stand down as interim President of Bolivia, beginning the process for fresh elections set for May 3. Anez came to power in November, following a U.S.-backed coup that deposed the Movement to Socialisms (MAS) Evo Morales. However, she is certainly not acting as if she intends to relinquish her power, let alone move towards new elections. Instead, she has sent the military, replete with tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, into the capital cities of all nine departments of the country. 8pm: The Bolivian military is riding about central La Paz with their guns out and sirens on. They're not going to an incident, the objective is to intimidate the population. pic.twitter.com/Fjpt6pmuNV Ollie Vargas (@OVargas52) January 17, 2020 MintPress News Ollie Vargas was on the scene in the center of the capital La Paz, where he filmed hundreds of armed soldiers performing drills outside the Cathedral of St. Francis and dozens of military vehicles circling the city, sirens on and guns drawn. The purpose of that is to intimidate people ahead of possible protests against the coup on the 22nd of JanuaryThis was a show of force saying you are not going to be able to march what you want. The military is preparing for a war-style operations if marches do arrive in the city. It is about intimidating the people, he said in an interview with TeleSUR English; The point was to be a show of force, rather than itself be an act of repression. It was there to show what repression could come. Huge mobilization of the Bolivian military in the center of La Paz, outside San Francisco cathedral. In six days, social movements will be protesting here against the coup. pic.twitter.com/CxUqdV44rv Ollie Vargas (@OVargas52) January 16, 2020 The military played a leading role in the November coup, demanding Morales resign and handpicking Anez as his successor. The police, too, were crucial, rebelling against Morales and later repressing protests from the countrys indigenous majority, even conducting massacres in the towns of Sacaba and Senkata. It seems like the police is following the instructions of the far-right in Bolivia, said United Nations Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas. Last week, Anez rubberstamped a pay rise for the countrys police, bringing their salaries up to that of the militarys. For an interim government, the Anez administration has certainly made some sweeping policy changes, both at home and abroad. Internally, it has begun a mass privatization program aimed at conducting a fire sale of the countrys considerable natural resources. Since November it has been at war with the press, launching a crackdown on all media hostile to it, closing down multiple TV stations, with critical journalists disappearing or being found dead in suspicious circumstances. It has also set up new SWAT-like secret police battalions aimed at suppressing what is calls subversive voices, both domestic and foreign. Anez has completely reoriented the countrys foreign policy, pulling out of multiple international and intercontinental organizations, expelling thousands of foreign nationals, recognizing Israel and inviting the Israeli Defense Forces to train the Bolivian security services and closing its own anti-imperialist military school. It has also moved far closer to the United States than previously, recognizing U.S.-backed figure Juan Guaido as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela. Earlier this month, a team from the U.S.-funded group USAID arrived in the country to advise the government on how to best conduct the upcoming election. Given the U.S. history in overthrowing heads of state across Latin America, the news has not been greeted with pleasure by all. Thus, while many inside the country have voiced their concern over the suspension of democracy, no one is accusing the new government of being lazy or unambitious. The official candidates for Bolivia's Movement Towards Socialism: President: Luis Arce Catacora Vice President: David Choquehuanca @MintPressNews pic.twitter.com/t86VRbbooT Ollie Vargas (@OVargas52) January 19, 2020 MAS candidates forced to organize abroad Under very difficult circumstances, the MAS party yesterday announced that its candidates for the May elections will be a ticket of Luis Arce Catacora for president and David Choquehuanca for vice-president. MAS leaders met in neighboring Argentina due to the repression in their own country. The location meant that a number of key figures accused of crimes by the new administration, including up-and-coming star Andronico Rodriguez, could not attend. Arce, 58, Western-educated and middle-class, was Minister of Finance under Morales in an era when Bolivia generated high and sustained economic growth. Many see him as far from radical. His running mate is David Choquehuanca, an indigenous activist from a peasant background. He was Morales longtime Foreign Minister and was also secretary of ALBA, an intercontinental organization Anez has recently pulled the country out of. He is commonly seen as the driving force behind Bolivias anti-imperialist foreign policy, currently being dismantled by the coup government. Some will be disappointed that Andronico Rodriguez, a charismatic indigenous 30-year-old union organizer groomed by Morales for a leadership position, was not chosen. Whether those candidates will, until May, be able to remain in their positions or even out of prison is an open question. Many MAS officials, including President Morales and Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera, have been forced to flee the country or face arrest. Another MAS leader, Walter Ferrufino was arrested this weekend as he was traveling to Argentina for the meeting. In the October election, Morales and the MAS gained 47 percent of the vote in the first round, enough to secure an overall victory. In contrast, Anezs party, the Democrat Social Movement, received four percent. While all sides continue to behave as if a vote will take place in May, the absurdity of holding an election under the circumstances of a military takeover, where by far the most popular party is being repressed, means that there is a very real possibility the proceedings end up lacking credibility. Feature photo | Military police patrol the center of La Paz, Bolivia, Jan. 16, 2020. Juan Karita | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary. T he Prince of Wales was today delivering his strongest warning on the environment yet and telling world leaders the next decade is crucial to saving the planet. In his first keynote speech at the Davos World Economic Forum for 30 years, Prince Charles was set to say that big business must be more aligned with consumers who want to protect the environment. His passionate address comes at the annual Swiss gathering of government and business chiefs which this year has been dominated by the growing threat of climate change. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg addresses guests at the World Economic Forum in Davos / AP In his address, Charles was set to say: With 2020 being seen as the super year, kick-starting a decade of action for people and planet I intend to do my utmost to ensure that the message of urgency, systemic change, collaboration and integration is heard. The prince, who has urged big business to invest trillions into schemes that protect the environment and promote a sustainable economy, believes wise investment and consumer power is at heart of resolving the crisis. The US president vowed to plant one trillion trees / AP Launching his Sustainable Markets Council an ambitious project to help financial markets become more sustainable Charles will say: With consumers controlling an estimated 60 per cent of global GDP, people around the world have the power to drive the transformation to sustainable markets. Yet, we cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices if these choices are not clearly laid before them. "As consumers increasingly demand sustainable products, they deserve to be told more about product lifecycles, supply chains and production methods. For a transition to take place, being socially and environmentally conscious cannot only be for those who can afford it. "If all the true costs are taken into account, being socially and environmentally responsible should be the least expensive option because it leaves the smallest footprint behind. The Prince of Wales / PA His call to increase pressure on the City and Wall Street to reduce their investments in sectors such as oil and gas and redirect it towards schemes that deliver sustainable returns came after President Trump robustly dismissed climate change activism. He called for a rejection of predictions of the apocalypse saying America would defend its economy. Charles wants investors to look at the potentially lucrative opportunities in the burgeoning sustainable markets. He has criticised the reluctance of financiers to back green ventures. In the past Charles has criticised corporate lobbyists and climate change sceptics for turning the earth into a dying patient. He has also attacked businesses who failed to care for the environment, and compared the current generation to a doctor taking care of a critically ill patient. Charless speech comes ahead of his first official tour of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories this week. He will deliver a speech at the World Holocaust Forum being staged at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, tomorrow. During President Trumps state visit to the UK last he spent 75 minutes longer than scheduled in a meeting with Charles. The president, who had been due to meet him for 15 minutes, praised Charles afterwards, saying Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:56:32|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- New Iranian satellite Zafar will be sent into the orbit in a few weeks, the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi announced on Wednesday. Jahromi said Zafar will be launched before February 11, Tasnim news agency reported. Two versions of Zafar have been manufactured, so that if the first launch fails, the second satellite will be immediately prepared as a replacement, he was quoted as saying. The new satellite will be sent to space with the Iranian Simorgh satellite carrier, he added. According to official IRNA news agency, Zafar is a 90-kg remote-sensing satellite equipped with color cameras and can be used for surveying oil reserves, mines, jungles and natural disasters. The satellite is designed for an 18-month orbiting at an altitude of 530 km. Two teenage boys have been identified as the pedestrians hit and killed early Tuesday in Vancouver. Taylor Crepeau, 14, and Andrew Friedt, 17, died of multiple blunt force injuries. The Clark County Medical Examiners Office determined their deaths were accidental. Vancouver police said an investigation indicates the boys, who were wearing dark clothing, stepped off a curb and onto Northeast 112th Avenue between 20th and 23rd streets. They were then struck by a driver in a pickup truck. Early indications are that the driver didnt see the boys and wasnt able to stop before hitting them, according to police. The driver, a man who hasnt been publicly identified, stayed at the scene. Both boys were dead when fire officials arrived, according to a Vancouver fire spokesman. Police said the boys had been trying to cross 112th Avenue an arterial that takes drivers to Mill Plain Boulevard and Interstate 205 mid-block. The crash happened according to police. The Columbian reports Crepeau was a Wyeast Middle School eighth grader and Friedt previously attended Mountain View High School. Both of them were Vancouver residents. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The days of passengers bringing their pets on airplanes as emotional-support animals could be ending. The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed that only specially trained dogs qualify as service animals, which must be allowed in the cabin at no charge. Airlines could ban emotional-support animals including untrained dogs, cats and more exotic companions such as pigs, pheasants, rabbits and snakes. Airlines say the number of support animals has grown dramatically in recent years. They lobbied the Transportation Department to crack down on what they consider a scam passengers who call their pets emotional-support animals to avoid pet fees that generally run more than $100 each way. This is a wonderful step in the right direction for people like myself who are dependent on and reliant on legitimate service animals, said Albert Rizzi, founder of My Blind Spot, an advocacy group for people with disabilities. He said some people want to have the benefits of having a disability without actually losing the use of their limbs or senses just so they can take their pet with them. The main trade group for large U.S. airlines praised the proposal. Nicholas Calio, president of Airlines for America, said, The proposed rule will go a long way in ensuring a safer and healthier experience for everyone. Flight attendants had pushed to rein in support animals, and they too were pleased. The days of Noahs Ark in the air are hopefully coming to an end, said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. She said some of her unions members were hurt by untrained pets. Veterans groups also sided with the airlines, arguing that a boom in untrained dogs and other animals threatens their ability to fly with properly trained service dogs. Last year, more than 80 veterans and disability groups endorsed banning untrained emotional-support animals in airline cabins. On the other side are people who say that an emotional-support animal helps them with anxiety or other issues that would prevent them from traveling or make it more stressful. They arent a very organized group, but there are lots of them. Southwest Airlines handles more than 190,000 emotional support animals per year. American Airlines carried 155,790 emotional support animals in 2017, up 48% from 2016, while the number of checked pets dropped 17%. United Airlines carried 76,000 comfort animals in 2017. Transportation Department officials said in a briefing with reporters that they proposed the changes to improve safety on flights. Some passengers have been bitten by support animals, and airlines complain that they relieve themselves on planes and in airports. The public will have 60 days to comment on the proposed changes. Officials highlighted a few areas where they are most eager to get comments, including whether miniatures horses should continue to qualify as service animals. The Transportation Department proposes a narrow definition in which a service animal could only be a dog that is trained to help a person with a physical or other disability. Passengers with a service dog would have to fill out a federal form on which they swear that the dog is trained to help them. A dog trained to help with psychiatric needs would qualify as a service animal. Current rules do not require any training for emotional-support animals. However, airlines can demand that the animals owner show them a medical professionals note saying they need the animal for support. The proposed rules would prohibit airlines from banning particular types of dog breeds if the animal qualifies as a service dog, although they could refuse to board an individual dog they deem a threat. Delta Air Lines, which bans pit bulls, said it is studying the proposal. The president of the Humane Society of the United States said airlines like Delta had maligned pit bulls. Kitty Block said the Transportation Departments proposal to prohibit breed-specific bans sends a clear message to airlines that their discriminatory practices are not only unsound, but against the law. The new rules would also bar the current practice by many airlines of requiring animal owners to fill out paperwork 48 hours in advance. A department official said that practice can harm disabled people by preventing them from bringing their service dog on last-minute trips. The proposal also says people with service animals must check in earlier than the general public. Airlines could require that service animals be on a leash or harness and fit in its handlers foot space. They could limit passengers to two service animals each, although it is unclear how often that happens under the current rules. ___ AP Writer Cathy Bussewitz contributed to this report. 2020 Democratic contender Tulsi Gabbard filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Hillary Clinton for defamation over the former secretary of state's implication that the Hawaii congresswoman is a "favorite of the Russians" during an October interview. The big picture: In the suit, Gabbard claims that her "political and personal reputation" was damaged by the comment and that it caused her to drop in the polls in key primary states. Background: On David Plouffe's podcast "Campaign HQ" in October, Clinton predicted that one candidate was being groomed by Russia to run as a third-party candidate, saying they're "the favorite" of the country and an "asset." However, Clinton never explicitly mentioned Gabbard by name. Gabbard's foreign policy stances significantly differ from other top Democratic candidates, especially on Syria. She has controversially defended Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and met with him on a secret trip to Syria in 2017. What they're saying: "One would expect someone of Mrs. Clinton's political background to act with a greater level of maturity and dignity, but her personal hostility toward Rep. Gabbard apparently clouded Mrs. Clinton's reason and blinded her to U.S. defamation laws," Brian Dunne, Gabbard's lawyer, said in a statement per ABC News. Read the complaint: Go deeper: Trump attacks Clinton on "Hannity," defends Tulsi Gabbard Though its representatives were not invited to testify at the hearing, the American Psychological Association weighed in through a letter sent to the subcommittee and also urged an expanded supply of marijuana for research purposes. Nagpur : , Jan 22 (IANS) Raising great expectations ahead of the Union Budget, a 31-member parliamentary panel will visit Maharashtra from Thursday for two days to study the farmers' issues, official sources said here on Wednesday. It will be led by Parvatagouda C. Gaddigoudar, Chairperson, Standing Committee on Agriculture, and comprise 10 Rajya Sabha MPs and 21 Lok Sabha MPs. As per available details, the MPs are likely to be put up at the five-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Nagpur where they will conduct meetings with various stakeholders and farming experts. In the past, even visiting Presidents, Prime Ministers, Central ministers or top officials avoided conducting meetings pertaining to farmers from five-star hotels, but preferred other convenient and low-profile venues in the city which is Maharashtra's second capital, said sources. The move has raised eyebrows in political circles, coming days after several top leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party and government have advised MPs from avoiding "five-star" comforts and be closer to the people. Since 2019, the government has even stopped the practice of accommodating newly-elected MPs in starred hotels while they waited to be allotted their official quarters in New Delhi. Since the stay could range from a fortnight to a quarter (3 months), it imposed a huge financial burden on the government, but now the newly-elected lawmakers must either live at their respective state guest houses or the Western Court. Though some farmers have been invited for tomorrow's meeting, the panel will tour around certain high-level government-run institutions such as Indian Council for Agriculture Research, Central Institute of Cotton Research, National Citrus Institute, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning and others in the region and discuss agro-related issues with their heads and experts. However, several of the Shiv Sena MPs on the panel are likely to skip the programmes as they will be busy with the 94th birth anniversary celebrations of the party's founder, the late Bal Thackeray in Mumbai. When contacted, Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) President Kishore Tiwari -- one of the experts invited by the MPs panel -- said the time for all "study trips" is over and now it is time for "real ground action" to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers in the state and country. "We have already sent a memorandum to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to tackle the farmland distress on top priority and allocate Rs 3 lakh crore under a 'Special National Agrarian Bailout Package' in the Union Budget 2020-2021, similar to the aid granted to banking, power, automobiles and FMCG sectors," Tiwari told IANS. He has also urged the Central government to immediately set up a 'National Farmers' Rights Commission' on the lines of National Human Rights Commission followed by State Human Rights Commissions. "These two measures alone, if implemented by the government, can end the scourge of farmers' suicides in the country between three-to-five years. Besides the Indian agriculture sector will take great strides and become world-class with the infusion of new technology in all aspects," Tiwari added. Though government and hotel officials remained tight-lipped on the itinerary of the MP's panel, hectic preparations are currently underway to make their trip comfortable and fruitful. The Maharashtra MPs on the panel include: Amol R. Kolhe, (Mrs) Navneet R. Rana, Vinayak B. Raut and Narayan Rane. Besides, other prominent names from other parts of the country are Vaiko, Chandrapal Singh Yadav, R. Vaithilingam, Muhammad Sadiq, Sardar Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Partap Singh Bajwa, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ram Kirpal Yadav, Virendra Singh, Mohan Mandavi, Afzal Ansari, etc. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadvoice, an award-winning provider of hosted voice, unified communications (UC) and SIP Trunking services for businesses, is strengthening its commitment to operational excellence and platform scalability with the addition of a Chief Product Officer role to the executive team and hiring a new Chief Operating Officer. Broadvoice announces new COO & CPO Broadvoice has named George Mitsopoulos, the company's longtime COO, to take on the new role of CPO. As CPO, he will oversee strategy and execution of all product-related activities, including establishing a product vision, product innovation, product development, product design, software engineering and network operations. The COO position will be filled by Herb Pyles, a telecom industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in global operations and customer experience. In this role, Pyles oversees Broadvoice's day-to-day operations, including service delivery, customer care and business support. "Watching our organization grow over the last few years from 40 people to more than 230 today has been very exciting. We owe our success to our easy-to-use UC platform, high-touch customer service and top-producing sales partners. But with that growth we need to be laser focused on both product and operational excellence," said Broadvoice CEO Jim Murphy. "Adding these two new executive leadership roles will enable us to manage our continued expansion while maintaining high levels of service delivery. George and Herb are working in tandem to ensure that both our platform and our operational systems and teams are ready for a new decade of accelerated growth." Mitsopoulos, is a performance-driven technology executive with more than 18 years of management experience growing recurring revenue for leading industry brands. He joined the company in 2015 as part of Broadvoice's acquisition of IKANO Communication, a privately held company backed by Insight Venture Partners where he served as COO. During his tenure he led the operations and technology teams for IKANO and its subsidiary Virtacore Systems, a cloud service provider, until both were successfully sold. Mitsopoulos has served various roles, including vice president, general manager and COO throughout his career. "Over the past five years, I've been wowed by the creativity, tenacity and commitment of the Broadvoice team. I'm honored to be the first CPO for our organization and am eager to focus my efforts on optimizing and innovating on our cloud communications platform," said Mitsopoulos. "I'm happy to welcome Herb to the team and look forward to working with him side-by-side to fast track Broadvoice's journey to becoming a world-class communications services provider." Pyles joins Broadvoice after 21 years at West Corp., most recently as executive vice president of global client engagement overseeing global customer service and services delivery worldwide. He began his career at Intercall, which was acquired by West in 2003. He first served in the IT department as a manager and later director, but quickly moved into product management, creating that discipline within the organization and earning several patents for conferencing technology. Under the West banner, Pyles became vice president of business development, working to integrate eight acquisitions, including the 2008 purchase of Genesys Conferencing. In 2009, he was promoted to vice president of global customer service, expanding his role worldwide, including establishing operations in China. He worked with West until the beginning of 2019, seeing the company through its 2017 sale to Apollo Management Group LLC. "What excited me about joining Broadvoice is that the leadership team is committed to differentiating the company based on operational excellence and customer service," said Pyles. "I'm looking at ways we will get Broadvoice to the next level, building on a solid foundation and adding scale. It's about taking something that is already good and making it great. Customer satisfaction will remain our single most important measure of success." Broadvoice offers a flexible, smart portfolio of IP-based voice and data offerings, backed by its enterprise-class, geo-redundant IP telephony platform. This includes its flagship cloud PBX and UC services, which features unlimited voice calling plans throughout the continental United States and Canada. For more information on the Broadvoice Partner Program, please call 866.697.9112, or visit the Broadvoice Partner Program. About Broadvoice Broadvoice simplifies communications for small and medium businesses (SMBs) by combining powerful cloud PBX, UC and collaboration features with virtual call center in one award-winning Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform that delivers enterprise-class features at affordable rates. The platform is connected to Broadvoice's secure, redundant network and hosting infrastructure, enabling SMBs to connect with customers securely anytime, anywhere and with any device. Broadvoice is ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. Media Contact: Rachel Turkus Director of Marketing Broadvoice 408.582.7794 232758 @email4pr.com SOURCE Broadvoice MASON CITY, Iowa - The rivalry between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders is deepening as the Democratic presidential candidates are increasingly at loggerheads over their support of Social Security, signalling a battle ahead that could last well beyond the Iowa caucuses. Bidens campaign released a video late Tuesday accusing Sanders of dishonest attacks, while Sanders official Twitter account countered: Lets be honest, Joe. One of us fought for decades to cut Social Security, and one of us didnt. Sanders, a Vermont senator, has accused Biden of advocating for budget deals as a senator from Delaware that would have curtailed entitlement spending over time. During his decades on Capitol Hill, Biden supported a balanced budget constitutional amendment, but he says he would not have cut Social Security benefits as part of the deals. In his current campaign, Biden proposes expanding Social Security benefits and raising more revenue by lifting the cap on the income that is subject to Social Security payroll taxes. Biden tacitly acknowledged on Wednesday that hes moved to the left over the years on Social Security. But he compared that with Sanders legislative history on gun control, an issue that like Social Security is a core concern to many Democratic voters. Sanders voted to protect gun manufacturers, Biden said in an MSNBC interview, referring to Sanders vote to give weapons makers immunity from civil liability. Hillary Clinton skewered Sanders over that position during their 2016 primary battle. Hes indicated that was past, Biden said, suggesting Sanders has shifted positions on guns in a way thats more acceptable to Democratic primary voters. The sniping comes at a tumultuous moment in the Democratic primary as candidates are increasingly feuding with one another on multiple fronts. Tensions within the party soared on Tuesday after The Hollywood Reporter published an interview in which Clinton ripped into Sanders, reigniting divisions from the 2016 campaign and raising concerns that Democrats may struggle to unify behind a nominee and defeat President Donald Trump. It seemed for a period on Wednesday that the tensions between Biden and Sanders may cool. As a current senator, Sanders is stuck in Washington to sit as a juror in Trumps impeachment trial, sidelining him from the campaign trail. Biden, meanwhile, spoke of the need for Democrats and the country to come together. We not only have to unite our party, we have to unite our country, he told voters in Mason City, Iowa. During his interview with MSNBC earlier on Wednesday, Biden demurred when asked whether Sanders had lied when he and his campaign aides asserted Biden sought to cut Social Security benefits. Biden also noted that Sanders apologized to him after one of the Vermont senators top supporters wrote that the former vice-president has a corruption problem. Sometimes campaign staff gets a little ahead of the candidate, Biden told the network, later adding, I accept his apology, and I hope we can argue on the facts. But hours later, Biden pointedly noted to reporters that Sanders apology was only about a high-profile supporter suggesting the former vice-president is corrupt. The senator, Biden said, is still coming after him on Social Security. The former vice-president also had tough words about the Senates impeachment trial of Trump. I was embarrassed for the institution, Biden told MSNBC when asked about Trumps lawyers stating clear mistruths during the proceedings, which are expected to end with Trumps acquittal on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress. The impeachment case is pegged to Trump pressuring Ukrainian officials to launch an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden, based on discredited theories about the younger Bidens business dealings in Ukraine while his father handled U.S. foreign policy in the country as vice-president. The elder Biden on Wednesday dismissed the possibility that the Senate could call him or his son to testify. Asked by reporters to respond to reports that Democratic senators are involved in such talks, he replied multiple times, No, theyre not. He ignored other questions on the matter. In Washington, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed with Bidens assessment. Thats not even on the table, he said. The scenario nonetheless surfaced Wednesday in Osaga, Iowa, where a voter asked Biden whether hed consider testifying as a way to call Trump and the GOPs bluff. The reason why I would not make the deal: This is a constitutional issue, and we are not going to turn it into a farce, into a political theatre, Biden said, later adding of Trump, Im not going to play his game. Its the Senates job now to try him. My job now is to beat him. ___ Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report from Washington. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. A vegan activist who 'rescued' six piglets from a farm was caught after documenting the entire late-night raid on Instagram. Brianna Lee Thauer, 21, was arrested over the break-in near Toowoomba, Queensland, on November 10. Photos and footage posted to her social media pages followed Thauer as she showed the conditions inside the barn. Brianna Lee Thauer, 21, broke into a farm near Toowoomba, Queensland, on November 10 and stole six piglets (pictured with one) as part of a vegan 'rescue' Thauer pleaded guilty to entering the piggery with intent and stealing the six piglets in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The court heard her social media videos and photos of the piglets led police to her, and more were found on her mobile phone. GPS coordinates attached to the metadata confirmed they were shot at the piggery, proving that she was involved in the theft. Thauer's lawyer David Svoboda said she was a vegetarian since she was nine and held strong, passionate views on animal welfare, the Courier Mail reported. Thauer was sentenced to 12 months probation, and ordered to pay the piggery $300 in restitution - only a sixth of what prosecutors asked for Thauer's lawyer David Svoboda said she was a vegetarian since she was nine and held strong, passionate views on animal welfare He said she was now a vegan and for the past three years was involved in animal activism which was a 'life changing experience'. The piglets were recovered but Cameron Pastoral Company said it lost $1,800 because of their theft and handling. The company's Pittsworth piggery has about $4 million worth of animals including 4,000 piglets. Thauer was sentenced to 12 months probation, and ordered to pay the piggery $300 in restitution - only a sixth of what prosecutors asked for. Chief Magistrate Terry Gardiner did not record a conviction because although the crime was serious, he didn't want to hurt her employment prospects. Thauer has a certificate in animal studies and has also worked in early childhood, her lawyer said. Thauer pleaded guilty to entering the piggery with intent and stealing the six piglets in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday (pictured) After the hearing she shared several videos on Instagram of herself discussing the sentencing while still inside the courthouse She also appeared to be a budding Instagram model with numerous professionally-shot scantily-clad photos promoting various products. Thauer began Wednesday by posing in front of the mirror, remarking that her black court outfit appropriately looked funeral attire. After the hearing she shared several videos on Instagram of herself discussing the sentencing while still inside the courthouse. 'I feel f**king sick to my stomach. I blacked out, [the magistrate] kept on talking but I couldn't hear a word he said. It was like my hearing literally shut off,' she said. She explain that she refused to give money to the piggery, but the magistrate said he understood why she said that but still had to pay. Thauer posted videos of the girls playing with the piglets some time after the 'rescue' Thauer, who has 'do no harm' and 'take no s**t' tattooed under her breasts, said she wanted to find a way to give the money to charity instead. She read a statement outside court which she also shared online. 'It never ceases to amaze me how you can be paid to hurt an animal and arrested to help one. Animals are the real victims here... their only 'crime' is that they exist, she said. 'The idea that we have the right to inflict suffering and death on other sentient beings for the trivial reasons of pleasure and fashion is, without a doubt, one of the most arrogant and morally repugnant nations in history of human thought.' Thauer later said as part of her probation she had to see a doctor to organise a mental health plan for mandatory counselling. 'I can't believe I have to do this because I saw someone who needed my help and I helped them,' she said. Hearst Connecticut Media file photo CROMWELL Authorities are hunting for a pair of men who they say robbed the Mobile gas station on Route 372 at gunpoint early Wednesday. Local police were called to to Cromwell Mobil at 123 Berlin Road / Route 372 at 3:25 a.m. on the report of an armed robbery. After an investigation, it was determined two suspects entered the store and approached the counter as if they were going to pay for some items, according to the police report. - The desert locusts invaded the country weeks ago through the northern region - The have been moving to different parts of the country and currently they are in Kitui and Baringo counties - They are well known for their destructive power which stems from their gregarious nature Residents of Baringo and Kitui counties are now living in fear after a swarm of the dreaded desert locusts invaded the regions. In Kitui county, the insects were spotted at Tsekuru, Ngomeni, Kyuso, Matooni, Kathaalani Mukumanza as well as Kavaani. READ ALSO: MP Junet Mohamed welcomes Tanga Tanga leaders to Mombasa BBI rally A resident of Baringo county chasing away locusts that have invaded the region. Photo: Citizen TV Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for January 22: Ruto's woes continue as State reopens 2004 land fraud case A resident of Baringo county, Matthew Lokwete, reported that he saw the locusts on Sunday at around 10am while grazing his animals in Tirioko ward, Tiaty sub-county, as reported by Citizen TV. It appeared like a dark cloud in the sky over Chepukana hill and when they landed in the village, it was difficult to walk because they settled all over the ground. They also covered the trees, lamented Lokwete. On Tuesday, January 21, a team of national government officers visited the area in choppers to mark the affected regions before commencing spraying of insecticides. READ ALSO: Kenya yapewa Uganda, Rwanda na Mali kwenye safari ya Kombe la Dunia 2022 Spraying will start once the national surveillance team sent by the ministry of agriculture complete mapping of the area and putting in place appropriate logistics necessary to carry out the exercise, said an officer from the county. In Kitui county, a team of officers have been deployed to spray the insects on Wednesday, January 22. A team from the desert locusts monitoring unit has been dispatched from Nairobi to spray the locusts, Kitui Deputy Governor Wathe Nzau said on Wednesday morning. Locusts that were spotted at a farm in Juja, Kiambu county. Photo: Kenya News Agency Source: UGC READ ALSO: Detectives conduct major swoop in 2 Eastleigh colleges associated with radicalising al-Shabaab recruits On Monday, the insects were also spotted at a farm in Juja, Kiambu county. The locusts invaded the county through northern Kenya and have since been spreading to other parts of the country. The government launched aerial spraying to help curb the menace that has become a threat to food security in the country. The locusts are well known for their destructive power which stems from their gregarious nature that allows them to move in swarms, eating whatever vegetation they find on their path. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke (CNN) The US Senate's chaplain began Wednesday's proceedings in the impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump with a prayer urging senators to "remember that patriots reside on both sides of the aisle," a pointed prayer that came hours after Chief Justice John Roberts scolded Democrats and Republicans for their bellicose tone on the trial's first full day. "Sovereign God, author of liberty, we gather in this historic chamber for the solemn responsibility of these impeachment proceedings. Give wisdom to the distinguished Chief Justice John Roberts as he presides. Lord, you are all powerful and know our thoughts before we form them," Chaplain Barry Black said in his prayer before the proceedings. "As our lawmakers have become jurors, remind them of your admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:31 -- that whatever they do should be done for your glory. Help them remember that patriots reside on both sides of the aisle, that words have consequences and that how something is said can be as important as what is said. Give them a civility built upon integrity that brings consistency in their beliefs and actions. We pray in your powerful name, amen." The prayer kicked off the second official day of Trump's impeachment trial, which has so far been marked by partisan bickering by both the President's legal team and the Democratic House impeachement managers tasked with arguing the case before the Senate. Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, admonished both groups. "I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the President's counsel, in equal terms ,to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body," Roberts said. "One reason it has earned that title is because its members avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse." Roberts had just listened to the impeachment managers and Trump's legal team rip into each other after House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler made the case for issuing a subpoena for former national security adviser John Bolton's testimony. During that argument, Nadler accused Republican senators of "voting for a coverup" by killing amendments for documents and testimony of additional witnesses, a move that led to White House counsel Pat Cipollone firing back during his own remarks: "The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you. For the way you addressed this body. This is the United States Senate. You're not in charge here." Wednesday's proceedings will consist of the Democratic House managers presenting their case, a job that will take place over the next three days. After that, Trump's legal team will also have 24 hours over three days for its opening arguments before senators will get to ask questions to each side. This story was first published on CNN.com "Senate chaplain opens second day of impeachment trial with pointed prayer: 'Patriots reside on both sides of the aisle'" SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Extra Space Storage Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: EXR) announced today it will release financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2019 on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 to discuss its financial results. Hosting the call will be Extra Space Storage's CEO, Joe Margolis. Joining him will be Scott Stubbs, Executive Vice President and CFO. During the conference call, company officers will review operating performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period. The question-and-answer period will be limited to registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability. To Participate in the Telephone Conference Call: Dial in at least five minutes prior to start time. Domestic: 855-791-2026 International: 631-485-4899 Conference ID: 8437226 Conference Call Playback: Domestic: 855-859-2056 International: 404-537-3406 Conference ID: 8437226 The playback can be accessed beginning on February 19, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. ET through February 24, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The conference call will also be available on the Company's website under Investor Relations at www.extraspace.com. To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will also be available for 30 days on the Company's website. Full Text of the Earnings Report and Supplemental Data The full text of the earnings report and supplemental data will be available at the Company's website at http://ir.extraspace.com immediately following the earnings release to the wire services after the market close on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. For those without Internet access, the earnings release will be available by mail or fax, on request. To receive a copy, please call Extra Space Storage Investor Relations at (801) 365-1759. About Extra Space Storage Inc. Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust, and a member of the S&P 500. As of December 31, 2019, the Company owned and/or operated 1,817 self-storage properties, which comprise approximately 1.3 million units and approximately 140.0 million square feet of rentable storage space offering customers conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. The Company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage properties in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States. For more information, please visit www.extraspace.com. SOURCE Extra Space Storage Inc. Related Links http://www.extraspace.com Aizawl/Shillong/Guwahati, Jan 22 : Carolyn Malsawmtluangi, aged just 11, this little girl from Mizoram has become an epitome of courage and quick presence of mind by saving a minor from being abducted. A student of class four in Muana Primary School, Carolyn not only mustered the courage to rescue a child from the clutches of her kidnapper, but also reunited her with her family after four days. "On June 10 (last year), Carolyn spotted a 31-year-old young woman, accompanied by a child, both new to her locality. Carolyn immediately picked up the girl, carried her on her back and ran towards her home. When the kidnapper woman saw Carolyn running with the child, she asked her to stop and threatened to hit her with stones. The woman later identified as Zonunsangi Fanai run after Caroline and pelted stones at her. Despite this, Carolyn safely brought the abducted child to her home," a police official told IANS. Fanai was subsequently arrested by the police for trying to traffic the seven-year-old girl and was sent to judicial custody. Hailing from Zuangtui Vengthar, a locality on the northeastern outskirts of capital Aizawl, Carolyn lives with her grandparents after her father left them a few years ago. Community Health Action Network (CHAN), an anti-human trafficking group of the Salvation Army Church, last year honoured the daring girl with an appreciation certificate and a cash prize of Rs 5,000. CHAN programme Director Major Lalliankunga said the girl was felicitated for her exemplary courage and shrewdness in saving the seven-year-old girl from being abducted by a woman. "We want to motivate the people, especially the young ones, by honouring Carolyn, who set an example for others," he said. Another braveheart of Assam - 11-year-old boy Kamal Krishna Das in September, 2018 jumped into the flooded Brahmaputra river thrice to save his mother, aunt and a stranger. The misfortune had emerged when during a heavy flood, a country boat carrying Kamal, his mother and aunt hit the pillars of a water supply project and capsized. Witnessing this, his mother shouted at him to take off his shoes and swim to safety. When Kamal reached a safe spot, he recognised that his mother and aunt were nowhere to be seen. Quickly, the little boy turned into a saviour knowing that his mother couldn't swim and ventured into the water and pulled his mother to safety. Immediately after saving his mother, he dived back in and rescued his aunt. After saving his mother and aunt, when he saw a woman in a burqa with a child in her arms struggling to reach ashore, he acted fast and saved them both. Carolyn Malsawmtluangi and Kamal Krishna Das along with four other courageous children from northeast India -- Lourembam Yaikhomba Mangang from Manipur, Everbloom K. Nongrum from Meghalaya, Master Lalliansanga and Master Vanlalhriatrenga from Mizoram -- have been selected for the Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW) National Bravery Awards 2019. This year's youngest National Bravery Award recipient - eight-year-old Lourembam Yaikhomba Mangang of Manipur had saved the life of a boy who was drowning in an Imphal river in March 2019. Lourembam saw five-year-old Konsam Angamba drowning when he was taking a bath in the river with his friends. His presence of mind and quick action saved Konsam's life. League of Valiant Envoys of Society (LOVES), a local NGO, had awarded Rs 1,000 to Lourembam as an encouragement for his courage. Ten-year-old Everbloom K. Nongrum from Meghalaya was selected for the ICCW National Bravery Award for saving two of his friends from drowning in separate incidents last year. A resident of Mawryngkneng village in East Khasi district, Everbloom when asked if he felt afraid jumping into the waters, said, "No, never, I will not shy away from saving more lives in future, if it is in my ability." The National Bravery Awards were started by the Indian Council for Child Welfare in 1957 to recognise children for outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire others to emulate their example. The ICCW has so far honoured 1,004 children with the award, including 703 boys and 301 girls. Each awardee receives a medal, a certificate and cash. The selected children get financial assistance through donations from philanthropists till they complete graduation. Those opting for professional courses such as engineering and medicine get financial support through scholarship schemes. MUMBAI: The Udhav Thackray government in Maharashtra has issued a circular which makes it compulsory for all school students to read the Preamble to the Constitution during their morning assemblies from January 26 onwards. The circular has been passed by the state's School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad. Talking to reporters, the minister said that the step has been taken to familiarise schoolchildren with the Indian Constitution. ''Reading out the Preamble is part of the sovereignty of Constitution, the welfare of all campaign. Students will recite the Preamble to the Constitution every day after morning prayers so that they understand its importance. It is an old government resolution, but we will implement it from January 26, Gaikwad, a Congress MLA, said in Mumbai. If a child reads Preamble every day and takes an oath, he understands that he is a citizen of India. Similarly, he should understand the things laid down by the Constitution and learn those values, she stated further It may be recalled that the previous Maharashtra government had adopted a resolution in this regard in February 2013, when the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government was in power. Live TV The present Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government is an alliance between the Shiv Sena, Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party. The Education Minister has also directed divisional officials to periodically review the implementation of the order. As per the order, both primary and secondary schools will have to follow the directive. It may be noted that several groups of people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act have recited the Preamble, which says that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. It also aims to secure justice, liberty, equality to all citizens and promote fraternity to maintain unity and integrity of the nation. Gaikwad had earlier this month said that the state government will try its best not to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register. He said this while speaking during the Students Against CAA and NRC conference in Mumbai. New Delhi: Ahead of his visit to India that may take place sometime next month, United States President Donald Trump has reiterated his resolve to help in resolving the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, adding that the US is watching the situation in Kashmir very very closely. The US President made the remarks in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. On his part, the Pakistani Prime Minister also hoped that the US will play its part in resolving that (Kashmir issue) because no other country can. This is despite New Delhi having repeatedly told the US President that the Kashmir issue has to be discussed only bilaterally between India and Pakistan. Mr Trumps latest comments are being seen by observers as a sign of American pressure on India to begin talks with Pakistan. It is also being seen as a sign of Pakistan trying to push for US mediation on the Kashmir issue in return for helping the US work out a deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The comments also come in the wake of the visit of US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster to J&K as part of the 15-member foreign envoys delegation that visited the newly-created union territory earlier this month. Mr Trump was quoted by news reports as saying, We are talking about Kashmir and with relation to whats going on with Pakistan and India. If we can help, we certainly will be helping. We have been watching it and following it very, very closely. Imran says India is a big issue Asked if he would visit Pakistan around the time he visits India, Trump said, We are visiting right now, so we wont really have to. But I wanted to say hello for both from a relationship standpoint... we have had a great relationship. On his part, Imran Khan was quoted as saying, There are issues that we want to talk about, like Afghanistan. Fortunately, we are on the same page. India, of course, it is a big issue. We always hope that the US will play its part in resolving that because no other country can. In the wake of repeated offers of mediation between India and Pakistan by the US President last year, Prime Minister Modi clearly told the US President during their bilateral meeting in New York last September that India was not shying away from talks with Pakistan. Modi told Trump that India had expected certain steps to be taken against terrorism by Pakistan and that it was Pakistan that had not taken those steps. Ahead of his bilateral meeting with Modi then, Trump had hoped that Modi and Imran Khan would get together and work out something on Kashmir, adding that we all want to see that. Asked about the issue of terrorism, President Trump said last September, We had a very good meeting with (Pakistan) PM Khan. We discussed a lot and I think hed like to see something happen that will be very fruitful, very peaceful. And I think that will happen ultimately. I really believe that that these two great gentlemen (PM Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan) will get together and work out something. It would be great if they could work out something on Kashmir. We all want to see that, Im sure, and I really believe that PM Modi and PM Khan, that they get along, that they will get along when they get to know each other and I think a lot of good things will come from that meeting. In the presence of the visiting Pakistan Prime Minister in the US last year, President Trump had said, It (the mediation offer) would always stand. If I can help, I would certainly do that. And it will be dependent on both of these gentlemen. One without the other doesnt work, if youre going to do mediation. T he spread of a new deadly virus in China could damage the luxury goods sector, analysts warned on Wednesday as British fashion giant Burberry said it was monitoring the crisis on a daily basis. Burberry is one of a number of consumer brands that could be affected by the coronavirus epidemic in Asia as potential travel bans prevent potential customers visiting upmarket stores there. Asia Pacific makes up 41% of total retail and wholesale revenue for the label. Chinese authorities have advised people not to travel to and from Wuhan, the centre of a new outbreak that has killed nine. The timing is particularly bad as it comes ahead of this weekends Chinese New Year celebrations, when many go on shopping sprees. Bernstein analyst Luca Solca said epidemics and their potential to disrupt travel would be one of the major risks for the luxury sector. Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: It could also have financial implications, which has resulted in a markdown of share prices of those companies which could be affected, such as Burberry. However some stocks are doing well in the face of the health scare. Shares in Chinese drug makers have hit three-year highs on hopes of winning new contracts for vaccines and cures. Burberrys finance director Julie Brown today said: "We are keeping the situation under review we monitor it every single day. Her comments came as Burberry said like-for-like sales in the 13 weeks to December 28 rose 3%, with total sales up 1% at 719 million. Growth came despite difficulties in Hong Kong, with the closure of some of its Hong Kong stores at times to protect staff during anti-government protests. It was helped by demand for star designer Riccardo Tiscis new collections. Burberry, led by Marco Gobbetti, upped its sales growth forecasts for the full year from flat to low single digit percentage growth. The UK hosted its first ever Africa investment summit on Monday to discuss partnership and investment opportunities across the continent The UK-Africa Investment Summit took place in the presence of world leaders, including President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and the UKs Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the events host, high-profile representatives of 21 African countries and members of the UK government. According to Johnson, Africa is the future and the UK is a huge part of that future. Look at the monorail trains that will shortly be conveying citizens through the streets of Cairo, that great and growing city, the monorails will be made here in Derby, said Johnson. In his speech addressing the summit, President Al-Sisi said: There are promising and diverse opportunities for Africas partners such opportunities make Africa one of the most important destinations for international business institutions. Al-Sisi highlighted four areas where cooperation with partners such as the UK was especially welcome the implementation of infrastructure projects that contribute to continental integration and fall within the priorities of the infrastructure development programme of the African Union, such as the Cairo-Cape Town axis linking the north and south of the continent, renewable energy generation projects, and all road and railway projects and initiatives to activate the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and enhance intra-Africa trade. Al-Sisi stressed the important role of the domestic private sector as a driver of economic growth. He said partnerships between foreign and African private sectors were an integral part of African national strategies. The president also welcomed cooperation in empowering women and youth and providing job opportunities and equipping them with skills, and highlighted the importance of the government in providing guarantees to international companies to reassure investors and encourage them to pump direct investments into Africa. During the summit, the UKs Secretary of State for International Development Alok Sharma and Egypts Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat agreed to work together on projects that can help deliver Egypts 2030 agenda. Cooperation between the UK and Egypt already encompasses medical training programmes and the Chevening Scholarship Programme which provides 50 fully-funded scholarships a year. The UK is a major investor in Egypts telecommunications, oil, gas and pharmaceutical sectors. According to a joint press release by the UK Department of International Development and the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation, current UK investments stand at $48 billion. The press release also said the UK will provide technical assistance and capacity building for the structural reforms required to unlock private sector development and inclusive economic growth, seek to strengthen education and healthcare partnerships, deepen financial links, boost trade and investment and continue to establish a UK-Egypt association agreement. The agreement, once signed and following completion of domestic processes in both countries, will provide continuity in our trading relationship when the current agreement between Egypt and the EU ceases to apply to the UK. Another highlight of Egypts cooperation with the UK this year will be Egypts High-Level Conference on Accelerating Learning in the Middle East and Africa, to be held in Cairo in February 2020, which the UK will support. African growth is accelerating, with GDP set to reach 2.5 trillion by 2025. Advantages mentioned by panel members included Africas young population and its rapidly growing economies. The IMF says Africa is home to eight of the worlds 15 fastest growing economies. According to World Bank figures, six of the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world are located in Africa. According to David Schwimmer, the CEO of the London Stock Exchange, Africa is in need of capital. Schwimmer said the London stock market is ready and able to mobilise capital to drive growth across the continent. On Tuesday, Al-Sisi held closed bilateral talks with Johnson at 10 Downing Street. This was followed by a meeting between the two countries delegations during which, according to Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi, Johnson stressed his keenness on enhancing bilateral relations with Egypt. Britain counts on Egypts central and active role as a mainstay of stability in the Middle East and Africa, Johnson said. According to Radi, Al-Sisi stressed that Egypt is looking forward to maximising bilateral cooperation in the coming period and enhancing political and security coordination and the exchange of visions on issues of mutual interest. Earlier the same day, Al-Sisi met with Prince William. They discussed economic and trade ties and ways to strengthen mutual cooperation, mainly in the fields of tourism and education. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: A former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), says the country is presently at a crossroad with the myriad security challenges. The former head of state said this in Kaduna during the annual award dinner organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation to honour some Nigerians for their contributions to the society. Abdulsalami said Nigerians must join hands to eradicate the menace of insecurity. Among those honoured by the foundation were the former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon (retd), who got leadership award and Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, wife of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who received an award for Public Service and Administration of Justice. Read Also: Boko Haram Beheaded CAN Chairman, Despite N50m Offer Abdulsalami said: With the present security challenges ranging from banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism, I will say Nigeria is at a crossroad. We should, therefore, try as much as possible to give information and intelligence reports to the security agencies for timely action. We will always pray for peace and I am appealing to all Nigerians to put all hands on deck to eradicate this menace of insecurity currently threatening the peace of the country. Its not only him, its the culture around him, she said. Its his leadership team. Its his prominent supporters. Its his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it. And I dont think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it, but you either dont know what your campaign and supporters are doing or youre just giving them a wink. A wing of the Goa Church and other organisations have planned a public meeting against the CAA-NRC-NPR regime on Friday in Margao town in south Goa. The meeting will be organised on the Lohia Maidan by the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), a wing of the Goa Church, the NationalConfederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO) and the Concerned Citizens for Goa, a CSJP office-bearer told reporters in Margao on Wednesday. "The meeting is organised with the objective to condemn the Union government's act of endangering the Constitution. We will register our total disapproval of the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR)," said CSJP executive secretary Fr Savio Fernandes. He said these laws will affect Goans as much other Indians, "as many locals don't possess birth certificates to prove their citizenship". When asked about persecution of Christians in Pakistan over their faith, Fernandes said, "there is a possibility that these Christians might not even come to India, but would prefer Western countries, if they want to settle down". The CAA grants Indian citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jain refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled to India on or before December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution. Protests have been going on in different parts of the country against the new law. Fernandes appealed to the government to listen to "the voice of the people and withdraw the CAA". "After withdrawing the CAA, the government can then engage in wider consultations if it still wishes to proceed with any form of legislation regarding citizenship," he said. Rajan Soloman, working president, NCHRO, said the CAA in its present form is unacceptable and Constitutionally void. "It is for the first time since Partition that people cutting across all religions and social formations are holding protests on streets. The CAA is a threat to democracy and secularism," he said. Concern Citizens of Goa president Samir Shaikh questioned the "real intention" of the government behind bringing the CAA. The Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the CAA, calling it a precursor to implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The unprecedented rainwater flooding witnessed by the UAE recently was swiftly managed by the local authorities with support from Xylem, a leading global water technology company, supporting them with the worlds most advanced water dispersal solution. As a company dedicated to solving the worlds most challenging water issues, Xylem not only provided its advanced water pumps to clients for the pump-out operations, but also deployed its own team on a priority basis to support critical on-ground work for four consecutive days. To assist with the flood relief, Xylem put in motion its Godwin Dri-Prime Series. Godwin is the first Certified Manufacturer of FM Approved Flood Protection Pumps. Xylems Godwin pumps and service team were utilised in several key areas in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. The seven pumps mobilised had a total pumping capacity of over 6,000 cubic metres per hour. In total, over 200,000 cubic metres of water have been pumped out to date, with the final tally of water removed still to be calculated as pumping work continues in some locations. In addition to supporting Dubai Municipality in one of the most efficient water-dispersal mobilisation operations seen in the region, Xylem also supported Mazaya Centre Mall and Dubai Canal while its pumps were used by partners in several key locations across the city. The pumps were also deployed in a residential district in Ras Al Khaimah, which features about 300 villas and a school. Whilst Xylems team had to overcome a number of challenges during the operation, the application of their knowledge and experience from international flood relief operations allowed them to overcome these. Nick Slater, Regional Rental and Services Director, Xylem, said: We are honoured to have supported the authorities in the UAE in mobilising one of the fastest and most efficient water dispersal operations to manage the unprecedented rainfall flooding in the past week. The success of such mobilisation works is driven by the speed in draining out water from inhabited areas to ensure the safety of the people within these communities. We would like to extend our thanks to our dedicated and valued service team for their ongoing efforts and for working around the clock to support our customers and communities in this clean-up operation. This was a fantastic example of Xylem being able to support communities to resolve water related challenges and we are thankful to the authorities and the communities we served for enabling us to undertake the swiftest possible water dispersal as part of this effort. The response mechanism demonstrated in the UAE will serve as a benchmark in addressing urban water-related challenges in years to come and we look forward to continued collaboration with the UAE authorities to help alleviate similar situations in the future, Slater continued. Xylem has been supporting various municipalities, governments and private entities around the world with flood support and alleviation for more than 40 years. The company is committed to providing sustainable solutions to help solve the most challenging water-related problems, with Xylem extending its flood abatement pumps to key cities across the world. The Godwin Dri-Prime Series, deployed in the UAE, is the first portable flood abatement pump to earn the seal of approval from FM Global, the largest private insurer of commercial and industrial properties worldwide. With a high flow pump (of up to 1150 M3/hr) and multiple suction/discharge sizes (100-300mm), the pump is specifically designed to prevent flood water from reaching critical building systems and interior spaces. It is ideal for portable, stationary or permanent installations. Xylem brings over 40 years of expertise in water management solutions and has special expertise in emergency planning and response, whilst also providing remote monitoring and control of pump location and performance. -- Tradearabia News Service By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 18, 2020 | 05:31 PM | LYON COUNTY On Tuesday, White said he was no longer asking for help after hearing from officials with the Cabinet for Tourism, Arts and Heritage in Frankfort, which oversees the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. White said they voiced, "concerns over my request to gain community help," for the agency, but did not elaborate. White thanked everyone who had expressed a desire to help, saying, "I very much appreciate your overwhelming generosity through your donations of fuel, food, boats and time." He said anyone who still wants to help should contact the Cabinet for Tourism, Arts and Heritage instead of his office. Original Story: The Lyon County Judge Executive is asking the local community to help with donations and volunteers for an Asian carp harvest effort in February. In February, Lyon County will welcome 25 commercial fishermen on the Kentucky Lake side of LBL to perform a modified unified method in a couple of bays to drag hundreds of thousand of carp from the lake. There will be several boats, lots of nets and commercial fishermen involved. They expect this to be a 10-to-12 day work period. No official date has been provided. The following items are things the KY Fish and Wildlife does not have and could use the help from local communities and businesses. * A person with a boat; with a cabin on it to guard the bay through the night. Monetary payment maybe possible. *Lunch, drinks, Snacks for mid-day at the site in LBL for approximately 25 people. Coffee & hot chocolate available for mornings. *Muck boots and rain gear for a few volunteers along with thick rubber gloves with lining. *Gas cans with gas to gas up boats on a daily basis. Looking for approx 20 gallons per day. Anyone interested in donating to this event should contact the Lyon County Judge Executive at 270-388-7311. After asking for community help in what could be a massive harvest of Asian Carp in February, the Lyon County Judge Executive has now retracted his request.Wade White had requested volunteers who could help provide security, gas, and other supplies through a 10-12 day work period, while 25 commercial fishermen are removing thousands of carp from Kentucky Lake. The fishermen will implement the, "modified unified method," using several boats and lots of nets. Universities have deferred the start of lectures for first year students from March to August to allow the synchronisation of programmes across colleges so that students can transfer and be able to continue from where they left. The move also seeks to accommodate foreign students under the Study in Zimbabwe Programme. The synchronisation of the programmes will be in tandem with Statutory Instrument 133 of 2018, which provides for the new arrangement. Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said in an interview yesterday that the recruitment of students can go ahead now even though they will start learning in August. Universities have postponed the start of lectures for first year students so that their programmes can be structured in such a way that if a Civil Engineering student from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) wants to transfer to the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) for the second semester onwards, that would not be a problem since the programmes are the same and they started at the same time, said Prof Murwira. We have the Study in Zimbabwe Programme, where universities are trying to attract international students and the Zimbabwe Qualifications Framework, where they are trying to synchronise their programmes, following Statutory Instrument 132 of 2018. So, based on this, universities said they are working on the synchronisation of programmes and they will be ready for students to start their lectures in August 2020; that is for first year students, but they will be admitted even now. Prof Murwira said starting in August was not new as the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) always started in that month since it did not have two intakes per year. He said universities had their meeting on January 9 and agreed that for them to implement the Zimbabwe Qualifications Framework, they needed to start lectures for first year students at the same time. Prof Murwira said after a meeting on Tuesday on the Study in Zimbabwe Programme, universities said they would be ready with the synchronisation exercise by June 30, 2020. The universities will also be required to implement the new Education 5.0 Curriculum which emphasises on technology and innovation. Prof Murwira said Education 5.0 sought to broaden the terms of reference for the universities through the addition of innovation and industrialisation. Our universities, instead of having three terms of reference which are teaching, research and community service (Education 3.0), we are now doing Education 5.0, which has innovation and industrialisation, he said. Universities are now being given five terms of reference, that is why we are building innovation hubs to make sure that industrialisation and new products become the responsibility of universities, just like Silicon Valley is the industrial park for Stanford University. That is why at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) we are starting what we call the Cattle Artificial Insemination Programme, which has potential revenue of US$140 million, which we have already finished. Prof Murwira said it was important to review syllabuses offered at universities, in line with Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy. We will introduce new programmes relevant to the countrys economy, he said. We do not want to short-change our parents by churning out some unemployable graduates. The ministry is working on reviewing the curriculum in line with the countrys economy. We want to introduce new programmes such as solar technicians, farm management, locomotive technicians, leather technicians, irrigation technicians, and avionic technicians, among others, which are relevant to the countrys economy and in line with Vision 2030. On farm management, Prof Murwira said skills offered at the moment were only 12 percent of requirements, hence the challenges with managing farms. We are producing what we call Ivory Tower mentality, meaning universities are doing something which has nothing to do with the country, he said. We are not training for our country, but for other countries. NSW residents are warned recent rainfall has not extinguished bushfires burning across the state, and there is no room for complacency with high temperatures and elevated fire danger about to return. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) has graded fire danger at "severe" levels in a number of regions on Thursday, including the Shoalhaven, Hunter, Illawarra, Sydney, North Western, and the southern and central ranges. Total fire bans are in place for each of those areas on Thursday. Subscribe to The Choice on your favorite listening app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Pocket Casts | Stitcher Today on The Choice, the endorsement podcast from NYT Opinion, New York entrepreneur Andrew Yangs visit to the Times boardroom for his endorsement interview. The editorial board pressed him on his (oddly) regressive economic proposals, his history in college test prep and how hed take on Silicon Valley monopolies. Plus: aliens, Shane Gillis and why no one wants to work for the N.S.A. Then, tune in to the bonus deliberation episode, below, to hear the boards reaction to Yangs interview, and a deeper conversation with Mara Gay about how age of candidates and their voters is playing a role in the 2020 election. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstans Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) and Rosgeology Russian multidisciplinary geological holding company have agreed to cooperate in order to attract alternative sources of financing for geological exploration, Trend reports with reference to AIFC. The corresponding Memorandum of Cooperation for creation of a digital platform for funds attraction in AIFC was signed during the World Economic Forum held in Davos. The AIFC regulatory regime allows to manage the use of new financial instruments, including attracting investments and asset tokenization through blockchain technology. Cooperation with Rosgeology is a vivid example of the use of fintech solutions, AIFC Governor Kairat Kelimbetov said. According to Head of Rosgeology Sergey Gorkov the holding is pleased to join forces with the AIFC to develop a digital platform for the early financing of junior companies, designed to become an innovative tool for attracting private investment in exploration. The digital platform will be implemented using modern blockchain technologies with tokenized assets and digital means of supporting liquidity and crypto protection. AIFCs goal is to form a leading center of financial services at the international level. AIFC objectives are to assist in attracting investment in the countrys economy, create an attractive environment for investing in financial services, develop the securities market of Kazakhstan and ensure its integration with international capital markets. Rosgeology is a Russian multidisciplinary geological holding company that provides a full range of services related to geological exploration. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh During the past four months, the still-raging wildfires have ravaged about 25 million acres of land across Australia, killing an estimated 1 billion animals and leaving countless others with life-threatening injuries and burns. With more than 60 fires still burning as of Tuesday, according to BBC News, the number of animals in distress will only increase. And with animal rescue organizations in overdrive to save the lives of fragile koalas, kangaroos, sugar gliders and cockatoos, the support of individuals worldwide is essential. Luckily, generous crafters have taken note. The nonprofit Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild has inspired knitters, crocheters and sewers around the globe, including in the Coulee Region, to use their skills for the sake of suffering mammals and birds. Using the patterns, fabric, materials and stitching methods specified by the Guild, crafters have been churning out joey pouches, koala mittens, makeshift nests and crate liners to be dispersed to local animal rescue and rehabilitation centers. Locally, Logan-Northside neighborhood member and animal lover Lisa Nelson has been spearheading the mission, first summoning friends and family to assist and then reaching out to the community via the neighborhood social networking site Nextdoor. "I decided to help out because I have always loved animals, and have a difficult time knowing they are suffering. All of my pets, except one, have been strays or rescued," Nelson says. "So, when I saw the horrific devastation happening as result of the fires, I started googling what was happening with the surviving animals. The Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild popped up with a 'worldwide cry for crafters.' As a former crochet and sew person, I thought I could do something to help." As the eager volunteer base expanded, Nelson secured the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center as a drop-off location for donations. Nelson collects the items -- 19 have come in so far ---weekly and ships them to a distribution hub in Australia. Nelson, who has a chronic and debilitating illness, isn't able to take on much of the sewing but personally pays the shipping costs. Each pattern is tailored to the animal's needs, with bat wraps designed to simulate the mother's wings and joey pouches provide warmth, comfort and portability. Contributions, Nelson stresses, must follow the Guild's stipulations, which include the use of synthetic fabrics, preferably polar fleece, for beds to prevent moisture absorption and enclosed seams and rounded corners for pouches to prevent faces and paws from getting stuck. "These are animals rescued from the wild, and will be returned as able, so claws getting caught up in yarn crafted items is detrimental to their healing and rehabilitation," Nelson says ... Sadly, thousands of items have come in worldwide that aren't useable." Crafters are advised to check the Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild Facebook page for updates on needs -- currently large joey pouches, crate liners and blankets are in short supply, while the koala mitten demand has been met -- and shipment acceptance. Hubs close periodically for sorting and taking inventory. For patterns, instructions and and updates from Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild, visit www.facebook.com/groups/arfsncrafts/ . Finished items can be taken to the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center, 1433 Rose St. Emily Pyrek can be reached at emily.pyrek@lee.net. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Representative image Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Maharashtra, Raj Purohit, said that rape cases will increase if malls, restaurants and movie theatres in Mumbai are allowed to remain open for 24 hours. If a culture of 'alcohol' gets popular, it will lead to increase in crime against women, and there will be thousands of Nirbhaya cases. He should think whether such culture is good for India, Purohit told news agency ANI. "It will hamper law and order. There are not enough cops in the city to handle this," he added. The proposal for allowing malls, multiplexes and eateries in Mumbai to remain open round-the-clock was cleared by the Maharashtra Cabinet on January 22. Establishments that meet that criteria and are willing to stay open 24 hours, will be able to do so from January 27. Also read: Maharashtra Cabinet approves plan to keep Mumbai malls, eateries open 24X7 The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Police have given the permission to such establishments, which fall under gated communities and non-residential areas across the city, to remain open 24X7. The Maharashtra government said that it will take a decision on the need to increase police force to implement the move. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had on January 19 said: We will decide how much pressure it will create on police. If it is to function 24x7, we will have to increase our force, state administration will make a decision," Deshmukh had said. Even though establishments will be able to function round-the-clock, the time limit for serving alcohol will remain at 1.30 am. Ivanka Trump faced a bitter backlash on Wednesday morning after it was revealed that the cost of the rental cars used to ferry her around the World Economic Forum in Davos had hit nearly $34,000. The 38-year-old first daughter came under heavy criticism on social media after the 'eye-watering' figure was published on a public database - with Quartz reporting that the cost of Ivanka's vehicle rental for the two-day trip had pushed the total cost of the administration's attendance to more than $4 million. However, despite being slammed on social media over the whopping total, Ivanka put on a brave face as she took to the stage at the WEF in Switzerland on Wednesday to promote her father's workforce initiatives. Lively: Ivanka Trump made an animated speech about her father's workforce initiative during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Passionate: The 38-year-old smiled happily as she discussed the Trump administration's Pledge to Americas Workers Putting on a brave face? Ivanka's attendance at the press conference came shortly after it was revealed the Secret Service spent $34,000 on cars for her to use during her two-day trip Outrage: The sky-high expense of her rental cars pushed the total cost of the Trump administration's trip to more than $4 million Costs: Ivanka's car expenses were posted on USASpending.Gov under her Secret Service code name, Marvel Ivanka looked incredibly animated as she joined Marc Benioff, the billionaire CEO of Salesforce, at a press conference - having revealed on Instagram her plans to use her time in Davos to 'call on the world's largest employers to sign our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers'. However, while the mother-of-three certainly put on a passionate display for guests at the Reskilling Revolution conference, making a lively speech about the Trump administration's workforce initiative, her time on the stage was overshadowed by her staggeringly high car costs. According to USASpending.gov, the Secret Service spent $33,864 to rent cars for the first daughter to travel around the WEF during the two days that she and her father are spending there. The cost was listed under the Department of State as WEF2020 USSS MARVEL RENTAL OF VEHICLES, which refers to Ivanka by her Secret Service code name: Marvel. It is not clear whether Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, who uses the Secret Service code name Mechanic, has also racked up his own costs. However, as reported by Quartz, other car rental expenses include $736,000 paid for by the White House travel office, as well as two sums spent on hotel stays for the President's aides, with one priced at $286,000 while the other was a relatively cheap $29,000. Riding in style? The first daughter, who arrived at Wednesday's press conference in a $3,980 Gucci coat, has not actually been pictured using any cars Ready to go: The mother-of-three was joined at the press conference by billionaire Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce Thumbs up! Despite the public upset over her car costs, Ivanka seemed to be in very good spirits as she took to the stage Anger: Twitter users slammed the expense of the trip, with some questioning why Ivanka needed to join her father at the conference Doubt: 'Why the hell is Ivanka at Davos? An official capacity?' one person wrote These figures put the total cost of Trump's taxpayer-funded trip to Davos at around $4 million - a huge increase on the $1.8 million that was spent when he attended the conference in January 2018. Many voiced their outrage over the costs on Twitter - with a number of users questioning why Ivanka joined her father at the conference. 'Why the hell is Ivanka at Davos? An official capacity?' one person asked, while another added: '[The Trumps] go through money like it's water. Trumps don't care about the cost of things.' A third chimed in: 'What is she doing in Davos anyway? Shes a shoe designer.' Another wrote: 'Please tell me why taxpayers have to pay to haul Ivanka to and all around Davos? I mean, what is she doing there?' On Tuesday, Ivanka made quite the sartorial statement as she made her debut at the World Economic Forum, showing off not one, but two stylish ensembles within a matter of hours. The daughter stepped out at the event on Tuesday morning alongside her father and her husband Jared Kushner, wearing a chic Oscar de la Renta coat dress that she first modeled in April 2018. Then, just hours later, she was seen sporting a silky green Reformation dress while watching a meeting between her father and Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. Feeling blue? Ivanka donned a pantsuit and a polka-dot shirt to attend the conference Sleek: She wore her blonde hair in a straight style around her shoulders Getting glam: The first daughter appeared to be wearing false lashes, and she topped off her makeup look for the day with a matte lipstick Old friends: FIFA president Gianni Infantino greeted Ivanka warmly while attending the press conference - having enjoyed dinner with the president and first daughter on Tuesday For her first appearance of the day, the first daughter paired her ankle-length coat with a funky $1,490 belt that has a large gold flower buckle, and Ivanka added a pair of gold hoop earrings for an extra dose of bling. And just as she did in 2018, Ivanka wore the long coat dress with some black boots. In fact, the only main difference between the mother-of-three's look on Tuesday compared to her first appearance in the outfit was her choice of 'do; two years ago, Ivanka had long blonde locks that were styled in loose waves when she stepped out in her Oscar de la Renta ensemble. However, in September 2019, she made the decision to change up her look, cutting off her lengthy tresses in favor of a sleek, chic bob. Although her hair has since grown back down to her shoulders, it remains significantly shorter than it was in April 2018. Later in the day, after changing into her $298 Reformation number, Ivanka was seen modeling loose waves in her hair, and she also swapped out her chunky gold hoops for a more demure pearl necklace. Ivanka glammed up her look for the evening events at the World Economic Forum - where she first attended a speech by her father, alongside her husband Jared Kushner, before watching his meeting with Khan, and then attending a dinner with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The married couple watched on as the President branded climate activists were out-of-touch 'alarmists' and the 'heirs of yesterday's fortune tellers' - while prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg sat in the audience. A firm favorite: Ivanka recycled a black Oscar de la Renta coat dress and funky $1,490 gold flower belt as she stepped out for her first event in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday Helping hand: The 38-year-old first daughter joined her father, President Donald Trump, as he prepared to make a speech at the World Economic Forum Quick change! Just a few hours later, she was seen sporting a silky green Reformation dress while listening to a meeting between her father and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan 'This is not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism,' he said in stark contrast to Thunberg and others, who used the conference to warn that the Australian wildfires and other disasters were only the beginning of the climate chaos that lie ahead. To 'embrace the possibilities of tomorrow,' Trump said, 'we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse.' 'They are the heirs of yesterday's fortune tellers,' the President added. 'They predicted an over-population crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the 70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s. 'These alarmists always demand the same thing - absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country or eradicate our liberty.' Although he touched on climate change however, the bulk of Trump's speech was touting the American economy under his leadership, a curtain-raiser as he works more seriously toward his re-election bid. Tuesday's speech was also counter-programming with the Senate beginning its impeachment trial of Trump; House Democrats will start making their case as Trump meets with world leaders. Ivanka and Jared are expected to remain in Switzerland with the President for two days - however the first daughter will not just be spending her time shadowing her father, and revealed on Instagram that she is working on a cause of her own while at the forum. On the job: Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, who are both senior advisors to the president, are expected to remain in the country for two days If it ain't broke... The first daughter first wore the ensemble back in April 2018 when she was seen leaving her D.C. home in the all-black look Right hand woman: Ivanka wrote on Instagram that her father planned to 'champion American industry and workers' while in Davos Stylish: The first daughter showed off matching green shoes later on in the evening 'Headed to Davos to call on the world's largest employers to sign our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers,' she wrote on her Instagram Stories ahead of her arrival in Europe. She added that she wants employers to 'join us in unleashing the potential of our people and accelerating the historic wave of opportunity, wage growth, and job creation in the United States'. Ivanka then posted a picture of her father's helicopter flying coming in to land in Davos, while writing: 'POTUS arriving in Davos where he will champion American industry and workers!' The first daughter's arrival in Switzerland comes just days after her brother-in-law Joshua Kushner and sister-in-law Karlie Kloss left the country, having spent several days celebrating the wedding of Dasha Zhukova and billionaire shipping heir Stavros Niarchos. It does not appear as though the two couples crossed paths during their time in the country - which may well have come as a relief to Karlie, who revealed for the first time that she is a Democrat, and that she plans to vote against Trump in the 2020 election. The 27-year-old opened up about her allegiances during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, when host Andy Cohen pushed her on whether or not she agrees with her in-laws on politics. 'Andy, I'm sure I'm not the only person in this country who does not necessarily agree with their family on politics,' Karlie calmly stated. 'I voted as a Democrat in 2016, and I plan to do the same in 2020.' By Lee Kyung-min The salaries of workers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were less than half of those made by employees at large conglomerates, data showed Wednesday. Statistics Korea data showed SME workers' monthly salary averaged 2.31 million won ($1,985) in 2018, less than half of the 5.01 million won made by conglomerate workers in the same period. Their median income was 1.88 million won and 4.25 million won, respectively. Employees at SMEs saw their salaries increase 3.7 percent in 2018 from a year earlier, a greater hike compared to the 2.6 percent jump seen by large firm workers. But this failed to have any meaningful statistical impact to narrow the income gap between the two groups. Large conglomerate employees had an average work period of 7.9 years at their place of work, while SMEs workers had 3.1 years. This is largely due to workers at small firms frequently quitting jobs for reasons including low wages and hard work compounded by comparatively harsh treatment. Large firm workers, by contrast, tend to stay longer in their white-collar jobs for the reasons including higher compensation and a relatively safe working environment. The income gap between the two peaked when they reached 50. Large firm workers in their 50s had an average income of 6.63 million won, over double what their SME counterparts earned at 2.51 million won. "The salary gap between the two groups has been consistent over the past few years. It is hard to say that last year had any statistically meaningful improvements," a statistics official said. Yonsei University economics professor Sung Tae-yoon said government action is required to fight against what seems to be a "permanent" inequality. "Despite numerous previous government measures, the salary gap between the two does not seem to be narrowing, with more young university graduates seeking jobs at large firms. The government should find ways to reduce the growing mismatch," he said. The data also showed men earned more than women. Men earned an average of 3.47 million won in 2018, but women made only 2.25 million won just 64 percent of their male peers average earnings. The highest-paid industries included electrics, energy and steam power businesses which had an average income of 6.19 million won, followed by financial and insurance businesses (6.17 million won). The lowest-paid industry was the lodgings and eateries business (1.32 million won), followed by maintenance and leasing (1.89 million won). Missouri Man Charged with Murder for Setting House on Fire While Teen with Autism Was Inside A Missouri man has been accused of murder after starting a house fire that killed a boy with autism. Bobby Copass, 39, was charged with second degree murder on Tuesday following the death of Dustin Baggett, a 16-year-old with autism who suffered critical injuries from a two-alarm blaze last week and later died, according to the Florissant Police Department. Copass was initially charged with first-degree arson when he was arrested on Friday. The fatal house fire broke out on Jan. 17 around 3:00 a.m. near the 1900 block of Curtis Court in Florissant, Mo., authorities said. The Florissant Valley Fire Protection District called the fire a very challenging situation. The fire burned very hot and our crews had to navigate holes in the first floor from flames originating in the basement, they said in a Facebook post. On top of that, we had icy conditions outside. RELATED VIDEO: Tenn. Mom Charged in Case of Missing 5-Year-Old Boy With Autism as Dad Faces Homicide Charges According to police, firefighters were able to pull Baggett out from the blaze and transport him to a local hospital. Baggetts great-aunt Patricia Lake told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Baggett suffered smoke inhalation as well as burns to his face, hands and feet. She said Baggett never regained consciousness while in the hospital, and that the family made the decision to remove him from life support and donate his liver and kidneys on Saturday. She told the outlet Copass, who is a cousin of the Baggetts stepfather, was living with the boy before the fire. According to local news station KSDK, Copass had been dating one of the homeowners relatives and was recently kicked out of the residence following a disagreement. RELATED: Father Charged with Murder 4 Years After He Drove Off Pier with His 2 Autistic Sons in the Car He was captured on surveillance camera returning to the house on Friday, according to the outlet. Video footage showed a fire starting in the basement and Copass walking out of the house later. Story continues Online records show that Copass had previously spent 15 years in prison for felony kidnapping, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and three counts of armed criminal action. Copass is currently being held at the St. Louis County Jail on a $1 million bail. An attorney for Copass could not be immediately identified by PEOPLE. IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the year, Irvine-based Sunwest Bank will celebrate its 50th Anniversary as a leading community bank for entrepreneurs, serving 13 locations across Southern California, Arizona, Idaho and Utah. Sunwest was founded in 1970 under the name "Santiago Bank" by a small group of partners who promised to help grow the businesses and community of Orange County. The oldest headquartered bank in Orange County specializes in working with small-medium businesses, privately held corporations, family offices, and real estate developers and investors. "Sunwest began 50 years ago with an entrepreneurial idea by a group of business leaders in Orange County," said Eric Hovde, Sunwest CEO. "Thanks to our clients and employees it grew, and success has surpassed all expectations. It has been wonderful to see Sunwest become not only an integral part of the Orange County business community, but throughout the western U.S., Sunwest is truly a Bank for Entrepreneurs built by Entrepreneurs." Just in the past year, Sunwest Bank received a Top 200 Recognition from American Banker and was named a Civic 50 Orange County Honoree. Reflecting on its 50 years in business, Sunwest plans to continue this momentum through the next 50 years and beyond. Ahead of their anniversary year, Sunwest partnered with the Orange County chapter of Boys Hope Girls Hope and Teen Leadership Foundation by providing them with matching grants of $50,000 to each organization at the end of 2019. "Establishing a foundation that benefits disadvantaged community members was a natural extension of the bank's mission to build a thriving community," said Nicole Bice, Executive Director of the Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation. "Boys Hope Girls Hope and Teen Leadership Foundation care for vulnerable youth and equip them with the skills they need to overcome their backgrounds. These organizations have made a profound impact in Orange County over their cumulative 47 years of service, and Sunwest is proud to further their growth initiatives." Sunwest Bank will also host a series of stories on its half-century as a bank. These stories will be hosted on its website and will share reflections on their accomplishments and looks ahead to the future https://sunwestbank.com/celebrating-50-years/. For more information on Sunwest Bank's products and services, visit https://sunwestbank.com. About Sunwest Bank Founded in 1969, Sunwest Bank is a privately held commercial bank with more than $1.3 Billion in assets. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, with operations in California, Arizona, Idaho and Utah; Sunwest is an entrepreneurial business bank with a long tradition of providing excellent service to entrepreneurs, privately held corporations, family offices, small-medium sized business and real estate developers throughout the Western United States. Sunwest Bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. More information about Sunwest Bank and its full line of products and services is available at www.sunwestbank.com. Media Contact(s) Nicole Smith Marketing Manager, Sunwest Bank Tel: +1 (714) 730-4491 Email: [email protected] Or Tyler Lyon IDPR for Sunwest Bank Tel: +1 949 777-2424 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sunwest Bank Related Links http://www.sunwestbank.com A new study shows that air pollutants from the smoke of fires from as far as Canada and the southeastern U.S. traveled hundreds of miles and several days to reach Connecticut and New York City, where it caused significant increases in pollution concentrations. For the study, published 21 January in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, researchers in the lab of Drew Gentner, associate professor of chemical & environmental engineering, monitored the air quality at the Yale Coastal Field Station in Guilford, CT and four other sites in the New York metropolitan area. In August of 2018, they observed two spikes in the presence of air pollutants -- both coinciding with New York-area air quality advisories for ozone. The pollutants were the kind found in the smoke of wildfires and controlled agricultural burning. Using three types of evidence -- data from the observation sites, smoke maps from satellite imagery, and backtracking 3-D models of air parcels (both the maps and models were produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) -- the researchers traced the pollutants' origin in the first event to fires on the western coast of Canada, and in the second event to the southeastern U.S. Biomass burning, which occurs on a large scale during wildfires and some controlled burns, is a major source of air pollutants that impact air quality, human health, and climate. These events release numerous gases into the atmosphere and produce particulate matter (PM), including black carbon (BC) and other primary organic aerosols (POA) with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers. Known as PM2.5, it has been shown to have particularly serious health effects when inhaled. While more reactive components are often chemically transformed closer to their place of origin, PM2.5 tends to last longer. In the case of this study, that allowed much of it to travel from the fires to the monitoring sites -- a period ranging from a few days to about a week. "Given the sensitivity of people to the health effects emerging from exposure to PM2.5, this is certainly something that needs to be considered as policy-makers put together long-term air quality management plans," Gentner said. The impacts of wildfire smoke will likely become increasingly important in the coming years. "When people are making predictions about climate change, they're predicting increases in wildfires, so this sort of pollution is likely going to become more common," said lead author Haley Rogers, who was an undergraduate student when the study was conducted. "So when people are planning for air pollution and health impacts, you can't just address local sources." Although the levels of the PM2.5 decreased over time and distance, co-author Jenna Ditto, a graduate student in Gentner's lab, noted that awareness of its presence in the atmosphere is critical to public health. "Studies indicate that there are no safe levels of PM2.5, so typically any level of it is worth taking a look at," she said. The thought of getting married can surely give anyone cold feet and it could be even worse for people with commitment issues. Imagine how much worse it could be for people living under one roof with someone who they dont really want to be with. While people should ideally discuss commitment issues, what one man in China did to escape marrying his girlfriend is beyond imagination. Chen, the man in question, realized just a few days before marriage that he didnt love his girlfriend anymore. So, to call off the wedding he adapted a weird approach. According to Ladbible, Chen deliberately got arrested so that his girlfriend wouldnt want to marry him, because he would be a criminal. He went to a dance studio in Shanghai and stole a Bluetooth speaker. Yes, it is as basic as it sounds. Unsplash_Bride After this, the police hunted him down and arrested him along with charging him for theft. The cops were shocked to hear the reason behind stealing $287 worth of a speaker. Chen justified by saying, "My girlfriend wants to get married, but I don't want to. I knew you would find me, though I didn't think it would be so fast. He also accepted that he deliberately stole the speaker as he knew that it would have cost the owner a lot of money. Chen is still in custody and is expected to be released soon but nobody knows if he called off the wedding or not. This shows the amount of commitment issues our generation has. Would you go to such extremes to avoid commitment? Let us know in the comments below. President Donald Trump told CNBC on Wednesday he trusts the information coming out of China on the coronavirus, which has killed nine people and sickened nearly 500 others in that country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed the first case in the United States. "We have it totally under control," Trump told "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "It's one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It's going to be just fine." The CDC on Tuesday said a resident of Snohomish County, Washington, who was returning from China on Jan. 15 was diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus. Weekend travelers taking PATH trains to and from New York will only have one line to get them there and back. The 33rd Street line between New Jersey and New York will be closed this weekend from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday, for permanent signal installation. The World Trade Center Line will operate. No 33rd Street PATH trains will operate from Journal Square in Jersey City or from Hoboken Terminal. There will be direct service from Hoboken to WTC, on Sunday only. Newport station also will be closed due to the replacement of temporary signal equipment in the tunnels in and around the Hoboken Station with permanent equipment, officials said. The WTC line station, scheduled to be closed for most weekends in 2020 for Hurricane Sandy repairs, will be open and passengers will be given a free two-ride MetroCard, valid for travel on NYC transit that weekend only. NJ Transit Hudson-Bergen Light Rail also will cross honor PATH customers from Saturday into Sunday morning at Hoboken and Newport during the outage period. Cross-honoring will end at 8 a.m. Sunday. The Newark-WTC line will be operating on its normal weekend schedule. There will be supplemental service running from Journal Square to WTC to accommodate added riders who normally use the 33rd Street line. For more information on this weekends revised PATH travel schedule, riders may log on to www.panynj.gov/StayOnTrack or download the RidePATH app. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Tom Gibbs, Soft-Tex Interim Chief Executive Officer ... We remain unwaveringly committed to our strategic focus areas of new innovation, channel expansion and digital growth. -Tom Gibbs, Interim CEO. Soft-Tex International, Inc. announced today that Jeff Chilton is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer. Effective immediately, the Board of Directors has appointed Chief Financial Officer, Tom Gibbs, to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer. On behalf of the board and the employees of Soft-Tex, I want to thank Jeff for the tremendous leadership he provided Soft-Tex over the course of his 8-year tenure. I am excited about Soft-Texs future under Toms guidance and the upcoming launch of Soft-Texs new innovations like REACTEX and many other new technologies, said Bruce Roberston, Member of the Soft-Tex Board of Directors and Partner at Hudson Ferry Capital which maintains an investment in Soft-Tex. Soft-Tex is well-positioned to continue serving its industry-wide base of customers and we are confident in our teams ability to maintain our growth trajectory. We remain unwaveringly committed to our strategic focus areas of new innovation, channel expansion and digital growth. said Tom Gibbs, Interim CEO. Remarking on Soft-Texs focus, new Board member and REACTEX Inventor, Mark Smiderle, added, The Soft-Tex product development and engineering teams work tirelessly to drive game changing innovation to come up with new ways to surprise and delight consumers which is critical in differentiating a product assortment from todays crowded marketplace of home comfort products. From REACTEX personal climate control, to proprietary foam formulations, new wellness lines, and much more, the Soft-Tex team provides true innovation, rapid product development, and the merchandising & marketing needed to commercialize product for a frictionless omnichannel retail experience. The Soft-Tex Senior Management team in a separate letter to employees also reiterated its commitment to a seamless leadership transition and providing continued superior service to its current and future customers. Soft-Tex will be exhibiting many new innovations at the upcoming Las Vegas Furniture Market January 26th - 30th as previously announced including new REACTEX for leather and upholstered furniture products. Interim CEO Tom Gibbs along with the entire Senior Management team are available for meetings during the Vegas Show. Soft-Tex also has begun taking appointments for the Spring New York Home Fashions Market March 23rd - 26th. For appointments for either show, please contact Showroom Manager, Eric Hasper, at ehasper(at)soft-tex.com or visit soft-tex.com/market-appt to book an appointment with our Senior Management Team. About Interim Chief Executive Officer, Tom Gibbs, CPA Mr. Gibbs joined Soft-Tex in 2012 as Controller and was promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer in 2013 and has been a valuable member of the Soft-Tex Senior Management Team since that time. Prior to Soft-Tex, Mr. Gibbs served in a diverse array of senior financial executive roles, having served as Chief Financial Officer of Cookson Plastic Molding Corporation in Albany, NY and Chief Financial Officer of Loudon Plastics in Latham, NY. Mr. Gibbs is an accredited as a Certified Public Accountant and Associate Real Estate Broker in the state of New York and is an alumnus of the accounting school at Manhattan College. About Soft-Tex Soft-Tex International is an innovation company focused on building the most comfortable products to help the world sleep and live better. With proprietary technologies spanning categories like personal climate control, wellness, antimicrobials, & allergen barriers, coupled with coveted national brands like SensorPEDIC, SensorGel, BioPEDIC, & DreamSmart, Soft-Tex offers its retail, distributor, and other partners the highest quality, most comfortable products with best-in-class, in-house merchandising, digital marketing, customer service and global supply chain capabilities. Boedi Widjaja is an artist with one foot positioned in two similar, yet disparate worlds. Since focusing on contemporary arts in 2012, he has been exhibited in prestigious events representing Singapore in the Live Art program of the Diaspora Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale (2017); Jerusalem Biennale (2017); From East to the Barbican at Barbican (London, 2015) and Bains Numeriques #7 at Enghien-les-Bains (France, 2012). Boedis art intersects graphic design, architectural and fine-art principles while including performance and explorations and interactions with alternative cultures. BlackHut, BlackHut, Boedis ideas about home and the complexities of belonging in a transient world initially came to life through a distinct dream about five years ago. In his vision, he saw one of the pioneers of modern architecture Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (1887-19650), also known as Le Corbusier, exploring and contemplating his ideas about building, dwelling and being. The architectural-sound proto-structure has evolved through three individual installations. BlackHut was first commissioned and presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore in 2016, as a Singapore Biennale affiliate project. The second and third installations - both titled BlackHut, BlackHut - were co-commissioned by the Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and the Singapore Art Museum. BlackHut, BlackHut has been on display at the National Gallery of Singapore (NGS) from November last year until March 22. Entitled Every Step in the Right Direction, the Singapore Biennale 2019 presents 150 works by 77 artists and art collectives from 36 countries and territories displayed at the NGS, Gillman Barracks, LaSalle College of the Arts and other various historic locations and public spaces. Helmed by artistic director Patrick Flores, the biennale seeks to address questions and ideas of how humanity can approach the past, present and future, looking to create a pathway to brighter and more harmonic times ahead. Memories and impressions of the Surakarta royal palace located close to his childhood home and the sounds of the traditional Javanese gamelan floating gracefully upon the late afternoon breeze are encoded upon Boedis psyche. They ignite a wonderful sense of nostalgia that has helped inspire his installation. Three years ago I discovered an online library of recordings of a 100-year-old gamelan - Gamelan Kjai Paridjata - that was acquired from the Surakarta palace, explained the artist. I then rearranged the 131 recordings within a matrix and displaced and inverted each sound out of its original position to generate the sequential pulse-like sounds 'Datum' [the musical piece in the installation], he said. The sounds are alien yet somehow feel at home. Perhaps I've grown to be familiar with their distorted, displaced qualities. BlackHut, BlackHut is positioned on a flight of stairs leading from the ground floor down to the basement in NGS Coleman courtyard. It exists in the space between the two physical levels of the historic building reflecting the deep-seated and ongoing theme at the core of Boedis artworks - of the diaspora, isolation, of the complexities of hybridity and the bridging of multiple cultures, along with his relationship with the physical surrounds where he intuitively feels grounded and at home. Born in 1975 in Surakarta, he has lived in Singapore since he was 9 years old. His parents, who are Chinese-Indonesians, sent him to Singapore to avoid the racial tensions under Soehartos New Order. Boedi coordinates the linear planes of the steps into the vertical cladding of the structure, a continuation of the horizontal line aspect so that it appears grounded into the gallery as one harmonic and unified form. The striking exterior cocoons an inner sanctum, the imagined center of BlackHut, BlackHut. From this unusual space Datum radiates a distinct, yet strangely assuring atmospheric sound. A salt-infused black concrete membrane upon the surface of the steps and the roof of the structure introduces an ecosystem to the installation. This encourages efflorescent crystallization blooms as the material sweats in the tropical climate of Singapore. "When I started to think about concrete, the material triggered memories of my transition from Surakarta to Singapore. From a less urbanized environment to a very urbanized city in Southeast Asia," said Boedi. When I first came to Singapore in 1984, the constructed landscape was very different from that in Surakarta. I was in awe of the row upon row of public flats, large-scale mass housing structures, with ordered recto-linear geometry and the repetition of elements that were very different, all built in concrete. This visual memory has seeped into my design ideas. For the NGS exhibition, he was drawn to the newly added basement in the building. So much of the history that goes beyond the 200 years of Raffles belongs underground within an archeological state, added Boedi. In Singapore, we look to the underground as a means to project into the future by building structures. There is an exciting anachronistic quality where the future and the past intersect. This expresses a sense of time that I associate with my migrant experience in being in an in-between space-time. Boedi further explained that he tried to incorporate several architectural traditions into his work, including Javanese architecture and the mandala which is also present at the Surakarta royal palace. When I think about the center of the BlackHut, I think firstly of a sense of an anchor that is not present, yet which I yearn for. While the mandala-center is a concentration of cultural, historical and political power, it also points to the memory of my first home being located near to the Keraton the universal center according to local Javanese beliefs, he said. To audiences exploring Boedis work for the first time BlackHut, BlackHut, may seem indeed as an alien structure. So much so that they may be more comfortable to look, observe and enjoy it from various positions on the stairs, escalators and upper floors of the NGS, without the need for closer inspection. To fully appreciate it however, one would benefit from observing and understanding his previous installation at the APT in 2018 and recognize the two installations as a diptych. His APT installation in the Queensland Art Gallery referenced the ground level and a gap between an elevated structure, this installation is, however, a subterranean mirror of that work. BlackHut, BlackHut is configured, says Boedi, to reference the gap between ground and land in the tropical and subtropical vernacular houses built on raised floors, such as the Javanese joglo, the Queenslander, and the Malay houses. Ground is shorthand for me to speak about grounding, belonging, rootedness. For me, the work is visually and conceptually fascinating, especially as I have my interest in architecture and how structures and dwellings influence the human experience. On another level, this work entertains my ideas about my spiritual essence in relation to our physical world, and my fragmented feelings about belonging. Both beautiful and powerful, yet unusual in its physical and sonic presence, BlackHut, BlackHut is an intricate work charged with layers of meaning and focal points to experience its varying degrees of subtleties of intimacy and monumentality. The visual rhythms of the structure are exhilarating, and fascinating in their linear character from the inner repetitive mandala aspect to the external design. We may fully appreciate the audio rhythms and their fragmented otherworldly heartbeat of its inside installations nerve center. Between the silence, the sounds are indeed alien, yet at the same time from a comforting organic source. BlackHut, BlackHut captures an intimate essence of the modern human experience. Of a duality that touches on the present, future and past and of a species disconnected and out of harmony with the tempo of universe and nature - lost and yearning for belonging, somewhere within time and space. (wng) Android Q was announced as Android 10 in October. With a new year comes a new Android system update, and Android R (Android 11) will follow Android 10 (Android Q). A Google Pixel 4 has now been spotted running Android R at Geekbench. Google Pixel 4 and Android R at Geekbench Geekbench is the place to go to see upcoming mobile devices pre-release. Every new smartphone makes its way through Geekbench before a formal unveil. Though the Google Pixel 4 is a veteran device at this point, the phones presence at Geekbench brings a new system update. The new Android R spotted as the operating system in Geekbench hints that Google intends to unveil a new operating system update this year. Advertisement The Pixel 4 report at Geekbench shows the devices single-core (712) and multi-core (2181) scores. Sure, the Pixel 4s single-core score pales in comparison to that of the Pixel 3XL once spotted running Android Q (2,404 points in the single-core score), but the Pixel 4 is the regular model and not the XL version. Keep that in mind. The Pixel 4 Android R report also shows 6GB of RAM and a Qualcomm processor with 8 cores (octa-core). These numbers demonstrate that the device in question is a flagship and not some entry-level device. Pixel 4 update in the works? The new Geekbench report brings up the question: Is there a Pixel 4 Android R update in the works? Yes. Advertisement It makes sense why Google would bring Android R to the Pixel 4. First, the Pixel 4 is part of Googles latest smartphone series from last year. Google has provided three years of system updates with its very first Pixels (Pixel, Pixel XL). Googles three-year system update support differs from the standard two-year update cycle in Android. The Pixel 4 arrived last Fall with Android 10 (Android Q). It has at least one more system update before its mobile retirement. With Googles current update record for the original Pixels, the Pixel 4 could see Android S (Android 12) as well. Pixel 4 Android R Geekbench report points to the future The Pixel 4 Geekbench report doesnt tell much, except that the Pixel 4 will eventually run Android R (Android 11). Next, it says that Googles latest is fit to run the future update. However, the Geekbench report points to the future more than the present. Advertisement The Pixel 4 didnt arrive with Android R pre-installed, but a future Pixel 5 series will. This indicates that Google isnt done with the Pixel series. The presence of a new Pixel 4 update at Geekbench merely shows Android users what they can expect once the Pixel 5 series is unveiled and Mountain View rolls out the new update to its year-old siblings. What Android R may bring Though theres been few leaks regarding Googles next sweet treat, rumors are circulating that the major system update could bring dark mode scheduling and scrolling screenshots. Dark mode scheduling would work similar to the night light or the blue light filter scheduling that lets you plan times they come on and go off. The same would happen with Dark Mode in the upcoming update: users would be able to plan when Dark Mode comes on and goes off. Advertisement Scrolling screenshots would allow users to capture long webpages. This feature could work similarly to how Samsung and a number of Chinese Android OEMs implement it. A Vaughan man faces sexual exploitation charges after a teenage girl reported she was groomed into a relationship with a youth leader at two mosques, police say. The alleged incidents took place at a mosque in Markham and a second mosque in Toronto, York Region police Sgt. Andy Pattenden said. The ongoing investigation began in August 2016 when the girl went to police. The suspect was arrested Jan. 17 after the girl came forward with additional information, Pattenden said. Police released a photo of the accused to ensure there arent other victims, he said. Mordecai Gal, 32, is charged with sexual exploitation, which occurs when someone in a position of trust engages in acts of a sexual nature with a person younger than 18, and sexual assault. He has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court Feb. 5. Anyone with information is asked to contact police in the internet child exploitation section at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7078, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online at www.1800222tips.com. Police encourage victims to report incidents of sexual assault, including historic offences, Pattenden said. There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences and offenders can be prosecuted well after the date of the offence, he said. Taiwan is calling on people not to visit the Chinese city of Wuhan unless they absolutely have to, after an outbreak there of the new coronavirus, one case of which has been detected on the island, Trend reportsciting Reuters. Authorities have confirmed more than 300 cases of the virus in China, mostly in the central city Wuhan, where authorities on Tuesday said six people had died. The outbreak has spread to cities including Beijing and Shanghai, with cases also confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, as well as Taiwan. I want to call on our nationals please not to visit this region if not necessary, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wrote on her Facebook page late on Tuesday, referring to Wuhan. Taiwan has stocks of 44 million surgical facemasks and almost two million N95 facemasks, which offer greater protection, and will release them as needed, she added, calling on people not to hoard them. Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung wrote on his Facebook page that Taiwanese airlines should consider suspending routes to Wuhan. Taiwan on Tuesday confirmed its first case of infection from the new coronavirus, a woman in her 50s who had returned to the island after working in Wuhan. Chinas Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronoavirus epidemic in 2002-2003 killed nearly 800 people. New Delhi: Dense fog engulfed Delhi and Northern Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday morning affecting rail and flight operations as visibility dropped below 50 metres. As many as 22 Delhi-bound trains and 6 flights were delayed due to low visibility. Conditions on the city roads were no different as vehicles were seen moving at low speeds with emergency lights on. The capital recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degree Celsius. In a tweet, the news agency ANI said, "Delhi: The national capital wakes up to dense fog this morning. Delhi is recording a minimum temperature of 7 degree Celsius this morning." "22 trains are running late due to low visibility in the Northern Railway region," it added. 22 trains are running late due to low visibility in the Northern Railway region. ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 Delhi: The national capital wakes up to dense fog this morning. Delhi is recording a minimum temperature of 7 degree Celsius this morning. pic.twitter.com/0nnUq5EooO ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 ANI posted a video of dense layer of fog in Delhis Sarita Vihar. Along with visuals, ANI said, "Delhi: A dense layer of fog covers the national capital this morning. Visuals from Sarita Vihar." #WATCH Delhi: A dense layer of fog covers the national capital this morning. Visuals from Sarita Vihar. pic.twitter.com/njvMgHhRXF ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 In the meantime, Delhi Airport official said, "5 flights diverted from Delhi Airport today due to bad weather, as captain was not trained to land under CAT III (low visibility) conditions." Delhi Airport Official: 5 flights diverted from Delhi Airport today due to bad weather, as captain was not trained to land under CAT III (low visibility) conditions. ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 The dense fog has also blanketed parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi-NCR may not see relief from the cold wave anytime soon, as another Western Disturbance is likely in the last week of the month that will further bring down the temperature. Besides, the weather department had already predicted dense fog for the city for today. IMD: Dense to very dense fog observed over Punjab, north Rajasthan, Haryana & Delhi, East UP and Bihar at 0530 hours IST of today. Visibility recorded at 0530 hours IST of today (in meters): Patiala, Bikaner, Churu, Hissar, Delhi, Baharaich, Gorakhpur & Patna-25 each; Lucknow-50. pic.twitter.com/VPwkGkUQQd ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 It is to be noted that another western disturbance is expected around January 27-28, which will further bring down the temperature. On January 28, Delhi-NCR might witness light rains. Foggy conditions will also prevail during that time. Also Read: PM Modi To Chair 32nd Interaction Through PRAGATI Platform Today On Tuesday, the temperature in Delhi was recorded at 10.6 degrees Celsius in Safdarjung and 9.6 degrees Celsius in Palam. Whereas, visibility ranged from 250 metres to 500 metres in Palam and Safdarjung respectively. However, the overall air quality in Delhi remained at 283 in the 'Poor' category. AQI was recorded at 323 ('Very Poor' category) in Noida and 270 ('Poor' category) in Gurugram. Special Police Officer Shahbaz Ahmad, who was among two security personnel killed in a gunfight with terrorists in south Kashmir, had volunteered for service in the Valley, a senior official said on Wednesday. Ahmad's body was airlifted from Srinagar and taken to Manjakote on Wednesday. Later, the body of the SPO was was laid to rest with full honours at the graveyard in his native village Hayatpura in Rajouri. A large number of local residents had gathered at the graveyard to pay their last respects to Ahmed, Senior Superintendent of Police Yougal Manhas said. He said senior officers of police, civil administration and the army were also present there. Ahmed had received bullet injuries during a counter insurgency operation in Awantipora in south Kashmir on Tuesday, the officer said. "Jammu and Kashmir police will remember the martyr who laid down his life for the motherland and set an example of bravery. Six months ago, he had volunteered for serving in Kashmir," an official said. An Army jawan and a terrorist were also killed during the operation which, according to latest reports, is still underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Betancourt told Giuliani he secretly helped bankroll Guaido's efforts to take over the leadership of Venezuela, according to four people familiar with the situation, two of whom provided details about the meeting in Spain. Betancourt hoped those bona fides would enable Giuliani, his lawyer, to persuade Trump's Justice Department to drop its probe of Betancourt in connection with a Florida money laundering and bribery case, the people said. The affair was part of a campaign for leniency for the businessman, Alejandro Betancourt, who sought to demonstrate his close ties to opposition figures looking to oust Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro a key objective of the Trump administration. At a lavish August gathering at a private estate in Spain, a wealthy Venezuelan businessman under criminal investigation in the United States introduced Rudy Giuliani , President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, to the father of Venezuela's opposition leader, Juan Guaido. President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has coffee with Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, September 20, 2019. A month later, at a meeting in Washington, D.C., Giuliani urged Justice Department prosecutors to go easy on Betancourt, according to a person with direct knowledge of the meeting, and Lev Parnas, a former Giuliani associate, who said Giuliani told him about it soon afterward. Parnas and the other person said Giuliani told prosecutors that Betancourt had provided assistance for Guaido's political efforts, and was, therefore, doing good work for the United States. This is the first time Parnas detailed his story about Betancourt, Giuliani, and Venezuela. Giuliani declined to confirm meeting with U.S. prosecutors on Betancourt's behalf and wouldn't say whether the Venezuelan businessman is a client. "Lev Parnas has no right to be talking about that meeting," Giuliani told Reuters in a brief phone interview. "It was a confidential meeting if it did happen." "Lev Parnas's credibility is worth nothing," Giuliani said. The Justice Department declined to comment. Betancourt and his attorney Frank Wohl did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Reuters couldn't determine whether Betancourt did provide financing to the U.S.-backed opposition or if he was just claiming he did. Guaido and the main opposition political party, Popular Will, both denied receiving funding from Betancourt. Guaido was a member of Popular Will until he stepped back from it earlier this month. "I do not know Mr. Betancourt, there is no relationship," Guaido told Reuters. "As such, that is not possible." Wilmer Guaido, Guaido's father, denied meeting Betancourt in Spain. "I only support my son like the whole family against that criminal dictatorship but I have not met anyone," he said. Giuliani's meeting with Betancourt at the Spanish estate, and his efforts to lobby the Justice Department on the businessman's behalf, were previously reported by the Washington Post. Reuters is the first to report that Betancourt told Giuliani that he provided financial support for Venezuela's opposition, and that Giuliani touted that alleged assistance to U.S. prosecutors as a reason to remove the legal cloud dogging his client. The episode speaks to the complex roles that Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, has played in Washington since Trump took office in 2017. Giuliani frequently proclaims himself a business consultant and lawyer working on behalf of private clients. Yet he also enjoys extraordinary access to the halls of power as the president's unpaid personal attorney - work that has landed him at the center of Trump's impeachment trial. Any attempt by a Giuliani client to avoid possible prosecution by claiming to have been backing an American foreign policy objective - the toppling of Maduro in this case - could prove embarrassing to the administration. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Parnas played a key role in Giuliani's effort to dig up dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in Ukraine for Trump. Now under indictment for campaign finance violations, Parnas has been sharing information with Capitol Hill impeachment investigators, as well as the media, about the extent of the work he did for Giuliani. Betancourt said "he was backing Guaido financially," Parnas told Reuters, and "was helping America with his cause." Since January 2019, the United States and dozens of other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's rightful president. But Maduro has remained firmly in power, much to the frustration of the Trump administration. Maduro's government cut off paychecks for opposition lawmakers in 2016 after the opposition took control of the National Assembly. Claims that Betancourt helped finance his country's opposition are potentially explosive in Venezuela, where the mogul forged a profitable relationship with the socialist government. Derwick Associates, his Caracas-based energy firm, obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts to build power plants under Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, according to local media. Verizon is hopping on the bandwagon of partnering with Google for its Stadia service. The largest wireless carrier in the US is now the second major network to partner with Google and give away some freebies. Earlier this week, BT which is a prominent network in the UK, announced that it would be offering free Stadia Premiere bundles to anyone that signed up for specific packages. Now Verizon is doing the same thing but for here in the US. The deals are not yet available though, and will instead open up later this month. Advertisement Verizon Stadia promos begin on January 29 Starting next Wednesday, January 29, Verizon customers who sign up for a Fios package will be able to grab a free Stadia Premiere bundle to go along with the signup. This will be open to both new and existing Verizon customers. So whether you already have other services with the company, or are brand-new to the network, you can take advantage. You will however need to be on a specific package though. Verizon will only be offering this to customers who sign up for Fios Gigabit packages. Meaning you cant receive this freebie with lower speed offerings. Advertisement That being said there are multiple Fios Gigabit packages available. They start at $80 a month, so if you go with the starter price, then youll be in. This will also save you $130, which is the cost of the Premiere bundle. As well as the $30 cost of the Stadia Pro monthly fee since you get the first three months of the service for free. Heres whats included If you sign up for a Fios Gigabit package to get the Stadia bundle, youll get everything you need to start playing games right away. For starters, the bundle comes with one controller, in White. It also comes with a Chromecast Ultra and the first three months of Stadia Pro for free. You even get access to a small collection of games at no additional cost. Advertisement Youll be able to grab Destiny 2: The Collection and a few other titles for literally no money right away. Not to mention youll be prepared for whatever the free titles are in February. After that, youll get the free titles in March and April too. Since Google is often throwing out discounts for Pro members, some games that arent free will also be purchasable for less than normal. Though these are also timed and the deals dont stick around forever. So you will want to snatch them up fast. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO expansion into the Middle East is being discussed by NATO and its partners. "I believe there is a potential for NATO to do more. But, as I stated, not mainly in combat. The issue we are looking into is not whether we can launch new combat operations," the NATO chief said at the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and Sub-Committee on Security and Defence. "The issue is whether we can do something that prevents us from being forced into new combat. Prevention is better than intervention," he added. Stoltenberg also noted that NATO may scale up by training forces in the region, including in Iraq. Two passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Shanghai were examined by health officials upon their arrival in Chicago on Tuesday as concerns about the novel coronavirus continue to grow. Though it was initially feared the passengers showed symptoms of the novel coronavirus, United Airlines confirmed to PEOPLE that they were cleared by health officials. Health officials met United flight 836 upon its arrival at Chicago OHare earlier today and assisted and released two passengers, a United Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE. We continue to follow CDC guidelines and remain in close contact with authorities in the United States and Asia to further ensure the safety of our customers and employees. The Centers for Disease Control announced on Tuesday that it will add Chicago OHare International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International to the list of airports that will screen travelers arriving from Wuhan, China, which is suspected to be the location of the virus origin. RELATED VIDEO: New Mexico Mom Fights for Life in ICU After Contracting Rare Rodent-Borne Virus Last week, the CDC announced screenings at San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Los Angeles International Airport. The false alarm in Chicago Tuesday comes the same day that the first case of coronavirus to appear in the United States was confirmed in Seattle, Washington. The Washington State patient, in their 30s, had recently traveled to Wuhan, although he said he did not visit any markets, which is where the virus is thought to have initially spread from animals to humans. Doctors say that other than testing positive for coronavirus, the patient is characterized as very healthy and is only in the hospital out of an abundance of caution and for observation. RELATED: First U.S. Case of Deadly Coronavirus Confirmed in Washington State Story continues Although the patient came into contact with several people on his journey home from Asia, health officials believe the risk to the public is low. As of Tuesday, there have been around 300 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and six deaths from the infection. Concerns about the virus have been growing since Chinese officials confirmed Monday that it can spread from human to human. Medical transfer in Wuhan | Getty RELATED: U.S. to Implement Enhanced Health Screenings at 3 Major Airports Amid Deadly Virus Outbreak in China Now we can say it is certain that it is a human-to-human transmission phenomenon, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a scientist who is leading a government-appointed expert panel on the outbreak, said in an interview on state-run television, The New York Times reported Monday. The World Health Organizations Emergency Committee is holding a meeting on Wednesday to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Coronaviruses cover several different types of viruses, from the common cold to more severe illnesses like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' personal mobile phone was reportedly hacked in 2018 by Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman when during a WhatsApp exchange Salamna sent a malicious WhatsApp video file to infiltrate Bezos' phone, reported the Guardian newspaper. According to Guardian, Prince Salman sent the encrypted file to Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, on May 1, 2018, after which large amounts of data were exfiltrated from Bezoss phone within hours. It may be recalled that Bezos' security chief had claimed in March 2019 that Saudi government had access to Amazon CEO's phone and his private information has been compromised. Experts maintained that the publication January of leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in 2019 can be linked to this hacking. Sanchez was a television anchor who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper claimed Bezos was dating. In February 2019, Bezos had accused the owner of newspaper of trying to blackmail him with the threat of publishing some private photos of him and Sanchez. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia minister of state for foreign affairs had said in February last year that his government had "absolutely nothing to do" with the National Enquirer's reporting Bezos' affair with Sanchez. The government on Wednesday decided to set up three high-level committees, one of which will be headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, to dispose of over 9,400 enemy properties, which is likely to fetch about Rs 1 lakh crore to the exchequer. In an order, the Home ministry said the decision has been taken for disposal of immovable enemy properties vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India under the Enemy Property Act. The enemy properties were those left behind by the people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China. An Inter-Ministerial Group will be constituted which will be co-chaired by the union home secretary and the secretary of the department of investment and public asset management. Representatives of the ministry of home affairs, department of economic affairs, department of expenditure, department of public enterprises, department of legal affairs, ministry of corporate affairs among others will be members of the inter-ministerial group, according to the order. A Core Group of Secretaries on Asset Monetisation (CGAM) will be constituted under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary and comprising secretary, department of economic affairs; secretary, department of revenue; secretary, department of expenditure; secretary, department of public enterprises; secretary, ministry of corporate affairs; secretary, department of legal affairs; secretary, urban development; union home secretary and secretary, department of investment and public asset management. The order said that the central government may constitute an alternative mechanism consisting of the following: home minister (Amit Shah), finance minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. There are 9,280 properties left behind by Pakistani nationals and 126 properties left behind by Chinese nationals. In 2018, the then union minister of state for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had informed Rajya Sabha that "The estimated value of all enemy properties is approximately Rs 1 lakh crore". Among the 9,280 properties left behind by Pakistani nationals, the highest 4,991 properties are located in Uttar Pradesh followed by West Bengal which has 2,735 such estates. There are 487 such properties in Delhi. Among the 126 properties left behind by Chinese nationals, the highest 57 are located in Meghalaya followed by West Bengal with 29. Assam has seven such properties. According to the new Act, enemy property refers to any property belonging to, held or managed on behalf of an enemy, an enemy subject or an enemy firm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hyderabad, Jan 22 : Polling is underway in the municipal elections in Telangana on Wednesday amid elaborate security arrangements, officials said. The polling began at 7 a.m. in 120 municipalities and nine municipal corporations across the state and it will continue till 5 p.m. As many as 53.37 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect 325 corporators for municipal corporations and 2,727 councillors for municipalities. While the notification was issued for elections in 3,052 municipal wards, polling will not be held in 81 wards, where the candidates were elected unanimously. A total of 1,746 candidates are in fray in the municipal corporations polls while 11,099 candidates are testing their political fortunes in municipalities. State Election Commissioner V. Nagi Reddy said 1,438 polling stations in nine municipal corporations and 6,325 polling stations in 120 municipalities have been opened. About 45,000 polling personnel are manning the polling centres. Authorities have deployed 50,000 policemen as part of elaborate arrangements to ensure free and fair polling. The government has declared a holiday in the areas where elections are being held on Wednesday. State Election Commission (SEC) officials were monitoring polling through web-casting in 2,406 polling centres while poll process is being videographed in 2,072 centres. For the first time in the country, SEC is using 'Face Recognition App' to prevent fake voting. Ten polling stations under Kompally municipality in Medchal-Malkajgiri district were selected for the pilot project of 'Face Recognition App'. Out of 73 new municipalities created in the state last year, 68 are facing elections for the first time. Women will have 50 per cent reservation in all civic bodies. Elections are not being held in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and 10 other urban local bodies as their tenure is not yet over. Polling for Karimnagar municipal corporation will be held on January 24. Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has fielded candidates in all municipal wards. It faces rebel problem in some places. Main opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are also contesting the polls in majority of the wards. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has fielded candidates in 276 wards. Kabul, Jan 22 : A total of 14 militants were killed as fighter planes struck a Taliban hideout in Miwand district in southern Kandahar province, said an army statement released here on Wednesday. Acting upon an intelligence report, the planes targeted the Taliban hideout in Miwand district at 11.50 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, killing 14 insurgents on the spot and wounding two others, said the statement. A weapons cache of the militants was also destroyed in the airstrikes, the statement said. Taliban militants who are active in parts of Kandahar and neighbouring Helmand and Zabul provinces have yet to comment, Xinhua news agency reported. WASHINGTON The four Democratic senators seeking the White House want to be out there campaigning, but theyre pulled off the presidential campaign trail and into the Senate to serve as jurors in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. That means forgoing raucous events and adoring crowds for hours of passively listening to a procedure designed to be solemn and rule-bound. The presidential hopefuls cant freely ask questions or even talk to their colleagues or use their cellphones. It amounts to a political muzzle for Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michael Bennet of Colorado all of whom want as much attention as they can get right now. I am used to going practically 24/7, town hall after town hall answering questions, and all of a sudden youre in like a digital detox, Klobuchar said in an interview Wednesday. Bennet said hell campaign whenever possible on Sundays, when the Senate isnt in session. Otherwise, hes trying to take the interruption in stride. Theres no sense worrying about it, he said by phone. Its out of my hands. The timing couldnt be worse. The trial may run six days a week and last through the Iowa caucuses, which kick off the Democratic contest on Feb 3. That means the four senators in the race likely wont get the chance to deliver critical, final arguments to voters who could set the tone for the rest of the race. This is where you are in the managers office trying to get the best price on that new car and suddenly youre not there to close the deal, said Alice Stewart, a Republican strategist who worked on Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential campaign in 2016 and Mike Huckabees 2008 bid, when each won Iowa. Democratic pollster John Zogby said Sanders, Warren and Klobochar have perhaps the most to lose because they are the three that seem to have the most momentum. Presence is preeminent, Zogby said. Youve got to be there to press the flesh. Making matters worse, the Senate trial will be long and complicated enough that it doesnt give the candidates many opportunities to present themselves hard at work on behalf of voters. During the closing stretch of the 2008 general election, Barack Obama and John McCain returned to Washington to vote on measures responding to the economic collapse. More recently, the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh offered high-profile opportunities for candidates including Klobuchar to take on the Trump administration. But for the trial, senators can only submit questions in writing. Its up to Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, to read them. The contrast between hustling for homestretch support in snowy Iowa and the plodding impeachment trial was on full display this week. Sanders sat through the proceedings nearly totally motionless, listening with one hand balled into a fist pushed against his lips and the other on his hip. He often had little more than a legal pad on his desk. When White House counsel Pat Cipollone , arguing in support of the president, quipped Tuesday, Some of you are upset because you should be in Iowa right now, Sanders offered a small, brief grin. Warren held both a blue pen and a yellow pencil, alternating between the two to take notes. She sometimes held the pen, or just its cap, in her teeth. Publicly, the senators say they are proud to participate in historic proceedings, as their day jobs demand. But privately, their advisers acknowledge that campaigns that were already difficult to manage logistically have gotten exponentially more so. Before returning to Washington, Sanders said hed rather be campaigning and implored supporters to carry the ball in his absence. Warren suggested shed be nostalgic for Iowa while stuck in Washington, saying, I truly love this part of the campaign, and I hope Ill be able to come back more. Both Warren and Sanders have spoken about attending the trial by day and rushing to Iowa to campaign by night something that might be possible using private jets. But Sanders canceled a Wednesday evening rally hed planned at the University of Northern Iowa, given the trials long and still uncertain upcoming schedule. In the meantime, Sanders has stepped up his online presence, holding internet discussions with supporters, a model Warren will also use starting this week. High-profile supporters can also take candidates place, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ice cream icons Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, of Ben & Jerrys fame, and actress Ashley Judd and former presidential hopeful Julian Castro for Warren. Klobuchar has her husband and daughter campaigning in her place, and she purchased studio time to do hits with TV stations in Iowa and beyond. It could all be a boon to former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who arent part of the trial. But their aides said theyre not operating with an assumption that the trial will hurt the political prospects of their rivals. They arent going to be pulling down their ads or pulling their organizers off during the trial, said Anita Dunn, a Biden senior strategist. Theres no reason why everyone doesnt continue their campaigns, and they will. Still, Iowa does feels eerily suspended in time. There are no frantic days of multi-candidate, multi-city stops. Biden and Buttigieg wrapped up brief bus tours on Wednesday, leaving businessman Andrew Yang with the state to himself on Thursday and Friday. Keri Quattlebaum, a 48-year-old office manager for a nonprofit in the Iowa capital of Des Moines, said shes still deciding among Sanders, Warren and Biden. But she said its not a deal breaker that she wont see them in person. I think people in Iowa are savvy enough to follow impeachment, Quattlebaum said. ___ Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Alexandra Jaffe contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. ___ This story has been corrected to show Cipollone said, Some of you are upset because you should be in Iowa right now, not Some of you are upset because you shot be in Iowa right now. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent letters Wednesday to the nations largest banks, asking them to share their plans for dealing with the risks posed by climate change. The climate crisis demands that banks accurately estimate and mitigate risks to social and economic stability; it also presents mutually beneficial investment opportunities, particularly in climate-resilient urban infrastructure, Warren, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, wrote to JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Bank of New York Mellon, Morgan Stanley and State Street Bank and Trust Co. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations annual climate assessment found that in 2019, climate-related disasters resulted in losses of over $1 billion in the United States. Globally, climate-related losses totaled $45 billion, as sea levels continued to rise, and after severe flooding, hurricanes and record-setting wildfires. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., addresses a campaign event Monday in Grimes, Iowa. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) I write to ask for more information about the risks cause by the climate crisis on the financial industry and your institutions practices, including what step, if any, your institution is taking to mitigate these risks, Warren said in her letter. At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, President Trump mocked what he called the perennial prophets of doom on the subject of climate change. This is not a time for pessimism, said Trump, who announced last year that he was pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, adding, Fear and doubt is not a good thought process. Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist, offered a starkly different assessment in her own speech at Davos. You say children shouldnt worry. You say: Just leave this to us. We will fix this, we promise we wont let you down. Dont be so pessimistic, Thunberg said Tuesday. And then nothing. Silence. Or something worse than silence. Empty words and promises which give the impression that sufficient action is being taken. Story continues Warren has proposed spending $3 trillion over the coming decade to fight climate change in the United States, and her letter to the big banks comes just months after the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco held a conference on the threat that climate change poses to the financial sector. In a speech in November, Mary C. Daly, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, said, Climate change is an economic issue we cant afford to ignore. Warren, who co-sponsored a 2019 bill directing the Fed to conduct so-called stress tests of banks on their preparation for potential losses due to climate change, asked the financial institutions to respond to her letter by Feb. 7. She also asked the banks to state publicly whether they supported climate change stress tests. As climate change continues to affect our economy, it is critical to understand your banks adaptation and mitigation strategies, she wrote. An analysis issued in August by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that unless greenhouse gas emissions were reduced significantly and quickly, climate change could cost the United States up to 10.5 percent of its gross domestic product by 2100. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Money woes are bad enough at City College of San Francisco that, for the second time in eight years, outside evaluators are expressing uncertainty about whether the vital institution can stay in business. On Thursday, the trustees will hear from an auditor whose financial study of the college raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The study, requested by City College, found that the school spent nearly $14 million more than it took in as of June 30, the end of the last fiscal year. The result was a 58% drop in the unrestricted general fund a plunge so steep that the schools financial condition has been declared a material weakness, indicating serious problems. The college has been deficit spending for at least three years. Lest the auditors language make it appear that City College officials believe it will close, they dont. Not to my knowledge, no, said Evette Davis, a City College spokeswoman. This audit is being treated as a validation of the hard decisions the college needs to make. The audit found, for the first time, that reserve funds have fallen below the 5% required by the state chancellors office and by the commission that threatened to revoke City Colleges accreditation in 2012 and shut down the school. Although City College emerged from its accreditation crisis in 2017, officials havent fixed all the problems that brought the school to the brink of bankruptcy and closure eight years ago. Some of those same problems appear to be threatening its future again. This years going concern finding is a specific warning that the (college) district is both out of money and out of time to enact the budget stabilization plan recommended by the auditor, City College Chancellor Mark Rocha wrote the trustees in a letter he plans to give them on Thursday. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle The audit by Brandon Harrison, who specializes in education audits for the accounting firm Eide Bailly and has been under contract for five years, identified four major reasons for the current financial crisis: Heavy deficit spending that began in 2016-17. Although the trustees adopted a balanced budget this year, the audit found that that budget rests on the assumption that City College will reduce faculty and staff salaries by 16.4% in one year. A personnel reduction of this size will be difficult to accomplish within one year, Harrison wrote. Although employee costs can be reduced, this process takes time and the (college) district has shown difficulty in effectively managing its payroll and benefit costs. The recent loss of state stability funding. For three years, from 2014 to 2017, the money artificially inflated City Colleges funding levels as the school fought to stay accredited. The state provided $39 million a year, on average. The college also lost state funding as enrollment has steadily fallen during the last decade. All of that, combined with (the) increasing cost of payroll and benefits, created a structural deficit, Harrison wrote. City College is one school, but it maintains 10 costly locations. Two serve no students, while others serve less than the equivalent of 200 full-time students. The audit did not identify which locations these were, and Davis, the spokeswoman, did not immediately know the answer. These centers are incurring administrative, operating and maintenance costs with little to no ongoing revenue generation, Harrison wrote. College officials assumed a higher enrollment than materialized last year. Nevertheless, the school spent money based on the incorrect assumption. The college enrolls about 64,000 full- and part-time students. Harrison notes in his report that although City College does not meet minimum fund balance requirements, and there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, his report makes recommendations based on the idea that the college will stay open. To ensure fiscal solvency, the auditor recommends that City College develop a more aggressive fiscal management and budget stabilization plan. The audit does not mention the popular Free City program that allows San Francisco residents to study for free at City College because it is a city-funded program and not a drain on college finances. The audit includes a response from Rocha, the chancellor, and his management team, who provide a proposal for correcting the problems. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The proposal begins with an emphasis on the student-centered restructuring of academics Rocha began in 2018. The massive overhaul which is in line with cost-cutting state goals for community colleges aims at doubling down on core college achievements: graduating more students, helping them transfer to university, completing vocational certificates and acquiring basic skills such as learning to speak English. At the same time, Rocha has been eliminating community-oriented, non-credit classes and even shedding for-credit classes by the hundreds if they dont, in general, support the schools new focus. The chancellor has cut 634 classes since 2017, including 345 for the current semester alone. He also wants to reduce the number of faculty who dont teach but who are paid to do administrative tasks, develop a real estate plan to capitalize on valuable college-owned property and work on passing a bond measure known as Proposition A on San Franciscos March ballot to help with the schools construction needs. In his letter to the trustees, Rocha also lashed out at faculty and students who have protested the hundreds of classes hes cut, and the manner in which he has done it slashing classes with no warning to instructors assigned to teach them. Every proposal and decision to reduce costs has met with fierce resistance, as if the board has options or other funding at its disposal, Rocha wrote. The chancellor did not mention a key action he took in August, which prompted one of the largest campus protests of the year. He drew up a new compensation plan for executives, doubling the salary of several, and adding it to the appendix of the 105-page budget for 2019-20 that the trustees approved the next day. The salaries had to be withdrawn, and weeks later, the trustees instead approved a 10% raise for most administrators. The plan, however, was to hire a consultant to determine whether the college could afford to give out bigger executive raises, after all. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Havells India share price touched its 52-week low of Rs 588.50, falling 4 percent in the early trade on January 22 after Credit Suisse maintained neutral rating and cut target post Q3FY20 numbers. Research house Credit Suisse has maintained a neutral rating and cut target to Rs 615 from Rs 700 per share. The results were significantly below estimates and revenue weakness was broad-based. Credit Suisse cut its FY20-22 earnings estimates by 8-12 percent and expect the near-term weakness to continue. The cut in government expenditure will put further pressure on the cables and lights business, it added. The company's Q3FY20 consolidated net profit was up 2.8 percent at Rs 201.2 crore versus Rs 195.7 crore in the same quarter last fiscal. Its revenue was down 9.9 percent at Rs 2,273.3 crore against Rs 2,523.8 crore. EBITDA was down 9.7 percent at Rs 269.6 crore, while EBITDA margin was at 11.9 percent, YoY. At 09:23 hrs, Havells India was quoting at Rs 598.75, down Rs 18.15, or 2.94 percent on the BSE. CAMEROON, Cameroon - The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday welcomed the commitment by world powers and other key countries to support a plan to restore peace in Libya and urged the warring parties to quickly conclude a cease-fire agreement. The U.N.s most powerful body issued a statement after a closed-door briefing by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He told reporters afterward that it is critical to move from the current truce that has had some violations to a cease-fire accord and then to a real political process. He said a major step was taken Sunday by leaders of 12 countries in agreeing at a meeting in Berlin to a 55-point final document plus operational plans. It commits them not to interfere in Libyas civil war, to support a cease-fire, to honour a widely broken U.N. arms embargo, and to support a U.N.-facilitated political process, he said. Civil war in Libya in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. In the chaos that followed, the country was divided, with a weak U.N.-supported administration in the capital of Tripoli overseeing the countrys west and a rival government in the east aligned with the self-styled Libyan National Army led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, each supported by an array of militias. Hifter launched a surprise military offensive last April 4 aimed at capturing Tripoli despite commitments to attend a national conference weeks later aimed at forming a united government and moving toward elections. Libyas east-based government is backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt as well as France and Russia. The Tripoli-based government led by Fayez Sarraj receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy. Guterres said his message to Hifter and Sarraj is to accept fully the conclusions of the Berlin summit and assume that the leadershio is seeking peace and a united Libya that will co-operate with its neighbours. Hifter and Sarraj were present in Berlin but did not attend the summit and did not talk to each other. Guterres noted that one party Hifter has not publicly supported the final document, even though he is participating in follow-up work that has already started on the economic track. The secretary-general said follow-up work will continue quickly with the meeting of a military commission with five members from each side on a cease-fire. The Security Council urged the parties to engage constructively in the commission in order to conclude a cease-fire agreement as soon as possible. It also supported efforts by U.N. envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame to bring about a lasting cease-fire and a Libyan-owned, Libyan-led political solution in Libya. Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, the current council president who read the statement, said members will talk about a legally binding Security Council resolution to follow up on the conclusions of the Berlin conference in the coming days. Guterres stressed that this is just the beginning of a long process, and needs pressure from the international community on the warring parties. I do believe that the endorsement of these conclusions by the Security Council and other steps in the follow-up could be extremely important, he said. The Berlin summit participants were from Algeria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Republic of Congo, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States plus representatives of the United Nations, African Union, European Union and Arab League. LA JOLLA, Calif., Jan. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX:PBAM), (Company) and CalPrivate Bank (Bank) announced that CEO Thomas V. Wornham is retiring from the Company and the Bank at the end of the third quarter of this year. Wornham will remain a Director of the Bank and the Company. Wornham joined the Bank in February 2015 as a Director and then became President and CEO of the Bank on May 1, 2015. Under Wornhams leadership, the Banks assets have increased from $430 million to over $1 billion. The Banks Coastal Southern California footprint now includes offices from Coronado in the South to Beverly Hills in the North. Annual revenues have increased over 200%, and shareholders equity and market cap have doubled. Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (PBAM) was formed in late 2015 and became the Banks holding company. PBAM then moved from the OTCQB to the OTCQX in 2016. PBAM completed a stock buyback, two successful subordinated debt placements and two successful common stock offerings during Wornhams tenure as President and CEO. The number of team members grew from 55 in 2015 to 135 currently. Rick L. Sowers, President of the Bank since February 15, 2018, will succeed Wornham as CEO of the Bank and the Company upon his retirement, and will become President of the Company and a member of its Board of Directors effective February 1, 2020. Wornham and Sowers have had a remarkable partnership over the past two years. Both are committed to implementing the succession plan they have put in place, to ensure a smooth transition. Wornham said, I have thoroughly enjoyed being President and CEO of PBAM and the Bank. We have accomplished everything I had hoped we would when I began the job in 2015. I could not be more proud of our team members and the management team that made all of this success possible. I will always be grateful to the Board of Directors and shareholders for the opportunity to serve. Finally, to our clients, thank you for your trust and loyalty. I look forward to finishing out my time as CEO with the same passion and commitment I have felt the last five years. Then it will be my honor to continue serving PBAM and the Bank as a Director, knowing with Rick Sowers at the helm we are in good hands. Selwyn Isakow, Chairman of PBAM and the Bank, said, Under Toms leadership, the Bank has invested significantly in outstanding personnel, systems and processes that have resulted in substantial growth and geographic expansion. We appreciate Toms commitment to the organization and look forward to his further contributions as a board member. Isakow continued, We are excited by the drive and dynamism of Rick Sowers and are confident that he will take the organization to new heights. Ricks successes at CalPrivate, as well as in prior leadership roles with other Southern California banks, make him the ideal CEO to fulfil our vision as Coastal Southern Californias premier relationship-focused private and business bank. I am grateful for the opportunity that Tom and the Board have provided me in becoming the next CEO of CalPrivate Bank and Private Bancorp of America. This is a great company with wonderful team members, shareholders and clients. I look forward to continuing to work with Tom in ensuring a smooth transition as the Company embarks on its next chapter, Sowers noted. About Private Bancorp of America, Inc. Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM), is the holding company for CalPrivate Bank. CalPrivate Bank provides a Distinctly Different banking experience through unparalleled service and creative funding solutions to high net worth individuals, professionals, locally owned businesses and real estate entrepreneurs. Customers are serviced through offices in Coronado, San Diego, La Jolla, Newport Beach, El Segundo and Beverly Hills as well as efficient electronic banking offerings. The Bank also offers various portfolio and government guaranteed lending programs, including SBA and cross-border Export-Import Bank programs. CalPrivate Bank is an SBA Preferred Lender. Investor Relations Contact Thomas V. Wornham President/CEO Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (858) 875-6900 Safe Harbor Paragraph This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Private Bancorp of America, Inc. cautions readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include loan losses, economic conditions and competition in the geographic and business areas in which Private Bancorp of America, Inc. operates, our ability to successfully integrate and develop business through the addition of new personnel and facilities and merged banks, whether our efforts to expand loan, product and service offerings will prove profitable, the effects of the bank mergers and acquisitions in our markets, system failures and internet security, inflation, fluctuations in interest rates, legislation and governmental regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and we undertake no obligation to update those statements whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise. One new travel service hopes to remove worries from the equation for women with wanderlust. Named Golightly, the Austin, Texasbased vacation rental platform launched on Wednesday, looking to offer female travelers peace of mind when booking a place to stay. Its a private, invite-only club that currently includes more than 350 properties around the world each owned or managed by women and only available to female guests, although men can travel with the member. We want women to travel often, stay safely and go lightly, reads the companys official website. Founder and CEO Victoria OConnell created the company to cultivate a community of women eager for a sense of security while traveling. RELATED: Are You Brave Enough to Stay in These Famously Haunted Houses-Turned-Vacation Rentals? Golightly The concept stemmed from a bad experience OConnell herself had in 2017 when she rented out her London residence through the popular vacation rental platform Airbnb. The group of male guests burglarized and damaged the property, according to Golightlys About page. I felt that I would never be comfortable renting out my home again, and I wanted to figure out a way to change that and feel safe again, she said in a press release. OConnell added: I travel frequently and also stay in vacation rentals often, so I had to find a way to get back to it. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLEs free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories Travelers RELATED: Where Stars Stay: 5 Vacation Houses Rented by Celebs That You Can Book Right Now! Every host and guest using Golightly can see how they are connected to one another, since everything is invite-only. Members get five invites to send to other women, then prospective members, as well as listings, are vetted and verified. Story continues Listings include domestic and international vacation hot spots, including Dubai, London and Italy, with prices for some private rooms as low as $80 in Miami and more than $1,000 per night in Ireland. Aside from a $100 lifetime membership fee upon joining Golightly, theres also a 10 percent transaction fee for guests and a 5 percent fee for hosts. To attract initial members, the company is waiving the membership fee charge through the end of February. Whether traveling for work or leisure, it should always be a pleasure, reads the Golightly website. We hope to take some of the stress out of booking and listing vacation rentals so you can leave lifes baggage behind and go lightly. Actress and activist Ashley Judd will take part in campaign events in New Hampshire on behalf of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday Judd will travel to New Hampshire to host Warren campaign events in Dartmouth, Lebanon, and Nashua that afternoon. It is her first campaign trip for Warrens presidential bid. I support Elizabeth for president because of her plan to end the rancid corruption in Washington that makes government work for the well connected and leaves the vast majority of Americans behind, said Judd when she endorsed Warren last month. Elizabeth is brilliant, compassionate, day one prepared and she has a plan for that. Im all in! Earlier this week, Warren picked up two endorsements in New Hampshire: Kathy Sullivan, former chair of that states Democratic Party, and two-term New Hampshire state Sen. Kevin Cavanaugh. However, a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll shows the Massachusetts senator in fourth place in the hearts of New Hampshire voters behind Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joseph Biden and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Fridays visit to New Hampshire is not Judds first foray into presidential politics. Judd supported Barack Obama in his successful election and reelection campaigns. She represented Tennessee as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Judd was appointed Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS, an education and prevention program of the non-profit Population Services International. She was one of the first women to step forward and accuse disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. The Hyderabad police commissionerates also asked multiplexes and cinema theatres to update their cell number and email ID in the database so that relevant information is communicated to them online. HYDERABAD: As a part of citizen friendly policing, the Hyderabad police has taken up another initiative for public convenience. From now on, most of the communication will be sent through email and via SMS. If there any complaints that are unresolved, citizens can meet officials any time between 3 and 5 pm every day at the police commissionerate office. The move is to ensure transparency, so that corruption is eliminated and people find it easy to get their grievances redressed. The police in a release said the process of giving licences and permissions for hotels and establishments had been streamlined. Stakeholders were requested to update their cell number and email for prompt intimation in case they have any doubts or clarifications. The Hyderabad police commissionerates also asked multiplexes and cinema theatres to update their cell number and email ID in the database so that relevant information is communicated to them online. The advise was also addressed to those applying for permissions to use explosives for construction purposes. The overall objective is to bring about a citizen-friendly, hassle-free, corruption-free, responsive system, it said. The office of every DCP and ACP in the city and police station will have the same seamless mechanism. Hyderabad police commissioners office also put out a Whatsapp number for contact: 9490616880 Police commissioner, Anjani Kumar said, Hyderabad city police is always at your service. Help us to improve our service mechanism to provide you better services. Give us your regular feedback. We always value your opinions and suggestions. Violence in British prisons will increase under government plans to keep dangerous offenders in jail for longer, campaigners have warned. Plans to be debated by MPs on Wednesday would see the automatic release point for serious sexual and violent offenders lengthened from halfway through their sentence to two thirds. The government said its proposals would better protect the public and restore confidence in the justice system but critics said the effects could be damaging. Prisons in England and Wales are currently filled to 98 per cent of their operational capacity, and violence and self-harm have reached record highs. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said there was no evidence that longer prison sentences would prevent crime. UK prison conditions: in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 UK prison conditions: in pictures UK prison conditions: in pictures A cell covered in graffiti at HMP Liverpool. PA UK prison conditions: in pictures HMP Liverpool has some of the worst conditions inspectors have seen. HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA UK prison conditions: in pictures A broken window in a cell at HMP Liverpool HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA Wire UK prison conditions: in pictures A shower unit with protruding electric cable at HMP Liverpool HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA UK prison conditions: in pictures Litter at HMP Liverpool HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA Wire UK prison conditions: in pictures A wall damaged by damp at HMP Liverpool HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA UK prison conditions: in pictures A pool table at HMP Liverpool HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA UK prison conditions: in pictures A sign for HMP Liverpool, where drones are seized at a rate of more than one a week. The prisons watchdog flagged up the impact of the remote-controlled flying devices at HMP Liverpool. PA There is no evidence that the prospect of spending longer in prison will deter anyone from committing a crime in the first place, nor will longer sentences make anyone less likely to reoffend on release, she added. Rather than reducing crime, these reforms risk doing the exact opposite - by making prisons more violent as resentful prisoners spend longer in them, and by making people more truculent to reintegrate after additional years inside. Boris Johnson had pledged to give violent and sexual offenders tougher prison sentences after becoming prime minister, despite warnings that the move ignored evidence on reoffending. Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the government must think strategically about the ultimate aim of jail sentences. For two decades, successive governments have been making the law more rather than less complex, and this change will only add to the confusion, he added. The government should take the time to listen and plan - this rushed approach does neither. Legislation to be brought before parliament would move the automatic release of offenders given sentences of seven years or more, for crimes that can be met with life imprisonment. The offences include rape, manslaughter, armed robbery and other serious violent and sexual crimes. Murder is already met with a mandatory life sentence. The change would mean inmates have to spend two thirds of their term, rather than the current half, in jail before being released under licence conditions. MPs are to debate two statutory instruments that would bring the new release point into effect on 1 April 2020 if approved. The Ministry of Justice said that the vast majority of dangerous offenders receive standard determinate sentences, which see them automatic released without a Parole Board review. The Queen sets out Governments priorities including Brexit, NHS, knife crime and immigration More than 4,000 such sentences were imposed for serious sexual and violent offences in 2018, as well as 250 extended determinate sentences which require Parole Board reviews - and 400 life sentences where people are either kept in prison or monitored until death. The move was announced a day after the government unveiled a package of new terror measures including lengthened jail sentences and lie detector tests for freed terrorists. A union representing prison officers warned of the impact of increasing the prison population amid efforts to combat violence, self-harm, poor conditions and understaffing. It will certainly increase the prison population, Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the Prison Officers Association, told The Independent. We need more prison spaces, more funding and more staff. The most recent annual report released by HM chief inspector of prisons cited overcrowding and squalid conditions as one driver of rising violence and self-harm. At present overcrowding in prisons is assessed by the prison service based on how many prisoners can be crammed into the available cells, said chief inspector Peter Clarke. Perhaps we should think about describing prisons as being overcrowded if, among other things, there are not enough meaningful education or work places for the prisoners being held in them. Capacity issues have been linked to disorder in numerous prisons including HMP Liverpool, where a recent watchdog report said the removal of 500 inmates had been key to reversing its position as one of the worst prisons ever inspected. The government has pledged to create 10,000 more prison places, including a new jail at HMP Full Sutton, but campaigners said 9,000 were needed just to eliminate existing overcrowding. Days before losing his post as justice secretary last year, David Gauke appealed for the prime minister to follow the evidence rather than appeal to populist rhetoric on crime and punishment. He commissioned Ministry of Justice research that resulted in calls for ineffective prison sentences of under six months to be abolished, but Mr Johnson scrapped the plans. Robert Buckland, the justice secretary, said: Time and again victims tell me they feel let down by a system that can see violent and sexual offenders back on the streets after serving just half their sentence. So we will end the automatic half-way release for these offenders ensuring punishment truly fits the crime and restore the publics faith in the justice system. A woman has been rushed to hospital in a critical condition after her car was crushed in a crash involving two trucks in Sydney's south-west. Emergency services were called to Henry Lawson Drive in Milperra just before 11am on Wednesday, following reports of a collision between two trucks and a Hyundai sedan near Fromelles Avenue. Henry Lawson Drive is closed in both directions at Milperra following a crash involving two trucks and a car. Credit:Nine News Seven ambulance crews including a specialist medical team rushed to the scene and began treating the 31-year-old woman for head injuries. She has since been taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition, a NSW Ambulance spokesman said. Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday claimed that pre-Budget meetings are being held at the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), but finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not being invited. Almost 13 meetings were conducted without her, he claimed. Chavan said, Both the prime minister and the home minister conducted 13 pre-Budget meetings and did not invite finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for it. She was not even present for the meeting with industrialists. It is wrong to insult the finance minister. The Union budget would be presented on February 1. Traditionally, pre-Budget meetings are conducted by the finance ministry. The entire Budget process happens at the finance ministry, under the finance ministers guidance, Chavan, who was a minister in the PMO during the UPA years, said. Chavan said that it is clear that as the finance minister has not been involved in the budget preparations, this years budget would be according to the prime minister. The finance minister will only read the speech, the budget will be the one planned by PM Narendra Modi. If the prime minister is not happy with Sitharaman, instead of insulting her, he should replace her, he added. Chavan also attacked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on issues related to the economy. Chavan reiterates Senas 2014 coalition proposal despite opposition from Cong party members Chavan on Wednesday reiterated his claim that the Shiv Sena did propose a coalition government with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2014. Chavan on January 20 had stated that the Shiv Sena had proposed to form a coalition government with his party and the NCP after the 2014 assembly election to stop the BJP from coming to power in the state. But the Congress had immediately rejected the proposal then, Chavan had said. Chavans remark invited strong reactions from the Congress and the Shiv Sena, who rejected the claim and the Bharatiya Janata Party slammed its former ally, the Sena, for being opportunistic. On Wednesday at a press conference in the city, when Chavan was confronted with opposing views from his own party members, who slammed his remarks, he said, I stand by my statement and remain firm about it. The Congress leader, however, did not disclose names of Sena leaders who approached him with the coalition proposal in 2014. He said, Media should check facts of the 2014 and 2019 assembly election results. If my own party leaders denied the statement, I dont want to comment on it anymore. Views on cabinet berth When Chavan was asked if he was interested in joining the Maharashtra cabinet, he said that he was willing to serve the people from whichever platform is available to him. The party has previously given me a chance to work as the chief minister and also as a minister in the Prime Ministers Office in the past, he said. (With agency inputs) Sounding bullish on economic growth prospects of his war-hit country, Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday the fight against terror is going on in the right direction and it's time to develop the country's "richness". "It's been five years and despite all the gloom and doom predictions that we will collapse, we are still there. We have taken over areas after areas from Taliban. Security is a problem but the direction we are going in is the right direction," Ghani said at the WEF 2020 here. On US troops, the president said the key issue is the bilateral understanding between Afghanistan and the US and the numbers can change. Asked whether he expects full withdrawal of US troops, he said, "Of course.... there is an uncertainty... The key question is what is the terror threat? The non state actors are responsible. He also said he has no problems dealing with US President Donald Trump. "I'm among the few leaders who has an excellent relationship with him." Asked whether talks with Taliban is an option, Negotiation is a means and what matters the most is that Afghan people desire the end of violence. "Afghan society has seen so much violence for such a long time. Taliban's power is negative that is derived from violence. We need to engage," he said. "In last five years we have shown that abandonment is not in our vocabulary. We have shown resilience. "Now we need to develop the richness of our country. A key is our human capital with significant women participation and we also have immense potential in renewable energy. We need to accept that 40 years of violence has taken its toll. We need to move beyond this now. There is an agricultural revolution underway." He said Asia is emerging as a concept and Afghanistan is the key connection for all of Asia. "We need to think regionally and we need to think globally," he said. He rejected the perception about a growing relationship with Russia. "That's a misperception. They have not made any investment, though we wish they had." Ghani has been President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since 2014, following a career in politics and international development. He had also taken part in a special session at the WEF annual meeting 2019 in Davos. Afghanistan's GDP growth has remained at 2.7 per cent for the last few years, but is expected to break above the 3 per cent mark in 2020, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Doctors in China say using a life-support machine to replace a patient's lung function can save those dying of the new virus which has emerged in the country. At least 532 people have been infected by the coronavirus, which has never been seen before, and 17 have died. There is no known cure for the illness, which is usually mild but can lead to deadly cases of pneumonia, and patients are isolated while they recover naturally. Some patients apparently the elderly and those with long-term illnesses become gravely ill and need intensive care to keep them alive. Medics in major hospitals in Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, have used a machine which bypasses the lungs and artificially pumps oxygen into the body to treat the most severe patients. They said doing this allowed the lungs, which may have become filled with fluid, to relax and recover. Doctors at the Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, say they have saved a critically ill patient using a machine which does the work of their heart and lungs for them (pictured) Dr Xiajian, a director at Wuhan's Zhongnan Hospital, told Chinese news site The Paper: 'This new coronavirus damages the patients lungs and turns them into "virus lungs". 'Patients with severe condition have seen their lungs damaged seriously, impacting the organs normal function. 'We adopted the methods of putting an artificial lung device outside the patients body to replace the function of their lungs, letting their own lungs to have sufficient treatment and rest.' Dr Xiajin runs Zhongnan Hospital's centre for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the name for the procedure. WHAT IS THE NEW CORONAVIRUS SPREADING FROM CHINA? An outbreak of pneumonia-like illnesses began in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. Its symptoms are typically a fever, cough and trouble breathing, but some patients have developed pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the small air sacs in the lungs. Scientists in China recognized its similarity to two viruses that turned into global killers: SARS and MERS. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome is caused by the SARS coronavirus, known as SARS Co, and first emerged in China in 2002. By the end of the outbreak, the virus had spread to several other Asian countries as well as the UK and Canada, killing 774. MERS, or Middle East respirator syndrome originated in the region for which it's named, ultimately killed 787 people and belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as SARS. The new virus wasn't a match for either of those two, but it did belong to the same coronavirus family. Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, and most cause mild respiratory infections - i.e. the common cold. But because the SARS and MERS proved deadly, the emergence of another new coronavirus has health officials on edge around the world. Like its two dangerous cousins, the new coronavirus appears to have originated with animals - particularly seafood, chickens, bats, marmots - found at a Wuhan market that's been identified as the epicenter of the outbreak. The symptoms of SARS, which may be similar to those of the new coronavirus, include: a high temperature (fever) extreme tiredness (fatigue) headaches chills muscle pain loss of appetite diarrhoea After these symptoms, the infection will begin to affect your lungs and airways (respiratory system), leading to additional symptoms, such as: a dry cough breathing difficulties an increasing lack of oxygen in the blood, which can be fatal in the most severe cases So far, there isn't a treatment for the new virus or SARS, though the new virus has been sequenced, allowing for rapid diagnostics. Advertisement It is widely used around the world by Dr Xiajin has revealed he and his staff are now using it to treat patients with the new coronavirus. The number of people infected with the illness rose above 500 people today in a fast-evolving international situation. Most of the cases have been in China but officials in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the US have all also confirmed infections. Scientists in the UK estimate that as many as 9,700 people in Wuhan, where the outbreak began at the end of 2019 in a seafood market, have been infected. Seventeen people have been killed by the coronavirus, which infects the lungs and can cause viral pneumonia. This may cause fluid to build up on the lungs and the airways inside them to swell up, making difficult and eventually impossible to breathe. Taking strain off the lungs using an ECMO machine, however, could allow them enough respite to recover, according to Dr Xiajian. ECMO is a drastic life-support procedure which replaces the function of the heart and lungs by pumping oxygen into the blood outside the body. It is used around the world to treat pneumonia patients, those with heart failure, or babies whose hearts or lungs don't work properly, for example. Dr Xiajian said: 'After the infection in the patients lungs started to recover, the situation of the lack of oxygen got relieved and their lungs began to support the biological function, then the out-of-body lung device was removed. 'Afterwards, the human lungs could sustain the normal body functioning, and we successfully saved the patient.' The global situation is evolving rapidly around the virus and its spread. Heathrow Airport announced it will take the extraordinary measure of separating all passengers flying into the UK from Wuhan a flight is scheduled to land this evening. And health chiefs have raised the threat level in the UK from 'very low' to 'low'. And an expert said this morning the outbreak currently has a death rate similar to the global Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, which went on to kill more than 50million people. Wuhan officials have today ordered all residents to wear face masks in public places. It emerged last night that the coronavirus had reached the US. A man in his 30s from Washington State, who had travelled back from Wuhan, was confirmed to be the first American case. US President Donald Trump today said America 'has a plan' to contain the spread of the virus, which officials have confirmed can spread between humans. But British experts who fear there could already be a case of the never-before-seen virus in the UK have warned screening in the UK 'is not foolproof'. Chris Jackson/Getty Images(LONDON) -- Prince Harry and Meghan may be off to a rocky start with the media as they begin to chart their futures as non-working members of Britain's royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's legal team has issued a legal notice to U.K. media and photo agencies concerning the use of paparazzi agency photos, a source close to the Sussexes confirmed to ABC News. Duchess Meghan, 38, was photographed by paparazzi Monday on Vancouver Island walking her two dogs and carrying Archie, her 8-month-old son, with Harry. Prince Harry, 35, flew from the U.K. to Vancouver Monday night and was photographed as he left the plane, wearing jeans and a beanie and carrying his own bag. The family of three reunited in Canada after spending nearly two weeks apart while Harry stayed in the U.K. to negotiate their future with his family and palace officials. Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday that beginning this spring, Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will no longer be "working members" of the royal family. The couple and Archie plan to spend the majority of their time living in North America, though they will keep their Frogmore Cottage home in the U.K., for which they will pay rent and all operating costs. Meghan and Harry, who also will give up his military patronages and titles, will no longer rely on public funds for their royal duties and will no longer travel overseas on behalf of Her Majesty. They are still members of the royal family and will attend family events like Trooping the Colour when invited by the queen, according to a palace source. Harry made his first remarks about his and Meghan's new roles at an event Sunday night where he described their exit from royal life as a "step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life." "You've looked out for me for so long, but the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us," Harry said. "It has been our privilege to serve you, and we will continue to lead a life of service." Harry is currently waging a legal battle against several media outlets in the U.K. Buckingham Palace confirmed in October that Harry has started legal action with regard to "the illegal interception of voicemail messages." Harry and Meghan are also taking legal action against a British tabloid for what they allege was an invasion of privacy. The tabloid targeted in the lawsuit, the Mail on Sunday, published a letter in February it claimed was one Meghan wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, after he missed her May 2018 wedding to Harry. Harry, whose mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi, issued a statement announcing the legal move in which he described Meghan as "one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences." "Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself," Harry said in the statement. "I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. FILE PHOTO: Clouds gather but produce no rain as cracks are seen in the dried up municipal dam in drought-stricken Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, November 14, 2019. (Photo : Picture taken November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo) New climate models show carbon dioxide is a more dominant greenhouse gas than previously thought, a recent discovery that could drive the Paris treaty goals for solving global warming out of reach. The models, which developed in parallel via separate groups in half-a-dozen countries, urged the scientists to underpin the revised United Nation's climate projections next year. Since the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections were finalized in 2013, other statistics and computations have become more available. Olivier Boucher, head of the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace Climate Modelling Centre in Paris, told AFP they have "better models" now, adding the forecasts "represent current weather trends more accurately." Projections from government-backed teams in Britain, Canada, France, and the United States, leads to a future where carbon dioxide concentrations that were equated with 3C global warming would likely affect the planet's surface by four or five levels. Scientist Mark Zelinka told AFP that obtaining the Paris targets would be more challenging to obtain - whether it is 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius - if people believe the new climate model supply a realistic picture. Zelinka, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, is the lead writer of a peer-reviewed assessment of new generation of models, published this month in Geophysical Research Letters. Holy Grail Scientists are at a loss for words this deceptively easy question for more than a century about the increasing temperature growth. How would Earth's floor warm over time if the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubles? That area has been difficult to pin down because of a host of elusive variables - including oceans and forests absorbing more than half of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans. Imperial College London researcher Joeri Rogelj, the lead IPCC author on the worldwide carbon budget, explained that how clouds evolve in warmer weather and climate exert in amplifying impact has long been a first-rate source of uncertainty. He added the number of greenhouse gases that could be emitted without exceeding a given temperature cap. The new models, according to Zelinka, reflect higher information on cloud dynamics in ways that support the warming effect of carbon dioxide. Shifting perceptions Last year alone, human activity injected more than 41 billion tonnes of CO2 into the environment, some 5 million tonnes in step with hour. The world is coping with an increasing number of deadly heatwaves, droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones made extra destructive by rising seas with 1C of warming alone. Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius calculated that doubling carbon dioxide in the 1980s could subsequently elevate Earth's common ground temperature by 5 to 6C, even though he later revised the increase to 4C. Arrhenius remarkably knew that burning fossil fuels could result in the future drive this kind of change. Scientists concluded on a climate sensitivity of 3C (plus-or-minus 1.5C), corresponding to about 560 ppm of CO2 in the ecosystem by the late 1970s. That assessment remained unchanged - until now. Hence the IPCC, the UN's weather advisory body, sets four locations for destiny warming to rely on how aggressively humanity works to lessen greenhouse gases. The maximum goal in keeping with the Paris agreement of capping temperature upward push to "nicely below" 2C - may require slashing CO2 emissions by using more than ten percent per year. At the other extreme, a so-called "business-as-usual" trajectory of expanded fossil gas use would leave massive swathes of the planet uninhabitable by way of century's end. The first state of affairs has to turn out to be wishful thinking, consistent with many scientists, even as the worst-case is unlikely except Earth itself begins releasing natural stores of greenhouse gases from, say, melting permafrost. 'Heated debate' A doubling of 1850's CO2 levels to approximately 570 ppm falls among the two, and as a result takes on real-world importance that in all likelihood would have startled Arrhenius, the late nineteenth-century Swedish chemist. "Right now, there may be a tremendously heated debate within the weather modeling community," said Earth machine scientist Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Models from France, the USA Department of Energy, Britain's Met Office, and Canada show weather sensitivity of 4.9C, 5.3C, 5.5C, and 5.6C, respectively, Zelinka said. Among the 27 new models examined in Zelinka's study, these have also been most of the ones that first-class matched weather change over the past seventy-five years, further validation in their accuracy. That stated, other fashions to be able to feed into the IPCC's next foremost Assessment Report determined considerably smaller increases, though almost all came in higher than prior estimates. Scientists are also nonetheless poring over the effects to search for methodological system defects or inconsistencies. "The jury remains out, but it's miles demanding," stated Rockstrom. "Climate sensitivity has been in the range of 1.5C to 4.5C for extra than 30 years. If it's far now shifting to between 3C and 7C, that might be quite dangerous." - The Duke of Sussex flew on a British Airline flight to Vancouver - Harry had been in England while Meghan and son Archie were in Canada for about a week - The prince looked happy as he could not wait to start a new life with his family - Both he and his wife abandoned the royal life saying they wanted to live like commoners The Duke of Sussex is getting on with life after downing his roles as the Prince to the English Monarch. The father of one travelled like a commoner from England on a British Airlines flight to Canada on Tuesday, January 21. READ ALSO: Netflix wants to work with Prince Harry and Meghan on 'The Crown' READ ALSO: Hope as blind man regains sight following groundbreaking experimental treatment According to TMZ, he looked just like any other normal guy as he landed at the Vancouver International airport which is said to be a few kilometres from Vancouver Island where Meghan and son Archie have been staying. He later flew on a commuter jet to the Island where he reunited with his wife and son. Harry travelled low-key, wearing a puffer jacket and a dark Marvin not trying to attract too much attention to himself. READ ALSO: Prince Harry arrives in Canada; new adventure with Meghan begins He looked happy as he could not wait to start a new life with his family which he described would be more peaceful than the one he rejected. It should be noted that the young family was stripped of the His and Her Highness royal titles but will keep their Duke and Duchess titles. Harry while speaking at a charity dinner on Sunday, January 19, said he and Meghan had no choice but to step back. He revealed the decision was not taken lightly and it was with "great sadness" that it had come to that. The pair is also set to lose the royal funding after making the controversial decision which was said to have divided the royal family. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Curvy Ghanaian woman steals the show at Kente Party 2019 with her wild dance moves| #Yencomgh Source: YEN.com.gh Two men, Jimoh Imade and Matthew Chigozie, risk being committed to life imprisonment, with or without caning, if found guilty of felony, for alleged defilement and r.a.p.e. In the first incident, Imade who is currently being reminded in Oko Correctional Center, in Benin, Edo State, was accused of having unlawful carnal knowledge of 11-year-old girl (name withheld). Chief Magistrate Dorothy Adamaigbo, of a Benin City family court, who ordered that Imade be remanded in prison custody on Tuesday, adjourned the case until May 30, for hearing. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Ifidon, told the court that the accused committed the offence on November 6, 2019, at Egba community, in Uhumwode local government area of Edo State. He said the accused did unlawfully defiled the 11-years-old girl and was arrested by the police on the same date. According to the prosecution, the offence contravened section 218 of the Criminal Code , Cap 48,Vol. II, Laws of the defunct Bendel state of Nigeria 1976 as applicable in Edo. The accused person however pleaded not guilty to the one charge of defilement. The police prosecutor objected to bail application on the grounds that the offence was not a bailable offence. In a related incident, 30-year-old Matthew Chigozie, was also remanded in Oko Correctional Centre by Chief Magistrate Dorothy Adamaigbo, for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl. Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Ifidon Daniel, told the court that the accused person committed the offence on January 6, 2020, at Okey Golden Hotel, at Nomayo street, upper Sakponba road, Benin. He said that the offence contravened section 357 and punishable under section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, volume II, laws of the defunct Bendel state of Nigeria 1976, as applicable in Edo. According to him, the accused on the same date, did unlawfully had canal knowledge of a teenager, aged 17. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him. Chief Magistrate, Dorothy Adamaigbo, who ordered that the accused be remanded in prison, adjourned the case to March 25, for hearing. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates It is time to roll up the red carpet at the Bafta awards next month? Stephen Fry, who hosted the film jamboree for 12 years until 2017, suggests that all the attention lavished on the arrival of guests is overshadowing the actual awards ceremony. The phenomenon of the arrivals and interviews on the red carpet began to grow and grow every year until it threatened to be more important than the ceremony itself, Fry says. That element ended up having its own producer and presenters covering celebrity and fashion. When I asked the director, How long is the carpet?, she replied, without thinking, Oh, its about 50 minutes this year. Stephen Fry, pictured, hosted the Baftas for 12 years until 2017 and has noticed how the amount of time devoted to celebrities arriving on the red carpet has increased dramatically Stars slowly make their way down the red carpet, often stopping for interviews to discuss the clothes they are wearing According to Fry, when he asked the director about the length of this year's carpet, the comedian said they replied 'about 50 minutes' If you havent had your fill of Harry and Meghan, how about a three-course meal in their honour? M restaurant in the City of London is offering a 65-a- head Megxit menu without judgment, specialising in British and Canadian cuisine, to mark their move abroad. It includes a starter of Canadian crab, a choice of sirloin steak and a pear, rhubarb and ginger crumble for dessert. Thats one bit of Megxit that isnt half-baked. Solo Donna clocks up some air miles in the sunshine Life's a beach for actress Donna Air. Following a tumultuous 2019, in which she split from her live-in boyfriend, property developer Ben Carrington, the 40-year-old has started this year off with a holiday in the Maldives. The mother of one, who is soon to star in the second series of legal drama The Split, stayed at a five-star resort where she enjoyed margaritas, meditation and scuba diving a timely reminder to Donna, who once dated the Duchess of Cambridges brother, James Middleton, that there are plenty more fish in the sea. Donna Air, pictured on the beach in The Maldives, will soon star in the second season of the legal drama The Split The perils of having a fashion show in mid-winter! Gigi Hadid, 24, failed to exude her customary poise and glamour as she waited for her turn on the catwalk in Paris. Putting on a spectacle of a different kind, she wrapped up in a gold foil blanket to keep the chill out not a look that will likely catch on before hitting the runway. Model Gigi Hadid, centre, looked less than glamourous standing wearing a foil blanket awaiting her turn on a Paris catwalk earlier this week Playing a princess is Helena's cup of tea Members of the Royal Family have had little cause to smile of late. But life is evidently more agreeable for Helena Bonham Carter, who is in Winchester filming The Crown, in which she plays Princess Margaret. Yesterday saw a re-enactment of one of the most sombre chapters in recent royal history: the funeral of Lord Mountbatten. That didnt prevent a smile stealing across Helenas face as she relaxed with a cup of tea between takes. Helena Bonham Carter was photographed during a break in filming for The Crown where she is playing Princess Margaret She may present TVs Best Home Cook alongside Mary Berry, but Claudia Winkleman is no domestic goddess. I cant make pastry so Mary decided to teach me quite a few times. It didnt work so I just buy it. Is she really the right woman for the job? The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began in US Senate on Tuesday (local time), the House largely controlled by the Republican party. Al Jazeera reported that the impeachment trial began even as the Senate Republicans and Democrats remained divided over the law and important procedural issue. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced three amendments -- all requesting relevant documents from the White House, State Department and Office of Budget and Management. The Senate voted along party lines to table, or kill, the amendments, reported CNN. Meanwhile, Trump took to Twitter as the impeachment trial got underway. He tweeted, "READ THE TRANSCRIPTS!" Last month, the US House of Representatives had voted to impeach President Donald Trump. The US President has frequently criticised the impeachment trial terming it a "witch-hunt" and "hoax". Given the Republican majority in the House, it is unlikely that Trump will be impeached. US President flew to Davos, Switzerland to attend the Economic Forum. On Wednesday, the Democratic-led House voted to formally choose the seven impeachment managers who will serve as prosecutors arguing Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress. They include House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, Administration Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren, Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, Congresswoman Val Demmings, Congressman Jason Crow and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. Trump is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine, as Trump withheld $391 million in military aid that he later released. The president is also accused of subsequently obstructing a congressional probe into his actions. The Republican Party holds a 53-47 majority in the chamber, and conviction requires a two-thirds majority, meaning if all Democrats voted to convict, then 20 Republicans would have to also vote that way for Trump to be convicted and removed from office. This is the third time in the country's 244-year history a U.S. president has been impeached and targeted for removal from office. Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were both impeached by the House but acquitted in Senate trials. A fourth president, Richard Nixon, resigned in 1974 in the face of certain impeachment in a political corruption scandal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seattle The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. The man, identified as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was in good condition and wasn't considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials said. U.S. officials stressed that they believe the virus' overall risk to the American public remained low. "This is not a moment of high anxiety," Gov. Jay Inslee said. The newly discovered virus has infected about 300 people, all of whom had been in China, and killed six. The virus can cause coughing, fever, breathing difficulty and pneumonia. The U.S. joins a growing list of places outside mainland China reporting cases, following Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Airports around the world have stepped up monitoring, checking passengers from China for signs of illness in hopes of containing the virus during the busy Lunar New Year travel season. Late last week, U.S. health officials began screening passengers from Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak began. The screening had been under way at three U.S. airports New York City's Kennedy airport and the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it would add Chicago's O'Hare airport and Atlanta's airport to the mix later this week. What's more, officials also will begin forcing all passengers from Wuhan to go to one of those five airports if they wish to enter the U.S. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The hospitalized U.S. resident had no symptoms when he arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport last Wednesday, but he started feeling ill on Thursday and went to a doctor on Sunday with a fever and a cough, officials said. Lab testing on Monday confirmed he had the virus. "The gentleman right now is very healthy," Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the CDC said Tuesday. The hospital, Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, said in a statement that it expected the man would remain in isolation and under monitoring there at least until Thursday. CDC officials said they sent a team to Washington to try to track down people who might have come in contact with the man. The hospital also said it was contacting "the small number of staff and patients" who may have been with the man at a clinic. The man is originally from central China, lives alone in the U.S. and made the trip solo, officials said. There were relatively few people who came in contact with him since he got back, health officials said. Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday sought to allay the fears of Muslims about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and accused opposition parties of raising a bogey over the law. He assured Muslims that nobody could touch them and suggested they could approach the government if the need arose. At a rally in support of CAA in Meeruts Shatabdi Nagar area, Singh claimed that the discussion on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) started after the country became independent and Assam was the first state where it had to be implemented. A discussion on it began during the Rajiv Gandhi government. We introduced it and now they (Congress) are targeting the BJP. ALSO WATCH | No country has the courage to raise their eyes towards India: Rajnath Singh He said the CAA was for those who were being harassed on the basis of religion in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said, Dalit and backward classes are the most affected there and they should be given citizenship if they come here as refugees. He further said that Mahatma Gandhi was also in favour of giving citizenship to these people and later former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was of the same opinion. Speaking about the National Population Register (NPR) he asked whether or not a country had the right to keep a register of its citizens. He explained that such a register was important for making and implementing different social and welfare schemes in the country. He said, Government employees will approach you to ask questions but they will not force you to answer. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi always thought of equality and justice for all. He believed in the principle of Sabka saath, sabka vikas and the BJP did not go in for politics of fear. Without naming anyone, he said that there were forces which wanted to divide people along communal lines over CAA. The CAA has sparked protests in various parts of the country that have been helmed by opposition parties, students and women. The protests have forced the BJP to launch its own outreach programme to counter the arguments of the opponents of the law who say that it is unconstitutional because it makes religion a test of citizenship. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted the Centre four weeks to reply to the 144-odd petitions challenging the controversial law. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on January 21 challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a debate on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Owaisi's remark came after Shah threw an open challenge for a public debate on the issue to those political leaders who are opposing CAA, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati. Responding to Shah's dare, Owaisi, who was addressing a rally in Karimnagar district ahead of the municipal polls on January 25, challenged Shah to debate the legislation with him. "I am here.. debate with me.. why (debate) with these people...Daadi wale se karo na (Debate with a bearded man; a contemptuous innuendo for a Muslim man). We will talk and debate on CAA, NPR and NRC," Owaisi retorted. At a pro-CAA rally held in Lucknow on January 21, Shah had emphatically said the Citizenship Amendment Act will not be withdrawn and those protesting can continue to do so even as he challenged opposition leaders for a public debate on the amended leglislation. The CAA grants easier citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants who entered India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before 2015 after facing religious persecution. The AIMIM chief also hit out at the BJP over renaming of places, while mentioning about the 'Halwa' ceremony ahead of the Union budget. "BJP says it will change names. I want to ask from where did the word halwa originate? It is an Arabic word. It is neither Hindi nor Urdu (word). Now remove the Arabic word...They (BJP) say they will (continue to) change names. Inshallah people of the country will change you," Owaisi said, adding, "Remember I am not halwa...I am lal mirchi (red chilli)." Meanwhile, the AIMIM has requested the Telangana State Election Commission not to use face recognition app being used on pilot basis in the polls for urban local bodies, alleging that it would invade the privacy of the citizens, among other violations. With inputs from PTI Christie Brinkley will be undergoing surgery to treat the injury she sustained on Dancing With The Stars. The model, 65, was unable to perform on the show last year after falling and breaking her arm during rehearsal, leaving daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook to step in and compete in her place. Now Christie has revealed to People she will be receiving PRP at the end of the week as she continues to heal. 'I'm going to get PRP': Christie Brinkley will be undergoing surgery in order to treat the injury she sustained on Dancing With The Stars Christie appeared to be referencing platelet-rich plasma, which is thought to aid in healing when injected into the damaged tissue, according to Healthline.com. 'I'm actually going on Friday, I'm going to get PRP, and some sort of manipulation to my shoulder, my wrist and my thumb, because it's still healing, but not fast enough, it's been four months!' she said on People Now. Christie has been practicing for her upcoming stint as the ringmaster at the Big Apple Circus, and said her injury had been giving her problems. 'A ringmaster needs to be able to do this,' she said, stretching out her arms. It takes two! Brinkley was original partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy for her turn on DWTS 'For those pictures I had to literally lift my arm up, hold it... so hopefully on Friday, I've done PRP before, when I was doing Chicago The Musical, I had to do a little PRP on my hip, and it worked! It's really good stuff.' Christie faced accusations she was faking her injury in order to get her daughter Sailor on the show. She hit back at the claims with photos from her hospital stay and treatment. Stepping up: Sailor Brinkley-Cook stepped in to compete in her mother's place Proof: She hit back at accusations she was faking her injury with photos from her hospital stay and treatment ''It goes against my better judgement to acknowledge haters and conspiracy theorists but because this involves my precious daughter I'm setting the record straight,' the former supermodel wrote on Instagram along with 13 snaps of her hospital stay and treatment. 'If it was just me I would have let this roll right off my back, but on #nationaldaughtersday I feel it's the perfect opportunity to stand up for truth. 'Thank you for being such an amazing daughter @sailorbrinkleycook for overcoming your fears to step in I'm so proud of you! But I STILL want my favorite jeans back!' Sailor was subsequently sent home in October, despite repeated high scores. In the most recent solo exhibition by veteran artist Samir Fouad, which he gives no title, three phases of a rich career peacefully coexist, overlapping on several occasions. The show, which closed on 16 January at the Picasso Art Gallery, combines abstract cityscapes with pop art and figurative abstraction. The first collection I encountered on entering the gallery depicts the moment of collision of multiple objects. A fantastic scene, it is a portrayal of the aftermath and the horror we feel on registering the passage of time. The scenes recall demolition in fast forward mode, reflecting fast brushstrokes that suggest various ghostly creatures: a black bird with a long beak, a dead body... Black, white, yellow and red the colours of the Egyptian flag preponderate, perhaps symbolizing historical time. The influence of Francis Bacon is immediately evident, but as Fouad himself reveals, it is also the work of one of Bacons own influences, the English-American photographer who studied motion, Eadweard Muybridge. Thus cityscape, as Fouad, 75, calls it: Cityscape is different from landscape. Living in capital cities, Cairo and London, I am affected by the chaos of cities, overwhelmed by buildings and the movement of material stuff. He has done cityscapes since 2010, when he also started painting swings and old Cairo alleyways. They vary in both size (30 by 40 cm to 160 by 100 cm) and speed. It was a hard mission. Because, at this old age, it is not easy to go out of your comfort zone, in which many painters are imprisoned. Pointing to one painting, he confides that it is a great source of energy. It is not for sale, he whispers. Fouad defines a phase as dependent on individual incentive, when the artist worries about what comes next and fear of repetition leads to different work. The richest phase takes place when the artist is young, he says, discovering the full range of colours and themes. When we get older, we try not to repeat ourselves, we try to see things from different perspectives, and if we revisit a certain theme or technique, we do it to check, with our new expertise, if we still need to add more. For example, he added, watercolour was a special phase that ended 12 years ago. I would never think to revisit that phase because I have nothing more to add. Movement and time have always been focal themes, but they too have changed. Movement has now become more consistent. Lines and figures had always been running from left to right. Today, a radical change took place; movement could be noticed everywhere in the painting, circular and spiral, and in conflicting strokes, he explains. The change happened simultaneously with a significant change of mood. This is why you can observe more energy reflected by the paintings, compared to my previous works. I feel that the remaining time is far shorter than time that has passed. It is a struggle against perdition. Other than terrifying time, which passes irrespective of our will, portraits of women are among the themes that have persisted, a symbol of struggle against traditional values that shackle the societys development.Further into the hall are Fouads pop art paintings. One features an old advertisement of an old man sipping a cup of tea: Shai El Shiekh El Shareeb, which might be translated as Connoisseurs Cup Tea. The medium speed of the brush, which partly tarnishes the mans facial features, is a reference to the passage of time. Here as elsewhere pop art is more of a tool than a style, and Fouad approaches it with clarity and irony as Andy Warhol did.In the third collection, figurative abstractions, the viewer is invited on a contemplative journey. One depicts a bus with open windows moving at speed, with the faces of delighted young women, waving their hands to the passersby creating doubled images. They could be girls on their way for a school trip, or female prisoners on their way to confinement. The windows take up only a third of the upper space of the painting, with the two lower thirds painted in baby blue and white.A reflection of the sky? A glimpse of hope? It is about happiness and sadness, imprisonment and freedom, the mixed messages that life always sends us. It is part of my character. My mentality is more into calculations and philosophy, due to my long career in digital engineering, he explained. Born in 1944, Fouad first went to Britain when he was 20 on a scholarship from the University of Ain Shamss Faculty of Engineering. He then married a British woman, and lived between Cairo and London, maintaining a career in engineering and visual arts until 2000 when decided to devote himself to art.Three paintings show a mannequin alongside a human figure, the mannequin evoking something different in each. Mannequins appeared in art even before surrealism in the sculptures of Giorgio de Chirico, but Fouads, which appeared early in his career, worked as lifeless objects against a vivid landscape. Here they have a light dress on and no facial features like a part of oneself with which one has lost touch a symbol for the other, or for the absence of sexual fulfillment.For me, a mannequin is equivalent to impetus, he says. An impressive 160 by 200 cm oil on canvas features two mannequin busts alongside two women, one in a red dress and the other in a white wedding dress, with a clown and red roses in the background. The unsettling juxtaposition evokes depression and sexual frustration. In another, 170 by 130 cm painting, a sad, pregnant bride stands helplessly in front of a headless mannequin in a black night gown, with the brides belly button shaped like a shooting target. A shocking feeling of imminent catastrophe results. Surrealism has been one of the main features of Fouads painting since 1999, when he used the wooden horse as a symbol.After each exhibition, I keep worrying about the next project. However, something popped up in my mind in 2012. It is complete in my head, but the challenge is to connect my head to my hand, he beams.How do you explain the absence of an Egyptian art school or movement through out the last fifty years, I ask him.In the Seventies, an art movement was about to develop. However, the Wahhabi current ruined everything. In addition, the fact that artists of different generations live in isolated lands and the absence of real art criticism have contributed to the abortion of an actual art movement. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: PARIS - French president Emmanuel Macron said on a visit to Jerusalem that ''anti-Zionism is not different from antisemitism''. In a press conference with his Israeli counterpart, Reuven Rivlin, he said that ''this does not mean we cannot disagree. Clearly, between friends there are disagreements. But there is no doubt that today, denying the right of the State of Israel to exist is a modern version of antisemitism.'' On Wednesday morning, Macron met with Israel prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu, with whom he discussed developments in Libya in light of Turkey's involvement. The prime minister's office made the announcement and noted that Netanyahu had asked Macron - who is in Israel as part of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz - for France to join in imposing sanctions on Iran ''for its nuclear activities and its aggressive activities in the region''. The announcement stated that the prime minister had also discussed the issue of Hezbollah's efforts in Lebanon to get ahold of high precision missiles. France, Macron said, will do everything possible to help Lebanon to deal with the ''crisis'' it is experiencing. He added that he would be carefully watching ''terrorist activities'' that could threaten Israel from Lebanon. Mohammed Goji, an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the anti-graft agency made a mistake in the bank... Mohammed Goji, an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the anti-graft agency made a mistake in the bank account linked to Faisal Maina, son of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT). The official, who served as the second prosecution witness, admitted the mistake during cross-examination at the federal high court, Abuja, on Tuesday. Goji, a member of the EFCC pension fraud team, had earlier narrated how a bank account and several properties were discovered in Faisals name. He said the pension fraud team was set up in 2010 to conduct an investigation into pension accounts audit at the office of the head of civil service of the federation as well as the police. But the EFCC official later admitted that the commission did not conduct an in-depth investigation into the PRTT. While responding to questions from Adeola Adedipe, Faisals lawyer, Goji said it was a mistake on the part of the anti-graft agency to have written two different account numbers for one bank account in Exhibit B1 being used in evidence against Faisal. You are an experienced investigator? You have been in service for a long time right, and when you are taking a statement of a suspect, you will inform them of the reason they are under investigation? Adedipe asked Goji. Yes I am an experienced investigator. I am doing my best My Lord. I have been an investigator for 14 years now. When recording statement of a suspect, we normally inform them of the reason they are under investigation, Goji said. At the end of the recording of the statement, we will go through the statement and also allow the suspect to go through it after which we will sign. The EFCC official acknowledged that as contained in count one of the charge, it was on the basis of the commissions investigation that the charge bordering on the operation of account: 1018636805 (Alhaji Faisal Abdullahi Farms 2) in the commercial bank was preferred against the defendant. Will you be surprised that there is no such account in the bank? Adedipe asked. I will be surprised if there is no such account with the name: Alhaji Faisa Abdullahi Farms 2 with the account number: 1018636805, Goji said. But when Goji took a look at exhibit B1, he found that the account number in count one was not the same with the account number in exhibit B1. Adedipe then asked Goji that do you agree with me that you lied to this honourable court? It is not my intention to lie to this honourable court. It was a mistake My Lord, Goje said. Okon Abang, the presiding judge, adjourned the case till January 29 for the continuation of cross-examination. The Flint Water Plant water tower is seen in Flint, Michigan, on March 21, 2016. (Carlos Osorio, File/AP Photo) Supreme Court Allows Flint Residents to Sue Over Water Contamination The Supreme Court on Jan. 21 allowed residents of Flint, Michigan, to pursue a lawsuit that accuses city and government officials of allowing the lead contamination of the citys water supply. The justices declined two appeals filed by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Flint regulators that pushed the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a ruling that allowed cases emerging from the 2014 Flint water crisis to move forward. Officials demands for immunity were rejected by the lower court, which found that they violated Flint residents constitutional right to bodily integrity by providing the contaminated water after switching water sources in a cost-cutting move six years ago. Knowing the Flint River water was unsafe for public use, distributing it without taking steps to counter its problems, and assuring the public in the meantime that it was safe is conduct that would alert a reasonable person to the likelihood of personal liability, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held. Any reasonable official should have known that doing so constitutes conscience-shocking conduct prohibited by the substantive due process clause, it said. Flint residents said in a filing (pdf) with the Supreme Court that they hope to make liable state officials who personally caused, extended, and exacerbated Flints water crisis. Flint switched its public water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River to reduce costs during a financial crisis. The corrosive river water caused lead to leach from pipes, and months after the switch the city said they had detected fecal coliform bacteria in the water supply. The contamination caused an outbreak of bacteria-caused Legionnaires disease, which killed 12 people, despite the city switching back to Lake Huron water the next year. Dozens more were hospitalized. According to court records, more than 25,000 people have reported being harmed through exposure to contaminants in Flint, including lead and bacteria. Others have said they have experienced ailments such as rashes and hair loss. Attorneys for Flint state officials argued in a Supreme Court filing that they did not intentionally or purposefully inject plaintiffs with lead or force them to ingest anything. They were doing the best they could in difficult circumstances with limited information certified by Flint as accurate and in compliance with lead and copper mandates, the state officials said. News of the Supreme Courts ruling was welcomed by attorney Michael Pitt as a major victory for Flint residents and his clients, who he believes have been denied justice, reported Michigan Radio. Its time for the people of Flint to start feeling like they are going to get their day in court, said Pitt, co-lead counsel on the class action lawsuit. This just moves the entire process closer to that day. Reuters contributed to this report. Brand is a fragile thing. Any brand. Your brand. Who needs trouble, like having to defend yourself and your company if someone mistakenly (or, also possible, intentionally) ties your brand to a scandal, even though there is no actual connection. But the easiest way to find yourself on the outs when it comes to brand damage is when you are tied to something, because you happen to be doing business with the perpetrator. Before making business arrangements, let us take a moment to praise transparency, whether someone offers it or you do some mining to find it yourself. There is a mass of examples of companies and business figures that have sunk deep into ignominy and have become a toxic presence, tainting all connected--sometimes for good reasons and other times, perhaps not. Look at stories about Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, Facebook, or anyone associated with the college admission scandals. Practically every week brings a new bout of shame, fueled by hyperactive media that needs to court audiences, social media where so many want to demonstrate their moral superiority, and the genuine feelings of large segments of the public that cannot believe so many shocking things continue to happen. After all, what would happen to them if they did something equivalent? Probably immediate prosecution and quick jailing. It is the popular anger--not the trendy social shaming, but the deep resentment among the vast majority of people who know they're expected to behave better--that is the danger. So what if you and your company did nothing in conjunction with whatever has shocked the collective conscience? You had something to do with the suspected perpetrators (because the public often doesn't have time for final proof or nuance). That makes you culpable. Let's assume for a moment that you really did nothing wrong. But your company might have been a vendor. Perhaps you had a dinner once with a questionable person and landed in a picture with them. A joint venture publicly ties your firm's name with something that later falls into disrepute. Once the scandal breaks and the connection is made, undoing is difficult. You can try. For example, there was a study from researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver; Bentley University; and Northeastern University, published by the American Accounting Association, showing that auditors with clients that get into a public mess either sharply increase their fees or drop the company. The risk is too much. However, the link remains. Public attention does wane, but there are some problems that will always appear in search results and media. A company or businessperson may never be able to walk away from it. (In many cases, they shouldn't be able to.) If you're unlucky, the connection to you and yours is also preserved. There's nothing new about the idea of vetting business partners, although it does seem to be honored more in the breach than embrace. Normally, you do so to make sure you don't get burned in an obvious way. That might mean a credit check on a new vendor or customer, careful analysis of a contract, and checking with others who had done business with them. What you might consider is an additional depth of vetting. What is the ethical reputation of a person or business? How do they treat workers or suppliers? Are there rumors that keep circulated by those traveling the same circles? Do you get an uncomfortable feeling during feelings with representatives? Any offers or suggestions that seem mildly, or wildly, inappropriate? Signs of sexism or racism that should be embarrassing? BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: It is planned to build a downtown (business center) with 230-meter-tall twin towers in Tashkent, vice mayor of Tashkent Sharof Rahmanov said, Trend reports citing the Uzbek media. He added that the business center will accommodate 16 shopping centers, cultural pavilions and apartment buildings. "The amount of necessary investment in the project is estimated at $1 billion. Search for potential investors will begin in the near future," he said. According to designers, there will be twin towers in the center, on top of which two rotating spheres, representing Sun and Moon, Rakhmanov said. The main idea is to create a business and cultural center in the heart of Tashkent, which will be the flagship of the capital. Both towers will be 50-storeys high, Rakhmanov said. The mayor said the business center will include all the necessary infrastructure for recreation and work of the citys residents, including shopping centers, hotels, a large park and an exhibition complex. A man walks by the Providence Regional Medical Center campus after a spokesman from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a traveler from China has been the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus, in Everett, Washington, U.S. January 21, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson) A new SARS-like virus has killed at least nine people in China, infected hundreds of others, and had already reached the United States. Fears have been mounting that the virus will spread all through the massive annual Lunar New Year celebration. A host of Asian countries and the United States have added new screening assessments for passengers from the epicenter of the outbreak - Wuhan, China. Here's what we know about the virus: 1. It's entirely new The virus seems to be a never-before-seen coronavirus strain - a massive virus family that was linked to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed hundreds in mainland China and Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003. Arnaud Fontanet, head of the department of epidemiology on the Institut Pasteur in Paris, told AFP the modern virus strain turned into 80 percent genetically identical to SARS. China has already shared the genome sequencing of this novel coronavirus with the global medical community. For now, it is called "Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)." China Central Television reported on January 9 that many of the people who had become ill tested positive for the new virus. Scientists in China shared the genetic sequence of the new virus two days after, and the WHO applauded China's efforts. 2. It's being passed among humans The World Health Organization stated Monday it believed an animal source became the "main source" of the outbreak. The Wuhan government identified a seafood marketplace as the center of the epidemic. But China confirmed that the virus is now passing from person to person - without going to Wuhan's marketplace. In addition, info about newly reported #nCoV2019 infections suggests there may now be sustained human-to-human transmission. But more information and analysis are needed on this new virus to understand the full extent of human-to-human transmission and other important details. World Health Organization Western Pacific (@WHOWPRO) January 21, 2020 Doctor Nathalie MacDermott of King's College London stated it seems possible that the virus is unfolded through droplets in the air from sneezing or coughing. The spread of the virus - which estimated that there had been some 1,343 cases in Wuhan - is similar to a projection of 1,700 last week by Imperial College, London, according to doctors of the University of Hong Kong. 3. It is milder than SARS The symptoms of novel coronavirus appear to be less aggressive compared to SARS, and professionals say the demise toll is still noticeably low. At least 25 out of 200 people infected in Wuhan have already been discharged, according to local officials. Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at China's National Health Commission, said examining 2019-nCoV is challenging since the patient's lung condition is not always like SARS. The seemingly milder virus is "paradoxically extra worrying" to humans as it allows humans to roam around before the signs and symptoms are detected, Professor Antoine Flahault of the Institute of Global Health on the University of Geneva, told AFP. 4. It could result in a global public health emergency The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to hold an emergency meeting to address this novel virus that has been found in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. The health agency would also tackle whether or not the outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency" and what needs to be done to control the virus. The business enterprise has used the rare label a handful of times, including at some stage in the H1N1 - or swine flu - a pandemic of 2009 and the Ebola epidemic that devastated elements of West Africa from 2014 to 2016. The Chinese government announced Tuesday it becomes classifying the outbreak inside the same category because of the SARS outbreak, meaning compulsory isolation for those identified with the disorder and the capability to implement quarantine measures on travel. But if the WHO comes to a decision to take this step, it might place the Wuhan virus in the identical class as a handful of very severe epidemics. IMAGE: Union home minister Amit Shah addresses a rally in support of CAA in Lucknow. Photograph: @AmitShah/Twitter A day after Union home minister Amit Shah reiterated that Citizenship Amendment Act won't be revoked, Janata Dal-United vice president Prashant Kishor on Wednesday challenged the former Bharatiya Janata Party president to "try implementing" the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. "Being dismissive of citizens' dissent couldn't be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you don't care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why dont you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation!" Kishor said in a tweet. Addressing a rally in Lucknow in support of the CAA, Shah on Tuesday emphatically said the CAA will not be withdrawn and those protesting can continue to do so even as he challenged opposition leaders for a public debate on the contentious law. Kishor has been critical of the citizenship law since its introduction even though his party supported in the Parliament. Canadian transportation champion Bombardier Inc. is running out of road. Its shares lost more than one-third of their already much diminished value last week after another disastrous profit warning. The trains and private jet manufacturer may be forced to exit its commercial aerospace joint venture with Airbus SE because of a shortage of cash; a writedown looms when the group reports 2019 results next month. In the meantime, it's looking at ways to accelerate repayment of its $10 billion debt pile, which suggests a breakup might be on the cards. Bombardier has held talks about a combination of its rail businesses with French rival Alstom SA, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, adding that this is one of several options being considered. On the other side of the Atlantic another storied industrial conglomerate, ThyssenKrupp AG, is suffering a comparable crisis. The German steel and car-parts maker has put its prized elevator division up for sale to help with its massive debt and pension liabilities. When their respective restructurings are completed, these vast and politically important employers will be shadows of their former selves. ThyssenKrupp has already been booted from Germany's benchmark Dax index, while Bombardier's on the cusp of becoming a penny stock (again). So how did they get into such a mess and why haven't they managed to extricate themselves, despite years of restructuring and several false dawns? In both cases, hubris, shoddy governance and poor project management have played a role in their downfall. The fate of the two companies was sealed around a decade ago when they bet the farm on high-risk growth strategies - and lost. Bombardier signed off on the C-Series, an ambitious attempt to break Airbus and Boeing Co.'s lock on the commercial aerospace market. The small, fuel-efficient jet won rave reviews but orders were disappointing and delays caused costs to balloon to about $6 billion and debt to pile up. Bombardier made things worse by trying to bring several new business jets to market at the same time. Weak sales forced it to abandon development of the Learjet 85 - resulting in a $2.5 billion writedown - and to cede control of the C-Series to Airbus for the humiliating sum of one Canadian dollar. ThyssenKrupp's original sin was sinking about 12 billion euros ($13.3 billion) into a pair of steel plants in Brazil and the U.S. to try to keep pace with the acquisitive ArcelorMittal SA. Poor construction work and a faulty business plan led to massive losses from which ThyssenKrupp has never really recovered. Woeful governance had a hand in both corporate disasters. Bombardier has a dual-share structure that gives the founding Bombardier-Beaudoin families majority voting control even though they own a much smaller fraction of the share capital. Pierre Beaudoin served as chief executive officer from 2008 until 2015 - during which time his father, Laurent, remained chairman - but he didn't do a very good job. Pierre is now the chairman. ThyssenKrupp's anchor shareholder, the Krupp Foundation, presided over a management culture that prized fealty and the preservation of corporate perks, including the company's hunting grounds, but failed to prevent compliance breaches. Recent boardroom fireworks at the German giant (two chief executives and a chairman have departed in quick succession) suggest it remains dysfunctional. In their attempt to stop the rot, ThyssenKrupp and Bombardier have followed a similar script. Scrap the dividend, sell underperforming assets, slash thousands of jobs and cut costs. But the cash flow needed to cut debt has never consistently materialized and things have got worse. In 2019 ThyssenKrupp burned through 1.1 billion euros of cash and it expects to consume even more in 2020, risking a breach of banking covenants. Bombardier burned about $1.2 billion in cash last year, far in excess of the roughly break-even target it set at the start of the year. A problem for both companies has been estimating the cost and completion date of large projects. It's one reason why ThyssenKrupp's industrial plant construction unit - once a decent source of cash flow from large customer prepayments - has become a bottomless money pit (the unit is now up for sale). At Bombardier, several high-profile train projects have run late and over budget. Bombardier must pay penalties for late delivery. Judging by their balance sheets, both companies appear to be in trouble. ThyssenKrupp has just 2.2 billion euros in net assets, while Bombardier's liabilities far exceed its reported assets. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes However, unlike Bombardier's, ThyssenKrupp's bonds still trade well above par and its 7.4 billion euros market capitalization is almost four times that of the Canadian company. That's because ThyssenKrupp still has something of value to sell: The elevators unit could fetch more than 15 billion euros if management decides to part with all of it (the sale process is ongoing and ThyssenKrupp might opt to keep a majority stake). Bombardier doesn't face an immediate cash crunch thanks to the proceeds of recent asset sales and no big debt maturities this year. But having already offloaded its ageing Q400 turboprop aircraft line and its Belfast wing factory, it's not exactly overburdened with stuff to sell to meet future liabilities. Neither of Bombardier's two remaining core divisions, trains and private jets, is worth as much as ThyssenKrupp's elevators. In 2015 Bombardier sold a 30% stake in its rail division to the Quebec public pension fund, valuing the whole unit at $5 billion. The business aviation division would probably fetch more. For both businesses, the difficulty with flogging more silverware is that what's left over probably won't generate much profit. The moral of these twin corporate calamities is simple: If tens of thousands of people depend on you for employment, don't bite off more than you can chew. And make sure the higher-ups know what's going on. President Donald Trump and his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh agreed at a meeting on Wednesday on the need for a continued US military role in the country, the White House said. The meeting in Davos, Switzerland was the first since tensions erupted over the US killing of a top Iranian general in Baghdad, sparking an Iraqi parliament call for expulsion of US troops. "The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the United States-Iraq economic and security partnership, including the fight against ISIS," the White House said. "President Trump reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to a sovereign, stable, and prosperous Iraq. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The combined concert and keynote lecture Jazz in the Fight for Civil Rights: Jazz as Activist Music on Tuesday, Feb. 4, featuring visiting musician and scholar Dr. Damani Phillips of the University of Iowa faculty as well as area vocal and jazz ensembles, will headline multiple activities at Hope College scheduled in conjunction with national Black History Month. The public is invited to all of the events. Admission is free. Jazz in the Fight for Civil Rights: Jazz as Activist Music will be presented on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 5:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. Through the combined use of live performance, spoken remarks and a visual display, the evening will highlight the way that many musicians joined African Americans in using their musical voice as a catalyst in demanding change during the Civil Rights movement. As explained in the programs description, while popular artists such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and James Brown were more overt in voicing their opposition to the status quo through their music, many overlook the more subtle sonic contributions that jazz musicians made to the cause. In addition to Phillips, the event will feature the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra and Hope College Jazz Arts Collective, both directed by Dr. Jordan VanHemert of the Hope music faculty; and Hope College Community Gospel Choir, directed by C.J. Kingdom-Grier. The choir will open the evening with Lift Every Voice and Sing, by James Weldon Johnson. Other works on the program will include Whats Going On?, by Marvin Gaye; A-Thats Freedom, by Thad Jones; Strange Fruit, by Abel Meeropol; parts I and IV of Black Brown and Beige Suite, by Duke Ellington; Fables of Faubus, by Charles Mingus; Mississippi Goddam, by Nina Simone; and Alabama, by John Coltrane. A variety of public events commemorating Black History Month, which is February, will precede and follow the Feb. 4 concert-lecture, including later that evening. Also on Tuesday, Feb. 4, immediately following a brief intervening reception in the lobby, the colleges Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series starting at 7:15 p.m. will feature authors Lesley Nneka Arimah and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo in the John and Dede Howard Recital Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. On Thursday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m., Chicago-based artist Nate Young will discuss his work in conjunction with the exhibition (re)collection, which reflects on the African American experience during the Great Migration of the 20th century and is on display in the De Pree Art Center and Gallery. The exhibition opened on Monday, Jan. 6, and is continuing through Thursday, Feb. 6. Following Youngs talk, which will be in Cook Auditorium in the De Pree Art Center and Gallery, there will be a closing reception in the gallery from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The gallery is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The college will host the annual Hope College Gospel Fest featuring multiple regional choirs including the Hope College Community Gospel Choir on Friday, Feb. 28, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. In addition to the other events, the Kruizenga Art Museum is featuring work by African American artists from the colleges Permanent Collection in a focus exhibition from Friday, Jan. 17, through Saturday, April 25. The exhibition is running alongside Resilience, Resistance and Revival in 20th-Century Yoruba Art, which examines the survival and evolution of Yoruba art and culture in Nigeria through the periods of British colonization and post-colonial independence and is on display from Friday, Jan. 17, through Saturday, May 16. The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phillips is director of jazz studies and associate professor of African American studies at the University of Iowa, where he teaches applied jazz saxophone, directs jazz combos, and teaches courses in African American music, African American culture, jazz education and improvisation. He will be on campus on Sunday-Wednesday, Feb. 2-5, as the colleges Hurtgen Jazz Artist in Residence, and during his visit will also make presentations in a variety of courses, lead masterclasses for Hope jazz students and area high school students, and teach individual lessons to Hope jazz and saxophone students. His Feb. 4 keynote address is being co-sponsored by the colleges Department of Music via the residency and by the colleges Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Black Student Union. An active performer, pedagogue and composer, he has taught and performed throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. He previously served on the full time faculty of Grinnell College, the adjunct faculty of Oakland University and Macomb Community College, and is actively sought as a guest artist, clinician, lecturer, panelist and adjudicator throughout the country. As a lecturer, Phillips has presented on a variety of topics on jazz and black musics association with American culture at venues such as The African-American Museum of Iowa, the Deutschebank Kunsthalle of Berlin, Germany, and well over a dozen colleges and universities within the United States. As a performer, he has shared the stage with artists/groups such as Lewis Nash, Christian McBride, Wycliffe Gordon, Bobby McFerrin, Marcus Belgrave, Terrell Stafford, Maceo Parker, Pat Bianchi, Bobby Floyd, The Temptations, Red Holloway, Hank Jones and many others. As a recording artist, Phillips released his debut CD Yaktown Nights in 2003, The String Theory in November of 2010 and The Reckoning (featuring New York standouts Pat Bianchi - organ, Greg Gisbert tpt and Lewis Nash - dr) in 2012. His 2015 recording project Duality is a double album featuring a unique synergy between straight-ahead jazz and hip hop music. Phillips brand new live recording Live in Iowa was released in January of 2018. He is also an active academic scholar, with scholarly presentations at colleges, universities, professional/civic conferences and scholarly forums both domestically and abroad to his credit. His research focuses on addressing cultural concerns in the pedagogy of black music within academia. He published his first book titled What is This Thing Called Soul: Conversations on Jazz and Black Culture in 2017, which delves into the difficult topic of the decline of black cultural influence/representation in jazz as traditionally taught in academic spheres. He has earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from DePaul University and The University of Kentucky in classical saxophone; and a second Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Wayne State University. Phillips completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009, becoming one of the first African-Americans in the country to do so. He was named a Yamaha performing artist in 2014. Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the colleges Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The De Pree Art Center and Gallery is located at 275 Columbia Ave., between 10th and 13th streets. Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., at the corner of College Avenue and 12thStreet. The Kruizenga Art Museum is located at 271 Columbia Ave., between 10th and 13th streets. The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets. Seven people have been arrested following a major police operation against money laundering in Northern Ireland. A senior detective has described it as "one of the most significant live investigations into money laundering in the UK" involving 215 million. Six men and one woman were detained after 15 searches at locations across Northern Ireland on Monday and Tuesday. Four of the men have been released on bail. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne congratulated those involved in Operation Shambala, tweeting that "tenacious & complex work brings results". Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wilson said those targeted include individuals suspected of high-end money laundering through bank accounts in the UK and internationally. He added: "Six men aged 33, 37, 39, 40, 50 and 67 and a 32-year-old woman were arrested during the two-day operation. "During our extensive investigation, we identified that a significant volume of suspected criminal cash was being laundered out of the country through a number of shell companies and bank accounts held here in Northern Ireland. "The investigation has identified over 50 companies and over 140 bank accounts. "In total, almost 215 million has been deposited to thousands of bank accounts across the UK and also transferred out of the UK through foreign exchange companies since 2011. "Money laundering is often a critical enabler of organised criminality. We believe that the majority of this money is derived from a range of criminal activity carried out by organised crime gangs. "We are committed to keeping people safe by robustly pursuing those who are involved in laundering criminally-derived money and enabling criminals to access the profits gained from their involvement in a range of illegal activities. "I would appeal for anyone with any information on this type of activity to contact police on 101 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111." A number of other agencies were involved in the operation, including the Garda economic crime branch, Criminal Assets Bureau, National Crime Agency, the United Kingdom Financial Investigation Unit, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Europol. Queen Letizia of Spain cut a stylish figure today as she joined the FITUR International Tourism Fair 2020 at Ifema in Madrid. The monarch, 47, showed off her sartorial prowess in a patterned black dress with billowing sleeves and a cutout detail. Showing she reigns high in the style stakes Letizia paired the green and brown spotted dress with a pair of brown leather slingback shoes. The mother-of-two went accessory free, choosing not to carry a bag and opted just for a small pair of stud earrings as she sauntered through the tourism fair. Queen Letizia of Spain cut a stylish figure today as she joined the FITUR International Tourism Fair 2020 at Ifema in Madrid. The monarch, 47, showed off her sartorial prowess in a patterned black dress with billowing sleeves and a cutout detail. Showing she reigns high in the style stakes Letizia paired the green and brown spotted dress with a pair of brown leather slingback shoes A natural beauty, the royal sported a smokey pink eye shadow and lashings of black mascara with a complementary rose lip gloss. She was without her husband King Felipe, 51. The couple were last spotted together two weeks ago, at a funeral chapel in Madrid to pay their respects to his aunt the Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz. Today, she joined many of Spain's highest politicians, including Meritxell Batet, President of the Congress of Deputies and Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the President for the Community of Madrid. A hard-working royal, Letizia was out less than a week ago, when she chaired a Spanish Red Cross meeting on violence against women Today, she joined many of Spain's highest politicians, including Meritxell Batet, President of the Congress of Deputies (second left) and Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the President for the Community of Madrid (second right) A natural beauty, the royal sported a smokey pink eye shadow and lashings of black mascara with a complementary rose lip gloss She was without her husband King Felipe, 51, as she met people and shook hands with attendees The Queen married King Felipe at the Almudena Cathedral at Royal Palace, Madrid, in May 2004 as has since done many solo engagements Before marrying into the royal family, Letizia had previously worked as a reporter for the news channel 24 Horas where she held a weekly anchor position on the show Informe Semanal and also a position on the daily morning news programme The Queen married King Felipe at the Almudena Cathedral at Royal Palace, Madrid, in May 2004. The couple are parents to Princesses Leonor, 13, and Sofia, 11. Before marrying into the royal family, Letizia had previously worked as a reporter for the news channel 24 Horas where she held a weekly anchor position on the show Informe Semanal and also a position on the daily morning news programme. "Advocacy is so important. By being an advocate I have become the voice of my loved ones lost to suicide. By advocating we help raise awareness for suicide prevention and talk to elected officials to help pass behavioral health laws, to help better behavioral health in New Mexico. In the last 4 years I have been advocating, my voice was heard, which means the voices of those we lost to suicide have been heard too," said Cayetanna "Pepper" Zamora, AFSP New Mexico Chapter Board Member. The New Mexico Behavioral Health Day is a special day for all who have a connection with or a personal story around the topics of mental health, substance use, and suicide. Advocates will meet with their legislators to share their stories about why they participate in this advocacy effort, giving a human face to these important public health problems. By sharing their stories, they will help lawmakers understand that investments in behavioral health and suicide prevention can save lives. AFSP-New Mexico advocates are part of a larger national movement of grassroots advocates who will visit state capitols across the United States in 2020 to bring best practices in suicide prevention to legislators and their staff. To learn more about AFSP's advocacy efforts, visit here: https://afsp.org/our-work/advocacy/. On average, 129 Americans died by suicide each day in 2017, and upwards of 90% of those individuals had a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death. Advocates will urge state lawmakers to be the voice for the thousands of residents across the state affected by behavioral health conditions and suicide each year. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a Public Policy Office in Washington, D.C. AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links www.afsp.org Bezos wrote in a lengthy piece for the Medium that rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, Ive decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten. While he did not accuse Saudi Arabia's crown prince of being behind the hacking of his phone, he noted that the owner of the National Enquirer had been investigated for various actions taken on behalf of the Saudi government. Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Wednesday said the Supreme Court not staying the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was "disappointing" and asserted that the law is against Constitutional principles. The Supreme Court made it clear on Wednesday that it would not stay the operation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre and said a five-judge Constitution bench would decide its validity. Seeking response from the central government in four weeks on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue. Reacting to the development, Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani said that the court not staying the CAA is "disappointing". Some people are trying to give this issue of the "unconstitutional citizenship law" a Hindu-Muslim colour when the law is contrary to the country's constitutional system. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stanford virologist Jeffrey Glenn did not set out to tackle cancer. For years, he and his lab have worked to develop new ways of battling viruses like the ones that cause hepatitis delta and the common cold - but the lessons they've learned fighting viruses has led to a new kind of drug that has been effective at treating cancer in mice. The underlying idea, Glenn said, is to disrupt otherwise normal cellular processes that both viruses and some cancer cells rely on to grow and spread. Now, tests in mice show that drugs based on that idea can shrink tumors and prevent their spread. The scientists from Stanford, the University of Texas, Baylor College of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, published their findings Jan. 22 in Science Translational Medicine. Finding the new drug could not have happened without an unusual series of events and collaborations that spanned several academic disciplines, said Glenn, professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology, whose lab developed the compounds with the assistance of Stanford ChEM-H's Medicinal Chemistry Knowledge Center and support from ViRx@Stanford, an NIH-sponsored Center of Excellence for Translational Research led by Glenn. "We've been working for many years on potent drugs that we had shown were important for viruses," said Glenn, who is also a member of Stanford Bio-X, the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute and ChEM-H. "This is just an important target that hasn't really been appreciated in cancer, and we had the perfect drugs to get this started." An antiviral surprise Originally, when they were looking for new ways to stop viruses such as hepatitis delta, Glenn and colleagues thought they might try a sort of end run around the virus and target cell functions that viruses hijack to replicate and spread. That way, even if a virus does infect a cell, that's more or less the end of it. Glenn's approach worked. In 2015, he and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health showed that the new approach prevented hepatitis delta from replicating and releasing new copies of the virus in patients. Later, they modified their strategy to attack enterovirus 71, which is best known for causing hand, foot and mouth disease but can also lead to devastating polio-like paralysis symptoms in children. Glenn and his lab have continued to develop antiviral drugs, but their focus changed somewhat when their antiviral efforts caught the attention of Jonathan Kurie, a professor of thoracic/head and neck medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Kurie had learned that the same cellular processes Glenn and colleagues had successfully shut down was also involved in metastasis. After reading a paper describing the earliest compounds Glenn and his colleagues had developed, he wrote Glenn asking for some of the drug. "I told him we had much better molecules now, and we have known for a long time that they would also work in cancer," Glenn said, and he sent along two new compounds that he had developed with Mark Smith, who heads the Medicinal Chemistry Knowledge Center. Cancer translation In the new paper, the team shows that their hunch was correct - the same drugs Glenn, Smith and colleagues were developing to treat enterovirus can also treat certain kinds of cancers, at least in mice and human cancer cells in a lab dish. In mouse studies, a drug the team tested reduced how often a human cancer implanted into the mouse in one lung spread to the second lung. With another compound, there were no detectable metastases at all, and both drugs reduced the size of tumors in the first lung. Human breast cancers growing in mice also shrunk in half after just one week of treatment. The team also looked at an earlier drug developed in collaboration with Kevan Shokat, a professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. That drug, they found, also curbed cell growth in human lung cancer cell lines. The team also gained some insight into which mice - and one day, they hope, humans - might benefit the most from the new drugs. They found that mice with extra copies of a particular gene responded much better to the drugs. Now, Glenn said, "My goal is to take this all the way to the clinic." The right 'brew' Glenn said the team's success is due in part to a significant shift in the last few years in what his lab does, building on an "infectious brew" of researchers from a range of academic disciplines. "I think that's the secret thing, having chemists physically in the lab with biologists, virologists and physician-scientists," Glenn said. "We've leveraged the special enabling environment of Stanford to create a unique group that has never existed before here or in academia. It's allowed things to happen that just wouldn't have happened otherwise." That team is also starting to think about new ways to use their drugs, for example in combination with existing therapies to make them better against drug-resistant tumors, which might be susceptible to a new approach. "We've shown a proof of concept, and I think this could be useful in many cancers." ### Additional Stanford authors are Edward Pham, a postdoctoral fellow in Glenn's lab and a ChEM-H Physician-Scientist Research Fellow; Kaustabh Basu, a graduate student in chemistry; and research associates Khanh Nguyen and Grace Lam. Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Medical Branch contributed to the study. The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation and the Department of Defense. The GHMC veterinary department has a major challenge in that when the dog-catching van arrives, street dogs hide and disappear for the rest of the day. Hyderabad: Two lakh dogs in Hyderabad are not vaccinated, so it is no surprise that 150 dog bite victims come to government hospital daily. The 50 dogs of Dharam Karan Road gathered, residents say, to feed at a huge garbage spot. Apart from this lane, dog bite cases are high in Charminar, Ameerpet, Afzalgunz, Mehdipatnam, Kushaiguda, SR Nagar, Musheerabad and Abids among others. Cases rise from January to May as the breeding season begins. The onset of summer also leads to more rabidity among dogs. Children are major targets as in an Ameerpet case of a 10-year-old girl, who was attacked as she held biscuits in her hand. The dog jumped for the biscuits and bit her, leading to a mad chase. Residents say it is difficult to walk down the roads with plastic bags as dogs know they contain food and sneak up from behind. We have complained to GHMC officials but they did not turn up, said Vaishnavi, mother of the 10-year-old. Only after several complaints does the dog catching van finally appear. Inaction on dogs, ghmc criticised Tuesday evenings incident, where several children were bitten coming out of school, shocked the locality of Dharam Karan Road as it has three schools. The school administration says it has asked parents and children to be exercise care while coming to and leaving the school. The Institute of Preventive Medicine on Wednesday had 10 cases from Tuesday that had their second round of vaccination. The parents at the hospital were upset that there are no preventive steps taken near the schools. They wondered why no step was taken to control the areas dog population. The GHMC has five animal care centres where dogs are vaccinated and released back in their locality. The GHMC veterinary department has a major challenge in that when the dog-catching van arrives, street dogs hide and disappear for the rest of the day. Birth control measures and vaccination are a part of the program but the high population of dogs makes it a losing battle. Citizens need to understand that dogs need food, water and shelter, said Kaivalya K., a volunteer for the Compassionate Society for Animals. Dogs are teased, beaten and stoned from time to time, making them aggressive. Human cruelty makes it difficult for them to survive, she added. The GHMC Veterinary Section conducted 39,346 sterilisations and 62,139 anti-rabies vaccinations in 2019. An estimated Rs 10 crore is spent on the vaccination and sterilisation of dogs. The GHMCs public education to Resident Welfare Associations on Animal Birth Control is regular. Petition against stray dog menace in SHRC Balala Hakkula Sangham (BHS) filed a petition in State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) praying for directions to GHMC Commissioner to initiate action against veterinary officials, who were responsible for the stray dog menace. It also sought payment of compensation to all victims of the menace. He said that immediate steps needed to be taken to stop the menace, which was happening regularly in GHMC jurisdiction and the peripheral areas. (Jan. 20) Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) today welcomed the American College of Physicians' (ACP) endorsement of single-payer Medicare for All. The ACP, a national organization of 159,000 internists, is the largest medical specialty society and second-largest physician group in the U.S. after the American Medical Association (AMA). The ACP announced its endorsement of Medicare for All in a special supplement to its official journal, the Annals of Internal Medicine, where the group also endorsed a "universal public choice" reform model. The ACP endorsement coincides with the publication of an open letter signed by more than 2,000 physicians "prescribing" Medicare for All, an effort organized by advocates separately from the ACP. Among the "prescribers" are towering figures in American medicine, including Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine; Dr. Bernard Lown, developer of the defibrillator; Dr. Paul Farmer, infectious disease expert and founder of Partners in Health; and Dr. Mary Bassett, former New York City Health Commissioner. The letter will appear as an advertisement in the New York Times the week of January 20. Along with the ACP's position paper, the Annals of Internal Medicine published an editorial by PNHP co-founders Drs. Steffie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein. Drs. Woolhandler and Himmelstein, noting that organized medicine had opposed national health insurance for a century, called the ACP's new position "a sea change for the medical profession." The ACP's endorsement of Medicare for All and the publication of the open letter reflects growing support for single-payer reform among physicians. Recent surveys have found that half of all doctors now favor national health insurance. Last June, the AMA's House of Delegates only narrowly defeated a resolution that would have rescinded its long-standing opposition to Medicare for All. Under pressure from Medicare for All supporters, the AMA then resigned from the dark money group Partnership for America's Health Care Future, which opposes single-payer reform. "As physicians, we see daily the harm that our fragmented, private-insurance based system does to our patients," noted Dr. Adam Gaffney, President of PNHP and a pulmonary and critical care physician at Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance. "Patients go without the care they need, and physicians squander time and resources on wasteful billing and clerical tasks. Medicare for All would be a much better way -- for patients and doctors both." According to Dr. Woolhandler, a Distinguished Professor at the City University of New York at Hunter College and Lecturer in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, "When we started PNHP, doctors who supported single-payer reform were considered radicals, and reporters likened us to 'furriers for animal rights'. Now we're squarely in the mainstream of the medical profession. More and more doctors have realized - often from talking to our Canadian colleagues - that single payer is the only way to cut insurers' paperwork and profits that siphon hundreds of billions annually from care in the U.S." Dr. Woolhandler is a Fellow of the ACP, but not an official spokesperson for that organization. ### PNHP is a nonprofit research and education organization whose more than 23,000 members support single-payer Medicare for All reform. PNHP's physician members have been working for single payer since publication of its policy proposal in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1989. The following documents are available to credentialed media professionals upon request: 1) "Envisioning a Better U.S. Health Care System for All: Coverage and Cost of Care," by the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians, Annals of Internal Medicine, published online ahead of print January 20, 2020. doi:10.7326/M19-2415 2) "The American College of Physicians' Endorsement of Single-Payer Reform: A Sea Change for the Medical Profession," by Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H., and David Himmelstein, M.D. Annals of Internal Medicine, published online ahead of print January 20, 2020. The key rebel group behind a 16-year insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority south has met the kingdom's head negotiator for the first official meeting in their peace talks. Observers see the dialogue as the best hope of ending a conflict which has left thousands dead in Thailand's three southernmost provinces. The region has been in the grip of a simmering insurgency since 2004, with clashes between Malay-Muslim rebels and the Buddhist-majority Thai state claiming more than 7,000 lives, mostly civilians. The main rebel group believed to be behind the guerilla attacks -- the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) -- has long refused peace talks with Thai officials. They claim to be fighting for independence after Thailand annexed the three southern provinces -- Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat -- over a century ago. But this week marked a warming in relations as the two sides held their first official meeting on Monday, with Malaysia as a facilitator. The BRN said in a statement Tuesday that after years of back-channelling the two parties had agreed to "resolve armed conflicts... by means of political resolution". The rebel group added that "observers from overseas" had attended Monday's meeting. Thailand's National Security Council also released a statement saying they are "ready to work with every stakeholder". - 'Best hope' - The rebel group has long insisted the talks be overseen by international mediators, which the Thai state has staunchly opposed, bringing the negotiation process to a stuttering halt in 2014. Since then, only MARA Patani -- an umbrella organisation representing other insurgent factions -- has taken part, and progress has been slow. A photo from Monday's meeting shows Wanlop Rugsanaoh, head of Thailand's Peace Dialogue Panel, and BRN representative Anas Abdulrahman clasping hands with former Malaysian police inspector-general Abdul Rahim Noor in the middle. "They have agreed to resolve the issues through peace and not to fight. It can be done," Abdul Rahim Noor told AFP late Tuesday. The two sides agreed another meeting will be held next month, he added. Calling this the "best hope" for the years-long conflict, Matthew Wheeler of International Crisis Group cautioned that a long journey remains. "As difficult as the process has been up to this point, the most difficult work remains to be done," he told AFP. burs-dhc/axn A 16-year insurgency has left thousands dead in Thailand's three southernmost provinces Thai security forces inspect the site of a roadside bomb attack in Thailand's southern Yala province in 2013 WASHINGTON - The first substantive day of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial opened Tuesday with unexpected internal GOP dissension over its structure, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was forced to revise his proposed rules at the last minute to accommodate a brewing rebellion in his ranks. Under the updated guidelines, both sides will receive more time to present their cases, and findings from the House impeachment probe will automatically be entered into evidence as part of the trial. The concerns over the rules underscored the narrowness of the majority that McConnell will have to tend to as Trump's impeachment trial proceeds, while also balancing the demands of a White House that has repeatedly pushed for a swift acquittal of the president. The Republican dispute unfolded as the House impeachment managers and the president's legal team took to the floor of the Senate chamber to lay out their cases on the two charges against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his alleged attempts to pressure Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told senators that the most important question confronting them was whether to accept a structure that Democrats said would not produce a fair trial as he argued for Trump's removal from office. "If the House cannot call witnesses or introduce documents and evidence, it's not a fair trial," Schiff said. "It's not really a trial at all." 5 1 of 5 Photo for The Washington Post by Oliver Contreras Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Washington Post photo by Melina Mara Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Washington Post photo by Sarah L. Voisin Show More Show Less 5 of 5 In response, the president's lead lawyers also pressed the issue of fairness, arguing that House Democrats had rushed through a process that deprived Trump of his due process rights and that Trump should not have been impeached at all. "A partisan impeachment is like stealing an election. And that's exactly what we have," White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said. "Talk about the framers' worst nightmare. It's a partisan impeachment that they delivered to your doorstep in an election year." Two points in McConnell's initial resolution that established how the trial would be run drew concern from several Republicans: a provision that would have compressed 24 hours of opening arguments into two days for each side and language that would not automatically admit evidence from the House impeachment probe unless there were a formal vote to include it. In a closed-door party lunch before the trial day began Tuesday afternoon, a number of Republican senators protested those portions of the resolution, according to multiple officials familiar with the meeting. GOP senators who raised questions about the evidence issue were concerned that it would give Democrats easy ammunition to portray Republicans as being unfair, according to two of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the senators' sentiments. Many Republicans were also upset that pushing 24 hours of opening arguments into two days for each side - a restriction that was not included in the rules for President Bill Clinton's trial in 1999 - would give the appearance that the GOP was rushing the trial. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said Republicans thought that "if we did try to rush it or compress it, that that might not be the best thing to do." One of the senators most upset about the initial provisions was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who will be a key swing vote on procedural matters during the trial. But the concerns spread beyond a closely watched core of potential GOP swing senators, with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, also among those voicing objections in the closed-door lunch about the two-day timetable. That provision didn't please Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, either. One Republican official with direct knowledge of the discussion described it as "lots of dissension and chaos." Democrats seized on the changes as proof that a small clutch of GOP senators facing public opposition to any component of the highly contentious trial could force McConnell to reverse course, though the Republican leader was expected to win all 53 GOP votes in favor of his measure by the end of the day. "The public realizes how unfair the McConnell proposal is, and the pressure that we have put on them and on Republican senators has gotten them to change," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters. "There are still many other things that are unfair, particularly in relationship to witnesses, particularly in relationship to documents." Now, both the Democratic impeachment managers and Trump's defense team will have up to three days each to make their case, and evidence from the House will be entered automatically unless there is an objection. The changes were so last-minute that there were handwritten scribbles in the legislation marking the revisions. The White House had initially requested condensing the opening arguments into two days for each side, according to several people familiar with the drafting. One senior administration official said it had done so while cautioning that the language could change depending on the needs of Trump and various senators, and that the number of days for opening arguments was a lower priority for the White House. On other issues, Republicans killed attempts from Democrats to modify the parameters of the proceeding to allow for an assortment of documents and a slate of witnesses at the outset. In a sign of fatigue, at least on the GOP side, McConnell halted the trial proceedings shortly before 9:30 p.m. in a bid to negotiate an end to the hours-long debate that seemed destined to go on for much longer. But after a brief recess that allowed for senators to talk, the two sides did not reach a deal to speed things up. "There will be a good number of votes," Schumer said. "We are willing to do some of those votes tomorrow. There is no reason we have to do them all tonight and inconvenience the Senate and the chief justice. But we will not back off on getting votes on all of these amendments, which we regard as extremely significant and important to the country." Earlier in the debate, Schumer and Senate Democrats forced an attempt to subpoena documents kept by the White House - including the National Security Council - as well as a separate effort to obtain records from the State Department and a push to get similar information from the Office of Management and Budget. All were rejected on party-line votes. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., one of the seven House impeachment managers, argued that the White House was sitting on hundreds of pages of relevant materials. She played video of key House witnesses who said they had submitted notes about discrepancies in the rough transcript of Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25 that has been at the heart of the case against the president - as well as a core part of his defense. "Attorney-client privilege cannot shield information about misconduct," Lofgren said. Trump was impeached Dec. 18 by the House on charges that he held up nearly $400 million of congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine and a coveted White House visit for Zelensky as a condition for the Eastern European nation launching an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden - a potential 2020 rival for the White House - and his son, Hunter. The president's attorneys have argued that the requests from Trump were related to his concerns about corruption. Hunter Biden had served on the board of Burisma, Ukraine's largest private gas company, whose owner came under scrutiny by Ukrainian prosecutors for possible abuse of power and unlawful enrichment, although Biden was not accused of any wrongdoing. Amid the vigorous debate about his Ukraine dealings, Trump was in Davos, Switzerland, meeting with other global leaders and touting U.S. economic prosperity at the World Economic Forum. In brief remarks to reporters in Davos, Trump dismissed his impeachment as a "hoax." "It goes nowhere because nothing happened. The only thing we've done is a great job," Trump said. "That whole thing is a total hoax, so I'm sure it's going to work out fine." About 45 minutes after the Senate trial began, Trump tweeted in all caps: "READ THE TRANSCRIPTS!" - part of his persistent argument that the record of his call with Zelensky absolves him of wrongdoing. Through the hours of arguments, all 100 senators sat silent at their desks, barred from their smartphones and with many of them taking prodigious notes. Among the members of the public that were spotted in the half-full galleries in the Senate chamber were former senator Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and actress and activist and actress Alyssa Milano. At one point, Cipollone sought to focus attention on four senators who are seeking the Democratic presidential nomination but who must be in attendance at the trial, saying that "some of you are upset because you should be in Iowa right now." Several senators cast glances toward one of those candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was watching Cipollone's remarks with his elbows on the arms of his chair, hands folded in front of his face. Both Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's outside attorneys, relayed inaccurate statements during the trial. Sekulow claimed that the White House was not allowed to have a lawyer present during the impeachment hearings spearheaded by the House Judiciary Committee; the White House was allowed to participate but declined to do so. Cipollone also falsely argued that House Republicans had no access to the secure facilities where closed-door depositions of key House witnesses were taken late last year. House impeachment managers wrote to Cipollone earlier Tuesday suggesting he may have a conflict that should keep him from representing Trump. In the letter, the House managers noted several instances in which it appeared that Cipollone was aware of Trump's conduct regarding Ukraine. The White House swiftly dismissed the concerns, with White House spokesman Hogan Gidley calling Democrats an "utter joke." "The idea that the counsel to the president has to turn over protected documents and confidential information is ludicrous, and to imply he can't represent the president of the United States in an impeachment proceeding is completely absurd," Gidley said. - - - The Washington Post's Karoun Demirjian, Colby Itkowitz, Paul Kane, Elise Viebeck, John Wagner and Amy B Wang contributed to this report. Pakistan authorities on Wednesday sought the advice of an Islamic religious body to decide on the release of a film, based on the life of a Muslim cleric, which they said has the potential to create "unrest" in the country. Directed by renowned Pakistani film-maker and actor Sarmad Khoosat, the movie 'Zindagi Tamasha' tells the story of the trials and turbulence of a modest religious scholar. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, tweeted that the government has "decided to approach the Council of Islamic Ideology on the movie". However, it was not clear how long the Council would take before deciding on the fate of the film. The film was initially cleared for release by the central and provincial censor boards, but threats from radical Islamist parties led by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to launch countrywide protests forced the authorities to rethink on its exhibition. The TLP had threatened to launch protests and sit-ins outside cinema houses where the film was to be released this week. On Tuesday, both the Punjab and the Sindh provincial censor boards stopped the release of the movie. The Central Board of Film Censors later also notified distributors not to release the controversial movie until it is reviewed again by the provincial censor boards. "If the film is released for public exhibition, it may create unrest within the religious segment of the society and may deteriorate and be detrimental to the peaceful circumstances in the country," said a notification of the Sindh Board of Film Censors. The Board advised all cinema exhibitors and distributors to avoid the movie's exhibition till further notice. The TLP called off their protests after the government stopped the movie's screening. Meanwhile, film director Khoosat filed a petition in a Civil Court in Lahore to allow its screening. He said the film has no objectionable content and it highlights the soft image of Pakistan. Last week, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi sentenced brother and nephew of TLP chief Khadim Rizvi along with 84 others to 55-year prison terms each for taking part in protests in 2018 over the acquittal of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman in a controversial blasphemy case. The convicts had attacked security personnel and torched a police station. It was feared that the group might use the movie to create law and order unrest in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. [January 21, 2020] San Diego Zoo Global and EDF Renewables North America Announce On-Site Operation of Battery Energy Storage EDF Renewables North America and San Diego Zoo Global today announced the operation of a 1-megawatt (MW)/4-megawatt hour (MWh) battery storage facility located on San Diego Zoo's property in Balboa Park. The companies hosted a celebration to recognize the project at the Zoo along with City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilmember Chris Ward. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006150/en/ San Diego Zoo and EDF Renewables cut the ribbon on the Zoo's battery storage. (l-r) Alex Martinez, EDFR, Raphael Declercq, EDFR, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Paul Baribault, San Diego Zoo, Chris Ward, Councilmember District 3, Michael Robinson, EDFR (Photo: Business Wire) Mayor Faulconer commented, "We are fortunate to have partners like the San Diego Zoo leading the way with the use of renewable energy sources and helping advance the City of San Diego's landmark Climate Action Plan. I'm looking forward to working together to continue finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint." The San Diego Zoo leveraged EDF Renewables' Energy Services Contract to deploy the storage project to reduce energy costs at the Zoo facility by utilizing the battery to mitigate spikes in usage thereby lowering demand charges. The system will also minimize energy costs by recharging the battery when energy is at its lowest available rates, and then later discharging that power to the Zoo when costs are highest. "This nw battery storage system reduces the San Diego Zoo's need for fossil fuel, supports clean energy, and lowers our energy costs," said Adam Ringler, Director of Performance Improvement for San Diego Zoo Global. "This is a great opportunity to not only support the City of San Diego's sustainability goals but it allows us to direct more resources towards our mission of saving species." The San Diego Zoo was able to avoid all upfront costs and ensure full alignment of interests by utilizing EDF Renewables' Energy Services Contract, whereby EDF Renewables is only paid based on the actual utility bill savings realized by the Zoo as a result of the battery operation. The battery solution also acts as a hedge against rising utility rates. Raphael Declercq, Executive Vice President, Distributed Solutions at EDF Renewables said, "We are very proud to serve the Zoo, an iconic member of the San Diego community, where 450 of our employees work at our North American headquarters; the type of energy storage we are deploying here has become an economical asset that helps California businesses reduce their electricity bills, increase their energy resiliency and allow integration of more renewable energy into the grid." EDF Renewables Distributed Solutions is a part of EDF Renewables North America, a market leading independent power producer and service provider with over 30 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Distributed Solutions group offers on-site clean energy for office buildings, load serving entities, corporates and industrials. The company delivers solar, storage and electric vehicle charging stations as an individual offering or as a full microgrid offering. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com/distributedsolutions. About EDF Renewables: EDF Renewables North America is a market leading independent power producer and service provider with over 30 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distributed solutions: solar, solar+storage, EV charging and energy management; and asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial skills to maximize performance of generating projects. EDF Renewables' North American portfolio consists of 16 GW of developed projects and 10 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables is a subsidiary of EDF Renouvelables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com. The Distributed Solutions group offers on-site clean energy for load serving entities, commercial and industrial customers. The company delivers solar, storage and electric vehicle charging stations as an individual offering or as a full microgrid offering. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com/distributedsolutions. About San Diego Zoo Global: As an international non-profit organization, San Diego Zoo Global works to fight extinction through conservation efforts for plants and animals worldwide. With a history of leadership in species recovery and animal care, San Diego Zoo Global works with partners in science-based field programs on six continents, and maintains sanctuaries and public education facilities in many places. Inspiring passion for nature is critical to saving species, and San Diego Zoo Global's outreach efforts share the wonder of wildlife with millions of people every year. Current major conservation initiatives include: fighting wildlife trafficking and the impacts of climate change on wildlife species; broad-spectrum species and habitat protection efforts in Kenya, Peru and on islands worldwide; preventing extinction in our own backyard; and expanding efforts to bank critical genetic resources and apply them to the conservation of critically endangered species. To learn more, visit sandiegozooglobal.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006150/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TORONTO - Volkswagen was ordered Wednesday to pay $196.5 million to the Canadian government for importing cars that secretly violated the countrys emissions standards, a record-setting fine an Ontario judge said marks a new era in environmental protection. Judge Enzo Rondinelli handed down the fine hours after the company formally pleaded guilty to all 60 environmental charges it faced in the emissions-cheating scandal. The Crown and Volkswagen jointly suggested the penalty, which falls short of the maximum $265 million the company could have been forced to pay. But prosecutors said the amount is more than 20 times higher than Canadas previous record environmental fine, a contention Rondinelli supported. The proposed fine here indicates that a new era of environmental protection is upon us, Rondinelli said in his decision. It is no longer a matter of a company just paying minimal fines and seeing it as a cost of doing business and going on to commit further infractions down the road. In an agreed statement of facts, the automaker and the Crown acknowledged the company imported 128,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles, along with 2,000 Porsches, that violated the standards. Reading from the statement, prosecutor Tom Lemon noted that certain supervisors and employees were aware that the company was using software to cheat the U.S. testing process, the results of which are used by Canadian authorities. But Volkswagen refused to admit any actual human or environmental harm caused by its pollution, saying only that the scheme had the potential to cause harm. The federal government charged the auto giant last month with 58 counts of illegal importation under the Environmental Protection Act and two counts of providing misleading information. The penalty was significantly higher than the previous record a $7.5 million fine incurred by a mining company in 2014. Normally sentences gradually increase over time, if they do, as certain offences become more of a problem or they get greater notoriety and theres a greater consciousness to deal with these offences, Lemon said outside court. So the judge is correct in stating that this, being such a high fine, hopefully is a dawn of a new era for greater penalties in the environmental context. Volkswagen has 30 days to pay the money, which will go to the federal governments Environmental Damages Fund. Both parties suggested distributing it to the provinces and territories based on how many affected vehicles were sold in each jurisdiction. The statement of facts notes that the automaker has already tried to make some amends in Canada. Volkswagen has devoted significant resources to, and undertaken extensive measures for, the remediation of the subject vehicles, Lemon read in court, noting the company has compensated Canadian customers for the cost of either fixing vehicles emissions or getting them off the road. Those settlements, the statement said, provided benefits of up to a potential maximum of $2.39 billion, and were completed by Aug. 31, 2019. In court last month, defence lawyers said Volkswagen intended to plead guilty, but the resolution was delayed while three people sought to make victim impact statements and provide other input. Rondinelli ruled against them, saying its not their role to prosecute the company accused of harming them. Lemon said at the time he would gather victim impact statements and review them before submitting them to the court on Jan. 22, in line with the typical process. On Wednesday, prosecutors argued that the community impact statement turned in to them was not admissible in court. The seven-page document accompanied by 520 pages of reference materials was an attempt to enter untested expert testimony into the record, they said. Rondinelli accepted that argument. Outside court, lawyer Amir Attaran, who teaches at the University of Ottawa and works with the group Ecojustice, said he felt it was a failing of the Canadian justice system that the court didnt hear about the environmental and health harms of excess emissions. If thats not important, the fact that this company has endangered lives, and not worth the 15 minutes it would take to read it out in court, well shame on the Canadian justice system and shame on Volkswagen, he said. Volkswagen pleaded guilty in U.S. court to three felonies in 2017 and was fined billions of dollars. German prosecutors fined the company one billion euros in the emissions-cheating case in 2018. Environment and Climate Change Canada considered Wednesdays sentencing decision a win. Its a recognition by the government that we need to ensure that environmental offenders pay an appropriate penalty and pay an appropriate price, said Mike Bell, regional director for environmental enforcement for Ontario. And I think the result today shows that Volkswagen AG did pay that price. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. Kelly Ripa learned the hard way just how pricey Postmates can be. The TV host, 49, revealed Tuesday on Live With Kelly And Ryan she had shut down her daughter Lola's debit card once she saw the costly delivery service charges. Lola, 18, is a freshman at New York University, and though she has a meal plan, prefers to order food through Postmates. 'It would cost $25 to have it delivered three blocks': Kelly Ripa revealed she shut down her daughter Lola's debit card once she saw how much she was getting charged for the delivery service And delivery isn't always cheap. 'I didn't know our daughter had Postmates,' she said on her show. 'She's at college and we signed her up for a meal plan, cause we're not monsters. We signed her up for a meal program.' 'But you know, she doesn't like the meals at school so she was ordering Postmates,' she said. 'Here's what would happen. She would order the $7 salad but it would cost $25 dollars to have it delivered three blocks in New York City.' Kelly ultimately took some pretty drastic measures to prohibit her daughter from using Postmates. That's ridiculous! Ripa said a $7 salad would turn into a $25 order 'We shut down that debit card account she had,' she had. Lola began attending NYU at the end of August, and it didn't take long for her to fully embrace college life. 'She loves it, she loves it,' Kelly said of her daughter's initial college experience to guest co-host Anderson Cooper in an October episode of Live With Kelly And Ryan. Delivery isn't always cheap: Kelly decided to restrict her daughter's access to her debit account once she saw just how much she was spending on Postmates Proud parents: Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos have daughter Lola and sons Michael and Joaquin Merry Christmas from us to you: The couple snuggled by a Christmas tree 'When she was a little girl, like, three-years-old, she used to play dorm room in her bedroom,' Ripa explained. 'First she played sleep away camp, then she played dorm room. So this is like a girl who was meant to live away from us. She was born to live outside of the house.' Asked by Anderson if she personally dropped Lola off, Kelly joked that wasn't exactly the case. 'Dropped her off? She jumped out of a moving car and was like, bye. Bye, Bye.' In addition to Lola, Kelly and Mark have sons Joaquin, 16, and Michael, 22, who attends NYU's Tisch School Of The Arts. HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Houston College of Medicine has received a $5 million gift from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). The gift will provide $3.5 million for scholarships to at least 35 medical students and $1.5 million to create a pipeline program to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds who have an interest in practicing primary care medicine. The new medical school aims for at least half of each graduating class to practice primary care to address the significant statewide shortage of physicians in underserved urban and rural communities where health disparities take their heaviest toll. Houston has grown by more than 4 million people since its most recent medical school was founded in 1972, and Texas ranks 47th in primary care physician-to-population ratio. "The gift to the UH College of Medicine holds true to our focus on lowering health care costs through long-term, sustainable community investments. This investment is about the future of health care. Primary care physicians will be the cornerstones of that future," said Dr. Dan McCoy, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. "Developing and training primary care physicians is a crucial step towards building a system of care that is patient-centric and less complicated, while also improving quality and lowering cost. We believe this investment on the front end will yield great results for health care on the back end." Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Scholarships - $3.5 million BCBSTX scholarships will provide $100,000 four-year scholarships for at least 35 medical students. The medical school will use a holistic admissions process that not only factors in Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and grade point average, but also carefully considers predictors for those most likely to pursue primary care. Those predictors include: individuals who have family members in service-oriented careers those pursuing medicine as a second career candidates who are African American, Hispanic or from rural areas individuals with previous experience in primary care in another capacity Blue Cross and Blue Shield College of Medicine Pipeline Program - $1.5 million To meet its core mission, the UH College of Medicine will use pipeline programs to target ethnically and socioeconomically diverse K-12 and pre-medicine college students with an interest in primary care. Funding will be used to hire a director of outreach and diversity who will study successful pipeline programs and promote hiring a diverse faculty; and provide initial funding for a Ph.D. faculty member to develop an academic support system that includes peer mentoring/tutoring, test-taking and study skills development, and faculty mentorship training for student academic success. "With a focus on improving health, we will educate physicians who will be able to provide a path to a productive and more enjoyable life for the residents of our city and state," said Renu Khator, University of Houston president. "Recruiting and retaining the most diverse and academically competitive students, regardless of financial resources, is a top priority for our medical school. I'm extremely thankful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for sharing in our vision." The College of Medicine will admit 30 students in its inaugural class, pending accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, reaching a total of 120 students per class and a total of 480 students at full enrollment. Tuition and fee rates for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree at UH will begin at $23,755 per year. According to Dr. Stephen Spann, founding dean of the medical school, one effective way to increase the number of graduates who practice primary care is to provide scholarships to students with a stated desire to become a primary care physician. "Student loan debt is a significant deterrent to pursuing primary care specialties. The result is more physicians in non-primary care specialties, and a marked decline in primary care doctors," said Spann. "This is precisely why training primary care physicians is an urgent need. We're grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for enabling more students to pursue their medical education at the University of Houston." With the gift, BCBSTX is welcomed into the UH Vanguard Society, the university's corporate donor recognition circle. The society recognizes corporate benefactors who have given a total of $5 million or more to the university. The gift is part of the "Here, We Go" Campaign, the University of Houston's first major systemwide fundraising campaign in more than 25 years. The University has raised more than $1 billion to address key priorities, including scholarships, faculty support and strengthening the university's partnership with Houston, and momentum continues as UH moves beyond its original billion dollar goal. "Through this generous gift, our students will be able to fully immerse themselves in their studies and learn how to deliver value-based, compassionate care," said Eloise Brice, UH vice president for university advancement. "We thank Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for providing this incredible opportunity." About University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 46,000 students. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and healthcare practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve more than 5 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country's largest customer- owned health insurer, and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSTX.com | Twitter.com/BCBSTX | Facebook.com/BlueCrossBlueShieldOfTexas | YouTube.com/BCBSTX About the "Here, We Go" Campaign The "Here, We Go" Campaign is the University of Houston's first major systemwide fundraising campaign in more than 25 years. Gifts made from 2012 to 2020 will contribute toward the University's key priorities, including scholarships, faculty support and strengthening the University's partnership with Houston. SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Related Links http://www.bcbstx.com WILLIAMSPORT A Philadelphia man was sentenced Wednesday to 20 to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to a third-degree murder charge. Lycoming County judge Marc F. Lovecchio sentenced Jamier Rodney Hines, 25, after he had pleaded guilty to a third-degree murder charge. Hines is a single father of two children ages 2 and 3. Such a waste, the judge said of the case. Hines told Lovecchio he traveled from Philadelphia expected to be paid for helping Paul R. Heath, 27, commit a robbery but did not anticipate anyone being killed. Shawn Graham, 33, was fatally shot Nov. 7, 2017, during a home invasion in the 2200 block of West Third Street. Hines told the judge he duct-taped a female in the house and Grahams feet and hands not knowing he had been shot. Heath, also of Philadelphia, killed himself following a high-speed chase during which a Williamsport officer and twice exchanging gunfire with others. Text messages on Heaths cell phone led to Hines identity and arrest 11 days later in Philadelphia. Hines, who has a criminal recording beginning as a juvenile, said before being sentenced that he feels bad about what occurred and acknowledged he was using drugs at the time. His lawyer, Donald Martino, told the judge his client in the past has been treated for depression, anger management and post-traumatic stress disorder. The attorney explained Hines chose to accept a plea agreement because had the case gone to trial, he likely would have been found guilty of second-degree murder and spent the rest of his life in prison. Police, in reconstructing the events the day of the home invasion, said after Graham was shot about 6:30 p.m., Heath drove off while Hines fled on foot. Williamsport Patrolman Nicholas Carrita stopped the car about 10 blocks away and was shot in the arm. Heath then led other officers at high speeds to Jersey Shore and back to a Sheetz along Route 220 in the Linden area exchanging gunfire with them twice. The second exchange occurred just before Heath pulled into the Sheetz parking lot. Thats where he got out and shot himself in the head with one of the two pistols he had in his possession, police said. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Sometimes they are exploited by criminal traffickers; they are treated like numbers and as a threat by some authorities"," many times they do not let them land in ports ". Best wishes to those "in the Far East" who on January 25th celebrate the Lunar New Year. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - As Christians we can and must testify that "there is not only hostility and indifference" towards many people who risk their lives to escape from wars and poverty and sometimes "are exploited by criminal traffickers; they are treated as numbers and as a threat by some authorities", "often they do not let them land in ports". Pope Francis returned to the theme of hospitality, chosen for the current Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, asking people at today's general audience, to "welcome" migrants. And at the end of the audience, Francis also had a thought for the celebration of the Chinese New Year. "Next January 25 - he said - in the Far East and in various other parts of the world, many millions of men and women will celebrate the lunar new year. I send them my cordial greeting, in particular wishing families to be places of education for the virtues of hospitality, wisdom, respect for each person and harmony with creation. I invite everyone to pray also for peace, for dialogue and for solidarity between nations: gifts that are more necessary than ever in today's world ". Previously, in the speech addressed to the seven thousand people present in the Paul VI room for the general audience, Francis also spoke about the issue of migrants when speaking of the "ecumenical hospitality". "This year's theme - he said - which is that of hospitality, was developed by the communities of Malta and Gozo, starting from the passage of the Acts of the Apostles which narrates the hospitality reserved by the inhabitants of Malta to St Paul and his traveling companions, shipwrecked together with him ". The Pope recalled that after a storm lasting 14 days, the ship on which the apostle travels arrives on the island, safe, as Paul said. In Malta they experience something new. In contrast to the brutal violence of the stormy sea, they receive the testimony of the 'rare humanity' of the inhabitants of the island. These people, foreign to them, are attentive to their needs. They light a fire to warm up, offer them shelter from rain and food. " "Hospitality - continued Francis - is an important ecumenical virtue. First of all, it means recognizing that other Christians are truly our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are brothers, someone will say: but he is Protestant, he is Orthodox. Yes, but we are brothers. It is not an act of one-way generosity, because when we host other Christians we welcome them as a gift that is given to us. Just as the Maltese were repaid, because we receive what the Holy Spirit has sown in these brothers and sisters of ours, and this becomes a gift for us too ". "Welcoming Christians of another tradition means first of all showing God's love for them, because they are children of God, our brothers and sisters. It also means welcoming what God has accomplished in their lives. Ecumenical hospitality requires willingness to listen to other Christians, paying attention to their personal stories of faith and the history of their community of faith with another tradition. Ecumenical hospitality involves the desire to know the experience that other Christians have of God and the expectation of receiving the spiritual gifts that derive from it. And that is a grace. In my land for example, when some evangelical missionaries came, some Catholics went to burn their tents. We are brothers". Today - he said again - the sea on which Paul and his companions were shipwrecked is once again a dangerous place for the lives of other sailors. All over the world migrant men and women face risky journeys to escape violence, war and poverty. Like Paul and his companions, they experience indifference in the hostility of the desert, rivers, seas ... Often they are not even allowed to land in ports. Today. But, unfortunately, sometimes they also encounter far worse hostility from humans. They are exploited by criminal traffickers; they are treated as numbers and as a threat by some authorities; sometimes hospitality repels them back towards the poverty or the dangers from which they fled". "We, as Christians, must work together to show migrants the love of God revealed by Jesus Christ. We can and must testify that there is not only hostility and indifference, but that every person is precious to God and loved by him. The divisions that still exist between us prevent us from being fully the sign of God's love. Working together to live true hospitality, especially to those whose lives are most vulnerable, will make us all, all Christians, better human beings, better disciples and a more united Christian people. It will bring us closer to unity, which is God's will for us. " "As Christians - he added in his greeting to the Arabic-speaking pilgrims - we cannot be indifferent to the tragedy of the old and new poverty, of the darkest solitudes, of contempt and discrimination. We cannot remain numb, with an anesthetized heart, in the face of the misery of so many innocent people. Let's work together to show everyone the love of God revealed by Jesus Christ, and this will make us better human beings, better disciples and a more united Christian people. " Lisa Nandy gives a speech on the welfare state at the homeless charity Centrepoint in central London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Lisa Nandy received the backing of former Labour leadership rival Jess Phillips as she made it onto the final ballot paper for the contest. Ms Nandy joins Sir Keir Starmer in making it through the nomination process after picking up the support of the Chinese For Labour group. Wigan MP Ms Nandy had already been nominated for the leadership by the GMB and NUM trade unions, meaning she has cleared the threshold to get on the ballot. As someone of mixed heritage, I'm incredibly proud that it is Chinese for Labour who have secured my place on the ballot paper. They do incredibly important work to ensure we are a representative and inclusive party that can truly speak for modern Britain. https://t.co/Nt5d7BC9PD Lisa Nandy (@lisanandy) January 22, 2020 Ms Nandy, whose father is Indian, said: As someone of mixed heritage, Im incredibly proud that it is Chinese For Labour who have secured my place on the ballot paper. She said she was looking forward to getting out intro the country and laying out my vision for reuniting the party, rebuilding trust, and returning Labour to power at the next election. Ms Phillips announced on Tuesday that she was pulling out of the contest, saying she was not the right person to bring the party back together after its crushing general election defeat. She said that while she would support both Sir Keir and Ms Nandy among the remaining four contenders, the Wigan MP would be her number one preference. Ive said that right now, I cant bring the party together and thats why I have withdrawn from the race, Ms Phillips said. I think both Lisa and Keir can unite the party and begin the process of winning back trust with the country. Ill be voting for Lisa and Keir, as I think that they can do that. Lisa will be my number one preference. In a campaign speech at the Centrepoint charity in London, Ms Nandy said she would raise taxes in order to reverse Tory welfare cuts. She said the party needed to go out and make the case that taxation was not evil but was essential to pay for public services. Expand Close Lisa Nandy gives a speech on the welfare state at the homeless charity Centrepoint in central London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lisa Nandy gives a speech on the welfare state at the homeless charity Centrepoint in central London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) She said she would use the tax system to penalise large companies which refused to pay their employees the living wage. Ms Nandy said the welfare system was in real trouble and that Labour needed to recover the ambition which led it to build the welfare state after the Second World War. She said that while she did not want to trash the record of the last Labour government under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, for too long it had accepted the Thatcherite economic consensus. She said Mr Corbyns rejection of the politics of austerity had been an important moment for the party. In a BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview, she said: Im not going to trash the legacy of the last Labour government because things like the minimum wage were complete game-changers in towns like Wigan, and the investment that went into health and education was really important. But it is certainly true to say that the consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Meanwhile Rebecca Long-Bailey, the favourite of the Labour left, has insisted she would take the party in completely different directions to Mr Corbyn. The shadow business secretary dismissed claims the outgoing leader and his allies would still run the party if she won, and said it was disrespectful to say she is another version of Mr Corbyn. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Ms Long-Bailey, a frontrunner in the contest, said: Insinuations have been made: Oh these men have been pulling strings in the background. Ive been proud to stand on the policy platform that weve had. Thats not to say Im not a completely different person from Jeremy because I am, and Ill be taking the party in completely different directions. She previously gave Mr Corbyn a score of 10/10 on his leadership, but told the paper Labour has to recognise what it got wrong and cant then get them wrong again. The Salford and Eccles MP went on to insist that Labour had a great set of policies in a BBC News interview but conceded our messaging really didnt resonate with voters and we didnt tackle anti-Semitism. Labour should have been delivering positive messages about its manifesto while talking about aspiration, she said, adding: Quite often we talked about handouts and how we would help people rather than providing that broad positive vision of the future. Ms Long-Bailey is yet to secure her place on the ballot but is expected to get through the nominations process on the back of union support, while shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry also hopes to be in the final stage of the contest. Each candidate must receive nominations from at least 33 Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) or at least three affiliates, two of which must be trade unions, making up 5% of total affiliated membership. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that agriculture is very important for the country as there is a large population engaged in agriculture. He stated that strengthening agriculture and the rural economy will strengthen India so that the country can face challenges victoriously. The government is also committed to realizing the Prime Minister's vision of doubling farmers income by 2022. He said that government is committed to strengthening the economy and infrastructure of rural areas so that every facility is available to villagers at their door-step. He lauded the efforts of farmers, Agricultural Scientists and the Central and State Governments for achieving self sufficiency in foodgrains, horticulture and animal husbandry. He suggested that the disparity between small farmers and big farmers should be bridged and benefits of technology and various schemes should reach the small and marginal farmers. The minister told the audience the greatest challenge in present times is to provide farmers the correct price for their produce. For this the Prime Minister has envisioned e-NAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market) that envisages a pan-India e-trading facility for agricultural commodities through integration of existing APMCs. Market integration through e-platform facilitates transparent and competitive bidding by enabling inter-mandi trade of the agricultural produce thereby giving advantage to the farmers for better price discovery. Presently 585 markets across 16 states and 2 Union territories have been integrated on e-platform. It is expected that 415 other mandis will soon be integrated. On this portal more than 1.65 crore farmers and 1.27 lakh traders have registered. Through this platform trading of Rs. 91000 crores has already taken place and in the near future it is expected to reach 1 lakh crores. Strengthening the e-NAM platform and making it reliable is the constant effort of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The Minister said that it is priority of the government that small farmers in large numbers join this platform. On strengthening Agri- Logistics the Minister suggested that Agri- Logistics starts with harvesting. Along with harvesting cleaning, grading, segregating, quality inspection, packaging and marketing have to be done so that the journey from production to consumer is completed. The workshop addressed all these problems that farmers face and the suggestions given by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also emphasized that technology should reach the farmer, micro irrigation should be used to save water, there should be less usage of chemical fertilizers, input cost should be reduced, farmers should get a good price via MSP. He said that schemes like PM-KisanSammanYojana, MaN-DhanYojana, PM-FasalBimaYojana are showing good results. He expressed hope that through this workshop the entire food value chain could be linked resulting in an effective Agri-Logistics infrastructure which will help strengthening e-NAM for the farmers. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RED WING -- There was a time when Goodhue County District Court Judge Lawrence Clark didn't think he was smart enough to be an attorney. After graduating with a degree in political science from the University of Minnesota, Clark said he was trying to figure out his next move. Would he go to graduate school for political science and become a teacher? Maybe make a living writing for a newspaper -- a brief stint he had after graduating? Or would he think about what his best friend was saying about going to law school? The answer led to Clark spending decades in the courtroom as a lawyer and judge. He took the admission test for law school, enrolled at William Mitchell College of Law in the Twin Cities and began working in Ellsworth. He moved to Dakota County, where made an impact dealing with abuse cases. Clark was elected a First Judicial District judge in 2012 and will retire on Jan. 24. ADVERTISEMENT The Republican Eagle spoke with Clark about his career, what he enjoyed most and advice for aspiring lawyers. The conversation has been edited for space and clarity. RE: What made you interested in a career in law? Clark: My best friend was in law school and got talking to him and decided Id take the LSAT and got accepted at several schools and decided to go to William Mitchell, where I could go nights. ... To be frank about it, I never thought I was smart enough to be a lawyer. My best friend became a lawyer, (I) thought he was always smarter than me. As I began my last year of law school, I answered an advertisement for an associate attorney for a small firm in Ellsworth. Went out there to interview and they offered me the job. ... Small town practice, three lawyers, took anything that walked through the door. Had farmers come in with their shoe box full of receipts and invoices. Did their taxes for them, did criminal defense, family law, probate, everything. We also represented several municipalities Ellsworth, Maiden Rock just really a general practice. Speaking about his time in the Dakota County Attorney's Office: I did adult felony prosecution. Specialized in child abuse cases. Did a lot of child abuse trials. It was very rewarding work. As much as I enjoy my current job, my most rewarding work was prosecuting child abuse cases. When you can take a 4, 5, 10, 11-year-old child through a legal process where they've been physically or sexually abused and you can help them find the voice to tell people "This is what happened to me" its just really empowering. Kids are amazing. RE: It has to be difficult to help this person talk and cope with these actions that have happened to them. ADVERTISEMENT Clark: A lawyer is not a social worker. A judge is not a social worker. So you do have to to some extent remove that emotional part of it. Certainly during a trial you cant let the emotions play a part in any decision, as a judge. As a prosecutor, I happen to be lucky, I had a very good victim witness program where we had staff who were sensitive to dealing with children in these situations. But you do have to be careful. The last thing you want to do as prosecutor, even as a defense attorney or judge, is to see a child be traumatized. And if the court process is to the point where you might be re-victimizing a child, then you have to pull the plug. Its just not worth it. RE: It's still hard to separate the emotional aspects though. Clark: Lets say theres a sexual assault or child abuse of some sort, and youre at the point where the person has been found guilty by a plea or a trial and its time for sentencing. To some extent, the judge is the voice of the community. You can recognize the community outrage for this type of behavior. You cant take that to an extreme and be vindictive but you have to take into consideration what will satisfy the community to some extent and then also whats going to be appropriate for this person. Because this person will continue on living, so what can we do to make sure this doesnt happen again and what can we do to make this person a better person. RE: There are repeat offenders, but no one involved wants that to happen. Clark: I think a lot of people see it as black and white. This person committed these crimes, maybe he or she has done it more than once, this is a bad person and we ought to treat them as a bad person. Particularly with drug offenses, which is by far the biggest type of case we see now-a-days. The last thing thats going to help this person is extended incarceration. It might help them stay sober for a period of time, but its not going to deal with the issues that led to the drug abuse or led to whatever the criminal behavior is. ADVERTISEMENT What can we do to help correct that situation? Even as a prosecutor, I was a zealous advocate, I sent a lot of people to prison. I never took a lot of satisfaction out of that. I dont see what society gains by sending someone to prison. ... As a society, we need to be thinking about what can we be doing so that it doesnt get derailed in the first place. Because here in the justice system, were on the tail end of that whole thing. Theyve already gone through their education and upbringing and now theyre committing crimes. It's too late to correct it for most people, so we have to try and control somehow. RE: How do you talk people through their first day in court? It's a pretty intimidating place to be. Clark: Its meant to be a little intimidating. This is a place where important things are dealt with. Were not fooling around. This is a place where we take things seriously. Thats why you have all the formality of people standing up when a judge comes in. Im just a regular guy like everybody else, but when I put the robe on, I represent something thats more than just me. ... On the other hand, when were sitting there as a judge, we dont want to scare people. We want people to relax a little bit and be able to communicate with us so we can help them through the process. RE: Theres a lot of communication going on to double check that people know whats going on. Clark: That communication is really important. If you have people coming in here, and its just a negative experience for them, theyre not going to get very much out of it. And theyre not listening as well. ... Were dealing with people that are quite often dysfunctional, might have mental health issues, may have cognitive issues, and we might be throwing a list of things that were throwing at them, after the second item, they have lost it and arent listening anymore because they cant take it anymore. So yeah, we have to be aware of the audience were dealing with. RE: Was becoming a judge ever on your radar? Clark: No, I didn't even think I should be an attorney. ... As an attorney, I held judges in the highest esteem. That was pretty incredible. I was extremely honored when I was elected. I was like, "Wow, this is incredible." I try to keep that in mind. You know, people joke about black robe disease when judges become too enamored with the authority they have. And I try to be mindful of that. I think I have. RE: So many cases that pop up for you on a daily basis. How do you keep it all straight? Cleark: You know a little bit about everything. If you know a case is coming up, you do some preparation work before that case comes before you. So you know what the issues are, you have a general understanding of what the law is. Thats actually kind of fun when you can go out there and the attorneys are making their arguments and you can throw questions at them like, What about this, counsel? Or what about that? And get that give and take thats pretty fun. RE: Speak to me like Im a young law student. I need some motivation and advice from you. Clark: I think as a young lawyer, you have to be prepared emotionally to be overwhelmed. I can remember sitting as a young lawyer at my desk in Ellsworth and just thinking, "Oh, my gosh. How am I going to do all of this?" It can be overwhelming and emotionally daunting. You find an attorney that you can talk to. An experienced attorney that can help you understand these things, how to deal with it, can give you a head start on things. If you try to do all of this on your own, youre going to have difficulty. Over a 16-year period, an analysis shows that investor returns were 6.3 percentage points lower than returns provided by equity funds, mostly on account of frequent churning by investors, an over-reaction to short-term market noise, and a focus on short-term performance. To avoid this, follow a simple rule: Identify a good fund and stay with it through market cycles. Ashley Coutinho reports. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Frequent churning of portfolios is eating into returns that investors get from their funds. The difference is stark especially for equity funds, and reached as high as 2.4 percentage points during the past five-year period, according to a recent study by Axis Mutual Fund. While equity funds returned 8.2 per cent during the period under review, investor returns stood at 5.8 per cent. Similarly, for hybrid funds, returns for investors were lower by 1.2 percentage points, while that for debt investors were lower by 0.4 percentage points. The divergence is wider over a longer period. For instance, over 16 years, investor returns were 6.3 percentage points lower than returns provided by equity funds. The analysis used 'regular growth plan returns' for all actively managed diversified funds, for which data was available during the period. All analysis was done using monthly AuM (assets under management) and returns data. Fund returns represent the asset-weighted returns for all funds. Investor returns represent the consolidated returns realised by all investors, adjusting for their inflows/outflows into individual schemes. These were computed using an IRR (internal rate of return) approach, after calculating net sales into each fund. Systematic Investment Plan returns are calculated based on investments made quarterly at the end of the month. The lower returns were mostly on account of frequent churning by investors, an over-reaction to short-term market noise, and a focus on short-term performance. "Investor flows are not stable but tend to follow market performance. As a result, their realised returns are much worse than what they would have achieved by using either simple buy and hold or systematic investment strategies. This effect is persistent across different time periods and shows that there has been little change in investor behavior over the last 15 years," the study notes. Given a lack of forced savings programmes in India, there is an onus on investors to take regular decisions on deployment of discretionary savings. While this gives the flexibility to investors to decide where their flows are allocated, investors may end up getting swayed by short-term market noise and keep chasing the latest outperformers. "Over the longer term, investor returns are consistently lower than fund returns as a result of the frequent churn. Investors need to stay disciplined and focused on the long term while making allocations in order to get the best outcomes from their investments," said the study. "Largely investors tend to buy looking at past returns. This may not be the ideal strategy since funds go through market cycles and investors may buy into the fund after a large part of the alpha has already been generated," said Kaustubh Belapurkar, director (fund research), Morningstar Investment Adviser India. To avoid this mistake, Belapurkar suggests a simple rule: Identify a good fund and stay with it through market cycles. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Laura E. Evangelista, formerly of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), has joined Greenberg Traurig, LLP as a Government Law & Policy shareholder. As Executive Deputy Superintendent for Insurance she led the insurance division at the DFS. Evangelista focuses her practice on insurance and financial services matters, including regulatory and transactional issues. She will split her time between the global law firm's New York City and Albany offices. "The addition of Laura speaks to the firm's commitment to proactively address the needs of our clients in this critical area of importance in state enforcement actions and regulatory investigations," said Harold N. Iselin, managing shareholder of the firm's Albany office and Stephen L. Rabinowitz, managing shareholder of the firm's New York City office, in a joint statement. "Laura joins a prominent team nationally and in New York, which includes Michael A. Berlin, who previously served as deputy attorney general for economic justice and special counsel." Evangelista has more than 25 years of diverse legal experience in the insurance industry. She joined DFS in 2016 as Deputy Superintendent for Insurance, moving to her most recent role in 2018. At DFS, Evangelista worked on policy initiatives, including formulation of regulations and industry guidance. She supervised all substantive insurance matters, including financial solvency examinations, market conduct examinations, and insurance company acquisitions. The insurance division regulates approximately 1,700 insurers with assets exceeding $4 trillion. Evangelista also served as a liaison to regulated entities, trade associations, and consumer groups on emerging issues and coordinated the department's involvement with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "Our collaborative culture and vision to work with clients in a variety of legal disciplines, serving as their one-stop shop of trusted advisors, is perfectly aligned with Laura's wide range of experience," said John L. Mascialino, who heads the firm's New York City Government Law & Policy Practice. "Greenberg Traurig's reputation in New York as well as in the world of insurance and financial regulation made this firm the right choice for me as I begin the next chapter of my career," Evangelista said. "Laura's experience handling complex insurance regulatory and enforcement matters complements our growing team of insurance attorneys," said Thomas J. Bond, co-chair of the firm's Government Law & Policy and Insurance Regulatory & Transactions practice groups, and a former Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Texas. Evangelista joins Fred E. Karlinsky in Florida, who co-chairs Greenberg Traurig's Insurance Regulatory & Transactions Practice and Julie Mix McPeak in Tennessee, who is the former Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and who also previously served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Insurance, among others. Prior to her government work, Evangelista was a commercial litigator at national and regional law firms for 17 years, and served as legal counsel for a boutique international insurance broker and reinsurance intermediary for eight years. Evangelista earned her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law and a B.A. from Trinity College. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2100 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. For more information about the practices mentioned in this release, click links below. CONTACT: Lourdes Brezo-Martinez, [email protected], 212-801-2131 SOURCE Greenberg Traurig Related Links http://www.gtlaw.com Europe says it wants to save the Iran nuclear deal but has set a mechanism in motion that could destroy it or worse. London, United Kingdom When President Donald Trump decided to unilaterally withdraw the United States from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, and use sanctions to economically squeeze Tehran back to the negotiating table, Europe found itself in a bind. Trump wanted the deals European signatories to abandon the agreement. Tehran wanted them to maintain it. Cognizant of Trumps penchant to economically punish nations that refuse to play along with the White House but all too aware of the security consequences of the deal falling apart, European leaders defaulted to rhetoric rather than action pledging repeatedly to uphold the pact even as they failed to deliver on its promised economic benefits to Tehran. Rhetoric proved untenable after Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iran retaliated with air attacks on military bases hosting US troops in Iraq. As both sides appeared poised on the brink of war, Iran announced on January 5 that it would no longer adhere to restrictions the deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) had placed on its nuclear programme. That catalysed what is arguably Europes boldest move since Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, which had been signed in 2015. Last week, Germany, France and the United Kingdom known as the E3 triggered JCPOAs Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM). The move sets in motion a process that could ultimately see the United Nations reimpose sanctions on Iran an outcome that would render the JCPOA well and truly dead. But the ramifications could reach even further. Iran said on Monday that if the E3 refers it to the UN, it may withdraw from the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) the foundation of the JCPOA and the bedrock of global nuclear arms control for more than 50 years. Both sides appear keen to avoid such drastic outcomes. Tehran says it wants to keep negotiating with Europe, while the E3 says it aims to preserve the deal and find a way forward diplomatically. While the E3 may have every intention of salvaging the JCPOA, analysts say that by invoking the dispute mechanism, Europe revealed just how powerless it has become as Washington ratchets up pressure on Tehran. By triggering the dispute resolution mechanism, the E3 is attempting to take back control of the escalating situation Nevine Schepers, research associate, International Institute for Strategic Studies Taking back control The JCPOA essentially lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for the country curbing its nuclear programme, which Tehran has always insisted is intended for civilian, not military, purposes. But the Trump administrations withdrawal from the deal and its subsequent maximum pressure campaign of sanctions targeting Irans oil and banking sectors has ravaged Irans economy. To impart some relief, Europe launched a special-purpose vehicle The Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) in January 2019 to enable European firms to trade with Iran without falling foul of US sanctions. But INSTEX has utterly failed to alleviate the financial destruction wrought by Washington, leading to charges by Tehran that Europe is not doing enough to keep up its end of the bargain. Irans oil sales have slowed to a trickle, government coffers have been depleted and the population is getting angry. A surprise fuel price hike in November ignited anti-government protests that swept the nation. As its economy has deteriorated, Tehran has gradually scaled back its commitments under the JCPOA with the first announcement coming one year after the US withdrawal. The most recent was this months announcement that it would no longer abide by the uranium enrichment limits placed on it by the deal, setting the stage for Europe to activate the DRM. The E3 were faced with a difficult choice of needing to take action in response to Iran reducing its compliance with the deal in order to preserve some credibility, while also finding ways to preserve the deal, said Nevine Schepers, research associate with the Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). By triggering the dispute resolution mechanism, the E3 is attempting to take back control of the escalating situation, she told Al Jazeera, adding that the E3 now needs to find a way to channel support from the deals other signatories Russia and China while continuing to try and engage with the US. But some analysts believe the Trump administrations ability to dole out punishment through punitive tariffs was a driving factor behind Europes decision. The White House has threatened to slap tariffs on $2.4bn of French goods over a digital tax and could expand tariffs on $7.5bn of annual imports from the EU that were first imposed in October. The biggest levy threat arguably hangs over Europes all-important auto sector. On Wednesday, Trump told business news network CNBC that he would slap very high tariffs on European autos if the US and EU dont agree to a trade deal. Last week, German Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer confirmed to reporters in London that the Trump administration had threatened to impose a 25-percent tariff on European auto imports if the E3 did not activate the dispute mechanism. This shows that when Trump tells the Europeans to jump, they ask how high? Iranian Professor, Mohammad Marandi told Al Jazeera from Tehran. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), disagrees that the tariff threat was the main motivation behind the E3 move. While Europeans are very cognizant that on any given day Trump can link his trade policy with his foreign policy agenda, he told Al Jazeera, car tariffs are essentially the declaration of an all-out economic war against Europe. Why would he [Trump] then suddenly want to launch into a 100-billion-dollar war with Europe focused on the manufacturing sector? Rather, Kirkegaard believes the E3 engaged the DRM because it is one of the only tools at its disposal. Europe basically knows that they are checkmate, he said. The European move was premised on their weakness, not in the face of potential car tariffs from Trump; but in the face of how few cards they have left to play given the effectiveness of Trumps maximum pressure campaign. Europe basically knows that they are checkmate Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics The next move Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has linked his countrys economic wellbeing to Europes security, warning that the burden of sanctions would impact Tehrans ability to fight drugs and terrorism, resulting in a deluge of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West. The nuclear deals demise can bring about another conflict in the region that would send waves of refugees and radicalism to European shores, Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera. In the absence of some form of economic reprieve for Iran, both Iran and the US seem locked in a cycle of escalation that Europe appears unable to break, he said. PIIEs Kirkegaard believes that given the weakness of Europes position, the most it can hope for is to keep the nuclear deal on life support in hopes of a future point when Washington becomes more accommodating. The best that the Europeans can hope for now is that the JCPOA becomes a latent agreement that is still on the books, and that a potential Democratic administration can quickly reactivate in the case of a Trump loss, said Kirkegaard. And thats also the only carrot that Iran still has essentially betting on Trump losing the election. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-22 14:30:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 500 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2020 / The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is alarmed by the findings released today by the Correctional Investigator of Canada, including the record high rate of incarceration among First Nations, Inuit, and Metis women. Today's report shows that Indigenous women now represent 42-percent of incarcerated women in Canada. The total percentage of incarcerated Indigenous peoples has now surpassed 30-percent despite representing only 5-percent of the country's population."These findings are nothing short of problematic," says NWAC President Lorraine Whitman. "It is time that Canada recognizes the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in correctional systems. These findings are a symptom of historical and current systems of colonialism, racism and sexism against First Nations, Metis, and Inuit women." The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' (MMIWG) Calls for Justice and the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action both demand transformative change within the criminal justice system. It is NWAC's position that all governments must commit to urgent action to address the growing and persistent cycle of colonial violence and genocide perpetrated against First Nations, Metis, and Inuit women, girls and gender-diverse people. NWAC urges the Federal Government to make changes to the correctional system, in partnership with Indigenous peoples, to amend systemic oppression and reduce recidivism as well as the social determinants of health that lead to crime."All levels of government need to take real action now to reduce the number of incarcerated Indigenous peoples," says Whitman. "To support the successful reintegration of Indigenous women in a holistic manner, the response needs to recognize the impacts of lived trauma and offer access to gender-based, culturally safe and trauma informed programs and services for women throughout their sentences and upon release." The MMIWG Report outlines the reality that Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people face in the criminal justice system, including the many societal issues that lead to their incarceration. The report's Calls for Justice demand comprehensive changes to the criminal justice system, including creating a Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections, mandatory cultural training for those involved in the legal system, and asking police services to change the way in which they handle cases involving Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people. NWAC has done significant analysis on these issues - to find out more, visit https://www.nwac.ca/policy-areas/prisons-criminalization/ To find out more about the Office of the Correctional Investigator's report, visit https://www.ocibec.gc.ca/cnt/comm/press/press20200121-eng.aspx The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of First Nations, Metis and Inuit women. NWAC is an aggregate of thirteen Native women's organizations from across Canada and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1974.FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:Andrew IkemanSenior Communications and Public Affairs Advisor613.218.8849aikeman@ nwac.ca SOURCE: Native Womens Association of Canada The bosses of some of the world's biggest oil companies discussed adopting much more ambitious carbon targets at a closed-door meeting in Davos, a sign of how much pressure they're under from activists and investors to address climate change. The meeting, part of a World Economic Forum dominated by climate issues, included a debate on widening the industry's target to include reductions in emissions from the fuels they sell, not just the greenhouse gases produced by their own operations, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The talks between the chief executive officers of companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Chevron Corp., Total SA, Saudi Aramco, Equinor ASA and BP Plc showed broad agreement on the need to move toward this broader definition, known as Scope 3, the people said, asking not to be named because the session was closed to the press. The executives didn't take any final decisions. Shell declined to comment. Media representatives for Chevron, Total, Aramco and BP weren't immediately able to respond to requests for comment. Equinor confirmed its CEO Eldar Saetre attended the meeting. Targeting Scope 3 emissions would be a big shift for an industry that produces the bulk of the world's planet-warming emissions, once that could eventually require them to sell far less oil and gas. The simple fact that the industry's top executives were considering it underscored how climate concerns suddenly came into focus in Davos this year. For the first time, environmental risks occupied the WEF's top five long-term concerns. Business leaders from BlackRock Inc. CEO Larry Fink to Allianz SE boss Oliver Baete used their platform at the event to focus on sustainable investment. The two highest-profile attendees at the forum -- President Donald Trump and climate activist Greta Thunberg -- made headlines as they staked out opposing positions on the issue. Several companies have already pledged reductions in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases, which come directly from pumping and refining hydrocarbons. Yet these account for less than 10% of total emissions from the life cycle of oil and gas, so preventing a damaging increase in global temperatures requires action that goes much further. The executives debated a document produced by the World Economic Forum on "neutralizing emissions at the pump," a reference to the gasoline and diesel sold to customers. There's an urgent need to shift the industry's target from oil production to emissions from end users, said one person. Among major energy groups, only Shell, Total and Madrid-based Repsol SA have publicly announced that they are either targeting or monitoring Scope 3 emissions. The Spanish company made the boldest move, promising net-zero emissions in 2050 by diverting investment into wind and solar power. Shell has taken more modest steps, pledging to offset the greenhouse gases produced by fuel sold to drivers on their loyalty-card programs in the U.K. and Netherlands. Other companies, notably U.S. majors Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron have so far resisted specific pledges to cut total emissions, with the latter focusing instead on the carbon intensity of the energy it produces. BP CEO Bob Dudley, who retires later this year, has agreed targets for Scope 1 and 2 gases but opposed a Scope 3 target. Eni SpA Chairman Emma Marcegaglia said in a Bloomberg TV interview that the company is committed to becoming carbon neutral on a Scope 1 and 2 basis by 2030. The Italian oil and gas giant is in discussions about Scope 3 emissions, but needs more guidance from the government on how to do so, she said. "We'll look at all our different sectors and how to make them close to carbon-neutral," Marcegaglia said. "But also keeping our capacity to make cash flow." - - - Bloomberg's Laura Hurst, Francois de Beaupuy, Matthew Martin, Francine Lacqua and Mikael Holter contributed to this report. Louise Maxine Short Watson Sims was welcomed into the arms of our Lord on Jan. 19, 2020, in Great Falls, Montana. Funeral service for Louise will be held on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, at 11 a.m. at the Federated Church in Forsyth. Burial will be in the Forsyth Cemetery after the funeral service. Reception with lunch will follow at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home have been entrusted with the arrangements. To leave condolences for the family, visit our website at www.stevensonandsons.com. Sinn Fein is considering legal action against Virgin Media over the decision not to let the party take part in tonight's leaders' debate with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Party president Mary Lou McDonald described it as a "bad joke" that Sinn Fein has not been included in the programme, hosted by Pat Kenny, that will see Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin go head to head. Speaking after the most recent opinion polls put her party only two points behind Fine Gael, Ms McDonald said it was an issue of fairness and having a wide range of voices heard in the run-up to the election. Deputy Pearse Doherty said he is looking into the issue and is calling on RTE to include Sinn Fein in its forthcoming debates. "I've written to Virgin Media and we've already written to RTE about this decision. It's an issue of fairness," he said. "We will be meeting with our legal team later and, as I said, we haven't heard from the station. We will consider all our options at that point. "There is no obligation in terms of being under the Broadcasting Act, but this is about fairness. "I don't think any TV station wants to exclude a large section of the population and the voices of that population. "We have seen two opinion polls now that put us neck and neck with Fine Gael. Sham "There is no justification. People right across the political divide are saying this is unfair at this point in time. "We do expect them to reverse this decision and, if they don't, we have to stand up for those voices which won't be heard, and it will be a sham debate if the voice of Sinn Fein isn't tabled." Sinn Fein introduced its 42 general election candidates in 38 constituencies at an event at the Mansion House yesterday. Deputy McDonald said it was "not fair to exclude voices such as ours" from the televised debate, and claimed the election should not be perceived as a two-horse race. Speaking after the launch, she told reporters: "This is about having an open and fair debate in an open and democratic election. To us, it's a no-brainer. "In fact, it will be a bad joke if you have two men who have been in government with each other for four years debating the big issues of the day. "The last thing we want to be is on a collision course with any section of the media, but there's a moment to stand up for what's right, and it's just wrong to exclude people. It's a bad decision." Ms McDonald also said at the Mansion House that she hopes to have a referendum on the unification of the island by 2025, saying Irish unity is "the best idea for the future of our country". Virgin Media Television said in a statement that it will be offering viewers comprehensive coverage of the election across news and current affairs programmes and will be "fair and impartial" and in accordance with BAI guidelines. It is allocating coverage throughout the general election 2020 campaign in proportion to parties' performances in the 2016 general election and the 2019 local elections. The broadcaster said it is also hosting a multi-party leaders' debate on January 30 and a series of one-to-one interviews with the leaders of the main parties. Within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met with president Suma Chakrabarti of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Sarkissian noted with satisfaction the effective cooperation between Armenia and the EBRD and the implementation of successful projects. Chakrabarti also emphasized the effective cooperation with the Armenian government and said that the EBRD is determined to continue its assistance. President Sarkissian reaffirmed Armenia's proposal to host the 2021 EBRD annual meeting in the country. The interlocutors exchanged views on the prospects of implementing new joint projects, and touched upon the new opportunities of financial market development and IT cooperation. (Alliance News) - Pub operator JD Wetherspoon PLC on Wednesday reported a rise in like-for-like sales in the 12 weeks to January 19, but warned its year-end net debt will be higher than first thought and it again took aim at City corporate governance rules. During the first 12 weeks of its second quarter, which included the Christmas trading spell, total sales rose by 4.2% with like-for-like sales 4.7% higher. Total year-to-date sales were 4.9% higher year-on-year, or up 5.0% like-for-like. Since the end of its last financial year in July 28, the company has opened one new pub and sold five. It eyes opening between 10 and 15 and spending GBP80 million on new units or extensions. The FTSE 250 pub chain added that it has forked out GBP57 million so far this financial on freehold reversions of 18 pubs. This type of transaction is common for Wetherspoon. Since 2014 it has spent GBP320 million on freehold reversion - meaning buying the freehold of a property on which it is a tenant - and last year alone it parted with GBP77 million. This year that number is expected to rise 10% to GBP85 million. Although the company said it is in "a sound financial position", come the July year-end net debt is expected to be between GBP780 million and GBP820 million, "slightly higher than previously anticipated, due to higher than anticipated capital expenditure." Wetherspoon noted: "If the company had not bought shares or reversions it would be more or less debt-free." Since starting a share buyback programme in 2003, the company has repurchased GBP516 million worth of stock, the firm noted. In November, the head of Wetherspoon accused the corporate governance rules of placing too much power in the hands of non-executive directors, "disenfranchising executives and the workforce". Chair Tim Martin on Wednesday said: "The UK, of course, needs a sensible system of corporate governance. However, the current system is remote, counterproductive and inflexible, which are also the characteristics of many major shareholding institutions and their advisers." The company added that Columbia Threadneedle Investments, a London-based shareholder, voted against two of Wetherspoon's long-serving non-executives at its 2018 annual general meeting for not observing the "nine-year rule". The rule states that non-executives should not remain in the role for more than nine years. Martin added: "CT unilaterally took this action, in spite of detailed explanations in the preceding years in our annual reports. CT and fellow shareholder Blackrock Inc's own boards however, very sensibly, do not observe the nine-year rule - both laud 'independent' non-executive directors with longer tenure than nine years. In other words, one rule for CT and Blackrock - and another for UK PLC. "The main consequence of the current governance system is short-termist and inexperienced boards, which have minimal representation from executives and the workforce - the people who are best placed to understand and run the business. These factors are obviously damaging for customers, employees and the economy - as well as for shareholders." Shares in the company were down 0.2% at 1,592.08 pence each in London on Wednesday morning. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charities are the 'biggest losers' of Megxit and the palace's decision to stop the couple from using their HRH titles is 'mean-spirited', a Princess Diana biographer claims. Nigel Cawthorne, from Wolverhampton, author of Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself, said the monarchy 'won't suffer much' as a result of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quitting as senior members of the Royal Family - but it's a different story for the organisations they represent. He added that The Firm's 'graceless response' to their decision is 'unnecessarily harsh' and shows 'no lessons has been learned' since Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana's divorce. Earlier this week it was reported the palace considered 'downgrading' Harry and Meghan to the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, which would have put them on the same level as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charities are the 'biggest losers' of Megxit and the palace's decision to stop the couple from using their HRH titles is 'mean-spirited', a Princess Diana biographer claims A source told the Evening Standard: 'The Sussex title is one of the ancient royal dukedoms given to him ahead of his wedding to Meghan, along with other titles. Removing it was seriously considered and discussed at the highest level.' In response to the revelation, Nigel told FEMAIL: 'The disappointing thing is that the palace seems to have forgotten who the biggest losers in this saga will be. 'The monarchy won't suffer much, but the British charities the Sussexes head and support - in Harry's case with passion over the course of a lifetime - are most at risk. 'These charities have already been stripped of patrons with an HRH title in a matter of days and any further attempt to clip the couples' wings more will immediately impact on them further.' Nigel Cawthorne, author of Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself, said the monarchy 'won't suffer much' as a result of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quitting as senior members of the Royal Family - but it's a different story for the organisations they represent Earlier this week it was reported the palace considered 'downgrading' Harry and Meghan to the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, which would have put them on the same level as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie the Earl and Countess of Wessex Nigel said he feels a more 'constructive approach' could have been chosen and that 'a failure by the palace to consider the bigger picture' will potentially harm those with the greater needs. He added that Harry, 35, and former actress Meghan, 38, themselves will be 'far from destitute' after choosing to be financially independent. 'Harry is worth at least 12 million,' Nigel explained. '10 million from his mother and 2 million from the Queen Mother. 'Meghan is estimated to be worth around 3.8 million. Nor will the Royal Family be in any financial trouble as a result of the couple's decision to step back from taxpayer funding. 'But is it really helpful for a charity to have a patron on a nebulous royal probation.' Nigel said he feels a more 'constructive approach' could have been chosen and that 'a failure by the palace to consider the bigger picture' will potentially harm those with the greater needs. Pictured: Meghan and Harry with baby Archie in South Africa Nigel described the palace's decision to strip the couple of their HRH titles as 'not far short of being mean-spirited'. 'They don't stand accused of having committed a heinous criminal act,' he said. 'All they requested was to be allowed to lead a more private life not funded by the state. 'The palace's graceless response is unnecessarily harsh and shows that no lessons has been learned since the divorce of Harry's mother from the Prince of Wales.' Earlier this week palace officials were forced to admit they had made a blunder by announcing Meghan would take the title of a divorced woman. Earlier this week palace officials were forced to admit they had made a blunder by announcing Meghan, pictured with the Queen, would take the title of a divorced woman After confirming that she and Harry, who is still sixth in line to the throne, will give using up their HRH His and Her Royal Highness titles, aides said the couple would instead be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. But as Harry boarded a flight to Canada last night to start his new life with Meghan and baby Archie, palace officials at home were scrambling to confirm the couple's correct titles after admitting they had got them wrong. Typically only the divorced wives or widows of hereditary peers are referred to by their Christian name, followed by a comma, then their title as in the case of Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York. After this was pointed out by the Mail, royal officials yesterday confirmed the information had been given out in error by the Press Office and that the couple's new titles would be reported in due course. It is likely they will simply revert to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, without the HRH. Prince Harry, pictured being greeted by Tlotlo Moilwa during a visit to the Kasane Health Post, run by the Sentebale charity, in Kasane, Botswana Earlier today it was revealed Meghan's father Thomas Markle doesn't think his daughter will see him again until he is 'lowered into the ground' in a coffin. He justified being paid to take part in a Channel 5 documentary by saying: 'Meghan owes me - it's time to look after daddy'. Thomas' comments come after the Queen's top aides finalised a deal for the couple, who are stepping back as 'senior' royals in a bid to seek financial independence. Thomas Markle, 75, has opened up about the breakdown of his relationship with daughter Meghan, 38, saying he fears she and Prince Harry won't see him until he is 'lowered into the ground.' Pictured, speaking on Channel 5 TV documentary 'Thomas Markle: My Story' A grinning Duke of Sussex touched down in Vancouver on Monday night, and yesterday it emerged he has already organised events across America for his charity Sentebale, which supports children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. Harry, who used a Sentebale dinner in London this week to claim he and Meghan 'no choice' but to quit as senior royals, has pledged to help the world beat AIDS as a legacy to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, while his close friend Sir Elton John's foundation has raised 240million [$300 Million] to fight the virus and help its victims. Sentebale chairman Johnny Hornby told the Evening Standard yesterday: 'The duke is a global figure and HIV is a challenge for the world to try to help solve. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 'We know the duke has the ability to challenge the stigma that surrounds HIV and shine a light on these issues, whichever side of the pond he finds himself on.' On Monday the Duke of Sussex rushed through a series of meetings at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in Greenwich and is not believed to have seen William before catching a 5.30pm flight out of Heathrow to Vancouver. But he did reportedly hold a meeting with his Kensington Palace team about managing his and Meghan's affairs because they will now be in Canada for the foreseeable future. A smiling Meghan Markle took Archie and her two dogs for a walk in Vancouver hours before Harry landed in Canada. JERSEYVILLE Five people face drug-related charges after a search warrant was served on a Jerseyville address on Jan. 13 after police witnessed one of the five shooting up heroin inside the property. Nicholas L. Foster, 26, of the 400 block of Minard, Jerseyville, was charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. Patrick D. Jones, 51, of the 400 block of Minard, Jerseyville, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. Amanda M. Beeman, 24, of the 300 block of Green Street, Brighton, and Teresa R. Moore, 49, and Robert Paul Frank, both of the 400 block of Minard, were all charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony; and unlawful possession of controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. According to Jersey County States Attorney Ben Goetten, the Jersey County Sheriffs Department originally went to the residence in the 400 block of Minard to investigate an unrelated matter. When deputies arrived at the residence, they were allowed inside by an occupant, Goetten said. And while inside, the deputy witnessed Nicholas Foster shooting heroin, in plain view, in the living room. Based upon this, and the fact that multiple people had outstanding warrants, the sheriffs department applied for and received a warrant to search the residence, Goetten said. The five were taken into custody when the warrant was served. Bail for Foster was set at $15,000. Bail for Beeman, Moore and Frank was set at $10,000 each. Bail for Jones was set at $5,000. KALEESWARAM RAJ By In an essay written in the Yale Law Journal in 1989, scholar Paul Whitlock Cobb Jr. discussed the significance of mercy in death penalty. He talked about various facets of compassion. However, he lamented that mercy, which encompasses the discretion of decision-makers at every stage of the death penalty process, has been eroded by politics and an increasingly bureaucratised capital punishment system. The delay in execution of the convicts in the Nirbhaya case has led to anguish and dissatisfaction among the common people. A plea for mercy stands rejected by the President at an alarming speed. In the meantime, political parties also tried to capitalise on the public sentiment in a blame game with one another, as the Delhi Assembly election nears. The aggression on the streets should not replace an informed debate on the death penalty. It is an indubitable fact that what was done to the victim was an extremely heinous crime that warranted a severe and meaningful punishment. The grief of Nirbhayas parents is inestimable. We need to support them even while opposing death penalty. Empirically, capital punishment has never been an effective remedy against crimes. It does not act as a deterrent. Amidst the populist emotions, unpopular views may not be well received. No one will now talk about the age of the accused or their social, educational or economic background. No one would ask if they had any criminal antecedents, or if they are reformable. No one will also dare talk about a possible non-involvement of any one among the accused in the crime. If at least one among them, or more than one, had no role in the crime, despite the conviction, how the state would be able to indemnify the life, once it is taken away, is again a question that may remain unpopular. American legal scholar Jack Greenberg, in his study, has put the issues in a nutshell: The contemporary debate over capital punishment has been conducted principally in terms of whether it is an effective deterrent, appropriately retributive, racially discriminatory, arbitrary or inevitably prone to error. (Capital Punishment as a System, Yale Law Journal, Vol. 91, 1982)The history of death penalty in India is full of judicial fallacies and constant inconsistencies. A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980) authoritatively laid down the law on the topic. The court, after an extensive survey of precedents and global jurisprudence on the topic, said that death penalty is permissible only in the rarest of rare cases when the alternative option is unquestionably foreclosed. Nirbhayas murder indisputably belongs to the rarest of rare category. It also shook the conscience of the whole world. The question however, is whether the alternate option, namely imprisonment for the whole life, is unquestionably foreclosed. Such a discourse requires an ambience of genuine contemplation and deep understanding.The proposition in Bachan Singh was not properly applied by several subsequent Benches of smaller strength. Though the rarest of rare doctrine was invoked frequently based on the individual notions of judges, the examination whether the alternate options are unquestionably foreclosed was seldom done. Bachan Singh said that (the) judges should never be bloodthirsty and that hanging of murderers has never been too good for them. More importantly, the Constitution Bench warned that the judges should not be oracles or spokesmen of public opinion. It advocated for an accused-centric approach based on the reformability of the individual. But even the Nirbhaya verdict expressly referred to collective conscience as a reason for its conclusions. The seeming contradictions in the top court verdicts on death penalty would shock legal minds. In Santosh Kumar Bariyar (2009), a Division Bench of the court took note of an earlier decision in the Swamy Shraddananda case in which the court revealed that sentences of death penalty often depended upon the personal predilection of the judges constituting the Bench. In the Ravji case (1995) the court said that it is the nature of the crime, and not the factors relating to the accused that are relevant to determine the punishment. This was diametrically opposite to the reformative jurisprudence in Bachan Singh. But the erroneous decision in Ravji was followed in at least six subsequent cases. The top court was generous enough to acknowledge this serious error in the confessional verdict in Santosh Kumar Bariyar (2009). V Venkatesan, in a 2012 essay, enlisted the names of 13 convicts who were executed illegally and erroneously. Curiously, 14 retired judges wrote a letter to the President in 2012 requesting him to commute the death sentence of 13 death convicts, as their convictions were erroneous. A bench headed by Chief Justice Sathasivam in January 2014 commuted the death sentence of 15 convicts. The jurisprudence of death penalty in India thus remains convoluted and complex, and in the process, justice often became a casualty. Charles L Black wrote the book Capital Punishment: The Inevitability of Caprice and Mistake way back in 1974. Black highlighted the individual and institutional limitations leading to arbitrariness in the decisions on life. No human-made system can ever claim to be fault-free and immaculate.Globally, among the members of the UN, more than 135 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. The preference is for more effective and humane alternatives. As Albert Camus famously said: Capital punishment upsets the only indisputable human solidarityour solidarity against death. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Cavities, or dental caries, are the most widespread non-communicable disease globally, according to the World Health Organization. Having a cavity drilled and filled at the dentist's office can be painful, but untreated caries could lead to worse pain, tooth loss, infection, and even illness or death. Now, researchers in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces report a bioactive peptide that coats tooth surfaces, helping prevent new cavities and heal existing ones in lab experiments. Conventional treatment for dental cavities involves removing decayed tissue and filling the hole with materials, such as amalgam or composite resin. However, this procedure can damage healthy tissue and cause severe discomfort for patients. Hai Ming Wong, Quan Li Li and colleagues wanted to develop a two-pronged strategy to prevent and treat tooth decay: 1) prevent colonization of the tooth surface by the plaque-forming bacteria that cause cavities, and 2) reduce demineralization, or the dissolving of tooth enamel, while increasing remineralization, or repair. The researchers based their anti-cavity coating on a natural antimicrobial peptide called H5. Produced by human salivary glands, H5 can adsorb onto tooth enamel and destroy a broad range of bacteria and fungi. To promote remineralization, the team added a phosphoserine group to one end of H5, which they thought could help attract more calcium ions to repair the enamel than natural H5. They tested the modified peptide on slices of human molars. Compared with natural H5, the new peptide adsorbed more strongly to the tooth surface, killed more bacteria and inhibited their adhesion, and protected teeth from demineralization. Surprisingly, however, both peptides promoted remineralization to a similar degree. After brushing, people could someday apply the modified peptide to their teeth as a varnish or gel to protect against tooth decay, the researchers say. ### The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The abstract that accompanies this study is available here. For more research news, journalists and public information officers are encouraged to apply for complimentary press registration for the ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Exposition in Philadelphia. The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS' mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder and STN), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS' main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org. Follow us on Twitter | Facebook BRONX, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mixed-use facilities are becoming more common than ever before in the healthcare world. They offer patients a variety of medical services under one roof, and thus provide great conveniences for any patient walking through their doors. From increased services to improved land-use, mixed-use medical facilities are providing a completely transformed healthcare experience. Medical building construction firm, Simone Health, offers three tangible benefits of the mixed-use facility trend emerging in healthcare to help create a common understanding of the benefits to patients and medical business alike. Efficient Land Use: As environmental conservation and space use concerns grow in our global discourse, it has become necessary to consider our carbon footprint in every way possible. Mixed-use facilities are a more environmentally friendly option than traditional healthcare facilities, as they utilize land-space more effectively. Instead of having a series of different offices, procedure rooms, specialists, and wellness centers spread out across a town or city, they're condensed into one, convenient location. The proliferation of mixed-use medical facilities cuts down on construction costs and resources, minimizes land-space, and reduces utility usage, with all details pointing to a higher efficiency space. Convenience: The defining feature of mixed-use facilities is their convenience. The modern healthcare patient has more pressing things to do than sit in a doctor's office for hours and driving around town to see specialists. Mixed-use healthcare facilities nearly eliminate both of these inconveniences, combining almost any medical services that a patient would need under one roof. Instead of traveling on three different days to different offices, a patient can have a comprehensive healthcare visit in one place on one day. With today's patient-centric healthcare system, convenience goes a long way in attracting patients to a medical space, so it's no wonder that mixed-use facilities are a growing trend. Reduces Spending: Building and operating a mixed-use medical facility is also financially beneficial in many ways for any healthcare business. By reducing the amount of land and buildings in operations under an enterprise, reduction in costs is realized by only having to maintain a single building instead of a series of smaller ones. Plus, as businesses look to incorporate energy-saving regimes or new policies, they only need to be enforced or installed in one building. Patients can save also save expenses, time and reduce their own footprint by having their medical services consolidated in one place. Mixed-use medical facilities bring increase patient foot-traffic by providing a larger variety of services to the public, making them a great way to increase a facility's service options and visibility. By reducing costs, increasing convenience, and providing more efficient land use, mixed-use healthcare facilities will be the responsible and profitable model of the future in healthcare. About Simone Health Development Companies: Simone Health Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of office, retail, industrial and healthcare properties in the New York tristate area. Headquartered in the Bronx, the privately held company owns and manages more than 5 million square feet of property in the Bronx, Westchester County, Queens, Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. The company's portfolio includes more than 100 properties and ranges from multi-building office parks to retail and industrial space. The largest and most successful development from Simone Health is the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center office complex located directly off the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx. The first two phases of the complex, which comprise nearly 750,000 square feet of Class A office and medical space, are fully leased. Two additional phases totaling 650,000 square feet (370,000-square-foot Metro Center Atrium and 280,000-square-foot Tower Two), are completed and fully leased. Visit www.simdev.com SOURCE Simone Health Development Companies Related Links http://www.simdev.com Puro Politics is a weekly podcast hosted by columnist Gilbert Garcia, covering the drama and nuance of local government issues. Produced by Joy-Marie Scott. Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher TuneIn& RSS All Episodes Three issues that are central to the future of San Antonio converged on City Hall last week. Mayor Ron Nirenbergs ongoing efforts to find additional revenue for VIA Metropolitan Transit, the citys chronically underfunded public transportation system, continued with his ongoing push to shift the responsibility for the citys aquifer protection program to the San Antonio Water System. In response, state Rep. Lyle Larson urged Nirenberg to abandon that idea and get the funding by discontinuing the citys early education program, Pre-K SA. Meanwhile, council members mulled options for when to schedule a renewal vote for the pre-K program, whose sales-tax funding will expire next year unless voters approve an extension. Public transit, early education and environmental protection will all play major roles in determining the livability of this city over the coming decades, and the overlap between these policy questions was a topic on this weeks edition of the Express-News Puro Politics podcast. On ExpressNews.com: Mayor navigating troubled waters over plan to reroute aquifer protection funding Its interesting because the aquifer protection tax is already set to expire in November, said Joshua Fechter, Express-News City Hall reporter. Youre putting it before the voters to say, Hey, redirect this money to instead fund public transit. And youve got Pre-K 4 SA thats up for renewal this year as well. One issue that has concerned environmental activists about the possibility of putting SAWS in charge of the aquifer protection program which uses sales-tax money to purchase conservation easements for properties in the Edwards Aquifer recharge and contributing zones is the question of whether the utility would match the citys investment in the program. The city currently puts about $20 million a year into aquifer protection, but SAWS CEO Robert Puente told the utilitys board members last week that SAWS probably would cut the programs funding in half. Nirenbergs ability to thread the needle this year on these three issues boosting transit funding while preserving the aquifer protection program and winning voter approval to keep Pre-K 4 SA going will say a lot about his mayoral legacy, not to mention his prospects for securing a third term in 2021. I get the sense that hes staking a lot on the transportation issue, Fechter said. Hes made the case that we have rampant income inequality, entrenched poverty in the city. One of his arguments against Lyle Larson saying, Hey, go get it from Pre-K 4 SA, is, Look, were not going to roll back something that we think is making headway on solving some of these larger issues of poverty in the city. Thats kind of how he couches the public transit issue. And thats increasingly what his tenure is becoming about. Hear these and other issues discussed on this weeks edition of the Puro Politics podcast. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 A former manager of a local branch of the Mount Charles catering supply company has been remanded in custody at his own request after he pleaded guilty at Derry Crown Court to defrauding his former employer of just over 36,800. Stephen Hessin, 37, who is originally from Cavan but whose address was given as a hostel at Melrose Terrace in the Waterside area of the city, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud by abuse of his position in that he acted against the financial interests of Mount Charles by defrauding the company of the money. He admitted committing the offence between July 2017 and May of last year. The defendant pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing the money from his employer between the same dates. A defence barrister said the defendant had given up his accommodation address in a hostel and another person had already moved in. Hessin was remanded in custody until 29 January. UPDATE: Chamber says Michigan polluters store deserves controversial award ROCKFORD, MI Sandy Wynn-Stelt thought she was being pranked when a friend sent her an announcement that the company which poisoned her drinking water had been honored as business of the year" by the local chamber of commerce. But it wasnt a joke. Wolverine World Wide, a global footwear giant responsible for widespread contamination of the groundwater in northern Kent County, was named the 2019 Business of the Year by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce at its membership meeting on Friday, Jan. 17. On Tuesday, Wolverine posted a photo of its Rockford Footwear Depot store manager Mark Roach accepting the award on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Wynn-Stelt, whose husband, Joel, died in 2016 of liver cancer that she blames on tainted drinking water, feels like the award is a slap in the face. It makes me not want to do business in Rockford if thats the chambers view on what the people of Belmont are going through, she said. Wynn-Stelt is among hundreds of Rockford and Belmont area residents who are suing Wolverine because of the contamination. She lives next to Wolverines House Street landfill, where the company dumped sludge from its Rockford tannery in the 1960s. The waste contained high amounts of toxic PFAS chemicals the tannery used to waterproof shoe leather. Related: Cancer, thyroid problems plague Wolverine dump neighbors PFAS are a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals used in nonstick and waterproof products and firefighting foam. Exposure to the chemicals has been linked to health problems like cancer and autoimmune disease. They have been nicknamed forever chemicals because the compounds resist breaking down in the environment. Contamination from House Street and other local Wolverine dump sites was discovered in 2017. The pollutants have spread across 25 square miles and rendered much of the northern Kent County groundwater in that area unsafe to drink. Its the most severe example of PFAS contamination in Michigan. The pollution is also prevalent in the Rogue River, which flows past Wolverines former tannery. Toxic surface water foam occurs regularly at the Rockford dam, a popular local fishing spot where theres a fish consumption advisory for PFAS chemicals. Wolverine is excavating portions of the former tannery, the riverbank and river sediments to remove heavy metals like chromium and lead under a negotiated settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which ordered the work last year. The company also recently agreed to pay $69.5 million to extend Plainfield Townships municipal water system to neighborhoods affected by the contamination. Rockford Chamber Director Linda Southwick said the award decision was based on a popular vote among the chambers 400-some members. Award criteria includes a businesss support for local civic causes and the business community, job creation or local investment, workforce education, community leadership, customer service and involvement in quality of life projects or humanitarian efforts. Southwick cited Wolverines civic efforts to help the local United Way and North Kent Connect charities and its support for local concerts and film screenings. She said the award is more of a business to business thing, but she understands the concerns expressed by Belmont residents with tainted drinking water. We know the PFAS issue is very serious, not only here but worldwide, Southwick said. But Wolverine along with (the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services) are responding to the issue. We see the trucks leaving every day through town. Yes, we are sensitive to that. Wolverine is represented at the Rockford chamber by depot manager Roach, the board vice president. In response to the question of whether it thought accepting the award was appropriate given the circumstances around its PFAS contamination, Wolverine was unapologetic. Wolverine Worldwide has been a part of this community for almost 140 years, and we couldnt be more proud to call Rockford our hometown. We are honored to have been selected by the Chamber of Commerce for this recognition, and grateful to our employees for the positive impact they make in our community every day, the company said. Belmont resident Jennifer Carney is among the hundreds of local homeowners whose drinking water tested positive for high PFAS levels near Wolverines dump. She and Wynn-Stelt are also members of the Wolverine Community Advisory Group (CAG), a citizen-led board created last year by the EPA to help involve the community in cleanup efforts. Carney said shes not impressed by Wolverines charitable efforts. Its like free advertising. You send employees out into the community and its a tax write-off. Every big company does that, she said. Lynn McIntosh, a Rockford activist who spent years working to expose Wolverines pollution, said she was not surprised to learn of the award. City officials and the chamber were unfriendly to her groups efforts to watchdog Wolverine. McIntosh said theres a pervasive someone elses problem attitude in Rockford toward the PFAS contamination, which hasnt affected the citys current municipal groundwater wells. Rockford stopped using the Rogue River for drinking water in 2000. Its endemic, she said. Its just how its always been. Even with glaring information, its like theres nothing wrong in this town. Its like were truth-repellant real facts and realities dont stick. Its a fairy tale here. I think its really sad, but Im not surprised. Credit: Shutterstock The world has watched in sympathy as Australia has come to terms with the ravages of the worst bush fires on record. Communities have been devastated by this crisis, but many have shown incredible resilience in banding together to support one another through the harrowing experience. In New South Wales alone, for example, there are more than 70,000 unpaid rural fire service volunteers. And thousands of Australian citizens have rallied, demanding political, social and environmental change. Challenges to communities come in many guisessocial, political, economic, climatic, technological and cultural. In the UK communities up and down the country in recent years have faced extreme weather, severe flooding, terrorist attacks, austerity and an uncertain political climate. All these events have been significant for those involved. But each has provided the chance for communities to come together. Community resilience promotes self-reliance and places the managing of risk in the hands of communities, empowering people to have more control over their lives. However, this can risk reducing the state's responsibility and accountability to communities, as seen recently in Australian prime minister Scott Morrison's calls for resilience, rather than tackling the causes of climate change. Our study, which looks at ways of building community resilience in response to extreme events, held interactive workshops with communities, academics, local organizations, emergency services and local and national government to examine their understanding of resilience and their ideas for ways of developing it in communities. Extreme events and resilient people Participants identified things like bad weather, accidents, terror attacks, shortages of power, heat and water, political events and job losses as serious challenges to communities. The group agreed that the top two are major weather events and political developments that affect everyone. It is important to understand though, that for a community to be truly resilient, it needs to be able to able to deal with a wide range of events, whether they are commonplace or rare. Then our group identified seven main components essential to developing and sustaining a resilient community. These were: 1. Experience and shared memory: shared values and an awareness of who holds the power (and where power is held) are vital. Understanding what matters to people and their attachment to particular places is key, making communal spaces and symbols of community of particular importance. 2. Leadership, engagement and shared responsibility: recognizing and promoting leadership at all levels is crucial, but collaboration and community-led response is also required. If government organizations take over, there is a risk that communities are left out of decision-making that affects them. 3. Social ties and wider connections: the things that link people together, such as common interests, cultural experiences, education, home, school, sport, family, friends, work, language and shared spaces are all central elements of communities. At the root it is about getting to know people and finding ways of creating a collective consciousness. 4. Mindset, collective thinking, openness to adapt and cultural change: creating opportunities for everyone to speak and be listened to is paramount. As is a readiness to adapt to improve the way a community reacts to challenges. This means embracing new ideas and technologies. Sometimes these changes can be difficult for some so help may be needed. 5. Integration, inclusivity, equity and diversity: once defined as people living together in a similar area, community has shifted to much wider definitions thanks to the advent of social media and the internet. This offers positives in terms of bringing new and more diverse communities together, and negatives such as the potential loss of cultural heritage. Resilient communities need to value identity and difference. 6. Communications, social support and co-ordination: sharing information openly creates trust. While many are used to communicating online, it can alienate those unfamiliar with technology. Communities should also be trusted to form themselves naturally, although they may need some oversight from more experienced figures who can help them work out what is needed in terms of support. 7. Training and identifying local needs: often people struggle to identify who has the relevant local knowledge and who is best placed to take action when it comes to an emergency situation. It is essential to use past events to develop training that allows communities to act on their own strengths and weaknesses. Looking ahead Communities also need to be committed to working towards common goals with the local authorities. To that end our research report made four key recommendations for building strong, resourceful communities: they must have good communal spaces; building and sharing local knowledge should an ongoing priority; everyone should be heard and given a chance to collaborate; and good, open communication must be at the root of everything. As we have seen in the extraordinary responses of rural communities in Australia, people that are invested in one another are able to demonstrate real resilience and respond to terrible events in admirable ways. Witnessing this can uplift and inspire people to support one another and nurture connections with their neighbors. So that the next time something extreme happens, they are much more able to cope and respond in service to their community. Explore further Community characteristics shape climate change discussions after extreme weather This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. National Volunteering Forum held by EU project By Nika Gamtsemlidze The National Volunteering Forum For You, For Me, For Changes Its Time for Volunteering took place on 17 January in SEU of Tbilisi. The forum is organized by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) within the framework of the Georgian Civil Society Initiative, funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.The National Volunteering Council was committed to Georgia's promotion of volunteerism. The goal of the event was to discuss the philosophy of volunteerism and related experiences at the national level and to provide an overview of the viewpoints of volunteer creation in the light of policymaking and practical implementation.Up to 200 guests - representatives of regional civil society organizations, international and donor agencies, media and other stakeholders participated in the event.As a part of the panel discussions, representatives of educational and civil society organizations, as well as governmental and private sector reviewed topics such as challenges of 'teaching' volunteerism and volunteer recognition, opportunities and perspectives of higher education institutions in Georgia; Georgian National Youth Policy document and state programmes as an opportunity to promote the culture of volunteerism among the youth; Overview of Georgian legislation in regards to volunteering; Volunteering as corporate social responsibility for business and volunteering.The second part of the forum was devoted to the group works: Enabling Environment for Civil Society Organizations: Challenges and Perspectives and Supporting Civil Society Development: Experience and Perspectives.Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative was developed and is implemented by the consortium led by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in cooperation with four Georgian Civil Society Organizations: Civil Society Institute (CSI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) and Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC).The project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Bollywood has ventured into many genres but one field of work that touches the audience's heart are patriotic films and shows. Whether it was the movie Uri based on the surgical strikes at the same place, The Ghazi Attack or Raazi, it becomes an instant hit. But one such unheard yet true story is of - Rani of Jhansi Regiment. And finally getting the incredible story in a web series is Kabir Khan, who is making his directorial debut in the genre, with The Forgotten Army. The web series on Amazon Prime, will showcase the true story of men and women in the Indian National Army. But before that, it's important to know the extraordinary story about Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Here are some lesser known facts about the all-women army that was formed in July, 1943. Take a look. 1. The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was the Women's Regiment of the Indian National Army Twitter India's struggle for freedom has been long and full of valour. Rani of Jhansi Regiment, which was formed in 1943, was an all-women corps of soldiers that fought under the Indian National Army. Most of these women had no prior military training and were reportedly trained here for the first time. 2. The regiment was led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan, also known as Lakshmi Sahgal Twitter Not many know, but Captain Lakshmi was the first Indian woman to run for president, apart from being a columnist, doctor and revolutionary. She was a lieutenant in the Indian National Army during World War 2 who fought with Subhash Chandra Bose and Japanese against British Raj. Her all women was raised in July 1943 with volunteers from India and South East Asia. The unit was called the Rani of Jhansi Regiment inspired from Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi. Seen here - Left to Right - T. Suppiah, Papathi Thevar, Lakshmi Naidu, Dhanam L. Suppiah 3. Not even one abandoned the unit Twitter Rani of Jhansi Regiment, which was an integral part of the INA, were fighting for the freedom of the country they might not have fully visited but for sure belonged to. When women back then joined, they were mostly below the age of 18 and yet had the undying spirit to fight and make it big. There is an instance of the heroism of Bina Das who at 14-years-of-age attempted to kill a British Governor. 4. One of the very few all-female combat regiments of the Second World War on any side Youtube/screengrab From difficult training like all night marches, weapon skills and combat professional training, the regiment was formed with a clear vision. The aim was to eliminate Birtish Raj from the colonial India. The army was created by Subhash Chandra Bose and it was his most trusted unit. For instance, the heroism of Bina Das who at 14-years-of-age attempted to kill a British Governor. The web show, The Forgotten Army, is based on this is all set to release on 24th Jan, 2020. Kabir Khan said the series is a project that is 20 years in the making, based on his initial documentary. The George W. Bush Presidential Center sits on a restored 14-acre prairie in the middle of Dallas. As the driving force behind that park, former first lady Laura Bush spoke with The Strategerist podcast about her passion for conservation. Below is an excerpt of her conversation with Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institutes Lindsey Knutson. . Question: Where did your love of conservation come from? Bush: As an only child growing up in West Texas, my love for our states natural landscapes started early and came from my mother, Jenna Welch, who if she was not reading, could be found outside. My mother was a knowledgeable self-taught naturalist who remembered the name of every wildflower and was passionate about birds. For as far back as I can remember, on spectacular summer nights, Mother would grab a blanket and we would go outside to lie on the ground and gaze at the sky. And as we lay together on the hard grass, she would say, Look up, Laura, look up. And it was then, as a bright-eyed girl, that I began to look up as to not miss the beauty of the world around me. Q: You have shared a love of national parks with childhood friends from Midland ever since you turned 40. What are your memories of that experience? Bush: We started our tradition of hiking every summer with a trip to the Grand Canyon, where we floated on the Colorado River and then hiked out at the South Rim. We loved that trip so much that we decided to do it again years later when we lived at the White House. On that second trip, all of us took our daughters. The girls hiked out in about four hours and the old mothers barely made it out in seven! During those years at the White House, I hiked in a national park every year with the same childhood friends. Weve hiked Denali in Alaska, Acadia in Maine, and Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And Im glad we did that one then Yosemite is a very difficult hike; there are some 12-mile days, and at our age, we wouldnt make it! We do still go on a trip each summer last summer we floated and hiked around the Salmon River in Idaho. Q: Why is it so important that we protect our oceans, such as the national marine monument President Bush designated in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands? Bush: I got to visit Papahanaumokuakea with some friends. The Laysan albatross nests on the ground there, and as we walked around, we saw some of their dead chicks. When we opened them up, we learned that their parents, who had been fishing for squid on top of the ocean, hadnt come back with squid. They had come back with plastic bottle caps, toothbrushes and plastic toys, and fed that to their babies. This was a reminder that even in the most remote parts of the ocean, there is litter and trash in the water. Whatever we throw out washes down to the river and then washes out to sea. Its important for us to try to conserve our beautiful world. Q: Your Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, is another example of your interest in conservation. Bush: George and I wanted to restore the native prairie back to how it would have looked decades ago before it was farmed. So, each year, we plowed up the non-native grass and replated with seeds from the remnants of the intact prairie. So far, we probably have a little over a hundred acres of native prairie. And weve noticed the difference it makes weve seen the return of quail, and we now have our own native seed. George likes to ride his mountain bikes on the trails he built around the ranch. Each year, he hosts wounded warriors for the Bush Institutes W100 bike ride. Q: As we wrap up here, which national parks should parents take their children to? Which should we go to? Bush: Go to your closest national park. And find out about national historic sites that are in your neighborhoods. They also are part of the national park system. Take your children to those closest to you and then give them the opportunity to visit others as they grow up. This is excerpted from the George W. Bush Institutes podcast, The Strategerist. This is distributed by InsideSources.com. Tony Abbott says climate change zealots are wrongly using 'every extreme weather event' as undeniable proof of global warming, with the former prime minister denying it was the main cause of Australia's unprecedented bushfire crisis. Mr Abbott launched a stinging rebuke of eco warriors at an event for the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, in Washington D.C. on Tuesday - where he also lauded US President Donald Trump's first term in office. The former Liberal Party leader and volunteer firefighter said deadly bushfires were inevitable in Australia and pointed to the century-old Dorothea Mackeller poem 'My Country' which describes the country as a land 'of droughts and flooding rains'. Mr Abbott said climate change activists were almost 'religious' in their beliefs that global warming was to blame for the ongoing fires, which have devastated a record amount of land. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott (pictured) has claimed climate change supporters try to use the trend as proof for every extreme weather event 'I'm not one of those people who sees the current bushfires as confirmation of all we have feared about the changing climate,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'I see the current bushfires as the sort of thing we are always going to be prone to in a country such as ours.' Mr Abbott said those who believe climate change is the most important factor in extreme weather events use it as the reason for fires, floods and Hurricane Sandy - which devastated the Carribean in 2012. 'If you think climate change is the most important thing, everything can be turned to proof. I think that to many it has almost a religious aspect to it,' he said. Mr Abbott, Australia's 28th prime minister, led the country between 2013 and 2015 while served 19 years as a volunteer firefighter for the Rural Fire Service. 'I'm not one of those people who sees the current bushfires as confirmation of all we have feared about the changing climate,' Mr Abbott said (pictured speaking in Sydney last November) Mr Abbott supported Prime Minister Scott Morrison's (pictured) position that climate change had a role in causing bushfires He supported Prime Minister Scott Morrison's stance that climate change had some role in causing bushfires, and praised his response to the state of emergency caused by the fires. Mr Morrison said earlier this week hazard reduction was just as important in reducing bushfire risk as emissions reduction. The Prime Minister had been under fire for taking an overseas holiday in the early part of the bushfire crisis, which had killed almost 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes. By PTI MUMBAI: Japanese tech major NTT on Wednesday said a significant part of its USD 7 billion global commitment for data centres business would be spent in India over the next four years. The company also feels that there will be margin compression issues for the data centres business in India as capacity supply goes up along with an increase in competition, NTT's country chief executive for global data centres and cloud infrastructure, Sharad Sanghi, told PTI. In the last few months, a string of corporates, including the Adani Group, Hiranandanis and Reliance Industries have announced investments in data centres, on the back of regulatory moves like data sovereignty which makes it incumbent upon financial institutions to house their data locally. "India is the fastest-growing region for NTT and a substantial amount of the USD 7 billion commitment will be invested here," Sanghi said. When asked if the money will be equally split between the four regions the company operates in, Sanghi said the overall investments are bound to be shared proportionately, hinting that over USD 1.5 billion or nearly Rs 11,000 crore will come into India. The company, whose revenues have been growing at 30 per cent every year, is targeting to more than double its capacity in the next three years through the investments, Sanghi said. Its overall capacity, which stands at 1.2 million sq ft at present spread across Mumbai, Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru, will go up by 1.5 million sq ft, he said. The company is looking at going to newer locations as well and also adding to its land bank to house the facilities, he said. Demand is coming from global hyperscalers like the cloud service providers, data localisation requirements and as a greater number of enterprises move to the cloud, Sanghi said. The Adanis have committed Rs 70,000 crore for data centres in Andhra Pradesh, Hiranandanis have committed Rs 14,000 crore and RIL has announced a partnership with Microsoft for the same. Sanghi said the high quantum of investments in the business will change the characteristic of the market, which has so far been dictated by suppliers, from 2021 onward once the capacities come on board. While the revenues will keep growing because of the market opportunity, the supply increase can cause a short term blip in profitability by narrowing operating margins, he said, stressing that this will not last for long time. NTT is confident of guarding its business and growing in the face of competition, he asserted, adding data centres is its core business and clients, who sign long-term contracts, partner with companies which are not into different businesses like power and realty. There will be a consolidation in the industry due to the dynamics and the smaller entities may find it difficult to survive, Sanghi said, making it clear that NTT does not look at mergers and acquisition as a strategy but may move in opportunistically for the buys. He also made it clear that aggressive pricing may not work for companies, pointing out to two incidents of companies who tried getting business using this strategy going bust. Sangi pitched for improvement in power supply in Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru, saying two hours of power downtime per week is a worry. NTT on Wednesday announced the launch of an integrated division to look over the global data centre opportunity. KYIV -- Hundreds of Ukrainians have joined together to form a live chain across the Dnieper River in Kyiv to mark the 1919 Unification Act of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic. In a statement to mark the Day of Unity on January 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that in the modern world the feeling of a nation as a whole arises not only through common traditions, culture and religion, but also because of the values that are "acceptable to every corner of Ukraine." "To be strong, one must become one. To become one, one must be strong. We need to keep that in mind," Zelenskiy's statement said. Zelenskiy's statement comes amid efforts to reinvigorate the moribund peace process with Russia, which has created uncertainty and division within Ukraine. The Kremlin's relationship with Ukraine has been hostile ever since protests in Kyiv led to the overthrow of the nations pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula shortly thereafter and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, sparking a war in the Donbas region that has resulted in more than 13,000 deaths. "On Ukrainian Unity Day, we call on Russia to respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea and the Donbas, extending to its territorial waters," the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv wrote in a post on Twitter. Zelenskiy, Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk took part in a ceremony marking the day by laying flowers at the monuments of prominent Ukrainian writer and thinker Taras Shevchenko and historian and politician Mykhaylo Hrushevskiy. The Day of Unity has been marked as a national holiday in Ukraine since 1999, but the first "life chain of unity" occurred on January 21, 1990, when the country was still part of the former Soviet Union. The outpouring of nationalism saw hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians stand in a chain that was so long it connected the capital with several other nearby cities. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-23 02:36:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- German automotive supplier Bosch has strengthened its "strategic collaboration" with fuel cell expert Ceres Power and increased its stake in the British company from 3.9 percent to around 18 percent on Wednesday. Bosch paid around 90 million euros (99.7 million U.S. dollars) for the shares and announced that the stake increase was achieved through subscription for new Ceres Power shares, as well as the purchase of shares from existing shareholders. As part of the purchase, Bosch would be granted the right to appoint a non-executive director to the board of Ceres Power, according to the German automotive supplier headquartered in Gerlingen near the German city of Stuttgart. "With this enlarged investment, we intend to further strengthen our successful collaboration with our development partner Ceres Power," commented Christian Fischer, member of the Bosch Board of Management. Since 2018, Bosch and Ceres have been "successfully collaborating" in the development of fuel cell stacks for stationary applications, which enabled Bosch to launch the low-volume production of pilot fuel cell systems. Bosch is hoping for a potential scale-up through mass production of the Ceres cell technology SteelCell. According to Bosch, there would be "multiple applications," including small power stations, to be used in cities, factories, data centers and charging points for electric vehicles. Currently, there are around 20,000 charging points for electric vehicles in Germany. Last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that her government aims to build one million charging points by 2030. "Bosch strongly believes that the highly efficient solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has an important role to play in energy systems' security of supply and flexibility," said Fischer. According to Phil Caldwell, chief executive officer (CEO) of Ceres Power, the British company would look to "play an increasingly prominent role in tackling climate change and building a sustainable energy system for the future." Caldwell confirmed that the new investment by Bosch would allow the company to "further scale the business and expand into new applications." Enditem NeNe Leakes is none to pleased about her friend Wendy Williams putting her on blast on this week. The veteran Bravo star took to twitter with a furious tweet aimed at the daytime television host after Wendy shared a private text about NeNe leaving the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Wendy definitely didn't have Leakes' blessing when she spilled the beans on air and the reality star was left asking her social media followers 'what are girlfriends for' if you can't vent to them in confidence. Private talks: NeNe Leakes took to twitter with a furious tweet aimed at the daytime television host after Wendy shared a private text about NeNe leaving the Real Housewives of Atlanta NeNe didn't address Williams or the controversy directly in the post but her intention was very clear. 'Private conversations should be left in private! What are girlfriends for if you cant vent to them on those type of days,' the star tweeted. The message echoed an earlier statement by the 52-year-old's rep about the private nature of the conversation between the two stars. 'It's been an especially difficult couple of weeks for NeNe, and she was venting to her friend in private correspondence,' NeNe's rep told People. 'Nothing has been confirmed or officially decided for next season.' Speaking out: NeNe didn't address Williams or the controversy directly in the post but her intention was very clear as it echoed an earlier statement from her rep 'It's been an especially difficult couple of weeks for NeNe, and she was venting to her friend in private correspondence,' NeNe's rep told People. 'Nothing has been confirmed or officially decided for next season.' The 52-year-old Bravo-lebrity also posted an Instagram of herself with the caption: 'Who said dat?!' and the abbreviated hashtag for 'shaking my head.' It was moments after the 55-year-old host told her talk show audience that she was 'looking at my phone in between commercials and NeNe texts, "I'm quitting."' 'I know something about NeNe that you all will cry, be sad, feel bad for her,' Wendy dished. 'She's carrying the weight of a huge thing on her shoulders.' Williams would only say that Leakes' secret had nothing to do with her health, her husband Gregg Leakes (who battled stage 3 colon cancer), or their 20-year-old son Brentt. The 55-year-old host told her talk show audience that she was 'looking at my phone in between commercials and NeNe texts, "I'm quitting." I know something about NeNe that you all will cry, be sad, feel bad for her,' Wendy dished. 'She's carrying the weight of a huge thing on her shoulders.' The 52-year-old Bravo-lebrity also posted an Instagram of herself with the caption: 'Who said dat?!' and the abbreviated hashtag for 'shaking my head' 'I'm not going to say it, she's got to say it. In my opinion, NeNe, you need this platform to explain the other part of your life. Forget arguing with them broads - you've got that secret and that secret is going to melt their hearts. When she shared it with me, I cried with her,' the four-time Daytime Emmy nominee said. 'But if she keeps carrying this burden, you know what I'm saying, you know how you carry a secret long enough...NeNe, you need that platform to explain, that's all. I'm telling you, NeNe, don't quit! I can't believe I've come to this.' NeNe (born Linnethia Johnson) has appeared in the Bravo reality series since its 2008 inception, aside from skipping season nine and being a 'guest' in season eight. Eyebrows raised as the New York-born comedian skipped the first three episodes of the 12th season over contract negotiations. 'I'm not going to say it, she's got to say it. In my opinion, NeNe, you need this platform to explain the other part of your life. Forget arguing with them broads - you've got that secret and that secret is going to melt their hearts. When she shared it with me, I cried with her,' the four-time Daytime Emmy nominee said. 'I was sitting here trying to work my contract out,' Leakes told People in November. 'There were a lot of rumors around the time and I was really skeptical about what I was going to do. I really didn't know what I was going to do, I really didn't. I had one foot in and one foot out.' Catch more of the drama, with and without NeNe, on the 12th season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which resumes February 9 on Bravo. Twenty-two American soldiers received the Medal of Honor for service during the battle of Anzio in World War II. In late 1943, the Allies were attempting to liberate Italy from the Germans during World War II. That meant going up against German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring in Italy. In order to continue on from Salerno to Italy, an amphibious operation was planned. On Jan. 22, 1944, the U.S. Fifth Army, Sixth Corps, and British First Infantry Division landed on the beachhead at Anzio, on Italys west coast and about 35 miles from Rome. British troops are seen during amphibious landing operations at a beachhead near Anzio, south of Rome, as the Allied invasion of Italy gets underway, in February 1944. (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS From the U.S. Navy history website, After initial success, the Allies were pinned down on the beachhead by a vastly superior German force. The Germans eventually committed 80,000 additional troops to the Italian campaign to push the Allies back into the sea. Through sheer bravery and heroism, the Allies held the beachhead. Finally, with long awaited reinforcements, the Allies broke out in late May and ultimately marched victoriously into Rome, in June 1944. The strategic importance of the Battle of Anzio in the liberation of Italy is well documented. The campaigns contribution to the overall Allied effort in Europe, however, is often underestimated. The two German corps engaged on the Anzio front were originally destined for Normandy. The success of the Allied landings on the beaches in France in June 1944 were due largely to the tenacity of the Allied forces at Anzio. Gunners of a field regiment leaving Sea View Hotel, Anzio, their underground home on March 16, 1944 in Anzio. (AP Photo)AP According to a brochure on Anzio written by Clayton D. Laurie of the U.S. Army Center of Military History, the early morning hours of 22 January 1944, troops of the Fifth Army swarmed ashore on a fifteen-mile stretch of Italian beach near the prewar resort towns of Anzio and Nettuno. The landings were carried out so flawlessly and German resistance was so light that British and American units gained their first days objectives by noon, moving three to four miles inland by nightfall. The Germans were caught by surprise. Laurie wrote that Maj. Gen. John P. Lucas, commander of the Fifth Armys VI Corps had recalled that it was one of the most complete surprises in history. Picture dated May 1944 showing U.S. tanks rolling from the open doors of an LST landing craft onto the shore of the Anzio beachead, South of Rome, on the West coast of Italy, during World War II. (STF/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images The location of the Allied landings surprised local German commanders, who had been assured by their superiors that an amphibious assault would not take place during January or February. Thus, when the landing occurred the Germans were unprepared to react offensively. Within a week, however, as Allied troops consolidated their positions and prepared to break out of the beachhead, the Germans gathered troops to eliminate what Adolf Hitler called the Anzio abscess. The next four months would see some of the most savage fighting of World War II. On June 5, 1944, the Allied troops arrived in Rome to cheering crowds. Soldiers received wine and flowers. Shops closed for the day so the people could celebrate and the Pope made an appearance on the balcony of the Vatican. Allied troops entered Rome on June 4, 1944, and by the next day the occupation of the city was almost complete. The Romans acclaimed the victors with enthusiasm, and when it became known that the allied commanders were holding a conference on the capitol a procession assembled to greet them as they passed through the streets. AP Photo)AP Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The Prime Minister will vow to mobilise the full breadth of our new freedoms on Brexit night as his Bill paving the way for Britain to leave the EU was finally passed by Parliament yesterday. A leaked Downing Street memo, setting out how the Government will mark January 31, reveals Boris Johnson will use the occasion to call for national healing and unity. But he will also make clear that after the UKs exit it will maximise all the freedoms the British people voted to grasp, including on trade, immigration and fishing. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pictured at 10 Downing Street during People's PMQs today The script, obtained by the Daily Mail, has been prepared as a basis for remarks to be given by Mr Johnson and ministers on the historic day. The PM will hold a Cabinet meeting in the North, before returning to No 10 to make a televised address to the nation in the evening. Britain will leave the EU at 11pm after Mr Johnsons Brexit bill cleared its final Parliamentary hurdle yesterday when it was approved by the House of Lords. Now all it awaits is Royal Assent and approval by the European Parliament next week. Queen Elizabeth II attends church at St Mary the Virgin church, Hillington in Sandringham on January 19, 2020 in King's Lynn, England. The Brexit bill has passed through Parliament and is now being sent for Royal Assent to allow Britain to leave the EU on the 31 January According to the leaked narrative plan for Brexit day, which has been circulated to ministers, the PM and his Government will herald the start of a new chapter in the history of our country, in which we come together and move forward united, unleashing the enormous potential of the British people. It reveals how ministers will tell the country to come together after three years of division, adding: We will mobilise the full breadth of our new freedoms from encouraging technology and innovation, to signing new free trade deals around the world. As we maximise all the freedoms the British people voted to grasp, we must also work to heal divisions ... and reunite our communities. Thousands of residents on Greek islands hosting large migrant camps on Wednesday kicked off a day of protests, demanding the immediate removal of asylum-seekers. The islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios staged a general strike, shutting down shops and public services and rallying in central squares, many protesters waving Greek flags. "We want our islands back, we want our lives back," was the main slogan. Asylum-seekers "should be shared out across Greece," 72-year-old Lesbos pensioner Efstratios Peppas told AFP. "And Europe must assume its responsibilities. It too must take migrants," he said. The largest camp of Moria on Lesbos island, with a capacity for 2,840 people, hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. "You can't walk alone outside after dark, people get stabbed," Peppas said. The overcrowding is equally severe on other islands, and rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised the living conditions at the camps. The government announced plans in November to build larger camps on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, which currently host a total of nearly 42,000 migrants and refugees and where outbreaks of violence are frequent. Two young asylum-seekers have been fatally stabbed in brawls at the Moria camp this month. An 18-year-old Afghan girl was also seriously injured in a knife attack this week and remains in hospital. And three asylum-seekers in Greek custody have committed suicide in recent weeks. "We demand the immediate shutdown of Moria," read a banner carried in the Lesbos demonstration. But the new camp plans have been strongly opposed by local officials, who want smaller facilities after hosting thousands of asylum seekers for the past five years. Greece last year again became the main entry into Europe for migrants and refugees, many fleeing war or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Syria. The UN refugee agency in 2019 recorded more than 59,000 arrivals by sea and more than 14,000 via the land border with Turkey. Already more than 3,000 have arrived so far this year. Only a fraction are allowed passage to the Greek mainland while the rest spend months in the camps, waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. On Tuesday, 17 human rights organisations warned of a rising "climate of discrimination and xenophobia" towards asylum-seekers, who also faced "serious consequences to their well-being and public health". Rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised living conditions at the camps A big national Greek flag was hung on the facade of the municipal theater of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, with a banner reading "We want our islands back, we want our lives back". Imagine this: Youre five years old and you've just been given your favorite treat. Maybe it's a marshmallow or maybe its a lollipop. Whatever it is, you want to devour it instantly but are told that if you wait a certain amount of time and dont eat it until that certain amount of time is up, youll get another treat of the same variety, thereby increasing your tally to two treats. What would you do? What would you say a five-year-old would do? A new study published in the Journal of Psychological Science looked at five and six-year-old children's willingness to delay gratification for cooperative as opposed to individualistic goals and whether this differed in children from two highly diverse cultures from Germany and Kenya. We tested two conflicting hypotheses, study author Rebecca Koomen told us. On the one hand, we reasoned that cooperative contexts in which individuals mutually rely on one another and jointly benefit from their pursuits might elicit cooperative motivations and facilitate children's willingness to invest effort/delay gratification. We called this the interdependence hypothesis. On the other hand, fellow study author Sebastian Grueneisen told us, relying on others often bears risks and, in the current setup, actually decreased the likelihood of benefiting from one's own investment. If children are mainly preoccupied with maximizing the material returns of their investment by weighing the cost of waiting against the benefit of receiving a second treat, we would expect them to be less willing to delay gratification if they rely on a partner. We called this the rational choice hypothesis (note that this rational choice hypothesis is only concerned with material benefits, not with social ones). What sparked this research explained the authors, was the realization that, in order to cooperate with others, we often have to delay gratification by investing effort into joint long-term goals while resisting short-term temptations. For example, for a successful potluck dinner, we have to resist eating the desert we just made while trusting our friends to equally have their urges under control, so that we can all meet later and eat the fruits of our labour together. Similarly, we might have to contribute to a joint work report while resisting the temptation to watch videos on the Internet instead. We noticed that, Koomen told us, while being one of the most widely researched topics in developmental psychology, childrens abilities to delay gratification have scarcely been studied in cooperative contexts. To test their theory, the researchers designed a cooperative version of the famous marshmallow test. In the standard marshmallow test, children are given a treat, typically a marshmallow and are told that they can either eat it right away or wait until an experimenter returns at a later date. If they manage to wait, they get a second treat. We compared children's behavior in this standard version of the marshmallow test with a cooperative version in which two children relied on one another to succeed, Grueneisen told us. Only if both of them waited did both get a second treat (children were placed into different rooms and could not communicate or see each other during the task). Moreover, the vast majority of developmental work has exclusively studied children from Western cultures which limits the extent to which findings can be generalized. The researchers therefore compared the behavior of German and Kenyan children. We found that children from both cultures were more likely to delay gratification in the new cooperative version than in the standard marshmallow test, Koomen told us. This was the case even though cooperation was risky and therefore less likely to result in a reward, showing that childrens behavior was unlikely to be driven by material goals alone. These findings support our interdependence hypothesis while refuting the rational choice hypothesis and indicate that, for young children, cooperative activities can be more motivating than individual ones, maybe because others relying on them elicits feelings of responsibility or a sense of obligation towards their social partners." The study also found that, overall, Kenyan children were a little better at delaying gratification than German children. Both Kooperman and Grueneisen were surprised with the results. What is striking about these findings is that children were more willing to delay gratification in the cooperative than in the individual version of the task even though cooperation was risky, Grueneisen told us. Children had to trust that their partner would delay gratification too and therefore, from a material perspective, waiting was less likely to result in a reward. We were also surprised by how similarly German and Kenyan children responded to the cooperative version of the task. The fact that we obtained these findings even though children could not see or communicate with each other attests to the strong motivational consequences that simply being in a cooperative context has for children from early on in development. The researchers believe that the findings indicate that, from early on in development, childrens motivation to invest effort can be elicited particularly by cooperative goals in which they mutually rely on one another with their peers. This is interesting for scientists from various disciplines studying the origins of human sociality but might also be relevant for practitioners. Rib fractures can be problematic because unlike a snapped limb, ribs usually cannot be set back in place to make the healing process fast and pain-free. Going by the current treatment approach, little to no intervention is made to fix fractured ribs, which consequently leads to prolonged discomfort and breathing difficulties for the patient. "Offer medicine for the pain and a ventilator if breathing is an issue," said Evert Eriksson, M.D., a trauma surgeon at the Medical University of South Carolina and co-author of the paper. "But otherwise, the bones will form a callus over time that allows it to function as it needs to." And while that idea has morphed over the last decade to make multiple-fracture repair more common, patients with less severe fractures often still go untreated despite the pain. This extended discomfort is what led Denver Medical Center surgeon Fredric Pieracci, M.D., along with several other trauma surgeons to conduct a study with members of the Chest Wall Injury Society. Twelve centres from across the United States came together to evaluate the success of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF), which involves installing a plate to line up the two ends of the fracture and hold them in place throughout the healing process. They theorized that by stabilizing partially displaced and fractured ribs, patients' pain and quality of life would improve. As recently published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, patients who underwent SSRF for three or more rib fractures with partial dislocation reported less pain on the numeric pain scale and a better quality of life after their stabilization surgery. "This research shows that patients who have partially displaced fractures, as well as some pulmonary compromise, also benefit from a procedure that is usually reserved for a more severely injured cohort," said Eriksson. Technological limitations have played a role in keeping surgeons from performing this procedure in the past. It wasn't until recently that surgeons acquired the right equipment to keep surgical incisions small and the risk of complications in the pleural space low. By pulling the muscles aside, instead of cutting through them, surgeons are able to access the chest wall and ribs less invasively. Even the material of the stabilization plates has improved, becoming less rigid and moving more naturally with the patient as the chest expands and contracts with each breath, according to Eriksson. While the level of narcotic use did not change significantly in patients who received SSRF, these patients consistently reported more comfort and less pain. The fractured ribs took just as long to completely heal, but the patients' experiences during this process were far superior. Patients also experienced fewer complications from their rib fractures. By opening the chest, addressing any additional injuries, guiding the bones back into position and removing any excess blood from the area, surgeons decreased the chances that study participants would have any additional bleeding or fluid accumulation in that space. Next, Eriksson wants to look at other bones that are not treated surgically. "I had a patient from this study come to me and say, 'My chest no longer hurts. You fixed that. But now it's my shoulder that's the problem.' By stabilizing the chest wall, physicians may improve outcomes from clavicle or scapula fractures as well. This new innovation presents an opportunity for surgeons to address a different population that is traditionally not considered for operational treatment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This Is Us A Hell of a Week: Part One Season 4 Episode 11 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * * Previous Next Photo: Ron Batzdorff/NBC In season two, This Is Us tried out a nifty little format experiment in which it presented a trilogy of episodes, with each focusing on one member of the Big Three. The results of this experiment were mixed: It offered up one of the best episodes of the series (Kevins) but also some truly meh stuff (Kates). One thing each of those episodes did, however, was provide a nice little showcase for the actor portraying that member of the Big Three. In season four, were starting a new trilogy, this time beginning with Randall, and that truth very much holds. I mean, I feel blasphemous even saying this because his performance in Memphis still makes me want to ugly cry while sliding down a wall, but, um, has Sterling K. Brown ever been better than he is in One Hell of a Week: Part One? He doesnt even bring along his Sterling K. Brown Single Tear, and yet here I am, moved. The trilogy in season two was framed by the Baby Big Three taking their first steps and the Teen Big Three coming together the night Kevin breaks his leg. Here, our stories are tied together by the Teen Big Three coming home for Rebeccas birthday and a look back at the Toddler Big Threes first night in big-kid beds. In the latter, Rebeccas down with a cold and its up to Jack to deal with any child who may be unable to sleep because hes scared or unable to cope with Big Three Separation Anxiety. I hate to say it because shaggy-haired, scruffy-beard Jack is my favorite Jack, but maybe this is a bad idea? First, he tells his 3-ish-year-old sons to sleep like kings. Now, I spent several minutes researching if that phrase was from something, but friends, I am here to tell you, I think that was just Jack being weird? Anyway, I wanted you to know how dedicated I am to solving all levels of This Is Us mysteries, and that is partially dedicated. Second, after little Randall tells Jack that he cant sleep because hes scared, Jack sleeps by his side for a bit but eventually has had enough. He tells little Randall, I am not making this up, that his brother and sister are high maintenance and because of that he really needs Randall not to be. I mean, I get needing to finish The Shining, but little does Jack know that this request sticks and from then on Randall will try to bury his own fears and be the brave one for the rest of his life. Is that really worth getting to see Jack Nicholson bust through a door yelling Heres Johnny? Im not a parent, but Im 78 percent sure the answer is probably not. We see another example of Randall having to bury his fears for the good of his family in the college timeline. Here, we learn that since Jacks death, Randalls been having some pretty awful dreams about feeling helpless (they involve a lot of screaming without the sound coming out and being unable to save family members). After a fire drill in his dorm, these dreams only get worse and more frequent and the kid is on edge all the time. Thankfully, he has Beth now. Beth, who can talk him down from an anxiety attack, who can reassure him that he is safe and everything is okay. The main takeaway here, though, is that even in college, Randall is vehemently against seeing a therapist for his anxiety, and that just when Beth has persuaded him to join her at a grief group session, he gets a call from Kevin: Kate is in trouble surely, something to do with Marc and he and Rebecca are on their way to get him. Once again, Randall packs up everything hes feeling and pushes it away because someone else in his family needs him to be strong. This! Kid! Cant! Win! Of course, what were really here for is our present-day Randall. The things he goes through in the titular hellish week would be enough to drive most people to a bathroom breakdown, let alone someone with crippling anxiety. In short: Randalls not doing well and literally not one person would blame him. We left Randall in the last episode coming home from a surely exhausting trip to Los Angeles in which he learned that Rebeccas health is deteriorating, only to find a home intruder with a knife standing in his kitchen. He gets rid of the intruder by tossing his money at him and lying about a home-security system, but it is intense. The next day, hes trying to make jokes to keep his wife and daughters calm, but Randall is clearly shaken up by the entire thing. He isnt sleeping, hes obsessed with the new security system he has put in, and hes distracted at work but refuses to postpone a town-hall meeting for that week. On top of the home invasion, when he calls Kevin for some comfort and distraction, he has to lie about why he was coming home from the airport the night it happened. He has a lot weighing on him you know, much like the last time he had a breakdown and Beth knows the signs. So on the day of the town-hall meeting, when Randall and Beth discover some jewelry missing from their dresser and Randall starts freaking out because this means the intruder was in their bedroom, Beth has to talk him off the ledge. And she makes him promise that theyll have a real discussion about how to manage everything hes dealing with at the moment. Beth knows Randall. These conditions right here are the perfect storm. Randall is (understandably) off his game at the town hall, and one surprising person takes notice: Darnell Hodges. After learning about the home invasion from Malik, this angel man comes by to see if Randalls talking to anyone and tells him how much therapy has helped in his own life. You guys, its just two handsome men sitting on a stoop talking about therapy. WHAT A TIME WE ARE HAVING. Once again, Randall makes it known that running is what works for him and he doesnt see any benefit to therapy. Thats just not what he does. I mean, we all know this story line is going to end with Randall in therapy, right? It is the only way. In the meantime, however, Randall goes on that run and, I kid you not, in broad daylight, in a seemingly crowded area, comes upon a woman being robbed in a parking lot. Has this man not suffered enough? Did we really need another intense moment to believe Randall would have a breakdown? No, but were watching This Is Us, the show where everyone suffers for all eternity. After Randall punches the guy out, breaks his hand, and is heralded as a hero in Philadelphia, he seems more out of it than before. Throughout the episode, Brown perfectly toes that line of reacting to the chaos around him while also trying to keep up a brave face. Hes trying to be the hero, the brave one. Even more impressive, you can subtly see how it gets harder and harder for him to keep up that facade. Have you guys heard about this guy Sterling K. Brown? He is very good at his job. Its the applause and praise in his office (and the awkward How does it feel to be a hero? question that dumb lady asks) that finally proves too much. He turns around, calmly walks out, gets home, locks himself in his bathroom, and then he breaks. The man can hardly breathe. Again, he calls Kevin. Im not okay, he tells him over and over. Kevin promises Randall that hell be the person to get him through this. Its very moving and lord knows I love me some Randall-Kevin time, but we need to remember that in a few months, these two wont even be talking to each other. Dang, does This Is Us like to kick us when were down. This Is the Rest We also get primed for next weeks Kevin-centric episode: The first time Randall calls him, hes in Pittsburgh for Sophies mothers funeral. The second time, we see him in bed with a woman who seems to be blonde. Is this Sophie? Madison? Cassidy? Give us them dirty deets, TIU. Randall using The Great British Baking Show as his comfort TV really spoke to me as a human. And you know this dude uses the phrase soggy bottom whenever he gets the chance. Randall Pearson 101. We dont have many clues as to what goes wrong with Teen Kate, but we do see her on a heated phone call with Marc in which shes asking him why hes mad and if she did something wrong. Anyway, just over here dreading this story line. Why are people out here watching The Shining alone? Zurich, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - SPAR, one of the world's largest supermarkets, partnered with Advertima to increase revenue from its existing in-store digital signage network. To achieve this goal, Advertima upgraded SPAR's traditional digital signs with its innovative smart targeting and audience analytics solution that delivers hyper-personalized advertising for physical stores. As a result, SPAR, along with brands such as Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Nestle, saw an average sales uplift of 10.5% in comparison with traditional digital signage. The Advertima AI-powered Smart Signage solution understands real-world demographics (gender and age), engagement (dwell and view time), context (family groups, young mothers, etc). It provides unrivaled consumer insight, even in the digital world. For the first time, brands can communicate with consumers individually and, in real-time, dramatically increase the effectiveness of advertising. Source: Advertima To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6878/51726_enhanced.jpg Advertima is spearheading the drive-by retailers to use AI and computer vision to unlock the last frontier of consumer data. By understanding audience demographics like gender, age and engagement, retailers can now target the right content to the right customer in real-time. Thanks to its unique 3D vision technology that delivers best-in-class consumer insights, Advertima provides levels of real-world campaign targeting and performance metrics that have never been seen before. Equipped with Advertima's data-driven technology, SPAR's digital signage network improved product discovery and drove impulse buying at the point of sale. "By achieving 2.7 times more customer engagement, Advertima Smart Signage increased our sales by 10.5% in comparison with traditional digital signage," commented Dr. Wolfgang Frick, Managing Director Purchasing & Marketing at SPAR Group Switzerland. Advertima is disrupting the legacy DOOH industry by enabling brands and media owners to understand precise audience demographics and display relevant content in real-time. This kind of 'hyper-targeting' is unique in the DOOH market and is set to revolutionize the industry. For the first time, retail marketers can use the same programmatic tools (e.g. Google/Facebook) for DOOH media as their digital counterparts and achieve results that traditional DOOH campaigns can only dream of. About Advertima Advertima AI is the sales and marketing optimization solution for the physical world. We deliver consumer analytics and engagement information that supercharge the marketing efforts of some of the world's greatest organizations. For more information, visit advertima.com/news/detail/spar-success-story and download the case study. Media Contact: Clelia Bucher / clelia.bucher@advertima.com Related Images spar-store-with-advertimas-ai.jpg SPAR Store With Advertima's AI-Powered Digital Signage The Advertima AI-powered Smart Signage solution understands real-world demographics (gender and age), engagement (dwell and view time), context (family groups, young mothers, etc). It provides unrivaled consumer insight, even in the digital world. For the first time, brands can communicate with consumers individually and, in real-time, dramatically increase the effectiveness of advertising. Related Links Advertima.com LinkedIn To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51726 Help India! Aas Mohammad Kaif, Twocircles.net After the protests against CAA on 20th December in UP, UP police are facing many accusations. The most serious one is the allegation that the police were accompanied by some civilians who inflicted violence on innocents. It is alleged that the police were helped by these secret men dressed in plain clothes who then also went on to vandalize public property, open fire and lathi-charge people. Support TwoCircles The Congress regional president, Ajay Kumar Lallu, called the entire episode as pre-planned by the police, while leaders of Samajwadi Party said that the men are accomplices of the police and goons of the right-wing. In this Twocircles.net investigation, we have tried to find out the role of these police friends and tried to explain the incidents. 19th December, Parivarthan Chowk, Lucknow: Social activist Sadaf Jafar was present in the protests on 19th December when she suddenly spotted some strangers and was shocked. These strangers were hurling stones and began spreading violence in a professional manner. Sadaf Jafar, in her live video, claimed that these people were not among the protestors and the police were not even stopping them. Sadaf explained that these people were planted. Sadaf was arrested after her video, tortured, and at present, she has been released on bail. 20th December, Nahataur Main Market After the Friday namaz in Nahtaur many people came out to protest and they were sloganeering against the CAA. There was no violence for quite some time. In Nahtaur main market, after the people saw the RSS leader, Pramod Tyagi with police, the protestors asked the police what the RSS man was doing in the protest. According to the protestors, Pramod Tyagi was directing the police, after which someone in the crowd began throwing stones and the situation worsened. The police began firing in which 2 youth, Sulemain and Anas were killed. The police later on questioning said that Pramod Tyagi was present there as a friend of the police and he was trying to help the police in maintaining peace. 20th December, 2 pm, Civil Lined Bijnor: In many places, there was no plan to protest on Fridays. In the Jama Masjid of Bijnor black flags were placed and there was a peaceful protest. And there were no untoward incidents. But all of a sudden there was a rumor being floated that there was stone-pelting near the collectorate mosque. Some youth ran to the mosque and were attacked by the goons and the police who were already waiting for them there. Here, they were brutally beaten up due to which they were hospitalized. According to folks beaten up, attackers were all people from Hindutva groups and the police remained silent and took no action against them. 20th December, Mahaveer Chowk, Muzaffarnagar: After the Friday prayers thousands took to streets to protest against the Government. When the crowd reached Mahavir Chowk it is alleged that the Central Minister asked the police to chase away the crowd. The police lathi charged the crowd and they were accompanied by some secret elements. According to Salman Sayed, Congress leader, these secret accomplices of the police were members of Hindutva groups who committed atrocities against the people. These gangs burnt the workshop and even tried to burn alive a horse belonging to the protestors. The police did not say anything and did not register even a formal FIR against them. According to Shri Mohan Tayal, a BJP leader, these people were their party people and were helping the police. All the police from other places admitted that these secret people but were friends of the police. Who are these friends of police? O. P. Singh, DGP said that he brought the police friend to encourage the concept of community policing. Last year in June, IG Law and Order, Praveen Kumar had said that to improve community policing, to strengthen the police and maintain law and order, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has introduced this scheme. And that this is a type of volunteer service and no one will be harmed in this process. But everyone has been issued identity cards but they are not being paid. Although the police friends are present in large numbers. Every policeman has been given the target of enrolling 10 police friends. And within 72 hours the police recruited 15,000 such police friends. The Inspector-General of law and order Praveen Kumar said that there is need for these police friends during the times of festivals and also to give feedback to the police. And these people will be under the police. Now SSP Kanpur Ananth Tiwari has recruited thousands of such people in categories of S-10, S-8, S-7. Hindutva goons become police friends under the new government This scheme to improve the law and order and help the police have been in practice earlier also and was known by the name of SPO. The state government has given them the name police friends. Under the new system, the SPO has been abolished due to the many allegations that were filed against them. After the formation of the new government, the role of the secret police has reduced so they began frequent visits to the police stations to bring them to the forefront. In Muzaffarnagar, there were Muslims also who joined these secret police friends and they did their duty well, making arrangements for the Kanvadiya Yatra. Side effects of the police friends Ex-minister Deepak Kumar says, A large number of members of the Hindutva gang have become police friends and there is a drastic change in the behavior of this police friends. Their vehicles have the words POLICE written over them and some even claim to be associated with the crime branch and do as they like. They are all associated with a specific political ideology and will never change their outlook. They throw their weight around everywhere they go. The police need to understand that they should choose sensible people for this work. What do the police friends say? In Mawana there are honorary policemen friend who are also members of the BJP. Gaurav, one such police friend, says that he always wanted to join the police force. But since he could not, he opted to become police friend. He says, I keep an eye on any suspicious and wrong things that happen around me and inform about it to the police. I am now a good friend of the police. Sometimes the police take our help when they are short of policemen. Devender of Muzaffarnagar says that he assists the police of the check post and now has a good reputation in his locality. What are the police officers saying According to the DIG of Saharanpur, Upendra Agarwal, the claim that police friends were involved is not true. If it is so then people can file their complaints and he will enquire into the matter. Ananth Tiwari, SSP of Police of Kanpur said that police friends have been recruited to help during festivals, large gatherings, and such other functions. They have no role in any riots. If this is true we will find out more. WATERLOO An embattled runway at the Waterloo Regional Airport has temporarily survived a plan to close it for good. City Council members voted 4-3 Tuesday to postpone until Feb. 10 a resolution to decommission and shut down runway 6-24, the shortest of the airports three takeoff and landing strips. The move came after a number of local general aviation pilots voiced support for the city keeping the runway and two members of the airport board threatened to resign unless they were given an opportunity to weigh in on the matter first. Council members Margaret Klein, Jerome Amos Jr. and Jonathan Grieder voted against delaying the vote, supporting a recommendation by Airport Director Keith Kaspari to decommission the runway. Council members Ray Feuss, Sharon Juon, Dave Boesen and Pat Morrissey voted to postpone the vote. Kaspari noted Waterloo has the only airport in Iowa with three paved runways. Runway 6-24 is little used, not necessary for most air traffic operations, and is severely deteriorated and not eligible for federal resurfacing dollars, he said. But several local pilots said the runway is important for small- and medium-sized companies who use smaller aircraft to shuttle workers to other locations. They said it is also a safe alternative when high winds and other issues make it harder to access the two primary runways. To have three runways is a great advantage to a city, said David Johnson, a pilot and flight instructor. No one ever has to land with more than a 30 degree crosswind the way its set up, Johnson said. If you close one runway, sometimes youll be landing with a 60 degree crosswind, which to some pilots isnt much, but to a student pilot out there for his first flight to come in and try to land is all but impossible. Airport Board Chairman Hugh Field and Vice Chair Scott Voigt both said their board should have a chance to make a recommendation on the runway. We have never made any decision to decommission or close it, Field said. We have made the decision to limp with it. The general aviation community, quite frankly, feels very strongly about having this runway open, he said. They represent 90-plus percent of the traffic we have at the Waterloo airport. Voigt added the city would be losing an asset it could never replace if it closes the runway, suggesting any money earmarked to close it would be better used fixing it up. He and Field both said they may not be willing to continue serving on the board if the council votes on its own to close the runway. Im not going to be part of a kangaroo commission that just rubber-stamps everything, Voigt said. Klein and Feuss are the council liaisons to the airport board and asked for the matter to be brought for a council vote after noticing the issue was not getting resolved. They suggested the airport had more pressing needs for its available funds. I just would like to see everybody move forward, and the only way to do that is make the kindest cut and say we are not going to entertain any more Band-Aids all over this thing, Klein said. We are going to devote our resources, limited as they are, to the two healthier ... runways. The airport board is expected to meet again before the Feb. 10 council meeting. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Most human coronaviruses, such as the common cold, typically cause mild-to-moderate illness, but some are capable of causing severe disease A new coronavirus has emerged from Wuhan, China, with more than 300 cases and at least six deaths linked to the respiratory illness believed to have emerged from animals, but with the ability to transmit person-to-person. The virus has spread beyond Chinas borders, raising concerns of a global pandemic. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses common in animals, including camels and bats. Most human coronaviruses, such as the common cold, typically cause mild-to-moderate illness, but some are capable of causing severe disease. The following are coronaviruses that have caused severe major human outbreaks in the past 20 years: SARS-CoV - Cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, first emerged in 2002 in China. The highly infectious virus quickly spread to 37 countries globally. Before it was contained in 2003, the virus had infected 8,098 people and killed 774. SARS symptoms included fever, chills, and body aches and usually progressed to pneumonia. No cases of SARS have been reported since 2004, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MERS-CoV - The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus first emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has caused severe illness in people in more than 26 countries. The virus is thought to have emerged from camels, but it acquired the ability to be transmitted from human to human. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, often leading to pneumonia. About 35% of people infected with MERS died, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Only two U.S. patients ever tested positive for MERS-CoV - infected healthcare workers in 2014 who had traveled to the United States from Saudi Arabia. 2019-CoV - The novel coronavirus that has already infected more than 300 people in China, has been confirmed to be transmitted by people. Common symptoms include fever, cough and breathing difficulties. The virus has so far spread to Thailand, Japan and South Korea. Some countries including Australia and the United States have begun screening passengers at airports who have traveled from China, particularly Wuhan. WHO officials are meeting this week to consider whether this virus should be deemed a global health emergency. Search Keywords: Short link: Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard filed a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, claiming the 2016 nominee defamed her when she called her a "Russian asset" during an October podcast interview. "Clinton lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard," the lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court in New York, read. "She did so publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent. Tulsi has been harmed by Clintons lies and American democracy has suffered as well." GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE In October, Clinton said that an unnamed Democratic presidential candidate was "the favorite of the Russians." "I'm not making any predictions, but I think they've got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said, speaking on a podcast with David Plouffe, a former adviser to President Obama. TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON CLINTON-SANDERS FEUD: 'NOBODY LIKES HER. THAT'S WHY SHE LOST' Although she never named Gabbard, a four-term congresswoman from Hawaii, there were just five women running for president at the time: Gabbard, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Marianna Williamson. When a CNN reporter asked Clinton's spokesperson, Nick Merril, whether Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard, was the candidate she was referring to, he said: "If the nesting doll fits." Clinton's remarks at the time ignited a political firestorm, evoking responses in defense of Gabbard from both President Trump and fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS Gabbard's suit suggests that Clinton targeted with a false accusation for "retribution" over her endorsement of Sanders, Clinton's rival in the Democratic primary, in 2016. (Sanders eventually endorsed Clinton for president in July 2016). Story continues "Tulsi was told that the Clinton team would never forget this," the suit says. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Related Articles A Hoover City Schools bus driver was arrested on the job Wednesday on child pornography charges. Earl Frasier, 60, was taken into custody on warrants obtained by Moody police. Chief Thomas Hunt said the investigation into Frasier began more than a week ago when they received a tip that Frasier was in possession of pornographic images of children. One of Moodys investigators is on the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys Internet Crimes against Children task force. The investigation turned up more than 10 images on Frasiers home computer, the chief said. He did not elaborate on those images. Hoover City Schools released the following statement: We have been made aware that a bus driver who has driven for us since October 2018 has been arrested for alleged possession of child pornography. School district authorities are in close communication with law enforcement officials as the investigation continues. The Hoover Board of Education will act on this matter immediately, decisively and within compliance of the law. Frasier was terminated Thursday morning during a called school board meeting. Frasier was booked into the St. Clair County jail at 1:14 p.m. Wednesday. Hes a child predator, Hunt said, and we want to make sure we get child predators off the streets. WESTPORT With a little less than three months before a final decision is made, all signs currently point to Coleytown Middle School reopening by August. CMS will be open for the start of the school year, according to all of our timelines, said CMS Building Committee Chairman Don ODay at a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday. SIGN UP here to get daily Westport News and alerts on breaking news Last summer, the Representative Town Meeting approved the $32 million plan to restore Coleytown after the middle school closed in 2018 due to mold problems. The school district is seeking up to $6 million in reimbursement funds through a state grant. Coleytown students are now in their second year of being relocated to Bedford Middle School for classes. While Coleytown is scheduled to reopen this summer, ODay said exterior work is expected to continue into November. All efforts will be made to minimize noise associated with putting panels up while school is in session, and certainly a safe environment will be maintained, he said. ... Were going to do everything we can to make sure there is no disruption whatsoever. Materials will be secured, and project manager Susan Chipoura said the goal is to get much of the noisier work done before school starts. Workers will also be given identification for security purposes. One of the conditions we put in was that background checks had to be done for all of the workers, Chipouras said. Some of the buildings improvements include replacing the entire HVAC system, roof and exterior skin of the building, as well as upgrading the library and science rooms. All of the windows will also be replaced and exterior grounds will be regraded to improve drainage. The Coleytown Middle School project will come in on budget, ODay said, adding there was no reduction from the projects original scope. The Building Committee has marked April 15 as the date to officially announce whether the school is ready to be reopened. While ODay remained confident in the timeline, he admitted unpredictable elements such as bad weather could play a role in the projects completion. For the most part, great weather from now until school starts isnt going to help us tremendously, ODay said. Bad weather is going to hurt us more than good weather helps. BOE members largely praised the committee for its work, with some encouraging continued updates. Interim Schools Superintendent David Abbey said the administration was planning for a variety of scenarios, including if the middle schools have to be combined for another year. We will figure out a way, if we have to, to make it work, Abbey said. Im confident about that. While ODay said he doubted any emergencies would occur, he reassured the board he would continue to provide updates. Its going to be a whole team effort of meeting regularly to discuss progress and where we are until the first kids are coming into school, he said. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 4C, ( www.4Cinsights.com ), a global data science and marketing technology company, today announced that it was named a 2020 Gartner Peer Insights Customers Cho ice for Ad Tech . Gartner defines ad tech as the technology for managing advertisements across channels, including search, display, video, mobile and social, with functions for targeting, campaign design, bid-management, analysis, optimization and automation of digital advertising. The company believes this latest customer recognition reflects 4Cs commitment to providing exceptional product value, customer service and client satisfaction across all areas of business. For us, being named a Customers Choice for Ad Tech by Gartner Peer Insights is a huge honor, and we feel it is a testament to our company-wide commitment to providing our clients with innovative technology and an outstanding support team, said Lance Neuhauser, CEO of 4C. Hearing honest feedback from clients is critical to how we manage the business it helps us establish the product roadmap and allocate resources where necessary to ensure successful business outcomes for marketers. From the companys perspective, an obsession with client excellence is evident in the nearly 100 reviews for Scope by 4C on Gartner Peer Insights . From onboarding to service to support, 4C understands that the people behind the product are as integral to a companys success as the technology itself. The core values driving the company contributed to 4C being named one of Ad Ages Best Places to Work 2020 . 4C was recently recognized as a Representative Vendor in the October 2019 Gartner Market Guide for Integrated Media Planning Tools .* 4C was also named a Leader in The Forrester New Wave: Cross-Channel Video Advertising Platforms, Q3 2019 and is the best fit for companies that need pure self-service tools according to the report. 4C is ranked # 1 by the G2 community for Enterprise Cross-Channel Advertising Software in customer satisfaction. Based on the latest TechValidate Customer Research , all 4C customers reported increases in cross-channel video advertising efficiency with half of them gaining 25-100% improvements. Disclaimer: Gartner Peer Insights Customers Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates. *Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartners research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Peer Insights: Peer Insights is an online platform of ratings and reviews of IT software and services that are written and read by IT professionals and technology decision-makers. The goal is to help IT leaders make more insightful purchase decisions and help technology providers improve their products by receiving objective, unbiased feedback from their customers. Gartner Peer Insights includes more than 215,000 verified reviews in more than 340 markets. For more information, please visit www.gartner.com/reviews/home . About 4C 4C is building the leading self-service intelligence platform for marketers to drive business outcomes across closed ecosystems. Brands, agencies, and media owners around the world trust Scope by 4C to surface insights about their most valuable consumers and creatives and activate them across channels and devices. With over $2 billion in annualized advertising spend running through Scope, 4C bridges linear television, streaming video, digital commerce, and social media. Founded in 2011 and based in Chicago, 4C has staff in the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Visit www.4Cinsights.com for more information. Media Contact: Ben Billingsley for 4C Broadsheet Communications Ben@broadsheetcomms.com By Denise Paglinawan TORONTO (Reuters) - A tour guide died and five French tourists were missing after a group of snowmobilers plunged through the ice into the water near Quebec's Lac-Saint-Jean Tuesday night, police said. Eight French snowmobilers, along with their guide, were hiking near St-Henri-de-Taillon when the accident happened, police said on Twitter on Wednesday. Three tourists were being treated for shock in a hospital in Alma, media reported. Their guide, a man in his forties, was recovered from the water by firefighters and taken to a hospital, but died Wednesday morning. Five tourists were missing. The Lac-Saint-Jean region is popular with tourists during the winter. According to the Montreal Gazette, 20 people were killed in snowmobile accidents between 2010 and 2019 while visiting Quebec, including six tourists from France. Most of the victims died after losing control of their snowmobiles on marked trails, the paper said. Police said a search was under way for the five tourists. (Reporting by Denise Paglinawan; editing by Nick Macfie) DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Automaker Profile - Rivian and its Impact on the Automotive Industry, Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This OEM profile aims to understand and analyze Rivian's corporate strategy, as it targets a unique niche segment of the automotive market: electric sports/adventure vehicles. This study also analyzes its skateboard platform technology and its importance in future business models for Rivian. It also highlights investments from various companies such as Amazon, Ford, and Cox Automotive and its implications to them. The reader will benefit from a thorough analysis of Rivian's product, technology, and growth strategies and how Rivian will impact the automotive industry globally. Key Issues Addressed What is Rivian's plan for electric pickups and electric SUVs? What are the future vehicles expected from Rivian? What is Rivian's strategy for CASE technologies? What are Rivian's manufacturing and sales strategies? What are the USPs for Rivian's vehicles and how will the company leverage them for better sales? How will investors benefit from funding Rivian and how will the company profit from investments? What is the skateboard platform and how will Rivian use it for growth? Automotive market participants have realized that the future of the automotive industry lies in the direction of electric vehicles, and hence are investing heavily in developing their own electric vehicles. After the disruption initiated by Tesla, many startup companies are developing electric vehicles and challenging mainstreams original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in various vehicle segments. Logistics and transportation companies are also moving their focus on adding energy-saving means to last-mile transportation options. Rivian is one of the EV startups with unique vehicle design, proprietary skateboard vehicle platform, battery technology and financial funding from big companies such as Amazon and Ford. The company gained a lot of attention from automotive companies when it showcased its electric pickup truck (R1T) and SUV (R1S) in the 2018 LA Auto Show. Rivian is both an automotive and technology company with a vision to change consumer perception of electric vehicles. Some of the unique features of Rivian's vehicles are design, real off-road capabilities, 400+ miles range, and 0-60 mph acceleration in just 3 seconds. As of 2019, Rivian had secured nearly $2 billion in investment from global companies including Amazon, Ford, and Cox Automotive that reinsures the potential of Rivian's technology to produce and retail a viable EV. Rivian targets a highly differentiated vehicle segment, pure electric pickup and SUVs, which are potential, new markets for mainstream OEMs as well as startups and the reason behind all the attention from automotive and non-automotive companies. The company will start delivering its first products i.e., electric pickup trucks and full-size SUVs in the last quarter of 2020. It has already secured 10,000 pre-orders. Additionally, Amazon has ordered 100,000 custom-designed electric delivery-vans from Rivian; this has ensured a cashflow for Rivian to continue its business. Rivian also has plans for its skateboard platform and battery technology. Its retail future plans include offering vehicle subscription services and other business models. All these make Rivian a potential company that can change the idea of sustainable transportation. Rivian's importance in the automotive industry lies in its technology, product design, investor portfolio, and future business models. Companies Mentioned Amazon Ford Cox Automotive Tesla Rivian Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary Executive Summary - Key Highlights Executive Summary - Rivian's Brand Vision, 2019-2025 Executive Summary - Rivian Products and Key Features Executive Summary - Rivian's 2019 Status and 2025 US Strategy Executive Summary - Rivian's Key Partners and Investors Executive Summary - Rivian's Current and Future Outlook 2. Research Scope, Objective, Background and Methodology Research Scope Research Aims and Objectives Key Questions this Study will Answer Research Methodology Research Background 3. Rivian - Company Overview Rivian's Corporate Overview Rivian's 2025 CASE Mobility Proposition Rivian's Partner Ecosystem Competitor Mapping for Rivian 4. Rivian's Product and Production Strategy Rivian's Manufacturing and R&D Footprint Rivian's R1T Pickup and R1S SUV Specifications Rivian's R1T Pickup and R1S SUV Models Comparison Rivian's Future Product Plan Rivian's Sales Estimation and Global Expansion 5. Rivian's Technology Strategy Rivian's Proprietary Skateboard Platform Rivian's Battery Technology Rivian's Vehicle Charging Rivian's Patent Analysis 6. Rivian's Sales Strategy and Targeted Unique Selling Propositions Rivian Sales and Channel Strategy - In-store Digitization and Channel Strategy - In-store Digitization Rivian's Unique Selling Propositions Rivian's Retail Strategy Rivian's Possible New Business Models SWOT Analysis 7. Investor Outlook Implications of Amazon - Rivian Deal Implications of Ford and Cox Automotive Agreement 8. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action Growth Opportunities for Rivian Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth 9. Key Conclusions For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/eqdmik Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Katerina Sakellaropoulou will be Greeces first female president (Dimitris Kapadais/AP) High court judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been elected as Greeces first female president with an overwhelming majority in a parliamentary vote. Politicians on Wednesday voted 261-33 to give the 63-year-old Ms Sakellaropoulou a five-year term in the largely ceremonial post. Expand Close Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, front, applaud with other members of the government during a parliamentary session to vote for the new Greek president (Petros Giannakouris/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, front, applaud with other members of the government during a parliamentary session to vote for the new Greek president (Petros Giannakouris/AP) Greece has a historically low level of women in senior positions in politics. In the current Greek cabinet, all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's refusal to stay the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). In a media statement issued on Wednesday, JIH Vice President Muhammad Salim Engineer said: "We expected the Supreme Court to come forward and help the people of India by staying the CAA because it is the responsibility of the apex court to fix the error committed by the Parliament. Supreme Court's refusal today to stay the implementation of CAA has disappointed us." "We feel that the last month was enough time for the centre to respond to all petitions and the SC should have given its final verdict today. The Hon'ble Court could have taken response from it (the government) in that period and today full and final decision should have been given by the top court. This delay has been disappointing and this has delayed the justice for the people of India. We hope the Supreme Court would soon take action on it." The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any order to restrain the operation of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) or National Population Register (NPR) as it gave four weeks time to the Centre to file a counter-affidavit. A bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, also indicated the probability of constituting a Constitution Bench to take up the matter on the next date of hearing. Pipeline 22 January 2020 The ninth 21c Museum Hotel - MGallery Hotel Collectionwill open on February 4 in downtown Chicago. Building on the mission of 21c founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilsonto bring contemporary art to the public through innovative exhibitions and programming that integrates art into daily lifethe 297-room boutique hotel combined with a multi-venue art museum, located at 55 East Ontario Street, will bring a jolt of contemporary culture to Chicago's River North neighborhood. "We are thrilled to see the doors of this hotel open in such an established arts community as Chicago," says Craig Greenberg, President & CEO of 21c Museum Hotels. "The hotel is ideally located just blocks from renowned arts institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Design Museum of Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, and is anticipated to serve as a connector between locals, visitors and the city's vibrant art community, while also bringing the 21c experience to new audiences." Guest Rooms Guest rooms are bright and airy, with a soothing color palette inspired by the sky and nearby Lake Michigan, creating a welcoming sanctuary from the busy city and energetic exhibition spaces below. Beds are accented by leather and velvet covered headboards, which extend across the full height of the wall, and rooms feature original artwork, Malin + Goetz bath amenities and luxurious bedding. Of the 297 spacious rooms, 106 of which are suites, the two signature 21c Suites feature sweeping views of downtown Chicago, an open concept floorplan with a sectional couch, dining table for six, bathroom with large soaking tub and an abundance of natural light. The property will also feature a full-service spa, 24-hour fitness center, business center and valet parking. Meetings & Events The property's 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space can accommodate a wide variety of events from board retreats and intimate cocktail parties to reception-style weddings and events for up to 300. Unique to 21c, the meeting and event space will be curated with contemporary art and open to the public as museum space when not reserved. Art at 21c As North America's only multi-venue museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting the art of the 21st century, 21c Chicago's more than 10,000 square feet of exhibition space will feature rotating solo and group exhibitions, site-specific installations and a full roster of cultural programming curated by Museum Director and Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites. 21c Chicago will present a new, never-before-seen exhibition, This We Believe, which explores the power and evolution of belief systemsreligious, political, economicand how allegiance to ideology has influenced our current global culture of divisiveness and polarization. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and free of charge to the public, 21c Chicago will offer complimentary docent-led tours of current exhibitions and other cultural programming, creating a dynamic destination for locals and visitors alike. Architecture & Design The design team, led by New York-based Design Architect Deborah Berke Partners and GREC Architects of Chicago, sought to create both a destination for contemporary culture and a serene refuge for guests. Capitalizing fully on the building's open, natural light-filled spaces, visitors enter the hotel into a new double-height lobby, featuring a signature staircase leading to exhibition and event spaces above. Contemporary art is integrated throughout the public areas, in keeping with 21c's perspective that culture and hospitality enhance each other, while floor-to-ceiling windows offer passersby a view into the art experience inside the hotel. Originally the Croydon Hotel, a gathering spot for vaudeville actors and other colorful characters, and later The James Hotel, Deborah Berke Partners spent several months reimagining the hotel as a 21c property. This is Berke's ninth project with 21c since designing the brand's first property, which opened in Louisville in 2006. Rooms are now available for reservation with rates starting at $219 per night. A special introductory rate of up to 30% off stays through September 1 is available online only at 21cMuseumHotels.com/Chicago when using the booking code CHIPRE. Guests can earn and redeem reward points for their stays at 21c Chicago through the ALL, Accor Live Limitless lifestyle loyalty program. For more information, or to make a reservation, please call 888.345.9009 or visit https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/chicago/. For updates, follow 21c Chicago on Instagram @21cChicago. Record numbers of dementia sufferers are being 'dumped in hospital' because of the collapsing social care system. The number of emergency hospital admissions for those with the condition has reached 379,004 a year, or more than 1,000 a day. The annual number has soared by 100,000 in just five years, an astonishing rise of 35 per cent. Of those admitted to hospital, more than 40,000 ended up stranded there for more than a month, NHS data showed. Sam Evans, 45, of Portsmouth, said her mother Dotty Harman, 91, spent four months trapped in hospital because there was no social care place for her Last night, the Alzheimer's Society said elderly dementia sufferers were 'falling through the cracks' of the system. They are often admitted for falls, dehydration or infections that could have been avoided if they received adequate social care. Many patients then become stuck in hospital despite being medically fit to leave, because there is no place for them in a care home. The emergency admissions, combined with the cost of keeping dementia patients in hospital, cost the NHS 445million a year. The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to the dementia care crisis which forces thousands of people to sell their homes to fund crippling care costs. The number of emergency hospital admissions for those with the condition has reached 379,004 a year, or more than 1,000 a day Sally Copley, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'Families across Britain have been privately struggling to care for their loved ones with dementia, left to pick up the pieces of a social care system that's coming apart at the seams. This can't go on any longer. The Government must live up to its promise to fix dementia care.' The figures from NHS Digital, analysed by the Alzheimer's Society, lay bare the 'intolerable' strain of the crisis on the NHS and families. In 2017-2018, the latest year for which figures are available, about half of the 650,000 people in England with dementia went through an emergency hospital admission. Alzheimer's Society chief Jeremy Hughes said the figures show 'the stark reality of how many people with dementia are left to fall through the cracks in our broken social care system'. Of those admitted to hospital, more than 40,000 ended up stranded there for more than a month, NHS data showed He added: 'People with dementia are all too often being dumped in hospital and left there for long stays. Many are only admitted because there's no social care support to keep them safe at home.' In his first speech as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson promised to 'fix the social care crisis once and for all'. But he has failed to outline any clear plans. Sam Evans, 45, of Portsmouth, said her mother Dotty Harman, 91, spent four months trapped in hospital because there was no social care place for her. Mrs Evans, 45, said: 'The ward was full of people with dementia who needed to be in a home where they could live properly, it was heartbreaking. My mum became really distressed and unhappy she didn't understand where she was or why she was there.' The Department of Health and Social Care said: 'We have given councils an extra 1.5billion next year for children and adults' social care and are determined to find a long-term solution so that every person is treated with dignity and offered the security they deserve.' Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 21, 2020 | BENTON, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 21, 2020 | 10:39 AM | BENTON, KY The Alzheimers Association will host a monthly support group in Benton for family members and caregivers of individuals with Alzheimers or another dementia related disease. The group will meet on the first Wednesday of each month, at the Marshall County Public Library in Benton. According to a press release, the setting is a small discussion group with an emphasis on sharing feelings, thoughts, experiences and education. The meetings typically last an hour. Teresa Thompson, Community Educator for the Murray-Calloway County Hospital Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit and volunteer for the Alzheimers Association facilitates the support group along with volunteer co-facilitator, Michelle Goodwin, RN of Calvert City Convalescent Center. The support groups next meeting is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, February 5 at 10 a.m., at the Marshall County Public Library, located on Poplar Street in Benton Kentucky. The support group is a free resource and anyone in the area who provides care for someone with dementia are invited to attend. For additional information, call 270-762-1224. There are calls for the next Government to agree to UN commitments on overseas aid. Countries are expected to contribute almost a percent of net profits to help the developing world - however Ireland has been well below that mark. Eamon Murphy, head of policy with Social Justice Ireland, says the country has come close to the target in the past. "A firm commitment made to increasing the budget to 0.7% of national income as was agreed almost two decades ago," said Mr Murphy. "Ireland has come very close in the past to reaching that target. The peak was in 2008. "Then over the course of the financial crisis, unsurprisingly, we fell back quite a bit. "There has been some recovery in the last few years but we're still well off that target at about 0.4%." Mr Murphy said that Ireland's economic recovery should be seen as a reason for increasing overseas aid. "We should remember that even though Ireland is facing a number of crises at the moment, other countries and other people in other parts of the world face much greater challenges than we do. "Particularly in relation to the developing of the sustainable development goals and in relation to our climate change obligations, we have a moral obligation to make sure that these countries can develop in the same way that we did." Pilots flying over Australia's east coast made a mayday call before the plane vanished from radar - sparking a desperate land and air search. Two people were on board the light plane which was travelling from Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast to Morton Island off the Queensland coast on Wednesday. Authorities received a distress signal just after 4.30pm AEST. A major search operation is underway after a light plane disappeared off Australia's East Coast with two people on board (stock image) The search is being coordinated by the Australian Marine Safety Authority. Rescue crews are conducting a search and rescue mission to the north of Morton Island on Wednesday evening. Queensland water police, volunteer marine rescue and two rescue helicopters are searching the area. More to come. Saudi Arabia on Wednesday called on the United States to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a meeting with a visiting envoy. The US last month lifted fast-changing Sudan from a blacklist for religious freedom violations, but Khartoum awaits the bigger prize of removal from the terror list. The designation has severely impeded investment in the country, which is emerging from decades of military rule and conflict. Saudi media said the kingdom's state minister for African affairs, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Kattan, met in Riyadh with the US envoy to Sudan, Donald Booth, and "stressed to Washington the necessity of lifting Sudan from the terrorism list". According to state broadcaster Al-Ekhbaria, the minister emphasised "Saudi Arabia's support for Sudan's security and stability". Washington has included Khartoum on its list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1993 on charges of collaborating with Islamic extremist groups, notably Al-Qaeda. In 2017, the United States lifted trade sanctions imposed on Sudan a decade before but kept Khartoum on its terrorism blacklist alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria. Last October, Saudi Arabia's King Salman met with Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in Riyadh to discuss the lifting of the US measures. Sudan has sided with Riyadh against Shiite Iran and provided troops to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen's war against Tehran-backed Huthi rebels. Sudan's long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was pushed out by the military during months-long protests last year. After his downfall, Saudi Arabia and the UAE promised to inject $500 million into Sudan's central bank and $2.5 billion to help provide food, medicine and petroleum products. They did not specify if the money was a gift or a loan. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:00:11|Editor: ZD Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to table a motion proposed by the Democrats during an ongoing impeachment trial against President Donald Trump demanding documents from the White House related to the president's dealings with Ukraine. The motion, an amendment to the Republican-proposed resolution guiding the trial process, was brought up by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. It called for subpoenaing any "documents, communications and other records" kept by the White House. The amendment was rejected in a 53-47 party-line vote. An earlier four-page resolution proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not require additional witnesses to be subpoenaed and does not allow House prosecutors to admit evidence into the Senate trial record until after the opening arguments are heard. The Democrats are now introducing a second amendment requesting the subpoena of documents and records from the State Department. "The second amendment Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer will force a vote on during today's impeachment trial proceedings will be for the Senate to subpoena certain Department of State documents and records," Schumer's office said. McConnell in a floor speech earlier in the day vowed to block any early votes on witnesses. "If a senator moves to amend the resolution in order to subpoena specific witnesses or documents, I will move to table such motions because the Senate will decide those questions later in the trial," said the Kentucky Republican. BELGRADE -- The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has submitted a controversial bill to parliament that would reduce the electoral threshold for parties from 5 to 3 percent. The SNS says the proposal would allow a better representation of the citizens in parliament while only being detrimental to the governing party. However, European lawmakers and observers have warned that lowering the threshold -- only four months before Serbia holds parliamentary election and without consensus among all parties -- raises questions about the fairness of the electoral process. Defending the project on January 22, Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic, who is also an SNS leader, said the party "is the only one that will suffer because of the lower threshold." "But our decision was to allow the citizens to return to parliament," Mihajlovic said in a statement. The reform was initiated by President Aleksandar Vucic, who also leads the SNS. He told local media on January 12 that the change would "bring life back to parliament." Tanja Fajon and Vladimir Bilcik, the members of the European Parliament's delegation in an inter-party dialogue aimed at preventing an election boycott by the opposition, have said the matter was not discussed during the talks last autumn. Bilcik told RFE/RL that lowering the electoral threshold was legally possible, but warned that changes of election rules ahead of the vote would put into question the fairness of the electoral process. In an interview with the Belgrade daily Blic, Fajon said that introducing "radical changes" at this time would be a "very dangerous tactic." She said that if late changes were necessary, it should be an agreement among the participants in the elections. Rasa Nedeljkov of the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability, a nongovernmental organization that participated in the inter-party dialogue, said that "in theory, in legal terms, a lower electoral threshold benefits the smaller parties, not the big ones." But he said the timing for the proposed change indicated that the SNS did not really want to democratically improve the electoral and media environment ahead of the parliamentary vote but to improve its legitimacy. "The change of rules comes at a time when most of the opposition is boycotting the elections. There is no genuine intention to democratically improve the procedures, this is just a calculative gesture by the ruling coalition to satisfy its own interests," according to Nedeljkov. The SNS, without its coalition partners, holds 92 seats in the 250-member parliament. Most opposition lawmakers have been boycotting the legislature for about a year, saying their right to be heard had not been respected. A 3 percent threshold would not have changed the composition of the current parliament that was elected in 2016. All those parties that were denied a seat failed to win at least 3 percent of the vote. Beirut [Lebanon], Jan 22 (ANI): Lebanon which has been rocked by anti-government protests for the last several months, finally has a new government, the country's presidency announced on Tuesday (local time). Al Jazeera reported that the presidency announced the formation of the new government after Hezbollah and its allies clinched a deal on a cabinet that must tackle the country's worst economic crisis in decades. The new government headed by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, a 60-year old professor at the American University of Beirut, will consist of 20 ministers-technocrats. Diab said this government represents the aspirations of the demonstrators and stressed that "it will strive to meet their demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of embezzled funds, for the fight against illegal gains." The country has been hit by protests since October last year against the ruling political class. (ANI) Tonight sees the first of four televised debates before next months General Election as the two front runners to lead the post-Brexit Government face off. Controversially, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has been excluded from both tonights debate and the final debate before the country goes to the polls. Between those two debates, there are two bigger ones which will include Ms McDonald, Labour leader Brendan Holwin, as well as the Green Party and other smaller parties. Here's all you need to know as Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar prepare to face the nation for the first debate. When are these debates taking place? The Pat Kenny-hosted Virgin Media debate between Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar takes place tonight at 9.30pm. The Claire Byrne Live Leaders' Debate between the leaders from a number of political parties takes place on January 27 at 9.35 with a post-debate show The Spin Room. The seven political parties leaders joining Claire on stage for the major two hour live debate will be: Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Fein), Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael), Brendan Howlin (Labour), Micheal Martin (Fianna Fail), Richard Boyd Barrett (Solidarity / People Before Profit), Eamon Ryan (Green Party) and Roisin Shortall (Social Democrats). The second broadcast on Virgin Media will be a debate where the seven major parties will be represented which will be hosted by Ivan Yeats and Matt Cooper on January 30. On February 4, just days before the country goes to the polls, The Prime Time Leaders Debate will see Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin face off. Why was Mary Lou McDonald excluded Broadcasting regulations mean that media coverage of elections must be fair and unbiased. However, this doesnt necessarily mean every party or candidate gets equal time. Broadcasters can use the results of the previous General and Local Elections for guidance in determining how much coverage a party, or parties, get. In the 2016 General Election, Fine Gael got 25.5% of the first-preference vote, Fianna Fail 24.3% and Sinn Fein 13.8%. Last years Local Elections saw FG 26.9%, FF 25.3% and SF 9.5%. These results mean both RTE and Virgin Media can have Mr Martin and Mr Varadkar face off in a one-on-one debate as their parties were well ahead of third-place Sinn Fein in the last ballots. What about the opinion polls? The two opinion polls that have come out since the election was announced have seen Sinn Fein close the gap considerably. The Irish Times poll had Fianna Fail ahead on 25%, Fine Gael on 23% and Sinn Fein on 21%. When undecideds (20%) were included in the results, the gap between second and third tightens - FF 20%, FG 18% and SF 17%. However, neither RTE nor Virgin Media are obliged to use these polls as the basis for organising their televised debates. This poll came out just days after Fianna Fail saw a 12-point lead over Fine Gael in the Sunday Times. That poll had Leo Varadkars party just one point above Sinn Fein. What other TV coverage can we expect ahead of the General Election? RTE also announced that party leaders will also face Bryan Dobson in a series of interviews to be broadcast throughout the campaign. While on Virgin Media Colette Fitzpatrick will also interviewing all party leaders live on the News at 5.30. R ory Stewart has pledged to treble the number of community police on the streets to crack down on Londons violent crime epidemic. The independent candidate for Mayor would double the number of officers to six in each of the capitals 629 policing wards, and create surge teams to send to hotspots in emergencies. This would mean an extra 2,350 officers being deployed full-time on neighbourhood policing, addressing concerns that ward teams have been hollowed out to staff centralised taskforces. The pledge to prioritise street crime comes as his polling revealed that 74 per cent of Londoners believe crime is out of control and 84 per cent of parents worry about their children being out on their own after dark. Met Police officers in London (Anthony Devlin/PA ) / Anthony Devlin/PA Mr Stewart told the Standard: If you are serious about dealing with violent crime, you have to have that network of officers on the streets and the resources to be able to prevent it happening in the first place. The Populus poll of 1,025 Londoners found 76 per cent agreeing that they were more worried about crime than when Sadiq Khan became mayor four years ago. More than half 56 per cent thought the police were less responsive, while 83 per cent wanted more neighbourhood police in their area. Rory Stewart has pledged to treble the number of community police on the streets / REUTERS The findings echo research by the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime showing falling satisfaction with the Met, among victims and Londoners more generally, in the last two years. Mr Stewart today unveiled details of his Operation Local as part of an ambition to increase the Mets strength to 38,000 officers, 7,000 more than at present. He has vowed, if elected as Mayor, to resign if he does not cut violent crime in two years. The Met hopes to receive 6,000 new officers from the 20,000 promised for England and Wales by the Government over the next three years. The Met is due to recruit the first 1,369 by September although the Home Office has so far only funded the first 500. An extra 1,000 officers are already in place after Mr Khan increased council tax bills to raise 59 million. Mr Stewart would effectively redirect the extra police recruited by Mr Khan and those due to be funded by the Government. He said the extra 2,350 officers would triple the number currently being deployed full time in community policing. He said he took it on good faith that it would honour its pledge to finance the extra officers. But he said he was prepared to increase his share of the council tax to help fund the Met if required. The Met has been forced to make 850 million of savings since 2010, sending officer numbers below 30,000 last year as crime soared. Rory Stewart / AFP/Getty Images Mr Stewart, a former Tory minister, said: There is no doubt that the Met police was cut too far. You can see that in the fact Im campaigning to bring back more officers. Its a recognition of the fact we lost too many officers. There are currently two constables and one PCSO (police community support officer) in every ward. Mr Stewart would add a sergeant, a constable and a PCSO to each team. Former officers would be brought back to train recruits. Mr Stewart would also triple the number of special constables to 5,000 and undertake the specials training himself to enable him to patrol twice a month with frontline officers. He said: Safety, and the escalating levels of violent crime, are the number one concerns of Londoners. "As Mayor I will grip this crisis immediately, and take action by reinstating the foundational elements of good community policing. The police do an incredible job, but too often they have been diverted to centralised taskforces and specialist units, and the relationship between local police and local people is lost. HCL Technologies announced the launch of a dedicated HCL Microsoft Business Unit focused on Microsoft technologies. This will extend Microsoft's offerings of Business Applications, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, loT, and Al/Machine Learning, as well as help employees accomplish more in the modern workplace with Microsoft 365 and Windows 10. The HCL Microsoft Business Unit will create intellectual property extending the Microsoft platform for customer-specific scenarios and will also provide additional support to clients in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, retail, and travel industries. The business unit integrates one of the largest award winning Microsoft Dynamics practices in the world with PowerObjects, an I-ICL company, and will bring together more than 5500 professionals, reaching more than 2000 customers. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A retired welder whose phone hasn't rung for months because friends think he is dead realised the error after discovering his own gravestone erected by his ex-wife. 'People think that I'm dead,' said Alan Hattel, 75, from Tayside, Scotland. 'My phone hasn't rung for three or four months. I've been confused by it all but now I know why nobody has been calling. 'I don't even want to be buried - I plan to be cremated.' 'People think that I'm dead,' said Alan Hattel, 75, from Scotland. 'My phone hasn't rung for three or four months. I've been confused by it all but now I know why nobody has been calling' Mr Hattel declared: 'I'm still alive', as he stood beside his headstone and said reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated. Mr Hattel said he had realised something was not right because his social life has been deathly quiet for the past three or four months. He said he now knows the reason his phone has not been ringing is because people have been under the impression he was dead. Mr Hattel said the erection of his headstone in Newmonthill Cemetery in Forfar was done without his knowledge and the whole affair was 'like something out of Only Fools and Horses'. Now he wants to set the record straight and let people know he is very much alive. He has also spoken to Angus Council officials and plans to put a cover over the headstone which bears his name. He said: Mr Hattel said the erection of his headstone in Newmonthill Cemetery in Forfar was done without his knowledge and the whole affair was 'like something out of Only Fools and Horses' He has put the blame for the headstone at the door of his ex-wife, from whom he separated some 26 years ago. The 75-year-old, who spent 37 years as a welder before retiring, claimed his ex-wife has bought the plot of land and put up the headstone with the intention of them being buried together. Both their names appear on the headstone. 'I've never, ever said I wanted to be buried alongside my ex-wife,' said Mr Hattel, who has two grown-up children with his former spouse. I don't even want to be buried - I plan to be cremated 'We've been separated 26 years and there's no animosity but I'm struggling to take it all in. 'To find out you have a gravestone in a cemetery while you are still alive isn't something that happens every day.' A family member at Mrs Hattel's home said: 'This is a family matter being dealt with privately.' Angus Council said it was unable to discuss the issue or disclose any information about who purchased the plot as it was a confidential matter. * Banking and industrial stocks drag Singapore * Industrial and utility stocks weigh on Thailand By Soumyajit Saha Jan 21 (Reuters) - Singapore stocks dropped over 1% tracking broader Asia, as investors were spooked by an escalating coronavirus outbreak in China, while Philippines slid under the 1% mark for the second consecutive session on concerns of regulatory incursions into private contracts. The outbreak of a new coronavirus has spread to more Chinese cities, including Shanghai and the capital Beijing, authorities said on Monday. "Concerns over the spread of the virus is affecting market sentiments. Unfortunately, it's coming at a bad time because it's the travel season in China ahead of the New Year celebrations," said Linus Loo, head of research at Lim & Tan Securities. Losses in the banking and industrial sectors weighed on the city-state's benchmark as it fell to its lowest in nearly two weeks. Lender DBS Group Holdings lost nearly 1%, while conglomerate Jardine Strategic Holdings was down over 2%. Philippine shares were dragged down by heavy losses in the financial sector, with conglomerate Ayala Corp and real estate developer Ayala Land shedding 5.1% and 2.8% respectively. Regulatory scrutiny on certain projects related to the Ayala group had led to "possible regulatory risks involved in private sector's contracts with the government," Rachelle Cruz, analyst at AP Securities said. Foreign investors seem to have concerns about other companies that have similar contracts, and the possibility of probes into such contracts, Cruz added. President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said he would review a government rail transit contract https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/01/19/news/headlines/duterte-to-review-lrt-contract-next/675652 with Ayala and Metro Pacific Investment Corp, while the presidential spokesperson had separately hinted at investigations into an Ayala IT park https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/01/20/news/top-stories/palace-isnt-done-with-ayala-targets-technohub/675908, on Sunday, The Manila Times reported. Thai stocks were also lower, hurt by losses in the industrial and utility sectors. Airport operator Airports of Thailand PCL dropped 3.7%, while chemical maker PTT Global Chemical PCL plunged 6%. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0318 GMT STOCK MARKETS Change on the day Market Current Previous Pct Move close Singapore 3243.93 3280.09 -1.10 Bangkok 1585.34 1589.11 -0.24 Manila 7481.12 7552.6 -0.95 Jakarta 6252.105 6245.043 0.11 Kuala Lumpur 1589.74 1588.88 0.05 Ho Chi Minh 982.09 978.63 0.35 Change so far in 2020 Market Current End 2019 Pct Move Singapore 3243.93 3222.83 0.65 Bangkok 1585.34 1579.84 0.35 Manila 7481.12 7,815.26 -4.28 Jakarta 6252.105 6,299.54 -0.75 Kuala Lumpur 1589.74 1588.76 0.06 Ho Chi Minh 982.09 960.99 2.20 (Reporting by Soumyajit Saha in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) A Chicago-based disability activist group wont have to pay $25,000 to get its members to a conference on Wednesday in Bloomington, Illinois, a trip that normally costs $16 a person each way. Access Living said it got the $25,000 round-trip quote last month, after it told an Amtrak agent that five of the 10 people making the trip are in wheelchairs. We were shocked, we thought there was a mistake in the email they sent us, Bridget Hayman with Access Living told CNN. In an email exchange obtained by CNN, an Amtrak agent explained that the train only had three spaces for wheelchairs, so it would have to take a car out of service and remove some seats to accommodate the group. Amtrak cant sell seats in the car until its returned to its regular configuration, so that contributed to the cost, according to the email. The agent told the group that Amtrak had absorbed the cost of reconfiguring the cars in the past but said that policy had changed last year. We couldnt find the policy they were citing. If this is a policy, this is a problem for a lot of people, Hayman, who uses a wheelchair herself, told CNN. Hayman said the group had tried to resolve the issue and even reached out to the Amtrak executive in charge of the rail services stations. The story drew national attention, and the group heard from the railroad service on Monday. Amtrak officials have contacted Access Living and we apologize for their inconvenience as we have been working through how to serve their travel needs, Amtrak said in a statement provided to CNN. We assured them that as valued customers we will accommodate all passengers who use wheelchairs aboard the same Amtrak trains they originally requested between Chicago and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Hayman told CNN that Amtrak told the Access Living that they would accommodate the group and only charge the regular fare. Were pleased that Amtrak now says it can accommodate all of our wheelchair riders tomorrow for no additional fee, but we remain deeply concerned about its new policy charging disabled customers huge fees to remove seats to accommodate wheelchairs, she said. The policy must change. Were worried about future trips. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) tweeted on Sunday that the $25,000 fee was outrageous. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been the law of the land for 30 years. Yet in 2020, @Amtrak believes it would be an unreasonable burden to remove architectural barriers that would enable a group with five wheelchair users to travel together, she wrote. Duckworth is a ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committees Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, which focuses on safety and infrastructure development related to both freight and passenger rail, including Amtrak. The senator lost both of her legs and partial use of her right arm in 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Black Hawk helicopter she was flying in Iraq. She sometimes uses a wheelchair. An Amtrak spokesman said that it is scheduling a meeting with Duckworths office to review and discuss Amtrak policies for future instances where rail cars need special reconfiguration and modification to accommodate passengers with disabilities. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. As director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Campus Free Expression Project , I am always eager to get beyond the DC beltway to learn how students understand free expression on their particular campus. So, to return to Duke University, my alma mater, was particularly welcome.Duke has a legacy of defending the expression of controversial views. In 1903, the school set a new standard in defending faculty academic freedom when the trustees voted to reject history professor John Bassett's offer to resign after his praise of Booker T. Washington sparked controversy for the school-this only three years after Leland Stanford's widow was able to have Edward Ross dismissed from the faculty of Stanford for arguments contrary to Mrs. Stanford's business interests.It was Duke political scientist John H. Hallowell who arranged to have Martin Luther King, Jr. address the 1964 annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association when it was held in Durham, at a time when not all in attendance were keen on King's Civil Rights message.But that is Duke's past-what about today?Just before my visit last fall, the Duke Student Government refused to recognize a Christian group, Young Life, that would not allow LBGTQ+ leaders . (A federal judge twice this year ruled that the University of Iowa violated the free speech, free association, and free exercise of religion rights with refusals to recognize Christian groups for parallel reasons). Also, Duke declined to renew the contract of an instructor who had taught at Duke for two decades apparently because, as he described at this site , he encouraged classroom discussions of polarizing and controversial topics.Is support among Duke students for free expression and the First Amendment eroding?Back in October, I had my chance to find out. Sixty freshmen students came for a conversation on those topics. Leading the conversation were Duke Professor of Law H. Jefferson Powell, Duke First Amendment Clinic Supervising Attorney Nicole Ligon, and me. The students probed the ways in which free speech and the First Amendment shaped their lives. Topics included the role of social media, whether the protections of the First Amendment should apply to private universities as much as public ones, and the importance of viewpoint diversity.The conversation became especially intense when one student asked, shouldn't we restrict free speech when we're seeing hate-driven violence? That question reaches the core of today's debates about campus free expression. Across American higher education, many today doubt that campuses can be safe, diverse, and inclusive while also remaining wide open to speech and expression.First Amendment experts Powell and Ligon made the case that attempts to regulate speech frequently do more harm than good. Campus provocateurs often arrive with the intention of generating a spectacle rather than articulating a defensible argument. Silencing them lends credence to their claim of being targeted by crazed protesters for the truth they might speak. But allowing the most outrageous speaker to face questions-or an empty room-shows their claims of being conspired against to be meritless and denies them a propaganda victory. The most effective response to the vilest speech, they argued, is not to give such speakers the spectacle they desire.On the other hand, speech codes meant to exclude hateful speech often end up ruling as out of bounds speech that merits thoughtful engagement. Ms. Ligon described how she and Duke Law students had filed an amicus brief on behalf of University of South Carolina students who had been investigated for actions they took as leaders of a pro-free speech campus protest. The freshmen present appreciated the irony of students facing investigations for protesting in favor of free speech and the chilling effect this would have on campus discourse.I offered the example of the University of Maryland Statement on Free Speech Values , which asserts that one reason the university does not have a speech code is that such codes have been deployed to quell efforts of marginalized communities to advance their interests. I pointed out that controversial speech was essential to the Civil Rights Movement-Civil Rights leader and now eminent Congressman John Lewis was arrested for picketing with a sign that read, "One Man, One Vote." Likewise, I pointed out, the movements for access to contraceptives and women's suffrage were carried forward by the use of highly controversial speech.Greeting that argument with skepticism, someone posed a question about whether free speech that furthered the interests of marginalized communities was an approach rendered obsolete by social media. In an age where social media fuels attacks such as those seen in Christchurch, New Zealand, Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the questioner asked, shouldn't more be done to make sure that hateful speech is not translated into violence?That was the most contested question of the evening. Some noted that speech on social media had been used to advance causes with which students sympathized, such as #MeToo; some thought that social media could be used to engage others and change their minds; some thought that ignoring hateful speech-just like not giving campus provocateurs an audience-could be effective in shutting them down; and others favored regulation of online (and perhaps other) speech to prevent violence.Perhaps the most important part of the conversation was not about the First Amendment, but why the First Amendment should not be the only standard for campus discourse. As Powell and Ligon pointed, out, the First Amendment protects "the marketplace of ideas." However, a free-wheeling marketplace may not be the best analogy for campus discourse. Whatever consumers favor wins in the marketplace; "because I like it" fully justifies a consumer's choice.But in academic discourse, justifying preferences with "that's just my opinion" shouldn't be good enough. Assertions and theories must be backed by evidence and arguments; the judgments of experts receive additional weight; and disciplinary standards determine what constitutes a valid case. All of us on the panel made the argument that the First Amendment should be a minimum bar for campus discourse, protecting speech and expression but leaving it necessary for students, guided by professors, to engage in thoughtful, rigorous, and wide-ranging academic debate.In fact, as we panelists observed, the level of conversation in the room showed that these students were sophisticated enough to see through sophomoric tropes. But the conversation also reminded me that many 18-year-olds are just starting to hone their skills of conversation and to learn that they can trust that dialogue about difficult and controversial subjects advances our common good, even when it does not result in agreement.Students who learn during their college years to sustain civil and respectful discussions are empowered to assess and counter hateful speech wherever they encounter it-but more, they are able to engage in conversations about the pursuit of truth. College leaders, from professors to college presidents, must explain to them how campuses can welcome all students while protecting free speech. If more students absorb that lesson, students might find they were more able to tolerate student groups with unpopular views and classroom conversations on polarizing topics.Helping students grow in their ability to engage in campus conversations is part of our work at the Bipartisan Policy Center Campus Free Expression Project. In today's highly polarized society, we must ensure that students learn the skills of respectful discourse that will help them graduate as thoughtful citizens.The conversation with those lively and engaged Duke freshmen was a terrific example of the kind of work to be done with freshmen as they arrive on campus to ready them to be engaged citizens and leaders in our democracy. EPA Donald Trumps lawyers and Democrats arguing for his removal from office clashed on Tuesday over the powers of his office, as the presidents legal team echoed his allegations about the House investigation that led to his impeachment. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff used his lengthy opening statement to warn senators to resist transforming Mr Trump into a monarch by allowing him to set the terms of a trial that will determine whether he is ousted from the Oval Office. But White House counsel Pat Cipollone responded on the first day of Mr Trumps impeachment trial by alleging House Democrats put forth fraudulent evidence and have no case. The president and his legal team spent the historic day - he is only the third sitting US chief executive to face a Senate impeachment trial - trying to discredit the evidence gathered by House Democrats during the investigation late last year that ended with a mostly party line vote to impeach him on counts of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. Mr Trump for months described the House probe as a shady hoax held in the bottom floor of the Capitol, eager to plant seeds of doubts in the minds of the few voting blocs that will determine whether he wins a second term in November. Mr Cipollone, for instance, hit House Democrats for holding their investigation in secret." Both sides used ample parts of their opening statements to debate whether witnesses should be called during the upper chambers proceeding. Mr Trump has said he would invoke executive privilege to block the testimony of current and former White House aides, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. (Bolton has said he would testify if issued a subpoena. One of his former aides, Fiona Hill, told House lawmakers during a public impeachment hearing last year Bolton once referred to what Mr Mulvaney and US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland wanted from the Ukraine government as a drug deal.) Story continues Jay Sekulo, one of the presidents attorneys, continued team Trumps argument that the House Democratic impeachment managers, if senators side with them and oust the 45th president, would essentially be eroding the constitution. Thats because, he said, the office of the presidents assertion of privilege is backed by decades of precedent. Mr Sekulo sounded a lot like Mr Trump when he contended House Democrats opted to impeach the president because they remain offended he was elected three years ago. Why are we here? Are we here because of a phone call or are we here before this great body because since the president was sworn into office there was a desire to see him removed? Mr Sekulo said, calling the impeachment probe re-insurance and an umbrella policy after the Russia election meddling probe led by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller failed to bring down Mr Trumps presidency. Using executive privilege has been utilised by presidents since the founding of the country, Mr Sekulo said, adding it exists to protect the constitution and the separation of powers. But in no way did Mr Trump's attorneys parrot their boss more so than in the top White House lawyers contention about Novembers presidential election. Theyre not here to steal one election, theyre here to steal two elections, said Mr Cipollone, in one of his first public statements since becoming the White Houses top attorney. But Mr Schiff argued the opposite, saying the presidents conduct would have alarmed the founders. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has said he is working in lock step with the White Houses legal team. Mr Schiff alluded to Mr Trumps influence over the chambers rules for the proceeding, saying it would mean any commander in chief cannot be indicted, cannot be impeached. It makes him a monarch, the California Democrat said as senator sat silent in accordance with the chambers guidelines for an impeachment trial. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr McConnell - under pressure - made several changes to the trial rules he penned and Democrats had sharply planned. Opening arguments will still span 48 hours - 24 for each side - but now they could last up to three days rather than being jammed into just two. The Kentucky Republican also changed course by altering his rules resolution to automatically include the entire package of evidence the House used to impeach Mr Trump into his chamber's trial. For his part, White House aides with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said he is receiving regular briefings about the goings-on on the Senate floor. Shortly after leaving a working dinner at that forum, the president sounded a now-familiar refrain. READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! the president tweeted, referring to a White House-prepared summary of his July 25 telephone call with Ukraines president in which Democrats say he linked investigations of US Democrats to a massive military aide package Kiev expected in its continued standoff with Russia and its larger and more sophisticated military. That line is part of the Trump sides argument that he broke no laws and did nothing wrong. Robert Bauer, a New York University School of Law professor and a former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, calls that contention mistaken. The federal campaign finance law bars soliciting anything of value from a foreign national to influence a federal, state and local election, he wrote on the Lawfare blog. Whether the solicitation was made and value received depends on the factsfacts with which Mr Dershowitz claims he has no intention of engaging. The Senate is expected to vote on Democratic amendments aimed at forcing the White House to clear witnesses and submit documents Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Senators are expected to vote those down, while approving Mr McConnells rules for the trial. Health Minister Robin Swann plans to visit north Belfast "in the near future" following an invitation from a priest. Fr Gary Donegan has invited Mr Swann to the Houben Centre to meet bereaved families to help him understand the extent of the suicide crisis. The former Holy Cross parish priest said the return of Stormont presents a timely opportunity to tackle the issue. On Monday Fr Donegan said he believes a mental health and suicide tsar is needed to help tackle Northern Ireland's chronic problem before more young people die. "Robin Swann comes across as a good man, a family man, a man with integrity. I'm inviting him to the Houben Centre in north Belfast to meet these families bereaved by suicide to show him what this is actually like," he said. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said Mr Swann was checking his schedule for a suitable date. Established in 1984, Hemingways is Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress signature restaurant drawing inspiration from the places and travels of the eponymous writer Ernest Hemingway especially the flavors and aromas of Key West, Cuba and Spain. The restaurant at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress recently underwent a renovation and refresh with a new sophisticated look and amenities, featuring a palette of grey and blue hues with golden accents, accentuated by the restaurants still stunning and gorgeous sunset and panoramic nighttime views of the Hyatt Grand Cypress private Lake Windsong. One of my favorites on the menu is the coconut shrimp, a very unique rendition of the dish wrapped in shredded phyllo dough and served with a strawberry habanero chutney divine! Tapas of the Sea a sharing appetizer dish featuring Spanish Garlic Shrimp, Seared Scallops and Caviar, Octopus Ceviche, Salmon Beet Crudo was another standout. Along with the Deconstructed Lobster, Chilean Seabass, and the Cayo Hueso Crab Cake these seafood dishes are sure to make any Old Man or woman happy. COCONUT SHRIMP Coconut Milk Marinated, wrapped in Shredded Phyllo, Strawberry Habanero Chutney, Pickled Mango Hyatts global philosophy is Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served. We spoke with Executive Chef David Didzunas about his almost 40 year career (beginning in 1981) with Hyatt Hotels as well as the recent changes at Hemingways. For the restaurants menu, Chef Didzunas stays in touch with the latest trends in food and wine by traveling to Spain, Italy and various parts of the U.S. MAINE LOBSTER Deconstructed Whole Lobster, Saffron Potato Puree, Orange-Fennel Butter Chef David Didzunas is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and he started his career with Hyatt Hotels in 1981 in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From there, he held chef positions at properties in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, and was executive sous chef for the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and executive chef for the Hyatt Charlotte at Southpark in North Carolina. In 1997, he was appointed executive chef for Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport and returned to Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress as executive chef in late 2015. MATADOR BURGER Grilled Beef Tenderloin Steak and Lobster Tail, Horseradish Cheddar Cheese, Roasted Tomato Aioli, Bibb Lettuce, Squid Ink Sesame Bun, Shoestring Fries Tasty Chomps: What are some of the biggest changes at Hemingways from the recent debut? What has stayed the same? Chef David Didzunas: The renovation of the dining room and bar are the most noticeable. With its blue and grey color palette, its comfortable, casual and relaxed. We refocused our menu on the travels of Ernest Hemingway which lead us to Key West Florida, Cuba and Spain, these places inspire us with the flavors for our dishes. CAYO HUESO CRAB CAKE Famous Recipe Crab Cakes, Congaree & Penn Purple Rice Grits, Corn Salsa, Asparagus Some menu items have stayed the same, such as the Cayo Hueso Crab Cakes, Duval Street Shrimp Scampi, and Calamari. We changed up the accompaniments and presentations for a more modern updated feel, yet still kept the quality ingredients and recipes. The physical layout is the same as it was, the individual rooms create an enjoyable dining experience, whether watching the sunset or overlooking the pool, each area has its own personality and feel, and many of our customers have their favorite spots that they request. LAMB CHOPS Grilled, Mojo Rojo, Mojo Verde, Pickled Mustard Seed Why is now a good time for change at Hemingways? Right now is such a perfect time to debut a refreshed look and feel at Hemingways. Last year we finished our guest room refurbishment and in a few short weeks will be opening our brand new 25,000 sq. ft. Windsong Ballroom. We cant wait to introduce Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress to all of our new customers and welcome back all our long-term guests. Tell us more about the culinary team at Hemingways and their background We have a team of seven with years of culinary service ranging from one year to over 25 years with Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. All are passionate and driven by producing a consistent quality product every day. Most importantly, they all care about each other as a team and for our guests. For example, Sous Chef Ibis Lopez was born and raised in Humacao, Puerto Rico and was greatly influenced by his grandfather, a passionate home cook who grew his own fruits and vegetables, raised chickens and rabbits and handcrafted a variety of coconut desserts for which he became renowned in the east side of the island. What are some of the most popular dishes at Hemingways right now on the new menu? As far as starters go, the octopus, calamari, lamb chops and stuffed mushrooms are always moving fast. For entrees the Duval Street Shrimp Scampi, Bronzino, Scallops for the seafood and Vaca Brava, Ft. McCoy Grass Fed Ribeye are all very popular. And you cant forget the Matador Burger. CHILEAN SEA BASS Seared, Congaree and Penn Middlins Coconut Lime Rice, Baby Carrots, Passion Fruit Butter Sauce (gf) What are some of your personal favorite dishes on the new menu and why? The Branzino for its simplicity and flavors; Chilean Sea Bass for its unique coconut lime rice and flavorful passion fruit butter sauce; the Vaca Brava for its high quality of 21-day dry age along with our Barbacoa butter and Patatas Bravas this is our Spanish influenced Steak Frites. Having worked at Hyatt over 35 years ago, what was it like in those first days when you were here in Orlando compared to now? How has the food culture from guests changed or stayed the same? When I worked at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in 1988-89 as Executive Sous Chef, we were pretty much the only hotel in the Lake Buena Vista area, nothing much around at all like it is today. The food culture from our guests has stayed the same in some ways, always expecting great quality, consistency and something interesting. SPANISH SANGRIA Spanish Red Wine, Brandy, Fresh Fruit, Splash of Sparkling Water What makes Hyatt a great company to work for all these years? Hyatt gives us the opportunity to be creative, innovative and be the best leaders we can be. Our culture of caring so people can be there best is what drives us, along with treating our colleagues with dignity and respect every day. All my life Ive looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time. Ernest Hemingway TAPAS OF THE SEA Spanish Garlic Shrimp, Seared Scallops and Caviar, Octopus Ceviche, Salmon Beet Crudo serves 2-4 persons BURRATA SALAD Agostini Burrata Mozzarella, Arugula, Gazpacho Verde, Tomato, Toasted Pistachios, Toasted Crostini STUFFED MUSHROOMS Braised Short Rib, Tarragon and Boursin, topped with Au Jus (gf) VACA BRAVA New York Strip Steak 12oz. 21 day dry aged, Grilled, Barbacoa Butter, Patatas Bravas GRASS FED RIB EYE Florida Raised, 12 oz. Grass Fed, Duck Fat Confit Potato, Watercress Salad DESSERT COCONUT KEY LIME SQUARE Coconut-Almond Crust filled with Key Lime Custard, Coconut Sauce, Lace Tuile, Key Lime Meringue Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is located at One Grand Cypress Blvd., Orlando, Florida, 32836 with convenient access to Orlando International Airport and Interstate 4 off Exit 68 in Lake Buena Vista. For more information and reservations, call 407. 239.1234, visit hemingwaysorlando.com and follow Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter at @HRGrandCypress and use #HemingwaysOrlando. Restaurant Hours: Nightly Dinner 6 to 10 p.m., Lounge: 5:30 to 10 p.m. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury all-inclusive river cruise company Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection brought suit against MSC Cruise Management (UK) Limited yesterday. Uniworld is seeking reimbursement for damages incurred following a June 2, 2019 incident in which a Uniworld ship, River Countess was hit by MSC Opera, a large ocean ship while docked at the San Basilio Cruise Terminal in Venice, Italy. According to Uniworld CEO and President Ellen Bettridge, extensive conversations with MSC to compensate Uniworld for its losses have been unproductive. "We are extremely disappointed with the unprofessional manner in which MSC has decided to ignore the gravity of the situation, which has disrupted our guests, our partners and our team," said Bettridge. "Aside from the severe damage to our ship [River Countess], we were forced to cancel 14 voyages, frustrating our guests and travel partners during the peak summer season." To date, Uniworld estimates its losses that include passenger reimbursement, ship damage, lost revenue and the protection of travel agent commissions to be in excess of 11.5 million Euros. This estimate excludes additional potential claims from customers and related damages. "We do not like to litigate but have been compelled to do so based on the stonewalling and delays by MSC and its representatives even after receiving a letter of guarantee by their own insurance agency, West of England. We expect more and better from a fellow member of the cruise industry and regret having to go to court to seek fitting remedy," said Bettridge. The incident, which remains under investigation by Italian authorities, impacted nearly 1600 guests over the course of several months. "Uniworld is part of The Travel Corporation which celebrates a century of travel excellence this year. The company prides itself on delivering service which exceeds our customers' expectations and that is put to the test most not when things go right, but when things go wrong. We are holding MSC to that standard. This situation has been incredibly distressing, particularly for those guests and crew who experienced the traumatic moment onboard first-hand and those who watched the terrifying videos in the days to follow; we wish for nothing more than to put this behind us. It's time for them to come to the table and make us whole," says Bettridge. ABOUT UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISE COLLECTION Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection the world's most luxurious all-inclusive river cruise line - features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, exclusive excursions, gourmet cuisine, and one of the highest staff-to-guest-ratio in the river cruise industry. Based in Los Angeles, California, Uniworld offers truly all-inclusive itineraries in Europe, as well as voyages in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia, India, Egypt and Perua total of 25 rivers in 25 countries worldwide. Uniworld is a member of CLIA and is highly regarded by discerning travelers, media, and cruise industry experts, having most recently been named the #1 River Cruise Line in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2019 readers' survey and voted Top-Rated River Cruise Line Europe in the 2018 Cruise Critic Cruisers Choice Awards. Uniworld is a member of The Travel Corporation (TTC) family of companies, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020. ( www.uniworld.com ) SOURCE Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Related Links https://www.uniworld.com/en/ President Trump boasted Wednesday that his side in the impeachment trial has information that wasnt shared with the House Democrats who pursued the investigation and brought the charges. One of the impeachment managers presenting the case against the president observed that his remarks, at a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, appeared to support one of the two charges he faces: obstruction of Congress by refusing to answer requests for documents or allow testimony by administration officials. Trump, when asked by a reporter for his reaction to the impeachment trial that resumed Wednesday afternoon, praised the work of his legal team, adding that they had the advantage of possessing all the material. Were doing very well, said Trump. I got to watch enough. I thought our team did a very good job. Honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material. The White House has resisted turning over documents and allowing witnesses familiar with Trumps dealings with Ukraine to testify in the investigation about whether the president pressured a foreign government to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, who at the time was leading in polls for the Democratic presidential primary. During the Davos press conference, Trump repeatedly described his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as perfect. Last week, the Government Accountability Office found that the White House violated the law by withholding congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine. President Trump at a news conference Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP) Trumps legal team seemed underprepared on the opening day of the impeachment trial Tuesday, with his lawyer Pat Cipollone spending just three minutes on his opening remarks versus 50 minutes for Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is leading the House team. Republican senators voted as a bloc repeatedly on Tuesday to kill amendments to the rules promulgated by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to subpoena documents and witness testimony from the White House. Story continues Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., one of the seven impeachment managers, highlighted Trumps comments on Twitter. The second article of impeachment was for obstruction of Congress: covering up witnesses and documents from the American people, wrote Demings with a clip of the video. This morning the President not only confessed to it, he bragged about it. The second impeachment article is focused solely on Trumps refusal to cooperate with the investigation, reading in part, In the history of the republic no president has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate high crimes and misdemeanors. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Srinagar, Jan 22 : Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi went to the Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Wednesday and briefly interacted with the people there. He stopped at the Chowk and spoke with some shopkeepers and locals, and inquired about the problems they were facing. Naqvi said: "There is a positive environment and the government is spreading positivity among the people by communicating with them. "We are working to create a strong environment of change." On Tuesday, Naqvi visited the Fakir Hujri area on the outskirts of Srinagar and addressed a gathering there. He told the gathering that the government was working on creating employment and also educational opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir. Naqvi also announced that Rs one lakh worth of scholarships will be given to the students from the union territory in next one year. A group of 36 union ministers is visiting Jammu and Kashmir since Saturday. Minister of Home G. Kishan Reddy will hold a public outreach programme at Ganderbal on Wednesday. Imo State governor Hope Uzodinma has promised to navigate the State into prosperity under his watch, in his maiden broadcast to the peo... Imo State governor Hope Uzodinma has promised to navigate the State into prosperity under his watch, in his maiden broadcast to the people of the state on Wednesday. The one-week old governor also said that the era of executive lawlessness and neo-feudalism, in the state is gone forever. He enumerated policy measures which his administration intends to apply to achieve the dream of a New Imo. They include restoration of due process, financial discipline, re-invigoration of the heath sector and security of lives and property. The Governor stated that his vision of a New Imo State is predicated on freedom, security and shared prosperity welded into good governance, stressing that the evidence on ground indicates that Imo State requires fundamental reform to forge a new trajectory. To achieve his vision of Rehabilitation,Reconstruction and Recovery, Governor Uzodinma directed the overhaul of the bureaucratic structures to entrench strict adherence to extant laws, procedures and statutes to achieve efficient service delivery. He assured of prompt payment of salaries, pensions and other statutory obligations. Uzodinma announced that a highly functional, qualitative and science-driven education system, focused on skills acquisition, innovation, manpower development and entrepreneurship, code-named IMO STATE EDUCATION OPPORTUNTY PROGRAMME (ISEOP) shall be established with a view to producing a new generation of graduates equipped for immediate employment and self-reliance. He also promised to pursue a policy of comprehensive Medicare with primary and preventive components which shall achieve 75% coverage of the populace across the 27 LGAs within the first two years. In pursuit of this, he said the state shall recruit 850 Community Health Workers, renovate and equip Community Health Centres in the 305 wards, procure modern diagnostic equipment, including CT scan and mobile X-ray as well as provide Rapid Response Ambulance Services (RAMS) at the Zonal Hospitals and Central Rural health Centres he said. The IMSU College of Medicine and the Teaching Hospital at Orlu, the Public Health Laboratory and the Specialist Hospital in Owerri shall be equipped for lesser surgeries, as well as serve as Regional Medical Infomatics Centres for the South East Region. The abandoned MRI and other sensitive scanning machines mysteriously transferred from IMSUTH Orlu to OCHIEDIKE shall be rehabilitated and restored for service, he said. To drive the economy to massive growth and job creation, Governor Uzodinma pledged to focus on Mainstream Macro-economic programmes based on his 3R AlgorismRecovery of damaged economic structures, re-construction of core infrastructure and rehabilitation of component micro-economic institutions with the overall aim of achieving rapid economic diversification through Backward integration involving a synergy of Rural-urban paradigm shift from a core public-sector-driven economy to Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). Governor Uzodinma also announced the establishment of a State Economic and Rehabilitation Council (SEDARC) to redress the fiscal and infrastructural deficits militating against economic development in the state. Additionally, the Council has the mandate to recover missing public assets as well as co-ordinate a forensic investigation into the finances of the state to establish the true financial status as at January 13, 2020; together with the recovery of all illegally acquired private lands to enable their return to their rightful owners. Uzodinma while guaranteeing the restoration of autonomy to the local councils, the third tier of government, pledged to conduct a credible Council election in due course. He approved the reconstitution of the State Local Government Joint Accounts Allocation Committee to manage and superintend over Council funds, including 10% which the state shall statutorily contribute as counterpart fund to support development at the grassroots. To boost the security architecture of Imo State, the Governor announced the establishment of a new Neighbourhood Security outfit code-named North East West (NEW) involving a coordinated network of community intelligence-gathering programme to complement the conventional security Agencies. The Governor declared that Imo shall become uncomfortable for criminals with the launch of Operation Flush Out Criminals (FOC). Promising to run an open and accommodating administration, Governor Uzodinma warned political opponents that breach of public peace shall not be tolerated. He said he has the responsibility to govern Imo State and will not hesitate to visit the full wrath of the law on anybody who constitutes a public nuisance. Governor Uzodinma expressed appreciation for the massive support which he received from the people during the election and urged for sustained cooperation to enable full realisation of his mission to bring prosperity to the state. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 21:59:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government has taken a wide range of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in Macao, after reporting the first case of the pandemic earlier on Wednesday. The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of Macao SAR government held a meeting on Wednesday to review the latest development of the viral pneumonia, and measures taken in Macao to prevent local spread of the illness. The SAR government's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U, who is also the center's vice chairperson, gave more details about the prevention measures, such as temperature screening at all boundary checkpoints and health declaration of inbound travelers upon arrival in Macao. Temperature checks have also been imposed at the entrances of all government buildings, she added. In accordance with the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, an executive order would be issued later to ask all employees at casinos to wear a face mask to protect the health of casino workers and visitors, said the director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau Paulo Martins Chan. Chan added that the fever-detection equipment has been installed at casino resorts. Other measures include suspension of tour visits between Macao and Wuhan, daily cleaning and disinfection of bus stations, taxi stations and street markets. The SAR's Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng on Wednesday met with Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory expert and head of a high-level expert team of China's National Health Commission. Ho said the SAR government has paid high attention to the situation of the novel coronavirus epidemic and he hoped to listen to experts for suggestions of preventive measures in future. Zhong said Macao is a densely populated region with many casinos and hotels. During the upcoming festival, many tourists will travel between Macao and Guangdong Province. He suggested Macao to work closely with Guangdong to prevent super-spreaders, or highly contagious virus carriers. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Adani Capital Pvt Ltd, the NBFC arm of the Adani Group, has acquired Essel Finance's MSME loan business. Adani Capital on Wednesday said it has a loan book of approximately Rs 145 crore. "As of December 31, 2019 the overall lending book of NBFC and the housing finance business was Rs 1,100 crore, with the latter contributing Rs 150 crore," the company said. The gross NPAs as of December 31, 2019 stood at just Rs 2.4 crore, it added. "The acquisition decision is led by the fact that we operate in similar segments, which is secured lending focused on income-generating borrowers. It is an opportunistic acquisition," said Gaurav Gupta, CEO, Adani Finserve Pvt Ltd. Adani Capital is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Adani Finserve Private Limited, the holding company of Adani Group's financial services business. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A friend recently offered an unsolicited and candid opinion regarding the current democratic presidential primary. I listened attentively because my friend is a staunch democrat, with whom I occasionally agree with. He keeps an informed and close watch on the political landscape from a local and national perspective. Im glad the Ohio primary is still two months away. I honestly dont know if any of the candidates represent less of a threat to American progress than Trump. Im definitely not convinced any of them are any less divisive, he added. The observations startled me given that Trump seems to be viewed by many democrats as a dangerous Machiavellian exploiter of Americas most fragile social fault lines. Furthermore, Ive long been under the impression that most dyed-in-the-wool party loyalists would be highly motivated to settle for any democratic candidate over the reelection of President Donald Trump. Perhaps, Im wrong. My friends surgical take on Joe Biden fascinated me most. His perspective succinctly mirrored my own: I believe Biden severely overestimated his appeal to African-Americans. He confuses familiarity with affinity, my friend opined. The New York Times Tuesday edition recounted an exchange that Biden had with a reporter at a presidential forum in Iowa hosted by Vice News this past Monday. The reporter questioned Biden about a recent Vice News-presidential poll that showed Sen. Bernie Sanders recently polling better than Biden among certain groups of African-Americans. Why is Senator Sanders leading you with black voters under the age of 35? the reporter asked. It was a simple and direct question. Bidens response was surprisingly defensive and obtuse. He is not leading me, black voters, under the age of --- look, just all I know is, I am leading everybody, combined, with black voters, Biden responded. When the audience reportedly responded with laughter, Biden doubled down on his claim. No, Im serious. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Lets get this straight. Name me anybody who has remotely close to the support I have in the African-American community nationally. Biden undoubtedly holds a place of affection in the hearts of some black Americans. Hes not living room mantel place art like, say Martin Luther King, Jr., or John F. Kennedy, but he did work effectively as President Obamas vice president, which gives him a certain presumption of favor with African-Americans. However, as my friend sagely noted, that assumption of favor should probably not be confused with deep affinity or enthusiastic support, especially among young African-Americans. At the Iowa forum, Biden summed up his views on his black support in a bad bumper sticker kind of way that only Joe Biden can do: Im not saying, I am black, The New York Times reported Biden saying. But I want to tell you something. I have spent my whole career with the black community. (And) never, ever, ever, (taken their votes for granted). Not once, said Biden. No one is likely to ever confuse Biden for black, black-ish, or mulatto. His decades-long support of the civil rights movement has been mostly conducted from a fairly safe distance. He continues to carry scars from his refusal to apologize to Anita Hill for his contemptible treatment of her in 1991 when he was the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman presiding over the hearings of the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also unfairly continues to carry scars from his active support of the 1994 federal crime bill signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That bill, which had a disproportionally negative effect on African-Americans, received considerable support at the time from African-Americans who were living in communities that were dangerously overrun by violent criminals and open-air drug markets. Nonetheless, Biden has remained in fairly good standing with African-Americans and continues to perform well when his support from blacks is compared to that received by other candidates. His black political support runs wide the critical question is how deep? In 2016, candidate Hillary Clinton found out the hard way that familiarity will only go so far with unenthusiastic African-American voters. If my democratic friend is correct, history may soon repeat itself. Recent columns by Phillip Morris: Where is Mason Rudolphs helmet when we need it? Phillip Morris America must stop being a Turkey and suffocating itself with cheap plastic bags: Phillip Morris These $40 haircuts have the potential to save countless lives: Phillip Morris What comes next for Collinwood High depends on creative ideas, cooperation: Phillip Morris What lessons do the Buttigieg dogs have to offer America?: Phillip Morris English French OTTAWA, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HEXO Corp. (HEXO or the Company) (TSX: HEXO; NYSE: HEXO) today announced it has closed its previously announced registered direct offering with institutional investors (the Offering). Under the Offering, the Company sold 11,976,048 common shares at an offering price of US$1.67 per share for gross proceeds of US$20.0 million before deducting fees and other estimated offering expenses. The Company also issued to the investors common share purchase warrants to purchase 5,988,024 common shares of the Company. The warrants will have a five year-term and an exercise price of US$2.45 per share. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as sole placement agent for the Offering. The Offering was made in the United States only under the Companys amended and restated short form base shelf prospectus dated December 14, 2018 (the Base Shelf Prospectus), filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, and the corresponding registration statement on Form F-10 (the Registration Statement) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the U.S./Canada Multijurisdictional Disclosure System (MJDS). A prospectus supplement (the Supplement) to the Base Shelf Prospectus was filed on a non-offering basis with applicable securities regulatory authorities in Canada and with the SEC as part of the Registration Statement under the MJDS. Copies of the Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus are or will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and copies of the Supplement and the Registration Statement are or will be available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About HEXO HEXO Corp. is an award-winning consumer packaged goods cannabis company that creates and distributes innovative products to serve the global cannabis market. Through its hub and spoke business strategy, HEXO Corp. is partnering with Fortune 500 companies, bringing its brand value, cannabinoid isolation technology, licensed infrastructure and regulatory expertise to established companies, leveraging their distribution networks and capacity. As one of the largest licensed cannabis companies in Canada, HEXO Corp. operates facilities in Ontario and Quebec. The Company serves the Canadian adult-use markets under its HEXO Cannabis, Up Cannabis and Original Stash brands, and the medical market under HEXO medical cannabis. For more information please visit hexocorp.com. Investor Relations: Jennifer Smith 1-866-438-8429 invest@hexo.com www.hexocorp.com Sometimes an idea is so obviously bad you wonder how it possibly got out the door. Letting developers hire their own inspectors to certify that their buildings are up to code and A-OK is just that kind of idea. Yet the Ford government has proposed it in a discussion paper on modernizing the administration of Ontarios building code. Right now, municipal inspectors examine building sites during construction and enforce standards. But a system that let certified professionals, paid for by the developer, sign off on everything from the building permit to the foundation and plumbing could, according to the government, reduce permit delays and help protect public health and safety. Faster? Possibly. Safer? Hardly. This is the Boeing way. It took two tragic plane crashes for the public to find out that approvals for the 737 Max were not a result of robust, independent certification so much as a self-certification process. Much of the detailed safety review by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was in fact delegated to Boeing engineers themselves. And they did a particularly rush job because of competitive pressures to deliver the plane. That sounds a bit like delegating building code approvals to architects and professional engineers hired and paid for by the developer specifically to speed things up, isnt it? The City of Torontos chief building official, Will Johnston, is rightly pushing back against this terrible idea. There are a number of concerns with this model, including potential conflicts of interest, Johnston states in his report to Torontos planning and housing committee. The regulatory oversight by our building inspectors provides the public with assurance that the buildings where they live, work and visit meet all fire and life standard requirements while achieving other objectives such as environmental protections and accessibility, he says. Johnston is right. Municipal politicians in Toronto and across Ontario need to add their voices to his. If delays are the issue the province wants to fix there are better ways to do that than giving in to this development-industry power grab. In a real consultation those better alternatives would be fully aired and ultimately adopted. But thats not necessarily the case here. As Johnston points out, his response to the consultation was limited by the maturity of the ideas presented. This is a troubling pattern with the Ford government. It throws out ideas and concepts without providing enough details for people to understand whats being proposed, let alone judge their merits. Once the government decides what it wants to do, or at least what it thinks it can get away with, it says it has consulted. It cherry-picks a few comments and claims it has support for whatever its doing. RELATED STORIES Provincial Politics Should Ontario developers be allowed to hire and pay their own building inspectors? The government also has a disturbing track record of dismantling necessary regulations and oversight while claiming its making things better or just cutting red tape. Letting developers hire certified professionals as building inspectors is still just a proposal. But that doesnt mean sense will prevail given this governments view of consultation and its other misguided moves to benefit the development industry. The government revived developer-friendly OMB rules. It gutted endangered species habitat protections, which critics say lets developers pay to slay. It lowered housing density targets, allowing for more urban sprawl. Its time this government listened to other voices. Steve Clark, the minister of municipal affairs and housing, needs to take guidance from the municipal experts who are experienced in ensuring buildings are safe and meet the code, rather than the development industry whose primary interest is how fast it can get buildings up and sold. Ontarians deserve building code oversight they can trust to put safety, not business interests, first. Read more about: These Stores Are Most at Risk of Going Bankrupt Sears. Gymboree. Payless ShoeSource. The sad parade of store closings and bankruptcies keeps marching on and with no end in sight, because analysts say America still has way more stores than it needs, especially now that we're doing so much shopping online. Will your favorite chain be next? These 12 retailers have the greatest odds of going bankrupt over the next year, Retail Dive reports, using data from CreditRiskMonitor. Remember to take along a cash-back credit card to your next going-out-of-business sale, to save even more. 1. Neiman Marcus Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock Neiman Marcus has opened a new store in New York's Manhattan. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: As high as 50% Because its luxury department stores are meccas for upscale shoppers, Neiman Marcus was initially able to fend off the threat from online retailers. But as shopping habits continue to evolve, even among the well-to-do, Neiman's has had to invest more in e-commerce and digital technologies and has taken on a ton debt in the process. Though sales have been rising and the chain is celebrating the opening of its first store in New York City, red ink remains a very big problem for Neiman Marcus. A bankruptcy reorganization may be the only solution. 2. J. Crew lentamart / Shutterstock J. Crew continues to lose money and is weighed down by debt. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: As high as 50% A quarter-century ago, J. Crew was a catalog-only niche retailer selling barn jackets and rugby shirts. Starting in the late 1990s, the company rapidly expanded into brick-and-mortar stores. Then, the brand sought to go upscale but that approach didn't quite pan out. The chain has been posting losses for years, including a net loss of $120.1 million for 2018. Though sales were up 6% last year at the company's stores open at least a year, J. Crew is struggling under the weight of $1.7 billion in debt which could make bankruptcy inevitable. 3. Francesca's Helen89 / Shutterstock These are tough times at Francesca's. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: As high as 50% The last year has not been pretty for the women's clothing and accessories chain Francesca's, which has been losing lots of money and customers. Story continues Visits to the company's stores have dropped around 15% in recent months as younger shoppers have drifted away to online retailers and one-of-a-kind boutiques, the Houston Chronicle reports. Francesca's has announced it's closing up to 40 stores in 2019, and the company has been shaking up its management and weighing its options, including whether to put itself up for sale. Bankruptcy may be another alternative. 4. Rite Aid Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock Rite Aid was once the nation's largest drugstore chain. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: As high as 50% Rite Aid was once America's largest drugstore chain, but it's now just a shadow of what it was, after an attempt to merge with Walgreens went bust in 2017. Though the deal failed, Walgreens did end up buying more than 2,000 Rite Aid stores leaving behind another 2,500 drugstores in need of a prescription for survival. Sales at Rite Aid stores have been uneven, the company recently cut 400 jobs, and Walgreens has had major second thoughts about the Rite Aid locations it took over. It's closing about 750 of them. 5. J.C. Penney Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock J.C. Penney is being squeezed and is closing stores. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Shopping mall mainstay J.C. Penney is in a tough spot, in the middle of the retail road. It doesn't sell luxury items, but it also can't claim the lowest prices. Penney famously did away with coupons a few years ago and tried an everyday-low-prices strategy, but that flopped because savings-hungry shoppers were unhappy to lose the coupons. Now, the department store company is being squeezed by Amazon and other online retailers, and by popular discount chains such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. J.C. Penney has said it will close 27 stores in 2019, but analysts are predicting dozens more will shut down. 6. Pier 1 Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock Pier 1 needs to light a candle. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Furnishings retailer Pier 1 will need to light some scented candles and find its Zen if it wants to stay clear of bankruptcy. A key measure of the chain's sales dropped 10.5% in the most recent quarter, continuing a downward trend. Pier 1 has been working on reinventing itself, overhauling its prices and investing more in its online operation. But finding money for all of that has been a challenge, especially since the company is deep in debt. To top it off, Pier 1 gets a majority of its products from China, so tariffs from the ongoing trade war haven't helped matters for the company. 7. Ascena Retail Group MilesbeforeIsleep / Shutterstock Dressbarn is one of the many chains owned by Ascena Retail Group. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Never heard of Ascena Retail? You probably know it better by the names of its clothing stores for women and girls, including Justice, Ann Taylor, Loft, Dressbarn, Catherines and Lane Bryant. You see them in practically every mall and strip shopping center, but the company has been hit hard by shoppers who have realized that online shopping is even closer at hand and more convenient. (Especially when you have the right credit card.) With its sales sinking, Ascena said in June 2017 that it would close as many as 667 stores within two years. It's on track to shutter 200 or so during the first half of 2019. 8. Destination Maternity JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock Destination Maternity has been expecting things to get better. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Destination Maternity is the company behind the Motherhood and Pea in the Pod stores you find standing alone or as departments within Macy's and Buy Buy Baby stores. Destination calls itself "the world's largest designer and retailer of maternity apparel." But it has been losing money while straining to find the right strategy to appeal to millennial moms who grew up with the internet. The company is taking (baby?) steps to improve its online store, such as by shortening the shipping times. That hasn't stopped sales from going downhill, and the company is closing stores. 9. Tailored Brands Luke.Travel / Shutterstock Tailored Brands is the company behind Men's Wearhouse and several other menswear chains. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% As more professional men go tieless and wear polo shirts and jeans to work, Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Joseph Abboud and the other chains that are part of Tailored Brands are in something of an identity crisis. The storied Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs recently announced that suits and ties are now optional for its employees. Amid that kind of sea change, sales at Tailored Brands dropped 10.7% in the company's latest quarter. "We have just not kept pace with an evolving customer," the retailer's executive chairman, Dinesh Lathi, told analysts in a recent conference call. 10. Stein Mart Helen89 / Shutterstock Stein Mart has been struggling for years Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Discount department store chain Stein Mart said early last year that it would "explore all opportunities" to lift its sad sales numbers but today, they remain dreary. The company had a disappointing 2018 holiday sales season and recently reported that its quarterly and annual sales have been sliding. But Stein Mart is trying to meet more of its shoppers where they live: online. It has been putting virtually every item found in its stores onto its website, and executive say those efforts are paying off. 11. Overstock.com Jarretera / Shutterstock The Big O has been trying to find a buyer. Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Yes, even an e-commerce retailer can wind up on the endangered list. Are you surprised? The discount site that once invited customers to "discover the secret of the Big O" has been trying to sell its online shopping operation so it can transform itself into a blockchain company. But so far Overstock hasn't found a buyer. While the search continues, sales are faltering and debt is mounting. The company reported a net loss of $42.3 million from its most recent quarter. 12. Camping World Holdings Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock Bankruptcy odds within the next year: Under 10% Fans of the CNBC reality show The Profit should be familiar with Camping World because it's led by the show's investor/star Marcus Lemonis. It's how he started building his business empire. Retail Dive says Camping World could find itself teetering toward bankruptcy after "an interesting couple of years" of gobbling up other outdoorsy businesses, including the Gander Mountain chain, recently renamed Gander Outdoors. Though sales were up for the Camping World company in the most recent quarter, it posted a net loss of $71.5 million. And, there's a potentially poisonous snake in the camping tent: more than $1 billion in long-term debt. President Trump on Wednesday indicated he may be considering reforming programs like social security and Medicare, signaling a possible break from his campaign pledge not to curtail entitlement spending. Speaking with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump was asked whether he would cut entitlements at some point. Will entitlements ever be on your plate? asked interviewer Joe Kernen. At some point they will be, Trump responded. At the right time, we will take a look at that. You know, thats the easiest of all things [to cut]. Trump went on to suggest that strong economic growth under his administration would make entitlement cuts more palatable to the American public. In his 2016 presidential campaign Trump promised not to cut government entitlements. Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts, read a Trump campaign announcement in that year. Huckabee is a nice guy but will never be able to bring in the funds so as not to cut Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. I will, Trump wrote in a 2015 tweet before he entered the presidential race. In March of 2019, Trump proposed $1.9 trillion in cuts to programs like social security and Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office projected spending on social safety-net programs to top $30 trillion through 2029. Republicans and other administration officials have been generally more cautious in speaking about whether the administration intends to roll back spending on entitlement programs. All Im going to say is that we talked about there needs to be bipartisan review of government spending and thats something at the appropriate time well look at, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNBC earlier in January. More from National Review Russia Steps Up Checks At Borders, Airports To Block Virus Spread By RFE/RL January 21, 2020 Russia says it is stepping up checks at borders and airports to prevent the spread of a new virus from China that has killed at least six people and reached areas in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and now has seen the first case reported in the United States. Russian authorities have "taken additional measures to reinforce sanitation and quarantine control in points of passage through the Russian border," the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology (VECTOR) said on January 21. It said staff members will isolate people suspected of being infected with the coronavirus and that clinics have prepared to receive patients. Russia shares a border of more than 4,200 kilometers with China, and some 1.5 million Chinese tourists visit each year. Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport told AFP that additional sanitation-control measures would be used to screen passengers on flights from China, with heat scanners used to measure passengers' body temperature while they are still on the arriving plane. "In case of elevated temperature, a medical team is immediately called to the plane," Sheremetyevo said. It added that no cases have been detected so far, but if a coronavirus infection is suspected, "the passenger is immediately isolated in a special room and hospitalized in a specialized medical facility for an evaluation." Russian officials also cautioned citizens against visiting Wuhan in central China where the new virus first emerged. It urged them to avoid markets with live animals or zoos, to drink only bottled water, and to wear face masks. Other countries have also taken precautions against the spread of the virus, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. In the northwestern U.S. city of Seattle, health officials on January 21 reported what is believed to be the first case of a person being diagnosed with the virus after returning to the United States from China. Officials said a 30-year-old man who had traveled to the Wuhan area had no symptoms when he arrived in the United States, but that he contacted doctors on January 19 after he began to feel ill. They said the man is in good condition at a hospital and is not considered a threat to medical staff or the public. The discovery came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on January 18 said it would begin screening at three U.S. airports -- San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York -- of passengers arriving from central China Meanwhile, Australia's chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, told reporters on January 21 that three weekly direct flights from Wuhan to Sydney will be met by border security and biosecurity staff for assessment. However, Murphy acknowledged the measures would only offer "limited protection" because the incubation period "is probably a week." The World Health Organization (WHO) has called an urgent meeting for January 22 to discuss the crisis and determine whether the outbreak is an international health emergency. Doctors began seeing the newly identified coronavirus -- which brings on pneumonia symptoms including fever, cough, and breathing problems -- in people who worked at or visited a food market in the suburbs of Wuhan, in central China, late last month. With reporting by AFP, AP, TASS, Bloomberg, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-steps-up- checks-at-borders-airports-to-block- virus-spread/30389872.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gerald Lewis Brown Jr., 41, of Upper Marlboro, was killed in the crash shortly before 8 a.m. in the 10200 block of Marlboro Pike, county police said. The listed site of the crash is in the Upper Marlboro area. National Cheese Lover's Day, yes there is such a thing, took place on the 20th of January. The day is meant to give cheese lovers a chance to indulge in the decadence of cheese tasting as well, introduce newbies into the fan fold. Image Source: IANS News National Cheese Lover's Day, yes there is such a thing, took place on the 20th of January. The day is meant to give cheese lovers a chance to indulge in the decadence of cheese tasting as well, introduce newbies into the fan fold. Image Source: IANS News National Cheese Lover's Day, yes there is such a thing, took place on the 20th of January. The day is meant to give cheese lovers a chance to indulge in the decadence of cheese tasting as well, introduce newbies into the fan fold. Image Source: IANS News National Cheese Lover's Day, yes there is such a thing, took place on the 20th of January. The day is meant to give cheese lovers a chance to indulge in the decadence of cheese tasting as well, introduce newbies into the fan fold. Image Source: IANS News National Cheese Lover's Day, yes there is such a thing, took place on the 20th of January. The day is meant to give cheese lovers a chance to indulge in the decadence of cheese tasting as well, introduce newbies into the fan fold. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Jan 22 : National Cheese Lover's Day, yes there is such a thing, took place on the 20th of January. The day is meant to give cheese lovers a chance to indulge in the decadence of cheese tasting as well, introduce newbies into the fan fold. Booking.com, one of the digital leaders in connecting travellers has populated some of the best destinations across the world to go cheese tasting. For those gastronomically curious it's the best way to learn about diversity of cheese and to titillate your taste-buds. For newbies its an opportunity to experience cheese varieties that go beyond the regular processed cheese. Bandel, West Bengal The Bandel cheese, a salty, crumbly thing, owes its name to the town of Bandel in West Bengal, which was once under Portugese territory. A gourmet food, this cheese connects the historical European food legacy to the roots of medieval Bengal. Available as small dumpling-sized balls in the New Market area of Kolkata, Bandel has a very dry texture and smoky flavour, and is often soaked overnight to soften. It is then added to dishes-sprinkled on crackers, tossed on salad, or sometimes, like feta, indulged covertly on its own. Gouda, Netherlands Produced in the surrounding region, travelers to Gouda can purchase wheels of the local delicacy at the city's Thursday morning market that takes place from April through to August. Having first started in 1395, this bustling market has kept its traditional charm, with farmers and traders 'clapping hands' to confirm a sale in front of the historic city hall buildings. Travelers should also visit "de Goudse Waag", which means the Gouda scale, was built in 1669 and originally used for weighing cheese. Now it's home to the tourist information office as well as the Cheese and Crafts Museum, which offers cheese tasting, tours and craft demonstrations. Cheddar, UK Local legend says that Cheddar cheese was discovered by accident when a milkmaid accidentally let a pail of milk stored in the cool caves go bad, turning it into hard cheese. Adventurous visitors to the village of Cheddar can explore these chilly caves at Cheddar Gorge, the largest gorge in the UK. After exploring and working up an appetite, cheese-lovers can stop by the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, where visitors can see the cheese being made from start to finish at the working dairy and visitor center. Monterey, California, USA Named after its place of origin and the entrepreneur who began selling it commercially, Monterey Jack cheese has become a staple of many Americans' fridge or cheese board. This white, semi-hard cheese made using cow's milk is known for its mild flavor and slight sweetness. Originally, Monterey Jack was made by Franciscan friars of Monterey of Alta California in the 18th-Century. A local businessman, David Jacks identified the delicious opportunity and started selling it all over the state, where it came to be known as "Monterey Jack's" or "Jack's Monterey". Whilst there are no dairy farms in the city of Monterey city itself, the destination's rich cheese history makes it the perfect travel destination for cheese lovers from around the world. Asiago, Italy Asiago, a township in Italy, not only shares the name of but was the birthplace of Asiago cheese. In this town, travelers can visit Azienda Agricola Waister Di Rela Riccardo which is a small, niche cheese factory where visitors can feel like an authentic dairy farmer as they witness the various stages of cheese production. With Asiago though, it's all about the taste, and visitors can sample the cheese available onsite. If one factory isn't enough, travelers visiting Asiago can also head to Caseificio Pennar Asiago or Pennar Dairy Cooperative Shop, a specialty shop offering fresh and quality cheeses to purchase. Munster, France Munster, a small commune in France, is home to the strong-smelling soft cheese with which it shares its name. La Maison du Fromage (Cheese House - Munster Valley) is the perfect destination for those with a soft-spot for Munster. The Cheese House offers films, exhibitions, educational workshops, and of course the opportunity to indulge in a tasting or two. Munster cheese was first made here as early as 1371, and history-lovers will be excited as the region is also home to the Ruins of Munster Abbey, the 16th century Lion fountain in the Market Square or even just exploring the town itself which dates to 1550. Ciudad Real, Spain Ciudad Real is the home of Manchego Cheese, a delicious cheese made from the milk of the Manchega sheep breed. For a mouth-watering experience, travelers should head to Finca de Las Terceras, a farm dedicated to producing Manchego cheese, in the southeast of Ciudad Real, Spain. Here, travelers can witness cheese connoisseurs producing the finest cheese from scratch and can even buy these fine delicacies at the farm. Foodie travelers of all tastes can find what they're looking for in the city's Plaza Mayor, with a variety of restaurants set amongst the historical square. Ciudad Real is home to plenty of cheese shops, so visitors can sample the varieties on offer and pick their favourites. GRANITE CITY Stephanie Cann will succeed Jim Greenwald at superintendent of the Granite City School District for the 2020-2021 school year. With more than 20 years of experience as a teacher and administrator, Cann currently is an instructor and supervisor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles Department of Teaching and Learning. She received her superintendent certification from SIUE in 2017 and is working towards a Doctor of Education in curriculum and instruction at McKendree University in Lebanon. Cann will assume her new position at Grainite City in July. She began her career in education as a high school teacher and department chair in the Roxana Community Unit School District where she later served as assistant principal. Before earning her superintendent certification, she was the principal of Wolf Ridge Elementary and Junior High schools in Bunker Hill. Educators come in all forms and abilities, and I quickly realized that teaching at each grade level requires its own set of special instructional and social skills, said Cann. My appreciation for the educational process and my realization as to its importance in child and citizen development led me to desire to make an even greater impact. Looking forward in this new role, I am extremely motivated to put my experience, education and passion for children into actions that will lead the Granite City School District into an exciting future, she said. During the past year at SIUE, she has worked directly with elementary and secondary teacher candidates in their field placements. Were grateful to Dr. Cann for the year she has devoted to educating future teachers at SIUE, said Paul Rose, PhD, associate dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB). While she will be missed, its gratifying to applaud an alumna who is advancing her career and making a difference in the region. Cann, of Edwardsville, is the mother of two. A Granite City South High school graduate, she also attended Niedringhaus Elementary School and Coolidge Junior High in Granite City. Latinos are known to be family-oriented and the influence of abuelas has become a great part of the Latino community, according to a published article in Refinery 29. There are roughly more than 55 million Latinos living in the United States today and making them the largest minority group in the country. Each of the Latino families has unique cultural experiences. It won't take long for a non-Latino to understand how amazing abuelas are. Most abuelas are known for their passionate heart in showing love especially to their grandchildren and their magical skills in the kitchen. Abuelas living in the United States become the thread that connects the Latino family. According to the Pew Research Center, 27 percent of Latino families living in the United States are coming from multigenerational homes. Most Latino families share the same experiences in regards to their abuelas, such as raising them as a child, teaching culture, and making sure that there is enough food on their plates. Abuelas play a very important role in the Latino family because they also serve as the glue that keeps many families together. In this article, we will share with you different stories of unconditional love shown by abuelas. Here are some of the stories that you should know. Frederick, Puerto Rico "My parents found out I was gay at 14 after I had come out to a close group of friends at my Catholic School. Even though my mother is incredibly supportive now, it took her a bit to accept that her son was never going to make her an abuela. I'm told that one day, my mom was on the phone venting to my grandmother about her kid being gay. Abuela listened, of course, and at the end just said: 'Priscilla - he's your son. Whatever you are feeling right now is irrelevant, and it's your job to love him for who he is, always.' Anyway, that's the story about how my grandmother helped my mom come to terms with my sexuality, and grow to have the beautiful relationship we have today." Karolyna, Mexico "My parents divorced when I was five years old. My mom was left to take her two kids back home to Texas, and my abuela from my dad's side took us in. I'm not sure how many months we stayed with her, but she took care of our every need. She watched over us as my mom looked for work. She found us a house to rent and live in. She continued to watch us, feed us, and even help raise us. They say it takes a village to raise a baby, but my abuela was our village." Ludmila, Guatemala "One of the ways my abuela, who we call Mami Tere, has always shown her love is through food. Big pots of black bean soup, sopa de gallina, and other dishes made with love and from scratch. As she has gotten older, cooking has become hard for her. I only get to see her, once a year or less, and every time I come back to visit, her arthritis has gotten worse. Her fingers are more twisted, and it's hard for her to find the strength to chop and make meals like she used to. My grandmother's recipes are passed down to my mother, and I was raised on them; they were a way for me to hold onto a little piece of her, of my heritage, and of my history even though I grew up thousands of miles away. Recently, while I was in town, she didn't have the energy to cook for me. I could see the disappointment on her face. Still, she painstakingly wrote down a couple of recipes on a piece of paper - it must have taken her a long time because her arthritis makes it difficult even to hold a pen. Before I left for the airport to go home, she pressed a folded piece of paper with the recipe for my favorite soup and a bag of platanitos into my hand. 'Think of me when you make these,' she said. And I always do." Sara, Columbia "My abuela was the bravest woman I ever met. She got a divorce from her abusive husband in the 60s, in Colombia, where the divorce was frowned upon. She had never worked before and she didn't go to university, so she started sewing school uniforms so she could provide for her four children. Against all odds, she succeeded. She kept the family together. She has been gone for five years, and I still miss her sweet smile and her kind eyes every day." Lucilla, Puerto Rico "My grandmother Generosa was the medicine woman of the family. She provided us the type of care that only a grandmother could whip up without having to go to a doctor's office and wait for a shot to make us better. If mom told her we were sick, she'd go to the local butcher's shop - at the time you could have live chicken's killed at the butchers - to get their oldest chicken, available, la gallina mas Vieja, and make chicken soup. She'd then gather yerba buena, manzanilla, cinnamon, and other herbs for tea. When she would arrive, she would take us to bathe in Agua Florida and Alcohlado Superior 70. She would pat us dry, rub Vicks [Vaporub] on our chest, and have us rest while she cooked up chicken soup and tea. Once those were done, she'd feed us and the last thing she would do is pray over as she tucked us in. The next day, we would wake up feeling as if we had never been sick. She had healing hands and was just as generous as her name. She would give someone the shirt off her back and the last plate of food if they walked in needing something." The one thing that all these people have in common (other than being of Latino descent) is the impact that their grandmothers had on their lives. It serves as a reminder that not only are they an important part of our everyday lives, but that we too, will one day be tasked with nurturing, and developing our young family members. So listen to what your abuela tells you, because one day you will have to pass on her knowledge and wisdom. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:14:35|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MANILA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines successfully priced its first international bond issuance in 2020 with its total offering of 1.2 billion euro (roughly 1.33 million U.S. dollars) from euro-dominated bonds offered to foreign investors, the country's Bureau of Treasury said on Wednesday. The Philippines offered 600 million euros of note with a three-year maturity, and another 600 million euros under a nine-year tenor, the bureau said. "The Philippines successfully priced its first international bond issuance in 2020 with its total offering of 1.2 billion euros 3- and 9-year global bonds," Philippine National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said in a statement. She said the euro debt papers, which mark the Philippines' first offering in the global market this year, have been priced on Tuesday night. "The bonds are expected to be rated Baa2 by Moody's, BBB+ by Standard & Poor's and BBB by Fitch," she said, adding that the notes are expected to settle on February 3 this year. According to de Leon, this offering is a landmark transaction for the Philippines having priced its lowest coupon euro issuance as well as its first-ever zero-coupon euro issuance in the international capital markets. Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez welcomed the positive response from the market. "The overwhelming response from the market for this landmark transaction underscores the international investor community's deepening confidence in the Philippine economy amid the reforms put in place by the Duterte administration to sustain the country's high and inclusive growth in the face of the current geopolitical headwinds," he said. Last year, the Philippines returned to the euro debt market to end the country's 13-year absence. BAY CITY, MI Four years after winning a half-million dollars from a scratch-off lottery ticket, a Bay County woman pleaded guilty Tuesday for her involvement in two burglaries. Her defense attorney said she is accused of similar acts in at least three other counties. Stephanie D. Harvell, 29, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, appeared before Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree home invasion and one count of conspiracy to commit that crime. Both charges are 15-year felonies. Harvell in January 2016 won $500,000 on a $5 Hot Ticket scratch-off from the Michigan Lottery. Harvell on Tuesday said she and her husband, Mitchell T. Arnswald, drove to the houses, and he kicked in the doors. She took jewelry boxes from bedrooms in two homes, she said. She added she did not know the homes owners. Stephanie Harvell and Mitchell T. Arnswald won $500,000 in the Michigan lottery in 2016. They are now accused in several mid-Michigan burglaries.Michigan Lottery Bureau In exchange for Harvells pleas, Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey D. Stroud agreed to dismiss a count of possession of burglary tools. He also agreed not to issue charges stemming from five similar burglaries. Stroud made no agreement regarding Harvells sentence. Janer acted as a Circuit Court judge during the plea hearing. A judge of that higher court will sentence Harvell at a date that is yet to be set. Arnswald, 30, remains charged with two counts second-degree home invasion and single counts conspiracy to commit that crime and possession of burglary tools. He is scheduled to appear before Judge Janer to accept or reject a plea offer on Jan. 31. More: FLINT, MI -- Larry Holley billed himself as more trustworthy than a banker as he traveled the country just a few years ago, mixing religion with investment opportunities in what the former pastor called blessed life conferences. But this year, with his assets frozen and as he awaits sentencing for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, Holley is watching his once-vast real estate empire fade away because of past-due taxes. Property taxes are delinquent for dozens of Flint area commercial properties worth millions of dollars -- all of them owned by companies with ties to Holley, a former Grand Blanc Township resident and former pastor of Abundant Life Ministries International in Flint. Genesee County tax records show the real estate portfolio of Holley, Treasure Enterprise and Abundant Life could be the most valuable package in the foreclosure process this year, accounting for four of the six most valuable properties subject to foreclosure after April 1 unless back-taxes are paid or other arrangements are made. Unlike other real estate, the county has no plans to foreclose on properties with ties to Holley because the assets are frozen and held in receivership by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. County Treasurer Deb Cherry said the appointment of a receiver by the SEC in 2018 means the county will wait to see what becomes of the properties, five of which are commercial buildings with market values estimated at more than $500,000 each, including office buildings at 4488 West Bristol Road, 5508 Calkins Road, 2029 S. Elms Road 4128, Clio Road and 4215 W. Pasadena Ave. MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Holley, who last month asked a federal judge to replace his criminal defense attorney before hes sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, which he pleaded guilty to in July, according to court records. "Holley sent his retained counsel an email indicating that he believed there was a breakdown in communication and that it is in (his) best interest to go another direction as it pertains to (his) legal case, " says a motion to withdraw as counsel, filed by Flint attorney Clint Perryman. The Journal could not reach Perryman for comment and the phone at Holleys Abundant Life church has been disconnected. Before Holley was indicted, his church promoted itself on Facebook as distributors of knowledge, wisdom, wealth, & substance throughout the world for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. In addition to Holley, Patricia Gray, who prosecutors said worked with Holley to recruit new investors, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit fraud and is awaiting sentencing, facing up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000. In a plea agreement signed by Holley, he admits soliciting investors by using false promises and omissions that the funds would be used for investments in real estate in the Flint ... area or in legitimate securities, promising those individuals rates of return ranging from 3 to 21 percent per year, and promising a money-back satisfaction guarantee. The fraud included rolling over retirement accounts to self-directed IRAs," but the plea agreement Holley signed says the investor funds were usually deposited into Treasure Enterprises business bank account and used to make interest and principal payments to earlier investors and for the personal benefit of Holley and Gray. In one example cited in the agreement, Holley persuaded an investor victim" to take out 15 loans for an estimated total amount of $500,000 and to transfer the money to Treasure. When all payments to the victim stopped in or around August 2016, the victim was forced to file for personal bankruptcy, the court record says. Federal authorities have said Holley helped bilk about $6.7 million from more than 80 investors, some of whom turned over their entire life savings. Holley barnstormed the country with his blessed life conferences, saying he was more trustworthy than a banker because unlike a banker, he prayed for your children. Before his indictment, Holley proclaimed himself a millionaire and promoted his work to cancel the debts of people who owed money to his former used car business. He claimed to own more than 90 homes and multiple commercial properties in the Flint area and said that his church owned several investment properties. In 2017, the state of Michigan shut down Abundant Life Ministries and Holley agreed to no longer conduct any business regulated under the Michigan Uniform Securities Act. Read more: Pastors company shut down after allegedly stealing millions from investors President of the Council of State, Greeces top administrative court, Katerina Sakellaropoulou speaks during an event in Athens, Greece, on Oct. 18, 2018. (Vassilis Rebapis/Eurokinissi via Reuters) With a Nod From Parliament, Greece Gets First Female President Top judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou became Greeces first woman president on Jan. 22 when lawmakers elected her head of state in a rare display of unity. Sakellaropoulou, 64, has been president of the Council of State, Greeces top administrative court. She will succeed Prokopis Pavlopoulos, whose five-year term expires in March. In an unusual demonstration of harmony in the fractious world of Greek politics, the conservative party nominee was backed by opposition parties, including the leftist Syriza party which lost power in an election last July. She was backed by 261 MPs in the 300-member parliament. Greek Prime Minster and ministers of the government applaud after the announcement of the results of a presidential vote at the parliament in Athens, Greece, on Jan. 22,2020. (Costas Baltas/ Reuters) Sakellaropoulou, from the northern city of Thessaloniki, became the first female head of the Council of State in 2018, supported for that position by the then leftist government. A divorcee who lives in central Athens and is active on social media, Sakellaropoulou has written numerous papers on environmental protection and chairs a society on environmental law. She is also an avid cat-lover. For decades, failure by parliament to elect a president in Greece could lead to a snap election. Following a recent reform, the process to select a president can go up to five voting rounds in parliament with the threshold starting at 200 votes and gradually falling to the majority of those present in the room. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed that Modi held 13 pre-Budget consultation meetings which were attended by top industrialists, but to none of these meetings Sitharaman was invited. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed on Wednesday that pre-Budget meetings are being held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) but Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not being invited. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not happy with Sitharaman's performance, he should ask her to resign, the former Maharashtra chief minister said in Pune. The Union budget would be presented on February 1. "Traditionally, pre-Budget meetings are conducted by the finance ministry. The entire Budget process happens at the finance ministry, under the finance minister's guidance," Chavan, who was a minister in the PMO during the UPA years, said. He claimed that Modi held 13 pre-Budget consultation meetings which were attended by top industrialists. "Surprisingly, to none of these meetings Sitharaman was invited," he alleged. If this meant that the prime minister was not happy with her performance, Sitharaman should be asked to resign, the Congress leader said. "This (keeping Sitharaman out of the loop) will demoralise the entire finance ministry staff as this is unprecedented," Chavan added. It seemed that the prime minister had taken control of the finance ministry, he further said. "Even though the Budget speech will be made by the finance minister, it (the speech) would be of the PM," he said. "The growth rate is at its lowest right now and since it is at its lowest, the per capita income will not improve and in such a condition, the target of becoming $5 trillion economy is not possible (to achieve)," the Congress leader said. Referring to the BJP-led Union government's promise to bring back black money stashed abroad, Chavan said no action was taken against the people whose names cropped up in the Panama Papers investigations. "A country like Pakistan took action against former PM Nawaz Sharif (when his name came up)," he added. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters [January 22, 2020] Cofense to Host Third Annual Phishing Defence and User Conference in London Submerge London, Europe's premier showcase for phishing defence, takes attendees on a deep dive into the latest phishing trends with insights from leading experts across the globe LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cofense, the global leader in intelligent phishing defence solutions, today announced registration is open for Submerge London, its international user conference and phishing defence summit. Taking place at the Hilton Canary Wharf from 5-6 May 2020, Submerge London is Europe's premier event for phishing defence and incident response, providing two full days of technical and educational sessions led by industry leaders and security experts. The third annual conference promises even deeper hands-on content than ever before including more than 20 sessions covering the latest phishing defense strategies and tactics, case studies presented by leading industry professionals and ample networking opportunities with peers from across the world. As with previous years, there will also be a wealth of speaker tracks over the two days, truly submerging attendees into the latest anti-phishing best practices and how they can unlock the poer of collective human intelligence to defend against advanced cyber threats. Those interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise at the event can submit a presentation abstract for consideration through the Call for Speakers submission form, focusing on one of four topics: Innovation in Phishing Awareness; Aligning Phishing Defence to the Business; Phishing Incident Response; or the Phishing Threat Landscape. "The email security threat landscape is constantly evolving with attackers innovating their way past security controls on a daily basis," said Rohyt Belani, chief executive officer and co-founder, Cofense. "That's why it's important cybersecurity professionals stay ahead of the latest attack vectors and be prepared for threats heading their way. With a 95% recommendation rate from previous attendees, we're thrilled to bring organizations, partners and industry leaders the tools and knowledge they need to ramp up their phishing defence programs." Submerge London 2020 is open to existing Cofense customers and non-customers. The event is ideally suited for cybersecurity professionals, operators, and decision makers who focus on email security and phishing defence. Early bird registration discounts for Submerge London 2020 are available until 1st March, where tickets are available for 49 - half the regular rate. Those interested in attending can register here and find further information on the event and venue. About Cofense Cofense, formerly PhishMe, the leading provider of intelligent phishing defense solutions worldwide, is uniting humanity against phishing. The Cofense suite of products combines timely attack intelligence sourced from employees, with best-in-class incident response technologies to stop attacks faster and stay ahead of breaches. Cofense customers include Global 1000 organizations in defense, energy, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing sectors that understand how changing user behavior will improve security, aid incident response and reduce the risk of compromise. Media Contact [email protected] Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1klkN3q4ZE Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645799/Cofense_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] WASHINGTON - A rancorous dispute over rules marked the first full day of President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. After nearly 13 hours of debate over Democratic amendments, the rules for the trial were adopted unchanged in a party-line vote early Wednesday. Highlights of Tuesdays session and whats ahead as senators conduct just the third impeachment trial of a president: RULES REVERSAL A proposal by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would have imposed a tight two-day schedule for opening arguments by each side. The plan, an apparent bid by McConnell to get the trial moving quickly, also would have forced senators to vote affirmatively to consider evidence compiled by the House during its impeachment proceedings. The proposal drew immediate protests from Democrats, and some Republicans made their concerns known in private during a GOP lunch. The initial plan, they argued, would have helped Democrats cast Republicans as squeezing testimony through in the dead of night. McConnell quickly added an extra day for opening arguments and stipulated that evidence from the House proceedings be included in the record. FROM EUROPE, A PRESIDENTIAL TWEET Trump, attending a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland, made his feelings about impeachment clear. READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! he tweeted from overseas. The tweet referred to a rough transcript of Trumps phone call in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a favour. The call sparked a whistleblowers complaint that led to an investigation culminating in a House vote to impeach Trump on a charge of abuse of power for pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden while withholding military aid from Ukraine. The House also voted to impeach Trump on a charge of obstruction of Congress. DEMOCRATIC REQUESTS REJECTED Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York offered the first amendment to the rules a proposal to issue a subpoena to the White House for all documents, communications and other records relating to the Ukraine matter. In a prelude to other Democratic requests, Republicans promptly rejected Schumers amendment on a 53-47, party-line vote. Republicans defeated a series of other Democratic motions on identical party-line votes as senators debated late into the night. CHARGES OF Coverup Amid the partisan back and forth, House prosecutors and White House lawyers offered initial arguments. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and lead prosecutor, said the rules package proposed by McConnell was a process for a rigged trial and a coverup. Schiff and other Democrats cite the White House transcript as evidence of Trumps political pressure campaign on Ukraine, although the president repeatedly describes the call as perfect. NO CRIME, NO IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE Trumps legal team does not dispute his actions in the July 25 call. But White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the presidents lead lawyer, said the charges against the president dont amount to impeachable offences and that Trump committed no crime. They also say theres no evidence that aid to Ukraine was tied to a request for an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter, a former board member of a Ukrainian gas company. AVOIDING A SENATE CIRCUS Just because the House proceedings were a circus that doesnt mean the Senates trial needs to be, tweeted Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. He supports holding a vote after hearing arguments on both sides to determine whether additional witnesses or documents should be considered by the Senate. OVERNIGHT PASSAGE Democrats proposed 10 amendments during the marathon session, and Republicans rejected all of them. At nearly 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Senate approved the rules 53-47, reflecting the Republican-Democratic makeup of the chamber. WHATS NEXT? More legal skirmishes are expected Wednesday, and White House lawyers may move to call for the case to be dismissed, although it was not clear if they planned to pursue that option. Some Republicans have said they would oppose a dismissal vote. Absent another unexpected delay, opening arguments by both sides are likely to resume. Dublin, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Beverages Industry in Mozambique 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report covers the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages industry in Mozambique and the local and multinational companies that operate in it. The report includes comprehensive information on the size and state of the industry and the factors that influence it. There are profiles of 15 companies including the major player Cervejas de Moambique, PepsiCo bottling franchisee Varun Beverages, Mopani Internacional, which manufactures the popular brand Fizz, Yaafico Industrial which produces the carbonated soft drink Frozy and gin and whiskey producer Diageo Moambique. South African companies Shoprite, Woolworths and Massmart, which sell beverages in the country, are also profiled. The Beverages Industry in Mozambique A new entrant in the beer market and a number of commitments by industry players to increase capacity reflect investor interest in Mozambique's relatively underdeveloped, but expanding beverages market, despite the challenging operating environment. Coca-Cola Beverages Africa dominates Mozambique's non-alcoholic beverages market. The commercial beer segment was previously controlled by Cervejas de Moambique, which is 49%-held by AB InBev. But the opening of a US$100m brewery in Maputo in March 2019 by Dutch brewer Heineken has triggered a beer war. Local Production Notwithstanding efforts to develop domestic production capacity, Mozambique continues to be highly reliant on imported inputs, including glass bottles, which are imported from South Africa. Tax relief is being offered to producers that procure 50% or more of inputs locally, and industry role players said this has helped bring down the cost per litre of alcohol produced. The government offered reduced tax to companies that set up new breweries for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Cervejas de Moambique's launch of Impala, a beer made from maize, was expected to create 3,500 farm jobs as the company sources its maize locally. Story continues Key Topics Covered 1. INTRODUCTION 2. COUNTRY INFORMATION 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 3.1. Value Chain 3.2. Geographic Position 4. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 5. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 5.1. Local 5.1.1. Corporate Actions 5.1.2. Regulations 5.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 5.2. Continental 5.3. International 6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 6.1. Economic Environment 6.2. Government Interventions 6.3. Socio-Political and Socio-Economic Environment 6.4. Socio-Cultural Environment 6.5. Rising Input Costs 6.6. Technology, Research & Development (R&D) and Innovation 6.7. Environmental Concerns 6.8. Labour 6.9. Cyclicality 6.10. Branding, Advertising and Marketing 6.11. Informal and Illegal Trade in Beverages 6.12. Health and Safety Concerns 7. COMPETITION 7.1. Barriers to Entry 8. SWOT ANALYSIS 9. OUTLOOK 10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 11. References 11.1. Publications 11.2. Websites Companies Mentioned CELFER Lda Cervejas de Mocambique S.A. Coca-Cola Sabco Mozambique SARL DADTCO Mandioca Mozambique Lda Diageo Mozambique Lda Massmart Holdings Ltd. Mopani Internacional Lda SPAR Group Ltd. (The) Shoprite Holdings Ltd. Sociedade Aguas Vumba S.A. Sociedade de Aguas de Mozambique Lda Varun Beverages Mozambique Lda Wine Lovers Maputo Woolworths (Pty) Ltd. Yaafico Industrial Lda For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cwl9tn Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 NASA, SpaceX complete final major flight test of crew spacecraft NASA and SpaceX completed a launch escape demonstration of the companys Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket Sunday. This was the final major flight test of the spacecraft before it begins carrying astronauts to the International Space Station under NASAs Commercial Crew Program. NASA and SpaceX completed a launch escape demonstration of the companys Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 19, 2020. The test began at 10:30 a.m. EST with liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a mission to show the spacecrafts capability to safely separate from the rocket in the unlikely event of an inflight emergency. Credits: NASA Television The launch escape test began at 10:30 a.m. EST with liftoff from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a mission to show the spacecrafts capability to safely separate from the rocket in the unlikely event of an inflight emergency. This critical flight test puts us on the cusp of returning the capability to launch astronauts in American spacecraft on American rockets from American soil, said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. We are thrilled with the progress NASAs Commercial Crew Program is making and look forward to the next milestone for Crew Dragon. As part of the test, SpaceX configured Crew Dragon to trigger a launch escape about 1.5 minutes after liftoff. All major functions were executed, including separation, engine firings, parachute deployment and landing. Crew Dragon splashed down at 10:38 a.m. just off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean. As far as we can tell thus far, its a picture perfect mission. It went as well as one can possibly expect," said Elon Musk, Chief Engineer at SpaceX. This is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the SpaceX and NASA teams to achieve this goal. Obviously, Im super fired up. This is great. Teams of personnel from SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force 45th Operations Group's Detachment-3 out of Patrick Air Force Base will recover the spacecraft for return to SpaceX facilities in Florida and begin the recovery effort of the Falcon 9, which broke apart as planned. The past few days have been an incredible experience for us, said astronaut Doug Hurley. We started with a full dress rehearsal of what Bob and I will do for our mission. Today, we watched the demonstration of a system that we hope to never use, but can save lives if we ever do. It took a lot of work between NASA and SpaceX to get to this point, and we cant wait to take a ride to the space station soon. Prior to the flight test, teams completed launch day procedures for the first crewed flight test, from suit-up to launch pad operations. The joint teams now will begin the full data reviews that need to be completed prior to NASA astronauts flying the system during SpaceXs Demo-2 mission. NASAs Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry as companies develop and operate a new generation of spacecraft and launch systems capable of carrying crews to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station. Commercial human space transportation to and from the station will provide expanded utility, additional research time and broader opportunities for discovery on the orbiting laboratory. The program also has the benefit of facilitating and promoting for America a vibrant economy in low-Earth orbit. I must admit, I have been living vicariously through my best friend for the past two weeks as she embarked on a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. Attempting to soak in every picture she sends my way, I have indulged in her images of beautiful flower markets, chai tea lattes, art pieces, and streets upon streets filled with rows of identical housing. I marvel at the images and thank her for them, yet I cant help but long to physically be there. The Board of Education passed a $92.8 million budget for 2020-21 with nearly $1 million for later start times, and agreed to move forward on a brand-new bus schedule scenario. The Board of Education passed Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzis recommended budget of $92,775,764, up $1,340,809, or 1.47 percent over the 2019-20 budget of $91,434,688, on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The budget had little discussion of other expenses in the budget besides later start times and health benefits. The new scenario would swap the first tier and third tier of the previously considered scenario that was part of the budget proposed Monday, Jan. 6. This would mean moving forward the fifth and sixth graders would be the first children on their buses, the second tier would be the high school students and the third tier elementary students. The budget was passed 6-1, with Dionna Carlson voting against it and Bob Naughton abstaining. Penny Rashin was absent. A past chairman, Carlson made her objections clear throughout the budget meeting. She recommended waiting another year on the new start times, so they would not go into effect until 2021-22, to spend more time considering the new scenario. The next discussion of the Board of Education budget was to be in front of the Board of Selectmen on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 8:30 a.m. at Town Hall. Luizzi included $954,521 in his proposed budget to reschedule bus times so that the older students can start school later, which is considered to be healthier and more in tune with teens circadian rhythms, their wake and sleep cycles. The uptick includes $221,191 for additional staffing, certified and non-certified; and $733,498 in transportation costs for seven more buses. More study will be done to see if when the first tier and the third tier are swapped, there will be cost implications. There were concerns raised that picking up two grades of Saxe Middle School children would take longer than the elementary schools, so some children may be picked up before 7 a.m. The later start times have resulted in much debate, with Board of Education members saying they received hundreds of emails on the issue in the last few weeks. In Jan. 6 budget talks, the later start time scenario proposed by Luizzi would mean the first tier East School, South School and West School would start at 7:45 a.m. and let out at 2:15 p.m. The second tier New Canaan High School would ring the first bell at 8:30 a.m. and discharge students at 3 p.m. Also, as part of tier two, Saxe Middle Schools upper grades, seventh and eighth, would get going at 8:35 a.m. and be released at 3:05 p.m. For tier three, Saxes fifth and sixth grades would start at 9:15 a.m. and get out at 3:45 p.m. Most board members wanted to move forward, prior to learning more about budget changes regarding later start times. I think it is essential to make a decision tonight, board member Sheri West said. We had our administration working on this for two-and-a-half years. If we are not voting yes tonight, then we have to be ready to say stop, because we cant have them working on initiatives into perpetuity, she said. I disagree that if you dont vote for this budget, that you are saying I dont agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Carlson said, referring to studies that raise concern over sleep deprivation in teens due to early start times. What I am saying is that we need to do more work. We dont even know the costs that are associated with this potential option. We are trying to vote on a budget we dont know. I feel we are voting on something before we know what is in it, Carlson said. Brendan Hayes, who had been chairman until November 2019 during much of the discussion over later start times, said he counted as many as 13 scenarios considered for various bus scenarios. My sense is that if the numbers are different, they are not going to be very different, just because all we are doing is swapping the first and third tier, he told Carlson. I dont think we have done that hard work, because we have sort of delegated it to the administration and the board hasnt been in those conversations as we are doing the work. So I think we need to be more engaged with the work and maybe bringing a few people in, teachers and members of the community who have expressed concerns or proponents of changing times, she said. We need to bring in more people doing the work. I know that is what Westport did and I think you get to a better solution. she said. Board of Finance concerns At first, Luizzi had said the budget was within guidelines. However, the budget includes a reduction in health care expenses and members of the Board of Finance objected to Luizzis characterization at a meeting, Jan. 14. Board of Finance budget guidance excluded expenses such as health care, benefits, pension, and 401A contributions and planned to account for them separately. This was mentioned during several discussions on the budget guidelines and done since the reduction may only last one year. We gave them an operating budget [increase] of 1.5 percent excluding the health piece of it, and they came back with a 4.3 percent operating budget, since it includes the health savings, finance board member Michael Chen said the recent a Board of Finance meeting. Finance board members raised concerns that savings were not sustainable, and rather one-time savings. Board of Education member Carl Gardiner addressed some of the concerns on the fund related to the health benefits. As I said last meeting I wanted to make sure that was a sustainable number, he said. It is confusing and it is confusing because of the reserve policy and so there is a release of a reserve, so you can interpret that it is the one-time release of a reserve. But that is really not what is going on, board member Carl Gardiner said. There is a dividend coming in as a result of the good work that has been done in recent years. One is in the food service area to get that house in order and so now the food service operation is able to contribute $200,000 towards their health benefit coverage and it appears to be sustainable and maybe we can do better, Gardiner said. There is a $152,000 savings in stop-loss policy and part of that is claim experience and the other part of that is going out to bid with the town and having the economies of scale, he said. Most important there is a $428,000 reduction in claims from the previous budget. So that totals about $800,000. There is actually, I think, additional leeway in there is probably potentially $100,000 potentially lower stop-loss and if the claims experience holds, there could be another $500,000 there, roughly. So there is in my calculation $800,000 to $1.4 million in sustainable savings in the health care area, he said. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum during the WEF's annual meeting in Davos, on January 20, 2020. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told the World Economic Forum on Wednesday that the UK and the EU will always remain friendsbut warned that the countrys level of access to the European single market will depend on how it aligns itself with EU rules. There is a difference whether you are a member state or not where access to the single market is concerned, so the closer the United Kingdom is to the European Union, the better the access to the single market, von der Leyen said. If it is the UKs choice to be more distant to the European Union, well then there will be more distance to the single market, where ... free movement to free movement of goods, services and capital is concerned. Klaus Schwab, founder of the annual WEF gathering of business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, asked von der Leyen if Brussels would be able to implement all of its ambitious sustainability plans since it needs to spend so much time and energy dealing with Brexit. READ MORE: Europe will be the first climate neutral continent European Commission chief declares at Davos The Commission chief noted that the EU has been dealing with the phenomenon Brexit for the past three-and-a-half years, but that its Brexit task force is separate from the daily business of the Commission. She said that a large amount of the Brexit legwork has already been accomplished, pointing to the EU and UK parliaments approval of the Withdrawal Agreement. She said that for the European Union, the big hurdles of citizens rights and peace on the island of Ireland were satisfactorily solved. It was very important for us to have clarity on citizens rights: We have 3.5 million European citizens living in the UK, and 1.2 million British citizens living in the European Union, she noted. The financial agreement is also fine, she added. We have on top the so-called political declaration, which is kind of a describing the road map we want to go on together and we will work day and night to get that done, she said. We have to sort out this very clear thingaccess to the single marketthere is a condition: Either you align and accept the rules or you are more distantthis is the UKs choice. WATCH: Yahoo Finance at the World Economic Forum in Davos New Delhi: After the Narendra Modi government cold-shouldered Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, India Inc rolled out the red carpet for him in the country's financial capital. Bezos, who was in India for a high-profile visit, did not get time from top government functionaries. On top of that, there were stinging comments from a Union Minister telling Amazon that they were not doing a favour by investing a billion dollars in India. On the other hand, the who's who of India Inc is seen in the picture with Bezos taken at the staircase of The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai which leads to the fabled ballroom on the left hand side. There is a parallel narrative going on Bezos who owns the Washington Post getting slammed by BJP functionaries for its editorial policy which they claim paints India in poor light. There are indications that the Washington Post editorial stance cost Bezos the meetings with Indian government honchos. Eli Lopez, Senior Editor, Global Opinions at the Washington Post and Vijay Chauthaiwale, In-Charge, Foreign Affairs Dept, Bharatiya Janata Party are engaged in a spat on Twitter. "Mr @JeffBezos , please tell this to your employees in Washington DC. Otherwise your charm offensive is likely to be waste of time and money," Chauthaiwale wrote. To which, Lopez responded that Bezos is not telling Washington Post what to write. "Just to clarify: Jeff Bezos doesn't tell Washington Post journalists what to write. Independent journalism is not about charming governments. But there's no question the work of our correspondents and columnists fits within India's democratic traditions." "@elopezgross, read my tweet carefully. I never said Bezos should tell WaPo what to write. I just requested him to tell his employees same things what he talked about India in Delhi. Isn't it reasonable?", the BJP functionary added. "Btw , isn't it true that your desk editor has edited/deleted all anti-Pak references from an invited column by a prominent Indian columnist, so much that he withdrew the article from WaPo and published it somewhere else?" he retorted indicating a slant. Lopez replied: "That's not true. We have published many articles critical of Pakistan. But some writers don't like to be edited. They expect publications to post what they write untouched, unchallenged. If a writer doesn't want to go through our rigorous process, they're welcome to go elsewhere." "Don't give sermons. I am asking specific case of prominent Indian columnist. Either confirm or deny. Btw, your silence will be construed as confirmation," the BJP functionary continued. "I see you have no problem telling this Washington, DC, employee what to do or how what I write should be interpreted. You don't need any help," Lopez added. "Means you are accepting that WaPo has indeed done it. I rest my case," Chauthaiwale said. On the final day of his three-day trip to India, Bezos and Amazon held a roundtable with business leaders. The business leaders who attended the meeting were a mix of business partners, FMCG companies, bankers and others. The list for people invited for the interaction included Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani, Adi Godrej, Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel, Infosys' former CEO N.R. Narayan Murthy. Narayan Murthy is a business partner with Amazon as his Catamaran has a stake in Cloudtail, the largest seller on Amazon. The others included Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, Kishore Biyani of Future Retail, which has recently done a tie-up with Amazon. BS Nagesh of Shopper's Stop was also present with Amazon having recently acquired 5 per cent stake in it. The FMCG biggies were present in full strength with Amazon being aggressive on the grocery and staples space. Sanjiv Mehta of Unilever, Suresh Narayan of Nestle, and Madhusudan Gopalan of Procter and Gamble were there. Also, present were the bankers and financial services CEOs - Rajnish Kumar of SBI, Surendra Rosha of HSBC, Kaku Nakhate of Bank of America and Sanjiv Bajaj of Bajaj Finance. No executive from Tata or Birla, however, attended the meeting. The mobile phone partners were also in full strength with William Kim of Samsung, Pete Lau of One Plus, and Manu Jain of Xiaomi. Also present were Bhavish Agarwal of Ola, Ajay Bahl of AZB, Sumeet Narang of Samara Capital. Senior Reliance group honcho Manoj Modi was also present at the Amazon round table. DAVOS, Switzerland President Donald Trump on Tuesday couldnt avoid pestering questions about his dawning impeachment trial as he shuttled from meeting to meeting at the annual World Economic Forum, thousands of miles away from Washington. His response: Look at the American economy. The usually bombastic president went radio silent during his eight-hour flight from Washington to Zurich even as Fox News impeachment coverage played on television aboard Air Force One and refrained from commenting at length about the historic political moment throughout his day in Davos. Instead, Trump kept his focus trained on the purported successes of his economic agenda touting steady job growth, low unemployment and the phase-one trade agreement with China even as wages continue to stagnate for the vast majority of American workers. Despite all of the cynics, I have never been more confident in Americas future, he said during a Tuesday morning speech at the 50th annual gathering in Davos, where two overflow rooms were needed to accommodate the crowd for Trumps remarks. By the end of his day, the presidents only comments on impeachment were a tossed off, That whole thing is a hoax, and one tweet an all-caps READ THE TRANSCRIPTS. Beyond that, he left his communications strategy in the hands of his staff, which issued a scathing statement about Rep. Adam Schiff as he made the Democrats opening arguments on the Senate floor while Trump entertained business leaders with sports gossip and talk of 5G innovation at a private dinner in the Alps. It was a restrained and on-message approach for a president who is typically unbounded and off-script, and whose disdain for the global elite surrounding him here has previously led to inflammatory rhetoric. The performance could hint at how Trump plans to appeal to the elite business community as he stumps for re-election forget about the scandals, the stock market is doing great and job growth is steady. Story continues The strategy was on full display on Tuesday in both his keynote address and in his eagerness to begin bilateral trade negotiations with a handful of foreign partners. During sit-downs with his Pakistani, Swiss and Iraqi counterparts, Trump assured each leader that trade topped his list of priorities. Trump was making his case to foreign leaders and business tycoons that his controversial approach to the global economy trampling long-held norms on trade, tariffs and taxes had contributed to a blue-collar boom in the United States. In lieu of his typical impeachment bombast, Trump spent his day challenging claims that his protectionist impulses have disrupted global trade. Meanwhile in D.C., Trumps aides were establishing an impeachment war room and plotting how to make their case to the American public that the president is being railroaded by a Democratic Party intent on doing everything it can to oust the president. The Democrats are an utter joke, White House counsel Pat Cipollone said in a statement circulated by the press office Tuesday morning. The group of White House aides, Republican Party officials and outside advisers crafted talking points for Trump surrogates designed to sway public opinion. Elsewhere, Trumps top GOP allies from the House impeachment process, tapped as presidential impeachment advisers, made plans to defend the president on TV. One senior administration official described the White Houses goal as making sure Democrats are held accountable in the public arena. Because the Senate is controlled by Republicans who are expected to acquit Trump, the White House aides are more focused on trying to sway public opinion. Were not messaging to senators personally, the official said. Back in Switzerland, Trump began his morning speech with a brief brag about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and his incremental trade deal with China both of which were finalized last week. The two biggest trade deals ever made [and] they just happened to get done in the same week, Trump said, accusing dignitaries and business leaders in the room of turning a blind eye to chronic problems in the international trade system that have been ignored or enabled for decades. Trump took credit for upending and improving that system, alluding to the wary reception he received during his only other trip as president to the Davos forum in 2018. When I spoke at this forum two years ago, I told you that we had launched the great American comeback. Today, Im proud to declare that the U.S. is in the midst of an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen before, the president said. He continued, Americas economic turnaround has been nothing short of spectacular. We regained our stride, rediscovered our spirit and reawakened the powerful machinery of American enterprise. But Trumps celebratory remarks accompanied a stern warning to the elite global audience. Nodding to his America First agenda, the president cautioned his foreign counterparts not to pollute his efforts to level the field of international trade and said his top priority is U.S. workers. Hours after Trumps remarks, House Democrats made the case on the Senate floor that Trumps priority is actually himself. Democrats have accused Trump of withholding financial aid and an official White House visit as leverage to pressure Ukraine to announce probes of Joe Biden, a potential Trump 2020 rival. They impeached him over the matter and on Tuesday made their opening arguments in the Senate trial that will determine Trumps fate. Yet Trump didnt bite. He deferred to his staff both in Davos and back in D.C. to respond to the specifics of the Democrats initial statements. He has a full day here in Davos, but will be briefed by staff periodically, insisted White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. On the White House complex, the burgeoning war room was forming in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the West Wing. Officials from Trumps legal team, legislative affairs team and communications office planned how to respond to the impeachment trial in real-time and coordinated with outside allies. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, the chatter throughout the day focused on other issues, such as the Trump administrations attempts to negotiate with French officials over a contentious digital tax that takes money from revenue that American tech companies earn in France. US President Donald Trump, center, waves next to German Klaus Schwab, left, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, WEF, as they arrive for a plenary session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. The 50th annual meeting of the forum will take place in Davos from Jan. 20 until Jan. 24, 2020.. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP) The Trump administration appeared ready to strike a deal with France ahead of the Davos summit to further negotiate before the tax or retaliatory tariffs go into effect. The time for skepticism is over. Americas newfound prosperity is undeniable, Trump told the audience, which included several global business leaders and diplomats who have been critical of his approach to trade, tax reform and deregulation. America achieved this stunning turnaround by adopting a whole new approach centered entirely on the well-being of the American workers, he added. Every decision we make is focused on improving the lives of everyday Americans. Claiming the wreckage caused by his predecessors economic and trade policies was the primary reason he ran for office three years ago, Trump described himself as a leader who has accomplished unprecedented change as he mounts his bid for a second term. Echoing a campaign message he has delivered to U.S. voters, the president also took aim at socialism and its foolish fortune tellers [who] want to see us do badly. We wont let that happen, Trump said. Though he was greeted by a snow-carved Act on climate message upon landing here Tuesday morning, Trump did not explicitly mention climate change an issue that has taken on new importance at Davos since his administration withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord during his speech. In his only mention about the environment, he announced the U.S. would be joining the Trillion Trees Initiative, which aims to maintain existing forests and address the issues presented by climate change across the world. In doing so, we will continue to show strong leadership in managing our trees and our forests, Trump said before launching an implicit rebuke of environmental activists who have called for dramatic shifts in order to combat climate change. Nancy Cook contributed to this report. Ben my Chree delayed into Heysham due to fog The Ben my Chree sailing which was due to dock into Heysham Port earlier this afternoon has been delayed due to fog. The Steam Packet Company has issued advice to customers booked on their 2:15 pm return leg to Douglas that an update will be issued at 2:30 pm. Passengers booked on this afternoon's sailing and the 7:45 pm departure from Douglas can contact Reservations on 661661 (IOM), 08722 992 992* (UK) or 0044 8722 992 992 (ROI & Outside UK). More information about the latest sailings can be found on their website. Bay of Plenty An exciting opportunity in the Sunny Bay of Plenty is available for the right person to work within the tyre industry. Being... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The Duchess of Cambridge looked to be taking a leaf out of the Duchess of Sussex's style book as she arrived in Cardiff today. Kate Middleton, 38, stepped out in a 349 Massimo Dutti camel coat, which closely resembled the tan 345 Reiss coat Meghan Markle, 38, wore during her visit to Canada House this month. Both wool coats feature fold-down labels, a tailored waist embelished with buttons, buttoned sleeves and two pockets at hip height. And proving they favour the same shops, the 89.95 brown silk skirt Meghan wore this month was from Massimo Dutti - the same high end high steet store Kate's coat was from today. Copy Kat- e! The Duchess of Cambridge looked to be taking a leaf out of the Duchess of Sussex's style book as she arrived in Cardiff today in a tan Massimo Dutti coat Meanwhile Kate paired her coat with Ralph Lauren boots, a brown leopard print Zara skirt similar in tone to Meghan's silk skirt, and a poloneck jumper. The outfit's brown and tan colour palette echoed that of Meghan's, who flew to London this month to visit Canada with Prince Harry, before she returned to Vancouver following their announcement that they would be stepping down as senior royals. Kate's appearance today came as she visited the Welsh Capital for her second visit during her 24 hour three-leg trip around Britain to launch a landmark survey on early childhood development. The 349 Massimo Dutti camel coat resembled the tan 345 Reiss coat Meghan Markle, 38, wore during her visit to Canada House this month (pictured above) The mother-of-three visited Cardiff this morning to attend a baby sensory class at the Ely and Careau Children's Centre where she will hear about the support that parents receive. The centre provides support services to children and their families and helps youngsters with special needs in addition to offering adult education, parenting support and community education teams. Open access play, breakfast, after-school activities and holiday clubs are also housed in the centre, as well as health visitors, speech and language therapists and partners such as Sure Start and Language and Play. The centre also works with community partners such as the Salvation Army and Barnardo's. Kate, who will also visit Surrey this afternoon, hopes her new initiative will trigger 'lasting change for generations'. She kicked off her solo tour in Birmingham yesterday, where she was raising awareness of the poll Five Big Questions on the Under Fives thought to be the largest of its kind in the UK. Meanwhile Kate paired her coat with Ralph Lauren boots, a brown leopard print Zara skirt similar in tone to Meghan's silk skirt, and a poloneck jumper IndiaMART InterMESH spurted 11.15% to Rs 2320 after consolidated net profit surged 123.82% to Rs 62 crore on 23.42% rise in net sales to Rs 164.90 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. On a consolidated basis, profit for the quarter was at Rs 62 crore post deferred tax credit of Rs 22.90 crore on account of certain timing differences pertaining to the earlier years. Profit before tax (PBT) jumped 34% to Rs 53 crore year-on-year (YoY). EBITDA jumped 58% to Rs 44 crore in Q3 December 2019 (Q3FY20) over Q3 December 2018 (Q3FY19). EBITDA margin stood at 26% in Q3FY20 over Q3FY19 partly due to increase in revenues and adoption of IndAS 116. EBIT for Q3FY20 was Rs 38 crore representing a margin expansion from 20% in Q3FY19 to 23% in Q3FY20. Total revenue from operations grew 23% YoY primarily due to increase in number of paying subscribers as well as higher realization from existing customers. Consolidated deferred revenue grew by 26% YoY to Rs 649 crore in Q3FY20 crore leading to much better visibility for revenues in future. The company generated consolidated cash flow from operations of Rs 71 crore leading to cash and investments of Rs 859 crore as on 31 December 2019 as compared to 574 crore on 31 December 2018, an increase of 50% YoY. Traffic grew to 188 million in Q3FY20 from 173 million in Q3FY19, an increase of 9% YoY, however total business enquiries delivered witnessed marginal decline to 112 million from 120 million, a de-growth of 6%. Supplier Storefronts grew to 5.9 million in Q3FY20 an increase of 8% YoY and paying subscription suppliers grew to 141.6 thousand, a growth of 15%. Commenting on the performance, Dinesh Agarwal, chief executive officer, said, "The company continued its growth despite the challenging business environment. Our focus on operational efficiency has helped us improve our profitability in these times. Going forward we are hopeful to witness an improvement in macro economy, we remain committed to strengthen our business model and enhance value proposition for our customers." IndiaMART is India's largest online B2B marketplace for business products and services. It is a platform that connects buyers and sellers across borders and time-zones through business solutions. IndiaMART provides ease and convenience to the buyers by offering a wide assortment of products and a responsive seller base while offering lead generation, lead management and payment solutions to its sellers. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National Holocaust Memorial Day to be marked Manx people will remember all those who died in the Holocaust genocides worldwide in a special event this weekend. The Isle of Mans annual service of commemoration will be held at St Georges Church in Douglas on Sunday 26th January at 3 pm. Members of churches and faith organisations, senior members of the government and Tynwald, school children, community groups and members of the public will enjoy a varied service comprising readings, remembrance, prayers, music and song. Organised each year by members of the Islands Jewish community, it's held alongside similar Holocaust Day commemorations throughout the British Isles, reflecting this year on the theme Stand Together. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and 25 years since the genocide of Bosnian Muslims. As in previous years, Chief Minister Howard Quayle, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man the Right Reverend Peter Eagles and the President of Tynwald Steve Rodan will be among the congregation; Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney will be represented by the Deputy Governor, His Honour First Deemster Andrew Corlett. Extracts from the moving personal stories of two young people who suffered persecution at the hands of the Nazis in 1944 and Bosnian Serb forces in 1992, will be read during the service. In his address, the Chief Minister Howard Quayle will explore the role of the state in defending the freedom of speech while protecting citizens from hate speech, and will urge families, educators and the broader community to show tolerance of other peoples religion, culture and lifestyles. The Chief Minister said: Holocaust Memorial Day is an important occasion for the Isle Man. The service has at its heart the stories of those who lost their lives and those who survived, as well as rescuers, witnesses and those who resisted. 'I look forward to an occasion which is as uplifting as it is, in parts, deeply solemn. By continuing to reflect on the causes of the Holocaust and genocide at occasions such as this, we can work towards a better future. TikTok and The World Economic Forum have collaborated to launch a campaign called "#AllTheDifference". The campagin aims to promote inclusion and diversity as leaders of state and business meet in Davos, Switzerland in January 2020 to discuss inclusive societies.From 21 January to 17 January, TikTok users in 75+ global markets, including South Africa, are encouraged to celebrate inclusion and diversity by joining the #AllTheDifference challenge. A special "I say" sticker will be available to help TikTok users express themselves bravely and creatively.Thando Hopa has already joined the challenge by posting a video using the "I Say" sticker.Check it out below: Gaborone (Botswana) 22 January 2020 (SPS)- The President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi E.K Masisi, sent a message of congratulations to the President of the Saharawi Republic, Mr. Brahim Ghali, on the occasion of the later election as Secretary General of Polisario Front and President of the Saharawi Republic. The letter, which was initially sent to the Saharawi President on December 30th 2019, comes following the successful organization of the 15th Polisario Congress held from the 21st to 25th December 2019. President Masisi considered that the election of President Ghali attests to the trust and confidence that the people of the Saharawi Republic have in your visionary and judicious leadership, as well as the commitments made by your party, the Polisario Front, in steering the country to self-determination and independence. President Masisi further reaffirmed his commitment to continue working closely with you in our efforts to further strengthen the bonds of friendship and solidarity between our two countries, especially towards the self-determination of the people of the Saharawi Republic. He finally wished President Brahim Ghali continued personal good health and a successful term of Office, as well as peace and prosperity for the people of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) On the night of Jan. 15, moments before the deadline to submit candidate lists for the 23rd Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in forcing the three parties on the right HaBayit HaYehudi, the New Right, and the National Union to merge and form a single list that will support him through hell and high water. He managed it even though none of the parties wanted to take part in their own shotgun wedding. After all, they had run as a bloc, Yamina, in the September 2019 elections only to end their partnership as soon as the disappointing results came in. To create the new Yamina, HaBayit HaYehudi reneged on an earlier accord with the far-right Otzma Yehudit. Though HaBayit HaYehudi Chairman Rabbi Rafi Peretz is hardly an experienced politician, he was well aware of the political significance of violating the agreement he had signed with Otzma Yehudit. Meanwhile, Naftali Bennett may have wanted to distinguish himself from the hard right, but in the end, he succumbed to Netanyahus pressure, like he always does. What Bennett really wanted was to form a new list with his secular partner, Ayelet Shaked, that would appeal to religious and secular voters on the right without being tied hand and foot to the religious Zionist movement or subjected to the rulings of its rabbis. By joining the same list as Peretz and National Union leader Bezalel Smotrich, he is doing the exact opposite of what he had originally intended. It is true that all the senior partners of the Yamina list are ardent supporters of annexing the occupied territories. Furthermore, they all consider their battle with the Supreme Court to be a holy war that will eventually allow them to advance their ideology on the Greater Land of Israel. The problem is Smotrich and Peretz. Given their benighted worldviews, they cannot help Bennett recruit new supporters. Not only does this make Bennett hard pressed to steal seats from the soft right, he will also have a hard time suppressing Netanyahus craving to steal votes from him and Yamina to increase the size and strength of the Likud. Netanyahu has a proven track record when it comes to vote stealing from parties to the right of the Likud. What's really remarkable is that despite all of Bennett's political experience, not to mention all the blows he has sustained, he has yet to learn his lesson. In the 2015 election, for example, Netanyahu asked at the very last minute if he could attend a right-wing gathering in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square intended to boost support for Bennett's HaBayit HaYehudi. In the end, the gathering became a rally in support of Netanyahu. He fired up the crowd, swore his fealty to the principles of a Greater Land of Israel and the settlements, and stole at least four seats from the settler right. A survey conducted a week before the election predicted that HaBayit HaYehudi would win 13 seats, but when the votes were tallied, it walked away with just eight. There have been two elections since, in April and September 2019, and Israelis are currently in the midst of a third. In each instance, Netanyahu has essentially done whatever he wanted with the parties to his right. On one occasion, Netanyahu forced HaBayit HaYehudi to run together with the far-right disciples of Rabbi Meir Kahane in Otzma Yehudit, while this time, when that no longer served his interests, he, as noted, pressured Peretz into violating the agreement he had signed with Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and to instead join forces with Bennett. In each case, the leaders of the right-wing parties were like putty in Netanyahu's hands. When Netanyahu called an emergency meeting in his office in the final hours before the deadline to submit party lists, he not only invited the partners soon to be wed, but also summoned two rabbis, Haim Druckman and Eitan Eisman, and the director general of HaBayit HaYehudi, Nir Orbach. His goal was to relay the sense of a real emergency and to convince Peretz to renege on his agreement with Otzma Yehudit after Bennett had refused to run on the same list with the Kahanists under any circumstances. In a Facebook post earlier that day, Bennett explained the grounds for his refusal: As chairman of the New Right party and a former minister of education, I will not allow my list to include someone who displays a picture in his living room of a man who murdered 29 innocent people. Bennett was referring, of course, to the picture of the mass murderer Baruch Goldstein that hangs in Ben-Gvirs living room. It seemed as if Bennett would do whatever he could to prove to voters on the right that he offers a sane alternative. Even when Netanyahu more than insinuated that if Bennett prevented the right-wing parties from forming a single list, he would be fired as defense minister, Bennett still rejected uniting his party with Otzma Yehudit. It was only after Netanyahu realized that Bennett couldnt be moved that he marked Peretz, a political novice, as a target that could be manipulated more easily. Peretz succumbed, though in doing so he most likely ended his brief political career. He was left without supporters or a base on a list where Bennett and Smotrich are more firmly entrenched than he ever was or will be. Peretz posted on Facebook, I decided to run as part of a single, joint list in order to rescue all of Israel from a left-wing government, which would destroy any markers of Jewish identity for the Jewish people and which would negotiate with the supporters of terrorism. Feeling bad about abandoning Otzma Yehudit, he went on to apologize to my friend Itamar Ben-Gvir. Meanwhile, Bennett was jubilant over what he considered a major achievement. What he failed to absorb was that Netanyahu had just determined his fate and bound Bennett and his list to his own personal interests. It was only in November that Bennett became defense minister, a position he had long coveted. It only came about, however, after he signaled to Netanyahu that he was prepared to throw in his lot with Benny Gantzs Blue and White. It is entirely possible that Bennett had no plans to follow through on the matter, but Netanyahu took the threat seriously. Bennett, having no assurance that he would continue in his current position after the March 2 elections, planned to use the New Right to siphon voters from the soft right and hold the balance of power. That way, both the Likud and the Blue and White would have to court him. By joining forces with Peretz and Smotrich, Bennett effectively buried the idea of a joint secular-religious party on the Zionist right. Meanwhile, Netanyahu managed to thwart even the thought of Bennett joining forces with Gantz, turning Yamina into a nationalist-religious party that could never become a part of the Blue and White. Once again, Bennett turned to putty in Netanyahu's hands. On Jan. 20, Netanyahu appointed new ministers for portfolios he had been holding. He did so as a matter of law, because the indictments against him prevent him from continuing to occupy those positions. As would only be expected, he selected appointees on the basis of their loyalty to him, regardless of their position on the Likud list. Thus, Tzachi Hanegbi (15th on the party list) now heads the Ministry of Agriculture, while the Ministry of Labor and Welfare went to Ofir Akunis (16th), and Tzipi Hotovely (18th) became minister for diaspora affairs. Earlier promotions included Amir Ohana (21st) as justice minister and David Amsalem (19th) as communications minister. In other words, the Likud has long since been transformed from a party with a distinct ideology and ideas into a party that serves a single man. Now a new party has been formed with the same goal of serving and supporting Netanyahu. It is Yamina and is headed by Bennett. Netanyahu can disparage and threaten Bennett all he wants. He can even insult Bennetts wife. All Bennett can do is respond, Amen. Lee Gelber, a Bronx-born urban sherpa known for his drollery and definitude and celebrated by his peers as the dean of New York City tour guides, died on Sunday in Schenectady, N.Y. He was 81. His daughter, Janet Gelber, said the cause was complications of several strokes. Distinguished by a woolly ear-to-ear mustache that a walrus would envy, Mr. Gelber mentored a generation of future colleagues and conducted sightseeing tours both for tourists unacquainted with New York and for others savoring unfamiliar venues, like gospel choirs in Harlem or enduring remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam. From 1993 until he retired in 2018, he narrated a cityscape that evolved from the mean streets of a record murder rate through the 2001 terrorist attack and the 2008 recession into what has been categorized, for better or worse, as another Gilded Age. He also survived the advent of audio tours, which replaced human guides on some sightseeing buses and walking tours, and the profusion of digital apps on personal phones and other devices. Officers are investigating a homicide that occurred late Friday night in San Francisco's Treasure Island. According to police, officers first began investigating the death of a person around 11:45 p.m. near the 400 block of Avenue M. Police have provided little details about the victim or how they died, and the city's medical examiner's office has not identified the victim. The homicide remains under investigation, police said Tuesday. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved updates to the county's accessory dwelling unit ordinance to comply with recent changes in state law designed to increase California's affordable housing supply. The new state laws give cities, towns and counties less input in what they can require of applicants wanting to build accessory units, also commonly called "granny flats" or "mother-in-law units." Local governments around the Bay Area have for months been updating such ordinances to conform to the new state laws. County Supervisor Candace Andersen said making it easier to make such conversions is "a great way to develop more affordable housing." In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several bills intended to increase the state's supply of affordable housing. Accessory dwelling units are one part of the state's ideal formula for providing more such housing. The new laws took effect Jan. 1, and cities and counties all over California have been moving to adjust local ordinances. The new laws mandate that cities and counties process applications for ADUs and junior ADUs "ministerially," without discretionary staff review or public hearing for community comment. The Contra Costa supervisors' action Tuesday applies only to unincorporated areas, and not the cities within the county. Separately, applications for ADUs in the unincorporated community of Kensington would be subject to an additional design review for requirements specific to that community. A judge ruled on Tuesday that prosecutors produced sufficient evidence to have an ex-convict and another man ordered to stand trial on a murder charge for the fatal shooting of a San Leandro man in East Oakland in 2017. At the end of a preliminary hearing that lasted for several days, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Mark McCannon said it's not clear who shot 38-year-old Jesus Martinez in the area of Davenport and Calaveras avenues, close to Interstate Highway 580 and Mills College, at about 7 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2017. But McCannon said gunshot residue and other evidence connect Chris Yen, 38, of Oakland and Jose Alas, 39, of San Leandro, to the crime. McCannon also said prosecutors also showed that Yen and Alas were in the area with Martinez at the time of the shooting. Martinez, Yen and Alas arrived together at the shooting scene in a Jeep that was registered to Alas, according to a probable cause statement by Oakland police Sgt. Bradley Baker. After the shooting Yen and Alas fled in the Jeep, which was later recovered about a half a mile away. Baker said. The firearm that was used to fatally shoot Martinez and other evidence were found by police at the location where they recovered the Jeep, Baker wrote. In addition to murder, Yen was ordered to stand trial on a charge with carrying a loaded firearm in a city and Alas was ordered to stand trial on a charge of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, as prosecutors say he was convicted of unlawfully taking a vehicle in 2004. The California Highway Patrol said a passenger in a Hyundai Elantra died when the male driver drifted to the right on Lyon Road near Cherry Glen Road in unincorporated Solano County near Vacaville and overturned several times early Sunday morning. The solo-vehicle crash was reported around 3:50 a.m., the CHP said. The male driver from Vacaville suffered major injuries, and alcohol is believed to be a factor in the fatal crash, the CHP said. The Solano County coroner's Office identified Jeremy Perry, 31, of Suisun City as the passenger. Santa Rosa police arrested a woman for attempted murder Monday afternoon on suspicion of shooting at her ex-boyfriend who owed her money, a police sergeant said. The shooting happened around 4:35 p.m. on the Joe Rodota Trail just west of Dutton Avenue, Sgt. Summer Gloeckner said. Police responded to a disturbance at a fast food restaurant near Dutton Avenue and Sebastopol Road. A man told officers he was shot at and chased down by his ex-girlfriend who was driving a white Ford Escape and was armed with a black handgun. Officers found the vehicle driven by Lynn Ranyce Young, 51, of Santa Rosa and an unregistered black 43.9mm caliber handgun in the vehicle, Gloeckner said. Young said she was looking for the victim because he owed her money and she tracked him down on the Joe Rodota Trail. Young said she tried to get the man's attention by chasing him with her car along the trail, but he would not stop to talk to her so she fired two shots at him. Police did not identify the man. When the gun jammed she drove away, and several people saw the confrontation. No one was injured in the shooting, Gloeckner, said. Young was booked in the Sonoma County Jail for attempted murder, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possessing an unregistered firearm. Young is scheduled to appear in Sonoma County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon. A man who allegedly crashed a vehicle into a home and then confronted officers with a spear-like pole before police shot him multiple times on Dec. 29 faces charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon on officers. The Monterey County District Attorney's office announced Tuesday that Sergio Contreras Villanueva, 34, is charged with felony assault for allegedly trying to stab two Salinas Police Department officers with what appeared to be a pole with sharp-pointed ends that night in December. After reportedly trying to break into a house three doors down from where he crashed a car into a home - which caught fire after the wreck - police said Villanueva confronted them with the sharpened pole. While "confined in a narrow alley" between a house and fence at about 8:20 p.m. Dec. 29 in Salinas's Laurel Heights Park near N. Madeira Ave, two officers shot six rounds each at Villanueva, striking him multiple times, according to police. He was taken to a local hospital that night for his injuries. The district attorney's office said Tuesday that due to Villanueva's injuries, an arraignment has not yet been scheduled. At least one person was seriously injured and another was arrested following a solo-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate Highway in San Jose early Tuesday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP said the collision was first reported at 1:30 a.m. just north of Saratoga Avenue. A black Audi rolled over and suffered major damage. Neither the victim nor the person arrested were identified. The freeway is clear as of 6:20 a.m. A 71-year-old man died and a 67-year-old woman was hospitalized in critical condition after a fire tore through a mobile home Monday night, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. A fire engulfed a mobile home about 9:50 p.m. in the 600 block of East Weddell Drive, officials said Tuesday. Firefighters rescued the 67-year-old woman and she was taken to a hospital. On Tuesday, she was listed in critical condition. The man was found inside the mobile home and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Sunnyvale public safety agency. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but officials said there was no immediate sign of foul play. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. STAMFORD Most of the legislators who represent the city in the state General Assembly said Wednesday at a forum that they are on board with tolling trucks to help fund Gov. Ned Lamonts transit-improvement program but the contentious proposal faces a tight timeline for advancing this year. After the demise of his previous proposal to impose highway user fees on all motorists, first-term Democrat Lamont is pitching a 10-year, $19 billion transportation-improvement plan that would toll only large trucks such as 18-wheelers. Democratic legislative leaders are still finishing up the new tolling legislation, which they are aiming to pass in a special session that would ostensibly need to be held before the Feb. 5 start of the legislatures main 2020 session. We want businesses to move from other parts of the country to here, and the transportation-infrastructure issue is starting to be a decision point for CEOs who may consider coming here, state Sen. Carlo Leone, D-27, chairman of the legislatures Transportation Committee, told an audience of about 100 at professional-services firm Deloittes downtown offices, which hosted the Stamford Chamber of Commerces 21st annual legislative breakfast. They look at the transportation nightmare, and that could be the final point as they rate their decision. The emerging legislation would set up 12 tolls across Interstates 84, 91, 95 and 395. Those gantries would generate about $170 million to $180 million annually for the states Special Transportation Fund, according to Democratic legislators projections. For me, it comes down to safety, financial security and economic development, said state Rep. Dan Fox, D-148. I think at this point in time the truck-tolling proposal fits all three of those. A statewide referendum in 2018 instituted a lockbox for transportation funds after years of appropriations from the Special Transportation Fund for other expenditures. Democratic lawmakers argue that the state still needs to do more to boost the STF, so it can support much-needed upgrades to the states congested highways and slow, overburdened commuter-rail lines. They see an increase to the states gas tax as an insufficient revenue generator, while they have argued that ramping up bonding or tapping into the states Rainy Day fund would harm Connecticuts already fraught fiscal condition. We cant wait for another Mianus Bridge collapse to act, so I think theres an urgent public-safety need to fix our infrastructure, said state Rep. Caroline Simmons, D-144, chairwoman of the legislatures Commerce Committee. Secondly, its critical to supporting our economy and business growth. The earlier measure that would have tolled all vehicles last year passed out of several of the legislatures committees, including the Transportation Committee, but it was never put to votes in the full House and Senate. I think we should have called it for a vote and made legislators actually say why theyre against or if theyre not against it, said state Sen. Alex Bergstein, D-36. Since then, the plan has been watered down and whittled down so much, that it is $170 million in projected revenue. I think that is a small fraction of what is really needed. Majority support for the new proposal is not assured, but many legislators such as state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-147, said they are comfortable now with charging only large trucks. The reality is that we are very heavily subsidizing the trucking industry, Blumenthal said. Its time for them to pay a little more so that the transportation systems that we all use can be improved. At the same time, Republican legislators and many business people and other constituents remain vehemently opposed to any tolling, which they view as another tax. Along with Vermont, Connecticut is the only northeastern state that does not impose any highway tolls. State Rep. Livvy Floren, R-149, opposes tolls. She said another $100 million could be re-allocated from existing state bonding authorizations for transportation projects in the next two years. It can be done we dont have to raid any funds whatsoever, said Floren, the sole Republican representing Stamford in the state legislature. I believe we just dont need the tolls. State Reps. Patricia Billie Miller, D-145, and David Michel, D-146, were also invited to the event, but not able to attend. Among a range of other questions posed by moderator AT&T Director of External Affairs Harry Carey, the lawmakers were also asked to predict the Democratic presidential nominee. The Iowa caucuses will be held Feb. 3. Leone, Simmons and Floren said they anticipated that former Vice President Joe Biden would prevail. Bergstein picked Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Blumenthal and Fox declined to name a candidate. The next president of the United States, Blumenthal said, when asked for his prediction. Ditto, Fox said. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Strategic Analysis of European Used Car Leasing Market, Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This study takes into account historical and current market conditions and insights and opinions from market participants to provide an outlook on growth opportunities in used car leasing through 2023. In addition to market data for the portfolio, the study provides insights on different providers of used car leasing service, with a focus on their portfolio and sales strategies. The evolution of any industry depends on factors such as transformational trends that are linked to the macroeconomic factors of the region. The study covers these evolutionary trends that are expected to shape the market. For leasing providers and other companies that share the leasing ecosystem, interest lies in the growth opportunities that they need to leverage and the strategic imperatives that aid in their pursuit of growth and success. Overall, the study provides a 360-degree understanding of the used car leasing space in Europe and offers a detailed account of the key trends, market overview, and outlook. The global fleet & leasing industry is starting to focus on remarketing used cars in the B2C channel from the traditional B2B channel. Traditionally, fleet leasing companies in Europe sold used cars in bulk to small dealers through auctions and brokers (B2B). Dealers sold these cars to end-users with flexible finance options including personal loans and financial lease agreements. As growth in the new fleet leasing market begins to experience friction, independent leasing companies started remarketing their off-lease vehicles directly to end-users (B2C). To reach out to end-users directly, global leasing companies, not restricting themselves to cash/credit sales, are starting to widen their used car financing options through operational leasing. In parts of Western and Northern Europe, LeasePlan, Arval, Alphabet, and ALD introduced operational leasing of used cars through 2018 and early 2019. This study sheds light on the market size and provides sales/parc data for the operational lease and financial lease of used vehicles. The different models of used car leasing are discussed in detail, with a focus on the actual development and the growth potential of financial lease and operational lease of used cars. Vehicle leasing is seen as a solution to the growing number of challenges faced by companies with regard to their mobility needs. Businesses in the present market conditions are focused on their core products/services and seek to outsource all other support activities. Mobility is a significant department - starting from fleet purchase to remarketing at a competitive price - and for each of the segments in the value chain, unless an expert team is on the job, issues such as cost spikes, utilization mismatches, irregularities in fleet maintenance, and risks of dips in residual value can crop up. Leasing the fleet enables hassle-free mobility, on-demand mobility, and fleet after-service facilities, among other benefits. This has driven the growth of the leasing market and a huge supply of off-lease vehicles that need to be remarketed every year. Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary Key Findings 2018 Key Findings - Predictions for 2023 Used Car Leasing - Product Evolution Used Car Remarketing Value Chain Used Car Financing - Business Models What Global Leasing Companies Aim to Achieve Through Used Car Leasing? Service Provider Landscape - Used Car Remarketing What Makes OL of Used Cars Attractive to End Users? Used Car Leasing - Customer Segments Market Analysis - Europe Market Analysis - Hotspots Used Car Leasing - Top Trends Industry Talk Potential Supply 2. Research Scope and Segmentation Project and Research Scope 3. Definitions Vehicle Leasing 4. Introduction Why Used Car Leasing? Lessor Perspective 5. Used Car Leasing - Types Types - By Provider Types - By Funding 6. Customer Segments Used Car Leasing - Customer Segments 7. Drivers and Restraints Market Drivers Drivers Explained Market Restraints Restraints Explained 8. Market Metrics Top Markets - Used Car Leasing Parc Used Car Leasing (FL) - Market Forecast to 2023 Used Car Leasing (OL) - Market Forecast to 2023 Packaging and Pricing - OL 9. Key Trends Leasing Providers Focus on Dedicated B2C Remarketing Channel Leasing Providers Target Business Users with Young Cars Focus Toward LCV Leasing in Western and Northern Europe Digitization Best Practices - OL 10. Competition Analysis Competitive Analysis - B2C Remarketing Strategy Competitive Landscape - Company Information 11. Potential Supply Market Analysis Potential Supply - Regional Overview Potential Supply - Market Forecast to 2023 12. Regional Market Analysis Northern Europe Eastern Europe Western Europe Southern Europe Central Europe 13. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action Growth Opportunities and Call to Action Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth 14. Key Conclusions The Last Word - 3 Big Predictions Companies Mentioned ALD Alphabet Arval LeasePlan For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/va5pb2 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com COLUMBUS, Ga., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated today announced that it is included on Fortune's annual list of the World's Most Admired Companies for the 19th time. The company ranks No. 1 among its peers for innovation, compared to No. 7 in 2019, and ranks No. 2 overall in the Insurance: Life and Health Industry category, compared to No. 7 in 2019. To determine the best-regarded companies in 52 industries, Fortune's partner Korn Ferry asked executives, directors and analysts to rate enterprises in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility, innovation and ability to attract talent. A company's score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed. "Aflac Incorporated is extremely pleased to once again appear on this prestigious list, which is generated by executives and analysts from around the world in our own industry. This validates our company's continued leadership in key areas, including innovation, where we are the top choice among our peers," said Aflac Incorporated Chairman and CEO Dan Amos. "We are also honored to rank No. 2 in multiple areas, including the People Management category, and No. 3 in Social Responsibility, which illustrates the desire of every Aflac employee to always do the right thing." Aflac Incorporated ranks No. 2 in its industry for Long-Term Investment Value. Since 1990, when Dan Amos became CEO, Aflac Incorporated's stock has increased from 95 cents per share to today's current value, exceeding $52 per share. In his 30th year, Amos is the second-longest tenured CEO in the Fortune 200, and during that period, the company's total shareholder return, including reinvested cash dividends, has exceeded 8,913%. "Being ranked No. 2 in our industry in the Long-Term Investment Value category demonstrates our commitment to manage for the future," said Aflac Incorporated President and Chief Operating Officer Frederick Crawford. "Whether through annual increases in common stock dividends, which we have done for 37 years, investing strategically in growth and digital platforms, or executing on share repurchase, Aflac Incorporated provides enduring, consistent value for our shareholders and policyholders. It is gratifying to see our strategy recognized by astute analysts and executives from companies in our industry and across the world." Aflac's high ranking for social responsibility (No. 3) reflects its diverse U.S. workforce that is 67% female and more than 40% minority. In addition, Aflac Life Insurance Japan, with leadership that is composed of 30.7% women as of the end of 2019, surpassed its goal of attaining 30% female leadership by the end of 2020. Since 1995, the company has also contributed more than $140 million to help families facing childhood cancer and other blood disorders. As a recipient of the Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies recognition for 13 consecutive years and a first-time member of Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index, Aflac Incorporated also boasts strong standards for ethics and governance. The company also ranked No. 3 in the Quality of Products/Services and Use of Corporate Assets categories. ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company, helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., where it is a leading supplemental insurer by paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. Through its trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative in the United States, for eligible claims, Aflac can process, approve and electronically send funds to claimants for quick access to cash in just one business day. Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for 20 consecutive years. For 13 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2020, Fortune included Aflac Incorporated on its list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 19th time, and Bloomberg added Aflac Incorporated to its Gender Equity Index, which tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. To find out more about One Day PaySM and learn how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com. Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. Media contact Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or [email protected] Analyst and investor contact David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected] SOURCE Aflac Incorporated Related Links http://aflac.com French strikers turn off power to press government: Opening another front in their battle against the French government, union members said they cut power to thousands in Paris, plunging homes into darkness and closing train services to one of the capital's two main airports. The outage lasted about two hours, said a leader of the leftist CGT union. The CGT is pushing for a complete withdrawal of the government's plans to overhaul the pension system. The planned changes triggered weeks of protests and transport strikes. But as their fight loses momentum, protesters are looking for other methods to keep up the pressure. Ms. Davis chronicled his life and her grief, as well as her torment over the possibility that her drinking might have contributed to his infirmity, in the searing memoir Ill Love You Forever, Anyway (1995). Another memoir, My Mother, the Bunny, and Me (2016), traced her life from childhood to motherhood and beyond, providing a nuanced portrait of the people behind one of the best-known works in childrens literature. January 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Four years since their rough Democratic primary battle, Hillary Clinton has not let up on her criticism of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, says of Sanders in a new documentary that "nobody likes him." "He was in Congress for years," Clinton says in the soon-to-be-released four-part Hulu documentary "Hillary," The Hollywood Reporter said in a report. "He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it." Asked by The Hollywood Reporter in an interview released on Tuesday if her assessment still stands, Clinton said, "Yes, it does." Clinton also criticized the "culture" around Sanders, I-Vt., as the 2020 presidential contender has had high-profile disputes with Democratic rivals such as former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in recent weeks. And Clinton would not commit to endorsing Sanders if he becomes the Democratic nominee. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter "I'm not going to go there yet," she said about potentially supporting Sanders. "We're still in a very vigorous primary season." Sanders endorsed Clinton in 2016 following the primary. "I will say, however, that it's not only him, it's the culture around him," Clinton added. "It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women." Clinton said Sanders has "not only permitted" that culture, but is "very much supporting it." In a statement issued by his campaign, Sanders responded, "My focus today is on a monumental moment in American history: the impeachment trial of Donald trump. Together, we are going to go forward and defeat the most dangerous president in American history." Clinton's comments were made public soon after Biden tweeted Monday that he accepted Sanders' apology after his campaign shared an op-ed arguing that the former vice president had a "big corruption problem." Biden had also accused Sanders' campaign of releasing a "doctored" video of his past comments on Social Security and asked for an apology. "Thanks for acknowledging this, Bernie," Biden, a leading 2020 Democratic presidential contender, tweeted. "These kinds of attacks have no place in this primary. Lets all keep our focus on making Donald Trump a one-term president." Speaking with CBS News on Monday, Sanders said: "It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And I'm sorry that that op-ed appeared." He added that he was "really" not a fan of supporters hitting fellow Democratic contenders, saying, "If anyone knows me, what I believe is we need a serious debate in this country on issues. We don't need to demonize people who may disagree with us." The op-ed, published in The Guardian, was written by law professor and Sanders supporter Zephyr Teachout and was shared by Sanders' speechwriter David Sirota in a campaign newsletter. Teachout wrote that Biden's "big corruption problem ... makes him a weak candidate." "It looks like 'Middle Class' Joe has perfected the art of taking big contributions, then representing his corporate donors at the cost of middle- and working-class Americans," she wrote. "Converting campaign contributions into legislative favors and policy positions isnt being 'moderate.'" That incident comes as the Sanders campaign has increasingly targeted Biden. This month, the Sanders campaign has taken Biden to task over voting in favor of the Iraq War and for past remarks on Social Security. And Warren accused Sanders this month of having told her in 2018 that he did not think a woman could win the 2020 presidential election. Sanders has strongly denied saying that. This article was originally published by " NBC " - ED Note:- The video embedded in this article by ICH, did not appear in the original. Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Hillary Clinton defends Harvey Weinstein association: "How could we have known?" https://t.co/VoN6xqhEFl Newsweek (@Newsweek) January 21, 2020 ==== ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Whitefoord is excited to announce Kate Pfirman will join Whitefoord in February as its new Chief Operating Officer. "We are so fortunate to be joined by Kate. Her experience working with state and federally-funded health programs will be invaluable," said Dr. Jean O'Connor, Whitefoord's CEO. Kate Pfirman comes to Whitefoord from a 25-year career with the State of Georgia. Her latest role was with the Department of Community Health as the Executive Director of the Office of Continuous Program Improvement at DCH. She previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Public Health and has held a variety of roles including Division Director at the Governor's Office of Planning (OPB) and Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Human Resources (DHR). She was president of the Georgia Fiscal Managers' Association in 2012, president of the Human Services Employees Credit Union from 2010-2014, and served as an advisory board member for the GSU Leadership program, where she also teaches. Ms. Pfirman received her bachelor's degree in economics from Emory University and her master's degree in accounting from The American University in Washington, D.C. She is a certified public accountant. She joins Whitefoord at an important point in its history, where it is considering opportunities to serve more children and families Atlanta-wide through its school-based health center work, and new Family Medical Center. About Whitefoord Whitefoord was founded in 1995 by Dr. George W. Brumley and his former student, Dr. Veda Johnson, to address the health and educational needs of the children and families of the surrounding school district. Today, Whitefoord serves more than 2500 families and children in Southeast Atlanta through its Federally-Qualified Community Health Center and its partnership with Atlanta Public Schools around early care and education. Whitefoord operates three school-based health center clinics and a family medical center where they specialize in pediatrics, family medicine, dental and behavioral health. Whitefoord also operates a NAEYC-accredited early care and education program for children 6 weeks through 5 years old. Whitefoord has served as a safety-net and support system for some of our city's most underserved children and families in the greater Edgewood community for more than a quarter of a century. For more information about Whitefoord and our programs, visit www.whitefoord.org or call 404-523-2500 to schedule an appointment or enroll in our education programs. Media Contact: Allie Morse 470-427-2576 [email protected] SOURCE Whitefoord Related Links https://www.whitefoord.org Allahabad University officials on Wednesday said salaries of guest faculty which have been pending for up to five months will be cleared in a week. Scores of guest lectures of the varsity and its allied colleges from faculties of arts, science and commerce had gone on a one-day strike on Tuesday to protest the delay in payment of salaries. Around 300 guest lectures, 200 of them at the main campus and others in affiliated colleges, have claimed they have "not been paid a single penny" since their appointment in August and September last year. "It has become a matter of survival for many of us now who live here on rented accommodation and have to pay monthly rent. Some are married and some have medical issues to take care of and we have not been paid," Rama Sharan Mishra, a guest lecturer at CMP college, told PTI. The aggrieved teachers on Tuesday met senior officials of the Allahabad University and handed over a memorandum to them, seeking payment of their salaries. "The guest lecturers have been assured that their salary for two or three months would be cleared in a week by whatever internal arrangement we have to do," Finance Officer, Allahabad University, Sunil Kant Mishra told PTI. "Earlier such payments were made through the 'salary head' but last year the UGC asked us to make these payments under the 'recurring head' but it couldn't be done due to budget constrains. The university has written multiple letters to the UGC but their response is awaited," Mishra added. He also said the salaries of some teachers were paid on Wednesday after the protest. A guest lecturer is paid Rs 1,500 per lecture and a maximum of Rs 50,000 per month along with other dues like examination duty fees, if applicable, according to official sources. A centrally-funded institution, the Allahabad University is the fourth-oldest university of the country with thousands of students enrolled in courses related to arts, science, commerce and law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Customs department on Wednesday seized 2.6 kg gold valued at Rs 1.1 crore from a male passenger's possession at Chennai Airport on January 20. The passenger had arrived at the Chennai airport from Abu Dhabi, the Customs official said. The gold was concealed in the battery of emergency light. An investigation in the matter is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sainsbury's logo stands above the entrance to the J Sainsbury Plc flagship store in London, U.K. Mike Coupe will step down as CEO of Sainsbury's at the end of May after six years at the helm, with Britain's second-largest supermarket group opting for continuity by choosing retail and operations director Simon Roberts as his successor. Coupe has faced questions about his future since April when Britain's competition regulator blocked Sainsbury's attempt to take over Walmart-owned rival Asda for 7.3 billion pounds ($9.5 billion). Coupe was the architect of that deal and Sainsbury's share price has fallen 22% over the last year. Roberts, a former managing director of health and beauty retailer Boots, joined Sainsbury's in 2017. Leaders to Reveal the Next Generation in Optical Networking and Communications at the 2020 OIDA Executive Forum The Optical Society (OSA), co-locating with Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), will hold the annual OIDA Executive Forum on 9 March 2020 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, U.S.A. More than 200 senior-level executives will attend this event to discuss recent technology advancements, opportunities and challenges facing the next generation in optical networking and communications. "The Executive Forum on Monday of OFC is the place where you can pick up the latest trends on optical systems and components as well as major market changes or disruptions," says Eve Griliches (News - Alert), product marketing manager, Cisco. "It sets the pace for the entire week of OFC." The 2020 program will feature a keynote presentation by Elizabeth Rivera Hartling, Subsea Optical Network Architect, Facebook, U.S.A., on "The Growing Facebook Network: Connecting the Planet." Other highlights will include panel discussions, a special "Fireside Chat" discussion and various networking events that will enable executives in the optical networking and communications business to connect with industry peers who are implementing solutions and addressing issues much like their own. What: OIDA Executive Forum When: Monday, 9 March 2020, 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (PDT) Where: Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel - Indigo Ballroom, San Diego, California, USA In addition to the keyote speaker, attendees will also hear from industry leaders in the following panel presentations: This year's Fireside Chat: The View from the Top, will be moderated by Natarajan Subrahmanyan, AO Asset Management. It will feature Alexis Bjorlin, Broadcom (News - Alert); Bill Gartner, Cisco; Xiang Liu, Futurewei Technologies; Alan Lowe, Lumentum; and Chuck Mattera, II-VI Incorporated. Credentialed members of the media may attend the OIDA Executive Forum by contacting: [email protected] View the forum schedule and speaker profiles. The 2020 OIDA Executive Forum at OFC is sponsored by Cisco, MRSI Systems and Lightwave. OSA Industry Development Associates (OIDA), operated as a division of The Optical Society (OSA), serves and represents organizations engaged in the business of optics and photonics-from start-ups to Fortune 500s. In support of its member companies, OIDA promotes and protects the business of optics and photonics in driving innovation, creating jobs, and accelerating growth in the U.S. and around the world. OIDA provides exclusive roadmap reports and market data for the industry, serves as the voice of the industry to government and academia, acts as a liaison with several trade associations worldwide and provides a network for the exchange of ideas and information within the optics and photonics community. About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005600/en/ The event was attended by Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, as well as representatives from the municipal Party Committee, Peoples Council, Peoples Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. The ceremony takes place every year ahead of the lunar New Year (Tet) to pay tribute to the national founders, forming patriotism and inspiring solidarity among the citys residents, particularly the younger generation. The delegation then paid their respects while offering incense to Nguyen Huu Canh (1650-1700), who established territorial sovereignty for Vietnam in the south in 1698, especially in the Sai Gon - Gia Dinh region (now Ho Chi Minh City). A range of activities are expected to take place at the National Historical and Cultural Park to welcome the Lunar New Year, such as a photo display, a calligraphy exhibition, a tea ceremony, a traditional cake making contest, arts performances, and traditional dragon dances. Those who "understand the soul" of the country are opposed to the amended citizenship law, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Wednesday, accusing the BJP of discriminating on the basis of religion. He also alleged that the BJP is playing with the Constitution as it has majority in Lok Sabha. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said as far as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is concerned, "not only the Samajwadi Party (SP) but all those who understand the soul of the country are opposing it". "I am glad that women have taken the lead and youth are protesting in large numbers": Yadav told reporters after garlanding a statue of SP leader Janeshwar Mishra at a park here on his death anniversary. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar were against discrimination, the SP chief said as he accused the BJP of suppressing the voice of the people. "Discrimination on the basis of religion is being done by the BJP and every Indian is against it. Will they (the BJP) kill the soul of the country and create fissures in society for votes," he said. "With majority they (the BJP) cannot suppress the voice of the common people. Democracy will be strengthened by the voice of the people," Yadav said. Accusing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of using words like "thok diya jayega" in his speeches, he said, "This cannot be the language of a politician". "BJP used 'kabristan and shamshan' and 'Diwali and Ramzan' during election rallies for the sake of votes," Yadav said. When asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's challenge for a debate on the citizenship law, he said, "I challenge the BJP for a debate on development." "I ask them to fix a place or a forum, with their favourite channels and anchors, for a debate on development. We Samajwadis are ready for it. Why did they not want to debate on the state of the economy and demonetisation," Yadav said. Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, it has failed to protect farmers, he said. On Shah advising him to "remain silent", Yadav said, "They don't need big officers. Direct a constable, ask him to put 'ganja' (cannabis) in my pocket and send me to jail." The SP leader said this citing the case of a Kushinagar-based painter, who was allegedly sent to jail in similar way by police. He alleged that Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of custodial deaths, fake encounters and notices from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). On being asked about allegations that the SP was speaking the language of India's enemies, Yadav said, "I have never met (Pakistan prime minister) Imran Khan. If you talk about Pakistan, I want to tell that we Samajwadis are 'Bhartiya'". Asked about the BJP's allegations that money is being paid to women protesting against the CAA, he said, "BJP men used to spend money to bring crowds to their rallies. Those who have gathered to protest against the CAA came on their own." Reiterating support for a Caste Census, Yadav said that "thousands of crores of rupees are going to be spent on the Census, then why caste data cannot come out". If caste data is revealed, the Hindu-Muslim dispute will end, the SP leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Express News Service NEW DELHI: With widespread protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Okhla constituency has been in news for over a month. After the events of December 15, the political landscape of the area changed with the locals, mainly women and students, occupying the streets to protest against the BJP government at the Centre. Ruby Tabassum, a housewife from Shaheen Bagh who is a part of the agitation, said that she would vote for BJP if the government reversed its decision on the new law. Our decision would entirely depend on this issue. ALSO READ | Delhi elections: It's Parvez Hashmi Vs Amanatullah Khan in Muslim stronghold Okhla There are many issues in our area but right now our demand to the BJP government is to rollback CAA, NPR and NRC. They have to do it and if they do it before Delhi elections, we will vote for them, Tabassum told The Morning Standard. While Tabassum is hoping for a last-minute miracle, Farzana Zain, another housewife from Johri Farm has low expectations. BJP is clearly anti-Muslim and its government has forced us to sit outside in the cold, she said. Zain also expressed disappointment against CM Arvind Kejriwals silence over the CAA. Woh ek baar bhi saamne nahin aayein (He didnt come forward once). ALSO READ | Token number 45: No pehle 'AAP' for CM Kejriwal as he files nomination after six-hour wait The constituency has elected MLAs from Rashtra Janata Dal, Congress and AAP but none of these parties has been able to bring out significant development in the area with locals still starved of basic amenities like safe drinking water. The roads in the area are dilapidated and waterlogging is a frequent issue. Half of the constituency falls under the posh New Friends Colony, while the other is covered by Zakir Nagar. First-time voter, Mohammad Armaan who is pursuing B. Com said he would not vote on the basis of the candidates. I know my vote is valuable so I will think carefully before voting for any party. I have also seen the work done by AAP. I would keep the developmental aspect as well as the idea of the party in mind when I give my vote, Armaan added. Farhana Siddique from Batla House praised the AAP for free electricity and improvement in government schools but complained about the condition of roads. Kejriwal has done a lot of work...but roads are not good. We commute around in rickshaws and I have developed an orthopedic problem in my hip due to bumpy roads. It is very difficult for pregnant women also, Siddique added. Kangana Ranaut's Says 'Film Industry Has Not Done Justice To Our History', Wants To Make A Movie On Chandragupta Maurya When Rachel Slawson competes for the title of Miss USA later this year, she will reportedly be the first openly bisexual contestant to take the stage. Earlier this week, Slawson was crowned Miss Utah USA 2020 and GLAAD is calling it "a huge win for LGBTQ visibility." "As an openly bisexual woman, Rachel Slawson being crowned Miss Utah is a huge win for LGBTQ visibility," Anthony Ramos, GLAADs head of talent, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. "Rachels presence on the Miss USA stage later this year will most definitely send a powerful message to LGBTQ Americans and Utahns, especially those in the bisexual+ community, who feel like they have not seen themselves represented in that space before." Yahoo Lifestyle reached out for comment to Miss USA, but did not immediately receive a response. Miss USA is part of the Miss Universe Organization, which differentiates itself from the non-profit Miss America Organization by being a for-profit company owned by Endeavor, having no talent competition and by being formerly owned by Donald Trump. Days before the competition, Slawson made it clear on social media that "being Queer is not a 'platform.'" "The reason I waited so long to come out as a member of the LGBT+ community was that I didnt think who I choose to love should define who I am," she shared on Instagram. "Life is short. And I have more questions [than] answers, but one thing Im sure of is that we came here to love." She added, "And if the people Ive loved means I am queer or bi or whatever they call it, then I am proud of that. ... I may be LGBTQ, but thats just one detail on the list of things that make me Rachel." Slawson wants to use her platform to shed light on mental health issues and her own story is inspiring. Story continues After winning the title of Miss Utah USA, Slawson called it "the biggest dream of my life," but stressed to her followers that getting a crown isn't everything. Slawson shared that years ago when she lost the title this was her fifth time competing she wanted to take her own life. "After a few trips to the psych ward, being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (the reason I had such an extreme reaction to losing a pageant) and finally coming to terms with who I am as a queer woman," she wrote on Instagram. "And the only difference between tonight, and the night I left broken hearted wishing I wasnt alive, is that I knew I was enough before I arrived." Slawson continued, "I am so grateful for this crown. And I promise to do right by Utah and spend this year sharing my truth." Although she called her title a "new job," she stressed it's "not an answer to the question I spent the last 9 years asking. 'Why am I even here?' I am why." Slawson isn't the only woman breaking barriers in the pageant world. Last year, Swe Zin Htet was the first openly gay Miss Universe contestant. In 2016, Miss Missouri Erin OFlaherty was the first openly gay Miss America contestant. If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyles newsletter. The United Nations predicts the world will be home to nearly 10 billion people by 2050 making global greenhouse emission cuts ever more urgent. Credit: NASA/Joshua Stevens As unprecedented bushfires continue to ravage the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government have been rightly criticized for their reluctance to talk about the underlying drivers of this crisis. Yet it's not hard to see why they might be dumbstruck. The human race has never had to grapple with a problem as large, complex or urgent as climate change. It's not that there aren't solutions available. There are already some hopeful signs of an energy transition in Australia. As Professor Ross Garnaut has explained, it would be in Australia's economic interests to become a low-carbon energy superpower. To successfully tackle climate change will require some painful transitions domestically, and unprecedented levels of international coordination and cooperation. But that isn't happening. Global action to cut emissions is falling far short of what's neededand meanwhile, though it's controversial to mention, the world's population quietly climbs ever higher. Our growing population challenge The United Nations' World Population Prospects 2019 report forecast that by 2027, India will overtake China as the world's most populous country. By 2050, the UN predicts that the world's population will be nearly 10 billion, up from 7.7 billion now. Nine countries are expected to be home to more than half of that growth: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to double by 2050 (a 99% increase), while Australia and New Zealand are expected to grow more slowly (28% increase). Given how difficult climate politics have been here in Australia, why would we expect it to be any more politically feasible in say, India, which claims the right to develop as we did? However self-serving Australian coal supporters' arguments about lifting Indians out of poverty are, the underlying questions of national autonomy and the 'right' to develop are not easily refuted. Even talking about demography is asking for troubleespecially if it becomes caught up with questions of race, identity and the most fundamental of human rights, the right to reproduce. While reducing population growth is plainly important in the long-term, it isn't a quick fix for all our environmental problems. In the meantime, research has shown that supporting education for girls in poor countries is one of the single most important things we can do now to address this issue. How Australia can show leadership "I think we need to understand that global emissions don't have an accent, they come from many countries and we need to look at a global solution"Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Insiders, ABC, 12 January 2020 This is the central defense of business as usual: there's no point in Australia making huge sacrifices and 'wrecking' (or transforming, depending on your perspective) the economy if no one else is doing so. We contribute less than 2% to global greenhouse emissions, sosome claimwe can't make any real difference. As outlined in my 2019 book, Environmental Populism: The Politics of Survival in the Anthropocene, nations such as Australia can play a useful role by showing what an enlightened country, with the capacity and incentive to act, might do. If we don't have the means and the compelling environmental reasons to make tough but meaningful policy choices, who does? But even in the unlikely event that Australians collectively retrofitted the entire economy along sustainable lines, there would still be a lot of the world that wouldn't, or couldn't even if they wanted to. The development imperative really is non-negotiable in India, China and the more impoverished states of sub-Saharan Africa. Will China lead the way? From the privileged perspective of wealthy Australians, the 'good' news is that the ecological footprint of the average Ethiopian is seven times smaller than ours. India's average is even less, despite all the recent development. However, people in India and Ethiopia may not think that's a good thing. One of the paradoxical impacts of globalization is that everyone is increasingly conscious of their relative place in the international scheme of things. The legitimacy of governmentsespecially unelected authoritarian regimes like China'sincreasingly revolves around their capacity to deliver jobs and rising living standards. Where governments can't deliver, the population vote with their feet. As naturalist Sir David Attenborough warned last week, Australia's current fires are another sign that "the moment of crisis has come." He called on China for the global leadership we've been missing: "If the Chinese come and say: "Not because we are worried about the world but for our own reasons, we are going to take major steps to curb our carbon output []", everybody else would fall into line, one thinks. That would be the big change that one could hope would happen." China has arguably already made the biggest contribution to our collective welfare with its highly contentious, now abandoned one-child policy. China's population would have been around 400 million people larger without it, pushing us closer to the crisis Sir David fears. To be clear, I'm not advocating compulsory population control, here or anywhere. But we do need to consider a future with billions more people, many of them aspiring to live as Australians do now. Looking ahead, will Australians try to keep living as we do today? Or will we decide to set a new example of living well, without such a heavy ecological footprint? Resolving all these conundrums won't be easy; perhaps not even possible. That's another discomfiting reality that we may have to get used to. Explore further There's plenty we can do to make future fires less likely This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The accused was remanded in custody (stock photo) A Co Antrim man has been remanded into custody accused of having guns, ammunition and replica weapons. Darren Clawson appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court following the seizure at a flat in the centre of Carrickfergus. The 32-year-old, of Cheston Street in the town, faces two charges of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and six counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He is further accused of having a quantity of ammunition. Police said they recovered the haul and arrested Clawson during a proactive search operation on Tuesday morning. One of the seized weapons, a revolver, had up to four bullets in the cylinder, it was alleged. A defence lawyer claimed some of the charges related to replica items purchased over the internet. Refusing bail, however, District Judge Fiona Bagnall cited the risk of further offences and public safety issues. Clawson was remanded in custody to appear again by video-link next month. BMW Invests In Electric Use Reduction Software Company +VIDEO MOUNTAINVIEW, CA - January 22, 2020: BMW i Ventures announced today an investment in Software Motor Company (SMC) a Silicon Valley-based company developing the worlds most reliable, efficient and intelligent motor systems. The new funding will enable SMC to further scale its business and accelerate product development. Electric motors are a massive, $100B market, and they move our modern world, while consuming over 45% of the world's electricity. So investing in a company that can deliver huge electrical cost savings, while selling motor systems that are lower cost, more reliable, and made from more sustainable materials seems like a no-brainer, said Greg Smithies of BMW i Ventures. To-date, SMC has primarily focused on transforming the HVAC industry, since the operation of buildings is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions. This latest round of fundraising will enable SMC to expand its product line to support a complete breadth of HVAC retrofit motors and bring to market its full-stack Building Operating System (BOS) platform to optimize energy and maintenance through intelligent automation. SMC also has the ability to reduce the energy intensity of the vehicle manufacturing process by retrofitting its demanding HVAC systems. Its not unusual for large manufacturing facilities to consume tens-of-megawatts of power, and a significant portion of that is typically driven directly by HVAC. HVAC retrofit was the first step to drive adoption of our technology. Businesses and governments are seeking new energy efficiencies to address the urgency of the climate crisis and their own environmental goals, as well as just spend less on energy and improve the bottom line. But the applications for our software-defined motor systems are ubiquitous, and we foresee adoption into electric vehicles as clear future markets for SMC, said Ryan Morris, executive chairman, SMC. Electric Vehicles will require lower costs and longer ranges to reach ubiquity. SMCs technology enables lower cost motors, and lowers the cost of the battery for comparable range, thanks to higher efficiency over a wide operating range. "SMCs unique architecture has the potential to improve the efficiency, cost, and safety of developing electric drivetrains, while reducing dependence on unsustainable rare earth minerals. That is a huge opportunity across all vehicle manufacturers," Smithies said. # # # About BMW i Ventures: BMW i Ventures, BMWs EUR 500 million venture capital fund, invests money and resources in startups in the fields of autonomous driving, digital car and automotive cloud, e-mobility, artificial intelligence and data, industry 4.0, shared and on-demand mobility, customer digital life, and energy services. The firm has already partnered with innovative companies such as Bright Machines, Carbon3D, Chargepoint, Claroty, DesktopMetal, fair, Graphcore, Moovit, Tekion, Trifacta, Xometry, Yellowbrick and Zum. BMW i Ventures invests in all stages from seed to growth companies. For more information, please visit: www.bmwiventures.com About Software Motor Company Software Motor Company (SMC) has developed the worlds most efficient electric motor system, based on revolutionary switched reluctance technology, managed by advanced cloud software. SMC's vision is to eliminate the 25% of global electricity consumption that is wasted by legacy electric motors, thus accelerating the worlds transition from fossil fuels and leaving them in the ground where they belong. SMC is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., with offices in San Francisco; Arlington, Wash.; and Kennesaw, Ga. SMC is partnering with dozens of pilot customers and reducing their motor electricity consumption by more than half. SMC is also partnering with agriculture technology company VES to revolutionize the efficiency, environmental impact, and health of animal agriculture. For further information, visit www.softwaremotor.com. [January 22, 2020] Pronto Hires Two Industry Talents to Lead Growth in 2020 and Beyond LEHI, Utah, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pronto , a leading engagement platform that instantly connects individuals and organizations via chat and video messaging, today announced Tim Pales as Chief Revenue Officer and Carli Tegtmeier as Vice President of Sales. Tim and Carli are both accomplished leaders who have demonstrated the ability to surpass goals and objectives while finding innovative and creative ways to solve problems and achieve tremendous growth, said Zach Mangum, co-founder and CEO of Pronto. Were fortunate to have them on our team and are confident that their expertise will make an immediate impact and help us continue to grow and achieve both short and long-term goals. In his role as Chief Revenue Officer, Pales will be responsible for driving revenue, building and running the global sales, overseeing customer success, developing the sales team and helping them achive their goals and objectives. Prior to joining Pronto, Pales was a Regional VP of Sales at Qualtrics where he was responsible for leading the companys largest sales region for customer experience solutions. He also pioneered international sales for Qualtrics, leading its APAC expansion. In her role as Vice President of Sales, Tegtmeier will be responsible for driving higher education revenue, sales strategy and working with clients to get broader adoption and making a positive impact on the industry and her client's overall success. Before joining the Pronto team, Tegtmeier was the vice president of sales at Instructure where she supervised all Higher Education sales aspects in North America with the largest universities, colleges, state systems, and consortia to elevate teaching and simplify learning. For more information or for a product demo visit, https://pronto.io . About Pronto Pronto is a communication hub for the everyday user. No fancy syntax or confusing hashtags, just seamless communication so everyone can learn faster and work smarter. With auto-translation, group messaging and file sharing capabilities, Pronto makes having your voice heard and understood easier than ever. For more information visit https://pronto.io . Media Contact WE Codeword for Pronto [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A woman authorities said was driving as fast as 100 mph on Rossville Boulevard was finally caught at MLK Boulevard in Chattanooga. The chase of Bridgette Alexis Payne, 24, of Rossville, was begun by the Georgia State Patrol. The Tennessee State Patrol took up the pursuit of the red Chrysler 2000 after she crossed into Tennessee on Highway 27. Ms. Payne was charged with speeding, reckless driving, felony evading arrest, violating the seat belt law and having no insurance. She also faces a charge of carrying a dangerous weapon. Charges against her are pending in Georgia. She was placed under a $5,000 bond at the Hamilton County Jail. Yet its impressive that Illinois doctors cared for over 5,000 women whose home states made it impossible for their citizens to exercise their constitutional rights, said Watson, author of the book Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion. Being forced to travel out of state for any medical procedure robs a patient of energy, time and money they should have been able to invest in their health and life, and having to cross state lines for an abortion may also impose emotional harm from the stigma and politics that led to that travel. "Yesterday, Katyusha rockets were fired at the US embassy, and this is painful and incorrect ... Who authorises those parties to attack the embassy in Iraq?," Xinhua news agency quoted Mahdi's office as stating after the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Baghdad, Jan 22 (IANS) Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has condemned the rocket attack on the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, calling it "unacceptable". "This act offends Iraq and is unacceptable regardless of their intentions," Abdul Mahdi said without naming the attackers. Late on Monday, an Iraqi Interior Ministry's official told Xinhua that three Katyusha rockets landed near the US embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad without causing casualties. The heavily fortified Green Zone has been frequently targeted by insurgents' mortar and rocket attacks. The roughly 10-square-km zone is located on the west bank of the Tigris River, which bisects the Iraqi capital. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack which came after growing tensions between the US and Iran. On January 8, Iran fired ballistic missiles on military bases housing US troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar and near the city of Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. The Iranian attack came after a US drone attacked on January 3 a convoy at Baghdad International Airport, killing Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces. More than 5,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against Islamic State militants. vin A pro-President Trump dark money group is set to air ads across Alabama on Wednesday that criticize Sen. Doug Jones statements that Trumps impeachment is legitimate and tying the Democratic senator to the radical left. The ads by the dark money group America First Policies, affiliated with the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action, set to run on cable television and online in the Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery markets, urge viewers to call Jones Senate office and tell him to stop standing with the radical left, and end impeachment. The spot also criticized Alabamas junior senator for voting against the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and voting against securing the border -- a claim denied by Jones office. The $450,000 spent on the ad buy is the lions share of a three-state, $1 million purchase by America First Policies. The group said the Alabama ad will reach nearly 88 percent of Alabama voters. As a senator, Jones -- who is up for reelection in November -- is one of the jurors in Trumps trial after the House impeached the president last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The ad includes footage of Jones saying impeachment is not a hoax, its not a witch hunt. The senator has said that he would be an impartial juror and that the Senate trial should include witnesses and evidence. https://twitter.com/SenDougJones/status/1219673998923091973 A Jones spokesperson suggested Alabamians would see through the ads. This ad is an attempt to distract from Senator Jones record of getting things done on behalf of the people of Alabama. Anyone who has followed Senator Jones in recent months knows that he is committed to upholding his oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and he has approached this impeachment trial with the seriousness it demands," the spokesperson said in an email to AL.com. "Contrary to the blatant lies in this ad, he has also supported over 70 percent of President Trumps judicial nominees and has voted at least five times for additional border security funding. Regardless of pressure from outside groups, Sen. Jones will remain focused on being an independent voice for Alabamians. Edited at 5:45 p.m. Jan. 22 to correct that the pro-Trump group America First Policies is paying for the ads, not the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. Houston ISD officials are exploring the idea of installing metal detectors at the districts middle and high schools in response to last weeks fatal on-campus shooting of a student, a step few districts in the region have taken following nationwide incidents of mass gun violence at schools. In a blog post, Houston ISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan wrote that she will be meeting with students and community leaders to determine whether the district should increase security measures following the Jan. 14 shooting of Cesar Cortes, 19, at Bellaire High School. Authorities have said they believe a 16-year-old classmate accidentally shot Cortes while showing off a semiautomatic pistol. These meetings, along with reconvening safety and security council committees on every campus, will be a catalyst for increased vigilance and preventative measures in our schools, Lathan wrote Tuesday. Another measure the district is exploring includes assessing middle schools and high schools for metal detectors as a screening measure for entry onto campuses. HISD does not regularly employ metal detectors or require clear backpacks at its campuses. Aldine and Spring ISDs are the only two large Houston-area districts that use metal detectors each school day. Cy-Fair ISD, the regions second-largest district, issued a clear backpack mandate for students following the May 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School that left 10 people dead. HISD officials have not committed to any district-wide security changes since Cortes death, and Lathans post contains no such promises. District leaders did not make any significant security changes following the shooting in Santa Fe. Lathans administration did not grant an interview request or respond to written questions Wednesday, including her personal views on metal detectors. She is expected to address the news media Thursday following a meeting with Bellaire students about school safety. About 75 classmates and friends of Cortes called Friday for district officials to hear their concerns and suggestions for improving school safety. Over the past five years, HISD officials have reported an annual average of 58 disciplinary actions against students for possessing or using weapons on campus. Nearly all occurred at the districts middle and high schools, as well as its alternative education facilities. On HoustonChronicle.com: Slain Bellaire student planned to join U.S. Army after graduation Nanette Zertuche, whose daughter attends Furr High School and two eldest sons graduated from HISD, said she believes weapons are more prevalent on school grounds than the data suggests. As a result, she supports adding metal detectors to middle and high schools. For now, Zertuche said, district administrators should communicate more information about incidents involving weapons in schools. If kids bring them to the school, it doesnt get notified to the parents like it should, Zertuche said. Then you get rumors and you hear about it from other students, and eventually it comes out. Nothing is going to get changed unless HISD changes. The addition of metal detectors would represent one of HISDs costliest and most significant security upgrades in recent years. While prices for metal detectors vary, outfitting all 106 campuses that serve grades 6 and higher could be costly, particularly if the district installed multiple machines at larger schools. Chicago Public Schools officials last year approved the purchase of an undisclosed number of metal detectors for nearly $4,000 per unit, with installation and warranty included. HISD officials have not said who would operate and maintain metal detectors, which could carry additional costs. Any districtwide purchases of metal detectors likely would require approval of the HISD school board. Trustee Patricia Allen, a former elementary school principal, said she supports the installation of metal detectors in middle and high schools, arguing the increase in security outweighs the logistical hurdles of screening students daily. You already see them so much, even at the football stadiums where they have lots of people going through those, Allen said. Its better to be safe than sorry. On HoustonChronicle.com: Metal detectors spark intense debate after Santa Fe shooting However, Trustee Dani Hernandez said she opposes metal detectors at schools, largely because of the message they send to students. Hernandez added that she heard backlash to metal detectors from community members following the November 2018 death of 18-year-old Delindsey Mack, who was killed in an apparent gang-related shooting within feet of Lamar High School grounds. We would need to figure out more about the cost, but also how that plays into the school-to-prison pipeline, said Hernandez, a former elementary school teacher. Research on the effectiveness of metal detectors in schools is limited. A 2010 analysis of seven studies on metal detectors published in the Journal of School Health found that there is insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion about the potential beneficial effect of the machines. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has been roundly criticized in the past five years after undercover tests showed security agents routinely failed to catch weapons passed through airport checkpoints. About 4 percent of American public schools used random metal detector checks in 2015-16, according to a survey completed by the U.S. Department of Education. HISD is expected to receive nearly $2 million additional dollars this year from the state government for safety-related upgrades, part of a law passed by Texas legislators in spring 2019 in response to the Santa Fe shooting. District officials could spend the money in several ways, including buying metal detectors, upgrading facilities, adding security cameras and hiring more police officers. Lathan said she plans to meet with community leaders Feb. 7 to discuss school safety. Her blog post does not specify a location or whether the meeting will be open to the public. A 16-year-old boy is charged as a juvenile with manslaughter in Cortes death. He remains in custody pending the results of a mental health evaluation. Authorities have not released his name due to his age. jacob.carpenter@chron.com NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cobwebs Technologies, the specialized open-source web intelligence company that supports national security agencies, law enforcement agencies, and corporate security departments in rapidly identifying and locating malicious threat actors on the open, deep, and dark webs, is entering the American market with an office in New York City. With little more than a click, Cobwebs makes it highly difficult for terrorists, active shooters, hackers, and other criminal entities to hide, plan, communicate, or ply their nefarious trade in any part of the online world. Johnmichael O'Hare Designed by intelligence experts with operational experience in the field, Cobwebs is a machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) powered web intelligence and investigation platform with strong Natural Language Processing capabilities. It extracts targeted intelligence from Big Data and automatically generates intelligent insights. In 2019 Frost & Sullivan presented Cobwebs Technologies with its Global Technology Innovation Award in the web intelligence market. The company has established offices in Singapore, New Delhi, and will soon open new offices in London and Frankfurt. "Organized crime groups and lone wolves are increasingly using the web to communicate, plan and hide online. They know how to conceal their plans and mask who they are. This presents an ongoing challenge for investigators," observes Johnmichael O'Hare, sales and business development manager at Cobwebs Technologies. "We turn the tables on all threat actors by giving investigators access to a tailored Swiss-army-knife array of high-powered online intelligence and investigation tools unsurpassed in the field." Investigators need just one small lead for the platform to direct them to not only where the threat actors may be hiding, but also to the location of potential evidence needed to accurately build a case and successfully prosecute nefarious individuals. The Cobwebs platform does not determine if the located data is evidence. Rather, as O'Hare explains, "The platform acts as a compass that points investigators to critical intelligence required in an investigation without delay, and it moves them directly through the intelligence cycle to the due diligence and the evidence vetting process." The Cobwebs platform works in a similar manner to an Internet search engine. An investigator inputs search terms relevant to the case they are working, ranging from names, keywords, hashtags, locations, websites, social media accounts, photographs, batches of numbers including telephone numbers, and cryptocurrency wallets. With one click, the platform initiates a rapid, deep search through open-source information located on all layers of the web and on all social media platforms and blogs. As soon as data is located that matches the search term requirements, it is analyzed and displayed on an intuitive user dashboard. This gives investigators the ability to identify threat actors and new threats, prevent incidents, confirm and validate evidence, or rule out irrelevant information. Its fully automated capabilities enable the user to perform active intelligence operations with minimal effort. In addition, the Cobwebs platform helps investigators identify and reconstruct profiles that link suspicious individuals to their contacts, and it reveals how they connect and come together as a group. People outside of a group can also be identified so that investigators can determine if they should be conducting additional investigations. The platform allows users to develop target profiles, map groups, manage critical events, and leverage operational dominance. "Besides being able to reach anywhere online on a global scale, the Cobwebs platform has an unsurpassed capability to accelerate the investigative process, cutting days, weeks, and in some cases, months, off a case," adds O'Hare. "This helps investigators identify perpetrators and prevent terror attacks, protecting infrastructure, businesses and reputations." Its high-powered intelligence, natural language processing, and online search capabilities make the Cobwebs platform ideal for delivering specific investigative components required by law enforcement, national security agencies, anti-terror units, immigration, cyber authorities, public safety, and border control entities in the government sector. In the private sector, it is well suited for corporate security teams, financial services markets, and security departments protecting America's critical infrastructure. From a privacy perspective, the platform locates information already in place on the Internet. All agencies using Cobwebs Technologies have their own internal user protocols and oversight to protect the privacy of citizens. The company provides the web intelligence solution, trains investigators how to use it, and provides after-sales support to all clients. Cobwebs Technologies is a worldwide leader in web intelligence. Our innovative solutions are tailored to operational needs of national security agencies and the private sector, identifying threats with just one click. Cobwebs solutions were designed by our intelligence and security experts as vital tools for the collection and analysis of data from all web layers: social media, open, deep and dark web. Our web intelligence platform monitors these vast sources of data to reveal hidden leads and generate insights. Our exclusive technology extracts targeted intelligence from big data using the latest machine learning algorithms, automatically generating intelligent insights. For more information: https://www.cobwebs.com/ For press inquiries, please contact: Fortress Strategic Communications Evan Bloom, CEO Tel: +1-315-744-4912 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fortresscomms.com SOURCE Cobwebs Technologies Related Links https://www.cobwebs.com/ Nearly 10 million American kids live in low-opportunity neighborhoods, with limited access to good schools, parks and healthy food. Why it matters: Simply being born in these pockets put these kids at a stark disadvantage. The neighborhoods in which children grow up shape many aspects of their adult lives, including how long they'll likely live, how healthy they'll be, and how much money they'll make. The big picture: In a new report, researchers at Brandeis University used several factors such as poverty rate, employment statistics and acres of green space to assign opportunity scores (ranging from 1 to 100) to all 72,000 neighborhoods in the country. The hardest place to grow up is Bakersfield, California, where more than half of residents under 18 live in low-opportunity neighborhoods. The best is Madison, Wisconsin. Cities in the South generally have lower scores than those in the Northeast. There are whopping disparities even within metro areas. Cities with the greatest opportunity gaps include Detroit, Baltimore and Philadelphia. In Detroit, there's a neighborhood with a score of 95, among the best in the country for kids, as well as one scored 2. A kid born in the better neighborhood will likely earn much more and live up to 7 years longer than another child born a few miles away. Opportunity is distributed far more equally in other cities, like New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. There's also "an extremely clear and disturbing racial divide," says Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, the lead researcher and director of Brandeis' Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy. Of the close to 10 million kids living in low opportunity neighborhoods, 4.5 million are Hispanic and 3.6 million are black. What to watch: Some city leaders have turned Brandeis' child opportunity index into a guide to address inequities at home. Albany, the city with one of the highest proportions of black children living in poverty, used the 2014 data to pinpoint which parks needed to be expanded and renovated. The Boston Medical Center built an app that tells residents in its most distressed neighborhoods where to find affordable, nutritious food. The bottom line: "We've grown very complacent and grown used to seeing our metro areas so starkly divided," says Acevedo-Garcia. "But the fact that some kids live in these neighborhoods that have much, much, much worse conditions hurts all of us, as a country." Hilco Redevelopment Partners, whose $240 million bid won an auction to acquire the bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery site, aims to move quickly to clean up the 1,300-acre South Philadelphia property and redevelop it into a mixed-use industrial facility, according to city officials. I think their timeline is aggressive, Ill put it that way, Brian Abernathy, the citys managing director, said in an interview Wednesday. They want to be in the ground quickly. Abernathy, who headed a four-member city government delegation that attended Fridays six-hour-long auction, said Hilco had done its homework and came well-prepared for negotiations. The Chicago-based company, which specializes in repurposing industrial properties, did not submit a formal plan for the site, but painted its plans in broad brushes, he said. Theyll probably still keep the tank farm and some of the energy logistics that are on-site, but they dont intend to operate the refinery, said Abernathy. He said Hilco is likely to develop the site for multiple users, which he said was exciting because the property will be less dependent upon a single industry that is susceptible to boom-and-bust cycles. The way that the site is going to relate to the community both the nearby community and the city as a whole is going to be much different than it is today, he said. PESs plans require the approval of U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Kevin Gross, who has scheduled a confirmation hearing for Feb. 6. The deadline for creditors to vote on the plan, and for filing any objections to the plan, is Feb. 3. A Hilco spokesman declined to comment on Wednesday while the matter is pending in court. Hilco was one of two finalists bidding on the refinery, which shut down following a June 21 fire and explosion and declared bankruptcy. The 335,000-barrels-a-day refinery was the largest oil-processing facility on the East Coast and had been in operation for 150 years. Neither of the two finalists was a refinery operator, sources said, suggesting that the sites value as a fuel processing facility had diminished. Philadelphia Energy Industries, a company formed by former PES chief executive Philip Rinaldi to bid on the site, was not a finalist. The runner-up, Industrial Realty Group, a California real estate company that rehabilitates former industrial sites, sent representatives who toured the site in September and told PES workers that they were open to working with a refining company if one could be found. What they told me was that they swim with the tide, said Ryan OCallaghan, a spokesman for United Steelworkers Local 10-1, which represented 640 of the refinerys 1,100 employees before the plant shut down. If they purchased it and they found somebody who wanted to run it as a refinery, they would accommodate them. A spokeswoman for Industrial Realty Group, Lauren Crumrine, declined to comment. Hilco Redevelopment Partners is one of about 20 operating units under Hilco Global, which was founded in 1987 by its chairman and chief executive, Jeffrey Hecktman. Hilco Redevelopment acquires and redevelops complex real estate assets. Abernathy, the citys managing director, said his research suggested the firm has a great track record. The company has acquired old power plant sites in Boston, Chicago, and New Jersey, and has $2.5 billion in assets under management. Hilco and another company in 2012 bought the bankrupt Sparrows Point steel mill in Baltimore, a 3,100-acre property more than twice the size of PES. In 2014, Hilco formed a joint venture with a Baltimore development company, Redwood Capital, to rebrand the joint venture as Tradepoint Atlantic, which cleared the land and erected warehouses and distribution centers for Amazon, Home Depot, Volkswagen, and Under Armour, and recently agreed to host a staging site for rsted, the Danish offshore wind farm developer. Under the PES plan, Hilco will assume environmental liabilities and cleanup costs, according to a purchase agreement posted early Wednesday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington. Its unclear how Hilco will coordinate its plans with Sunoco Inc., a previous owner of the refinery complex that in 2012 agreed to clean up legacy contamination on the land. Abernathy said that Hilco indicated it had discussions with Sunoco and with officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection before the auction. Their intent around remediation showed a lot of forethought that they were thinking through how to tackle the various problems that the site faces, which gave me some comfort, said Abernathy. He said Hilco likely would go through a phased development, where some sections of the property are cleared and redeveloped before others. Richard Gorodesky, an industrial properties broker with commercial real estate firm Colliers International, said he expects the developer to embrace a mix of uses, much like the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Hilco will probably set aside some space for energy operations to continue, to capitalize on its existing infrastructure, and will likely develop warehouses and other similar industrial uses in other parts. The land near Philadelphia International Airport could be developed for air-freight purposes. The site is also large enough and sections relatively uncontaminated that the developer might consider building offices, retail, and even housing and parkland, he said. Its going to evolve, said Gorodesky, who analyzed the site in his work with Colliers. Youve got a great developer, and theyre going to listen to all the situations. Theyre going to develop it to as we say in real estate the highest and best use, and I think thats going to be a mix of uses. Some former refinery employees expressed resignation that the petroleum-processing complex, which had been operating for 150 years, was finished. The nails probably in the coffin for the refinery, said OCallaghan, of the Steelworkers union. Community and environmental advocates, who had vowed to oppose a continuation of refining on the property, on Wednesday said they were encouraged by the auctions outcome. With Hilcos proposal likely to be approved by the bankruptcy court, we are cautiously optimistic about the opportunity for the site to be much less polluting than its previous use as a refinery, Joseph Otis Minott, executive director of the Clean Air Council, said in a statement. The public must now do everything it can to hold Hilco accountable for developing the cleanest and safest uses possible at the site, Minott said. "Clean Air Council urges Hilco to reach out to stakeholders, including environmentalists and nearby neighbors, to work with them on the future use of the site. Abernathy, the city managing director, said Hilcos aims seemed to be aligned with the values expressed in the recent report of Mayor Jim Kenneys Refinery Advisory Group, which hoped for a new owner to have a more positive impact on the environment and the surrounding community. I think they can be really strong partners, he said. Not that everythings going to be hunky-dory all the time, because nothings ever easy with development projects of this size. But you know, I think Hilcos approach and their ability to communicate with the city is leaps and bounds above where we were. Staff writer Jacob Adelman contributed to this article. This story was modified Jan. 24 to add information that Hilco formed a joint venture with Redwood Capital to develop the Baltimore project. DETROIT--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, strongly urges individuals to use caution around Great Lakes structures and to be aware of safety hazards resulting from high water levels. Many accidents and incidents near harbor structures occur during the turbulent weather seasons of fall and winter, but higher than normal water levels pose safety threats year round. The lakeshore attracts local residents and visitors alike. Strong winds, storms and high water levels can bring powerful impacts to the shoreline and harbor structures. Dangers of high water levels. The Great Lakes are continuing to experience higher than normal water levels. High water levels create safety hazards, such as submerged breakwaters, dangerous rip currents and electric shock risks. Submerged structures. Use extreme vigilance while boating - many piers, docks and portions of breakwaters are currently under water and not visible above the water surface. Winds often affect local water levels, pushing them dramatically higher during storms and windy days. Structures that may be visible on a calm day may not be visible on a windy day. Although breakwater structures were primarily built for navigation, they are also often used for recreation. Walking along breakwater structures can be hazardous - uneven slippery surfaces, especially when doubled with wave action, increase the risk of falling in to the water. Large armor stones may be hidden below the water surface and there is risk of getting wedged between armor stones or striking a stone with one's body, should an individual fall or jump into the water. Rip currents. Water circulation can differ with changes in water levels. When water levels, wind and waves increase, so does the risk of dangerous currents. Rip currents and structural currents are a common cause of drowning. Rip currents are fast-moving, narrow currents of water that flow away from shore. Structural currents can occur at fixed structures such as breakwaters and piers, and flow away from shore parallel to the structure. To get out of a rip current, it is advised to "Flip, Float, Follow" until the current subsides to save your energy and reduce your risk of drowning. Electric shock and drowning. Electric shock drowning is an increased risk due to high water levels. Water-overtopped docks at marinas or public areas may have electrical hook-ups, which have the potential to shock someone that has come in contact with the water. When immobile due to shock, the risk of drowning increases. Chennai: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the government is moving towards a direction where the law does not look at business enterprises with suspicion. She also said the industry and government should jointly work together to take the country's economy to $5 trillion. Delivering the Nani Palkhivala Centenary Celebrations Lecture, organised by the Palkhivala Foundation here, on "Road Map to $5 Trillion Economy", the Finance Minister said her earnest attempt is to decriminalise matters concerning the Companies Act or other related laws, and also cited Tata Group Head N. Chandrasekharan's speech in Mumbai on Monday where he had said government should trust its own citizens. Stressing further on the trust factor, Sitharaman said the government's intention is not to distrust business houses and the road to $5 trillion economy will be much easier with mutual trust. She also said that a suggestion has been made in the last GST Council meeting to revise the tax rates once a year after due consideration. Queried on the credibility of public data, she said changing the base year for calculation has been done by governments earlier tooand blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this is not acceptable. She also dismissed the allegation that Modi does not respect institutions as "absolutely unwanted". According to her, the banks have been asked to reduce their non-performing assets (NPA) on regional levels. She also said while targets have been given for tax collections so that there is no slack in revenue collections, officials have been asked not to harass tax-payers. President Macron angered as Israeli security enter Church of St Anne, which is considered French territory. Go outside, French President Emmanuel Macron demanded in English in a melee with Israeli security men on Wednesday, demanding they leave a Jerusalem basilica that he visited before a Holocaust memorial conference. The French tricolour has flown over the Church of St Anne in Jerusalems walled Old City since it was gifted by the Ottomans to French Emperor Napoleon III in 1856. France views it as a provocation when Israeli police enter the churchs sandstone complex, in a part of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Wednesdays incident was a case of deja vu all over again. In 1996, Frances then-president Jacques Chirac lost patience with Israeli security agents at the same church, telling one of them that his treatment was a provocation and threatening to get back on his plane. Chirac refused to enter St Anne until Israeli security left the site. Video showed Macron, jostled in the centre of a crowded circle between his own protective detail and Israeli security personnel, including several paramilitary policemen in uniform, under an archway leading into the church. French President Emmanuel Macron gets testy with Israeli police in the church of Sainte Anne, Old City of Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/14NjxLPvLA Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 22, 2020 Macron then stopped the shoving and shouted at the Israeli security guards in English: I dont like what you did in front of me. Lowering his voice, he then said: Go outside. Im sorry, you know the rules. Nobody has to provoke nobody. Speaking later to reporters, Macron said the incident ended pleasantly and that he shook hands with the Israeli security officials. Israeli police said that when Macron arrived at the church there was a discussion between Israeli and French security officers about entering with the president. When the president and the delegation finished the visit, he apologised about the incident and shook hands with the security personnel, a police statement said. An Israeli government spokesman did not immediately comment on behalf of the Shin Bet internal security agency, which also helps guard foreign dignitaries. French diplomats had cautioned that they want to leave little room for mishaps on Macrons trip. Earlier on Wednesday, a separate squabble ensued when Israeli police tried to enter St Anne before Macrons visit. Macron is one of dozens of world leaders due to attend Thursdays World Holocaust Forum at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem, which will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. The 42-year-old head of state had seen his visit to St Anne as a symbolic stop underscoring Paris historical influence in the region. Before heading to the church, Macron walked through the Old City, speaking to shopkeepers and stopping by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He later visited the Muslim Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque, a site revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, and prayed at Judaisms Western Wall, touching the ancient stones. - A three-year-old boy identified as Muhammad Haryz Nadzim has become the youngest member of Mensa UK - Mensa is the oldest international high IQ society in the world - The chief executive of British Mensa, says Nadzim is obviously a very bright young man and the society is delighted to welcome him to Mensa - People from around the world have reacted to Nadzim's admission into Mensa Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in A 3-year-old Malaysian boy living in the United Kingdom has made a record by becoming the youngest member to join Mensa UK, the largest and oldest international high IQ society in the world. The boy, Muhammad Haryz Nadzim, was said to have been invited to join Mensa after meeting with a psychologist and scoring 142 on the Stanford-Binet IQ test, placing him in the 99.7th percentile, CNN reports. YEN.com.gh gathers that the chief executive of British Mensa, John Stevenage, congratulated Nadzim, saying the society is delighted to have him. READ ALSO: Apostle Safo, Obinim, Obofour among rich Ghanaian pastors with powerful luxury cars Muhammad Haryz Nadzim and his mum. Photo credit: CNN Source: UGC Nadzim's mother, Nur Anira Asyikin, stated that her family knew her child was special even before joining Mensa. According to Asyikin, her son is not only good at academics, but he is also just like other children who love playing and growing up. "We know he will give so much back to society in the future," she stated. People from around the world have taken to social media to comment on the record made by the bright child. Janet Turnbull on Facebook said: "Love hearing this, but kind of pity him in a way. I hope people don't steal away his childhood because of it." Spens Robert said: "I feel like the parents of this child need to read The Institute by Stephen King so that they can start to be prepared for the hard times to come! Just saying." Sue MacDonald said: "And that precious smile to boot. This child is definitely bringing hope to the future. Best Wishes." Tony Slater Ada Velgersdijk said: "What's this little guy's take on climate change? Would he know more than Greta?" Dan Tanna admitted that some people were born intelligent and others were born otherwise, adding that he is part of those that were born unintelligent. He said: "Dan Tanna Amazing how some people are just born intelligent, and others including myself just don't seem to get any smarter......" Meanwhile, YEN.com.ghpreviously reported that Izoduwa emerged the first winner of the Sawnee Elementary spelling bee. Sawnee Elementary school is a part of West Community School in Georgia, Unites States. Some of the schools under the group are Vickery Creek Elementary School, Kelly Mill Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, among others. In other stories, YEN.com.gh reported amid the public scorn towards preachers who monetise consultations, the Head Pastor of Life Assembly Worship Center, Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu, has emphasized he does not joke with consultation fees. Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu aka Osofo Kyiriabosom, who is also the flagbearer of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) reiterated that there's absolutely nothing wrong with him as a preacher charging his members and other people who consult him on matters regarding their live. READ ALSO: Apostle Safo, Obinim, Obofour among rich Ghanaian pastors with powerful luxury cars Ghanaian Traders Share Thoughts on Sales During Christmas | #Yencomgh Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh A women's AFL player has been struck by lightning while working in a dockyard. Jess Wuetschner, 27, was holding on to a crane in Brisbane Port when it was hit during a storm at around 3am on Sunday. The Brisbane Lions small forward, who works as a wharfie securing containers, was rushed to hospital. Jess Wuetschner (pictured) , 27, was holding on to a crane in Brisbane Port when it was hit during a storm at around 3am on Sunday The Brisbane Lions small forward, who works as a wharfie securing containers, was rushed to hospital She was released later the same day without any lasting physical injuries and is looking forward to getting back to training. 'Physically I am A-OK, but I'm still processing things mentally,' Wuetschner told The Age. 'I am feeling a bit flat physically so will be resting my body. I was very lucky and I'm feeling very fortunate.' Many women's AFL players supplement their incomes with other jobs. Wuetschner works night shifts as a stevedore after training. Brisbane Lions AFLW CEO Breeanna Brock said in a statement that the team is supporting her. 'We are just so thankful that she is all right,' she said. 'A moment like this put things into perspective, that's for sure. 'We'll continue to work with Jess and our team here at the club to make sure she has everything she needs to get back to normal.' Many women's AFL players supplement their incomes with other jobs. Wuetschner (pictured) works night shifts as a stevedore after training A new bridge and expressway over the Mobile Bay emerged Wednesday as a preferred alternative as a preferred alternative among Baldwin County leaders searching for answers on how to solve traffic bottlenecks on Interstate 10 around Mobile Bay. The new project would replace the states controversial I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project that Gov. Kay Ivey declared five months ago to be dead. But a state transportation representative offered no immediate support Wednesday for the new project, nor did Mobile County leaders immediately embrace it. Other issues are unknown, such as whether the new expressway would be tolled. Also unknown are the exact cost estimates for the project that Eastern Shore leaders claimed was considerably cheaper than the states $2.1 billion project. We have a concept, said Daphne Mayor Dane Haygood, who is chairman of the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization that is charged with providing an alternative proposal for overhauling I-10. There is still work that needs to be done. Im optimistic weve set forth the expectations the Eastern Shore MPO wants to see for the project to move forward. Hopefully, they will take it and embrace it. The Mobile River Bridge and Expressway project is roughly estimated to cost $1.2 billion. Thats 42% less than the defunct $2.1 billion Bridge/Bayway project. In August last year, the Eastern Shore MPO voted to remove the Bridge/Bayway project from its list of short-term transportation priorities, effectively ensuring its demise. Within minutes of that vote, Ivey issued her dead declaration. The new project doesnt call for tolls on existing roadways, like the George Wallace Tunnel. Under ALDOTs previous plan, the Wallace Tunnel and the new Bayway were under consideration for a toll. The toll plan prompted fierce backlash on social media and elsewhere which led to the projects overall failure. But the new plan leaves unanswered questions on whether motorists would be assessed a toll for driving on the new expressway. Adding new capacity, we hope, can be done without a toll, said Haygood. The most important part of this is the free route. The Eastern Shore MPO voted to support the projects scope highlighted with the construction of a new 7.5-mile road across the Mobile Bay connecting Daphne to Virginia Street in Mobile. If the Alabama Department of Transportation gives its endorsement, the Eastern Shore MPO suggested that it would add the project to its priority list, known as the Transportation Improvement Plan. Projects on that list the TIP can quality to receive federal funding. ALDOTs lone representative on the Eastern Shore MPO was the lone No vote. Tony Harris, spokesman with ALDOT, said the department was unaware that the Eastern Shore MPO was introducing a resolution on the bridge project. Said Harris, We plan to comment further after a thorough review of the resolution. Brian Aaron, assistant region engineer in the Southwest Region with ALDOT, said during the MPO meeting that ALDOTs position has not changed regarding the I-10 project. Previously, ALDOT backed a project that called for a public-private partnership or P3, and advocated for tolls to finance a lion share of the development. This is not ALDOTs plan, for the record, said Aaron, regarding the expressway project. We are committed to working with the MPOs as they (consider alternatives). Its a good starting point. Said Daphne City Councilman Ron Scott, also an MPO member, Youve got to start some place. Its a starting place to build consensus and common ground. Indeed, building consensus appears to be the key. In fact, the entire expressway concept has been dubbed as the consensus plan by some. But Mobile Countys MPO doesnt appear to be immediately on board. The Mobile County group, which met at the same exact time as the Eastern Shore MPO, took no action on what the Eastern Shore MPO embraced. A presentation on the consensus plan received little response from the Mobile County MPO. A rough drawing of the proposed I-10 expressway project connecting Mobile to Baldwin County. (submitted rendering) Kevin Harrison, director of transportation planning for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, said the consensus plan is one of several alternatives that are under consideration. Any path forward, he said, would require agreement among Mobile, Baldwin and with ALDOT playing a critical role in establishing the funding plan. Prospects for that remain uncertain, Harrison said. The governor said the project is dead, right? he said. Regardless of how many plans might be pitched, Harrison said, ALDOT has to be the sponsor of the project. The expressway project is similar, in some respects, to the defunct Bridge/Bayway project. For example, it features a new cable-stay bridge over the Mobile River, and the expressway would be built high enough to withstand a 100-year storm surge. In addition, the new expressway would provide access to the Battleship Parkway/Spanish Fort Causeway and would link up with U.S. 98 in Daphne. Also, the new expressway includes access to the Spanish Fort Causeway and also includes an interchange at U.S. 98 in Daphne. A previous incarnation of the expressway project called the North Bay Express -- did not include access points onto the Causeway. The lack of access created concern among some officials on the Eastern Shore, such as Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan, who feared it would divert traffic away from the businesses within his city. The existing Bayway would not be demolished under the new plan. Asked how the new project produced 42% savings from the old $2.1 billion plan, Haygood said, These are estimates put out there based on the concepts put out there. At the end of the day, ALDOT would have to come along and design something, a real plan. Well ultimately have to get to that stage and develop those costs based on their own plans. With the reduced price tag, it makes it much more potentially viable. Lawrence Specker contributed to this report. This story was updated at 4:20 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, to add a statement from Tony Harris with ALDOT. Ore. Mom 'Completely Shattered' After 2 Children Are Swept Out to Sea and Husband Is Hospitalized An Oregon mother is facing unimaginable grief after authorities determined her two children were swept out to sea beside their father while hiking near the water in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Jamie Stiles is struggling to come to terms with the tragic Jan. 11 incident that killed her 7-year-old daughter Lola and 4-year-old William and left her husband Jeremy Stiles, 47, hospitalized, according to a post she shared on Facebook. Words cannot express how grateful I am for the outpouring of love and support to my family. I am not ok right now but am in treatment and will reach my new normal someday soon, she wrote on Wednesday. I have read every single comment and message sent our way and feel like each one adds a tiny drop of glue to my completely shattered heart. I know Lola and William are surrounding us with their beautiful energy as we navigate a path to peace and healing, she continued. My babies loved adventure and I know they are off now on the grandest adventure of them all, together. Thank you all again for providing light to my dark days. The trio was walking on an off-beach trail together when a sneaker wave, which is an abnormally large coastal wave, suddenly came barreling in and swept the father and his two kids out to sea, according to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of the Stiles. RELATED: Oregon Couple Swept Out to Sea After Picnic with Their 10-Year-Old Daughter Authorities were called to the scene around 12:40 p.m. after receiving reports of three people in the water near the Falcon Cove area, Oregon State Police confirm to PEOPLE. A local police officer, who was the first to arrive at the scene, was able to go into the water and pull Lola out, the OSP said. However, after being rushed to Providence Seaside Hospital, the little girl was pronounced dead. Jeremy was also pulled from the waters, but survived the incident and has been recovering from hypothermia at Seaside Hospital, according to the GoFundMe page. Story continues As for William, the 4 year olds body has not been recovered, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard confirms to PEOPLE. Search teams with the USCG Pacific Northwest showed up to the scene and continued to look for William until the evening hours, they announced on Twitter. The search was suspended just before 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, and the USCG spokesperson tells PEOPLE it has not resumed. RELATED VIDEO: Texas Mom Disappears In The Ocean After Saving Her 4-Year-Old Son Williams death was later confirmed in a statement on Lolas school website. Words will never be enough to capture the sadness of the loss of both Lola and William, wrote Hannah Senesh, a spokesperson for Vestal Elementary School. I am, though, able to use words to say a huge and heartfelt thank you for the coming together of our community to support one another and support our children. We will continue to grieve and hold space for one another, Senesh continued. Our next steps as a community will be considering how we can memorialize Lola and William in a way that honors their sweet lives, their family, and their place in our community. Vestal Elementary, which is part of the Portland Public Schools system, also posted about a Jan. 16 vigil for William and Lola on their Facebook page. We are heartbroken and grieving for sweet Lola and little William the school wrote in a post, adding in a separate one, Sweet sweet Lola and Williamwe already miss your sparkle and joy so terribly much. RELATED: Body of Boy, 4, Found 5 Days After Wave Swept Him Away During Family Beach Day in North Carolina Ahead of the devastating incident, the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest urged people to use caution when going to the beach in the winter months to watch the waves. Mother Nature is unforgiving. The beaches along the Pacific Northwest are rugged and remote. Always know the current ocean conditions, they wrote on Facebook. If you plan to head to a beach to witness the amazing power of the ocean, be sure to observe from a distance. Waves are unpredictable and erratic. ALWAYS have situational awareness. Officer Levi Read with the USCG tells PEOPLE that they do not have authority over the beaches, only the waterways and that they had tapped into ports preventing vessels from going out that day. Read also notes that local law enforcement had signs out but they dont have the manpower to stand guard and ensure that people dont go out to the dangerous areas. Sneaker waves come out out of nowhere suddenly and come way further up on beach than a normal set of waves in a period, he explains. Its not just the waves either the wind was pretty steady that day too and the tide was an issue, as well. RELATED VIDEO: California Father Dies After Saving 9-Year-Old Son Who Fell From Bike Into Aqueduct Theres no real good way to avoid a situation like this except to avoid the area at that time, he continues. Higher altitude is gonna be your best bet and even then, you can expect to get wet and there are dangers there too. In the wake of the tragedy, the GoFundMe for the Stiles family has raised over $115,000. Kristin Romaine, a family member of the Stiles and the creator of the fundraiser, said the funds would be used for funeral expenses and grief and trauma support. Our hearts as you can imagine could not be more broken as both children were loved beyond measure by our entire family and so many others, she wrote. Memphis Meats, a Berkeley, Calif.-based cell-based meat, poultry and seafood company, closed a $161m Series B funding round. The round was led by SoftBank Group, Norwest and Temasek with participation from Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Threshold Ventures, Cargill, Tyson Foods, Finistere, Future Ventures, Kimbal Musk, Fifty Years and CPT Capital. The company, which has raised more than $180m in total funding to date, intends to use the funfdd to build a pilot production facility, continue to grow its team, and launch products into the market. Led by Uma Valeti, M.D., co-founder and CEO, Memphis is developing methods to produce meat directly from animal cells, without the need to breed or slaughter animals. The company released a cell-based meatball in February 2016 and a cell-based poultry in March 2017. This round extends the Memphis Meats coalition to Asia, which is a strategically valuable market for cell-based meat and faces significant challenges in meeting demand for meat. FinSMEs 22/01/2020 A former detective for the Carlisle Police Department has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bribery, drug distribution, fraud and making false statements. Christopher Collare, 52, used his official position to obtain sex from two women in exchange for agreeing to take actions in prosecutions, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2015, Collare agreed to accepted sex or money in exchange for not appearing at an evidentiary hearing so that a criminal charge would be dismissed, according to the indictment. The indictment also indicates he agreed to help reduce a potential sentence in exchange for oral sex. The indictment also alleges that Collare distributed heroin in 2016, and defrauded Carlisle and the Cumberland County Drug Task Force between 2011 and 2018 by providing confidential informants with drugs and allowing them to keep drugs they obtained through controlled purchases, according to the release. Collare was a task force officer with the FBI and a member of the Cumberland County Drug Task Force, but investigators say he lied on a federal form he completed in the process to become a task force officer. The form asks if applicants were involved in the exchange or sale of drugs, to which Collare responded negatively. Collare is also accused of making several false statements in an interview with federal agents in May 2018, according to the indictment. Collare retired from the Carlisle Borough police department on October 25, 2018, according to Carlisle mayor Tim Scott. Scott provided the following statement: Obviously, we are disappointed by this news, but, first and foremost, we have complete confidence in Chief Landis and the entire team at the police department, Scott wrote in an email. I am very proud of our officers because we see their work every day in our borough. Its important to note that the alleged conduct occurred years ago and before Chief Landis took over. We do want to see if we can learn anything from this but, again, we know our officers are doing a great job. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Aer Lingus has grown its route network to include several dozen destinations as diverse as Sicily and San Francisco. It flies millions of people every year (and makes millions doing it). But it still manages to provide something other airlines simply don't, readers told us - "a touch of home". What did it take to be named Ireland's Favourite Airline in our Reader Travel Awards 2020? This is "a better flying experience", you said. Flights with Aer Lingus offer "a less frantic experience", "a warm welcome" and an underlying sense of professionalism. Aer Lingus doesn't always have the cheapest fares, and of course it charges for baggage and seat selection on many routes, but it "hasn't stripped every modicum of glamour from air travel", you said. Winning over three times the nominations of its closest rival, many of your comments came down to the airline's service. "You are treated like a human", as one reader put it. We heard of a six-year-old offered a cockpit tour "that he still talks about" and care taken with a precious wedding dress. "As a disabled passenger, they go beyond the call of duty to help", another reader told us. Read the full results of our Reader Travel Awards 2020 "My son has egg and nut allergies and carries an EpiPen," one person said. "Flying can be nerve-wracking, as we need to make sure the seat area is super clean and trust that staff will make appropriate announcements to other passengers. I've always found the team in Aer Lingus to be so helpful, allowing boarding first, making announcements and checking on us during the flight. Small things but makes us more relaxed without creating a fuss." Expand Close An Aer Lingus aircraft with new livery photographed over Ireland's west coast. Pic: Frank Grealish / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Aer Lingus aircraft with new livery photographed over Ireland's west coast. Pic: Frank Grealish This year will mark the fifth anniversary of Aer Lingus's acquisition by IAG. In that time, it has not only expanded its route network (having taken delivery of its first Airbus A321 'neo' aircraft, 2020 sees its biggest ever transatlantic schedule), but introduced new logos and livery. This week, we saw new staff uniforms designed by Louise Kennedy, too. Our judges would love to see less single-use plastics and a better reflection of Irish producers and ingredients on its menus, but had no hesitation in recognising "a fantastic Irish brand", as you described it. Here is "a national treasure", our readers say. Finalists: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Emirates, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines NB: The Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards 2020 are sponsored by Iarnrod Eireann. Read the full list of winners here and share on social using the hashtag #indotravelawards. Explained: How powerful should the Speaker really be? India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 22: In a path-breaking ruling, the Supreme Court has said Parliament should 'rethink' whether the Speaker of a House should continue to have powers to disqualify lawmakers as they 'belong to a particular political party'. The top court recommended that Parliament should seriously consider Speaker disqualification powers with 'a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court' or some other mechanism to ensure swift and impartial decisions. A 3-member bench headed by Justice R F Nariman took note of the role played by Speakers and inordinate delays in deciding pleas for disqualification of lawmakers. Not Speaker, but independent body should decide on disqualifications: SC to Parliament Interestingly, the judgment comes at a time when a discussion is already underway among presiding officers of legislatures on how to secure the legislative Speaker's "dignity" in the matters related to the defection of lawmakers. The apex court has cited the landmark judgment in Kihoto Hollohan 1992, in which the top court laid down the sweeping discretion available to the Speaker in deciding cases of disqualification of MLAs. What was the Kihoto Hollohan 1992 SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News In the year 1985, the Tenth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution, by which legislators could be disqualified on grounds of defection. A member is deemed to have defected if he either voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or disobeys the directives of the party on a vote. A member defying the whip of his party may be disqualified from the membership of the House. The Supreme Court examined whether the powerful role given to the Speaker violated the doctrine of Basic Structure - the judicial principle that certain basic features of the Constitution cannot be altered by amendments by Parliament. Speaker's role A Speaker of the house enjoys a unique position. He has to be impartial to uphold the traditions of parliamentary democracy. A government may fall if a simple majority of members present in the House votes against it during a trust vote. But to remove a Speaker, the number of votes against him must be higher than half of the total strength of the House. The politics Like any other MLA, a Speaker also belongs to a party and chosen as head to maintain the decorum of the house. Even after he leaves the post, he stands a chance to become a minister and therefore harbours political ambitions. Not the best scenarios for him to act in a non-partisan manner. Unfortunately, the Speaker's position has become a weapon to help the ruling party maintain its numbers when in crisis. And what is the extent of the Speaker's powers? Under the Tenth Schedule, Paragraph 6(1) describes the Speaker's sweeping discretionary powers: "If any question arises as to whether a member of a House has become subject to disqualification under this Schedule, the question shall be referred for the decision of the Chairman or, as the case may be, the Speaker of such House and his decision shall be final." What was the minority view on the Bench? Dissenting Justice Lalit Mohan Sharma and J S Verma noted: "In the Tenth Schedule, the Speaker is made not only the sole but the final arbiter of such dispute with no provision for any appeal or revision against the Speaker's decision to an independent outside authority." Explained: How should Speaker treat resignation of MLAs "An independent adjudicatory machinery for resolving disputes relating to the competence of Members of the House is envisaged as an attribute of the democratic system which is a basic feature of our Constitution... the Speaker's choice as the sole arbiter in the matter violates a basic feature of the Constitution since the Speaker cannot be treated as an authority... notwithstanding the great dignity attaching to that office with the attribute of impartiality," it further added. L ondons Midtown has overtaken the West End in a ranking of the capitals most important economic hubs, according to new research. The area between the City and the West End has an economy worth 20.5 billion a year, economic consultancy Hatch Regeneris has calculated from 2019 data. That compares to 18.9 billion and 72.8 billion annually respectively for the West End and City. The research, which was commissioned by BEE Midtown, a business network for 400 local companies, forecasts that by 2025 Midtowns economy will be worth 24.9 billion, compared to 22.7 billion for the West End. This covers the respective Business Improvement Districts for each of those areas. Midtown, which is has a high number of workers in the professional and financial services sectors, comprises Bloomsbury, Holborn, St Giles and Farringdon. It is expected to benefit from the arrival of Crossrail in Farringdon, with more transport links for staff and higher footfall. Alexander Jan is chief economist at engineering consultancy Arup and chairman of BEE Midtown which is supporting the Evening Standards Plastic-Free London campaign. He said Midtown is home to a highly diversified economy with a spatial concentration of the sorts of high-value, knowledge-based jobs that will improve the UKs productivity and competitiveness over the long term. The latest study, which looked at ONS GVA data, said workers in Midtown on average generate 117,000 annually in terms of their economic output, compared to 101,000 per employee in the West End. Jace Tyrrell, chief executive of New West End Company, which represents traders in the neighbouring area to Midtown, said: Our respective areas are unrivalled in their retail, leisure and professional service offerings, all of which come together to strengthen Londons appeal to investors and bolster our economic output. Today's Paris Live opens with an update from our Washington correspondent to discuss the first day of the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump. The Republican majority has so far made clear it will do almost anything to ensure Trump's acquittal. We then turn to Lebanon, where after a three month-long power vacuum since Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation, a new cabinet was announced. Our correspondent explains why there was such an angry outburst over the new lineup. We hear about "Luanda leaks" -- thousands of documents which reveal how the former President's daughter Isabel dos Santos and her Congolese husband, managed to steer millions of dollars of public funds into companies where they hold shares. There's a special interview with director Nana-Jo Ndow, whose documentary "I Cannot Bury My Father" has just been released in Ghana. The film sheds light on murders committed in the Gambia against 56 West Africans, the majority Ghanaians, in 2005. And finally, our guest Khaled Igue, an investment banker from Benin talks about his new book "Time for Africa; towards a sustainable and inclusive development" published this week, in French, by Hermann press. Seoul, Jan 22 : A South Korean transgender soldier who was dismissed for violating regulations following her sex change has threatened to sue the army following the move. The 22-year-old Byun Hui-soo, who had joined the army as a man, had gender reassignment surgery in 2019, after he suffered from mental health issues and gender dysphoria, BBC reported. It is said that South Korea remains conservative on matters of sexual identity. Hui-soo flayed the army for "deep-rooted intolerance" of sexual minorities. Her case has sparked a controversy over the treatment of transgender soldiers, besides those from the wider LGBTQ community. During an emotional 45-minute appearance, the staff sergeant said she had wanted to stay in the army after her operation, which took place in Thailand in November. "I will continue to fight until the day I can remain to serve in the army. I'll challenge the decision until the end, to the Supreme Court," she said. She had not planned on having gender reassignment surgery, she said, but was recommended to do so by doctors at a military hospital where she was sent after suffering mental health problems. "It was an extremely difficult decision to let my base know of my identity, but once I did, I felt much better," she said. "I thought I would finish serving in the army and then go through the transition surgery and then re-enter the army as a female soldier. But my depression got too severe," she added. Hui-soo said she had not expected to be forced to leave the army. Her superior officers had visited her in hospital and had been discussing where she would be redeployed after her treatment. They had suggested she could become a role model for LGBT people in the armed forces, she said. "Apart from my gender identity, I want to show everyone that I can also be one of the great soldiers who protect this country," she said. However, in its ruling, the military said the case "constitutes a reason for being unable to continue service". The military statement added that it was determined to avoid "unfair discrimination and treatment". Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia will play host to the launch of Ferrari's 2020 Formula 1 car on February 11th, 30 KM away from their headquarters at Maranello. Ferrari wants to take their launch back to the birthplace of the tricolour, 223 years ago. The event will start at 18:30 on the 11th September and can be watched through a live stream on their social platforms. In a statement Ferrari explained the decision, saying: "We have chosen Reggio Emilia, because 223 years ago, this city was where the tricolour was born and later adopted as the flag of unified Italy. The Valli Theatre is therefore the perfect setting to reveal Scuderia Ferraris latest car." Teatro Valli, Reggio Emilia What better place than the city of the #Tricolore to host our 2020 car launch? Just 3 weeks to go, #Tifosi #essereFerrari https://t.co/FktKwitEIK Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 21, 2020 A man killed a coyote with his bare hands after the animal threatened his child on a hiking trail in New Hampshire, officials said. The attack was one of three coyote-related incidents reported in Exeter on Monday. Ian O'Reilly said he, his wife and their three children were taking a walk on an Exeter trail when the animal came up and grabbed his 2-year-old son by the jacket, pulling the boy to the ground. O'Reilly and his wife managed to separate the coyote from their son. O'Reilly said he tried kicking it and getting it to run off, but it wouldn't. He was bitten on his chest and forearm but managed to get on top of the animal and cut off its air supply. His son wasn't bitten. "In the middle of the moment you're not really thinking or recording a whole lot," O'Reilly said. "It's really just instinct. The fact that when we tried to kick and push and get rid of him, it became clear that he was not disengaging." Earlier Monday, police warned the public of a coyote being spotted by a driver in Hampton Falls who reported the wild animal attacked their car Monday morning. About 20 minutes later, a coyote bit a Kensington woman and one of her dogs. Resident Pat Lee told police the animal tried to follow her into her Hemlock Road home and bit her as she tried to keep it out. Lee said she thought at first that the animal was someone's pet. "I realized this was a coyote, and I just started screaming at the top of my lungs to try to get him to stop and go away," Lee said. "It was very, very scary, but it could've been a lot worse." O'Reilly, Lee and two dogs have been given rabies shots, officials said. The coyote that was killed will be tested for rabies. Fish and Game officials said they are trying to determine whether the same animal was involved in all three incidents. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the U.S. State Department January 07, 2020 in Washington, DC. Ukrainian officials are preparing for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit next week, according to two sources informed by Kyiv about the trip, which is now scheduled for Jan. 30-31. Pompeo canceled a previously planned trip to Ukraine and four other nations slated for early January amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran that led to protests and heightened security in the region. The State Department declined to comment on Pompeo's upcoming Ukraine visit. During the previous plan, Pompeo was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the highest-ranking U.S. official to do so since Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. During that meeting, which took place the day after House Democrats launched their impeachment inquiry centered on a July 25 phone call between the two leaders, Zelenskiy told reporters he felt no pressure from the United State to investigate the family of former Vice President Joe Biden. "We had, I think, good phone call. It was normal. We spoke about many things," Zelenskiy said. "So, I think, and you read [the transcript], that nobody pushed. Pushed me." The trip's timing is expected to come at the end of a whirlwind two weeks in Washington, where Trump's impeachment trial has explored the relationship between the administration, its personnel and its decision to withhold congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine for several months. In September, the Trump administration lifted a hold on nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine for weapons and missile defense systems, shortly after Congress learned of a whistleblower's concern that Trump was conditioning the money on a corruption investigation into the Bidens. "It could be coincidence," White House advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News, in response to a question about that timing. "Why wouldn't it be?" Congress authorized an additional $300 million in security assistance for Ukraine in its fiscal 2020 spending package. Ukraine experts suggest Pompeo's visit will seek to reaffirm continued support from Washington, despite the close scrutiny of U.S.-Ukraine ties on Capitol Hill and the absence of leadership at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv. "One thing Ukrainians want to know is when an American ambassador will be formally nominated," said Ed Chow, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The temporary appointment of former ambassador Bill Taylor, a witness in the House impeachment hearings, expired in early 2020 without a permanent appointment announced. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 16:50:09|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang (C) speaks at an official ceremony of the China-Italy year of culture and tourism at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, a multicultural complex, in Rome, Italy, Jan. 21, 2020. The China-Italy year of culture and tourism kicked off with an official ceremony at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, in the Italian capital on Tuesday. The ceremony closed with a concert by musicians from both countries. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) ROME, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The China-Italy year of culture and tourism kicked off with a ceremony at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, a multicultural complex, here on Tuesday, gathering high-level officials and operators from both countries. The year-long initiative marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Rome and Beijing. Speaking at the opening forum on international tourism cooperation, Italian Minister for Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini stressed that for both Italy and China, culture and tourism are "deeply interlaced." "In Italy and China -- and not in many other countries around the world -- culture and tourism fall under the activity of the same government ministry," Franceschini noted. "Our cultural heritage is so immense, in fact, that it is clearly hard for both of us to separate what we do in one sector from what we do in the other," said the minister. Chinese Culture and Tourism Minister Luo Shugang pointed out that the relationship between the two countries dates back to centuries ago, when western travelers -- such as Marco Polo and priest Matteo Ricci -- traveled through Asia along the ancient Silk Road to China. "We represent two different civilizations that have fostered relations since ancient times, and, in this historic framework, the Silk Road has provided us with a hint that is still valid today," Luo told the forum. The Silk Road has "never been just a trade route" as it has connected different civilizations and brought the East and the West closer, Luo added. Latest data unveiled by Italy's National Tourism Observatory at the forum show that airport arrivals from China in the first 11 months of 2019 grow by 16 percent on an annual basis. In 2018, Chinese visitors to the country registered 5.3 million overnight stays, which marks a 5.2-percent increase from the previous year. "Italy represents a top destination for Chinese visitors to Europe, overcoming France, Germany and Spain," Italian Culture and Tourism Ministry Undersecretary Lorenza Bonaccorsi said. "Plus, Chinese tourists have spent 353 million euros (391 million U.S. dollars) in cultural holidays (in 2018) in our country specifically," she added. The China-Italy year of culture and tourism will see a wide range of cross-cultural events covering various arts, historic heritage, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) sites, and touristic attractions in both countries. They will include an exhibition of Terracotta Warriors from Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum to be held at the Royal Palace in the southern Italian city of Caserta, and another devoted to Renaissance maestro Leonardo da Vinci at the Sichuan Provincial Museum in Chengdu, according to a statement by Italy's Culture and Tourism Ministry. In the statement, Italian authorities also specified that the bilateral cooperation will stretch out to co-productions in cinema, opera, and theatre after 2020, and that Rome and Beijing will work on "a new memorandum of understanding aimed at (reaching) a structural collaboration." Franceschini added that authorities from both sides will also strengthen their efforts to make their less famous historic and touristic attractions better known among the two peoples. The ceremony was accompanied by a photo exhibition showcasing some of the best UNESCO sites in both countries. Both Italy and China rank first in the world in this regard, each boasting 55 cultural sites enlisted by UNESCO as World Heritage. The event closed with a concert by artists from both countries. EDWARDSVILLE The Edwardsville High School dance team hosted their annual Illinois Drill Team Association dance competition at EHS on Saturday. The competition drew in 44 teams (middle school, junior varsity and varsity teams ) and 109 performances. The competition went from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with dances every four minutes. Aerospace major Airbus on Wednesday said it will showcase its best-in-class military products and cutting-edge defence technologies at India's biennial defence exhibition to be held in Lucknow from February 5-8. The company said models of the highly-versatile C295 aircraft as well as the H145M and the H225M helicopters will among its top exhibits. Hundreds of domestic and foreign military firms will showcase their latest weapons, systems and platforms at the mega event. "Airbus is uniquely placed to participate in the ambitious growth journey of the Indian defence industry and take it to new heights," said Anand Stanley, President and Managing Director of Airbus' India and South Asia operations. He said the DefExpo is a key platform to showcase the company's commitment to India's ever-growing aerospace and defence needs. Airbus has bid to manufacture the C295 aircraft in India together with Tata Advanced Systems. The company, in a media release said, it will showcase the AS565 MBe Panther, the H145M and the H225M helicopters at the defence exhibition. Airbus has also offered to manufacture the Panther or the H145M in India under the government's Strategic Partnership (SP) model for the Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) programme. The H225M has been offered as part of the Naval Multi Role Helicopter (NMRH) programme. The several defence projects that Airbus India is participating in will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs, skilling of people, technology absorption and will catalyse the local supplier base, the company said. "Airbus will showcase its best-in-class military products and cutting-edge defence technologies at the DefExpo," it said. Airbus currently works with more than 45 suppliers in India, and the annual procurement from them is worth more than USD 650 million, according to an Airbus official. Over 7,000 people, including 1,500 engineers, are currently employed across Airbus' projects in India, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Online Gambling Ban In Effect For Cambodia Published January 22, 2020 by Sol FH The decision to ban all iGaming in Cambodia comes after a decision in August 2019 takes effect. Cambodian players that want to gamble online are out of luck as of Jan. 1, 2020 after a decision by the government of Cambodia to ban iGaming in the country from August 2019 put into effect on the 1st of January. With the decision, a major loss of jobs of over 7,700 people in addition to the closure of a number of casinos. Sihanoukville, Cambodia, the southern coastal city emerged as a gambling center, but, corruption and illegal activity were rampant and are blamed for the ban, which, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen were getting out of hand. Online gambling in Cambodia was being used by criminals to launder money and to extort. Most of the iGaming platforms in Cambodia were operated by shady Chinese-led operators, which included online and still some land-based operations. Surprisingly, it is the government of China that pressured Cambodia into the ban, as the Chinese are very strict against the industry. Since the ban was announced in August, over 400,000 Chinese nationals have left the country. As of January 1, the Cambodian government reported that no illegal online gambling activities had taken place, but they will continue their inspections. There are major compliance and regulations issues associated with this decision and all of the country's casinos will be audited during the first weeks of the new year to ensure no illegal activity is taking place. Most of the operators in Cambodia were wise and did not wait for the ban to begin to get out of the country. In December, it was noted that only 136 casinos were still operational therein. Budget Hit The iGaming industry in Cambodia was immense and generated a ton of tax revenue. Millions of dollars will be lost but such is expected and the government was prepared for this. Even still, an estimated $80 million in tax revenue is expected to be lost. The Cambodian people go where the money is, as many of the 7,700 people that worked in the industry came from factories looking for better wages. Yov Khemara, the labor department chief of Sihanoukville, related, Before, they worked in factories and when there was better salary in casinos, they came to work in casinos. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of inter-governmental agreements Armenian citizens are enabled to continue their studies in various countries. Armenian students have great interest towards Chinese universities, among others. Anahit Parzyan and her husband are among those Armenians who got the chance to receive scholarships and continue their education in China. Parzyan is a cyber-security strategy expert holds a PhD in International Studies degree. I was working in the Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences as the head of the public relations department. Mu husband had received a scholarship to continue education in China. One day, he surprised me by saying that we must move to China in ten days. It was 2012. Our children were very young, and a very difficult process awaited us, but I thought it would be interesting for the family and what mattered most we would be together. So we moved to China, Anahit told ARMENPRESS. After some time of living in there, Anahit too decides to continue studying in China. She applies and is granted a scholarship. She begins studying at the Nanjing University an esteemed higher education institution of global reputation. As required, Anahit studied Chinese and passed an exam prior to beginning her main course of studies. She says the post-graduate lecturers were fluent in English and communication was not an issue whatsoever, but learning Chinese is formally mandatory. I admire Chinas education system: highly qualified academic staff, modern curriculum, wonderful conditions, the university is equipped with new technologies, there was a huge library with the latest books and magazines. The students had cards which enabled them to get the online versions of any paid magazine from around the world free of charge, she said. Anahit says at first they had some difficulties in everyday issues such as shopping, because of peculiarities. For example, eggs were sold per kilos there, she said. During our first New Year in China we were a bit sad because we were so far away from our friends and our country. Then everything changed, we made both Armenian and Chinese friends. Now the situation is different there, not a single Armenian is feeling lonely because the Armenian community is organized, they quickly support all newcomers by giving advices and guidance. Anahit and her family lived in China for five years. During that time, she also served as a member of the executive body of the Armenian community. The ChinaHay (Chinese-Armenian) newsletter was published in that period, and Anahit was the editor-in-chief. The bilingual (Chinese and Armenian) newsletter was touching upon the community, their issues and success stories. It was the only Armenian newsletter in Asia. For her contributions in strengthening and developing the Armenia-Diaspora partnership, Anahit was awarded the Hakob Mekhapart Medal jointly by the Armenian Ministry of Diaspora and the Mekhitarist Congregation of Venice. Through joint efforts we carried out numerous events, including events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. We were hosting Chinese guests who were talking about the Armenian culture with admiration. They very much like the Armenian music, cuisine and wines. We would organize Armenian cuisine degustation events and our Chinese friends were always giving positive reactions. They are also interested in our Christian heritage, Parzyan said. She says that she discovered that Armenians and Chinese have many similarities. Anahit says the Chinese are also valuing and cherishing their families, they perceive the family to be the cell of the society, and they are very attentive, friendly, hospitable, patient and tactful. Once when I was sick, I remember how my Chinese neighbors would regularly visit me, care for me, and bring presents. I have many good friends in China with whom I maintain contact. I think that the advancement of the Armenian-Chinese relations, the deepening of the friendly relations will definitely make the two peoples know each other better, she said. While studying in China, Anahit researched the peculiarities of Chinas cyber-security strategy, and she believes that there is great potential for cooperation in this sector. Seven years ago, when we went to China, I was astonished with their smart cities, I was surprised how technologies were spread to such extent in various sectors. I would like to emphasize here that in China the society itself is ready for such developments and application of technologies. For example, we have numerous programs that are electronic, there are services which are digitizes, but the society isnt yet using them. Whereas Chinese elderly women are exchanging cashback apps with each other. They are prone to technologies. From a very young age children in China are educated on technologies and cyber-security. Important information is relayed to people through cartoons and social advertisements. Therefore, there is great potential for cooperation in this direction. It would be preferable for the cooperation to be activated and placed on institutional levels, she said. Anahit has returned to Armenia for already two years, and not only is she applying her knowledge and experience here, but she is also relaying it to the new generation. The EU and the Armenian government implemented a project and Anahit Parzyan was involved as an expert, she participated in developing the Armenian Cyber-security Strategy, she also authored and implemented a cyber-security informational campaign for children, teenagers, parents and teachers. For several times, in partnership with the China-Eurasia Political and Strategic Research Council, they organized free schools researching Chinas foreign policy. Parzyan says she is proud that her academic research causes interest in many other universities. She frequently delivers public speeches and presents her studies at internationally renowned universities such as the Fudan University, the Nanjing University, Cambridge University and others. Interview by Anna Gziryan Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan OTTAWAThe NDPs Canadian-heritage critic says he believes Prince Harry and his family should pay for their own security while theyre in Canada. Alexandre Boulerice, who is also deputy leader of the party, says he questions whether Canadians would welcome the idea of taxpayers in this country paying for security to protect the English royals. Thats why he says he doesnt support it and plans to send a message to the Liberal government that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should cover their own costs. The prince, his wife Meghan and their eight-month-old son Archie are reportedly staying at a mansion north of Victoria, having stepped back from royal duties. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to say who would be pick up the tab for protecting the couple. Trudeau said only that discussions on the matter were ongoing and that he has not spoken to the Queen about it. If they want to come and live in Canada, they are more than welcome, but they have to fulfil their responsibility and assure their own security, Boulerice said Wednesday in Ottawa. But NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he hasnt made up his own mind yet on what Canadas financial role should be, noting the likelihood of a need that may arise to protect not only the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but also the Canadian public that surrounds them. Thats why Singh says he wants to hear from security experts before he takes a position on royal protection costs. With anyone that comes to the country there will be an assessment about how to best respond to, maybe, massive crowds for people who are very popular ... the appropriate steps taken for that to make sure communities (are) safe, Singh said. Im sure there will be experts that make an evaluation. I want to hear what their decisions are or what their advice is. Buckingham Palace announced last Saturday that the prince and his wife will give up public funding and try to become financially independent. While they have been spending time in British Columbia, it remains unclear where in Canada they will eventually settle. Read more about: As of January 2020, KRAHN Chemie GmbH has acquired a majority share of InterActive S.A., headquartered in Athens, Greece. Through this strategic acquisition the KRAHN Chemie Group expands its footprint not only in Europe but also in the Israeli market. InterActive S.A. was founded in 1990 and specializes in the distribution of lubricant additives in the Israeli, Greek and Cypriot market, as well as scientific instruments for R&D and QC laboratories in oil, pharma & chemical industries by representing international manufacturers. We are very pleased about this acquisition which gives us access to regions, where we have not been active before and, in the case of Israel, will additionally strengthen the growth of the KRAHN Group outside Europe. InterActive is a technically driven, well-established distributor with a profound market knowledge and the same mindset as KRAHN and by that the ideal partner to broaden our existing businesses to new regions, says Dr. Rolf Kuropka, Managing Director of the KRAHN Chemie Group and upcoming chairman of InterActive. Yannis Protopapas, founder, co-owner and Managing Director of InterActive S.A., explains, the new affiliation with the KRAHN Group provides us with a strong and solid base for our future business development. As a family owned company, KRAHN Chemie clearly matches with InterActive, especially with its firm commitment to securing the long-term development and growth opportunities in todays rapidly consolidating markets. It is a pleasure to be now part of a group which also strongly believes that deep local market knowledge and partnership-oriented relationships are fundamental in creating value for both our customers and suppliers. In addition, the access to an extensive and high-quality product range, technical services as well as in-house laboratory support will accelerate our future growth. By Ann Saphir and Lindsay Dunsmuir SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, is asking the biggest U.S. banks for details on their assessments of and preparations for risks related to global warming. "To protect themselves and the economy from climate-driven catastrophes, large financial institutions must act quickly to address risks," Warren, a frequent critic of big banks, said in letters sent on Tuesday to top executives at Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, State Street and Wells Fargo. "I write to ask for more information about the risks caused by the climate crisis on the financial industry and your institution's practices, including what steps, if any, your institution is taking to adapt to mitigate these risks," she said in the letters, provided to Reuters. She asked for detailed written responses by Feb. 7. Over the past year a surge in natural disasters caused or exacerbated by warming temperatures, including bushfires in Australia, have driven climate change up the political agenda around the world and sparked protests demanding action. The threat has caught the attention of financial regulators concerned with how rising seas and other consequences of the build-up of human-generated greenhouse gases could impact financial stability by, for instance, eroding the value of homes against which banks have lent hundreds of billions of dollars. Regulators are also focused on assessing the potential impact of political responses to climate change on bank profitability and even viability, even as the world's largest banks are increasingly targeted by activists for providing funding to fossil-fuel intensive industries, a major contributor to global warming. Led by the Bank of England, dozens of central banks have called for better disclosure of risks related to climate change and have begun mapping out approaches to banking sector supervision that take such risks into account. Story continues At its first-ever conference on climate change and economics last November, the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled it too may look at how to incorporate climate change risk into its assessments of financial stability. A panel convened by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission has begun its own effort to examine climate threats to the financial system. But overall, U.S. financial regulators lag their peers abroad. The current Republican U.S. administration has played down research on the risks of global warming and rolled back regulations designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions. STRESS TESTS On Tuesday, at the World Economic Forum in Davos where environmental issues have taken center stage, President Donald Trump dismissed those worried by climate change as "perennial prophets of doom." Warren is among a group of leading Democrats vying for the partys nomination to take on Trump in the November contest for U.S. president, but trails former Vice President Joe Biden and fellow U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in most opinion polls. All three are in favor of more government action to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to limit impacts on the U.S. economy. Warren last year was a co-signer of a bill that would direct the Fed to "stress test" banks' resilience to climate-related financial risks. In her letter, Warren asked the banks for details on how the proposed legislation would affect their operations as well as investments in oil companies, and whether they would support such a law. She also asked whether they formally assess climate-related risks and what changes they may have made in response. "As climate change continues to affect our economy, it is critical to understand your bank's adaptation and mitigation strategies," Warren wrote. Many large U.S. banks, including those receiving Warren's letter, acknowledge that climate change poses a business risk and some make some disclosures about their own climate-related risks in line with recommendations from the international Financial Stability Board. Reuters asked each bank for comment on Warren's letter after normal business hours. A JPMorgan spokesman said the bank was reviewing the letter. A Wells Fargo spokeswoman pointed to the environmental sustainability section of its website, which touts its financing of clean technology and environmental education. (Reporting by Ann Saphir and Lindsay Dunsmuir. Additional reporting by Amanda Becker Editing by Robert Birsel) by Wang Zhicheng Mandatory quarantine measures to contain infections. The Wuhan city council gave indications not to leave the city except in really necessary cases. The Catholic churches of Wuhan, Hankow, Wuchang closed. All daily masses and New Year masses cancelled. New cases of infection in Macau, in the USA, in Taiwan. Criticism of Chinese health system. Beijing (AsiaNews) - The virus originating in the city of Wuhan (Hubei) has so far killed nine people and infected 440 others across the country, confirmed Deputy director of the National Health Commission Li Bin this morning. All deaths are registered in the province of Hubei and the government is extending quarantine measures to contain infections. The national government has given authority to medical institutions to force all patients or people who come into contact with them into isolation; each infection must be notified within two hours. The Wuhan city council gave citizens instructions not to leave the city except in really necessary cases, to always wear a mask, not to frequent crowded places, to wash their hands often, not to spit, not to spread alarmist rumors. The task seems almost impossible. Wuhan is a city with 11 million people and the Lunar New Year celebrations will begin on January 25, in which the Chinese meet to greet and eat together with family, friends, colleagues. The Catholic churches of Wuhan, Hankow, Wuchang have been temporarily closed. All daily masses and New Year masses have been canceled. The priests advise the faithful to always wear protective masks and to pray that Wuhan will be reborn after this difficulty. Meanwhile, due to travel to and from Wuhan, the virus has spread to different parts of Asia and the wider world. This morning the first infection was registered in Macau; yesterday in Taiwan and the United States. Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines have already been affected. In China, as well as in Hubei, there are cases of infection in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen (Guangdong). Today North Korea closed its borders to all Chinese tourists. All infected people had been to Wuhan. The corona-virus - baptized with the name 2019-nCoV - generates a disease similar to pneumonia. It was generated by some animal (believed to be seafood) and mutated until it was transmitted from human to human. Among the infected people there are 15 members of the medical staff who treated the first patients. One of them is in serious condition. There is no shortage of criticism: British and Hong Kong experts believe that the actual number of infections in China could be at least 1700 and not around 400, as revealed by the authorities. In addition, there are criticisms of the pyramid structure that must be followed to confirm cases of infection: each case must in fact be studied and approved by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Beijing, which delays communications and medical measures. Experts also note that the infection of medical personnel are a sign of the neglect with which these diseases are treated by the hospitals themselves. Curd not getting set in the winters is a cause of concern in Indian households. To deal with this issue, consumer electronics major Samsung has launched the 'Curd Maestro' refrigerator. Curd Maestro models will be priced between Rs 30,990 and 45,990. The company said that National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) has tested and recommended the process of curd making in Samsungs Curd Maestro. This product could be useful during the winter season as well as in higher altitudes where cooler temperature lead to delays in formation of curd. The product Curd Maestro refrigerator enables curd preparation in five to six hours. Here it will take five hours for soft curd and six hours for thick curd. One needs to boil and cool the milk and mix the curd culture manually while Curd Maestro does the fermentation process. It will not only ferment the curd but will store it too. The Curd Maestro refrigerators come with Samsungs Smart Convertible 5-in-1 Twin Cooling technology and will be available in 244-litre, 265-litre, 314-litre and 336-litre capacities. Convenience, storage space and energy efficiency are the key features consumers look for in a refrigerator, and our 2020 range addresses all these needs. We are confident the new range of refrigerators will further strengthen our market leadership in the refrigerator category, said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India. Traditionally, once the culture is added to the milk, it needs to be stored in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Other launches Samsung has also launched smart convertible 5-in-1 twin Cooling refrigerators come with five modes, normal, extra shopping, vacation, seasonal, and home alone. The conversion modes are not only the perfect solution to different storage needs but every mode also saves energy. This will be priced at Rs 45,990 The twin cooling plus is an independent cooling system, with separate airflows in both the fridge and freezer, preventing unpleasant smells from foods moving between the fridge and freezer. The white goods firm has also launched a frost-free refrigerator with base stand drawer, in which you can store onions and potatoes. It has also launched a five-star direct cool single door refrigerator line-up based on new the 2020 star ratings for Rs 17,990. Samsungs new 2020 refrigerator line-up is available across all retail channels and on Samsung Shop starting January 2020. [January 22, 2020] Protiviti Promotes 21 Leaders to Managing Director Positions MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Protiviti has promoted 21 of its directors to the position of managing director. The new managing directors span several of Protiviti's solution groups including Internal Audit and Financial Advisory, Risk and Compliance, Technology Consulting and Business Performance Improvement. "Our newly promoted managing directors bring with them a wealth of expertise and a commitment to finding innovative solutions," said Joseph Tarantino, Protiviti president and CEO. "As our clients enter a new decade of business challenges, disruption and transformation, we look forward to partnering with them to deliver new and highly effective ways to solve their critical business problems." New Managing Directors Internal Audit and Financial Advisory Alejandro Arreola Mexico City, Mexico Jose Behar Orlando, FL Angela Bickett Minneapolis, MN Noah Kessler New York City, NY Chris Malouf Salt Lake City, UT Tom Moon Seattle, WA Cassie Putnam Houston, TX Naomi Wolak Washington, D.C. Risk and Compliance Jeff Allen Dallas, TX Brandon Beckstrom Minneapolis, MN Thomas Giltrow Chicago, IL Brian Kostek Tampa, FL Nirav Shah Chicago, IL Technology Consulting Matt Davis Dallas, TX James Ensminger Atlanta, GA Jacob Iley Dallas, TX Michael Lyons Tampa, FL Geoffrey Schroyer Houston, TX Michael Smith Pittsburgh, PA Business Performance Improvement Scott Evans Houston, TX Hiroyuki Sadotomo Tokyo, Japan In addition to its managing director promotes, Protiviti has promoted more than 670 people to positions ranging from senior consultant through senior director in 52 of its offices in countries around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, The Netherlands, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S. "We're dedicated to providing career advancement opportunities as part of our overall meaningful rewards and recognition program," said Scott Redfearn, executive vice president, global human resources, Protiviti. "Our latest class of promoted employees are exceptional professionals who demonstrate and live Protiviti's values of integrity, inclusion and innovation both within the firm and in serving our clients." About Protiviti Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Through its network of more than 85 offices in over 25 countries, Protiviti and its independent and locally owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, analytics, governance, risk and internal audit. Named to the 2019 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, Protiviti has served more than 60 percent of Fortune 1000 and 35 percent of Fortune Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index. Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services. Editor's note: Photos available upon request. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/protiviti-promotes-21-leaders-to-managing-director-positions-300991245.html SOURCE Protiviti [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] China will not stop opening up despite many others resorting to protectionism and it is wrong to blame "economic globalisation" for problems of a country, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has said. He also called for building "an inclusive and open world economy" that will "make the pie bigger" for everyone. In a special address at a plenary session here at the WEF 2020, Zheng said China will not follow others towards more protectionism. Blaming the economy's problems on globalisation neither reflects the facts nor provides a solution, he said, while asserting that China intends to continue to work closely with multilateral institutions. He reaffirmed China's commitment to continued global economic integration and multilateral institutions even amid growing international tension. "Despite the protectionist and unilateral moves by some countries, China will not stop opening up. We will not follow in the footsteps of those moving in the opposite direction," he said. He noted that globalism is both an underlying trend and a driver of economic growth in today's world. Economic uncertainty engenders greater friction in terms of trade and investment, but protectionism is not a good remedy, he said. "All countries feel pressure, but to simply blame economic globalisation does not reflect the facts nor does it help solve the problem, he noted. The vice-premier also stressed the need to work with multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the G20, the World Trade Organization and others on issues of economic development, poverty alleviation, the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change. He also ran through a litany of recent and future policy changes designed to facilitate both imports and foreign investment. Openness is a trademark of today's China," he said. Han called the World Economic Forum's 1 Trillion Trees Initiative "highly valuable" and pledged to share China's expertise in reforestation. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The NPK market continues to evolve as low cost phosphate producers attempt to diversify their product base. In 2019 imports soared in Myanmar, helping to raise Chinese exports to levels never seen before. Ukraine hit Russia with yet another set of trade sanctions, crushing NPK trade between the countries. Saudi Arabian NPK exports fizzled and disappointed, despite claims they would export hundreds of thousands of tonnes. We cover these topics and more, as well as our forecasts to 2024, in the latest edition of the NPK Market Outlook. To bring in the new year, we share some of our most significant forecasts for 2020 to provide some clarity to an opaque market. 1. Chinese NPK export growth to slow Chinese NPK exports exploded in 2019. They soared nearly five-fold in one of the most prominent NPK stories of the year. This dramatic rise coincided with the elimination of NPK export taxes. While we expect Chinese NPK exports to continue rising in 2020, they are unlikely to duplicate the 2019 feat. Chinese NPK exports to Myanmar and the Philippines grew particularly strongly in 2019, but it is unlikely that either will import Chinese NPK at the same pace of growth in 2020. In Myanmar, most product is moving overland into the north of the country from Yunnan province. Northern Myanmar increased its Chinese NPK intake by over double in 2019, and it is unlikely that demand can keep expanding at this pace in 2020. Competition from Yara and other producers active in the country will also exert resistance. In the Philippines, Namhae, Yara, and other producers provide competition. Plans to restart Philphos fertilizer production in early 2019 did not materialise. However, the Philippines imported 35% more y/y Chinese NPK in 2019, greatly incentivising a Philphos restart in 2020. Moreover, Philphos reportedly restarted phosphoric acid production in late 2019 or early 2020. More domestic Philippine NPK production will reduce Chinese NPK export growth into the country. Chinese NPK will continue to lack the same product quality as European and Russian producers. Most Chinese NPK capacity uses steam granulation, which produces physically inferior product. Many Southeast Asian importers favour higher quality product than offered by Chinese producers, slowing further Chinese expansion. China also increased NPK exports to East and Southeast Africa, particularly Mozambique, but export growth to these regions will face competition from regional producers, including Omnia, which commissioned a new nitrophosphate plant in Sasolburg in 2019. Ma'aden may also step up fertilizer sales into Southeast Africa though its new fertilizer distributor and blender subsidiary Meridian, which it acquired in 2019. There are no changes to Chinese NPK export incentives for 2020. All export tariffs have been removed, and there are no export quotas. Without new incentives such as export subsidies, or even with them, it will be difficult for Chinese NPK exports to maintain the spectacular growth seen in 2019. 2. Africa and diversification to boost OCP exports OCP NPK and NP exports are forecast to rise nearly 23% y/y in 2020. Much of the increase will originate from OCP's traditional compound market, Africa. Nigeria banned NPK imports in 2019, all but eliminating imports. Threatened by oversupply and competition from imported compounds, the Nigerian government took steps to protect and encourage its bulk blend industry and policy by instituting foreign exchange and regulatory bans on NPK imports. Read the full story: https://www.crugroup.com/knowledge-and-insights/spotlights/2020/copper-concentrates-key-themes-for-2020/ Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia - our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU - big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/536199/CRU_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080000/CRU_NPK_market.jpg Angie Austin leaned into the microphones and with a wavering voice quietly explained how, as an intravenous drug user, overdose prevention sites across Toronto have saved her life. When these guys came along, they saved a lot of people. They saved me, said Austin, 44, addressing a packed press conference at St. Stephens Community House Tuesday morning. Please dont take them away. Please. Dont. Austin spoke at the release of a new report that shows two low-barrier sites, St. Stephens on Bellevue Avenue and Street Health on Dundas Street East, that had provincial funding abruptly pulled in March 2019 were visited close to 5,500 times over about 14 months. The heads of those agencies say that should be reason enough for the province to reverse its decision. Since opening about a year and a half ago the sites have seen more than 5,500 combined visits and reversed at least 67 overdoses, based on numbers in the report by public health researcher Gillian Kolla. The report states the sites prevented overdose injury and deaths, and connected marginalized people with health services who might be reticent to access them otherwise because of stigma around drug use. People who use drugs are not a homogenous group and so we need a variety of services that meet their needs, Kolla said. Funding for the sites was pulled when the Ontario Progressive Conservative government redefined the funding requirements for what are now called Supervised Consumption Sites, then asked all agencies to reapply. The two sites are legal thanks to a federal exemption and were provided with a one-time federal grant but now operate almost exclusively on private donations. The Street Health site costs about $30,000 per month to run and St. Stephens about $20,000, the executive directors confirmed. Kapri Rabin, head of Street Health, said they are hopeful funding can be restored but their future is precarious. Bill Sinclair, head of St. Stephens, said the hope is the findings will spur the province to reconsider their decision to cut off funding. We have proof that we work, that we are needed and that we make a difference. A spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said after a careful review of all applications, 16 sites were approved and the ministry determined Street Health was too close to two approved sites, wrote Hayley Chazan in an email, and St. Stephens failed to meet the requirements around community engagement. Chazan said they will accept new applications, but not resubmissions. Based on our consultations with experts and those with lived experience, we are confident that the model we brought forward is the right way to connect Ontarians struggling with addictions to the care they need and deserve, Chazan wrote. During her remarks, Austin shared that she has used drugs for 25 years, intravenous drugs for 15, and said each site has has their own little family. Austin is a client of Street Health and also uses the Moss Park location, now indoors but which began as a renegade site run out of tents in the summer of 2017. Without them, I dont think I would be alive today, Austin said. The report includes usage from spring and summer of 2018, when the sites opened, through August 2019, and includes interviews and focus groups with clients and staff and was funded through Health Canada. Street Health reported 3,134 total visits, with more than half the clients being women. About 76 per cent of clients used fentanyl and 50 overdoses were reversed, the report showed. St. Stephens recorded 2,357 visits. A total of 17 overdoses were reversed. Fentanyl was the main drug consumed, at 41 per cent, but close to 28 per cent of clients used crystal methamphetamine, the report showed. In monthly averages determined between April and August 2019, after funding was pulled, the report noted Street Health made about 53 referrals each month to health care and treatment services, while St. Stephens made 37 referrals. Torontos Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, spoke at the release and said the findings show the sites play a critical role in the midst of an opiod overdose crisis linked to more than 4,500 deaths across Ontario in 2018, including more than 300 in Toronto, and which is worsened by a lack of affordable housing and health services. The illicit drug supply we know, whether here in our city or beyond, has become saturated with fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and harming and killing people at an alarming rate, de Villa said, adding we need to work harder to implement methods that will reduce harm. We do this for alcohol. We do this for cannabis. We need to explore other options for other drugs. India on Wednesday expressed interest in raising the import of crude oil from Brazil as the world's third-largest oil consumer is looking at diversifying its import basket beyond the highly volatile Middle East region. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met visiting the Brazilian Minister for Mines and Energy Bento Albuqueroque to review cooperation between the two countries. "India is diversifying its crude oil supply and our oil companies have expressed interest in sourcing more crude from Brazil if offered favorable commercial terms," Pradhan tweeted after the meeting. India imports 84 per cent of its oil needs and two-thirds of its import come from the Middle East with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the top suppliers. Pradhan said he also sought intervention for the early monetization of India's existing investments in the Brazilian energy sector. ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has two exploration blocks in Brazil - BC-10 and BM Seal-4 and is looking at monetizing discoveries made there. Pradhan said during the meeting the agreements/MoUs to be signed in the bioenergy and oil & gas sector during the Summit level meeting with the visiting Brazilian President were also reviewed. Separately, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Brazil on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas. "The MoU will enhance cooperation between the two sides in the oil and natural gas sector. Under the MoU, both sides will work towards establishing cooperation in the exploration and production (E&P) initiatives in Brazil and India, research & development in this sector, explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Brazil, India and third countries, and also encourage collaboration in oil energy and environmental issues, including energy policies such as energy efficiency, energy research development and expansion of the regional energy infrastructure networks," an official statement said. The MoU will be signed during the visit of the Brazilian President. "We further discussed to collaborate our efforts in the field of Biofuels. We are targeting to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol & 5% bio-diesel blending capacity by 2030. In this regard expressed India's interest to work with Brazil in the field of Bioenergy," Pradhan tweeted after meeting his Brazilian counterpart. Also discussed was developing cooperation in technologies, particularly in the areas of mining and pelletization, he added. Puducherry Agriculture Minister R Kamalakannan on Wednesday said the former French colony has been maintaining good relations with France by executing various developmental projects. He was inaugurating a four-day workshop here on 'local food system of Puducherry' organised by the French government administered French Institute in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of Puducherry government. Kamalakannan said the development of tourism and other key sectors had been emulating the systems available in France. Appreciating the efforts of the French Institute established in Puducherry in 1955 to promote organic forming by holding the workshop, the Minister who is basically an agriculturist said the outcome of the workshop would be of benefit to farmers and also to the Union Territory as a whole. Claiming that Puducherry had gained much because of the pro-active support the French government has been giving over the years, he said the system of municipal administration adopted in Puducherry in line with the French pattern had been of practical help. "The French rule had given Puducherry more, particularly in the field of administration and also civic bodies, and this has been permanently nurtured by the governments post-merger," he claimed. Director of French Institute Frederic Landy, who spoke on the occasion, highlighted the significance of the workshop. Representatives of several non-governmental organisations and farmers outfits spoke highlighting the benefits of organic farming from the point of the health of the soil and also people consuming produce raised through organic farming. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Legislators, educators, and students from a diverse group of more than 25 Missouri schools will connect at a School Choice Rally and Student Showcase event on Wednesday, Jan. 29. One of Missouri's largest events during School Choice Week and the second planned at the state capitol, this free event will celebrate all types of K-12 education and raise awareness about the education opportunities families want for the future. The rally will kick off at 11:45 a.m. at the Missouri Capitol Rotunda with welcome remarks and school choice contest winners being announced by Peter Franzen, executive director of Children's Education Alliance of Missouri. Gov. Mike Parsons will present the official proclamation of Missouri School Choice Week. Following the proclamation, students will display their musical and vocal talents in a series of upbeat performances. The rally will wrap up at 1 p.m. with attendees singing "America the Beautiful." The School Choice Rally and Student Showcase event is free, open to the public, and planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "Missouri families are asking for options when it comes to K-12 education," said Peter Franzen, associate executive director of Children's Education Alliance of Missouri. "If a kid is assigned to a school that just doesn't meet the child's needs, it is critical that we provide choices to help them find an educational setting that works for each child. Our School Choice Week Rally and Student Showcase helps legislators and the public connect with this very real issue." This event is organized by the Children's Education Alliance of Missouri and Summit Christian Academy. Through one-on-one meetings, door-to-door canvassing, advocacy training, and visits to the state capital, Children's Education Alliance of Missouri engages, trains, and activates families with a passion for their children's future. Their real-life stories illustrate the impact of education policies and the need for innovative solutions in Jefferson City, local and state school board meetings, and in the media. The Missouri State Capitol is located at 201 W. Capitol Ave. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/missouri. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com Testing took place last week in the Seattle area on Isotropic's E115 network. Previous testing took place on the AM2 and G28 satellites on the east coast. The Kymeta u7 antenna was paired with an iDirect X7 satellite router and iQ 200LTE modem, which are optimized for mobility. These successful tests demonstrate the ability of the antenna to operate across multiple satellite networks and beams, and they mark the first time Isotropic's commercial service offering has been delivered immediately following conception. The Kymeta u7 Ku-band satellite terminal addresses the need for lightweight, low-profile, and high-throughput communication systems on-the-move. The u7 terminal makes connecting to nearly any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform easier and more reliable than ever before. "The testing we completed with Kymeta has been a revelation to me," said Hank Zbierski, Chief Catalyst and Co-Founder, Isotropic. "I had been waiting for the promises of holographic beamforming and was skeptical about metamaterial technology. These tests have proven, beyond any doubt, that metamaterial science is not something that's in the futureit's deliverable now." As part of the antenna innovator's development and testing of its next generation antenna, Kymeta will be using bandwidth provided by Isotropic at the Lake Geneva Earth Station and Isotropic's world class network operations center. "We are very pleased to have partnered with Isotropic to conduct these tests. Isotropic's network is proven to enable robust service delivery on our u7 antenna," said Walter Berger, President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Kymeta. "This exercise has proven the seamless connectivity of our revolutionary flat panel antenna technology, and we look forward to our continued work with Isotropic to shape the course of satellite communications in the future." The Kymeta u7 terminal, with seamless connectivity, is available on Isotropic's network today. About Isotropic Networks Isotropic Networks, Inc. (Isotropic) is a global provider of satellite internet services and network management solutions. With the best uptime in the satellite industry, we deliver unrivalled certainty for leaders in high-risk, high-pressure industries including oil and gas, maritime, and enterprise solutions. Isotropic is built on high standards for troubleshooting and solving technically complex problems with the latest technologies. Our team of highly-trained hardware and software engineers delivers personalized services and solutions that support our clients when and where they need it mostnow and into the future. Isotropic is connecting the planet and continually raising the bar for what satellite connectivity can be. www.isotropic.network About Kymeta Kymeta is unlocking the potential of satellite connectivity, combined with cellular networks, to satisfy the overwhelming demand for global ubiquitous mobile connectivity. The company's flat-panel satellite antenna, the first of its kind, the Kymeta connected platform, and Kymeta connectivity services provide revolutionary mobile connectivity on satellite and hybrid satellite-cellular networks to customers around the world. Backed by U.S. and international patents and licenses, the Kymeta terminal addresses the need for lightweight, slim, and high-throughput communication systems that do not require mechanical components to steer toward a satellite. Kymeta makes connecting easy for any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform. Kymeta is a privately held company based in Redmond, Washington. www.kymetacorp.com SOURCE Isotropic Networks, Inc. Related Links https://isotropic.network Many travellers are wearing face masks as a precaution (Chinatopix via AP) Travellers from the area of China at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will be separated from other passengers on arrival at Heathrow Airport as UK health chiefs step up their response. Nine people have died and hundreds of others have been infected, with cases detected in countries including the US, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in response to the virus, which appears to have originated in the city of Wuhan, in eastern China. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said Public Health England is putting in place new precautions in relation to travellers to the UK from the region. There have been some announcements this morning about flights that come direct from the affected region to Heathrow with some additional measures there, he told Sky News. At the moment Public Health England have moved this from very low to low but obviously we want to stay ahead of the issue so we are keeping a very close eye on it. Initially this is to ensure that when flights come in directly into Heathrow there is a separate area for people to arrive in. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The Foreign Office has updated its advice for Britons travelling to China, warning the virus had spread to other areas outside the Hubei province. The illness comes from a new coronavirus, not been previously identified in humans, that Chinese health officials said had spread from human to human and may be mutating. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars). Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the UK is protecting Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum. Speaking during an official visit to the Ibadan zonal office of the commission on Wednesday, the EFCC boss wondered why the UK was protecting her when there is enough evidence to take her to court. They have not taken her to court and this is the fifth year. Why should you be investigating a case for five years? It is a straight toward case and not murder case which takes long processes, he said. You know it is a financial crime investigation. It is a straight forward case. If you dont have sufficient evidence to take her to court, bring her back. We have more than enough evidence to take her to court. Read Also: Dont Bad-Mouth Nigeria, Magu Cautions Corps Members I dont know why they are protecting her. Release her and let her come back to Nigeria. They are giving her protection for whatever reason known to them. They are yet to declare any pieces of evidence recovered against her. They are still relying on our evidence. On the fight against corruption, Magu; We are collaborating with everybody. We are collaborating with Nigerians in the diaspora, those who live outside. We are collecting a lot of information from them and that is our strength in getting them. We also want to collaborate with Nigerians in Nigeria so that they will give us information to expose looters and get them to return their loots. Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC CAA: Constitution Bench likely to hear pleas, centre given 4 weeks to reply India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 22: The Supreme Court hearing over 140 petitions challenging the newly amended citizenship law, made it clear that it will not grant any stay without hearing the Centre. The apex court said it will set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear the petitions and gave the Centre four weeks to respond to pleas challenging the validity of the CAA. While making it clear that it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on CAA till it decides the petitions. The bench said it will hear petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura separately as the problem with CAA in these two states is different from rest of the country. "The petitions concerning Assam and Tripura as well as matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately," the court said. Anti-CAA stir: Court grants bail to 14 arrested for violence in Muzaffarnagar Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to pleas which have not been served on it. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of CAA and postpone exercise of the National Population Register (NPR) for the time being. The court said it will not grant any stay on CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. "Will pass order on granting any interim relief to petitioner opposing CAA after four weeks," the bench said. SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News Before concluding the hearing on the new citizenship law, the Supreme Court also restrained all other high courts from passing any order on CAA. Jamia Millia Islamia moves court for registration of FIR against Delhi Police over Dec 15 violence The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA, including by RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Several other petitioners include Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGOs 'Rihai Manch' and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act. A voting district thats home to about 1 million voters in Washington is set to take part in a relatively new experiment: using a mobile phone or tablet to cast a vote. NPR on Wednesday reported that King County, Washington, voters will be able to use their smartphones and tablets in an election in February, the first time in U.S. history all eligible voters in a district will be able to exercise their voting rights using personal devices. Up to 1.2 million eligible voters in the district, which encompasses the Greater Seattle area, can vote from mobile devices to select a board of of supervisors. Voters can vote at polling locations as well, NPR reported. The King Conservation District, a state environmental agency that covers Seattle and more than 30 other cities, announced the plan in a news conference Wednesday. Online ballots will be accepted from Wednesday through the districts election day on Feb. 11, NPR reported. This is the most fundamentally transformative reform you can do in democracy, said Bradley Tusk, the founder and CEO of Tusk Philanthropies, a nonprofit pushing to expand mobile voting thats financing the King County pilot program. NPR reported that the U.S. trails most developed democracies when it comes to election turnout, with local races particularly suffering. The board of supervisors election in the King Conservation District has seen fewer than 1% of eligible voters participate in past years, according to NPR. In recent national elections, the U.S. hovers near the bottom tier of countries with about 55% turnout in 2016, compared to Belgium, Sweden and Denmarks 80% or more in recent years. NPR noted that security experts and U.S. lawmakers, concerned about Russian cyberattacks to infiltrate the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, have cautioned states against online voting. But Tusk argued that using technology to boost turnout could ultimately dictate how politicians behave on every issue. ComEd has to provide power thats how we get our power. The generation that Exelon provides is necessary to turn the lights on, Williams said. But in terms of setting the foundation and laying the groundwork and establishing how we want our future to look, our renewable energy future in Illinois, I dont think they are going to be part of that broader conversation. BERKELEY (BCN) The Berkeley City Council voted Tuesday night to direct City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley to develop an emergency shelter somewhere in the city to try to ease the city's homeless crisis. The plan by City Councilwoman Kate Harrison lists one possible site as being a homeless camp for up to 120 tents below a bridge on University Avenue that connects Fourth Street and the city's waterfront, but asks for Williams-Ridley to investigate other locations as well. Harrison, whose plan was supported by Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Councilmembers Cheryl Davila and Rigel Robinson when it was presented to the council, says, "Ideal locations would be owned and/or managed by the city of Berkeley in non-residential zones and be accessible by public transit." The City Council voted 7-0 to approve the plan, with Councilmembers Lori Droste and Rashi Kesarwani abstaining. After Williams-Ridley selects a preferred site for the emergency shelter, the matter will come back to the City Council for a public hearing and vote, according to an aide for Harrison. Harrison said in her proposal that the proposed emergency outdoor shelter "should be seen only as a temporary fix." But she said that even though there have been gains in building permanently affordable housing and provide services to lift people out of homelessness, "We are still unable to serve all homeless people in Berkeley simultaneously and there are still gaps in service." Harrison said, "An emergency outdoor shelter with durable tents and sanitation services is a short-term option that is safer and cleaner than the status quo of unsanctioned camping throughout the city." She said the intention of her proposal is to "create a limited number of sanctioned encampments operated in an organized fashion." The possible location below the University Avenue overpass is on land surrounded by light industry manufacturing to the north, south and east and Interstate Highway 80 to the west. Arreguin's spokesman Stefan Elgstrand said before the meeting Tuesday that half of that land is owned by the city and the other half is owned by Caltrans, which leases that section to the city for storage purposes. Elgstrand said questions have been raised about whether Caltrans property could be used for homeless services, but noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order last week directing agencies under his command, such as Caltrans, to identify state land that could be used as temporary shelter locations for the homeless. Harrison's plan asks Williams-Ridley to consider amenities in the outdoor shelter such as climate-controlled, wind-resistant durable tents with wooden pallets for support, portable toilets and handwashing stations, shower and sanitation services, garbage pickup and needle disposal and an agency to manage the site, which would be open 24 hours a day. Harrison said Berkeley had about 1,100 people experiencing homelessness during the last official count, including 813 who were unsheltered, meaning they sleep in a tent, a street, a sidewalk or a park. Harrison proposes a 180-day suggested length of stay in the program and says the shelter could serve about 150 people annually. The estimated cost of the program is $615,000 a year. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A fresh year presents the perfect opportunity to tighten security and run some much-needed maintenance. A NYC area technology consultant and managed services provider (MSP) urges readers to not abbreviate the year 2020 on important documents and to follow common sense steps to protect their business and technology in a new article on the eMazzanti Technologies website. In addition to writing out the new year in full, the informative article advises business leaders to upgrade to Windows 10, update their password policy and ensure frequent, reliable backups. The author also recommends that readers install software and firmware security updates, check and refresh their websites and identify new privacy laws that may apply. A fresh year presents the perfect opportunity to tighten security and run some much-needed maintenance, stated Almi Dumi, CISO, eMazzanti Technologies. So, dont abbreviate 2020 and protect your business with some common-sense tech tips. Below are a few excerpts from the article, Stop Abbreviating 2020 and Essential Tech Tips for the New Year. Stop Abbreviating 2020 Commit now to writing out all four digits of the year. Writing 20 instead of 2020 leaves the door open for fraudsters. For example, suppose you sign a credit contract with the date 1/27/20. A bad actor could change the date to 1/27/2019 and attempt to collect an additional year of payments. Say a Final Good-bye to Windows 7 Microsoft has now sunsetted its Windows 7 operating system. This means that, as of January 14, Microsoft no longer provides security updates and support for the product. Unfortunately, many businesses still have machines running Windows 7, leaving them extremely vulnerable to cyber attacks. Check Your Compliance Status Important new data privacy laws take effect in California and New York in the first quarter of this year. Consequently, businesses can no longer afford to put privacy concerns on a back burner. Conduct an inventory of the privacy laws that apply to your industry, identify any gaps and begin implementing a compliance strategy. Help to Implement Tech Tips for the New Year eMazzanti Technologies has a team of experts ready to help business leaders incorporate these tech tips for the new year into their organizations. From tightening up security and privacy strategy to refreshing website design and digital marketing, they have business technology covered. Have you read? Gone Phishing: How to Be Safe from Personalized Spear Phishing Attacks How to Spot Data Breach Warning Signs to Protect Your Business About eMazzanti Technologies eMazzantis team of trained, certified IT experts rapidly deliver increased revenue growth, data security and productivity for clients ranging from law firms to high-end global retailers, providing advanced retail and payment technology, cloud and mobile solutions, multi-site implementations, 247 outsourced network management, remote monitoring and support. eMazzanti has made the Inc. 5000 list eight consecutive years, is a 4X Microsoft Partner of the Year, the #1 ranked NYC area MSP and NJ Business of the Year! Contact: 1-866-362-9926, info@emazzanti.net or http://www.emazzanti.net Twitter: @emazzanti Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies. A megaphone for scholarship Faculty share research, expertise nationally via The Conversation In the two years the University of South Carolina has been working with The Conversation, more than 40 faculty members have contributed 72 articles on a variety of topics related to their research and expertise. Through The Conversation, a nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis on topics of interest to a mainstream audience, faculty have tackled topics ranging from Chernobyl to millennial debt, from Brexit to school shootings. Their articles have been republished in dozens of newspapers, magazines and other media outlets, including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post and Salon and have more than 2.3 million reads in hundreds of countries from Argentina to Yemen. UofSC archaelogist Christopher Moore (second from right) and colleagues collect core samples from White Pond near Elgin, South Carolina. For example, this fall Christopher Moore with the S.C. Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (College of Arts and Sciences) shared his research from White Pond near Elgin, South Carolina, on the controversial Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis. Findings at research sites around the world are providing mounting evidence to support this theory that suggests an extraterrestrial body crashing to Earth almost 13,000 years ago caused the extinction of large animals, such as sabre-tooth cats and mastodons, and a probable population decline in early humans. In an article titled New evidence that an extraterrestrial collision 12,800 years ago triggered an abrupt climate change for Earth, Moore wrote, Some geologists, however, subscribe to what is called the impact hypothesis: the idea that a fragmented comet or asteroid collided with the Earth 12,800 years ago and caused this abrupt climate event. Along with disrupting the glacial ice-sheet and shutting down ocean currents, this hypothesis holds that the extraterrestrial impact also triggered an impact winter by setting off massive wildfires that blocked sunlight with their smoke. Moores article was picked up by several national media outlets, including The Associated Press, The Baltimore Sun and Astronomy magazine, and is one of the highest read articles written by UofSC faculty. Here is a sampling of other articles written by UofSC faculty this past fall: Mormons in Mexico: A brief history of polygamy, cartel violence and faith Author: Rebecca Janzen, languages, literatures and culture Professor Rebecca Janzen has written a book about Mormons and Mennonites in Mexico. Following the news in November of a massacre of members of Mormon family in Mexico, Rebecca Janzen reached out to university communications. Janzen has written a book about Mormons and Mennonites in Mexico. The same day, editors at The Conversation were looking for a faculty member to write about the LeBaron group, victims of the massacre. An editor worked with Janzen on an article that was published the next day. Excerpt: In the context of so much bloodshed, the LeBaron killings are both highly unusual and tragically quotidian. Unlike most murder victims in Mexico, the LeBarons are U.S. citizens and Mormons part of a religious community that broke away from Utahs Church of Latter-Day Saints years ago. But, as many Mexican journalists have written, the peace activism of family member Julian LeBaron could also have made his community a target. And the LeBarons have a history of violent encounters with organized crime. Read more about Janzen's research. What is an oligarch? Author: Joel Samuels, law Aristotle coined the term oligarchy more than 2,300 years ago. Joel Samuels recently returned from a trip to Europe, including Ukraine, and has previously written for The Conversation about the 12 Russian nationals who were indicted for hacking the Democratic National Committee. When editors at The Conversation asked for a faculty member to explain what an oligarch is, he had the expertise to provide the answer. Excerpt: With the impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump under way, several American diplomats and ambassadors have testified about the influence of oligarchs on the Trump administration. Over 2,300 years ago, Aristotle coined the term oligarchy as he contemplated the forms of state governance. Like aristocracy, oligarchy meant rule by the few, as contrasted with democracy, which is rule by the people. Oligarchs were not formally part of the government. They were private individuals who benefited from government connections to amass huge wealth in short periods. Read Samuels' article, "What is an oligarch?" Anti-vaccination mothers have outsized voice on social media pro-vaccination parents could make a difference Authors: Brooke McKeever and Robert McKeever, journalism and mass communications Brooke and Robert McKeever's research shows that mothers who oppose vaccinations post more often about the issue on social media. To better understand peoples communication behaviors related to childhood vaccinations, Brooke and Robert McKeever conducted research to examine the voices most central to this discussion online mothers. Their findings show that moms who oppose vaccinations communicate most about the issue. Excerpt: The World Health Organization identified the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines as one of 10 top threats to global health in 2019. ... Our work suggests that those who agree with the scientific facts about vaccination may not feel the need to pay attention to this issue or voice their opinions online. ... But from a health communication perspective, it is important that parents who support vaccination voice their opinions and experiences, particularly in online environments. Read Brooke and Robert McKeever's full article. Long wait times in ERs drive up costs, signal health care distress Author: Lindsey Woodworth, economics Professor Lindsey Woodworth found longer emergency room wait times increased hospital costs for patient care. In a new study, Lindsey Woodworth analyzed how emergency room wait times affect health care costs and found that a 10-minute increase in ER wait time among the most critical patients will increase the hospitals cost to care for the patient by an average of 6 percent. Excerpt: Over a decade ago, the Institute of Medicine offered an ominous warning: Underneath the surface, a national crisis in emergency care has been brewing and is now beginning to come into full view. Now the view is quite clear. ERs are packed, and wait times are growing longer each year. In fact, even if youre having a heart attack, you may have to wait to get to the doctor. The problem is, patients get sicker the longer they wait. Oh, by the way, sicker patients cost more to care for. Read Woodworth's full article. Submit a pitch If you are interested in writing for The Conversation, contact your college communicator for tips on writing a pitch and to connect you with the appropriate editor. Why join The Conversation? It is an excellent platform to highlight the universitys research and impact. In addition, contributing an article puts a public spotlight on faculty research and expertise, drives more readers to scholarly articles and can lead to additional media opportunities and connections with other scholars. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to the supporters of opposition parties to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party in the February 8 assembly polls so that the work done in the last five years in the national capital is not "undone". He said the entire Delhi should vote on the basis of development done in the education and healthcare system. "We have worked hard to improve our schools, the education system, health care... Who will take care of the education of your children, who will help you get good and affordable health care if you vote for any other party? Just give it a thought," the chief minister said while addressing a roadshow in the Badli constituency in support of AAP candidate Ajesh Yadav. "So, I appeal to you all, especially those who support the Congress and the BJP... please be with your respective parties but vote for us this time. Cast your vote keeping the welfare of your family in mind," he said standing in a jeep as hundreds of his supporters walked along donning 'aam aadmi' caps and carrying banners of the party. Kejriwal said his government did a lot for the people of Delhi in its five-year tenure but needed more time to complete the work pending for 70 years. "We have tried our best to give maximum benefit to the people of Delhi... to make their lives prosperous. We have made water and electricity free, improved the education and health care system.. but the work pending for 70 years cannot be completed in just 5 years. We need more time," he said. "I have worked like an elder son in a family. It is the elder son who shoulders most of the responsibilities, takes care of everyone, gets the sister married manages all expenses etc. I have tried to do just that," he said as cheers and claps rose to a crescendo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taiwan confirms 1st Wuhan coronavirus case ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2020 09:16 PM Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Taiwan on Tuesday reported its first confirmed case of a new type of coronavirus, carried by a Taiwanese woman who was recently in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The woman, who works in Wuhan, reported to quarantine officials at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport that she had a fever on returning Monday, according to an epidemic response command center established Monday to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The woman was immediately placed in quarantine and later tested positive for the pneumonia-like virus dubbed the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), making her the world's first non-Chinese national diagnosed with the disease, the center said. The woman, 55, showed symptoms of a fever, cough and shortness of breath after arriving at the airport. A chest x-ray of her lungs indicated pneumonia and the woman tested positive for the 2019-nCoV Tuesday, according to Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (), who heads the epidemic response command center. Quarantine officials are tracing the 34 passengers and 12 crew members the woman had contact with on her flight back to Taiwan, Chen said. However, as she was immediately placed in quarantine upon arrival at the airport and did not come into contact with other people, there is no need to panic, Chen said, adding that the woman wore a face mask throughout the flight. After receiving medical treatment, the woman's fever improved, according to Centers for Disease Control physician Huang Wan-ting (). The woman's chronic illness began on Jan. 11 when she started to display such symptoms as a cough, sore throat and lethargy, though she has said she did not go to any markets in Wuhan or come into contact with birds or edible meat, according to Huang. In addition, two additional suspected cases of 2019-nCoV were reported in Taiwan Monday. The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak had risen to six in Wuhan as of Monday, according to data released by Chinese health authorities. China had confirmed 291 cases of patients infected with the virus and reported 43 suspected case as of that day. On Monday alone, 77 new cases were confirmed, while 27 additional suspected cases were reported, according to the data. (By Chen Wei-ting and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As the outbreak of pneumonia in China caused by novel coronavirus has raised global concerns, Chinese Ambassador to India said that Beijing will attend the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee meeting on January 22. Sun Weidong took to Twitter to assure that the Chinese government has made comprehensive deployment on prevention and control, and shared information of the epidemic with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and relevant nations. The Chinese envoy said that affected countries, the WHO, and subject matter experts will share information to come up with a science-based evaluation. Weidong added that the Chinese government is acting with a high sense of responsibility and committed to working in sync with the international community. #China will continue to deepen international cooperation and work in concert with the international community to deal with the epidemic and safeguard regional and global health security. Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) January 22, 2020 Read: CDC Confirms First Case Of Coronavirus In US That Emerged In China According to media reports, at least nine deaths and 440 cases have been reported because of the pneumonia outbreak. Airports across the world, including India, are kept on high alert with regard to incoming flights from China, especially Wuhan, the Chinese city with the most number of cases. The novel coronavirus is a new strain in the large family of coronaviruses (CoV) which was previously not identified in humans. CoV causes illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Read: China: 9 Dead And 440 Infected By Mysterious Coronavirus Human to human transmission confirmed CoV is zoonotic which means such viruses transmit between animals and humans but Chinese health authorities have now confirmed human to human transmission of the SARS-like virus, creating fears of a possible pandemic. There has already been human-to-human transmission and infection of medical workers, said Li Bin, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission. Evidence has shown that the disease has been transmitted through the respiratory tract and there is the possibility of viral mutation, Li added. Earlier, the WHO had said that the possibility of cases of the new virus outside China was not unexpected and it reinforced the agencys calls for active monitoring and preparedness in other countries. It said that the genetic sequences shared by China can be used to rapidly diagnose such patients, adding that the WHO has issued guidance on how to detect and treat persons ill with the new virus. Read: What Is Coronavirus? How Does It Spread? China's New Deadly Virus Explained Read: Countries Around World Gear Up Response To New Coronavirus (With AP inputs) The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has launched a breach investigation of Ventura after two men were killed and five others were injured at the River Walk nightclub Sunday night. TABC announced the investigation on Tuesday but was notified of the shooting "shortly" after a gunman opened fire during a music event hosted at the venue located at 1011 Avenue B. Agents will conduct the breach investigation to determine if the business took proper steps in guaranteeing public safety and if the sale or service of alcohol contributed to the shooting, according to a news release. RELATED: GoFundMe fundraisers created for victims of deadly River Walk bar shooting These kinds of investigations are "standard procedure" whenever violence resulting in death or serious injury happens at a licensed business, according to TABC Executive Bentley Nettles. Robert Martinez III, 20, and Alejandro Robles, 25, were killed Sunday. The suspected shooter, 19-year-old Kiernan Wiliams, was arrested Monday and faces to counts of capital murder. TABC calls these events "breach of the peace." The vast majority of licensed alcohol retailers are taking the necessary steps to protect their customers, Nettles said in the release. In those rare cases where a violent incident takes place, TABC is committed to determining whether business owners did what was necessary to keep the public safe. Ventura opened in 2016. Owner Michael Carrillo has not returned requests for comment previously made by the San Antonio Express-News. Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye This is an opinion column. Its customary for first ladies to have signature programs, usually directed toward the betterment of Americas children and families. Nancy Reagan implored kids to Just say No to drugs. Laura Bush directed her attention to education and womens health. When it was Michelle Obamas turn to pick a project, she took aim at childhood nutrition, championing new regulations to improve foods we serve in schools. Conservative commentators called it an assault on kids by the Nanny State, and last week the Trump administration rolled back some of those school nutrition standards. On the former first ladys birthday. There might not be a better example of the Alabamafication of America than when the USDA takes childhood nutrition guidance from Rush Limbaugh. Theres no good reason Obamas program should have been controversial. After all, the United States has among the highest childhood obesity rates in the world. To find a place worse off than us, you have to draw in countries you probably cant find on a map without a little help from Google. Nauru? Ever heard of it? Americas kids arent healthy kids, and Obama wanted to change that. Radical leftist stuff, right? And it has been well established these problems are worse in lower-income brackets. Children from working-class homes are more likely to eat high-calorie, high-sodium processed foods and have the extra pounds and health problems to show for it. In America, we kill our poor with food. Obamas program attempted to attack the problem in the one place the government has some control in the cafeteria lunch line. In 2010, she used her bully pulpit to push the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act through Congress, which set new nutrition standards in schools. Among the changes, the law required school lunch programs to serve more leafy vegetables and to include fruit and fat-free milk options for breakfasts. The USDAs own study, released last year, showed the program had significantly improved school nutrition. Since 2014, school lunch scores on the Healthy Eating Index rose from 49.6 to 71.3. Thats what were going to roll back because it came from someone named Obama. And lets say it again on the former first ladys birthday. The USDA said the timing of the announcement was a coincidence. Uh, huh. And all those hamburgers I ate in my school cafeteria were all-beef. The vindictiveness of this decision is nearly as appalling as what it will mean for children. The USDA also insists the changes are to reduce food waste because the kids werent eating all they were given. As someone whos had a few years experience feeding a toddler, let me assure you, they dont always like the fruits and vegetables you put in front of them. If you feed them junk, theyll eat it every time. And if youre trying to teach them healthy habits, cleaning plates is not the right objective, nor is it a useful measure of success. Michelle Obama had the temerity to say we might not have a childhood obesity crisis if we didnt feed our kids crap. She had the radical idea that our children could learn good habits in the lunchroom like they learn in the classroom. But now were going to show her. Since I coined the Alabamafication of America in a headline four years ago, Ive had a number of people ask me what that means. Im not sure that Ive given the same answer twice, but the easiest, shortest explanation is that its the politics of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Or now, stuffing your face make that our kids faces to own the elites. Alabamas official motto is We dare defend our rights but all who live here know it should be We shall not be told. And when we are told, well do the opposite to prove some kind of point, even when the consequences are as disastrous as they are predictable. Its spitefulness for spites sake. Spitefulness toward experts. Spitefulness toward evidence, science and data. Spitefulness at anyone who says they know better. Spitefulness toward a first lady who wanted children to live longer, healthier lives. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram. The War on Dumb is a thing on Facebook now, too. Expect better, demand better, come help Alabama do better. https://t.co/B2JeYkFWSf pic.twitter.com/GugqXDdsMC Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) December 18, 2019 More columns by Kyle Whitmire PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Archie Gamboa ordered on Wednesday, January 22, all health services units to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) amid the novel coronavirus scare in Cebu City. PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac said the order was directed at PNP Health Service director Brigadier General John Luglug and all the health unit commanders nationwide. Banac said all police commanders were also ordered to assist DOH in locating individuals who may carry the virus. They have been given instructions to ensure the availability of PNP personnel to assist the DOH in containing possible public health hazards posed by this virus, Banac said in a statement. As of Wednesday, January 22, reports said the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 nCoV) has afflicted more than 400 and killed nine. There has been no confirmed nCoV cases in the Philippines, but the DOH is monitoring a five-year-old child who tested positive for coronavirus. The child traveled from Wuhan City, China to Cebu and was brought to a hospital for manifesting flu-like symptoms. Samples from the child have been sent to China to determine the coronavirus strain that made him ill. (SunStar Philippines) By Online Desk Chinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings, after warning that the coronavirus death toll has risen to at least nine and could spread further with more than 400 people infected. The appeal came ahead of a World Health Organization meeting in Geneva later Wednesday to determine whether a global health crisis should be declared. Here's everything you need to know about the outbreak. What is a coronavirus? Coronaviruses are known for causing SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which can lead to pneumonia and other respiratory problems for the host. Another virus from the same family is now in the news due to the recent outbreak reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that has claimed nine lives as of 22 January. How did the current outbreak happen? We don't know yet. Coronaviruses are commonly found in animals including dogs and cats. The current Chinese outbreak is believed to have originated from the Huanan seafood market, where sea animals were reportedly sold alive. But, authorities are yet to pinpoint the infection's source, further increasing the panic. The market remains closed since the New Year. Is the virus transferable? Yes, it is. Human-to-human transmission via secretions of an affected individual has been confirmed by medical experts. A cough, sneeze or even handshake could cause exposure -- depending on how virulent the virus is -- reports state. Has the outbreak been contained to China? Unfortunately, no. It has been confirmed that the outbreak has spread not just to different Chinese provinces, but internationally. Coronavirus cases have been reported in Thailand, Japan and South Korea. The US confirmed that a person who returned from China has been infected while a man who recently travelled to Wuhan has been admitted to an isolation ward in Brisbane, Australia, after being suspected of having the virus. Is the outbreak under control? As of 21 January, the Chinese authorities had acknowledged 217 cases, double the number previously reported. However, the confirmed infection cases sharply rose to 440 just a day later. A total of 1,394 people are under medical observation while 765 have been discharged. Chinese officials say the country is now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control following confirmation that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place. Many countries have released travel advisories and strict screenings have been implemented at leading airports around the globe. ALSO READ | Screening system gaps may blunt Indias fight against deadly Coronavirus What are the symptoms? There is evidence to confirm that the virus type discovered in China is mainly getting transmitted through the respiratory tract. According to the WHO, common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory troubles such as fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and other difficulties. How deadly is the virus? The death rate of coronavirus infection is approximately 35% with people with a poor immune system more vulnerable. Is anti-coronavirus vaccination available? No. There is no known treatment for the coronavirus family till date although trials for a MERS vaccine are underway. The symptoms are expected to go away over time. The best prevention is to cover the mouth and nose, stay inside and avoid crowds. Should we worry? With the Chinese lunar new year around the corner, a large number of people from China are expected to travel to various destinations within the country and overseas (The Chinese government has estimated people will make around 3 billion trips during the Lunar New Year travel season). The more people mingle, the greater the risk of the outbreak spreading. Though not as deadly as Ebola, India is also on alert, especially at airports as a large number of people travel to and from China, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Democratic New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall said Senate impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump would resemble a cover-up and not a real trial if it does not include relevant witnesses and documents. And fellow Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Twitter for creating an environment that clearly serves as a cover-up, echoing Udalls call for witnesses and evidence. If the president has a strong defense, let him make a case, Udall said in a press call before the trial began Tuesday. Udall called the U.S. Houses case a compelling one, saying witnesses in that chamber presented a case that the president abused his power to benefit himself politically. Well, anyone who has ever sat on jury duty knows that a fair trial includes relevant witnesses and relevant documents, Udall said, pointing to his time as a federal prosecutor. A cover-up, on the other hand, does not. The senator said he found it appalling that many of his Republican colleagues opposed hearing witnesses and having documents presented that have been withheld by the Trump administration relating to activities that led to the House impeachment, including Trumps phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which he requested an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, and the withholding of aid to Ukraine at a time when the country was battling Russian-backed separatists. Like all Americans, I watched as the White House blocked key witnesses and evidence from the House impeachment inquiry, Udall said. The Senate and the American people must hear from these witnesses if we are to have anything more than a sham trial. Udall criticized McConnells proposal for a condensed trial. He voiced concerns about the Senate conducting a trial in the middle of the night and out of the public eye. Udall said he was disturbed by rules proposed by McConnell. Heinrich was critical of rules that limited access to the press. The role of journalism is to seek the truth and report it, Heinrich said. And these restrictions deny the American people the full truth. Udall said he preferred rules similar to the ones used by the Senate during the trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999. A trial should be the search for the truth, Udall said. Udall said it takes only a simple majority of 51 votes to allow witnesses and documents, and he expressed hope that enough Republicans would vote to do so. He said he hoped the vote to do so would be made at the beginning of the trial, rather than at the end, which has been proposed. Photo: Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Christopher Caldwell is not a household name. But for the relatively small set of people who care deeply about political writing, he is a towering figure. His prose full of wit and irony, enlivened by an eye for paradox and the telling detail, informed by a polyglot and polymathic erudition is second to none in the world of conservative journalism and exceeds nine-tenths of what is published in the press at large. In a review of Caldwells previous book, 2008s immigration-skeptic Reflections on the Revolution in Europe, the Marxist historian Perry Anderson, himself one of the most learned individuals on the planet, praised Caldwells cultural range as perhaps without equal among American journalists and noted, respectfully, that his columns in the Financial Times make much liberal opinion look the dreary mainstream pabulum it too often is. Although long affiliated with the neoconservative Weekly Standard, Caldwell has always been more of an old-school, even Old World type of conservative. The cast of his mind is literary and historical, not ideological, and his principal concern is with cultural preservation and continuity. Perhaps for this reason, Caldwell has, over the past several years, emerged as Americas premier highbrow defender of transatlantic populism. In his recent essays for the Claremont Review of Books, City Journal, and even the New Republic, he has relentlessly attacked the globalist consensus around free trade and immigration while writing sympathetically some would say too sympathetically about some of globalisms most disreputable opponents: Viktor Orban, Eric Zemmour, Rodrigo Duterte, et al. In Caldwells writing, the conflict between globalism and populism is staged as a clash of civilizations: on one side is a high-handed elite, set on transforming the West into a sort of multicultural shopping mall; on the other is a loose band of dissidents, patriots, cranks, and gadflys who want their cultures, as they know them, to survive. In Caldwells latest book, The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties, he applies this framework to American history from the assassination of Kennedy to the election of Trump. The result is in many ways impressive; in some, explosive. Caldwells basic thesis is that the countrys current divisions are the product of a longstanding and as-yet-unresolved conflict over the legacy of the 60s, and over race and civil rights in particular. His radical innovation is to argue that the legal regime that emerged out of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its subsequent expansions was, in his words, not just a major new element in the Constitution, but a rival constitution, with which the original one was frequently incompatible. Early in the book he writes: Much of what we have called polarization or incivility in recent years is something far more grave. It is the disagreement over which of the two constitutions shall prevail: the de jure constitution of 1788, with all the traditional forms of jurisprudential legitimacy and centuries of American culture behind it; or the de facto constitution of 1964, which lacks this traditional kind of legitimacy but commands the near-unanimous endorsement of judicial elites and civic educators and the passionate allegiance of those who received it as a liberation. But how is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a de facto constitution incompatible with the original one? In a strict legal sense, Caldwell argues, it is that the Civil Rights Act and associated Supreme Court decisions, such as Brown v. Board of Education, conflicted with or modified what had traditionally been understood as Americans constitutionally guaranteed rights. Court- or legislatively-mandated integration, for instance, curtailed freedom of association, in the same way that legal prohibitions on discrimination in hiring or renting out a room curtailed the property rights of a business or hotel owner. Such objections to the 1964 act have long been aired by paleoconservatives and libertarians in 2010, Rand Paul came under fire for voicing a version of them and they are pretty small-bore. Caldwells concern is less legalistic and has more to do with how civil rights ideology became, most unexpectedly, the model for an entire new system of constantly churning political reform. He argues that the act and its subsequent expansions provided a blueprint, a moral rationale, and a legal toolkit for ambitious and frequently unpopular social engineering projects, justified in the name of an ever-proliferating suite of rights and operating outside the bounds of traditional democratic and constitutional legitimacy. The civil rights model of executive orders, litigation, and court-ordered redress eventually became the basis for resolving every question pitting a newly emerging idea of fairness against old traditions, he writes. When the Supreme Court, in Roe v. Wade, legalized abortion based on a hitherto unheard-of construal of the 14th Amendments due process clause (nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law), or when, in Obergefell v. Hodges, it did the same for gay marriage, it was acting according to the spirit of this de facto constitution rather than the letter of the actual one. Caldwell is strongest when discussing the ironies and unintended consequences of the civil rights revolution. He notes that white Americans in the 60s had been embarrassed by Jim Crow and were willing to countenance a little government heavy-handedness in order to solve what were, in their view, the regional problems of the backward South. Whites, in other words, were complacent, naive, and more than a little arrogant they assumed that once explicit legal discrimination was eliminated, Americas race problem would simply go away. But Caldwell, drawing on the work of the sociologist Alan David Freeman, notes that victims and oppressors tend to have very different views of systems of racial discrimination. Oppressors think that once individual and legal prejudice has been ended, so too has discrimination. Victims tend to see discrimination in systemic terms, and feel that justice requires an equalization of outcomes. Over time, the victims view became the official view, the one taught in schools and universities and which now pervades our mass media and public culture. (Caldwell notes that the phrase white supremacy is now used five times as often as during its previous heyday in the 1960s.) As a result, a measure that had been intended to normalize American culture and cure the gothic paranoia of the Southern racial imagination instead wound up nationalizing Southerners obsession with race and violence. Caldwell sees the rival constitutions as having realigned American politics, and much of his book traces, in essayistic and sometimes cursory fashion, the history of this realignment. His depiction of Reagan is particularly scathing Caldwell sees him as having won a majority based on the publics rejection of the 1964 constitution, but blames him for doing little to nothing to attack its legal and bureaucratic foundations. Instead, by cutting taxes for the white middle class, Reagan effectively kicked the can down the road, allowing his voters the option of recreating a simulacrum of the old order via private schools and flight to the suburbs through private, often debt-financed means. The bitter, zero-sum character of recent political conflict stems, in Caldwells telling, from a recognition that the Reagan settlement is no longer tenable, and that the country can no longer afford literally, given Caldwells heavy emphasis on debt to finance the existence of two irreconcilable constitutional and social orders. It must choose between them. In 2016, Caldwell appears to believe it did. The Age of Entitlement is eloquent and bracing book, full of insight even when parts of its argument are difficult to credit (this is particularly true of Caldwells attempts to draw a causal connection between civil rights and the social pathologies opioids and deaths of despair now afflicting white Middle America). It is the best and the most thoughtful statement we have of what might be termed the Flight 93 mindset the feeling, among a certain type of white conservative, that the changes of the past half century have amounted to a war on the country and the civilization that they knew and loved. The outstanding question is what, if anything, Caldwell believes the right can do to reverse these changes. Near the end of the book, he mentions in passing that Republicans have failed to see that the only way back to the free country of their ideals [is] through the repeal of the civil rights laws. Its a shocking notion, and it is hard to believe that even Caldwell believes it is a viable way to proceed. In another late passage, he writes: As they moved inland in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, Americans had obliterated whole cultures with a clean conscience, as if the continent were unpeopled. In the half-century after the mid-1960s, Americas leaders, still dreaming their big dreams, obliterated their own cultural institutions in a similar spirit. One gets the sense that these lines are closer to his heart. The story his book tells is a kind of reactionary American tragedy a lament for a version of the country that is now gone, dispatched by the same hubris and ambition that powered its ascent. As in a tragedy, events seem decreed by fate. There is little sense they could have turned out otherwise. Park MacDougald is Life & Arts editor at the Washington Examiner magazine. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Balochistan Hindu Panchayat, an organization working for the protection of those who fled Pakistan, on Wednesday defended the Citizenship Amendment Act before the Supreme Court. The organization said the law was essential to protect minorities in the three neighboring countries and it is not adverse to the principle of secularism. In an application, the Delhi-based NGO contended the core the Act, passed in December, ensures well-being of minorities who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. "India has not discriminated or set aside people from any particular community here. The Act does not state that the Muslims will not be granted citizenship. Because Pakistan did not honour the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement, the government made a reasonable classification to prefer the communities of Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Christian, and Buddhist," said the application. The applicant contends the amendment did not say if a Muslim immigrant were to apply for citizenship, then it would not be considered. The application emphasized that Muslims were neither minorities nor do they face religious persecution because of their religion. It contended CAA was based upon the principle of protecting the minorities, as the Constitution from Articles 29 to 30 provided for special treatment and protection to the minorities, which was not available to them in the Muslim majority countries. "The right to avail citizenship is equally applicable for the majority of these three countries like other foreigners; It is only for the minorities of these three countries, because of their being a persecuted class, their application for citizenship is being fast-tracked under the present amendment," said the application. It also challenged the maintainability of petitions under Article 32 as none of the petitioners was aggrieved by the legislation. Covid-19 cases are rising in Delhi, but no need to panic as hospitalisation low, says Kejriwal No lockdown in Delhi for now but some curbs, says Arvind Kejriwal amid Covid surge Have Cong & BJP made it cakewalk for Kejriwal in Delhi election race India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 22: Contrary to speculation that the BJP and the Congress might field heavyweights against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the two parties have instead opted for first-timers with antecedents in youth politics. While BJP opted for Sunil Yada, Delhi unit Yuva Morcha president, the Congress has fielded Romesh Sabharwal, an old party-man having an association with the National Students Union (NSUI), against the AAP chief. In such an instance, an electoral win is a foregone conclusion for leaders like Arvind Kejriwal. Both the opposition parties efforts to unseat Kejriwal, who is seeking re-election on the New Delhi seat, failed to come up with any surprises. Earlier, it was speculated that the BJP would have Kumar Vishwas, a former colleague-turned-foe of Kejriwal, as its candidate against the chief minister. The names of New Delhi Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi, state BJP president Manoj Tiwari, and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir were also doing rounds to take on Kejriwal. However, the first-timer, Yadav asserted that he will give a 'good fight' to the chief minister as he was a local while his adversary was an 'outsider'. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's total assets worth Rs 3.4 cr, Rs 1.3 cr more from 2015 'I live in New Delhi, Kejriwal does not live here. He is an outsider and is hardly available to the people of the constituency. I am here to defeat him with the love and support of the people,' Yadav said. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari too expressed confidence that chances of winning from the New Delhi constituency dominated by government employees. 'He is not a lightweight candidate. New Delhi suits the BJP as voters in the constituency are strong supporters of the BJP,' he said. The candidature of Yadav, who is an advocate and a social worker, has surprised everybody. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has claimed that the BJP had surrendered even before the fight had begun. "Going by this list and BJP candidate against CM Kejriwal, it seems BJP has surrendered," tweeted AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj. The Congress, on the other hand, has fielded its former NSUI functionary Romesh Sabharwal from the constituency. His mother was a teacher and his father a clerk. Associated with the Congress since the late 1980s', Sabharwal has also served as chairman of the Delhi Tourism department. Sabharwal has held different posts in NSUI and the Indian Youth Congress in the past. In 1998, he was expected to be the Congress candidate from then Gole Market (now New Delhi) constituency but was replaced by Sheila Dikshit. After waiting for 6 hours, Kejriwal files nomination for Delhi Assembly polls Kejriwal has won twice consecutively from the New Delhi seat-in 2013 and 2015. And in the first instance, he had turned the fight in the seat into a focal point of the elections by challenging the sitting MLA, then chief minister Sheila Dikshit, and went on to defeat her in a giant-killing feat. Ailin Quinlan hears about a programme helping school children to develop effective strategies to deal with worry, stress, and change. LIKE thousands of other sixth-class pupils at this time of year, Gary Finn is a bit apprehensive about the looming transition to second-level education. However, unlike many other children his age, this West Cork schoolboy has learned special meditation and breathing techniques at school which, he says, help him manage anxiety and stress. Last year, along with the rest of the fifth-class pupils at Scoil na mBuachailli in Clonakilty, Gary,12, participated in Friends For Life, a school-based positive mental health programme which helps students develop effective strategies to deal with worry, stress, and change. Run once a week at Scoil na mBuachailli over much of the school year for the past five years, the initiative is based around the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, teaching children the skills required to think positively, reduce anxiety, and develop resilience. The programme also nurtures social skills and empathy in pupils. Since 2016 when it was formally rolled out in schools across Ireland (it had been provided to some schools on a pilot basis since 2009) training in different versions aimed at specific age-groups has been provided to 4,548 primary, 1,247 post-primary and 89 special school teachers nationally. Skills for life The Friends programmes help students to develop resilience by teaching them effective strategies to cope with, problem solve, and manage all kinds of emotional distress, including worry, stress, change, and anxiety, says a spokesman for the Department of Education, adding that skills learned help students now and in later life. Gary found the strategies helped him cope with the stress of his recent Christmas tests: I find that it helps me to think positively about myself and everyone around me, he says. The meditation I learned and the way I learned to think positively all helped. I will stay doing this when I get to second-level. The breathing techniques help me keep calm. Every Wednesday at 2pm, Scoil na mBuachailli learning support and reading recovery teacher Orla OKeeffe, and her colleague Elaine Connolly, split fifth class into two groups. The hour-long lesson begins when the teacher passes a soft ball around. As each child receives the ball, he speaks about something that made him feel good that week. They talk about something that makes them feel good in the past week, such as taking the family dog for a walk or enjoying a trip to their cousins house, says Ms OKeeffe. Children are encouraged to talk about something involving interactions with people or with pets rather than time spent on tech devices, she added. The word Friends in the programme title is an acronym with each letter standing for one element of the programme, she explains. Teacher Orla OKeeffe who runs the Friends for Life programme at Scoil na mBuachailli in Clonakilty, West Cork, with pupils Ciaran Daly, Gary Finn, and Shourya Malik. Picture: Dan Linehan F, for example, is for Feelings, while R is for Relax (see panel). We deal with each of these issues over the course of the year. In the Feelings lessons, for example, we look at what happens to our body when we feel happy, excited, worried or sad. Its about being able to recognise those feelings physically in our bodies and in other people too so that we can be aware of how someone else is feeling. The Relax lessons deal with strategies such as meditation, breathing exercises, and includes simple back massage. The programme also helps nurture good social skills, Ms OKeeffe says. The boys work together on different activities and talk more to one another than they would normally do in class. They also learn to take turns and to see each others point of view. They realise theyre not alone in how they feel, that other people can have the same feelings. This creates a bond or connection within the group and teaches them to empathise with one another. Fifth-class student Shourya Malik, 11, and classmate Ciaran Daly, are among those currently participating in the programme: I love it! Shourya says. You talk about things you wouldnt really speak about in school. If youre having a hard time with something in school, you can say it in the Friends class because no one will judge you and everyone is talking about their own hard things as well. Friends gives you lessons to use for your whole life because it helps you to cope with a hard thing, like if you are stressing about an exam. It teaches you a bit about people too it helps you understand what your friends are going through and it helps you and your friends to cope with stuff. Positive thoughts Ms OKeeffe believes the programme offers fundamental benefits to students: It gives them an awareness of themselves and others and develops empathy and resilience, she says. In the I Can Do It section, for example, students learn how to manage Red or negative thoughts. We talk about negative thoughts coming into your head for example Im going to come last in the race. We discuss how to challenge these thoughts with questions. I think this definitely gets through to them and they become more aware of how they think about things. Green thoughts are positive thoughts, for example: I will improve if I try my best or I can do this. Positive atmosphere Ciaran Daly, 11, finds the relaxation strategies particularly helpful. We practice meditation and switching your mind off and relaxing and clearing your head, he says. When you get older there will be harder things than school, like a job. I think this will stick with me and Ill always be able to do small meditations to clear my mind. Its really nice to go and talk to your friends about problems and stuff; about what is going on. When you talk about something hard, it gets easier to cope with. I find Friends good that way when you know youre not the only one to have a difficult thing to cope with, its easier to cope with it! The children develop useful problem-solving or coping strategies, says Ms OKeeffe. We talk about how to break a problem down into small steps and gradually resolve it. An example would be a pupils fear of presenting a project in front of the class. We discuss how you might start by doing it front of the mirror, then in front of your parents, then your friends, building your confidence gradually and using positive thoughts. Ms OKeeffe and her colleague believe the programme contributes to the very positive atmosphere in the senior half of the school. I think its a lovely programme. There are no right or wrong answers, everyone can contribute and everything everyone says is valid. Its not all about immediate results. An Australian burger place has created a food monstrosity that's been described as a "crime against humanity". Chuck Wagon 175 in Adelaide posted a picture of its new lamington burger on Facebook on Tuesday. The "sick" creation has two beef patties, double bacon and double cheese, all sandwiched between two thick lamingtons. Social media users were equally horrified and impressed at the artery-clogging masterpiece. "I will personally drive for days on end and slap any person who would eat this," wrote one man. Some had supportive families, encouraging teachers or life-changing tutors; some didn't. Some found school or university difficult and dropped out; some suffered terrible homesickness when they left their families to pursue their education or careers. Each is inspiring in his or her own way and all are given space to shine here. Also available at SBS On Demand. Hosted by Rachael Hocking and filmed last year as a NAIDOC Week special, this episode celebrates a new generation of Indigenous trailblazers. The six guests represent a range of fields: music, medicine, science, commerce, sport and media. And the stories they tell about how they achieved what they have are heartening tales of perseverance, self-belief and resilience. Cannabis: Miracle Medicine or Dangerous Drug? SBS, 8.30pm Medical marijuana has been legal in the UK since 2018. There are claims that it assists with reducing or eliminating symptoms of a range of diseases, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. However, Dr Javid Abdelmoneim has reservations about prescribing the drug as he isn't convinced that it has been sufficiently tested, and he embarks on his own research in order to address his concerns. He participates in a King's College trial. He visits a marijuana farm in Denmark. He travels to Israel, where the drug has been legal and considered as medicine for more than 20 years, and talks to doctors and their patients. And he meets Alfie Dingley, a seven-year-old with epilepsy whose case was instrumental in changing the laws in England. Dr Javid's findings are illuminating as he develops an understanding of the workings of two key components of the drug, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/22/2020 -- Advance Market Analytics recently introduced Global Autonomous Mobile Robots Market study with in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status to 2025. Autonomous Mobile Robots Market explores effective study on varied sections of Industry like opportunities, size, growth, technology, demand and trend of high leading players. It also provides market key statistics on the status of manufacturers, a valuable source of guidance, direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Definition: Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) is a robot which performs the behaviors or tasks with a high degree of autonomy. These robots rely mainly on autonomous navigation where it does not require any wires, tape, GPS or other navigation. AMR has its laser guidance system which assures precise navigation, helps in obstacle avoidance and human safety. Amr works by gathering information from the sensors and plotting an exact map representation and then executing optimal collision-free path for a given task to be handled. The demand for AMR is significantly higher compared to conventional industrial robots because of its better feature such as, that it can operate autonomously in unknown and dynamic environments to fulfill their assigned tasks. Major Players in This Report Include, Northrop Grumman (United States),Honda Motor (Japan),Softbank (Japan),iRobot (United States),DJI (China),Lockheed Martin (United States),Kongsberg Maritime (Norway),KUKA (Germany),Bluefin Robotics (United States),Samsung Electronics (South Korea),,Parrot (France),3DR (United States),GeckoSystems (United States),LG (South Korea),Amazon Robotics (United States),Mayfield Robotics (United States),Promobot (Russia),Bluefrog Robotics (France) ,LEGO (Denmark) Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/73201-global-autonomous-mobile-robots-market-1 Market Trends - Adoption of Uavs for Applications Such As Agriculture, and Surveying and Mapping Market Drivers - High Adoption of Robots for Personal and Commercial Use - Increasing Demand for Warehouse Automation Restraints - Performance in Untested Environments - Lack of High-Level Interfacing Opportunities - Focus On Developing Autonomous Mobile Robots with Special Features in Developed Countries - Increasing Geriatric Population Worldwide Boosting Demand for Service Robots for Elderly Assistance Challenges - Safety Concerns While Working with Humans This research is categorized differently considering the various aspects of this market. It also evaluates the current situation and the future of the market by using the forecast horizon. The forecast is analyzed based on the volume and revenue of this market. The tools used for analyzing the Global Autonomous Mobile Robots Market research report include SWOT analysis. The Global Autonomous Mobile Robots segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below: Type (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Unmanned Marine Vehicle, Unmanned Ground Vehicle, AMRs with SLAM, AMRs without SLAM) Application (Residential Maintenance, Manufacturing, Industrial Automation, Commercial Operations, Other Applications), Component Type (Hardware, Sensors, Actuators, Power Supply, Control System, Others (electrical, electronic, and mechanical components), Software), Mode of Operation (Autonomous (Fully Autonomous, Semi-Autonomous), Human Operated (Untethered, Tethered)), Functional Ability (Autonomous Navigation, Environmental Perception, Self-maintenance, Task Perception, Task Performance, Other Functional Abilities, Self-learning, Reasoning), Operating Environment (Aerial, Ground, Marine), End User (Power & Energy, Oil & Gas, Mining & Minerals, Medical & Healthcare, Logistics & Warehouse, Forest & Agriculture, Aerospace & Defence, Automotive) . . For Early Buyers | Get Up to 20% Discount on This Premium Report: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/73201-global-autonomous-mobile-robots-market-1 The regional analysis of Global Autonomous Mobile Robots Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America is the leading region across the world. Whereas, owing to rising no. of research activities in countries such as China, India, and Japan, Asia Pacific region is also expected to exhibit higher growth rate the forecast period 2019-2025. Highlights of the report: - A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market - Important changes in market dynamics - Market segmentation up to the second or third level - Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume - Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments - Market shares and strategies of key players - Emerging niche segments and regional markets - An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market - Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market Try a limited scope research document specific to Country or Regional matching your objective. GET FULL COPY OF United States Autonomous Mobile Robots market study @ USD 2000 And, Europe Autonomous Mobile Robots market study @ USD 2500 Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Autonomous Mobile Robots Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Autonomous Mobile Robots market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the Autonomous Mobile Robots Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the Autonomous Mobile Robots Chapter 4: Presenting the Autonomous Mobile Robots Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region 2013-2018 Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Autonomous Mobile Robots market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions. Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source finally, Autonomous Mobile Robots Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. Get More Information: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/73201-global-autonomous-mobile-robots-market-1 Key questions answered - Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the Global Autonomous Mobile Robots market? - What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the Global Autonomous Mobile Robots market? - What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global Autonomous Mobile Robots market? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Definitively, this report will give you an unmistakable perspective on every single reality of the market without a need to allude to some other research report or an information source. Our report will give all of you the realities about the past, present, and eventual fate of the concerned Market. Thanks for reading this article, we can also provide customized report as per company's specific needs. You can also get separate chapter wise or region wise report versions including North America, Europe or Asia. The Missoula County Elections Office is making it a priority to recruit 600 election judges, poll book judges and polling place managers for the 2020 primary and general elections. "Its always a big push," said Bradley Seaman, Missoula County interim elections administrator. "Getting that number of election judges means that we dont have a wait, and means that we can staff all of our polling places, and that the people who are helping you on election day represent your community and your area." Election judges are asked to work Montanas primary elections on June 2 and the general election Nov. 3. The judges greet voters, issue ballots, operate equipment, answer questions and hand out I voted stickers. They are paid for their service and their training, and have the option to work full- or half-day shifts on election days. "It's basically like paid public service and it's a really manageable time commitment," said Lynn Solomon, an elections aide in Missoula. Judges must be at least 18 and registered to vote, and must live in Missoula County. Election judges are paid $8.65 an hour, while poll book judges make $8.80 an hour and polling place managers earn $14 an hour, according to a Missoula County press release. Judges are required to work the election days and complete training during the month of March. The training takes about three hours and there are advanced sessions for poll book judges and polling place managers. New and returning election judges can sign up at MissoulaElectionJudge.com, by calling 406-258-4751, or by emailing electioninfo@missoulacounty.us. Solomon said the job can be more fun than people might realize because judges are typically assigned to polling places in their neighborhood, meaning there's a good chance of running into friends and neighbors. Some judges also help process absentee ballots in the counting center. Seaman said Missoula has one of the biggest recruitments across the state because in the past, Missoula voters expressed a desire for numerous options for polling places. There are 28 different polling locations throughout Missoula County, and a shortage of judges could mean towards slower service or longer lines, Seaman said. The county has recruited more than 600 judges in the past, many of whom are retirees. "As judges get older, we get fewer and we need to get more younger judges involved who know whats going on," said Larry Dunham, former vice chair and current alternate member of the Missoula County Election Advisory Committee. Dunham said he was not speaking for the board but noted that Missoula County needs more judges in rural areas such as Seeley Lake, Condon and Bonner. The county is also working on partnering with different organizations and businesses to help facilitate opportunities for their members and employees to serve as election judges. The partnerships aim to eliminate hurdles, by working to make sure employees have time off on election day or to attend training, and provide incentives such as giving employees paid time off to work as election judges. Seaman said that any groups and businesses interested in working with the county can contact the elections office. Seaman said there are roles for everyone that fit their skills, whether that means meeting and greeting people and helping make sure they're in the right line, accounting for ballots or helping manage and delegate tasks on election days. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LANSING, MI -- Elected Democrats, Republicans, licensing officials, business leaders and union representatives are at odds about how a mandatory labor peace agreement might impact Michigans fledgling marijuana industry. Proposed permanent marijuana business licensing rules written by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Marijuana Regulatory Agency would require every marijuana business in the state enter one. A labor peace agreement is a contract between a union and business that establishes rules for union organization and means for resolution of labor disputes. Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday, Nov. 22, voted 21-15 to pass a concurrent resolution with the House in opposition to the proposed mandate. A formal copy of the resolution will be sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and LARA. These labor peace agreements are really a Mob-style shakedown of these new businesses that are growing, said Sen. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton. At least the Mob lets you get going first. They wont even issue a license unless you sign one of these labor peace agreements. " ... I think this (resolution) is a clear indication that the (Joint Committee on Administrative Rules) will do their job and reject these rules." The Joint Committee of Administrative Rules, currently comprised of six Republican and four Democratic lawmakers, have the final say on approval of administrative rules. While Republicans claim the mandate is a union strong-arm tactic, supporters, like AFSCME Council 25 union Legislative Director Tim Greimel, who spoke on the topic before the Regulatory Reform Committee Tuesday, said thats an exaggeration, since dozens of unions are likely to compete with one another to enter those peace agreements. A labor peace agreement would not necessarily include neutrality on part of the employer when it comes to organizing workers, it would not necessarily forgo confidential, secret ballot elections in favor of a card-check system, Greimel said. All of that would have to be negotiated. ... There is no one, single, cookie-cutter format for a labor peace agreement. Nesbitt, during that Regulatory Reform Committee meeting, flipped through a paper copy of what he said was an example of a labor peace agreement. It contained clauses banning the business from disparaging the union, required facilitated access to employees for organizing and stipulations that a vote to unionize cant be held in private, he said. It just goes on, Nesbitt said, an arbitration process, and then, even if youre not unionized ... then you have to file their labor rules from that labor union. Neither the rules guiding the states medical marijuana industry nor temporary emergency rules for the recreational market include the labor peace agreement requirement. A labor peace agreement, according to the proposed rules, means an agreement between a licensee and any bona fide labor organization that, at a minimum, protects the states interests by prohibiting labor organizations and members from engaging in picketing, work stoppages, boycotts, and any other economic interference with the applicants business." Former Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, now president of the Small Business Association of Michigan, spoke at the committee hearing and called the requirement literally conjured out of thin air" and an attempt by the Executive Branch to play the role of a legislator. This issue is ... much, much wider than this particular industry, Calley said. There are so many different professions and businesses that are licensed by the state of Michigan and if ... a requirement for a labor peace agreement ... is required to even be qualified to apply to go into a business, if that can be added in here, then it could be added in anywhere, so every licensed business in this state needs to be concerned about the action that is taken here. Greimel, a Democrat who served in the House from 2012 to 2019, noted the Legislature has "required businesses to affiliate with certain organizations. He used taxes on hotels that are diverted to convention and tourist bureaus as an example. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency is holding a hearing for public comment on the proposed rules Feb. 12 at 9:30 a.m. in the first-floor auditorium of the Williams Building, 525 West Ottawa St. in Lansing. For those unable to attend the public hearing, comments may be submitted via email or mailed to the Marijuana Regulatory Agency Legal Section. Slovakia and Hungary refused to accept Russian oil due to the getting of chlororganics in Druzhba pipeline Open source Ukrtransnafta reported on the end of the displacement of Russian oil with high concentration of chlororganics from the Ukrainian part of the Druzhba oil pipeline up to the Slovakia-Ukraine border on January 18. On January 21, the oil was displaced up to oil custody transfer station Budkovtse as Ukrtransnafta reported on Facebook. During the displacement of Russian oil with a high concentration of chlororganics, Ukrtransnafta daily along with the international surveyor SGS checked the quality of oil coming from Russia and did not spot recurrence of coming of contaminated raw material. Since getting of polluted Russian oil, the operators of the Druzhba oil pipeline improved the system of control of the quality of raw material to protect from the possible recurrence of such cases in the future. It is noted that during the whole period of time of displacement of poor-quality Russian oil through the Ukrainian part of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Transneft reserved the production capacity of Ukrtransnafta and paid 4,336 of euro compensation from May 2019 until January 2020. On April 25, 2019, Ukrtransnafta was forced to suspend the transit of oil through the Mozyr-Brody pipeline in connection with information about the flow of low-quality oil from Russia. On May 11, 2019, the company succeeded to resume the transit of oil to the EU states as the European side confirmed the readiness to admit the oil. The Ukrainian operator was forced to suspend the transit of oil on May 21, 2019 for the second time as the European partners needed more time for preoperational events. June 9, Belneftekhim company reported that 450 000 tons of poor-quality oil, which had previously been transported to Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline was pumped back to Russia. Defence ministry camp commander Laxwell Ngara yesterday appeared in court facing fraud charges after he allegedly produced fake documents claiming $306 135 as payment for cleaning services rendered to the ministry by Maids on Wheels (Pvt) Limited. Ngara (51), who appeared before Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya, was granted $1 500 bail. The camp commander, who was responsible for supervising contractors and the upkeep of Defence House, is the fourth official from the Defence ministry to be arraigned before the courts after Peter Muchakazi, Kunofiwa Mervyn Madondo and Simbarashe Zvineyi appeared in the dock on similar charges. Allegations are that between March and June 2019, Ngara connived with Danison Muvandi, who is on the run, Muchakazi and Madondo, who are on remand, and misrepresented to their superiors that the Defence ministry had received cleaning services from Maids on Wheels. The State alleges the trio sourced five fake invoices valued at $306 135 and originated minutes dated June 19, 2019 addressed to the director of finance and human resources, Muvandi, who is the owner and signatory to the Maids on Wheels account. The accused persons then allegedly attached the five invoices to the minutes with instructions for payment without attaching the required award-of-tender letter specifying the job done and signed by the chairperson of the procurement management unit. It is alleged on June 20, 2019, the trio reportedly posted the payment request to the chief accountant, who released the funds into Maids on Wheels bank account. Investigations revealed that no requisition was raised by the procurement management unit for cleaning services and there was no tender awarded to Maids on Wheels. Meanwhile, former Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) board vice-chair Idah Mupamhanga, who is facing criminal abuse of office charges, was yesterday further remanded to March 4 after the State indicated that it was waiting for the docket to be completed. State representative Charles Muchemwa told the court that they would be in a position to provide a trial date for Mupamhanga by March 4. Mupamhanga, who appeared before magistrate Mujaya, was represented by Brighton Pabwe of Samkange and Venturas Legal Practitioners. Allegations are that on June 21, 2016, ZimParks, through its then commercial services director Tarisai Musonza, wrote to Mabalengwe Safaris, represented by Rodgers Madanhure, advising them not to renew their lease agreement for Matetsi Unit 1 a hunting concession in Victoria Falls which was expiring at the end of that year. It is alleged that Mupamhanga, without a board resolution, unlawfully instructed the ZimParks legal department to prepare a memorandum of agreement leasing Matetsi Unit 1. Upon receipt of the money, she allegedly concealed the transaction from the ZimParks board and transferred the money from her bank account into ZimParks account without disclosing the nature of the transaction. It is alleged that in January 2017, Mupamhanga entered into another memorandum of agreement to lease 19 Zambezi Lodges to Adage of Success (Pvt) Ltd without the knowledge of the board. She cited under-utilisation by ZimParks. The court heard that in the same year, Mupamhanga called for a meeting which was attended by senior ecologist Roselyn Mandisodza and the then acting director-general Godfrey Matipano and told them that she wanted to venture into gold exploration inside protected areas to fund wildlife conservation. The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has called on all expatriates in the kingdom who do not have accounts in the electronic services platform "Absher" to register on the platform. The purpose of registering in Absher platform is to be informed about the services and procedures implemented for expatriates by employers as well as to facilitate special services for their family members and to save time and effort in providing quick and quality of service. The expatriates will also benefit from the electronic services provided by the General Directorate of Passports without having to come to the departments. Response to a Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that biometric systems and CCTV cameras at the server room in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were not vandalised in the first week of January, contrary to the claims made by the varsity administration. The administration had claimed that students had destroyed them on January 3. In a reply to an RTI filed by Saurav Das, a member of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI), under "life and liberty" clause on January 9, the university administration said that the JNUs main server at the Centre for Information System (CIS) was shut down on January 3 and had gone down the next day "due to power supply disruption". The response also said that a total of 17 fibre optical cables were damaged on January 4 at 1.00 pm. 'None' of the biometric systems were broken or destroyed between December 30, 2019 and January 8, 2020, it added. The varsity's reply to the RTI also stated that "no continuous and entire" CCTV footage of cameras installed at North/Main gate of the JNU campus from 3.00 pm to 11.00 pm on January 5 was available the day masked mob had entered the campus, and had attacked students and teachers with iron rods and sledgehammers. A look at the response of the varsity administration to Das query points at several discrepancies in the FIR filed by the university and the statements given by the university administration, including JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, to the media. The JNU administration, in an FIR, had claimed that on January 3, a group of students wearing masks had forcibly entered the CIS and switched off the power supply, making the servers dysfunctional, thereby affecting a range functions, including CCTV surveillance, biometric attendance and internet services. According to a News18 report, Kumar had also alleged that the January 5 violence had its origins in the vandalism that had taken place the previous day in the server room. The report also adds that Kumar had claimed that the mob had entered the campus on January 4 itself. He had also claimed that broken biometric systems affected winter semester registration, the report suggests. The RTI had also sought information on whether the CIS office contains the servers of the CCTV cameras in and around the campus. To this, the reply stated that the servers of CCTV cameras are located in the data centre and not at the CIS office. The response also said that "the details of locations of CCTV cameras cannot be provided due to security reasons and concerns". The RTI had also asked details of the total number of times the JNU website was not functioning due to technical snag or problem from December 25, 2019 to January 8, 2020. The reply stated that the varsity's website was functioning during the period since it is "critical" and "a logical public face of the university". (With inputs from PTI) By Praveen Menon WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Governments need to take into account the climate crisis when considering the deportation of asylum seekers, the United Nations said in a landmark ruling that could pave the way for future climate refugees. The ruling by the U.N. Human Rights Committee was given in the case of Ioane Teitiota, from the Pacific nation of Kiribati, who brought a case against New Zealand in 2016 after authorities denied his claim of asylum as a climate refugee. Teitiota migrated to New Zealand in 2007 and applied for refugee status after his visa expired in 2010. He claimed the effects of climate change and a rising sea level had forced him to migrate. He was deported to Kiribati in September 2015. The committee upheld New Zealand's decision to deport Teitiota, saying he did not face an immediate risk if returned, but it agreed that environmental degradation and climate change are some of the most pressing threats to the right to life. "Without robust national and international efforts, the effects of climate change in receiving states may expose individuals to a violation of their rights," the committee said in a statement released earlier this month. This would trigger non-refoulement obligations which forbid a country form returning asylum seekers to a country in which they would likely be in danger. The committee added that the risk of an entire country becoming submerged under water was so extreme that a life with dignity may not be possible even before this happened. Teitiota's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The low-lying South Pacific island nation of Kiribati has a population of more than 110,000, but its average height of 2 metres (6-1/2 ft) above sea level makes it one of the countries most vulnerable to rising seawater and other climate change effects. New Zealand and Australia, the two most developed countries in the South Pacific, have resisted calls to change immigration rules in favour of Pacific people displaced by climate change. Story continues The U.N. ruling is not binding but could open the door for future climate change asylum seekers, asylum advocates said. "The decision sets a global precedent," said Kate Schuetze, Pacific Researcher at Amnesty International. "It says a state will be in breach of its human rights obligations if it returns someone to a country where due to the climate crisis their life is at risk, or in danger of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment," she said in a statement. (Reporting by Praveen Menon, editing by Richard Pullin) A man is accused of entering a strangers home and sexually assaulting her Sunday in Wood Village, deputies say. Alfredo Guzman, 24, is accused of crimes including first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree burglary, strangulation, coercion and fourth-degree assault. Hes being held in Multnomah Countys Inverness Jail. The woman reported a stranger, identified by deputies as Guzman, broke into her Northeast Halsey Street home early in the morning and sexually assaulted her, according to the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office. The man left before deputies arrived. Based on a description from the woman, deputies found Guzman outside a nearby apartment complex about three hours later, deputies said. He was taken into custody without incident. Detectives learned the suspect accessed the womans home through an unlocked door and that the womans young children were home during the incident. Guzman, who also appears to be known by the surname Guzman-Padilla, has two open criminal cases in Multnomah County. Hes accused of misdemeanor public indecency in both cases. One of the cases also includes a resisting arrest charge. Hes pleaded not guilty in both cases, which stem from 2019. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. WASHINGTON -- Iraq War veteran Jonathan Lubecky was deployed to Balad Air Base in 2006, where mortar attacks became part of daily life. During one enemy strike, Lubecky was knocked unconscious, suffering a traumatic brain injury. His overall combat experience resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder. After leaving the Army in 2009, he tried many treatments, including exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and several types of antidepressants, but nothing lessened his symptoms of PTSD. The pain became so overwhelming, Lubecky attempted suicide five times in eight years. He said when he wasn't attempting to kill himself, he was thinking about it. In 2014, Lubecky tried something new. He volunteered for a clinical trial of MDMA, the illegal psychedelic drug commonly known as molly or ecstasy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 designated MDMA as a "breakthrough therapy" to treat PTSD and last week said it would allow more people to access the treatment. Related: MDMA Therapy Gaining Popularity as PTSD Treatment "I already had five suicide attempts. I put a gun to my head twice and pulled the trigger," Lubecky said. "I figured I was going to die anyway, that I might as well try ecstasy. And then it worked." Lubecky, a retired sergeant, took a dose of ecstasy, and then was guided through eight hours of intensive psychotherapy. He repeated the process two more times. The drug, which enhances feelings of empathy and euphoria while blocking the brain's ability to process fear, "broke down the barriers" that previously prevented Lubecky from opening up to therapists, he said. During those 24 hours of therapy, he talked about all of his traumas: his combat experience, divorce and multiple suicide attempts, among other things. After the first session, Lubecky said he had fewer suicidal thoughts. He eventually went one full day without thinking of killing himself, then two. Five years after he completed the clinical trial, Lubecky no longer meets the qualifications for a PTSD diagnosis. "The MDMA puts the mind, body and spirit in a place it needs to be in order to heal," he said. "It's like doing therapy while being hugged by everyone who loves you in a bathtub full of puppies licking your face. That's the best way I've been able to describe it." The study is sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS, a nonprofit that formed in 1986 to fund research of the drug after MDMA was made illegal. The group announced Friday that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy will soon be available to more people. The FDA granted expanded access for the treatment, meaning patients outside of the clinical trials will be able to receive it. Also known as "compassionate use," expanded access allows people facing a serious or life-threatening condition to undergo experimental therapies that could help them. In this case, the treatment will be made available to an additional 50 people at 10 sites across the country. The sites will be announced in the next few months. MAPS has already received 120 applications for people seeking the treatment in their area. At the same time as MAPS stands up the expanded access program, it's continuing with Phase 3 of the clinical trials at 15 sites in the United States, Canada and Israel. The trials are expected to be completed in 2021, and the FDA could approve the treatment in 2022. The study has so far shown positive results. A Phase 2 trial near Charleston, South Carolina, of which Lubecky was part, resulted in 68 percent of participants no longer showing PTSD symptoms after their second session. Of the 26 participants in that study, 22 were veterans. The veteran population experiences PTSD at a higher rate than the rest of the population. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates 11 to 20% of veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD, compared with about 7 to 8% of the general U.S. population. No longer experiencing PTSD symptoms, Lubecky dedicates his time to advocating for the treatment, getting more veterans involved and changing the way society talks about mental illness. He works for MAPS as a veterans and government affairs liaison and often speaks about his experience with the MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Instead of a lifelong illness, he wants people to think of PTSD as a mental injury that can be healed. "We've all been told this is a chronic, lifelong mental illness, that our symptoms can be addressed but we can't make it go away," Lubecky said. "MAPS and this MDMA therapy have shown that we can heal it." If he hadn't participated in the trial, Lubecky believes he would have died by suicide. "I'd be in Arlington cemetery," he said. "The biggest impact on this has been my stepson. It's the reason he has a father instead of a folded flag." Anyone interested in applying for expanded access to MDMA therapy can learn more at mapspublicbenefit.com. Read more: Army's 10th Mountain Division Headed to Afghanistan as US Talks Withdrawal NEW HAVEN, Conn., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost 50 years after Roe v. Wade, a new Marist poll shows that a strong majority wants to elect candidates who support substantial abortion restrictions. And most Americans still reject the Supreme Court's reasoning in the 1973 case. "Most Americans want the court to reinterpret Roe either by stopping legalized abortion or by returning the issue to the states," said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson. The Knights of Columbus is the survey sponsor. According to the poll, a notable proportion (41%) of those who identify as pro-choice are more likely to vote for candidates who support restrictions, as are more than nine in 10 who identify as pro-life (96%). "The fact that such large numbers of Americans who identify as pro-choice nevertheless support restrictions and the revisiting of Roe v. Wade shows how misleading it is to conflate the term 'pro-choice' with support for radically pro-abortion position that calls for unrestricted abortion," said Anderson. Restrictions Preferred About two-thirds of Americans (65%) and the same percentage of registered voters say they "are more likely to vote for" candidates who would limit abortion to at most the first three months of pregnancy. This includes about nine in 10 Republicans (88%), more than six in 10 independents (62% percent), and more than four in 10 Democrats (44%). Pro-Life Intensity When it comes to voting for president, intensity is stronger on the pro-life side. By a margin of 10 percentage points (45% to 35%), those who identify as pro-life are more likely to say abortion is a "major factor" in their vote for president than those who identify as pro-choice. In addition, more than six in 10 Americans (62%) say that if the Supreme Court revisits Roe v. Wade it should rule to allow states to determine restrictions (46%) or make abortion illegal (16%). Only 33% of Americans say Roe v. Wade should be interpreted to allow for legal abortion any time without restriction. The 62% majority includes about four in 10 of those who identify as Democrats (39%) or as "pro-choice" (40%). Consistent with PBS Poll The new survey also finds that seven in 10 Americans would limit abortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy. The 70% number is identical to last summer's NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll. Nearly half (47%) of those who identify as pro-choice in the recent survey also agree that abortion should be limited to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy. The January 2020 poll finds that, by more than 10 percentage points (52% to 41%), a majority of Americans, believe that women should be required to have an ultrasound prior to having an abortion. By a margin of more than five to one (80% to 14%), Americans say that laws can protect both a mother and her unborn child. Taxpayer Tab Discouraged An overwhelming majority of Americans (75% to 21%) are also against taxpayer funding of abortion overseas. This includes six in 10 of those who identify as pro-choice (61%) and more than nine in 10 of those who identify as pro-life (95%). Six in 10 Americans (60%) also oppose domestic taxpayer funding of abortion. This includes 89% of those who identify as pro-life, and 37% of those who identify as pro-choice. And by 15 percentage points (55% to 40%), a majority of Americans support banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This includes 45% of those who identify as pro-choice and 69% of those who identify as pro-life. The new Marist Poll also finds that Americans are more likely to identify as pro-choice (55%) than pro-life (40%), a narrowing of the margin between the two sides by seven percentage points since last summer, when the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll found a 57% to 35% divide. While those who identify as pro-life unsurprisingly support restrictions on abortion and other positions generally considered to be "pro-life," the survey also shows the limits of the pro-choice label. Majorities or substantial minorities of those who identify as pro-choice, also support restrictions on abortion and other pro-life positions. Methodology This survey of 1,237 adults was conducted January 7th through January 12th, 2020 by The Marist Poll sponsored in partnership with The Knights of Columbus. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the contiguous United States were contacted on landline or mobile numbers and interviewed by telephone using live interviewers. Survey questions were available in English or Spanish. The samples were then combined and balanced to reflect the 2017 American Community Survey one-year estimates for age, gender, income, race, and region. Results are statistically significant within 3.7 percentage points. There are 1,070 registered voters. The results for this subset are statistically significant within 4.0 percentage points. The error margin was adjusted for sample weights and increases for cross-tabulations. Full poll results are available at https://www.kofc.org/en/resources/news-room/polls/americans-opinions-abortion.pdf SOURCE Knights of Columbus The central government has agreed to restart the project for upgradation of infrastructure at Angul Aluminium Park in Odisha. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan thanked Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal for accepting his request to restart the project. It is a joint venture between Navratna PSU NALCO and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco). "Thank CIM Shri @PiyushGoyal for acceding to my request to re-start the project for up-gradation of infrastructure at Angul Aluminium Park in Odisha. The decision is another testimony of Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi's commitment for the development of Odisha and its people," Pradhan said in a twitter post on Tuesday. "With renewed focus on ironing out bottlenecks to ensure expeditious completion of the project, the Angul Aluminium Park project, a JV between @NALCO_India and @idco_odisha is expected to be completed by July 2020," the Union Petroleum and Steel minister said. The petroleum minister said that the project is being developed at a cost of Rs 99.60 crore including a central grant of Rs 33.44 crore. The proposed facility, spread over an area of 223 acres, will be a major infrastructure boost for the aluminium downstream industries, Pradhan said. Pradhan's request came after apex committee of Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS), in November 2018, decided to drop the project citing slow progress. In December last year, Pradhan had written a letter to Goyal seeking his personal intervention to restart the project, which had been approved in August 2015, and initiate steps for its speedy completion. He had also urged Goyal to review the work done so far on the project to upgrade infrastructure at the Angul Aluminium Park in Odisha. The project was dropped citing slow progress. Pradhan had also sought restoration of Central assistance sanctioned for the proposed aluminum cluster at Angul under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Up- gradation Scheme (MIIUS). An agency, Angul Aluminium Park Private Ltd (AAPPL), had been entrusted to implement the project. The Angul aluminium park, spread across 223 acres, is dedicated for downstream and ancillary industries in the aluminium sector. Pradhan has said that the government has already received many investment proposals for the Aluminium Park in Angul and the project would create around 15,000 job opportunities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MBABANE The country will benefit from the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), and the southern African Customs Union (SACU) for support to the SACU custom modernisation programme . This MoU was signed on January 20, 2020 in London. During the signing, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Paulina Mbala Elago and the Director for Economic Diplomacy at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Lewis. Neal, signed the MoU to support implementation of the ongoing SACU Customs Modernisation Programme. Movement The SACU Regional Customs Modernisation Programme seeks to strengthen collaboration and to enhance administrative efficiencies among customs administrations in the SACU member States of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. The key objective of the programme is to enhance efficiency in order to facilitate the cross border movement of goods while securing borders to curb the scourge of illicit trade, as well as to ensure seamless movement of legitimate trade. The programme is also said to be aiming to promote traders compliance with the national laws and policies. According to a press release by SACU, the programme is further designed to enhance efficiency in the core strategic areas of customs administration, notably information technology systems, strategies, processes and procedures. This entails the development and implementation of the regional customs tools and frameworks to strengthen cooperation and collaboration on connectivity; risk management and enforcement; preferred trader programme; and customs legislative framework, reads in part the press release. Furthermore, it was reported that to date the key regional customs tools and frameworks had been developed. Management These include: model bilateral arrangement to facilitate automatic exchange of information; preferred trader programme engagement strategy; preferred trader programme training manuals on risk management and audit for customs officials; preferred trader programme internal and external manuals to guide customs officials and traders on implementation of the preferred traders programme and the IT connectivity blue print. Also, it includes the IT connectivity utility block your export is my entry; IT connectivity unique consignment reference; regional customs risk management and enforcement strategy and the regional customs compliance management strategy. An initial funding support amounting to E3 003 857.29 (158 690.09) has been committed by the UK for the period from October 2019 to 31 March 2020. The UK has further committed to provide continued support towards the implementation of the SACU Customs Modernisation Programme as well as Trade related support. The funding support for the subsequent year will be based on the activities to be agreed by both Parties. It was said the support from the UK would therefore assist SACU member States to fully implement the above critical regional tools and frameworks. Also, the SACU reported that the ultimate objective was to enhance efficiencies related to cross border movement of goods. Competitiveness It is envisaged that upon full implementation of the SACU Customs Modernisation Programme, the SACU region will benefit from among others, reduced costs, predictability and transparency, improved co-operation and collaboration with various stakeholders, increased competitiveness and sustainable customs reform and modernisation efforts in the region. For the private sector, the benefits that will accrue in the long-term include reduction in the transaction costs associated with border crossings, and enhanced competitiveness of business which encourages new investments. The signing of the MoU was witnessed by the High Commissioner of Botswana and the Representatives of the High Commissioners of Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond leaving the High Court in Edinburgh in November (Andrew Milligan/PA). Former first minister Alex Salmond is set to appear in court later on Wednesday accused of offences against 10 women, including attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults. The procedural hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh follows a previous court appearance in November, when he denied all 14 charges. A trial date has been set for March. Expand Close Alex Salmond leaving the High Court in Edinburgh in November (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alex Salmond leaving the High Court in Edinburgh in November (Andrew Milligan/PA) Salmond is accused of attempting to rape a woman at Bute House, the official residence of the first minister of Scotland, during the independence referendum campaign. Court papers allege he placed her legs over his, repeatedly kissed her face and neck, groped her then blocked her path. He is then alleged to have pinned her against a wall, pulled at her clothes and stripped himself naked before trying to rape her on a bed. The former MP and MSP is also accused of sexually assaulting a woman with intent to rape in December 2013. He is alleged to have forced a woman to lie on his bed at Bute House, lay on top of her, groped her, struggled with her and pulled up her dress with intent to rape her. Both incidents were said to have taken place between the date of the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012 and the day of the independence vote in September 2014. Expand Close Mr Salmond is a former MP and MSP (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Salmond is a former MP and MSP (Jane Barlow/PA) Overall, the charges span from June 29 2008 to November 11 2014 two months after he stepped down as first minister and SNP leader. The first of the charges accuses Salmond, who became first minister in 2007, of indecently assaulting a woman by allegedly kissing her mouth and groping her on various occasions around Glasgow between June 29 and July 24 2008. It is further alleged he sexually assaulted a woman on various occasions between May 2011 and June 2013 at the Scottish Parliament, Bute House and elsewhere by touching her bottom and stroking other parts of her body. He is also accused of taking off a womans shoe and trying to kiss her foot in October 2013. The indictment states that in September 2014, the month of the independence referendum, he grabbed a woman by her shoulders at Bute House, repeatedly kissed her face, tried to kiss her lips and touched her leg and face. Several charges involve Salmond allegedly groping women, including one incident at the Ego nightclub in Edinburgh in December 2010 or 2011 and another at the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant in Glasgow in March 2012. Speaking outside court following the hearing in November, Salmond said he was innocent and vowed to vigorously defend his position. BAGHDAD - U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that sanctions on Iraq were still a possibility in a bilateral meeting with Iraqs president Wednesday, the first since a U.S. drone strike on Iraqi soil killed a top Iranian general, straining Washington-Baghdad ties. Iraqs President Barham Saleh met with Trump on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland amid threats from Iran-backed militia groups promising to exact revenge should he sit down with the American president. It was the first high-level meeting since the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdads airport. The attack provoked the ire of Iraqi officials across the political spectrum and lead to the passing of a non-binding resolution to oust U.S. troops from Iraq. In response, Trump threatened sanctions in Iraq, which would have profound and devastating effects on the countrys economy if realized. Trump said Washington and Baghdad have had a very good relationship and that the two countries had a host of very difficult things to discuss, in remarks to reporters. Asked whether the administration was still considering slapping sanctions on Iraq, Trump said: Well see what happens because we have to do things on our terms. Saleh interjected here, saying the two countries shared common interests including the fight against extremism, regional stability and an independent Iraq. And were also involved with them in their oil business, and thats always been very important from their standpoint and from our standpoint. So we have a lot of very positive things to talk about, said Trump. Asked whether there was a plan for U.S. troops to remain in Iraq, Trump said: Were down to 5,000. So were down to a very low number -- historically low. And well see what happens. There are approximately 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq advising and assisting Iraqi security forces in the fight against the Islamic State group. The bilateral meeting came amid threats from Iraqi militia group Kataeb Hezbollah, backed by Iran, which warned Saleh to avoid meeting Trump or not to return to Baghdad, in statements posted online. The same group threatened lawmakers from voting against the resolution to oust U.S. troops. A march organized by supporters of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in favour of pushing out American troops was set for Friday in Baghdad. It has the backing of both Hadi al-Ameri, head of the parliamentary Fatah bloc, as well as Iran-backed militia leader Qais al-Khazali, the head of Asaib al-Haq. Al-Sadrs party won the largest number of seats in Iraqs 2018 federal election. In statements published on YouTube, Khazali said 2020 is the year of ending the U.S. occupation. ___ Superville reported from Davos, Switzerland. Associated Press writer Qassem Abdul-Zahra contributed from Baghdad. CanAm Enterprises Dubai is a strong market and we are looking forward to helping investors in the region immigrate the United States by offering high-quality projects, said Jeff DeCicco, CEO of CanAm Investor Services. CanAm is excited to announce that Jeff DeCicco, the CEO of its affiliated broker-dealer, CanAm Investor Services, and Ahmed Khan, its Vice President for South Asia and the Middle East, will speak at the 2020 EB-5 & Uglobal Immigration Expo in Dubai. The event is organized by EB-5 Investors Magazine and Uglobal Immigration Magazine. The surging Dubai market will host EB-5 industry professionals and other immigraiton stakeholders on January 25th and 26th, 2020 Mr. DeCicco serves as Chief Executive Officer for CanAms broker-dealer. Mr. DeCicco is a Wall Street veteran with over 20 years of experience in institutional sales and trading. He will be featured on a panel focused on EB-5 project guidance. I am excited to join the 2020 EB-5 & Uglobal Expo, Dubai is a strong market and we are looking forward to helping investors in the region immigrate the United States by offering high-quality projects, commented Mr. DeCicco. Mr. Khan is a licensed US attorney who worked for two of the most prominent EB-5 law firms in the United States before joining CanAm Investor Services. Having filed more than 500 individual EB-5 cases. Mr. Khan will speak on a panel entitled New EB-5 Rules, which will cover major changes that were introduced to the Program on November 21st, 2019. With the recent legislative changes to the EB-5 Program, investors often seek guidance when evaluating EB-5 project options. The expo will bring more clarity to the topic and I am thrilled to take part, added Mr. Khan. The 2020 EB-5 & Uglobal Immigration Expo is a global industry-leading gathering for migration agencies, immigration attorneys, global program representatives, EB-5 service providers, regional centers and project developers from across the world. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5 Program) is administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The EB-5 Program provides qualified foreign investors with the opportunity to earn a conditional, or temporary, two-year green card in return for investing $900,000 in projects located in high unemployment areas that create at least ten permanent full-time jobs for U.S. workers. Prospective investors pursuing permanent residency in the United States are invited to read CanAms EB-5 Program Overview and inquire about the EB-5 Visa options. About CanAm Enterprises With three decades of experience promoting immigration-linked investments in the United States and Canada, CanAm has a long and established track record. Basing its business on a reputation of credibility and trust, CanAm has financed 60 projects and raised nearly $3 billion in EB-5 investments. More than $1.3 billion in EB-5 capital from over 2,600 families has been repaid by CanAms 40 projects to date. CanAm exclusively operates seven USCIS-designated regional centers that are located in the city of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the metropolitan regions of New York & New Jersey, the states of California, Hawaii, Florida, and Texas. For more information, please visit http://www.canamenterprises.com. A woman was left perplexed by an ATM that was placed so high up a wall that a 5ft 10in man struggled to reach it. Reece Robertson, from Dundee, was snapped by his girlfriend Holly Girolami, 24, barely being able to reach the hole in the wall in Arbroath. Sharing the amusing photographs on Twitter on Sunday, Holly's post was quickly inundated with more than 5,000 likes and hundreds of retweets. The positioning of an ATM in Scotland has been mercilessly mocked online for being placed so high up a wall that a 5ft 10in man (pictured) struggled to reach it Sharing the situation on Twitter, Holly Girolami's post was quickly inundated with more than 5,000 likes and hundreds of retweets Alongside the images, Holly wrote: 'Utterly perplexed by this cash machine in Arbroath. Why is it like this, who is this for? Reece looks like a Borrower.' The pair were travelling to meet friends when they came across the ATM - which is thought to have been placed between four to five feet above the pavement. Thankfully, the Royal Bank of Scotland branch has another machine at a slightly lower height - which also has access via a ramp. Commenting on the rather high ATM, one social media user said: 'I'm 5"2 and a few months ago that was the only one working and I had to stand on my bag so I could reach.' Another added: 'Unfair on those who cannot reach the high notes,' while a third individual said: 'I must see this one of a kind tourist attraction.' Social media users were quick to mock the placing of the ATM, while others said they needed to see the 'tourist attraction' Thankfully, the Royal Bank of Scotland branch has another machine at a slightly lower height - which also has access via a ramp Speaking to The Sun, Holly said: 'We were just visiting friends in Arbroath, and we walked past it then went "hold on". 'So Reece went over and tried to use it but it was a wee bit too high for him to read it all clearly, so I took a photo. I struggled to see the screen properly and I'm 5 '4. I doubt it gets used much at all.' An RBS spokesman said: 'We dont want to "come up short" in offering our customers access to cash. 'However, we recognise that in this case its a bit of a stretch and thats why we offer another ATM at a lower height just around the corner.' This cover image released by Berkley shows "How Quickly She Disappears," a novel by Raymond Fleischmann. Read more How Quickly She Disappears By Raymond Fleischmann Berkley. 320 pp. $26 Reviewed by Bruce DeSilva When Elizabeth Pfautz was a child in Pennsylvania, her twin sister was lured away by a stranger, never to be seen again. Years later, in 1941, Elizabeth is raising a daughter who bears a striking resemblance to the missing twin. They live with her husband, a schoolteacher, in a remote Native American village in Alaska. There, Elizabeth dreams of her missing sister every night. Although Elizabeth isnt a woman given to magical thinking, she cant shake the feeling that her sister is trying to make contact through those dreams. As Raymond Fleishmanns debut novel, How Quickly She Disappears, opens, a plane that delivers mail to the village has landed with a stranger in place of the usual pilot. And there is something wrong with the plane. Before the stranger figures out how to fix it, he gets into a dispute with Elizabeths best friend in the village, viciously bludgeons him to death, and refuses to explain why. The only person he will speak with, he tells police, is Elizabeth. Reluctantly, Elizabeth agrees to see him, only to find that he has no interest in talking about the killing. He has a different agenda. Elizabeths twin is alive, he tells her. He knows who took her and where she is now. If she wants to know more, she will have to continue visiting him in jail, each time doing him a single, small favor. What follows is a high-stakes, cat-and-mouse game that will remind readers of the menacing dance between Hannibal Lecter and FBI agent Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. Fleischmann tells his story with such skill that it is hard to believe this is a debut novel. The characters are well-developed and memorable, the rural Alaska setting is vividly portrayed, the plot is loaded with unexpected turns and the unrelenting suspense creates a growing sense of dread. Best of all, the author tells the tale with the musical prose of a literary novelist at the top of his game. DeSilva, winner of the Mystery Writers of Americas Edgar Award, is the author of the Mulligan crime novels including The Dread Line. Karen Khachatryan, nephew of former chairman of the State Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatryan, will be released on bail (nearly AMD 20,000,000) upon a court decision today. This is what Khachatryans attorney Amram Makinyan told reporters today. The National Security Service had filed a motion with the court to extend the Khachatryans term of custody for two months, and Khachatryans attorney had petitioned to release him on bail. This decision comes a little late, but it was the right decision, the attorney said and stressed that there were no grounds to keep Karen Khachatryan in custody. Karen Khachatryan held the office of head of the Internal Security Department of the State Revenue Committee and is charged with squander in particularly large amounts. His uncle, former chairman of the State Revenue Committee and ex-finance minister Gagik Khachatryan, is also charged within the scope of the same criminal case, and the court is currently considering the motion for detention as a pre-trial measure. In the Pacific Northwest, the range expansion of Barred Owls has contributed to a conservation crisis for Northern Spotted Owls, which are being displaced from their old-growth forest habitat. How will this interaction between species play out in the Sierra Nevada, where Barred Owls are just starting to move into the range of the California Spotted Owl? New research published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications suggests that wildlife managers may still be able to head off similar problems in critical areas of the Golden State -- if they act now. The University of Wisconsin's Connor Wood and his colleagues used passive acoustic monitoring to survey Barred Owl populations over two years, deploying audio recorders over an area spanning more than 6,000 square kilometers across two national forests in northern California. Locating owl calls in the audio data allowed them to determine which sites were and were not occupied by owls. They found a 2.6-fold increase in the amount of territory occupied by Barred Owls between 2017 and 2018, and the old forest habitat preferred by Spotted Owls was the most likely to be colonized. Populations of invasive species typically remain at low densities for several generations before growing rapidly. Because intervening to control a potentially damaging invasive species requires many resources, land managers often wait for strong evidence that a species will pose a threat before taking action. But, by the time the "growth phase" has started, it's often too late. Wood and his colleagues believe their results show that the growth phase of the Barred Owl population in the region is just beginning, meaning wildlife managers still have time to act. Only a narrow band of fairly unsuitable habitat connects the existing Pacific Northwest population of Barred Owls to the Sierra Nevada stronghold of California Spotted Owls, and the researchers recommend experimentally removing Barred Owls from the Sierra Nevada side of this pinch point to see if this can prevent them from becoming established further south. "We suggested that managers act according to the Precautionary Principle: when there is a serious threat to human health or the environment, proactive responses are justified even if there is some uncertainty," says Wood. "We feel that experimental Barred Owl removals in the Sierra Nevada are an important step in determining the best long-term management strategy. This is not something that anyone takes lightly, but we feel that it is warranted because of the very real possibility that continued Barred Owl population growth could seriously endanger the California Spotted Owl. By catching this invasion in the early stages, we have a unique but potentially fleeting opportunity to inform policies that could prevent the California Spotted Owl from being driven extinct in the core of its range." ### "A rapid increase of Barred Owls in the Sierra Nevada advises the Precautionary Principle" will be available January 22, 2019, at https://academic.oup.com/condor/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/condor/duz058. About the journal: The Condor: Ornithological Applications is a peer-reviewed, international journal of ornithology, published by the American Ornithological Society. For the past three years, The Condor has had the number one impact factor among 27 ornithology journals. The Associated Press Spains new government declared a national climate emergency on Tuesday, taking a formal first step toward enacting ambitious measures to fight climate change. The declaration approved by the Cabinet says the left-of-centre Socialist government will send to parliament within 100 days its proposed climate legislation. The targets coincide with those of the European Union, including a reduction of net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Spains coalition government wants up to 95 percent of the Mediterranean countrys electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040. The plan also foresees eliminating pollution by buses and trucks and making farming carbon neutral. Details of the plan are to be made public when the proposed legislation is sent to parliament for approval. More than two dozen countries and scores of local and regional authorities have declared a climate emergency in recent years. Scientists say the decade that just ended was by far the hottest ever measured on Earth, capped off by the second-warmest year on record. Also Tuesday, young climate activists including Greta Thunberg told the elites gathered at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland they are not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency and warned them that time was running out. GRM Information Management and Innovative Document Imaging announce partnership. "Were happy to partner with IDI to provide ongoing content management solutions to their clients, and we look forward to working together to cultivate further business development opportunities, says Yossi Harel, Executive Vice President of GRM Information Management. GRM Information Management, a leader in enterprise content management, has partnered with Innovative Document Imaging (IDI), a boutique, white glove document imaging organization. This strategic partnership will allow GRM and IDI to identify and nurture business development opportunities while providing sophisticated cloud storage and content management services to clients. While IDI handles the imaging of all types of files and the digitization and creation of microfilm, they specialize in the imaging of fragile, often historic, documents. Using state-of-the-art technology, IDI converts documents and other files from hard copy to digital format. IDIs client base includes businesses of all sizes and across all industries, with a special focus on pharmaceutical companies. They also service museums, colleges and universities, and libraries including the Library of Congress. Experts in both physical and digital information management solutions, GRMs digital solutions are built around VisualVault, their powerful, cloud-based content services platform. A scalable platform, VisualVault provides a broad set of features and capabilities such as workflow automation with version tracking, editing and e-signature functionality; high-tech security features; iForms (GRMs proprietary intelligent forms technology); and advanced analytics. The partnership between GRM and IDI allows the two companies to leverage each others experience and expertise in order to deliver comprehensive digital solutions for their clients needs. This includes advanced security and information governance and compliance, as well as disaster readiness and recovery services. Through the partnership, IDI can now offer sophisticated cloud storage and ongoing content management capabilities to their clients, housing images in GRMs VisualVault platform and giving clients access to the platforms extensive tools and functionality. IDI has a broad client base that will benefit immensely from our VisualVault platform, says Yossi Harel, Executive Vice President of GRM Information Management. Were happy to partner with IDI to provide ongoing content management solutions to their clients, and we look forward to working together to cultivate further business development opportunities. Were excited to partner with GRM, says Marty Tannenbaum, President of Innovative Document Imaging. This partnership allows us to provide our clients access to exceptional content management capabilities in a secure, compliant interface at all times. -30- About GRM GRM Information Management is a leading provider of information management systems. GRM's robust, cloud-based content services platform serves as the centerpiece of the digital solutions that GRM provides its clients. Serving a diverse base of industries such as healthcare, government, legal, finance and human resources, GRM delivers its clients services such as digital conversion, advanced data capture solutions, document management systems, workflow automation, legacy data archiving, compliance and governance, business process management and advanced analytics capabilities, as well as a full suite of document storage, scanning and physical records management services. GRM maintains offices in 15 major metros across the U.S., including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey/New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. GRM also has facilities in Lima, Peru; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Bogota, Colombia. For more information, visit GRM Information Management. About IDI Innovative Document Imaging is in its 20th year of business and is a world leader in document imaging and document management solutions. Our mission is to supply the best service possible at a reasonable cost for the digital conversion of paper documents, newspapers, maps, books, bound materials, microfilm and microfiche. IDI also handles the digitization and creation of microfilm, and offers audio and video media digitalization services for almost all media formats. IDI travels all over the world for on-site projects and maintains state-of-the-art document conversion facilities in East Brunswick, New Jersey; Shelton, Connecticut; and Leeds, United Kingdom. Press Contact: Mike Aaron GRM Information Management Phone: 201-798-7100 x637 maaron@grmdocument.com Political developments have dominated top pages of the dailies with major focus given on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report which has continued to court controversy. The papers also covered the woes that continue to haunt Deputy William Ruto with the latest being a move by sleuths to reopen his 2004 land fraud case. READ ALSO: MP Junet Mohamed welcomes Tanga Tanga MPs to Mombasa BBI rally Political developments have dominated top pages of the dailies with major focus given on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Emmy Kosgei proudly flaunts gorgeous sisters in delightful Instagram photos 1. The Star The publication's top page looked at the new strategy employed by William Ruto's team to hijack Raila Odinga's team in popularising of the BBI report across the country. Ruto's brigade which has been criticising and threatening to hold parallel meetings to counter the ones led by Raila has now changed the hardline stance and vowed to join the BBI team. READ ALSO: Chelsea vs Arsenal: Gunners yapiku Blues kusajili droo ya 2-2 Stamford Bridge The Star looks at the new scheme by William Ruto allies to counter the BBI team in ongoing countrywide rallies. Photo: UGC Source: UGC Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen led a host of leaders allied to Ruto and promised to join all BBI meetings starting with the one that will be hosted in Mombasa on Saturday, January 25. 2. Daily Nation The daily reported on the new developments in science where researchers have disclosed they are on the verge of discovering the cure for cancer. According to the paper, researchers from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom have discovered a new type of cells which can recognise and kill most types of cancer. The Daily Nation reports on the new developments in science where researchers have disclosed they are on the verge of discovering the cure for cancer. Photo: UGC Source: UGC The T-cell which underwent laboratory tests was found to have the ability to kill lung, breast, kidney, bone, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancers. 3. Taifa Leo The Swahili newspaper made a comparison between President Uhuru Kenyatta and retired president Daniel Moi in dealing with critics and opponents. According to the publication, Uhuru has followed the footsteps of Moi who used to weaken the opposition and fire government officials who went contrary to his agenda. Taifa Leo looks at the comparison between President Uhuru Kenyatta and retired president Daniel Moi in dealing with critics and opponents. Photo: UGC Source: UGC Other strategies that Uhuru is applying that has been likened to the KANU supremo is the use of police to arrest, harass and silence critics. 4. The Standard The publication reviewed the tribulations that continue to haunt Ruto after detectives from Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) embarked on scrutinising a land fraud case pitting the DP against the state. Ruto is alleged to have sold a piece of land to Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) in 2001 but the state challenged the move in court in 2004, arguing the piece of land had been hived from Ngong Forest which is considered state property. The Standard reviews William Ruto's woes after the state reopened his 2004 land fraud case. Photo: UGC Source: UGC The DP was cleared of the charges in 2011 on grounds that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused was a beneficiary of the KSh 272 million proceeds. The sleuths have now revived the case with a view of establishing who exactly benefitted from the proceeds of the sale. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke BEIRUT - Lebanon formed a new government on Tuesday that is controlled exclusively for the first time by Hezbollah and its allies, affirming the Iranian-backed movement's increasingly powerful role in the country and raising new concerns about Lebanon's ability to halt a spiral of economic and political collapse. Protesters who have been demanding a government unaligned with any of the existing political factions called for fresh demonstrations against the new cabinet, which they said failed to meet their demands for substantial change. The dominant role in the government's formation played by the Iranian-allied Hezbollah, which proposed the candidacy of Prime Minister Hassan Diab in December and has pushed forcefully in recent days for his ministers, risks alienating some of Lebanon's traditional Western allies, including the United States, at a time when Lebanon's collapsing economy urgently needs international assistance. The announcement of a cabinet by Diab, a professor at the American University of Beirut, broke three months of political deadlock during which Lebanon had no functioning government and the country continued a slide toward economic and financial collapse. The previous prime minister, the Western-allied Saad al-Hariri, resigned in October in response to massive street protests demanding an overhaul of the country's decades-old system of corrupt, sectarian rule. Supporters of the new government are hoping that Diab, a relative unknown, can win over the protesters and convince foreign donors that he represents a new breed of politician capable of implementing reforms. The chief demand of the protest movement was for a cabinet of technocrats, devoid of political affiliation, who would break the cycle of patronage and corruption that has pushed Lebanon into crisis. Diab promised in a televised address that he would meet the protesters' demands and carry out reforms. "This is a government that represents the aspirations of the demonstrators who have been mobilized nationwide for more than three months," he said. But as the names of the new ministers leaked to the press in the days leading up to announcement it became clear that most, if not all, are proteges of the existing elites. Last-minute haggling among politicians over the final composition of the cabinet played out in the media, in a further indication that this government offers neither a break from the past nor a reason to believe it can unite the dangerously fractured country, analysts said. It is also a government representing only one of the two major blocs in the country's parliament, the one aligned with Hezbollah, meaning that Lebanon now has what people are calling a "one color" government for the first time since Syrian troops withdrew from the country 15 years ago. Though Hezbollah has steadily increased its role in mainstream politics over the past 15 years and has held seats in many previous governments, this is the first time a government has been formed that does not include Western allies, calling into question its ability to win the support needed to secure international aid. Even if the government turns out not to be Hezbollah-controlled, it will be seen as "a Hezbollah-directed government because of the way the prime minister was chosen," said Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. "It's going to be very hard to walk that one down." "It is a government that will have to walk a fine line between providing a protective cover for Hezbollah and being acceptable to the international community," she added. Hezbollah will control just two ministries in the 20-member cabinet, according to analyses of the ministers' allegiances in the Lebanese press, by diplomats and people close to Hezbollah. The lion's share of seats goes to supporters of the group's Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement headed by Gebran Bassil, the outgoing foreign minister and son-in-law of President Michel Aoun. Others are distributed among other Hezbollah allies including the Shiite Amal movement and other smaller parties belonging to the country's Christian and Druze religious groups. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The government's composition also signaled a return to influence in Lebanon for the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad for the first time since Syrian troops were forced to withdraw from Lebanon under pressure from mass protests in April 2005. Several of the parties represented are known for their loyalties to Assad during the nine-year-old Syrian war, and Hezbollah fighters played a key role in ensuring Assad's survival in the face of a nationwide rebellion. Also on Tuesday, the Lebanese authorities freed an American freelance journalist who had been detained two days earlier on suspicion of sending footage of anti-government protests to an Israeli news outlet. Nicholas Frakes, 24, said he is happy to be free and looking forward to "getting back to reporting the news." The Lebanese authorities had accused Frakes of live-streaming footage of violent protests to the Israeli news outlet Haaretz, in violation of Lebanese laws forbidding interaction with Israel, an enemy. Haaretz issued a statement saying it had had no contact with Frakes and had been using footage supplied by the international news agency Reuters. - - - Haidamous reported from Washington. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Forty-seven years ago, the United States Supreme Court handed down the infamous Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion throughout the country. Since then, approximately 60 million babies have died as a result of abortion. The magnitude of this tragedy cannot be overstated. Despite life being an unalienable right, as proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence, millions of innocent human lives have been unjustly extinguished as the result of egregious judicial activism. In recognition of this tragedy, President Donald J. Trump has once again designated January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. Last year, the President marked the occasion by noting the human cost of abortion, saying, We mourn the lives cut short, and the tremendous promise lost, as a result of abortion. As a Nation, we must resolve to protect innocent human life at every stage. This coming Friday, hundreds of thousands of pro-life supporters will gather in Washington, D.C. to take part in the 47th annual March for Life. While they will mourn the millions of Americans who never had a chance to be born, they will also celebrate the pro-life movements growing momentum and many significant public policy accomplishments that protect life. Last year, President Trump addressed the marchers, pledging continued support for the movement. Every child is a sacred gift from God, the President stated. He later vowed to veto any legislation that weakens the protection of human life. In addition to delivering strong public statements in support of life, the Trump administration has taken significant action to protect the unborn and limit abortion. In President Trumps first week in office, he reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, in order to prevent taxpayer funds in all global health programs from going to foreign non-governmental organizations that provide or actively promote abortion. In May 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced a new regulation that prohibits recipients of Title X family planning funding from providing or referring patients for abortions. As a result of the new rule, Planned Parenthood voluntarily withdrew from Title X, effectively defunding itself of $60 million in annual revenue. Other pro-life wins at the federal level include the establishment of the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within HHS, which works to protect healthcare professionals from being forced to violate their consciences by participating in or promoting abortion, for example. In August 2019, this office sent a violation notice to a Vermont hospital for forcing a nurse to participate in an abortion procedure despite her moral objections. Also last summer, the Trump administration issued a policy to limit the use of tissue derived from aborted babies in government-funded research. Perhaps most significantly, the President has kept his promise to appoint only pro-life judges by appointing over 180, including two U.S. Supreme Court Justices. A growing number of states have enacted their own pro-life laws. Legislators in Missouri and Kentucky approved measures that prohibit doctors from performing an abortion on the basis of a Down Syndrome diagnosis. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving a Louisiana law that requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The case will be decided this summer. Pro-life momentum continues to build, as evidenced by two developments just last week. First, the West Virginia House passed a bill that would strengthen the states protections for babies who survive an abortion. The bill passed 93-5. This bipartisan vote is only the most recent evidence that many Democrat state legislators are pro-life. And they arent alone: 77 percent of Americans of both parties believe children born alive during an attempted abortion deserve medical care. Second, over 30 House Republicans marked the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision with moving speeches on the House floor. Led by Rep. Chris Smith, the representatives highlighted the devastating effects of abortion and celebrated the sanctity of all human life. Referring to Fridays march, Rep. Jody Hice explained that the event is a unique event in American culture because participants are marching on behalf of the most vulnerable among us, those who have not yet had the opportunity to take their first breath of life. Abortion is one of the most contentious and sensitive moral and political questions in our country today. Still, there are plenty of reasons for members of the pro-life movement to be optimistic. The additions of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court signal that Roes 47-year reign of death may be approaching its end. Not only that, progress made over the past four decadesincluding advances in ultrasound technology, the survival of premature babies at earlier and earlier ages, and the sacrificial work of hundreds of pregnancy centershas reframed the abortion debate and opened the eyes of millions of Americans to see the personhood of the unborn. As hearts and minds continue to change, it is our prayer that the sanctity of human life would be honored not just on January 22, but every day of the year. Tata Motors has gone on a launch-spree with the facelifted Tiago, Tigor, Nexon and of course, the all-new Altroz. Prices for the 2020 Tata Tiago (which is also BS6-compliant) start at Rs 4.60 lakh for the entry-level XE variant and go up to Rs 6.60 lakh for the range-topping XZA+ variant. The prices are ex-showroom and have gone up by an average of Rs 20,000 from before. With the facelift, Tata Motors has ditched the hatchbacks diesel engine since updating it to BS6 standards would have brought about an unreasonable price hike. Furthermore, the Tata Tiago and Tigor find much lesser takers in their diesel avatar, in comparison to the petrol variants. Hence, Tata Motors has made the right decision and might have disappointed just a few, unless none. Below is the detailed price list of BS6 Tiago. BS6 Price Ex-Sh Tiago XE Rs 4.6 lakh Tiago XT Rs 5.2 lakh Tiago XZ Rs 5.7 lakh Tiago XZ+ Rs 5.99 lakh Tiago XZ+ DT Rs 6.1 lakh Tiago XZA Rs 6.2 lakh Tiago XZA+ Rs 6.6 lakh As you can see, the changes are not limited to the power plant. The 2020 Tata Tiago has undergone a complete aesthetic revamp, especially at the front, which makes it more in line with Tatas Impact 2.0 design philosophy, just like the Tata Altroz. Even though the design looks fresh, the top-end variant does not get projector headlamps as before. On the inside as well, the changes are quite significant. The new flat-bottom steering wheel rests in front of a new digital instrument cluster while the climate control panel takes a new form. There is now a reverse camera park assist on offer too. Coming to the engine compartment, the BS6-compliant 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated three-cylinder Revotron petrol engine makes around 85bhp or 86ps (up by 1ps in comparison to the BS4 model) and 113Nm of torque. Transmission duties are done by the same 5-speed gearbox or its respective AMT unit. As mentioned before, there is no diesel variant any more. In its one and only BS4 format, the 1.05-litre three-cylinder Revotorq unit made 69bhp and 140Nm. The engine came with only a 5-speed manual and was notorious in terms of NVH; a primary reason why it had fewer takers. The new Tiago facelift is available in six colours: Victory Yellow, Flame Red, Pearlescent White, Pure Silver, Daytona Grey and Tectonic Blue, alongside dual-tone choices (blacked-out roof) based on the same. With a customer base of more than 2.5 lakh, the facelifted Tata Tiago is expected to garner even more sales figures for the Indian company and maintain its position as one of the best hatchbacks available from around Rs 5 lakh. The Tata Tiago primarily locks horns with the Hyundai Santro and Maruti Suzuki WagonR. The original Tata Tiago (which was initially called the Zica) is often considered as a gamechanger since it proved to be an instant success for Tata Motors, after ages of being known for the Indica hatchback. Vietnam hopes to sell locally-made 5G equipment to the U.S. as it prepares commercial launch of the telecom technology this year. Information and Communications Minister Nguyen Manh Hung proposed to a delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives Monday that they initiate discussions of 5G technical standards to see if made-in-Vietnam equipment could enter the U.S. market. Vietnam plans to commence commercial operations of 5G this year, becoming among the first countries in ASEAN to do so, he said. The minister had set the stage for launching the new telecommunications technology by making the first 5G phone call on January 17, using equipment manufactured by Vietnamese telecom giant Viettel. The military-run Viettel is set to become the sixth firm in the world to launch its own 5G equipment after Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Samsung and ZTE. Viettel plans to commercially launch 5G services this June. It has been testing and installing equipment since last year. Hung, a former Viettel CEO, has been pushing 5G research in Vietnam since taking over as communications minister towards the end of 2018. He asked local firms to produce their own equipment so that Vietnam is among the first countries in the world to launch the 5G technology. The number of 5G subscriptions in Vietnam could hit 6.3 million by 2025 or 6 percent of total mobile subscriptions, technology conglomerate Cisco has forecast. In ASEAN, Singapore is expected to lead the way in launching 5G in 2020, followed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, according to U.S. consulting firm AT Kearney. 5G is said to offer speeds 100 times faster than 4G and support new applications like remote medical procedures and autonomous driving. An Iranian lawmaker for Kerman, the hometown of assassinated General Qassem Soleimani has offered to pay $3 million to anyone who kills US President Donald Trump who ordered early this month elimination of the Iranian top army commander. On behalf of the people of Kerman province, we will pay a $3 million reward in cash to whoever kills Trump, Ahmad Hamzeh said, according to ISNA news agency. It is unclear if the parliament and the authorities have provided backing for the offer. The bounty comes following the popular funerals in the province and in capital Teheran of the Iranian military commander slain in a US airstrike early this month, at Baghdad airport after he arrived from Syria in the Iraq capital. The Trump administration accused the General of targeting American interests. Robert Wood, the US disarmament ambassador branded the reward ridiculous. Hamzeh also urged the Islamic Republic to acquire nuclear weapons. If we had nuclear weapons today, we would be protected from threats We should put the production of long-range missiles capable of carrying unconventional warheads on our agenda. This is our natural right, he said according to Reuters. Following Soleimanis assassination, Iran vowed to scarp all limits on its uranium enrichment work, which could lead to the production of nuclear arsenal. The Islamic Republic signed in 2015 a nuclear deal with world powers. The agreement prevents Teheran from acquiring nuclear capability in return for gradual lifting of international economic sanctions. President Trump in 2018 pulled the US out of the deal claiming it was full of flaws and demanding a review of terms. (ANSA) - Padua, January 22 - Finance police in Padua on Wednesday seized 10 tons of pork illegally imported from China to the European Union that was potentially contaminated with African swine fever. Local health authorities said the meat could be extremely dangerous so they decided not to analyze it, ordering its immediate incineration. Finance police found the meat in a food depot in Padua. The pork had been transported by truck from the Netherlands after being shipped from China to the port of Rotterdam, officials said. China has lost millions of pigs in outbreaks of the disease. Italy has taken sweeping measures against swine flu in recent years. By Abdul Kerimkhanov The Armenian leadership is artificially settling Armenians in Azerbaijans occupied Lachin region. While 50 houses were put into operation in the village, another 100 houses are under construction in the new village, built on the ruins of occupied Azerbaijani village of Zabux, which was destroyed during the battles for Lachin. The name of the village has been replaced with Armenian name Agavno. Playgrounds and schools are also planned to be put into operation in the village. The idea of establishing the village of Agavno belongs to Lebanese Armenians and the financial costs of the construction were covered by the Ari Foundation. Andranik Cavusyan, who moved from Lebanon to Lachin in 2011, will head the village. Note that Zabukh village of Lachin region is located on the border with Armenia's Gorus region. Thus, Yerevan misrepresents the national structure of the region in its favor. Following the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which resulted in occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, Yerevan tried to artificially shift the demographic structure in these territories. To this end, the process of the illegal resettlement of Armenians in the occupied territories was started, which continues today. From the middle of the 1990s to 2012, about 27,000 Armenians were illegally resettled to the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas. Levon Zurabyan, Advisor to the President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan stated that in 1998, over 15,000 Armenians were resettled to the territory of occupied Lachin. In 2005, the OSCE fact-finding mission confirmed the illegal settlement of the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The mission revealed that the number of Armenians settled in the occupied territories exceeds 17,000. The same report of the OSCE fact-finding mission indicated that 8,000-11,000 Armenians were settled just in the Lachin region. In 2010, some 199 Armenian families (616 people) were resettled in Lachin, while in the first half of 2011, 50 more families were resettled, and by the end of 2011, the number of resettled families was increased to 300. In April 2012, Armenian media reported that over 600 Armenian families had been resettled to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Since the beginning of the war in Syria (2011), official Yerevan has resettled over 20,000 Syrian Armenians in Armenia, some of which were resettled in Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. At the International Conference on the Victims of Ethnic and Religious Violence in the Middle East on 14 May 2018, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov said that hundreds of Syrian-Armenians have been settled in these territories of Azerbaijan. There are continuous attempts to exploit suffering of refugees from the Middle East in some ulterior interests under the pretext of making contribution to overcoming of the refugee crisis. Since the deterioration of the situation in Syria, Armenia has been encouraging Syrian-Armenians to settle in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, he stated. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A plot against Trump or American democracy at work? Conservatives glued to Fox and liberals tuned to MSNBC, America's most watched cable networks, are getting radically different takes on the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. "A political hit job," "a partisan smear campaign," "a dirty trick from beginning to end" -- from the start of his opening monologue Tuesday evening, Fox News' Sean Hannity hurled thunderbolt after thunderbolt at the proceedings in the US Senate. Since the 2016 presidential campaign, Fox has, with rare exceptions, aligned itself with Trump, accusing his Democratic opponents and the mainstream media of being out to get him under any pretext. For Hannity, Fox News's biggest star, the impeachment trial that got under way Tuesday is the culmination of "a never-ending series of attacks and allegations" that that the president has endured for the past three years. The Democrats "have been calling for impeachment two days after the president was elected," he said. Tucker Carlson, the other superstar at the Rupert Murdoch-founded news network, insisted the campaign against Trump has never been about protecting the nation's institutions. The point of impeachment is "to stall the president's policy agenda. That was the point of the Russia hoax as well," he said Special counsel Robert Mueller concluded after an 18-month-long probe there was insufficient evidence that Trump's campaign colluded with a covert Russian effort to sway the 2016 election. Mueller, however, raised instances of obstruction of justice by the president that echo the current impeachment charges alleging he pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival, Joe Biden. Over the past three years, MSNBC has emerged as the counterpoint to Fox News. Though more sober in tone, its guests on Tuesday depicted the historic day that unfolded in the Senate in entirely different colours. Former Democratic senator Claire McCaskill declared that the Democratic team making the House's case of abuse of power and obstruction of justice against Trump had "presented compelling evidence." "The Democrats were very effective in bringing evidence forward today," agreed commentator Michael Steele, a moderate stand-in for the Republican viewpoint. "The cable news landscape does largely reflect the political polarization being faced in America today, as these news outlets try to lock down their most loyal viewers," said Jeff McCall, communications professor at DePauw University in Indiana. Kathryn Cramer Brownell, an expert on media and at Purdue University, says the media's partisanship has hardened since the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998 when Fox News was a fledgling cable channel. "All of this has been building over the past few decades and really you see an intensifying of the partisan landscapes and the way people are reacting to the news," she said. Judging from the size of the audiences, the public likes watching television personalities push political positions to extremes. Hannity regularly draws four million viewers, up from an average 3.3 million last year. MSNBC'S ratings queen, Rachel Maddow, who goes up against her Fox News rival for an hour every evening between 9 and 10 pm, also has broken through the four million viewer threshold several times in January, nearly triple her average audience in 2016. CNN, which presents itself as the more balanced network, has lagged behind since Trump's election, with half the viewership of MSNBC and a third of Fox News's. "CNN is squarely in the Trump-resistance lane of media, but just doing a clumsy job of it," and thus unable to attract independents or political moderates, said McCall. How much influence this partisan approach to information will have on voters is unclear. "It's a minority of Americans that are watching cable news, of course, but especially with Fox News, the people who are watching are notably the Republican establishment," said Cramer Brownell. Shaping Republican discourse and agenda "has definitely intensified the power of Fox News," she said. McCall concurred that the agenda-setting power of cable news "is, indeed, broad." "I am not convinced, however, that cable news coverage will have a particular impact on the impeachment process, other than to confirm viewers' predispositions," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CDC Confirms First US Case of Deadly Coronavirus Sputnik News 21:42 21.01.2020(updated 00:35 22.01.2020) Multiple countries have issued precautionary guidelines to try to prevent the spread of a new deadly virus, known as the 'Wuhan coronavirus', which has left six people dead in China and 227 more in hospital under medical supervision. Cases have already been reported in close to half a dozen other countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the first US case of Wuhan coronavirus has been diagnosed. A CDC spokesperson told Reuters that the diagnosis was made in Seattle, Washington on the US Pacific coast. The unidentified infected individual was described as a traveler from China. Later, the CDC said it planned to expand airport screening to airports in Atlanta and Chicago this week. The CDC said it so far screened more than 1,200 travelers for the coronavirus. The CDC also said it expects more cases of the coronavirus. Wuhan coronavirus, also known as Novel coronavirus, and denoted as 2019-nCoV by the World Health Organization, was first reported in China in late 2019, and has since spread to other Chinese cities, as well as Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the island of Taiwan. The new virus belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people worldwide during a 2002-2003 outbreak, which also began in China. It has claimed six lives in Wuhan, with 258 confirmed cases confirmed in its place of origin. 51 patients remain in serious condition, and 12 are in critical condition in that Chinese city. Beijing sounded the alarm on the new virus on New Year's Eve, when dozens of residents of Wuhan were hospitalized with what was then believed to be an a atypical form of pneumonia. The first Chinese victim of 2019-nCoV was reported on January 11. Multiple countries have issued travel advisories in a bid to stop the virus's spread, and travelers have been advised to follow good hygiene practices, avoid contact with sick individuals, wash their hands regularly and avoid traveling to farms and animal markets. The CDC began screening for Wuhan coronavirus last Friday, saying the screenings would affect travelers from Wuhan at the airports of San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. The World Health Organization called an emergency meeting to discuss the new virus on Monday. Also Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the health emergency, stressing that resolute measures should be taken to ensure that the virus is contained. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington: The lead Democratic prosecutor accused President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial in the US Senate on Wednesday of setting up a corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine to help him win re-election this coming November. In the opening argument for the prosecution, Representative Adam Schiff said Trump had pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son on unsubstantiated corruption charges. "President Trump solicited foreign interference in our democratic elections, abusing the power of his office to seek help from abroad to improve his re-election prospects at home," Schiff said, laying out the basic Democratic argument for why Trump should be found guilty and removed from office. "To implement this corrupt scheme President Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations into two discredited allegations that would benefit President Trump's 2020 presidential campaign," Schiff said. (Carlisle, Pa.) - Researchers from Dickinson College and the U.S. Geological Survey collaborated on field research to understand the ability of human searchers to detect the invasive brown treesnake (BTS) on the island of Guam. Due to their nocturnal and tree-dwelling habits, these snakes are extremely difficult to detect, especially when they are present at low densities in an area. A new study published in the January issue of Ecosphere helps explain why and provides valuable information on optimizing search methods and search locations that could be valuable if the BTS was accidentally introduced to a snake-free island. In a study partially funded by the U.S. Navy, a team of researchers led by Scott Boback, associate professor of biology at Dickinson College, determined the precise location of snakes using radio telemetry in a 55-hectare forest on Guam, while a team of USGS scientists led by Robert Reed performed visual surveys at the same site. Boback and Reed say the synchronized combination of those techniques revealed where and how visual surveyors failed to detect some snakes. Because this study was performed on a low-density population after intensive snake control efforts, results provide rapid response teams with tools to improve detection during early invasions on nearby islands. "By having a team perform independent visual surveys at the same time that another team was locating radio-tagged snakes, we were able to conclude that low detection rates are primarily due to snake behavior rather than searcher ability," Reed said. "Our findings about when and where snakes are detectable can then be used to target them more precisely during survey efforts." Guam is a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean approximately 4,000 miles west of the Hawaiian Islands. Since arriving on the island accidentally around the time of World War II, the BTS has caused ecological devastation: it has contributed to the loss of 12 of 13 native forest bird species as well as several lizard and bat species. The snake has also caused millions of dollars of infrastructure damage due to electrical outages and has resulted in hospitalization of numerous infants due to snakebite. According to Boback, research that improves detection and rapid response measures is key to preventing "Guam 2.0"--or the arrival of the BTS on nearby, snake-free islands. "What would happen if brown treesnakes got transported to nearby, snake-free islands is the nightmare no one wants to talk about," said Boback. "Prevention is the goal, but the spread of the BTS is an event for which preparedness and rapid response are critical." Boback said the nearly certain "catastrophic cascading effect" of ecological imbalance caused by BTS arriving on nearby islands would include biodiversity loss, increased insect populations and economic loss from ecotourism. The 500-pound statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower, flanked by four paratroopers, was lowered into its place on the D.C. Mall this past Saturday following funding challenges and design criticisms, including those levied by the generals own granddaughter. Created by hand from sculptor Sergey Eylanbekov in Pietrasanta, Italy, the clay and molten bronze statues were shipped to Norfolk, Virginia, and then to D.C. this past month. The scene famed architect Frank Gehry chose to depict is an iconic one: General Eisenhower speaking to soldiers with the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne division on the eve of the Normandy invasion. The paratroopers, faces blackened for battle, stare raptly at their commander. In a video on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial page, Eylanbekov describes how he didnt want to make any particular person. That it was about soldiers and a great general doing something very fundamental for the future, for freedom. What captured me reading about this [was] that he had this certain warmth and humanity in him, Eylanbekov observes. And this was the thing that was indispensable, because he was not just a leader. He had this human characteristic and I imagine thats exactly what would be the best for the soldiers. Many of them were to die in a very short period of time. According to the memorial website, behind the Ike statue a transparent stainless-steel woven tapestry frames the entire memorial within its urban context and portrays an abstract artistic depiction of the cliffs of the Normandy coastline in peacetime. The imposing cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc were chosen, Gehry says, because that was the point where Ike started to save the world. For Gehry, designing the memorial wasnt something that he was initially interested in. However, after reading about Eisenhowers depth of commitment to the country, he became a model of what we should all be I just said, Ive got to do this. I need to do this. The job took on a new meaning for him after Gehry discovered that as a young enlisted soldier in the 1950s he had served in the 3rd Infantry Division, which Eisenhower had served in during his climb up the ranks. The planning however, would stall for almost a decade. The memorial, authorized by Congress in 1999, has had to overcome numerous budgeting hurdles the Taiwanese government even pledged $1 million and complaints from Eisenhowers own family, among others. The generals granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, compared Gehrys proposal to Communist-era figurines that honored Marx, Engels, and Lenin; there was further mention of Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong; and, the Washington Post reports, Susan argued that Holocaust survivors were affronted by the similarity of the tapestries to the fences of Adolf Hitlers death camps. Bruce Cole, former chairman of the national Endowment for the Humanities, too was critical of the Gehry design saying, A great monument is an exclamation point, not a question mark. A young person coming to the Frank Gehry memorial will be bewildered by a forest of eight-story columns and a blizzard of tapestries. Since 2012, the design has been altered and revised before its final approval and 2017 ceremonial groundbreaking. The memorial will include three different scenes depicting Eisenhower as a child, a general, and later as the 34th U.S. president. Those tableaus will be added to the memorial in the coming weeks. For those attached to the project, honoring the famed general and statesman was a privilege. My goal was to use every bit of skill and every bit of my soul to make something meaningful for the people, Eylanbekov said in the video. Im an immigrant [from Russia]. Im a citizen of the U.S. I feel very honored and inspired to have sculpted this monument. The memorial was set to be dedicated on May 8, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe but due to coronavirus concerns it was unveiled on September 18. In brief: Microsoft's foray into the cloud gaming market, Project xCloud, is making steady progress. The platform, which will let users access a wide variety of Xbox and PC games from the comfort of their laptop, tablet, smartphone, or PC, is set to arrive sometime this year. In the meantime, though, the program's invite-only preview is expanding to additional markets. The preview, which kicked off in October, will soon be available to Canada-based players, Microsoft announced today. Canadian sign-ups begin now, but access won't be granted until January 29. We should note, however, that a sign-up doesn't guarantee access. Instead, it adds you to a wider pool of applicants, which Microsoft will choose from based on whatever behind-the-scenes criteria they deem important. There aren't many requirements to access the service once you're accepted, but you do need a Bluetooth-compatible Xbox Wireless Controller, an up-to-date Android mobile device, and a decent internet connection (data, Wi-Fi, or otherwise). Your connection must support download and upload speeds of at least 10MB/s and 4.75MB/s, respectively. The xCloud preview currently allows testers to play more than 50 games (more than Stadia's 42) at no cost, including the likes of Gears 5, Devil May Cry 5, Civilization VI, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, and plenty of others. To be clear, this preview is not the same thing as Microsoft's Xbox Console Streaming platform. Both services use the same app for setup and management, but they are otherwise different offerings. Console Streaming lets you stream games from your Xbox One to your Android phone, whereas xCloud requires no extra hardware (other than your smartphone). At any rate, the sign-up process is very simple. Microsoft will ask you if you have, or are willing to buy a Bluetooth-enabled gamepad, and it will ask you for the make and model of your Android smartphone. After that, it's just a matter of waiting for your invite, which can take up to a couple months to arrive (though we suspect those who sign-up early will get in earlier than that). Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) invited expressions of interest (EOI) for the development of a new independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) in Madinah. The Madinah 3 ISTP will have a total treatment capacity of 375,000 cu m/day. The project is part of the government's programme to commission a further round of new ISTPs. SWPC will conduct a competitive process to select a developer or developer consortium for the development, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, implementation, ownership, operation, maintenance and transfer of the project, together with associated infrastructure and facilities. Under a 25-year sewage treatment agreement (STA) with SWPC, a project company is to be incorporated to develop the project and it will treat the entire sewage capacity supplied by SWPC. SWPCs obligations under the STA will be supported by a credit support agreement from the Government of Saudi Arabia. SWPC urged interested parties to express their intention to participate in the tender process by February 4. They should submit their EOI in electronic copy in PDF format to: Khaled bin Zwaid AlQureshi, CEO, Saudi Water Partnership Company, Floor 19, Moon Tower, King Fahad Road, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia. Email address: [email protected] The EOI should specify the following information: Name of the interested party; headquarters location (country); name and contact details (postal address, telephone number, and e-mail address) for the appropriate point of contact to whom all future correspondence will be addressed; and where the interested party is considering potential consortium partners, an indication of such intention and details of potential consortium partners (to the extent it is known). SWPC is being advised by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (DIFC Branch Dubai) as lead and financial adviser; DLA Piper as legal adviser; and WS Atkins & Partners Overseas Engineering Consultants as technical adviser. - TradeArabia News Service Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian values consider all religions equal, and that is why the country is secular and never became a theocratic state like Pakistan. Speaking at the NCC Republic Day Camp in Delhi, Singh said: "We (India) said we would not discriminate among religions. Why did we do that? Our neighbouring country has declared that their state has a religion. They have declared themselves a theocratic state. We didn't declare so." "Even America is a theocratic country. India is not a theocratic country. Why? Because our saints and seers did not just consider the people living within our borders as part of the family, but called everyone living in the world as one family," the minister said. Singh underlined that India had never declared its religion would be Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist and people of all religions could live here. "They gave the slogan of 'Vasudev Kutumbakam' -- the whole world is one family. This message has gone to the whole world from here only," he added. [January 22, 2020] FireMon Appoints Industry Veteran Andrew Warren as Vice President of Global Channel Sales FireMon has announced the latest addition to its innovative leadership team, Andrew Warren, as vice president of global channel sales. As a leading network security policy management company, FireMon improves visibility and control over cloud and hybrid infrastructures to reduce risks for businesses around the world. "Andrew's breadth of sales leadership experience and business development achievements in the security industry over the last decade make him a perfect fit to lead our channel sales team," said Satin Mirchandani, CEO of FireMon. "We look forward to building on our strong channel relationships around the world to help more customers gain the network security and policy automation solutions they need to protect and fuel their business growth." FireMon's self-serve program for partners has been named a 5-Star Vendor in CRN's Partner Program Guide multiple times. In his role, Warren will lead FireMon's record-breaking channel sales team across the globe to drive strong enterprise and customer value. He will help to advance FireMon's investment in growth and enable more businesses to improve their cloud and network security as they increasingly embark on digital transformation initiatives. "This is a pivotal time for enterprises. By providing the right technology at the right time, FireMon is uniquely positioned to help customers moving to the cloud secure their hybrid environments despite a shortage of qualified workers," said Andrew Warren, vice president of global channel sales at FireMon. "Automation is increasingly becoming a key component for success across the industry to combat the skills shortage and reduce manual errors. I look forward to helping our customers meet even the most complex security needs." Prior to FireMon, Warren helped accelerate growth in North America or Westcon-Comstor (News - Alert) Americas, a division of SYNNEX Corporation, where he led sales and vendor teams as an executive vice president. He has 15 years of security industry experience with a focus on leading sales teams and business development initiatives, alongside a decade of other technology sales experience. Warren earned his degree in business administration and marketing from Colorado State University and holds several specialized enterprise sales training credentials. As FireMon continues to expand across the globe, the company remains focused on delivering high-performing network security solutions to current and future customers as complexity increases. By bringing on Warren, the organization can both promise results and meet enterprise security needs. To learn more about FireMon, visit www.firemon.com. About FireMon FireMon is the #1 security policy management solution for hybrid cloud enterprises. FireMon delivers persistent network security for multi-cloud environments through a powerful fusion of real-time asset visibility, compliance and automation. Since creating the first-ever network security policy management solution, FireMon has delivered command and control over complex network security infrastructures for more than 1,700 customers located in nearly 70 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.firemon.com. FireMon is on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005176/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] CAIRO - Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan started U.S.-monitored talks on Wednesday in the Sudanese capital to try hammer out a draft deal to resolve their dispute over a Nile dam that Ethiopia is constructing, an Egyptian spokesman said. The $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile, which promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopias 100 million people, has been a contentious point among the three main Nile Basin countries. The issue is critical for Cairo as Egypt seeks to protect its main source of freshwater for its large and growing population, also about 100 million. The Blue Nile flows from Ethiopia into Sudan where it joins the White Nile near Khartoum, to form the Nile River. Eighty-five per cent of Nile waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile, which is one of the Niles two main tributaries, along with the White Nile. According to Muhamed el-Sebai, a spokesman for Egypts irrigation ministry, technical and legal teams from the three countries are to prepare a draft deal on how the dams reservoir would be filled and how the dam itself would operate. The meeting in Khartoum would last two days, he said. There was no immediate indication on whether it would succeed after several previous rounds of talks failed. But at the talks in Washington last week, the three countries said they had reached a preliminary agreement. And President Donald Trump met with the foreign ministers and those in charge of irrigation from the three countries at the White House, to push for the deal. The U.S. and World Bank are acting as observers at the Khartoum talks after Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi last year pleaded with Washington and the international community to mediate a solution for the years-long dispute. Egypt claims that filling the dams reservoir too quickly could significantly reduce its share of the Nile water, which is a lifeline for its people. A joint statement after the Washington meeting said the filling should occur in stages during the rainy season, which generally runs from July to August, thought it did not give details on how long it would take to be completed. Another two-day meeting in Washington is planned for next week, with the goal of reaching a final agreement. The mega-dam, now about 70% complete, will generate about 6,400 megawatts once its finished, more than doubling Ethiopias current production of 4,000 megawatts. Ethiopia said the dam will not be completed until 2022, more than four years behind schedule, because of faulty parts in the hydro-electrical plants equipment. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the next weeks meeting will take place in Washington, not Khartoum. A Butlin's employee has been suspended after paedophile hunters claimed he had sent messages of a sexual nature to someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Hunters tracked down the man on Monday 20 January at the Butlin's Skegness resort in Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire. Police arrested and then later released him on bail pending further enquiries, but video footage posted online shows the hunters confronting him at his place of work. The footage shows that after talking to members of the team who went to confront him, the man was taken outside and spoken to by officers from Lincolnshire Police. The man had been wearing his Butlin's uniform when he was confronted by paedophile hunters in Skegness Police officers attended the scene and arrested the man. He was later released on bail, pending further enquiries The staff member was then arrested. Team members ended the stream by saying they were passing evidence on to the police to assist with their enquiries. Butlin's confirmed it is assisting police with their enquiries and has suspended the man until further notice. A Butlin's spokesman said: 'We are aware of social media content relating to one of our team members. Butlin's Skegness is pictured above. It is a popular family holiday destination in Skegness 'This person was suspended and we are now providing full assistance to the police. 'As the investigation is ongoing, we will not comment further.' Butlin's Skegness is an extremely popular family holiday destination that welcomes thousands of visitors every single year. A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: 'We arrested a Skegness man yesterday [January 19] on suspicion of a sexual offence. 'He has been released on bail pending enquiries.' New Delhi, Jan 22 : State-owned Oil India Ltd (OIL), the country's second-largest public sector oil and gas producer, has filed a clarificatory/modificatory petition in the Supreme Court on its earlier order which has expanded the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for telecom companies to include non-core operations of any company having a telecom-related licence. With this, OIL has become the first PSU to file review petition against the AGR order. Several other non-telecom players such as GAIL, Power Grid Corporation, and Railtel have also been sent notices by the Department of Telecom for recovery of dues calculated on the basis of their aggregate revenue. Based on the SC order, the DoT has issued demand notices to OIL seeking payment of licence fee on total reported revenue including revenue from sale of crude oil and natural gas which stands at Rs 48,500 crore. On Wednesday, Oil India said: "Till date, OIL has received demand notices for the period from FY 2007-08 to FY 2018-19 amounting to over Rs 48,000 crore including licence fee, penalties and interest. OIL has taken up this matter with Department of Telecom & Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas along with other affected CPSEs and explained the non-applicability of interpretation of AGR to Non Telecom Companies. OIL on Wednesday itself filed a petition for clarification/modification before the Supreme Court against its order and "next course of action will be based on the outcome of the petition". OIL had obtained a National Long Distance Service Licence (NLD Licence) to establish Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA System) for control, management and protection of OIL's pipeline network used for transportation of crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products. The NLD license is predominantly used for SCADA system and only the spare bandwidth capacity is leased-out to other telecom operators, it said. As per the license terms, license fee is to be paid on Gross Total Revenue from services provided under the NLD license. Since the award of NLD licence, the cumulative revenue of Rs 1.47 crore is earned by OIL from leasing of spare bandwidth capacity on which all applicable licence fee and other statutory dues as per license terms has been paid by OIL regularly, the oil producer said. However, based on the recent Supreme Court judgement on dispute raised by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), "whereby, Hon'ble Supreme Court decided that entire revenue of Licensee should be considered for determining AGR, Department of Telecommunications has issued demand notices to OIL also seeking payment of licence fee on total reported revenue including revenue from sale of crude oil, natural gas, which neither relate to the NLD licence nor can be treated as supplementary/value added services related to the NLD licence", it said. The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), but indicated that the matter would be referred to a Constitution bench. The court, which issued notice to the central government on December 18 last year, gave it four more weeks to respond, after a request by Attorney general KK Venugopal. Venugopal pointed out that there were only 60 petitions when the case was first heard on December 18 but at least 144 petitions have been filed as on Wednesday and copies of the fresh petitions had not been supplied to the central government yet. All the petitions were listed for hearing on Wednesday. One of the petitions was a transfer plea by the central government seeking the transfer of all petitions pending in various high courts to the Supreme Court. The law, passed by the Lok Sabha on December 9, the Rajya Sabha on December 11, and notified on January 10, fast-tracks Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from six religions who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and comprising justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna expressed its inclination to refer the matter to a Constitution bench while making it clear that it will not pass any orders either way now. No order was passed to this effect; usually the Chief Justice of India sets up a Constitution Bench after there is a judicial order seeking the creation of one. In this case, the earliest such an order can come, under normal circumstances, is the next time the case is heard, towards the end of February. The bench also segregated petitions from Assam and Tripura. Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal has been asked to submit a list of petitions from Assam and Tripura to the court. While the law has been challenged on various counts, the issues in these two states are not the same as in the rest of the country. Both states have a history of protests against outsiders who compete with indigenous people for land, other resources, and jobs. Pradyot Debbarman, one of the petitioners from Tripura, welcomed this order. We are glad that our issues were not hijacked as has been on previous occasions. Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said: The matter is very serious and the Centre is yet to react. For the people of Assam, it is an important matter. Why hasnt the government responded? Agitation has been going on for so long in every nook and corner but the government does not want to listen to anyone. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioners, told the court that the case should be heard by a Constitution Bench and asked for deferring the operation of CAA and the updation of the National Population Register (NPR) . The updation of the NPR is scheduled to commence from April 1. This is widely seen as a step towards a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC), although the government has denied that the NPR is connected to the NRC. It has also clarified that there are no plans for a nationwide NRC. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the central government, vehemently opposed the prayer made by Sibal and claimed that no stay should be granted without hearing the central government. Sibal reasoned that he was not asking for a stay but only praying for a postponement of the process of implementation, but the AG countered that this was effectively a stay. Senior advocates KV Viswanathan and Shyam Divan, representing the petitioners, also pressed for interim relief. Viswanathan too told the court that delaying the process of implementation is not the same as a stay. He submitted that people could be disenfranchised if not included in the NPR. This is not the concern of minority but also majority, said Viswanathan. Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi also raised the same concern. If the process could wait for 70 years, can it not wait for two more months? asked Singhvi, pressing for a stay. The bench, however, did not grant any interim relief, and remarked that all the issues including prayers for interim relief would be considered by a Constitution bench. The bench also ordered that high courts in the country should desist from taking up cases challenging the CAA. The CAA amends Section 2 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which defines illegal migrants, by adding a proviso to Section 2 (1)(b). As per this new proviso, any person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, and who have been exempted by the Central Government under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or the Foreigners Act, 1946, shall not be treated as illegal migrant. Consequently, such persons shall be eligible to apply for citizenship under the 1955 Act. However, the Muslim community did not find a place in the proviso thereby excluding Muslim illegal migrants from availing the opportunity to apply for Indian citizenship. The petitioners challenging the law have submitted that the CAA discriminates on the basis of religion by segregating persons and granting them the benefit of applying for citizenship if they belong to a certain religion, in this case Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who are from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Such segregation based on religion, they argued, is without any reasonable differentiation and it violates right to equality under Article 14 of the Constitution. The petitioners include the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. LONG BEACH, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 350 charter and private school students will perform in a student showcase on the beautiful Queen Mary on Wednesday, Jan. 29 beginning at 10:30 a.m. This special event will celebrate school choice options available for children and families across the State of California. The showcase is one of California's largest National School Choice Week events and will feature remarks by State Senator Gloria Romero, students, teachers, and supporters. Attendees will also enjoy musical and artistic performances from talented students at this fun, energetic celebration. The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach. This event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "School Choice can give students and their families a choice that best fits their needs," said Melissa Pasillas, summer school coordinator at Damien High School. "Education should never be a one-size-fits all approach, and allowing students the opportunity to find where they fit and what works best for them is imperative. Students need to feel as though they have an active role in their education, and school choice will allow them to feel that they have ownership in the educational environment." As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/california. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com Digging begins in search for missing S. Korea, Nepal trekkers Kathmandu, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 Rescuers in Nepal began digging through snow on Wednesday as they searched for the bodies of four South Korean trekkers and three locals swept away by an avalanche in the Himalayas, officials said. The trekkers were descending near the Annapurna base camp in Nepal around 3,230 metres (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck on Friday after heavy snowfall. The search team of nine Nepal Army specialists, several South Korean personnel and locals dug into marked areas where signals from various tracking devices have been recorded from early Wednesday. "The Nepal Army rescue team dug about five metres deep in the area where it was assumed that Korean tourists might be buried, but nothing was found," the military said in a statement on Wednesday. Relatives of the missing Koreans have arrived in Nepal. "They wish to get progress in the rescue activities," South Korean ambassador Park Young-sik told reporters on Tuesday. Heavy snowfall has hampered the search, with officials stating that some snow could thaw in two weeks if the weather is sunny. But it could take up to a month for most of it to melt. Six of the missing were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group. The four foreigners -- two men and two women -- were part of an 11-member team of South Korean nationals. Others have safely descended. Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in Nepal. Thousands of trekkers visit Nepal every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas and routes lined with picturesque villages. The Annapurna region is particularly popular among tourists, with 172,720 visiting the area in 2018. A snowstorm killed about 40 people on the Annapurna circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit Nepal. WINCHESTER The city is packing up boxes and preparing to move into its new city hall. The move is expected to happen within the next couple of weeks with a grand opening for the new space planned for sometime in the next two months. Winchester bought a former bank and an adjacent building in August with the intention of converting the buildings into a new city hall. The new office space will give the city council more room, offers more parking spots and is more centrally located in the citys square. Officials also hope its proximity to other businesses will encourage residents to shop locally whenever they need to visit city hall. The bank building also has historical significance to Winchester residents it previously was owned by a family that still lives in the city. Winchester Mayor Rex McIntyre said some electrical work, including removing indoor meters, still was being done earlier this week to meet requirements set by Ameren, the citys power supplier. It was expected to be done by today, McIntyre said. The city also is painting the front foyer, which McIntyre expects to be finished by the end of the week. Computer and telephone lines also have been installed. Winchester Police Department will stay at the old city hall but move to the front of the building, where the city clerks office is now. Some equipment the police need such as a generator and an antenna for emergency use would be too costly to move, McIntyre said. Winchester Fire Department will take the city councils chambers in the old building. McIntyre estimates that the city spent around $35,000 getting the new city hall ready. The city is applying for a grant to pay for new windows, awning repairs and lighting repairs. New sidewalks will be built in front of the building when the weather is nicer, McIntyre said. When the weather gets nicer well have a grand opening, McIntyre said. ANN ARBOR, MI After more than two years of work, renovations and an addition to the University of Michigans College of Literature, Science and the Arts building is complete. The UM Board of Regents approved the $35 million project in 2017, including renovations to the first floor, as well as a 21,000 square-foot addition that houses the LSAs first-ever student transfer center, LSA scholarship office, LSA student government, optiMize project incubator and the Opportunity Hub. The new LSA building is a beautiful, light-filled, inviting place where liberal arts and sciences students at UM can access key resources and their programs that support their success here on campus and after graduation, said LSA Dean Anne Curzan. Five interview rooms will also be available for one-on-one conversation, meetings and networking interactions, along with numerous study nooks and larger collaborative meeting areas, the university announced. Seven more will be available in the fall. Curzan added the new building exceeded the plans and expectations for the facility, and students are already using the space to connect and access new resources. The new building creates a new home on central campus for the universitys liberal arts and sciences students one full of important resources and support, as well as welcoming spaces to study and connect with friends, Curzan said. Students are the heartbeat of this place, and the energy in the building is contagious and inspiring. An official building opening ceremony will be held in fall 2020, but there will be a student open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:53:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mohamed Gonono, spokesman of the UN-backed Libyan government's forces, accused the rival eastern-based army of launching rockets at the Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli on Wednesday. "Militias of the war criminal Haftar (eastern-based army commander) attacked Mitiga International Airport with six Grad rockets, a clear threat to the air traffic and a new violation to the cease-fire," Gonono said in a statement. The airport's authorities suspended flights at the airport for a few hours before announcing the resumption of flights. No casualties has been reported yet. The eastern-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government. The two rivals agreed to cease-fire on Jan. 12, but both have exchanged accusations of breaking the truce. A conference on Libya was recently held in Berlin with the participation of world leaders. Participants in the conference agreed to respect the arms embargo imposed on Libya by the UN Security Council and to work on military, economic and political tracks towards peace in Libya. File image US President Donald Trump said on January 21 that he was "watching and closely following" the developments between India and Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Trump, who had met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, described him as "a very good friend of mine". A White House statement quoted Trump as saying: We are working together on some borders, and we are talking about Kashmir and the relation to what is going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping. And we have been watching that and following it very, very closely." "And, of course, we always hope that the US will play its part in resolving it because no other country can," Trump said. Trump, likely to make his first visit to India as the US president in late February, did not explicitly confirm if he would also visit Pakistan. "We are visiting right now, so we will not really have to. But I wanted to say hello for both a relationship standpoint... we have had a great relationship," he said. The US president sparked a controversy in 2019 when he claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue when they met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan's Osaka. Trump made the statement while meeting Khan at the White House. This claim was rejected by the Indian government. India has maintained that the Kashmir issues can only be discussed bilaterally and is not open to a third-party intervention. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Sunday, Jan. 19 9:09 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a car-deer crash in the area of South Poseyville Road near East Miller Road in Midland Township. 8:41 p.m. -- A 48-year-old woman reported having an argument with her 52-year-old ex-husband. The argument took place at his house, but no assault was reported. The argument was over the man texting his girlfriend. The 48-year-old was intoxicated and could not drive. Both parties agreed to stay at separate ends of the house for the remainder of the night. 4:41 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a Greendale Township residence in reference to civil questions about the estate of her late boyfriend. The complainant noticed a lock was placed on the pole barn and did not know who did it, but suspected it was family. The complainant said she has been in contact with her attorney and probate court for estate proceedings. 4:39 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Jerome Township. 2:47 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Joe Mann Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue. 11:15 a.m. -- A 62-year-old Essexville man who owns property on Dublin Road north of Shaffer Road called in reference to unknown subjects tearing up the roadway. The deputy checked the area and observed large holes and ruts in the road caused by vehicles. The deputy patrolled the road and did not observe any vehicles. A briefing was sent out to deputies requesting extra patrol. 9:57 a.m. -- A 35-year-old Jerome Township man reported that someone tagged the exterior of his mobile home. The damage is estimated to be $100. The incident is being investigated. Saturday, Jan. 18 11:20 p.m. -- A 51-year-old Mills Township man reported about $300 in change was stolen from his residence. The man said he is a truck driver and has a 66-year-old female roommate. The roommate has had people coming and going from the house and is unsure who may have taken the money. There are currently no suspects. 11:08 p.m. -- Officers responded to an intoxicated driver in the 1000 block of West Wheeler Street. 10:43 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Mills Township. 10:35 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the East Patrick Road and Waldo Avenue. 10:06 p.m. -- Deputies assisted a Midland Police officer with a larceny violation. 9:58 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Ingersoll Township. 7:57 p.m. -- An Ingersoll Township man needed advise about the removal of his girlfriend from his house. When the deputy arrived, the man had left for the evening and was unable to be reached. 7:04 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Porter Township. 7:02 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the 2800 block of Rodd Street. 3:30 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Jerome Township. 2:17 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Lincoln Township after a vehicle slid off the roadway and ended up in the median on U.S.-10 west of Stark Road. 1:30 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of west U.S.-10 and the Jefferson Avenue. 1:11 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of west Business U.S.-10 and Waldo Avenue. 12:42 p.m. -- A 36-year-old man reported he was pushed by a 25-year-old Beaverton man after a verbal argument. The 25-year-old was plowing a driveway that is shared by the Gladwin man's mother and the caller, who are both renters on the property. He was upset, saying the woman's son peels out in the driveway and leaves potholes so he confronted the neighbor's son while cursing at him. There was an argument on the porch rented by the Beaverton man's mother. The Beaverton man told the caller and her husband to get off the deck and they were on private property. It appears he told them this more than once then pushed the caller's husband. The husband said he fell off the deck but the Beaverton man denied that part. The caller's husband did not feel the need to pursue charges but requested the Beaverton man leave for the day. All were advised that the plowing issue was civil and to address it with the landlord. The Beaverton man left for the day. No injuries observed. 11:34 a.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Rodd Street and East Indian Street. 11:24 a.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Harding Street. 10:27 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash in Larkin Township. 9:43 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in the Village of Sanford. Friday, Jan. 17 11:50 p.m. -- Officers responded to a larceny in the 4900 block of North Saginaw Road. 11:47 p.m. -- Officers responded to an intoxicated driver causing a crash in the area of Washington Street and East Lyon Street. 10:49 p.m. -- A 86-year-old woman called to report her 54-year-old son was yelling and "throwing a fit" inside of her house. The man was upset over a parole extension. Deputies tried to explain to the man that he would need to contact the courts and that it could be a misunderstanding. The man refused to listen and the caller agreed to just go to bed for rest of the night to get away from him. 9:53 p.m. -- A 32-year-old Sanford man was involved in a hit-and-run crash. The man had struck a parked car as he was turning onto a side street. Both vehicles suffered damage. 9:33 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a two-vehicle crash causing minor injuries in Homer Township. 9:33 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Geneva Township. 7:53 p.m. -- Deputies stood by while the Michigan State Police investigated an assault complaint at a Jerome Township location. 7:48 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lee Township. 7:17 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the 7200 block of Eastman Avenue. 6:57 p.m. -- Earlier in the day, a deputy impounded a vehicle due to it being a traffic hazard, with suspected damage from a car-deer crash. The owner came into the Midland County Law Enforcement Center for a vehicle released form. 6:53 p.m. -- Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the 1100 block of East Sugnet Road. 4:48 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Greendale Township. 4:41 p.m. -- A deputy is investigating an alleged sexual assault that occurred in Lincoln Township during the late summer of 2016. The investigation is ongoing. 4:02 p.m. -- A 49-year-old Saginaw man was located deceased in Lincoln Township. The cause is believed to be suicide. 3:52 p.m. -- Deputies responded to car-deer crash in Jasper Township. 12:42 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of East Ashman Street and Washington Street. 9:30 a.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of West Wackerly Street and Stark Road. 8:42 a.m. -- A deputy responded to an Edenville Township roadway for a car-deer crash. 8:09 a.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township residence in reference to a possible domestic assault. A 35-year-old man was arrested for tampering with a 9-1-1 phone call and for assaulting his 73-year-old mother and 66-year-old father. 7:43 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in the area of East Ashman Street and Stratford Woods Drive. 1:51 a.m. -- Officers responded to a natural death in the 3200 block of Dartmouth Drive. The Department of Health has revealed eight abortions were carried out in Northern Ireland hospitals during 2018/19. Five of the women who had the procedure were aged 30 and over, while two were aged 24 and under. One was aged between 25 and 29. That was four less than the previous year, however the department said that, due to the relatively small numbers, the figure can fluctuate greatly year to year. All eight of the terminations carried out in 2018/19 took place in Belfast Trust hospitals. In October 2019, abortion in Northern Ireland was decriminalised by Westminster, however the legislation will not come into effect until April 2020. Prior to this abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland except in very limited circumstances, such as where the life or mental health of the mother is in danger. The number of terminations in the region has steadily decreased over the last decade, with 47 carried out in 2007/8. Over the decades, thousands of women from Northern Ireland who were seeking an abortion had to travel to Britain to have the procedure carried out. This figure reached its peak in 1990, when 1,855 abortions were carried out. In 2018, this number was 1,053 - an increase of 192 from 2017. Grainne Teggart of Amnesty International called on Westminster to ensure abortion services in Northern Ireland are implemented swiftly. "Just eight terminations were carried out in Northern Ireland for 2018/2019 representing a tiny fraction of the number of people who travelled elsewhere in UK to access the service, and not including those who accessed pills online," she said. This demonstrates just how necessary our new law is. Soon, those who need a termination will have their choices treated with dignity and respect at home. All eyes are now on the Northern Ireland Secretary of State to ensure regulations and a swift transition to services that respect rights, choice and are fully accessible. In June 2017, the UK Government announced that it would fund, via the Government Equalities Office (GEO), abortions for women who reside in Northern Ireland. The Scottish Parliament followed suit in November 2017, when it was announced it would provide termination services free of charge to Northern Ireland women, however the number of times the service has been accessed has been relatively small - fewer than 10 abortions were carried out in 2018. While abortion has now been legalised in Northern Ireland, it still remains a highly contentious issue. Last week, a Co Tyrone priest banned members of Sinn Fein from holding a meeting in his church due to the party's stance on the issue, according to a pro-life group. Earlier this month, newly-elected DUP MP Carla Lockhart used her maiden speech in the House of Commons to speak out against the "extreme" liberalisation of abortion laws in Northern Ireland. "Abortion was, and should be, a devolved matter, yet this House has imposed on Northern Ireland the most extreme measures of abortion anywhere across Europe," she said. "In Northern Ireland, abortion on request for any reason will be legalised to the point at which a baby is 'capable of being born alive'." The BlackRock logo is seen outside of its offices in New York By Simon Jessop and Sinead Cruise LONDON (Reuters) - A BlackRock-backed group aims to raise an initial $500 million for a private equity fund that will invest in climate change-linked infrastructure upgrades in emerging markets. The group will provide the first $100 million of funding for the Climate Finance Partnership (CFP), which was set up in 2018 along with France, Germany and the Hewlett and Grantham charitable foundations, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The funding will go toward a first-loss tranche that will absorb any initial losses, a safety net for other institutional investors that BlackRock expects to help it raise at least another $400 million. The CFP fund will be invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage solutions and ultra-low and electric transport. At least a quarter of the investments would be made in Africa, with the rest in selected countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America, BlackRock said. The venture is part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the way BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, is responding to the issue of climate change, as part of a broader commitment to environmental, social and governance-related investing. Climate has also been at the forefront of this year's annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at which news of the planned initial fund-raising was announced. Finding novel ways to encourage accelerated investments has been a theme at Davos, and on Wednesday a separate $500 million United Nations-backed initiative also announced a plan to help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, 'SDG500'. The money raised will target businesses in the agriculture, finance, energy, education and healthcare sectors across many of the regions worst-hit by climate change. As with the CFP fund, the coalition of private and public sector organizations will also provide a first-loss layer for those investing in the project, which will provide exposure to six funds managed by asset manager Bamboo Partners. In a recent annual letter to the thousands of companies in which BlackRock holds stakes, Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink said the need to act on climate was "particularly urgent" given many cities were not built to withstand "the new climate reality". Story continues France and Germany will both invest $30 million of the initial funding, while the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust have pledged $10 million and $7.5 million, respectively. The CFP members have pledged to help raise the additional seed capital for the fund. BlackRock will also provide an as yet undetermined amount. (This story corrects "BlackRock" to "Group" in second bullet point; fixes typo in final paragraph) (Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Alex Richardson) NEW HAVEN Yale New Haven Hospital staff members are screening any patients with an acute respiratory infection to determine whether they have traveled to Wuhan, China, or have had contact with anyone arriving from the area, Dr. Richard Martinello, medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health, said Wednesday. However, the chances of the disease infecting anyone in Connecticut is low at this point, Martinello said. The Yale New Haven Health System includes Yale New Haven, Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence and Memorial (New London) and Westerly (R.I.) hospitals and the Northeast Medical Group. The novel coronavirus, which has caused an outbreak of pneumonia centered in Wuhan, killing 17, was first identified in the United States in a patient in Washington state who had recently returned from the city of 11 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Arriving passengers are being screened at John F. Kennedy, Los Angeles and San Francisco international airports and the Chinese state media reported Wednesday the first human-to-human transmission. The CDC said it would be adding screening at Chicagos and Atlantas international airports this week. We started last week in sending out communications very broadly to our staff to reinforce the need and the importance of checking in with patients who are coming in with an acute respiratory infection to see if they have had travel to any of the areas that are affected, Martinello said. Its not quite clear right now whether or not theres local transmission in areas outside of Wuhan, he said. Right now, were asking them if theyve been to Wuhan within the 14 days before they got sick [or] if they otherwise think theyve been exposed to anybody whos been sick with this novel coronavirus. Four cases have been confirmed among Chinese travelers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand, as well as in a Taiwanese businesswoman who had returned from Wuhan. The CDC said it has developed a test to detect the new coronavirus and plans to share the tool with domestic and international partners. More Lifestyle Take sensible measures to prevent spread of coronavirus pneumonia Martinello said that if a patient were to come to the hospital with such an infection we would put them into isolation, with air vented to the outside and medical staff wearing special facemasks. There is no specific treatment other than what we call supportive care, making sure the patient is getting enough oxygen and hydration. We do not have any specific medications right now to help treat this virus and there are no vaccines. According to the CDC, While severe illness, including illness resulting in several deaths, has been reported in China, other patients have had milder illness and been discharged. Symptoms associated with this virus have included fever, cough and trouble breathing. The agency said it believes the risk to the American public at large remains low at this time. There are many coronaviruses that cause respiratory illnesses in people and animals. Such viruses that have spread from animals to humans and caused serious illness include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002-03 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Martinello said SARS affected only about 8,000 people, including hundreds in Toronto, where it was really disruptive to the city as a whole. Since then we havent seen SARS. SARS has not re-emerged as far as anybody can tell, he said. MERS does appear from time to time, he said. Symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. With the new coronavirus, really what were waiting to understand is the spectrum of symptoms that it causes, as well as the severity, Martinello said. While there have been people with really severe disease I would anticipate that most people that get sick will have a full recovery, he said. But now that the virus has been identified in Washington state, Martinello said, this could change today, so thats why we have to be vigilant in hospitals in particular about patients who are coming in who could potentially have this. The Chinese Health Commission said as of Tuesday 291 people have been infected. Guards at Wuhans airport pointed electronic thermometers at travelers. Several online retailers were sold out of facemasks, which were being sold for more than 10 times their original price. Users of the popular Weibo social media platform urged people to wash their hands and stay home. The Chinese new year the year of the rat begins Saturday and 3 billion people are expected to travel during the 15-day celebration. While the coronavirus has not been seen in Connecticut, the flu has accounted for 13 deaths in the state so far this season, with six in the week ending Jan. 11, according to the state Department of Public Health. About 3,300 people have tested positive for influenza in the state this season. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Jeff Bezos REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to an explosive new report from The Guardian, which cited multiple sources familiar with the investigation. Bezos reportedly had a friendly text exchange with the crown prince, who later sent a video file thought to have compromised Bezos' phone when opened. "Large amounts of data" were extracted from Bezos' phone in a matter of hours, according to the report, but it's unclear what information was compromised. The report suggests Saudi officials may have gained private information about Bezos before The National Enquirer published a story about his extramarital relationship last January. The Saudi government called The Guardian's report "absurd." Bezos' lawyer declined to comment. Visit Business Insider for more stories. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is believed to have been hacked by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018, according to a new bombshell report from The Guardian's Stephanie Kirchgaessner. Citing unnamed sources with knowledge of an international investigation into the hacking, the Guardian report indicates that Bezos' phone appeared to be infiltrated after he opened a video file sent from the crown prince's number on WhatsApp. The two men had reportedly exchanged friendly messages on WhatsApp on May 1, 2018, after which an unsolicited video file was sent from Crown Prince Mohammed's account. After Bezos opened the file, data was rapidly extracted from his personal phone, according to the report. The Saudi government called The Guardian's report "absurd" in a tweet Tuesday night, calling for "an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out." Bezos' attorney told The Guardian that Bezos was "cooperating with investigations" but declined to comment further. Story continues Representatives for Bezos and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. A WhatsApp representative declined to comment. Bezos' team began investigating his phone last January after The National Enquirer published a story exposing his extramarital affair. Following the publication of that story, Bezos wrote a Medium post accusing The National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc., of blackmailing him by threatening to publish nude images of him. "Of course I don't want personal photos published, but I also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail," Bezos wrote at the time. The company has denied blackmailing Bezos and has said its reporters were informed about Bezos's affair by the estranged brother of his girlfriend. But Bezos' head of security, Gavin de Becker, said in March that an internal investigation revealed Saudis "had access to Bezos' phone and gained private information." David Pecker, the CEO of AMI, reportedly had a close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed in the months leading up to The National Enquirer's story. Both Saudi Arabia and AMI previously denied that Saudi officials were involved in The Enquirer's publication of the story on Bezos. As pointed out by The Guardian, Bezos could have been a target for a Saudi hack because of his ownership of The Washington Post, which has run coverage critical of the kingdom. The Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated by Saudi agents in October 2018. The CIA determined that the crown prince ordered the killing. Read the original article on Business Insider A decade later, it is easier to look back and see what made this book stand out and ignite another debate, even as states like Illinois expunge thousands of minor drug convictions. With ample statistics and historical narratives, she gave voice to what many people had long suspected, especially in black communities. The surge in black incarceration that followed decades of wars on drugs had become, whether by accident or design, a new Jim Crow, she argued, metaphorically resembling the original version of racial segregation banned by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. From 2018 and 2019 there has been a moderate decrease in the number of attacks targeted at India. 38.8 percent of the overall Indian Kaspersky users were attacked at least once by web-based attacks in 2019 as compared to 2018 when it was 40.4 percent. Kaspersky in a recent media event in Bangalore stated that India has shown positive progress in their fight against cybercriminals. The Country reportedly saw a fall in the number of threats in 2019 as compared to 2018. According to Kaspersky's KSN reports; from 2018 and 2019 there has been a moderate decrease in the number of attacks targeted at India. 38.8 per cent of the overall Indian Kaspersky users were attacked at least once by web-based attacks in 2019 as compared to 2018 when it was 40.4 per cent. These threats include file-less malware, social engineering attacks and other attacks that were targeted through the world wide web. The total number of unique threats detected by Kaspersky products in the year 2019 was 142,250,268. The local threats or local infections detected in India by Kaspersky products in 2019 were around 231,142,762, bringing the country on the 69th rank worldwide as compared to 2018 when the attacks detected were 297,477,131 and India was in the 47th place worldwide. These attacks usually happen due to major spreading of malware via removable USB drives, CDs and DVDs, and other "offline" methods. India also ranks 14th worldwide in the number of attacks caused by servers that were hosted in India, which accounts for 8,064,950 incidents in the year 2019. Mr. Dipesh Kaura, General Manager for South Asia, Kaspersky said, "In my opinion cybersecurity is the most troubling area for any large enterprise. With Kaspersky's comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity solutions, we are in a position to help organisations to mitigate or respond to any kind of dynamic threats. We want to strengthen our position as a security solutions partner rather than just a point product organisation. The plan is to create more awareness, more mindshare, and dependability on Kaspersky. We also have a very robust plan to engage with our channel partners so that we can work together to combat cyber threats and build a safer world together." Mr. Saurabh Sharma, Senior Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team Asia Pacific (GReAT APAC) said, "In India, we did see a decrease in the number of adware and malware attacks, however, there has been a huge increase in Riskware attacks from 28 per cent in 2018 to 39 per cent in 2019. The presence of riskware on your machine will allow threat actors to use that legitimate application for malicious purpose." Kaspersky has recorded incidents in which legitimate, remote administration programs - such as WinVNC, which has been secretly installed in order to obtain full remote access to a computer. Other examples of riskware include file downloader, software for monitoring computer activity and internet server services - such as FTP, web, proxy, and telnet. Because there may be legitimate reasons why Riskware is present on your computer, antivirus solutions may not be able to determine whether a specific item of Riskware represents a threat to you. Kaspersky's products let you decide whether you wish to detect and remove Riskware: Detecting and removing Riskware: There can be many reasons why you suspect that a Riskware program, that has been detected by Kaspersky's antivirus engine, is posing a threat. For example, if you didn't consent to the installation of the program and you don't know where the program came from, or if you've read a description of the program on Kaspersky's website and you now have concerns over its safety. In such cases, Kaspersky's antivirus software will help you to get rid of the Riskware program. Choosing not to detect Riskware: For cases where Riskware programs are detected, but you're confident that these are programs that you have consented to, you may decide that the Riskware programs are not harming your devices or data. Kaspersky products let you disable the option to detect these programs - or let you add specific programs to a list of exceptions - so that the antivirus engine doesn't flag this Riskware as malicious. African gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus) voluntarily and spontaneously help familiar parrots to achieve a goal, without obvious immediate benefit to themselves, says a duo of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and the Max Planck Comparative Cognition Research Station. Parrots and crows are known for having large brains relative to the size of their bodies and problem-solving skills to match. For that reason, they are sometimes considered to be feathered apes, said Dr. Desiree Brucks and Dr. Auguste von Bayern. However, earlier studies showed that, despite their impressive social intelligence, crows dont help other crows. In the new study, the researchers wondered: what about parrots? To find out, they enlisted several African gray parrots and blue-headed macaws (Primolius couloni). We tested two parrot species in an instrumental-helping paradigm involving token transfer, they explained. Here, actors could provide tokens to their neighbor, who could exchange them with an experimenter for food. To verify whether the parrots understood the tasks contingencies, we systematically varied the presence of a partner and the possibility for exchange. Only African gray parrots voluntarily and spontaneously transferred tokens to conspecific partners, whereas significantly fewer transfers occurred in the control conditions. Remarkably, African gray parrots were intrinsically motivated to help others, even if the other individual was not their friend, so they behaved very prosocially, Dr. von Bayern said. It surprised us that 7 out of 8 African gray parrots provided their partner with tokens spontaneously in their very first trial thus without having experienced the social setting of this task before and without knowing that they would be tested in the other role later on. Therefore, the parrots provided help without gaining any immediate benefits and seemingly without expecting reciprocation in return. Importantly, the African gray parrots appeared to understand when their help was needed. When they could see the other parrot had an opportunity for exchange, theyd pass a token over. Otherwise, they wouldnt. The parrots would help out whether the other individual was their friend or not. But, their relationship to the other individual did have some influence. When the parrot in need of help was a friend, the helper transferred even more tokens. The difference between African gray parrots and blue-headed macaws may relate to differences in their social organization in the wild, the scientists said. Despite those species differences, the findings show that helping behavior is not limited to humans and great apes but evolved independently also in birds. It remains to be seen how widespread helping is across the 393 different parrot species and what factors may have led to its evolution. Further studies are required to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the parrots helping behavior. For instance, how do parrots tell when one of their peers needs help? And, what motivates them to respond? The study was published in the journal Current Biology. _____ Desiree Brucks & Auguste M.P. von Bayern. 2020. Parrots Voluntarily Help Each Other to Obtain Food Rewards. Current Biology 30 (2): 292-297; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.030 U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday rejected warnings that the U.S.-China trade war could create a "digital Berlin Wall." In response to a question during a CNBC panel at the World Economic in Davos, Switzerland, Mnuchin said: "No, I discard that. To me, it's about free, fair and balanced trade." He added that "it's not a Berlin Wall at all it's we want other people to take down the Berlin walls." Mnuchin's comments come after 22 months of tit-for-tat tariffs between the U.S. and China, initially instigated by the Trump administration in the spring of 2018 on the basis of what it called China's "unfair" trading practices. Washington and Beijing have yet to come to terms over high stakes digital issues like Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, 5G internet provisions, intellectual property theft and the future of the internet more broadly. "The U.S. is one of the largest trading markets in the world. If we can get free and fair and balanced trade with China, and with our other partners, this is good for us, good for them one of the single biggest opportunities for American workers, for American companies," Mnuchin told CNBC's Geoff Cutmore, citing China's booming middle class of 400 million people. "What we're trying to do is break down barriers to trade, which do exist," he continued. "And I think most people know the U.S. is the most open market for trade, the most open market for investment we want to have those same opportunities around the world." Mnuchin added that he looked forward to forging a new trade deal with the U.K. after the completion of its exit from the European Union. 'No deadlines' for phase two China deal Coleman previously led the global mortgage reinsurance team of Willis Re. Prior to that, he was a senior broker at Guy Carpenter and at Holborn, where he met and worked closely with Little. Little, meanwhile, founded Maxfield Risk Consulting, where he also served as president of the risk management and analytics consulting company. Before founding Maxfield, Little was CEO at Ultimate Risk Solutions and also served as president of EQECAT and as a managing director with Guy Carpenter. A company release said that Protecdiv has plans to reach $100 million in revenue within the next five years. The firm also said that it aims to expand its employee base to have the most diverse workforce in the industry. Protecdiv will focus on serving Fortune 2000 clients, particularly those involved in auto manufacturing and supply, as well as financial institutions. The broker will also serve government and government-related agencies with its specialty insurance. In terms of reinsurance, the brokerage will provide risk transfer solutions to large and specialty insurers, while offering credit risk transfer services in the mortgage markets. We have created the first minority-owned insurance and reinsurance brokerage with a focus on innovation, data, and technology - all geared towards providing flawless execution and a laser-like focus on customer service. American industry is evolving to encourage greater diversity and Protecdiv is here to meet this need, said Protecdiv founder and CEO Kael Coleman. Nipping at the heels of Spotify and Apple, Amazon just revealed its Music streaming service has surpassed 55 million users, worldwide. In part, thats thanks to the service growing by nearly 50% growth in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, over the past year. During the same period, Amazon Musics users have also more than doubled in France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico. It has helped Amazon and its music ambitions to have existing relationships with customers, either through Amazon.com, Alexa or one of its other popular services. Our strategy is unique and, like everything we do at Amazon, starts with our customers, Steve Boom, vice president, Amazon Music, stated on Wednesday. Rather than a single product, Amazon Music consists of six separate offerings, which range from a free ad-supported service to a family plan that costs households $15 per month. advertisement advertisement Amazon said subscriptions to its mid-tier Music Unlimited service -- which costs Prime members $7.99 per month and non-Prime members $9.99 per month -- grew 50% over the past year. Putting Amazon Musics following in perspective, Spotify said it was approaching 250 million total users -- and more than 110 million paying subscribers -- last quarter. Apple said its Music service had surpassed 60 million subscribers, last year. To date, Amazon has invested significant resources into its Music service. In 2018, the tech giant financed a national ad campaign to promote the music-streaming service, which featured music from Queen, Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar. For its part, Spotify has recently struggled to add paid subscribers. The Swedish tech giant has also been distracted by a battle with Apple. Last year, the company asked EU antitrust officials to investigate its U.S. rival, and its control over the music streaming industry. Alexandrias Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Egypt, symbolizes a time when the city had a lively and diverse community of Jews, Christians and Muslims. A stones throw from a church and a mosque, the synagogue reopened earlier this month after undergoing preservation and renovation. Today the coastal city's Jewish population numbers no more than a dozen, a far cry from the 40,000 around the time of World War II. Egypts minuscule Jewish community, estimated by some to number around 20, welcomed the reopening of the synagogue with joy. A few steps from the synagogues beautifully carved marble stairs, Magda Haroun, head of the Jewish community in Egypt, stood at the entrance to the building, taking in the restorations. She rejoiced at the revival of the important legacy of Judaism in Egypt, after years of neglect. Despite the fact that there are currently few Jews in Egypt, the synagogue will constitute an important temple open to all visitors and mark the history of Alexandrias Jews, Haroun told Al-Monitor. I hope [Egyptian] synagogues will soon be open to everyone, and I hope they will remain places to nourish the mind and soul. We can use them to host classical music concerts or hold cultural debates, as they will not be visited for worship, she said. Eliyahu Hanavi can easily accommodate 700 people. Haroun noted that traditional streams of Judaism require a minyan, a quorum of at least 10 adult males, to be able to hold prayers in a synagogue. Preserving synagogues as cultural sites open to all for learning about Jewish heritage is one of the objectives of Drop of Milk, an organization that Haroun leads. The three-year restoration of Eliyahu Hanavi, which dates back to the 1300s, marks Cairo's renewed interest in the country's Jewish heritage. It was also closely followed by Israel. The Israeli Embassy in Cairo thanked the Egyptian government for restoring the structure. Egypt, where different civilizations coexisted peacefully for centuries, possesses a unique cultural diversity, Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said at the opening ceremony, which this Al-Monitor reporter attended. The opening of this synagogue in Alexandria after its full restoration over a period of 26 months sends a message to the world that the Egyptian government cares about the heritage of all religions. The restoration of the exquisitely designed synagogue, known for its green and violet stained glass and well-preserved marble columns and staircase, cost more than 100 million Egyptian pounds ($6.3 million) according to Hesham Samir Ibrahim, assistant minister of antiquities for engineering affairs. The Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue was named after the Israelite prophet Elijah, who defended worship of the Hebrew god instead of the deity Baal. The building's renovation required architects, archaeologists and engineers to work together to ensure that the structure and design from a mid-18th century restoration were respected. The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue is one of the most important religious and archaeological monuments in Alexandria, said Abdel Rahim Rihan, general director of research, archaeological studies and scientific publishing at the Ministry of Antiquities. Situated on Nabi Daniel Street in the center of Alexandria, it is one of the oldest Jewish synagogues in the Middle East, Rihan told Al-Monitor. It was built on the ruins of an old synagogue that was inaugurated in 1354. It was shelled during Napoleons [1789] campaign in Egypt and rebuilt in 1850, with contributions from [Ottoman viceroy] Muhammad Alis family. At the start of the current century, Eliyahu Hanavi was one of two remaining synagogues in Alexandria, but with ongoing neglect eventually suffered major damage in 2012. Parts of the synagogue collapsed due to rain and strong winds, Raihan said. The roof of the womens side was partially damaged in winter because of the weather. The synagogue was temporarily closed until restoration work was complete. The bema is made of marble, and it is located in the center of the eastern side, where the area for prayers and sermons is situated, Rihan said. There are two entrances: one at the south end leads to a room with a wooden container that holds several volumes of the Torah. Eliyahu Hanavi houses 63 ancient copies of the Torah. Albert Raiba, a member of Drop of Milk, said Egypt's Jewish heritage includes around 10 synagogues and several religious properties. They have been neglected for years and need restoration. He remarked to Al-Monitor that their restoration would be beneficial to tourism, specifically religious tourism, adding that an organized tour from France is slated to visit Eliyahu Hanavi in February. Nabi Daniel Street is not only home to Eliyahu Hanavi, but also to the Nabi Daniel Mosque. A few meters away stands St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in the Middle East. It is said to have been on the site of a church built by St. Mark in the year 43 and that his head remains there. The poet Ibrahim Naji and the writer Lawrence Durrell, author of The Alexandria Quartet, had homes on the same street. Advertisement They were the rulers of the New York City underground club scene with glitter, glamour and their wildly liberal ways, who with their outrageous antics captured America's attention in the 1990s. The fashion-forward, artistic youth of the 1990s, known as the Club Kids, were regular features in magazine editorials, fashion campaigns, music videos and even American daytime talk shows. Their seemingly liberal lifestyles and hedonistic behavior saw them viewed in equal parts admiration and derision. Among the big names in the then 'It' group was Walt Cassidy, aka Waltpaper, who through his own lens captured countless images of the gloriously, gaudy world he frequented as a youth growing up in the shadow of the AIDs epidemic. He has recently published a book from this era, which followed off the back of the more conservatively-administered Reagan and Thatcher leaderships. It gives a unique first-hand insight into the life of the youth as they fought to make sense of their 1990s world. The resulting collection of photographs, published in the book titled; New York Club Kids, published by Damiani, includes images he has taken, alongside other respected photographers, television and magazine pictures. It give a unique glimpse into the underground scene of the notorious trend-setters of 1990s New York City. Ravers picctured by Stephan Lupino. Mr Cassidy said the 'familial experience and the bonding' he shared with other Club Kid members was the most 'charming part' of the scene. 'We engaged and challenged each other to push further and further into our own individual creative experiences' Michael Alig (centre) can be seen with his friends at The World club in 1988 in ths photo by Stephan Lupino. Alig, one of the key members of the Club Kids at the time, has spent almost 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of a fellow member, Andre 'Angel' Melendez. He has returned to the New York City club scene and is said to host a weekly New York City party King and Queen of Manhattan pageant at Limelight in 1993. The club was a popular haunt for the Club Kids who were a definitive force in the New York City underground scenes in the 1990s. Walt Cassidy said clubs such as this were a place where experimentation and creativity were encouraged, featuring (left to right) Bella Bolski, Lady Bunny, Aphrodita, Amanda Lepore, Olympia, Arman Ra. Walt Cassidy said the youth of his time were encouraged to explore their creativity within New York City's underground club scene. He said the sense of camaraderie that came out of this gave many, including himself, a space to find themselves in what was an at times challenging era overshadowed by the AIDS epidemic and the legacy of the conservative Thatcher and Reagan administrations Pictured: Ravers at Limelight in 1992. Walt Cassidy who was one of the big names on the 1990s NYC club scene, under the pseudonym Waltpaper, said there was a sense of immediacy during this era. He said this manifested itself in the development of techno, grunge, heroin chic, piercing and body modification, and the popular use of street models in commercial ad campaigns Christy Love and Daisy, 1993. The New York city party scene in the 1990s featured a range of grunge, vogue trends characterized by sky-high shoes as seen in this picture above. Walt Cassidy said it was an era that was unfortunately marred by violence, but should have also been given credit for how it fostered fashion, creativity, and political conversations on gender and identity BOOB live at Westbeth Theater (Automobile Theme) in 1997 with BOB, Sonia Sonic, Loxanna, Desi Monster, Waltpaper. The scenes that came out of the underground clubs were simultaneously admired but derided by an American public fascinated by this 1990s world that they were not a part of. Elaborate makeup and costumes, such as that worn by Zaldy and Mathu in this photograph in 1991, were emblematic of the so-called 'Club Kids' who dominated the underground club scene in New York in the 1990s. There to capture their antics was the New York-based multimedia artist Walt Cassidy, aka Waltpaper, who was also a member of the notorious scene. Some his countless images that he captured during his time in the New York underground party scene are the subject of a recently-published book: New York: Club Kids The cover of the book titled New York Club Kids features Walt Cassidy himself with antenna hair in a dark full-length hoodie. It was taken by photographer Michael Fazakerley. Cassidy told Vogue during an interview at the time of the book launch that part of the vision behind the book was to part of the vision behind publishing the book was to detach himself from his 'youthful' identity and allow what he had document to give people an insight into the broader idea of club culture through the lens of his experience as a 'young creative' in New York City. This image of the photographer has come to represent what he describes as notions of 'independence, rebellion, identity expression, diversity and gender fluidity' Pictured: Whilyem in 1993 - a member of the 1990s New York Club Kids scene. Author of the book, Walt Cassidy, aka Waltpaper, was himself a member of the 1990s notorious club scene, giving him access to the notorious scene's most inner workings. His new book includes a collection of his countless images from this notorious era, alongside a wealth of other archive materials from other respected photographers, television appearances and magazine clips. The countless images he took gives an insight into the artistic, fashion-forward youth that for a time obsessed the nation Jo Reynolds on David Ilku's balcony in Project X, 1994. Walt Cassidy said makeup (like that Reynolds is wearing above) played a huge role of the youth who frequented the city's underground club scenes. He said the MAC brand, which still exists today, lead the makeup trends with their brilliant stage-like colors that were long-lasting and wearable. Cassidy said he stopped in at the MAC store each week to buy new colors and experiment with his ever-expanding collection of makeup Sacred Boy, Astro Erle, Desi Monster, and Keda, 1992. The three were big names on the underground club scene which was said to be a hub for artistic and fashion-forward youth. Their wild antics and liberal ways are said to have foreshadowed the modern world of influencers and the gender revolution. The Club Kids, as they were known, were frequently featured in magazine editorials, as part of fashion campaigns, music videos and even appeared on American daytime talk shows. Peter Glennon, Sidney Prawatyotin, Taylor Dupree, and Jason Jinx in High Times, 1994. In the 1990s members of this exclusive clique, known as the Club Kids, were regularly featured as part of magazine campaigns. Their wild, fashion-forward, and sexually liberal ways are said to have created a legacy that still exists within this generation. Walt Cassidy said he can sense the connection between the Gen X members from his time and the incoming Gen Z. He said both crave authenticity while being stuck within a conservative political era The party scenes of the 1990s depict a wild, care-free existence that Mr Cassidy, a multimedia artist and photographer, said came about from the then-youth's desire to challenge a conservative leadership, rip things apart and put them back together. In an recent interview about a book of photos from this era he spoke of the similarities between today's youth and the youth of his time. He said Generation X had to endure the conservative leaderships of Regan and Thatcher, as well as the devastating AIDS pandemic. Meanwhile, today's youth are countering Trump, and other conservative politicians across the world, while having to deal with the prospect of what climate change will do to their future Pictured Donald and Shuck E, 1991. Walt Cassidy, a photographer, who was a key member of the 1990s notorious Club Kids clique said 'audacity and playfulness' was integral to the experience of the Club Kids in the 1990s. He told Vogue magazine in a recent interview that they led 'transgressive lifestyles' but always maintained a sense of humor. 'We were committed to pursuing anything fun, authentic and creative' Waltpaper at Macy's Rave in 1992 with fellow party-goers Michael Alig (far left) Christopher Comp (middle). Alig, a native of Indiana, was part of an original core of nightlife players in New York City. However, the Indiana native, and his roommate Robert 'Freeze' Rigs, later pleaded guilty to the manslaughter in 1997 of fellow Club Kid Andre 'Angel' Melendez. He was killed in the men's Manhattan apartment, and kept in the bathtub for nearly a week before Alig chopped up his body, stashed it in a suitcase, and the pair threw it into the river. Alig, who was released from prison in 2014, has returned to the New York club scene Main dancefloor at Limelight, 1992. The Limelight was a chain of nightclubs that were owned and operated by Peter Gatien with various locations across the United States, including this one in New York City. It was arguably one of the most significant of all the club chains, having first started as a disco and rock club. It was a prominent place to hear techno, goth, and industrial music in the 1990s and later earned media attention in 1996 after Club Kids member, Michael Alig, was arrested and convicted of killing fellow member, Angel Melendez Walt Cassidy said when he first arrived in New York City he had promised himself to live his life as if it was a 'great book or a movie'. He said when he looks at pictures of himself, in particular the portrait that fronts his new book, he is delighted to see it has come to represent notions of independence, rebellion, identity expression and diversity. He said what he sees when looking at his portrait is a 'non-binary individual who is not bothered with fitting in with any of society's boxes' Jojo Field and Miss Guy at the 1992 Wigstock drag festival. The festival began in 1984 after a group of drag queens who had been drinking decided to put on a show in the park. It became an annual event to mark the unofficial end of the summer for the gay community in New York City. In the mid 90s the city's administration decided to prohibit it being held in Tompkins and Union Squares, and moved it to the Hudson River. It over time lost its grassroots activist appeal and was discontinued in 2001. After a 12 year gap it was revived in New York City in 2018 Anthony Hegarty featured at the Theater of Madness in 1990 in New York City. In 1990, the singer, composer and visual artist moved to Manhatten where she eventually founded a performance art collective known as Blacklips with Johanna Constantine. Her development as a performer came about during a time in the 1990s where the underground scene offered a space for the youth to practice their creativity Miss Guy and Jojo Americo (Field) at Wigstock in 1992. Wigstock was an annual outdoor festival that ran as the unofficial end to the summer for the gay community of New York City in the 1990s. According to the New York Times it ran for a decade and a half as an annual rite on the LGBT calendar as a circuit party for those who normally wouldn't be caught dead on the circuit Keda and Kabuki at the opening of Webster Hall, 1992. Kabuki (pictured right) is now married and splits his time between New York City and upstate New York, having gone on to lead a life as a celebrated, in-demand makeup artist. He attributes much of his success to his participation in the Club Kid scene. 'Every element, had to play off one another - good training for the imagination when it comes to thinking on the spot for photoshoots and fashion shows,' he said in a recent interview with the DailyMail.com Waltpaper and Lil Keni at Webster Hall en route to Club ID in 1995. Walt Cassidy told Vogue he was grateful that he got to grow up in an era that was able to 'yield so much inspiration and creativity' and find a family after years growing up feeling alone. He said he was forever in debt to the city for giving him such an inspirational setting to grow up in. His hope is that his book will be a tribute to his youth's generation but also offer future generations a way to find a pathway to their own dreams Astro Erle at Limelight in 1992. The former Club Kid was a fixture of the scene with his unique look that made him stand out, even among the already outlandish, alternative looks worn by other characters on the exclusive New York City scene. In recent years he has made a living as a hairdresser in Jersey City A ball pit inside the Tunnel club in 1993. The club was named for the tunnel-like shape of its main room which also had train tracks running through a central era of the popular haunt for Club Kids. Located at 220 Twelfth Avenue in Chelsea, Manhattan, it operated from 1986 till its closure in 2001 Candis Cayne pictured in 1996 (on the right) is an American actress has performed in New York City nightclubs in drag since the 1990s - an era where the Club Kids, such as Waltpaper (pictured with red hair on the left) were said to rule the roost with their liberal lifestyles Timothy, Chris Couture, and Keda at Limelight, 1992. The club was closed and reopened several times during the 1990s after one of the Club Kids was arrested over the death of a fellow member. In 2003 it reopened under the name Avalon, before completely closing in 2007. The site of this popular Club Kid haunt is today operating as Limelight fitness Lil Keni and Astro Erle in High Times in 1994. The fashion that stemmed from this era had a long lasting impression on the subsequent generations. Walt Cassidy said the Club Kids look was generally handmade with materials scavenged from around the city and put together themselves. Outfits were often put together and were just worn for a single night - if they lasted that long Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:52:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- In the run-up to the Year of the Rat in China's lunar calendar, archaeologists have traced the earliest rodents in Chinese culture, showing a complicated attitude toward mice and rats, including love, hate, tolerance and humor. The Year of the Rat is regarded as the first year in the Chinese zodiac cycle, however, the small rodent often has a negative reputation for stealing food, nibbling clothes, destroying dams and spreading disease. Compared with the 3-million-year evolution of humans, mice and rats can be traced back 55 million years. They survived the Ice Age, countless disasters including volcanic eruptions, floods and earthquakes, while many species that originated before humans died out. They are one of the Earth's oldest existing residents, said Yuan Jing, a researcher of the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Archaeologists have found fossils of house mice at the Zhoukoudian palaeolithic site in the suburbs of Beijing, home of Peking Man about 700,000 years ago. In the Neolithic era, as the technology for cultivating crops spread, mice and rats quickly adapted to agricultural production, becoming companion species to humans and migrating with them. When archaeologists excavated a site dating back 4,100 to 3,500 years in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu Province, they found rat bones with household relics, wheat and sheep remnants and a metallurgical site. Based on the carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of the animals unearthed at a site in Jingbian, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, archaeologists have proved that rats lived closely with humans some 4,000 years ago. There are many animal-shaped cultural relics in China, but the number related to mice and rats is relatively small, said Yuan. The excavation of a tomb belonging to the monarch of the ancient Guo State, dating back to the 9th century BC, in today's Sanmenxia City, central China's Henan Province, was one of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in 1991. Among the more than 4,600 funerary objects unearthed there is a jade rat, 2.6 cm long, 1.2 cm tall and 0.9 cm wide. The jade is slightly transparent, decorated with a cloud pattern. Archaeologists have found a bronze rat dating back to 139 to 87 BC in the Maoling Mausoleum in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. It seems it is trying to devour a fruit with eyes wide open, ears erect, body slightly arched and limbs crawling. Several pottery figurines in the image of mouse, from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), were unearthed in the north of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province. Each was vividly represented about 3 cm tall and 6 cm long. In the many cliff tombs with Han Dynasty murals in the Qijiang River Basin, southwest China's Sichuan Province, archaeologists found a mural showing a dog biting a mouse, with a monkey sitting nearby. A Chinese idiom of a dog trying to catch mice is used to describe someone meddlesome. A similar scene was found on a brick painting of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) unearthed in a village in Yinan, east China's Shandong Province. The painting features a crawling dog, under a two-layered table, about to jump up to catch a rat. Twelve bronze animal head sculptures representing the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac were once on the water clock fountain in Yuanmingyuan Park, or the Old Summer Palace, built by Emperor Qianlong who reigned from 1736 to 1795 in Beijing. During the Second Opium War in 1860, the park was burned down and the sculptures looted by the Anglo-French allied forces. French luxury goods tycoon Francois-Henri Pinault donated the bronze rat and rabbit heads back to China in 2013. The United States pressed France on Wednesday to take "strong security measures" against potential breaches from 5G services provided by Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei, saying failure to do so could imperil intelligence exchanges. Concerns about Huawei's 5G rollout topped the agenda of a third US-France cybersecurity meeting, Washington's top cyber diplomat Robert Strayer told reporters in Paris. The United States did not ask France for a Huawei ban, he said, but for strong protections against potential "malicious intrusions" from software and firmware updates of any systems provided by the company. If France failed to take adequate steps, said Strayer, the United States "will have to reassess how we conduct operations" that require sensitive information-sharing including joint military exercises and counter-terrorism operations. "The real risk that we see is that if there are unsecure 5G networks coming from untrusted vendors, that that could compromise the data that we want to share with those partners" in NATO, including France and Germany, he said. 5G, or fifth generation, is the latest, high-speed generation of cellular mobile communications. There has been intense debate in Europe about whether or not to exclude Huawei from developing 5G mobile networks. Critics, led by Washington, say Huawei is too close to Beijing and its equipment could be used as a tool for spying -- a contention the company strongly rejects. US President Donald Trump has already ordered American firms to cease doing business with market leader Huawei, and has urged allies to follow suit. Germany has so far resisted pressure to ban Huawei. France has said it will not ban Huawei, but the ANSSI regulator will have a strong say in who gets the final authorisation. "We know that 5G will enable the smart grids, so supplying electricity to homes and businesses, enable telemedicine as well as smart transportation networks, so all of those could be disrupted during a point of potential conflict," said Strayer. "We're not asking for a particular ban, we're saying: 'adopt the right kind of security measures that will protect your public and your longer-term economic interests against companies like Huawei that are under the control of authoritarian governments." He said telecoms companies Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung "stand ready" to provide 5G technology, so refusing Huawei should not lead to delays. And though it was not part of the United States' diplomatic campaign, "it would be a good idea, we think, for countries to also eliminate Huawei in other parts of their earlier generations of network". On one estimate, it would cost $3.5 billion to replace all Huawei equipment in Europe, said Strayer. "Nobody should want to be in the position of offering... the Chinese government access to all their secrets." Asked if there was proof that Huawei was stealing data for the Chinese government, deputy assistant attorney general Adam Hickey of the US justice department's National Security Division said: "If you ask me for a smoking gun and you wait for it, you might end up getting shot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police have charged an Albany man with murder after learning he used a circular saw on his wife, whom family has not heard from since Christmas. Craig Lazon is accused of murdering his wife, Tiffany Lazon, using a circular saw.Linn County Sheriff's Office Craig Lazon was charged with one count of murder after police found Tiffany Lazons blood and tissue on a power saw hed borrowed from a friend. Police have still not found Tiffany Lazons body. Police said that while investigating Tiffany Lazons disappearance, they learned that Craig Lazon had borrowed a battery-operated circular saw from a friend and returned it several days later. The friend contacted Albany Police and turned the saw over to them. The Oregon State Crime Lab inspected and found bodily tissue and blood on the saw. A test revealed that the DNA on the saw belonged to Tiffany Lazon. Police said they served several search warrants in the past week that provided evidence that Tiffany Lazon is dead. Albany Police first reported Tiffany Lazon, 37, on Jan. 8 after officers conducted a welfare check at her home. Family had not heard from her since Dec. 25. According to previous police reports, Tiffany Lazon was estranged from her husband. In initial interviews with police on Jan. 9, Craig Lazon said he didnt know where his wife was and told officers she was moving to Washington. On Jan. 14, police arrested Lazon on charges of animal neglect and abandonment, related to Tiffany Lazons pet cat. The cat was turned over to Tiffany Lazons daughter. Family members told Albany police that they were worried about Tiffany Lazons disappearance, saying it was unlikely she would have left Albany without her car, her pet cat or her phone. Craig Lazon had been convicted of assaulting his wife before and was accused of attempting to kill her between February and March of 2015. He was charged with nine counts related to domestic violence, including attempted aggravated murder, strangulation and assault. He had a no-contact order filed against him when those charges were filed. But those charges were dismissed. The Albany Democrat-Herald reported in 2015 that investigators determined Tiffany Lazons story to be fabricated, and that Tiffany said her issues were linked to post-traumatic stress disorder related to her military service. The Democrat-Herald noted that Craig Lazons attorney Arnold Poole poked numerous holes in Tiffany Lazons original story. Poole said Tiffany Lazon asserted she had been tied up for a week. But there were no ligature marks on her wrists or ankles, the story said. Craig Lazon pleaded guilty in December 2015 after to one count of tampering with a witness. According to court documents, he was sentenced to three years in prison. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport of the National Assembly of Armenia Mkhitar Hayrapetyan today held phone talks with the newly appointed Armenian minister of social affairs of Lebanon and expressed willingness for cooperation in the specified sectors. Hayrapetyan stated that Vartine Ohanian is the first Armenian woman minister in contemporary Lebanese history and was nominated by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun political party. The chair of the parliamentary committee also held phone talks with the already former minister of social affairs of Lebanon Richard Kouyoumjian and expressed gratitude for the contributions he has made to the promotion of partnership between Armenia and Lebanon during his term of office. TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has said Fine Gael plans to introduce a transition payment at the same rate as the State pension to avoid people having to apply for the dole when they retire. Mr Varadkar was responding to growing disquiet among voters over the governments plan to raise the retirement age to 67 next year. This will force some workers whose contracts require them to retire at 65 or 66 to apply for jobseekers allowance, which is lower than the State pension. Speaking on the campaign trail in Adare, Co Limerick this evening, Mr Varadkar said: "We're working on the details of that now. Certainly what people are saying to us on the doors and on the streets, what are candidates are saying back to us, is that there is an anomaly. "There are people who are required by their contracts to retire at 65 or 66, before the new retirement age, and they don't want to have to sign on and we hear that, we get that, we accept that's a problem. "So we're working on a proposal to put in place a form of state transition pension that means that people will in those circumstances be able to get their pension early." Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has confirmed that it will be set at the same rate as the Contributory State Pension at just under 250 per week. "During the consultative phase for our current pensions reform - for a new total contributions model the issue of those who retire at 66, yet have to wait until the official pension age to receive their state pension, arose on a number of occasions. "Having worked on alternatives and having secured the agreement of party colleagues, we decided on a new transition payment to resolve this issue. "Tonight, I can confirm that this new transition pension will be paid at a rate equivalent to the Contributory State Pension. This change provides financial certainty to people retiring at 66," she said. President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday became the third U.S. president to face a Senate trial after being impeached, says hes done nothing wrong. When he asked Ukraine for a favor, namely to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, he claims he was driven by concerns about corruption, not winning re-election in 2020 by digging up dirt on a rival, as asserted by Democrats. When he withheld a White House meeting with the Ukrainian president and almost $400 million in military aid as Ukraine faced war with Russia, it was a foreign policy call, not a months-long scheme based on personal gain, Trump says. USA! USA! USA! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020 But U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, who kicked off the House impeachment proceedings with a resolution establishing hearing rules, argues Trump and his backers on Capitol Hill will face tougher judges in history books than they do at raucous campaign rallies. History is testing us, McGovern said in a recent roundtable discussion with reporters in Worcester. I fear that some of my colleagues, especially in the Senate right now, are failing that test. A Democrat who chairs the House Rules Committee, McGovern said even if the president is not convicted and removed from office by the Republican-controlled Senate, history will not look favorably on Trump or those who have labored to explain away all of his misdeeds. Historians will look back and say, 'This was not the high point of American democracy,' McGovern argued. The House of Representatives in December impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress. Last week, the Government Accountability Office, an independent, nonpartisan federal watchdog agency, concluded the Trump administration broke federal law by holding up the military aid for Ukraine. The funds had been approved by Congress and the president lacks the authority to bypass federal laws on foreign military funds based on the whims of his policy priorities," the GAO said. The agency noted that the Trump administration had provided very little information on the matter. The presidents lawyers dismissed the GAOs report in a memorandum filed Monday, and argued the abuse of power charge was too broad, with no specific crime mentioned. They also argue the president couldnt have obstructed Congress because lawmakers failed to exhaust all opportunities, including taking the Trump administration to court, to obtain documents and testimony. "The process that brought the articles here violated every precedent and every principle of fairness followed in impeachment inquiries for more than 150 years." Read the full trial memorandum of President Donald J. Trump: https://t.co/a0Ibjp6M68 The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 20, 2020 When asked if House Democrats should have taken Trump to court, McGovern said courts are notoriously slow and such a case may have dragged well into the 2020 election. Republicans, he said, would have complained that Democrats let the court battles hover over the election intentionally. Besides, McGovern said, no president in his lifetime, at least, has been as obstructionist as Trump. If theres no there there, this is easy to put to rest, he said, by openly sharing documents and testimony. But we know there is there there, because of documents that have been released by Freedom of Information Act requests. We said it before and we'll say it again the public has a right to know the contents of emails between the DOD and OMB about Trump's private decision to halt military aid to Ukraine. #Ukrainedocs https://t.co/whAKyZCaOm The Center for Public Integrity (@publicintegrity) January 3, 2020 McGovern added that the president had ample opportunity to present himself or have his attorneys respond during the House inquiry, according to the rules resolution he introduced. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky opened Tuesdays proceedings by presenting rules that would establish a swift trial. He said it wasnt the Senates job to fix an inadequate case made for impeachment by the House, nor to guarantee witnesses and documents desired by Democrats before hearing arguments from both sides. McConnell has blasted Democrats for a rushed impeachment inquiry fueled by partisan rage" against the president. McGovern said lawmakers supporting Trump may see some short-term gain. "They wont get a primary or the president wont tweet against them, he said. But basically, theyre ruining their reputations. People will ask, What did we do during this time? What did you do to stop this? Theyre going to say, Not only did we do nothing. We defended it. Like the people who defended Nixon, history has not reflected well on those people. The people who defended Joseph McCarthy, theyve become pariahs. McGovern described Trumps actions as an attempt to extort a foreign government to give his re-election efforts a boost, jeopardizing national security and the integrity of U.S. elections. He said he recently looked back at his speech 20 years ago during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, after critics told him he was being hypocritical for his view on GOP acceptance of Trumps story. While he did not believe Clinton should be impeached for lying about a personal matter, he recommended the House censure Clinton. I said what he did was wrong, McGovern said. These guys cant even bring themselves to say what (Trump) did was wrong. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Minority Leader, said Tuesday that McConnells proposed trial rules amounted to a quick cover up that was a national disgrace. Based on the makeup of the Senate, Schumer and the Democrats need at least four Republicans to break ranks and call for amendments to McConnells proposal that could lead to more trial testimony and documents. McGovern said he was hopeful some GOP senators stood up to bullies and followed in the example of former Maine Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, who criticized McCarthyism, and Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee, who famously asked during the Nixon Watergate hearings, What did the president know and when did he know it? Those who went around and tried to cover up ... history has not been kind to, McGovern said. The truth is going to come out." "Congratulations! Youre the winner!" This was real, not some pesky pop-up ad. Id won Travel + Lesiures photo contest. The prize? A dream trip to Thailand, including stays at some of the best resorts in Southeast Asia. When I took off from Chicago on my trip, the wind chill index was -50F. It was the perfect time to escape the city, and two long flights later I landed in Thailand. Goodbye, -50F. Hello, 95F. First stop: Bangkok. The air was humid, and thick with the smell of street food being cooked. Bars, street food vendors, and massage parlors lined the streets. The shopping malls made the Mall of America look modest, but the real draw was the street markets. Spired golden temples rose above the city. The streets themselves were packed with tuk tuks and cars, and motorbikes with two or three people on them zipped around vans packed with tourists. The next stop was postcard-pretty Krabi, and with it came the transition from the buzz of Bangkok to the slower-paced atmosphere, truly running on island time. The sunsets were spectacular, with pastel colors that made each one unique. The days were spent lounging in the water underneath towering rock formations, calm waves breaking. Final stop: Chiang Mai, the perfect mix of city and town. The New City was vibrant and architecturally impressive, modern, with street art all around. The Old City offered beautifully preserved temples and a glimpse into the life of the locals. An elephant sanctuary about an hour outside Chiang Mai gave us the unforgettable experience of getting up close with elephants, petting their rough, bristly skin, and watching them roll around in the mud. As traveling always seems to do, this trip opened me up to a place and people Id never seen before. The Thai people welcomed me with their warm smiles, and I was thankful for the opportunity to see their side of the world. And, of course, for the chance to document it all with my camera. Outside a restaurant in Bangkok. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Dont be afraid to experiment with your photos. You can play with color, light, and foreground to create something that looks more like a painting than a photograph. Its not always about capturing a clear, simple subject. Story continues %image1 Tip: When shooting street portraits, aiming for candid shots can feel more natural and sincere. I love to catch my subjects just as they look at my camera. When Im drawn to a subject, its great to capture both the person and the scene around them, which can help tell their story and capture the essence of both the people and the place youre visiting. A man poses in front of a backdrop at Railay Beach, Krabi. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Step back from your scene to see the bigger picture. In this case, a picture within a picture. Here its not just about the backdrop, but the backdrop scene in the bigger context of the man taking his friends photo. The best photo story is often one with layers. An elephant sanctuary outside of Chiang Mai. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Capture motion in your photos. You can use direction and lines to show movement in your photography. Here, the elephant and the farmer both walking in opposite directions is captured, with added tension because theyre moving away from each other. When capturing people walking, try to catch them mid-stride so that their legs form a wide base. It makes a stronger shape in the photo, and enhances the feeling of motion. Sunset on Ao Nang Beach, Krabi. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Use scale to your advantage. I love capturing people in a landscape image to help show the scale of the environment. Here, the people help show just how large the body of water, and the rocks in the distance, are. Monks sandals outside of temple, Bangkok. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Look for interesting details. Every day around 6 p.m., monks would enter this temple for prayer and chanting and would leave their sandals at the entrance. Capturing details like this can give texture to your overall set of photos, and help tell a wider story in a more subtle way. Outside the temple walls, Chiang Mai. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Use layers to make your photos more interesting. Here, instead of just a straightforward shot of the temples, Ive used a nearby stand of trees to frame the temples and add additional context to the shot. A dog laying in the sun outside of Doi Suthep Temple, Chiang Mai. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Use shadows and light to your advantage. Paying attention to how light and shadows are arranged in your images can make your image far more focused and rich. The shadows and light in this image not only draw your eye toward the subject (the sleeping dog), but also highlight another figure in the shadows behind the dog. A family just outside Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Consider black and white. Sometimes the situation is perfect for a black and white photo. In this image, the great contrast between the light and dark areas really lent itself to a black and white photo, in which the different elements of the image (darker subjects against a bright sky) could really pop. Poolside overlooking the Andaman Sea, Krabi. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Create silhouettes. One of my favorite techniques is to create silhouettes with people, which, when done right, can produce some really striking images. Look for the right well-lit background with a shadowy or less-lit figure to create this effect. Make sure your silhouettes' limbs are isolated to create strong shape in your subject. Also, keep just a bit of detail in the shadowed figures; in this case, the rosy touch of color you can still see in the figures sunglasses is the perfect cherry on top. Children playing at sunset on Ao Nang Beach, Krabi. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Look for lines. Use lines to segment your photos, helping to simplfy scenes. In this photo the children are all playing in a line, and the water, sand, and horizon create additional lines that help your eyes navigate the image. Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill Nature Trail, Krabi. | Stan Nalewski Tip: Try a high vantagepoint. Sometimes the prettiest photos are taken from high up. Getting this shot required an hour-long hike to get to the top, but catching this view was completely worth the climb. Update: The store announced its closure Tuesday evening. Luckys Market closing in Ann Arbor, Traverse City store remains open ANN ARBOR, MI -- Colorado-based grocery chain Luckys Market is closing stores in Florida, but there has been no official word on the Ann Arbor location. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Tuesday, Jan. 21 that all but one Florida location would close. Twenty stores will close by Feb. 12 in Florida, and they will offer 25% off merchandise, the Sun Sentinel reports. Several messages left with Luckys spokesperson Krista Torvik seeking information on the future of the Ann Arbor store at 1919 S Industrial Highway went unanswered. Multiple employees of the Ann Arbor store said privately and on social media Tuesday that they expect to lose their jobs. There had been no layoff notices posted to the states Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) database as of Tuesday evening. The Ann Arbor store opened in 2015 with 150 employees. The space formerly housed a Kroger store. Luckys Market opens new store in Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Kroger store to close after failing to reach lease agreement Kroger in 2016 made what it called a meaningful investment in the Luckys Market chain to benefit customers and accelerate growth." But the grocer announced it would divest from Luckys in a quarterly results report last month. Luckys Market also operates a store in Traverse City. The company has about 4,000 employees nationwide, Sun Sentinel reports. Displaced employees in Florida will receive severance pay, regional store director Jason Rief told the newspaper. Power cuts continued to plague some African countries. - Source: Shutterstock 22.01.2020 LISTEN Three years ago the African Development Bank launched an initiative to speed up the supply of electricity in Africa in 2016. Launching the New Deal on Energy for Africa, the bank's President Akinwumi Adesina, remarked: Africa is tired of being in the dark. Other high-profile initiatives including Power Africa and Sustainable Energy for All have also prioritised electricity for Africans. But on-the-ground observation and interviews throughout Africa suggest that the United Nations' development goal of providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all remains a distant dream for many. Survey teams from the African research network Afrobarometer, asked people in 34 countries on the continent about access to electricity, and recorded the presence of an accessible grid. They found that expansion of national electric grids appeared to have largely stalled in recent years. And even in areas where an electric grid was accessible, service often remained unreliable. About four in 10 Africans (42%) lack an electricity connection in their homes. This is either because they are in zones not served by an electric grid or because they are not connected to an existing grid. In 16 countries, more than half of respondents had no electricity connection. This included more than three quarters of citizens in Burkina Faso (81%), Uganda (80%), Liberia (78%), and Madagascar (76%). Nor does being connected guarantee power. Power cuts continued to plague some countries. About one in seven respondents (14%) had a connection but reported that their power worked half the time, or less. All in all, taking into account households with no access to a grid, no connection to an existing grid, or an unreliable supply, only 43% of Africans enjoyed a reliable supply of electricity. While the comparable figure was nine out of 10 in Mauritius (98%) and Morocco (91%), it barely exceeded one in 20 citizens in Malawi (5%) and Guinea (7%). Realities on the ground Between late 2016 and late 2018, Afrobarometer teams conducted 45,823 face-to-face interviews in 34 countries. They also recorded the presence of basic infrastructure. They found that, on average, two-thirds (65%) of citizens lived in zones served by an electric grid. This was virtually the same number found in a survey done three years earlier. Access to an electric grid varied widely by country. While virtually all Cabo Verdeans, Mauritians, and Tunisians lived in zones served by a grid, fewer than one-third of citizens in Burkina Faso (28%), Madagascar (29%), Mali (30%), Guinea (32%), and Liberia (33%) enjoyed the same access (Figure 1). Surveyors recorded whether the enumeration area (EA) had an electricity grid that most houses could access. (% Author The teams also found stark regional differences: about nine out of 10 North and Central Africans resided in zones served by an electric grid (91% and 86%, respectively). But only around half (55%) of East Africans do. As far as recording progress was concerned, East Africa was the only region in which Afrobarometer found significant advances. The electricity grid had been extended by 7 percentage points since its 2011/2013 survey. As usual, rural residents suffered the most glaring disadvantages. On average they were less than half as likely (44%) as their urban counterparts (92%) to live in an area served by a grid. Grid, connection and reliable service Given the high cost of an electric connection, not all households within reach of an electric grid were actually connected. In areas with access to a grid, poor households were half as likely as well-off households to have a connection. Respondents were asked: Do you have an electric connection to your home from the mains? [If yes:] How often is electricity actually available from this connection? (Note: Author Ghanaians report a striking improvement in reliability: The share of citizens with regular power doubled between 2014 and 2017, from 37% to 79%, in large part as a result of increased supply by independent power producers (under contracts initiated under the previous administration) that reduced large-scale load shedding experienced in 2014-2015. Other countries recording double-digit percentage-point improvements in reliable electricity supply are Zimbabwe (+18 points), Sierra Leone (+16), Botswana (+14), eSwatini (+13), Togo (+12), and Tanzania (+11). The largest decline in reliable electricity supply between 2014/2015 and 2016/2018 occurred in South Africa (-21 points), which has experienced power cuts as the utility Eskom battles to maintain its generating plants and keep pace with growing demand, followed by Cameroon (-19) and Cote d'Ivoire (-12). Looking only at households connected to the electric grid allows us to highlight the extent of poor-quality supply. Across 34 countries, one in four respondents (25%) who have an electricity connection say their electricity works about half the time or less (Figure 3). Quality is a particular problem in Malawi, where 88% of connected households do not have reliable electricity, and the situation is only slightly better in Guinea (79%) and Nigeria (79%). Respondents whose households have an electricity connection were asked: How often is electricity actually available from this connection? (% who say Author Citizens expect more from government Given that only 43% of Africans enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, it's hardly surprising that fewer than half (45%) say their government is doing a good job on this issue. There are bright spots whose lessons can be learned, such as striking gains in reliable power supply in Ghana. But even countries that have managed to extend the electric grid over the past decade, such as Kenya, will need enormous efforts to increase supply, improve service, and expand the use of alternative energy sources if they hope to fulfil the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals. Carolyn Logan receives funding from Afrobarometer, which received funding for Round 7 from the governments of Sweden and the United States, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. By Carolyn Logan, Deputy Director of the Afrobarometer & Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and MSU's African Studies Center, Michigan State University FI's Military Markets group highlights the factors behind the modest deceleration, while noting that the short- and medium-term military investment climate remains stout. As 2018 turned to 2019, growth in the global defense environment moderated slightly, according to a new white paper from Forecast International. The Global Defense Spending Annual Snapshot produced by Forecast's International's Military Markets group highlights the factors behind the modest deceleration, while noting that the short- and medium-term military investment climate remains stout. Buoyed by strong markets in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East, plus continuing investment growth among European NATO members seeking to recapitalize capabilities following decades of defense cuts, the broader global environment appears sturdy enough to withstand short-term economic hiccups. "Despite a few dips in dollar-adjusted spending among large defense-spending nations, the overall market continues to reflect growth," says senior analyst Dan Darling. "Whether in Europe, the U.S., Russia or the countries of East and South Asia, the trend shows nations putting more money into resourcing their militaries and investing in future technologies and/or asymmetric capabilities." Robust military modernization programs in China and Russia, plus competition in the spheres of cyber, electronic and information warfare, space, intelligence-gathering, and unmanned capabilities, will drive forward investment by the premier defense-spending nations. There is also a push for greater local industrial participation and capability in many traditional arms-importing nations such as Australia, India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which in turn calls for more internal expenditure. Meanwhile, improving force readiness and rectifying maintenance issues serve as drivers for the Pentagon as it oversees the world's largest defense budget. The latest white paper is an amalgamation of Forecast International's International Military Markets regional analyses library, providing a glimpse at some of the analysis and rationales behind its spending projections. For full details, please download the FREE Global Spending Annual Snapshot here: https://www.forecastinternational.com/whitepaper.cfm?wpid=19 Actor Arjun Kapoors last film Panipat withered away with much fanfare, but that doesnt mean Arjun doesnt have appetite for more. On Wednesday, he took to Instagram to post a picture of himself as Joaquin Phoenixs Joker. Sharing it, he wrote: Mera naam JOKER. The post showed his close shot of his face, using the Joker filter. The post garnered funny response with actor Parineeti Chopra saying, Harkatein bhi (actions as well). However, Ayushmann Khurrana full of praise and adding clapping hands emojis, while Katrina Kaif said awesome. In Ashutosh Gowarikers Panipat, Arjun played Sadashivrao Bhau, a commander of the Maratha army who took on the invading Afghan army, led by Ahmed Shah Abdali. Called the Third Battle of Panipat, it took place in 1761. The Marathas were defeated and their power declined thereafter. The Hindustan Times review said that the films length was its undoing. It said, The biggest problem with the film is its length. While Gowarikar may feel he needs 173 minutes to justify his magnum opus war drama, the film lacks pace, especially the first half thats a yawn-fest with the story taking its sweet time to build up. The love angle between Sadashivrao Bhau and Parvati Bai (Kriti Sanon) was a bit too much to focus on especially in a film that is primarily showcasing one of the most important battles fought in Indian history. However, as their love story unfolds, their chemistry is quite convincing. Also read | Bigg Boss 13: Asims brother slams Sidharth Shukla after fight in the house, says he can only shout and disrespect people Arjun will be seen next in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, where he has been paired with Parineeti. Arjun has also been confirmed for Mohit Suris Ek Villian 2. Before the film released, Arjuns look in the film was relentlessly compared with Ranveers look in Bajirao Mastani. Speaking to Hindustan Times, said that he was prepared for it. He said, I was ready for it, because authenticity breeds comparisons. Bhansali sir is authentic, and so is Ashutosh sir. They would not shy away from showing exactly what may have transpired. If I had not gone bald, just to protect myself from the comparisons with Ranveer, I would be dishonest to the film, era, and hurt more peoples sentiments. I will take the comparisons on my chin, because that means we have got it right. Thus, the overlap visually and in tonality. Follow @htshowbiz for more Fine Gael has promised to inject more than 1bn into investments in job creation and projects in towns and villages across rural Ireland. Leading party figures attacked the opposition over their proposals for rural Ireland, warning these would let isolated parts of the country down and result in less roads and stalled broadband. Tanaiste Simon Coveney also insisted that Fine Gael is unfazed by recent disappointing opinion poll results and instead had been motivated. Launching its rural Ireland plans, Fine Gael set out plans to pump 1bn into rural Ireland with funds targetted at towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. We will implement nine regional enterprise plans, following the successful implementation of the nine regional action plan for jobs, so that we focus on what every region does best," Mr Coveney said. We will also deliver key infrastructural projects under Project Ireland 2040 including the M20 Cork to Limerick and the N5 Westport to Turlough. He warned that the Greens and Fianna Fail may turn their back on planned road projects under the national roads programmes. The Greens, in particular, have targetted Mayo and oppose a near quarter of a billion euro spend there on a road, backed by Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring. Mr Ring and Mr Coveney pledged that, if returned to government, Fine Gael would double the funding of Udaras na Gaeltachta to support companies and produce a new tourism strategy for the Gaeltacht. However, some of the other priorities had little detail and only referenced empowering local authorities, activating online portals for rural groups and potential new strategies for island communities and outdoor recreation. Nonetheless, the Fine Gael ministers attacked Fianna Fail during its launch in Tipperary. Mr Coveney warned that Fianna Fail had threatened to abandon the national broadband plan, with some 1.1 million people still without access to high-speed internet. What I would like to hear from Micheal Martin is what is his solution for broadband because I don't believe he has one. And I believe he will end up supporting the national broadband scheme which he has tried to undermine in a populist way over the last six months, he said. He said he is not worried by recent polls, which puts Fianna Fail ahead of Fine Gael. On the contrary, this had motivated the party, he said. Fianna Fail, in its last three years of power, had overseen 356,000 job losses, explained Mr Coveney, adding: As this campaign moves on, I believe people will focus on the key issue of who do you trust to take the country forward? Mr Coveney also denied he would have been better leading Fine Gael for the election and instead defended Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Leo Varadkar's leadership is only two years old. He is new to the job and he has done an extraordinary amount of work since becoming Taoiseach and I hope he will have the opportunity to continue doing that. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared several proposals including revises cost estimates of six National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in North East states, extension of OBC commission for six months and closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd (HFL). "The Union Cabinet approved closure of HFL, a central public sector enterprise under the department of chemicals and petrochemicals," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said during a press briefing. The state-owned entity, which has been making losses since 2013-14, had accumulated losses of Rs 62.81 crore and net worth of (-) Rs 43.20 crore as on 31 March, 2019. Javadekar said the Cabinet has also approved the revised cost estimates (RCE) for establishment of permanent campuses of new National Institutes of Technology (NITs), at a total cost of Rs 4,371.90 crore for the period till 2021 - 2022. With the approved revised cost estimates, these NITs will be fully functional from their respective permanent campuses by 31 March, 2022, according to a Cabinet statement. The overall student capacity in these campuses will be 6,320. The Cabinet also designated Daman as capital of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Last month, the Home Ministry had announced that the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli will become a single union territory on January 26. The government has also approved amendments/extension/repeal in the Acts and Regulations dealing with Goods and Services Tax (GST), Value Added Tax (VAT) and State Excise for the newly merged Union Territory. A commission appointed in 2017 to examine the sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) has been given a six-month extension by Union Cabinet, said Javadekar. The tenure has been extended by 6 months till 31 July 2020. The Cabinet has also approved addition of term of reference to the existing Terms of reference of the "Commission". "To study the various entries in the "central list of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription." "The communities in the existing list of OBCs which have not been able to get any major benefit of the scheme of reservation for OBCs for appointment in central government posts and for admission in central government educational institutions are expected to be benefitted upon implementation of the recommendations of the commission," Cabinet said. The Cabinet has also given its approval for signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Brazil on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas. By Chitranjan Kumar Italian resort Rimini on Monday marked 100 years since the birth of director Federico Fellini, whose visual dreamscapes revolutionised cinema in a career spanning almost half a century. Dozens of events are being held around the world and in Italy this year to remember Fellini, considered one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. The winner of a record four best foreign language film Oscars, he is famed for films set in Rome such as La Dolce Vita (1960), and most of his films were shot in Cinecittas Studio 5 outside the capital. But he set his 1973 masterpiece Amarcord, a semi-autobiographical comedy about an adolescent boy growing up in 1930s fascist Italy, in the Adriatic resort of Rimini where he was born on January 20, 1920. The city is marking the centenary with a special exhibition and is due to open a museum dedicated to Fellini, who died in 1993, by the end of the year. On Monday the city will cut a giant cake in his honour on the main piazza. Rimini is everywhere in Fellinis cinema, the countryside in his films is Riminis countryside, the sea in all Fellinis films is Riminis sea, said Marco Leonetti of the Rimini Cinematheque which helped put on the exhibition. The show includes some of the more spectacular costumes from his films, as well as frequently erotic extracts from the sketchbooks of his dreams he created for his psychotherapist over a 30-year period. - Magical and lyrical - Originally an artist and caricaturist, Fellini paid to watch films as a child at Riminis Fulgor cinema by drawing caricatures, and his films remain caricatures of society. If you take Fellinis films, like Amarcord, La Dolce Vita, I Vitelloni, when you watch them all, its as if youre flicking through a history book, you travel through the history of our country, the history of Italy, from the 1930s to the 1980s, Leonetti told AFP. Fellini was initially appreciated more abroad than in Italy, where he frequently scandalised the conservative society of the 1950s. His films embodied a sense of irony, the ability to invent, and a sense of beauty, said Leonetti. These are the three qualities of his art, qualities which also created made in Italy, and thats why Fellini, besides having told the story of our country the best, is also the person who best represents it, he said. Fellini has inspired generations of directors since, including Britains Peter Greenaway and Spains Pedro Almodovar. US director David Lynch, who shares the same birthday as Fellini, in 1997 declared his love for the maestro from Rimini. Theres something about his films... Theyre so magical and lyrical and surprising and inventive. The guy was unique. If you took his films away, there would be a giant chunk of cinema missing, Lynch told filmmaker Chris Rodley. Fellini played a shameless game of reflections and autobiographical projections with his actors, the exhibition said. The exhibition Fellini 100: Immortal genius ends in March but will then travel to Rome and on to cities including Los Angeles, Moscow and Berlin. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter IP Court dismisses Russian patent agency's appeal in dispute over Raffaello brand RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:06 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) The Presidium of the Russian Intellectual Property Court (IP Court) has dismissed a cassation appeal of the Russian Federal Agency for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent) seeking a new litigation over the status of Raffaello brand in Russia. As it follows from the court records, in October 2019 the IP Court overturned a Rospatent decision of 2018 dismissing a petition of Luxemburg Soremartec C.A. company, which asked to recognize Raffaello brand as well-known one in the Russian Federation. At that time, the court cited serious procedural deficiencies in substantiation of its decision. Later, Rospatent turned to the IP Court Presidium seeking to overturn this decision. The foreign company supported its petition on well-known status of Raffaello brand as concerned confectioneries (candies) by presenting respective advertisements, mass media reports, data on sales volumes, and other evidence. However, Rospatent insisted that this evidence was insufficient to give the brand the status sought as it was not relevant to the activities of Soremartec C.A., and consumers awareness of Raffaello brand related rather to Ferrero group than the applicant. DAVOS, Switzerland The Patriotic Millionaires, a group of wealthy people who support hiking taxes on the rich, are taking their message global at the World Economic Forum. In a letter the group plans to release Wednesday, the Patriotic Millionaires will call for international tax reform. Previously, the organization has focused its message on the United States, where it has lobbied in favor of a millionaire tax and against tax loopholes for investment funds. The letter, titled "Millionaires Against Pitchforks," warns that tax evasion has "reached epidemic proportions" and contributes to "extreme, destabilizing inequality." It is timed to land as millionaires and billionaires gather here for the World Economic Forum which the group's president, Erica Payne, calls "one of the most obnoxious displays of privilege that is found on the world stage." "There are two kinds of wealthy people in the world: those who prefer taxes and those who prefer pitchforks. We, the undersigned, prefer taxes," the letter says. It is signed by 121 people, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney, Celtel-founder Mo Ibrahim, former Unilever CEO Paul Polman and "Love, Actually" filmmaker Richard Curtis. The letter cites a 2018 IMF report that found that $12 trillion of multinational investments is "completely artificial" and sitting in empty corporate shells across the globe. Meanwhile, the world's roughly 2,000 billionaires have more wealth than 60% of the planet's population, researchers at Oxfam said earlier this week. They warned that "extreme wealth is a sign of a failing economic system." The Patriotic Millionaires argue that taxes are the solution. "Taxes are the best and only appropriate way to ensure adequate investment in the things our societies need. Individuals who reject this truth pose a dual threat both to the climate and to democracy itself," says the letter. The group is urging tax reform for individual and corporate taxes. The Patriotic Millionaires was founded in 2010 and is chaired by former BlackRock executive Morris Pearl. Until now, its focus has been exclusively in the U.S., where it has run publicity campaigns and lobbied lawmakers to support its causes. The group stood by then-President Barack Obama's side for his 2012 Tax Day address. Last month, the group unveiled its first spate of endorsements for 2020 congressional elections. But the group believes the global tax landscape is so fraught it must expand is mission overseas, Payne said. A number of the group's signatories, like Polman, are not members of the U.S. organization. Payne said it took months to find global millionaires and billionaires to support its cause. "The number of wealthy people concerned with their fellow humans is minuscule. That is true domestically and it appears to also be true internationally," Payne said. Djaffar Shalchi, an Iranian-Danish businessman who helped the Patriotic Millionaires build their European network, said many requests for signatures were left simply left unanswered. "The feedback was they didn't want to sign it," Shalchi said. "Most rich people are scared to sign something like that." But if the letter resonates as the group hopes, the Patriotic Millionaires will look for more global allies, and jump more heartily into the debate, Payne said. As they do, they will be joining a corporate tax debate that has been reverberating across the international stage for years. Globalization has made it easier for companies to seek shelter in countries with lower corporate tax rates. That challenge is heightened by the rising tech giants like Facebook, Amazon and Apple that render taxing based on physical presence an antiquated notion. The global corporate tax has essentially halved in the past 35 years. It stood at 49% in 1985 and is 24% today, according to the IMF. Former IMF Chairwoman Christine Lagarde has called existing global tax rules "fundamentally out of date." Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this week the global tax system needs to be "rehauled." The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is working to develop a framework tax solution for the wealthy countries that make up its membership, including Australia, the U.S., France and Ireland. But efforts to create change have been stymied by diplomatic tensions. A frequently discussed potential solution is the imposition of a "digital tax" through which countries can tax an internet company doing business in its region. With most of the world's largest technology companies based in the U.S, though, there are fears such a tax offers other nations a chance to prosper from the fruits of these American firms' success. As such, the U.S. has been sparring with France, Italy and Britain over threats of a digital tax. The debate has also clouded the negotiation of an OECD framework. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin earlier this month informed OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria that he has concerns about mandatory digital taxes being included as part of its global tax solution. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, called a truce in the matter, Reuters reported. While Shalchi said he's supportive of any efforts to close global tax loopholes, he said there may be an easier approach. "We're just complicating with 10 different kinds of taxes. They can tax the corporations, tax the stock markets so on and so on let's just make it simple: Let's just tax the wealthy," he said. "But we are talking about the 1% here, come on." Read the letter: On August 20, Mr. Duffey wrote to Ms. McCusker to notify her that the aid freeze was going to be extended again, long past the deadline when the Pentagon had said it needed the hold to be lifted if it was going to be able to spend all of the money before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. It is our intent to add the following footnote to the Ukraine apportionment this afternoon to take effect immediately, Mr. Duffey said in his email to Ms. McCusker, explaining the technical process the White House was using to impose the aid freeze. Mike, Ms. McCusker wrote back several hours later, to Mr. Duffey and other senior officials at the Office of Management and Budget. Seems like we continue to talk (email) past each other a bit. We should probably have a call. William S. Castle, the principal deputy general counsel at the Pentagon, got involved in the debate, reaching out to the budget offices top lawyer at Ms. McCuskers request to question him on the hold. Mark Paoletta, the general counsel at the budget office, sent a lengthy response. But other than about a dozen words the greeting and the closing of the email the entire contents of the response were blacked out before being released under the Freedom of Information Act suit. Hi Scott, the email said, followed by four large blacked out areas of text that the White House declined to make public. Please let me know if you have any questions, Thanks. The White House cited a provision of the Freedom of Information that allows the federal government to withhold deliberative communications, the disclosure of which would inhibit the frank and candid exchange of views that is necessary for effective government decision-making. Olmsted County support of the purchase of a 36-unit apartment complex aims to maintain -- and potentially grow -- affordable housing in Rochester. The countys Housing and Redevelopment Authority Board unanimously agreed Tuesday to help Rochester Area Foundations First Homes program purchase the Center Street Village apartment complex, which is expected to be maintained as housing for families on limited budgets. "We dont have 36 other units that potentially these families could move to and afford in our community, especially not in this location," the foundations Jennifer Woodford told the countys HRA board as she requested the support. The foundations First Homes program is hoping to purchase the complex at 626 E. Center St. to help maintain the affordable rental units close to downtown. Rents at the complex start at $750 a month, with most falling below $900. Two units were recently upgraded and rented for $1,100 a month to demonstrate their ability to be filled at market rates with minimal investment ADVERTISEMENT Dave Dunn, the countys housing director, said the county has an interest in working with First Homes to keep the remaining apartment rents from climbing, while also creating a partnership that helps county housing efforts. "Well make sure vouchers are accepted. That will be one of the terms of our agreement," he said, referring to the federal housing program operated by the county. However, Woodford said the original financing plan, which includes a loan from Greater Minnesota Housing Fund for "just over $2 million," offers little wiggle room. The Coalition for Rochester Area Housing has also contributed a grant to help fund the project. The property, which was originally built as a condominium complex, is appraised at nearly $2.7 million by Olmsted County for tax purposes. Woodford said the plan would result in a loss of at least $347 in the first year. While future years could see positive cash flow, she said it could fall short in the face of unforeseen expenses. County Commissioner Jim Bier said hed like to see the project have flexibility. "Youve got to put some money away," he said, noting continued repairs will be needed to ensure the building remains in good shape. To provide some flexibility, the HRA board approved a plan to seek new tax credits for the project, which could save $10,000 to $14,000 a year in operating expenses. Additionally, the board approved a $360,000, 10-year, no-interest deferred loan to increase the mortgage down payment and reduce annual debt payments. ADVERTISEMENT The result would provide First Homes with approximately $28,000 in revenue for the first year, if no unforeseen costs are seen. "First Homes is a nonprofit, so if there is any sort of cash flow at the end of the year, that will go back into the property or to First Homes, which is providing affordable housing throughout our community," Woodford said The First Homes program has 208 homes in a community land trust to help people afford their own homes. "Thats been our primary focus home ownership," she said. At the same time, she said investment in the apartment complex would be a priority, with plans to spend $100,000 on initial repairs and upgrades. Additionally, she said shes hoping to work with Rochester Public Utilities and other agencies to make upgrades, including eventually replacing all the windows in the complex, which was built in 1986. Woodford said plans call for closing on the apartment complex by Feb. 18. Drones and CCTV will be introduced at Machu Picchu, after a group of tourists were accused of defecating in a sacred temple at the world-famous Inca citadel. Officials indicated new measures would be used for security but also in a bid to prevent any desecration of the Temple of the Sun. The six tourists were arrested this month after park rangers found them in a restricted area of the temple, a key part of the iconic site. Inside the temple, faeces were found, the region's cultural authorities said. One of the six, 28-year-old Nahuel Gomez from Argentina, admitted attempting to remove a stone slab which then fell from the temple wall and caused a crack in the floor. Six tourists were arrested for 'damaging Peru's cultural heritage' by trespassing at Machu Picchu and knocking over part of a stone wall, leaving a mark in the ground (right) Drones and CCTV are to be installed around Machu Picchu (pictured in a file image) to stop any desecration of the sacred site in Peru The 18 new cameras will reportedly be placed at three strategic points of the citadel, as well as access points from the surrounding mountains. Jose Bastante, head of the archaeological park in Peru, said: 'We are going to strengthen security at Machu Picchu by installing high-tech cameras. Police say they also found faecal matter in the area, and suspect some of the group of defecating (pictured, the fallen stone) 'This will allow us to better control visitors and avoid any action or infraction to the regulations, also any type of risk.' The group, who were arrested on January 12, comprised four men and two women between the ages of 20 and 32, including two Argentines, two Brazilians, a Chilean and a French woman. They allegedly entered the UNESCO World Heritage site the day before their arrest and hid, intending to spend the night there, which is prohibited. Gomez was fined 275 and must pay 1,140 to the culture ministry for repairs. He also received a suspended sentenced of three years and four months, but once the fines are paid he can leave the country. The other five tourists were deported to Bolivia last week and barred from returning to Peru for 15 years. 'The damaged caused is significant. The integrity of Machu Picchu has been broken,' said Bastante. When the site was an Inca citadel, the Temple of the Sun would have been used to make offerings to the sun god the civilisation's most important deity. Machu Picchu is believed to date back to the 1450s and to have been used for some 80 years before being abandoned during the Spanish conquests. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Audi of America is joining with Qualcomm and the Virginia Department of Transportation to demonstrate a new cellular-based car communications technology that backers say will make roads safer. The German automaker plans to equip a limited number of Q8 SUVs with cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) transmitters, Audi and Qualcomm said in a statement today. The V2X communications system would work on certain roads in northern Virginia in a type of test pilot program. Broadly speaking, V2X technology permits vehicles to send and receive messages from other road users and surrounding infrastructure, such as smart traffic lights, so drivers and vehicles can receive notifications about unseen vehicles speeding through intersections or about stopped traffic ahead. It could even apply emergency braking to prevent a crash. Such a system, if widely deployed and adopted, could one day work in tandem with self-driving-car technology, supporters of the technology say. The Federal Communications Commission recently unveiled a plan that, if approved, would open up public airwaves for C-V2X. We recognize the immediate value of the spectrum that the FCC proposed to allocate to C-V2X, Anupam Malhotra, director of connected vehicles and data at Audi of America, said in a prepared statement. The project will show our cars on real roads engaging in how advancement in transportation safety and mobility can be accelerated. The Audi system, which will use equipment developed by Qualcomm, wont be the full realization of V2Xs promise. It will be a limited pilot project showcasing two types of communicationswarnings about work zones and information about traffic signal timing at upcoming intersections. The announcement shows that interest from the automotive industry in testing and developing a cellular-based technology for V2X is accelerating after the FCCs recent action. Story continues In 1999, the FCC reserved a section of airwaves as a safety spectrum so that the industry would have space to develop a V2X technology called Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) that uses shortwave radio. But late last year, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai laid out a plan that would reallocate the spectrum for other uses, including the type of cellular-based V2X that Audi plans to test in Virginia. Pai said in a November speech that the transportation industry had not implemented the shortwave radio approach quickly enough, leaving the spectrum unused and lying largely fallow for two decades. Backers of deploying the cellular-based technology say the approach is more cost-efficient and effective than the competing alternatives, including DSRC. Lifesaving Potential The general consensus among experts, including Consumer Reports, is that some form of effective V2X communication could save thousands of lives each year, if vehicles can communicate with each other and smart infrastructure to prevent crashes. Consumer Reports isnt wedded to a particular technological approach, but we value speed of adoption. And right now, DSRC over years of testing is the only technology that has been validated and is ready to deploy. But under the FCC proposal, 45 megahertz of the reserved safety spectrum would be reallocated for WiFi. Of the 30 MHz remaining for V2X, one-third will remain available for DSRC and two-thirds will be set aside for C-V2X. The FCC approved its plan in a 5-0 bipartisan vote Dec. 12, but it could take many months for a final approval after a public comment period and other regulatory hurdles are cleared. Audi is now the second automaker to commit to using C-V2X in the U.S. Ford Motor Co. has said that it will be equipping all its U.S. vehicles with C-V2X in 2022 and that its doing so because it can take advantage of modems for connected-car services already installed in vehicles. Toyota and General Motors have backed DSRC in the past, but neither automaker is currently committed to rolling out new vehicles with the needed shortwave radio transmitters. The U.S. Department of Transportation has been a strong advocate of keeping all 75 MHz of the airwaves reserved for auto safety, as they have been since 1999. Last week, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced a new $38 million program to avoid crashes and aid first responders by equipping emergency vehicles and key infrastructure with DSRC transmitters. There are 87 DSRC test projects currently operating across the country. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples 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 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. (Newser) On the first day of President Trump's impeachment trial, Republican senators stymied Democrats' attempts to bring additional evidence and witnesses, but on the witness topic, Trump says he actually wants to see those like chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton brought in to testify. The president talked about that preference at what the AP calls a "surprise" presser Wednesday after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, although he insisted the impeachment in general was "a hoax" and "so bad for our country." "Personally, I'd rather go the long route," he said on the witness question, though he noted that "national security" had to be kept in mind regarding any testimony. "I'll leave that to the Senate. The Senate is going to have to answer that." story continues below He went on to praise his defense team, noting they've been doing a "very good job," and blasted the Democratic impeachment managers, saying he'd like to go "sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces," except he doesn't think his attorneys would want him to do so. The president also talked about the US economy and what he called the "blue-collar boom" that's been driving it, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The American dream is back, bigger, better, and stronger than ever before," he said, ticking off such accomplishments as the low unemployment rate and foreign investment. "No one is benefiting more than America's middle class." UBS Chair Axel Weber called Trump's talk "a typical sales pitch of the CEO in Davos overselling the company's achievements and underreporting on some of the risks." Trump added that he still plans on giving his State of the Union address on Feb. 4. (Read more Davos stories.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 Indonesia's record low poverty reduction rate should serve as a wake-up call to the government that economic growth has been both slow and unevenly distributed, experts have said. The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) researcher Rusli Abdullah said in Jakarta on Jan. 16 that the countrys economic growth in recent years had not been high enough to go the last mile in poverty reduction. He compiled data revealing that the poverty rate had only decreased 1.74 percent between 2014 and 2019, the slowest rate in the last 40 years. The data sends the message that the lower the number, the more difficult poverty reduction will be, Rusli said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: Parvin Karimzade, a candidate from the 37th constituency of Nizami First (Ganja), shared on his Facebook page that the next article on the history of Ganja, published in the prestigious Russian journal Voprosy istorii, was included in the global platform of scientific databases Web of Science Core Collection. Further, Parvin Karimzade writes: The article examines the state of education in Ganja at the beginning of the 20th century, the impact of education on the emerging national movement and the transformation of Ganja into the center of the national movement. The Karabakh problem is the basis of the scientific work of Ganja Parvin Karimzade. In particular, the national movement in Ganja at the beginning of the 20th century, the first national parties, famous personalities of Ganja (A. Rafibeyli, M. Pishnamazzade, A. Ziyadkhanov, I. Ziyadkhanov and others), Provocations committed by Armenians in Ganja in 1905 -1906 years And other questions. In addition to Azerbaijan, authoritative scientific publications in many countries of the world (Turkey, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, etc.), Scientific articles in journals with a high impact factor, which are included in the Web of Science database. The publication of articles on the history of the Motherland, especially the armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the history of the indigenous population of Ganja by Parvin Kerimzade, articles of the dashnaksut party in foreign magazines is one of my works on promoting Azerbaijani realities in the world. Parvin Karimzade is a member of the parliament of the 5th convocation, and the New Azerbaijan Party nominated him for early parliamentary elections in the first district of Ganja No. 37. Parvin Karimzade - vice-rector, deputy of Ganja State University, doctor of historical sciences. On the night of May 28, 2017, a nurse living in an apartment complex on Babcock Road went down a hallway screaming and frantically banging on doors, saying she was raped at gunpoint. A neighbor who opened the door and let her in described the scene as testimony began Wednesday in the trial of Anton Jamail Harris. Harris, 20, is charged with five counts of aggravated sexual assault and one aggravated robbery charge. Hes accused of raping five women either at knifepoint or gunpoint on the Northwest Side. Authorities believe Harris embarked on a crime spree that started in 2015 when he was 16 and ended in 2017 with his arrest, two days after his graduation from Marshall High School. He is being tried on the charge that he raped the nurse. Someone just help me, help me, please, please, Ive been raped, Crystal Gandara told the jury as she described the night she saw her neighbor through a peep hole, identified in court only as Jane, trying to seek help after an attack. I opened the door, and I pulled her in, Gandara said. She was crying, obviously in distress. Gandara told her husband, Gilbert Montez, to call 911. Montez, who also testified, said he took their dog out and started looking for their neighbors attacker. Police Officer Angela Murray responded that night to a report of a rape in progress. When she arrived, the victim said she had gone to the store to get coffee for the morning. When she tried to enter her apartment, she was attacked at her doorway and forced inside at gunpoint. The woman told the officer her assailant wanted money. She offered her car, but that was when the attack began. She was crying and said a male pushed his way through, pointed a gun at her and told her hed shoot her if she didnt shut up, Murray said. The attacker took her to the bedroom and raped her, the officer said. He made her disrobe, bent her over the bed and took from her what only should be given, prosecutor Daryl Harris told the jury as part of his opening statement. Not only did he take her body, he wanted to take her personhood. Murray testified that Jane identified her attacker as a tall slim African-American man wearing a gray Nike hoodie sweatshirt, dark pants and blue and white Nike tennis shoes. She said they apprehended two males that night who fit the description, but neither of them was the defendant. The prosecutor said investigators went to a nearby Valero to look at video footage and were able to get video matching the description of Anton Harris clothes. They took the footage to Marshall High School, where a district police officer recognized Harris, whom he remembered played basketball at the school. The trial is expected to last about two weeks. If convicted, Harris faces up to life in prison. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Businesses can now apply for a share of 2m to work with Canadian partners on new technologies that set out to boost productivity and cut pollution. Both the UK and Canada say they recognise the economic importance of agriculture and have been working together to identify areas of mutual interest. The Canadian and UK agri-food sectors were worth 63bn and 109bn respectively in 2014. The UK governments Transforming Food Production Challenge has up to 90 million to help businesses invest in new data-driven precision-agriculture technologies that could transform food production. Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to 2m from the fund to invest in research and development projects that involve UK businesses working with partners in Canada. Small or medium-sized farming businesses in Canada, with fewer than 500 employees, will receive funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program. The fund is looking for businesses who aim to transform the food production challenge, including the use of data-driven precision approaches and contributing towards a target of net-zero emissions by 2040. They should aim to bring new businesses and technologies into the UK and Canadian agriculture sectors and show they have taken account of the needs of farmers and growers. The funding will support projects that combine digital technologies, artificial intelligence, the application of big data and engineering solutions with biological, environmental or social science to drive productivity. The competition opens on Monday 27 January and closes at 5pm on Wednesday 20 May 2020. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 3F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 3F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Until people know the climate impact of the products theyre using, it will be impossible for them to demand lower-carbon goods, and it will be impossible to decarbonize the industrial sectors that are responsible for 40 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions said Paolo Natali, director at RMI. Rocky Mountain Institute, MIT Sustainable Supply Chains, the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, and the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines today announced the Coalition on Materials Emissions Transparency (COMET). This effort aims to build a standard method for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in materials, an important step in decarbonizing mineral and industrial supply chains. The COMET Method will provide insight into the carbon content of consumer products like cars, buildings, and phones, and will help both corporations and consumers purchase materials and products with fewer embedded CO2 emissions. We all know that you cant manage what you cant measure, said Paolo Natali, director of the Materials Initiative at Rocky Mountain Institute. Until people know the climate impact of the products theyre using, it will be impossible for them to demand lower-carbon goods, and it will be impossible to decarbonize the industrial sectors that are responsible for 40 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions. While climate disclosure is increasing, it remains a challenge to compare greenhouse gas emissions across companies and supply chains. Although methods like life-cycle analysis and environmental product declarations exist, there is currently no consistency in data collection or reporting across methods, and no framework that spans the entire supply chain. This means there is currently no universally accepted way to know the emissions intensity of products or materials. The COMET Method will change that by making GHG disclosure comparable across the existing reporting mechanisms. Additionally, the COMET Method will provide a foundation for integrating environmental reporting metrics, support and enhance existing initiatives for sustainable production, and ultimately develop a clear picture of emissions from the production of key materials like steel, copper, and cement. Our ultimate goal is transparency of climate impacts across the supply chain, said Suzanne Greene, program manager for MIT Sustainable Supply Chains. An emissions calculation method for mineral and industrial supply chains is an important first step for consumers and investors to understand and drive the decarbonization of the goods we use every day. COMET will initially focus on developing sector-specific guidance for metals and minerals, following the template of successful collaborative carbon accounting initiatives for freight transportation (the Global Logistics Emissions Council [GLEC] Framework) and information and communication technology products (ICT Sector Guidance). RMI would like to invite companies and financiers active in the manufacturing and mining sectors to join us by becoming a founding member. For more information, contact Paolo Natali [pnatali@rmi.org] or Kathy Wight [kwight@rmi.org], or visit http://www.rmi.org/comet. Media inquiries please contact: Nick Steel, New York Tel: +1 347-574-0887 Email: nsteel@rmi.org About Rocky Mountain Institute Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)an independent nonprofit founded in 1982transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; the San Francisco Bay Area; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. About MIT Sustainable Supply Chains Founded in 1973, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL) is a dynamic solutions-oriented environment where students, faculty, and industry leaders pool their knowledge and experience to advance supply chain education and research. CTL believes that supply chains can be used as a tool for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, and launched the Sustainable Supply Chains (SSC) initiative to advance research on sustainability within supply chains. About the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute at Columbia University, is the only university-based applied research center and forum dedicated to the study, practice and discussion of sustainable international investment. Our mission is to develop practical approaches for governments, investors, communities and other stakeholders to maximize the benefits of international investment for sustainable development. About the Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines Located at one of the countrys finest technical universities, the Payne Institute for Public Policy connects the cutting-edge research at the Colorado School of Mines to a broad audience of decision-makers. The Institute provides high-quality, data-driven, solutions-oriented research and dialogue to help inform and shape public policy on earth resources, energy, and environment. Coronavirus battle at full-scale Global Times By Zhang Han and Chen Qingqing Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/21 23:28:40 Last Updated: 2020/1/21 23:45:50 Strictest control measures deployed in China to curb spread of pneumonia Human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus was confirmed Tuesday as the death toll rose to six in Chinese mainland and the nation's health authorities stepped up efforts ahead of the Spring Festival travel rush, the world's largest scale human migration. A total 309 cases were confirmed nationwide, 270 in Central China's Hubei Province, where the coronavirus originated, five in Beijing and 14 in South China's Guangdong Province, as of Tuesday evening, People's Daily reported. Fifteen medical workers in Wuhan were among those infected. As of 7 pm Tuesday, Shanghai added four more confirmed cases, bringing the city total to six, with three suspected cases. Tianjin confirmed two cases. New confirmed cases were also announced in Central China's Henan Province and Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The infected were believed to have come from Wuhan. The total confirmed cases across the nation had yet to be released as of press time. There were 117 suspected cases discovered in Hong Kong as of Tuesday noon, with one sufferer in an extremely critical condition, Chinese national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday evening. Diagnosed cases have been also reported in Thailand, Japan and South Korea. The coronavirus was confirmed to be transmitted person-to-person as new infected people who haven't traveled to Wuhan were found to have close contacts with earlier patients. The disease was first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan. At the invitation of World Health Organization, China and other pneumonia-affected countries will take part in an emergency meeting on international health regulations on Wednesday night and share information with representatives from other countries, Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a press briefing on Tuesday. China will further study the virus with relevant organizations, strengthening global collaboration in fighting the spread of the virus and safeguarding public health safety, Geng noted. Although classified a "class B infectious disease," the coronavirus would be handled like a "class A epidemic" the commission said, meaning the prevention, reporting and quarantine work will meet the strictest levels. Cholera is among diseases classified as class A. Class A measures require governments at all levels to quarantine, treat and make timely reports of discovered cases. Police can intervene when a patient refuses treatment. The government can install checkpoints at junctions and public places to detect disease. The B-A approach was also applied to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which caused 774 deaths worldwide in 2002-2003. Class A measures are the strictest on the Chinese mainland, Zhou Zijun, a professor at the Peking University School of Public Health, told the Global Times Tuesday. "The decision was made considering the infectivity of the coronavirus," Zhou said, "but the fatalities and damage to human bodies are less serious than the plague or cholera. Therefore it is listed as B class disease." Virus updates are more transparent and timely than during SARS, but there is "still space for improvement," according to Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University. The country has made progress in sharing information and preventing and controlling diseases, Yang said. The incubation period of the new pneumonia is longer than SARS but the symptoms are lighter, making it difficult to identify patients, he noted. For a transportation hub like Wuhan, tracking travelers' temperatures at airports and train stations places a high demand on equipment and personnel, Yang said. City on alert In Wuhan, temperature takers are being deployed at junctions to track outbound individuals and outbound tourist groups have also been cancelled. To reduce unnecessary gatherings of people, the city canceled a festival cultural activity on Saturday and is carrying out random checks on vehicles for live poultry or wildlife being moved in or out of the city. "Railway stations and airports have set up temperature screening spots, while our company building has also been sterilized," a Wuhan resident told the Global Times on Tuesday. Relevant information was being disclosed in a more timely manner than previous days, said the resident, who did not give his full name. "People have become more vigilant on the matter. However, there is no palpable panic," he said. The cost of treating confirmed cases of pneumonia-like symptom diseases beyond medical care coverage would be borne by the government, Wuhan health officials said at a media event on Tuesday evening. China's National Healthcare Security Administration rolled out a special reimbursement policy to include all drugs and medical services in payment coverage and announced a "treat first pay later" policy to guarantee timely treatment of infected cases. Virus source The possible animal carrier of the virus has not been identified but the disease was first detected among people who work at a seafood market that also sells wild birds, civets and snakes. The coronavirus is highly likely originated from wild animals, said Zhong Nanshan, an epidemiologist and head of a National Health Commission team investigating the virus. Civets were suspected for transmitting SARS to human beings. In an article on its WeChat account, the Ministry of Natural Resources on Tuesday warned the public not to eat or have contact with wild animals. Hunting wild animals for their meat and fur not only threatens the ecology but also puts human beings in danger, said the article. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address You may also like these stories: Beijing-based Koryo Tours said it was contacted by a business partner in North Korea about the measure on Tuesday, adding Pyongyangs move may also apply to people traveling from China to North Korea on business. BEIJINGNorth Korean authorities on Wednesday blocked foreign tourists crossing the border from China as a preventive measure after the outbreak of a new coronavirus in its neighbor, according to tourist companies. Various photos depicting China's past relations with North Korea are on display in front of the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on Oct. 5, 2019, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral ties. / Kyodo Various photos depicting China's past relations with North Korea are on display in front of the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on Oct. 5, 2019, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral ties. / Kyodo Ex-EU Diplomat Reportedly Accused of Spying for China as Police Conduct Raids in Germany, Brussels Fresh, Affordable and Just a Little Spicy: Jana Mon Serves up Myanmars Mon Cuisine in Yangon Xi Jinping Calls for Concrete Planning and Implementation of Chinese Projects Ahead of Myanmar Visit Myanmar Court Set to Issue Warrant for US Man Who Failed to Attend Court in Cannabis Case The Day When a US Medic was Jailed in Myanmar for Treason Beyond the Cliche of Pauk-Phaw, China and Myanmar Need Each Other What Will 2020 Mean for Myanmars Democracy? What Will Xi Jinpings Visit Mean for Myanmars Future? Britain's Prince Harry Says No Other Option But To Step Back Chinese Presidents Claim That Beijing Not Arming EAOs Met With Skepticism in Myanmar No Genocidal Intent in Security Operations in Rakhine State, Myanmar Commission Says Myanmars National Dialogue Must Be for All NCA Signatories Ahead of Peace Summit, EAOs Say Suu Kyi Economic Adviser: National Interest Must Come First When Deciding Large Chinese Investments in Myanmar Myanmar President Sends Report on Massacres of Rohingya by Security Forces to Military Chief for More Prosecutions Banana Ban and Meatless Menus, but How Green Is Davos Summit? We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. Jan 22, 2020 KRR The official teaser of Tovino Thomas starrer Forensic has been released. The teaser shows that the film is a gripping investigative thriller of a murder case. Four children between the age group of eight and 11 get abducted from Burma colony, located on the outskirts of the capital city. Later, they were found murdered. The film is about finding out the perpetrators of the crime. Mamta Mohandas plays Rithika Xavier IPS in the film. The teaser has the presence of Tovino, Mamta and Saiju Kurup. The film is written and helmed by Akhil Paul and Anas Khan. It is produced by Navis Xaviour and Siju Mathew. Akhil George cranks the camera while music is composed by Jakes Bejoy. Click the Movie button below for more info: Forensic Mamta Mohandas Pictures STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Port Richmond man who snatched an NYPD-issued taser from a detective and pointed it at him inside the 120th Precinct stationhouse last year can avoid jail under a plea agreement reached Wednesday. No one was hurt in the May 26, 2019 incident in the cell area at the St. George precinct. Andrew Lawrence, 23, must undergo intensive outpatient treatment and toxicological screenings for about a year under the supervision of the CRAN (Community Re-entry Assistance Network) program. CRAN is an alternative to incarceration program which provides case management and other services for individuals with mental illness or substance-abuse issues who have criminal cases and are re-entering society. Police said the events unfolded as Lawrence, who was inside a cell, was being processed for an arrest. The defendant grabbed the taser from an Emergency Service Unit (ESU) detective and pointed it at the cop placing him in risk of serious physical injury, according to police and a criminal complaint. Lawrence waved the taser erratically before eventually discarding it, said cops. Police recovered the weapon. Video of the incident has been posted online: The video shows Lawrence reach through the cell bars and snatch the taser. The cop quickly moves to safety in an adjoining cell. Lawrence points the taser through the cell bars for a minute or two before ultimately sliding the weapon across the floor to police once Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi, the 120th Precinct commanding officer, enters the holding area. A statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information explains how the incident occurred: During arrest processing, the subject began to display irrational behavior and an ambulance and the Emergency Services Unit were notified to assist in transporting subject to the hospital. ESU officers engaged the subject in order to gain voluntary compliance. During this exchange, the subject reached out and grabbed a Conducted Electrical Weapon from one of the officers. The officers took cover and the weapon was recovered without incident. Police said the episode was under review. The incident that precipitated Lawrences arrest occurred earlier that day on Roe Street near Castleton Avenue in West Brighton, said authorities. At about 11:45 a.m., police saw Lawrence inside a silver Hyundai Sonata with three doors open. Lawrence allegedly was reclined in the front passenger seat surrounded by broken glass. Officers recovered a screwdriver, considered a burglars tool, from the front passenger seat, the complaint said. Its my brothers car, the complaint quoted Lawrence as telling cops. I was trying to use the pry bar, but I couldnt get in, so I broke the glass to get in. His brother told police Lawrence didnt have permission to damage the car, the complaint said. Lawrence was indicted on charges of criminal weapon possession, menacing a police officer and grand larceny from a person. He pleaded guilty to a felony and a misdemeanor count of criminal weapon possession. Under his agreement, the felony conviction will be vacated, and Lawrence will be sentenced to three years probation on the misdemeanor if he completes treatment. Should he fail to do so, he faces up to seven years in prison on the felony conviction. The bearded defendant made no statement at Wednesdays proceeding beyond admitting guilt. His case was adjourned to Feb. 5 for an update in Mental Health Court. Mr. Lawrence will greatly benefit from the alternative to incarceration program offered by the Richmond County district attorney, said defense lawyer Joshua Benjamin. The prosecution and the police showed great compassion and understanding for Mr. Lawrence in offering him this program. We all hope that Mr. Lawrence does well in the program and that he has a positive transition to life in his home and in his community, Benjamin said. He will be closely monitored by the Mental Health Court which is expert in cases like this and they have all the tools needed to ensure compliance. Press Release Brussels, 22 January 2020 Orange Industry 4.0 Campus welcomes co-innovation of Port of Antwerp, Borealis, Covestro and other industrial partners, maximizing 5G potential in the port of Antwerp Orange Belgium is now welcoming its first wave of industrial partners to the Orange Industry 4.0 Campus for business. The Port of Antwerp, the chemical company Borealis and high-tech polymer manufacturer Covestro started to co-innovate to developing real-life applications, maximizing the full potential of 5G at Orange Belgium's testing hub. Deloitte Belgium will advise the community on shaping and realizing the business potential of this 5G innovation hub. With Orange's 5G testing network being deployed on the campus, industrial partners will benefit from dedicated connectivity and a guaranteed service quality appropriate for their specific use cases. Orange Belgium launched this 5G testing network in Antwerp in late 2019 and it is the country's first 5G stand-alone architecture network. It is now available for use by Orange's industrial partners, who will benefit from 5G's full potential: dedicated and tailor-made connectivity adapted to the specific requirements of new innovations such as wireless manufacturing and real-time automation. As Orange Belgium is not just adding 5G capacities on top of the existing 4G/3G technologies, it is deploying a separate network enabling network slicing, very low latency and massive IoT in the port of Antwerp region, enabling the various industry stakeholders to enjoy unmatched performance, reliability and security. Orange Industry 4.0 Campus industrial partners to demonstrate the possibilities of 5G stand-alone technology Using the full potential of 5G in Orange Belgium's test network, different real-life and business-critical applications will be built and tested in an industrial environment, including connected tugboats and Smart Field Operators: - The vessels towing process of connected tugboats will be enhanced thanks to real time broadcasting of mobile radar images to the control room, sent by high level definition embedded cameras. These cameras can be remote controlled in real time. - For Smart Field Operators, mission critical communications need a guaranteed preemption priority to increase the worker's security in case of alert. These field operators will receive real time and rich technical information about equipment to be operated or maintained, by visualizing a digital twin of the infrastructure they're working on. Remote assistance from the control center will also be eased by real time transfer of images from the field to increase the worker's safety. Another use case is the automated contaminant tracker that securely sends images of suspect production samples through 5G connection to a specific user within the cloud for further analysis. Werner De Laet, Orange Belgium's Chief Enterprise Officer, says: "Now that we provide 5G stand-alone (SA) connectivity in our 5G testing hub for business, we offer our partners dedicated and tailor-made connectivity, adapted to the specific demands of innovative new applications such as wireless manufacturing, real-time automation, smart cities and the Internet of Things. So we are absolutely thrilled with the response we have received from the industrial partners within the Port of Antwerp. Now that this 5G industrial ecosystem is up and running, we will share its progress with the public by the end of June. As such, even if regulatory and legal changes remain necessary, Orange Belgium will continue to play its role of bold challenger on the business market." Tim Paridaens, Internet of Things leader at Deloitte Belgium says, "At Deloitte, we strongly believe that 5G's new business standards will pave the way for a whole host of new applications, allowing for industrial-scale IoT networks in factories, warehouses, ports, and more. This unique initiative will provide a real-world test bed, prove the value potential for business and steer technical and business decision-making towards a connected, digital and 5G-enabled future." Erwin Verstraelen, Chief Digital Information & Innovation Officer at Port of Antwerp adds, "Sensors, smart cameras, remote-controlled ships, autonomous vehicles and drones are all innovative technologies with business potential for the wider port area. What they all have in common is their need for reliable network connectivity: today 4G, tomorrow 5G. Since 5G is not 4G plus 1, we need to learn in a relevant context. Therefore, the Port of Antwerp welcomes the consortium to leverage our port as an innovation platform where relevant 5G use cases can be tested. This will guarantee fast deployment once regular 5G is available." Logistics operator Katoen Natie has already agreed to join in a second wave. A special summit will be organized in June to share the first Industrial 4.0 applications to the Antwerp port ecosystem and the wider regional and Belgian economy as well as the Telecommunication Industry. *** About Orange Belgium Orange Belgium is a leading telecommunications operator on the Belgian market with over 3 million customers; Orange is also active in Luxembourg through its subsidiary Orange Communications Luxembourg. As a convergent actor, we provide mobile telecommunications services, internet and TV to private clients as well as innovative mobile and fixed-line services to businesses. Our high-performance mobile network supports 2G, 3G, 4G and 4G+ technology and is the subject of ongoing investment. Orange Belgium is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, one of the leading European and African operators for mobile telephony and internet access, as well as one of the world leaders in telecommunications services for enterprises. Orange Belgium is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange (OBEL). More information on: corporate.orange.be, www.orange.be or follow us on Twitter: @pressOrangeBe. Press contact Younes Al Bouchouari - younes.albouchouari@orange.com - +32 477 69 87 73 Annelore Marynissen - Annelore.marynissen@orange.com - +32 479 016 058 press@orange.be Attachment The Chinese city at the center of a widening respiratory-virus outbreak suspended outbound flights and rail service, as China ramps up efforts to contain an illness that's killed at least 17 people and infected hundreds. The travel halt by the city of Wuhan was reported by state broadcaster CCTV. The city also suspended travel by bus, subway and ferry. Citizens shouldn't leave the city without special reasons, the report said. CCTV reported earlier that the death toll has nearly doubled from a previous total of nine. There were two "preliminary positive" reports of the pneumonia-causing virus in Hong Kong, with one diagnosis in the U.S. and patients under examination in Mexico and Russia. Health officials around the world are racing to control the SARS-like virus that first appeared last month. The World Health Organization will decide Wednesday whether to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, a designation used for complex epidemics that can cross borders. After volatility Tuesday, Asian markets calmed Wednesday as China's National Health Commission detailed actions to contain the disease. The number of cases has climbed to at least 550, according to the People's Daily. One 39-year-old Hong Kong patient was found by temperature screening after traveling from Wuhan to Shenzhen, and then to Hong Kong via rail, according to Sophia Chan, Hong Kong's secretary for food and health. While final test results are still forthcoming, the man's case is "highly suspicious," according to Constance Chan, head of Hong Kong's Department of Health. Four family members who didn't have symptoms stayed overnight at a hotel in a popular tourist area and then departed for Manila. In a briefing in Beijing Wednesday, health officials said China has stepped up monitoring of transportation links and ordered a near-complete shutdown of Wuhan, where the virus originated. Officials acknowledged that they're still grappling to understand the pathogen, which has infected multiple medical workers. "We are still on a learning curve," said Gao Fu, head of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "The disease will continue to develop." It has already changed from the early stages of detection, he said in the briefing. China said it had seen no evidence yet of "super spreaders," infected people who pass on the disease rapidly to many other people, but could not rule out that some would emerge. Super spreaders played a key role in the SARS pandemic 17 years ago, which killed almost 800 people and hurt economies across the region. The 17 deaths from the new virus have been in Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, CCTV said. About 4,000 people in Wuhan may be currently infected, based on the number of known cases and the estimated mean time between infection and detection, according to a study by Neil Ferguson, a researcher at Imperial College London. While Ferguson's group released an estimate of 1,700 infections over the weekend, the new total doesn't mean that the outbreak has doubled in size, according to the study. Factors such as delays in reporting and confirming cases make it difficult to estimate the epidemic's growth rate, the researchers said. Symptoms include fever, cough or chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Both the Wuhan virus, known as 2019-nCoV, and SARS belong to the family of coronaviruses, so called because of their crown-like shape. Many such viruses cross the barrier between animals and humans. Gao said in the Beijing briefing that the source of 2019-nCoV was wild animals sold in so-called wet markets. Some of the first group of patients in Wuhan worked or shopped at a seafood market where live animals and wildlife parts were reportedly sold. A WHO declaration of a public health emergency can help mobilize an international response and focus government attention. The body most recently declared such an emergency last year, as an Ebola outbreak worsened in Congo. An emergency declaration for the Wuhan virus case could include recommendations to restrict travel or trade. Such a move would come as concern grows that the virus could spread rapidly during China's Lunar New Year break, which starts at the end of this week. Hundreds of millions of people are poised to travel for the holidays in the biggest annual migration of humans on the planet. The WHO has formed teams at its Geneva headquarters to study the virus, its spread and its symptoms and is sending experts to China to help gather information, according to David Heymann, an infectious disease researcher in the U.K. who advises the agency. As they did during the SARS and Ebola outbreaks, health officials and scientists globally are tracking patients and testing samples of saliva and other fluids to determine the exact cause and severity of their ailments. They're identifying and monitoring people with whom the patients were in contact to see if the virus is spreading easily from person to person. And they are placing restrictions on travel to try to limit the exposure to scores of new people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, expanded its inspection of airline passengers who had spent time in China to airports in Atlanta and Chicago on Tuesday, building on the 1,200 people who had been screened in California and New York over the weekend. No new cases were uncovered. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The U.S. case is a man in his 30s who was traveling in Wuhan and arrived back in the U.S. on Jan. 15, Washington state health officials said on a call with the CDC Tuesday. The resident of Snohomish, Washington, said he hadn't spent any time at the live-animal market where the virus is believed to have originated and didn't have contact with anyone who was sick. The man sought care quickly after monitoring news about the virus and is in good condition, though he has been hospitalized out of an abundance of caution, the officials said. President Donald Trump told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the U.S. has a plan to deal with the virus. "The CDC has been terrific," he said. "We're in very good shape and I think China is in very good shape also." U.K. health officials raised the risk level of the virus to low from very low and issued guidance to airports. The focus of concern is about three flights a week that arrive from Wuhan at London Heathrow, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Social Care. A message will be broadcast during those flights to encourage reporting of illness, and the planes will be received in an isolated area of the airport. Passengers will be met by health officials who will check for symptoms. The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said there's a "moderate likelihood of imported cases being detected" in Europe. The U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and the Chinese territory of Macau have already reported cases. "This is an evolving situation," said Nancy Messonnier, director of the U.S. CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "We do expect additional cases in the United States and globally." John Lewis is selling the worlds first recyclable mattress - which is filled with hemp. The UK-based department store giant debuted the surprising item by award-winning bedding maker Harrison Spinks. The 180-year-old company uses hemp instead of foam to fill the mattress and uses wool from its own farm's sheep in a bid to be more sustainable. The super king-size mattress from John Lewis and partners' Natural Collection costs 1,199, however, a double bed mattress will set you back 479, and a single costs 399. Harrison Spinks, which featured in the BBC series Inside The Factory with Gregg Wallace, worked out a way of building the bedding without using glue after years of development by its engineers. This super king size mattress made of hemp is the first one in the world to be completely recyclable, according to its North Yorkshire manufacturer Harrison Spinks, and is sold for 1,199 by John Lewis and Partners The UK-retailer is selling several versions of the organic mattress, which is also made from farm-grown sheep cotton (pictured: the Signage for the John Lewis and Partners flagship store in Oxford Street) Simon Spinks, the companys managing director, said: 'A fully sustainable mattress is a world first. 'Its foam and glue-free and made entirely from biodegradable or recyclable materials. 'In fact, its the worlds first circular mattress, meaning that at the end of its life, it can be deconstructed and recycled, or disassembled and made into an entirely new product.' All of the mattress fillings are grown on the companys 300 acre farm in Bolton Percy, North Yorkshire. The company used hemp to fill the mattress due to its sustainable properties. Pictured: a stock picture of CBD oil and a hemp leaf Simon explained: 'We bought the farm so that we could grow our own natural mattress fillings, like wool and hemp, to reduce the volume of man-made materials that are usually found in mattresses, and that unfortunately mostly eventually end up in landfill.' He decided to invest in hemp - an industrial strain of the sativa cannabis plant - after a conversation over a pint. 'I wanted to start growing hemp on the farm after a conversation with a farmer I met in the pub, after I asked him what could be grown easily and quickly in the UK,' Simon revealed. 'After doing some research, I also found out about the sustainability credentials of the plant and how good growing it is for the environment. 'I planted some at the farm and we began using it as a filling in our mattresses.' And Simon swears its much better than cotton, because it can absorb far more moisture. It also has environmental benefits, because for every acre of hemp grown for commercial use one tonne of carbon dioxide is absorbed. A close look at the recyclable mattress, which was developed without glue by the Harrison Spinks engineers Simon estimates the company saves 1,300 tonnes of CO2 every year. Harrison Spinks further bolstered its green credential with its own sustainable forest for timber. And Simon promises the sustainable mattress does not compromise comfort. He said: 'Believe it or not, the materials used actually make a more comfortable mattress. 'We would never conduct any technical development that would compromise the comfort of our mattresses, in fact most of our developments have certainly improved the product quality. 'As we were developing this mattress, we werent really sure what the end result would be in terms of comfort, but actually by removing the glue, weve significantly improved the spring unit, so youve got the best of both worlds. The mattress with the sustainable spring unit is already available, and the fully recyclable mattress will be on sale later this year. And the company has been honoured by the Royal family for its ground breaking work. It has received the Queens Award for Enterprise - Sustainable Development in recognition of the recyclable mattress. Arrow star Stephen Amell is opening up about a recent panic attack he suffered while in studio recording a podcast in which he was discussing the end of his DC television series. Inside Of You is a podcast hosted by Michael Rosenbaum a.k.a. Lex Luthor on Smallville and Amell, 38, guested on the series in December, less than a month after wrapping the eighth and final season of the series he has led since 2012. On Twitter on Monday, Stephen tweeted about the two-part episode, writing, 'I did Roseys podcast after Arrow ended. We had to cut it short because I had a full on panic attack. It wasnt pretty. I came back a few weeks ago to chat about it. I was in a really bad spot and Im happy to report that Im doing much better. Listen please :)' Vulnerable hero: Arrow star Stephen Amell is opening up about a recent panic attack he suffered while recording a podcast in which he was discussing the end of his DC series Opening up: On Twitter on Monday, Stephen tweeted about the two-part episode During the first part of their interview, the actors discussed the grueling responsibilities associated with headlining a superhero television series, and how taxing it can be on a person's mental health. When Rosenbaum asked the Canadian actor when it was the last time he cried, Stephen didn't hesitate. 'I've cried twice today,' he said. 'I've really really been struggling with the end of the show [which wrapped on Nov. 15th, 2019]. I'm mentally exhausted. My wife forced me to go to the doctor's today because she was worried that something was actually wrong with me.' He went on to explain that he's 'gone down a couple times over the past few weeks,' referring to moments when he 'can't even get myself off the ground,' and opened up about what ending the Arrow series has meant for him. When podcast host Michael Rosenbaum asked the Canadian actor when it was the last time he cried, Stephen didn't hesitate: 'I've cried twice today'; Stephen seen here in August 2019 'I'm in a state of mourning, and it's really tough,' Amell admitted, mentioning that his lengthy stint on Arrow had become such a huge part of his life, it had gotten in the way of other responsibilities. 'I want to be a dad, I want to be a husband. I just need a break.' A bit later in the podcast, when they circled back around to the topic and Rosenbaum asked if Amell was planning to see someone to get help, Stephen then asked, 'Is it hot in here, or am I sweating?' Soon, he got up and left the recording session unannounced, saying, 'honestly, I think I might be sick. I have to go, I need fresh air.' 'I'm in a state of mourning, and it's really tough,' Amell admitted about ending Arrow; seen here at San Diego Comic Con last July A few weeks later, however, Stephen was back to finish the interview, and was ready to be transparent about his mental health. 'The leaving of the show, combined with not really breaking away from it in my life,' Stephen explained, was what contributed to his crisis. 'I needed this clean break, I needed to go on a trip, I needed to drop my phone.' Since wrapping Arrow before Thanksgiving, Amell did go on to take that break, before returning to TV to shoot a new series called Heels, about sibling wrestlers. The series finale of Arrow, meanwhile, airs on January 28th on The CW. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 16:55:10|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close VIENTIANE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Laos is hosting discussions with other Mekong countries on green and sustainable development initiatives and policies to enable the positive transformation of agricultural production, local media reported on Wednesday. Representatives of government agencies, farmers, the private sector, and development partners from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam are meeting in Lao capital Vientiane from Tuesday to Wednesday to discuss the national green growth strategy and draft the Green and Sustainable Agriculture Strategic Framework (GSASF). The Regional Workshop on Green and Sustainable Agriculture is being chaired by Lao Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Lien Thikeo and co-chaired by the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to Laos Muhammad Nasar Hayat. The workshop is supported by an international non-profit organization the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Department of Policy and Legal Affairs under Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday. Speaking at the workshop, Lien said the Lao government recognized green growth as offering opportunities to contribute to sustainable economic, social and environmental development. The workshop played an important role in discussions among members of the GSASF, which will help further sustainable green development in the region. The minister stressed that green development was part of the government's policies to improve farmers' incomes, national nutrition, and food security. The GSASF is being developed to align with policies and strategies at the regional and international levels as well as the ongoing development of the ninth National Socio-Economic Development Plan and the next Agriculture Development Strategy for 2020-2025. Stronger partnerships and continuous consultations around green and sustainable development are crucial to improving collaboration among stakeholders, especially the private sector and farmers, as key actors on the ground, said the report. Participants are also exploring green agriculture in the field by visiting and interacting with farmers to learn about their production and marketing techniques at an organic farm in Thaxang village in Pakngum district, capital Vientiane. In recent years, Lao government and development partners, particularly FAO, have expressed their commitment to work together to promote green and sustainable agriculture. Such efforts can help maximize the production of safe and nutritious agricultural commodities and food products while being supportive of biodiversity conservation. On behalf of the Party and State leaders, PM Phuc offered incense to late General Secretary Le Duan, who devoted his entire life to the struggle for national liberation and reunification and was also an excellent theorist and creative thinker of the Vietnamese revolution. Offering incense to General Secretary Truong Chinh, the head of government recalled the late Party leaders contributions to the Party and nation, emphasising that Vietnams historic achievements over the past 30 years are a testament to the cause of reform instituted by the late General Secretary. Paying tribute to General Secretary Do Muoi, PM Phuc recalled that the late Party leader was always worried about the risk of Vietnam lagging behind with an economy performing below its potential. Offering incense to PM Pham Van Dong, who held the post from 1955 to 1987, PM Phuc affirmed that Dong lived a rich revolutionary life and was a competent diplomat and great man of culture. On behalf of the Party and State leaders, PM Phuc offered incense to General Vo Nguyen Giap, the first general of the Vietnamese Peoples Army, whose name was connected with the great victories of the two long resistance wars against the French colonialists and American imperialists, as well as to the cause the national construction and defence. "The staff has reached agreements in principle to settle this action with Defendants Michael Brauser, John O'Rourke, and John Stetson, and their affiliated entities," the SEC letter said. Among those to settle are John O'Rourke, former CEO of Riot Blockchain, a cryptocurrency company that was the subject of a CNBC investigation . The case is unrelated to Riot. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a letter Tuesday morning saying that it had reached agreements to settle with three defendants in what the agency called " lucrative market manipulation ." The SEC announced the charges in September 2018. John O'Rourke (right) former CEO of Riot Blockchain after a shareholders meeting in Oklahoma City on May 9, 2018. In September 2018, the SEC said it charged a group of 10 individuals and 10 associated entities. The SEC has reached agreements now with all defendants except one, according to court filings. Among those who already settled are Miami biotech billionaire Phillip Frost and Florida businessman Barry Honig, who was once the largest investor in Riot. According to the SEC's press release announcing the case, Honig and his associates, based in South Florida, manipulated the stock of three microcap companies in "pump-and-dump" schemes, where they allegedly acquired shares at a discount and artificially boosted prices before selling. Riot Blockchain was not one of the companies. O'Rourke left Riot in the wake of the charges. An attorney for O'Rourke, Gregory Morvillo said in a phone call that his client had "no comment." George S. Canellos, attorney for John Stetson, when reached by phone, said, "We have reached an agreement in principle to settle with the SEC." An attorney for Brauser did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. The SEC declined to comment. The settlements need to be reviewed and approved by the full commission, according to the SEC's letter. The agency expects to submit final judgments within six to eight weeks. A CNBC investigation in February 2018 found a number of red flags at Riot Blockchain, the cryptocurrency company whose stock skyrocketed after it changed its name from Bioptix, including annual meetings that were postponed at the last minute, sales of stock by company insiders soon after the company's name change, dilutive share issuance on favorable terms to large investors, confusing SEC filings and evidence that a major shareholder was selling shares while everyone else was buying. The SEC case is unrelated to Riot. O'Rourke accused CNBC of publishing "a negative one-sided piece." "We have made significant inroads in building a diversified portfolio of investments and to begin securing digital assets," O'Rourke said in a letter to shareholders the day the CNBC investigation aired. As bitcoin's price hit record highs in late December 2017, Riot was making news on a daily basis. The company's stock shot from $8 a share to more than $40 as investors chased the craze of all things crypto. Please email tips to investigations@cnbc.com. Imagine that you work in a university admissions office. You see the applications of two students who have the same test scores. One would be the first in her family to attend college. The other is the child of a graduate of the same university. If you follow your schools traditional policy, you must admit the child of the previous graduate. Until recently, many of the top private U.S. universities were more likely to admit the child of a graduate of that university than a student with a similar educational record. Is it fair? These legacy admissions have been questioned by educators and most admissions officers say they are not fair. Johns Hopkins University is considered one of the top universities in the United States. In a speech early this month, President Ronald J. Daniels said the children of Hopkins graduates already have many social and educational advantages. He added that it is hard to understand why legacy admissions still exist in a country that values merit and equal opportunity. For that reason, Hopkins has ended the practice in recent years. Among the worlds top universities, five say they will not consider the familys history with the school in admission. The schools include MIT, Caltech, Oxford, Cambridge and the University of California, Berkeley. Reasons for legacy admissions In the 2018 survey of American college admissions officers, Inside Higher Ed says 42 percent of admissions officers at private schools said that legacy is still a factor in admissions decisions. The numbers are much lower at 6 percent for public colleges. Colleges that allow legacy admissions say that they are able to raise more money if they favor children of alumni. The money, in turn, helps other students with financial needs. They also note that students of college-educated parents are more likely to try for and complete an undergraduate degree than students whose parents did not attend college. Origin of legacy admissions Deborah Coe and James Davidson of Purdue University studied the origins of legacy admission. They say it began in the 1920s as a way to keep Jewish, nonwhite and immigrant students from attending the university. The result was a mostly white, Christian student body. In modern times, affirmative action by American universities is part of an effort to create a more diverse community on campus. Affirmative action considers the race of an applicant along with other qualities like economic status. Diversity or legacy In 2014, a special-interest group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) brought legal action against Harvard University. The group argued that Harvard held Asian Americans to a higher standard in admissions. The group said the Ivy League school gave preference to black and Hispanic students with lower grades. During a court hearing, a Harvard Universitys dean said it was important for Harvard to favor the children of alumni in order to bring students who have more experience with Harvard together with others who are less familiar with Harvard. Putting these different group of students together, he added, would make them more effective students and citizen leaders for society. A federal judge ruled in 2019 that the schools admission policy does not discriminate against Asian-American students. And the SFFA is appealing the decision. A diverse, well-qualified student body At Johns Hopkins University, officials reported that removing their legacy admissions has resulted in a diverse student body with high academic abilities. In the past, there were more students with family ties to the university than those who needed federal financial aid. Now, there are more students who need financial aid than those with family connections A recent gift to Johns Hopkins allows the school to admit students no matter how much money they can pay. Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced in November that he is giving a record $1.8 billion to the university. It is thought to be the largest private donation ever given a university. Bloomberg graduated from Hopkins in 1964. He said his gift was meant to support student financial aid at the school and make its admissions process forever need-blind. Im Jill Robbins. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English with additional information from John Hopkins University and Inside Higher Ed. Hai Do was the editor. Quiz - Major Universities Ending Legacy Admissions Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story legacy n. something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past alumni n. someone who was a student at a particular school, college, or university origin n. the point or place where something begins or is created affirmative action n. the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc. effective adj. producing a result that is wanted diverse adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other need-blind adj. without consideration for the need of an applicant What do you think of legacy admissions? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. This is an argument between two women, Loomer says, and one of them is an unreliable narrator. Yes, there is nuance. Yes, we hear fully from many different sides, not just two but many. One of the things this play does is show how the issue has been used. People have used this issue for their own political gains, and this is why it is important and a theatrical challenge to actually hear the damn case. People often dont know what was said, and how what was said has come back to bite us. Ive never written anything where I have been faced with so many agendas. Los Angeles, Jan 23 : US and Chinese medical institutions are working together to develop a vaccine against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) which has already caused 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia in China, a US vaccine scientist said on Wednesday. Peter Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas, said his group at the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at BCM is working to develop a vaccine in collaboration with other US institutions such as the University of Texas Medical Branch, and the New York Blood Center, and with the Virology Center at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. "This is a great collaboration," Hotez told the Xinhua news agency. "But vaccine development is not a fast process, and it's not clear whether we would have a vaccine ready to use before this current epidemic ends." Chinese health authorities announced Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday that the first coronavirus case has been reported in the US. Infections of the virus have also been reported in the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan. Hotez said he believes there will be additional cases in the US following the first confirmed case. "The only good news is that it appears so far that this coronavirus is not as transmissible from person to person as was SARS," he said. "But we're still early in this epidemic and we have a lot to learn." "For the long term, we should begin vaccine development and have it ready. For now, we need to find ways to protect our healthcare workers who are on the front lines," he said. Hotez praised China's efforts in dealing with the epidemic, saying Chinese scientists have done an amazing job so far figuring out the transmission and working out quickly the isolation and sequencing of the virus. "This is a testament to the power and strength of virology in China," he added. However, Hotez expressed his concern about person to person spread especially since the epidemic is expanding at the start of the Chinese New Year when the whole country is on the move. "We need to be concerned about travel in the coming days and weeks spreading this virus," he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee convened on Wednesday on whether the latest novel coronavirus outbreak in China constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. " " Cannabis plants grow in the greenhouse at Vireo Health's medical marijuana facility in New York State. New York's law allows only people with "severe debilitating or life threatening conditions" access to medical marijuana. Drew Angerer/Getty Images After five-plus years of deep-researching potential medicinal uses for marijuana, Sanjay Gupta neurosurgeon, professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and, most famously, medical correspondent for cable news giant CNN has settled firmly on this conclusion: Weed works. Not for everybody. But for a lot of people. It can ease pain. Reduce inflammation. And for many who struggle with opioid addictions, it can help them kick their habits by tamping down the nausea, insomnia and other symptoms that characterize opioid withdrawal. Very possibly, marijuana may heal brain damage caused by opioids, too. Gupta has not always believed this. He wrote a piece for Time magazine in 2009 outlining his opposition to the legalization of pot, even for medicinal use. His turnabout since then has made him an unlikely ally of the pro-marijuana crowd and put him publicly at odds with a government that still places marijuana in the same class of drugs as heroin and LSD. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN star, practicing brain surgeon and medical marijuana advocate. Who would have thunk it? "I don't really know that I see this as being an advocate," Gupta says. "I think for me, it was not advocacy journalism as much as it was evidence-based journalism that hopefully spoke truth to power." Gupta's about face on marijuana maybe it's better described as a slow, steady, deeply thought-out awakening is grounded in years of indefatigable journalistic research, highlighted in the CNN documentary "Weed." The fourth installment of the series, "Weed 4: Pot vs. Pills," debuted on April 29, 2018 (and is still available on demand) and examined the use of medicinal marijuana to help solve America's addiction to opioids. It's a crisis crying for answers. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 115 Americans die every day from opioid overdose, usually prescription painkillers, heroin or synthetic opioids (like fentanyl). One study puts the economic burden of the epidemic at more than $78 billion a year. At least part of the solution to combating the opioid crisis, to a growing number of researchers and doctors, including Gupta, is marijuana, the long-derided favorite of stoners that is derived from the cannabis plant. Those researchers and doctors are just beginning to unlock what happens when pot hits the brain, and how that can break an addiction to opioids. Advertisement How Marijuana Can Break Opioid Addiction Opiates block the transmission of pain signals to the brain, and they're very good at it. The problem is that the drugs are highly addictive: Users need more and more to get the same relief, making them extremely dangerous. They can, Gupta explains in "Weed 4," actually "turn off" the body's natural instinct to breathe, leading to tens of thousands of deaths a year. "Opiates tend to cause this disruption in an area of the brain around these glutamate receptors, Gupta says. "I liken it to [having] two big cities, New York and Chicago, and you need to send these signals back and forth via airplanes to these two cities and suddenly all the transportation is down." Once hooked on opiates that can happen as quickly as a couple of weeks addiction is very difficult to break, possibly because of the damage the drugs do in a certain area of the brain, the prefrontal cortex. "That part of the brain is sort of a judgment area, where you start to learn things," Gupta says. "Some of the wisdom that has come out recently is that even if you stop [taking] the opiates, you don't necessarily heal that part of the brain. You still are at risk of relapsing. In some ways ... the brain is not able to remember the negative impact of the opiates." Advertisement The Role of CBD Cannabis, like opiates, also blocks pain signals, Gupta says, but it also reduces inflammation that can lead to further pain. And the real advantage of cannabis for opioid addicts, Gupta says and here he points out the groundbreaking research of Dr. Yasmin Hurd, the director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai in New York may be that the CBD compound of the plant can fix the receptors damaged in the brain from opioid use and make communication in the brain whole again. "The idea that CBD can heal the diseased brain of an addict was the real takeaway for me," Gupta says. "There's nothing else that we know of that can really do that the way CBD does." One of the more than 400 chemical compounds of the cannabis plant, CBD (cannabidiol) is used often for medicinal purposes in children for diseases like epilepsy and is legal even in 17 of the most marijuana-opposed states. CBD does not contain the psychoactive part of the plant, known as THC, that produces the "high" of marijuana use. The pro-marijuana crowd points out that no one ever has overdosed on marijuana or CBD, making it infinitely more preferable to other addiction-breaking therapies that use opiates like Suboxone or Methadone to wean addicts off stronger opiates like heroin. Still, cannabis use is not without its dangers, especially for younger people with developing brains, Gupta says. Marijuana can be addictive, too; the psychoactive part of the plant can impair motor function and judgment. Despite marijuana's negatives, the biggest hurdle weed advocates face is clear: The plant remains a federally regulated Schedule 1 drug. Though many states have legalized CBD and have approved marijuana for medicinal uses, and some have even OK'd it for recreational use, it is still illegal on the federal level. Many in the current presidential administration seem hell-bent on keeping it that way. Advertisement Head-to-head With the Feds The nation's top drug-enforcement official, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has spoken out forcefully against the legalization of marijuana and seems defiant in his opposition to the work of Mt. Sinai's Hurd and others. "I'm astonished to hear people suggest we can solve our heroin crisis have you heard this? by having more marijuana," Sessions said in a speech in 2017. "How stupid is that?" Sessions' apparent reluctance to look at the potential good of marijuana is not unusual. Many people still see cannabis as a "gateway" to harder drugs, a theory that has been debated for years, debunked by some and revived by others. Through the work of Hurd and many others, though, it's becoming much more difficult to blindly accept the old way of looking at marijuana. Gupta stands as one of the more public examples of someone who has accepted new evidence, and he's glad to share his findings with the powerful. In April 2018, he wrote an open letter to Sessions after the AG repeatedly turned down Gupta's requests for interviews. " " Unless the FDA gives final approval for the first cannabis-based drug Epidiolex, epilepsy patients will continue seeking relief from seizures from medical marijuana tinctures like this one. Joanna B. Pinneo/For The Washington Post/Getty Images Advertisement The Next Steps Research by Hurd and others, including University of California-San Diego anesthesiologist Mark Wallace who has been looking at cannabis as an alternative pain reliever for more than 20 years continues even though studying the medicinal uses of cannabis is difficult because of its status as a Schedule 1 drug. "I think that it's one of these situations where everybody who is responsible in this whole discussion wants more data," Gupta admits. "The situation I think we find ourselves in is there isn't a real mechanism by which to obtain that data, given the regulations right now around medicinal marijuana." The debate on how to research marijuana or even if we should study it continues, too, though a showdown may be coming. In April 2018, a U.S. Food & Drug Administration committee unanimously recommended approval of a cannabis-based drug Epidiolex for the treatment of epilepsy. That puts the FDA in a strange position; a federal agency giving the go-ahead to a cannabis-based drug even as it remains illegal on the federal level. The FDA will vote on the drug's final approval in June. "If it does get approved by the FDA, which it's likely to do, I think it will probably be the most glaring hypocrisy at that point to continue having cannabis remain a Schedule 1 drug while at the same time having a cannabis-based drug be FDA approved," Gupta says. "That may be what it ultimately takes for [cannabis] to be rescheduled [from a Schedule 1 drug]." Rescheduling would make research easier and, perhaps someday, unlock more federally approved uses for a plant that may yet play a major part in bettering even saving thousands of American lives from opioid addiction. Now That's Interesting Sanjay Gupta says he's envisioning a fifth film in the "Weed" series, though it may not be for a year or more. "Over the next year, my guess is we're going to see a significant transformation with regard to medical marijuana in this country," he says, pointing to the expected acceptance of cannabis-based Epidiolex. "We are seeing something that I've never seen before in my medical life ... an entirely new class of medications that could be used to treat a wide variety of things." Korea has partially given in to U.S. demands to support its military adventures in the Gulf. The Defense Ministry here said Tuesday it will dispatch a naval unit to the Strait of Hormuz to support U.S.' operations in the strategic maritime corridor after Washington racked up tensions with Iran. But Korea decided not to be an official part of the U.S.' so-called International Maritime Security Conduct coalition and instead send the Cheonghae anti-piracy naval unit, which is currently operating in the Gulf of Aden. "In consideration of the current situation in the Middle East, the government has decided to temporarily expand the Cheonghae Unit's operation range to guarantee the safety of Koreans and the freedom of navigation of Korean ships," the ministry said in a statement. The unit's operation range will now extend to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. TEHRAN, Iran, Jan.22 Trend: Iran International Exhibitions Company has been appointed to take necessary measures for the presence of export organizations and unions at domestic exhibitions, Head of Irans Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Hamid Zadboum said, Trend reports via ILNA. Zadboum described the presence of export-commodity producing units in the form of unions and export associations at the exhibitions as "valuable". Referring to the existence of more than 40 approved exhibition centers in the country and holding more than 700 exhibition events per year, he called the planning of the presence of export organizations in the exhibitions as one of the major programs of the Iranian Trade Promotion Organization. He went on to announce that ITPO has introduced a 50-percent discount for trade unions and export associations to rent stalls at domestic exhibitions. In order to discuss possible areas of cooperation, an agreement was reached on organizing a visit of a company delegation to Uzbekistan in March 2020. Elisabeth Moss character Offred/June on The Handmaids Tale may spend much of it separated from her onscreen husband Luke, but the pair recently ran into one another in real life at Peoples SAG Awards after party. Their reunion appeared to be a joyful (and perhaps a slightly tipsy) one, as Moss was seen throwing her arms around Luke actor O.T. Fagbenle in the middle of a dance circle alongside other members of the Hulu show. Moss was seen dancing with co-stars Yvonne Strahovski, Amanda Brugel, Madeline Brewer and Ashleigh Althrop. In other pictures, Fagbenle is seen fighting his way through the crowd to Moss - who looks delighted to see him. She shared a couple of pictures and videos in an Instagram gallery, which she captioned, 'When June reunites with Luke.' Accompanied by a heart emoji, she also shouted out her girls for being there for the dance off. Her videos showed Moss dancing with Fagbenle to Whitney Houstons 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', as they both sang the song to one another and Moss at one point put her arms on his shoulders. At the end of the gallery, Moss included a picture which showed her throwing her hands up in the air as people danced around her. Getty Images Besides throwing shapes on the dance floor, Moss seemed to have a blast at the SAG Awards - sneaking off to Phoebe Waller Bridge and Andrew Scotts table to hug them and shake their hands. Moss was nominated both for Best Female Actor in a Drama Series for The Handmaids Tale, as well as being part of an Ensemble in a Drama Series for the programme. Though Jennifer Aniston and The Crown respectively won over Moss and the Margaret Atwood adaptation, the losses clearly didnt weigh on the stars mind. SEOUL, South Korea The South Korean military on Wednesday decided to discharge a soldier who had undergone gender-reassignment surgery but wanted to remain in military service as a female. The decision was made amid an outcry from L.G.B.T. advocates in South Korea who said the soldier was being unfairly persecuted and there was no reason she could not fulfill her duties. The case of the soldier, Byeon Hee-su, a staff sergeant in an army tank unit, highlighted the unwelcome treatment that lesbians, gay men and transgender people often face in South Koreas socially conservative society, especially in its armed forces. It is the first case in which an active-duty soldier in South Korea has been referred to a military panel to decide whether he or she is fit to serve after having a gender-reassignment operation. Under the militarys decision, Sergeant Byeon must leave the army by Friday. Shortly after the decision was announced, she held a news conference, tearfully appealing to the military to reverse its decision. She said that serving in the military had been her childhood dream and that she had been an exemplary soldier. By Luke Baker and Simon Robinson DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Often seen as the preserve of old, rich men, this year's World Economic Forum has thrust around a dozen teenage "change-makers" to the top of its agenda, adding fresh voices, energy and fashion to proceedings. The first panel of the four-day Alpine gathering made clear the shift from 81-year-old founder Klaus Schwab, with four young activists, including Sweden's Greta Thunberg, discussing how to forge "A Sustainable Path towards a Common Future". The combined age of the panel, which included water, electricity and health activists from Zambia, Puerto Rico and Canada, was 64 -- younger than many of those in the audience. "Davos elite being rebuked by their future customers," Isabel Hilton, chief executive of China Dialogue, said on Twitter. For Thunberg, now a familiar face globally, the transition from campaigner to participant has been rapid. A year ago she was leading protests at Davos as well as speaking, warning the world that "the house is on fire". This year she is taking part in several high-profile panels, including delivering a speech shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke. Trump has ridiculed her in the past and glancingly referred to her as a "prophet of doom" on Tuesday. Joining Thunberg among the 'change-makers' is Naomi Wadler, a 13-year-old anti-gun campaigner from the United States. Wearing Doc Martens boots and chequered trousers, Wadler appeared entirely unfazed by her role as a Davos participant, saying she hoped to inspire as well as being inspired. "I think it's so great that we're all invited... because this is something that hasn't been done before," Wadler, the youngest of the youth activists, told Reuters. "The forum used to be made up of a lot of old, rich white men and so I think it's really cool that we have so many people of colour." Among ten 'change-makers' profiled by the World Economic Forum on its website were Mohamad Al Jounde, 18, a Syrian education campaigner; Autumn Peltier, a 15-year-old Canadian who focuses on water resources; and Ayakha Melithafa, a 17-year-old environmentalist from South Africa. The buzz around the group was infectious. On one climate panel, Fahd al-Rasheed, a 42-year-old Saudi official, joked that he wanted to be grouped with all the young people this year. The audience laughed, and Melithafa launched into an impassioned plea for more action on climate change. "The WEF has finally realised that we have a role to play," she said later. "We can't leave youth out of the conversation any longer." In South Africa, said Melithafa, people watch parliament "which is full of old white men and old black men talking about what's best for young people. They need to stop and listen because we also have voices." (Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Alexander Smith) The majority of American workers will eventually collect Social Security benefits. Those who understand how Social Security works may be able to qualify for bigger payments and avoid benefit reductions and withholdings. Workers approaching retirement age generally have a lot of questions about beginning Social Security payments, including: -- What is the Social Security retirement age? -- When can I apply for Social Security? -- How much Social Security will I get? -- What is the Social Security tax limit? -- What is the Social Security wage limit? -- What is the average Social Security benefit? -- What is the maximum Social Security benefit? -- How do I get a new Social Security card? -- How does Social Security work? -- How do I qualify for Social Security disability? -- When will I receive my Social Security check? Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked Social Security questions. What Is the Social Security Retirement Age? The age when you can claim your full Social Security benefit varies depending on your birth year. The full retirement age is 65 for those born in 1937 or earlier, 66 for baby boomers born between 1943 and 1954, and 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Those born in 1938 to 1942 and 1955 to 1959 have an even more specific retirement age. For example, the full retirement age is 65 and 10 months for people born in 1942 and 66 and 4 months for boomers with birth dates in 1956. Those who sign up for Social Security between age 62 and their full retirement age get smaller monthly payments, while delaying claiming can increase your benefit up until age 70. "Just because you are 62, you don't necessarily have to take it," says Rianka Dorsainvil, founder and president of Your Greatest Contribution in Lanham, Maryland. "Each year you delay taking Social Security from your full retirement age up until age 70, your benefit increases by 8% each year." [Read: What the Social Security COLA for 2020 Means For You.] Story continues When Can I Apply for Social Security? You can apply for Social Security online at ssa.gov, by calling 1-800-772-1213 or in person at your local Social Security office. You must be at least 61 years and 9 months old to submit an application for retirement or spousal benefits, and payments can start as early as age 62. Your age when you enroll plays a big role in determining your payment amount, so take care to see how much you will receive at various claiming ages. How Much Social Security Will I Get? You can get a personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefit by creating a My Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount and viewing your Social Security statement. Your statement lists how much you are likely to receive in retirement if you continue working at your current salary until your full retirement age, age 62 and age 70. "If you look at your Social Security statement today, your estimated benefit is based on your previous year's income," says Ross Menke, a certified financial planner and founder of Lyndale Financial in Nashville, Tennessee. "If you do stop working earlier, that will have an impact on what you would be eligible to receive as a Social Security benefit." The statement also lists how much you will qualify for if you become disabled and what family members might receive if you pass away. Social Security statements are mailed to workers age 60 and older who don't have a My Social Security account. [Read: How Much You Will Get From Social Security] What Is the Social Security Tax Limit? Most workers pay 6.2% of their earnings into the Social Security system, and employers match this amount. Self-employed workers contribute 12.4% of their paychecks. However, earnings that exceed $137,700 in 2020 are not taxed by Social Security or used to calculate retirement payments. Workers who earn more than $137,700 will see a bump in their paycheck when Social Security taxes stop being withheld. Your Social Security payments might also be taxed in retirement. If the sum of your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest and half of your Social Security benefit exceeds $25,000 ($32,000 for couples), federal income tax could be due on part of your Social Security benefit. If these income sources exceed $34,000 ($44,000 for couples), up to 85 percent of your Social Security payments may be taxable. There are also several states that tax Social Security benefits. What Is the Social Security Wage Limit? You can work and collect Social Security benefits at the same time. However, if you haven't reached your full retirement age, part or all of your Social Security payments could be temporarily withheld. Social Security beneficiaries who are younger than their full retirement age can earn up to $18,240 in 2020 before they will lose one benefit dollar for each $2 earned above the limit. The earnings limit jumps to $48,600 for those who turn their full retirement age in 2020, and the penalty decreases to $1 withheld for every $3 earned above the limit. However, once you turn your full retirement age, your benefit will be recalculated to give you credit for your withheld benefit and continued earnings. You can earn any amount without being subject to Social Security withholding after you turn your full retirement age. What Is the Average Social Security Benefit? Social Security payments to retired workers averaged $1,478 per month in November 2019. The average spousal payment is about half that amount, or $773. Widows and widowers receive survivor's payments worth an average of $1,199 monthly. What Is the Maximum Social Security Benefit? The maximum possible Social Security benefit changes depending on the age you retire. A worker who retires at full retirement age in 2020 could be eligible for up to $3,011 per month. The maximum benefit declines if you start collecting payments before your full retirement age, while someone who delays retirement until age 70 can collect a higher monthly benefit. To qualify for these large payments, you need to maintain a high income throughout a career of 35 years or more. "Those who receive the maximum benefit possible are those who've earned at or above the highest taxable wage base all of the years that are used in the benefit calculation," says William Meyer, founder and managing principal of Social Security Solutions, a company that analyzes Social Security claiming strategies. "That person would have exceeded the maximum taxable earnings in each of the highest 35 years." How Do I Get a New Social Security Card? Many U.S. citizens with a driver's license or state-issued identification card can use their My Social Security account to apply for a replacement Social Security card online. You can also fill out a paper application and mail it in or take it to your local Social Security office. How Does Social Security Work? Most Americans contribute 6.2% of their earnings to the Social Security system, and employers pay a matching amount. Those who are self-employed pay 12.4% of their income into Social Security. Workers who have sufficiently paid into the system can collect retirement benefits beginning at age 62 or older. You may also be eligible to collect benefits if you become disabled, and your family members might qualify for survivor's payments after you pass away. How Do I Qualify for Social Security Disability? If you have a medical condition that significantly limits your ability to work and perform basic activities such as walking or remembering, you might qualify for Social Security disability payments. Be prepared to provide medical records documenting your condition and why it prevents you from working. Social Security disability payments won't start until six months after your disability began. There's also a several-month wait time to process disability applications. [See: 10 Ways to Increase Your Social Security Payments.] When Will I Receive My Social Security Check? Social Security beneficiaries are required to sign up for electronic payments. Social Security benefits can be directly deposited into a bank or credit union account or loaded onto a prepaid debit card. The payment dates vary based on your date of birth. If your birthday falls on or before the tenth of the month, you will receive your payment on the second Wednesday of each month. Those born between the 11th and 20th get their payments on the third Wednesday, and people born late in the month get their direct deposits on the fourth Wednesday. More From US News & World Report BROKEN ARROW, Okla., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Encore Life, the only practitioner-exclusive professional grade CBD manufacturer, and WholeScripts, powered by XYMOGEN, the fastest growing supplier of nutritional supplements, have signed a partnership agreement naming Encore Life as the premier CBD product line offered via WholeScripts' sales channels. This partnership grants the companies' valued practitioner partners easier access to quality CBD through one single online platform, streamlining the order process and meeting increasing patient demand. The initial product release will include Encore Life's Broad-Spectrum PRO series oils, available in 750 mg, 1500 mg, and 3000 mg concentrations. "We're thrilled to have WholeScripts offer our professional grade CBD products as our trusted partner. WholeScripts powered by XYMOGEN, is known for their top-quality nutritional supplements, and this partnership grants the practitioner and their patients complete confidence in the quality of their CBD product purchase," said Sean DeWitt, CEO of Encore Life. "Encore Life is committed to only offering its innovative products through practitioners, exclusively, and given WholeScripts' shared vision it was an easy decision for our company." "Encore Life, a premier brand of CBD, was heavily requested by our physicians and representatives," said Mike Mahoney, Senior Vice President of WholeScripts. "Our team is extremely excited to be offering Encore CBD as one of our first brand partners at WholeScripts. Encore's support of the practitioner market, quality and purity makes them a great fit to continue our mission for a unique and secure practitioner relationship." About Encore Life Established in 2016, Encore Life focuses on innovative, professional grade CBD products and delivery modalities to ensure a unique and consistent patient experience. Encore uses USA grown, non-GMO, CO2 extracted CBD oil in the manufacturing process to provide the purest products possible, available exclusively via healthcare practitioners. For more information about Encore Life, please visit www.myencore.life. About WholeScripts WholeScripts, a one-stop site for professional-grade nutritional and herbal supplements, is the fulfillment arm of XYMOGEN and the ONLY site where authentic XYMOGEN formulas can be ordered. Backed by exceptional customer service, WholeScripts offers unique user experiences tailored to both patients and practitioners. SOURCE Encore Life Related Links myencore.life Rae Bareli, Jan 22 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday took a swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and former Chief Ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, saying the BJP leader is throwing a challenge on the CAA-NRC issue to "those who did not come out of their houses". Priyanka Gandhi, on a two-day visit to Rae Bareli along with her mother and party interim chief Sonia Gandhi, used the opening lines of a famous Bollywood song to target the three leaders. In a tweet, she said: "Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh, Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam (It's a strange story, don't know where it started and where it ended)." "Shah challenged those (Mayawati and Yadav) who have not come out of their homes to protest (in Uttar Pradesh). Those who are supposed to challenge the Home Minister are raising the issues of other states. The aware public of Uttar Pradesh understands everything," the Congress leader added. She was apparently taking a dig at the chiefs of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party for not participating in protests across Uttar Pradesh over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. Addressing a rally in Lucknow on Tuesday, Shah had said: "Let it be very loud and clear to our opponents that the new citizenship law won't be rolled back at any cost, irrespective of the protests." The government of the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the new coronavirus originates from, is imposing a temporary ban on local residents to leave the city, to prevent virus spreading, local media reported on Wednesday, Trend reports citing Sputnik. Local health authorities said earlier in the day that the death toll from the coronavirus had climbed to 17. The operation of buses and subway will be suspended, as well as trips from airports and train stations, from 10 am local time on Thursday (02:00 GMT), the Global Times newspaper reported. An outbreak of previously unknown pneumonia was registered in Wuhan in late December, later identified as a new type of coronavirus and denoted as 2019-nCoV by the World Health Organisation. Those infected show symptoms of pneumonia and other acute respiratory diseases, media reports say. Later, cases of pneumonia caused by the Wuhan coronavirus have been reported in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Macau. The Chinese health authorities confirmed the virus was transmitted from person to person through coughing or sneezing. Concerns are growing that the Wuhan coronavirus could turn into an epidemic. Over 11 million people are living in Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei province. Passengers landing at Heathrow from the Chinese city of Wuhan - centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak - described an easy arrival through the airport as fears grow over the disease. Holiday-makers arriving from the virus-hit city expressed their shock as they were met by a health team and given a warning leaflet before they were let directly though the airport after baggage reclaim and immigration checks. Chinese authorities are quarantining Wuhan - which has a population of 11 million - cracking down on anyone leaving the city except in the case of special circumstances. The coronavirus has now killed 17 people and health experts warn the outbreak may already be in Britain. The UK Foreign Office advised against 'all but essential travel' to the Chinese city. Public Health England said that 'enhanced monitoring' - including a Port Health team who will meet each direct flight aircraft - would be in place for Wuhan arrivals from January 22. But passengers, who were handed an advice leaflet advising them to contact health professionals if they display symptoms, described an otherwise regular arrival through baggage reclaim and customs. Eileen, 21, said: 'We came off the plane like any other time. I was in my home of Wuhan just for a month before coming back to study media. Over that month I did not l leave the house, we stayed inside because of the virus. I think more should have been done because the fear of the virus in China is much worse than it is here' The leaflet tells passengers that if they have been to Wuhan, China in the last 14 days and develop any symptoms - including a fever, breathing difficulties or a cough - they are to contact a healthcare professional One passenger explained how her home city had shut off all public transport because of the growing fears of the killer disease. Ni Yu, 24, said: 'Today Wuhan stopped all public transport, trains, aeroplanes and buses. We were allowed to fly because it was before the deadline. I am worried about it. 'When we landed we weren't segregated. It took us two hours to get from the plane to arrivals because of immigration, they had to check our passports. 'All we were given was the mask and the check of our temperature. We were told to ring the NHS 111 if we start feeling ill and that's it.' Passengers arrive wearing a mask at Terminal 4, Heathrow Airport, London, January 22 Eileen, 21, had been visiting her home of Wuhan for a month before returning to the UK to study media. She said: 'We came off the plane like any other time. 'I think more should have been done because the fear of the virus in China is much worse than it is here.' She added that over the month she spent in Wuhan she did not leave the house, staying inside because of the virus. Robert Crosby, a security guard from Hull had been visiting his brother Thomas Crosby in Wuhan - a lecturer a Birmingham City University - when the news spread of the contagion. Robert Crosby, a security guard from Hull, holds a Public Health England leaflet advising passengers what to do if symptoms arise Robert Crosby, had been visiting his 31-year-old brother Thomas Crosby, right, in Wuhan People wear face masks as they wait at Hankou Railway Station on January 22, 2020 in Wuhan He said: 'The flight today was pretty much the same as I had on the way to Wuhan except a lot more people had masks, including English people. 'We got our temperature checked at the Chinese airport and they gave us a leaflet from Public Health England when we landed. 'We were told to wait for instructions from immigration controls but when we got off everything was normal, I think the area where we got off might have been more isolated because normally there are toilets straight away but that was it. 'My brother was teaching English in China so I went to visit him. I was there for 12 days but I was in Wuhan for about a week. I had heard rumours before I set off but I had already booked all my flights and I didn't know how serious it was. 'It all started kicking off just before we left. Lots of Chinese people were leaving.' People wearing face masks ride escalators inside Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan today Passengers arrive at Heathrow Airport on January 22 as scientists warn up to 10,000 patients may have caught the SARS-like virus in Wuhan Thomas Crosby, 31, added: 'There was an exodus in Wuhan but you wouldn't know if that was for Chinese New Year or because of the virus.' A 25-year-old student who was picking up his mother said: 'I worry abut the virus in Britain. There is news that tomorrow Wuhan will not allow anybody to leave because of the illness.' Leading scientists have also today warned up to 10,000 patients may have caught the SARS-like virus in Wuhan - more than double the previous estimate. Wuhan officials have today ordered all residents to wear face masks in public places. The World Health Organisation (WHO) today provided an update saying they need to know more about the outbreak before declaring an international emergency. An update from Public Health England today said: 'There are 3 direct flights a week that arrive at Heathrow from Wuhan. The enhanced monitoring of direct flights will be kept under continuous review and expanded to other Chinese departure points if necessary. 'Leaflets and information will be made available across all UK airports, advising travellers from China on what do to if they feel unwell. The World Health Organisation (WHO) today provided an update saying they need to know more about the outbreak before declaring an international emergency (pictured: Arrivals at Heathrow Airport) 'Based on the emerging evidence regarding case numbers, potential sources and human to human transmission, the risk to travellers to Wuhan is moderate. 'The risk to the UK population has been assessed as low. This has been raised from very low due to current evidence on the likelihood of cases being imported into this country. 'The UK is well prepared for new diseases and our approach is being kept under constant review. 'In line with our robust preparedness activities for emerging infections, we have issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of Wuhan Novel Coronavirus and PHE has developed a diagnostic test. 'Thanks to PHE, the UK is now one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this novel disease. 'There are currently no confirmed cases of this new infection in the UK.' Taking root? Tree-planting new trend in eco-conscious Davos Davos, Switzerland, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2020 It's a green policy that everyone can get behind. In Davos this year, leaders and tycoons, including the world's leading climate sceptic Donald Trump, offered to plant trees to help the planet. Finding common ground on global warming was no small accomplishment on the first day of this year's World Economic Forum that was dominated by speeches by Trump and teenage climate warrior, Greta Thurnberg. The most obvious example of the new found tree love was from Zurich Insurance, which every year hands out box-loads of blue ski bonnets to any Davos-goers foolish enough to come to the snow-cloaked fest without a hat. But this year the insurance giant innovated, promising to plant a tree for every winter hat offered. On Tuesday afternoon in this Swiss ski resort, the meter read 5,250. Some of the world's most powerful CEOs take planting trees incredibly seriously. "We are facing a planetary climate crisis and trees are one of the most effective ways to sequester carbon and stop the worst effects of climate change," cloud giant Salesforce chairman Marc Benioff said in Davos. A Davos regular, Benioff helps on the trillion tree campaign, a major reforestation project launched by WEF that Trump in his speech said he would back. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng spoke of his country's "high-value" reforestation programme and said Beijing was "willing to share its experience with other countries." Environmentalists view corporate tree-hugging with suspicion. "We are not telling you to 'offset your emission' by just paying someone else to plant trees in places like Africa while at the same time forests like the Amazon are being slaughtered at an infinitely higher rate," Thurnberg told her Davos audience. "Planting trees is good, of course, but it's nowhere near enough of what needs to be done, and it cannot replace real mitigation or rewilding nature," she said. The executive director of Greenpeace International, Jennifer Morgan, also stressed that trees are not compensation for pollution. "We need to change our industrial agriculture system, we need to absorb a massive amount of CO2 in order to have a chance of avoiding true catastrophe. But the idea of planting trees to potentially compensate the continued pollution from fossile fuels, emissions from fossil fuels, it's just not credible," Morgan told AFP. "The fact that the Forum has put something forward as planting trees rather than reducing the problem just shows how out of touch (they are), how much they are not internalising what it means to leave a sustainable and liveable society for their kids," she added. Many of the companies represented in Davos, such as the oil giants Shell and Total, long ago launched carbon offset projects through tree planting, and the scheme is also being implemented by airlines. Some experts, however, cautioned against the use of fast-growing species such as eucalyptus or pine, which could disrupt local ecosystems. aue/arp/sjw/boc SALESFORCE.COM TOTAL ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC Verto Analytics Inc., a Helsinki, Finland- and New York City-based behavioral analytics platform provider, raised a $16m third funding round. Backers included Conor Venture Partners, Open Ocean Capital, Finnish Industry Investment, OP Bank Finland, Saastopankki Bank Fund, professional and private investors via Springvest, Tom Glocer (former CEO of Thomson Reuters), Ben Feder (currently an executive at Tencent, formerly CEO of Take Two Interactive), Steve Marshall (founder of Invision), and Steve Farella (chairman of MDC Media Partners), as well as its existing management team and founders. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate commercial rollout of new solutions (both syndicated and custom), and make strategic improvements to its customer service. Led by founder Dr. Hannu Verkasalo, and Pat Brennan, president of U.S. operations, Verto Analytics is a media measurement company whose behavioral analytics platform helps brands and companies get a holistic view of consumers, including their behavior, along with demographics, lifestyles, attitudes, and interests. The company owns and operates single-source, passively metered panels in different countries; these panels measure behavioral changes over time across all media, second by second. Brands, publishers, and researchers use Vertos services to benchmark against competitors and the market, fill in the gaps in the consumer journey, and identify ways to increase engagement and loyalty. The companys behavioral research platform equips market researchers with deep, passive meter data solutions and the application of triggered surveys on top of the panel. FinSMEs 21/01/2020 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: In 2019, Georgia increased the export of mineral and chemical fertilizers to Azerbaijan by 6.4 times (21,348 tons) compared to 2018, Trend reports referring to Georgian National Statistics Office (Geostat). Last year, Georgia exported 25,291 tons of mineral and chemical fertilizers worth $4.7 million to Azerbaijan. In 2018, Azerbaijan imported 3,943 tons of fertilizers worth $741,600 from Georgia. In 2019, the external merchandise trade (excluding non-declared trade) of Georgia amounted to $12.8 billion, 2.7 percent higher year-on-year. The exports equaled $3.7 billion (12.4 percent higher), while the imports stood at $9.1 billion (0.8 percent lower). In 2019, the share of the top ten trading partners by exports in the total exports of Georgia amounted to 73.3 percent. The top partners were Azerbaijan ($498.7 million) and Russia ($497.1 million). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Karnataka legislator MP Renukacharya has raked up a controversy by claiming that a few traitors kept weapons in mosques instead of offering prayers there. There are a few traitors who sit in a Masjid and write Fatwa. They collect weapons inside the mosque instead of praying. Is this why you want a Masjid? Renukacharya said during a rally to drum up support for the amended citizenship act. Renukacharya is the MLA from Honnali Assembly constituency of the state. You killed our youth who opposed cow slaughter and you expect us to be silent? It is impossible. Today, Congress and JD(S) workers are jobless. People no longer attend their political meetings. You support the minority community and mock Modiji, Yediyurappa, and Kateel. You expect us to stay mum? After Modi ji became the Prime Minister, no incident of communal riot has been reported. Peace was restored, he added. They campaigned against Modiji that if we come to power we will chase the Pakistanis away, he added. Partys state unit spokesperson G Madhusudhana said the state government would consider Renukacharyas remarks seriously, probe into his claims and act if they were true. We will review what he (Renukacharya) said, the context in which he said and act against offenders if weapons are found in mosques, Madhusudhana was quoted as saying by news agency IANS. The death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus has risen to 17, as dozens more cases were reported across China and as far afield as the western United States, sparking fears of a possible pandemic. On Wednesday, the Chinese city of Wuhan -- where the virus was first identified -- said it would 'temporarily' close its airport and railway stations for departing passengers. All public transport services will also be suspended, as authorities attempt to contain the virus. The city lockdown begins at 10 am local time Thursday (9 pm ET Wednesday), according to an announcement from the city's coronavirus command center. Chinese health authorities said that at least 547 cases had been confirmed in the mainland, with eight new deaths linked to the virus in Hubei, the central Chinese province of which Wuhan is the capital. Cases were also confirmed in the Chinese territory of Macao and the self-governing island of Taiwan. Beyond China, officials in Washington state on Tuesday confirmed the first case on US soil. The patient is a male in his 30s who is under observation at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, said John Wiesman, Washington's secretary of health, at a press conference Wednesday. Health officials have reviewed the travel history of the patient, said Dr. Chris Spitters, Snohomish Health District acting health officer on the patient's contact investigation. 'As of now, there are at least 16 identified close contacts,' Spitters said. 'Local health departments started reaching out to them yesterday and continued doing so today.' Spitters said 'the risk to the general public remains low and the public health system and our health care partners are working swiftly and collaboratively to address this situation.' Cases have also been reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and suspected cases detected in Australia. Worldwide, a total of 555 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak was detected in mid-December. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared the virus a 'public health emergency of international concern,' which might merit a coordinated global response. The organization's emergency committee met Wednesday in Geneva, but decided more information was needed to declare the status of the outbreak and what recommendations should be made regarding it. It is expected to take up the matter again on Thursday. China on Tuesday announced it was adopting Class A prevention and control measures, typically used for major outbreaks such as plague and cholera. This means health officials will get sweeping powers to lock down affected areas and quarantine patients. China previously used such measures in 2009 to tackle an outbreak of H1N1, introducing mandatory quarantine for anyone who had 'close contact' with an infected person, including foreigners arriving in the country from areas where H1N1 outbreaks had been reported. Li Bin, China's national health commissioner, said that officials are aware of around 2,200 cases of 'close contact' with known virus carriers. Regarding suspected cases, 715 patients have been discharged while more than 300 patients remain on medical watch. The disease is mainly transmitted 'through the respiratory tract,' said Li, adding that 'there is possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease.' While there are indications that Chinese authorities are ready to ramp up controls on travel -- including ordering that all trips to Wuhan be canceled and refunded -- it remains to be seen whether the virus, already reported in around a dozen locations, can be reined in before the Lunar New Year travel period truly kicks in. The largest annual human migration on Earth, hundreds of millions of people will travel across China and overseas during the four-week period, which began in mid-January and continues until February. Many will go by train or plane, raising the risk of infection as they are put in close contact with other travelers. What we know about the virus First identified in Wuhan in mid-December, the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is in the same family of infections as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Coronaviruses are transmitted by animals and people, and the Wuhan strain has been linked to a market in the city which was selling seafood and live animals, including wild species. SARS was previously linked to similar markets, particularly the sale of civet cats, a delicacy in some parts of China. Speaking Wednesday, Li, the Chinese health official, said that Wuhan and Hubei provincial authorities should tighten the regulation of farm markets and wild animals. He also urged the public to avoid crowds and minimize large gatherings. Chinese health officials said human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed, raising the chance of its spread. In one instance, 14 doctors and nurses operating on a patient unknown to be carrying the virus were all infected with it, suggesting it can be spread relatively easily. People were seen at a train station Wednesday trying to get train tickets to leave Wuhan. The true extent of the virus is unclear, and official figures may be an underestimation. A study by British researchers previously estimated -- based on the spread of the virus overseas in a relatively short time -- that the number of people infected in Wuhan alone was likely around 1,700. However, so far the death toll is relatively low, and almost all cases involved elderly people with preexisting conditions: of the more than 400 confirmed cases in China, nine deaths have been reported so far, or 2.25%. By comparison, SARS had a mortality rate of around 10%, and was even more deadly among vulnerable populations. Worldwide effort With cases and suspected cases already reported across Asia and now as far afield as the US and Australia, containment efforts are being put in place in many travel hubs. Wuhan alone has connections with more than 60 overseas destinations through its international airport, while Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, all of which have reported cases, have hundreds more. Airports across Asia have stepped up temperature screening of incoming passengers, as have several hubs in the US, including New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Officials at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport put up signs at the international arrivals area instructing travelers from Wuhan to watch for symptoms of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started displaying the sign in English and Chinese on January 14, an airport spokesman said. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement saying it was closely monitoring developments and is actively working with the WHO secretariat, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the CDC. With all indications that the virus has a relatively slow incubation time, however, these efforts may be insufficient to stop its spread. 'You cannot absolutely prevent entry into the country of a disease like this. The incubation period is probably a week,' Australia's chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said Tuesday. 'It's about identifying those with a high risk and making sure people with a high risk know about it and know how to get medical attention.' Raising concerns about how difficult it is to detect those with the virus, even if they have some symptoms, a patient in South Korea told doctors there she had developed a fever and muscle pains on Saturday and was prescribed cold medicine by a doctor in Wuhan, before being sent on her way. She was later confirmed to have the coronavirus during a check in Seoul. In the US, the National Institutes of Health is working on a vaccine for the new virus, though it will take at least a few months until the first phase of clinical trials get underway and more than a year until a vaccine might be available. Scientists in Texas, New York and China are also at work on a vaccine, according to Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. 'The lesson we've learned is coronavirus infections are serious and one of the newest and biggest global health threats,' Hotez told CNN. Miami is working through the "issues" standing in the way of F1's second grand prix in America. In December, F1 CEO Chase Carey said he is still determined to take the sport to Miami. "We still have some issues to resolve in Miami," he told CNN. "They're, probably at this point, predominantly political ones." Indeed, in the face of political opposition to the race, local organisers on Tuesday said the proposed circuit at Hard Rock Stadium would no longer include a public road, or be in action during school hours. "We hope the County Commission will support our effort to deliver this huge global event to you!" the organisers said on Twitter. Carey is also upbeat, saying that despite the opposition, there are also "encouraging" levels of support for the Miami GP. "It's clearly an addition to Austin," he added. "So in our goal, we think the US is a big enough market and a broad enough market and growing the US, I think having two races will actually make both stronger." U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow speaks during opening arguments in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of Trump in this frame grab from video shot in the U.S. Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2020. US Senate TV | Reuters President Donald Trump's defense team sparred with Democratic House managers in the Senate on Tuesday for the first time in the president's impeachment trial. The battle on the Senate floor, presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, largely centered around the rules that will be adopted for the trial proceedings going forward. But the team of seven House Democrats, led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also took the opportunity to lay out much of the evidence in their case that the president, for the first time in U.S. history, should be convicted and removed from office. Lead manager House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks during opening arguments in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump in this frame grab from video shot in the U.S. Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2020. U.S. Senate TV | Reuters "When the Founders wrote the impeachment clause, they had precisely this type of conduct in mind," Schiff said in his opening statement. "Conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit, that undermines our national security, and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election. It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment." Trump's lawyers argued in response that the president had done nothing wrong, and accused Democrats of ramming a biased investigation through to the Senate based on insufficient evidence. "Never before in the history of our country has a President been confronted with this kind of impeachment proceeding in the House," said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who is leading the president's defense. Trump was impeached by the House on Dec. 18 on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Both articles relate to his efforts to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy into announcing probes involving his political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, and then blocking attempts from Congress to investigate. It is considered highly unlikely that two thirds of the GOP-majority Senate, which was ordered to remain silent throughout the proceedings, will vote to remove a Republican president. Here are the top moments of the day. Senate leaders square off Some of the biggest fireworks of the day came hours before the trial proceedings kicked off. On Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., put forward an outline of the trial rules after suggesting he would aim to mimic the proceedings in former President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment trial. But Democrats quickly cried foul on those rules, which departed from Clinton's trial in key sections most notably in the time constraints placed on both sides to state their cases. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) walks past capitol police during the first day of the Senate impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 21, 2020. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called that resolution a "national disgrace" on Monday night. Before the proceedings began Tuesday afternoon, Schumer proposed a series of amendments to change the rules. Before the House managers and defense team began their debate on the resolutions, McConnell said he would move to table essentially, to ignore amendments that would "force premature decisions on mid-trial questions." Schumer tore into McConnell's proposed rules in a fiery speech. "This resolution," he said, will go down "as one of the darker moments in the Senate history. Perhaps one of even the darkest." McConnell changes his rules In its original form, McConnell's trial rules allotted 24 hours for House managers and Trump's defense team to state their case but only allowed that time to be used over the span of two days for each side. Schumer slammed those rules in his Senate floor speech. "The McConnell resolution will result in a rushed trial with little evidence in the dark of night. Literally, the dark of night," he said. "If Leader McConnell is so confident the president did nothing wrong, why don't they want the case to be presented in broad daylight?" Sen. Mitch McConnell opens the Impeachment Trial of President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21st, 2020. CNBC But as the resolution on the trial rules was being read aloud in the Senate chamber, McConnell made two significant changes to his proposal. The changes will permit each side to stretch out the 24 total hours they've been allotted for making arguments over three days, instead of two, as McConnell had initially proposed. The changes will also automatically admit into evidence the entire record of the House impeachment probe into Trump last fall. "It's good they admitted evidence, but the real test will be witnesses and documents," Schumer told reporters after the rules were changed. Schumer's office said McConnell was pressured to make the changes following massive pressure from Congress and the public. But McConnell may benefit from altering his own text. By waiting as long as he did to announce the changes, McConnell ensured that his Democratic counterparts spent the day focused primarily on objecting to the specifics of those two rules. Less attention was paid to a third contentious issue in the trial rules: whether or not the Senate will hear from live witnesses. McConnell has so far said that senators will be asked to vote on the witness question later in the trial, after they've heard arguments from each side. But Democrats say that amounts to voting on witnesses after the trial is essentially over. Senate shoots down Schumer amendments Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had his phone "hacked" in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message from the personal account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, according to a sensational report by The Guardian. That's right -- the phone used by the world's richest man was penetrated into by a simple WhatsApp message. What does that tell you about online security? Reuters The issue has caused somewhat of a diplomatic storm, with two United Nations experts expected to release a public statement to address the "serious allegations," as per The New York Times. What exactly happened? Apparently an encrypted WhatsApp message from the number allegedly used by Mohammed bin Salman seemingly had a malicious file that infiltrated Jeff Bezos' phone, according to a digital forensic analysis. On May 1, 2018, Jeff Bezos supposedly received a video over WhatsApp, from the number used by the Saudi Crown Prince, after which the Amazon CEO's phone began to send unusually large amounts of data to an online server, the New York Times quoted unidentified people who know about the Jeff Bezos-ordered forensic analysis of his phone. If you aren't aware, there's a lot of bad blood between Jeff Bezos-owned The Washington Post and its critical reporting of the current Saudi government. A critic of the Saudi regime, Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in a Saudi embassy -- the Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed ordered Khashoggi's killing. Twitter While all of this is happening, the Saudi government has officially denied any involvement in Jeff Bezos' phone hacking allegation. Clearly, we haven't heard the end of this story just yet. WhatsApp's security crisis It's fair to say that this incident has once again brought into light WhatsApp's security, a topic which continues to raise more questions than answers, unfortunately. Earlier in November 2019, WhatsApp came clean on being hacked, admitting that security and privacy of 1400 individuals across several continents was being compromised by a spying software. Hackers used WhatsApp's voice calling function to merely ring a target's phone, and that's all it needed for the spyware to covertly install itself on the intended device -- scarily enough, this exploit bypassed any need to have the call answered on the other end. Before that in October 2019, a security researcher called 'Awakened' found a bug on the popular messaging app -- a vulnerability in WhatsApp that could give hackers access to any phone, if they were to download an infected GIF image. Reuters And now even someone like Jeff Bezos seemingly fell prey to a WhatsApp message, after he clicked on a video file sent in it -- another old exploit in WhatsApp that's now patched. If the richest man in the world can't be safe, then who's really safe anywhere anymore? It can be argued that WhatsApp is merely the vehicle of infiltration -- that inherently it's not insecure. After all, in the era of personal computers, it was Microsoft Windows that was hacked relentlessly; in the smartphone age, it's Android and iOS that's targeted by hackers. That hackers just choose the most popular delivery vehicles to target as many people as they can, enhancing their odds of success. And what better way to hack into phones right now than WhatsApp, which enjoys over 400 million users in India, and hundreds of million more globally? Also what happens when it's not just a random hacker but the government that wants to see what's going on inside your phone? Like I said, all of this raises more questions than answers. While we demand greater accountability from companies like WhatsApp (and Facebook) that enable and expose us online in equal measure, the immediate lesson from Jeff Bezos' phone hack revelation is this: don't forget to say a little prayer, cross all appendages every time you get a WhatsApp notification. 21.01.2020 LISTEN All institutions, including Governments and their agencies, have the DUTY to put their case before the public. Almost all of them depend on taxes paid by the public to carry out their functions. And in order that the public should remain PERSUADED that the public must continue paying the taxes that keep the institutions afloat, the public needs a regular flow of information on what the institutions are doing; how they are doing it; what difficulties face them; and how they are surmounting those difficulties. It may seem to institutions that once they have been established, they can do what they think is right and SELL to the public, through slick public relations practices, the notion that what the institutions think is correct, is necessarily correct. (See https://www.myjoyonline.com/politics/2020/January-18th/new-register-is-a-done-deal-electoral-commission.php But that is nothing but self-deception. Ask Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer. One way or the other, the public sometimes gets a chance to put institutions, including private companies (such as Boeing) in the dock on their done deals. Over here, no-one would have thought that the Bank of Ghana, with iron-clad constitution-protected independence, would one day be answering questions about how it licenses commercial banks and other bodies that solicit funds from the public. (Just as Boeing, supposedly under the supposedly eagle-eyed supervision of the US Federal Aviation authorities, would hardly have been expected to be able to manoeuvre things and make shortcuts in such a devious way that it was unbelievably allowed by the authorities to put a new aircraft into operation, that would be so unsafe that it would be involved in two crashes that killed about 400 people). In Ghana today , former bank executive after bank executive is being dragged to court to answer questions about fraud and other financial malpractices in their organisations. And people need to ask: what was the role of Bank of Ghana officials in those financial malfeasances? They were required by law to keep a close eye on those financial institutions. So why did they crash or need to be rescued by the state in order not to crash? Who will finally bear the cost of those bailout funds? If a church that is favoured by the high and the mighty in the society (for instance) branches out into commercia banking, does it not have to adhere strictly to the rules governing all banks? Independence, then, is a two-faced coin: on the one side of the coin, a financial institution should operate as its executives deem fit. But on the other, a church/bank (say) cannot claim that since it operates under the general direction of the deity, it cannot do evil and should therefore be spared the legally-prescribed supervision that the country's financial authorities are obliged to exercise over all financial institutions. One body whose position is somewhat analogous to that of the financial institutions is the Electoral Commission. No other body in the country attracts as much notice from the public as this Commission. And that should be expected, for the reason is obvious: the EC manages the system by which we elect our all-powerful government. In some countries, the EC's behaviour causes blood to be spilt in defence of alleged EC cheating of parties and ethnic groups, which denies power to those entities. For such a body to imagine that it can evade the total and ruthless scrutiny of its done deals because the Constitution endows it with independence, is to be naive beyond belief. The independence bestowed on it by the Constitution is predicated on the Commission being able to act in such a way as does not create even a whiff of suspicion, in the eyes of the public, that the EC is partisan, or that it acts in the narrow financial interest of EC officials and their secret financial oligarchies. Unfortunately, there is a tradition in this country of being UNSURE about why the Electoral Commission does its done deals. We worry, in particular, about the when and how the Commission compiles its voters' registers, as well as the way and manner in which it conducts elections and declares results. Now, here is an interesting thought: there is no person born of woman who can conduct elections in Ghana without being accused of BIAS in favour of one political party or the other! Everybody knows this, including EC officials! What this widespread suspicion of bias produces must be one of two reactions on the part of the Commission: it can either throw up its arms and say, Hey, we shall be accused of bias in any case, so let's go ahead and do things the way we want to! Done deal, what? On the other hand, a much more realistic Commission would warn everyone in the Commission that: Hey, no-one forces anyone to work for the Electoral Commission, ok? So, be advised that once you're at the EC, whatever you do will be put, not just under a microscope, but a microscope that may, actually, already be smeared with unknown samples. You will find it difficult enough to separate the genuine from the externally-contaminated lot. But if YOU yourself do bring along, samples of your own to add to the pile, then do be aware that you risk creating a meltdown that can bring unknown disaster to our whole nation! Some of our earlier Electoral Commissions followed the second set of rules. Aware that microscopes can be manipulated to produce unscientific readings, some of our earliest Commissions (especially those of 1950, 1954 and 1956) went the whole hog to DEPLOY ACCURATE AND TIMELY INFORMATION on a massive scale, to DISARM public scepticism. They were incredibly transparent about, for instance, the registration and the extension of deadlines for the registration of voters; the easy identification of political party symbols to be used on ballot papers; the laws governing registration of voters; and the disqualification of candidates; and ultimately, also about the counting of votes and the declaration of election results. Anyone who was around in those days sat up, stopped everything, and listened, as the long-awaited information followed this announcement: This is the Gold Coast Broadcasting System. The general elections. Such and such constituency..... They had been prepared to accept the accuracy of this information, and they drank it in. Today , we sit down and hear that the Electoral Commission has selected Company X or Y to compile the data that will be used for election purposes in all their shapes and forms. What are Company X's credentials? No-one is told! Where has it compiled similar data before? No-one knows! What was the public reaction to the company's work in the countries in which it previously operated? (Silence). Who were Company X's competitors in the bidding for the compilation of data in Ghana? (If the EC has disclosed this, only a handful of stakeholders are privy to it. But ought this not be public information, not just because of the controversy surrounding the exercise, but because it is good policy? Why were other companies rejected while Company X was selected? What has been the reaction of the companies that failed to win the bid? The answers to these questions are largely, zilch, zilch zilch, so far. I am sure that if some enterprising enquirer(s) were to go to the Electoral Commission offices to ask these questions, they might get the convincing answers to them. But I ask you, why should anyone go to a public body to seek information that the public body should make freely available to the public? Well, the EC is learning fast that if these questions would not be voluntarily answered, contrived answers would be placed put in the public mind. So, the Election Commission is FORCED to issue AN ANGRY STATEMENT denying that the company that has just won the contract to compile our election-related data, was somehow connected to the husband of the current Electoral Commissioner! Now, isn't that suggestion ridiculous? Maybe, but that's what you get if you think you can ignore the public and carry on with secret done deals, which you then try to sell to the public, or more accurately, selected stakeholders. Is the Electoral Commission unaware that the current EC chair's predecessor was subjected to a huge cacophony of rumours in 2016-18, and that even a child of five could have ANTICIPATED (having been told of Ms Charlotte Osei's travails) that the current lady too might experience her share of maligning, and that extra care should be taken not to create a situation that would invite her being defamed? Didn't experience tell the Commission that the current Electoral Commissioner should avoid all potentially controversial posturing? Can the selection of companies that would play a crucial role in the compilation of electoral data a simple issue in Ghana? Has the Electoral Commission got electronic consultants? If it has, and these consultants have replaced those who were hired before, why were the previous consultants dumped? Where have the new consultants (if any) worked before, and what was the public reaction to their exertions? I man, you can't go and bring experts who have worked before in say, Kenya, and expect the Ghanaian public to just accept them because our EC says they're ok?? We hear a lot about arbitrary disqualification of voters by city and county officials (for instance) during elections, even in an supposedly advanced democracy like the USA. If that happens in the USA, a country with the most inquisitive media in the world and the most savvy electronics experimentalists, why can't our institutions learn that nothing is to be taken for granted during an election? INFORMATION that belongs in the public domain should be put there as a matter of course, mustn't it, and certainly, not after a raucous demand has been made for it? Our METHOD of selecting individuals to head important, sensitive institutions in this country has become anachronistic, in my view. Ph. D; years of practical experience; demonstrated ability in his/her field eta: .all well and good. But what about ORDINARY COMMON SENSE? Wouldn't common sense warn a person in an important institution that all eyes are on me. SO, like Caesar's wife, not only must I not be incorruptible but be ABOVE SUSPICION? There is no guarantee that under our highly polarised party-politicised atmosphere, even such an attitude will necessarily dampen criticism of appointees who are expected to be independent-minded but are suspected of acting in favour of political parties. But surely, it is much better to to try to attack the task with clean, open hands than to approach with secret dirt under the fingernails?Hoping that the microscope will not detect the dirt is a high-risk strategy. It most certainly won't work! PROSPECT PARK The man charged with shooting a Prospect Park teenager last year during a drug deal gone bad is expected to appear at a preliminary hearing next week. Online court records show Shaheem Rice, 21, of Collingdale, is due before Magisterial District Judge Jack Lippart on Jan. 27 to answer to 14 charges included criminal attempt- murder first, aggravated assault and related offenses stemming from the Jan. 18, 2019 meeting that injured one person. This hearing is a continuance from a hearing that was first scheduled on Dec. 23. According to police, three teenagers arranged to buy drugs from someone they had previously connected with around 7 p.m. on the date in question in the 700 block of Lincoln Avenue. Prospect Park Detective Sgt. Henry ONeill said the contact person sent Rice instead to the meeting point. Police were not sure what transpired when the four persons met, but Rice allegedly fired a single shot that broke a cars rear window and struck one of the teenage passengers in the face. The teenager has been recovering from the injuries, police said. Police eventually found Rice after his arrest in Philadelphia over the summer for a gun charge. Ballistic forensics showed the gun Rice was arrested with was used in the January shooting. Rice was out on bail from the August arrest. Rice was eventually arrested in Collingdale on Dec. 10 on a search warrant served by the Prospect Park and Collingdale police departments and the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division. Lippart preliminarily arraigned Rice on Dec. 10. He was then remanded to the county prison for failing to post cash bail at 10 percent of $140,000. Rice has not retained a lawyer and did not request a public defender, according to court records. In what seems like a broad case of overreaching, an upcoming version of Microsofts Office 365 for enterprises will automatically switch Google Chromes search engine to Bing. And Firefox is next on the list. Editors Note: On Feb. 11, Microsoft is saying that it will back off this decision, making it opt-in, as first reported by ZDNet. Based on your feedbackThe Microsoft Search in Bing browser extension will not be automatically deployed with Office 365 ProPlus, the company said in an update. The rest of the original article continues below. Yes, Google Chrome. Yes, Bing. Microsoft says its doing so to enable Microsoft Search, which essentially evolves the Bing search engine into a way to delve through your corporate files and other information. But still, altering another companys search engine to do so? (Weve reached out to Google for comment, but the company hadnt responded by press time. ) Microsoft An example of what users would see searching with Microsoft Search using Google Chrome. Microsoft laid out its plans in a support document that surfaced Wednesday, in part due to a report by Thurrott.com. Specifically, the change will be made to Office 365 ProPlus, a version of Office specific to enterprises. The change will be deployed as early as February for targeted users who receive monthly channel updates, and at a later dates for others. Users in the United States and the United Kingdom will be affected, as well as those in some other regions, Microsoft said. Microsoft refers to the changes made to Chrome as an extension: specifically, adding the Microsoft Search in Bing extension to Office 365 Pro Plus. Heres how Microsoft explains what it is and what is does: Microsoft Search in Bing provides a familiar web interface to help your users find workplace information more easily, including files and documents, internal sites and business tools, people and org charts, building information, and other relevant information from within your organization, it says. Microsoft Search accesses files, SharePoint sites, OneDrive content, Teams and Yammer conversations, and other shared data sources in your organization, as well as the internet. Whats not exactly clear is how Microsoft can sink its hooks into Chrome to do this. The Twitter security handle SwiftonSecurity noted that it actually violates Windows Defenders prohibition against installing software without your consent. The support document also makes the greater intent clear: Microsofts adding the tweaks to Chrome first, but support for the Firefox web browser is planned for a later date, it says. How to block Microsoft from changing Chromes search engine in Office 365 IT admins who dont want the extension installed have a way around it. Enterprises can use either the Office Deployment Tool or Group Policy to prevent it, but it has to be done before the extension itself is installed. If an admin waits too long, theyll have to run a command to remove it. Fortunately, it sounds like individual users will have the option of disabling Microsoft Search as wellthough its not clear whether admins can lock this down. To disable Microsoft Search and restore Google as your search engine, users should be able to click the magnifying glass Search icon next to the address bar in Chrome, and then toggle off the Use Bing as your default search engine selection. Microsoft Users can click the magnifying glass search icon to switch out of Microsoft Bing. Unfortunately, Microsofts efforts to help users with Microsoft Search could easily be seen as just another example of the companys heavy-handed approaches to say, upgrading users to Windows 10. The next natural question to ask is: Could Microsoft do this to consumers, too? Heres something to think about: In the new, Chromium-based Edge, Microsoft hasnt touched Chromes choice of search engine. But it has buried Edges search-engine options in a deep level where theyre difficult to find, and made Bing the default. Stanford researchers gathered soil samples from dozens of North American forests, including Pike National Forest in Colorado. They used these samples to better understand the influence of climate change on symbiotic soil microbes that control the health of forests. Credit: Kabir Peay If you indulge in truffles, or porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, you have enjoyed a product of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Forming symbiotic relationships with plantsincluding pine, birch, oak and willow tree speciesthese fungi have existed for millions of years, their sprawling filaments supporting ecosystems throughout their reach. According to research from Stanford University, published Jan. 21 in the Journal of Biogeography, by the year 2070, climate change could cause the local loss of over a quarter of ectomycorrhizal fungal species from 3.5 million square kilometers of North American pine forestsan area twice the size of Alaska. "These are critical organisms for the functioning and the health of forests," said Kabir Peay, associate professor of biology in Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences and senior author of the study. "We have evidence to suggest that these fungi are as susceptible to climate change as other kinds of organisms and their response may be even more important." Previously, the Peay lab had mapped the global distributions of forests where trees associate with different types of symbiotic fungi, finding that over 60 percent of all trees on Earth currently associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Now, by learning more about the communities these fungi form in different climates, the researchers projected how climate change might affect them in the future. Microbial maps Over several years, the Peay lab has gathered about 1,500 soil samples from 68 pine forests, which represent a swath of North America from Florida to Alaska. In past work, they sequenced DNA in each sample to understand what fungal species live in that soil, and in what abundance. Their results, published previously, suggested that fungi were different in each region, contradicting a common assumption that those communities would look similar in most places in the world. They followed that up by mapping the associations between trees and symbiotic microbes around the world. For their latest paper, Brian Steidinger, a postdoctoral scholar in the Peay lab, explored the relationship between these geographical fungi patterns and historical climate data. "We took soil from the cores and climatic data unique to each site," said Steidinger, who was lead author of the study. "We found that climate was by far the most important predictor of contemporary fungal diversity patterns across North America." Steidinger also found that different regions of North America had unique optimal temperatures for fungal diversity. For example, cold boreal forests had a diversity peak around 5 C mean annual temperature, while Eastern temperate forests peaked in diversity near 20 C. The researchers then applied these data to predict future diversity, given projections of climate change produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Because of the regional differences in optimal climate for fungal diversity, some forests, particularly those in the North and Northwest, could experience major decreases in fungal diversity. "According to our models, climate change over the next 50 years could eliminate more than a quarter of ectomycorrhizal species inside 3.5 million square kilometers of North American pine forests," said Steidinger. "That's an area twice the size of Alaska." Other regions, such as the Eastern temperate forests, could experience gains of 30 to 50 percentassuming it is as easy to develop new species as to lose them. "One of the things that's kind of shocking and a little bit scary is that we predict there will be some pretty significant decreases in diversity in western North America, well known culturally for fungal diversity and for people who are interested in collecting edible mushrooms," Peay said. Buffering against climate change Ectomycorrhizal fungi form a sheath around their hosts' roots, which can help prevent erosion and protect roots from damage and disease. The fungi seem to boost carbon storage in soil by slowing down decomposition and encouraging the buildup of soil. They also help their host trees grow more quicklyand therefore take in more carbonby improving their ability to take in nitrogen, which they need in order to grow. "In terms of ecosystem function, particularly buffering the atmosphere against climate change, ectomycorrhizal fungi are among the last microbes you want to lose," said Steidinger. "We're expecting to lose the species that seem to be the most functionally intensethe ones with the greatest enzyme activity, the ones that forage out the farthest." Building on this work, the researchers are considering studying forests with low diversity of fungi and conducting experiments to better understand how these altered fungal communities might function in the future. "For microbiome work, I feel like we're in a new era of discovery," said Peay. "Like Darwin and Wallace getting on ships and going to new places and seeing new things and changing the way they view the world, that is what is happening in this field." Explore further Researchers map symbiotic relationships between trees and microbes worldwide More information: Brian S. Steidinger et al, Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity predicted to substantially decline due to climate changes in North American Pinaceae forests, Journal of Biogeography (2020). Journal information: Journal of Biogeography Brian S. Steidinger et al, Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity predicted to substantially decline due to climate changes in North American Pinaceae forests,(2020). DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13802 Domestic equity market remained under pressure for yet another session due to factors such as caution ahead of the Union Budget, tepid quarterly earnings and mixed global cues. With a loss of 208 points or 0.50 percent, Sensex ended the session at 41,115.38 while Nifty closed the day at 12,106.90, down 63 points or 0.52 percent. BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices closed 0.32 percent and 0.13 percent lower, respectively. Nifty continued to consolidate in the range of 11,800-12,500. Market experts said since the index was trading near the upper band of the range, selling pressure has pushed the index towards 12,100 level. Santosh Meena, Senior Analyst at TradingBells, said the bullish texture of the market has been disturbed but bulls still have hope to make a comeback in 12,100-12,025 zone. "If Nifty manages to hold this zone then we can expect a pullback where 12,225-12,300 will be immediate supply zone. However, if Nifty slips below 12,100-12,025 zone then it may head towards 11,850-11,700 levels," Meena said. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Key support and resistance level for Nifty According to the pivot charts, the key support level for Nifty is placed at 12,054.87, followed by 12,002.83. If the index moves up, key resistance levels to watch out for are 12,191.97 and 12,277.03. Nifty Bank Nifty Bank closed 0.80 percent down at 30,701.45. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 30,493.9, followed by 30,286.4. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 31,029 and 31,356.6. Call options data Maximum call open interest (OI) of 34.76 lakh contracts was seen at the 12,500 strike price. It will act as a crucial resistance level in the January series. This is followed by 12,300 strike price, which holds 33.73 lakh contracts in open interest, and 12,200, which has accumulated 30.19 lakh contracts in open interest. Significant call writing was seen at the 12,200 strike price, which added 11.63 lakh contracts, followed by 12,300 strike price that added 5.16 lakh contracts and 12,400 strike that added 5.13 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was witnessed at 12,700 strike price, which shed 36,375 contracts. Put options data Maximum put open interest of 35.47 lakh contracts was seen at 12,000 strike price, which will act as crucial support in the January series. This is followed by 12,200 strike price, which holds 23.92 lakh contracts in open interest, and 11,800 strike price, which has accumulated 20.28 lakh contracts in open interest. Put writing was seen at the 12,100 strike price, which added 2.5 lakh contracts, followed by 11,900 strike, which added 2.43 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was seen at 12,400 strike price, which shed 1.26 lakh contracts, followed by 12,500 strike which shed 42,075 contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. 49 stocks saw long build-up Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long build-up was seen. 6 stocks saw long unwinding 86 stocks saw short build-up An increase in open interest, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short build-up was seen. 4 stocks witnessed short-covering A decrease in open interest, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates a short-covering. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Upcoming analyst or board meetings/briefings Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company: The board of the company will meet on January 23 to consider and approve quarterly results and the preferential issue of shares. Deccan Health Care: The board of the company will meet on January 23 to consider and approve the preferential issue of shares. GHCL: The board of the company will meet on January 23 to consider and approve the buyback of shares. GMM Pfaudler: The board of the company will meet on January 23 to consider and approve interim dividend and quarterly results. Rane Brake Lining: The board of the company will meet on January 23 to consider and approve interim dividend and quarterly results. Stocks in news L&T: Q3 profit rises 15.2 percent to Rs 2,352 cr, revenue up 5.9 percent to Rs 36,242.7 cr YoY; order inflow at Rs 41,579 cr. Axis Bank: Q3 profit increases 4.5 percent to Rs 1,757 cr, NII up 15.2 percent to Rs 6,453 cr YoY, slippages at Rs 5,124 cr. RBL Bank: Q3 profit dips 69 percent to Rs 70 cr, NII grows 40.8 percent to Rs 922.6 cr YoY, asset quality weakens. Karnataka Bank: Board will consider raising capital on January 27. Raymond: Q3 profit jumps to Rs 197 cr versus Rs 40 cr, revenue up 12.5 percent to Rs 1,885 cr versus Rs 1,675 cr YoY. Ceat: Q3 profit flat at Rs 52.8 cr, revenue rises 1.9 percent to Rs 1,762 cr YoY. Tata Communications: Q3 profit rises 8.6 percent to Rs 58.5 cr, revenue dips 1 percent to Rs 4,229 cr QoQ. Oil India: Company filed a plea with Supreme Court on telecom dues claimed by DoT. FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 176.43 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), too, sold shares of worth Rs 326.22 crore in the Indian equity market on January 22, provisional data available on the NSE showed. Fund flow Stock under F&O ban on NSE PLANO, Texas, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) will host its 25th Annual National Conference at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel in Orlando, Florida, March 2-4, 2020. The meeting will draw more than 400 pharmaceutical manufacturers, PBMs, pharmacists, payors and other healthcare stakeholders to discuss the latest industry strategies for managing drug benefits. In addition, the conference will include the annual awards ceremony for the PBMI Excellence Awards , presented to organizations for their contributions in promoting innovative and best-in-class strategies that address the challenges of drug cost management, quality improvement, care management and substance abuse. For 25 years, PBMI has provided an open forum to exchange ideas, advance best practices and drive appropriate changes in the pharmacy benefit management marketplace, said Dr. Sharon Frazee, Senior Vice President of Research and Data Innovation. Educating healthcare stakeholders on changes and new approaches in pharmacy management is the cornerstone of our annual event. Attendees benefit from insights into a wide variety of industry topics and multiple networking opportunities. Keynote speaker, Barry Meier, author, Pulitzer-winning former reporter for The New York Times and two-time winner of the prestigious George Polk Award for investigative reporting, will kick off the conference by covering one of healthcares most important topics: Americas opioid crisis. Other highlights of the three-day conference agenda include: Wall Streets Outlook on the PBM Industry, presented by George Hill, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Deutsche Bank Securities The U.S. Pharmaceutical Market: Trends, Issues and Outlook, presented by Doug Long, Vice President Industry Relations, IQVIA Aligning a Drugs Price to its Benefit: A 12-Month Review and Forecast of Value-Based Pricing in the U.S., presented by Steven D. Pearson, MD, MSc, President, Institute for Clinical Economic Review Panel: The Journey of an Oncology Specialty Pharmacy Patient through the Lens of the Patient, PBM, Specialty Pharmacy and Patient Advocacy Organization, presented by Jennifer Mellum, MBA, Senior Director, Customer Experience & Insights, Prime Therapeutics; Rick Miller, MS, MBA, RPh, CSP, Vice President, Clinical and Professional Services, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime; and Seth Berkowitz, LCSW, CCLS, Senior Manager Patient and Community Outreach, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society To learn more about the event visit: https://pbmi.com/AC20 NOTE: Members of the media may register for a complimentary conference pass by contacting marketing@pbmi.com. About PBMI The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) is the nations leading provider of research and education that informs, advises and influences the industry on drug cost management. For more information about PBMI visit www.pbmi.com . DECATUR The last three census counts brought bitter confirmation of what Decatur residents could already see for themselves, after the factories cut shifts and the neighbors moved away. Their city, whose welcome sign boasts of being the original home of the Chicago Bears, was shrinking. But before this years official head count, Decatur officials are trying a new way to boost their numbers: If people wont move to Decatur where downtown coffee shops are nestled amid midrise buildings, factories are hiring again, and the areas first Chipotle just opened Decatur will move to them. Over the last year, the City Council pushed Decaturs boundaries outward, annexing hundreds of properties despite vehement objections from new residents whose spacious houses and half-acre lots contrast sharply with the smaller, aging homes in neighborhoods closer to downtown. The annexation drive in Decatur, where the population in the latest federal estimate was just over 71,000, down from 94,000 in 1980, is part of a once-a-decade land rush across the country. Before a 2020 census that will shape government budgets for the next 10 years, officials in cities in Wyoming, Arizona, Alabama and elsewhere pitched plans to broaden their borders. Anytime a city annexes land, it carries the fiscal promise of increasing the local tax base, along with the duty to provide services like street repairs and policing to a wider area. But annexation before the once-a-decade census offers an added prize: higher numbers for a count that is used to seal some state and federal funding for the decade ahead. For more than a generation, as the American South and West grew, the federal census count delivered bad news to Illinois. Many Illinois cities that grew in the first part of the 20th century Chicago, Peoria, Moline, East St. Louis have seen their populations stagnate or drop in recent decades. Over the last 70 years, Illinois went from having 26 congressional districts to 18, and it is likely to lose at least one more House seat after 2020. In Decatur, the trends have vexed a generation of city leaders. In 2001, the Bridgestone/Firestone tire factory closed, and Archer Daniels Midland, a food processing company, moved its corporate headquarters to Chicago in 2014. These days, some lots near the city center are empty, many homes are in disrepair, and residents said crime is a persistent concern. About 21% of Decatur residents live in poverty, compared with 12% of people statewide. Hence the push outward, toward Sarah Burletons home, where the front porch has a view of a soybean field and a deer hunting stand. Burleton, who said she moved out of Decatur years ago after growing fed up with the citys trajectory, was unsettled to find her family targeted for annexation last year. She emailed the mayor and protested the decision on the pages of the local newspaper, The Herald & Review, but still found her land, in a formerly unincorporated area, consumed by the city limits. She is waiting to find out how much her taxes will rise. Our city has been unable to bring new business or attract any new residents to the area, so in a desperate land grab for federal dollars, theyve decided to force people into annexation to ensure their own survival, said Burleton, a memoir author. They have failed somewhere, she added, and now were being punished for it. Clashes over annexation have happened before. For decades, as cities grew and development encroached on the countryside, mayors have been eager to expand, and homeowners have been unenthusiastic about paying higher taxes. Laws in many states give cities sweeping authority to absorb bordering properties in unincorporated areas, whether owners like it or not. But the recent annexations in Decatur and some other Illinois cities have been novel because, rather than adding land as a consequence of organic growth, city leaders expanded their boundaries as an answer to population decline. Officials in Rockford, Freeport and Sterling in Illinois also have annexed land in recent months. In its most recent projections, the Census Bureau predicted that the new count would show that all of those cities had lost residents since 2010. Kristina Barrett, a spokeswoman for the Census Bureau, said there were no national statistics on annexations that precede the census, but any city limit expansions had to be completed by Jan. 1 to be included in this years head count. Not every annexation is done under duress. In Rockford, city officials said the owners of a large apartment complex approached them. That annexation, made official just before the census deadline, added about 2,400 people to the city. But in Decatur and elsewhere, officials readily admit that the census is a major part of their decision to annex. Scot Wrighton, the city manager, said Decatur could expect to lose more than $850,000 a year in state funds through the coming decade if the census shows a population decline of 5,000 since 2010. (There was reason to worry; the Census Bureau has estimated that Decatur lost almost 5,000 people between 2010 and 2018.) But the census is not the only reason to add land, Wrighton said. For decades, Decatur allowed property owners to connect to the citys water system or to build on the fringes of the city limits without actually becoming part of the city. Adding those properties to Decatur, he said, would help round out saw-toothed boundaries that can confuse emergency responders and would ensure that more people who benefit from city services pay comparable amounts. If you live in the city, wouldnt you want this guy who lives next door but is out of the city to pay his fair share? Wrighton said. But even with the annexations, he acknowledged, Decatur is likely to have fewer residents in 2020 than it did a decade ago. Newsfrom Japan Tokyo, Jan. 21 (Jiji Press)--The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People shelved their merger talks Tuesday as the two major Japanese opposition parties failed to narrow gaps. The DPFP called for continued talks, but the CDPJ responded that further concessions are not possible. The two sides "failed to narrow differences due to their own reasons," CDPJ Secretary-General Tetsuro Fukuyama told reporters after a meeting with his DPFP counterpart, Hirofumi Hirano. The CDPJ and DPFP will continue to promote parliamentary cooperation among opposition parties while exploring the possibility of merging in the future. The secretaries-general of the CDPJ and DPFP "will keep in touch with each other," Hirano said. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Democrats conspired with foreign agents, lied, cheated, and denied due process to Donald Trump. If they were willing to do that to a duly elected president in order to obtain power, what should Americans expect them to do to them should they refuse attempts to be disarmed? Democrats understand that an armed America can say, No! And they cant have that. If they want to radically change the America extant for more than two centuries, they need to first disarm Americans. And they realize asking nicely is not going to accomplish this. Therefore, the ever-equable Democrats have suffered a recrudescence of their desire for the disease of civil war a disease that has lain dormant for more than 160 years. Democrats will do their utmost to create a situation where blood is spilled and lives are lost to engender this war. They believe that only bloodshed will finally get the people on their side, willing to cede to them the control they need to fundamentally transform the United States of America. And they have reached a point where they think they can win. The solipsist left believes they are on the side of all that is good, just, and reasonable and if Americans must die for them to be in control, it is a small price to pay to attain the country they believe America should be. In their minds, they have no choice. It is only with solemnity and prayerfulness they make this decision. They, along with their partners in the media, have tried convincing; theyve tried disguising legislation; theyve tried imprecation of law-abiding gun owners as un-American. But nothing has worked. Virginia gun laws are about the realization by Democrats that the only way to win is to make Americans the enemy. And the only way to do that is to put blood on their hands. Finally, with full control of state government, including the governorship, Democrats in Virginia acted with celerity, passing legislation which would result in gun confiscation and negation of our Constitution. Only through a violent and bloody confrontation can they unleash the dogs of war on law-abiding Americans. Virginia may have once been for lovers but after the Democrat machinations, theyre going to need a new tag line. Virginia is a harbinger of what is to come nationwide. If they succeed in Virginia, they can be expected to try the same tactics in other states run by Democrats. Governor Northam (most famous for wearing blackface and his positive views on abortion after birth) did his best to provoke bloodshed at the Second Amendment rally held in Richmond this past Monday. He put up fences and declared a state of emergency, illegally banning legally owned and carried guns. He meretriciously dissembled about multiple intelligence agencies warning of imminent violence, even terrorism. Media, of course, did their part, with serial warnings of violence by the right-wingers and white supremacists the nation was told would comprise the many tens of thousands attending the rally. Their message gleefully warned of inevitable bloodshed deliberately spilled by bad people. Northam and his minions planned all this. They needed to build enough tension to foment the violence necessary to taint all legal gun owners as illegitimate nuts. Members of his administration have threatened calling out the National Guard to seize guns from people whom they hoped would refuse to obey their new legislation. These threats were in response to more than 100 towns, cities, and counties declaring themselves 2nd Amendment sanctuary entities where the new laws would not be enforced. Obviously, the left only supports sanctuary for illegal aliens. Virginia Democrats dont realize that making war on Americans who support the Second Amendment while trashing the constitution will not get them the new civil war they think they can win. It will only precipitate a new revolution that will destroy them and their party for a generation. With the rally having been 100% patriotic and peaceful, with not a single arrest, much less rife with endemic violence, the Democrats have put all their cards on the table. Americans everywhere now understand what is coming. The left is coming for them -- coming for their constitutional rights -- coming for their guns. Americans are a stubborn and independent people. They are not a passive citizenry; they will never be French. They will never surrender their rights when demanded to by an unholy alliance of politicians, media, and an unelected elite. They will fight. Americans will never give up their guns. The left does not understand what will happen when they task the National Guard and LEOs to take legally owned guns. They live in an echo chamber and cant conceive of anyone telling them, no, much less, Hell no! There will be bloodshed, but it wont be on their terms. It wont be civil war, or even civil disobedience, it will be guerilla warfare. It will be revolution. Some estimate that there are more than 400 million guns in America owned by more than a hundred million citizens. This in a nation of 330 million. Americans are the most well-armed and martially trained electorate to have ever existed in the history of humanity. Remember, every hunter is something of a sniper. And with the left concentrated on the coasts and in the big cities, the bulk of Americas landmass is inhabited by hunters and other gun owners who believe owning a gun is a constitutional right. Discounting the assured defections by LEOs and National Guardsmen -- few people want to kill their neighbors to enforce an unnecessary law -- there are simply not enough men they can deploy to even have a slim chance of success. Yet, ignoring the aphorism the enemy always has a say, the left seems intent on forcing war. They have shown gun owners what they can expect, but are oblivious to the ramifications. They should expect targeted assassinations of leftist leaders, the targeting of power plants serving the cities and coasts, as well as pipelines and electrical grids. They should expect blockades of cities and the sabotage of telecommunications. There will be bloodshed and it will probably be widespread. They are foolish in their desires and ignorant of the consequences. Democrats want this war. Someone should tell them they should be careful what they wish for. Please follow the author on Twitter @williamlgensert A prolonged period of unsettled wintry weather is underway for the midsection of the United States as a slow-moving, multifaceted storm system tracks through the region. Conditions across southeastern Nebraska deteriorated quickly Tuesday night as freezing rain developed, resulting in numerous accidents between Hastings and Omaha. The Nebraska State Patrol urged drivers to stay off the roads on Tuesday night following multiple accidents. (Twitter/@NSP_TroopC) Early Wednesday morning, hazardous driving conditions were also reported along Interstate 94 in Minnesota where state troopers had responded to numerous accidents, including a jackknifed pickup truck that was pulling a trailer. Sleet covered the ground in western Arkansas into the midday hours. The threat for a disruptive wintry mixture of precipitation continued to slowly expand northeastward across the Midwest Wednesday night. This radar image, taken Thursday midday, Jan. 23, 2020, shows rain (green and yellow), ice (pink and purple) and snow (blue) over the middle of the nation. (AccuWeather) Snowfall accumulations across the Midwest through Wednesday night was generally light, especially by Midwesterners' standards. However, a few inches of snow piled up in some locations with up to 6 inches in parts of northern Missouri. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP The storm system continued to keep many of the same areas across the Midwest grey and dreary on Thursday as well. Some locales, such as St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, may switch back and forth between rain and snow as temperatures hover in the lower to middle 30s. A disturbance in the upper atmosphere will join up with the storm and give it a boost toe end the week. Along with adding the threat for a steadier snow in the Midwest, it will also bring the threat for heavy rain and thunderstorms farther south. If the disturbance is able to inject enough cold air into this storm system, it will bring a threat for more substantial snowfall across the Midwest into Thursday night. Places across Missouri, Iowa and Illinois that received a mixture of rain and snow on Thursday may have a complete changeover to snow during the overnight hours. This would include areas in between the Interstate 70 and 80 corridors in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Story continues If the added boost of energy fails to inject enough cold air into the storm system by Thursday night, many of those places may just continue to have a mixture of rain and snow into Friday morning. The storm system is expected to continue to slowly spin its way towards the Ohio Valley Friday, shifting the threat for wintry weather eastward. Again, depending on how cold the air is in the vicinity of the storm system will determine how widespread the snowfall will be. Regardless of the magnitude of the cold weather, a focal point for some of the steadiest and heaviest snowfall is likely from northern Missouri to southeastern Iowa, northwestern and northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. This area can expect a general 3-6 inches of snow with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 8 inches. The storm system will begin to make a more eastwardly jog from Friday into Saturday, bringing an end to the wet and wintry weather across Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and much of Wisconsin and Illinois. Bouts of rain and snow will likely continue to persist across Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, but again with temperatures hovering in the lower to middle 30s, accumulations may mainly be on non-paved surfaces. At the same time, wintry weather will expand into the Northeast. The entire Midwest and western Great Lakes region will finally say goodbye to the storm system by Sunday, and unlike previous storms to track across the region this January, slightly above-average temperatures are expected in the wake of the system. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. (Alliance News) - Sweden's Recipharm AB on Wednesday said it acquired roughly 10% of shares in London-listed medical devices maker Consort Medical PLC, the object of an agreed GBP505 million takeover offer. Recipharm on Wednesday purchased 9.9% of Consort's stock, just shy of 4.9 million shares, at 1,010 pence each, about GBP49.3 million in total. The 1,010p price is in line with Recipharm's valuation of Consort shares in November, when the takeover was agreed. In a second transaction, it purchased 118,563 Consort shares, a 0.2% stake, at 1,000p, GBP1.2 million in total. Consort shares were flat at 1,010.00p each in London on Wednesday afternoon. Under the agreed GBP505 million takeover offer, Recipharm will pay 1,010 pence in cash for each Consort share. The proposed deal implies an enterprise value of GBP627 million for Consort. Though Recipharm in November said it may reduce its acquisition consideration if any dividend or other distribution is made by the Hemel Hempstead-based company, Consort said. Recipharm on Wednesday said its offer remains open to acceptances until Thursday afternoon. Last Tuesday, the company said German regulators approved the takeover, though the offer still needs the consent from competition regulators in Ireland. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. ERBD facility of US$ 100 million for expansion of Louis Dreyfus Company Investment to support operations in eight countries, partnership with farmers and knowledge sharing Enhanced corporate governance to address the risks of climate change Farmers across eight countries will have better access to markets and knowledge-sharing programmes (including management of risks arising from climate change), as part of the expansion of the operations of the Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), with support from the EBRD. The EBRD is providing a US$ 100 million financing facility to LDC, a leading merchant and processor of agricultural products and a partner of the EBRD since 2000, to facilitate the companys regional expansion in Bulgaria, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine. The expansion will provide access to LDCs supply chains to many regional small and medium-sized grain and cotton farmers, which is important for their development and planning activity. As part of their cooperation with LDC, small farms will also receive training on modern agronomic practices in order to improve the quality of their produce. The programme will support cross-border trade flows and the expansion of the agricultural commodities market. The investment will also foster the adoption by LDC of an enhanced climate corporate governance approach in line with the guidelines of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), which support voluntary disclosure to stakeholders of climate-related financial risk. This will include the development of new tools for climate-related risk management and climate scenario stress testing of grain harvests in Ukraine and cotton harvests in Turkey. Founded in 1851, LDC is at the heart of the global agricultural industry, with a diversified portfolio covering the entire value chain, from origination to distribution. The company sources, stores, transforms, transports and distributes agricultural and food products worldwide. To date, the EBRD has invested 12.27 billion in the agribusiness sector through 729 projects. In 2019 alone, the Bank invested 756.4 million in 58 agribusiness projects. A Texas man accused of stealing an airport employee's wallet and cell phone and then taking a car with a child and mother inside is facing seven charges and a $150,000 bond, reports the Fort Myers News-Press, which is a part of the USA TODAY Network. Addi Maqableh, 36, of Houston, was a ticketed passenger on a flight to Houston who had passed through TSA security Monday morning at Southwest Florida International Airport and was at The Dewars Restaurant in Concourse C. Addi Maqableh A Lee County Port Authority report said Maqableh made off with an employee's wallet containing $2,500, her identification and eight credit cards and her cell phone. When the employee began yelling at him, Maqableh returned the phone but ran with the wallet. Airport security video shows the employee alerting security who then chase Maqableh through the airport to exit door three in the upper level. Outside at the airport departures area, the report said Maqableh jumped in the car of a family who was unloading luggage. A male and female adult and a young boy were standing by the car along with an older male who was helping to unload luggage when Maqableh strolls up and jumps in. Security footage shows police running up as the car speeds off, causing the driver to fall off the vehicle. The report said the driver sustained cuts to his arm and head. Additionally, the video shows a woman with the driver being dragged a short way before she climbed into the back seat of the car for her infant. The police report said Maqableh let the woman and baby out of the car unharmed a short distance away and then drove off. The woman and infant were brought back to the airport by another airport visitor. The car Maqableh stole, a 2016 Toyota Avalon, spun out on Chamberlin Road, stalled and couldn't be restarted because the original driver had kept the electronic key fob. Police tracked Maqableh to a hotel through the Uber driver who brought him to the airport. The Texas man was apprehended at 11:20 a.m. Monday at Woodsprings Suites on Colonial Boulevard with the assistance of the Lee County Sheriff's Office. Story continues He remains in Lee County Jail facing seven charges, two for aggravated battery, two for kidnapping, and one each for robbery, larceny and vehicle theft on $150,000 bond. He will be arraigned Feb. 24. Texas business records show Maqableh had been president and CEO of Extra Super Loading Inc. in Pasadena, Texas. The company was registered in Texas in 2009 as a domestic for-profit corporation but is listed currently as inactive. A misdemeanor theft charged filed against Maqableh in 2011 in Harris County, Texas, was dismissed in 2012. Connect with this reporter: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook) @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) Elsewhere in Florida: As Florida weather closes Disney water park and others, social media users gripe about cold Heads up: It's so cold in Florida that Disney World water park and other Orlando parks are closing This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida airport carjacking: Man facing assault, kidnapping charges Quote of the week: Nobody can go back and create a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Maria Robinson This column has and will continue to stress the need for your community to rapidly create a Truly Local mentality. The case for your community to adopt a Truly Local mentality can be intangible at times. Ultimately, it comes down to real facts, figures and logic. Over time, we will convey in greater detail each of the facts, figures and logics discussed below in future columns. Let's briefly touch on a few of the common tangible reasons for your community to adopt this hyper local mentality. 1. Greater Financial Return. Numerous studies over the years show that dollars spent with locally owned and operated businesses recirculate throughout your community between three and seven times. This is compared to those same dollars being spent with Big Box and National Chain businesses, which circulate just one time. Using a 10% sales tax as only an example, one million dollars spent with big boxes and chains will return $100,000 in sales tax to your community versus $300,000-$700,000 when being spent with locally-owned businesses. Those are real dollars for real communities. 2. Greater Community Support. Additional studies have shown that owners of locally owned and operated businesses support local causes, organizations and charities by approximately a three-to-one margin over businesses with outside or Wall Street ownership. The foundations of many communities are often built through active volunteerism, non-profit organizations and civic groups; this is a vital component to thriving communities. 3. Community Involvement Quotient. Owners and managers of locally-owned and operated businesses are four times more likely to be involved in leadership, politics and chambers in their communities than owners and managers of Big Box, Chain and out-of-town or Wall Street owned businesses. 4. Less Poverty Expectation. A recent study indicated that a communitys poverty rate is somewhat directly linked to the percentage of prosperous locally owned and operated businesses. Put another way, the greater percentage of your retail dollars taking place with Big Boxes, Chains and out-of-town or Wall Street owners within a smaller or mid-sized community, the higher the poverty rate might be expected to be. The more local innovation, creativity and entrepreneurs there are, coupled with active support of such by the various communitys government entities; the greater expectation for an increase in the average household incomes. 5. Higher Financial Return Downtown. Dollars invested in the communitys downtown district return on average approximately 30% higher return on their investment or ROI. There is no better return a community can make of their tax dollars than stimulating the return of the heart and soul to a communitys downtown. 6. Housing Market Stimulation. Want to grow the real estate values in and around your downtowns? It has been shown that by returning the vibrancy, heart and soul of your community to the downtown, you can also expect to see an increase in surrounding real estate values as well. Not only does this create renewed pride in the community, it grows the real estate ad valorem tax base, which benefits the school as well as the entire community. As we indicated in previous columns, it isn't that Big Boxes, Chains and out-of-town or Wall Street owned business are bad, that isnt the case at all. The devil is always in the details, or in this case, the devil is in the balance. Cities that find a way to balance the growth of the Big Box or Chain segment of the community ALONG with the growth and support of the Truly Local business segment will find an economic balance that leads to great prosperity. True balance is achieved by understanding. Communities must understand and realize that Big Box and Chains are only a fraction of the foundation from which to build. The Truly Local concentration, which brings true vibrancy to your community, will bring the true prosperity every community seeks. Additionally, it is all about building and creating uniqueness in your community, something that only a Truly Local concentration can create. As we will discus in the future, uniqueness will become vital in the new and emerging economics of your community. John A. Newby, author of the "Building Main Street, Not Wall Street " column dedicated to helping communities combine synergies with local media companies allowing them to not just survive, but thrive in a world where Truly Local is lost to Amazon, Wall Street chains and others. His email is: john@360MediaAlliance.net. The report said, "The impact of these missiles on the accident and the analysis of this action is under investigation." (Photo Credit: Reuters) New Delhi: Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed after taking off from Tehrans main airport. The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 168 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, at least 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians. For days after the shootdown, Iran denied that it fired missiles at the plane, initially blaming a technical malfunction. The new report identified the missiles fired at the aircraft as coming from the TOR-M1. In 2017, Iran received the delivery of 29 TOR-M1 units from Russia under a contract worth an estimated USD 700 million. However, the report said, "The impact of these missiles on the accident and the analysis of this action is under investigation." It was days after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani revealed that missile caused the crash. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on plane crash Regretting the crash, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had offered condolences to the families of the victims. Armed Forces internal investigation has concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane & death of 176 innocent people. Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake. #PS752 (sic), Rouhani said on Twitter. The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences, he said in another tweet. Javad Zarif terms development sad Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif termed the development as sad day. Using a heartbreak emoji, Zarif tweeted, A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces: Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations. On Wednesday, Iran has arrested the person who videographed and posted online the clip of a missile striking the jet. Without proving much details about the arrest, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that the investigation will be presented to the public. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A new book has documented the harrowing tales of Syrian women who were arrested and tortured by the Syrian regime writes Jesr. During the presidential elections in June 2014, they brought us a box to vote for Bashar al-Assad! How could we vote for him while we were political prisoners? It was the worst day we had. We were forced to vote, and we were crying after his election. After three daughters refused to vote for him, we heard the voice of an officer saying: They brought them down to the cells, and they were forbidden to eat and drink They were beaten and then forced to vote for Bashar. This is how Lula Agha recalls her time in prison. Her words summarize the Assad regimes concept of the electoral process and its relationship with voters. Lula Aghas story, titled: Meeting in the Slaughterhouse that featured in the book So As Not to Be on the Margins, by Syrian researcher Lama Qunoot, is heart-rending story because of the violence and humiliation this woman received, without help even from her family and relatives. Lula, born in 1984, is a housewife who did not finish her schooling. She lived with her husband and her four children in Salah al-Din area, where the first Syrian demonstrations erupted and became the first area liberated from the regime in Aleppo. Her family and husband were silent and neutral. Her husbands family were shabiha, filing security reports and taking part in the looting, whether or not the property belonged to the peaceful opposition that wanted the fall of the regime. She participated in weekly meetings about the revolution and went out on three demonstrations, before her husband stopped her and she moved away from politics. She and her family were forced to move from one area to another because of the shelling. Her husbands brother Mohamed informed on her because she refused to register her youngest daughter in his name, since he and his wife could not have children. On Oct. 20, 2013, Air Force Intelligence officers stormed her house and arrested her, and the next day, Political Security arrested her husband from his workplace in the railway department. Lula did not stay long in detention. But she was tortured extensively, despite being pregnant. After she got out, she started working in a sewing workshop to support her children. She contacted a person who could get her husband out of prison for 50,000 Syrian pounds, and said: I didnt have even a pound, and so I told my mother-in-law, and she sent her son Mohamed with me to meet the person When the person working in the branch learned that my husbands family would not pay, he called me, and asked me meet him alone to discuss the issue. I understood what he wanted, so I turned my phone off permanently Two weeks later I was arrested for a second time They took me to the Military Security on Feb. 17, 2014 Again, they started torturing me. Lula was moved between the Military Security branches in Hama and Homs, and spent three months in the Palestine Branch in Damascus. She was released from Adra prison on Dec. 10, 2014. But on the day of her release, a message arrived at the prison to transfer her to Political Security. There, she met her husband in the investigations room. Under torture, he had made baseless confessions about her and his roles in arming the revolution. She denied his statements, and he retracted his confessions, and so they started beating and harassing her. She said: They stripped me, and one of them raped me in front of him while two of them held me down. My husband could not bear what he saw, and he fell, no words escaping. I thought he was unconsciousit never occurred to me that he had died. They took him outside the room, and I got dressed and they brought me back to the cell. The next day, she was called back for sessions of torture and electric shocks. In February 2015, Lula was transferred to Adra prison, and then released on Dec. 16, 2016. But she remained on trial, and in the third hearing, the judge sentenced her to 16 years imprisonment. She had a month to submit to the ruling or appeal, and so she decided to go to Idleb, and then she settled in Turkey with her childrenwith the exception of her young daughter, whose uncle, Mohamed, had managed to keep. The book, So as Not to Be on the Margins: An Oral History of Syrian Female Survivors of Arrest, was published by The Day After organization at the end of 2019 and includes stories of 11 former prisoners in Syrian regime prisons after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution. The reader can notice the efforts Lama Qunoot made in preparing the characters, managing the dialogues, and from there formulating them in a graceful manner in separate stories, each with a separate title and a unique heroinedespite the pain that radiates from within. The books chapters are separated by abstract paintings from Syrian artists. The heroines are of different ages and backgrounds, differing in terms of education and life experience. They come from many regions, including Damascus and its countryside, Aleppo, Hama and Deir ez-Zor. The questions asked of them were not limited to the conditions of detention and methods of investigation and torture; rather, they covered all stages of their lives, in Syria and in countries of asylum. Lula Agha, Amira Fouad al-Tayyar, and Mona Baraka were the only ones who gave their real names. Three women just used their first names: Hanadi, Zainab, and Reem. Others spoke with pseudonyms: Narjis, Norhan, Noor Ward, and Yasmin al-Shami. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. In two separate incidents in the state capital, a 24-year-old LLB student and a girl studying in Class 8 reportedly committed suicide on Wednesday. Police said the LLB student hanged himself from the ceiling of his rented room in Chinhat area of the city. According to the complaint filed by the victims father, a resident of Ghazipur district, the youth did not respond to his phone call on Tuesday. He said that when he got no news about his son, he rushed to Lucknow. When the father reached the youths room, he found him hanging from the hook of the ceiling fan. The youth had used a stole. His father told us that he was under treatment for some psychiatric ailment. We are taking necessary action in the case, said Ram Kishor Kaushik, sub-inspector, Chinhat. In another incident in Tikaitganj area, a 12-year-old girl hanged herself from the ceiling of her room after allegedly being scolded by her mother. According to the police complaint, the victim was playing with her brother and they started quarrelling over some issue. Police said the mother intervened and scolded the girl. The girl was a Class 8 student in a private school of the city. Her family said she was in her room for a long time after the quarrel. When her father returned home, he asked for her and then went to check her room where he found her hanging, said a police official. Police said the body had been sent for post-mortem examination and they were probing the case. Gang members may have links with Tableek-e-Jamat in Pakistan. New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Railways Protection Force (RPF) has busted a gang that was carrying out illegal ticketing and possibly siphoning the money off for terror funding. The men in the gang are believed to have links with Tableek-e-Jamat in Pakistan. The gang was making roughly Rs 15 crores a month on ticket bookings using illegal softwares. RPF chief Arun Kumar said on Tuesday that the mastermind of this gang Hamid Ashraf had jumped bail and is absconding. He is suspected to have fled to Dubai via Nepal. Ashraf is also alleged to be involved in the bombing of a school in Gonda in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. He was arrested by a joint team of Central Bureau of Investigation, Railway Vigilance and UP police in 2016 from Basti (UP). Ashraf is the main developer of the software that is used to book illegal tickets. However, the number two in the gang Gulam Mustafa is in police custody at present in Karnataka. Ghulam Mustafa was arrested from Bhubaneswar recently. He has 563 personal IRCTC IDs, and a list of 2,400 SBI branches and 600 regional rural banks where he is suspected to have accounts, Mr Kumar said. Interestingly, the 28-year-old madrassa educated Mustafa is a self-taught software developer from Jharkhand with no formal technical education. Mustafas named cropped up during questioning of arrested touts. He had started with touting of counter tickets in Bengaluru and later graduated to e-tickets. He was dealing in Bit-Coins and other crypto currency also, the officer added. Dimensions of money laundering and terror financing is suspected, hence, other agencies like NIA, Special Bureau, ED, ISD, IB and Karnataka police also interrogated him. He is said to be follower of Tableek-e-Jamat (Pakistan). He has many Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Middle-Eastern, Indon-esian and Nepali numbers in his contact list along with six virtual number too, Mr Kumar revealed. Tableek-e-Jamat has been banned by several nations due to suspected links to extremism. Another man, code-named Guruji, too is believed to be a part of finance management of this gang. Higher in pecking order of the gang, he has been identified and will be picked up soon, Mr Kumar said. It was found that Guruji, who uses Yugoslavian numbers and VPN, recently got Rs 13 lakh from Mustafa through bank transfer in 71 transactions. Celebrities are booking into 'cryospas' to help with skin conditions like rosacea and acne, and losing weight in the process. Cryospa Clinic in Sydney's north shore region of Crows Nest offer cryotherapy, infrared saunas and salt room services that claim to rejuvenate the body in minutes, with prices starting at $35. Model Nikki Phillips and entrepreneur Keira Rumble have both raved about the treatments there, while across the pond Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Will Smith have all stepped into a -140C cryo chamber too. A host of Australian celebrities are booking into 'cryospas' to help with skin conditions like rosacea and acne, and losing weight in the process Model Nikki Phillips and entrepreneur Keira Rumble (right) have both raved about the treatments there, but you don't have to be a celebrity to go The spas signature offering is cryotherapy, a hyper-cooling remedy for muscle fatigue, muscle repair, injury treatment and general skin revival. It was invented in Japan in the 1970s to treat rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation, and involves enveloping your body or a localised area in nitrogen mist for three minutes. While it will leave your skin feeling refreshed your body will also be working overtime to maintain its core temperature, thus burning hundreds of calories per session and influencing your metabolism long term. The infrared saunas on hand work differently to a typical sauna in that they use light to create heat, warming your body directly rather than the air around where you sit Prices for a single person doing one whole body session at Cryospa Clinic is $75, but this can be reduced to $65 if you bring a partner or friend along 'An incredible place that just gets it. Your one stop shop for healing and rejuvenation. It is so hard to find a place that allows you to detoxify and heal your body with state of the art tech,' Keira Rumble wrote of the treatment. 'Looking forward to seeing you next week. My skin and body are feeling amazing,' Nikki Phillips said, recommending it to fans. Prices for a single person doing one whole body session at Cryospa Clinic is $75, but this can be reduced to $65 if you bring a partner or friend along. If you're only wanting to treat a problem area, like your arm or leg, you can do a localised version for $50. The saunas are easier to sit in for longer periods of time because the air isn't as sweat-inducing and can help improve sleep, lessen chronic fatigue and brighten your complexion. The infrared saunas on hand work differently to a typical sauna in that they use light to create heat, warming your body directly rather than the air around where you sit. They are easier to sit in for longer periods of time because the air isn't as sweat-inducing and can help improve sleep, lessen chronic fatigue and brighten your complexion. An iPad loaded with Netflix, Stan, Spotify and YouTube exists inside the sauna so you can distract yourself as you heal, with prices ranging between $35 and $65 depending on how long you want to be inside for. Finally these specialised spas have a three-person Himalayan salt room which operates at a constant 28 degrees. During World War II a physician observed that people who hid in salt mines experienced vast improvements to their respiratory function Modern day salt therapy can be traced back to Poland during the 1800s where miners who worked in salt caves were less likely to get lung disease compared to other miners. During World War II a physician observed that people who hid in salt mines experienced vast improvements to their respiratory function. Not only can it clear your airways but also reduce stress and increase energy. 'Skin conditions such as psoriasis, rashes, eczema and acne can also be improved thanks to salt particles' natural moisturising properties which support the skins' water balance,' the Cryospa website read. Prices aren't cheap with salt room packages setting you back between $100 and $240 depending on how often you want to visit. The state government says it is trying to save some of Victorias most endangered species from the bushfires with a $17.5 million rescue package for wildlife and bio-diversity. Premier Daniel Andrews said the brush-tailed rock wallaby, Victorias most endangered mammal, the long-footed potoroo, the large brown tree frog and other at-risk species will benefit from the package. Targeted feeding is being delivered to wildlife, including the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby, through food drops from the air and on the ground. The blazes have had a devastating impact on the flora and fauna in East Gippsland and alpine regions, with "almost all" of the eastern ground parrot's Victorian habitat already destroyed, according to a draft state government report. The government believes 185 of Victorias species, many of them rare and threatened, have already been affected by the fires, including 19 mammal species, 13 frog species, 10 reptile species, 9 bird species, 29 aquatic species and 38 plant species, including the bottlebrush, Snowy River westringia and the Gippsland banksia. - The Coronavirus was first reported in China's largest city of Wuhan - It has symptoms similar to pneumonia but its causal agent has not yet been identified - WHO believes it is transmitted from animals to humans The government has said visitors from China will be subjected to thorough screening for the mysterious Coronavirus upon arrival in Kenya. The Ministry of Health said it has increased its surveillance across the 47 counties pending further guidance and expert advice from the World Health Organisation's emergency committee. READ ALSO: City tycoon's wife Sarah Kabu claims slay queens after her wealthy husband READ ALSO: Wanafunzi wa shule ya Kabianga waliofukuzwa kwa kukosa kufanya mtihani wahitajika shuleni Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Harmonised Health Facility Assessment report on Wednesday, January 22, Kenya Human Resource Advisory Council acting deputy general,Patrick Amoth, said health alerts have been sent out to all county directors. "The Ministry has heightened surveillance at all ports of entry and screening of passengers for coronavirus. An alert has also been sent to all 47 counties through the directors of health and governors to widen efforts," Amoth confirmed. Coronavirus has symptoms similar to those of pneumonia though its causal agent has not yet been identified or confirmed but is believed to be associated with animals. The virus has so far killed at least 17 people in China and spread out to other cities from Wuhan. One suspected case was also reported in the USA. The WHO's emergency committee met on Wednesday, January 22, to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. I have lived without lungs for 7 years because of smoking | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: The International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) has for the first time launched the IBA Bot to serve its customers, Trend reports referring to the IBA press service. Clients of the IBA can rely on the intelligence and skills of IBA Bot. The bot can easily communicate with customers and remember their faces. At the next visit to the bank, the robot recognizes its customers by name, in addition, it is sufficiently informed about the services and products of the bank. Clients can get answers to all their questions from the bot. The IBA Bot has the ability to direct customers to the appropriate sections for servicing. After integration with the electronic queue device, customers will receive their numbers directly from IBA Bot. The robot will be able to integrate other banking systems in the future, providing more services. Using such robots in service offices is a practice used by many banks in the world, said Director of the IBA department for work with branches Emil Gadimov. As an innovative bank, we are the first bank to bring this experience to our country. Clients of IBA can meet with the robot by contacting the Customer Service Department at 67 Nizami Street, Baku. Evening Standard Commuters are set to face further travel chaos in the New Year after the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) voted for a six-month strike from January 7. The RMT action will see its members conduct a walk-out on the Victoria and Central lines from 8.30pm on Friday until 8am on Saturday, and from 8.30pm on Saturday until 8am on Sunday. Set to be the longest strike in London Underground history, it will take place from Friday January 7 and continue each weekend until June. On April 17, 2018, Capt. Tammie Jo Shults headed to LaGuardia Airport in New York to pilot Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, bound for Dallas. That flight, as it turned out, wouldnt be routine. The plane had only been in the air for 20 minutes and had reached an altitude of 32,500 feet when it was rocked by an explosion. Shults would describe it later, like a Mack truck hit the side of my aircraft. The plane shook violently, rolled, and started to dive toward the ground. Capt. Tammie Jo Shults. (Pam Akin) Data shows that the plane lost 2,700 feet in the first minute, 4,300 feet in the second minuteit was descending faster than the normal rate of 2,500 feet per minute, though it was nowhere near a free fall. Within five minutes, they dropped 18,000 feet. Shults and her first officer Darren Ellisor found themselves facing not one type of emergency, but several at once. A turbine fan blade had broken in the left engine, creating an explosion, so the plane was now running on a single engine; in addition, shrapnel had cut hydraulic and fuel lines and broken a window at row 14, causing sudden decompression inside the plane. The damaged engine from Flight 1380. (Courtesy of Tammie Jo Shults) It all hit at once: the roar of the plane traveling at 500 miles per hour, the piercing ear pain, the feeling of being unable to breathe, debris flying around in the cabin. Through it all, the plane continued to shudder violently. The first few minutes proved critical. Shults and Ellisor regained some control of the aircraft with delicate maneuvering. Shults explained that guiding a plane with a single engine and a punctured cabin was like driving on black ice. You couldnt force the plane to go your way, you had to work with it. Every time they tried to turn the plane left, it felt like the plane wanted to roll onto its left side. Upon Ellisors suggestion, the pilots decided to head to the Philadelphia airport, which had long runways, and they were familiar with it. The fate of Flight 1380 was a fortunate one. Though it was reported in the news, Shults has written a new book, Nerves of Steel: How I Followed My Dreams, Earned My Wings, and Faced My Greatest Challenge, released in December 2019. It gives insight not only into that day, but into the events in her life that, in a way, prepared her to play her role and save the lives of so many. Shults on her first flight after Flight 1380, with First Officer Chris Hall on May 16, 2018. (Courtesy of Tammie Jo Shults) Touching Down Flight 1380 touched down at the Philadelphia airport 20 minutes after the explosion. There were 144 passengers, and five crew. All but one passenger surviveda woman seated by the window at row 14. Shults wasnt immediately identified by Southwestbut she was hailed a hero. On social media, gratitude poured in: The pilot, Tammy Jo was so amazing! She landed us safely in Philly. God sent his angels to watch over us. I actually heard someone say, there is a God!! wrote one passenger on Instagram. On the ground, the EMT who would take Shultss pulse and do an EKGas standard procedure requiredwas amazed: She didnt even have an elevated heart rate. Before her career at Southwest, Shults was a naval aviatorone of the first women in the U.S. Navy who got to fly an F/A-18 Hornet. Many attributed her nerves of steel to the training she got in the military. Theres that, of course, but according to Shults, theres much more to it. Shults wrote: I believe my calm voice and pulse rate that day were the product of more than my training and demeanor. They didnt magically appear in a sudden moment of need. Theyd developed over the years, nurtured through each life experience by my faith and confidence in Gods goodness. The day of that fateful flight, Shults started the day as she did any other daywith her Bible and a cup of tea. Even in the last moments of the descent, as she was piecing together how to get the plane to do a final right turn when it wouldnt, she was talking to God. The crew from flight 1380: (LR) flight attendants Kathryn Sandoval, Seanique Mallory, Rachel Fernheimer, First Officer Darren Ellisor, and Capt. Tammie Jo Shults. (Courtesy of Tammie Jo Shults) Hope Looking back on the day, Shults noted that when Philadelphia was announced as the destination, it didnt change a thing about the circumstances, but it gave everyone hopea powerful gift. Hope is the glue that holds us together when facts and circumstances could easily tear us apart, she wrote. When she was young, Shults grew up on a ranch in New Mexico next to the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base, and she would watch military jets dogfighting in the sky. Her dream was to fly, but she would face many obstacles along the way, whether in the U.S. Navy or in her early days at Southwest. Many would try to smear her reputation, throw her under the bus, and make it clear she was unwelcome. Despite all this, she never adopted a victim mentality. She knew that life would hold hardships and that there were individuals who wished her ill, but it wasnt that whole organizations were against her. When the going got tough, her mother would always tell her, Tomorrow morning, the sun will rise and the birds will sing. Once, while having a difficult time with an instructor, she told herself, My worth was determined by my Maker, not my instructor. Despite her encounters with difficult people, she also met kind and caring individuals. And so Shults advocates focusing not on the villains but on the heroes. Heroes do not require a title or equipment. They dont need to land a crippled plane. A hero is someone who takes the time to see and makes the effort to act on behalf of someone else. In a word, they care, she wrote. After Shults landed the plane, she made it a point to walk through the cabin and make eye contact with everyone. She took the time to check on the children, including a baby girl who had fallen asleep. Tammie Jo Shults (L), with Sue Hart and Linda Heid Maloney on detachment in Puerto Rico, 1992. (Courtesy of Tammie Jo Shults) The loss of the passenger in row 14 weighed heavily on her. But at the same time, she was incredibly touched by the display of heroism all around herfrom her first officer, the flight attendants, the first responders, the ground team, to the passengers. When she stepped into the cabin, what she found was not a crowd of anxious, terrified passengers but people who were calm and composed. They had looked out for each other, and some had taken great risks to help one another. These people didnt suddenly become compassionate or courageous. They had a historythey had a longstanding habit of loving others and acting unselfishly, she wrote. One thing is certain: It takes a hero to know one. Boris Johnson has warned Donald Trump that both their countries will suffer if the US starts a trade war in the increasingly bitter dispute over the UKs tech tax. The prime minister hit back after Washington threatened retaliation probably a tax on UK car exports to the US when a two per cent levy on the likes of Google and Facebook is imposed in April. No 10 not only insisted the digital services would go ahead, but declined to rule out tit-for-tat measures despite the desire for a rapid post-Brexit deal meant to lower trade barriers. In fact, because the UK will be locked into a standstill transition period until the end of 2020 with no direct say over EU decisions any counter-measures would probably have to come from Brussels. The row was inflamed when Steven Mnuchin, the US Treasury secretary, told an event in Davos: If people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies we will consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies. Davos 2020 - in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Davos 2020 - in pictures Davos 2020 - in pictures U.S. President Donald Trump walks out of the Marine One helicopter as he arrives for the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020 REUTERS Davos 2020 - in pictures Spotters gather on a viewpoint to take pictures of Air Force One (not pictured), carrying US President Donald J. Donald Trump, as it lands at Zurich Airport, Switzerland, 21 January 2020. Trump arrived in Switzerland to attend the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos EPA Davos 2020 - in pictures U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he arrives for the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020 REUTERS Davos 2020 - in pictures A Secret Service agent takes a photo as the Marine One helicopter carrying U.S. President Donald Trump flies nearby en route to the Word Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland January 21, 2020 REUTERS Davos 2020 - in pictures US President Donald J. Trump smiles before addressing a plenary session during the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2020. The meeting brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate and political leaders in Davos under the topic 'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World' from 21 to 24 January 2020 EPA Davos 2020 - in pictures Ivanka Trump, special adviser to the president and senior advisor Jared Kushner listen as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020 REUTERS Davos 2020 - in pictures Artists from Fete des Vignerons perform a song "Ranz des Vaches" before U.S. President Donald Trump's speech during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020 REUTERS Davos 2020 - in pictures US President Donald J. Trump (R, red tie) walks in the Congress Centre after addressing a plenary session during the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2020. The meeting brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate and political leaders in Davos under the topic 'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World' from 21 to 24 January 2020 EPA Davos 2020 - in pictures Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses a panel session during the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2020. The meeting brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate and political leaders in Davos under the topic 'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World' from 21 to 24 January 2020 EPA Davos 2020 - in pictures Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg (C) listens to a speech by US President Donald J. Trump at a plenary session during the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2020. The meeting brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate and political leaders in Davos under the topic 'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World' from 21 to 24 January 2020 EPA Davos 2020 - in pictures U.S. President Donald Trump speaks dutring a bilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020 REUTERS Davos 2020 - in pictures Demonstration organized by Juso Schweiz (Young Socialist Party) on the sideline of the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, 21 January 2020. The meeting brings together enterpreneurs, scientists, chief executive and political leaders in Davos January 21 to 24 EPA Davos 2020 - in pictures Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney attends a session at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 202 Reuters Davos 2020 - in pictures U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with the President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga during a bilateral meeting at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland REUTERS In response, Mr Johnsons spokesperson said: Imposing additional tariffs would harm businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. And, asked if the UK would seek to impose its own further tariffs, he said only: Lets focus on the here and now. The threatened trade war has come at the worst time for Downing Street, as it seeks to fast-track an agreement to boost transatlantic trade the supposed prize of leaving the EU at the end of the month. Instead, Mr Mnuchin said the US president would lobby the prime minister over the proposed tax, which he described as discriminatory. The UK is determined to plough ahead, believing the massive tax avoidance by the US tech giants undermines public trust in the fairness of the tax system. Speaking alongside Mr Mnuchin in the Swiss city, the chancellor Sajid Javid said: We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April. The message was underlined by the prime ministers spokesperson, who insisted it was necessary but would only remain in place until there was an international agreement. We are fully engaged in international discussions to address the challenges digitalisation poses for tax, he said. Our strong reference is for an appropriate global solution. It has taken too long to address this issue at international level and so we will continue to introduce our digital services tax in April in the absence of a global solution. However, should Mr Trump win re-election in November, the prospects for an international agreement on how to tax the tech giants would diminish further. France had appeared ready to drop its own plan for a 3 per cent levy on the largest firms, after Washington vowed to put taxes on French imports including wine. However, there were suggestions in Davos that, although Paris would not collect the tax this year, it would still accrue and the companies forced to pay up if there is no agreement. MINSK -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to visit Minsk on February 1, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Shuplyak has said. Diplomatic sources also told RFE/RL on January 22 that Pompeo's stop to the Belarusian capital would be part of a regional tour that would also include legs in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on his future travel plans. Amid growing tensions in the Middle East, Pompeo on January 1 canceled a planned five-day trip to Kyiv, Minsk, Nur-Sultan, and Tashkent that was scheduled to start two days later. Pompeo would be the highest-level U.S. official to have visited Belarus since diplomatic relations with the United States were frayed more than a decade ago. His first visit to Ukraine as the U.S. top diplomat would come amid an acrimonious impeachment trial currently under way in the Senate on whether to remove President Donald Trump from office. A July 25 phone call between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is at the center of the trial. A transcript of the conversation revealed that Trump had urged Zelenskiy to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, and his son. Critics say crucial military aid to Kyiv was withheld as leverage. It was a cold and snowy night in the tiny city of Stevenson, Alabama, when Brittany Smith walked into the Mapco station and whispered for the clerk to give her a pen and paper. Brittanys neck was red and tears were in her eyes. There appeared to be blood on her chin, and a broken fingernail left her bloody pinky exposed. She looked like shed been in a fight, said Paige Painter, who was working in the Mapco during the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 2018. During testimony last week in Jackson County Circuit Court, Painter recalled what she saw and heard that dark winter night in northeast Alabama. Brittany wrote Todd Smiths name (no relation) on a piece of receipt paper, passed it to the gas station clerk and said that if she was found dead, he was the killer. But when the authorities were called to Brittanys home later that morning, it was Todd who had just been shot to death. Two days later, Brittany was charged with murder, despite saying that Todd, an acquaintance, had raped and strangled her hours before she shot and killed him in self-defense. Asking for immunity Facing up to life in prison if shes convicted, Brittany Smith has asked a judge to grant her immunity under Alabamas Stand Your Ground self-defense law. After hearing about seven hours of testimony over two days this week, Jackson County Circuit Judge Jenifer Holt faces a decision of whether to dismiss Smiths murder charge. The court hearing was harrowing and, at times, tense. Jason Pierce, the district attorney in Jackson County, said Smith lacked credibility. It seems like you have selective memory, Pierce told Smith as she sat on the witness stand and recalled the events leading up to the deadly shooting. Jeanine Suermann, a sexual assault nurse examiner who performed Brittany Smiths rape kit at Crisis Services of North Alabama, said memory loss is a common reaction to trauma. While jailed on the murder charge, Smith suffered a mental breakdown and was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial, records show. When she was treated at the Alabama Department of Mental Health to restore her competency, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Pierce asked Brittany why she killed Todd, despite him being unarmed. But he had his hands, and his mouth and penis, Smith testified. Suermann documented more than 30 injuries on Brittany Smiths body during a sexual assault exam hours after the deadly shooting. The case Brittanys court-appointed lawyers, Ron Smith and James Mick, argued her case should be dismissed because she was reasonably in fear that Todd was going to kill her or her brother, Chris McCallie. Additionally, Ron Smith said, Todd was committing a burglary because he didnt leave when Brittany and McCallie told him to. Alabamas Stand Your Ground law specifically says a person can use deadly force against someone who is using or about to use deadly force while committing a burglary. The prosecutor argued that Brittany Smith isnt entitled to immunity because Todd Smith didnt have a deadly weapon. The Jackson County Courthouse in Scottsboro, Ala., where a judge recently heard two days of testimony in Brittany Smith's murder case. An analysis by The New Yorker, which recently featured Brittany Smiths case, suggests its unlikely she will be granted immunity. Federal law enforcement data compiled by the magazine showed that when arguing their actions were justifiable, women lost homicide cases 25% more often than men. Yet women are more likely to own a gun solely for protection, according to Pew Research Center. Elizabeth Flock, who reported for The New Yorker, told AL.com the women she talked to in Alabama do not feel safer from violence with a gun. Not just Brittany, but other women that I quote in the piece said, Hey, we actually can't use a gun to defend ourselves because if we did, then I'll be the one going to prison. So certainly, at least anecdotally, in Jackson County, women did not feel that they could use a gun or other means to defend themselves, Flock said. Introduced in 2006, Alabamas Stand Your Ground defense made it legal to use lethal force to defend oneself or another person from unlawful physical force that is imminent and reasonably suspected. A killing that meets the Stand Your Ground requirements is considered a justifiable homicide. Alabama and Florida are the only states that dont report justifiable homicides. Alabama stopped reporting them to federal law enforcement in 2010. A review of news reports around the state found only a few women have been granted Stand-Your-Ground immunity since 2010. Courtney Cross, an assistant professor of clinical legal instruction and the director of the Domestic Violence Law Clinic at the University of Alabama, said theres a gender discrepancy when it comes to successfully arguing justifiable homicide in Alabama. Abused people, especially women, especially non-white women, especially members of marginalized communities, are often seen as being such irrational actors, that they might struggle with the reasonability requirement, Cross said. The assault Brittany first met Todd, who was from Jasper, Tennessee, through friends when they were teenagers. Brittany lived in Stevenson in Jackson County, Alabama. The rural county is on Sand Mountain, which has been dubbed Meth Mountain because of pervasive methamphetamine addiction. Brittany and Todd had suffered from drug addiction. Brittany, now a 32-year-old mother of four, was in recovery, working to improve her life and trying to regain custody of her children at the time of the shooting. As adults, Brittany and Todd reconnected in the days before the deadly encounter. Todd, 38, was a pit-bull breeder, and Brittany bought one of his puppies. On the night of Jan. 15, 2018, Todd told Brittany he was stranded at a park just across the Tennessee state line in South Pittsburg, a town about 13 miles northeast of Stevenson. It was snowing, so Brittany reluctantly agreed to let Todd spend a night at her house. Brittanys brother, McCallie, drove her to pick up Todd, then dropped them off at her house. Once Brittany and Todd were inside, they sat on opposite couches, talking about their personal struggles with drug addiction, she testified. She said she encouraged Todd, saying he too could work toward kicking drug addiction and getting back his young daughter. Karen Hart Valencia, a toxicologist at the state crime lab, testified this week that Todd had about 840 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter of blood a very high amount of meth in his system when he died. Meth can cause users to be more aggressive more likely to get in a fight and keep fighting, Valencia testified. While she and Todd were talking, Brittany testified, he became violent. He screamed and asked if she thought she was better than him. After Todd head-butted her, Brittany testified, she ran into her bedroom. But he followed and tackled her on the bed. He wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed until she passed out. Brittany testified that when she regained consciousness, she was lying in a pool of her own urine and Todd was on top of her, raping her. He told me not to say a (expletive) word and if I even breathe wrong hed kill me, Brittany said under oath. Brittany fought back. She testified that she clawed at him. The artificial nail on her left pinky finger came off. Autopsy photos taken later showed scratch marks on Todds face, torso and back. But, Brittany testified, Todd again strangled her to the point of unconsciousness. A sexual assault exam later found more than 30 injuries on Brittanys neck, chest, breast, legs, arms and feet. There were hand-print marks around her neck, finger-shaped marks on her inner thighs and bite marks on her neck and chin. Brittany also reported having difficulty swallowing and jaw pain. Petechiae tiny round spots caused by bleeding under the skin which are tell-tale signs of strangulation, were found across her body. Suermann, the sexual assault nurse examiner at Crisis Services of North Alabama, testified that evidence showed Brittany Smith had been strangled, hit multiple times and held down. Brittany cried in court as photos of her injuries were displayed and Suermann pointed out the location of her wounds on an anatomical diagram. I feel like its an extensive amount of injuries for a sexual assault victim, the nurse testified. Suermann testified that she was unable to say with certainty whether Brittany had been raped. In the majority of sexual assault cases, Suermann testified, genital trauma isnt detected nor is DNA evidence found. In Brittanys case, biological materials found on her body were sent for DNA testing. Todd was a potential contributor to materials on one swab, according to testimony by Angela Fletcher, a forensic biologist for the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Fletcher testified that Todd couldnt be ruled out or confirmed as a match to the DNA. DNA found on Brittanys bedding did not match Todd, Fletcher testified. Also included in Brittanys rape kit were fingernail clippings, which havent yet been tested. Initially the state forensic lab incorrectly reported that no materials had been found on the clippings. But after an internal review, an amended report said debris was found on the clippings. During last weeks court hearing, Brittanys defense team and local prosecutors agreed to have the clippings tested. It could take 30-90 days to get the results. Its unclear whether the judge will rule on immunity before then. Sending a warning During the assault, Todd had looked evil, Brittany testified. But afterward, he acted normal, like nothing was wrong and said he wanted a cigarette. So Brittany, hoping to keep the situation calm, called to ask her mother for a ride to the nearby Mapco station. Instead, Brittanys brother McCallie arrived to drive them to the store. Brittany went inside and saw a police officer getting a coffee. But Brittany testified that she was too scared to report the rape since Todd was in the car outside, possibly watching her through the big transparent windows of the store. She testified that she was afraid he would kill her brother, who was sitting in the drivers seat, unaware of what had just happened. So instead of talking to the officer, Brittany passed a note to Painter, the store clerk. Brittany said that Todd had twice choked her to the point of unconsciousness and that she urinated on herself. At Brittanys request, Painter kept quiet about the situation. Brittany returned to the car and her brother drove back to her house, with Todd still sitting in the back seat. As Todd climbed out of the car back at Brittanys house, she testified, she told her brother to return to the store to talk to Painter. Final moments Back at the Mapco, Painter testified, she told McCallie that Todd had apparently raped Brittany and held her hostage. During cross examination by the prosecutor last week, Painter acknowledged that the word rape isnt in her original statement to police. Minutes later, McCallie arrived back at Brittanys home, armed with a .22-caliber revolver, and confronted Todd in the kitchen about the alleged rape, Brittany testified. (McCallie didnt testify at the hearing.) From the living room, Brittany testified, she heard a gunshot and arguing. She said Todd threatened to kill her, McCallie and himself. Todd beat the hell out of her brother and pulled him into a headlock, Brittany told the judge. Brittany testified that she believed McCallie couldnt breathe. He started turning blue, Brittany testified, so she grabbed his gun from the kitchen island and repeatedly yelled for Todd to let her brother go. Brittany said under oath that she shot twice at Todd, but nothing happened. After the third shot, Brittany testified, Todd and her brother fell to the ground. McCallie grabbed the gun, and Brittany testified, she called 911. An autopsy found that Todd had suffered four gunshot wounds to the arm, shoulder and chest. In the 911 call, which was played in court, Brittany told a dispatcher she needed an ambulance for Todd, who was bleeding on the floor of her kitchen. Brittany held a towel over Todds wound. She and McCallie performed CPR until the authorities arrived. She told the dispatcher that her brother, McCallie, had been the one who shot Todd. She said her brother showed up because Todd had tried to kill her, choked her and almost raped her. (She told the dispatcher that Todd had not raped her.) In testimony last week, Brittany said she didnt remember making the 911 call. Its been two years since then, she testified, and shes been diagnosed with PTSD. Brittany told the judge she couldnt explain why she told the dispatcher she hadnt been raped. She testified that after the shooting she was scared, embarrassed and ashamed about being raped. From the scene, sheriffs deputies took Brittany to the rape crisis center, and transported McCallie to the Jackson County jail, where he was charged with murder. Brittany Smith wasnt arrested until the next day, Jan. 17, 2018, when she confessed to being the shooter. Two months later, a Jackson County grand jury indicted Brittany on the murder charge. The grand jury declined to indict McCallie for murder but charged him with making a false report to law enforcement and tampering with evidence. Court records say McCallie wiped down the gun. Now, two years after the deadly shooting, Brittany is waiting to hear whether the judge will rule in her favor and dismiss the murder case. If the judge sides with the prosecutor, Brittany can appeal to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. If her appeals are unsuccessful, the case will be scheduled for a jury trial at which Brittany could face a life sentence. Pierce, the prosecutor, argued the case should go to trial. Brittany isnt entitled to immunity, Pierce said, because McCallie was the initial aggressor in the confrontation in Brittanys kitchen. Pierce also said Brittanys immunity request should be denied because Todd didnt have a deadly weapon. He said hands and fists dont qualify as deadly weapons. Threats arent enough, he said, to justify killing someone. AL.com reporter Abbey Crain contributed to this story. While Brexit has created political and social disunity in the UK, there may be a touch of irony as it could well result in a form of unity that has evaded Ireland for 100 years. Initially, Britain partitioned off six counties to form Northern Ireland in such a way as to protect it from Rome Rule and keep Northern Ireland Protestant. That initial justification for portioning off NI has largely disappeared. Leo Varadkars speech during the papal visit in 2018, where he asserted the Church must be moved from the centre of Irish society, is just one piece of evidence to show that Ireland has thankfully moved to a true social democracy. The Catholic Church has no influence over how Irish Protestants go about their lives in the Republic. Further, Northern Ireland is gradually losing its Protestant majority. In 2018 independent researcher Dr Paul Nolan predicted Catholics will be in the majority in the North by 2021. These eventualities, however, do nothing to truly justify reuniting the 32 counties. Creating an island of Ireland nation based on the demolition of the Churchs influence on the State or based on Protestant votes versus Catholic votes does little to dig the matter of the Border out of the quagmire of symbolism that has engulfed it since its inception. Brexit on the other hand delivers meaningful economic, political and social benefits for a 32-county Ireland. With a Conservative outright majority, the likely outcome from European Union and UK negotiations will be a customs border down the Irish Sea rather than dissecting Ireland. This then presents a clear pathway towards a 32-county market community and administrative network. This makes a reunited Ireland a possibility, with consequent benefits such as efficiencies from shared resources, increased local consumer base and elevating cultural diversity. One of the pre-conditions of a reunited Ireland, however, must be truly effective government. An administration that, for instance, has allowed the 2bn childrens hospital budget overrun might have problems absorbing the already costly six counties. Brexit therefore provides a true and rational cause for Irish reunification. It means the debate can rise above banners, folk stories and even martyrs. The heart can often break nations apart, but it requires the mind to bring them together. Paul Vallely Ballycahill, Co Tipperary No need to wait for election to deliver political promises It's amazing what politicians are going to do and accomplish if they are re-elected. My question is why didnt they do it while they were in office? Mary Devane Wilson Dingle, Co Kerry Government has the means to break drug lords power Yes, this country has a lot of urgent issues to sort out but the most pressing is the drug lords, their murderous gangs and their total grip and control over communities. Any parent or grandparent will tell you that their biggest fear for their children and grandchildrens future is their possible involvement in drugs. For politicians, including the Taoiseach, to tell beleaguered parents to contact the gardai for protection is all well and good if the gardai had enough powers and enough manpower to provide this help but unfortunately that is far from the truth. The facts are simple despite their best efforts both the gardai and the judiciary have their hands tied by the laws and Government of this country. The Government and elected TDs make the laws and also take a vow to protect its citizens. The power is solely in their hands. To every politician on the doorstep: Promise what you will and can do and please dont insult our intelligence by telling us that when you get into power that you have discovered its not possible. Where there is a will there is a way and every future investor and more importantly every parent in this country will be watching. Dr Aidan Hampson Artane, Dublin 5 Zero would be a good target for health service waiting lists Again we are being fooled by facts and figures. We are all alarmed at the surge in trolley occupancy in our hospitals and would gladly return to the Government-accepted figure, which is one they deem to be a acceptable to the public and accountants as normal overcrowding. Is zero no longer an achievable number? Ray Dunne Enfield, Co Meath Marsh, one of the worlds largest insurance brokers and risk advisers, has seen a spike in clients inquiries for political violence cover in the Gulf after attacks on tankers and oil installations rattled the region last year, an executive said. Enquiries have doubled since tanker attacks last summer, so over a period of six months or so, Gaurav Bhatnagar, managing director and head of Marsh JLT Specialty for the Middle East and Africa, told Reuters on Wednesday. Previously clients wouldnt look at political risk insurance as much, or they wouldnt look at specific insurers who provide sabotage and terrorism cover, or the political violence cover suddenly all of those elements have become much more prominent and our clients, the ones more sophisticated in that space, are asking more regularly what protection we can provide. Military tensions in the Gulf have risen this month after a top Iranian general was killed in a U.S. air strike and Iran retaliated with missile attacks against American bases in Iraq. The strikes followed months of escalation which included attacks on tankers in Gulf waters and on Saudi oil sites, including the worlds largest oil processing facility. Riyadh and Washington blame the strikes on Iran, which denies involvement but has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel in retaliation for sanctions on crude exports imposed by Western powers. Insurance costs for ships sailing through the Middle East increased last year after the tanker attacks, and industry sources told Reuters this month they expected war risk premiums to rise sharply following rocket strikes in Iraq. But Bhatnagar said demands for coverage against risks such as sabotage, terrorism, and war, were increasing across various sectors, not only the maritime one. This is in the context of real estate, projects were working on, deals that are happening, its a bundle. The awareness of what previously may not have been something considered under political violence, is definitely something thats much more prevalent now particularly if youre an international investor coming to this part of the world. He said Marsh has hired over 100 people in the Gulf over the past six months and that he expected the firms operations to grow further in the region, particularly in advisory services, cyber resilience and crisis management. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; editing by David Evans) Photograph: Iranian soldiers take part in the National Persian Gulf day in the Strait of Hormuz, on April 30, 2019. Photographer: Atta Kanare/AFP/Getty Images. Related: GUEST OBSERVATION Only a small fraction of engineers are women. Shutterstock Lisa Harvey-Smith, UNSW Engineering skills underpin the functioning of our societies and economies. As we face the global challenges presented by a changing climate, food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and globalisation, these skills will only become more important. In Australia, we have a high demand for qualified engineers but we train relatively few compared with similar industrialised nations. As a consequence, about half of Australias engineers come from other countries. While skilled migration is an important and largely positive element of our economy, relying on skilled workers from overseas could leave us vulnerable to factors outside our control. Extending the talent pool One part of the engineering pipeline problem is the lack of diversity in those who engage with the subject. Industry values diversity because it boosts innovation and improves financial performance. Despite numerous outreach and engagement programs and initiatives, however, only a small fraction of undergraduate engineering students are women. In vocational training, the number is less than one in ten; at universities its around one in six. This enormous disparity means women are missing out on designing the future. It also means that engineering challenges are being tackled from a narrow set of perspectives. A search for new ideas In 2019 the deans of engineering at Monash University, the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales created the Engineering for Australia Taskforce. The goal of the taskforce is to find ways to boost the numbers of women applying for university engineering programs. The taskforce has two major concerns. First, engineering enrolments do not reflect the diversity of the Australian population, particularly gender diversity. Second, engineering has a low visibility in schools and society in general. Today, the taskforce launched a new report that explores what factors affect girls participation in engineering. The report is authored by Professor Deborah Corrigan and Dr Kathleen Aikens from Monash University. Based on a review of international peer-reviewed research, they argue that engineering urgently needs to rebrand itself. What can be done The report identifies three key actions: 1. Create an inclusive vision for STEM and engineering to address stereotypes. This vision will invite and welcome excluded groups to see engineering careers as a real possibility 2. Work with the education sector to create a STEM and engineering identity in schools, by making engineering activities prominent, positive and relevant 3. Evaluate engineering intervention programs to find out what works. Potential interventions could involve changes to the school curriculum, adding extracurricular activities or through media campaigns, or something else. Engineering identity The lack of an engineering identity in schools is a persistent problem and one that resonates particularly strongly with me. As Australias Women in STEM Ambassador, I have visited schools and observed science classes in every state and territory of Australia. I have seen students carrying out sophisticated engineering projects that tackle important societal and environmental challenges. Often, students dont recognise that what they are doing is engineering. Students either dont understand what engineering is, or they dont see engineering as an attractive career. Ask a year 9 student if she wants to design a system for rare pygmy possums to safely cross a highway, and you will probably get an enthusiastic yes. Ask the same student if she wants to be a mechanical engineer, and the response may be lukewarm at best. So identifying engineering by name where it happens in schools, emphasising the social context of engineering and socialising female role models in engineering are all important steps. Plan and evaluate As with all educational interventions, it is vital to plan carefully based on specific desired outcomes and evaluate how effective the program has been. This will ensure dollars are well spent, and also provide a framework for future educational programs. Evaluation lets us learn the best ways to engage target groups in strategically important areas of training or study for Australias economy. The Engineering for Australia Taskforce report provides important engineering-specific information. Its recommendations are consistent with those of the Australian Academy of Sciences broader Women in STEM Decadal Plan, which aims to guide interventions to boost STEM engagement. The taskforce, my office (the Office of the Women in STEM Ambassador) and the broader STEM sector will be working hard to implement these recommendations across Australia. Together, we can achieve a more inclusive, creative innovation sector and a more resilient economy. Lisa Harvey-Smith, Professor and Australian Governments Women in STEM Ambassador, UNSW This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The fired-then-reinstated New York City Ballet principal was a figure in the companys recent #MeToo scandal (and accompanying lawsuit). While City Ballets dancers and the company of West Side Story seem willing (at least publicly) to let Ramasar redeem himself, a number of others including lawsuit plaintiff Alexandra Waterbury are calling on audience members to boo him until the producers fire him from the show. The Guardian Researchers attach a GPS transmitter to a captured owl. Credit: Nick Kryshak In the Pacific Northwest, the range expansion of Barred Owls has contributed to a conservation crisis for Northern Spotted Owls, which are being displaced from their old-growth forest habitat. How will this interaction between species play out in the Sierra Nevada, where Barred Owls are just starting to move into the range of the California Spotted Owl? New research published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications suggests that wildlife managers may still be able to head off similar problems in critical areas of the Golden Stateif they act now. The University of Wisconsin's Connor Wood and his colleagues used passive acoustic monitoring to survey Barred Owl populations over two years, deploying audio recorders over an area spanning more than 6,000 square kilometers across two national forests in northern California. Locating owl calls in the audio data allowed them to determine which sites were and were not occupied by owls. They found a 2.6-fold increase in the amount of territory occupied by Barred Owls between 2017 and 2018, and the old forest habitat preferred by Spotted Owls was the most likely to be colonized. Populations of invasive species typically remain at low densities for several generations before growing rapidly. Because intervening to control a potentially damaging invasive species requires many resources, land managers often wait for strong evidence that a species will pose a threat before taking action. But, by the time the "growth phase" has started, it's often too late. Wood and his colleagues believe their results show that the growth phase of the Barred Owl population in the region is just beginning, meaning wildlife managers still have time to act. Only a narrow band of fairly unsuitable habitat connects the existing Pacific Northwest population of Barred Owls to the Sierra Nevada stronghold of California Spotted Owls, and the researchers recommend experimentally removing Barred Owls from the Sierra Nevada side of this pinch point to see if this can prevent them from becoming established further south. "We suggested that managers act according to the Precautionary Principle: when there is a serious threat to human health or the environment, proactive responses are justified even if there is some uncertainty," says Wood. "We feel that experimental Barred Owl removals in the Sierra Nevada are an important step in determining the best long-term management strategy. This is not something that anyone takes lightly, but we feel that it is warranted because of the very real possibility that continued Barred Owl population growth could seriously endanger the California Spotted Owl. By catching this invasion in the early stages, we have a unique but potentially fleeting opportunity to inform policies that could prevent the California Spotted Owl from being driven extinct in the core of its range." Passive acoustic monitoring using devices like this one let researchers track the presence of owls across a vast area. Credit: Connor Wood Explore further Despite habitat protection, endangered owls decline in Mount Rainier National Park More information: Connor M Wood et al. Early detection of rapid Barred Owl population growth within the range of the California Spotted Owl advises the Precautionary Principle, The Condor (2019). Connor M Wood et al. Early detection of rapid Barred Owl population growth within the range of the California Spotted Owl advises the Precautionary Principle,(2019). DOI: 10.1093/condor/duz058 Submerge London, Europe's premier showcase for phishing defence, takes attendees on a deep dive into the latest phishing trends with insights from leading experts across the globe LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cofense, the global leader in intelligent phishing defence solutions, today announced registration is open for Submerge London, its international user conference and phishing defence summit. Taking place at the Hilton Canary Wharf from 5-6 May 2020, Submerge London is Europe's premier event for phishing defence and incident response, providing two full days of technical and educational sessions led by industry leaders and security experts. The third annual conference promises even deeper hands-on content than ever before including more than 20 sessions covering the latest phishing defense strategies and tactics, case studies presented by leading industry professionals and ample networking opportunities with peers from across the world. As with previous years, there will also be a wealth of speaker tracks over the two days, truly submerging attendees into the latest anti-phishing best practices and how they can unlock the power of collective human intelligence to defend against advanced cyber threats. Those interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise at the event can submit a presentation abstract for consideration through the Call for Speakers submission form, focusing on one of four topics: Innovation in Phishing Awareness; Aligning Phishing Defence to the Business; Phishing Incident Response; or the Phishing Threat Landscape. "The email security threat landscape is constantly evolving with attackers innovating their way past security controls on a daily basis," said Rohyt Belani, chief executive officer and co-founder, Cofense. "That's why it's important cybersecurity professionals stay ahead of the latest attack vectors and be prepared for threats heading their way. With a 95% recommendation rate from previous attendees, we're thrilled to bring organizations, partners and industry leaders the tools and knowledge they need to ramp up their phishing defence programs." Submerge London 2020 is open to existing Cofense customers and non-customers. The event is ideally suited for cybersecurity professionals, operators, and decision makers who focus on email security and phishing defence. Early bird registration discounts for Submerge London 2020 are available until 1st March, where tickets are available for 49 - half the regular rate. Those interested in attending can register here and find further information on the event and venue. About Cofense Cofense, formerly PhishMe, the leading provider of intelligent phishing defense solutions worldwide, is uniting humanity against phishing. The Cofense suite of products combines timely attack intelligence sourced from employees, with best-in-class incident response technologies to stop attacks faster and stay ahead of breaches. Cofense customers include Global 1000 organizations in defense, energy, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing sectors that understand how changing user behavior will improve security, aid incident response and reduce the risk of compromise. Media Contact press@cofense.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1klkN3q4ZE Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645799/Cofense_Logo.jpg The Trump administration has released a stash of heavily redacted documents about the withholding of military aid to Ukraine just two minutes before the deadline. As the Senate continued to block attempts to subpoena official records for Donald Trumps impeachment trial, 192 pages of emails were disclosed under a Freedom of Information request. They include communications between budget officials on the day of the presidents phone call to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksy to press for an investigation into his Democrat rival Joe Biden. American Oversight, the non-profit organisation that requested the documents, said that some of the records have not been given to the US Congress for its impeachment investigation. President Trumps lawyers stood in the Senate on Tuesday arguing that documents are totally unnecessary for the impeachment trial, but these documents give lie to that entire position, said executive director Austin Evers. Despite the Trump Administrations obstruction and the rhetoric at the trial, the public can now see even more evidence of the presidents corrupt scheme as it unfolded in real time. Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Show all 26 1 /26 Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Donald Trump Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clintons deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Whistleblower Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Second Whistleblower The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rudy Giuliani Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trumps personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the presidents enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a shadow foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trumps behalf and has called himself a hero. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Volodymyr Zelensky The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the favour he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin. AFP/Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pence The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had one or two phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trumps actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rick Perry Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didnt even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Joe Biden The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trumps opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Bidens son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Hunter Biden Joe Bidens son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Bidens lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Barr The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trumps preoccupations with the Bidens and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a cover-up of a cover-up. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pompeo The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president. AFP via Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Adam Schiff Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a parody of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a four Pinocchios rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Taylor The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff later identified as diplomat David Holmes overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about investigations the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trumps opponents, saying: It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal George Kent A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps personal lawyer, of leading a campaign of lies against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Marie Yovanovitch One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack very intimidating. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: Shes going to go through some things. Yovanovitch said she was shocked, appalled and devastated by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation. REUTERS Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Alexander Vindman A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trumps 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Jennifer Williams A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it unusual because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Kurt Volker The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraines reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Tim Morrison An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Gordon Sondland In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: Was there a quid pro quo? Yes, said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the presidents political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a great American a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Laura Cooper A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August undermining a Republican argument that there cant have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didnt know that aid was being withheld. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Hale The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Fiona Hill Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was being involved in a domestic political errand. She said: I did say to him, Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up. And here we are. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Holmes The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line because his voice was so loud and distinctive and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear asking about the investigations and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate. REUTERS The volume of material released, and the volume of material still secreted away, only highlights how much the administration has withheld from the House, the Senate, and the American public. The documents were released in response to a request to the White Houses Office of Management and Budget for directives and communications that may relate to any effort to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate one of President Trumps political opponents as part of an effort to give the president an electoral advantage. They begin with an email drawing attention to a news story about the Pentagons plans to send $250m in military aid to Ukraine on 19 June 2019. Further documents reveal a series of communications involving OMB officials, including acting director Russell Voight and associate director Michael Duffey, as well as deputy under secretary of defence Elaine McCusker, who raised questions about the freeze of funding. However the details of what was being discussed are almost entirely blacked out on the grounds that disclosing them would inhibit the frank and candid exchange of views that is necessary for effective government decision making. The emails continue through July when the funds were withheld, according to evidence heard during the House impeachment inquiry, and the filing of the whistleblowers complaint on 12 August about the Trump-Ukraine phone call three weeks earlier. One of the few emails to survive redaction reveals Mr Duffey telling Ms McCusker: We have no interest in delaying any action up until just before the obligation event occurs and want those processes to proceed. Later emails show a series of enquiries by members of congress and the media about the alleged withholding of military aid in the two weeks before the House launched its investigation on 9 September. Last month internal emails revealed that the Trump administration ordered the Pentagon to freeze $391m (300m) of military aid to Ukraine just 91 minutes after the 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president. Mr Trump, who has refused to cooperate with the impeachment hearings, has repeatedly denied that there was a quid pro quo the allegation he withheld the military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Mr Biden. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - I-Minerals lnc. (TSXV: IMA) (OTCQB: IMAHF) (FSE: 61M) (the "Company") is pleased to provide a status update on its ongoing pre-feasibility study ("PFS") on the Bovill Kaolin halloysite & metakaolin project. Millcreek Engineering of Salt Lake City, UT, has completed the site layout, processing plant design and is in the final stages of estimating the operating and capital costs. Mine Development Associates (MDA) has completed the mine plan optimized for kaolin and halloysite clays which in turn has been the basis for contract mining cost estimates completed in December 2019. Based upon the completion schedule, management expects to have the PFS results for release within 30 days. Mineral marketing and testing activities are progressing very well. I-Minerals' halloysite is being tested in increasing amounts around the globe, with significant interest being expressed by major Asian corporations. In addition, the company has received ASTM C618 results for water demand and Strength Activity Index ("SAI") for its metakaolin product from bulk samples generated from the recent pilot plant and flash calcination run. The results are the best received to date and demonstrate the company can produce a premium Supplementary Cementing Material (SCM); additional concrete test-work is in progress. A. Lamar Long, CPG, is a qualified person ("QP") for I-Minerals Inc. and has reviewed and approved the contents of this release. About I-Minerals Inc. I-Minerals is a Canadian based exploration and development company that is advancing the Helmer-Bovill kaolin-halloysite-quartz-potassium feldspar property in north central Idaho. I-Minerals Inc. Per: "John Theobald" John Theobald, President & CEO Contact: Barry Girling 877-303-6573 or 604-303-6573 Email: info@imineralsinc.com Paul J. Searle, Investor Relations 877-303-6573 or 604-303-6573 Email: psearle@imineralsinc.com Or visit our website at www.imineralsinc.com 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 This News Release includes certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks. Actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of the following factors, among others: changes in the world-wide price of mineral market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risk associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and uncertainty of access to additional capital To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51709 CENTERBROOK/EAST LYME - Community Music School, 90 Main St., Centerbrook and 179 Flanders Road, East Lyme, welcomes the general public to enjoy a variety of music programming during Free Preview Week, Jan. 27-Feb. 1. Children and adults are invited to schedule a free 30-minute preview lesson, and sample a vast array of programs for all ages including private and group lessons, Suzuki instruction, adult cabaret, senior band, string ensembles, music therapy, early childhood classes, and more. The public is welcome to observe any group class or ensemble during Free Preview Week. Those interested in a 30-minute preview lesson can schedule it by calling 860-767-0026 or emailing info@cmsct.org. Musical instruction is available for all ages, all abilities, and all genres. For additional information, visit www.cmsct.org, call 860-767-0026, or email info@cmsct.org. Community Music School offers music programming for infants through adults, building on a 37-year tradition of providing quality music instruction to residents of shoreline communities. CMS programs cultivate musical ability and creativity, and provide students with a thorough understanding of music so they can enjoy playing and listening for their entire lives. Learn more at www.cmsct.org or call 860-767-0026. Health grants available MIDDLETOWN The Middletown Health Department is accepting applications for Public Health Block Grant funding for fiscal year 2020-21. Any non-profit social service, or health agency providing services for Middletown city residents is eligible to apply. Applications can be obtained on the citys website @ www.middletownct.gov and due no later than 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 28. For more information, email: kevin.elak@middletownct.gov. or call 860. 638.4972. Auditions set for Our Town NEW BRITAIN Hole in the Wall Theater in New Britain is holding auditions for Thornton Wilders Our Town, directed by Caleb Warner, at 7 p.m. Jan. 26-27. If needed, callbacks will be held on Jan. 28. Actors will read sides from the script and mime. Those looking to be cast must be willing to play multiple parts. The role of the Stage Manager will be open to male or female actor. Rehearsals will begin Feb. 2 and will be 4 days a week. The show opens March 14 and runs through April 4. Members are looking to cast 17 actors ages 16 and up. All potential actors should have a reliable source of transportation, and to list any previous theater experience; resumes welcome. Those cast will be expected to attend at least one work call to help build the set, at least one general meeting, usually held on the second Wednesday of each month at the theater, and at least one performance of the current production, The Road to Aracea. Attendance to the strike of both shows will be mandatory for all cast members. Our Town will run for nine performances; actors should list any and all scheduling conflicts when they attend the rehearsal. Hole in the Wall Theater is located at 116 Main Street, New Britain.. Parking is available behind the theater and across the street in the parking garage next door to the police station. Kindergarten registration now open Parents/guardians whose children will be five years of age on or before January 1, 2021, should now contact Valley View School at 860-342-3131 to request Kindergarten registration materials be sent to them. Registration paperwork will be mailed to parents/guardians by the end of February. Kindergarten registration will be held from March 16-20, 2020. Parents will be assigned a day to register alphabetically according to their last name. At the time of registration, parents need to bring two proofs of residency, a copy of their childs birth certificate and the completed paperwork that was mailed to them in February. Further information regarding the kindergarten orientation process will be provided at registration time. For information, call Valley View School. Dinner dance benefits draft horse rescue PORTLAND Residents are invited to Denim, Diamond and Drafts, an evening of dancing, dinner, and drinks to support the horses of the CT Draft Horse Rescue, on Feb. 29 at Saint Clements Castle, 1931 Portland-Cobalt Rd., Portland. Tickets $80 per person and include a buffet dinner, raffles, live auctions, and a cash bar. Tickets are limited and are $80 per person. Call Lori to purchase tickets at 860-267-1542. Tickets can also be purchased via Paypal - send the payment to ctdraftrescue@aol.com (reference Denim, Diamonds, Drafts tickets on the payment). Tickets must be purchased by Feb. 19 and are not refundable. The event is snow or shine. CDHR in a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of neglected or abused draft horses as well as draft horses heading to slaughter. For more information visit www.ctdraftrescue.com, www.facebook.com/ctdraftrescue, or send an email to ctdraftrescue@aol.com. Psychic Medium Fundraiser set in Deep River DEEP RIVER The Friends of the Deep River Librarys 5th Annual Psychic Medium Fundraiser at the Richard Smith Town Hall Auditorium in Deep River, 2-4 p.m., Jan. 26, featuring Jeff McBride. The snow date is Feb. 2. McBride is an internationally known and tested reader with over fifty years of connecting. He is a born Psychic Medium, the author of Living in 2 Worlds, a Certified Reiki Master, and a former police officer. Jeff connects quickly with those who have passed. Communication with all energies are available: relationships, lost items, pets and much more. Tickets are available at the Deep River Public Library for $45 or for $55 at the door. To find out more about the event, please visit the Friends of the Deep River Library Facebook Events page. You may also visit the Deep River Library Facebook page. For more information, go to website at http://deepriverlibrary.accountsupport.com and click on our monthly calendar, or call the library at 860-526-6039. A 2018 memo by now-Attorney General William Barr contradicts President Trump's legal argument that abuse of power is not alone an impeachable offense. What we know: Barr issued the memo for the Justice Department and Trump's legal team while still in private practice. The 19-page document was written as Robert Mueller conducted his special investigation into whether Trump illegally interfered in the Russia probe. Barr argued in the memo that Trump should not speak to investigators about his actions as president, even if subpoenaed. He based his recommendation "on a sweeping theory of executive power under which obstruction of justice laws do not apply to presidents, even if they misuse their authority over the Justice Department to block investigations into themselves or their associates for corrupt reasons," the New York Times writes. However, Barr wrote that presidents who abuse their discretionary powers could be subject to penalties, including impeachment. The memo posed that because the president "is ultimately subject to the judgment of Congress through the impeachment process means that the president is not the judge in his own cause." The memo was made public during Barr's confirmation. Why it matters: Trump's legal team argued in a 110-page brief this Monday that "House Democrats novel conception of abuse of power as a supposedly impeachable offense is constitutionally defective." "It supplants the framers standard of high crimes and misdemeanors with a made-up theory that the president can be impeached and removed from office under an amorphous and undefined standard of 'abuse of power.'" Read Barr's memo here: Go deeper: Live updates: Senators debate rules of Trump impeachment trial The convention centre, a symbol of India's commitment towards Africa, was inaugurated during Jaishankar's visit to Niger.MGICC is the first centre to be established in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi whose 150th birth anniversary was observed in 2019.Jaishankar visited Niger's capital Niamey on January 21 and 22.During the visit, the External Affairs Minister called on the Niger President on January 21 and both the leaders jointly inaugurated MGICC."The establishment of the Centre is a landmark for Niger-India friendship, as also a symbol of India's firm commitment towards Africa," an External Affairs Ministry release said.The convention centre has been designed as a spacious, modern and eco-friendly facility and has a 2000-capacity plenary hall which can be used for high-level and wide-ranging participation from African Union member states and other high-level conventions.The release said that construction of MGICC was completed in record time by Shapoorji Pallonji Private Limited. NBCC was the project management consultant.India and Niger had announced their partnership for establishing Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre in Niamey, Niger in September 2018.A Memorandum of Understanding for MGICC was signed in the presence of then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Mohamed Saidil Moctar, Minister and Special Adviser to the President of Niger.The total cost of the project was 56 million US dollars with India giving grant assistance of 63.36 per cent and the Niger government contributing the balance. The total built-up area of the project is 13,799 sq metres and includes a plenary hall, a presidential block, presidential hall, administrative block, VIP block, banquet hall, service area and utility block.During his stay in Niamey, Jaishankar also called on Prime Minister of Niger Brigi Rafini and held discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues with his counterpart Kalla Ankourao, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration of Niger.The release said that India and Niger enjoy close relations and bilateral relations have expanded significantly in the recent years."India has provided Lines of Credit to Niger for projects in transport, electrification, solar energy and potable drinking water. Several hundreds of officials from Niger have utilized India's capacity building training programmes under the ITEC programme. India has also extended assistance to Niger in support of organizing the African Union (AU) summit held in Niamey on July 7-8, 2019," it said.The release said that visit by External Affairs Minister to Niamey was a reiteration of importance India attaches to its relations Niger and with other countries in the Sahel. (ANI) Do the right thing. That admonishment is absorbed from earliest childhood and is reinforced by the education system, by religious faiths and by popular culture that abounds with morality tales of righteousness rewarded. The lesson is that things will work out well in the end for people who make good decisions. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Do the right thing. That admonishment is absorbed from earliest childhood and is reinforced by the education system, by religious faiths and by popular culture that abounds with morality tales of righteousness rewarded. The lesson is that things will work out well in the end for people who make good decisions. Three local whistleblowers would beg to differ. Blowing the whistle in Manitoba can bring reprisal rather than relief Click to Expand Following a whistleblowers complaint, the Manitoba Ombudsmans Office found evidence of gross mismangement of public funds by the then-executive director of the Middlechurch care home. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) Posted: 7:00 PM Jan. 17, 2020 Around the time that a whistleblower turned U.S. President Donald Trumps world upside down last summer, three local whistleblowers approached the Winnipeg Free Press to tell the stories of what happened to them when they attempted to reveal wrongdoing. One blew the whistle on past financial corruption at the Middlechurch nursing home, one exposed questionable surgical-instrument cleaning practices and one raised allegations that some Grace Hospital employees were threatening patient care by taking extra-long breaks or ending shifts early. Manitoba has had whistleblower protection legislation since 2007. An amended version of the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act came into effect in December 2018. But the three whistleblowers and several experts in the area say PIDA and Canadian whistleblower-protection laws, in general, fail to adequately shield those who call out public-sector wrongdoing. Read Full Story They approached the Free Press to offer examples of how they did the right thing and it resulted in extremely bad things happening to them personally. Their hardships demonstrate the need to improve Manitobas whistleblower protection law. An instrument repair technician at Health Sciences Centre saw many examples of faulty maintenance of surgical equipment for example, blood was allowed to dry on instruments, possibly contaminating them despite sterilization and his revelations resulted in improved protocols at all hospitals. But instead of being thanked, the whistleblower said his superiors treated him like a troublemaker and made his work life intolerable. He lost 22 kilograms, went on stress leave and eventually resigned. A woman who worked at the Middlechurch nursing home in West St. Paul went to top officials of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the provincial ombudsman with documents to support her allegation: Middlechurchs then-executive director was steering maintenance contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to companies owned by the directors husband and brother-in-law. But instead of being regarded as a hero for exposing what the ombudsman agreed was a "gross mismanagement" of public funds, the whistleblower suffered great stress and retaliation. Her identify was leaked allegedly by a WRHA official she lost her job and, five years later, remains unemployed. An employee at Grace Hospital noted three of his workplace superiors consistently took two-hour lunches or quit an hour or two early. He reported them and, while he never learned whether his clock-cheating colleagues were ever disciplined, the whistleblower said he himself was bullied and harassed until he left on stress leave. He now works outside the health field. A technician at HSC faced reprisals after reporting wrongdoing. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files) A common denominator in these cases is that the retalitation against the whistleblowers has gone unpunished. Its true Manitoba has had whistleblower protection legislation since 2007 and the Manitoba Labour Board has dealt with 12 complaints alleging reprisal against whistleblowers. But none has been upheld. The boards track record of dismissing 100 per cent of reprisal allegations that werent subsequently withdrawn can mean one of two possible scenarios: whistleblowers dont experience reprisals in Manitoba (as probable as sightings of a Sasquatch riding a unicorn), or the law protecting against reprisals was worthless. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The whistleblower protection law was amended 13 months ago and reprisal complaints must now first be made to the provincial ombudsmans office. That office has yet to rule a reprisal has occurred. Given these examples of Manitobans whose lives were ruined when they spoke out, who can blame would-be whistleblowers from being scared into silence? Its crucial that Manitoba make the changes necessary to give whistleblowers the protection promised in the name of law. Experts in whistleblowing legislation offer ideas for improvement: many jurisdictions offer "reverse-onus" provisions, where its up to employers to prove reprisals are not taking place against whistleblowers. Some places ensure the officials who receive allegations of whistleblowing are completely independent from government. Whatever it takes, its crucial that Manitoba make the changes necessary to give whistleblowers the protection promised in the name of law: The Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act. The people on the inside of Manitobas workplaces are typically the first people to spot wrongdoing. When they expose problems, they deserve gratitude, not reprisals. They deserve a safe place to do the right thing. Iran reportedly said that it had asked authorities from France and the United States for the required equipment to download data from the two black boxes of the downed Ukraine International Airlines aircraft that claimed 176 lives. According to reports, Iran's request has not gone down well with countries who want the black boxes to be analysed on foreign land. According to reports, the Canadian Prime Minister has said that Iran did not possess the ability to analyse the downloaded information and said that the black boxes should be sent to France. However, Kyiv wants the recorders to be sent to Ukraine. According to reports, an official of the Iranian aviation body on January 18 said that the black boxes would be sent to Ukraine but a day later after the statements, the official backtracked and said that the data will be analysed in Iran. On January 20, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said that if they are given the required equipment then it will be possible for them to download the data and reconstruct the series of events that took place in a short period of time. The aviation body said that a prepared list had been dispatched to the United States National Transportation Safety Board and France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis agency(BEA). However, both the countries have not given a positive response in relation to them sending the equipment to Iran. According to reports, delay in sending the black boxes may result in Iran is subject to intense criticism after "accidentally" shooting down the plane on January 8 that claimed the lives of 176 people. Read: Iranian Lawmaker Announces $3 Million Reward To 'whoever Kills Trump': Report Read: Venezuela Foreign Minister Meets Iranian President Rouhani Iran takes full responsibility A senior Iranian air force commander took the "full responsibility" for the missile attack that downed a Ukraine International flight. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), addressed the media in Tehran on January 11 and said he wished he was dead upon learning of the Ukrainian jet downing. Iran's Prime Minister Hassan Rouhani apologised for Iran's terrible mistake. The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences. https://t.co/4dkePxupzm Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) January 11, 2020 Ukraine International Airlines releases statement A statement by Ukraine International Airlines read "the airline while operating flight PS752 from Tehran to Kyiv disappeared from the radars just after few minutes it took off from Tehran International Airport". The statement further added that "the aircraft departed from Tehran International Airport at 6:10am (Iran local time) on January 8." According to reports, there were 176 passengers and 9 crew members aboard the flight. Ukraine International Airlines issued a press statement on the #PS752 accident: pic.twitter.com/uvE6F0QEI8 Aviation Safety Net (@AviationSafety) January 8, 2020 Read: Iran Acknowledges Russian-made Missiles Targeted Ukraine Jet Read: Iran Threatens To Quit Global Nuclear Deal If Case Goes To United Nations (With inputs from agencies) Press Trust of India France will train Indian flight surgeons to enable them to monitor the health of astronauts selected for the ambitious human space mission Gaganyaan, officials said on Tuesday. The two-week training is a critical aspect of the Gaganyaan project that is aimed at sending three Indians to space by 2022. A memorandum of understanding on the matter is expected to be signed later this week when French space agency CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall arrives in Bengaluru, officials told PTI. The flight surgeons, who will be Indian Air Force doctors specialising in aviation medicines and responsible for the health of astronauts before, during and after the flight, will be shortlisted soon, an official from India's space agency ISRO added. Those shortlisted will then undergo two weeks training in France. Brigitte Godard, a flight surgeon with the European Space Agency, was in India in July and August last year to start the training of physicians and engineers. France has a well-established mechanism for space medicine. It also has the MEDES space clinic, a subsidiary of CNES, where space surgeons undergo training. Officials said talks are also on whether to send the astronauts to France for further training. The four shortlisted astronauts all test pilots from the Indian Air Force are currently in Russia for an 11-month training programme. India and France share robust ties in the area of space. The two countries had signed a joint vision for space cooperation in March 2018, months before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Gaganyaan project. The vision statement envisaged developing technologies for human exploration of the universe under which ISRO and CNES would jointly develop capabilities and critical technologies. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the incident in which 29 girl students of a government school were allegedly beaten with a wooden scale and duster for not completing their homework. In the incident that took place on Monday, 29 students of Kasturba Gandhi Government Middle School in Bhangarh alleged that their teacher had beaten them up with a wooden scale and duster for not completing their homework, an official said. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said, "A case in which 29 girl students of Kasturba Gandhi Government Middle School of Bhangarh, Bina (Sagar district) were beaten up has come to my notice. The orders have been issued to investigate into the matter." Strict action would be taken against the guilty, he added. Hostel warden Seema Kaushal and the affected students on Tuesday submitted a complaint that the girls were beaten up by their teacher, Bhangarh police station in-charge Sumit Sharma said. The injured students, who experienced swelling in their hands and legs, were treated at a civil hospital in Bina, he added. The statements of the students have been recorded and a detailed investigation is underway, he said, adding that a case would be registered after the probe. Meanwhile, district officer (DEO) Mahendra Tiwari said following a departmental inquiry, the assistant director of the department has been asked to file an FIR in this case. During the course of the inquiry, it was found that there was some enmity between hostel warden Seema Kaushal and teacher Mamta Patel, Tiwari said. On the basis of inquiry report, a letter has been written to senior officers recommending action against both Patel and Kaushal, the DEO said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The highly anticipated 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray made an exclusive appearance at Whitmoyer Chevrolet in Mt. Joy before it officially goes on sale. This U.S. tour will give enthusiasts around the country an up-close look at the first-ever production mid-engine Corvette offering a new standard of design, performance, technology and craftsmanship. The tour includes a hands-on look at the new Corvette as well as numerous interactive displays. At these events, vehicle specialists will host customers interested in learning about the new mid-engine supercar, display customizable parts (seats, wheels, accessories, etc.) and teach people how to personalize their own Corvette. A 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the first-ever mid-engine Corvette, sold for $3 million this week at the Barrett-Jackson car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona to raise money for Detroit children. The proceeds will benefit the Detroit Childrens Fund, a nonprofit organization that works to grow the number of quality schools in Detroit. The auction started at $250,000 but shot up to $1 million in less than a minute. The crowd got on its feet as the bidding war continued, with the price reaching $2 million in about two minutes. Rick Hendrick, owner of NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports and an avid car collector, made the winning bid. To the Editor: Re The Equal Rights Amendment Isnt the Answer (Sunday Review, Jan. 19): Joan C. Williams isnt asking the right questions when she wonders if continuing the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment is a political battle worth waging. Ratifying the amendment isnt about politics; its about the law and about basic human rights. Because the Constitution does not mention women, women can go unseen by our judicial system. For example, a 2000 ruling by the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the Violence Against Women Act that allows survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to sue their attackers in federal court. Laws like the Equal Pay Act are not protected by the Constitution and can be repealed or rescinded at any time based on political whims. Title IX is already being eroded by the Trump administration. When the E.R.A. was introduced in Congress in the 1970s, Phyllis Schlafly gave out fresh-baked bread and apple pie to state lawmakers to symbolize the supposed threat it posed to the American way. Patralekha Chatterjee focuses on development issues in India and emerging economies. She can be reached at patralekha.chatterjee@gmail.com The recent public protests against the citizenship law and related matters bring to the fore the issue of a prisoners right to adequate medical care. A case in point is that of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, arrested in a case relating to alleged incitement of violence during anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) protests at Jama Masjid. A Delhi court has finally waived off conditions from an earlier bail order directing Azad to not visit Delhi. The ongoing polarising battle of grand narratives in the country and detention of many people has brought to the fore an important but hugely neglected issue Indias jail healthcare crisis. The Supreme Court has upheld the right to healthcare as an essential ingredient under Article 21 of the Constitution in its judgement Pt. Parmanand Katara vs Union of India & Ors (1989) 4 SCC 286. But it is no secret that this right is routinely violated in our overcrowded jails. The recent public protests against the citizenship law and related matters bring to the fore the issue of a prisoners right to adequate medical care. Should prisoners, including political prisoners, be forced to go to court or seek the medias assistance to get the medical treatment they need? A case in point is that of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, arrested in a case relating to alleged incitement of violence during anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) protests at Jama Masjid. A Delhi court has finally waived off conditions from an earlier bail order directing Azad to not visit Delhi. The latest court order says that Azad should provide the schedule of his visit to the city to the concerned DCP whenever he visits for medical treatment. But none of this happened automatically. It took a huge effort by his lawyer Mehmood Pracha, and his personal physician, Harjit Singh Bhatti, to make Azads medical condition a public issue. Bhatti, Azads personal physician, says the Bhim Army chief suffers from polycythaemia, a blood-related disease, has been under treatment at the Haematology Department, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and requires regular monitoring including a procedure called phlebotomy. Bhatti says Azad was not allowed to access the necessary follow-up treatment and investigations initially when he was held in custody. Azad had to wait for more than two weeks in Tihar Jail and finally was taken for a medical check-up after Bhatti requested concerned authorities multiple times on Twitter. Strangely, he was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in West Delhi, and not AIIMS, where he was undergoing treatment. The permission to go to AIIMS was given only after a court order. I was in Tihar Jail. Inmates are treated like worms. I was told no permission can be given to me to go out for medical treatment though I told several doctors in the jail about my medical condition, my specific needs, and that I am being treated by doctors at AIIMS. There was no real treatment at Tihar. Once, when I was late to see a jail doctor because I had fever, I was ticked off. The doctors treated me very casually. I did not see any real interest in my medical condition Azad told this columnist at a recent press conference in New Delhi just before leaving the city. Another case in point is cancer patient Ahmad Nabi, who suffered multiple fractures in alleged police action during the December 20 anti-CAA stir violence. Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh) police has booked Nabi and several others under the Arms Act. But even after 10 days, reports in the national media suggest that he had been lying in Firozabad Jails medical ward with a fracture in his left arm and one each in both his legs, unattended. Nabi has been undergoing treatment for throat cancer at Jaipurs Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital for several years. It is only after media reports persistently highlighted his medical condition that Nabi got some medical attention. This week, his family told this columnist that Nabi is being treated for his broken limbs in Agra but he is yet to receive chemotherapy, which he desperately needs. Over the years, several court rulings have repeatedly drawn attention to issues of overcrowding, poor sanitation, nutrition, as well as shortage of prison staff in Indias jails. According to India Justice Report 2019, an initiative of Tata Trusts, the nationwide prison occupancy rate stood at 114 per cent as of 2016. Indias prisons are understaffed by at least 33 per cent; this massively increases the workload of existing staff and leads to total apathy. Uttar Pradesh has the highest prisoner population. A few years ago, inmates in the Fatehgarh Jail in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, came out of their barracks and protested for better healthcare facilities in the jail. A 2015 report by prisons researcher Smita Chakraburtty for Bihar State Legal Services Authority is revealing: The medical conditions prevailing in all the prisons of the state of Bihar need immediate attention. The prisons do not have proper facility of storing medicine, medical stores in the prison are ill-equipped, medical equipments such as X-Ray machines are dysfunctional, the refrigerators for storing medicines are not operational. Medical clinics are usually run by compounders who keep only basic medicines such as Paracetamol and some B-Complex vitamins There is a severe shortage of medical staff in prison. The procedure of sending inmates for medical check-ups or treatment to a district hospital is extremely lengthy. The lengthy procedure coupled with severe understaffing causes unusual delays leading to loss of the golden period of treatment for an inmate, noted Chakraburtty in her report. She also pointed out that often, medical procedures are delayed due to non-availability of guards, that prisons often have no ambulance, and these too cause delays. By the time the inmate reaches the hospital, there is little or no chance of recovery some inmates those who can afford it get treated in private, i.e. family members get medicines for the inmate, the report noted. This means that proper medical care can be availed only by a few inmates in each prison those who have the resources. The lengthy procedure involved in sending inmates to a district hospital for the required treatment, the severe understaffing in prisons lead to prison staff ignoring medical complaints of prisoners and also avoiding the mechanism of transfer of the inmate to a district hospital to avoid the burden of official paperwork, Chakraburtty points out in her report. This is serious medical negligence and does not make a country that talks about health for all look good. The writer focuses on development issues in India and emerging economies. She can be reached at patralekha.chatterjee@gmail.com SAGINAW, MI After a search that has taken a year and a half, the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners will choose a new location for the countys homeless animals. The board scheduled a special board session for 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, at the Saginaw County Governmental Center, 111 S. Michigan Ave., to make a decision between two sites. On Monday, a closed meeting will take place about the two sites and afterward the commissioners will vote. Saginaw County Controller Robert Belleman said he wouldnt disclose which two sites the board is reviewing but, he said, more details will be given at the meeting. The commissioners have been seeking a space that is highly accessible to encourage increased adoptions; is located close to the shelters major service area; has adequate utilities; has suitable soils, and is in a welcoming community. Other criteria include zoning, land costs, proximity to housing, existing structures, and property restrictions. The debate on the selection of the new site has hinged on whether or not the shelter will remain in the city or move to somewhere else in the county. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, at its regular meeting, members of the Saginaw City Council again voiced their opinions on the location of the shelter. Saginaw City Mayor Floyd Kloc said converting the soon-to-be former jail would save money because it would eliminate the demolition costs and reduce the carbon footprint for employees and citizens among other factors. My real concern is that this animal shelter remain in the city, Kloc said. This is the biggest location for where the animals come from. The animal shelter is a service and it should be located where the greatest need for that service exists. Saginaw City Councilman John Milne said his personal preference for the location of the shelter is a site the city owns on Davenport Avenue. He added it wouldnt be a congested space and can be accessed within 15 minutes from any part of the county. Were trying to grow the city, Milne said. If theres going to be growth that draws in out state and national attention, its got to have the word Saginaw on it. Not Kochville Township, not Richville Township. Its got to have the byline Saginaw. Belleman acknowledged the city has advocated for the shelter to stay in the city since February 2019. He said the board has reviewed several of the sites the city has offered. The County of Saginaw placed a millage renewal and increase on the August 2018 ballot, which was approved by 52 percent of Saginaw County voters. The Animal Control millage rate increased by 0.275 mills for a total levy of 0.425 mills for 2018 and will continue through 2037 for operational purposes of the Animal Care and Control Department. A portion of the millage increase is to support the construction of a shelter and resource center. The proposed 20,000-square-foot SCACC Shelter & Resource Center Project is currently estimated at $11.7 million with an annual debt service of approximately $824,000, according to a press release from the county. The County has reviewed 30 different properties. Related news: Saginaw County still considering options for new animal shelter location Saginaw zoo president wants new county animal shelter built next to the zoo Saginaw mayor proposes sites to keep animal shelter in city [January 22, 2020] Ashfield Capital Partners Welcomes Alison Bowe Diessner to Join as Partner Ashfield Capital Partners, one of the Bay Area's top independent wealth advisory firms as listed in the San Francisco Business Times, welcomes Alison Bowe Diessner as a Partner and Portfolio Manager. Alison will provide comprehensive wealth advice across a broad spectrum of wealth disciplines including evaluating investments, building portfolios, estate and tax planning. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005688/en/ Alison Bowe Diessner, Portfolio Manager, Ashfield Capital Partners (Photo: Business Wire) "Alison's partnership strengthens our firm's advisory capabilities. We are proud to celebrate over 45 years of serving long-standing and trusted clients, and Alison will be nstrumental as we build upon our history and serve future generations of Ashfield clients," says Peter Johnson, Ashfield's chief executive. "Alison has the experience and perspective we need in order to more fully support and engage with clients as they move through meaningful decision points in their lives." Alison brings more than twenty years of wealth management and investment experience. Prior to joining Ashfield, Alison served as a principal at Hall Capital Partners since 2013, focused on developing both institutional and family relationships. Prior to Hall, Alison held various roles in investment services with Jasper Ridge Partners, BlackRock and Bernstein Global Wealth Management. She began her career in equity research at Banc of America Securities. Alison earned her BA from Middlebury College and her MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. "Ashfield Capital Partners has the unique advantage of being one of the most established independent firms in the Bay Area. I look forward to being a part of the next phase in Ashfield's ongoing success, as we continue building the services we provide for our clients and their families," comments Alison. About Ashfield Capital Partners Ashfield Capital Partners is a San Francisco-based wealth management firm established in 1973. Since its founding, the firm has provided customized portfolio management and wealth planning to some of the country's most successful families. Services include holistic, wealth advice on investment management, estate and tax planning, direct investing, risk management and financial administrative support. Ashfield is considered one of the Bay Area's top wealth management firms and has recently been featured in financial media including the San Francisco Business Times' Top Bay Area Wealth Management Firms, Forbes and US News and World Report. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005688/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly issued a legal warning to the media after photographs of Meghan Markle were published in newspapers and websites in Canada. According to international media reports, the lawyers claimed that the photos of the Duchess walking her dogs and carrying her son were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on her. They further reportedly said that Meghan did not consent and accused the photographers of harassment. While speaking to an international media outlet, the lawyers of Duke and Duchess of Sussex said that there have also been attempts of photograph inside their home using long-range lenses. They even accused the paparazzi of being camped outside the property. Under the British Columbian laws, if Meghan can prove her privacy is being violated she may have grounds for a legal case, however, freedom of press and expression is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. READ: Prince Harry And Meghan Start New Life In Canada, Launch Legal Warning To Media The couple, who got married back in 2018, has always faced scrutiny from the British tabloid. Prince Harry recently also asserted that the decision of stepping back from their royal duties is at least in part because of press scrutiny, saying that the media is a powerful force and added that 'there was really no other option'. The couple has repeatedly also admitted that they were struggling with media scrutiny and have regularly hit out at the press in statements and in the courts. READ: Serena Williams Avoids Question On Meghan Markle-Prince Harry's Royal Family Exit Case against British tabloids In recent events, Meghan Markle is reportedly suing the newspaper for breach of copyright, invasion of privacy and misuse of personal data after it published excerpts from a letter she sent her father complaining about how he was treating her. The case against The Mail came after Thomas Markle had reportedly provided lawyers with unseen text messages that revealed the breakdown of the relationship between father and daughter. The newspaper company has also argued that Meghan could not have a reasonable expectation of privacy that the contents of the letter were private and would remain so. Back in 2019, Prince Harry had also filed a lawsuit against British publication, The Sun and the Daily Mail. According to Duke's statement, the British tabloids have been campaigning against his wife without giving any thought to the consequences. In his statement, the prince stated that the tabloids action aggravated over the period Meghan Markles pregnancy and the birth of their son. Prince Harrys statement also mentioned relentless propaganda with no thought about the human cost. READ: UK's Prince Harry Arrives In Canada READ: Buckingham Palace To Revise Guidance Of Prince Harry, Meghan's New Titles By Zandi Shabalala LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Nigeria will lift a ban on mining in Zamfara state by the end of March after the government deployed a surveillance team to stifle illegal activity in the northwestern region, the minister of mines and steel development said. The government suspended operations in April on concerns that illegal mining was connected to a surge in banditry in the state that was the worst hit by a wave of violence that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands. "The ban is about to be lifted because a lot of genuine investors who want to come (to invest) into Zamfara state," minister Olamilekan Adegbite told Reuters during a visit to London, adding this would happen "within the first quarter". "When the ban came into effect there were a lot of investors who were already putting in money had to stop ... they are anxious to realise their investments." Adegbite said the government had deployed a "surveillance team" to quell unrest and "discourage illegal activity". But the United Nation's refugee agency said in September that worsening violence caused by organised armed groups had displaced about 40,000 people since the beginning of 2019. In June, an armed group killed at least 34 people in attacks on villages. Nigeria has largely untapped deposits of minerals including gold, nickel, tin and zinc. Some 80 percent of mining in Nigeria is carried out on an artisanal basis and gold in Zamfara is routinely smuggled out of the country illegally to neighbouring Niger and Togo. About 500 kg of gold per month is illegally smuggled out of Nigeria, Adegbite said. At current prices, this is worth about $25 million and implies millions in lost tax revenue and unpaid royalties. A Reuters analysis published in April found that billions of dollars' worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa every year through the United Arab Emirates, a gateway to other markets. The government has granted refining licences to local firms Kian Smith Trade & Co and Dukia Gold, which will have a combined capacity of 37 tonnes per year, said Adegbite. Nigeria's central bank would purchase some of the gold. (Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; editing by David Evans) Reports of a new strain of coronavirus causing pneumonia-like symptoms in the central Chinese city of Wuhan have sparked concerns of a wider outbreak throughout China and possibly in other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this week that a traveler from Wuhan was identified with the novel coronavirus in Thailand, and suspected cases have been reported in Hong Kong and South Korea. The outbreak is far from over and there is still much left to be understood about the new virus. Why is this virus causing alarm? The new virus belongs to the same family as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which afflicted China and thirty-six other countries in 200203, killing more than 770 people worldwide. The impact was severe enough to hurt the economies of China and countries in Southeast Asia. Like SARS coronavirus, this virus is expected to have high mutation rates, which means it can rapidly develop resistance to new drugs and vaccines. It was reported that the new virus bears 80 percent similarity to SARS. Yet the virus does not appear to be as dangerous as SARS. The latter is highly contagious and life-threatening. The new virus appears to be less virulent-;only one fatal case has been reported in Wuhan, among forty-one people in China who were confirmed to have been infected with the virus as of January 11. There is no clear evidence that the virus is easily passed from person to person, but local health authorities haven't ruled out that possibility. All cases confirmed in China so far are linked to an animal market in Wuhan. The patients have shown pneumonia-like symptoms, including fever, and some have had difficulty breathing. What challenges are posed by Lunar New Year celebrations? The outbreak has occurred just weeks before the start of Lunar New Year on January 25. From mid-January to mid-February, hundreds of millions of Chinese people will travel throughout the country, which could facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. Even though the risk that the new virus will spread is thought to be low, given the perceived lack of person-to-person transmission, China is suffering from various infectious disease outbreaks that could be exacerbated by the celebrations. The devastating African swine fever crisis could worsen, particularly as traveling people can spread the virus and as Chinese pork suppliers try to increase their stocks ahead of the holiday. In addition, over the past two months, the country has reported multiple cases of a deadly pneumonic plague and more than three hundred cases of brucellosis, an animal-borne disease that causes flu-like symptoms. How is the Chinese government responding? What is its record on dealing with previous health scares? The government's initial handling of the SARS outbreak was characterized by cover-up and inaction, but this time the government responded relatively quickly. Soon after the outbreak became known in December, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention launched an investigation. The government implemented early diagnosis and quarantine measures and closed the wet market on January 1. It also conducted epidemiological investigations, including following close contacts of the people who were infected. On January 9, Chinese scientists were able to sequence the virus and developed a test to identify it. However, global health experts were concerned that the government was not very forthcoming. They pointed out that for two weeks after the onset of the outbreak, the government provided little information, possibly contributing to a rising number of cases in Hong Kong. Amid increasing pressure from the international scientific community, on January 12 China shared the virus's genetic sequence, which will be critical for other countries to develop kits to diagnose the virus more quickly. How are people within Wuhan and throughout China reacting? There has been little discussion of the virus on Chinese social media, as the government seeks to monopolize the release of disease-related information. Local police have threatened to jail those who spread "false information." As a result, people in China are not adequately informed, and international scientists are not certain how many people outside of Wuhan may have been infected. The outbreak is not over, despite the government's announcement that no new cases have been identified since January 3. The woman who traveled from Wuhan to Thailand on January 8 was confirmed to be the first case of the coronavirus abroad, even though she did not visit the market linked to the other cases. The WHO has stated that it is essential that China continue investigating and that other countries prepare. File image: Goa CM Pramod Sawant Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said his government is looking at the possibility of recruitments in private sector through the state-run Human Resource Development Corporation. However, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the opposition Congress have reacted sharply to it, saying they are against any such plan of the government. Addressing a gathering in his Assembly segment Sankhalim on Sunday, Sawant said, "In the next budget, we want to provide job security to our state's youth. We are contemplating whether recruitments in private sector could be done through the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation." "If we can recruit them through the corporation, we will be able to create 10,000 more employment opportunities (in private sector) for youth," the BJP leader said. Sawant also said it is not possible for all unemployed youth to get jobs in the government sector, due to which the state government is looking at private industries. The government's plan has, however, not gone down well with key industry players in the coastal state. "If there is any such move, we would oppose it. We are, in principle, not for any such decision," GCCI president Manoj Caculo said. Some industry players feel they should have a free environment for growth of the economy. "Political interference in recruitments in the industry would be detrimental to growth," a Goa-based industrialist said on condition of anonymity. Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar also criticised the government's plan, saying there should be no political interference in private sector recruitments as it involves the sentiments of investors. He said the "competency and quality" of workforce selected by the state-run body could also be questionable. "In several government jobs, political interference has overpowered talent. A similar situation should not be there in the private sector also," Chodankar said. "The youth will be frustrated (with this plan). The government can (rather) implement the plan to reserve 80 per cent jobs in private industries for locals based on merit, so that youth do not get frustrated and brain drain is stopped," the Congress leader said. He claimed the industrial estates in Goa were still struggling to have a decent infrastructure in place. "Issues like power and water supply are plaguing the industrial estates. With this move, I am sure the industries will not even have proper manpower," he said. F or a city so rich in culture and heritage, one thing London is certainly lacking is personal space. At least, thats the idea behind Leonardo Hotels new space optimiser jacket. Designed to help tourists deal with the capitals crowds, the jacket creates an exclusion zone of 18 inches the minimum measurement for personal space determined by experts. The jacket can be inflated via an electric pump, creating a barrier between the wearer and crowds. Leonardo Hotels came up with the prototype after commissioning a recent study that found 3.5 million Brits have never visited London, with a fifth (21 per cent) of the respondents citing the reason is that the capital is too busy and imposing on personal space. Jason Carruthers, MD of Jurys Inn & Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland, adds: "The results from the survey clearly show that busy crowds are stopping people from visiting this incredible city. "The Space Optimiser jacket will allow people to go into those crowded tourist hot spots, without feeling too overwhelmed by impositions on their personal space. Personal space jacket by Leonardo Hotels - in pictures 1 /10 Personal space jacket by Leonardo Hotels - in pictures Click through the gallery to see the personal space jacket in action ... Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD Brad Wakefield Photography LTD GRAND RAPIDS, MI A lawyer from Battle Creek who initially announced she was running for Michigans 3rd Congressional District as a Democrat has switched parties and now says shes running as a Republican. Emily Rafi, a business transaction attorney who has never held elected office, says she decided to make the switch because her priorities of protecting taxpayers and consumers dont fit into the generic Democratic party policies. I never really felt comfortable looking at taxes as the answer to funding issues we have on public levels, she said. I think theres a lot of taxpayer abuse going on right now, and I think that if we were to properly address those abuses there would be enough money left over that raising taxes would no longer be needed. Rafi, 40, says one example of a taxpayer abuse is the cement cartel. She says the price of cement is artificial and is not being created by demand, and is instead being price fixed by companies. She says eliminating that practice would drastically reduce the cost of rebuilding $2 trillion in U.S. infrastructure. Born and raised in Battle Creek, Rafi says she earned her bachelors degree from University of California, Irvine, and her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She said she is a single mother who, prior to running for Congress, had her own law practice. She says she has worked for banks in the Small Business Association lending industry, and understands the challenges faced by small businesses trying to compete and succeed in U.S. global markets. Rafi joins a crowded field of Republicans seeking their partys nomination in the August 2020 primary, to run for Michigans 3rd District Congressional seat. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, I-Cascade Township. Amash left the Republican party in July and is seeking reelection as an independent. An outspoken critic of Trump, he has represented the district since 2011. In addition to Rafi, at least six other Republican candidates Peter Meijer, Joel Langlois, Tom Norton, Lynn Afendoulis, Joe Farrington and Andrew Jackson Willis have announced theyre seeking to represent the district. Despite the large number of candidates in the race, Rafi said she has a shot at winning the August primary. I think we are presenting some of the best policies Ive seen in the race, Rafi said. Were the only candidate presenting a voter contract, and I think those are two really good reasons to elect someone. Rafis voter contract is a list of 10 pledges that Rafi says she will work toward if elected. The pledges include reducing taxes through accountable spending and upholding the U.S. Constitution and individual liberties. Also, among them: Reducing health care costs, making college more affordable, supporting effective border security, and strengthening wages and job opportunity. Rafi said she officially switched her party affiliation to Republican in November. Prior to her switch, the Battle Creek native made incendiary comments about President Donald Trump on the now deleted Twitter account she used while running for the 3rd Congressional District seat as a Democrat. In one tweet, from December 2018, she wrote: After Trump goes to prison, & we collect all his property; I say we donate all the Trump tower luxury condos to homeless veterans. Rafi says her view on Trump has evolved, and that she now supports the president. She said she believes Trumps impeachment in the U.S. House was politically motivated. She said her views on Trump changed once she started speaking with Republicans in the 3rd Congressional District about their views, and once she expanded the media outlets she watched and read to include networks such as Fox News. I started to enlarge the media I was listening to, Rafi said. I was no longer just listening to one side of the media outlet stream. Rafi said her transition from Democrat to Republican was 100 percent genuine, and that it puts her in a good position because I understand both sides. At least two candidates are running in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District seat: immigration attorney Hillary Scholten and Ionia attorney Nick Colvin. The 3rd Congressional District includes the city of Grand Rapids and a large portion of Kent County, part of Montcalm County, as well as Ionia, Barry and Calhoun counties. Read more MLive stories: Grand Rapids school board closes superintendent search meeting Michigan man who returned $43K he found in thrift store couch gets outpouring of support Investigator emotional about babys death, dad had no apparent reaction to loss Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-23 02:09:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed to Algeria for a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighboring countries, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The ministerial meeting, which will be held on Thursday, is meant to discuss the rapid developments of the Libyan issue, said Ahmed Hafez, a ministry spokesman. Top diplomats of Libya's neighbors will exchange views on the future steps to be followed in the light of the outcomes of Berlin conference, he added. They will discuss "means of advancing the ongoing efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement encompassing all aspects of the Libyan crisis, including restoring security and stability in Libya," Hafez said. Earlier in the day, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said the meeting will involve the foreign ministers of Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Chad and Niger. An international conference on Libya was recently held in Germany's capital Berlin in an attempt to pave the way for a lasting settlement in war-torn Libya. Participants in Berlin conference agreed on limiting foreign interference in Libya and continuing the arms embargo on the North African country. During Berlin talks, the two main rivals in the Libyan crisis, UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and army commander Khalifa Haftar, refused to meet. Libya has been stuck in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The Libyan conflict escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-recognized, Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Serraj and a Tobruk-based government allied with the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Haftar. A fragile cease-fire is currently in effect between GNA forces and LNA that seeks to take over the capital Tripoli. Enditem By Sheina Laws, Product Manager, at Partners in Leadership It's no secret that courageous, calculated risk-taking is a crucial component of long-term business success. As the late Peter Drucker, a leading voice on management philosophy and modern business practices, once said, "Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision." Indeed, Jeff Bezos sold books out of his garage through a modest ecommerce website before Amazon became a trillion-dollar cross-industry venture. Elon Musk burned a hole in his pocket so deep that he was unable to make payroll after launching his passion project, SpaceX, only to close a multibillion-dollar deal just several months later. When FedEx founder Fred Smith was rejected for a business loan shortly after launching his company, he ventured to Las Vegas with $5,000 and a mission to cash in on dumb luck -- a gamble that paid off in spades. These may be extraordinary examples, but the reality is that risk-taking fuels innovation, and innovative companies experience higher growth rates than their competitors. As such, it's no wonder that innovation remains a top priority for corporate leaders: today, 93% of business executives believe "organic growth through innovation will drive the greater proportion of their revenue growth." And yet, while 84% of executives agree that their businesses' future success will be highly dependent on innovation, data from the Partners In Leadership Workplace Accountability Index indicates that, by and large, employees are not willing to take the risks necessary to drive innovation. In fact, just 37% of those surveyed agree that members of their organization are willing to take risks to find better solutions. Improving this state of affairs is of the utmost importance; but how, exactly, can leaders weave innovation into the fabric of their organizations in a way that drives better results? Setting the Tone: The Right Kind of Risk-Taking First and foremost, leaders hoping to drive innovation must understand that it's not indiscriminate risk-taking that elevates the world's most successful organizations to the top of their respective food chains; it's careful, calculated risk-taking that follows a set of specific strategies. According to venture capitalist Sean Wise, some of these strategies include: Early adoption: seeing and tapping into innovation trends before they reach the majority of adopters. Blue Ocean Strategy: the simultaneous pursuit of low cost and differentiation. The 10x rule: the idea that "to dislodge incumbent market leaders, you must be 10 times better -- faster, cheaper, stronger, or otherwise." Creative destruction: displacing an incumbent market leader by providing an exponentially better solution. By adopting one or two of these strategies, leaders are able to approach risk-taking and innovation in a focused manner. However, to reap the benefits of this approach, leaders must position calculated risk-taking not merely as an organizational goal, but as an integral component of their company culture and, by extension, their employees' mindsets. Building a Culture of Risk-Taking: Google as a Case Study A conscious, continuous organization-wide commitment to risk-taking is often what sets the world's most successful ventures apart. In fact, 94% of senior executives agree than an organization's culture is the most important factor when it comes to innovation, meaning leaders can promote innovation by creating an organizational culture that rewards calculated risk-taking. Google's company culture is among the highest-profile examples of normalized organization-wide risk-taking. Google rewards risk-taking not just for the sake of risk-taking, but in order to solve the world's most pressing problems, in areas such as education, inclusion, and economic development. The organization challenges and rewards employees across departments and functions to not only develop new ideas, but also to poke holes in existing systems and challenge the status quo in order to optimize efficiency. The organization so values innovation, in fact, that it doesn't mind investing in initiatives that end in failure -- as long as they learn something in the attempt. According to Laszlo Bock, the organization's former Head of People Operations, leaders at Google "reward failure." To substantiate this claim, Bock points to Google Wave, an online platform that was launched in 2010 and shut down within a year. "They took a massive, calculated risk. And failed. So we rewarded them." This philosophy permeates Google, but the employees who embrace the company's culture of risk-taking most wholeheartedly are those working at Google X, the company's semisecret research and development "moonshot factory." Google X encourages engineers and innovators to collaboratively design and produce seemingly impossible technological projects, facilitating both early adoption and creative destruction. The head of Google X, Astro Teller, reports that the process of innovation begins with identifying a problem that needs to be solved or that could benefit from a more efficient or effective solution. Then, through collaborative problem-solving, team members are encouraged to engage with radical, creative ideas. Once they dream up a sci-fi-inspired ideal solution, they work together to unpack its possibilities. If there is any evidence-based grounding for their solution, they press onward based on the knowledge that is already available or obtainable. In this way, Google X employees follow similar tenets to those outlined in the proven Partners In Leadership model of accountability: they see problems that need solving, take ownership of the development of solutions, solve the problems through creative collaboration, and do what needs to be done to achieve desired results. When business leaders foster high levels of workplace accountability, every employee feels personally committed to achieving organizational goals -- which, in this case, concern innovation. As a result, employees engage more deeply with their work and take action to deliver on shared goals. According to the BBC, Teller claims that this model of innovation is highly effective: "You must reward people for failing...If not, they won't take risks and make breakthroughs. If you don't reward failure, people will hang on to a doomed idea for fear of the consequences. That wastes time and saps an organization's spirit." Not only does Google engage in some of the key strategies of calculated risk-taking, but it has centered its culture on a philosophy of innovation and continuous improvement. One of the organization's ten core values, or cultural beliefs, is "great just isn't good enough." When all employees feel invested in this belief, they take personal accountability for developing solutions and delivering results that are better than great. Only by fostering an entire company culture that encourages collaborative, calculated risk-taking can an organization build the foundations of innovation necessary to achieve the kind of astronomical success that Google has enjoyed. Driving Innovation Through Calculated Risk-Taking Despite the overwhelming amount of evidence that indicates the value-add of risk-taking in business, many organizations are still hesitant to break from the operational status quo for fear of failing. Why change anything when doing things "the way they've always been done" is working just fine? The answer? To propel an organization from its current level of performance to a level that's better than great. In the innovation big leagues, significant risks are often met with significant rewards. Admittedly, cultivating an organizational culture of risk-taking is not always easy -- in fact, 54% of innovative organizations have trouble bridging the gap between innovation strategy and larger business strategy -- which we explore in detail in our white paper "Future Proof Your Company from Disruption". However, leaders can seamlessly integrate innovation strategy with the overarching business strategy of their organizations by: Focusing on one or two strategic approaches to innovation -- whether Blue Ocean Strategy or the 10x rule. Securing organization-wide investment in the value of risk-taking by building cultural beliefs around taking risks. Cultivating high rates of personal and organizational accountability for achieving innovation goals. Creating specific fora in which risk-taking and creative problem-solving are encouraged and rewarded. Digital tools such as the new Partners In Leadership Workplace Accountability Index can further incentivize risk-taking and creative problem-solving in the workplace by quantifying levels of innovation and accountability and prescribing courses of action in accordance to the results. By building a company culture rooted in risk-taking and accountability, leaders drive innovation and, in turn, profitability. As a direct result, the organization grows. In fact, research from MIT has identified "a significant correlation between the ideation rate [...] and growth in profit or net income: the more ideation, the faster [companies] grew." Significant permitting progress made with Donlin Gold LLC (Donlin Gold) receiving final easements for the access road and fiber optic cable, as well as land leases, land use permits, and material site authorizations for proposed transportation facilities on State lands Plans in place for 2020 to carry out a 22,000-meter, 80-hole drill program to test the extension of high-grade gold zones and validate geologic modeling concepts By completing fiscal year 2019 with $148.5 million in cash and term deposits as well as additional receivables, NOVAGOLD enjoys the financial strength to advance the Donlin Gold project up the value chain VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVAGOLD RESOURCES INC. (NOVAGOLD or the Company) (NYSE American, TSX: NG) today released its 2019 year-end financial results and an update on its flagship Donlin Gold project in Alaska, which NOVAGOLD owns equally with Barrick Gold Corp. (Barrick). Details of the financial results for the year ended November 30, 2019 are presented in the consolidated financial statements and annual report filed January 22, 2020 on Form 10-K with the SEC that is available on the Company's website at www.novagold.com , on SEDAR at www.sedar.com , and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov . All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated and all resource and reserve estimates are shown on a 100% project basis. In 2019, NOVAGOLD achieved the following milestones: With key Federal and State permits in hand, Donlin Gold secured additional State permits: The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) approved the Reclamation and Closure Plan (Plan). The Waste Management permit was issued by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. ADNRs Division of Mining, Land, and Water (DMLW) issued the final land leases, land use permits, and material site authorizations for the proposed transportation facilities on State lands and the final easements for the access road and fiber optic cable. NOVAGOLD and Barrick advanced technical work on Donlin Gold with more drilling planned for 2020: In mid-2019, commenced a multi-year site investigation program to collect additional geotechnical information to advance the engineering work on the tailings facility and other water retention and diversion structures from a feasibility level to a final construction package, as required for the projects dam safety certification application to ADNR. A 22,000-meter, 80-hole drill program will be undertaken in 2020 to test the extension of high-grade gold zones, including some encountered in the 2017 drilling, and validate geologic modeling concepts. Donlin Gold, together with Calista Corporation (Calista) and The Kuskokwim Corporation (TKC), its Native Corporation partners who respectively own the subsurface and surface rights for the Donlin Gold project, carried out a wide-ranging program of community engagement, including training, education, health, safety and environmental management initiatives during 2019: Community Backhaul projects, funded by NOVAGOLD, brought together over 20 regional organizations to remove nearly 100,000 pounds of hazardous and electronic waste from 14 remote villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region and Bethel. Broad outreach activities and engagement with key local groups during the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention last fall. Co-sponsored spill response training with TKC and 25 participants from the region. Hosted a career & college fair with the Lower Kuskokwim School District that was attended by hundreds of students, parents and teachers from the Y-K region. Presidents Message Advancing permits, enhancing value and realizing a vision Luck and a laser-like adherence to excellence represent powerful forces. We definitely know how lucky we are. Donlin Gold is a rare, high-grade open-pit gold development project located in a mining friendly jurisdiction Alaska where the rule of law is embraced and investors can feel secure. It is our privilege to develop such a unique project at a time in the sectors history when promising assets in welcoming parts of the world are desperately needed. Our steadfast commitment to outperform for our shareholders, as evidenced by our moving the project up the value chain, while never compromising on best practices and keeping all of our promises, is a function of a management strategy rooted in the ethos of doing things right. Such a high level of quality-control throughout our operations could not have been maintained were it not for the dedication of Donlin Golds stakeholders. The achievements of the past year from securing major State permits and advancing project engineering and optimization to maintaining broad and all-encompassing community engagement reflect our collective commitment to a consistent vision that has arisen from a long-lasting collaboration among NOVAGOLD, Barrick, and the Native Corporation property owners, Calista and TKC. Our track record of achievement was further enhanced earlier this month when Donlin Gold received final easements for the access road and fiber optic cable, as well as the receipt of the final land leases, land use permits, and material site authorizations for the proposed transportation facilities on State lands, including the airstrip and upriver Jungjuk Port. In addition, ADNRs Division of Oil and Gas is finalizing the ROW authorizations for the buried natural gas pipeline, following the issuance of the preliminary decision in March 2019. Such exceptional results took tremendous leadership and unwavering attention to detail and transparency from Donlin Gold, NOVAGOLD and Barrick, with the support and contributions of Calista and TKC, and the communities closest to the future mine site. We greatly appreciate the dedicated efforts of the ADNR in advancing permits and approvals for the project, and their commitment to environmental and governance best practices, as well as genuine social responsibility. In mid-2019, Donlin Gold commenced a multi-year site investigation program required to collect additional geotechnical information to advance the engineering work on the tailings facility and other water retention and diversion structures from a feasibility level study to a final construction package, as required for the projects dam safety certificate application to ADNR. The safety of the tailings facility constitutes one of Donlin Golds most important priorities as they continue to provide the requisite human and financial resources to ensure that the work is done to the highest standard and according to the best design practices. A project so significant, so timely and so rare that a comparable asset is near-impossible to find The unique nature of NOVAGOLD is starting to come into focus for investors. Several specific advances help explain the prominent position enjoyed by NOVAGOLD today: the major milestones of receiving key Federal and State permits, selling Galore Creek to Newmont Corp. and a re-invigorated partner in Barrick, and the release of some of the best gold drill results in our industry in 2018. Donlin Gold merits attention. With approximately 39,000,000 ounces of gold in measured and indicated mineral resources grading 2.24 grams per tonne,1 the project already boasts a size that is exceptional, a grade twice the industry average2, excellent exploration upside potential, extraordinary leverage to a higher gold price, a location in a friendly jurisdiction, and strong local partnerships. These constitute a rare and unique combination of attributes. Being a gold endowment presently contained within only three kilometers of an eight-kilometer mineralized belt, and with only a small portion of the mining claims area having been explored, Donlin Gold ultimately could well command district-sized potential. After working in or visiting many of the worlds greatest mining districts, I know firsthand what exciting geological upside looks like. Donlin Gold embodies that promise. To such good fortune, one must add that there are now few mining jurisdictions left that are peaceful and democratic, and that will honor and enforce contracts and permits with a strict adherence to the rule of law. Alaska, which is the second-largest gold producer in the United States after Nevada, is rightly ranked as a top jurisdiction for responsible mining development. I can tell you this from my personal experience as a miner: Alaska is simply a great place to do business. Having had oversight of Barricks Nevada assets in the past, I believe there is district-size opportunity at Donlin Gold. To put it another way, as our Chairman Dr. Thomas Kaplan frequently observes from his own vantage point as an investor, taking all of the above factors together Donlin Gold is a unique asset with exceptional leverage to the gold price; and most importantly, it is located in a jurisdiction that will allow one to keep the fruits of that leverage. As we both declared when I left Barrick as its President of their North American business to come aboard NOVAGOLD as Chief Executive Officer, and Tom joined as our Chairman of the Board, in our view there is simply no comparable project in the world today. That was in late 2011. Since that time, NOVAGOLD has done everything it set out to do from restructuring the Company to the permitting of Donlin Gold. Yet despite all of the great news from the past, the brightest part of Donlin Golds already significant history undoubtedly will stem from what happens next. Our partnership with Barrick, for example, provides us with additional depth of technical and environmental expertise, as well as community engagement practices; skills that are particularly critical in the context of 21st century requirements of earning and maintaining a well-founded social license. Add to this sense of optimism and momentum a management team with decades of successful operational experience at some of the largest gold producers in the world, and it becomes rather clear why we are all so excited to get to the office every morning. The sheer rarity of a project like Donlin Gold is of course well understood by our major shareholders, who are united in their belief that our equity provides perhaps one the best vehicle available to take full advantage of the next big move in golds secular bull market. In 2019, NOVAGOLDs investors were given a glimpse of what a move in the gold price could represent to shareholders. But advancement of Donlin Gold is taking place at an extraordinary time in the gold cycle, as the renewal of interest in gold is happening against the backdrop of declining new discoveries, challenging geo-politics of mine supplies, the continuing erosion of grades of existing deposits, and increasing global uncertainty and volatility. Such an environment is particularly conducive to a substantial re-rating of value for an asset with both the rare combination of virtues and the leverage characteristics of Donlin Gold. The Companys inclusion on the Russell 2000 index in June 2019 also brought increased attention, as core index fund holdings in NOVAGOLD increased along with other funds who mirror these indices, thereby building more institutional investor support for NOVAGOLD. We expect that support to continue to grow. Having positioned ourselves as a Go-To stock of the highest institutional quality, we believe that new gold investors will quickly appreciate the scarcity value of such attributes, and the value of that pure play on gold. Dedicated to strong stakeholder engagement In addition to fidelity to our shareholders, NOVAGOLD and our project partners are committed to growing strong and collaborative working relationships to preserve traditional lifestyles and support economic development for the benefit of Calista and TKC shareholders and the Y-K region as a whole. In 2019, Donlin Gold and our Native Corporation partners held more than 200 engagement meetings with individual stakeholders and community organizations. These meetings take many forms, from one-on-one to group meetings as ongoing outreach activities, meeting with tribal councils and key stakeholders in the Y-K region (including Donlin Gold attending the Calista Annual Shareholders meeting in July), providing project updates and gathering feedback from shareholders in two coastal villages, Kotlik and Kongiganak, as well as meeting with various Native groups interested in establishing Friendship Agreements. In October 2019, Donlin Gold and TKC co-hosted a reception at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage, meeting with key leadership representing various parts of the U.S. and seeking partnerships with Donlin Gold for future opportunities. The health and safety of our employees and our communities are also paramount. In 2019, the Y-K Community Backhaul projects funded by NOVAGOLD removed nearly 100,000 pounds of hazardous and electronic waste from 14 villages and Bethel on the Kuskokwim River. This program builds on significant work sponsored by Donlin Gold in 2018, including Clean Up Green Up efforts in 43 villages, collecting refuse for proper disposal in community landfills, and the initial Green Star Waste Backhaul Project that engaged six Middle Kuskokwim villages in removing and safely disposing almost 20 tons of hazardous waste and materials. Donlin Gold is devoted to the long-term support of the village of Crooked Creek in solid waste management, including landfill operations near the project. Additionally, Donlin Gold is working with TKC and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation to initiate an upgrade, as well as improve health and safety standards, of water and sewer services in Middle Kuskokwim area communities. Donlin Gold and TKC also cosponsored a spill response training last fall, which was attended by participants from 10 TKC villages. The trainees can now take these practices home and into their communities. Donlin Gold supports projects such as the Lower Kuskokwim School District Career & College Fair in Bethel, a hub for the region, and other career fairs throughout the Y-K region to help develop the leaders of tomorrow. Alongside Calista and TKC, Donlin Gold proudly engages with the EXCEL Alaska program that flies high school students in from remote villages to provide much-needed career and technical education, as well as fund scholarships to help local students with post-secondary education. Balance sheet We take dilution seriously. Fortunately, NOVAGOLDs strong balance sheet affords a rare opportunity in our space to satisfy foreseeable project expenses without seeking additional equity from the market. With approximately $148.5 million in cash and term deposits as of November 30, 2019, we can focus on moving Donlin Gold forward while enhancing its value through permitting and optimization work. Note that this amount does not include an additional $100 million expected to come from Newmont in the next three years, or a further $75 million contingent payment on top of that which we could receive if and when the Galore Creek project owners approve a construction plan. Based on these commitments and projected needs, the Company believes it has sufficient funds to advance Donlin Gold without the need to raise capital until a construction decision is made. Advancing the vision in 2020 Looking ahead to 2020, Donlin Gold will embark on the projects largest drill program in twelve years, with 80-holes totaling 22,000meters planned in the ACMA and Lewis deposit areas. The programs objective is to continue to gather additional data that should increase our understanding of the geologic model and high-grade mineralization controls that have the potential to benefit the project when the owners decide to update the Donlin Gold feasibility study and initiate the engineering work necessary to advance the project design from feasibility level to basic, then detailed engineering. In conclusion, I wish to thank the experienced team of professionals at NOVAGOLD, Donlin Gold, and Barrick for their passion and commitment to the project. Their steadfast determination, coupled with the deep and decades-long support and engagement of Calista and TKC, are critical ingredients required for the successful achievement of our collective vision. I also would like to express my sincere appreciation to my dedicated colleagues on the NOVAGOLD Board for their support, constant engagement, and commitment to continual improvement and best governance practices. It is a pleasure to serve alongside you all. My gratitude also goes to the various State agencies for their diligent and professional work and adherence to well-established regulatory procedures. Finally, to our shareholders, I thank each and every one of you for your unwavering support, engagement, patience, and encouragement. NOVAGOLD will not only do its utmost to deliver on its strategy and promises but will continue to realize Donlin Golds unparalleled investment opportunity in a manner that you can truly be proud of. Gregory A. Lang President & CEO Financial Results in thousands of U.S. dollars, except for per share amounts Year ended November 30, 2019 $ Year ended November 30, 2018 $ General and administrative expense (1) 16,321 18,493 Share of losses Donlin Gold 10,491 8,798 Total operating expenses 26,812 27,291 Loss from operations (26,812) (27,291) Accretion of notes receivable 3,220 1,061 Interest expense on promissory notes (7,286) (6,461) Other income, net 4,395 1,751 Income tax expense (1,278) (526) Loss from continuing operations for the period (27,761) (31,446) Loss from discontinued operations for the period (81,299) Net loss (27,761) (112,765) Loss per share, basic and diluted Continuing operations (0.09) (0.10) Discontinued operations (0.25) (0.09) (0.35) At November 30, 2019 $ At November 30, 2018 $ Cash and term deposits 148,549 167,004 Total assets 245,835 260,929 Total liabilities 107,881 100,241 (1) Includes share-based compensation expense of $6,176 and $7,727 for the year-ended November 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. For the year ended November 30, 2019, NOVAGOLDs share of Donlin Gold losses increased from $8.8 million in 2018 to $10.5 million in 2019 due to the commencement of fieldwork to support the design packages needed to advance the application for Alaska Dam Safety certification applications, partially offset by a reduction in permitting activities. General and administrative costs decreased by $2.2 million, primarily due to lower share-based compensation costs for stock options and Performance Share Units (PSUs) compared to the prior year and lower salaries and benefits. The Company extended the vesting period for new stock option and PSU grants issued beginning in 2018 from two to three years and eliminated the individual performance multiplier in the formula for long-term equity compensation, which has the potential to increase long-term equity incentive grants above the target amount. Net loss from continuing operations decreased from $31.5 million ($0.10 per share) in 2018 to $27.8 million ($0.09 per share) in 2019, primarily due to lower general and administrative costs, higher interest income and accretion of notes receivable, partially offset by increased costs at Donlin Gold and interest expense on the promissory note payable to Barrick. Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax of $81.3 million ($0.25 per share) in 2018 resulted primarily from the loss on the sale of Galore Creek, net of tax. Liquidity and Capital Resources Total Donlin Gold funding of $11.1 million was $1.9 million lower than our original outlook of $13 million primarily due to the temporary suspension of geotechnical fieldwork as a result of summer wildfires in the project area. General and administrative spending of $10.1 million was lower than our original outlook of $11 million due to lower salaries and benefits than planned. Net cash used in operating activities decreased by $4.3 million from 2018, primarily due to higher interest income and lower salaries and benefits. Funding of Donlin Gold increased by $2.2 million due to the commencement of geotechnical fieldwork, partially offset by lower permitting costs. Withholding taxes were paid on vested PSUs in the first quarter of 2019. No PSUs vested in 2018. Net cash provided from discontinued operations of $102.4 million in 2018 included the receipt of $99.3 million in net cash proceeds on the sale of Galore Creek and $4.6 million of refunded cash deposits for Galore Creek reclamation bonding, partially offset by $1.5 million of Galore Creek project funding prior to the sale. NOVAGOLD had $148.5 million in cash and term deposits as of November 30, 2019. The Companys cash and term deposits are believed to be sufficient to advance Donlin Gold and meet our other financial obligations. Additional capital will be necessary if a decision to commence engineering and construction is reached for the Donlin Gold project. The term deposits are denominated in U.S. dollars and are held at Canadian chartered banks. 2020 Outlook We anticipate spending approximately $31 million in 2020, which includes $20 million to fund our share of expenditures at the Donlin Gold project, the majority earmarked for the drilling program with the balance on permitting and community engagement, and $11 million for general and administrative costs. NOVAGOLDs primary goals in 2020 are to continue to advance the Donlin Gold project toward a construction/production decision; maintain a healthy balance sheet; and maintain an effective corporate social responsibility program. Conference Call & Webcast Details NOVAGOLDs conference call and webcast to discuss these results will take place January 23, 2020 at 8:00 am PT (11:00 am ET). The webcast and conference call-in details are provided below. Webcast: www.novagold.com/investors/events/ North American callers: 1-800-319-4610 International callers: 1-604-638-5340 About NOVAGOLD NOVAGOLD is a well-financed precious metals company focused on the development of its 50%-owned Donlin Gold project in Alaska, one of the safest mining jurisdictions in the world. With approximately 39 million ounces of gold in the measured and indicated mineral resource categories, inclusive of proven and probable mineral reserves (541 million tonnes at an average grade of approximately 2.24 grams per tonne in the measured and indicated resource categories on a 100% basis),3 Donlin Gold is regarded to be one of the largest, highest-grade, and most prospective known open pit gold deposits in the world. According to the Second Updated Feasibility Study (as defined below), once in production, Donlin Gold is expected to produce an average of more than one million ounces per year over a 27-year mine life on a 100% basis. The Donlin Gold project has substantial exploration potential beyond the designed footprint which currently covers three kilometers of an approximately eight-kilometer long gold-bearing trend. Current activities at Donlin Gold are focused on state permitting, optimization work, community outreach and workforce development in preparation for the construction and operation of this project. With a strong balance sheet, NOVAGOLD is well-positioned to fund its share of permitting and optimization advancement efforts at the Donlin Gold project. Scientific and Technical Information Some scientific and technical information contained herein with respect to the Donlin Gold project is derived from the Donlin Creek Gold Project Alaska, USA NI 43-101 Technical Report on Second Updated Feasibility Study prepared by AMEC with an effective date of November 18, 2011, as amended January 20, 2012 (the Second Updated Feasibility Study). Kirk Hanson, P.E., Technical Director, Open Pit Mining, North America, (AMEC, Reno), and Gordon Seibel, R.M. SME, Principal Geologist, (AMEC, Reno) are the Qualified Persons responsible for the preparation of the independent technical report, each of whom are independent qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101. Clifford Krall, P.E., who is the Mine Engineering Manager for NOVAGOLD and a qualified person under NI 43-101, has approved and verified the scientific and technical information related to the Donlin Gold project contained in this press release. NOVAGOLD Contacts: Melanie Hennessey Vice President, Corporate Communications Jason Mercier Manager, Investor Relations 604-669-6227 or 1-866-669-6227 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, potential, possible, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results will, may, could, would or should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on several opinions, estimates and assumptions that management of NOVAGOLD considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the 2020 Outlook; the potential development and construction of Donlin Gold; perceived merit of properties; the advancement of optimization studies at Donlin Gold; potential opportunities to enhance or maximize the value of Donlin Gold; sufficiency of funds for the Company to advance Donlin Gold without additional financing; the timing and likelihood of permits; opportunities to reduce capital outlays and improve project economics; mine life and production estimates at Donlin Gold; the exploration potential of Donlin Gold; mineral reserve and resource estimates; work programs; capital expenditures; timelines; strategic plans; benefits of the Donlin Gold project and market prices for precious metals; whether the final $75 million promissory note from the sale of Galore Creek will mature and be payable, and future share price performance of NOVAGOLD. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent NOVAGOLDs management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the need to obtain additional permits and governmental approvals; the timing and likelihood of permits; the need for additional financing to explore and develop properties and availability of financing in the debt and capital markets; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests and the estimation of reserves and resources; the need for continued cooperation between NOVAGOLD and Barrick Gold Corp. for the continued exploration, and development and eventual construction of the Donlin Gold property; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the development and operation of properties; risks of construction and mining projects such as accidents, equipment breakdowns, bad weather, non-compliance with environmental and permit requirements, unanticipated variation in geological structures, ore grades or recovery rates; unexpected cost increases, which could include significant increases in estimated capital and operating costs; fluctuations in metal prices and currency exchange rates; whether a positive construction decision will be made regarding Donlin Gold or Galore Creek; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in reports and documents filed by NOVAGOLD with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The forward-looking statements contained herein reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections of NOVAGOLD on the date the statements are made. NOVAGOLD assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This press release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this press release have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (CIM Definition Standards). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Industry Guide 7 (SEC Industry Guide 7), and resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. NOVAGOLDs disclosure concerning Reserve & Resources Estimates remains consistent with NI 43-101. Under SEC Industry Guide 7, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. SEC Industry Guide 7 normally does not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources, "indicated mineral resources or "inferred mineral resources or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves under SEC Industry Guide 7 in documents filed with the SEC. Investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Disclosure of "contained ounces in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves under SEC Industry Guide 7 as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves are also not the same as those of SEC Industry Guide 7, and reserves reported by NOVAGOLD in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves under SEC Industry Guide 7. Donlin Gold does not have known reserves, as defined under SEC Industry Guide 7. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with SEC Industry Guide 7. On October 31, 2018, the SEC adopted a final rule (New Final Rule) that will replace SEC Industry Guide 7 with new disclosure requirements that are more closely aligned with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101. Companies must comply with the New Final Rule for the Companys first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021, which for NOVAGOLD would be the fiscal year beginning December 1, 2021. The New Final Rule provides that SEC Industry Guide 7 will remain effective until all registrants are required to comply with the New Final Rule, at which time SEC Industry Guide 7 will be rescinded. While early voluntary compliance with the New Final Rule is permitted, NOVAGOLD has not elected to comply with the New Final Rule at this time. 1 Donlin Gold data as per the Second Updated Feasibility Study (as defined herein). Donlin Gold measured resources of approximately 8 Mt grading 2.52 g/t and indicated resources of approximately 534 Mt grading 2.24 g/t, each on a 100% basis and inclusive of mineral reserves. Mineral resources have been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). 2 2018 average gold grade of open-pit and underground deposits with gold as primary commodity and over 1 Moz in measured and indicated resources is 1.10 g/t, sourced from S&P Global Market Intelligence. 3 Donlin Gold data as per the Second Updated Feasibility Study (as defined herein). Donlin Gold measured resources of approximately 8 Mt grading 2.52 g/t and indicated resources of approximately 534 Mt grading 2.24 g/t, each on a 100% basis and inclusive of mineral reserves. Mineral resources have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. Harvey Weinstein arrived at court to face the biggest trial of the #MeToo era, with opening statements soon to start in the rape case seen as a symbol of a global reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful men. Weinstein, 67, walked past a phalanx of cameras and reporters as he arrived at a Manhattan courthouse, guided by aides and lawyers but not using the walker he has been using lately after a summer car crash and subsequent back surgery. He told reporters he was feeling better. I have good lawyersHarvey Weinstein Asked whether he believed he would have a fair trial, he said yes: I have good lawyers. More than two years after allegations against the former movie magnate sparked an outcry that mushroomed into the #MeToo movement, the trial is a landmark moment for activists demands for accountability, victims empowerment and frank confrontation with power dynamics in workplaces from Hollywood Boulevard to Main Street. Weinsteins accusers include some well-known actresses who plan to give evidence or attend the trial and others who are looking to the New York case for a form of justice because their allegations have not resulted in criminal charges. This trial is so important because the enormity of Harvey Weinsteins international power and fame offers an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the rampant abuse of power that permeates our culture on a global level, actress Jessica Barth said. Not only the outcome of this trial, but the trial as a whole, is precedent setting, said Ms Barth, a star of the Ted films who says Weinstein once invited her to his hotel suite and demanded a naked massage. The once-powerful Pulp Fiction producer, who denies any non-consensual encounters, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted. Once trailed by whispers in Hollywood circles, Weinstein was met with an explosion of allegations from dozens of women after The New York Times and The New Yorker published separate exposes about his behaviour in October 2017. Expand Close Harvey Weinstein, centre, walks by the media on his way into a Manhattan courthouse (Mark Lennihan/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvey Weinstein, centre, walks by the media on his way into a Manhattan courthouse (Mark Lennihan/AP) The New York charges, however, are limited to two allegations: that Weinstein raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and sexually assaulted a different woman in his Manhattan apartment in 2006. Backed by expected evidence from four other accusers, prosecutors will attempt to portray Weinstein as a monster who used his power to ingratiate himself with women, sometimes promising a film role or other career advancement, before sexually assaulting or raping them. Weinsteins lawyers plan to go on the offensive, pointing to dozens and dozens and dozens of loving emails to Mr Weinstein they say show he and some of his accusers were in consenting relationships. Defence lawyer Damon Cheronis has said some of the women also bragged about being in a sexual relationship with him. After opening statements, prosecutors are expected to call a former member of the board of directors at Weinsteins old movie studio to give evidence about how the company handled allegations against him. Weinsteins trial could take more than a month, Judge James Burke said. Expand Close Files arrive at the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein (Richard Drew/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Files arrive at the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein (Richard Drew/AP) Judging from an arduous two-week jury selection that netted a panel of seven men and five women, it could be a hotbed of protests and intense media coverage. In a failed last-minute push to get the trial moved, Weinsteins lawyers said a flash mobs chanting the rapist is you! at street level could be heard in the courtroom, 15 floors above. One issue that has remained unresolved in the trial is the defences objection to a juror who wrote an upcoming novel about young women that includes, according to the books publicity materials, descriptions of their relationships with predatory older men. If she is removed and replaced as a juror, that will leave just two remaining alternates for the trial. Once the New York trial is over, Weinstein faces additional rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles. Those charges were filed this month as jury selection in his New York trial was getting under way. Amy Ryans entire career in movies has led to this moment. Shes about to head to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival, starring in two of the buzziest movies in the program. One, Lost Girls, a true-crime thriller arriving via Netflix, presents the actress in a rare leading role; the other, Worth, situates her in a starry ensemble including Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci. Speaking a week out of their back-to-back premieres, Ryan feels deeply proud of both movies. Theyre markers of her evolution into a movie star, too, delivering full-circle: The snowy indie getaway of Sundance is, after all, where her movie career began. Ryans debut feature-film, Roberta, premiered at the festival in 1999. I remember seeing Ileana Douglas walk down Main Street, and I thought that was really cool, Ryan, 51, says with a shy laugh. That was my first actor sighting. I went very starry-eyed that first time. Back then, Ryan was known as a stage actor on the rise; the next year, shed earn her first of two Tony nominations. But while her theater work remained consistent (and acclaimed), Ryan became a regular on-screen presence as well, stealing scenes in indies year after year. Over the next two decades, she attended Sundance six more times, for everything from the Paul Giamatti vehicle Win Win to the Mindy Kaling-scripted Late Night. She moved through different life stages with each passing trip. (Example: In 2010, for Jack Goes Boating, she brought along her 3-month-old daughter. It was a little bit of a blur, she admits.) In between, she also nabbed key supporting roles in HBO classics The Wire and In Treatment; romanced Steve Carell to his romantic Office exit; earned credits in films directed by Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Sidney Lumet, and Alejandro G. Inarritu; and received an Oscar nomination for her work as the addict mother of a kidnapped child in Gone Baby Gone. Jessica Kourkounis/Netflix Shes sort of been everywhere that rare chameleonic actor to still possess an everywoman quality, translating in deeply human and seemingly effortless transformations. And yet, for the longest time, shed never been the lead of a movie. That changed with 2017s Abundant Acreage Available, a quietly affecting rural drama that gave Ryan her debut screen protagonist. But Lost Girls feels like her big moment. Its a huge, raw, heartbreaking turn in a film thats got its finger on the cultural pulse. And it appears even more impressive in contrast to her work in Worth, which is subtle and dogged a microcosmic testament to her range. Story continues Based on a true story, Lost Girls centers on Mari Gilbert (Ryan), a working-class mother struggling to make ends meet. After her daughter Shannan, a sex worker, goes missing, Mari searches for answers, only to uncover similar cases that point toward a crisis and put her at odds with a police force that doesnt always seem too concerned with the fates of these women. The real Mari Gilbert worked with director Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?) on the script before her death in 2016; the mystery of her daughters disappearance has yet to be solved. My biggest hope for this film isthat it makes [people], after watching it, click on a link about the real story and the real characters in life, and that some justice starts to happen, Ryan says. Ryan describes the shoot as difficult, both emotionally and physically. It was unspoken in our mind: But were here. Were alive. We go home to our warm beds at night, so buck up. The more Ryan discusses the film, the more her passion emerges an urgency that rushes through her performance. The process was so grueling [Mari] is so disregarded and ignored, she says. I would get so fing angry. She laughs to cut the tension. I just was mad. I was so mad. And I still am as I speak about it. Even during Gone Baby Gone, a dark movie in which she played another if certainly less redeemable mother of a missing child, Ryan could leave work at work and come home. She wasnt a mother herself yet, she adds, instead at a very different place in my own life. Lost Girls was the first time Ryan couldnt shake her character off. I feel like Ive been a really even-keeled actor in terms of the work not affecting the home life, she says. This is the first role that affected me in that way. Jessica Kourkounis/Netflix Ryan talks about the pressures of being top of the call-sheet in a surprisingly technical fashion. Usually, shes worried about making one scene count; here, she worried about being redundant, and making sure, if youre going to be in every scene, youre varying up the choices you make in those scenes. It speaks to the dedicated, veteran kind of actor that she is. (She entered the business at 18, after graduating from LaGuardia High School.) And its yet another reminder that she didnt approach Mari Gilbert lightly. Glance at Ryans credits and the number of great actors she hasnt worked with appears awfully slim. She loves to collaborate; even better, to reunite. In Lost Girls, she faces off against her former In Treatment patient Gabriel Byrne again he plays the police commissioner while in Worth, Sara Colangelos sober drama about the 9/11 Fund fallout, shes the deputy to her Birdman ex Michael Keatons conflicted attorney. Shed already worked with both men repeatedly; theyre pals for whom Ryan has endless praise. Theres a lot of faith to throwing yourself out there and making a fool of yourself, Ryan says of acting. So with someone I admire and trust, I feel like my work is freer. She loves learning from them, too. She says specifically of watching Keaton on Worth: Its a very quiet, meditative film, but he would add this physical life to it. Just the way he moved around the room; just the way he would choose to sit in a chair or when he would exit a room. It fascinated me because I dont tend to think that way. And hows this for full-circle? Kevin Corrigan costars in Lost Girls, and long ago was the main star in Roberta Ryans very first movie. So yes, Ryan knows this is a bit of a moment for her career. Its so nice to talk about films you like, and not dancing around it and trying to drag up different experiences out of it, she says knowingly. Its very genuine. I say I really believe in both of these films. For a long time, she held onto an any job attitude; now, 20-plus years into her movie career, shes making real, strong choices: I try not to repeat myself. If its a mom role, I want it to be Mari Gilbert. But really, what hasnt Amy Ryan done at this point? This is one actor Hollywood has never been able to typecast. Someday Im going to get in a corset, she quips and there she sees it, yet more uncharted territory. Whatever that means, I dont know, she admits. Itll kind of keep people guessing. Like, Is that her? I think thats her. Im not sure if thats her. Is that her? Not a bad motto for her career, right? She cracks up a little. Yes, keep people guessing! I just want to keep making sure that people arent sure its me. Keep looking for her, though, because shes just getting started. Related content: Andy Samberg on his twisty Sundance rom-com Palm Springs and delayed Popstar love Alison Brie isnt your basic Horse Girl in unsettling Netflix movie trailer How hot Sundance title The Father went from award-winning play to star-studded film PHILIPSBURG:--- During the course of this week Minister of Finance, the honorable Ardwell Irion met with member of the supervisory board of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) Dennis Richardson, and with the board of the CBCS. During these meetings, an update was provided on the latest developments with the emphasis on the solvency of the Giro Bank and actions taken by the CBCS, and the proposal of the increase of the license fee for Curacao in connection herewith. It must be emphatically stated that St. Maarten is not considering to increase its license fees. This is a measure being considered for Curacao by the government of Curacao. To be clear, the 1% license fee currently charged on foreign exchange transactions by commercial banks to clients, is collected by St. Maarten and by Curacao and is deposited directly into the treasury of the respective countries. What is paid on St. Maarten is received by the government of St. Maarten and the same goes for Curacao. Discussions were held on the performance of the economies of both countries and the concerns that are foreseen. While St. Maartens economy grew in 2019 by 5.5% and is expected to grow in 2020 by 3%, the growth is primarily the result of insurance payouts and personal funds that have been used for rebuilding. St. Maarten is running the risk of losing market-share as key areas have not recovered fast enough, thus allowing competitors to capture market share. This could have been mitigated if more projects had been executed, be it through commercial bank funding or the Trust Fund. Minister of Finance of St. Maarten has requested the CB to finance a conference on Blockchain and digital currency as well as carryout awareness campaigns for the community of St. Maarten on financial education, which includes banking in general. This past fall, when Los Angeles burst once again into flames, I couldnt sleep. My husband and I kept our children inside, away from the smoke, while the guilt and fear chipped away at my love for the city. I started to question: Are we supposed to live here? Is there anywhere else we could be happy, safe, productive? My husband helpfully reminded me that the East Coast has snowstorms and hurricanes. We cant escape climate change but can we feel more secure? For an outside opinion, I turned to Pati Carlson, an astrocartographer. Ms. Carlson uses a series of mapping techniques, designed by the astrologer Jim Lewis in the late 1970s, to create a mesmerizing crisscross of sine waves or curves, each representing a planet plus the sun and moon sprouting from ones birthplace. Each line also signifies a specific energy: The intersections of various curves on a standard world map indicate which locations might be best energetically for the client, both for vacations and a permanent dwelling. Much has been made of the spread of astrology on the East and West coasts, but Ms. Carlson operates out of her home in Youngstown, Ohio, speaking with clients by phone and over email. She charges $85 for an astrocartography map, or three relocation charts, with a one-hour reading; those seeking advice on where to live or spend time walk away with a custom PDF map. Before I called, I stared at Ms. Carlsons number on my laptop for days, feeling ridiculous. Decisions are made with common sense and lists and consensus, right? My mother, who was born and raised in India, reminded me that even though every person in my extended family is some kind of scientist or engineer, all major logical decisions, from wedding dates to move-in dates, have traditionally been made only when cross-referenced against an Indian gurus star chart. She said that astrology, while not determinate, might provide some peace of mind. An urgent warning has been issued by the Australian Federal Police over counterfeit money brought into the country as gifts for Lunar New Year. The 'joss paper' and Chinese Training Notes are printed so they resemble Australian bank notes and are used as part of Lunar New Year ceremonies. However, there are concerns the 'fake cash' could be circulated as legal tender. The 'joss paper' and Chinese Training Notes are printed so they resemble Australian bank notes and are used as part of Lunar New Year ceremonies The AFP has seized joss paper with a face value of more than $17.3 million since 2014. Shopper and retailers are being warned to keep an eye out for the security measures on regular notes. AFP Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling said one key indicator is the paper quality. 'The differences between imitation notes used in these celebrations and Australian currency may appear obvious to most, however we've seen over $500,000 face value of joss paper, which appears to replicate Australian currency, passed through an assortment of retailers, licensed venues and family run businesses over this same period,' she said. 'We are reminding the public to be aware of the security features that are present on all genuine Australian banknotes and help to determine if it is real currency. 'Australian currency is also made from more durable materials, specifically polymer, compared to paper-based currencies that these fake notes usually consist of.' Security features on banknotes include clear windows and the coat of arms is visible when it is held up to the light. Detective Superintendent Crossling said the AFP and Reserve Bank of Australia work closely together to manage the threat of counterfeit money. 'Penalties for offences within this Act range from fines, not exceeding $2,000, up to a maximum of 12 years imprisonment,' he said. 'If a member of the public believes they have been victim of such offences, we encourage them to report it to local or federal authorities.' The Ukrainian side has requested organizing a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during Holocaust memorial events in Israel, but Putin will only be able to hold stand-up meetings with foreign counterparts due to his busy schedule, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said, Kyiv Post reports. As I said, the program is very intense, and should there be separate meetings, they will be stand-up ones and will be brief, Ushakov told journalists, replying to an Interfax question on whether Putin may meet Zelensky and United States Vice President Mike Pence. Of course, the president will in any case shake hands with all the main participants. This is inevitable. It is highly doubtful that lengthy conversations will take place. There is simply physically no time, Ushakov said. There are requests, in particular from President Zelensky, but as I said, time is limited, the schedule is tightened to the limit, he said. Pieri was the highest-ranking member of the Highwood Fire Department when he was arrested in 2011 and at one time had served as Highwoods fire chief. At the time of his arrest, he was the husband of a sitting alderman and the son of a former alderman. US president Donald Trump, right, speaks during a bilateral meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at Davos, Switzerland on 21 January. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told delegates at the 50th World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday that with the global order under constant threat, the European Union is ready to step up and lead the way on tackling climate change. In a veiled swipe at China and the US, she said there are different ways to deal with these obvious changes, like restricting the internet, and fuelling nationalism... or you can take an inclusive approach to create new markets and sustainable jobs. She said the European Unions goal is to be the first climate neutral continent by 2050. READ MORE: 'Our house is still on fire': Greta Thunberg chides leaders for climate inaction In contrast to US president Donald Trump, who labelled climate activists as prophets of doom, von der Leyen said that the evidence of climate change is overwhelming and it is a global challenge. Most of us not all of us agree that we need to act, she said. The World Economic Forums global risk report identifies the top five risks for our economy are all climate-related. She said the EU will mobilise billions of euros of investment as part of its Green Deal. Launched in Brussels at the start of the year, the Green Deal will be funded by the EU, national governments, and the private sector. Von der Leyen praised China for taking the first steps towards a CO2 pricing system and said the world needs to agree on global pricing for greenhouse gas emissions to ensure a level playing field where no carbon border taxes are necessary. READ MORE: Expert says humans enjoy a $125tn subsidy from nature The EC chief also lauded Europes leadership on data privacy laws, such as GDPR, but noted that data remains a largely underused resource that could benefit business and society in terms of innovation. She said that the EUs Open Science Cloud, which is in development, will offer huge amounts of valuable research and data for scientists to share. Recent events, like Libya, show where the EU needs to step up and do more in the world, she said. Europe can make a real difference in preventing crises, as a complementary power to NATO, she added, noting that the EUs foreign policy strategy leans towards diplomacy over hard military power. Ahead of his meeting with von der Leyen at the WEF on Tuesday, Trump said he hoped the US and European Union would be able to make some progress on hammering out a new trade deal. Trump afterwards told CNBC that the US would need to take action with very high tariffs on their cars and other things if both sides failed to reach a trade deal. The health condition of ex-finance minister of Armenia, ex-head of the State Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatryan is unsatisfactory. This is what Khachatryans attorney Amram Makinyan told reporters today. As reported earlier, the ex-finance minister had been transferred to Astghik Medical Center. Yesterday his attorneys reported that there was a need to provide medical aid and that doctors had stated that Khachatryan had to undergo heart checkup and other urgent checkups and treatment. Gagik Khachatryan was transferred from Yerevan Penitentiary Institution to Astghik Medical Center and was under doctors supervision. Today he was transferred to the penitentiary institution. Gagik Khachatryan has been in custody for nearly six months. He is charged with alleged abuse of official powers and squander of assets during his term of office between 2008 and 2014. His attorneys say his detention is unlawful. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed on Wednesday that pre-Budget meetings are being held at the PMO but Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not being invited. If the prime minister was not happy with Sitharaman's performance, he should ask her to resign, the former Maharashtra chief minister said. Pune: Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed on Wednesday that pre-Budget meetings are being held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) but Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not being invited. If the prime minister was not happy with Sitharaman's performance, he should ask her to resign, the former Maharashtra chief minister said. The Union Budget is scheduled to be presented on 1 February. "Traditionally, pre-Budget meetings are conducted by the finance ministry. The entire Budget process happens at the finance ministry, under the finance minister's guidance," Chavan, who was a minister in the PMO during the UPA years, said. He claimed that Modi held 13 pre-Budget consultation meetings which were attended by top industrialists. "Surprisingly, to none of these meetings Sitharaman was invited," he alleged. "This (keeping Sitharaman out of the loop) will demoralise the entire finance ministry staff as this is unprecedented," Chavan added. It seemed that the prime minister had taken control of the finance ministry, he further said. "Even if the Budget speech will be made by the finance minister, it (the speech) would of the prime minister," he said. "The growth rate is at its lowest right now and since it is at its lowest, the per capita income will not improve and in such a condition, the target of becoming $5 trillion economy is not possible (to achieve)," the Congress leader said. Referring to the BJP-led Union government's promise to bring back the black money stashed abroad, Chavan said no action was taken against the people whose names cropped up in the Panama Papers investigations. "A country like Pakistan took action against former PM Nawaz Sharif (when his name came up)," he added. Chavan, meanwhile, stood by his claim that the Shiv Sena had approached the Congress with a proposal to form the government in 2014. The Sena, earlier in the day, refuted the claim. Chavan said he stood by his statement but refused to divulge the names of the Sena leaders who had allegedly made overtures to the Congress. On the Sena-led Maharashtra government's decision to allow restaurants and malls in certain areas of Mumbai to remain open at night, Chavan said it was being implemented on an experimental basis. "If it succeeds in Mumbai, we can think of emulating it it Pune," he said. Robert De Niro is claiming that his former assistant threatened to write a memoir detailing 'personal information' about him if he did not meet 'certain requirements,' in court papers responding to her $12 million lawsuit against him. Graham Chase Robinson is seeking $12 million in damages from The Irishman star alleging harassment and gender discrimination - allegations DeNiro denies in the court papers filed on Tuesday, saying the allegations were only made after she was accused of misconduct by the actor Robinson became De Niro's personal assistant at Canal Productions in 2008, and rose up the ranks to eventually become vice president of production and finance. But Robinson alleges in her lawsuit that working with De Niro became so bad that she had no choice but to quit the company earlier in the year. She claims he was 'verbally abusive,' made 'sexually charged comments,' and subjected her to 'unwanted physical contact.' The actor called the lawsuit 'completely absurd'. But in a leaked 2012 voicemail De Niro can be heard shouting at Robinson, calling her a 'spoiled brat,' saying 'how dare you f***ing disrespect me,' and threatening her, saying 'you're f***ing history'. Graham Chase Robinson (left) - who is seeking $12 million in damages from Robert De Niro (right) alleging harassment and gender discrimination. DeNiro denied the allegations in the court papers filed on Tuesday She claims such behavior wasn't unusual for the iconic actor, who is alleged to have abused his employee on multiple occasions. 'It was a routine occurrence for Mr. De Niro, when intoxicated, to call Ms. Robinson -- to call her names, to berate her, to curse at her,' her lawyer Alexandra Harwin told Fox Business. Harwin also alleged that Robinson 'was asked to do things that her male colleagues were never asked to do, like scratch Mr. De Niro's back, button his buttons, tie his ties.' The lawsuit also states that she was directed to wake him when he was in bed and imagine him on the toilet. 'The whole work environment was unacceptable, she added. De Niro's reps told Fox News that 'the allegations made by Robinson are beyond absurd'. In one voicemail De Niro can be heard shouting at Robinson, calling her a 'spoiled brat,' saying 'how dare you f***ing disrespect me,' and threatening her, saying 'you're f***ing history' 'What was going on was abusive and demeaning,' lawyer Alexandra Harwin stated, referring to Robinson's work environment at Canal Productions De Niro himself has already launched legal action against Robinson for allegedly spending four full days ordering delivery and watching 55 episodes of Friends while she was employed at Canal Productions. He claims that Robinson also raided company coffers and even stole his flyer miles while also binge-watching 'astounding hours' of Netflix. De Niro's production company announced they were suing former executive Robinson for $3 million, according to the suit filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court in August. Robinson abruptly quit working at Canal Productions on April 6 when 'suspicions arose' about her 'honesty, integrity, work ethic and motivation,' Page Six had reported after seeing the papers. Robinson has launched a counter lawsuit against the actor, who first filed legal papers against his former employee in August DE NIRO'S RANT TO HIS EMPLOYEE IN FULL Lawyers for Robinson say De Niro was 'verbally abusive' and 'would frequently bully, berate, and curse at her'. One example was captured in the November 2012 voicemail, transcribed below: De Niro: 'Chase, you are living in Spain and youre f***ing upset with me cause now you tell me how nice you have it your life over there and you f***ing dont answer my call? 'How dare you. You are absolutely fired, youre f***ing history. 'How dare you with all the good things you do this is bulls*** after Christmas. 'F*** this, how dare you f***ing disrespect me how much you did. You want a f***ing another position? You want another position. Then change and go off somewhere. 'Dont f***ing get angry with me cause Im p***ed off cause I didnt get a simple thing I need more than right now here out in California when I am here for less than 24 hours. 'You got to be f***ing kidding me you spoiled brat, f*** you! So quit whenever you want, god damn ya how can you f***ing so you dont answer youre upset cause youre living in Spain you spoiled f***ing brat.' Advertisement But Robinson's complaint argues: 'De Niro was enraged at the prospect of Ms. Robinson bringing a lawsuit challenging his behavior. So, he retaliated and struck first.' Her suit states: 'Robert De Niro is someone who has clung to old mores. He does not accept the idea that men should treat women as equals. 'He does not care that gender discrimination in the workplace violates the law. Ms. Robinson is a casualty of this attitude.' De Niro's production company said a review of the books after she left found Robinson allegedly used the company's American Express card to spend tens of thousands of dollars on lavish trips, floral arrangements, iPhones, Uber rides, a Louis Vuitton handbag, dogsitters and pricey dinners. She also allegedly used three million of De Niro's frequent flyer miles for personal trips and vacations while transferring five million to her personal account estimated to be valued at $125,000 in total. Because of her senior role within the company, Robinson was able to approve her own expenses, including an alleged bogus three-day LA business trip in March 2018 that allegedly turned out to be for a friend's birthday racking up a $5,000 bill, according to De Niro's suit. Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud (C) and founder of the Amazon website Jeff Bezos (3rd L) pose for a photo during his visit in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 9 November 2016. Photo: Getty Images The United Nations has said it is gravely concerned over allegations that Saudi Arabia hacked Amazon (AMZN) and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos mobile phone. According to an investigation by the Guardian newspaper published on Tuesday, Bezoss phone was infiltrated in 2018 via a WhatsApp message that came from the number of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The message from the prince reportedly included an infected file that infiltrated his phone, and stole information for months. Saudi authorities have called the claims absurd. In a statement, independent UN human rights experts Agnes Callamard and David Kaye say the possible involvement of the crown prince in the hacking of Bezos is an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia. READ MORE: Child peace prize winner warns Davos elite 'forgetting' huge global issue Callamard, UN special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, called for an immediate investigation by the US and others into the incident. Amazon boss Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013. The newspaper employed the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. The Committee to Protect Journalists hold a candlelight vigil in front of the Saudi Embassy to mark the anniversary of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Photo: Reuters Khashoggi was killed five months after the Bezos phone hack, which reportedly stole huge amounts of data from the phone within hours and stayed active for months. Experts told the Guardian that Bezos had probably been targeted because of the Washington Posts coverage of Saudi Arabia, and Khashoggis columns about the crown princes crackdown of activists in the kingdom. The allegations will also ignite the debate about whether the Saudi heir was personally involved in leaking private information about Bezos to the National Enquirer tabloid. READ MORE: Surge in approved UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia and war allies in Yemen Bezos revealed that AMI, which owns the National Enquirer, had attempted to blackmail him with intimate photos into dropping his investigation into how it had got access to his text messages the messages revealed he was having an affair. A private investigator hired by the Amazon CEO claimed later that Saudi Arabia had hacked his phone. Bin Salman has repeatedly denied he was behind Khashoggis murder. "We're working together on some borders, and we're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping. And we've been watching that and following it very, very closely," Trump had said, ahead of his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the WEF summit in Davos. President Trump on Tuesday at World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos had revealed that he and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan were "working together on some borders" and discussing the Kashmir issue. Officials of the Ministry of External Affairs said President Trump's offer wasn't new and that India's response isn't going to be new either. "India has always rejected third party role in its bilateral relationship with Pakistan, including several offers of mediation made by President Trump," an official said. The US President who is facing an impeachment trial at home is visiting India in February. Two days ago, Khan had tweeted that "there is an urgent need for the UNSC to insist India allow UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group in India) return" to the Line of Control in Kashmir. "I want to make clear to India and the international community that if India continues its military attacks killing civilians across LOC, Pakistan will find it increasingly difficult to remain an inactive observer along the LOC," Khan had threatened. However, Khan did not get any response from the US President at Davos on his plea about the UNMOGIP. Though President Trump at Davos did not specify which borders US and Pakistan were working on, Prime Minister Khan hinted, "The main issue is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan. Fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with Taliban and the government." BioVentrix, Inc., developer of the first transcatheter device for left ventricular remodeling after a heart attack, today announced the extension of its CE Mark for the Revivent TC Transcatheter Ventricular Enhancement System for heart failure to May 2024. "The extension of our CE Mark is not only an important milestone for the company, but also validates the need for a novel therapy for patients with left ventricular dysfunction who are among the estimated 10 million people in the European Union suffering from heart failure," said Kenneth Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioVentrix. "It ensures that physicians will continue to have an important, less invasive therapeutic option for these patients." The CE Mark is issued by the European Commission and allows the device to be marketed throughout EU member nations. BioVentrix received its initial CE Mark in 2016. Less Invasive Ventricular Enhancement, or LIVE Therapy, uses the Revivent TC System to exclude scar tissue on the left ventricle that has occurred from a heart attack so the healthy portion of the heart can operate more efficiently. Micro-anchors are implanted and designed to remodel the heart to a more normal shape and size and reduce wall stress, which has been shown to improve blood flow throughout the body.1 Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which implants a stent, is considered the standard of care for restoring blood flow to the heart after a heart attack. However, 50 percent of patients treated with PCI still develop large LV scars,2 which cause the heart to dilate. Enlarged LVs are associated with more severe heart failure symptoms, higher mortality and more frequent re-hospitalization.3,4,5 Positive remodeling of the heart has been shown to improve LV function and heart failure symptoms.6,7 The only currently available option is surgical ventricular remodeling, which is highly invasive. About BioVentrix BioVentrix is a privately held medical device company headquartered in San Ramon, CA, USA. Its mission is to improve and expand the treatments available for congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy through the development of less invasive, catheter-based approaches. Note: The Revivent TC System has received the CE Mark and is approved for sale in Europe. It is considered investigational and is not approved for sale in the United States. Klein P, Ander SD, Wechsler A et al. Less invasive ventricular reconstruction for ischaemic heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail 2019;21(12):1638-1650. Stone GW, Selker HP, Thiele H, et al. Relationship between infarct size and outcomes following primary PCI: patient-level analysis from 10 randomized trials. J Am Coll Cardiol 2016;67(14):1674-83. Hamer AW, Takayama M, Abraham KA et al. End-systolic volume and long-term survival after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in patients with impaired left ventricular function. Circulation 1994;90:2899-904. Axelrad JE, Pinsino A, Trinh PN et al. Limited usefulness of endoscopic evaluation in patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices and gastrointestinal bleeding. J Heart Lung Transplantation: the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation 2018;37:723-732. Konstam MA, Kramer DG, Patel AR, Maron MS, Udelson JE. Left ventricular remodeling in heart failure: current concepts in clinical significance and assessment. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2011;4(1):98-108. Athanasuleas CL, Buckberg GD, Stanley AW et al. Surgical ventricular restoration in the treatment of congestive heart failure due to post-infarction ventricular dilation. J Am Coll Cardiol 2004;44:1439-45. Di Donato M, Frigiola A, Benhamouda M, Menicanti L. Safety and efficacy of surgical ventricular restoration in unstable patients with recent anterior myocardial infarction. Circulation 2004;110:II169-73. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005125/en/ Contacts: Michelle McAdam, Chronic Communications Inc. michelle@chronic-comm.com (310) 902-1274 FLORISSANT, Mo. (AP) Prosecutors have charged a man with murder in the death of a 16-year-old boy in a fire at his suburban St. Louis home. Bobby Copass, 39, was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder and first-degree arson after the victim, Dustin Baggett, died Saturday. Baggett was injured in a fire Friday at a Florissant home where he lived with his mother, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. WASHINGTON It was early Wednesday morning, and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. had had enough. He had been listening to increasingly acid exchanges at the impeachment trial of President Trump, and he was ready to chastise the House managers and the presidents lawyers. And he did it in the characteristically mild and evenhanded tones he uses when he presides over the Supreme Court. I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the presidents counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the worlds greatest deliberative body, Chief Justice Roberts said. The remarks highlighted the chief justices uncomfortable position as he begins fulfilling his constitutional obligation to preside over presidential impeachment trials. He finds himself in an unwelcome spotlight, subject to intense and unfamiliar scrutiny. The role is limited, and there is no particular reason to think he wants to test its limits. Families of the 176 people killed when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner face a complicated legal battle where backing from the victims governments may be crucial as they seek damages, legal experts said. Lawyers say many relatives will automatically be entitled to compensation equivalent to $170,000 from Ukraine International Airlines under the 1999 Montreal Convention, which establishes airline liability in the case of death or injury to passengers, and are entitled then to try to sue for more. But others may be entitled to a much smaller amount. Iran is not a member of the Montreal treaty but only its less flexible predecessor, known as the Warsaw Convention. In theory, that means that while families of foreign-based victims who were returning home from Iran when the plane was shot down on Jan. 8 may get the full payout, those on a single ticket or who started their journey in Iran or Afghanistan some victims were Afghans may be entitled to only $25,000 under the Warsaw Convention, several lawyers said. The airline, which mentions both treaties in its published rules, said it could not comment on which would apply until legal procedures were completed. Ukraines government has so far said only that it will apply the Montreal terms to its citizens. International rules do not allow an airline to be pursued for the most severe category of punitive damages. For that, most lawyers say families must embark on the tortuous process of suing Iran, for which political backing is seen as crucial. Iran has a moral obligation to the families and it will take political support of Canada, Ukraine and the other interested nations to ensure that Iran meets its obligation, said Justin Green of law firm Kreindler & Kreindler. Iran shot down the airliner when its forces were on alert after firing missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq in retaliation for a deadly U.S. strike against one of its generals. It acknowledged making a mistake only after days of denials. Five countries whose citizens were killed have said Tehran should pay compensation to families of the victims, but have not said what support they plan to offer. Iran has expressed profound regrets over the downing of the plane and promised to extend support to families, but has not yet formally addressed the issue of compensation. Tehran has urged all countries involved in the crash to avoid turning it into a political issue. Sovereign Immunity Taking on any state as a private citizen faces huge barriers including the reluctance of many courts to challenge sovereign immunity. It is not yet known whether Iran will claim immunity. For families inside Iran, already facing a potential disadvantage against their overseas counterparts on automatic compensation because of Irans treaty memberships, suing the government is widely viewed as challenging, Iran analysts said. Iran has described the crash victims as martyrs, making it difficult, if not impossible, to take action against the state because of sensitivities over the term, they said. Some observers have drawn comparisons with the downing of an IranAir jet by a U.S. warship in 1988. Some 290 people were killed and Iran later sued the United States over the incident, which occurred at a time of tense relations. The two sides reached a settlement in 1996 at the International Court of Justice in which the United States did not admit liability but agreed to pay up to $300,000 to families of each of the Iranian passengers. Peter Neenan, partner at London law firm Stewarts, calculates a comparable payment today would be worth $400,000. I would like to see Iran make the first steps and say we want to compensate and here is a number at least to get the conversation started, he said. Lockerbie Fallout The Iran Air case triggered a row over jurisdiction, with the United States unsuccessfully arguing that the world court should not intervene, while battles to find the best location are also common in civil disputes following air crashes around the world. Others see in the volatile course of Middle East diplomacy a parallel with the legal fallout over the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which over 250 died. Green, whose firm Kreindler & Kreindler represented Lockerbie victims, said U.S. government pressure including sanctions against Libya was vital to ultimately winning a $2.7 billion settlement against the Libyan government. The final part of the settlement was absorbed into a broader deal between Libya and the United States to ease years of tensions between the North African country and the West. Tension between Iran and the United States has increased since 2018, when Washington withdrew from Tehrans nuclear pact with world powers and reimposed sanctions that have hurt the Islamic Republics economy. (Additional reporting by Natalia Zinets in Kiev, Allison Martell in Montreal, Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Editing by Amran Abocar and Timothy Heritage) Photo: Aircraft parts from the wreckage of a Boeing Co. 737-800 aircraft, operated by Ukraine International Airlines, which crashed shortly after takeoff lie on the ground near Shahedshahr, Iran, on Wed., Jan. 8, 2020. Flight 752, bound for Ukraine crashed shortly after takeoff in Iran, killing everyone on board. Photographer: Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg. Related: Topics USA Aviation The top court gave four weeks time to the Centre to file counter affidavit and the hearing will take place in the fifth week. New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any order to restrain the operation of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) or National Population Register (NPR). A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde also indicated the probability of constituting a Constitution Bench to take up the matter on the next date of hearing. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) challenging the new law, urged the court to postpone the process for a few months. However, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal opposed it saying it was equivalent to a stay. "It means as good as granting stay on the operation of the law," said the AG. Then the Chief Justice said: "We aren't going to pass any such order today." The apex court said that the anti-CAA petitions from Assam and Tripura will be heard separately. The top court observed that Assam's problem with CAA is different from rest of country in the backdrop of earlier cut off date for citizenship was March 24, 1971, which is under the newly amended citizenship law is Dec 31, 2014. Therefore, it is essential to segregate the Assam anti-CAA petitions for separate hearing from other pleas challenging CAA. On a transfer petition filed by the Centre, the top court also restrained all High Courts from passing any rider on the CAA. Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi cited that the UPA government had identified 40,000 to grant citizenship under the new law, and if the citizenship is granted then revoking it will be an irrevocable process. The Chief Justice said there is a possibility to issue them some temporary permits for the time being. The AG contested it stating that the law itself talks about taking back the citizenship in certain situation. "There are provisions to withdraw citizenship," said the AG. The AG also told the bench that the government has received copies of nearly 60 pleas out of 143 petitions. Therefore, it will be appropriate to grant some time period to reply to pleas which have not been served. ss/in NORRISTOWN A Massachusetts man faces six years of court supervision plus a psychosexual evaluation after he admitted to having indecent contact with a 5-year-old girl in Lower Gwynedd more than a decade ago. Matthew Devries, 32, of Whitinsville, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to six years probation after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of corruption of a minor and indecent assault in connection with an August 2006 incident at a residence on West Welsh Road in the Ambler section of Lower Gwynedd. Devries was 19 years old at the time of the incident and the girl was 5, according to a criminal complaint. Devries knew the girls family at the time of the incident. Judge Gary S. Silow, who accepted a plea agreement in the matter, also ordered Devries to undergo a psychosexual evaluation as a condition of the sentence. The judge ordered Devries to have no contact with the victim or her family. Devries also faces a 15-year requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with Pennsylvanias Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act. An investigation of Devries began in October 2018, when Lower Gwynedd police received a report regarding Devries indecent contact with the girl in August 2006 while he visited a residence on West Welsh Road. Court papers indicate the girl told her parents that Devries touched her in an indecent manner while she was in his company. Devries initially denied touching the girl when he was confronted by the girls parents. However, Devries, several years later, confessed to others that he had inappropriate contact with the girl, according to the criminal complaint filed by Lower Gwynedd Police Officer Beth Sanborn. The allegations also were reported to the Northbridge Police Department in Massachusetts, according to the criminal complaint. In October 2018, the victim underwent a forensic interview and disclosed that Devries had indecent contact with her in 2006. Other charges of aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor and indecent exposure were dismissed against Devries as part of the plea agreement. By Peter Nurse Investing.com - Oil prices pushed lower Wednesday, amid worries over the impact the pneumonia-like virus in China could have on demand for crude from the worlds largest consumer. By 11:07 AM ET (1607 GMT), U.S. crude futures traded at $56.90 a barrel, down 2.6% and their lowest level in seven weeks, while Brent was 2.3% lower at $63.20. Earlier Wednesday, Chinese authorities confirmed 473 cases of the coronavirus, with National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin telling reporters there was evidence of "respiratory transmission" of the virus. This brings back memories of the 2002 SARS epidemic, which caused around 800 deaths and resulted in an estimated 1% hit to Chinas gross domestic product. Translating the estimated SARS demand impact into 2020 volumes points to a potential 260,000 barrels per day negative shock to global oil demand on average, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) said in a research note dated Jan. 21. Such a demand impact (without an OPEC supply response) would point to an only $3/bbl impact on oil prices, although the initial high uncertainty could lead to a larger sell-off, as was the case in March 2003, the bank added. That means oil could even dip by as much as $6 per barrel as it did at the height of the SARS epidemic in 2003, based on historical Investing.com data before OPEC does something drastic to pull the market back higher. Indeed, such is the perceived oversupply of the market that the loss of nearly all of the production from OPEC member Libya, where an attack by warlord Khalifa Haftar ended a brief ceasefire agreement earlier on Wednesday, appeared to have little impact. Oil supply is still likely to rise in the near future, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration stating Tuesday that U.S. production is expected to rise to record highs in February, although the pace of the increase is weakening. Eyes will turn later to the release of the weekly API inventory data, due at 16:30 ET (2130 GMT), after last weeks build of 1.1 million barrels. Story continues Related Articles Real estate developer in $240 million deal to buy Philadelphia refinery Rhodium rally goes supersonic as auto makers clamor for supplies Exclusive: BP's Looney goes all-in on climate goals and explores overhaul In Georgia, the three men arrested had, in the presence of an undercover agent, cased the house of a Bartow County couple they planned to shoot dead for being members of Antifa, which has staged counterdemonstrations at right-wing rallies across the country and revealed the identities of Base members publicly. They also planned to kill Mr. Mathews, whom they had told about their murder plans. The seventh man arrested was identified as Yousef O. Barasneh, 22, of Oak Creek, Wis., who was accused of vandalizing the synagogue of the Beth Israel Sinai Congregation in nearby Racine. The exterior of the synagogue had been spray painted with swastikas and anti-Semitic words as well as the symbol of the Base, which is drawn from Nazi Germany. Richard Tobin, a suspected member of the Base who was arrested in New Jersey in November, told investigators that, in late September 2019, he had directed what he called Operation Kristallnacht, named after the notorious night in 1938 when Jewish property across Germany was destroyed. The operation that Mr. Tobin described included vandalism at the Racine synagogue and another one in Hancock, Mich. Although the Base initially used various social media platforms to spread its message, it has been thrown off most of them, including Twitter, YouTube and Gab, a favorite among extremists. Now it relies on Telegram, an encrypted platform, experts said. After all the arrests, a note appeared on its official Telegram account warning people to stop posting. Due to recent developments and the tactics of law enforcement, there will be no more recruitment or posts from The Base or Atomwaffen in order to avoid a case brought against anyone in this group, said the note, which was posted by someone using the name Fashwave. This is for your own good. Grilled Orange Chicken Lo Mein bursts with authentic, bold flavors and is made of lo mein noodles sauteed with snap peas, Napa and red cabbage in a slightly sweet orange sauce topped with grilled chicken, green onions, black sesame seeds and cilantro. Grilled chicken offers a lighter alternative to the typical breaded orange chicken options served at other restaurants, but it doesn't sacrifice any flavor. As always, guests can swap in Zoodles (zucchini noodles) for a healthy boost. "The new Grilled Orange Chicken Lo Mein showcases the fresh, tangy flavors true to the original Chinese orange chicken while steering clear of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives," said Nick Graff, executive chef at Noodles & Company. "With our growing selection of worldly and light options, there is truly something on the menu for everyone. And now with Noodles Rewards, guests can easily customize and place their order from any mobile device and then skip the line at pick-up, all while earning delicious rewards for future visits." Noodles guests will also be thrilled to learn the restaurant's best-selling Zoodles dish is returning. Zucchini Shrimp Scampi, featuring shrimp in a light scampi sauce with roasted zucchini and Roma tomatoes, topped with Parmesan cheese, parsley and fresh lemon, is perfect for guests with healthy eating resolutions in the New Year. The tangy dish debuted in February 2019 and is now available with either penne noodles or Zoodles. Starting today, guests can try out the new dishes at any Noodles & Company location. For the best experience, join the new Noodles Rewards program and begin earning points on every purchase. Guests can order from the app, find locations, and begin earning points immediately. To learn more visit noodles.com/rewards. About Noodles & Company Since 1995, Noodles & Company has been serving noodles your way, with noodles and flavors that you know and love as well as new ones you're about to discover. From indulgent Wisconsin Mac & Cheese to better-for-you Zoodles and Other Noodles, the company serves a world of flavor in every bowl. Made up of more than 450 restaurants and 10,000 passionate team members, Noodles was named one of the Best Places to Work by the Denver Business Journal for its unique culture built on the value of "Loving Life," which begins by nourishing and inspiring every team member and guest who walks through the door. To learn more or find the location nearest you, visit www.noodles.com . Media Contact: Danielle Moore [email protected] SOURCE Noodles & Company Related Links http://www.noodles.com JACKSON, MI With flu season preventing many from donating blood and winter weather cancelling blood drives, the American Red Cross is urgently asking donors of all blood types to donate, especially Type O blood. As of Jan. 20, the Red Cross had less than a three-day supply of Type O blood available. Type O-positive is the most frequently transfused blood type, but only 7% of the countrys population has Type O-negative blood, the Red Cross said in a news release. It can be transfused to patients with any blood type, and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isnt time to determine a patients blood type, the Red Cross said. Red Cross External Communication Manager Todd Kulman said the organization strives to keep a five-day supply of Type O blood. Since the urgent call for donations, Kulman said not much has changed. Were holding our own, but the critical need is still there, he said. In the mean time, Red Cross is creating as many blood drives as possible to give donors multiple opportunities to donate within their schedules. Donors of all types, especially O-positive and O-negative, are encouraged to schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets using the Red Cross Donor App, or visiting the Red Cross website. Appointments can also be made by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Look up the closest blood drive to your location here. To donate blood, a blood donor card, drivers license or two other forms of identification are required. The minimum age to donate blood in Michigan is 16, with parental consent, and 17 without it. Donors must weigh a minimum of 110 lbs and be in good health. The following are upcoming blood drives in the Jackson area through Feb. 13: Grass Lake Grass Lake High School Address: 11500 Warrior Trail When: 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 Jackson Jackson College Address: 2111 Emmons Road When: 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 Blackman Township Hall Address: 1990 W. Parnall Road When: 12 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24 Encounter Church Address: 620 Robinson Road When: 12 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27 Jackson County Tower Building Address: 120 W. Michigan Ave. When: 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29 Northwest High School Address: 4200 Van Horn Road When: 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 Jackson American Legion Address: 3200 Lansing Ave. When: 12 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 First Presbyterian Church Address: 743 W. Michigan Ave. When: 1 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 Baker College Address: 2800 Springport Road When: 12 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 Horton Hanover Horton High School Address: 10000 Moscow Road When: 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27 Michigan Center Christ Lutheran Church Address: 4250 Page Ave. When: 12 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church Address: 120 E. Main St. When: 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 New Delhi: Naseeruddin Shah and Anupan Kher are two India's finest actors. In the film 'A Wednesday', the characters played by the two stood at opposite ends of a tense tussle. Shah played a common man with an agenda while Kher played a cop intent on stopping him. Both try their best to outwit the other but in the end they also find a sense of respect for the other. On another Wednesday, Shah and Kher again stood at the opposite ends of another tense exchange- this time in real life. However, one can confidently say, in the end 'respect' will be the last thing on their minds. After Naseeruddin Shah called Anupam Kher a clown and a sycophant, the latter responded with comments like 'he has spent all his life in frustration'. While speaking on issue of the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in an interview, Shah referred to Kher, who has been very vocal in his support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its policies, as a clown and added that sycophancy was in his blood. Soon, Anupam Kher hit back with a video on Twitter where he launched into a scathing attack against the veteran actor. He captioned the post as, "My deep love-filled message for Janaab Naseeruddin Shah. He is elder to me in age as well as in experience. I have always respected his art, but it is very necessary to respond to some statements. This is my response." 'You Can't Differentiate Between Right And Wrong' "Thank you for the praises but I don't take you or your statements seriously. You spent your entire life in frustration despite getting so much of success. If you can criticise Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shah Rukh Khan, and Virat Kohli, then I am sure I am in great company," Kher said in the video. "None of the actors criticised by you took your statements seriously because we all know that it is because of the substances that you have been consuming from years that you are not able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong," he added. Reacting to Shah's comment that Kher has "sychophantic nature" in his blood, Kher said, "If you are able to grab headlines by criticising me then I gift you this happiness. I wish God keeps you happy. And you know what is in my blood? It is Hindustan (India) in my blood." Naseeruddin Shah Praises Deepika, Takes Down Anupam Kher In a recent interview, Naseeruddin talked about the protests against the CAA, about many Bollywood stars keeping mum over the issue, and also about the student protests and actress Deepika Padukone's show of solidarity at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). When asked about Kher, Shah said: "Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously. He's a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it." ALSO READ: Baba Ramdev Wants Deepika Padukone To Hire Him As Advisor Speaking about Deepika who had visited JNU during a protest, Shah said, "You have to laud the courage of a girl like Deepika who is in the top firmament and yet takes a step like this. Even if she has a lot to lose." For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) announced that it recently won a task order to provide secure connectivity to the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)'s learning network via the General Services Administration's Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) program. This task order marks the first EIS award made by DoD. We're supporting the future of STEAM for military connected students around the globe. "DoDEA put its trust in CenturyLink to provide its staff and tens of thousands of school-aged children of military families with a reliable, robust and secure network that will support desktop computers, printers, mobile devices and video collaboration services in a 21st century learning environment that spans the globe," said David Young, CenturyLink senior vice president, public sector. "We're focused on modernizing and updating DoD's learning network so DoDEA can concentrate on its mission to educate, engage and empower military-connected students to succeed in a dynamic world." CenturyLink was selected to provide virtual private networking, internet, voice and video services to more than 85 DoDEA locations around the world. The contract has an initial base period of one year, with 12 additional option periods. CenturyLink was the first supplier to receive authority to operate under GSA's 15-year, $50 billion EIS program in March of last year. EIS is a multiple-award contract vehicle for federal government agencies to purchase information technology and telecommunications infrastructure services. It gives federal agencies the flexibility and agility to migrate to modern communications and IT services that meet strict government security standards. Key Facts As one of only two federally-operated school systems, DoDEA is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating and managing pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense. DoDEA is globally positioned, operating 163 accredited schools in 8 districts located in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam and Puerto Rico . and . DoDEA employs approximately 15,000 employees who serve more than 70,000 children of active duty military and DoD civilian families. By supplying cybersecurity, cloud, managed hosting and IT services over its carrier-class network, CenturyLink provides government agencies with the security and reliability they need to carry out their important missions. CenturyLink is ranked No. 29 on Washington Technology's 2019 Top 100 list of federal government IT contractors. Additional Resources Learn more about CenturyLink winning an EIS task order worth up to $1.6 billion to provide secure network services and IT modernization solutions to the U.S. Department of the Interior: http://news.centurylink.com/2020-01-16-U-S-Dept-of-the-Interior-Awards-CenturyLink-1-6-Billion-EIS-Network-Services-Win to provide secure network services and IT modernization solutions to the U.S. Department of the Interior: http://news.centurylink.com/2020-01-16-U-S-Dept-of-the-Interior-Awards-CenturyLink-1-6-Billion-EIS-Network-Services-Win Learn more about CenturyLink winning the first EIS task order to provide fast, secure connectivity to NASA: http://news.centurylink.com/2019-04-08-CenturyLink-Wins-First-EIS-Task-Order-to-Provide-Fast-Secure-Connectivity-to-NASA Learn more about CenturyLink being the first vendor to receive authority to operate under GSA's EIS contract: http://news.centurylink.com/2019-03-14-CenturyLink-Is-The-First-Vendor-To-Receive-Authority-To-Operate-Under-GSAs-EIS-Contract About CenturyLink CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers around the world. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience. Learn more at http://news.centurylink.com/ SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc. Related Links http://www.centurylink.com The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Wednesday withdrew its boycott of Marathi channel 'Zee 24 Taas'. The MNS had boycotted the channel in July 2018 after taking objection over a report about the party's meeting held then. The party had then asked its office-bearers not to communicate with the network in any way. In a statement issued here, the MNS said editors of the 'Zee Group' met Thackeray at his residence here and held discussion on the issue. "After that, the MNS is withdrawing the boycott of 'Zee 24 Taas and other channels of Zee as per the instructions of Shri Rajsaheb Thackeray," the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Duchess of Cambridge is launching a UK-wide online survey into early childhood. The landmark survey, titled Five big questions on the under fives will give Britons a chance to offer their views on raising the next generation and will see Kate Middleton travel to Birmingham,Cardiff, Surrey and London in just 24 hours to help gather the findings. It will comprise just five short questions designed to help shape public perceptions of the importance of the early years through first-hand experiences as offered by parents, families and carers. A statement from Kensington Palace explains: This public feedback will also help to focus Her Royal Highness work through The Royal Foundation as she endeavours to provide children across the UK with the best foundations to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Kate launched the survey on Tuesday during a visit to MiniBrum, which is an interactive child-sized world at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. Historic Royal Palaces Show all 4 1 /4 Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces The mini city aims to give children a better understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through play and problem solving. On Wednesday, the Duchess will join parents at London Early Years Foundation Nursery in Southwark, where she will help nursery workers serve breakfast to children. The aim of her visit is to highlight the importance of nutrition to a childs development. After this, Kate, who currently has two children under five, will attend a baby sensory class at Ely and Careau Childrens Centre in Cardiff, which supports children with special needs and provides parental support. Kelly Beaver, managing director of public affairs at Ipsos MORI, who will conduct the survey on behalf of The Royal Foundation, said the survey will be the first of its kind to reflect how it feels to be a parent of an under five today. Recommended Kate Middleton praises midwives in open letter The [survey] is a fantastic way for the British public to share their views about the importance of the early years. she added. David Holmes CBE, chief executive of the charity Family Action, said: Every parent, carer and family wants the best for their child and raising the profile of the vital early years in a childs life is work of national importance. The insight this survey will give the early years sector valuable direction in designing and delivering services and support which reflect what matters most to people. You can participate in the survey here. Malawi's anti-graft body on Wednesday said it had arrested a prominent businessman over allegations he tried to bribe judges hearing a legal challenge to the re-election of President Peter Mutharika. The arrest comes days before the court is expected to deliver its ruling on the election petition mounted by the opposition. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said it had arrested Thomson Mpinganjira, owner of FDH Bank, following investigations into claims by Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda that bribes had been offered to the five judges presiding over the case. "Mpinganjira will be taken to court after the ACB has recorded a statement from him," the agency said in a statement, without further details. The aid-dependant southern African state has been embroiled in a battle over the credibility of the May 2019 election. Mutharika won a second term, but his victory unleashed a six-month-long court case and nationwide demonstrations demanding the head of the electoral commission be fired. Mutharika beat opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera by 159,000 votes -- a lead of just over three percentage points. Chakwera's Malawi Congress Party and the United Transformation Movement say the poll was marred by fraud. Allegations this month by Chief Justice Nyirenda that the judges in the petition case had been offered kickbacks sparked fresh fury. Tens of thousands of protesters marched last week calling for the culprits to be unmasked. The Constitutional Court is expected to rule on the election challenge sometime between January 27 and February 3, its spokeswoman Agnes Patemba told AFP on Wednesday. It is the first time presidential election results have been challenged in court since Malawi gained independence from Britain in 1964. Contested election: President Peter Mutharika was declared victor by a margin of around three percentage points Australian UFC champion Robert Whitaker has pulled out of a career-defining fight to donate bone marrow to his sick baby daughter, reports say. Fan-favourite Whittaker, 29, is said to have made the brave decision for the sake of one-year-old Lilliana, who he shares with his wife Sofia. He was due to fight Jared Cannonier at UFC 248 in March, and had hoped to bounce back after losing his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya in October. While UFC boss Dana White did not discuss the reports, he said the reason behind Whittaker's decision was one of 'the most unselfish things' he'd ever witnessed. UFC star Robert Whittaker (pictured with his daughter Lilliana) has pulled out of a career-defining fight in March Reports suggested Robert Whittaker (pictured) is donating bone marrow to his daughter after she fell ill 'Thats personal for Whittaker. If Whittaker wants to talk about that, he can,' he told Submission Radio. 'But Ill tell you this, when you talk about somebody whose priorities are in the right place, who is completely selfless and down to the core and a good human being, thats Robert Whittaker. 'The reason Robert Whittaker is not fighting in this fight is one of the most unselfish things Ive seen in my life. 'Hes a good man, hes a good human being, and I have a lot of respect for him. Good luck to him in what hes dealing with right now. Robert Whittaker (pictured, right) shares a daughter, Lilliana, 1, with his wife Sofia (pictured) Robert Whittaker (pictured with daughter Lilliana) was described as 'the real deal' by UFC boss Dana White 'I cant put into words and articulate how I feel about Robert Whittaker. Hes the real deal, man.' He was also forced to pull out of a fight last February after suffering a hernia injury that required surgery. Speaking about his decision to his 747,000 Instagram followers, he wrote: 'I'm sorry to all my friends, supporters and family for not being able to fight in March. 'A lot has happened over the 12 last months and I need to take some time now to be with my family, slow things down and to refocus. UFC champion Robert Whittaker (pictured, right) is a doting dad to his one-year-old daughter Lilliana (left) 'Sorry to everyone again but I'll be back. The best is yet to come.' British middleweight Darren Till in talks to replace Whittaker in the fight. In February last year, the star was rushed to hospital after he suffered a twisted and collapsed bowel, as well an internal intestinal hernia, which meant he could have died if he'd stepped in the ring. Whittaker insisted he'd been 'fighting the doctors the whole way' until they warned him he'd lose part of his bowel if he didn't undergo the surgery. A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Flamur Beqiri in Battersea on Christmas Eve (Kirsty OConnor/PA) A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Denmark on suspicion of murdering a Swedish national who was killed in front of his family on Christmas Eve. Flamur Beqiri was gunned down in Battersea, south-west London, at around 9pm as he returned home with his wife and young child. Detective Inspector Jamie Stevenson said the 36-year-old was shot multiple times in Battersea Church Road by a lone attacker who fled on foot. Expand Close Flamur Beqiri was shot dead in front of his family (Metropolitan Police/PA) PA Media / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Flamur Beqiri was shot dead in front of his family (Metropolitan Police/PA) The Metropolitan Police said a 22-year-old man was arrested at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark on January 20 on suspicion of Mr Beqiris murder. He remains in custody in Denmark pending extradition proceedings back to the UK, a spokeswoman said. Scotland Yard said Mr Beqiri, a Swedish national who had Albanian heritage, had been living in London for four or five years. According to reports, he was the brother of former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri. Shortly after the attack, Mr Stevenson said: We believe Flamur may possibly have been involved in some criminality in Sweden, and are in liaison with our Swedish counterparts to try to understand what, if any, incidents there may have been that might have led to someone seeking retribution against Flamur in the UK. Expand Close Police tape at the scene of the murder in Battersea (Kirsty OConnor/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police tape at the scene of the murder in Battersea (Kirsty OConnor/PA) According to reports, Mr Beqiri married his wife, Debora Krasniqi, in Cernobbio, by Lake Como in Italy, in October 2018. An article in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine, which published photos of the occasion, revealed that the couple met through Facebook. Ms Krasniqi told the magazine that the pair, initially just friends, fell deeply in love at his sisters wedding after speaking for endless hours over the phone. There was always something special about our connection and bond, she said. In a statement released through Scotland Yard shortly after his death, Mr Beqiris family said: Our family are in a state of shock and are grieving. To have so much sadness at this time of the year is heartbreaking. Neighbours living near the scene of the shooting described hearing multiple gunshots followed by a woman screaming desperately for help. Vittoria Amati, 60, said she heard eight to 10 gunshots fired in quick succession. Mrs Amati told the PA news agency: I then heard the screams of the wife. I came out and realised it was one of my neighbours. He was lying in front of his doorway in a pool of blood. He was still alive. We were really hoping he would make it. You have no idea how desperate she (his wife) sounded. The CEO of Coastal Development Authority, Jerry Ahmed Shaib has advised members, volunteers and grassroots of the New Patriotic Party to work hard to retain the party in government. He said that the surest way to gain direct benefits from the government is for the government to be in power for more than one term. He was speaking at the general meeting of YKM which was held in Accra over the weekend. YKM is a volunteer group in the New Patriotic Party that worked very hard across the country and contributed immensely towards the party's victory in the 2016 elections. The CEO in his speech advised the youth to build themselves as they wait for opportunities. He noted that their activism and hard work may draw them closer to opportunities but they would need more than that to excel. "Education is more flexible these days with flexible payment options and schedules, please take advantage to upgrade yourselves as you patiently wait for bigger opportunities," he said. If last year you were denied an opportunity because of your qualification, don't be a victim of such rejection again, work hard to attain that qualification that will get you that dream job. He continued. Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib who is a patron of YKM inspired members of the group and encouraged them to fall on him if they need him to offer any assistance. LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Several hundred parents, children, and community members will rally for increased educational opportunity at the Nebraska State Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The indoor rally will take place 11 a.m. to noon inside the Warner Chamber and will feature speeches from community members about why school choice matters and what educational opportunities Nebraska families want for the future. The rally will also include special performances from school groups in the area. A press conference will take place following the rally, which represents Nebraska's largest event during School Choice Week. The Nebraska Capitol rally is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "Every year, I am inspired by the hundreds of school children from across Nebraska who come to our Capitol to celebrate National School Choice Week," said Sen. Lou Ann Linehan. "So many students in our state wish to count themselves among those fortunate enough to choose the school that's best for them. We rally together to celebrate those families that have that choice, and to give a voice to those who don't." This event is free, open to the public, and hosted by Nebraska Catholic Conference, School Choice Nebraska, Invest in Kids Nebraska, and Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom. The Nebraska Capitol is located at 1445 K St. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/nebraska. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com U.S. Central Command announced that additional U.S. troops who were serving at a base in Iraq that was struck by Iranian missiles earlier this month have been transported to an American medical facility in Germany. The injured service members are separate from the 11 who CENTCOM last week announced had been injured in the January 8 strike. A Defense official said after the initial 11 service members were evacuated that more injured troops could be identified, CNN reported. Spokesman for CENTOM Capt. Bill Urban said the additional service members were moved "out of an abundance of caution" and that "it is possible additional injuries may be identified in the future." CENTCOM did not immediately give an exact number on how many additional service members had been injured in the strike. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters A weekend blizzard and a sub-zero deep freeze helped cool tempers that were reaching boiling point among Democrats. Chill, everyone. Whoever wins the nomination will beat Trump across the struggling midwest. The Sanders crowd suggested Warren was an elitist. Warren elbowed back with a gender argument. Sanders attacked Biden over social security; Biden countered that he was lying. The snake emojis are out. Old resentments over issues that cant even be recalled are fed. The result of it all? Nobody knows. JD Scholten, running for US congress in Iowa, was in Ames on Saturday when the temperature was -4F. Hundreds came out for the Story County Democrats soup supper in the hometown of Iowa State University, a key territory. He asked how many were undecided. Half raised their hands. A poll one week shows Sanders on top in Iowa. A week later, another poll finds Biden leading, with Amy Klobuchar in the double digits. Warren, Sanders and Klobuchar are confined to the Senate with two weekends left to campaign ahead of the 3 February caucuses. In their absence, Pete Buttigieg is everywhere all at once, working like a beaver. Any one of them can beat Trump. The president knows it. Thats why he sent his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to Iowa to make fun of Bidens stuttering, which endeared him even more to Iowans. Vice-President Mike Pence was dispatched to Iowa this week to shore up the evangelical vote for this philanderer of a president. The Donald himself is expected to invade Iowa just days before the caucus in hopes of changing the subject from his dismal performance. It will only serve to remind us that he was impeached for being a liar. Midwesterners cling to quaint notions of honesty. Related: Iowa's minority voters to Democrats: reject Trump and tell our story of hope The presidents approval rating is underwater in Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. Senator Joni Ernst, the Republican senator, has gone from being very popular to being the third most unpopular senator in the country, with an approval rating of just 37%, behind only Senator Susan Collins, of Maine, and the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, according to Morning Consult. All because of Trump. Story continues Since Trump was inaugurated, corn and soybean markets have tanked. Ethanol production is stunted by Trumps Environmental Protection Agency. Trade wars with the world, especially China, caused layoffs at John Deere in Iowa and slack sales of Harley Davidsons from Wisconsin. It will take years for export markets to recover. Some wont. New research from the Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson reports that Iowa trailed the nation in new job creation, and that non-metro areas have lost jobs over the past decade. There is a palpable economic anxiety across the midwest that explains why Bernie Sanders surged to first place in the latest Iowa Poll, considered one of the best. Most of us recognize that 50 years of trickle-down economics is, as Tom Steyer might say, a fraud and a failure. The voters I talk to are not paying that much attention to the intramural elbows That poll showing Sanders with a lead was over a week ago, a lifetime in primary politics. The voters I talk to are not paying that much attention to the intramural elbows. They expected that Sanders and Warren had to have some sort of reckoning. The spat died down as quickly as it blew up. It does not appear that Sanders has landed any real body blows on Biden. Klobuchar keeps plugging along and gaining support. Anybody who thinks they know who will win the Iowa caucuses is full of themselves. The nominee is unlikely to be identified until spring, if then, after New Hampshire and South Carolina and Nevada and the SEC Super Tuesday primaries, and California. Unless, of course, these good shooters form a circular firing squad that leaves them all walking wounded. African American voters will flood the polls in Flint, Michigan, to vote for Pete Buttigieg if he somehow can run the gauntlet. Bernie Sanders will do fine in Wisconsin, the land of famed progressive LaFollette. Elizabeth Warren has shown that she can take a punch and land a roundhouse on any man, especially a lunkhead like Trump. Amy Klobuchar will thump Trump in Iowa, and knows how to speak to a union member in Ohio wondering where the auto plant went. Pennsylvania voters will warm right up to Joe Biden. Even Michael Bloomberg could beat Trump in Colorado. So chill. Iowa has thinned a huge field and will vault four or five campaigns down the trail. The process has exposed weaknesses and identified strengths. The point is to beat the worst president in history, and the conditions are ripe to do so. Just dont blow it. That is the main sentiment in Iowa. The BoC meeting on Wednesday could deliver a hawkish surprise and drop the CAD. Thursdays ECB meeting has much less potential to surprise. The Euro is expected to remain weak. Next weeks BoE meeting outcome hangs in the balance with a rate hold or a rate cut equally possible. Risk markets have snapped back sharply in early Wednesday trading after showing some weakness on Tuesday. Many stock markets are making new all-time highs, with the German Dax finally joining the party after last making an all-time high way back in January 2018. The UKs FTSE is stuck around the 7600 mark but is not far from the previous highs just above 7900 after making a strong post-election rally. The ability to shrug off any bad news has been a feature of this bull market and we saw that again this week as fears over the spread of the coronavirus have abated, even when the death toll has increased and there are reports of a case in the US. Currencies meanwhile have traded well trodden ranges and only Sterling has made a move of any interest with some solid gains on Tuesday following better than expected employment data. The Euro is holding steady ahead of Thursdays ECB meeting which isnt likely to produce much action, but will be closely watched regardless. Central Bank (in)action in Focus We have already seen on major central bank meeting this week, where the BoJ kept policies unchanged. Wednesday will see the Bank of Canada meeting, and while there is more chance of something substantial from this event, expectations are fairly low despite some weak data. This creates some downside risk to the Canadian Dollar according to ING, The Bank of Canada will announce monetary policy today, slightly after the release of December CPI figures, which should remain marginally above the 2% target mid-pointthe market has consistently scaled back rate cut expectations despite a slew of grim domestic numbers. In line with consensus, we do not expect any change in the monetary stance just yet, but we suspect markets are underestimating the chance of a BoC cut and set the bar for a hawkish surprise quite high at todays meeting. So perhaps there will be no cut, but the bank could pave the way for one should data continue to disappoint. The ECB meeting on Thursday on the other hand will almost certainly provide no new signals on policy. The bank will likely announce that it is launching a strategic review, but this is unlikely to move markets. With this context, the Euro is unlikely to make much of a recovery. As ING points out, With euro rates deeply negative and little prospect of a turnaround in the near-term (for this to happen, we would need to see a more pronounced rebound in eurozone data and the ECB dropping its easing bias on rates which is unlikely at this point, and features as a risk scenario in our ECB crib sheet), the outlook for the euro remains unattractive and the currency is likely to continue to be used as the funding vehicle of choice for carry trades. This does not necessarily mean the Euro will fall too much as other currencies have their own local problems. EURGBP especially looks like it wants to break higher as it has been consolidating in a bullish technical pattern for several weeks now. However, any move higher is likely more a consequence of weakness in the British Pound and it is not hard to see a catalyst for this move as the Bank of England meeting next week has the potential to deliver a rate cut. Probabilities for this lie in the 50-70% range which means if a cut is made the impact wont be too significant as it is partly priced in. PMI data out later this week will play an important part in whether the decision could be delayed and the bank remain on hold next Thursday. Analyst Views Marc-Andre Fongern, Head of FX Research at MAF Global Forex: "The Bank of England may currently be paving the way for Andrew Bailey, Mark Carney's successor, without necessarily having to act in January. In any case, the BoE is undeniably moving towards monetary easing. The UK economy is on the ropes, but this has already been priced in to a large extent, in other words, things can hardly get much worse for the time being. In case the BoE doesn't live up to the market's expectations, the UK pound is likely to strengthen significantly. Whether a perceptible recovery of the domestic economy can be expected as a consequence of reduced political uncertainty remains decisive. Consequently, the central bank could well afford to wait and see." Victoria Paul, or Victoria P., has quickly emerged as a fan favorite on Peter Webers season of ABCs The Bachelor. 27-year-old Victoria, a college grad and former sorority sister, works two jobs, serving as both a nurse and a sales and marketing specialist for a dermatologists clinic. She was also 2019s Miss Louisiana and competed in various other pageants, including finishing in the top 15 at the Miss USA pageant (where she notoriously met fellow Bachelor contestant and pageant queen Alayah Benavidez). But on the Jan. 20 episode of The Bachelor, Victoria revealed a darker side to her history when discussing her troubled childhood on a one-on-one date with Weber. Victoria ended up with a date rose, and along the way, she made a lot of Bachelor Nation fall in love. Peter Weber and Victoria Paul | John Fleenor via Getty Images Victoria P. opened up about her heartbreaking past on a one-on-one date After buying cowboy hats and boots and driving around Webers hometown together, Victoria opened up to the Bachelor about her painful past. Usually, Bachelor contestants get real about former heartbreak (which Victoria has experienced too, having ended her one and only two-year relationship over her exs infidelity), but Victorias wounds were even deeper. You have that nurturing side and so much love to give, and I see that, Weber said as he snuggled closer to his date. The Bachelor contestant looked flattered, but vulnerable. I am a caregiver and Im a positive person, but there are, I think, reasons why I am that way, the pageant queen told Weber. As she became increasingly emotional, Victoria revealed the details of her difficult childhood. My dad passed away when I was really young, and after that, my mom really had a hard time and kind of fell into addiction, she shared. The Bachelor contestant continued with even more heart-wrenching details from her past, including having to serve as the main caregiver and advocate for her sister while her mom wrestled with addiction. I grew up in and out of shelters growing up. My mom really struggled, Victoria told Weber. I really had to be the rock for her and for my sister. We didnt know if my sister and I would even have foodI would literally like peel a potato and cut it in half and put salt and pepper on it and make sure my sister was taken care of. Through it all, Victoria said, she longed for something more. I dreamed a lot of dreams, and one of my dreams was just to get out of that place and to have a healthy and happy life and to make something of myself and to have a family, she said. I think its affected my relationships sometimes because I didnt feel deserving of someone. Weber was supportive of Victorias vulnerability Seeming to realize just how much shed shared, Victoria stopped herself. Im sorry, she whispered. But Weber was supportive. Dont apologize, he told her. The Bachelor contestant said she was thankful for the opportunity to get to know Weber on a deeper level, especially given her history with poor self-esteem and low self-confidence. I just feel so grateful, because I feel like youve shown me the kind of love that I deserve, she gushed. Weber said sweetly in response, You deserve it all. Victoria seemed nervous about having told her new boyfriend so much on their first one-on-one date. Im so scared to have this conversation because I know its a lot, the pageant queen confessed. I know its heavy and youve had a heavy week. But Weber insisted that this was exactly what their time together was for. No, no, this is what matters, he said, holding her close. You are what matters to me, okay? Thank you for opening up to me and telling me that. I cant even imagine what that must have been like growing up. It just shows me what kind of person you are. I just didnt always feel worthy of this, Victoria admitted emotionally. You are, Weber said. Are you kidding me? Victorias willingness to open up earned her Webers respect and admiration, as well as a Week 3 date rose. I have never been inspired by someone so much, the Bachelor told Victoria. You have shown me so much of your heart. It feels so right with you, insanely right. And so early on, I know, but thats totally okay with me, he said before offering her the rose, which she gratefully accepted. Fans flocked to social media to offer their support for the contestant Bachelor Nation was in awe of Victorias openness and vulnerability with Weber, especially so early on. During the episode, fans took to Twitter to express their admiration for all shed overcome and for bravely sharing her story. In the midst of this Kelsey vs Hannah Ann Civil War, can we just all agree that Victoria P is [a] beautiful woman inside and out who deserves the world??? one Twitter user wrote. Plenty of Bachelor fans hoped Victoria would end up with Peter after she shared her difficult past, while others think shes likely to end up as the next Bachelorette. I swear to god, Peter, you better not break Victoria Ps heart, wrote one fan. Of course, others joked about just how suddenly the tone of the date had changed from lighthearted to dark and serious. Peter when he asked Victoria P to open up but realized she had an actually hard life instead of just a s***** ex-boyfriend, one Twitter user wrote alongside a meme reading, f*** go back. Another Bachelor viewer joked on Twitter, Peter: I want to get deeper, adding a GIF of someone jumping directly into ice water in reference to Victoria taking the plunge into more serious waters. A man who spent the night in freezing weather after crashing into a fence during a familys bible study was found by police the next morning after the homeowner befriended the man. Texas game wardens were called to a home in Henderson County after the homeowner, who was hosting a bible study, found a car had crashed through his propertys fence. The wardens found the car, but no driver. News of criminal complaint denounced by journalists and campaigners as attempt to stifle free speech in the country. Federal prosecutors in Brazil have accused American journalist Glenn Greenwald of assisting a group of hackers who intercepted the phones of public officials involved in a major corruption inquiry though the countrys high court had blocked investigations of the journalist or his Brazil-based news outlet in relation to the case. News of the criminal complaint on Tuesday was slammed by journalists and campaigners as a politically motivated effort to gag free speech. Greenwald, a critic of Brazils far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and winner of Pulitzer Prize, said the allegations were baseless and an attack to the freedom of the press. A federal judge would have to approve a formal charge based on allegations by prosecutor Wellington Divino Marques de Oliveira that Greenwald, a resident of Brazil, helped a group of six people hack into phones of hundreds of local officials. De Oliveira accuses the journalist of criminal association and illegal interception of communications. He charges the six alleged hackers with criminal organisation, money laundering, cybercrimes and illegal interception of communications. Brazils federal police looked at the same evidence and did not find any wrongdoing by Greenwald. A ruling by Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes last year barred investigations of Greenwald and his The Intercept Brasil in relation to the alleged hacking. Still, prosecutors decided to recommend charges against the journalist, who has not been detained. Car Wash probe The Intercept Brasil last year published excerpts from conversations involving current Justice Minister Sergio Moro, saying they showed he was improperly coordinating with prosecutors at the time he was a judge overseeing the vast corruption Car Wash investigation. That probe led to the imprisonment of numerous business executives and politicians on corruption charges, including former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who was released from jail in November because he has appeals pending. While many Brazilians hail Moro as a hero, others believe he unfairly targeted Lula and other top left-wing figures. Moro is now a key member of Bolsonaros cabinet. The Car Wash investigators conversations were leaked to The Intercept after they had been hacked, according to Greenwald. The journalist said Moro had from the start called his publication allies of the hackers for revealing his collusion with prosecutors in the corruption investigation. But the federal prosecutors said in a statement that an audio found on the seized laptop of one of the alleged hackers showed Greenwald advising him to erase all messages linked to The Intercept while the interceptions were still taking place. The dialogues demonstrated that Glenn Greenwald went beyond [his journalistic duty] by indicating actions that would hinder the investigation and reduce the possibility of criminal liability, the statement said. Greenwald became known internationally for his role in the publication of classified US national security documents [Tobias Hase/ EPA] Defend a free press Greenwalds lawyers called the prosecutors allegations bizarre and said the accusations challenge the top court ruling protecting the journalist and freedom of the press in Brazil. Their objective is to disparage journalistic work, the lawyers said in a statement. Greenwald posted a video saying the accusation is an attack to freedom of the press, to Brazils Supreme Court (rulings), to the conclusions of the federal police and to Brazilian democracy. We will defend a free press. We will not be intimidated by the abuse of the state apparatus or by the Bolsonaro administration, he said. Brazils top court last year said the constitutional secrecy around journalistic sources prevented the Brazilian state from using coercive measures against Greenwald. Because of that, a judge would have to authorise any attempt by prosecutors to formally investigate the journalist or bring charges. Judge Ricardo Leite will analyse the unusual accusation against Greenwald and the group of six alleged hackers. There is no deadline for a decision. Greenwald became known internationally for his role in the publication of classified US national security documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in 2013. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize the next year. The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalists said in a statement that the charges against Greenwald are based on a distorted interpretation of conversations of the journalist with his source, and has as its sole purpose embarrassing the professional, which is very serious. Literary and free expression group PEN America said in a statement that the move against Greenwald raises serious concerns that he may be the target of politically motivated retaliation. Article 19, an NGO that campaigns for freedom of expression, said in a statement that the news Greenwald was further evidence of how fragile journalists rights are in Brazil. These charges come after President Jair Bolsonaro threatened him with the possibility of jail time, related to his reporting. We urge the Brazilian authorities to drop all charges again and to protect press freedom. ATHENS, Greece Eight crew members of a Greek-flagged tanker ship have been freed more than 20 days after being kidnapped by gunmen off the coast of Cameroon in West Africa, Greeces merchant marine ministry said Wednesday. The crew had been kidnapped by pirates on Dec. 31 from the Happy Lady tanker, which had been lying at anchor two nautical miles (2.3 miles, 3.7 kilometers) outside the port of Limboh. The ministry said the eight, including five Greeks ranging in age from 21 to 45, had been freed in the early hours of Wednesday after the successful end of negotiations. The five Greeks, including the ships captain, were in good health and in a safe location, and would be returning home after undergoing medical checks, the ministry said. There has been a spike in the number of incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, with a recent report by the International Maritime Bureau noting a 50% increase in piracy in the area last year. The region accounted for more than 90% of global crew member kidnappings in 2019. The Greek merchant fleet is one of the largest in the world and several incidents have involved Greek owned or flagged ships. INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Four communities with demonstrated success in growing and attracting talent are the latest to receive the Talent Hub designation from Lumina Foundation in partnership with Kresge Foundation. Cleveland, Northeast Indiana, Southwest Florida, and Tampa Bay have been recognized for their commitments to substantially increasing education and training after high school among residents from all backgrounds. These communities, along with 22 others selected in 2017 and 2018, met rigorous standards for creating environments that cultivate, attract, and retain talent, particularly among today's students, many of whom are adults, Black, Hispanic, or Native American, students from low-income households, or the first in their families to go to college. "Talent Hubs are not just trying to be some of the best places to live, work, and learn," said Jamie Merisotis, Lumina's president and CEO. "These communities also are taking today's students and transforming them into tomorrow's talent." Each Talent Hub will receive a one-year, $125,000 grant to support local efforts to increase educational attainment. They also will receive technical assistance and work with other Talent Hubs to tackle shared challenges. Talent Hubs are part of Lumina's $13 million community mobilization strategy, which focuses on local and regional efforts to increase attainment in ways that can inform other communities. "Each of these areas truly understands what it takes to pull together around shared goals," said Danette Howard, Lumina's senior vice president and chief strategy officer. "We applaud the businesses, educators, and civic organizations working to create more ways for people to earn college degrees and certificates, industry certifications, and other quality credentials after high school." About Lumina Foundation Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Lumina envisions a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials. The foundation's goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and for success in a global economy. About The Kresge Foundation The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in American cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information, visit Kresge.org. For more information, please contact Tracy Chen, director of media strategy, at [email protected] or 317.951.5316. SOURCE Lumina Foundation Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts Admonishes House Managers and Trump Lawyers Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, admonished Trumps team and House impeachment managers early Jan. 22 after the sides traded insults. I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and presidents counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the worlds greatest deliberative body, Roberts said. One reason it has earned that title is because its members avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse. Roberts noted that in the 1905 Senate impeachment trial of a judge, a senator objected when one of the House managers used the word pettifogging. The presiding judge then agreed that the word ought not have been used. I dont think we need to aspire to that high standard, but I do think those addressing the Senate should remember where they are, he said. Pettifogging means worrying too much about details that are minor or unimportant. Robertss remarks came after House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) claimed that Republicans in the Senate want to cover up actions carried out by Trump by not allowing additional witnesses or approving requests by House and Senate Democrats for certain documents. House impeachment manager Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) speaks during impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via Getty Images) White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaking in the Senate chamber during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Dana Verkouteren via AP) Im sad to say I see a lot of senators voting for a cover-up, voting to deny witnesses, Nadler said. History will judge, and so will the electorate. He also said that White House lawyers arguments for not subpoenaing John Bolton, the former national security adviser, were executive privilege or other nonsense. Pat Cipollone, White House counsel and Trumps lead impeachment lawyer, responded by asking for an apology from Nadler. Mr. Nadler came up here and made false allegations against our team. He made false allegations against all of you. He accused you of a cover-up. Hes been making false allegations against the president, Cipollone told lawmakers. The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you, for the way youve addressed this body, Cipollone added, prompting some senators to clap. This is the United States Senate. Youre not in charge here. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) thanked Roberts for his admonishment before motioning to table Nadlers amendment to require Bolton to testify during the trial. ATHENS, Greece - Eight crew members of a Greek-flagged tanker ship have been freed more than 20 days after being kidnapped by gunmen off the coast of Cameroon in West Africa, Greeces merchant marine ministry said Wednesday. The crew had been kidnapped by pirates on Dec. 31 from the Happy Lady tanker, which had been lying at anchor two nautical miles (2.3 miles, 3.7 kilometres) outside the port of Limboh. The ministry said the eight, including five Greeks ranging in age from 21 to 45, had been freed in the early hours of Wednesday after the successful end of negotiations. The five Greeks, including the ships captain, were in good health and in a safe location, and would be returning home after undergoing medical checks, the ministry said. There has been a spike in the number of incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, with a recent report by the International Maritime Bureau noting a 50% increase in piracy in the area last year. The region accounted for more than 90% of global crew member kidnappings in 2019. The Greek merchant fleet is one of the largest in the world and several incidents have involved Greek owned or flagged ships. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 09:16:20|Editor: zh Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Embassy in Libya on Tuesday expressed concern over the suspension of oil exports due to the closure of oil ports and fields in the country. "We are deeply concerned that the suspension of National Oil Corporation (NOC) operations risks exacerbating the humanitarian emergency in Libya and inflicting further needless suffering on the Libyan people," the embassy tweeted. "NOC operations should resume immediately," the embassy said. Leaders in eastern Libya on Friday closed oil ports, accusing the UN-backed government based in the capital Tripoli of using oil revenues to support armed groups against the east-based rival army. The state-owned NOC said the closure of the oil fields and ports causes a loss of 1.2 million barrels in daily oil production, which is equivalent to the loss of 77 million U.S. dollars per day. The east-based rival army had been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in an attempt to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government. The conflict has killed and injured thousands of people, and displaced more than 120,000 civilians. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Philadelphia is home to the worst urban opioid crisis in America. More than 3,000 people have died of drug overdoses here in the last three years, and the city health department estimates that tens of thousands of Philadelphians are addicted to opioids. As the epidemic has worsened, city officials, hospitals, and outreach workers have scrambled to address a complicated public health crisis with few easy answers. The city has spent more than a year pouring resources and initiatives into Kensington, the neighborhood at the epicenter of the crisis. Two years after fatal overdoses hit an all-time highclaiming 1,217 people in 2017it appears that the 2019 toll will be similar to 2018's, when 1,116 people died. "The numbers haven't been finalized, but the preliminary numbersI'm not particularly pleased," said Brian Abernathy, the city managing director. "It's about the same as last year. But I'm not happy with that. The amount of devastation that's happening on so many different levels is just not something we as a city should think is okay." Getting that still-staggering number to budge in 2020 will mean much more work, especially outside Kensington, in areas like South Philly, where drug use usually happens behind closed doors, away from the reach of health workers. Here's what the cityand its partners in local hospitals and outreach organizationshave planned for the year ahead. More peer specialists in and out of hospitals. People who are in recovery from addiction have long been part of the treatment industry. But "peer specialists," as those who have gone through a state certification process are called, are taking on bigger roles in Philadelphia hospitals, connecting with patients in ways physicians and nurses say they cannot. They are meeting patients in emergency rooms, helping people with addiction navigate the days of early treatment and doing street outreach around the city. Since Penn Medicine began sending peer specialists into its emergency rooms in 2018, seven in 10 of the department's patients with opioid use disorder have stuck with treatment for at least 30 days. Other hospitals are eager to replicate that success and are looking to expand their peer programs in the new year. The city is trying to hire nearly four dozen peer specialists, as it helps hospitals improve their "warm handoffs" of patients directly into long-term treatment. The Temple hub. With help from a large state grant, Temple University Health System has expanded its treatment programs and referrals, acting as a "hub" that sends patients to community treatment programs. This is especially key at Temple, because the health system's Episcopal Hospital in Kensington deals with more overdoses than any other hospital in the city. Temple increased its buprenorphine prescribingmedication-assisted treatment proven to yield more lasting recoveryby 70% and increased its outpatient treatment slots from 11 new patients a month to 116. The next generation. At Jefferson Health, MATER, the long-running treatment program for pregnant women with addiction, is incorporating women's families into their treatment. Instead of requiring a 30-day "blackout" from all contact with the outside world, like many treatment centers do, MATER is hosting family dinners twice a month, offering family therapy, and helping mothers plan to reunite with their extended families, said Kim McLaughlin, the program's director. Bending the rules to keep people in treatment. In the past, if someone missed three treatment appointments in a row at Jefferson, they were out of the program, said McLaughlin. But now, for example, if someone is missing fewer appointments than they used to, that's considered an improvement, and not a reason for punishment. She says it's a key change in the middle of a crisis where leaving treatment can mean death. Getting naloxone where it's needed. Last year, when Penn Medicine launched large-scale, staff-wide giveaways of Narcan, the overdose antidote, employees from around the system came by to pick some up, said Jeanmarie Perrone, the director of the division of medical toxicology in the University of Pennsylvania's emergency department. Often, she said, staffers knew family and friends in their communities who might need a dose of Narcan. "They were really personally affected and wanted to be better prepared for their community," she said. Better leadership in neighborhoods. Kensington is no longer under the emergency declaration prompted by chronic public drug use and homelessness that had people in addiction living in encampments under bridges. But some programs used during the declaration will continue there and in other parts of the city. Some examples: More mobile addiction treatments in neighborhoods without many treatment options, like the van that prescribes medication-assisted treatment in South Philly. The city is also looking to add more supportive housing for the chronically homeless. Former deputy director of emergency management Noelle Foizen will lead an "opioid cabinet," where the officials who oversaw the emergency declaration will meet regularly to address opioid-related issues all over the city. Work to earn. This month, the city launched a program where people can help clean streets in Kensington, and be paid the same day. Two days a week, 10 people will be selected by lottery to earn $50 for about four hours of work. "The goal is to provide people with a more productive way to earn money rather than petty theft or panhandling," said Abernathy. (People who aren't selected in the lottery will be offered treatment, other help finding jobs, and links to social services.) Protecting schoolchildren. Despite all the work that's been done in Kensington, open-air drug use and dealing continue, and smaller encampments remain on Kensington Avenue. Schoolchildren often have encountered dealers, needles, and people injecting heroin on their way to school, so one of the most popular improvements has been "safe corridors." These neighborhood volunteers help children get to school safely. "I greet them, and say good morning, and kind of get between them and any negative aspects in the community," volunteer Mike Noton said. Stemming gun violence. For police officers who patrol Kensington, the biggest challenge is getting drug-related shootings under control, said Inspector Michael Cram, who commands the department's East Division. Cram said intense demand for drugs in the neighborhood has prompted dealers from other parts of the city to "rent" corners to cash in on the highest profits. These outsiders carry guns for protectionand to keep up, Kensington dealers are doing the same. All those guns, he said, lead to more violence. Treatment, not arrest. The city hopes to expand a police diversion program in Kensington and North Philly, where people with addiction are offered treatment and social services, instead of being arrested. In all, 951 people were referred to the program from Kensington alone in 2019, the city says. Keeping a closer eye on pill sales. The city plans to create a local data reporting system for pharmacies, because it's often hard for local entities to access statewide and national data on pill sales. The system, aimed at monitoring sales of prescription opioids to spot illicit use, should be in place within three to six months, city officials say. The country's first supervised injection site. Safehousethe non-profit founded to open a space for people with addiction to use drugs under medical supervision, be revived if they overdose, and access treatmentis still in the midst of a federal court battle over the legality of the site. A federal judge ruled in Safehouse's favor last fall, but U.S. Attorney William McSwain has said he'll arrest anyone who uses the site if it opens before an appeals process is complete. Safehouse's backers, some of the city's most prominent advocates for people with addiction, say they will open as soon as they're legally able. They've asked the judge to issue a final order cementing his decision in their favor, but said this month they still need more funds before opening. 2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys export of citrus fruits to Azerbaijan increased by 43 percent from January through December 2019 compared to the same period of 2018, amounting to 20,055 tons, which is 1 percent of countrys total citruses export, Turkeys Association of Fresh Vegetables and Fruits Exporters told Trend on Jan. 22. Revenues of Turkey from export of citruses to Azerbaijan dropped by 37 percent amounting to $7.7 million, which is 1 percent of countrys total revenues from citruses export. In 2019, export of Turkeys fruit and vegetables dropped by 11 percent compared to 2018, exceeding 4 million tons. So, countrys revenues from export of fruit and vegetables dropped by 3 percent, and amounted to $2.2 billion. During 2019, Turkey exported 1.1 million tons of fruit, which is 5 percent more compared to 2018. In turn, countrys revenues from export of fruit increased by 2 percent and amounted to $846 million. Meanwhile, export of vegetables from Turkey dropped by 2 percent, amounting to 1.2 million tons worth $645 million. Turkey exported 1.6 million tons of citrus fruits worth $756 million in 2019, which is 20 percent less compared to 2018. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu An Aldi customer has likened the German grocer's latest 'massage gun' to a sex toy, saying that they don't think its true intention is to 'help aching bones'. The Australian woman, who posted about the likeness on social media, was adamant that the fitness accessory Aldi is releasing in stores on Saturday January 25 looked more like a 'bedroom device'. 'Are you sure that's a "massage gun", Aldi? Because I'm pretty sure it looks a lot like something that many women keep in their bedside table for lonely nights,' she said. An Australian woman was adamant that the fitness accessory Aldi is releasing in stores on Saturday January 25 looked more like a bedroom device 'You know, the sort of thing where you might dim the lights, put on some mood music and then light a cigarette or have a glass of wine afterwards? I mean those attachments alone! Who are you kidding?!' The fitness massager comes with five interchangeable massage heads, with some round and others prong-like in design. She went on to say: 'I mean not that I'm complaining and I'm sure other mums won't be either when they're shopping next week at Aldi. What Aussie housewife doesn't need a new "massage gun", eh?' There are a number of interesting attachments that can be put onto the 'gun' Other women agreed with her, saying that they didn't believe this was for a post gym session at all. 'OMG this is hilarious Aldi! I've always wanted to try a "massager" but didn't want to go into one of those kinds of stores... I'm adding this to my shopping list!' Said one. 'Massage gun? Yeah right!' Said another lady. The Aldi website describes the gun as a 'strong percussion massage' with a powerful 'high torque motor' and it has three different 'intensities'. The fitness sale will also see crop tops, shorts, t-shirts, protein shakers and a yoga mat put up for offer, with antiperspirant deodorant and wireless in-ear headphones included. NEW YORK (AP) Bank of America is slashing the amount it charges customers when they spend more than they have in their accounts and plans to eliminate entirely its fees for bounced checks. San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle returns to Napa to discuss this years crop of Oscar contenders, his picks, pans and predictions, on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at Blue Note Napa. It will be LaSalle's 12th appearance in Napa. He will take questions from the audience, including, "Who will win best picture?" Barry Martin, host of Wine Country Live on KVON 1440AM, will host. This weekend at the 12th annual Cayman CookoutEric Ripert's food festival at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Caymanguests gathered en masse on the beach as they waited for Jose Andres grand entrance. Every year, the chef and humanitarian arrives to his cooking demo in increasingly elaborate stunts, and guesses were rolling in about what hed pull off next. Would it involve a jet ski? A parasail? In 2019, he pulled up to the shore in a yellow submarine, so expectations were high. Shortly after 10 a.m., an ATV started coming down the beachbut it wasnt actually driven by Andres. The figure, who had his face hidden and wore a World Central Kitchen hat, approached the demo tent flanked by a masked entourage. But once everyone got into the tent, it was revealed that it was a decoy, and Andres himself walked in moments later. I thought, theres too many babies on the beach, he joked. Its too many babies, and Ive never drove one of those before. That was my shirt, did I fool my wife? Rebecca Davidson Photography Andres proceeded to prepare a seafood paella, made with beef cheek, onions, oyster mushrooms, green beans, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and rice. Two chefs from Jaleo, Ramon Martinez and Aaron Helfand, cooked it in giant paella pans while he talked to the crowd, at one point demonstrating how to properly drink Champagne from a porron. The chef shared that the pans they were using to cook the paella were the same ones they'd used to prepare food in the Bahamas only hours after Hurricane Dorian hit the islands. He said that this week his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, will reach over three million meals served since they arrived on the island. We love to see that we are there for each other, and in Bahamas we did 45 medical evacuations, 25,000 solar lights, water in the 13ks, and three big islands, he said. I may cook in my restaurant, I may cook with you, I may cook with my friends and family, or I may cook in places that people need it, he continued. This years demo was originally planned to be a cook-off between Ripert and Andres, with Ripert preparing bouillabaise and Andres making his famous paella. However, Ripert was unable to attend this year "due to unforeseen circumstances," so the chef Facetimed Ripert for a bit, and even brought a cardboard cutout of the French chef to the tent. As is tradition, the two friends shot good-natured jabs at each other before Ripert signed off. Im sorry Im not with you guys to protect you from Jose Andres, Ripert said. Andres shot back that the real reason he isnt here is because we were doing a cooking competition and he was afraid. He was afraid that he couldnt beat my paella with his bouillabaisse. PHOENIX, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Grand, the newest cocktail and dining concept from Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality, is recognized by two national publications as a top new influential cocktail bar in the United States. Imbibe Magazine publishes its Imbibe 75 issue every January, recognizing those who are making a significant impact in today's beverage culture and will influence the beverage world in 2020 and years to come. This year's issue includes Century Grand, Phoenix's newest three-in-one immersive cocktail, dining, and whiskey bottle shop concept from Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality. Imbibe features Century Grand in their "The Imbibe 75 Places" category stating, "Jason Asher and Rich Furnari of Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality (UnderTow) have constructed a Disneyland-worthy bar born from a fascination with North America's rails." Co-founder and co-owner Jason Asher say, "I've always looked at Imbibe as a pioneering publication that identifies and shares current trends in the beverage industry. It is a true honor and accomplishment to be included in the incredible lineup of those recognized in this year's Imbibe 75." A few days after the Imbibe issue was released, another essential beverage-centric digital publication, Vinepair, announced their "Top 10 Best New Cocktail Bars of 2019," awarding Century Grand the Southwest's region best new bar. Based in New York, NY, Vinepair is the largest digital media company providing fun and entertaining content focused on all things beverage-related. Vinepair's Top 10 List finalists are chosen by industry professionals, cocktail fans, and Vinepair editors and contributors. Winners are based on a collective poll. Rich Furnari, Asher's co-founder and co-owner, states, "Everyone one of us at Barter & Shake have been hard at work the last 5 years challenging each other to create memorable and entertaining experiences. We are honored to be recognized in this way and I must to take the opportunity to thank our staff for their tireless efforts and our community for continuing to support our concepts. We look forward to continuing to improve and expand; we are just getting started." In addition to this national recognition, Century Grand has also received accolades from numerous local Arizona publications, including No. 2 on Phoenix Magazine's "2019 Best New Restaurants" list, Phoenix New Times's "The 10 Best New Bars of 2019 in Greater Phoenix", Eater's "The 15 Hottest New Restaurants in Phoenix", and Arizona Republic's food critic Dominic Armato's list "9 Best New Restaurants in Metro Phoenix in 2019." Century Grand, like Barter & Shake's other venue, UnderTow, is inspired by historical moments, people, and places. Describing their approach as "immersive hospitality," Barter & Shake produces a fictional narrative for each venue. Guests experience the narrative through their cocktail menus, food offerings, and the physical environment itself. Since opening in 2016, UnderTow, a tiki-inspired concept, has also earned numerous local and national accolades. These include Arizona Restaurant Association's Foodist Awards "Best Beverage Program" and "Best Cocktail", Phoenix Magazine's Best of Phoenix "Best Cocktail Bar", a national Top 10 nomination for the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards "New American Cocktail Bar" category, and a top 10 ranking of global tiki bars by https://critiki.com. In addition, Jason Asher has won numerous awards individually, including GQ's "Most Inspired Bartender," Food Network Chopped Champion, and Foodist Awards "Top Mixologist." About Century Grand Century Grand is a turn-of-the-century inspired, cocktail-centric, immersive hospitality venue from the team at Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality. Opening Fall 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona, Century Grand offers a progressive yet approachable cocktail and dining experience. They also have the largest single barrel spirits selection in the country available for retail purchase. Through various art-deco and industrial, architectural elements, guests are transported to another place and time while enjoying shareable plates and cocktails rooted in American history, cuisine, and camaraderie. For more information, please visit https://centurygrandphx.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. SOURCE Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality Related Links https://centurygrandphx.com As Smith grows and diversifies in the midst of Austins thriving tech scene, we are excited to find new and experienced sales representatives to join our office. Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and provider of custom supply chain services, today announces its upcoming hiring open house at its Austin location. Smith representatives will be on-hand to meet with local talent and discuss opportunities in the companys Austin-based electronic component, solar, and ITAD sales departments. As Smith grows and diversifies in the midst of Austins thriving tech scene, we are excited to find new and experienced sales representatives to join our office, said Ken Neusaenger, Smiths Trading Manager in Austin. As a family-owned business, Smith provides its employees with ample opportunities to make an impact in the technology industry while helping shape the company around them. The company nurtures a casual, people-first environment, offering a competitive benefits package and uncapped commissions for its salespeople. Smiths Austin office overlooks the surrounding Hill Country and is within walking distance of numerous retail stores and restaurants, as well as an arboretum. We offer driven salespeople unlimited opportunities to build deals, customer relationships, and success, said Patti Everitt, HR & Recruiting Manager at Smith. Our team is looking forward to meeting motivated candidates filled with entrepreneurial spirit. WHAT: Hiring Open House WHEN: Monday, February 3, 2020 Tuesday, February 4, 2020 (10:30 AM to 3:00 PM) WHERE: Arboretum Plaza One, 9442 Capital of Texas Highway North, Suite 900, Austin, TX 78759 About Smith Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 16 cities around the world, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, with global annual sales of $1.66 billion. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. The support of Smiths flexible Intelligent DistributionTM model optimizes customers supply chains from beginning to end, including offering customized options for IT asset disposition that deliver maximum ROI, sustainability, and security. Smiths testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam cover critical areas like quality management, counterfeit prevention, and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time, global inventory and logistics visibility. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number nine among all global distributors. For more information, please visit https://www.smithweb.com or reach out to a Smith representative any time of day at +1 713.430.3000.hous A Connecticut man was sentenced to 5 years in prison for trafficking heroin, according to federal officials. Jesus Omar Vazquez-Martinez, 35, also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to four years of supervised release, federal officials said in a release. The DEAs Hartford Task Force and Willimantic Police Department, while investigating a heroin/fentanyl overdose death that occurred in August 2017, received information in May 2018 that Xavier Diaz, also known as Coco, was operating a heroin distribution ring in Willimantic, federal officials said in the release, citing court documents and statements made in court. The investigation revealed that drug purchasers called a phone shared by Diaz, Vazquez-Martinez and other members of the conspiracy to place an order for heroin. Thereafter, a runner would meet the purchaser to complete the transaction. The investigation connected the August 2017 overdose death, and several non-fatal overdoses, to drugs distributed by the Diaz organization, the release from the office of Connecticut U.S. Attorney John H. Durham said. Diaz and other members of his organization were arrested on Oct. 15, 2018, the release said and a search of Diazs home revealed more than 100 grams of heroin, a stolen firearm, and ammunition. A search of a storage unit connected to the organization revealed more than $20,000 in cash, the release said. Vazquez-Martinez has been detained since his arrest in April 2018 on state narcotics charges. On Oct. 28, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, federal officials said in the release. Diaz pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to five years in prison on Nov. 25, 2019. The DEAs Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments, federal officials said in the release. Derry City and Strabane District Council are inviting children, young people and adult stakeholders to take part in a special consultation event in the Guildhall next month as part of the Council areas bid to achieve Unicef Child Friendly Community status. The Unicef Community and Youth Discovery Days will take place on Thursday February 6th and Friday February 7th in the Guildhall and will allow children and young people to discuss how they feel within their local community as well as how their rights are respected or violated. The event is being facilitated by Unicef UK in partnership with local statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations. Local young people from the Unicef Youth Advisory Panel will take a leading role, presenting and facilitating on the day. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Michaela Boyle, encouraged organisations working with children and young people aged 10-18 to get involved.Child Friendly Communities aim to create cities and communities where all children, whether they live in care, use a childrens centre, visit a leisure centre or local library have a meaningful say in and truly benefit from the local decisions, services and spaces that shape their lives, she explained. With expert training and guidance from Unicef UK, the partnership sees politicians, staff and volunteers turning to childrens rights as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to guide decisions that affect children and young people. Ongoing work has been taking place at a local level and a range of youth and adult stakeholders have already been involved in remote consultation. This event allows children and young people to have an input into the decisions that affect them from major policies, to decisions around the care they receive. We will be talking about things like spaces to play and meet friends, being healthy and feeling safe Childrens' rights At the event young people will learn more about childrens rights globally and nationally and hear about the local picture. In the afternoon, attendees will work in groups to look at whats going well and what needs attention for children and young people in the Council area. The agenda also includes a performance from young local musician ROE, winner of the Best Emerging Artist at the Northern Ireland Music Prize and support to Snow Patrol, Kodaline, Robbie Williams and The Coronas. ROE is taking time out of her busy schedule as she embarks on her very first headline tour of the UK. Claire Lynch, DSCDC Children and Young Peoples Coordinator, added: ROE is passionate about supporting the community, especially on topics like mental health, the focus of some of her heart felt and quirky music. The performance will add value to the discussions and creative workshops planned for the day. It will give participants an alternative way to explore emotions and encourage them to be open about challenges while focusing on the importance of facing those challenges head on. Consultation has identified that one of the biggest priorities for young people is mental health. We need to work with the relevant partners to ensure that we develop more child friendly and accessible services, tailored to our local needs. The partnership with Unicef UK gives us an opportunity to focus our attention in a joined up manner through the Community Planning approach. Youth Advisory Member, Liam Mc Clintock looked ahead to the event: I joined the group so I could give my opinion about things going on to try make Derry and Strabane a better place, he said. Im looking forward to the day to see what happens. Im organising for a video I created with Third Space about Disability to be shown at the event. I have experience of going through things that could help others and I want everyone to know that people with learning disabilities can do what other people do. I want people to know that if you have a learning disability you can do the things you want to do in life. Anyone interested in taking part in the Youth Discovery Day should register their interest at youth@derrystrabane.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Emmanuelle Michel (Agence France-Presse) Madrid, Spain Wed, January 22, 2020 08:03 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20606bf64 2 News tourism,United-Nations,travel,France,united-states,Spain Free Global tourism slowed in 2019 due to a cooling world economy, especially in Europe and Asia where uncertainties linked to Brexit and protests in Hong Kong also weighed, the United Nation's tourism agency said Monday. The number of international tourist arrivals rose by 4.0 percent last year to 1.5 billion, its slowest rate since 2016, the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said in a statement. "This is a growth that we can consider strong because it is within the historical average, but we see a slight slowdown compared to the last two years. But it should be noted that the last two years have been really exceptional with a growth that was not normal," the body's intelligence chief, Sandra Carvao, told a news conference. Tourist numbers grew by 6.0 percent in 2018 and by 7.0 percent in 2017 as holidaymakers returned to sunshine destinations in the eastern Mediterranean such as Turkey and Egypt after several years of tourists staying away due to security concerns. Tourism numbers rose by 4.0 percent in 2016. The UNWTO predicted global tourism will grow by 3.0-4.0 percent this year, buoyed by major sporting and cultural events such as the Tokyo Olympics in Japan. An economic slowdown in many key issuing markets such as Germany and the collapse of Thomas Cook, the world's oldest travel form, had contributed to the slowdown in the sector last year, Carvao said. Britain's looming departure from the European Union had generated "strong uncertainty" and "has impacted its economy, which has impacted the value of its currency" leading to fewer British nationals going abroad on holidays, she added. Tourist arrivals in Europe rose by 4.0 percent in 2019, down from 6.0 percent in the previous year. It remained the most visited region in the world, accounting for 51 percent of all international tourist arrivals last year, or 743 million people. Arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region rose by 5.0 percent compared to 7.0 percent in 2018 as Hong Kong was rocked by sometimes violent political protests which caused hotel occupancy rates to slump in the Chinese-ruled city. Read also: Sweden's air travel drops in year when 'flight shaming' took off Middle East jump Africa posted a 4.0-percent rise in tourist arrivals, down from 9.0 percent in 2018. "The Americas showed a mixed picture as many island destinations in the Caribbean consolidated their recovery after the 2017 hurricanes while arrivals fell in South America due partly to ongoing social and political turmoil," the UN body's statement said. The Middle East was the one bright spot as tourist arrivals in the region jumped by 8.0 percent in 2019, up from 3.0 percent in the previous year, due mainly to Saudi Arabia's ambitious plan to draw foreign visitors and the recovery of the Egyptian market. UNWTO expects France, Spain and the United States to once again be the three most visited countries in the world last year once it has final figures. "We don't really expect changes in the rankings," said Carvao. In 2018, France remained the world's most visited nation with 89 million arrivals followed by Spain and the United States. Despite the slowdown in the rise in international arrivals, tourism spending continued to grow in 2019, especially among the world's top ten spenders. France reported the strongest increase in international tourism spending, jumping 11 percent, while spending by international visitors from the United States rose by 6.0 percent due to the strong dollar. But many emerging markets such as Brazil, China -- the world's top source market -- and Saudi Arabia reported declines in tourism spending. Nepal has formed a five-member team to investigate and submit a report within 15 days into the death of eight Indian tourists, including four minors, who died in their room at a resort in the Himalayan country as the postmortem of the bodies was underway here on Wednesday. Tragedy struck a group of 15 tourists from Kerala when eight of them died due to possible asphyxiation after they fell unconscious probably due to a gas leak from a heater in their room at a mountainous resort in Makwanpur district. The tourists were airlifted to HAMS hospital here where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Makwanpur police said the victims might have fallen unconscious due to asphyxiation. The Department of Tourism in a press statement said that a five-member committee has been formed to investigate if the resort was following the standards set by the government, myrepublica portal reported. The department has asked the committee to submit the investigation report within the next 15 days, it said. "Postmortem of the bodies is underway at the Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and they would be flown back home on Thursday," a senior official at the Indian Embassy told PTI on Wednesday. The official said that out of the seven who survived, two stayed back to accompany the bodies while the others left. The victims were identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair, Saranya Sasi, Sreebhadra Praveen, Aarcha Praveen, Abhinav Saranya Nair, Ranjith Kumar Adatholath Punathil, Indu Lakshmi Peethambaran Ragalatha and Vyshnav Ranjith. The deceased - two couples and four children - were part of a group of 15 people travelling from Kerala to Pokhara, a popular mountainous tourist destination. They were on their way back home and stayed at Everest Panorama Resort in Daman in the district on Monday night. The official said that the Indian mission is in touch with the local authorities, family and friends of the deceased and the hospital authorities. According to the manager at the resort, Shiva KC, the families arrived in a reserved vehicle and were supposed to stay in the resort for only one night. He said that the guests stayed in a room and turned on a gas heater to keep themselves warm. Although they had booked a total of four rooms, eight of them stayed in a room and remaining others in another room, the manager said, adding that all the windows and the door of the room were bolted from inside. "They ordered snacks from the resort restaurant," the resort manager, Shiva KC, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. After dinner at 10:30 pm, the guests of two cottages went to their rooms, while the others stayed back at the restaurant. "In spite of our objection, they were constantly requesting to take the heater they were using in the restaurant to their rooms," the manager said. Superintendent of Police Sushil Singh Rathore said that as the temperature was between three and six degrees, they had asked for a big gas heater. As the hotel didn't have a big heater, the staffers brought it from elsewhere. The heater was lit in their room at around 2 am, the myrepublica report quoted him as saying. Shiva said that when the hotel staff knocked on the door at 8 am to serve them tea, there was no response. The police said that the tragedy could have been averted if they had kept at least a door or a window open after operating the gas heater. The resort is 75 kms away from Kathmandu. Most of the hotels in the locality do not have air-condition facility. The tragedy occurred as the two-decade old resort does not have air conditioners, Labsher Bista, the mayor of Thaha Municipality in the district, said. The hotel entrepreneurs need to learn a lesson from this incident, he pointed out. Nair and Ranjit, both IT professionals, were engineering college classmates and the tour was arranged after a get-together with old friends in Delhi, a family member said. Nair, who hails from Chempazhanthi in Thiruvananthapuram, was an engineer in Dubai, while his wife, Saranya, was staying in Kochi along with 3 children and was a nursing student. Ranjit was working in an IT firm at Thiruvananthapuram, while his wife, Indu, was an accountant in a cooperative bank at Kozhikode, a family member said. Ranjit's elder son Madhav had a lucky escape as he was sleeping in another room. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AMES, Iowa - On Tuesday, when Democrats had hoped to focus Americans squarely on President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, many in the party were instead watching in alarm and dismay as a fresh spat erupted between Hillary Clinton and the candidate she defeated in 2016, Sen. Bernie Sanders. In comments published early Tuesday, Clinton left open the possibility that she might not support Sanders if he is the party's nominee. The remarks unleashed fresh angst less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses amid a flurry of other attacks dividing the presidential candidates and their allies. Sanders, I-Vt., has been engaged in battles with rivals on various fronts over the past week - squabbling with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., over whether he once said a woman could not be president, attacking former vice president Joe Biden with an out-of-context video about Social Security and issuing a rare apology after a top surrogate called Biden corrupt. The conflicts have reignited Democratic fears that, whoever becomes the nominee, the party will rupture as it did in 2016, when divisions between the Clinton and Sanders camps marred the primaries and the summer convention, and were blamed by many for contributing to her loss to Trump that November. "Nobody wants to re-litigate 2016. I don't want Democrats focused on the last campaign; I want to focus on the next campaign," said Terry McAuliffe, the former Virginia governor and former head of the Democratic National Committee. "People have to check their attacks. We can't get in the mud pit where Donald Trump wants to be. Let's not be playing on his turf." "If Bernie is the nominee," he added, "everyone has to rally." Rebecca Katz, a liberal New York-based consultant, put the blame squarely on Clinton. "This is bringing up old wounds," Katz said. "It's four years later, and the nominee in 2016 is not saying for certain whether they are going to support the nominee in 2020? That is unacceptable." Katz added: "This is Hillary Clinton. She had to know how explosive these remarks would be. And she did it anyway. And she did it now." "There's enough post-traumatic stress out there already," said former senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. "I think it's best if we just move forward. But everybody has a right to say what's in their heart." She added that the one benefit of the intensifying primary is it allows voters to see battle-tested candidates, saying, "Whatever they are getting now they're going to get 10 times worse in the general." Clinton's comments, published just hours before Democrats began to make their case on impeachment in Washington and as several candidates launched a full day of campaigning here in Iowa, came in an interview promoting a documentary about her that will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday. In the film, she offers a blunt assessment of Sanders, casting him as a career politician who has deceived his supporters into believing he could implement change. "He was in Congress for years," she said. ". . . Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney, and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it." When asked in the interview with The Hollywood Reporter whether that assessment still held, she responded, "Yes, it does." Asked whether she would support him if he won the nomination, she demurred, saying, "I'm not going to go there yet. We're still in a very vigorous primary season. " She also criticized the willingness of his supporters to antagonize his political rivals. "[I]t's not only him, it's the culture around him," she said. "It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture - not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it. And I don't think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it, but you either don't know what your campaign and supporters are doing or you're just giving them a wink." The comments triggered an outburst of criticism that flew across social media. Tommy Vietor, a former aide to President Barack Obama, tweeted that Clinton's comments were "inexcusable" and the entire party needed to get behind the nominee, Sanders or not. "Don't kick up this b------t right before Iowa, especially after complaining about Bernie's lack of support in 2016," he wrote, noting that he was "TERRIFIED" about the party not being united in the general election. A Clinton spokesman, Nick Merrill, responded to say that Clinton isn't committing to any candidate in the primary and pointed to her record of working for Democrats, including former opponents such as Obama. "Let's all take a deep breath, give her the benefit of the doubt for once, & look at history," he wrote on Twitter. Clinton late Tuesday mocked the hubbub she had created and seemed to suggest support for Sanders if he is the nominee. "I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views!" she tweeted. "But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee." Clinton's comments seemed to feed into a growing concern among more-moderate and establishment Democrats that Sanders, an enduring and energetic force if a polarizing one, could damage the party if he captured the nomination. Others, however, worried that the convulsion could further alienate Sanders's supporters, many of whom believe the 2016 race was stacked against him and fear the same happening in 2020. "No one loves Hillary Clinton more than I do, but those remarks are not helpful," said Ed Rendell, the former Pennsylvania governor. "Whoever wins, we have to get behind them. There's no time this year for Democrats to resolve old grievances." Jen Psaki, a veteran Democratic consultant and former top Obama aide, said it was clear that Clinton "hasn't buried the hatchet, and she needs to bury the hatchet." "There are a number of things that can simultaneously be true," she said. "One, she shouldn't have said it; two, it represents the view of many Democrats; and, three, he's always been underestimated." The Sanders style of campaigning has increasingly grated on Biden and his campaign, who view his tactics as unfair and out of bounds. Sanders's campaign aides promoted an out-of-context video of Biden that suggested he agreed with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan's proposals to cut Social Security. Sanders said over the weekend that he wished they had shown the fuller context but stood by his criticisms of other comments by Biden on entitlements. On Monday, a top Sanders ally wrote an opinion article saying "Biden has a big corruption problem and it makes him a weak candidate." Sanders apologized for the critique. Some Democrats lamented that Sanders has not faced enough scrutiny, even as he has been repeatedly underestimated by some party leaders. "What Hillary is saying is a general concern I have and a lot of other people have, too," said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, a former presidential candidate who has endorsed Biden. "Socialism and taking away people's private health care and, you know, all these things that make it very very difficult to beat Donald Trump in the industrial states we need to win. Hillary knows that better than anybody, how hard that is. To me, she's articulating a concern that a lot of us have." Besides his squabbles with Biden, Sanders also has exchanged barbs with Warren over her claim that Sanders told her during a private 2018 meeting that a woman wouldn't defeat Trump - a claim Sanders has denied. The disagreement spilled onto the presidential debate stage last week. Although the disagreements left some Democrats quaking, others found a bright side. "I love it," said Bakari Sellers, a former state legislator from South Carolina. "Politics is a contact sport. Unfortunately, Democrats think politics is tiddlywinks, which is why we got drummed by Donald Trump, who plays by no rules. We have to get tougher." He added: "Who is anyone to say Hillary Clinton can't say whatever the hell she wants to say? It's clear she has a visceral disdain for Bernie Sanders. "The debate is invigorating," he said. "Nothing is out of bounds." Other Democratic presidential candidates sought to gain advantage through comparison. The super PAC supporting Biden saw an opening to distinguish its candidate, releasing a new ad called "The Storm" that shows choppy ocean waters amid text that reads, "Joe Biden. A President to Right the Ship," and says he's "The Democrat Who Can Lead Through the Storm." Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has campaigned as someone who can turn the page on controversies of the past, reiterated that argument. "I didn't love going through the experience of our party divisions in the past," Buttigieg said in response to questions about Clinton. "I'm focused now on making sure that the future is better." Until the recent battling, the 2020 race has been tame by comparison to 2016 - a fact that some held on to. "In the immediate short term, all of these soap-operatic outbursts are a distraction," said Robert Zimmerman, a top donor and DNC member from New York. "Do I think it's going to prevent us from being united? I don't think so. But we have to be very disciplined about it. Because it wouldn't be the first time we saw a fight get out of control." In Iowa, a representative of those mostly too young to take part in the past disputes demanded that her elders cease the current ones. "Everyone stop fighting about 2016 please thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!! No need for that!!!!!!!!!!! Our President is literally on trial right now!!!!!!!!! Focus on 2020!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!" tweeted Olivia Habinck, president of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are planning a reunion (Credit: Getty Images) Hugh Laurie has revealed he and Stephen Fry "often" discuss reuniting as a comedy double act and admitted, we're both being sort of coy about it. Fry, 62, and Laurie, 60, met at Cambridge University in 1980 and former a comedy double act - starring in BBC sketch show 'A Bit of Fry & Laurie' before it ended 25 years ago. Laurie told Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2: "Actually we talked about doing it on stage for a long time, so long in fact we passed the date we'd set for ourselves. We see each other a lot and we talk about it often." Read more: Why Stephen Fry says he'd never appear on 'Strictly' Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry have been friends for 40 years (Credit: PA) He added: "I think it might happen, yes, but I don't know why we're both being sort of coy about it - 'No after you, no after you' - I don't know why we do that. "Somebody's got to take charge, I think, and say, 'I've booked us in, we're doing this. We've got a month to get ready.'" Fry and Laurie reunited in 2010 for a special programme on TV channel Gold to mark the 30th anniversary of their double act. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie on stage at a chairty gala in 2018 (Credit: Getty Images for SeriousFun) They also starred in ITV series Jeeves and Wooster based on the characters created by PG Wodehouse of a fun-loving bachelor and his devoted butler between 1990 and 1993, and also appeared together in comedy series Blackadder. Read more: Stephen Fry talks 'impressive' five-and-a-half stone weight loss Laurie is currently starring in director Armando Iannuccis film adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield, and HBO sci-fi TV series Avenue 5. Former QI host and novelist Fry most recently appeared in the new series of Doctor Who. How screwed are we on a scale of one to 10? Seven? Eight? Nine? Donald Trump has told us to keep calm and carry on spending, attacking the prophets of doom who offer predictions of the apocalypse while the ice sheets melt and the wildfires burn. Were just over a week away from waking up outside the EU, and the optimists are still taunting the realists over Brexit. Boris Johnson has been given trade deal warnings by Brussels and Washington and is also facing a backlash over his immigration plans. But the PM who promised a golden age still believes Britain can defy those he likes to dismiss as doomsters and gloomsters. Im Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independents daily Inside Politics briefing. Inside the bubble Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for in SW1 today: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday sought to assuage concerns of the Muslim community over the new citizenship law and likely NRC. The CM, however, didn't give any assurance to a delegation of Muslim scholars and clergies on their demand to bring a resolution in the state Legislative Assembly against the CAA on the lines of Kerala and Punjab. Thackeray met the delegation at the Mumbai Police Commissioner's office in south Mumbai this afternoon. On the occasion, Raza Academy submitted a memorandum to the CM demanding bringing a resolution opposing the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "The CM told us that Mumbai belongs to every Indian, and like him, every citizen has equal rights over the city," said Sayed Moinuddin Ashraf, President, Jamia Qadriya Ashrafia. "Mumbai is home to everybody and people living here since generations cannot be removed," Ashraf quoted Thackeray as saying. He said the CM didn't assure the delegation about bringing the resolution against the CAA and NRC. Raza Academy general secretary M Saeed Noori said the CM also spoke about maintaining law and order during the anti-CAA protests in Mumbai. He also appealed for maintaining peace and tranquillity in the metropolis. The CM also met 200 more members from the Muslim community on the occasion. Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve and other senior officers were present at the meeting. Amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Left-ruled Kerala became the first state to pass a resolution against the new law, followed by Punjab, which is governed by the Congress. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comprises the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, Jan 22 : After the Jaipur meeting on January 28, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Wayanad on January 30 to lead an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) rally. The Wayanad MP will be in Jaipur on January 28 to address students on issues of economic distress. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the new citizenship law was an attack on the Constitution. "The movement against the CAA shall continue courageously and fearlessly," he said. Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Surjewala said the government was using the CAA as a tool to divide and rule, and to divert the people's attention from economic crisis and unemployment. Schelton Assoumou and Brownstone NYC Continue Empowering Homeowners in Martin Luther Kings Legacy Schelton Assoumou, a New York based real estate developer and Brownstone NYC are continuing their work to empower minorities by sharing knowledge that can help homeowners build wealth through Brownstone NYCs wealth building programs. Assoumou, is hosting an educational workshop with the Pulaski Block Association on Martin Luther Kings birthday: Monday January 20th at 257 Nostrand Ave, 1st Floor at 2pm. Information and knowledge that will help home owners navigate the intricacies of real estate development and financing. Topics covered included: Foreclosure resolution Home improvement Refinancing options Violations removal Selling to Investors Joint Ventures Assoumou and Brownstone NYC, recognize the economic challenges facing minorities and homeowners today. Home ownership is one of the largest components of household wealth, however in a changing neighborhood like the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, this wealth may be squandered due to poor decision making around the sale of a home. Many homeowners in the area have seen their home values appreciate due to a growing demand and changing demographics. However, most are unfamiliar with the proper tools and techniques that can be used to build wealth outside of the property. The sale of the home is seen by property owners as a windfall opportunity to cash out. Brownstone NYC, however, argues that a traditional sale could decrease the proceeds to the homeowner by as much as 30% of the sales price. Instead, Assoumou advocates a Joint Venture relationship that allows the investor and the homeowner to profit. This technique, while common in the real estate investment space, is not well known among homeowners. The detailed contract, extended sale time and investment process leaves opportunity for investors or their attorneys to profit from unsuspecting homeowners. Through his experience with building an investment portfolio of over 100 properties through Brownstone NYC and its predecessors, Assoumou has developed a 5 step process that helps homeowners partner with an investor and make more than a traditional sale. This process allows the homeowner to reap greater rewards and also reduces the risk to the investor. Assoumou views the workshop as a forum to provide homeowners with answers to their questions about selling, flipping or monetizing their homes. There is no cost to attend the event; however, advance registration is requested. Interested parties can contact info@brownstonenyc.com with the subject Pulaski Jan 20. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Eric Reynolds was sleeping after a day supervising middle-schoolers in Yosemite Valley when he was startled awake by the sound of someone pounding on his cabin door. "Mr. Reynolds!" one student said. "My roommate just threw up all over the place!" At first, he assumed it was food poisoning from chicken nuggets. But by the next morning, the young man was running a fever. Then nine additional students fell sick with stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, feverthe characteristic signs of a norovirus infection. As of Monday, one of the West's most majestic national parks had received reports of about 170 visitors and employees with similar symptoms and most had spent time in Yosemite Valley earlier this month. The National Park Service and other health agencies have launched an investigation into the outbreak, casting a pall over Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, when visitors were allowed free of charge into the 1,162-square-mile Sierra Nevada landmark known for its giant sequoia trees, towering granite ridges and tumbling waterfalls. Federal officials are working with Aramark, the concessionaire that operates Yosemite's restaurants, snack shops and hotels, to clean up and disinfect food service facilities in the park, including the famous Ahwahnee hotel, officials said. However, in a statement to Food Safety News, Aramark spokesman David Freireich said that until the exact cause of the gastrointestinal illness is determined, classifying it as foodborne is speculation. Many of the reports involved vacationers in Curry Village, a quaint collection of tents and cabins in Yosemite Valley. But over the past week, there has been a significant decline in the number of new cases, officials said. Looking back, Reynolds said it's difficult to determine the precise moment when the San Francisco Bay Area students he chaperoned caught the gastrointestinal bug during a five-day trip to the park that began Jan. 5. The first signs that something was awry began the third night, which included buffet-style meals at a dining hall in Curry Village. Some of his students wonder if norovirus was lurking in packaged yogurt parfait; in at least one instance, it was sold a week past the sell-by date on its label. Others pointed to scrambled eggs that just didn't taste right, sliced fruit and red Jell-O scooped out of large plastic bowls with the same ladle and utensils that customers pulled out of containers full of forks and spoons. The facility's kitchen also was under construction, and lodgings were, as one 12-year-old said, "filthy, disgusting." By the third night, Reynolds said he and another chaperone were the main caregivers. "We quickly developed a pretty good system of getting sick kids to the restroom and making arrangements to transport some of them home," he said. Reynolds' daughter, 12-year-old Sophie, said the trip home was awful. "Everyone was feeling sick," she said. Veli Waller's sons were among the students sent home early. "My 11-year-old's temperature was 105, my 13-year-old's 103," said Waller, 50, of San Francisco. "And their stomach issues were extreme." Her concerns continued after her children returned to school Thursday. "I couldn't find important details about the outbreak on the Yosemite National Park web page," she said, "such as how the norovirus cases were reported, or how many of the reported cases involved children." Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne disease outbreaks, is particularly challenging to control because children may feel healthy even when they're still contagious. "I think Aramark should compensate these kids," said Leslie Edmonds, 51, whose 12-year-old daughter contracted the illness in Yosemite eight days ago, "because their trip of a lifetime was ruined by this illness and crappy food." Yosemite, which was established in 1864, is no stranger to high-profile outbreaks of infectious disease. In 2017, a Santa Monica middle school temporarily canceled classes after nearly 200 students were potentially exposed to norovirus there. In 2012, a deadly hantavirus outbreak put Yosemitethe heart of the Sierra Nevada economy with 5 million visitors each yearin triage mode. Three people died and six more became ill after staying at Curry Village. The visitors who contracted hantavirus had inhaled large quantities of dust containing urine, saliva and fecal matter from infected deer mice. On Monday, as pine trees threw long shadows against banks of snow edging the roads, rangers struggled to keep up with visitors arriving with the question: "What's the latest on the norovirus?" But Leslie Rodriguez, 21, a University of California, Davis engineering student, came prepared. Her three-day Yosemite itinerary included "bringing my own groceriesand lots of hand sanitizerfrom home in order to avoid restaurants," she said. "I usually bite my nails," she added with a smile. "Not on this trip." Explore further Stomach virus strikes 170 Yosemite visitors, staff 2020 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenias population dropped to record 2,965 million in 2019 as the number of people leaving this country is increasing every year. The country has been losing its population since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan and its occupation of Azerbaijans territories in the early 1990s, which was followed by its economic degradation. According to the latest demographic data published by the Armenian Statistical Committee, the Armenian population began to decline since 1992 but hit the lowest rate in 2019. "If in 1992, 3,633 million people were registered in Armenia, in 2019 this figure decreased by 668,000 inhabitants," the Committee noted in its report. Earlier, Yerevan developed a large-scale repatriation program to remedy the problem. Sisak Gabielian, a member of "My step" Faction and "Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs," shared a post on Facebook on January 8 about a new project designed to increase the number of returnees. "Zero taxes on personal belongings and cars. As they say, we get together with our family, pick up things and return to our beloved homeland..." wrote the parliamentarian. According to the project, all sorts of benefits are provided for those wishing to return or move to a place of residence in Armenia. In Yerevan, it is expected that as a result of the implementation of the program, an impressive quantity of Armenians will return to the homeland. Meanwhile, according to the data from the website of the U.S. State Department, in 2018, 110,725 citizens applied for participation in the U.S gaming visa or Green Card lotteries, which is 14,336 more than in 2017 and 38,871 more than similar applications in 2016. That is, in two years the number of people wishing to flee from Armenia has grown by almost by three times. According to the Armenian Statistical Committee report, only in 2018, 18,500 people emigrated from Armenia. As of October 2019, the population of Armenia decreased by another 11,700 people. Local demographers are already talking about a real demographic crisis in a country. According to unofficial data, the number of Armenian residents barely reaches 2 million, and the population decline over the years of independence exceeded one million people. Repatriation program of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is designed to fill the gaps formed by the Armenians of the Diaspora, but experts doubt its feasibility, even despite numerous benefits. Moreover, Armenian citizens with almost 50 percent poverty are unlikely to understand their authorities, which provide benefits to returnees with acceptable social situation, that the local people could not even dream of. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz YEREVAN. Power corrupts people, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Edmon Marukyan, head of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in the National Assembly (NA), wrote this on Facebook. "Since yesterday, RA [Republic of Armenia] NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan was informed that in accordance with the NA Rules of Procedure, he may apply sanctions against the deputies," Marukyan added, in particular. Yesterday he unilaterally applied sanction (removed from the sessions hall) against the MPs of the [opposition] Prosperous Armenia faction. This morning during the session, the NA speaker again applied unilateral sanction (he announced a warning) against me. Thus, Mr. Mirzoyan applies the sanctions of the rules of procedure adopted by the [former ruling] Republicans toward the opposition factions, deliberately ignoring the facts of making offensive expressions, obstructing the normal course of the session, and other violations by the representatives of his own faction. Twitter video grab Davos/IBNS: Despite repeated mentions by India that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again said he was ready to 'help' solve the dispute related to the region between neighbouring India and Pakistan. This was his fourth such offer since August. With Imran Khan sitting beside him ahead of their talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Trump told media: "Trade is going to be of very, very paramount importance," Trump told media. "We are working together on some borders, and we are talking about Kashmir in relation to what is going on with Pakistan and India," the US President said. "And if we can help we certainly will be helping, Trump said. The Indian government in August scrapped Article 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories. The relationship between India and Pakistan touched news lows following the Indian government's move of scrapping Article 370. The South African army on Wednesday dropped charges against an officer who had been indicted for wearing a Muslim headscarf under her military beret, lawyers said. Major Fatima Isaacs was criminally charged in June 2018 with wilful defiance and failing to obey a lawful instruction after her superior asked her to remove the hijab when wearing her uniform. But at a military court at the Castle of Good Hope near Cape Town, the army withdrew all charges. It said it would allow her to wear a hijab provided it is "a tight headscarf that does not cover her ears, and must be plain in colour." "The withdrawal of charges is subject to her compliance with certain restrictions relating to the wearing of the headscarf," the officer's lawyer, Amy-Leigh Payne, of the Legal Resource Centre told AFP. However, Isaacs is planning to mount a challenge in the equality court over regulations restricting religious wear. Isaacs has served in the army for the past 10 years where she works as a clinical forensic pathologist. "While there is some relief that the criminal charges have been withdrawn, this withdrawal does not address the unconstitutional religious dress policy," said Payne. "In fact, the policy remains in force". The army's spokesman in Western Cape province, Colonel Louis Kirstein, said the armed forces had held talks with the Muslim Judicial Council, a group of Islamic clerics, over the dress code. The group's deputy president Abdul Khaliq Ebrahim Allie said the council is calling for the "recognition of the wearing of the scarf by Muslim women" in the military. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New York-based grocery chain Fairway Market said Wednesday morning it has no plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, following a report that said it was preparing to do so. "Despite reports, Fairway Market has no intention to file for chapter 7 or liquidate all of its stores," a spokesman told CNBC in an emailed statement. "Such statements are categorically untrue and disappointing. Fairway has been engaged in a strategic process and expects to soon announce a value maximizing transaction that will provide for the ongoing operations of stores. Our lenders remain extremely supportive of our efforts. All 14 stores remain open for business, offering a complete range of high quality, specialty food products, and we look forward to seeing our customers and employees." The company shared a similar message on Twitter. tweet The New York Post had reported on Tuesday evening that Fairway was planning, as soon as Wednesday, to announce it would be liquidating its entire fleet of 14 grocery stores in the New York area, including a flagship shop on the Upper West Side at Broadway and West 74th Street. In 2016, Fairway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but managed to emerge after restructuring its business that same year with new management. Only one store was shuttered at the time. Fairway went public in 2013. But it was unable to fend off rival grocery chains, as its debt mounted, ultimately pushing the company into bankruptcy three years after its IPO. As chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have spread across the New York area, it has put more pressure on Fairway and other businesses with smaller footprints to compete, especially on services like same-day delivery. Fairway started on the Upper West Side in the 1930s as a fruit-and-vegetable stand. Burma Myanmar Attorney General Vows to Prosecute Civilian Perpetrators of Crimes Against Rohingya in Rakhine State Deserted Muslim residences in Gaw Du Thara Village in southern Maungdaw Township are torched on Sept. 7, 2017. While it could not be confirmed who was behind the arson attacks, members of the media on tour in the area spotted local non-Muslim looters present at the scene. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy At the Myanmar Presidents request, the Union Attorney Generals Office announced on Wednesday that it will cooperate with related departments to investigate and prosecute cases involving the killing of civilians, property destruction, looting and other serious crimes committed in Rakhine State in late 2017. The Attorney Generals Office said it will conduct criminal investigations in the cases as per the recommendations of the Independent Commission of Enquiry [ICOE] report, which was published on Monday, and will prosecute with sufficient supporting evidence crimes allegedly committed by security forces, civilians, and members and collaborators of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Most of the mass killings in late August 2017 were committed in Min Gyi Village in Maungdaw Township, Chut Pyin Village in Ratheduang Township and Maung Nu and Gutar Pyin villages in Buthidaung Township during armed clashes between security forces and ARSA. At least 900 people were killed in these villages, according to the ICOE report. The militarys court-martial proceedings have so far only covered the Gutar Pyin case. Its own inquiry found that the soldiers there did not fully comply with the rules of engagement. The report said there was no proof of gang rapes, but that military troops used torture against civilians. It also noted that local thugs and security forces looted livestock and other property from homes abandoned by Muslims. It said arson was reported in 13 areas that the ICOE was able to access. Min Gyi Village was completely burnt to ashes, while parts of Chut Pyin and Gutar Pyin villages were set on fire by security forces and their allied thugs. The report also cited witnesses as saying that ARSA members were among the arsonists in some cases. The Myanmar government formed the ICOE on July 30, 2018 to investigate allegations of human rights violations during military clearance operations in northern Rakhine State in October 2016 and August 2017 with a view to seeking accountability and formulating recommendations on steps to be taken to ensure peace and stability in the area. The clearance operations were launched in response to coordinated attacks by ARSA on security outposts in Rakhine State. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh in late 2017. Those who fled recalled arbitrary killings, rape and arson against their property by Myanmar security forces. UN investigators said the operations had genocidal intent. Both the Myanmar government and military have denied that claim. The ICOE submitted its final report with 22 recommendations to Myanmar President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday. The 461-page document denied that killings and displacement of Rohingya Muslims during security forces clearance operations there had genocidal intent, contradicting the findings of UN investigators. But the commission admitted that war crimes, serious human rights violations, and violations of domestic law took place. The ICOE said the government and the military must continue their respective investigations, taking into account the ECVTs findings, referring to its Evidence Collection and Verification Team. It highlighted that more than a dozen case files provide a basis for the requisite further investigations by the Union Attorney Generals Office and the Office of the Judge Advocate General under the reports 31 annexes. According to advocate U Aung Thein, finding evidence to support prosecutions of alleged human rights abuses will be the key to legally proving that the rights abuses happened. He said there may still be some challenges to prosecution given that many of the local residents had fled to Bangladesh. It is important that the prosecution should be right and systematic, he told The Irrawaddy, because the Attorney Generals Office has taken account of the cases, which are no longer merely domestic affairs, but have become matters of international concern involving Bangladesh and the UNs International Court of Justice. On Tuesday, President U Win Myint said he concurred with the commissions recommendations, and had forwarded the ICOEs report to military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for use in investigating and prosecuting the military personnel responsible. Thet Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services (Army Chiefs Office) also said on Tuesday that the military cooperated with the ICOE and was committed to following its recommendations, including that further investigations be conducted. The ICOE report was released just two days shy of the International Court of Justices ruling on whether to approve The Gambias request that provisional measures be taken against Myanmar. The small African nation filed a lawsuit with the court accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya. During public hearings at the court in December, Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told the judges there would be more courts martial after the ICOE submitted its final report. U Thein Than Oo, another advocate, said that while he welcomed the fact that the government is taking seriously the issues in northern Rakhine State, any further investigations and prosecutions by the Attorney Generals Office needed to be transparent, adding that the cases need to be brought before tribunals made up of respected individuals. In Myanmar, we have many ongoing cases under investigation, before both civilian courts and courts martial, and the question is how accurate and independent these enquires are, he added. U Thein Than Oo told The Irrawaddy that, as an independent lawyer, I reckon the ICOE is not so trustworthy as the Myanmar government appointed the members. Even if the findings were accurate, it does not have independence. Therefore its image is not good. The ICOEs findings proved that there were human rights abuses and action needed to be taken against the perpetrators, he added. I dont think all military men were involved in rights abuses, but those who did commit crimes deserve to be prosecuted, he said. Besides, the government needs to enhance international cooperation, especially with the UNs independent Fact-Finding Mission, instead of only working together with those who support it, he said. You may also like these stories: Myanmar President Sends Report on Massacres of Rohingya by Security Forces to Military Chief for More Prosecutions No Genocidal Intent in Security Operations in Rakhine State, Myanmar Commission Says Japan Backs Myanmars Claim That No Genocide Occurred in Rakhine State Press Release January 22, 2020 Do not panic or share fake news on coronavirus - Hontiveros asks public Amidst reports that the new coronavirus may be present in the case of a 5 year-old boy from Wuhan, China who exhibited flu-like symptoms in Cebu City yesterday, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros reminded the public not to share unverified news so as not to sow panic. "Health authorities are still verifying if this is the same as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)," Hontiveros said in a statement on Wednesday. The 2019-nCoV is a cousin of the SARS virus that has infected hundreds since the outbreak in Wuhan district in China in December last year. "In the meantime, I'd like to emphasize that sowing panic will be detrimental to public health," Hontiveros stressed. The Senator reiterated health authorities' call: "I support the advise of the World Health Organization and the Department of Health against sowing public panic," said Hontiveros. "We need correct information to get to the people. Kaya huwag tayong magpakalat ng fake news," Hontiveros further advised. "I-check muna natin kung verified ang source bago natin ito i-share online," she also said. "I am confident that our Department of Health and Bureau of Quarantine are doing their best to protect public health," the Akbayan Senator expressed. "But I ask our authorities to heighten preparation for the influx of more travelers from China due to the Lunar New Year on Saturday," he also urged. Hontiveros also asked the government to make resources available for immediate or emergency response. "Unang-una, dapat may sapat na protective gear para sa mga nasa frontline na health and airport personnel natin. At sa pagkakataong may makalusot, resources should be readily available for a prompt response to contain the virus," she furthered. And the public must still be vigilant, the Senator maintained. "Magsimula tayo sa ating hygiene measures: parating maghugas ng kamay at magtakip ng bibig kapag umuubo," Hontiveros concluded. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / Jordan Lintz is a high scale networker with a great understanding of influencer marketing. At just 23 years old, he owns multiple companies under the brand name, HighKey. Jordan scaled his e-commerce company to achieve the knowledge and connections to begin his social media agency, and Influencer management company. It is reported that Jordan Lintz, along with his partners, will generate over 1-million dollars in sales within one month upcoming in early 2020. They are able to achieve this by running large celebrity giveaway growth campaigns on Instagram. HighKey Clout signs celebrity influencers to help promote their cash and prize giveaway campaigns. These campaigns help grow clients' Instagram accounts. Some notable influencer relationships of HighKey Clout include; @bhadbhabie, @lilyachty, @hammy_tv, @therealtarzann, and more large celebrities with high social media following on Instagram. Jordan Lintz runs an e-commerce company, HighKey Technology Inc., a social media management/branding agency, HighKey Agency Inc., and also the newly founded Influencer management company, HighKey Clout Inc. Influencer marketing is using influencers on social media to gain brand exposure. Jordan Lintz mentioned, "It will be the talk of the next decade." He truly began his influencer marketing journey over three years ago with growing HighKey Technology's following on Instagram. All of the HighKey companies are closely tied in with Influencer marketing. That is how Jordan Lintz's companies have grown continuously on social media. With such success growing multiple businesses, Jordan says it's is the most scalable way to grow your online brand now that it is 2020. He believes people need to invest in their online brand for a more successful future. Jordan Lintz works closely with American influencers to push HighKey's North American brand. The majority of HighKey clients are based in the USA, so they greatly benefit from the targeted quality following. "The greatest part of influencer marketing is it's a branded audience by the influencer themselves. They are already proven to engage and like the content of influencer enough to respond on a call to action. That's branding. Sometimes, working with influencers can be difficult, but every situation is different. The payoff of dealing with difficult influencers is getting the chance to work with some great influencers that you can work long term business with." Jordan offers some advice when working with influencers effectively; "You should always give more than you take. See both sides of the deal with a large perspective and make sure the influencer is comfortable to make more content," Jordan said. After working in the influencer space for so long, Lintz suggests that Influencers are the future and there's a huge gap in the market, where influencers will be signed eventually like Lebron is to Nike. Jordan Lintz is in full belief that you need to be heavily involved in influencer marketing over the next 10 years. As Jordan concluded, "Anyone can work with influencers! But, if you're just starting or you're in the later stages of building a business and you need marketing, make sure you are still using targeted influencers. Business is based largely in the USA so they must gain majority USA following, or else conversions mean nothing!" Get to know more about Jordan Lintz and the HighKey brand here. CONTACT: Trenten Huss tjh@highkeyagency.com (204) 698-6281 SOURCE: HighKey Agency View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573829/How-Jordan-Lintz-is-Making-7-Figures-on-Influencer-Marketing Tesco Bank is creating 120 new jobs in Edinburgh and Newcastle as part of wider investment. The bank is recruiting test, software and systems engineers, systems architects, solution designers, project managers, and IT and business analysts. It is envisaged that 100 of the new roles will be based in Edinburgh and 20 in Newcastle. This is in addition to 20 roles created when Tesco Bank announced Newcastle as the home for a new leading-edge technology hub in November. Tesco Bank is creating 120 new technology and change jobs in Edinburgh and Newcastle to help us deliver solutions that will better meet the needs of Tesco shoppers. For more info about the roles, salaries and benefits, and how to apply, please visit: https://t.co/SYp8QnHxsm pic.twitter.com/T6HRpF16qj Tesco Bank (@TescoBankNews) January 22, 2020 David Bowerman, chief operations officer at Tesco Bank, said: Its an exciting time at Tesco Bank as we invest to develop propositions which better meet the needs of Tesco shoppers. We know there are deep talent pools in Edinburgh and Newcastle, and we hope to tap into these further as we bolster the technology function that does so much to help deliver for more than five million customers every day. We are looking for people who want to work collaboratively as part of an agile team, with new cloud-based technology, in a business with exciting plans and potential. Successful applicants will join strong, established teams working on innovative projects and delivering positive change as part of a globally recognised brand. Expand Close Derek Mackay (Jeff Holmes/PA) PA Media / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Derek Mackay (Jeff Holmes/PA) Scotlands Finance Secretary Derek Mackay MSP said: With world-leading universities and new digital academies offering a great variety of choice for careers in the industry, as well as an increase in the number of agile start-ups, its no wonder that Edinburgh is becoming one of the UKs thriving tech hubs. This latest investment by Tesco Bank will further add to Edinburgh and Scotlands appeal as a destination for highly trained tech jobs, and help to create a more dynamic and innovative side to our financial sector. Paladion's AI-Driven MDR Our MDR solution stands out from the competition by utilizing key AI-Driven insights to detect threats before they become a breach. Paladion, a global leader in AI-Driven Managed Detection and Response, today announced that it has been selected as the cybersecurity provider of choice by a leading financial services company in the Caribbean. Paladion was chosen to implement its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solution for the company, which provides many financial services to its members, including loans, mortgages, credit cards, merchant services, and more. For companies in the financial services industry, cybersecurity is a top priority. As security threats become more advanced and challenging to detect, more companies are looking for better solutions to keep their data secure. Our focus at Paladion is to provide the best possible cybersecurity for our clients, said Rajat Mohanty, CEO at Paladion. Our MDR solution stands out from the competition by utilizing key AI-Driven insights to detect threats before they become a breach. This proactive model allows companies to investigate, auto-contain threats, and orchestrate a response before a catastrophic security breach can occur. Paladions MDR solution provides threat intelligence, threat hunting, security monitoring, incident analysis, auto containment, and incident response. It goes beyond traditional security monitoring to analyze critical data, including endpoints, user behavior, application, and network. The benefits of this next-generation solution include: Threat anticipation: Anticipate potential threats in advance using contextualized data Threat hunting: Identify and hunt stealth attack campaigns before they can cause a breach using AI-driven insights Security monitoring: Monitor and protect your systems in real-time from known and current attacks. Incident analysis: React to individual needs of a company based on high-level insights and industry trends Auto containment: Machine learning algorithms allow you to contain attacks in minutes, not days. Response orchestration: Evict attackers, eradicate threats, and advance your defenses faster. Our AI-Driven MDR solutions enable businesses to stay one step ahead of security threats, said Mohanty. We value each of our clients and continue to work to ensure that they can avoid security breaches and can instead focus on the services they provide without worrying about security threats. For more information about Paladions client partnerships and its Managed Detection and Response solution, contact us here. About Paladion: Paladion is a next-generation cybersecurity provider to technology, manufacturing, and cloud-first companies across the United States. They are consistently recognized and rated by independent technology advisory firms for their Managed Detection and Response Services, Cloud security, and Vulnerability Management & Response services, which is anchored by their patented Artificial Intelligence platform AI.saac. For more information, please visit https://www.paladion.net. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: Another stage of negotiations will be held soon to sign a new agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas told reporters in Baku, Trend reports on Jan. 22. Jankauskas stressed with confidence that both parties will make every effort to sign a cooperation agreement in a short period of time. The head of the EU Delegation emphasized that a number of issues that have not yet been agreed upon regarding cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan are related to the trade and economy. Jankauskas reminded that the second round of the EU-Azerbaijan Security Dialogue was held in Baku in December 2019. "The EU officials participated in the dialogue, the head of the EU Delegation added. A number of meetings were held with Azerbaijani officials. The format of further negotiations between Azerbaijan and the EU was discussed during these meetings. Paris (AFP) - Hardline French unions on Wednesday kept up a series of wildcat strikes aimed at ratcheting up pressure on the government before it presents the final version of a pension reform that has prompted France's biggest labour protest in decades. The government will unveil the revised pensions overhaul at a cabinet meeting Friday before submitting the draft law to parliament for debate set to begin on February 17. "It's going to be Friday or never," Philippe Martinez of the hardline CGT union told BFM television on Friday. Union leaders launched a crippling train and metro strike against the reforms last month, but those disruptions have largely ended after officials dropped plans -- temporarily at least -- to extend the age for a full pension to 64 from 62. But opposition has since shifted to more radical actions such as power cuts and port blockades, as well as mass occupations of the headquarters of the moderate CFDT union by more militant rivals. Strikers from the CGT's energy branch have also halted output at France's biggest hydro-electric plant, at Grand'Maison in the Alps, following a series of cuts that have interrupted power to thousands of homes and businesses. Prosecutors said two union workers at national grid operator Enedis in the Dordogne region had been detained for questioning over the power outages, which officials say could have put ordinary people's lives in danger. Prosecutors also said Wednesday that Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Budget Minister Gerard Darmanin have received death threats over the pension reform. A letter to one of them contained two bullets, with the message: "You must convince... Macron that's enough, to drop his reform, otherwise it's a massacre." - Roadblocks - Striking workers also blocked access to the industrial port at Ambes near Bordeaux, and set up roadblocks on a main highway leading to Rouen. In the central city of Tours, police evacuated a university site occupied by protesters for the past 10 days. Story continues In Paris, teachers, street sweepers, government workers and other civil servants threw down uniforms, copies of France's labour code and other items in front of the finance ministry. Several hundred employees in the retailing and services sectors also marched toward the Opera Garnier in the French capital, fearing they would suffer in particular because pensions will now be based on lifetime earnings, instead of the 25 best years of salary. "Women make up 80 percent of retailing employees, and many work only part-time," said CGT representative Amar Lagha. "Calculating retirement on the basis of an entire career is going to penalise them," she said. Unions have vowed a new day of mass walkouts on Friday, when the government unveils the draft bills it hopes will be approved by parliament before the summer. The overhaul does away with France's 42 separate pension schemes in favour of a single system, with every worker earning points based on their earnings. The move has infuriated public-sector employees as well as lawyers, physiotherapists and even Paris Opera workers who currently benefit from special regimes that offer early retirement and other benefits. Macron says the new system will be more transparent and fairer, in particular to women and low-income workers, and has promised the reform will include a minimum pension payout of 1,000 euros ($1,100) a month. But unions argue the changes would force everyone to work longer or face curtailed pension payouts. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday once again targeted Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Amit Shah, addressing a pro-CAA rally in Lucknow, on Tuesday had said the new citizenship law will not be withdrawn even if the protesters continue their agitation against the legislation. Responding to this, Sibal took to Twitter and said that the Home Minister should not be "afraid" of the protests but should have the "courage to listen and try and understand the concerns of the protesters." 'You should also know that they are not afraid of you' Amit Shah in Lucknow: We are not afraid of protests True Mr Home Minister . You should not be afraid but should have the courage to listen and try and understand their concerns . That is your duty as a public servant . You should also know that they are not afraid of you Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) January 22, 2020 Amit Shah said, "Modiji got CAA, now Rahul (Gandhi) and company, Mamata (Banerjee), Akhilesh (Yadav), sister Mayawati, the entire brigade is doing 'kau kau kau' against CAA." Accusing the Opposition of propaganda, Amit Shah justified BJP's awareness campaigns saying, "The anti-CAA parties are spreading propaganda and spreading lies that is why the BJP is running Jan Jagran Abhiyan, which is a public awareness campaign against those who want to break the country." 'The Citizenship law won't be rolled back at any cost' "Let it be very loud and clear to our opponents that the citizenship law wont be rolled back at any cost, irrespective of the protests," Amit Shah said over CAA, which enables the government to grant citizenship to non-Muslims coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. "I have introduced this bill in the Lok Sabha. I want to tell the opposition that you should discuss this bill publicly. If it can take citizenship of any person, then prove it and show it." READ | 'NCP-Congress trying to sideline Sena, all they want is to remain in power': Kirit Somaiya READ | Shiv Sena refutes Congress claim, says no question of it allying with Cong in 2014 Soon after the Home Minister's remarks where he dared Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi to debate with him on CAA, Congress on Tuesday fielded senior party leader Kapil Sibal to challenge PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to debate with him on all aspects of CAA, NRC and NPR. I challenge the PM and the HM to debate with me, anywhere and any time of their convenience... I will expose their lies, Sibal said at a Congress press conference. READ | Congress airbrushes own Netas out of video hailing 'organic' Shaheen Bagh protest READ | 'It was a planned attack': BJP's Mahendra Solanki on scuffel with Congress' Jitu Patwari An Oscar voter indicated that films 'Joker' and 1917' would win big at the award show in the midst fallout over lack of diverse nominations that the source claimed was indicative of the lack of 'richer roles' for actors of color - before expressing desire for both Eddie Murphy and Will Smith to get nods. The source - speaking anonymously - saw the WWI era film winning in the 'Best Pictures' category. The source also saw Sam Mendes winning in the 'Best Director' category. 'To conceive of and figure out how to do it and get actors that managed to pull this off was remarkable,' the source explained to the Daily Beast. 'I saw it on the big screen and the little screen, and it holds up on the latter.' The source - speaking anonymously - saw the WWI era film winning in the 'Best Pictures' category. The source also saw Sam Mendes winning in the 'Best Director' category The Oscar voter saw Mendes beating out Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, a lauded film that has dominated both domestically and internationally. 'Mendes will win,' the source claimed. 'He went above and beyond making a film that was astoundingly different, without the ability to juxtapose one scene with another for effect.' The Oscar voter saw Mendes beating out Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, a lauded film that has dominated both domestically and internationally. When talking about the 'Best Actor' category, the source asserted that Joaquin Phoenix was a shoe in for winning the award for his work in 'Joker.' 'Joaquin created a character that is so familiar in so many ways with actors from Jack Nicholson to Heath Ledger and all of a sudden, Joaquin found a different take,' the source said. But while the source praised Phoenix's performance, they did express their disappointment of two black actors who were left from the nomination list for that category. 'I was hoping Eddie Murphy would get in there. I loved 'Dolemite Is My Name,' the source added. They later stated: 'Another film that was completely overlooked was Gemini Man. I thought Will Smith did an amazing job.' As far as the lack of diversity in this year's nominations - Cynthia Erivo is the only black actor nominated for an award - the source expressed concern over what they perceived as a lack of roles for actors of color. When talking about the 'Best Actor' category, the source asserted that Joaquin Phoenix was a shoe in for winning the award for his work in 'Joker.' But the source expressed wishes that Eddie Murphy and Will Smith would have gotten nominates 'When the #OscarsSoWhite backlash happened, we were all thrown under the bus by our own Academy for seemingly being biased So they added a lot more members, making sure it was diverse,' the source said. 'But what also came out of that was an extra fringe benefit of youth. Suddenly an entire group of voters was plugged into social media in a way the older voters were not. 'So now comes this year, where the grumblings are happening again, but this time its harder to throw the Academy members under the bus because we are more diverse now. Cynthia Erivo was the only black actor nominated for an Oscar The source saw Laura Dern winning the 'Best Supporting Actress' category for her work with 'Marriage Story' 'I think it points to what the other issue was that got buried under the controversy, and that is the need to develop more projects that are richer in roles for actors of color and even stronger directing opportunities for women.' One notable name missing from the nominations list - Jennifer Lopez. The source felt that the actress did a 'good job' even though the film 'Hustlers' wasn't there particular cup of tea. 'Its not a personal thing against her,' they said. 'She was in a very lackadaisical film and she did admirable in it, but didnt really shine. The hype exceeded the actual performance.' The source expressed hope that Renee Zellweger would win 'Best Actress' for the film 'Judy.' They also shared hope that Laura Dern would win the 'Best Supporting Actress' category for 'Marraige Story' while Brad Pitt would win 'Best Supporting Actor' for 'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood.' Autoimmunity may explain why an important immune system is absent in many bacteria New findings from University of Exeter researchers reveal how bacterial immune systems can be harmful for their hosts and explain why they are not found in many bacteria. CRISPR-Cas is an immune system that protects bacteria against infection by viruses (called phages). The system works by stealing a small piece of viral DNA and using this to target and destroy matching sections of virus genome during a future infection. Targeting by CRISPR-Cas breaks down the virus genome, meaning that new copies of the virus cannot be made. Previously, the Westra and van Houte groups of the Environment and Sustainability Institute on the Universitys Penryn Campus in Cornwall showed that CRISPR-Cas can provide excellent protection against lytic phages, that is phages that multiply inside the host cell and cause the bacterial cell to burst releasing more viral particles (10.1016/j.cub.2015.01.065, 10.1038/nature17436). However, it is common for viruses to follow a lysogenic lifestyle, meaning they can integrate into the host genome and become dormant until a trigger (often associated with host stress, or signals from other phages) causes them to re-enter the lytic pathway. Lead authors of the current study, Clare Rollie and Anne Chevallereau, both working in the Westra group, explain that: Our new results show that the immune system was not able to eliminate lysogenic phages and often led to damaging autoimmunity for the host during phage infection. This type of autoimmunity was caused by the CRISPR-Cas system targeting viral DNA that had been incorporated into the hosts own genome, leading to host cell death and virus release. They found that bacterial cells that had lost the CRISPR-Cas system from their genome avoided the damage caused by autoimmune targeting, survived and proliferated. Here, the absence of this key immune system was an advantage, explain the authors. They also highlight that anti-CRISPR proteins, which are small inhibitors produced by the phage to counteract the host CRISPR-Cas immune response and had previously been thought to only benefit the phage that makes them, also provide protection for the host. In this scenario, disabling the host immune system blocks autoimmunity and prevents bacterial death. Bacterial autoimmunity is brought about by imperfectly matching spacers sequences that guide the CRISPR-Cas system to viral DNA. The authors showed that these imperfect matches to phages occur frequently in nature and so this autoimmune effect was likely to be a common consequence of possessing a CRISPR-Cas system. Importantly, this may help to explain why CRISPR-Cas is only present in about 40% of bacterial genomes and is frequently gained and lost from closely related strains. The research was carried out in collaboration with theoreticians from the University of Montpellier (France) and bioinformaticians from University of Otago (New Zealand). University of Exeter researchers were funded by the European Research Council, NERC Independent Research Fellowship and a Marie Skodowska-Curie fellowship under the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The paper, published in the journal Nature, is entitled: Targeting of temperate phages drives loss of type I CRISPRCas systems. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1936-2) The Assam Rifles (AR) has termed a woman IPS officer's allegations that she was assaulted and molested by a rifleman at a Manipur check post as "baseless, fabricated and malicious" and accused her of illegally entering Myanmar and purchasing unidentified goods there. However, AR assured to investigate the matter and ensure a "free and fair trial". Based on a written complaint of the IPS officer, police has registered an FIR against rifleman P K Pandey for allegedly physically assaulting and molesting the woman at the Khudengtabi check post in Tengnoupal district while she was returning from the India-Myanmar border on January 19. The state women commission has summoned the rifleman to appear before it on or before January 27 and forwarded the woman's complaint to the National Commission for Women and the Chief Minister's Office. Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said that as an FIR has been lodged, Assam Rifles has been asked to hand over the rifleman as per law. "We will take legal actions," he said. The paramilitary force, in a statement issued on Tuesday evening, said, on January 19, the IPS officer's car had bypassed vehicle scanning and jumped the queue at the check post. The vehicle was stopped by AR troops and the passengers were asked for their identification which is routine at the check post, the statement said. "The woman along with her armed male escorts, all in civil dress, started arguing in an ignoble and indecorous language. This was possibly with an aim to avoid checking of unidentified and suspicious stores loaded in the vehicle," it said. The statement said that despite repeated requests, the woman refused to divulge her identification and told the troops, "Don't you know me?". She then started clicking pictures which was objected to by Rifleman P K Pandey as photographing such a sensitive check post is prohibited, it said. It said that two senior Assam Rifles officers had requested her to resolve the matter amicably to which she replied, "Jawan ko mere saamne jhukaake dus joote maaro toh main apology accept karungi (I will only accept the apology if the jawan is hit with shoes)". The woman officer and her escorts were moving in civil clothes with their personal weapons without any escort vehicle outside her area of jurisdiction, the statement said. "It is unimaginable that a jawan tried to molest or physically assault an IPS officer. In fact, it is the other way round wherein she was shouting on a jawan...It is a sheer case of misuse of official position, power and arrogance shown by the officer," the statement said. The AR said it also has video of the woman entering Myanmar and loading her "so-called official vehicle" with suspicious goods. It said drugs worth more than Rs 500 crore were seized near the India-Myanmar border since January 1, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) B usiness chiefs have backed rejecting a blanket 30,000 minimum salary threshold for immigrants arriving in Britain after Brexit. Earnings are still expected to be a significant part of the Governments proposed new Australian style points-based system for immigration. But decisions on applications will also be influenced by other factors such as educational qualification levels, type of job being sought, ability to speak English and possibly a willingness to work in particular regions. We are delighted the Prime Minister recognises that a 30,000 salary threshold would jeopardise key sectors of our economy, such as retail, hospitality, and construction, said Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of London First. When the Immigration White Paper is published in March, it is vital that the Government designs a system that not only provides the control that is desired, but also reflects the needs of all parts of the economy. Conservative MPs are divided over the previously proposed 30,000 minimum salary barrier. North Dorset MP Simon Hoare tweeted: We need an immigration system that delivers for ALL sections of the economy. Controlling our own borders doesnt mean closing them. However, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stressed the Government should be cautious on changes to the salary threshold as it could make it more difficult to control immigration levels. "Nepal and India will benefit from this cost-effective Integrated Check Post. The loading and unloading, which earlier took a lot of time, will be saved," Bhatta told ANI.Taking about the effect of ICP on Nepal's industry and economy, he said: "Thanks to the already existing industrial corridor at Biratnagar, the production will increase. Goods coming from a third country will easily get transported."On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart KP Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated the ICP at the Jogbani-Biratnagar border in a bid to facilitate trade and people's movement between the two countries.Built by the Indian government at a cost of NPR 2.24 billion, the ICP puts in place systematically planned, properly inter-connected and efficiently managed border check-posts at the authorised Jogbani-Biratnagar border crossing point.The ICP has integrated three main border-related functions, that is, customs, immigration, and border security and facilitates the movement of both passenger and freight between the two countries, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement."Biratnagar is the third-largest revenue collecting check post on Nepal side and is expected to reduce the waiting and processing time considerably," the statement read.The ICP is equipped with all modern facilities like warehousing facilities including the refrigerated cargo, electronic weighbridges, 100 per cent power backup, fire safety, dedicated communication network, and 24x7 monitoring through CCTV and Public Announcement systems, the statement added.Adequate facilities for quarantine, amenities for drivers, passengers, and security personnel have also been created, along with a wastewater treatment plant and large scale landscaping and tree plantation to conserve and enhance the environment.For the construction of these houses, the Indian government is contributing USD 100 million grants and a USD 50 million soft loans."For ensuring that the home-owners rebuild their homes with earthquake-resilient features, the Government of India has hired the services of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, respectively," the statement read.To date, as many as 45,057 houses have been constructed. India has so far reimbursed an amount of NPRs 6.96 billion from grants and NPRs 3.11 billion from soft loans to Nepal. (ANI) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 25, 2019. (Reuters/Carlo Allegri) Australian Prime Minister Flags Importance of Hazard Reduction To Prepare For Future Bushfires Australian PM Flags Hazard Reduction To Prepare For Future Bushfires Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that hazard reduction measures are as necessary as carbon emissions reduction to prepare the country in anticipation of future bushfires. Morrison said that if a proposed royal commission or national inquiry into the bushfires goes ahead, it should examine how states are reducing fire risks. You talk about action on climate change, thats what that ishazard reduction is action to take account of the climate were living in, which is a more challenging environment over the next decade and beyond, and hazard reduction is as important as emissions reduction, Morrison told Sky News in an interview on Tuesday. The prime minister pointed out that currently in Australia, there is not a national system of reporting to track how hazard reduction is progressing. He added that there are a number of issues at hand, such as land-clearing laws, and how native vegetation and national parks are managed, that require more transparency. These are all responsibilities of the states, and Im not making any argument for the federal government to be intervening in any of these areas. But there is, I think, a very reasonable expectation people have that there are national standards [and] transparency around how this is being achieved, he said. Morrison said that if a royal commission does go ahead, he wants it to run for just six months or less: I dont think it needs to go for 12 months. I dont think it needs to go for more than half that period of time, and I will want answers to ensure that were prepared as we go into the next fire season. Morrison added that there have been 100 inquiries or thereabouts that have been conducted since the Ash Wednesday bushfires in February 1983. The federal government deployed 890 Defence Force personnel in December 2019 in response to the bushfires under the respond-to-request instructions from state governments, Morrison said. On Jan. 4, the federal government changed the respond to a request instruction to a move forward and integrate instruction. That gave the Defence Force Chief authority to act regardless of a state government request, wherever and whenever they were needed to respond to the bushfires. Morrison noted that since the change in instruction, were now at over 6,500 personnel. They have provided amazing support in cooperation with the states. All through December people were saying to me why arent you calling out the defense forces? Well, we had, the defense forces were engaged, Morrison said. He pointed out that the change in the instruction to move forward and integrate involved the first-ever, never been done before compulsory call out of the military reserve forces in response to a bushfire crisis that Australia has seen. I want to know where the authority is established for the Prime Minister, for the Federal Government, to be able to take the initiative Now thats no criticism of the state governments; I want to make this very, very clear. They have done an amazing job, and particularly in fighting the fires that they have done has saved countless lives, saving countless properties, they have been extraordinary. Rubble is seen at a property damaged by bushfires in Kangaroo Valley, Australia, Jan. 20, 2020. (Reuters/Angie Teo) The bushfires in Australias east have killed 29 people and many millions of animals, both wild and domesticated since September. More than 2,500 homes have been destroyed. Morrison in early January committed AU$2 billion (approximately $1.37 billion) over the next two years to a bushfire recovery fund for those affected by the latest blazes. On Monday, Morrison announced a federal relief package that would give businesses with significant damage or a notable dip in revenue because of the fires access to grants, loans, and tax help. Businesses and organizations that have sustained damage as a result of the fires can access up to $50,000 in grant funding (tax-free), read the announcement on the prime ministers website. To provide maximum flexibility for eligible businesses, loans of up to $500,000 will be offered for businesses that have suffered significant asset loss or a significant loss of revenue. The loan would be for up to 10 years and used for the purposes of restoring or replacing damaged assets and for working capital. Reuters contributed to this report. "I think absurd is exactly the right word," said Saudi Prince Faisal A security forensics team working on the matter of Amazon chief Jeff Bezos's hacked phone and leaked dick pics reports that without a doubt, it all started when Bezos got a video over WhatsApp from Mohammad Bin Salman. The Amazon mogul met Prince Bone Saw, who is widely believed to have ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, at a dinner in 2018. Bezos got a weird message from MBS, who he trusted, and after that video attachment, Bezos's phone started pushing out tons of data. Cory Doctorow blogged his take on the matter here earlier today. So, today, the Saudi foreign minister has of course totally denied everything. Because of course, just like they denied murdering Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Wednesday that an allegation MBS was involved in the plot to hack the phone of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was "absurd," reports Reuters: "I think absurd is exactly the right word," Prince Faisal told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. "The idea that the crown prince would hack Jeff Bezos' phone is absolutely silly." Two United Nations officials will report on Wednesday that there is enough evidence suggesting that Saudi Arabia had hacked Bezos' phone and both the kingdom and the United States should investigate, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier on Wednesday. Previously on Boing Boing: Forensics team accuses Prince Bone Saw of hacking Jeff Bezos's phone to obtain kompromat and force Washington Post silence on Khashoggi [Cory Doctorow] Read more at Reuters: Saudi foreign minister calls claim that Crown Prince hacked Bezos phone 'absurd' The Auburn Enlarged City School District won't go forward with a proposal to tax consumer utilities. The district said in a news release Tuesday that a public hearing on the matter set for Jan. 28 and the subsequent vote has been canceled. The district opted not to look further into the possibility after "a considerable amount of feedback from the community," the news release said. The district would like to thank the community for all of the feedback, Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo said in the news release. After many phone calls, emails, and face to face discussions, we have received enough feedback to determine that this is not what the community wants. We heard your concerns, which is why we decided not to move forward. Under state law, small city school districts can impose taxes on utilities including natural gas, propane, electricity, telephone, cell phones and coal. District officials and board members discussed the possibility of imposing such taxes at a meeting Jan. 14. District business official Lisa Green said the district could have imposed a utility tax up to 3%. A public hearing on the utility taxes would have been required, followed by a majority board vote. The news release said the board continuously searches for new revenue sources to the meet students' "ever-growing needs" and give them the best possible education. A total of 25 out of 57 small city school districts in the state have utility taxes in place, the news release continued, adding that "the Auburn board would be doing its students and educators a disservice if they had not at least looked into the tax as a possibility to help save jobs and improve programming." The district has eliminated more than 100 positions over the last five years, including general education teachers and art and music instructors, the news release said. The district also added that it is "now faced with the need to provide more support staff to address the increasing of mental health and safety concerns." The district has long argued that foundation aid the base aid districts receive from the state is underfunded, based on old data and not given equitably to school districts based on need. If the state would give us our fair share of foundation aid, we would not even have to consider options such as implementing a utility tax, Auburn board president Kathy Rhodes said in the news release. It is the boards responsibility to provide high quality and competitive programming to our students, so we need to look at any and all options that will help us do that. Pirozzolo said that the district will continue its advocacy work with the state and he hopes the community joins officials in that effort. Love 10 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 2 On January 7, 2020, a Delhi court issued death warrants for the four convicts in the Delhi gang-rape case. During the court hearing, mother of one of the convicts, Mukesh Singh, approached the mother of the deceased victim known to the world as Nirbhaya, and asked for forgiveness: Please forgive my son, she pleaded, I am begging you for his life. Asha Devi, in tears, replied: I had a daughter too. What happened to her how can I forget it? I have been waiting for justice for seven years... The judge asked for restoration of order in the courtroom and the date of hanging was fixed. What do we make of this exchange between the two women? Does the plea for forgiveness have any space in legal process and courtrooms? Does it move the victims mother and disrupt her desire for retributive justice? Does law allow her to ever reach forgiveness? Asha Devi responded by saying how can I forget, but is forgiveness about forgetting? Is it even about condoning? Anti-apartheid and human rights activist, Desmond Tutu writes in No Future Without Forgiveness: In forgiving, people are not being asked to forget. On the contrary, it is important to remember, so that we should not let atrocities happen again. Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done. It means taking what happened seriously and not minimising it; drawing out the sting of the memory that threatens to poison our entire existence. It involves trying to understand the perpetrators and so have empathy to try to stand in their shoes and appreciate the sort of pressures and influences that might have conditioned them. An act of forgiveness cannot be limited to religious terms, as merely a pious act ordained by God. It cannot even be decided and adopted as a social or legal virtue. Instead, forgiveness is something to be arrived at (if at all) through a difficult and demanding psychic journey. This journey involves the victim to retrieve what happened and the range of emotions related to it; it demands the perpetrators acknowledgment of his/her own actions as well as the truth of victims experience; it also creates conditions for the victim to mourn the lost object as well as the lost part of the self. The process of mourning, little understood and widely pathologised, may allow the victim to see the impossibility of getting even with the perpetrator. This may enable her to recognise the futility of revenge (personal or institutionalised), and perhaps open the path towards forgiving what appeared unforgiveable. Violence experienced by the victim/survivor is devastating not just on account of the actual injury, but because it destroys the victims own sense of being. The self is totally lost as the victim is psychically gripped by the perpetrator resulting in revenge fantasies. Justice in this imagination takes the form of sadistic delight in getting back at the other (as is witnessed in the euphoric outbursts at surgical strikes, hangings, mob lynchings, besides the courtroom applause after verdicts confirming death sentences). Forgiveness in this context is an act of liberation from the psychic entrapment of the perpetrator. It is the victims assertion of regaining the lost power not by retributive rage but by freeing oneself from anger, vindictiveness and hatred that the perpetrator had set in motion. Even more radically, forgiveness is an act of interpretation. It is giving meaning to a reality that seemed to have no meaning (and was thus traumatic). This requires building an empathic dyad with the perpetrator and attempting to see what was totally clouded by the pain of the wound. In this regard, South African writer, Sindiwe Magonas novel Mother to Mother comes to mind. Magonas narrator, Mandisa (whose son was part of the mob of black youth that killed American Fulbright scholar Amy Elizabeth Biehl in 1993) traces the life history of her son and the realities of apartheid in Guguletu, South Africa, that scarred their lives. It is a mothers lament as she asks for forgiveness: My son killed your daughter [...] God, you know my heart. I am not saying my child shouldnt be punished for his sin. But I am a mother, with a mothers heart. The cup You have given me is too bitter to swallow. The shame. The hurt of the other. The young woman whose tender life was cut so cruelly short. God, please forgive my s on. Forgive him this terrible, terrible sin. Mandisas rendition is not a plea for pardon for she knows her son ought to be punished. It is rather an attempt to bring in understanding in the psychic place dominated by hatred, rage and retribution; an understanding of the structural violence that turns young, passionate, vulnerable boys into unthinking, ruthless killers. Her narration emerges from the unbearable shame she experiences from the hurt of the other, for what her son did. The shame of being the mother of the one who has mercilessly killed anothers daughter. But Mandisa asks for forgiveness from God, not Amy Biehls mother, perhaps knowing fully well that an act of human forgiveness needs the actual culprit to acknowledge the wrong, it requires the victim to mourn, to heal. Mandisas narration seeks to open the space for understanding the person her son had become, a possibility that was denied to Mukesh Singhs mother. The issue was not that she was asking for forgiving what was unforgiveable, the issue is that her utterance has no place in the legal process. Mukesh Singhs mothers plea for forgiveness was an emotional and meaningless utterance in the existing legal imagination. She stood there in the courtroom without a name, without a story, an outsider to the legal process even as she possessed (at least) some parts of the knowledge of how her son became the person whose life does not seem liveable. The conversation between the mothers was not made possible by the law. Rather, it was made impossible because of the law and existing legal procedures. This is the bane of the state criminal justice system, dominated as it is by ideas of deterrence, incapacitation and retribution The adversarial legal system, driven by the police and lawyers, discourages any communication between offenders and victims, leave alone a dialogue that may make healing, forgiving and reconciliation possible. How would a legal system that allows for such communication look like? Perhaps this would require a new vocabulary of justice, even of peace. It would entail giving voice to those directly affected and encourage face-to-face interactions between the wrongdoers and victims by shifting the focus from retributive punishment to restorative and therapeutic justice. We will have to imagine a legal culture that would allow for multiple stories to surface in order to understand how and why people become criminals. Only then can the con versation between the two mothers take place meaningfully. The writer teaches at the Indian Law Institute and works at the intersection of law,emotions andpsychoanalysis Eight tourists died of suspected suffocation in a hotel near Kathmandu after trying to keep warm by using a gas heater. Eight Indian tourists, including four children, have been found dead in their room at a hill resort in Nepal on Tuesday, police said. The eight two couples and their four children had slept in one room at a hotel in Daman, a popular tourist destination in Makwanpur district about 55 kilometres (34 miles) from Kathmandu known for its panoramic views of the Himalayas. They were found unconscious this morning and airlifted to Kathmandu but died during treatment, police spokesman Shailesh Thapa Chettri told AFP news agency. Deeply distressed by the tragic news of the passing away of 8 Indian tourists in Nepal.Our Embassy @IndiaInNepal hs been closely following the situation.Embassy officials are stationed at the hospital& are providing necessary assistance.Our thoughts are with the bereaved families Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2020 We suspect they died of suffocation, but autopsy reports will confirm the cause, Chettri added. The families used a gas heater in their room to keep warm, a district official told AFP. They were part of a group of 15 who had travelled to Nepal from the southern Indian state of Kerala. A doctor at the Hospital for Advanced Medicine and Surgery in Kathmandu, Kamal Thapa, said the eight people showed no signs of life when they arrived at the hospital. Tourism is a major source of revenue for Nepals economy, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs. Last year just over 1 million tourists visited the country, of which the biggest contingent around a tenth came from India. Accra, 22 January, 2020 Newmont has announced a refreshed brand, name and logo to reflect its strong and stable foundation following two historic transactions in the company's operations in 2019. The two transactions Newmont's successful combination with Goldcorp and the Joint Venture with Barrick have both transformed Newmont into a truly international organization with unmatched portfolio of assets and prospects globally. The Company's refreshed brand was unveiled to mark Newmont's entry into its next centenary of superior performance, value creation and sustainability leadership which begins May 2, 2021. Approaching 100 years as a global leader in mining, the 'Newmont' name is well recognized in Ghana and beyond and has been an iconic brand among the S&P 500 and various indexes. The updated Newmont logo leverages the gold triangle from the previous logo which represents the apex of the industry and the pinnacle of leadership to anchor the strength and stability conveyed by the new logo. As a valuable asset within the Newmont portfolio, the Africa region, which covers the Ahafo North Project, Ahafo South and Akyem mines, has a significant role to play in realizing a future of superior performance, long term value creation and environmental stewardship. Our updated logo and brand demonstrates our agility, strength and stability as a business,'' said Francois Hardy, Regional Senior Vice President, Newmont Ghana. While our proven strategy and core values remain key to our ongoing success, we've updated and adapted our brand to reflect our position as a transformed business and the world's leading gold company. For us in Ghana, this new this new chapter presents an opportunity to continue to partner with our stakeholders to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining, Francois Hardy added. About Newmont Ghana Newmont Ghana is the country's leading gold producer and operates two gold mines: the Ahafo Mine in the Ahafo region and the Akyem Mine in the Eastern region. The company is a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation, the world's leading gold business. Commercial production at Ahafo began in 2006 and at Akyem in 2013. The Company currently employs over 5,500 employees and contractors. Its Ahafo mine was named Mining Company of the Year in 2016 and Ghana's Corporate Social Responsibility Organization for 2018, while the Akyem mine was adjudged the Best Company in Ghana for 2015 and 2016. Iraq's president warned Wednesday against pushing the country to choose sides in escalating tensions between neighbouring Iran and the US, both allies of Baghdad. Addressing world leaders at the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Barham Saleh said a recent parliamentary vote to oust foreign forces from Iraq should not be understood as a sign of "hostility". Parliament held the vote two days after a US drone strike near Baghdad airport killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and prompted retaliatory strikes from Tehran on an Iraqi base hosting American and other foreign troops. The Iraqi president said the vote was "not a sign of ingratitude or hostility," but a response to a violation of his country's sovereignty. "The escalating tensions between Iran, the Gulf states, and the United States over the past month have reminded us that our aspirations remain subject to political disputes beyond our control and to unwelcome foreign interference," Saleh said. "It is not in our interest to choose to ally with one side at the expense of others, as long as both respect our sovereignty and independence." He added that "no country should seek to dictate to Iraq" the nature of its relationships. Saleh also hinted that the tensions could derail a rare chance for progress in Iraq after decades of conflict, most recently against the Islamic State group. "If our neighbours and allies remain at odds, our sovereignty is not respected and our lands are used as a battlefield, then we cannot hope to achieve our own change agenda," he said. He condemned acts of violence against the months-long protests movement rocking Baghdad and Iraq's Shiite-majority south, which has left hundreds dead since October. Saleh had earlier met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the world summit, hosting a brief press conference but brushing off questions on parliament's vote. A source from his office told AFP the leaders had discussed the US drone strike on Baghdad as well as the withdrawal of forces from Iraq. The source said Trump told Saleh that he "does not want to stay in Iraq" and would draw down forces in an "unprecedented way", but insisted that any withdrawal must be done in a way that is not insulting or disrespectful to Washington. Saleh insisted that the US must not restrict Iraq's access to its oil revenues, which are held in an account at the Federal Reserve in New York. He also stressed that it was crucial to Iraq that the US renew a waiver allowing Baghdad to buy Iranian much-needed gas despite Washington's sanctions on Tehran. The exemption is set to expire in mid-February. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia's President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump walk during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Despite the awkwardness of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial and a dispute over Russia's mega gas pipeline to Europe that could shut out U.S. natural gas imports, chief executives in the country are hopeful that Moscow and Washington could reset relations this year. That hope stems from an apparent rapprochement between Russia and its immediate neighbors in Ukraine and Europe, coupled with an increasing weariness among most western nations regarding the continuation of sanctions on Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin's announcement of constitutional reforms last week, which many hope will revamp Russia's economy, have also added to optimism regarding political and economic change in the country. Russian CEOs told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos that they hoped Putin's reforms, that hand more power to Russia's parliament and led to the installation of a new technocrat Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, can lead to improvements not only to Russia but to its relations with other global powers, especially the U.S. "I very much hope that it would also lead to changes in relations (with the U.S.) but the problem is that this is a two-way street," Herman Gref, the chief executive and chairman of Sberbank, told CNBC Tuesday. "So it is also about trust, a lot would depend on the U.S. elections. So if the relations between the leaders (of our two countries) are based on mutual trust nothing would stand in the way of such a reset. We pin a lot of hopes on such a reset and businesses need it badly," he told CNBC in Davos, Switzerland. US-Russia relations U.S.-Russia relations have been scrutinized since Trump's election to the White House in 2016. Russia was accused of meddling in the vote in favor of Trump and to the detriment of Democrat Hillary Clinton although an inquiry led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find sufficient evidence that Trump's team coordinated with Russia to influence the result. Since then, Trump's relationship with Putin has been in the spotlight and has put the president who has often shown admiration for his Russian counterpart in a tricky position. Trump has been pressured by many U.S. lawmakers to maintain and increase sanctions on Russia for meddling, as well as its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, and the nerve agent poisoning of a former Russian spy in the U.K. Recently, relations have also been strained over Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany. The U.S. sees the pipeline as a way for Russia, already the predominant natural gas supplier to Europe, to cement its control on the region's energy market. Many see the U.S.' objections to the pipeline as coming from the fact that it wants to increase its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe, however. Nonetheless, the U.S. president gave the green light to sanctions on the pipeline in December. Arguing that those kinds of restrictions were "politically motivated" and unhelpful, Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of Russia's $10 billion sovereign wealth fund RDIF, told CNBC that 2020 could still be a good year to reset U.S.-Russia relations. "We actually believe that this year could be a good year to improve relations with the U.S. Frankly, we can solve lots of anti-terrorism fighting together, we can do lots of things together so, of course, there will be lots of geopolitical and political attacks inside the U.S. but we believe the backdrop is good to improve Russia-U.S. relations this year." Dmitriev said there were signs of a rapprochement between Russia and its neighbor Ukraine after several years of frosty relations following Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its support for a pro-Russian uprising in the east of the country. That action led to a protracted conflict in the region and thousands of deaths and peace talks have only recently re-started between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by France and Germany. For three years, Hillary Clinton has watched the Democratic Party search for a path forward in the Donald Trump era. Shes watched as liberals and moderates clashed on how best to fight Trump and a White House that was almost hers Washington: For three years, Hillary Clinton has watched the Democratic Party search for a path forward in the Donald Trump era. Shes watched as liberals and moderates clashed on how best to fight Trump and a White House that was almost hers. Shes watched as some voters questioned the electability of the six women running for president, doubts that she once faced. Shes watched as Senator Bernie Sanders has risen, after his withering opposition to her in the 2016 presidential primary, to become the dominant liberal force in the 2020 race. And shed largely refrained from weighing in until Tuesday morning, when The Hollywood Reporter published an interview with Clinton promoting a new documentary about her that will premiere on Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival. In the documentary, she rips into Sanders and declines to say if she would endorse him and campaign on his behalf if he were to win the Democratic nomination. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician, she said. Its all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it. Asked by The Reporter recently if that assessment still held, she replied, Yes, it does. Her remarks ricocheted across the Democratic Party on Tuesday, threatening to reopen the barely healed wounds of the 2016 primary, a race that quickly turned from a near-coronation of Clinton as the partys first woman nominee into a bitter battle that exposed a deep ideological rift among Democrats. That split over what direction the party should take is now a major issue in the current primary, with Sanders arguing for the full-throated leftist agenda and others counselling moderation. At the same time, he is engaged in a standoff with his liberal ally in the 2020 race, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, that has divided some on the Left, over her accusation that he told her in 2018 that a woman could not win the presidency. Sanders has denied that remark. Clinton, for her part, seized on it and said it was part of a pattern, noting that he said in 2016 that Clinton was unqualified to be president. Some Democrats fear that Clinton is adding fuel to the tensions within the party, whose leaders have spent years trying to overcome the lingering hostilities of the 2016 campaign, hoping to unify Democrats around the singular mission of defeating Trump. I just dont think its appropriate for Democrats to be criticising other Democrats, especially with personal attacks like that, said Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, who supported both of Clintons primary bids. I understand why there can be bitterness out there. I believe we just need to leave that behind us. Representatives of both Sanders and Clinton moved quickly to try to quell the furore on Tuesday. Fresh off recent battles with not only Warren but also former vice-president Joe Biden, Sanders campaign was eager to avoid another fight that would distract from his closing message less than two weeks before the Iowa presidential caucuses. Sanders apologised on Monday to Biden after a Sanders campaign surrogate wrote an opinion article accusing the former vice-president of having a big corruption problem. Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Washington, Sanders said: Secretary Clinton is entitled to her point of view. My job today is to focus on the impeachment trial. When asked for his response to Clintons assertion that no one liked him, he joked that on a good day, my wife likes me, so lets clear the air on that one. Clinton tried to clarify her remarks Tuesday evening. I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views! she wrote on Twitter. But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee. Those who have spoken to Clinton recently confirm that she has every intention of supporting the Democratic nominee even if Sanders ends up winning the primary. Still, even some longtime allies were shocked that she voiced such criticisms of Sanders in an election year, so close to the start of primary voting. They were far less surprised by the content of her remarks. Sanders denial in his dispute with Warren over whether he had told her a woman could not defeat Trump infuriated Clinton, according to people close to her. Sanders subsequent refusal to chastise his supporters for attacking Warren and her team online only added to her concern. Its not only him, its the culture around him. Its his leadership team. Its his prominent supporters. Its his online Bernie Bros, Clinton told The Reporter. It should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture not only permitted, seems to really be very much supporting it. People close to Clinton say she has grown worried that attacks from Sanders campaign could hurt the future Democratic nominee in much the same way that she believes they did lasting damage to her. She worries he will not drop out of the race even if it becomes clear he cannot win the nomination, a situation that could exacerbate divisions in the party. Clinton also does not believe Sanders could beat Trump, telling friends for months that he has never sustained harsh attacks from fellow Democrats on his record and self-described democratic socialism. Since Sanders endorsed Clinton in July 2016, the acrimony between the two camps has lingered. Clinton and her former aides maintain that his endorsement came too late and was too lukewarm to truly unify the party. Some supporters of Sanders still argue that the Democratic National Committee rigged the rules to help her secure the nomination. Unlike nearly all of the other two dozen Democratic candidates this primary cycle, Sanders did not call Clinton before he entered the race. Jane Kleeb, the Nebraska Democratic Party chairwoman, said that she understood Clintons concerns but that voicing frustrations was unproductive for the party. She has obviously a very different vantage than any of us ever will. She worked her entire career and she was taken down by forces out of her control, said Kleeb, who backed Sanders in the 2016 primary but recalled crying as she listened to Clintons audiobook about her campaign. I understand why shes frustrated with Sanders but I also think this is time to go after Trump. Though Clintons presidential defeat still weighs heavily on her, friends say she is busy with a variety of other projects, travelling to accept awards and honorary degrees. An avid theatre-goer, she attends Broadway shows and has been spotted at several concerts, including Fleetwood Mac, Earth Wind and Fire, and Billy Joel. She spends a lot of time with her three grandchildren and, this fall, released a book profiling gutsy women with her daughter, Chelsea. Still, at times, Clintons pique about 2016 has come out. In December, she participated in a two-and-a-half-hour interview with radio host Howard Stern, during which she argued that Sanders hurt her during the 2016 campaign. Among some in Sanders campaign, there was hope that Clintons remarks would lead to a similar bump in fundraising. On Twitter, the hashtag #ILikeBernie became a top trending topic. Many supporters pounced on Clintons remarks, arguing that she remained out of touch with the working-class Americans who back Sanders. No apologies, no backing down, the scorn and hatred that all of official Washington DC and the Democratic Party has for him and his supporters is his closing case, Will Menaker, a host of the progressive podcast Chapo Trap House, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. They are corrupt and evil, they hate him and they hate you because you are not. Alexandra Rojas, the executive director of the progressive group Justice Democrats, called Clintons statement unacceptable, out of touch and dangerous. Though some of his supporters and staff members have been itching for confrontation, Sanders has rejected recent traps to get him to relitigate 2016. Last week, after Trump tried to goad Sanders by saying the Democratic Party was rigging the 2020 election against him again, he refused to bite and instead issued a statement attacking Trump. Yet the furore over Clintons remarks is unlikely to die down anytime soon, as she continues promoting the new documentary, Hillary, which is set to be released on Hulu a few days after Super Tuesday. She obviously has deeply held feelings about what happened in 2016 and is hellbent on stopping Sanders now, said David Axelrod, who served as a top strategist on Barack Obamas primary bid against Clinton in 2008. If the goal of Democrats is to win, Im not sure that interventions like this are likely to help unify and mobilize all elements of the party in the fall. She, of all people, should know that. Lisa Lerer and Sydney Ember c.2020 The New York Times Company The Nigerian government may have lost about N4 billion in three years, owing to illegal practices and corrupt activities of companies operating in the mining sector in Nigeria, two separate solid minerals audit reports by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative have revealed. The many schemes through which these companies have defrauded the Nigerian government include non-remittance of revenues, unlicensed mining and evasion of taxes, illegal practices, and incessant smuggling of solid minerals out of the country. Contradictions in data Analysis of the NEITI solid minerals audit reports done by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, showed contradictions between the reconciled data of many extractive companies and those of government agencies. The review of NEITIs 2015 and 2016 Solid Minerals Audit Reports showed that the export data of some mining companies were not captured by regulatory agencies of government. For example, export figures declared by companies like Coltan Mineral Resources and Astro Mineral Resources were missing in the report by Nigeria Custom Service. The 2015 audit report revealed unreconciled differences of about N4.74 billion (N4,736,884,784.3) in the data of the mining companies when compared with the declared figures by government agencies. Previous reports also showed that the 13 per cent derivation payments to solid-mineral producing states were not paid. In addition, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development did not put in place a framework for separating solid mineral revenues. Also, the indices for sharing accrued revenue from the sector were also not available to the RMAFC. Payment of Royalties In 2014, exports figures reported by companies were different from those declared by government agencies. For example, Tongyi Allied Mining Ltd exported 35,939.4 tons of lead zinc in the year 2014, according to records from the Nigerian Customs Service, but the company was reported to have paid royalties for 10, 870 tons of lead zinc by Mines Inspectorate Department. Accordingly, NEITI lamented it was unable to reconcile data between any of the government agencies and those reported by companies. A worrisome trend that suggests shady practice and loss of revenue to the Nigerian government. In the 2016 audit report, it was revealed that the total royalty payment declared by UNICEM, a mining company, was N71.6 million (N71,635,522.11) in 2016 as per Ministry of Mines and Steels Developments records. The company denied the audit team access to its documents during the validation visit. However, at the tripartite reconciliation meeting which the company attended, the audit discovered an irregular issuance of receipt for the sum of N28,813,021.20. While the receipt with number Z009454299 was issued on May 24, 2016, three other receipts nos: Z009449771-3 were issued for the same amount on August 11, 2016. It was further confirmed that the payment of N28,813,021.20 with receipt number Z009454299 issued on May 24, 2016, was not included in the sum declared by the Ministry of Mines and Steels Development. In addition, the audit team was not provided with evidence of bank lodgment to confirm the receipt by the government. The reconciliation discovered a difference between the Free on Board (FOB) value of the quantity of minerals exported by Tongyi Allied Mining Ltd and export records submitted by NCS. Based on Nigeria Customs Services records, the company exported 5,521 tons {5,521,520 net mass (kg)} of lead/zinc concentrate and/or lead ore in 2016. However, Tongyi declared 3,100 tons and paid the sum of N7,425,000 as royalty as against N12,847,455.75; thus leaving a difference of N5,422,455.75, which represents payment for the undeclared 2,421 tons. The report also discovered a case of underpayment of royalty, where withholding tax (10 per cent) was wrongly deducted on the royalty payable but not remitted to the government, thus making the government lose even more revenue due to it. Specifically, Dangote Cement Plc underpaid royalty at its Obajana Plant by such deductions, to the tune of N40 million (N40,023,670.56). The report revealed that multiple business activities of some operators limit the extent to which some statutory payments (e.g. taxes) in respect of their extractive activities can be identified and reconciled. This practice is mostly found among the companies in the construction and cement manufacturing sectors. In the report for 2016 solid minerals activities, three companies denied the audit team access to their records during data validation and failed to attend reconciliation meeting. The companies are BUA International Limited (Okpella site, Edo State), Hajaig Construction Company Limited and Pioneer Sinochino Investment Ventures Limited. The revenue contributed by these companies was N44 million as per government declared revenue or 0.1 per cent of the reconciled figure; hence not material to affect the outcome of the report. It was also revealed that some expatriate companies do not have a trackable record of tax payment in Nigeria as they do not keep their accounts within the country, and they prepare their accounts in a language other than English. This was the case for Mercury Mining Investment, owned by the Chinese and is situated on the Benin-Ore road, Ofusu, Ondo State. According to the report, the company has not kept its activities records and books in its Nigerian premise. Instead, they are in China, and they have no evidence of tax payment. Consequently, this made it impossible to verify, validate and reconcile their Company Income Tax (CIT), Value Added Tax (VAT), Education Tax (EDT) and Withholding Tax (WHT), royalty and other fee payments to the relevant government agencies. Advertisements Activities of unlicensed miners and exporters The NEITI report states that activities of unlicensed miners are prevalent within the industry, leading to even more loss of government revenue. According to Abubakar Bwari, the Minister of State, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, more than two million people in Nigeria profit off illegal mining in the country. Moreover, the NEITI reports have shown that Nigerias vast landmass may pose a serious challenge to enforcing the laws and regulations relating to the mining sector. Some of these laws have not been designed to achieve effective monitoring and compliance, measurable to global standards and best practices. Although the Mining Police and the Mines Inspectorate was established to monitor and enforce compliance by all industry operators, illegal miners, including Asian and African immigrants, currently populate the industry with unapproved mining sites in different locations across the country. According to NEITI, six states in Nigeria have been identified as the top destinations for the illegal mining of solid minerals in the country. Of the six states, Niger State leads with 10 illegal mining sites where minerals such as gold, lead, zinc and tantalite are consistently extracted, illegally. Plateau State is next on the list with seven illegal mining sites yielding tin, columbite, barite and zinc. Ebonyi and Imo States have five illegal mining sites each, while Enugu and Zamfara states have four sites from where minerals, which include lateritic soil, lead, zinc, and gold are mined illegally. The audit of the operational processes and financial payments to Nigeria from companies that mine Nigerias mineral ores have shown that a lot of Nigerias minerals were exported from Nigerias shores without legal permits and with no benefits to the country. Mining infographics The statutory requirement is that mining companies must obtain permits from the countrys Ministry of Trade, regularly, before they can export solid minerals. Unfortunately, most of these mining companies have continually violated Nigerian laws by exporting minerals without beneficiation, an action that has come at a huge cost to Nigeria and has affected the countrys revenue base significantly. The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 require that any exporter of solid minerals must request for a permit to export evidence of a request for a permit to export minerals by the exporters are not provided according to the report. According to the former Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chair of NEITI Board, Kayode Fayemi, the continuous presence of foreign nationals, who are the major patronisers of mined products from artisanal and small miners, have led to reduced value addition, revenue leakages and inaccurate transaction records. Despite potential, mining sector still largely underdeveloped According to the NEITIs occasional paper on Improving Transparency and Governance for Value Optimisation in Nigerias Mining Sector, Nigeria is enriched with over 34 commercially viable solid minerals deposits across the country. From 1903, the country had modest exploration and exploitation with intermittent growth, up to 1960. Tin, columbite, coal, and so on, were the early solid minerals that contributed significantly to Nigerias economy but declined due to the oil boom that started in 1970 till date. The recent return and attention to solid minerals was necessitated mainly by international oil politics, and the need to diversify Nigerias economy. In comparison with other countries with similar potential, Nigerias mining sector is still largely underdeveloped. This is in spite of the sectors promising performance a few decades ago, and despite huge proven deposits of valuable minerals across the country, the potential of which is comparable to other moderately to highly endowed nations. Until recently, when there was a slight improvement, the sectors contribution to Nigerias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was not more than 0.5 per cent. This contribution is a reversal from the historically higher percentages of about 4-5 per cent in the 1960s and 70s. Though Nigerias economy is highly dependent on oil as the main source of revenue, the country has over 34 natural resources cut across the thirty-six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. READ ALSO: These resources include limestone, gold, coal, gypsum, kaolin, sapphire, granite, copper, iron ore, sand, clay, laterite, bitumen amongst others. According to a report, the natural resources sector of Nigeria loses N50 trillion annually to untapped resources. With the obvious challenge of the Nigerian government to meet its financial obligations and achieve its long term economic diversification plan, the long-forgotten minerals and mining sector is now thought to be the new frontier of salvation, with its potential, according to government records, to generate N8 trillion naira annually. Nigerias federal officials estimate that the current commercial value of seven of the countrys solid minerals [iron ore, coal, lead/zinc, bitumen, gold, limestone and barite] run into hundreds of trillions of dollars. Indeed, Nigerias office of export promotions claims that the country loses about $40 billion annually in unexploited gold alone (168.29 per cent of Nigerias 2017 budget of N7.28 trillion); higher than oil revenue in 2015 ($37billion), and far higher than the 2016 oil revenue of $26 billion. FIRS, Customs keep mum With the many differences identified in the reports examined, PTCIJ made a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Nigerian Customs Service for details of exports by the identified mining companies. The organisation, however, declined to provide any response to several Freedom of Information (FoI) requests made by PREMIUM TIMES asking for actual data on remittances by Coltan Minerals. These companies are responsible for the extraction of valuable minerals such as gold, ore or other geological materials from the earth in Nigerian land without direct benefit to the government of Nigeria or its citizens. Meanwhile, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), responsible for tax collection on behalf of the federal government, has failed to deliver on this duty and also refused to release the details of tax remittances by mining companies to PREMIUM TIMES. Efforts to acquire the details of tax remittances were unsuccessful as the content of the reply received from the FIRS on this, reads: On the basis of section 50(1-3) of FIRS (Establishment) Act, 2007, it is an offence for an officer of FIRS to divulge any information that relates to the taxes paid by any company as staff are mandated by the act to regard all documents, information, returns, assessments lists relating to the profits (and by extension, the tax paid) of any company as secret and confidential. The FIRS further argued that the nature of the request, which is the tax remittance figures of Mercury Mining Investment for 2015, cannot be divulged because it contravenes section 14 (1) (d) of the FOI Act, 2011. Development experts concerned The culture of opacity around government financials has been a major concern for Nigerians and policymakers, especially in the extractive sector. For ages, issues of transparency have dogged Nigerias extractive industry. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) was set up in 2004 to ensure due process, transparency and accountability in payments by the companies and revenue receipts by the federal government. A development activist with Connected Development, Busayo Morakinyo, said opacity in the extractive sector is no longer a new thing. Look at whats happening in Zamfara State where illegal mining is on the rise and the resultant conflict that follows, he said. Look at Plateau State, we have a whole lot of illegal mining going unabated and the government seems unbothered. When you relate to data, we should focus more on other sectors. As much as the extractive industry is key to our development as a nation, deliberative secrecy in the operation of this sector is a bad omen for our nation to attain developmental heights. Right now, we have no idea of fuel usage in Nigeria not to talk of barrels of oil, Its not new again that NNPC has been declaring loss in the past years. Its now a must for citizens to be deliberate about holding government accountable if not Nigeria may never get better. Way Forward Recent years have seen intense debates between the government, the National Assembly and companies around issues like fiscal obligations and environmental liabilities. Contract transparency in the extractive sector would establish an even playing field of information and encourage better-informed debates. Disclosing contracts, which to date remain shrouded, could be another way to demonstrate the new way of doing business. Contract transparency could have deterred some of the poor oil. Establishing this practise now, would deter future lopsided deals, creating a strong anti-corruption legacy. Also, a number of recommendations have been made by the NEITI in its previous edition of solid minerals audit reports. For example, its 2016 report recommended that for the purpose of recovery of unpaid royalties by mining companies, the government should review the year 2015 export documents to ensure that royalty payments on solid minerals are adequately confirmed at the export point. It also recommended that the state mines officers and surveillance team of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development should remain active and equipped with knowledge on measurement machines (and methods) for quarries and mines for effective quantity determination and royalty calculation. Support to this report was provided by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) and it is made possible through funding support from Trust Africa. The Industry ministers were reappointed to their posts in the government for various reasons, including effective work and influence of state corporations, a leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Igor Yushkov told Vestnik Kavkaza. Speaking about Minister of Energy Alexander Novak, he noted that Novak fulfills an important mission - the implementation of the OPEC + deal. "According to the Russian leadership, this deal helps to keep oil prices at a high level - about $60 per barrel, which allows Russia to form a balanced budget. The OPEC + deal is perceived as Novak's personal initiative - he communicates with the Saudis and other parties to the deal. In this regard, he effectively fulfills his mission and theres no reason to dismiss him," Igor Yushkov explained. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dmitry Kobylkin retained his position due to the influence of NOVATEK. "One of the most powerful political groups backs him. On the one hand, he was recently appointed to this post, so there have been no complaints yet, on the other hand, NOVATEK supports him," the lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation said. Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov will continue to work in the government due to a combination of both factors. "Manturov is perceived by the president as a rather effective minister, first of all, implementing the import substitution program. As long as import substitution is developing, there is no need to dismiss him. In addition, Manturov is traditionally supported by Rostec, which is a very significant lobby," the economist said. He also commented on the appointment of Maxim Reshetnikov as Minister of Economic Development. "Economic policy will not be radically changed under Reshetnikov. The main task that has been set for him is improving funds management efficiency," Igor Yushkov concluded. Yesterday, President of the Union of Oil and Gas Producers of Russia, Gennady Schmal expressed confidence of reappointing Novak, Manturov and Kobylkin to their posts in Mikhail Mishustin's Cabinet. Iranian leader warns Europeans of tough consequences if they renege on the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran will never seek nuclear weapons with or without the nuclear deal, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday. He also called on European powers to avoid the United States mistake of violating the historic 2015 nuclear accord with major powers. We have never sought nuclear weapons With or without the nuclear deal, we will never seek nuclear weapons, said Rouhani, according to his website. Rouhani said his country was still committed to the agreement, but warned any violation by signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as its formally known will have consequences. In reaction to Washingtons withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and its reimposition of crippling sanctions, Iran has gradually rolled back its commitments. Im telling European countries: we are in the JCPOA. We havent withdrawn from the JCPOA. We dont want to destroy the JCPOA. We are committed to the JCPOA. The reduction in our commitments is according to the JCPOA. If you violate, if you renege on an agreement, you are responsible for all consequences. We are not responsible for the consequences, said Irans president. Tougher decisions Rouhani said Iran could reverse its steps away from compliance if other parties fulfilled their obligations. However, Rouhanis chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, warned on Wednesday that quitting the nuclear deal was one of Irans options, according to the official IRNA news agency. The threat came after European nations suggested they may bring Irans breaches of the accord to the UN Security Council, which could lead to the reimposition of UN sanctions. It was discussed that its possible some may take Irans file to the Security Council If this happens we will take tougher decisions such as leaving the nuclear deal, said Vaezi, adding Rouhani previously raised the possibility in a letter to the European powers. Other Iranian officials have threatened a range of steps, including quitting the deal or even withdrawing from the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the basis for global nuclear arms control since the Cold War. Avoid military escalation French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that France will be inflexible about Irans nuclear ambitions, and his country is determined Tehran will never acquire nuclear weapons. In the current context, France is determined that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, but also that we avoid all military escalation in the region, Macron said. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Europe yielded to pressure from Washington by launching the dispute mechanism in the nuclear pact. He has cited a threat of US tariffs if European capitals did not take action. When E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid Trump tariffs last week, I warned that it would only whet his appetite, he tweeted. EU would do better to exert its sovereignty. European diplomats say they would have triggered the dispute mechanism regardless of any US tariff threats. Authorities in Cambodia have arrested two police officials for their roles in an alleged torture case that resulted in the death this month of a man who was detained for joining a land-rights protest. Tuy Sros, a resident of the Ou Chrov district of Banteay Meanchey province, died in police custody on Jan. 1 after being held from Dec. 28 to Dec. 31 following the protest, in which four other villagers were also detained. Authorities on Jan. 18 arrested Colonel Sar Bunsoeung, Banteay Meanchey deputy provincial military police chief, and First Lieutenant Chhoy Rathana, an officer working with the provincial anti-drug office, a commission set up by Cambodias National Military Police to investigate the case said in a statement on Sunday. The two officers were charged with intentional violence and aggravated assault after they confessed to being negligent in their duty by allowing the five villagers to be assaulted by other detainees who had been taken into custody on drug charges, the statement said. The detention of Sar Bunsoeung and Chhoy Rathana, who since Sunday have been held at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court amid an investigation into their case, came after Prime Minister Hun Sen last week ordered the arrest of those responsible for torturing the villagers. On Tuesday, a witness to the torture named An Roun, told RFAs Khmer Service that he was questioned by members of Cambodias Ministry of Interior for around half an hour about what he had seen, after testifying before the National Military Police commission last week. I saw it with my own eyes after I was awoken by the sounds of hitting and shoutingthey held [Tuy Sros] nose and mouth closed [to keep him quiet] while they kneed him in the chest until he fainted for around 20 minutes, and then they started beating him again, An Roun said. The officer named Sar Bunsoeung hit the victim and pointed a pistol at his temple, threatening to kill him, saying, I took 11 bodies out of this place, do you want to be the 12th? An Roun also claimed that Tuy Sros died because of injuries he sustained from beatings and torture while held from Dec. 28 to Dec. 31. Soeung Senkaruna, an official with local rights group Adhoc, told RFA on Tuesday that the arrests of the two officers was insufficient and demanded an investigation to find out who else is responsible for the torture. He also called for a probe into who was responsible for releasing a statement by Banteay Meanchey authorities in the immediate aftermath of Tuy Sros death saying that he had died as a result of sickness. The statement was fake and there should be an investigation resulting in an administrative punishment for those who released it, he said. Soeung Senkaruna said authorities have questioned the villagers involved in the incident because many people are interested in what happened, and investigators are keen to show that they are working on the case. But he cautioned against them issuing an inaccurate report to senior officials, calling for transparency and proceeding according to the law to find justice for the victims. Fourteenth assault The developments in the alleged torture case came as police from Phnom Penhs Pou Senchey district on Tuesday interviewed Khieu Din, a member of Cambodias banned opposition party, after he was attacked by two unknown assailants with a pole a day earlier while he was riding his motorbike. The attack left Khieu Din with a broken skull and made him the 14th activist with the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to face an assault by masked men since Sam Rainsy, the acting president of opposition, in August last year announced plans to return home from self-imposed exile to lead a restoration of democracy in the country through peaceful protests. Khieu Dins wife, Pich Sokna, told RFA that her husband was not involved in any disputes prior to the attack and said he is cooperating with authorities, including by providing them with security camera video of the incident. District Police Chief Morm Vuthy said authorities are reviewing the security camera footage, but that the suspects rode a motorbike without a license plate, making the case difficult to investigate. Phnom Penh CNRP Chief Morm Phalla told RFA the attack was politically motivated, echoing earlier statements by the opposition that the string of assaults was part of a campaign orchestrated by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to sow fear within the community. Police have yet to arrest any suspects in the cases. Adhocs Soeung Senkaruna on Tuesday urged authorities to find those responsible for the attacks and hold them to account. If the attacks were politically motivated against party activists, it creates a very bad image for Cambodia, he said. Treason trial In September 2017, Cambodian authorities arrested CNRP President Kem Sokha for attempting to topple the government, and the Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP two months later for its role in the alleged plot. The move to dissolve the CNRP was part of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for his CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. Kem Sokhas treason trial began on Jan. 15, with prosecutors at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court showing a two-minute clip of a video they say is proof that the CNRP chief committed conspiracy with foreign powers, but his lawyers said it lacked the context of the full hour-long footage and could not be used to convict him. Kem Sokha faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if he is found guilty. The video cited as evidence by the court was recorded in 2013 and shows Kem Sokha discussing a strategy to win power at the ballot box with the help of U.S. expertsthough the U.S. Embassy had rejected any suggestion that Washington was interfering in Cambodian politics at the time of his arrest in 2017. On Tuesday, Kem Sokhas lawyer Chan Chen told RFA that the court had agreed to show the whole hour-long video after the trial reconvenes on Jan. 22, and that the footage will prove his innocence. Court authorities have also agreed to allow reporters and NGOs to monitor the trial for the first time after initially reserving 30 seats for diplomatic staff and family members, but facing criticism from local rights groups and the international community for not providing greater access to the public. They said that 10 spots will be made available to the media and NGOs on Wednesday and Thursday because the court will not question witnesses yet. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Pheap Aun and Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trumps impeachment trial entered its second day Wednesday as House managers began presenting their case to the Senate. Here are the latest developments: Trumps Defense Is Confident in Acquittal (10:21 p.m.) There is no question that Trump will ultimately be acquitted in the Senate, according to Jay Sekulow, one of the lawyers representing him. It would take 67 senators, including at least 20 Republicans, to remove Trump from office. Sekulow said he and other Trump lawyers expect to begin their case on Saturday, and they havent decided how much time theyll need. Sekulow said it was interesting that Democrats used selective quotes and video clips from the Houses witnesses, but when you read the transcripts, they also said things that were very positive about the president and the presidents policies. So we may be talking about some of that. He also defended the invocation of executive privilege to prevent some Trump administration officials from testifying. Schiff Makes Subpoena Case by Using Suspense (8:42 p.m.) As the prosecutions case stretched into the evening, Schiff made a vivid case for more evidence. He spoke about a rare direct cable from Bill Taylor, formerly the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo raising concerns about security aid for Ukraine. In Taylors House testimony last year, he recounted the highly unusual step of writing his cable in the first person, a break with department norms and the only such cable he had ever sent, Schiff said. Schiff then asked a rapt Senate chamber if they wanted to hear what it said, adding after a pause, I would like to read it to you right now. Except I dont have it because the State Department wont permit it. He used the same tactic at various other points in his presentation regarding other documents and witness testimony. Each time, Schiff asked senators if they would like to know more about the point he was making, urging them to vote in favor of subpoenas. There are documents that prove this, Schiff said. Theyre yours for the asking. Republicans Unmoved But Some Are Listening (7:26 p.m.) Several Republicans signaled during a break in the trial that theyre unmoved by the first part of House managers case for removing Trump from office. GOP Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, a member of Mitch McConnells leadership team, said he has little doubt that later, after senators ask questions of both sides, Republicans will unite behind a plan to move swiftly toward an acquittal and reject calls for new witnesses and documents. At the end of that, most senators will be pretty well informed on which way they are going to vote and arent going to need any additional information, Barrasso said. GOP Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina asserted that Democrats are using the trial as part of their attempt to take control of the Senate in Novembers election. The goal of this entire process is not to remove the president from office; its simply to remove certain Republican senators -- Colorado, North Carolina, Iowa, Maine, Arizona -- from office, Scott said. Texas Republican Ted Cruz said House Democrats have made Hunter Bidens testimony crucial because their argument is that Trump wasnt justified in asking Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son. That means the Senate also should have more information about whether Joe Biden acted corruptly to protect his son, who was serving on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural gas company, Cruz said. GOP Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana expressed a different view. Ive learned a lot and I think everybody has, he said. Senators didnt know the case. We didnt stay glued to the television, we hadnt read the transcript. Its like doing your taxes. Its been very informative, Kennedy said. Trump Sets Record for Presidential Tweeting (5:25 p.m.) Trump set a record for presidential tweeting as House managers presented their case in his impeachment trial, according to a tally by the website Factbase. The site counted 125 tweets on Wednesday -- most of them retweets -- as of 4:25 p.m. Washington time, beating his earlier total of 123 on Dec. 12. Trump was especially busy on Twitter as he returned from a trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he boasted about his handling of the U.S. economy and attacked Democrats over their impeachment efforts. Many of the tweets and retweets related to the Senate trial, where House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff presented senators with a dark portrait of a deeply flawed, even dangerous president as he argued that Trump should be removed office. -- Justin Blum Trump Team to Challenge Case Aggressively (5:06 p.m.) Trump attorney Jay Sekulow said the presidents defense team plans to challenge aggressively the case for his impeachment after House Democratic managers finish their arguments. Theres a lot of things that Id like to rebut and we will rebut, Sekulow told reporters after House manager Adam Schiffs opening presentation. Democrats have argued that Trump abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival. Sekulow said Schiff accused Trump of a quid pro quo by linking security aid to the investigations he wanted from Ukraine. But Sekulow urged reporters to notice whats not in the articles of impeachment: allegations or accusations of quid pro quo. Thats because they didnt exist. The articles of impeachment dont contain the phrase quid pro quo, but they do describe a tradeoff. They say that Trump conditioned two official acts on the public announcements that he had requested. Sekulow didnt say whether Trumps team would use the full 24 hours allotted under the trial rules to make their case, saying were going to base it on what the House managers do. Schumer Rules Out Deal with GOP on Witnesses (4:32 p.m.) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has ruled out horse-trading with Republicans on whether to call witnesses during the Senate impeachment trial, moving to protect Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden from a potentially politically damaging appearance there. Some Republicans have suggested they could be open to calling witnesses such as acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Advisor John Bolton if Republicans are allowed to to call Joe and Hunter Biden as well as the unidentified intelligence community whistle-blower. That trade is not on the table, Schumer told reporters Wednesday. Republican Senator Mike Braun of Indiana said that without a deal on witnesses, Republicans wont agree to any. The idea of witnesses will not get anywhere if its not reciprocal, Braun told reporters. Braun said Biden should be made to tell the Senate whether he orchestrated the firing of a Ukraine prosecutor to benefit his son, who served on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings. Biden has denied the claim and the allegation has been widely debunked. But Hunter Bidens former position at Burisma has raised questions about whether he profited from of his fathers role as vice president. Biden said in Osage, Iowa, Wednesday that he wouldnt agree to such a deal because this is a constitutional issue. He added, Were not going to turn it into a farce or political theater. Im not going to play his game, Biden said. Its the Senates job to try Trump and my job is to beat him. Schumer said the Senate should only call witnesses who can testify about whether Trump committed the offenses for which he was impeached. -- Erik Wasson, Jennifer Epstein Senators Getting Restless During House Case (4:08 p.m.) A number of senators were looking restless during Schiffs 2 1/2 hour opening statement -- standing up and even leaving the Senate chamber despite being told to stay at their desks throughout the trial. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch of Idaho and several other Republicans walked out. Eventually a half-dozen or more were missing, including Roy Blunt of Missouri and a few other members of leadership. Republicans Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, John Barrasso of Wyoming, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Ben Sasse of Nebraska were all standing in the back of the chamber for a while. An aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell showed him notes on a legal pad, which prompted a couple of smiles from the otherwise poker-faced senator. Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate, left the chamber for the cloakroom for about 10 minutes beginning at about 2:10 p.m. Other senators also wandered in and out, including Democrats Mark Warner of Virginia and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin and Cory Booker of New Jersey stood close together in the back and chatted -- even though senators are ordered daily by the sergeant at arms to keep silent on pain of imprisonment. -- Daniel Flatley Poll Shows 63% Think Trump Probably Broke Law (3:18 p.m.) Sixty-three percent of Americans believe Trump has definitely or probably done things that are illegal, either while in office or when he was running for president, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Among that number, 38% say he has definitely done something illegal and 25% say he probably has. In addition, 70% say he has definitely or probably done unethical things, Pew said. Still, Americans are closely divided on whether Trump should be removed from office, with 51% saying the Senate should remove him and 46% saying he should remain in the presidency, according to the poll. The poll was conducted Jan. 6-19 among 12,638 adults on Pews American Trends Panel, which Pew described as a nationally representative panel recruited from landline and cellphone users. Democrats Cite Mueller Probe to Show Pattern (2:37 p.m.) The top House manager focused on Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russias 2016 election meddling in Trumps favor to portray a pattern of the president seeking foreign interference. Manager Adam Schiff noted that Trumps July 25 call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy came one day after Muellers testimony to Congress. Mueller didnt recommend any action against the president although he found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help elect Trump, and that his campaign willingly made use of that aid. That should tell us something, Schiff said. He did not feel shamed by what the special counsel found, he did not feel deterred by what the special counsel found, he felt emboldened by escaping accountability. For the very, very next day he is on the phone soliciting foreign interference from Ukraine, Schiff said. Trump views his powers as president as political tools to be wielded against his opponents, including asking a foreign government to investigate a United States citizen, Schiff said. There is no question that Trump intended to press Zelenskiy to look into Trumps political rival, Joe Biden, Schiff said in urging senators to use their common sense to judge the case. These facts are not in dispute, Schiff said, adding that the question is whether the presidents undisputed actions require the removal of the 45th president of the United States. To buttress his arguments, the House team played a number of videotapes of Trump and witnesses who testified at House hearings. GOP Seizes on Nadler Remarks About Coverup (1:46 p.m.) Republicans are seizing on late-night remarks by House impeachment manager Jerrold Nadler -- which drew an admonishment from Chief Justice John Roberts -- to accuse Democrats of making the trial into a meritless political exercise. Roberts warned the House managers and White House defense team to observe Senate decorum on the trials first day after Nadler accused the defense of lying and senators of perpetuating a treasonous cover-up of wrongdoing by Trump. Im sad to say I see a lot of senators voting for a coverup, voting to deny witnesses, an absolutely indefensible vote. Obviously, a treacherous vote, said Nadler. A vote against an honest trial, a vote against the United States. Republicans strongly criticized Nadlers remarks. As one who is listening intently and working hard to get to a fair process, I was offended, said moderate Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, who has been open to calling witnesses. GOP Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said other senators were alienated. If the goal was to persuade, they took a huge step backward last night, he said. As a former law clerk for Roberts, Hawley said, he had never heard him issue such an admonishment before. Lead House impeachment manager Adam Schiff defended Nadler Wednesday, blaming the tiring day of debate that he accused Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of orchestrating by refusing to continue the rules debate into Wednesday. That happens in every courtroom, Schiff said of litigators being admonished. Trump Used Power to Cheat, Schiff Says (1:25 p.m.) Trump sought to undermine free elections and also put U.S. national security at risk when he pressured Ukraine to investigate a political opponent, lead House manager Adam Schiff said in opening prosecutors case against the president. When caught, the president used the power of his office to obstruct the Houses investigation, Schiff told a hushed Senate chamber. Schiff invoked the words of Alexander Hamilton and the concerns of the nations founders about foreign influence over the U.S. government, corrupt bargains and uncontrolled populist demagoguery. In other words, to cheat, Schiff said of the presidents demands to Ukraine. The effect of his scheme was to undermine our free and fair elections. If Trump isnt removed, it will permanently alter the balance of power between Congress and the presidency, said Schiff, the House Intelligence chairman. The president has shown that he believes that he is above the law and scornful of restraint, Schiff said. House to Focus On the Facts, Schiff Says (12:57 p.m.) Lead House manager Adam Schiff said prosecutors will begin presenting their case against Trump with the factual chronology of events that led to the impeachment charges against him. We are going to try to keep focus on the facts, said Schiff, the House Intelligence chairman. The facts are damning, we are going to lay them out in great detail in our chronology today. He said the House cant assume the senators watched the House investigation hearings. I would hope they have an open mind, when they hear the managers presentation, Schiff said. House managers are trying the case before two juries -- the Senate and the American people, Schiff said. Its those Americans the prosecutors are speaking to, he said. -- Erik Wasson, Mike Dorning Trump Campaign Using Trial to Seek Donors (12:14 p.m.) The Trump campaign is using the start of the presidents impeachment trial to generate more campaign cash. Trumps campaign website notes the start of the Senate trial looking into my PERFECT PHONE CALL and asks for donations to CRUSH our $2 MILLION goal. Donations will be DOUBLE-MATCHED, according to a message in a pop-up box. The donation section of the website urges supporters to get on the list of donors we hand the president. -- Justin Blum Pompeo Happy to Testify If Required by Law (10:15 a.m.) Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told reporters Wednesday that hed testify in Trumps impeachment trial -- if hes forced by law to do so. Pompeo also told reporters traveling with him in Kingston, Jamaica, that hes not following the trial unfolding in Washington. With Trump and his lawyers resisting Democratic demands that administration officials testify, Pompeo said, If I am legally required to testify, as Ive said before, Ill be happy to do it. -- Larry Liebert No Trial Motions Filed, Arguments to Begin (10:07 a.m.) Neither side filed any legal motions ahead of the Senate impeachment trials opening arguments, clearing the way for House managers to begin making their case to remove Trump from office. A 9 a.m. deadline for such motions passed without any filing from either the House managers or the presidents defense team. The trial is set to reconvene at 1 p.m., with House managers allowed 24 hours over three days to make opening arguments, followed by Trumps defense team with equal time. The Senate spent the opening day of the impeachment trial locked in a bitter struggle over procedural rules that went on past midnight, with the Republicans prevailing in 53-47 party-line vote on the rules. Trump Says Witnesses Up to the Senate (7:01 a.m.) Trump said Wednesday that the Senate must decide whether it will hear witnesses in his impeachment trial. Ill leave that to the Senate. The Senates going to have to answer that, he said at a news conference to close his visit to the World Economic Forum annual conference in Davos, Switzerland. The president has vacillated on whether he supports the Senate taking testimony from people who refused to participate in the Houses impeachment inquiry. He said earlier this month that he would invoke executive privilege to prevent top administration officials such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton from testifying in order to establish precedent and protect future presidents. Im going to head back and Ill be watching it, he said of the trial. But its really going to be up to the Senate. -- Alex Wayne More Sparring Likely Before House Makes Case (6 a.m.) A day after the Senate adopted Majority Leader Mitch McConnells rules for the trial, House managers and Trumps lawyers could engage Wednesday in more political maneuvering. Its uncertain whether the White House plans to seek a Senate vote on a motion to dismiss the case, which Trump says he wants but Republicans have said has very little support, even among their members. After the procedural skirmishing is completed, House managers would begin presenting their case against the president either Wednesday or Thursday. They will be given 24 hours over three days, followed by the same amount of time for Trumps lawyers to offer their defense. Catch Up on Impeachment Coverage McConnell Plans Compressed Timeline for Trump Impeachment Trial Key Events Here is House Democrats web page containing documents related to the impeachment trial. House Democrats impeachment brief is here. Trumps initial reply is here, and his lawyers trial brief is here. The House impeachment resolution is H.Res. 755. The Intelligence Committee Democrats impeachment report is here. Gordon Sondlands transcript is here and here; Kurt Volkers transcript is here and here. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitchs transcript is here and here; the transcript of Michael McKinley, former senior adviser to the secretary of State, is here. The transcript of David Holmes, a Foreign Service officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, is here. The transcript of William Taylor, the top U.S. envoy to Ukraine, is here and here. State Department official George Kents testimony is here and here. Testimony by Alexander Vindman can be found here, and the Fiona Hill transcript is here. Laura Coopers transcript is here; Christopher Andersons is here and Catherine Crofts is here. Jennifer Williams transcript is here and Timothy Morrisons is here. The Philip Reeker transcript is here. Mark Sandys is here. --With assistance from Daniel Flatley, Alex Wayne, Mike Dorning, Larry Liebert, Jordan Fabian, Steven T. Dennis, Emily Wilkins, Billy House, Erik Wasson and Justin Blum. To contact the reporters on this story: Laura Litvan in Washington at llitvan@bloomberg.net;Laura Davison in Washington at ldavison4@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asseo, Anna Edgerton 2020 Bloomberg L.P. As the protests by the women against the controversial Citizenship ( Amendment ) Act at several places in Uttar Pradesh continued despite coercive actions by the police, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday accused the opposition parties of using the women and children as 'shield'. Addressing a public meeting at Kanpur, about 90 kilometres from here, Adityanath also warned that the state government would take stern action against those, found to be damaging public properties while protesting. ''The opposition lacks the courage to hold protest demonstrations ... they have therefore decided to use women and children as a shield ... these women do not even know what they are protesting against,'' the chief minister said. ''Women are being made to organise dharnas while the men are taking a rest at homes,'' he remarked. Adityanath said that his government would take such a strict action against those, who damaged public properties, that their future generations would not be able to 'forget' it. Large groups of women have been holding dharnas in several parts of the state in protest against the CAA. In the state capital of Lucknow, the police seized blankets, eatables, switched off the street lights and locked the public toilet near the venue to force the women to call off their dharnas though unsuccessfully. According to a report from Etawah town, about 250 kilometres from here, police made a lathi charge to disperse a group of women, who had embarked on a dharna at a park there to protest the CAA. Sources said that so far over 200 women have been booked by the police for rioting and violating section 144. Three women protesters were arrested in Aligarh town. Abortion is a divisive issue in the Christian community. To clarify some issues, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has developed a statement on abortion. This letter is based on that statement. It is vitally important that as we discuss attitudes and opinions on abortion, we remember we are united in the confession that the Lord Jesus is head of the church, the whole Christian church. Despite our differences, we are called to be sisters and brothers in one body. As Christians, it is important we recognize the Bible is the authoritative source and norm for Christian life. Christians may not agree on how to interpret the Bible, but we are called to respect our differences. It is not helpful to use the language of absolute rights," implying no other significant moral claims intrude. A developing life in the womb doesnt have an absolute right to be born. In cases of incest, rape or a threat to the mother (who may have other children to care for), the absolute right to be born might be questioned. Likewise, a woman doesnt have an absolute right to terminate a pregnancy because its inconvenient. The gift of human life comes from God and has value, worth and dignity in all phases of development. But sin has corrupted Gods creation, leaving us caught in situations where the decision is not whats right, but whats less right or less wrong. Throughout Scripture God has given people a choice. Adam and Eve were given a choice. Joshua:24 says, Choose this day whom you will serve. In Corinthians, Paul says, I laid the foundation, now you must choose how to build upon it. As people of God who support life, we must respond to the reality of abortion. Sometimes, abortion may be the less wrong option, but abortion should be a last resort. We cannot know another persons heart, or their physical or emotional problems. Recognizing it should always be a gut-wrenching, moral choice, the decision must rest with the one who bears that life. We have legislation allowing that choice. But we must remember Christians are called to lives of repentance, with the assurance of forgiveness and Gods grace. The Rev. Evan Houck is a retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. - Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, had apparently received a WhatsApp message that had allegedly been sent from the personal account of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman - The encrypted message was believed to have included a malicious file that infiltrated Bezo's phone - The allegations are based on a report that was commissioned by the private security firm FTI Consulting which was hired by the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the worlds richest man, has claimed his phone was hacked by Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman. The billionaire who is founder and president of Amazon had apparently received a WhatsApp message that had allegedly been sent from the personal account of the crown prince. READ ALSO: Nairobi MCAs endorse Sonko's deputy governor nominee Ann Mwenda Jeff Bezos (left) with Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman at a past event. Photo: Saudi Press Agency. Source: UGC READ ALSO: US newspaper claims Kenyan soldiers hid in the grass during Manda Bay attack According to a report by The Guardian on Wednesday, January 22, the encrypted message from the number used by Salman in 2018 was believed to have included a malicious file that infiltrated the phone of the worlds richest man, according to the results of a digital forensic analysis. The analysis revealed the intrusion into the phone was triggered by an infected video file sent from the account of the Saudi heir to Bezos who is also the owner of the Washington Post. The relationship between Jeff Bezos and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman soured after Jamal Khashoggi's murder in October 2018. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Wanafunzi wa shule ya Kabianga waliofukuzwa kwa kukosa kufanya mtihani wahitajika shuleni The allegations are based on a report that was commissioned by the private security firm FTI Consulting which was hired by Bezos. The two men enjoyed cordial relations until May 2018 when the unsolicited file was sent with large amounts of data being withdrawn from Bezoss phone within hours. A file photo of Jamal Khashoggi. Photo: BBC. Source: UGC The relationship between the pair worsened after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi who worked as a journalist for the Washington Post in October 2018. Khashoggi, who was a prominent critic of the Saudi government, was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The Saudi embassy in USA denied the hacking claims saying they were absurd. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out, it tweeted. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. I have lived without lungs for 7 years because of smoking | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Funan Mall (PHOTO: CapitaLand) By David Ramli and Abhishek Vishnoi (Bloomberg) -- Singapores CapitaLand Mall Trust and CapitaLand Commercial Trust plan to merge in an S$8.3 billion ($6.2 billion) deal, the latest in a string of real estate investment trust consolidations. CapitaLand Mall Trust will buy all CapitaLand Commercial Trust units for S$999.1 million cash and the issue of S$7.2 billion of new shares, according to an exchange filing Wednesday, with the balance made up of fees and other expenses. The merger is at least the fifth tie-up among Singapore-listed REITs over the past 12 months and ranks as one of the top 10 M&A deals of all time in the city-state. Benefits include the ability to consolidate management expertise and build a bigger war chest for acquisitions.Read more: Singapore, Hong Kong REITs Target Overseas Offices in Yield Hunt Combined, the entity is expected to be the largest REIT in Singapore by market value and total portfolio property value, according to Wednesdays statement. It will have the ability to undertake up to S$4.6 billion of overseas acquisitions in developed countries, while remaining predominantly Singapore focused. CapitaLand Mall Trust CEO Tony Tan and CapitaLand Commercial Trust CEO Kevin Chee said the combination of their companies would ideally lead to a positive re-rating, cheaper capital and more liquidity. This in turn could fuel large-scale expansion and renovation of their portfolios. We want to do larger investments because it makes sense, Chee said in an interview Wednesday. When you have a platform of S$22.9 billion, there are few limits to what we can do as long as we maintain our gearing leverage and rating agencies remain comfortable. Overseas Expansion Both executives said the merger would help the new group be a more attractive bidder for land and projects. Its a trend where we see REITs pushing for bigger size and diversification, both in terms of geography and asset type, said Joel Ng, an analyst at KGI Securities (Singapore) Pte. Given the limited opportunities in Singapore for retail and office acquisitions, the combined entity will allow for more such integrated developments as it expands overseas. Story continues The takeover action kicked off in January last year when CapitaLand Ltd. struck a S$6 billion deal with Temasek Holdings Pte to combine Ascendas Pte and Singbridge Pte. OUE Commercial REIT in April agreed to buy OUE Hospitality Trust. And in July, Ascott Residence Trust and Ascendas Hospitality Trust agreed to create the largest hospitality trust in the Asia-Pacific region, with S$7.6 billion of assets comprising serviced residences and hotels. Last month, Frasers Logistics & Industrial Trust agreed to buy Frasers Commercial Trust in a S$1.5 billion deal. Temaseks restructuring of its portfolio and the REIT consolidation theme continues, Justin Tang, head of Asian research at advisory firm United First Partners, said. Temaseks deal with CapitaLand earlier in 2019 sparked yet another What next? speculation in its portfolio. We got the answer today. The total cost of the CapitaLand merger comprises the plan consideration of S$8.2 billion, an acquisition fee of S$55.6 million, and professional and other fees and expenses of S$22 million. The cash component will be financed using existing debt facilities. Singapore, Frankfurt The tie-up is also expected to be distribution per unit and net asset value accretive to CapitaLand Mall Trust unitholders. Tang said that meant the deal wasnt likely to meet many hurdles. As we have seen in prior REIT mergers, vote risk is low given the accretive DPU and sensible business logic of a merger to create a best of breed retail/office portfolio in the face of competition presented by online shopping platforms, he said. The enhanced financial headroom and scale presents greater geographic reach and opportunities, which is a positive in the longer term. CapitaLand Mall Trust has a portfolio of 15 city and suburban shopping malls with good connectivity to public transport. It is the largest shopping mall owner on the island with a share of shopping mall floor space by net lettable area of about 14%, more than double its closest peer. CapitaLand Commercial Trusts portfolio, meanwhile, comprises 10 office and commercial buildings, eight of which are in Singapores central area, and two in Frankfurt. CCT is the largest owner of so-called grade A assets in Singapores central business district by net lettable area. Its buildings include One George Street, Raffles City, Collyer Quay and CapitaGreen. We can not only ring-fence against different cycles but invest in different cycles, CapitaLand Mall Trusts Tan said. Thats the true beauty of this merger. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. A central Nazi motivation for the war was a hatred of Jews, Mr. Bauer said. This was no propaganda, but a deeply held belief that demanded action to prevent the physical annihilation of the German people at the hands of the chimera he and millions of others believed, and still believe in of a secret cabal, of an invented international Jewry, that controls both East and West. Isis and Qaeda disseminate this today, Mr. Bauer added. World war was a result. Noting that World War II had killed some 35 million people, of whom only about 5.6 to 5.7 million were Jews who died in the Holocaust, Mr. Bauer said: Some 29 million were non-Jews from Europe and North America, who died in large part because of the hatred of Jews and the majority of these victims were Soviet citizens. Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish illness, but a non-Jewish one, he continued. It is a cancer that kills and destroys your nations and your societies and your countries. So there are, my friends, 29 million reasons for you to fight anti-Semitism. Not because of the Jews, but to protect your societies from a deadly cancer. Dont you think, he concluded, that 29 million reasons are enough? Leave history for the historians, Israels president said. The ongoing battle among Russia, Poland and other nations over the history of the Holocaust and responsibility for World War II, which overshadowed the gathering in Jerusalem, came in for pointed criticism from Israels president, Reuven Rivlin. A few other ministers have been expressing their views against the alliance in subtle ways. Chennai: The ruling AIADMK party in Tamil Nadu is seemingly turning uncomfortable with the BJP, with whom it contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This was indicated in the utterances of minister for Khadi and village industries G. Baskaran at Ilayangudi in Sivaganga district. We are looking for the right moment to part ways with the BJP, the minister said, addressing a predominantly Muslim population, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran on Tuesday. All-state ministers had expressed opposition to the CAA, he said. Though fisheries minister D. Jayakumar tried to scotch further speculation on Wednesday by saying that Mr Baskaran had expressed his personal opinion through the statement and that it was not the partys stand and Mr Baskaran himself did a volte-face, averring the BJP-AIADMK alliance cannot be broken, there were enough indicators elsewhere to make one suspect that all is not well with the alliance. One of that was Mr Jayakumar taking potshots at actor Rajinikanth for his speech at the Thuglak golden jubilee celebrations. The minister said that the actor was speaking about an incident that did not happen and hailed Periyar E.V. Ramasamy as a great social revolutionary and questioned Mr Rajinikanths intention behind the narration of something that happened way back in 1971. A few other ministers have been expressing their views against the alliance in subtle ways. In the Assembly, ministers like Mr Udhayakumar and Vijaya Bhaskar spoke against the Centre with reference to issues like NPR and NEET, while Jayakumar lamented the non-receipt of funds from the Centre. These kinds of open accusations against the BJP government by AIADMK leaders are heard only after the civic polls to the rural local bodies as there is resentment at the grassroots level that the party had lost its vote bank among the minority communities in view of its alliance with the BJP. Even if the party might not be able to take a stand on severing ties with the BJP now, the manner in which many ministers slammed Mr Rajinikanth for derogating Periyar is another indicator that the AIADMK no more sees eye to eye with the BJP. Alison MacKenzie, 43, had been on an overnight excursion with Raggamuffin Catamaran tour that left on January 17th to Rendezvous Caye. She was reported missing on Saturday The sister of an Arizona mother who disappeared after going on an excursion on an island in Belize with her boyfriend has shared that the missing woman was not prone to 'typically drink.' Jodie Dixon made the assertion about her sister, Alison MacKenzie, just days after the 43-year-old vanished from Rendezvous Caye on January 18. 'We've been around each other our whole entire life and she was not a drinker,' Dixon explained to 7 News Belize. 'I don't know, she was on a cruise on vacation and to my knowledge I talk to the company and they serve like a rum punch or something.' Dixon continued: I will say it's not like her to be intoxicated. Maybe have a drink, but to be intoxicated, I've never seen her drunk in my life.' The sister shared that she spoke with someone from Raggamuffin Tours who told her that the captain of the catamaran boat was the last person to see MacKenzie alive. Scroll down for video 'She told me that the captain of the tour was the last person to see my sister - that she was walking on the beach after everybody had gone to bed, which is not unusual,' Dixon stated. 'She is absolutely love the beach. She was afraid to swim in the ocean, but she loved the beach and and this is what the tour lady told me, not the police and not Paige.' 'She said that the captain walker her back over to her tent and told her that she shouldn't be out at night and he made sure she got back in her tent, so and that was supposedly like 2:30 in the morning.' MacKenzie had been on an overnight excursion with Raggamuffin Catamaran tour that left on January 17th to Rendezvous Caye. The tour was to be for two nights and three days. Authorities in Belize suggested the woman had been drinking prior to her disappearance on the small island - that is less than an acre. But the woman's sister shared that it was uncommon for her sister to be drunk Her family shared on Facebook that she disappeared from the small island - that is less than an acre - on early Saturday morning. The woman's boyfriend has been identified as 58-year-old Paige Rote. The pair had come to Belize in December and intended to stay until May 2020. The couple (front center) pictured with friends in Belize in December The woman's boyfriend has been identified as 58-year-old Paige Rote. The pair had come to Belize in December and intended to stay until May 2020, according to 7 News Belize. 'They arrived on the island on Friday and were camped in tents and she was last seen walking around the island around 10 pm,' Sr Supt. Hilberto Romero of the NCIB shared. 'On Saturday around 6am Paige Roth reported that when he woke up he could not find his girlfriend and he made this report to the boat captain who then conducted a search of the island and she was not found. Information is that she was drinking on Friday night.' Cherie MacKenzie - the woman's mother - shared on Facebook that the Belize Police, the American Embassy and the tour company worker were all working with the family to give them information pertaining to what happened. 'The strongest conclusion this far is that she may have went in the water and swept away, or slipped into the sea off the sea wall during the night taking a midnight stroll' Rote said in a Facebook message. Rote took to his own Facebook to offer insight as to what happened to Alison and shared that the Coast Guard was also looking for the mother. He also offered that the woman was lost at sea. 'The strongest conclusion this far is that she may have went in the water and swept away, or slipped into the sea off the sea wall during the night taking a midnight stroll' he said in a Facebook message. He continued: 'The island is very small, barely over an acre (and) we scoured for any foul play and did a boat search as well in naval grid fashion.' In a statement to Breaking Belize News, Raggamuffin Tours shared that is was 'cooperating fully with law enforcement officers' in the investigation. Rote took to his own Facebook to offer insight as to what happened to Alison and shared that the Coast Guard was also looking for the mother. He also offered that the woman was lost at sea 'We have given the Belize Police Department comprehensive details of all passengers and met with our crew,' the tour group added in their statement. 'We are aware that extensive interviews have been conducted by the Police at Rendezvous Caye and in Caye Caulker.' 'We assure them that we will continue to do all in our power to assist law enforcement in their investigation into her disappearance. Alison's mother shared that her daughter's disappearance has greatly impacted the whole family. 'My whole family is beyond devastated, it just doesn't seem real' Cherie concluded in her Facebook post. 'Her 2 daughters are past being consoled. They have lost their Mother and best friend.' A young girl at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russia. (Mikhail Tereshchenko\TASS via Getty Images) *The death toll was accurate at the time of publication. Chinas mysterious coronavirus may be missed at airport screenings, an expert warns. The common class of viruses cause everything from mild colds to life-threatening severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars). Known as 2019-nCoV, the new strain has more than 440 confirmed cases so far, with 17 deaths. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Government updates advice over fears deadly disease may spread to UK The UK Department of Health has announced that passengers on flights from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, will be checked for symptoms on arrival at Londons Heathrow. Three flights a week directly connect the two cities, the BBC reported. Airports in San Francisco, LA and New York have enforced similar measures, which will be expanded to Chicago and Atlanta this week. However, an expert has warned it can take days for symptoms to develop, with newly infected passengers possibly slipping through the net. Coronavirus screenings at airports may miss patients. [Photo: Getty] Border screening has a degree of effectiveness, said Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College. Theyre looking for fever at screening but if someone became infected two days before flying, they will have no symptoms at all. The border will still be porous. Theres a limited amount we can do. READ MORE: Billions of journeys for Chinese New Year raise fears coronavirus will spread Like other strains of coronavirus, 2019-nCoV typically starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. It takes around five days for these to appear, with patients appearing healthy during this time, the BBC reported. Warning signs can also be difficult to distinguish from seasonal flu, said Professor Calum Semple from Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Experts believe the outbreak began at a live animal market in Wuhan, before spreading to Shanghai and Beijing. (PA) Cases have also arisen in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and the US. Story continues Cases got through exit screenings in China, Prof Ferguson said. The Department of Health claims flights from Wuhan will land in an isolated part of Heathrow that better lends itself to any health contingencies. A health team will be on hand to check for symptoms. Passengers will also hear an announcement on board and be given a leaflet explaining what to do if they feel ill. Unlike the Ebola outbreak of 2014, passengers are not thought to be having thorough medical screenings, which involved temperature readings. As the death toll has risen, Public Health England has upgraded the UK risk from very low to low. Chinese authorities advise against travelling to or from Wuhan. What is the new coronavirus? Most of those who initially fell ill worked at, or visited, the Wuhan market. China's National Health Commission confirmed the virus can spread person-to-person. Prof Ferguson claims Wuhan likely has around 4,000 cases, with health officials playing catch up when it comes to recording incidences, Yahoo UK reported. Six previous coronaviruses are known to infect people, with this strain being the seventh. The pathogens are common worldwide, triggering mild-to-moderate upper respiratory tract infections, like the common cold, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In rarer cases, coronaviruses can lead to lower-respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. These tend to occur in babies, the elderly or those with weak immune systems. The 2019-nCoV fatalities are occurring as a result of pneumonia. This comes about when a respiratory infection causes the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs to become inflamed and filled with fluid or pus, according to the American Lung Association. The lungs then struggle to draw in air, resulting in reduced oxygen in the bloodstream. Without treatment the end is inevitable, the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says. Deaths occurs because of asphyxiation. READ MORE: New virus has 'same death rate as Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50m people' 2019-nCoV is not the first coronavirus that has got people panicked. The Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) strain kills about three or four in every 10 patients, according to the CDC. Sars also made headlines in the early 2000s after 774 people died across dozens of countries, mainly in Asia. 2019-nCoV has evoked memories of Sars, with genetic analyses revealing it is more closely related to the pathogen than any other coronavirus. Since Sars, global travel has doubled, but mainly short-haul flights, Prof Ferguson said. Some coronavirus strains only infect animals but can jump to humans. They commonly spread via coughing, sneezing, shaking hands or touching a contaminated object. The virus enters the body if contaminated hands touch the eyes, nose or mouth. In rare cases, faecal contamination is to blame. There is no specific treatment for coronaviruses, according to the CDC. If the infection triggers pneumonia, doctors work to combat the complication. When a virus is to blame like 2019-nCoV pneumonia may be treated via antiviral medication, according to the American Lung Association. US health officials are working on a vaccine against 2019-nCoV; however, it will likely be months before the first stage of trials are underway and more than a year before it could be available to the public, CNN reported. For now, the World Health Organization advises people avoid unprotected contact with live animals, thoroughly cook meat and eggs, and stay away from those with flu-like symptoms. Air Canada Boeing 787 airplane at Munich airport (MUC) in Germany. (Getty Images) Air Canada says it is closely monitoring developments regarding the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, as well as decisions from public groups such as the World Health Organization, which is meeting Wednesday to discuss the spreading virus. Air Canada said in a statement this week that it will take direction on how to handle such a public health matter from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and global health experts such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The World Health Organization is convening an emergency committee meeting on Wednesday to discuss the recent outbreak of the coronavirus in China that appears to have spread to the United States. The CDC confirmed the first U.S. case of coronavirus in the state of Washington on Tuesday. The patient had recently returned from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak of the virus was first reported last month. While the virus was first thought to have been spread from animal-to-person, the CDC said there are growing indications that limited person-to-person spread is happening. It is unclear how easily the virus is spreading between people, the CDC said in a news release Tuesday. The confirmation that some limited person-to-person spread with this virus is occurring in Asia raises the level of concern about this virus, but CDC continues to believe the risk of (coronavirus) to the American public at large remains low at this time. North American airline stocks fell on Tuesday following increasing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, as well as Boeings announcement that its grounded 737 Max jet would not be returning to service until mid-2020. Both Air Canada and WestJet have taken the aircraft out of their schedules through late June. Air Canada is the only Canadian airline that operates flights to China. While airline stocks were not the only ones under pressure on Tuesday, Capital Economics analyst Oliver Jones wrote the slides in global markets that were triggered by coronavirus-related fears were surprisingly large. Story continues History suggests that such events rarely have long-lasting and widespread effects on equities, Jones wrote. The virus has been compared to SARS, an outbreak that also originated in China in 2002 that spread to Canada and killed 44. The SARS outbreak in 2003 led to a decline in tourism in Canada that impacted Air Canadas international travel demand, the same year the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cardiac Pacemaker Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This analysis of the cardiac pacemaker market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the forecast period 2020-2025. Offers sizing and growth prospects of the market for the forecast period 2020-2025. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain a competitive advantage. The Global Cardiac Pacemaker Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of Over 2% During the Period 2019-2025. The growing prevalence of abnormal cardiac rhythm disorders, coupled with the increasing elderly population, which is prone to cardiac arrhythmias, is expected to drive the global cardiac pacemaker market. Advancements in technology and engineering provide clinicians innovative ways to care for the aging population. Cardiac pacing, particularly, has witnessed a series of game-changing technologies in the past several years spurred by low-power electronics, high-density batteries, and innovative software designs. Such innovations are expected to drive the cardiac pacemaker market. The global cardiac pacemaker market is witnessing rapid technological advancements and significantly affected by new product launches. All the companies that primarily derive revenue from cardiac pacemakers are expected to grow at a positive rate. Multiple product launches and diversified product portfolio is likely to fuel their growth in recent years. The global cardiac pacemaker market is likely to post an incremental growth of over $500 million by 2025. North America dominates the global market with over 30% revenue share, is expected to continue its dominance position during the forecast period. APAC is expected to grow at a faster rate, with a CAGR of over 4% during the period 2019-2025. The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the cardiac pacemaker market during the forecast period: Increasing Demand for MRI-conditional Cardiac Pacemakers Technological Advancements & Increasing Focus on Product Innovations Increase in Target Patient Population with Cardiac Arrhythmias Increasing Demand for Wireless & Automated Pacemakers Integrated with Remote Monitoring Cardiac Pacemaker Market: Segmentation This research report includes detailed segmentation by products, technology, implantability, end-user, and geography. The MRI-conditional segment accounted for over 50% of market revenue share in 2019 and is expected to grow at a faster rate in the near future as several pieces of research have confirmed that over 70% of patients implanted with pacemakers require MRI scan during their lifespan. Many public organizations recommend implanting MRI-conditional ones to minimize the risk associated with MRI scans. Moreover, several public and private insurance companies offer reimbursement coverage for MRI scans for patients implanted with MRI-conditional devices, which increase affordability thereby driving the market. Advancements in technology are influencing the market positively as traditional pacemakers are expected to malfunction, thus leading to complications. Hence, the increased complications related to traditional devices are likely to decrease the share of this equipment. Dual-chamber technology is accounted for the major share. This type of technology is likely to continue its dominance due to the increasing number of patients with abnormal heart rhythm defects. These models are highly efficient in treating cardiac arrhythmias. Besides, the number of vendors offering such pacemakers is growing as many patients prefer this type. Biventricular cardiac pacemakers/CRT-P is growing at a rapid pace as these devices minimize heart failure chances and efficiently treat rhythm disorders. All these advantages, along with increased public and private reimbursement coverage, are expected to boost the segment. Implantable pacemakers are growing at a rapid pace due to the increase in the geriatric population and the rise in arrhythmia and abnormal cardiovascular disorder prevalence rates. Advancements in technology, including the introduction of leadless, MRI-compatible, and other remote monitoring pacemaker devices have fueled the demand for implantable ones, and the segment is expected to contribute significantly to the market. External pacemakers are expected to grow at a steady pace due to the increased number of patients opting for temporary cardiac devices. Hospitals are the major end-user segment as a significant number of patients prefer to undergo surgeries in these settings due to better reimbursement policies. The growing aging population and the increasing prevalence of abnormal cardiovascular disorders are the other major factors contributing to the increase in implantation in hospitals. North America accounts for a major share in the global cardiac pacemaker market. It is expected to grow at a steady rate on account of the growing volume of surgeries for treating several abnormal heart rhythms and the availability of advanced healthcare infrastructure and constant technological innovations. Europe is likely to grow at a healthy rate due to the accessibility of advanced healthcare services, especially for heart valve repair and replacement procedures. Also, the increasing incidence of abnormal heart rhythm, the rapid adoption of advanced cardiac pacemakers, and high healthcare expenditures are projected to increase the European market. Factors responsible for the growth of APAC are vendors' initiatives in spreading awareness and the rise in abnormal rhythm incidences due to change in living patterns, stress, and old age. Insights by Vendors The global cardiac pacemaker market is highly competitive and characterized by the presence of vendors offering a wide range of advanced and innovative cardiac pacemakers. Going forward, R&D activities is expected to become crucial for companies to maintain revenue growth in the coming years. Global players with their huge infrastructure, marketing strategies, distribution network, and R&D support are likely to expanding their footprint in the market. Thus, small and emerging vendors find it increasingly difficult to compete with them in terms of innovation, brand image, technology, and price. Key Topics Covered 1 Research Methodology 2 Research Objectives 3 Research Process 4 Scope & Coverage 4.1 Market Definition 4.1.1 Inclusions 4.1.2 Exclusions 4.2 Base Year 4.3 Scope of the study 4.4 Market Segments 4.4.1 Market Segmentation by Product 4.4.2 Market Segmentation by Technology 4.4.3 Market Segmentation by Implantability 4.4.4 Market Segmentation by End-user 4.4.5 Market Segmentation by Geography 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Introduction 7.1 Background 7.2 Permanent Pacemaker 7.2.1 Indications 7.3 Temporary Pacemaker 7.3.1 Indications 7.4 Cardiac Pacemaker Market Snapshot 8 Market Dynamics 8.1 Market Growth Enablers 8.1.1 High Demand for MRI-conditional Cardiac Pacemakers 8.1.2 Technological Advancements & Increasing Focus on Product Innovations 8.1.3 New Cardiac Pacemaker Approvals/Launches 8.1.4 Increase in Target Patient Population with Cardiac Arrhythmias 8.2 Market Growth Restraints 8.2.1 Risks and Complications Associated with Cardiac Pacemakers 8.2.2 Stringent Government Regulations & Product Recalls 8.2.3 High Cost of Cardiac Pacemaker Implantation 8.3 Market Opportunities and Trends 8.3.1 Advent of Leadless Cardiac Pacemakers 8.3.2 High Growth Potential in Emerging Markets 8.3.3 Promising Investigational Cardiac Pacemakers 8.3.4 Growing Demand for Automated Pacemakers Integrated with Remote Monitoring Platforms 9 Global Cardiac Pacemaker Market 9.1 Market Overview 9.2 Market Size & Forecast 9.3 Five Forces Analysis 10 By Products 10.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 10.2 Market Overview 10.3 MRI-conditional Cardiac Pacemakers 10.4 Traditional Cardiac Pacemakers 11 By Technology 11.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 11.2 Market Overview 11.3 Dual Chamber Cardiac Pacemakers 11.4 Single Chamber Pacemakers 11.5 Biventricular Cardiac Pacemakers/CRT-P 12 By Implantability 12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 12.2 Market Overview 12.3 Implantable Cardiac Pacemakers 12.4 External Pacemakers 13 By End-user 13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 13.2 Market Overview 13.3 Hospitals 13.4 Specialty Cardiac Centers 13.5 ASCs 14 By Geography 14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 14.2 Overview 15 North America 16 Europe 17 APAC 18 Latin America 19 Middle East & Africa 20 Competitive Landscape 20.1 Competition Overview 20.2 Market Share Analysis 20.2.1 Medtronic 20.2.2 Abbott 20.2.3 Boston Scientific 20.2.4 BIOTRONIK 20.2.5 MicroPort Scientific 21 Key Company Profiles (Business Overview, Major Product Offerings, Key Strengths, Key Strategies, Key Opportunities) 21.1 Medtronic 21.2 Abbott 21.3 Boston Scientific 21.4 BIOTRONIK 21.5 MicroPort Scientific 22 Other Prominent Vendors (Business Overview, Product Offerings, Key Strengths, Key Strategies, Key Opportunities) 22.1 Galix Biomedical Instrumentation 22.2 Lepu Medical 22.3 MEDICO 22.4 OSCOR 22.5 Osypka Medical 22.6 Shree Pacetronix 22.7 Vitatron For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3jxtu2 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Ukraine's Ambassador to Belgium and Ukraine's Representative to the EU Mykola Tochytskyi thanked all European partners for the condolences and words of support in connection with the crash of a Ukrainian plane in Iran. The Mission of Ukraine to the EU published a relevant statement on its Facebook page today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the condolences and words of support that I continue to receive from all our European partners. The professional work of Ukrainian experts at the site of the PS752 tragedy is highly appreciated in the EU. Ever since the disaster, Ukraine has been in constant contact with European partners... All grieving nations and millions of people around the world honor the memory of the innocent victims and demand the answers, the Ukrainian diplomat noted. He recalled that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Canada, UK, Sweden and Afghanistan would meet in London today to coordinate efforts ensuring a proper investigation of all the circumstances of the catastrophe in Tehran. According to him, the position of the Ukrainian side remains unchanged. It is our urgent duty to involve all international partners, including Iran, in a transparent and impartial investigation; find out all the circumstances of the crash of our plane, the causes, as well identify those responsible for this horrific tragedy and bring them to justice; draw conclusions and improve the regimes of international aviation security for civil aviation and prevent such tragedies in the future, reads the statement. Human life is the highest value and our shared obligation is to protect it. All those days we are with all our hearts with those who lost their loved ones, Tochytskyi added. As reported, a Ukraine International Airlines plane (flight PS752), en route from Tehran to Kyiv, crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on Wednesday, January 8. There were 176 people on board the aircraft. All of them died. The crash killed 11 Ukrainians (two passengers and all nine crew), 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, ten Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans, and three Britons. On January 11, Iran admitted that its military had accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accepted full responsibility for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner. ish Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 16:06:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A press conference on new coronavirus pneumonia is held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 22, 2020. Chinese health authorities announced Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authorities announced Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday. The cases had resulted in nine deaths, all in central China's Hubei Province, said Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference. Altogether 149 new confirmed cases were reported Tuesday, Li added. Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, and one in the Republic of Korea. A total of 2,197 close contacts have been traced, figures from the commission show. Among them, 1,394 are under medical observation while 765 others have been discharged. The cases of infection have been on the rise recently, which is possibly due to improved diagnostic methods and advanced reagents for confirming the new coronavirus-related pneumonia, Li said. Experts also said that respiratory transmission is the main path of contagion and the virus is likely to mutate, which will increase the risks of it spreading. The commission has been releasing daily reports on the number of confirmed cases and suspected cases since Jan. 20. Experts called for being alert as there will be increased population mobility amid Chinese Lunar New Year. Strict measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus. A total of 15 thermal detectors have been set up in the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, and 20 thermal detectors have been installed in three major railway stations of the city. The city will also strictly monitor and control the farmer's markets as well as the supermarkets and restaurants, as well as toughen crackdowns on wild animal trade, Li said. He added that public gatherings will be restricted, and unnecessary entry and exit trips to Wuhan will be called off. "We should be strictly on guard against the pneumonia situation spreading outside Wuhan," Li said. Gao Fu, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said there is no evidence so far showing that a super-spreader, or a highly contagious virus carrier, has emerged. He added that, based on current evidence, the virus was originated from wild animals sold at a seafood market of Wuhan. In accordance with laws and regulations, quarantine measures are being taken on entry and exit ports, Li Bin said. As of Jan. 20, China had shared information with the World Health Organization (WHO), related countries and local authorities in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan on 15 occasions, Li noted. The NHC has organized four meetings with experts from the WHO and invited them to Wuhan for first-hand information on the outbreak, according to Li. "We are maintaining close communications with our counterparts in Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and other countries and their respective embassies in China, sharing the latest information while helping with diagnostic verification," Li said. The NHC has provided free diagnostic kits to health authorities in Hong Kong and Macao on request, he added. Jenna Bush Hager has defended Meghan Markle against online trolls, saying she is 'irritated' the new mom faced harsh criticism for the way she was holding her son, Archie, in his baby carrier earlier this week. The 38-year-old Today host, who has three children of her own, took a stand against mom-shaming culture on Wednesday's show while discussing the recent photos of the Duchess of Sussex taking a walk with her eight-month-old son and two dogs at a park on Canada's Vancouver Island. 'The one thing that I noticed that irritated me was that there was a lot of mom-shaming around it,' Jenna told Hoda Kotb, her fourth-hour co-host. 'Like tons of people piled on. It just brought up things in me.' Scroll down for video Hitting back: Jenna Bush Hager took a stand against mom-shaming on Wednesday's episode of the Today show, saying she was 'irritated' by the recent treatment of Meghan Markle Criticism: The Duchess of Sussex, 38, was mom-shamed by social media users after pictures showed her awkwardly handling Archie in his baby carrier earlier this week Meghan, 38, was criticized by social media users after pictures showed her awkwardly handling Archie while walking with her two dogs on Monday. Some eagle-eyed Twitter users claimed the baby boy looked uncomfortable against his mother's chest while harnessed in a sporty $180 Ergo 360 Omni Baby Carrier. However, parenting experts spoke out to defend the Duchess and said Archie appeared to be perfectly safe and well. They noted the right shoulder strap seemed to have momentarily slipped down in the photos a moment familiar to busy parents everywhere. Goal: Jenna, 38, vowed to stop mentally criticizing other mothers, insisting women should be lifting each other up instead Memories: The Today star said the unwarranted backlash reminded her of the criticism she faced last month when she traveled to Vietnam with Michelle Obama The unwarranted backlash reminded Jenna of the criticism she received last month when she traveled to Vietnam with Michelle Obama and left her children Mila, six, Poppy, four, and Hal, five months home with their father, Henry Hager. 'Did people say things?' asked Hoda, who also has two young daughters. 'Oh yeah. I mean, I got people writing things on my social media, and I was going to respond and then I was too tired,' Jenna said. 'But here's the thing, as mothers we're constantly questioning ourselves. 'I mean, every day you and I say to each other, like, "I failed again." Leaving my little people broke my heart. Let's lift each other up. Hard to handle: Even though Jenna made it clear on social media that she missed her kids (pictured), she said she received messages online criticizing her for leaving her baby boy Double standard: Jenna and her husband, Henry Hager, have three children: Mila, six, Poppy, four, and Hal, five months. She noted he doesn't face the same type of parenting criticism 'We don't know what her circumstances are,' she added of Meghan. Hoda, 55, agreed that it is a 'huge ouch' to see those types of comments, and she shared that something similar had happened to her when she co-hosted the Rose Bowl with Al Roker on New Year's Day. The anchor and her fiance, Joel Schiffman, had traveled to Pasadena, California, without their daughters Haley Joy, two, and Hope Catherine, nine months. 'We were with the Rokers, and it was one comment, but I remember I read it and it struck me. It's like, "Oh, great. Another day away from your kids. You must be loving it,"' she recalled. 'I was like, actually I don't love it. Shamed: Hoda Kotb, 55, said the same thing happened to her when she and her fiance, Joel Schiffman, traveled to California without their daughters so she could co-host the Rose Bowl Harsh: Hoda, who was away for New Year's Eve, said she received a comment about how she 'must be loving' having another day away from her kids, Haley, two, and Hope, nine months 'And I think people don't realize, whether you do it on social media or whisper to your friend or some people even say things, they're bold ... like, give everybody a little bit of a break.' Jenna stressed that there is a double standard for mothers, explaining that fathers don't face the same type of judgment. 'Joel and Henry aren't sitting around being shamed about their dad-ing. They're just dads, and they're free,' she said. 'I am going to challenge myself when I have thoughts like that to put them out of my head. 'When I want to say something to somebody that's none of my business stop. Let's lift women up,' she continued. 'Like, being a woman is awesome, and our generation has to stop this so my girls aren't worried about it. So sweet: On the same day she condemned mom-shaming, Jenna took to Instagram to share a series of heartwarming photos of herself cuddling baby Hal Mommy and me: The sweet portraits were taken by Today photographer Nathan Congleton a.k.a 'Photo Nate' Look of love: 'Im in Love with my little man,' she captioned the images. 'Woke up today early just to watch him sleep...still cant believe he is mine' 'Can you imagine when your girls grow up if someone is wagging their finger at them saying, "Why are you doing it this way?"' Hoda said. Jenna was proud to say that she is surrounded by supportive women, including Hoda, noting that when she was being shamed online, her co-host was sending her texts with pictures pf Poppy and Haley together. 'That is more important than what anybody is going to write anywhere else,' she said. On the same day she condemned mom-shaming, Jenna took to Instagram to share a series of heartwarming portraits of herself cuddling baby Hal, which were taken by Today photographer Nathan Congleton a.k.a 'Photo Nate.' 'Im in Love with my little man,' she captioned the images. 'Woke up today early just to watch him sleep...still cant believe he is mine.' American Indian children are the most at-risk kids in the country, more likely to suffer from abuse, neglect, alcoholism, drug addiction, and suicide than any of their peers. There are families out there willing to help them, but federal law says no because their skin is the wrong color. Im not exaggerating. Thanks to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), children eligible for tribal membership are subjected to different rules if theyre abused, neglected, or in need of adoptive homes rules that are less protective of their safety than those that apply to other kids. Fortunately, a federal appellate court heard a case this week, Brackeen v. Bernhardt, challenging these racially discriminatory standards. The ICWA is the opposite of affirmative action: It reduces legal protections for vulnerable children based on race. Its active efforts rule, for example, makes it harder for state officials to rescue American Indian kids from unsafe homes than other children. Under federal and state law, social workers can remove non-Indian children from abusive parents as long as they first undertake reasonable efforts like making rehabilitation or counseling services available to help those parents. This reasonable efforts rule doesnt apply to cases involving systematic abuse or molestation, because it would be wrong to send kids back to dangerous homes. But the ICWA imposes the more stringent active efforts standard, which requires state officials to go further before removing vulnerable Indian children from their homes, even in cases of systematic abuse or molestation. This means state social workers are forced to return abused Indian children to the families that are mistreating them a requirement that does not apply to children of other races. The ICWA also imposes race-based limits on the fostering and adoption of at-risk Indian children. If white, black, Asian, or Hispanic children need new homes, states can place them with any qualified and safe foster family, and that family can adopt them if the state decides its in their best interest. In fact, federal law forbids racial discrimination in adoption cases. But, again, the ICWA makes Indian children the exception. It requires that they be placed with Indian families even families from completely different tribes, with whom they have nothing in common instead of with families of other races. Story continues The ICWA also lets tribal governments prohibit Native parents from making choices about their own childrens adoptions. Thats what happened to a Texas couple who arranged to have their son adopted by a non-Native couple, only to have Navajo and Cherokee officials intervene to block the adoption from happening. Theyre now challenging the ICWAs constitutionality in Brackeen, which the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard today. Shockingly, the ICWA is not limited to tribal members and it doesnt apply on tribal land. Instead, it applies to children based exclusively on their biological ancestry. If a child qualifies for tribal membership which depends solely on genetics the ICWA deems them Indian and therefore subject to its rules, even though they may never join a tribe and may have no idea that a distant ancestor was Indian. The ICWA, in short, elevates race over any other consideration, and in so doing violates the due-process clause of the Fifth Amendment. The consequences are often disastrous. In November, a Crow tribal court used its ICWA powers to take a Crow child away from his white foster family and give him to a Crow couple, despite plentiful evidence that the couple were unfit. It did so because, as the presiding judge put it, Ill be damned if Ill be the first Crow judge to let a white couple adopt a Crow child. Weeks later, the couple brutally murdered the child. Tribal governments call the ICWA the gold standard, saying it prevents the breakup of Indian families by officials who sometimes abuse their powers. But while it was well intended, the law elevates racial politics over the needs of vulnerable children and makes it harder to protect them from harm. Its no gold standard. Its an injustice, and we can do better. More from National Review Supreme Court. (Image: Network18 Creatives) Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of CAA and postpone exercise of the National Population Register (NPR) for the time being. The court said it will not grant any stay on CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act. The IUML submitted in its plea that CAA violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion on the basis of religion. The plea filed by Congress leader Ramesh, said the Act is a "brazen attack" on core fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution and treats "equals as unequal". Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA, including by RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Several other petitioners include Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGOs 'Rihai Manch' and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act. Support for Sinn Fein in the Republic of Ireland has surged ahead of next month's General Election, according to a new poll. The first Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll of the election campaign showed support for the republican party at 21%, up seven. It leaves Sinn Fein narrowly behind Fine Gael on 23% and Fianna Fail on 25%. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald's personal approval rating rose from 30% to 34%, while Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's reduced from 51% in October to 35%. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin's rating also fell, from 38% to 33%, and Labour's Brendan Howlin went from 20% to 17%. Fianna Fail has taken a small lead over Fine Gael for the first time in three years, the opinion poll shows. Support for the Government has dropped significantly in recent months. The Green Party is also set to make gains in next month's election, the poll suggests, while independents and smaller parties are on track to lose several Dail seats. A bisexual Chechen woman has described how her parents' friend beat her during an Islamic 'exorcism' to rid her of 'evil spirits'. Aminat Lorsanova, 22 said she was held at two Chechen clinics, in the region's capital of Grozny, for five months in 2018, as efforts were made to turn her heterosexual. While in detention she said her parents' friend beat her several times while reading the Quran in what was described as an Islamic 'exorcism'. Two unidentified women can be seen enveloped in the rainbow flag - a global emblem of pride for the LGBT community 'He was beating me with a stick in the solar plexus, pressing this area and below with his fingers. He put down my skirt to the hips and was pressing there as well,' Lorsanova said in an emailed statement to VICE News. Ms Lorsanova, who fled Russia with the help of a LGBT support network last year, said her parents watched and did nothing as she cried for help. She said that her father also attempted to make her straight on six occasions in 2018 by restraining her with handcuffs and adhesive tape before injecting her with an anti-psychotic. 'He told me that he was going to treat me like an animal, like a sheep,' the young woman said. She is now calling for her parents to be charged criminally, alongside their friend, and a psychiatric clinic, over the allegations. Ms Lorsanova is said to be living in a safe place outside of Russia, though the group helping her would not say where due to security concerns. It said one of those who helped her was attacked in their apartment and aggressively interrogated for information on the 22-year-old woman's whereabouts. People wave gay rights' movement rainbow flags during the gay pride rally in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The nation-state banned 'propaganda of homosexuality toward minors' in 2013, which rights advocates say has created fertile ground for homophobic attacks The Moscow Times reported Russia's Investigative Committee did not say whether it plans to open a criminal case into what the young Chechen had recounted. Ms Lorsanova's story follows widespread reports of discrimination against the LGBTQ community in Chechnya that has manifested in widespread reports of anti-gay abuse, including torture and killings. In 2017 more than 100 gay men were said to have been detained and tortured during a crackdown on the LGBT community. LGBT Network's Veronika Lapina told local media that the practice of 'exorcising' LGBT people is prevalent both in Chechnya and among the Chechen diaspora. She said more than 30 young women the group worked with had told the group they had been subjected to the practice in an effort to change their sexual orientation. In Russia same-sex activity is not a crime, but 'propaganda of homosexuality toward minors' was banned in 2013. Rights advocates in the region said this has created a fertile ground for homophobic attacks. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has denied the allegations of discrimination and retaliation against the LGBT community on the basis of his claims there were no gay people in Chechnya. Davos: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran on Wednesday urged the international powers, including the United Nations and the United States, to help de-escalate tensions with India, saying they "must act" to prevent the two nuclear-armed countries from reaching a point of no return. Khan, here to attend the World Economic Forum, claimed that India might attempt to raise tensions at the border in order to divert attention from domestic protests against the new citizenship law and the Kashmir issue, according to Dawn newspaper. "You cannot have two nuclear-armed countries even contemplating a conflict," Khan said while speaking during an interview with the International Media Council on the sidelines of the WEF annual meeting in Davos. For this reason, the UN and US must take steps, Khan said, a day after meeting US President Donald Trump who repeated his offer to help on the Kashmir issue. Khan also demanded that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) be allowed along the Line of Control, the paper said. India maintains that the UNMOGIP, established in January 1949, has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC. Khan said he "came across a brick wall" when he reached out to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi after assuming office in 2018, and the ties deteriorated after India carried out an air strike in Balakot targeting Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp following the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. But "things went from bad to worse" when India abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir last August, said Khan. "I just think that the path which India is going [on] is a disaster for India," Khan reportedly said. Responding to a question, Khan said the close relationship between India and the US was "understandable" because of the former being a huge market for the latter. (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. suppliers plan to begin assembling a new low-cost iPhone in February, people familiar with the plan said, as the company looks to address a wider swath of the global smartphone market ahead of its 5G handsets later this year. The Cupertino, California-based company is expected to officially unveil the new phone as early as March, one person familiar with its road map said. The assembly work for the new handset will be split among Hon Hai Precision Industry, Pegatron Corp. and Wistron Corp., the people added. This will be the first lower-cost iPhone model since the iPhone SE. It will look similar to the iPhone 8 from 2017 and include a 4.7-inch screen, Bloomberg News has previously reported. The iPhone 8 is still on the market, currently selling for $449, whereas Apple sold the iPhone SE for $399 when that handset launched in 2016. The new phone is expected to have Touch ID built into the home button, reusing established Apple technology instead of opting for an in-display fingerprint sensor like most modern Android rivals. It will not have Apples Face ID biometric authentication, but it will feature the same processor as Apples current flagship device, the iPhone 11. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. Apple Expects IPhone Shipments to Return to Growth in 2020 Apples more affordable iPhones have proven popular with consumers, including the latest iPhone 11, whose starting price was $50 lower than Apples typical pricing. Strong demand for iPhones has prompted Apple to ask Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to make more chips in the current quarter, according to two people familiar with the matter. Shares in Japan Display Inc., which supplies LCD screens for Apples lower-tier iPhones, closed 1.35% higher on Wednesday. Apple is planning a slew of new high-end iPhones for release later in 2020 that include 5G connectivity, faster processors, and new 3-D cameras on the back, Bloomberg News has reported. Story continues A cheaper offering may help Apple better compete in the most price-competitive and fast-growing emerging phone markets, particularly India. iPhones are still a hard sell in the country, which is overrun by aggressively-priced Android rivals coming in at less than $200. Still, Apple has shown a will to carve out a niche for itself and is eyeing locations for Apple stores within its borders. The U.S. tech juggernaut is hoping its handset shipments will return to growth this year, having set itself the goal of shipping more than 200 million units in 2020. The successor to the iPhone SE will play a significant role in that task. (Updates with Japan Display share price move) To contact the reporters on this story: Debby Wu in Taipei at dwu278@bloomberg.net;Mark Gurman in Los Angeles at mgurman1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Vlad Savov For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Union Minister for minority affairs, Mukthar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday that every student in Jammu and Kashmir applying for a scholarship will be given one this year as the government focuses on development in the region after bifurcating Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories and scrapping constitutional provisions that gave the state special status -- measures aimed at ending the festering Kashmir problem and integrating the region better with India. After the changes, effected in August, restrictions on communication and movement have been imposed across many parts of Kashmir Valley and several political leaders, detained. Some of the restrictions have since been eased, at least partially. Naqvis visit is part of an outreach programme that involves visits by several central ministers to the state -- to both assess the situation and to tell people what is being or can be done for them. Naqvi visited Harwan on the outskirts of Srinagar, inaugurated a bridge, and met delegations of locals. Over the next five days, a group of five Union ministers will participate in eight programmes in three Valley districts Srinagar, Ganderbal and Baramulla meet public delegations, and launch a series of development projects. On Tuesday, amidst tight security, Naqvi arrived at Harwan and addressed a small group of people assembled there to receive him. A number of them flagged issues regarding the development of their respective areas with the minister. Despite snow, the turnout of people at this place is testimony that people have passion to see development of this place, Naqvi said. Quoting a famous Persian couplet about Kashmir, Naqvi said it is heaven on earth, but previously afflicted by corruption. Millions (of rupees) were sent for development of this place for various schemes. Unfortunately, that money was gobbled (up) by a few people... Even ruling governments have become hurdle in the development of the place. Time has come to strive and make Kashmir heaven again. People of Kashmir have the first right on development in the region, he added. Every single boy or girl who will apply for scholarship will be given one this time.Every place in Kashmir will have special schemes for skill development, he explained Under the Himayat scheme, Rs 16 crore was given to Jammu and Kashmir and 12,000 young people were trained, he added. At Samba and Awantipore, All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are being set up. Five medical colleges have been established with around 500 seats. Now people need not travel to Delhi or other states for treatment. The Central government will make every effort to ensure the benefits of various schemes reach the right people, the minister said. In the history of J&K, its the first time that Union ministers in such a big number are meeting people. Those of you who read what I write know what I have written about the political conundrum in Malaysia these last many months. You know I have written not... 4 months ago Ever since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot, the royal family has enjoyed a wide degree of popularity across the United States. However, Joe Rogan is not interested. In fact, if anything, he thinks the royal family is a little bit ridiculous. During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the comedian and fight commentator explained in greater detail why he finds the royal family a little bit absurd and even discusses their incomes. Whats going on with Megxit? In a move that seemed to shock many other royal family members and members of the public, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced their intention to step down from the roles as senior royals. On an Instagram post, a caption read in part, After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. The Queen has since announced her support for their decision to leave the step down from their roles in the royal family. Buckingham Palace released a statement that read, Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghans desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family. Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives. It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK. These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days, continued the message. What Joe Rogans guest thinks Joe Rogan, host of The Joe Rogan Experience | Michael Schwartz/WireImage Joe Rogan hosted Mike Baker on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, during which the two discussed the royal family, as well as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Joe Rogan asked Baker what he thought about Prince Harry stepping down. Baker started out by saying, Well, it probably makes sense because you know, I dont know that hes the sharpest tool in the box, and hes probably thinking, I can make a lot more money. But theyre not supposed to make any money off of being a member of the royal family. So theyre given allotments, allowances, living expenses, explained Baker. Rogan asked how much, and Baker replied, Its a significant amount. Theyve got a house on the grounds of Windsor Castle they could have continued to live in. But heres my point, they can do whatever the f*ck they want, but it would have been nice if they told their grandmother, so they didnt have to find out on the news. Why Joe Rogan thinks the royal family is ridiculous Joe Rogan, host of The Joe Rogan Experience | Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images Joe Rogan and Mike Baker continued to discuss the royal family, as well as their finances and how public funds are used. Rogan also had a few thoughts on how the royals could continue to expand their finances. Rogan said, Well listen, theyre already so popular, all they need to do is start endorsing f*cking makeup lines and sneakers and watches and sh*t, and next thing you know, shes a millionaire. Rogan then inquired, Well how much do they make from the royal family? Do you think they hide that sh*t? Baker explained, I think he got from his mother, as an inheritance he got some $9 million, and shes probably worth about $6 million alone for her acting career. After some research, Joe Rogan discovered the Queens income. He explained, The Queen received $58 million free of tax from the Sovereign Grant in the 2016-2017 fiscal year. What kind of goofy sh*t is that? They give them $103 million dollars in the next year to help finance the extensive renovation of Buckingham Palace. Imagine being a poor person and you find out that the Queen, who literally does nothing, is making $100 million a year, continued Rogan, clearly taken aback. FREDERICTON - A conservation group is calling for immediate action to address what it's calling "a dramatic decline" of Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick's Miramichi River. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. A conservation group is calling for immediate action to address what they're calling "a dramatic decline" of Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick's Miramichi River. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward FREDERICTON - A conservation group is calling for immediate action to address what it's calling "a dramatic decline" of Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick's Miramichi River. Mark Hambrook, president of the Miramichi Salmon Association, says new figures from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans show adult salmon returns to the river have reached an all-time low. He said the numbers confirm the observations of association members over the past year. "We were expecting bad news based on our observations and unfortunately that's what we received," Hambrook said in a release. "The trend is the numbers keep spiralling downwards and action must be taken to reverse this." Hambrook said the main reasons for the decline are predators, such as grey seals and striped bass, as well as warming of the river and illegal fishing. "It's time for everyone to work together to ensure these problems get solved," he said. Hambrook said he is particularly impressed with proposals put forward by First Nations partners to improve habitat and eradication of the invasive smallmouth bass. In October, a coalition of conservation groups urged the federal government to agree to a plan to wipe out the bass from Miramichi Lake in order to protect salmon in the river. The North Shore Micmac District Council, which represents Mi'kmaq nations in the Miramichi area, is leading the push to eradicate the invasive fish using a toxin called rotenone. Several other groups have come out in support of the council's application to the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, including the Atlantic Salmon Federation. A report prepared for the DFO in 2008 recommended complete eradication of the smallmouth bass from the lake. Hambrook said his group doesn't want the Miramichi to become like the St. John River, where there is neither a recreational fishery nor a First Nation food and ceremonial fishery. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. Shantinagar Congress MLA N A Harris was injured along with three others in a suspected explosion at Vivek Nagar in the city on Wednesday night. According to Harris' son Nalapad, the incident occurred at about 9.30 pm when the MLA was addressing a gathering organised by party workers. "Someone threw an explosive at him which exploded with a great noise. Somehow, my father escaped. In this incident, three others were injured," he said. To a question on what could be the reason behind the incident, Nalapad said he has no idea as his father was friendly with everyone. Harris has been admitted to the St Philomena's Hospital. He sustained injuries in his leg and has received stitches, a family member said. Police rushed to the spot upon learning about the incident and began investigation. So far, no one has been arrested while investigations are on, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fox News anchor Chris Wallace confronted presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway on Tuesday for saying the timing of the release of aid to Ukraine could be a coincidence. The withholding of the Ukraine aid, which was recently found to be illegal by the Government Accountability Office, is at the heart of President Trumps impeachment. Congress was made aware of the whistleblower complaint concerning the aid being held up on Sept. 9, just two days before the aid was released. Wallace laid out the argument that the timing could look suspicious. This particular aid, the $391 million which had been approved by Congress, certified by the defense department that Ukraine was not corrupt. This president held it up, Wallace said. He releases it after the whistleblower story comes out. After Adam Schiff says he got caught. And he delayed so long that Congress had to pass a new law to release the aid further. Well, Conway responded, that is knitting together, I think, something thats coincidence, not But the timing is clear. No, youre looking at causation, but it could be coincidence. Wallace pressed Conway and tried to present his argument in a different way, but Conway stuck to her assertion that the release of the Ukraine aid just two days after Congress was made aware that it was withheld is just a coincidence. The story breaks. Now the Democrats know about the whistleblower, are gonna begin an investigation, and then on Sept. 11 or 12, the president releases the aid, Wallace said. Youre saying its a coincidence? Yes, Conway replied. Why wouldnt it be? In other words, nobody has presented any evidence that it wasnt. The Story With Martha McCallum airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on Fox News Channel. Watch Rudy Giuliani claim his former associate Lev Parnas lied stupidly in his explosive interviews: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyles newsletter. The live digital event will feature personal stories of survival through yoga, medical expert talks by Sat Bir Khalsa, Ph.D. of Harvard Medical School and Your Brain on Yoga , sound bath healing from Susy Markoe Schieffelin of The Copper Vessel and more. The online event aims to raise awareness for mental health illnesses and yoga as an alternative complementary medicine. While the event is entirely free to attend online, users will have the option to donate directly to Mental Health America via Donor Box software on the page. Yoga Pose is a new resource website for the yoga community that allows users to search by symptom. This feature, launching in March 2020, will provide website visitors with a list of comprehensive yoga poses that may soothe and alleviate symptoms, from mental illnesses to physical ailments, holistically. Yoga Pose's mission to help others overcome illnesses and symptoms through yoga is personal. The website is operated by a mother and son team, Cindy and Cobb Rogers, and is a passion project that stemmed from Cindy's longtime battle with addiction. Cindy turned to yoga and meditation for rehabilitation both physically and mentally, returning to simple yoga poses for specific healing. Now years sober, Cindy is a firm believer in the healing and wellness benefits of yoga and meditation for mental health illnesses. The pair want to create an online supportive resource and community for all illnesses and ailments based on yoga. YogaPose.com will host the largest free digital library of yoga poses searchable by symptom, along with daily content written by medical experts and avid yogis. YogaPose.com is scheduled to launch in March 2020, however you can register for their free event now by logging onto YogaPose.com. Follow along for updates and news on Instagram at @WeAreYogaPose. CONTACT: Cobb Rogers, [email protected] SOURCE Yoga Pose Related Links https://www.yogapose.com A Democratic presidential candidate is suing Hillary Clinton over a remark she made during a podcast interview. Tulsi Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday claiming that Mrs Clinton "carelessly and recklessly impugned" her reputation when she suggested that one of the Democratic 2020 candidates is the favourite of the Russians. The suit, filed in New York, said it hopes to hold Mrs Clinton and other political elites accountable for "distorting the truth in the middle of a critical Presidential election." Although Ms Gabbards name was never mentioned, the four-term congresswoman from Hawaii, was only running along with four other women: Elizabeth Warren , Kamala Harris , Amy Klobuchar and Marianna Williamson. Hillary Clinton made the comment on a podcast / AFP via Getty Images The Evening Standard has approached Ms Gabbards legal team for a comment. Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP represent the congresswoman and partner Brian Dunne said her reputation has been smeared. As reported by NBC News, Mr Dunne said: Although Representative Gabbard's presidential campaign continues to gain momentum, she has seen her political and personal reputation smeared and her candidacy intentionally damaged by Clinton's malicious and demonstrably false remarks. Tulsi Gabbard is one of five female running to become the Democratic presidential candidate / Getty Images Mrs Clinton made the Russian comment during an appearance on Campaign HQ with David Plouffe. She also said that Jill Stein was a Russian asset as a third-party candidate in the 2016 presidential election. The Mueller report which investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election and congressional investigations, has shown that the country did in fact bolster Ms Stein on social media. When a CNN reporter asked Mrs Clinton's spokesperson, Nick Merril, whether Gabbard, was the candidate she was referring to, he said: "If the nesting doll fits." Sariya Police on Wednesday said to have arrested two persons from Kanchanpur Marg here and seized explosive materials from their possession. According to police, the accused have identified as 31-year-old Suresh Tandi, and 43-year-old Ishwar Nayak, residents of Lebdi and Jaiseeda in Odisha respectively. Acting on an information, a police team led by Station House Officer (SHO) Ashish Vasnik arrested both the accused travelling in a Bolero car and recovered about 3.5 kg of ammonium nitrate in seven bags, 700 detonators and one bundle of safety wire. "We had barricaded the Kanchanpur Marg after receiving information and intercepted one Bolero car. On checking, we recovered the explosive material and arrested both men travelling in the vehicle," said Vasnik. Further investigation is going on, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On day five of the hearing in the Supreme Court of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the petitioners sought to emphasise the powers vested with the Assembly of the erstwhile state as was defined in the Instrument of Accession when the region joined India in 1947. They also argued that the Indian Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir's constitution had been working in tandem through Article 370. On day four of the Supreme Court hearing on petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, petitioners sought to emphasise the powers vested with the Assembly of the erstwhile state as was defined in the Instrument of Accession when the region joined India in 1947. They also argued that the Indian Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir's constitution had been working in tandem through Article 370. Advocate Sanjay Parekh and the Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association, who presented arguments before a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Justice NV Ramana on Wednesday, submitted that the basis of the IOA was to safeguard the sovereignty of the region. Parekh used sections of the debates of the Constituent Assembly to submit that the writers of the Indian Constitution including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and N Gopalaswami Ayyangar intended that the "will of the people be of paramount importance in Jammu and Kashmir", and that any topic of governance in the region could be enforced only after consulting the state government. He also stated that the Instrument of Accession (IOA) "made it clear" that no other provisions would be included in the erstwhile state's constitution and that they wouldn't accept a "future constitution". "The Constituent Assembly is ultimately the repository of the will of the people. One sovereignty is the Instrument of Accession and the second is the will of the people. You cant make a change without the recommendation (of the Constituent Assembly); it is not permissible," he was quoted by Live Law as saying. Prekh: IOA made it clear that you cant have any other thing in this Consti, that we wont accept any future Consti. There were umpteen opportunities to make changes, but they didnt do that.#Article370 #SupremeCourt Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 22, 2020 Advocate Zafar Ahmed Shah, appearing on behalf of the bar association, further asserted the powers given to the state government and said that Clause 8 of the Instrument of Accession directed that "only legislative powers" were given to India. Pointing out the three elements important for any process of accession are the 'Instrument of Accession', 'Standstill Agreement', and the 'Merger Agreement', Shah submitted that since Jammu and Kashmir had not signed the latter two, "it had remained independent". "This, however gave birth to a peculiar trap of Article 370," Shah was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench. According to Live Law, the Instrument of Accession is to signify that the region has not seceded fully, the standstill agreement is to indicate that the state of affairs are at a standstill, and the merger agreement is to indicate that the region's individual existence has ended and that it is "fully merged" with the Union. The 'peculiar trap' of Article 370, Shah said, was that it was mandatory for the state government to agree to every decision of the Centre. "The power of the Maharaja emanating from clause 8 of the Instrument of Accession now vested with the State," he said. Shah says that a separate Constitution denoted that the State shall have all powers of governance. There was never complete accession of J&K and the independent state never ceased to exist.#Article370#Kashmir#supremecourtofindia Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 22, 2020 Further, Shah submitted that the Constitution of India and Jammu and Kashmir Constitution existed "hand-in-hand" and that there had not been a conflict because of how Article 370 and other laws were framed. "Both Constitutions have been working hand in hand. Sub clause (2) of Article 370 existed so that there would be no conflict between the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Constitution," he said. "The whole Constitution of India can never be made applicable to us, Shah contends.#Article370#Kashmir#supremecourtofindia Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 22, 2020 If 370 goes, then Art. 1 also goes, along with other Articles. There was a deliberate intention of retaining the Article. Doing away with it would entail that you are snapping ties with the State : Shah#article370scrapped#JammuAndKashmir Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 22, 2020 "The abrogation of Article 370 was illegal and it has to be read down. All of a sudden, shockingly, the President of India states that all Constitution Orders are superseded and all provisions of the Constitution will apply to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Then why not Article 368?" Shah was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench. Stating that the justification given by the government to abrogate Article 370 was "atrocious", Shah accused the Centre of committing a "constitutional fraud". He said, "Atrocious that the reasoning given for the CO of 5 August, 2019, was that Jammu and Kashmir was in a bad state, underdeveloped, lacked amenities, infrastructure, etc (sic)." There are serious issues regarding whether the President can do this. They say that your mindset is bad, you dont have good teachers, you dont have private universities, you have cross-border terrorism : Shah#Article370#JammuAndKashmir Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 22, 2020 He also asserted that the Constituent Assembly couldn't be substituted because "the power of a Constituent Assembly is unlimited, its roots are in the will of the people. It is beyond challenge". "We have our constitutional autonomy. It is a guaranteed thing to Jammu and Kashmir. It is guaranteed by the Constitution of India and the framework and working of both the constitutions," Shah added. Shah submitted that the powers of governance were necessary to continue to remain with the people of the region, in consultation with the Centre. "Article 370 subsumes the sovereignty of the State. Within the framework of the constitutions, you have yours and we have ours. This was the method which has been followed in the last 70 years," he said. While speaking about the Offer of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in October 1947, Shah stated that the king had included the term 'referendum' in the Instrument of Accession. "The 'so-called separatists' are the ones who insist on the path of the referendum," he said, to which Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected, and said that such statements were not appreciated. Photo Credit: GettyImages/Gearstd I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to do so, putting them out of the church. 3 John 9-10, NKJV To enlighten the above scripture passage, Chuck Swindoll says in his book of 1,502 stories and illustrations (The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart): A. T. Robertson, a fine, reliable Baptist scholar of years ago, taught for many years at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. When he began to write on books of the Bible, he chose on one occasion the Book of 3 John, which talks about Diotrephes. Diotrephes was a man who became a self-appointed boss of a church. And over a period of time, he was the one that excommunicated certain people and he screened whatever was done in the church. As the self-appointed leader, he wouldnt even let John come to speak as a representative of Christ. So, John wrote a letter and reproved him. In writing about Diotrephes, A. T. Robertson said this: Some forty years ago I wrote an article about Diotrephes for a denominational paper. The editor told me that twenty-five deacons stopped (taking) the paper to show their resentment against being personally attacked in the paper. Why We Can Be Thankful for Diotrephes Had we not known the first-century church had to deal with church tyrants masquerading as agents of Christ and brutalizing Gods people, we would have thought things had gone seriously downhill in our day. But this cancer has been with us from the first. That, by the way, is the same reason we give thanks that the church at Corinth, Greece, had so much trouble. In 1 Corinthians, when Paul addresses these problems, he establishes guidelines and sets up markers weve used ever since. Had the early Christians experienced no difficulties, we would have none of this. What Do Some of the Words in the NKJV Version of 3 John 9-10 Mean? Loves to have the preeminence is all one word in Greek; the present participle of philoproteuo. Its a combination of phileo for love and protos, first, giving us one who loves to be first. Imagine someone cheering, Im number one, Im number one!! The concept is foreign to John the Baptists He must increase; I must decrease (John 3:30). Romans 12 gives us two great lines. For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly (Romans 12:3) and Be kindly affectionate toward one another with brotherly love, giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10). Prating against us is phlyareo. A. T. Robertson says the word means to accuse idly and so falsely. If you spend any time on social media these days, you see some people spend their lives accusing idly and so falsely. God help us. It should not be said of any Christ-follower that his words tear down a fellow struggler. We want it said of us as it was of Job: Your words have upheld him who was stumbling and you have strengthened the feeble knees (Job 4:4). Ive taken a form of that as my life verse: Your words have stood men on their feet. May it be ever so. Here is how Eugene Petersons The Message Bible phrases it: Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. If I come, you can be sure Ill hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us. And, if that werent bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out. 4 Points to Ponder Regarding 3 John 9-10 1. In America, we rarely need the hospitality of homes for traveling missionaries the way they did in the First Century. Many other lands, however, still require this. 2. We do, however, need the spirit of hospitality in unlimited ways. Who among us has not visited a church for the first time had experiences like these: - felt frozen out by the unfriendliness of the people - sat in a Sunday School class where you learned fairly quickly you were not wanted by the cliquishness of the members - called on a church for help for someone in need only to be ignored or even rebuked The writer to the Hebrews said, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. In doing so, some have unwittingly entertained angels (Hebrews 13:1). Want to welcome an angel? Help a stranger! 3. John will deal with Diotrephes when he comes. We wish we had that confrontation on record. Something inside us delights in seeing the bully taken down. And yet, we want grace and mercy for ourselves. Our standards are so hypocritical. 4. These days around these parts, those who love to be first tend to make themselves church bosses. And that deserves a treatment all its own. Photo Credit: GettyImages/Paul Bradbury How Do Church Bosses Manifest Themselves? Church bosses like Diotrephes manifest themselves in many ways, including: Ignoring the will of the congregation and dictating how things will be done by the church. As one leader said to me, We dont like to disturb the people with these things. Sometimes pastors present themselves as church bosses, telling the congregation Im Gods man and what I say goes. One pastor admitted when accused of being a church dictator, Im not only a dictator, Im the only tater! And yes, the day of reckoning and humiliation eventually arrived for him...something he brought on himself. Church bosses are known to put people out of the church who disagree or rock the boat. Its my way or the highway is their mantra. Ive known pastors to use those very un-Christian words. They will answer to God for usurping Christs place as Head of His church. What Law of Love Are Church Bosses Violating? Leviticus 19 is loaded with various kinds of laws, ceremonial and otherwise, some reasonable and some strange. Scattered throughout the chapter, however, we find references to how Israel is to deal with the poor and with strangers or foreigners. I am the Lord! is found 16 times in these 37 verses, leaving no doubt as to Who is speaking and how strongly these admonitions are to be taken. You are to love the stranger as yourself, God says, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (19:34). The Lord said to Israel, You know how it feels to be a newcomer, to be the outcast, the stranger. So, show some kindness to these aliens, these immigrants, these people with different color skin, strange names, and unfamiliar dialects! No one said it would be easy. But failing to love one another is a deal-breaker with the Lord. Love is not an option. Barclays Commentary Explains Diotrephes Lacked Charity Dr. Barclay considers that the hospitality thing may have been abused in the First Century and its possible Diotrephes had sound reasons for what he was doing. He writes: We may have a good deal of sympathy with Diotrephes; we may well think that he was taking a stand which sooner or later had to be taken. But for all his strength of character, he had one faulthe was lacking in charity. As C. H. Dodd has put it: There is no real religious experience which does not express itself in charity. That is why, for all his powers of leadership and for all his dominance of character, Diotrephes was not a real Christian, as John saw it. The true Christian leader must always remember that strength and gentleness go hand in hand. Diotrephes was like so many leaders in the church. He may well have been right, but he took the wrong way to achieve his end, for no amount of strength of mind can take the place of love of heart. Photo Credit: GettyImages/Ridofranz What Should the Church Do about its Church Bosses? 1. Hold them accountable. Ask them in a public forum Why did you do this? And refuse to allow them to chat with you in private. No, this is not a personal question for you, but an issue involving the entire church and the full congregation deserves an answer. The boss is acting on behalf of the church, so the church deserves to know what he did and why. If your church has no regular sessions in which the leadership answers to the congregation, you deserve all the grief youre going to get (at some point or other). 2. Choose faithful, loving leaders. A churchs greatest decisions will be the leadership it chooses. When no one is found to be capable for a slot, leave it vacant. The concept of holy vacancy is an idea I picked up from Dr. Bill Taylor. Wait on the Lord, and install only the leaders He provides. 3. Support your pastor when he stands up to self-appointed leaders who try to improperly rule. Pastors are vulnerable since their livelihood depends on the paycheck, and the Diotrepheses among us know this. Therefore, they will hold it over the head of the preacher. If you resist me on this, Ill see that you are fired. Or, just as likely, If you dont go along, I will leave and take my money with me and this church will go under. In every case, I recommend the pastor take the bully up on his dare. The Lord will not allow His churchHis body, His brideto be taken hostage by anyone. Lord, please bless and protect Thy church. Amen. Joe McKeever has been a disciple of Jesus Christ more than 65 years, been preaching the gospel more than 55 years, and has been writing and cartooning for Christian publications more than 45 years. He blogs at www.joemckeever.com. Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou leaves B.C. Supreme Court for the day during her extradition hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Jan. 21, 2020. (Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters) Canadian Prosecutor Set to Defend US Request to Extradite Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou VANCOUVERCanadian prosecutors are expected to defend on Jan. 22 their case to extradite Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou to the United States saying Meng was arrested on charges of bank fraud, which is a crime in both countries, and not because of U.S. sanctions against Iran as argued by the defense. Mengs legal team continued its defense during the first phase of the extradition hearing on Tuesday, with lawyers arguing for a second straight day that double criminality is at the heart of the U.S. extradition request. When ending its arguments on Tuesday, the defense told the judge that the case is unique because the risk of economic deprivation arises solely from the operation of a foreign criminal law for which no corresponding Canadian law exists. As Mengs formal extradition hearing started this week, China repeated its call for Canada to release her. The United States has charged Meng with bank fraud, and accused her of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.s business in Iran. The essence of the Applicants conduct is fraud on a bank: the Applicant is alleged to have made several misrepresentations to a bank to secure financial services, submissions made by the Canadian government earlier this month showed. Court proceedings show the United States issued the arrest warrant, which Canada acted on in December 2018, because it believes Meng covered up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions against the country. Meng, the daughter of Huaweis billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, remains free on bail in Canada, and has been living in a mansion in Vancouvers exclusive Shaughnessy neighborhood. She has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition in part because her alleged conduct was not illegal in Canada, an argument known legally as double criminality. Unlike the United States, Canada did not have sanctions against Iran at the time Canadian officials authorized commencing with the extradition, her lawyers have said. The fact that Canada may have a different sanctions against Iran than the U.S. should not distract the court from the necessary inquiry into the essence of the conduct for double criminality purposes. Deceit and risk of loss are at the heart of the conduct, the submissions added. On Monday, defense lawyer Richard Peck told the court that in a typical case, double criminality is not contentious. This case however is founded on an allegation of breach of U.S. sanctions, sanctions which Canada has expressly repudiated, he said. Sanctions drive this case, Peck said. A spokesman for Canadian department of justice said, Our position will be further explained in court this week, where an independent judge will hear arguments. Mengs legal team is currently only scheduled to call evidence in the last week of April, and a second phase of the trial, focusing on abuse of process and whether Canadian officials followed the law while arresting Meng, is set to begin in June. Closing arguments are expected in the last week of September and first week of October. The case has had a chilling effect on relations between Ottawa and Beijing. China has called Mengs arrest politically motivated. Legal experts have said it could be years before a final decision is reached in the case, since Canadas justice system allows many decisions to be appealed. By Tessa Vikander Mohammad Abdulaziz Al Rajhi and Sons Investment Co. celebrated its contribution towards the major boost in Saudi Arabias burgeoning hospitality industry at a board meeting held at the companys latest hotel project voco Al Khobar. Owned by heirs of Sheikh Mohammad Bin AbdulAziz Al Rajhi, the company is working with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) to develop the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the successful partnership, several new hotels are planned to open in the kingdoms largest cities over the next two years. By combining the knowledge of the local market from Al-Rajhi and Sons Investment with IHGs international experience, the partnership brought the famous voco brand to Saudi Arabia. Located on Dhahran road and just 55 kilometres from King Fahd International Airport, voco Al Khobar is within easy distance of the citys landmarks, including Al Rashid Mall and Eastern Province business hub (both five minutes away), Al Khobar Corniche (10 minutes away) and Halfmoon Beach (15 minutes away) and less than 10 minutes from Saudi Aramco. Offering a spacious, modern, stylish and unstuffy hotel experience for guests, voco Al Khobar is an ideal destination for those wanting to escape the hectic city life and unwind in a haven of ultimate relaxation. Guests driving to the hotel can benefit from free ample parking and a valet service and will enjoy the impressive health club also features a spa, with five lush treatment rooms, an indoor pool, and two fully equipped fitness centres, assigned separately for men and women. Mohammed AbdulAziz Al Rajhi & Sons Investment Co are leveraging the growth opportunities from the exciting changes currently underway in the hospitality and tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. Under the Saudi Vision 2030, the kingdom has far-reaching plans to grow its tourism industry and open the country up to greater international investment. Badr Bin Mohammed Al Rajhi, managing director and board vice chairman, at Mohammad Abdulaziz Al Rajhi and Sons Investment Co, said: As one of the kingdoms leading investment firms, it was important for our latest project to really make an impression in what is becoming a more dynamic and competitive market. We look forward to working with more international partners and to really adding value to the countrys luxury hospitality landscape. The newly opened Al Khobar property puts voco at the forefront of a new wave of globally recognised names that are looking to collaborate with innovative Saudi partners in order to successfully tap into a large and previously underserviced market of local customers that is eager to experience upper upscale accommodation and high-quality hotel services. The introduction of the voco brand marks a new path in our journey to operate multiple hotels all over Saudi Arabia, and we are truly delighted to be bringing world-class standards to a whole new client base, Badr added. - TradeArabia News Service (Alliance News) - WH Smith PLC on Wednesday reported a "good" recent performance with the company on track to meet annual performance expectations. The FTSE 250 retailer delivered revenue growth of 7% in the 20 weeks to January 18, with like-for-like revenue falling by 1%. The High Street business's revenue fell by 5% on both a reported and like-for-like basis. Gross margin was ahead of plan, however, and WH Smith has identified further cost savings of GBP3 million, meaning savings in its year ending August will be GBP12 million. Swindon-headquartered WH Smith achieved 19% revenue growth in the Travel business, which was driven by the acquisitions of Marshall Retail Group and InMotion. MRG was bought in October for GBP312 million, with InMotion purchased a year earlier for USD198 million. MRG operates retail stores in North America, including in airports, while travel retailer InMotion is also US-based. WH Smith Travel now has over 600 stores outside of the UK, meaning there are more Travel stores overseas than in the UK. "The store opening programme for MRG remains on track and integration into the WH Smith group is progressing well," said WH Smith on Wednesday. "Since announcing our intention to acquire the business on October 17, we have won a further eight units in the US, which include MRG, WH Smith and InMotion branded stores, demonstrating the growth opportunities we see for the group in the US." Excluding these two purchases, WH Smith achieved 5% revenue growth in Travel in the period. Overall like-for-like revenue growth was 3%. WH Smith's UK Travel unit delivered "good" sales growth and the gross margin was in line with plans. Chief Executive Carl Cowling said: "We are pleased with the progress the group has made in the first 20 weeks, with total revenue up 7%. "During the period, we completed the acquisition of MRG ahead of plan and integration into the group is progressing well. This acquisition is in line with our strategic focus to grow Travel, almost doubles the size of our international travel business and accelerates growth in the US, the world's largest travel retail market. "In UK Travel, we have seen continued growth across all our key channels and we are on track to open a new flagship pharmacy format at Heathrow Terminal 2 this summer. Our High Street strategy continues to deliver through continued gross margin gains and tight cost control," Cowling continued. "Looking ahead, we are on track for the current year and as we continue to grow our share of the global travel retail market, the group is well positioned for the years ahead." Shares were 1.5% lower in early trade in London on Wednesday at 2,502.00 pence each. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its approval for designation of Daman as headquarters of Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, making it the capital of the two merged UTs. The Parliament on December 3 passed Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 to merge the two Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. As per the Cabinet decision, the Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 will be amended by the Central Goods and Service Tax (Amendments) Regulation, 2020, the Union Territory Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 will be amended by the Union Territory Goods and Service Tax (Amendments) Regulation, 2020, and the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Value Added Tax Regulation, 2005 will be amended by the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Value Added Tax (Amendments) Regulation, 2020. The Cabinet also decided that the Daman and Diu Value Added Tax Regulation, 2005 will be removed by the Daman and Diu Value Added Tax (Repeal) Regulation, 2020, the Goa, Daman and Diu Excise Duty Act, 1964 amended by the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Excise Duty (Amendment) Regulation, 2020, and the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Excise Duty Regulation, 2012 will be axed by the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Excise Duty (Repeal) Regulation, 2020. The Cabinet decisions will lead to common taxation authorities, better delivery of services to citizens by reducing duplication of work and improving administrative efficiency, help in bringing uniformity in laws relating to GST, VAT and state excise and also avoid any legal complications in the levy and collection of GST Tax, VAT, and state excise, including recovery of arrears, a Cabinet statement said. "The UT administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu have taken a big step to realize vision of 'minimum government, maximum governance' for the people of the two UTs, besides savings to government exchequer and ensuring uniformity, stability and consistency in day to day functioning of taxation authorities. "This is achieved by making amendments, extension, repeal in acts dealing with GST, VAT and Excise, and by designation of Daman as headquarters of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in view of merger of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on appointed date of January 26, 2020," it said. On a Saturday in November, a small group of boys in matching royal blue shirts, the uniform of the Scouts of Lebanon, gather beside their hideout, a small pine forest on the edge of town. Their mission: collect as many spent shotgun shells as they can find in the next five minutes. The task has been assigned to them by two volunteers from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), a conservation organisation focused on protecting birds. Hunting is ubiquitous in Lebanon, which has the 11th-highest rate of small-arms ownership in the world. In a show of hands, nine of the scouts claim to own a gun. Two, both 12 years old, say they are allowed to hunt, and 10 more say they wished they were. Angelo, 16, is not among them. Some say its a sport, but its not, its a waste of time, he says. There are other things you could be doing with the hours spent waiting for birds, he adds. Mike, 12, agrees: I say also its a waste of time, because I dont like to kill birds. Assad Serhal, a founder of SPNL, is a reformed hunter. That morning in Hammana, Serhal grew upset as he showed a photograph that had been spreading on social media. Recently, a series of nationwide protests had been calling for the resignation of Lebanons political leaders. One of the chants often shouted by protesters was, All of them means all of them. The photograph showed the words of the chant, in Arabic, written using the carcasses of songbirds killed by hunters. The phrase was also underlined in birds, twice. Among the societys top concerns is protecting the 2.5 billion migratory birds that pass over the country twice a year. During those journeys, 2.6 million migratory birds are shot or illegally trapped, according to BirdLife International; SPNL is that organisations official partner in Lebanon. As other countries examine why some of their protected birds arent returning from migration, Lebanon has come under the spotlight. Feathers and remains of birds killed by hunters at a bird hunting area near the coastal city of Byblos north of Beirut (Getty) (AFP via Getty Images) Lebanons topography is dominated by two long mountain ranges. Various bird migration routes, or flyways, pass through the country; when squeezed between mountains, the routes narrow, forming bottlenecks. The bottlenecks create conditions for satisfying birdwatching, and make it easier for organisations like SPNL to conduct bird counts. But the bottlenecks also serve hunters. At certain points throughout the country, the narrow flyways funnel birds through elevated vantage points from which hunters can get easy shots. In 2017, Axel Hirschfeld, campaign and operations manager with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter, travelled to Lebanon to conduct a survey of the problem. What we saw in 2017 was the worst Id seen in 18 years of work for CABS, he says. Hundreds of dead birds were left uncollected on the ground, and the soft breast feathers of eagles could be seen falling like snow as the birds were shot from the sky. Hundreds of dead birds were left uncollected on the ground, and the soft breast feathers of eagles could be seen falling like snow as the birds were shot from the sky Axel Hirschfeld, Committee Against Bird Slaughter In addition to working closely with CABS, Serhals organisation has lobbied Lebanons government for stricter anti-poaching laws, developed a bird book and field guide, and visited scout groups and schools. It has also reintroduced a traditional Islamic system of conservation to Lebanon. Two decades ago, Serhal was looking at century-old military maps of Lebanon when he noticed something oddly familiar: areas labelled hima and town names that included the word. In Arabic, hima can mean refuge, protected area, private pasture or homeland; Humat al-Hima (Defenders of the Homeland) is Tunisias national anthem. Serhal had known vaguely of the idea, but had no idea that hima had existed in Lebanon. Seagulls fly under a heavy storm cloud off the coast of the Lebanese capital Beirut (Getty) (AFP via Getty Images) He discovered that the concept dates back more than 1,000 years, with a mention in the Quran. Muhammad had designated certain areas as hima, which meant they were subject to rules about grazing, hunting or even trade. On Serhals maps, it turned out, hima signified communal areas. The words appearance gave him an idea: Perhaps he could revive its traditional meaning. Serhal grew up in Lebanon but studied wildlife management at Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1982, at the height of the Lebanese civil war. His plan was to return and establish a hunting farm in Lebanon. But he abandoned it when, while using binoculars for the first time, he watched as a bobwhite quail hen a game bird ushered her chicks from bush to bush. That gave me the shock of my life, he says. His binoculars revealed a different way of viewing nature: When you go to the field as a hunter with a gun, you dont see the bird. The minute you flush it, you shoot. Watching the bobwhite mother protect her chicks, he thought: I am a criminal. That gave me the shock of my life. When you go to the field as a hunter with a gun, you dont see the bird. The minute you flush it, you shoot Assad Serhal, founder of Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon In 1990, Serhal completed a stint at the Brooklyn Zoo and, with Lebanons 15-year civil war ended, returned home. In 1996, he helped establish the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Lebanons first national park. But, after a few years, he felt the Shouf wasnt working as well as it should. The American model of land designated and protected by the government had angered people in the surrounding villages, who had been free to use the area for as long as anyone could remember to graze livestock and pick wild herbs. Lebanese bird hunters get ready to practise their sport on the outskirts of the village of Shlifa in Lebanons eastern Bekaa valley (Getty) (AFP via Getty Images) Serhal thought, instead, that hima might be accepted as a traditional concept; it would also include communities and municipalities in the design of the conservation areas. Hima wouldnt be just about protecting nature, Serhal says; it would be nature plus people. When SPNL helped a community design a local hima, the group suggested additional conservation methods, such as banning hunting. The first hima was established in southern Lebanon in 2004. Today there are 25; they have been given legal status by the government and cover more land than Lebanons national parks. Five of the designated hima are also what BirdLife calls Important Bird Areas, of which there are 15 in the country. Last year, Serhal was awarded Japans Midori Prize for Biodiversity, among the worlds most prestigious awards for conservation work. Mark Day, a project manager with Britains Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, says that the hima system works because it is flexible. Lebanon has a sectarian government; working across Christian, Muslim and Druze areas can be difficult, but the hima concept allows each community or village to take its own approach. Some of the communities are more interested in restoration, while others hope to create jobs. Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve (Yhabbouche) Around the world, Day notes, the protected areas that have lasted longest are those associated with sacred sites or religious sites, or a community defending a spring in the centre of the village because thats fresh water. Nothing is more valuable. The RSPB has a $6m (4.6m) project to protect the Egyptian vulture, which migrates over Lebanon, where it faces the considerable risk of being shot. Day is optimistic that the hima concept, especially the bans on hunting, will help. So that if they survive the accidental poisoning in Bulgaria, and the power lines in Turkey, they dont die here, Day says. Its like Russian roulette with almost all the chambers filled. Community members who look after conservation areas are known as homat al hima: protectors of the hima, as in the Tunisian anthem. The group likes to work with young members of the scouts because they have been homat since the beginning, Serhal says, cleaning up, rehabilitating and reforesting conservation areas. They are disciplined, after all, and loving nature is part of their scouts promise. A hoopoe bird is seen in a field in the village of Damour, south of Beirut (Getty) (AFP via Getty Images) He hopes the children that SPNL teaches about birdwatching, conservation and responsible hunting collecting your shotgun shells, hunting only during the proper season will ultimately influence their parents. Perhaps someday Lebanese children will receive their first pair of binoculars instead of their first gun. You cant underestimate the power of binoculars, Serhal says. Back at the scouts hideout, two volunteers with SPNL give teams Eagle, Lion, Fox and Pegasus a lesson in the environmental dangers of discarded shells: besides the plastic, which would take years to decompose, lead could leak into the groundwater. The municipality plans to designate the hideout a hima, too. For now, hunting is allowed in the pine forest. The evidence is everywhere. Once the scouts finished their collecting mission, the shells are counted. The total, picked up in five minutes, is 102. The Eagles, with 42 shells, win. New York Times The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah has inaugurated a Special Task Force On Environmental Sanitation to work with the Ministry in attaining President Akufo-Addo's vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa. According to her, the objectives of the Task Force include assessing the current solid waste management challenges and propose solutions. She noted that the Task Force will deploy all necessary means within its confines of the law to ensure the cities are clean. The sector minister added that the Task Force will have a life span of 12 months effective January 21 and will be meeting every first Tuesday of every month. Speaking at the Inauguration Ceremony, Hon. Cecilia Dapaah said, "The Special Task Force will coordinate and monitor the performance of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to provide effective Sanitation Service delivery." She added that the Special Task Force will also monitor the performance of private sector service providers likewise their contracts. The Minister, however, hinted that in line with the above objectives, the Task Force will work in close collaboration with other relevant institutions such as the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The key ministries for the composition of the Task Force include; Ministry of Works and Housing, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development among others Others include the Ministry of Roads and Highway, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development. The Sanitation Minister mentioned that the formation of the Inter-Ministerial Special Task Force Team on Environmental Sanitation is to scale up the fight against the insanitary conditions in the city. She charged the media to be watchdogs in order for the duties of the Task Force to yield good results. 2020 James Craig Watson medal winner Professor Lisa Kewley in her office. Credit: ASTRO 3D Lisa Kewley has transformed our understanding of the early years of the Universe, the development of galaxies, and what happens when they collide. For her pioneering investigations across theory, modelling and observation, she will receive the US National Academy of Science's biennial James Craig Watson Medal in Washington DC. "At school I thought physics would be too hard. But I had a wonderful physics teacher whose love for astronomy was contagious!" says Lisa. Today, Professor Lisa Kewley is Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3-D (ASTRO 3-D) and ARC Laureate Fellow at the Australian National University's Research School for Astronomy & Astrophysics. She is the first person in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere to be awarded the James Craig Watson Medal. In awarding her the Medal, the Academy recognised the global impact of her research on our understanding of how galaxies have formed and evolved over the past 12 billion years. "Now we understand how to make a computer model of the impact of star formation and supermassive black holes on their host galaxies," says Lisa. "We can run the model forward and see how we expect galaxies to evolve, and we can go backwards and see how galaxies like the Milky Way formed, shortly after the epoch of reionisation, when the early Universe lit up." She says we're living in a golden era for astronomy: "Early in my career I benefited from the Hubble Space Telescope and the 10 metre Keck telescopes in Hawaii. Students starting today are going to have access to amazing new telescopes including the James Webb Space Telescope, massive new optical telescopes in Chile and the Square Kilometre Array in Australia and South Africa. Professor Lisa Kewley is the first Australian ever to win the James Craig Watson Medal for outstanding contributions to astronomy. Credit: ASTRO 3D "We're going to require astronomers, engineers, data experts and artificial intelligence to use these new instruments, taking us back to the moment of the Big Bang, finding new planets and more." During her career, Professor Kewley has made fundamental contributions to the study of galaxy collisions, cosmic chemical abundances, galaxy energetics, and the star-formation history of galaxies. Her widely cited papers cover the development of theoretical models to identify the power sources of galaxies, deriving the first star-formation rate calibration to correct for chemical abundance, revealing the distribution of oxygen abundances left behind by colliding galaxies, showing that low-ionisation nuclear emission-line regions are powered by super-massive black holes, and measuring the oxygen history of the universe. "I am deeply honoured to have been awarded the James Craig Watson Medal," Dr. Kewley says. "It speaks to the strength of astronomy in Australia. In pursuing my academic passion, I have been fortunate to be able to collaborate with many talented and insightful scientists. I am also grateful that my work has been supported by the Australian National University, by ASTRO 3-D, and by funding bodies such as the Australian Research Council." Professor Kewley is currently researching the oxygen history of galaxies like the Milky Way. "This award is highly-deserved recognition of Lisa's stellar research and the incredible contributions she has made to our understanding of the Universe," comments Professor Brian Schmidt, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2011 and supported the nomination. "Here at ANU, we push the boundaries of what is known every day. This includes our place in the Universe. The work of Lisa and her colleagues position Australia as a world-leading centre for astronomy. I congratulate Lisa on this richly-deserved recognition." Named after American-Canadian nineteenth century astronomer James Craig Watson, the award has been presented every two years since 1887 "for outstanding contributions to the science of astronomy". It comprises a $US25,000 personal endowment, $US50,000 for research support and a gold-plated bronze medal. Explore further Astronomers find wandering massive black holes in dwarf galaxies Provided by ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D) Utah on Tuesday became one of the most conservative states in the country to ban licensed therapists from performing conversion therapy on minors, curtailing a discredited practice that aims to change a persons sexual orientation or gender expression. The ban, which Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican, proposed in November, added conversion therapy to a list of practices considered to be unprofessional conduct for state-licensed mental health therapists. Punishments could include suspending or revoking their license, according to state law. The new rule does not apply to clergy members or religious counselors acting in a religious capacity. The rule also does not apply to parents or grandparents acting substantially in the capacity of a parent or grandparent and not in the capacity of a mental health therapist. Still, L.G.B.T.Q. activists hailed it as a historic move. People have a lot of stereotypes about Utah, but over the past five years we've really been able to break through a very conservative culture to actually advance L.G.B.T. rights, said Troy Williams, executive director at Equality Utah, a civil rights organization based in Salt Lake City. HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, will educate and inspire system designers at DesignCon 2020 by demonstrating a new array of innovative solutions for next-generation compute and networking systems. TE will showcase a variety of industry-leading high-speed data communications connectivity solutions in booth 817 at the DesignCon 2020 expo on Jan. 28-30 in Santa Clara, California. In addition, on Jan. 28 at 3:45 p.m. at the conference, TE Technologist, Industry Standards Manager and OIF President Nathan Tracy will be a guest speaker at the 112G OIF panel, "Enabling New Architectures: An Update on OIF's CEI-112G Electrical Interfaces." Each year, the TE team demonstrates the company's leadership in compute and high-speed connectivity solutions at DesignCon. TE's featured live demos will include: 800G Copper Link | OSFP Passive Cable The 112 Gbps Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cable link will demonstrate a live 112 Gbps PAM-4 electrical signal running over two meters of passive copper cabling to include crosstalk aggressors. This channel will utilize a 112 Gbps PAM-4 SerDes chip driving and receiving traffic through the Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable (OSFP) surface mount (SMT) connector, which is a pluggable form factor with eight high-speed electrical lanes. This demonstration will highlight the connector's ability to run each of these 8 lanes at 112 Gbps for a total aggregate data rate of 896 Gbps per connector over two meters of copper cable. With the OSFP form factor capable of allowing a density of up to 32 ports per 1 rack-unit (RU) front panel, this technology can enable 28.6 Tbps per 1RU. 100G Socketing | Extra Large Array (XLA) Dual Compression Socket TE's XLA sockets can provide high speed "LGA contact" signal performance. The growing size of large silicon packages has pushed the manufacturing of traditional plastic sockets beyond established molding limits. XLA sockets are a hybrid LGA socket technology that utilizes a superior PCB substrate carrier, allowing for reliable attachment to the motherboard via direct soldering. A key feature of XLA socket technology is its ability to address extremely large packages, in excess of 100mm x 100mm. This demonstration presents live 56G PAM-4 signal performance over one channel with three aggressors. 100G STRADA Whisper Backplane Connections The 100G STRADA Whisper absolute orthogonal link will demonstrate live 100 Gbps PAM-4 electrical signaling running over a +30dB channel with crosstalk aggressors. This channel utilizes an integrated 100G PAM-4 SerDes chip driving and receiving traffic through the STRADA Whisper absolute connector, a next-generation backplane style connector with backplane, orthogonal and cabled options. This demonstration will highlight the connector's ability to run 100 Gbps traffic through a realistic orthogonal channel with integrated active devices. Co-Packaging Socket Technology TE has developed a new socket technology that allows contact pitches down to 0.4mm with excellent signal integrity aimed at developing OIF CEI -112G-XSR channel requirements. The use of these sockets allows replaceable optical engines during manufacturing of co-packaged optics and switch silicon. The co-packaging solution allows integration of TE's thermal bridge technology for thermal management of the optics while incorporating TE's XLA socket technology. This helps address the thermal challenges of multiple non-coplanar optical engines and can provide an existing separable solution for installation of the co-packaged optical and switching assembly onto host PCBs. The display at DesignCon will be a static mockup of a 25-Terabit co-packaged assembly. 5G RF | Compressible Connector The ERFV connector demo highlights TE's newest RF compression coax connector product, supporting 5G wireless designs by implementing massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO)antenna and board-to-board and board-to-filter connections with reduced total solution costs The ERFV connectors incorporated into an antenna filter unit will demonstrate signal integrity with excellent misalignment tolerance, and KPIs insertion loss and return loss displayed at the Vector Network Analyzer. Thermal Bridge | Improved Thermal Management The thermal bridge demo presents a new technology for efficiently transferring heat across a gap of variable size, while controlling the force applied to surrounding components. The demo displays bridge and interface thermal resistances in real time, while allowing adjustment of the bridge height as heat is transferred between a heat source and cooling solution. "As the industry continues its unstoppable march toward higher speeds and denser equipment, designs require new approaches to connectivity and thermal management," Tracy said. "Each year at DesignCon, TE demonstrates its industry leadership in developing new technologies and products to support next-generation data center and networking equipment, and we are proud to be showcasing our latest technical advances via functioning demonstrations and displays." Learn more on TE's DesignCon 2020 events page . ABOUT TE CONNECTIVITY TE Connectivity is a $13 billion global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future. Our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions, proven in the harshest environments, enable advancements in transportation, industrial applications, medical technology, energy, data communications, and the home. With nearly 80,000 employees, including more than 8,000 engineers, working alongside customers in approximately 150 countries, TE ensures that EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS. Learn more at www.te.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat and Twitter. STRADA Whisper, ERFV, TE Connectivity, TE, TE connectivity (logo), and EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS are trademarks owned or licensed by the TE Connectivity Ltd. family of companies. Other logos, product(s) and/or company names might be trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE TE Connectivity Related Links http://www.te.com SOUTH COAST METRO, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden State announced today that the Wyoming Business Report has recognized Daniel R. Catone as a 40 Under 40 honoree. The awards are varied by a diverse group of men and women who reflect the very best of Wyoming. Mr. Catone, the founder and CEO of Golden State Asset Management, a Wyoming Corporation, was recognized for his strategic direction and leadership to partnership of professional financial advisers across the country. I am flattered to be recognized as one of Wyoming Business Reports 40 Under 40 honorees. Starting a business in Wyoming has been nothing but positive. The openness, friendly culture and ease of doing business have all contributed to building a successful investment management operation. I couldnt be happier with my experiences in this state I now call home, states Daniel R. Catone, founder and CEO of Golden State Asset Management, a Wyoming Corporation. Mr. Catone is the founder of the Golden State family of companies, composed of Golden State Wealth Management, Golden State Asset Management, and Golden State Equity Partners (collectively referred to as Golden State). Born and raised in California, he now resides on a farm in Powell, Wyoming with his wife and four children. He is also an honoree of the 2019 Investment News 40 Under 40 list, recognized for his level of accomplishment, contribution to the financial advice industry and leadership. To learn more about Daniel R. Catone, please visit https://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/special/40_under_40/ or https://www.teamgoldenstate.com/who-we-are/#daniel-r-catone About Wyoming Business Report The Wyoming Business Report (WBR) is Wyoming's first and only state-wide business newspaper, founded in 2000. We deliver breaking news, in-depth analysis, research, economic statistics and coverage of key industries. Providing monthly print editions, special print publications like the Book of Lists, daily e-news, and special events for all of Wyoming. Headquartered in Cheyenne, our paper is distributed throughout southeast Wyoming, and into western Nebraska, with the majority of our circulation within Laramie County. The newspaper is a labor- and capital-intensive business. Each year we invest a great deal of time and money in keeping our facility on the front lines of technology, to produce the area's best up to date source of news and information. The WBR is striving more than ever to better our community, staying involved in community events and activities. To be selected in WBRs 40 Under 40 program, candidates must be under 40 years old, must have had an impact on his or her organization, must live or work in Wyoming, must have received significant achievements in the community through professional recognition, and must have worked to help others through community service and charitable giving. The WBR did not disclose how many individuals were considered or applied for inclusion of this list. Golden State is not affiliated with the WBR. To find out more information about this award, please visit https://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/special/40_under_40/ About Golden State The Golden State family of companies are all federally registered investment advisers dedicated to financial professionals and their clients. The firm was founded in 2013 by a group of executives who collectively contribute over 50 years of industry experience and is currently partnered with advisors serving over $1.5 billion in brokerage and advisory assets. Golden States infrastructure provides an extensive support network through succession planning, compliance oversight, dedicated transition support, a cost-efficient investment platform and a Turnkey Asset Management Program with equity ownership opportunities. A business alignment with LPL Financial, the nations largest independent broker/dealer*, Raymond James, TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab, some of the nations largest independent custodians, provide comprehensive tools and research necessary in todays complex markets. With a flagship office in South Coast Metro, California and expanding offices across the country, Golden State is committed to creating an atmosphere that benefits both advisors and their investors. For more information about Golden State, please visit www.teamgoldenstate.com . *As reported in Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2019, based on total revenue. Daniel R. Catone is a registered representative with and securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Golden State Wealth Management, Golden State Equity Partners, and Golden State Asset Management, all federally registered investment advisers. LPL Financial and Golden State are not affiliated with any of the named entities listed in this content. The Investment News 40 Under 40 program recognizes and celebrates up-and-comers in the financial advice industry. Each year, our editorial team reviews more than 1,000 nominations to create a list of 40 outstanding financial advisers, or industry professionals supporting advisers, who are 39 or younger. Honorees are judged on their accomplishments, contribution to the industry, leadership and promise. Golden state is not affiliated with Investment News. To find out more information about this award, please visit https://www.investmentnews.com For media inquiries: Jennifer Nahas Jennifer.nahas@teamgoldenstate.com 949-433-6860 US President Donald Trumps impeachment trial gets under way in the Senate on Tuesday (Senate Television via AP) Donald Trumps impeachment trial has begun with Republicans abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two late-night sessions and Democrats wanting more witnesses to expose the presidents alleged treble of offences. The turn of events was a setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the presidents legal team, exposing a crack in GOP ranks and the growing political unease over the historic impeachment proceedings unfolding in an election year. Chief Justice John Roberts opened the session, with House prosecutors on one side of the Senate and Mr Trumps team on the other as senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to conduct impartial justice. No cellphones or other electronics were allowed. Opening day stretched deep into night. Senators remained as the clock passed 10:30pm as Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony. However, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department, Defence Department and budget office, with more votes expected rejecting key witnesses with a front-row seat to Mr Trumps actions. By the same 53-47 party-line, senators turned aside the Democrats request to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. As the hours mounted, Mr McConnell offered Democrats a deal to stack the votes more quickly, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer countered that voting could resume on Wednesday, and no deal was reached. Expand Close Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at the start of the impeachment trial (Senate Television via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at the start of the impeachment trial (Senate Television via AP) Its not our job to make it easy for you, Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told the Senate. Our job is to make it hard to deprive the American people of a fair trial. Earlier, Mr McConnell stunned senators and delayed the start of proceedings with his decision to back off some of his proposed rules. Republicans were said to be concerned over the political optics of dark of night sessions. Instead, 24 hours of opening arguments for each side will be spread over three days, temporarily swelling the Democrats momentum as they push to break the standoff over calling new witnesses. As the visitors gallery filled with guests, actress-and-activist Alyssa Milano among them, and Mr Trumps most ardent House allies lining the back rows, the day quickly took on the cadence of a trial over whether the presidents actions toward Ukraine warranted removal from office. Its time to start with this trial, said White House counsel Pat Cipollone, the presidents lead lawyer, voicing impatience as the proceedings opened in public after weeks of delay. The White House legal team did not dispute Mr Trumps actions, when he called Ukraine and asked for a favour which was to investigate Democrat Joe Biden as the US was withholding military aid its ally desperately needed as it faced off with hostile Russia on its border. But Mr Cipollone scoffed that the House charges against Mr Trump were ridiculous, insisting the president had done absolutely nothing wrong. It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachmentAdam Schiff Mr Schiff, a California Democrat, opened for the prosecution saying Americas founders had added the remedy of impeachment in the Constitution with precisely this type of conduct in mind conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit, that undermines our national security, and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election. He added: It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment. The other lead lawyer on Mr Trumps team, Jay Sekulow, retorted by outlining complaints over the House Democrats impeachment inquiry process. The impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, will test whether Mr Trumps actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House. Expand Close An artists sketch depicting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking in the trial (Dana Verkouteren/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An artists sketch depicting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking in the trial (Dana Verkouteren/AP) All four senators who are presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. My focus is going to be on impeachment, Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told reporters. The day began as a debate over rules, and it was only when the clerk started reading the dry language of the resolution that the hand-written changes became apparent. Mr McConnell made the adjustment after encountering resistance from Republicans during a closed-door lunch meeting. Senators expressed concern about the public reaction to cramming the 24 hours of opening arguments from each side into just two days. Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska, along with a substantial number of other Republicans, wanted to make the changes, according to people familiar with the situation. Some senators argued that the two-day limit would have helped Democrats cast Republicans as having rushed testimony through in the dead of night. The turnaround was a swift lesson as White House wishes run into the reality of the Senate. The White House wanted a session kept to a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night, according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorised to discuss it in public. READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! the president tweeted from overseas, at a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland. He referred to the transcript of his phone call, in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a favour. The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Mr Trump, though he has repeatedly described it as perfect. Mr Schumer said Republican senators felt the heat and it shows that they can make other changes, and that we can get documents and witnesses. Mr Schumer offered the first of several amendments to the rules to issue a subpoena for to the White House for all documents, communications and other records relating to the Ukraine matter. It was rejected on a party-line vote, as were the others. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds vote needed for conviction. A man charged with murdering a baby in Co Armagh left the child alone for hours while he visited a casino, the High Court has heard. Prosecutors also alleged Sharyar Ali went out in the middle of the night for a second time when he was supposed to be looking after 11-month old Hunter McGleenon. The little boy's "lifeless" body was discovered later on November 26 last year when paramedics were called to a house in Keady. Examinations established that he had sustained head and abdominal injuries. Ali, a 31-year-old Pakistani national with an address at Westenra Terrace in Monaghan, was in a relationship with the baby's mother at the time. Hunter had been left in his sole care from the previous day while she spent time with her terminally ill grandmother. The court heard he made a number of trips with the child during that period, including taking him to Monaghan where he runs a mobile phone shop. Later that evening he brought the boy back to Keady to say goodnight to his mother, with no concerns raised at that stage. But the following morning, according to Ali's account, the child rolled off a sofa and banged his head on the ground. The defendant claimed he found the boy face down on the floor and put him into a cold shower in a bid to revive him. Expand Close Baby Hunter McGleenon PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Baby Hunter McGleenon When Hunter started to move his arms and clench his mouth Ali said he dressed and put him to bed. Later, however, he noticed the baby's lips had turned blue and brought him round to the house where his mother was staying. A Crown lawyer insisted his version of events did not explain "multiple" injuries found on several areas of the child's body. Ali told detectives that apparent blunt force trauma injuries to the abdomen were due to attempting CPR on the part of the body rather than the chest. But prosecution counsel contended that he provided contradictory explanations as evidence was put to him in police interviews. Opposing his application for bail, she went on to detail two separate alleged trips Ali made before the night before Hunter died. "He left the child alone for a couple of hours while he was in a casino in Castleblayney," the barrister said. Later, the baby was again left unattended when Ali returned to Monaghan because he was waiting for a delivery. "He said he didn't mention this to police initially because he knew it was inadvisable," counsel said. Ali's wife and brother both attended court for his bid to be released from custody. During the hearing it emerged that the accused is facing deportation proceedings in the Republic of Ireland. Lord Justice McCloskey was also told he does not have permission to remain in the United Kingdom. Adjourning the bail application, the judge said he wanted further inquiries made with officials in both jurisdictions. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Huseyn Safarov - Trend: Talks on Azerbaijani oil supplies to Belarus have real grounds, Director General of Prospects for Integration Research Center Sergey Rekeda told Trend. The political analyst said that Belarus is unhappy with the conditions on which it receives Russian oil and insists on new conditions that the Russian side isnt ready to support. As a result, negotiations are stalled and therefore, Minsk has begun searching for new oil suppliers, including Azerbaijan, the director general noted. Such actions by Belarus are not new; Minsk has already tried to buy oil in both Venezuela and Azerbaijan, but these purchases have never become an alternative to Russian oil, Rekeda added. Usually such purchases are made on a one-off basis. In fact, only one tanker is sent, and thats all. The issue of alternative supplies is constantly the issue of price, which, given the complex logistics, is becoming significantly bigger than the Russian one. Rekeda believes that the current oil disputes between Minsk and Moscow take place with higher probability of conflict (at least in the public space) and one can often hear from the Belarusian expert community that Belarus is ready to switch to more expensive oil this time. Such an approach may undermine the profitability of Belarusian oil refineries, so its not worth expecting complete reorientation of Belarus to Azerbaijani oil, the political analyst said. If Minsk and Baku agree on some volumes of regular oil purchases, I think that Moscow will treat this with understanding and respect, just like the position of partner countries. In turn, the Belarusian political analyst Alexei Dzermant believes that this is quite a real process, as the requests of the Belarusian side were officially sent and negotiations between Belarus and Azerbaijan on this issue are underway. However, so far we dont know whether it will be possible to agree on the price, Dzermant said. Still, there is a problem with the delivery of oil. It is important, first of all, to understand how profitable it is in terms of the price. The Belarusian political analyst noted that Russia hasnt yet reacted to Belarus search for alternative sources of oil. Officials say that they wont be opposed to this, but if Belarus finds something, then Moscow may offer a lower price, because Minsk is an important buyer of oil for it. However, this isnt yet known, Dzermant added. Health officials in the Northwest Territories and Yukon say the risk of the new coronavirus spreading to the territories is probably low. Dr. Kami Kandola, the N.W.T.'s chief public health officer, said her office is monitoring the situation and that right now, the majority of reported cases globally are related to exposure in Wuhan, the city in mainland China where the virus was first reported. There are no direct flights to Canada from Wuhan, said Kandola, and Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver airports are screening travellers who are at risk. "It's just important that the initial ports of entry won't be through Yellowknife, Northwest Territories it will be through these larger cities," she said. We don't want to miss that case, should it arrive. - Brendan Hanley, Yukon chief medical officer The coronavirus belongs to a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging in severity; from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), says the Public Health Agency of Canada. Coronavirus is not currently as serious as SARS, said Kandola, but it's likely the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases. As of Jan. 20, 282 cases of the virus were confirmed, and six people had died, according to the World Health Organization. Outside of China, cases have been confirmed in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the United States, and all are linked to people who had travelled from mainland China. Katie Toth/CBC "The situation right now, from the Public Health Agency of Canada is that the risk is extremely low," said Kandola. However, she added, that can change with the Lunar New Year on Jan. 25, when millions of people travel around China and abroad. "We don't know what the situation is going to be after that," she said. Kandola urges people travelling between Canada and China to look at travel advice issued by the Canadian government. In Yukon, chief medical officer Brendan Hanley said the risk of seeing the virus in Yukon is "probably fairly low," but said it's worth being vigilant. Story continues "I mean, look how kind of random it was that it showed up in Seattle. It's something we need to be vigilant for, prepared for ... We don't want to miss that case, should it arrive," he said. Tourists in N.W.T. have mixed feelings At the Nova Hotel in Yellowknife on Tuesday, tourists expressed mixed feelings about the coronavirus outbreak. Sandy Lee, a traveller from San Francisco with roots in Hong Kong, said she's "getting nervous." "Our friends in China, they still travel." - Bing Yem, tourist in Yellowknife "Hopefully we can prepare," she said. "Unfortunately, I don't know, because now Chinese New Year is coming up [and] people will be going back to their own region to visit their relatives." Bing Yem is a visitor from Toronto whose family is originally from mainland China. "We can manage the situation ... no worries," he said, adding he believes China's government will be able to control the situation. "Our friends in China, they still travel," he said. Practise good coughing, sneezing etiquette The symptoms of coronavirus mimic other common viruses, such as a fever, coughing and shortness of breath, said Kandola. She said people can protect themselves and others by washing their hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds, and by coughing and sneezing into a tissue or their elbow. They should also avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. While the risk of catching the new virus is low, other viruses, such as influenza and pertussis (whooping cough) are circulating around the territory. Kandola said people with cold- and flu-like symptoms should stay home, and if their symptoms are severe, they should go to the emergency room. Front-line health practitioners are being told to ask patients about their recent travel history to Wuhan, said Kandola. On Tuesday in Iowa, in the very room Jeb Bush famously urged his audience to please clap, the ghost of the 2016 election bared its fangs again; this time, its victim was former Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Theyre gonna look to you to spread that sense of hope to those that you know, Buttigieg begins, followed by a deafening silence. Come on! His pleas were spurned by the tentative raising of several Pete 2020 signs and a tepid round of applause. Needless to say, theres plenty of memes about it. Buttigieg recently was the subject of several memes implying he was a CIA plant. I put the Buttigieg Come On and the Jeb Please Clap side by side and its kind of mesmerizing pic.twitter.com/Gp4L5oRq0J Alec Sears (@alec_sears) January 21, 2020 Buttigieg is a CIA sleeper cell and when he goes on Ellen to say his favorite snack is trader joe mango slices, it will trigger millions of americans to swim across the ocean and beat up Xi Jinping Nick Ciarelli (@nickciarelli) December 7, 2019 Fellow candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, all U.S. senators, are currently sequestered in D.C. waiting to vote in Trumps senatorial impeachment trial. Maybe Buttigieg saw an opportunity to raise his middling poll results in this small period of quiet campaigning. Among the democratic candidates, Buttigieg is currently polling at a modest third to fifth across the board. Iowa will be voting in their primaries come Feb. 3, with New Hampshire following shortly after on Feb. 11. Politico reports that in Iowa, Buttigieg is currently in third place, polling at 16%. The hope of achieving the American Dream has been put on hold for hundreds of Honduran asylum seekers at the Guatemala-Mexico border as they choose to return home instead of attempting to enter the U.S. Detentions increased and resignation ate away at what remained of the latest 4,000-strong caravan poised to challenge President Donald Trump immigration policy. On Tuesday overnight, the first buses of migrants were dispatched out of the Guatemala border city of Tecun Uman to repatriate migrants to their countries. Earlier that day, Mexico began flying and busing back hundreds of migrants who had walked up to 170 hours to cross into that country. On Wednesday morning, the number of people there was perhaps half of what it was at its peak Sunday night. Several hundred migrants rested on blankets and cots under tarps and lined up for breakfast after the bus hit the road. There was a change in the attitude of those who remained at a temporary shelter erected across from the local migrant shelter More began talking about their own plans for going back. At least 114 Honduran migrants agreed to be returned home by bus late Tuesday night. They were part of the latest massive migrant caravan was looking forward to marching through Mexico and reaching the southern United States border Police agents stand on guard as Honduran migrants boarded a bus Tuesday night in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, for an overnight trip back home A Honduran migrant and his child were part of 114 caravan members who put the breaks on their hopes of being granted asylum by the United States government and returned back home after spending several days stuck on the Guatemala-Mexico border Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador recognized the success of his government's strategy Wednesday, noting that many of the migrants had begun to voluntarily return to their countries. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf commended Mexico's actions in a statement Wednesday. 'The efforts by the Mexican National Guard and other officials have thus far been effective at maintaining the integrity of their border, despite outbreaks of violence and lawlessness by people who are attempting to illegally enter Mexico on their way to the United States,' Wolf said. He said DHS was monitoring the caravan closely and had dozens of personnel throughout Central America assisting. Associated Press saw U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents working with Guatemalan police at highway checkpoints last week as caravan members passed. The U.S. said it was there to help train and support local agents. 'They absolutely must be satisfied with (Mexico's) actions because in reality it's their (the United States') plan,' said Guadalupe Correa Cabrera, a professor at George Mason University investigating how caravans form. 'They're congratulating themselves, because in reality it wasn't Lopez Obrador's plan.' A Honduran migrant and her children board a bus provided by the Guatemalan government in the border city of Tecun Uman on Tuesday night. Hundreds of Central American migrants who entered southern Mexico in recent days have either been pushed back into Guatemala by Mexican troops, shipped to detention centers or returned to Honduras A Honduran migrant, who agreed to be returned home, prayed before boarding a bus A Honduran migrant and child prepare to board a bus provided by the Guatemalan government in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, late Tuesday night, almost a week after almost 4,000 migrants, mostly from Honduras, formed a caravan an descended upon the Guatemala-Mexico border She said it is an complicated issue for Mexico, but the National Guard had no business being placed at the border to handle immigration because they weren't trained for it. The government 'is sending a group that doesn't know how to and can't protect human rights because they're trained to do other kinds of things,' she said. Mexico announced last June that it was deploying the newly formed National Guard to assist in immigration enforcement to avoid tariffs that Trump threatened on Mexican imports. On Tuesday night, 118 Hondurans voluntarily returned to their country from Tecun Uman on three buses organized by the International Organization for Migration and the Guatemalan government. More were expected Wednesday. Walter Basilio, a 40-year-old from Cortes, Honduras was one of those who decided to board the bus. 'It's really (difficult) to cross to the other side now,' he said. 'Better to go home.' He said the clash with Mexican National Guardsmen on Monday on the opposite riverbank changed his mind. He said he wasn't interested in getting beaten up. But there were also signs that members of the caravan were still committed to traveling north were melting back into the normal migratory flow and moving into Mexico in small groups that were more difficult to detect. While the caravans have garnered attention, they represent just a fraction of the normal migratory traffic moving from Central America up through Mexico. Migrant youth fight over cigarettes on the Mexican side of the Suchiate River near Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico Mexican National Guards escort four Honduran migrant women to an immigration checkpoint after detaining them for trying to enter Mexico illegally near Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on Wednesday After storming across the Suchiate River that separates Guatemala and Mexico on Monday, hundreds of migrants who formed part of a caravan of at least 4,000 asylum seekers, mostly from Honduras, have spent the last two days crossing back to Guatemala. At least 114 volunteered to return to Honduras on Tuesday night on buses provided by the Guatemalan government Mexico's National Immigration Institute said in a statement Wednesday that on the previous day its inspection points in the southern border states of Chiapas and Tabasco had detained more than 2,000 Central American migrants. It did not say how many may have been part of the caravan. Three young migrants who tried to cross the Suchiate river Wednesday morning and evade authorities in the brush were quickly corralled and forced back across to Guatemala. The Mexican government last Friday offered migrants 4,000 jobs to work in the south, but those who refused it or sought asylum would not be issued safe conduct passes to the United States, the interior ministry said. The latest caravan is the first since last fall, when Washington signed bilateral agreements with Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to reduce the number of migrants crossing the southern border. More than 55,000 migrants have requested asylum at the U.S. border and been returned to Mexico to wait out cases that will take months, if not years to resolve under the 'Remain in Mexico' program, also known as the Migrant Protection Protocols. Beginning with Guatemala in July of 2019, the U.S. government signed agreements with Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador that would allow the U.S. to send asylum seekers from other countries to Central America. Under the deals, asylum seekers won't be given the opportunity to request asylum in the U.S., but rather will be flown to these Central American countries where they will have the opportunity to request asylum. By Online Desk NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre four weeks to respond to pleas challenging the validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said it will set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear the petitions. While making it clear that it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on CAA till it decides on the petitions. The court said that it would hear Assam-related matters separately because it has an Accord and the cut-off date for NRC is different, so that is why the petitions were different from other cases. CJI Bobde also asked court officials to bunch up Assam cases separately. During the hearing, the bench also said that it would hear smaller matters in-chamber while the other matters can be heard by the constitution bench for which the schedule will be decided later. "The petitions concerning Assam and Tripura as well as matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately," the court said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and AM Singhvi, while pressing for a stay on CAA, cited Uttar Pradesh example and said, If this hasn't happened in last 70 years, let it not take place for two more years. How does it change anything? Sibal also emphasised that the process should be halted for a while. However, Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, opposed it and said that it meant as good as granting stay the operation of the law. On this CJI responded, We aren't going to pass any such order today. Venugopal also informed the bench that the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to pleas which have not been served on it. He also said that the Centre has prepared a preliminary affidavit which will be given to parties today. ALSO READ | Delhi elections: CAA to drive votes in progress-starved Okhla constituency This led Sabil to intervene and he suggested that the matter should be referred to a constitutional bench. Maybe it should, the CJI replies. Sibal then stressed for an interim order and said, NPR begins in April so some interim order could be issued. However, Venugopal opposed it and said that the arguments will have to be made if any interim plea has to be argued. The court said that it would not grant any stay on CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. "Will pass an order on granting any interim relief to petitioner opposing CAA after four weeks," the bench said. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act. The court was hearing over 140 petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Some of the petitions filed later have also sought a stay on the operation of the legislation which came into force on January 10. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA, including by RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Several other petitioners include Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGOs 'Rihai Manch' and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act. IUML said in its plea that CAA violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion on the basis of religion. (With Inputs from ENS and Agencies) SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Nebraska regulators on Tuesday revoked Big Ox Energy's air and stormwater permits, casting more uncertainty on the idled South Sioux City biofuel plant's future. The Wisconsin-based company's numerous violations showed a continual failure to comply with state regulations, providing grounds for the permit revocations, the officer who presided over the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy's case against Big Ox concluded. "NDEE has provided Big Ox with many opportunities to come into compliance with its permits and regulations, but Big Ox has failed to do so," hearing officer Melanie Whittamore-Mantzios wrote her 59-page order. NDEE Director Jim Macy accepted Whittamore-Mantzios' findings and ordered the permits revoked immediately. Big Ox has 30 days to appeal the ruling. Kevin Bradley, Big Ox director of business and economic development, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Residents living near the plant were happy to hear news of the permit revocations, said Robert Baker, one of more than a dozen neighbors who have sued Big Ox in connection with continuous complaints of odors from the plant. "It's just another nail in the coffin in that place that never should have been opened in the first place," Baker said. "At this point, we're so far past all this that I really don't care what they do with that place." State and federal agencies have cited Big Ox repeatedly for venting of hydrogen sulfide gas and solid waste spills, and the NDEE, formerly known as the Department of Environmental Quality, in March called for Big Ox to show why its permits should not be revoked. A Big Ox attorney told the NDEE the company needed the air permit in order to continue to purge and burn off any gases remaining in the plant's anaerobic digesters since it ceased operations in late April. The stormwater permit also is necessary for the company to respond to any future spills or releases and address storm water runoff from its paved parking lot. Big Ox and the city of South Sioux City had asked for a delay in a final decision while the city sought time to arrange financing to buy the facility. The company and city reasoned that it would be easier to transfer the permits to a new operator rather than apply for new permits if the current ones were revoked. South Sioux City Mayor Rod Koch told the Journal in October that if the city were to buy the plant, it would search for a third party to operate it. If reopened, the plant would once again pretreat wastewater from neighboring industries, enabling South Sioux City to build a smaller wastewater treatment plant than the one it is currently considering, Koch said, and keep city sewer rates lower. The city also could profit from the sale of methane produced at the plant, he said. Koch said Wednesday that the city remains interested in buying the plant or seeing another purchaser take ownership and reopen it. Negotiations are continuing. "It's not a deal-breaker," Koch said of the permit revocations, " but it's something that's extremely disappointing to us. It changes the parameters of the negotiations." Any new owner will have to file new permit applications, and the approval process can be lengthy. Koch said he's heard rumors about other potential buyers showing interest in the plant. He said it's the city's hope that a third party buys the facility, rather than the city. The city is also open to walking away from the idea. "If we can't get a deal that isn't beneficial to South Sioux City citizens, then we won't make the deal," Koch said. "We're working hard to get it resolved." Tuesday's ruling cited the numerous environmental violations, citations and complaints that have been filed against the company, which accepted organic waste from local food and beverage manufacturers and converted it to methane for sale. Big Ox also received wastewater from other South Sioux City industries, pretreated it and discharged it to Sioux City's regional wastewater treatment plant. Whittamore-Mantzios said that among Big Ox' reasons for noncompliance were lack of finances and its contract with the city of South Sioux City to accept a contractual amount of waste from industrial sources. Her ruling spelled out a series of violations and failed actions by Big Ox dating back to Feb. 15, 2017, just months after the $30 million plant began operations in September 2016. Among the issues cited: -- Big Ox operated an emission control system that did not align with the design listed in its air permit application. -- Failure to meet at least two self-imposed deadlines in 2018 to install a hydrogen sulfide monitoring system. Inspections showed the system never was installed. -- At least nine releases of liquid biomass over the sides of the roof in December 2017 and January 2018. Some of the material ran onto neighboring property. -- Frequent releases of hydrogen sulfide and methane gas in June 2018 that exceeded permissible amounts outside the plant's boundaries and posed a potential human health hazard. -- In November 2018, state inspectors found roof hatches open and venting uncontrolled biogas and hydrogen sulfide emissions. Plant workers were found to be monitoring and recording hydrogen sulfide gas concentrations only weekly, rather than daily as required. -- Discharge of total suspended solids to Sioux City's Wastewater Treatment Plant in excess of its permit with Sioux City. -- Stockpiling of tons of digester solids on Big Ox property beginning in December 2018 until their removal this past June. Whittamore-Mantzios said those violations and failure to comply with consent orders Big Ox agreed to with regulators provided the state with grounds to revoke the company's permits. "Big Ox has not been able to demonstrate that it is capable of coming into compliance with the requirements of (its permit) or the various consent orders it has agreed to in the past," she wrote. Big Ox announced on April 19 that it was suspending its biogas production operations to repair digesters that had leaked solid waste. The plant shut down its wastewater treatment operations on April 30, when the City of Sioux City did not renew its wastewater discharge permit, in part because the company owed more than $3 million in treatment fees, late charges and fines, a total the company is disputing. Big Ox also owes South Sioux City for sewer, electric and water use, but city officials in the past have declined to say how much is owed. Soon after Big Ox began operations, residents living near the plant complained of odors. A class action lawsuit filed by a homeowner claims that odors from the plant are a nuisance and the result of negligence. Another 15 homeowners have individually sued the company and South Sioux City, claiming that toxic odors and gases backed up into their homes shortly after the plant began operations, causing health issues and making their homes uninhabitable. Big Ox has filed a counterclaim placing blame for the odors and gas releases on an engineering firm and a soybean processor that was sending waste to the plant for treatment. At least three default judgments have been filed against Big Ox in state and federal courts for thousands of dollars the company owes to companies that provided it with supplies and services. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The deputy commander of the American-led military operation in Iraq said the Defense Department was putting the service members through medical examinations to see if the headaches and other complaints amounted to traumatic stress injuries. Some of the affected troops were mere feet away from where the Iranian missiles struck, although they were in protective bunkers, Defense Department officials said. I havent seen the presidents comments, so I wont comment on them, Maj. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich of the Air Force told reporters during a news conference at the Pentagon. I probably wouldnt even if I had. He added: I can just tell you from the perspective of a commander on the ground that were going to take symptoms from any kind of injury as seriously as we can. [Update: The Pentagon now says 50 troops sustained brain injuries in the strike.] At a separate event earlier in the day, General Grynkewich denied that the White House had influenced how and when the military acknowledged that several American troops at the Asad base in Iraq had concussion symptoms as a result of the Iranian missile strikes and were being flown to a United States military hospital in Germany for treatment. We were not influenced by anyone, he said. The Trump administration had initially said that there were no injuries from the Iranian attack. If there was any delay in reporting the injuries, General Grynkewich said, it was because it takes a bit of time for information to work its way up the chain of command and eventually to the Pentagon. Six former Kean University lecturers who say they were effectively fired because they complained about losing their private office space have filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. The six general studies lecturers in 2018 expressed reservations to administrators about their new open cubicle spaces because students confidential information might be overheard or recorded by security cameras with audio, the lawsuit said. The suit was filed Jan. 13 in Superior Court of Union County. It comes about eight months after Kean Universitys Board of Trustees did not reappoint about a dozen professors, including the six who are now suing: Straubel Cetoute, Heather Connors, Fadi Hilani, Andre Jones, Mirela Negoita and Shayla Ward. The professors filed suit against the university, Provost Jeffrey Toney and President Dawood Farahi, who is set to retire this year. A Kean University spokeswoman declined to comment on specifics of the lawsuit. She did, however, say administrators fairly and equitably review the contributions of each lecturer, who are professors on yearly contracts. We recognize that people who are not recommended for another contract are often upset and may put forth explanations that are irrelevant, which is the case here, university spokeswoman Margaret McCorry said. Nevertheless, Keans personnel recommendations are based solely on what is best for our students and any suggestion otherwise is entirely false. Each professor who is now suing was recommended for reappointment by a dean and department director, the lawsuit says. But each professor received a letter from the university president saying he would not reappoint them for the following school year. The professors raised concerns during meetings with administrators and the university president over the office space and how it would affect students privacy rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). They are now suing under the state Conscientious Employee Protection Act, which prohibits employers from taking action against an employee for objecting to a wrongful practice. Other professors were up for reappointment along with the six who were not rehired, the suit says. Those who spoke positively about the new work space or never spoke out about it were appointed, the lawsuit claims. The lecturers also publicly aired their complaints about the new office space in the universitys student newspaper, The Tower. The professors are represented by a private attorney, Gary Roth, and not a lawyer from the faculty union. The six individuals were terminated in retaliation for engaging in protected activity under (state) statute, Roth told NJ Advance Media. Toney, the provost, sent an email to all students on campus in May 2019 stating that the professors failed to meet Kean's rigorous standards, did not serve the best interests of students and would be replaced, the suit said. Students and lawmakers held a rally at a Board of Trustees meeting, also in May 2019, to support the lecturers. State Sen. Joseph Cryan (D-Union), who attended the rally, told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday he was concerned about the universitys retaliation against professors. Its the continued intimidation and retaliatory efforts against people that speak out that creates a process on campus of intimidating free speech in a place that should a bastion for it, Cryan said. Theres just too many people there that speak out tor point out something that needs to be corrected and the solution is to attack the messenger. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. For Israel, the participation of so many world leaders is a point of pride: Only the funerals of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and President Shimon Peres attracted more, officials say. But the turnout also points to the seriousness with which anti-Semitism is viewed in the West and in Israel, and offered representatives of countries considered hotbeds of anti-Jewish hatred a chance at least to demonstrate their revulsion for it on a global stage. Dampening that sense of international single-mindedness, however, was a noisy row between Russia and Poland over their roles in the start of World War II, now playing out on Israeli turf. Polands president, Andrzej Duda, was invited to the Jerusalem gathering but declined to attend over a perceived snub: He was not given a speaking slot, though Mr. Putin was. The two have been engaged in a bitter dispute for months, with each accusing the other of trying to rewrite and weaponize history: Mr. Putin has sought to portray the Soviet Union as having saved the world from Nazism, and to ignore its own 1939 nonaggression pact with Germany, framing Poland as more a perpetrator than a victim of the Holocaust. Mr. Duda argues that the Soviet agreement with Germany paved the way to war, and that Mr. Putin is reviving Stalinist propaganda as a modern-day cudgel. I am sorry to say this, but President Putin is knowingly spreading historical lies, Mr. Duda said in an interview with Israeli public television that aired Tuesday. Lithuanias president, Gitanas Nauseda, who has made similar accusations against Mr. Putin, pulled out of the Jerusalem event on Tuesday. Fueling speculation that the gathering in Israel was being given a pro-Russian tilt was that its main organizer was Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, a Russian-Jewish billionaire with close ties to Mr. Putin who leads the World Holocaust Forum Foundation. But Yad Vashems chairman, Avner Shalev, said in an interview that Mr. Kantor had not exerted any such influence. Danish English COPENHAGEN, Denmark, January 22, 2020 Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA, OTC: BVNRY) today announced that the sale of its Priority Review Voucher (PRV) has received antitrust clearance. The transaction, which was announced on December 17, 2019 will now proceed towards closing, expected by end of January 2020. For more information about the PRV sale, see company announcement no. 27/2019 . About Bavarian Nordic Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated biotechnology company focused on the development, manufacture and commercialization of life-saving vaccines. We are a global leader in smallpox vaccines and has been a long-term supplier to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile of a non-replicating smallpox vaccine, which has been approved by the FDA, also for the protection against monkeypox. Our commercial product portfolio furthermore contains market-leading vaccines against rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Using our live virus vaccine platform technology, MVA-BN, we have created a diverse portfolio of proprietary and partnered product candidates designed to save and improve lives by unlocking the power of the immune system, including an investigational Ebola vaccine, licensed to Janssen. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com . Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Contacts Rolf Sass Srensen Vice President Investor Relations (EU) Tel: +45 61 77 47 43 Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors (US) graham@paddockcircle.com Tel: +1 781 686 9600 Company Announcement no. 03 / 2020 Attachment Airbnb Inc. is laying the groundwork for a public market debut later this year, announcing a new corporate governance strategy that values safety, sustainability, diversity and accountability. The home-share startup has said it will track guest safety incidents, verify all seven million listings by December, measure its global carbon footprint and enhance employee diversity. To achieve its ambitions, Airbnb is creating a new Stakeholder Committee on the board and tying staff bonuses to safety metrics, according to a statement Friday. In addition, Airbnb has promised to be transparent, reporting progress at an upcoming Stakeholder Day that can be attended by guests, hosts, communities, employees and investors. Building an enduringly successful business goes hand-in-hand with making a positive contribution to society, the company said. Increasingly, this is what citizens, consumers, employees, communities and policy makers desire even demand. Airbnb has been on the defensive over safety since a mass shooting in October at a party house in Orinda, about 20 miles east of San Francisco, where five people died. Local media started to highlight the number of shootings at Airbnb rentals, and family of those slain questioned how the platform vets its guests. In December, the Wall Street Journal published an investigation showing how Airbnb employees who pushed for stricter safety measures, like requiring users to supply a government ID, were overruled by company executives who feared this could deter new guests or hosts. The company is also entangled in battles with cities around the country over regulations and has been accused of discrimination by hosts. With a $31 billion private valuation, Airbnb is poised to be one of the most high-profile market listings this year. Getting ahead of some of the concerns could help appease investors who may be wary of the unfriendly reception other tech titans, like Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and Slack Technologies Inc. received last year. From Airbnb: An Update on Our Work to Serve All Stakeholders The new Stakeholder Committee will be led by Belinda Johnson, who is due to step down as chief operating officer and join the board in March. The company will also award $100 million in grants to support local projects that promote cultural heritage, economic vitality and sustainable communities and demonstrate clear local impact, according to the announcement. These new initiatives will be demanding on the company as it prepares to go public; verifying every listing by December means staff will have to work through tens of thousands of listings a day. But Airbnb says its just getting started. When we first sat down to begin this work, we knew we were undertaking a difficult and serious task. We allowed ourselves to think about problems and opportunities that will take multiple teams working over multiple years to solve, the company said. We are nowhere near finished. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday the state government will decide the future course of action in the Koregaon-Bhima violence case after receiving briefing from senior police officials probing the 2018 episode. He also said state cabinet has not taken any decision on whether or not to implement the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed NRC in the state, ruled by an alliance government comprising the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Deshmukh said his personal opinion, as an NCP worker, is that the CAA and the NRC should not be implemented in Maharashtra. Deshmukh said he will take briefing on Thursday from senior police officials probing the Koregaon-Bhima violence case, in which some human rights activists are facing the charge of Maoist links and booked under an anti-terror law. "We will think about this in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima episode. Demands are being raised about forming SIT to probe the matter. We will take a review of it through our officers and decide future course," he added. The NCP minister said the government is receiving complaints about the previous Devendra Fadnavis dispensation branding as "Urban Naxals" whoever held views contrary to the BJP's ideology. Violence had erupted near Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district on January 1, 2018, when Dalit groups were commemorating bicentenary of a British-era battle. According to the Pune police, speeches give at a conclave, Elgar Parishad - held on December 31, 2017 - had triggered the violence at Koregaon-Bhima the next day. The police had claimed organisers of the meet had Naxal links. Talking about the CAA, Deshmukh said around 1,250 "peaceful" agitations have been held in Maharashtra so far against the new citizenship law and the proposed NRC. Congress and NCP workers, however, feel the CAA should not be implemented in Maharashtra, he said. "Not as home minister, but as Anil Deshmukh, a worker of the NCP, the CAA and NRC should not be implemented in Maharashtra," Deshmukh added. He said the Shiv Sena-led MVA government is thinking about adopting an Andhra Pradesh-like law to ensure safety of women in Maharashtra. The Andhra Pradesh draft legislation mandates disposal of cases of atrocities against women within 21 days and handing out the death penalty for certain offences. The minister said his department is thinking about modernising police system in view of possible threats from the country's enemies. He said the department is also mulling incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to help improve efficiency of the system. Deshmukh, who comes from Nagpur, which is also the home district of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, said people ask him how come the Vidarbha city came to be known as the 'crime capital' of the state during the previous BJP-led regime headed by the latter. In the same breathe he cryptically said, the chief minister is "quite busy". "In addition to that, he (Fadnavis) had held the home department. It is possible he could not pay attention as some minister with independent charge can. "You (the media) also have written about the law and order situation there (in Nagpur) being serious," Deshmukh added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China teaches schoolchildren Hong Kong protesters are 'thugs,' 'violent criminals' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Chinese Communist Party is seeking to instill loyalty in the countrys youth and reject wrong ideas and ideology by teaching schoolchildren that those fighting for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong are thugs and separatists, incited by foreign forces. According to religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter, in October of last year, students in a high school of Fuzhou, the capital of the southeastern province of Fujian, were instructed to buy the recent issue of Current Affairs, a journal published by the CCPs Publicity Department to be used as supplementary teaching material for schools. Schools in China are government-controlled, and therefore Communist in ideology. One topic highlighted in the issue was the protests in Hong Kong, with demonstrators portrayed as thugs and separatists, incited by foreign forces. An article titled Who Is Behind Hong Kong Riots criticizes the United States, claiming that There are many American faces among the violent protesters. Organizations abroad not only instructed the violent activities, but some of them even participated in these vicious attacks. One teacher from Fuzhou told the outlet that school instructors have to integrate topics as described in the Current Affairs into their lessons to help students develop the sense of ethnic identity and nationality. Additionally, teachers are told to convince young people to support the Chinese governments decisions on issues concerning Hong Kong. Our teachers told us that the topic of Hong Kong would be included in college entrance exams. We could get high scores if we know it well, a high school student told Bitter Winter. We must learn whatever we are taught, right or wrong, true or false so that we could get into colleges. We must learn whatever the government tells us to learn. Hong Kong has been embroiled by more than seven months of protests sparked by a now withdrawn extradition bill that would have transferred individuals accused of crimes to mainland China for trial or extradition. The protests have since escalated into a larger fight against authorities and Chinese rule in addition to calling for democracy, amnesty for the thousands of demonstrators who've been arrested, and an independent investigation into police actions. Many Christians engaged with the social movement fear that losing Hong Kongs autonomy and subjecting citizens to Chinas legal system will erode religious freedom. Chinas human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims, Christians, Falun Gong, and other religious minorities are well-documented. The topic of Hong Kong protests was also included in the midterm exam for the subject of "Politics and the Rule of Law" for the eighth grade in six middle schools in Fujians Zhangzhou city. The exam described the protests as riots perpetrated by thugs and Western anti-China forces. The government wants to incite hatred toward these protestors through exams, fearing that well learn the truth, a student told Bitter Winter. Another student from Fuzhou said that teachers in her high school portray Hong Kong protesters as violent criminals and barbarians. Our teachers never explained to us why people in Hong Kong protest. They only show us videos where people are beaten, the student said. These videos are purposefully selected to demonstrate that protesters are violent. She added that her math teacher warned her class that they would become the societys rubbish like the Hong Kong thugs, if they didnt follow the rules and discipline and dont love the country. In recent years, new steps have been taken to tighten the Communist Partys ideological control over schools, teachers, and students. In a speech delivered at a Beijing seminar attended by teachers from across the country last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on educators to instill patriotism in the countrys youth and reject wrong ideas and ideology. He also stressed that teachers themselves should have strict self-discipline, be consistent in class and out of class, online and offline, should consciously carry forward the main melody and actively convey positive energy. In July, it was reported that schoolchildren in China are taught that Christianity is an evil cult and encouraged to hate God. Last year, teachers were ordered to sign moral commitments pledging to support the leadership of the Communist Party, implement Xis thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics and the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CCP. Persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA ranks China at No. 23 on its 2020 World Watch List of 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Open Doors CEO David Curry warned that China could be shaping the future of international religious minority oppression through its use of surveillance technologies to monitor Christians and other religious adherents. He stressed that the data seems to point to the fact that China seems to be resurrecting the god-as-government state. We are all threatened by this: atheists, Jews, Muslims, everyone, Curry said. They are using this artificial intelligence and surveillance to a whole new level, he added. All indications show that in 2020 and this is why we are highlighting this they are bringing these two systems together. They are merging the social scoring system and surveillance and artificial intelligence to give them the tools and the power to oppress the people. Hope Colleges Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series will feature Lesley Nneka Arimah and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The authors will hold a question-and-answer session at 3:30 p.m. in the Fried-Hemenway Auditorium of the Martha Miller Center Global Communication, and a reading at 7:15 p.m. in the John and Dede Howard Recital Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. The public is invited to both events. Admission is free. The two authors work spans the boundaries between cultures, genres, and perspectives. Although they write in different styles, both authors share a skill for expressing the tensions and complexities of relationships and belonging through fresh and surprising images. Born in the UK, Lesley Nneka Arimah spent part of her childhood in Nigeria before moving to the United States in her early teens and graduating from Florida State University with a bachelors degree in English. Her fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, Harpers, GRANTA, and McSweeneys and has been recognized with a National Magazine Award and a Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her debut short story collection, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, won the 2017 Kirkus Prize and the 2017 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, among other honors. More recently, her story Skinned was awarded the 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing. After immigrating from Mexico to the California Central Valley, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo became the first undocumented student to graduate from Helen Zell Writers Program at the University of Michigan. His poetry collection Cenzontle won the 2017 A. Poulin, Jr. Prize, the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writer Award for poetry, and the 2019 Golden Poppy Award from the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, among other awards. As the founding member of the Undocupoets campaign, Castillo has worked to eliminate barriers for undocumented poets. He currently teaches at the Ashland Low-Res MFA Program and at workshops for incarcerated youth, and his memoir Children of the Land is forthcoming at the end of January. The reading will immediately follow the keynote event of the colleges commemoration of national Black History Month, Jazz in the Fight for Civil Rights: Jazz as Activist Music, which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 5:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. The lecture-performance will feature visiting musician and scholar Dr. Damani Phillips of the University of Iowa faculty as well as the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra, Hope College Jazz Arts Collective and Hope College Community Gospel Choir. Admission to the 5:30 p.m. event is also free. More information about the reading can be found online at hope.edu/jrvws. Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the colleges Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Martha Miller Center for Global Communication is located at 257 Columbia Ave., at the corner of Columbia Avenue and 10th Street. The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets. Kolkata: Hitting back at Union home minister Amit Shah a day after he blamed her of lying on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked him to tell the truth to the nation about the CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). The Trinamul Congress supremo not only wondered whether a person, once declared a foreigner, would be allowed to apply for citizenship through the CAA but also alleged that the Centre has been targeting non-BJP ruled states for the implementation of the CAA, NRC and NPR. She even branded the BJP as Chhupa Rustam to justify her argument that it drafted the three policies secretly to cover up its wrong decisions earlier. Banerjee, who has been on a visit to the North Bengal, was addressing a rally at Chawkbazar in Darjeeling against the CAA-NRC-NPR on Wednesday after leading a four-kilometre-long march in the hills. I saw how the Union home minister delivered a lot of sermons on Tuesday. He claimed we spread lies. If it is, you tell us what is the truth? Will a person be declared a foreigner first and then allowed to apply for citizenship in the CAA? The CM reiterated that the BJP-led Central government would have to throw her out first before driving out any person from the state. She tried to convince the people of the Hills, mainly the Gorkhas, that the CAA-NRC-NPR would not be implemented in the state. Referring to Shah, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked, Why is it not happening in Tripura? Why is it halted there? Is the number of Bengalis there less than us here? She pointed out, It is halted there because it is their (BJP) state. Then why do you want to implement it in those states where the BJP is not power? She observed, Such a situation has evolved in the country that you can not withdraw your money even if you have it in your bank account. The Chief Minister added, To cover up the situation, they drafted this policy like Chhupa Rustam. But if and when we raise our voice, we are labelled as Pakistanis. She reasoned that all the states, except West Bengal, attended the NPR meeting, called by the Union home ministry , out of fear. I asked why they had gone. Did they know what was written in it, she noted. Kathmandu, January 22 Nearly three months have passed since India published its new political map incorporating the disputed region of Kalapani in its territory, triggering protests in Nepal. As the dispute still awaits a solution, the two governments seem passive. However, the Nepal government claims it is waiting for Indias response to a diplomatic note it had sent in December last year proposing a meeting to discuss the issue and says it is hopeful of the solution through dialogues. Nepal had protested Indias political map published in the first week of November, sending its diplomatic note on November 22. In the note, Nepal had proposed a date for a meeting. However, the meeting could not take place as India responded to the note on December 19 only, by when the proposed date was already past. Following that, Nepal had sent the second note. India is yet to make any response, according to Bharat Raj Paudyal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the activists who raised concern over the issue in the past are not satisfied with the excuse. Narendra Raj Khanal, one of them, nevertheless, says the activists are searching for new sets of evidence to make Nepals position strong in the diplomatic dealing. Suburban services on the Western Railway were disrupted due to a snag in the overhead wire (OHE) between Mira Road and Dahisar stations on Wednesday, a railway official said. All Borivali-bound trains were stopped because of the problem on UP fast-train line (towards Churchgate) for about an hour from 12.30 pm onwards, he said. "The problem in OHE was rectified at around 1.30 pm and train services restored on the line," Ravinder Bhakar, chief public relations officer of the Western Railway said. The Railways claimed that the services on the line were diverted on UP slow lines till the problem was resolved. "Some trains were delayed and some might have been cancelled," he said. The Western Railway provides suburban connectivity to areas such as Vasai, Virar, Palghar and Dahanu and at least 35 lakh commuters travel on suburban locals on the zonal railway every day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In October 2015, scientists reconstructed the genome of a 4,500-year-old man who lived in Ethiopia. It was the first time that anyone had created a complete genetic snapshot of an African from an ancient skeleton. Since then, other researchers have recovered DNA from skeletons unearthed in other regions of the continent. Now researchers have found the first genetic material from West Africa. On Wednesday a team reported that they had recovered DNA from four individuals in Cameroon, dating back as far as 8,000 years. These ancient genomes contain vital clues to the history of the continent that have largely disappeared in the past few thousand years. Taken together, they are giving scientists a new vision of our species since it arose in Africa. In the new study, published in Nature, the researchers reported that modern humans diverged into four major populations between 200,000 and 250,000 years ago. One of those populations is new to scientists; few traces of it remain in the DNA of living Africans. M Ps have rejected all five amendments to the Brexit withdrawal agreement bill which were proposed by the House of Lords. The tweaks to Boris Johnson's plans were formulated by peers and brought the withdrawal agreement back to the Commons, despite it having already passed the lower House. However, due to the PM's 80 strong majority, the government was able to rally those in the Commons to reject all of the suggested changes. The bill will now again return to the Lords for consideration. This could prompt further parliamentary back and forth, though it is seen as likely they will now pass it following the amendments falling. All five amendments were defeated / AP Among the votes was the Lord Alf Dubs amendment, which seeks to restore the right of unaccompanied child refugees in the EU to be reunited with their families in the UK after Brexit. Lord Dubs fled the Nazis as a child on the Kindertransport, and has urged ministers not to use the children as "bargaining chips". The other amendments included one that would have forced the government to provide physical copies of documents ensuring EU citizens the right to remain in the UK post Brexit, not just electronic versions. Another would have allowed for the use of precedent of case law from Europe in the British courts and tribunals service, while a third would have required lower courts refer to UK Supreme Court before breaking with EU convention. The fifth and final amendment would have sought to make sure that while UK's parliamentary sovereignty was guaranteed, it would not have interfered with devolved matters. Following the defeat of all five amendments in the House of Commons, the Withdrawal Agreement Bill will be sent back to the House of Lords. There was some talk of compromise between the Commons and the Lords, especially with regards to the amendments concerning legal precedents passed down from Europe. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: A delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is on a visit in Azerbaijan on January 22-23 to assess the pre-election campaign and the political environment in anticipation of the parliamentary elections to be held in the country on February 9, Trend reports on Jan. 22. PACE representatives will hold meetings with the chairman of the Azerbaijani parliament, the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, heads and members of parties represented and not represented in the parliament. The negotiations are also planned to be held with the chairman and members of the Central Election Commission, media representatives and representatives of the civil society. PACE delegation will make a statement following the visit. The full delegation will arrive in Azerbaijan on February 9 to observe the elections. [January 22, 2020] Kentucky Goes Live with E-recording Using Simplifile Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading operator of global exchanges and clearing houses and provider of data and listings services, today announced that Kentucky has become the latest state to adopt e-recording and join Simplifile's network. Simplifile is part of ICE Mortgage Services, which applies technology and high-capacity infrastructure to make the mortgage process electronic and thus more efficient. Hardin County became the first county to go live in Kentucky, followed just minutes later by Jefferson County. "We are delighted to welcome Hardin and Jefferson counties to our e-recording network," said Paul Clifford, president of Simplifile. "We look forward to helping additional Kentucky municipalities get up and running - a process that usually takes only days - so they can take advantage of e-recording's significant time and cost savings." Through Simplifile, settlement agents can scan and submit land records directly to any of the 2,028 participating county recording offices, representing more than 80% of the U.S. population. In just minutes, the county recorder can review, stamp, record and return documents to the settlement agent electronically. In addition, recording fees and associated payments can be processed directly through Simplifile's secure service, eliminating payment errors and check-writing expenses. Kentucky joins 48 other U.S. states that have authorized e-recording of deeds, mortgages and other documents to enable faster and more cost-effective land record transactions. Only Vermont has yet to begin e-recording. "As a result of adopting Simplifile's e-recording program, the Jefferson County Clerk's Office Legal Records Division was one of the first counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to record a land records document submitted electronically," said Nore Ghibaudy, director of public relations at Jeffeson County Clerk's Office. "This process will be time saving for our customers." For an up-to-date list of counties participating in Simplifile's e-recording network, visit https://simplifile.com/e-recording-counties/. About Simplifile Simplifile, part of Intercontinental Exchange, is the nation's largest e-recording network, and connects settlement agents and county recorders via its e-recording service. It also offers collaboration tools and post-closing visibility for mortgage lenders and settlement agents working together on real estate documents. Through Simplifile, users can securely record, share and track documents, data and fees with ease. To learn more, visit https://simplifile.com or call 800.460.5657. About Intercontinental Exchange Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company formed in the year 2000 to modernize markets. ICE serves customers by operating the exchanges, clearing houses and information services they rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global financial and commodity markets. A leader in market data, ICE Data Services serves the information and connectivity needs across virtually all asset classes. As the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, the company is the premier venue for raising capital in the world, driving economic growth and transforming markets. Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located at http://www.intercontinentalexchange.com/terms-of-use. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading "Key Information Documents (KIDS)." Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the SEC on February 7, 2019. ICE-CORP View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005191/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 22, 2020] Ukraine President Zelensky Visits Ukraine House Davos, Prime Minister Honcharuk Chairs Meeting of the National Investment Council of Ukraine DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On day three of Ukraine House Davos, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the House to congratulate the Organizing Committee on the success of this year's event. Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk also chaired an invitation-only meeting of the National Investment Council of Ukraine, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure and Deutsche Bahn on the cooperation and development of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways). "Deutsche Bahn is Germany's largest railway operator. This contract is not about concession, it is a strategic partnership aimed to develop Ukraine's infrastructure," said Oleksiy Honcharuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine. "I believe that German operational efficiency and zero tolerance for corruption will inspire changes in Ukrzaliznytsia. Ukraine retains full control over Ukrzaliznytsia German experts will focus on reforming the enterprise management mechanisms." Also attending the National Investment Council meeting was Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the EBRD, who said, "EBRD remains the largest single investor in Ukraine, and 2019 was a standout year. We have doubled the scale of investments with over 1 billion invested during the year, two-thirds of which has been in the green economy. The new government has a mandate to implement genuine reforms, especially concession laws, as well as legislative and taxation procedures." The day was packed with exciting discussions from globally recognized speakers. During the morning panel sponsored by EBS, "More from Less: Imagining the Future of Work", guests enjoyed a conversation on trends in the future of work with a gloally renowned panel. The afternoon sessions got underway with a talk on, "Untapped Potential: Ukraine As Europe's Next Industrial Powerhouse" featuring top officials and industry experts. The panel was sponsored by Hillmont Partners and moderated by James Hart, Partner of Hillmont Partners. Speakers discussed new opportunities for privatization and the country's industrial sector. Dmytro Sennychenko, Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, said: "Our goal is to purge inefficiency and monopolistic behavior in the economy so that assets can finally begin to contribute to the economy rather than harming it. In 2020, the State Property Fund will offer an investment menu consisting of more than 500 assets with unprecedented levels of transparency with the possibility of 20 times the return on investment". Later in the day, Victor Pinchuk Foundation hosted a talk with Oleg Sentsov, liberated political prisoner, Ukrainian filmmaker, writer and activist from Crimea. The Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee expressed their gratitude to Mr. Sentsov for his invaluable role in the fight for Ukraine's freedom. When asked about how the world understands the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Sentsov said: "Putin is a very dangerous, powerful and cruel enemy; he would rather give up the Kremlin than give up Crimea. It is crucial for the Ukrainian authorities and world leaders to understand that." The MHP-sponsored panel titled, "The $50-Billion Challenge: How Business and Government Can Create a Win-Win Investment Climate in the New Ukraine" gave a platform for speakers to discuss current and future investment opportunities in Ukraine. Yuriy Kosyuk, CEO and Founder of MHP said that for the first time in his more than 20 years of doing business in Ukraine, the government is open for dialogue and supporting Ukrainian businesses. Follow the event via social media on #ukrainehousedavos and at: Twitter: @UAHouseDavos Facebook: @ukrainehousedavos Instagram: @Ukraine.House.Davos LinkedIN: UkraineHouseDavos YouTube: ukrainehousedavos About Ukraine House Davos Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee is led by five women who volunteer their efforts to launch this event: Olga Afanasyeva , Executive Director of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) , Executive Director of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) Jaroslawa Johnson , President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) , President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) Svitlana Grytsenko of Victor Pinchuk Foundation of Victor Pinchuk Foundation Lenna Koszarny , Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, and, , Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, and, Alexa Chopivsky , Executive Director of Ukraine House Davos Ukraine House Davos is made possible by the generous commitment of its sponsors. Ukraine House Davos is supported by the National Investment Council of Ukraine, UkraineInvest, Ukrainian World Congress, Atlantic Council, Reputation Institute. Media Partners include NV, Liga.net, Ekonomichna Pravda, Ukraine Business News www.ukrainehousedavos.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080820/Ukraine_House_Davos.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ukraine-president-zelensky-visits-ukraine-house-davos-prime-minister-honcharuk-chairs-meeting-of-the-national-investment-council-of-ukraine-300991665.html SOURCE Ukraine House Davos [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The head of Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), which co-governs the country, stepped down as party leader Wednesday in a move which could trigger political shockwaves. "I'm here today to hand in my resignation as party leader," Luigi Di Maio told a meeting of the movement's members days ahead of a key regional poll pitting the M5S and its centre-left coalition partner against Matteo Salvini's far-right League. Search Keywords: Short link: The BJP on Wednesday cited statements of several opposition leaders to accuse them of "abusing" Hindus for their appeasement and referred to the Congress as "Muslim League Congress". Seeking apologies from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said leaders of these parties have used the ongoing protests against the amended citizenship law to "abuse" Hindus. Chavan has said in a public meeting that the Congress decided to join hands with the Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra as Muslims wanted the party to stop the BJP, Patra stated, claiming that it shows the opposition party has nothing to do with people belonging to other religions, including Hindus. Patra also referred to a statement from an NCP leader to attack the opposition. Asked about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's reported jibe at the RSS for its "non-participation" in the freedom movement, the BJP leader shot back, asking if parents of Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian origin, had fought in India's independence struggle. The Indian National Congress, he said referring to the opposition party's full name, should be called "Muslim League Congress". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 2019 was a banner year of federal cloud adoption for IT modernization. Building on growing cloud investments across agencies -- IDC reports that U.S. federal cloud spending will reach $3.3 billion 2021 -- federal CIOs are devising thoughtful strategies to maximize cloud value. The governments shift from the 2010 Cloud First plan to Cloud Smart underscored this trend, encouraging agencies to use the cloud in a way that best achieves mission objectives, secures the nation and meets the needs of citizens. This adjustment in strategy mirrors what were seeing in broader markets, as cloud exuberance has given way to workload placement being driven by application and organizational requirements. Transitioning to a consistent hybrid-cloud approach including both private and public clouds is one of the most important and fundamental steps in any agencys digital transformation, offering increased security and greater flexibility, transparency and scalability. With 81% of federal agencies already operating in multicloud environments, according to a recent survey, consistency across all these clouds is critical. While multicloud environments can cause complexity, the reality is they are the foundation for the evolution and adaptation of emerging and advanced technology. Agencies beginning their hybrid-cloud journey must remember that cloud is not a destination, its an operating model that supports long-term modernization goals and mission needs. The cloud should exist everywhere applications reside -- from edge locations, like the battlefield, to on-premises clouds and public clouds. When transforming infrastructure, agencies must think about workloads, applications and use cases, and they need to consider how these workloads impact everyone from the citizen to the warfighter. Depending on the workload, agencies must be able to choose whether to keep the workload on-premises, in public clouds or both. Workloads that stay on-premises Federal agencies collect sensitive information: home addresses, Social Security numbers and information required for background checks, to situational awareness data that protects military service members. Putting this data in a hosted cloud can increase the number of access points and, in turn, the level of vulnerability. These sensitive workloads may be better on-premises. Additionally, systems that are not public-cloud-ready will likely use excessive cloud infrastructure resources, meaning they will not be any more efficient and will almost certainly cost more to operate. Legacy systems must be prepared for a transition to the cloud of choice -- and workloads should remain on-premises until theyre fully ready for migration when and if that day comes. Workloads in public clouds Federal agencies are also responsible for collecting, managing and analyzing huge amounts of public data about the nation and the world, including labor statistics, census information and environmental data. Calculations on demographics of U.S. households, the rate of extinction of North American species or the unemployment rate could be streamlined by running the analysis in cloud environments. High volumes of non-sensitive, non-critical data are more appropriate for public cloud environments and provide great value when it can be shared. Day-to-day, non-sensitive and collaborative workloads can also be placed in a public cloud. Federal employees often need to work from remote locations, whether theyre teleworking across town or stationed across the globe. Non-sensitive documents and applications should be transferred to a public cloud so staff can access their workloads at any time and from any place, particularly those requiring minimal security and backup. It is important to note that migrating applications and data to the public cloud means embracing new workflows and operational models. Government IT leaders should familiarize themselves and their developers with the shared responsibility model of their cloud vendor to ensure security, compliance and service level requirements are met. Hybrid cloud solution In reality, agencies run both private and non-sensitive workloads on a daily basis, making a hybrid-cloud approach a universal best practice for keeping data secure and accessible. Agencies working in multicloud environments require seamless compatibility across their cloud and on-premise infrastructure to be successful. However, a poorly implemented hybrid environment can become a major barrier and detract from the benefits expected from the cloud. Agencies can alleviate this challenge with a consistent hybrid-cloud solution that allows them to manage their cloud environment in a simple, holistic way -- providing consistency across public, private and edge environments. Agencies should also look to incorporate platforms that are built for specific workload needs and flexible consumption models that can provide greater choice, flexibility and predictable outcomes. Government's digital transformation means that emerging technology adoption can be accelerated and IT capabilities can better support the success of missions for citizens and warfighters. In 2019 government started thinking cloud smart, but in the coming year, the hybrid cloud will make that strategy a reality. wuhan coronavirus Emily Wang/AP Photo More than 100 people have died from a coronavirus outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, and more than 4,600 people have been infected across 17 countries. The virus, which is marked by fevers and pneumonialike symptoms, likely originated in a wet market in Wuhan, an 11 million-person city in China's Hubei province. On January 23, authorities put Wuhan under quarantine halting all public transportation, including city buses, trains, and ferries. The order prevents any buses or trains from coming into or leaving the city and grounds all planes at the Wuhan airport. Wuhan authorities started to limit car travel the next day as well, The Guardian reported. The city of Huanggang (which is home to around 7.5 million people) also went into lockdown last week, as authorities closed subway and train stations. By the following day, 10 additional cities Chibi, Enshi, Ezhou, Huangshi, Suizhou, Qianjjiang, Xianning, Xiantao, Yichang, and Zhijiang had followed suit with their own travel restrictions. As of Monday, the cities of Xiangyang, Jingmen, Xiaogan, and Dangyang were also quarantined. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, said these efforts to quarantine cities will help Chinese authorities control the virus' spread and "minimize the chances of this outbreak spreading internationally." "What they're doing is a very, very strong measure, and with full commitment," Ghebreyesus said in press conference last week. Story continues Quarantining 50 million people A Chinese girl wears a protective mask as her mother pushes her on a suitcase to board a train at Beijing Railway station before the annual Spring Festival on January 21, 2020 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty All told, these restrictions affect an estimated 50 million people, according to The Washington Post. Wuhan is China's fifth-largest city and more than 3,200 square miles in size. By comparison, New York City has about 8 million people nearly 3 million fewer than Wuhan. The city is split into three districts: Hankou, Wuchang, and Hanyang, with rivers cutting between them. Many people work in one district and live in another, so the ban on interdistrict travel cripples the city's normal functioning. According to local authorities, citizens are no longer permitted to leave Wuhan without a "special reason." At noon local time Friday, "To my knowledge, trying to contain a city of 11 million people is new to science," Gauden Galea, the WHO's China representative, told the Associated Press on Thursday. "It has not been tried before as a public-health measure, so we cannot at this stage say it will or will not work." In Huanggang, meanwhile, officials ordered cinemas and internet cafes to close and told citizens not leave the city unless there are special circumstances, Reuters reported. The city's long-distance buses and trains were halted. The nearby city of Ezhou, too, closed its train stations, while bus travel in Chibi and Zhijiang, two smaller cities, has been stopped. These quarantines come amid the Lunar New Year celebrations, which began on Saturday. Usually, the annual holiday fills the country's trains, planes, roads, and ferries, as 3 billion people journey home to be with family. However, the Chinese government has asked people to cancel plans to visit Wuhan, and Beijing's government canceled its Spring Festival events last week. International efforts to stop the coronavirus outbreak Wuhan virus Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images Five US airports New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Chicago O'Hare International Airport are screening passengers for the virus. Airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea are also checking passengers for fever. Travelers leaving Wuhan before the quarantine went into effect all had their temperatures checked. But Eric Toner, a senior scientist at Johns Hopkins University, told Business Insider that given the number of coronavirus cases already, "any sort of travel restrictions are likely to be ineffective." On Monday, the mayor of Wuhan, said about 5 million people had left Wuhan before the city was placed on lockdown. Wuhan virus China Beijing railway station Kevin Frayer/Getty Images Bart Haagmans, a virologist at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, told Business Insider that one of the challenges in containing the outbreak is that a substantial fraction of infected people show only mild symptoms. These people "may go unnoticed in tracing the virus and fuel the outbreak," he said, adding, "It seems that this actually may be the case now." Aria Bendix and Ryan Pickrell contributed reporting to this story. Read the original article on Business Insider 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!) Less than a month after the first few cases of a new respiratory illness were reported in Wuhan, China, travelers have carried the virus to at least four other countries, including the United States. More than 500 people are known to have been infected, at least 17 have died and the world is bracing itself for what might come next. On Wednesday, experts at the World Health Organization decided to postpone until Thursday a decision on whether the current outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, a label given to serious public health events that endanger international public health and potentially require a coordinated international response. A vote by W.H.O.s emergency committee was split down the middle, its chairman said, and the group concluded that it did not have enough information to make a decision. The decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern is one I take extremely seriously, and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, W.H.O.s director general, said at news briefing. University and college students in the northeast on Wednesday boycotted classes in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the day when the Supreme Court refused to order stay on the law until the Centre is heard on the matter. Thousands of students in Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh abstained from attending classes with some taking part in demonstrations and sit-in hunger strike as a show of solidarity to the protests taking place in the region against CAA since December last year. We didnt attend classes on Wednesday and burnt copies of the gazette notification issued earlier this month regarding CAA coming into force, said Moon Talukdar, general secretary of Gauhati University students union. Wednesdays protest is part of a total shutdown called under the banner of North Eastern Universities Students Fraternity. The universities included in the total shutdown are Gauhati University, Cotton University, North Eastern Hill University, Dibrugarh University, Tezpur University, Assam Women University, Nagaland University, Rajiv Gandhi University, Assam Agricultural University and North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology. The ANCSU while considering the ill repercussions of CAA, 2019 on the masses of the north eastern states, in strong solidarity and participation, appeal all the colleges in Nagaland to observe total shutdown of the institutes on January 22, said an appeal by All Nagaland College Students Union. Students of Cotton University in Guwahati stayed away from classes and took part in a 7-hour sit-in hunger strike beginning at 10 am. The apex court on Wednesday granted four-week time to the Centre to reply to the 144-odd petitions challenging the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act . While most of the petitions challenge the constitutional validity of CAA, some of them seek a declaration that the act is constitutional. The Supreme Court bench comprised of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The apex court also directed that the petitions from Assam to be segregated from rest and ordered that high courts should not take up cases on CAA. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON One consideration for the managers? The patience of senators, some of whom already looked a bit bored on Tuesday one even appeared to doze off as they sat in silence through several hours of Mr. Schiff and his colleagues delivering dense, detailed arguments. The House leadership could decide, as the impeachment managers did during President Bill Clintons 1999 impeachment trial, that taking every minute of the 24 hours afforded to them will not help their case. A weekend start for Trumps lawyers. If the House managers take all of their time, the White House lawyers led by Pat A. Cipollone, the White House counsel, and Jay Sekulow, the presidents personal lawyer will have the chance to deliver their oral arguments defending the president starting on Saturday, Jan. 25. Senate rules that date back more than three decades hold that during impeachment, senators must meet six days a week, taking only Sunday off. If the debate over rules was any guide, the presidents lawyers may take far less than their allotted 24 hours. But if they took it all, they would complete their presentation on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Like the House managers, the White House lawyers will probably think about how long they want to keep senators in their seats. But they also have another audience: Mr. Trump, who has been itching to see a vigorous defense of him played out on television screens. That might encourage Mr. Cipollone and Mr. Sekulow to take a longer time outlining the case for his acquittal. Trumps team has a chance to attack the House case. Under a clause inserted by Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, the rules allow Mr. Trumps legal team to move after opening arguments to object to pieces of evidence the House impeachment investigators collected in their inquiry. If the presidents legal team did so, it is not clear whether Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. would rule on those objections or if the Senate would debate and vote on them, but the process could take some time. Senators get to ask questions, in writing. After each side has presented its case, the trial rules give senators up to 16 hours to ask questions. But unlike during a normal Senate session, they are not allowed to speak. They must submit their questions in writing to Chief Justice Roberts, who is presiding over the trial. Under the rules of the Senate, the chief justice will decide which questions to ask, directing them to the managers or to the White House legal team. That does not mean there will not be any grandstanding. When the chief justice reads a question aloud, he will indicate which senator submitted it. (Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, frequently boasts that during Mr. Clintons impeachment trial, she and Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, were the only two senators to submit a bipartisan question.) CLEVELAND, Ohio Mayor Frank Jacksons plan to build a police headquarters in the Kinsman neighborhood along the Opportunity Corridor cleared its last hurdle Tuesday before a vote by the full City Council. The councils Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee unanimously approved the plan, albeit while requesting some additional information. Assuming the additional information is provided something that could happen this week the measure could move before the full council for a vote on Monday. Did any council members have concerns with the plan? Yes. Councilman Charles Slife, while supporting the plan, warned against placing other public buildings on prime development sites along the Opportunity Corridor road project, which has been billed as a way to bring development to poor East Side neighborhoods. "With these remaining sites along the Opportunity Corridor, I ask that we remain true to our original charge, Slife said. That will require pushing for the highest and best use along the roadway that will complement the police headquarters. Some other council members have questioned moving the police headquarters out of downtown, but those members didnt attend the committee hearing to raise their concerns. Issues raised by members of the committee included cautions to the administration not to scrimp on the building just to cut costs and the desire to provide space for programs that allow the public to interact with police. The new headquarters will need to meet the needs of the police department and the community for several decades, Councilman Matt Zone said. "We cant afford to build a cheap building, he said. Whats the plan? Cleveland intends to build a campus-style police headquarters on the Opportunity Corridor (which still is under construction) in the area where Grand Avenue and East 75th Street now intersect. The site is just up the street from Orlando Baking Co.s headquarters. Cleveland already has control of the property, about 10 acres. The property is an odd shape that would be less conducive to commercial development than other large parcels along the corridor, said David Ebersole, Clevelands director of economic development. The project is expected to cost about $55 million and allow Cleveland police to consolidate several units now scattered around the city. That could involve about 600 officers. Among those units are the departments administration, police academy, property storage unit, SWAT team, detective bureaus, community engagement teams and motorcycle and bicycle units. If approved by City Council, design work could begin this year and be completed in 2021, Matthew Spronz, Jacksons director of capital projects, told the committee. Construction could begin by late 2021 and be complete in 2023. The roadway for the corridor is expected to be completed by 2021, with utility work and other site improvements to be done by 2022. Why build along the Opportunity Corridor? The citys original plan was to renovate the building at 1801 Superior Avenue that is home to cleveland.com. That deal fell through in 2018, and the city began looking for another site. Ebersole said the city could find no affordable sites in the downtown area that met the needs of the department, so the city expanded its search area. The site chosen by the administration has easy access to highways via the Opportunity Corridor, which will connect Interstate 490 at East 55th Street, and streets that allow for easy north and south connections. The Opportunity Corridor will connect with University Circle. An RTA station nearby allows for access to Rapid and bus transportation, Ebersole said. Will the community be welcome? Yes. That is a main component of the plan. Police Chief Calvin Williams told the committee Tuesday that the city would like to partner with an organization such as Head Start to host young children in the building. The complex also could host programs to help older youth and young adults prepare for joining the police academy and pursuing a career in law enforcement, the chief said. And the building will have places for the public to gather for community meetings and interact with the police department, a plan Councilman Basheer Jones applauded. That will go a long way toward healing a community divide on how they see police officers, Jones said. Will it spark development in the neighborhood? The hope is that business will locate around the headquarters and bring much-needed economic activity to the neighborhood. The $306 million Opportunity Corridor is a boulevard that will connect I-490 near I-77 with University Circle. It has been billed as a means to spark development in an area long ignored by private investors. What happens next? The plan was vetted earlier by councils Safety and Municipal Services and Properties committees. The plan now will be reviewed -- generally a formality -- by the Finance Committee, perhaps as soon as Monday. If approved, it could go before the full council for a final vote Monday evening. There are many women in Africa that dedicated their lives to the work of defending rights of the poor, protecting social freedom of women, upholding rights of children as well as the basic rights of the vulnerable members of our economically polarized Societies. Nawal El Saadawi is one of them. I have chosen to write about her not for anything, but because she is now advanced in age and very delicate in terms of health. By the time of writing this article, Nawal is at the age of 88 years, very sickly and but thank goodness, still very strong in democratic spirit. Speaking against those who believe that purpose of power is to oppress the powerless. And this is what she has been doing throughout her life for the past eight decades. she has been writing in defense of human rights, speaking about human rights, defending those with violated rights and as well as resisting the social and political systems that thrive on oppressing the powerless, both in Egypt her country of birth, and around the world. The current cultural and literary world readily testifies that Nawal is a non-conformist Muslim, a medical doctor, a fearless writer, de-constructivist, a single mother, un-wavering feminist and an un-apologetic African. She was born in 1931 to an indigenous Egyptian family with ancestry that existed in the ancient Egypt before North Africa became Arabized and Islamized. Nawal El Saadawi is a woman of very many firsts. She is the first woman to be an Egyptian physician, psychiatrist, and the first feminist writer from the world that is substantially Arabic and Islamic. She is the pioneering activist in the Egyptian world of gender rights movement and feminist politics. She is a pioneering psychiatrist that has committed her life to the liberation of women and speaking truth to power through her writings on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of female genital mutilation. She is the first medical practitioner to bring to public attention the systematic thinking on why the poor people are often sick, and why are they sick in such particular way? I mean Nawal looked at human diseases through the gender lenses of social stratification, but not only through the traditional strait-jacket out-look of microbial infections. Those in power never regarded Nawal El Saadawi in a good way, instead they initiated snares and ploys that let to Nawal to suffer several stints of imprisonment, detention without trial, irrational censorship, state sponsored ignobling, and other forms of religious as well as politically sponsored brutality for no other reason but because Nawal was an organic intellectual with unique spiritual strength evinced in her writing to promote protection of poor mans rights, freedom and basic justices . The bourgeoisie and traditionalist scholars have on several occasions equated her to Simone de Beauvoir, the French woman-writer and feminist Marxist. But in the really sense Nawal towers above De Beauvoir in her categorical capacity of revolutionary praxis, intellectual bravado, class consciousness and social cosmopolitanism. She has always remained an intellectual above the trappings of racial bias. It is so unfortunate that Nawal recently underwent an expensive eye surgery, after which she was left a choice-less victim of the post-hospital care bills beyond her means. A social and economic condition hatched to her by decades and decades of politically instigated systematic oppression, betrayal and unfair censorship of her books. However, poverty is never a threat to mental peace of Nawal El Saadawi, this is actively evident in her recent interview with the Newsweek in which she boldly came out that, 'she lives in poverty, in a house that looks like a grave, but she is lucky she has a grave to live in, many in Cairo cannot get such like a grave to put in their heads'. Imagine, Nawal maintains such a spiritual tempo in spite of the fact that throughout the year, 2019, she has been persistently in hospital. And all of us know that consistent medical detention always render one economical helpless and penniless a situation which calls for empathy and sympathy from the literary community from Africa and around the world as a way of expressing appreciation for Nawals eight decades of self-sacrifice and courage in self-immolating kind of struggle to foster human dignity and freedom from brutality of crude culture, oppressive religion, political exclusion , oppression through lack of access to medical care and general ignorance among the poor. A duty which has not been only an act of honour, but also as vintage of unflagging series of acts of intellectual bravura in a class of their own kind that must in-arguably earn a station of being worthy of worthies to be the benchmark worth consultation for us the living during our struggle to shout the truth to power that, 'you who are in power, dont oppress the powerless.' Nawal came face to face with systematic oppression of the vulnerable at her youngest age. Reading the biographies and Auto-biographies about Nawal, reveal that she grew up in rural Egypt, in a society that had justified and socialized oppression of women. Egypt of that time had complicated and multifaceted patriarchal culture which was perhaps a moniker of a history inherited from the past social-economic heritage of slavery. For example, when Nawal was before ten years, her grandmother, whom she admired for her independence in thought and mauverick spirit, told her on several occasions that, 'a boy is worth 15 girls at least. But in her later days, Nawal el-Saadawi has often reflected objectively about this (im)pious instructions from her grandmother by philosophizing in her books and writings that she could not understand how a boy can be worth fifteen girls when she was always on top in her class beating all the boys. Nawal ventured very early into writing and pen-pushing as a front of struggle, resistance, and deconstruction against the oppressive cultural and political systems, in fact she began writing at the age of seven. This was the time when she wrote her first epistle in her life. It was a letter of complaint to God. In the letter Nawal asked God Why He had failed to be just and fair by not making her mother and father to be equal. This was some times before her second and perhaps most challenging encounter with local systematic oppression of women, when she had decided always to be including her mother's name, Zaynab, next to her own so that she can be called Nawal el Zaynab Saadawi an act which provoked a patriarchal monster in her father to demand that it was his name that she must use, the name Saadawi. Nawal El Saadawi writes in Arabic and English. She is the author of sixteen spell binding novels, fifteen critical nonfiction books, nine gender focused short story collections, and six memoirs that reflect her life as a freedom fighter, a critic, a freethinker, an organic intellectual of liberal and progressive feminist standing. Nawal also tried her hand to venture into writing drama and plays with a focus on the dramaturgy of the oppressed. From these efforts she was able to earn three successful plays on her name. Throughout her literary life, Nawal has been a victim of serial persecutions by patriarchy in the successive governments in Egypt for her tireless crusades and fearless advocacy for feminism and against religiously perpetrated female genital mutilation, Islamic Talag and ruthless subjection of women to vain fancies and whims of those enjoying power in patriarchy. Above all else, Nawals pen and ink have been evidently mauverick in condemning religious fundamentalism and brutality of the hijab dressing code that have been socialized as the Islamic veiling of a girl and a woman. Those of you my dear readers that love literature can savour yourselves on Nawals best known novel Woman at Point Zero (1982). However, there are more conscious themes in her earlier book The Hidden Face of Eve (1977) in which Nawal narrated a nerve chilling and very harrowing account of her own circumcision at the age of 6 as her mother and aunts watched. It is in this book that Nawal also outlined her opposition to the forced marriages of children. In Woman at Point Zero Nawal boldly confirms capacity of a woman to fight for her rights through a main character called Firdausi, who becomes a prostitute in Cairo after fleeing an abusive marriage, then she went further to murder her pimp and refused to atone for her crime, then she is sentenced to death. In this book Saadawi painted a picture of Firdausi, as a real person, as a feminist, and heroine who refuses to be cowed in a struggle to a free person. Nawals writings posed facts-backed challenges to the moral quality of political Islam. This was supposed to soul searching for dialog among those in power, but the Sisyphus syndrome could not allow them to reach such virtues, instead they had Nawal to be arrested and jailed. Nawals presence in the cells, occasioned her cellmates to fear that maybe President Anwar Sadat would give them all the death penalty. Saadawi staid, calm and unmoved. She was also very prophetic and optimistic. She remained convinced that she would outlive her Jailer. And truly, in October 1981, a month after she was arrested, President Anwar Sadat, her jailer, was assassinated at a military parade by officers opposed to his system of politics. But, this was not a sign of wholesome peace for Nawal, given that the Egyptian government was not the only institution angered by the liberal ideas in her literary work. The ideas that questioned dignity of a woman in Islam, freedom of thought, and need for equality of all in the Muslim world. It was this type of intellectual audacity that made Muslim political leaders to put Nawal on the same list as Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen. The Name of Nawal El Saadawi was in position 3 on fatwa list or simply death lists that was circulated by Islamist groups in 1991 . To make the matter worse, the death threats were not just a scare-crow, as in 1992, the Egyptian writer Farag Foda was murdered by the Islamic extremist group that carried out hundreds of killings, this was the time around which the Japanese and Italian translators of Rushdies Satanic Verses were shot dead in assassination, the Norwegian translator the same book was grievously wounded by an Islamic extremist in assassination attempt. Thank goodness Nawal El Saadawi was safe even though her name was the next on the list. Saadawi had no option but to move out of Egypt and hence, she reluctantly accepted an offer to teach at Duke University in North Carolina. She was assigned to teach literature course unit known as creativity and dissidence. A platform on which she got an opportunity to tell her students that, I cannot undo what education did to you, how it makes people unaware why they are oppressed.' From her young age, Nawal El-Saadawi often declared that she would never get married. However, in her adult life, she married three times. She met and married Ahmed Helmi in 1955, her first husband while she was training to become a doctor. Medical life influenced much of the themes in Nawals writings to advocate for education which she believes enables an unveiling of the mind. In one of her recent interviews, Nawal said that we must be educated to help each other. While she was able to help others as a doctor, she realized that she wanted to do more to advocate for equality in order to enable every single person to live a happy life. This social concerns made Nawal run for election to a political office in 2004 but she was barred. An act that made Nawal to point out that she believes much of the problems in society are due to the hypocrisy and deception that occurs in government. Firmness in resistance to religious and cultural fundamentalism is the center-piece of Nawal's social thoughts. She considers herself a Muslim, although does not base her beliefs on any religious texts. She believes that religious sacred texts such as the Bible and Quran are patriarchal texts used to oppress otherness. Thus, she encourages people to think critically and creatively, and keep their religious beliefs separate from government ideologies. She has often argued that, absence of critical thought is the fountain of FGM that originated from the selfish idea that women were sexual in nature, and their sexuality had to be controlled so they could not tempt men. Throughout her life, Nawals social actions have been guided by believes that humankind is inherently good, but it is society that damages people. And hence, she advocates that men and women have to sort out on how to work together for equality. Any objective out-look under light of Nawals teachings will always prioritize liberal education to people about the truth, to learn to make connections, think critically and creatively about world as well as to fix the education system so that the future is not perpetually dominated by the political and social systems enslaved to exclusive thinking. This is why Nawal El Saadawi was also the subject of a 2017 BBC One series feature. She is on record for having spoken the Unspeakable on behalf of those silenced by tyranny of faith, brutality of political power and pinching power of poverty. My dear reader I want to conclude this story about Nawal by requesting you to allow me to assume that in Africa it is possible for one to finish her first degree in Liberal arts without being taught about organic intellectuals in the likes of Nawal El Saadawi. Thus, I am pushed by such like awareness and inner conscience as well as some duty of care to mention to you some other names that you can read for personal benefit and as well as social benefits given the truth in the modern social fact that correct reading is among the first acts of liberation struggle. Ergo, the names of other educative but very organic feminist intellectuals I want to suggest for you my dear reader are as follows; Taslima Nasreen-Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, physician, feminist, secular humanist and human rights activist. She is known for her writing on women's oppression and criticism of religion, despite forced exile and multiple fatwas calling for her death. Her books are Lajja, My Bengali Girl-hood, and the French Lover. Zarina Patel-she is a Kenyan human rights activist, environmental rights activist, the publisher of Awaaz Magazine, a human rights focused magazine, and she is regular writer at the Pambazuka.org. Her human rights and gender focused books are the Un-Quiet, Desai, and Jeevanje. Judith Orr- she is a feminist and a writer, her book is Abortion Movements Shailja Patel-She is a human rights crusader and a feminist poet from Kenya, her famous poem is un-woman women published in Awaaz Magazine issue on stopping the violence against women Jessica Valenti-she is the author of Purity Myth Anita Diamand-she is the author of the Red Tent Naom Wolf- She is the Author of Beauty Myth Anthony Doerr- he is a feminist writer, the author of Light we Cannot See Elif Shafak- she is from Turkey, a feminist, a de-constructivist and the author, her Book is Forty Rules of Love, a poet of Rumi. BUWA JOURNAL AND MAGAZINE-published by the Open Society Initiative of South Africa (OSISA) *This article is written by; Alexander Opicho, (A poet, essayist, and short story writer from, Lodwar, Kenya,) [email protected] Pathankot: The Centre has decided to set up a hub of elite counter-terrorism force National Security Guard (NSG) in Punjabs strategic border district of Pathankot and a process for it has begun with deputy commissioners of Amritsar and Pathankot having been asked to submit their reports in this regard, officials said on Wednesday. Pathankot deputy commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira said he has received a letter from the state home secretary asking him to identify land at some suitable place for the hub. We would prefer the land near the Air Force Station where a piece of land in village Deriwal is available with the Municipal Corporation, Khaira said. Former Pathankot Parliament member Sunil Jakhar had in 2017 raised the issue of setting up the NSG regional centre here. He had asked the Prime Minister Office to set up the centre in view of the threats of cross-border attacks. The NSG commandos were flown in from Delhi when four terrorists from neighbouring Pakistan attacked the airbase in Pathankot in 2016. An NSG commando was among the seven killed in the exchange of fire with the militants, who were killed after several hours of firing. Our MP [member of Parliament] Sunny Deol had raised the demand before the Union home minister Amit Shah and now the Union home minister for state Nityanand Rai has informed our MP that matter has been taken up with the Punjab Government to identify the land to set up this elite security forces centre here, said Pathankot mayor Anil Vasudeva. We are finalising the formalities and are ready to hand over the land near village Deriwal free of cost to the Union ministry of home affairs, Vasudeva added. Deborah Dugan, the suspended chief of the Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, said in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday that she had been removed as retaliation for uncovering a range of misconduct at the academy, including sexual harassment, improper voting procedures and conflicts of interest among academy board members. Ms. Dugans 44-page complaint details her clash with a number of powerful men at the academy during her tenure of just five months. But her accusations also represent an indictment of the academy itself, which has struggled to reform its reputation after coming under harsh criticism for its poor record recognizing women and people of color in the major categories. The document, filed with the E.E.O.C.s Los Angeles office and technically called a charge of discrimination, alleges that Ms. Dugans predecessor, Neil Portnow, had been accused of rape by an artist, and that the academys board had been scheduled to vote for a bonus for him even though all of its members had not been told about the accusation. The complaint has little detail about the accusation, but said that a psychiatrist had said that the encounter was likely not consensual. It also says that Ms. Dugan herself had received unwanted sexual advances from Joel Katz, a powerful industry lawyer who represents the Grammys. All of this is a dangerous perversion of the Constitution that the Senate should swiftly and roundly condemn. The articles should be rejected and the president should immediately be acquitted. Photo: BC Gov't Finance Minister Carole James A select number of residents in Kelowna and West Kelowna can expect to receive Speculation and Vacancy Tax declaration packages in the mail. The packages for the contentious tax will be arriving between Jan. 24 and Feb. 21. Finance Minister Carole James says more than 99 per cent of British Columbians will be exempt from paying the tax, while speculators, foreign owners and people who leave their homes vacant will continue to pay. James points to the latest Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation rental report to claim the tax has been a success though not all agree. According to the CMHC, the long-term rental stock in Metro Vancouver increased by nearly 19 per cent, the most significant increase in a decade. "We're beginning to see moderation in the housing market, and over the past year we've seen more rental condos being put on the market and an increase in purpose-built rentals," said James. "These are encouraging signs for making housing more affordable for families in B.C." The tax has now risen from 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent of assessed property value. In its first year, the government says it collected $115 million from the tax. Two million of that came from properties in Kelowna. The government says that money will be funneled back into the city through funding for housing. Both Kelowna and West Kelowna continue to lobby the province to have the two cities exempt from the tax, which has been widely panned by the development and construction industries as being a job killer and rising prices for average home buyers. Kate Middleton wears 149 coat by Spanish brand for second outing of her UK Landmark Tour The coat, and the skirt underneath it, are both currently on sale The Evening Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 1 /34 The Duchess of Cambridge UK Landmark Tour - In pictures Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Cardiff Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge speaks with former prisoners who have received help with rehabilitation from the Forward Trust PA Kate walks with Prison Governor Carlene Dixon during a visit to HMP Send in Wokin POOL/AFP via Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Ely and Careau Childrens Centre Getty Images Duchess of Cambridge leaves with HMP Send Governor Carlene Dixon after a visit to HMP Send REUTERS Duchess of Cambridge visits HMP Send Getty Images She speaks with serving prisoner Francesca POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge at HMP Send AFP via Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Cardiff on January 22, 2020 in Cardiff, Wales. The visit is part of HRH's 24-hour tour of the country to launch '5 big questions on the under 5s' Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) reacts as she leaves after visiting HMP Send in Woking, south west of London AFP via Getty Images Getty Images PA The Duchess of Cambridge chats with children during a tour to promote her new survey Reuters The survey aims to spark the biggest ever conversation on early childhood PA PA PA Getty Images The duchess was taking part in a 24-hour tour of the country to launch '5 big questions on the under 5s' PA The Duchess of Cambridge chats with children on the tour Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Reuters Reuters She's the American bikini model who has made a splash in Australia since she began dating Reece Hawkins in 2018. And on Wednesday, London Goheen was up to her usual tricks as she 'spammed' Instagram with a series of raunchy snaps. In the most recent picture, the 21-year-old showed off her peachy derriere in a barely-there bikini bottom and newspaper-print T-shirt. Cheeky! Reece Hawkins' model girlfriend London Goheen (pictured) showed off her peachy derriere in a racy bikini snap after a string of raunchy Instagram 'spamming' on Wednesday 'Oops last one. Okay Im done spamming yall now,' London captioned the post. London was promoting Fashion Nova, a fast-fashion website known for its raunchy outfits and celebrity endorsements from Kylie Jenner to Cardi B. Earlier in the day, the brunette bombshell showed off her washboard abs and trim pins in a grey crop top, white daisy dukes and white printed boots while posing on the hood of a Land Rover in three snaps posted in an Instagram carousel. Content creator: Earlier in the day, the brunette bombshell showed off her washboard abs and trim pins in a grey crop top and white daisy dukes while posing on the hood of a Land Rover To hot for Instagram! The social media 'spam' didn't stop there, as London showed off her bikini body in another snap in the morning The Instagram 'spam' didn't stop there, as London showed off her bikini body in another picture in the morning. This time, the bronzed model wore a skin-tight black swimsuit that hugged her toned body and ample assets. On Tuesday, London posted a picture in a tiny two-piece, but was accused by fans of 'copying' her boyfriend Reece Hawkin's ex Tammy Hembrow. Followers and haters: On Tuesday, London posted a picture in a tiny two-piece, but was accused by some fans of 'copying' her boyfriend Reece Hawkin's ex Tammy Hembrow While most fans praised London as 'stunning' and 'gorgeous', others hinted that she had been 'inspired' by Tammy, who shares similar photos with her 10 million followers. Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from Tammy after five years of dating. The couple recently took their relationship to the next level when the streetwear designer got London's name tattooed on his wrist. A BlackRock-backed group aims to raise an initial $500 million for a private equity fund that will invest in climate change-linked infrastructure upgrades in emerging markets. BlackRock will provide the first $100 million of funding for the Climate Finance Partnership (CFP), which was set up in 2018 by France, Germany and the Hewlett and Grantham charitable foundations, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The BlackRock funding will go toward a first-loss tranche that will absorb any initial losses, a safety net for other institutional investors which BlackRock expects to help it raise at least another $400 million. The CFP fund will be invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage solutions and ultra-low and electric transport. At least a quarter of the investments would be made in Africa, with the rest in selected countries in South East Asia and Latin America, BlackRock said. The venture is part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the way BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, is responding to the issue of climate change, as part of a broader commitment to environmental, social and governance-related investing. In a recent annual letter to the thousands of companies in which BlackRock holds stakes, Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink said the need to act was "particularly urgent" given many cities were not built to withstand "the new climate reality". Climate has also been at the forefront of this year's annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at which news of the planned initial fund-raising is set to be announced. "We believe creative collaboration is essential to mobilizing investment into climate infrastructure in emerging markets at scale, providing our clients with further opportunity to invest in the global low-carbon transition," Brian Deese, Global Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, said in the statement. France and Germany will both invest $30 million of the initial funding, while the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust have pledged $10 million and $7.5 million, respectively. The CFP members have pledged to help raise the additional seed capital for the fund. BlackRock will invest an as yet determined amount in addition to the funding for the first-loss tranche. "Emerging market equities are substantially cheaper than those in developed economies and they offer the best choice for growth in an otherwise slow-growth world," said Jeremy Grantham, Trustee of the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Presidential aide, Head of Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev has said that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries (France, the U.S. Russia) that are negotiating the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabak conflict must exert political and diplomatic pressure on Armenia. "There should be strong demand, political diplomatic pressure by co-chairing countries and they should demand from Armenia to fulfill its obligations under the international law," Hajiyev told Radio France Internationale (RFI) on January 17. He reminded that Armenia continues to preserve the status quo based on occupation, keeps Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees out of the occupied territories. Azerbaijan has one million refugees and IDPs, who have the right to return back to these territories. Therefore, our appeal to the international community, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries is that they should redouble their efforts for the soonest resolution of the conflict based on the norms and principles of the international law and also bearing in mind the fundamental principle of justice. Of course, they are doing their work and we appreciate that Minsk Group co-chair countries are engaged in the resolution of the conflict in the status of mediators. However, more needs to be done. We, of course, always support substantive negotiations. What we see is that Armenia always tries to run away from the substance. What is the substance of the conflict? The fundamental root cause is the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, noted Hajiyev. He added that to resolve the conflict, first of all, Armenia must de-occupied Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region. Everything should start from de-occupation. We have relevant UN Security Council resolutions and they must be respected and fulfilled by all countries, he stressed. Hajiyev stressed that the international community must redouble its efforts for the soonest resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Security and peace in Caucasus region has been undermined by the existence of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Short history of the conflict is that Armenia - by use of force - occupied sovereign territories of Azerbaijan. First it is illegal and it is violation of international law. UN Security Council adopted four resolutions condemning Armenias occupation of Azerbaijani territories and demanding withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Other international organizations, including European Parliament, OSCE, European Council and some others have also adopted similar resolutions and documents demanding Armenia to stop this conflict and withdraw its troops. But unfortunately, we dont see any particular breakthrough in the conflict, he concluded. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict 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 and seven surrounding regions. During the battles, more than 20,000 people were killed and 50,000 more injured. Around one million Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their homes. Despite the demands expressed in UN Security Council resolutions on the need to recognize the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the release of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan without preconditions, Armenia continues to pursue its policy of aggression against Azerbaijan. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New York, Jan 23 : The outspoken, independent-minded Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has hit Hillary Clinton with a $50-million suit alleging that the defeated presidential candidate defamed her by calling her a "Russian Asset." "Whether out of personal animus, political enmity, or fear of real change within a political party Clinton and her allies have long dominated" Clinton lied about Gabbard, her lawyers said in the case filed in the Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday. Gabbard, the first Hindu-American elected to Congress, has had long-standing differences with Clinton going back to the 2016 Democratic primaries when she backed Senator Bernie Sanders for the party's nomination. Gabbard resigned as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 after accusing the party leadership of favouring Clinton instead of being neutral during the primaries. The court paper filed in the case by her lead lawyer Brian Dunne said, "Clinton falsely stated that Tulsi - an Army National Guard officer and US Congresswoman who has spent her entire adult life serving this country - is a 'Russian asset.' Clinton's false assertions were made in a deliberate attempt to derail Tulsi's presidential campaign." Gabbard is a major in the Army National Guard and has served in combat zones in Iraq. She continues to serve and even while in Congress she has been called up periodically for service. Gabbard "has suffered significant actual damages, personally and professionally, that are estimated to exceed $50 million - and continue to this day," Dunne said in the court filing that seeks damages from Clinton. The US defamation and libel laws give wide leeway for attacking public figures like Gabbard, a member of the House of Representatives, and sets a higher bar for filing cases. To meet the required standards, her lawyers, therefore, alleged that Clinton acted with "actual malice" and "reckless disregard of the truth." Clinton said in a widely distributed podcast in October that there is "somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary" who "(the Russians) are grooming...to be the third-party candidate." "She's the favourite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far." In response Gabbard had called Clinton the "personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party." The court filing noted that Clinton's spokesperson had reaffirmed her allegation by saying, "If the nesting doll fits" and called it "a reference to the universally known Russian nesting dolls (Matryoshka dolls)." Clinton, who is still smarting from the defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump in 2016, has been trying to settle scores with those who had opposed her in moves seen as dividing the Democratic Party that is preparing to take on Trump. She recently said that "nobody likes" Sanders and "nobody wants to work with him," drawing criticism from several Democrats, including Gabbard. Gabbard told a TV station, "It's time to grow up, you know? This isn't high school." She added, "There are real issues that people are struggling with and they're wondering, 'Why are our leaders not working for us?'" Gabbard, who supported Sanders in 2016, is running against him for the Democratic nomination this time. Gabbard has only 1.3 per cent support in the party according to RealClear Politics, the authoritative aggregator of polls. Although she qualified for three of the party's national debates, she has since failed to meet the qualifications for participation. In the July debate she launched a stinging criticism of Kamala Harris, the senator of Indian and Jamaican-African descent, alleging that she put minorities behind bars for minor offences like marijuana violations. From about that time Harris, who failed to get the support of African Americans, has tumbled in the polls and withdrew from the race for Democratic Party's presidential nomination. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) According to court testimony at a bail hearing in 2016, police said they have cellphone video that shows Flagg pointing a gun at Gillard moments before the shooting. Testimony indicated Flagg is seen pulling the trigger twice with the gun pointed in Gillards direction. The gun appeared to dry fire, and Flagg left the view of the camera for a moment when two gunshots are heard. Court documents show that in 2016, Flagg pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Flagg was found competent to stand trial, and in August 2017, he requested that the court allow him to represent himself. Just before his trial, Flagg moved again to dismiss the charges against him based on the denial of his right to a speedy trial. That motion was denied. On Sept. 18, 2017, Flaggs trial began, ending two days later with a guilty verdict. Flagg was sentenced as a habitual felony offender to 50 years imprisonment. He filed a timely notice of appeal. Get Breaking News Alerts Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. EDWARDSVILLE Authorities have received a notice that the drivers license of former U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton has been suspended, but his attorney has asked for a hearing to rescind the suspension. In a related development, the Madison County States Attorneys Office has asked for a special prosecutor in the case because Wigginton is a former Madison County assistant states attorney. In a petition for a hearing, attorney Curt Dawson said the purpose of such hearings, as provided by Illinois law, is to, among other things, determine whether Wigginton was in actual control of a motor vehicle and whether he did, in fact, refuse to submit to tests for presence of alcohol or drugs. Under law, Wigginton has 30 days from the suspension to be heard by a judge on matters concerning the suspension. The Madison County States Attorneys Office has no information on the case, since it has been turned over to a special prosecutor. Wigginton received a ticket for driving under the influence on Dec. 27, his third such charge. There has been long-reaching controversy concerning Wiggintons previous DUI charges. In March, it was uncovered that an apparent mistake by the Madison County Circuit Clerks Office allowed Wigginton to keep his driving privileges, as criminal proceedings in his second charge of driving under the influence play out. Circuit Clerk Mark Von Nida said at the time he would implement changes to avoid such mistakes in the future. Von Nida said his office is in charge of scheduling hearings that allows people whose license has been suspended to get their driving privileges restored. Wigginton, 56, of Troy, didnt receive a scheduled hearing before the set 30-day deadline defendants are promised. I know how it looks, but I am implementing changes in our procedures, Von Nida said at the time. Police said at approximately 5 p.m. on Dec. 27, the department received a complaint of a minor vehicle crash on Club Center Court near Illinois Route 157. The caller advised a silver Jeep struck a red vehicle then parked in the lot a short distance away from the crash. Upon arrival, an Edwardsville Police Officer located the Jeep and determined the driver to be Wigginton, a former U.S. Attorney for Southern Illinois from 2010 to 2015. Wigginton failed field sobriety testing on scene, police say. Wigginton was previously charged with driving under the influence (DUI) on May 23, 2017, after causing a one-vehicle crash in Troy. He was charged with a second DUI on Oct. 13, 2017, in Troy and a third DUI in Edwardsville on Jan. 2, 2019. Wigginton was transported to the Edwardsville Police Department, where he was processed for the arrest. He did not provide a breath test at the police station. After processing, Wigginton posted bond and was released. A 29-year-old man was stabbed to death outside a dance bar in Ulhasnagar, in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Deepak Bhoir was a resident of Manere village and is survived by his parents and two elder sisters. His uncle is Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation corporator Vimal Bhoir. Closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage showed Bhoir was murdered by Naresh Chavhan, 32, who is yet to be arrested. Ulhasnagar Police said the investigation is underway and four people have been detained for questioning. At 1.30am on Tuesday, Bhoir and a friend went to a dance bar in Ulhasnagar. Initial investigation has revealed Bhoir had gone to meet someone at the bar. A woman called Bhoir up and asked him to meet her at the bar. This may have been a trap, said a police officer from Ulhasnagar police station on condition of anonymity. Thirty minutes later, Bhoir and his friend left the dance bar. Just outside, the two men found themselves surrounded by Chavhan and five accomplices. Chavhan was known to Bhoir. According to sources, Bhoir and Chavhans brother had got into a fight a few months ago, allegedly over a woman. Chavhan and his accomplices were armed with a gun and knives. Bhoir and his friend tried to run away, but the six attackers were able to catch Bhoir and stab him 30 times. Deepak Bhoir was murdered outside the Duru Bar in Ulhasnagar. The police said a woman had called him and asked him to meet her at the bar, which could have been a trap by the accused. (Rishikesh Choudhary / HT Photo ) CCTV camera footage shows the murder took place at 2.05am on Tuesday. Bhoirs friend started running and he [Bhoir] was behind him. But the accused caught hold of Deepak and stabbed him repeatedly. They stabbed him 30 times on his chest, stomach and back, said deputy commissioner of police, Pramod Shewale. The footage showed Chavhan and his accomplices leaving Bhoir for dead after stabbing him. Bhoirs friend informed his family, who then alerted the police. Ulhasnagar Police reached the scene of the crime and took Bhoir to Ulhasnagar Central Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Shewale said, We have gathered information that the accused wanted to take revenge for some old fight. We will get clarity about the motive after the accused is arrested. This is the second time that this particular dance bar has been the scene of a violent crime. In 2012, property dealer Rajesh Kukreja was murdered inside the same bar by former Shiv Sena corporator Shekhar Yadav and Sunil Chikne, who was part of Maharashtra Navnirman Senas transport committee. Yadav and Chikne were arrested for Kukrejas murder. The Supreme Court made it clear on Wednesday that it would not stay the operation of Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre and said that a five-judge Constitution bench would decide its validity. Seeking response of the central government in four weeks on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue. "We are not going to pass any ex-parte order without hearing Centre on the aspects of interim relief," a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said. The observation assumes significance as a battery of senior lawyers led by Kapil Sibal and A M Singhvi vehemently sought judicial intervention and demanded that the operation of the CAA and National Population Register (NPR) processes be stopped for a couple of months till apex court decides the petitions. Taking note of vehement opposition of the Centre, represented by Attorney General K K Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the bench observed "according to the government this relief is akin to granting stay on the Act". The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, said: "The matter is uppermost in everybody's mind. We will form a five-judge bench and then list the case. Issue notice on all such petitions in which notices were not issued. Attorney General K K Venugopal seeks time to file reply in four weeks." It said the court would hear some of the petitions in-chambers for deciding the modalities and thereafter a five-judge bench would be constituted after four weeks for day-to-day hearing on a batch of 143 petitions. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for some petitioners challenging the validity of CAA, said the issue be referred to a Constitution bench and the NPR exercise be postponed by a couple of months. He also urged the bench to put on hold the operation of the CAA. The bench said, "Even we think that the matter should be heard by a Constitution bench." Venugopal said that after the last hearing on December 18, the apex court had issued notice to Centre in 60 matters but thereafter 83 fresh petitions has been filed and copies of many of them were not served upon them. "We need to reply to those petitions and six weeks time should be given to us for filing counter affidavits," the AG said. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for petitioners challenging the process of grant of citizenship under the CAA to 40 lakhs Bengali Hindus, who had migrated from Bangladesh to Assam and Tripura said that the Act will create a peculiar situation and huge agitations are going on in these states. He said that the operation of CAA be stayed as it even violated Assam Accord of 1985, which fixes cut of date for grant of citizenship as March 24, 1971. "Assam is facing a peculiar situation due to the migrants coming from Bangladesh as earlier cut off date for grant of citizenship was 1950, then cut of date was extended to March 24, 1971. This extension has been challenged before the apex court and the matter is pending," he said. Venugopal intervened and urged the Court to hear petitions relating to Assam separately from a batch of anti-CAA petitions and assured the court that the exercise of Assam National Register of Citizenship (NRC) will not be complete until the national list is published by the Registrar General of India. To this, the bench said that the petitions concerning Assam and Tripura as well as the matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately. The top court observed that Assam's problem is different from rest of the country as the earlier cut off date for citizenship was March 24, 1971, which under the CAA has been extended to December 31, 2014. Senior advocate K V Vishwanathan, appearing for some anti-CAA petitioners said, "The operation of the Act should be postponed as their is apprehension among the minority but their is also anguish among the majority class of the country." Singhvi said that recently 40,000 people have been recommended by the Uttar Pradesh government to the Centre for grant of citizenship. "People are being marked as 'doubtful citizen' in 19 districts of Uttar Pradesh, which is creating panic among the masses that they will be disenfranchised and taken out of the electoral rolls", he said. Singhvi said, "They (UP government) are proceedings ahead even when the rules and regulations under the Act have not been notified. The process needs to be postponed by couple of months and it would not make any difference. Things which have not happened for 70 years cannot be allowed to start in 20 months". The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, last year turning it into an Act. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA. Among those who have filed pleas are the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A decade before Bayard Rustin became a chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, the civil rights activist was booked into the Los Angeles County jail on suspicion of "lewd vagrancy." On that night in January 1953, hours after Rustin had given a speech in Pasadena, California, police officers spotted him in a parked car, having sex with one of the other two men in the car. Rustin was sentenced to 60 days in jail and forced to register as a sex offender for the "morals charge," which was often used to target gay people in those years. Rustin would ultimately become one of the key leaders of the civil rights movement. He advised the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on non-violent tactics, helped organize the Montgomery bus boycott and helped create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. But the arrest remained a stain on his record, nearly exiling him from the movement he helped build. Now, on the anniversary of his arrest, lawmakers in California are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, to posthumously pardon Rustin and "right this wrong." "There's a cloud hanging over him because of this unfair, discriminatory conviction, a conviction that never should have happened, a conviction that happened only because he was a gay man," said state Sen. Scott Wiener, chair of California's legislative LGBTQ caucus. In a press conference Tuesday, Wiener will join with assemblywoman Shirley Weber, chair of the state's legislative black caucus, to formally ask the governor for the pardon. While the state has repealed many of the discriminatory laws that targeted black and LGBTQ people like Rustin, Wiener wrote in a letter to the governor, "we must acknowledge and make amends for the harm that California's past actions have had on so many people. Pardoning Mr. Rustin will be a positive step toward reconciliation." In response, Newsom released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying he "will be closely considering their request and the corresponding case." "History is clear. In California and across the country, sodomy laws were used as legal tools of oppression," Newsom said in the statement. "They were used to stigmatize and punish LGBTQ individuals and communities and warn others what harm could await them for living authentically. I thank those who are advocating for Mr. Bayard Rustin's pardon." Wiener came up with the idea over a breakfast with longtime LGBTQ activist Nicole Ramirez, who has spent years seeking a postage stamp dedicated to Rustin. Ramirez said he has heard concerns from some officials that Rustin's arrest record could get in the way of the stamp approval process. The stamp, Ramirez said, would help honor a leader who paid a steep price for living authentically as a gay man at a time when he could be arrested, fired and even hospitalized for his sexuality. "For him to come and speak out and be openly gay, can you imagine that?" Ramirez said. "He was subjecting himself to more than that arrest but to commitment to a state hospital." Ramirez met Rustin briefly during a march in Washington in 1987, shortly before Rustin's death. But at the time, Ramirez didn't know who Rustin was, he said. For decades, Rustin has been overlooked as a key strategist of the civil rights movement, historians say. "Early on, he wasn't so well known because the civil rights leaders tried to keep him in the shadows ... they were fearful of being tainted by Bayard's gay sexuality," said Michael Long, who wrote a young-adult book about Rustin and edited a collection of letters by the civil rights leader. After his arrest in California in 1953, Rustin's career nearly derailed. He was forced to cancel all upcoming speaking engagements and resign from his position with the pacifist organization, the Fellowship for Reconciliation, Long said. He struggled to find work, and even began doing manual labor as a furniture mover, said Walter Naegle, Rustin's partner for the last decade of his life. Naegle described the fallout from his arrest as a "very dark period." "I remember him saying he would be walking around in the streets and checking phone booths for loose change," said Naegle, now 70. Rustin had been arrested before, for nonviolent protests that included refusing to leave white areas of local movie theaters and restaurants. But it was this arrest that was used to humiliate him and tarnish his reputation. While Rustin never hid his sexuality, he was deeply aware of the way it could affect his work. In a letter written in March of 1953, about three months after his arrest, Rustin wrote: "I know now that for me sex must be sublimated if I am to live with myself and in this world longer." Rustin eventually landed a role with the War Resisters League, launching him back into the civil rights movement, Long said. But his sexuality continued to threaten to sideline him. In 1960, after threats from powerful Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, D-N.Y., King pushed Rustin out of his inner circle, and Rustin resigned from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. But then, in 1963, as leaders planned the March on Washington, Rustin's longtime mentor, A. Philip Randolph, appointed him as a key organizer of the gathering. Rustin was tasked with steering the logistics of the massive event, coordinating between civil rights groups and recruiting off-duty law enforcement personnel to serve as marshalls. As the march approached, then-Sen. Strom Thurmond attacked "Mr. March-on-Washington himself" on the Senate floor, dredging up Rustin's arrest record from Pasadena. "The words 'morals charge' are true. But this again is a clear cut case of toning down the charge," Thurmond said on the Senate floor. "The conviction was sex perversion and a subsequent arrest of vagrancy and lewdness." But this time, the organizers of the march - including King - stood by Rustin. And even as his sexuality was repeatedly used against him, Rustin never shied away from it, Naegle said. "They really picked the wrong guy," Naegle said. "The thing that separated Bayard from many people was he wasn't going to be silenced." In a recently released interview with the Washington Blade, Rustin said "it was an absolute necessity for me to declare homosexuality because if I didn't I was a part of the prejudice. I was aiding and abetting . . . the prejudice that was a part of the effort to destroy me." He couldn't be a "free whole person," he said, living in the closet. The week after the March on Washington, the cover of Life magazine featured not a photo of King, but of Randolph and Rustin, standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. More than two decades later, upon his death in 1987, Rustin's obituary was featured on the front page of the New York Times, identifying him as a civil rights activist and chief organizer of the March on Washington. But it barely mentioned his identity as a gay man. In the obituary, Naegle was referred to not as Rustin's partner but as his "administrative assistant and adopted son." It wasn't until recent years that Rustin began to receive recognition not only as a major civil rights leader but as a rare example of an openly gay leader at the time. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, Naegle traveled across the country organizing programs dedicated to spreading the word of Rustin's legacy. And in 2013, Obama posthumously honored Rustin with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, noting his role as an openly gay African American who "stood at the intersection of several of the fights for equal rights." A pardon from the California governor would represent much more than personal vindication for Rustin, Naegle said. It would recognize the injustice and damage done to scores of other members of the LGBTQ community who never received the same level of recognition as Rustin. "He survived, he thrived, he did fine, but there were a lot of people that didn't," Naegle said. To Long, a pardon would be "an affirmation of what Rustin knew all along: that he was not a criminal for being gay." Upon a special invitation by the organizers of the Future of Education Summit; ABN Events Productions in association with Forbes Africa and CNBC Africa, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, the Executive Secretary of National Accreditation Board (NAB) participated in the latest conference and panel discussions on the Future of Education Summit held in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. This edition of the summit addressed the topic "What Role Will Education Play for the Future Workforce in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?". There were four main panel discussions of which Dr. Nyarko partook in two. The topics for the respective panel discussions of which Dr. Nyarko participated as key speakers were "Work Integrated Learning" and "The Role of Policy and Regulation in Improving Education". Speaking on "Work Integrated Learning (WIL)", Dr. Nyarko emphasized the importance of work incorporated learning with strong references to Ghana's National Service Scheme (NSS) and some of President Akufo-Addos special initiatives such as the Nation Builders Corp (NABCO), 1 District 1 Factory (1D1F) and others, of which he convincingly explained will provide students with the much-needed opportunities to work in industries, and through that garner the much-needed knowledge and experience. Apart from Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, other panelists for WIL discussion included Daniel Adkins, CEO, Middle East, Transnational Academic Group and Charisse Drobis, Head of Career Management Services, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Business School (WBS). During the second panel discussion on the topic "The Role of Policy and Regulation in Improving Education", the Executive Secretary of NAB threw more light on the work of NAB. He underscored that at the heart of tertiary education delivery is the importance of continuous scrutiny of institutions and their programmes to assure quality, and also ensure that the programmes offered by the respective institutions are in tandem with the national policy framework and the developmental needs of Ghana. Dr. Nyarko advanced that as part of efforts by NAB and the support of stakeholders to improve quality, the current admission requirements into teacher training institutions have been streamlined to be same for all other programs in the tertiary education institutions. Touching on the nation's focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs, Dr. Nyarko was of the firm belief that it was in the right direction because STEM programmes are the ones that could engender Ghana's rapid development, especially as the world is stepping into the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the speed of light. He further lauded the Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his promotion and commitment to the development of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at both the secondary and tertiary education levels. This, he postulated, would equip the youth of Ghana with the requisite skills needed for the countrys industrialization drive. Prof. Narend Bajinath, CEO South Africas Council on Higher Education and Prof Kirk Semple, a Professor of Environmental Microbiology at Lancaster University, UK were the other panelists on the second session. The summit attracted Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), heads of reputable institutions and academics from Africa, Australia, Middle East and the Americas. Canadian taxpayers should not contribute towards security costs for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, one of the countrys MPs has said (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Canadian taxpayers should not contribute towards security costs for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, one of the countrys MPs has said. Harry and Meghan are on Vancouver Island preparing to forge a new life for themselves and their eight-month-old son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, after stepping back from royal duties. It is unclear who will foot the bill for the familys security arrangements when they officially leave the monarchy in the spring. Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada attempting to forge a new life for themselves (Yui Mok/PA Wire PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada attempting to forge a new life for themselves (Yui Mok/PA Wire PA) A former Home Office minister warned the British public could face an enormous bill while it has also been speculated a cost-sharing deal between the UK and Canada could be agreed. However, such an arrangement would be opposed by Laurel Collins, who is the MP for Victoria, where Harry and Meghan are staying. She told the PA news agency: Yes, I hope that theyre planning on covering their security costs. When it comes to the money our government spends and taxpayer money its important that we put this into context and think about our priorities. That were prioritising making life more affordable for people, that were prioritising protecting our environment and that were spending our tax dollars on the things that really matter to Canadians. Ms Collins added she wanted to focus on young families in the area, who might be struggling with the housing crisis or struggling with affordability. Expand Close Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to leave the monarchy (Aaron Chown/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to leave the monarchy (Aaron Chown/PA) She added: I want to make sure we are thinking about our priorities. Security for the royal family as a whole costs the taxpayer in excess of an estimated 100 million a year, but the actual figure is never disclosed. Harry and Meghan will earn their own money when they step back fully from royal life. They had initially hoped for a dual role, supporting the Queen, the Commonwealth and Harrys military associations. However, the idea was deemed unworkable. The Prince of Wales will offer some private financial support to Harry and Meghan but it is not known if this will come from his 21 million a year Duchy of Cornwall income or other private funds. Harry joined Meghan and Archie in Canada on Monday night as they prepare to live a more private life. There appeared to be a subdued response to the new arrivals, with one local business owner saying the people of Vancouver Island are a lot more laid back than their British counterparts. Vancouver Island, an area known for its outstanding natural beauty, is off Canadas west coast and is part of the province of British Columbia. On Tuesday the Sussexes issued a legal warning to the media after various outlets published paparazzi shots of Meghan walking her dogs with Archie. The images of the duchess emerged on Monday morning and showed her walking her two pets with her son in a baby sling in a park in Vancouver. But the pictures were reportedly taken by photographers hiding in bushes with long-lens cameras. After the images surfaced, the couples legal team at Schillings sent a legal notice to the UK press, TV and photo agencies warning against using them. 22 January 2020, London Delegates at the high-level UK-Morocco Business Dialogue discussed the substantial trade and investment opportunities that exist between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom. Both nations agreed they have much to gain from closer links between British and Moroccan businesses, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focused on mutual trade and investment. The talks came at an advantageous time as the UK is shaping its post-European Union foreign trade policy. Under the leadership of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, Moroccos Gross Domestic Product has grown at an average rate of 4 percent per annum over the last 20 years, making it the fifth largest economy on the African continent. By way of example, automotive production in Morocco has rapidly increased and it recently became the continents largest passenger car manufacturer. Over the last 10 years, Moroccos position on the Doing Business[1] ranking has increased by 75 and it now ranks 53rd in the world and 3rd in Africa. Mr. Mohcine Jazouli, Minister Delegate of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Kingdom of Morocco said: In July 2018, Morocco and the United Kingdom decided to establish a strategic dialogue and three months ago this partnership was materialised by the signing of the post-Brexit bilateral agreement. A mere 100 British companies are located in Morocco and trade between the United Kingdom and Morocco in 2018 only amounted to 1.5 billion. The United Kingdom was only the 7th largest client of Morocco and the 9th largest investor in Morocco in 2018. It is obviously not enough and the potential for economic exchange between our countries is tremendous. We are here today to move to a higher level. Morocco is rightly regarded as one of the main gateways to Africa with Tanger Med being the largest container port by capacity in both Africa and the Mediterranean. The country also hosts one of the continents premier financial centres in Casablanca Finance City and has developed Africas largest solar power plant, reaching 42% of renewable energies in Moroccos energy mix. With the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area set to significantly increase intra-African trade, the Kingdom of Morocco is well positioned to take advantage of Africas stellar growth potential. Moroccan companies already have a foothold in over 40 African countries across multiple sectors and Morocco is the largest intra-continental investor in West Africa and the second largest in Africa overall. All these factors make Morocco an attractive and natural destination for foreign direct investment. UK speakers at the event included the Minister of State for International Trade and the Minister of State for International Development and the Middle East. They were joined by Chairmen/CEOs/Presidents of Moroccan financial institutions, automotive manufacturers, agribusinesses, renewable energy, aerospace, transport and education organisations amongst others. Closing remarks were made by Rt Hon Conor Burns MP, the UKs Minister of State for International Trade, and this was followed by a networking session with representatives from a wide range of sectors from both countries eager to establish contact to generate future trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. Anti-government rallies resurged in Iraq on Wednesday despite renewed violence across the capital and south this week, as protesters ramp up their sit-ins to pressure authorities to implement long-awaited reforms. The youth-dominated movement is desperately trying to maintain momentum in the face of spiralling US-Iran tensions and a rival anti-American rally planned for Friday. Iraq's President, Barham Saleh, warned against pushing the country to choose sides in escalating tensions between neighbouring Iran and the US, both allies of Baghdad. He also met US President Donald Trump for the first time since the US killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad led the Iraqi parliament to call for expulsion of US troops. The two leaders, meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, agreed on the need for a continued US military role in Iraq and discussed the protests. Anti-government protesters have escalated their demonstrations but face being sidelined by regional tensions as well as a new wave of violence. At least 10 people have been killed this week, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission -- four of them in Baghdad and the rest in the provinces of Basra, Diyala and Karbala. Late Tuesday, 49-year old activist Janat Madhi was gunned down by unidentified attackers as she returned home from protests in the southern city of Basra, police said. Activists have for months complained of an intensifying campaign of kidnappings and killings that they say aims to scare them into halting protests. They are also worried about tensions with a competing rally this Friday organised by populist cleric Moqtada Sadr to urge the 5,200 US troops deployed in Iraq to leave. - Continued US presence - Tensions between Washington and Tehran boiled over on Iraqi soil this month, with the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and Iran striking back at an Iraqi base hosting American soldiers. Furious at the US hit, Iraq's parliament voted on January 5 to oust all foreign troops, including US soldiers deployed alongside local forces. But on Wednesday, Saleh told world leaders in Davos that the vote should not be understood as "a sign of ingratitude or hostility," but a response to a violation of his country's sovereignty. "It is not in our interest to choose to ally with one side at the expense of others, as long as both respect our sovereignty and independence." Trump told Saleh that he "does not want to stay in Iraq", a source from Saleh's office told AFP, and would draw down forces in an "unprecedented way". But he insisted that any withdrawal must not be insulting or disrespectful to Washington. According to the White House, "The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the United States-Iraq economic and security partnership, including the fight against ISIS". - Oil production hit - To head off Sadr's Friday protest while ramping up pressure on authorities, demonstrators this week launched sit-ins in new areas and shut roads with burning tyres. Their main demands include early elections under a new voting law, an independent premier and accountability for corruption and killings of protesters. More than 460 protesters have been killed since the rallies first erupted in October, fuelled by anger over graft and a joblessness then ballooning into demands for deep political reforms. On Monday, three protesters were killed in clashes with security forces in Baghdad and another demonstrator died on Tuesday after a tear gas canister punctured his skull. Rights groups accuse security forces of using military-grade gas canisters -- up to 10 times heavier than those designed for use against civilians -- and firing them directly at crowds rather than into the air. Demonstrators are outraged that only a handful of security personnel have been charged over the violence and no perpetrators of hit-and-run attacks have been pursued, while protesters have been swiftly arrested for shutting down streets. Blocking roads has been a key tactic this week, with protesters cutting streets and national highways around the capital and the Shiite-majority south. "We'll keep shutting roads and getting protesters into the street to keep these important demonstrations going," said Aqil al-Zamili, a 50-year-old activist. The road closures have left hundreds of tankers carrying oil products north towards Baghdad stranded outside the capital. They also forced a shutdown at the main oil field northwest of Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhi Qar province, a source at the state-owned provincial oil company told AFP. "Production... was halted for the third consecutive day because transport routes leading to the field are cut," the Dhi Qar Oil Company source said, adding that the field produces up to 100,000 barrels per day. Oil-rich Iraq is OPEC's second-biggest crude producer, logging around 3.4 million bpd of exports. But public services are failing, unemployment is high and one in five people live in poverty, according to the World Bank. Iraqi protesters during ongoing demonstrations on Mohammad al-Qasim highway in east Baghdad on Wednesday Angry youth have reignited their anti-government protest movement by shutting roads to press authorities into implementing long-demanded reforms. Iraqi youths block a street leading to Baghdad's al-Tayaran square on January 21 Schenectady Scott T. tried to get sober many times in the decade he was addicted to heroin, but it wasn't easy. There were waiting lists for treatment programs and waiting lists to see the few doctors willing to prescribe medicine to quiet his cravings. There were battles with insurance companies, and the perpetual conundrum of finding transportation to and from appointments. This spring, ashamed of buying addiction medication on the street but too exhausted to keep fighting his doctor and insurance company for it Scott called the number for a local program his friend had recently told him about. It was called the COTI Project, and a man by the name of Chad Putman answered. "He met me at Ellis Hospital the next day and sat with me for several hours to make sure I got properly dosed," Scott recalled. "Three days later I had a doctor's appointment and a script." Over the next four months, Putman and his colleagues brought Scott to and from his doctor's appointments, helped him sort out insurance issues, sat with him through a court hearing for a drug-related crime, and are now working to find him permanent housing, which they believe will help with his long-term recovery. Whenever he encountered a problem, he said, they were there to help. "You can get kind of hopeless when it feels like there are so many barriers to getting better, but they've made it very easy for me this time," he said. "It's amazing." This is, of course, the primary goal of the COTI Project to remove barriers for people struggling to recover from the vice-like grip of addiction. The state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services launched the project in 2017, selecting treatment providers from around the state to serve as so-called Centers of Treatment Innovation, or COTIs, whose job would be to bring services into under-served, high-risk communities with few services of their own. The state distributed more than $30 million in federal grant funds to providers to buy vehicles with tele-health technology suitable for servicing remote areas, as well as hiring certified recovery peers individuals who've recovered from addiction themselves. "We couldn't use any of the federal money to build brick-and-mortar clinics for these places that have no services of their own. The volume just wouldn't sustain it," said Rob Kent, general counsel for OASAS. "So we said, 'Let's put it on wheels." Right now, more than 11,000 residents from 35 counties have received services through the COTI Project. There are plans in the works to roll out services to all counties in the state by the end of 2020, officials said. Capital Region effort On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko stopped by New Choices Recovery Center in Schenectady to see how the program is being carried out on a local level and take suggestions for federal reform back to Congress. New Choices is one of 20 COTI providers statewide and one of two in the Capital Region. It services Montgomery, Saratoga and Schenectady counties, and has completed clinical assessments of more than 216 people through the program so far. Most have an opioid addiction, but others are battling alcohol and other addictions. More than half of their clients have begun medication-assisted treatment, and 97 keep up with those appointments using the program's mobile tele-health technology a major convenience for residents in remote areas of the state who are unable to find transportation to a doctor's office, officials said. But perhaps most critical to the program, they contend, are the peers. "There's a rapport there, a level of trust they just can't get from a clinician, who may be very compassionate but just hasn't lived it, you know?" explained Stuart Rosenblatt, executive director of New Choices. Associate Executive Director Laura Combs shared the story of a woman who had overdosed not far from the clinic's headquarters on State Street. New Choices staff saw her and called 911, and then sent a peer to follow her to the hospital and make contact. "She wasn't ready to get help," Combs said. "But the peers kept her engaged." They talked to her about harm reduction ways to avoid infection and overdose while using drugs and gave her Narcan, an overdose-reversal drug, to keep on hand just in case. They also let her know they'd be there whenever she was ready to get help. The other day, Combs said, the woman showed up to the clinic for a support group with her boyfriend. "It's about keeping people alive," Rosenblatt said. "When you make that your priority, it changes everything." New Choices currently employs three clinicians and three peers for its COTI project, which is led by Putman the man who accompanied Scott to the hospital this spring and is in long-term recovery himself. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Putman said a big area of work has been helping inmates re-enter society after a stint in prison or jail. Such individuals have higher rates of substance use disorders than the general population, and are particularly susceptible to overdose when they get out because their bodies are not used to the level of drugs they had been using prior to incarceration. This past week, program officials drove three inmates who had just been released from Saratoga County Jail to treatment programs downstate, he said. "Oftentimes what happens is people get admitted to a treatment program but have no way of getting there," he said. "That's where we come in." Little hurdles, big effects The COTI initiative recognizes that it's not the big things that trip people up on their path to sobriety, Putman said, but the little things. That's why New Choices uses some of its COTI funds to cover the cost of medication or co-pays for clients who are uninsured or underinsured, or who encounter an insurance hiccup that may take time to sort out. In the first seven months of the year, it has covered the cost of prescriptions or co-pays for nine clients in Montgomery County and 13 clients in Saratoga County. An insurance "hiccup" is what led Scott to start chasing addiction medicine on the street. He had left a treatment program earlier this year with a prescription for methadone a drug that treats opioid cravings and withdrawal but said his insurer refused to pay for more than 10 days of the medicine at a time. In order to get more, he had to call his doctor to rewrite the prescription every 10 days, and he could never seem to get her on the phone, he said. "It would take her days to write it and send it in," he said. "It felt like she just didn't really want to be bothered with it. And I started to dread those times when I would be cut off as a result." Restrictions on who can prescribe addiction medicine like methadone and buprenorphine (which goes by the brand name Suboxone) and how much of it they can prescribe are major barriers to recovery, experts say. It's why there's a large black market for the drugs, and why stigma even among medical professionals remains. Tonko is sponsoring a bill called the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act that would lift many of these restrictions, including a current rule that says only clinicians who undergo training and receive a federal waiver can prescribe buprenorphine for addiction. "This outdated waiver requirement has stuck around, even though medical professionals can prescribe the same drug for pain without jumping through bureaucratic hoops," a one-page summary of the bill reads. Supporters of the bill point to the 79 percent drop in heroin overdoses France saw in a four-year period after it lifted restrictions on buprenorphine prescribing in 1995. As a result, primary care doctors began writing prescriptions and waiting lists for addiction specialists shrunk dramatically. "Substance use disorder is a devastating illness in great need of immediate response," Tonko said, noting that only 1 in 5 individuals currently receive treatment for addiction. "This program delivers on a real need that exists here and everywhere to build networks and create dialogue with individuals suffering from this terrible illness," he said of the COTI Project. "That is the only way we can move forward and start to resolve this epidemic. This is about saving lives." A British woman unexpectedly found a boa constrictor lurking in her bathroom in the middle of night, the Evening Standard reports. The unidentified woman, who lives in Brunswick Mews, Birkenhead, allegedly discovered the 6- to 8-foot-long snake on Dec. 30 and called police around 1 a.m. Upon arriving at the residence, authorities were "flabbergasted," according to the newspaper. The woman reportedly told law enforcement that neither she nor her neighbor knew where the reptile came from. Unable to get a hold of animal organizations who could tend to the situation, police found Constable Chris Eastwood, a Merseyside police officer who had knowledge of snakes and confirmed that the snake was, in fact, a boa constrictor. Photo: Merseyside Police "He was able to calmly approach the reptile, which had wrapped itself around the bathroom sinks and taps, and, after giving it a drink of water, was able to coax it to unravel itself, so that he could put it into a large, safe container," Merseyside Police said in a statement. "Constable Eastwood then made arrangements to have the snake temporarily housed at a local pet rescue facility," the statement continued. "The snake has been temporarily rehomed and is doing well." Boas are nonvenomous snakes that are commonly found in tropical Central and South America, according to National Geographic. They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds. Photo: Helena Yankovska/Unsplash From a workout class to live Irish music, there's plenty to enjoy in Cleveland this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Go Hard for Your Heart: New Year Edition From the event description: Go Hard for Your Heart is a fun, high-intensity weight and cardio workout designed to get your heart pumping. All proceeds will go to the American Heart Association's Young Professional board and their fight to reduce heart disease and stroke. Start your year off right by going hard for your heart! When: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: The Link, 1374 E. 36th St., #2801 B Admission: $10 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Discover Mondavi Wine Tasting From the event description: We're bringing the taste of Napa Valley to Cleveland. Join us as we taste high-end selections from Mondavi, an iconic Napa Valley winery. Wine selection will include: Oakville Fume Blanc, Carneros Chardonnay, Carneros Pinot Noir, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, BDX Napay Valley Cabernet and Maestro Napa Valley Red Blend. When: Thursday, Jan. 23, 6:30-8 p.m. Where: Heinen's of Downtown Cleveland, 900 Euclid Ave. Admission: $25 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Cosmic Slop Interstellar Dance Party From the event description: Head underground with DJs Hama, A-Live and Ghost Noises for a night of electro, house, afro-beat, funk, disco, new wave and more. When: Thursday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m.-Friday, Jan. 24, 12 a.m. Where: The Happy Dog, 5801 Detroit Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Brian Bigley and Ruairi Hurley Concert From the event description: Come out to Beachland Tavern on Thursday evening to hear Brian Bigley and Ruairi Hurley perform traditional Irish music. When: Thursday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m.-Friday, Jan. 24, 12 a.m. Where: Beachland Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Road Admission: $10-$14 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 18 August 1945) is one of the most celebrated freedom fighters of India. In 1942, he earned the honorific title Netaji (meaning Respected Leader in Hindi), in Germany by the Indian soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army and by the German and Indian officials in the Special Bureau for India in Berlin. Netajis death is one of the most discussed and mysterious deaths in India, which has led to theories and conspiracies regarding his possible survival after his disappearance in 1945. On the occasion of the 124th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, we will look back on his life and all that he accomplished as one of the most celebrated young freedom fighters of India. Subhas Chandra Bosewas born on 23 January, 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal Province, to Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose, an advocate. He belonged to a well to do family and was the ninth of 14 children. Bose studied at Presidency College, Calcutta where he was later expelled for attacking a professor making racist remarks towards Indians. He then joined the Scottish Church College and earned his B.A in Philosophy. In 1919, under pressure from his father, Bose headed to London to give the Indian Civil Services (ICS) examination; he came fourth and was selected. Bose, however, resigned from Civil Services as he believed he could not side with the British. Also read: 10 memorable sayings by AA Milne who gave us Winnie The Pooh In 1921, Bose worked under Chittaranjan Das, a powerful politician in Bengal. He worked as the editor for Dass newspaper, Forward, and later started his own newspaper, Swaraj. In 1923, Bose was elected the President of the All India Youth Congress and also the Secretary of Bengal State Congress. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, with Das as mayor of Calcutta. He was regarded as a vigilant and charismatic youth icon in the Indian National Congress. Bose was arrested countless times, and deported to Burma (Myanmar) in 1925 because he was suspected of connections with secret revolutionary movements. During the mid-1930s Bose travelled in Europe, visiting Indian students and European politicians, including Benito Mussolini. He observed party organisation and saw communism and fascism in action. In this period, he researched and wrote the first part of his book The Indian Struggle, which covered the countrys independence movement in the years 19201934. 9382711880 When Bose returned to India, he took over as the elected President of Congress in 1938; he stood for unqualified Swaraj (self-governance) and the use of force against the British which then combated against Mahatma Gandhi and his views. Bose soon resigned from the presidency and formed the All India Forward Bloc, a faction within the Indian National Congress. He aimed at consolidating the political left, but was arrested again, and released following a seven-day hunger strike. Boses house in Calcutta was kept under surveillance by the CID. In 1941, during his house arrest, Bose set the scene for his escape to Nazi Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In Germany, in the Special Bureau for India under Adam von Trott zu Solz, Bose formed the Azad Hind Radio. He and other Indians who had gathered in Berlin made regular broadcasts from the Azad Hind Radio beginning in January 1942, speaking in English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, and Pashto. In 1943, Bose travelled to Tokyo, Japan via submarines and took leadership of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia and proceeded, with Japanese aid and influence, to form a trained army of about 40,000 troops in Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia known as the Indian National Army. The INA was first formed under Mohan Singh and Japanese Major Iwaichi Fujiwara, and comprised Indian prisoners of war of the British-Indian Army captured by Japan in the Malayan (present-day Malaysia) campaign and at Singapore. The army was declared to be the army of Boses Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind (the Provisional Government of Free India). Under Boses leadership, the INA drew ex-prisoners and thousands of civilian volunteers from the Indian expatriate population in Malaya and Burma. In 1943, the troops of the INA were under the aegis of a provisional government, the Azad Hind Government, which came to produce its own currency, postage stamps, court and civil code, and was recognised by nine Axis states. Bose advanced to Rangoon, Myanmar after the capture of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to make his way into India through Kohima and the plains of Imphal. In 1995, The British Indian Army retaliated to the capture of Manipur, Kohima and Imphal by killing almost half of the Japanese forces and the entire participating INA contingent. 0143420275 The INA was driven down the Malay Peninsula and surrendered with the recapture of Singapore. Bose escaped to Manchuria with a view to seeking a future in the Soviet Union which he believed to be turning anti-British. He is said to have died from third-degree burns when his plane crashed in Taiwan on 18th August 1945. However, there was a theory according to which some people did not believe that the crash had occurred, and thought that Bose would return to gain Indias independence. Bose is credited with the very famous slogan, Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom! as well as Jai Hind. He is also credited to be the first man to call Mahatma Gandhi Father of the Nation, in his address from Singapore, when he also asked for his blessings and good wishes for the war he was fighting. Boses ashes are stored in the Renkoji Temple, in Tokyo. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will always be remembered for his sacrifices he made. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The U.S. and France have not provided the answer yet Iran asked the U.S. and France to provide the equipment for the decryption of the black boxes of the plane of Ukraine International Airlines downed in Teheran as Al Arabiya reported. Teheran does not possess the necessary technology for decryption of the information from the black boxes installed in Boeing 737. It is noted that the U.S. and France have not provided the answer yet. On January 8, Boeing 737 of Ukraine's International Airlines, flight PS752 with 176 passengers aboard crashed in Tehran, not far from Imam Khomeini airport. 11 citizens of Ukraine died in the crash of Boeing 737 of Ukraine's International Airlines (PS 752 flight). President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the passenger plane crash in the Iranian capital left no survivors. On January 19, the bodies of the Ukrainians, who died in a plane crash in Iran, were delivered to Ukraine. The farewell ceremony took place at Boryspil Airport. As of January 21, Irans Civil Aviation Organization stated in the second preliminary investigation report that PS752 was downed by two short-range surface-to-air missiles. TO VIEW MORE NEWS STORY, PLEASE CLICK ON NEWS TAB ON MAIN MENU BAR Manitoba Film & Music is proud to announce that it is introducing Reel Green to promote and help implement best practices for film productions to reduce their environmental impacts. The provincial agency is taking a best practices approach to the initiative by licensing a program developed by Creative BC, which has adapted a suite of tools to serve the Canadian motion picture industry. These tools are already proving successful in the UK where they were designed originally as the albert suite of tools by the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA). Manitoba Film & Music is the first provincial agency to sublicense the Reel Green program from Creative BC and is pleased to join its western colleagues in helping to pioneer best practices across the country. The cornerstones of Reel Green include Education, Engagement, Communication and Resources. The program will include carbon literacy training, access to a collection of local green vendors, cost analysis services for sustainable productions and training on sustainability reporting practices. "Manitoba recognizes environmental sustainability is not only important to corporate stewardship but is a great business decision. As a world-class destination for international production, our clients are increasingly aware of their carbon footprint, and this program will help our industry bring best practices to production, said CEO and Film Commissioner Rachel Rusen Margolis. Were proud to be at the forefront on this issue. Its clear that environmentally sustainable filmmaking practices are needed to help address the challenges of climate change, and having this resource here in our province will have positive impacts at the local, national and global level" Rusen Margolis adds. Creative BC is proud to partner with Manitoba Film and Music on this timely and significant initiative, said Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC. Productions in British Columbia are demonstrating that the deliberate implementation of even the simplest green practices is core to reducing environmental costs in filmmaking, and it can also contribute to support the financial bottom line. The momentum that is building behind the scenes through Reel Green is powerful in B.C. and it is exciting to see Manitoba choose to collaborate, commit and champion the same objectives and results in their jurisdiction. Reel Greens mission is to promote sustainable practices in the motion picture industry by advancing an ambitious, non-political vision for sustainable production. The program will be implemented in phases, with carbon literacy training for production crews expected to be offered in Manitoba by this spring. Manitoba Film and Music is generously supported by the Government of Manitoba through the Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage. - Moses Gitari Kirango and Mary Wambui Njagi were paid KSh 19.2 million as compensation to move from their land to pave way for construction of a dam - The wife approached her cousin Margret Muthoni for a loan but instead she introduced her to money multiplication scheme - Wambui went and shared the information with her husband who offered to start engaging with the suspects - The couple was taken through the well calculated fraud scheme until they lost all their money - The suspects have since been arrested and taken to court and are now waiting to be sentenced When a couple in Kirinyaga county received KSh 19.2 million from the National Irrigation Board as compensation for their parcel of land, all they saw was a bright future. Moses Gitari Kirango and Mary Wambui Njagi's hopes were damped when they were conned all the money in a well calculated fraud scheme in which they were promised the money would be multiplied to KSh 56.1 million at a cost of KSh 1.2 million. READ ALSO: Nzige wavamia kaunti za Kitui, Baringo From left: Margret Muthoni, Alexander Miriti Mugambi and his service man Cyrus Mwaura Kamau when they appeared at Makadara Law Courts. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab suspect walks for 2 weeks from Somalia to Kenya, surrenders to police in Nairobi The family was given the money as compensation for the land that had been acquired by government for construction of a dam. Trouble started when Wambui approached her cousin Margret Muthoni for a KSh 90,000 loan to pay fees for her daughter who was reporting at a local university at that time. Muthoni then introduced Wambui and her husband to the money laundering scheme where they were to collude with an alleged official at currency maker De La Rue to get money making chemicals and papers. Muthoni told Gitari that she had a friend, a police officer, working at cash making firm Dela Rue only identified as George. READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab suspect walks for 2 weeks from Somalia to Kenya, surrenders to police in Nairobi The said police officer asked for KSh 400,000 to smuggle the chemicals and other raw materials required in the money multiplication process. With a mouth-watering deal at hand, Gitari went and withdrew the money from his Equity Bank account and handed it over to Muthoni who took it to the officer. In a unexpected twist of events, the officer refused to take the money insisting KSh 400,000 was too little and that he needed at least KSh 1.2 million to get enough raw materials. Gitari withdrew the money and handed it over to the policeman who brought the chemicals and together they headed to the officer's house to multiply the money. After processing and "multiplying" at least KSh 10,000, the officer told them the chemical had been contaminated and the money was not coming out well. Gitari was asked for an additional KSh 400,000 to buy chemicals which he willingly gave. De La Rue is well known for its money printing services that it has been offering to not only Kenya but also many other African countries. Photo: The Standard Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kabianga High School recalls suspended SDA students amid following public uproar In the first round, they made KSh 800,000 out of which the policeman and his accomplice were paid KSh 100,000. Gitari took the money to the bank and it was accepted. In the next round, Gitari was asked for KSh 3 million which he willingly gave after the first batch was accepted by the bank. The scheme went on with a series of eventualities between January and June 2013 at different places in Nairobi and Kiambu counties and only ended when the family lost all the money. The alleged police officer, Alexander Miriti Mugambi, and his accomplice, Cyrus Mwaura Kamau, together with Muthoni were later arrested and taken to court. Appearing before Chief Magistrate Heston Nyaga of Makadara Law Court, the suspects were found guilty and convicted. They are now waiting for their sentencing. READ ALSO: 6 worst dressed Kenyan celebrities who need to style up in 2020 I do find that the intention to defraud was clearly proven and that it was that the accused persons would double the complainants money. This amounts to defrauding because only the government has the legal tender to process money, I dont think that it matters that the scheme itself was illegal from the word go. The accused are the ones who induced the complainants to join the scheme to double (the) money. In their foolishness, for lack of a better word, the complainants fell into the snare sink, line and hook, Nyaga ruled. But how did the couple lose the money if at all it was accepted at the bank in the first round? This was a 'wash wash' scam in which the fraudsters take the victim's money and then mix it in tincture of iodine (which is usually used to treat wounds) and it turns black. The black money is then brought back to the victim in the name of materials. The narrative usually is that the materials were stolen from the highly secured De La Rue company using a very secretive connector who has access to the notes that are yet to be processed fully into normal money. A tincture of Iodine, one of the chemicals used in the money scam. Photo: Chemical Lab.com Source: UGC They will tell you the connector is a police officer for you to believe how serious and how difficult its is to access the materials. Fast forward, once the money was brought to the victim in form of black notes, it was then cleaned using a chemical that they said was very difficult to get. The chemical for cleaning is actually sodium thiosulfate which is bought in form of pellets (like the usual salt) for as low as KSh 300 before it is then dissolved in water. The black notes are then passed through the sodium thiosulfate solution to clean it up. In a chemical reaction when Iodine is put in a mixture of sodium thiosufate, it is discoloured, leaving the money back to its usual form. In essence, the money that Gitari took to the bank was the same one that he gave the suspects. Sodium Thiosulfate is dissolved in water and used to make a solution chemical that is used to wash the money. Photo: Chemicalstore.com Source: UGC In other instances, fraudsters are likely to ask you for money to buy the cleaning chemicals first. They can offer to come with the black notes, which are actually pieces of photocopied papers that have the common features of money but cannot be seen clearly due to the black colour. Once you pay them money for the cleaning chemical, they may start taking you round in turns asking for more money or they can come up with real money that is blackened just for you to trust them. They will clean it and even give you to deposit it in the bank. This is all done to win your trust. Once the trust is developed, they then start asking for more and more money with a series of complications cropping up. Before you realise it, you have lost all your money. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke Italy has said it is ready to send peacekeepers to Libya after Prime Minister of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), Faiez Serraj, called on the UN to send troops to protect civilians trapped in the crossfire since April amid the ongoing military offensive against Tripoli by forces loyal to eastern renegade commander Khalifa Haftar. Vincenzo Amendola, minister of European Affairs made the remarks to Corriere della on Monday, Libya Obsever reports. The Italian official also indicated that the EU country has 6,000 forces in peacekeeping missions around the world and that the soldiers should be prioritized for peacekeeping in Libya rather than other westerners, the Libyan media also notes. Italy and France should work together with the EU to make countries commit to the decisions that have been taken in Berlin conference and to halt the unjustified foreign military pressure, Amendola said. The remarks came following Serrajs call to the UN in a Sunday interview of German media Die Welt, to send international peacekeepers to Libya to secure civilians if Khalifa Haftars forces continue their offensive on Tripoli. The GNA has been facing an overthrow attempt by Haftar who launched a surprise military offensive in April to seize capital Tripoli. The military bout has left hundreds of people dead and thousands displaced. Italy is known as one of GNAs supporters alongside Qatar and Turkey, which have pledged security backing to the weak government. Turkey has reportedly sent around 2,000 Syrian mercenaries to prop up GNA-aligned forces. Dozens of Turkish military personnel are reportedly present in the Libyan capital to provide assistance. Haftar on the other hand is receiving backing from Egypt, UAE, Russian mercenaries and several other Arab countries. On Sunday, world powers and several other countries including Turkey pledged at Berlin Conference to push for peace in the oil-rich African country, to cease military support to the two sides and stick to UN arms embargo imposed on the country in 2011. ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 -- Chinese and Pakistani workers together carrying construction materials like steel beams seems to be the most natural scene at the construction site of Karot Hydropower Plant, a major pilot project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Though less educated, the builders of the two countries have found their way to overcome the language barriers. "I do not know much about English or the local workers' language. Sometimes we use Chinese, English and their language in only one sentence. After working together for a long time, that is enough for us to understand each other," said Chen Bo, a 48-year-old Chinese construction worker who has been working at the plant for nearly one year. With about 70 percent of the overall construction completed, the 720-megawatt hydropower plant, located some 70 km east of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, is expected to be put into commercial operation by the end of 2021, according to Karot Power Company, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd responsible for executing the project. Once it gets functional, the CPEC project will annually generate some 3.2 billion units of clean electricity, meeting the electricity demand of around 5 million local people and optimizing the energy consumption structure in the country, Li Zhili, deputy general manager of Karot Power Company said. To finish the plant building as soon as possible and solve the power supply bottleneck in Pakistan, the Chinese and Pakistani workers have learned professional skills from each other. Talking to Xinhua, the 25-year-old Pakistani worker Mohammad Awais who joined the project around two years ago, said the workers of the two countries lived and worked at the plant like a family and he had learned a lot from the Chinese workers. "They are hard-working workers and very punctual. The things that we didn't know, we got to learn from them," Awais said, adding that he has learned load management, load lifting and strictly following the safety rules from his Chinese partners. Chen said they had also learned from their Pakistani counterparts, with whom they enjoyed a cordial working relationship. During the construction period, the project has provided tremendous job opportunities to local people, with nearly 5,000 Pakistani employees while the total number of the Chinese staff is just around one-fourth of that of the locals, the deputy general manager told Xinhua. Like hundreds of his Chinese colleagues in Pakistan, Chen will celebrate the forthcoming Chinese New Year, a festival for family reunion. But at the hydropower plant, the celebration is not exclusive for the Chinese community. Sami Ullah Niazi, a 27-year-old Pakistani civil engineer who had studied in China for five years, was looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year with his Chinese friends for the seventh consecutive time. "In this project, we are working like brothers. And when they have some special events like their birthday or something, we will celebrate together," Niazi said. Niazi joined the project in 2018, not long after he returned from China. He also worked as an interpreter because of his fluency in Mandarin Chinese. Niazi told Xinhua that he will take some special food like Pakistan-style mutton and fruits to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his Chinese colleagues. "Our Chinese brothers left their country, their hometown, their family. They are here for CPEC, especially the Karot project," he said. "We should let them feel we are all in our home." Mensa UK has invited Muhammad Haryz Nadzim, a 3-year-old Malaysian boy living in England, to join the self-described "High IQ Society." Haryz scored 142 on the Stanford-Binet intelligence test and was evaluated by an educational psychologist. From CNN: To become a member of British Mensa, an individual must "demonstrate an IQ in the top two per cent of the population," according to their website Haryz mom, an engineer living in Durham, England, says her family knew that he was special even before Mensa. At Kumon, the after school math and reading program, he was named last September to the honor roll for advanced students in both subjects. Although she refers to him as her "mini brainbox," the little genius is a normal kid by all other standards "He's very much your typical 3-year-old," (his mom Nur Anira) Asyikin said. "He really loves painting and reading books, really anything arts and crafts. He loves playing with Legos and Play-Doh especially " BEAVERTON, Ore., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As data breaches and identity fraud continue at frightening levels, a new technology solution delivers multiple levels of unprecedented security to prove identities. Q5id has launched its all-new multifactor enrollment solution, establishing an industry segment called Proven Identity Management (PIM). Q5id is the only company that truly PROVES identities; theirs is the only solution that includes a live video interview to prove liveness; the only solution that offers the breadth of factors required to truly prove an identity. Q5id is the only company that truly PROVES identities; theirs is the only solution that includes a live video interview to prove liveness; the only solution that offers the breadth of factors required to truly prove an identity. Many providers use one or two of the factors but none puts together the end-to-end solution that Q5id does. "Proving an identity requires a move away from what a person knows or has, to who a person is," says Q5id CEO and Founder Steve Larson. "It starts with a paradigm shift. Current methodologies are not enough. A person's digital identity deserves to be protected and proven. The Proven Identity Management segment embraces a new reality to protect businesses and consumers and delivers a true win-win to both audiences." Q5id leads the way in proving and securing identities in both thought (the paradigm shift) and technology (with a solution that out-classes all others). Q5id's Proven Identity Management empowers identity authentication for virtually any transaction in less than three seconds after a one-time enrollment process that definitively proves the person's identity, using: Eight-Factor Authentication -- The most robust process for proving an identity ever created; even two-factor authentication today is out-of-date and unable to prevent fraud. This includesat a minimumfacial biometric scan with liveness detection, scans of both palms, three voice recordings, ID scan, identity and fraud database assessments, device assessment, and a live video interview. KBAs (knowledge-based assessments) may be utilized if gaps or flags are identified. The cumulative effect of this combination allows an identity to be proven to near certainty and to a level far greater than with any other solution. There can only be one of any identity in the Q5id system. Once a person has enrolled, their identity record cannot be replicated in the system. Live Video Interview Only Q5id verifies "liveness" through a live interaction. The final enrollment step is a brief (15-30 second) video interview with a Q5id adviser. The Q5id adviser verifies the person has successfully completed all steps in the process thus far and then connects via video to the person. The Q5id adviser looks for signs of liveness (e.g. blinking, words spoken) and confirms the image on the video matches the ID and facial scans taken earlier in the process. Multiple Biometric Captures -- The Q5id solution captures at least five biometric data points for the most stringent biometric authentication: 1 facial scan, 2 palm scans (one of each palm) and 3 voice recordings. As technology evolves to allow infrared capabilities, the solution may expand to include palm vein scans or other data points. No other solution leveraging biometric data captures this many points. Active Voice Authentication (vs. Passive) -- Active voice authentication confirms an identity when a known phrase is repeated multiple times during enrollment. Passive voice authentication provides some confidence in an identity (but cannot confirm it) when an unknown phrase is said once. The Q5id solution uses active authentication but can also offer passive voice authentication if desired by customers for lower risk uses cases. Low Friction, Highest Protection - Q5id ensures the highest level of identity verification available in a fast, easy-to-use process. The enrollment process is conveniently performed on a mobile device or computer and takes as little 2 to 3 minutes with subsequent re-authentications (typically requiring just a face and one palm image) taking just a few seconds. Proving Identities, Not Authenticating Accounts or Data -- Existing methods for "verifying" or "authenticating" identities or account access rely on what people know (e.g. usernames, SSNs) and/or what people have (e.g. driver's license, special code)both easily stolen or replicated. The Q5id enrollment process incorporates what a person knows, what a person has and adds who a person is. After an identity has been proven, the Q5id solution relies on who a person issomething that cannot be stolen or replicatedto authenticate them for future interactions or transactions. About Q5id Q5id's mission is to provide consumers and businesses with the most robust Proven Identity Management solution available. Through a comprehensive, powerful and frictionless biometric enrollment and authentication process, Q5id meets every customer and proves their digital identity is secure, preventing identity theft and fraud. Founded in 2019, Q5id is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. Visit www.Q5id.com Media Contact: Melissa Taylor Marketing Director, Q5id [email protected] 503.360.4641 SOURCE Q5id Related Links https://q5id.com European stocks were hit Wednesday by US President Donald Trump's renewed threat to slap auto tariffs on imported cars and a gloomy auto sales forecast. But Wall Street finished flat little moved either by strong earnings or a rising death toll blamed on a virus from China. Markets in London, Frankfurt and Paris closed lower after Trump once again wielded the threat of a 25 percent punitive tax on European cars if Brussels fails to agree to a trade deal. Analysts at Charles Schwab brokerage described traders as fairly cautious as the region mulled "the possibility of a showdown between Europe and the US." As trading wound down in Europe, the auto sector association ACEA contributed to the wary mood with a forecast that European new car sales would fall by two percent this year, their first decline in seven years. Shares in carmakers Volkswagen slid by 1.2 percent and Daimler lost more than two percent, with Mercedes-parent Daimler also warning that its 2019 earnings could fall short of expectations owing to massive new charges related to diesel emissions cheating. And after markets closed, Volkswagen got more bad news after a Canadian court ordered the carmaker to pay Can$196.5 million (US$150 million) after the automaker pleaded guilty to violating environmental laws in the long-running emissions cheating scandal. Before Trump issued his latest trade threats, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index had hit a record high at 13,640.06 points, with dealers hailing a recent China-US trade deal. "German companies are among the most exposed to global trade worries, and therefore those enjoying the biggest bounce since US-China relations improved at the back end of last year, resulting in this month's trade deal," said Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson. In Davos, Switzerland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted prospects for a wider trade truce, saying that an accord between Europe and the United States was also possible within weeks. - Virus fears eased - US stock markets shrugged off corporate earnings news but seemed a little less on edge about the possible spread of the deadly coronavirus in China. Boeing continues to weigh on Wall Street and lost another 1.4 percent, even though the company's new CEO, David Calhoun, tried to boost confidence with in first public statements -- giving his full support to the top-selling 737 MAX, which has been grounded since March after two deadly crashes. Earlier in the day, Asian markets had bounced back on bargain-buying following sharp losses on Tuesday that were triggered by the virus. "Fears of the spreading coronavirus appear to be easing a bit after China said it is taking steps to contain the virus," Schwab analysts said. Global equities have been roiled this week news of the Chinese virus outbreak which has killed more than a dozen and sickened hundreds, could cause as much economic damage as the SARS epidemic that left hundreds dead in 2003. The World Health Organization was meeting Wednesday to determine whether to declare a global public health emergency over the disease, which has also been detected in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. - Key figures around 2130 GMT - New York - DOW: FLAT at 29,186.27 (close) New York - S&P 500: FLAT at 3,321.75 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.1 percent to 9,383.77 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,571.93 points (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: DOWN 0.3 percent at 13,515.75 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.6 percent at 6,010.98 (close) EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,769.79 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 24,031.35 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.3 percent at 28,341.04 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,060.75 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1094 from $1.1082 at 2130 GMT Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3137 from $1.3050 Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.43 pence from 84.92 pence Dollar/yen: DOWN at 109.84 yen from 109.87 yen Brent Crude: DOWN 2.6 percent at $62.88 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.4 percent at $56.42 The Archives January (10) December (31) November (24) October (33) September (33) August (19) July (18) June (23) May (15) April (14) March (22) February (23) January (17) December (22) November (27) October (20) September (23) August (26) July (21) June (35) May (37) April (44) March (53) February (26) January (25) December (26) November (33) October (29) September (32) August (26) July (22) June (19) May (29) April (21) March (27) February (24) January (29) December (33) November (15) October (25) September (34) August (27) July (24) June (34) May (27) April (28) March (44) February (32) January (22) December (25) November (37) October (26) September (29) August (28) July (33) June (34) May (35) April (22) March (33) February (30) January (43) December (45) November (35) October (31) September (33) August (34) July (40) June (46) May (40) April (22) March (51) February (44) January (50) December (53) November (45) October (39) September (56) August (53) July (65) June (71) May (48) April (54) March (74) February (65) January (70) December (64) November (60) October (73) September (74) August (64) July (71) June (73) May (65) April (71) March (74) February (66) January (71) December (68) November (74) October (69) September (78) August (73) July (69) June (70) May (75) April (66) March (78) February (66) January (73) December (84) November (73) October (74) September (85) August (59) July (60) June (63) May (18) April (23) March (73) February (49) January (51) December (51) November (42) October (54) September (59) August (57) July (46) June (52) May (42) April (47) March (56) February (30) January (44) December (5) November (7) October (12) No matter where you live in the world, there is one common theme of springtime: the regrowth of plants and flowers. Cherry blossoms are one of many flowers that have become a worldwide symbol of the changing seasons. These vibrant pink and white flowers are native to Japan but have since spread into different parts of the world. Though their beauty can brighten up any city, these delicate flowers usually only last around two weeks before their petals start to fall. So dont waste any time in visiting these cities where you may find these beautiful cherry blossoms flourishing. (Diamond Bridges, The Active Times) (Diamond Bridges, The Active Times) [January 21, 2020] Shareholder Alert: Robbins LLP Announces Shareholder Class Action Against CURO Group Holdings, Corp. (CURO) Survives Motion to Dismiss Shareholder rights law firm Robbins LLP announces that CURO Group Holdings, Corp. (NYSE: CURO) may face damages caused by a pending securities lawsuit. CURO is a diversified consumer finance company, provides consumer finance to a range of underbanked consumers. If you suffered a loss as a result of CURO's misconduct, click here. Shareholder Class Action Alleging CURO Group Holdings, Corp. (CURO) Made Materially False and Misleading Statements Survives Motion to Dismiss Investors filed a class action complaint against CURO for alleged violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. According to the class action complaint, between July 31, 2018 and October 24, 2018, CURO consistently touted the ongoing success of transitioning its Canadian invntory products from Single-Pay Loans to Open-End Loans and reaffirmed its 2018 full-year financial guidance. Despite positive assurances regarding the transition, on October 24, 2018, CURO shocked investors with disappointing results for the Company's third quarter, including Canadian revenue that had decreased by $4.4 million, provision for losses that had increased by $8.7 million, and an adjusted EBITDA that decreased by $15.36 million. As a result, CURO revised its 2018 full-year guidance to include adjusted net income in the range of $88-$91 million compared to the previous range of $110-$116 million and an adjusted EBITDA in the range of $215-$218 million compared to its previous range of $245-$255 million. On this news, CURO's stock price plummeted $7.69, or almost 34%, to close at $15.18 per share. On December 3, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge John W. Lungstrum denied CURO's motion to dismiss plaintiffs' claims, paving the way for litigation to proceed. CURO Group Holdings, Corp. (CURO) Shareholders Have Legal Options Contact us to learn more: Leo Kandinov (800) 350-6003 [email protected] Shareholder Information Form Robbins LLP is a nationally recognized leader in shareholder rights law. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits, and has helped its clients realize more than $1 billion of value for themselves and the companies in which they have invested. Click Here to receive free alerts from Stock Watch when companies engage in wrongdoing. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006159/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SAO PAULO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he will create an "Amazon Council" to protect and ensure the "sustainable development" of the world's largest rainforest, following intense criticism of his environmental policies. The council will be led by Brazil's vice president, General Hamilton Mourao, Bolsonaro said on Twitter, and will coordinate "diverse actions within each ministry focused on the protection, defense and sustainable development of the Amazon." Bolsonaro has said previously that his government is protecting the rainforest, but he wants economic development in the Amazon to improve the lives of its 30 million inhabitants, including its indigenous tribes. Environmentalists fear that will hasten deforestation. Under Bolsonaro, the number of fires in the Amazon reached a 10-year high last year, prompting world leaders to denounce his environmental record. (Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Editing by Tom Brown) Cleopatra VII is considered the last Egyptian Pharaoh. She was born in about 69 BC to Ptolemy XII, also known as Auletes and Cleopatra V Tryphaena. Her transformation of Egypt, which at the time was bankrupt and divided by civil war into one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the world, earned her praise as an intelligent and politically conscious ruler. Some have also portrayed her as beautiful and a seductress. Cleopatra's Ascension to the Throne When Ptolemy XII passed away, the throne was passed to Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII, her brother. The two married according to the custom and subsequently got into a dispute due to Cleopatra's to become the sole ruler. She later escaped to Syria in 49 BC after her brother's allies acted against her. While in Syria, Cleopatra formed an army and set out to regain her throne. In 48 BC, the kingdom was drawn into a conflict in Rome that pitted Julius Caesar against his arch-rival Pompey who fled to Egypt and was killed on Ptolemy XIII's orders. In pursuit of his rival, Caesar also arrived in Egypt. His arrival led to temporary peace. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar With Pompey out of the way, Caesar summoned the warring siblings to the palace in Alexandria to try and settle the dispute. Egypt was a cooperative ally of Rome, and it was, therefore, in its economic interests to make sure that Egypt was stable. Cleopatra knew that gaining an audience with Caesar was her best chance of attaining the throne. On orders from Ptolemy XIII, forces loyal to him barred her return to the capital. She then convinced one of her servants to sneak her into the palace while wrapped with a carpet. Cleopatra and Caesar became lovers while remaining besieged in the city until the arrival of Roman reinforcements. After the ensuing battle, Ptolemy XIII died as a result of drowning in River Nile while fleeing. Cleopatra re-ascended to power with her much youngest brother Ptolemy XIV. She later gave birth to a child named Caesarion, (a son of Caesar). She followed Caesar to Rome and later went back to Egypt in 44 BC after he was assassinated. Ptolemy XIV, her co-ruler, died soon after. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony Back in Rome, a conflict between the assassins of Caesar, Cassius and Brutus and a triumvirate consisting of Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus was raging. In 42 BC the triumvirate prevailed with the help of Cleopatra. Power in Rome was divided between Octavian, Caesar's nephew, and Mark Antony. Antony later summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus. Cleopatra honored his summon, and reportedly made a grand entrance into Tarsus. Mark Anthony then married to Fulvia, was immediately captivated by her personality and beauty. The two fell in love. With Antony as an ally, her Kingdom would get protection. She also sought to reclaim Egypt's eastern empire with his help. Antony, on the other hand, needed Cleopatra to finance his rule. The two lovers returned to Alexandria on a golden throne alongside their children to a triumphant welcome. End of Cleopatras Reign A heated dispute soon started when Antony declared that Caesarion was the legal heir to Caesar as opposed to Octavian who was adopted. In 31 BC, a battle between Octavian and the combined forces of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium ended disastrously for the couple. Cleopatra fled back to Egypt and was soon followed by Antony. During the period, a rumor of Cleopatras suicide reached Mark Anthony. In grief, he committed suicide by falling in his sword. After the burial of Antony, Cleopatra committed suicide as well by having an asp, associated with divine royalty, bite her. They were both buried beside each other according to their wishes. Legacy Cleopatra's life has captivated storytellers and historians all over the world. She has inspired plays such as "Antony and Cleopatra" by William Shakespeare and many films. Cleopatra was the only ruler that made an effort to learn the Egyptian language. She also identified herself with Isis, an Egyptian goddess. Mr. Peanut, the iconic Planters mascot, has died at the age of 104. Today Planters unveiled its Super Bowl pregame ad starring Wesley Snipes and Veep's Matt Walsh, who get in a scary car accident and find themselves dangling precariously from a breaking branch. That's when their road trip pal Mr. Peanut who was created in 1916 saves them by letting go, plummeting to his death. Preview: Planters' Super Bowl pregame ad, released online today, shows Mr. Peanut on a road trip with Wesley Snipes and Veep's Matt Walsh (pictured) Yikes! In the 30-second spot, Mr. Peanut and his human co-stars are on a trip in the NUTmobile when they swerve to avoid hitting an animal, sending the car over a cliff into a canyon Oh no! Matt, Wesley, and Mr. Peanut all manage to grab onto a branch and are holding on for dear life when it begins to break, unable to support all the weight R.I.P.: Mr. Peanut tips his hat and lets go, falling into the canyon below and hitting the NUTmobile, which blows up The ad was released on YouTube today and will air on TV during the Super Bowl pregame on February 2. In the 30-second spot, Mr. Peanut and his human co-stars are on a trip in the NUTmobile when they swerve to avoid hitting an animal, sending the car over a cliff into a canyon. Matt, Wesley, and Mr. Peanut all manage to grab onto a branch and are holding on for dear life when it begins to break, unable to support all the weight. The ad ends after Mr. Peanut tips his hat and lets go, falling into the canyon below and hitting the NUTmobile, which blows up. 'Its with heavy hearts that we confirm Mr. Peanut has passed away at 104 years old,' Samantha Hess, Planters Brand Manager at Kraft Heinz, said in a press release. 'Its with heavy hearts that we confirm Mr. Peanut has passed away at 104 years old,' Samantha Hess, Planters Brand Manager at Kraft Heinz, said in a press release 'He will be remembered as the legume who always brought people together for nutty adventures and a good time. We encourage fans to tune in to Mr. Peanuts funeral during the third quarter of the Super Bowl to celebrate his life.' Matt Walsh also spoke about the loss. 'Mr. Peanut was more than just a friend he was a hero. His passing has shook me to my core,' he said. 'Ill do my best to honor his legacy and be there for my friend s like he was always there for me even until our last wild ride together. 'Ill pay my last respects during his funeral on Super Bowl Sunday. I encourage our entire nation to do the same.' The brand is also encouraging fans to share their memories with the hashtag #RIPeanut, and will be giving away products with commemorative packaging from January 24 to January 27. Iconic: Mr. Peanut first debut in print on February 23, 1918 edition of the Saturday Evening Post (pictured) Throwback: Planters was founded in 1906, but mascot didn't come around until a decade later, when the company's founder Amedeo Obici held a contest (1930s coloring book pictured) A century: The winning idea came from Antonio Gentile, who at the time was just 14 years old and living in Suffolk, Virginia (pictured: WWII war poster) Planters was founded in 1906, but the Mr. Peanut mascot didn't come around until a decade later, when the company's founder Amedeo Obici held a contest. The winning idea came from Antonio Gentile, who at the time was just 14 years old and living in Suffolk, Virginia. Gentile drew a peanut with arms, legs, and a face and had him doing different things like somersaulting and riding a toy horse. The Suffolk News Herald reports that Planters then had a professional artist jazz up the drawings, adding a top hat and monocle. Mr. Peanut first debut in print on February 23, 1918 edition of the Saturday Evening Post. Gentile won $5 for his efforts, and Obici went on to pay for him and four of his siblings to go to college. Rewarded: Gentile won $5 for his efforts, and Obici went on to pay for him and four of his siblings to go to college (pictured: ad from 1963) Old-timey: He changed a bit over the years, and his full name, according to Gentile, is Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe According to Mental Floss, Mr. Peanut's full name, given to him by Gentile, was Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe. 'He got his first Times Square billboard in 1937, he first starred in commercials in the 1950s, and his NUTmobile debuted in 1999, according to the brand's website. But he didn't talk until Robert Downey Jr. was cast to voice him in 2010. The role was taken over by Bill Hader in 2013. In 2016, he celebrated his 100th birthday. 'Mr. Peanuts continued popularity is a testament to Americas love of Planters nuts,' Sean Marks, vice president of marketing at Planters, told Parade at the time. Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., listens during an Economic Club of Washington discussion in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. An outside investigation ordered by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos concluded that a WhatsApp account connected to Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, could have been involved in a hack of Bezos' smartphone, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The report offers one explanation of how the National Enquirer, a tabloid, obtained and published text messages Bezos had sent to his mistress, Lauren Sanchez. Around that time, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos said they were splitting up after being married for 25 years. The Saudi embassy in the U.S. dismissed the report, calling it "absurd" on Twitter, and asked for an investigation on the claims. Saudi embassy: Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Bezos' phone received a video file from bin Salman's WhatsApp account after the two men had exchanged numbers at a dinner held in Los Angeles, according to Tuesday's report. The researchers had a "medium to high degree of confidence" of the link, the Financial Times said. The report, led by FTI Consulting, comes almost a year after Bezos' security chief, Gavin de Becker, said last March that the company's investigators had come to believe Saudis had access to Bezos' phone. Bezos, the world's richest man, also owns The Washington Post, which published columns from Jamal Khashoggi, who had criticized bin Salman. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents inside the country's embassy in Turkey in October 2018. An Amazon spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment. Read the full Financial Times report here. WATCH: Saudis accessed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone and gained private data, security chief says DAVISON, MI - Andy Graves spent two and a half hours on the site of the Northwest flight 255 crash in Romulus nearly 33 years ago. Then a paramedic with Huron Valley Ambulance in Ypsilanti, he had to check on each of the people who died that Aug. 16 night in 1987. The plane, headed from Detroit Metro Airport for Arizona, clipped a light pole and crashed on take off, killing all six crew members, 148 of the 149 passengers on board and two people on the ground. It remains the fourth deadliest crash since commercial airline travel began. The grassy banks of Middlebelt Road near I-94 were scorched black. Fiery wreckage, luggage and bodies were strewn throughout the roadway. Graves knew they were beyond help. Its hard to put into words what that feels like anytime a first responder has to walk away from an individual we cant help, said Graves, an Ann Arbor native whos now an EMS dispatcher in Pontiac. When its 156 people, I literally cant put into words what it feels like in terms of the emptiness it leaves you with. The sights and the feeling from that night haunted Graves for more than 25 years, he said. But he found healing through writing music. He penned the single August Rain, which was released for streaming under his contemporary Christian rock band Pivotal Awakening. It became available for purchase on Jan. 20 on Spotify, Apple Music and CD Baby. Sole Survivor premiere churns memories of 1987 plane crash in Metro Detroit The single is the culmination of three decades of a mental health journey, Graves said. It took 20 years before he could even visit the crash memorial on Middlebelt Road, as he suffered from PTSD from the experience. My only memory of the incident was the crash, he said. And then on the 20th anniversary, I went to the memorial. That turned out to be the best thing I ever did for my mental health, because I started having positive experiences related to the crash through meeting and talking with family members and other first responders." The words Their spirit lives on are inscribed on the memorial. Healing from grief through faith inspired the songs lyrics, such as, Time will never erase, Your presence in this place, And the miracle of One, reminds us to be strong. I was writing from the perspective of a first responder, but also from the perspective of anybody else touched by the crash, Graves said. I tried to put into words that, yes, loved ones are gone, but none of us forget. We just remember. Graves, whos also a retired Flint Fire Department battalion chief, collaborates with vocalist Mindi Odom. They first performed together as part of the church band at Davison Free Methodist Church. When Graves reached out to Odom to perform August Rain, she connected with the lyrics about the crashs lone survivor, Cecelia Cichan. I was 4, her age, when the accident happened, Odom said. The Miracle of One (lyric) in the song can signify...how much of a miracle she was and how she offered a glimmer of hope in such a horrible tragedy. With Odoms lead vocals and Graves work on guitar, the duo have landed representation from producer Marshall Block and Real II Reel Productions in Fenton. It was at our first session on Sep. 17 to start recording August Rain that (Block) suggested Mindi and I start songwriting together, Graves said. That suggestion has turned into a life-changing musical adventure for us. At the end of the day, Graves said his August Rain experience is about using charity to continue turning the crash into a less painful memory for him and others. All of the song proceeds will go to the Wayne/Westland branch of the Salvation Army. Donations will also be accepted on the organizations website. Graves decided to donate the proceeds to the organization after discussions with Tony Zanger, who lost younger brother Michael and his then-fiance Hollins Langton in the crash. That (Salvation Army) shows up every Aug. 16 for our memorial vigil, Zanger said. They serve refreshments, help us clean the site and never ask for a dime. Zanger has seen Graves resilience grow in the last three decades. Andy is a genuine guy, Zanger said. Like other responders, he came little by little. They felt sorry they couldnt do more...but they belong with us. The Guardian reports that Jeff Bezos was successfully hacked through WhatsApp by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018. A digital forensic analysis found that it was highly probable that the infiltration of Bezos phone was caused by an infected video file that was received from bin Salman. The encrypted message, sent on 1 May 2018, allegedly extracted large amounts of data from the Amazon bosss device. The Guardian said it had no knowledge of what was taken from the device and how it was used. However, the Guardian speculates that the data hack may be linked to the leaking of lewd content involving Bezos by the National Enquirer. Leaked content After the National Enquirer published the content about Bezoss relationship with former TV host Lauren Sanchez, Bezos hired investigators to determine if the story was politically motivated. According to Bloomberg, these suspicions were premised on the fact that Bezos owns the Washington Post, which has written critical stories about US president Donald Trump. Trump and David Pecker who is in charge of the company that publishes the National Enquirer are reportedly good friends. Bezos said at the time that the Washington Posts coverage of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi a controversy in which bin Salman was heavily involved could also have motivated the National Enquirers investigation into Bezos personal life. For reasons still to be better understood, the Saudi angle seems to hit a particularly sensitive nerve, said Bezos at the time. Bezos also claimed the National Enquirer threatened to publish more details and revealing photos if he didnt stop the investigation into the leak. Saudi Arabia previously denied that it had targeted Bezoss phone. Now read: Huawei not worried about stricter US sanctions For millions of children over generations, an introduction to the joys of reading has come courtesy of "Pat the Bunny," the classic 1940 picture book by Dorothy Kunhardt that beckons young readers to join its two protagonists, Paul and Judy, in such sensory thrills as smelling flowers, looking at a mirror, feeling Daddy's scratchy face and, naturally, stroking a bunny. In an era before children's books came outfitted with blinking lights, music makers and other attractions that mix the concepts of toy and book, "Pat the Bunny" - with its rabbit made from soft white fabric and sandpaper on the rugged father's cheek - was a sensation. It reportedly became the second-best-selling children's book in the United States, after Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," and eight decades after its publication remains a staple of nursery bookshelves. The 3-year-old girl who inspired "Pat the Bunny" was Kunhardt's daughter and grew up to be Edith Kunhardt Davis, author of dozens of children's books, including a set of sequels to her mother's classic work. Davis died Jan. 2 at a hospital in New York City. She was 82 and had acute pneumonia and lung failure, said her daughter, Martha Davis. Davis's success, and the sweetness of the books that made her and her mother famous, at times belied her private struggles. Davis emerged as a children's writer only after conquering alcoholism, which had afflicted her for years, including when she was pregnant with her son. Edward Davis - Neddy to her - suffered from heart ailments and died at 27 in 1990. Davis chronicled his life and her grief, as well as her torment over the possibility that her drinking might have contributed to his infirmity, in the searing memoir "I'll Love You Forever, Anyway" (1995). Another memoir, "My Mother, the Bunny, and Me" (2016), traced her life from childhood to motherhood and beyond, providing a nuanced portrait of the people behind one of the best-known works in American children's literature. Edith Turner Kunhardt was born in New York City on Sept. 30, 1937, and grew up in Morristown, New Jersey. Her father, Philip Kunhardt, worked in textiles. Her mother was the daughter of Frederick Hill Meserve, a renowned collector of photographs and artifacts from the life of President Abraham Lincoln. Lincolniana became a family devotion carried through five generations. Dorothy Kunhardt and her son Philip Kunhardt wrote "Twenty Days" (1965), a noted photographic volume about Lincoln's assassination and its aftermath. Among Davis's children's volumes was "Honest Abe" (1993), a picture book with artwork by Malcah Zeldis that traced Lincoln's odyssey from a Kentucky log cabin to the presidency. Dorothy Kunhardt began writing children's books to help provide for her family during the Depression, when her husband was out of work. Her children recalled her as wildly creative, toiling in an unheated attic and ensconcing herself in a collection of secondhand books that became so voluminous it eventually blocked the sunlight from entering her bedroom windows. "Part of me longed to have a mother like everyone else," Davis told The New York Times in 1991. "And part of me was very proud of her." Davis was in elementary school when she made her first attempt at a book, the story about a hippo named Rosie who lived in New York City's Central Park Zoo. But she later recalled her humiliation when her mother penned her papers and other schoolwork. As a senior in high school, she was caught giving a speech her mother had written. "That moment was to haunt me for 30 years," Davis wrote. She attended the private Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut, before receiving a bachelor's degree in art history from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania in 1959. The same year, she married Edward Davis, with whom she had her son and daughter. The couple divorced in 1971, and Martha Davis, of San Diego, is Davis's only immediate survivor. (Her mother died in 1979.) Davis stopped drinking in 1973 on what her nephew Philip B. Kunhardt III described as a "watershed day" from which she proudly counted the following 46 years of her life. She became an editor with Golden Books, later telling the Los Angeles Times that she considered her mother the author and herself the editor until she tried her hand at writing and found success. Davis wrote a shelf full of books - among them "The Mouse Family's New Home" (1981) and "Martha's House" (1982) - before an editor proposed that she write a sequel to "Pat the Bunny." "My first reaction was, 'A spinoff of Pat the Bunny? No, no, never - don't do it!' " Davis told Publishers Weekly. But in time she warmed to the idea. "Pat the Cat" was published in 1984, followed by volumes including "Pat the Puppy" (1993) and "Pat the Christmas Bunny" (1999), as well as "Daddy's Scratchy Face" and "Judy's Flower Bed" (both 2005). Instead of Paul and Judy, there were Martha and Neddy - named in honor of Davis's children - who indulge in time-honored experiences such a smelling ginger snaps as well as more-modern ones, such as withdrawing money from an ATM. "How do mother and daughter compare?" Washington Post book critic Michael Dirda wrote in a review of "Pat the Cat." "A survey . . . recently asked this question of a 5-month-old infant named Christopher and his somewhat older friends Mary, Katherine, Elizabeth, Joey, and Kerry. The results? An overwhelming consensus that Cat was fully the equal of Bunny in plot, character development, and gadgetry. . . . Clearly, the infant's bookshelf now requires two Kunhardt titles." Kunhardt's other books for young readers included volumes exploring what it is like to be a farmer, a police officer, a firefighter and a veterinarian. She also wrote a history book, "Pompeii . . . Buried Alive!" (1987). She told The New York Times that she shared the gift of her mother's childlike sensibility but that "it never would have occurred to me that I could write." "In a sense, I was freed," she said. "It was like a dam gave way." She found solace in writing after her son died, keeping a journal that evolved into her first memoir. It presented what New York Times reviewer Judith Viorst described as a "journey from raging desolation to something she once believed was unattainable: the ability to remember her dead child 'with joy, or at least equanimity.' " As Davis emerged from her grief, she made a painting of two rowboats - "side by side but not touching," she observed, just like "Neddy and me." Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, beats a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times to bless the coming year in Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 19, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people. He wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups a better life and the country greater prosperity in the new year. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a three-day inspection tour of southwest China's Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. During a visit to Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong on Sunday afternoon, Xi learned about poverty alleviation efforts and called for efforts to speed up the development of ethnic minorities and areas with large ethnic minority populations. After joining local villagers in making rice cakes, a traditional local festival food, Xi noted that shaking off poverty is the new starting point, calling for vigorously promoting rural vitalization after China completes the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. According to local custom, Xi beat a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times to bless the coming year. Later that day, Xi went to the old town of Heshun, a gateway on the ancient Southern Silk Road, where he visited a village-level library built over 90 years ago. Visiting the memorial hall of Ai Siqi, a renowned philosopher, Xi said the country needs a large number of talented individuals who can explain the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context well and who can use easy-to-understand language to spread the Party's new theories to more ordinary households. Visiting an ecological wetland of Dianchi Lake in Kunming on Monday, Xi stressed resisting the old way of developing the economy at the cost of the environment. Dianchi Lake, once among the most polluted lakes in China, has seen its ecology greatly improved after years of conservation efforts. Inspecting market supply for Chinese New Year at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center, Xi demanded a sufficient supply of safe and reliable goods during the festival. There, Xi extended Chinese New Year greetings to local residents, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese nationals. Xi then went to the former site of the National Southwest Associated University in Kunming. He stressed the close link between education and the fate and future of the country and noted that the goal of China's education system is to nurture a new generation of capable young people who are well-prepared to join the socialist cause. After hearing the work reports of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and the provincial government on Tuesday morning, Xi encouraged Yunnan to break new ground in promoting ethnic unity and progress, pushing forward ecological conservation, and pursuing greater cooperation with South Asia and Southeast Asia. Xi urged efforts to promote high-quality development, accelerate building a modernized economy, consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation, boost the healthy and sustainable development of tourism, while continuing to fight air, water and soil pollution. He also required further opening-up to neighboring countries, speeding up the building of connectivity networks and strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Xi demanded efforts to strengthen governance capacity in border areas and areas with large ethnic minority populations, implement the plans to boost the development of ethnic minority areas and ethnic groups with small populations, step up the fight against cross-border crime, gangs and their "protective umbrellas," and maintain the stability of border areas. On the anti-poverty fight, Xi ordered focusing on areas with extreme poverty, preventing people from falling back into poverty due to illness, injury or the lack of follow-up policies, and further aligning developmental poverty relief with protective poverty relief. On Party building, Xi said the "staying true to the Party's founding mission" campaign should be regarded as a lifelong task for strengthening Party building among all Party members and a source of inspiration in the new era. UMM AL-FAHM, Israel - Leila Jabarin looked every inch the matriarch of the Muslim family that surrounded her on a recent morning, encircled by some of her 36 grandchildren in a living room rich with Arabic chatter and the scent of cardamom-flavored coffee. But Jabarin, her hair covered with a brown head scarf, was talking to visitors in Hebrew, not Arabic, and telling a story that not even her seven children knew until they were grown. She was born not Leila Jabarin, but Helene Berschatzky - not a Muslim but a Jew. Her history began not in this Arab community where she has made her life with the Palestinian man she fell in love with six decades ago, but in a Nazi concentration camp where her Jewish parents had to hide their newborn from the Nazis. As world leaders - including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence - prepared to gather in Jerusalem this week to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Jabarin was sharing a survivor's memory unlike any other, a history of love and hate that exposes not just the power of transformation, but the blindness of prejudice. "First I was persecuted because I was a Jew, and now I am persecuted because I am a Muslim," said Jabarin, who has watched the recent rise of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia with alarm. Jabarin took note of the massacre of 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, synagogue in 2018 and another 51 last year at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. She attributed to both killers the same motivation, a hatred of the other, and is telling her story to show that love for the other is possible as well. "When I was in school, they taught us that Arabs had tails," she said, looking around at her Arab husband and her Arab family, as the Muslim call to prayer sounded across the neighborhood outside. "Everyone should know what happened to the Jews because it could happen to the Arabs." Among those listening in her living room was Erez Kaganovitz, a Tel Aviv photographer who is crisscrossing Israel to document as many such stories and images he can from the rapidly dwindling number of living Holocaust survivors. Through histories like Jabarin's, he hopes to keep the knowledge of those horrors from disappearing with those who endured them. "Ten years from now, what will be the memory of the Holocaust when the last survivor is no longer with us?" asked Kaganovitz. "If well tell the human stories, not just what happened in the camps but how they lived after, they appeal to humans in the way that numbers cannot. Six million Jews killed; it's too big." Kaganovitz launched his project, Humans of the Holocaust, last year in light of research showing Holocaust awareness declining among young people in many countries even as anti-Semitic violence and neo-Nazi movements are on the rise. In the United States, 66 percent of millennials had never heard of Auschwitz, according to a 2019 survey by the Claims Conference, an international survivors advocacy group, and a third of Americans cite the number of Holocaust victims at 2 million, not 6 million. Racing against mortality, Kaganovitz has interviewed and photographed 25 survivors to date, mostly in their 90s, including a kindergarten teacher who wrote children's books about the camps and an artist who portrays her lost family in puppets. A traveling exhibit based on the project will begin in Pittsburgh next year. The trends that motivated Kaganovitz also prompted officials to locate this year's World Holocaust Forum at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial and research center, and to focus the event on confronting the ballooning incidents of hatred against Jews. "We need a moral majority of leaders to come to Jerusalem and say that it is enough and now is the time to stand together and fight anti-Semitism," said organizer Moshe Kantor, head of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation and the European Jewish Congress. A sense of urgency is infusing what will be one of the largest international gatherings ever hosted by Israel. Almost 50 delegations will attend, including world leaders like Pence, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prince Charles. For Jabarin, it was decades before she was willing to speak of her own memories: the dark hiding, the "striped pajamas," the scattered round objects that seemed like balls in her toddler's recollection but now loom as skulls. Her welcoming neighbors knew she was Jewish when she arrived in 1960 as a new bride in this Arab city of 55,000 located in Israel, just south of Nazareth, she said. But only her husband, Mohammed, knew of her Holocaust origins. Her six sons and a daughter didn't understand for decades why she was fascinated by the televised documentaries on the Holocaust, a subject they learned little about in their Arab schools. "I decided to let the pain stay in my head," she said, a serene figure on a brocade couch, eyes bright behind heavy glasses, weathered hands folded over the crook of a walking stick. "It's still difficult. I see the scenes in my head, like a film." But in 2012, at a town meeting for pensioners on Israeli insurance benefits, a government staffer heard Jabarin interpreting his Hebrew for her seatmates. He asked her a few questions, was surprised to learn she was raised Jewish and, further, that she was a Holocaust survivor. Eventually, he helped her navigate the bureaucracy that saw her case investigated and registered with Israel's survivor's program. And only then did she tell her children how she came to be their mother: "It was very difficult to hear her story," said her son Nadar. "I asked her many questions about the war and about the Holocaust." She was born to a Jewish Hungarian mother and Jewish Russian father in a Nazi concentration camp in either Hungary or Austria in either 1942 or 1943. (Her parents didn't like to talk about their time in the camp, and the family's archival file at Yad Vashem, reviewed by The Washington Post, is unclear on key points). The camp doctor her mother worked for hid her family in the cellar of his house, she said, and she was outside very little until the camp was liberated in 1945. With thousands of others, they stayed in a transit camp in Yugoslavia until boarding a ship for Israel in 1948. "They told us it was a Jewish country," she said. They landed in Haifa, eventually settled in Tel Aviv, and Helene, as she was known then, had become a teenager when a young construction laborer working near her house caught her eye. "He was working hard," she said. "I gave him a lot of water." Mohammed Jabarin remembers the kindness still. "She was only a girl," he said. When Helene told her father she wanted to marry Mohammed, he was furious. They were not religious, but he wanted her to marry a Jew. "If you go with him, it will be like going back to Hitler," she recalled her father saying. But she was determined, and in 1960 they wed. "Wherever fate takes a person, that is where you have to go," Jabarin said. She settled easily into her new home, becoming known as Leila and adding Arabic to the Russian, Hungarian and Hebrew she already knew. She reconciled with her father and remained close to her mother. But in almost every way, she was the mother of a booming Arab family. It was only after her children were born that she converted to Islam in 1973, but for reasons more practical than spiritual. With a Jewish mother, her sons would be considered Jewish by the government, and they would eventually be required to serve in the Israeli military. Jabarin decided she had lived with enough war in her life. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A resident fell asleep smoking late Tuesday night, sparking a major fire on Syracuses South Side, firefighters said. The fire at 1828 S. State St. started in a second-story bedroom, said Capt. David Ellis, of the Syracuse Fire Department. After trying to put out the fire themselves, the residents called 911, he said. All four residents escaped from the burning home before firefighters arrived, Ellis said. Firefighters were called to the fire at 11:46 p.m. Engine Company 8 and Truck 8 arrived within 1 minute, Ellis said, and found heavy smoke billowing from the home. Firefighters then stretched a hose inside the home and found a heavy fire burning the second floor had spread to the attic, he said. Firefighters searched the home for victims and put out the fire. No injuries were reported. The second floor of the home was severely damaged by the fire, Ellis said. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents. In addition to the fire department, the Syracuse Fire Department, American Medical Response and National Grid responded to the fire. The home is owned by Bennie and Verdell Lewis, according to Onondaga County real estate records. It is listed as a single-family home. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The Herald reports: A couples 1300-kilometre bicycle journey to lay a coffin on Parliaments steps has been stopped 20 metres short after an emotional exchange with security guards. Dunedin parents Julian and Camilla Cox have this month cycled across the South Island, towing a coffin behind their tandem bike, in a protest calling for Government drug-buying agency Pharmacs $1-billion-a-year budget to be doubled. On Wednesday, they finished the last leg of their three-week trip, ferrying across the Cook Strait to Wellington and carrying the box onto Parliaments lawn with the help of fellow protesters. The Coxes 19-year-old daughter Rachael is one of 550 New Zealanders who suffer from the lung disease cystic fibrosis. They say Pharmacs current funding means she and others dont have access to life-prolonging drugs available in other countries. But as the coffin was carried towards the Parliament building on Wednesday, security guards halted the mock funeral procession of about 30 to tell them they didnt have permission to take the final few steps. After a tense exchange about what exactly had been cleared by the office of Parliaments Speaker, Trevor Mallard, the campaigners eventually set the box down about 20 metres across the forecourt. It left Camilla Cox outraged. We have cycled 1300km to make change for our child and all the people we have met on our long journey. To arrive here and have people bickering about 50 metres. How pathetic, she said. Our families are dying, are being torn apart and we have small-minded people bickering about 50 metres of public space. You ask how we feel? I am furious and Im disgusted and Im disappointed with our politicians. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Manchester United pulled out of the race to sign Erling Haaland because of his agent Mino Raiola. The teenager seemed destined to head to Old Trafford this transfer window before Borussia Dortmund swooped in for 17million. Sportsmail reported at the time of the transfer that United rejected the demands of Haaland's representatives, Mino Raiola and father Alf-Inge Haaland, because they wanted a significant share of the player's future sales value. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pulled out of the race to sign Erling Haaland because of Mino Raiola Haaland came off the bench to score a hat-trick for Dortmund in 20 minutes on Saturday Erling Haaland's stats this season Total appearances: 23 Goals: 31 Assists: 7 Yellow cards: 3 Minutes played: 1,498 Minutes per goal: 48 Advertisement And now Solskjaer has confirmed this, telling reporters at a press conference on Wednesday: 'It's important that we use common sense. 'There are other things too when you sign players, that you have to keep in control. You can't give agents the control by giving buyout clauses and stuff. 'That has been touted around, that is for me, we have to be in control.' Solskjaer was speaking ahead of United's midweek game with Burnley as he struggles with a dearth of strikers in the wake of Marcus Rashford's injury and the failure to sign Haaland. And the Norwegian may come to regret not signing his fellow countryman, as Haaland got off to the dream start in Dortmund, coming off the bench to score a hat-trick in 20 minutes on Saturday. Raiola (right, pictured with agent Jonathan Barnett) said Haaland chose not to move to United Dortmund announced the signing of the highly-coveted Haaland at the start of January Solskjaer was in the market for a striker before Rashford's injury after selling Romelu Lukaku in the summer. Rashford has been United's main goal threat this season but the England star now faces a spell of up to three months on the sidelines. Mino Raiola previously dismissed his role in the transfer breakdown with United, calling the accusations 'strange and disappointing'. The super agent insisted that Haaland rejected the advances of United and that he has not fallen out with their executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. 'I do not know if Manchester United are briefing this but if they are then they are covering their own loss and that I find strange and disappointing,' Raiola told The Telegraph. 'There was no fall-out between me and (United executive vice-chairman) Ed Woodward. It was just a normal negotiation and the player has chosen a different path. 'If they want to blame someone then, fine, blame me but the player is happy. He has made his choice and we went through a normal process.' Solskjaer worked with Haaland for 18 months while the former was manager of Molde, but a reunion did not come to fruition. The United manager even flew to Salzburg on a private jet to deliver a personal sales pitch to the player and his representatives before Haaland opted to move to Dortmund. French President Emmanuel Macron has been involved in an altercation with Israeli security officers in Jerusalem's Old City, CNN reports. Macron, who is in Jerusalem to attend a large Holocaust remembrance event on Thursday, was visiting the Church of Saint Anne, which belongs to the French government and is considered to be French territory, when he was filmed admonishing the security officers for apparently trying to follow him into the church. "Everybody knows the rules. I don't like what you did in front of me. Go outside!" Macron was seen shouting. The Roman Catholic church, which dates back to the 12th century, was gifted to Napoleon III by the Ottoman Sultan in 1856. "Please respect the rules, they are [in place] for centuries. They will not change with me, I can tell you," Macron added during the dispute. A spokeswoman for the Elysee Palace told CNN that the President had intervened after an exchange between French and Israeli security. "St. Anne belongs to France in Jerusalem. It is up to France to protect these places in this city. The Israeli security forces wanted to enter while security was being provided by French security services. The president reacted to an altercation between the Israeli and French security forces at the time of entering Saint Anne in order to end it, and to remind everyone of the rules that apply," the spokeswoman said. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. BAY CITY, MI Four years after winning a half-million dollars from a scratch-off lottery ticket, a Bay County woman pleaded guilty Tuesday for her involvement in two burglaries. Her defense attorney said she is accused of similar acts in at least three other counties. Stephanie D. Harvell, 29, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, appeared before Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree home invasion and one count of conspiracy to commit that crime. Both charges are 15-year felonies. Harvell in January 2016 won $500,000 on a $5 Hot Ticket scratch-off from the Michigan Lottery. Harvell on Tuesday said she burglarized homes in the 800 block Cody Estey Road in Pinconning Township on Aug. 22 and in the 500 block of South Farley Road Merritt Township on Aug. 29. She said she and her husband, Mitchell T. Arnswald, drove to the houses and that he kicked in the residences doors. Stephanie Harvell and Mitchell T. Arnswald won $500,000 in the Michigan lottery in 2016. They are now accused in several mid-Michigan burglaries.Michigan Lottery Bureau She took jewelry boxes from bedrooms in both homes, she said. She added she did not know the homes owners. In exchange for Harvells pleas, Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey D. Stroud agreed to dismiss a count of possession of burglary tools. He also agreed not to issue charges stemming from five similar burglaries. Stroud made no agreement regarding Harvells eventual sentence. Janer acted as a Circuit Court judge during the plea hearing. A judge of that higher court will sentence Harvell at a date that is yet to be set. Defense attorney Bruce K. Mannikko said Harvell has similar matters pending in Arenac, Tuscola, Saginaw, and possibly Midland counties. In the summer of 2019, a task force comprising detectives from all five counties was formed to investigate a rash of seemingly related burglaries. The afternoon of Aug. 29, after the Merritt Township home was burglarized, investigating deputies found a Ford SUV matching the suspect vehicle description at the Meijer at 595 N. Pine Road in Hampton Township. Deputies staked out the unoccupied SUV until Harvell and Arnswald exited the Meijer, returned to it, and started driving away, Sheriff Troy R. Cunningham has said. Deputies pulled over the SUV and arrested Arnswald and Harvell without incident. In the vehicle, deputies found a safe, a jewelry box, and other items reported stolen from the Merritt Township house. Deputies also found just-purchased crowbars and rubber gloves, Cunningham said. Arnswald, 30, remains charged with two counts second-degree home invasion and single counts conspiracy to commit that crime and possession of burglary tools. He is scheduled to appear before Judge Janer to accept or reject a plea offer on Jan. 31. Everyone agrees that the early years of reading instruction are critical. But there are still vigorous debates among practitioners about how exactly to teach children to readand new data confirm that preservice teachers are often told competing information. Decades of research have shown that teaching explicit, systematic phonics is the most reliable way to make sure that young students learn how to read words. Yet an Education Week analysis of nationally representative survey results found that professors who teach early-reading courses are introducing the work of researchers and authors whose findings and theories often conflict with one another, including some that may not be aligned with the greater body of scientific research. For example, nearly the same number of professors say they introduce the work of Louisa Moats as the ones who cite Gay Su Pinnell. But the two are in different camps on reading instruction. Moats advocates for systematic, explicit phonics instruction, while Pinnell and her frequent collaborator Irene Fountas have written curriculum that includes some phonics instruction, but also encourages students to guess unfamiliar words based on context. See Also Getting Reading Right It really reflects two very different approaches to teaching reading, said Susan B. Neuman, a professor in early childhood education and literacy development at New York Universitys school of education. Do I think that preservice people are getting a mixed message? I think very definitely they are. Education Weeks survey of about 530 professors who teach early-reading courses found that 57 percent of professors ascribe to whats known as a balanced literacy philosophy . Just 22 percent said their philosophy of teaching early reading centered on explicit, systematic phonics with comprehension as a separate focus. Proponents say balanced literacy combines explicit instruction, guided practice, and independent reading and writing. But critics say that within balanced literacy, phonics is often included on an ad-hoc basis rather than systematically. And exposure to researchers and authors in preservice often ends up influencing the content and instruction teachers use when they have a classroom of their own, Neuman said. They often use name recognition, she said. Theyve heard about Fountas and Pinnell, and as a result, theyre likely to grab onto it. Its worth noting that just 65 percent of professors said they alone select the books, articles, and materials used for their early-reading courses. Nearly a fifth of professors adapt and supplement selections from their university or program, and 11 percent said the university makes the sole selections. The survey asked professors to list which reading researchers work they introduce to their preservice classes. Here are the researchers or research teams most commonly cited, ranked in order with a tie for No. 8. 1. Marie Clay Known for: The late New Zealand educator and a past president of the International Literacy Association (formerly the International Reading Association) did extensive work on the formative years of literacy learning. Clay believed that students use multiple sources of information, or cues, to read words. She designed a system in which teachers can track which cues students are using to read: meaning (does it make sense in the story?), syntax (does it sound right in the sentence?), or visual (does it look right on the page?). In the 1970s, Clay incorporated the tracking system into her early intervention program Reading Recovery, which is still widely used today. The research on the effectiveness of the program has been mixedsome studies have linked the program to gains in reading, reading comprehension, and decoding, but some critics have said many of those studies exclude the lowest-achieving students from the data analysis. Quote: [Beginning readers] need to use their knowledge of how the world works; the possible meanings of the text; the sentence structure; the importance of order of ideas, or words, or letters; the size of words or letters; special features of sound, shape, and layout; and special knowledge from past literary experiences before they resort to left-to-right sounding out of chunks or letter clusters, or in the last resort, single letters, Clay wrote in 1998. 2. Louisa C. Moats Known for: Moats, the past vice president of the International Dyslexia Association, is a consultant and trainer on literacy education. She developed the research-based commercial professional development series LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). Moats has long been vocal about what she perceives as the need for teacher education to improve how teachers are prepared to teach reading, and for teachers to become better aligned with the cognitive research. She has criticized instructional tactics like the cueing system, saying that students must learn to first decode words in order to be successful readers. Quote: The tragedy here is that most reading failure is unnecessary. We now know that classroom teaching itself, when it includes a range of research-based components and practices, can prevent and ameliorate reading difficulty, Moats wrote in a still widely cited 1999 paper for the American Federation of Teachers called Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science . Learning to read is not natural or easy for most children. Reading is an acquired skill. 3. & 4. Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas Known for: Pinnell, a professor emerita at the Ohio State University, and Fountas, a professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., are two former teachers who have developed widely used reading curricula for teachers. Their approach is known as guided or leveled reading. Students work with a teacher in small groups separated by their reading level to read just-right texts, rather than ones deemed too challenging or too easy. Fountas and Pinnell have also endorsed cueing systems and predictable texts, which repeat the same sentence pattern multiple times with slight variations, for early readers. Their Leveled Literacy Intervention does include a scope and sequence for phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, but critics say its not systematic and that students might need more opportunities for practice than they are given. Quote: [Phonics instruction] cannot be allowed to consume the entire instructional time for reading so that kids learn a lot of phonics but dont learn to read, Pinnell said in a November webinar for their publisher Heinemann. Fountas responded: [T]here is a strong belief that children need to understand letter-sound relationships in every language, symbol-sound relationships in any language, and phonics knowledge is essential to effective reading. There is total agreement on that. But there can be various perspectives on how to achieve that. 5. Richard L. Allington Known for: Allington, a professor emeritus at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a past president of the International Literacy Association. He is a strong proponent of independent readingallowing children to read what interests them. His research has found that when children from low-income families are given free, self-selected books during the summer, it can eliminate summer reading loss. Allington has been sharply critical of commercial reading programs, which he says deliver one-size-fits-all instruction and require little actual reading. He also has disputed that some students have a learning disability that makes it difficult to process words and read and spell. Quote: Im reasonably sure that [dyslexia] doesnt exist, Allington said in a December speech at a Tennessee literacy conference where he dismissed the idea that students with dyslexia need explicit phonics instruction or additional supports to learn to read. Instead, he said, students should be given self-selected textsnot everybody reading the same decodable story, but everybody reading the book that theyre interested in. 6. Timothy Shanahan Known for: Shanahan, a professor emeritus of urban education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a past president of the International Literacy Association, is the former director of reading for Chicago public schools. He helped lead the National Reading Panel in 2000, the congressionally mandated review board that evaluated the research on reading and concluded that phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension were critical elements of early literacy teaching. Shanahans research has focused on the connections between reading and how to improve reading achievement. He is an advocate for teaching children to read with more challenging texts, arguing that it gives them an opportunity to deal with complex vocabulary, syntax, and structures. Quote: Instead of teaching kids to mimic what readers do when they make mistakes, we need to teach them to do what successful readers do, Shanahan wrote in a blog post last March criticizing cueing systems. No doubt, when readers cant read, theyll come up with ways of trying to pretend to read. Our job is to teach them to read, not to guide them to pretend better. 7. Sharon Vaughn Known for: Vaughn is a professor in the department of special education at the University of Texas at Austin and the executive director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Her research focuses on reading interventions for students with learning disabilities and English-language learners. Quote: Building vocabulary and concept knowledge through language development is essential to enhance the background knowledge of ELLs, Vaughn said in an interview with the George W. Bush Presidential Center . Building vocabulary and background knowledge will be the foundation for more successful reading, learning, and comprehension. 8. Kenneth and Yetta Goodman Known for: Kenneth Goodman, a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona and a past president of the International Literacy Association, is known as the father of whole language, which is the philosophy that literacy develops naturally as children are exposed to books. He and his wife and frequent co-author Yetta, who is also a professor emerita at the University of Arizona, argue that when teachers break real and natural language into abstract pieces, such as syllables and isolated sounds, it becomes more difficult for students to learn. The Goodmans have also developed, and done extensive research on, miscue analysis, which is a tool teachers can use to observe the types of errors students make while theyre reading (similar to the work Clay did). The goal there is for readers to get the words right enough to make sense of the textKenneth Goodman has argued that if a student sees the word horse and reads it as pony based off context clues, he or she is better off than a student who reads the word as house. He has called reading a psycholinguistic guessing game . Quote: Word recognition is a preoccupation, Kenneth Goodman told APM Reports correspondent Emily Hanford in an August interview . I dont teach word recognition. I teach people to make sense of language. And learning the words is incidental to that. Tied for 8. P. David Pearson Known for: Pearson, a professor emeritus and the former dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, is the past chairman of the International Literacy Associations literacy research panel. While his current research focuses on literacy history and policy, Pearson has done extensive research on teaching reading comprehension. Good comprehension instruction, he writes, should include both explicit instruction in specific comprehension strategies and plenty of chances for actual reading, writing, and discussing texts. Pearson has said that hes in the radical middle of the reading warsin between the whole language and explicit, systematic phonics camps. Quote: [T]here must be a higher order level of analysis in which both of these lines of inquiry can be reconciled, he wrote in a 2001 essay about being in the radical middle. That would be a level in which authentic activity and ambitious instruction were viewed as complements rather than alternatives to one another. 10. Anita L. Archer Known for: Archer is a curriculum writer and an educational consultant to school districts on explicit instruction and literacy. She defines explicit instruction as systematic, direct, engaging, and success-oriented instruction that she says is helpful for all students, but essential for students with learning challenges. Archer delivers professional development on multiple components of reading instruction, including decoding and comprehension, as well as interventions for students with learning disabilities. Quote: There is no comprehension strategy powerful enough to compensate for the fact you cant read the words, Archer wrote in 2008. A transgender soldier in South Korea says she will sue the army after it dismissed her for violating regulations following her s3x change. Byun Hui-soo, 22, joined the army as a man but had gender reassignment surgery last year after suffering from gender dysphoria and mental health issues. She accused the military of deep-rooted intolerance of sexual minorities. South Korea remains conservative on matters of sexual identity. Ms Byuns case has led to debate over the treatment of transgender soldiers as well as those from the wider LGBT community. She said I dont need a son like you All able-bodied South Korean men are required to carry out military service for nearly two years During an emotional 45-minute appearance, the staff sergeant said she had wanted to stay in the army after her operation, which took place in Thailand in November. I will continue to fight until the day I can remain to serve in the army. Ill challenge the decision until the end, to the Supreme Court, she said. I thought I would finish serving in the army and then go through the transition surgery and then re-enter the army as a female soldier. But my depression got too severe, she added. Ms Byun said she had not expected to be forced to leave the army. Her superior officers had visited her in hospital and had been discussing where she would be redeployed after her treatment, she said. They had suggested she could become a role model for LGBT people in the armed forces, she said. Apart from my gender identity, I want to show everyone that I can also be one of the great soldiers who protect this country, she added. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. The request marks a fallback position for the former three-star Army general, who last week asked a federal judge to toss out his earlier plea agreement, claiming that prosecutors breached the deal. Flynn accused prosecutors of demanding he falsely admit to lying to the Justice Department about his lobbying firms work for the government of Turkey. 22.01.2020 LISTEN Our attention has just been drawn to the sad news that, a certain group calling itself Concerned Youth of Gambaga have sought to create an undue tension in the Northeast region by putting together a needless piece of an article seeking to accuse the member of parliament for the Nalerigu-Gambaga constituency who doubles as the Local government and rural development minister of plotting to change the municipal capital from Gambaga to Nalerigu. We, therefore, find their move a very ill-thought-out plan to create chaos and anarchy in the area. Some people amongst them have sought to disturb and undermine the peace of the area for reasons that are suspected to be political capital. It is therefore disgusting to have in our midst, people who should have known better, the importance of the peace we have enjoyed here in the northeast region over the years, arrogantly coming out to incite two peace-loving communities against each other. What are they talking about? What is wrong with it, if an appointment is giving to someone who hails from a certain town and the name of the town is stated as such in the appointment letter? We, therefore, find the evidence in their warmongering article, very weak, hypocritical, absurd and pathetic. All the people that have been mentioned in their article purporting to have received their letters for the population census office (District Census Officer) in the various districts and municipalities are from the communities that have been stated in their letters. Therefore, it is a factual misrepresentation to say that someone is figured for plotting to change a municipal headquarters from Gambaga to Nalerigu. We wish to bring to their notice, in case they are ignorant that, their fabrications and machinations can not stand the test of legality. No one can just get up and change a district capital when it has already been established. One can only lobby for capital when the district is yet to be created, not when it has been established. The Honourable MP does not have the legal power to do that and such foolishness does not sit in her head. Therefore, it is the home towns of the respective census officers that have been captured in their appointment letters and not their district and municipal capitals as the ghost concerned Gambaga youth leaders want us to believe. For example, the census officer for Yunyoo-Nansuan is a resident in a village called, Kakum, and that is precisely how it is stated in his appointment letter, the one in Yagaba-Kubore is a resident in Yagaba, but a native of Nakpanduri who teaches at the Senior High school at Yagaba, and the one just in our municipality is from Nagboo and it is stated exactly so in his letter. Does this by the weird logic of these so-called concerned youth of Gambaga suggest that, someone is scheming to move the municipal capital from Gambaga to Nagboo? This is really disheartening and unthinkable. So if a certain guy, due to the fact that his own attitude denied him the opportunity will brainwash the so-called youth into coming out with such an article that clearly demonstrates the fact that, they haven't been trained and brought up well, it is heartbreaking and mind-boggling. How can you just decide to call yourselves leaders of a group and all you seek to do is to create hullabaloo in a baby region like the northeast region which still needs development to benefit its inhabitants? What is most worrying and sickening is that these group of so-called youth leaders is not even living within the region, they have no better investments in the region, their children do not reside in the region and they don't even visit the region more often. So they don't stand to lose anything, should any confusion erupt in the region. It is we those who will remain here in the northeast region that will bear the brunt of the aberrant behaviours of these guys. We wish to submit to them that, whoever is behind this plot to rather create tension in this part of the region will not succeed in his/her actions. There are no plans whatsoever to change any municipal capital from Gambaga to Nalerigu as have been nefariously put out in their war drumming article, and it does not even lie within anybody's legal purview to do that. We will like to make it categorically and unambiguously clear to them that, the choice of the regional capital was solely within the remit of the president of the Republic of Ghana, and nobody in Ghana, not even the vice president had the power to have averted the wish and the choice of the president. Therefore, it is palpably bizarre and unwarranted for some unscrupulous and ill-mannered people to seek to create confusion between two most important towns in the northeast region(Gambaga and Nalerigu) for their selfish, personal, and political parochial gains. We have the firm belief that the architects of this article are not really youth of Gambaga since some sections of the youth wings of Gambaga have disassociated themselves from this attempt to cause fear and panic in the Northeast region. Their article has rightly proven the anonymity of these "coup plotters". The people of the two towns have been brothers and sisters, in-laws, business partners, co-workers and virtually doing everything in common. So as we draw closer to the most crucial 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, we will urge that, such war solicitors desist from their plans to plunge this region and the kingdom into confusion and unnecessary feuds. We will like to end at this juncture by pleading with the chief of Gambaga, elders, religious leaders, political leaders, opinion leaders and all stakeholders of both towns to disregard the article or whatever it is, that was put together by those people, and treat it with the disdain it so much deserves, and also call those so-called youth leaders to order if only they are not anonymous. ARISE NPP YOUTH GAMBAGA School dropout Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who is contesting Delhi Assembly polls from Hari Nagar, has a diploma in "National Development Course" from National Defence University in China, according to his election affidavit. Bagga, who was made the Delhi BJP spokesperson in 2017, has mentioned in the affidavit that he is pursuing Bachelor Preparatory Programme from IGNOU. This programme is offered by the university to students who wish to do a bachelor's degree from IGNOU but do not have the essential qualification of having passed class 12. "Diploma in National Development Course at National Defence University Republic of China Taiwan in 2017," reads his affidavit. From slapping former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan and disrupting Arundhati Roy's book event to selling tea outside Congress headquarters as a protest against Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks, Bagga has never failed to hog limelight, including for his numerous Twitter spats. BJP's rivals often accuse Bagga, who has over 6.4 lakh followers, of being a "Twitter troll". Fighting for Hari Nagar, Bagga said he will release a constituency-specific manifesto for the in the February 8 election and has promised to install a "smog tower" in the area if he wins. "Hari Nagar Vidhansabha will be the first Vidhansabha in Delhi which will release their own Manifesto. We will Install Smog Tower in Hari Nagar Vidhanasabha in First 60 days of My Victory. #PolllutionFreeHariNagar," he tweeted. Bagga started his career with Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena, which calls itself a "nationalist task force against traitors, anti-nationals and corrupts". He grabbed headlines in October 2011 when he openly acknowledged he slapped lawyer-activist and then AAP leader Bhushan for his remarks on Kashmir and called the assault "Operation Prashant Bhushan". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. How does NASA know it's time to end a mission? For the Spitzer Space Telescope , the agency can blame it on the spacecraft's juice. Specifically, Spitzer's struggle comes from trying to balance charging its battery, communicating with Earth and keeping its instruments cool. When it launched in 2003, those tasks didn't interfere much with each other, but the longer the mission continued, the bigger a challenge it became. And so, on Jan. 30, more than 16 years after its launch, NASA will send the spacecraft its final commands . "There is a natural end to the mission and we are reaching it," Luisa Rebull, an astronomer at the NASA Infrared Science Archive at the California Institute of Technology, which hosts Spitzer's data, told Space.com. Related: Gallery: The Infrared Universe Seen by Spitzer Telescope Spitzer was designed to focus on infrared light , which lets scientists see through dust that obscures the view of other types of telescopes. During its tenure, the spacecraft, which has cost a total of $1.36 billion over two decades, has used that talent to tackle astronomical puzzles like how stars and planets form. "We see star-forming regions, we see galaxies forming and merging and just a whole cornucopia of objects in space that are not visible to our eyes in the optical, but are visible in the infrared," Suzanne Dodd, former mission manager for Spitzer, said during a news conference held today (Jan. 22). That's because of something special about Spitzer. "One of the unique things about Spitzer that makes this all possible is its orbit," Dodd said. Spitzer orbits the sun , tagging along behind Earth and slipping a bit farther away from us each year. "It's drifting from the Earth and the moon, so it's not getting the infrared radiation that the Earth and moon system create." Without that interference, Spitzer can gather better data. But eventually, that orbit means the spacecraft will be on the opposite side of the sun from Earth for a long period of time a clear no-go for space communications. Right now, Spitzer is about a third of an orbit behind Earth, so the sun isn't yet blocking communications. But even now, the logistics of the mission are becoming challenging. The farther Spitzer lags behind Earth, the more dramatically the spacecraft has to twist itself in order to communicate back to its scientists. That stresses the spacecraft's solar-charged batteries, Rebull said, and when they finally get to recharge, the batteries warm up. "That's not good when you're trying to detect little bits of heat," she said that would be the infrared light Spitzer targets, which is essentially radiated heat. There's a second hot problem with the maneuver: The more the spacecraft twists, the more sunlight reaches part of the spacecraft that are supposed to stay cool . The longer the mission continues, the more time Spitzer scientists lose to this process. "You have to wait for the batteries to recharge and then everything to cool down again before you can keep observing," Rebull said. Eventually, the spacecraft won't be able to make that maneuver at all, she added it would run out of power while sending data back to Earth. That's why NASA made the decision to shut the telescope down . Spitzer will gather its last observations on Jan. 29 and turn off the next day. Then, scientists will be left with hopes that another space telescope dedicated to the infrared will someday take its place and, of course, with the data Spitzer has gathered over 16 years. It's a melancholy time for mission scientists, but not an unexpected one. "I know it's just a space robot," Rebull said. "But he's our space robot." Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phillips & Temro Industries (PTI) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In 1920, James B. Carter founded a manufacturing facility in Winnipeg, Canada. Combining key acquisitions with research and innovation, the facility expanded into heating products designed to help vehicles start on cold Canadian mornings. One hundred years, a merger, more acquisitions and many successful innovations and products later, PTI is commemorating its rich history with a February celebration week. Phillips & Temro Industries "Phillips & Temro has joined an elite group of companies that have withstood the test of time to celebrate 100 years of business," said Tom Moser, President, Phillips & Temro Industries. "With the same values that have sustained us for the past century, we look forward to the future with continued focus on our unique mission and culture, innovation and our ability to deliver superior products today while preparing for tomorrow." 100 Years of Great People PTI's employees have always been at the core of its success. The company attracts and retains skilled, experienced employees who are committed to the values that have set PTI apart for 100 years. Their collective knowledge, expertise, skills and work ethic are the foundation of PTI's reputation. 100 Years of Great Products In the 1920s through '40s, James B. Carter made oil funnels and frost shields in Winnipeg, Canada. In the '40s, Phillips Moses manufactured engine heaters in Minneapolis. The companies merged in 1976 to become Phillips & Temro Industries. The company is now a global OEM and aftermarket provider of custom-engineered thermal systems and electrical solutions for a multitude of industries including trucking, automotive, oil and gas, off-road vehicles and power generation and has become a respected name across these markets. PTI's portfolio of industry-leading brands includes Zerostart, Arctic Fox, Idle Free Systems, Truflo and EVOCHARGE. The Celebration PTI's 100-Year Celebration Week will take place Feb. 17-21, with a full week of activities culminating with a party for employees and their families. It will also commemorate its 100 years by "giving back" to the local community through food drives, feeding the homeless and other activities. Throughout the year, PTI will be posting interesting information, photos and fun facts about the company and its celebration on social sites Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Anyone interested in participating in the social conversation is welcome to follow the hashtag #PTI100Years. About Phillips & Temro Industries Phillips & Temro Industries (PTI) is a company with a rich 100-year history as a global OEM and aftermarket provider of custom-engineered thermal and electrical solutions. Trucking, automotive, oil and gas, off-road vehicles and power generation are just a few of the diverse markets that benefit from PTI's heating, cooling and electrification systems. PTI's portfolio of industry-leading brands includes Zerostart, Arctic Fox, Idle Free Systems, Truflo and EVOCHARGE. Media Contact: Patti Hill, [email protected] Related Images image1.png Related Links PTI website SOURCE Phillips & Temro Industries Global tourism slowed in 2019 due to a cooling world economy, especially in Europe and Asia where uncertainties linked to Brexit and protests in Hong Kong also weighed, the United Nations tourism agency said Monday. The number of international tourist arrivals rose by 4.0 percent last year to 1.5 billion, its slowest rate since 2016, the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said in a statement. This is a growth that we can consider strong because it is within the historical average, but we see a slight slowdown compared to the last two years. But it should be noted that the last two years have been really exceptional with a growth that was not normal, the bodys intelligence chief, Sandra Carvao, told a news conference. Tourist numbers grew by 6.0 percent in 2018 and by 7.0 percent in 2017 as holidaymakers returned to sunshine destinations in the eastern Mediterranean such as Turkey and Egypt after several years of tourists staying away due to security concerns. Tourism numbers rose by 4.0 percent in 2016. The UNWTO predicted global tourism will grow by 3.0-4.0 percent this year, buoyed by major sporting and cultural events such as the Tokyo Olympics in Japan. An economic slowdown in many key issuing markets such as Germany and the collapse of Thomas Cook, the worlds oldest travel form, had contributed to the slowdown in the sector last year, Carvao said. Britains looming departure from the European Union had generated strong uncertainty and has impacted its economy, which has impacted the value of its currency leading to fewer British nationals going abroad on holidays, she added. Tourist arrivals in Europe rose by 4.0 percent in 2019, down from 6.0 percent in the previous year. It remained the most visited region in the world, accounting for 51 percent of all international tourist arrivals last year, or 743 million people. Arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region rose by 5.0 percent compared to 7.0 percent in 2018 as Hong Kong was rocked by sometimes violent political protests which caused hotel occupancy rates to slump in the Chinese-ruled city. - Middle East jump - Africa posted a 4.0-percent rise in tourist arrivals, down from 9.0 percent in 2018. The Americas showed a mixed picture as many island destinations in the Caribbean consolidated their recovery after the 2017 hurricanes while arrivals fell in South America due partly to ongoing social and political turmoil, the UN bodys statement said. The Middle East was the one bright spot as tourist arrivals in the region jumped by 8.0 percent in 2019, up from 3.0 percent in the previous year, due mainly to Saudi Arabias ambitious plan to draw foreign visitors and the recovery of the Egyptian market. UNWTO expects France, Spain and the United States to once again be the three most visited countries in the world last year once it has final figures. We dont really expect changes in the rankings, said Carvao. In 2018, France remained the worlds most visited nation with 89 million arrivals followed by Spain and the United States. Despite the slowdown in the rise in international arrivals, tourism spending continued to grow in 2019, especially among the worlds top ten spenders. France reported the strongest increase in international tourism spending, jumping 11 percent, while spending by international visitors from the United States rose by 6.0 percent due to the strong dollar. But many emerging markets such as Brazil, China -- the worlds top source market -- and Saudi Arabia reported declines in tourism spending. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter President Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Congres center during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Confident Tariff Threat Will Lead to Fair Deal Between Europe and US on Trade President Donald Trump told reporters in Davos he is confident in striking a trade deal with Europe as the threat of tariffs looms large. Were going to make a deal I suspect, otherwise well have to do something else, Trump told a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday. They have no choice, Trump said in a separate interview, underscoring his conviction that a deal between the United States and its biggest import trading partner will end up signed. A day earlier, Trump said that unless a fair deal is negotiated with the EU, he would impose tariffs on U.S. imports of European cars. They know that Im going to put tariffs on them if they dont make a deal thats a fair deal, Trump told The Wall Street Journal in Davos on Jan. 21, referring to automobiles, the blocs key export. While Trump has not specified when he would greenlight fresh tariffs on cars, the Financial Times reported it would be before the November elections. I have a date in my mind, it is a fairly quick date, he said, according to the FT. During a Jan. 21 meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump talked up the prospects of a deal, while acknowledging obstacles. Its great to be with the president of the European Commission and a woman whos highly respected, I have to say, and I hear a very tough negotiator, which is bad news for us because were going to talk about a big trade deal, and weve been talking about it for a while, and hopefully we can get something done, Trump said. Touting the long-standing relationship between Europe and the United States, Von der Leyen struck a similarly hopeful note, but noted there were unresolved matters still to be ironed out. The American people and the European people are good friends, Von der Leyen said. And this is what were going to build on, and indeed, we have issues to discuss, and were going to negotiate. But Im looking forward to this relationship. Differences remain over issues like agriculture, digital tax, and auto import duties. Tariffs All Over the Place Trump has complained the bilateral trade relationship is skewed to Americas detriment. They have trade barriers where you cannot trade, they have tariffs all over the place. They make it impossible, Trump told reporters in Davos on Wednesday. U.S. trade with the EU totaled nearly $1.3 trillion in 2018, with a $109 billion deficit, according to statistics from the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Machinery ($80.2 billion), pharmaceuticals ($71.9 billion), and vehicles ($56.4 billion) ranked as the top three import categories. In 2018, the United States was the largest partner for EU exports of goods (21 percent) and the second-largest partner for EU imports of goods (13 percent), according to Eurostat, the European Unions statistical service. Despite this significant trade volume, U.S. exporters in key sectors have been challenged by multiple tariff and non-tariff barriers for decades, leading to chronic U.S. trade imbalances with the EU, states a Summary of Specific Negotiating Objectives (pdf), published last year by the United States Trade Representative. The EU applies a 10 percent tariff on passenger vehicles and 22 percent on trucks. In contrast, the United States imposes a maximum 2.5 percent tariff on imported passenger cars and a 25 percent tariff on pickup trucks and work vans. The Trump administration launched a Section 232 probe of foreign autos in May 2018, after which Trump agreed with conclusions that some imported vehicles and components are weakening our internal economy and could harm national security. As U.S.-EU trade negotiations have made little progress over the past year, the White House has repeatedly threatened to slap tariffs on Europe, but in each case has delayed action. In November, the Trump administration let a deadline lapse on tariffs of as much as 25 percent on vehicles and parts imported from the EU. The good news is that the U.S. did not announce any new tariffs on EU cars or car parts, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in Brussels on Nov. 21, according to the Chicago Automobile Trade Association. Of course the threat is not entirely gone, and we are mindful of that. Amid the ongoing trade dispute, the White House imposed tariffs on $7.5 billion of EU goods in October over illegal aircraft subsidies. Tremendous New Deal Ongoing trade dealsor ones recently struckfeatured prominently in Trumps remarks on Jan. 21 in Davos. Our brand-new USMCA is the result of the broadest coalition ever assembled for a trade agreement, Trump said, referring to the United States-Mexico-Canada deal that superseded NAFTA. Manufacturing, agriculture, and labor all strongly endorsed the deal, Trump said. And, as you know, it just passed in Congress overwhelmingly. It shows how to solve the 21st century challenge we all face: protecting intellectual property, expanding digital trade, re-shoring lost jobs, and ensuring rising wages and living standards. The president said the United States had struck a $40 billion deal with Japan and renegotiated a trade agreement with South Korea. Were also negotiating many other transactions with many other countries, Trump said, including a tremendous new deal with the United Kingdom. Trump told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday that he and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to postpone a digital services tax that was supposed to hit American tech firms sometime in 2020. The president told the newspaper he threatened to impose a tariff of 100 percent on French wine, which currently faces an import duty of 25 percent in relation to a separate trade dispute involving European aviation giant Airbus. The economic summit in the Swiss Alpine town runs through to Jan. 24. The high-profile forum brings together world leaders, business elites, economists, and celebrities from around the globe. Emel Akan contributed to this report. SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the Trump administration to turn over surplus land owned by the federal government in California so cities could build housing for homeless people. Emergency shelter solves sleep and we agree this is an urgent priority, Newsom wrote in a letter Tuesday to Ben Carson, the U.S. secretary of housing and urban development. But only housing and services solve homelessness. The governor launched a similar program last year, identifying vacant state-owned land and soliciting proposals from developers and local governments to build affordable housing projects on the sites. As you engage California with offers of resources, I hope you will match our commitment to comprehensive solutions that go beyond temporary tent villages, Newsom wrote. California has been locked in an escalating battle with the administration in recent months over the issue of homelessness. The state has repeatedly come under fire from President Trump for its widespread encampments, while Newsom accused the federal government last month of withholding key data tied to homelessness funding. When the annual federal homelessness count was released in December, Carson singled out California for an increase in its homeless population up 16% to more than 151,000 people that was greater than every other state combined. He called on state and local leaders to address the situation with a crisis-like urgency. But the rancor has reportedly subsided in recent weeks. The Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is negotiating with Carson about a potential deal that could provide emergency health services and federal land to shelter the citys homeless population. The Department of Housing and Urban Development did not respond to a request for comment. Newsoms letter follows an executive order earlier this month in which the governor opened vacant state land to emergency homeless shelters. He sent 15 state-owned trailers to Oakland last week to temporarily house up to 70 homeless people. With some recent public polls showing that homelessness has become the biggest concern for California voters, the governor is under mounting pressure to get people off the streets. In his letter, Newsom again asked Carson to provide 50,000 more federal housing vouchers to poor Californians and to raise their value to account for the states higher rents. He made the same request last year, but Carson rejected the idea. In a December interview with Fox News, Carson said California should instead work to reduce the cost of living, because increasing the value of vouchers would mean fewer people could be helped. All of those vouchers come out of a pool of money that doesnt grow just because you say grow it, he said. Newsom, speaking to reporters Wednesday in San Francisco, said the letter was the third he has sent to federal government officials asking for housing assistance. We dont need them to tell us what to do, he said. We do need them to help with the vouchers. The governor said he was encouraged about the apparent willingness of federal housing officials to work with Los Angeles, but was concerned about the details. Were looking for a program, Newsom said. We dont want to see a bunch of trailers out there that become permanent, but rather an effort to build permanent housing for homeless people. Not that trailers arent an effective stopgap plan to provide shelter for people now on the streets. Besides the trailers moved to Oakland, Newsom said 30 more of those federally supplied trailers were moved to Los Angeles County this week. Alexei Koseff and John Wildermuth are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com, jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff, @jfwildermuth House managers began laying out their case for convicting and removing Mr. Trump from office, accusing him of a corrupt scheme to enlist the help of a foreign government to tarnish his domestic political rivals and pave his way to a second term. In a series of sober, methodical speeches, the Democratic managers, or prosecutors, presented extracts of testimony that they were able to gather during the House inquiry despite the presidents refusal to cooperate to argue that Mr. Trumps pressure on Ukraine to incriminate Democrats amounted to an assault on Americas constitutional democracy. President Trump solicited foreign interference in our democratic elections, abusing the power of his office to seek help from abroad to improve his re-election prospects at home, Mr. Schiff said from the well of the Senate. President Trump, he added, withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to a strategic partner at war with Russia to secure foreign help with his re-election. In other words, to cheat. While the Senate has so far refused to allow witnesses, Mr. Schiff and his fellow managers in effect brought a few to the floor anyway by playing video clips from current and former officials like Fiona Hill, Gordon D. Sondland, William B. Taylor Jr. and David Holmes, who testified before Mr. Schiffs House Intelligence Committee last year. And they played several from Mr. Trump himself, showing the president in 2016 publicly calling on Russia to hack Hillary Clintons email and last year publicly calling on Ukraine and even China to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Shocking video, Representative Sylvia Garcia, Democrat of Texas, said after showing Mr. Trump telling George Stephanopoulos of ABC News last spring that he would still be willing to accept damaging information about a campaign opponent from Russia or another foreign government. With three days to make their case, the seven House impeachment managers started outlining the events in narrative form, how the president and his associates sought to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations of Mr. Biden and Democrats while withholding $391 million in American aid. The managers will later explore the constitutional ramifications of the case. Mr. Schiff was followed by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York. Next came Ms. Garcia, then Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Val Demings of Florida and Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Mr. Schiff returned to the microphone after dinner, before handing off to Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, then returned to finish the day. Mr. Schiff was by far the main face of the effort, speaking for more than four hours compared with three hours for all six of his colleagues combined. The clock is winding down on Connecticuts super toll debate, and team Lamont is running out of time to get its plan across the goal line. Desperate to get any points on the board before time runs out, Lamont unleashed a trick play in the form of a deceptive press release Jan. 17. The press release was intended to mislead the public about the history of state governments Special Transportation Fund, and convince the public that, over many years, the General Assembly had to take billions of dollars from the General Fund to pay for transportation expenses. Adding to the deception (and to appeal to the sympathies of the public), the press release claimed that three previous governors (not Gov. Lamont), used the General Fund and revenues meant to support municipal aid, education, and nonprofits ... to pay for transportation infrastructure. The press release piled on its claims: This practice robbed social service providers of needed funds and shortchanged our communities. Trying to add authority to their claims, team Lamont attached an analysis developed by the state Office of Policy and Management purportedly proving the claims of the press release with a table showing transfers between the General Fund and the Special Transportation Fund. This would be a powerful argument if it were completely true. But it is a half-truth. Worse, by omitting a very important fact, the press release was extremely misleading. What vital fact did the press release omit? It did not acknowledge that $4.1 billion of petroleum gross receipts taxes were placed directly into the General Fund before they could get to the Special Transportation Fund for the first 14 years of the current century. All that money should have gone directly to the STF. But, for decades, the Legislature had been using gas taxes to support General Fund spending. The legislature did this by taking the revenue from the petroleum gross receipts taxes (one of the two state gas taxes you pay at the pump) and depositing it all directly into the General Fund. Most people would assume that gas taxes go toward maintaining our roads and bridges. But this is not true with the petroleum gross receipts taxes. From 2000 to 2015, the legislature took in $4.1 billion from petroleum gross receipts taxes, put all that revenue into the General Fund, and transferred barely half of it to the Special Transportation Fund. The legislature finally realized that continually raiding gas taxes to pay for General Fund expenditures hampered maintenance of roads and bridges. So, beginning in 2015, the Legislature required that all revenue from the petroleum gross receipts tax be placed directly in the Special Transportation Fund. When the background here is revealed, the deceit of team Lamonts press release becomes apparent. Yes, technically, billions of tax dollars were transferred from the General Fund to the Special Transportation Fund. But that money never was deposited first in the Special Transportation Fund as it should have been. A lot of gas tax money was used for general purposes, not transportation. Funding for education, social services and municipal aid was never diverted to the Special Transportation Fund. It was transportation money billions of dollars raised by the petroleum gross receipts tax that was diverted to education, social services, and municipal aid. The truth is exactly the opposite of what team Lamont claimed last week. Republican Len Suzio is a former state senator from Meriden and onetime vice chairman of the General Assemblys Transportation Committee Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:28:37|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close French President Emmanuel Macron (L) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Jan. 22, 2020. Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday agreed to convene a "strategic dialogue" over regional issues, said the prime minister's office. Macron arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv on Tuesday night for a two-day visit. (Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday agreed to convene a "strategic dialogue" over regional issues, said the prime minister's office. The two leaders held a breakfast meeting at the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, as Macron arrived in Israel to take part in the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp on Thursday. No joint statements were made after the meeting, but the Israeli prime minister's office said the meeting was "warm and friendly." "We have agreed to establish a strategic dialogue between Israel and France to allow us to continue to cooperate over our common interests," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "It can help us for things that are very important for the security of the country," he added. The two also discussed Iran-related tensions. Netanyahu, a vocal opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal, urged Macron to follow the United State and impose sanctions on Iran. Macron arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv on Tuesday night for a two-day visit. Seven villagers including a deputy village head who were abducted on Sunday for allegedly protesting the Pathalgadi movement in Jharkhands West Singhbhum district have been killed, police said on Wednesday. Murari Lal Meena, senior Jharkhand police officer said the seven bodies of villagers from Burugulikera village were found Wednesday morning. Two more villagers were still missing. Police said the seven were found with their throat slit. Meena, additional director general of police (operations), told Hindustan Times that the role played by the villagers to oppose the Pathalgadi movement prima facie appeared to have triggered the gruesome massacre. The pathalgadi movement has its origin in a resistance movement by tribals during British rule. Pathalgadi supporters have been campaigning to collect government identity documents from people in remote hilly villages such as Jono, Gulikera and Burugulikera for the past fortnight. An investigation is on and anything conclusively can only be said after search operations and further investigation, Meena added. Chief Minister Hemant Soren called the murder of seven people unfortunate. Jharkhand police is investigating it and a search operation is underway. The rule of law is supreme and will take its own course for those found guilty, he tweeted. Hemant Sorens office said he would review the situation with the officials concerned later in the day. Soon after taking over as Chief Minister, Hemant Soren cabinet had ordered withdrawal of 24 sedition cases against 200 people related to the Pathalgadi movement in the states Khunti and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts. The fresh round of confrontation between villagers and Pathalgadi supporters started on January 17 when an effort was made by Pathalgadi supporters to collect government documents from villagers. Several villagers were injured in one such clash on January 17 but the matter was not reported to the police. The latest violence was triggered on Sunday when Pathalgadi supporters held a meeting at Burugulikera village, 70 km from sub-divisional headquarters Chalradharpur, and told villagers to submit their voter cards, Aadhaar cards and such government documents. Village deputy head James Budh and other villagers reportedly protested, arguing that it would deprive them of government benefits and education for their children. James Budh and six more people were thrashed and taken away. When they didnt return by the next day, the family of the seven villagers informed the police. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON DUBLIN, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Air France-KLM said on Tuesday it had previously held talks with the owners of Malaysia Airlines but was not engaged in current efforts to find new investors for the carrier. "Air France-KLM continues to study global investment opportunities per its strategic goal to be an active yet pragmatic participant in industry consolidation, as presented at its Investors Day in November 2019," the Franco-Dutch airline group said. "Air France-KLM had previously been in contact with Malaysia Airlines' shareholders, but at this stage Air France-KLM is not a current party to the sales process of Malaysia Airlines." (Reporting by Laurence Frost, editing by Louise Heavens) The British Cyber Command A new British combined specialist cyber unit the British National Cyber Force (NCF) will soon become operational with the aim to take offensive action to combat security threats, hacking, fake-news and election interference. The unit has been conceived as a joint initiative between the Ministry of Defence and the national signals intelligence agency GCHQ. Currently these operations already employ over 500 personnel for the national offensive cyber programme. The new 250 million unit will comprise about 2,000 digital warriors, with experts recruited from the military, security services and industry. It will quadruple the number of personnel in offensive cyber-roles and marks a step change in the nations ability to disrupt and destroy computer networks and Internet-connected devices. Now the UK is almost ready to wage cyber warfare against terrorist groups, hostile states and organised crime groups that are threats to the country. The American assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has added urgency to the progress of the specialist unit, amid risks of a cyber conflict that could affect the UK. Currently there is no evidence of any Iranians plans to target the UK in response to the killing carried out by the US administration, although it is thought tht their militant groups may decide to carry out strikes autonomously. The NCF is operated by the Ministry of Defence and GCHQ and will be the first organisation in Britain dedicated solely to offensive action against adversaries abroad. Around 76m is due to be invested in the force in the first year. and recruitment is projected to take place from the armed forces and intelligence services, as well as academia and the private sector. The NCF will operate alongside the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which primarily concentrates on defensive cyber activities to protect government departments, strategic infrastructure and industry. The need for an organisation such as the NCF has been increasingly recognised in security and military circles, due to the rapid rise of extremist propaganda, allegations of Russian interference in western elections and referendum campaigns, disinformation following the Salisbury poisoning, and attacks on public and private institutions by hacking gangs. Iran was blamed in 2012 for targeting Wall Street banks with denial-of-service attacks, knocking their websites offline in retaliation against US sanctions. In 2015, Turkey blamed Tehran for cyberattacks that hit its electricity grid, shutting down power for 40 million people. Two years ago, dozens of Westminster parliamentary accounts were breached in attacks linked to Iran and throughout 2019 Tehran was blamed for data hacks of American businesses. The Iranian government has firmly denied the allegations. The NCF is expected to expand its activities to crime networks involved in gun and drug smuggling, as well as people trafficking, which often augments the earnings of extremist groups. Offensive cyber action had been carried out on an ad-hoc basis against Isis in Syria and Iraq. Setting up the NCF has been delayed, say western officials, by distractions caused by uncertainties over Brexit and frequent changes of ministers and secretaries of state in the MoD. Independent: New Satesman: ITPro: The Times: GCHQ: FT.com: You Might Also Read: Britain Is At Cyber War Every Day: Cyber Soldiers: UK Announces Creation Of The 77th Battalion: A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah threw a challenge to the Opposition, Bahujan Samajwadi Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday said her party is ready for a debate on the CAA on any platform. Addressing a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) here on Tuesday, Shah had dared, besides Mayawati, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to a debate with him on the law on a 'sarvjanik manch' (public platform). "The BSP is ready to accept the challenge thrown by the central government, which is troubled by the organised struggle and agitation all over the country against the most controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, especially by the youth and women, for a debate on the issue on any platform and anywhere," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does not include Muslims. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target the Muslim community in India. However, the central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries and not to take away anyone's citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court held in Roe v. Wade that the Constitution protects a woman's right to choose to have an abortion, before viability. Today, this frequently exercised right - a recent Guttmacher Institute study found that "nearly one in four U.S. women will have an abortion in her lifetime" - has support from the vast majority of Americans. Seventy-one percent of people in a 2018 WSJ/NBC poll opposed overturning Roe. Yet, it has also proven deeply controversial. Every year since Roe, a March for Life is held in Washington, D.C., to protest the ruling, this year, on January 24. March organizers have selected the theme "Life Empowers: Pro-Life Is Pro-Woman," and tied the event to the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting sex-based restrictions on the right to vote. Serrin Foster, head of Feminists for Life, explained the link in organizers' minds: "What most people don't understand is that the first-wave feminists were, without known exception, all pro-life. They believed in the rights of slaves to be free, the right of women to vote, and they believed in the right of women and children to be protected from abortion." As scholars, including the editor of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony's archival papers have shown, many of these claims are based on repeated factual errors. The claims often mislead in another way as well: by omitting essential features of the suffragists' beliefs about gender, justice and the law. Antiabortion claims linked to Anthony - whose name headlines an antiabortion political action committee and is mentioned in a two-minute promotional video for this year's March for Life - are commonly tied to an article that appeared in The Revolution, a women's rights newspaper that she and Stanton, her political partner, published for two years. The 1869 article denounced "child murder" and labeled abortion "a most monstrous crime." But there is a major problem with attributing these sentiments to Anthony. Scores of writers published content in The Revolution. This column was signed "A.," while when Anthony wrote in the newspaper, she used her initials, "S.B.A." For this reason the editors of Anthony's archival papers maintain that she did not write the article. Yet, the problem runs deeper than misattribution. However little "A." approved of abortion, the author wrote the article to oppose an effort to criminalize abortion that had been recently proposed by the influential New York Medical Gazette - reasoning that women should not be held legally accountable for the decision to end a pregnancy, given the injustice of the marriage laws that gave men control over the conditions in which women conceived and bore children. "A." argued that the problem of abortion could only be resolved by changing the law of marriage to make it an equal partnership in which women could decide when to become a mother. As "A.'s" protest illustrates, even when suffragists judged abortion wrong, it was not the central issue for Anthony and other activists like Stanton, whose legacy is also being appropriated by the organizers of the March. The vote was their primary cause - and suffragists hoped to use the vote to transform the family by changing the unjust laws governing the conditions in which women conceived, bore and raised children. In particular, they opposed marriage laws giving a husband an absolute legal right to his wife's sexual "services" and her labor in exchange for his obligation of financial support. Suffragists called for voluntary motherhood, which they understood in the decades before and after the Civil War as a wife's right to say no to sex in marriage to control the timing of children. In the 1850s, Stanton even ranked voluntary motherhood - which she defined as "the sacred right of a woman to her own person" - as more important than the vote. To Stanton, it was clear that woman's "inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of her individual happiness" depended on retaining control of the decision "when a new being should be brought into the world." As Stanton's contemporary, Lucy Stone, explained, "It is very little to me to have the right to vote, to own property . . . if I may not keep my body, and its uses, in my absolute right. Not one wife in a thousand can do that now, & so long as she suffers this bondage, all other rights will not help her to her true position." Suffragists also insisted on other domestic rights designed to secure a wife's independence such as joint property rights in marital assets and a wife's ability to initiate divorce. Criminalizing abortion was not on the suffrage movement's agenda. In fact, those concerned about criminalizing abortion in the Civil War era were openly hostile to the woman's rights movement. Men in the medical community like Dr. Horatio Storer of Boston from the newly formed American Medical Association led the movement to ban abortion. They successfully pushed new laws that either strengthened restrictions on abortion that had been put in place before the Civil War or imposed new bans. These mostly Anglo-Saxon Protestant medical men opposed abortion as life-taking, but they also openly spoke of other reasons for banning abortion: they wanted to enforce women's roles as wives and mothers, and to preserve the racial and ethnic character of the nation by compelling women of their social class to have more children. The doctors were preoccupied with the notion that these women were having far fewer children (in part by seeking abortions) than immigrants and women they believed were of inferior social classes. Storer asked: "Shall [America's west and the south] be filled by our own children or by those of aliens? This is a question our women must answer; upon their loins depends the future destiny of the nation." Storer, who, like other leaders of this antiabortion movement was hostile to women's suffrage and expanded legal rights, argued that the wife's role was to bear children, and that the "true wife" did not seek "undue power in public life, . . . undue control in domestic affairs, . . . [or] privileges not her own." The doctors' view was the antithesis of the vision for women inside and outside the home advanced by suffragists like Stanton and Anthony. However individual suffragists may have judged the practice of abortion, suffrage leaders called for marriage law to recognize a woman's right to make decisions about sex and motherhood. This more closely anticipates modern feminists' calls for reproductive autonomy than the claims of those organizing the March for Life in this centennial year. There is another dissonance between the suffragists and the upcoming March for Life. Many people attending the march feel so strongly about making abortion illegal that they are one-issue voters, siding with the modern conservative Republican Party, which supports both opposition to legal abortion and related ideas about the nuclear family and traditional gender roles. But this single-issue opposition to abortion, shared by many of the groups participating in the March, does little to support women making decisions about whether or how to raise families. Even though lack of economic resources is the primary reason for seeking an abortion, the Republican Party has repeatedly attacked the Affordable Care Act and does not back bills that would empower women who need or want to care for families - such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would eliminate pay disparities between men and women, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that allows pregnant employees to keep their jobs or proposals for paid Family and Medical Leave. Suffragists sought the vote precisely to enact laws that would improve the lives of women and their families. Their top priority upon obtaining the vote was to pass the first federal health care law in 1921, which they designed to protect the lives and health of women and infants. A movement that seeks to ban abortion - without enacting laws to support women and men raising children - is not "pro-life" or "pro-woman" in the way suffragists envisioned. Antiabortion advocates who work only to re-criminalize abortion, or to restrict abortion and limit contraception, do not honor the suffragists' legacy: they betray it. - - - Reva Siegel is Nicholas deB. Katzenbach professor at Yale Law School, and the author of "The Nineteenth Amendment and the Democratization of the Family," (2020) and coeditor of "Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories" (2019). Stacie Taranto is an associate professor of history at Ramapo College of New Jersey and author of, "Kitchen Table Politics: Conservative Women and Family Values in New York" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017). She is co-editor of the forthcoming "Suffrage at 100: Women in American Politics Since 1920" (Johns Hopkins Press, August 2020). 'Mothers Of Srebrenica' Sue Netherlands In European Court of Human Rights By RFE/RL's Balkan Service January 21, 2020 Relatives of the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre have filed a lawsuit against the Netherlands at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. The lawsuit, which challenges a July ruling of the Dutch Supreme Court, is the latest development in a long-running legal battle by a group of relatives known as The Mothers of Srebrenica to hold the Dutch government liable for the deaths of 350 Bosnian Muslim men. "The Mothers of Srebenica have today filed a case against the Dutch state at the ECHR in Strasbourg," lawyers Marco Gerritsen Simon van der Sluijs said in a statement, accusing the Dutch state of "not taking sufficient measures to protect" the population. Altogether, more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb troops under the command of General Ratko Mladic in Srebrenica in July 1995, the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II. Many of the victims had fled to the UN-declared "safe zone" in Srebrenica, only to find the outnumbered Dutch peacekeepers there unable to defend them. The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on July 19 that Dutch UN peacekeepers "acted unlawfully" when they evacuated the men from their military base near Srebrenica on July 13, 1995, handing them over to the Bosnian Serb forces despite knowing that they "were in serious jeopardy of being abused and murdered." However, the Supreme Court established that the Netherlands bore "very limited" responsibility and had only 10 percent liability for the deaths of the 350 men, as this was the probability that its soldiers could have prevented the killings. The Supreme Court's ruling drastically reduced the previous figure of 30 percent liability set by an appeals court in 2017. Lawyers for the Mothers of Srebrenica said that was a "totally arbitrary decision." "According to the Supreme Court, these men would probably have been killed whatever happened, even if they had been authorized to remain in the compound. There was however no factual debate about their chances of survival," the lawyers for the victims' group wrote on January 20. "That violates article 6 of the ECHR which stipulates the right to a fair trial." The original verdict in 2014 ruled that Dutch soldiers should have known the men would be murdered by Bosnian Serb troops if they were forced to leave the base. The Dutch government resigned in 2002 after acknowledging its failure to protect the refugees, but said the peacekeepers had been on a "mission impossible." With reporting by AFP and BBC Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mothers- srebrenica-sue-netherlands-european-court -human-rights/30389053.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cuba Gooding Jr.'s groping trial will begin in April, a judge decided today. The 52-year-old actor is facing six groping charges over three alleged incidents. Prosecutors wanted to introduce claims from as many as 19 other women who also say he has abused them to back up their case. Those women would have been presented as what are known as Molineux witnesses whose purpose is to demonstrate a pattern of behavior to support the charges in the case. Judge Curtis Farber said he will allow two of the witnesses but he blocked the others. Prosecutors also wanted the trial to begin sooner than in April but the defense said they needed that long to prepare. Cuba's lawyers had tried to get the case dismissed in a motion but the judge denied it. They will return to court April 21. Cuba Gooding Jr. arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday for a judge's decision in his groping trial on how many women will be able to testify against him Judge Farber said it would be unfair to include the witnesses who could not give specific dates, times or locations for the alleged incidents. He is however allowing two. Molineux Witness number 8 is a woman who says Gooding Jr. grabbed her buttocks and licked her neck at the Chatwal Hotel in New York on November 7, 2013, when she was at a work event. He had been 'interacting with the group'. Molineux Witness number 12 says that on August 16, 2018, she met him at the Shore Bar in Santa Monica. He said to her: 'Damn, you're hot!' after being introduced to her through a mutual acquaintance. She tried to speak to him about appearing on her radio show and he asked her if she were married, she claims. When she said she was divorced, she claimed he told her: 'All you divorced women are the same.' The actor and his team of lawyers tried get the case dismissed but the judge denied their motion Cuba Gooding Jr arriving at court with one of his attorneys on Wednesday Then, she alleges, he asked her to lean in closer to him, at which point he 'grabbed her buttocks and her breast and forcibly kissed her, inserting his tongue into her mouth, all without her consent.' The others' allegations include claims that Gooding Jr. bit them, berated them after they rejected him and that he sloppily groped them dating back to 2001 across multiple states. Gooding Jr. denies all of the charges. His court date on Wednesday coincided with the first day of the Harvey Weinstein trial. There was a scrum of photographers and members of the public at the courthouse in Manhattan for that case. The case began last year after he was reported to police for allegedly groping a woman at Magic Hour Rooftop in Manhattan. After her case took off, prosecutors piled more charges on top including one involving him allegedly groping a woman in Tao in New York in October 2018. A third set involves an incident in New York City in September 2018. Gooding Jr. and his legal team arriving at the courthouse ahead of Wednesday's decision Gooding Jr walks behind his lawyer Mark Heller, who has claimed the charges are the result of malicious prosecution The actor and his girlfriend, Claudine De Niro, have been weathering the scandal by publicly attending parties together and going on vacation. His attorney, Mark Heller, says he is the victim of a malicious prosecution that should never have been launched. A trial date has not yet been set. The women involved in the incidents in the criminal case have not been named, nor have the women cited by prosecutors. A handful who have spoken out in media reports to air their allegations, including a hairdresser from Spokane, Washington, have agreed to be named. Cuba Gooding Jr.'s appearance coincided with the first day of Harvey Weinstein's trial Terming climate change, biodiversity loss and global warming as the greatest threats faced by humanity ever, Prince Charles on Wednesday said it is not the lack of capital but the way it should be deployed which is thwarting the fight against these challenges. Returning to Davos after nearly 30 years, Charles also met young climate activist Greta Thunberg here. Climate change, biodiversity loss and global warming are the greatest threat humanity has ever faced, he said in a special address at the WEF 2020. It is not a lack of capital that's holding us back from tackling these threats, but rather the way we deploy it, he added. Prince Charles also announced the launch of a Sustainable Markets initiative and said this will put people and planet at the heart of global value creation. He listed 10 practical actions that will drive the sustainable markets approach forward, including shifting our default setting to sustainable; outlining responsible transition pathways to decarbonise and move to net-zero; re-imagining industries through the lens of sustainable markets; and identifying game changers and barriers to transition. The other actions listed by him were reversing perverse subsidies and improving incentives for sustainable alternatives; investing in STEM, innovation and R&D, investing in nature as the true engine of our economy; and adopting common metrics and standards. Making sustainable options the trusted and attainable option for consumers; and connecting investments to platforms that can rapidly scale solutions were the other two actions. On how quickly and who will drive us forward, Charles said we are further ahead than what one might think. From sustainable investment to aviation, shipping and renewables, progress is being made in almost every industry that we can build on, he said. One critical lesson that we have to learn is that nature is not a separate asset class, nature is the lifeblood of our financial markets, he emphasised. We must rapidly realign our own economy to mimic nature's economy and work with it, he added. Prince Charles announced a series of roundtables -- beginning here at Davos and taking place throughout the year -- to identify game changers, investments and barriers to transition. "Do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from from the brink," he asked. "What good is all that extra wealth in the world gained from business-as-usual except watch it burn in catastrophic conditions?" he said. On children and grandchildren, he said everything he has done over the last 50 years has been done with his children and grandchildren in mind. He said he did not want to be accused of doing nothing but prevaricate or deny the problem. His son Prince William had attended WEF annual meeting here in 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AUSTIN, Texas -- Sign languages throughout North and South America and Europe have centuries-long roots in five European locations, a finding that gives new insight into the influence of the European Enlightenment on many of the world's signing communities and the evolution of their languages. Linguists and biologists from The University of Texas at Austin and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History adapted techniques from genetic research to study the origins of Western sign languages, identifying five European lineages -- Austrian, British, French, Spanish and Swedish -- that began spreading to other parts of the world in the late 18th century. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, highlights the establishment and growth of European deaf communities during an age of widespread enlightenment and their impact on sign languages used today. "While the evolution of spoken languages has been studied for more than 200 years, research on sign language evolution is still in its infancy," said Justin Power, a doctoral candidate in linguistics at UT Austin and the study's first author, noting that most research has been based on historical records from deaf educators and institutions. "But there is no a priori reason that one should only study spoken languages if one wants to better understand human language evolution in general." Much like a geneticist would look to DNA to study traits passed down through generations, the study's researchers investigated data from dozens of Western sign languages, in particular, the manual alphabets, or sets of handshapes signers use to spell written words. As certain handshape forms were passed on within a lineage, they became characteristic of the lineage itself and could be used as markers to identify it. To identify such markers and decipher the origins of each language, the researchers built the largest cross-linguistic comparative database to map the complex evolutionary relationships among 40 contemporary and 36 historical manual alphabets. "In both biological and linguistic evolution, traits are passed on from generation to generation. But the types of traits that are passed on and the ways in which they are passed on differ. So, we might expect many differences in the ways that humans and their languages evolve," Power said. "This database allowed us to analyze a variety of reasons for commonalities between languages, such as inheriting from a common ancestral language, borrowing from an unrelated language, or developing similar forms independently." The researchers grouped the sign languages into five main evolutionary lineages, which developed independently of one another between the mid-18th to early 19th centuries. They were also interested to find that three of the main continental lineages -- Austrian, French and Spanish -- all appeared to have been influenced by early Spanish manual alphabets, which represented the 22 letters of Latin. "It's likely that the early Spanish manual alphabets were used in limited ways by clergy or itinerant teachers of the deaf, but later signing communities added new handshapes to represent letters in the alphabets of their written languages," Power said. "When large-scale schools for the deaf were established, the manual alphabets came into use in signing communities by relatively large groups of people. It is at this point where we put the beginnings of most of these five lineages." Data from the languages themselves confirmed many of the sign language dispersal events known from historical records, such as the influence of French Sign Language on deaf education and signing communities in many countries, including in Western Europe and the Americas. However, the researchers were surprised to trace the dispersal of Austrian Sign Language to central and northern Europe, as well as to Russia -- a lineage about which little was previously known. "The study's findings give us a clearer picture about an important period in the histories of many signing communities and their languages," Power said. "We've also provided a blueprint for how methods from evolutionary biology can be applied to sign language data to gain new insights into sign language evolution and to generate new hypotheses that researchers can now test to push our understanding of the historical development of sign languages forward." ### I am an adventure junkie. I learnt yet another self-defence martial art, Krav Maga, which is used in street fights in Israel, for my action adventure movie Adho Andha Paravai Pole, which is helping me when I go on my real-life adventure trips. And, at a time when womens safety is a burning issue in the country, it gives me immense happiness to be part of AAPP which imparts a huge social message to women of all age-groups, says Amala Paul about her upcoming woman-centric film shot entirely inside dense forests. The actress, hailed as a real-life Action Queen by her team, talks to DC in an exclusive about why she was dropped from Mani Ratnams Ponniyin Selvan, the struggles she underwent with leeches, monkeys and porcupines while shooting in forests and her Bollywood debut with Mahesh Bhatt. Adho Andha Paravi Pole unleashed the man in me. Thanks to Arun, who penned the story, and Vinoth who directed the movie! The film is about a lone girl caught inside a forest, and what she encounters there. The story takes place in a time-span of 48 hours. More than the wild animals, she has to confront beastly men in the woods, Amala reveals. On opting for the bold subject, which was physically demanding, the Aadai actress says, I am fond of forests and Im a regular trekker in the Himalayas. That helped me train myself in Krav Maga and Kutthu Varisai and I did all the stunts for AAPP without a body double. I was hurt and bleeding several times. But I didnt mind at all. I went into full action mode and enjoyed every bit of the shooting! With the increasing incidence of sexual abuse against women, I strongly feel that every woman/girl should equip herself with self-defence techniques. This will help them during crises, says the agile actress. Having recently proclaimed that she lives a Zen life, Amala says she was not worried when there was no mobile network during the entire period of shooting. Not only that, we did not have vanity vans and I was staying along with unit members at a nearby village. Leech bites were inevitable. We also encountered wild animals. All said and done, it was an unforgettable journey. On Mani Ratnams Ponniyin Selvan, she reveals, I gave an audition and it was for the role of a shy princess. Maybe I didnt suit the character Mani sir had envisioned. He said we will work on a later project. I took it in the right sense and moved out. Had I signed Mani Sirs film, my debut in Bollywood would not have happened. So, coming out of Ponniyin Selvan was a blessing in disguise, she is quick to add. As for the Bollywood movie, I am not allowed to talk much on my Hindi flick as now. All I can reveal is that, Mahesh Bhatt bankrolls it, she says. Amala will also be seen in a daring role in the Telugu remake of Hindi web series Lust Stories, which sparked a lot of debate among film buffs when aired in 2018. Could Generic Sweden AB (STO:GENI) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. Yet sometimes, investors buy a stock for its dividend and lose money because the share price falls by more than they earned in dividend payments. With a 1.2% yield and a four-year payment history, investors probably think Generic Sweden looks like a reliable dividend stock. A 1.2% yield is not inspiring, but the longer payment history has some appeal. Remember though, due to the recent spike in its share price, Generic Sweden's yield will look lower, even though the market may now be factoring in an improvement in its long-term prospects. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Generic Sweden! OM:GENI Historical Dividend Yield, January 22nd 2020 Payout ratios Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. Generic Sweden paid out 39% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. This is a middling range that strikes a nice balance between paying dividends to shareholders, and retaining enough earnings to invest in future growth. Besides, if reinvestment opportunities dry up, the company has room to increase the dividend. Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. Generic Sweden's cash payout ratio last year was 13%. Cash flows are typically lumpy, but this looks like an appropriately conservative payout. It's positive to see that Generic Sweden's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Story continues With a strong net cash balance, Generic Sweden investors may not have much to worry about in the near term from a dividend perspective. We update our data on Generic Sweden every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. Generic Sweden has been paying a dividend for the past four years. The dividend has not fluctuated much, but with a relatively short payment history, we can't be sure this is sustainable across a full market cycle. Its most recent annual dividend was kr0.30 per share, effectively flat on its first payment four years ago. It's good to see at least some dividend growth. Yet with a relatively short dividend paying history, we wouldn't want to depend on this dividend too heavily. Dividend Growth Potential While dividend payments have been relatively reliable, it would also be nice if earnings per share (EPS) were growing, as this is essential to maintaining the dividend's purchasing power over the long term. It's good to see Generic Sweden has been growing its earnings per share at 32% a year over the past five years. With high earnings per share growth in recent times and a modest payout ratio, we think this is an attractive combination if earnings can be reinvested to generate further growth. Conclusion When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. It's great to see that Generic Sweden is paying out a low percentage of its earnings and cash flow. We were also glad to see it growing earnings, although its dividend history is not as long as we'd like. Generic Sweden performs highly under this analysis, although it falls slightly short of our exacting standards. At the right valuation, it could be a solid dividend prospect. You can also discover whether shareholders are aligned with insider interests by checking our visualisation of insider shareholdings and trades in Generic Sweden stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of dividend stocks with a yield above 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Order a $5 pint of Jai Alai IPA from 7-9 p.m. at The Harding Tavern (2732 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-697-9340) and youll get to keep the glass. The Logan Square bar will also be raffling off swag from Cigar City Brewing. Chinas private jet market took a beating in 2019, a sign that business confidence among the countrys wealthy elites has faded sharply as the trade war and economic slowdown dampened enthusiasm for big ticket purchases and spending. There was a 12 per cent year-on-year drop in business jet flight hours in China last year, according to WingX, a data analytics firm focused on the business jet industry. The firm tracked approximately 10,000 flights on 953 business jets, conducted by 264 operators. Richard Koe, managing director of WingX, cited the impact of the US-China trade war and resulting slowdown as key reasons for the decline, as well as a continued lack of infrastructure and qualified personnel within China. In last years Billionaire Report, PwC and UBS said that Chinese billionaires net worth declined by 12.3 per cent in 2018, after years of stellar growth. The number of Chinese billionaires fell by 48 to 325. Buffeted by the trade war, wealth became more volatile, leading to uncertainty. In the previous five years, Chinas billionaires had more than doubled their net worth. Prices of business jets are likely to come down, as owners now finding they can no longer afford them are putting their planes up for sale, creating a buyers market. It is a trend that may be seen globally. The Jetcraft five-year market forecast suggested that total sales of new business jets would be flat until 2023. Ironically, that means charter prices could rise, as charter jet operators sell off their aircraft, effectively taking them out of the market. Koe said that the resale of private jets in China resulted in these planes being sent out of the country, typically to the US. We do not expect strong growth in 2020, although we do anticipate some improvement in activity as new jets are delivered into the regional fleet, Koe said. Story continues Nonetheless, a growing desire by Chinas ultra rich to fly to the latest hot destinations should keep remaining charter companies busy. Serena Lui, charter services manager with Asia Sky Group, said the growing number of Chinese luxury concierge companies and private clubs offering business jet charter has boosted personal use of private planes. Vistajet, a global private jet-chartering company, reported a 14 per cent rise in flight hours in and out of China in the third quarter of 2019. Ian Moore, chief commercial officer for Vistajet, said that as Chinese clients continue to venture further afield, global operators like Vistajet would benefit against local charter companies. China, Moore said, had experienced an overabundance of enthusiasm, with too many jets bought ahead of market demand. With the Lunar New Year approaching, Chinas richest people will again start chartering private planes to take them away from it all. According to private jet charter companies, Japan is the current fashionable choice for Chinas richest travellers, as it prepares to host the 2020 Olympics. Lui said the new top spots among Chinas private jet clients are Hainan, Japan, Thailand and the Maldives. Diana Chou, founder Hong Kong-based jet charter company LVOYAGE, said Japan is now among the hottest destinations at the Lunar New Year for private jet charterers, along with Phuket and Koh Samui. Bangkok and Seoul, which used to be popular for shopping and dining, have declined in popularity as Chinas mega rich focus on experiential travel. Long-haul flights and farther destinations are becoming more popular among Chinese private jet clients during summer and Christmas holidays, said Chou, the first woman entrepreneur to sell private jets in Asia. Cape Town in South Africa, Male in Maldives, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Nha Trang and Helsinki, are emerging as destinations in the Chinese private jet chartering market. Those cities offer our clients a blend of culture, history and spectacular scenery. Apart from business travel, we see more clients in China flying privately for leisure travel, said Chou, who has been at the forefront of the industry for two decades. Event agencies charter private jets when arranging concert tours for their artists; [some] fly to cities to join special events like the Tokyo Olympics. She added that Chinese clients were now using private jet charters to celebrate anniversaries, holiday with parents, or even just fly privately with their pets. More from South China Morning Post: This article Chinas private plane market nosedives as super-rich tighten their belts; Japan emerges as hotspot for wealthy jet setters at Lunar New Year first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. As with many other companies Lovisa Holdings Limited (ASX:LOV) makes use of debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt? Why Does Debt Bring Risk? Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together. See our latest analysis for Lovisa Holdings What Is Lovisa Holdings's Net Debt? You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2019 Lovisa Holdings had AU$7.99m of debt, an increase on none, over one year. But it also has AU$20.3m in cash to offset that, meaning it has AU$12.3m net cash. ASX:LOV Historical Debt, January 22nd 2020 How Strong Is Lovisa Holdings's Balance Sheet? Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Lovisa Holdings had liabilities of AU$38.1m due within 12 months and liabilities of AU$7.45m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of AU$20.3m as well as receivables valued at AU$3.24m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by AU$22.0m. This state of affairs indicates that Lovisa Holdings's balance sheet looks quite solid, as its total liabilities are just about equal to its liquid assets. So while it's hard to imagine that the AU$1.28b company is struggling for cash, we still think it's worth monitoring its balance sheet. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Lovisa Holdings also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely. Story continues The good news is that Lovisa Holdings has increased its EBIT by 2.7% over twelve months, which should ease any concerns about debt repayment. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Lovisa Holdings can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts. Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Lovisa Holdings has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, Lovisa Holdings recorded free cash flow worth 58% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate. Summing up While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Lovisa Holdings has AU$12.3m in net cash. So is Lovisa Holdings's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Be aware that Lovisa Holdings is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those can't be ignored... When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. But many of the people who cause problems are likely the ones who could benefit from a long-term city partnership with a mental health service provider. This seamless clip-on technology will provide hunters with the best night time image quality available, without the need to buy a new scope. American Technologies Network (ATN) is proud to release a completely revolutionized thermal imaging scope system that aims to merge the traditional reliance on glass scopes with cutting-edge thermal sensors for a highly advanced thermal image. Not only is this any avid hunters dream - its also designed and optimized for ease of use. This seamless clip-on technology will provide hunters with the best night time image quality available, without the need to buy a new scope. So, as the winter season looms with increased hunting challenges, add another dimension to your hunt by equipping yourself with the new TICO LT from the leader in thermal optics, ATN. There are many thermal scope options in the market today, but not a single one that meets the needs of traditionalists that cant part ways with their old tech glass scopes. However, ATN has just changed that by introducing the newly redesigned TICO LT, a much slimmer and more ergonomic system than any in the market. This rifle scope now uses the latest ATN Obsidian LT Core with 12 micron sensors and is for those avid hunters who yearn for the best image quality possible and the extended range that customers demand. The TICO LT incorporates a proprietary internal battery which gives up to 10 hours in field use. With this scope users have nothing to zero or adjust. The TICO LT just has to be mounted in front of the glass scope on the rifle and its prepared for anything day or night - no complications. All avid hunters should upgrade their platform today with the TICO LT! ATN was founded in 1995, and today is the leading tech optics company that is revolutionizing the industry. Their products are perfect for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, military and law enforcement. To learn more about the TICO LT and ATNs other products, visit http://www.atncorp.com or call 1- 800-910-2862 Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 4:30pm PST. You can also find ATN on Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram. Veteran actor Shabana Azmi, who was injured in an accident last week, is "stable and recovering" in a Mumbai hospital, sources close to her family said on Wednesday. Azmi suffered head injuries when her car met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on January 18. The 69-year-old actor and her driver Kamlesh Kamath were rushed to the MGM hospital in Navi Mumbai and were shifted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in suburban Andheri the same day. "She is stable and recovering," a source close to the family told PTI. There is no clarity about when she will be discharged from hospital. Hospital authorities remained unavailable for comment. Kamath has been booked for rash driving and negligence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg) -- United Nations experts accused the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of possible involvement in hacking Jeff Bezoss phone in an effort to influence, if not silence reporting on Saudi Arabia by the Bezos-owned Washington Post. Bezoss iPhone was infiltrated via an MP4 video file sent from the WhatsApp account used by the prince in 2018, according to a statement Wednesday by U.N. independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council. The alleged hacking of Mr. Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by U.S. and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous,multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents, Agnes Callamard, U.N. Special Rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, wrote in the statement. Bezos, who is also the chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., had exchanged phone and WhatsApp numbers with the crown prince at a dinner in April 2018, a month before the alleged hack, according to the U.N. statement. On May 1, a message from the crown princes account was sent to Bezos through WhatsApp containing an encrypted video file. A forensic analysis found that within hours of clicking on the video file, massive and (for Bezos phone) unprecedented exfiltration of data from the phone began. Around that time, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. and working as a columnist for the Washington Post, was writing pieces critical of the Saudi government. Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 by agents of the Saudi government. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has said its certain that the crown prince directed the killing and dismemberment of the Saudi insider-turned-critic. As the Post began to report on the murder and role of the Saudi government and crown prince, a massive online campaign was being waged against Bezos, according to the U.N. report, identifying him principally as the owner of the Washington Post and prompting Twitter hashtags of Boycott Amazon. Story continues On. Nov. 8, 2018 a single photograph was texted to Bezos from the crown princes WhatsApp account, along with a sardonic caption, according to the U.N. statement. It was an image of a woman resembling Lauren Sanchez, whom Bezos was dating, and sent months before the affair became public. At a time when Saudi Arabia was supposedly investigating the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, and prosecuting those it deemed responsible, it was clandestinely waging a massive online campaign against Mr. Bezos and Amazon targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post, Callamard and Kaye wrote. The Saudi Embassy, in a Twitter post, denied involvement in the hack. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos phone are absurd, according to the tweet. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. The U.N. statement said the intrusion likely was undertaken through the use of a prominent spyware product identified in other Saudi surveillance cases, such as the NSO Groups Pegasus-3 malware, through the use of Israeli spyware. The report notes that the product is widely reported to have been purchased and deployed by Saudi officials. A representative for the NSO Group denied any connection to the Bezos hack, describing such a suggestion as defamatory. Our technology was not used in this instance. The representative said our technology cannot be used on U.S. phone numbers, our products are only used to investigate terror and serious crime. The U.N. said the circumstances and timing of the Bezos hack strengthen support for further investigation by U.S. and other relevant authorities of the allegations that the Crown Prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for but failed to stop the mission that fatally targeted Mr. Khashoggi in Istanbul. The twisting tale began in early 2019 with the surprise announcement that Bezos and his wife MacKenzie would divorce after 25 years of marriage. Shortly thereafter, the National Enquirer disclosed the extramarital affair between Bezos and Sanchez, a former television anchor, in a series of reports that relied, in part, on intimate text messages sent by the Amazon CEO. Bezos later wrote an extraordinary blog post accusing the tabloid of threatening to publish more embarrassing text messages and photos unless he publicly affirmed that there was no political motivation or outside force behind the tabloids coverage. Gavin de Becker, a security consultant for Bezos, said at the time that he believed the Saudi government had accessed Bezoss phone before the Enquirer exposed the affair. He didnt provide any direct evidence to back up his claims, which he said came from our investigators and several experts. De Becker said the Washington Posts coverage of the Khashoggi murder probably explained why bin Salman sought to harm the Amazon founder. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, has written to Bezos seeking more information about the hack and concerns of Saudi involvement. Unfortunately, the breach of your device appears to be part of a growing trend, Wyden wrote. To help Congress better understand what happened -- and to help protect Americans against similar attacks -- I encourage you to provide my office with information regarding your case. Bezos has refrained from directly commenting on the crown princes alleged involvement in the hack, but on Wednesday tweeted a photograph from a memorial service honoring Khashoggi with the simple hashtag #Jamal. (Updates with Bezos tweet in last paragraph. A previous version of the story corrected the spelling of Human Rights Council in second paragraph.) --With assistance from David Wainer, William Turton, Ryan Gallagher, Matt Day and Gwen Ackerman. To contact the reporters on this story: Molly Schuetz in New York at mschuetz9@bloomberg.net;Giles Turner in London at gturner35@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Molly Schuetz at mschuetz9@bloomberg.net, Robin Ajello, Andy Martin For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. (TNS) Exposed syringe needles can be hazardous to police, so a local law-enforcement agency bought a new device to destroy them.The Terrebonne Parish, La., Sheriff's Office purchased 20 machines that incinerate drug needles in seconds. They're called SANDD -- Sharps and Needles Destruction Device.Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said Terrebonne is one of the first law-enforcement agencies in the state to employ such a device. The machines, created by RedHawk Medical Products and Services of Baton Rouge and Lafayette, use an electrical arc to incinerate the needles when syringes are inserted.The devices, about $180 each, will be connected to deputy patrol cars and will reduce the risk of officers getting stuck by drug needles at crime scenes or raids, Larpenter said."I try to do anything possible to keep these guys safe and get them whatever equipment they might need," the sheriff said. "The problem with needles is getting stuck. The crime scene people come across needles all the time."Several deputies have been stuck by needles in the past, Larpenter said."A lot of these needles are left exposed, so when we're doing search warrants, we have to be careful," he said. "When we're looking for weapons or narcotics, we come across used needles. That's every day. Even the jail has to pay a monthly fee just to dispose of their needles. It's a shame that we have to deal with this but it's part of what we have to deal with."With a temperature of over 4,500 degrees, the machines completely incinerate the needles along with any blood-borne pathogens and germs. When the syringe is pulled out, the needle is gone."It's like the opposite of a pencil sharpener," Larpenter said. "It will fry the needle so hot that there's nothing left. It just zaps them. With one machine we can do over 30,000 needles. If these needles aren't needed for evidence you can just discard them. When I saw this machine I thought it was a no-brainer. I wanted it for the safety of my police officers."The destruction process does not affect the substance inside the syringe that might be needed for evidence, Larpenter said.RedHawk Chairman and CEO Darcy Klug said the devices will help make a police officer's job a little bit safer."The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office is among the first law-enforcement agencies to utilize this cutting-edge technology," Klug said. "We are thrilled to offer this increased margin of safety and security to our law-enforcement agencies." At 7:30 in the morning on a recent Saturday, 14 people gathered on the 10th floor of Disney's Riviera Resort in Orlando, Florida, at the Topolino's Terrace restaurant. The resort would open in two days, and this group had been among the first to experience it a treat for many, but especially for this collection of self-described Disney superfans. These 14 adults a mix of stay-at-home moms, young professionals without children and middle-aged parents from across the country aren't just Disney fans. They are now considered experts. Disney addicts who made it onto the 'Mom's panel' had to show a deep level of self-taught Disney awareness. They beat out more than 10,000 other applicants to become members of the 2020 Disney Parks Moms Panel, a website where people planning to go on to Disney park in the United States can ask questions and get responses from these experts. Eleven of this year's new panelists are women, three are men and two are not parents. The panel also has an additional 28 panelists returning from previous years. During breakfast, Mickey Mouse walked into the restaurant and most members of the group rushed to give him a hug and take photos. When Minnie Mouse arrived, others got up, complimented her dress, hugged her and asked for pictures. By 8:15 am, when Donald and Daisy Duck arrived, the panelists were too excited to contain themselves they clapped and danced to the music as the characters put on a performance. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 14:36:55|Editor: zh Video Player Close KABUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Forty Taliban militants have surrendered to Afghan National Army in the country's western province of Ghor amid military pressure in the mountainous region, Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed on Wednesday. "About 40 Taliban militants laid down arms and gave up fighting in Shahrak district of western Ghor province on Tuesday," the ministry said in a statement. The latest surrendering came as a joint cleanup and search operation conducted by Afghan army, police and intelligence agency personnel has been continuing in Shahrak. About 150 Taliban surrendered to army in Shahrak over the past weeks, according to the statement. The statement said the former militants found out that "Taliban militants are fighting to harm Afghans so they decided to quit that wrong pathway and join the pace and reconciliation process." The surrendered militants also handed over their weapons. More than 350 armed insurgents have surrendered to local authorities as government forces geared up crackdowns on militants across the country since January. The militant groups haven't responded to the reports so far. We're told the economy is booming so you'd expect far more people to be buying a new, or up-in-the-years car. Of course it is early days and anything can happen, but right now the combined total of brand new-car registrations (-5pc) and those of used imports (-27pc) is down on last year. There is still an uncertainty, a 'softness' to the buying market, observers tell me. The election, Brexit, confusion about what to buy (especially) are all playing their part, it seems. So expect an even greater push to get you to buy - from new-car dealers especially - as we enter the final week-and-a-bit of January. How a dealer does in January more or less determines how they fare over the whole year. So it could be the right time to see how good a deal you can get out there over the next while. * The next ID electric production model from Volkswagen will be revealed at the New York Motor Show in April. The ID 4 crossover will hold onto many of the designs first seen in the ID Crozz concept car shown from 2017. As you know, the ID 3 hatchback has already been launched and will, in Ireland's case, arrive here this summer. * Toyota has unveiled its first RAV4 plug-in hybrid. But there will be limited supply of the model, which is due here towards the back end of the year. It even expects the 2021 allocation to be "mostly pre-sold" before the end of 2020. Spec and prices in the second half of the year. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday targeted the women-led protests against the amended Citizenship Act, alleging that while the men are sleeping under the quilt at the comfort of their homes, they have pushed their women and children forward to stage sit-ins. Addressing a rally in support of the CAA in Saket Nagar here, Adityanath said, "Now these people (anti-CAA protesters) do not have courage to participate in the protests themselves. They know that if they indulge in vandalism, their property will be seized." Anti-CAA protests led by women have been reported from different parts of the country with the one at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh occupying the centre stage. "Now what have they done? They started making the women of their houses sit at roads. The children have been made to sit also. It's such a big crime that the men are sleeping under the quilt, while the women folks have been pushed forward and made to sit at various roads. It is shameful," alleged the chief minister, who had earlier warned protesters indulging in vandalism in his state that their properties would be seized and auctioned to compensate for the damages. On Wednesday, he also slammed the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and Left parties accusing them of doing politics at the cost of the nation. "The tactic of pushing the women forward is being resorted to. Those who do not know what the CAA is are staging sit-ins," he alleged. "If you go and ask anyone as to why are they sitting on a 'dharna', they will say that the men of the house feel that they have become so incompetent that they cannot do anything, so they want the women to go and sit on the 'dharna'. "For them, the country is not important. The Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis are not important. Now, for the Congress, even the Christians are not important. And, they have said the protests will continue against the CAA until the ISI agents are given entry in India. This is a shameful statement made by Congress leaders," he alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European airports from London to Moscow stepped up checks Wednesday on flights from the Chinese city at the heart of a new SARS-like virus that has killed 17 people and spread to the United States. Britain advised against "all but essential travel" to Wuhanthe central China city from where the virus spreadwhile European health authorities put the threat of the virus spreading to "moderate". The coronavirus has sparked alarm because of its similarity to the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) that killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-03. The new virus emerged on the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday during which hundreds of million travel across China to meet up with their families. "The upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations at the end of January will cause an increased travel volume to/from China and within China, hence increasing the likelihood of arrival in the EU of possible cases," the European Centre for Disease and Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a statement. "There is considerable uncertainty about the mortality and morbidity of this disease, and more epidemiological data is urgently needed to get a better understanding of this virus." 'Enhanced monitoring' Health authorities in Britain introduced "enhanced monitoring" for the three weekly flights from Wuhan to London's Heathrow. Public Health England also raised the risk level of an infection from "very low" to "low" because of the potential for human-to-human transmission. The measures could be expanded to "other Chinese departure points if necessary", it said. The United States on Tuesday confirmed its first case of a person with the new virus. European countries have registered no cases to date. Italy's health ministry said it would introduce temperature checks for passengers arriving on the next scheduled direct arrival from Wuhan to Rome's Fiumicino airport. The airport has three direct flights a week with Wuhan. Russia's health and sanitation watchdog strengthened checks at airports and other border crossings from its giant southern neighbour. Masked health officials boarded some flights from China to check passengers' temperature with hand-held heat sensors. "All flights from China arriving at (Moscow's) Vnukovo airport undergo additional sanitation and quarantine controls," Russia's health and sanitation agency spokesman Andrei Polyuakov told reporters. Romanian health authorities said their measures would start on Thursday. French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said authorities were monitoring the situation but not following countries such as Russia, which has put up posters telling passengers what to do in case of symptoms. Such measures are not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), Buzyn said, and are "not very effective". A WHO spokesman said Tuesday that "based on currently available information, there is no justification for any restriction of travel or trade". Health authorities in Germany and countries across Scandinavia said they had also refrained from taking any measures at airports. Nigeria became the first African country to step up checks on Wednesday. Health officials at Lagos airport checked arriving passengers for possible symptoms and quizzed them about their travel itineraries. Explore further UK steps up checks on flights from China virus centre 2020 AFP The Socialist Equality Party (Canada) is holding a public meeting in Montreal on Sunday, February 2 to fight for the freedom of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. (For meeting details please scroll to the bottom.) We strongly urge all WSWS readers and defenders of democratic rights in southwestern Quebec and eastern Ontario to make plans to attend this important meeting. Assange is under imminent threat of being illegally extradited to the US, where he faces trumped-up Espionage Act charges and the threat of a 175-year jail term. Dozens of doctors have warned that if Assange is not released from prison to receive medical treatment for years of psychological torture at the hands of the British governmentwhich kept him under house arrest at the Ecuadorean Embassy for years, and has now jailed him in a hellish maximum security prisonhe could die. The defence of Assange is an essential part of the global struggle to defend democratic rights and oppose war. He is being held in Belmarsh Prison alongside convicted murderers because he sought to inform working people around the world about the crimes carried out by US imperialism and its allies. These include the massacring of innocent civilians as depicted in the notorious Collateral Murder video published by WikiLeaks. The capitalist ruling elite is determined to make examples of Assange and of Chelsea Manning, the courageous whistleblower who has been held in a US prison since last March because she refused to testify against Assange in a rigged Grand Jury proceeding. Their aim is to intimidate popular opposition to authoritarianism and war, and to gut democratic rights. Canada, unlike the US, British and Australian governments, is not a direct participant in Assanges persecution. But the entire Canadian ruling elite is an accomplice to this historic crime. None of its parties, including the New Democrats, Greens and Quebec Solidaire, have denounced, let alone sought to mobilize popular opposition against, Assanges persecution. Instead, the so-called left and progressive parties promote Justin Trudeau as representing an alternative to the Conservatives, even as his Liberal government integrates Canada ever more deeply into Washingtons military-strategic offensives and regime-change operations around the world, including against Iran in the Middle East. Canada has been a key ally in the US-led wars of aggression of the past quarter century. It therefore bears responsibility for the war crimes and devastation these wars have inflicted on entire societies, from Afghanistan to Libya, Syria, and Iraq. Canadas spy agencies collaborate intimately with the American National Security Agency (NSA), which has spearheaded the establishment of a global network of surveillance that targets the entire population. Ahead of Assanges extradition hearing on February 24, it is critical that workers, young people, and professionals across Canada raise their voices in his defence and join the growing global campaign to win his and Chelsea Mannings freedom. The Montreal meeting is part of the worldwide campaign spearheaded by the World Socialist Web Site to mobilize the working class and all those committed to democratic rights in Assanges defence. It will initiate steps to develop a cross-Canada campaign to win his freedom, defend democratic rights, and oppose Canadian imperialism and war. No to war and the assault on democratic rights: Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning must be defended! Montreal Sunday, February 2, at 1:30 PM Centre St-Pierre, Room 201 1212 Rue Panet (near the Beaudry Metro station, on the Green Line) By Express News Service HYDERABAD: In order to increase production and check prices of onions in the market, the Telangana State Seeds Development Corporation Limited (TSSDC) and the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) will sign an agreement in February in the presence of Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy. As part of the agreement, the NHRDF will provide seeds of dark red and white onions, which will be sown in Wanaparthy, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts. The TSSDC officials led by its managing director K Keshavulu held preliminary discussions with NHRDF officials in Nasik on Tuesday. Keshavulu informed the NHRDF officials that Mahbubnagar, Adilabad and Nizamabad districts were suitable for growing onions. He further said that the agreement with NHRDF would increase the extent of onion cultivation area and people would get sufficient quantity of onions in all seasons. Before signing the agreement, NHRDF will train farmers on the techniques of onion cultivation and also provide the technical know-how. Keshavulu said that there is a vast scope for exporting onions. "India occupies second place in the world after China in onion production. Of the total exports of vegetables, the share of onions stands at 67 per cent. There is a huge demand for onions in countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia. Though, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are producing onions in large quantities, the climatic conditions in Telangana are most suitable for onion cultivation," Keshavulu said. In September 2011, I sat in my shipping container as the duck and cover sirens rang over the loudspeakers at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The head of the Afghanistan High Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani, had just been assassinated in his home in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of Kabul, right next to the Embassy. We had experienced the first attack on the U.S. Embassy just one week prior, and as the sirens went off again, all I could do was cry. Not as an American who was experiencing another traumatic event and couldnt wait to go home, but as an Afghan-American who was grieving for the Afghanistan of my mothers generation. An Afghanistan that may have been poor by international standards but was rich in so many other ways. I dont claim to speak for all Afghan-Americans, or all Afghan-American women as with any group, we are not monolithic. I speak only for myself: born in mid-1980s Kabul to a middle-class family, forced to flee during the Soviet war, raised in Germany and the United States, and driven by a passion for international affairs and a sense of obligation toward both my motherland and my adopted home. Ive worked on Afghanistan-related issues since 2011, in three different positions and at times as a frontline civilian. Whats missed in the news these days is that when we talk about Afghanistan, were talking about people people with aspirations of health, happiness and success for their children; people who desperately want to go to work without fear of violent conflict during their morning commute; people who are working to build an Afghanistan that is worthy of generations to come, men and women included. For every story of failure, there is a story of success, no matter how minor it may seem. For every story of corruption or greed, there is a story of generosity and humanity. For every story of despair, there is a story of hope. Stories like that of the young Afghan employees men and women at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, many of whom are the breadwinners for their immediate and extended families, and who are old enough to remember the horrors of the Taliban era. Stories like those of the courageous Afghan civil servants at government ministries, some of whom are old enough to retire but who want so much to contribute and share their knowledge with the younger generation. Stories like those of countless Afghan civil society activists who are holding their government accountable; of journalists and broadcasters asking hard-hitting questions of those in power to ensure that the foundation of todays Afghanistan has human rights and democracy at its core. After 18 years, Afghans are not passive subjects of the international communitys whims least of all Afghan women. They are agents of change. But like other agents of change, Afghans need support. I am not advocating for a perpetual U.S. military presence I am advocating for compassion, moral responsibility, and an understanding of our common humanity with a people who have endured four decades of war through circumstances not entirely of their own making. My mothers Afghanistan may never come back, and there are enormous challenges that lie ahead. Neither Afghans nor Americans are naive about the work that remains to be done, or about the rocky and difficult path ahead. But lets not forget that Afghans have been rebuilding for less than half the amount of time that they have experienced war. As with so many other facets of life, it is easier to tear something down than to build it back up. We must recognize just how far Afghanistan has come in a relatively short period of time. I wish for the brightest future one can possibly imagine for Afghanistan and its people. A future as bright as the snow-capped mountains of the Hindu Kush, and as sweet as the melons and pomegranates Afghanistan is famous for. And I wish for understanding and empathy from my fellow Americans the Afghan people recognize and are grateful for your generosity and sacrifice. They simply dream of a day when the sacrifices on both sides are no longer unnecessary, and they are working diligently to make that dream a reality. Farhat Popal is senior program manager in the Womens Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. She wrote this for InsideSources.com. A meeting on enhancing air connectivity for Odisha was held in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The meeting was Chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, where Minister Commerce and Transport, Government of Odisha, Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Arvind Singh, Chairman of Airport Authority of India and other senior officials and CEOs of different Airlines operator were present. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, "Odisha has witnessed rapid growth over the years and made his foothold strong in many areas, including mining, manufacturing, tourism, culture, sports, education and IT. In the last few years the aviation traffic in Odisha has seen immense growth. Though Domestic flight connectivity has seen an improvement." Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation said, "The purpose of today's meeting was to chalk out an action plan for enhancing air connectivity within the State and other parts of the country and beyond the country." "The Aviation is a driver of economic growth today if we look at the last five years, Air traffic at Bhubaneswar has seen a growth of 29 per cent against the average of 17 per cent, which shows Odisha's potential for the aviation sector," he added. Officials of more than 25 airlines, including Air India, Go Air, SpiceJet, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines among others attended the meeting. It was informed in the meeting that 14 new flights are planned to/from Odisha. Most of the flights are scheduled to operate between January to Summer 2020. The planned destinations are Kolkata-Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar-Varanasi, Varanasi-Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda-Mumbai, Prayagraj-Bhubaneswar, Delhi-Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, Bhubaneswar-Kalaikunda, Bhubaneswar-Bangkok, Bangkok- Bhubaneswar, Singapore-Bhubaneswar and Bhubaneswar-Abu Dhabi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Go outside, French President Emmanuel Macron demanded in English in a melee with Israeli security men on Wednesday, demanding they leave a Jerusalem basilica that he visited before a Holocaust memorial conference. The French tricolor has flown over the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalems walled Old City since it was gifted by the Ottomans to French Emperor Napoleon III in 1856. France views it as a provocation when Israeli police enter the churchs sandstone complex, in a part of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Wednesdays incident was a case of deja vu all over again. In 1996, Frances then-president Jacques Chirac lost patience with Israeli security agents at the same church, telling one of them that his treatment was a provocation and threatening to get back on his plane. Chirac refused to enter St. Anne until Israeli security left the site. Video showed Macron, jostled in the center of a crowded circle between his own protective detail and Israeli security personnel, including several paramilitary policemen in uniform, under an archway leading into the church. Macron then stopped the shoving and shouted at the Israeli security guards in English: I dont like what you did in front of me. Lowering his voice, he then said: Go outside. Im sorry, you know the rules. Nobody has to provoke nobody. Speaking later to reporters, Macron said the incident ended pleasantly and that he shook hands with the Israeli security officials. Israeli police said that when Macron arrived at the church there was a discussion between Israeli and French security officers about entering with the president. When the president and the delegation finished the visit, he apologized about the incident and shook hands with the security personnel, a police statement said. Macron is one of dozens of world leaders attending Thursdays World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem, which will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. The 42-year-old head of state had seen his visit to St. Anne as a symbolic stop underscoring Frances historical influence in the region. Before heading to the church, Macron walked through Jerusalems Old City, stopping by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He later visited the Muslim Noble Sanctuary that houses al-Aqsa mosque, a site revered by Jews as Temple Mount, and prayed at Judaisms Western Wall, touching the ancient stones. WASHINGTON - Former national security adviser Michael Flynn asked Wednesday to be sentenced to probation, not prison, if he is not allowed to withdraw his guilty plea of lying to the FBI in special counsel Robert Mueller III's probe of Russian election interference. The request marks a fallback position for the former three-star Army general, who last week asked a federal judge to toss out his earlier plea agreement, claiming that prosecutors breached the deal. Flynn accused prosecutors of demanding he falsely admit to lying to the Justice Department about his lobbying firm's work for the government of Turkey. Two weeks ago, U.S. prosecutors recommended that Flynn serve up to six months in prison, reversing their earlier recommendation of probation after Flynn stepped up his attacks against the FBI and the Justice Department. Flynn 61, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying about his communications with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition, becoming the highest-ranking Trump official charged and one of the first to cooperate with Mueller's office. Flynn faces up to a five-year prison term under the charge, which includes his misrepresentation of work advancing the interests of the Turkish government. Before his initially scheduled sentencing in December 2018, Flynn and federal prosecutors had agreed he deserved probation in return for his "substantial assistance" in several investigations. But Flynn moved to postpone sentencing after U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of Washington, District of Columbia, warned he might impose prison time and lambasted Flynn's defense team at the time for appearing to play down his offenses. The idea behind a delay was for Flynn to continue to show his good-faith cooperation. Since then, however, the case has become entangled in mutual recriminations. Flynn unsuccessfully raised claims last fall that he had been duped into pleading guilty to lying to FBI agents about his Russian contacts after the 2016 U.S. election. The government then revoked its request for leniency. Prosecutors cited his "apparent failure to accept responsibility" and alleged he sought to undermine the prosecution of his former lobbying firm business partner, Bijan Rafiekian, over their work involving Turkey - the matter that Flynn's defense attorney Sidney Powell now disputes. Last week, in asking to withdraw Flynn's plea, Powell accused the government of "vindictiveness," alleging the former general was being punished for telling the truth and asserting he was innocent overall. "There should be no sentencing," Powell repeated in Wednesday's 22-page filing. But if it goes forward, Powell said the government should be punished for allegedly coercing false testimony from Flynn. If the government's request for prison time is granted, "it will send a dangerous message to cooperators - give testimony consistent with the government's theory of the case, regardless of veracity, or pay the price with your freedom," Powell said. She added that Flynn dedicated his life to serving his country. "While the defendants in other cases cited by the government were working to benefit themselves, Mr. Flynn wrote a blank check on his life and put himself in harm's way for more than five years in foreign deployments and thirty-three years of service to protect all Americans," Powell wrote. Flynn is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 27, but there are deadlines before then to litigate his request to revoke his guilty plea. A judge must accept any change in plea. Flynn has previously admitted under oath that he made misstatements to Vice President Pence, senior White House aides, federal investigators and the news media before and after Trump's January 2017 inauguration about the nature of his foreign contacts. Flynn resigned that February after serving 24 days as national security adviser. Repurpose Your Christmas Tree to Grow Food, and More! With the Christmas season officially over, many of us will be disposing of our living Christmas trees. While most municipalities will repurpose your Christmas tree for you by chipping them into mulch; you may like to consider other options for extending the life of your tree. Wildlife habitat Evergreen trees Hundreds of artifacts between 500 to 1,300 years old are being exhibited ahead of Lunar New Year at the heritage center on 99 Le Trung Dinh Street, in Quang Ngai Town of the eponymous central coastal province. They are among 4,975 antiques excavated by Doan Anh Duong Company from a wrecked ship found off the coast of Binh Chau Commune in 2013. The area is also known by some as "shipwreck cemetery." The exhibition model, five meters wide and 24 meters long, was designed to resemble a sunken ship. Jeffrey Epsteins name was uttered just once in the federal courtroom but his memory hovered like a cloud over Wednesdays hearing for an ex-cop who shared a cell with him on the day last July when the accused sex trafficker allegedly tried to kill himself. The former Briarcliff Manor officer, Nicholas Tartaglione, faces a possible death penalty if convicted of the gangland-style killing of four men in a soured drug deal in Chester, about an hour north of Manhattan. If that werent trouble enough, he has become entangled in the Epstein saga because many found it curious that the most high-profile inmate in the nation would be kept in the same jail cell as an alleged quadruple killer. Photos of Tartaglione, published at the time in the tabloid press, showed him with bulging, hulk-like muscles, although in court Wednesday he had shed some of the intimidating bulk. Charges were announced against Tartaglione in December 2016 by then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The case tore the fabric of a small community, but for the rest of the nation Tartaglione became known for an entirely different distinction: as Epsteins cellmate at the time of the July incident. That episode is now interwoven into the former officers defense strategy, with Tartaglione requesting the surveillance video from outside the jail cell, to prove that he helped save Epstein during the financiers abortive suicide try. Like most everything in Epsteins life, the details of the alleged July 23 incident are murky, although it was reported he was found unresponsive with injuries to his neck at around 1:30 a.m. at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. Media reports citing unidentified law enforcement sources suggested at the time that the ex-cop might have actually tried to kill Epstein, possibly to prevent him from testifying about friends and associates. The disgraced financier was friends with both former President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump, among other influential people. Story continues Arguing before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas, defense lawyer Bruce Barket said video of the incident would back up Tartagliones story that he alerted guards to Epsteins plight. That fact could be used before a judge and jury. The problem is that the Bureau of Prisons says it no longer has the video. It was accidentally destroyed. Barket called for a special hearing to explore why. The fact that the video is gone, which was reported earlier this month to great consternation, was yet another embarrassment for the Bureau of Prisons, which was eviscerated for failing to safeguard Epstein for trial. Government prosecutors argued the video isnt needed since they arent disputing the basic facts as spelled out by Tartaglione. Epstein died weeks later, on Aug. 10, in what was classified as a suicide by hanging, although some, including Epsteins brother, have suggested it could have been murder. Despite the official ruling of suicide, speculation still swirls around the death of Jeffrey Epstein. By the time of his death, Epstein had no cellmate and was inexplicably no longer on suicide watch despite the earlier incident. Judge Karas stopped short of granting Barkets request for a hearing on the video. Instead, he accepted an offer from Barket for both sides to meet and try to come to some sort of a solution. Barket said in court that there was more video he is interested in but did not elaborate. I think we made progress, Barket said outside the courtroom, where the judge ordered both sides to present those agreed-upon facts at the next hearing on March 4. On the face of it, Tartagliones murder case seems fairly straightforward. Bodies were found on his property, and he is accused of killing the four men. But much of the hearing Wednesday was effectively in code, referencing a parallel process handled by outside attorneys and whether that might present a conflict of interest. Barket said he couldnt discuss it, and government prosecutor Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, also said she was prohibited from discussing it. Lawyers also scrapped over the contents of a cellphone found on Tartaglione in prison. Barket worried the government could see protected texts between Tartaglione and his wife and his lawyer. Judge Karas pointed out that prisoners are not allowed to have cellphones and that the device was illegal, but agreed to have a neutral third party examine the contents to advise if it contains protected information. The judge did not decide Wednesday on another pending request from Barket, that the Bureau of Prisons allow Barket and defense lawyers to see the jail cell shared by the two men. That would require shutting down at least part of the facility. Nicholas Tartaglione, from his bodybuilding days. Tartaglione entered the courtroom looking nothing like that beefed-up body builder depicted in newspaper photos. He was fit but slender, bald with a scar across the back of his head, dressed in blue prison garb. He fist-bumped his attorney, and flashed a smile and waved to a tattooed muscular man seated in the public section. Asked afterward if he was family or friend, the man said Im nobody and ducked into an elevator. Tartaglione, jailed for more than 30 months, has not offered comment publicly about the incident, but his lawyer said the former cop was considered trustworthy enough to share a cell with the high-profile Epstein. The McClatchy Washington Bureaus Shirsho Dasgupta contributed to this report. In Retrospect: News from the Jan. 13, 1922 and Jan. 12, 1972 Souderton Independent A 14-year-old boy from Ohio who police believe got accidentally trapped in the chimney of a vacant home and who was found dead after a three-week search was not reported missing by his family until nearly two days after they last saw him. According to police records, Harley Dilly's father, Marcus, told investigators that it was not unusual for him to spend a Friday night away from home, but that he became concerned because his son usually would return by the next morning. Marcus Dilly also told police that he had no reason to believe Harley was in any danger and that the boy didn't have a history of being suicidal. Scroll down for video Harley Dilly, 14 (left), was not reported missing by his parents, Marcus and Heather Dilly (right) until nearly two days after they last saw him on December 20. He was found dead inside a chimney three weeks later Police found Harley's body on this vacant property located on the same street as the Dilly family's home in Port Clinton, Ohio Authorities have said that it appears the 14-year-old had climbed an antenna at the vacant house in Port Clinton across the street from where he lived, got onto the roof and then went down the chimney. His body was found on January 13, and a coroner ruled that Harley died of compressive asphyxia, which is when breathing is prevented by external pressure. The coroner said it wasn't possible to determine when the boy died, but he thought it was likely Harley died the same day he disappeared. It's not clear why Harley was trying to get in the house or why he decided not to go home the night of December 20, the day he was last seen by his family leaving for school. Marcus, who works as a truck driver for a trash-hauling company, told police late on the following day that his son had been upset because his phone was broken and because he was told he would need to earn money to replace it, according to an initial police report released on Tuesday. Law enforcement officers walk around a vacant house, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Port Clinton, Ohio. where the body of Harley Dilly was found inside the chimney Harley told his mother, Heather, on the morning he was last seen alive that he wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go to school, but she told him to 'get his a** to school' He also told police that Harley had ADHD and autism, and that he was highly intelligent. Dilly told police he had never filed a missing persons report on previous occasions when Harley would not come home after school. Harley told his mother, Heather Dilly, on the morning he was last seen alive that he wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go to school, but she told him to 'get his a** to school,' the police report said. Temperature that day was a frigid 18 degrees, and Harley was only wearing a thin sweatshirt underneath his coat. When police later asked his father if he would know to seek shelter against the chill, Marcus told them he would because his son was 'a baby' when it came to cold weather. Harley was seen on video leaving his home on the 500 block of E. 5th Street at 6.08am. He never made it to school. Harley was seen on video leaving his home on the 500 block of E. 5th Street at 6.08am on December 20 His body was found inside this chimney on January 13, and a coroner ruled that Harley died of compressive asphyxia His father reported him missing shortly before midnight on Saturday. Authorities first thought the teen may have run away from home, because he sometimes spends a night away from home if he gets upset. Volunteers and authorities searched through neighborhoods in the city along Lake Erie with help from K-9 teams and helicopters. Marcus said his son had ADHD and autism, and was highly intelligent Police also had asked residents to review their home security footage, hoping that might offer clues about what happened. His disappearance came about a month after police were called to Harley's family home after receiving reports of a 'family issue'. Officers who responded to the home had to calm the boy down but gave no additional information about the incident. Investigators and volunteers searched the neighborhood, including outside the house where his body was found three weeks later, but they had no reason to go inside at first because the vacant house was locked and there were no signs that anyone had gone inside, police said. When they finally entered the property, cops found Harley's jacket on the second floor and his glasses next to the brick chimney, which police said 'is between the second and third floors and is 9 by 13 inches'. His personal items appeared to be pushed through a flue on the second floor however a blockage between the first and second levels trapped the 4ft 9in, 100lb boy. A petition has been created on Change.org calling on state lawmakers to propose and pass 'Harleys Law,' which would legally require parents to report missing children in a timely manner. Google Flights Ends Booking Charges for Airlines That Paid Google Flights is changing the way it makes money and it could have significant implications for travelers, online travel agencies, and airlines. For example, when the series of modifications get implemented by the middle of next month, consumers searching Google for United flights might be able to view a free link from United.com or Kayak.com thats placed higher on the page or screen than Googles own boxed module of flight search results. Today that never happens; Google pins its own flights module above all organic results. Although the breadth of the changes remain to be seen, Googles altered display algorithm could potentially be an important change for online travel flight sellers that have suffered as Google relegated their free results down the page, and virtually out of view. According to Google, it will no longer charge airlines for booking links to their websites from within its price-comparison feature starting this month. (Some airlines were paying but most likely were not.) And by mid-February: Google Flights, which has favored airlines over online travel agency partners since it debuted in 2011, will eliminate the online travel agency ads that appeared without prices at the bottom of Google Flights on desktop. Google felt these ads werent serving the needs of most users and partners. Within Google search results pages, airline links in the boxed flights module, which always appeared above organic results from Kayak, TripAdvisor or Skyscanner, for example, will no longer be labeled Sponsored. And the booking links within the Google Flights metasearch feature will no longer be designated as Ads. With paid booking links disappearing within Google Flights, Google intends to explore introducing new ad formats for partners to promote their fares. Google provided no details on what these new ad formats might be. Beginning this month, we will no longer charge partners for referral links on Google Flights, a Google spokesperson said. The results within Google Flights will continue to be ranked by relevance to the user, based on factors like price and convenience. Story continues These changes wont have a material impact on Google or most of its airlines partners. The changes whats new and where they will take place might be confusing. To understand, you need to know the various ways Google currently sells flights in Google Search and Google Flights. Sponsored Links in Google Search Nothing is seemingly changing to the Sponsored Links from Expedia, CheapOair, CheapTickets, and Kayak that are labeled Ad atop Google search results pages when someone searches for flights to Chicago, for example. Google Flights Module in Google Search But a flights to Chicago query in Google Search triggers a Google Flights module that was always the first result above all organic results, and right below the Google AdWords sponsored ads. Among the changes, Google will no longer label the airline results within its boxed flights module as Sponsored. Thats because if a consumer ultimately clicks the Spirit, United or Delta links, navigates from Google Search to Google Flights, and then clicked again over to the airline website to make a booking, Google starting in January is no longer charging the airline for the booking link. It is now a free link, and not sponsored. Many airlines were refusing to pay for these links but Google showed their fares anyway because Google needs to be comprehensive in showing consumer the breadth of available flight search results. Making all of these booking links free eliminates Googles hassle of having some airlines paying for the referral links, and others, perhaps most, having the market power to demand them for free. With the changes, a free airline link from Delta or online travel agency or metasearch link from Expedia or Kayak could appear higher than Googles boxed flight module in Google Search, depending on the relevancy and convenience to the user. Google has received a ton of criticism in recent years for giving inordinate preference to its own travel products to the detriment of competitors, so it would not be inconceivable that some of the changes Google announced Wednesday stem from pressure from the U.S. federal government. The Department of Justice is believed to be probing Google out of competition concerns. Google Flights Within Googles Travel Pages The airline compensation changes likewise impact Google Flights, which is the comparison shopping, or metasearch, feature at Google.com/flights. Travelers who clicked on links within the boxed Google Flights module within Google search are taken to Google Flights within Googles own travel pages. A Best departing flights label includes the proviso: Google may be compensated by some of these travel partners, but this doesnt affect the ranking of results. When users clicked through on one of the airline links, and viewed booking options, such as Book on Google with Spirit or Book with Spirit, the booking options were labeled as Ads. That label will be going away. In another change on Google Flights on desktop, online travel agency ads from the likes of Orbitz, Priceline, Cheaptickets, Expedia, and eDreams, for example, will be eliminated. So airlines are benefiting from Googles changes in several ways: Those carriers that were paying for booking links no longer have to pay, and advertising from online travel agencies in Google Flights are being decapitated, lessening competition. The Devil Is In the Details Most of Googles changes, such as enabling airline, online travel agency and metasearch free links to sometimes appear higher in the display than Googles own flight business, havent been implemented yet. So it remains to be seen the depth of the impact to travel brands search engine optimization efforts in flights. Will it be a game-changer or a hardly noticeable benefit. Whats clear for now is that while Google is making significant monetization changes in Google Flights, no such changes are immediately in the offing for Googles hotel search products, including Google Hotels. In contrast to its flights business, Google Hotels is a major money-maker for the search engine. Monetization there is not going away anytime soon. Correction: Booking Options within Google Flights are labeled as Ads, and Google will be removing that label. Best Departing Flights within Google Flights had no such Ads label, and we erroneously reported that it did. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Heathrow passengers arriving from the coronavirus-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan yesterday claimed they were barely checked for the killer infection. Health officials claimed flights arriving from the city home to 11million people would be subject to 'enhanced monitoring' amid fears the outbreak which has already killed 17 people will reach Britain. But one passenger described having a regular arrival through baggage reclaim and customs, revealing: 'It could have been a completely normal flight'. They added: 'All we were given was the mask and the check of our temperature. We were told to ring the NHS 111 if we start feeling ill and that's it.' Passengers were also given a Public Health England leaflet, advising them to contact doctors if they felt unwell. The never-before-seen virus can cause a fever. Wuhan was yesterday placed in lockdown, with authorities shutting down outbound flights and trains and ordering citizens not to leave except in the case of special circumstances. Almost 600 cases of the killer virus which scientists say we have 'no immunity' to have now been confirmed across the world, including in the US, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Suspected cases have cropped up in Mexico, Colombia and Canada. One professor warned the outbreak currently has a death rate similar to the global Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, which went on to kill more than 50million people. Data suggests two in 100 people who catch the virus will die. Health chiefs yesterday raised the threat level in the UK, announcing a series of measures for Heathrow passengers arriving from Wuhan including making planes land at an isolated area of Terminal 4 and having doctors meet travellers to check for symptoms. Countries including the US, Malaysia and Singapore have all introduced more rigorous checks, with all passengers from Wuhan having their temperature taken. Authorities today have been accused by experts who helped fight the deadly SARS virus of missing the 'golden period' to curb the outbreak, and it's also been alleged that those infected in China are freely roaming the streets. Almost 600 people have now been infected in China and Singapore today announced it has confirmed a case in a 66-year-old man who travelled there from Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak Experts say the difficulty of containing the coronavirus is that so many patients have mild, cold-like symptoms and don't realise they have the infection Robert Crosby, a security guard from Hull, holds a Public Health England leaflet advising passengers what to do if symptoms arise Passengers arrive at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 from Wuhan in China with an advice slip from Public Health England advising those showing symptoms to contact a healthcare professional A passenger arrives wearing a mask at Terminal 4, Heathrow Airport, London, January 22. Britain will monitor flights arriving from China as a precautionary measure after the spread of a new coronavirus Passengers at Rome's Fiumicino Airport Authority are scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures against deadly SARS-like virus Medical staff at Huazhong University of Science and Technology today attended a ceremony to form a 'assault team' in the fight against the coronavirus Residents in Wuhan are pictured wearing masks to buy vegetables in the market this morning Pictured, Wuhan residents wear masks to buy vegetables in the market today Italian Health Ministry officials get ready to screen passengers at Rome's Fiumicino Airport for the virus Chinese flight attendants wear masks to go through customers at Rome's Fiumicino Airport Citizens in Peking wear masks to defend against the potential spread of the coronavirus A staff member checks a passenger's body temperature at Wangjiadun metro station in Wuhan this morning 'LEAVE YOUR OFFICE AND SHUT THE PATIENT IN', UK DOCTORS TOLD IN CORONAVIRUS WARNING Doctors in the UK have been told to leave the room straight away and shut their patient in if they think they might have the Chinese coronavirus. Public Health England has issued official guidance for doctors as concerns grow that the contagious illness will make its way to the UK. Almost 600 people have now been infected in Asia and 17 have died. Health authorities and university experts say it is likely cases will appear in Europe and the UK. No cases have been confirmed in the UK yet, but the Government last night screened patients arriving at Heathrow from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, Wuhan. At least 15 medical workers in Wuhan have become infected while treating patients with the virus. The PHE guidance, which was issued to GP practice doctors this week, reads: 'If [the Wuhan coronavirus] is considered possible when a consultation is already in progress, withdraw from the room, close the door and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. 'Avoid physical examination of a suspected case. The patient should remain in the room with the door closed. Belongings and waste should remain in the room. 'Advise others not to enter the room. If a clinical history still needs to be obtained or completed, do this by telephone. 'The patient should not be allowed to use communal toilet facilities. 'Instruct them to not touch anything or anyone when walking to the toilet. Instruct the patient to wash their hands thoroughly after toileting.' If the patient is critically ill, they should be put into an ambulance, PHE said. But otherwise, a hospital should be phoned ahead and warned and the patient must be told to get there without using public transport or a taxi. Advertisement One arrival at Heathrow, Ni Yu, said: 'All we were given was the mask and the check of our temperature. We were told to ring the NHS 111 if we start feeling ill and that's it.' Another, Robert Crosby, said: 'We got our temperature checked at the Chinese airport and they gave us a leaflet from Public Health England when we landed. 'We were told to wait for instructions from immigration controls but when we got off everything was normal, I think the area where we got off might have been more isolated because normally there are toilets straight away but that was it.' Before Wuhan's unprecedented lockdown, there were three direct flights a week to Heathrow Airport, landing at around 6pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Leading scientists yesterday warned up to 10,000 patients may have caught the SARS-like virus in Wuhan - more than double the previous estimate. In a desperate attempt to contain the outbreak, Wuhan officials have ordered all residents to wear face masks in public places. The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday refused to declare the outbreak an international emergency, saying it needs to know more about the virus. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said: 'To proceed we need more information. 'For that reason I have decided to ask the emergency committee to meet again tomorrow to continue their discussion and the chair... has agreed with that request.' But scientists say the outbreak is already an emergency, a status only ever dished out five times before including for the Ebola epidemic of 2014. Professor Peter Horby, an infectious diseases expert from the University of Oxford, said all three criteria for declaring an emergency 'have been met'. Discussing the criteria, he told The Times: 'One, is this an extraordinary event. Two, is it spreading internationally. Three, is an international response required? Dr Tedros said China's 'very strong measure with full commitment' - of effectively shutting down Wuhan - would help contain the outbreak. The respiratory virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, and can be passed between humans. Pictured: Passengers arrive wearing a mask at Terminal 4, Heathrow Airport, January 22 A young boy wearing a facemask sits with a bag on the floor at the West Kowloon rail station in Hong Kong today, January 23 Passengers wearing masks arrive at Sydney airport after landing on a plane from the Chinese city of Wuhan today, January 23 World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) listens to Professor Didier Houssin, Chair of the Emergency Committee in Geneva yesterday, January 22 A China Eastern Airlines aircrew member arrives at Sydney airport after landing on a plane from Wuhan today, January 23 Coronavirus: What we know so far What is this virus? The virus has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold. But coronaviruses can also be deadly. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus and killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s. Can it kill? Yes. Seventeen people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. Most patients die from complications including pneumonia and swelling in lungs. Severe pneumonia can kill people by causing them to drown in the 'fluid' flooding their lungs. The virus also causes swelling in the respiratory system, which can make it hard for the lungs to pass oxygen into the bloodstream - leading to organ failure and death. What are the symptoms? Its symptoms are typically a fever, cough and trouble breathing, but some patients have developed pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the small air sacs in the lungs. People carrying the novel coronavirus may only have mild symptoms, such as a sore throat. They may assume they have a common cold and not seek medical attention, experts fear. How is it detected? The virus's genetic sequencing was released by scientists in China to the rest of the world to enable other countries to quickly diagnose potential new cases. This helps other countries respond quickly to disease outbreaks. To contain the virus, airports are detecting infected people with temperature checks. But as with every virus, it has an incubation period, meaning detection is not always possible because symptoms have not appeared yet. How did it start and spread? Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. The first cases identified were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. Cases have since been identified elsewhere which could have been spread through human-to-human transmission. What are countries doing to prevent the spread? Countries in Asia have stepped up airport surveillance. They include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. Australia and the US are also screening patients for a high temperature, and the UK announced it will screen passengers returning from Wuhan. Is it similar to anything we've ever seen before? Experts have compared it to the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The epidemic started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere Advertisement European health authorities put the threat of the virus spreading to 'moderate'. The UK raised the threat yesterday to 'low'. Some 582 people have been diagnosed and the death toll yesterday doubled, from nine to 17. Antibiotics do not work for viruses. Passengers landing at Heathrow from the region at the centre of the deadly outbreak were given a warning leaflet on arrival before being allowed into the country. According to Heathrow, an isolated area was set up to check travellers from Wuhan, to try to stop the spread of the virus. Robert Crosby, a security guard from Hull had been visiting his brother Thomas in Wuhan - a lecturer a Birmingham City University - when the news spread of the disease flare up. He said: 'The flight today was pretty much the same as I had on the way to Wuhan except a lot more people had masks, including English people. 'We got our temperature checked at the Chinese airport and they gave us a leaflet from Public Health England when we landed. 'We were told to wait for instructions from immigration controls but when we got off everything was normal, I think the area where we got off might have been more isolated because normally there are toilets straight away but that was it. 'It all started kicking off just before we left. Lots of Chinese people were leaving.' Thomas Crosby, 31, added: 'There was an exodus in Wuhan but you wouldn't know if that was for Chinese New Year or because of the virus.' One passenger last night told how her home city had shut off all public transport because of the growing fears of the killer disease. Ni Yu, 24, said: 'Today Wuhan stopped all public transport, trains, aeroplanes and buses. We were allowed to fly because it was before the deadline. I am worried about it. 'When we landed we weren't segregated. It took us two hours to get from the plane to arrivals because of immigration, they had to check our passports. 'All we were given was the mask and the check of our temperature. We were told to ring the NHS 111 if we start feeling ill and that's it.' Eileen, 21, said: 'We came off the plane like any other time. I was in my home of Wuhan just for a month before coming back to study media. Over that month I did not l leave the house, we stayed inside because of the virus. 'I think more should have been done because the fear of the virus in China is much worse than it is here.' An update from Public Health England yesterday said: 'Leaflets and information will be made available across all UK airports, advising travellers from China on what do to if they feel unwell. 'Based on the emerging evidence regarding case numbers, potential sources and human to human transmission, the risk to travellers to Wuhan is moderate. 'The risk to the UK population has been assessed as low. This has been raised from very low due to current evidence on the likelihood of cases being imported into this country. Passengers wearing face masks arrive at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 yesterday, January 22, from Wuhan in China Patients have already been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and one man in Australia is being tested for the virus. Pictured: Passengers yesterday, January 22, at Heathrow A passenger arrives wearing a mask at Terminal 4, Heathrow Airport, London, yesterday, January 22 Officials measure temperatures of passengers on board on an Air China flight from Wuhan to Macau earlier this month 'The UK is well prepared for new diseases and our approach is being kept under constant review.' Dr Guan Yi, a renowned Chinese virologist, yesterday warned that the scale of the coronavirus outbreak could be at least 10 times bigger than that of SARS. 'I have experienced so much and never felt scared. Most [viruses] are controllable, but this time I am scared,' Dr Guan told another news outlet Caixin. The expert, who helped the country fight SARS in 2003, said the challenge of fighting coronavirus was that the sources of infections had 'spread out completely' He added that authorities had missed the 'golden period' to curb a nationwide outbreak. A report revealed Chinese people who have been infected with the life-threatening virus may still be roaming the streets freely amid the outbreak. Some of the people who carry the fatal virus are not in quarantine at all - instead these 'mobile sources of infection' are simply told by medics in Wuhan to go to the hospital for daily medication, it has been alleged. Chinese reporters have tracked down people who claimed to be infected with the virus but were not in quarantine, according to a social media post by Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of state newspaper Global Times, citing a report from Life Week magazine. Instead of being strictly kept away from the public, the interviewees said they only had to go to the hospitals every day for intravenous drips, the message went on. It also comes as Wuhan's health officials today revealed that number of fever patients in the city had surged and hospitals were running out of beds. Wuhan's Health Commission said the city is 'witnessing a fast growing trend of fever patients' and hospitals are facing bed shortages as a result. A suspected coronavirus patient was carried out of an airport in Huizhou, China, in a plastic tube, to make sure they don't pass on the virus to medical workers Confirmed patients have appeared in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and one man in Australia is being tested for the virus. Another suspected case has been recorded in Mexico. On January 21, it had emerged that the disease had reached the US. A man in his 30s from Washington State, who had travelled back from Wuhan, was confirmed to be the first American case. US President Donald Trump yesterday said America 'has a plan' to contain the spread of the virus, which officials have confirmed can spread between humans. But British experts who fear there could already be a case of the never-before-seen virus in the UK have warned screening in the UK 'is not foolproof' and said that the borders are too 'porous' to keep the infection out. Scientists are desperately trying to contain the outbreak of the virus, which scientists say may have come from bats and can cause a fever and pneumonia. Yesterday it was revealed that: China's National Health Commission has urged travellers to not visit Wuhan, which is home to 11million people Experts have warned we have 'no immunity' to never-before-seen viruses, such as the unnamed coronavirus infection Football and boxing qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be moved from Wuhan to another location China has been accused of under-reporting cases, with experts saying it has a 'track record' and warning the 'true picture may be completely different' Dozens of countries are now checking arriving air passengers for the virus, which officials say is constantly mutating Scientists say the virus may have been lurking in bats for decades but evolved to infect humans, warning that it is possible it can be passed through saliva Cases of the virus rose almost 10-fold in the space of a few days, from just 48 confirmed cases on January 17. At least 20 healthcare workers have since been infected, including one leading Chinese doctor who was investigating the outbreak. The virus outbreak has coincided with China's Lunar New Year celebrations this weekend, when millions travel at home and abroad for holidays and family reunions. Experts predict cases will continue to rise in the coming weeks as more information comes out about the virus. Professor Neil Ferguson, a biologist at Imperial College London, yesterday told a briefing in London: 'There appear to be what are called 'super-spreading' events which are events where one person can infect many others, which is similar to what we [saw] from the MERS and SARS coronaviruses. 'Based on the numbers we've seen with onset dates up to 18th January we've updated our estimate of the number of cases in Wuhan to about 4,000 with an uncertainty range of 1,000 to 9,700. 'All the reports I've read from within China, particularly Wuhan City but also other cities, [say] hospitals are now overwhelmed with suspect cases. 'The authorities there are trying to scale up the response as fast as possible but it is an extremely demanding situation.' He added: 'I think we will see a lot more information in the coming days and weeks and I suspect case numbers will continue to increase rapidly.' Transport Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday morning announced the drastic measure at Heathrow, saying 'we want to stay ahead of the issue so we are keeping a very close eye on it'. His announcement has since been confirmed by the Department of Health. Workers manufacture protective face masks in a factory, as face mask stocks run low amid the outbreak of coronavirus, in Handan, Hebei Province, pictured today People wearing masks board a train for the direction of Wuhan at Hongqioa train station as they head home for the Lunar New Year in Shanghai, pictured today Children wearing masks arrive at Sydney airport after landing on a plane from the Chinese city of Wuhan, pictured today THE KILLER VIRUS MAY HAVE COME FROM BATS, SCIENTISTS SAY The killer coronavirus sweeping across the world may have come from bats, scientists have said. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the People's Liberation Army and Institut Pasteur of Shanghai came to the conclusion. In a statement, the team said: 'The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate. Tests of the virus, which has yet to be named, have revealed it targets a protein called ACE2 just like its cousin SARS, the South China Morning Post reported. Tracing the evolution of the virus, the team of experts found it belonged to betacoronavirus, making it structurally similar to SARS. Authorities have pointed the blame on food markets in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak that scientists are scrambling to contain. Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets', which tourists flock to see the 'real' side of the country. Advertisement Enhanced monitoring will be put in place for all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK, of which there are three each week that go straight into Heathrow. As each of these flights land at an isolated area of Terminal 4, the captain of the plane will tell passengers to tell a flight attendant if they feel unwell. These details will then be passed on to public health teams at the airport who will meet the aircraft when it lands and carry out further checks. There are no plans to introduce blanket temperature screening of all passengers, a spokesman for the DHSC said. But all passengers on each flight will be given a leaflet explaining how they can seek help if they become unwell while in the UK. Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of Public Health England's National Infection Service, said the outbreak is a 'new and rapidly evolving situation'. He confirmed the risk of the virus spreading to the UK is now considered low, an upgrade to the 'very low' threat that the agency previously stood by. PHE announced it was working with the WHO and other international partners and has issued advice to the NHS about how to deal with potential cases. The Government body urged visitors to Wuhan to 'maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and avoid visiting animal and bird markets'. Officials also urged travellers to steer clear of ill people with respiratory symptoms, adding Brits should seek medical help if they develop a fever. A China Eastern Airlines aircrew arrive at Sydney airport after landing on a plane from the Chinese city of Wuhan, pictured today The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, where all six fatalities have happened WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION POISED TO DECLARE CORONAVIRUS AN EMERGENCY FOR ONLY SIXTH TIME EVER 2009 Swine flu epidemic In 2009 'Swine flu' was identified for the first time in Mexico and was named because it is a similar virus to one which affects pigs. The outbreak is believed to have killed as many as 575,400 people. 2014 Poliovirus resurgence Poliovirus began to resurface in countries where it had once been eradicated, and the WHO called for a widespread vaccination programme to stop it spreading. Cameroon, Pakistan and Syria were most at risk. 2014 and 2019 Ebola outbreaks Ebola killed at least 11,000 people across the world after it spread like wildfire through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014, 2015 and 2016. More than 28,000 people were infected in what was the worst ever outbreak of the disease. Almost 4,000 people were struck down with the killer virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year. 2016 Zika outbreak Zika, a tropical disease which can cause serious birth defects if it infects pregnant women, was the subject of an outbreak in Brazil's capital, Rio de Janeiro, in 2016. Advertisement And in hope of containing any potential outbreak, PHE said patients fearing they have the virus should phone ahead before attending any health services. Professor Ferguson, from Imperial College London, yesterday revealed his team believe up to 10,000 patients in Wuhan may have the virus. When asked if there could already be a case in the UK at a press briefing by the Science Media Centre, Professor Ferguson said 'we can't rule out the possibility'. He added: 'Border screening and the alert in the health system, is not 100 per cent foolproof. This sort of measure of trying to identify people who are sick coming off a plane will only identify, if you're lucky, people who will have fever coming off a plane. 'If somebody was infected two days before they travelled, they will arrive without any symptoms at all. 'It's understandable countries want to try and reduce the threat by various measures at the border. But the border will still be porous.' The same team of researchers last week stoked fears of the virus spreading when they warned up to 4,000 patients in Wuhan may be infected. But the team yesterday upgraded their estimate, based on how quickly the infection has spread around China and the world. They used flight data to make the estimate, with figures showing that 3,300 people in Wuhan fly internationally per day. The report concluded: 'It is likely the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan has caused substantially more cases than have currently been detected and reported.' Discussing the outbreak, Professor Peter Horby, from the University of Oxford, said: 'Novel viruses can spread much faster through the population than viruses which circulate all the time because we have no immunity to them. 'Most seasonal flu viruses have a case fatality rate of less than one in 1,000 people. 'Here we're talking about a virus where we don't understand fully the severity spectrum 'But it's possible the case fatality rate could be as high as two per cent. My feeling is it's lower. 'My own feeling is it's probably lower, we're probably missing this iceberg of milder cases. But that's the current circumstance we're in.' He added: 'Two per cent case fatality rate is comparable to the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 so it is a significant concern globally.' Vaccine experts at Baylor University are working on modifying a vaccine they designed to prevent SARS to protect against the new, related coronavirus. But the school's Dean of Tropical Medicine, which is developing the shot, Dr Peter Hotez, told DailyMail.com that it's likely years away from deployment. The new coronavirus, yet to be named, causes cold-like symptoms including a runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat and a fever. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the People's Liberation Army and Institut Pasteur of Shanghai say it may have come from bats. A family arrive Sydney airport after landing on a plane from Wuhan this morning A China Eastern Airlines pilot arrives at Sydney airport after flying a plane from the Chinese city of Wuhan today DOCTOR INVESTIGATING OUTBREAK ADMITS HE HAS CAUGHT THE VIRUS A leading Chinese doctor investigating the killer coronavirus yesterday admitted he has caught the SARS-like infection. Wang Guangfa, who heads the department of pulmonary medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital, was part of a team of experts that earlier this month visited Wuhan, where the virus first emerged. 'I was diagnosed and my condition is fine,' Dr Wang told Kong's Cable TV. He said he is receiving treatment and will have an 'injection' soon. Dr Guangfa is one of the national experts that previously said the pneumonia-causing virus, which has never been seen before, was under control. Wang Guangfa has been infected with the new virus in China after being part of a team of doctors investigating it in Wuhan, where the virus emerged Advertisement In a statement, the team said: 'The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate. Tests of the virus, which has yet to be named, have revealed it targets a protein called ACE2 just like its cousin SARS, the South China Morning Post reported yesterday. Tracing the evolution of the virus, the experts found it belonged to betacoronavirus, making it structurally similar to SARS. Authorities have pointed the blame on food markets in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak that scientists are scrambling to contain. Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets', which tourists flock to see the 'real' side of the country. Viruses including ones carried by animals are constantly changing and may over time become strong enough to infect humans. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first American case last night. Following the news of the case, President Donald Trump said that the US has a plan in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said: 'We do have a plan and we think it is going to be handled very well. 'We've already handled it very well. The CDC is terrific. Very professional...' The unidentified man, from north of Seattle, is currently hospitalised and in 'good' condition but is being closely monitored in isolation. People cover their faces with sanitary masks at an airport in Hong Kong this morning Health care workers in Hong Kong are pictured today giving first aid in an ambulance as they cover their faces with sanitary masks Pedestrians cover their faces with sanitary masks after the first cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Hong Kong, pictured today Flight crew from China Eastern Airlines leave Sydney airport wearing face masks after arriving from Wuhan this morning Crew from China Eastern Airlines leave the airport wearing face masks after arriving in Sydney from Wuhan this morning He traveled from Wuhan, but did not visit any of the markets at the epicentre of the outbreak, according to state health officials. The man arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport but not directly from Wuhan on January 15, the day before screening was in place, and before he developed symptoms. But he reportedly recognised his own symptoms which typically include cough, fever and runny nose after seeing online coverage of the virus. The patient reached out to doctors on January 16, was tested on the 17th and his diagnosis was confirmed Monday, health officials said. The patient is a resident of Snahomish County in Washington State and is currently at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. On the heels of the identification of this first US patient, all flights from Wuhan into the US are being rerouted to the three airports set up last week for screening - LAX, San Francisco and JFK - as well as an additional two locations: Chicago O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Chinese officials urged travellers to stop visiting Wuhan. Residents have even been urged to avoid getting into crowds to try and stop the spread of the virus. China's National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin said: 'Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city.' In the same public briefing, he also warned there is a possibility the virus which has yet to be officially named will mutate, warning it could mean a further spread of the disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) met to discuss whether to declare the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at a meeting held in Geneva on January 22. The UN body decided to postpone the decision. If it declares it an emergency, it will be just the sixth time in history that it has happened. The only other outbreaks to have been granted such a status include the 2009 Swine flu epidemic, the resurgence of Polio in 2014, the worldwide spread of Zika in 2016 and the two most recent Ebola outbreaks in 2014 and last year. WHAT CAN THE UK DO AVOID THE CORONAVIRUS SPREADING HERE? Given that there is no known vaccine or treatment for the new outbreak of coronavirus, how can it be controlled and how would the UK handle any cases? Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the Medical Research Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, said it is not currently known whether, if there is a growing epidemic, it is controllable. He said the UK would not be able to implement some of the measures China has deployed against outbreaks in the past, including isolating tens of thousands of people. What measures would be taken? Cases would have to be diagnosed and isolated as quickly as possible in order to prevent onward transmission, and to ensure what is called contact tracing follow-up, according to Professor Ferguson. This would involve identifying who those individuals have come into contact with. And if not isolating them, tracking them through time - daily or more frequently - to see if they develop symptoms and testing them. What action that has been taken in past epidemics could be implemented again? Attempts could be made to reduce community transmission through social distancing measures. These include reducing the occurrence of mass gatherings, said Prof Ferguson. What has been done so far? The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of Wuhan novel coronavirus and Public Health England has developed a diagnostic test. The UK is also one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this novel disease. Public Health England says clinicians in primary and secondary care have already received advice, covering initial detection and investigation of possible cases, infection prevention and control, and clinical diagnostics. An algorithm has been developed to support NHS 111 in identifying suspected potential cases. There are a number of infectious disease units around the country able to take suspected patients. What is the situation at present? There are no known cases but enhanced monitoring will be put in place for all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK, the DHSC has said. This includes providing advice to travellers if they feel unwell and what symptoms to look out for. Advertisement Infectious disease scientists across Asia are concerned China could be covering up the true amount of cases of the coronavirus. Piotr Chlebicki, at Mount Alvernia Hospital in Singapore, told South China Morning Post it was 'hard to believe [the official number of] cases'. He added: 'China has a track record of under-reporting cases, so the true picture may be completely different.' THE NEW CORONAVIRUS IN CHINA TIMELINE December 31 2019: Total of 27 suspected cases The WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. Around 27 suspected cases were reported in the month of December. January 1 2020: Total of 27 suspected cases A seafood market was closed for environmental sanitation and disinfection after being closely linked with the patients. January 5 2020: Total of 59 suspected cases Doctors ruled out severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) as being the cause of the virus, as well as bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome and adenovirus. Meanwhile, Hong Kong reported suspected cases. January 9 2020: Total of 59 confirmed cases, one death A preliminary investigation identified the respiratory disease as a new type of coronavirus, Chinese state media reported. Officials at Wuhan Municipal Health Commission reported the outbreak's first death on January 9, a 61-year-old man. January 13 2020: Total of 42 confirmed cases, one death A Chinese woman in Thailand was the first confirmed case of the mystery virus outside of China. The 61-year-old was quarantined on January 8, but has since returned home in a stable condition after having treatment, the Thai Health Ministry said. January 14 2020: Total of 42 confirmed cases, one death The WHO told hospitals around the globe to prepare, in the 'possible' event of the infection spreading. It said there is some 'limited' human-to-human transmission of the virus. Two days previously, the UN agency said there was 'no clear evidence of human to human transmission'. January 16 2020: Total of 43 cases, two deaths A man in Tokyo is confirmed to have tested positive for the disease after travelling to the Chinese city of Wuhan. A second death, a 69-year-old man, was reported by officials at Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. He died in the early hours of January 15 at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan city having first been admitted to hospital on December 31. January 17 2020: Total of 44 cases, two deaths Thailand announces it has detected a second case. The 74-year-old woman had been quarantined since her arrival on Monday. She lived in Wuhan. Scientists at Imperial College London fear up to 4,500 patients in Wuhan may have caught the virus. A report said if cases are this high, substantial human to human transmission can't be ruled out. John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), San Francisco International Airport and Los Angles International Airport (LAX) will start screening passengers arriving from Wuhan, US officials said. January 18 2020: Total of 48 cases, two deaths Thailand steps up monitoring at four airports receiving daily flights from Wuhan. Airports in Japan, Malaysia and Singapore are also screening passengers from Wuhan, authorities said. Four more cases have been identified in a viral pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, bringing the total to 45 in the city alone. January 19 2020: Total of 65 cases, two deaths China reported 17 more cases of pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus strain had been found in Wuhan. It takes the city's total to 62, including two deaths, and the global total to 65. All of the cases to this point involved people either living in Wuhan or who have travelled to the city. Public Health England and Britain's chief medical officer said they would not be introducing screenings at UK airports at this point. January 20 2020: Total of 222 cases, three deaths. China reported a sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new coronavirus over the weekend, including 136 more cases in Wuhan city, taking its total to 198. The outbreak spread across China; five cases in Beijing, 14 in Guangdong, and one in Shanghai. South Korea confirmed its first case - a 35-year-old woman arriving at Seouls Incheon airport tested positive for the virus. She had been in Wuhan the week prior. This took the total cases outside China to four. Details were not revealed about the third death. Chinese President Xi Jinping said saving lives was a top priority, adding that information about the disease was being released in a 'timely manner'. China's National Health Commission team confirmd the virus can spread between humans. Two patients in southern China also caught the virus from infected family members, according to local media. The WHO announced it would hold an emergency meeting to debate whether the outbreak should be declared an international public health emergency. January 21 2020: Total of 308 confirmed cases, six deaths On this day, the death toll rose to six. The fourth person had died on January 19, an 89-year-old man who developed symptoms, including severe breathing difficulties, on January 13. The mayor of Wuhan announced two more victims of the lethal infection - a 66-year-old man, known only as Li, and a 48-year-old woman, known only as Yin. Both died from multiple organ failure. Authorities also said 15 medical workers in the city were included in the confirmed cases. There is also one other suspected case. Of the infected staff, one was in critical condition. The first American - a man in his 30s - was confirmed to have the new coronavirus outside Seattle in Washington state. Washington officials said he was in 'good' condition but was in isolation and being closely monitored at Providence Regional Medical Center - Everett, near his home in Snahomish County. The CDC announced that all passengers arriving to Wuhan from direct or connecting flights would be re-ticketed and rerouted through the three airports with screening already set up and two additional airports, Chicago O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta. A Brisbane man is being held in isolation over fears he may have contracted the deadly coronavirus while in Wuhan. Queensland's chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young confirmed the man has been tested for the illness when he presented with flu-like symptoms after returning home. The results are still unknown. Australia began screening passengers arriving from a Chinese city in a bid to stop the spread, Brendan Murphy, the chief medical officer for the Australian government, said. The Philippines also announced that it was investigating its first potential case of the coronavirus. A five-year-old child arrived in the country on January 12 from Wuhan and has since been hospitalised with flu symptoms. Taiwan reported its first confirmed case. Health officials announced the woman, thought to be around 50 years old, worked in Wuhan. She is currently in hospital receiving treatment, according to local media. Stock markets in China and Hong Kong dipped today amid fears tourists will refrain from travelling. But shares in firms which make surgical face masks have surged. Advertisement The newspaper reported experts are concerned about the number of bureaucratic steps put in place after the 2003 SARS outbreak before a case can be confirmed. Families of sick loved ones who have died of mystery respiratory diseases in recent weeks also believe the true number of cases and deaths is far higher than what China has admitted. On the microblog Weibo, Wuhan residents have shared stories of family members who had shown symptoms of the virus, but not been tested for it at hospital. One posted images of her mother's diagnosis of viral pneumonia and described long queues of patients with similar symptoms late on Monday night, none of whom appeared to have been tested for coronavirus. The virus has caused alarm because it is from the same family of viruses as SARS, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged China to release all information about the outbreak of a new virus and work with Taiwan on curbing its spread. At China's insistence, Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organization and is not allowed to participate in any of its meetings. Taiwan, where one case of the coronavirus has been detected, has called on people not to visit Wuhan unless they absolutely have to. Scores of Chinese residents have been turning to an online plague simulation game and a disaster movie called 'The Flu' amid the coronavirus outbreak, it can be revealed. Plague Inc, a strategy simulation app by UK-based Ndemic creations, was the top-paid game on the iOS operating system on China's Apple Store. South Korean disaster flick 'The Flu' was also the most searched-for movie on Chinese media review and social networking site Douban. And a documentary on the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak topped TV searches. Companies across China including Huawei were handing out masks and warning staff to avoid the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Citic Securities has asked staff to voluntarily quarantine themselves if they do travel to Hubei, the province that Wuhan is in. Thai officials confirmed a fourth case, a 73-year-old woman who developed a fever after returning from Wuhan. She was being monitored in an isolated ward in a hospital in Nakhon Pathom, 37 miles (60km) west of Bangkok. In a message to the country, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said: 'We can control the situation. 'There have not been cases of human-to-human transmission in Thailand because we detected the patients as soon as they arrived.' Saying there are no reports of the infection spreading to others, he added: 'We checked all of them: taxi drivers, people who wheeled the wheelchairs for the patients, doctors and nurses who worked around them.' The Chinese-ruled gambling hub of Macau confirmed its first case of the coronavirus A 52-year-old Wuhan businesswoman. Officials quickly moved to tighten temperature screening measures in casinos and around the city, giving masks to staff and travellers at hotels. Entry points into Macau will also have temperature checks and visitors will be asked to fill in a health declaration form. Officials announced football and boxing qualifying matches held in Wuhan for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be moved from Wuhan. The Asian Football Confederation said women's qualifiers being held at Wuhan between February 3 and 9 will be moved to the eastern city of Nanjing. Japan's Kyodo news agency also announced a boxing qualifier held in Wuhan for the same Olympics would be cancelled. It has not yet been rearranged. Earlier this week, it was announced that: Reports also state face masks are flying off the shelves across China as the country's citizens prepare themselves for the potential spread of the outbreak. Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media have shown residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item. Prices for some of the most popular face masks have surged by 10-fold, according a report from Beijing Evening News. Locals have made more than four million trips by train, road and air since January 10 in the annual travel rush for the most important holiday in the country. The transport peak season around Lunar New Year will last until February 18 and see three billion trips made within China, according to official statistics. A piece in Chinese newspaper the Global Times said on Sunday: 'The entire Chinese society should be vigilant but should not be in panic. 'We should make the upcoming Spring Festival happy and peaceful, and also pay close attention to every link where the pneumonia may increase transmission.' New York: From the start, Harvey Weinstein's lawyers have made it clear they intend to secure an acquittal in his rape case by destroying the credibility of his accusers. On Tuesday, a day before opening arguments, they gave a first glimpse of that strategy, saying they would use a trove of emails to demonstrate that some of the women allegedly assaulted by Weinstein later bragged about having an affair with him. Damon Cheronis, a defence lawyer, said Weinstein's team will point to dozens of "loving emails" between the once-powerful movie producer and his accusers to suggest the sexual encounters were consensual. "What we will be able to show is that witnesses who claim Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted them also bragged about being involved in sexual relations with him," Cheronis said during a hearing in the state Supreme Court in Manhattan. "They bragged about these things he allegedly forced them to do." Two men riding a motorcycle shot and killed Iranian Basij forces commander Abdolhossein Mojaddami in Khuzestan Province, Iran, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Google Maps) Iranian Commander Shot and Killed in Front of His Own Home: State Media Iranian Basij forces commander Abdolhossein Mojaddami was shot and killed in front of his home on Wednesday, according to state-run news outlet IRNA. Two men who were riding on a motorcycle shot and killed Mojaddami, the report said. A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Khuzestan Province, Mohammad Reza Nemati, said the unknown assailants fired four shots at him. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the killing, which IRNA described as an assassination. An earlier variant of the report described the incident as a terrorist attack. An investigation is underway. The Associated Press reported that the two men were armed with a hunting rifle and an assault rifle before ambushing Mojaddami. Some Iranian media said their faces were covered with masks. The Jerusalem Post noted that the Basij forces, which are under the IRGC, are used to suppress protests in Iran. The killing could suggest that Tehran might be unable to contain growing discontent among the Iranian populace, who have protested en mass in recent months. Provincial Basij cmdr assassinated in terrorist attack https://t.co/AVgnjG4vVY pic.twitter.com/Zr4MQOXtQx IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) January 22, 2020 Mojaddamis death comes after another IRGC leader, Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a U.S. airstrike earlier this month. Mojaddami was described by IRNA as an associate of Soleimani. Amnesty International said last month that more than 300 people have been killed in the unrest across the country. Iran has not officially announced a death toll. The UK-based human rights organization said that there were protests in Mojaddamis home province of Khuzestan. One source said that intelligence officials forced managers of a hospital in Khuzestan province to provide them with a list of names of newly admitted patients, the group wrote. Protesters hold flowers as tear gas fired by police rises at a demonstration in front of Amir Kabir University to remember victims of a Ukrainian airplane shot down by an Iranian missile, in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 11, 2020. (AP Photo) A new round of protests was initiated several weeks ago after Iranian officials denied and later admitted it was responsible for shooting down a Ukrainian plane that left 176 people dead, many of them Iranian nationals. Those protests drew the attention of President Donald Trump, who called on Tehran to refrain from killing any more protesters. Iran said this week the plane was downed by mistake by Russian-made TOR missiles. The missiles were launched after Tehran fired a barrage of rockets at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops in retaliation for Soleimanis death. Among those who died in the crash were 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, 4 Afghans, 3 Germans, and 3 Britons. Boston, MA -- For most patients, melanoma begins with a small, pigmented spot on their skin that they notice starts to change. Many primary melanomas can be cured by having this lesion removed, but melanoma can also recur and spread; an analysis of the removed lesion can offer some information on the likelihood that the cancer will come back. Today, lesions are analyzed in much the same way that they were 100 years ago. Despite advances in molecular diagnostics for other forms of cancer, analysis of a skin cancer lesion is surprisingly simplistic. The lesion's thickness -- patients with thinner melanomas tend to do better -- and microscopic features, such as ulcerations, are considered, and a T stage of 1 through 4 is assigned. In a paper published in Nature Cancer, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, in collaboration with international colleagues, present a new, quantitative technique that leverages DNA sequencing to make more sophisticated and accurate predictions about which primary melanomas are likely to recur and spread. "As recently as 10 years ago the outlook for metastatic melanoma was dismal, but we now have treatments to offer patients with metastatic disease and may also be able to apply these treatments when primary disease hasn't metastasized," said corresponding author Thomas Kupper, MD, chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Brigham. "Because of the advent of these new immunotherapy treatments, it's important to have a clear idea of which patients are likely to progress so that we can tailor treatment accordingly." Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which can reawaken T cells to mount an immune response against cancer cells, have radically changed outcomes and options available to patients whose skin cancer has spread. In some patients, they can elicit dramatic responses, including long-term remission, essentially curing a patient. But identifying patients at greatest risk for disease progression has remained an unmet need. To address this, Kupper and colleagues sought to determine if certain measurable features of T cells could predict recurrence in patients whose primary melanoma had been removed and were free of disease. T1 melanomas (<1mm) rarely metastasize, so they studied T2 (1-2mm), T3 (2-4mm) and T4 (>4mm) primary melanomas. The research team faced a unique hurdle in acquiring enough samples to conduct a robust study. Unlike most tumors, which are removed by a surgeon at a hospital, skin lesions can be removed in private practices and ambulatory clinics, which means that specimens are not concentrated in hospital settings. In addition, specimens must be kept for several years after removal, delaying their availability for research studies. To collect enough samples, investigators from the Brigham collaborated with colleagues at the Melanoma Institute of Australia and the Zealand University Hospital in Denmark to share resources. The current analysis includes more than 300 samples from patients across these sites. The team compared samples from patients whose primary melanoma progressed to metastatic disease to patients whose primary melanoma did not. They used high-throughput DNA sequencing, performed by Adaptive Biotechnologies, to analyze the T cell repertoire of the tumors. The investigators found that of all variables identified, the T-cell fraction (TCFr; or proportion of cells in the lesion that were T cells) was a powerful, independent predictor of which patients would progress. Even for patients whose lesion thickness (T) was the same, TCFr was able to predict which patients were more likely to have metastatic disease. Patients with a TCFr of lower than 20 percent were more at risk of disease progression than patients with a TCFr of higher than 20 percent. For example, for patients with T3 melanoma (2-4mm thickness), five years after having their primary lesion removed, 51 percent of those with lower TCFr experienced recurrence, compared to 24 percent with higher TCFr. The test used in this work is commercially available for research use only and is not currently yet available in the clinic. The authors also note that the current study is retrospective, looking at samples from patients whose outcomes are already known. Prospective studies of patients whose outcomes are not yet known will be needed to further validate the test. If brought to the clinic, Kupper and colleagues envision that the test could strengthen current prediction models and improve patient care. "This is a simple, elegant test. It's quantitative rather than subjective, and it may be able to add value to predictions about disease progression," said Kupper. "In the future, such a test could help us tailor treatment; patients with high TCFr may further benefit from checkpoint inhibitor therapy, while low TCFr patients may need additional intervention." ### Funding for this work was provided by National Institutes of Health (R01 AI127654 and R01 CA203721, the German Research Foundation (grant no. PR 1621/1-1), the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation. Laboratory services were provided at no cost by Adaptive Biotechnologies. Four co-authors are or were employed by and have financial interest in Adaptive Biotechnologies. A co-author owns intellectual property associated with Adaptive Biotechnologies. Kupper serves on the Scientific Advisory Board (Hematology) of Adaptive Biotechnologies but does not own stock or receive compensation. Paper cited: Pruessmann, W et al. "Molecular analysis of primary melanoma T cells identifies patients at risk for metastatic recurrence" Nature Cancer DOI: 10.1038/s43018-019-0019-5 For the first time since 1954, biologists found evidence that the federally protected eastern indigo snake is breeding on its own in Alabama. A collection of government agencies and universities have been trying to reintroduce the indigo snake for years in the Conecuh National Forest in south Alabama, and a young, 27-inch snake captured last week appears to be the offspring of the reintroduced apex predator. Were releasing these snakes that are all generally about two years old, with the hope, and the expectation that eventually the snakes will survive from year to year and breed in the wild, said Jim Godwin, a biologist with the Alabama Natural Heritage Program at Auburn University, who is leading the indigo restoration efforts in Alabama. Its very exciting for us to find this young snake that confirms one measure of success that weve been after all along. The indigo snake reintroduction program is part of an attempt to restore Alabamas longleaf pine forest ecosystem, where the indigo snake serves as the top predator. It is not venomous, and literally eats copperheads and rattlesnakes for breakfast. The eastern indigo snake is the longest snake native to North America, reaching lengths of up to nine feet, though more typically maxing out at around seven feet long. While missing from Alabama since the 1950s, the indigo snake is still hanging on in Florida and south Georgia. Now, for the first time in seven decades, the eastern indigo is reproducing on its own in Alabama. Over decades, the combination of habitat loss, collection for the pet trade and gassing in rattlesnake rodeos put the species on the brink of extinction. The indigo earned a listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The snake was a part of Alabama, Godwin said. Not well known, but a part of Alabama and southern Alabama. And as the importance of the longleaf pine ecosystem has really come out in the last couple of decades, weve been missing pieces of that, restoring that ecosystem. Longleaf pine forests, which once covered much of the Southeast, have been reduced to about 3 percent of their historic range. The remaining longleaf forests are mostly in isolated clusters like Conecuh National Forest. Godwin said the efforts to reintroduce the snake are in their 14th year, with more than 160 snakes released into the wild since 2010. All snakes released are about two years old and carry unique tags so that researchers can identify the snakes if theyre recaptured. The snake captured this month was estimated to be about seven to eight months old and did not carry a tag. Godwin said he did not want to provide additional details about the snakes location because there are still concerns about poaching. Godwin said the snake was discovered by a research team from Auburn investigating gopher tortoise burrows in the National Forest. Indigo snakes are closely associated with gopher tortoise burrows in Alabama, especially in the winter. Godwin said the snakes will take shelter in the burrows on cold days, and roam about looking to reproduce on warm, sunny days during the winter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 09:10:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Photo taken on Jan. 21, 2020 shows the Bolivia's Legislative Assembly in La Paz, Bolivia. Bolivia's Legislative Assembly on Tuesday formally accepted the resignation of Evo Morales, two months after he resigned the presidency and left the country. (Photo by Meagan Hancock/Xinhua) LA PAZ, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's Legislative Assembly on Tuesday formally accepted the resignation of Evo Morales, two months after he resigned the presidency and left the country. There was some debate among lawmakers before they made the decision, as some members of Morales' leftist Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, also the majority in the bicameral body, wanted to reject his letter of resignation. Henry Cabrera, senior member of the MAS and vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, announced the final decision, saying "the majority of the assembly has accepted the resignations" of Morales and his vice president Alvaro Garcia. The announcement concludes an unexpected chapter in Bolivian politics, which saw conservative factions reject Morales' re-election to a fourth term, citing electoral fraud in the October elections. Following weeks of sometimes violent protests, and the military's support for the conservatives' demands, Morales resigned and left the country in November. Bolivia's opposition-backed interim government has scheduled new general elections for May 3. Mitch McConnell. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images The first day of President Trumps impeachment trial centered on the rules of evidence. Democrats want to admit documents and testimony the administration has blocked, and Republicans want to, well, block them. So far, Mitch McConnell is winning. He held his entire caucus together in a series of votes to block any new evidence from being admitted before the trial begins. But the victory is Pyrrhic. Given that a vote to remove is almost inconceivable Trump could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and all that the trial is fundamentally an exercise in shaping public opinion about Donald Trump and his abuses of power. By voting to withhold evidence, Republicans are placing themselves in the unpopular position of abetting a cover-up. From the outset, Trump announced that he was declaring his conduct in the Ukraine affair exempt from any congressional investigation or scrutiny. The president not only refused to personally testify (as Bill Clinton did with Kenneth Starr) but ordered his bureaucrats to likewise boycott all congressional proceedings, and blocked all documents. His clear plan was to drag the debate out in the courts so long it would either go beyond the election, or be resolved so late in the process that impeachment seemed to be superseding the election. As it is, Republicans are already making the latter argument. Democrats are impeaching too fast (a rushed process that didnt wait for the courts to exhaust every appeal of Trumps obstruction) and too slow (a process impinging on an election year, thus interfering with the election.) The House has attempted to navigate its way through the too-fast, too-slow dilemma. It concluded that enough evidence had made its way through Trumps obstruction bureaucrats willing to defy the president, public statements by Trump and his associates to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Many Republicans have privately understood Trump quite obviously extorted Ukraine to investigate his rivals (Fox New analyst Brit Hume recently admitted this: I dont think very many Republican senators are going to say that they think Trump did that or that hes guilty of that, he mused, but I think most of them think that he did.) This argument would be a perfectly coherent basis for refusing to allow more evidence. They know Trump did it, and they just dont care. But since Trump has refused to concede anything to his critics, and his allies have followed suit, they have contorted themselves into the posture of pretending to take the evidence seriously while assiduously working to suppress it. The Democratic case is fairly clear: The evidence they managed to obtain proves Trumps guilt, but if Republicans arent satisfied, they should examine the rest of the evidence. The Republican case for withholding it is absurd. McConnell has attacked the House case as a shoddy work product and the most rushed, least thorough and most unfair impeachment inquiry in modern history, while blocking all efforts to broaden it. If the House has indeed failed to do its job, shouldnt the Senate correct the error? Instead, McConnell insists the House has done a rushed and shoddy job of collecting the evidence, and therefore the Senate must not collect any more. Claiming the House has failed to do its job, he now insists the Senate must likewise fail to do its job. Whatever value this position has to the GOP, it is not a political asset. Polls show some three-quarters of the public want the Senate to admit new evidence. Trumps own rhetoric hints at the vulnerability. Interviewed by reporters at Davos, Trump claimed he would like former national security adviser John Bolton to testify, but, Ill leave that to the Senate. Feigning transparency while pretending the decision is out of his hands is a familiar Trump gambit. He repeatedly generated headlines quoting his alleged desire to testify to Robert Mueller under oath (Trump says he is willing to testify under oath in U.S.-Russia probe; Trump says he still would like to testify before Mueller) with the fine print buried lower (He later said that the decision to talk to Mueller would be subject to my lawyers but that he personally would like to do it). With Mueller, Trump was hiding from the truth and foisting it on his lawyers. Now he is foisting it on Senate Republicans. McConnell has held his handful of wavering members together by delaying any decision on new evidence. It is obviously not a choice he relishes. The impeachment trial is an exercise in displaying the Republican Partys institutional culpability in Trumps contempt for the rule of law. At some point, they will have to decide to damn the president or to damn themselves. Former Yellow Wiggle Greg Page has been discharged from hospital, after surviving a near-lethal cardiac arrest during a bushfire relief performance last Friday. A 2006 file photo of The Wiggles, featuring Murray Cook (Red Wiggle), Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle), Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle), and Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle). Credit:AP The Wiggles' official Twitter account shared the good news on Wednesday. "We are happy to let you know that he has been discharged from hospital today and will now begin a journey of rest and recovery at home," the tweet read. "Your thoughts and prayers for Greg have meant the world to him and his family. With over 200 people in attendance, excitement and buzz over the free outdoor event far exceeded the goals of organizer and Spa owner Gen Obolensky. (Faust Photos) The goal was to bring our community together. Our clients come from all over and its been 25 incredible years of growth and support, and it felt like the right time to simply say thank you. -Gen Obolensky, Spa Owner Last Sundays free mini-market and outdoor yoga event far exceeded expectations of event organizers, drawing hundreds to the lawn adjacent to Botanica Day Spa for a morning of gratitude, wellness and yoga. Late 2019 marked 25 years in business for the Spa, and owner Gen Obolensky decided it was time to roll out the red carpet for clients and neighbors as a symbol of gratitude for the quarter-century milestone. The goal was to bring our community together, says Obolensky. Our clients come from all over and its been 25 incredible years of growth and support, and it felt like the right time to simply say thank you. The event featured local businesses including Sibling Company, Femme Akoi Beauty Studio, Zoe Water USA, Shoptoska, Escape Root Juicery, Trim Studio and Wakamole Mexican Food Truck as well as fresh flower crowns, a Volkswagen photo bus, raffle prizes, a table of free cupcakes and an hour-long yoga practice led by renowned teacher trainer Ally Ford (@AllyFordYoga). I wanted the morning to feature some of my favorite thingslike flower crowns, tacos and yogaall in one place, adds Obolensky. Were all still overwhelmed at the response to the event and glad it made such an impact. The Spa will continue festivities with their anniversary-themed specials available through Feb. 10, offering 25% off to clients trying a service that theyve never tried before, as well as $25 off the enrollment fee of their monthly membership program. For more information, please contact the spa by calling 727-441-1711 or visit their website to learn more. ABOUT BOTANICA DAY SPA Botanica has been recognized as Clearwaters leading day spa for 25 years, specializing in natural treatments for the body, skin and nails. The award-winning spa has been honored by Creative Loafing, CitySearch, Tampa Bay Times and others for exceptional standards in body treatments and therapeutic massage as well as manicures, pedicures and eyebrow shaping. Botanicas menu of services features cutting edge beauty and wellness treatments with an emphasis on the use of organic and natural product lines. The stunning 4,500 square-foot facility is an oasis of relaxation and tranquility located in downtown Clearwater, Florida, accessible from the Pinellas Trail and just minutes from Clearwater Beach. For more information, please visit http://www.BotanicaDaySpa.com or on social media at @BotanicaDaySpa. By AFP BEIJING: The death toll in China's novel coronavirus virus has gone up to nine with the confirmed infection cases sharply rising to 440, the health authorities said on Wednesday, warning that the disease could spread further in the ongoing Chinese holiday season during which millions travel at home and abroad. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a novel strain and not seen before. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, according to the WHO. ALSO READ: First case of new coronavirus detected in US The Chinese health authorities announced on Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday. The cases had resulted in nine deaths, all in central China's Hubei Province, Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission told at a press conference here on Wednesday. Altogether 149 new confirmed cases were reported on Tuesday, Li added. Li said China was now at the "most critical stage" of prevention and control following confirmation that that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place. The official said there was evidence that the disease was "mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract". Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, and one in Korea. The first case of the virus has now been reported in the US with official confirmation that a person arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus. The patient was hospitalised on Sunday, after arriving in Seattle from Wuhan on January 15, officials at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sad. Li said the figures from the commission show a total of 2,197 close contacts have been traced. A total of 1,394 are under medical observation while 765 people have been discharged. ALSO READ: Thermal screening at Chennai airport to check for coronavirus All of the deaths were reported in central Hubei province, where the virus first appeared in the city of Wuhan. China yet to confirm the exact source of the virus. "Though the transmission route of the virus is yet to be fully understood, there is a possibility of virus mutation and a risk of further spread of the epidemic," Li said. The warning comes as millions of people across China are travelling within the country and abroad for the Lunar New Year week-long holiday. The holiday season began on January 10 and would last for 40 days. Officially, China will declare a week-long holiday from January 24. The Wuhan Health Commission said it would authorise medical institutions to quarantine all patients and people in close contact with them as a prevention and control measure, Li said. On Tuesday, the National Health Commission (NHC) upgraded the coronavirus to a Class B infectious disease, but said it would use the stricter control measures for a Class A disease to handle the outbreak, meaning any infection nationwide must be reported within two hours and monitored. ALSO READ: SARS-like virus spreads in China after killing third victim, reaches South Korea Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO), which is holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday, will consider declaring an international public health emergency over the virus - as it did with swine flu and Ebola. Such a declaration, if made, will be seen as an urgent call for a coordinated international response in view of fears that millions of Chinese are travelling at home and abroad for the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival holidays starting from January 24. The week-long festival triggers the biggest mass migration, clogging road, rail and air networks every year. India has already issued a travel warning. Several countries started screening travellers coming from China, especially from Wuhan to detect symptoms like fever. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed on Monday about Chinese official's attendance at the emergency meeting of the International Health Regulation (IHR) called by the WHO. Nothing really makes sense about the story claiming that Jeff Bezos phone was hacked via malware sent in 2018 from the WhatsApp account of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Why would Saudi Arabia infiltrate Bezos phone in such a brazen and obvious way, through a WhatsApp account linked to the nations crown prince? Why would it later leak Bezos personal photos and text messages to the National Enquirer? Why would the photo of a brunette woman sent to Bezos from MBS WhatsApp account with the caption Arguing with a woman is like reading the Software License agreement. In the end you have to ignore everything and click I agree be evidence that MBS knew of Bezos impending divorce? Advertisement Overall, the allegations assembled in a report prepared for Bezos by FTI Consulting raise as many new questions as they answer. Following the National Enquirers unsuccessful attempts to blackmail him last year, Bezos asked FTI to investigate his phone. FTI determined that on May 1, 2018, MBS sent Bezos a video file via WhatsApp and that it was highly probable that the file contained malware that enabled the subsequent theft of a large volume of Bezoss data several hours later. However, FTI did not find any evidence of that malware on the phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, to support its determination that Saudi Arabia was responsible for stealing and then passing material on to the National Enquirer, FTI relied on the timing of the video files delivery, which came just before the exfiltration of data from the phone, and a series of peculiar but not obviously incriminating messages from MBS to Bezos. Advertisement Advertisement The phone was definitely breached. Both the distribution of his private photos and the digital forensic evidence from FTIs analysis make clear that information was stolen from it in large volumes in the months following his receipt of the video from MBS. The report states: The amount of data being transmitted out of Bezos phone changed dramatically after receiving the WhatsApp video file and never returned to baseline. Following execution of the downloader sent from [MBSs] account, egress on the device immediately jumped by approximately 29,000 percent. Forensic artifacts show that in the six (6) months prior to receiving the WhatsApp video, Bezos phone had an average of 430KB of egress per day, fairly typical of an iPhone. Within hours of the WhatsApp video, egress jumped to 126MB. The phone maintained an unusually high average of 101MB of egress data per day for months thereafter, including many massive and highly atypical spikes of egress data. Advertisement Advertisement So someone was remotely stealing information from Bezoss phone for an extended period of time. The challenge comes in linking that exfiltration back to MBS, which FTI does based on the timing of the videos receipt and two messages that they claim may reveal an awareness of private information that was not known publicly at the time. One such message was the photo of the woman accompanied by the message about software licensing agreements, sent on Nov. 8, 2018. Somewhat inexplicably, FTI concluded that the woman in the photo resembled Lauren Sanchez, with whom Bezos was having an affair at the time, and was likely sent with reference to Bezos personal life events at that time because he was privately discussing a divorce with his then-wife but had not mentioned it to MBS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FTI also cites a WhatsApp message from MBS to Bezos sent on Feb. 16, 2019, a few days after Bezos was briefed by phone about the extent of the Saudi online campaign against him. That message reads, Jeff all what you hear or told to its not true and its matter of time tell [sic] you know the truth, there is nothing against you or amazon from me or Saudi Arabia. The FTI report concludes: this text evinces an awareness of what Bezos had just been told [in the briefing]. Advertisement Advertisement On the one hand, the report paints a relatively compelling narrative of Saudi Arabia infiltrating Bezos phone, and on the other hand, the actual technical forensic evidence is fairly minimal. But perhaps the most striking thing about the report is the picture that emerges from it of Saudi Arabias cyber-espionage efforts, suggesting that the country is carrying out espionage efforts so openly and haphazardly that it does not really care who finds out about them and lacks any coherent strategy for conducting online surveillance or using the information it collects effectively. And regardless of whether FTI is right about all the specifics, this is a picture that largely aligns with Saudi Arabias previous cyber-espionage efforts. Advertisement Perhaps the best defense for Saudi Arabiawhich has entirely denied any involvement in the breach of Bezoss phoneis simply that it makes no sense to infiltrate a phone this way. Having the nations crown prince personally deliver malware to a target is careless enough, but perhaps MBS was the only person the Saudi government thought would have a sufficient personal connection with Bezos to exchange WhatsApp messages without inciting suspicion. But to then follow up, from that same account, with weird memes and warnings is even more bizarre, much less to share stolen information with a U.S. tabloid, thereby drawing even greater scrutiny from Bezos and his security team. And to do all of that while still going to trouble of wiping the malware from the phone so it could not later be detected is even more confusing. Its too small-scale and private an intrusion to serve as a public signal of Saudi Arabias cyber-espionage prowess, but too brazen and public to be any kind of attempt at long-term covert espionage activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this weird behavior would also fit Saudi Arabias pattern of cyber-espionage in many ways. In a world where most online intrusions are meant either to serve as public signs of strength or covert maneuvers, this odd in-between type of not-quite-secret but not-really-out-in-the-open cyber-espionage is gradually becoming a hallmark of Saudi Arabia. For instance, last year the Department of Justice announced charges against two former Twitter employees for providing information about Twitter users to the Saudi Arabian government. That, too, was an odd case of Saudi Arabia doing something fairly overt and easy to discover but in a way that suggested they were mostly trying to collect information privately about Twitter users who had been critical of their regime. Similarly, Saudi Arabias use of Pegasus spyware, sold by controversial Israel company NSO Group, to spy on the communications of journalist Jamal Khashoggi prior to his murder, indicate a government that is not particularly interested in hiding its cyber-espionage activity even when planning targeted, secretive operations. Advertisement The very carelessness of these efforts suggests that Saudi Arabia feels little pressure to hide its online maneuvers, that it views cyber-espionage as so common and so widely practiced and accepted at this point that there is no need to hide its tracks. Nor does it try to trumpet these espionage efforts as proof of its formidable cyber capabilitiesindeed, most of them are not terribly technologically impressive. If the FTI report is accurate, the Bezos breach is notable for how brazen and bizarre it is as an act of espionage, and how confident Saudi Arabia apparently was that it could do whatever it wanted in this domain without facing any real consequences. If its not accurate then Bezos is dealing with a considerably more sophisticated adversaryone who was savvy enough to very effectively frame MBS and Saudi Arabia. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys exports of chemical products to Kyrgyzstan increased by 5.74 percent in 2019, compared to 2018, and amounted to just over $33 million, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Trade Ministry. Turkeys export of chemical products to Kyrgyzstan increased by 66.73 percent in December 2019, compared to December 2018, and exceeded $3.7 million. Export of chemical products from Turkey increased by 18.06 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, amounting to just over $26 billion or to 11.4 percent of the countrys total exports. Turkeys exports of chemical products increased by 20.5 percent in December 2019 compared to the same month of 2018, reaching $1.8 billion or to 11.8 percent countrys total export. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Brexit deal cleared its final hurdles in Parliament, bringing the crisis that paralyzed U.K. politics since the country voted to leave the European Union almost four years ago to a close. The passage of the law vindicates Johnsons gamble to call an election last month in which he asked voters to back his blueprint for leaving the bloc on Jan. 31. His 80-seat majority in the elected House of Commons meant he could sweep aside objections from pro-EU politicians in the upper chamber of Parliament, the Lords, and break the deadlock that cost his predecessor, Theresa May, her job last year. At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but weve done it. Now we can put the rancour and division of the past three years behind us, Johnson said, according to an emailed statement. Later Wednesday, members of the unelected House of Lords formally dropped their opposition and accepted the legislation as approved by the Commons. The bill will now go to Queen Elizabeth II who will sign it into law, putting Britain on track to leave the EU in eight days time. The agreement with the EU will now need to be formally ratified by the European Parliament on Jan. 29, before the U.K. leaves the bloc at the end of the month. Britain will then enter a transition period, scheduled to last until the end of the year, during which it will continue to be bound by EU laws until it negotiates a new trade deal with the remaining 27 member states. Johnson is expected to sign the agreement in the coming days, and the European Council and Commission presidents may sign it Friday in Brussels, according to a U.K. government official. U.K., EU Draw Battle Lines as the Hard Part of Brexit Begins Were in a very happy position in that we leave the EU in a position of absolute grace and uniformity, Johnson said as he answered questions from the public about the future negotiations with Brussels on Facebook. We are in perfect alignment with our EU friends and partners. Story continues Looking ahead, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid acknowledged Johnsons Dec. 31 deadline for reaching a new trade deal with the EU was tight. Both sides recognize that its a tight timetable, a lot needs to be put together in the time that we have, but it can be done, Javid said during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. And it can be done for both goods, where we want to see free trade, zero tariffs, zero quotas -- but also on services. The House of Lords had tried to amend the Brexit legislation to enhance EU citizens rights in Britain, allow judges -- rather than ministers -- to decide on the use of rulings by European Courts, and to ensure unaccompanied refugee children can join family in the U.K. All the measures were rejected by the Commons. Johnsons government rejected these changes and pushed the Lords to back down. --With assistance from Lucy Meakin, Olivia Konotey-Ahulu, Ian Wishart and Jessica Shankleman. To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Penny in London at tpenny@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Edward Evans For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Rumah Byrapaka, 24, was arrested on January 16 and charged with one count each of child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes in Georgia A Georgia middle school teacher could be deported following charges that she molested a male student and sent him naked photos and explicit text messages. Rumah Byrapaka, 24, was arrested on January 16 and charged with one count each of child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes, after being accused of inappropriate behavior with a 13-year-old boy. According to arrest warrants obtained by the Augusta Chronicle, Byrapaka sent nude pictures and explicit text messages to the boy. She also allegedly kissed and indecently touched him on school grounds. WRDW reported that Bryapaka used Instagram to send at least some of the explicit messages and photos to the boy. Following her arrest, Byrapaka was put on administrative leave with pay from her job at the Hephzibah Middle School in Hephzibah, Georgia. Byrapaka taught physical science and social studies at the school, according to her since-deleted staff homepage, according to the Daily Sun Post. On Tuesday, a judge granted Byrapaka bond - which the alleged victim's relatives opposed. The district attorney's office said that the boy had been known to sneak out of his home to meet up with Byrapaka because he is in love with her. Byrapaka (pictured) taught middle school and allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old male student. The boy's relatives said that he is in love with Byrapaka Byrapaka (pictured Tuesday at her bond hearing) is in the US on a student visa and now faces deportation. If she makes bond, she will be turned over to federal authorities Byrapaka is on paid, administrative leave from the Hephzibah Middle School (pictured), where she taught physical science and social studies Online jail records indicate that Byrapaka was given a $16,500 bond on the child molestation misdemeanor charge, with an additional $11,200 bond for the enticing a child charge. Should Byrapaka post her bond, she would be released from jail, but then go into a federal detention center on an immigration hold because she is not a US citizen. Byrapaka is in the US on a student visa and consequently faces deportation. It's unclear what Byrapaka's home country is and where she could be deported to. The judge set multiple conditions on her bond. Among them is that she has no contact with either the boy or his family, that she surrender her passport to the district attorney, and that she tells the court if she is released from federal custody and living with her family in Georgia's Columbia County. Her bond conditions also prohibit her from teaching at any school or being in contact with anyone under the age of 18, WRDW reported. The district attorney's office intends to file additional charges against Byrapaka, the August Chronicle reported. Byrapaka's jail records also include an 'other authorities safekeeping' charge, presumably her Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Augusta District Attorney's Office for additional comment. GREENWICH, Conn. and NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lapetus Capital II LLC (together with its affiliates, "Atlas"), along with other participants in its solicitation, including BW Coated LLC (together with its affiliates, "Blue Wolf"), the beneficial owner of approximately 9.43% of the outstanding common stock in Verso Corporation (NYSE: VRS, the "Company" or "Verso"), today issued the following statement to clarify recent comments Verso made regarding settlement negotiations: Atlas has on multiple occasions in good faith sought to resolve its dispute with the incumbent Verso directors in a consensual manner that benefits all stockholders and minimizes unnecessary expense and disruption to the Company. These settlement overtures began in earnest over six months ago in June 2019. Verso, on the other hand, continues to try to misdirect stockholders by diverting attention from the Board of Directors' abysmal governance practices, indefensible capital allocation strategy and poor operational track record. Just two days ago they proposed increasing the Board size yet again with an eighth director to attempt to manipulate Verso's governance without stockholder approval. We believe that these "red herring" settlement offers are solely made to try to portray Atlas in a negative light and are never intended to engage with Atlas in a meaningful way. Specific clarification is needed to correct the distorted and misleading Verso narrative, including: 1. Key Background Information : Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") Recommendation : "Taken as a whole additional change at the Board level is warranted." 1 : "Taken as a whole additional change at the Board level is warranted." Delaware Court of Chancery Ruling: There are sufficient facts to establish a credible basis for the Delaware Chancery Court to infer that there may have been entrenchment motives and possible wrongdoing by the Verso Board of Directors affecting the strategic review process that led to the Pixelle transaction. 2. Verso's Maligning and Misrepresentations Regarding Nominee Tim Lowe . Verso has continued to misrepresent the actions of Atlas nominee Tim Lowe. Despite what the Company has said about Mr. Lowe's participation in the union discussions in 2018, the Board and its advisors agreed that Atlas and Blue Wolf and its representatives, including Mr. Lowe, would have such discussions, which were encouraged and sanctioned by the Board and the senior management of Verso including, Mr. St. John (the now-current CEO of Verso). Additionally, Atlas, Blue Wolf and Mr. Lowe worked collaboratively with the senior management team of Verso, including Mr. St. John, on the terms that were presented to the Company's unions. Any inference to the contrary is patently false, misleading and a reflection of the depths of Verso's desperation. Atlas and Blue Wolf have no doubt that Mr. Lowe would uphold his fiduciary duties on the Board with integrity and thoughtfulness. Furthermore, Tim Lowe is an excellent director candidate with vast operating experience in the paper and pulp industry, and Verso's defamatory commentary is a reflection on the Verso Board's decision-making. 3. By proposing to expand the Board yet again, Verso is proposing to dilute the impact of the stockholder vote . In the last couple of months after Atlas and Blue Wolf nominated director candidates, Verso has (i) almost doubled the size of the Board and (ii) agreed to sell a significant portion of the Company's assets. Then, the Board took another step to offer as a "settlement" that an additional eighth director would be appointed by February 15th. It is concerning to us that the Board has continued to expand the size of the Board (while potentially downsizing the Company) but yet refuses to appoint the highly-qualified, independent nominees that have been presented by one of the Company's largest stockholders. Indeed, after ISS has made its recommendation, Verso is proposing to undercut that recommendation by offering Atlas two (2) Board seats out of an eight (8) member Board, rather than Atlas' three (3) nominees out of the current seven (7) member Board. Once again Verso is trying to manipulate the governance process to frustrate the clear views of the owners, the stockholders. 4. The Specialty Mills Sale . Atlas has continuously requested additional information in order to make as informed a decision as possible with respect to the Specialty Mills Sale. If the sale is approved, Atlas and Blue Wolf would expect that the newly elected Verso Board, including any Atlas nominees, would implement the transaction in accordance with its terms Verso suggesting otherwise is another false "scare tactic" to attempt to derail the election of Atlas' nominees. Atlas believes that this most recent display of poor communication with investors reveals the extent to which the Board has been misguided. Atlas and Blue Wolf encourage stockholders to vote on the BLUE proxy card today FOR the election of all THREE (3) of its highly-qualified independent nominees Timothy Lowe, Sean Erwin and Jeffery Kirt . Atlas Holdings is an industrial holding company with a portfolio of 20 companies with aggregate annual revenues of approximately $5 billion, operating approximately 150 facilities and employing more than 18,000 people globally. Although we are engaged in a variety of industrial sectors, Atlas Holdings has been successfully investing in the pulp, paper and packaging industries since our formation in 1999, including specifically in the subsectors in which Verso participates specialty paper, graphic paper, packaging paper and pulp. We generate profits for our investors by investing in underperforming businesses and unlocking the full potential of those companies over the long term. Atlas Holdings has a total of approximately $3.0 billion of committed capital under management, including $1.7 billion in its third investment fund. Blue Wolf Capital Partners is a middle market private equity firm whose partners have decades of experience investing in and growing companies. Blue Wolf transforms companies strategically, operationally and collaboratively. Blue Wolf manages challenging situations and complex relationships between businesses, customers, employees, unions and regulators to build value for stakeholders. For over a decade Blue Wolf has been an active investor in pulp, paper and forest products companies with a highly successful track record. Blue Wolf has over $1.6 billion in committed capital. IMPORTANT INFORMATION On December 31, 2019, Lapetus Capital II LLC ("Lapetus"), together with the other participants in Lapetus' proxy solicitation (the "Participants"), filed a definitive proxy statement and accompanying BLUE proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to be used to solicit proxies in connection with the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders of Verso Corporation (the "Company"). LAPETUS STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION AND A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR DIRECT OR INDIRECT INTERESTS THEREIN. The Definitive Proxy Statement and a form of proxy is available to stockholders of the Company at no charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov and is also available, without charge, on request by contacting Lapetus' proxy solicitor Harkins Kovler, LLC by telephone at the following numbers: 1 (212) 468-5380 (banks and brokers call collect) or toll-free at 1 (877) 339-3288. Media Contacts: Prosek Partners Andrew Merrill / Brian Schaffer 646.818.9216 / 646.818.9229 [email protected] / [email protected] 1 Permission to quote ISS was neither sought nor obtained. SOURCE Atlas Holdings LLC; Blue Wolf Capital Advisors IV, LLC Two men from Allentown are accused of cutting catalytic converters from cars parked in two Lehigh Valley boroughs. On Jan. 2, two Catasauqua residents reported their catalytic converters were stolen from their Honda Elements. One car was parked in the 400 block of Front Street and the other was parked in the 400 block of Craine Street, less than 0.4 miles from each other, police said. Police said an officer on patrol at about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 2, saw Jose Rivera hiding behind a Honda Element parked in the 900 block of Main Street in Northampton borough, records say. Police saw a Toyota minivan speeding away from the area and stopped it at Seventh and Washington streets. Jose Rivera, 22, was hiding behind a tree and Edwardo Rivera, 33, was a passenger in the van, police said. There was a ski mask, gloves, two saws with red blades, other tools and two freshly cut catalytic converters in the van, police said. The cut marks on the exhaust pipe from the car in Northampton Borough had red paint chips on it, and the two converters found in the Riveras van also had red paint shavings on them, police said. The two men were released, and the van was towed. Later that day, the owner of a Honda Element in Northampton borough reported to police her catalytic converter was cut but not removed. Police filed charges against the pair on Friday. Police are still searching for Jose Rivera, but Edwardo Rivera was charged Sunday with two counts of theft, as well as receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, loitering and possession of an instrument of a crime. Edwardo Rivera was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. At the time of his arraignment, he was free on $10,000 unsecured bail in a Whitehall Township retail theft case, records show. Jose Rivera was paroled in September after pleading guilty to fleeing from Bethlehem police in a Feb. 5 incident in the city, records show. He was sentenced to six months to 23 months in Lehigh County Jail, followed by one year of probation. Catalytic converter thefts have been a problem for years. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported that between 2008 and 2015, there were 25,394 catalytic converter thefts reported across the country. The devices contain each of three precious metals: rhodium, platinum or palladium. The devices can bring between $20 and $240 in scrap metal, the NICB said. SUVs are targeted for their ground clearance, because thieves dont need a jack to reach the devices. Police reported this week that catalytic converters were stolen from six ambulances parked in a Delaware County, Pennsylvania lot, Fox channel 29 reported. In the past two weeks, thieves stole catalytic converters from disability buses in Akron, Ohio, News 5 in Cleveland reported. Portland, Oregon police reported 130 catalytic converters were reported stolen between June 1 and Dec. 31 of last year. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. You are here: China The number of passenger trips rose 2.5 percent year on year to 758 million in the first 10 days of the Spring Festival travel rush, official data showed. From Jan. 10 to 19, 117 million railway trips were made, up 20.3 percent from one year earlier, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT). The country reported 612 million road trips as well as 8.84 million trips through waterway transportation, which increased by 4.8 percent year on year. Civil aviation sector operated 19.13 million passenger trips during the period, registering a 9.1-percent yearly growth, MOT data showed. The week-long holiday for the Lunar New Year will begin on Jan. 24, while the travel rush, also known as "chunyun," will last for 40 days from Jan. 10 to Feb. 18. Los Angeles: Hollywood star Brad Pitt is enjoying his life and says he has no complaints. While walking the Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet on Sunday, the actor spoke about taking stock of his life now, reports people.com. "It's a beautiful day here in LA. We got it well, we got it really good," Pitt said. He continued: "I got friends, I got lovely kids, I like my coffee, I like my dogs. I've got no complaints." Pitt has six children with his former wife, actress Angelina Jolie. The two split in September 2016 after two years of marriage and 12 years being together. Earlier this month, the actor won for best-supporting actor at the National Board of Review Awards in which he said his "goals in life now are pretty simple" as he listed standard aspirations like "to be happy" and "stay healthy". In listing his final goal, Pitt joked he hopes to stay clear of "a financial situation where I have to do 'Ocean's 14'," adding, "We'll see". A roundup of campaign news items of interest for Tuesday, January 21, 2020: YOUTH STRAW POLL JAN. 28: The latest Iowa Youth Straw Poll has been scheduled for Tuesday, less than a week before the Feb. 3, first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. The event is put on by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. In the event, students at participating Iowa schools will cast votes in races for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House. All public and private schools are invited to participate, as are home-schooled students. We want to get students excited about voting and civic engagement and I think the results will be very interesting with the straw poll taking place so close to the caucuses, Pate said in a news release. Historically, the Youth Straw Poll has been a pretty good indicator of the state of the races at that point. Pate said the top vote-getters in the fall Youth Straw Poll were Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump. Pates office invited the candidates to produce videos for the event. They are available on the offices YouTube page and online at elections101.org. STATE LAWMAKERS ENDORSE WARREN: State lawmakers Jennifer Konfrst and Heather Matson are among more than 25 new endorsements from central Iowa elected officials and political leaders for Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. I was called to action in this presidential race by a message of civic grace and common purpose, and a sincere desire to heal our country, Matson said in a statement provided by the Warren campaign. And after a long Iowa caucus campaign, Elizabeth Warren has emerged as the best candidate to defend our shared values, ensure opportunity for all and give a voice to those too often left behind. The list of new central Iowa endorsers includes city council members, school board members, and county party officials. DNC MEMBER ENDORSES BIDEN: Sandy Opstvedt, an Iowa representative to the Democratic National Committee and a local labor leader, endorsed Joe Bidens Democratic presidential campaign. Joe Biden has always and will always stand up for labor in Iowa and across the country, because thats who he is, Opstvedt said in a statement provided by the Biden campaign. As president, Joe will fight for higher wages and good-paying jobs, strengthen social security and Medicare, and build on Obamacare. And when he beats Donald Trump in November, Joe will bring honesty, decency, and respect for workers back to the White House. SCOTT COUNTY OFFICIAL ENDORSES KLOBUCHAR: Scott County recorder Rita Vargas endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar. Vargas is the highest-ranking elected Latino elected official in Iowa. Amy Klobuchar has the right skills, experience, and vision to lead our country right now, Vargas said in a statement distributed by the Klobuchar campaign. Shes committed to bringing people together over our shared values, shes crafted bold and achievable policy plans, and she has the track record to get these plans passed through Congress. RECORD-MAKING OFFICIAL ENDORSES SANDERS: Dionna Langford, who was the youngest school board member in Des Moines history when she was elected in 2014, endorsed Bernie Sanders Democratic presidential campaign. When I first ran, I think my bank account may have been in the negative. I had no political experience. Theres a way that we say that youre supposed to do politics: You sit down with these people, you have these conversations, Langford says in a video produced by the Sanders campaign. One of the many things that has attracted me to Sen. Sanders campaign is our political system shouldnt operate that way. It shouldnt be for those who just have affluence, it shouldnt be for those who are just well-connected. STATE LAWMAKERS ENDORSE MILLER-MEEKS: Ken Rozenboom and Holly Brink, state lawmakers from Oskaloosa, endorsed Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican primary candidate in eastern Iowas 2nd Congressional District. I have fought tirelessly in the legislature to protect the unborn because it reflects one of my deepest core values, Rozenboom said in a statement distributed by the Miller-Meeks campaign. To me, this issue is personal. I want someone in Congress who will never waver on this issue and that is why I am proud to support Mariannette for Congress. Shell never quit fighting for all Iowans born and unborn. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Militants killed 36 civilians when they attacked villages in northern Burkina Faso, the government said Tuesday, appealing for local volunteers to bolster its fight against jihadists. A "terrorist group" killed 32 civilians when they attacked and burned the market in Nagraogo village before killing four more people in Alamou village on Monday, the government said. Three other people were wounded in the attacks, it added. "The Burkina government has learned with consternation and anger of the deaths of 36 Burkinabe in Sanmatenga province, after a terrorist attack," communications minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said. Hundreds of people have fled the area and taken refuge in the city of Kaya, in Sanmatenga province, according to residents contacted by AFP. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore announced a two-day period of mourning, for Wednesday and Thursday, during which flags will be flown at half-mast and festivals will be prohibited. Volunteer plan Faced with these "repeated attacks" against civilians, the government launched an appeal for the people's "frank collaboration" with the defence and security forces. The Burkina parliament on Tuesday adopted unanimously a law allowing for the recruitment of local volunteers in the fight against jihadists. According to a document seen by AFP, volunteers aged over 18 will be recruited in their regions in agreement with local populations. They will be given 14 days military training, after which they will be given small arms and other communication equipment. The recruits would be expected to conduct surveillance and provide information and protection for their local communities in the event of an attack while waiting for security forces to deploy, according to Defence Minister Cheriff Sy. Burkina Faso, as well as neighbouring Mali and Niger, has seen frequent jihadist attacks which have left hundreds of people dead since the start of 2015 when Islamist extremist violence began to spread across the Sahel region. Story continues According to the UN, around 4,000 people were killed in jihadist attacks in the three Sahel countries last year. The Burkina Faso army is ill-equipped and poorly trained to deal with the threat posed by jihadists in the country. However, in recent months they have enjoyed a series of successes, claiming to have killed a hundred jihadists in many operations. There are 4,500 French troops deployed in the Sahel region as well as a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Mali to fight insurgents, backing up national forces of the G5 -- Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. In the wake of the latest attack European Commission diplomatic spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson said it was a reminder of the "urgency" of a plan to increase European security and development action in the region. "Thoughts for the families of the victims of this new terrorist attack in a market in Burkina Faso," she said on Twitter. (AFP) Former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has condemned Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State on his call for dialogue between the federal government and the South West governors on the operation of Amotekun security outfit. Recall that the APC National Leader called on both parties to avoid statements that can ignite disunity in the country, urging for more dialogue. Also Read: Nigerians Knock Tinubu Over Comment On Amotekun Reacting to the statement, the former minister described Tinubus statement as wishy-washy. He also urged the APC leader to stop trying to defend the federal government. See his tweet below: The lawyer for a Cork man who wants to plead guilty to having a 350,000 stash of suspected heroin complained about the delay in testing the drug at the Forensic Science Laboratory. This is a very simple test you put a substance on it to see what colour change you get, Joseph Cuddigan, solicitor, complained at Cork District Court today. Mr Cuddigan said Kevin Bulman had been in custody since his arrest on November 5 and had indicated his willingness to plead guilty as soon as he was arrested. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said directions were still awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The sergeant said it was not as if the prosecution had not been in contact with the Forensic Science Laboratory in relation to the analysis. Sgt Davis said that DPP directions could not be given in the case in the absence of a certificate of analysis. Mr Cuddigan complained that in the absence of directions from the DPP, the defendant could not sign a plea of guilty, the solicitor could not engage a barrister and he could not start getting reports. Judge Carol Anne Ni Chullachain adjourned the case until February 5 to allow further time for directions. Detective Garda Paul Leahy arrested Kevin Bulman on St Patrick Street, Cork, on Tuesday, November 5. He was charged with counts of possession of Diamorphine, better known as heroin, and the more serious count of having the drug for the purpose of sale or supply on that date. A total of two-and-a-half kilos of suspected heroin worth an estimated 350,000, which was split into a number of bags, was sent for analysis. Commenting on the drugs seizure, Superintendent Michael Comyns said at Anglesea Street garda station, "This is a significant seizure by our Drugs Unit here in Cork city. Drugs have such a negative impact on so many lives and have no place in our communities. The Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice to locate self-styled godman Nithyananda, who fled India last year after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka, Gujarat Police said on Wednesday. The state police revealed the move in a charge sheet filed in a local court in connection with an FIR lodged against Nithyananda in November last year, after two girls went missing from his ashram here. "The Interpol issued the Blue Corner notice against the controversial godman this month," Deputy Superintendent of Police K T Kamariya told PTI. The police said they were working that a Red Corner Notice be issued by the Interpol against him now. Nithyananda was earlier declared wanted by the Gujarat Police. A Blue Corner notice is issued to locate or obtain information about a person in a criminal investigation, while a Red Corner notice is issued to seek arrest of a wanted person. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Oregon mother experienced terror when her 10-month-old, Kolson, fell down a heating vent. The boy's mother, Saydie Reedy, was washing dishes Jan. 15 when she realized it had been much too quiet with two little boys in the home. She went to check on them and found her baby was gone. "Baby in," her 3-year-old, Jackson, said as he pointed to the heating vent in the floor. "I've never felt fear quite like that," Reedy said to KVAL. "I couldnt hear him in there, but he was nowhere else to be found. So, I quickly called 911, panicking." Police and firefighters arrived at the house within minutes. "That's a call that we haven't had before, so they troubleshot it real quick and figured out they gotta remove some flooring to get to the baby," Coburg police Chief Larry Larson said. Officer Kevin Wilson was able to reach Kolson by crawling beneath the house, finding the infant 8 feet down the vent in the duct work. Wilson was able to lift Kolson back up through the vent, and other officers were able pull the infant back out. Aside from being dirty with a few scratches, Kolson was OK. He wasn't even crying. "I've never felt so relieved. I'm pretty sure I was bawling," Reedy said. Reedy posted about the experience online, warning other parents about the dangers of heating vents. She said the family had been doing some construction on their home, built in the 1920s, and the vents had not been screwed down. She said after the police left, the vents were screwed down. Days later, Reedy and her son Kolson took a trip to the police station to thank Wilson. App Annie has released its State of Mobile 2020 report, and along with it, some interesting app-related insight. The company reports that consumers downloaded 204 billion mobile apps in 2019. 2019 marks the year in which mobile app downloads crossed that magic 200 billion limit. Consumers downloaded 204 billion mobile apps in 2019, marking huge growth It is noted that annual worldwide app downloads have grown 45-percent in three years, since 2016 (6-percent YoY). That is quite impressive if you note that this excludes re-installs, and app updates. App Annie says that these downloads were largely fueled by emerging markets, such as India, Brazil, and Indonesia. The source also noted that consumers in mature markets, such as the US, Japan, and Korea, are still looking for new apps, though. Advertisement Another interesting fact is that consumer expenditure hit $120 billion last year. That means that consumers last year spent 2.1x more cash on apps than in 2016. Games make 72-percent of all app store spend, that goes for the App Store and Google Play Store together. Well, all the information provided here goes for both stores as a unit. App Annie notes that the mobile app industry is set to contribute $4.8 trillion to global GDP by the year 2023, which is mind-blowing. Advertisement People are spending a lot more time on their mobile devices these days. App Annie says that consumers have been spending 35-percent more time in mobile in 2019, than they did two years prior. Mobile-first companies had much higher average IPO valuation To make things even more interesting, is the fact that mobile-first companies saw 825-percent higher average IPO valuation. The top three largest IPOs in 2019 were Alibaba Group, Prosus & Naspers, and Uber. All of those have mobile as a core focus. In-app subscriptions contribute to 96-percent of spend in top non-gaming apps, reports App Annie. People are still spending more in the App Store, than they do in the Play Store. Advertisement The source claims that 2020 is set to be mobiles biggest year yet, as expected. Advertising will fuel revenue, as mobile ad spend is expected to reach $240 billion. The streaming wars will also heat up next year. App Annie says that 5G is the next battleground, though it remains to be seen when will it take full swing. All in all, you can expect to see many more apps to arrive next year. Consumers are expected to spend even more on apps than they did last year. Pretty much every app-related statistic is expected to grow. COLUMBIA A University of South Carolina student involved in a social media post that included a racist comment is no longer attending the school. A university spokesman, citing privacy laws, declined Wednesday to say if the student was expelled or left on her own and did not release the student's name. A female student posted a photo on Martin Luther King Jr. Day featuring three white women taking a selfie in a mirror with the caption Happy (abbreviated n-word) day. The post was discovered a day later and circulated around Twitter. Felicia Nguyen, a USC freshman from Charlotte who re-posted the photo on social media to get the university to take action, said most of her classmates were appalled about the comment, especially coming on King Day. Nguyen said she was glad the student was no longer on campus. "There's no reason for a post like that. It's not representative of being a Gamecock," Nguyen said. "She finally faced the consequences she deserved." USC President Bob Caslen tweeted Tuesday that the post was "absolutely not reflective of who we are as Gamecocks. ... We value all people & seek to create an environment in which each of us feels valued. Racist messages run contrary to who we are and we can and must do better." The latest posting comes four years after another white USC student was photographed writing the n-word on a whiteboard under a list of Reasons why USC Wi-Fi blows. That student was suspended. USC focused its investigation on the student who organized the photo rather than the others in the snapshot, a university spokesman said. African Americans make up 9 percent of USC's student population in Columbia, according to the latest data available online. African Americans account for 27 percent of South Carolina's population. PORTLAND, Oregon, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Lithography Metrology Equipment Market by Technology (CD-SEM, OCD, Overlay Control, and Others), Product (Chemical Control Equipment, Gas Control Equipment, and Others), Application (Quality Control & Inspection, Reverse Engineering, Virtual Simulation, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026." According to the report, the global lithography metrology equipment industry was estimated at $ 382.6 million in 2018 and is expected to hit 681.4 $ million by 2026, registering a CAGR of 7.2% from 2019 to 2026. Drivers, restraints and opportunities- Rise in demand for miniaturized electronic devices, increase in trends toward Internet of Things (IoT) and growth in the semiconductor industry drive the growth of the global lithography metrology equipment market. Whereas, metrology challenges for complex IC devices curb the growth to certain extent. Nevertheless, surge in investment in wafer fabrication equipment and materials is expected to pave the way for a number of opportunities for the key players in the industry. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4155 The CD SEM segment to lead the trail by 2026- Based on technology, the CD SEM segment contributed to approximately one-third of the global lithography metrology equipment market share in 2018, and is expected to retain its dominance from 2019 to 2026. As CD SEM is capable of measuring traditional mast shapes. On the other hand, the OCD segment would register the fastest CAGR of 9.1% throughout the estimated period. The OCD is capable of interpreting accurate results The chemical control equipment segment to dominate during the estimated period- Based on product, the chemical control equipment segment held the major share in 2018, generating more than two-fifths of the global lithography metrology equipment market, as it ensures quality and accurate data. At the same time, the gas control equipment segment would cite the fastest CAGR of 9.1% during the study period. This is due to the quality device manufacturing provided by gas control equipment. Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, to rule the roost- Based on geography, the region across Asia-Pacific accounted for nearly three-fourths of the global lithography metrology equipment market revenue in 2018, and is projected to remain lucrative by the end of 2026. This is due to the strong semiconductor manufacturing industry in the region. The same region is also expected to showcase the fastest CAGR of 7.7% throughout the estimated period. However, North America garnered the second major share in 2018. Make Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4155 Frontrunners in the industry- Mikon Metrology NV Advantest Corporation KLA-Corporation Nanometrics Canon Inc Hitachi High Technologies Corporation Applied Materials Inc Tokyo Electron Limited ASML NOVA Access AVENUE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/Avenue-Membership-details Avenue, a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Similar Reports: Photomask Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Smart Lighting Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Level Sensor Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Ethernet Cable Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Data Center Switch Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Pre-book Offer 10% Discount: Collaborative Robot Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Intelligent Power Module Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 About us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact us: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 [email protected] Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow us on: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-market-research SOURCE Allied Market Research [January 22, 2020] Opposites Attract: Virtuoso Flirts With Country Coupling For The Ultimate In Divergent Experiences NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW/ -- Globetrotters are traversing multiple countries in shorter journeys to maximize their experiences and enrich their travels. Confirming that opposites do indeed attract, luxury travel network Virtuoso encourages travelers to aim for destinations that offer dynamic differences in diverse settings. Close in proximity but faraway in style, these perfect pairings push the boundaries of a single trip and make for an intoxicating voyage. The 2020 Virtuoso Luxe Report named country coupling as a key trend in upscale travel, and the following are surprising combinations that represent the best of both worlds. Zermatt, Switzerland to Cairo, Egypt A country coupling for the adventurous at heart, begin by visiting picturesque Zermatt, where intrepid travelers can ski the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps. Marvel at the iconic Matterhorn and quaint wooden chalets, walk the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge and sample apres-ski activities. When it's time to shake off the snow, trade the frosty slopes of Zermatt for the slopes of the pyramids of Giza. With its abundant history and majestic culture, Cairo is the ideal destination for epic experiences and wondrous views. Nonstop flights from Geneva to Cairo are four hours. Travelers should also factor in the travel time from Geneva to Zermatt, which is three to four hours by train. Bangkok, Thailand to Paro, Bhutan Frenzied Bangkok has an attraction for all, and its unique blend of chaos and culture guarantees a good time. Hop on the Skytrain for great city views en route to the vibrant Chatuchak Market or the must-see Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. After the buzz of Bangkok, become immersed in the sprawling nature and spiritual enlightenment of Bhutan. Although not the easiest to gain access to, this small Buddhist kingdom's unspoiled landscape and commitment to communal happiness make it the optimal destination for reflection and renewal. The flight time from Bangkok to Paro is three to four hours. Dublin, Ireland to Reykjavik, Iceland The journey from Ireland to Iceland includes captivating scenery and one-of-a-kind experiences in two vastly different locales. Settle into Dublin with some aged whiskey or feast on fish and chips at the century-old Leo Burdock Christchurch. Adrenaline junkies can enjoy paragliding, buggy racing and rafting, while others can opt for a day trip to the stately Blarney Castle or the remarkable Cliffs of Moher. The rugged beauty of Iceland is also sure to amaze, as capital city Reykjavik can be a party paradise or the springboard for incredible thrills like helicopter tours, whale watching and, with luck, the Northern Lights. A nonstop flight from Dublin to Reykjavik is between two and three hours. Kruger National Park, South Africa to Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique From safari to sand, this excursion is for luxury travelers who want it all. Home to an abundance of wildlife, Kruger National Park's private reserves and luxury lodges make for an unforgettable exploration of nature. Witness an African sunrise aboard a hot air balloon, take an afternoon bush walk or peruse the park's rich history at the Albasini Ruins. After an extraordinary encounter with the Big Five, continue the adventure in the secluded Bazaruto Archipelago. These stunning islands off the coast of Mozambique offer turquoise water, pristine coral reefs and thriving marine life. Snorkel in protected sites and observe the fascinating birdlife in this exquisite Eden. Flights from Johannesburg to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport are less than an hour, and flights from Johannesburg to Vilanculos, Mozambique are two to three hours. Travelers can transfer from Vilanculos to one of the six islands by helicopter or boat but should keep in mind that flights to Bazaruto do not run daily. A Virtuoso advisor is the perfect matchmaker for travelers wanting to make the most of these country couplings. Visit www.virtuoso.com/travel-advisors to find an advisor who can minimize travel time, book incredible stays and elevate the experience. Virtuoso photos: Cliffs of Moher, Kruger National Park, Giza Necropolis About Virtuoso Virtuoso is the leading international travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,000 travel agency partners with 20,000 elite travel advisors in 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with over 1,800 of the world's best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. More than (U.S.) $26.4 billion in annual travel sales makes Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. Media Contacts: Misty Belles Lauren Wintemberg Managing Director, Global Public Relations Account Director Virtuoso Alice Marshall Public Relations Phone: +1.202.553.8817 Phone: +1.212.861.4031 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opposites-attract-virtuoso-flirts-with-country-coupling-for-the-ultimate-in-divergent-experiences-300991131.html SOURCE Virtuoso [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] iStock(NEW YORK) -- A female state senator from Michigan has come forward with a sexual harassment complaint against a male lawmaker in the wake of recent claims from a reporter regarding his conduct, to help show that "this behavior is a pattern." Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, told ABC News she "felt a level of responsibility" to tell her story about an incident she says occurred with Sen. Peter J. Lucido, R-Shelby Twp., after a claim last week he made inappropriate comments to a young capitol reporter. "My heart sank because she said, 'It made me feel small.' And that's exactly how I felt in November of 2018," said McMorrow, responding to recent allegations against Lucido by Allison Donahue, a reporter for the Michigan Advance. "I felt a level of responsibility for not having said something then, and I wanted to support her reporting with a story that's corroborated to show that this is a pattern of behavior, not just an isolated incident," McMorrow added. Thinking back to her orientation day at the Senate building in Lansing two days after the November 2018 election -- which, she said, included sexual harassment training -- McMorrow said her introduction to Lucido turned into a "degrading and deflating" moment. "As we shook hands, he held his other hand very, very low on my back, so his fingers were grazing my hip. So it was a very close conversation and he held it there," she said. "I told him that I just beat incumbent Marty Kollenberg. And he looked me up and down, while still holding onto my low back, raised his eyebrows and said, 'I can see why.'" "It felt like it reduced everything I had accomplished," she continued. "It didn't matter to him that I had just run a really hard campaign for a year and a half or that I have a successful career or whether or not I was qualified -- it was just, 'Of course you won, because of what you look like.' "In terms of the sexual harassment spectrum, this is more on the creepy scale. It unnerved me and made me feel gross and degraded." Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-Beverly Hills, confirmed to Crain's Detroit Business that she witnessed Lucido with his arm "reaching around [McMorrow's] back." McMorrow told ABC News she told her husband the day it happened, but as a woman in the minority party and one of the youngest people in the Senate, she "shrugged it off and sat back down." "I recognize that as another sitting senator that I'm in a position of power to come forward -- so if I can, and that helps make this a safer place to work, then I will sleep better at night," McMorrow added. "Even if that means the end of my political career." In a statement provided to ABC News on Tuesday, Lucido denied the sexual harassment allegations, calling them "completely untrue and politically motivated." McMorrow told ABC News she was "disappointed by his response" and that Lucido has not reached out to her, adding, "For him to say my claim is politically motivated is obscene." "The reaction from Lucido to Allison's story has morphed to portray this as a one-off or joke that she somehow interpreted in the wrong way. I hope to show that it's a pattern of his behavior," she said. Donahue says Lucido told her last week she could "have a lot of fun" with a group of boys who were there on a visit from De La Salle Collegiate, an all-boys Catholic high school and Lucido's alma mater. "'You should hang around! You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you,'" he said, according to Donahue. Donahue wrote in a first-person account for the nonprofit politics news site that she told Lucido the comment was unprofessional and that he would not have said such a thing to an older journalist or male counterpart. According to Donahue, Lucido assured her he meant no harm and that it was a reference to how students at an all-boys school didn't know how to act around women. "It was nothing disingenuous. It was no harm," the state senator, who's married with three children, told the Detroit Free Press. Lucido also said he didn't feel he owed Donohue an apology because he thought the quotes were taken out of context." He changed course and later issued a statement apologizing "for the misunderstanding" and "for offending Allison Donahue." "His response went from acknowledgment to victim-blaming to deflecting," McMorrow said. "From my understanding, over the course of an entire week, he didn't once call Allison Donahue to apologize." McMorrow told ABC News that in the wake of what happened between Lucido and Donahue, all eight female state senators convened on Thursday to "talk about improved response mechanisms." "The culture feels like, as long as you're effective we turn a blind eye to how people are treated, and I felt like that needed an immediate response," she said. "So I wanted to make sure to explain and share that I have a story." McMorrow said that "immediately" Sen. Rosemary Bayer told her, "'Oh, I remember that his hand was way down there.'" McMorrow said she shared her story with Donahue "in confidence last week," and then, "I called her back last night to let her know that I would be filing a report." "I give her a lot of credit for standing up at 22 years old. I wouldn't have done this had she not shared what happened," McMorrow said. She says her hope now is that this acts as a catalyst for change within the Lansing capitol building and beyond. "What I hope changes, cause there's always going to be people who cross the line -- particularly in politics -- is that we can talk to each other," she said. "If someone tells you they're offended, reach out and find out why -- don't immediately go on defense." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Greta Thunberg was among four young climate activists to scold the elite gathered at the World Economic Forum for not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency and warned them that time was running out. At a panel in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the four said they hoped their generation had found its voice and can work with those in power to bring about the necessary change to limit climate change. Yet Ms Thunberg said not enough has been done. Barbs "We need to start listening to the science, and treat this crisis with the importance it deserves," said the 17-year-old, just as US President Donald Trump was arriving in Davos to deliver his speech. Mr Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris accord to limit climate change and traded barbs with Ms Thunberg on social media. "Without treating it as a real crisis we cannot solve it," Ms Thunberg said. The Swedish teenager came to fame by staging a regular strike at her school, sparking a global movement that eventually earned her Time Magazine's award as the 2019 Person of the Year. She said people are more aware about climate issues now. "It feels like the climate and environment is a hot topic now, thanks to young people pushing," the campaigner said. The others on the panel were just as forceful and passionate about the effects of global warming and how they, as young people, need to play a central role in raising awareness and insist on change. "The older generation has a lot of experience, but we have ideas, we have energy, and we have solutions," said Natasha Wang Mwansa, an 18-year-old activist from Zambia who campaigns for girls' and women's rights. Salvador Gomez-Colon, who raised funds and awareness after Hurricane Maria devastated his native Puerto Rico in 2017, said young activists are doing more than just talking. "We're not waiting five, 10, 20 years to take the action we want to see," he said. "We're not the future of the world, we're the present, we're acting now. We're not waiting any longer." Ms Thunberg said the time for action was now, that being at the top of the agenda meant nothing if the world doesn't get to grips with the climate emergency. Voice "I am not the person who can complain about not being heard. I'm being heard all the time," she added. "But in general the science and the voice of young people is not in the centre of the conversation." Autumn Peltier, the chief water commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation of indigenous people in Canada, said plaudits are not what they are looking for at Davos. "I don't want your awards. If you are going to award me, award me with helping to find solutions and helping to make change." Jeff Flake, the former senator from Arizona, doesn't know whether he would have voted to impeach President Trump, but is sure of one thing: Trump definitely did something wrong. Flake announced in 2017 he would not seek re-election, saying he felt there wasn't any room in the Republican Party for critics of Trump. He was in the Senate chamber on Tuesday, watching his former colleagues participate in Trump's impeachment trial, and during a break told reporters he saw valid points on both sides of the argument over whether Trump's pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was an impeachable offense. Trump pushed Zelensky to launch an investigation into his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and while Flake doesn't know if Trump should be removed from office over this, it wasn't a good idea. "As a Republican, it pains me when I see Republicans, House Republicans, try to maintain that the president did no wrong, that this is somehow normal," he said. "It's not." More stories from theweek.com Woman reunites with long-lost father after he's a suggested Facebook friend Several senators left the chamber in the middle of Adam Schiff's impeachment remarks The White House is arguing the impeachment articles don't include allegations of a quid pro quo because the exact words don't appear Mandatory gun ownership went hand-in-hand with strict gun restrictions, and in the emerging racialized polity of British North America, this meant banning guns among enslaved Africans and free blacks as well as strong prohibitions on selling guns to indigenous people. Whats more, the historian Kathleen Brown observes in Good Wives, Nasty Wenches, and Anxious Patriarchs: Gender, Race and Power in Colonial Virginia, mass gun ownership among white men enabled a male popular culture that appeared to transcend social differences, one which permitted white men to participate in a solidarity of race that minimized their class differences but also in a fraternity of men, united and empowered by the gun culture they shared. The inherent honor of white manhood, she writes, became increasingly based on the right to carry a gun. These dynamics carried over into the creation of the United States. At its founding, the United States was a white republic whose Constitution reflected settler preoccupation with racial control. As it grew and expanded, so would Americans racialized understanding of rights, responsibilities, personhood and citizenship. Gun ownership in particular was for white men. It took disunion and the threat of political dissolution to break that taboo, although, in the aftermath of the Civil War, many white Americans retained their hostility to arms-bearing blacks. Postwar black codes in former Confederate states like Alabama prohibited any freedman, mulatto or free person of color to own firearms, or carry about this person a pistol or other deadly weapon. None of this actually stopped blacks, especially former Union soldiers, from owning guns, and subsequent decades would see black Americans develop a tradition of arms carried for defense against white supremacists, either lawless terrorists or state-sponsored vigilantes. But the right to bear arms would remain structured by race, by the idea that gun ownership and the full citizenship it implied was reserved for white men. This held in the face of war. Hundreds of thousands of black Americans registered for military service in the First World War, but most were confined to labor and support roles, with few seeing combat. It was reinforced in pop culture from the heroic night riders of The Birth of a Nation to the idealized white manhood of western gunslingers like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood as well as in politics. Led by Gov. Ronald Reagan, California banned open carry in response to armed patrols by members of the Black Panther Party. Read in light of this history, the demonstrations in Richmond were a touch ironic. Twenty-two thousand people most of them armed, most of them white, most of them men, some threatening insurrection afraid of losing an expansive right to own and possess guns, seemingly unaware of how theyre the only ones who could protest in this manner. Its because they are paradigmatic because they represent the idealized gun owner that the state can tolerate their presence. The Richmond rally may not mean much for the future of gun control in Virginia, but it definitely illustrates the ways race continues to shape the right to bear arms, the same way it shapes almost every other aspect of American citizenship. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here's our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is snubbing Congress by refusing to turn over a report detailing an investigation into national security risks potentially posed by imported vehicles and auto parts, citing pending international negotiations and executive branch deliberations. Congress inserted a provision in a spending bill last month demanding the White House turn over the long-secret government report that U.S. President Donald Trump used to declare in May 2019 that some unnamed imported autos pose risks to national security. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is snubbing Congress by refusing to turn over a report detailing an investigation into national security risks potentially posed by imported vehicles and auto parts, citing pending international negotiations and executive branch deliberations. Congress inserted a provision in a spending bill last month demanding the White House turn over the long-secret government report that U.S. President Donald Trump used to declare in May 2019 that some unnamed imported autos pose risks to national security. Trump opted not to impose any immediate tariffs on imported cars or auto parts because of the alleged security threat and then ordered another six-month review on a decision on tariffs of up to 25%. The delay was to allow for more time for trade talks with the European Union and Japan. A person briefed on the matter said Trump had relied on a Justice Department opinion to order Commerce not to turn over the report under a Section 232 investigation. The Commerce Department said in a statement it was "not releasing the 232 autos report because releasing it now would interfere with the Presidents ability to protect confidential executive branch communications and could interfere with ongoing negotiations." Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican, blasted the decision saying "by refusing to make public the statutorily-required report on automobile tariffs, the Department of Commerce is willfully violating federal law." Toomey said he was "evaluating the potential for corrective action to compel the rightful release of this report." On Tuesday, Trump said he was still considering imposing tariffs and mentioned imported European vehicles in particular, without singling out any brands. "We expect to be able to make a deal with Europe. And if they don't make a deal, we'll certainly give that very strong consideration," Trump said. "But if we're unable to make a deal, we will have to do something." The Justice Department opinion, seen by Reuters before it was and made public on Tuesday, said Trump was justified in "withholding the report until the resolution of diplomatic negotiations" and any subsequent action. It said he could "rely on the constitutional doctrine of executive privilege to decline to release the report." A spokesman for Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the Justice Department memo "doesnt seem to have much merit on its face. The law as passed by Congress is clear." The White House declined comment. Some U.S. lawmakers want to restrict presidential authority to invoke the tariffs on national security grounds. In May, Trump said he agreed with the undisclosed report's finding that found some imported cars and trucks were "weakening our internal economy" and threatened to harm U.S. national security. But automakers have warned tariffs would cost hundreds of thousands of auto jobs, dramatically raise prices on vehicles and threaten industry spending on self-driving cars. An ad hoc group called "Here for America" representing major German and Asian automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>, Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co <7201.T>, said "there is no compelling reason not to disclose this report to the public, or to restrict trade in an industry that supports the jobs of millions of Americans." It previously called the national security designation "absurd." (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Tom Brown) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Additional U.S. troops have been flown out of Iraq for closer evaluation of potential concussion injuries from the Iranian missile attack of January 8, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday. The exact number of troops flown to Germany was not immediately clear, but officials said it was a small number. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because some details were still being sorted out. Last week, 11 U.S. service members were flown from Iraq to U.S. medical facilities in Germany and Kuwait for further evaluation of concussion-like symptoms. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations across the Middle East, confirmed the additional evacuations but did not say how many were included. Debris and rubble are seen at the site where an Iranian missile hit at Ain al-Asad air base earlier this month. More US troops are under medical evaluation after showing concussion symptoms 'As medical treatment and evaluations in theater continue, additional service members have been identified as having potential injuries,' Urban said Tuesday evening. 'These service members - out of an abundance of caution - have been transported to Landstuhl, Germany, for further evaluations and necessary treatment on an outpatient basis. Given the nature of injuries already noted, it is possible additional injuries may be identified in the future,' he said. As recently as last Tuesday night, President Donald Trump said he had been told no American had been harmed in the Iranian missile strike. The question of American casualties was especially significant at the time because the missile attack's results were seen as influencing a U.S. decision on whether to retaliate and risk a broader war with Iran. A bulldozer clears rubble and debris at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. Ain al-Asad air base was struck by a barrage of Iranian missiles in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed atop Iranian commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani Trump chose not to retaliate, and the tensions with Iran have eased somewhat. In the days following the Iranian attack, medical screening determined that some who took cover during the attack were suffering from concussion-like symptoms. No one was killed in the attack on Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq. The strike was launched in retaliation for a U.S. drone missile strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the most powerful military general in Iran, on Jan. 3 at Baghdad International Airport. OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CLR) (the Company) plans to announce full-year 2019 and 4Q19 results on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 following the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company plans to host a conference call to discuss full-year 2019 and 4Q19 results on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT). Those wishing to listen to the conference call may do so via the Company's website at www.CLR.com or by phone: Time and date: 12 p.m. ET, Thursday, February 27, 2020 Dial-in: 1-888-317-6003 Intl. dial-in: 1-412-317-6061 Conference ID: 8554062 A replay of the call will be available for 14 days on the Company's website or by dialing: Replay number: 1-877-344-7529 Intl. replay: 1-412-317-0088 Conference ID: 10138250 The Company plans to publish a full-year 2019 and 4Q19 summary presentation to its website at www.CLR.com prior to the start of its conference call on Thursday, February 27, 2020. About Continental Resources Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR) is a top 10 independent oil producer in the U.S. Lower 48 and a leader in America's energy renaissance. Based in Oklahoma City, Continental is the largest leaseholder and the largest producer in the nation's premier oil field, the Bakken play of North Dakota and Montana. The Company also has significant positions in Oklahoma, including its SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer discoveries and the STACK plays. With a focus on the exploration and production of oil, Continental has unlocked the technology and resources vital to American energy independence and our nation's leadership in the new world oil market. In 2020, the Company will celebrate 53 years of operations. For more information, please visit www.CLR.com. Investor Contacts: Media Contact: Rory Sabino Kristin Thomas Vice President, Investor Relations Senior Vice President, Public Relations 405-234-9620 405-234-9480 [email protected] [email protected] Lucy Guttenberger Investor Relations Analyst 405-774-5878 [email protected] SOURCE Continental Resources Related Links http://www.clr.com When Brockton High School junior Chloe Livingston started a documentary film project examining the civil rights movement, she decided to include a special source: her grandmother. Through interviews with her grandmother, Sandra, and her own research, Livingston juxtaposed historical events, such as Ruby Bridges struggle being the first African American student to attend an all-white elementary school in the South in 1960, with her grandmothers experiences with segregation and prejudice growing up. I cant really talk about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges because I wasnt there during their time, Livingston said. So having my grandmother talking for them or talking about her experience, it makes it even way better because its a primary source. She was there. Livingstons 10-minute documentary, Sandra Livingston: The Struggle for Equal Rights, earned the 16-year-old top honors in the Individual Documentaries category of the annual National History Day project. With that placing, she will join other classmates who won in other categories at the South Shore regional competition in March. Im African American and I wanted to talk about my people because I know theyve struggled throughout history for a long, long time, she said. I wanted to educate people about it. In her documentary, Livingston talked about Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat when buses were segregated in 1955, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama that same year to protest segregated seating. While Sandra noted that she grew up in Pennsylvania and didnt encounter racial segregation on buses, she decided to start riding in the front in a show of support. Livingston also incorporated Bridgess struggle to attend school, where she was forced to be accompanied by federal marshals for her safety, which Sandra also said she recalled seeing on TV. I remember seeing this little teeny little girl between the ages of my youngest and middle grandchild, when she had to walk up and the people were yelling at her, she said. That little girl was so brave. Livingston also looked at Martin Luther King Jr.s efforts to remove barriers to voting for black citizens, where they finally won the right to vote with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In her documentary she talked about how during that fight for equality, protesters led by King marched in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery that resulted in Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965 when they encountered violence from local and federal law enforcement officials when trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. (State Troopers) said Turn around, but they didnt, she said. (Troopers) started attacking them with tear gas, dogs, water hoses (and) sticks. And Martin Luther King Jr., he just kept fighting for his people and they went through this three times until it was successful. And while Sandra noted that while she did not have as much direct participation in the civil rights movement living in the North, she still encountered racial discrimination. She noted that when her father served in the military, he was unable to join the main army due to the color of his skin and when her family would travel down south, her father would have to be cautious about where they stopped to eat or use the restroom due to fear for their safety. She also recalled the moment of a group of white kids in a car called out to her and her friends while they were walking down the street, yelling racial slurs and insults. Even if I didnt have (direct participation), I feel good that I lived through it, that I have memories, she said. Memories is what keeps us going and in the case where the kids, the younger ones, they learned some through me, but now maybe other kids will learn more about it. And some of those memories especially driven by fear still linger, such as worrying for her own childrens safety due to racism, she said. Some of them still leave marks that they tear up when you talk about them, when you think about them, she said. ...Its sad to think about where our country has been and hopefully it is changing, slowly, but there are still pockets of hatred thats there, so its sad ... Even 50 years later, I still become emotional thinking about different things. Livingston said she hopes her documentary helps to inform her classmates and other students about the civil rights movement, noting that history curriculum doesnt have much of an emphasis on black history despite the large role they played in U.S. history. Her grandmother added that she was proud of Chloe wanting to learn about their history and hopes sharing her experiences will help to inform the younger generation. The past is good as long as you can learn from it, but when you dont learn from it, its not a very good experience for anyone to go through, Sandra said. Like Chloe said, black people were a part of our history. They made the United States, they made America -- not all by themselves, but they were a very important part of it. But Im proud of her. I think she did a terrific job. Related gallery: UTICA, N.Y. The trial for Jason DAvolio, the Rome man accused of killing his wife, is set to begin in March. The trial begin date was set for March 16 during DAvolios appearance in Oneida County Court Wednesday. DAvolio pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in the death of his wife, Kerrilee. Police found Kerrilees body in the Ava landfill on July 30, 2019. Iran arrests Christian convert activist after criticizing regime's 'soft repression' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Concerns are being raised internationally about the well-being of an Iranian Christian convert who was arrested during an anti-government protest in Tehran last week. The Human Rights Activists News Agency first reported on the arrest of 21-year-old Christian convert Fatemeh Mohammadi, who prefers to go by the name Mary since her spiritual conversion. Mohammadi was detained near Azadi Square in Tehran, where protests occurred after the Iranian military shot down a Ukranian passenger plane and killed 176 people. Although several people were arrested in connection with protests that took place in multiple cities, it is not clear whether Mohammadi was participating in any of the protests. Article 18, a United Kingdom-based watchdog group that promotes religious freedom and tolerance for Christians in Iran, reports that Mohammadi published a series of tweets on the day she was arrested, saying that the Iranian people faced soft repression in Iran as the regime creates false beliefs through selective coverage of the news. Mohammadi reportedly used hashtags in her tweets that translate to English as hard-pressed and suppression is the norm. She reportedly accused the regime of spreading lies that are bigger and more repetitive make them more believable. Iran Human Rights Watch reported on Sunday that even a week after Mohammadis arrest authorities have released no information on her whereabouts and condition. This is not the first time that Mohammadi has been detained by authorities in the Islamic Republic. She was arrested in 2017 during a raid on an underground house church meeting and later sentenced to six months in prison. Mohammadi served her time in the womens ward of Irans notorious Evin prison. She wrote an open letter to Irans Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi last May accusing him of targeting Christians and violating the constitution, HRANA reported at the time. In her letter, Mohammadi also questioned why Christian converts in Iran must refrain from talking about their faith while Muslims are free to discuss their faith in public settings. In June 2018, Mohammadi wrote another open letter detailing the mistreatment she suffered while in prison. According to HRANA, Mohammadi accused interrogators of pressuring her to admit to having illicit sexual relations even though she hadnt. She even said interrogators even asked her to make up a story about sexual relations that they can enjoy. Last December, Mohammadi took to social media to complain after she was deemed ineligible to take classes at Azad University and not given a reason why. Mohammadis denial comes as other religious minorities have reportedly been denied equal access to education in Iran. Last July, Mohammadi was arrested again for improperly wearing her hijab. According to Article 18, she was arrested while trying to report that she had been assaulted. She was detained for hours and released with a warning. Iran ranks as the ninth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. The ranking comes as the government regularly persecutes converts from Islam. Open Doors USA reports that 169 Christians were arrested in Iran during the organizations 2019 reporting period Nov. 1, 2018, to Oct. 31, 2019. Iran has consistently been labeled by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for egregious violations of religious freedom. Johnnie Moore, an evangelical communications executive who serves on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, tweeted in support of Mohammadi. Moore explained that he is praying for God to protect Mohammadi and everyone subject to those in Iran who traffic in inhumanity and who wield injustice to preserve their own personal power. God, judge them for using & defaming your own name as they do so, Moore wrote. Poet Munawwar Rana (file photo) Well known Urdu poet Munawwar Rana, whose two daughters have been booked for participating in the on-going protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow, has now accused Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, of violating prohibitory orders. "My daughters Sumaiya and Fauzia have been booked for violating prohibitory orders but what about Amit Shah who addressed a rally of thousands in the state capita on Tuesday? Surely there were more than four people in the rally. How can there be two sets of the same law for different people?" he asked. The BJP spokesman Chandra Mohan argued that permission for the rally had been duly taken but the poet asked if permission be granted to violate a law. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu supported Munawwar Rana and said, "Why is Section 144 not for the Union Home Minister? Common people are being picked up for violating prohibitory orders but when it comes to the ruling BJP, the administration happily gives them permission to violated a law." Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash, when asked, said that permission for the rally had been duly granted. He said that requisite permission had also been taken from departments like the municipal corporation, public works department (PWD) and police. He was evasive when asked about prohibitory orders. Munawwar Rana, however, demanded to know when a case be registered against Home Minister Amit Shah who violated the same orders? He said that the case action against his daughters and others protesting against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be 'injustice' if Shah's rally was termed "legal". "This is like putting the children of fakirs -- who live on alms -- behind bars when a 'shah' (king) comes to the city. I have told my daughters not to get scared by the registration of a case. Maximum punishment will be a jail term or death," said the poet. The poet's daughters were among the 160, named and unnamed, women booked by police on Monday night for allegedly defying prohibitory orders. The protests at the historical Clock Tower in old Lucknow began on Friday and have continued with hundreds of women braving the cold since then. Support for the protesters has been growing with leaders from various political parties visiting the site and announcing their support to the women. Meanwhile, U.P. State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UPSCPCR) has sent a letter to the UP DGP O P Singh, saying that the presence of children at the protest site was a violation of their rights and action against the parents should be taken without delay. Zoya Hasan, a housewife who is protest with her two children, aged 6 and 8, reacted strongly to the UPSCPCR letter and said, "Let them come and ask my children if they have been forced by us to stay here. I have been asking them to go home but they refuse to do so. Do you think any parent will subject their children to torture? Let them put all of us in jail but we will not budge an inch from here." In 2008, there were so few people from Venezuela in Madrid that Jose Luis Marin and his son-in-law Fernando Rodriguez had to seek out their compatriots by driving their Opel Astra around the city with the trunk filled with the Venezuelan cheese they made. They struck lucky in Las Tablas district, where the headquarters of the oil firm Tecnicas Reunidas employs dozens of Venezuelan engineers. Venezuelans were the largest demographic immigrating to the Madrid region in the first half of 2019: 11,899 Nowadays, these same cheese-makers sell their products in the supermarket giants Carrefour and El Corte Ingles, and their company, Antojos Araguaney, employs 120 people. In fact, business is so good that they plan to move to a new 3,000-square-meter warehouse in Rivas-Vaciamadrid in the southeast of the capital, having outgrown their current 700-square-meter space. The success of Antojos Araguaney is due to both hard work and the expansion of their target market. Venezuelans were the largest demographic immigrating to the Madrid region in the first half of 2019: 11,899, according to the latest data released by Spains National Statistics Institute (INE) earlier this month. This marks a massive influx of people from a single country, one unparalleled in recent years. No other immigrant group has grown by more than 20,000 a year since 2008, when the INE began publishing relevant data. But over the past two years, Venezuelans have been coming in even greater numbers and there are now probably more than 100,000 living in the Madrid region. The exact figure will be released in April when the INE updates the census. Staff at the Antojos Araguaney factory in Rivas-Vaciamadrid making tequenos breaded cheese sticks that are popular in Venezuela. KIKE PARA Marin and Rodriguez left Venezuela during President Hugo Chavezs first years in power, before the situation got ugly. Since then, they have witnessed their compatriots flocking to the Spanish capital seeking refuge from the political and economic chaos. Now Antojos Araguaney is a source of pride for Venezuelans in Madrid, and Marin and Rodriguez have become role models for entrepreneurs seeking to prosper in Spain. I always give them the same advice work, work and work, says Marin, who, at 69, has no retirement plans. Madrid receives only a small portion of Venezuelans on the move. Others head for the US, neighboring Latin-American countries or other cities within Europe. According to the United Nations, 4.6 million citizens have left their homeland since 2015, a figure that could rise to 6.5 million this year. It is a scenario that has an impact on host cities comparable to that of the exodus from Syria. The cultural footprint is felt everywhere in Madrid: at the Maravillas Market, in the ubiquitous sale of arepas, a maize-based bread cake, and the soaring fortunes of the capitals softball league, Venezuelas favorite sport. But while Venezuelans are making their presence felt in Madrid, Romanians 136,661 and Colombians 100,732 remain the capitals largest ethnic minority groups. As the numbers have grown, the profile of the typical Venezuelan immigrant has changed; those coming now are doing so with fewer and fewer resources, according to Cristina Isacura, a Venezuelan immigration lawyer who caters to their needs in her office in the central Puerta del Sol square. Eight years ago, it was mainly young professionals with savings or members of the wealthy elite who bought luxury apartments in the Salamanca district. But for the last two years, many of those coming find themselves in desperate circumstances, putting pressure on the citys soup kitchens and shelters. Ive seen children sent alone by their parents, some of whom are malnourished thats happening a lot, says Isacura. I have talked to people who cannot imagine there are Venezuelans without enough money to buy a train ticket. Homeless engineers A number of older people are also coming the parents and grandparents of a younger generation already established in Spain. It is a form of insurance, given that medicine and healthcare are scarce back home. According to Tomas Paez, coordinator at the Observatory of the Venezuelan Diaspora, most of the young are university educated but work in manual jobs as deliverymen or waiters. They sell their homes at rock bottom prices to pay for the flight. Apartments measuring 200 square meters in previously sought-after areas of Caracas are selling for less than 60,000 euros, says Paez. Physiotherapist Erwuin Contreras makes a living playing guitar in the subway and on commuter trains. IAGO CORTON The wealthier immigrants are able to buy a home and obtain their legal residence permit thanks to the golden visa program. The rest usually enter into the long process of applying for asylum. If they have little to fall back on, they can end up on the street. Erwuin Contreras, a 33-year-old physiotherapist, sold his precious Volkswagen Beetle to pay for his airfare to Madrid. Things didnt go as planned and he spent some time sleeping in an ATM vestibule. He now sings on the subway and earns between 35 and 40 a day. My dream is to record my song On the rails of Madrid, so my story our story can be told, he says. Daniel Perez, a biomedical engineer, slept on the streets and in a church for his first month-and-a-half in Madrid. LAURA P. MERINO Daniel Perez is a 29-year-old biomedical engineer who has only been in Madrid for a month and a half. In that time, he has slept on the streets, in a church and is currently in a shelter along with his partner who is an accountant. Despite what theyve been through, he feels optimistic. I have met good people here and made good contacts that will help me when I get a work permit, he says. These stories contrast sharply with those of Perez and Contreras moneyed compatriots. For example, the Cohen family owns Spains largest outlet mall, the Sambil in the satellite city of Leganes. Others have bought apartments worth more than 2 million in the Salamanca district. At the same end of town, Kika Payares has opened InCasa, an interiors shop along with three business partners, appealing to the avant-garde tastes of wealthy Venezuelans. A sculpture of a pair of red lips that is almost half a meter wide is going for 1,170. Now, however, they are introducing more classical pieces designed to appeal to a wider clientele as the influx of wealthy Venezuelans threatens to dry up. The [rich Venezuelan] who wanted to leave has already done so, says Payares. Kika Payares, a partner in the InCasa interiors shop in the Salamanca district of Madrid. KIKE PARA Oscar Larrea, general manager in Madrid of real estate consultant Engel & Volkers, says that home purchases by Venezuelans in Salamanca and other high-end areas of Madrid have already peaked. Venezuelans accounted for 50% of property purchases over 1 million in the last quarter of 2017 and the first of 2018. That has since fallen to around 20%. Juan Carlos Gutierrez, a lawyer with Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo, believes that this is due in part to the fact that Spain has clamped down on Chavez-era money launderers. Growing pressure is forcing the Boliburgues [the Chavez elite] to take their money to Russia, Turkey and other countries where keeping money is much riskier, says Gutierrez. As the numbers have grown, the profile of the typical Venezuelan immigrant has changed Many Venezuelans in Madrid are less than comfortable living close to certain members of the Chavez business classes, such as Alejandro Betancourt, president of the Spanish Hawkers sunglasses chain who bought a mansion in Santa Cruz de Retamar, in Toledo in 2012. According to Rolando Seijas, the founder of SNB Capital, a Venezuelan real estate investment company in Madrid, his countrys elite has entered a new phase and moved into entrepreneurship. Having bought a home and settled in, they are rolling up their sleeves to get down to business. There is, says Seijas, a boom in new restaurants he himself has opened two in the capital, called The Lobstar, which specialize in US-style seafood cuisine. He explains that when an immigrant arrives in a new place, he inevitably goes through an adjustment period. The first three years of the immigration process are [spent] mourning, he says. You cant start a business when you are physically present in one country but your heart is in another. Statistics only half the story The data on Venezuelan immigrants in Madrid belies the real size of the community, according to experts. The official figures cover those born in Venezuela and now residing in Madrid, but do not include those born in Spain, Italy or Portugal who emigrated to Venezuela in the second half of the 20th century and have now made their way back, says Tomas Paez, coordinator at the Observatory of the Venezuelan Diaspora. There are also many second-generation Venezuelans in Madrid the children of newcomers who were born here. Many more Venezuelans come to Madrid than to any other region in Spain, including Catalonia and the Canary Islands. On January 1, 2019, there were 323,575 Venezuelan-born immigrants in Spain. In the next six months, 35,652 more will arrive, according to the INEs Migration Statistics. English version by Heather Galloway. [The stream is slated to start at 2 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] The World Health Organization is holding a briefing Wednesday to address the mysterious coronavirus that has killed at least 17 people and sickened hundreds of others in China. The briefing was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET but was later delayed an hour. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is expected to confirm whether the virus constitutes a global health emergency and to make recommendations on how to contain the outbreak. The briefing follows an emergency meeting of international health experts in Geneva to discuss the virus earlier Wednesday. Health officials on Tuesday confirmed the first U.S. case of the virus and earlier in the week said the respiratory illness, which has evoked memories of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, is capable of spreading from person to person. Over the weekend, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security began screening people traveling to the United States from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak is believed to have started. WHO doesn't enact these emergencies easily, said Lawrence Gostin, a professor and faculty director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. The international health agency has only applied the emergency designation five times since the rules were implemented in the mid-2000s. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. She's the Chinese-Australian internet sensation from Sydney who has amassed 14 million subscribers on YouTube. And on Thursday, it was announced that Wendy 'Wengie' Ayche, 34, had been nominated for YouTuber of the Year at the 12th Annual Shorty Awards. The ceremony is considered the Oscars of social media and recognises the best content creators across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and more. Nominated: Wendy 'Wengie' Ayche had been nominated for YouTuber of the Year at the 12th Annual Shorty Awards The former accountant turned her back on the corporate world to start a lucrative million dollar career sharing her advice on beauty, fashion, life hacks and DIY tutorials on YouTube back in 2010. Wengie is up against some tough competition in her category, including beauty gurus Jeffree Star and Nikkie Tutorials, transgender philosopher ContraPoints, and stunt performer Mr Beast. Competition: Wengie is up against some tough competition in her category, including beauty sensation Jeffree Star (pictured) Wengie, who now splits her time between Sydney and Los Angeles, previously told 60 Minutes that she was in the YouTube business for creativity, not for fame. 'I love what I do creatively, I'm not in it for the fame. The fame is a bonus. I don't see fame as the thing I want,' she said. 'A fan comes up to me and says "you've made a difference in my life", that to me is the best moment I could take from this whole experience.' YouTube: The former accountant has more than 14 million subscribers on YouTube The nomination caps off a bumper 12 months for Wengie. The internet sensation released a line of toy products last year which were sold in more then 1800 Target stores in the US. The line, called Whimsical By Wengie, included body art, a glitter lava lamp and a hair kit. 'I'm not in it for the fame': Wengie previously told 60 Minutes that she was in the YouTube business for creativity, not for fame The launch comes just after Wengies started a career as a pop star. Last year, she released eight singles which sky rocketed to the top of the charts in Asia. She is also the voice of the 4th Powerpuff Girl on Cartoon Network. Bumper year: The nomination caps off a bumper year for the internet sensation who recently released her own line of toys in Target Wengie has over 14 million YouTube subscriber and over 1.3 billion views on her YouTube channel. Michelle Obama previously won a Shorty Award in 2013 for being a GIF star in a hula-hooping video which was designed to get kids interested in exercise. The 2020 award winners will be revealed in May at a ceremony held in New York. In context: In past years, the board of supervisors election has seen less than one percent of eligible voters show up. Being able to cast a vote from a smartphone from virtually anywhere is expected to boost participation, but by how much? Voters in one Seattle area district will be the first in the country to cast a ballot using their smartphone. NPR was the first to report that every eligible voter in the King Conservation District, an area that encompasses Greater Seattle and more than 30 additional cities, will be able to vote in the upcoming election using their personal devices. Ballots will be accepted from today through election day on February 11. As many as 1.2 million voters could participate in the historic board of supervisors election, the publication notes. Of course, theres no guarantee that actual votes cast will come anywhere near that estimate. Unfortunately, its not as clear cut as simply turning to technology to boost voter turnout as taking the tech route inevitably introduces a whole new set of security concerns. Even with the most secure of apps and platforms, the only real way to put them to the test is to deploy them in a real-world election and see how they perform. A smaller-scale election like the one coming up in the King Conservation District could be an ideal test bed ahead of a higher profile election with more at stake. Masthead credit: Vote by 3dfoto. Online voting by Kit8.net. By The Associated Press Jan. 21, 2020 | 05:49 PM | WASHINGTON The man, identified as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was in good condition and wasn't considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials said. U.S. officials stressed that they believe the virus' overall risk to the American public remained low. This is not a moment of high anxiety, Gov. Jay Inslee said. The newly discovered virus has infected about 300 people, all of whom had been in China, and killed six. The virus can cause coughing, fever, breathing difficulty and pneumonia. The U.S. joins a growing list of places outside mainland China reporting cases, following Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Airports around the world have stepped up monitoring, checking passengers from China for signs of illness in hopes of containing the virus during the busy Lunar New Year travel season. Late last week, U.S. health officials began screening passengers from Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak began. The screening had been underway at three U.S. airports New York City's Kennedy airport and the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it would add Chicago's O'Hare airport and Atlanta's airport to the mix later this week. What's more, officials also will begin forcing all passengers from Wuhan to go to one of those five airports if they wish to enter the U.S. The hospitalized U.S. resident had no symptoms when he arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport last Wednesday, but he started feeling ill on Thursday and went to a doctor on Sunday with a fever and a cough, officials said. Lab testing on Monday confirmed he had the virus. The gentleman right now is very healthy, Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the CDC said Tuesday. The hospital, Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, said in a statement that it expected the man would remain in isolation and under monitoring there at least until Thursday. CDC officials said they sent a team to Washington to try to track down people who might have come in contact with the man. The hospital also said it was contacting the small number of staff and patients who may have been with the man at a clinic. The man is originally from central China, lives alone in the U.S. and made the trip solo, officials said. There were relatively few people who came in contact with him since he got back, health officials said. Last month, doctors in Wuhan began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale seafood market. More than 275 cases of the newly identified virus have been confirmed in China, most of them in Wuhan, according to the World Health Organization. The count includes six deaths all in China, most of them age 60 or older, including at least some who had a previous medical condition. Officials have said the virus probably spread from animals to people, but this week Chinese officials said they've concluded it also can spread from person to person. Health authorities this month identified the germ behind the outbreak as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold; others found in bats, camels and other animals have evolved into more severe illnesses. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, belongs to the coronavirus family, but Chinese state media say the illness in Wuhan is different from coronaviruses that have been identified in the past. Earlier laboratory tests ruled out SARS and MERS Middle East respiratory syndrome as well as influenza, bird flu, adenovirus and other common lung-infecting germs. The new virus so far does not appear to be as deadly as SARS and MERS, but viruses can sometimes mutate to become more dangerous. University of Washington coronavirus researcher David Veesler said the public should not be panicking right now. The response has been very efficient, Veesler said. In a couple of weeks, China was able to identify the virus, isolate it, sequence it and share that information. Veesler added: We dont have enough data to judge how severe the disease is. The CDC's Messonnier said health officials expected to see more cases in the U.S. and around the world in the coming days. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. Bhim Army chief welcomed by students at Jamia Millia. Bhim Army chief Chandrasekhar Azad holds a copy of the Constitution during the ongoing protest against the NRC and CAA at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI) NEW DELHI: A day after a Delhi court allowed him to visit the national capital, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Wednesday turned up at Shaheen Bagh where hundreds of people have been protesting for over a month against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Before going to Shaheen Bagh, he visited the continuing protest outside Jamia Millia Islamia wh-ere he was welcomed by protesting students with loud cheer and slogans. The last time Mr Azad was at Jamia was on the night of December 15, when the Delhi police brutally attacked the university campus. Wearing his signature white shirt and blue shawl, with a copy of the Constitution of India in his hand, Mr Azad said: Humare bhaiyon pe jo laathi padi hai, hum bhoole nahi hain (We havent forgotten the lathi blows which fell on our brothers). Kabhi behno ke peeche bhi khade ho kar sangharsh karna seekho (At times, learn to fight standing behind your sisters), he advised his protesting brothers and added, Every Bagh can be Shaheen Bagh. Mr Azad said: PM ko teen talaq ki awaz sunai di, but hamari behno ki ye awaaz unhe nahi sunayi de rahi hai (PM Modi was all ears when it came to triple talaq, but he is conveniently deaf to the nationwide protests). He added that the Wazir-e-Azam (PM) shouldnt forget that he owes his position and power to the Constitution. The NRC, NPR and CAA are anti-Dalit. They are also anti-OBC and anti-tribal because these people will suffer the most, he said. In the next 10 days, there will be 5,000 more protest sites like Shaheen Bagh across the country, Mr Azad said on Wednesday evening as he reached the iconic demonstration spot in south Delhi to extend his support to the women protesting against CAA and NRC. Earlier, the Bhim Army chief had urged his supporters to vote against the BJP in the February 8 Delhi Assembly election. I am against the BJP because the BJP is against the Constitution, he said. On the ongoing protests at Shaheen Bagh, the police said that it will take appropriate action if a complaint is received about any obstruction in the ongoing electoral process. Special commissioner of police (election) Praveer Ranjan said they have not yet received any complaint about protesters in Shaheen Bagh causing obstruction in the electoral process. Starting last summer, very sick patients began showing up in emergency rooms all over the country with similar symptoms mainly, they couldnt breathe. The outbreak peaked in September and has since slowed considerably. By mid-December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, a total of 2,506 patients in all 50 states had been hospitalized for the condition, christened EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury). Fifty-four people died, most of them otherwise healthy young adults. What soon became clear, thanks to epidemiologists, medical sleuths and the relentless reporting of the cannabis news website Leafly, was that there was a link between the illness and vitamin E acetate, a viscous liquid that can be swallowed or used topically in cosmetic creams. Unscrupulous operators were using it to dilute cartridges containing THC oil, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Earlier this month, the CDC announced that a survey of 809 patients in Illinois, Utah and Wisconsin found that most 78% obtained their THC-containing products from informal sources like friends, family or dealers, or purchased it online. Vape cartridges, which contain THC oil, screw into a pen-like, battery-powered heating element. The heat causes the oil to vaporize, and it is then inhaled. A cartridge filled with legal, licensed extract might cost upward of $35 to $60 or more at a legal dispensary. An illicit cartridge, or cart, can be had for $20 or less. We raised alarms internally right away, said Tiffany Devitt, chief of government and consumer affairs for the Santa Rosa-based CannaCraft, whose brands include Absolute Xtracts, Care by Design and Satori. CannaCraft products, she said, contain no additives. We gathered a bunch of people we trusted all our PhDs on staff and outside cannabinoid scientists to brainstorm possible culprits. While initial suspicion had fallen on e-cigarettes and their flavoring agents, the CannaCraft team theorized very quickly that the illicit cannabis market was to blame. And not just because of vitamin E acetate. They also worry that synthetic cannabinoids, which can be difficult to test for, may also be involved. (The synthetics go by names like Spice, bath salts and K2. Youve read the horror stories.) Lets say I am a bad actor, have crappy weed laden with pesticides, said Devitt. I want it to go a long way, so I extract the oil and dilute it with vitamin E acetate. But now its not very potent. If I throw a bunch of synthetic cannabinoids in there, its very potent and very cheap. And very, very dangerous. And just because a supplier is doing it the legal way, that doesnt guarantee untainted product. While the EVALI investigation continues, the CDC has said the best way for a person to ensure they are not at risk is to consider refraining from the use of all e-cigarette, or vaping, products. To those in the legal cannabis world, though, the warning is overly broad. Saying the word vape is like saying automobile. Its a big product, said Sallyann Nichols, president of Bloom Farms, which began as a vape company in 2014 and has since branched into other products, like flowers. When Toyota had a brake problem, they didnt say, We are going to ban all automobiles. As terrible as the EVALI crisis has been, she said, the first and biggest crisis is the fact that there has been close to no crackdown on illicit sales. The crisis does not exist for legal cannabis; it exists for regulators and their absence of strategy. Cannabis users who value their health are going to have to be willing to pay more. But they must also educate themselves about whether a manufacturer, retailer or delivery service is legal. And if you cant stand the idea of paying a hefty price to vape a licensed, tested, legal product, and dont want to go to the trouble of making sure your dispensary is legit, you can do what recreational cannabis laws allow: grow your own. Abcarian writes for the Los Angeles Times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:31:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cui Zhenguo, an attacker who injured four people at a hospital in Beijing, has been arrested on suspicion of intentional homicide, local authorities said Wednesday. His arrest was approved by the Beijing People's Procuratorate on Wednesday, a day after Beijing police handed him over to the procuratorate on charges of intentional homicide, according to the procuratorate. Four people, including three medical personnel, were injured in the knife attack at the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital on Monday. Their lives are not at risk. The incident happened at about 2 p.m. when Cui, 36, attacked others with a kitchen knife before fleeing the scene. He was later apprehended by police officers and security staff at the hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 14:34:54|Editor: ZD Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of Oregon has heightened alert against possible spread of novel coronavirus following one confirmed case in the country, local authorities said Tuesday. The Oregon Health Authority is watching the outbreak closely after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced earlier in the day that the first case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been reported in the United States, The Oregonian daily said. The CDC said a man in his 30s traveling from Wuhan of central China to Washington state on Jan. 15 was diagnosed with pneumonia, which was confirmed to be caused by the new coronavirus. The man from the Snohomish County was sequestered at Providence Medical Center in Everett, a city in Washington, about 40 km north of Seattle. The Oregon newspaper quoted state health authorities as saying that doctors have been required to report any patients with a fever and acute respiratory illness or having contact with someone being investigated in the outbreak. However, an Oregon health official said the possibility of any secondary infection from the patient diagnosed with novel coronavirus was low since the victim has been hospitalized and sequestered. The CDC has also said the risk to the American public remains low at this time. He was seen rocking silver gray hair last Friday as he was grabbing coffee in Los Angeles. And on Wednesday's Ellen DeGeneres Show, Colin Farrell revealed the reason why he had the bold colored locks just days before his appearance. The 43-year-old actor said that he was in the North Pole filming a movie and when he got back to LA, he decided to dye his hair - but it turned out badly. He also talked about his role as The Penguin during his visit to Ellen's show, which he says will start filming in two weeks. Colin Farrell revealed the reason why he had white locks just days before his appearance on Wednesday's Ellen DeGeneres Show Colin revealed that he just got back from the North Pole, which was for a job, adding that he's heading to London next for Batman. His job in the Arctic was the BBC mini series The North Water; his next project is The Batman and filming in London. He plays Oswald Cobblepot, also known as The Penguin; Robert Pattinson plays Batman/Bruce Wayne and Zoe Kravitz is Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Ellen said that's what she wanted to talk to him about, but first said she needed to ask him about a photo she saw of him. Too funny: Ellen asked how long he kept it like that, to which he said: 'It went f****d up, it went bad. I kept it like that for about a... that was I think color five' Still handsome though: The 43-year-old actor said that he was in the North Pole filming a movie and when he got back to LA, he decided to dye his hair - but it turned out badly She asked if it was for a movie role but he joked it's him 'night camera ready' and 'four hours ago before I hit the makeup.' All joking aside, Colin revealed the real reason: 'The job I finished close to the North Pole was fairly intense so at the end of films I like to do something that might be something as simple as paint a nail black or get a haircut or shower.' 'And I decided to dye my hair when I came back to Los Angeles so I went to Rite Aid and spent about $80 on L'Oreal's finest.' Ellen asked how long he kept it like that, to which he said: 'It went f****d up, it went bad. I kept it like that for about a... that was I think color five.' The host said: 'Oh really?' and he said: 'Yeah, it went purple, and then it went p**s yellow, and then it went whatever the hell that is... foxy silver gray.' Adding: 'And then I had somebody come by and fix it, yeah a friend.' He called it 'terrible' but Ellen disagreed, saying 'no it's fine like that.' Colin added that it was 'misguided but it was something to kill a few hours.' Too funny: The host said: 'Oh really?' and he said: 'Yeah, it went purple, and then it went p**s yellow, and then it went whatever the hell that is... foxy silver gray' Ellen said his kids must be happy he's in the new Batman film, to which Colin said: 'No, they are sick of me being a bad guy, which apparently reading between the lines leads me to believe I'm OK.' Colin has two sons: James, 16, with his ex-girlfriend Kim Bordenave and Henry, 10, with ex-girlfriend Alicja Bachleda-Curus. The daytime host said she found out today that he doesn't let his kids watch his movies, which he said 'Well I wish I had a choice. They don't want to. You're right I don't let them. I keep them away locked, where they can't reach.' Ellen continued: 'You took your youngest kid to see It [the movie]. What is wrong with you? How old was he? 'That was a parental dropping of the ball. Epic proportions,' he said. Ellen added: 'That's a scary movie' and he said 'no I didn't take him we watched it at home and we watched half of it and I could discern a certain discomfort emulating from his eight-year-old body and then we watched the second half the next day and he was fine but yeah.' The TV screen behind them showed the terrifying It Clown, and Colin saw it and said: 'Yeah good one Colin.' 'We watched it before bed one night and I know, I really dropped the ball,' Colin said. Good times: Ellen said his kids must be happy he's in the new Batman film, to which Colin said: 'No, they are sick of me being a bad guy, which apparently reading between the lines leads me to believe I'm OK' The actor also talked about where he stayed to film the mini series The North Water, which was Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. He said while it was easy to get to, it was one of the most remote places he's ever been, were he felt the 'vastness and beauty of nature like I've never felt before.' They were there for four weeks at the stunning location, which his 600 miles away from the North Pole. He that he was told it was the most northern production that's ever shot outside of documentaries. Colin also said he did a polar bear plunge, where he jumped in the freezing water. His newest film The Gentlemen is set to hit theaters Friday. A 22-year-old woman has told how she was assaulted on board a Spirit Airlines flight when she fell asleep and woke up to find a fellow passenger sticking his hand down her pants. Tia Jackson, a student from Detroit, Michigan, said she was sleeping on the Tuesday morning flight from Atlanta to Detroit when the assault took place. Jackson was sitting in the middle seat next to a friend in the window seat and the unknown male in the aisle seat. She went to sleep during the flight, leaning on her friend with her back to her alleged attacker. Tia Jackson, 22, has broken her silence after she was allegedly assaulted on board a Spirit Airlines flight when she fell asleep and woke up to find a fellow passenger sticking his hand down her pants Jackson, a student from Detroit, Michigan, said she was sleeping on the Tuesday morning flight from Atlanta to Detroit when the assault took place Shortly before the flight landed, Jackson said she felt the man touch her but initially dismissed it as an accident. 'I thought, maybe he just bumped me,' she said. Jackson claims she then felt the man stick his hand down the back of her pants. 'He slid his hands in my pants and then he touched my thigh and then part of my butt,' Jackson told People, adding that the man was 'pleasuring himself'. The man had draped his coat across his lap to hide what he was doing, she said. She immediately pushed the call button and told the assailant: 'Hey - you are going to stop touching me! Get off of me!' The victim's airline ticket above. Just before the flight landed, Jackson said she felt the man touch her but initially dismissed it as an accident. Then she felt the man stick his hand down the back of her pants, she said The woman said she reported the incident to a Spirit Airlines crew who refused to move the attacker and told her, 'If he keeps touching you, you should move' However, when Jackson reported the incident to a flight attendant, the Spirit Airlines crew refused to move the attacker, she said. Instead, the attendant allegedly told the victim, 'If he keeps touching you, you should move'. 'He touched my bare ass! He needs to be moved!' Jackson said she told the airline crew. Jackson said she refused to move because she did not feel comfortable leaving her friend with the man. The plane landed soon after at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport where Jackson reported the incident to the airline again - this time to the pilot who told her to talk to the gate agent. Her alleged attacker walked off the flight 'scot-free' she said after the Spirit Airlines crew failed to call police. The victim then filed a report with police at the airport. One passenger took a photo of the alleged attacker (above) as he left the plane. Jackson said she is worried her attacker could prey on other victims. Jackson took to social media (above) to tell others about her alleged assault and vent fury at the airline's apparent inaction In screen grabs obtained by People, an account believed to belong to Spirit Airlines is seen watching Jackson's Instagram Stories about the incident. The same account then sent Jackson a direct message (above) Jackson, mother of a 10-month-old boy, said she felt let down by the airline's response and felt like she - and not her attacker - was being punished for what happened. She said: 'They let him and any potential witnesses leave.' She told Fox 2 Detroit: 'This is why people like him get away with doing what they're doing'. Jackson took to social media to tell others about her alleged assault and vent fury at the airline's apparent inaction. 'This is really sad because after being a victim of sexual assault and to be sexually assaulted while flying with Spirit Airlines this is sad nobody did anything! Nobody called the police nothing!!' Jackson wrote on Instagram. In screengrabs obtained by People, an account believed to belong to Spirit Airlines is seen watching Jackson's Instagram Stories about the incident. The same account then sent Jackson a direct message saying, 'We appreciate you sharing this with us. Please provide your full name as it appears on the reservation, your 6-digit confirmation code, and the best email to reach you.' The plane landed at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (pictured) soon after the incident where Jackson reported it to airport police Spirit Airlines has responded by releasing a statement saying the flight crew wanted to move the alleged victim and not the attacker so that the man would then not be sat directly next to any passengers. 'We take this claim seriously and are in direct contact with the guest. We thank our crew for their quick and professional assistance to address the situation,' the airline said. 'Our flight attendants on board that flight learned of the alleged incident 18 minutes prior to landing when the guest pressed the call button and received immediate attention. Once she told the flight attendant who came to her seat, the flight attendant directed her to a different seat. The cabin crew wanted to move her, as opposed to him, because the move would have left him with an empty seat on one side and an aisle on the other.' The statement added: 'Law enforcement began its investigation immediately after the flight arrived. We are supporting law enforcement as they investigate. Questions about that investigation should be directed to them.' Jackson said she is worried her attacker could prey on other victims. 'He needs to be held responsible. He is a predator. He displays predatory behavior. Who knows who else he has done this to,' she said. 'I don't want anyone else to ever have to fall victim to him.' It isn't yet known whether the man was taken into custody immediately after the flight. Wayne County Airport Authority said the police report has not been finalized and the FBI is handling the investigation. FBI spokeswoman Mara Schneider said the allegations were reported Tuesday to airport police and then to the federal agency. She said Wednesday that she cannot comment further 'because the investigation is ongoing'. A member of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has condemned the killing of Daciya Dalep, a student of University of Maiduguri by Boko Haram terrorists. Mr Gagdi, who represents Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency in Plateau, in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos, described the incident as inhuman. NAN reports that Mr Dalep was abducted two weeks ago by the insurgents on his way to Maiduguri to resume school. NAN also reports that on Tuesday, the insurgents released a video where the student was gruesomely executed. I condemn in the strongest terms, the gruesome execution of Daciya Dalep, a native of Jing in Pankshin and a Biology/Education student of University of Maiduguri by members of the Boko Haram. I am devastated by the excruciating loss of this promising young man, and more pathetically, in a gruesome manner one could not wish for his arch enemy. This has, once again, brought to fore the nightmarish experience of people living in the insurgency ravaged Northeastern part of Nigeria, he said The lawmaker called on governments at all levels to redouble efforts at ending the insurgency in the North-East and other security threats in other parts of the country. He called on Nigerians to render all the needed support to the security agencies in their quest to end insurgency in the country This call for the need for government to redouble efforts to stamp out the irresponsible activities of this terrorist organisation. It is most despicable that despite the resources sunk in fighting the insurgency, the nefarious activities of the insurgents fester, and more precious lives continue to perish in a wanton manner I want to strongly advocate for more logistics and moral support to the security operatives fighting insurgency anywhere in Nigeria, he advocated. Mr Gagdi called on the family of Mr Dalep to take his death in good faith and accept the will of God. (NAN) Through this association, Omnicuris will be able to strengthen its scientific expertise and facilities, widen connections with investors, conduct impact assessment and studies, scout for funding for its programs Leading doctor platform Omnicuris which offers medical skill upgradation to doctors through online modules and courses, has now bagged the opportunity to have the remote cum physical incubation at the prestigious Atal Incubation Centre-- Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) supported by NITI Aayog in order to create a positive difference in the lives of economically and socially backward sections of Indian society by channelizing the power of Innovation and entrepreneurship. Atal Incubation Centre- Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) Foundation has been set up in alignment with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog to nurture, handhold and support New Age Entrepreneurs for New Age India. It aims to create & support sustainable business models at grassroot level including social enterprises. Through this association, Omnicuris will be able to strengthen its scientific expertise and facilities, widen connections with investors, conduct impact assessment and studies, scout for funding for its programs. The incubation process will also help the startup establish wider connections with academia, other similar social enterpises, industry bodies, as well as relevant government and non-government bodies. Savitha Kuttan, Founder & CEO of Omnicuris said, We are very happy to associate with NITI Aayogs Atal Incubation Centre- Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP). Through this association, we will be able to spread our reach among a larger number of doctors across India and its under-served areas. Making regular CME available to all practicing doctors is an important element of improving our overall healthcare delivery. We chose to partner with RMP AIC, given their expertise in running capacity expansion programs, impact assessment and impactful business models. Through this partnership, we are looking at improving our offerings and creating a credible and sustainable world class social enterprise. With our disease burden constantly evolving and new features being added constantly to existing medical knowledge, continuous skill upgradation becomes very important for all doctors. Our goal of reaching 2.5 lakh doctors by the end of 2019 is on track, with a special focus on Eastern and North Eastern states. Regular Continued Medical Education (CME) is an important requirement for doctors to help them stay abreast with the latest developments -- concentual as well as technological -- in their fields. CMEs are a crucial source of skill upgradation and sharpening of knowledge for doctors and is critical to their perfomance in delivering quality healthcare. However, for heavily loaded government doctors practicing in overcrowded public hospitals, attending regular CMEs becomes challenging. Online CME courses allow doctors to access latest modules in their respective fields through the digital medium at a space and time of their convenience. In India, everybody has access to specialists in tier 1 cities. However, in smaller towns, primary care physicians are mostly the first line of medical help people receive. Ability to perform appropriate diagnosis and reference is crucial for primary care physicians who act as the most important cogs in the medical wheel. The need for making regular CMEs accessible as well as compulsory is the need of the hour to sharpen the knowledge and skills of doctors. World Banana Ban and Meatless Menus, but How Green Is Davos Summit? Climate change activists protest during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2020. / REUTERS DAVOS, SwitzerlandWhen Canadian vegan chef Doug McNish was invited to cook for the annual gathering of the worlds elite in the Swiss Alps, he was taken by surprisethen quickly signed up. McNish, 37, is one of several chefs preparing vegan or vegetarian meals for some of about 3,000 world leaders, policymakers, CEOs, influential thinkers and celebrities at the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Chopping vegetables in a kitchen at the Seehof Hotel, McNish said he was always on board to encourage more people to stop eating meat, with agriculture and livestock accounting for 11 percent of planet-heating global emissions, according to UN data. With climate change a major theme at Davos, organizers have taken meat and fish off the menu in the main Congress Center for the first time for Future Food Wednesday and banned bananas in an ongoing drive to focus on local produce. Cooking here gives me the chance to show on a global scale how amazing vegan food can be, McNish told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Tuesday while starting to prepare tempeh soy croquettes and vegan-fried Camembert for a dinner on Thursday. With the word vegan tattooed on his right forearm and a colorful mix of fruit and vegetables on the left, there is no doubting where McNish stands when it comes to food. The classically trained chef became vegan 15 years ago and has since won international awards for two of his three vegan cookbooks. He has run various restaurants in Toronto while advising others on how to introduce vegan food to menus. He was accepting of the four-wheel drives waiting outside the hotel to ferry speakers around and the number of wealthy arriving by private jet, saying change took time. For me, success this week would be people tasting the food and saying holy crap, that was good, I cant believe it was vegan, said McNish, who ditched animal products after watching a documentary about factory farming titled Meet Your Meat. You can live a luxury lifenot be a hippy wearing Birkenstocksand not eat animals. Climate protests The WEF has been on a drive for several years to make the annual meeting more environmentally friendly and chose sustainability as the theme for the 2020 summit. For the fourth year, WEF officials said the four-day meeting would be climate-neutral through various initiatives such as offsetting 100 percent of emissions, including air travel. That has been done by funding sustainable projects in the Amazon, efficient cookstoves in China, Mali, India and South Africa, and biogas production on local farms, among others. WEF spokesman Oliver Cann said 90 percent of the official car fleet was now hybrid or electric, AI was being tested this year to measure food waste, and most food was locally sourced. While private jets continued to arrive, this year a lower-carbon fuel blending synthetic and conventional jet fuel was on sale at Zurich airport. It is all about showing leadership, Cann said. But the issue has become more pressing for political and corporate leaders as a climate emergency is declared by more countries and cities, and activists take to the streets. A global survey of public opinion released on Tuesday by the WEF found more than two-thirds of about 10,500 people in 30 countries blamed global warming on human activity. Our house is still on fire, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 17, told a packed session on Tuesday, repeating her remarks from a year ago. Your inaction is fueling the flames. On the main street of Davos, small groups of protesters slammed a lack of action on climate change, having trekked to the ski resort over two days. This is the most important topic that we are facing today, Marila, 19, a student from Olten, Switzerland, who did not want to give both names, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. If we dont do anything, mankind will be extinct. You may also like these stories: Britains Prince Harry Says No Other Option But To Step Back Worlds Richest 2,000 People Own More Than Poorest 4.6 Billion Combined: Oxfam Brazils Tribes Stride Into Digital Age to Defend Their Culture, Forests The race to file nominations for the February 8 elections is down to the wire, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal still waiting in queue to file his nomination. Kejriwal, who was unable to file his nomination yesterday due to his roadshow, is token number 45, he informed on Twitter.In this photo, Arvind Kejriwal is seen waiting at SDM office to file his nominations for the February 8 election. BAGHDAD Anti-government protests have once again heated up across the country, with reports of live ammunition being used by security forces after protesters blocked a highway bridge in the capital Jan. 19 and again Jan. 20 near the main protest square in the capital, where several protesters were killed. Dozens had been injured in Baghdad and elsewhere by the end of the day Jan. 20 after a seven-day deadline issued by protesters in Nasiriyah expired and more were killed the following day. There were also reports of at least 14 security forces injured on Jan. 20, including a brigade commander of the federal police whose leg was broken while he was allegedly protecting peaceful protesters in Tahrir Square. Police have for months been at the entrance to the square, where those entering are subject to body searches to prevent the infiltration of weapons. The Iraqi Human Rights Commission said Tuesday that 4 protestors had been killed in Baghdad over the previous two days and that 85 had been injured. Some 36 were arrested in the province. More deaths were reported in other provinces, including 2 in Karbala. The protesters in Nasiriyah had given the government and parliament until Jan. 20 to respond to their demands or face an escalation of civil disobedience and the blocking of roads in the southern city known for its rebellious tendencies. When Al-Monitor reported from Nasiriyah in November 2019, this reporter spent an evening at the home of a government employee and activist in his 50s. He had been in hiding for weeks after vocally supporting the protest movement. His son was subsequently severely injured in the protests. The activist told Al-Monitor Jan. 19 that he was still in hiding and that protesters planned to block all major roads, including to Baghdad, if demands were not met by the deadline. Meanwhile, the headquarters of another pro-Iran armed group was set ablaze in Najaf, government offices have been welded shut, students are in the streets en masse and other acts of civil disobedience are underway across much of south and central Iraq. Protests began escalating after a windy but sunny Jan. 17 in the Iraqi capital, when security forces resumed shooting tear gas canisters at what they called saboteurs who had allegedly pushed forward on one of the three bridges occupied by anti-government protesters for the past three months. By the end of the night, two were reported dead. The tear gas canisters being used by Iraqi forces over the past three months are from Serbia and Iran and are up to 10 times heavier than standard ones and not meant to be fired directly at people. One of the two victims was reportedly killed when a tear gas canister lodged in his head, the other by a canister that hit him in the chest. One of the protesters Al-Monitor had met previously on the bridge sent a WhatsApp message saying the protesters had advanced against anti-riot security forces stationed at a barrier on the bridge on the night of Jan. 17. The bridge crosses to the Iranian Embassy and the large Al-Mansour Melia Hotel, where Lebanons Al-Mayadeen, linked to Hezbollah, often broadcasts from. It is the middle one of the three occupied by the protesters, who have accused Iran-linked armed groups many of which incorporated into the official Iraqi government forces after they took part in the war against the Islamic State of being behind kidnappings and killings of protesters, media workers and activists since the anti-government protests began Oct. 1, 2019. Though protesters started out demanding better services, more jobs and a change in the government, slogans against Iranian involvement in the country have become frequent. In recent weeks, protesters have repeatedly lamented that Iran-US tensions being played out in Iraq were diverting attention from their demands and movement. Many have noted that Iraqi security forces continue to protect the Iranian Embassy from anti-government protesters but failed to protect the US Embassy Dec. 31, 2019, when pro-Iran armed groups attempted to storm it. Baghdad Operations Command had said Jan. 18 that our security forces tasked with protecting demonstrators in the Sinak Bridge, Khilani and Wathba areas and their surroundings remain committed to their duties to protect the public there, but for the second day in a row, there are groups approaching the barrier separating protesters and security forces and throwing Molotov cocktails and other objects at the forces, adding it called on peaceful demonstrators to cooperate to prevent violent groups from provoking a reaction. It was in the Sinak garage," a multistory parking lot on the protesters side of the bridge by the same name, that at least 20 people were killed by unidentified men wielding a variety of weapons Dec. 6, 2019. Protesters have accused groups linked to Iran of being behind the killings. Wathba Square, further down the main road leading north from Tahrir Square, is instead where a teenager was lynched Dec. 12, 2019. Al-Monitor had witnessed dozens of youths at a barrier near Ahrar Bridge, next to Wathba Square, breaking rocks and throwing them at security forces Jan. 10 near where one man had reportedly been killed two days prior. Basra-native Sajjad, 18, told Al-Monitor in an interview near the Ahrar Bridge that he had been in Baghdad for almost three months because there were protests in Basra but not anymore, not really. The tribes got involved. They dont want them there. Unidentified individuals assassinated well-known journalist Ahmed Abdel Samad and his cameraman Safaa Ghali from Dijlah TV. Samad had posted a video on his Facebook account a few hours before he was killed in which he criticized the fact that Iraqi security forces had arrested protesters in Basra but had not done so with those who attacked the US Embassy. A prime method of escalating the protests to draw attention to demands has become that of burning tires and blocking roads, especially in southern Iraq but also in Baghdad in recent days. The spokesman for the commander in chief of the armed forces, Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf, said Jan. 20 that these actions would not be considered a valid method of protest and that the National Security Council had authorized the arrest of those who block roads, close government departments and burn tires. An angry journalist's rant about a Target manager who refused to sell him a toothbrush that was wrongly marked for one cent has recently gone viral on Twitter. David Leavitt, who lists CBS, Yahoo and the Examiner as places of his publications, took to the social media site on Jan. 17 following an interaction with manager Tori Perrotti at a Swansea, Massachusetts store. According to reports, Perrotti declined to sell Leavitt an Oral N Pro 5000 electric toothbrush after it was mistakenly marked down to $0.01 from its original $89.99 price tag. Leavitt took to Twitter to issue his complaint by sharing a photo of Perotti to his 210,000+ Twitter followers alongside a screenshot of the state's Pricing Law. Leavitt then tweeted that he called the police -- later clarifying that it was "the business number for the police" -- because Perotti was breaking the law by refusing. "The police verified @target displayed the price of toothbrush for $0.01 The store manager Tori refused to sell me the toothbrush for displayed price," Leavitt wrote, adding that he'll need to sue the multi-billion dollar company and claiming that the police will testify in the case. I have not been able to afford to go to a dentist in over three years. So yes I wanted a good toothbrush and was thrilled to see such an amazing prize on an @OralB but @target refused to honor it and now I have to take them to court David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) January 17, 2020 Leavitt then added that he hasn't been able to afford to see a dentist in three years and that he will be taking Target to court after they refused to sell him the toothbrush for "such an amazing price." But it seems like Leavitt's now-viral rant, which has been re-tweeted thousands of times, backfired, with many Twitter users calling him "despicable" and a "bad person" for publicly shaming the young woman. Many were also quick to clarify that the $0.01 was clearly corresponding to the display, not the toothbrush. Story continues Leave the girl out of this and take down her picture. Youre a bad person for doing this to her. Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) January 17, 2020 So you decided to publicly shame a random Target worker because youre mad about a toothbrush Michael Tracey (@mtracey) January 17, 2020 When I worked retail, we all knew to ring up products that were marked wrong for the price they were marked. It's common. The tag doesn't say Oral B toothbrush. It says "Display". The packaged item's tag would be on the shelf. Don't post pictures of girls without consent. Emmerbetic (@Emmerbetic) January 18, 2020 Anyone who has worked retail knows a display price has a different barcode for inventory counting. It says display right there. God, you're an awful person. pic.twitter.com/JerZmXfYqi Greg "Fantomas" F. (@FantomasCinema) January 19, 2020 This is embarrassing. Plastering her face online while trying to take advantage of a clear pricing mistake is simply unnecessary. If you're that set on a free electric toothbrush, then maybe start a GoFundMe. Better yet, don't. Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) January 17, 2020 Delete this, you absolute psychopath Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) January 17, 2020 This is DESPICABLE behavior. How do people like this have check marks? pic.twitter.com/L9xjR4dzUo Rora is LIVE (@RoraPickles) January 18, 2020 In fact, Leavitt's rant went so viral that critics users banded together to make Perrotti a GoFundMe to send the manager on vacation. It's since raised over $30,000. My first thought was I wish I had worn makeup to work that day, she joked. Its so often that people will take the picture and make a meme out of it in a mean way. So, its nice to see theres publicity out of this to support me and my feelings. This isn't the first time the journalist has stirred controversy with his tweets. In 2017, he drew criticism for his response to the Manchester bombings, writing: "MULTIPLE CONFIRMED FATALITIES at Manchester Arena. The last time I listened to Ariana Grande I almost died too. Although that initial tweet has now been deleted, he followed up with another post minutes later, writing: "Honestly, for over a year I thought an Ariana Grande was something you ordered at Starbucks." And in 2018, Leavitt went viral once again after calling Anthony Bourdain an "asshole" for taking his own life. More on his response to the Manchester tragedy in the video above. LONDON - Terry Jones, a founding member of the anarchic Monty Python troupe who was hailed by colleagues as the complete Renaissance comedian" and a man of endless enthusiasms, has died at age 77 after suffering from dementia. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 file photo from left, actors Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle attend the IFC and BAFTA premiere of "Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyers Cut)", in New York. Terry Jones, a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, has died at 77. Jones's agent says he died Tuesday Jan. 21, 2020. In a statement, his family said he died after a long, extremely brave but always good humored battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD". (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File) LONDON - Terry Jones, a founding member of the anarchic Monty Python troupe who was hailed by colleagues as the complete Renaissance comedian" and a man of endless enthusiasms, has died at age 77 after suffering from dementia. Jones's family said he died Tuesday evening at his home in London after a long, extremely brave but always good humoured battle with a rare form of dementia. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humour has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades, Jones's wife, Anna Soderstrom, and children Bill, Sally and Siri, said in a statement. Born in Wales in 1942, Jones attended Oxford University, where he began writing and performing with fellow student Michael Palin. After leaving university, he wrote for seminal 1960s comedy series, including The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. At the end of the decade he and Palin, along with Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam, formed Monty Python's Flying Circus. The troupe's irreverent humour a blend of satire, surrealism and silliness helped revolutionize British comedy. Terry was one of my closest, most valued friends. He was kind, generous, supportive and passionate about living life to the full, Palin said in a statement. He was far more than one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation. He was the complete Renaissance comedian writer, director, presenter, historian, brilliant children's author, and the warmest, most wonderful company you could wish to have, Palin said. FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010 file photo, Terry Jones arrives at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Terry Jones, a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, has died at 77. Jones's agent says he died Tuesday Jan. 21, 2020. In a statement, his family said he died after a long, extremely brave but always good humored battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file) Jones wrote and performed for the troupe's TV series, which aired for five years on the BBC, and films including Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975 and Monty Python's Life of Brian in 1979. Playing the mother of Brian, a hapless young man who is mistaken for Jesus, he delivered one of the Pythons' most famous lines: "He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy! A more understated presence than the 6-foot-five-inch (1.95 metres) Cleese or the energetic Idle, Jones was a deft comic performer, who played many of the Pythons' female characters. He was also, among many other incarnations, a grinning nude organist, Spanish Inquisitor Cardinal Biggles and the explosively gluttonous restaurant patron Mr. Creosote. Cleese tweeted: "It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away He added: "Two down, four to go," a reference to the six members of the troupe. Chapman died of cancer in 1989. As well as performing, Jones co-directed Holy Grail with Gilliam, and directed Life of Brian and the 1983 Python film The Meaning of Life. Life of Brian was considered daring and was even banned in some areas for its biblical satire. The films crucifixion scene, which featured Idle performing the cheeky song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, cemented Jones reputation as a daring director with an absurdist sense of humour. During the 1970s, Jones also created the show Ripping Yarns with Palin and wrote sketches for comedy duo The Two Ronnies. After the Pythons largely disbanded in the 1980s, Jones wrote books on medieval and ancient history, presented documentaries, wrote poetry and directed films, including Personal Services, about a suburban brothel madam, an adaptation of children's classic The Wind in the Willows and the comedy adventure Erik the Viking. He also scripted the Jim Henson-directed fantasy film Labyrinth, which starred David Bowie. In 2014, more than three decades after their last live performance, the five surviving Pythons reunited for a string of stage shows that revived their old skits for adoring audiences. Palin would recall that during the stage run, Jones struggled for the first time with remembering lines. Two years later, Jones's family announced he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which gradually robbed him of the ability to write and speak. Palin said in 2016 that losing the ability to speak was the cruelest thing that could befall someone to whom words, ideas, arguments, jokes and stories were once the stuff of life. The news of his diagnosis came just after the Welsh film and TV industry group Bafta Cymru announced that Jones had been given a special award for his outstanding contribution to film and television. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Palin presented the award to a tearful Jones, who was helped onto the stage by his son to a standing ovation. All he could say was Quieten down. It is a cruel and sad thing," surviving troupe member Idle tweeted Wednesday. "But let's remember just what joy he brought to all of us. So many laughs, moments of total hilarity onstage and off, we have all shared with him. Its too sad if you knew him, but if you didnt you will always smile at the many wonderfully funny moments he gave us. Jones is survived by his wife, his ex-wife Alison Telfer, and three children. ___ Former Associated Press writer Sophie Berman contributed to this story. Ahead of the US Presidential Election 2020, Hillary Clinton in a documentary is seen hitting out at Bernie Sanders saying "nobody likes him" and "nobody wants to work with him." According to CNN, in an upcoming docuseries, Clinton has blasted Sanders saying, "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done." The comments come at a time when the presidential election is approaching, and are focused on Sanders' core campaign appeal that revolves around him being a political outsider seeking to bring about a radical change. Reacting to Clinton's remarks, Sanders said in a statement that his focus was President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. "Together, we are going to go forward and defeat the most dangerous president in American history," Sanders said. Clinton also questioned the culture around Sanders' campaign saying, "It's not only him, it's the culture around him. It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zahorodniuk considers achieving military criteria for NATO membership as his main objective KYIV. Jan 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Zahorodniuk has said that he considers his main task in the current position to achieve the military criteria for NATO membership and to do everything so that Ukraine receives the status of a member of the NATO Enhanced Opportunity Program. "Finally, cooperation has become practical. Before that, we often heard just political slogans, but nothing happened in reality. We made it clear that we were not interested in political slogans. Switching to practical mode is something that matters. My main task is to achieve military membership criteria and do everything in order to obtain the status of a member of the NATO Enhanced Opportunity Program," Zahorodniuk said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "We have every chance to get it. In fact, it will already be a purely political issue," the minister added. Zahorodniuk said that in January 2020, the first roadmaps for the transition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to NATO standards is to begin. "In Brussels, we had systemic meetings where we agreed on roadmaps for transition to Alliance standards. The way the reform should be implemented in close cooperation with NATO so that they understand our actions and fully support them - these roadmaps have been agreed and supported. First roadmaps will be ready in January, because there are several hundred standards there," said the minister. He specified that the roadmap would contain instructions on the types and different kinds of troops, because they all are in completely different states. "The roadmap will include types and separate kinds of troops, because their state is completely different. Some of them are ready to undergo certification tomorrow, some of them have already passed it (for example, in the Joint Forces Operation), and some of them are required to build everything from the very beginning," said Zahorodniuk. According to him, the Naval Forces of Ukraine now, in fact, meet the criteria for membership in the Alliance, since many of the personnel have undergone service and training in NATO structures. HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International received top accolades in the 2020 Porthole Cruise Editor-in-Chief Awards, as the brand's Original Legendary Steak Burger was awarded "Best Burger on Land." The annual awards featured in Porthole Cruise Magazine are hand-selected by editor-in-chief Bill Panoff and celebrate his favorite experiences from around the world based on service, quality and memorable moments. Steak Burgers are the star of the show at Hard Rock Cafe, which debuted its most extensive menu innovation in company history in 2019. The restaurant's proprietary beef blend Steak Burger patties are sourced from Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors and are combined with premium accompaniments like freshly baked, toasted buns and signature sauces to produce the most flavorful burger "on land." This is the second consecutive year that Hard Rock has received accolades from Porthole Cruise Magazine. In 2019, the brand was honored with the titles of "Best Burger" and "Best New Restaurant" following the opening of the state-of-the-art Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood. "Being awarded 'Best Burger on Land' is a testament to the quality Steak Burgers Hard Rock locations around the world serve on a daily basis, adding to the world-class dining experience our guests have come to expect from us," said Stephen K. Judge, President of Cafe Operations for Hard Rock International. "It is our privilege to provide a best-in-class experience to each guest that steps foot through the doors of a Hard Rock Cafe. To be recognized for our commitment to serving the freshest and highest quality Steak Burgers by Porthole Cruise Magazine for the second year in a row is a true honor." Guests who visit Hard Rock Cafe locations around the world can sink their teeth into additional Steak Burger options including the 24-Karat Gold Leaf Steak Burger, BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, Double Decker Double Cheeseburger and The Big Cheeseburger. "Whether you're dining at Hard Rock Cafe before or after a cruise, it's hard to beat their outstanding level of service," said Bill Panoff, Porthole Cruise Magazine's Editor-in-Chief. "Hard Rock's Steak Burgers are simply delicious, which is why they have been honored for the second year in a row at the Porthole Cruise Editor-In-Chief Awards." In addition to honors from Porthole Cruise Magazine, Hard Rock Cafe's signature Steak Burger has also been awarded "Fan Favorite" at the 2019 Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale Burger Battle, "Ultimate Winner/Best in Miami" at the 2018 Miami Times Burgerfest and "Best Burger" at both the 28th Annual Harley Davidson European H.O.G. Rally and Harley Davidson's Prague Harley Days 2019. Those looking to dine at Hard Rock Cafe can find their local Cafe and make a reservation by visiting www.hardrockcafe.com/locations.aspx. To purchase Hard Rock Cafe merchandise, visit the online Rock Shop at www.shop.hardrock.com. For additional information on the Hard Rock Cafe brand, please visit www.hardrockcafe.com. For more information about the 2020 Porthole Cruise Editor-in-Chief Awards, please visit https://www.porthole.com/editor-in-chief-awards-2020/. About Hard Rock : With venues in 76 countries spanning 262 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops and Cafes - Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's most valuable collection of music memorabilia at more than 83,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. In 2018, Hard Rock International was recognized as a Forbes Magazine Top Employer for Women and Land Operator of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards. In 2019, Hard Rock International was honored as one of Forbes Magazine's America's Best Large Employers, Forbes Magazine's Top Employers for Women and No. 1 in J.D. Power's 2019 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains. Hard Rock destinations are located in the world's greatest international gateway cities, including its two most successful flagship properties in Florida and home to the world's first Guitar Hotel in South Florida, where its headquarters are located. The brand is owned by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida. For more information on Hard Rock International visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com. About Porthole Cruise Magazine Porthole Cruise Magazine, the world's leading cruise travel magazine, now in its 24th year, is published bimonthly and is available on newsstands as well as by both print and digital subscriptions. Featuring a wide range of cruise content for both first-time and experienced cruisers, each issue includes ship reviews, destination features, and other editorial writing on cruise trends, food and wine, spa and well-being, entertainment, kids' activities, and other onboard amenities. To learn more, visit Porthole.com and connect with @PortholeCruise on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE Hard Rock International The Odisha government has urged the Centre to release subsidy for the paddy procurement during the ongoing kharif marketing season (KMS), a minister said. The central government has released Rs 1,434.90 crore subsidy as against a claim of Rs 4,307.17 crore for the quarter ending December, 2019, state Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister RP Swain said. In a letter dated January 21, he sought personal intervention of Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan for release of the subsidy amount at the earliest. "Non-release of subsidy in time by Government of India has landed the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) in a serious financial crunch," Swain said. He further said, "I request you (Paswan) for release of the pending subsidy and release advance subsidy for the quarter ending March, 2020 at the earliest," he said in the letter, adding that all the resources including sanctioned limit of bank finance have already been exhausted. In the current KMS 2019-20, more than 30 lakh metric tonnes paddy has already been procured and Rs 5,400 crore towrads minimum support price transferred to the bank accounts of farmers, the minister said. "Further paddy procurement from farmers may be severely affected, if the subsidy amount from the Government of India is not received at the earliest," Swain said. The claim for advance subsidy of about Rs 1,400 crore for the March quarter will be submitted within a couple of days, he said. Though, as per MoU with the Centre, advance subsidy is to be released in the 1st month of the quarter, no such subsidy has been extended during the entire FY 2019-20, Swain said in the letter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OCO Global has today warned that US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland is now at a "crucial juncture." With Irelands election less than three weeks away and the World Economic Forum taking place in Davos this week, OCO Global say Irelands prosperous US foreign direct investment (FDI) strategy which has seen $446bn total investment to date will be presented with new challenges in 2020. The Belfast and Dublin based company which advises Irish and UK Government organisations such as Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and the UKs Department for International Trade, on trade and investment, has said that the combination of a volatile global trading environment, a slowdown in the US economy, the potential for rekindled US protectionism in election year and increased FDI competition will require Ireland to work harder to achieve its growth targets. It is estimated that there are 155,000 people employed in US companies in Ireland. In 2019, multinationals in Ireland employed 245,000 with 63% of these coming from US FDI with companies including Facebook who recently expanded its staff in Ireland to 5,000 and medical device company Johnson and Johnson Vision investing a further 100m, creating an additional 100 jobs in its Limerick operations. With IDA finalising its 2020 2024 growth strategy, OCO Global has said that this year will be more challenging for Ireland with its innovation ecosystem and regional development being crucial in achieving growth targets. OCO has said that Ireland can significantly influence its FDI growth by demonstrably differentiating itself from the growing number of competing countries who are basing their FDI models on Irelands success by promoting tax incentives, upskilling labour and investing in targeted infrastructure which supports corporate growth. Looking at the year ahead, Director for Trade Ireland at OCO Global, Kilian Cawley said, "The IDA has earmarked competition coming from Eastern Europe, but OCO Global is also aware of regions across Europe that are seeking to emulate the Irish model and gain ground on Irelands well established FDI principles. It is incumbent on the new government to focus its attention on Irelands credentials as a gateway into the EU and, depending on the Brexit process, the UK as an English-speaking country and importantly the sectoral hubs that have been successfully developed in pharma, tech and professional services and are so crucial to FDI." He added, "Ireland must also maximise on the growing number of US companies that have their EU headquarters located here, which has supported an outstanding entrepreneurial network and eco system fostering new innovations, R&D activities and new business development through innovative start-ups. It is this maturing innovation hub which has seen a 10% increase in start-up funding from 2018 to 2019, that is particularly appealing for US and other global companies." Source: www.businessworld.ie Japan has huge investment in infrastructure projects in the Northeast and is collaborating with several states in the region in areas like forest, sewerage and disaster management, the Centre said on Wednesday. The issue was discussed threadbare when a delegation led by Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki called on Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh here on Wednesday, an official statement said. During the meeting, various issues related to mutual collaboration and cooperation between the two countries were discussed. "There is huge Japanese investment in infrastructure projects in the North Eastern region of the country," the DoNER Ministry statement said. In the area of forest management, Japan has been collaborating with the governments of Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland and soon it will tie up with Meghalaya. Mutual collaboration in the areas of bamboo, disaster management, road infrastructure and Guwahati Sewerage Project were some of the issues that came up for discussion at the meeting, it said. The upgradation of Aizwal-Tuipang Section of NH-54 with a length of 372km is being done with the assistance of theJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)at a cost of Rs 6,168 crore. The road would provide seamless connectivity to Sittwe port in Mayanmar as part of the government's 'Act East Policy'. Singh said India shares traditional relations with Japan and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, new areas of mutual collaboration are being added to it. The minister mentioned about the bullet train project in this regard. Singh said during the last five years, Japanese engagement in India's infrastructure projects has increased. Recently 12 nursing caregivers from Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh have been taken up for jobs in Japan through initiative of private agencies, the minister said. Discussing the role of mutual cooperation between the two countries, it was mentioned that meeting of Indo-Japan Working Group onNuclearEnergy Cooperationis scheduled to be held next month, the statement said. On the issue of collaboration between India and Japan in the area of outer space, it was mentioned that bilateral discussions were held last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hankou Railway Station Wuhan virus screening AFP via Getty Images On Tuesday, the US confirmed the first confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the country a man now being treated in Everett, Washington. The US government also announced more widespread screening measures at five airports, meant to slow the spread of the disease. The US plans to reroute all Wuhan passengers even indirect ones to one of these five airports for screening. But even this has limits. Other places in China and other countries have cases too. Plus there are potentially more sufferers already in the US who have yet to be identified. Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories. United States public health officials confirmed Tuesday that a case of the Wuhan virus has been identified in the US, prompting an escalation of efforts to catch and control its spread. The problem is that the measures leave gaps in the net and regardless of how hard authorities work, they can't close them all. Since China confirmed cases in Wuhan and other nearby Asian countries, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) started scanning many passengers coming from Wuhan to the US on direct flights, via screening systems at San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and New York's JFK airport. Chicago O'Hare Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta, Georgia, are due to start the process as well some point this week. Other ways in to the US However, as the first confirmed US case highlights, that's not the only way to get to the US from Wuhan. The newly-confirmed sufferer, a male US resident who lives in Washington state, took a connecting flight and landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where there was no screening. US officials have an ambitious plan to catch even indirect passengers on routes like these. In a call with reporters on Tuesday, CDC officials said they were activating a large-scale plan to reroute all passengers from Wuhan through one of the five airports running screenings. Story continues Dr. Martin Cetron, a CDC quarantine expert, described a "funneling" strategy whereby passengers starting in Wuhan would be issued new tickets and put on different planes to make sure they fly via a screening airport. According to The Washington Post, officials could even reroute planes to make stops at screening airports to make sure passengers who need screening receive it. It remains to be seen whether the complicated strategy will prove 100% effective. Other ways out of Wuhan Although most cases confirmed in China have been from Wuhan the epicenter of the infection the virus has made it further, both within China and beyond. According to CNN, China has confirmed 10 cases in Beijing, 14 in Guangdong province, and six in Shanghai, all of which run direct flights to the US. Providence Medical Center Everett, Washington, Wuhan virus confirmed US case Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, have also confirmed cases. Other countries run their own screenings, and the further you get from the source of the outbreak, the smaller the chance of transmission, but it isn't zero. They could already be here Of course, all the screening measures in the world are no good if the person has already crossed the border. The patient in Washington state arrived before any screening for the virus existed. Health officials said he referred himself for treatment after feeling sick, partly because he was an engaged news reader who was aware of the Wuhan virus and its spread. Wuhan virus China Beijing railway station Kevin Frayer/Getty Images His quick action, they said, helped them enormously. There is no guarantee other suffers will act in this exemplary way. Only time will tell whether there are already other sufferers in the US. And if so, where? A CDC spokesman at a press conference Tuesday said that officials "expect" more US cases to emerge. Read the original article on Business Insider Frey said she was on her personal time at 3 p.m. Jan. 17 when she accompanied her son to the election board office and sent out the email less than an hour later. "I am coroner 24-7 whenever accidents or deaths happen. Sometimes I have to speak with our staff at 9 p.m. or come to the office at 2 a.m," she said. It is unclear what action the county could take against an elected official who can only be terminated by the voters. Several veteran county employees said they cannot remember when anyone in county government was disciplined by county officials for political activity on county time. Six years ago, a federal grand jury under former U.S. Attorney David Capp indicted then Lake County Surveyor George Van Til on a felony charge of wire fraud for ordering an office employee to do his re-election campaign work on county time and equipment. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Snow showers early with a steadier snow developing late in the day. High -3C. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. About one inch of snow expected.. Tonight Snow showers. Low -10C. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. A young girl accused of stealing from a chemist has been filmed jumping into a get-away vehicle valued at more than $100,000. Footage taken by another motorist showed the alleged thief struggling to break free from the grip of a security guard. She eventually manages to wriggle away and flee into an oncoming Land Rover. The young woman (pictured) allegedly stole from a Chemist Warehouse on Tuesday and was filmed as she tried to escape A Facebook community page posted the video online Tuesday. Social media users were quick to point out the expensive car in the video. 'Guess the car was over their budget,' one person wrote. 'Spent all the money on a Land Rover,' a third comment read. It is unknown what the girl allegedly stole or whether the matter was reported to police. According to carguides.com, the model of the getaway vehicle is valued between $105,990 to $119,880. The brother of a murdered journalist has called for the return of internment to deal with an ongoing drugs feud in Ireland. Jimmy Guerin, a local councillor in Dublin and brother of murdered Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin, said politicians must change the law to tackle the crimewave. The country has been left shocked by the murder this month of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods. The Drogheda teenagers body was dismembered and left in various locations in Dublin, and his murder was linked to a feud between two criminal gangs. Expand Close Keane Mulready-Woods (Garda/PA) PA Media / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Keane Mulready-Woods (Garda/PA) Mr Guerin, whose sister was shot in her car in 1996 after her investigative work exposed members of Irish criminal gangs, called for the return of internment, the controversial policy of detention without trial of suspected republicans during the Troubles. I will be far happier if a superintendent went to these houses, of people they know to be involved, and these people are arrested and interned, and at that stage then lets bring the cases against them and lets jail them for their crimes, he said on LMFM Radio on Wednesday. Its the legislators who make the law that we have to live by, the legislators can bring in the necessary legislation. We did it in the 70s, we did have a battle against the Provisional IRA, and we interned people. Lets do it now because of the drugs, and the cancer that it is in our society is just as big a threat to the security of the state as the Provos were. Mr Guerin said he knows the idea seems dramatic but the recent murders represent a turning point for the country. We need measures to be put in place immediately to protect the majority, not to worry about the civil rights and civil liberties of the few drug dealers going around terrorising peopleJimmy Guerin I would have locked them up, he said. I mean, that sounds very dramatic yet, in reality, yes, I would do that today. If the superintendent and Garda intelligence are satisfied that these people are terrorising people and involved in illegal activity, then I would make it a priority that those who are locked up and interned are brought before the courts as speedily as possible to face the charges that are against them, and I make no apology for saying that. We need measures to be put in place immediately to protect the majority, not to worry about the civil rights and civil liberties of the few drug dealers going around terrorising people. If politicians had the courage, they would put that type of legislation in place. Noting similarities to the murder of his sister, Mr Guerin said media attention will eventually fall away from the feud and nothing substantial will have changed. Expand Close Veronica Guerin (Steve Humphreys/PA) PA Media / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Veronica Guerin (Steve Humphreys/PA) Ive always said that, you know, that it (Veronicas death) was in vain and we failed to actively take advantage of our huge opportunity when there was public support and an outcry for action to be taken, Mr Guerin added. In reality, what happened is that CAB (the Criminal Assets Bureau) was formulated, but for about 12 months, the resources were made available to the guards just to tackle the crime gang that were responsible for Veronicas murder, and it did have an effect and we saw drug criminals going overseas and they were afraid of what was happening. And then, like everything else and whats going to happen in these recent tragedies and barbaric murders, as soon as it comes off the media attention, well then the resources are no longer made available and the overtime is not paid. I find it very sad, I have always said, every life is sacred. We could take action. We had six people murdered in seven months who had received warnings from the Garda that their lives was in danger, and they were also known to be involved in criminal activity, in the drugs, and had we interned these people they would be alive today these crimes, these murders, would not have occurred. Mount Holly, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/22/2020 -- As a team of reputable DUI lawyers servicing Camden County, the Law Offices of Jason C. Pollack, P.C. knows that motorists who receive DUIs are curious as to how long their licenses could be suspended. While there are lots of aggravating factors that could alter a judge's sentencing, the state of New Jersey has a specific set of relatively boilerplate legal punishments taken against someone who is arrested for driving under the influence. If the driver's blood-alcohol (BAC) is .08 percent or lower, a first-time offender can lose his or her license for three months. If the BAC is above .10 percent, the driver can be subject to more severe fines and penalties. A judge may require an interlock device installed in the vehicle that the driver is to operate for six months to a year. In the event of a second offense within ten years of the initial offense, a BAC of .08 percent can receive the same penalties as a BAC of .10 percent for the first. The driver will receive the mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device upon the return of the license, which can be suspended for a minimum of two years a third offense results in a 10-year license suspension. With every degree, hefty fines, jail time, intoxicated driver programs, and community service often accompany license suspension. Since DUIs are judged on a case-by-case basis, these penalties can be more severe on circumstances surrounding the charge (driving intoxicated in a school zone, open containers in the vehicle, unruly behavior toward law enforcement at the time of arrest, etc.) While this firm implores that no one operates under the influence, every citizen has the right to legal counsel. If individuals require a DUI or traffic violation lawyer servicing Camden County, they are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Jason C. Pollack, P.C. today. About The Law Offices of Jason C. Pollack, P.C. The Law Offices of Jason C. Pollack, P.C. is a legal firm with three locations across Mount Holly, Audubon and Winslow Township. A graduate of Penn State University and Widener Law School, Jason Pollack opened up The Law Offices of Jason C. Pollack, P.C. in 2002. Nearly two decades later, Pollack and his team of professional attorneys have grown to have three locations throughout New Jersey. By Abdul Kerimkhanov The Coordination Council of the Netherlands-Belgium Azerbaijanis has prevented a provocation during a tourism exhibition in Utrecht, Netherlands. At the Jaarbeurs Exhibition and Convention Center in Utrecht, provocative materials of separatist nature were showcased in the Armenian stand. In particular, booklets of Armenian travel companies and promotional materials of the Georgian GroosCom Travel company and the Dutch Kaukasus Reisen Plus company presented distorted information about the occupied Azerbaijani territories. These companies used maps where the occupied Azerbaijani territories were painted in a different color, and were indicated as Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. A dispute was started after a member of the Coordination Council of the Netherlands-Belgium Azerbaijanis, Emil Aliyev, demanded that these materials be immediately removed from the exhibition. His demand was met with serious protest, and representatives of the above-mentioned companies used physical force against him. Representatives of Georgian travel agencies said that they used these maps because they couldnt find other maps for the exhibition and they would only remove the map with the instruction of the exhibition managers. Aliyev held several meetings with the organizers of the exhibition, and afterwards, provocative materials were removed from the exhibition. According to the management of the exhibition, they did not want to face the problem that arose by the Armenians in 2019. Therefore, the Armenian tourist companies are strictly forbidden to display any maps, flags, or portions of Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent republic or the Armenian territory. Even a so-called "map" of Nagorno-Karabakh discovered among booklets was confiscated, and it was instructed to seriously consider the issue. The Coordination Council employee told the organizers that until January 19, Azerbaijans representatives will control the exhibition every day, insistently demanding that maps and booklets with provocative elements not be used again. Earlier, in 2019, Armenians also made a provocation indicating Nagorno-Karabakh as an Armenian territory on a geographical map displayed at a tourism exhibition in Utrecht. Emil Aliyev and other Azerbaijani activists of the Diaspora strongly opposed the Armenian provocation and succeeded in removing the map. Azerbaijanis informed the management and participants of the exhibition that Nagorno-Karabakh is inalienable and integral part of Azerbaijan. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Galaxy Z series is soon to take flight next month, the Galaxy Z Flip is suggested to arrive. A new, cryptic photo just surfaced, though, suggesting that the Galaxy Z phone with tri-fold design is in the works. Leaked Galaxy Z photo hints that a tri-fold phone is in the works A photo has surfaced of a computer window with the words Galaxy Z above a zigzag design. Samsungs usual branding is at the top left of the window, which seems valid. The Z design in the computer window is razor-thin. There is no mention of the words Z Fold there. The zigzag design matches that of a fold design patent Samsung published on August 7, 2019 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Advertisement The phone, Samsung logo, and series name confirm that this is a legitimate Samsung leak and not a forgery. After all, a tip from leakster Ice Universe says that Samsungs upcoming smartphone will be called the Galaxy Z Flip, not the Galaxy Fold. But with this new photo surfacing, it appears as though the upcoming series will incorporate more than just a bi-fold design. Even tri-fold designs (zigzag) could find a home in the new nomenclature. Keep in mind that Samsung can change labels, series names, and so on at any time. Despite the leaks, things could still change between now and the product unveils. Why Galaxy Z makes sense: Samsungs marketing genius The key to making any product unforgettable is to sell its name. Samsung has had some success in the marketing department with smartwatch names such as the Gear S2 and Gear S3 Frontier. After all, the South Korean Android OEM introduced a more modern smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, back in 2013, with the Gear moniker in its name. Samsung renamed the series to Galaxy Watch to help customers identify its smartwatch with its smartphone lines. The Galaxy S edge series was a popular one as well. Advertisement The same marketing success lies ahead for Samsung with the rumored product name change. The name Galaxy Z makes sense due to the new folding design. The new design is a zigzag in the shape of a Z. To name the series Galaxy Z after the z in the design is a great way to create a memorable name. And a memorable name could lead to a memorable product. You can see the Z-fold concept by LetsGoDigital below. LetsGoDigital also coined the phrase Z Fold design, and Galaxy Z Fold also seems like a good name for the Galaxy Fold Line. Samsungs new series to move past Galaxy Fold fiasco Samsungs Galaxy Z series is pushing forward with foldables. The Korean Android OEM is leaving behind the Galaxy Fold moniker because of its previous smartphone problems. The Galaxy Fold was the first of its kind but was riddled with problems. First, reviewers took the polyamide film off the device thinking it was an optional screen protector. Advertisement Dust and dirt got into the hinge of the Fold. Fold screens were flickering on and off, only to stop abruptly. Former Samsung CEO D.J. Koh admitted in an interview at the time that Samsung rushed the Fold to market to hold off Huaweis rising success in the global market. The Galaxy Z series could offer a new name to match a new foldable design. Of course, the Galaxy Z Flip doesnt share the same zigzag design as upcoming Z-series smartphones, but perhaps it will in the future. When Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note Edge, it was a unique phone of its kind at the time, introduced alongside the Galaxy Note 4. Samsung took the edge design and later introduced it to the Galaxy S series. In the same vein, the Galaxy Z series could be another experimental series designed to improve Samsungs phone design across the board. It could also be a new phone series designed to help customers forget the mistakes of the past. It could be a bit of both, to be honest. Advertisement The Galaxy Z Fold is coming on February 11, but probably not this tri-fold handset Only time will tell, specifically, on February 11th, when Samsung unveils the Galaxy Z Flip alongside the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. Do note that this tri-fold Galaxy Z smartphone almost certainly will not arrive on February 11, though. If its real, it will probably launch later in the year. On the flip side, the leaked photo may be related to the Galaxy Z Flip despite the fact it doesnt contain the Flip branding. We can guess all we want, only time will tell whats legit, and what isnt. 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Trump had some not-so-nice things to say about about Sen. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, saying of the former veep, 'He can't put together a sentence.' But the president put most of his focus on former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has been climbing in the polls as he pursues an unorthodox strategy to advertise heavily but skip the early primary states. President trump picked on three Democrats running for president during a new inteview Wednesday morning with CNBC President Trump fixated on former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a Wednesday interview with CNBC, recalling how they used to be friends - and said Hillary Clinton would have double-crossed Bloomberg had she been elected president in 2016 President Traump also made fun of former Vice President Joe Biden, telling CNBC, 'He can't put together a sentence' 'Mini Mike is spending a lot of money,' Trump commented. 'He's got no chance.' Trump then recalled how he and the former mayor of his hometown used to be pals. 'You know, he used to be a friend of mine until I ran for politics and then - he went a little off,' Trump described to 'Squawk Box' host Joe Kernen. 'You should see some of the nice things he said about me before I ran. They're like the nicest.' Trump then made a strange claim that Hillary Clinton, the president's 2016 Democratic rival, had promised Bloomberg the job of secretary of state should she be elected, to keep him from running four years ago. 'He had a deal with Hillary Clinton that he was going to become secretary of State. It was very simple. People knew that,' Trump said. The president then suggested Bloomberg would have been double-crossed. 'Wasn't going to happen. It was giong to go to Terry McAuliffe,' Trump said, name-dropping the former governor of Virginia who's been a close Clinton friend. 'I mean, so they were playing with Michael,' Trump alleged. 'And - it's too bad, but he's spending a fortune.' Trump was likely referring to exchanges that were part of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails, which were hacked by the Russians and then distributed by Wikileaks. The emails showed that Clinton confidante Neera Tanden had been in touch with longtime Bloomberg aide Howard Wolfson asking him, 'Is there something Mike Bloomberg would want to do in his life in an Admin? Is like Ambassador to China way too small.' 'Secty of state Which ain't gonna happen,' Wolfson replied. Tanden thought the message was important enough to forward it to Podesta. 'Is there something Mike Bloomberg would want to do in his life in an Admin? Is like Ambassador to China way too small,' she said. After talking Bloomberg, Trump then turned to Biden and Sanders Wednesday morning, who polls show are at the top of the 12-candidate pack. 'I don't know if Joe's going to limp across the line,' Trump said, before making fun of Biden's delivery. Trump's former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders got herself in trouble last month when she made fun of Biden's stutter on Twitter. Biden had demonstrated a stutter to tell an anecdote about a young boy who had asked him advice on how to cope with the speech impediment. 'And it could be Crazy Bernie,' Trump also said. 'I don't know who it's going to be,' the president added. 'Whoever it is, I'm ready.' The two academic unions in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have disowned Bisi Olaleye, a lecturer enmeshed in a sex-for-marks scandal. The two unions are the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the breakaway Congress University Academics (CONUA). PREMIUM TIMES exposed how Mr Olaleye of the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Administration, was caught on tape demanding sex from Motunrayo Afolayan, a 400-level student of the department. The student provided a seven-minute audio recording as part of the evidence before the university panel that investigated the allegations. A male student of the department identified as Sikiru was heard in the audio recording assuring Ms Afolayan of good results if she agreed to Mr Olaleyes overture. This newspaper also reported how other victims have narrated their shocking experiences with the same lecturer. The management of the university through its spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju, said it had reduced the lecturers salary by half pending the outcome of the matter before the panel. Many Nigerians on social media have called for the lecturers sack and prosecution. Disowned The chairmen of both ASUU, Adeola Egbedokun, and CONUA, Niyi Sumonu, spoke with PREMIUM TIMES in separate interviews on Tuesday. Responding to questions on the ongoing scandal via WhatsApp, Mr Egbedokun wrote: Mr Bisi Olaleye is not a member of ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU). He said the union was not in support of illegality and called for proper punishment against Mr Olaleye. ASUU believes in justice and any member of staff found wanting should be dealt with according to the regulations guiding the conduct of staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, he told our correspondent. On his part, Mr Sumonu, speaking for CONUA did not confirm or deny whether the randy lecturer is a member of his union. He was, however, concerned about the embarrassing act of the lecturer and also called for his prosecution if found guilty by the University panel. Mr Olaleye has breached the University rule and should be punished accordingly if found guilty. Our union will not stand in support of illegality. Lecturers are not permitted to have affairs with students who naturally are inferior to them. He told PREMIUM TIMES that if found guilty, of course, he should be made to face the law as he made reference to the case of Richard Akindele, a professor who was busted for the same offence in 2018. Mr Akindele was sacked, prosecuted and is currently serving a two-year jail term. Flash Ships of the Russian Baltic Fleet and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force are holding their first ever joint anti-piracy drills in the Arabian Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The Russian Yaroslav Mudry guard ship, the Yelnya tanker and the Viktor Konetsky tugboat, as well as the Japanese destroyer Harusame are participating in the drills, the ministry said in a statement. On Tuesday, the ships practiced an exercise of liberating a ship captured by simulated pirates, the part of which was performed by the Yelnya tanker. The crews of the Yaroslav Mudry and Harusame, after suppressing the firing points of the simulated pirates, attacked the ship and neutralized the capturers in a matter of minutes and freed the tanker's crew, the statement said. Later in the day, Russian and Japanese sailors will conduct a joint firing of small artillery and heavy machine guns at a sea target, prepared and set up in advance by the crew of the Russian Viktor Konetsky tugboat. Then, naval aviation helicopters from Russian and Japanese ships will make cross flights, landing on each other's decks. A Florida daycare worker was charged with abusing a very young baby. About the Infant Daycare Abuse According to WCTV, Shepherd Day Care at 208 Terrace Drive in Brandon, Florida is under investigation following charges of child abuse against worker Sarah Loria. The 20-year-old worker was confirmed to have been in contact with a small infant who was found pale and vomiting. The parents of the child immediately rushed the baby to doctors for inspection. Hillsborough County Police reported the child was unconscious under Loria's care. Doctors provided assessments of the child that supported it suffered from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Hillsborough County Sheriff was publicly disgusted with the incident, calling it a despicable crime, and had Loria arrested with two counts of aggravated child assault. Information on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) SBS is a brain injury resulting from shaking a young infant and can be fatal. Symptoms include: Fainting Crying Vomiting Tremors Coma Bleeding Bruising Lack of interest in food Monitoring in intensive care units is often required to ensure safety of baby. Surgery can be needed in severe cases. Men are more likely to cause SBS in infants along with young or overly stressed out caretakers. If feeling overwhelmed with a child, please seek some form of help. Statistics of Daycare Provider Abuse According to the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the National Child Abuse and Neglect System: Children from birth to 3 years are the most likely to be abused. In 2016, 1700 child deaths were reported due to child maltreatment under daycare provider care. In 2013, more than 3.5 million child abuse cases were reported to CPS. Boys and girls were both equally likely to be abused with girl having a slightly higher percentage. Contact an Experienced Child Injury Attorney If your child has been injured after an accident or abuse at a daycare center, contact Thomas J. Henry. Parents put their trust in the staff of a daycare facility to keep their children safe and out of harms way. It is unacceptable for a child to be subjected to abuse or an unsafe premises while in their care. If your child was seriously injured due to the negligence or abusive actions of daycare staff, call our experienced child injury attorneys today. Thomas J. Henry has the legal and financial resources necessary to develop your childs case properly. Call for a free case review. Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com. SYDNEYSome residents of Australias capital Canberra were evacuated briefly on Wednesday after a bushfire broke out near the airport as searing hot weather ended a few days of respite and the number of out-of-control blazes surged in the southeast of the country. Roads were closed and the authorities told people to leave or stay away from suburbs east of Canberra, as photos posted on social media showed gray smoke billowing above the citys suburbs. There were no reports of injuries or damage, and the warning was downgraded an hour later. I can see the smoke from my house, said Kane Cawse, a gym owner, by telephone as he drove toward his business in the evacuation zone about 14 kilometers (9 miles) from the countrys parliament. Im just going to see exactly whats going on, make sure Ive got a gym and make sure that the guys are either safe or out, he added. In recent weeks, Canberra and the cities of Sydney and Melbourne experienced air quality rated among the worst in the world under thick clouds of bushfire smoke. The fire broke out as a huge dust storm crossed the countrys south, leaving skies deep orange, and engulfing some outback towns, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Since September, hundreds of wildfires in Australia have killed 29 people as well as an estimated 1 billion native animals, while incinerating 2,500 homes and a total area of bushland larger than the size of Austria. Firefighters had taken advantage of rain and milder temperatures in the past week to contain blazes, but the respite ended on Wednesday when high temperatures and winds returned. An economic survey on Wednesday meanwhile showed the fires were causing Australians to tighten their purse strings, a sign the natural disaster is putting pressure on the worlds 14th-biggest economy. Economists said the cost to Australias AU$1.95 trillion ($1.33 trillion) economy could be as high as AU$5 billion ($3.4 billion), shaving 0.25 points off gross domestic product in the December and March quarters, and potentially prompting the central bank to cut rates as early as February. Consumer sentiment in January was 6.2 percent lower than a year earlier, according to the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank survey released on Wednesday. Consumer sentiment data is considered a leading indicator, running ahead of actual spending data. The huge bushfires have cut through the countrys east coast during the peak summer months when many businesses usually rake in earnings from both domestic and foreign tourists. Agricultural sectors, particularly the dairy industry, have also been hard hit. By Byron Kaye and Colin Packham Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ashley Judd are a few of the bold-faced names hitting the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential candidates who remained tied up in Washington D.C. at Donald Trump's impeachment trial. Ocasio-Cortez will be in Iowa this week, holding events for Bernie Sanders Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Ames on Friday and Saturday that includes a rally at the University of Iowa. The Sanders' campaign announced the stops for the freshman congresswoman, who has become a star among progressives, after noting Sanders had to cancel a rally scheduled for the University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday because of the president's impeachment trial. Judd, one of the first actresses to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, will be in New Hampshire on Friday for Elizabeth Warren in her first campaign appearance for the Massachusetts senator. xandria Ocasio-Cortez will be in Iowa to campaign for Bernie Sanders; the two are seen together at a rally in Venice, California, in December Elizabeth Warren (left) and Amy Klobuchar (right) in the Capitol Tuesday for Trump's impeachment trial Sanders, Warren and Amy Klobuchar have been sitting in the Senate listening to opening arguments in the president's impeachment trial - an event that will happen 12 hours a day, six days a week. And while they sit silently in the Senate chamber watching the clock tick away, time is also ticking on the campaign trail. The timing of the trial means it runs right up against the Iowa caucuses - the first round of voting in the Democratic nomination process - on Monday, Feb. 3. New Hampshire's primary is a week later on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Publicly all have said they will do their constitutional duty and hear the evidence against the president. But the outcome is essentially a foregone conclusion: the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to acquit the president while Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar will likely vote for his conviction. White House counsel Pat Cipollone got in a dig at the presidential contenders on the first day of the trial Tuesday, noting during his remarks on the Senate floor that he had a feeling they would rather be else where. 'Some of you are upset because you should be in Iowa right now,' he said. Klobuchar, who has deputized her husband and daughter to campaign for her, shot back via Twitter: 'No. This is my constitutional duty. And I can do two things at once.' 'This is only the third impeachment trial in the history of the United States,' Warren told reporters Tuesday in the Capitol building. 'Some things are more important than politics, and the Constitution of the United States is at stake here.' 'My focus today is on a monumental moment in American history: the impeachment trial of Donald Trump,' Sanders said when he was asked about comments Hillary Clinton made about him. Ashley Judd will make her first campaign appearance for Elizabeth Warren, appearing on the campaign trail in New Hampshire Amy Klobuchar deputized her husband John Bessler and daughter Abigail to campaign for her during Trump's impeachment trial - she is seen with her family at her February 2019 announcement for president The nomination for the Democratic candidate to take on Trump this November is wide open with none of the contenders having broken through to the party electorate. But the chances for one of the four senators - Michael Bennet is also running but his campaign is struggling - to do just that could be hurt by Trump's trial. It will be the Democratic impeachment managers and Trump's defense team that will get the majority of screen time. Senate rules do not even show the senators sitting at their desk. The television camera remains focused on the person speaking on the floor. And while they are stuck in the chamber, their rivals - Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer - campaign on. Buttigieg, campaigning in Iowa, acknowledged an advantage. 'Look, realistically, a lot of people are going to make up their minds in the last few days in each of the early states and here in Iowa, too,' he said Tuesday. 'So we're going to make the most of every moment that we have on the ground.' Julian Castro - seen with Warren in January - will campaign for her in Iowa this week with his twin brother Rep. Joaquin Castro Michael Moore will be in Iowa for Bernie Sanders - he spoke at an October Sanders rally Thus far it is Sanders, who also ran for the nomination in 2016, that is drawing the most star power. Director Michael Moore, activist Phillip Agnew and musical acts Mike Posner and Portugal. The Man will campaign for the Vermont senator in Iowa this week. They will also join Ocasio-Cortez at her Sanders rally at the University of Iowa - one of the largest schools in the state. Sanders' campaign will also hold two caucus concerts for supporters: Bon Iver performance on January 31 and a Vampire Weekend acoustic performance on February 1. Meanwhile, Friday will mark actress Ashley Judd's first time on the campaign trail for Warren and it will include stops in Dartmouth, Lebanon, and Nashua, New Hampshire. Additionally, former 2020 candidate Julian Castro and his twin brother Rep. Joaquin Castro will be in Iowa this week to campaign for Warren. While the senators are in Washington D.C. at Trump's trial, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg are on the campaign trail And Bachelor in Paradise contestant Derek Peth was knocking on doors in his hometown of Waverly, Iowa, for Warren. 'Hey internet friends. I chose to knock doors in my hometown of Waverly, Iowa last weekend in -17 wind chill for @ewarren because I believe strongly that Elizabeth is the right person to lead our beautiful country. I had a blast,' he wrote on Twitter. Klobuchar will have her husband and daughter John and Abigail Bessler in Iowa to take part in Hotdish House Parties across the state. A hotdish is a Minnesota casserole consisting of meats and vegetables, particularly starchy ones like potatoes. On Wednesday the duo will be in Iowa City. Klobuchar told reporters in the Capitol on Wednesday that her presidential campaign is going on without her. But she conceded surrogates are no substitute for the actual candidate. 'Well, no, except having those local officials as opposed to maybe more famous ones can be really important,' she said. The fate of the republic, we are now supposed to believe, hinges on whether there are witnesses at a Senate impeachment trial. Upon the long-anticipated transmittal of the articles of impeachment to the Senate, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler said if the upper chamber doesnt obtain the witnesses and documents the House impeachment managers want, it is engaged in an unconstitutional and disgusting cover-up, indeed would be participating in the presidents crimes. Its not clear what constitutional provision mandates that the Senate do whatever House managers say, nor what alleged crimes President Donald Trump committed, but lets put that aside and chalk up the chairmans rhetoric to an excess of sorrow and prayerfulness. What Nadler and other Democrats are insisting on is that the Senate take up its investigative baton. In other words, the body controlled by the party that was desperate to impeach Trump wants to outsource its work to the body controlled by the party that rejects Trumps impeachment. This is a cockamamie demand that is of a piece with the Houses attitude to the Senates proceedings: We are going to rush the impeachment, but dont dare rush the trial. We are going to impeach without key witnesses and documents, but if you hold a trial without key witnesses and documents, you are engaged in malfeasance. We didnt want to deal with knotty questions of privilege and potential litigation arising from them; you are obliged to. The House has been in an awkward situation ever since the pace of its investigation diverged from the pace of its impeachment. The time that Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted to devote to impeaching Trump over Ukraine fell short of the time it would take to thoroughly investigate Ukraine, so impeachment took precedence and the investigation gave way. The House scored some meaningful witnesses, but in a more deliberate process, it would have kept working its way up the food chain of Trump officials and digging into Rudy Giulianis skullduggery. Since there wasnt time to do this before a pre-Christmas impeachment, the House didnt try. It failed to subpoena John Bolton, whose testimony is now said to be absolutely central to the integrity of a Senate trial. The new, disturbing Lev Parnas documents are a boon to the Democrats. But the House impeached about a month before getting them. Indeed, if Pelosi hadnt delayed transmitting the articles in a futile attempt to pressure Mitch McConnell, the Senate trial could conceivably have ended before the release of the documents. Pelosis defenders say this is a vindication of her stall, but its more of an indictment of her rush to impeach. Even now, the documents raise questions that would be natural to answer in an impeachment inquiry if the inquiry hadnt already ended. If the House hasnt managed to keep its story straight over the past month, Senate Republicans arent making their best case on witnesses either. Their most compelling argument would be that we already know the broad outlines of what Trump has done, so more fact-finding is unnecessary, and the Senate only has to decide the threshold question of whether his conduct rises to the level of removal. But if Republicans maintain Trump didnt engage in any misconduct, it raises the natural question why Bolton and others shouldnt come testify and put to rest the allegations against him. The fact of the matter is that this is a most political impeachment because its happening in the run-up to an election. Pelosi wanted to rush impeachment, in part, to get it over with as soon as possible for her vulnerable members. Meanwhile, McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will be engaging in a political joust, with McConnell trying to hold together and protect his caucus and Schumer trying to split it and force awkward votes. Whether there are witnesses will depend on the contours of this contest. Either way, the republic will survive. @RichLowry Kim Min Jae gives reasons why he chose to appear in drama, Doctor Romantic 2, as supporting role after acting a lead role in previous drama, Flower crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. Doctor Romantic 2 is a Korean drama that is directed by director Yu In Sik and written by writer Kang Eun Kyung. It tells the story of Boo Yoong Joo, potrayed by han Suk Kyu where he calls himself Dr. Romantic and is recognized by people as Teacher Kim. He is an unusual and weird doctor who does not enjoy socializing with other people. Bong Yong Joo is in charge of the scruffy and ragged clinic, Dolmam. Cha Eun Jae, who is portrayed by actress Lee Sung Kyung is a 2nd year studying surgery. She is seen as someone that is very intelligent and confident. Lee Sung Kyung has never in her lifetime experienced failure and disappointment. Seo Woon Jin is also a character in the drama who is portrayed by Ahn Hyo Seop. Seo Woon Jin is also a 2nd year studying and mastering surgery. He is seen as someone who is good at what he does and he aquires exceptional skills for surgery. He has the personality of a cynical person because he suffered through a troublesome life. Because of this, he does not believe that he will experience such happiness. Cha Eun Jae and Seo Woo Jin later on meet the weird and unusual doctor who is known as Teacher Kim. The both of them grow to be good humans and doctors and acquire more skills with the teachings given by teacher Kim. On the 20th day of January, Magazine Grazia released photos of actor Kim Min Jae as he promised the staff in magazine Grazia with a variety of fun and charming poses in the photoshoot. Kim Min Jae is currently playing the role of a nurse in Doctor Romantic 2 which has received a continuous high viewership rating since the drama was released. After him playing the leading role in the drama, Flower Crew: Joseph Marriage Agency, he landed on a supporting role in a medical drama. Actor Kim Min Jae also mentions that playing the role of a nurse in the medical drama, Doctor Romantic 2, is the same as him being in a house. It will help him learn and help his growth in his acting career to progress. He also mentions how fun it is to work together with his co-actors on set. He also added feelings of thrill and enjoyment while acting with Han Suk Kyu and anticipations and plans for the future. Kim Min Jae's photoshoot can be seen in the February issue of Magazine Grazia. The drama, Dr. Romantic 2, can be seen and will take over SBS every Mondays and Tuesdays with a 22:00 time slot previously occupied by drama, "VIP", and drama "Nobody Knows" shows afterwards on March, 2020. Coolidge on the launch pad: Enthusiastic industry response to initial demonstrations during CES 2020; Advanced negotiations with storage server and automotive industry leaders; H2 2020 mass production launch confirmed; Multiple partnerships and joint programs with top-tier players, including distribution agreement with Intron Technology for the Chinese market; 63% revenue growth in 2019 15.7 million cash position at 2019 year-end confirming capacity of company to deliver its roadmap as planned; 100 million revenue target by 2022 confirmed. Kalray (Paris:ALKAL) (Euronext Growth Paris: ALKAL), a pioneer in processors for new intelligent systems, reviews its business in the second half of 2019 (from July 1 to December 31, 2019) and looks back over the highlights of the period. Eric Baissus, President of Kalray's Executive Board, commented as follows: "2019 was a pivotal year for Kalray marked by the achievement of a number of key milestones. First of all, we finished developing our 3rd generation Coolidge processor and presented it for the first time in early January at CES. Mass production is scheduled to start second semester of 2020. Furthermore, strategic agreements were signed with top-tier players including NXP, Wistron, 2CRSI and Intron Technology, which will boost our credibility and accelerate time to market for Coolidge. Our target of achieving revenues of 100 million by 2022 have been confirmed by the initial performances of Coolidge, the industry enthusiasm which we were able to measure at CES and the numerous negotiations underway. The initial signs of a growth upswing already visible in H2 2019 are expected to intensify in 2020. Given this outlook, we are continuing our structuring initiatives, particularly through hiring, and we keep reviewing a number of potential partnerships geared to support our development. The recent market concentration and discussions with our partners demonstrate how crucial acceleration and artificial intelligence technologies are for the future, and how they occupy a core position in a market with huge potential. They confirm the relevance of our positioning and technology and confirm our ambitions of becoming a leading supplier on this market." SUCCESSFUL INITIAL DEMONSTRATIONS OF COOLIDGE ALONGSIDE NXP AT CES 2020 Kalray gave the first technical demonstration of its Coolidge third-generation MPPA (Massively Parallel Processor Array) processor at the CES 2020 international trade show in Las Vegas held from January 7-10, 2020. Just a few weeks after receiving the first samples, Kalray gave the first public demonstration of its Coolidge processor in conjunction with NXP Semiconductors, a leading global semiconductor manufacturer and year-long partner of Kalray, as part of an AI application. As announced earlier, the strategic partnership with NXP is designed to produce a secure and reliable solution for autonomous vehicles. The partnership will combine the computing power and reliability of Kalray's processors with the decision-making power and automotive know-how of NXP processors within NXP's Bluebox on-board autonomous driving platform. So far, the performances achieved with Coolidge are fully in line with Kalray's expectations. This 3rd generation processor offers major improvements in the use of MPPA technology: performances multiplied 25-fold1 compared to the 2nd generation MPPA, extension of artificial intelligence capabilities, easier programming, high-speed interfaces, etc. Coolidge will play a key role in Kalray's plans on both the data center market, by meeting the growing need for data center acceleration, and the automotive market, by allowing the integration of multiple critical functionalities on a single processor while supporting ultra high-level performances. Coolidge samples are due to be generally available from April 2020 before the planned launch of mass production in H2 2020. Kalray has already received initial product development requests from a number of customers and prospects in both the data center and automotive sectors. STRATEGIC AGREEMENTS WITH TOP-TIER PLAYERS In 2019, Kalray continued to seal strategic partnerships with top-tier players, thereby enhancing its visibility and once again confirming the quality of its technical expertise and appropriateness of its positioning. In October, Kalray announced a new distribution partnership with leading automotive electronics distributor Intron Technology for the Chinese market, in order to accelerate its access to this strategic market for Coolidge. The Company also announced a collaboration with 2CRSi, a leading French designer-manufacturer of high-performance servers. 2CRSi is using Kalray's programmable acceleration boards to build an offering of easily configurable servers designed to meet the growing demand for flexibility, modularity and diversity of application. REVENUES UP 63% IN 2019 Kalray posted H2 2019 revenues of 810,000, up 78% from 455,000 in H1 2019, in line with management forecasts. This performance brought full-year revenues to 1,265,000, up 63% from 775,000 in 2018. These revenues are generated from sales of boards, development stations and licenses as well as evaluation, development and service contracts with customers for the evaluation and qualification phases. 15 NEW HIRES IN 2019 AND NEW INDEPENDENT SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBER APPOINTED As announced, in order to support its expected increase in business, Kalray has continued to invest, particularly in the area of recruitment. Accordingly, the Company hired 15 new employees in 2019, 9 in H1 and 6 in H2, mainly in the R&D and sales departments. Total headcount at 2019 year-end stood at 81. Kalray also recently appointed Erwan Menard, currently Director of Infrastructure and Applications Modernization Solutions at Google Cloud, as an independent Supervisory Board member. Based in California, Erwan will bring Kalray his expertise in storage and network infrastructure technology for cloud computing and data centers, and will help drive the Company's ambitions on these markets. 15.7 MILLION CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2019 As of December 31, 2019, cash and cash equivalents stood at 15.7 million (versus 23.3 million as of June 30, 2019), after investments expenditures in H2 on the Coolidge launch (including $4 million on the tape-out mask) offset by an improvement in working capital (research tax credit). In line with management forecasts, FY 2019 cash outflow was similar to that of 2018. This cash position will allow Kalray to pursue its tech roadmap and sales roll-out program in 2020 and thereafter. Furthermore, on the recommendation of the compensation committee and under the authorization granted by the Supervisory Board on January 16, 2020, the Executive Board, on its meeting on January 20, 2020, exercised the authorization granted by the shareholders' general meeting on May 29, 2019 (20th resolution) to issue and allot 134,299 bonus shares to Executive Board members and Kalray Group employees out of which 105,599 shares have been allotted in exchange for waiving the right to exercise 105,599 warrants (BSPCE) previously allotted to employees founders. This authorization is designed to encourage key personnel to stay with the Company while limiting the dilutive impact for shareholders. The Supervisory Board also approved the allotment and vesting terms applicable to the bonus shares, which shall be vested in tranches of one-third, the first tranche one year after the date of allotment by the Executive Board, subject to a further lock-in period of one year from vesting, the second tranche two years after allotment and the third tranche three years after allotment by the Executive Board. SALES RAMP-UP EXPECTED FROM H2 2020 Mass sale of Coolidge-based acceleration boards remains Kalray's main target for 2020. A period of strong sales ramp-up is expected to kick in during the second half. In light of the multiple negotiations and commercial evaluations currently underway, Kalray is maintaining its 2022 revenue target of 100 million. Futhermore, Kalray constantly evaluates opportunities to support its long term development. These opportunities can involve discussions with industrial or financial partners. Next publication: Monday April 20, 2020 (after market close): 2019 annual results ABOUT KALRAY Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris FR0010722819 ALKAL) is the pioneer in processors for new intelligent systems. A genuine technological breakthrough, "intelligent" processors are able to intelligently analyze a vast quantity of data on the fly and to make decisions and interact in real time with the outside world. These intelligent processors will be largely deployed in fast-growing sectors such as new-generation networks (intelligent data centers) and autonomous vehicles, as well as in healthcare equipment, drones and robots. Kalray's offering spans both processors and global solutions (electronic boards and software). Created in 2008 as a spin-off of CEA ("Commissariat l'Energie Atomique", the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), Kalray addresses a broad spectrum of customers including server manufacturers, intelligent system integrators and consumer product manufacturers such as car makers. Read more at: www.kalrayinc.com 1 25 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) performance for Coolidge versus 1 TOPS for previous generation Bostan View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005584/en/ Contacts: INVESTOR CONTACTS Eric BAISSUS contactinvestisseurs@kalray.eu Tel. +33 (0)4 76 18 90 71 ACTUS finance communication Caroline LESAGE kalray@actus.fr + 33 1 53 67 36 79 MEDIA CONTACTS Loic HAMON communication@kalray.eu Tel. +33 (0)4 76 18 90 71 ACTUS finance communication Serena BONI sboni@actus.fr Tel. +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92 The sale of flavored vaping products is now banned in New Jersey under legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on Tuesday. Murphy signed the measure that moved to his desk amid a nationwide scare last year over mysterious illnesses linked to vaping. The ban will take effect in April. The flavors are meant to hook young people, who are using the products in increasing numbers, according to Murphy and the bill's sponsors. New Jersey's ban comes after the CDC's distinction that the teen vaping epidemic and the spate of lung illnesses linked to e-cigarettes are two separate public health crisis. Nonetheless, the long-term health effects of vaping on overall health - especially for those who begin young - are largely unknown and health officials are no less concerned about preventing e-cigarette addiction in American youth. Matthew Elliot (center) and other supporters of flavored vaping products protested at the state house in Trenton, New Jersey earlier this month before Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill to ban sweet and menthol flavors on Tuesday (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) 'This law will help to discourage our youth from taking up this dangerous habit and reduce its prevalence in our homes and schools,' Democratic Senator Shirley Turner, one of the bill's backers, said in a statement. Opponents of the legislation, who crowded the statehouse when the measure passed the Democratic-led Legislature, argued that officials should better enforce the smoking age instead of barring of-age adults (21-year-olds and up, in New Jersey) from buying products they enjoy using. Matthew Elliott, a consumer vaping advocate who attended the statehouse protest, predicted that the new law would expand the black market and that people could begin trying to make the flavored liquids at home. '(Murphy) has welcomed the black market,' Elliott said. 'You will not see the youth vaping decrease. But what you will see is businesses closing and people going back to smoking. In essence, he has removed the gatekeepers and rewarded the drug dealers.' Massachusetts is the only other state with a statewide ban on flavors, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, though eight states have enacted emergency regulations to halt the sale of flavored vaping products. The rules face legal challenges and are in effect in only three states, according to the campaign: Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington. Republican President Donald Trumps administration said this month that it would move to prohibit fruit, candy, mint and dessert flavors from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes. The federal ban, though, lets menthol and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes remain on the market. The New Jersey measure would bar menthol but would permit tobacco flavors. The measure also prohibits other flavors, like candy, desserts and fruit, among others. The legislation gained steam during an outbreak that appears to have started in March. Many of the cases occurred in August and September. CDC officials have said they had narrowed in on a culprit: a chemical compound called vitamin E acetate that has been found in the lungs of some sick patients and in the products they vaped. Vitamin E acetate is a thickening agent that has been added to illicit, high-inducing vaping liquids. The law bars the sale, offer for sale and distribution of flavored vaping products, but it doesn't prohibit possession. A retailer that violates the prohibition faces a civil penalty of at least $500 for the first violation, at least $1,000 for a second violation, and at least than $2,000 for third and later violations. JSC Ukrtransnafta from May 2019 to January 2020 received EUR4.336 million compensation from PJSC Transneft for reserving the capacity of the Ukrainian oil transportation system due to contamination of oil by organochloride, the press service of the company has said. "In total, during the period of displacing poor quality Russian oil from the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Transneft reserved the production capacities of Ukrtransnafta and paid the company EUR 4.336 million of compensation for the provision of this service from May 2019 to January 2020," the company said. Both cases were brought by women who called themselves part of the Free the Nipple movement, which pushes for the ability of women to go topless in public as a way to promote equality. The movement had a victory last September, when officials in Fort Collins, Colo., removed their ban on women and girls over 10 going topless in public following a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that said the ban was based on stereotypes that depicted womens breasts as sex objects. Ms. Buchanans case is different from those because she was topless in her own home, according to her lawyers. The police in West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City, learned of the episode in November 2018, about a year later. Detectives were investigating unrelated allegations of sexual abuse when the biological mother of the children, who were about 13, 10 and 9 at the time, told them about the disrobing, according to court documents. Randall W. Richards, one of Ms. Buchanans lawyers, said that the allegations had nothing to do with Ms. Buchanan, a 27-year-old test automation engineer. He declined to provide more details. Ms. Buchanan was charged in early 2019. Mr. Richards said he believed the defense had a straightforward case. Navy stumbles upon four clinging to coolers in sea Zaragoza Canal, Q.R. Four fishermen were pulled from the sea after their small vessel was overturned by strong waves in the area of the Zaragoza Canal. La Secretaria de Marina Armada de Mexico (SEMAR) made the rescue after spotting objects floating in the sea. The four reportedly drifted for hours among three coolers after their vessel, La Cantina, was overturned by strong swells that left them with only the coolers they had on their boat. After being tossed into the sea, each of the men managed to cling to the coolers which kept them afloat. According to SEMAR, they performed the rescue after finding the four shipwrecked fishermen at 0.85 nautical miles (1.5 kilometers) from the access to the Zaragoza Canal. They reported that naval personnel spotted objects floating in the water near the canal. Upon inspection, they found the four men. Once rescued, the four were transferred to the marine detachment in the Zaragoza Canal where Naval Health personnel gave them a medical evaluation and deemed to be in good health. Many ports have restricted sea access to smaller vessels after the arrival of Cold Front 32, which has resulted in a dip in temperatures and strong wind gusts. That's what heavily redacted emails, released recently, suggest. Officials at the White House's Office of Management and Budget were laying the groundwork to freeze military aid to Ukraine the night before President Donald Trump's controversial phone call with the Ukrainian President, newly released, heavily redacted emails show. On the evening of July 24, the night before the call, OMB officials shared a "Ukraine Prep Memo" with Michael Duffey -- the office's associate director of national security programs, a political appointee and the budget official who would play a direct role in carrying out Trump's funding freeze, CNN reports. "We will be standing by to answer any questions that you have and are happy to schedule time to discuss if you like," OMB official Paul Denaro wrote to Duffey that evening. The contents of the Ukraine memo are redacted, as are many other parts of most of the emails released publicly early Wednesday morning. That same evening of July 24, it appears the general counsel's office prepared a footnote for budget officials. The footnote is the technical device officials at the budget office used to pause the funding. Read alsoTrump lawyers: President did "absolutely nothing wrong" on Ukraine VOA At 9:00 on July 25, Duffey asked career OMB official Mark Sandy about the footnote. Sandy replied that it was sent the previous night. Sandy then shares the revised footnote. Some of the correspondence is redacted, but Sandy adds: "Please copy me on the email to DOD." The email seemed to be a reference to the next step in freezing funds: Notifying the Defense Department of the hold. Previous troves of documents handed over by the administration revealed that on July 25, roughly 90 minutes after Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Duffey notified the Pentagon that security funding for Ukraine would be frozen. The latest emails, though, show that the paperwork to execute such a decision had already been underway at OMB in the days leading up to the call. The Army paid tributes on Wednesday to Sepoy Rahul Rainswal, who was killed during an encounter with militants in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier. "In a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, Chinar Corps Commander, and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of the proud nation," an Army official said. He said in a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in to pay their last respects to the soldier. Sepoy Rainswal was part of a cordon and search operation team when he was fired upon by militantscausing him severe injuries, the official said. He was immediately evacuated to 92 Base Hospitalherebut succumbed to his injuries, the official added. Rainswal, 26, had joined the Army in 2013. He belonged to Riyasi Vamangaon village in Uttarakhand and is survived by his wife and a daughter. "The mortal remains of the late Sepoy Rahul Rainswal were taken for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and remains committed to their dignity and well-being." the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The European Union has "no choice" but to negotiate a new trade deal with the U.S., President Donald Trump told CNBC on Wednesday. The president met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, and told CNBC's Joe Kernen that the pair had a "great talk." Amid ongoing informal discussions, Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on European cars in a bid to strong-arm EU leaders. In yesterday's meeting, he claimed to have told von der Leyen that absent a trade deal, he would need to "take action" in the form of "very high tariffs on their cars and other things." President Donald Trump speaks during a CNBC Exclusive interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22nd, 2020. Gerry Miller | CNBC Trump said that Europe has been "very tough to deal with" and had "taken advantage" of the U.S., but suggested that the bloc now has "no choice" but to make a deal. "We've had a tremendous deficit for many, many years over $150 billion with Europe," he said, adding that he would be "very surprised" if he did have to implement the tariffs. The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with the EU was $109 billion in 2018, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. U.S. exports of goods and services to the EU supported an estimated 2.6 million jobs in 2015, according to the latest available data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Juncker was 'impossible' Independent UN rights experts said Wednesday they had received information that Amazon owner Jeff Bezos's phone was hacked through a WhatsApp account belonging to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. The allegations have been rejected by Riyadh, whose embassy in Washington branded them as "absurd". "The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities," UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement in Geneva. They said any investigation into the alleged incident in May 2018 should also look at the "continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the Crown Prince in efforts to target perceived opponents". Callamard, the UN expert on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and Kaye, the expert on freedom of expression, said they were "gravely concerned". "The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia," they wrote. Bezos is the owner of The Washington Post, which employed as a contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist murdered in October 2018 at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. "Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd," the Saudi Arabian embassy said on its Twitter account. "We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out." The UN Special Rapporteurs said the circumstances and timing of the hacking incident also gave grounds for further investigation into "allegations that the Crown Prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for" the operation to kill Khashoggi. - 'Unprecedented exfiltration' of data - The two experts said they had become aware of a 2019 examination of Bezos's iPhone that found it may have been hacked on May 1, 2018 with an MP4 video file sent from an account used by the Saudi Crown Prince. The two had exchanged numbers a month before, they said. The analysis reportedly found that within hours of receiving the video file, Bezos's phone saw an "unprecedented exfiltration" of 126 MB of data. This continued undetected over a period of "some months" with rates of as much as 4.6 GB higher than the baseline. The forensic analysis cited by the UN experts showed that the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia's de factor ruler, sent WhatsApp messages to Bezos in November 2018 and February 2019 in which he revealed information about Bezos's personal life that was not available from public sources. The analysis also suggested that the hackers may have used a type of spyware used in other Saudi surveillance cases, such as the NSO Group's Pegasus-3 malware. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was a contributing columnist The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreaks epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. The man, identified as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was in good condition and wasnt considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials said. U.S. officials stressed that they believe the virus overall risk to the American public remained low. This is certainly not a moment of panic or high anxiety, Gov. Jay Inslee said. The newly discovered virus has infected about 300 people, all of whom had been in China, and killed six. The virus can cause coughing, fever, breathing difficulty and pneumonia. The U.S. joins a growing list of places outside mainland China reporting cases, following Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Airports around the world have stepped up monitoring, checking passengers from China for signs of illness in hopes of containing the virus during the busy Lunar New Year travel season. Late last week, U.S. health officials began screening passengers from Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak began. The screening had been underway at three U.S. airports New York Citys Kennedy airport and the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it would add Chicagos OHare airport and Atlantas airport to the mix later this week. Whats more, officials also will begin forcing all passengers from Wuhan to go to one of those five airports if they wish to enter the U.S. The hospitalized U.S. resident had no symptoms when he arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport last Wednesday, but he started feeling ill on Thursday and contacted doctors on Sunday, officials said. Lab testing on Monday confirmed he had the virus. The gentleman right now is very healthy, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the CDC. The hospital, Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, said in a statement that it expected the man would remain in isolation and under monitoring there at least until Thursday. CDC officials said they sent a team to Washington to try to track down people who might have come in contact with the man. The hospital also said it was contacting the small number of staff and patients who may have been with the man at a clinic. The man is originally from central China, lives alone in the U.S. and made the trip solo, officials said. There were relatively few people who came in contact with him since he got back, health officials said. Last month, doctors in Wuhan began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale seafood market. More than 275 cases of the newly identified virus have been confirmed in China, most of them in Wuhan, according to the World Health Organization. The count includes six deaths all in China, most of them age 60 or older, including at least some who had a previous medical condition. Officials have said the virus probably spread from animals to people, but this week Chinese officials said theyve concluded it also can spread from person to person. Health authorities this month identified the germ behind the outbreak as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold; others found in bats, camels and other animals have evolved into more severe illnesses. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, belongs to the coronavirus family, but Chinese state media say the illness in Wuhan is different from coronaviruses that have been identified in the past. Earlier laboratory tests ruled out SARS and MERS Middle East respiratory syndrome as well as influenza, bird flu, adenovirus and other common lung-infecting germs. The new virus so far does not appear to be as deadly as SARS and MERS, but viruses can sometimes mutate to become more dangerous. University of Washington coronavirus researcher David Veesler said the public should not be panicking right now. The response has been very efficient, Veesler said. In a couple of weeks, China was able to identify the virus, isolate it, sequence it and share that information. Veesler added: We dont have enough data to judge how severe the disease is. The CDCs Messonnier said health officials expected to see more cases in the U.S. and around the world in the coming days. Several members of the panel, including the six who voted for it, said they had serious questions about whether putting more people behind bars is the solution. More to the point, a few made it clear that they would not support the bill when it goes to the full House unless substantial changes are made. Wednesdays vote followed nearly two hours of testimony, some from people whose children died from fentanyl overdoses. Terri Morales told lawmakers how her 19-year-old son Jacob died in 2018 after taking what she said was an accidental overdose. She said her son and a friend, who also died, were given some sort of counterfeit pills. The man who sold the drugs to them, Morales said, was placed on probation. Tim Wiederaenders, senior editor at the Courier, told lawmakers the 14-month campaign against fentanyl by his paper found that drug dealers including those whose products have killed people were not getting appropriate prison terms. He said that includes people selling a few pills and people selling 500 pills. Very few of the people whove been caught with these drugs that theyre selling have done time in jail or prison, Wiederaenders said. During his three day trip to India, founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sachez visited Taj Mahal in Agra. Several users took to social media to post the pictures of the couple. The couple even posed in front of the Taj Mahal. Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend pose in front of the Taj Mahal, then he bought it. pic.twitter.com/96s3z5Ybd5 - Mike Sington (@MikeSington) January 21, 2020 The day he arrived in India, Bezos went to Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial. Bezos was seen dressed in a kurta. Later he was also seen flying kites with a group of kids. He also posted about this moment on his official Instagram handle. He was the chief guest if the Amazon Prime Video India's red carpet event where he interacted with SRK and Zoya Akhtar for around 40 minutes on several topics. Bezos posted this on his official handles and captioned the meeting with SRK and Zoya Akhtar as 'Lots of fun on stage with SRK and Zoya Akhtar'. Also read: Jeff Bezos calls Shah Rukh Khan the 'most humble person'; here's what SRK said Recently, Bezos also laid bare the details of the company's electric delivery rickshaws via Instagram and Twitter. Bezos also shared a video of himself driving the e-rickshaw. The launch of the delivery e-rickhshaws is a part of Amazon's global change Climate Pledge. The Climate Pledge was announced by Amazon in September 2019. Hey, India. We're rolling out our new fleet of electric delivery rickshaws. Fully electric. Zero carbon. #ClimatePledge pic.twitter.com/qFXdZOsY4y - Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) January 20, 2020 During his visit, Bezos said that the company will invest $1 billion to digitise small and medium businesses and export $10 million worth of Make in India goods by 2025. Also read: Jeff Bezos rides electric rickshaw; Amazon rolls out new vehicle in India Also read: Jeff Bezos in India: Here's how Bollywood welcomed Amazon CEO Jacco van der Linden addressing the Larue Warm Spring programme in Danang Last week, HEINEKEN Vietnam, one of the leading brewers of popular brands such as Heineken, Tiger, Amstel, Larue, and Strongbow, brought its annual Larue Warm Spring 2020 programme to Danang. Warm Spring 2020, a community support initiative from HEINEKEN Vietnam, absolutely aims to deliver a total of 4,800 gifts valued at over VND1.6 billion ($69,000) to needy families in 28 locations across the country. Each family will receive a set of Lunar New Year gifts that include cash and daily necessities. The programme started from Cho Gao district of Tien Giang province, before continuing to the countrys major cities as well as locations such as Binh Thuan, Quang Ngai, An Giang, Haiphong, Dong Nai, Thanh Hoa, Long An, and many more, and is now heading to Ho Chi Minh City. The Warm Spring programme delivered a total of 4,800 gifts to people in need Lunar New Year gifts handed out to families This is the ninth year that HEINEKEN Vietnam has carried out its Warm Spring initiative so as to try to bring some festive joy to underprivileged families for the Lunar New Year festivities. With strong support from the companys employees and its business partners, HEINEKEN Vietnam has donated more than VND9.6 billion ($417,000) since starting the programme; while its employees and business partners have donated an additional VND2 billion ($87,000) and put in close to 11,000 voluntary hours to support local communities. Jacco van der Linden, managing director at HEINEKEN Vietnam, said, People are at the heart of what we do and we believe everyone should be able to celebrate this time of year. Our annual Warm Spring is one of the favourite programmes on our annual calendar as it brings joy to people who need it at a very special time of year. Van der Linden added that the company is proud that both employees and business partners feel the same way, actively donating money and volunteering their time to support the cause. With their support, we hope that we can help create a warm atmosphere and make a difference for people to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year. HEINEKEN Vietnams programmes aim to spread joy and make a difference Over the last 29 years in the country, HEINEKEN Vietnam has repeatedly been recognised as one of leading sustainable businesses that care for people, planet, and prosperity. The companys sustainability strategy has put its focuses on six key areas which support eight out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: advocating responsible drinking, promoting health and safety, water protection, CO2 reduction, community support, and sustainable sourcing. The government has lifted Kainga Ora social housing agencys borrowing limit by $4.05 billion to $7.1 billion following the Greens call for more borrowing to fund state housing. With the extra borrowing, the government would be able to lift its state house building plan from only 6,400 to 11,200 homes by 2022. The government has yet to announce its new target. However, if the cost was the same for the 6,400 houses already planned for a total of $4 billion, then it would allow extra 4,800 homes to be built with the higher borrowing limit lifting the target to 11,200. The increased limit provides headroom for future debt issuance, helping us to continue financing much-needed warm, dry and safe houses across New Zealand, Kainga Ora said, as reported by Newsroom. MANILA, Philippines A Chinese national died while 27 others were rescued after an island-hopping boat capsized in waters off Boracay Island on Tuesday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. The PCG said its personnel from Boracay sub-station were able to rescue 25 tourist passengers as well as three crew members of the boat. However, the rescuers failed to revive a 45-year old female tourist despite performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Three other female passengers who needed medical assistance were brought to the nearest hospital. They have regained consciousness and are declared safe and in good condition, the PCG said. Remaining survivors are also safe and in good physical condition, the agency added. The coast guard said motorbanca Jocelyn 1 capsized along the waters off Barangay Balabag in Boracay after encountering strong winds that broke the boats outrigger on Tuesday morning. The post Chinese tourist dead, 27 rescued in Boracay boat mishap appeared first on UNTV News. ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Back in 2012, TVM Capital Healthcare, a global active healthcare investment group with a unique goal for emerging market strength, succeeded in connecting healthcare growing markets by developing and implementing innovative solutions for improved healthcare accessibilities. It has publicized its investment through the new Long-Term Care Project in Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center. Escalating to sign legal agreements, the Board of Directors was appointed while initially raising a seed in the capital for the company. Unique Partnership A while after gaining local licensing in 2013, Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center signed its first affiliation agreement with Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, the premier post-acute care provider including home health and one of the world's leading rehabilitation Lead Centers. With its main 132-bed hospital in Massachusetts, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network is the official teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Since 2015 onwards and after fully operating 90-bed facilities in the cities Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the CMRC board members and shareholders have set a dream of filling the void in the medical care needs. A dream to establish and develop a qualified brand to treat patients needing rehabilitation, long-term or post-acute care. To be able to reach that goal, Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center obtained Joint Commission International Accreditation as part of its commitment to the adoption of international best practices and world-class standards. Becoming a market leader among healthcare providers, Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center is prominent by having served more than eighty thousand out-patients and restoring accommodation to more than seven hundred in-patients while expanding into the only entity with CARF accreditation for its In- and Out-Patient department services for pediatrics, adolescents and adults. Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center pursues its devotion to enhance the quality of life to its patients and their families. Thereby being committed to expanding the scope and access of its services line and unique clinical programs, CMRC established a new unique methodology by a collaboration under the terms of partnership agreement with the Professor Volodymyr Illich Kozyavkin known to be the hero of Ukraine and leading international expert in the rehabilitation of patients with diseases and disorders of musculoskeletal system. In 2017, CMRC launched an integrated treatment and rehabilitation program using the Professor Kozyavkin Method for the first time in the United Arab Emirates and the region. Geographic Expansion To remain focused on creating value for stakeholders, Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center has expanded its services in the Gulf region to spread and dispense its wealthy enhanced knowledge to improve the capacity to meet and fulfill more community needs. CMRC went on to launch a third high-end facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the southern province of Dhahran under the name of CMRC Saudi Arabia, upholding the conception and principles of the Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center to be the leader in post-acute and rehabilitation care services and to provide outstanding patient treatment and clinical outcomes across the MENA region. The Senior Management Team of CMRC always ensures that highly skilled clinical and non-clinical individuals are recruited to provide safe care for their patients, support their families and community, and comply with the requirements of JCI and CARF accreditation. Employees Empowerment & Success CMRC is pledged to employee empowerment, engagement, and rewarding by its policies for promotion, referral bonus, monthly and annual awards, training courses, etc. Due to these strategies, it has been possible to maintain one of the lowest employee turnover rates a company may oppose. Such a strategy reflected the success of CMRC in the efficiency and assurance of its services to GCC patients, which was represented by the winning of two major awards at the Patients' Experience Summit held in Abu Dhabi last year. The first one was "Excellence in Patient Experience Strategy & Implementation" and the second one was "Arab's Patient Experience Leader" presented to the Chief Executive Officer of the CMRC Group. As the KSA facility took full functionality, the employee team has risen over 500 current individuals. All team members work hard and hand in hand to keep up with CMRC's conception and reach its future goals of spreading the Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center brand in the region. Help.org, a trusted online resource for individuals who struggle with addiction and their loved ones, has announced the Best Rehab Facilities in Brooklyn, New York for 2020. The informational guide recognizes the top 26 rehab facilities based on cost, treatment options, location, accompanying services and more. According to recent studies, drug overdose is the leading cause of death among people under age 50. In Brooklyn, deaths related to opioid abuse increased significantly from 2011 to 2015. Substance abuse among adolescents is also escalating in Brooklyn with 55 percent of high school students reported using alcohol, 38 percent reported using marijuana, 8 percent reported using prescription drugs without a valid prescription, and 2 percent reported using heroin. With the growing need for accessible and high-quality rehab programs, Help.org has developed a unique ranking process to help connect individuals with treatment providers that meet their needs. The Help.org research team analyzed thousands of facilities across the country and then identified the most cost-effective and highest rated programs in larger cities like Brooklyn. Each facility was evaluated based on rehabilitation services, treatment approaches, cost, special programs for unique demographics and ancillary services. The website also provides information about drug use and side effects as well as educational articles. For a detailed listing of the Best Rehab Facilities in Brooklyn, New York please visit https://www.help.org/best-drug-and-alcohol-rehab-centers-in-brooklyn-ny/ 2020 Best Rehab Facilities in Brooklyn, New York (in alphabetical order) Arms Acres 75 Seminary Hill Road Carmel, NY 10512 845-225-3400 Bridge Back to Life Center Inc 175 Remsen Street, 10th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-852-5552 Bridging Access to Care Inc Chemical Dependency Outpatient 2261 Church Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11226 347-505-5176 Community Counseling and Mediation 25 Elm Place, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-802-0666 Counseling Services of EDNY 175 Remsen Street, Suite 900 Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-858-6631 Dynamic Youth Community Outpatient 1830 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn NY 11230 718-376-7923 Farnham Family Services Chemical Dependency Outpatient 283 West 2nd Street, Suite 200 Oswego, NY 13126 315-342-4489 Flushing Hospital Medical Center 4500 Parsons Boulevard Flushing, NY 11355 718-670-5000 Freedom Institute 515 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-838-0044 Hands on Health Associates LLC 249 Pennsylvania Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11207 347-547-3626 H.E.L.P. Services, Inc. 33 Guy Lombardo Avenue Freeport, NY 11520 516-546-2822 Horizon Health Services 55 Dodge Road Getzville, New York 14068 716-831-1800 Housing Works 57 Willoughby Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 347-473-7400 Long Island Interventions 130 Post Avenue Westbury, NY 11590 631-887-3234 New Directions Clinic Alcohol and Substance Abuse Outpatient 500 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-398-0800 New York Therapeutic Communities, Inc 2071 Fulton Street Brooklyn, New York 11233 718-398-0096 Odyssey House 120 Wall Street New York City, NY 10005 212-361-1600 Outreach at Greenpoint Brooklyn 960 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 718-383-7200 Parallax Center, Inc. 145 East 32nd Street, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10016 212-779-9207 Paul J Cooper Center for Human Servs Drug Abuse Outpt Rehab Clinic 510 Gates Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11216 718-498-5555 Saint Jude Retreat 9 Market Street Amsterdam, NY 12010 518-842-2204 Sober Companion NYC 25-37 46th Street Astoria, NY 11103 917-817-7686 Step One at Northeast Center for Special Care 300 Grant Avenue Lake Katrine, NY 12449 845-336-3500 The SAFE Foundation, Inc. PO Box 230060 Brooklyn, NY 11223 866-569-7233 TRI Center Inc Drug Abuse Treatment 175 Remsen Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-858-4050 Urban Recovery 411 Van Brunt Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 646-859-0699 ABOUT HELP.ORG Help.org is an online resource for individuals who struggle with addiction and their loved ones. The website provides the latest research through scientifically proven methods, community recovery resources as well as information about local financial assistance. Help.orgs team of researchers, activists and writers work together with addiction counselors and other professionals to offer useful and accurate resources to help individuals seeking recovery. To learn more, visit https://www.help.org/. The State Duma on January 23 is set to consider constitutional amendments put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The draft of what the Kremlin chief believes are necessary constitutional changes once again testifies that Putin does not and has never intended to abandon power in Russia. He plans to stay "at the helm" in any form and shape possible because he understands what will happen to him personally and his immediate entourage once he loses the top seat. See, in Russia, there's a certain tradition regarding long-time rulers, which Putin might not really like Putin is eager to get into history textbooks Moreover, the further Vladimir Putin embarks on his "historic mission", the more he tries on the role of a "world ruler", a very influential man who is building a new world order and a new security system. Putin is eager to get into history books. And to this end, he first needs to remain in power for life, and secondly, to build power architecture that will allow blackmailing the rest of the world, all civilized states, so that they are compelled to heed Putin's wishes. In fact, it was for such purposes that Vladimir Putin proposed to amend the Russian constitution: the first goal is to remain in power for life, and the second one is to acquire tools that will help him realize the idea of a "Russian World" and stay on par with God. The latest innovations will contribute to achieving such goals. It's about setting up a State Council with functions that are yet unclear, imposing new restrictions on presidential candidates, etc. So far, it seems that Putin himself has not decided in what position he will take up to stay in charge of Russia. Most likely, he will become a "nation leader". That is, it may well be that Putin plans to lead that new body, the State Council, which will allow him to remain a key figure in the country, as is the case in China. A very important point of change that Putin is promoting is a norm about the primacy of national legislation over international law, i.e. over any international agreements, treaties, and such. This means that, even if Russia has signed with any country a treaty of friendship, cooperation and non-aggression, unless it's approved by the State Duma, the document simply doesn't exist for Russia. Similarly, Russia can retroactively waive its obligations under any treaty that has not been approved by the State Duma. It is worth noting, for example, that the Duma never ratified the agreements on the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Therefore, Russia has no obligations to the countries of the former Soviet Union to preserve and respect their borders, as they were never endorsed by the Russian legislature. By affirming the primacy of national law, Moscow will be able to abandon any previous agreements regarding the territories of the former USSR and even the former Warsaw Bloc, meaning that this may even affect Poland, Romania and a number of other countries. If Russia can't impose something on the world economically, like China, what they do is resort to blackmail In addition, Moscow will now be able to drop any treaty that prevents Russia from implementing its policies, such as on the use of medium-range and short-range missiles , nuclear weapons tests, or pretty much anything that would allow Russia to aggresively blackmail the world. If Russia can't impose something on the world economically, like China, what they do is resort to blackmail. By changing the constitution, Putin is paving way toward such actions. Thus, the threat looming over all post-Soviet states is now significantly higher as they might be aggressively pulled to rejoin the revived version of the Soviet Union, or the "Union of Slavic Republics". This is especially true for Belarus and Ukraine. These intentions are already visible in Moscow's actions towards Minsk. As for Ukraine, the Kremlin believes that it is possible to exert more pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky and that he will concede. Therefore, none of the post-Soviet countries can feel safe in the future. There will be no internal shifts in Russia as a result of constitutional transformations at Putin's request. The "tsar, boyars, and people" system of power will remain in place. However, there is one important nuance during any major transformation processes in Russia, not quite all goes as planned. Remember, for example, how Gorbachev tried to modernize the Soviet Union and we all know what it all has led to. Therefore, the reform Putin is now trying to implement in his favor may not go the way he sees it. In particular, I believe the ongoing centrifugal processes may intensify in Russia, as well as criminal mob wars, confrontation between security agencies, as well as the natural row between Muslim fundamentalists and the Orthodox, and so on. Also, I don't rule out the emergence of some "people's republic" somewhere, say, in Siberia, as part of those centrifugal processes. That's very likely, actually. However, Putin is convinced that he will keep everything under control as he thinks he always does. Oleksandr Kochetkov is a Ukrainian political analyst BENZIE COUNTY -- Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools is joining 529 local and 56 intermediate school districts across Michigan to celebrate January as School Board Recognition Month. The FEAS School board represents community members' views and priorities in the complexities of maintaining and overseeing our school district. They also reinforce the principle of local control over public education, which is an important, highly valued aspect of education in Michigan. "Our school board members spend countless hours of time working to provide the best possible education for our students. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say 'thanks' for all they do," said district superintendent Jeff Tousley. The school board's main goal is to support student achievement and set goals for the district while working with administration to create a safe and orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach. One other very important task is to align the use of the district's human and financial resources. They also focus their efforts on continuous improvement by questioning, examining, revising and revisiting related to student achievement. "As January is the month we show appreciation for our school board members, we recognize their contributions reflect a year-round effort on their part. Thank you also to FHS senior Nora Pasche as she serves on the board as a student representative," said Tousley. For 2020, Mike Pasche has been elected board president, with Arah Johnson serving as vice president. Julie Stefanski is the board secretary. Stephanie Scott is treasurer. Wes Blizzard, Katie Larsen and Aubrey Parker all serve as board trustees. Nora Pasche does not have a vote but sits on the board and participates in discussions as the student representative. The Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Mr. Mathias Tyopev, on Tuesday confirmed the abduction of the daughter of a former Commissioner for Tourism in the state, Mr Peter Mwadkon, by gunmen who attacked their family house in Kwata Community, Jos South Local Government Area of the state. Mathias said, Yes, we got the report of the gunmen attack in Kwata community. We are working with the family to secure the girl that was taken away during the attack. Punch Correspondent gathered on Tuesday that the daughter of the former Commissioner, Miss Christie Peter, was kidnapped by the gunmen at her sisters house in the Kwata community on Tuesday. The gunmen who stormed the community around 2am were said to have broken into their house and abducted the 26-year-old graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. A member of the community, Mr Emmanuel Choji, who lamented the incident told Punch correspondent that the abductors had made contact with the family members and demanded N5m as ransom. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates San Franciscos only all-boys Catholic high school is considering opening its doors to female students next school year, according to the schools administration. Archbishop Riordan High School is seeking community input and analyzing the financial impact of becoming co-educational after the schools board of trustees voted in support of exploring the possibility, President Andrew Currier wrote in a Jan. 19 letter. While we are proud to be the last all-boys Catholic school in San Francisco, we must also consider the long-term market demand for single-gender education, Currier wrote. Please know, there is zero chance of Archbishop Riordan High School closing its doors. Riordan is in a position of spiritual, financial, and academic strength. The deliberation was a result of the announcement that Mercy High School, one of a handful of remaining all-girls schools in the city, will close at the end of the school year amid financial woes and declining enrollment. Educating women was a possibility Riordan intended to explore as a long-term strategy, but Mercys closure presented an opportunity that accelerated the discussion. Students, teachers and parents have discussed the possibility, Currier wrote. Our community appears largely in favor of considering the option of accepting applications for girls in the future as part of a long-term plan, he wrote. However, the school has significant concerns about the abrupt opportunity, and has made no decisions. It will seek more input from Mercy teachers and students and analyze the financial and logistical impact. Riordan officials did not respond to a request for further comment. The school, which adheres to Marianist tradition, is located at 175 Frida Kahlo Way in the Sunnyside neighborhood, across from the main San Francisco City College campus. It opened in 1949. The cost of the change is unclear, according to the school, but factors that would impact finances include construction, personnel, financial aid and professional development costs. Tuition at Riordan is $21,200 this school year. If girls were accepted, the school would likely maintain some single-gender classes. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Catholic education has declined nationwide in the past decade. The number of schools decreased 13% and the number of students decreased 18.4%, according to the National Catholic Educational Association. Enrollment in San Franciscos Catholic primary schools was down 30% from 2015 to 2020, according to Riordan. Star of the Sea, a K-8 Catholic school in the citys Inner Richmond, closed last year. Riordan provided a Frequently Asked Questions page, which includes questions like Do Riordan teachers know how to teach girls? and Why would you sacrifice 70 years of tradition as an all-boys just because Mercy closed? Our goal is not to sacrifice 70 years of Riordan tradition, but to expand upon the legacy and tradition with a larger population of Catholic school students, the school said. The acceptance of girls into Riordan is a significant and necessary future possibility given actual enrollment projections in our primary feeder schools. Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of all-girls high schools in San Francisco. Anna Bauman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: anna.bauman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @abauman2 An Italian restaurant in Australia has made a 103 meter (338 foot) Margherita pizza to raise funds for firefighters battling bushfires, Trend reports citing Reuters. The pizza was rolled out in rectangular, meter-long pieces of dough, pieced together and covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella, before being baked using a conveyor oven. It was then liberally seasoned with basil leaves, oregano and olive oil. The effort took about four hours, according to Pellegrinis restaurant, and yielded 4,000 slices. The proceeds went to the New South Wales Rural Fire service. A video of the pizza being made has gone viral on social media with lots of users marveling at its size. The restaurant is now holding a contest to guess how many kilograms of flour went into making the pizza. The drugs seized in a case uncovered by HCM City police (Photo courtesy of HCM City police) Last year, the municipal police seized 356kg of heroin, 1.36 tonnes of synthetic drugs, 5.8kg of cocaine, 40.8kg of marijuana, and more than 39kg of other drug types. They also dealt with nearly 4,000 people involved in drug trading, storage and transportation. Notably, on March 27, 2019, police detained Chen Tsen Wei (born in 1986) and seized 895 heroin bricks while this Taiwanese national was driving a truck near the An Suong roundabout in Trung My Tay ward of District 12. This is the biggest amount of heroin caught red-handed in Vietnam so far. Probing into this case, police found that Chen was part of a transnational ring led by Yu Chi Fu, a Taiwanese born in 1953. Up to 446 heroin bricks were discovered on November 3 when police searched five suspected locations in the suburbs of HCM City. The drugs were found to have been trafficked from Cambodia to Vietnam and then hidden in containers of goods to be shipped to Taiwan (China) by sea. In April, police also uncovered 1.1 tonnes of synthetic drugs trafficked by Chiang Wei Chih and Yeh Ching Wei of Taiwan and their accomplices. This is also the biggest-ever amount of synthetic drug seized in a case. For 2020, the HCM City Department of Public Security said it will enhance coordination with relevant agencies and ramp up actions to prevent and control drug crimes while taking measures to curb the increase in the number of drug addicts. Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam asked local police to crack down on trans-provincial and transnational drug rings as well as drug hot spots, increase the examination of restaurants and bars, and enhance resident management to prevent the formation of communities of illegal residents which may lead to law violations. Meanwhile, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said drug fight is an urgent and also regular and long-term task that requires persistence, drastic actions, high determination and close coordination among all-level authorities, sectors and socio-political organisations. The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed different departments of the Tamil Nadu government to convene within three weeks a joint meeting and file a report on the upkeep of the tourist town of Mamallapuram near here. The town was cleaned and spruced for the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year. A division bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar gave the directive based on a memo filed by the Assistant Solicitor General Karthikeyan on the revenue collected by the Archaeology Survey of India. The memo was filed as per the earlier direction of the bench which had on its own taken up the issue concerning the tourist place based on a note prepared by Justice N Kirubakaran to preserve its beauty and safeguard the monuments, and to protect tourists visiting the town. Justice Kirubakaran had noted that during the run-up to the summit last year, the tourist town was given a face-lift. But days after the two leaders met, the judge said the town was back to its usual self of being stricken by squalor and dirt. The bench was informed that a total revenue of Rs 5.98 crore was collected during 2016-17, Rs 6.65 crore in 2017-18, Rs 8.14 crore in 2018-19, and Rs 6.87 crore upto December 2019 as entry fee from Indian and foreign visitors. It was informed that revenue collection from the entry fee was being deposited in the consolidated funds of the Central government and therefore it did not plough back to ASI. Hence, it was not possible to share any revenue collected from the entry fee, the ASG submitted. The bench then directed the secretaries of Municipal Administrative and Water Supply Department, Finance Department and Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation and the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India to convene the joint meeting for Mamallapuram's upkeep and maintenance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-22 12:30:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 899 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTCQX:LXRP)(CSE:LXX) (the "Company" or "Lexaria"), a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, announces that it has reached a new definitive agreement to provide its patented DehydraTECHTM technology to Cannadips' cannabis products, both in its current California market, and across all of the US.Cannadips Cannabis Tins are currently sold in California formulated with THC from cannabis. Each tin of Cannadips Micro-Dose contains 15 pouches with 10mg of cannabis-derived THC per pouch, no tobacco and no nicotine, and only natural sweeteners. The Cannadips High-Dose tin contains 15 pouches and 20mg of cannabis derived THC per pouch. Cannadips recently executed a price adjustment to $14.99 and $24.99 respectively per tin MSRP plus tax in California in order to better align consumer expectations on price with product modality.Lexaria's DehydraTECH technology is perfectly suited to improve the dipping experience through its fast-acting, high absorption technology that improves consumer satisfaction. Cannadips THC uses terpene-rich multi spectrum oils as base ingredients and DehydraTECH is able to reduce throat irritation normally associated with some terpenes. Inferior products try to get around this problem by utilizing less efficacious cannabis isolate without terpenes that lack the entourage effect derived from multi-spectrum oils."This agreement further solidifies our relationship together with Lexaria Bioscience. Now that the Cannadips brand is powered by Lexaria completely we are now able to partner with operators in other states and bring our cannabis technology across state lines. Our cannabis oral pouch and dip research facility in Humboldt is going to be the first of its kind in our brand new 4,000 square foot facility. We are also highly interested in activating the Canadian Oral Pouch Cannabinoid market," said Case Mandel Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cannadips Cannabis.In 2018, Cannadips Micro-dose and High-dose cannabis pouches won the California Cannabis Awards for Product of the Year and the new 4,000 square foot oral cannabinoid research and development facility in Arcata, California will house the corporate offices as well as manufacturing, distribution, and a retail experience."Lexaria is building a stronger relationship with the Cannadips brand and applying DehydraTECH to Cannadips cannabis represents our latest advance," said Chris Bunka, Chief Executive Officer of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. "Our DehydraTECH technology empowers a scalable supply chain across state lines for our cannabis brand licensees. We are excited that Cannadips is interested in activating the Lexaria technology in additional key state markets that are either recreational or medical cannabis states, while preserving the brand rights as states come online through regulation." The CEO's of Cannadips and Lexaria gave further guidance on the importance of the growing corporate relationship in a video interview HERE.The licensing agreement provided by Lexaria grants Cannadips Cannabis exclusive rights for this product format for the US market for 10 years; an option to expand the licence to Europe, Mexico and/or Canada; and contains minimum performance provisions in order to maintain exclusivity.About Cannadips CannabisCannadips is based in the heart of Humboldt County, California, home of the traditional Cannabis industry in the US, and built on the same values of quality, craftsmanship, and innovation that have made the region world-famous. Born in 2016 in California's recreational market, Cannadips is paving the way as one of the most effective methods of smokeless cannabinoid dosing with the Original Smokeless CBD Cannabis Dip Pouch, and the Original Hemp CBD Dip Pouch. Cannadips CBD is distributed in select North American and European markets. For further information please check out www.cannadips.com For regular updates, connect with Cannadips on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cannadips/ and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cannadips/ and on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/boldtrunners About LexariaLexaria Bioscience Corp. is a global innovator in drug delivery platforms. Its patented DehydraTECH drug delivery technology changes the way Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients enter the bloodstream, promoting healthier ingestion methods, lower overall dosing and higher effectiveness for lipophilic active molecules. DehydraTECH increases bio-absorption; reduces time of onset; and masks unwanted tastes for orally administered bioactive molecules including cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), nicotine and other molecules. Lexaria has licensed DehydraTECH to multiple companies in the cannabis industry for use in cannabinoid beverages, edibles and oral products; and to a world-leading tobacco producer for the development of smokeless, oral-based nicotine products. Lexaria operates a licensed in-house research laboratory and holds a robust intellectual property portfolio with 16 patents granted and over 60 patents pending worldwide.For regular updates, connect with Lexaria on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/lexariacorp) and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lexariabioscience/ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:Lexaria Bioscience Corp.Chris Bunka, CEO(250) 765-6424OrNetworkNewsWire (NNW)Trinidad Consulting, LLCCase Mandel, CEO+1 (833)-GO-BOLDThello@ cannadips.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis release includes forward-looking statements. Statements which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. The Company makes forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements, including but not lim Police are investigating a religiously aggravated assault after a woman was allegedly struck in the face outside a Tesco Extra in Bournemouth. The incident involved a grandmother wearing a hijab along with her daughter and granddaughter who reportedly asked a separate woman to stop taking their photo. According to Dorset Police, one of the victim was them hit in the face leaving her with swelling. A spokeswoman for the force said: 'When she asked the woman to stop, an altercation occurred and she sustained swelling and pain to her face. Assault: The incident involved a grandmother wearing a hijab along with her daughter and granddaughter who reportedly asked a separate woman to stop taking their photo. According to Dorset Police, one of the victim was them hit in the face leaving her with swelling A spokeswoman for Dorset Police said: 'When she asked the woman to stop, an altercation occurred and she sustained swelling and pain to her face. 'The offending woman also shouted religiously aggravated abuse at the victim.' The force has issued an image of a woman officers would like to speak to in connection with the incident. PC Jack Cornick, of Bournemouth police, said: 'Dorset Police takes hate crime very seriously and we are determined to identify the woman responsible. 'This was a very unpleasant and unprovoked incident which left the family very upset.' Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police online or by calling 101, quoting number 55200004380. Do YOU know this woman? rod.ardehali@mailonline.co.uk / tips@dailymail.co.uk Based in Denver, Colorado, Water For People's mission is to promote the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services, accessible to all, and sustained by strong communities, businesses and government, in nine countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Water For People's Destination 2030 initiative not only will help countries achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6, but will also contribute progress toward several other U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. "Destination 2030 is Water For People's inspirational 10-year vision," said Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou. "With Jacobs support, we will help Water For People find new ways to scale their work to meet Destination 2030 and elevate their Everyone Forever model to positively impact millions more people in the next 10 years." A partner of Water For People since 1991, Jacobs has donated more than $3 million and thousands of volunteer hours to help the nonprofit make their vision a world where every person has access to reliable and safe drinking water and sanitation, forever a reality. "One in three people globally don't have access to safe water. One in two people more than half of us walking the planet don't have access to adequate sanitation," said Water For People CEO Eleanor Allen. "Why should we care? This startling statistic equates to 266 million hours lost every day by women and girls looking for a place to go to the bathroom. That's enough time for 46,000* women to get a college degree every single day!" The World Economic Forum (WEF) once again named water crises to its Global Risks Report 2020, which presents the major risks the world will face in terms of likelihood and impact during the year. At WEF's Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland this week, Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou is speaking as incoming Co-Chair of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Governors, moderating a panel on leveraging technology and innovation to achieve a net-zero carbon future, while Jacobs President and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Berryman is speaking on a Davos panel addressing the role that responsible water consumption plays in addressing the global water crisis. * The Math: 90 days in a semester x 8 semesters x 8 hours per day of study/class time = 5,760. 266M Hours / 5,760 hours = 46K women. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 SOURCE Jacobs Related Links http://www.jacobs.com WASHINGTON - Six months ago, Rep. Adam Schiff downplayed his ability to sway public opinion to support ousting President Trump from office. "I'm not sure that I would flatter myself to think that I can shape national opinion either for or against impeachment," the House Intelligence Committee chairman said in a mid-July interview. Schiff, D-Calif., now finds himself trying to do just that, prosecuting the House's impeachment case as the leader of seven Democrats who are participating in the trial of their lives. For all seven, it marks the highest-profile moment of their very different tenures, whether they are in their 20th year in office, like Schiff, or barely into their second year, like Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. And there's no guarantee that this limelight moment will assure them of long-term success in the political stratosphere, as the last group of impeachment managers included several flame-outs and only two genuine rising stars. For now, the managers are just trying to win a few rounds in their uphill battle to secure Republican support for calling more witnesses, let alone the two-thirds Senate majority needed to convict and remove the president from office. Over and over Tuesday, their first full day of making arguments before the Senate, the managers met defeat. All 53 Republicans voted to block their requests for revisions to the resolution that will govern the rest of the trial, and by nearly 10:30 p.m., after GOP requests to get the Democrats to pare down the amendment volley, Schiff made clear that they would keep charging into the night. "Yeah, we're making it hard for you," he said. "We're making it hard for you to say no. We're making it hard for you to say, 'I don't want to hear from these people.' " Schiff had been resisting impeachment throughout the summer when the liberal wing of the caucus pushed to launch a formal inquiry involving the special counsel investigation into the 2016 Russian campaign to interfere with the election. It was confusing, and first-term lawmakers from swing districts like Crow, who flipped a seat in the Denver suburbs, found their voters reluctant to support the constitutional clash. And Schiff knew the risk in a personal way, having defeated one of the impeachment managers for President Bill Clinton's trial in the 2000 elections, James Rogan, R-Calif. That crop of 13 GOP managers had plenty of ambition, half of whom went on to run for higher office. A pair of those House Republicans at the time - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas- delivered strong performances when they presented the charge that Clinton had committed obstruction of justice. It made them stars in conservative circles, and by 2002 Graham had won his Senate seat and Hutchinson was on his way for several senior posts in the George W. Bush administration, before returning home. But several other Republican managers soon joined Rogan, who is now a judge in California, on the sidelines of politics. In 2002, then-Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia lost in a redistricting-forced primary, then ran for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination in 2008, winning just 0.4 percent in the general election. Bill McCollum of Florida lost two Senate races and a governor's race, and served one term as state attorney general. Henry Hyde of Illinois, who chaired the House Judiciary Committee, served eight more years and also chaired the Foreign Relations Committee. But as he led the impeachment managers, Hyde's reputation took a blow as he was forced to acknowledge a past extramarital affair. Schiff is a more hands-on leader of today's managers, as he took up more than the first hour of allotted time for Democratic debate at the start of the day. When other Democrats spoke, debating amendments, they almost always deferred to Schiff to give the closing statements before the roll call. He usually spoke with just some hand-scrawled notes on small yellow sheets torn off the notepads that filled the desk for House managers on the Senate floor. This group is ambitious in its own way. With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., set to turn 80 in two months, Democrats have been looking for a natural heir whenever she leaves. A year ago, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., vaulted into leadership as chairman of the Democratic Caucus, elevating his profile in a job that requires a lot of tending to the interests of all 232 Democrats. "I have a day job," he told reporters last week, demurring at the idea of serving as a manager. The next day, Pelosi gave him one of the seven coveted spots. Schiff has emerged from the impeachment investigation with an enormous profile among liberal activists and the backing of swing-seat freshmen like Crow, the rare combination needed to jump into the highest leadership posts. When Crow, a former Army Ranger, and six other freshman Democrats with national security backgrounds pushed for the impeachment inquiry, they told Pelosi that they wanted Schiff's committee to run the show. In his early remarks Tuesday, Crow tied the delay in security aid to Ukraine to his own service. "When we talk about troops not getting the equipment they need when they need it, it's personal to me," he said. First, Crow must win reelection in November to avoid Rogan's fate, although his suburban district has trended from a reliably GOP seat that Barack Obama lost by 7 percentage points in 2008 as he won Colorado, to a district that gave just 41 percent of its vote to Trump in 2016. Two other managers, Reps. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, and Val Demings, D-Fla., are rising stars in states that are hungry for new faces, with state capitals that have been dominated by Republicans. The most senior managers, Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., are looking for the capstone to long careers focused on the House Judiciary Committee. Lofgren served as a staffer for a committee member in 1974 during the Nixon impeachment proceedings, before joining Congress 20 years later. She served with Nadler during the Clinton hearings. The group faced even longer odds as the trial goes on, but the fight was joined. "It's not our job to make it easy for you," Schiff said. "Our job is to make it hard." Vu Thi Vui (second right) with her Muslim sisters in Hanoi in 2019. Photo courtesy of Vui. Although prohibited from celebrating Tet, Vietnamese Muslims still return home to reunite with their families, give relatives money and make "banh chung". Along the dyke in Vong La Commune, Hanoi's Dong Anh district, locals are preparing for Tet (Lunar New Year). Adults arrange peach flowers, dong leaves and kumquat trees while excited kids rummage through new clothes. However, in the small house of Vu Thi Vui, 42, the atmosphere is quite different, her family being Muslim. Vui adopted Islam in 2009 while employed in Saudi Arabia, attracted by its advocation of integrity and honesty. Muslims are not allowed to celebrate holidays outside their religion. However, Vuis family still celebrates Vietnamese New Year to a certain extent. Every Lunar New Year, her family returns to their hometown in northern Phu Tho Province, bringing along a dozen kilograms of chicken, lamb and beef. "While we do not eat pork, all other types of meat must be processed by Muslims. We enjoy plenty of vegetables and seafood too," Vui said. On the first day of spring, Vui gives her parents and relatives some money, but without calling it "li xi" (lucky money), considering it a normal act of kindness. "I also make "banh chung" (square sticky rice cake) for fun," she added. Three years ago, Nguyen Thi Hong, 33, from Ho Chi Minh City asked her parents in northern Nam Dinh Province when they would like her to return home, only to be told "Lunar New Year". During Lunar New Year, Vietnamese families often visit graves and worship their ancestors. Hong, however, as the wife of a Malaysian who adopted Islam 9 years ago, is barred from such rituals. In her first few years as a Muslim, her family and relatives struggled to understand her stance, accusing her of "forgetting her roots". Hong still tries to visit her hometown every Tet. "My father is a family-oriented person and wants people to gather together for the new year. Our religion teaches us to respect and care for our parents and grandparents while still alive," she explained. Hong's father used to fear his daughter may suffer a disadvantage after conversion, especially after witnessing her exit the mosque in tears on her wedding day. However, over the years, seeing his child is happy, he gradually relaxed. "My parents no longer complain as much as they used to, however, some conflicts remain unresolved. Every time I go back home I am told to replace my headscarf with a woolen equivalent. I try to please my family within limitations," Hong said. Khanh Van, 38, from central Nghe An Province has been a practising Muslim since marrying an Indonesian four years ago. Ever since, Lunar New Year means little to her as "Muslims do not celebrate unassociated New Year holidays". "When I return home for Tet, I avoid temples and spend my time sightseeing. Giving money to relatives became an act of kindness rather than luck," she noted. Despite ritual limitations, she appreciates the beauty of Islam. Since conversion, she lies less and is not suspicious of others. Islam also prohibits the consumption of alcohol so her husband is always home after work. Praying five times a day helps her enjoy more peace. Maria Nguyen and her husband are both Vietnamese Muslims but still look forward to Lunar New Year, trying their best to create a Tet atmosphere for their 9-year-old and 4-year-old daughters each year. "Every Tet I make coconut preserve, "banh chung" with banana fillings and square cakes stuffed with chicken. I even make a pot of braised beef with eggs," she said. "On Lunar New Year's Eve, we do not make offerings to ancestors but still stay up late to drink tea and enjoy the first minutes of the year together. During early morning, I would give the two children some lucky money." "Banh chung" with chicken and banana fillings alongside peanut candies prepared by Maria Nguyens family for Lunar New Year. Photo courtesy of Maria Nguyen. According to her, the majority of women who marry Muslim husbands no longer celebrate Lunar New Year. However, Maria's own family is still excited about Tet and only avoid activities strictly prohibited. "I will meet relatives and friends to eat and talk. I often make around 20-30 "banh chung" to hand out, since the traditional cakes warm up the atmosphere in a foreign country," she said. More news about Robert Kubica's future will be forthcoming "soon", according to his backer. On the first day of the year, it was announced that the former Williams racer would be Alfa Romeo's reserve in 2020. Kubica, 35, wants to combine that role with a race seat in the German touring car series DTM, and he has been closely linked with BMW. Speed Week claims that while a contract is yet to be signed, the Pole could be close to reaching a deal with a BMW customer team. Daniel Obajtek, president of Kubica's sponsor PKN Orlen, said of the Polish driver: "We are not abandoning the idea of Robert being in the DTM and in Formula 1. "He himself also sees no problem in combining. There will be news soon." B ritish business owners in Benidorm have called for a crackdown on drunken tourists at the Costa Blanca resort after Majorca revealed a raft of stringent measures. Tourists flocking to Magaluf and the West End area of San Antonio, Ibiza, this summer face fines of more than 50,000 for balcony jumping. Alcoholic drinks in all-inclusive hotel packages will be limited to three at lunch and dinner, as part of a regional government decree. Karen Maling Cowles, president of the Benidorm British Business Association, described the moves as a step in the right direction and said their introduction for the Costa Blanca resort would be welcomed. I totally agree with whats being done in places like Magaluf and Id like to see something similar being brought in here, she said. Somethings got to be done because the more you wait, the bigger the problem grows. "I support the idea of fines and consequences for peoples actions. Draft by-laws drawn up two years ago to tackle drunken tourism in Benidorm have yet to be approved in full. Represe The Uttar Pradesh state cabinet, on January 22, has given approval to increase the license fee for foreign liquor by 20 percent. The same for beer will increase by 15 percent and 10 percent for country liquor as a part of the 2020-21 excise policy. "The government has made a simple and transparent excise policy. Renewal of licences will be done through e-lottery. Under the new policy, one person will be allowed to have only two shops in the state," Principal Secretary, Excise, Sanjay Bhoosreddy said while briefing reporters at a press conference here after the Cabinet meeting. "The beer shops will now be able to sell wines. Licence fee will be charged to serve liquor in luxury trains and cruises within the state boundary, which was free earlier. Licences will be given to airport lounges and hotels located outside the airport where flight passengers stay," he said. Bar codes will be put on all liquor bottles so that consumers can check whether liquor is real or not, he said. Bhoosreddy also said the licence fee to serve liquor in hotels located in small towns will be Rs 2.5 lakh per year. Till now this facility was not available in small towns. The annual licence fee to serve liquor in a 50-room hotel has been fixed at Rs 10 lakh for category-1 cities (hotels/restaurants and clubs in Gautambuddhnagar, Ghaziabad district, municipal corporation area of Kanpur Nagar, Agra, Prayagraj, Lucknow and Varanasi. The licence fee for category-2 cities has been fixed at Rs 7.50 lakh. This includes municipal corporation areas of Bareily, Aligarh, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Ayodhya and Firozabad. The licence fee for category-3 cities is Rs 5 lakh, while for category-4 cities, it is Rs 2.50 lakh, he said. (With PTI inputs) RIO DE JANEIRO Prosecutors in Brazil on Tuesday charged the former president of the Brazil-based mining giant Vale and 15 other people with homicide, faulting them for negligence in a dam disaster that killed at least 259 people a year ago. Those charged include Vales former chief executive, Fabio Schvartsman, and other senior officials employed by Vale and by a German firm hired to assess the stability of its dams. They were also charged with environmental crimes, as were the companies. The announcement came days before the first anniversary of one of the deadliest mining disasters in years. The dam in Brumadinho, in the state of Minas Gerais, was built to hold waste from an iron ore mine. When it burst on Jan. 25, 2019, the company cafeteria and other facilities were buried in a torrent of mud. New Jerseys longest-serving state lawmaker on Wednesday blasted Senate President Stephen Sweeney for removing a fellow Democrat from a top committee after he declined to vote for a controversial vaccination bill. State Sen. Richard Codey, D-Essex, says Sweeney, D-Gloucester, was wrong to pull state Sen. Joseph Lagana, D-Bergen, from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Codey, a former governor and Senate president who has bad blood with Sweeney, said what happened to Lagana should never happen to any legislator. Unfortunately, this isnt the first time weve seen this play, Codey said Wednesday in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by NJ Advance Media. Weve seen it much too often over the past 10 year. I understand the hardball of politics, but this goes too far," added the veteran lawmaker, who has served since 1974, making him the longest-tenured state legislator in New Jersey history. Lagana declined last month to vote for a hotly debated bill that would no longer allow parents to cite religion as a reason to not get their children the vaccinations required to attend school in the state. It would allow only children with verified medical conditions to be exempt from vaccine laws. Two planned votes on the measure were called off when the Senate fell one vote short of passing it. Sweeney has vowed to pass the bill in the Legislatures new two-year session. Codey and Sweeney arent exactly friends. After eight years as Senate president, Codey was ousted by Sweeney after a fierce intra-party battle in 2009. Sweeney told NJ Advance Media that he wasnt shocked by Codeys remarks. What a surprise, the Senate president said. Senator Codey is criticizing me again. Hes never gotten over the fact that I beat him. As for Codeys remarks about the Lagana ouster? Everyones entitled to their opinion, Sweeney said. Codey said he didnt agree with Lagana but said he lawmakers should be allowed to vote their conscience. He also chided Sweeney for not placing long-time state senators like himself and Nia Gill, Ronald Rice, Nicholas Sacco, and Shirley Turner as chairs of Senate committees. Codey noted that these legislators have well over 100 years of service combined but are shut out of overseeing the panels that help decide what bills get full votes in the Senate. The Legislature was always run, committee-wise, based on seniority and knowledge of the subject matter, Codey told NJ Advance Media. But he said that changed when Sweeney took over. Codey accused Sweeney of giving precedence to senators who supported the South Jersey voting bloc aligned with Democratic power broker George Norcross. It was based on whether or not you were gonna vote they way they wanted you, Codey said. If it didnt go the right way, you were curtains. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Donald Trump has assured the Pakistani leadership that he would visit the country "soon", Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Wednesday though the US President appeared to parry a question whether his planned trip to India would include a stopover in Islamabad. Qureshi's statement came after President Trump and Prime Minister Imran Khan held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here in the Swiss ski resort. "US President Donald Trump has assured us that he will soon visit Pakistan," Geo quoted Qureshi as saying in a statement. But when a reporter posed a question to Trump prior to his meeting with Khan, the US President appeared to parry her query. "Mr. President, when you head out to India, will you also visit Pakistan?" the reporter asked. Trump said: "Well, we're visiting right now, so we won't really have to." "But we I wanted to say hello for both a relationship standpoint we've had a great relationship and from the standpoint of our two countries. "We're getting along very well. I would say we've never been closer with Pakistan than we are right now. And that's a big statement, although I wouldn't say at all times we were close, as a country. But we are very close right now because of the relationship that we have. So it's very important," according to a transcript available on the White House website. In New Delhi, government sources indicated last week that Indian and US officials were engaged in talks to finalise dates for a possible visit by President Trump to India. India had invited Trump to grace the Republic Day parade as the chief guest last year but the US President could not come due to scheduling issues. There has been indication that the US President may visit India in the next few months. Meanwhile, the Pakistan foreign minister said the Khan-Trump meeting, the third between the two leaders in less than a year, was "very productive." "I was present at the meeting between Prime Minister Imran and US President Trump. It lasted for one hour and was very productive," Qureshi said, adding that the meeting was conducted in a cordial manner. "Prime Minister Imran raised all important issues before the US President, including a request to support Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force and improving the travel advisory the US issues for Pakistan," Qureshi said in his statement, according to Geo Pakistan has been urging the US to support its bid to exit from the grey list of the Paris-based FATF as a key meeting of the international terror financing watchdog was being held in Beijing which will scrutinise Islamabad's efforts to adopt stricter laws against terror financing and money laundering. The FATF said Pakistan must demonstrate effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all UN designated terrorists like Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar, and those acting for or on their behalf. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aerosmith has been sued by founding drummer Joey Kramer for excluding him from their upcoming performance at the Grammy Awards. The 69-year-old drummer filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that fellow members Steven Tyler, 71; Joe Perry, 69; Tom Hamilton, 68, and Brad Whitford, 67, did not allow him to rejoin the group after a recent temporary disability, according to an article Tuesday by TMZ. Kramer after suffering minor injuries in spring 2019 claimed that when he was ready to return, Aerosmith asked him to audition to prove he could 'play at an appropriate level' despite other band members never having to audition following an absence. Founding drummer: Joey Kramer, shown in October 2017 in Los Angeles, has sued Aerosmith for excluding him from their upcoming performance at the Grammy Awards The New York City native finally auditioned earlier this month, but Aerosmith did not allow him to return. Aerosmith responded later Monday with a statement to TMZ about the lawsuit. 'We would be doing a disservice to Joey, to ourselves and to our fans to have him play without adequate time to prepare and rehearse. Compounding this, he chose to file a lawsuit on the Friday night of the holiday weekend preceding the Grammys with total disregard for what is our limited window to prepare to perform these important events,' the statement said. The statement added: 'Given his decisions he is unfortunately unable to perform but of course we have invited him to be with us for both the Grammys and our MusiCares honor. We are bonded together by much more than our time on stage.' Rock legends: Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Joey, Steven Tyler, and Joe Perry of Aerosmith are shown in February 2019 in Atlanta Kramer has been credited with coming up with the band's name two years before it was formed in 1970 in Boston. 'Being prohibited from playing with a band that I have given 50 years of my life to supporting, is beyond devastating. This is not about money. I am being deprived of the opportunity to be recognized along with my peers, for our collective, lifetime contributions to the music industry. Neither the MusiCares' Person of the Year Award nor the Grammys' Lifetime Achievement honors can ever be repeated,' Kramer told TMZ. 'I hope our fans can understand that all I'm trying to do is get back to playing with the band that they love and that's Aerosmith with all five original members. The greatest magic and success of Aerosmith happens when all the band's founding members are together in the house,' he continued. Original lineup: Kramer , shown in 1975, has been credited with coming up with the band's name two years before Aerosmith was formed in 1970 in Boston He concluded: 'To be removed from my rightful place on stage to celebrate our success a success that acknowledges my own life's work, is just plain wrong.' Kramer's legal team made a request Monday for a judge to allow Kramer to rehearse with Aerosmith. No final decision was made and the case was scheduled to be heard again Tuesday. Bonded together: Steven and Joey are shown in September 2015 in Moscow Aerosmith will perform a medley of their hit songs Sunday at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The group first performed on the Grammy stage in 1991 at the 33rd Grammy Awards. The four-time Grammy winners will performs as the MusiCares Person of the Year in recognition of their philanthropic efforts over five decades and impact on American music history. Aerosmith has an ongoing concert residency Deuces Are Wild in Las Vegas that will end on June 4. Several southbound main lanes of the North Freeway near Richey Road were reopened Wednesday morning after a deadly 18-wheeler wreck overnight. The driver of the big rig was southbound in the main lanes of Interstate 45 around 4 a.m. when he left the roadway and crashed into a tree, which split open his cab, police said. The man, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the rig and pronounced dead a short time later, police said. SPRINGFIELD - A food delivery driver told police she was attacked Tuesday afternoon in the Brightwood neighborhood by two men who struck her and then stole her food, police said. The woman, whose name was not disclosed, said the men hit her and her car with a metallic object, said police spokesman Ryan Walsh. She was treated for minor injuries. The attack happened on Clyde Street at around 2 p.m. The incident is being investigated by detectives with the Major Crimes Unit. D emocratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has joked that his wife likes him "on a good day" after his former rival Hillary Clinton suggested nobody does. The comments are the latest spat between the pair, who ran against each other in the race to face Donald Trump in 2016. Mrs Clinton, 72, beat Mr Sanders to become the Democratic candidate, before losing to President Trump in the race itself. The former first lady remains a prominent figure within US politics and launched a blistering attack on Mr Sanders's likeability in a new documentary. "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done," she said in the new Hulu series. And asked whether her assessment still holds she told the Hollywood Reporter: "Yes, it does." Mr Sanders, who is among the Democrats hoping to run against President Trump later this year, said Mrs Clinton is "entitled to her point of view" when quizzed on her remarks. Hillary Clinton hit out at her former rival Bernie Sanders / Simon Dawson/Reuters He said: "On a good day my wife likes me, so let's clear the air on that one. "Secretary Clinton is entitled to her point of view." Mr Sanders said he was focusing on the impeachment trial as opposed to her comments, when pressed by ABC. Asked "why do you think the secretary is still talking about 2016?" he replied: "That is a good question, ask her." Facing criticism for her comments, Mrs Clinton responded by suggesting she thought people would appreciate her honesty. "I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views," she tweeted. Iron is one of the most important commodities in the world. It's the largest global metals market, with the economy using more iron by volume than any other metal. That's because it's a crucial ingredient in making steel, which is in everything from buildings and bridges to pipelines and appliances. Iron is also essential for renewable energy because steel is the main component in wind turbines. Given iron's vital role in building the infrastructure needed to expand the global economy, it's a key metal for investors. Overall, it's the third-largest commodities market by dollar value behind oil and gold. But despite its size and importance, not that many companies focus on mining the metal. It's so costly to produce that companies need to operate a large-scale position in an area where ore is abundant to make it economical. As such, while there are hundreds of oil stocks and dozens of publicly traded gold mining companies, investors will only find a handful of top iron stocks. Here's a look at the best four for investors to consider if they want to participate in this vital market. Digging into the best iron stocks Due to the high costs of producing iron, only seven publicly traded companies focus on the metal because there aren't very many worthwhile metal deposits. Meanwhile, just four companies -- BHP Group (NYSE:BHP), Fortescue Metals Group (OTC:FSUM.F), Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), and Vale (NYSE:VALE) -- control 70% of the global seaborne iron-ore export market. That's why these four top the list of iron stocks that investors should consider: Iron Stock What Makes It a Top Buy? BHP Group An 85% stakeholder in Western Australia Iron Ore, one of the largest integrated iron ore operations in the world. Fortescue Metals Group The world's fourth-largest iron ore producer. Rio Tinto It operates the world's largest integrated portfolio of iron assets. Vale The largest iron ore producer in the world. Here's a closer look at these top iron ore stocks. BHP Group: The diversified iron ore producer BHP Group is one of the world's largest resources companies. In addition to being one of the "big four" iron ore producers, it also mines copper, coal, nickel, and zinc, and has a potash mine under development. Meanwhile, BHP Group also has a petroleum business that produces oil and gas in the U.S., Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago. While BHP Group is a diversified resources company, iron is its biggest moneymaker. The company's iron ore business contributed $11.1 billion of EBITDA during its fiscal 2019, about 48% of the group's total. Copper was the next largest contributor at 19% of EBITDA, followed by coal at 17% and petroleum at 16%. The global resources giant produced 238 million tons of iron ore in its fiscal 2019, which was roughly flat with 2018's level. But BHP Group's iron ore EBITDA increased by nearly 25% year over year, mainly due to higher realized prices. All of the company's iron ore output in fiscal 2019 came from its interest in Western Australia Iron Ore, which is a series of joint ventures (JVs) in the iron-rich Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. The company and its partners operate four joint ventures: Mount Newman, Yandi, Mount Goldsworthy, and Jimblebar, with BHP Group holding an 85% interest in each one. These JVs control an integrated system consisting of four processing hubs and five mines connected by more than 600 miles of rail and port infrastructure to get the ore to global markets. BHP also holds a 50% interest in the Samarco mine in Brazil, which it co-owns with Vale. But the companies suspended operations at the mine in 2015 following a disaster that killed 17 people. They've since spent billions of dollars on fines and cleanup costs, which enabled them to receive permission to restart the mine. They expect that to happen by the end of 2020, aiming to get production up to 14 million to 16 million tons of ore within six years -- well below its 25 million tons before the accident. The upcoming restart of Samarco is one of two notable future production drivers for BHP Group's iron ore operations. The other is the South Flank project in Australia, which should start up in 2021. The company is investing more than $3 billion in the project so that it can eventually replace the 80 million tons of annual output at the Yandi mine when it depletes. BHP has a top-tier iron ore business with visible growth prospects. But there are some company-specific issues that investors need to note. One is its diversification. While that helps reduce some risks, it can cause other problems. For example, BHP doesn't have as much upside to higher iron ore prices as its more focused peers, which could cause its stock to underperform them in a strong market. Meanwhile, BHP produces dirtier fossil fuels like oil and coal, which is a potential problem given the rise in climate change concerns in recent years. Those commodities could prove to be much less valuable in the future if the global economy accelerates its adoption of renewables. But such a move would benefit iron ore producers since steel is a crucial component of wind turbines. BHP Group's exposure to fossil fuels aside, it's among the leaders in the iron ore sector, which makes it one of the top stocks in the industry to buy. Fortescue Metals Group: The growth-focused iron stock Fortescue Metals Group, or FMG, is an Australia-focused iron ore producer. It operates two mining hubs in the Pilbara region of Western Australia: Solomon and Chichester. It also has an integrated port and railway system with roughly 400 miles of track to get its ore to export markets like China. The Chichester hub consists of two mines, Cloudbreak and Christmas Creek, that have the capacity to produce 100 million tons of ore per year. The Solomon hub, meanwhile, also supports two mines, Firetail and Kings Valley, which have the capacity to produce between 70 million to 75 million tons per year. In addition to FMG's two operating hubs, it has two major iron projects under development. The company is investing $1.275 billion on the Eliwana mine and rail development. The mine will produce 30 million tons of ore per year when it comes on line at the end of 2020 and will connect to the Solomon hub via a roughly 90-mile rail line. The company is also a partner on the $2.6 billion Iron Bridge project, which will have the capacity to produce 22 million tons of ore when it comes on line in mid-2022. On top of its development projects, FMG also has an extensive exploration portfolio. It's one of the largest acreage holders in the Pilbara region, where it's searching not only for new iron deposits but also copper and gold. It's also exploring for metals in Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina. It's drilling prospective copper targets in Ecuador, while working on a potential copper and gold mine in Argentina. FMG has a large and growing iron ore operation. But its primary focus is on selling iron to China, which is a risk worth noting. While that country is the largest manufacturer of steel in the world (thus the top consumer of iron), FMG's dependence on the Chinese steel market could prove problematic. For example, China's government has mandated steel production reductions in the past due to environmental issues, which has hurt iron demand. Meanwhile, the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S. has weighed on its economic growth in recent years. This slowdown has affected its steel consumption as well as the need for iron. These issues are leading FMG to diversify its customer base by recently expanding into new markets like Japan, South Korea, and India. While FMG's outsize exposure to the Chinese market is worth noting, the company is one of the dominant forces in the iron sector. That makes it one of the top stocks to buy for exposure to that key metal. Rio Tinto: The high-tech and clean iron company Rio Tinto is a diversified mining company. It operates four business units: aluminum, iron ore, copper and diamonds, and energy and minerals. In 2018, the company produced $18.1 billion of EBITDA, about 62% of which came from its iron ore operations. Its aluminum business was the next largest contributor at 17% of its EBITDA, followed by its copper and diamonds business at 15%, with energy and minerals rounding things out at 7%. The global mining giant produced 338 million tons of iron ore in 2018, up about 2% from 2017's level. All that output came from the Pilbara region, where it operates the world's largest integrated portfolio of iron ore assets. That business consists of 16 mines, four port facilities, and more than 1,000 miles of rail infrastructure. The company is also the world's largest autonomous-truck operator, which has increased its efficiency while lowering its costs. Rio Tinto has two other iron-related assets, which are part of its energy and minerals segment. It owns the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC), which is a leading Canadian producer of iron ore concentrate and pellets. IOC operates a mine and more than 250 miles of rail that connect it to a port. It produced 9 million tons of iron pellets in 2018, which was down 20% from the prior year due to a strike. Rio Tinto also owns the Simandou project in Guinea, which is one of the world's largest untapped iron ore deposits. The company's iron-focused investments, however, are in Western Australia. In 2018, it approved the $2.6 billion Koodaideri phase 1 project, which will be a new production hub in the region. The project should come on line in late 2021 and have the capacity to handle 43 million tons of ore per year, enabling the company to replace depleting mine production elsewhere. It's also spending money on a pre-feasibility study into Koodaideri phase 2, which could boost the hub's production capacity to more than 70 million tons in the years ahead. Rio Tinto has worked hard over the years to reduce risk. For example, it sold off its coal mining assets in 2018 to not only reduce its climate-change-related risks but also bolster its balance sheet. As a result of asset sales like that, it paid off nearly $10 billion in debt during the 2016 to 2019 time frame, giving it one of the strongest balance sheets in the sector. But it isn't without issues. One is that all the money the company is pouring into its iron business isn't going to increase its output. Instead, these investments will offset the depletion of its legacy mines. As such, its iron-related earnings will only expand if it reduces costs or prices rise. That lack of visible growth could cause it to underperform faster-growing rivals if demand for the metal surges in the coming years. That could happen if the adoption of renewable energy accelerates, powering the need for more steel to make wind turbines. Vale: Cleaning up its iron ore operations Vale is the world's leading producer of iron ore and nickel. The Brazilian company also mines copper, coal, manganese, and ferroalloys (a blend of iron with another metal). In addition to its mining business, Vale has major operations in logistics, power, and steelmaking. Iron, however, is by far its main moneymaker at 89% of its total earnings in 2018. Vale produced 385 million tons of iron ore in 2018 from 22 mines in Brazil as well as from pellet plants in that country, Oman, and China. Most of the company's Brazilian mines are in the northern Carajas region. On average, rocks in Carajas contain 67% iron ore, which is the highest concentration in the world. Because of that, Vale can produce iron very economically. But the company's iron ore sales volumes are on track to decline to a range of 307 million to 312 million tons in 2019. The main issue weighing on output was another devastating mining disaster in January 2019. A dam supporting a mining tailings pond in Brumadinho failed, releasing toxic floodwaters into the surrounding area. The tragedy killed more than 250 people, forcing the company to stop production in the affected area. The company's poor environmental track record in recent years is a risk that investors should note. Vale has been working to not only make reparation for the Brumadinho and Samarco disasters but also ensure that no more of its mining dams fail. The company has been shoring up old tailings ponds as well as working to move more of its mining operations to dry processing, with plans to invest $1.8 billion between 2020 and 2024 on that initiative. In addition, it's taking several other steps to become a cleaner company, including a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Among the initiatives it's working on is an aim to self-generate 100% of its energy from clean sources, reduce its new water collection by 10%, and recover and protect more than 1 million acres of forest land. Vale also plans to get its iron business back on track. It expects to get its production volumes back to 2018's level by 2021 with an output between 375 million and 395 million tons. And it believes it can get to a range of 390 million to 400 million tons by 2022. Two factors will drive this growth. First, it expects to bring currently curtailed mines like Samarco back on line. Meanwhile, it will also benefit from the continued production growth of its recently completed S11D mine. Vale spent $14.3 billion to bring that location on line. After producing 55 million tons in 2018, it should reach its current capacity of 90 million tons in 2020. The company is also investing another $770 million to boost that mine's capacity to 100 million tons by 2022. Vale is the global leader in the iron ore sector. While it has had some disasters in the past, it's working to clean up its operations and image. Add that to the fact that its output is on track to grow past its prior peak, and it remains one of the top ways to invest in the iron sector. The big four dominate With a commanding 70% share of the global seaborne iron-ore market, these four mining companies dominate this sector. Because of that, they're by far the best stocks for investors if they want to profit from the expected growth of iron demand as steel consumption increases. Each one offers a unique way to invest in the iron industry. FMG and Vale are largely pure plays on the sector, with FMG offering a healthier growth profile while Vale is a bounce-back candidate. Rio Tinto and BHP Group, on the other hand, are more-diversified mining companies. Rio has a cleaner portfolio, while BHP offers the most diversification across the global commodity space, making it more of a one-stop shop for investors. We are honored to have an industry legend of Mr. Rosanvallons stature headline our 2020 event. JETNET LLC, the leading provider of corporate aviation information, has announced that John G. Rosanvallon, Special Senior Advisor to the Chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation, will be Keynote Speaker at their 2020 10th Anniversary JETNET iQ Global Business Aviation Summit. The 10th annual summit of business aviations leaders will be held June 8-9, 2020 in White Plains, New York. We are honored to have an industry legend of Mr. Rosanvallons stature headline our 2020 event, said Paul Cardarelli, JETNET Vice President of Sales. He can offer a unique and insightful perspective on our industry. John G. Rosanvallon In a career spanning 45 years, John Rosanvallon has been devoted to the worldwide development of business aviation. He a former CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet and Executive Vice President, Civil Aircraft of Dassault Aviation, and is currently Special Senior Advisor to the Chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation. Rosanvallon is also on the Board of Directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the Corporate Angel Network, and the French-American Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Advisory Council of the National Business Aviation Association. He has received the Lifetime Aviation Industry Leader Award, the French Legion of Honor, and the French National Order of Merit. Learn more about Rosanvallon at jetnet.com/summit/speakers.html 10th Anniversary JETNET iQ Summit This will be the 10th Anniversary JETNET iQ Global Business Aviation Summit, an event that has grown every year, and brought together business aviation industry leaders from around the globe to discuss the industry. This years event will be held at the The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester in White Plains, NY, June 8-9, 2020. At the summit, Rolland Vincent, iQ Creator and Director, and Paul Cardarelli, JETNET Vice President of Sales, will join dozens of global business aviation C-level leaders and professionals to present information and engage in conversation on a wide range of topics. JETNET iQ Summits feature a virtual Whos Who of business aviation discussing the present and future of the business aviation industry, with predictions, industry revelations, and wisdom from global leaders. The fast-paced summit will also allow attendees time to meet their contemporaries, network, and develop topics outside of scheduled sessions. A discounted Early Bird Registration rate for the JETNET iQ Summit, $200 savings off the regular rate, is available through January 31, 2020 at jetnet.com/summit/registration.html About JETNET iQ Summits are part of JETNET iQ, an aviation market research, strategy, and forecasting service for the business aviation industry. JETNET iQ also provides independent, Quarterly intelligence, including consulting, economic and industry analyses, business aircraft owner/operator survey results, and new aircraft delivery and fleet forecasts. JETNET iQ is a collaboration between JETNET LLC and Rolland Vincent Associates LLC of Plano, Texas, an aviation market research consultancy. About JETNET LLC As the leading provider of aviation market information, JETNET delivers the most comprehensive and reliable business aircraft research to its exclusive clientele of aviation professionals worldwide. JETNET is the ultimate source for information and intelligence on the worldwide business, commercial, and helicopter aircraft fleet and marketplace, comprised of more than 110,000 airframes. Headquartered in its state-of-the-art facility in Utica, NY, JETNET offers comprehensive, user-friendly aircraft data via real-time internet access or regular updates. Liberis to support thousands more small businesses with the finance they need to thrive LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberis , the fintech on a mission to reshape small business finance for good, has successfully closed a 32 million funding round in in its largest equity capital fundraise to date. This investment represents the company's first institutional equity fundraise and was led by FTV Capital - a growth equity firm with a successful track record of supporting high-growth financial services and technology companies. Liberis is backed by Blenheim Chalcot , the UK's leading digital venture builder, who welcome FTV as co-investors in Liberis. This investment brings Liberis' total debt and equity funding to over 150 million. Since its inception, Liberis has provided over 15,000 small businesses with more than 450 million in funding of which the majority through its innovative Funding-as-a-Service platform with integrated partners. Liberis' strategic partners, which include amongst others four of the world's largest merchant acquirers, currently white-label its finance platform to offer funding to their own small business customers. The last 18 months have seen rapid global growth for Liberis with expansion into five new countries including the UK, US, Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovak and Finland. This new investment will support the business as it further expands its footprint in the United States and in two new European countries, as well as attracting the best talent with a 30 percent increase in headcount planned for the next year. The investment will also enable the company to scale globally at pace through its unique partnerships model to support the millions of small businesses who have difficulty in accessing the funding they need to thrive. Rob Straathof, CEO, Liberis, commented: 'Small businesses are the lifeblood of the global economy, yet they continue to be turned away by banks and traditional lenders or faced with unhelpful repayment terms and complex processes. We are delighted with this investment from FTV Capital as it means we can continue to onboard new partners, expand our product range and grow our team in order to serve the 50 million small businesses across the US, Europe and the UK with much needed funding. 2020 is set to be an exciting year for Liberis and this financial investment will help to accelerate our plans so we can support thousands more small businesses around the world with fast, flexible and fair funding.' Jerome Hershey, Senior Investment Advisor at FTV Capital, said: 'FTV believes the convergence of payment processing and small business funding presents a massive investment opportunity. Liberis' differentiated distribution model offers a compelling value proposition for both its strategic partners and small business customers. To support a significant growth trajectory as it expands internationally across Europe and in the United States, Liberis can now leverage our Global Partner Network , a group of leading finance and payments enterprises that have helped FTV portfolio companies for two decades. We are thrilled to be working with the company's strong management team, and existing investors, to help them execute their vision.' Manoj Badale, Founder at Blenheim Chalcot said: 'Rob and the Liberis team have built a great business with some of the world's largest payment providers as strategic partners, and we are delighted to welcome FTV as co-investors. We look forward to working closely with them as we continue to expand its partnerships base and grow Liberis globally.' To strengthen its global operations, Liberis has recently appointed General Managers for both the US and Europe. Howard Kramen joins as General Manager for the US, having previously led PayPal's global credit operations. Kramen played an instrumental role in lending over $10 billion to over 225,000 small businesses across the US, UK, Australia and Germany. Meanwhile Pedram Tadayon joins as Europe General Manager and brings 20 years financial services industry experience to Liberis, having previously been CEO of Emric - a fintech provider in credit management, along with senior positions held at Nets, EnterCard and American Express. Liberis also welcomes Jerome Hershey from FTV onto its Board. Having led OnDeck's IPO as the Company's Head of Business and Corporate Development, and with investing roles at Spectrum Equity and Technology Crossover Ventures, Jerome brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Liberis and will support the organisation as it continues to grow its presence in the United States. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080063/Liberis_group_Logo.jpg The Garda who shot Mark Hennessy will give evidence at his inquest later. The 40-year-old abducted and killed Jastine Valdez in Enniskerry in Wicklow in May 2018 before being found by Gardai in a business park. By Express News Service KAKINADA: A 27-year-old man set fire to a house in East Godavari district, burning a teen and a five-year-old girl alive, all because his marriage proposal was turned down by their family. The incident, which happened in Dhulla village of Kaidyam mandal early on Wednesday, left four other persons injured. Two of them are critical. D Srinu, the accused, sprinkled petrol on his relative Kotni Satyavenis house and set it ablaze, the police said. CCTV footage from a nearby fuel station showed him buying petrol between 1.30 and 2 am on Wednesday. He then locked the house from outside before setting it ablaze, raising suspicion that he intended to murder the entire family. The deceased were identified as Kotni Ramu, 18, son of Satyavathi, and her granddaughter G Vijayalakshmi, 5. Satyavathi and her elder daughter G Durgabhavani sustained burns of almost 80 per cent while trying to save their children, hospital authorities said. However, both their children were burnt to death. Durgabhavanis two other children were also injured. Srinu held a grudge against the family ever since they denied him the hand of their youngest daughter, the police said. He earlier lent Rs 70,000 to Satyavathi, whose husband Appa Rao is a night watchman, and was hopeful of marrying their daughter. However, they reportedly turned down his proposal due to his behaviour, and a year ago, got the girl married. But Srinu allegedly kept quarrelling with the family. Kabul: A drone attack carried out by US forces earlier this month in western Afghanistan that apparently targeted a splinter Taliban group also killed at least 10 civilians, including three women and three children, an Afghan rights official and a council member said on Wednesday. According to the Afghan official, who is on the country's Human Rights Commission, the strike took place in western Herat province, in the district of Shindanad. Five other civilians, including two children, were wounded, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. There was no immediate comment from the Afghan military or the US forces. But Wakil Ahmad Karokhi, a provincial council member in Herat, said the January 8 strike also killed the commander of a Taliban splinter group, known as Mullah Nangyalia, along with 15 other militants. The commanders funeral the following day was held in the Herat provincial capital's Guzargah neighborhood, and was attended by dozens of militants. Karokhi criticized the strike as huge mistake saying the commander had been a useful buffer against the Taliban in Shindand district, taking up arms with his fighters against the insurgents when no one else would do it" and leaving the area's civilians in peace. The Taliban today control nearly half of Afghanistan, and continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and US forces, even as they hold peace talks with Washington and have given a US peace envoy a document outlining their offer for a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan. Scores of Afghan civilians have also been killed in the crossfire and by roadside bombs planted by militants or in anti-Taliban operations undertaken by government forces assisted by American troops. On CM's order, January 23 set as public holiday in Jharkhand to mark Netaji's birthday India oi-PTI Ranchi, Jan 22: The Jharkhand government has declared January 23 as a public holiday to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, five years after it was dropped from the list of holidays in the state. The day was removed from the list of holidays between 2015 and 2019, though 'Netaji Jayanti' had been a holiday till 2014, an official release said. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, during a review meeting on Tuesday, ordered that January 23 be declared a public holiday, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press release. "Jharkhand had been the 'karma bhoomi' (work place) of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose contribution in the freedom movement can never be forgotten. We all should take inspiration from his life," the release said, quoting Soren. SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News Modi pays tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary at Belur Math The chief minister also called upon the youth to follow the footsteps of Netaji and serve the state and the nation, it added. Soren is leading a JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in Jharkhand since December last year, unseating the BJP from power which ruled the state from 2014 to 2019. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 11:39 [IST] SHELTON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2020 / NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NNVC) (the "Company") a leader in the development of highly effective antiviral therapies based on a novel nanomedicines platform (the "Company"), today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering with gross proceeds to the Company of $7.5 million before deducting underwriting and other estimated offering expenses. The offering is 2.5 million shares of the Company's common stock at a price of $3.00 per share. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund general corporate purposes and to fund ongoing operations and to repay certain accounts payable to related parties. The Company has also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 375,000 additional shares of common stock to cover over-allotments at the public offering price. Aegis Capital Corp. is acting as sole bookrunner for the offering. This offering is being made pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-235306) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and declared effective by the SEC on January 9, 2020. A final prospectus and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus and the accompanying prospectus, when available, may be obtained by contacting Aegis Capital Corp., Attention: Syndicate Department, 810 7th Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10019, by email at syndicate@aegiscap.com, or by telephone at (212) 813-1010. Before investing in this offering, interested parties should read in their entirety the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus and the other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in such prospectus and the accompanying prospectus, which provide more information about the Company and such offering. 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 these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The Company believes this financing will provide valuable capital that will immediately help the Company advance its drug pipeline into human clinical trials. The Company anticipates filing an IND with the US FDA to advance NV-HHV-101 into human clinical trials for topical dermal treatment of the shingles rash as the initial indication. The market size for the treatment of shingles is estimated at about one billion dollars by various estimates. These estimates take into account the Shingrix vaccine as well as existing vaccines. About 500,000 to 1million cases of shingles occur in the USA alone every year. The market size for our immediate target drugs in the HerpeCide program is variously estimated into billions to tens of billions of dollars. The Company believes that its dermal topical cream for the treatment of shingles rash will be its first drug heading into clinical trials. The Company believes that additional topical treatment candidates in the HerpeCide program, namely, HSV-1 "cold sores" treatment, and HSV-2 "genital ulcers" treatment are expected to follow the shingles candidate into IND-enabling development and then into human clinical trials. These additional candidates are based on NV-HHV-101, thereby maximizing return on investments and shareholder value. The Company develops its class of drugs, that we call nanoviricides, using a platform technology. This approach enables rapid development of new drugs against a number of different viruses. A nanoviricide is a "biomimetic" - it is designed to "look like" the cell surface to the virus. The nanoviricide technology enables direct attacks at multiple points on a virus particle. It is believed that such attacks would lead to the virus particle becoming ineffective at infecting cells. Antibodies in contrast attack a virus particle at only a maximum of two attachment points per antibody. In addition, the nanoviricide technology also simultaneously enables attacking the rapid intracellular reproduction of the virus by incorporating one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) within the core of the nanoviricide. The nanoviricide technology is the only technology in the world, to the best of our knowledge, that is capable of both (a) attacking extracellular virus, thereby breaking the reinfection cycle, and simultaneously (b) disrupting intracellular production of the virus, thereby enabling complete control of a virus infection. About NanoViricides NanoViricides, Inc. (www.nanoviricides.com) is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for antiviral therapy. The Company's novel nanoviricide class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them. Our lead drug candidate is NV-HHV-101 with its first indication as dermal topical cream for the treatment of shingles rash. The Company is also developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including oral and genital Herpes, viral diseases of the eye including EKC and herpes keratitis, H1N1 swine flu, H5N1 bird flu, seasonal Influenza, HIV, Hepatitis C, Rabies, Dengue fever, and Ebola virus, among others. The Company's technology is based on broad, exclusive, sub-licensable, field licenses to drugs developed in these areas from TheraCour Pharma, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the company's proposed follow-on offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. The company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's expectations include, but are not limited to, those factors that are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in documents filed by the company from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities. Although it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, they may include the following: demonstration and proof of principle in preclinical trials that a nanoviricide is safe and effective; successful development of our product candidates; our ability to seek and obtain regulatory approvals, including with respect to the indications we are seeking; the successful commercialization of our product candidates; and market acceptance of our products. FDA refers to US Food and Drug Administration. IND application refers to Investigational New Drug application. Contact: NanoViricides, Inc. info@nanoviricides.com Public Relations Contact: MJ Clyburn TraDigital IR clyburn@tradigitalir.com SOURCE: NanoViricides, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573789/NanoViricides-Prices-75-Million-Underwritten-Public-Offering-of-Common-Stock Katie Price shared a sweet snap of son Harvey as she reflected on the difficulty of being separated from him while he is in residential care. The former glamour model, 41, revealed she was missing her eldest child as he lives away from her during the week in an assisted living facility. In the photo, Harvey could be seen grinning at his mother as Katie smiled back at him. Devoted: Katie Price shared a sweet snap of son Harvey as she reflected on the difficulty of being separated from him while he is in residential care She captioned the snap: 'Always hard being away from Harvey in the week when he's at residential. Thank God for Facetime.' Katie made the heartbreaking decision to send Harvey - who suffers from numerous medical conditions - to residential care last year. Harvey was born with septo-optic dysplasia, a condition that means the development of his optic nerve was unpredictable. Katie also later discovered he is on the autistic spectrum, gains weight easily because he suffers from PraderWilli syndrome, and finds mobility difficult. Missed: The former glamour model, 41, revealed she was missing her eldest child as he lives away from her during the week in an assisted living facility Priority: Katie made the heartbreaking decision to send Harvey - who suffers from numerous medical conditions - to residential care last year (pictured 2018) The star recently returned from a trip to Thailand with Harvey, with Katie caring for him on her own over the Christmas period. On an episode of Katie Price: My Crazy Life in April 2019, the mother-of-five candidly admitted she 'had no option' but to send Harvey to the care centre, as she admitted it was 'selfish' of her to keep him at home. In the preview, Katie sweetly cuddled Harvey as she spoke to her personal trainer boyfriend Kris Boyson. The couple were preparing for a trip to Gatwick Airport, to see Harvey's new artwork on display. As Kris showed his partner an article which claimed Harvey was going into the care facility, the former glamour model admitted: 'I don't want him to go, but the doctors and my mum say it is the best thing for him.' The star then explained to the camera: 'What they can offer Harvey that I can't, is daily exercise, a food plan, he can't go into the cupboards and eat. He'll socialise with his friends, it's more freedom for him. 'He is 16 and I guess I'm the selfish one because I want to keep him here with me all the time.' It was previously reported that Katie was considering sending Harvey to a residential care facility, with sources telling MailOnline she would 'always do what's right for her children.' New York, Jan 22 : The US state of Washington located in the country's west coast has reported its first case of a possibly deadly virus being called the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) with its genesis in China. The patient in question returned from Wuhan, China on January 15, 2020, US health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Tuesday. The patient, who presented with symptoms of fever and cough, is now healthy, US officials confirmed. Thailand, Japan, and Korea have also reported cases of the new virus. Symptoms include fever, cough and trouble breathing. Early on, US health officials were connecting the dots from the Wuhan outbreak to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. With a growing number of patients showing symptoms without any exposure to animal markets, CDC is now saying that "person-to-person spread is occurring, though it's unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people." A pneumonia outbreak caused by the Novel Coronavirus has been in circulation since December 2019, say officials. Nearly 300 cases of 2019-nCoV have been confirmed in China, mostly in Wuhan, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Six deaths, all in China, have been reported so far. On the CDC's advice, the US has begun public health entry screening at San Francisco, New York (JFK), and Los Angeles airports and plan to expand this week to Atlanta and Chicago. The CDC is reporting that there is "some limited person-to-person spread" happening in Asia. In India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has begun screening passengers arriving from China, including Hong Kong, at Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata airports. The Indian government is asking all travellers who have sudden onset of symptoms like fever, cough and shortness of breath to self-report to the airport health unit. Coronaviruses, according to the CDC, are a large family of viruses, some causing respiratory illness in people and others circulating among animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people, such as has been seen with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). CDC says the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is low. Facts matter. And in today's age of social media, more than ever. But every once in a while, we tend to fall for a piece of fake news that may or may not be spread with malicious intent, but is still fake. Here, we list out the top 10 instances of fake news we almost fell for in 2019. Rumours were abuzz that the Rs 2,000 note would be banned, and that Rs 1,000 denomination notes would be reissued. "After December 31, 2019 you cannot change your Rs 2,000 notes," a viral WhatsApp post read. That, however, is completely untrue, as the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified later. (Image: Reuters) The passing of Citizenship Amendment Bill in both Houses of Parliament has given rise to protests across the country. While demonstrations were organised in Mumbai, a photo showing massive crowds did the rounds on social media. According to those who shared it, the crowd had turned up for a demonstration against the CAB in Mumbai. It turned out, however, that the picture was from an Eid procession in Bangladesh. (Image: PTI) American actor and comedian Tim Allen was quoted as stating that American President Donald Trump's promised wall against Mexican border costs less than former US President Barack Obama's Obamacare. This quote was also shared by Trump's son, Eric, and it would have been good publicity for the government. Except that it was a different Tim Allen who had made that claim, and several news websites had gone on to debunk it. (Image: Reuters.) WhatsApp has been criticised for its inability to keep a check on the circulation of fake news on its platform. But the company itself became a victim of fake news after messages claiming that WhatsApp use is going to be restricted in India during night as a part of new policy by Narendra Modi government began doing the rounds. These messages were in fact triggered after WhatsApp suffered downtime on the night of July 3. (Image: Company website.) After the rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad sparked outrage across India, messages on WhatsApp began doing the rounds saying the Modi government has passed a new law Section 233 of Indian Penal Code to tackle crimes against women. That, however, was fake, since the government hadn't done anything of the sort and Section 233 already exists, but it pertains to punishment for counterfeit coins. (Image: Pixabay.) Instagram, a popular social media website for sharing and uploading pictures, was also a victim of fake news. Rumours spread in August that Instagram is changing its rules and that starting August, Instagram would be able to use the photos of its users in court cases, and that everything that a user has uploaded would be public. As one can guess, this was fake news, and it was clarified as much by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. (Image: Reuters.) We had heard of the Indian national anthem being declared as the best anthem by United Nations (still fake news, in case you are wondering), but that Bengali would be declared the second language of London was new, but also fake. This had originated after a Facebook page shared a link of its own article stating this. (Image: Reuters.) In the midst of the Maharashtra government formation saga, as the Maha Vikas Aghadi of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress began to take shape, rumours began floating around that late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's sister is the mother-in-law of Lok Sabha MP and NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule. In the maze of families that Maharashtra's politics is, it was natural for one to get confused in all the relationships and be convinced of this particular news. It was, however, proved to be untrue. (Image: PTI.) Harvey Weinstein has been painted as a sexual predator by prosecutors as he goes on trial in a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement. Prosecutor Meghan Hast told the jury of seven men and five women that the former studio boss was not just a titan in Hollywood he was a rapist. She said Weinstein screamed at one victim that she owed him sex, used injections to induce an erection before an assault and pushed his way into the home of another woman and assaulted her. It is for his complete lack of empathy that he must be held accountable, Ms Hast said. Expand Close Harvey Weinstein, centre, accompanied by attorney Arthur Aidala, right, arrives at court (Richard Drew/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvey Weinstein, centre, accompanied by attorney Arthur Aidala, right, arrives at court (Richard Drew/AP) Weinsteins lawyer Damon Cheronis countered by laying out plans to use friendly-sounding emails, calendar entries and other evidence to call the accusers accounts of being attacked into question. The opening of the rape trial more than two years after a barrage of allegations against Weinstein gave rise to #MeToo was seen by activists as a milestone in the global reckoning over sexual misconduct by powerful men. Weinsteins lawyers, though, have portrayed the case as the result of a climate of accusation run amok. Weinstein, 67, said little as he arrived at court. Asked whether he believed he would have a fair trial, he said yes: I have good lawyers. Guided by aides and lawyers, he was not using the walker he has leaned on lately after a summer car crash and subsequent back surgery. He said he was feeling better. Video of the Day The once-powerful and feared executive who brought to the screen such Oscar-winning movies as Pulp Fiction, The Kings Speech, Shakespeare In Love and Chicago has insisted any sexual encounters were consensual. He could get life in prison if convicted. Expand Close Harvey Weinstein, centre, denies the charges (Richard Drew/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvey Weinstein, centre, denies the charges (Richard Drew/AP) Though scores of women have accused Weinstein of sexually harassing or assaulting them over the years, the New York charges are limited to two allegations: that Weinstein raped an aspiring actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performed oral sex on another woman in his apartment in 2006. The rape accuser found a needle in the hotel room bathroom after the alleged assault and realised Weinstein had injected himself to get an erection, Ms Hast said. Another time, after the woman told him she had a new boyfriend, Weinstein dragged her into a bedroom, all the while screaming at her that he owed her one more time, Ms Hast said. He ripped her jeans off so forcefully that it left scratch marks. The prosecutor said Weinstein later told the woman, I just want to apologise for what happened earlier. I just find you so attractive, I couldnt resist you. In addition to the two women he is charged with attacking, prosecutors plan to call to the stand four other accusers including actress Annabella Sciorra in a bid to portray Weinstein as a monster who lured women with offers of career help, then forced himself on them. Expand Close Files arrive at the rape trial (AP/Richard Drew) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Files arrive at the rape trial (AP/Richard Drew) They will each describe their fear, their shame and their humiliation the struggle each went through to push their trauma down and show a brave face to the world, Ms Hast said. Ms Hast detailed allegations that Weinstein sexually assaulted Ms Sciorra around 1993 after giving the Sopranos actress a ride home to her Manhattan apartment and forcing his way inside. She told him to get out. She told him no. But Harvey Weinstein was undeterred, Ms Hast said. She said the actress eventually stopped fighting Weinstein, hoping it would end and was left emotionally and physically destroyed, passed out on the floor. Weinsteins lawyers made clear they intend to go on the offensive. Mr Cheronis said the 2013 rape accuser sent Weinstein a request that year asking for time privately with him and another message letting him know, I got a new number. I just wanted you to have it. Always good to hear your voice. Mr Cherinos said: These arent our words. Theyre hers. It is not a relationship based on fear, you are going to see that. This year's joint military drills with the U.S. scheduled for March and April will be downscaled just like last year, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The two countries last year replaced the large-scale "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle" exercises with just a computer-simulated command post exercise. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo briefed President Moon Jae-in on the plan on Tuesday. OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A new H-1B Visa system means U.S. employers need to start immediately if they want to have a chance of hiring international tech personnel under H-1B Visas, says nationally renowned corporate immigration attorney Mira Mdivani. Although the lottery -- which allots just 85,000 H-1B Visas for the entire nation -- is not until March 1, the complicated system requires that preparation begin as soon as possible. If you wait, it will be too late. Corporate Immigration Attorneys Mira Mdivani (left) and Danielle Atchison, with their new book "H-1B Visas Demystified: A Step-By-Step Guide for U.S. Employers", warn that the new H-1B Visa system means U.S. employers need to start immediately if they want to have a chance of hiring international tech personnel under H-1B Visas. Under the new system, if you wait it will be too late. Under the new system, U.S. employers now must register online to participate in the lottery. The 85,000 employers selected will then have a short window in which to complete the numerous, complex steps required to file an H-1B Visa petition. "If employers wait to learn whether they've received a lottery number, it will be nearly impossible to acquire the documentation or hire the specialized attorneys needed to prepare a petition," Mdivani says. "Many of the required documents routinely take weeks or months to procure and some must be obtained from other countries. Following the lottery, there is going to be a huge logjam of requests for documents and a sudden short window in which to complete the petition's complicated steps including acquiring the documents. Having an experienced law firm with a record of success handle the entire process can make a huge difference but they need to get started now." Mdivani, whose Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm has prepared thousands of H-1B Visa applications, recently co-authored "H-1B Visa Demystified: A Step-by-Step Guide for U.S. Employers" with her colleague, business immigration attorney Danielle Atchison. Written as a practical guide in everyday language, the book is designed to help Human Resources professionals and in-house lawyers understand the process. The book is provided to those who complete a one-hour online H-1B Visa class through Mdivani's training arm, Corporate Immigration Compliance Institute. Only U.S. employers may enter the lottery and be H-1B petitioners, contrary to the popular belief that it falls to the foreign personnel, Mdivani says. "Employers are routinely surprised by the numerous hurdles placed in their path," says Mdivani "but employers who learn how to use H-1B Visas are way ahead of others in competing for the best tech talent in the world." Mdivani, who is President of the Kansas Bar Association, an adjunct law professor, and has earned numerous awards and honors for her expertise, professional involvement, and pro bono work, has laid out all the H-1B Visa steps and a timeline on her firm's website, https://uslegalimmigration.com. "Our goal is to help U.S. employers fill their needs for the best tech talent in the world in order to grow, succeed, and compete in the global marketplace." Mdivani urges employers wanting to register for the H-1B Visa lottery to begin the petition process now. Those U.S. businesses that don't win H-1B Visa lottery numbers may still have other solutions available to them. "We're working with some clients on alternative options," Mdivani says. For more information, visit https://uslegalimmigration.com or call 913-317-6200. Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law One of the nation's top business immigration law firms, Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law guides employers through complex issues involving visas for international personnel, business global mobility, and U.S. corporate immigration compliance. Led by Kansas Bar Association President Mira Mdivani, the firm has been honored with numerous awards for its professional and pro bono achievements, its attorneys have published several books, and two serve as adjunct law professors. https://uslegalimmigration.com Media Contact: Lauren Fasbinder 913-685-0700 (o) 913-269-7777 (c) [email protected] SOURCE Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. Senior US diplomat Alice Wells has renewed the criticism of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), emphasising that there is no transparency in the projects and it will increase cash-strapped Pakistan's debt burden. Speaking at an event here on Tuesday during her four-day visit to Pakistan, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia also said that companies blacklisted by the World Bank have got contracts under the CPEC. The CPEC is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. Wells had in November last year urged Pakistanis to ask "tough questions" to China on the CPEC, saying the project is going to take a toll on the country's economy. The CPEC was launched in 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan and it now envisages investment of over USD 60 billion in different projects of development in Pakistan. Wells said that there was no transparency in the CPEC projects and Pakistan's debt burden was growing due to the Chinese financing, a report in the Dawn newspaper said. Criticising the CPEC, she urged Pakistan to rethink its involvement in it. The US diplomat also questioned the immunity from prosecution for the newly formed CPEC Authority that served as the focal body working to identify new areas of cooperation and projects, besides facilitation, coordination and monitoring of ongoing projects. Talking about Pakistan's debt issue, Wells insisted that Chinese money was not an assistance. By getting Chinese financing for the projects, Pakistan was buying expensive loans and as a buyer it needed to be aware that what it was doing would take a heavy toll on its already struggling economy. Previously, Wells had said, "We hope Pakistanis will ask Beijing tough questions on debt, accountability, fairness and transparency... Ask the Chinese government why it is pursuing a development model in Pakistan, that significantly deviates from what brought China its own economic success." Wells' recent remarks were made after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi sought closer engagement and a robust trade and investment relationship between Pakistan and the US during his recent visit to Washington. Qureshi had also sought help from the US to get the country off the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey list. The US has been critical of the CPEC. Some of the projects had already been completed but others were facing delays as Pakistan and China are working on operational and funding details. The diplomat also touched on the cost escalation in a railways project linking Karachi with Peshawar. She urged the government to be transparent about the mega project. ALBANY Convicted double-murderer Edward Ted Mero will get a hearing next month to try to show that his 2017 trial was tainted by a secret business relationship between defense attorney Cheryl Coleman and an Albany County prosecutor. Mero, 32, a former Albany city water worker, is serving 50 years to life in Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County for the murders of Megan Cunningham and Shelby Countermine, both 23, who died less than two years apart. On Tuesday, state Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch, who presided over Meros trial, granted Meros appellate lawyer, Matthew Hug, a hearing on Feb. 21 to make his case. In court papers, Hug contends a secret business relationship between former Assistant District Attorney Steven Sharp and Coleman, who was Meros trial attorney, contaminated the case and administration of justice. Hug argued that clients, the courts and the public were unaware that Sharp was doing side legal work for Coleman, which prosecutors dispute. As the Times Union first reported in 2018, Sharp admitted he drew up briefs for Coleman in appellate cases, all outside Albany County, in exchange for money over a four-year period. In a scathing condemnation of the relationship, Hug told the judge in a memo that it was a conflict of interest for Coleman and Sharp. "It would be charitable to label their failure to disclose this conflict as inexcusable," Hug stated. He argued that even if Lynch did not find there was a conflict he should toss the convictions because of the appearance of impropriety. "The prosecutor and defense attorney were secretly doing business with one another in an illicit and unethical partnership," Hug stated. "A more prominent appearance of impropriety can scarcely be imagined." In his Dec. 27 memo, Hug asked Lynch to toss the conviction or, as an alternative, schedule a hearing to "fully explore the true scope of Coleman and Sharp's relationship, the conflicts it created and the additi0nal ways in which it operated on the defense." In response, District Attorney David Soares' office said Hug's memo was based on "surmise, innuendo and a particularly crude measure of cynicism." Soares said in August 2018 that Sharp violated an office policy. Sharp, who earned $112,164-a-year as the bureau chief of Soares' General Felony Unit and was widely respected, resigned in mid-August 2018. He was quickly hired as assistant public defender. Coleman retired at the end of the year. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Prosecutors said in their memo that there was no actual conflict of interest and that even if one existed, reversal of the conviction was not required. "The defendant's need to resort to such salacious and at times outright slanderous allegations underscores the paucity of his legal arguments," stated Assistant District Attorney Vincent Stark. "In short, the defendant's papers are long on bluster and short on law. " In an affidavit, Coleman said she received no benefit from the prosecution and did not "throw" the case as Mero alleged. Coleman, according to the court document, said she told Mero that Sharp had done some work for her. She said Mero expressed no concern or hesitation and smiled. "It seemed to me that he found this amusing," Coleman stated. Mero's crimes date to 2013 and 2014. On Dec. 3, 2014, Countermine vanished after she met Mero for a would-be $500, five-hour prostitution "date" at Mero's parents' Albany home. Countermine's remains were found more than five months later in Coeymans in a place where Mero had worked for the city of Albany water department. Her face showed signs of blunt force trauma. Cunningham had been Mero's roommate at 12 Arcadia Ave. which went up in flames on Jan. 27, 2013, a fire initially ruled accidental. Police looked into the death after Countermine's body was found. They found evidence inconsistent with an accidental fire. On the night of the fire, Mero and Cunningham ate dinner with Cunningham's best friend. They had drinks, smoked pot and the friend left. A neighbor heard a loud fight between a man and woman. Mero exited the house and went to his parents' home where, according to a detective, Mero claimed he slept in his car in the driveway. Yet Mero later told investigators he knew Cunningham was inside the home. No soot was found in Cunningham's lungs, which showed she was possibly dead before the fire started. A hole was in the floor of the home and the stairs were fully inflamed. Police discovered Mero told several coworkers -- before and after the fire -- that he knew how to start a fire and get away with it. And he told a date he could make people disappear, testimony showed. Mero later told two inmates in the Albany County jail, where he was being held after his arrest, that he killed Countermine. He told one inmate he killed both women and confessed to the crimes as the inmate read a violent passage from the classic novel, "1984." A prison officer in Magilligan was forced to kick in the door of a prison cell where an inmate had taken his own life, an inquest has heard. Geoffrey Ellison (58) from Lancashire was found dead on the morning of March 28, 2015, after hanging himself. In the second day of an inquest in Newtownards, further evidence about his final days was heard from several prison officers and inmates. On the morning his body was found, a key to the cell door jammed and staff tried to force entry for around two minutes before an officer was able to kick it open. Despite the delay, several officers told the court it was clear he had already been dead for hours. Mr Ellison had been nine weeks away from release and planned to move back to Kent to marry his partner Trudi. Shortly before his death he received what officers described as a "Dear John letter" from his partner who told him she wanted to end the relationship. Staff on duty were verbally warned he was getting bad news and told to keep an eye on him. A review from the Prisoner Ombudsman in 2016 raised concerns this was not properly shared with senior prison or medical staff. Describing Mr Ellison's reaction to the letter, one officer said: "He was angry but he wasn't upset." She added his behaviour gave no indication of needing extra support. A sentencing officer said that break-ups could be common for prisoners, but were often resolved within days. "I wish he had felt he could have come to me because I believe I could have talked him around," she said. Prisoner Colin Brown said in a statement that the "very friendly and talkative" Mr Ellison was upset by the letter and suspected his partner had become involved with an ex-boyfriend. "If I had any indication Geoffrey was going to do anything to harm himself I would definitely have told staff," he said. Another prisoner said inmates were "very surprised" by his death as "everybody talks about their problems in prison". Transcripts of Mr Ellison's final phone calls to his partner were also read out in court. This included a voicemail left hours before his death in which he threatened to kill himself, but the message was not heard until the following morning. The inquest continues. SAGINAW, MI A local initiative to provide first responders with autism sensory kits designed to soothe children with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs during emergency situations is growing. Last month, emergency personnel with five Saginaw-area departments received the new Carter Kits during a press conference at Saginaw Fire Department Station No. 1, 801 Federal Ave. The event was attended by 5-year-old Carter Severs, who has autism spectrum disorder and for whom the kits are named, his parents, Justin Severs, a Saginaw Township police detective, and Kelley Severs, their friend Andrew Keller, an area Realtor who donated the first 10 kits, Saginaw firefighter Brandon Hausbeck, and others involved in the effort. Carter Kits contain noise-canceling ear muffs, sunglasses, a weighted blanket, sensory toys and fidget devices. Now, thanks to a donation of more than $10,000 from the 100+ Women Who care-Mid Michigan membership, the program is expanding, Keller said. The donation will fund 200 to 250 more kits for use locally, according to a post on the Carter Kits - Autism Sensory Bags Facebook page. Word of Carter Kits spread quickly and departments across the state and even across the country have inquired about getting involved. Weve had about 20 states reach out to us at this point, Keller said. Its been incredible. Keller said organizers will soon be traveling to Cullman, Alabama, to provide emergency responders there with 10 Carter Kits, and plan to meet with state officials to discuss growing the program there as well. Keller said out-of-state departments that express interest in Carter Kits are asked to raise their own funds or to find sponsors the kits cost about $60 each. Locally, donations can be sent care of the Saginaw Community Foundation. Weve raised about $15,000," Keller said. We want to keep local money local. People that donate locally want to see kits locally." From working with Grasel Graphics in Frankenmuth to have the branded bags made, to finding suppliers for the items, to shipping the finished kits, this has been a huge learning experience for us, but its been great," Keller said. The community support we never anticipated," Keller said. This project makes for long days for Keller, Justin Severs and Hausbeck, who have collaborated on this since the beginning, but "we go to bed happy and we wake up happy knowing that were trying to make a difference, he said. Learn more at carterkits.org. Related news: 5-year-old inspires autism sensory Carter Kits for Saginaw first responders We cannot be the only family feeling hopeless, says mother of adult son on autism spectrum Special needs Michigan man becomes Eagle Scout at 61 Fashion show offers special needs children chance to express themselves Schematic Diagram of Multi-Sensor Acquisition Package With CLASS, we are driving innovation by improving the quality of the geospatial data and associated analytic products while simultaneously reducing the data collection costs. Quantum Spatial, Inc., an NV5 company, and the nations largest independent geospatial data firm, today announced its new sensor platform, which is designed to improve the efficiency of data collection, while delivering high-density, high-resolution and highly accurate results. 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With CLASS, we are driving innovation by improving the quality of the geospatial data and associated analytic products while simultaneously reducing the data collection costs. CLASS combines the following best-in-class technologies into a single platform: Dual Riegl VUX LR lidar sensors Applanix POS AV 610 IMU (the premier airborne global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) on the market) Phase One RGB camera Phase One NIR camera Phase One oblique RGB camera Marshal electronics high-definition video With these technologies, Quantum Spatial can provide high-density lidar point clouds at 50 to 100 points per square meter; high-resolution nadir imagery for mapping with common resolutions ranging from 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch; and resolution in oblique that enables analysts to read signs, inspect infrastructure or accurately catalog asset conditions. The CLASS platform works at altitudes of 300 to 1,640 feet above ground line (AGL). About Quantum Spatial, Inc. Quantum Spatial, Inc., an NV5 company, provides geospatial intelligence to government and corporate organizations to mitigate risk, plan for growth, better manage resources and achieve advanced scientific understanding. A pioneer in advanced mapping technology, Quantum Spatials end-to-end solutions deliver data and services of the highest quality and accuracy, leveraging the widest array of technologies in all types of landscapes. Clients use the companys acquisition, processing, analytics and visualization solutions in a range of technical and scientific disciplines from geology and biology to hydrology, forestry, and civil engineering. Utilities, oil and gas producers, engineering and construction firms, as well as the military and major government agencies, are Quantum Spatial customers. Quantum Spatial has multiple offices around the country. For more information visit quantumspatial.com, join us on LinkedIn or follow us on Twitter @QuantumSpatial. 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Bombardier, the embattled Canadian train and plane maker, is exploring a combination of its rail business with French rival Alstom, according to people familiar with the matter. The two companies have held preliminary talks about a rail deal in the past few months, said the sources, adding the latest considerations between Bombardier and Alstom which makes TGV trains and Luas trams could face competition scrutiny. A rail deal is among several options the Canadian company is exploring to stabilise its portfolio, which also includes business jets, they said. The deliberations started before Bombardier shocked the market last week by warning of disappointing fourth-quarter sales. Bombardier also said at the time that it may exit a joint venture with Airbus that makes the A220 jetliner and potentially take a major writedown. Bombardier doesnt face an immediate cash crunch thanks to the proceeds of recent asset sales and no big debt maturities this year. But having already offloaded its ageing turboprop aircraft line and its Belfast wing factory, its not exactly overburdened with stuff to sell to meet future liabilities. A takeover of Bombardiers rail business by Alstom would mark the latest attempt by some of the worlds biggest trainmakers to counter growing competition from China. Bombardier in 2017 held talks to combine its rail operations with competitor Siemens until the German company suddenly opted to pursue a deal with Alstom. The EU in February last year blocked the Franco-German merger, which would have created a European rail champion after regulators refused to cave into warnings about the looming threat of Chinese competition. Alstom is unlikely to pursue a merger with Bombardier due to competition considerations. Revenue is similar and a merger would create a significant concentration of sales in the European rolling-stock sector, akin to the recently rejected Alstom-Siemens Mobility deal, said Mustafa Okur, European Industrials analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. While best known as a manufacturer of metro, commuter and regional trains, Bombardier has collaborated in high-speed projects including Alstoms high-speed TGV. The Canadian company generated sales of 8bn from the rail transport business in 2018 while Alstoms reached 8.1bn in its latest financial year. The potential end of Bombardiers involvement in A220 manufacturing, combined with new stumbles in the companys rail business, have undermined a once-great name in manufacturing just when investors thought they were poised to reap the rewards of a difficult turnaround effort. Walking away from the A220 for which the wings are made in Belfast and co-owned by Airbus would close the book on Bombardiers work on an aircraft programme in which the company invested $6bn. The negative earnings announcement could hamper efforts to reach a deal with Alstom, weighing on the estimated value of the Canadian companys rail operations. Bombardier in 2015 sold a 30% stake in its Berlin-based train business to pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, valuing the unit at $5bn at the time and helping the firm raise capital as it faced a cash drain from delays for its new jets. Before that, it had considered an IPO of the rail unit. Were Bombardier to exit both rail and the A220 project, control of which it ceded to Airbus in 2018, its operations would be confined to manufacturing corporate aircraft under the Learjet, Challenger, and Global brands. The company sold its turboprop business to Longview Aviation Capital for $300m in a deal completed last year, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries agreed to buy the CRJ regional jet arm for $550m in June. Last weeks profit warning stripped about a third of Bombardiers already much-diminished value. The trains and private jet manufacturer may be forced to exit its commercial aerospace joint venture with Airbus because of a shortage of cash. About a decade ago Bombardier signed off on the C-Series, an ambitious attempt to break Airbus and Boeings lock on the commercial aerospace market. The small, fuel-efficient jet won rave reviews but orders were disappointing and delays caused costs to balloon and debt to pile up. Bombardier made things worse by trying to bring several new business jets to market at the same time. Weak sales forced it to abandon development of the Learjet 85 resulting in a $2.5bn writedown and to cede control of the C-Series to Airbus for the humiliating sum of 1 Canadian dollar. - Bloomberg and Irish Examiner Syracuse, N.Y. Stationery chain Papyrus and cosmetics retailer Bare Minerals are both set to close their stores at Destiny USA, according to the mall. Papyrus is closing all 254 stores in North America. The chain also has stores at Walden Galleria near Buffalo and Eastview Mall near Rochester. Walden and Destiny are both owned by Syracuse-based Pyramid Management Group. Papyrus has about 1,400 employees at its stores, according to USA Today. The company was founded in Tennessee in 1950 by Marcel and Margrit Schurman. The company also owns the American Greetings and Carlton Cards brands, according to the Indianapolis Star. "Despite our Herculean efforts to realign our Papyrus and American Greetings stores to fit todays shopping environment, Schurman Retail Group had to make the difficult decision to close all 254 of our stores in North America," the company said in a statement, according to the Star. Most of the stores will close in the next four to six weeks, according to USA Today. Final sales are happening now. Destiny had no information yet on when Bare Minerals will close. The cosmetics and skincare store is part of the Shiseido Group of Japan. The company said in its annual report last year that it planned to close unprofitable Bare Minerals locations. The brand has stores throughout the U.S. At Destiny, Bare Minerals is located on the second level of the malls Macys wing. Papyrus is on the second level near Lord & Taylor. The two stores are the latest closings this month at Destiny. January is typically a busy month for retail store shutdowns everywhere as companies assess their store footprints following the busy holiday shopping season. More Destiny USA news National retailer in bankruptcy closing Destiny USA store Danish jewelry brand opening store at Destiny USA Get a kids-eye view of Trombis Tower at Destiny USA (video) January store closings continue at Destiny USA with a fashion outlet Sneaking a smoke will now get mall workers at Destiny USA banned for a year Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Burkina Fasos government has declared two days of national mourning following an attack on two villages, in which at least 36 civilians were killed, in the latest violence to rock the country. A terrorist group on Monday killed 32 civilians when they attacked and burned a market in Nagraogo village before killing four more people in Alamou village, Communications Minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said in a statement late on Tuesday. Three other people were wounded in the attacks in Sanmatenga province, he added. The incidents prompted hundreds of people to flee the area and take refuge in the city of Kaya, residents told AFP. Dandjinou expressed the governments consternation and anger over the attack, while President Roch Marc Christian Kabore announced a two-day period of mourning on Wednesday and Thursday during which flags will be flown at half-mast and festivals will be prohibited. Burkina Faso, as well as neighbouring Mali and Niger, has seen frequent attacks by armed groups since the start of 2015 when violence began to spread across the Sahel region. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Amaravati, Jan 22 : With its move to develop three state capitals challenged in the Andhra Pradesh High Court by Amaravati farmers, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led state government has hired senior lawyer and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to argue its case. The planning department of the state government has earmarked Rs 5 crore for hiring his services and has issued orders for immediate release of Rs 1 crore towards advance. Rohatgi will defend the state government in all the cases relating to Amaravati. Various groups and individuals have filed petitions against the government for imposing prohibitory orders in Amaravati villages under Section 144, implementation of Police Act 30 and the manhandling of protesters including women by the police. Two more Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed in the High Court on Wednesday, challenging the two Bills passed by the Assembly on Monday to pave the way for developing three capitals - Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool. The government has declared that executive capital will come up in Visakhapatnam and judicial capital in Kurnool while Amaravati will serve as the legislative capital. A group of 37 farmers filed a petition challenging the move. Rajadhani Rytu Parirakshana Samithi has also filed a PIL. The petitioners' lawyer Ambati Sudhakar informed the court that the government was making arrangements for shifting of the capital. However, state Advocate General submitted that the Bills were still being discussed in the Legislative Council. The petitioners argued that setting up of High Court comes under the Union list and hence the state government has no right to shift the High Court. The court adjourned the hearing on the PILs challenging the constitutional validity of the Bills for Thursday. During the course of arguments, Chief Justice J.K. Maheswari indicated that a special bench may be constituted to hear all the cases related to Amaravati. Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill and Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill were passed by the Assembly on Monday. The farmers in 29 villages of Amaravati have been protesting for more than a month against the government's move to shift key capital functions out of Amaravati. The farmers had given 33,000 acres of land for the capital in 2015 and they fear that shifting of the capital will badly hit their interests. A criminology student has told of how she had to re-live her rape ordeal twice in court as she fought for justice against the man who attacked her. Robyn Emma, 27, met Dlair Mahmood, who claimed he was a 27-year-old widower called Alan, in a nightclub in Nantwich, Cheshire, in May 2014. That evening he raped her in his home before driving her to a friend's house and later texting her: 'Don't forget you let me do it.' Ms Emma reported him to the police and had to endure two trials - after the first resulted in a hung jury - before he was eventually jailed for five years at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2016. Robyn Emma, 27, met Dlair Mahmood, who claimed he was a 27-year-old widower called Alan, in a nightclub in Nantwich, Cheshire, in May 2014 Then 21, Ms Emma pretended to be asleep as Mahmood began to undress her before attacking. She was terrified to let on that she was awake, scared that he would hit her or strangle her Recalling the ordeal, Ms Emma, who was just 21-years-old when she was attacked, told of how she had had taken a taxi home with Mahmood and agreed to go into his house for a nightcap because she was staying at her friend's house nearby. But she was so tired that she passed out fully-clothed on the man's bed and only came round when he began undressing her. Frozen with terror, she hoped the man would stop. But after undoing her bra, he raped her while she feigned sleep because she realised she was locked in and couldn't escape. 'I was scared he would kill me if I stirred,' Ms Emma who bravely waived her anonymity, said. 'I came round and realised what he was doing but I thought he would panic if I opened my eyes. 'There was a laptop right next to us and I was convinced he'd hit me over the head with it or strangle me.' Instead Ms Emma acted as if she was still asleep while Mahmood rolled her over from laying on her side to her back and raped her. 'There was no kissing, no touching, although he undid my bra, and it hurt. I was crying inside but I forced myself to act as if I was asleep and not react because I thought I'd never see my mum again if I did. 'When I thought it was almost over, I began to act like I was waking up. 'I made a noise and he jumped off me, and by the time I slowly woke and eventually opened my eyes he was dressed and sitting down. I was petrified he was going to strangle me so I had to act as if nothing had happened.' Quick-thinking Ms Emma said: 'I'm really tired. I'd like to go,' and was so convincing that Mahmood picked up his keys and offered her a lift to her friend's. 'He had a lock on the door and as soon as he opened it I wanted to bolt out, but I couldn't as he would suspect I knew, so I forced myself to walk slowly,' she said. 'But then he offered me a lift and, even though I said I could walk he insisted and I had to act for even longer.' Ms Emma's fears about Mahmood - who was really 38 at the time - were correct as just over a month later he carried out an attack where he cut a man 'like a pig' after being confronted about an offensive text She was quiet as he drove the three streets to her friend's house. 'I didn't want him to know the exact house so just told him to stop and said bye, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time,' she added. As soon as she made it into her friend's house and realised she was safe, she was shocked to receive a chilling text from Mahmood saying: 'Don't forget you let me do it.' Ms Emma, who was trembling in shock, found her friend and told her she'd been raped, then called the police. 'It became real as I spoke to them and I became hysterical,' she said, 'But they were there within 15 minutes even though it was 4am.' Officers asked Ms Emma to show them the house where she'd been attacked in Crewe, Cheshire, and arranged for her to be examined straight away at a rape suite in Manchester. There her clothes and phone were taken as evidence and she underwent an internal examination and even had to allow police to take a lock of her hair. It then turned out her fears about Mahmood - who was really 38 at the time were correct as just over a month later he carried out an attack where he cut a man 'like a pig' after being confronted about an offensive text. The victim, who was stabbed through the lung and had a gash on his arm so deep it revealed the muscles and tendons, was so sure he was going to die he said goodbye to his girlfriend. Luckily, he survived but called Mahmood 'a devil.' He was sentenced to 12 years for the stabbing, and was also charged with raping Ms Emma, which he denied. She was an emotional wreck as she waited for the trial, initially hiding the rape from her mum and family. 'I'd been drinking and didn't want people to judge me,' she said. 'I needed to come to terms with it too, but eventually I realised I wasn't being myself and told Mum what had happened.' Mahmood was sentenced to 12 years for the stabbing, and was also charged with raping Ms Emma (pictured), which he denied But the student, who was studying criminology and criminal justice at Bangor university, didn't go out except to attend lectures and became a recluse. 'I didn't trust anyone and had severe anxiety and depression,' she says. During a trial at Warrington Crown Court she had to relive the nightmare, telling the jury from behind a screen how she'd started talking to Mahmood at a nightclub in Nantwich. 'I was asked about what I had drunk that night and the fact that I gave him my number. I tried to explain that although I had been drinking, I sobered up the moment I realised what was happening.' Unfortunately the jurors couldn't make a unanimous decision and it was a hung jury. Ms Emma cried when she heard the verdict, but was determined to try again. 'Yes I'd been drinking at the club but drinking isn't a crime - rape is,' she says. 'I'd told him that nothing was going to happen. I didn't go there for sex, but he just thought he'd help himself. He raped me and it was vital I got justice.' It took a year for the retrial to begin at Liverpool crown court and this time Ms Emma opted to give her evidence without a screen. 'I wanted people to see me and to hear me,' she said. 'I was telling the truth and I wanted them to see that I was.' She was on the stand for 90 minutes during the two-day trial and the jury unanimously found Mahmood guilty of rape. An initial trial resulted in a hung jury, and it took a year for the retrial to begin at Liverpool crown court and this time Ms Emma opted to give her evidence without a screen. This time, Mahmood was found guilty He was given a five year jail sentence to add to the 12 years he'd received for the stabbing attack. 'His release date is 2032,' Ms Emma said. 'Plus he is on the sex offender's register and there's an indefinite restraining order against him ever contacting me. 'I was glad I'd gone through a second trial to get the guilty verdict but I think he should have got longer than five years for it. He destroyed my life to the extent that I couldn't even hug my dad for a year and didn't have any libido.' She also gave up her dream of wanting to work in criminology because of the rape. 'It was a traumatic two years of my life and I decided I wanted to help people in a different way,' she said. She now works at a GP's surgery as a social prescriber which helps people with their mental health and other issues. And she has fallen in love and had a daughter, who is now two. 'I wasn't prepared to let Mahmood destroy my future any longer,' she said. 'He'd taken so much away from me but I wasn't going to let him stop me from being happy.' She is now getting married in August. 'My partner has a son so I'm a step-mum as well and it's brilliant,' she said. 'I am part of a family and getting on with my life. That's why I'm telling my story - I don't want him to win - and I want to show other women you can be strong. 'I fought for justice and even though it took two years I got the right verdict. It's made me stronger and ready to move on from that night and enjoy my life.' DAVOS, Switzerland Italy is not facing another political crisis, the country's economy minister told CNBC just hours after a key government figure stepped back from his duties. Luigi Di Maio has been leading the Five Star Movement (M5S), a party supportive of more social benefits in Italy, since late 2017. However, he said Wednesday he would be stepping down from the party's leadership. Di Maio has also been serving as foreign affairs minister. His party entered a new coalition with the pro-European social democratic party, Partito Democratico (PD) in September and his resignation has raised concerns over the stability of this goverment. Speaking to CNBC Wednesday, Roberto Gualtieri, the Italian minister for the economy and a member of PD, rejected such concerns. Italian economy minister Roberto Gualtieri. Mondadori Portfolio "Not at all, it is not a political crisis, it is not affecting neither the government by the way Mr Di Maio will remain foreign (affairs) minister nor the majority, which is actually quite broad in the Parliament," Gualtieri told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick in Davos. The PD and M5S came together last year to avert the need for snap elections. At the time, the anti-immigration party leader, Matteo Salvini, who was co-deputy prime minister alongside Di Maio, decided to quit government sparking further political instability. Her defense intends to force the Bureau to start investigation through the court The State Bureau of Investigation refused to investigate the falsification of evidence against Yana Dugar in the murder of reporter Pavlo Sheremet. Ukrainian News reported this, referring to the words of the defendants lawyer. However, now the lawyer of the suspect in the murder of Sheremet plans to demand from the State Bureau of Investigation to begin an investigation through the court. As we reported, January 8, the Kyiv Court of Appeal decided to uphold a round-the-clock house arrest for Yana Dugar, the suspect in the murder of Pavlo Sheremet. The court made this decision, despite Dugar's defense team requirement to cancel the house arrest and not to select any preventive measure. The suspect in the murder of journalist Pavel Sheremet Yana Dugar refused to participate in the investigative experiment, which was carried out on the night of January 3. It is reported that the defense of the three suspects was warned in advance of the investigative actions; however, only the lawyer of Yulia Kuzmenko confirmed his participation in the investigation of the experiment. Through interesting experiments, the youth of today can become the experts of tomorrow Bayer Vietnam is continuing its partnership with Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in Vietnam to extend the project in Ho Chi Minh City in its second phase. Aligning with the national education orientation around STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths), the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will give full support to the initiative to increase access for youngsters to science education. The project includes live demonstrations, science clubs, and interactive hands-on sessions to enhance the learning experience and make sure that science is taught in a way that is enjoyable and fun for school children. We are excited to work with OUCRU and the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City to bring our make science make sense (MSMS) project to more school children, said Lynette Moey, general director of Bayer Vietnam. This collaboration shows how committed all sides are to inspire school children to learn about science and to support teachers in their respective activities, thereby contributing to the development of science education in Vietnam. The initiatives aim is to make science make sense Via a Science Club model, school children will have opportunities to learn about three key topics related to things happening around them, such as why leaves change their colours, why fish can swim easily in water, and why the eye reflects what it sees. In addition, children will also receive handbooks as materials to do homework, which includes fun and simple science experiments that they can carry out at home with their parents or their friends. The project will also support schools with science teaching materials and experiment kits, provide training workshops for science teachers on using MSMS science kits and participatory and effective science teaching methods and skills, as well as conducting the Designing Practical Science contest for teachers. Additionally, there will also be a Science Camp. The Khoa hoc Phieu luu ki project is a three-year programme which has been jointly implemented by OUCRU and Bayer Vietnam since 2018. Kicked-off in Long An as part of Bayers Making Science Make Sense project, Khoa hoc Phieu luu ki has benefited around 2,000 school children and teachers. In this second phase, around 12,000 school children and teachers of grade four and five from 10 schools in Ho Chi Minh City will have a chance to indulge in fun experiments. As a life science company, Bayer has its foundation in science and innovation. This gives the company a unique understanding of the integral role science plays in everyday life. Bayer and its partners are dedicated to changing the way science is taught and learned both in and out of the classroom. The programme provides school children with an insight into everyday natural science phenomena with the help of all kinds of fascinating experiments. The explosive situation in Libya, torn by civil war with ISIS expanding quickly into chaos, threatens peace and stability of Maghreb countries, said Former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki. Addressing the 11th Maghreb Forum held lately in Moroccan Atlantic coastal city of El Jadida, Mr. Marzouki said: what is happening in Libya is not only a threat to this country which is a member of the Maghreb Union, it is also a direct threat to Tunisia and Algeria, but also to Morocco. He stressed the importance of reviving the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) to counter regional economic, political and security challenges. In his recorded speech broadcast during the Maghreb forum, the ex-Tunisian President accused Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt of leading a counter-revolution in North Africa by targeting Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. The counter-revolutionaries, he said, did not forgive Moroccos King Mohammed VI for responding positively to the popular aspirations for change in 2011 during the Arab Spring, and for including the Islamists in the government. Marzouki comments come as Berlin hosted an international conference on the Libyan crisis in the absence of Morocco and Tunisia. Rabat voiced its astonishment over its exclusion from the conference, saying the North African Kingdom, which hosted the inter-Libyan negotiations that were crowned by the Skhirat Accords, has always been at the forefront of international efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis. Moroccan played a decisive role in the conclusion of the Skhirat agreements, which are, to date, the only political framework for the settlement of the crisis in this brotherly Maghreb country, and that is supported by the Security Council and accepted by all Libyan parties, says the foreign ministry of the Kingdom. The majority of public servants are not affected by the increase to the State pension age, it has emerged. As the backlash grows over the pension age, it has been confirmed that many public service employees can retire early and still get a supplemental pension equal to the State pension. This lasts until the State pension formally kicks in. In contrast, private sector workers who are legally obliged to retire at 65 are unable to claim the State pension until the age of 66. The State (PRSI) pension age is due to go up to 67 next year, prompting a scramble by politicians. Some are promising to row back on the plans, as the issue comes up on the doorsteps during canvassing in the General Election. People are annoyed that thousands who are compelled to leave work at the age of 65 have to claim Jobseekers' Benefit - getting 45 less a week than they would from their pension. However, many public servants escape this change in the pension rules. This is because large numbers of public servants qualify for a "supplementary pension" before they can qualify for the State contributory pension at 66. The supplementary pension can be claimed years earlier. The Department of Public Expenditure has confirmed that the "supplementary" pension exists, that is basically a substitution for the State pension until public servants reach the State pension age. Pension experts said this means that public servants have insulated themselves from the decision to raise the State pension age. The extra protection for public sector workers came about when then public expenditure minister Brendan Howlin signed a statutory instrument in 2014 when the new, higher State pension age was first introduced. The supplementary pension deal was struck with the public service unions as part of the deal to integrate their pensions with the State pension. It applies to public servants who joined the service after April 1995. Unfair Pensions expert Tony Gilhawley, of Technical Guidance, said: "Public servants who joined between April 6, 1995 and January 1, 2013 (the majority of the current public service workforce) who are entitled to the State pension, can be paid a 'supplementary pension' by the State if they retire before the State pension age to make up for not getting the State pension until later." He said it was unfair that a public service employee who retires at, say, 63 can get a top up or 'supplementary' pension from the State equal to the State pension between 63 and 67 if they don't work. "It's a case of inequitable treatment," Mr Gilhawley added. "One sector of the workforce gets insulated from the increase in the State pension age at the taxpayer's expense, but the other - the private sector - doesn't." "In fact, they are financially incentivised by the supplementary pension to not work between retirement from public service and State pension age." A spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform had no comment when asked why public servants had protected themselves from the controversial State pension changes. The spokesperson would only say: "The arrangements for supplementary pensions stem from pension reforms made 25 years ago in 1995 when it was agreed that all future entrants to the public service would pay full PRSI and their contributory State pension would be fully integrated with their overall pension entitlement." The impeachment of President Trump has never been about actually removing him from office. The Democrats have always known they would fall 15 to 20 Senate votes short of accomplishing that. The impeachment is, and always has been, about the 2020 election. Thus, there is now precedent for impeaching a president to gain advantage in an upcoming election. This wont be the last time it happens. The Democrats hoped through impeachment to gain an advantage in both the presidential and Senate elections. They knew that impeachment might cost them some House seats, but believed that they hold a big enough advantage in the House to retain control in any case. So far, impeachment has not moved the needle on President Trump. The Senate trial could change this, but isnt likely to. Thus, what the two parties are now mainly playing for is control of the Senate. And control of the Senate comes down to a few key races in states like Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Georgia, and North Carolina. Few, if any, Republican incumbents from these states can vote to convict President Trump (and, I assume, few, if any, want to). Such a vote would enrage the Republican base, thus ensuring defeat. However, these incumbents dont want to be accused by the Democrats of having supported an unfair Senate trial one in which Democrats werent given an adequate chance to present their case. Thats why, for example, Mitch McConnell didnt have the votes to dismiss the case at the outset the appropriate result because even if all the facts the Democrats allege are true (and many of them are), they dont state a case for impeachment under the standard of the Constitution. Its also why at least some of the Republicans from the challenging states may want to have witnesses testify. The more the Democrats have a chance to put on a full case, the harder it will be to accuse these Senators of supporting a sham trial. Protecting endangered incumbents is clearly in Mitch McConnells interest. McConnell also wants to protect Trump from political damage, though. When it comes to witnesses, there may be a tension between these two interests. If witnesses arent called, incumbent GOP Senators might suffer political damage. If witnesses are called, Trump might take a hit, depending on what the witnesses say and whether more than a few undecided Americans care. In the case of at least one witness, John Bolton, no one seems to know what he will say. One way out might be for the Senate to vote against witness testimony with a few of the endangered incumbents voting with the Democrats. But there are two potential problems. First, members of the Republican base might not forgive even a vote to hear from witnesses. Second, there may be enough endangered Republicans (plus Mitt Romney and all of the Democrats) to prevent McConnell from prevailing on a vote as to whether to hear testimony. Thus, we might end up having a few witnesses testify. In this scenario, presumably, McConnell would orchestrate a deal whereby the defense also puts on witnesses, perhaps including Hunter and/or Joe Biden. This is not an optimal outcome. As things stand now, Trump almost certainly will suffer little, if any, political damage from the impeachment process. Thats also the most likely outcome even with witnesses, but live testimony adds uncertainty and thus increases the likelihood of political damage to the president. Id love to see the Senate dispatch this case without hearing from witnesses, but this might not be in the cards. As a final note, lets ridicule the breathless reporting from the mainstream media about McConnell backing down in the face of a budding revolt in his ranks (as a headline in the Washington Posts paper edition put it). McConnells main interest is the same as those (other than Mitt Romney) who supposedly are rebelling to enable vulnerable members of his caucus to get through the trial without harming their reelection prospects. There is no cause for these members to rebel, and likely no budding revolt. Allahpundit explains this. The Democrats havent accomplished much with their impeachment gambit, but they have placed McConnell and a few members of his caucus in a tight spot. I think McConnell can navigate his way out, but well see. By PTI NEW DELHI: Around 20 women along with children gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday night to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act ahead of the hearing on the contentious law in the apex court. The protesters squatted at the front gate of the Supreme Court, following which police dispersed them from the area, a police official said. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas seeking to examine the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. A bench, headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, which had issued notice to the Centre on December 18 on various pleas is likely to hear a batch of 143 petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. CAA seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. A trailblazing judge with particular expertise in environmental law and the constitution will become Greece's first female president on Wednesday. The candidacy of Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou has already won cross-party support and been welcomed by some commentators as a consensus candidate during a difficult time for Greek foreign policy. "The time has come for Greece to open up to the future," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said earlier this month, as he submitted Sakellaropoulou's name for Wednesday's parliamentary vote. A four-decade justice veteran, 63-year-old Sakellaropoulou has since 2018 headed Greece's top administrative court, the Council of State, where she was again the first woman to occupy the post. The daughter of a Supreme Court judge, Sakellaropoulou completed postgraduate studies at Paris's Sorbonne university and is an expert in constitutional and environmental law. She will take over from Prokopis Pavlopoulos, whose five-year term ends in March. Greek presidents are exclusively selected by parliament. Sakellaropoulou is on track to secure over 260 votes on Wednesday, more than enough for the minimum 200 votes required, thanks to support from the main opposition parties. Main opposition leftist leader Alexis Tsipras said Sakellaropoulou was an "exceptional judge" and a defender of human rights. The socialist KINAL party has also backed her nomination. Mitsotakis emphasised that the selection breaks with tradition not only because Sakellaropoulou is female, but also because she is not a member of a political party. Past presidents have often been senior party figures, such as former ministers. - 'A spirit of consensus' - Mitsotakis said the choice "embodies unity and progress". "Let's not hide from the truth, Greek society is still marked by discrimination against women," the PM said. "This now changes, starting from the top." In accepting the nomination, Sakellaropoulou said it was an "honour for justice and modern Greek women". Although the president is nominally the head of the Greek state and commander-in-chief, the post is largely ceremonial. Greek presidents confirm governments and laws and technically have the power to declare war, but only in conjunction with the government. Liberal daily Kathimerini commentator Elias Maglinis welcomed the decision to nominate Sakellaropoulou. It had, he wrote, "brought about a spirit of consensus, which is absolutely necessary during such a crucial time in foreign policy" referring to ongoing tension with Turkey over energy exploration, Aegean territorial rights and migration. When Mitsotakis became prime minister in July, he was criticised for appointing just a handful of women in his cabinet. A 2017 Eurobarometer poll found 63 percent of Greeks thought gender equality had been achieved in politics, 69 percent at work and 61 percent in leadership positions. But Eurostat figures from the same year show a pay gap between men and women in Greece of more than 12 percent in average gross hourly earnings. Unemployment is also higher among women, with one in five jobless according to the latest official figures. The first women won the right to vote in Greece in 1934, even if it was initially limited to educated women aged 30 and over. The first female MP, Eleni Skoura, was elected in 1953. Lina Tsaldari in 1956 became the first female minister, and Anna Psarouda Benaki the first female head of parliament in 2004. Sakellaropoulou is already the first woman to hold the top post at Greece's top administrative court, the Council fo State Greeces politicians elected their countrys first female president, with an overwhelming majority voting in favour of high court judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Speaking after being formally informed of the parliament vote, Ms Sakellaropoulou said she would aim for the broadest possible consensus in the course of carrying out her duties. In her first comments as president-elect, the judge noted the difficult conditions and challenges of the 21st century, including the financial crisis, climate change, the mass movement of populations and the consequent humanitarian crisis, the erosion of the rule of law and all manner of inequalities and exclusions. Expand Close Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Petros Giannakouris/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Petros Giannakouris/AP) The countrys prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated Ms Sakellaropoulou as a non-partisan candidate who would enjoy broad support from across the political spectrum. All major parties voted in favour of the nomination, with Ms Sakellaropoulou being elected to the largely ceremonial post in a 261-33 vote, well above the 200 votes required. Six politicians were absent. Greece has a historically low number of women in senior positions in politics, and Mr Mitsotakis had been criticised for selecting a nearly all-male Cabinet after he won general elections in July 2019. In the current Greek cabinet, all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men. Speaking after the vote, Mr Mitsotakis described Ms Sakellaropoulou, 63, as a great jurist, a great judiciary personality who unites all Greeks from the minute this procedure began. Congratulations to Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou - the first female President of the Hellenic Republic elected with a very large majority today in the Hellenic Parliament. is moving ahead into a new era of equality. #europeisawoman Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 22, 2020 He said he sought to nominate a candidate who would symbolise the youth of the Greek nation, and I am glad that the result confirmed that on the big issues, we can finally agree. European officials congratulated Ms Sakellaropoulou, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcoming the election of Greeces first female president in a tweet that said the country was moving ahead into a new era of equality. I wish to congratulate Katerina Sakellaropoulou on her election as new president of #Greece A great signal to elect the Republics first female head of state. I strongly believe that Greece will continue to contribute to the future development of the European Union. pic.twitter.com/HWtZm53zUj Charles Michel (@eucopresident) January 22, 2020 European Council head Charles Michel also tweeted congratulations, saying it was a great signal to elect the Republics first female head of state. Ms Sakellaropoulou, who has headed the Council of State, the countrys highest administrative court, since 2018, is to begin her five-year term in March, when the term of the current president, veteran conservative politician Prokopis Pavlopoulos ends. Wealth Access is excited to announce a new partnership with Genivity to enable its award-winning HALO Planner in Wealth Accesss customizable client portal. This integration will allow financial institutions to seamlessly offer Genivitys HALO Planner within their established Wealth Access data-driven, digital user experiences so they can succeed in the new wealth management era. Genivity HALO's interactive assessment captures all the information you need on their health and longevity with minimal barriers to entry for your client. AI and machine learning then personalize cost projections to each client's unique lifestyle, health, and longevity outlook. Wealth Accesss technology helps institutions stay compliant for Reg BI and provide an enhanced client experience built on leading-edge technology solutions that deepen client relationships. When asked about the future of this relationship, Heather Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of Genivity had this to say: Deepening client relationships is the way of the future. The integration between Wealth Access and Genivity provides a competitive edge to firms that are getting on board with this now that will create a lasting advantage and help their clients improve their financial wellness. INTRUST Bank has been using the Genivity HALO Planner integration within their fully branded digital hub from Wealth Access to increase adoption and establish a deeper knowledge base for their clients. The results allow them to better serve their clients by offering a holistic look at future financial needs and goals. Consumers are no longer satisfied with banks that dont lead with digital capabilities. Clients become committed enthusiasts of a brand because of the online experience, says David Benskin, CEO of Wealth Access. Putting the HALO Planner in our comprehensive digital hub allows banks like INTRUST to offer modern tools that build confidence and loyalty through a delightful experience. Genivity HALO allows our advisors to deepen their client relationships. Having it available in their existing Wealth Access dashboards now allows them to improve the overall client experience, start to finish, says Bill Martin, the Chief Investment Officer at INTRUST Bank. The integration is available now to all existing Wealth Access and Genivity customers. About Genivity Genivity is an award-winning technology platform helping financial professionals and their clients understand, impact, and protect their financial future from the #1 threat to retirement savings: health and elder care costs. The Genivity HALO (Health Analysis & Longevity Optimizer) personalizes longevity, health, & elder care costs in retirement, giving clients unique insights into their future needs & arming their advisors with better information to protect their plan. Founded by a team of health care professionals with backgrounds in computational genetics, data science, and market development, Genivity provides leading financial institutions with data-driven insights to inform decision making and drive business growth across the household. To learn more, visit https://genivity.com. About INTRUST Bank INTRUST Bank is a full-service financial institution serving individuals and commercial customers with 47 locations across Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Since our founding in 1876, weve been growing with our customers, supporting our communities, partnering to build businesses and innovating services. Learn more about our story at https://www.intrustbank.com/why-intrust. About Wealth Access Wealth Access is an innovative wealth management technology firm that provides reporting solutions for the high net worth advisor and investor community. Its proprietary and diagnostic cloud-based platform aggregates information from more than 20,000 financial services institutions and various holdings to deliver an aggregated view, allowing for better decision support in investments, tax planning, insurance and other complex situations faced by high net worth individuals. Founded by a former Merrill Lynch high-net-worth advisor, Wealth Access provides a complete platform for advisors to collaborate with other professionals and position themselves central to their clients lives. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, Wealth Access is backed by successful investors and notable wealth management technology platforms. For more information, please log on to http://www.WealthAccess.com. Iranian authorities have opened an investigation into the killing of Abdol-Hossein Mojadami, a local commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the ethnic Arab-majority southwestern province of Khuzestan. Officials say two gunmen carrying Kalashnikov rifles on a motorbike opened fire on Mojadami outside his house in the town of Darkhoveyn early Jan. 22. Judicial sources were treating the attack as a "special case" but said no arrests had been made. While no group has claimed responsibility, the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency suggested that the "assassination" bore the hallmarks of similar attacks by an Arab separatist militant organization known as Al-Ahwazi. A state TV report, quoted by several outlets, said Mojadami was also an officer of the Quds Force, the IRGC's powerful branch responsible for operations beyond Iran's borders, and had been an associate of Qasem Soleimani, the force's top commander who was assassinated in a US drone strike in Baghdad earlier this month. Mojadami, according to the same report, fought in Syria as a "defender of the shrine," a moniker the Islamic Republic uses in reference to soldiers dispatched to Syria to fight alongside Syrian armed forces propping up President Bashar al-Assad. Darkhoveyn, where the slain commander led the local Basij militia forces, is located within the larger township of Shadegan, one of several flashpoint cities in Khuzestan. The province witnessed some of the deadliest unrest that hit Iran in November. IRGC forces responded to the protests which were triggered by an abrupt and controversial government announcement of higher fuel prices with a heavy-handed crackdown. Two months after the protests were suppressed, the Islamic Republic has yet to come out with an official death toll. However, reports relying on eyewitness accounts and other forms of evidence, have counted casualties ranging between 304 and around 1,500. Those sources have highlighted particularly excessive use of force in the city of Mahshahr in the same impoverished region. Horrifying details have been reported of an IRGC-led "massacre" from behind machine guns that left over 140 protesters in a besieged marsh there. As recently as last week, the commander of the city's IRGC forces, Brig. Gen. Hassan Shavarpour was hit with US State Department sanctions for the deadly operation he is accused of commanding. It is not immediately clear if Mojadami's death was linked to a possible role he might have had in the November crackdown. But only a few days after the dust settled from unrest in his area, a knife-wielding assailant subdued and killed a police officer after grabbing his gun in broad daylight. The same township was also hit with days of turmoil in a separate wave of public rage against the "suspicious death" in custody of a young dissident Arab poet known for his sharp criticism of the Islamic Republic. Khuzestan is sitting on much of Iran's largest lifeline oil and gas reserves. Ironically, however, it remains one of the most underdeveloped regions, where anti-government sentiments are believed to have accumulated over decades of perceived systematic neglect. The Bank of England has joined forces with a raft of global counterparts to look at the case for launching their own digital currencies. The group also comprising the Bank of Canada, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, Swedens Sveriges Riksbank, the Swiss National Bank and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) will pool research and thoughts on the potential for a central bank digital currency (CBDC). It comes amid the emergence of private sector digital currencies, such as Facebooks Libra, which is due to be launched this year. Facebooks plans for digital currency Libra have caused concerns among central banks (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Facebooks plans for its Libra coin and a digital wallet have caught the attention of regulators and central banks worldwide, with the Bank of England among those vowing tough new rules. The idea of a central bank digital currency has been increasingly mooted worldwide to help improve payment systems and cross-border transactions. The Bank said the new working group will look at CBDC use cases; economic, functional and technical design choices, including cross-border interoperability; and the sharing of knowledge on emerging technologies. The group will be co-chaired by Bank deputy governor Jon Cunliffe and Benoit Coeure, head of the BIS innovation hub. It will also work closely with other global forums and groups, such as the Financial Stability Board and the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI), which is also chaired by Mr Cunliffe. Just last month, Swedens central bank said it would sign a deal with consultancy firm Accenture to create a pilot platform for a digital currency, known as the e-krona. The Riksbank has been exploring the idea of its own digital currency for some time, especially given the rapid decline in the use of cash in Sweden. The European Central Bank has also already been investigating the possible benefits of CBDC since last year. Central banks have been concerned over the launch of private sector crypto currencies, given their potential to become so-called systemically important payment systems. A man identified as Aditya Rao on Wednesday (January 22) surrendered before police at Halsuru police station in Bangalore in connection with planting bomb at Mangalore airport on Monday (January 20). The police said that we will have to verify the claim of Rao because he appears to be mentally unstable. Mangaluru City Commissioner of Police Harsha said that a team of police officers will soon fly to Bengaluru to investigate the developments in connection with this case. He added that the team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action. Mangaluru city police investigation team is flying into Bengaluru shortly to investigate the developments in connection with MIA case.. the team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action.. Harsha IPS CP Mangaluru City (@compolmlr) January 22, 2020 On Monday, a suspicious-looking, unattended bag was found abandoned at the Mangalore airport which created panic in the area. The bag was found in the rest area meant for the passengers near the ticket counter at the airport. Soon after receiving the information, police and airport security staff pressed into action and took the bag in their custody. Mangalore police DIG Anil Pandey confirmed that the suspicious object was having traces of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and the place was immediately evacuated to ensure the safety of passengers. Pandey had informed that as per the CCTV a suspect is identified who placed the bag and left in an autorickshaw. Mangalore Police had also released the photograph of the suspect and the autorickshaw which was seen in the CCTV footage. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 10:47 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2060749f6 1 Politics journalist-detained,environment,AMAN,Immigration-Office,immigration,visa-violation Free An American environmental editor named Philip Jacobson has been detained in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan for allegedly violating visa restrictions, environmental science and conservation news portal Mongabay said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the statement, Jacobson, a Mongabay employee, had entered Indonesia on a business visa in December and traveled to Palangkaraya to attend a series of meetings. On Dec. 16, he attended a hearing between the Central Kalimantan Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) and the local chapter of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). "[On Dec. 17,] Jacobson was scheduled on a flight out of Palangkaraya, but before he could leave for the airport, immigration officers went to his guesthouse and confiscated his passport," the statement said, adding that the immigration officers then asked Jacobson to remain in the city while they continued their investigation. "On Jan. 21, more than a month later, Jacobson was formally arrested and taken into custody." Palangkaraya Legal Aid Foundation head Aryo Nugroho, who is representing Jacobson, confirmed that the journalist was currently being held in the Palangkaraya Class II detention center. "According to the letter from immigration officials, [Jacobson] was arrested under Article 122 of the 2011 Immigration Law regarding misuse of a residency permit," Aryo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. "The article carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp 500 million." Immigration spokesperson Arvin Gumilang told the Post that he had not yet received information about the matter. Jacob's prosecution has further fueled concerns of declining freedom in the country. Speaking to Mongabay, Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch said: Journalists and people employed by journalism organizations should be free to work in Indonesia without fear of arbitrary detention." He added that the journalist's treatment "is a worrying sign that the government is cracking down on the kind of work that is essential to the health of Indonesian democracy. Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett A. Butler said the publication would support Jacobson in the matter We are supporting Philip in this ongoing case and making every effort to comply with Indonesias immigration authorities, he said in a statement. I am surprised that immigration officials have taken such punitive action against Philip for what is an administrative matter. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Theramex today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire further rights to Zoely, a patented oral contraceptive, from MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Theramex currently markets Zoely in eleven European countries, and this transaction will bring the total number of markets up to more than 50 on a global basis. MSD retains rights in the United States and Canada. Theramex CEO Anish Mehta said: "Zoely is one of Theramex's flagship products, so we are delighted to have acquired further rights from MSD. This marks another exciting milestone in our global expansion, further demonstrating our commitment to patients by building on our portfolio of innovative treatment options for women." Zoely is a combined oral contraceptive tablet containing a combination of two steroid hormones; 17-beta estradiol, an estrogen that is structurally identical to the major estrogen produced by the ovaries of healthy non-pregnant women and nomegestrol acetate, a progestogen which mimics the naturally occurring progesterone in the body. About Theramex Theramex is a leading, global specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to women and their health. With a broad portfolio of innovative and established brands covering contraception, fertility, menopause and osteoporosis, Theramex supports women at every stage of their lives. Our vision is to be a lifetime partner for women and the healthcare professionals who treat them by providing innovative, effective solutions that care for and support women as they advance through each stage of their lives. To learn more about Theramex, please visit www.theramex.com. Medical staff carry a box as they walk at the Jinyintan hospital, where the patients with pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus are being treated, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, Jan. 10, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap By William Zheng As medical practitioners race against time to contain the spread of the new coronavirus from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the country's leaders have a second battle to fight defending its credibility in the face of widespread scepticism about its commitment to transparency. The outbreak, which had infected more than 300 people across China and around half a dozen overseas by Tuesday evening, apparently originated from a seafood market. So far, at least six people in Wuhan have died because of the virus. It is believed to be less contagious than severe acute respiratory syndrome, which killed more than 700 people worldwide. But China's poor handling of that outbreak in 2002 and 2003 which was marked by cover-ups and an official reluctance to share information has prompted sceptics to ask whether Beijing would again put politics ahead of protecting public health. Peter Cordingley, who was the spokesman for World Health Organisation during the Sars crisis, was one of those who raised the alarm on social media on Tuesday accusing Beijing of "lying about the spread of the Wuhan flu virus from the start". "I say this because I was the WHO spokesman in Asia at the time of the 2003 Sars outbreak, and I'm seeing precisely the same reckless behaviour now," he wrote. A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 20, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap Aware of the widespread scepticism it faces, Beijing has moved fast to assure the international community and the public that it will not tolerate any cover up or withholding of sensitive information about the outbreak. On Tuesday the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Beijing's top political body responsible for law and order ran a social media commentary telling Communist Party officials not to forget the painful lessons of Sars and to ensure timely reporting of the current situation. "Anyone who puts the face of politicians before the interests of the people will be the sinner of a millennium to the party and the people," the commentary on its Chang An Jian account read. "Anyone who deliberately delays and hides the reporting of [virus] cases out of his or her own self-interest will be nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity," it added. The commentary cited an instruction issued by President Xi Jinping on Monday that the virus must be "resolutely contained" and that all cadres must make "the safety of people's lives and their physical health" the top priority. It stressed that transparency remained the best defence against rumours and public panic. "Only by making information public can [we] reduce fear," it said. "People don't live in a vacuum and [we] will only provide a breeding ground for rumours to grow if we keep them in the dark and strip them of their right to the truth." Sophia Chan, left, Chief Executive of Hospital Authority, speaks during a press conference about the cluster of virus cases in Wuhan, China, in Hong Kong, China, Jan. 20, 2020. EPA-Yonhap When asked by reporters on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also stressed that China was taking a "responsible attitude" in handling the latest outbreak from Wuhan and said it was willing to share information with foreign countries and regions. In an online commentary, Hu Xijin, editor of Global Times, a tabloid affiliate of People's Daily, criticised the Wuhan municipal government for its sluggish response to the crisis. Hu even questioned if the Wuhan authorities would have been willing to take the responsibility for confirming the probable human-to-human transmission of the virus had it not been revealed by Zhong Nanshan, one of China's leading experts on respiratory diseases, on Monday. Wu Qiang, a Beijing-based political analyst and former Tsinghua University professor, said Wuhan's slow response may have been due to an ingrained culture among Communist Party cadres who were not prepared to act on their own. "All these campaigns that have been launched one after another since Xi Jinping came to power seven years ago have robbed cadres of the motivation to take the initiative and they have become accustomed to hiding behind the shadow of the strong man," Wu said. He added that Beijing's tight control over free speech and intellectuals has also created a stifled environment discouraging experts to speak out during a public health crisis. People wear face masks as they ride an escalator at the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. Face masks sold out and temperature checks at airports and train stations became the new norm as China strove Tuesday to control the outbreak of a new coronavirus that has reached four other countries and territories and threatens to spread further during the Lunar New Year travel rush. AP WASHINGTON - Additional U.S. troops have been flown out of Iraq for closer evaluation of potential concussion injuries from the Iranian missile attack of Jan. 8, U.S. defence officials said Tuesday. The exact number of troops flown to Germany was not immediately clear, but officials said it was a small number. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because some details were still being sorted out. Last week, 11 U.S. service members were flown from Iraq to U.S. medical facilities in Germany and Kuwait for further evaluation of concussion-like symptoms. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations across the Middle East, confirmed the additional evacuations but did not say how many were included. As medical treatment and evaluations in theatre continue, additional service members have been identified as having potential injuries, Urban said Tuesday evening. These service members out of an abundance of caution have been transported to Landstuhl, Germany, for further evaluations and necessary treatment on an outpatient basis. Given the nature of injuries already noted, it is possible additional injuries may be identified in the future. As recently as last Tuesday night, President Donald Trump said he had been told no American had been harmed in the Iranian missile strike. The question of American casualties was especially significant at the time because the missile attacks results were seen as influencing a U.S. decision on whether to retaliate and risk a broader war with Iran. Trump chose not to retaliate, and the tensions with Iran have eased somewhat. In the days following the Iranian attack, medical screening determined that some who took cover during the attack were suffering from concussion-like symptoms. No one was killed in the attack on Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq. The strike was launched in retaliation for a U.S. drone missile strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the most powerful military general in Iran, on Jan. 3 at Baghdad International Airport. Besides the transcript of the phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian president Zelensky, the second most important transcript is of Joe Biden's comments at a January 2018 appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations. (See below.) Here's why: It's been interesting to hear Republican politicians, Trump-supporters, a few objective journalists, conservative political pundits, and even President Trump himself continue to argue that Joe Biden was the person responsible for threatening a quid pro quo to a group of Ukrainian government leaders involving a billion-dollar loan guarantee from the USA and a prosecutor investigating corruption at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. All of these people ealso argue that Joe, along with his son Hunter, should be called as witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial to expose the truth of their corruption in the Ukraine. What has been glaringly overlooked in this whole situation is that Joe Biden was technically not the person responsible for the idea of a quid pro quo in that situation, because Biden was merely the official U.S. representative delivering the quid pro quo ultimatum to the Ukrainian leaders. In his own words, Joe Biden clearly establishes this fact. Referencing the transcript below, Biden implies that because Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk had not yet taken "action against [fired] the state prosecutor," Ukraine was not going to get the billion dollars from the USA. At this point in his story, Biden says the Ukrainian leaders challenged him, saying, "You have no authority. You're not the president." Biden said his response to their challenge was, "Call him." That's the irrefutable statement that implicates President Obama in the quid pro quo. After indicating that he was acting on a clear directive from President Obama, Biden spelled out what can only be characterized as a threatening and time-sensitive quid pro quo. Biden told the Ukrainian leaders, "I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money." Biden then ended his comments about this incident, saying, "Well, son of a b----. He [the prosecutor] got fired." Based on Joe Biden's comments, it would seem there is a big question that only President Obama can answer. Obama needs to be asked if he directed Biden to withhold the billion dollars from Ukraine if the Burisma prosecutor was not fired. If Obama says he did not direct Biden to threaten a quid pro quo, then not only is Biden a liar, but he has directly implicated himself in a corrupt scheme to both protect and enrich his son Hunter in his bogus job with Burisma. He also clearly misrepresented himself by usurping the authority of President Obama in dealing with a foreign leader. Also, if Obama did not direct Biden to threaten a quid pro quo, why hasn't he come forward to expose the truth and clear his name? If Obama admits that he directed Biden to threaten the quid pro quo, then Obama directly implicates himself in the same corrupt scheme to both protect and enrich Hunter Biden. More importantly, if Obama did direct Biden, as Biden says he did, he committed the exact same act President Trump is being accused of doing and is being impeached for by the Democrats. In any case, questioning Obama under oath will prove once and for all if President Trump was right to inquire about Biden's corruption in Ukraine on his phone call with the president of Ukraine. Now, for the record, it's not "Quid pro Joe"; it's "Quid pro O." Joe Biden, 23 January 2018 appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations: And that is I'm desperately concerned about the backsliding on the part of Kiev in terms of corruption. They made I mean, I'll give you one concrete example. I was not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn't. So they said they had they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I'm not going to or, we're not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You're not the president. The president said I said, call him. I said, I'm telling you, you're not getting the billion dollars. I said, you're not getting the billion. I'm going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money. Well, son of a b----. (Laughter.) He got fired. Image: Ari Levinson via Wikimedia Commons. Description GIS - 22 January, 2020: A training calendar 2020 for the Financial Services Institute (FSI) which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance was launched, yesterday, at the Hennessy Park Hotel, Ebene on the theme Financial Services in 2020 and beyond: Creating Future through capacity Building, in presence of the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun. A training calendar 2020 for the Financial Services Institute (FSI) which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance was launched, yesterday, at the Hennessy Park Hotel, Ebene on the theme , in presence of the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun. In his address, Minister Seeruttun emphasised the importance of continuous training which he said is a necessity for the prosperity of this nation in view of promoting knowledge and skills through proper training. He recalled the role of the people evolving in the financial services sector while adding that they are the key drivers towards moving the industry forward. He further dwelt on the achievements of the financial services sector adding that the industry is poised to become the countrys main engine of growth for the Mauritian economy. The sector, he added, is not only a vital source for national economic growth but also for job creation. Minister Seeruttun also spoke about the setting up of the FSI in 2018 with a dual mandate of raising competencies and harnessing the employability skills of our youth for job readiness. The FSI, he pointed out, is funded by Government and constitutes the training arm of the Ministry of Financial Services. On this score, he also announced a collaboration between Open University of Mauritius and the FSI which is nearing finalisation for the offering of joint award programmes. The programmes, he said, will be geared towards churning theoretical concepts into real-life business practices through effective knowledge transfer with focus on job and future readiness in the financial services field. Moreover, as regards the Global Business Sector, Minister Seeruttun highlighted that discussions have reached an advanced stage with Global Finance Mauritius for collaboration in the design and conduct of specialist training to the Global Business Sector inspired from training recommendations set out in the Financial Sector Blueprint. He concluded by reiterating a culture of continuous education which according to him has been one of the hallmarks of Asias great success stories, such as Singapore, which transformed itself from a developing country to a modern industrial economy in just one generation. On the same occasion, certificates were also awarded to some 40 participants who completed a certification programme on Financial Crime Compliance Competency. By IANS MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan gave an epic reply to a fan seeking to rent a room in the superstars bungalow, Mannat, during an open chat with fans on Twitter. On Wednesday afternoon, SRK invited fans with a tweet: "Chalo ek #AskSrk ho jaaye. Like only 20 Questions...then I have to go and face myself...and maybe shave too." Chalo ek #AskSrk ho jaaye. Like only 20 Questions...then I have to go and face myself...and maybe shave too. Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) January 22, 2020 Soon, fans were flooding the actors with questions, as a result the hashtag #AskSRK trended on Twitter throughout Wednesday. During the chat, a fan asked how much would he need to shell out to get a room for rent in SRK's lavish bungalow Mannat in Mumbai's Bandra area. The superstar replied saying that can be achieved only by 30 years of hard work. 30 saal ki mehnat mein padega. https://t.co/Y3qfb7IMdk Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) January 22, 2020 A fan asked: "If you weren't famous, what would you be up to right now?" He replied that being famous is not a job: "I would do the very same things I do around the house. Being famous is not a job it's a byproduct of the work you do sometimes." I would do the very same things I do around the house. Being Famous is not a job its a byproduct of the work you do sometimes... https://t.co/uEtUYDbLub Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) January 22, 2020 The actor replied to a few more interesting questions from his fans and offered them suggestions as and when required. A fan tweeted: "Sir, lots of rumours about your next project.. u pls announce yourself." To this, SRK replied in Hindi that only he would announce his next project, when it happens. Replying to another fan who quizzed what SRK plans to do in the new decade, he wrote: "I have reserved it for the best movies of my life." A fan shared a photo of himself riding a bike, which features a picture of the actor, and asked him: "What do you think about my bike.? Is it cool?" The actor immediately advised the fan to wear a helmet! Another fan randomly asked if he would like to share any advice for students of chemistry. To this, SRK tagged his "Main Hoon Na" co-star Sushmita Sen and replied: "Please direct this question to my chemistry teacher..@thesushmitasen". A female fan expressed her heart out and tweeted: "Might seem a little cheesy but I really really love you Shahrukh". SRK didn't disappoint her and instantly responded saying: "I like cheese." Since Mumbai doesn't experience a proper winter, the actor, who is a Delhi boy, informed another fan that he is missing Delhi's "sardi". A young fan expressed: "I'm at the age of Suhana and I wanna an advice from you! can you do it for me please". The superstar advised: "Don't let any negativity uninspire you in your journey. U r beautiful because of who u are." Another fan quizzed: "How do you work on changing your voice for every character you play It always differs in each movie. Also how difficult is it to modulate your voice?" The actor explained: "Glad you asked this. I try my best but not always succeed. Our voice box is an amazing tool... u have to learn how to control it." Not only fans, Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh also had a question for Shah Rukh. Riteish asked: "What is the one life lesson that you have learnt from AbRam?" Replying to this, Shah Rukh tweeted: "Whenever you are sad hungry or angry... cry just a little bit while playing your favourite video game." After chatting with fans for almost an hour, he signed off with the note: "Need to go now. Nice having a chat with u all. Sum who didn't get a reply, next time Insha Allah. Sum sounded angry & negative, didn't want make them angrier with a smartass reply...may u find peace within urselves. And to those taking exam..ALL THE BEST love u all". Egypt's cement sector is relying more heavily on coal 22 January 2020 Egypt saw thermal coal imports rise by 31 per cent to 6.32Mt in 2019, according to official data from the port of Alexandria, driven by strong demand from the cement sector. Most coal was imported from the US. The latest data confirm a two-year growth period in thermal coal imports. In 2018 they spiked by 174 per cent to 4.81Mt from 1.75Mt in 2017. The countrys largest importer of thermal coal is Egypts largest cement producer, El Arish Cement, which imported 2.04Mt or 32 per cent of total thermal coal imports. When compared with the companys thermal coal imports in 2018, it increased its share from 28 per cent. El Arish Cement represents around 17 per cent of Egypts cement capacity. Over the past five years, Egypts cement industry has seen a widespread shift from more expensive heavy fuel oil to cheaper thermal coal and alternative fuels as the government decimated government fuel subsidies for heavy industries. Going forward, it is likely that the requirement for cheaper fuel will see more competitively-priced coal enter the market. Several Mediterranean-based sources expect buyers to start looking at petcoke, particularly as US-based coal prices and freight rates are rising, according to S&P Global. Published under Atlanta, GA, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Piedmont Office Realty Trust (NYSE: PDM) (Piedmont), a real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today the tax treatment of its 2019 common stock dividends as described below. Stockholders are encouraged to consult with their personal tax advisors as to their specific tax treatment of Piedmont dividends. Record Date Paid Date Dividend per Share Ordinary Dividends Capital Gains Unrecaptured Section 1250 Qualified Dividend Section 199A Dividend Rate Nov 30, 2018 Jan 3, 2019 $ 0.16* $ 0.0477090 $ 0.1122910 $ 0.0768741 $ 0.0002181 $ 0.0474909 Feb 28, 2019 Mar 15, 2019 $ 0.21 $ 0.0626187 $ 0.1473813 $ 0.1008973 $ 0.0002863 $ 0.0623324 May 31, 2019 Jun 21, 2019 $ 0.21 $ 0.0626187 $ 0.1473813 $ 0.1008973 $ 0.0002863 $ 0.0623324 Aug 30, 2019 Sep 20, 2019 $ 0.21 $ 0.0626187 $ 0.1473813 $ 0.1008973 $ 0.0002863 $ 0.0623324 Nov 29, 2019 Jan 3, 2020 $ 0.21 $ 0.0626187 $ 0.1473813 $ 0.1008973 $ 0.0002863 $ 0.0623324 *Total distribution paid on January 3, 2019 was $0.21 per share; remaining $0.05 per share was taxable to stockholders in 2018. About Piedmont Office Realty Trust Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: PDM) is an owner, manager, developer, and operator of high-quality, Class A office properties located in select sub-markets of major U.S. cities. Its geographically-diversified, almost $5 billion portfolio is comprised of approximately 17 million square feet. The Company is a fully-integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) with local management offices in each of its major markets and is investment-grade rated by Standard & Poor's (BBB) and Moody's (Baa2). For more information, see www.piedmontreit.com. Shareholder Services/Transfer Agent Services Contact: Computershare, Inc. 866-354-3485 investor.services@piedmontreit.com A new article published in the Journal of Medical Ethics continues to defend the concept of sperm donation from dead men, in order to improve sperm quality, and quantity. This would go far in addressing the current deficiency of donor sperm. The chief points in the defence are that it is technically possible to extract sperm from a dead mans body, it is ethically acceptable, and it eases human suffering by giving more people the ability to use donor sperm for reproductive purposes. Not only so, this allows a greater variety of preferences regarding the sperm donor to be fulfilled for the recipient individual or couples, which makes them happier. Test tube with sperm, cryopreservation in the liquid nitrogen. Image Credit: Elena Pavlovich / Shutterstock Post-mortem organ donation Many organ donors have outlined their wishes and hopes that their bodies will one day benefit some other person after their death, by the use of their organs. However, the current article has to do with the ability to voluntarily donate their sperm for use by other unrelated or unknown individuals after their own death. The need The UK had about 590 new sperm donors in the period 2011 to 2013, up from the approximately 240 in 2004. However, many of these donors intended their sperm for one individuals use to produce one child. The authors argue that since heterosexual (42% of those seeking artificial insemination with donor sperm) and lesbian couples (41%), as well as single women (17%), all request donor insemination as part of treatment to achieve conception, and there are also many more cycles involving in vitro fertilization with donor sperm, there is a huge need for donor sperm which is increasing. This is met today by importing sperm from Denmark and the US, about 3,000 and 4,000 samples a year, respectively, other than European countries. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) argues that such imports are cheaper and better than trying to get living sperm donors within the UK itself. The solution? Given the fact that donor sperm is used primarily to relieve infertility, and that dead men provide a source of viable sperm which can give rise to healthy pregnancies, and that it is technically possible to retrieve high-quality sperm from dead men, the authors argue that posthumous sperm donation should be made a possibility just like other organ donations. They look forward to sperm extraction, storage in fertility banks, and its use by clients who need it. The benefits they envisage include greater sperm availability, though living donations may decrease as a result. They also argue that allowing posthumous sperm donation allows men to donate sperm without the financial, legal and time constraints that hinder many living men from doing so. And thirdly, they point to the greater ability to match sperm donors to the intended parents of the offspring, whether in terms of race, educational attainment, or skin color. The reasons include psychological, the need to maintain privacy about the childs origins, and to allow others to think of the child as the biological offspring of the parents. The authors say that infertility, even if not considered a disease, is a condition that offers suffering and as such deserves that steps be taken to relieve it by all feasible methods. They compare sperm donation after death to corneal transplants, which are not strictly necessary but are considered life-enhancing. Effects on the offspring are taken to be minimal considering the existing biological children conceived using living donor sperm. Similarly, effects on the family of the dead man are not considered valid in light of the fact that there are ways, such as arguing policy decisions, to soften the impact of the knowledge that the child conceived, if any, will have no special relationship to the dead donors family. Moreover, organ donation often does comfort the family of the dead donor with the thought that through death he has helped others live on, and the issue of sperm donation by the dead man may be considered in a similar light. Of course, there are practical and policy-related problems that have not been addressed by the authors, but the underlying issue is one that ought to be thought through and dealt with, in the opinion of the authors. They sum up: Many people hope that after death their bodies will be used to benefit others. It is both feasible and morally permissible for men to volunteer their sperm to be donated to strangers after death in order to ensure sufficient quantities of sperm with desired qualities. Others, like andrologist Allan Pacey, disagree, saying it sounds like a retrograde step in view of todays movement towards reuniting donors of sperm with the offspring conceived through that sperm. He says, Id much rather that we invested our energy in trying to recruit younger, healthy, willing donors who stand a good chance of being alive when the donor conceived person starts to become curious about them, and would have the opportunity to make contact with them without the aid of a spiritualist. And still others wonder if its a good idea at all to have a dead man father a child whom he will never see, by women whom he never thought of at all as partners, let alone mothers of his children or should infertile couples just go the good old-fashioned way and adopt some of the millions of orphaned children out there seeking desperately for the comfort of parents and a home of their own? New Delhi, 22 Jan : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India is not a theocratic country because it looks at the world as one large family. Singh was speaking on Wednesday at the National Cadet Corp (NCC) Republic Day Camp, where he presented awards to the Cadets. Rajnath Singh said that kids of Jammu and Kashmir are patriotic and should not be blamed if they are not motivated in the right way. Singh stated that India believes in 'Sarva Dharma Sambhav' and that is why India is truly 'Panth Nirpekhsha'. Singh commended the NCC cadets for their dedication to serve the nation and preserve its ethos. Stating that the youth of the country possess the zeal to serve the nation, Singh pointed out that NCC plays a vital role in strengthening the unity of the nation. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text On 11th September last year, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) released a circular on the registration of candidates who will sit for the teacher examinations later on this year . The circular contains instructions on the KNEC registration for teacher examinations and exam dates. The instructions for the registration of candidates for the teacher education examinations are based on the KNEC 2014 regulations for each examination. Image: facebook.com, @kenyanationalexaminationscouncil Source: UGC The teacher education examinations are administered to those who wish to join the teaching profession at various levels. County Directors, Sub-County Directors, Adult and Continuing Education officers, principals and directors of the teacher training colleges are expected to strictly follow the procedure on the registration of candidates. KNEC teacher examinations The KNEC exams for teachers are categorized as follows; Primary Teacher Education (PTE) Teacher Certificate in Adult Education (TCAE) Diploma in Teacher Education (DTE) Diploma in Special Needs Education Part I and II Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE). ECDE is examined at three different levels; Proficiency, Certificate, and Diploma examination. READ ALSO: KNEC registration technical exams - procedure and deadlines KNEC registration for teacher examinations - KNEC ECDE registration Registration of candidates for the teacher examinations is done by the head of the institution or college. College/institutional candidates that are entered for these examinations must be bona fide enrolled students that are studying in the college or institution. The registration of candidates for these exams is strictly done online. The heads of colleges and institutions are required to access the KNEC registration portal using the username and password provided by the council in their respective email addresses. Image: the-star.co.ke Source: UGC The college/institution must have a minimum of ten candidates to qualify for the registration of candidates. Registration materials including the nominal roll signed by the candidates, fee payment deposit slips and the corresponding invoice, and copies of the qualifying candidates. These registration materials should be certified by the Sub-County Director of Education, and submitted by the head of the institution two weeks after the closure of the registration period for the examinations. Heads of institutions must ensure that they upload the photographs of the candidates and the face/front side of the national identification card. They should download and print the photo register of the institution, which will be handed over to the supervisor on the rehearsal day of the examinations for identification of candidates. The ECDE examination fee for the various levels is as follows; Diploma in ECDE Kshs. 11680 for the regular candidates Kshs. 2790 for the candidates repeating one subject Kshs. 3870 for the candidates repeating two subjects Kshs. 4950 for the candidates repeating three subjects Certificate in ECDE Kshs. 8140 for the regular candidates Kshs. 2190 for the candidates repeating one subject Kshs. 2970 for the candidates repeating two subjects Kshs. 3750 for the candidates repeating three subjects Kshs. 3000 for the proficiency certificate in ECDE The fees should be deposited in any of the KNEC fees collection accounts and the relevant deposit slip submitted to the head of the institution. READ ALSO: How to Get KCSE Results Online TSC requirements for registration Image: arena.co.ke Source: UGC Teachers are registered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), a body that is mandated with the responsibility of registering, employing or dismissing, and promoting or demoting teachers in Kenya. Candidates who pass their KNEC exams are issued with the relevant exam certificate, which is a mandatory requirement for registering with the TSC. The general requirements for the registration of teachers are as follows; Relevant academic and professional certificates from recognized institutions A certificate of good conduct A copy of the national ID card or passport Passport photo KRA pin certificate A duly completed GP69 medical form Payment of the registration of Kshs. 1055. This amount is non-refundable and it should be deposited TSCs National Bank of Kenya account no. 01001000905001 or via Paybill No. 625625 It is important to note that all the documents must be certified by either the TSC County Director or the TSC Sub-County Director. READ ALSO: 2020 term dates for schools in Kenya TSC requirements for the registration of ECDE teachers ECDE teachers need to register with the TSC so that they can be issued with the TSC certificate. TSC has put in place specific requirements for the registration of teachers at the ECDE level. The requirements for the registration of ECDE teachers at the certificate level are as follows; Minimum of CPE/KCPE plus an ECDE certificate from KNEC KCSE mean grade of D+ and an ECDE certificate from KNEC KCSE mean grade D plain, KNEC proficiency certificate, and ECDE certificate from KNEC The TSC requirements for the registration of teachers at the diploma level are as follows; KCSE mean grade C plain and an ECDE certificate from KNEC KCSE mean grade C+ and above for university diploma Exam dates Image: teacher.co.ke Source: UGC The registration of candidates for the teacher examinations has already been completed. All that remains is for the heads of institutions and colleges to present their candidates on the date of examination. The KNEC exam dates for this year are as follows; Diploma in Teacher Education March 2020 Special Needs Education Part I and II April 2020 Teacher Certificate in Adult Education July 2020 Primary Teacher Education July 2020 ECDE proficiency, certificate and diploma April 2020 If you are the head of an institution that is presenting candidates for the 2020 teacher examinations, you need to ensure that you follow the instructions on KNEC registration for teacher examinations to the later. Take note of the above exam dates to ensure that the candidates are adequately prepared to sit for the exams before the kickoff date. READ ALSO: KNEC contacts for registration, ICT, and customer care Source: TUKO.co.ke Allyn Pappert didnt like his daughters new boyfriend. He especially didnt like the fact that she was going to move in with her beau. So, during an argument, Pappert shot his daughter in the torso with his .40 caliber pistol, which was loaded with devastating hollow-point bullets. As she was lying on the couch bleeding and dying, Pappert called 911 and told the dispatcher his daughter was bitching and moaning" about being shot. This guy needs to stay in prison, a state Superior Court panel has decided. It made that call in an opinion by President Judge Emeritus Correale F. Stevens dismissing Papperts appeal of his third-degree murder conviction and 21- to 42-year prison sentence. Pappert, now 73, shot his 41-year-old daughter Kathy in his Philadelphia home on Jan. 20, 2012 during an argument over her boyfriend, investigators said. They reported Pappert had previously told his ex-wife, You know, sometimes I really feel like killing your daughter. He also spoke of killing Kathys boyfriend, police said. During his trial, Pappert claimed the shooting had been accidental. He insisted on appeal that his lawyer wasnt effective, that he didnt get a fair trial and that the prosecutor had committed misconduct by describing him to the jury as selfish and cold and cruel in her closing statement. None of those arguments gained traction with Stevens. The judge found Papperts lawyer was effective, despite Papperts claim that his attorney should have objected when his ex-wife described him during her testimony as an it. To object would only have called attention to that verbal slight, Stevens concluded. Nor was the prosecutor out of bounds, he decided. The evidence in the case portrayed Pappert as a selfish and cruel man in an unusual relationship with his daughter, Stevens wrote. Pappert shot his daughter in her torso after an argument concerning her boyfriend and indicated to a 911 operator he did so because she was destroying his home and would not shut up, the judge added. Officers who responded were struck by the calmness of (Papperts) demeanor as his child lay dying in his home. Certainly, such behavior by a father toward his daughter is atypical, and the prosecutors acknowledgement of thatwas proper, Stevens wrote. Vodafone has become the latest major company to withdraw from Facebooks Libra cryptocurrency project. The telecoms firm joins eBay, Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe and Visa in quitting the association set up to develop a new global currency that would work across Facebooks suite of apps. We have said from the outset that Vodafones desire is to make a genuine contribution to extending financial inclusion, a Vodafone spokesperson said. We remain fully committed to that goal and feel we can make the most contribution by focusing our efforts on [mobile payments platform] M-Pesa. Facebook announced Libra last year, claiming it would serve the 1.7 billion people in the world who dont have access to traditional financial services the so-called unbanked. But since it was unveiled in 2019, it has faced significant criticism from financial regulators. Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Show all 15 1 /15 Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook is born On 4 Feb, 2004, 19-year-old Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched a website called 'TheFacebook' from his dorm. Within 24 hours the college social network had more than 1,000 users Wikimedia Commons Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Winklevoss twins sue Zuckerberg Within one week of launching, fellow Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of stealing their idea. It would be four years later when the resulting lawsuit was finally settled Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Open for business The social network finally opened it platform to everyone on 26 September, 2006. The move proved the catalyst in supercharging the site's already explosive growth PA Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Billion-dollar bid Yahoo offered $1 billion to buy Facebook in September 2006 but Zuckerberg turned it down. 'I dont know what I could do with the money,' Zuckerberg reportedly said. 'Id just start another social networking site' Reuters Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network In the money In September 2009, almost five years since the site launched, Facebook turned a profit for the first time Getty Images/iStockphoto Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Taking the lead Facebook overtook MySpace in 2010 to become the worlds most popular social network Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Taking on the tech giants In 2011, Google launched its own social network that it hoped would knock Facebook from its perch. Despite its initial success, Google+ ultimately failed and will be shut down completely in 2019 Getty Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook goes public On 18 May, 2012, Facebook went public. The initial public offering raised $16 billion the third largest in US history Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Gobbling up the competition Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for $1 billion, consolidating its position as the world's leading social network Reuters Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network One billion users On 4 October, 2012, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook had hit 1 billion users. 'If youre reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honour of serving you,' he wrote in a blog post Getty Images Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Expanding its empire In February 2014 Facebook acquired the messaging app WhatsApp for $19.3 billion REUTERS/Dado Ruvic Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Two billion users In June 2017, Facebook passed the 2 billion user milestone REUTERS/Dado Ruvic Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Privacy scandal On 17 March 2018, news broke that UK firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested data from around 87 million Facebook users for the purpose of political profiling in the build up to the 2016 US presidential elections Shutterstock Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Record profits Despite the scandals and subsequent #DeleteFacebook campaign, Facebook posted record profits just before its 15th anniversary, the equivalent of $7.37 from each of its 2.32 billions users iStock/Independent Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Unhappy users A study found that people are happier when they dont use Facebook, adding to mounting evidence surrounding the impact social media has on mental health Rex Features In December, the Swiss president said Libra would not be accepted by central banks and had therefore "failed" in its current form. Politicians in the UK and US have also expressed concerns about the digital currency, while French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said in September that he would block the development of Libra on European soil because it poses a threat to "monetary sovereignty". Recommended Facebook to be quizzed by central banks over Libra cryptocurrency On Tuesday, the European Central Bank joined a coalition of central banks to explore the possibility of developing its own digital currency backed by central banks. Despite the criticism and the latest setback, Libra said the digital currencys development would continue without Vodafone. Dante Disparte, head of policy and communications at the Libra Association, said in a statement: Although the makeup of the Association members may change over time, the design of Libras governance and technology ensures the Libra payment system will remain resilient." Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Donald Trump. (AP Photo) An Iranian lawmaker offered a USD 3-million reward to "anyone who kills" US President Donald Trump to avenge the assassination of a top general, semi-official news agency ISNA reported. Ahmad Hamzeh, a little-known member of the Majlis, made the offer on behalf of the people of Kerman, the hometown and final resting place of storied commander Major General Qasem Soleimani. "We will give USD 3 million to anyone who kills Trump," Hamzeh, who represents Kahnouj county near the southeastern city of Kerman, was quoted as saying by ISNA. He did not say who would pay the bounty offer, which comes a month ahead of a parliamentary election. Soleimani, one of the most popular public figures in Iran, was killed on January 3 in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport. Washington's ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Robert Wood, told journalists in Geneva that the offer was "just ridiculous". "But it gives you a sense of the terrorist underpinnings of that regime, and that regime needs to change its behaviour," he said. Asad AbuKhalil analyzes the Trump administrations decision to escalate hostilities with Iran and its regional allies. By As`ad AbuKhalil January 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Something big and unprecedented has happened in the Middle East after the assassination of one of Irans top commanders, Qasim Suleimani. The U.S. has long assumed that assassinations of major figures in the Iranian resistance-axis in the Middle East would bring risk to the U.S. military-intelligence presence in the Middle East. Western and Arab media reported that the U.S. had prevented Israel in the past from killing Suleimani. But with the top commanders death, the Trump administration seems to think a key barrier to U.S. military operations in the Middle East has been removed. The U.S. and Israel had noticed that Hizbullah and Iran did not retaliate against previous assassinations by Israel (or the U.S.) that took place in Syria (of Imad Mughniyyah, Jihad Mughniyyah, Samir Quntar); or for other attacks on Palestinian and Lebanese commanders in Syria. The U.S. thus assumed that this assassination would not bring repercussions or harm to U.S. interests. Iranian reluctance to retaliate has only increased the willingness of Israel and the U.S. to violate the unspoken rules of engagement with Iran in the Arab East. For many years Israel did perpetrate various assassinations against Iranian scientists and officers in Syria during the on-going war. But Israel and the U.S. avoided targeting leaders or commanders of Iran. During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the U.S. and Iran collided directly and indirectly, but avoided engaging in assassinations for fear that this would unleash a series of tit-for-tat. But the Trump administration has become known for not playing by the book, and for operating often according to the whims and impulses of President Donald Trump. Different Level of Escalation The decision to strike at Baghdad airport, however, was a different level of escalation. In addition to killing Suleimani it also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a key leader of Hashd forces in Iraq. Like Suleimani, al-Muhandis was known for waging the long fight against ISIS. (Despite this, the U.S. media only give credit to the U.S. and its clients who barely lifted a finger in the fight against ISIS.) On the surface of it, the strike was uncharacteristic of Trump. Here is a man who pledged to pull the U.S. out of the Middle East turmoil turmoil for which the U.S and Israel bear the primary responsibility. And yet he seems willing to order a strike that will guarantee intensification of the conflict in the region, and even the deployment of more U.S. forces. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The first term of the Trump administration has revealed the extent to which the U.S. war empire is run by the military-intelligence apparatus. There is not much a president even a popular president like Barack Obama in his second term can do to change the course of empire. It is not that Obama wanted to end U.S. wars in the region, but Trump has tried to retreat from Middle East conflicts and yet he has been unable due to pressures not only from the military-intelligence apparatus but also from their war advocates in the U.S. Congress and Western media, D.C. think tanks and the human-rights industry. The pressures to preserve the war agenda is too powerful on a U.S. president for it to cease in the foreseeable future. But Trump has managed to start fewer new wars than his predecessors until this strike. Trumps Obama Obsession Trump in his foreign policy is obsessed with the legacy and image of Obama. He decided to violate the Iran nuclear agreement (which carried the weight of international law after its adoption by the UN Security Council) largely because he wanted to prove that he is tougher than Obama, and also because he wanted an international agreement that carries his imprint. Just as Trump relishes putting his name on buildings, hotels, and casinos he wants to put his name on international agreements. His decision, to strike at a convoy carrying perhaps the second most important person in Iran was presumably attached to an intelligence assessment that calculated that Iran is too weakened and too fatigued to strike back directly at the U.S. Iran faced difficult choices in response to the assassination of Suleimani. On the one hand, Iran would appear weak and vulnerable if it did not retaliate and that would only invite more direct U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets. On the other hand, the decision to respond in a large-scale attack on U.S. military or diplomatic targets in the Middle East would invite an immediate massive U.S. strike inside Iran. Such an attack has been on the books; the U.S military (and Israel, of course) have been waiting for the right moment for the U.S. to destroy key strategic sites inside Iran. Furthermore, there is no question that the cruel U.S.-imposed sanctions on Iran have made life difficult for the Iranian people and have limited the choices of the government, and weakened its political legitimacy, especially in the face of vast Gulf-Western attempts to exploit internal dissent and divisions inside Iran. (Not that dissent inside Iran is not real, and not that repression by the regime is not real). Nonetheless, if the Iranian regime were to open an all-out war against the U.S., this would certainly cause great harm and damage to U.S. and Israeli interests. Iran Sending Messages In the last year, however, Iran successfully sent messages to Gulf regimes (through attacks on oil shipping in the Gulf, for which Iran did not claim responsibility, nor did it take responsibility for the pin-point attack on ARAMCO oil installations) that any future conflict would not spare their territories. That quickly reversed the policy orientations of both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which suddenly became weary of confrontation with Iran, and both are now negotiating (openly and secretively) with the Iranian government. Ironically, both the UAE and Saudi regimes which constituted a lobby for war against Iran in Western capitals are also eager to distance themselves from U.S. military action against Iran . And Kuwait quickly denied that the U.S. used its territory in the U.S. attack on Baghdad airport, while Qatar dispatched its foreign minister to Iran (officially to offer condolences over the death of Suleimani, but presumably also to distance itself and its territory from the U.S. attack). The Iranian response was very measured and very specific. It was purposefully intended to avoid causing U.S. casualties; it was intended more as a message of Iranian missile capabilities and their pin point accuracy. And that message was not lost on Israel. Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, sent a more strident message. He basically implied that it would be left to Irans allies to engineer military responses. He also declared a war on the U.S. military presence in the Middle East, although he was at pains to stress that U.S. civilians are to be spared in any attack or retaliation. Supporters of the Iran resistance axis have been quite angry in the wake of the assassination. The status of Suleimani in his camp is similar to the status of Nasrallah although Nasrallah due to his charisma and to his performance and the performance of his party in the July 2006 war may have attained a higher status. It would be easy for the Trump administration to ignite a Middle East war by provoking Iran once again, and wrongly assuming that there are no limits to Iranian caution and self-restraint. But if the U.S. (and Israel with it or behind it) were to start a Middle East war, it will spread far wider and last far longer than the last war in Iraq, which the U.S. is yet to complete. Asad AbuKhalil is a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. He is the author of the Historical Dictionary of Lebanon (1998), Bin Laden, Islam and Americas New War on Terrorism (2002), and The Battle for Saudi Arabia (2004). He tweets as @asadabukhal This article was originally published by " Consortium News " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Kudelski Group to Address Cybersecurity, Energy and Key Global Issues at the 50th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix (AZ), USA, January 22nd, 2020 - As strategic partner of the World Economic Forum, the Kudelski Group (SIX: KUD.S), a world leader in digital security, is deeply involved in the 50th Annual Meeting being held in Davos, Switzerland. "Our involvement with the World Economic Forum since 1999 has helped the Kudelski Group anticipate and adapt to the key developments shaping the economic, political and social landscapes around the world. The Group shares with the World Economic Forum the belief that the world's major challenges can only be overcome through multi-stakeholder effort," said Andre Kudelski, Chairman and CEO of the Group. "Over the years, the World Economic Forum has become an invaluable platform with which to build strong relationships with clients and strategic partners, as well as with government stakeholders." This year - in partnership with the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Presence Switzerland and the World Economic Forum's Centre for Cybersecurity - the Group has assembled key stakeholders to address the questions of trust and sustainability in the energy sector. A panel discussion will be held during the Annual Meeting at the House of Switzerland. The panel is composed of Andre Kudelski, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Roberto Bocca, Head of Shaping the Future of Energy & Materials, Head of Partner Engagement Europe & N. America and Member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum, Benoit Revaz, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Dr. Gabriela Hug, Professor at the Power Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, and Claudio Facchin, CEO of ABB Power Grids. The discussion will focus on how the energy sector is addressing renewable energy and cyber-resilience. "It is important to achieve a transition to a more sustainable, cost-effective, and secure global energy system that addresses global challenges while creating value. This must be done without upsetting the balance of the 'energy triangle' that is security and access, environmental sustainability and economic development and growth," said Andre Kudelski. Andre Kudelski will also take part in the WEF's Global Cybersecurity Outlook session with Jurgen Stock, Secretary-General of INTERPOL, David Garfield, CEO and Co-Founder of Garrison, Laura Deaner, Global Chief Information Security Officer of S&P Global and Samir Saran, President of the Observer Research Foundation. As the annual cost of cyberattacks is expected to reach $6 trillion by 2021, the panel will discuss the trends that are shaping cybersecurity in the near future. In addition to its participation in these high-level discussions, the Kudelski Group also secures the identity and access management system of the Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland, as well as during the WEF's other major meetings held throughout the year. About the Kudelski Group The Kudelski Group (SIX: KUD.S) is a world leader in digital security and a provider of end-to-end convergent media solutions, including services and applications requiring access control and rights management to secure the revenue in digital television, internet, mobile and interactive applications. The Group also offers cybersecurity solutions and services focused on helping companies assess risks and vulnerabilities and protect their data and systems. It also supplies integrated solutions to manage access control of people and vehicles to sites and events. The Kudelski Group is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland and Phoenix (AZ), USA. For more information, please visit www.nagra.com. Media Contacts Cedric Alber Kudelski Group Director - media relations +41 79 647 61 71 +1 (415) 962-5005 cedric.alber@nagra.com Sambit Patra claimed that the Congress indulges in appeasement politics by abusing Hindus. New Delhi: Stepping up on its Hindutva agenda, the BJP on Wednesday yet again accused the Congress of abusing Hindus and said the Opposition party should be called Muslim League Congress. Referring to senior Congress leader Ashok Chavans reported rema-rks that his party joined hands with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as Muslims wanted it to stop the BJP from coming to power, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that the Congress indulges in appeasement politics by abusing Hindus and recalled how the then Congress president Rahul Gandhi had asserted that his party was for Muslims and it was a Congress leader who had coined the term saffron terror. Referring to comments of several Opposition leaders, including those from the NCP and the AIMIM, the BJP leader also alleged that they were abusing Hindus in the name of anti-CAA protests and sought apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCPs Sharad Pawar. Mr Patra said in a democracy everyone has a right to protest, referring to anti-CAA pro-tests at Shaheen Bagh in the national capital, but questioned why innocent minds were being poisoned by making them speak ill against Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. The Congress leader says they joined the government for Muslims. What is the sin of Hindus, Sikhs and others. The Congress has insulted Hindus and this comment has exposed it, said Mr Patra, adding that while the Congress indulges in vote-bank politics by appeasing Muslims and abusing Hindus, the party has never actually done anything good for the Muslims. File Image The Union Cabinet on January 22 approved closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd (HFL), a central public sector enterprise with just 88 employees. The decision was taken in a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "CCEA approves closure of HFL, a central public sector enterprise under the department of chemicals and petrochemicals," an official statement said. HFL has been making losses since 2013-14 and has negative net worth. As on March 31, 2019, it had accumulated losses of Rs 62.81 crore and net worth of (-) Rs 43.20 crore. It was also registered with the erstwhile Board for Industrial and Financial Construction (BIFR) as a sick company. According to the statement, financial implications of the proposal for the closure involve providing a support of Rs 77.20 crore to the company in the form of interest free loan for settling closure related liabilities of HFL. The liabilities include implementation of VRS/VSS, payment of outstanding salary and statutory dues, and repayment of SBI working capital credit and salary/wages and administrative expenses of HFL skeletal staff to be retained for implementing the closure plan for two years. It said the interest free loan is proposed to be repaid from the proceeds of the disposal of land and other assets of HFL after settling all the liabilities relating to closure of the company. If the land/assets sale proceeds are not sufficient to fully repay the loan amount, then the balance loan amount is to be written off, it said. "With unviable scale of operations, very old plants and technology and only one revenue earning product but of no strategic significance, sustainable revival of HFL is not economically viable," it said. Further the inevitable reduction in quota of HFL in 2020 will make the company's operations completely non-viable from March this year onwards. "Closure of the company's operations will not only avoid any future risks / liabilities but also protect the interest and welfare of HFL employees by separating them through VRS/VSS," it added. Thereafter, it said disposal of the company's land assets will enable their redeployment for more productive use which can attract both domestic and foreign investments. The statement said NBCC (India) will be appointed as land management agency for facilitating disposal of land assets. Disposal of plant/machinery and movable assets will be done by HFL through e-auction by MSTC, it added. HFL, which is a subsidiary of Hindustan Organic Chemicals, is engaged in the manufacture of Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene and Chloro Di Fluoro Methane. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 11:33:38|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close Zhang Shuai of China hits a return during the women's singles second round match against Catherine McNally of the United States at the 2020 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 22, 2020. (Photo by Bai Xue/Xinhua) MELBOURNE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Zhang Shuai moved through to round three of the Australian Open after toppling U.S. player Catherine McNally 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday. The two players battled not just each other but also challenging windy conditions on the outdoor courts, and Zhang told Xinhua after the match that she found it difficult to position her shots. "I feel today's wind is very strong so it's difficult to say who is performing very well especially when we play outside," she said. "It's difficult for us to hit the balls where we want so under these conditions. I'm happy to win because it's not easy." "Normally when the wind is strong I don't play very well and my opponent varied her tactics so I'm happy to enter the third round," Zhang added. After defeating former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in spectacular fashion on Monday night, Zhang moved into the second round in confident standing. She said that having won last year's Australian Open women's doubles title, alongside local star Sam Stosur, also gave her an improved confidence in her ability to perform at major events. Riding that wave of success, the 35th-ranked player reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year, her best singles performance at a Grand Slam since reaching the same round of the Australian open in 2016. Zhang will face world No. 14 Sofia Kenin from the U.S. in round three. UN Chief Urges International Pressure to Solidify Libyan Cease-Fire By Margaret Besheer January 21, 2020 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community Tuesday to exert pressure on the rival Libyan parties to solidify a cease-fire and move toward a political process. "We have a truce," Guterres told reporters, adding it had some localized violations. "We need to move to a cease-fire, and from the cease-fire, we need to move to a real political process. And we are not yet there." The U.N. chief spoke to reporters after a nearly two-hour, closed-door meeting with the 15-nation Security Council during which he briefed them on the outcome of Sunday's conference in Berlin which he attended. The meeting hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel drew the leaders of several permanent Security Council members and other countries, including Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, which have influence in the conflict. It produced a road map to end the nearly decade-long instability and fighting in Libya that has ravaged the country since the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The countries and regional groups assembled agreed to refrain from interfering in the conflict, to negotiate a cease-fire, and to respect an international arms embargo imposed on Libya. Guterres said the committee that will negotiate the cease-fire is expected to meet Tuesday in Geneva. The secretary-general was encouraged that the five permanent members of the Security Council Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States were among those nations that agreed to these elements. "The pressure of the international community is essential," Guterres said of implementing the road map. "The role of the Security Council is essential." Libya is awash in weapons, and several countries have flagrantly violated the arms embargo, sending weapons to the rival parties. Guterres said this was "totally unacceptable." Also present in Berlin were the two rival Libyan leaders U.N.-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and renegade General Khalifa Haftar. The two never met face-to-face, nor did the secretary-general have any discussions with them in the margins of the meeting. Haftar still has to publicly express support for the outcomes at Berlin and a truce agreed in Moscow last week. In a brief statement after the meeting, Council President Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy of Vietnam said council members welcome the conclusion reached in Berlin, and urged the Libyan parties to engage constructively to conclude a cease-fire agreement as soon as possible. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The former CEO of the Sylacauga Housing Authority filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and retaliation in his 2019 termination. The complaint, filed Monday in federal court in the Northern District of Alabama, alleges Michael Threatt was fired for reporting racial discrimination to the EEOC. Threatt claims he experienced racial animus that worsened as he performed his duties. The suit says he reported problems at the housing authority to HUD, including racial segregation and fraudulent financial practices. I wanted to make sure that applicants and residents have equal housing opportunities and that we were following Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing mandates, said Threatt, referring to HUD protocol. He is suing for back pay and damages. Threatts complaint contends that prior to his termination a culture of racial animus existed at the authority. We need to get rid of this black guy and the rest of them, his complaint alleges board members said at a meeting shortly before his termination. Sylacauga Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Chairman Pat Lozito declined to comment for the story, citing the ongoing litigation. Lozito has previously stated to news outlets that Threatt was terminated for failing to submit financial records to the board. Threatt was hired as Executive Director at the authority, which manages 626 low-income units in Talladega County, in 2017. According to the suit, Threatt was promoted to CEO in 2018 and given a raise and a five-year contract. That year, he launched an audit of financial practices at the authority. It found, certain transactions of a dubious nature, including that at least five contractors were paid more than $25,000 in one year without any contract information on file. According to the lawsuit, the audit found that disbursements werent properly approved. In 2019, Threatt reported the authority to HUD for designating one housing unit as elderly and disabled, he alleges in order to prevent black residents from living there the following year. He also reported the authority for its financial practices. He also filed an EEOC complaint alleging racial discrimination against him, according to the lawsuit. A few months later, Threatt and his executive team were put on administrative leave and eventually terminated from the authority. Three executives hired by Threatt in 2018 have also filed suit against the authority in federal court claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. He has filed two subsequent EEOC complaints, according to the suit. In December of 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into whether racial discrimination had occurred at Sylacauga. In 2018, the department closed the investigation and said that no further action was warranted. Updated on Jan 22 at 1:35 pm with comment from Threatt Reeling with the shortage of anti-rabies vaccines for more than a month now, the Ludhiana Civil Hospital has limited the free vaccination services to only first two injections. Patients suffering from dog-bites will now have to purchase third and fourth vaccine shots by themselves. The district civil hospital that receives an average 100 cases of dog bites every day has urged the patients to purchase the third and fourth doses from the market. The shortage has left the patients at the receiving end, especially the ones who have been visiting the hospita for the third and fourth doses, unaware of the new changes. Currently, one shot of vaccine is available between 330 and 350. For treatment, a dog-bite victim needs to get four shots of anti-rabies vaccines within a cycle of 28 days. A staff member working with an anti-rabies clinic said the decision was imposed last week to ensure that the vaccination process in the hospital goes on smoothly and new patients do not face problems due to the vaccine shortage. Of 100 cases of dog bites received by the hospital on a daily basis, around 30 are registered as new. The hospital has been hit due to shortage of vaccine for over a month now. Though as many as 1,300 doses of anti-rabies vaccines were supplied to the district civil hospital on December 25, there is not enough vaccine to tackle all the dog-bite patients, both new and old ones. OFFICIAL SPEAKS Senior medical officer (SMO) at the civil hospital, Avinash, said, The supply of anti-rabies vaccines is currently restricted from the headquarter which is why we are only providing first and second injections for free. The latest supply that we have received from the Regional Drug Warehouse, Kharar, is 50 vial of vaccines which is not sufficient for covering all. Unless the hospital gets 250 to 300 vials of vaccines in storage, we will only provide first and second injections for free while the other two will have to arranged by the patients, said the SMO. RESIDENTS SPEAK Gaganjit Singh, Shastri Nagar: I have got the first and second shot from the civil hospital while the second I got it from a private clinic. Today when I came for the third short, the staff informed me that we have to purchase the vaccines. This is really a serious matter. I hope the government will soon restore the supply. Sandeep Kaur, Basti Chowk: At the time when no steps are being taken regarding tacking stray dog menace in Ludhiana, they should at least make the provision of vaccines all the time so that the victims can at least save their lifes. The government is at fault for the stray dog menace, they should immediately find the way to fix this. Ramanand, Loha Mandi: I got bitten by a stray dog last night so that I visited the civil hospital for getting the first injection today but the staff here while handing me the receipt informs that UI will have to purchase the third and fourth vaccine. I wish the hospital soon get a new supply of vaccines so I can get third and fourth injection also for free. KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2020 - 19:57 | All, Japan Multiple premises connected to affiliates of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Germany were raided by local prosecutors Tuesday as part of an investigation into suspected diesel emissions fraud. The probe concerns the alleged installation in the Japanese carmaker's vehicles sold in Germany of software to disguise the amount of diesel emissions, according to U.S. and European media reports. "We are currently collecting the details of the matter. We will cooperate with the investigations," Mitsubishi Motors said in a statement. Japanese auto parts maker Denso Corp. said its facility in Germany had also been searched by prosecutors on Tuesday and it will fully cooperate with the investigators. Denso, a group company of Toyota Motor Corp., has business relations with Mitsubishi Motors in Germany. A Denso spokesman declined to comment on whether the search was related to the Mitsubishi Motors emissions allegations. The emissions scandal first emerged in 2015 following investigations by German prosecutors into similar fraud cases linked to major automakers in the country, including Volkswagen AG. "It is suspected that the motors are equipped with a so-called cheat device, which ensures that the permissible limits for nitrogen oxides are observed during tests, but not during actual operation," the prosecutor's office and police said, according to the German Press Agency. Mitsubishi Motors, which is part of a three-way alliance with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., does not have a manufacturing base in Germany and imports its vehicles from abroad. According to the reports, an investigation into Mitsubishi Motors began in November concerning 1.6- and 2.2-liter diesel engines. The prosecutors searched locations including a research and development company fully owned by Mitsubishi Motors and an affiliate selling its vehicles in Germany, the Japanese firm said. They also raided a facility of a German auto parts supplier, according to the reports. The prosecutors will request that Mitsubishi car owners come forward. Confidence in the automobile industry has been falling in recent years following multiple reports and investigations into emissions fraud among major firms also including Audi AG, a Volkswagen group company, and BMW AG. Last April, former Volkswagen Chairman Martin Winterkorn was prosecuted for fraud, while its CEO Herbert Diess was charged in September for alleged involvement in stock market manipulation. Related coverage: Data of over 8,000 at M'bishi Electric feared leaked in cyberattack Ex-boss Carlos Ghosn used company money for private events: Nissan Nissan not considering dissolving alliance with Renault The opposition National Democratic Congress, with other supporting political parties, have petitioned the Otumfuor after hitting the streets of Kumasi on Tuesday to protest against the Electoral Commissions decision to compile new voters register ahead of the December polls. This is the second of the earlier protest which was held to challenge plans of the new register at Tamale in the Northern region. The group insists a new register is a waste of taxpayers money and could also create tension since the election is close. The electoral commission, however, insists they will go ahead and create the register despite the disagreement by the parties and civil society organisations. The group presented a petition to the Otumfuor to put in a word to prevent the EC from going ahead with heir plans. Speaking to Naa Dedei Tetteh on Starr Today National Organser of the PNC Desmond Twumasi Ntow detailing the content of the petition said its basically what we are telling the EC that we are not in support of the voters register. So, basically the summary of it is all about we not being satisfied with the EC coming out to say that they want to compile a new voters register. For us well continue to do our demonstration and various picketing across the nation. And as we keep doing our demonstration people are now realizing the reason why we are saying that we dont need this register and so very soon the EC itself will come out and give up, he noted. He revealed that another demonstration will take place in Accra on the 28th of this month and if they even drop it we will demonstrate to thank our followers, he added ---Starrfm.com.gh HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Covr Financial Technologies announced that Jim Gothers has been appointed as Head of National Sales for its financial institution business, supporting banks, brokerage firms, wealth management firms and RIA partner firms. Reporting to Jim will be Covr's insurance sales consultant team, advanced insurance division, policy analytics team, and key account directors. Jim brings unquestioned innovation, insurance, financial planning and sales leadership experience to the role. He spent fourteen years with Merrill Lynch and Bank of America leading insurance distribution nationally. Jim led thirty specialists from the insurance, trust, long-term care, and annuity areas as National Sales Manager for Merrill's insurance group. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Jim was one of Hartford Life's leading account executives supporting brokerage firms, banks, independent broker dealers, and independent agents. He began his career with Cigna's life insurance group. Jim is a sought-after presenter and is passionate about engaging advisors and clients in making insurance part of their financial planning and wellness efforts. "Jim brings an amazing breadth of skills to the role. He has a track record of driving innovation through strategic sales leadership," said Mike Kalen, CEO of Covr Financial Technologies. "We are excited to have Jim in this role as Covr continues to innovate and simplify insurance for financial advisors. Adding Jim's experience to Covr's leadership team will accelerate our growth." Covr's three products offer a full suite of digital life insurance platforms, tools and planning services for financial institutions, including: Covr Advisor for financial advisors, Covr Consumer for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions offering insurance products directly to their customers, and Covr Insights for inforce policy management. About Covr Financial Technologies Inc. Covr partners with financial institutions to provide life insurance solutions to their customers in an efficient, easy way that streamlines the process of selling and buying policies. Covr offers a choice of trusted life insurance products from leading insurance carriers, advanced insurance planning solutions, an easy way to compare rates, and the ability to purchase policies within minutes. Through its white-label solutions, Covr helps financial institutions deliver a great experience under an existing brand their customers already trust. Covr currently serves over 24,000 financial advisors and 10 million customers across 30 financial institutions. Covr's investors include seven leading venture capital firms: Nyca Partners, Commerce Ventures, Allianz Life Ventures, Connectivity Capital Partners, Contour Venture Partners, Connecticut Innovations and Fairview Capital. Covr's Advisory Board includes financial services leaders, including Chairman Brian Finn, former president of Credit Suisse First Boston; Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of Ellevest as well as senior executive roles at Bank of America, Citigroup and Smith Barney; Hans Morris, managing partner, Nyca Partners, chairman of Lending Club, formerly president of Visa; Brady Dougan, former CEO of Credit Suisse; Gregg Fleming of Rockefeller Capital and Bob Kerzner, formerly CEO of LIMRA. For more information, please visit www.covrtech.com and follow @covrtech SOURCE Covr Financial Technologies Related Links http://www.covrtech.com Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said he will hold pre-budget discussions in the House during the budget session of the state assembly in order to include suggestions of MLAs in the budget proposals. Speaking in the concluding session of the two-day training programme for MLAs, Khattar said earlier discussions on the budget estimates used to be held after presenting it in the Vidhan Sabha. The CM, who also holds the portfolio of finance, said he wanted to know the views of MLAs before presenting the budget so that good suggestions of the public representatives could become a part of the budget estimates. And to ensure active participation of the people in the development process of the state, he said, he has so far held six pre-budget meetings with different stakeholders. The chief minister also said he wanted to discontinue the irrelevant schemes and utilise their funds in other welfare schemes. He said during the last five years as many as 86 sittings of the Vidhan Sabha were held during 15 sessions. The CM said he wanted to increase the House sittings to 100 in coming five years. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla appreciated Khattars initiatives to hold pre-budget discussions in the Vidhan Sabha before presenting it and to increase the number of Vidhan Sabha sittings. Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, social justice and empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria, Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta and former chief minister and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda also spoke on the occasion. Haryana Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa presented the vote of thanks. The Green Party's bright young star, Saoirse McHugh, has revealed some pretty radical ideas as to her ideal vision of how Ireland should be run. In an interview with Joe.ie, she said: If I had to say what my ideal country would be, it would be no State, it would be devolved communities organising themselves. We are so far away from revolution and even though I'd be like 'hold them out, sharpen the guillotine,' she added. She also said she would be afraid of going into coalition with Fine Gael or Fianna Fail. Do you agree with her, Eamon Ryan? Takeaway 2: Waterford Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler told her local radio station, WLR, that it is her belief that the IRA Army Council still has a significant role in how Sinn Fein does business in national politics. Butler's view echoes comments from her party leader Micheal Martin and Labour leader Brendan Howlin. But it was firmly rejected by Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald. She told broadcaster Sean O'Rourke that as leader I am controlled by no one. Takeaway 3: Independent Read More: Not everyone is happy with the involvement of Mr Casey in the capital. Labours Joan Burton said the former presidential runners particular message of division and hate is not welcome in Dublin West, which she described as one of Irelands most diverse and inclusive communities. It would be a shocking thing if a Dail candidate notorious for creating division should use the occasion of this election to sow seeds of disharmony for purely political purposes, she said. Picture of Day: Well Said Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey bowed to the inevitable and confirmed she Read More: "It is with great sadness, that after 16 years as an elected representative in Dun Laoghaire, I will not be standing in this election," she said. She said the past number of months have been "extremely difficult for me both privately and politically". She may be correct about the difficulty she has endured, but much if not all of it was her own fault. Good Day/Bad Day Good Day: Independent TD Tommy Broughan's Read More: Broughan is the second shock retiree in Dublin Bay-North after Independent Alliance Minister Finian McGrath announced his decision to stand down last week. Bad Day: A bad day for private sector workers as Fianna Fail made clear it will not make any move to end the supplementary pension for public sector employees. Frightened to grasp that nettle before an election, it is clear that inequality is set to continue should the party get into office. Zhang Peng (C) works at the security checkpoint of Shijiazhuang Railway Station in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province, January 21, 2020. The Spring Festival is the biggest occasion for family reunion across China, but for the family of 6-year-old Zhang Anzhe, reunion opportunities are rare. Zhang's father Zhang Peng is a policeman working at the Shijiazhuang Railway Station police office while his mother Li Qi is a chief conductor on trains between Shijiazhuang and Wuhan. Both parents were so busy during the Spring Festival travel rush period. They have to make use of every bit of time to meet. On Tuesday, they found a chance as Zhang and his father went to the rail platform to meet the mother, right before departure of the train. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the acquaintance of Zhang Anzhe's parents. The father gave a gift to the mother and the family had a precious three-minute reunion.[Xinhua] She's a reality star turned successful swimwear designer. And Kimberley Garner proved to be her brand's own best advert as she posed up a storm in one of her bespoke designs during a sultry photoshoot in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday. The reality star, 28, looked incredible as she showcased her jaw-dropping toned curves in her 120 Tropical coral pink swimsuit. Work it: Kimberley Garner proved to be her brand's own best advert as she posed up a storm in one of her bespoke designs during a sultry photoshoot in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday Kimberley's item of swimwear displayed her ample assets with a plunging neckline and her pert posterior with a high-rise detail. The Instagram sensation styled her blonde locks into a relaxed loose hairdo, she added a slick of minimal make-up and sunglasses to enhance her beach look. Kimberley appeared in good spirits as she posed up a storm on the beach with a female companion who wore her swimsuit design in white. The former Made in Chelsea star also took to her Instagram story to share some updates from the photoshoot and clips of her coral pink swimsuit. Wow: The reality star, 28, looked incredible as she showcased her jaw-dropping toned curves in her 120 Tropical coral pink swimsuit Peachy: Kimberley's item of swimwear displayed her ample assets with a plunging neckline and her pert posterior with a high-rise detail In one video, Kimberley walked her Cocker Spaniel Sasha on the beach as she turned around to smoulder to the camera. While a different clip saw the grinning star after a dip in the ocean as she dropped a striped towel to show off her coral pink swimsuit. Kimberley splits her time between her home in London and Miami after purchasing a dream pad in the Floridian coastal city in December 2018. Beach babe: The Instagram sensation styled her blonde locks into a relaxed loose hairdo, she added a slick of minimal make-up and sunglasses to enhance her beach look Candid: The former Made in Chelsea star also took to her Instagram story to share some updates from the photoshoot and clips of her coral pink swimsuit, including her walking her Cocker Spaniel Sasha Speaking to MailOnline about her home last year, she explained: 'I worked very hard last year and had even moved home for a few months to save money. 'I really had my head down working to concentrate on goals, but achieved it on New Years Eve, praise God, and flew over here. Completed the sale on the plane over.' Reflecting on her property empire, the designer admitted it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of her busy life in London. Ta-da! While a different clip saw the grinning star after a dip in the ocean as she dropped a striped towel to show off her coral pink swimsuit 'It's right on the beach, and really is a dream come true,' she explained. 'I am over doing the interior design, going for a beachy chilled vibe for the place. 'I won't be moving there [permanently], as London is one hundred percent home, but really overjoyed and proud to have achieved it.' President Donald Trump told CNBC on Wednesday that Elon Musk is one of the world's "great geniuses," he likened the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX to Thomas Edison. Musk is "one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius," Trump said in an interview with "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison and we have to protect all of these people that came up with originally the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things. And he's one of our very smart people and we want to cherish those people," the president said. In a 2008 interview, Musk said Edison and Nikola Tesla, for whom he named his electric auto company, were both role models, but he preferred Edison. Tesla, the scientist, was a rival of Edison. Trump's comments on Musk come as shares of Tesla have surged recently, more than doubling since late September, and hitting all-time high after all-time high. The stock market value of Tesla set to reach $100 billion. Its market capitalization is greater than those of General Motors and Ford combined. Tesla stock has been on a tear after the electric car maker announced a surprise profit in its third-quarter earnings report in October. Back then, the stock was just more than $250 per share. Musk's now-infamous "funding secured," Aug. 7, 2018, tweet sent the stock soaring, but it also marked the beginning of a chaotic ride for the company and Musk. In the 16 months that followed, Tesla stock bottomed at a three-year low just under $177 per share in June before boomeranging back up. Trump recalled those rough times. "You go back a year and they were talking about the end of the company. And now all of a sudden they're talking about these great things." In CNBC's interview on Wednesday, the president also marveled at what Musk's commercial company SpaceX has accomplished with rockets that land themselves. "I spoke to him very recently, and he's also doing the rockets. He likes rockets. And he does good at rockets, too, by the way. I never saw where the engines come down with no wings, no anything, and they're landing. I said I've never seen that before," Trump said. Under increasing pressure from restive populations that are demanding economic opportunity and social justice, many governments in the Middle East and North Africa are keen to speed up economic growth and increase job creation. But their policies, for the most part, prioritize attracting foreign and domestic private investment - as well as increasing foreign borrowing - over the redistribution of income and wealth. They are missing one low-hanging fruit in particular: property taxes. Increasing levies on real estate, and improving their collection, can help to address demands for social justice as well as spur economic development. That might seem blindingly obvious in the West, where property taxes made up an average of 5.8% of total tax revenue in the OECD countries in 2017, with their share reaching 9.5%, 12.5% and 16% in France, Britain and the U.S., respectively. But MENA nations have a poor track record in this regard: taxation on property is weak, in comparison with indirect taxes and non-tax revenue. In general, MENA countries have a limited capacity to tax their economies. Even though this has historically been related to the abundance of oil rent, this pattern is also seen in non-oil countries. In 2018, tax revenue to GDP ratios were 21.9% and 21% in Morocco and Tunisia, respectively, and a dismal 12.5% in Egypt - compared to 40.3% in the EU. The share of property tax to total revenue was a trifling 0.92% and 0.55% in Tunisia (2017) and Egypt (2016), respectively. Morocco was an exception, with 5% in 2017; the share of taxes on immovable property was 2.6%. As a result, although the real-estate sector in the MENA region attracts substantial investment, it contributes very little to the tax revenues. Moreover, real-estate investment has not led to the development of tradable and productive assets that could reduce the region's chronic balance-of-payments deficits by increasing exports or reducing imports. This in turn contributes to protracted fiscal crises, especially for non-oil states, increasing inequality in income and wealth distribution and a rising sense of injustice. Real-estate taxes are a form of direct taxation: they can be made progressive, and therefore serve the twin purposes of social justice and redistribution. Unlike income flows, these taxes target property that can be easily registered by the state, thus overcoming the problems of weak institutional capacity to collect taxes. Real-estate assets, unlike financial ones, cannot be transferred abroad. They cannot be hidden, either. Moreover, given that the informal sector makes up a large proportion of MENA economies, property is a good proxy for income and wealth and hence for tackling inequality. In addition, property taxes are an instrument for economic development. Property tends to be a dead asset, since most units built for housing are not used for the production of goods or services afterwards. Real-estate tax is not a tax on capital for countries short in that commodity, and that need to encourage investment. It is not likely to contribute to capital flight, or reduce investment required for growth and job creation. On the contrary, it is likely to help correct a structural problem with almost all Arab economies: the over-representation of non-tradable and speculation-ridden sectors like construction and real-estate services. These tend to be prevalent where most corruption and crony capitalism is rampant, given the heavy state control over the supply of land. In many Arab countries, real-estate captures most middle-class savings. It creates dead assets, dampening the prospects for developing financial markets to serve investment in more productive and tradable sectors that can positively impact the balance-of-payments positions. Real-estate taxes can help correct the incentive structure and channel savings to more productive sectors, like manufacturing and high-skill services. Last, but not least, much of the real-estate boom in MENA countries takes place in luxury compounds and villas, and does not contribute to solving the housing crisis. Most housing supply in Arab countries happens through informal and largely unplanned housing that caters to the requirements of the low-income majority. Egypt is a case in point. Urban expert David Sims examined around 20 new desert cities launched from the time of Anwar Sadat in 1976, which were intended to have a combined population of more than 20 million. By 2014, however, these cities had a combined population of less than one million. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The bulk of the country's population growth has been absorbed by informal settlement on scarce agricultural land close to the major cities. Slums make up 40% of Egypt's urban areas. Much of the investment in housing by upper-income groups in these new cities does not serve direct social goals, and can be targeted with taxation without much fear of a negative impact on the availability of housing for the majority. The chronic problems bedeviling property-tax policies and collection across the region can't be fixed overnight. Sudden changes will likely be resisted by powerful vested interests that have enjoyed for long access to subsidized land without paying taxes. Reforms should be introduced gradually, to allow investors and producers to adjust to a right set of complementary policies. But governments have little time to waste: that's the lesson from the protests that have broken out in the streets of Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and other MENA countries. Arab states must move quickly to address unequal redistribution without undermining investment and growth. Property taxes are a good place to start. - - - Adly is an assistant professor at the American University in Cairo. He is the author of "State Reform and Development in the Middle East." Cervical cancer rates among young women have surged as screening uptake has hit a record low, experts have warned. Incidence of the disease among 25- to 29-year-olds increased 54 per cent in the last decade, according to Cancer Research UK analysis. The figures - compiled from official registries in England, Scotland and Wales - comes after years of 'stalling and stagnating' progress on cervical cancer, the charity warned. Although cancer rates in Britain halved between the late 1980s and mid-2000s, progress since has plateaued. Uptake of the national screening programme - introduced in 1988 - has fallen to an all-time low, with a quarter of women failing to attend. Experts are particularly concerned about young women, of whom just 61 per cent took up their latest screening invitation. Cervical cancer can be prevented by regularly attending screening appointments, which are free on the NHS and look for abnormal cells in the cervix (Pictured: Stock image of cervical cells under a microscope) Among those aged 25 to 29 there were 12 cases per 100,000 women in 2004-06, rising to 18.5 cases per 100,000 in 2015-17, according to the latest figures. Some 3,192 women on average are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with most of these in younger age groups. Around 400 cases a year are in women aged 25 to 29. Cancer Research UK said four in 10 women who do not attend put it down to embarrassment, while two in ten are worried it might hurt. Others say they have no symptoms to get checked out or just do not feel they are at risk. The NHS cervical screening programme invites women aged 25 and 49 for testing every three years, and every five years for those aged 50 to 64. While the death of TV star Jade Goody in 2009 boosted the numbers of young women seeking screening, that effect has now long worn off. Across the UK just 71 per cent took up their latest invitation. Take-up is just 61 per cent among 25- to 29-year-olds in England, and 69 per cent for 30- to 34-year-olds. Screening aims to spot pre-cancerous cells which can be treated before they develop into tumours that can spread throughout the body. This involves taking a sample of cells from the neck of the womb to look for abnormalities. Some 1,000 women die with the disease annually - but experts say another 2,000 women would be killed by the disease every year without the programme. Cancer Research UK's chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: 'These figures show how research has protected thousands of people in the UK from cervical cancer, but they also highlight a worrying trend that shows progress is stalling and stagnating, which could undermine this success. 'Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented through screening, and now the disease is far less common in the UK. But these life-saving programmes can't help people they can't reach, which is why it's important for us to continue to raise awareness and carry out research into how screening could be improved for hard-to-reach groups.' Robert Music, chief executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said that while rates are rising among young women, data for England showed an annual decline in the number of diagnoses in this age group. He said the increasing rates were in part due to improved tests, meaning cancers are picked up at an even earlier age. And he said the HPV vaccination - introduced in 2008 - will see rates in young women start to decrease significantly in the coming years. 'While we know we can eliminate cervical cancer one day, we have a long way to go,' Mr Music said. 'Improving screening attendance and adopting innovations to make the programme even more effective must be a priority, especially among age groups who have not been offered the vaccine.' Professor Peter Johnson, NHS clinical director for cancer, said: 'More and more young women and men are being vaccinated against HPV, the most recent figures show an increase in people getting screened and most importantly, the number of people infected with the cancer-causing viruses has fallen dramatically. 'Together with the new way of cervical screening which has now been rolled out across England, cervical cancer has the potential to become a thing of the past. 'It is vital that people go for their screening test, even if they are completely well - it could be a life-saver.' Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks to the media during a recess in Trumps impeachment trial. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images The first day of President Trumps impeachment trial was a long one for the senators who will, eventually, vote on his conviction or acquittal. For 13 hours, members of the upper chamber were tasked with listening to debate over the rules for the trial. They were deprived of electronic devices and forced to subsist on water and, if they wanted, milk. No snacks or coffee. Unfortunately, there were no cameras allowed in the Senate to capture images of how the members passed the time. Even print reporters covering the proceedings had to turn over their phones. That means no reaction shots, GIFs, or memeable moments emerged. But those reporters, untethered to Twitter, did take notes about how the senators behaved as they listened for hours to very familiar arguments from House impeachment managers and White House lawyers. And then they were kind enough to share. Some senators snoozed Idahos Jim Risch earned the ignominious honor of being the first senator to be caught sleeping during the trial. It wasnt just a cat nap either. He snoozed long enough for a sketch artist, working for the New York Times, to immortalize the moment. NYT has a sketch artist covering impeachment, catching moments like Sen. Risch sleeping https://t.co/kXf9Voi0Og pic.twitter.com/fH5fee7In4 Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) January 22, 2020 He wasnt the only one to catch a little shut-eye though. 9- As the night wore on, senators were restless. Some walked to the back of the chamber and stretched. Sen. Gillibrand took off her heels, sighed then wrapped herself in a red blanket at her desk. Both her &McConnell started to doze off before jolting themselves back awake Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) January 22, 2020 Others went out of their way to speak to the press During breaks in the proceedings several senators skipped the restroom and met with reporters instead. Ted Cruz commanded a gaggles attention before Amy Klobuchar stole it away. Like a magnet, Senator Amy Klobuchar draws reporters away from Senator Ted Cruz (who had held attention for ~ 10 minutes) pic.twitter.com/TBNWSFrOiN Emily Cochrane (@ESCochrane) January 22, 2020 Klobuchar, who is running for president, also jumped on MSNBC during a break. At least one senator didnt wait for a pause in the action to talk to the press. It appears Republican Senator Marcia Blackburn was just caught doing a live interview on Fox News instead of sitting in the Senate chamber. pic.twitter.com/kGFtqimo0r Justin Goodman (@JustinPGoodman) January 22, 2020 They snacked Joe Manchin furtively munched on what appeared to be Goldfish; Klobuchar, Ben Sasse, and Tim Scott kept their breath fresh; and some filled up on extra water. I cant see all the desks from my seat, but every member has a cup of water and SOME even have two! I could see Sanders, Booker, Duckworth, and Heinrich all had two cups. (I would def have two cups.) Addy Baird (@addysbaird) January 21, 2020 Bernie Sanders was impatient and annoyed Its his natural state, of course, but forcing Sanders to sit through hours of an impeachment trial when hed rather be in Iowa appeared to make him even more restless than usual. According to multiple reports, he yawned and at one point tipped his head back on his chair; sat with an empty yellow legal pad, fiddling with his hands and shuffling in his chair; and pulled a tin of what looked like lozenges out of his pocket, put one in his mouth and read the back of the tin. RollCall provided some even more detailed play-by-play. During Lofgrens long speech, Sanders struggled to take a plastic wrapper off a box of mints or something similar. He eventually took his keys out of his pocket, attempting to muffle the jangle, and cut off the plastic. He then blew his nose and deposited the crumpled tissue on his desk. They passed notes, did crossword puzzles, and broke rules While chatting on the floor is forbidden, some senators took to passing notes back and forth. Senators technically can't talk to each other during the trial, but they're finding ways around it Sens. Klobuchar and Coons, for example, sit next to each other. a bit earlier, they passed notes back and forth, then sorta made faces to communicate the rest Sam Brodey (@sambrodey) January 21, 2020 I noticed Tim Scott and Ben Sasse, who sit next to each other, passing notes. One would write on a piece of paper and pass it to the other, who would write his reply. 8/ Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) January 21, 2020 Thats forbidden too. As is Rand Pauls chosen method of staying busy. .@RandPaul passing the time working on a crossword puzzle as the Senate debates an amendment to compel testimony of Mick Mulvaney at impeachment trial. pic.twitter.com/gLPWKkLD2k John R Parkinson (@jparkABC) January 22, 2020 Some even took notes Oh yeah, there was an impeachment trial going on and some senators appeared to actually be paying attention to that. The AP reported on two of the most careful note-takers: One of the most prolific note-takers throughout the proceedings was Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a centrist in a tough reelection fight this year. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of four Democratic presidential candidates forced back to the Senate ahead of the Iowa caucuses, held both a blue pen and yellow pencil in her right hand and alternated which she used to take notes. @marcorubio, @senrobportman, @SenBobCasey and @amyklobuchar are the A+ students who are very actively taking notes. Then you have the so-called slackers who appear bored out of their minds. https://t.co/0cdSWuUQfn Julia Boccagno (@juliaboccagno) January 21, 2020 A few things! Note-taking seems to have died down a bit as the day has gone on, but it was probably Gillibrand who I saw taking the most notes when I was in there. Addy Baird (@addysbaird) January 21, 2020 Affordable Automotive in New Milford has announced the recipient of its Giving Back Program for the month of January is New Milford Cub Scout Pack 467. For every oil change this month, the business will donate $5 to the fire department. This week saw the start of the second major trial covering the events of the fall of 2017, when pro-independence forces in the northeastern region of Catalonia organized a referendum on secession from Spain, and the Catalan parliament passed a unilateral declaration of independence. Facing trial in the Spanish High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, are four former chiefs from the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos dEsquadra. They are accused of having played a key role in the pro-independence drive and are facing charges of rebellion and sedition. Trapero said he felt uncomfortable with some of the decisions made by the regional government Last year saw the Supreme Court trial of the pro-independence leaders involved in the 2017 secessionist drive in Catalonia. That case concluded with nine politicians and civic association leaders given lengthy prison sentences for offenses including sedition and misuse of funds. The key defendant in this new case is Josep Lluis Trapero, the then-chief of the Mossos dEsquadra. He was sacked from his position in 2017, after four years in charge of the regional force, in the wake of the central government taking over the regional powers in Catalonia under Article 155 of the Constitution, a measure that was implemented after the unilateral declaration of independence was passed. Also on the stand are Pere Soler, who at the time of the independence drive was the general director of the Mossos, which is a political appointment; Cesar Puig, the former secretary general of the regional interior department (also a political appointment); and Teresa Laplana, a Mossos officer in charge of the security detail at the Catalan Economic Affairs Department in Barcelona during a Civil Guard search there on September 20. Protest outside the Economic Affairs Department on September 20, 2017. ALBERT GARCIA In a trial that will run until March, the four defendants are accused of working in line with the then-regional governments route map aimed at achieving the secession of Catalonia from the rest of Spain. The public prosecutor is calling for up to 11 years in jail for Trapero, Soler and Puig for the charge of rebellion, while Laplana is facing a four-year prison sentence for sedition. On Monday, Trapero faced the first of two days of questioning by the public prosecutor, Miguel Angel Carballo. During his testimony, he sought to distance himself from the political leaders of the secessionist drive, saying that he felt uncomfortable with some of the decisions that the regional government took in the fall of 2017, as well as certain motions passed by the Catalan parliament, which he classed as an outrage. For more than five hours on Monday, Carballo sought to demonstrate that the Mossos had not taken action during the weeks prior to the illegal referendum, and on the actual day of the vote itself. But Trapero rejected each of the accusations made by the public prosecutor. We did everything we could and everything we were ordered to Former Mossos chief Josep Lluis Trapero To speak about passivity I cannot accept that, Trapero told the court. You cannot infer that we didnt want to do anything, he added, in reference to the regional police forces actions on September 20, when a crowd of 40,000 protestors had surrounded the regional Economic Affairs Department as the Civil Guard tried to carry our a court-ordered search to look for material relating to the planned referendum. Im putting myself on the line for the [police] chiefs who were there and the chiefs from the force, he said. We did everything we could and everything we were ordered to, he said about the Mossos actions on October 1, the date of the illegal referendum on Catalan independence, despite criticism the officers did nothing to stop the vote from happening. Trapero insisted that he mobilized all available officers on October 1, and that they had carried out their duties in the prior days. But Carballo was not to be convinced. But what did you do? the prosecutor asked. Did you set up any police unit, any specific investigation, when you became aware that illegal actions were going to take place, and it was your duty to stop them from happening before a judge tells you to do so? The former Mossos chief replied by saying that a different Mossos department would have to answer that question. Trapero also sought to make it clear that he was not aligned with the regional government, claiming that on a number of occasions he complained about the situation that the force had been put into and how it could damage the image of the Catalan force. I felt uncomfortable. Very [uncomfortable], he explained. On a number of occasions I said to the ministers what it was that they were doing, where they were headed. Whats more, he stated in court, he warned his political superiors that the Mossos would not break the law. The Mossos will always do what judges tell them to, he said, emphasizing the fact that he did not have a close relationship with Carles Puigdemont, the then-premier of Catalonia. A vandalized Civil Guard patrol car outside the regional Economic Affairs Department. Albert Garcia Trapero also rejected accusations that he was working in tandem with Jordi Sanchez, the former leader of the pro-independence ANC civic association, and one of the men who organized the protest on September 20 outside the Economic Affairs Department. He got in contact with me offering to mediate, Trapero explained, in reference to the phone calls the pair exchanged that day. But Mr Sanchez did not impose any conditions. He was not in a position to impose conditions. Day 2 Tuesday saw the same dynamic between prosecutor and defendant, during the second court session of the trial. Did you think that it could work? Carballo asked Trapero, about the Mossos approach to stopping the referendum from happening on October 1. We were particularly careful, not to justify our actions [with the pro-independence sectors], but rather because a spark could have set off a massive blaze in Catalonia at the time. The second day of the trial saw the prosecutor analyzing a series of emails and reports that Trapero received, in a bid to use them to prove that the then-Mossos chief was working with the regional government to allow the illegal referendum to take place while making it look as if he was working to stop it. The Mossos will always do what judges tell them to Former Mossos chief Josep Lluis Trapero Carballo even went so far as to throw into doubt Traperos claims that a plan had been formulated to arrest then-regional premier Carles Puigdemont should the courts order his detention in the wake of the unilateral declaration of independence passed by the Catalan parliament. In another document produced by the prosecution, and written in the wake of the September 20 protest, Trapero explains to his officers that they must be careful with the use of force. Was that a way of justifying the light touch at the Economic Affairs Department? Carballo asked. No. We had to be careful because police actions that were excessive or that had serious consequences would have been very difficult to manage with the atmosphere in Catalonia [at the time], Trapero responded. The prosecutors questioning of Trapero finished just after 2.30pm on Tuesday. Today he will face questions from his own lawyer, Olga Tubau, and the rest of the defense team. Then it will be the turn of the rest of the defendants to take the stand. English version by Simon Hunter. Cuba Gooding Jr appears in a court in New York for a hearing into charges of sexual misconduct: AP Two women who have accused Cuba Gooding Jr of sexual misconduct will be allowed to testify at his trial on charges that he groped three other women at Manhattan bars in 2018 and 2019, a judge ruled Wednesday. An April 21 trial date was set for Gooding, who previously pleaded not guilty to an updated indictment that covers the three accusations of groping. Prosecutors said they had 19 other women who could testify that the Oscar-winning "Jerry Maguire" actor was also inappropriate with them in similar settings - bars, hotels and restaurants - as far back as 2001. Gooding has denied the charges. His defence attorney, Mark Heller, previously called the allegations "incredulous" and assailed the prosecution as a waste of taxpayer dollars. Gooding and his attorneys left Wednesday's proceeding without commenting. The brief hearing at Manhattan criminal court came as opening statements began in the same building in the prosecution of Harvey Weinstein, a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement. Cuba Gooding Jr leaves a court in New York City after a hearing into charges of sexual misconduct against him (AP) Heller has called the charges against Gooding a "distorted overreaction pandering to the current hypersensitive climate where innocent commonplace gestures are now misperceived and mischaracterised as offensive." He has accused prosecutors of amplifying long-ago allegations to bolster an otherwise weak case. Attorneys in the case are expected to return to court next week for a hearing on a protective order governing discovery. Prosecutors wanted an earlier trial date, but Gooding's defence team said it needed more time to examine the evidence. Prosecutors asked Judge Curtis Farber to allow a parade of witnesses to testify that Gooding violated them in bars, hotels and restaurants as long ago as 2001. None of those claims resulted in criminal charges, but state law allows prosecutors to call accusers not involved in the criminal case as witnesses in an effort to show a pattern of misconduct. Gooding prosecutor Jenna Long said in a court filing that the previous incidents make clear that Gooding's "contacts with (women's) intimate parts are intentional, not accidental, and that he is not mistaken about their lack of consent." Farber, in a written ruling, said "the admission of all 19 uncharged prior incidents would result in undue prejudice." He added that admitting a "limited selection of incidents outweighs such prejudice." Farber also denied a defence motion to dismiss the charges on the grounds that Gooding was not allowed to testify to the grand jury. The judge wrote that prosecutors "had no obligation to inform the defendant that a grand jury proceeding was pending." "It was an amazing event, and we couldn't have done any of it without the support of our wonderful consignors, bidders, spectators, sponsors, and vendors," said Gary Bennett, General Manager of the Leake collector car auction division of Ritchie Bros. "There were many highlights during our four-day auction, but John Staluppi's Cars of Dreams collection certainly brought the most excitement. We also set a new world record hammer price for a 1957 Chrysler 300C convertible! We received many positive comments from customers throughout the auction and have proven our ability to bring top dollar for some of the best car collections in the United States." The four-day Leake auction included two vehicles sold for charity. A 2020 Gladiator IASO Rubicon Jeep was sold to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation, which raises money for pediatric cancer research. The Gladiator sold for US$145,000, with a further US$30,000 raised from private donations from the crowd. A 2020 Indian Springfield Jack Daniel's motorbike was sold three times during the Leake auctiontwice the buyers asked for the motorbike to be sold againraising a total of US$130,000 to be donated to The Armed Forces YMCA and Jack Daniel's Operation Ride Home. Top 10 sales from the Leake auction included (note: all prices include 10% buyer's premium): Lot #643.1 2012 Lexus LFA Coupe that sold for US$434 ,500 ,500 Lot #638.1 1957 Chrysler 300C Convertible that sold for US$357,500 * New world record hammer price! * Lot #642.1 1958 Dual-Ghia Hemi Convertible that sold for US$330 ,000 ,000 Lot #640.1 1960 Chrysler 300F Convertible that sold for US$319,000 Lot #647 1957 Desoto Adventurer that sold for US$302 ,500 ,500 Lot #643 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe that sold for US$275 ,000 ,000 Lot #639.1 1959 Chrysler 300E Convertible that sold for US$242 ,000 ,000 Lot #641 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible that sold for US$222,200 Lot #632 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Convertible that sold for US$220,000 Lot #635 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible that sold for US$220,000 For more information about Leake Auctions and/or Ritchie Bros. visit LeakeCar.com or RitchieBros.com. About Leake Auction Company: Leake Auction Company was established by James C. Leake, Sr. and is America's first collector car auction. The company continues to carry out the principles Mr. Leake founded the company on quality, respect, knowledge, and loyalty to the business. The team of industry experts provide decades of world-class collector car auction knowledge. In January 2018, Leake was acquired by Ritchie Bros., a global asset management and disposition company. With Ritchie Bros. online audience of 3.9 million registered users, Leake has one of the largest potential buyer bases in the collector car industry. About Ritchie Bros.: Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The company's suite of multichannel sales solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions, a complete end-to-end asset management and disposition system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com. SOURCE Leake Auctions Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:08:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- It all started months ago when the Canadian fishermen booked tickets for their lobsters to fly to China, and when the largest dairy producer in South Korea started utilizing its full capacity to meet the potential need of their customers during the Spring Festival, particularly those in China. Chinese Lunar New Year is around the corner, and the festival is not only celebrated in China but around the world, with various traditional festivities and a shopping spree. Cod from Iceland, red king crab from Russia, tiger prawn from Thailand, Chilian cherries, Australian ugg boots, and Japanese face roller have all found their places into Chinese customers' shopping carts, giving the world supply chains a ride on the "Spring Festival economy." China is at once a world factory and a giant global market with the world's largest and fast-growing middle-income group. With consumption upgrading and the development of cross-border e-commerce and logistics, overseas products can reach big cities and small towns across the country. Worldwide places of interest lure Chinese tourists abroad, making outbound traveling a new trend during the feast. A thriving market reflects the vitality of the economy. Despite a cloud of challenges, China's economy wrapped up 2019 with 6.1-percent GDP growth, approaching 100 trillion yuan (14.49 trillion U.S. dollars) and outperforming comparable economies. More excitingly, the country has achieved a new milestone with GDP per capita exceeding 10,000 dollars last year, a threshold that many believe ushers in a new stage for income level, consumption pattern and market size. "I really think China is the future," said Tesla CEO Elon Musk in August last year, when he was "astounded" by the fact that his gigafactory in Shanghai could be completed within 10 months. In the past few years, China has constantly been lowering tariffs and facilitating its reform and opening up drive. At the begining of this year, China implemented provisional import tax rates that are lower than the most-favored-nation tariff rates for over 850 commodities, which expedites the flow of global high-quality products directly to Chinese customers. As the most important festival in a year, Chinese Lunar New Year also creates the biggest spending power. A market linking 1.4 billion Chinese people with global supply chains believes that when the world does good, China does good; and when China does good, the world will be better. From the first two editions of the China International Import Expo to the Belt and Road Initiative, China has been upholding the idea of openness. New maritime routes have carried exotic fresh fruit from Southeast Asia to China, and the Spanish olive oil companies applaud the Chinese Lunar New Year thanks to the direct freight train service between China and Europe. The Chinese Lunar New Year features family reunion and sharing. In an era of globalization, the efforts China takes to further open up have rendered the holiday extravagance into an opportunity to share its development dividends. Jailed U.K.-Australian Academic Says Iran Offered Her To Become A Spy By RFE/RL January 22, 2020 A British-Australian woman jailed in Tehran on espionage charges said she rejected an offer from Iran to become a spy, according to letters she smuggled out of prison. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at Melbourne University, has been in prison since September 2018 and is serving a 10-year term. In extracts of the letters smuggled out of Tehran's Evin prison and published by British media on January 21, Moore-Gilbert wrote that she is "imprisoned for a crime I have not committed" and fears for her mental health. The Guardian and The Times newspapers reported that the letters were written in rudimentary Persian language to Iranian officials between June and December 2019. One letter addressed to her "case manager" read: "Please accept this letter as an official and definitive rejection of your offer to me to work with the intelligence branch" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). "I am not a spy. I have never been a spy and I have no interest to work for a spying organization in any country," Moore-Gilbert wrote. In other letters, she said her health has "deteriorated significantly," having been taken to hospital twice and the jail's infirmary six times. The academic complained that she has been denied visits and phone calls and has been held in an "extremely restrictive detention ward." "I think I am in the midst of a serious psychological problem," she said. Australia has rejected the charges against Moore-Gilbert as entirely false and called for her to be treated "fairly, humanely, and in accordance with international norms." Last month, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi said Moore-Gilbert must serve out her sentence and that the country "will not submit to political games and propaganda." In October, Australian travel bloggers Jolie King and her boyfriend Mark Firkin were released after spending months in an Iranian jail, while Australia freed a jailed Iranian academic, Reza Dehbashi Kivi. With reporting by The Guardian, Times, and the BBC Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/jailed-u-k-- australian-academic-says-iran-offer-her -to-become-a-spy/30389944.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to the voters in Delhi to vote in favour of his party candidates to ensure that the good work done by his government in the last five years is not undone. Interacting with the common public during his roadshow, the AAP chief also appealed to the supporters of the other parties to prefer development and good work over petty politics. The Chief Minister said that the entire Delhi should vote on the basis of development done in the education, power and healthcare sectors. "We have worked hard to improve our schools, the education system, health care... Who will take care of the education of your children, who will help you get good and affordable health care if you vote for any other party? Just give it a thought," Kejriwal said while addressing a roadshow in Shastri Nagar constituency. He earlier held a roadshow in the Badli constituency in support of AAP candidate Ajesh Yadav. Live TV He said, '' For five years, I worked like the son of Delhi. I have never discriminated between people on the basis of religion and caste. We have worked for the all-round development of Delhiites.'' "So, I appeal to you all, especially those who support the Congress and the BJP... Please be with your respective parties but vote for us this time. Cast your vote keeping the welfare of your family in mind," he said standing in a jeep as hundreds of his supporters walked along donning 'aam aadmi' caps and carrying banners of the party. Kejriwal added that though his government did a lot for the people of Delhi in its five-year tenure but needed more time to complete the work pending for 70 years. "We have tried our best to give maximum benefit to the people of Delhi... To make their lives prosperous. We have made water and electricity free, improved the education and health care system.. But the work pending for 70 years cannot be completed in just 5 years. We need more time," he said. "I have worked like an elder son in a family. It is the elder son who shoulders most of the responsibilities, takes care of everyone, gets the sister married manages all expenses etc. I have tried to do just that," he said as cheers and claps rose to a crescendo. Kejriwal, who had filed his nomination for the upcoming Delhi assembly election from the New Delhi constituency, has declared his assets worth Rs 3.4 crore, Rs 1.3 crore more than 2015. Dan Costa, who runs four apparel companies in Northern California, was never a major political donor. But last year, he made a large contribution to the GOP for the first time: $37,500 in the hope of four more years of President Donald Trump. "That's a big investment for anybody," said Costa, whose only other contribution to a presidential candidate was $1,000 to Mitt Romney in 2012."It's like insurance that is going to help save the country. . . . It's for me and my grandkids and the next generations." Trump's vaunted political money machine is helping drive record sums to the Republican National Committee, and not just from the same donors who supported him in 2016. Enticed by exclusive gatherings and ecstatic about the president's tax cuts, an eclectic new crop of donors is going all in, giving five and six figures to support his reelection. Their ranks include investors in a South Florida hot yoga studio, a Nigerian American real estate developer in Dallas and the head of a trucking business in Los Angeles. They have been joined by veteran GOP donors who have returned to the fold after sitting out Trump's 2016 campaign. The Washington Post identified at least 220 big donors to Trump's reelection who are either new to major political giving or sat out the last presidential general election. Together, they have deluged pro-Trump fundraising committees with more than $21 million - a cash infusion that suggests a newfound enthusiasm for the president among supporters capable of writing large checks. The influx of these donors represents a shift for Trump, who criticized other candidates' reliance on wealthy backers during the 2016 election. This time, his campaign is actively wooing them, holding glitzy fundraisers that give people who donate large amounts a chance to mingle with his inner circle and often snap pictures with Trump himself. Trump's take-all-comers approach this time has brought in donors with various agendas - creating legal headaches at times. Among those newly motivated to give large sums were Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman - characters in the impeachment saga whose contributions to pro-Trump committees in the hundreds of thousands helped them quickly insert themselves into Trump's orbit. Theyface campaign finance charges partly related to a six-figure donation they made to a super PAC. And Robert Hyde, a Parnas associate who claimed to be tracking a U.S. ambassador disliked by Trump, has donated more than $41,000 since 2016 to the various pro-Trump committees, records show. Hyde, a long-shot congressional candidate in Connecticut, has said he was not particularly interested in politics before Trump. In recent days, he has denied monitoring the former ambassador to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Trump is now also supported by a more traditional source of party money: longtime GOP donors who shunned him during his 2016 campaign. By and large, those wealthy establishment donors have fallen in line behind Trump's reelection, said Lisa Spies, a longtime Republican fundraiser. Among those now on board are Dan and Farris Wilks, billionaire brothers who made their money in the fracking industry in Texas. They supported Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texasm in the 2016 primary race, then held back on support for Trump in the general election. But so far, they have given a combined $100,000 toward the president's reelection. "There are very few 'Never Trumpers' [continuing to hold back support], and there are very few donors who are disengaged," Spies said. Additionally, she said, Trump "has a whole new crop of donors. A lot of these people have never been involved before." Many first-time big donors contacted by The Post were enthusiastic boosters of Trump who said they were moved to give by the president's tax cuts, his deregulation agenda and their confidence in the economy. They expressed trust in Trump's decision-making and shared his indignation over Democratic attacks. They viewed their contribution as an investment - not just in the country's future but in their own personal prosperity. Several donors said they do not love everything the president tweets but find him authentic and relatable. "Sometimes I'm like, why did he do that? But at the same time, you've got to remember, he's not a polished politician," said Raul Esqueda, who gave $35,000 to support Trump's reelection. Esqueda, who runs a commercial credit company in Austin and says business is booming under Trump, said he does not feel tied to a party. He said he preferred Mitt Romney over Barack Obama for president in 2012 but does not feel particularly enthusiastic about the Utah senator now. Esqueda's newfound giving earned him an invite to the 2019 White House Christmas party. "To visit the White House, that's cool," Esqueda said. "You get to see all the paintings around. They have hors d'oeuvres and drinks, music. Overall, it was a nice get-together. . . . We got a lot of photographs." Since Trump's election, more than 1.6 million new donors have contributed to the Republican Party, in both large and small amounts, party officials said. It remains to be seen whether these donors will continue to give in such large amounts to the Republican Party or drop off once Trump leaves office. "You have a group of individuals in the country who are big supporters and big believers of the president that, much like we saw in the 2016 election, are unique to him," said Brian O. Walsh, president of the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action, which is attracting many of these donors. "That's the magnet that attracts them to want to participate at a higher level than ever before." Democrats are taking note of the amounts of money flowing to the effort to reelect Trump. Democratic strategists said Trump's ability to raise and spend massive sums from big donors to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee that is drawing these new contributors,was similar to the money advantage that Obama had in his reelection battle against Romney. With the exception of the billionaires in the race, the eventual Democratic nominee likely will need a financial boost in the general election fight against Trump. "The [2020 Democratic] nominee will be broke, as Romney was against us," said Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 reelection campaign manager. "One point to look at is how much money Trump and the [joint committees] are raising. I have never seen spending like it. And it's a lot on rallies, which are expensive and speak to the base." The parent company of SOL Yoga in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which donated $100,000 to America First Action in 2019, did not respond to requests for comment. Yu Kevin Guan, a trucking company owner who donated $235,000 to Trump Victory, also did not respond to a request for comment. Both were first-time donors under Trump. Some new donors have rapidly immersed themselves in the mix-and-mingle world of private fundraisers and "donor appreciation" events. GOP fundraisers said offering such perks to new donors comes at a lower cost, because they are new to the experience. Established GOP donors have already attended marquee events such as the State of the Union address or have had private meals with previous presidential nominees. But new donors enjoy even modest gatherings, like a panel featuring a Cabinet member or drinks in the lobby of Trump's hotel in Washington, strategists say. Their social media feeds often include selfies with Trump loyalists and influencers, such as former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and Andre Soriano, designer of "Make America Great Again" gowns. At last month's winter retreat for Trump Victory donors, for example, guests socialized with Trump's family members, campaign manager Brad Parscale, Fox News's Jeanine Pirro, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other major figures in Trump's orbit, according to social media posts of attendees. Many new donors have in turn become fundraisers for Trump, recruiting people they know to give as well. Xinyue "Daniel" Lou, who gave his first major donation of more than $37,000 to Trump Victory in 2017, said he felt valued when party officials described him as an "investor" in the Republican Party. And so, hesaid, he urged other well-to-do people in the Chinese American community to give to Trump. Many, he said, had never been tapped by a political party before and were intrigued by Trump's presidency. "I was privileged to be invited to a number of events" for donors, including ones where he met top White House officials and members of the Cabinet, Lou said. "Because of my political contribution and involvement, I was in those seats and I was able to have my input." Ejike Okpa, a Nigerian American commercial real estate developer in Dallas who started a PAC called Africans for MAGA, gave his first major political donations to Trump's reelection: $35,000 in 2017 and $10,000 in 2018. He has always preferred nontraditional candidates, he said - he gave $250 to Obama in 2008 - and he likes that Trump is a fighter and disrupter in Washington. Okpa is now a bundler for Trump Victory and boasts a collection of selfies with the president's family, a signed copy of Donald Trump Jr.'s book and an autographed thumbs-up photo with Trump. "What he stands for, the way he has approached doing things for America, just kind of intrigues me," Okpa said. "I vote, but when you match that with a financial contribution, it's an additional show of support and commitment." - - - The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report. The nameplate may not enjoy the same recall as its competitors, but the Mazda B-Series has had a very long historyone that dates back all t... Jaipur, Jan 22 : Asma Khan wears many hats with elan: Those of a chef, restaurateur and a cookbook author. However, one thing that sets the 50-year-old apart from the rest is her wish to change the lives of women who are victims of strife and sexual exploitation in countries like Syria, Bangladesh and even India. So, how did the Indian-born British citizen begin her journey towards this end? Born and brought up in Kolkata, Asma shifted to London after an arranged marriage. After earning a PhD in law, she recalled, she aspired to start a restaurant to help women in distress. On the other hand, her academician husband wanted her to empower them via her knowledge of law. She finally launched an all-women restaurant 'Darjeeling Express' in London in 2017 with money given by her husband. The restaurant staff totalled 24, including nine Indian and Nepali women who handled the kitchen operations. Within a few months, the restaurant had climbed the popularity charts with its signature Indian Rajput and Bengali specialties. At least 75 per cent of the clientele was non-Asian. After breaking even, Asma opened a cafeteria in July 2019 in camp 'Essyan' in Kurdistan area of northern Iraq, hiring women who had suffered one way or the other due to war. Five women staff who know how to cook a large number of meals are on the job. "In my London restaurant, a visitor once spoke of the plight of women and kids in the war zone. I then decided to open my new cafeteria there," she says. Asma said she wishes to open her next cafeteria in Bangladesh, to help Rohingya women who have seen and suffered sexual violence. Kolkata's infamous red-light area is also on her cafeteria list. "I wish to use the process of preparation and service of food as a balm for women who have been hurt by torture at the hands of men." "I am 50 now. I wish to tell women that they should not stop at this age... women have been cooking since times immemorial but have not been rewarded. Family members take them for granted. I am representing these women who were never rewarded for what they did for us. Hence, I have chosen food as a medium to recognise their efforts," Asma added. Visiting Jaipur on Wednesday to speak on digital media, said said digital media is changing the future prospects for women. In the spring of 2019, she was the first British chef to be profiled on the 6th season of the documentary series on Netflix Chef's Table, a big achievement for an immigrant like her. LONDON He reads fluently (while wearing a Gruffalo costume), he does math with ease and he can explain scientific concepts such as how rain forms. He is also 3 years old. The toddler, Muhammad Haryz Nadzim, was invited last week to join Mensa, a British society whose membership rules require an I.Q. in the top 2 percent of the population. Haryz, as his family calls him, received an invitation to the society after meeting with a consultant psychologist who assigned him a score of 142 using the Stanford-Binet intelligence test. Scoring above 145 is considered genius or near genius, according to the tests website. The 3-year-old is now Mensas youngest current member, the society said in an email on Wednesday. The youngest-ever member was age 2 years 4 months at the time of joining. Wuhan virus masks NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images The US has its first case of a deadly coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. The virus, which can be transmitted between humans, likely originated at a seafood market in Wuhan, China. The US patient in question a man in his 30s landed in Seattle after visiting China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A mysterious virus that originated in China has spread to the United States: A case has been identified in Washington state. Test results confirmed over the weekend that a man in his 30s who lives in Snohomish County, north of Seattle, contracted the virus after visiting China, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Tuesday. "We have now confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus in the United States," Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters. Health officials in Washington said that the man is in strict isolation and that the threat to the public is still low. Officials said that they were able to detect the case early and that the man is in good health now. Chris Spitters, the health officer for the Snohomish Health District, said the man is "currently hospitalized out of an abundance of precaution and for short-term monitoring, not because there was severe illness." The outbreak of the virus known as the Wuhan virus, or 2019-nCoV likely started at a seafood market in Wuhan, the most populous city in central China. The man said that he did not visit the market and that he did not know anyone who was ill, Spitters added. So far, the virus has killed 17 people and infected more than 470 people in China. It has also spread to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. The CDC said it expected additional cases to appear in the US. Officials in China confirmed on Monday that humans can transmit the virus to one another. Story continues The cases outside China have incited fears of a pandemic, as hundreds of millions of people travel for Lunar New Year, which begins on Saturday and lasts until February 8. Authorities are trying to stop the spread of the virus Some people who have contracted the Wuhan virus reported symptoms including a fever, chills, headaches, and a sore throat. A few said they had difficulty breathing. The virus belongs to the coronavirus family, a large group of viruses that typically affect the respiratory tract. Coronaviruses can lead to illnesses like the common cold, pneumonia, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, a potentially fatal illness that hasn't been reported anywhere since 2004. A viral outbreak of SARS that started in China in November 2002 resulted in 8,000 cases and 774 deaths by July 2003. The outbreak spread to dozens of countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Recent research suggests that it may have spread to humans from horseshoe bats. As of Tuesday, three US airports New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport were screening passengers for the virus. Two more, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport, are set to roll out screenings as well. The CDC said passengers traveling to the US whose flights originated in Wuhan would be rerouted to one of these five airports. Airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea are also closely screening passengers. FILE PHOTO: Passengers pass a banner about Wuhan Pneumonia at a thermal screening point in the international arrival terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng/File Photo Reuters Scott Lindquist, an epidemiologist in Washington, said the patient in the US likely began traveling before the US airport screenings were instated on Friday. He landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The man did not exhibit any symptoms while traveling, Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman told reporters. On Sunday, China's National Health Commission said it would "step up our guard" during the upcoming New Year celebrations and "pay close attention to the development and change of the epidemic." The virus, it added, is "still preventable and controllable." The World Health Organization said it would meet on Wednesday to decide whether the virus constitutes a public-health emergency of international concern. "The key issue that we really all need to understand is how easily or sustainably the virus is spread from human to human," Messonnier said. "That's information that we don't completely have nailed down yet, but we're continuing to work globally with all our partners to better understand it." Of the case in the US, she added, "We are grateful that the patient is doing well." Read the original article on Business Insider - An online post has claimed that photos which showed animals were abandoned by its owners following the Taal Volcano eruption - The photos showed dogs and other animals being rescued by volunteers after a volcanic eruption - However, it has been reported that the claim was false and misleading the public - The circulating photos were actually taken during volcanic eruptions in Chile and Guatemala way back 2015 and 2018 PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News! A social media post has been circulating after claiming that there were photos of animals that have been abandoned after the Taal Volcano eruption. However, KAMI learned that this claim was false and misleading the public. In a report by French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), the post claimed that while some animals were rescued following the eruption, some were left abandoned by its owners. Many animals have been rescued near the Taal volcano in the Philippines. but others have been abandoned by their owners, it said in a tweet. AFP conducted a reverse image search and discovered that the claim was misleading. The first photo of a man carrying animals was actually taken at Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala last June 2018. Screenshot from Agence France-Presse Source: Facebook The second photo of a man carrying a dog on his shoulders was taken by Reuters the same time when the Volcan de Fuego erupted in June 2018. Screenshot from Agence France-Presse Source: Facebook Meanwhile, the third photo showing two dogs over a fence was taken following the Calbuco Volcano eruption that happened in Chile last April 2015. Screenshot from Agence France-Presse Source: Facebook PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) explained that Binintiang Malaki is among the 47 craters of Taal Volcano. Even though the volcano has been on unrest for more than a week now, the Alert Level 4 remains over the Taal Volcano. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion curated for you at 9AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Finance Ministry may raise divestment goal to 1.5 lakh cr for FY21 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to set an even more ambitious disinvestment target of 1.5 lakh crore for the year starting April 1, mostly because many of the strategic sales planned for the current year, including that of Air India, have been delayed. The stiffer target for 2020-21 comes after government officials acknowledged, as Mint reported on December 26, that the disinvestment target of 1.05 lakh crore for 2019-20 will fall short by around 50,000 crore due to delays. Read More China warns coronavirus may spread as death toll jumps to 9, number of cases top 400 China warned Wednesday that a SARS-like virus could mutate and spread as the death toll rose to nine and the number of cases reached 440 across the country. The coronavirus is transmitted via the respiratory tract and there is the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease, National Health Commission vice minister Li Bin said at a news conference. Read More In budget 2020-21, big push for transformation of rural India likely Union Budget 2020-21 is expected to focus on the transformation of rural India with a nearly 15% jump in fund allocation to boost the village economy and raise incomes, particularly of small and marginal farmers, three people aware of the development said on Tuesday. It is expected that rural India will see an additional fund allocation of about 40,000 crore in 2020-21 compared to the total budget estimates for 2019-20, the first person said. Read More Discussing Kashmir, says Trump as he meets Pakistan PM US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was talking about the situation in Kashmir with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and will certainly be helping, a remark that came ahead of a meeting of the two leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump made the remarks at a media briefing before talks with Khan, who the US President described as his very good friend. Read More 2 Indian, 5 foreign yards cleared for 50K-cr submarine project The defence ministry on Tuesday cleared two Indian and five foreign shipbuilders to take part in a 50,000-crore project to build high-tech submarines in the country, one of the biggest Make in India programmes in the military sector, two senior officials said on condition of anonymity. Read More Sanju Samson replaces injured Shikhar Dhawan in T20I squad for NZ, Prithvi Shaw gets maiden ODI call-up Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has been announced as replacement for injured India opener Shikhar Dhawan fro the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw has received an ODI call-up, in place of Dhawan. Read More Rishi Kapoor shares rare photo of Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini on sets of Mughal-e-Azam Actor Rishi Kapoor has shared a golden tweet for Bollywood lovers. On Tuesday, he shared a rare picture of the director and cast of epic film Mughal-e-Azam when they hosted legendary Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini on the sets. Read More After a dozen hours of rancorous debate over rules, witnesses and documents on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California will launch opening arguments in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon. Schiff and the Democratic House impeachment managers he leads will present different aspects of the impeachment case against the president in a string of speeches from the floor of the U.S. Senate starting around 1 p.m, according to multiple outlets. C-SPAN will live stream the trial, which lawmakers expect to stretch into 9 p.m. or later depending on breaks over the next several days. The House prosecutors unsuccessfully fought for Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumers series of amendments on Tuesday that called for subpoenaing records and testimony previously blocked by the Trump administration. The Republican majority killed those amendments, with White House lawyers arguing its not the Senates job to complete a House impeachment investigation. Democrats will have a chance to push for more evidence after both sides present arguments and answer lawmakers questions over the next several days. Democrats will need at least four Republicans to break ranks and agree with calls for more documents on the presidents interactions with Ukraine and testimony from top Trump aides such as acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Trump last month became the third president impeached by the House in U.S. history, with Democrats accusing him of trying to dig up dirt on a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, while jeopardizing national security and the integrity of U.S. elections in the process. Democrats allege the president abused his power by withholding a White House meeting with the Ukrainian president and almost $400 million in military aid as Ukraine faced war with Russia unless the Ukrainians agreed to announce investigations into Biden. He also faces an obstruction of Congress charge for blocking testimony and records, but his attorneys say the subpoenas filed by House lawmakers were invalid and that Democrats should have exhausted every effort, including taking the issue to court, to obtain documents before filing impeachment charges. Speaking from an economic forum in Switzerland, Trump told reporters Wednesday that the impeachment was a takedown attempt of a sitting president. Lets see what happens. Before wrapping up a news conference by thanking reporters and flashing a thumbs up as he walked off stage, Trump characterized his push for investigations into Biden and alleged corruption in Ukraine as one of the greatest things Ive done for our country. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell initially called for 24 hours of trial arguments for each side in just two days. But Republicans agreed to switching the span to three days. Senators will then have 16 hours to ask prosecutors and Trump attorneys questions. The White House likely will present its side beginning Saturday or early next week. A two-thirds supermajority, or 67 senators, is required to convict and remove an impeached president from office. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya to pay homage to Lord Ram, on the completion of 100 days of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut here on Wednesday. He also said that the ministers of alliance partners -- Congress and NCP -- can also accompany Chief Minister Thackeray. "We have a relation with Ayodhya. The relation is of devotion and trust. We have our government with Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister thanks to the blessings of Lord Ram," said Raut. "Our duty is to pay obeisance to Lord Ram on the completion of 100 days of our government. Chief Minister Thackeray will go there and bow to the feet of Lord Ram. Ministers from our alliance partners can also accompany him," he said. "It is a matter of faith. Rahul Gandhi also goes to temples. He went to Somnath and other temples. The government runs on social justice, employment and other welfare measures," he added. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP was formed in November last year after the BJP failed to prove his majority in the State assembly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share Tweet Pin 9 shares Note all articles are independently researched and written by myself. However, if you buy via one of the links it may be an affiliate and I may earn a small commission. The first of the big Adidas reissues of 2020, the Adidas Amsterdam City Series trainers, which land this week. The first and one of the most loved and sought-after too. This is a shoe worth staying up late for. And you will have to stay up late if you want to guarantee a pair in your size. This will be a sellout. Perhaps thats why the launch of this City Series classic has been rather low key and left until the last minute. There really is no point in building up excitement when the shoes will sell through regardless. Im guessing you already know about the revered City Series range by Adidas. But as a quick recap, they were a range of timeless Adidas silhouettes inspired by key cities around Europe. The range ran from the 1970s onwards, finishing almost 20 years later. The Amsterdam was a later addition to the collection, probably around 1990. This is an archive release and as such, the Amsterdam has all the details you would hope for and expect. That obviously includes the chocolate brown suede upper, as well as some lighter brown detailing, serrated stripes and the classic Odenwald sole. Also present are brown laces, the Amsterdam branding on the side and a leather lining. Have I sold them to you? Thought so. The hard part will be actually getting them in your size. But you can if you look hard enough, In fact, all sizes are now available at Browns right now, retailing for 85. Find out more at the Browns Fashion website [January 22, 2020] TIE Kinetix Becomes HDMA Member and Will Debut at the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue Conference TIE Kinetix, the leading provider of Partner Automation solutions, announced today that it has become a member of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA). The company will make its debut at the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue conference as a sponsor, eager to help manufacturers drive their channel partners' digital transformation. The conference will be held on January 27th at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, TX. Thought leaders from all segments of the heavy duty aftermarket industry will share applied knowledge on the state of the (digital) marketplace, along with the necessary steps to be sustainable and prosperous as the industry evolves. TIE Kinetix is excited to bring over 30 years of experience to the heavy duty industry by providing manufacturers with an end-to-end platform to make channel partners competitive in today's digital world, ultimately increasing channel revenue. FLOW by TIE Kinetix allows manufacturers to manage and optimize their entire partner ecosystem on both sides of the supply chain: demand and supply. From growing online presence with brand-controlled digital marketing campaigns through partners, to equipping partners with the right tools to drive demand and sales, to the complete electronic integration of business processes with trading partners, FLOW enables digital transformation in the channel. "Following our partnership with HDA Truck Pride and our continuous success in bringing great return-on-investment (ROI) to automotive and heavy-duty customers, we recognize the increasing importnce of our involvement in this industry," says Jan Sundelin, CEO of TIE Kinetix. "We are excited to begin our relationship with HDMA and offer our expertise to help the members simplify their channel marketing, sales, and fulfillment processes." "We are excited to welcome TIE Kinetix to HDMA," says Tim Kraus, President & COO at HDMA. "We are looking forward to building a solid relationship and working to advance the industry and HDMA members' business interests." For questions about this press release, please contact Patrick van Boom, Chief Marketing Officer of TIE Kinetix via [email protected] About TIE Kinetix TIE Kinetix transforms the digital supply chain by providing Total Integrated E-Commerce solutions. These solutions maximize revenue opportunities by minimizing the energy required to market, sell, fulfill, and optimize online. Customers and partners of TIE Kinetix constantly benefit from innovative, field-tested, state-of-the-art technologies, backed by 32 years of experience and prestigious awards. TIE Kinetix makes technology to perform, such that customers and partners can focus on their core business. TIE Kinetix is a public company and has offices in the United States, the Netherlands, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Australia. About HDMA Based in North Carolina, HDMA is the Commercial Vehicle Division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), a major industry association with a forward looking strategy and a 116 year legacy of advocacy for the motor vehicle supplier industry. A member driven organization, HDMA provides industry leadership for NAFTA based original equipment and aftermarket suppliers in the on and off-highway commercial vehicle equipment industry. This is accomplished through a range of services to its more than 200 member companies, which represent direct employment of nearly 200,000 in their US facilities. For more information, visit www.hdma.org or www.mema.org. END OF PRESS RELEASE View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005398/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Every now and then social media dishes out all sorts of viral challenges, from funny to disgusting. This time, however, theres a latest one on the block which no one should try. Its dangerous and causing fire in some cases. As a part of this viral challenge, people are partially inserting their phone charges in an electric socket. Then they are sliding down a penny in the gap remaining between the charger and the socket. The result is not just sparks or electrical damage but - at times - fires too. Videos of people trying this challenge have flooded TikTok. Some even shared the damaged conditions of the electric sockets while lamenting that it was not a good idea to be a part of the trend. People sharing the videos on TikTok are tagging a particular user with the handle name @ooofuss, indicating it as the origin point of the challenge. Take a look at the video shared on the profile @ooofuss: Heres another user who tries the challenge and instantly regrets it: Yet another video where a TikTok user shows their damaged power socket. One such video of the challenge also made its way onto YouTube and people dropped all sorts of comments. While some shared their personal experiences, many cautioned others not to try this at any cost. I actually did this and my parents thought I plugged it in wrong. My living room power went out so I went to the fuse power box in hopes of getting it back. It works now and nothing was damaged. Seriously dont try this people I dont think your parents want to go through that especially if your fuse breaks, recalled a YouTube user. Safety tip kids, Sometimes old circuit breakers fail to trip and the wires in the wall will heat up to the point of setting your house on fire, cautioned another. Since many incidents took place in and around Massachusetts, all the fire chiefs of the area were alerted about this new hazardous challenge, reports South Coast Today. This video is a concern and similar to past viral videos that encourage unsafe behavior. You might reach out to local news outlets, school officials, and parent organizations. Alert them to this challenge, advise them to, not only look for signs of fire play like scorched outlets, but to have conversations about fire and electrical safety with tweens and teenagers, Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey told South Coast Today. Earlier in May, 2019, another dangerous trend took over the Internet the vacuum challenge. As a part of the challenge participant were getting stuck inside a tightly wrapped plastic bag. Boris Johnsons Brexit deal has overcome another hurdle after MPs overturned amendments made by defiant peers. The Commons reversed five changes made by the Lords to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill as the legislation entered the ping-pong phase where it moves between the two Houses until agreement is reached. Peers had defeated the Government on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings. They also backed a move to ensure the rights of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK post-Brexit, and a proposal underlining the commitment to the so-called Sewel Convention, which states that the UK Parliament will not normally legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature affected. But all five amendments were comfortably reversed by MPs, with majorities ranging from 86 to 103. With Brexit day looming on January 31, the Bill, which was passed with large majorities by MPs earlier this month, remains on course thanks to the Prime Ministers 80-strong majority. It is now up to peers to decide whether to prolong the bout of parliamentary ping-pong or bow to the will of the elected House, which seems the most likely outcome. Expand Close Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the Government could not accept the Lords amendment on citizens rights (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the Government could not accept the Lords amendment on citizens rights (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Labour, Liberal Democrat and independent crossbench peers ignored repeated ministerial warnings not to amend the Bill, insisting their objection was not to stop Brexit but to ensure the legislation was better drafted. During the debate on Wednesday, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the Government could not accept the Lords amendment on citizens rights as it would make the EU Settlement Scheme null and void. Mr Barclay said: This amendment would mean the successful EU Settlement Scheme in its current form would need to be abandoned. This is because there would be no need to register if people could later rely on a declaration that they were already in the UK. This would make null and void the 2.8 million applications and the 2.5 million grants of status which have already been completed. Mr Barclay said the amendment would also mean the Government would be unable to issue more secure digital documentation without physical documentation, adding: This would increase the risk of fraud and raises the issue of cost to the Government and citizens. On child refugees, Mr Barclay defended the Governments record before claiming: Primary legislation cannot deliver the best outcomes for these children as it cannot guarantee that we reach an agreement and that is why this is ultimately a matter which must be negotiated with the EU and the Government is committed to seeking the best possible outcome in those negotiations. Labour MP Yvette Cooper said: That is what makes us all suspicious, that he wants to remove it because theres some reason why he thinks it will restrict what he wants to do and therefore that hes going to, in the end, betray the commitments that have been made to the most vulnerable children of all. Shadow Brexit minister Thangam Debbonaire also said: The Governments predecessor government has got form on this, promising to take 3,000 children on the Dubs scheme, as originally committed to, and taking fewer than 500 in the end. Finding a solution to Winnipeg's homeless problem is going to need input and financial support from various stakeholders, but is ultimately the province's responsibility, the mayor told a group working to get people off the street. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Finding a solution to Winnipeg's homeless problem is going to need input and financial support from various stakeholders, but is ultimately the province's responsibility, the mayor told a group working to get people off the street. End Homelessness Winnipeg appeared before executive policy committee Tuesday to brief Mayor Brian Bowman and key members of city council on the umbrella organization's five-year plan and to reinforce a September request for $820,000 in multi-year operational funding. Executive director Lucille Bruce provided the organizations strategy to house 1,519 people currently in need and to build more than 1,300 new units by March 31, 2025. It also hopes to stem the flow of people leaving the corrections, health-care and child-welfare systems into homelessness. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Lucille Bruce, CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg, which is trying to house 1,519 people currently in need and to build more than 1,300 new units by 2025. "We are just ramping up; we have key critical priorities that were going to move forward in the next five years," Bruce said. "We ask you to continue providing us with funding at this critical time. This is one of the best investments you can make for the future of Winnipeg." The group is working towards long-term solutions to end chronic homelessness by 2025. It also leads emergency response services and is the interim community representative for the federal government's Reaching Home program, administering $9.3-million in funding for programs and services last year. Bowman acknowledged the homelessness problem and the organization's work, but wanted to know to what extent it has been engaged with the province. "We have key critical priorities that were going to move forward in the next five years." End Homelessness Winnipeg executive director Lucille Bruce "Health and housing are matters of provincial jurisdiction," he said. "If we want to be the most improved province in Canada, let's start with by looking after our most vulnerable and focusing our attention as a province on the health and homelessness needs in our community. "Theres a lot of work that has to happen by all levels of government, and by the private sector and not for profit. We need to get better results. There are far too many people homeless in our community and communities throughout our country." Bowman asked what dialogue, if any, End Homelessness Winnipeg has had with the province about its plans, and whether financial support from the province is sufficient to end homelessness in the next five years. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman asked what dialogue, if any, End Homelessness Winnipeg has had with the province. Bruce said she recently met with Families Minister Heather Stefanson but has not requested meetings with Minister of Indigenous and Northern Relations Eileen Clarke, Health Minister Cameron Friesen or Premier Brian Pallister. Manitoba Housing is represented on End Homelessness Winnipeg's board, she added. "Is it enough? Probably not, but it allows us to move forward on the plan that we've proposed for the next five years," she said. "We have been looking at a financial structure for building housing, currently, that will give us an idea of what is necessary to move forward on building housing for this population." She said Manitoba's approach to social housing is also undergoing a transformation. The Families Department last week released its plan to transition from a housing provider to a funder and regulator. Health and housing are matters of provincial jurisdiction. If we want to be the most improved province in Canada, let's start with by looking after our most vulnerable and focusing our attention as a province on the health and homelessness needs in our community." Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman The provincial report, entitled Shared Priorities Sustainable Progress, said Manitoba Housing will continue to devolve housing management to the non-profit and municipal sectors and upgrade and sell assets, in some cases. In 2014, the city provided End Homelessness Winnipeg with core funding of $750,000 over five years; that agreement expired at the end of 2019. The new funding, if approved during the citys multi-year budgeting process, would support operations, Bruce said, adding the province has also committed $750,000 over three years. The organization also receives funding from United Way Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Ten indigenous musicians are believed to be the recent victims of drug-related violence in western Mexico, according to an article by BBC. Authorities reported, the members of Nahuas indigenous group were returning from a party when they were been attacked in the town of Chilapa in Guerrero state. The victims, all men, aged between 15 and 42, were shot and burned to death by members of Los Ardillos cartel. The Los Ardillos cartel frequently targets indigenous people in the area, reports say. According to David Sanchez Luna, coordinator of the regional indigenous group known as CRAC-PF, the victims who were part of the Sensacion Musical group, were returning to their Alcozacan community on Friday after playing the day before when the gunmen attacked their vehicle at around 14:00 local time (20:00 GMT) in Mexcalcingo. The bodies were unrecognizable due to their worse condition when were found by authorities. The police refused to release them to the families, leading hundreds of indigenous people to block a road on Friday night. In an official statement, the Guerrero prosecutor's office said it was investigating the case. According to local media, Guerrero is one of Mexico's most violent states, where drug gangs including Los Ardillos fight for control of trafficking routes to the Pacific and other parts of the country. Dozens of deaths in recent months, including many indigenous people, have been linked to the said cartel. For many months, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's policy dubbed "abrazos, no balazos" (hugs not bullets), a non-confrontational approach to the cartels focusing, instead, on tackling inequality has been criticized especially after a number of high-profile attacks, including an ambush in which nine members of a Mormon community were killed. Despite the president vow to create a new National Guard with 70,000 members to tackle violence, only few have signed up to the force and amid fear of being killed on the job. In addition, after being pressured President Trump, he has diverted many of the troops to immigration enforcement duties. A report by CFR shows that in 2018, the number of drug-related homicides in Mexico rose to 33,341, a 15 percent increase from the previous year-and a record high. Moreover, Mexican cartels killed at least 130 candidates and politicians in the lead-up to Mexico's 2018 presidential elections. Nearly sixty thousand people have disappeared in Mexico since a crackdown on drug cartels began in 2006, Mexican officials announced. 61,637 of the disappearances date back to 1964, a jump from a 2018 estimate of 40,000 disappearances in the same period, according to New York Times. Since Obrador took office in December 2018, authorities uncovered 873 clandestine burial sites containing more than one thousand bodies, an article by The Guardian says. Moreover, nearly 5,000 people disappeared in Mexico in 2019 and were not found. The president has acknowledged his government's failure to bring down the homicide rate but said that other problems were more important. "I think that the bigger damage has been done by white-collar criminals, whether politicians or businessmen who call themselves entrepreneurs," the leftist leader said at his daily news conference. Studying hard and leaving your car at home while at college will make the car insurance premiums significantly cheaper, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that presents the best 2 car insurance discounts for students. For more info and free car insurance quotes online, check https://compare-autoinsurance.org/the-best-2-car-insurance-discounts-for-students/ Teens are perceived as high-risk drivers. Students below 25 years old make no exception. In fact, some companies may consider students even more predisposed to to accidents and ask for more expensive premiums. Find out more about the existing options to lower the costs. Furthermore, get free car insurance quotes from http://compare-autoinsurance.org/. Good grades student discount is the most valuable discount on the market. Students with a GPA above 3.0 or a B average can qualify for this discount. Companies view hard-working students as more responsible. Plus, they assume that these students spend more time in dorms/at home and study, rather than going out for parties. The value of this discount varies a lot between carriers. The typical range is around 5%- 15%. However, some companies offer a 35% discount to students under 25 years old that complete the teenSMART driver education program. Also, each carrier asks proofs of good grades, like a report card. Some companies may require the student to be on Deans Honorary list in order to grant the discount. The resident student discount is another big discount. This discount is designed for students who study far away from home and leave the car at home. In this way, they do not driver regularly and are less exposed to accidents. Again, the value and requirements for this discount will vary. Generally, the carrier will require documentation to prove that the student is at least 100 miles away from home. The value of the discount is around 20%. Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. For more information, please visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed Scott Morrison, saying he failed to show leadership during the bushfire crisis. Mr Turnbull said the prime minister misled Australians by downplaying the influence of global warming and climate change. 'Everybody knew we were in a very dry time and as a consequence the fire season was likely to be very bad,' he told the BBC. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison and MP Darren Chester visit a resident's property in an area devastated by bushfires in Sarsfield 'So rather than doing what a leader should do and preparing people for that, he downplayed it and then, of course, chose to go away on holiday in Hawaii. 'At the peak of the crisis? I just can't explain any of that. It's just not consistent with the way in which a prime minister would or should act.' Mr Turnbull, who was ousted from leadership and replaced by Mr Morrison in 2018, said he could not explain the current Liberal leader's behaviour. Despite working closely with Mr Morrison and knowing him for 20 years, he said he 'did not know why Scott Morrison has acted the way he has'. 'I can't explain why he didn't meet the former fire commissioners who wanted to see him in March last year to talk about the gravity of the threat,' he said. Mr Morrison has come under heavy criticism over the past month for his handling of Australia's unprecedented bushfire season, which have killed almost 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits the Defence Staging Ground at Kingscote Airport on Kangaroo Island on January 8 Mr Turnbull, who was ousted from leadership and replaced by Mr Morrison in 2018, said he could not explain the current Liberal leader's behaviour (pictured in Victoria on January 3) Mr Turnbull said the prime minister had misled Australians by downplaying the influence of global warming and climate change He faced criticism for not acting quick enough to bolster the nation's firefighting capabilities, and for going on holiday to Hawaii during the crisis. The disaster has bolstered the climate change debate and the government has been criticised for not taking more action. O Monday Karl Stefanovic also slammed Mr Morrison during a live fiery interview on the Today Show in which the host accused the prime minister not doing enough to tackle climate change. Mr Morrison outlined new policies to support bushfire victims, including zero-interest loans for small businesses, but Stefanovic swiftly brought up global warming. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks at fire-damaged properties at Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island on January 8 Stefanovic told the PM: 'I think there is a perception, right or wrong, that you aren't leading the country on climate change' He said: 'The country has been burning. We now have floods. We now have these horrific dust storms. Homes have been lost. We've lost lives. And the country is grieving. Farmers are shooting their own cattle. 'I think there is a perception, right or wrong, that you aren't leading the country on climate change.' The host continued: 'People aren't satisfied with what you are doing. Are you not concerned in any way, shape or form, that you are out of step with what everyday Australians are thinking and feeling during this crisis? And it is a crisis.' Mr Morrison acknowledged that summers are 'longer drier and hotter' than ever before but insisted he was taking action on climate change. Mr Morrison greets troops as he visits an army water purification station at Kingscote Jetty on Kangaroo Island 'We will beat the Kyoto targets and meet and beat the Paris agreements... We will reduce our carbon emissions per capita by half between now and 2030,' he said. 'We are leading the world on renewable investments in technology and energy in this country. These are the facts Karl.' He suggested the state governments need to do more to stop bushfires by way of hazard reduction. The topic of hazard reduction has been a contentious one, held up by climate sceptics on the right of Liberal Party and in the National Party as a major cause of the bushfire crisis. Mr Morrison also said reports that some of his ministers want him to do more on climate change are a 'beat-up'. (Photo: Peter Kenny)Rev. Emmanuel Chikoya, general secretary of the Council of Churches in Zambia t the "FaithInvest: Impactful Cooperation." conference sponsored by the Geneva Agape Foundation, World Council of Churches and the UK-based group FaithInvest on Jan. 17-18 held at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. How can the gap between faith and investments be bridged? Cooperation between different groups was the focus of recent a two-day conference held at the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland with participants from all parts of the planet. It was a rare meeting of the likes of asset managers and clergy, and the solution at the heart of success was how to collaborate for success based on Christian principles. The conference titled: "FaithInvest: Impactful Cooperation" was sponsored by the Geneva Agape Foundation, World Council of Churches (WCC), and the UK-based group FaithInvest. Christian churches and other communities of faith are all economic actors. They and have a vital role to play in the emergence of an economy of life, WCC deputy general secretary Dr. Isabel Apawo Phiri said in remarks. Frederique Seidel, manager of the WCC-UNICEF Global Partnership delivered the message on behalf of Phiri at the conference, which included key members of the ACT Alliance such as DanChurchAid. The 17-18 January conference at the WCC drew 80 participants, including high-powered investors, representatives of international organizations such as the World Bank, the State of Geneva, and of course, representatives of churches and church-based groups. The two key opening speakers were Christoph Stuckelberger, executive director of the Geneva Agape Foundation, and Martin Palmer, president of FaithInvest, from Bristol in the United Kingdom. 'BEING INNOVATIVE' "We want to be innovative. We have a mandate to be innovators in this world from the giver of life and strengthen cooperation. We want to be entrepreneurial in our spirit," said Stuckelberger in his opening remarks. Phiri in her opening remarks said, "Many, though not all, of us who are gathered here today are investors in one way or another. "What brings us together is our deeply faith-rooted concern for those who are in need, and for our beautiful planetary home increasingly threatened by the greatest challenge confronting humanity today: climate change. It is a human-induced phenomenon that we know hits the poor the hardest and is deepening socio-economic inequalities." Palmer for his part said that for many years there appeared to be a dichotomy between faith and investment. "That gap is now closed, partly because the faiths, and particularly Christianity, have found that naturally there is a link. Secondly, because events have somewhat overtaken us," said Palmer referring to the climate change crisis. "It's up to us to actually make the work of business, the work of God," said Palmer. "The major religions in the world own about 14 to 15 percent of the total financial market. Now, that's at the big institutional level. At a smaller level, diocesan, temple, synagogue, etc. it probably takes us to 20 percent," said Palmer. "Religious believers are, whether we like it or not, a major factor in investment wealth." The organizers of the conference said that churches and church-related institutions with their pension funds and capital invest billions of dollars worldwide. "How can these investments become more consistent with the Christian values and have a positive impact on development?" formed much of the debate. (Photo: Peter Kenny) Christoph Stuckelberger, executive director of the Geneva Agape Foundation at the "FaithInvest: Impactful Cooperation" conference sponsored by the Geneva Agape Foundation, the World Council of Churches and the UK-based group FaithInvest on Jan. 17-18 held at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. Bright Mawudor, head of finance and deputy general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), spoke on sustainable church investments in Africa. "For the greater part of its nearly 60 years in existence, the AACC relied heavily (almost 80 percent) on grants from its overseas partners for its programme delivery with little in-built mechanism or strategy for financial independence," said Mawudor. FROM AID RECIPIENT TO DONOR With re-branding the AACC and a financial sustainability strategy, he said the AACC has an ambitious plan to make the organization a 'donor' organization by 2025. Rev. Emmanuel Chikoya, general secretary of the Council of Churches in Zambia, echoed similar sentiments for his group representing most of the churches in his southern African country. Hubert Miyimi Muwana, CEO of State Oil and Gas Company in the Democratic Republic of Congo, spoke of where environmentally less-harmful investments could be made to help his country catch up with global development. Cui Ruitong, a new board member of the GAF Foundation, who is from China, but studies in London, also spoke. Other speakers reflected on how to build innovative bridges using the United Nations and Geneva as a global center. There was also input from Nicholas Niggli, deputy secretary general for the State of Geneva, and Roland Schatz, founder and CEO of the UN Global Sustainability Index Institute, who gave pointers on how to link faith and business. By Trend Kazakhstan and Israel are looking to launch direct flights between countries, Trend reports with reference to the press office of Kazakhstans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The topic was discussed during the meeting between Kazakhstans Ambassador to Israel Satybaldy Burshakov, Director General of the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority Joel Feldshukh and representatives of Israeli airlines. Burshakov informed the aviation experts about the open skies regime at airports in 11 Kazakh cities, which could help establish direct flights between Kazakhstan and Israel. Burshakov also talked economic, tourism, transport and transit potential, investment climate of Kazakhstan, as well as the current situation and prospects of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. He noted that since 2017, Israeli citizens enjoy visa-free regime to enter Kazakhstan, which significantly stimulated an increase in the number of Israelis traveling to Kazakhstan. Currently, Kazakh side is negotiating with Israeli experts on the conclusion of an agreement on mutual visa-free travel for citizens of both countries. Parties agreed that all the mentioned factors create good conditions for opening a direct flight between the two countries, which will undoubtedly be welcomed, first of all, by citizens of both states, business circles, as well expand cultural and humanitarian exchange and business contacts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 08:35:18|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close by Muhammad Tahir ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's southwest port of Gwadar now plays a new role to facilitate transit trade for Afghanistan, a landlocked country in the region, by providing a most economical trade route for the war-torn nation after the first ship of Afghan transit trade arrived at the port recently. Afghan traders use two Pakistani ports, namely Karachi and Qasim in southern Sindh province, for their transit trade, but the Gwadar port in neighboring Balochistan province is an additional facility which is closer to Afghanistan, and moreover, it would give quick clearance of their goods. Experts in Pakistan believed that the start of Afghan transit trade through Gwadar is a right decision in making the port completely functional in boosting regional connectivity and development. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, also chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, told Xinhua that utilizing Gwadar for Afghan transit trade is a positive and potentially historic development as it underlies the significant role that Gwadar will play for regional economic connectivity. "This also opens up possibilities of Afghanistan joining CPEC (the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), which would be welcomed both by Pakistan and China," the senator said. He said such trade opportunities augur well for the Pakistani province of Balochistan as well, since it means closer trade routes and commercial integration and cooperation among neighbors, adding it would also be a plus for the Afghan peace process, which Pakistan and China strongly support. The Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI) said the opening of Gwadar port for the Afghan transit trade will create broader economic viability and choices for business communities. PAJCCI Chairman Zubair Motiwala described the arrival of the first Afghan transit consignment at Gwadar port destined for Afghanistan as a "major breakthrough" and said the Chinese company at Gwadar has also announced incentives for the Afghan traders. Motiwala told Xinhua that the success of handling bulk cargoes in Gwadar will pave way for improving congestion problems in other ports like Karachi and will also nourish competitive landscape that would ensure provision of reasonably priced, high quality services to both domestic and international clients in the region. The Pakistan Embassy in Kabul has said that the arrival of the Afghan transit goods at Gwadar marks the establishment of a new economical trade link between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The consignment of fertilizers would be transported from Gwadar to the Pakistani border town of Chaman covering a total distance of only 1,000 kilometers, according to a statement of the embassy. It would be the shortest distance in the region for Afghan transit goods from any seaport to Afghan cities including Kabul and southern Kandahar. The functioning of Gwadar for Afghan transit trade would bring down the costs of imports and therefore the cost of living in Afghanistan. More than 60 percent of Afghan transit trade is already plying through Torkham, a major Pakistani crossing into Afghanistan, in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan had signed a transit trade agreement in 1965 and revised in 2010, which calls for better facilitation in the movement of goods between the two countries. U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (1st L), U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (2nd L) and other impeachment managers arrive at the Senate Chamber before the start of the Senate impeachment trial on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 21, 2020. The impeachment trial against U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off Tuesday in the Senate as the chamber debated, and would later vote on, a resolution stipulating rules guiding the process. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The impeachment trial against U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off Tuesday in the Senate as the chamber debated, and would later vote on, a resolution stipulating rules guiding the process. With Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the session and the Senate clerk finishing reading the draft resolution proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the two opposing sides - House managers as prosecutors and Trump's legal defense team - debated the trial rules. Speaking on the Senate floor on behalf of the lawyers representing Trump in the trial, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone defended McConnell's draft resolution. "We support this resolution. It is a fair way to proceed with this trial," he said. In a last-minute change to his original resolution, McConnell extended the duration of the 24-hour time slot granted to each of the two opposing sides in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial for their opening statements from two days to three days. The resolution was firmly opposed by Democrats. "We believe that once you hear the initial presentations, the only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong, and that these articles of impeachment do not begin to approach the standard required by the Constitution," said Cipollone. Trump was impeached in December by the Democratic-controlled House, which passed two articles of impeachment accusing him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has led the House impeachment inquiry and who now heads the team of House managers, denounced McConnell's proposal, saying "the resolution should allow the House managers to call their witnesses, and then the President should be allowed to do the same and any rebuttal witnesses." "Why should this trial be different than any other trial? The short answer is it shouldn't. But leader McConnell's resolution would turn the trial process on its head," Schiff, a California Democrat, said, adding that "the president places himself beyond accountability, above the law." McConnell's four-page resolution does not require additional witnesses to be subpoenaed and does not allow House prosecutors to admit evidence into the Senate trial record until after the opening arguments are heard. Instead, the resolution allows for a motion to be introduced to dismiss the impeachment charges by a simple majority vote in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. Democrats had demanded that whether to subpoena new witnesses or request additional documents be decided before the start of the trial. In a statement Monday bashing McConnell's resolution, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would be "offering amendments to address the many flaws in this deeply unfair proposal and to subpoena the witnesses and documents we have requested." McConnell in a floor speech Tuesday ahead of the debate vowed to block early votes on witnesses. "If a senator moves to amend the resolution in order to subpoena specific witnesses or documents, I will move to table such motions because the Senate will decide those questions later in the trial," said the Kentucky Republican. Schumer seized the opportunity of McConnell changing his resolution to press for calling witnesses and producing documents. "The public is understanding how unfair Senator McConnell's trial rules are and Republican Senators are beginning to tell him to change them," the New York senator said in a statement. "The real test will be if they pressure Senator McConnell to allow witnesses and documents." Later during the trial, Schumer offered up his first amendment to the resolution, saying that it requested to "subpoena certain documents and records from the White House." The amendment was subsequently debated in the chamber. "I just took the floor to demand a vote to subpoena the witnesses and documents needed for a fair trial," Schumer tweeted in the meantime. "Will Senate Republicans vote for a fair trial? Or will they enable a cover-up?" Washington The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Tuesday with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two late-night sessions and Democrats arguing for more witnesses to expose Trump's "trifecta" of offenses. The turn of events was a setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the president's legal team, exposing a crack in the GOP ranks and the growing political unease over the historic impeachment proceedings unfolding before a watchful public in an election year. Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session, with House prosecutors on one side, Trump's team on the other, in the well of the Senate, as senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to do "impartial justice." No cellphones or other electronics were allowed. Opening day stretched deep into the night. Senators remained as the clock passed 9:30 p.m., while Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony. However, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department and budget office, with more votes expected rejecting key witnesses with a front-row seat to Trump's actions. By the same 53-47 party-line vote, senators turned aside the Democrats' request to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. McConnell stunned senators and delayed the start of proceedings with his decision to back off some of his proposed rules. Republicans were said to be concerned over the political optics of "dark-of-night" sessions. Instead, 24 hours of opening arguments for each side will be spread over three days, for a moment swelling Democrats' momentum as they push to break the standoff over calling new witnesses. As the visitors' gallery filled with guests, and Trump's most ardent House allies lining the back rows, the day quickly took on the cadence of a trial proceeding over whether the president's actions toward Ukraine warranted removal from office. "It's time to start with this trial," said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the president's lead lawyer, voicing impatience as the proceedings opened in public after weeks of delay. Cipollone scoffed that the House charges against Trump were "ridiculous," insisting that the president "has done absolutely nothing wrong." The White House legal team did not dispute Trump's actions: He called Ukraine and asked for a "favor," which was to investigate Democrat Joe Biden as the U.S. was withholding military aid the ally desperately needed as it faced off with hostile Russia on its border. But the lawyers insisted the president did nothing wrong. "Absolutely no case," Cipollone said. Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, opened for the prosecution, saying America's founders added the remedy of impeachment in the Constitution with "precisely this type of conduct in mind conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit, that undermines our national security, and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election." Said Schiff: "It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment." The other lead lawyer on Trump's team, Jay Sekulow, retorted, "I'll give you a trifecta," outlining complaints over the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry process. The impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trump's actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House. All four senators who are presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. "My focus is going to be on impeachment," Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told reporters. The day began as a debate over rules, and it was only when the clerk started reading the dry language of the resolution that the hand-written changes became apparent. McConnell made the adjustment after encountering resistance from Republicans during a closed-door lunch meeting. Senators worried about the public reaction to cramming the 24 hours of opening arguments from each side into just two days. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, along with a substantial number of other Republicans, wanted to make the changes, according to people familiar with the situation. Some senators argued that the two-day limit would have helped Democrats cast Republicans as squeezing testimony through in the dead of night. Collins and Murkowski, who often ally to buck GOP leadership, sat side by side in the Senate through the day's proceedings. The turnaround was a swift lesson as White House wishes run into the reality of the Senate. The White House wanted a session kept to a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night, according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorized to discuss it in public. "READ THE TRANSCRIPTS!" the president tweeted from overseas, at a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland. That's the transcript of his phone call in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for "a favor." The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Trump, though he repeatedly describes it as "perfect." A whistleblower's complaint led the House to impeach Trump last month on a charge of abuse of power for pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Biden and his son Hunter Biden as the White House was withholding military aid from Ukraine. Trump also was impeached on a second charge, of obstruction of Congress, in the House probe. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York said Republican senators "felt the heat" and it "shows that they can make other changes, and that we can get documents and witnesses." Schumer offered the first of several amendments to the rules to issue subpoenas for to the White House for "all documents, communications and other records" relating to the Ukraine matter. It was rejected on a party-line vote, as were the others. Trump's legal team absent its TV-showcase attorneys, Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr, who were not in the chamber argued that in seeking new evidence the House was bringing a half-baked case that would be thrown out in any other court of law. But Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, one of the House managers and the first woman to argue for the prosecution in a presidential impeachment trial, said the House wasn't asking the Senate to do the job for them. "The House is asking the Senate to do its job, to have a trial," she said. "Have you ever heard of a trial without evidence?" The White House had instructed officials not to testify in the House inquiry and refused to turn over witnesses or documents, citing what is says is precedence in defiance of congressional subpoenas. The ambassadors and national security officials who did appear before the House delivered often-striking testimony, highlights of which were displayed on television screens during the Senate proceeding. One manager, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, showed Mulvaney's own press conference comments about Trump's rationale for withholding the Urkaine aid. At one point, Democrat Schiff displayed video of Trump himself suggesting there should be more witnesses testifying. "Don't blind yourself to the evidence," Schiff told the senators. "The facts will come out in the end," he said. " The question is, will it come out in time?" Legal scholars have long contended that the framers of the Constitution provided impeachment as a remedy for "other high crimes and misdemeanors," a particularly broad definition that doesn't mean simply specific criminal acts. Democrats point in particular to a General Accountability Office report that found the White House violated federal law by stalling money to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds vote needed for conviction. Deborah Symond O'Neil is just weeks away from welcoming her first child with husband Ned O'Neil. And according to her Instagram Story posts on Wednesday, the Aussie Home Loans heiress isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The blonde beauty was pictured enjoying a scenic drive in a vintage Mercedes-Benz car, before soaking up the sun at a waterside location in Sydney. No slowing down! Aussie Home Loans heiress Deborah Symond O'Neil (pictured) showed off her lavish lifestyle in a series of Instagram Story posts on Wednesday, as she prepares to welcome her first child with property developer husband Ned O'Neil 'Brekkie Bound,' Deborah captioned a close-up photo of the luxury vehicle's front leather seats. The blonde beauty then treated fans to a look at her healthy breakfast at an outdoor cafe, that consisted of an oat and fruit medley and freshly squeezed orange juice. Deborah was later seen in a short clip driving to a beachside destination for her 'last swim' ahead of giving birth. Nice ride: 'Brekkie Bound,' Deborah captioned a close-up photo of the front leather seats of a vintage Mercedes-Benz car Healthy: She then treated fans to a look at her healthy breakfast at an outdoor cafe, that consisted of an oat and fruit medley and freshly squeezed orange juice Deborah also captioned waterside views: 'The most special break before Baby O's arrival,' tagging husband Ned The owner of high-end leisurewear store Mode Sportif also captioned waterside views: 'The most special break before Baby O's arrival,' tagging husband Ned. Deborah announced her pregnancy in an Instagram post in August last year. 'Smiling for two! We are overjoyed to welcome our little one into the world in February!' she penned online. The socialite rose to prominence after her elaborate wedding to Ned become national news in April 2018. Deborah walked down the aisle surrounded by 120 esteemed guests and the couple's very famous fathers, including Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond. Not long now: Deborah announced her pregnancy in an Instagram post in August last year. She is due to give birth in February Headlines: The socialite rose to prominence after her elaborate wedding to Ned O'Neil (pictured) become national news in April 2018 Hamilton Island's exclusive Qualia resort was booked out for the three-day long celebration. The couple exchanged vows in front of Mr Symond and Ned's father Denis O'Neil, a superyacht broker and owner of Rose Bay Marina. The couple flew 120 guests, including the 10 men and women in their wedding party, to North Queensland. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald's Private Sydney, newly-married Ned said: 'I am marrying the love of my life and I am the happiest man on earth to be able to share the rest of it with Deb.' Extravagant: Hamilton Island's exclusive Qualia resort was booked out for the three-day long celebration C hina has confirmed 440 people have now contracted a mysterious Sars-like virus that has killed nine people. Japan, Taiwan and South Korea reported one case each and Thailand three. Foreign tourists have also been banned from North Korea to guard against the spread, tour operators have said. Medical staff carry a box as they walk at the Jinyintan hospital / REUTERS Deputy Director of the National Health Commission Li Bin said all the nine deaths had been in Hubei province. This is where the first illnesses from the new coronavirus were reported in December. Many countries have adopted screening measures out of concern about a global outbreak similar to Sars, another coronavirus that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003. Authorities are particularly concerned about travellers arriving from Wuhan, the central eastern city where the virus appears to have originated. Pedestrians wear protective masks as they walk through a shopping district in Tokyo / AP In China, face masks sold out and officials at airports and train stations checked passengers for fevers as the country sought to control the outbreak. Guards at Wuhan's airport pointed electronic thermometers at travellers. Anxiety grew at home and abroad after Chinese government expert Zhong Nanshan confirmed fears on state television late on Monday that the new type of coronavirus can spread from human to human. The US on Tuesday reported its first case, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicentre was taken to hospital near Seattle. Security personnel wearing masks seen at the Jinyintan hospital in China / REUTERS Travel to North Korea was temporarily suspended as of Wednesday, the Beijing-based Uri Tours said on its website citing its partners in Pyongyang. North Korea has not reported any cases of the new coronavirus but its state media have reported about the outbreak in China to try to increase public awareness of the disease and its symptoms. It is not known how long the travel suspension will last or what protocols will be implemented. Most foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese or people who travel to the North from China, its major diplomatic ally and biggest aid benefactor. Listen to today's episode of The Leader: Japanese electronics firm Sharp on Wednesday said it is looking to scale up its air purifier business in India as it aims to cater to demand in both consumer as well as B2B space, a top company official said. The company, which has received approval from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for the efficacy of its plasmacluster ion technology to tackle toxic air pollutants, currently sells 10 models in the personal air purifier segment. The Japanese company has also started catering to institutional sales. "We are looking to bring in various kinds of applications in the personal air purifier space and are also eyeing opportunity in the B2B space," Sharp Business Systems (India) Managing Director Shinji Minatogawa told PTI. He said the company is working to develop air purifiers with added features like the ones with function to kill mosquitoes. "Besides, in B2B space there is demand from various entities like hospitals, offices," Minatogawa said. He said that air purifier segment in India remained small in despite several regions facing air pollution problem. "The market remains around 3-3.5 lakh units per annum which is very small. In Japan where population is just around 120 million the market is more than 2 million units annually," Minatogawa said. The company has around 20 per cent market share in volume terms in the home air purifiers segment in India. On Wednesday, the company came out with findings of a study conducted in association with IIT Delhi. The study demonstrated the efficacy of company's plasmacluster ion technology (PCI) to r2move polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the toxic air pollutants. Sharp and IIT Delhi selected three types of PAHs to test the effectiveness of PCI. "The PCI technology of Sharp is experimentally prove to be successful in eliminating particle bound PAHs from toxic air," IIT Delhi, Associate Professor Sagnik Dey said. Sharp Business Systems is wholly-owned Indian subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Op/Ed by Chris Devonshire-Ellis India and Russia are currently engaged in discussions concerning a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which consists of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. There are good reasons to believe this will happen in 2020 as these markets offer Indian manufacturers and producers access to a combined EAEU market of 173 million people, while acknowledging that Russian businesses are less likely to be as disruptive to the Indian market as say for example the China alternative. Comments I made on this were recently highlighted in Japans Nikkei Asian Review last week. Bilateral trade has been increasing in recent years, although it is still way under the latent potential. Both are members of the BRICS grouping and the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi attended the Far Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last year. I discussed the outcome of that forum in the article India-Russia Business Ties Developing in Energy, Shipping, Agriculture, and Jewelry Fields. India is in the market for oil and gas supplies and has been buying LNG from Russias Yamal facility in the Arctic. India also sees opportunities for developing specific vessels to transport that gas, with a potential shipyard being in sited in Gujarat, Modis political base. The two countries have stressed their need to develop trade, with Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Putin pledging to raise bilateral trade to US$30 billion by 2025. But what else do the two countries trade? Indian exports to Russia Indian exports to Russia are on an upward trend, a situation that will further, and sharply, increase should an EAEU FTA materialize. If so, this is good news for Indian producers of generic medicines, tea, canned vegetables, grapes and raisins, rice, coffee and coffee extracts, and related consumables, such as spices, herbs, and essences. Russian exports to India Exports of beans to feed Indian consumers have grown to US$14.5 million from just US$2 million in the past two years, while sales of sunflower seeds and other oil-producing crops have also increased. Russian radar equipment as well as compasses and other navigational products also became important exports to India, while areas of growth include uncut diamonds, silver, mineral and chemical fertilizers, crude and petrochemicals, machinery, synthetic rubber, polymers, plastic products, and paper and other products. Businesses in either India or Russia looking to take advantage should be discussing business intelligence and market research programs to properly define the size and accessibility of these respective markets both are huge countries and a program to maximize initial investments and where need to be developed. This is where our firm can assist Dezan Shira & Associates maintain offices in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore and can assist with developing business plans for Russian producers looking at the Indian market. We also have representation in Moscow and St. Petersburg and can assist Indian producers to understand and develop a business case for Russia. Enquiries should be sent, in both instances, to Maria Kotova at india@dezshira.com. While I do not expect an India-EAEU FTA to be signed until later in the year, it is wise to prepare. Such an FTA will provide excellent opportunities for Indian businesses to access the Russian and Eurasian Economic Union markets, and time should be invested to understand where the opportunities lie. Fire crews are bracing for the return of severe fire conditions with hot and windy weather forecast across Australia's east. Although fire grounds across NSW have received rainfall in the past week, the RFS has warned forecast high temperatures and winds could see fire activity increase on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to reach 40C in Nowra on the South Coast, 43C in Penrith in western Sydney, 41C in Cessnock in the Hunter region and 42C in Bulahdelah on the mid-north coast. Low humidity and very strong northwesterly winds have crews bracing a potentially dangerous day, NSW RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said. Heatwave ahead: Temperatures are expected to reach 40C in Nowra on the South Coast, 43C in Penrith in western Sydney, 41C in Cessnock in the Hunter region and 42C in Bulahdelah on the mid-north coast NSW is bracing for dangerous fire conditions as high temperatures and winds could see fire activity increase on Thursday 'There is a broad area of severe and very high fire danger and areas of extreme fire danger,' Mr Shepherd said on Wednesday. 'All fire grounds have received some rainfall and that has greatly reduced some fire activity but we might still see some fire grounds pick up and move tomorrow.' Severe and possible extreme fire danger ratings are expected in Illawarra-Shoalhaven, Southern Highlands, greater Hunter and northwest NSW. Total fire bans were in place on Wednesday in the state's southwest, far west and northwest where the fire danger rating was listed as severe. The Bureau of Meteorology on Wednesday issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds in parts of the Riverina, Snowy Mountains and far western NSW. Winds averaging up to 65km/h with gusts of 90km/h are expected on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening. Winds averaging up to 65km/h with gusts of 90km/h are expected on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening More than 60 fires continued to burn across the state as of Tuesday night with 16 yet to be contained. Officials fear dry and hot conditions may flare up current fires. (Pictured: Service crews fight the Gospers Mountain Fire last month) The BOM warned Thursday's damaging winds may extend to the southern tablelands, the central tablelands, the Illawarra and south coast. The warning comes after severe thunderstorms hit Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong on Monday, leaving homes and businesses without power. More than 60 fires continued to burn across the state as of Tuesday night with 16 yet to be contained. More than 1100 firefighters were in the field. Parts of Victoria are also bracing for severe fire danger after two stormy days brought rain to fire-affected areas as well as a trail of further destruction. A heatwave on Wednesday morning was forecast to bring temperatures into the high 30s and strong winds with speeds of up to 50km/h in parts of the state. The Country Fire Authority is concerned the weather conditions will not only threaten to flare up current fires in the east but also to start new blazes in western and central Victoria. Temperatures are expected to reach 40C in areas of the South Coast. Pictured: A firefighter tackles a bushfire south of Nowra on January 5 A total fire ban was in place across all western and central areas of Victoria, as fast-running grassfires might mean firefighters will struggle to extinguish new blazes sparking on Wednesday. Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Kevin Parkyn said the state has experienced 'merry-go-round weather' over the last few days. 'We've gone from fires and storms and floods and giant hail the size of limes to fire danger escalating on our doorstep.' This new spin of weather conditions comes after heavy rainfall resulted in thousands of people calling emergency services for help. The State Emergency Service has received 2220 calls for assistance since rain lashed the state on Sunday afternoon, followed by another bout of storms on Monday. Storm clouds over Sydney Harbour gave some relief after weeks of intense bushfires 1500 NSW volunteer firefighters rejoiced in the rain which helped put out 49 fires since last Saturday. These two volunteers are pictured at the One Mile fire near Port Stephens, NSW The majority of calls have been for building damage, with about 300 for trees down and 250 for flooding. The rain fell hardest on Monday at Gippsland's Mount Moornapa, which received 139mm, marking its wettest day since 2007. Melbourne recorded 44mm of rain on Tuesday, which marked its highest 24 hour rainfall since 2011. Lighter showers in East Gippsland and the north east have helped firefighters fight the active blazes ravaging the region, but have also caused damage to roads and landslips. But crews have managed to get roads open for residents despite the fire and rain. Meanwhile in Queensland, forecasters have issued its first flood warning since May last year for a shire that's been fully drought-declared for six long, hard years. The past week of showers and storms has pushed the Paroo River at Caiwarro, in outback Bulloo shire, to minor flood levels. More rain is expected over the catchment in coming days, the river at Hungerford is likely to exceed that on Wednesday or Thursday. That would be a small miracle for southwestern communities that have been drought declared since January 2014. The American Red Cross has extended its urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross now has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves. O so needed Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood available for patient emergencies and medical treatments. Type O+ blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. While just 7% of the U.S. population has type O- blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isnt time to determine a patients blood type. Local blood donation opportunities Jan. 23, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Washington County Memorial Hospital, 300 Health Way, Potosi Jan. 27, 2-7 p.m., First Baptist Church, 210 North A St., Farmington Jan. 28, 2:30-6:30 p.m., Bloomsdale Elementary School, 6279 US Highway 61 Jan. 30, 2-7 p.m., United Methodist Church - Desloge, 800 S. Grant Feb. 7, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Farmington High School, 1 Black Knight Dr., Farmington Feb. 10, 2:30-6:30 p.m., Washington County Library, 235 East High St., Potosi Feb. 13, 1:30-6 p.m., Parkland Health Mart Pharmacy, 1131 North Desloge Dr., Desloge Feb. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, 800 Ste. Genevieve Dr. Help replenish the blood supply Every day, the Red Cross must collect nearly 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations for patients who rely on blood to survive. Shortfalls in donations can cause delays in essential medical care for patients like 12-year-old Dagan Hawkins. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in November, Dagan has required platelet and blood transfusions during his cancer treatments. There was a time when they needed to have blood products delivered from another hospital because they were unavailable there, said Dustin Hawkins, Dagans father. Donors of all blood types especially types O+ and O- are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BANGKOK An American journalist whose work for a conservation website exposed environmental degradation and corporate malfeasance in Indonesia has been jailed by the countrys immigration authorities on suspicion that he violated the conditions of his visa, his attorney said on Wednesday. Philip Jacobson, an editor for the environmental science website Mongabay, was traveling on a business visa in the city of Palangkaraya on Borneo when he was detained on Dec. 17 and ordered to remain in the city while the authorities investigated his case, according to an article on Mongabays website. On Tuesday, the immigration authorities took him into custody and put him in the main jail in Palangkaraya, said his lawyer, Aryo Nugroho, the head of Indonesian Legal Aid in the city. Mr. Aryo said the case appeared to focus on Mr. Jacobsons use of a business visa instead of a journalism visa during his travels in the country and did not appear to be motivated by concern over a particular article produced by Mongabay. Left red-faced after it turned out that the dwellers of a shanty town in North Bengalurus Kariyammana Agrahara area whose huts were razed because they were 'illegal Bangladeshi immigrants' were, in fact, Indian citizens the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bengaluru Police have refused to take the responsibility of the demolition drive. BCCL On Wednesday the Chief Justice of Karnataka Abhay Shreeniwas Oka lashed out at the BBMP and the Bengaluru Police after they shied away from taking responsibility for the act. Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the forceful eviction the High Court issued a temporary stay over the demolition and also directed the BBMP officials and Bangalore City Police to submit a detailed report explaining the grounds and the rules under which the demolition was carried out. BCCL Justice Shreeniwas Oka to ask the state to take the blame for the demolition. The nearly 300 huts were built on private properties and were unauthorized. A few days ago BJP MLA Arvind Limbavali had tweeted a video of the area, claiming that the settlements belong to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. BCCL "Few people have taken shelter under illegally constructed sheds located in Kariyammana Agrahara of Bellandur which is within the jurisdiction of our Mahadevapura Assembly constituency. Illegal activities were taking place in those Sheds and the environment was spoiled without cleanliness, hence the area was a site of illegal activity. This was brought to my notice through social media. The concerned authorities were instructed to take action against it. Officials are reviewing and taking action. Residents from other areas have settled here, some of them are suspect to be illegal immigrants of Bangladesh," the MLA had said in a series of tweets. Few people have taken shelter under illegally constructed sheds located in Kariyammana Agrahara of Bellanduru which is within the jurisdiction of our Mahadevapura Assembly constituency. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/WjvmWlSE55 Aravind Limbavali (@ArvindLBJP) January 12, 2020 However, after the demotions were carried out it came to light that all the residents were Indian citizens, mostly from Assam, Tripura and West Bengal. There were also several people who had come to Bengaluru from flood-ravaged North Karnataka in search of a livelihood. BCCL People's union for civil liberties (PUCL) which filed the PIL against the demolition had argued that the evictions were illegal. It was an illegal drive; BBMP never consulted the dwellers. Did it conduct a survey to find out who was living in the area? There were residents of north Karnataka who had moved to the city after severe floods, and people from Bihar and West Bengal and other parts of the country. I am shocked how BBMP came to a conclusion that everyone were illegal Bangladesh immigrants. Lekha Adavi, an advocate-activist, told Times of India. Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is the latest royal to embark on a last-minute tour. And while were obviously excited about her upcoming outfits, her social mission for the trip is definitely applause-worthy. Today, Buckingham Palace announced that the 55-year-old countess will travel to Sierra Leone at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from Wednesday, January 22, to Thursday January, 23. (Yep, like, this week.) Its not clear why the trip appears to be so last minute, but the palace did explain how Countess Sophie will spend her time abroad. According to the royal familys website, Prince Edwards wife of 21 years will attend a host of events in Freetown, Sierra Leone, that center on addressing sexual and gender-based violence, supporting survivors, and championing womens role in peacebuilding. Twenty years after the country was locked in a devastating civil war, Her Royal Highness will learn how the nation has moved forward. Shell also get a glimpse into how the Special Court and Truth of Reconciliation Commission have helped survivors of the war cope in the time thats passed. In terms of a specific agenda, Sophie will join a roundtable discussion on societal issues and the continued violence faced by women and girls in Sierra Leone. Shell learn more about what measures are being taken to help women feel more comfortable reporting rape and how family planning services and education are becoming more accessible. One of the ways shell see this work in action is during a visit to a secondary school supported by the U.K. government that aims to keep girls safe and focused on their education. Additionally, Her Royal Highness will meet with women involved in the government, armed forces, civil society and communities and will show support for their mission to bolster peace, equality and safety in Sierra Leone. Were loving this empowering agenda. RELATED: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Just Showed Us How to Wear a Puffer Coat Like a Royal Forget flowers and chocolates. This Valentines Day, you can get the love of your life something truly special: A stay at Juliets real house in Verona, Italy. Just in time for the holiday, Airbnb announced that one lucky lovestruck couple will get to be the first to spend the night in the historic house that has long been believed to be the real home of Shakespeares Juliet. Courtesy of Airbnb Juliets House is the most important museum in the city of Verona, attracting millions of visitors every year, Federico Sboarina, mayor of Verona Municipality, said in a statement. Partnering with Airbnb brings the widely known Shakespearian myth of Romeo and Juliet to life in a way never before offered. We are excited to promote our cultural heritage, share traditions that were previously safeguarded, and bring international visibility to the city of Verona. The home, known as Casa di Giulietta, has drawn thousands of romantics who come to see its iconic balcony. And now, one winner and their partner will be given unprecedented access to the 13th-century building, including the balcony. During the stay, the couple will be waited on by a personal butler and treated to a romantic candlelit dinner prepared by two-Michelin-star chef Giancarlo Perbellini. After the feast, the couple will retire to Juliets medieval-themed bedroom, which happens to feature Letto di Giulietta (a.k.a. the original bed used in Zeffirellis classic 1960s movie, Romeo and Juliet). Courtesy of Airbnb Courtesy of Airbnb Every day, countless new connections are made across the world by people traveling on Airbnb, creating new friendships and sometimes new love. Since 2008, an estimated one million guests have hosted their weddings on Airbnb, Giacomo Trovato, general manager for Italy at Airbnb, shared in a statement. This stay will give one couple the unique chance to celebrate their love in what is possibly the most romantic home in the history of literature For a chance to win, applicants must pen their own letter to Juliet, sharing their love story and why they and their partner would be the perfect guests. Entries can be submitted at airbnb.com/juliet until 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 2, 2020. An Australian dairy farmer has slammed the government for handing a huge milk contract to the Chinese and 'making him look like a fool'. Sunshine Coast business Maleny Dairies lost out on a bid to supply fresh milk and dairy products to some of Queensland's major hospitals. Owner and director Ross Hopper has described the government selection progress as hogwash, calling them as hypocritical for claiming to support local business while giving contracts to overseas companies. Scroll down for video Ross and Sally Hopper (pictured) operate Maleny Dairys on the Sunshine Coast Instead of the local supplier the Queensland government awarded the contract to two overseas companies- the Chinese owned Lion Dairy and Drinks, and French-owned Lactalis. It comes despite a multi-billion dollar initiative launched last year by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called 'Buy Queensland', which set out to prioritise local businesses and jobs. Since losing the contract dairy farmer Ross Hopper has accused the government of 'complete hypocrisy' for spruiking the policy and failing to follow through. 'The campaign that they ran just made us look like fools for even applying,' Mr Hopper said. 'They were telling us yeah, yeah definitely submit your tenders and have a go- and they just blatantly give it to overseas companies. 'What they said is hogwash and we're sick of being made to look like fools. We're not going to take it any longer,' he said. He's now won the support of Queensland Liberal Party Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington, who launched a petition on Wednesday to overturn the decision. The outraged dairy farmer has now won the support of Queensland Liberal Party Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington (pictured) Speaking to the media, the LNP member issued a scathing attack on the Labor Queensland State government and state premier. 'It's obvious that Annastacia Palaszczuk has ripped off companies like Maleny Dairies. They haven't got it right. And when it comes to 'buy local', 'buy local' means utilising local companies, ' she said. 'We need to make sure the buy local policy in Queensland is not laughed out of this state but is actually used for the benefit of local businesses.' Ms Frecklington wants the government to review its decision and consider revoking the contract awarded to the foreign-owned companies. The petition will need 10,000 signatures for it to be debated on the floor of parliament. The operators of a dairy farm in Queensland say the government's failing to support local farmers despite launching a multi-million dollar 'buy Queensland' campaign in 2019 Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles responded to the criticism in a press conference on Wednesday and in a series of social media posts. 'I want to clear a few things up about a contract awarded recently for milk for some of our biggest hospitals. It's a local contract sourcing local milk and supporting local jobs,' he said. 'The contract went to Pauls which sources milk from 141 family owned QLD dairies. Pauls has been QLD-based since the 1930s. That hasnt changed. They employ 700 Qlders and keep 45% of QLD dairy farms going. 'It's really important to note that no foreign milk will be imported for this contract. We support Qlders and QLD businesses, he said. Minister Miles said the decision not to give the contract to the Sunshine Coast dairy group was because the small supplier didn't have the capacity. 'In this instance, Maleny Dairies couldnt supply the volume the hospitals needed. Unfortunately, it couldnt provide the low-fat products needed to care for sick people,' he said. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / GREAT ATLANTIC RESOURCES CORP. (TSXV:GR) (the "Company" or "Great Atlantic") is pleased to announce it has received analyses for samples collected within a new target area at its 100% owned South Quarry Tungsten Property, located in east-central Newfoundland. Multiple samples returned anomalous tungsten values. The highlight was a bedrock grab sample, weighing 1.02 kilograms, which returned 0.871% tungsten or 1.10% WO3 (W% x 1.26 equals WO3). The new target area is located within the northern region of the property and northeast of the quarry referred to as the South Quarry. The Company previously confirmed high grade tungsten at the South Quarry. Tungsten mineralization in the new target area occurs in quartz-dominant veins being exposed in bedrock at a historic trench / stripped area. A grab sample from one vein returned 1.10% WO3. 2015 Great Atlantic high-grade tungsten samples from rubble and bedrock at the South Quarry and an adjacent smaller quarry (News Release of November 19, 2015) include: Eleven rubble grab samples exceeded 5% WO3. A 20-centimeter long channel sample along a 15-centimeter wide vein returned 2.96% WO3. A grab sample from a 25-centimeter wide vein in the South Quarry returned 11.94% WO3. Historic trench / stripped area in new target area with tungsten-bearing quartz-dominant veins Tungsten mineralization (scheelite) was located during the 2019 program within a new target area in the northern region of the property. Scheelite-bearing, quartz-dominant veins were located within bedrock at a historic trench / stripped area in this new target area. A Qualified Person supervised the 2019 program and verified sample data. The samples were analyzed by ALS Canada Ltd., including tungsten analysis by Lithium Borate Fusion followed by ICP-MS analysis. ALS Canada Ltd. is independent of Great Atlantic. A grab sample from a sub-vertical, northwest-southeast striking, quartz-dominant vein (approximately 3 centimeters wide) returned 0.871% W (1.10% WO3). Four other outcrop grab and rubble samples of quartz-rich vein material from the same area returned anomalous values of 42 to 177 parts per million (ppm) tungsten. A Qualified Person also supervised the 2015 program and verified the sample data. The 2015 samples were also analyzed at ALS Canada Ltd. by Lithium Borate Fusion followed by ICP-MS analysis with some samples re-analyzed by XRF. David Martin, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and VP Exploration for Great Atlantic, is responsible for the technical information contained in this News Release. Christopher R. Anderson, President, CEO. and Director, stated "Mr. Martin and Myself were an integral part of the initial Management team that advanced the Sisson Tungsten-Molybdenum Project in New Brunswick, an advanced stage project currently operated by Northcliff Resources Ltd. We understand the tungsten market and feel that the South Quarry Tungsten Property, although early stage, has the ear marks of being a significant asset for the company." The South Quarry Property covers an area of 1,925 hectares. Access to the property is excellent with a paved road transecting the property. On Behalf of the board of directors "Christopher R Anderson" Mr. Christopher R. Anderson "Always be positive, strive for solutions, and never give up" President CEO Director 604-488-3900 - Dir Investor Relations: Please call 604-488-3900 About Great Atlantic Resources Corp.: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of mineral assets in the resource-rich and sovereign risk-free realm of Atlantic Canada, one of the number one mining regions of the world. Great Atlantic is currently surging forward building the company utilizing a Project Generation model, with a special focus on the most critical elements on the planet that are prominent in Atlantic Canada, Antimony, Tungsten and Gold. This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. 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 exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. 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. Great Atlantic Resource Corp. 888 Dunsmuir Street - Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4 SOURCE: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573749/Great-Atlantic-Resources-Sample-Returns-110-WO3-from-New-Target-Area-at-Its-100-Owned-South-Quarry-Tungsten-Property-Central-Newfoundland Advertisement The real-life owners of the stunning red-and-white wooden home where much of the, erm, action takes place in the second series of cult teen Netflix drama Sex Education say they've been 'inundated' with requests by fans to stay at their Herefordshire home. The property, known as the Chalet lies in the picturesque Wye Valley at Symonds Yat, doubles up as the home central character Otis (Asa Butterfield) shares with his embarrassing sex therapist mother Dr Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson). Stuart Morgan, 53, a semi-retired insurance broker from Herefordshire, says he's hoping the property, which he bought as a 'wreck' for 355,000 in 2002, will now be worth in the 'millions' thanks to the 'Netflix effect'. Scroll down for video When Hollywood comes calling: Viewers have fallen in love with the 1912 wooden property, made in Norway originally, which sits on the banks of the River Wye at Symonds Yat in Herefordshire - and is the home of central character Otis (Asa Butterfield) in Sex Education The second series of the Netflix cult teen comedy once again heavily features the stunning red home that doubles up as the house of Gillian Anderson's sex therapist character Dr Jean Milburn (Anderson pictured in the latest series of Sex Education) The second series of the raunch-filled show has proved just as popular as the first. (Pictured: stars Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) The 'kissing gate': In season one, the gate lived up to its name when when Ola and Otis (Patricia Allison) smooched at it The Chalet's owner, Stuart Morgan, a semi-retired insurance broker from the area, says it's surreal seeing Gillian Anderson hanging out on the deck which he built a few years after buying the property - for 350,000 - in 2002 Terrace talk: The family created the terrace after living in the house for a few years to make the most of the property's stunning location; it's been a focal point for mother-and-son conversations during the second series of the hit show (pictured right: Otis and Jean sit reading on the terrace) Sharing photos of what the property really looks like inside - the show's interior shots are filmed elsewhere, he told FEMAIL it's been a surreal experience watching the family home that he bought with his wife Cathy when his children were 'babies' become the object of people's desires. And even stranger seeing Gillian Anderson opening their front door. Those watching the second series at home have found themselves distracted from the hormone-filled action by the colourful riverside property, which plays host to some of Dr Milburn's more unusual patients during the series. Following the release of the second series of Laurie Nunn's must-watch comedy earlier this month, social media has been awash with people fawning over the historic property, which was originally made in Norway at the turn of the last century. Gillian Anderson's character is frequently seen reading copies of the fictional National Echo on the property's stunning terrace, which affords views of the River Wye and its verdant banks. Morgan, 53, says he's been overwhelmed by social media posts about the house, saying: 'We've had an unbelievable amount of interest, we've had well over a hundred people asking to rent it out but we're not quite ready yet - it'll be available at the start of the spring.' Stairway to heaven: Dr Milborn's lover Jakob descends the staircase in the sex therapist's home. In real-life, the white-painted steps are actually a more simple spiral affair Morgan says he's already been inundated with enquiries about renting out the property as a holiday let - and he and wife Cathy are now getting their former family home ready to let out The show sees the walls of Dr Milburn's homes covered in erotic art, something which Morgan jokes he might replicate when he invites in tourists to stay How a real bedroom in the house looks: None of the interior shots were filmed in the actual house but it was closely styled upon it, says Stuart A thoughtful Dr Jean Milburn in the bed that plays such a pivotal role in the sex-centred comedy Morgan's own family - he has two sons, Aneurin and Llewelyn, with wife Cathy, moved out of the pretty house after ten years in it because they wanted to be 'nearer to civilisation'. After renting out the home very successfully as a holiday home, the Morgans grew tired of the constant stream of tourists and rented to just one family, who were then approached by Sex Education's makers. Morgan explains: 'The location manager for Sex Education is a local guy. Despite living in the area for all of his life, he'd never seen the house because it's tucked away on the hillside. He put a note through the door and the tenants got in touch and that was it.' The real-house also features a glass conservatory which makes the most of the beautiful Herefordshire setting The raunchy subject matter featured in the show - the latest series opens with a masturbation montage that shocked some viewers - didn't worry the family too much; Morgan says the producers were 'pretty clear' on the content from the beginning. Indeed, when they begin renting it out the family may well add in some erotic artwork - of the kind of which Dr Milburn is particularly fond - to spice up a stay for tourists. While the property was originally bought for 355,000, Morgan says he's spent almost as much transforming it but hopes now that the programme's popularity - Sex Education is broadcast to a global audience - is bound to have seen his property's value spiral 'into the millions'. The owner jokes that he's hoping a Hollywood hotshot might swoop in and buy the property. For more information on booking a stay at the Chalet, visit thechaletsymondsyat.com Chinese shoppers queue in front of a duty free shop in Seoul before it opens in this 2018 file photo. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Davos yesterday. The sides hailed the successful development of bilateral friendly and brotherly relations and underlined that the bilateral ties were expanding in all areas. They emphasized the role of high-level meetings between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey in strengthening relations. The importance of globally significant projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Turkey was also stressed, AzerTAc reported. It would cost 450 million euro to allow people in Ireland to retire at age 65, Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said (Niall Carson/PA) It would cost 450 million euro to allow people in Ireland to retire at age 65, Sinn Fein said. Dail candidate Pearse Doherty accused Fine Gael of wanting to make people work longer for less. The retirement age is set to increase over the next few decades. Mr Doherty told RTE Prime Time: We believe that is completely wrong, people should be able to retire at the age of 65, the cost of doing that is not huge, it is 450 million euro. It is worth doing, it is about treating workers with respect. He added: Asking people in labour-intensive work to work until they are 68 is wrong. The economy has to work for its workers. Finance minister Paschal Donohoe said it was about valuing the work that people do. He added: What is equally important to those workers is to be able to assure them they have a certain pension. In order to have that pension in the future we have to have money going into our social insurance fund. Source: Forensic report obtained by Vice journalists. April 2018: Salman and Bezos exchanged numbers, May 2018: Salman hacked into the Bezos' phone, October 2018: Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, November 2018: Washington Post linked Jamal Khashoggi murder to Saudi regime, January 2019: American tabloid exposed Bezos' affair based on leaked data. Found this article interesting? Follow THN on Facebook Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. The iPhone of Amazon founder, the world's richest man, was reportedly hacked in May 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message from the personal account of Saudi crown prince, the Guardian newspaper revealed today.Citing unnamed sources familiar with digital forensic analysis of the breach, the newspaper claimed that a massive amount of data was exfiltrated from Bezos's phone within hours after he received a malicious video file from the Saudi prince.The mysterious file was sent when crown prince Salman and Bezos were having a friendly WhatsApp conversation, and it's 'highly probable' that it exploited an undisclosed zero-day vulnerability of WhatsApp messenger to install malware on Bezos's iPhone."The forensic analysis found that within hours of receipt of the MP4 video file from the Crown Prince's account, massive and (for Bezos' phone) unprecedented exfiltration of data from the phone began, increasing data egress suddenly by 29,156 per cent to 126 MB. Data spiking then continued undetected over some months and at rates as much as 106,032,045 per cent (4.6 GB) higher than the pre-video data egress baseline for Mr. Bezos' phone of 430KB," the report says.The Guardian said it didn't know what data was extracted from the phone, but the hack happened almost 9 months before an American tabloid newspaper published intimate photos and messages sent by Bezos, disclosing his extramarital affair that leads to a divorce from his wife of 25 years.Though the tabloid newspaper claimed it was tipped off about the affair by the estranged brother of Bezos's secret girlfriend, the new evidence suggests, with moderately high confidence, that the leak is linked to the hack of Bezos's phone.At that time, Jeff Bezos pointed out the business relationship between the tabloid newspaper and Saudi Arabia and also hinted that how furious the Saudis were with him for the Washington Post's coverage of the murder of its journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a strong critic of the Kingdom's rulers.Since Bezos also owns the Washington Post and the CIA claimed that Salman ordered Khashoggi's assassination, the relationship between the Amazon chief executive and the Saudi government soured immediately after that.To be noted, Jamal Khashoggi was killed in October 2018, almost five months after the alleged hack of the Bezos's iPhone.In one of the unlikely scenarios, it's also possible that someone else hacked into Salman's phone or his WhatsApp account and orchestrated the cyberattack against Bezos by sending that malicious video file on behalf of the crown prince.However, the new revelation perfectly aligns with the timeline of important events, as follows:Meanwhile, experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council also reviewed the forensic report and assessed that the hack was likely carried out using Pegasus mobile hacking tool.Pegasus, developed by Israeli surveillance vendor The NSO Group , is a powerful mobile spyware that is widely known for being misused by the Saudi government to spy on Saudi dissidents , including Jamal Khashoggi."The hacking of Mr. Bezos' phone occurred during a period, May-June 2018, in which the phones of two close associates of Jamal Khashoggi, Yahya Assiri and Omar Abdulaziz, were also hacked, allegedly using the Pegasus malware," the Human Rights Council said."According to the forensic analysis, following the hacking of Mr. Bezos' phone, the Crown Prince sent WhatsApp messages to Mr. Bezos, in November 2018 and February 2019, in which he allegedly revealed private and confidential information about Mr. Bezos' personal life that was not available from public sources."The NSO group recently made headlines worldwide when Google experts caught the surveillance vendor exploiting a WhatsApp zero-day vulnerability to install spyware on smartphones belonging to several human rights activists and journalists.Last November, two former employees of Twitter were also charged with spying on thousands of Twitter users on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government, likely with the purpose of unmasking the identity of dissidents.The Saudi Arabia's U.S. Embassy, in a tweet, dismissed the Guardian report by calling it "absurd" and asked for an investigation."Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind the hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out," The Saudi embassy said.However, at the time of writing, it's unclear whether the alleged hack of Bezos's phone also leaked any sensitive corporate information related to Amazon. Brexit negotiations have not officially begun yet, but Britains insistence on regulatory independence will be at odds with the blocs demand for alignment, says Therese Raphael. The UK-EU trade talks havent started officially, but both sides are testing out negotiating lines, some of which Britain is colouring red. That will set up a fight, later this year, around the three Fs: fish,financial services, and the freedom to diverge from EU rules. To use another f-word, all three issues are fraught. But its the last of them that might blow up hopes for a quick trade deal. Given the UKs intentions to leave the EUs customs union and single market and strike trade deals with other countries, the best it can hope for is a bare-bones agreement, with zero tariffs and duties across most goods sectors. Thats all theres time for before British prime minister Boris Johnsons self-imposed deadline for a deal by the end of this year. Yet even that might be hard to achieve, if early soundings are correct. Britains chancellor of the exchequer, Sajid Javid, said last week that Britain will reserve the right to diverge from EU rules and regulations. There will not be alignment, we will not be a rule-taker, we will not be in the single market, and we will not be in the customs union and we will do this by the end of the year, Javid told the Financial Times. The statement raises two questions: Is he serious, and what, exactly, does he mean? When Johnsons predecessor, Theresa May, talked tough about Britains Brexit negotiating stance, she was bluffing, mostly. She had too many warring elements in her parliament, and in her own party, to please. Getting a withdrawal deal was the priority, to settle the status of EU citizens, divorce payments, and the Northern Irish border. Nor did she truly believe that regulatory divergence from the EU could be anything but a source of friction and cost to British business; she saw Brexit as a damage-limitation exercise. She tried and failed to push through a Brexit deal that kept the UK closely aligned with the EU on goods trade. Javid, however, must be taken at his word. His boss, Johnson, has a comfortable parliamentary majority of 80; the remainers, doubters, and soft-Brexiters have been cleared out. And Javids position is an article of faith as much as it is political expedience. Johnson and his allies see divergence as a chance to remake Britains economy and trading relationships. Regulatory autonomy is the essential element of a real Brexit. The UK wants a free-trade agreement similar to the EUs Canada deal, only with added agreements on services, data, and other areas. Brussels wants something that ties the Brits in more closely, including an agreement by the UK to abide by so-called level playing field provisions, meaning Britain would need equally tough rules on social and environmental protections, taxation, and state aid. Michel Barnier, the European Commissions Brexit negotiator, long ago made these provisions central to the EUs demands. Nor will Brussels shy away from linking different parts of the negotiations to get what it wants. Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, whose country holds the EU presidency, says the EU will be nakedly political in the negotiations. Trade commissioner Phil Hogan has indicated that access to the EUs single market for financial services may depend on the EU keeping its current fishing rights for British waters. If Britains desire for divergence precludes meeting the level-playing field provisions, the scope for a free-trade agreement will narrow considerably. While the minimal expectation known as the skinny deal is for quota- and tariff-free access for UK goods, thats not a given. Even Switzerland, with its myriad of EU deals, doesnt have tariff-free access to the bloc. Agriculture and food products may be areas of disagreement. And if a goods deal is struck, there will be non-tariff barriers to trade. UK companies might voluntarily comply with EU regulations, but this will need supervision and rules of origin checks, and an EU representative to guarantee the legality of British products. All of that will carry costs. If the deals scope becomes so diminished as to provide questionable political and economic benefits, is it worth doing at all? That is a key question as the parties prepare to sit down. The skinnier the FTA becomes, the more attractive a no-deal outcome becomes, James McBride, a partner at public affairs firm Hanbury Strategy, said during a webinar last week organised by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. The EUs zeal for enforcement provisions on any new deal, including fines and sanctions, will be another dampener. Conventional wisdom is that the UKs desire to maintain access for Britains huge financial services sector will keep it at the table,; and that this might be traded for concessions on fisheries. That may be a miscalculation. It assumes Johnson has room on the fishing industry. While its a tiny share of the British economy, taking back control of our waters was a totemic issue for Brexiters. Fishing is also important for Scotland; any perceived sellout might fuel the Scottish independence movement. The UK exports most of its own catch, so access to EU markets certainly provides an incentive, but Johnson will want to show some gain here from Brexit too. The EU also may be overestimating how far Britains desire to win equivalence for the City of London will motivate other compromises. London saw how the EU swiftly withdrew equivalence from the Swiss to punish them for foot-dragging on the blocs internal market rules. Down the road, it could be a weapon wielded against Britain, too. There are many people in Number 10 [Downing Street] pushing the idea that the UK doesnt want equivalence, McBride said. He puts the chance of a deal by the end of 2020 at 50-50. Now that Britains departure is assured, the big question has been resolved. If the two sides cant agree on the degree of trade friction theyre prepared to tolerate, a no-deal could easily follow. Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Reiterating the Centre's stance, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said here on Wednesday the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is for giving citizenship to the persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and not taking away anyone's citizenship. Expressing dismay over some political parties politicising the issue and creating confusion among masses regarding the new legislation, Javadekarh said the provisions of Citizenship Act 1955 still exist and under which many have been given citizenship as well. "The provisions of Citizenship Act 1955 are still there. Many have been given citizenship under it. Adnan Sami has been given citizenship under the same Act," said Javadekar while addressing the media here. "When the Congress governments brought the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), nobody raised the objection. When they did, it was good but when we did the same, it is bad," he said. "When Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka came, they were given citizenship. No protest took place at that time," he added. He said that the matter is now in the Supreme Court and the final decision is awaited. "Now it is in the Supreme Court, which has given relief to the government for four weeks but the final decision is still awaited," he said. CAA grants citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (ANI) Financial services major Mastercard is considering an investment in Pine Labs as part of a $300 million fundraising round, according to a report by The Economic Times. Sequoia Capital, Pine Labs largest shareholder with 68 percent stake, might sell a 15-25 percent holding to the new investor, sources told the paper. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story. With Mastercard buying a mix of primary and secondary shares, the deal will value Pine Labs at $1.2-1.5 billion, the report said. Noida-based Pine Labs, Indias largest point-of-sale (PoS) solutions provider, is widely expected to join the startup unicorn club in 2020. A spokesperson for Sequoia refused to comment while Mastercard did not respond to ET's queries. Sequoia had also sold a portion of its stake to Madison Capital in 2017 as part of a $180 million deal. New York-based Advent Capital might also participate in the financing round, sources told the paper. Pine Labs had raised $125 million in its last fundraising round in 2018, which saw participation from Singapore-based Temasek. The investment valued Pine Labs at around $800 million. Investment firms Actis and Altimeter Capital led the previous fundraising round in March 2018, the report said. Pine Labs acquired gift card technology startup Qwikcilver for $110 million in March 2019. BEIRUT, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Lebanon's caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Tuesday the formation of a new government was "hours away" as the country suffers its worst economic crisis in decades. He did not specify when the new government would be formed. The heavily indebted country has been without effective government since Saad al-Hariri quit as premier in October due to protests against state corruption and poor governance - the root causes of Lebanon's worst crisis since a 1975-90 civil war. (Reporting by Ellen Francis Editing by Samia Nakhoul) The Maharashtra government on Tuesday directed all schools in the state to start daily group readings of the preamble of the Constitution of India by students. The schools have been told to start the exercise from January 26 Republic Day. In a circular that was issued on Tuesday, the school education department said the aim of the exercise was to make students aware of the core values of the Constitution . This is not the first time schools have been asked to start preamble reading. In February 2013, the then Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government had issued the same order. If the students get to know properly about the Constitution, then it will help us in creating responsible, intelligent and cultured citizens. Considering this, schools were directed to start reading preamble of the Constitution on a daily basis on February 2013. However, it has come to light that the order is not being followed by schools. The schools have been directed to take up an initiative named Sovereignty of the Constitution in the Public Interest and start group reading of the preamble of the Constitution on a daily basis, stated Tuesdays order. According to the school education department, the inclusiveness, principles, liberty, justice, and equality promoted by the Constitution should be engraved in the minds of the society for which it need to be thoroughly imbibed in the students. The government has also directed the commissioner (education) to review its implementation on regular basis. The school education department has also directed all the schools to ask students to take an environment-protection oath on January 22. The oath will be taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with other dignitaries, at Mantralaya, the state secretariat, at 10.30am on January 22. School administrations have been directed to conduct a similar oath-taking programme at the same time in their respective schools. The country accepted Constitution on November 26, 1949 and the day is marked as Constitution Day. The constitution came in to effect on January 26, 1950. School education minister Varsha Gaikwad said that just like morning prayers, students will have to read the Constitution preamble. This will help students memorise the core values and rights of the Constitution forever and follow the same, Gaikwad said. Prashant Redij, spokesperson of the Mumbai Principals Association, and the principal of Hilda Castelino High School in Malad, said that it is a good move. With this, students will understand the significance of the Constitution and the values enshrined in it. This should be followed by all schools irrespective of the medium and board, he added. Anjali Shinde, a teacher from a Chembur-based school, said the government should also conduct routine checks to see if the policy is followed. There was a 2013 government resolution (GR) asking schools to follow this, but most schools seem to have ignored it. There needs to be strict action against schools that do not follow the guideline, she added. The $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel is in limbo, as the state government, Transurban and the project's builders argue over who is responsible for managing large amounts of contaminated soil. Construction on the road linking West Gate Freeway in Yarraville and CityLink in the Docklands has been halted by the discovery of soil laced with PFAS a chemical that shut down a CFA training college in Fiskville. The issue has sparked extensive legal talks over who will pay the extra costs of storing, treating and dumping the dangerous waste, following a strict new policy from the state's Environment Protection Authority on how PFAS must be managed. The West Gate Tunnel project is at a standstill. Credit:Simon Schluter Sources close to the project said the state government, Transurban and the joint building venture John Holland and CPB Contractors are pointing the finger at each other over who is liable for the PFAS issue, with no solution in sight. Shelskys latkes. Photo: Melissa Hom Its hard not to love a latke. The golden-brown potato fritters, which are a hallmark of Hanukkah celebrations and a ubiquitous menu item at Jewish delicatessens, tick all the comfort-food boxes: crunchy, starchy, salty, and (when dolloped with applesauce) a little bit sweet. But not all latkes are created equal. The best specimens are light rather than leaden and have multidimensional flavor. Fortunately, New York is rife with great latkes of all persuasions, from crisp disks of lacy potato shreds to what are essentially fried mashed-potato patties. Whether your consumption is limited to the week of Hanukkah or you indulge year-round, here are the best latkes in New York. The Absolute Best 1. Shelskys of Brooklyn 141 Court St., nr. Atlantic Ave., Cobble Hill; 718-855-8817 The potato latkes at Cobble Hills smoked-fish shop and delicatessen are textbook perfect toasty and golden with onion-forward flavor and copious flecks of flinty black pepper. But the true showstoppers are the sweet-potato-and-celeriac latkes. The sunset-colored fritters are custardy and gently sweet with a flavor at once familiar and unexpected. And the lacy, caramelized edges are obsession worthy. Both versions are takeaway-only (with or without sour cream and housemade chunky applesauce), but the counter staff will gladly griddle one up for immediate snacking gratification. 2. Russ & Daughters Multiple locations Photo: Melissa Hom The latkes at New Yorks appetizing icon prove that when it comes to starchy satisfaction, size doesnt matter. The petite fritters are abundant in flavor, with creamy shredded potatoes hiding under the coppery crust and wisps of onion curling out along the edges. Latkes are available for takeout at the Manhattan shop and Brooklyn Navy Yard outpost. For sit-down latkes, grab a booth at the Orchard Street cafe where the fritters come with either applesauce and sour cream or creme fraiche and pearls of salmon roe. The Lower Sunny Side breakfast plate also pairs latkes with eggs and smoked salmon. 3. Mile End Deli 97A Hoyt St., nr. Pacific St., Boerum Hill; 718-852-7510 Photo: Melissa Hom Brooklyns Montreal-inspired delicatessen turns out latkes that would satisfy noshers on either side of the border. The half-inch-thick patties are tender and savory with a mahogany cap and generous crunch around the edges. Order them straight up they come three to an order with sour cream and applesauce dressed up with cinnamon, maple syrup, and cider vinegar. Or gild the lily with the Mont Royal breakfast platter, which pairs the fritters with smoked salmon and caviar. 4. B&H Dairy 127 Second Ave., nr. St. Marks Pl.; 212-505-8065 The general rule at this beloved all-day kosher diner is that if it goes on the griddle, it is bound to be great. The latkes are no exception. The mashed-potato base has ample oniony flavor and a polentalike creaminess. The crust, meanwhile, achieves the trifecta of golden, crisp, and not overly greasy. Pair your order with a bowl of B&Hs rosy, cabbage-studded borscht for unparalleled comfort. 5. Katzs Delicatessen Multiple locations Katzs may have built its five-generation reputation on juicy pastrami, but the latkes are also top-notch. The generously sized fritters are sturdy and full-flavored with a just-right ratio of tender insides and crisp, bronzed patina. Latke cravers can skip the mad crush in front of the sandwich counter and head for the latke station in the back. Brooklynites, meanwhile, can skip Manhattan entirely and visit the Katzs outpost at Dekalb Market Hall. 6. Barney Greengrass 541 Amsterdam Ave., nr. 87th St.; 212-724-4707 Tucking into a plate of latkes in the vintage dining room at this Upper West Side temple of appetizing is the stuff of New York legend. But the oval-shaped potato pancakes, with their paper-thin crust, pillowy interior, and flavor reminiscent of potato leek soup, are just as tasty packed into a plastic clamshell at the takeaway counter. 7. Essen New York Deli 1359 Coney Island Ave., nr. Ave. J, Midwood; 718-859-1002 Dont expect sour cream with your latkes at this glatt kosher delicatessen with meat on the menu, dairy is verboten. Heres what you can expect: latkes as rich and savory as potato kugel, a satisfying layer of toasty crunch around the edges, and a stainless-steel gravy boat brimming with applesauce. Chances are good that you wont miss the dairy. 8. Veselka Multiple locations Late-night carb seekers know to head to the East Villages 24-hour Eastern European outpost. Along with pierogi, stuffed cabbage, and other classics, the latkes serve serious comfort-food vibes. The snow-white interior essentially a mound of finely shredded hash browns is bound by a crackly crust. They are tasty as is, but even better serving as the starchy base for Veselkas salmon and latke eggs Benedict. 9. Shalom Japan 310 S. 4th St., at Rodney St., Williamsburg; 718-388-4012 Williamsburgs Jewish-Japanese restaurant celebrates Hanukkah by giving its okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes) the latke treatment. Its cabbage, onion, and bean-sprout batter gets augmented with heaps of shredded russet potatoes. After a bath in hot oil, the pancakes are topped with creme fraiche and salty ikura roe, then garnished with scallions, ao-nori, and bonito flakes for a dazzling combination of earth and sea. Shalom Japans okonomi-latke is available this year from December 1731. 10. 2nd Avenue Deli Multiple locations Celebrate Hanukkah (or any night) in old-school style at the 2nd Avenue deli. There, the football-shaped latke patties arrive dense and peppery with a delightful crackle around the perimeter. Skip the sour cream (which is dairy-free in accordance with kosher tradition) and slather them with housemade applesauce instead. Or opt for their cheekily named Instant Heart Attack, which sandwiches corned beef, pastrami, turkey, or salami in between two potato pancakes. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is in Davos to push for investments for Karnataka. On Day 1 of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, he did just that, though his pitch was for farm growth. The CM made a fervent appeal to investors to base their investments and industries in Karnataka keeping in view of the interests of farmers and to create more jobs. He also suggested to the investors to look at the economic development of farmers and rural masses along with their growth. He said this could automatically check the increasing suicidal tendencies in farmers. I am ready to go that extra mile to help the investors and industries which take care of our farmers and rural youth, he said. Representatives of the 2000 Watt Company (Swiss-based) involved in smart cities development projects and food processing clusters, who made presentations on their projects, said they possessed technology and were ready to invest in food clusters in Karnataka which can provide remunerative prices to the farm produce. We will provide all assistance and scientific farm techniques to grow healthy food and market them with added value to the produce, Andreas Binkert, a scientist and academic, said. Stating that the farmers development and rural economy were of utmost priority for the state, the CM said he was keen on the value addition to farm produce which could boost agricultural economy and consequently farm earnings. Madhav Bhagwat, the founding partner of the company, briefed Yediyurappa and Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar on the new concept of smart cities planned by them. We are experts in carbon-neutral smart township development projects, he told the CM. Earlier, ReNew Power delegates expressed their interest in setting up solar power plants in barren lands in the state, particularly in North Karnataka districts like Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Koppal and Raichur. We are planning to set up power storage batteries and gadgets to store the power produced in excess of the states demand, Samanth Sinha, CEO of the company, said suggesting to the government to eliminate all bureaucratic and legal bottlenecks to improve the ease of doing business. Yediyurappa opined forums like WEF were the need of the hour, particularly when states were facing trouble in mobilizing resources on their own. It is also a platform for the political leaders to invite and attract investments to boost the economy of respective states and countries, he said. BSY attends Trumps speech Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa attended US President Donald Trumps session on Tuesday. He said Trump concentrated more on the US economy. It is natural for any country head to speak about his country and its economy, he said. The American President, in his keynote address, highlighted his domestic accomplishments and dismissed climate activists as prophets of doom. Representative Image The government is working on ways, including setting up standards and identifying goods, to promote sale and marketing of products made by tribal communities in domestic and global markets, an official said. The commerce and industry ministry has held detailed discussions on the matter with ministries of tribal affairs, minority affairs, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and industry chambers like CII, the official said. "To begin, about 100 products would be identified for promoting tribal products within and outside the country. Large retail chains would be identified for marketing support," the official said. Bureau of Indian Standards and Quality Council of India would be involved to work on international standards and quality of those goods as it is important for entering global markets. Opportunities will be explored in railways as a customer and sale facilitator. The move comes after an observation made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting, where he was reviewing the works of tribal affairs ministry earlier this month. He has mandated the commerce ministry to bring all stakeholders, including different departments, to work on this issue. The official added that quality, quantity and visibility are important factors which need special focus for promoting sale and marketing of products made by tribal communities which include artefacts, garments and organic produce. Besides, the ministry is looking at infrastructure required for testing and certification of those goods; tariff codes; and tribal clusters to initiate such activities. It was advised to all ministries and departments to include these products as gift items for dignitaries and during Diwali festival. These items would also be showcased in international retail exhibitions and business meets. It was also directed by the ministry to identify design, packaging, marketing components, advertisements, and designers of repute. Young families are flocking to North Kellyville, and at the new public school there is less a pitter-patter of little feet than a stampede. In its second year of operation, more than half of the school's students will be in kindergarten or year one, and principal Tom Moth expects numbers to grow from 550 to its capacity of 1000 students within the next few years. North Kellyville Public School, which opened last year, is fast filling its classrooms. Credit:Renee Nowytarger "With the new land releases and housing developments, people are moving into the suburb all the time," he said. "When their children come to us, it's their first child, and their first experience with schools." Enrolments in public schools are continuing to grow to record levels. This year, there are expected to be 815,000 students in the sector, an increase of about 5000 on last year and almost 73,000 more than 10 years ago. The sad reality is that Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis recent column attacking split-tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which President Trump signed into law just last month, isnt the first piece of nonsense she has put out over the years. Unfortunately, it wont be the last either. After all, while running for Mayor in 2017, Nicole Malliotakis supported keeping New York a sanctuary city, opposed the border wall, and said that not only does she regret voting for President Trump, but that she doesnt think any of his policies are good. After miraculously losing to Mayor de Blasio by nearly 40 points, she's no longer trying to appeal to Manhattan voters and wants everyone to believe she never said any of that and is the Presidents number one fan! Now, shes pulling the same stunt with split-tolling. When I first took office and explored the idea to bring split-tolling to the Verrazzano, I worked to secure a broad base of support from local elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans alike. I was proud that nearly every elected official on Staten Island shared my goals and signed onto a letter urging the reinstatement of split-tolling, including Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. It was due to this overwhelming support that we were able to force the MTA to commit to reinvesting in Staten Island transportation, to the tune of almost $180 million over the next 15 years. Every Staten Islander knows that our infrastructure has been neglected for generations. We stood together and demanded Staten Island get our long overdue piece of the action. Now, its not surprising that Nicole Malliotakis continues to misinform the people of Staten Island about the contents of the MTA study, despite the report being public for months now. The study projects a decrease of 4,000 vehicles traveling into Brooklyn every morning. Thats more than a million fewer vehicles on the Staten Island Expressway every year, 85% of which would be out-of-state cars and trucks taking advantage of the toll-free route across Staten Island and into Manhattan. To quote from the MTA report, during the AM peak hour, the SIE is heavily congested and operates at a very low level of service. A relatively small decrease in traffic volumes during the AM peak hour may result in better traffic flow and thus better travel speeds. But you dont have to trust the MTA, just take a look out the window as you cross the Verrazzano in the morning and count how many out-of-state license plates you see. I dont care if its a minute, five minutes, or an hourif I can decrease my constituents commute in any way, I will move mountains to get it done. The fact is Nicole Malliotakis hasnt done a single thing to improve Staten Islanders commutes by even one second. Instead shes spending her time advocating for New Jersey truckers to clog our roads for free while we pay the highest toll in the nation. Thankfully, for years Assemblyman Cusick and Senators Lanza and Savino have successfully fought for our resident discount on the Verrazzano. And across the bridge, Senator Gournardes and Assemblywoman Frontus are close to securing bridge discounts for Brooklynites as well. I support their efforts and will always support lower tolls for my constituents, which is why I led the fight against the Port Authoritys attempt to eviscerate our resident discounts on New Jersey bridgesmeanwhile Nicole Malliotakis wasnt even in the room. Nicole Malliotakis seems to have forgotten that its in Albany where MTA revenues are controlled, not in Congress. Why hasnt she introduced and passed legislation to use any new revenue to provide toll relief? Because shes just playing politics with the issue and thinks Staten Islanders are too stupid to notice. Im thankful for the Republican and Democratic elected officials who have supported this effort from the beginning including Nicole Malliotakis. Even if shes flip-flopped on her support, in this partisan era, I think we should be celebrating bipartisan cooperation not running away from it. In the meantime, Ill continue working with Democrats and Republicans to make a real difference in my constituents lives. From passing laws to sanction Chinese fentanyl manufacturers, securing investments in our transit network, increasing funding to combat the opioid epidemic and support New York Citys counterterrorism efforts, Im proud to continue doing the work that the people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn elected me to do. From Nicole Malliotakis: Two-way toll on the VN is MTA doublespeak and a lousy idea. (Editors note: Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis has repeated opposed sanctuary cities. She voiced her position while running for mayor in a column written for the Advance in 2017 entitled: Malliotakis: New York Citys Sanctuary Policy puts us at risk.") Los Angeles, Jan 22 : Actor Hugh Laurie says his sci-fi comedy series "Avenue 5" examines how terrifyingly quick the breakdown process of a social order can be. Created by Armando Iannucci, "Avenue 5" is set 40 years in the future when travelling the solar system is not a sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multi-billion dollar business. "I play Captain Ryan Clark, Senior Office onboard Avenue 5 which is this magnificent spaceship. The scale and scope of this show will be unlike anything anyone has seen before. It's also an examination of how terrifyingly quickly social order can break down," Laurie said. Laurie stars as Ryan Clark, the confident and suave captain of "Avenue 5" - a space cruise ship with luxury amenities like gourmet buffets, a spa, an observation deck and yoga classes. It is currently streaming on Hotstar Premium. It also stars Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, Lenora Crichlow, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Ethan Phillips. It's official: Britain's Prince Harry has returned to Canada to start his new life away from the royal family. The prince was photographed arriving on Vancouver Island on Monday night to reunite with Meghan Markle and their son Archie almost two weeks after the couple announced their plans to step back as senior members of the royal family. Meghan had returned to Canada 11 days prior, while the duke remained in London to discuss the fallout with Queen Elizabeth and other senior royals. It was reported that the couple's eight-month-old child was being watched over by the duchess' friend, Jessica Mulroney. On Jan. 19, Harry attended a dinner held in support of Sentebale, an organization the duke founded in 2006 to support African youth affected by HIV. He told the audience in a speech that he hoped to support the monarchy without public funding, but had "no other option" but to step back. "Unfortunately, that wasn't possible," he said to Sentebale supporters. "I've accepted this, knowing that it doesn't change who I am or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had come to, that I would step my family back from all I've ever known." On Monday, the duke also attended what may be his last royal appearance, at a summit hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A National School of Planning and Architecture (NSPA) would be set up in the campus of Pondicherry Central University soon, Minister R Kamalakannan said on Wednesday. The Union HRD Ministry has approved a proposal of the union territory administration for the NSPA which would be the fourth in the country after those in Delhi, Bhopal and Vijayawada, he told reporters here. The institution would be established on an extent of 50 acre site on the sprawling Pondicherry University with an investment of Rs 338 crores provided by the Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. would soon be imposing visa restrictions on more countries though its not clear yet how many nations will be affected by his expansion of the travel ban. Seven additional nations were listed in a draft of the proposed restrictions but the countries were notified by Homeland Security officials that they could avoid being included if they make changes before the announcement is made, according to two administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations. The tentative list featured Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, according to the officials and a person familiar with the draft proposal. But several countries are believed to have taken action or demonstrated good faith efforts to comply in order to avoid inclusion, the officials said. The steps include better border security, better sharing of identification information among nations and better travel document security, one official said. Its not clear how many nations will wind up on the final list. Trump told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that hes doing it to protect the United States. Were adding a couple of countries to it, he said. We have to be safe. Our country has to be safe. You see whats going on in the world. Our country has to be safe. So we have a very strong travel ban and well be adding a few countries to it. Five of the countries on the draft list have either Muslim majorities or substantial Muslim minorities. The current ban suspends immigrant and non-immigrant visas to applicants from five majority-Muslim nations: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, as well as Venezuela and North Korea. But it allows exceptions, including for students and those who have established significant contacts in the U.S.. And it represents a significant softening from Trumps initial order, which had suspended travel from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days, blocked refugee admissions for 120 days and suspended travel from Syria. That order was immediately blocked by the courts, prompting a months-long effort by the administration to develop clear standards and federal review processes to try to pass legal muster. Under the current system, restrictions are targeted at countries that Homeland Security says fail to share sufficient information with the U.S. or havent taken necessary security precautions, such as issuing electronic passports with biometric information and sharing information about travellers terror-related and criminal histories. Iraq, Sudan and Chad had been affected by the original order, which the Supreme Court upheld in a 5-4 vote after the administration released a watered-down version intended to withstand legal scrutiny. They were not part of the pared-down version. During his 2016 campaign, Trump had floated the idea of a ban to keep all Muslims from entering the country and he criticized his Justice Department for the subsequent changes. Several of the people said they expected the announcement to be timed to coincide with Mondays third anniversary of the first, explosive travel ban, announced without warning on Jan. 27, 2017, just days after Trump took office. That order sparked an uproar, with massive protests across the nation and chaos at airports where passengers were detained. ___ Associated Press Writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report from Davos. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Richard Dick Gordon wants to reopen the upper chambers probe into the 2015 Mamasapano operation, after an anti-graft court junked charges against two former top police officials involved in the operation. Gordon told reporters Wednesday that he wants to know why the Sandiganbayan acquitted former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and former Special Action Force chief Getulio Napenas. Mamasapano is one of the great injustices in our time. To my mind mukhang nagkulang ang prosekusyon na naman diyan, Gordon said. Bakit madi-dismiss eh ang daming namatay tapos walang responsible. Dereliction of duty yan. [Translation: Mamasapano is one of the greatest injustices in our time. To my mind the prosecution lacked effort there Why would that be dismissed when a lot of people died and then no one was responsible? Thats dereliction of duty.] The Senate in the 16th Congress first probed the Mamasapano operation, known as Oplan Exodus, which resulted in the killing of international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir. The operation also led to the deaths of 44 SAF troopers following an encounter with Moro rebels in the town in Maguindanao province. The Senate Public Order Committee, then chaired by Senator Grace Poe, recommended criminal charges against Purisima, Napenas and the killers of the 44 SAF commandos, and found that former President Benigno Aquino III is ultimately responsible for the botched operation. A majority of senators signed the committee report, but the Senate did not take any further action on it, opting instead to reopen the probe, effectively deserting the initial report. The Sandiganbayans fourth division granted Monday Purisimas motion to quash charges against him for graft and usurpation or unlawful use of authority. The court also found no probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Napenas for the same charges. Purisima was accused of conspiring with and influencing Napenas so he could "willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously" perform the function of top cop in planning and supervising Oplan Exodus despite being under preventive suspension at the time. In its 18-page resolution, the Sandiganbayan said Purisima's role in Oplan Exodus was upon the orders of former President Benigno Aquino III "who cannot be accused of and be found liable of usurpation of official functions" since he was only acting in his capacity as then President and Commander-in-Chief. The Sandiganbayan in 2019 dropped the same charges against Aquino upon the request of Ombudsman Samuel Martires, who said it does not make sense to charge a President with usurpation of authority. This complaint was filed by former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales in 2017, while dismissing the charges against Aquino for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicides. She said what the former President did wrong was to allow Purisima play a major role in the Mamasapano operation while he was supposed to be suspended. Solicitor General Jose Calida wants homicide charges filed against Aquino, Purisima and Napenas, saying they were liable for the deaths of the SAF 44. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed a petition backed by Calida seeking to charge them with homicide. CNN Philippines Paolo Barcelon, Eimor Santos and Xave Gregorio contributed to this report. (Bloomberg) -- Murders in Mexico rose to a new record in 2019, the first full year of Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors presidency, posing a challenge to the popular leader to make good on a campaign promise of reducing violence. Slayings, often fueled by the nations drug cartels, climbed to 34,582, compared with 33,743 a year earlier, according to data released by the national public security system. The 2.5% increase represents the least since homicides fell in 2014 and compared with increases of 17% to 28% in the previous three years. Whats relevant is that homicides continue at an extremely high level, and the only change is the height of the wave, said Vidal Romero, a professor of political science at Mexicos Autonomous Institute of Technology, or ITAM, and co-director of the Center for the Study of Security, Intelligence and Governance. Things havent changed, and theres no policy thats getting to the root of the problem. Drug traffickers pose a shared threat to the U.S. and Mexico. Murders in the Latin American nation are often carried out with weapons smuggled in from the U.S. Meanwhile, American overdose deaths, from drugs that frequently originate in or travel through Mexico, surged to about 70,000 annually in recent years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While Lopez Obrador, known popularly by the abbreviation AMLO, has managed to maintain his approval at 72%, according to a poll by newspaper El Financiero published earlier this month, voters probably would hold his Morena party responsible for poor security results at mid-term congressional elections in 2021, Romero said. Two high-profile episodes late last year focused attention on Mexicos security challenge. In October, Lopez Obradors security cabinet decided to release the captured son of kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to avoid a firefight and bloodshed between authorities and criminals that the government worried would affect civilians. In November, nine members of a Mormon family with dual American-Mexican citizenship were killed in an attack by cartel gunmen. Story continues President Donald Trump has pushed Mexico to do more to confront drug gangs, calling for the nations together to wage war on the cartels. In November he floated classifying them as terrorist organizations. In December, after a visit to Mexico City by U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Trump said he was holding off temporarily on the proposal at the request of Lopez Obrador. Read More: Trump Pushes Mexico to Step Up Efforts to Battle Drug Gangs So far, Mexico has resisted a heavy-handed approach, wishing to avoid the level of militarization that took place when Felipe Calderon was president from 2006 to 2012. Mexicos efforts have been focused on deploying tens of thousands of members from its new National Guard, a force that officially began work in July and still isnt at full strength. Lopez Obradors strategy also includes education and subsidies for young people. But the phrase he has used at times to summarize his philosophy, hugs, not shots, has been criticized by many security analysts as naive and Pollyannish. (Updates with comments in third paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Martin in Mexico City at emartin21@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nacha Cattan at ncattan@bloomberg.net, Walter Brandimarte, Dale Quinn For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Capt. Andrew Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander, performs a dedication pass during the Melbourne Air and Space Show in Melbourne, Fla., on March 30, 2019. During the two-day event, more than 50,000 guests attended the Melbourne Air and Space Show. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook) F-35s Team Up With Army Missile Defense in Major Milestone for Battle Concept In what was described as a major milestone for the militarys new integrated battle concept, two F-35s were integrated into the Armys missile defense system to be used as sensors to detect and track threats during testing over the New Mexico desert. Lockheed Martin announced on Jan. 21 that the proof-of-concept test in December marked the first time F-35s were used as sensors during an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) live-fire test against multiple airborne targets. The F-35, which was finally ready for deployment in 2015, provides bundles of next-generation capabilities so far unmatched by rivals. But the military planners arent just looking for one-man shows: they want weapons systems to work as a cast. The first F-35 prototype flew back in 2000 when China was a small blip on the strategists radars. With China now spending over a dozen times more on defense, the U.S. military is now revamping for renewed great power competition with Russia and China, as demanded by the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Strategic solutions have emphasized the need for next-generation capabilities, but a key theme is greater integration of weapons systems across the different forces to crack open the anti-aircraft systems and long-range missile shields thrown up by adversaries. The Army calls its strategic solution Multi-Domain Operations. Bell Helicopters V-280 Valor is shown in this artists image, part of the armys Vertical Lift programone of six priority areas identified in the Army Modernization Strategy. (Bell Helicopter) The F-35s advanced sensors and connectivity enable it to gather, analyze and seamlessly share critical information with the joint fighting force to lead the multi-domain battlespace, said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 program, in a statement. This test validated the F-35s capability to serve as an airborne sensor and extend the range of critical Integrated Air and Missile Defense interceptors. Jay Pitman, vice president of Lower Tier Integrated Air and Missile Defense, said that the test was a major milestone for multi-domain operations. This demonstrates a tremendous capability to defeat threats that are terrain masked or beyond ground-based sensor detection capabilities due to terrain and curvature of the earth, he said. Multi-Domain Operations is a central tenet of the Armys Modernization strategy, published in 2018, and then updated last year. An F-35 performs aerial maneuvers during the Wings Over Houston Airshow in Houston on Oct. 18, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook) Multi-Domain Operations is the Armys operating concept that was approved last year by the Chief of Staff in October and then published in the document in December, Col. Eric Smith, the author of the 2019 Modernization Strategy, previously told The Epoch Times It describes how the Army is going to operate in the future in the five domains of land, sea, air, space, and cyber. Multi-Domain Operations aim to slice through what is known as a multi-layered standoff. A multi-layered standoff can be visualized as concentric defensive rings radiating from an adversarys position, Smith said, starting with the traditional artillery range to longer-range artillery on the inside, going outward to surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and air-to-air missiles. Reaching beyond those are extra layers: electronic warfare, unconventional warfare, cyber warfare, and information warfare. With China and Russia having built up their militaries to target the U.S. systems of dominance, such as aircraft carriers and large amphibious ships, strategists are increasingly looking to the possibility of numerous distributed sensor and weapons systems, working in harmony but with no obvious Achilles heel. The Navy is developing the concept of distributed operations, which means moving away from reliance on a few large ships, instead distributing the firepower and forces (lethality), as well as surveillance, across many more platforms, including unmanned ships, with no single point of failure. The Marine Corps has outlined a parallel strategy, proposing to use smaller boats to allow marines to slip inside the anti-access bubble and onto Pacific islands where they can station missile batteries safe from Chinas anti-ship missiles. The integration of the F-35 with the Armys missile defense is also a baby step toward the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agencys even more extreme vision of integrated battle, or Mosaic warfare, which requires the different systems on board various weapons systems to be able to communicate better with each other. More than half the population in the Central African Republic -- around 2.6 million people -- needs humanitarian aid and more than one million are in an extremely vulnerable situation, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Central African Republic is still struggling after a conflict that forced half of the country's population to flee their homes. A fragile peace agreement between the government and armed groups signed nearly a year ago has eased violence, but attacks continue and most of the country is outside of government control. "The Central African Republic is still experiencing a dire and complex humanitarian crisis. 2.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection," the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement. "Among them, 1.7 million people require immediate assistance to survive." More than two-thirds of the former French colony is still under the control of various armed rebel groups fighting over its rich mineral resources. The recent return of two former presidents, the main figures in the civil war, has further fueled tensions ahead of elections in December. Francois Bozize, who is under an international arrest warrant for his role in the conflict, returned from exile in Uganda in mid-December. Bozize met on Tuesday with President Faustin Archange Touadera, a presidential spokesman said. Bozize's passport situation and the circumstances of ex soldiers loyal to him were among the issues discussed, a Bozize party official said. Former rebel leader and president Michel Djotodia also returned to Bangui this month, six years after quitting as head of state, and pledged to support peace. Though Djotodia may also have his sights on the presidency, Touadera also greeted him upon his arrival in Bangui. Djotodia, 71, who resigned 10 months after seizing the presidency from Bozize in a revolt in March 2013, had been in exile in Benin. Bozize took power following a 2003 coup before being overthrown 10 years later by Djotodia, who was head of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebellion in the predominantly Christian country. Sectarian violence erupted after between the Seleka and vigilante militias dominated by Christians and animists known as the anti-Balaka. French luxury brand Louis Vitton on January 21, showed its private clients the biggest rough diamond found in over a century. According to reports, the 1,758-carat rough diamond was discovered by Lucara Diamond Corp in Botswana in April 2019. The diamond is dark in colour and has been codenamed 'Sewelo' meaning "rare find" in the southern Tswana language. According to reports, Lucara has collaborated with the luxury bag maker and diamond manufacturer HB company to polish and manufacture a number of smaller jewels from the diamond. Biggest business potential While talking to an international media outlet, Louis Vitton's CEO Michael Burke said that the find is the biggest business potential they have right now. Burke further added that no luxury jeweller has shown what happens behind the scenes, adding that their company's main goal was to be completely transparent in terms of where the diamond was mined from and keeping in the loop the client in the making of the final product. Full value will be known after polish According to reports, Lucara Diamond Corp said that it will get 50 per cent of the monetary proceeds of the diamonds with another five per cent being donated towards community projects in Botswana, South Africa. Lucara further added that the full value of the rough diamond will be known after it is polished. Luis Vitton has not said that how it has shelled out to procure the diamond neither has it talked about the value of it. Read: Diamond Merchant Who Bought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Suit Duped Of Rs 1 Crore Lucara's CEO, Eira Thomas commented that "Lucara's technologically advanced, XRT diamond recovery circuit has once again delivered historic results. Karowe has now produced two diamonds greater than 1,000 carats in just four years, affirming the coarse nature of the resource and the likelihood of recovering additional, large, high-quality diamonds in the future, particularly as we mine deeper in the orebody and gain access to the geologically favourable EM/PK(S) unit, the source of both of our record-breaking, +1,000 carat diamonds." Read: Three Diamond-studded Golden Crowns Stolen From Tirupati Temple, Probe Underway The 'Sewelo' diamond is the second biggest diamond ever discovered after a 3,100-carat 'Cullinan' diamond was mined in Cullinan, South Africa on January 26, 1905. According to reports, the diamond was named after the mine's chairman Thomas Cullinan. Read: Over 260 Diamonds Found In MP's Panna Mines To Be Auctioned Read: Book Traces Indias Tryst With Worlds Most Precious Diamonds Donald Trump wrapped a two-day global economic conference with a barrage of insults for the House Democrats trying to convince the Senate to remove him as he set the tone for the second day of the chamber's historic trial. The president uttered more false statements and tried to discredit the House's Democratic impeachment managers and their case during an impromptu press conference as he departed Davos, Switzerland, after two days of meetings with other world leaders. As Democrats signalled they will try again to bring additional evidence including the testimony of current and former aides to Mr Trump he continued his legal team's combative approach during a 13-hour first day on the Senate floor. Mr Trump signalled he is willing to risk one of his top sales pitches for a second term, a healthy economy, by taking his tough trade practices to a conflict with Europe that could hurt the US economy. Here are three takeaways from his Davos press conference. No witnesses Senate Democrats tried into on Wednesday morning to require the chamber to hear from White House and other Trump administration witnesses. Each time, Republicans remained aligned in their 53-vote bloc and blocked them. Unless four GOP senators change their minds after senators spend three days hearing more from House Democrats and Mr Trump's legal team, including answers to their questions, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton won't be walking onto the Senate floor anytime soon. All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters When pressed by reporters in Davos, the president said he has the right to use executive privilege to block current and former aides from appearing at the trial. "John would certainly fit into that," he said of Bolton. "When he knows my thoughts on certain people and other governments, war and peace and different things, that's a national security problem." The same kind of "national security problem" would lead to him preventing Mulvaney or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from appearing. Transcript trouble Mr Trump, who has uttered thousands of false and misleading statements since taking office, was at it again on Wednesday. He again tried to twist the timeline of a White House-produced summary of his 25 July call with Ukraine's president that became the basis of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. The president contends House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff presented a hyperbolic and satirical version of that phone call before the White House released the call summary. "Schiff made up the phoney story," Mr Trump said, "then I released the transcript." Only that Schiff's parody of Trump's comments on the call were based on the White House-released summary. That did not stop the president from again asserting the opposite as he tries to discredit the House investigation that led to his impeachment. "They never thought I was going to release the conversation," he said. "When I released that conversation, all hell broke loose with the Democrats." Eye on Election Day Even with the Senate about to decide on his possible if unlikely removal, Trump and his team in Davos made sure to focus on the economy as they gear up for his reelection campaign. The president began his opening statement at the press conference by talking up the health of the economy, including its low unemployment figures. He later turned the lectern over to Larry Kudlow, his chief economic adviser, to make the pitch for him even though there are signs the economy is not quite as strong as team Trump makes out. "I think we're coming into the new year with a lot of positive momentum in economy," Kudlow said, touting the administration's tax and trade policies, as well as high "business confidence" and stock market levels. The former CNBC host also pointed to "tremendous numbers" in housing construction and sales. As the leading Democratic presidential candidates push policy ideas they say would improve economic inequality, Kuldow disputed the notion the Trump economy has benefited "a few rich people". "That is just not true," he said before saying increases in retirement accounts, home prices and investment portfolios collectively are a "booster rocket" for the economy. 'I thought it was terrible' Trump says he doesn't think Bill Clinton should have been impeached But some data suggests the economy has weak spots. Gross domestic product growth has slowed to a pace that tracks with the Obama economy that candidate Trump said grew too slowly. The number of US adults aged 25 to 54 who have a job has fallen to a level less than those of the late 1990s under then-President Bill Clinton. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has concluded wage growth now stands at 3.7 percent now, the same level it was two years ago. The Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) is pleased to announce Dani Dumitriu, MD, PhD, as the recipient of the SPR's 2020 New Member Outstanding Science Award. As the awardee, Dr. Dumitriu will give a presentation entitled "Understanding and harnessing the neurobiology of resilience as a novel strategy in primary prevention" on May 4 during the SPR Presidential Scientific Plenary and Member Awards Luncheon at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2020 Meeting in Philadelphia. The SPR's New Member Outstanding Science Award recognizes new members who have contributed to high quality scientific research and who continue to demonstrate meaningful contributions in the pediatric academic field. Dr. Dumitriu is a pediatrician, neuroscientist and environmental health scientist. She joined Columbia University as an assistant professor of Pediatrics (in Psychiatry) in November 2018. She dedicates the majority of her time to basic science research into the neurobiological basis of resilience at the New York State Psychiatric Institute while also caring for newborns in the Well-Baby Nursery. Dr. Dumitriu is passionate about developing innovative avenues for the retention of physician-scientists in basic research. In the lab, Dr. Dumitriu conducts National Institutes of Health-funded research on the functional and structural connectivity patterns that differ in stress-susceptible versus stress-resilient mice. Recently, her team launched an open science online resource, MouseCircuits.org. This tool is meant to create an integrative picture of basic science neurocircuit dissection and ultimately help bridge the bench-to-bedside gap in the treatment and prevention of mental health disorders. In a separate set of experiments, funded through a Research Initiatives in Science and Engineering (RISE) award from Columbia University, she is working with an interdisciplinary team of collaborators to spearhead an epidemiological-level study of wild rat stress and resilience in New York City. Additionally, she recently began a clinical trial of an intervention aimed at enhancing mother-infant emotional connection in the newborn period. "We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Dumitriu with this award for her exceptional scientific research," said SPR President Joel N. Hirschhorn, MD, PhD. "As a new member of the society, she has already demonstrated a firm commitment to furthering pediatrics research and promoting active collaboration among other physician-scientists and researchers." Dr. Dumitriu completed all her training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Following graduation from the MD/PhD program and match into the Pediatrics residency, she successfully negotiated a custom-tailored individualized residency program with significant protected research time. This allowed her to maintain an active research commitment, while completing a residency in General Pediatrics and a fellowship in Pediatric Environmental Health over a five-year period. This ambitious and unconventional path was born out of a desire to escape the growing physician-scientist "leaky pipeline," which has resulted in fewer and fewer MD/PhD graduates returning to bench science following prolonged clinical focus during residency. Taking full advantage of the flexibility of this custom program, Dr. Dumitriu began building her research program and was awarded an R01 from the National Institute of Mental Health while still in clinical training. ### For more information about Dr. Dumitriu and the SPR's New Member Outstanding Science Award, please visit the SPR website. About the Society for Pediatric Research The Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) encourages and supports pediatric research endeavors by creating a network of multidisciplinary researchers to improve child health. Collaboration among SPR members creates meaningful progress for the future of children's health. For more information, please visit http://www.societyforpediatricresearch.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Tulsi Gabbard is suing Hillary Clinton for more than $50 million in damages following Clintons suggestion on a podcast that Gabbard was Russias favored candidate to win the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. The defamation lawsuit, which was made public Wednesday morning, claims the 2016 Democratic nominee permanently damaged the Hawaii congresswomans reputation by describing her as a Russian asset. Clinton made the controversial remarks on the podcast Campaign HQ With David Plouffe back in October, when she said, Im not making any predictions, but I think theyve got their eye on someone whos currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. Shes the favorite of the Russians. In the key remarks to the lawsuit, Clinton added, Thats assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because shes also a Russian asset. Yeah, shes a Russian assetI mean, totally. Its not clear from the quotes whether Clinton was referring to Gabbard, Stein, or both. Although Clinton didnt explicitly mention Gabbard during the remarks quoted in the lawsuit, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill clarified at the time, when asked if she was referencing Gabbard in the part about Russia favoring one of the existing candidates: If the nesting doll fits. However, Merrill subsequently tweeted that Clintons comments were being misreported and said she was referring to the Republican Party grooming Gabbard to be a third-party candidatenot the Russians. Reached for comment on Wednesday morning about the lawsuit, Merrill was succinct: Thats ridiculous. The suit claims Clintons statements caused Gabbard to lose potential donors and potential voters, and estimated that the personal and professional damages to her exceed $50 million. It also claimed Gabbard is entitled to special and punitive damages... in view of Clintons malicious and unrepentant conduct on top of the actual damages. Story continues The suit claims that Clinton has sought revenge on Gabbard ever since she endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary. Clintona cutthroat politician by any accounthas never forgotten this perceived slight. And in October 2019, she sought retribution by lying, publicly and loudly, about Tulsi Gabbard, the lawsuit states. Gabbards lawyers say Clintons comments spread like wildfire across the internet and that millions of Americans accepted the statements as fact because they came from a well-known authority figure. Gabbard has had a controversial tenure in Congress, particularly for her defense of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who she met with in Damascus in 2017 after the battle of Aleppo and who has been accused of war crimes and gassing his own people. The suit goes on to say, In short, Clinton got exactly what she wanted by lying about Tulsishe harmed her political and personal rivals reputation and ongoing presidential campaign, and started a damaging whisper campaign based on baseless, but vicious, untruths. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Fabio Schvartsman was supposed to be the fresh face that would help Vale SA, the world's biggest iron ore miner, advance the company after a 2015 dam collapse. Instead, the 65-year-old is facing homicide charges after the company's latest deadly disaster. While he knew little of mining and metals, Schvartsman had more than doubled the shares at Klabin SA, Brazil's largest paper producer, where he secured financing to roll out low-cost projects and gained a reputation for cost efficiency. He was named to lead Vale in May 2017, just as it brought the industry's largest new project online, boosting both production and profit. Now, 2 1/2 years later, Schvartsman -- who left the top post in March -- stands accused of 270 counts of homicide as a result of a second dam collapse. He's charged with knowing ahead of time of safety issues at the massive Brumadinho tailings dam and helping hide them prior to the deadliest such event in Brazil's history. Ironically, Schvartsman began his role as the Vale CEO with a vow never to allow a repeat of the 2015 disaster. Now, he's awaiting a judge's decision on the state charges he faces, and is facing the possibility of federal charges ahead. "Fabio Schvartsman acted directly to create corporate incentives, not to avoid risks, but to channel efforts into protecting Vale's market value," Willian Coelho, a state prosecutor, told reporters in Minas Gerais. He "entered the role with the slogan 'Mariana Never Again,' " Coelho said. "But it was a false slogan." In a statement, Vale said it was perplexed by the accusations of fraud. "It is important to remember that other agencies are also investigating the case," the company statement said "And it is premature to point out a conscious risk taking to cause a deliberate breach of the dam." Schvartsman, meanwhile, was unavailable for comment on Tuesday. In a Feb. 14 public hearing last year, he called Vale "a Brazilian jewel that can not be condemned for an accident that happened in one of its dams, even as it was a tragedy." Schvartsman was seen by many as a potential savior for a company that had been on a roller coaster ride with the previous CEO. Under Murilo Ferreira, Vale's shares lost about 30% as commodity prices tumbled amid slowing Chinese demand and expanding supply. Ferreira, though, helped push through the opening of a $14 billion mining complex in an area where ore quality is higher and costs will be lower. Criticism over the 2015 Mariana disaster, however, dogged him, and eventually he was pushed aside, making way for Schvartsman. For awhile, it was a perfect match. Vale shares almost doubled between the time Schvartsman was named CEO and when the dam disaster hit. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Of all the Brazilian business leaders to be charged in recent years, Schvartsman stands out with the homicide charges. Ferreira wasn't included in criminal charges from the 2015 dam spill. Corruption and insider trading have been more common crimes in recent years. In December, Brazilian prosecutors filed a case against meatpacker JBS SA, its holding company and 14 people for alleged fraud in loans from the nation's development bank. Prosecutors requested the companies and founders Joesley and Wesley Batista be convicted for wrongdoing regarding transactions between the meat giant and BNDES that resulted in illegal enrichment. Less than three months earlier, Eike Batista, formerly Brazil's richest man and no relation to the JBS owners, was sentenced to an additional eight years and seven months of prison time for insider trading. Batista had already been convicted for paying $16.6 million to get government contracts as part of a sprawling corruption probe known as Carwash and sentenced to 30 years, which he is serving under house arrest. While Schvartsman was charged with homicide and Vale was accused of environmental crimes, it is unclear when or if he will actually be put behind bars. A criminal case from the 2015 dam spill, which also included homicide charges against some Vale executives, was suspended by in 2017 after a judge found evidence of illegal wire tapping by investigators. Ukrainian Roman Zolotaryov who was sentenced to death in Malaysia has returned home after his sentence was cancelled. Ukrainian Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova reported this on Facebook. Due to the joint efforts of the office of Ombudsman and Ukrainian diplomats, Roman Zolotaryov's death sentence was cancelled. He has already returned home and met with his father, Denisova wrote. Roman Zolotaryov is an ex-participant of X-factor and Clash of the Choirs shows. Before his imprisonment, he was engaged in artistic activity in Ukraine, but decided to go to Brazil for work. In April 2017, he had to return to Ukraine due to the termination of his employer agreement. However, the Malaysian customs authorities detained him during a transfer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. On his way home, at the request of strangers, Roman agreed to take a suitcase to Laos, first making sure that there were only things inside. On March 29, 2019 the High Court of Shah Alam sentenced a citizen of Ukraine to death (by hanging). Earlier it was reported that Malaysian Maritime Police Department detained the New Orion ship, the crew members of which are 22 citizens of Ukraine. According to him, New Orion was detained on November 21 in territorial waters off the east coast of Johor. There are 23 crew members on board, 22 of them are Ukrainians. The reason for this, according to the maritime police, was a violation of the norms of maritime navigation - lowering the anchor without obtaining consent. A shop assistant was found dead after apparently being electrocuted by two mobile phones in a freak accident in Thailand. Kanchamaiporn Saithong, 35, was found sprawled on the floor of his room lying on top of the two phones that were plugged into an extension cable. His body was found on Monday evening by a concerned colleague when he didn't turn up for work at a mobile phone shop in the city of Chonburi, about 50 miles from Bangkok. Kanchamaiporn Saithong, 35, was found sprawled on the floor of his room lying on top of two phones that were plugged into an extension cable Chutiman Siathong, 33, said her friend was an introvert who often spent time alone in his room, but he rarely missed work. She said: 'It was unusual for him not to attend work, so I went to his room. 'There was no answer and the door was locked. I asked for help from the apartment block porter getting inside and that's when we found him.' Chutiman called police and paramedics who checked the scene and concluded that he had probably been electrocuted, although a postmortem has yet to be carried out. Police and paramedics enter the room where Kanchamaiporn's body was found by a friend Video footage shows paramedics checking him over and carrying his body away on a stretcher. Police Liuetenent Colonel Sompong Atiwongthada said: 'We believed he was electrocuted because we found two mobile phones beneath his body. 'They were both plugged into the electricity socket. 'The body was sent to the hospital for the postmortem examination, which we will consider again before we confirm the cause of his death. The body of Kanchamaiporn Saithong was removed and taken to hospital for a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death OTTAWACanada will move swiftly next week to formally approve North Americas new, long-delayed free trade pact, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday. The government will introduce a motion to apply some of its elements Jan. 27 when Parliament resumes, and will table legislation to ratify the deal two days later, he said. Passing the new NAFTA in Parliament is our priority, Trudeau said at the end of a cabinet retreat in Winnipeg. Millions of Canadians depend on stable, reliable trade with our largest trading partners, from farmers in Alberta and autoworkers in Windsor, to aluminum producers in Saguenay and entrepreneurs in St Johns or in Vancouver. It is expected that the opposition Conservatives, who are ardent supporters of free trade, will support the legislation when Canadas new minority Parliament reconvenes. That would remove the final legal hurdle in preserving continentwide trade after President Donald Trump foisted the acrimonious renegotiation of the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement on Canada and Mexico in 2017. Trump threatened repeatedly to rip up the original NAFTA, a Sword of Damocles that hung over more than a year of negotiations that were key to Canadas economy. The fate of numerous sectors, including the auto industry, agriculture and manufacturing were on the line in the talks. The U.S. is Canadas top trading partner and the Trudeau government made major policy changes to preserve access to the crucial market in the face of the mercurial presidents protectionist threats. Last week, the Republican-led U.S. Senate passed its implementation bill for the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The Liberal government had been waiting for the U.S. to formally ratify the pact before passing its own bill, after Mexico ratified the deal back in June. Mexicos top trade negotiator, Jesus Seade, welcomed Trudeaus announcement. We celebrate the decision by Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau to hasten the process of ratification of the #USMCA: our new framework that will greatly benefit our three countries employment, industry and peoples, Seade said on Twitter. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, whose party holds third-place status in the House of Commons, suggested Tuesday hes not in a big hurry to ratify. Blanchet emerged from his partys caucus retreat in Montreal to say the Bloc will push for a full debate and Commons committee hearings on the new deal. Beijing CBD [Photo/China.org.cn] China will remain a hot spot for global investment in the long term despite souring global economic conditions, a senior commerce official said on Tuesday. Qian Keming, vice minister of commerce, said China will accelerate the pace of negotiations for multilateral and bilateral economic deals with its trade partners in Asia, Europe and Latin America to encourage more companies to invest in China. Thanks to the country's improved industrial chain and structure, as well as its attractive domestic market, foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland surged 5.8 percent year-on-year to reach 941.5 billion yuan ($136.5 billion) in 2019, according to data the Ministry of Commerce released on Tuesday. Qian said China's opening-up efforts have received a positive response throughout the world, and will help it to gain more foreign investment in areas including digital technology, modern services, high-end and smart manufacturing. Over 40,000 new foreign-funded enterprises were established in the country last year, while the number of foreign-funded projects with investment of at least $100 million reached 834, up 15.8 percent on a year-on-year basis, according to the official data. In the meantime, the global capital flowing into high-tech industries on the Chinese mainland jumped 25.6 percent year-on-year to 266 billion yuan. Despite the China-US trade dispute, Zong Changqing, director-general of the ministry's department of foreign investment administration, said foreign investors have great confidence in China as they believe that driven by long-term demand, both China's productivity and consumption power will grow sustainably. Chinese consumers, led by middle-income earners, are more open to new products, especially digital ones, he noted. Eager to seize a greater market share, last year China saw year-on-year FDI growth of 51.1 percent from Singapore, 43.1 percent from the Netherlands and 21.7 percent from South Korea, according to the ministry. Some of the world's biggest corporate players, such as Samsung, BASF, British Petroleum, Caterpillar, Saudi Aramco, Panasonic, Cargill, ABB, Tesla and Siemens, have renewed their commitment to China by expanding their operations countrywide. Fair treatment Under the new foreign investment law, factors such as fair treatment and transparency to participate in government projects and procurement will encourage global companies to deploy more financial resources in China in innovation, services and third-party market development, said Yin Zheng, executive vice president of France-based Schneider Electric. Since the Foreign Investment Law has attracted wide attention from the international community, China will unswervingly follow a win-win strategy of opening-up, said Honson To, chairman for China and Asia-Pacific at global consultancy KPMG. China's nonfinancial outbound direct investment dropped 6 percent year-on-year to 807.95 billion yuan in 2019, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Chinese companies invested 105.96 billion yuan in economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, accounting for 13.1 percent of the total. The structure of outbound investment continued to improve, with investment mainly going into such sectors as leasing and business services, manufacturing, as well as wholesale and retail sales, the ministry announced. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit An aerial view of the site in Galway, north of Eyre Square Galway could gain 1,000 homes north of the city centre as part of a major redevelopment project announced today. The 20-acre (8-hectare) site in Terrylands has been assembled by the Land Development Agency (LDA) and Galway City Council from around a half-dozen land owners, including the county council and Galway Bay FM. The LDA said an expert architectural panel led by planner John Martin would complete its review of the site by the end of March. It says the brownfield site on Sandy Road - about 1km north of Eyre Square - could be transformed into up to 1,000 new homes, together with employment and leisure spaces as part of a new sustainable neighbourhood. The news for Galway follows a similar announcement earlier this month for Limerick, where an LDA-led redevelopment project could deliver thousands of new homes around that citys main train and bus station. In both cases, developers envisage a potential mix of public and private property development covering several niches of the housing market, from social to retail. Brendan McGrath, chief executive of Galway City Council, said the project would be essential given the citys expectation that its population will grow by 50pc to 120,000 by 2040. Much of this growth will take place in the inner suburbs, he said. Sandy Road offers a major regeneration opportunity to build a mixed-tenure urban quarter within 15 minutes walk of Eyre Square. This will enable very high-quality, modern, sustainable, non-car-based urban living. He said the project would act as a catalyst for the wider redevelopment of Liosbaun and the Headford Road area. On a day of massive strike action, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Catholic teachers union chief Liz Stuart spoke to the Star separately, but jointly share their frustrations. It was just before dawn on Tuesday, as Liz Stuart zipped up her parka and pulled on her boots, that the enormity of what was coming suddenly hit her. The head of Ontarios Catholic teachers union had spent several frustrating months at the negotiating table trying to hammer out a deal with the province and was about to witness the impact of those failed talks as she joined members on the picket line for the first time. It really kind of hit at 5 a.m. as I was getting myself ready, making sure I had my thermals on and making sure I was good to go, she told the Star Tuesday, when all Catholic schools in Ontario closed, along with elementary and secondary schools in various boards. You realize, This is it. Were going to do this. Yeah, there was a moments pause. But were ready We need to do this. At Chaminade College School the first picket line the president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association visited seeing teachers there lifted her spirits and reinforced her resolve. Theyre in the trenches everyday in the classroom, said Stuart, who was warmly greeted by teachers, chanting Cuts Hurt kids and waving protest signs while drivers passing by honked in support. Its really good to come out here and connect with them and see them all out here saying, Yes, we need to fight this, she said. Now I really know were on the right track. Its a track that has put OECTA, and the provinces other three teachers unions representing public elementary and secondary teachers as well as the French school boards on a collision course with the province. All the unions have launched work-to-rule campaigns and three scheduled one-day strikes this week involving tens of thousands of teachers. In Toronto, public elementary teachers went on strike Monday, followed by public high school teachers on Tuesday. At Chaminade high school, located near Jane Street and Highway 401, strike captain Anthony Perrotta hit the picket line for the first time in his 15-year career and planned to picket in the afternoon with his two children outside their elementary school. I feel completely empowered as an active citizen and an advocate for publicly funded education, said Perrotta, who lives in King-Vaughan riding represented by Education Minister Stephen Lecce. The unions want to protect full-day kindergarten, to receive a cost-of-living raise of about 2 per cent and are opposed to the provinces plan to boost class sizes and introduce mandatory online courses in high school. The government maintains the sticking point is salary, noting its offering a 1 per cent increase yearly, which is in line with recent legislation limiting public sector wage increases. During a wide-ranging interview on the biggest day of action for her members since 1997 teachers province-wide walked off the job then for two weeks despite not being in a legal strike position Stuart spoke about the last few months, describing them as a roller coaster. While ministers dont sit in on negotiations, Stuart isnt sure whether it would even make a difference to have Lecce there. We strongly believe that the mandate, ultimately, is going to come from the minister of finance, the treasury board president and the premier we believe thats where the stumbling block is, she said. Weve been clearly told that the goal of the government is to find permanent savings in education. And that couldnt possibly be the goal of the minister of education, who consistently talks about how hes in it for the kids. Stuart said she last spoke with Lecce in September. He talked extensively about how much he valued teachers, how much he wants to retain good teachers, about making sure that students have what they need. But nothing he does demonstrates that. At another picket Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School on Sherbourne Street near Wellesley Street East Ontarios NDP Leader Andrea Horwath dropped by with muffins and urged the government to get back to bargaining. Stuart said arriving at the difficult decision to proceed with the one-day strike was the toughest moment in recent months. She recalls hitting the picket lines, taking along her two kids in strollers, during the 1997 strike when teachers across Ontario protested the education reforms of Bill 160. I remember that sense of anxiety. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I still had a family to feed, said Stuart. For any leader, even when you know that youve got the support and the mandate of your members, you think long and hard about the fact that 45,000 people (OECTA members) are out on a picket line today That gives everybody pause. Its about recognizing that people are going to make sacrifices, some more than others. And its about recognizing that were asking parents, some of whom I know are precariously employed themselves, to make a sacrifice today. And you dont do any of that lightly. By Park Si-soo An elderly patient suffering terminal-stage lung cancer stabbed himself to death, police said Wednesday. It happened in an intensive care unit at a general hospital in Daegu about 4:50 p.m. Tuesday. According to witnesses, the patient, 80, lifted a knife and stabbed himself after yelling "Stay away. Don't come to me." When hospital workers arrived, he had no vital signs, according to police. He left nothing considered a will, they said. "We believe he did so with his heart broken in sadness," a police officer said. He said the patient who had lived without contact with family was recently diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer. Before shots were fired, the man who is alleged to have shot seven people at a River Walk bar Sunday got into a verbal and physical confrontation with Robert Jay Martinez III, one of two men killed that night, a police affidavit released Tuesday said. The document backed up an arrest warrant for Kiernan Christopher Williams, 19, who was charged with two counts of capital murder Monday. The affidavit states that one witness described seeing Williams shoot Martinez, 20, and another saw the argument but turned away before the shots rang out. Gunfire continued in the crowded Ventura bar, hitting six other people, the affidavit states. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said Tuesday it had opened an investigation into security arrangements at the Ventura, a popular live music venue on the Museum Reach in the heart of a fast-developing stretch of apartments and condominiums. Grieving families, meanwhile, started GoFundMe appeals for help with funeral or hospital expenses. Martinez died at the scene, shot in the chest. Alejandro Robles, 25, shot in the back, died at Brooke Army Medical Center. The injured, a 46-year-old woman and four males ranging in age from 16 to 19, are expected to survive, police said. Witnesses identified Williams, a scheduled performer at a hip-hop concert at the bar, from a photo lineup, the affidavit said. After his arrest, he told reporters he acted in self-defense. More charges are expected, Police Chief William McManus said. Ventura owner Michael Carrillo has not responded to requests for comment. However, the club posted a statement on Facebook on Tuesday evening its first since the shooting saying there are no words for what happened. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of those who lost loved ones, and those who were injured and affected by this senseless act of violence, the post reads. The members of our staff are shaken and in a mixed state of disbelief and grief. ... We can not understand, nor could we have ever imagined this terrible tragedy that took place in our establishment. Ventura said the future of the bar will require recovery and healing. The post also included information for a vigil planned in Martinezs honor at the bar on Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. TABC agents will determine if the business took proper steps to guarantee public safety and if the sale or service of alcohol contributed to the shooting, the agency said in a news release. Its standard procedure whenever violence resulting in death or serious injury happens at a licensed business, the release said. The bar conducted no pat-downs of patrons who were checked off a guest list, and the environment was not safe, though children as young as 9 or 10 were in the crowd of about 30, said a man who attended Sundays concert and spoke on condition of anonymity. He said he heard the first two pops and hit the floor with his wife as other patrons and bar staff booked it. Someone came around when the shooting was over and asked if people were OK, then locked the door, the man said, adding that he tried with some friends and relatives to care for Robles and for the wounded woman. It felt like an eternity for police and then paramedics to arrive, he said. We were left alone, the man said. All I could do was pray. The online fundraising campaigns set up for Martinez and Robles describe the two as family men. A photo of Robles smiling behind the family tattoo on his forearm greets viewers who click on his GoFundMe page. He left behind a 5-year-old son. Martinezs family also is raising money for funeral expenses. He was the oldest son of MaryLynn Contreras, according to the campaign page. I know you were loved by so many, one friend said in a share of Martinezs GoFundMe. An event called Sprout at Ventura has been scheduled from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Feb. 15 to raise money for families of the victims. Rick Lara, an organizer, wrote on Facebook that it would be a recurring event. Ventura SATX has been a home to house music for almost three years worth of events that have helped me grow relationships in my community, Lara wrote. This weekends tragic episode is not a reflection of the love I know flows within this place. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net The impacts of the Iranian plane disaster earlier this month continue to be felt across Canada, particularly among the academic community. Many of the victims were university students, current or incoming, while others were faculty, staff and alumni of more than 20 different Canadian universities. The Dal community mourned the loss of Engineering student Masoumeh Ghavi, as well as her sister, Mandieh, and Dentistry instructor/alumni, Dr. Sharieh Faghihi. Two Saint Marys University students, and three other individuals with ties to Halifax, are also among the victims being remembered. The Dalhousie Iranian Student Society has played a key role in organizing remembrances and memorials in Halifax, including a capacity crowd vigil at the Dalhousie Arts Centre on January 11. Now, the society is turning its attention to ensuring that the legacy of those who lost their lives can live on through a new bursary fund one that will support future students from Iran at the university. Read also: Coming together in tragedy: Community vigil remembers Iran plane disaster victims A bursary for Iranian students Dalhousie University is proud to contribute $25,000 to the Iranian Memorial Bursary, which will be awarded to an Iranian student at Dal (undergraduate) who demonstrates financial need, as well as to help ease any complications that arise from studying away from home. The students are also working to raise an additional $25,000 in donations through the ProjectDal crowdfunding website. (Thus far, nearly $4,000 in additional funds have been raised.) A university community supports one another through the best and worst of times. To see our students and universities across the country working to turn this tragedy into a positive legacy for future students from Iran is truly inspiring, says Deep Saini, Dalhousie president. We are honoured to contribute to their efforts. Provost Teri Balser says the students fundraising campaign reflects the broader support for the Iranian community shes seen across campus in the weeks since the disaster. Not everyone in the Dal community had the chance to know Masoumeh, Mahdie or Sharieh personally, but everyone feels a sense of loss and, most importantly, compassion for our peers and community members whove lost friends, colleagues and family, says Dr. Balser. We hope others will join us in supporting the students fundraising campaign. A student-led effort The students feel a bursary is a both fitting tribute both to those who lost their lives and also a living reminder of what this loss has meant to their community. It could have been any of us, says Neda Alizadeh, a PhD candidate in the School of Occupational Therapy who is helping organize the fundraising effort with her peers in the Dalhousie Iranian Student Society. We asked ourselves, What would [those who lost their lives] want us to do? And we thought theyd want us to help others with similar goals, when it comes to pursuing an education. Neda, who knew Masoumeh personally, says the support from the university has been deeply motivating as she and her peers work to turn this tragedy into a more positive legacy. This fundraising cant compensate for the loss, but it can overcome the darkness that we feel. We are doing something to remember these people. It will help people remember this tragedy forever, while helping people in a similar situation [as students] at the same time. To learn more about the Iranian Bursary Fund, and to make a contribution, visit the ProjectDal website. Former tax chief Roman Nasirov reportedly helped fund a loan Parnas received for a real estate project. Ex-Giuliani friend Lev Parnas received significant financial help for a project he was working on from a Ukrainian official who attended the 2017 inauguration and met with U.S. President Donald Trump, TPM reports. Former Ukraine tax chief Roman Nasirov reportedly helped fund a $10 million loan Parnas received for a real estate project that the South Florida businessman was attempting to undertake, Talking Points Memo (TPM) reported with reference to the Wall Street Journal. That project ultimately failed, and culminated in a lawsuit in which Parnas has demanded reimbursement from a developer for, among other things, the cost of Cadillac Escalades leased for the aborted project. Heres the I dont know him at all, dont know what hes about, dont know where he comes from, know nothing about him guy, w Lev Parnas & Roman Nasirov, former head of Ukrainian Fiscal Service, at Mar-a-Lago 12/16. @POTUS .@realDonaldTrump@Acosta#LevRemembers#LetLevSpeakpic.twitter.com/5B5QY2DJEg Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) January 16, 2020 It's unclear how much Nasirov contributed to the loan. He did not return multiple requests for comment from TPM. But the tax official who was indicted in 2018 on embezzlement charges in Ukraine managed to gain access to both the Trump inauguration and to the President himself. Parnas attorney Joseph Bondy tweeted a video of Nasirov briefly meeting Trump at Mar-a-Lago in December 2016. Weeks later, Nasirov was photographed at Trump's inauguration, wearing large aviator sunglasses with a blue, fur-lined, Ukraine-branded coat. Here's Nasirov pictured at Trump's inauguration. Whether he used state funds to travel there briefly set off a minor scandal in Ukraine https://t.co/1tleBagnJopic.twitter.com/Skj2liZLTh Josh Kovensky (@JoshKovensky) January 16, 2020 After fighting off the embezzlement charges in Ukraine, Nasirov launched a presidential campaign in the country's 2019 election. He finished last. Following the recent confirmation that the mysterious pneumonia-like virus can be passed between humans, Chinese health officials are exerting more effort to contain it. Following Chinese President Xi Jinping's order to "curb the spread" on Monday, Wuhan officials announced that they will cancel the celebration of the Lunar New Year, the busiest travel period in the country, as a new measure to prevent an epidemic. They have also installed more thermal monitors and screening areas in public areas. The People's Daily, a local media outlet, also reported that private vehicles going in and out of the city are being inspected to know if they carry live poultry or wild animals. Health inspectors believed that the virus came from seafood or live animals sold in the public market. Tour agencies are also banned from taking clients from Wuhan. As of Tuesday, there were 307 reported cases all over the country. Wuhan Municipal Health Commission confirmed another two deaths, pushing the total death to six. READ MORE: China Fears Possible Breakout of SARS-like Epidemic A Slow Response? Despite the added efforts, fear for the possible deadly epidemic instilled since the Chinese government failed to put sufficient measures immediately. The infection was first detected in mid-December, yet infrared temperature screening areas were only installed almost one month later. The mysterious virus, which is reported to be on the same family as a severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS), has also spread to other Asian countries, such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Taiwan also confirmed one case on Tuesday: a woman traveling from Wuhan who said she felt ill after stepping off her flight. Australian authorities also reported that a man who just returned from Wuhan was quarantined for showing some symptoms of the new disease. A study of Imperial College London previously said that the Chinese authorities might have "grossly underestimated" the number of infections in Wuhan. Based on the flight and population data provided by China, there might have been at least 1,700 cases in Wuhan, said lead author Neil Ferguson, a disease outbreak scientist. This report echoes Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy's announcement on Tuesday. According to him, the virus has at least a week-long incubation period, so he urged everyone to be vigilant about potential symptoms. Global Effort Since the virus was first reported, multiple international countries have expanded their effort to prevent it from spreading among their people. After all, Wuhan is among the major transportation hub in China, and its airport along has dozens of overseas connections. Along with many Asian countries, several airports in the United States have also installed temperature screening for incoming passengers from Wuhan. The US National Institutes of Health said that they're working on a vaccine, but it could more than a year before it became available. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, also said that scientists in Texas, New York, and China have joined forces to develop a vaccine. The World Health Organization has announced that they will have an emergency meeting on Wednesday to decide whether the virus is an "international concern" and to come up with strategies to contain it. Written by Hon. John Livingstone Okello-Okello, In 1989, the then legislating arm of the Uganda government, the National Resistance Council (NRC), unilaterally and extraordinarily extended its term of office by five more years. This selfish act became a controversial topic for discussion among Ugandans for quite a while. The people were, however, too helpless to have the extension reversed.I was discussing this abnormal behavior of the NRC with a former member (now deceased) of the defunct Military Commission of the late Paul Muwanga when I was told a story, which seems to bear much relevance to the political situation obtaining in our country today. This man was an adult Ugandan of sound mind.Our discussion started and went on as follows: Do you know what Museveni fears most? he asked.I dont know, I replied.Not the gun, but a free and fair election, he shot back.Why? I asked.Because he has never won any, and will never win any, he empathetically said.The gentlemen then proceeded to tell me an incident, which he claimed had taken place in the Military Commission of which Museveni was the Vice-Chairman. He told me that in 1979, Ugandans who converged at Moshi, Tanzania, made a number of fundamental decisions. One of the decisions was that after the overthrow of Idi Amin and total liberation of Uganda, general elections, under a multiparty system, would be held within eighteen months.June 3, 1979, was declared to be the date Uganda was to be totally liberated. Eighteen months, therefore, started running from thence. Due to the fluidity of Uganda politics at that time, the first President after Idi Amin, Prof. Y. K. Lule, was removed from office within only 68 days and replaced with Godfrey Binaisa Lukongwa (QC).On assuming the high office of Head of State, Binsisa, reportedly with the connivance of his Defence Minister, Yoweri Museveni, changed the Moshi decision and declared that the general elections would now only take place under the umbrella of the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF). This did not go down well with the majority of Ugandans, who then started punching holes in Binaisas umbrella until he was overthrown by the Military Commission led by the late Paulo Muwanga with Museveni as his Vice-chairman.Paulo Muwanga reverted to the original position taken at Moshi and announced that the decision to hold general elections within one-and-a-half year from June 3, 1979 must be respected and implemented. The member of the Military Commission, who related the story to me, said that the Commission spent two days debating this matter without reaching a consensus. That the Vice-chairman of the Commission was bitterly opposed to the idea of holding general elections under a multiparty system. Reportedly, his argument was that the country was still undergoing a revolution and there was no need for holding general elections before consolidating the gains of the revolution.At the end of two days, the matter was reportedly decided by a vote and it remained the only matter the Commission ever voted on during its tenure of office. The results of the voting, I was told, were one vote against holding general elections and all the rest for it. The only one vote was that of Yoweri Museveni, because the voting was by a show of hands, according to the report.My informer went on to say that the next day, other members of the Commission, including Paulo Muwanga, learned that Museveni was already in Dar-es-Salaam to meet the then President of Tanzania, the late Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere. Museveni reportedly asked Nyerere to use the Tanzania troops then still in Uganda to stop the holding of general elections as decided in Moshi and re-activated and reconfirmed by the Military Commission.The argument was the same; the revolution in progress. Nyerere reportedly declined to be persuaded by the revolution argument. He allegedly made it very clear that he had no power to change the decision made by Ugandans themselves. Unsatisfied with Nyereres response, Museveni reportedly boarded a plane and headed for Mozambique to go and put his case before the late President Samora Machel.However, when he was airborne, the Tanzania officials, who saw him off at Dar International Airport, informed Nyerere that Museveni was proceeding to Mozambique. Nyerere reportedly telephoned Samora Machel immediately to give him advance knowledge of Musevenis mission.In Mozambique, it was reported, Museveni put before Samora Machel a slightly modified version of his request. That the Tanzanian President had decided to pull out his troops from Uganda when Uganda had not yet had time to build its own army and that this would expose Uganda to the risk of being over-run by its enemies, including the just-chased Amins soldiers. Machel was reportedly requested to send four battalions of his Army to take care of Ugandas security concerns until a new army was formed.Being a shrewd politician, Machel reportedly asked Museveni if he had a formal letter of that request from the Uganda Head of State, Paulo Muwanga. When the answer was in the negative, Machel concluded that it was only the Mozambican Government that could send troops to another country if there was a formal request, and not him as President, acting alone. Since there was no such a request, he had nothing to put before his Government for consideration.It was after this mission had failed that Yoweri Museveni returned home and hurriedly called a meeting of his friends and well-wishers to form a political party Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) for the purpose of participating in the 1980 general elections.What took place at the formation of UPM was even more interesting. When the election of office-bearers of the party was about to begin, Museveni allegedly came up with two conditions, which must be fulfilled before a member could be elected as president of that party:That person must not come from Buganda or from the North because these two regions had already had enough presidents. The person to be elected president of the new party must have his army, because Uganda was still at war.These two conditions eliminated everybody else, except Yoweri Museveni. Some UPC members, who had turned up for the meeting expecting juicy jobs in the new party stormed out of the meeting and went back to their party.Twenty years down the political path, it seems the thinking within the original UPM circle, now controlling the Movement, has not changed: it must be the same leader, come rain or sun-shine, and hence the slogan no change, which sycophants in the Museveni faction of the Movement shout without any idea as to its meaning.(The Monitor, Tuesday, February 20, 2001)The author of this article was a Member of Parliament in Ugandas sixth-parliament representing Chua County-Kitgum district in Northern Uganda She has been giving her two cents on the current series on Love Island. And Olivia Attwood appeared in high spirits as she joined Love Island's Gabby Allen and Eyal Booker to record a podcast in London on Wednesday. The Love Island star, 28, was dressed head-to-toe in Chanel with her double C gold chain necklace and 3,540 blue cross-body bag. Happy: Olivia Attwood appeared in high spirits as she stepped out in London to record a podcast with some of her Love Island co-stars on Wednesday Olivia complemented her stylish look with a oversized blue coat which she layered atop of a plain black jumper. The reality star strutted down the street in vinyl leggings and black military boots. She wore her blonde locks in soft curls and finished off her ensemble with black glasses and a full face of make-up. Designer garb: The Love Island star, 28, was dressed head-to-toe in Chanel with her double C gold chain necklace and 3,540 blue cross-body bag Fashionista: Olivia complemented her stylish look with a oversized blue coat which she layered atop of a plain black jumper Strutting her stuff: The reality star strutted down the street in vinyl leggings and black military boots Olivia recently revealed she set her sights on Love Island in order to gain notoriety rather than a relationship. Despite her desire being to find fame, Olivia did find romance with ex-boyfriend Chris Hughes during the third series of the hit ITV2 show. Replying to one of her Instagram followers who accused her of using the programme for fame, the TOWIE regular replied saying 'no s**t Sherlock!' Although the reality star left the villa in a relationship with Chris, who is now dating Jesy Nelson, she revealed she only went in to increase her public platform. The former grid girl is now engaged to Bradley Dack, whom she dated prior to entering the villa in 2017. Glamorous: She wore her blonde locks in soft curls and finished off her ensemble with black glasses and a full face of make-up Olivia and the Blackburn Rovers midfielder first embarked on a relationship in 2015, but broke up when she appeared on Love Island two years later - where she dated co-star Chris. After the breakdown of her seven-month romance with reality star Chris, 26, the blonde beauty went on the search for love as she appeared on 2018's Celebs Go Dating. Despite flirting up a storm with Diversity's Sam Craske on the E4 show, Olivia rekindled things with hunky Bradley in December last year. North Korea will ban foreign tourists to protect itself against a new SARS-like virus that has claimed at least nine lives in China and sickened hundreds, a major tour operator said. Several nations including the US have stepped up checks on airport passengers to detect the coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, but a ban on tourists would be a first. The virus has caused alarm in China and abroad because of its genetic similarities to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, and their numbers have swelled significantly in the last year as relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have warmed, generating vital foreign currency for the isolated country. But as of Wednesday, North Korea will "temporarily close its borders to all foreign tourists as a precaution to the coronavirus", Chinese-based specialist operator Young Pioneer Tours said in a statement. Exact details had yet to be confirmed, it added. Koryo Tours, the market leader for Western visitors, said it had been "informed that action was being considered" and was expecting more information Wednesday. Pyongyang has taken similar action in the past -- it closed its borders to foreign tourists for more than four months from October 2014 in a bid to keep out the Ebola virus, even though no cases had been reported in Asia. It enforced a 21-day quarantine period on anyone entering the country, including foreign diplomats and businesspeople. Pyongyang's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper did not mention any North Korean action over the virus Wednesday but reported on the outbreak in China, saying it had "spread rapidly" and that authorities in its giant neighbour were taking "corresponding measures". The North has poor medical infrastructure and a chronic shortage of medicines. When South Korea suffered from the world's largest outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, in summer 2015, the North reportedly prohibited its diplomats and workers overseas from returning to their homeland for months to prevent the spread of the virus. Pyongyang also suspended foreign tours for three months due to fears over SARS in 2003. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield lauded for supporting music education Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield's support of the University of Missouri's music programs has earned them the 2020 Missouri Arts Award for Philanthropy. Begun in 1983, the award lauds "profound and lasting contributions to the artistic and cultural legacy of the state." Smarter TKC Readers notice that theand that signals to us thatIn the end, some C-list prof lost her job over the drama and Twitter social media bullying proved fun for people who needed a stress relief . . . Now Missouri's Scrooge McDuck is back to supporting the institution which is probably why his paid pundit goons have backed off.Take a look: PORTAGE A 37-year-old Valparaiso woman taken into custody on charges of intoxicated driving was involved in a crash earlier in the night handled by Lake County police, according to Portage police. However, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said a review by his office shows the accident happened a full five hours before the OWI arrest. And the Lake County police officer who responded to the earlier accident saw no signs the female driver was intoxicated at that time, Martinez said. The incident stirred controversy Wednesday when a Portage police report indicated the Lake County officer may have known the woman and may have let her go following the accident and before the drunken driving arrest. Martinez said Portage police based that information on the witness statement of a drunken passenger of the woman. The female driver ultimately was charged with drunken driving five hours after the Lake County traffic accident. Portage police confirmed the claim of the woman's previous interaction with Lake County police was made by a male passenger in her vehicle, who had called police for help while attempting to get the woman, identified as Stephany McCarty, to slow down after they had been drinking at a Lake County strip club. Most serious people who make the fundamental strategic error of appearing on ITVs Good Morning Britain do so standing in the street outside the Langham Hotel in central London. This is the closest they can get to the BBCs Broadcasting House without the actual BBC logo appearing over their shoulder, making abundantly clear to ITV viewers exactly where it is their guest has chosen to turn up in person and where they havent. Always say no to Good Morning Britain, is well on its way to becoming a golden rule in political and media circles, on the basis that no good can ever possibly come of it. But there can be no more unfortunate time to break it than a bleak January morning. In all likelihood, just off-camera, a private car booked for Labours Lisa Nandy will have had its meter running while ITV viewers watched her breath vaporise in the freezing London air as she stood, in dutiful silence, listening to Piers Morgans latest Meghan Markle-related hot take splat against the warm walls of his TV studio, dripping treacle-like out into the public consciousness: a toxic, radioactive sludge with a depressingly long half-life. Nandy, you see, has an Indian father and as the only candidate in the Labour leadership race with what Morgan called any diversity in your background. So it was a matter of urgent importance that she be asked her views on the medias treatment of Meghan Markle. Could she, in other words, share her expertise on what it might be like to experience structural racial prejudice in a predominantly white country with a sizeable non-white population? By way of background, Lisa Nandy was one of 72 female MPs who signed an open letter to Meghan Markle in October stating they believed there were colonial undertones in the way she had been treated by some sections of the media. If you slow the footage from Wednesday mornings exchange down by 1,000 frames per second, you can just about hear Nandys distorted voice, growling out a three-word answer before Morgan begins his peroration about how wrong and ridiculous she is. The letter was ridiculous, the coverage isnt racist, Morgan said. And what better way to prove that there is no such thing as ingrained prejudice as making Lisa Nandy, at least the second woman of colour to be asked to appear on Good Morning Britain in a week, to give their views on the treatment of Meghan Markle (the first being The Guardians Afua Hirsch) for no seemingly greater reason than to then be told how ridiculous and wrong they are by its white, male host. Does it really matter? It is demeaning to ones own personal dignity to even have to feel the words Piers Morgan pass through ones fingers on their way from brain to keyboard. It is certainly demeaning to the dignity of all to imagine that any of the mans opinions are worth scrutinising. Even if you dont realise it, you stopped caring what Piers Morgan thinks long ago. It is now two-and-a-half years since he attacked Ariana Grande on social media, telling her how she should and shouldnt be behaving in the days following the mass murder of her not even teenage fans at her own concert. It remains quite possibly the most disgraceful behaviour that any public figure has ever engaged in online. (The lawyers point out that Morgan has since apologised, like it weighs a feather in the balance.) If Morgan was considered an ordinary person, that alone would have finished him off. That it didnt is because, subconsciously or otherwise, everyone has accepted he is like some sort of pompous Borat-like creation of his own imagination, the concept behind the character being no more than a calculation as to what positions it can take to maximise attention for itself, and its only trait that is not entirely performative being its mesmerisingly blunt-edged stupidity. Nandy, naturally, had a short reply. Piers, how on earth would you know? One can only hope these seven short, and always correct words, are heard more often. Burma Yangon Launches Free Ferry Service to Remote Andaman Sea Island The government-funded Yangon-Cocokyun ferry service launched on Jan. 21, 2020. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy Yangon The Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) on Tuesday launched its ferry service between Yangon and the remote Cocokyun Township islands in the Andaman Sea. The ferry service is mainly intended for social development and government staff working on Coco Island, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said at the launching ceremony. Flights are costly and unaffordable. So we are providing water transport. The six-day round trip will cost 20 million kyats (US$13,600), which will be paid from YRTA funds, the chief minister said. But non-islanders and foreigners are not allowed to use the service because of the islands security role. As it is an important island for Myanmar, if its security is breached, it will have an impact, said the chief minister. The boat takes two days to reach Cocokyun. It will dock at the island for two days and then return to Yangon, the YRTA said. The ferry service is currently free for passengers with meals provided. The YRTA secretary, U Hla Aung, said a private company was operating the ferry service under a contract with the authority. He declined to name the company. The ship will mainly transport islanders, civil servants and civilians working to develop the island, said U Hla Aung. For the time being, we have fixed freight charges at 20,000 kyats [$14] per ton. But we will later set a fair rate in consultation with the government, he said. A total of 38 islanders, cargo loaders and crew caught the ferry on Wednesday. Previously, Myanma Five Star Shipping Line operated the Yangon-Cocokyun ferry, but it abandoned the loss-making service, merchant Daw Myint Myint Than, who used to live on Coco Island, told The Irrawaddy. Myanma Five Star charged 20,000 to 40,000 kyats per head and 1,000 kyats ($0.68) for 40 kg of cargo. Yangon Region lawmaker U Aung Naing, who represents Cocokyun Township, said the Myanmar Navy provided transport for islanders before the YRTA service. The township has a population of more than 2,000, the majority of whom are members of the armed forces and government staff. I am glad that the ferry service is provided. This ship is more convenient for cargo loading than the Myanma Five Star ferry. The freight charge is low at 2,000 kyats per ton. And for the time being, passengers can take the ferry for free, Cocokyun resident U Hla Tun told The Irrawaddy. The YRTA said it would run the service each month, preferably in the first or second week. The ship is a 700-ton capacity craft and a 3,500-ton capacity vessel would be used in the rainy season, according to the authority. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Japan to Provide Over $1 Billion in Loans to Myanmar for Development Projects Myanmar Election Commission Warns of Fake News Ahead of 2020 Election Thousands of Myanmar Workers Demand Higher Minimum Wage Donald Trump took another hit at Greta Thunberg during his second day at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Wednesday, lamenting that the 17-year-old climate activist made the cover of Time Magazine at a younger age than he did. During a press conference Wednesday afternoon from Switzerland, a reporter brought up that Trump has previously said Thunberg needed to work on her 'anger.' 'I didn't say anger, I said anger management,' Trump corrected. 'How old is she?' Trump questioned, ignoring the reporters question on if the U.S. could be doing more to combat climate change, like Thunberg has insisted. 'She's 17,' a bunch of press members shouted out. 'Oh, that's good. She beat me out on Time Magazine,' Trump said. Thunberg graced the front of Time Magazine as it revealed its coveted 'Person of the Year' in December 2019. Donald Trump took another hit at teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg during remarks Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland When reporters confirmed to Trump in a press conference that Thunberg is 17-years-old, he said: 'Oh, that's good. She beat me out on Time Magazine' Thunberg was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in December 2019 as it revealed she was named its 'Person of the Year' Thunberg (right) also attended the World Economic Forum this week Thunberg rose to national prominence after her fiery climate activism went viral. Trump, however, told reporters in Switzerland Wednesday that he doesn't believe her criticism of the U.S. and other developed countries are valid. Instead, he blamed others and said Thunberg should focus on other countries, as well. 'No, I didn't actually,' Trump said regarding Thunberg's message. 'But, I would have loved to have seen her speak. I did not. No, not at all.' 'We want to have the cleanest water on earth, we want to have the cleanest air on earth,' Trump said in touting the U.S. environment. 'Our numbers, as you saw, we had record numbers come out very recently. Our numbers are very, very good. Our environmental numbers, our water numbers, our numbers on air are tremendous.' 'We have to do something about other continents, we have to do something about other countries,' he admitted. 'When we're clean and beautiful and everything's good, but you have another continent where the fumes are rising at levels that you can't believe.' 'I mean, I think Greta ought to focus on those places,' he continued. 'We have a beautiful ocean called the Pacific Ocean, with thousands and thousands of tons of garbage flows toward us and that's put there by other countries,' he said. 'So, I think Greta has to start working on those other countries.' Trump called Thunberg 'very angry' in a new interview, after saying climate activists were out-of-touch 'alarmists' and 'heirs of yesterday's fortune tellers' during his appearance Tuesday morning at the World Economic Forum. Thunberg had been seated in the audience looking on, but Trump told the Wall Street Journal afterward that, 'I don't really know anything about her,' before calling her angry. Trump took to Twitter in December to bash Time's decision, calling it 'ridiculous' to give Thunberg the honor. Trump was Time's person of the year in 2016 after his shock win of the presidential election Greta Thunberg replied by briefly changing her Twitter bio to mimic the words Trump used in his tweet, calling herself 'A teenager working on her anger management problem' Portions of Trump's remarks seemed to be aimed at Thunberg and her supporters. 'This is not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism,' Trump said, which was in stark contrast to Thunberg and others, who used the conference to warn that the Australian wildfires and other disasters were only the beginning of the climate chaos that lie ahead. To 'embrace the possibilities of tomorrow,' Trump said, 'we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse.' 'They are the heirs of yesterday's fortune tellers,' Trump stated. 'They predicted an over-population crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the 70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s.' 'These alarmists always demand the same thing - absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives,' Trump continued. 'We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country or eradicate our liberty.' The bulk of Trump's speech was touting the American economy under his leadership, a curtain-raiser as he works more seriously toward his re-election bid. Tuesday's speech was also counter-programming with the Senate beginning its impeachment trial of Trump. House Democrats will start making their case as Trump dines with world leaders. President Trump used his appearance at the World Economic Forum to tout the economic gains the U.S. has seen during his administration President Trump gives a wave as he arrives on Air Force One in Zurich, Switzerland As President Trump was arriving in Switzerland, Thunberg was making her first of two appearances Tuesday at the World Economic Forum Greta Thunberg bookended President Trump's Davos appearance Tuesday, making two appearances At a second appearance in Davos, Greta Thunberg said that while planting trees 'is good, of course' it's 'nowhere good enough to what is needed' 'He has a full day here in Davos, but will be briefed by staff periodically,' White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. But thanks to the time difference, the bulk of the Senate proceedings will happen after Trump returns to his hotel, a ripe environment for live-tweeting. Trump's day at Davos started with his speech. 'America's thriving, America's flourishing, and yes America is winning again like never before,' Trump told the crowd. His appearance began and ended with polite applause. He boasted of the 'blue collar boom' he had brought on, while touting the two trade deals he signed last week, comparing his record to the 'rather dismal state' of the economy under his predecessor, President Obama. And while he snarked at climate activists, he said upon entering the forum that he was a 'very big believer in the environment,' and did announce that the U.S. would join the 'One Trillion Trees' initiative taking root at the conference. The effort aims to do exactly what it says - plant a trillion trees by 2050. On Wednesday in Davos, environmentalists including the famed Jane Goodall will discuss the program at greater length. Trump's arrival in Switzerland early Tuesday morning created a splitscreen moment as Thunberg was making her first of two appearances of the day. President Trump (left) met with Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga (right) Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Sommaruga had taken the stage to warn the world about climate change, while Trump, minutes later, criticized climate 'alarmists' 'We are all fighting for the environment and climate. If you see it from a bigger perspective, basically nothing has been done. It will require much more than this. This is just the very beginning,' Thunberg said during an early morning panel discussion. 'I'm not a person that can complain about not being heard,' Thunberg also said at the event, cueing laughs. Later, Thunberg gave a more traditional address. 'One year ago, I said I wanted you to panic,' she said. 'I've been warned that telling people to panic about the climate crisis is a very dangerous thing to do.' THE US DELEGATION AT DAVOS President Donald J. Trump Treasure Secretary Steven Mnuchin Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer Under Secretary for Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump Assistant to the President Jared Kushner Assistant to the President Christopher Liddell Advertisement 'Don't worry, it's fine, trust me, I've done this before and it doesn't lead to anything,' again blasting leaders for not enough action. In her remarks, Thunberg also noted that while 'planting trees is good, of course' it's 'nowhere good enough to what is needed.' Her remarks were in line with what World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said at the beginning of Tuesday's programming, as he and Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga took the stage before Trump. 'The world is in a state of emergency and to not act is crazy,' Schwab said. 'The world is on fire,' is how Sommaruga greeted participants. Trump has done the opposite of making climate change a priority during his three-year presidency. Early on, he pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, while he's deregulated domestic oil and gas. In the past, he's called climate change a Chinese 'hoax,' though he's also touted to supporters that he's an environmentalist because he cares about clean air and clean water. Over the past few months, Trump has made Thunberg a target on Twitter. Last month, Trump reacted to the teenager being named Time magazine's 2019 'Person of the Year' by mocking her serious demeanor. Trump shared a congratulatory tweet about Thunberg's win from actress Roma Downey. 'So ridiculous,' the president responded. 'Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!' Thunberg responded by briefly changing her Twitter bio to read: 'A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend.' Trump had also weighed in September after Thunberg made a passionate plea to world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly to do something about the warming earth. Greta Thunberg's (center) expression when she saw President Trump (left) enter the United Nations in September went viral and became a meme President Trump had also tweeted about Greta Thunberg in September when he mocked her for being hysterical during her address to the United Nations General Assembly 'I shouldn't be up here,' Thunberg said at the time. 'I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope? How dare you!' she exclaimed. Trump then tweeted a video of Thunberg's speech. 'People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth,' Thunberg had said. 'She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!' Trump said sarcastically. Thunberg changed her Twitter bio then as well, calling herself 'a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.' However Thunberg's expression when she saw Trump entering the U.N. the day she gave her speech was not-so-happy. The stink eye Thunberg gave the American president went viral online. Trump has gotten a mixed reaction on the world stage, including at Davos. His criticism of the media during his 2018 appearance elicited a mix of boos and groans from the audience. Several months later, during an appearance at the United Nations General Assembly - the gathering where he ran into Thunberg a year later - members of the audience, which included heads of state, laughed out loud at Trump's bombast. Preparations are being made in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum's 50th year. President Trump is due at the conference on Tuesday and Wednesday Thousands of people - including heads of state, business leaders and celebrities - descend on Davos, Switzerland every year for the World Economic Forum. President Trump will make his second appearance as president on Tuesday Climate activists march in Switzerland in advance of the World Economic Forum set to kick off Tuesday in Davos, Switzerland 'In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than any administration in the history of out country,' Trump touted to laughter. 'So true,' he added. 'Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK.' And then there was the incident at the NATO summit where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on hot mic discussing Trump's behavior at the summit. Trudeau was describing to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanual Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte how Trump essentially holds a press conference before his bilateral meetings with world leaders. The group was seen having a laugh. Trump called the Canadian PM's behavior 'two-faced.' Trudeau fessed up to it. 'Last night I made reference to the fact that there was an unscheduled press conference before my meeting with President Trump. I was happy to be part of it but it was certainly notable,' Trudea said in a press conference the next day. The moment inspired a 'Saturday Night Live' skit that featured actor Paul Rudd as Macron and Jimmy Fallon as Trudeau, who bully Trump - played by Alec Baldwin - in the U.N. cafeteria - and ask Kate McKinnon's Angela Merkel to sit with them instead. The Trumps had some hiccups on the world stage in 2019, including when the French government showed this clip of Ivanka Trump being snubbed by world leaders including French President Emmanual Macron Another incident, from the NATO summit in December, inspired this 'Saturday Night Live' skit, in which Jimmy Fallon as Justin Trudeau, Paul Rudd as Emmanual Macron and James Corbin as Boris Johnson pick on Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump in the U.N. cafeteria The SNL skit concludes with the leaders taping an 'Impeach Me!!!' sign to Alec Baldwin's back. Trump was impeached later that month and his Senate trial begins Tuesday, the same day he'll give a main stage address at Davos The incident also called back to the video shared by the Frech government that showed Ivanka Trump being snubbed by leaders including Macron, Christine Lagarde, who now serves as the president of the European Central Bank, and then-U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May. WHO IS TRUMP MEETING WITH AT DAVOS Dr. Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq Imran Khan of Pakistan, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Simonetta Sommaruga, President of the Swiss Confederation Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab Advertisement As the first daughter tries to engage in the discussion, talking excitedly with her hands, she's largely ignored, the video clip from the July G-20 showed. Both Trumps are heading to Davos. Merkel and Lagarde will also be on hand. Ivanka Trump is a member of the seven-person delegation announced to represent the U.S. at Davos before even the president committed to attend. She tweeted about her participation Monday. 'Headed to Davos to call on the world's largest employers to sign our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers and join us in unleashing the potential of our people and accelerating the historic wave of opportunity, wage growth and job creation in the United States,' Ivanka Trump wrote. The president can use the opportunity to steer heads away from the Senate impeachment trial, which will kick off in the hours following his Davos speech. Trump is also due to host a dinner and will participate in several bilateral meetings with leaders during his two-day stay in Switzerland. He'll have the benefit of not having an awkward run-in with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who dropped out Monday. The Iranians are blaming organizers who they claim 'abruptly changed its agenda' for the summit. Trump has taken a victory lap for the American drone strike in Iraq that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, a move that brought the countries to the brink of war. And while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the conference, he wasn't on the list of leaders Trump planned to meet. At the summit Trump will, however, be meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government - two important meetings that could impact America's future in the Middle East. The White House also announced Monday that Trump would sit down with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sommaruga, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Schwab. London, Jan 22 : Britains Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have started their new life in Canada after stepping down from their royal duties, even as they have issued a legal warning to the media for clicking their pictures without consent. According to a royal source, the publication of photographs showing the Duchess of Sussex hiking with baby Archie and their dogs in a Canadian woodland on Tuesday prompted a warning to the media from the couple's lawyers against running images without consent. The warning came after the media published images of Meghan taking a stroll along with the couple's son Prince Archie and their two dogs at a park in Canada. They have been used by several outlets, including on the front page of the Sun, Britain's best-selling daily newspaper. Lawyers say there have also been attempts to photograph the couple inside their home using long-range lenses and they accuse the paparazzi of being camped outside the property, BBC reported. Under the laws in British Columbia, the Duchess may have grounds for a legal case if she can prove her privacy has been violated, although freedom of the press and expression is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Back in 2016, Prince Harry attacked the media for subjecting Meghan - then his girlfriend - to a "wave of abuse and harassment". In 2017, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were awarded A92,000 (100,000 euros) in damages after French magazine Closer printed topless pictures of the Duchess in 2012. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text JAKARTA, Indonesia - An American journalist is facing up to five years in an Indonesian jail and a fine on charges of violating immigration regulations, a lawyer and officials said Wednesday. Philip Jacobson of California was detained Tuesday in Palangkaraya city on Borneo island. He is accused of conducting journalistic activities not permitted by his business visa, according to the arrest warrant. The government has promised to ease visa restrictions for international media since President Joko Widodo took office in 2014. However, foreign journalists still need to apply for special visas that can take weeks to be approved or denied. Jacobson, 30, is an editor for Mongabay, an environmental science news website that features information on tropical rain forests. I dont think he has committed a crime, said Jacobsons lawyer, Aryo Nugroho. This is just an administrative matter that should be solved administratively. Jacobson travelled to the Central Kalimantan provincial capital of Palangkaraya on Dec. 14 to meet with activists from AMAN, an indigenous rights advocacy group, and two days later attended a dialogue between local lawmakers and activists from the group, Mongabay said in a statement. He was scheduled to fly out of the city on Dec. 17 when immigration officers went to his guesthouse and confiscated his passport, it said. After being questioned the next day, authorities restricted him to the city for more than a month. He was taken into custody and transferred to a detention centre on Tuesday. Mongabay founder and chief executive Rhett Butler said they are making every effort to comply with immigration authorities. Im surprised that immigration officials have taken such punitive action against Philip for what is an administrative matter, Butler said. Jacobsons detention drew an outcry from rights activists and media groups amid fears it could signal a more dangerous landscape for other journalists in Indonesia. If a journalist is simply attending meetings or happens to be present during a news event, this should not be cause for punitive action or detention, the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Clubs executive committee said in a statement. Andreas Harsono of New York-based Human Rights Watch said people employed by media organizations should be free to work in Indonesia without fear of arbitrary detention. Philip Jacobsons treatment is a worrying sign that the government is cracking down on the kind of work that is essential to the health of Indonesian democracy, Harsono said. Prithviraj Chavan's claim that Sena/NCP leaders were in touch with the Congress in 2014 has created another controversy for the ruling alliance in Maharashtra. Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore reports. IMAGE: Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, centre, with senior party colleagues Abhishek Singhvi and K C Venugopal and Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, left, outside the Supreme Court in November 2019. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo Just as the controversy sparked by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's statement that then prime minister Indira Gandhi met Karim Lala and Haji Mastan, dominant figures in the Bombay underworld in the 1960s and early 1970s, died down, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra faces another embarrassment of sorts. Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claims that Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party leaders approached the Congress after the 2014 assembly election when the Bharatiya Janata Party's Devendra Fadnavis was at the helm of a minority government in the state. "I don't want to comment on it. I said whatever I have to say," Chavan tells Rediff.com when asked why he made the statement five years later when the three parties are part of the MVA. The Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP and BJP fought the October 2014 assembly election independently. The election resulted in a hung assembly and the BJP and Sena had sparred over the chief minister's position then too. Fadnavis formed a minority government while the Sena's Eknath Shinde was appointed Leader of the Opposition. "If you look at the arithmetic, you will understand," says a senior Congress leader, who was privy to this discussion, speaking on condition of anonymity, "Though Fadnavis formed a minority government, the strength of the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP was 146." Expectedly, both Sena and NCP leaders have distanced themselves from Chavan's statement. Anil Parab, transport minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, has dared Chavan to reveal the names of the Sena/NCP leaders who met him to discuss the possibility of a coalition, which, interestingly, has become a reality in 2019. "The Shiv Sena and NCP have both denied that such a proposal was ever discussed between the three parties in 2014," says Parab. Minority Affairs Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik insists that such a proposal was never mooted in 2014. "There was no such proposal discussed in 2014. Only he (Chavan) can say why this revelation is made now," says Malik. Discussing Chavan's revelation six years later, the Congress leader privy to the discussion between the three parties, says, "If people don't want to believe Chavan, then that is their choice. Why should we betray the confidence of the people who contacted us by naming them?" Explaining that Chavan's claim is genuine, the Congress leader says the three parties were in a position to undertake a similar exercise in 2014, which they ultimately did in 2019, because their MLAs then, as in 2019, added up to 146. The Shiv Sena won 63 seats in 2014, with the Congress and NCP winning 42 and 41 seats respectively adds up to 146. The BJP then had 122 elected legislators in the Maharashtra assembly. "Chavan may have said this to perhaps explain the contrast in the stance adopted by the Congress high command and senior Congress leaders in Delhi in 2014 and 2019," says the Congress leader. After sparring over the chief minister's post in 2014, the BJP and Shiv Sena then entered into an uneasy alliance, ruling the state from October 2014 to October 2019. Good morning, Bay Area. Its Wednesday, Jan. 22, and some passengers arriving at SFO from China will be screened for a virus thats worrying public health officials. Heres what you need to know to start your day. Opportunistic thefts of cell phones are on the rise in BART and the No. 1 target are passengers on trains running through San Francisco stations, where 512 robberies and thefts were reported in 2019 almost half of the total across the system. The typical snatch-and-grab occurs when the train doors open and the victim is not paying attention, BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez said. Phil Matier reports on which BART stations have seen the most thefts and how the transit agency is responding. More: BART looks to build canopies over every station entrance on Market Street. Impeachment trial opens Handout / Senate Television via Getty Images San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren made her debut in President Trumps impeachment trial Tuesday, arguing that his refusal to release subpoenaed documents related to his conduct in the Ukraine affair is unprecedented. Even President Nixon produced more than 30 transcripts related to White House meetings in the Watergate scandal, she said. Not a single president has categorically refused to cooperate with an impeachment investigation. Read more about the first day of the impeachment trial. From the Associated Press: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell backs off, abruptly eases impeachment trial limits. Fair chance housing Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Oakland became the first city in California to ban criminal background checks in most housing applications for private and other rental units. San Francisco and Richmond have similar but more narrowly focused laws, but advocates say measures like Oaklands are another tool for preventing homelessness. Sarah Ravani reports on exemptions to the proposed measure and what information landlords can continue to ask for. A big fight over a small planting Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Save for the occasional bear or bobcat sighting, theres rarely much commotion in the rugged hills of Napa Valleys Atlas Peak area. But a dispute between two neighbors over a small vineyard planting and whether it might threaten its surrounding landscape turned into a major clash that led to a libel lawsuit, restraining orders and, allegedly, gunshots. Esther Mobley explains why the legal fight reflects a wider tension between Napas vineyards and environmental preservation. A new SARS? Ng Han Guan / Associated Press The first case of a deadly new respiratory virus with the potential to become a major global threat was reported Tuesday in the United States, in a man in Washington state who had traveled to the region in China where the illness appears to have originated. The man is in good condition, but now passengers traveling from Wuhan, China, are being screened at three airports, including San Francisco International. Two more airports, in Chicago and Atlanta, will be added later this week. Erin Allday reports on what public health officials know so far about the virus and why if youre feeling sick right now, youre far more likely to have the flu or some other common virus. Around the Bay GOP challenger: Bill Weld is running for president as a Republican but hed vote for a Democrat over Trump. Listen: Joe Garofolis Its All Political conversation with Weld. Pricing experiment: Uber tests letting California drivers set their own rates. Substantial doubt: CCSF faces dire budget crisis eight years after college nearly closed in face of financial woes. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Monk fruit, avocado leaf and sesame seed milk: Trend-spotting at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Hard work: Violent crime was down in San Francisco in 2019; the mayor and police chief cite a focus on areas hardest hit. Super Bowl-bound: The versatile 49ers can win any kind of way. 30th floor for #30: Steph Curry is buying a condo in downtown San Francisco. Avoiding the cafeteria-line feel: Nam Vietnamese Brasserie promises to go beyond pho in Redwood City. In the Studio Heather Knight "Roll Over Easy" is a popular radio show and podcast on the online radio station BFF.fm, where hosts Chris Bunting and Luke Spray spread joy and good news stories about San Francisco every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. In their first interview since The Big Event became Total SF, hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight talk to the pair about how they met, their favorite San Francisco things and what (if anything) pisses them off Its the first official Total SF podcast listen here. More from Chronicle podcasts: Giants Splash: Catching up with General Manager Scott Harris. San Francisco City Insider: Public Defender Mano Raju makes his case for changing jury duty. As Plus: David Feldman on As off-season moves and the Astros cheating scandals. Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com. UPDATE: The missing 14-year-old girl was found safe Wednesday in South Carolina, police said. Authorities are trying to find a 14-year-old Linden girl who went missing last week. Jaidaa Ali was last seen around noon Thursday near Linden High School on St. Georges Avenue, according to a statement from the State Police on Tuesday. She is 5-foot-4-inches tall with brown eyes and black hair. Jaidaa was last seen wearing black Adidas sweat pants with a white stripe along the side and white Adidas sneakers. A Linden police spokesman said Wednesday the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the State Polices Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000 ext 2554 or Linden Police Department at 908-474-8500. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. [January 22, 2020] Draganfly Releases New Payloads to Increase Efficiency and Data Collection Quality Vancouver, British Columbia , Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY) (OTCQB: DFLYF) (FSE: 3U8) (Draganfly or the Company), an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS) space, today announced three new specialized payload offerings, which are intended to expand agricultural research and environmental monitoring using drones. Draganflys wholly-owned subsidiary, Draganfly Innovations Inc., has developed these new payload options in collaboration with research experts in agricultural and water resources fields. These new camera packages, which have now been added to Draganflys existing product line, are intended to increase efficiency and improve the spatial and spectral quality of actionable data collected. The Corning microHSI hyperspectral sensor is capable of recording up to 155 user-selectable light bands, which allows researchers to narrow their focus to the specific light spectrums they want to target. This sensor is being used across various industries including precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and oil & gas. Draganfly now offers and supports this sensor package on the Draganflyer Commander UAV platform as well as the DJI M600 Pro. The first of two dual-sensor packages is the 100MP Phase One Industrial iXM-100 still camera paired with the MicaSense RedEdge-MX multispectral 5-band sensor, which offers simultaneous capture of multispectral and high resolution visual imagery. These two cameras are impressive in their own right, but what makes this payload package even more powerful is the payload control system that allows for geo-referencing and automatic, simultaneous camera shutter and data logging. This dual payload is available now and supported on the DJI M600 Pro platform. The second of the two dual-sensor packages is the 42MP Sony a7R still camera paired with the MicaSense RedEdge-MX multispectral 5-band sensor. This payload offering, like the above-mentioned dual sensor payload, also offers simultaneous capture of multispectral and high resolution visual imagery, but at a more attractive price point. We are excited to offer systems and equipment to researchers and government agencies looking to improve on their current data collection methods. Were confident these payload offerings can add immense value stated Cory Baker, Production Manager, Draganfly Innovations. The sensor packages in these new payload offerings have been integrated with the aircrafts autopilot, flight control system, and mission planning software to allow automatic planning, push utton flight execution, and data collection driven by the users resolution and data quality requirements. These specialized payloads have been developed with agricultural and environmental research organizations in mind. University-led research programs and federal agencies that Draganfly collaborated with include the University of Saskatchewans Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre (P2IRC), the University of Saskatchewans Global Water Futures, and the Government of Canadas Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food. About Draganfly Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY; OTCQB: DFLYF; FSE: 3U8) is the creator of quality, cutting-edge, UVS and software that revolutionizes the way people do business. Recognized as being at the forefront of technology for over 21 years, Draganfly is an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial UAV and UVS space, serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections and mapping and surveying markets. Draganfly is a company driven by passion, ingenuity and the need to provide efficient solutions and first-class services to its customers around the world with the goal of saving time, money and lives. For more information on Draganfly, please visit us at www.draganfly.com . For additional investor information, visit www.thecse.com searching DFLY or visit https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/ searching 3U8. Media Contact Arian Hopkins email: [email protected] Company Contact Phone: 1-306-955-9907 Email: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This release contains certain forward looking statements and certain forward-looking information as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, continue, plans or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The CSE has not in any way passed upon the merits of the listing of the common shares of Draganfly and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Listing of the common shares of Draganfly is subject to satisfaction of the listing requirements of the CSE, including customary deliverables in satisfaction of the conditional approval. Attachment Draganfly [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] An image taken by China's Chang'e-4 mission on the moon. China's long-lived lunar robots Chang'e-4 and Yutu-2 are once again at work on the far side of the moon, where they woke up for their 14th day on Jan. 18 and 19 respectively. And those of us here on Earth can take a new look through the lander's and rover's lunar eyes, as China released a huge batch of data on Monday (Jan. 20). The data release includes high-resolution images of the moon from the Chang'e-4 lander's terrain camera and the panoramic camera on the Yutu-2 rover. Chang'e-4 just reached the first anniversary of its historic landing in Von Karman Crater, within the gigantic South Pole-Aitken basin . The newly published photos cover nearly a year of pioneering exploration on the far side of the moon, where no previous mission has landed. Related: Chang'e 4 in Pictures: China's Mission to the Moon's Far Side More: China On the Moon! A History of Chinese Lunar Missions in Pictures Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP/Doug Ellison) A view of the moon's Von Karman Crater imaged by China's moon rover Yutu-2. This image was processed by Doug Ellison using imagery from the China National Space Administration's Chang'e 4 image archive. Image 2 of 6 (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP/Doug Ellison) Yutu-2 approaches a crater which was said to contain a "mysterious" material, according to a Chinese science outreach post, in this image processed by Doug Ellison. Image 3 of 6 (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP/Doug Ellison) A view of Chang'e-4 lander imaged by Yutu-2. This panoramic view was processed by Doug Ellison using data from China's Chang'e 4 image library. Image 4 of 6 (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP/Doug Ellison) Yutu-2, casting a shadow, looks back toward the Chang'e-4 lander in July 2019. Image processed by Doug Ellison. Image 5 of 6 (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP/Doug Ellison) Yutu-2 inspects a relatively fresh crater. Image processed by Doug Ellison. Image 6 of 6 (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP/Doug Ellison/Phil Stooke) A circular reprojection of a Yutu-2 panorama taken March 2019. Image processed by Doug Ellison. The China Lunar Exploration Program made the data available online at a dedicated website for the country's moon missions. Doug Ellison, engineering camera team lead for the Curiosity Mars Rover at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, downloaded a range of the data and tweeted out processed images. Oh - this is so pretty. pic.twitter.com/lxkfBnKbAOJanuary 4, 2020 See more Ellison also stitched together single shots to produce larger images, along with cylindrical and azimuth panoramas. His gallery of Chang'e-4 images is viewable here . Images include close-up views of craters and regolith, or lunar soil, in Von Karman Crater, as well as various shots of the lander and rover, the distant skyline and Yutu-2's roving tracks. Four pics of Von Karman crater from a couple thousand images released from the Chang'e-4 rover Yutu-2's PCAM. Thanks to @doug_ellison for the instructions & check out the amazing stuff in his thread (processing, 3D models, panoramas...) https://t.co/Vxoese7Q70 pic.twitter.com/8CouxKgCBQJanuary 5, 2020 See more Techniques Spatiales , a French space-related Twitter account, converted data from the lander's camera into image files that can be accessed here . Philip Stooke, a cartographer at the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration at Western University in Ontario, has used the new data to refine maps charting the roving route of Yutu-2. Over its first 13 lunar days, Yutu-2 drove 1,171 feet (357 meters). The Chang'e-4 lander and Yutu-2 rover have completed 13 lunar days on the moon. The solar-powered duo awaken between 24 and 48 hours after sunrise over the mission landing site and power down about 24 hours before sunset. Searing-hot lunar days and the brutally cold nights each last around 14 Earth days. Yutu-2 began its 14th lunar day on Jan. 18, and the lander did so on Jan. 19, according to the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program . Both the rover and lander have now exceeded their design lifetimes of three months and one year and continue to operate with all science payloads in a healthy condition, according to the China National Space Administration. A view of the moon's far side from China's Chang'e 4 lander and rover, which have survived more than a year in the lunar environment. (Image credit: CNSA) Because the lunar far side never faces the Earth, data from the spacecraft are relayed via the Queqiao communications satellite , which is positioned around a gravitationally stable point beyond the moon. With the spacecraft on the lunar surface performing well, Queqiao has recently kicked off a pioneering low-frequency radio-astronomy experiment . This map by Phil Stooke shows the driving activity of China's Yutu-2 rover on the far side of the moon as of the mission's Day 13. (Image credit: Phil Stooke) Next up in its lunar campaign, China is preparing to launch its Chang'e-5 sample-return mission late this year. Chang'e-5 will launch on the huge Long March 5 rocket and will be the first mission to retrieve samples from the moon since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission in 1976. Follow Andrew Jones at @AJ_FI . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 14:30:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders have visited former senior leaders to extend festive greetings ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as the other leaders, wished the former leaders a happy Spring Festival, good health and long lives. Former leaders, including Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, received personal visits either from the current leaders or from their representatives. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is open to new witnesses at his impeachment trial, a major demand by Democratic prosecutors, but he immediately backtracked, suggesting it could never happen despite what he said was his willingness. Separately, Trump's lawyers let a deadline pass without filing a motion to outright dismiss the articles of impeachment, ensuring that the trial will continue. Trump, who was in Davos, Switzerland, for an economic conference, seemed at one point to break with Republican opposition to Democratic motions to immediately call witnesses and subpoena documents. He said he'd like to see aides, including former national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, testify as witnesses. In fact, his administration is citing executive privilege as a reason they cannot be forced to testify, and he said Wednesday there are national security reasons for them to be kept out of the trial. "The Senate is going to have to answer that," he said. Republicans have resisted the idea of additional witnesses, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said there could be votes on the subject late in the trial. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. As for outright dismissal, Trump has taken both sides. He has said the charges are groundless and should be thrown out, but he also has said he wants a full trial to vindicate him. Tuesday's daylong session started with a setback for McConnell and the president's legal team agreement to give prosecutors more days to make their case but it ended near 2 am on Wednesday with Republicans easily approving the rest of the trial rules largely on their terms. With the rules settled, the trial is now on a fast track. At issue is whether Trump should be removed from office for abuse of power stemming from his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter as Trump was withholding aid to the country, and for obstructing Congress' ensuing probe. Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session, with House prosecutors on one side, Trump's team on the other, in the well of the Senate, as senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to do impartial justice. No cellphones or other electronics were allowed. As the day stretched deep into the night, lawyerly arguments gave way to more pointed political ones. Tempers flared and senators paced the chamber. Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony. After one particularly bitter post-midnight exchange, Roberts intervened, admonishing both the Democratic House managers prosecuting the case and the White House counsel to "remember where they are". "I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the president's counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body," the usually reserved Roberts said. He told them that description of the Senate stemmed from a 1905 trial when a senator objected to the word "pettifogging", because members should "avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse". Over and over, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department, Defense Department and budget office. By the same 53-47 party-line, they turned away witnesses with front-row seats to Trump's actions including acting White House chief of staff Mulvaney and Bolton, the former national security adviser critical of the Ukraine policy. Only on one amendment, to allow more time to file motions, did a single Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, join Democrats. But it, too, was rejected, 52-48. Motions from the Trump legal team were due Wednesday morning, but the attorneys didn't file any, said Jay Sekulow, one of the president's lawyers. That means there will be no motion to dismiss the case as some Republicans had discussed. The House also didn't file any of its own motions, and House managers were expected to begin their opening arguments when the floor opened around 1 pm, according to a Senate Democratic aide. On Tuesday, the proceedings quickly took on the cadence of a trial. "It's not our job to make it easy for you," Rep Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told the Senate. "Our job is to make it hard to deprive the American people of a fair trial." White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the president's lead lawyer, called the trial "a farce". He scoffed that the House charges against Trump were "ridiculous". The White House legal team did not dispute Trump's actions, when he called Ukraine and asked for a "favour", which was to investigate Biden as he withheld military aid the ally desperately needed as it faced off with hostile Russia on its border. But the lawyers insisted the president did nothing wrong. "Absolutely no case," Cipollone said. Schiff, the California Democrat, said America's Founders added the remedy of impeachment in the Constitution with "precisely this type of conduct in mind conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit, that undermines our national security, and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MIDDLETOWN Former Common Councilman and Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano made a peace offering last week following a contentious election which saw Ben Florsheim best him to win the citys top job. Giuliano donated his personal desk and chair to the city for Florsheims use. It was an incredibly generous gesture, and a nice tribute to his years of service that it is going to remain here. This is where it belongs. Itll be part of the city for posterity, now-Mayor Florsheim said. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz used the same model desk while she was secretary of the state, the mayor learned. Its great its got this presence to it. I feel privileged to be able to use it He and I differ in our political views but hes given a lot to the city and cares a lot about this city, so I think he wanted a physical totem to that. It was an incredibly magnanimous thing to do. Its humbling to have been able to accept it to put a pin in that election season, to recognize were all moving forward together now, Florsheim added. Giuliano purchased it shortly after he passed the Connecticut bar exam in 1978. After he was elected in 2005, he moved it into his new office on the second floor of City Hall. When he lost to former Mayor Dan Drew in 2011, Giuliano took the desk and chair with him, he said. He thought he would need it when he returned to private practice. That didnt happen, Giuliano said. Of all the places its been with me, it never looked more at home than in the mayors office. It just felt like the right thing to do, he said. Martin Moving & Storage Co. of Middletown delivered the chair and desk last week. Meanwhile, Giuliano hopes to take another elected position if he wins his bid for commissioner of the citys South Fire District Feb. 3. Two residents of the taxing district, Daniel J. Penney and Republican Town Committee Chairman William Wilson, also are running for the spot. Guiliano said he had hoped to relax a little bit after Novembers election. He mulled the idea for about a month, then decided he would toss his hat into the ring. New Delhi: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite has finally gone official in India. However, we knew the specifications and features of the newly-launched Samsungs smartphone thanks to its global unveiling earlier this month. The key features on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 include the triple rear camera setup, S Pen, and an in-display fingerprint sensor, among others. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite: Price, Availability & Sale Offers The price for the base 6GB + 128GB model of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite in India has been set at Rs 38,999. Whereas, the top-end 8GB + 128GB variant of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite costs Rs 40,999. The smartphone will go on sale via all major online and offline retailers starting February 3. However, the pre-bookings of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite has already begun. It will be made available in Aura Glow, Aura Black, and Aura Red colour options. As for the sale offer is concerned, the smartphone maker is running an upgrade promotion that will offer the existing Samsung smartphone owners a discount of up to Rs 5,000 on the purchase of Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite: Specifications & Features Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) Infinity-O Super AMOLED display with 20:9 aspect ratio a pixel density of 394ppi. The smartphone supports dual-SIM (Nano) technology and is powered by the 2.7GHz Exynos 9810 octa-core SoC, paired with up to 8GB RAM options. It offers 128GB of onboard storage that can further be expanded via a microSD card (up to 1TB). The smartphone comes equipped with the S Pen stylus that is connected via Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE standard). The S Pen stylus comes with the features including multimedia control, clicking a picture, and Air Commands. On the imaging front, the smartphone comes equipped with a triple rear camera setup that houses a 12-megapixel sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus and an f/1.7 lens. The primary sensor is accompanied by a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. Also, there is a 32-megapixel camera on the front. Also Read: Amazon Great Indian Sale 2020, Flipkart Republic Day Sale: Best Offers On Top Smartphones The device packs a 4,500mAh battery with support for the proprietary Super Fast charging technology. The smartphone further has an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication. Dimensions of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite are 76.1 x 163.7 x 8.7mm and weighs 199 grams. A lay counselor guides Kenyan children in a stress-relief exercise. A University of Washington/Duke University study examined the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy, and the training of lay counselors to provide that therapy, on children who have been orphaned in East Africa. Credit: Ace Africa A first-of-its-kind clinical trial involving more than 600 children in Kenya and Tanzania, in which community members were trained to deliver mental health treatment, showed improvement in participants' trauma-related symptoms up to a year after receiving therapy, new research shows. Led by the University of Washington and Duke University, researchers trained laypeople as counselors to deliver treatment in both urban and rural communities in Kenya and Tanzania, and evaluated the progress of children and their guardians through sessions of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. The study will be published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry. An estimated 140 million children around the world have experienced the death of a parent, which can result in grief, depression, anxiety and other physical and mental health conditions. In low and middle-income countries, many of those children end up living with relatives or other caregivers where mental health services are typically unavailable. "Very few people with mental health needs receive treatment in most places in the world, including many communities in the U.S.," said lead author Shannon Dorsey, a UW professor of psychology. "Training community members, or 'lay counselors' to deliver treatment helps increase the availability of services." Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy, generally involves focusing on thoughts and behavior, and how changing either or both can lead to feeling better. When CBT is used for traumatic events, it involves talking about the events and related difficult situations instead of trying to avoid thinking about or remembering them. The approach has been tested before among children, and in areas with little access to mental health services, Dorsey said, but this study is the first clinical trial outside high-income countries to examine sustained improvement in post-traumatic stress symptoms in children over time. This research built off the work of study co-author Kathryn Whetten, a professor of public policy and global health at Duke. Whetten has been conducting longitudinal research in Tanzania and four other countries on the health outcomes of some 3,000 children who have lost one or both parents. "While concerned with the material needs of the household, caregivers of the children repeatedly asked the study team to find ways to help with the children's behavioral and emotional 'problems' that made it so that that the children did not do well in school, at home or with other children. We knew these behaviors were expressions of anxiety that likely stemmed from their experiences of trauma," Whetten said. "We therefore sought to adapt and test an intervention that could help these children succeed." Africa is home to about 50 million children who have been orphaned, most due to HIV/AIDS and other health conditions. Newly trained Kenyan and Tanzanian counselors pose with their instructors. Credit: Tanzania Women Research Foundation For the Kenya-Tanzania study, two local nongovernmental organizations, Ace Africa and Tanzania Women Research Foundation, recruited counselors and trained them in CBT methods. Based on researchers' prior experience in Africa, the team adapted the CBT model and terminology, structuring it in groups of children in addition to one-on-one sessions, and referring to the sessions as a "class" offered in a familiar building such as a school, rather than as "therapy" in a clinic. The changes were aimed at reducing stigma and boosting participation in and comfort with the program, Dorsey said. "Having children meet in groups naturally normalized their experiences. They could see, as one child said, 'I'm not the only one who worries about who will love me now that my mama is gone.' They also got to support each other in practicing different skills to cope with feelings and in thinking in different ways to feel better," she said. Counselors provided 12 group sessions over 12 weeks, along with three to four individual sessions per child. Caregivers participated in their own group sessions, a few individual sessions, and group activities with the children. Activities and discussions were centered on helping participants process the death of a loved one: being able to think back on and talk about the circumstances surrounding the parent's death, for example, and learning how to rely on memories as a source of comfort. In one activity, children drew a picture of something their parent did with them, such as cooking a favorite meal or walking them to school. Even though children could no longer interact with the parent, the counselors explained that children could hold onto these memories and what they learned from their parents, like how to cook the meal their mother made, or the songs their father taught them. "The children learned that you don't lose the relationship," Dorsey said. "You have to convert that relationship to one of memory, but it is still a relationship that can bring comfort." The guardians learned similar coping skills, she said. Children who have experienced parental death are usually cared for by a relative, so caregivers, be they the other parent, a grandparent or an aunt or uncle, were also grieving the loss of a family member while taking on the challenge of an additional child in the home. Participants were interviewed at the conclusion of the 12-week program, and again six and 12 months later. A control group of children, who received typical community services offered to children who are orphaned, such as free uniforms and other, mostly school fee-related help, was evaluated concurrently. Improvement in children's post-traumatic stress symptoms and grief was most pronounced in both urban and rural Kenya. Researchers attribute the success there partly to the greater adversity children faced, such as higher food scarcity and poorer child and caregiver health, and thus the noticeable gains that providing services could yield. In contrast, in rural Tanzania, children in both the counseling and control groups showed similar levels of improvement, which researchers are now trying to understand. One possible explanation with some support from an ongoing qualitative analysis, Dorsey said, is that children and caregivers in Tanzania, and particularly in rural areas, may have been more likely to share with others in their village what they learned from therapy. Even with the different outcomes in the two countries, the intervention by lay counselors who were trained by experienced lay counselors shows the effectiveness and scalability of fostering a local solution, Dorsey said. Members of the research team already have been working in other countries in Africa and Asia to help lay counselors train others in their communities to work with children and adults. "If we grow the potential for lay counselors to train and supervise new counselors and provide implementation support to systems and organizations in which these counselors are embedded, communities can have their own mental health expertise," Dorsey said. "That would have many benefits, from lowering cost to improving the cultural and contextual fit of treatments." Explore further Study finds bereavement program helps children deal with grief Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Armenia is leading negotiations with Azerbaijan, and from its own positions. This is what Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan declared in parliament today, responding to a question from deputy of the My Step faction Sos Avetisyan, who asked about details of Mnatsakanyans upcoming meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart. As the foreign minister stated, this is a necessary process, and there is no goal to dodge meetings. If the other side believes it has such an opportunity, we are particularly ready. I would like to emphasize that the key component for ensuring peace in the process of negotiations is linked to the reduction of risks of tension, and Armenia has achieved some success in this regard, Mnatsakanyan emphasized. He also declared that the process of preparing the societies of the two countries for peace is also extremely important. NEW HAVEN Nearly $100,000 in work was done on the new Barack H. Obama Magnet University School without Board of Education approval, construction officials told the panel. The news did not go over well. I dont want to get petty on this because its only $91,000, but this stuff adds up, said Board of Education President Darnell Goldson. The 64,000-square-foot school at 69 Farnham Ave. replaced Strong Schools Orchard Street location. It opened this month. Tom Smith, project manager for New Havens school construction program, said there had been agreements for years that, when liabilities and extra work were identified by officials, they would address those issues immediately instead of stalling building construction each time for board approval. The original timetable for the construction of the Obama School was 20 months, he said, so there was a need to get work done quickly. This building is a prototype; its never been built before, Smith said. Therefore, certain elements of the construction were unexpected. About $13,000 of the cost was for fireproofing columns within the building. Someone decided after looking at it that it had to be done, so we signed off on it, Smith said. Because of the nature of how school construction programs operate, the school board approves expenses that ultimately are paid for by the city and state. Goldson said he wanted to ensure that any work done is reimbursable by the state. It was done without board approval and we dont know which parts are reimbursable by the state, he said. Smith said they likely wont know what can be reimbursed until the state performs an audit, which probably will be in an unspecified number of years. The presentation this week to the school boards finance committee is the seventh time additional costs were added to the scope of the project for the building; although these change orders are common on school construction projects, Goldson wondered how the board could add an element of accountability to the process. Thats how a lot of companies make their money: through change orders, said Rodney Williams, a construction company owner who is chairman of the citys school construction committee. I dont know how $1 million went past me straight to you all for verification. To date, the construction of the building cost $36.8 million, according to documents provided to the board. I dont know what the role of the school construction committee is if its not to look at school construction, Goldson said. Just because its always been done before doesnt mean we should always do it. Goldson moved to table the motion to send the expenses to the full board for approval; he was unable to get a second from other members of the committee and the item moved to the full board. The advice from the district was that this does not go through the (school construction and stewardship) committee; the items were explained when we had questions, said committee member Matt Wilcox after the meeting. Wilcox said he understood there might be a time to discuss how the process could be altered, but he wanted to follow the protocol in place, which is that the finance committee approves building expenses. This story has been updated to clarify the districts process for approving change orders to construction contracts. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com Uganda army maintains fishing ban on Lake Kyoga amid protest by Dan Wandera January 22,2020 | Source: Daily Monitor Fishermen on Uganda's Lake Kyoga will have to wait a little longer to have the fishing ban lifted after the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) officials indicated that operations against illegal fishing are still ongoing. This follows a request to government by local leaders from the 15 districts that share the Lake Kyoga waters, to lift the ban, saying it has severely crippled the livelihoods of the fishing communities. I do not see the possibility of the fishing activity on Lake Kyoga resuming soon because there are some areas where we have just launched the clean-up operations. Lake Kyoga is one single water body that cannot be divided. You need to wait until the entire lake is free of illegal fishing, Capt Ronald Akandwanaho, the commander of the unit in eastern region, said. He made the remarks while addressing members of Lake Kyoga Integrated Management Organisation (Lakimo) during an annual meeting at Bukungu Fish Landing Site in Buyende District at the weekend. Lakimo comprises representatives from the 15 districts sharing Lake Kyoga waters. The districts include Nakasongola, Pallisa, Amolatar, Kamuli, Apac, Dokolo, Buyende, Kaliro, Soroti, Kaberamaido, Serere, Katakwi, Ngora, Dokolo, and Kumi. Even though Lakimo leadership chaired by the Nakasongola District chairperson, Mr Sam Kigula, tried to convince Capt Akandwanaho to at least lift the ban in Nakasongola and Amoltar districts where the operations were successfully conducted, he stood his ground insisting that it could not happen now. Ms Lilian Eyal, the Amoltar Resident District Commissioner, commended the work of FPU, but advised the soldiers to tackle the problem of ungazetted fish landing sites. Nation Media Group Theme(s): Others. An attendee at a recent business meeting showed up 15 minutes late. As she checked phone messages, she asked: So, whats this meeting about, again? That was almost as bad as the academic who showed up 30 minutes late for a meeting she arranged, then told me that people get used to" her always being late. When she asked to borrow a pen and took notes on a napkin, I decided the meeting was over. Waiting for a meeting can cause frustration. Credit:Tamara Voninski What is it with meetings these days? Im not talking about the plague of poorly-structured, boring, unnecessary meetings. Rather, something more basic: people who continually arrive late to meetings, dont show or, worse, do not alert you they are running late. Nobody minds if somebody is five minutes late for a face-to-meeting because another one goes overtime or the unexpected happens provided the tardiness is occasional, the attendee has the courtesy to let people know they are running late and are apologetic. Photo: Angus Reid Institute While Canadians continue to grieve the 57 fellow citizens who were killed in the Flight 752 tragedy, more than half those polled in a new survey disapprove of the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassim Suleimani. According to the survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, Canadians are expressing their disapproval of the U.S. and the actions that resulted in Suleimani's death, with 52 per cent against the airstrike. Following the airstrike on Suleimani, Iran launched missile strikes on two military bases housing U.S. and Canadian troops. During the heightened tensions, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was mistakenly shot down by Iranian missiles after taking off from the Tehran airport. Despite the calmness that has appeared to descend on the Middle East in the wake of the crisis, 66 per cent of Canadians now believe the world is more dangerous after Suleimani's death. Only 14 per cent of Canadians think the world is safer after the U.S. killed Suleimani. Read the full study here. LANSING, Mich., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AF Group helped 14 nonprofits and charitable organizations in the communities it serves start off the new year with a boost through its annual "AF Group Gives Back Big" holiday initiative. The company and its family of brands including Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, United Heartland, CompWest, Third Coast Underwriters and Fundamental Underwriters selected 14 organizations in 10 states as recipients of $56,000. "We are excited to spread some extra holiday cheer to 14 worthy nonprofits who are having an incredible impact in their communities," said Sarah Garcia, director of Community Relations at AF Group. "Each of the organizations selected are receiving $4,000 during the holiday season to support the valuable programs and services they provide to those in need." The organizations selected, with the brands that nominated them, include: Adelbrook Cromwell, Conn. (United Heartland) (United Heartland) Advent House Ministries Lansing, Mich. (AF Group/Accident Fund) (AF Group/Accident Fund) California Fire Foundation Sacramento, Calif. (CompWest) Fire Foundation (CompWest) Creative Community Living Services Watertown, Wis. (United Heartland) (United Heartland) Firecracker Foundation Holt, Mich. (AF Group/Accident Fund) (AF Group/Accident Fund) Habitat for Humanity Americus, Ga. (Third Coast Underwriters) (Third Coast Underwriters) Lakemary Center Paola, Kan. (United Heartland) (United Heartland) Mother Teresa House Lansing, Mich. (AF Group/Accident Fund) (AF Group/Accident Fund) Operation Warm Chadds Ford, Penn. (Fundamental Underwriters) (Fundamental Underwriters) Orange Grove Center Chattanooga, Tenn. (United Heartland) (United Heartland) Sarah's Circle Chicago, Ill. (Third Coast Underwriters) (Third Coast Underwriters) Stonehill Franciscan Services Dubuque, Iowa (United Heartland) (United Heartland) Tri-County Triad (No Senior Without Christmas) Lansing, Mich. (AF Group/Accident Fund) (AF Group/Accident Fund) United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County Irvine, Calif. (CompWest) "Mother Teresa House is grateful for the kindness of the AF Group for their donation," said Karen Bussey, director, Mother Teresa House. "We will be using this generous donation to purchase replacement furniture to keep our terminally ill guests and their families even more comfortable during their stay in our care. We are so appreciative for this surprise gift during the holidays." The annual "Give Back Big" holiday initiative provides support to the selected organizations and supplements AF Group's annual Caring and Sharing Community Campaign (CSCC). Last November, AF Group employees pledged $294,000 in support of numerous charitable organizations around the country. Together, with a dollar-for-dollar corporate match, AF Group and its subsidiaries will contribute more than $550,000 through CSCC to 33 organizations nationwide throughout 2020. About AF Group AF Group (Lansing, Mich.) and its subsidiaries are a premier provider of innovative insurance solutions. Insurance policies may be issued by any of the following companies within AF Group: Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Accident Fund National Insurance Company, Accident Fund General Insurance Company, United Wisconsin Insurance Company, Third Coast Insurance Company or CompWest Insurance Company. Contact: Bob Lapinski (312) 443-9819 or (517) 331-4890 [email protected] SOURCE AF Group The Morocco-United Kingdom business dialogue held Tuesday in London has attracted more than 340 companies from the two countries, which are exploring new cooperation prospects as the UK is on the eve of leaving the European Union by the end of January. The Moroccan delegation, led by Junior Foreign Minister Mohcine Jazouli, presented the main sectors for a mutually beneficial cooperation, such as agribusiness, renewable energies, industry, financial services, logistics and training. The representatives of the 116 Moroccan and 225 British companies that took part in the business dialogue explored post-Brexit trade and investment opportunities offered by the two countries and held B2B meetings. The business dialogue, organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Moroccan employers Union, CGEM, was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Jazouli and British Minister of State for International Trade Conor Burns. Under the MoU, the two sides will set up a joint working group, tasked with examining ways to boost investment between the United Kingdom and Morocco. Burns told MAP on the sidelines of the Business Dialogue that the United Kingdom wants to establish a special relationship with Morocco, which constitutes, he said, a pivotal country and a gateway to Africa. Besides, the two countries share several ambitions, particularly in terms of green economy and renewable energy, he said. Jazouli on his part said the two countries are writing a new page in the history of their economic relations. Great Britain, which leaves the European Union at the end of the month and which signed with Morocco a partnership agreement on economic continuity, intends to make of Morocco a hub and a gateway to strengthen its investment and exports to Africa, after Brexit, he said. The Business Dialogue aims to facilitate meetings between Moroccan and British businessmen, he said, stressing the need for the two countries to enhance their trade and investments relations. Referring to the potential areas of investment, Jazouli singled out the financial sector, recalling that interesting operations have already been conducted as when a Moroccan bank bought, for the first time, stakes in an English bank in Africa. He also mentioned among other sectors of interest to the British economic community, renewable energy given the successful experience of the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN). Annual trade between Morocco and the United Kingdom amounted slightly to over $190 million (18.3 billion dirhams), or less than 4% of Moroccos overall trade with the European Union in 2018. Moroccan exports to the UK stood at around $8.3 million (8 billion dirhams), making it its 7th customer and 11th supplier under the free trade agreement with the European Union. Besides members of the CGEM, the Moroccan delegation included representatives of the Moroccan Agency for Development of Investments and Exports (AMDIE), OCP group, MASEN, Tanger-Med, Casablanca Finance City (CFC), BMCE and others. A malnourished lioness sits in her cage at the Al-Qureshi park in the Sudanese capital Khartoum: AFP via Getty Images Photos of malnourished and dying lions at a zoo in Sudan have sparked global backlash and a growing online campaign to save the animals. The five African lions were found in an emaciated state by activist Osman Salih in Khartoums Al-Qureshi Park. He posted the photos on Facebook, saying the sight of the sickly big cats made my blood boil and started the hashtag #SudanAnimalRescue to raise awareness and seek help. We have contacted the park administration and they indicated to us that the wildlife police are responsible for these animals and their care and cleanliness and that they were constantly preparing their food but stopped for a while, wrote Mr Salih. The park holds the wildlife police directly responsible for the deteriorating conditions of the lions, and stated that the income of the park for a month is not enough to feed one lion for a week. Park officials also blamed the countrys economic crisis for the lions poor conditions and said the felines had gone for weeks without adequate food or medication. Five African lions were found in an emaciated state (AFP via Getty Images) The dramatic photos, in which one of the lions spines can be clearly seen under its skin, drew anger from social media users, who called the conditions truly horrific and unacceptable. Thats disgusting. People responsible for these animals need locking up and left to starve themselves, said one person. Another said: This is just sad and appalling. Something needs to be done immediately and the persons responsible held accountable. At the very least FIRED. According to Mr Salih, veterinarians visited the zoo after his plea for help went viral to assess, feed and medicate the lions wherever possible. Some of the lions are believed to have lost almost two-thirds of their body weight and at least two were sick. One of the sick female lions died on Monday, confirmed park officials to AFP. Brigadier Essamelddine Hajjar, a manager at the park, said: One of the two sick lionesses died today Yesterday the doctor gave the two some medicines after which they were given food. Story continues One recovered but the other died. We are diagnosing the cause of death. #__#@SudanPMHamdok pic.twitter.com/SSJ26Lscud Osman Salih (@0smanSalih) January 18, 2020 On Monday, Mr Salih said despite the death, there was still positive news as fresh meat was donated or secured from nearby factories and slaughterhouses for the lions. He added that animal rescue organisation FOUR PAWS International was willing to get involved to help the lions dire situation. Best news of the day was the willingness of FOUR PAWS International to send an emergency rescue to rehabilitate the animals not only at [Qureshi] zoo but other parks in Sudan as well as train staff at wildlife authority, he wrote in a post. Sick and malnourished lioness sleeps in its cage in Sudan (AFP via Getty Images) However, Martin Bauer, a spokesperson for FOUR PAWS International told The Independent: FOUR PAWS is aware of the terrible situation of the suffering lions in Sudan. At the moment we are closely monitoring the situation and working hard to get access to the zoo. However, we cannot confirm a rescue mission at this stage. We are working hard on a solution, he added. It is not known how many African lions are in Sudan, but the species are classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is thought only 20,000 are left in the wild after their population numbers plummeted by 43 percent between 1993 and 2014. Sudans worsening economic crisis, with soaring food prices and a foreign currency shortage, triggered unrest throughout the country as its civilians struggle to get by. The Instagram feed of Sanna Marin, the new 34-year-old Prime Minister of Finland, looks a lot like other young womens posts photos of herself dressed up at a gala event with her dashing partner, eating ice cream on holiday, exciting days at the office. But hold on a second what is this photo of her breastfeeding her newborn baby? She has a baby!? How the heck does she fit being the mother of a one-year-old in her life? Her new Im the youngest (female) Prime Minister in the world life? In fact, shes not a superhuman. Shes just lucky to be living in Finland, a place that allows women with small children to work with minimal fuss. I can describe the vast differences between the life of a mother of a toddler in Australia and Finland because I have lived those differences myself. Sanna Marin is perfectly able to be the world's youngest prime minister, and a mother, in a country set up to support working mothers. Credit:AP I live and work in Finland now with a pre-school aged child, but I went through the experience with my first child in Australia. These are the time traps that Finnish women dont even have to think about: COLCHESTER - A candlelight vigil is planned to honor a former Colchester mother and her three children who were murdered in Florida. The vigil scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday on the Town Green on Main Street, will pay tribute to the 42-year-old mother, Megan Todt, and her children 13-year-old Alek Todt, 11-year-old Tyler Todt and 4-year-old Zoe Todt. Also killed was the family dog, Breezy. The father, Anthony Todt, 44, was arrested on Jan. 15 by the Osceola County Sheriffs Department on four charges of premeditated murder and one charge of animal cruelty. He is being held without bail. Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson said Anthony Todt has confessed to the murders. The bodies were discovered on Jan. 13 when deputies went to the Reserve Place home in Celebration, Fla., with federal agents to serve an arrest warrant for Anthony Todt from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gibson said the four may have been killed in late December. The vigil is being organized by the staff of Family Physical Therapy in Colchester, a practice established by Anthony Todt. With rain in the forecast for Saturday, the vigil may be rescheduled to Friday according to the organizers post on Facebook. Although the family had been living in Florida for about two years, Anthony Todt did not live in Florida full-time. Anthony Todt worked Monday through Friday at his physical therapy practice in Connecticut, then returned to Florida on the weekends. Court records across three states made clear that he had been facing mounting financial pressure, and he is also currently the subject of both state and federal fraud investigations. Details on how the family was killed have not been released because the arrest affidavit was ordered sealed by a judge. The Orlando Sentinel and WFTV have asked a judge a judge to unseal court records in the case against Anthony Todt. [S]ince [Todts] arrest, no criminal investigative purpose is served by keeping the affidavit sealed and continued closure is not warranted, Rachel E. Fugate, a lawyer representing both news outlets, argues in the motion filed Tuesday. The arrest warrant ... has been executed and is no longer cloaked in confidentiality, Fugate writes. As a result, continued closure of an arrest warrant affidavit is proper only if the party requesting sealing has shown that complete closure is not broader than necessary to protect a compelling governmental interest, and that no less restrictive measures are available to protect that interest. Davie has more than 20 years of experience in underwriting, exposure modeling and technology consulting. Prior to joining Hyperion X Analytics, he served as head of solution architecture at Quantemplate, an insurance technology company founded by computer scientists and reinsurance professionals. Davie has also held senior catastrophe modeling positions at QBE and XL Capital. To, meanwhile, joins Hyperion X Analytics from Aon Consulting, Bermuda, where she advised clients on growth, portfolio optimization, and value creation. Prior to that, she worked as a financial analyst at Guy Carpenter. To is experienced in the use of enterprise data in helping clients to execute strategic growth plans in the reinsurance market. With Mark, Iain, and Michelle now on board, and with the formation of our advisory, catastrophe modeling, business intelligence, and actuarial pillars, Hyperion X Analytics has established itself as the premier alternative in an increasingly narrow broking analytics market, said David Flandro, managing director of Hyperion X Analytics. We are building the next generation of risk-transfer technology, analytics, and consulting in Hyperion X, said Barnaby Rugge-Price, CEO of Hyperion X. In doing so, we are acquiring the top advisory and analytical talent in the sector. Mark, Iain, and Michelle join a growing team of actuarial, advisory, business intelligence and catastrophe modeling professionals. The powerful combination of our tools and technology combined with our growing, highly talented analytics team is allowing us to create an offering which is truly unique for the benefit of our clients. Welcome back to Tech Chronicle. If you want a newsletter that wont upload your face to the cloud but recognizes your interests, please do subscribe. Hoan Ton-That? Again? Thats what I thought when I read Kashmir Hills excellent piece in the New York Times about the founder of Clearview AI, a secretive New York startup that scours the internet for images of people and uses them to provide police with uncannily accurate identification of suspects based on a single photo. Hill writes that the tool, based on a database of 3 billion images, could end your ability to walk down the street anonymously. After Hill asked some police customers to test Clearviews app with photos of herself, it did something curious. It stopped returning any results for her image, and soon after company representatives called the officers asking if they were speaking to journalists. That suggests Clearview personnel had access to law enforcement agencies searches, and was actively reviewing them. I wrote about Ton-That in February 2009 (scathingly, Hill writes), when he was living in San Francisco, developing first Facebook and then iPhone apps. He made the news for creating ViddyHo, a website that tricked users into sharing access to their Gmail accounts a hacking technique known as phishing and then spammed their contacts on the Google Talk chat app. (The episode does not appear on Ton-Thats sanitized personal website.) When that was shut down, he tried to resurrect it under another Web domain. The new site offered this explanation for ViddyHos behavior: We had a bug in our code that would send everyone a video when they logged in. It denied engaging in phishing. When Hill asked Ton-That about her face being flagged by the app, he laughed and told her it was a software bug. Sang Tan / Associated Press 2012 As Hill points out, with the progress of artificial intelligence and the spread of social media, it was inevitable that someone would put them together and come up with a tool like Clearview. The only thing preventing it is our own restraint. San Francisco banned use of facial recognition technology by police in May, and Oakland soon followed. The city where Ton-That got his start as a software developer wont let his creation be put to work. Broader state or federal privacy laws may be the only comprehensive answer to inventions like Clearview. Ton-That told Hill that the company was working on ways for people to request their information be removed from its database. It now provides an address you can email for removal requests. You must submit a head shot and a government ID along with your request. Is that a bug? Or a feature? Owen Thomas, othomas@sfchronicle.com Quote of the week Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it. Scott McNealy, then CEO of Sun Microsystems, to a group of reporters in 1999 Coming up Intel reports earnings Thursday, followed by Apple Tuesday. What Im reading Teddy Schleifer reports on a California bill that could make it harder for billionaires like Jack Dorsey to hide their charitable giving. (Recode) Carolyn Said on the latest Uber change: a test where drivers can set their own fares. (San Francisco Chronicle) Ina Fried relays Snap CEO Evan Spiegels explanation of how the Snapchat app has escaped the tech backlash. (Axios) Tech Chronicle is a thrice-weekly newsletter from Owen Thomas, The Chronicles business editor, and the rest of the tech team. Follow along on Twitter: @techchronicle and Instagram: @techchronicle The NA-50 was an export fighter which North American Aviation (NAA) designed for the Peruvian Air Force in the late 1930s. They type evolved from the two-seat NA-16 trainer which, as we all know, NAA developed into the prolific and hugely successful T-6/SNJ Texan, and numerous sub-variants. The NA-50 was lightly armed, with just two .30 calibre machine guns and wing-mounted hard points for small bombs. NAA produced just seven examples, delivering them to Peru in 1939. The Peruvians nicknamed the type as Torito, meaning Little Bull. Some of the Peruvian NA-50s did see some combat in a border conflict with neighboring Ecuador during July, 1941. Interestingly, NAA produced a similar sub variant, the NA-68, for the Royal Thai Air Force, but the six airframes they completed were impounded before they could be delivered, and impressed into U.S. Army Air Force Service as the P-64. It is interesting to note that, despite the small numbers produced, one example of each variant survives. The Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin has an airworthy P-64, which they occasionally fly, and the Peruvian Air Force has one surviving NA-50. In a twist of fate, the EAA is now helping the Peruvians to resurrect their NA-50 to flying condition so that it can take part in the bicentennial of Perus independence from Spain during 2021. The following message is from John Saul Cavero Sarmiento, president of EAA Chapter 1572 in Lima, Peru, the EAA Chapter which is taking on the restoration. If there is anything our readers can do to help them with their efforts, please do be sure to contact them! EAA Peru is the name by which EAA Chapter 1572 is known within the EAA community. Founded on July 23, 2015, EAA Peru seeks to replicate the EAA model in our country, in accordance with the specific conditions and challenges present. Like any EAA member, we are passionate about aviation and we are determined to apply what we know to contribute to the development of Peru. Our goal is to create an element of national identity through aviation, the aerospace sciences, and the application of technology. In accordance with our vision, we have embarked ourselves upon a project that has the potential to completely change Peru and influence the lives of its citizens in a deeply positive way. Our project is the restoration of the last remaining North American NA-50 in the world. This aircraft is the pride of the Peruvian Air Force (sp. Fuerza Aerea del Peru FAP) and a national historic treasure for Peru. It was part of a squadron of 7 aircraft purchased by Peru from the USA in 1939. The squadron was involved in combat during the War between Peru and Ecuador in 1941. It is during this war that Jose Abelardo Quinones Gonzales, a Peruvian national hero, sacrificed his life to save his fellow airmen, by deliberately crashing his NA-50 into the Ecuadorian anti-aircraft battery that had just shot him down. This NA-50 has been sitting on a pedestal at Las Palmas Air Force Base for more than 50 years. Now, as a joint effort between the Peruvian Air Force FAP and many other Peruvian organizations, with the support of the Experimental Aircraft Association EAA, through its Chapter 1572 in Lima, Peru the goal is to restore the last NA-50 to an airworthy condition for the celebrations of the Bicentennial of Perus Independence from Spain in 2021. We are sure we can accomplish this task within the time limit and by doing that, have a very strong and positive impact upon the short-term its impossible mindset that plagues most of Peruvian society. As we see it, the NA-50 restoration is not a mere aviation project, but a national project that could change the lives of many people in the country. As part of the EAA family we are reaching out to every EAA Chapter in the world that would like to contribute with this project and spread The Spirit of Aviation to the people of Peru, a country that needs aviation desperately but has no knowledge of it. Any kind of support is welcomed, whether its financial, in the form of materials and equipment, expertise and further promotion of the project through blogs, articles, the media or any other mean of communication. If you think you have something of value that we can use, then this is most likely the case. You can get updates of the project through the internet on www.na50.org, www.eaaperu.org or through our Facebook page NA-50. I thank you deeply for your interest in helping us, even though you are far away we are all part of the EAA family. We are cleared for takeoff! " " For some goods, the high price makes it more attractive than otherwise. HowStuffWorks Let's say you're on a first date and anxious to make a good impression. The waiter arrives with the wine list and your date asks you to order a bottle for the two of you. You know virtually nothing about wine, but you don't want to look like an idiot or a cheapskate, so you quickly scan the list and point to the most expensive bottle on the menu. "Ah, the Chateau Merlot," booms the waiter, with a big smile. "Very good, sir." Advertisement Yes, it's ridiculous to spend $100 on wine that's only marginally more tasty than a $20 bottle, but it's actually standard human behavior. More than 100 years ago, an American economist named Thorstein Veblen coined the phrase "conspicuous consumption" to describe this very thing. You pick the expensive bottle of wine not because it's five times better than the cheaper bottle, but because you want to send a signal to your date: "I have good taste and I can afford it." Wine is just one example of what's known as a "Veblen good," named for any good or service that defies the standard relationship between price and demand. When price goes up, demand is supposed to go down," explains Ori Heffetz, an economics professor at Cornell University's SC Johnson Graduate School of Management. But for Veblen goods like wine, fine art, jewelry and cars, the rules change. "The high price is actually part of the attractiveness," says Heffetz. In Veblen's classic 1899 book, "The Theory of the Leisure Class," he says that high prices have two functions. The first is basically marketing. Since winemakers and clothing designers know that most consumers don't have the knowledge or interest to figure out which products are objectively better than others, they use price as a shorthand for quality. Consumers assume correctly or not that a higher sticker price corresponds to a higher value. The second function of high prices is what Veblen called conspicuous consumption. In this case, the consumer's decision to buy the more expensive option has little to nothing to do with actual quality and functionality of the product. The whole point is for others to see you drinking the expensive wine, wearing the expensive clothes or driving the fancy car. "When other people see me driving an expensive car, that's a benefit in itself," says Heffetz. "They might think that I'm more successful or that I'm more desirable as a mate." And, of course, those two functions of high prices often work together. Just look at the recent college admissions scandal, in which wealthy celebrities were caught trying to buy admission for their children into elite colleges. One of the ways that schools market themselves as elite is through their high tuition costs. If the University of Southern California (USC) costs more than $77,000 a year (tuition plus room and board), it must be an amazing education, right? And because schools like USC use their high cost as a signifier of quality, so do parents. The wealthy celebrities caught up in the college admissions scandals were willing to go to great expense to win brand-name status for their kids. In their social circles, admission to USC is shorthand that their kids are smart and successful, which in turn means that they're smart and successful parents. Call it the virtuous circle of conspicuous consumption. (Unless you get caught cheating.) " " A giant 18-litre Melchior wine bottle measuring 75 centimeters (29 inches) and weighing 25 kilograms (55 pounds) goes on display at Sotheby's. John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images Veblen first identified conspicuous consumption among the American upper classes in the late 19th century, but it wasn't until the 1970s that economists figured out exactly how it worked as a market force. In 1973, the economist Michael Spence wrote a landmark paper on signaling in which he showed how our consumer choices send important signals that have real economic repercussions. Spence won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics by explaining how education is used as a signal for productivity in the labor market. The logic is pretty simple: If an employer is looking to hire a new worker, he or she will use the status of the applicant's college (in which tuition cost is a variable) as a shorthand signal of applicant's relative productivity as a worker. Heffetz cites the classic example of someone looking to hire a lawyer. The assumption is that a good lawyer wins cases and therefore has a lot of money. So, if one lawyer shows up driving a 2004 Honda Civic and the other arrives in a brand-new Mercedes, they are sending two very different signals. If the client defines a good lawyer by how rich he or she is, then the Mercedes lawyer benefits from conspicuous consumption. Of course, a lousy lawyer could still drive a fancy car, but there's a far higher cost for an unsuccessful lawyer to buy a Mercedes. "For the good lawyer who actually makes a lot of money, the Mercedes is pocket change," says Heffetz. "It's cheaper and therefore more likely for a successful lawyer to send the same signal." The larger question is, why do we bother with all of these signals anyway? Heffetz says that there's a much more efficient economic solution. Instead of buying a fancy car to show how rich you are, you could just walk around with copies of your most recent tax returns, or introduce yourself to potential clients saying, "Hi, I'm a very wealthy and successful person!" But, of course, that's not socially acceptable. Instead, people who spend money on flashy cars or clothing can hide behind what economists call a "functional alibi." If you buy a very expensive car, for example, you can claim that you didn't do it to send the signal that you're rich and successful, but simply because expensive cars run better and are more reliable. "But are they so much better that it's worth spending 20 times the cost of a good standard car?" asks Heffetz. "Probably not." Now That's Interesting "Giffen goods" are a separate category of products in which demand also increases with price. People are willing to pay more for non-luxury Giffen goods like bread, wheat and rice because they have no cheaper substitutes. ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 11, 2018, a 17-year-old Abdullah Al Mehrezi, being bedridden and developing spasticity in all four limbs due to a dreadful road traffic accident that left him with severe traumatic brain injury, was admitted to the Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center in Abu Dhabi. Along with limited motor abilities to maneuver freely, his initial neurological condition indicated that he was on tracheostomy and fed through a PEG tube. Furthermore, having a quadriplegic bladder, he needed an external catheter to keep a drainage system. Abdullah was admitted to CMRC under the umbrella of a post-acute rehabilitation program to benefit from the interdisciplinary physical, occupational, and speech therapy module to maximize the improvement potential and endorse Abdullah's participation in self-care. Goal-Focused Treatments CMRC's team developed a progressive intensive plan of which Abdullah could improve through. Therapy objectives included walking independently under close supervision, minimizing MAS dynamic spasticity to 0, allowing him to practice his daily activities with minimal close supervision, improving his awareness of the surroundings by responding to auditory, visual and tactile stimulation, and mobilizing him out of bed for therapy regimens and personal duties. Although Abdullah struggled to complete his therapy program, he succeeded in meeting and exceeding the expectations through his determination, commitment, and dedication. Initially, his sensory-motor functions have enhanced with regaining the ability to move in and out of bed. Now Abdullah can walk for more than 50 meters with no need for any minimal assistance and has an active range of motion bilaterally to reach objects forward, sideways still end range of movement. Besides the improvement of his sensory-motor functions, Abdullah was able to obtain his visual-motor abilities again, as he can now write, depict and differentiate between foreground and background, leading to improved motor planning skills. Along with regaining his cognitive abilities, Abdullah now properly greets his family, therapists, and everyone around him, becoming more involved in social and community life. He smiles again and doesn't have an eye-contact anxiety during listening or participating in conversations. Abdullah is undoubtedly in a better condition now as his temper tantrums have reduced since September 2019 after regaining functional abilities that he might have thought were lost forever. Owing to his family's decision to enroll him into a tailored Rehabilitation Program, he was able to regain hope and pursue progress in his condition. In addition to the efforts of the clinical and rehabilitation staff of the Cambridge Clinical & Rehabilitation Center to help Abdullah's condition, he has endured all the complications he confronted, realizing in the very depth of his heart that it will be worth the patience to accomplish his therapy objectives. Progress is Always Made Personal Taking his last sessions for completing the assigned therapy, his evident progress emphasizes CMRC's core values of their mission to improve and enhance the quality of patients' lives. By providing the needed hope through the art of rehabilitation, CMRC puts patients on a successful pathway to get back home, to their family and social life. When Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center staff treat patients like Abdullah and many more with total commitment and encourage them to strive for improvement through completing their therapy program plans, they get closer to show that miracles are made daily and "progress made personal." SOURCE Cambridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center Related Links https://www.cmrc.com HONG KONG, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's investment promotion department said on Tuesday that it has assisted 487 overseas and Mainland companies to set up or expand in Hong Kong in 2019, which represents an all-time high and a year-on-year increase of 11.7 percent. According to Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the department responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting businesses to set up in Hong Kong, the 487 companies came from 48 economies. The Chinese mainland continued to lead with 120 companies, followed by the United States (71), Britain (43), Japan (27) and France (25). There were 29 companies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economies. In terms of sectors, the portfolio covered a broad spectrum ranging from innovation and technology (106 companies), followed by transport and industrial (65), tourism and hospitality (60) and Fintech (57). Start-ups in various sectors took up 14.4 percent of all the companies assisted. The 487 companies together will create 6,009 jobs in their first year of establishment or expansion, representing a 14.1-percent increase compared with the 2018 figure. Among the companies, 27.7 percent said that they plan to make use of Hong Kong as the platform to take part in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt and Road Initiative. InvestHK's Director-General of Investment Promotion Stephen Phillips said 2019 was "another record year for InvestHK in terms of the number of companies assisted and the number of jobs created by those companies". "Hong Kong continues to attract overseas and Chinese mainland investors because of its core advantages and emerging business opportunities, especially in the light of the latest developments in the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative," Phillips said. "Looking forward to 2020, notwithstanding the uncertain global and local economic environment, we will continue to strive to attract foreign companies, ranging from entrepreneur-led ventures to multinationals, to set up a presence in Hong Kong," he said. "A special focus will also be put on attracting innovation and technology companies in line with the government's policy objectives," he added. The Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party here on Wednesday termed Union ministers' visits to the newly carved Union Territory an "eyewash", accusing them of avoiding disgruntled people and troublesome areas in the aftermath of the scrapping of the J-K's special status over five months ago. Addressing a rally in Ramnagar of Udhampur district, JKNPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said the ministers "randomly select places of their tour in consultation with their local party colleagues, ensuring that troublesome areas were omitted from their itinerary and disgruntled people are avoided". "The ministers' visits to Jammu and Kashmir are only an eyewash and have nothing to do with aspirations of people," he said, adding that these trips proved to be "pleasure trips". "The ministers were supposed to make people aware about benefits of the abrogation of Article 370 provisions but such awareness was more required in Kashmir region than Jammu. Interestingly, central ministers has shown their disinclination towards Kashmir as only five of 36 ministers were reported to have planned visits to the Valley," Singh added. Even in the Jammu region, he said Union ministers were indulging in the inaugurations of petty development works with their speeches full of "tired shibboleths". "It was not understandable as to how the same could help them achieve their objective of educating people. It was further not clarified as to what prompted them to visit J-K with the aforesaid motive five and a half months after the scrapping of the special status and downgrading of the state into UTs," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian Army reported no casualties in the past day. Russia's hybrid military forces on Tuesday mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "The armed forces of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire three times on January 21," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on January 22, 2020. Read alsoNSDC official names conditions for liberating Donbas by force The enemy engaged Ukrainian positions with proscribed 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms near the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Vodiane and Zaitseve. The Ukrainian Army reported no casualties in the past day. From 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on Wednesday, January 22, Russian-led forces were observing the ceasefire. WESTFIELD Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski loves what Westfield High Schools Reed Career Center is doing to get students ready not just for the job search but also for the jobs they get. And on Tuesday he found a ready audience in Rosalin Acosta, the states secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. Acosta toured the center Tuesday morning, meeting with students and hearing how their job searches and career preparations are coming. Earlier, she sat in on the monthly meeting of the Westfield Education to Business Alliance, or WE2BA, an organization the schools and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce formed in 2017 that helps business and employers adopt classrooms, hosts job fairs and facilitates tours of workplaces. "It's all about connections," Czaporowski said. Kate Phelon, executive director of the chamber, said WE2BA started off with the goal of getting six classrooms in all grade levels adopted by community partners. It now has 23 adopted classrooms. Czaporowski said WE2BA has 50 member organizations and the next job fair is set for April 16. Acosta said she was impressed by the partnerships emphasis on what some employers call soft skills like customer service, punctuality and the ability to follow written and oral directions. She calls them essential skills. High school Senior Ethan Bibee summed up the lesson. "You have to be responsible," he said. "Just get the task done." He hopes to get into manufacturing by taking the precision machining courses at Springfield Technical Community College next year. Acosta told a group of eight seniors that they are looking to graduate at a good time for job seekers. Statistics show that there are about 200,000 open jobs in Massachusetts right now. But only 110,000 to 115,000 people looking for work. The goal, Acosta said, is to match up the skills people have with the skills employers want. Thats why she touted training programs for manufacturing, information technology and early college programs that let high schoolers earn college credit. "Set yourself apart from everybody else looking," Acosta said. Gladys Lebron-Martinez, youth center director at MassHire Holyoke, which runs the Reed Center at Westfeild High School, said the center offers instruction in resume writing and interviewing skills, help with taking military placement exams and connections for internships, part-time jobs and other hands-on experiences. The Reed Center sees a few hundred students in an average month, said Coordinator Daisha Serrano. Its the only one of its kind in the region and one of only a few high-school based MassHire-affiliated career centers in the state. The school district funds MassHire Holyoke Career Center with $75,000 a year to operate the career center. Czaporowski said its not a matter of learning vocational skills instead of planning for college. Half the graduates of Westfield Vocational Technical Academy go on almost immediately to higher education, he said. And often thats at the behest of their employers. Some people may see this as a victory for children, but well actually see a restriction in the services that start-ups can build for kids, said Dom Hallas, executive director of Coalition for a Digital Economy, an advocacy group for start-ups that has received funding from Google, Intuit and Stripe. Ms. Denham did not weaken the rules in response to the industry pressure, but she did clarify and amend some provisions. For instance, the final code suggests that instead of trying to determine a users age, online services could just apply the standards for children to all users. The new rules, called the Age-Appropriate Design Code, are intended to give minors in Britain special rights and protections online much like in the real world where children generally have the right to attend school and are prohibited from going to bars. We already treat children differently in the offline or analog world than we do adults, said Ms. Denham. So why shouldnt we also treat them differently in the virtual world? The code lays out 15 different principles that sites, apps and other online services likely to have users under 18 in Britain must follow. Among other things, it prohibits such services from influencing minors to share unnecessary personal information or select weaker privacy options. It also requires sites and apps to collect as little personal information from minors as possible. And it prohibits online services from using childrens personal data in ways that could be detrimental to them, such as by automatically recommending sexual or violent content based on their searches. That is of particular concern in Britain, where a teenager, Molly Russell, committed suicide, which her family said was influenced by her seeing images of self-harm on Instagram. Instagram subsequently banned images of graphic self-harm. The new British childrens rules may require online services to make cultural changes as well as practical ones. The code requires online services to put the best interests of children first, above their bottom lines. J Devoti Trattoria. | Photo: Jess K./Yelp Wondering where to find the best wine bars near you? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end wine bars in St. Louis, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fulfill your urges. 1. Blood & Sand Photo: James B./Yelp Topping the list is Blood & Sand. Located at 1500 St. Charles St. in Downtown West, the cocktail bar, wine bar and New American spot is the highest-rated high-end wine bar in St. Louis, boasting 4.5 stars out of 293 reviews on Yelp. We looked to Yelp for an overview of Blood & Sand. "This concept was born out of the desire to serve people unique and interesting flavors to savor based on classic cocktails, classic dishes and great customer service," per the history section of the business's Yelp profile. "Named after the classic cocktail, Blood & Sand is rooted back to the 1920s" Curious to know more? We found this about the business's signature items: "Now open to the public, a nationally recognized restaurant, cocktail and wine club with benefit-rich memberships available upon request," it notes on Yelp in the section about specialties. "People from around the world enjoy our ever-changing cuisine celebrating global flavors and our passion for excellence. It's 'everything you never knew you loved.'" 2. J Devoti Trattoria Photo: Fontaine C./Yelp Next up is the Hill's J Devoti Trattoria, situated at 5100 Daggett Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 181 reviews on Yelp, the wine bar, New American and Italian spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge. According to the website, "Chef Devoti has evolved his farm-to-table bistro to include a focus on Italian cuisine. J.Devoti Trattoria is a tribute to his Italian heritage as well as the Hill neighborhood where his grandmother once lived. " In terms of signature items, "We have concentrated on the flavors of our region by using quality ingredients from neighboring farms," it states on Yelp in the section highlighting specialties. "This has afforded us the opportunity to embrace whole animals with nose-to-tail cooking. Our mission is to bring our guests back to a time where you knew where your food came from as well as the farmers that worked so hard to raise sustainable and ethical products." Story continues 3. Eleven Eleven Photo: Eleven Eleven/Yelp Lafayette Square's Eleven Eleven, located at 1111 Mississippi Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy wine bar, New American and Tuscan spot four stars out of 510 reviews. The site has lots more information about Eleven Eleven. "Once a part of the International Shoe Factory, the restaurant portion of the complex was used to produce heels for women's shoes," according to the history section of the business's Yelp profile. "The space that existed was unrecognizable as anything but a shell of the building that had once existed. In addition, the charm of the Lafayette Square neighborhood and its close proximity to Downtown and all four major highways made it an ideal location for their new venture." 4. Olio Photo: Tiffany S./Yelp Olio, a wine bar and New American and Mediterranean spot in Botanical Heights is another pricey go-to, with four stars out of 326 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1634 Tower Grove Ave. to see for yourself. As to what the business is known for, "At Olio, the humble bistro we have built into a restoration of a 1930s standard oil filling station, we give you great small plates and a top-class beverage program," it notes on Yelp in the section explaining specialties. "Mediterranean-style small plates, salumi, cheeses and a nightly rotisserie. For drinks, we have a carefully selected wine list, wines by the glass and wine flights from our sommelier staff." 5. Sidney Street Cafe Photo: Shar S./Yelp Over in Benton Park, check out Sidney Street Cafe, which has earned four stars out of 326 reviews on Yelp. Treat yourself at the wine bar and New American spot, which offers soups and more, by heading over to 2000 Sidney St. We looked there for an overview of Sidney Street Cafe. "Sidney Street Cafe is located in a century-old storefront building in the historic Benton Park neighborhood of St. Louis," according to the history section of the business's Yelp profile. As to what the business is known for, "The atmosphere is informally elegant, graced with exposed brick walls, gleaming hardwood floors and the nationally recognized cuisine of Chef-Owner Kevin Nashan. The antique bar offers cocktails and a complete casual dining experience, while the dining rooms compliment business meetings, special occasions or a romantic evening out." This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Job Title: Assistant Accountant Organization: Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services for people with disability in Uganda (CoRSU) Duty Station: Uganda Reports To: Head of Finance About US: Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services for people with disability in Uganda (CoRSU) is a private non-profit, non-governmental organization and is supported by CBM (Christian Blind Mission). CoRSU provides Orthopaedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Rehabilitation, mainly for children as well as adults with disability. CoRSU wishes to recruit dynamic professionals to join its team. Job Summary: To assist the Head of Finance in keeping accurate, comprehensive and truthful records of financial transactions for the Hospital according to the accepted standards and practices of accounting. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal applicant must hold a Bachelors Degree in Commerce/ Business Administration (Accounting option). At least level two of ACCA/CPA 2-year post qualification experience Have good Computer Literacy (word processor, spread, power point presentations) Knowledge of Tally accounting software At least two years post qualification experience in finance and accounting or a related field. Excellent communication, presentation and social skills. Experience in working in the finance and accounts department of an NGO/Not-for-Profit Experience in the multi-funding accounting and finance management processes How to apply: All interested candidates please send applications (detailed CV, covering letter plus relevant copies of academic qualifications) should be submitted to: The Head of Human Resources, CoRSU Hospital, P.O. 46, Kisubi or email to recruitment@corsuhospital.org Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. Note: These job opportunities attract local contracts based on Ugandan labour laws. Capable Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are encouraged to apply. Deadline: 23rd January 2020 by 5:00pm For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline At 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, nine hours into debate over the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells proposed resolution setting up rules for the chambers impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, McConnell tried to bring the long day closer to an end. The Republicans had just defeated Democrats fourth attempted amendment of the process, this one seeking to subpoena acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney as a witness. As with the previous three amendments, which were likewise to subpoena either witnesses or documents, it had been dismissed on a strictly partisan 53-to-47 tally, after (as with the previous three amendments) a lengthy back-and-forth between House impeachment managers and the presidents legal team, and a roll-call vote. Advertisement The Democrats were preparing to introduce a fifth amendmentthis one subpoenaing documents from the Defense Departmentwhen McConnell interjected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would ask consent to ask the Democratic leader, since theres a certain similarity to all these amendments, whether he might be willing to enter into a consent agreement to stack these votes, McConnell said, addressing the presiding officer, Chief Justice John Roberts of the United States Supreme Court, who had to show up for his day job the following morning. In other words, he wanted to bundle everything Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had left, vote on it, and get out of there. Schumer seemed to delight in McConnells parlay offer, as it gave him the rare opportunity to tell McConnell to eat dirt. The bottom line is very simple, Schumer said. As has been clear to every senator, and the country, we believe witnesses and documents are very important. We will have votes on all of those. He also alluded to more amendments tweaking the text, beyond subpoenaing witnesses or documents, as well. There will be a good number of votes. Advertisement Advertisement Schumer offered to break for the night and continue in the morning. It was a reasonable offer in a reasonable world. In the world of the Senate impeachment trial, it was one that McConnell couldnt possibly accept. The majority leader had committed earlier in the day to keeping the Senate in session today until we complete this resolution and adopt it. Exhausting the opposition in an open-amendment process is a standard leadership tactic. But Schumer wasnt exhausting easily. So McConnell called for a brief break, after which Schumer introduced his amendment to subpoena Defense documents. Advertisement Senate Democrats dont have much power in Mitch McConnells Senate, and they wont have much power in Mitch McConnells Senate trial. McConnell, as we saw in repeated votes on Tuesday, has 53 Republicansor 100 percent of his caucuswho support his plan, crafted in coordination with Trumps lawyers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than playing for an impossible win on conviction, Democrats have organized their strategy around presenting the Republicans planin which presentations from the prosecution and the defense, and a written question period, would precede any decisions about subpoenaing additional witnesses and documentsas not being a fair trial, and putting Republicans on the record about whether they oppose that fair trial through numerous surgical votes that could come back to haunt them. Though this sounds as doomed to fail as anything Senate Democrats do, Democrats did win a couple of changes to trial procedure on Tuesday. In the text of the procedure that began circulating on Monday, McConnell had offered the prosecution and defense each 24 hours to make their casesbut each would have only two days to use up those 24 hours. This gave way to Democratic talking points about how McConnells sham trial not only wouldnt allow witnesses, but also would be conducted in the dead of night. After some pushback from Republican senators, McConnell budged, and each side will now have three days to present its arguments, making each day eight hours instead of 12, so the sessions should end closer to 9 p.m. than 1 a.m. Further, House impeachment records will now be automatically entered into Senate evidence without requiring a separate vote, as McConnell had originally planned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though McConnells planned scheduling may have been a step too far for some in his conference, they were aligned with him on the bigger question of process: whether to subpoena documents and witnesses now, as Democrats want, or to consider that question in the trial. Despite impassioned speeches throughout the day from impeachment managers like Reps. Adam Schiff and Zoe Lofgren, Republicans didnt budge. What Democrats could do, at least, was get Republican opposition to those witnesses on the record now lest they dont get the opportunity later. Under McConnells rules, before votes to summon individual witnesses or specific documents can be considered later in the trial, there will first be a vote on whether the Senate wants to subpoena any witnesses or documents. By voting no on that entire question, the Republicans could keep the Democrats from forcing individual votes on subpoenaing John Bolton, or Mick Mulvaney, or the White House or the Office of Management and Budget. Advertisement Advertisement So Schumer wanted to get vulnerable senators like Susan Collins and Cory Gardner to cast a vote on Tuesday on each of those witnesses and each trove of documents. For each one they reject, a negative ad awaits. Schumers fifth amendment failed, as did his sixth and his seventh. During the debate on Democrats eighth amendment, to subpoena former National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House counsel Pat Cipollone called on House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler to apologize to the Senate. Chief Justice Roberts admonished both sides for failing to respect the decorum of the Worlds Greatest Deliberative Body. It was nearly 1 a.m. A ninth amendment would follow. Advertisement If Mitch McConnell gets the trial he wants, it will be short: each side will make their case within a week; additional witnesses wont get the opportunity to share their findings; and theyll acquit the president. In just a couple of weeks, the Senate can return to its usual business of stacking the federal judiciary with conservative thirty-somethings in between thrice-weekly lunches. Its usually a good bet that McConnell will get what he wants. As Tuesdays votes stretched on into early Wednesday morning, thoughmany hours after the first senatorial snooze, from Sen. Jim Risch, was recorded, around 6 p.m.the Senate Democrats were making it painful for him. Yellow Wiggle Greg Page has been released from hospital after having a heart attack on stage during a bushfire charity concert. The children's group shared the news on Instagram, alongside a picture of the 48-year-old posing underneath the hospital's 'exit' sign. 'We are happy to let you know that he has been discharged from hospital today and will now begin a journey of rest and recovery at home,' a statement read underneath the post. Page went into cardiac arrest during a concert in Sydney performed to raise money for bushfire relief on Friday before an off-duty nurse saved his life. 'Your thoughts and prayers have meant the world to him': Yellow Wiggle Greg Page (pictured) was discharged from hospital on Wednesday... after he collapsed on stage suffering a heart attack Greg suffered cardiac arrest due to orthostatic intolerance or 'upright intolerance', meaning that whenever he stands up for a prolonged period of time, he risks his life. People with orthostatic intolerance have a nervous system that struggles to pump enough blood around the body, which prompted Page's cardiac arrest. The original Wiggles lineup were moments away from performing their final song, Hot Potato, when the incident occurred. Since Greg was standing upright for a long period of time, 750ml of blood flowed away from his head and down to his legs, putting immense pressure on his heart. The children's entertainer had allegedly complained of feeling unwell to his band-mates after performing on stage for around an hour. Following his collapse, Page was taken to Westmead Hospital where he had surgery to have a stent inserted into his heart. Page (circled) went into cardiac arrest during a concert in Sydney performed to raise money for bushfire relief on Friday before an off-duty nurse saved his life Grace Jones, 23, the off-duty nurse who bravely swooped in from the audience, perfomed CPR using the defibrillator along side Steve Pace, the Wiggles drummer and Kimmy Antonelli, a band staff member. The group have been praised for saving Page's life after keeping his heart beating for roughly 20 minutes using the defibrillator three times, until paramedics arrived. Brian Parcell, a paramedic who worked on Page in the ambulance, said it was 'an extraordinary story of survival'. 'We found Greg was unconscious at that point but he had cardiac output, his heart was actually beating,' Mr Parcell said. Emma Watkins, the current Yellow Wiggle, stepped in for Page as the band carried on with its planned second show on Saturday at Castle Hill. The Wiggles posted a picture of Page in hospital giving a thumbs up with the caption: 'Let's raise the roof tonight and do it for Greg whilst raising funds for the Australian Red Cross and WIRES.' Following his hospitalisation, the group posted a picture of Page giving a thumbs up in bed with the caption: 'Let's raise the roof tonight and do it for Greg whilst raising funds for the Australian Red Cross and WIRES.' In 2006, Page revealed he was suffering from orthostatic intolerance, which caused problems with the function of his heart when he was standing. That same year Page left The Wiggles due to this poor health, but returned in 2012. He was also wrongly told he had 'seven years to live' by a doctor. 'To be feeling the way you feel - tired, lethargic, heavy-chested, light-headed and just vague, and to be missing your mouth when you go to eat things - that was a pretty raw moment,' Greg said of his condition to The Sydney Morning Herald in 2008. She's been on a white hot winning streak this awards season for her supporting turn in the Netflix film Marriage Story, and on Tuesday she picked up yet another trophy, but in a non-competitive category. Celebrated actress Laura Dern attended the 35th Santa Barbara International Film Festival that evening in Santa Barbara, California, where she received the esteemed Cinema Vanguard Award. Dern, 52, wore a whimsical black vest dress inspired by a tuxedo, paired with sheer lace sleeves and loose-fitting black capris that reached her mid-calf. Lauded Laura: Laura Dern attended the 35th Santa Barbara International Film Festival Tuesday in Santa Barbara, where she received the esteemed Cinema Vanguard Award She deserves it: The talented actress proudly posed with her new trophy The Enlightened star carried a bright red handbag as she posed outside the Arlington Theatre in the Central California beach town, and wore her trademark blonde locks down. According to the festival's website, the Cinema Vanguard Award 'was created with the intention of honoring actors with the tenacity to forge new ground in their craft.' Prior recipients have included Michael B. Jordan, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Williams, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Jean Dujardin, Nicole Kidman, Peter Sarsgaard, Kristin Scott Thomas and Stanley Tucci. Laura's father, Bruce Dern, was honored with the Maltin Modern Master Award by the festival in 2014. Taking the stage: Dern wore a whimsical black vest dress inspired by a tuxedo for the event, paired with sheer lace sleeves and loose-fitting black capris Talented actress: According to the festival's website, the Cinema Vanguard 'was created with the intention of honoring actors with the tenacity to forge new ground in their craft' To date, Dern has won the Golden Globe, SAG Award, Critic's Choice Award and various critic's circle awards in the Supporting Actress category for her turn as a grisly LA divorce lawyer in the Noah Baumbach film Marriage Story, and is on track as the front runner to clinch the Oscar on February 9th. Laura, who received her first Oscar nomination for 1991's Rambling Rose, famously went on to both big ticket roles Dr. Ellie Sattler in the Steven Spielberg epic Jurassic Park in 1993 as well as more critically acclaimed indie fare, like 1996's Citizen Ruth. Her second Academy Award nod came in 2015, for playing Reese Witherspoon's mother in the Jean-Marc Vallee film Wild the year before. Oscar front runner: To date, Dern has won the Golden Globe, SAG Award, Critic's Choice Award and various critic's circle awards in the Supporting Actress category for her turn as a grisly LA divorce lawyer in the Noah Baumbach film Marriage Story As luck would have it, she went on to costar (as the scenery-chewing Renata Klein) with Reese in the Vallee-directed pilot episode for HBO's Big Little Lies, which went on to become an enormous success, spawning a second season and winning Laura both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. Last year, the Citizen Ruth star also appeared in the acclaimed film Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig who is the life partner of Dern's Marriage Story director Baumbach. Up next for the lauded actress is a reprisal of the role of Ellie in mega-sequel Jurassic World 3, which is due in theaters in 2021. The New York Times A forensic analysis of Jeff Bezos cellphone found with medium to high confidence that the Amazon chiefs device was hacked after he received a video from a WhatsApp account reportedly belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, according to a person familiar with the Bezos-ordered investigation. After Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, got the video over the WhatsApp messaging platform in 2018, his phone began sending unusually large volumes of data, said the person, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The person said the investigators believed Crown Prince Mohammad was used as a conduit because the message would not raise suspicions if it came from him. The findings of the forensic investigation, completed on behalf of Bezos by Anthony Ferrante at the business advisory firm FTI Consulting, could not be independently verified by The New York Times. After the investigators findings were reported by The Guardian and The Financial Times, the Saudi Embassy denied that the Saudi government was involved. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind the hacking of Mr Jeff Bezos phone are absurd, the Saudi Embassy said on Twitter. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Bezos security consultant, Gavin de Becker, had previously accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos phone, saying Saudi authorities targeted Bezos because he owned The Washington Post. The Post has aggressively reported on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, one of its columnists, who was a critic of the Saudi government. The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed ordered the killing. Two United Nations experts plan to release a public statement Wednesday morning addressing serious allegations that Bezos was hacked by receiving a WhatsApp message reportedly from an account belonging to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, one of the experts, Agnes Callamard, said in an email. Callamard, a specialist in extrajudicial killings, has been investigating Khashoggis murder, and David Kaye, an expert in human rights law, has been gathering information about violations of freedom of the press. Amazon and de Becker declined to comment. William Isaacson, Bezos lawyer at Boies Schiller Flexner, declined to comment beyond saying that Bezos was cooperating with continuing investigations. Ferrante declined to comment through an FTI spokesman. All FTI Consulting client work is confidential, Matt Bashalany, a spokesman for FTI, said in a statement. We do not comment on, confirm or deny client engagements or potential engagements. The questions about who has had access to Bezos phone erupted a year ago after The National Enquirer reported that the tech executive was romantically involved with Lauren Sanchez, a former TV anchor. At the time, The Enquirer published photos of the couple together, as well as intimate text messages. Bezos later published emails from American Media, the parent company of The National Enquirer, which he said amounted to extortion and blackmail. He suggested that the leaks of photos and details of his private life could have been politically motivated to harm him because of his ownership of The Post. In March, de Becker accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos phone. In an opinion article in The Daily Beast, de Becker wrote that his investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis got private information from Bezos phone and that he turned the evidence they had uncovered over to law enforcement authorities. De Becker did not detail specific evidence they uncovered, nor did he detail whether the leaked information was published by The Enquirer. American Media denied any Saudi involvement, saying Sanchezs brother was the tabloids sole source. Karen Weise and Matthew Rosenberg c.2020 The New York Times Company Samsung is reportedly lining up an investment of $500 million for a smartphone display manufacturing plant in India. According to Reuters, a regulatory filing by Samsung India Electronics indicated plans to loan the display facility INR35 billion ($492 million) in addition to providing it with real estate in Noida with a total value of INR920 million. Samsung, which is the worlds largest smartphone vendor, is increasingly looking to manufacture devices in the markets where they will be sold particularly after it shuttered all production in China in October 2019. The vendor first began manufacturing in India in 2018, and is looking to boost its efficiency while avoiding Chinese competition by leaning more heavily on facilities in markets such as India and Vietnam. According to data from IDC, Samsung was Indias second-largest smartphone vendor in Q3 2019, although its market share had dropped from 22.6% to 18.9% year-on-year, with shipments down 8.5% to 8.8 million. The Walking Bible televangelist Jack Van Impe dies at 88 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Televangelist Jack Van Impe, the host of the show "Jack Van Impe Presents," has died at the age of 88. Van Impes ministry, Jack Van Impe Ministries International, announced the news on its website. The beloved Dr. Jack Van Impe was welcomed into Heaven by His blessed Savior and Lord who he had so faithfully served in ministry for over 70 years, the statement reads. Please pray for his beloved wife and lifelong ministry partner Rexella and their families as they grieve this immense loss and for wisdom as she and the Board lead the ministry in the days ahead. According to Van Impes biography page, he led more than 8 million to faith in Christ over the duration of his 68-year ministry. At the height of its popularity in the mid-90s, his show reached 25,000 cities weekly and more than 150 countries. "Jack Van Impe Presents" aired its final episode this month. Van Impe and Rexella had been married since 1952. Their shows format featured the couple discussing how biblical fulfillment was reflected every day in world events and headlines. Each episode ended with a call for viewers to prepare for the end by accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. Current international events reflect exactly the conditions and happenings predicted throughout the Bible for the last days of this age, he wrote. Remember that this special message has been given to reveal Gods truth, not conceal it; and to clarify Gods eternal purpose, not mystify it. Millions need to be alerted to the fact that Jesus is coming soon-perhaps today! Van Impes ministry was not without controversy: In the 1990s, he came under fire after saying he expected Christ to return between 2001 and 2012, warning Christians to be on the lookout for the Antichrist. He also propagated conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama, suggesting he was a Muslim and part of a Muslim plot to infiltrate the United States. In 2011, he split from the Christian TV network TBN amid claims of censorship after the channel refused to air an episode in which Van Impe claimed that pastors Rick Warren and Robert Schuller were attempting to promote a new religion called Chrislam, a merger of Christianity and Islam. In addition to eschatology, Van Impe's ministry focused on Scripture memorization and evangelism. He had an impressive evangelistic ministry in large crusades and in partnership with well-known ministers including Billy Graham Sr., Charles Stanley, George Sweeting, and others. On Twitter, Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, offered condolences to Van Impes wife and family. He was among a large number of young men who served in the early days with Youth for Christ. Dr. Van Impe became known as The Walking Bible because he memorized large portions of Scripture, inspiring young people to do the same, Graham tweeted. His life demonstrated the importance of laying up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul (Deuteronomy. 11:18). May we all be inspired to do the same. Jack Van Impe Ministries has not named the cause of death. Funeral arrangements are being made. The counsel for the CBI explained to the court that the investigation on the majority of the pointers of the Jain Commission of Inquiry (JCI) has been completed. However, finalising of some of the issues is based on the outcome of Letters Rogatory sent abroad. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is waiting for the response from three countries regarding the Letters Rogatory sent to them in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. There were 25 Letters Rogatory sent to 24 countries, out of which, the execution reports in part, is awaited from three countries. With respect to the proceedings before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, during the hearing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, it is informed that the apex court had directed the CBI to file a status report on the further investigation conducted by the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) of CBI on the mandate stipulated by the JCI and the same has been filed. During the hearing, the clarifications sought by the court have been answered based on the progress in the investigation. Further, during the hearing, on a plea of the petitioner on the issue of a pending petition under Art 161 of the Constitution of India, the court directed the counsel for the petitioner to ascertain the status of the same from the Government of Tamil Nadu. Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme court asked the Tamil Nadu Government to file a detailed status report within two weeks on the release of those convicted for Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumpudur in May 1991. A two-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageshwar Rao was hearing the matter pertaining to the belt bomb investigation in the assassination case which involved a convict named A G Perarivalan. The bench also comprising Justice Deepak Gupta posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks. Besides Perarivalan, Ravichandran, S Nalini Sriharan, Murugan, Santhan, Robert Pious, and Jayakumar were convicted in the case. The Centre had, on the last date of hearing on January 14, filed a status report regarding the belt bomb investigation in the case. The top court's two-judge bench had, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the report and asked the Centre to present the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) before it. The court, after hearing the contentions put forth by one of the juniors of the ASG, Pinkey Anand, asked the Centre to file a fresh updated detailed status report to clarify its position on the issue and had adjourned the matter for today. MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Tax and Accounting presented the Leonard L. Silverstein Award to InterActive Legal Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan G. Blattmachr. InterActive Legal Founder, Jonathan G. Blattmachr, is the recipient of Bloomberg Tax & Accountings Leonard L. Silverstein Award The Leonard Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award, named after the founder of the Tax Management Portfolios for his longstanding contributions to the field of tax, is generally awarded to individuals that have demonstrated excellence in their field throughout their career, made contributions to the tax community at large, and contributed to the success of BNA's Portfolios. A recent communique from an official at Blomberg Tax and Accounting had this to say about Jonathan: "There is no doubt that you [Jonathan Blattmachr] not only fit, but exceed by leaps and bounds, all criteria, and we would be honored to celebrate such contributions via this award." In receiving this award, Jonathan Blattmachr said, "One of the great honors I got, is for 20 years, I was Leonard's personal attorney. That was a great honor. I just adored the man and I'm just so sorry he isn't with us anymore." Bloomberg Tax provides comprehensive global research and news services, enabling tax professionals to get the timely, accurate, and in-depth information they need to plan and comply with confidence. This award was presented on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at Bloomberg Tax and Accounting's awards luncheon during the 54th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning conference. Mr. Blattmachr graduated from Columbia University School of Law cum laude, where he was recognized as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and received his A.B. degree from Bucknell University, majoring in mathematics. He has served as a lecturer-in-law of the Columbia University School of Law and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University Law School in its Masters in Tax Program (LLM). He is a former chairperson of the Trusts & Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and of several committees of the American Bar Association. Mr. Blattmachr is a Fellow and a former Regent of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and past chair of its Estate and Gift Tax Committee. He is author or co-author of eight books and more than 500 articles on estate planning and tax topics. Among professional activities, which are too numerous to list, Mr. Blattmachr has served as an Advisor on The American Law Institute, Restatement of the Law, Trusts 3rd; and as a Fellow of The New York Bar Foundation and a member of the American Bar Foundation. InterActive Legal, headquartered in Melbourne, FL, is a leading provider of software solutions and practice development initiatives to the estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning community nationwide. InterActive Legal's automated document drafting suites helps legal practitioners in this arena make quantum gains in efficiencies and accuracy, thus enabling them to better represent the needs of their clients. SOURCE InterActive Legal Related Links https://interactivelegal.com Photo: Daniel Dorsa In a bare room, Rose Byrne approaches Bobby Cannavale with a painting. Its a gift that is also clearly a ploy to get back into his life. They talk about their kids and vaguely of her recovery from some kind of trauma. She pretends to be better, while he pretends there wasnt something between them, though their history sizzles in the air. Hes seeing someone else now. She claims to be over it, yet she cant help but bring it up. This isnt a good conversation, he says. Its not the best, its not the worst, she counters. Its like watching them pick at a rash when they know they shouldnt, until it inflames, pustulates, and then kills them. Byrne, 40, and Cannavale, 49, are rehearsing the first scene in Simon Stones adaptation of Medea at BAM. When the scene ends, Cannavale, as if to annotate his performance, tells Stone he was thinking about the way sex is on the table between the characters. I feel as if its there, Stone says. And the sadness of it also not being possible. Stone, who is directing, too, likes having them run through the scene in rehearsal to develop a sense of their characters shared past together. Then Byrne and Cannavale go off to their home in Brooklyn and their own two kids, since they have a shared present together, too. Byrne, an Australian expat who, thanks to movies like Bridesmaids, has become more successful in comedy than as a dramatic actor, and Cannavale, a Cuban-Italian New York stage fixture who has become a recent favorite of Martin Scorseses currently, he can be seen in The Irishman started dating in 2012. (They met through mutual friends while Byrne was playing legal psychodrama across from Glenn Close in Damages.) It seemed like no big deal to go from dating to co-starring, and in 2014 they appeared in both the indie Adult Beginners (as a married couple) and a studio remake of Annie, though they disagree about which was filmed first. He says Annie, she says Adult Beginners. We cant even agree on this, she deadpans, almost directly into my voice recorder. They followed those up with roles as villains in the 2015 comedy Spy. Even when they dont produce hits, their work tends to be critically acclaimed, which has resulted in the two actors occupying a place as a thinking fans celebrity couple, best known by people willing to pay for tickets to the theater or premium cable. They feel like a rustic Brooklyn answer to Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parkers Manhattan theater, fashion, and screen combo, of a kind with fellow Brooklynites Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, or Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard. Plus, Byrne and Cannavale have symbiotically complementary looks, with his hulking figure and brow and her petite poise and knowing rag-doll eyes. They can make it feel like sex is on the table immediately, even in a quiet rehearsal room. That spark makes you want to know more, even if the two of them find the interest in their personal lives a little strange. Its way more interesting for other people than it is for us, Cannavale admits over lunch at Rucola, a cozy Italian place in Brooklyn with eggplant sandwiches he loves, a few more weeks into rehearsal. Theyre a little tired of my questions about being a couple in the public eye, even if those questions come with the territory of promoting a play. Were not doing this to do interviews about our relationship, Byrne says, even though thats what were doing right now. She laughs, firm yet charming. I know youre just doing your job. Medea is Byrne and Cannavales first play together, which, considering the plot, is a little like taking your first family vacation to the center of an armed conflict. Euripides telling of the tragedy takes place after Medea, a brilliant sorceress, has helped Jason (of the Argonauts) complete his quest for the Golden Fleece. He abandons her for a kings daughter, and Medea gets her revenge by killing her and Jasons own children. In Stones version, credited as after Euripides, Byrne and Cannavale play contemporary analogues roughly patterned on the case of Debora Green, a Kansas physician who pleaded no contest to burning down her familys home, killing two of her three children, and attempting to poison her husband. So yes, Byrne will be acting out the murder of two of her and Cannavales children every night before heading home to their real kids. If not that interesting to them, its fascinating for us. Were not doing this to do interviews about our relationship, even though thats what were doing right now. In addition to the fraught story, the two actors have to navigate Stones bolder directorial choices. He developed Medea at Toneelgroep Amsterdam, home of fellow classical-theater-wrecking artist Ivo van Hove, who is currently on Broadway with a dismantled West Side Story. In Stones staging, the relentless, 80-minute flow of action takes place in a set so bare, sterile, and evenly lit that Cannavale compares it to a big white void slowly filling with ashlike debris as the tragedy advances. The sets a bit disorienting when you first see it, he says. When the actors onstage, it looks like youre floating. The idea of casting Byrne and Cannavale came from David Binder, BAMs artistic director, who asked Cannavale at a gala one evening if the couple would ever consider acting onstage with each other. They had already signed on to do A View From the Bridge in Sydney this December Byrne likes to return to work in her home country when she can so why not take on one more big tragedy beforehand? Cannavale, a true enthusiast who describes himself as loving the theater the way other guys love cars, was especially excited to work with Stone, whose similarly modern update of Yerma was a sensation at the Park Avenue Armory last year. It was just about convincing her to do it, Cannavale jokes, elbowing Byrne. She laughs, deflecting focus to the pragmatic. Of course, she wanted to do Medea. Of course, she wanted to work with Stone, whom she knew distantly in the way all Australian actors and directors seem to know one another. (In rehearsal, the two of them get distracted catching up on gossip about other theatrical Australians; many of the stories seem to involve Jacki Weaver.) But really, so much depends on just having someone to watch the children. Its hard, Byrne points out. You have two parents not putting kids to bed. Thats the biggest part of the decision. One thing that is clear to Byrne, however, is that her kids will always have a relationship with Australia. Given her connection to the country, she is deeply affected by the ongoing wildfires. Its surreal being away and reading about your home country, and devastating to see it, the people losing their lives and the animals, she says. She has encouraged people to donate to relief efforts and is proud of fellow Australians who have also raised money. And shes furious with the most tone-deaf fucking [prime minister], Scott Morrison. Its a climate crisis, and he wont address it as that, she says. Hes a real piece of work, that one. The couple will return to Australia later this year for View, but for now, working on Medea, they are content to be at home in Brooklyn. Rehearsal is within walking distance of their house in Boerum Hill, where they can check in with Rocco, 3, and Rafael, 2. The kids are blissfully too young to understand that their parents are acting out filicide for a living (only recently did they show a glimmer of recognition of their mother in a commercial for Peter Rabbit) and are too focused on being kids to care. I can come home with my head spinning, and theyre just like, Mama, Mama, tell me a story!, Byrne says. Then, in the tone of a preening character she might play in a comedy a mock version of herself she occasionally puts on display she adds, Do they know who we are? Puffing out his chest, Cannavale joins the bit: They dont know who we are! Cannavale has been through the process of raising a child before. His son Jake, whom he had with the writer Jenny Lumet, is now 24 and also an actor, appearing alongside his father in Nurse Jackie and playing a bounty hunter in the Star Wars show The Mandalorian. (Hes a dead bounty hunter now, his father quips.) When Jake was young, Cannavale was just starting his own career and hustling for jobs. Ive basically spent my life since I was 24 actively raising children, he says, and it will continue that way until Im in retirement. Byrne laughs at the idea of his retiring. And youll do what?, she asks. Live!, he announces, as if its obvious. But Cannavale is the planner in the family. Hed like to keep working, though at his current, somewhat anonymous level of fame. I actively dont want to not be able to ride the subway, he insists. So what are Byrnes plans? Im a little bit more moment to moment, she admits. Thats why were a good yin and yang. Theres a trickster spirit in Byrne that takes its time to reveal itself. You think hes the goofball but then realize that shes working her own angle. Theres some of that play in their working relationship as they figure out where to move for different projects. They relocated to Toronto for a few months last year, when Byrne played Gloria Steinem in an FX series. In a recent interview, Cannavale blurted out that Byrne makes twice as much as he does, which garnered some attention that mystifies them both. First of all, that number is wrong. Its probably a wider gap, he says. Byrne laughs and slips her wrist inside his elbow, a reflexive gesture she repeats in moments like this. Its loving but also a nudge that maybe hes saying too much again. Im kidding!, he continues. My point is that were both lucky enough to be working all the time, and we can go back and forth. I do work in the theater a lot, and you dont have to be a rocket scientist to know that if youre working in theater, youre not making as much money as Dwayne Johnson. Throughout our conversation, they keep referring to each other as husband and wife, even if one thing you learn pretty quickly from stories about Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne (especially from their publicists clarifications of those stories) is that they are not married. Were not, Byrne says. We were planning to and then another baby, and then I hate all the other words!, Cannavale interjects. Its just easier to say husband and wife. Boyfriend and girlfriend feels so young, he adds. Partner feels so sterile. At this point, Byrne has her hand wrapped under his elbow again and peers at him with amusement. What else could we say?, he asks, looking right at her. My lo-ver! A firm two syllables, heavy with sauce. Were back inside a bit, where they feel most comfortable at least with a reporter nearby. She laughs. Sure. My lover, Bobby, she says. It sounds especially sarcastic in her Australian accent, almost rhyming: lohvah, Bohbbay. Who gives a shit?!, he says. Its just funny what people care about. Medea is at BAM through February 23. *This article appears in the January 20, 2020, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! BERKELEY (BCN) The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday night will consider a proposal to develop a homeless camp for up to 120 tents below a bridge on University Avenue that connects Fourth Street and the city's waterfront. The proposal by City Councilwoman Kate Harrison, which is supported by Mayor Jesse Arreguin and council members Cheryl Davila and Rigel Robinson, says the proposed emergency outdoor shelter "should be seen only as a temporary fix." But the proposal says that even though there have been gains in building permanently affordable housing and provide services to lift people out of homelessness, "We are still unable to serve all homeless people in Berkeley simultaneously and there are still gaps in service." Harrison and the other three city officials say, "An emergency outdoor shelter with durable tents and sanitation services is a short-term option that is safer and cleaner than the status quo of unsanctioned camping throughout the city." They say the intention of their proposal is to "create a limited number of sanctioned encampments operated in an organized fashion." The proposed location is on land surrounded by light industry manufacturing to the north, south and east and Interstate Highway 80 to the west. Arreguin's spokesman Stefan Elgstrand said Tuesday afternoon that half of the land is owned by the city and the other half is owned by Caltrans, which leases that section to the city for storage purposes. Elgstrand said questions have been raised about whether Caltrans property could be used for homeless services but noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order last week directing agencies under his command to identify state land that could be used as temporary shelter locations for the homeless. The proposal asks the city manager to consider amenities in the outdoor shelter such as climate-controlled, wind-resistant durable tents with wooden pallets for support, portable toilets and handwashing stations, shower and sanitation services, garbage pickup and needle disposal and an agency to manage the program, which would be open 24 hours a day. The four city officials who back the proposal say Berkeley had about 1,100 people experiencing homelessness during the last official count, including 813 who were unsheltered, meaning they sleep in a tent, on a street, a sidewalk or in a park. Harrison and the other city officials propose a 180-day suggested length of stay in the program and indicate the possibility of more than one camp in Berkeley, although only one location is listed in the report. The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Unified School District's board room at 1231 Addison St. in Berkeley. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Donald Trumps lawyers made an impeachment U-turn on Tuesday one that could have immediate consequences for the presidents ongoing legal fight against the Houses oversight investigations. After arguing in court for months that federal judges should stay miles away from disputes between Congress and the White House for fear that they become political actors in a divisive impeachment probe the presidents lawyers spent the first working day of Trumps Senate impeachment trial arguing the exact opposite, and suggesting that those who disagree are hostile to the Constitution. The presidents opponents, in their rush to impeach, have refused to wait for judicial review, said Jay Sekulow, Trumps personal lawyer, who is working alongside White House counsel Pat Cipollone on the presidents impeachment defense. Sekulow also echoed law professor Jonathan Turley, who recently warned against making a high crime and misdemeanor out of going to the courts. Turley testified against Trumps impeachment during one of the Houses public impeachment hearings. But that argument is in direct conflict with the Trump Justice Departments own forceful arguments some as recently as this month that allowing courts to step into such battles between Congress and the White House would be an affront to the separation of powers. On Jan. 3, a Justice Department attorney fighting the Houses impeachment inquiry said unelected judges should not be refereeing such disputes. DOJ attorney Hashim Mooppan argued that the court should steer clear of a purely political dispute. In this image from video, White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin speaks against an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) It risks politicizing the court and undermining public confidence in the court, Mooppan said. If this court rules on the merits, one way or the other, you can be assured that the opinion that this court issues will be waved on the floor of the Senate by one side or the other as evidence that either the president is guilty or the president is innocent. In other words, Trumps case against his removal from office on charges of obstructing Congress the second article of impeachment that House Democrats adopted last month relies on an argument that his Justice Department and White House lawyers have explicitly rejected. Story continues Other lawyers maybe not the ones at this table, but other lawyers for the president are in the courts saying the exact opposite of what theyre telling you today, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the lead impeachment manager, said in response to the claims during Tuesdays session of the trial. Theyre saying you cannot enforce congressional subpoenas. You cant do it. That jarring reversal, in an effort to slap down Democrats push to remove Trump from office, could spill into multiple ongoing legal fights between Congress and the White House including one that could have immediate ramifications on the impeachment trial: the Trump administrations challenge to a House subpoena seeking testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn. A federal appeals court panel could decide any day whether the House can legally force McGahn to testify, while the president continues to assert that he is immune from speaking to lawmakers. House lawyers have indicated that they would seek to make immediate use of potential testimony from McGahn a star witness in former special counsel Robert Muellers investigation in the impeachment trial, to show what they say is a pattern of efforts by Trump to obstruct investigations into his conduct. Such an effort, though, is likely to fail as the impeachment trial begins in earnest this week. House officials did not immediately indicate whether they would flag this reversal for the appeals courts consideration in the case. During Tuesdays session, Sekulow harangued Speaker Nancy Pelosi for saying the House should not be at the mercy of the courts, arguing that Pelosis view dangerously discounts the federal judiciarys role as outlined in the Constitution. Think about that for a moment. We cannot be at the mercy of the courts, Sekulow said. So take Article III of the United States Constitution and remove it? Were acting as if the courts are an improper venue to determine constitutional issues of this magnitude? That is why we have courts. Pelosi was seeking to push back against the idea that House Democrats should pump the brakes on their impeachment inquiry and wait for the courts to resolve disputes between the legislative and executive branches prompted by White House efforts to block testimony from key witnesses and its refusal to comply with subpoenas seeking documents the House demanded. Democrats have defended the decision to refuse to wait for court fights to play out as a response to the urgency of the allegations against Trump: that the presidents alleged solicitation of foreign interference in the 2020 election threatens the integrity of the process and U.S. national security. Waiting for lengthy lawsuits to make their way to the Supreme Court would essentially allow Trump to run out the clock on congressional investigators, they have argued. Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), another impeachment manager, said Trump should not hide all the evidence while disingenuously insisting on lawsuits that he doesn't actually think we can file ones that he knows won't be resolved until after the election. But Trump and his allies now contend the opposite: that Democrats refusal to wait for the courts and their desire to draw out new evidence during the Senate trial suggests a lack of confidence in their case. Patrick Philbin, the deputy White House counsel, said on the Senate floor Tuesday that it was a stunning admission of the broken process that House Democrats relied upon including their decision to put an arbitrary deadline on the process. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), one of the Houses seven impeachment managers, rebutted this claim on the Senate floor. Lofgren, who served as a House staffer during Richard Nixon's impeachment process and a lawmaker during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, said federal courts had already litigated those issues, going as far back as Watergate. The House and the Senate should not be required to litigate U.S. v. Nixon back to the Supreme Court and down again for it to be good law, she said, referring to the landmark case that upheld Congress right to obtain information from the executive branch. It is good law. The president has not complied with those requirements to the detriment of the truth. Michael Morris is a curator with New Yorks Museum of Jewish Heritage. He was trying to fulfill a common request when he uncovered a number of artworks. They were images of the Holocaust, by people who were there. Using those works, Morris put together a show of art. Many are by some of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis in the 1930s and 40s. The show is against and educates about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry of any kind, said Morris. He added, We see hundreds of thousands of people in concentration camps. These are actual people who had multi-faceted lives. Among them was 12-year-old Helga Weissova. She brought art supplies with her when she was sent to Terezin concentration camp, north of Prague, in October 1944. Before she was forced to go to Auschwitz, another prisoner gave the drawings to her uncle. He hid them behind a wall. Auschwitz was the infamous Nazi concentration camp in southern Poland. Her 1943 work in colored pencil on paper is called Transport Leaving Terezin. It shows guards with guns watching a group of prisoners carrying their few belongings. Weissova is now in her 90s and living in Prague. But many of the artists never made it out of the deadly camps. Peter Loewenstein of Czechoslovakia was sent in 1941 to Terezin. He gave 70 drawings to his mother before he was forced to go in 1944 to Auschwitz. His mother and sister would soon be sent to Auschwitz as well. Before they left, they gave the art to a family friend. His sister was the only family member who survived the camp. She recovered the works after the war, including Eight Men in Coats with Stars. It is a 1944 ink on paper picture of Jews forced to wear a Star of David on their clothing for identification. There is also a powerful watercolor by Marvin Halye, a member of the 104th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. His division liberated or, freed Nordhausen concentration camp in Germany in 1945. After seeing the few surviving prisoners covering thousands of bodies, he rushed to paint Civilians Covering Corpses. Anti-Jewish hate crimes The show opens as anti-Semitic hate crimes increase across the United States. Many have happened in New York City, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel. Anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York in 2019 were at a 28-year high, said professor Brian Levin. He is director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino. In the most recent attack, a man with a machete wounded five people. They were gathered last month for a Hanukkah celebration at the home of a rabbi, just outside the city. A few weeks earlier, a shooting at a Jewish market in nearby Jersey City, New Jersey, killed two men. Hate crimes are increasing at a time when many Americans lack general knowledge of the Holocaust. The largest lack of understanding is people in their 20s and 30s. More than 60 percent of them do not know what Auschwitz is, said a recent study by a Jewish organization. Im Dorothy Gundy. The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story curator n. one who organizes artwork for a show heritage n. the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation multi-facetedadj. having many sides corpse n.a dead body anti-Semitic adj. acts or words of hatred against Jewish people machete n.a long, sharp knife used for cutting thick plants rabbi n. a Jewish religious leader Thousands of residents on Greek islands hosting large migrant camps kicked off a day of protests on Wednesday, demanding the immediate removal of asylum seekers. The islanders of Lesbos, Samos and Chios staged a general strike, shutting down shops and public services and rallying in central squares, many waving Greek flags. Packing the waterfront of Lesbos harbour, the protesters chanted: "Our islands are not prisons. Shut down all the camps now." "Soon we will be a minority on our own island," said Vassiliki Ververi, a Lesbos resident. "It's Greece and the islands that are paying the price of migration," she told AFP. Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, who was appointed to the post last week, said local anger was "justified". "The burden borne by the islanders is disproportionate," Mitarachi, who represents the island of Chios in parliament, said in a statement. The largest camp of Moria on Lesbos island, with a capacity for 2,840 people, hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. Samos and Chios each have 7,500 and around 5,000 asylum seekers in camps respectively built to handle 650 and 1,000 persons. Dozens more arrive daily from neighbouring Turkey. Asylum seekers "should be shared out across Greece," 72-year-old Lesbos pensioner Efstratios Peppas told AFP. "And Europe must assume its responsibilities. It too must take migrants," he said. "You can't walk alone outside after dark, people get stabbed," Peppas said. Rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised the living conditions at the camps. The government announced plans in November to build larger camps on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, which currently host a total of nearly 42,000 migrants and refugees and where outbreaks of violence are frequent. Two young asylum seekers have been fatally stabbed in brawls at the Moria camp this month. An 18-year-old Afghan girl was also seriously injured in a knife attack this week and remains in hospital. And three asylum seekers in Greek custody have committed suicide in recent weeks. "We demand the immediate shutdown of Moria," read a banner carried in the Lesbos demonstration. Greece's new conservative government, which has announced tougher asylum laws and hired additional border guards, vows to expel all asylum seekers who are not entitled to protection. It also reinstated the migration ministry, six months after scrapping it. But the new camp plans have been strongly opposed by island officials, who want smaller facilities after hosting thousands of asylum seekers for the past five years. "They need to leave. It's not that we don't like them. They live in miserable conditions. It's tough for them and for us too," said Zoi Yannaka, who was part of a separate Communist party demonstration on Lesbos. Greece last year again became the main entry into Europe for migrants and refugees, many fleeing war or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Syria. The UN refugee agency in 2019 recorded more than 59,000 arrivals by sea and more than 14,000 via the land border with Turkey. Already more than 3,000 have arrived so far this year. Only a fraction are allowed passage to the Greek mainland while the rest spend months in the camps, waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. On Tuesday, 17 human rights organisations warned the Greek government of a rising "climate of discrimination and xenophobia" towards asylum seekers, who they said also face "serious consequences to their well-being and public health". Rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised living conditions at the camps A big Greek flag hung on the facade of the municipal theatre of Mytilene on Lesbos along with a banner reading "We want our islands back, we want our lives back" Rushing to Australia Australias Embassy in Moscow is receiving an astronomical number of inquiries about immigration, the Ambassador, Mr Robin Ashwin said yesterday. The inquiries were now running at several thousand a month and were becoming an administrative problem, he told journalists in Canberra. Mr Ashwin is visiting Australia on holiday as well as to prepare for the visit of Soviet Prime Minister, Mr Nikolai Ryzhkov. All bets are on, Ian Champion batsman Javed Miandad last night laughingly demanded former Australian skipper Ian Chappell honour a 500-1 challenge he made about Pakistan winning the second Test in Adelaide. Miandad heard Chappell offer the extravagant odds on TV with Pakistan 4-73. By last night, they were 7-357, a lead of 273 runs. Miandad said One thing I would like to mention is, my bet with Ian Chappell is on." Do the right thing or else People caught littering, including motorists who throw cigarette butts from their cars, may soon face $200 on-the-spot fines. The Minister for the Environment, Mr Moore, said yesterday he expected his ministerial colleagues to agree to tough new anti-litter laws. He said that while littering was already an offence, prosecution was time-consuming, often involving a summons and a hearing before a magistrate. FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brian Toglia, president and CEO of Galiot Insurance Services, has merged operations with Higginbotham, the largest independent insurance broker based in Texas. Toglia, who through Galiot serves start-ups to multinational biotech companies in 22 states, will serve as life science practice leader. He will assume direction of Higginbotham's existing life science group to increase its market presence. Higginbotham hires Brian Toglia, owner of Galiot Insurance Services in Houston, Texas, to lead its life science practice group. Higginbotham has more than 20 industry practice groups that cater to companies with specialized risks. Uniting with Toglia gives Higginbotham additional expertise to serve the life science industry while expanding risk management service to his existing clients in the areas of loss control, claims support and risk management technology. Higginbotham Managing Partner Chris Rooker said, "There are other brokers that have industry verticals, but Higginbotham strives to bring a higher standard of proficiency, support and education by offering practice groups that are dedicated to their industry. Brian's singular focus on life science insurance and involvement in the biotech ecosystem fits squarely with our service philosophy." Toglia said, "I was introduced to Higginbotham at a life science broker council meeting and was struck by its commitment to providing true depth of knowledge and service to the industry. I'm excited to continue my relationships with biotech associations and participation at conferences to further develop the practice under the Higginbotham name." Toglia is based in Higginbotham's office in Houston in the Energy Corridor. About Galiot Insurance Services Galiot was established January 2018 by Brian Toglia, who has more than 14 years of insurance experience. The independent property/casualty agency is 100 percent focused on the life science market, serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, software and instrument companies in 22 states as well as foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries. Visit www.galiotinsurance.com for more information. About Higginbotham Higginbotham is a single source for insurance and financial services that brokers business insurance, employee benefits, retirement plans, executive benefits, life insurance and home/auto insurance from more than 250 regional and national carriers. It supplements coverage with in-house risk management and benefit plan administration services. The firm was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with more than 35 additional offices statewide and in Oklahoma and Georgia serving domestic and international customers. Higginbotham ranks by revenue as the nation's 24th largest independent insurance brokerage firm, making it the largest Texas-based broker (Business Insurance, July 2019). Visit www.higginbotham.net for more information. SOURCE Higginbotham Related Links https://www.higginbotham.net Polosuds dark-chocolate sorbetto con brioche. Photo: Melissa Hom Say ice-cream sandwich and thoughts turn to the Chipwich, the Flying Saucer, and Good Humors iconic classic. But there is more to the portable seasonal snack than what you might find in your corner bodegas freezer case. There is Italian brioche, French macarons, and Spanish wafers, just for starters all handy vehicles for containing ice creams of every imaginable flavor persuasion. And there are serious pastry chefs baking their own cookies and churning their own gelato, all in service of new riffs on an old treat said to have been invented on New Yorks own gritty streets in the 1890s. Before summer takes its leave, heres where to find the best ice-cream sandwiches in New York. The Absolute Best 1. Polosud 166 Mott St., nr. Broome St.; 646-476-6172 The thing about ice-cream sandwiches is that, generally speaking, theyre a pain to eat. While many are perfectly harmless, a lot are disasters waiting to happen. Not so the ice-cream sandwiches Giacomo dAlessandro whips up at Polosud gelateria on Mott Street a neatnik variation on the Sicilian-style gelato con brioche that came into fashion a few years ago. Heres how it works: Once you choose your filling (you want the Peruvian dark-chocolate sorbetto), dAlessandro slices a housemade brioche bun in half, plops a minimalist scoop in the center of the bottom slice, closes the bun, then gently cooks the sandwich for ten seconds in a contraption that looks like a jury-rigged waffle iron. The result is fantastic: The bun is warm, the ice cream cold, and the whole thing as neat as a pin, like a regular gelato con brioche crossed with a cucumber sandwich. 2. Villabate Alba 7001 18th Ave., at 70th St., Bensonhurst; 718-331-8430 That said, neatness can be overrated. For an old-fashioned five-napkin Sicilian-style gelato con brioche orgy, as opposed to the newfangled panini-pressed experience above, theres no better place to go than Villabate pasticceria gelateria in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. A sweet, yeasted housemade roll gets split like a hot-dog bun then stuffed like a goose with two scoops of gelato. (Try the bacio with the pistachio.) You can have at this substantial specimen with a tiny plastic spoon, chipping away at the gelato until something manageable emerges, but pros use their hands from the get-go. 3. Morgensterns Finest Ice Cream 88 W. Houston St., at LaGuardia Pl.; 212-209-7684 Photo: Pete Deevakul Invented in San Francisco circa 1928 by a visionary named George Whitney, the Its-It is an oatmeal-cookie ice-cream sandwich dipped in chocolate like an Eskimo Pie, and one whiff of the thing can send the average San Franciscan into a Proustian reverie that lasts for days. Bay Area native Nick Morgensterns tribute version stays true to the original, with the exception of a few tweaks befitting a man whose career ambition is to define what it means to serve American ice cream in the 21st century. He puts extra-virgin olive oil in the chocolate dip, and sprinkles flakes of sea salt over the top. 4. Empellon 510 Madison Ave., entrance on 53rd St.; 212-858-9365 While Proust had his madeleines and Nick Morgenstern his Its-Its, Alex Stupak had Hood-brand ice-cream sandwiches. That is what he grew up eating in Massachusetts, because that is what his mom bought. And that is how they became the inspiration for the deeply flavored Oaxacan-chocolate version he serves at his midtown location. These old-school-style snacks are rich and smooth and properly soft. And the chocolate wafer shell even sticks to your fingers a little, just like the ones you get after chasing the Good Humor truck down the block. Obviously, Mom is proud. 5. La Mercerie Cafe at the Guild 53 Howard St., at Mercer St.; 212-852-9097 Here today, gone next week: La Merceries apricot-sorbet ice-cream sandwich. Photo: Melissa Hom Dont grow too attached to any particular ice-cream sandwich flavor at this just-so, tres francais design-store canteen, where the kitchen counter discreetly dispenses frozen concoctions during the summer months. Only one variety is offered at a time and the flavors change frequently, which means last weeks shatteringly chewy fuchsia macarons slathered with fruity raspberry jam and sandwiched with tart and tangy lemon-yogurt ice cream might give way to this weeks sleekly streamlined white-on-white, all-vanilla number. The constant is the macaron, a cookie so well suited for the job that were baffled why this approach didnt take off sooner. Le sandwich comes in a pretty logod paper bag, and might be the most elegant ICS out there a homespun American treat given impeccable French style. 6. One Girl Cookies Multiple locations Photo: Melissa Hom The official state treat of Maine, the whoopie pie is traditionally sandwiched around a gob of marshmallow fluff or a buttercream-like frosting often enhanced with cream cheese. But were going to go ahead and say that the highest calling a whoopie pie can aspire to is to be dressed with a well-tailored puck of Il Laboratorio del Gelato vanilla gelato, which is how they do it at One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn. The tender, cakey, slightly sticky texture of a whoopie pie, it turns out, is ideal for making ice-cream sandwiches that are impervious to the dreaded sandwich squeeze-out factor. And unlike the burger-bun-size whoopie pies they produce up north, this one is almost petite. Its a whoopie pie you could eat alongside some crumpets, with a nice spot of tea. 7. Daveys Ice Cream Multiple locations David Yoo makes his ice cream and bakes his cookies in his Greenpoint factory, and thats where he produces his O.G. ice-cream sandwiches, too. But connoisseurs know to bypass the neat, ready-made chocolate-dipped and sprinkle-coated specimens in the freezer case (not that theres anything wrong with them), and instead request a messier, scooped-to-order creation. Of all the mix-and-match possibilities, were partial to chocolate-white-chocolate cookies and one of the best versions of mint-chocolate-chip ice cream around: pepperminty but not overpoweringly so, refreshing rather than super-rich, and permeated with unobtrusive chocolate flakes, thin enough to signal their presence without getting in the way. 8. Oddfellows 75 E. 4th St., nr. Second Ave.; 917-475-1812 Another accomplished practitioner of the hot-cold panini-press gelato con brioche (see Polosud) is Oddfellows in the East Village, home of the Oddpocket sandwich. What distinguishes an Oddpocket from the gelato-panino pack is you get to gussie it up to your hearts content. If its corn season, get the cornbread ice cream topped with cornflake crunch and fresh whipped cream. 9. Jacques Torres Multiple locations The prolific confectioner known as Mr. Chocolate has long made seasonal sandwiches from his dense and super-chocolatey chocolate-chunk cookies, but new this year is a foray into French-macaron territory. In their frozen state, the almond-floured cookies meld perfectly with their ice-cream filling, providing a delicately crisp and yielding package that coheres even as its contents begin to melt. Torres produces three varieties in his Sunset Park plant red macarons with chocolate ice cream, green with strawberry, and chocolate with vanilla-caramel swirl and the only downside is that limited production makes them a bit elusive. Weve had good luck in the Dumbo and Grand Central Terminal locations; call ahead. 10. Levain Bakery 1484 Third Ave., nr. 83rd St.; 917-464-5578 You almost feel sorry for the vanilla Ample Hills ice cream squeezed between two supposedly mini cookies at this cookie mecca, where it cant help but take a back seat to the chip-studded, gooey bookends that encase it (chocolate-chip walnut or dark-chocolate chocolate chip). This is a cookie-eaters sandwich, brazen in its jaw-challenging proportions. You dont approach without a game plan: Squish, lick, and nibble, then, in a move familiar to Oreo experts, twist off the top and deconstruct the thing. 11. Mercado Little Spain 10 Hudson Yards, Tenth Ave. at 30th St.; 646-495-1242 The paper-thin Spanish wafers dont look like they could support the weight of an underdeveloped feather, let alone a two-inch-tall brick of Oddfellows ice cream. Somehow theyre not only equal to the task, but, Zen-like, they become one with the ice cream, which makes them surprisingly easy to eat. Among the four flavor combinations, were partial to the coffee-banana option. 12. I Love Panzerotti 220 Varick St., at Downing St.; 646-596-7113 Gelato con brioche is a hard enough sell for a populace reared on the mass-produced treasures of the ice-cream truck, but the Italians behind this house of panzerotti, the deep-fried stuffed-dough pockets of Puglia, are confident their passion for their product will rub off on carbivorous New Yorkers. When sliced in half and stuffed with imported Bindi-brand pistachio, vanilla, chocolate, or custardy cream, these dessert sandwiches take on a distinct San Gennaro zeppole quality. A tip on technique: push the ice cream deep into the dough pocket, where the texture turns from crisp-fried to soft and chewy. 13. Bive 95 Orchard St., nr. Broome St.; 646-707-0911 Bive (rhymes with alive) specializes in frozen desserts that are not only vegan but infused with nutraceuticals purported to rev you up, calm you down, make you strong, or even somehow keep you comfy. If thats what you require of your ice-cream sandwich, the kindly folks here will layer a plant-based flavor of your choice between two gluten-free cookies. Go with the Pick Me Up: Even if it werent rumored to alleviate inflammation, aid digestion, promote brain function or stimulate growth, wed still recommend the bitter dark chocolate enriched with coconut milk and cream and given chewy texture from chia seeds and amaranth. 14. Win Son 159 Graham Ave., at Montrose Ave., East Williamsburg; 347-457-6010 A hunk of vanilla ice cream tucked into a fried mantou bun with sweet condensed milk cascading down the sides. (The secret ingredient: Breyers.) Get it topped with fried peanuts and chopped cilantro. 15. Nutella Cafe 116 University Pl., at 13th St.; 800-861-4888 Yes, its a global tourist attraction and the branding is insane, but if you have a soft spot for the chocolate-hazelnut spread, youll like this simple confection of a split brioche roll filled with a scoop of almost-frosting-soft, Nutella-flavored Artigianale gelato. You could also opt for fior di latte, but thats defeating the purpose. Northern Territory EP187 Seismic Results Sydney, Jan 23, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Limited ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) is pleased to announce the completion of processing and interpretation of the recently acquired (231-line kilometres) 2D seismic data set in its 100% owned Northern Territory (NT) EP187 permit, across the eastern sector of the Beetaloo Sub-Basin. The seismic data confirms that the target shale sequences are present in Empire's EP187 tenement.Open file Northern Territory Geological Survey data has been combined with these newly interpreted and mapped data sets and has confirmed an easterly extension of the Beetaloo Sub-Basin into EP187 containing the Velkerri and Kyalla Shales, Empire's primary and secondary exploration well appraisal targets, on trend and continuous with those in neighbouring Santos and Origin permits.In the Beetaloo Sub-Basin, the Velkerri and Kyalla Shales are currently being drilled, appraised, and production flow tested to the west and north west of Empire's EP187 by Origin Energy and Santos. Empire has incorporated into its mapping and correlation work publicly available data from Santos' vertical Tanumbirini-1 well, approximately 76km to the north-west (Figure 1*) of Empire's proposed well (SL-4) location and Santos seismic data in EP161.Tanumbirini-1 is currently being production tested by Santos after a 4-stage fracture stimulation and according to Santos "Gas flow rates of over 1.2 mmscf/d have been recorded, exceeding initial expectations for the vertical well. Preliminary gas composition analysis indicates >90% methane, less than 5% total inert content and 3% ethane."Empire notes this result in the context of US shale development across multiple basins that has demonstrated that horizontal fracture stimulated wells typically produce at substantially higher flow rates than vertical fracture stimulated wells because they expose significantly greater volumes of hydrocarbon-rich rock surface area to the well bore.Tanumbirini-1 well was drilled in one of the deepest parts of the Beetaloo Sub-Basin, reaching 3,945 metres in depth.Empire's proposed exploration well location (SL-4) has equivalent thickness of Velkerri and Kyalla shales at depths approximately 1,000 metres shallower (Figure 1*) and is expected to reach total depth of approximately 2,500 metres.SL-4 has a shallower target interval than Tanumbirini-1 to appraise resulting in lower drilling costs, and in a success case, lower field development costs. Being less deeply buried and therefore potentially less thermally mature, there is the potential that these target shales in EP187 may contain hydrocarbon liquids as well as natural gas.2020 EP187 EXPLORATION DRILLING PLANNINGThe new seismic has identified two areas that are relatively undisturbed by large faults (Figure 2*). One is the Phase 1 Work Program Area on the western boundary and the other is a southern area, though the latter may require additional future seismic acquisition to be further delineated.New mapping demonstrates that the Phase 1 Work Program Area extends across approximately 160km2 (approximately 40,000 acres) (Figure 2*) on the western flank of EP187 that is a continuance of the play being tested by Santos at Tanumbirini-1.The 2D seismic has been successful in determining the prospective areas for initial focus and the proposed Empire SL- 4 location for Empire's first exploration well as a de-risked location for exploration drilling.Empire's proposed exploration well location has equivalent combined thicknesses of Middle Velkerri A, B, & C shales of approximately 500 gross metres (approximately 270 metres net), based on Tanumbirini-1 petrophysical cut-offs, and a Kyalla shale thickness of approximately 100 metres, all at depths approximately 1,000 metres shallower than encountered at Tanumbirini-1 (Figure 1*).The Empire SL-4 well is expected to reach a total depth of approximately 2,500 metres. The net thickness of the Middle Velkerri shale interval of approximately 270 metres is significant compared to the most prolific North American shale plays. The analogous Marcellus Shale in the US Appalachia region has an average net thickness of 20 metres, the Barnett Shale in North Texas has an average net thickness of 100 metres and the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas has an average net thickness of 90 metres. These US basins currently produce millions of barrels of oil equivalent per day.Concurrent with the seismic acquisition, Empire has sought regulatory approvals for four well pads as potential drilling locations with the Northern Territory authorities. This will facilitate the final well permitting process now that mapping results are available, giving Empire as Operator the flexibility to choose the best drilling location for our first exploration well, to be drilled in mid-2020.Empire's initial exploration well will focus on evaluating the Velkerri and Kyalla formations to allow Empire to better understand hydrocarbon content and composition and rock mechanics. The well is being designed to allow for further appraisal work to be carried out in the future from the same well bore, thereby reducing future appraisal costs and operational footprint.The well design will allow for a future vertical fracture stimulated flow test (subject to regulatory approvals) and ultimately the drilling and completion of a horizontal section (also subject to regulatory approvals) that would seek to achieve commercial flow rates.SUMMARYAlex Underwood, Managing Director, commenting on the results, said: "We are very pleased with the results of the EP187 seismic program. The seismic data have demonstrated that the most prospective petroleum productive shales of the Beetaloo Sub-Basin extend into our EP187 tenement at depths and thicknesses ideal for petroleum development.The thickness of the Velkerri Shale in our initial priority target area exceeded our expectations, as has the depth and thickness of the Kyalla Shale, thereby opening an additional liquids rich play for Empire to explore and appraise. Our seismic program combined with historical open file seismic data demonstrates that the Velkerri Shale in our EP187 tenement is on trend and continuous with our neighbour Santos which has recently announced encouraging initial flow rates from the existing vertical well Tanumbirini-1.Concurrent with our ongoing exploration activities throughout 2020, Santos' upcoming two well fracture stimulated horizontal appraisal drilling program targeting the Velkerri Shale and Origin's ongoing two well fracture stimulated horizontal appraisal drilling program targeting both the Velkerri Shale and the Kyalla Shale will enhance our understanding of the production potential of these shales in our properties given their broad lateral extent across the Beetaloo Sub-Basin.With planning and approvals for our 2020 exploration drilling program targeting the Velkerri and Kyalla Shales well advanced and fully funded, and our priority drilling location de-risked, we are well placed to execute our 2020 exploration drilling program."*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators. Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006. A man who was fatally stabbed by his partner during a dispute over loud music had previously assaulted her and her parents, a court has heard. Tracey Bridgewater, 41, is on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court, charged with the manslaughter of Nicholas Josephs, 44, at their Hamilton Hill home in September 2018. Mr Josephs became violent after Bridgewater threatened to call police over heavy metal he refused to stop blaring and he assaulted his much-smaller girlfriend before turning on her parents, who were aged in their 60s. Prosecutors say he pushed Bridgewater, punched her father in the face - fracturing an eye socket - and may have kicked her mother after pulling her to the ground by her hair. Tracey Bridgewater, 41, (pictured right) is on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court, charged with the manslaughter of Nicholas Josephs, 44, (pictured left) at their Hamilton Hill home in September 2018 But the defence team argues Mr Josephs' attack was so 'extreme and psychotic' - including pinning down and headbutting Bridgewater's heart patient father - she believed he meant it when he shouted he would kill them all and her dogs. Paramedics who were called to the house after Bridgewater phoned triple zero saying she had stabbed Mr Josephs in the chest testified on Tuesday. Simon Klass said crews tried to resuscitate the victim as he lay in a pool of blood in the entrance area of the house, while Bridgewater was out the front in a police van as her injured parents were assessed. Mr Klass asked her how many times she stabbed Mr Josephs and she replied: 'Just once ... it was self defence'. Louise Biggs said the father was dizzy, had bite marks on his inner right arm, his left eye was so swollen it was almost shut and his clothes were bloodied. Matthew Rolfe said the mother was in pain with injuries to her ribs and left shoulder, and was 'very emotional'. Tracey Elizabeth Diane Bridgewater is facing manslaughter charges over the stabbing death of her partner at their Hamilton Hill home in September 2018 Notwithstanding anything the deceased had done, Bridgewater did not call police and instead 'drastically escalated an already tense situation' by deliberately stabbing Mr Josephs, prosecutors say. According to the defence, Mr Josephs had a history of irrational jealousy and posted comments on social media on the night of his death included 'no-one gets out alive' and 'others will always cheat no matter how good things are'. Bridgewater's parents were visiting from the UK to celebrate her birthday and to meet Mr Josephs. In Bangladesh these kids decided to get together to cook a meal for the rest of their village. The effort and kindness was a huge success as everyone was feed a delicious meal. Demand for Jawa is no longer same as before. This easy EMI scheme is most likely a bid to push up booking numbers and sales in the New Year. Jawa Motorcycles, having made their debut in India in late 2018 with two new motorcycles Jawa and Jawa FortyTwo have also recently introduced the Jawa Perak in November 2019. Demand for Jawa motorcycles is no longer the same as before. The Perak is already being offered with attractive schemes of zero down payment as well as easy EMIs of Rs.6,666. Now it is the turn of the Jawa and Jawa FortyTwo which comes in with attractive finance schemes and easy EMIs of Rs.5,555. These two bikes were launched with much fanfare but soon left many disappointed buyers who had to wait for extended periods for delivery. Lack of communication from dealerships caused many of these buyers to cancel their bookings. Select company dealers now promise no waiting period for the Jawa and Jawa FortyTwo, while deliveries of the Jawa Perak will commence from 2nd April 2020. The Jawa Perak is a BS6 motorcycle, priced at Rs.1,94,500. Jawa and Jawa FortyTwo are still BS4, and carry price tags of Rs. 1.64 lakhs and Rs.1.55 lakhs respectively. It may be recalled that when the Jawa Perak was first unveiled in India, price was quoted at Rs.1.89 lakhs. This increased price of Rs.5,000 could be due to the compliance with new BS6 emission norms. Similarly, prices of Jawa and Jawa 42 will also be increased once they are updated to BS6 norms. The Jawa and Jawa FortyTwo are powered by the same 293cc liquid cooled single cylinder engine from Mahindra Mojo, offering 27 bhp peak power and 28 Nm peak torque. This engine will be updated to comply with new BS6 emission norms prior to the 1st April 2020 deadline. The Jawa Perak on the other hand gets a 334 cc single cylinder, four stroke, liquid cooled, DOHC engine which is BS6 compliant and makes 30 bhp power and 31 Nm torque. Both these engines get mated to a 6 speed transmission. Prior to launch of the Jawa Motorcycles, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, they had released a teaser video showing off four body styles of a cafe racer, bobber, roadster and an ADV style. With the roadster, classic and bobber already launched, the company could next bring in either a cafe racer or an off-roader in due course. She's a supermodel who has worked with brands including Giorgio Armani and Dior during more than three decades working in the fashion industry. And Eva Herzigova made sure to show off her style credentials as she put on a leggy display at the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture show in Paris on Wednesday. The blonde beauty, 46, looked sensational in a skin-tight pink dress, which boasted a cone bra similar to the one the designer famously put Madonna in during the 1990s. Sensational: Eva Herzigova, 46, wowed in a skin-tight pink dress, which boasted a cone bra, at the final Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture show in Paris on Wednesday Eva flaunted her svelte figure in the pale pink dress, which boasted nude panels down the side and strips of satin. The front of her outfit boasted a striped pattern which was continued onto the cone bra top of the gown and stood out against Eva's silk shawl. Keeping with the pastel theme, Eva donned a pair of semi-sheer and sparkling heels and toted a small glittery clutch bag for the fashion show. Wow: The front of Eva's outfit boasted a striped pattern which was continued onto the cone bra top of the gown and stood out against Eva's silk shawl She wore her blonde locks perfectly styled into curls and down so that they framed her face and added a slick of makeup including bright red lipstick. The mother-of-three, who is engaged to businessman Gregorio Marsiaj, was seen posing outside the venue with German photographer Ellen von Unwerth. Both of the women donned warm winter coats as they arrived at the show, with Eva opting for a long tailored jacket. Poser: The blonde beauty posed up a storm outside the venue and donned a smart coat to keep warm Wednesday is set to be Jean Paul Gaultier's final haute couture fashion show as the French designer is going to retire. The iconic creator, 67, revealed via an Instagram video on Friday that he would be bowing out with a big party to mark his 50 years in the business. His brand told AFP that his high-end fashion and perfume business would live on, but that Gaultier was stepping back from designing clothes himself. Smile: Eva and German photographer Ellen von Unwerth posed for a snap together while wearing matching red lipstick Looking good: The model flaunted her svelte figure in the skin-tight pink dress and toted a small sparkling bag (also pictured is photographer Ellen) 'Rest assured haute couture will continue with a new concept,' the designer said to the publication. Gaultier, who famously put Madonna in a conical bra, dropped the bombshell in an amusing video, shot as if he was giving an exclusive interview to a reporter over the phone. Speaking in French, he says: 'Hi! This is Jean Paul Gaultier. I invite you to celebrate my 50 years in fashion at the Theatre du Chatelet on the 22nd of January. Coming? Gorgeous: Eva wore her locks down and perfectly curled for the star-studded event in Paris 'It's going to be quite a party with many of my friends and we're going to have fun until very very late. 'Now I am going to share something with you. This will be my last Haute Couture show. Be there! You can't miss this.' Gaultier stopped designing ready-to-wear clothes in 2015 to concentrate on haute couture - handmade clothes which only the world's richest women can afford. Last show: Jean-Paul Gaultier, 67, revealed on Friday he will be retiring following his runway show on Wednesday after 50 years in the business But as late as last year he insisted he had no intention of putting down his scissors - although he despaired of animal rights activists pressuring him to stop using furs. A teenage prodigy, who rose to fame in the 1980s when the Paris fashion scene was at its most decadent, Gaultier also carved out a parallel television career as the co-presenter of a cheeky series, 'Eurotrash'. In 2018, he staged his own hit cabaret show based loosely on his life story called 'Fashion Freak Show', which opened at the Folie Bergere in Paris. A spokeswoman for his brand told AFP that the designer would be back, but like the veteran Japanese creator Kenzo - who has moved into interior design - it would be in other areas. Former Vale S.A. CEO Fabio Schvartsman looks on during a session of the special committee on the Brumadinho mining disaster, at the Federal Senate in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 28,2019. (Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters) Brazil Charges ex-Vale CEO With Homicide for Dam Disaster Brazilian state prosecutors on Jan.21 charged Fabio Schvartsman, the former chief executive of mining giant Vale SA, and 15 other people with homicide for a dam disaster last year that killed more than 250 people, according to the charging document seen by Reuters. In addition to homicide charges, Vale and TUV SUD, the German company responsible for inspecting the dam, were charged with environmental crimes. The 16 individuals charged had worked for Vale or TUV SUD, prosecutors said. The charges, which were presented nearly a year after the collapse of a Vale dam in the state of Minas Gerais, represent a major step forward in Brazilian authorities attempt to hold individuals criminally responsible for the disaster. An aerial view shows a partially destroyed house after a dam collapsed, in Brumadinho, Brazil, on Jan. 26, 2019. (Andre Penner/AP) Reuters reported earlier this month that prosecutors were set to file criminal charges in the coming days. Andressa de Oliveira Lanchotti, a state prosecutor, told Reuters at the time that Vale and TUV SUD employees knew the dam was at risk of collapsing and failed to act. She said state prosecutors believed TUV SUD had a significant interest in signing off on the dams security, particularly after Vale had fired a different inspection firm that declined to do so. The collapse of the Vale tailings dam on Jan. 25, 2019 in the town of Brumadinho was one of the worlds deadliest mining accidents and knocked $19 billion off Vales market value in a single day. Vale shares were down 2.5 percent in afternoon trade in Sao Paulo on Tuesday. In a statement, TUV SUD said it continues to be deeply saddened by the tragic collapse of the dam in Brumadinho, adding that the companys thoughts are with the victims and their families. An aerial view after a dam collapsed near Brumadinho, Brazil, on Jan. 25, 2019. (Bruno Correia/Nitro via AP) It added, however, that it believed the causes of the accident had not yet been definitively determined. We continue offering our cooperation to authorities in Brazil and Germany regarding ongoing investigations, the company said. Federal prosecutors and police are also investigating the Brumadinho disaster and could bring additional charges at the federal level in the future. Vale did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By Marta Nogueira Claire Williams has admitted that Roy Nissany, the team's new test driver, could be on the grid in 2021. Nissany, 25, has been ridiculed by some for a lack of competitiveness, but he comes with the key backing of Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams. The Israeli driver, who is the son of the infamously slow former Minardi tester Chanoch Nissany, finished 22nd in Formula 2 in 2018 and did not race at all last year. "This year will be the start of his real Formula 2 campaign, the stepping stone to F1," Williams said. "We've got to see where he is in F1, how he does in the work we're asking him to do in FP1, how he does in simulator sessions. "It's far too early to start thinking about potential opportunities for him in 2021. As we all know, F1 is a very tough business," the struggling team's boss added. Indeed, Nissany acknowledges that his first task is merely to qualify for a F1 super license. "I understand that the task is extremely difficult, especially if you recall how the past seasons developed, but now I have Williams' support, so I can learn a lot and use this experience," he said. "We have a problem that needs to be solved, and if it doesn't work out in 2020, we have another attempt in 2021." Ana Molina (left) covers her face with a scarf as she leaves federal court with her defense lawyer, Caroline Goldner Cinquanto. She pleaded guilty in an immigration fraud scheme. Read more A woman who ran an immigration-services business out of a rundown Oxford Circle storefront pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges of mail fraud and identity theft in a scheme that victimized Philadelphia-area immigrants seeking citizenship. In pleading guilty, Ana Molina admitted that she pretended to be a lawyer, stealing $11,000 from at least seven victims, and filing fraudulent immigration documents with the Department of Homeland Security from 2015 to 2018. Molina, 56, of Cherry Hill, ran Molina Multilegal Services out of an office on Castor Avenue. Federal authorities said Molina tricked immigrants into believing she was an attorney, and for about $1,500 per case promised them legal help processing their visa petitions, green cards, asylum applications, and other immigration-related documents. She also illegally took money from her customers, typically $500, in exchange for finding them a sponsor, a person who agrees to financially support the immigrant if they are unable to do so themselves. She then stole the identities of former customers, using their bank and tax records to submit forged sponsorship forms to the federal government, authorities said. Ana Molina pleaded guilty to defrauding people who were looking for permanent residence status in the United States, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Eve said after the hearing. So shes got to face the consequences of her actions. William S. Walker, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Philadelphia, said that Molina was entrusted with sensitive personal information to assist her clients, and instead, chose to betray that trust and enrich herself. She pleaded guilty to seven counts of mail fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison and must pay back her victims. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III set an April 30 sentencing date. Shes doing the right thing, said Molinas defense attorney, Caroline Goldner Cinquanto, after the hearing. These situations are hard and people make mistakes, but I think when someone comes and takes responsibility, I think they should be given credit for that and Judge Bartle will do that, hopefully, and obviously, we are going to do the right thing by the victims as well. Three persons have been arrested for allegedly killing a 55-year-old trader in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district last week, police said. Dilshad, Akram and Mehtab were arrested on Tuesday from Jogiya Khera village in Phugana police station area, an officer said. The accused have confessed that cement trader Rafe Khan was shot dead over a money dispute when he was returning home last Friday, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Nepal Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) House Lawmakers Mandate Voter-Verified Paper Ballots to Increase Election Security The House of Representatives held a hearing on election security featuring the top three vendors of voting machines along with experts in the field to support their bill on federal election security. The bill mandates the use of voter-verified paper ballots printed on recycled paper manufactured in the U.S., that will be made available to the voter for inspection and verification before voting. The bill called Securing Americas Federal Elections Act or SAFE Act authorizes federal funding for further election security and upgrading of voting equipment. It also stipulates detailed requirements for voting systems and paper ballots. The bill passed the House in June by a vote of 225184. Only one Republican voted in favor of it. All the no votes came from Republicans, and a Senate committee is currently reviewing the bill. Republicans opposing the bill stated that it was meant to take over elections from the states federally, according to The Hill. As an alternative, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), a Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration introduced the Election Security Assistance Act that also requires the National Intelligence and other agency to develop a strategy for countering foreign interference. It also provides resources for states to upgrade their voting systems without requiring paper ballots. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the Chairperson of the Committee on House Administration who initiated the SAFE Act, hopes that the congressional hearing would help the Senate to pass the bill. (L) House Administration Committee chairperson Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and (R) House Administration Committee ranking member Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.)) speak during a hearing on 2020 Election Security-Perspectives from Voting System Vendors and Experts. before the Committee on Capitol Hill, Washington, on Jan. 9, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images). The purpose of the bill, according to the Committee on House Administration website, is to secure Americas elections by providing funding for states to replace outdated and vulnerable voting equipment, mandate paper ballot voting systems, risk-limiting post-election audits and strict cybersecurity requirements for election technology vendors and voting systems. Congress allocated $425 million for election security for 2020; however, Lofgren said that more can and should be done, in a statement. The SAFE Act authorizes a $600 million grant to State and local election officials to replace aging voting machines with voter-verified paper ballot voting systems, a $175 million grant in biannual funding to maintain state election infrastructure, and a $5 million grant to study and report on an accessible paper ballot verification system for individuals with disabilities, voters with difficulties in literacy, and voters whose primary language is not English. The states that use grants to replace their voting machines should also ensure that the new system provides ranked voting choice functionality. That means that each voter can vote for multiple candidates for a particular office by assigning a different rank to each candidate. The act also mandates States to perform risk-limiting audits using manual counting of a certain number of ballots combined with statistical methods to determine any breach to election integrity due to either a cyber attack or a programming error. It also requires that States use only voting machines manufactured in the United States and prohibits connecting any voting system or device to the internet or other communication networks. Davis said during the hearing, his focus is on: effective oversight of our nations elections, which are maintained by the states, not the federal government. But that does not mean that this committee, and the house itself, does not have an important oversight role to play in securing elections. (L-R) President and CEO of Election Systems & Software Tom Burt, President and CEO of Dominion Voting Systems John Poulos, President, and CEO of Hart InterCivic Julie Mathis testify during a hearing on 2020 Election Security-Perspectives from Voting System Vendors and Experts. before the House Administration Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Jan. 9, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Voting Machine Vendors Testify The CEOs of the top three U.S. vendors of voting systems, Election Systems & Software (ES&S), Dominion Voting Systems, and Hart InterCivic, testified before the Committee and agreed to support five security requirements for the voting machine vendors posed by Lofgren related to: cybersecurity practices and procedures, reporting any cyber-attacks, they experienced, personnel policies and especially background checks and cyber attack prevention, details of corporate ownership and foreign investment, supply chains, for example, where parts or software come from, how they are kept secure. The testifying vendors, who, according to Lofgren provide [together] at least 80% of the estimated 350 thousand voting machines in use today, offer voting technology solutions to produce paper records and some also sell paperless voting machines. President and CEO of Hart InterCivic Julie Mathis, whose company offers paperless voting machines, said in her testimony that these machines are secure and have been federally certified through the Election Assistance Commission, accredited labs. They comply with extensive security standards and protocols. Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D- N.C.) asked Tom Burt, the President and CEO of ES&S about the voting machines his company sells. The machines can operate in an auto-cast mode that allows the voter to skip the verification of the paper record. Burt answered that he believes that no customers use the machines in auto-cast mode, and they all present the ballot back to the voter for verification either through a screen or by kicking out the piece of paper. Both Lofgren and Davis raised concerns about the supply chain used by voting system manufacturers that may pose a security risk to the final product. It turned out that all three vendors use specific components that come from China. Final products manufactured by ES&S has one of the nine programmable logic devices that are sourced from a U.S.based company and produced in its factory in China. Dominion and Hart use components from China in different parts of their products like glass screens or chip components like capacitors and resistors. President and CEO of Dominion Voting Systems John Poulos said that it would not even be feasible to manufacture these components in the U.S. Another factor that potentially compromises the security of voting machines is internet access. All three vendors said that their voting machines do not have any remote capability installed. However, two vendors provide tabulators with the capability to plug-in an external modem to transmit unofficial results after polls close as required by certain states. However, to mitigate the risk, the modems only work on a private network and are blocked from accessing the public internet. Courtney Parker votes on a new voting machine in Dallas, on Nov. 5, 2019. (Mike Stewart/AP Photo) Experts Provide Opinions and Recommendations Experts who testified before the Committee advocated using hand paper ballots that would be scanned by an optical ballot reader. Expert witness, Dr. Matt Blaze, who is the McDevitt chair of computer science and a professor of law at Georgetown University. He also co-founded the DEFCON Voting Village international computer security hacker conference. Blaze said that the most risky are paperless voting machines. Ballot marking devices originally used to assist voters with disabilities can be compromised. Then they can, subtly mismark candidate selections on ballots in a way that might not be noticed by most voters, and that could undetectably change election outcomes, said Blaze in his statement. Blaze recommends paper ballot forms that are filled in manually by voters and subsequently read by optical scanning devices (with the help of an assistive ballot marking device for voters with disabilities or language impaired) while retaining paper ballots for future audits. The scanning device will produce electronic tally records that can be read after the polls close to calculate the result. Besides, Blaze stresses the importance of conducting risk-limiting audits by manually counting a random sample of paper ballots selected with the aid of a statistically rigorous method. Dr. Juan Gilbert, Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor, and Chair of computer and information science at the University of Florida said that studies show: that people, did not, verify their ballots, [the studies] didnt say, they could not, verify their ballots. Gilbert cited the Michigan study where voters were reminded to review their ballot, and the percentage of people who do verification goes up to like 70 percent, added Lofgren. Gilbert recommends to say to voters, would you please verify that your, ballot selections were not changed, rather than, review your ballot. Currently, theres no known way to secure a digital ballot. At this time, any election that is paperless is not secure, said Gilbert in a statement. Therefore, Elections should be conducted with human-readable paper ballots, that can be marked either by hand or by a ballot-marking device and counted either by hand or by an optical scanner, Gilbert said. He also provided an example showing that using a ballot marking device for voters with disabilities can make a potential cyberattack effective. In 2016 there were 16 million voters with disabilities, but the margin of victory [was] less than 3 million votes, said Gilbert. By targeting only ballot marking devices, an adversary can potentially alter the election results, Gilbert concluded. He recommended a universal design of voting machines that can be used by all voters, including those with disabilities. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:46:57|Editor: zh Video Player Close Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) meets with Australian Governor General David Hurley in the West Bank City of Ramallah, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Str/Office of the Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) RAMALLAH, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received Australian Governor-General David Hurley in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. During a bilateral meeting, "the president briefed his guest on the situation of the peace process," said a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. Abbas highlighted the importance of the international community's intervention to pressure the Israeli government to allow Palestinians living in East Jerusalem to participate in Palestinian general elections, WAFA reported. According to the statement, Abbas reiterated his call for an international multilateral mechanism for any peace negotiations with Israel, in order to guarantee that any settlement reached is within the parameters of international legitimacy resolutions. "The Australian Governor-General expressed his hope to reach peace and stability in the region," said the statement. "He said that he looks forwards to enhancing cooperation and friendship between the two sides on issues of joint interest," it added. Abbas is expected to meet with a number of world leaders attending the World Holocaust Forum held in Israel in the coming two days, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prince Charles of Wales. When it comes to making some political points, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy can push it to the limit. Like his move to appoint five deputy chief ministers, which in effect means, no one really is a deputy CM. But his decision to create three capitals for Andhra Pradesh, based ostensibly on the philosophy of decentralising administration, is sound, and welcome. In essence, it means Visakhapatnam, a picturesque seaside city, with a high index of industrial development, a place seeped in rich tradition of art, culture, and based strategically, is its new capital. The decision to place the new High Court in Kurnool, far from the coast in the arid Rayalaseema region is for optics and has limited consequence, especially if Vizag will also have a High Court bench. Amaravati will continue to have a few Legislative Assembly and Council sessions each year, since the buildings are already here but a definite breakaway has been finalised to reverse the previous Telugu Desam policy to create a new capital. Envisioning a greenfield capital in Amaravati close to Vijayawada-Kurnool cities was a wrong decision for too many reasons; among them, a new state would unlikely have resources to build a new city, taking away fertile farm lands located in a zone with more than moderate environmental risks, including from floods. As a bottomline, semantics and optics aside, Mr Reddy has decided to shift the capital of AP from Amaravati to Vizag. Interestingly, it was in Vizag that Y.S. Vijayamma, widow of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, and mother of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, contested and lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Given Mr Jagan Mohan Reddys known ireful and rancorous temperament, Vizag should have been the last place he would prefer to reward; but come 2020, his maturity in bestowing on the city with a sobriquet of city of destiny its tryst as a capital showcases he has evolved and grown, wiser and benevolent. Having a developed city like Vizag as new capital, though disguised as a move to create three new capitals, means Andhra Pradesh has a strong base to build upon for its development. Giving Kurnool an important branch, a High Court, would mean Rayalaseema does not feel left out and become a source of new sub-regional angst and a possibility of another separation demand. By simultaneously launching investigations into the insider trading in land against former chief minister Mr Naidu would give Mr Reddy a moral edge; to constantly put leaders of the erstwhile regime on the backfoot and project Amaravati as a wrong decision taken by corrupt politicos in their own interest rather than the welfare of the state or its people. However, the challenges ahead of Mr Reddy are only growing, the biggest of them being funds for his ambitious and ever-expanding welfare schemes, with a current estimated fiscal deficit of around `25,000 crore. With little manoeuvring power in Delhi, the YSRC government must now focus on harnessing the power of Vizag in rebuilding a new, economically strong, state. [January 22, 2020] AIG Launches New AllianceBernstein Multi-Asset Index Designed Exclusively for AIG Index Annuities AIG Life & Retirement, a division of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) and a leading provider of annuities1, today announced the launch of the new AB All Market Index. This multi-asset index has been developed exclusively for AIG's Power Select Index Annuities by AllianceBernstein (AB) and will be distributed primarily through Market Synergy (News - Alert) Group (MSG). The AB All Market Index may help consumers in changing markets by balancing growth equity and defensive fixed income assets. Like all indexes in an index annuity, the AB All Market Index is not available for direct investment, but its performance is used to help determine the interest earned in the annuity. The AB All Market Index seeks to stabilize returns through a systematic allocation process based on risk and momentum. First, a strategic allocation is constructed, balancing risk equally among the Index's growth and defensive assets worldwide. The Index then uses a proprietary momentum strategy to dynamically adjust exposures, overweighting assets that are trending up and underweighting those with poor performance. The Index's unique approach blends three different momentum signals to better capture the movement of assets. "We are excited to offer consumers a new index that combines AllianceBernstein's global asset management expertise with our tradition of annuity innovation and design," said Bryan Pinsky, Senior Vice President of Individual Retirement Pricing and Product Development at AIG. "By using asset classes not commonly found in most index strategies, such as currency-hedged global bonds, and combining them with a dynamic allocation across ten U.S. equity sectors, this new index has the potential to generate solid risk-adjusted performance." "With the AB All Market Index, consumers have an opportunity to increase their portfolio diversification, while also benefitting from a dynamic momentum strategy that can adapt to changing market conditions," said Stuart Davies, CFA, Co-Head of the AB Custom Alternative Solutions team for AllianceBernstein. "The Index is constructed using tools and processes that are robust and well-tested. Additionally, the design and mechanics of the Index give it the flexibility needed to help deliver results in all types of markets." "Market Synergy Group looks forward to offering the AB All Market Index exclusively through the Power Select Index Annuities," said Lance Sparks, President, Market Synergy Group. "The Index expands the breadth of asset classes available to our clients and offers more choice and flexibility in building a portfolio that can help meet their changing needs." In addition to the AB All Market Index, AIG has introduced a new enhanced income benefit in its Power Select Plus Income Index Annuity. Also known as a confinement rider, this enhancement allows consumers to receive up to 200% of their maximum annual withdrawal amount if they are confined to a qualified facility, such as a nursing home, for at least 90 days. The new confinement rider is automatically included with all guaranteed living benefit riders for no additional fee and can last for five years or until the depletion of the contract value, if sooner. The enhanced income has no negative impact on the riders' benefits; however, other restrictions and limitations apply. The AB All Market Index is available exclusively in the Power Select Index Annuities issued by American General Life Insurance Company, a member company of AIG. The Power Select Index Annuities combine tax deferral, principal protection against down markets, growth potential through a diverse range of index interest accounts, and guaranteed lifetime income options to help consumers prepare for retirement. Guarantees are backed by the claim-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Index annuities are not a direct investment in the stock market. They are long-term insurance products with guarantees backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. They provide the potential for interest to be credited based in part on the performance of the specified index, without the risk of loss of premium due to market downturns or fluctuations. Index annuities may not be suitable or appropriate for all individuals. Withdrawals may be subject to federal and/or state income taxes. An additional 10% federal tax may apply if individuals make withdrawals or surrender their annuity before age 59. Individuals should consult their tax advisor regarding their specific situation. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss. Global investments such as equities and bonds can experience price fluctuation due to changing market conditions, currency values, and economic and political climates. Emerging markets can experience significant price fluctuation due to additional business risks and adverse political developments. The Enhanced Income Benefit Rider is not long term care insurance. Please review the Owner Acknowledgment and Contract for more information about the restrictions and limitations associated with this rider. AB All Market Index? is a service mark owned by AllianceBernstein L.P. ("AB"), and has been licensed to American General Life Insurance Company ("Licensee"). The index annuity product to which this disclosure applies (the "Product") has been developed solely by Licensee. The Product is not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by AB, and AB bears no liability with respect to the Product or any index on which such Product is based. AB does not provide investment advice to the Product or Licensee, and in no event shall any contract owner of the Product be deemed to be a client of AB. The prospectus, contract, policy or other similar governing document contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship AB has with Licensee and any related product. The AB All Market Index? (the "Index") embeds an annual index cost in the calculations of the change in index value. This embedded index cost will reduce any change in index value, and it funds certain operational and licensing costs for the Index. Since it will affect the return of the Index, it may also impact the amount of interest credited to an index annuity; however, it is not a fee paid by the policy owner or received by the issuing insurance company. Index annuities are issued by American General Life Insurance Company (AGL (News - Alert)), 2727-A Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas 77019. Contract Numbers for the Power Series of Index Annuities: AG-800 (12/12) and AG-801 (12/12). AGL is a member of the American International Group, Inc. (AIG) family of financial services companies. The underwriting risks, financial and contractual obligations and support functions associated with the annuities issued by AGL are its responsibility. AGL does not solicit business in the state of New York. Annuities and riders may vary by state and are not available in all states. AIG and its member companies are not affiliated with AllianceBernstein. Not FDIC or NCUA/NCUSIF Insured May Lose Value No Bank or Credit Union Guarantee Not a Deposit Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency About AIG Life & Retirement AIG Life & Retirement brings together a broad portfolio of protection, retirement savings, investment and lifetime income solutions to help people achieve financial and retirement security. The business consists of four operating segments - Individual Retirement, AIG Retirement Services, Life Insurance and Institutional Markets - and holds longstanding, leading market positions in many of the markets it serves. AIG Life & Retirement includes AIG member insurance companies American General Life Insurance Company (Houston, TX), The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, and The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC), Houston, TX as well as their affiliates. Securities products are distributed by AIG Capital Services, Inc., member FINRA. Additional information about AIG Life & Retirement can be found at www.linkedin.com/showcase/aig-life-&-retirement. About AIG American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Building on 100 years of experience, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube (News - Alert): www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter (News - Alert): @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries and jurisdictions, and coverage is subject to underwriting requirements and actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. _________________________________ 1LIMRA U.S. Individual Annuity Sales (2019 Third Quarter Results) https://www.limra.com/globalassets/limra/newsroom/fact-tank/sales-data/2019/q3/top-20---q3-2019-annuity-company-rankings.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005391/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In the Mormon-controlled quasi theocratic state of Utah today, a judge refused to overturn part of our state's lewdness law Tuesday, dealing another publicly humiliating blow to a woman who is fighting criminal charges for being topless in her own home. Mom Tilli Buchanan was charged after she and her husband removed their shirts to avoid dirtying their clothes while they hung drywall in their garage in a Salt Lake City suburb a few years ago. Charges against her were filed when her stepchildren's bio-mom reported her to child welfare officials who had been working on a separate investigation involving the children. The Salt Lake Tribune's Jessica Miller reports that Utah Judge Kara Pettit sided with prosecutors who said "lewdness" means women's breasts. Women's breasts are lewd. Judges can't second-guess what lawmakers have already decided is lewd, and breasts are lewd, she argued. Wow. From the Associated Press: It wasn't immediately clear whether Tilli Buchanan would appeal the ruling. If she does not, her misdemeanor charges would move toward trial. If convicted, she could face jail time and be forced to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Buchanan and the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah had pointed to a court ruling that overturned a topless ban in Colorado and helped fuel a movement. They said Utah's law on lewdness involving a child is unfair because it treats men and women differently for baring their chests. A global movement advocating for the rights of women to go topless, called the Free the Nipple campaign, has seen mixed success fighting similar ordinances in other parts of the country. Judge rejects challenge from Utah woman charged for being topless in her own home [sltrib.com] Pointe Commercial Real Estate a Chattanooga commercial real estate provider announced four new tenants at one of Ooltewahs newer developments, Greenway Crossing. Greenway Crossing is located near the busy intersection of Little Debbie Parkway and Apison Pike. Greenway Crossing is a multi-tenant complex that features 32,318 square-feet of retail and office space, said Jon Hughes, broker for PCRE. The development has provided excellent leasing opportunities for these new tenants. Given the prime location of this development, the outstanding demographics and its close proximity to numerous market drivers I know any tenant will experience success here. Ooltewah Veterinary Hospital opened a 2,990-square-foot full-service animal hospital on Oct. 24, 2019. Ooltewah Veterinary Hospital provides exceptional veterinary care and is committed to exceeding expectations for all pet owners, for more information on their team and services, email info@ooltewahvet.com. Chattanooga Paint and Decorating, an authorized Benjamin Moore Retailer, opened a 2,541-square-foot retail store, in September, 2019. Benjamin Moore is North Americas favorite paint, color and coating brand. This convenient location will provide a vast selection of interior and exterior paint and stain supplies for the local community. Blluum Floral and Event Design, owned by Christine Waldrop, will open a 1,428 square-foot retail space on Feb. 1. Blluum Floral Event and Design provides a wide-range of floral creations and planning services for any type of event. Chattanooga Eye Care Collegedale is slated to open its doors early February, 2020. Chattanooga Eye Care Collegedale will be Chattanooga Eye Cares fifth location. This location will include a state-of-the-art facility where Drs Sechler and Lantman and their team will provide local patients with quality eye care and a variety of vision care products. Greenway Crossing currently houses Chattanooga Heart and Rhythm, Nephrology Associates, Tennessee Kidney Care and K Joy Nail Spa & Salon. Remaining available spaces ranges from 2,100 to 3,100 square-feet. Officials said "Greenway Crossing is a prime location for any restaurant, retail, office user." For more information, contact Jon Hughes at jhughes@pointecre.com. A solitary sloth bear gave a tiger the fright of its life as it stood on its hind legs and chased it off a field. Footage shows the tiger wandering along the landscape, appearing to show the signs of a mega drought, in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India. The animal slowly strays from its path and approaches the sloth bear which is lingering around a spot of shrubs. One of the tigers creeps towards the sloth bear, who appears to have found a scent, in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India Seconds later, the sloth bear moves away and the tiger follows close behind. Appearing to have caught on to the stalking animal, the bear abruptly turns around and jumps on its hind legs. It leaps in to the air before running after the tiger. The sloth bear abruptly turns and stands on its hind legs to try and intimidate the stalking tiger It then balances on its back legs to intimidate the tiger once again. As the sloth bear moves closer, the tiger head towards a companion. Its tiger friend stands and watches the sloth bear jump on its hind legs as though he is immune to the intimidation tactic. Meanwhile the other tiger sprints off. Parimal Nathwani, who shared the clip, wrote: 'Wildlife is full of such wonders & surprises.' It then chases the other safari animal. When threatened, they respond by standing on their hind legs and displaying their foreclaws It has been viewed more than 30k times by animal-lovers. Ravi Arora said: 'All animals fear taller animals. Sloth bear intelligently used this fact.' The two biggest beasts have been long-known for getting into heated fights. Most famously, a Bengal tiger and sloth bear were filmed viciously fighting at Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra state in 2018. A sloth bear stands on its hind legs to try and deter tigers from stalking The sloth took a bite into the tiger's leg and struggled to pin it down. In April 2019, a tiger was found dead in a watering hole in Dudhwa National Park, India, with neck injuries suggesting they were attacked by a sloth bear. Sloth bears tend to hold the upper-hand in fights, with various rangers observing sloths slapping tigers and forcing the animal to immediately flee. When threatened, they respond by standing on their hind legs and displaying their foreclaws. However tigers killing sloth bears is more common, according to conservationists. Altercations have centred around the safari animals access to a watering hole. Abdul Baqi was blinded with a spoon by his own father and brothers at their home in southwestern Pakistan because he insisted on marrying a young woman that he'd fallen in love with. "I can survive without my eyesight, but I can't live without love," Baqi recently told RFE/RL as he reflected on the terrible trauma he suffered at the hands of his relatives in May 2018. "Now I am like a fish out of water," says Baqi, 26, an ethnic Pashtun from the town of Loralai in the northeastern part of Balochistan Province. Baqi's horrific tale illustrates that women are not the only victims in Pakistan of so-called "honor crimes" -- a scourge of violence that has included acid attacks, blinding, and murder by relatives of victims accused of dishonoring their families. Baqi says he was attacked after his 73-year-old father, Dost Mohammad, learned about his intention to marry the woman he loves. He says his father refused to consent to the marriage because the couple had gotten to know each other by speaking on the telephone during the previous three years. According to conservative traditions in the region, a so-called "love marriage" is rare. Weddings are usually arranged by relatives and young women are not allowed to meet or speak with strangers. Baqi's father considered the woman to be "immoral" and unfit for marriage because of the long, secret telephone courtship. Baqi says four of his brothers who have ties to the Taliban bound him, beat him with batons, and held him down as they used the handle of a spoon to gouge out both of his eyes. He says one younger brother, who was 18 at the time and had just returned from fighting as a Taliban militant in Afghanistan, held his head down with his foot and declared he was an "infidel" because his relationship with the woman was "un-Islamic." "The entire time that they were taking out my eyes, he was shouting 'Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!' over and over again," Baqi says. Difficult Plight Life had been difficult for Baqi even before he lost his eyes. Access to education beyond the fifth grade is a major issue for both boys and girls in Loralai, where 89 percent of government schools teach only up to that level. Pakistan's District Education Rankings for 2017 lists Loralai as 137th out 155 districts for the quality of its middle schools. With eight brothers and six sisters, his family could not afford to send him to middle school. Thus, when Baqi finished fifth grade at the age of 11, his father tried to enroll him in a madrasah to receive a free religious education like three of his brothers. But Baqi refused, convincing his father he could better help the family by working as a cleaner and doing odd jobs to bolster the earnings of an older brother who worked as a coal miner. Long-Distance Lovers It was 10 years later, when Baqi was 21 years old, that one of his friends gave him the telephone number of a close relative -- the woman he would fall in love with -- and suggested they would make a good couple. She was 20 when Baqi gave her the first of what would be many calls as their telephone courtship blossomed. Baqi won't give out her name. He says her immediate family knows how he was blinded by his father and brothers. But naming her publicly could expose her to additional pressure, including the threat of an "honor killing" by other relatives or a possible attack by Islamic extremists. After three years of phone conversations, Baqi says he and the woman agreed to secretly meet each other so that they could speak together face-to-face. That bold step, considered strictly taboo by Baqi's family, was the first and only time he ever saw her. He says he knew right away that he was in love with her. So, unbeknownst to his own family, Baqi approached the woman's mother and father in the spring of 2018 to ask them for their daughter's hand in marriage. He says everything went smoothly and her family agreed to the wedding. But he says trouble started when her parents visited his home in Loralai to formally announce they'd agreed to his marriage proposal. That was when Baqi's father learned about his son's secret telephone affair. 'Family Honor' The next day, after the girl's family had returned to their home, Baqi says he was confronted by his father and Islamist brothers. "I clearly told them I will not back away from this girl and our relationship," Baqi says. "I told them that I love this girl and that nothing will stop me from marrying her." "My father asked my brothers whether they agreed to let me marry a girl for love," Baqi explains. Baqi says his eldest brother, an unemployed madrasah graduate with ties to the Taliban, was the first to object. "Then a second refused and then they all refused," Baqi says. After that, Baqi says his mother and sisters were locked in another room while his brothers tied his arms and legs together with a rope and his father and a brother removed his eyes. "After he took out one of my eyes, I screamed, 'Please don't take my other eye.' But he didn't listen," Baqi says. "When they had removed my eyes, they left me tied up in the ropes and put me in a rickshaw," Baqi says. "They said they were going to take me into the mountains nearby to slaughter me." "I asked them to please, at least, untie me," Baqi said. "One of my brothers kicked me in my mouth and said, 'We are going to kill you and you are asking us to untie you?'" Then, Baqi said, they changed their minds. "I don't know why, but instead of killing me they took me to a hospital in Loralai," he says. "There was a police officer at the hospital who asked what happened to me, and my father said, 'He did this to himself,'" Baqi explains. "But I shouted out at my father, 'You are lying!' So the police arrested my father and two of my brothers." The next day, Baqi was transferred to a hospital in Quetta where he tried to telephone his fiance. "I tried to call her in the morning but her phone was switched off," Baqi says. "In the afternoon, she returned my call and I told her what had been done to me. She was in shock and broke down crying." But Baqi says the young woman vowed that she would still marry him and that her parents agreed to allow the marriage to go ahead without any dowry. No 'Blood Money,' No Bride Meanwhile, photographs of Baqi's injuries and the horrid details of what had happened began to circulate on Facebook -- infuriating people across Pakistan. When Baqi was released from the hospital, he moved into the home of a Quetta-based charity worker named Jamal Tarakai who learned about his case from social media. Baqi's father and two brothers remained in police custody for nearly a year pending trial on charges under "honor crime" laws in Pakistan. On April 10, 2019, Baqi submitted to court an agreement he had reached with his father under Pakistan's Islamic "blood money" laws. In exchange for Baqi's forgiveness, his father promised to let the "love marriage" go ahead. He also promised to provide Baqi with a private house of his own to live in and to pay Baqi $200 per month in financial support. The court released Baqi's father and brothers under the deal and all charges against them were dropped. But Tarakai, who continues to host Baqi at his home in Quetta, says the father still has not kept his side of the deal by providing a house and financial support. And Baqi says his fiance has come under increased pressure from her relatives over their telephone romance since he was blinded. Her relatives confiscated her telephone to prevent them from continuing to speak with each other. Baqi bought her a new telephone three times and had them delivered by a trustworthy contact. But all of the phones were also eventually confiscated by her relatives. Baqi says the last time they spoke was in October, when they agreed it was best to refrain from contacting each other until there is less pressure on her from her relatives. New research from Cass Business School has found that business sustainability strategies can succeed alongside mainstream competitive strategies when managers believe in them. In 'Toward a Process Theory of Making Sustainability Strategies Legitimate in Action', published in the Academy of Management Journal, the researchers found that although managers support sustainability strategies, there can be tensions in goals, values, and in product features. This can occur when implementing them alongside the mainstream strategy, creating the potential for 'decoupling' - where organisations adopt policies symbolically, without implementing them substantially. However, they found that working through these tensions on specific tasks helps to overcome them. Resolving tensions reinforces the organisational-level legitimacy of the strategy and its integration within the mainstream strategy. The three-year qualitative study focused on the implementation of a new sustainability strategy alongside a mainstream strategy at TechPro, a market-leading global manufacturer with 20,000 full-time employees and an annual revenue of $3.5 billion (USD). While the company had no existing sustainability strategy, it had a long history of placing a high premium on corporate values such as 'trustworthiness' and 'truthfulness' which guided the firm's environmental and social standards. The new sustainability strategy was popular with staff, who were keen to demonstrate their own values through its implementation. While the new strategy focused on addressing TechPro's social and environmental responsibilities in product policy and staff behaviour, their existing mainstream strategy focused on the competitive objectives and targets associated with defending their market position. For example, improving operational efficiency to ensure competitive pricing and maintaining, and growing, market share. Tensions arose when managers tried to implement the sustainability strategy alongside the mainstream strategy, in their day-to-day operations. Tensions were in three areas: Between strategic goals when there was incompatibility between tasks involving both organisational environmental compliance and organisational profit. Between product features where there was incompatibility in incorporating the sustainability and mainstream strategy features in the technical design of a product or in production process. For example, by choosing materials that were cost friendly versus environmentally friendly. Between organisational values, defined as between competitive orientation versus social orientation and competitive products versus trustworthy products. The researchers found that workers could resolve these tensions to carry out the two strategies in three ways: Mutually adjusting by compromising and reinterpreting or splitting between the strategies, when they could not physically incorporate both into a product or product development process. Prioritising the sustainability strategy over the mainstream strategy on values-driven tasks, so enabling differentiation between the tasks, while not inhibiting wider integration of the strategies within the organisation. Combining them within a common purpose and by including the new sustainability strategy within their existing procedures. Sustainability has become a strategic priority for companies worldwide as consumers, shareholders and employees become more environmentally and socially aware, said report co-author, Professor Paula Jarzabkowski of Cass Business School. "Prioritising sustainability strategies can simultaneously enhance an organisation's competitiveness and its social agenda," she said. "However, although the sustainability strategy was seen as the right thing to do, the company was also faced with rising cost pressures and a battle to maintain market leadership so it was difficult to implement both strategies at the same time." Professor Jarzabkowski said the research was particularly interesting as TechPro is a leading global manufacturer of the kind of high-end goods that many of us have in our homes, rather than a traditional social enterprise which tend to already have an inbuilt sustainability strategy within their business. "Surprisingly, we found that rather than suppress the sustainability strategy, or do only the minimum, sometimes TechPro managers prioritized it over competitive actions they could have taken," she said. "This research gives us hope. If a mainstream global business with a huge market share and presence in households around the world can develop, and implement, a successful sustainability strategy alongside their mainstream strategy, then other businesses can do the same. This means that more firms are more environmentally and socially aware and this understanding will have positive benefits for people, planet and profit." Professor Jarzabkowski said the support that managers and workers gave the sustainability strategy was also crucial to its success. "Their belief in, and commitment to, incorporating sustainability within the business played a significant part in the success of both strategies." ### About the research Toward a Process Theory of Making Sustainability Strategies Legitimate in Action is published in the Academy of Management Journal. The authors are: Iris-Ariane Hengst, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (LMU Munich) Paula Jarzabkowski, Cass Business School, City, University of London and University of Queensland, Australia Martin Hoegl, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (LMU Munich) Miriam Muethel, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management Mohammed bin Salman REUTERS/Amir Levy There's a chance Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and venture capitalist Peter Thiel are having their phones examined right about now after fresh reports about the hacking of Jeff Bezos' phone. A forensic analysis commissioned by Bezos suggests that it was likely his phone was hacked in May 2018 via a file sent from a WhatsApp account used by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to reports in the Guardian and the Financial Times. The hacking attack came just weeks after Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, met in person with bin Salman during the crown prince's tour of Silicon Valley and the US. The two swapped phone numbers during a dinner meeting and later connected on WhatsApp. But Bezos wasn't the only tech luminary or celebrity who met with bin Salman on his three-week tour. So too did Cook, Page, Brin, Thiel, and plenty of others. There is no evidence that their phones were also compromised, but given the stunning allegations about how Bezos' phone was hacked, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether others may have swapped phone numbers with the crown prince and could be at risk. The Saudi US embassy called the allegations of hacking "absurd" in a tweet on Tuesday. Here are some of the tech executives and other notable figures who met with the Saudi crown prince on his 2018 trip, according to The New York Times: Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page Mohammed bin Salman Silicon Valley 00003 Saudi EmbassyGoogle CEO Sundar Pichai Mohammed bin Salman Silicon Valley 00002 Saudi EmbassyHiroshi Lockheimer, head of Google's Android and Chrome divisions Mohammed bin Salman Silicon Valley 00004 Saudi EmbassyVenture capitalist Peter Thiel Mohammed bin Salman Silicon Valley 00001 Saudi EmbassyAn assortment of other venture capitalists and tech leaders, including Sam Altman and Vinod Khosla. investors mbs Saudi EmbassyApple CEO Tim Cook Tim Cook MBS mofa.gov.saApple's executive team, including chief operating officer Jeff Williams Mohammed bin Salman Silicon Valley 00013 Saudi EmbassyAnd Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates FILE PHOTO: Microsoft founder Bill Gates smiles while playing bridge with Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, as part of the company annual meeting weekend in Omaha, Nebraska U.S. May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo ReutersBut bin Salman didn't just meet with tech titans. He also met with executives from other industries, including media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. Story continues FILE PHOTO: Tennis - US Open - Mens Final - New York, U.S. - September 10, 2017 - Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of Fox News Channel stands before Rafael Nadal of Spain plays against Kevin Anderson of South Africa. REUTERS/Mike Segar ReutersAnd Virgin Group founder Richard Branson. Richard Branson Getty ImagesBloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (L) meets with Bloomberg founder and former NYC Mayor Michael A. Bloomberg (2nd R) at a cafe in New York, United States on March 29, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Saudi Kingdom Council/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesAMC CEO Adam Aron Adam Aron attends the 33rd American Cinematheque Award Presentation Honoring Charlize Theron at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on November 08, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. Amy Sussman/FilmMagicAnd he met with plenty of celebrities, including Oprah. Oprah at Apple TV+ Plus streaming event March AppleMichael Douglas michael douglas APMorgan Freeman MORGAN FREEMAN Getty/Dimitrios KambourisAnd Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Dwayne Johnson Jeff Spicer Getty final Jeff Spicer/Getty Read the original article on Business Insider WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is attending a dinner on Tuesday with Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook and other CEOs on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to a source familiar with the situation. The dinner was organized with the help of Trump's adviser and daughter, Ivanka Trump, the source added. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis) On January 17, all of Myanmar was agog as Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Naypyitaw, and became the first Chinese President to make a state visit in 19 years. The cheering children and the flag waving, however, could not quite capture the euphoria of an earlier period. Following the 2017 Rohingya crisis, the West joined together to condemn the violence against the Muslim minority by the overwhelmingly Buddhist state, with the United States imposing sanctions against the military. Beijing, however, responded by signing Myanmar on to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and providing the military with the weapons. It was not just Beijing. If a 2019 UN Report is to be believed, India also provided equipment. That was probably New Delhi doing its bit to keep its foot in at the door, in a cautious push back to Beijing. The power of Beijings presence was evident as a breathless state television that covered Xis meetings with President U Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and military chief Min Aung Hlaing, and a raft of local leaders. Local media reported some 33 MoU's signed and a robust joint statement was announced. There is much in that to worry most onlookers, particularly a paragraph that notes: Both sides agreed to step up the Belt and Road cooperation, push the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to transit from concept sketching into concrete development, and endeavour to promote the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone . This centres on a deep sea port at Kyaukphyu, which will serve to provide the muscle to the planned economic corridor, just as Gwadar in Pakistan pins down the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Kyaukphyu port is located along the troublesome Rakhine Muslim majority areas, and locals suspect that the ethnic cleansing of the area was prodded from Beijing. Other economic zones are envisaged in Shan and Kachin areas, as also infrastructure projects and connectivity, such as a high-speed railway that will link Kunming to Mandalay, a project abandoned earlier. In recent years, Myanmars leaders had developed cold feet at the tightness of the Chinese embrace. The Kyaukphyu project was negotiated in 2015, with envisaged loans of $7.3 bn for the port and $2.7bn for the park. In 2018, the project was scaled back to a more manageable $1.4 bn, in a re-negotiation assisted by US experts. The details of the present agreement are yet to be made public, but there is no doubt that a degree of caution has set in. The Chinese footprint is already large, with 18 hyrdo-power projects, jade and ruby mining, timber logging, and large property investments in building malls and high rise apartment blocks. Then there are the several hundred Confucius Institutes that have sprung up, many now reworked as computer schools and funded by local Chinese communities. Increasing Chinese presence has created resentment. For instance, construction for a large dam was stopped after local protests in Kachin state. Another mega real estate development along the Thaungyin river is referred to deprecatingly as China town. A recent survey by a Singaporean think-tank showed a 37.6 per cent rise in distrust of China, even though those polled still preferred Beijing over the US. Beijing hopes for a far larger presence. Under the CMEC, China has proposed around 38 projects, but so far only a few have transitioned into an actual agreement. The problem is that Myanmar also fears Beijings role in its many ethnic conflicts. Beijing worries about the fallout on its own territory where similar ethnic communities live. Hard-headed analysts see China using insurgent groups as leverage, a role that it has replicated with some success against India and its own insurgent groups in the Northeast. Xi felt it necessary to deny that Beijing was arming the insurgents, thereby acknowledging widespread belief in its inimical role. India has an effective ambassador in Saurabh Kumar, but he has a hard task ahead. While the $1,726 million committed for development is a pittance compared to Beijings billions, Indias Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Project (that envisages connectivity between Myanmar and India) offers an important alternative to Naypyitaw. However, the project is threatened by insurgents suspected to be linked to groups funded by China. Rohingya refugees, now in the cold after the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, add another layer of instability, complicating New Delhis balancing act between its internal and external interests. A sliding Indian economy will prevent foreign assistance in all but the most vital areas. Meanwhile Japan, Singapore and Australia are weighing in with investment, but not enough. India could use the Quad a grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the US to do some heavy lifting in the face of Chinese munificence. Even here, New Delhi hesitates, wary of alienating Beijing on the one hand, and fearing its presence on the other. This hesitation, which had vanished in the first Modi tenure, seems to have returned. For now, it seems that what Xi wants, Xi will get. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Process Officer with Finnish language wygaso z dniem 2020-03-03 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez NORDEA Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to: propozycja zozona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z serwisu praca.egospodarka.pl zleceniodawca zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc osob rekruter zmodyfikowa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych niewasciwy adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Finanse, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Finanse Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Process Officer with Finnish language, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Process Officer with Finnish language Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: odz, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca odz Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: Israeli spyware firm NSO Groups US lobbying campaign just got a lot more complicated after UN investigators today concluded that Saudi use of its Pegasus spyware was the most likely explanation for a 2018 hacking attack against Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. UN human rights experts Agnes Callamard and David Kaye called for an immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities into Saudi Arabias alleged surveillance in a press statement. They said the allegations underscore the pressing need for a moratorium on the global sale and transfer of private surveillance technology. The comments come after a forensic analysis of Bezos phone concluded with a medium to high confidence that he was hacked after receiving a video from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans WhatsApp account. Riyadh has been sharply critical of The Washington Posts coverage of the kingdom, including columns by murdered dissident Jamal Khashoggi. The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia, Callamard and Kaye wrote. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has denounced the accusations as absurd. The UN allegations come soon after NSO Groups parent company, Herzliya-based Q Cyber Technologies, hired Mercury Public Affairs for help with pending and potential future litigation or regulatory actions, Al-Monitor first reported earlier this month. The one-year, $1.4 million contract was effective Dec. 15, 2019. Screenshot from the annex to the UNs statement on the Bezos hack. Read the full annex here. WhatsApp and its parent company, Facebook, sued Q Cyber Technologies and the NSO Group in federal court in California in October, alleging that the companies used WhatsApp servers to send malware to 1,400 users, including human rights activists, journalists, lawyers and academics. The allegations have drawn attention on Capitol Hill, where Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has announced an investigation into whether the firm hacked Americans. Separately, a Saudi dissident close to Khashoggi has filed a lawsuit alleging that the NSO Group's Pegasus software helped Saudi Arabia spy on Khashoggi before he was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. NSO Group for its part insists its software aims to prevent crime and terrorism and that its sale to foreign governments is properly vetted by Israeli authorities. Charges against yet another businessman on London List dropped Titov RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 18:34 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) A court in Russian Kurgan Region has overturned a sentence of airport director Dmitry Kovalenko and his assistant Andrey Tyabutov, the press-service of Russias business ombudsman Boris Titov informs on Wednesday. Earlier, a lower court has found both persons guilty of illegal logging and fined them 1.125 million rubles (about $18,000 at the current exchange rate). The court of appeals acquitted the men and recognized their right to seek rehabilitation. The court ruling also lifted the seizure of Kovalenkos assets and his travel restrictions. The business rights commissioner has several times contacted the Prosecutor Generals Office asking to check if the opening of a criminal case against Kovalenko was lawful. According to the statement, Titov insisted that investigators misinterpreted the directors actions to remove trees from the territory of the airport required by the Air Code of the Russian Federation as illegal logging. Kourtney Kardashian posted a photo of herself in an orange leotard on Wednesday. Soon after her Instagram fans were asking if the mother-of-three was pregnant because her midsection appeared bigger than normal. 'No I wish,' replied Kardashian who rekindled her romance with longtime ex-boyfriend, Younes Bendjima, late last month. She wishes: Kourtney Kardashian shared this steamy snapshot to her Instagram page on Wednesday that had fans wondering if the reality star was pregnant Kardashian stood before her closet mirror to take a mirror picture of her pant-less frame. She donned a long-sleeved orange bodysuit that complimented the tan she acquired, while vacationing in Portofino, Italy with Bendjima and her three children, Mason, 10, Penelope, 7, and Reign, 5. 'Tryna fix your inner issues with a bad b*tch,' she captioned. Her raven hair was styled into a sleek middle part that allowed her locks to flow evenly onto the form-fitting leotard. Together again: Kardashian confirmed she was back together with her ex-boyfriend Younes Bendjima in December when she shared this photograph on Instagram More the merrier: Kardashian already shares three children with ex Scott Disick Kourtney rocked her usual soft brown smokey eye and contrasting nude lip combo for the sultry snapshot. But something about Kardashian's pose made many of her 86million Instagram followers wonder if she may be expecting her fourth child. She confirmed that while she is definitely not pregnant, she isn't ready to throw in the baby making towel just yet...especially with Bendjima back in the picture. Throwback: The pair were incredibly open about their relationship on social media with Kardashian sharing this photograph to her Instagram in early 2018 of herself and Younes Going public: During 2018, the couple attended numerous events together, including the 2018 Voices in Displacement Gala and Tristan Thompson's Birthday party The pair went public again, following their 2018 breakup, during the Kardashian-Jenner Christmas party held at Kourtney's Calabasas mansion in late December. The reality starlet shared a photograph of the pair standing before a giant Christmas tree in a prom-style pose. Kardashian wore a stunning floor length red gown, while Bendjima, suited up in all black, towered over her. Sources say Kourtney has been 'happy' spending time with Younes who has been doing his best to earn her trust back. 'In the past, Kourtney was very happy dating Younes and she feels the same now. They took a long break because Kourtney felt that she couldn't trust him. He is trying to convince her that she can though,' a source close to the Kardashians revealed to People magazine. Following his appearance at the Christmas party, the Algerian model was invited by Kourntey to Disneyland to celebrate the birthdays of Reign and Mason. Neither have outright confirmed their rekindled relationship. Kardashian met the 26-year-old in Paris in October of 2016, marking Kourtney's first public romance since the end of her long-term relationship with her ex Scott Disick. Keeping it cool: Disick and Kardashian have a healthy co-parenting relationship, often hanging out with their children together, as seen here during Thanksgiving in 2018 Kardashian left Disick in 2015, after having conceived three children during the span of their 12-year relationship. She gave birth to her first son Mason in 2009, then to daughter Penelope in 2012. Her final child to date, Reign, was born in December of 2014. Candian Actress and comedian Kathrine Ryan recently spoke to international media defending her fellow comedian Rosie Jones after the latter was criticized for making an obscene joke about Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg. Jones faced a backlash after she made a joke about Thunberg while appearing on The Last Leg. 'Thunberg needs to live' Speaking about the issue to international media reporters, she explained that people just misunderstood Jones. Defending her, she further said that a lot of time when people get offended, its not the joke but the fact that theyre too thick to understand the joke. The 36-year-old went on to say that Jones did not intend to upset Thunberg. She added that there are grown individuals all over America and the world who would actually wish to harm Thunberg but Jones isnt one of them. Ryan also praised Jones and said that shes a really talented comedian and an absolute star. Read: 'Ladybird' Director Greta Gerwig Is Giving Other Directors A Run For Their Money Read: Greta Thunberg Ahead Of Davos 2020: You Haven't Seen Anything Yet On December 31, the British comedian 'shocked' netizens with her 'inappropriate' joke on teen climate activist Greta Thunberg on The Last Leg. Jones took the stage to share her thoughts on the 16-year-old and started off saying 'Greta's amazing' and 'what she's doing is brilliant' but goes on to make obscene comments about how 'she needs to live a little'. While the people on the show started laughing and Jones received applause, the people on the internet did not take the 'joke' in the same light and said 'the world is doomed'. Read: Greta Thunberg Asks Global Leaders To 'abandon The Fossil Fuel Economy' Read: Thunberg Says 'you Haven't Seen Anything Yet' To World Leaders Last week, Thunberg addressed hundreds of people at a climate march in Lausanne, Switzerland. She also spoke to the protesters on what she claimed was the one-year anniversary of the first Friday climate rallies in the country. Police officers clashed with some demonstrators during the protest. The rally was held ahead of World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos. The area around Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is on the list largely because the couple are renting a house in one of its suburbs. It seems like a good prospect because the winter weather in Victoria is moderate, it has long played up its British heritage and the local newspaper, which features a coat of arms granted to the colony of Vancouver Island by Queen Victoria, voluntarily withheld publishing any articles about Harry and Meghans Christmas retreat there until they made the news public. But greater Victoria has a population of 367,770 and is known mostly as a place where people retire rather than embark on a new life. Toronto was Meghans home when she was known as Meghan Markle and starred in the television drama Suits, which was filmed in Canadas largest city. The city is the capital of Canadas English-language media, and once she became romantically linked with Harry, the couples movements there were constantly tracked by cameras and reporters. Toronto is also home to Jessica Mulroney, a close friend of Meghans who recently babysat Archie when she returned briefly to Britain. Ms. Mulroney, a fashion stylist who frequently appears on Canadian television, is married to Ben Mulroney, a Canadian television host and the son of Brian Mulroney, a former prime minister. The prospect of the royal couples long-term presence in Canada has induced hand-wringing among some of the countrys constitutional scholars. While many polls, including the recent Angus Reid survey, show a great deal of respect for Queen Elizabeth II, Canadians are less enthusiastic about the institution of the monarchy and, in particular, about the idea of Prince Charles, Harrys father, as the countrys king. But doing anything about the role of Britains queen or king as Canadas official head of state would involve amending Canadas Constitution, a process so fraught with disagreement that no political appetite exists to take it on. Amazon and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, left, and Hatice Cengiz, right, the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi. at a vigil. Read more DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The cellphone of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was hacked in what appeared to be an attempt by Saudi Arabia's crown prince to "influence, if not silence" the newspaper's reporting on the kingdom, two U.N. human rights experts said Wednesday. The U.N. experts called for an immediate investigation by the United States into a report commissioned by Bezos that showed the billionaire technology mogul's phone was likely hacked after he received an MP4 video file sent from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's WhatsApp account after the two men exchanged phone numbers during a dinner in Los Angeles in 2018. The video file was sent to Bezos' phone five months before Saudi critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by Saudi government agents inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October. At the time, the crown prince was being widely hailed for ushering in major social reforms to the kingdom, but Khashoggi was writing columns in the Post that highlighted the darker side of Prince Mohammed's simultaneous clampdown on dissent. The Post was harshly critical of the Saudi government after Khashoggi's killing and demanded accountability in a highly public campaign that ran in the paper for weeks after his death. The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia, the independent U.N. experts said. At a time when Saudi Arabia was supposedly investigating the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, and prosecuting those it deemed responsible, it was clandestinely waging a massive online campaign against Mr. Bezos and Amazon targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post, the experts said. Bezos first went public about the hack last year. He said the National Enquirer tabloid, whose owner has ties to the crown prince, was threatening to publish Bezos' private messages and photos if he didn't stop a private investigation he'd sought into the hacking of his phone. Iyad el-Baghdadi, an activist who worked with Bezos' investigators, told The Associated Press it appears the hacking was about free speech. "Its not about trying to compromise a businessman for business purposes," he said. Its not about Amazon, its about The Washington Post. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, called the hacking allegations absolutely illegitimate. There was no information in there that's relevant. There was no substantiation, there was no evidence, he told an AP reporter at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It was purely conjecture, and if there is real evidence, we look forward to seeing it. The independent experts, Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, were appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council. They published their statement after reviewing the report conducted by FTI Consulting, which was hired by Bezos' security adviser to manage the investigation. The report was published in full exclusively by VICEs Motherboard later on Wednesday. The digital forensic investigation assessed with medium to high confidence that Bezos' phone was infiltrated on May 1, 2018, via the video file sent from the crown prince's WhatsApp account. The U.N. experts said that records showed that within hours of receiving the video from Prince Mohammed's account, there was an anomalous and extreme change in phone behavior with enormous amounts of data being transmitted and exfiltrated from the phone, undetected, over months. The report stated that Bezos' phone was compromised possibly via tools procured by Saud al-Qahtani," the former adviser to the crown prince who was sanctioned by the U.S. for his suspected role in orchestrating the operation that killed Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia's justice system found al-Qahtani not guilty of any wrongdoing in the killing. A judge sentenced five people to death and sentenced three others to a combined 24 years in prison in December for Khashoggi's slaying. Al-Qahtani was also head of Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity federation and allegedly behind campaigns that created artificially-trending tweets to attack the prince's perceived enemies, rally support around the leadership and stymie criticism on social media. The full investigative report, reviewed by The Associated Press, found that due to end-to-end encryption, it was virtually impossible to decrypt the contents of the downloader to determine if it did indeed have any malicious code. Saudi Arabia has already been accused of spying in America in a case involving Twitter. U.S. prosecutors in California allege that the Saudi government, frustrated by growing criticism of its leaders and policies on social media, recruited two Twitter employees to gather confidential personal information on thousands of accounts that included prominent opponents. Adam S. Hickey, deputy assistant attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division, would not confirm or deny a U.S. investigation of the latest allegations was underway, but said "we investigate nation state-sponsored hacking all the time." Separately, a Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, said presidential adviser Jared Kushner has communicated with the Saudi crown prince on WhatsApp. Bezos visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 to meet with Prince Mohammed before the two men met again during the prince's tour of the United States in 2018. The billionaire had been looking for a site in the Middle East to expand Amazon's cloud services. The company ultimately selected the island nation of Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia. During that time, Amazon had already expanded into the Middle East with its 2017 purchase of e-commerce website Souq.com, which is a competitor of Noon.com, a platform launched that same year and is heavily funded by Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, which is overseen by the crown prince. Bezos went public last February after allegedly being shaken down by the National Enquirer, which he said threatened to expose a below-the-belt" selfie he'd taken and other private messages and pictures he'd exchanged with a woman he was dating while he was still married. Bezos wrote in a lengthy piece for the Medium that rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, Ive decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten. While he did not accuse Saudi Arabia's crown prince of being behind the hacking of his phone, he noted that the owner of the National Enquirer had been investigated for various actions taken on behalf of the Saudi government. Bezos' chief investigator, Gavin De Becker, went further, saying in a published report last March that the investigation "concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone, and gained private information. In a piece for The Daily Beast he outlined in detail what he said was the crown prince's close relationship with David Pecker, the chairman of AMI, which is the parent company of the National Enquirer. The investigation said that any number of cyber weapons could have been used, including Israeli spyware firm NSO Group's Pegasus. The firm's wares have been used by governments to target journalists in Mexico, opposition figures in Panama and human rights activists from the Middle East. The U.N. experts said Bezos' phone hacking occurred during a period in which the phones of two close associates of Khashoggi were also hacked, allegedly using the Pegasus malware. In response, the company denied involvement in Bezos phone hack and said its technology was not used in this instance." Associated Press writers David Rising and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Jamey Keaten in Davos, Switzerland, and Chris Den Hond in Paris contributed to this report. Lebanese took to streets Tuesday in several cities to reject the cabinet of Prime Minister Hassan Diab formed following months-long political turmoil, triggered by economic hardship and public outcry against corruption. President Michel Aoun Tuesday vented the 20-minister cabinet tasked to end the countrys worst economic crisis in recent history. Diab, former education minister and professor at the American University of Beirut was proposed last month for the Prime Minister job after famous Sunni leader and longtime Premier Saad Hariri stepped down in October under public pressure decrying corruption and mismanagement. Speaking after unveiling his cabinet, the 61-year old new PM indicated that the line-up meets the aspirations of Lebanese who have been demonstrating for months as they also demanded a government of technocrats and independent experts. The Prime Minister who received support from powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and its allies said his government will strive to meet demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of embezzled funds, and for the fight against illegal gains, AFP reports. The announcement of the new team was greeted with anger and fresh demonstrations in several cities across the country. A group of demonstrators, AFP noted, had gathered in the streets of Beirut before the cabinet was even unveiled, blocking off a main street in the center of the capital. A group of protesters reportedly tried to break police barriers near the Parliament. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannon to push away angry citizens. Hariris party and allies have opted to stay out of the new cabinet that includes five women. The new investments reflect the UK's commitment to build long-term, sustainable relationships in the continent, said the UK Trade commissioner for Africa A number of new investment deals between Egypt and the UK were announced during the UK-Africa Investment Summit, held in London from 20 to 22 January, according to a statement by the British Embassy in Cairo on Wednesday. British investment firm Actis and Egypt's Sovereign Fund signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 3 billion worth of investments in multiple projects in Egypt. Another MoU was signed between the UKs Development Finance Institution, CDC, and Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB) to provide $100 million Tire 2 capital to help increase their support for Egypts ongoing economic development. The British healthcare company GSK inked the third deal to invest some 5 million in Egypt to upgrade two major production lines, GSK-Salam and SmithKline Beecham-Giza. According to the UK Embassy, the British energy company Globeleq regards Egypt as a priority investment market and is actively pursuing a number of greenfield projects and acquisitions in the power sector, with potential investments worth over $400 million. The summit concluded with an announcement by the UK retailer MATALAN to open approximately 20 British fashion stores across Egypt in the next five years. Emma Wade-Smith, the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa, said, We are delighted to witness all these new deals, which will drive jobs and growth in all parts of the UK and Africa. "All new investments reflect the prime ministers commitment to build long-term, sustainable relationships in Africa, she added. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and 15 heads of state participated in the UK-Africa Investment Summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. During the three-day summit, El-Sisi met with Johnson and Prince William, the duke of Cambridge, to discuss boosting economic and trade ties and strengthening cooperation. More than 2,000 attendees participated in the summit, including African leaders, ministerial delegations, UK and African business representatives, international institutions and young entrepreneurs. Search Keywords: Short link: Details added (first version posted on 11:41) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: Negotiations on signing a new partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan are at the final stage, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas said, Trend reports Jan. 22. Jankauskas made the remark at a conference dedicated to the results of the EU technical assistance project entitled Support to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SSC) to reach European Standards in National Accounts, on observed economy, business statistics and producer price index. Jankauskas said that after the conclusion of this agreement, relations between Azerbaijan and the EU will move to a new stage. Noting that Azerbaijan's economics is developing, the head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan added that the EU is Azerbaijans biggest trading partner. EU member states are the countries that invest most of all in Azerbaijan, Jankauskas added. The EU also supports the implementation of international transport projects passing through the territory of Azerbaijan. Mothers and their children have clashed with protesters who blockaded a drag queen reading at a library. Drag queen 'Annie Depressant' read to more than 40 kids at the Wyndham Plaza Library in Werribee, Melbourne, at 11am on Wednesday. Protesters soon arrived at the fulled-booked 'Drag Queen Story Hour' waving placards declaring the event 'not suitable for children'. Slogans included 'drag queens confuse children about self-image and identity' and 'drag queens promote cross dressing'. Drag queen 'Annie Depressant' read to more than 40 kids at the Wyndham Plaza Library in Werribee, Melbourne, at 11am on Wednesday 'Let kids be kids. Don't sexualise them, don't indoctrinate them. It's too early, it's not right,' one said. Parents responded by chanting 'we love drag queens' as they left the library through the gauntlet of protesters waiting outside. 'I attended today with friends and our children - and it was fantastic!' one mother wrote on social media afterwards in support. 'Thank you so much Annie Depressant for coming to read to our children, I hope to attend more Drag Queen Story hours in the future! Just be who you are!' Annie thanked library staff who 'helped me feel safe and calm despite the protesters gathering outside'. 'It was amazing to see so many eager and engaged faces,' Annie said. Protesters soon arrived at the fulled-booked 'Drag Queen Story Hour' waving placards declaring the event 'not suitable for children' Slogans included 'drag queens confuse children about self-image and identity' and 'drag queens promote cross dressing' However, Annie was reduced to tears by the protests, which the performer all too frequently experienced. 'When it first happened to me I was heartbroken for days,' she told Seven News. The drag queen reading was similar to one in a Brisbane library that earlier this month was invaded by a group of Young Liberals. Between 15 to 20 students loudly chanted 'drag queens are not for kids' before eventually being thrown out by security. Protest leader Wilson Gavin, 21, was captured on camera chanting at the drag queen in a viral video, and killed himself the next day after a massive online backlash. Annie thanked library staff (pictured with one) who 'helped me feel safe and calm despite the protesters gathering outside'. Annie was reduced to tears by the protests, which the performer all too frequently experienced Wednesday's event was besieged by protest since it was announced last May, with the library being bombarded with hundreds of vile comments Wednesday's event was besieged by protest since it was announced last May, with the library being bombarded with hundreds of vile comments. 'This is absolutely abhorrent. Children do not need to be read to by strange guys in dresses,' one wrote. 'Who would subject their children to this mental illness.' 'Not having adult entertainers aka drag queens read to toddlers would be a good start,' another wrote. A third wrote: 'Yuck, don't let this monster near any child in an educational setting.' Protester Wilson Gavin and friends stormed a drag queen story-time event for children at a library in Brisbane's CBD (left and right). He confronts Diamond Good-rim above Annie at the time confirmed the event would go on, citing a great opportunity for children to experience diversity. 'It's an opportunity for children to come speak with me, I had kids talking my ear off about their own artistic endeavours last time,' Annie said. 'I would like to remind them that I am a person, everything they are saying is being said about a real person and there is nothing inherently inappropriate about being a drag queen.' Annie has a working with children's check and no criminal record. Romania has a one-off chance to shine this year, despite an economic slowdown compared to the previous years, says Johan Meyer, CEO of Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited UK Bucharest Branch and Fondul Proprietatea co-Portfolio Manager. "30 years after the fall of the communist regime, Romania seems well anchored to the European values and on a clear path of economic development. Despite certain persisting issues as regards the latter subject, Romania has the opportunity to start the new decade on the right foot, leaving behind the damage control of the previous years. The messages of the new government on numerous subjects of interest to investors, from repealing the harmful legislation and promoting listings, to encouraging corporate governance and the transparency of state-owned companies, are the first steps for the country to regain its credibility as a reliable business partner and investment destination. So, can 2020 really mark a positive change for Romania, after a hectic and extremely confusing 2019? The simple answer is yes. There is consensus that Romania will see the seventh consecutive year of economic growth, of 3.6 percent of GDP. Romania has the one-off chance to shine this year, even if the economic growth rate is slowing down compared to the previous years. However, there are some key conditions for this to happen," Meyer said in a statement. According to him, the watchword of the year is caution. With a 2020 budget deficit optimistically put by the government at 3.6 pct of GDP, in contrast to the European Commission's more moderate expectations, the government will have to be very cautious with spending. Johan Meyer notes that the repeal of the "infamous OUG No. 114" is a good start to repair the damage caused to the perception of Romania as an attractive investment destination. The measure should be accompanied by ensuring legislative and regulatory stability and predictability, so that the companies be able to confidently invest again in the long-term. According to the cited source, Standard & Poor's downgrading the country's rating at the end of last year seemed to put the seal on a period marked by a series of economic mistakes and mishaps. However, if the government is sufficiently prudent in spending and efficient in collecting taxes, there is the possibility to regain a more favorable rating. Johan Meyer points out that apart from energy, tourism will also be a star this year, given the continuous improvement of Romania's reputation and the facilities offered to visitors. According to the Fondul Proprietatea co-Portfolio Manager, more foreign investments are expected this year, whether in energy, tourism or other fields. "In conclusion, 2020 has the potential to be more settled in certain areas - a return to a deregulated energy market, the reduction of budget spending, but more dynamic in others - the legislation regulating Black Sea offshore projects, steps towards listing state-owned companies, transparent appointments in these companies, etc. As such, the current government has a unique opportunity to make sure that this year will indeed mark a change for the better," the document reads. BP has pulled out of Iraq's giant Kirkuk oil field after its $100m (90m) exploration contract expired with no agreement on the field's expansion, dealing a fresh blow to Iraq's hopes of increasing its oil output, three sources told Reuters. The move comes as western energy companies reassess their operations in Iraq amid political turmoil, following months of anti-government protests and a flare-up in tensions between the United States and Iran in the country. BP informed Iraqi authorities last month that it was pulling its staff out of the oil field in the north of the country after its 2013 service contract expired at the end of 2019, the sources familiar with the matter said. A senior source at Iraq's North Oil Company (NOC), which oversees the Kirkuk operations, confirmed BP's withdrawal. "The results of its field study for Kirkuk oil field development have been handed over to the North Oil Company and unfortunately it was below expectations ... at least for us," the official said. "It's very obvious study results were not encouraging for BP to extend its operations," he added. The Iraqi government did not reply to a request for comment. BP confirmed it had completed the field work and studies, and said it had handed its recommendations for the development of the field to the NOC. The London-based company did not comment on staff movements. "In 2013, BP signed a letter of intent with the North Oil Company of the Iraq ministry of oil to support field activity studies in Kirkuk. As planned, in December 2019, BP completed field work, studies and recommendations," it said. According to another senior NOC engineer, BP staff left their laptops with the NOC after completing the survey and technical study of the field. The country was hoping BP would help it triple output from the field to one million barrels per day - more than a fifth of Iraq's current production and 1pc of global output. But BP's contract was put on hold in 2014 when the Iraqi army collapsed in the face of Islamic State's sweeping advance in northern and western Iraq, allowing the Kurdish regional government to take control of the Kirkuk region. Baghdad regained full control of the deposit from the regional government in 2017 after a failed Kurdish independence referendum, at which point BP resumed its studies on the field. Reuters Housing solutions and the future of bogland are the headline issues in Offaly according to the pre-draft notes on the county's next development plan. The plan will direct the policies prioritised and undertaken by Offaly County Council from 2021 to 2027. The pre-draft directions were presented to councillors at the January meeting of the full council on Monday, January 20. A special in-committee council meeting was held previously on December 2, 2019, where councillors were asked to put forward their ideas for the potential direction of the plan. Management distilled these views into a document which was presented to councillors on Monday. Housing was the major issue addressed with one of the proposed directions advising the examination and promotion of a range of rural housing options, "some of which may be real alternatives to one-off rural housing." The pre-draft direction will examine whether the 'Sraids' scheme should be in the new plan as a viable alternative to dispersed rural living. It calls for proactive measures undertaken by the council to ensure their success as small-scale rural settlements. Councillors urged the plan to focus on "promoting the re-use of derelict or vacant stock in villages" and "incentivising, if possible, the re-use of building stock in villages." Upon questioning by Cllr Ken Smollen, the council confirmed this promotion would include vacant or derelict commercial units. The plan's main aim on housing will be to "ensure more social and affordable housing is delivered throughout the county using the council's blocks of land for local authority housing," according to the pre-draft document. It is also proposed that the plan addresses regional roads policy and the protection and possible strengthening of services at local train stations. The possible future uses of cutaway bogs also featured heavily in the document. This focus comes as decarbonisation and the cessation of peat production leaves bogs idle across the county. It read: "The plan should promote looking at the peatlands in a holistic way, for example giving weight to potential economic development opportunities, as well as opportunities for reverting to nature and possible carbon sinks." Councillors specified this and said such examinations should not be left to others. The pre-draft plan also read: "The wind energy strategy should be examined in terms of cumulative impacts, particularly in the Edenderry area. The plan should consider the issue of community benefit." It noted that the location of wind turbines on cutaway bogs is considered an appropriate location. Responding to this, Cllr Noel Cribbin said: "We're going to become the wind turbine capital of Ireland at this rate in North Offaly. At some point, we have to say enough is enough with the number of wind turbines and I think in the Edenderry area, we have enough." "The plan should investigate the potential of all types of renewable energy in the county. It should promote more jobs development in Edenderry and Portarlington, particularly in light of the imminent cessation of industrial peat extraction and the large number commuting to Dublin from the areas," councillors suggested. The draft development plan also said the final document should "talk up" the county and "promote the county for economic activity, tourism and as a good environment in which to live." It is also to examine the concern at the wastewater treatment plant capacity in Edenderry. Cllr John Leahy welcomed the plan's focus on housing and said, "we want to see more people living in rural Ireland" but issued a word of caution on the potential of planning restriction affecting such development. "Hopefully this plan will give people the opportunity to live in their own areas." Cllr Frank Moran and Cllr Declan Harvey welcomed the inclusion of rail services in the plan and blasted the suggestion that Clara Station will be unmanned in the near future. "People had to climb walls and crawl through bushes over Christmas to get out of the station," Cllr Harvey said. He also said in terms of the environment, "we all need trees and I'm for trees, but dangerous trees spotted around the Tullamore area need to be taken out." Cllr Neil Feighery agreed and said certain trees are "becoming a problem" in the area. He suggested a county-wide survey to identify such trees. The pre-draft document was welcomed by members present and it will now go forward to full draft stage later this year. Below is the transcript of the First on CNBC interview with S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, Singapore. The interview took place at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2020 in Davos. If you choose to use anything, please attribute to CNBC and Steve Sedgwick and Geoff Cutmore. Geoff Cutmore (GC): While we're on issues technical and digital, we will just leave the President to make his way in, and we're going to talk a little bit about the government in Singapore. They've passed a new law there, controversial to some, which is meant to combat fake news, but opponents say it's being used to silence critics ahead of elections. An opposition party has filed a law suit against the law. Well, what's the truth here? S Iswaran is Minister for Communications and Information in Singapore, and he joins us on the set. Good to see you, this morning, sir-, S Iswaran (SI): Good morning. GC: Thank you for-, for-, SI: Very nice to meet you. GC: Coming along. So-, so just clarify here for us. Obviously, fingers are being pointed at this stage, and the argument is being made that this fake news law was primarily directed at stamping down on opposition from other parties. SI: I think that's hardly the case. I think, if you look at the global discourse on this matter, and you talk about the digital comments, I think everybody recognizes that digital technologies and communication platforms are great enablers, but we are also very mindful, whether you're businesses, media, social societies and governments, of the potential risks, and fake news, and so on. So, I think there is a global dialogue, different countries have been seeking out different methodologies to deal with it, and this is our approach to it. And, at the heart of it, it's very simple; it's a juxtaposition of the truth with the false statement of fact. That's all that is required. And if the party concerned is aggrieved, they can have recourse through the courts, which, indeed, is the case right now. So, we think it is a system that will work in our context and help address some of the concerns our citizens have. Steve Sedgwick (SS): You, sir, are also in charge of trade relations, I understand-, SI: Indeed-, SS: As well. SI: Indeed. SS: Talking of trade, how have events in Hong Kong affected Singapore? There is a school of thought that, if there's regional instability at all in Asia, it will help everybody, but there is also another school of thought that says, actually, Singapore can stamp its own brand of success on the situation, i.e. it can benefit from the instability in a-, in an erstwhile rival. SI: I think we belong to the school of thought that basically feels that, when we all do well, we all stand to benefit, and if there is a problem in any one of our markets in the region, then I think it has a dampening effect on all of us, because it affects sentiments, consumer sentiment, investor sentiment, and so on. So in the case of Hong Kong, I think what we would like to see is an early and amicable resolution, so that we can then go on with the larger issues of creating jobs and opportunities for people in the region. SS: But whether it be talent, or whether it be companies themselves, or whether it be the flow of finance, Singapore presumably represents stability, where Hong Kong, as according to Moody's only today, represents instability, you must've seen some beneficial impact. SI: Well, I think businesses constantly evaluate, and I think they will want to take a long view, medium to long view, and not just rush to conclusions. I think the important point here is, overall stability is important-, SS: Mm. SI: And it's not about short-term volatility or gyrations, and I think that's really the focus that we have-, SS: Sure. SI: To ensure that our region remains a stable place, for investors and for businesses. GC: I mean, one of the frustrating things is, I think it's brought capital to Singapore, but perhaps not a great improvement in economic activity, and that would be my question to you. As we look in to 2020, we have a phase one deal done, we're looking at phase two, between China and the United States now. Do you think that Singapore can improve its growth prospects, and its manufacturing output-, SI: Mm. GC: In 2020? SI: Well that's one of the reasons why we are here. We are a small open economy, connectivity, innovation, trade is our lifeblood, and I think today, in Davos, in particular, but in the global discourse, digital economy is a key focal point. It offers many opportunities, but it also poses risks and implications for business models and jobs. So our objective is really to see how, beyond the more traditional sectors of the economy, how a digitalization, a digital transformation of the economy, if you will, can then position Singapore for a new phase of growth. GC: Mm. SI: So we are an early adopter of technology, we are actively thinking about the issues, and the reason we are here is really to share our experiences, but also learn from that of others, and find possibilities to collaborate and partner, whether it's with the private sector, or with governments, and, essentially, likeminded partners. GC: It's been slow to see the real economic benefits, though, for things like embracing fintech, or AI, or digitization of business processes. SI: Mm-hm. GC: Singapore's been very good, I think, at embracing a lot of these early-, SI: Mm. GC: Shifts in technology-, SI: Mm-hm. GC: But it's been hard to see where the economic benefits have emerged. SI: So I think thank you for the compliment I think we have a very vibrant fintech sector, and in AI, and many of the other technologies, I-, I agree with you, they are early stage, but I think, like any other innovation, we do need to invest in the effort, to see how we can develop them, and ensure we can try and reap rewards by applying them to the right areas. So, for instance, in Singapore, AI, we focus it on a few areas, like financial services, logistics, transportations, areas that we are already known for. But I just want to make one important point-, GC: Very quickly-, SI: Which is trust. GC: Trust. SI: I think, if you don't have trust, then it is very hard to take the full benefit-, GC: Minister-, SI: Of these technologies. GC: Thank you so much for joining us, and for your comments, and we've got to wrap it up. END Media Contact: Clarence Chen Communications Manager APAC, CNBC International D: +65 6326 1123 M: +65 9852 8630 clarence.chen@cnbc.com About CNBC: CNBC is the leading global broadcaster of live business and financial news and information, reporting directly from the major financial markets around the globe with regional headquarters Singapore, Abu Dhabi, London, and New York. The TV channel is available in more than 415 million homes worldwide. CNBC.com is the preeminent financial news source on the web, featuring an unprecedented amount of video, real-time market analysis, web-exclusive live video and analytical financial tools. CNBC is a division of NBCUniversal. For more information, visit www.cnbc.com Patient is being treated in isolation at this Everett hospital: Getty Officials in the Pacific Northwest are scrambling to isolate and contain the nations first incident of the potentially deadly coronavirus after revealing a man who recently travelled to China and fell ill on his return had been positively diagnosed. Authorities in Washington state confirmed that a man aged in his 30s had contacted his doctor after visiting the city of Wuhan, and developing flu-like symptoms a few days later. As health officials said the man, being treated in isolation at the Providence Regional Medical Centre in Everett, was comfortable, they were also racing to trace people he may have come into contact with, both in China and on his return to Washington state. This meant authorities were liaising with airlines and federal disease experts, as well as talking to the man about his trip, and the flights he took. It is known he did not fly directly to Wuhan from Seattle. We have asked for his ticket information, and the details of how he got here, but we dont have that yet, Scott Lindquist, Washington state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, told reporters on Tuesday, after officials detailed the nations first confirmed incidence of the Wuhan coronavirus, also called 2019-nCoV. Officials in Everett said they were also contacting the small number of staff and patients who may have come into contact with the man at one of their clinics. They were also implementing a screening system in their electronic records to identify patients at risk. In China, officials have said they had detected 300 cases and that six people have died so far. Reports have linked the disease to the central city of Wuhan. Experts say that number is likely to grow, with the US becoming the fifth nation to report the virus after Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Centre for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases, said having last week predicted it was possible a case would be reported in the US, it was now likely there would be more. Information is rapidly evolving. We hope over the coming days the situation will become clear, she said. Story continues Five international airports in the US have implemented screening for individuals likeliest to have travelled to Wuhan, but Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is not among them. The town of Everett, which has a population of around 110,000 people and is located around 20 miles north of Seattle, is best known for being home to Boeings assembly point, as well as being a jumping off point for the Puget Sound. On Tuesday, as dark skies threatened rain, a number of residents voiced concern about news of the coronavirus. Bruce Tipton, whose wife was being treated for lung cancer in the hospital, said it was only right that the man who fell ill be properly treated as well. Im not surprised given all the world travel there is, he told The Independent. And the way these viruses mutate is very unpredictable. Health official Chris Spitters told reporters no one wants to be the first in the nation in these types of situations (Getty) Heaven Nation, a 30-year-old woman who was walking into the hospital to seek help for a sore throat, said she was concerned about the virus spreading. She said she had two children, along with nephews and nieces. I dont like to listen to the news, she said, explaining why she had not heard of the coronavirus. Its always just about people tearing each other apart. It was reported that stocks of four US airlines that fly to China fell as news of the virus outbreak emerged. None fly directly to Wuhan, which has a population of 11m and is located in Hubei province, but because some of their Chinese partners do, passengers transfer from Chinese carriers to American ones. Officials said the man had travelled to China, from where he had moved to the US, alone. They said he was in a comfortable condition in the hospital, and had asked to use a phone to call his parents. It is not known if his parents live in China, but officials said the man, who has not been identified, was a US resident. In a sign of the mounting concern about the virus, the World Health Organisation is to meet on Wednesday to decide whether to declare the outbreak an international public health emergency. No one wants to be the first in the nation in these types of situations, but these are the types of situations that public health and its partners train and prepare for, said Chris Spitters, a senior official with Snohomish Health District. Because of this, everything has been going along quite smoothly. Read more Coronavirus: First case of deadly Chinese virus in US, officials say China coronavirus cases increase to 291 follow live updates As a virologist, I can tell you what to know about the coronavirus Coronavirus: Everything travellers need to know Lyn Godley used to be half of the design company Godley-Schwan, along with Lloyd Schwan, who died in 2001. The Crinkle Lamp, their last collaborative piece, is part of the permanent collection at both the Museum of Modern Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Godley has continued her exploration of light as an artistic medium, and the Hot Bed gallery (an offshoot of the James Oliver Gallery, in the same Chestnut Street building) is now showing her latest work, which animates programmable LEDs. The light art in Lucid Shadows: Lyn Godley changes as you approach it. The works have the appealing disco flair of a 1970s fish tank. Through Feb. 9, Hot Bed Gallery, 723 Chestnut St., 5 to 8 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 1-8 p.m. Sat. 267-918-7432 or hotbedphilly.com. A decade of luminous work If your New Years resolution was to reduce the stress in your life, consider spending some quiet time with Warren Rohrers 14 sublime abstract paintings in the Locks Gallery exhibition A Silent Call: Paintings from the 1980s. The late Pennsylvania artist (1927-1995) was born in Lancaster County and spent much of his life there. In 1984, he and his wife, Jane, moved to a house in Chestnut Hill that had been the studio of the Philadelphia painter Violet Oakley. He wrote in a sketchbook at that time that his painting attitude" had changed, although you can see the shift a few years earlier away from his carefully measured markings and horizontal bands toward amorphous fields of marks and calligraphic scratchings. His earlier works had been inspired by the grid patterns of Lancaster County fields. His 80s paintings seem more informed by the color of the sky at different times of day. Rohrer had never shied away from strong color, but he was embracing it wholeheartedly in this period. Deep phthalo and viridian greens began showing up regularly in his large works, along with turquoise, violet, and magenta. Some paintings, including Hyphen (1989) and Matrix (1985), combine those hues in an atmospheric haze. In the 90s, Rohrer began incorporating esoteric writing and images suggestive of prehistoric cave paintings in his Field: Language series of paintings. So the supremely luminous paintings here are from a moment in time to savor. In April, a show called Hearing the Brush at Woodmere Art Museum will focus on the interplay between Rohrers paintings and his wifes poetry, promising more quiet contemplation ahead. The current Silent Call exhibition is on display in Locks 2nd floor gallery. On the way up, take in the "Assemblages group show on the ground floor, with works by Edna Andrade, Joseph Cornell, Charles Fahlen, Ray Johnson, Robert Motherwell, and Louise Nevelson. Through Feb. 15 at Locks Gallery, 600 Washington Square, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 215-629-1000 or locksgallery.com. Last call Cerulean Arts Gallerys current show, Counterparts and Doppelgangers, was organized by the painter Michael Gallagher, and its worth trying to catch before it closes Sunday, Jan. 26. Gallagher has brought together works by a group of artists all graduates of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts who take their aesthetic cues from self-taught artists. James Havard is the eldest of the group, and the guiding spirit. His work in on display along with pieces by Mariel Capanna, Adam Lovitz, Henry Murphy, Bethann Parker, Liza Samuel, and Ryan Ward. The curator becomes the featured artist next month. Schmidt Dean Gallery in Cherry Hill, N.J., will exhibit Gallaghers paintings in a show that opens Feb. 8. Through Jan. 26 at Cerulean Arts, 1355 Ridge Ave., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-6 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Kerry people are storing the remains of loved ones on shelves and in presses and cupboards because none of the countys 154 public cemeteries has columbarium walls, or facilities for the internment of ashes. Such walls have a series of niches allowing ashes to be stored. Since 2017, undertakers have reported a growing trend for cremation in the county but the urgent need for walls in the cemeteries there has still not been met, a meeting of Kerry County Council was told. The countys newest graveyard, the multi-faith, non-denominational graveyard of Killarney Cemetery, still has no columbarium wall despite it being a key element of the original plans. The ashes of deceased relatives are in presses and cupboards because there is nowhere to put them, said Independent councillor Brendan Cronin. What in the name of God is taking so long? Families and undertakers too are storing the ashes of the deceased in urns on shelves on their premises, he said. Labour councillor Marie Moloney told of a burglary in Dublin recently where the house had been trashed and the owners returned to find the ashes of a loved one spread all over the place. A lot of people are happy to keep the ashes in their homes, but others are not. What is the delay with Killarney? she asked. Director of services John Breen said loan funding for the development of walls in Tralee and Killarney has been approved. The design and tender for Killarney was being progressed and the tender advertised by the end of January, he said. As this is the first development of its kind in the county, appropriate consideration had to be given to its design, layout and setting, Mr Breen said. However, Mr Moloney wants the tender for Killarney sent out this week. Petroleum refining company Indian Oil on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Petroleum Authority (NPA) of Ghana for providing assistance and technical expertise in implementation of the LPG Promotion Policy in the African country in a step that will further strengthen relations between the two sides. The agreement was exchanged in the presence of Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, High Commissioner of Ghana to India Michael Aaron, Director of Petrochemicals and Business Development at the Indian Oil G.K Satish, Marketing Director Gurmeet Singh, and other senior officials of the NPA and Indian Oil. The purpose of the MOU is to strengthen cooperation between the parties, wherein Indian Oil, the country's flagship oil marketing company, would provide support to the Petroleum Authority of Ghana in several areas such as development of health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) standards, development of licensing, permit and legal framework, development of economics for LPG bottling plant, pricing structure, and communication strategy, said an official statement. The Indian Oil will also assist in areas of infrastructure development for the new LPG Value chain, support for upgrading capacities of institutions along with policy development and review. The agreement will also provide for administrative assistance to Indian Oil in case it decides to participate as a commercial participant in Ghana's downstream petroleum sector, the statement said. The MoU between the two countries symbolises India's recognition as a leader in providing clean energy access to millions of Indians through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana successfully implemented by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with the support of oil marketing companies like Indian Oil and others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A TV presenter who underwent 15 rounds of IVF over six years believes it was a 'change in mindset' about having a family that helped her to finally become a mother. London-based CNN news anchor Hannah Vaughan Jones and her husband Lewis, both 38, spent 80,000 on treatments in their desperate bid to become parents. The couple, who appeared on Lorraine today, finally welcomed their son Matheson Calon Tallett Vaughan Jones - or 'Sonny' for short - in December 2019, after documenting their journey via social media. The new mother said that she believes that thinking positively and telling themselves that they would have a family 'one way or another', helped her to fall pregnant. Hannah Vaughan Jones and her husband Lewis, both 38, appeared on Lorraine today where they introduced their baby boy after 15 rounds of IVF over six years The new mum told how although IVF primarily comes down to 'luck', it was a 'huge burden lifted' when she and Lewis accepted they would have a family 'one way or another' She said: 'Everyone's asked since, what was the magic thing we did that resulted in Sonny. 'I think IVF just comes down to luck, but emotionally our mindset had changed. We thought, "We're not giving up, we are going to have a family". 'It was a huge burden lifted off our shoulders in a way, to say what will be will be, but we will have a family, however we do it.' When quizzed on the pregnancy, Lewis, originally of Penarth, South Wales, but now living in Twickenham, admitted that he didn't want to get too excited, due to the overwhelming heartbreak the couple had experienced in the past. The London -based CNN news anchor spent 80,000 on treatments before she gave birth to Matheson Calon Tallett Vaughan Jones - or 'Sonny' for short Lewis admitted that he didn't want to get too excited about baby Sonny, due to the overwhelming heartbreak the couple had experienced in the past He told: 'I just didn't want to count my chickens. I just didn't believe it was going to happen - because we had so much heartache for so many years.' As for the emotional toll it took on the couple, Hannah said: 'We're lucky we've always been strong and a good unit. 'But it does it takes over your life and were looking forward to just living and moving forward. 'Because everything has been on pause for so long - friends, careers - just hoping he was going to come along.' Hannah gave birth to 8lb Sonny via C-section last December and hopes her story will help other couples facing difficulties. She said: 'We wanted to make sure we were talking about the grueling process of IVF as it was happening. Hannah gave birth to 8lb Sonny via C-section last December and and hopes her story will help other couples facing difficulties The couple said they had 'almost lost all hope' of ever having children, but their battle finally paid off after Hannah gave birth to a baby boy last year 'Because that was an important part of the process, but it does give a bit of hope.' The pair desperately wanted to share realistic depiction of the brutal reality of undergoing IVF, from the injections to the hormonal impact.. Hannah told: 'Everything was kind of like "My Miracle Baby" and I just said - I don't know if I was going to get there. Viewers loved the story and couldn't help but gush over the baby boy, who had hiccups on screen. 'The hiccupping baby on #lorraine is the cutest thing ever!', gushed one. Viewers loved the story and couldn't help but fawn over the baby boy, who had hiccups on screen 'Look at those little arms. The kid is hiccuping too! Little cutie,' wrote another. A third agreed:' I know. He's soooooo cute and content. His Mum looks amazing for someone with such a tiny baby too'. Speaking last year on the 5 News Tonight Special, Fertility: Fighting For A Family, Hannah had discussed the emotional trauma of undergoing IVF. She said: 'A really hard thing for me to battle with is that feeling of jealousy,' she admits. 'It's all-consuming. Lewis has seen me in bits on the floor at hearing the news of someone I love being pregnant. 'You hate yourself for it. It's an awful response. It's envy and jealousy and impatience and all of those emotions wrapped into one.' Lewis also explained he and his wife 'can't imagine' their lives without children. He continued: 'I've never met anyone who's indifferent about their children. Most people would do anything for their children. We're exactly the same. 'We're desperate to have a family - we can't quite imagine our lives without one - so we just work really hard and put all our money into this and we make huge sacrifices outside of that, because it's the most important thing for us.' A man wears a mask while walking in the street in Wuhan, China on Jan. 22, 2020. (Getty Images) Possible Case of Chinese Coronavirus Reaches Mexican Border State: Mexican President Health officials say sickened man had stopped in Tijuana Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday that officials are investigating a potential case of coronavirusthe mysterious illness that has killed more than a dozen people in Chinain the northern state of Tamaulipas, which is located along the U.S.-Mexico border near Texas. There is already identification of two cases, one already ruled out and one in Tamaulipas that is under observation, he said in a press conference, according to El Universal. He called on Mexican medical agencies in Mexico to be on high alert over possible coronavirus cases, including individuals showing signs of fever, respiratory issues, or having traveled to China. The coronavirus is being looked into. If we have more information we will release it later today, he said, reported Bloomberg News. Tamaulipas State Health Minister Gloria Molina said that the sickened man reported his situation to officials after feeling sick, according to Bloomberg News. He had traveled to Wuhan, China, in December and is now at home under supervision, she said. Molina said the man had layovers in Tijuana, located on the U.S.-Mexico border, Bloomberg reported. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico on Dec. 10, 2019. (Henry Romero/Reuters) The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to announce on Wednesday whether the outbreak is a global public health emergency. On Wednesday, Chinese officials said the deaths have risen to 17 and the virus has spread from Wuhan around China to places including Beijing, Shanghai, Macau, and Hong Kong, Reuters reported. Hundreds of people have been infected. The virus has also been identified in Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. President Donald Trump said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a plan to contain the virus. We do have a plan and we think it is going to be handled very well. Weve already handled it very well, he told reporters in Davos, Switzerland. The CDC is terrific. Very professional. It came after the CDC confirmed on Tuesday there was one confirmed case of coronavirus in Seattle, Washington. Based on the patients travel history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected this new coronavirus. A clinical specimen was collected and sent to CDC overnight, where laboratory testing yesterday confirmed the diagnosis, the CDC said in a press release. (The patient) is in good condition and is hospitalized out of an abundance of precaution and for short-term monitoring, not because there was severe illness, Washington state health officials also said. The Chinese city of Wuhan, meanwhile, will be quarantined by officials starting on Jan. 23. That means public transportation will be suspended. Unless there is a special reason, citizens should not leave Wuhan city, the Wuhan Municipal City Government said in a statement, according to state-backed media. Airports and train stations that can be used to leave the city will be temporarily closed. The closures will continue until further announcement. "Launching College Steps at Kean University reinforces our longstanding commitment to access and opportunity for all students seeking higher education," said Kean University President Dawood Farahi, Ph.D. "This new partnership will help students, including those who might otherwise not have access to a college education, from pre-admission and throughout their time at Kean." The program will be available to current Kean students on the Union campus, as well as high school students seeking to receive transition-based support. College Steps at Kean University is designed for students, aged 17 through 26, who would like to enroll in one or more courses at the University. Students will work with trained peer mentors from Kean's occupational therapy program, among others, and will be supported by a full-time, on-site program coordinator. "The College Steps program will provide a unique, rich hands-on learning opportunity for Kean student mentors," said Kelly Sullivan, a lecturer in the occupational therapy program at Kean. "Participants will work one-on-one and in group settings to learn strategies that promote success in the social and physical elements associated with college life." The College Steps program places a strong emphasis on self-advocacy, social competencies, employment and independent living skills to prepare students for meaningful careers and autonomy after college. "Guided by our core principles of personalized learning and age-appropriate supports, students enrolled in College Steps at Kean University will benefit from a gradual and meaningful transition into an inclusive, adult learning environment," said Lauren Merritt, co-founder and chief operating officer of College Steps. Prospective students, families, school district personnel and advocates interested in learning more about the specific services offered, admissions process, associated costs and funding opportunities are invited to attend one of two information sessions scheduled for Tuesday, February 4 on Kean's Union campus. To register, click here . Individualized meetings are also available by contacting College Steps at [email protected] . The priority application deadline for Fall 2020 enrollment with Kean University's College Steps program is April 1, 2020. Additional information is available at kean.edu/collegesteps and collegesteps.org . Kean University/College Steps Information Sessions Tuesday, February 4, 2020 Noon and 7 p.m. Kean Hall (David Gibbons Conference Center, K-127) 1000 Morris Avenue Union, N.J. 07083 ( Campus Map ) ABOUT KEAN UNIVERSITY Founded in 1855, Kean University is one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, with a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving more than 16,000 students. The University's six undergraduate colleges offer more than 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers six doctoral degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master's degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. With campuses in Union, Toms River, Jefferson and Manahawkin, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University furthers its mission by providing an affordable and accessible world-class education. Visit www.kean.edu. Campus map link: https://www.kean.edu/media/campus-map Registration link: http://bit.ly/IS-2020-0204-KU MEDIA CONTACT: Margaret McCorry Director of Media Relations Kean University (908) 737-0583 [email protected] SOURCE College Steps; Kean University Related Links http://www.collegesteps.org With the best quarter and the best financial year in its history, TIS is successfully starting the year of 2020, the year of its 10th anniversary. On January 12th, 2010, TIS (Treasury Intelligence Solutions GmbH) was founded in Walldorf. The company's goal was to provide medium and large organizations with a cloud-based platform, on which they could control their global bank accounts, payments and liquidity, and make global payment processes more standardized and secure. Since then, the company has been growing on a fast track, both in turnover and number of employees year to year. The Net New ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) of 2019 grew by 64% compared to the previous year. Many well-known customers joined the growing TIS community in 2019, including GEA, MAN Energy Solutions and Siemens Gamesa. "In order for TIS to be even more successful and to grow, we have to embed market and customer requirements into our strategy. This means that we must focus and that we set the right priorities in our organization." says Erol Bozak, co-founder and CPO of TIS. On January 1st, 2020, the management team was strengthened with Erik Masing as the new COO. Erik Masing brings with him extensive experience from a wide variety of leadership roles as well as successful start-ups. "The payments market is undergoing a strong shift towards digitalization and new business models. Our company offers an innovative and sophisticated solution for standardization and automation in payments, which is adopted by more and more companies worldwide. We do not only deliver enormous economic added value to our corporate customers, but also offer banks a platform for innovative business models and thus act as business enablers." explains Masing. 2019 was a year of awards for TIS. Among others, TIS won the "Technology Innovation Award" 2019 in the "Customer Experience" category from Treasury Management International (TMI), a renowned specialist with over 25 years of experience in promoting best practices and innovations in treasury management. In 2020, TIS is ready to sustainably expand its success and its growth. TIS co-founder and CEO Jorg Wiemer: "We see attractive growth opportunities, so we will accelerate the growth rate by winning more customers in Europe and the USA, and investing more in products and teams." About TIS TIS (Treasury Intelligence Solutions GmbH), founded in Walldorf, Germany in 2010, is a global leader in managing corporate payments. The Financial Times named TIS as one of "Europe's Fastest Growing Companies" for 2019. Offered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), the TIS solution is a comprehensive, highly-scalable cloud platform for company-wide payments and cash management. It has been successfully used for many years in both large and medium-sized companies, including Adecco Group, Hugo Boss, Fresenius, Fugro, Lanxess, OSRAM and QIAGEN. Your world of Payments. ONE Login. www.tis.biz View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005518/en/ Contacts: Press Contact TIS: Treasury Intelligence Solutions GmbH Wassiliki Demiri E-Mail: Wassiliki.Demiri@tis.biz Bigg Boss 13: Shehnaz Gill Siddharth Shukla , Siddharth Fake | FilmiBeat Bigg Boss 13 contestants Sidharth Shukla and Shehnaz Gill share a great bond. Although they claim to be good friends, Bigg Boss viewers feel that something is cooking between them. Fans love to watch them together and they have even named them as 'SidNaz' and often trend this hashtag. However, the duo has officially called it quits. In yesterday's episode, Shehnaz was seen irritating Sid, who seemed annoyed. When Sana tried to rest her head on Sidharth, he pushed her away and sat in another sofa. The actor refused to talk to Sana, thereby leaving her in tears. He was seen telling, "I wasn't talking to you as a time pass. But I have noticed and learnt after meeting many people. If you can't be loyal to your parents, you can't be loyal to anybody else. I don't like to associate with such people." In the latest promo, Sidharth was seen saving Arti from nomination, which irked Sana. Sana was seen telling Sid, "I hate you," and locked herself in the bathroom. Also, when Arti tried to talk to Sana about the same, the duo got into major argument. Paras and Mahira try to stop Arti and Sana. On the other hand, Rashami was seen telling that Sidharth is Sana's game; she is nothing without him and she needs him. Paras was also seen asking Sana, if she wants to continue SidNaz or spoil it. The latter tells, "Kharab hogaya." She also tells, "Merko fake log nahi chahiye life mein." Meanwhile, the evicted contestant Himanshi Khurana was seen supporting Shehnaz. She mentioned in her tweet that Sana genuinely cried from her heart. She tweeted, "Aj shenaz dil se roi .kabhi moka mila to use baat jaroor karungi the way her father is supporting family family hi hoti hai usko dusro pe bhrosa nahi rakhna chaiye is point pe ake bilkul nahi .I'm happy asim is dr for her Asim k saath hua feeling helpless #IStandByAsim." - (sic) Also Read: Himanshi Supports Asim Riaz Post Break-up With Her Fiance, Asks Fans Not To Be Insensitive Also Read: Bigg Boss 13's Paras Chhabra Confirms His Relationship With Akanksha Puri Is Over! Unusually heavy rain is being cited as a factor in one of the worst outbreaks of desert locusts in decades across parts of East Africa and posing what officials say is an "unprecedented" threat to crops in third world countries, according to a recent report issued by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The rare outbreak is destroying crops and pastures across eastern Ethiopia and neighboring areas of Somalia, parts of Sudan, Eritrea and northern Kenya as it risks spreading further due to the continuation of favorable ecological conditions for locust breeding until around June. The report states that South Sudan and Uganda are not currently affected, but they are at risk for the species to eventually arrive. "This has become a situation of international dimensions that threatens the food security of the entire subregion. FAO is activating fast-track mechanisms that will allow us to move swiftly to support governments in mounting a collective campaign to deal with this crisis," FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said in a statement earlier this week. Dongyu said control efforts are underway, but due to the scale and urgency of the threat, additional financial backing is needed from international donors to help authorities. "Communities in Eastern Africa have already been impacted by extended droughts, which have eroded their capacities to grow food and make a living. We need to help them get back on their feet, once the locusts are gone," Dongyu said. The FAO says the devastating swarms potentially contain hundreds of millions of locusts and that the insects can travel distances of more than 90 miles in a single day. If left unchecked, the insect swarms could grow 500 times by June. In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, a Samburu man who works for a county disaster team identifying the location of the locusts, holds one on his hand near the village of Sissia, in Samburu county, Kenya. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi) It's been 25 years since people in Kenya and Ethiopia have seen swarms of this magnitude and 70 years since Kenya last encountered such an invasion of locusts. Story continues FAO officials warn that the locusts are rapidly heading toward Ethiopia's Rift Valley, known as the country's "breadbasket." "Unusually high rainfall in desert and savanna can definitely lead to blooms of rich vegetation that swarming insects like locusts will readily take advantage of," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews said. Some of the data sites AccuWeather meteorologists track suggest unusually high rainfall, which can create favorable breeding environments for the locusts, occurred on at least a few days in October to November. "The climate across the affected areas [typically] varies from favorably moist, which supports forest or savanna, as well as crops in season, to desert, which is fit for limited grazing, as crops grow only where water is available," Andrews said, adding that the region hosts a rather diverse climate. In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, a Samburu boy uses a wooden stick to try to swat a swarm of desert locusts filling the air, as he herds his camel near the village of Sissia, in Samburu county, Kenya. The most serious outbreak of desert locusts in 25 years is spreading across East Africa and posing an unprecedented threat to food security in some of the world's most vulnerable countries, authorities say, with unusual climate conditions partly to blame. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi) Andrews said the excessive rainfall could be related to the Indian Ocean Dipole, which set a record-high value during 2019. The Indian Ocean Dipole, which is sometimes referred to as the "Indian Nino" because of its similarity to its Pacific equivalent, El Nino, and refers to the difference in sea-surface temperatures in opposite parts of the Indian Ocean. "In a nutshell, the dipole is indicative of unusual sea-surface warmth in the western tropical Indian Ocean while the eastern tropical Indian Ocean has an overall temperature that is normal to below normal," Andrews said. According to Andrews, this dipole has been linked to unusual patterns of rainfall in other parts of the world, including in the Indian subcontinent, and it's one culprit behind Australia's severe drought and devastating fires. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP One of the factors that worsened the situation was the heavy rain unleashed by deadly Cyclone Pawan in early December across Somalia. "The already threatening situation was further exacerbated by limited operational capacities in Somalia and by heavy rains and floods from Cyclone Pawan that will allow at least one to two more generations of breeding, causing a substantial increase in locusts over the next six months," the FAO said in the report. In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, two Samburu men who work for a county disaster team identifying the location of the locusts, are surrounded by a swarm of desert locusts filling the air, near the village of Sissia, in Samburu county, Kenya. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi) "In South-West Asia, intensive control operations were in progress along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border where numerous swarms continued to form," the FAO said. These swarms have been present in India, Iran and Pakistan since June 2019. Officials say recent rounds of heavy rain in Iran have allowed swarms to migrate to southern Iran to lay eggs, which could develop into a new swarm come springtime. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. (Writes through, adds details) By Alexandra Alper DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump struck a cautiously optimistic tone on trade talks with Europe on Tuesday, but kept the threat of new car tariffs firmly on the table. Having long accused the European Union (EU) of gaining an unfair trade advantage, Trump has threatened to slap new tariffs on European cars and car parts, a vital export product, particularly for Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy. After a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Davos, Trump said he had "very good" talks but maintained that if a deal was not struck, Washington would strongly consider auto tariffs. "We expect to be able to make a deal with Europe. And if they don't make a deal we'll certainly give that very strong consideration," Trump said on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, referring to tariffs. The United States this month concluded fresh trade deals with China, Mexico and Canada, revising earlier agreements long claimed by Trump to be unfair. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said these deals could boost the U.S. economy this year and that growth would outperform projections, including those by the International Monetary Fund. The White House has repeatedly delayed a decision on whether to impose tariffs of as much as 25% on cars and car parts from Europe, using these threats as leverage in negotiations. Europe's vast manufacturing sector sank into recession last year, mostly on waning export demand for cars, raising pressure on EU officials to agree to a deal. "The American people and the European people are good friends, and this is what were going to build on. And, indeed, we have issues to discuss and we will negotiate, von der Leyen told Trump. Trump's threat to put tariffs on a key European export has triggered a strong rebuke from European officials and companies, which are major employers in the EU bloc. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European automobile imports if Britain, France and Germany did not formally accuse Iran of breaking a 2015 nuclear deal. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Writing by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Alexander Smith) Northampton Countys district attorney said Tuesday hell investigate a single-vehicle crash involving Washington Township Police Chief Scott Miller. Plainfield Township resident Michael Drosnock said the crash Jan. 6, 2020, took out his stone walkway, two shrubs, an iron water pump and a stovepipe leading into his home on Kesslersville Road. When the pipe was hit, it jolted the pellet-burning stove inside the home an inch off its base. Drosnock said hes lucky the stove door didnt open and sparks didnt fly. Id probably be dead. It would have started a fire, he said Tuesday. The stove pipe leading to the pellet stove inside Michael Drosnock's home was ripped out during the crash on Jan. 6, 2020. The old pipe is on the ground. The new one is in the wall.Rudy Miller | For lehighvalleylive.com Miller lost control of his vehicle on the snow-covered road, according to Slate Belt Regional Police Chief Scott Mettin. Drosnock said the damage warrants further investigation. He questioned why officers didnt test Miller for drunken drinking. When asked last week whether officers administered field sobriety tests to Miller, Mettin said, Officers responded and did not find cause to take any further action other than to investigate the accident. Houck said Tuesday he wants to look at differing stories about what happened that night. Were looking into the whole thing, he said, adding the probe will include determining whether Miller was driving under the influence. At this point, Houck said he has no evidence suggesting that was the case. He said an objective set of eyes is warranted to double check the investigation and the circumstances surrounding the crash. Its just an investigation at this point, Houck said. Mettin said he agrees with Houcks decision. I appreciate him taking his time to look into this, Mettin said. Miller didnt return a message left at the Washington Township police station. Lehighvalleylive.com filed a right-to-know request on Friday seeking any documentation filed in connection with the crash and any footage shot by police body cameras. Information about the time of the crash, the vehicle Miller was driving and perhaps where he was coming from would be included in that documentation. That request is pending with Mettin. Mettin said Miller cooperated with officers when they arrived at the crash site. Drosnock said he didnt realize there had been a crash until 7 a.m. Jan. 6. The retiree is a sound sleeper who uses earplugs after working the night shift for 30 years. Drosnock said officers tried to wake him up. Still, he wishes theyd left him a note telling him what happened. He called police when he found pieces of Millers vehicle and mud strewn everywhere. The responding officers had no information on the crash on the morning of Jan. 6, Drosnock said. When he took a closer look at the debris, he said, he found a receipt with Millers name on it and a patch from a Washington Township police uniform. He called Slate Belt Regional Police to say he had information about who was responsible for the crash. After a second unsatisfactory phone conversation he went to the station to talk to police. My first question was, Did you give that guy a sobriety test?, Drosnock said. These photos show the landscaping and walkway in front of Michael Drosnock's home before the crash on Jan. 6, 2020.Courtesy Michael Drosnock These photos show the front of Michael Drosnock's home after the crash on Jan. 6, 2020.Courtesy Michael Drosnock Drosnock said Miller showed up later on Jan. 6 to collect items left behind from the crash. He blamed the crash on road conditions, Drosnock said. He did apologize, Drosnock said. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Trump tells CNBC hell slap punitive levies on EU auto imports if the bloc doesnt strike a trade deal with the US. The European Union should be accustomed by now to dealing with threats from the United States to slap tariffs on the blocs auto imports if it does not bend to Washingtons will. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump was at it again, raising the spectre of punishing the EUs auto sector if the bloc doesnt agree to a trade deal with the US. I met with the new head of the European Commission, whos terrific. And I had a great talk. But I said, look, if we dont get something, Im going to have to take action and the action will be very high tariffs on their cars and on other things that come into our country, Trump told business news network CNBC in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump told CNBC that the EU had to make a deal on trade. They have no choice, he said. In a separate interview in Davos with Fox Business News, Trump said the tariffs on EU cars could amount to 25 percent. Trump has delayed pulling the trigger on such tariffs a number of times, but has invoked them as a possible bid to gain leverage in trade negotiations. The threat is designed to get Europe to sit up and listen. Cars are a vital export for the EU, especially Germany, which is the eurozones largest economy. Last year, the blocks manufacturing sector sank into recession, largely as a result of waning export demand for automobiles. And its not just the EUs automotive sector that Trump has targeted for possible punitive measures. The US has also threatened duties of up to 100 percent on French goods, from champagne to handbags, over Paris planned digital services tax that Washington said harms US tech companies. On Wednesday, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he had agreed with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in Davos that France would not require companies to pay its digital tax this year and that Mnuchin had agreed to suspend the tariff threat in the meantime. Tensions on other trade war fronts have also showed signs this month of easing. The United States signed a phase one trade deal with China in January, soothing some of the worries that have hampered the world economy by disrupting supply chains and creating uncertainty among businesses and investors. Asked if a trade pact with the United Kingdom could come next, Trump told CNBC he was ready to make a deal with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Boris and I are friends, and he wants to make a deal, and thats OK with me, he said. The UK is due to leave the EU at the end of January, the Johnson has stated that one of the main advantages of being outside the bloc would be the ability for the UK to negotiate its own trade deals, including with the US. Were starting. Weve already started negotiating with the UK, Trump said. Bengaluru, Jan 22 : A depressed mechanical engineer Aditya Rao has surrendered as the Mangaluru airport bomb suspect. He was arrested here when he walked into the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) office in the city centre, police said on Wednesday. "Aditya Rao, 36, a prime suspect in placing a bag with an improvised explosive device (IED) or a crude bomb in it at the Mangaluru international airport on Monday, was arrested after he surrendered at the DGP office," a police official told IANS here. "Rao is said to be a depressed mechanical engineer and out of job. A couple of criminal cases were registered against him and he is on bail after two months in the Chikkaballapura district jail for allegedly making a hoax bomb call last year to Bengaluru international airport in Devanahalli, about 40km north of the city, which falls in the neighbouring district jurisdiction," the official said. Mangaluru Police Commissioner P.S. Harsha tweeted that a special investigation team from the coastal city would reach Bengaluru for taking Rao's custody and take him to Mangaluru for investigation. "The investigation team will fly to Bengaluru in the afternoon to take Rao into our custody and bring him to Mangaluru for interrogation and investigation," Harsha tweeted. "Rao was taken to a state-run hospital for check-up and will be produced in a local court for his transit custody and interrogation by the Mangaluru police," the Bengaluru official said. Karnataka Home Minister Basavraj Bommai told reporters here that the suspect was arrested by the Halasuru Gate police station circle inspector after he surrendered to state DGP-IG (Inspector General) Neelamani Raju at her office near the station. "The suspect seems to have admitted to have left a bag containing some bomb-making material at the outside counter of an airline (Indigo) office in the Mangaluru airport," Bommai said. According to preliminary investigation, Rao, a native of pilgrim town Udupi in the state's coastal area, travelled to Bengaluru from Mangaluru in a lorry overnight and decided to surrender before the police. Interrogation of the driver of the three-wheeler autorickshaw in which Rao was seen leaving the airport in a closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) footage led the police to a hotel where the accused left some bomb-making material like white powder in the room he was staying. "Rao told the police that he was employed in the billing section of the hotel he stayed since the last two months as he could not get a better job," the official added. Panic gripped Mangaluru airport on Monday evening when the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) found a black backpack abandoned at the airline's check-in counter at Bajpe on the port city's outskirts. The bag was taken to an isolated place at Kanjur and detonated by the special bomb detection squad . A massive hunt was launched to identify and capture the accused. The management of Pinnacle Communications Ltd, on Tuesday, condemned the alleged invasion of its Abuja office by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). This was contained in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday by the lawyer to Pinnacle Communications, Abayomi Oyelola. Pinnacle Communications condemns, in very strong terms, the illegal attempt by ICPC to harass and intimidate the company and its officials and unbridled attempt to shut down its business. The action of ICPC further confirms that they have been on a witch-hunt mission from the beginning and are bent on victimizing Pinnacle Communications in direct contravention of a statement credited to the Chairman of ICPC at a speech delivered at the inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State. This statement was reported online on 20 January 2020, admonishing the staff against victimising people when doing their job. We add that they should also not scandalize genuine and law-abiding enterprises such as Pinnacle Communications Limited. Pinnacles Communication, as a law-abiding entity, expresses concern on this show of shame undertaken by ICPC and brazing use of force. The firm urged the ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, to rein in his officers and ensure they comply with the rule of law and forestall actions that could further sink the image of the Commission. Pinnacle Communications is among the defendants before a federal court in a N2.5 billion fraud suit involving the National Broadcasting Commission. It said the invasion happened on January 15, at its office located on Charles De Gaulle Street, Asokoro, Abuja, with the ICPC officials allegedly citing an order from above. Mr Oyelola said the company is a licensed Digital Switch-Over operator in Nigeria, describing the invasion as despicable and unwarranted. According to the company, the ICPC operatives had reportedly stormed the office with fully armed policemen in four vehicles, three Hilux vans, and a car, dressed in ICPC jackets that authenticated their identities to arrest the chairman and to seal the company. The companys lawyer said during the encounter, it demanded the warrants of arrest and order of the court granting the sealing of the office that legally motivated their move. It is common sense in a civilized country like Nigeria that production of a warrant of arrest is the sine qua non to entering premises and attempt to arrest people and that without an order from a court of competent jurisdiction no agency of Government has the right to seal off any business premises. There are boundless legal authorities on this. We consider the futile attempted invasion, intimidation and threat as clear evidence of the desperation of ICPC. ICPC had filed charges relating to fraud against Pinnacle Communications and its directors. This case is still pending in court. Issues have been joined and witnesses called and cross-examined. We need not say more than that in order not to be contemptuous of the court handling the pending litigation. But can this be a sign that what they apparently cannot get through the court they want to get by force? He added that the operatives failed to produce any document but rather claimed that they were working with geographical coordinates. READ ALSO: It further said that its officials, could hear the conversation and the operative said: we are here already, we have not entered, they claim he is not around, No pressmen, nobody. Afterwards, the operative on the telephone suddenly said to his colleagues lets go, lets go, lets go, and they left hurriedly, like a botched operation. The Pinnacle officials heard the operatives lamenting on their way to their vehicles that they should have shot (gunshot) their way into the premises as soon as they arrived. This no doubt amounted to regulatory terrorism. The company urged the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to help investigate the matter. We are also urging the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, to swiftly check the excesses of the ICPC and investigate this matter with a view to defeating the obvious display of prejudice in the agencys dealings with Pinnacle Communication Ltd. Efforts to reach the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, were not successful on Wednesday morning. She did not pick several calls made to Court Charges The ICPC in February 2019 filed a 12-count charge before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, against the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa, and Dipo Onifade, the Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Pinnacle Communications Limited respectively, for allegedly misappropriating N2.5 billion. Despite the ICPC failing to produce the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, to testify in court, a statement he made to the agency, tendered in court, indicated that he gave the approval for the release of N2.5 billion to the NBC, as seed grant for the Digital Switch Over project of the federal government. Advertisements Mr Mohammed was meant to explain his role in the alleged misapplication of the N2.5 billion funds for the federal governments Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme. The boss of Sainsburys has quit after almost six years at the helm of the supermarket. Mike Coupe said he intends to stay in his role until the end of May. He will be replaced by Simon Roberts, the chains retail and operations director, who will start in June. Mr Coupes tenure is expected to be seen mainly for attempting a series of acquisitions including buying Argos and Habitat, and the failed merger with Asda which was blocked by competition officials. He has agreed to waive any future bonuses, but he will still receive his bonus for the coming year alongside a proportion of his 962,000 base salary until he leaves. Mr Roberts will have a base salary of 875,000 a 9% cut on Mr Coupes with pension contributions of 7.5% from the business. Expand Close Simon Roberts will be the new boss of Sainsburys, starting later this year. (Sainsburys/PA Andrew Porter / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Roberts will be the new boss of Sainsburys, starting later this year. (Sainsburys/PA His pension benefit will be 7.5% of salary, in line with the pension opportunity offered to the workforce generally. Sainsburys contribution to Mr Coupes pension was 30%. Chairman Martin Scicluna, who led the hunt for Mr Coupes replacement, said: Mike has been bold and ambitious on behalf of our shareholders, customers and our colleagues. Investing heavily in convenience, online and our digital capability, selling Sainsburys pharmacy business and acquiring Argos and Nectar have all been sound strategic moves. These set us up well as we come together to create one multi-brand, multi-channel business for our customers. Mr Coupe attempted to expand Sainsburys offering through acquisitions, but also through heavy cost-cutting in staffing and management levels throughout the business. His final takeover battle proved a step too far as the Competition and Markets Authority blocked a deal with Asda, despite Mr Coupes insistence that it would help reduce the price of goods for shoppers. He had caused unease at Asdas parent company Walmart after he was caught on camera singing Were in the Money from the musical 42nd Street. This has been a very difficult decision for me personally. There is never a good time to move on, but as we and the industry continue to evolve, I believe now is the right time for me to hand over to my successorMike Coupe A process to find Mr Coupes replacement started a few months ago under Mr Scicluna who himself joined the supermarket just over two years ago. At the time of his appointment, the chairman was asked whether he wanted to replace Mr Coupe, but said no plans were in place. In an interview with The Times, he was asked whether Mr Coupe would be sacked, responding: A hundred per cent, no. Mr Coupe said he was leaving after the most challenging and competitive time of a 35-year career in retail. He added: This has been a very difficult decision for me personally. There is never a good time to move on, but as we and the industry continue to evolve, I believe now is the right time for me to hand over to my successor. Mr Roberts said: As we come together, I am feeling hugely energised by what we can do for our customers and our colleagues. I firmly believe in our ability to create value for our shareholders as we continue to evolve and adapt this great business for the future. Mr Roberts has been with Sainsburys since July 2017, having previously worked as president of Boots UK, and 15 years at M&S running stores during its peak period between 1993 and 2003. Delaware County Sheriff Jerry Sanders said a dog bite suffered by a deputy while serving a warrant Tuesday evening has underscored the need for deputies to receive pay commensurate with the risks of their job. I again want to reiterate the dangers that the deputy sheriffs face every day, which are on par with that experienced by municipal police officers, said Sanders in a release. We cannot put a price on life. We can attempt to show that we respect and value the risk peace officers are exposed to daily. Deputy Sheriff Patrick Toner was covering the rear door of a Darby Borough home while two other deputies, Sgt. Robert Viglione and Cpl. Nicholas Thomas, were making contact with a resident at the front door, according to the release. A large Cane Corso-Bull Mastiff mix exited the rear of the house at speed and gave Toner a significant bite wound to his right hand, the release says. Darby police arrived to assist and summoned emergency medical personnel. Toner was taken to Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital for treatment, then transferred to Penn-Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. Sanders said he visited the deputy, who is on the mend and in good spirits, but will be out of work and require follow-up treatment by an orthopedic hand specialist. These deputies could have easily come upon a situation far worse, with more severe consequences a risk they take every time they go throughout the county to serve warrants or perform other duties of a deputy sheriff, said Sanders. This is why I am adamant that the pay scale of these fine men and women must be made more equitable, in comparison to other members of the law enforcement community in the county who all faithfully serve and protect our communities. Sanders has pushed county council to increase salaries for deputies since taking office in 2018. He had asked for a $5-per-hour increase, which he said would bring deputies on par with the lowest-paid police officers in the area. Council approved a $2.18-an-hour raise for deputies in September, which brought salaries from $12.86 to $15.04 an hour, or slightly more than $30,000 annually. Delaware County is currently undergoing a comprehensive compensation study that could be completed within the first half of 2020 and implemented over the next two or three years. Authorities in Vietnam froze the bank account of an activist last week after she collected donations for the family of a village leader killed by police in a deadly clash over land rights outside Hanoi earlier this month. Le Dinh Kinh, 84, was killed on Jan. 9 as farmers in Hanois Dong Tam commune threw grenades and petrol bombs at police in the latest flare-up of a long-running dispute over a military airport construction site near the capital. Police attacked first in the deadly clash that claimed the lives of the elderly community leader and three police officers, though, a report drawn from witness accounts and released last week by journalists and activists says, contradicting official accounts. Speaking on Tuesday to RFAs Vietnamese Service, Nguyen Thuy Hanh said that her account containing 500 million dong (U.S. $22,000) was frozen by the Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, also called the Vietcombank, on Jan. 17. The sizeable balance consisted of contributions from about 700 individuals offering their condolences and support to the family of Le Dinh Kinh, she said, adding that she learned three days later that her account had been frozen. I asked them why they had blocked my account, and they said that they had done it at the request of higher authorities, Nguyen said. After leaving the bank, she was stopped about a kilometer away by uniformed police who took her to the investigation department of the Ministry of Public Security for questioning, she said. The police asked me about my bank account, wanting to know if I had ever met Le Dinh Kinh or if I knew any of the individuals who sent money for his family to my account, she said, adding,I told them that I didnt know them. How could I possibly make the acquaintance of over 700 people? she asked. After questioning Nguyen for an hour, they told her to sign a document, which she refused to do. Then they let her go, she said. 'We only wanted to help' Also speaking to RFA, Chieu Anh Nguyenone of the contributors to Nguyens accountsaid that she had sent in 10 million dong ($500), of which 5 million dong had come from former political prisoner Nguyen Dang Minh Man, to help support Les family. We had only hoped to support Les family and had no other reasons for doing this, Chieu said. We were shocked when we heard the police had said the money was sent in to support terrorist acts. It is unacceptable that Vietnamese security officials should control the operations of the Vietcombank, she said. Meanwhile, Hanoi-based attorney Hoang Cao Sang told RFA that Vietnams Ministry of Public Security should not freeze individual accounts at a bank without providing documented proof of violations. If any bank closes an account without legitimate reasons, the account holder can sue the bank to have that account re-opened, he said. In a Jan. 20 statement, the banned U.S.-based Viet Tan opposition party voiced its support for the families of the victims of Dong Tam and its concern for the 22 commune residents now held by police on charges of "murder" and "obstructing law enforcement officers." We anticipate that the Ministry of Public Security will continue to launch campaigns and attacks targeted at those speaking up against the regime, Viet Tan said, adding, [We] call on the international community to demand a transparent and impartial investigation of the [Dong Tam] incident. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huynh Le. Written in English by Richard Finney. Trawlers charged with illegal fishing continue to dodge fines in Ghana by Steve Trent January 22,2020 | Source: Modern Ghana In June last year the vessel Lu Rong Yuan Yu 956 was caught with illegal nets and undersized small pelagic fish onboard the staple catch of the artisanal canoe fishers. The US$1 million fine that was imposed is the statutory minimum under Ghanas 2014 Fisheries Amendment Act. However, owners have refused to pay the fine. Last year, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) praised the Fisheries Commissions decision to publicly pursue the full US$1 million fine. This is worthy of recognition, the NGO said, since even after the act was passed other perpetrators have paid lower sums, or undisclosed amounts in opaque out-of-court settlements. In 2017, for instance, the owners of a Ghanaian-flagged industrial trawler, Meng Xin 16, refused to pay a fine imposed by an out-of-court settlement committee in a case of illegal trans-shipment. The vessel has since paid an undisclosed sum and been re-licensed to continue fishing. Another vessel, the Meng Xin 29, which was fined for illegal fishing in 2019, has also refused to pay and since been re-licensed to fish. Around 90% of Ghanas industrial fishing fleet is linked to Chinese ownership, an EJF investigation revealed in 2018 . As Ghanas fisheries laws prohibit foreigners from engaging in joint ventures in the industrial trawl sector, Chinese organisations operate through Ghanaian front companies, using opaque corporate structures to import their vessels, register and obtain a licence. These underhand dealings have precluded attempts to ensure the true beneficiaries of illegal activities are held to account, says EJF. Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. Amateur radio conference in Munich The program of the large, traditional amateur radio conference in Munich was published. The DARC district of Upper Bavaria is holding the conference together with the Munich University of Applied Sciences. The date is Saturday / Sunday, February 29th and March 1st, 2020. 14 lectures cover many topics, from 8 kHz to 10 GHz, digital radio on shortwave and higher, and various construction projects. There is also a supporting program: on Saturday there are some relevant dealers on site. Several groups present their activities. Various measuring stations for up to 75 GHz are again available on both days, supervised by employees of the well-known Munich manufacturer. There will be a US license exam on Sunday morning. Further details can be found on the website www.amateurfunktagung.de The conference is free of charge Among the pets currently available for adoption at the BARC Animal Shelter in Houston is Zeus, a very big boy that thinks he is a tiny puppy. Shelter representatives said the 1-year-old male Anatol Shepherd mix is full of energy and can't wait to find his new family. Also available is Travis, a 3-year-old male tricolor Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix that shelter representatives describe as "the life of the party." This sweet boy loves attention and knows how to sit. Pippy, 4-year-old, female, red/white Staffordshire mix, is looking for her future best friend, too. Shelter representatives said this adorable girl loves to "talk" with cute noises and always has plenty to say. Her upbeat personality means she loves toys and to play and would be a great fit for an active owner that can keep her busy. Pippy, Zeus and Travis can all be adopted today for just $10, thanks to BARC's "Waggy Wednesday" promotion. The promotion reduces adoption fees to just $10 for all dogs five months and older and will run every Wednesday through January. For those that can't make it into the shelter on a Wednesday, BARC is also offering $20 adoption fees for all dogs weighing at least 20 pounds throughout the month of January. BARC is full of loving animals that are eager to leave the shelter. Click through the photos above for a look at BARC's adorable residents, currently available for adoption... Those interested in adopting must be 18 years of age, have a valid, government-issued photo ID with matching current address and are required to fill out an application at the shelter. Normal adoption fees are $50 for dogs and $75 for puppies up to four months old. Adoption fees include spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccinations, microchip with lifetime registration and rabies vaccination/city license. For more information on adoptions, email BARCadoptions@houstontx.gov. BARC is located at 3300 Carr Street. Adoption hours are from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day. To volunteer at the shelter, click here. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: New Houston-area animal shelter set to open this summer will double capacity levels Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com The level of development and the level of growth in these areas is significant in California and throughout the western states, said Arindam Samanta, director of product management and innovation at Verisk, adding that the analytics company considers a variety of risk factors, including the distribution of wildlands, topography, road networks and wind patterns, in addition to where properties are being built. When we look at all of these factors in association with where properties are being developed, youll see that in California alone about two million or more locations of properties are at high risk because of a confluence of these factors and the locations of properties throughout the state. And if you look at all the western states combined, we see more than 4.5 million properties that could be at high risk. Read more: Are we entering a hard market due to increasing cost of natural disasters? The issue of wildfires is clearly not one to scoff at and, in turn, the insurance industry has become more aware of this threat as insurers adjust their underwriting processes to account for it. There has been a greater recognition of the high level of exposure that exists throughout California and other states in the west where wildfire risk is the reality of the climate of those states, explained Samanta. As insurers have recognized this problem, they have also reached out to us and we have been working on how data and analytics can help with defining the underwriting process or refining the rating process and the concentration management process. I think thats been the main change thats been happening over the last several years and this is something that we also see as more and more crucial. Nonetheless, while knowledge is power, the reality of losses from all natural catastrophes, and not just wildfires, experienced in recent years has made the property insurance market a challenging one. Losses from around the country and around the world have led insurers to look for increases in the California book of business to make up for losses felt elsewhere, in spite of a calmer wildfire season in the state, according to Rich Gobler, corporate senior vice president and managing director at Burns & Wilcox. As a result, added Ian Hanson, associate vice president at Burns & Wilcox, A lot of the insurance out there has dried up, so what theyre willing to put up is limited in scope and theyre not going to be as aggressive in higher risk areas. Just take a look at wineries in California, which relied on Lloyds of London and specifically the London Cargo Market for its inventory Stock Throughput policies. Yet after a tough year in 2017 that saw Lloyds suffer a $2.6 billion loss, the historic market initiated a strategic review, which included the axing of unprofitable lines. For vintners and growers in California, this resulted in Lloyds taking a hard stance against insuring wine stock halfway through 2019, leaving the US domestic market under great pressure to provide the much-needed coverage. With Lloyds taking a step back from California, thats put pressure on other markets as well. Lloyds is typically the CAT writer, so they specialize in it whereas the domestic markets pick and choose some want to be on CATS and some dont, explained Gobler. So, its definitely affecting the market with rate increases and lack of capacity. Another issue in California is that significant wildfires are now taking place regularly, with 12 of the 20 largest wildfires occurring since 2007. The fact that many wildfires are manmade also sets the risk apart from hurricanes or wind-related events, since they are not exclusively occurring within a single season. As insurers limit what theyre willing to write in these high-risk areas, Gobler has a few tips for agents navigating the market. Be educated on the marketplace, he recommended. You dont have to necessarily use us to bind every account, but use a knowledgeable wholesaler. We do a lot of education with our agents and were not always the best solution, but we really know the market. So, use your wholesaler to help you navigate this market and we can tell you, You cant do this and maybe you should go to the FAIR Plan for this one thats what were here for. Brian McEntee with his car on Kauffman Street in South Philadelphia. The former prosecutor's car was "courtesy towed" while he was out of town. After reporting it stolen, the car was eventually found a mile away from where it had been legally parked. Read more One day around noon in early October, Brian McEntee was walking down Queen Street in South Philadelphia to the spot where he had parked his Honda CR-V. It wasnt there, he said. McEntee, a 39-year-old former assistant district attorney, did some amateur sleuthing. He found out from neighbors that legally parked vehicles had been towed from the block earlier that week apparently without notice for a historical marker dedication attended by Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials. Now, McEntee had two simple questions: Who took my car? Where is it now? There has to be some kind of paper trail, the lawyer reasoned, so someone knows where the heck the car went. He was wrong. No one in city government had any answers. The Philadelphia Parking Authority told him to contact the Police Department. Neither agency had a record of towing his car. The police officer who came to his house also had no idea where it was but took McEntee on a 45-minute ride-along search in the back of her cruiser to no avail. Turns out McEntee had been courtesy towed, a Philly euphemism (origin unknown) used to describe when a vehicle is parked legally but must be relocated (official term) by police, the parking authority, or a private tow company to clear the street for an event, repaving, or utility work. Its an antiquated system that can be comically inefficient, plagued by vague and conflicting policies and shoddy recordkeeping. Or, as a police spokesperson recently put it, logistical hurdles. After the unsuccessful search for his Honda, McEntee was forced to file a stolen-vehicle report and an insurance claim. He started thinking about buying a new car. I was about to give up, he said. Then Before finalizing the insurance claim, McEntee took a bike ride down to Pennsport. And there it was. Under I-95. About a mile from where hed parked it. I saw my car, he said. I was like, Thats it! For each courtesy tow, handwritten driver logs are supposed to be faxed to the police radio room and district headquarters, then entered into a searchable database, according to police. The idea is that exasperated vehicle owners will call 911 at some point, and then an officer can call up the database and assist them in finding it. It doesnt always work that way. Sometimes, the information isnt promptly relayed to the Police Department. Other times, such as in McEntees case, there is no record of the tow at all, leading to erroneous stolen-vehicle reports that waste police resources. Frustrated drivers are left to wander the surrounding blocks with their key fob, pushing the button like lab rats seeking a responsive beep or honk assuming the car hasnt been moved to another neighborhood altogether. In addition, private tow companies, acting under the citys authority, have been known to relocate legally parked cars and call it a day without reporting the tow to anyone. The Inquirer recently spoke to more than a dozen people with disappearing-car stories. Reddit and other online message boards are full of Philly drivers seeking courtesy-tow advice or venting about their experience. Quantifying the problem is difficult when the tows are not documented. Through a Right-to-Know request, The Inquirer obtained four years of relocation logs from the Police Department and two years of logs from the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The police records show more than 2,000 relocations in the last two years. The parking authoritys handwritten log is sparse, and many of the tows documented there do not appear in the police logs. What a nightmare, said Chris Mauro, a lawyer in Center City who recently had his Acura courtesy towed about a mile away, apparently to make way for construction. A police officer again, pleasant, but lacking any useful information drove Mauro around, with no success. The day before, the officer told him, she had spent hours doing the same thing for another driver who was towed. Im like, Are we just driving around anywhere, aimlessly looking for this? Mauro asked the officer. And shes like, Yeah, its crazy. She said I should be writing a letter to City Hall because its a really bad system. Mauro also had to file a stolen-vehicle report. Then, he took matters into his own hands. The next day, he went to the construction site near where his car had been towed and began investigating, eventually locating a man who recalled seeing a guy with a ponytail towing cars there. Through another person at the site, Mauro was able to connect the ponytailed driver to a specific towing company, which then provided him with the location of his car, around Christian Street. I would have never found it, Mauro said. Some of the people interviewed for this story were even slapped with parking tickets courtesy of the PPA, of course because the vehicle they had parked legally was dropped off at an illegal parking spot or exceeded the time limit there. It was literally parked in the turning lane, said Rachel Sclarsky, a veterinarian who found her Hyundai sitting in the middle of Washington Avenue in September after it was towed from her legal parking spot on 15th Street to the other side of her Graduate Hospital neighborhood. Walking up to it, I was like, This is a joke.' As an added bonus, four tickets totaling more than $100 were left on the windshield. She is contesting them with the PPA. Every time Ive gone on a trip since then I wonder if my car will still be there when I get back, Sclarsky said. Some have failed in their attempts to appeal parking tickets that resulted from a courtesy tow. In the summer of 2018, Abigail Dahan, a local pastry chef, had parked her car in her normal place, near 16th and Locust Streets, in a residential parking spot for Zone 1 residents. When she went to get her car a few days later, it was missing. Obviously it freaked me out because I couldnt find it, Dahan said. When she called police, an officer told her there was a record of her car being relocated. But the operator couldnt read the handwriting on the log. She decided to call back the next morning, which is when the police operator gave her an address on Lombard Street, east of Broad Street. It was outside of Zone 1, where she has a permit to park. I ended up getting ticketed and when I tried to fight the ticket I didnt put my car there. Im definitely Zone 1. It got moved because of roadwork they wanted nothing to do with it, Dahan said. They said, Nope you still have to pay, which was infuriating, obviously. Courtesy tows begin at the city Streets Department, where anyone can apply for a parking restriction permit. Once the permit is approved such as for a movie shoot, festival, utility work, or a person moving who needs to block off space for a truck temporary no-parking signs are supposed to be posted 24 to 48 hours in advance of the event. The relocation destinations vary widely. Some vehicles are moved a few blocks, others more than a mile away, police records show. The Inquirers analysis of police data identified a trash-strewn block of Ellsworth Street near 24th as a favorite dumping ground for towed vehicles more than 110 tows to that area since 2016. PPA spokesperson Marty ORourke said the parking authority relocates vehicles within a four-block radius. But Inspector Sekou Kinebrew, a police spokesperson, said the Police Department does not have a set radius. Were not looking to go farther than necessary, he said. Every neighborhood has its own demographics, population density, vehicle density, so a lot of times that determines how far it goes. Regardless, Kinebrew said, by the end of an event that triggers vehicle relocations, there should be a record of the tow in the system. There are better ways to do this. In Chicago, for instance, city tow drivers use handheld devices to input information into a service-request system. It is posted online in real time and searchable by license plate or other information. Having a central system where we can track all of this helps make things a lot easier, said Marjani Williams, spokesperson for Chicagos Streets and Sanitation Department. Kinebrew said the Police Department would be willing to evaluate Philadelphias procedures. We dont want anyone inconvenienced, Kinebrew said. We dont want anyone having that momentary time of panic believing that their car was stolen. Of ticketed vehicles, Kinebrew said: That shouldnt happen. But if someone says it did, Im not going to argue with them. That couldve happened. Dahan, the pastry chef, had her red Honda Civic relocated a second time the summer of 2018. She arrived at the spot where she had last parked and found it empty. Im like, OK, Im familiar with this, I know this thing, I know this routine, she said. She immediately called police. They say: No, we dont have any record of towing your car. You should call the towing companies. The companies she called had no record of her car. Two days later, she filed a stolen-vehicle report and called her insurance to file a claim. Nearly two months went by and she finally received a call from the insurance company saying they had accepted her claim. Moments later, police called. They were like, Hey, are you still looking for your car? And I was like, Yes, I am still looking for my car, and they said, Well, we found it. The car was neatly parked on a residential street near 21st and Lombard Streets. It was Zone 1, so she didnt have any parking tickets. There was some damage to the drivers side door. Dahan has since decided to pay for a $280 monthly garage pass. I would rather do that than deal with the stress of this weird thing they do that they move cars without telling people, she said. LANSING, Mich., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, Jan. 29, students and educators will gather at the Capitol to share information about all of Michigan's K-12 school optionstraditional public, charter, public magnet, private, online, and homeschoolingand rally for increased opportunities. The rally represents one of Michigan's largest events during School Choice Week. From 10 a.m. to noon, legislators will visit the North Corridor to explore school booths and talk to staff, students, and families about what makes each school unique. At noon, attendees will gather at the Capitol Rotunda to present the official School Choice Week proclamation, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, hear a student reflection on the transformative impact of choice, and enjoy a student dance performance. The Michigan Capitol Rally is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "We're excited to host students, teachers and parents representing a variety of different quality education options, and to allow lawmakers to better see the power of letting all Michigan families choose the learning environment that gives their children the best chance to succeed," said Ben DeGrow, director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Event planners include Michigan's Charter School Association and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, as well as the Michigan chapter of National Coalition for Public School Options, the Michigan Catholic Conference and the Great Lakes Education Project. The State Capitol is located at 100 N. Capitol Ave. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/michigan. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com Aligarh, Jan 22 : Magsaysay Award winning human rights activist Sandeep Pandey has been booked for allegedly making inappropriate comments against Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar. The complaint has been filed by the national Vice-President of Hindu Mahasabha, Rajiv Kumar, who has claimed that Sandeep Pandey made the comments while addressing anti-citizenship law protesters at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Sunday. The FIR has been lodged at the Civil Lines police station under Sections 153 A (provocation with intent to cause riots) and 505 (1)b (inciting public or community to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal Code. In his address, Pandey had said that people 'dividing Hindus and Muslims' were the ones who had done the same thing during British Raj. He had claimed that 'masked goons' hired by some right wing organisations had disrupted peaceful protests in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU, and they were the real culprits behind the violence in these institutions. Meanwhile, talking to IANS, Pandey said that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh had made it a habit of targeting him for all that was wrong in the state. "I am now used to being targeted. The government did not allow me to hold a candle march for Kashmiri people after the abrogation of Article 370. I was put under house arrest. Earlier this month, I was prevented from going to Ayodhya. These are pressure tactics to crush the democratic rights of citizens to protest peacefully," Pandey said. Patna: Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressedher desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd-turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has not done enough justice to our history. The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session. Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar. The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here, she said. Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai, the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in Manikarnika, when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history. A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood insiders like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teachers stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school. When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic Thalaivi, based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The actress said her forthcoming release Panga is a family drama. Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on Litti Chokha, a local delicacy. She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan. An Iranian lawmaker on Tuesday offered a USD 3-million reward to anyone who kills US President Donald Trump to avenge the assassination of a top general, semi-official news agency ISNA reported. Ahmad Hamzeh, a little-known member of the Majlis, made the offer on behalf of the people of Kerman, the hometown and final resting place of storied commander Major General Qasem Soleimani. We will give USD 3 million to anyone who kills Trump, Hamzeh, who represents Kahnouj county near the southeastern city of Kerman, was quoted as saying by ISNA. He did not say who would pay the bounty offer, which comes a month ahead of a parliamentary election. Soleimani, one of the most popular public figures in Iran, was killed on January 3 in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport. Washingtons ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Robert Wood, told journalists in Geneva that the offer was just ridiculous. But it gives you a sense of the terrorist underpinnings of that regime, and that regime needs to change its behaviour, he said. President Donald Trump hailed Elon Musk as "one of our great geniuses" and suggested that the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX is in the pantheon of brilliant inventors a la Thomas Edison. The president expressed amazement at the accomplishments of rocket-maker SpaceX, in particular, which is aiming to send a crew of astronauts for the first time to the International Space Station this year. You have to give him credit. I spoke to him very recently, and hes also doing the rockets. He likes rockets. And he does good at rockets, too, by the way. I never saw where the engines come down with no wings, no anything, and theyre landing. I said Ive never seen that before, Trump told CNBC on Wednesday. He also mentioned Musk in the same vein as Edison, who was famously a rival of Teslas namesake, inventor Nikola Tesla. We have to protect Thomas Edison and we have to protect all of these people that came up with originally the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things. And hes one of our very smart people and we want to cherish those people, Trump said. "He's done a very good job." Trump also seemed to be aware of Musks entanglement in 2018 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which had briefly sought to bar the CEO from leading a publicly traded company after he spuriously claimed on Twitter that he had funding secured to take Tesla private. Musk later agreed to a settlement with the SEC in which he agreed to social media restrictions and stepped down as chairman but was allowed to continue as CEO. Porsche was famous for sports cars: Then along came the SUV and everything changed Is your Bed Bath & Beyond store closing?: See the full list of the 40 stores shuttering in 2020 Trump said "I was worried about him" at one point. You go back a year and they were talking about the end of the company. And now all of a sudden theyre talking about these great things, Trump said. He also said Musk "has to" build a "very big plant" in the U.S. because "we help him, so he has to help us." Tesla has benefited from consumer tax credits for electric vehicles. Story continues A Tesla spokesperson was not immediately available to comment Wednesday. Musk briefly served on one of Trumps business councils in early 2017 before resigning after the president announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from a global climate accord. Musk has tweeted that hes supporting Democratic entrepreneur Andrew Yang for president. President Donald Trump talks with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, center, and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon during a meeting with business leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump: Elon Musk is 'one of our great geniuses' like Edison The underwater ruins of the RMS Titanic are now under the protection of a joint treaty between the United States and United Kingdom. The UKs Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani announced Tuesday that the treaty will allow the two countries to grant or deny licenses from divers looking to explore the historic remains. This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives, Ghani said at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland. %image1 The two countries will also work with Canada and France to protect the historic wreck located 2.5 miles beneath the surface of the sea. The wreck is located about 370 nautical miles south of Newfoundland, Canada. Because the wreck is located in international waters, it hadnt ever been protected by explicit legislation. The UK signed the treaty back in 2003 but it is only coming into force now as the U.S. didnt ratify it until the end of last year. In August, divers visited the site of the Titanic for the first time in 14 years and were shocked at the ships rapid decay and said it was being consumed by the ocean and returning to its elemental form. The unsinkable Titanic came to its end on its maiden voyage in 1912. Only 706 of the 2,223 passengers and crew survived. A replica of the ship is currently under construction at a resort in China. Visitors will be able to board the life-size remake that will sink when they board. Attorneys for Wayne Wilkerson, who is alleged by the federal government to be the ring leader of a "cream scheme," said he should be found not guilty of all charges. A 40-page legal brief from attorney Mark Thomas of Gainesville, Fla., says there was no proof shown during the lengthy trial that Wilkerson violated any law. Prosecutors said Wilkerson made over $14 million and Michael Chatfield $5.4 million from encouraging others to order creams that were billed to insurance companies at prices up to $15,000 a jar. Federal Judge Sandy Mattice heard the case against Wilkerson, Chatfield, Kasey Nicholson, Billy Hindmon and Jayson Montgomery and is expected to rule next month on their guilt or innocence. The judge would set the sentence if there are any guilty findings. The legal brief says, "Whether the compounded medications at issue were prescribed pursuant to pre-existing conditions or medical necessity is the sole responsibility and authority of the prescribers and not Wilkerson. "Whether the medications were clinically effective or had side effects is the responsibility of the prescribers and the dispensing pharmacies, and not Wilkerson. "Whether the patients consented to receive the medications is the responsibility of the prescribers and dispensing pharmacies, and not Wilkerson. "Whether any patients were paid to accept medications and/or participate in a patient study is not a violation of any law. "Whether the patients received accurate and complete information as to copayments is solely the responsibility of the dispensing pharmacies and not Wilkerson. "Whether Wilkerson reimbursed any patients for their copayments, such alleged acts do not violate any law because the legal duty to collect copayments is solely that of the pharmacies, and there is no legal requirement that the patient pay the copayment. "Whether Wilkerson withheld information from patients, such as the reimbursement expense to be borne by the patients insurance plans, such alleged failures to inform do not violate any law, as even the pharmacies do not have a legal duty to disclose drug pricing to patients. "Whether Wilkerson was both a patient and a sales representative who received sales commissions on his own medications, such alleged acts do not violate any provision of law. "Whether Wilkerson employed some of the prescribing physicians, such alleged acts do not violate any law. "Whether Wilkerson targeted specific insurance plans based upon those plans formularies and rates of reimbursement, such alleged acts do not violate any provision of law. "Whether Wilkerson indeed acted or failed to act as alleged by the government, there is no pharmaceutical or insurance statute, regulation, guideline, manual, or contract that identifies such acts or omissions as discrepant under civil law (let alone illegal under any criminal law). "Whether the government has now determined, ex post facto, that Wilkerson's alleged acts or omissions constitute crimes, Wilkerson was not placed on reasonable notice of such criminality at the time (because such acts or omissions were not and are not violative of any published civil law). "The government failed to show that any act or failure to act of Wilkerson in any manner, ever, compromised the 'gatekeeping' functions of the licensed providers at issue the prescribers and the dispensing pharmacies: a) the government failed to show even a single prescription was fraudulent or false due to any act or failure to act of Wilkerson; b) the government failed to show even one instance where Wilkersons act or failure to act affected any pharmacys filling and dispensing of a medication; c) the government failed to show even one instance where Wilkerson made a misrepresentation or material omission to a Pharmacy Benefit Manager or insurance plan; d) the government failed to show even a single act or failure to act of Wilkerson that caused a prescriber to write a prescription for a medication the prescriber would not otherwise have written. "While Nurse Practitioner Candace Michele Craven testified that she wrote prescriptions for patients at Karma Medical Spa, she acknowledged that only she was responsible for determinations of adequate medical necessity, not Wilkerson. "While Nurse Practitioner Craven accepted a plea agreement regarding her prescribing at Choice MD, such plea had nothing to do with Karma Medical Spa, Top Tier Medical, or Wayne Wilkerson. "Even if the alleged acts or omissions of Wilkerson related to Karma Medical Spa and Top Tier Medical were in any manner non-compliant, these events were random, inconsistent and isolated aberrations, which essentially disproves an affirmative scheme to defraud by Wilkerson: a) there were approximately 500 patients and 3,500 prescriptions involved in the case, and the government was able to show a de minimus error rate of approximately 1% of that total; b) the governments evidence as to payments or other incentives to patients were entirely limited to sales sub-representatives such as Matthew Perkins, and limited to approximately 20 out of 500 patients; c) there was no testimony that Wilkerson knew of or authorized anyone to pay any patients for anything or to offer any patient benefits; d) Wilkerson was paid sales commissions on 2 of his own prescriptions, out of a total of 3,500 prescriptions; e) many of the prescriptions were written by Nurse Practitioner Craven, but 73 other physicians or nurse practitioners also wrote prescriptions for which Top Tier Medical earned sales commissions; f) Wilkerson paid Nurse Practitioner Craven a W2 salary based upon the number of hours she worked at Karma Medical Spa, but such salary (roughly $100,000 per year) is a fraction of 1% of the total loss amount alleged by the government (i.e., it strains credulity that Craven wrote prescriptions that lacked adequate medical necessity in exchange for her Karma Medical Spa salary); g) Wilkerson certainly paid Jared Schwab, the Pharmacist in Charge at Willow Pharmacy, for Schwabs consulting services for a few months, yet all but the initial payment to Schwab occurred after Wilkerson stopped doing business with Willow Pharmacy; h) the government did not show any payments to any pharmacists at Florida Pharmacy Solutions, Central Rexall Pharmacy, Soothe Pharmacy, or Riddle Pharmacy (there is no logic to the governments premise that payments of several thousand dollars to Schwab at Willow Pharmacy would incentivize Willow and 4 other unrelated pharmacies to fill and dispense medically unnecessary prescriptions); i) Neither Schwab nor any other pharmacist testified in the case, so the government leaves the Court to speculate as to the pharmacies knowledge and intent (and speculation is not authorized under federal law); j) the only insurance plan audit involved, that of Blue Cross of Tennessee, was closed with no findings of irregularities; k) no prescriber, pharmacist, or pharmacy has been charged with a crime in this case; l) Saige Medical, LLC, with a similar business model as Top Tier Medical, was investigated in Indiana without a finding of any illegality." Melrose Labs Now Offering Cloud Communications in Europe More businesses today are adopting cloud communications. In a bid to become the top provider in Europe, Melrose Labs,a new UK-based start-up, has launched its first services for businesses in the region. Its new voice and messaging offerings make it possible for businesses to deliver top-quality customer service while improving operational efficiencies. Included as part of the companys service portfolio are CPaaS, SaaS and UCaaS offerings for mobile, satellite, fixed line and internet communications. Company officials hope their competitive advantage and easy integration will put them on par with other large players in the space including Twilio, Vonage, RingCentral and others. In Europe, adoption of cloud services is on the rise for businesses looking to innovate. A study by Mitel found 81 percent of European companies rated access to innovative features not available with traditional telephony solutions as their main motivation for migrating to a cloud model. To help with realizing their strategic goals, Melrose Labs also said they may pursue investments in the future and would consider acquisitions as part of their growth plans. Other services to be launched in 2020 include a Tyr SMS Gateway for Bulk SMS / Wholesale SMS providers as well as a broad range of APIs for developers. The aim is to make reliable SMS texting between staff, customers and partners possible. Functions like converting speech to text and texts to lifelike speech are just some of the possibilities. There is also a Campaign feature to provide messaging options for advertising purposes. Broadcasting information about promotions, data in emergencies and more will be made possible using the services. "We aim to claim a small number of very significant mountains with our innovative cloud communications services, said Mark Hay, CEO/CTO and Founder of Melrose Labs. I firmly believe in the power of cloud communications to empower organizations to make their organization better and improve customer experience. Through voice and messaging services, Melrose Labs knows this is achievable. Where cloud communications can make a difference to our customers, we will be there with services that deliver. Please enable JavaScript to view the Edited by Maurice Nagle Homicide detectives are investigating the discovery of a body Friday on Treasure Island, police said. Officers responded around 11:45 p.m. to a report of a body found on the 400 block of Avenue M, according to San Francisco police. In the Vidhan Sabha polls later, the MNS could win only one seat despite contesting more than 100 seats. Mumbai: All eyes will be on Raj Thackeray, who is holding a mega rally of his party on Thursday at Goregaon. The Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief could announce a major shift in the partys stand on issues like Hindutva and a possible alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During the rally, Raj Thackeray is also likely to launch his son Amit into mainstream politics. There are reports that the party is planning to announce its shift from its pro-Marathi stand to Hindutva on January 23, which also marks the birth anniversary of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. In the run-up to the rally, new posters and videos of the party have emerged hinting partys ideological shift to Hindutva. The posters have a map of Maharashtra painted in saffron with the following lines: Thought about the ideology of Maharashtra, resolved to create a Hindavi Swaraj. Hindavi Swaraj is considered by many as the ideal state established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. There are also reports that the MNS has changed its party flag, which has a stamp (Raj Mudra) used during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs rule and also a change in its flag colours from saffron, blue and green to just saffron. The reports of the Raj-led party joining hands with the BJP have been doing the rounds after former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met Raj Thackeray recently. After losing its long time alliance partner Shiv Sena, the BJP is looking for new allies in the state. The MNS chief had made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah during the Lok Sabha polls campaign, though his party did not contest the general election. In the Vidhan Sabha polls later, the MNS could win only one seat despite contesting more than 100 seats. In the Assembly polls in 2009, it had won 13 seats. Since then, the MNS presence in state politics has been shrinking rapidly. More US troops were treated for concussion symptoms after a fusillade of Iranian missiles struck Iraqi bases housing coalition forces earlier this month, a top commander for the US-led mission to defeat the Islamic State (IS) said today. But Maj. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, a deputy commander of the US-led mission to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria, insisted that the diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, was likely premature after reports emerged last week that 11 American troops were evacuated to Kuwait and Germany. I know this question has gotten a lot of traction, [but] the diagnosis of TBI is probably an unfair characterization, Grynkewich said. The number of folks I would characterize it as being in the teens, he said, but did not have a full count. The Iranian barrage of ballistic missiles lasted about an hour and a half, Grynkewich said, but US troops at al-Asad and other Iraqi bases remained in bunkers for much longer, as commanders feared another assault with Katyusha rockets. Ten rockets struck the base, US Central Command reported earlier this month, and Grynkewich said they came within tens of meters of striking American forces. There was a concern in the US-led command from a pretty early stage of potential concussion systems, Grynkewich added. The Pentagon has said that the troops who left the base are expected to return to duty. The Air Force generals comments came just hours after President Donald Trump appeared to downplay the injuries in a news conference in Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Forum. "No, I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it's not very serious," Trump said. "I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I've seen." Meanwhile, the United States has resumed operations to counter IS in Iraq after a US drone strike killed Qasem Soleimani an. 3, but not on the same scale, as the Iraqi government has threatened to eject 5,300 American troops. We do have a lot of our advisory functions going on still, Grynkewich said. Were looking to respond to the Iraqi demand signal, thats really a government-to-government discussion. Seven people have been beheaded in a remote village in Jharkhands West Singhbhum district, some 200 km from the state capital Ranchi, police said on Wednesday while specifying that it was not immediately clear what triggered the killings and that it would be known only after a probe. West Singhbhum police superintendent Indrajit Mahatha underlined it is a coincidence that the seven were anti-Pathalgadi movement activists while the alleged attackers its supporters. We will be able to speak about the conclusive Pathalgadi link only after further investigation, he said. Pathalgadi refers to a traditional practice among Munda tribals of erecting stone slabs (called pathals) in honour of their ancestors, to announce important decisions and demarcate boundaries of villages. In 1996, when the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act was enacted, many tribal villages erected stone slabs quoting provisions of the law that allowed self-rule through gram sabhas. In 2017, these slabs resurfaced in several villages of Kunti and West Singhbhum districts in protest against then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments attempt to acquire tribal land for development projects. This came to be called the Pathalgadi movement. Police said it took them 24 hours to recover the bodies of the seven and a search was on to find out two other villages, who had gone missing along with them. They were on Tuesday informed that the seven had gone missing from the village in the Maoist insurgency-hit region. A search operation was launched on Tuesday morning before it had to be suspended because of security reasons. Mahatha said the operation resumed with the deployment of the additional police force on Wednesday and the bodies were found deep inside a forest. An anti-Pathalgadi group of nine people was summoned to a meeting in Burugulikera village by Ransi Budh, husband of former Mukhiya [village head] Mukta Horo, who has led Pathalgadi movement. Those summoned included deputy village head James Budh, whose body was also found. Two of the nine managed to escape and are still missing. Mahatha said the meeting was called after a group led by James Budh tried to demolish some homes in the village including that of Ransi Budh on last Thursday. The reason for demolishing the homes of supporters of Ranshi was that James wanted to prove his dominance in the village. Mahatha said three people have been detained and separate cases had been filed. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who has set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident, called the massacre unfortunate and said the law would take its own course. No one has the right to take the law into their hands. I will be taking details of the incident and proper action will follow, Soren said. Opposition BJP has accused the government of trying to cover up the murders. The state is shocked by the killing of seven tribals on the 25th day of the new government. The Hemant Soren government, which is a self-proclaimed sympathiser of the tribals, is trying to cover up the incident, said BJP leader Arun Oraon. BJP chief JP Nadda has also formed a six-member panel, which would visit the affected village. Mahatha said they had no information of the violence that preceded the killings. He said Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Kuldeep Dwivedi has suspended Gudri PS officer-in-charge Ashok Kumar with immediate effect for negligence and dereliction of duty. Mahatha said Mukta Horo has alleged that villagers led by James Budh had destroyed five houses and beaten them up them on January 16. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The entirety of US history there have been only two attempts to impeach a presidentAndrew Johnson in 1868 and 130 years later Bill Clinton in 1998. by Paul Craig Roberts Prior to the impeachment of Trump, not by Congress as presstitutes report but by self-interested House Democrats, during the entirety of US history there have been only two attempts to impeach a presidentAndrew Johnson in 1868 and 130 years later Bill Clinton in 1998. Clinton was impeached by House Republicans when he clearly lied under oath by denying his sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. The Senate refused to convict him. Enough Senators had enough sense to know that lying about a sexual affair, even under oath, did not rise to a high crime. Moreover, Senators understood that few men would be inclined to embarrass their wife and daughter, or few women their husband and daughter, by admitting publicly to a sexual affair. Andrew Johnson, a Tennessee Democrat, stood with the Republican Union of Abe Lincoln. Consequently, Lincoln chose Johnson as his Vice President in his 1864 reelection campaign. When Lincoln was assassinated, Johnson became president. President Johnson took to heart Lincolns emphasis on restoring comity between North and South. Consequently, Johnson opposed the harsh, exploitative, and demeaning policies of the Republican Congress during Reconstruction. He didnt see how the Union could be restored on the basis of dispossession of Southerners, rape of Southern women, and the infliction of general humiliation on a conquered people. The fanatical Republican Congress, however, was set on punishment and humiliation of the South. By blocking some of the most extreme Reconstruction measures, Johnson aroused the same enmity against himself as the Republicans had toward the South. A series of disputes between the President and the Republican Congress led to a resolution of impeachment drafted by the Congressional Joint Committee on Reconstruction. The charges against Johnson were contrived, a product of emotion, like the ones against Trump, and Johnsons conviction failed by one vote in the Senate. After his term ended in 1869, Johnson ran for the US Senate and won. Bill Clinton is the only one of the three to be impeached by the House for cause, but enough Senators realized that the cause was not a high crime and refused to convict. The three presidents who have been impeached are much less guilty of impeachable offences than many who have not been impeached. For example, George W. Bush took America to war based on liesfor example, Saddam Husseins weapons of mass destruction. These lies are much more serious than Clintons denial of a sexual affair. Bush failed to uphold his duties and violated the US Constitution by suspending habeas corpus and detaining citizens indefinitely without evidence and due process of law. Obama intended to invade Syria on the basis of a lie, for example, Assads use of chemical weapons, but was prevented by Russia. Obama escalated Bushs attack on Constitutionally protected civil liberty by declaring his right to execute US citizens without due process of law. Franklin D. Roosevelt kept knowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from the US Navy in order to have an infamous event that would allow him to enter the war against Germany. Even Lincoln was guilty of destroying states rights set out in the Constitution and launching a war of aggression in order to preserve the empire. There are more examples. It is paradoxical that real crimes provide less inclination for impeachment than orchestrated fake crimes. There were 11 contrived articles of impeachment against Johnson. Against Trump there are two. One is that he abused his power as president by asking the president of Ukraine to reopen the investigation of the energy company, on which Obamas Vice President Biden had placed his son as a very highly paid director. Vice President Biden had forced the previous president of Ukraine to shut down the investigation by firing the prosecutor or otherwise forfeit $1 billion in US aid. The Democrats have no evidence that Trump offered the Ukrainian president US aid in exchange for political dirt against Biden, and the president of Ukraine said there was no such offer. What would be the point of Trump asking for dirt against Biden when Biden himself boasted before the Council on Foreign Relations that he had forced the Ukrainian President to fire the prosecutor or forfeit $1 billion. https://www.nysun.com/editorials/well-son-of-a-bitch-ukraine-scandal-is-about-biden/90846/ This is common knowledge. Why should Trump have to pay Ukraine for it? Vice President Bidens clear, open admission that he did what Democrats falsely accuse Trump of doing is total proof of the utter corruption of the Democratic Party. Now, lets suppose the Democrats are correct in order to see how inconsequential and commonplace the charge against Trump would be even if true. The United States government has historically, has always, and is forever telling foreign governments to do this or that or you wont get any money. This is the commonplace behavior of the United States in its foreign policy, which is not based on normal diplomacy but on bribes, sanctions, threats, and, if the country does not comply, bombings and invasions. Trump did not tell Ukraine that he was going to sanction, bomb, or invade if Ukraine did not reopen an investigation that was closed entirely on the basis of Bidens threat to withhold US aid money. If anyone should be facing a charge, it is Biden. The second charge in Trumps impeachment is obstruction of Congress. The US Constitution gives the President the power to obstruct Congress. Every time a President vetoes a bill, he obstructs Congress. The idea that obstructing Congress is an impeachable offense is insane nonsense. It works only because Americans are ignorant. They do not know what the Constitution says or anything about the balance of powers the Constitution establishes between executive, legislature, and Judiciary. Similarly, Congress has the power to obstruct a President by refusing to ratify his treaties, by rejecting his budget and spending priorities and by refusing to confirm his appointees in office. What is the real basis of the obstruction charge? I will tell you. It means that the House Democrats could not find anything on Trump, so they charge that Trump obstructed them by hiding the evidence and not letting executive branch officials testify who would have ratted him out. That is all the charge means. The charge is that the exercise of executive privilege, which every president has used, is an obstruction of Congress. That is all the charge means. How did such an absurd charge become an impeachable offense? In the Senate the fight over the rules is a fight over whether Democrats will be able to reproduce in the Senate, in place of what is supposed to be a trial based on the evidence that led to the Houses impeachment charge, a continuation of the House circus with more witnessess, more charges, more orchestrated evidence. In other words, the Democrats intend to use the trial as a continuation of the soap opera hoping to extend it long enough that some of the mud will stick to Trump and defeat his reelection. We must ask ourselves how American politics has degenerated to such a comical level. How can the US be taken seriously as a world leader when for the entirety of a presidential term one of the two political parties has done nothing but to try to destroy the President of the other political party? Is the US going to have its own Hutu-Tutsi genocide? This question is unrelated to whether or not we approve of Trump or think that he is a good President. An unapproved President is simply not reelected. He does not need to be impeached. Obviousy, it is Trumps reelection that Democrats fear, and they are using impeachment to try to prevent Trumps reelection. This is not the function of a political party. A political party is supposed to represent the interests of its constituents. At one time, the Democrats constituents were the working class. The Republicans represented business interests. There was countervailing power bewteen the two. Sometimes business interests got the upper hand. Sometimes the working class got the upper hand. But the system worked and served both parties. What, who, does the system serve today? A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday. Former Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Jordan Mathews also videotaped himself advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains, a prosecutor wrote in urging a judge in Maryland to keep Mathews and two other members of The Base detained in federal custody. But the 27-year-old Canadian national didn't know investigators were watching and listening when he and two other group members talked about attending the Richmond rally in the days leading up to Monday's event, which attracted tens of thousands of people and ended peacefully. A hidden camera captured members of white supremacist group, The Base (file image), expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday Last month, a closed-circuit television camera and microphone installed by investigators in a Delaware home captured Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a 'boundless' opportunity. 'And the thing is you've got tons of guys who... should be radicalized enough to know that all you gotta do is start making things go wrong and if Virginia can spiral out to (expletive) full blown civil war,' he said. Mathews and fellow group member Brian Mark Lemley Jr, 33, of Elkton, Maryland, discussed the planning of violence at the Richmond rally, according to prosecutors. Lemley talked about using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to ambush unsuspecting civilians and police officers, prosecutors said. Ex-Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Jordan Mathews (pictured) also videotaped himself advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains, a prosecutor wrote 'I need to claim my first victim,' Lemley said on December 23, according to Tuesday's detention memo. 'We could essentially like be literally hunting people,' Mathews said, according to prosecutors. 'You could provide overwatch while I get close to do what needs to be done to certain things.' Lemley talked about ambushing a police officer to steal the officer's weapons and tactical gear, saying, 'If theres like a PoPo cruiser parked on the street and he doesnt have backup, I can execute him at a whim and just take his stuff,' according to prosecutors. FBI agents arrested Mathews, Lemley and William Garfield Bilbrough IV, 19, of Denton, Maryland last Thursday as part of a broader investigation of The Base. Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men linked to the group. Detention hearings for Mathews and Bilbrough are scheduled for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland. Their attorneys didn't immediately respond to the memo filed Tuesday by Assistant US Attorney Thomas Windom. Mathews and Lemley are charged with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony. Bilbrough is charged with 'transporting and harboring aliens'. Bilbrough's attorney, Robert Bonsib, said last Thursday that he was 'underwhelmed' by a prosecutors arguments for keeping his client detained. Bilbrough was the only one of the three men not facing a firearms-related charge. Last month, a closed-circuit television camera and microphone installed by investigators in a Delaware home captured Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a 'boundless' opportunity. The Base has been described as an international network of white nationalists (file image) 'I think this 19-year-old man should be released,' Bonsib told reporters. Lawyers for Mathews and Lemley declined to comment after last Thursday's hearings. Mathews, who was a combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve, illegally crossed the US border near Minnesota in August after reporting by the Winnipeg Free Press led to his identification as a member of The Base. Investigators believe Bilbrough and Lemley, who was a 'cavalry scout' in the U.S. Army, drove from Maryland to Michigan to pick up Mathews and bring him to the Mid-Atlantic region, authorities said. On January 5, Mathews and Lemley returned to the Delaware home from a gun range in Maryland and began packing rations and other material that investigators believe they planned to use during and after the Virginia rally, court documents said. They packed containers with food and supplies before Mathews remarked about needing to bring a gas mask, investigators said. Lemley also said he thought they'd have food to last between three and five months and that it 'might be enough til the war is over,' according to the filing. Lemley had also discussed loading the truck 'for the war,' the documents said. Authorities said Lemley had also bought a 4-foot metal antenna to attach to his truck to get a better radio signal to communicate after any Virginia confrontations. Luke Austin Lane, 22, Jacob Kaderli, 19, and Michael Helterbrand, 25, (left to right) were also arrested in Georgia on Wednesday on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and participation in a criminal gang A day before their arrests, Lemley told Mathews that 'there cannot be no trust among a group of murderers,' the detention memo says. 'I cannot trust you to keep my murdering secrets. Not under threat of 30 years in jail and torture. Why should I trust you?' Lemley asked. 'You realize that theyre just going to call us terrorists,' Mathews said minutes later. The Base: A militant neo-Nazi group that focuses on self-defense and preparing for imminent chaos The Base is a small militant neo-Nazi organization that emerged in 2018 and is primarily active in the United States. Group members portray themselves as vigilante soldiers defending the 'European race' against a broken 'system' that has been infected by Jewish values. The Base embraces Hitlerian ideology coupled with a mission to prepare for an impending race war. The group espouses nihilistic and accelerationist rhetoric an ideology embraced by white supremacists who have determined that a societal collapse is both imminent and necessary, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The Base organizes in the virtual space, but their on the ground presence has increased to include alleged criminal activity. Source: Anti-Defamation League Advertisement As federal agents moved in to arrest Lemley and Matthews on Thursday, the men smashed cellphones and dropped the pieces in a toilet, a prosecutor said. Bilbrough was arrested in Maryland. Prosecutors say Bilbrough has repeatedly expressed an interest in traveling to Ukraine to fight alongside 'nationalists' for several months. US and Canadian authorities had been searching for Mathews after his truck was found in September near the border between the two countries. The Canadian military's intelligence unit was investigating Mathews for 'possible racist extremist activities' for several months, according to the Canadian Department of National Defence. The Anti-Defamation League said members of The Base and other white supremacist groups have frequently posted online messages advocating for 'accelerationism,' a fringe philosophy in which far-right extremists 'have assigned to their desire to hasten the collapse of society as we know it.' Last Friday, Georgia authorities announced that they arrested three members of The Base, Luke Austin Lane, 22, Jacob Kaderli, 19, and Michael Helterbrand, 25, on charges they conspired to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group. The arrests came after an undercover FBI agent infiltrated the group and participated in shooting drills in the mountains of northern Georgia, according to a police affidavit. Separately last Friday, the Justice Department charged a Wisconsin man who they say was also a member of The Base. That man is accused of spray- painting swastikas, the group's symbol and anti-Semitic words on a synagogue in Racine, Wisconsin, in September. J. Emeny became the CEO of Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. (LON:FSTA) in 2013. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. View our latest analysis for Fuller Smith & Turner How Does J. Emeny's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. has a market capitalization of UK526m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK959k over the year to March 2019. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK430k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of UK307m to UK1.2b. The median total CEO compensation was UK888k. So J. Emeny is paid around the average of the companies we looked at. This doesn't tell us a whole lot on its own, but looking at the performance of the actual business will give us useful context. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at Fuller Smith & Turner, below. LSE:FSTA CEO Compensation, January 22nd 2020 Is Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. Growing? Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. has reduced its earnings per share by an average of 30% a year, over the last three years (measured with a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 30% over last year. The reduction in earnings per share, over three years, is arguably concerning. But in contrast the revenue growth is strong, suggesting future potential for earnings growth. These two metric are moving in different directions, so while it's hard to be confident judging performance, we think the stock is worth watching. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Story continues Has Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. Been A Good Investment? With a total shareholder return of 15% over three years, Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. shareholders would, in general, be reasonably content. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median. In Summary... Remuneration for J. Emeny is close enough to the median pay for a CEO of a similar sized company . The company isn't showing particularly great growth, and shareholder turns haven't been particularly inspiring in the last few years. While the CEO may not be underpaid, we don't think the pay is too generous either. If you think CEO compensation levels are interesting you will probably really like this free visualization of insider trading at Fuller Smith & Turner. Important note: Fuller Smith & Turner may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has watched with unfathomable disappointment and shock the development coming from the Nigerian highest judicial body known as Supreme Court of Nigeria which gave a judgment that removed the governor of Imo State His Excellency Emeka Ihedioha (CON) and enthroned the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 Governorship poll Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma (Onwa) as the winner of the election and which has subsequently seen him(Hope Uzodinma) inaugurated as the Governor of Imo State. Gentlemen of the forth Estate of the Realm, you would observe that since this verdict was made, the political and legal firmament of Nigeria have remained charged with series of public demonstrations of rejection of that verdict which is a verdict of infamy and distrust due to a number of reasons that are pointed towards the inevitable fact that the SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA SEEMS to have stood LOGIC ON ITS HEAD AND ONE OF SUCH ANOMALIES OF THAT JUDGMENT IS THAT THE NATION'S HIGHEST COURT ALLOCATED MORE VOTES OVER AND ABOVE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCREDITED VOTERS WHICH LED TO THE CHOREOGRAPHED ANNOINTING OF THE CSNDIDATE WHO CAME FOURTH TO NOW COME FIRST. Gentlemen of the media, recall that the Supreme Court had nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo state on some grounds that most legal commentators consider to be nebulous and shameful illogical. The apex court ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return from Ihedioha and issue a fresh one to APC's candidate, Hope Uzodinma The Supreme Court led by the much lampooned Chief justice of Nigeria Muhammad Tanko alongside other 6 Justices on Tuesday, January 14, nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo state and declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hope Uzodinma, as the winner of 2019 guber poll in the state. Senator Hope Uzodinma of APC had challenged the election of Emeka Ihedioha who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the tribunal to the highest Appellate forum beung the SUPREME court of Nigeria seeking to be declared as the winner of the election. Recall that the earlier results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC's Uzodimma came fourth with 96,458 votes, behind Ihedioha, Uche Nwosu of the AA and APGA's Ifeanyi Ararume. The apex court unanimously declared Uzodinma as the winner of the poll. The Supreme Court affirmed as follows: that the Illegal exclusion of votes from 388 polling units According to the Supreme Court's ruling, about 230,695 votes were illegally excluded from 388 polling units. The court, therefore ruled that the excluded votes be added, leading to Uzodinma having the majority of the lawful votes ahead of Ihedioha and others; that there were Wrong rulings at the tribunal and appeal court The Supreme Court also ruled that the lower courts were wrong in their rulings which dismissed the evidence as lacking in merit. The court held that the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal misunderstood Uzodinma's case when they dismissed the evidence presented before them. Hope Uzodinma: The Supreme Court agreed with the Appeal Court's judges who gave a dissenting judgment; he rejected the cross-appeal filed by Ihedioha and ordered him to pay N1 million to Uzodinma and the APC. The Supreme Court ruled that Ihedioha is not duly elected as he did not secure the majority votes. Meanwhile, INEC has on Wednesday, January 15,issued a certificate of return to Uzodimma hours after he was declared authentic governor of Imo state. He was subsequently sworn in but the nation has since witnessed tumultuous protests from all class of people who think that there was a miscarriage of justice in the matter decided by the SUPREME court of Nigeria and this gives rise to calls for an immediate review. We support the open demonstration of vote of NO CONFIDENCE ON CHIEF JUSTICE MUHAMMAD TANKO AND WE HEREBY CALL ON HIM TO RESIGN FORTHWITH BECAUSE OF THE TAINTED JUDGMENT WHICH IF LEFT WITHOUT BEING REDRESSED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WILL FOR A LIFE TIME REMSUN A BLIGHT IN OUR NATIONAL CONSCIENCE JUST AS THE SUPREME COURT WILL NOW ENTER THE NATIONAL HALL OF INFAMY. THE INTEGRITY, IMAGE AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY HAVE BEEN RUBBISHED BY THIS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE AND SHOYLD BE ADDRESSED. WE ARE NEITHER FOR HOPE UZODINMA NOR FOR EMEKA IHEDIOHA BUT WE ARE FOR THE RULE OF LAW. HOW CAN WE EXPLAIN TO OUR CHILDREN THAT IN AN ELECTION THAT WAS CONDUCTED AND INEC HAS A NUMBER OF ACCREDITED VOTERS BUT THE COURT WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE CONDUCT OF THAT ELECTION WILL ALLOCATE OVER 100,000 more votes over and above THE OFFICIALLY ACCREDITED VOTERS AND HOW COME ALL THE INFLATED VOTES IN THE CONTESTED POLLIBG UNITS WERE WON 100% BY THE CANDIDATE OF THE APC? TBIS IS PREPOSTEROUS. THIS MALADMINISTRATIOB OF JUSTICE BY THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA MUST BE ADDRESSED OR ELSE THE INTEGRITY OF THE NIGERIAN COURT SYSTEM WOULD BE DAMAGED FOR A LIFE TIME. Judicial integrity: a fundamental commitment by Judge Jose Igreja Matos Jose Igreja Matos is the President of the European Association of Judges and Vice President of the International Association of Judges. "Adela Cortina, a well-known philosopher, emphasizes that corruption - etymologically related with the idea of 'destruction' - is encouraged by the weakening of the so-called 'internal good', described as the reason that justifies the existence of any given profession. Since judges exist to accomplish the essential goal of delivering justice to their fellow citizens, a vigorous ethical commitment should constitute a genetic trace of its professional code. On the other hand, an irreprehensible ethical behaviour by the legal professionals, particularly judges, has an essential role in the legitimacy of the judicial system, as necessarily based on a bond of trust with the involved community. Ethics, as Rodolfo Vigo explains, endorses Democracy, since it implies an open debate about professional conducts, besides inspiring magistrates to go far beyond the mere obedience to their functional duties as prescribed by Law. Ethics strengthens and reinforces Judicial Independence by promoting the implementation of a culture of excellence, the ultimate ambition of any judiciary. The International Association of Judges is the most representative organization of judges in the world, comprising 85 national associations of magistrates from all continents. In 2014, at its 57th annual meeting held in Foz de Iguacu, Brazil, the General Assembly of the IAJ approved a Strategic Plan for the following years. One of the main points of the plan was the project 'Judges against Corruption', a concrete commitment to enhance judicial integrity and to fight corruption, one of the worst scourges of our societies. Since then the IAJ has been involved in several activities, especially in Latin America, devoted to this essential purpose. The fight against corruption within the judiciary is an essential prerequisite to demand for integrity and transparency in all other State Powers given that the only consistent demands are those legitimated by concrete examples and positive leadership. Therefore, it is now unquestionable that judges are not shying away from this relevant subject. In 2016, the first study commission of the International Association of Judges on Measures to Promote Integrity and Combat Corruption within the Judiciary supported "an emphasis on the importance of fostering a culture of integrity within the judiciary and the courts more generally". We hereby support the idea behind the protests by PDP and the decision to return to the same SUPREME COURT SO THEY REVIEW THEIR DISTORTED AND ILLOGICALITY PACKAGED AS A JUDGMENT AND DELIVER SPUND AND ACCEPTABLE VERDICT THAT WILL MEET THE BEST GLOBAL.THRESHOLD OF JUSTIXE, FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY FOR ALL LITIGANTS. Section 6 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) states thus: (1) The judicial powers of the Federation shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being courts established for the Federation. (2) The judicial powers of a State shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being courts established, subject as provided by this Constitution, for a State. (3) The courts to which this section relates, established by this Constitution for the Federation and for the States, specified in subsection (5) (a) to (1) of this section, shall be the only superior courts of record in Nigeria; and save as otherwise prescribed by the National Assembly or by the House of Assembly of a State, each court shall have all the powers of a superior court of record. (4) Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall be construed as precluding:- (a) the National Assembly or any House of Assembly from establishing courts, other than those to which this section relates, with subordinate jurisdiction to that of a High Court; (b) the National Assembly or any House of Assembly, which does not require it, from abolishing any court which it has power to establish or which it has brought into being. (5) This section relates to:- (a) the Supreme Court of Nigeria; (b) the Court of Appeal; (c) the Federal High Court; (d) the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; (e) a High Court of a State (f) the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; (g) a Sharia Court of Appeal of a State; (h) the Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; (i) a Customary Court of Appeal of a State; (j) such other courts as may be authorized by law to exercise jurisdiction on matters with respect to which the National Assembly may make laws; and (k) such other court as may be authorized by law to exercise jurisdiction at first instance or on appeal on matters with respect to which a House of Assembly may make laws. (6) The judicial powers vested in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section - (a) shall extend, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this constitution, to all inherent powers and sanctions of a court of law (b) shall extend, to all matters between persons, or between government or authority and to any persons in Nigeria, and to all actions and proceedings relating thereto, for the determination of any question as to the civil rights and obligations of that person; (c) shall not except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, extend to any issue or question as to whether any act of omission by any authority or person or as to whether any law or any judicial decision is in conformity with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy set out in Chapter II of this Constitution; (d) shall not, as from the date when this section comes into force, extend to any action or proceedings relating to any existing law made on or after 15th January, 1966 for determining any issue or question as to the competence of any authority or person to make any such law. To the pose whether the Supreme Court Possess the Powers to review it's earlier decision, we in HURIWA aggress with the opinions of many legal minds that it is worth doung and it has many precedents. Delivering the lead judgment in Adegoke Motors Ltd. v. Adesanya 1989] 13 NWLR (Pt.109) 250 at page 275A; Justice Oputa also known as the Socrates of the Supreme Court considered the powers of the Supreme Court (as the final Court in the land) to review its earlier decisions and said: *We are final not because we are infallible; rather we are infallible because we are final. Justices of this Court are human-beings, capable of erring. It will certainly be short sighted arrogance not to accept this obvious truth. It is also true that this Court can do inestimable good through its wise decisions. Similarly, the Court can do incalculable harm through its mistakes. When therefore it appears to learned counsel that any decision of this Court has been given per incuriam, such counsel should have the boldness and courage to ask that such a decision be over-ruled. This Court has the power to over-rule itself (and has done so in the past) for it gladly accepts that it is far better to admit an error than to persevere in error* Chukwudifu Oputa JSC in Adegoke Motors Vs. Adesanya. The next issue IS TO CALL FOR THE SACK OF INEC CHAIRMAN PROFESSOR YAKUBU MAHMOOD and the entire Top Managers for bringing the nation into disrepute which this controvcontroversial Imo verdict in the SUPREME Court demonstrates. It's a big shame that INEC DELIBERATELY PLANTED BOBBYTRAPS AGAINST IMO PEOPLE BY NOT CONDUCTING A QUALITATIVE POLL AND OR FAILED TO STAND BY THEIR DECLARATION. HOW COME INEC ALLOWED THE SUPREME COURT TO ALLOCATE MORE VOTES THAN THE ENTIRE NUMBER OF ACCREDITED VOTERS IN IMO STATE AND INEC HAS NOT OBJECTED TO THIS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE BY THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA? Also WE ASK FOR THE SACK OF THE IMO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ARE DECAMPING TO APC FROM THE PARTIES THAT SPONSORED THEM IN THE ELECTIONS SINCE THE CONSTITUTION SAYS IF YOU DECAMP YOU LOSE YOUR SEAT MORE SO WHEN THERE IS NO FACTION IN ANY POLITICAL PARTY REGISTERED BY INEC THAT PARTICUPATED IN THE IMO STATE ELECTION. AS REPORTED, Nine lawmakers of the Imo House of Assembly have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, and Action Action. The defectors include: Authur Egwim (Ideato North) from AA to APC; Chyna Iwuanyanwu (Nwangele), PDP; Chidiebere Ogbunikpa(Okigwe), PDP; Obinna Okwara(Nkwerre), AA; and Paul Emeziem (Onuimo) also from PDP to APC. Others are Ekene Nnodimele (Orsu) from APGA to APC, Johnson Duru(Ideato South), AA; Ngozi Obiefule (Isu) AA; and Heclus Okorocha (Ohaji/Egbema) from PDP to APC. Speaker Collins Chiji read their letters of defection at the ongoing plenary. They must be dismissed from the HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF IMO STATE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT. Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko NATIONAL COORDINATOR; HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). A TEXT OF MEDIA BRIEFING DATED: Wednesday 22nd January 2020 President Muhammadu Buhari says he is saddened by murder of Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika local government area of Adamawa, by Boko Haram terrorists. Andimi was abducted in January when the insurgents attacked his village. In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Tuesday, Buhari described the killing as barbaric. Read Also: BREAKING: Tears As Boko Haram Kills Kidnapped CAN Chairman He said, I am greatly saddened by the fact that the terrorists went on to kill him even while giving signals of a willingness to set him free by releasing him to third parties. This barbarism is condemnable. We will ensure that these terrorists pay a heavy price for their evil actions, Buhari posted on his Twitter handle. Buhari expressed his condolence to the Christian community all over Nigeria, the government and people of Adamawa. Arctic glaciers have been melting an an accelerated pace. Photo: AP Photo/David Goldman Major global cities including London and New York could flood if global temperatures rise by 2C, an environmental expert has warned world leaders gathered at Davos. Gail Whiteman, a professor at Lancaster University, said ice was melting at a record rate in the polar region, with half of the Arctics ice already disappearing over the past half-century. She sounded the alarm at a panel event on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF)s annual summit, where climate change has dominated debate like never before. She said the albedo effect meant more and more heat was being absorbed by the expanding seas, instead of ice reflecting sunlight back into the atmosphere. READ MORE: Humans enjoy a $125tn subsidy from nature The Arctics impact on currents of air known as jet streams led to crazy weather, she added. Whiteman said: If we get to a two-degree warmer world, we can see from some of major cities around the world including Tokyo and New York that they will indeed be flooded. She shared computer-generated images of a flooded New York, Tokyo and London in a presentation to business, political and civil society leaders at the summit in Switzerland. Gail Whitehead at Davos. Photo: WEF For most people the Arctic is a remote place that seems far away from our daily life. But what the science tells us is that were all related. What happens in the Arctic does not stay there. The only way to save the Arctic, sea ice especially, is to unite behind the science, and have every single political, business decision globally trying to bend emission curves dramatically. READ MORE: Climate change on the agenda as global elite gather for Davos 2020 The comments came as part of a debate event called Whats at stake: the Arctic, highlighting how ice is melting at a record rate in the polar region. Former US vice-president and influential climate change campaigner Al Gore also spoke at the event. Gore called subsidies to coal plants in south-east Asia utterly insane and completely irresponsible. Story continues He said governments should stop subsidising fossil fuels, with spending currently 36 times higher than support for renewables. He also called for a recognition of carbon emission harms in the accounting system of the global economy, but said a tax could prove politically toxic in the US. READ MORE: Child peace prize winner warns Davos elite forgetting refugees More than 3,000 global business, political and non-governmental organisation (NGO) leaders are attending Davos 2020 this week. Stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world is the official theme, with climate change in particular high on the agenda. Organisers hope the annual event will facilitate discussion and collaboration to tackle major international issues among some of the most powerful people in the world. But the summit, known most commonly as Davos after the host town, has become a lightning rod for criticism of global capitalism and the worlds elite. READ MORE: IMF cuts global forecasts as growth remains sluggish Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked in 2018 after he received a WhatsApp message from an account apparently owned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), UN investigators said in a statement Wednesday. What they're saying: The UN is calling for an immediate investigation by the United States and other countries into the hacking of Bezos' phone, which experts said may have been part of "an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia." Why it matters: The alleged security breach of the owner of the Washington Post, whose columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in October 2018 in an assassination linked to MBS, comes months after Bezos' security consultant alleged in a Daily Beast article that Saudi Arabia took data from the billionaire's phone, saying "its clear that MBS considers The Washington Post to be a major enemy." The forensic analysis by the UN "is the first to directly implicate a WhatsApp account" used by MBS, per the Financial Times. Of note: FT notes Bezos' relationship with the crown prince deteriorated following Khashoggi's killing. MBS has denied involvement in the journalist's assassination, despite the CIA concluding with "high confidence" and the UN finding there was "credible evidence" that he was responsible. What's new: The UN report details a "forensic investigation into long-standing allegations by Bezos" that he was the victim of a cyberattack by the Saudi regime "as part of a complex series of conflicts among Bezos, the Saudis, President Trump and the National Enquirer tabloid," according to the Washington Post. Flashback: The Enquirer reported last year that Bezos had an affair with Lauren Sanchez, prompting Bezos to allege that the publication was engaged in extortion and blackmail." The new allegations: UN official David Kaye outlines in a new documentary film that Bezos' cellphone was "infected with malware that was delivered via a message" from MBS, per the WashPost. "Soon after the message was sent, investigators concluded, a massive amount of data was extracted from Bezoss phone," the news outlet notes. The hacking is alleged to have occurred weeks after MBS met with several leading U.S. executives and "sought to attract investment to the kingdom," with he and Bezos exchanging numbers at a Los Angeles dinner, the FT reports. Experts hired by Bezos determined with "medium to high confidence" that MBS' WhatsApp account had been involved in the hacking, according to the FT. What they're saying: A statement by Saudi Arabia's U.S. embassy posted to Twitter said, "Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out." What's next: "It is understood that [the evidence] is considered credible enough for investigators to be considering a formal approach to Saudi Arabia to ask for an explanation," The Guardian reports. Read the UN's forensic report. Go deeper: Bezos' consultant accuses Saudis of taking Amazon CEO's phone data Editor's note: This article has been updated with the UN's call for an investigation and Saudi Arabia's response to the allegations. TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Toyota Motor Corp has recalled 2.9 million vehicles in the United States, due an electronic defect that could prevent air bags from deploying normally in a crash. The recall involves certain 2011-2019 Model Year Corolla, 2011-2013 Model Year Matrix, 2012-2018 Model Year Avalon, and 2013-2018 Model Year Avalon Hybrid vehicles in the United States. Media reports said Toyota recall affects about 3.4 million vehicles globally. The vehicles equipped with an electronic control unit to receive signals from crash sensors and deploy the airbags and seat belt pretensioners. The electronic unit may not have adequate protection against certain electrical noise that can occur in certain crashes. It can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners, Toyota said in a statement. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of seat belt pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash, the company said. Meanwhile, the reports said Honda Motor Co has recalled 2.7 million older vehicles in North America to replace potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. The recall covers certain Honda and Acura vehicles from the 1996 to 2003 model years. Honda reportedly said that unlike previous recalls, the inflators do not contain volatile ammonium nitrate. All inspections and repairs will begin in about one year, as replacement parts from alternative suppliers are not yet available. 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. [January 22, 2020] Michigan State University Foundation Welcomes Linda Hubbard and Jon Braeutigam to Board of Directors EAST LANSING, Mich., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan State University Foundation announced today that Linda Hubbard, President and Chief Operating Officer of Carhartt, Inc., and Jon Braeutigam, Chief Investment Officer for the State of Michigan Retirement Systems, have been appointed to the organization's Board of Directors. "Linda and Jon are experienced leaders who will help drive long term success of the Foundation that serves Michigan State University," said Randolph Cowen, Chair of MSU Foundation Board of Directors. Hubbard started her career at Plante Moran where she made partner, providing audit assurance and tax and consulting services to real estate, construction, and manufacturing clients. After Plante Moran, Hubbard joined Carhartt, the 131-year old Michigan-based apparel manufacturer, where she now serves as president and COO. Hubbard also serves on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and has been an active MSU Alumna, serving on the Eli Broad College of Business Advsory Board and MSU's Presidential Search Committee. "Linda continues to add value to her alma mater," said David Washburn, MSU Foundation Executive Director. "Her leadership and expertise will help us create an even stronger ecosystem here at MSU." Hubbard holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the Eli Broad College of Business at MSU. She is also a certified public accountant (CPA) and chartered global management accountant (CGMA). "I look forward to supporting MSU's mission to solve today's challenges through innovative solutions," said Hubbard. Braeutigam's career began at the State of Michigan began as a Treasury Investment Specialist in the Mortgage and Real Estate Division. After promotions and added responsibility, he was appointed as Deputy Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer in 2008. In this role, Braeutigam leads a team of investment professionals that oversee a $100B+ investment portfolio and provides professional expertise to the State of Michigan Investment Board and the State Treasurer's office. "I'm proud to join the MSU Foundation's Board and to serve the Spartan community," said Braeutigam. Braeutigam holds a bachelor's degree in business and an MBA in Finance from the Eli Broad College of Business at MSU. The MSU Foundation manages an endowment built from decades of licensing revenue and provides over $9.5 million in annual research funding to MSU. Additionally, the MSU Foundation operates three subsidiary organizations focused on technology commercialization and economic development. These three organizations include Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures, and the University Corporate Research Park (UCRP). They are key partners with the Michigan State University Innovation Center, MSU Business Connect, and MSU Technologies. About the Michigan State University Foundation Established in 1973 as an independent non-profit, the Michigan State University Foundation is committed to the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies invented by MSU faculty, staff, and students. The MSU Foundation's overarching goal is to support research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the University. Additionally, the MSU Foundation operates Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures, and the University Corporate Research Park. More information on the organization's notable achievements, services, leadership, and history are available at www.msufoundation.org . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michigan-state-university-foundation-welcomes-linda-hubbard-and-jon-braeutigam-to-board-of-directors-300990889.html SOURCE Michigan State University Foundation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] When Terry Jones went to work, he wore the robes of a Spanish inquisitor, the jacket of a French waiter and the business attire of a man selling crunchy frogs. And long after he and the other members of Monty Python set off on separate paths, he took on new roles as a director and historian, among others. After his death Tuesday, many prominent admirers recalled how he had touched their lives. Farewell, Terry Jones. The great foot has come down to stamp on you, wrote actor Stephen Fry on Twitter, alluding to the cartoon foot that crashed through many Monty Python sketches. My god what pleasure you gave, what untrammelled joy and delight. Director Edgar Wright began to list some of Jones most famous characters, like one of the Hells Grannies and Nigel Incubator-Jones. Comedian John Oliver called him the absolute best. Actor Mark Gatiss said he was a cornerstone of my growing up. Many Python fans know the lines he delivered by heart, from the sales pitch of a crunchy frog salesman (only the finest baby frogs, dew-picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in the finest quality spring water, lightly killed) to a mothers scorn after her son is mistaken for divine (Hes not the messiah; hes a very naughty boy). In his post-Python career, Jones worked on documentaries about the Middle Ages, screenwriting, childrens books and a Norse saga of his own, but it was the legacy of Monty Python that dominated tributes to him. The living Pythons quickly spoke out after hearing the news of Jones death, including his close friend and frequent writing partner, Michael Palin. He was far more than one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation, Palin told Britains Press Association. He was the complete Renaissance comedian: writer, director, presenter, historian, brilliant childrens author, and the warmest, most wonderful company you could wish to have. Another former Python, Eric Idle, wrote on Twitter: I loved him the moment I saw him onstage at the Edinburgh Festival in 1963. So many laughs, moments of total hilarity onstage and off we have all shared with him. Jones announced in 2016 that he had primary progressive aphasia, a neurological disease, and Idle seemed to allude to the condition. Its too sad if you knew him, he said, but if you didnt you will always smile at the many wonderfully funny moments he gave us. The Pythons American member, Terry Gilliam, wrote on Twitter that Jones was someone totally consumed with life and a brilliant, constantly questioning, iconoclastic, righteously argumentative and angry but outrageously funny and generous and kind human being. John Cleese, speaking to BBC Radio on Wednesday, said that Jones brought an endless energy and enthusiasm to everything he did. He got up one day when we were shooting on the south coast, Cleese said, and he got excited about how green the grass was. He also had a confidence to direct, to argue, to take on something new that Cleese said he envied. Life of Brian was his masterpiece, he said, referring to the Python film that Jones directed alone. On Twitter, he called it perfection. Jones had several parts in the film, including as a hermit whose vow of silence is cut short by a stubbed toe, and as Brians mother, who struggles to dismiss a crowd of adorers with a simple message: Shove off. But Cleese said he would remember Jones as Mr. Creosote, a character whose titanic appetite makes him swell like a balloon. (Jones also directed the sketch, which ends poorly for his character.) I shall think of him exploding, Cleese said. Though Jones and Cleese did not often write together, they shared some of the groups most memorable sketches, like one in which Jones plays a confectioner who is delighted to sell chocolate-covered frogs. Cleese, playing a policeman, is appalled: Dont you even take the bones out? So is Jones businessman: If we took the bones out it wouldnt be crunchy, would it? Jones also brought a distinct historical sensibility to the group, which was reflected in the sketches he wrote and his future as a scholar of Chaucer and the Middle Ages. He wrote one sketch about Elizabethan pornography smugglers, and another, set during World War II, in which a joke is so funny it becomes a superweapon, banned by the Geneva Conventions and even deadlier in German. His style of writing long, with visual flair and often wildly over the top was wholly his own, Cleese said. That was not something that any of the rest of us could do. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. By Abdul Kerimkhanov President of Iran Hassan Rouhani has expressed his countrys readiness to develop ties with Qatar. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to take new steps in the economic and trade relations between the two countries" Rouhani said at the meeting of Iranian and Qatari high-ranking delegations in Tehran. Rouhani emphasised that Qatar could be a base for the development of commercial, economic and maritime relations and cooperation between the two countries. Referring to the great potentials and capacities for investment in Iran in various sectors such as agriculture, industry and hotel construction, the head of Iran said that Qatari economic and private sector businesspeople can also take this opportunity and invest in these projects to promote cooperation between the two countries. Speaking about Iran's progress in various sectors of science and technology, knowledge-based activities and services in the water and electricity sectors, Rouhani said "We are ready to transfer our experience in these sectors to the friendly country of Qatar." The President underlined the importance of developing bilateral relations and tourism between the two countries. "Establishment of a joint commission on cooperation between the two countries is essential for accelerating the implementation of mutual agreements and planning for the development of comprehensive relations between the two countries," he stressed. Rouhani stated that Iran's cooperation with Qatar in the development of regional stability and security is very important, especially regarding the implementation of the Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE) Initiative. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has been consulting and interacting with Qatar in various regional and international issues, and today, these relations should deepen. Rouhani expressed hope that during the formation of the Joint Commission on Cooperation between the two countries, an exhibition of the capabilities of Iran and Qatar would be held to present investment opportunities. In turn, Sheikh Tamim officially invited Rouhani to make a visit to Doha. "The friendship and relations of Iran and Qatar have developed and strengthened in recent years, and I hope this visit is a good step towards further development of Tehran-Doha relations and accelerating the implementation of agreements," the leader of Qatar stated. He also referred to the formation of the Joint Commission on Cooperation in the near future. "We urge members of the commission to address various issues of interest to the two countries that could contribute to the development, strengthening and consolidation of Tehran-Doha relations in all fields. "We welcome the cooperation of Iranian and Qatari businesspeople and economic executives to," he said, adding that efforts should be made to further deepen relations between the two countries in various sectors of economic, trade, tourism and joint venture investment. Sheikh Tamim further informed that the Qatari side will provide special facilities for the development of Iran-Qatar trade cooperation. He also said that Iran and Qatar have always consulted and cooperated in different regional and international developments at different levels. "We believe that we should cooperate with the Islamic Republic of Iran as an influential country to maintain security in this region and any security cooperation in this region without the presence of Iran is of no value," Sheikh Tamim concluded. Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz NY Times dual endorsement clouds political consciousness, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment NEW YORK Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocked The New York Times decision to endorse two separate Democratic candidates during the party's primaries, calling it a move that serves to cloud political consciousness. Ocasio-Cortez cited the NY Times endorsement of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., during a conversation with author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates at the MLK NOW 2020 event at the historic Riverside Church in Manhattan. The 30-year-old congresswoman was criticizing Americas two-party system when the issue of the Times endorsement came up. In many other democracies in the world they have parliamentary democracy where there are many parties and you build coalitions between parties to have a governing coalition. The United States, we have a two party system. I think its a system that has a vote of little confidence in the electorate when you see that the largest plurality of voters are independent or not party affiliated, she began. That tells you that there is a certain lack of personal identification. I think when you look at multiparty systems, because there are more parties, it allows people the opportunity to actually personally identify with a political party in which case it becomes more of an agent of structural change. "A lot of people who advocate for a kind of two-party duopoly in the United States say, Oh well, the coalition is built in so you dont have to do all that work (activism). But the problem is you dont always know what your party stands for and you kinda find out every cycle, she continued. This "uncertain" party identity, Ocasio-Cortez said, is reflected in the Times endorsement of Warren and Klobuchar. I think that is an issue in the Democratic Party. Just yesterday The New York Times endorsed two candidates. What is that? Ocasio Cortez asked to laughter from the crowd. Well what is the Democratic Party if we cant ... and theyre two candidates that are very different. And so I think it kind of serves to cloud political consciousness in the United States. In their endorsement of the two senators, the Times editorial board cited the growing lack of confidence in American politics. The history of the editorial board would suggest that we would side squarely with the candidate with a more traditional approach to pushing the nation forward, within the realities of a constitutional framework and a multiparty country. But the events of the past few years have shaken the confidence of even the most committed institutionalists. We are not veering away from the values we espouse, but we are rattled by the weakness of the institutions that we trusted to undergird those values, the board wrote on Sunday. There are legitimate questions about whether our democratic system is fundamentally broken. Our elections are getting less free and fair, Congress and the courts are increasingly partisan, foreign nations are flooding society with misinformation, a deluge of money flows through our politics. And the economic mobility that made the American dream possible is vanishing. Both the radical and the realist models warrant serious consideration. If there were ever a time to be open to new ideas, it is now. If there were ever a time to seek stability, now is it. Thats why were endorsing the most effective advocates for each approach. They are Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, they added. Ocasio-Cortez wasnt the only one that made a mockery of the Times dual endorsement. Speaking on ABCs The View Tuesday morning, Republican co-host, Meghan McCain, said she had a good laugh at the Times decision. I was laughing my ass off when I read this, she said. Youre endorsing two women with two completely ideologically different views on their path forward. McCain said The New York Times has the most access to all these candidates, arguably of any other outlet, and yet the editorial board still cant figure out one to endorse. Im sorry, everyone in here is going to have to choose one. This is not how this works. Tristan Justice, a staff writer at The Federalist, said the Times editorial board couldnt decide on their endorsement, so they virtue signaled their way out of making a decision by directing their readers to choose between the only two viable far-left female senators in the race. With the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses just under two weeks away, Tom Jones of the Poynter Institute argued in an op-ed that the dual endorsement is counterproductive. Endorsing two candidates because you arent sure which has the best path to the White House isnt informing anyone. Its confusing them, Jones wrote Tuesday. Davos, Jan 22 (AFP) US President Donald Trump told Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday said he wants to see a "significant" drop in violence by Taliban guerrillas before "meaningful" negotiations can happen. At the meeting of the two presidents in Davos, Switzerland, "President Trump reiterated the need for a significant and lasting reduction in violence by the Taliban that would facilitate meaningful negotiations on Afghanistan's future", the White House said. Washington has for weeks been calling for the violence to be reined in, posing it as a condition for resuming formal negotiations on an agreement that would see US troops begin to leave Afghanistan in return for security guarantees, after a near two-decade fight. Insurgent sources told AFP last week they had offered to initiate a brief ceasefire of seven to 18 days, but there was no announcement of the proposal by either party. The Taliban are aiming to reach a withdrawal agreement with the US by the end of January and are prepared to "scale down" military operations ahead of signing a deal, their chief spokesman said this week. The two sides had been negotiating the deal for a year and were on the brink of an announcement in September 2019 when Trump abruptly declared the process "dead", citing Taliban violence. Talks were later restarted in December in Qatar, but paused again following an attack near the Usw-run Bagram military base in Afghanistan. Any agreement with the Taliban is expected to have two pillars -- a US withdrawal from Afghanistan and a commitment by the insurgents not to offer sanctuary to jihadists. It would ultimately have to win final approval from Trump. (AFP) SCY Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:32:38|Editor: ZX Video Player Close CHANGSHA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A new flight was launched on Tuesday linking Changsha, capital city of central China's Hunan Province, and Okinawa in Japan. The air route, operated by 9Air, will fly on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The outbound flight will leave Changsha at 12:15 p.m. Beijing time and land in Okinawa at 3:35 p.m. local time. The returning flight will depart from Okinawa at 4:40 p.m. local time and arrive in Changsha at 7:10 p.m. Beijing time. So far, there are air routes connecting Changsha with 35 cities in 13 countries and three regions, according to the Changsha Huanghua International Airport. The Keyport man whose phone number was found on a handwritten note in the pocket of one of the Jersey City shooters will be released on an extensive bail package pending the outcome of the firearm charge he faces. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas ordered Ahmed A-Hady, 35, to be released Wednesday on a $300,000 secured bond and will be on 24-hour confinement at the home of his fiancees sister. His release is pending an inspection of the home. A-Hady has been charged with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm after authorities recovered 12 firearms, including three AR-15 style firearms, at a Keyport pawn shop that A-Hadys father operates and A-Hady lives above. Three of the weapons are registered to A-Hady, who cannot possess them as a convicted felon. A-Hady came onto the radar of federal law enforcement after his phone number and the address to the Keyport pawn shop were written on a note in the pocket of David Anderson, who along with his partner, Francine Graham, killed a Jersey City police detective and three people inside a kosher grocery store last month. The hearing Wednesday in Newark federal court came on the heels of U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson ruling to detain A-Hady earlier this month pending the out come of the case. The judge expressed concern over the substantial amount of firearms authorities recovered from a pawn shop. A-Hadys attorney, Robert Stahl, appealed that decision. At the appeal hearing, Stahl continued to say that A-Hady was in no way connected to the mass shooting in Jersey City. That riles me up, Stahl said when federal prosecutors try to link the two. He also disputed the assertion by prosecutors that his client had access to the 12 firearms in his fathers Keyport shop, which A-Hady lives above. No firearms were found in the residence or the South Amboy pawn shop A-Hady owns. There is no evidence (A-Hady) had access to the guns, Stahl said. Stahl said two of the handguns stored in the back of the pawn shop were purchased and registered to A-Hady prior to his 2012 felony conviction for attempting to obtain a controlled dangerous substance or analog by fraud, bars him from owning or possessing firearms. The attorney also acknowledged that a rifle in the pawn shop was purchased by A-Hady in Florida in 2012 while he was on probation for the state drug charge. The other three handguns are registered to A-Hadys parents, Stahl said. Prosecutors have not disclosed who the other six guns are registered to. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kearney did not directly answer the question when asked by Judge Salas who the other firearms belonged to. But Kearney did continue to argue that A-Hady posed a very significant danger to the community because of the firepower he possessed, which included nearly 100 hollow-point bullets, but also said A-Hady cannot be trusted, making him a danger to the community and a flight risk. He pointed out that A-Hady used a different last name and birthdate in Florida to purchase the rifle in 2012 while on probation. Kearney said A-Hady has shown a brazen indifference to the law. How can this defendant be trusted? Kearney asked. Judge Salas said the amount of firearms he possessed and A-Hadys use of aliases and differing birthdates was very concerning as she considered releasing him on bail. But ultimately, the judge ordered A-Hady to be released under strict conditions. Along with the $300,00 secured bond and 24-hour home incarceration, A-Hady will have no access to the Internet. The Wi-Fi access in the home where he is staying and pre-trial services will have the ability track smartphones and Internet history. Pre-trial services will also make unannounced visits at the home. They are very strict conditions, Stahl said after the hearing. But he will abide by them. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant arrested along with a Jammu and Kashmir police officer this month was planning to deliver explosives in Pulwama for major attacks his group was planning to launch ahead of the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, according to a Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) input shared with the security agencies last week. Naveed Babu, the HMs operations chief for south and central Kashmir, was arrested while he was travelling to Jammu with deputy police superintendent Davinder Singh and two others on January 11. According to an input, Babu was to deliver the explosives to his HM associates, who were likely to carry out attacks in Zadoora and also plant an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the Niwa-Pakherpora road near Pulwama. The January 15 DIA input, a copy of which HT has accessed, calls Babu the master terror recruiter and an IED expert. A car bomb attack on a paramilitary convoy in Pulwama last year left 40 troopers dead and prompted India to launch an air strike on a terror camp in Pakistan. Babu is HMs second-in-command after Riyaz Nikoo. He is accused of involvement in a spate of civilian killings last year and also those of police officers and snatching of weapons from security forces. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing Singhs links with Babu and other terror operators in the Valley, on Wednesday raided Singhs residence in Srinagar. It is scrutinising the documents recovered from Singh. His staff will also be questioned about the people who would visit Singhs at his residence and office, according to the officials aware of the matter. An officer said records and CCTV footage from the Srinagar airport, where Singh was last posted with the anti-hijacking unit, will also be checked to see if any unauthorised people were given entry. Another officer added that inquiries were being done in Srinagar, Qazigund and Kulgam districts. Singhs call records and emails were also being checked to find whether any sensitive information had been shared with militants. The second officer cited above said they will also examine Singhs role in other cases pertaining to the capture of militant and over-ground workers over the last few years in districts where he was posted. The Jammu and Kashmir police have dismissed Singh and stripped him of a medal for gallantry. They have said that they will also investigate Singhs links with 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Guru was convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case and was hanged to death on February 3, 2013. In a letter to the court, Guru had alleged that on the instructions of Singh, he had transported one of the terrorists killed in the attack to Delhi. Tuolumne Community Resilience Center View Photos Sonora, CA The Tuolumne County Supervisors are concerned about whether all of the National Disaster Resilience Competition Projects will be completed by late 2022. Tuolumne County was picked in 2017 to receive $70-million to go towards Forest and Watershed Health ($28-million), Community Resilience Centers ($19.7-million) and a biomass facility ($22-million). However, HUD, announced a hard deadline that all money must be spent by September of 2022. Officials with the state department of Housing and Community Development, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, who are leading the effort on the biomass facility, addressed some concerns at this weeks Tuolumne County Supervisors meeting. There is a substantial action amendment that needs to be done to allow more partnering companies to be eligible for biomass grant and loan funding, and there is also an ongoing legal challenge. The action amendment could take a couple of weeks to complete, but it then needs to go through a 90-day public review period. Getting everything finalized by late 2022, and contracts awarded, along with construction, will be a very steep challenge. In the area of Forest and Watershed Health, Maria Benech of the Stanislaus National Forest reported that things are moving more smoothly. She says the Forest Service awarded $9.5 million in contracts last year, including a $3 million contract alone for biomass removal and piling of wood. She anticipates spending another $10-million this year and all projects completed by May of 2022. The work received praise from members of the board and covers a wide range of forest health improvements. Regarding the planned Community Resilience centers in Groveland and Tuolumne, Deputy County Administrator Maureen Frank stated that the timeline is a concern and she is pushing as fast as she can. The current plan is to have design documents completed in the next few months, construction beginning in April, and occupancy by June of 2022. The supervisors seemed to collectively agree that the biomass facility and the resilience centers are of most risk of failing to make the September of 2022 deadline. Board Chair Sherri Brennan stated, I truly do believe that everyone is attempting to make these work, but with both of these (biomass and resilience centers), we dont have the luxury of time. She stressed that the board needs to look at trigger points on the calendar to potentially end the efforts in the event that the projects are off schedule. Supervisor Karl Rodefer also expressed concerns about getting the projects done on time and referenced recent delays on the new county jail (about five months behind schedule). He also stated that he believes many in the construction field left the area when the economy declined years ago, and they have failed to return back. He said, I think its a systemic problem for the industry in this county. As board chair, Brennan said she will work with staff to see how these two efforts can proceed, and the topic will return to the board in two weeks. County staff and the supervisors are also planning to reach out to legislative leaders, and other states facing challenges with NDRC timelines, to press for an extension past September of 2022. Supervisor John Gray noted that a tremendous amount of work has been done to this point, and a one-year extension would ensure completion of the projects. He added, I dont want to see any of this money go away for any reason, and I want to see all of the $70-milion spent here. Of course, health outcomes are a result of much more than health care. The health of people of color is also unequal to that of whites because of differences in health behaviors, education and income, to name a few factors. But there is no doubt that the health system plays a role, too. Nor is there question that a history of discrimination and structural racism underlies racial differences in all these drivers of health. Parvez Sultan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: With the BJP and the Congress pitting contestants from humble backgrounds against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the battle for New Delhi seat has virtually turned into a battle of Aam Aadmi (common man). BJP has fielded head of its local units Yuva Morcha, Sunil Yadav (44), who was raised in camps and later in the servant quarters of New Delhi area. Congress pick is its long-time worker Romesh Sabharwal (56) from the family of government employees. His father worked as a clerk in the Delhi government and mother is a retired teacher. Their candidatures were finalised at the eleventh hour, Monday to enable them to file nominations on the last day, along with Kejriwal. ALSO READ | Delhi elections: RJD to contest polls in alliance with Congress on four seats, declares candidates Sabharwal, who is associated with Congress since 1988, has himself served as chairman of Delhi Tourism. My mother would undertake odd jobs to run the household as our father had died early. I spent my entire childhood in the lanes of New Delhi. This election is about local versus an outsider; Aam Aadmi Vs real Aam Aadmi, said Yadav. Yadav said that it is unfortunate; people have to take an appointment to meet Kejriwal. It is an irony; he claims to be an Aam Aadmi. People want an MLA to address their problems not CM. ALSO READ | Delhi elections: BJP gives three seats to JD(U), LJP for upcoming Assembly polls Both Yadav and Sabharwal are first-timers and residents of New Delhi constituency. Sabharwal was the spokesperson of Indian Youth Congress (IYC). He could have been Congress nominee from erstwhile Gole Market Assembly seat against sitting BJP MLA Kirti Azad in 1998. However, Sheila Dikshit opted for the seat to make her political debut in Delhi. Gole market was later rechristened New Delhi seat. It is big moment for service class voters as Congress has put faith in a son of a clerk this time. Justice has been done to service class after forty year. I truly represent the common man. People will certainly vote him (Kejriwal) out, said Sabharwal. HAVERFORD Carrying signs with slogans such as No Billboard Blight and Giant Billboards: Unsafe, Unsightly, Unacceptable about 75 people protested proposed billboards along the 600 block of Lancaster Avenue Monday afternoon. Spearheaded by the Brynford Civic Association, the group turned out despite the cold weather to make a point that they oppose the billboards. About 4,000 people have signed a petition on the civic associations website: https://www.brynfordcivic.org. A hearing is set for Jan. 21 before Common Pleas Court Judge Spiro Angelos at the county courthouse in Media. Doreen Saar said that billboards have been shown to be dangerous and they are also unsightly. She believes the large billboards that would perch on top of buildings would ruin the aesthetics of the area and be a detriment to local businesses. If (the billboard company) wins it mean billboards can be put up in any business corridor in Pennsylvania, Saar said. Kathy Case said quite a few residents will attend the three day hearing. We hope to demonstrate we are opposed to this. We hope for a big turnout, said Case. Nick Odorisio, who owns Nicks Gym, is also against the billboards and has the words No Billboards written on the door to his business. Aesthetically, I think it makes the area look like the I-95 corridor, said Odorisio, who also lives nearby. Im worried about the future if this goes through. What happens next? It takes away from the community aesthetics of the Main Line. Its an absolute abomination. Im worried about property values dropping. Im sure it doesnt belong here, said Mila Sokolova, who also lives nearby. It will destroy our peaceful streets. Its too aggressive for here. Alla and Oleg Boychelko, a married couple, were also protesting. Theyre dangerous, said Alla Boychelko. Its a unique neighborhood. Oleg Boychelko added, Its not a highway. We dont need this modern commercial stuff around. Lower Merion Commissioner V. Scott Zelov and Haverford Commissioner Andy Lewis were also on hand and exhorted the residents to attend the court hearing. Resident Michelle Greer said she and her husband live in a house on Old Lancaster Road that her grandparents purchased 71 years ago. Our home has very special meaning to us for many reasons, most importantly because our son, Andrew, is growing up in the house and bedroom my father grew up in, said Greer. We love our home and this wonderful neighborhood. (Billboards) will cause our wonderful neighborhoods and homes to decrease in value and the very real possibility of accidents being caused by drivers looking up at them, she said. Shes seen drivers running the light at Lancaster and Old Lancaster avenues, she said. Its a terrible idea, said Zelov, about the billboards proposed by Bartkowski Investment Group, owned by Thaddeus Bartkowski for 600 and 658 Lancaster Ave. The company also would like to install two others at 1157 and 2040 West Chester Pike in Haverford. An appeal of a Haverford Township Zoning Board decision rejecting the billboards has been going through the legal courts for 10 years now. Lewis thanked the residents for coming out on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to protest. The area borders on both Lower Merion and Haverford townships. I think you all recognize the threat these pose to the general health, safety and welfare of this neighborhood, said Lewis. This is a battle we cant afford to lose Weve successfully fought it back for 10 years and well continue to fight it. This is going to be heard and decided by a judge, Lewis said, asking them to come to court to show their resolve. The judge will see our resolve This is a township that is not for sale, like some other townships who have acquiesced to Bartkowski Investments. Were not for sale. Well continue to fight until the very end. Zelov said along with Haverford and Lower Merion, residents from Radnor and Marple townships also oppose the billboards and have signed the petition. These billboard companies are relentless, said Zelov. So theres so much money in billboards and we have to keep fighting. Circulate that petition online to your friends and neighbors And billboards on interstate highways are fine but not in our suburban communities and thats our message Keep fighting. Previously, a spokeswoman for the billboard company noted the Commonwealth Court found the Haverford zoning ordinance unconstitutional and that Bartkowski Investment Group was entitled to construct off-premise signs in Haverford. The companys attempts to negotiate with township officials were unsuccessful and the township continues to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer money on the court battle, she said. Netflix is singing its own praises about its new Henry Cavill-starring, Game Of Thrones-esque fantasy series The Witcher. In a letter posted Thursday to shareholders pertaining to the company's Q4 2019 earnings, the streaming giant states that the show, which premiered on December 20th of last year, 'is tracking to be our biggest season one TV series ever.' 'Through its first four weeks of release, 76m member households chose to watch this action-packed fantasy,' the streamer continued in the letter. Showing its muscle: Netflix is singing its own praises about its new Henry Cavill-starring, Game Of Thrones-esque fantasy series The Witcher However, the use of the phrase 'chose to watch,' along with a footnote stipulating a change in how they report their metrics, points to another instance of Netflix being vague about its market performance. The footnote explains that a 'view' now constitutes a member choosing to watch a piece of content 'for at least 2 minutes -- long enough to indicate the choice was intentional.' The letter goes on to state that 'the new metric is about 35% higher on average than the prior metric,' which only counted views of at least 70 percent of a given episode or film on the service, thereby further beefing up Netflix's numbers. Meaning, that if a viewer decided to watch even just 3-5 minuted of the show before switching to something else, that would still count as a full-on view for The Witcher. Big deal: In a letter posted Thursday to shareholders, the streaming giant states the show 'is tracking to be our biggest season one TV series ever'; Witcher star Cavill seen here at the Polish premiere in December As a further testament to the series' success, the letter continued, 'the shows launch drove up sales of The Witcher books and games around the world, and spawned a viral musical hit.' The series is based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy novels, and focuses on Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), a 'solitary monster hunter who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts' according to its IMDb description. It currently holds a 66 percent rating on meta-review site Rotten Tomatoes, and has already been renewed for a second season. Sizzling fantasy: The series is based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy novels, and focuses on Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), a solitary monster hunter Riding strong: Witcher currently holds a 66 percent rating on meta-review site Rotten Tomatoes, and has already been renewed for a second season Netflix also went so far as to compare The Witcher's popularity to that of competing streaming streaming series The Mandalorian, on new platform Disney Plus, which caused a verifiable cultural sensation over the holidays thanks to one Baby Yoda. The service included a Google Trends graph showing the amount of searches keyed in for the series, compared to the same for Disney's Mandalorian, Apple TV's Morning Show and Amazon Prime's Jack Reacher, over the last three months of 2019. But, as Variety pointed out, 'the relationship between Google searches and actual time spent viewing is perhaps loose at best.' Additionally, if the chart had measured for the Google search 'baby Yoda', surely the final result would have looked quite different. Numbers: Netflix also went so far as to compare The Witcher's popularity to that of competing streaming streaming series The Mandalorian, on new platform Disney Plus Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images President Trump and his legal team have advanced the astonishing argument that a president cannot be impeached for abuse of power any abuse of power, unless it involves a federal crime. If a president offered pardons to people for murdering his political enemies? Nice and legal, and therefore not an impeachable offense. This analysis, which is wildly at odds with the historical record of what the Framers intended impeachment to do, has received almost no support from legal scholars. Two notable lawyers have added their names to the long roster of critics: Jonathan Turley and William Barr. Turley, in a Washington Post op-ed, notes that the Framers often spoke of impeachable conduct in noncriminal terms. He writes, There is a vast array of harmful and corrupt acts that a president can commit outside of the criminal code, and adopting the view that only crimes are impeachable would create lasting harm for the constitutional system. Turley of course was selected by House Republicans to testify against impeachment. Meanwhile, reporter Charlie Savage notes that Barr argued in 2018 that a president can be impeached for abuse of power. Barr, unlike Turley, is not volunteering this point of view. He made it in 2018 as a way to argue against prosecuting Trump for obstruction of justice. Barrs theory at the time was helpful to Trump deflecting the legal threat he faced at the moment (Muellers obstruction probe). His device was to swat away that threat by offering up impeachment as an alternative method of accountability. The determination whether the president is making decisions based on improper motives or whether he is faithfully discharging his responsibilities is left to the people, he argued, through the election process, and the Congress, through the impeachment process. Trump of course opposes all mechanisms of accountability. Anybody who investigates Trump the Department of Justice, Congress, a state attorney general, a judge presiding over a lawsuit by victims of his swindling is corrupt, biased, engaging in a witch hunt, and so on. Barr was hired to to back him up. Now that Trump is being impeached for abuse of power, anybody waiting for Barr to stand up and reaffirm his old position that presidents can be impeached for this very thing will be waiting a long time. Still, the fact that even a fanatical supporter of executive power at least when the executive is Republican William Barr dismissed Trumps claim to impunity shows just how radical it is. Mangaluru Police have said that they have cracked the case of recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mangaluru International airport. This comes after a man identified as Aditya Rao has surrendered before the police. Rao was arrested on Wednesday from Bengaluru after he walked into the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) office in the city centre. Bengaluru DCP Central Division, Chetan Singh Rathore: He surrendered before police claiming to be responsible for the Mangaluru airport incident. He is being medically examined & we are preparing procedure to hand him over to the Mangaluru team which is already on their way. https://t.co/qZCSGYXCkz pic.twitter.com/lGTExNExb8 ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 "Aditya Rao, 36, a prime suspect in placing a bag with an improvised explosive device (IED) or a crude bomb in it at the Mangaluru international airport on Monday, was arrested after he surrendered at the DGP office," a police official said. Mangaluru Police Commissioner PS Harsha tweeted that a special investigation team from the coastal city would reach Bengaluru for taking Rao's custody and take him to Mangaluru for investigation. "The investigation team will fly to Bengaluru in the afternoon to take Rao into our custody and bring him to Mangaluru for interrogation and investigation," Harsha tweeted. "Rao was taken to a state-run hospital for check-up and will be produced in a local court for his transit custody and interrogation by the Mangaluru police," the Bengaluru official said. BCCL According to the cops, Rao is a mechanical engineer and MBA graduate and has a history of making hoax calls. "Rao is said to be a depressed mechanical engineer and out of job. A couple of criminal cases were registered against him and he is on bail after two months in the Chikkaballapura district jail for allegedly making a hoax bomb call last year to Bengaluru international airport in Devanahalli," the official said. BCCL Rao reportedly wanted to take revenge against the airport officials because he was denied a job as a security guard at Bengaluru international airport last year. Since then he had made several hoax bomb calls to the Bengaluru airport and was even arrested for it. On Monday, Rao who had learned bomb-making watching videos, dressed in formal attire and wearing a cap placed in a bag filled with explosives near the ticket counters at the airport and fled the scene. Mangaluru Police had released photographs of the suspect and the autorickshaw he was seen leaving in. After dropping his bag, Rao, a native of pilgrim town Udupi, travelled to Bengaluru from Mangaluru in a lorry overnight and decided to surrender before the police. Interrogation of the driver of the three-wheeler autorickshaw in which Rao was seen leaving the airport in a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage led the police to a hotel where the accused left some bomb-making material like white powder in the room he was staying. "Rao told the police that he was employed in the billing section of the hotel he stayed for the last two months as he could not get a better job," the official added. (Photo : Screenshot From Startpage Facebook Page) Google on cheap Android phone's privacy Privacy has been an issue among users, and many of them believe that Google should secure cheap android phones as well. When you initially use your smartphone, you will notice that there are a certain number of apps that are already pre-installed, and you will not be able to remove them. Some of these apps may be necessary, while others are not. These apps are called bloatware. What some people are not aware of is that accessing these apps may compromise your privacy and expose you to threats of viruses and malware. Privacy advocates reaching more than 50 A group containing more than 50 privacy and human rights advocates, has just recently delivered an open letter to the CEO of Alphabet Sundar Pichai. The letters aim to request to extend Pichai's efforts in defending android users from harmful malicious or problematic pre-installed apps. Truth behind pre-installed apps The phone's sellers, manufacturer, and also its mobile carriers have the power to decide which apps should be pre-installed. The iPhone does not suffer from this problem because Apple intentionally controls which apps should be pre-installed, but as for Android, the pre-installed apps are up to the discretion of other parties to choose from. Dangers of malware and how they may function Malware may even give access and control of the device to a person through apps, allowing him to control the phone and visit websites that create false views to generate profit for that website. Since the app runs way in the background, the owner of the phone might not even be aware. What about iPhone's security? Although not entirely free from malware, iPhones are considered to be relatively safer than malware, but the downside of this smartphone is that it is not as affordable as Androids. The Android's global influence Cheap mobile phones are more prevalent in other countries, with a smaller annual income range. In India, only one to two percent of its users run Apple's iOS, which is an alarming number when it comes to Android's security methods. Being able to sustain low-cost devices is a necessity we all share, but being able to protect their privacy is also a very important matter. Christopher Weatherhead, the technology lead for Privacy International, gave a statement saying When dealing with low-cost devices, we see quite a number of poor security practices." Inclusions of Privacy International's letter The request made inside the letter might just offer the solution we all need when it comes to privacy. The first request is to allow users to uninstall apps and hold to make sure they undergo the same procedures through the Google Play store. Google's Action The executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy Jeffrey Chester release a statement saying "This call organized by PI and supported by leading groups for Google to act responsibly when it comes to app privacy is a much needed wake up call for that company." Google has recognized the problem and is working on creating better privacy for Android users. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Novel coronavirus outbreak: To ensure all round safety, the Health ministry has written to the Civil Aviation ministry to allow thermal screening of passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong at international airports situated in Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. Thermal screening at international airports will be initiated today according to the official press release. This request was made in keeping with the guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The guidelines expressly state that the airlines departing from China and landing in India have to manage and notify anyone reporting illness on flights. The aviation ministry also instructed the airlines to issue in-flight announcements regarding the same. Apart from these measures, the Airport Health Organizations at Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai have instilled signages informing about the self reporting of the illness at prominent spots. Hospitals located near these international airports have also been reviewed for isolation and critical care facilities. Apart from issuing guidelines on the measures to be taken by the airlines, the Health Ministry also asked Ministry of External Affairs to provide information on travelers coming from Wuhan city and also on those who have sought visa from December 31, 2019. The MEA has been asked to counsel visa applicants while issuing visas. Apart from these measures, the Health ministry has also requested the Foreign Affairs ministry to disseminate travel advisories across Indian embassies located in China and neighboring countries. Passengers who report symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever and cough are advised to fill up the 'Self Reporting Form' before landing. In order to ensure wider dissemination, the travel advisory has also been issued on the official Twitter handle of PIB. Thermal Screening of passengers arriving from #China including #HongKong expanded to Seven airports now Passengers to fill up Self Reporting Form before disembarkationhttps://t.co/ojKHwtPvig#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/3TzlH4SmNG PIB India (@PIB_India) January 21, 2020 The Secretary of the Health and Family welfare ministry held a review meeting on Monday in order to discuss the rising number of coronavirus cases reported from China and also the urgency to step up measures undertaken to safeguard public health. However, the World Health Organization accessed the risk of the global spread of coronavirus as being low. On the domestic front, the Health secretary has also written to States and UTs to review their preparedness to prevent and control coronavirus and also to plug any gaps in areas such as surveillance, laboratory support infection prevention and control, logistics, risk communication. The main area that was emphasized was the preparedness of hospitals in areas of isolation and ventilator management of critical patients of severe acute respiratory illnesses. According to official sources, the National Institute of Virology in Pune is prepared for testing nCoV samples. If the situation demands, 10 more labs that come under the IMCR's Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories network are amply prepared to test these samples. In order to ensure the safety of the health workers, adequate stock of Personal Protection Equipment is being maintained. Also read: Health ministry issues travel advisory over novel coronavirus outbreak in China Donald Trump said the US has a plan to handle the outbreak of a deadly new virus from China after the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed the first case in the country earlier this week. We have it totally under control, the president said on Wednesday. Its one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Trump sought to mitigate anxieties about the Wuhan coronavirus after it killed nine people and sickened hundreds of others across China, Thailand, South Korea and Japan. Its going to be fine, he told CNBC. The president said he was not at all concerned about a potential pandemic after the CDC activated its emergency response system in response to the virus and confirmed the US patient, who has not been identified, was isolated in hospital at Washington state. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty We do have a plan, and we think its going to be handled very well, Mr Trump continued, saying that he trusted Chinese President Xi Jinping and the information coming from Beijing. I think Chinas in very good shape also. His comments came as the CDC launched additional health screenings at airports across the country for any passengers arriving from Wuhan, China, capital of Hubei province located nearly 700 miles south of Beijing. Recommended US town attempts to contain deadly coronavirus The centre also urged travellers to practice enhanced precautions by raising the travel notice for Wuhan to level two on its website. Officials said the virus, which can reportedly spread from animals to humans, began at an animal market in Wuhan and can cause respiratory illness and other more potentially deadly side effects in patients. Still, Washington states secretary of health John Wiesman said there was currently a low risk of the outbreak spreading in America after the US patient was isolated at Providence Regional Medical Centre. Dr Martin Cetron, the CDCs director of global migration and quarantine, told CNN: This isnt anywhere near in the same category as measles or the flu. Mr Trump also touted his relationship with the Chinese president while discussing the outbreak, telling CNBC I have a great relationship with President Xi. The US patient, who is reportedly in his 30s and from Snohomish County, Washington, fell ill after returning from Wuhan last week, and sought treatment four days after his travels. Beginning at noon on Feb. 1, Beaverton police will avail themselves to answer questions via the department's Facebook page. We are going to try something new on the Beaverton Police Departments Facebook page, said Beaverton Police Chief Brad Davis. There are many employers in Armenia who take advantage of the problems with the Labor Code and fire employees with verbal explanations, without demanding written explanations from them. This is what co-author of the bill on making supplements to the Labor Code, deputy of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gevorg Petrosyan declared during a discussion on the bill in the second reading at the National Assembly today. The MP explained that the bill will oblige employers to demand that employees submit a written explanation for incomplete work and state the reasons. According to him, the bill is in the interest of both parties since there will relevant evidence when it comes time to consider the issue of dismissal within the scope of a court procedure. A transgender South Korean soldier who enlisted as a man and underwent a sex change last year pleaded tearfully to be allowed to stay in uniform Wednesday after the military decided to discharge her. The country remains deeply conservative about matters of sexual identity and is less tolerant of LGBT rights than some other parts of Asia, with many gay and transgender Koreans living largely under the radar. Byun Hee-soo, a staff sergeant in her 20s, enlisted voluntarily in 2017, and went on to have gender-reassignment surgery in November in Thailand. She had expressed her desire to remain in the army but a military panel ruled on Wednesday that she will be compulsorily discharged. Byun waived her previous anonymity to appear at a press conference, wearing her fatigues and saluting the gathered journalists and cameras. "I'm a soldier of the Republic of Korea," she said, her voice breaking. Serving in the military had always been her childhood dream, she said, but she had suffered from depression due to gender dysphoria, prompting her to undergo the sex-change surgery. "Putting aside my sexual identity, I want to show everyone that I can be one of the great soldiers defending this country," said Byun, fighting back tears. "Please give me that chance." South Korea has a conscript army to defend itself against the nuclear-armed North, with all able-bodied male citizens obliged to serve for nearly two years. A defence ministry spokesman said Byun had undergone tests at a military hospital, which classified the loss of male genitals as a mental or physical handicap, prompting the panel review. Her case "corresponded to one of the reasons for being unable to continue service", the army said in a statement, without giving specifics and saying it sought to avoid "unfair discrimination and treatment". The Military Human Rights Center for Korea, an advocacy group in Seoul, said the army had ordered Byun to be effectively discharged when she leaves hospital on Thursday. "It shows the military's determination to not allow a transgender in the army even for one second," said the organisation's head Lim Tae-hoon. "It is truly cruel." It is the first case of its kind in the South. International rights groups have expressed concern about the way the country treats gay soldiers, who are banned from engaging in same-sex acts and can face up to two years in prison if caught -- even though such actions are legal in civilian life. International rights groups have expressed concern about the way South Korea treats LGBT soldiers One of Syracuses oldest institutions is celebrating an important milestone this year. For the past 175 years, the Elmcrest Childrens Center has been a constant in the region, helping to change the lives the communitys most vulnerable children. I think we do good work, Joe Geglia, who has been with the organization for the past 30 years, ten as its Executive Director. He calls the history of the center a great story. The story actually begins 185 years ago, when a group of seven churchwomen started the Syracuse Free School which offered an education to children whose parents could not afford the tuition of a private school. Their mission changed ten years later. A 1895 drawing of children at the Orphan's Asylum. Courtesy of the Elmcrest Children's CenterCourtesy of the Elmcrest Childre After Syracuse began offering public education, the church women shifted their focus to sheltering orphans and children in need. With a devoted 18-women Board of Managers, who organized fundraisers and raised money, the Syracuse Orphans Asylum opened on the corner of Salina Street and East Onondaga Street on May 10, 1845. They took in ten boys and five girls. The orphanage focused their attention on religion and education, while working to improve the behavior and character of their charges. The tragic events of the first half of the 20th century, two world wars and the Great Depression, meant that the home had to accommodate more than ever the needs of the regions children. In 1922, the home made its last move, to a 146-acre farm on the outskirts of the city, on Salt Springs Road. Geglia mentions it was common during the Depression for parents to their leave their children at the orphanage when times were tough, pick them up when their financial situation steadied, then leave them again when their fortunes dropped again. In 1945, on the homes 100th anniversary, their name was changed to the Elmcrest Childrens Center. In this final location, a history of the center says, what began with those churchwomen 175 years ago, still resonates at Elmcrest today: saving children. In the years following World War II, the home changed its focus again. A booming economy and new social programs, allowed the center to shift its attention from orphans to troubled youth. After a bleak time during the 1970s, during which the center was temporarily shut down, Elmcrest rebounded with new leadership and has since established itself as a leader and innovator in the field of services to children in Central New York. Joe Geglia says the number of children which have been helped by Elmcrest is unimaginable. Elmcrest Children's Center off Salt Springs Road in Syracuse. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com) Rick MoriartyRick Moriarty When asked to give an example of a memorable success story from Elmcrest history, he mentions a young man from 15 years ago. He was a nice kid, quiet, but his family was not raising him right, Geglia said. He was in trouble. He was placed in Elmcrest for 16 months and earned a scholarship from the center. After earning a two-year degree, Geglia said he knocked it out of the park at Syracuse University, while working nights at UPS. The young man has earned two masters degrees in the technology field. The troubled youth had become Geglia, a great, great man. What began as an orphanage with 15 children and staffed by a couple dozen people in 1845, Elmcrest today serves children and families in 19 counties across Central New York and some 2,500 children each year in residential or community-based programs. Today the staff is more than 500, carrying on the mission that began 175 years ago. The legacy of that original can-do attitude, Geglia says, is the foundation of what our culture is. Im deeply honored to be part of this and looking forward to the future. More from CNY history on syracuse.com 1920: Syracuse is dry and dreary on the first day of Prohibition 1950: Everybody in Syracuse loved the Flaming Nut Sundae until the fire marshal stepped in Orphan from Sicily captures Syracuses heart during 1948 Centennial This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. She's one of the world's most in demand models who always looks her best. And Irina Shayk commanded attention as she walked in the Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday. The brunette beauty, 34, looked sensational in a black shirt which boasted a large silk bow and stunning purple cape covered in a red fish pattern. Wow: Irina Shayk, 34, looked sensational in a purple cape as she took to the catwalk during the Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 show in Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday Irina certainly proved her fashion credentials as she took to the Paris catwalk in the eye-catching ensemble. She rocked the floating light purple cape which had several delicately designed fish covering it giving the impression they were swimming. The beauty completed her high fashion look with a printed midi-skirt and black shirt with a large silk bow tied under her chin. Irina added some height to her frame with a pair of heels which wrapped around her ankle and slicked her locks back into a sleek up do. Sensational: Irina looked every inch the supermodel as she rocked a printed midi-skirt and black shirt with a large bow tied under her chin She kept her makeup to the minimum for the show, wearing a slick of nude lipstick and a touch of blusher as well as some mascara. After the show Irina was seen rushing to her next event, the Jean Paul Gaultier show, by hitching a ride on a motorcycle taxi. Irina changed into a tan suit for the journey and toted a small black leather handbag which complemented her heeled boots. Patterns: The model's fish print purple cape tied in with her skirt's hints of purple and red She also shared an update of her day with her 13.2million fans on Instagram, posting a picture with stylist and Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Paris Fashion Week comes after Irina spent some quality time in New York with her two-year-old daughter Lea. Last Friday the model was seen braving the cold weather to take her toddler, who she shares with ex Bradley Cooper, out for a stroll in the city. Standout: Irina caught the eye on the catwalk as other models wearing green and white also strutted their stuff 'Pre show time': The beauty also shared a snap with Valentino's creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli ahead of walking in his show Irina and Bradley started dating in 2015 but called it quits back in June with them having since shared equal custody their little girl. Shortly after the split, a source told People: 'Bradley was emotionally absent during the long time filming A Star Is Born. They tried to save the relationship but it had changed.' It was followed with rumors of an onset romance that sparked between Cooper and co-star Lady Gaga, 33. In demand: After walking for Valentino, Irina hopped onto a motorcycle taxi in Paris to get to the Jean Paul Gaultier show Smart: She changed into a tan suit which tied around her slim waist and donned a pair of black heeled leather boots for the next show Stunning: Irina slicked her brunette locks back into a chic up do and added a light touch of makeup including a nude lipstick When asked if they hooked up, she recently told Oprah Winfrey: 'We did a really good job at fooling everyone. We created that.' Irina has been single since her split from Bradley, but he appears to have set his sights on someone new. Earlier in January, the director rubbed elbows with some of Hollywood's biggest names, while attending the AFI luncheon in Beverly Hills. Cuban beauty, Ana de Armas, was spotted enjoying a lengthy chat with the famous bachelor during the luncheon. Safety first: Irina donned a helmet as she got ready to speed off to the next venue on a bike Friend, Lover. Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio has a sweet little nickname for his BFF, Brad Pitt. Would you like to guess what it is? No, its not Bud (how unimaginative). Nope, not Button, either! Although that would be one compelling interpretation of Pitts latest biceps tattoo and also very cute. It is neither Cliff nor Booth, which would serve as a call-back to Pitts character in the film that brought them together, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and (therefore) always remind them of how they bonded. Its something you absolutely would not expect, something most commonly associated with Taylor Swifts music, something seemingly engineered in a lab to generate publicity and also, potentially, full-body wincing. Its Lover. Leonardo DiCaprio calls Brad Pitt Lover. Thats according to Pitt himself, who told PeopleTV on the SAG Awards red carpet that he finds the choice a bit confusing, but nonetheless roll[s] with it. How accommodating. I personally do not find the existence of this nickname confusing: Pitt recently effused in his Golden Globes acceptance speech that he wouldve shared the raft with DiCaprio, something his Titanic lover Kate Winslet patently refused to do, so I think its safe to say things are getting pretty serious. And, Pitt is according to many upsettingly charming. Lover is less confusing than objectively embarrassing, as a noun, because the word carries with it the extremely potent energy of a quirky art teacher habitually oversharing her sexual history with her students. Considering their shared passion for pottery, perhaps this makes a certain sort of sense. Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Update (June 30): Montana violated the First Amendment when it barred religious schools from a state scholarship program, the US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, in a case school choice advocates hope will open the door for more education voucher programs. The states no aid provision, categorically banning any type of aid to religious schools, represents an overly sweeping effort at church-state separation that results in religious discrimination against religious schools and adherents, wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the 54 Espinoza vs. Montana Department of Revenue decision. The prohibition before us today burdens not only religious schools but also the families whose children attend or hope to attend them, the opinion read. They are member[s] of the community too, and their exclusion from the scholarship program here is odious to our Constitution and cannot stand. Roberts said that states do not need to subsidize private education, but if they do, they cannot disqualify some private schools just for being religious. For many families, Espinoza not only provides the potential for expanded opportunities for them to educate their children, including the choice of religious education, but also the right to decide what they believe is the most effective way to do so, said Jeanne Allen, the founder of the Center for Education Reform. ----- When a Montana tax credit program for private school scholarships was accused of being discriminatory because religious schools were not eligible, the state eliminated the program outright rather than fight the case. But now, the state has ended up at the US Supreme Court anyway, with a legal dispute centering around whether the legal basis Montana (and dozens of other states) uses to bar public funding of religious education is constitutional. The justices will hear arguments Wednesday in Espinoza vs. Montana Department of Revenue, a case over a scholarship program for private K-12 education that makes donors eligible for up to $150 in state tax credits. Advocates on both sides say the outcome could be momentous because it could lead to efforts in other states to funnel taxpayer money to religious schools. Montana is among 37 states that have provisions in their state constitutions that prohibit religious schools from receiving state aid, also known as Blaine amendments. Legal advocates and Christian schools opposed to the restrictions say they discriminate against religious families by blocking them from government benefits available to others, or by favoring secular education. They also note that such prohibitions were historically designed to not to keep the government from endorsing religionsince a Protestant ethos was generally part of public educationbut to deny support to Catholic (sectarian) schools in particular. Like many religious freedom cases, this one floats the balance between the establishment clausethe government cannot support a particular faith over othersand the free exercise clauseit cannot prohibit citizens from exercising their religious beliefs. In a brief to the Supreme Court, the Montana Department of Revenue argued, Different states, with different legislatures and different constitutions, will arrive at different policies, which is something to celebrate, not quash. Diana Verm, senior counsel with Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the plaintiffs, challenged whether Montana had gone too far with its no aid provision. Its true you do want space for states to address things in their own way, but the free exercise clause is always the limit in this case, she said in an interview with CT. Does the free exercise clause allow a state to end a program because parents who receive funding from that program would use it at a religious school? The US Justice Department wrote that Montanas stance penalizes parents who choose a religion rather than a secular school for their children. Jameson Coppola, legal director for the American Association of Christian Schools, similarly told CT the unjust prohibitions in the Blaine amendments restrict religious people from educating their children in ways that others in society are able to. Others fear that school choice programs, vouchers, individual tax credits or deductions and education savings accounts, ultimately siphon public money away from public schools and weaken the education system. The Montana Tax Credit Scholarship Program was created in 2015 to allow Montanans a tax credit of up to $150 for individual and business contributions to a privately run scholarship program for private school tuition. Though most private schools in Montana are religiously affiliated, the Montana Department of Revenue issued a rule that barred families from using the scholarships at religious schools, citing the states Blaine Amendment, and the Montana Supreme Court ultimately struck down the tax credit as a violation of Blaine. Kendra Espinoza of Kalispell, Montana, the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, said the state court decision amounts to discrimination against her religious freedom. They did away with the entire program so that no one could use this money to send their kids to a religious school, Espinoza told the Associated Press. Her two daughters attend the Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell, near Glacier National Park. Espinoza said she could not afford to keep her daughters enrolled without financial aid from the school, where tuition this year is $7,735 for elementary and middle school and $8,620 for high school. The state hoped the wholesale invalidation of the program would shield it from Supreme Court review. In urging the Supreme Court to reject the case, Montana said it cant be compelled to offer a scholarship program for private education. The state told the justices that the Montana court decision did not single out students at religious schools because the state court ruling struck down the entire program. In addition to support from Christian advocates and the Trump administration (whose Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is known for her favorable stance on school choice), the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty filed a friend-of-the-court brief discussing the important of Jewish day schools in Jewish education. Coppola, with the Christian schools association, points to the recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the Bladensburg Peace Cross and the Trinity Lutheran playground as evidence that this court sees a difference between establishing a religion and impeding the free exercise of religion. (In the Bladensburg case, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of allowing a memorial cross to remain on a state-owned median in Bladensburg, Maryland, and declared that government efforts to maintain the landmark do not violate the religion clause of the Constitution. In Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer the Court voted 7-2 in favor of a conservative Lutheran congregation seeking a state grant for improving its playground.) If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Montana, Verm said it will be a missed opportunity to provide states with guidance on Blaine amendments. If it doesnt take this opportunity, well see a lot more litigation and as we wait for guidance on when states can exclude religious groups from their programs. On camera, Markle says he was paid to tell his story to the Chanel 5 broadcaster and threatens to keep selling his story. Im going to defend myself and Im going to be paid for it, he said. I dont care. At this point they owe me. The royals owe me. Harry owes me. Meghan owes me. For what Ive been through, I should be rewarded. Dmitry Peskov says that idea of amendments that would provide a possibility to incorporate annexed regions of Ukraine and Belarus into the Russian Federation has never been discussed Dmitry Peskov, Spokesman of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, excludes the possibility of making amendments to the Constitution that would provide the capability to incorporate annexed regions of Ukraine and Belarus into the Russian Federation. He said this in response to information provided from a number of media representatives, TASS reports. "I have not heard about these proposals, so I cannot say anything. I have not heard how it is being formulated. In general, it has not been discussed anywhere yet. This is the first time I have heard it," Peskov said. On January 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a working group in order to prepare amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which included 75 politicians, legislators, scientists and public figures. On Monday, Putin introduced a draft law on amendments to the State Duma. As we reported earlier, Russias government has resigned, following President Vladimir Putin's proposal for constitutional changes, Tass informed, citing Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev stated that Russias government would resign in full, allowing Putin to appoint new ministers as he embarks on the future changes in the country's leadership. Putin has instructed the outgoing government to perform its duties until a new administration is in place. As for drinks, Steiner likes to take the road less traveled, a strategy that leads to women-inspired drinks and grape juice you wont find at Total Wine. Around Christmas, she made things merry and bright with a bourbon-based Cindy Lou Who sour completed with a float of red wine and a pine sprig stirrer. Whoo-hoo. While I applaud the owners promotion of women-produced wine from less obvious parts of the world, I question some of the choices and the prices. The average price for a bottle of wine is $77, only one is under $50 and a syrah from Bolivia twice tasted both harsh and flat. Whereas the innovative cocktails at Himitsu always had balance in their favor, I cant say the same about all the libations at Pom Pom. A recent daiquiri fell victim to astringency and enough nori to place me in a sushi parlor. Swim around the Merry Mermaid. Eight crew members of a Greek-flagged tanker ship have been freed more than 20 days after being kidnapped by gunmen off the coast of Cameroon in West Africa, Greece's merchant marine ministry said on Wednesday. The crew had been kidnapped by pirates on Dec. 31 from the Happy Lady tanker, which had been lying at anchor two nautical miles (2.3 miles, 3.7 kilometers) outside the port of Limboh. The ministry said the eight, including five Greeks ranging in age from 21 to 45, had been freed in the early hours of Wednesday after "the successful end of negotiations". The five Greeks, including the ship's captain, were in good health and in a safe location, and would be returning home after undergoing medical checks, the ministry said. There has been a spike in the number of incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, with a recent report by the International Maritime Bureau noting a 50 per cent increase in piracy in the area last year. The region accounted for more than 90 per cent of global crew member kidnappings in 2019. The Greek merchant fleet is one of the largest in the world and several incidents have involved Greek owned or flagged ships. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Concurs repetat pentru selectarea unei companii sociologice, care sa efectueze un studiu tematic "Barometrul opiniei publice in domeniul schimbarilor climatice" Vietnam chairs UNSC open debate on Middle East situation Updated: 11:05 - 22/01/2020 At the event__Photo: VNA The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 21 held a periodic open debate on the Middle East situation, including Palestine, under the chair of Vietnam.The UNSC heard reports by UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peace-building Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller.Many speakers expressed concern over prolonged violence and conflicts between Israel and Palestine, leaving thousands of people dead, including women and children.A majority of opinions called on Israel to immediately end settlement activities in the occupied West Bank, including the East Jerusalem. The UN and countries affirmed that such activities are a serious violation of international law as mentioned in the UNSCs Resolution No.2234 in 2016.Meanwhile, the economic crisis, the lack of medicines, electricity and clean water continue impacting lives of Palestinians in Gaza Strip. About 70 percent of Palestinian women living in the area are unemployed.Over the past years, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the UN Development Program and the World Bank have conducted humanitarian activities, generating tens of thousands of jobs in the Gaza Strip.A number of delegates asked Israel to immediately end restrictions on travel and trade in Gaza Strip.The UN and countries affirmed their consistent support for the two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for the pre-1967 borders, as well as the serious implementation of the UNs relevant resolutions and previous agreements.They also urged parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and prevent escalation.Speaking on behalf of his own country, Head of the Vietnams Permanent Mission to the UN, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy expressed Vietnams concern over rising violence in occupied territory, and condemned attacks on civilians, women, children, and civil infrastructure such as schools, crops and assets of people.Vietnam called on parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and avoid actions that could incite violence, respect and enforce international law and the UNSCs relevant resolutions, he said.Quy urged Israel to immediately end the building of illegal settlements and lift travel restriction in occupied territory. He also expressed support for the UNRWAs tasks.Vietnam pursues the consistent policy of supporting the fight for justice by Palestinians for their inviolable rights, including the right to national self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, he said, adding that the only solution to the Israel - Palestine conflict is the establishment of a Palestinian State with pre-1967 borders, and living in peace, security and mutual respect with the Israeli State.The open debate will continue on January 22.- Thousands of residents on Greek islands hosting large migrant camps on Wednesday kicked off a day of protests, demanding the immediate removal of asylum-seekers. The islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios staged a general strike, shutting down shops and public services and rallying in central squares, many protesters waving Greek flags. "We want our islands back, we want our lives back," was the main slogan. Asylum-seekers "should be shared out across Greece," 72-year-old Lesbos pensioner Efstratios Peppas told AFP. "And Europe must assume its responsibilities. It too must take migrants," he said. The largest camp of Moria on Lesbos island, with a capacity for 2,840 people, hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. "You can't walk alone outside after dark, people get stabbed," Peppas said. The overcrowding is equally severe on other islands, and rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised the living conditions at the camps. The government announced plans in November to build larger camps on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, which currently host a total of nearly 42,000 migrants and refugees and where outbreaks of violence are frequent. Two young asylum-seekers have been fatally stabbed in brawls at the Moria camp this month. An 18-year-old Afghan girl was also seriously injured in a knife attack this week and remains in hospital. And three asylum-seekers in Greek custody have committed suicide in recent weeks. "We demand the immediate shutdown of Moria," read a banner carried in the Lesbos demonstration. But the new camp plans have been strongly opposed by local officials, who want smaller facilities after hosting thousands of asylum seekers for the past five years. Greece last year again became the main entry into Europe for migrants and refugees, many fleeing war or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Syria. The UN refugee agency in 2019 recorded more than 59,000 arrivals by sea and more than 14,000 via the land border with Turkey. Already more than 3,000 have arrived so far this year. Only a fraction are allowed passage to the Greek mainland while the rest spend months in the camps, waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. On Tuesday, 17 human rights organisations warned of a rising "climate of discrimination and xenophobia" towards asylum-seekers, who also faced "serious consequences to their well-being and public health". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STOCKHOLM, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Moberg Pharma AB (OMX: MOB) has now completed the expert evaluation of the results from the North American Phase 3-study. The analysis conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs) has confirmed the validity of the data presented in December 2019 and increased the understanding of the study outcomes. Key conclusions include: i) MOB-015 delivers a very high mycological cure rate that compares favorably to oral antifungal drugs with the added advantage of an earlier onset of action; ii) Confirmation that the proprietary vehicle technology increases the hydration and permeability of the nail plate enabling efficient terbinafine delivery, however it also confounds the assessment of clinical cure and complete cure and iii) A likely solution to the problem - a shorter dosing regimen with the potential to deliver superior complete cure rates. In December 2019, the topline results were presented from the first of two clinical studies in the Phase 3 program for MOB-015, meeting the primary endpoint. Mycological cure (eradicating the fungal infection) was achieved in 70 percent of the patients, which is substantially higher than reported for other topical treatments (30-54 percent). Furthermore, 83 percent of the patients reported visible nail improvement by the first follow-up visit. However, despite the strong mycological cure and rapid visible improvement, a lower than expected complete cure rate of 4.5 percent (normal looking nails and negative fungal culture) was reached, which was surprising because a high mycological cure is typically followed by clinical cure and the combined endpoint complete cure. The company has since engaged leading key opinion leaders to help Moberg Pharma verify the results and better understand the reasons for the conflicting outcome. The key question for the KOLs has been to help the company understand why the high mycological cure did not result in high complete cure. The KOLs found the mycological cure rate of MOB-015 remarkable and very exciting, as the first topical treatment with mycological cure rate at the same level as oral terbinafine, the current gold standard for treatment of onychomycosis. Furthermore, the onset of the antifungal effect is more rapid than for oral terbinafine, with MOB-015 delivering 55 percent mycological cure at 6 months (vs 40 percent for oral terbinafine) and 37 percent already at 3 months (vs 15 percent for oral terbinafine). In addition, after detailed analysis of the data and individual photos from the study, the KOLs concluded that while the vehicle technology enables high delivery of terbinafine through the nail plate, its hydrating properties also cause whitening/discoloration in nails. This phenomenon is transient but makes the assessment of clinical cure challenging and contributed to the low complete cure rate observed. A solution to the problem was identified in collaboration with the KOLs. Analysis of the available clinical data, including data from the recent Phase 3 study, earlier Moberg Pharma studies as well as from the literature, the KOLs as well as the company experts conclude that the complete cure rate for MOB-015 likely can be increased substantially by a shorter treatment period followed by a maintenance period. The current gold standard in onychomycosis is three months treatment with oral terbinafine. Before this phase 3 trial for MOB-015, it appeared unrealistic that a topical treatment would achieve 70 percent mycological cure rate - the same level as oral terbinafine. Treatment with MOB-015 resulted in 1000x higher amounts of terbinafine in the nail plate and 40x higher in the nail bed compared to oral terbinafine treatment. Considering also the rapid onset and high mycological cure rate, the data indicates that a shorter dosing regimen has the potential to increase complete cure rates. The KOL evaluation concludes that once-daily treatment period for not more than three months, followed by maintenance dosing once weekly until week 48 should maintain high concentrations of terbinafine in the tissue, while reducing the hydrating effects after the initial treatment phase and thus the impact on the clinical cure assessment at week 52. "The high mycological cure rate demonstrated is very impressive and given the rapid onset of the antifungal effect, MOB-015 offers exciting benefits. I will definitely use it for my patients. A higher complete cure rate is likely to be achieved with a shorter treatment period and this would also be much more attractive to patients", said Dr Boni Elewski, Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama. "I am a strong supporter of this concept. With an optimized dosing regimen this product has great potential and may become the preferred therapeutic option, not only for monotherapy, but also as maintenance therapy to reduce recurrence after oral treatment", said Dr Aditya Gupta, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. "Based on decades of experience with terbinafine and the excipients used in MOB-015, I believe a shorter treatment period has the potential to provide higher complete cure rates. Killing the fungus is the driver of also reaching complete cure", said Dr Jan Faergemann, Professor in Dermatology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Since the primary endpoint as well as secondary endpoints were met in the North American trial and provided that the second study also produces positive results, these studies could form a basis to register the product. The timing to optimize the dosing regimen will depend on the outcome of the EU trial. "From a medical and commercial perspective, a regimen with daily dosing for up to three months followed by less frequent treatment, is highly attractive and further improves the target product profile of MOB-015. This is further supported by U.S. market data indicating that real-life usage of current topicals on average is 3-4 months, despite being labeled for 48 weeks' daily treatment", said Dr. Amir Tavakkol, CSO of Moberg Pharma AB. "We are very grateful for the thorough analysis of the key opinion leaders which not only shed light on the conflicting data points, but also strengthened our conviction that MOB-015 has the potential to become the future market leader in onychomycosis", said Anna Ljung, CEO of Moberg Pharma AB. Press conference An investor Q&A will be held in a telephone conference today, January 22, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. CET. Dial-in: SE: +46-8-505-583-53, US: +1-833-526-83-80 Definitions of endpoints and topline results in the North American Phase 3 study for MOB-015 Complete cure - Primary endpoint The primary endpoint in the study is complete cure at week 52, which is a composite measure of mycological cure and clinical cure. The primary endpoint was met, since significantly more patients in the MOB-015 group - 4.5 percent - reached complete cure compared to none in the control group (p=0.019). Mycological cure Mycological cure is an objective measure composed of two laboratory results: fungal culture and KOH microscopy. The physician/nurse takes nail clippings, which are sent to a central laboratory for analysis. If fungus cannot be cultured from the sample and fungal elements subsequently cannot be seen in a microscopic examination, the nail is mycologically cured (fungus free). A 70 percent mycological cure after one year is remarkably high for a topical treatment and on par with the best oral treatment. Mycological cure is defined in the study as a key secondary endpoint. Clinical cure Clinical cure is a subjective measure where an experienced physician at each clinic performs a visual assessment of how much of the nail is affected by onychomycosis. No signs of infection should be visible on the nail to achieve complete cure. This endpoint is difficult to determine and takes different time to achieve for different nails, depending among other things on the condition of the nail at treatment start. The clinical cure was identical to the complete cure. Treatment success Since the difficulty in achieving complete cure in 52 weeks is well known, Treatment success is also reported, a composite measure of mycological cure combined with a clinical assessment that the nail should be clear or almost clear (up to 10 percent affected nail area). Treatment success was reached in 15.4 percent of the patients and was significantly better than the control group (p=0.0018). Treatment success is defined in the study as a key secondary endpoint. The patient's own assessment The patient's own assessment is a subjective measure where the patient assesses the improvement in the nail according to a standardized scale. Of the patients who completed the study, 33 percent reported that their treated toenails were completely cured or almost cured. In addition, 83 percent of the patients reported a visible improvement after just twelve weeks of treatment. About the Phase 3 study in North America The recently completed Phase 3 study was conducted at 32 sites in the U.S. and Canada and included a total of 365 patients, 246 of whom received MOB-015 and 119 who were in the control group and received the vehicle. The patients had at least one great toenail that was 20-60 percent affected. Treatment was administered once daily for 48 weeks and patients were followed up for a total of 52 weeks. A second Phase 3 study is currently underway in Europe comprising 452 patients and is expected to be finalized in spring 2020. The setup in the European study in similar to the North American study, the only difference is that instead of being vehicle-controlled, in EU, MOB-015 is compared head to head against the most widely used topical treatment. About this information This is information that Moberg Pharma AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). The information was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above at 08.00 a.m. CET on January 22nd, 2020. CONTACT: For additional information, please contact: Anna Ljung CEO Phone: +46-707-66-6030 E-mail: [email protected] Peter Wolpert Executive Chairman Phone: +1-908-432-2203, +46-707-35-7135 E-mail: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/moberg-pharma/r/expert-evaluation-clarifies-phase-3-results-and-provides-strong-support-for-mob-015,c3014068 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/1662/3014068/1177655.pdf Expert evaluation clarifies Phase 3 results and provides strong support for MOB-015 SOURCE Moberg Pharma Darjeeling, Jan 22 : Taking on Union Home Minister Amit Shah a day after he accused the country's opposition parties of 'misleading' the people on CAA, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday challenged him to clarify provisions of the new citizenship law and alleged the Centre was planning to prepare two separate NPR lists. Baneejee was addressing a rally at Chawkbazar of this picturesque east Himalayan town where she led a five-km rally against the citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Speaking in Hindi, she accused the Narendra Modi government in New Delhi of trying to enforce the CAA in only states where parties other than the BJP were in saddle. "Every day the Home Minister is giving a new spin. Now she says we - the opposition parties - are misleading the people. I challenge him to clarify whether or not the CAA has provisions under which a person would be adjudged a foreigner first and then only be allowed to apply for Indian citizenship," she said. Virtually accusing the Centre of resorting to untruths, she said while it was assuring people that they don't need documents during the NPR exercise, at the same time the form has columns for mentioning the date and place of birth of parents. "It is the Centre's plan to come out with two lists, one of those people who submit documents, and another comprising those who don't," she said. With a lot of Gorkha people attending the rally, Banerjee said lakhs of people from the community have become homeless following the NRC exercise carried out in Assam. "Such things will not happen in Darjeeling so long I am there," she said. Britain's planned digital tax on tech giants will proceed as planned from April, UK finance minister Sajid Javid insisted Wednesday despite US threats of retaliatory tariffs. "We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April," Javid said at the Davos economic summit, as US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned that Washington would look to retaliate with a tariff on EU auto imports. Javid described Britain's tax, seen as targeting especially US giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook, as "proportionate" and "temporary". Addressing the annual World Economic Forum, he added: "It will fall away once there is an international solution." Also speaking in Davos on Wednesday, Mnuchin said: "If people want to arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies we will consider putting taxes arbitrarily on car companies." Mnuchin has specified Britain and Italy, which has already introduced its digital levy on tech companies seen as paying too little tax, as nations at risk of US retaliation. Austria introduced its own digital tax in January, but France has suspended its plans. Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump have agreed to extend negotiations on how to proceed until the end of the year. France has said it would drop its tax if an international agreement is reached under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. OECD chief Angel Gurria has meanwhile urged Britain to "hold fire" on its tax, the BBC reported Wednesday. Gurria added that in the absence of a globally agreed tax, there would be a "cacophony and a mess" with "tensions rising all over the place". Austrian finance minister Gernot Bluemel on Wednesday said that a meeting of EU finance ministers this week discussed the digital tax issue. He told his country's parliament that Austria had "always advocated an international solution on the digital tax, on OECD level or at least on EU level". Bluemel added that Austria had introduced its own tax at the start of the year to ensure a "level playing field and more fairness". In late 2018, former UK finance minister Philip Hammond announced plans to introduce a two-percent tax on profitable tech companies that generate at least 500 million pounds (590 million euros, $654 million) a year in global revenues. Britain's tax was expected to raise 400 million pounds per year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After more than 12 hours of debate that bled into early Wednesday morning, the Senate passed Majority Leader Mitch McConnells proposed rules for the impeachment trial against President Trump. Senators voted 53-to-47 along party lines just before 2a.m. to pass McConnells rules resolution, which delays a vote on whether witnesses will be called until after opening arguments are heard. Under McConnells rules, the House impeachment managers are allotted 24 hours over three days to argue the Democrats case that the president is guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of justice and should be removed from office. The White House legal team will be afforded the same amount of time to defend the president. After that, senators have 16 hours to submit questions to both sides before settling the question of whether to call witnesses or subpoena documents. The vote came after Republicans voted to reject several amendments from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to subpoena more evidence and call witnesses to testify. The debate grew heated around midnight, when Democratic impeachment manager Jerry Nadler suggested that if Republicans rejected one of Schumers amendments to subpoena former National Security Adviser John Bolton, they would be guilty of a treacherous vote and a cover-up. This is the United States Senate. Youre not in charge here, White House counsel Pat Cipollone shot back. Its about time we bring this power trip in for a landing. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts then reprimanded both sides, saying those addressing the Senate should remember where they are, namely before the worlds greatest deliberative body. Trumps legal team argued that the president acted within the bounds of executive privilege and did not abuse his power. The House impeachment managers are scheduled to begin opening arguments at 2p.m. on Wednesday. More from National Review Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images A group of homeless mothers evicted and arrested after squatting in an empty Oakland residence have reached an agreement to buy the home in a radical conclusion to a struggle that shone a renewed spotlight on the Bay Areas dire housing shortage. The women, known collectively as Moms 4 Housing, occupied a house in West Oakland from November until Alameda County Sheriffs deputies removed them in a pre-dawn raid on January 14. Cops also arrested two of the women, along with two men on the scene. Around the same time as that eviction raid, hundreds of supporters gathered at the house to express solidarity with the mothers rallying cry of housing is a human right. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Moms 4 Housing announced that the womenwho were released from jail last weekreached an agreement to purchase the property from its owner with the help of a local nonprofit, Oakland Community Land Trust. This is what happens when we organize, when people come together to build the beloved community. Today we honor Dr. Kings radical legacy by taking Oakland back from banks and corporations, said Dominique Walker, one of the mothers who was living in the home. Eviction Squad Tosses Moms on Street in Ultra-Rich Bay Area The house, owned by the Southern California real estate company Wedgewood, had remained empty for two years, even as homelessness in Oakland rose by nearly half in the same time period. Members of Oaklands city council had urged the company to make a deal with the mothers to end the dispute. In a statement, the company said, Wedgewood is thankful for the outpouring of support for our company throughout the illegal occupation of our Oakland property. We appreciate the local, state and national support for property owners as well as the publics support for non-violent discussion and action. Activists who worked with the mothers were quick to brandish the outcome as not just a win but a precedent they might repeat. The moms fought for all of Oakland, said Carroll Fife, director of the Oakland chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. Now Wedgewood has pledged to work with the City of Oaklands Housing and Community Development Department and the Oakland Community Land Trust to negotiate a first right of refusal program for all Oakland properties they own and we will hold them to it. Story continues Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her excellent supporting performance in 2010's Black Swan, and has two high profile film projects coming out this year. Mila Kunis appeared focused and determined on Tuesday, when she was spotted with coffee in hand on the way to a meeting in Beverly Hills, California. Mila, 36, had her raven hair down for the outing, and looked fresh-faced sans makeup as she squinted in the Los Angeles sunshine. Working actress and mother: Mila Kunis appeared focused and determined on Tuesday, when she was spotted with coffee in hand on the way to a meeting in Beverly Hills The Bad Moms actress wore black jeans, a black top and black combat boots. Contrasting her ensemble was Kunis's beautiful cropped cream-colored pea coat, which featured red striped accents and a strap belt. The mother of two also carried a dark grey knapsack on her back. Mila is married to her long-ago That '70s Show costar, Ashton Kutcher, 41. On her way: Mila, 36, had her raven hair down for the outing, and looked fresh-faced sans makeup as she squinted in the Los Angeles sunshine That series aired from 1998 to 2006 and caused Kunis and Kutcher to form a strong, but platonic bond. In 2005, Kutcher married his longtime girlfriend, Demi Moore. However, with years of friendship and a number of failed relationships under their respective belts (Ashton and Demi separated in 2011, while Mila ended her eight year relationship with Macaulay Culkin in 2010), it wasn't until 2012 that the pair finally took a stab at dating. After casually seeing one another for a number of months, the friends-turned-lovers took things up a notch and moved in together. Sexy: Mila is married to her long-ago That '70s Show costar, Ashton Kutcher; seen here in Las Vegas in May 2018 Red hot: The couple got married in July of 2014 and would go on to have two children; seen here in LA in July 2018 Two years later, Kutcher proposed to Kunis. The couple got married in July of 2014 and would go on to have their two children, Wyatt, now five, and Dimitri, three, just a few years later. Unbelievably, Mila has voiced the character of Meg Griffin on the Family Guy for over 20 years, since late 1999. She has two films coming out this year: the drama Four Good Days opposite Glenn Close, and ensemble thriller Breaking News in Yuba County with Awkwafina, Allison Janney and Juliette Lewis (to name a few). SAN ANTONIO -- Jan. 22, 2020 -- A Southwest Research Institute team developed a new geochemical model that reveals that carbon dioxide (CO2) from within Enceladus, an ocean-harboring moon of Saturn, may be controlled by chemical reactions at its seafloor. Studying the plume of gases and frozen sea spray released through cracks in the moon's icy surface suggests an interior more complex than previously thought. "By understanding the composition of the plume, we can learn about what the ocean is like, how it got to be this way and whether it provides environments where life as we know it could survive," said SwRI's Dr. Christopher Glein, lead author of a paper in Geophysical Research Letters outlining the research. "We came up with a new technique for analyzing the plume composition to estimate the concentration of dissolved CO2 in the ocean. This enabled modeling to probe deeper interior processes." Analysis of mass spectrometry data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft indicates that the abundance of CO2 is best explained by geochemical reactions between the moon's rocky core and liquid water from its subsurface ocean. Integrating this information with previous discoveries of silica and molecular hydrogen (H2) points to a more complex, geochemically diverse core. "Based on our findings, Enceladus appears to demonstrate a massive carbon sequestration experiment," Glein said. "On Earth, climate scientists are exploring whether a similar process can be utilized to mitigate industrial emissions of CO2. Using two different data sets, we derived CO2 concentration ranges that are intriguingly similar to what would be expected from the dissolution and formation of certain mixtures of silicon- and carbon-bearing minerals at the seafloor." Another phenomenon that contributes to this complexity is the likely presence of hydrothermal vents inside Enceladus. At Earth's ocean floor, hydrothermal vents emit hot, energy-rich, mineral-laden fluids that allow unique ecosystems teeming with unusual creatures to thrive. "The dynamic interface of a complex core and seawater could potentially create energy sources that might support life," said SwRI's Dr. Hunter Waite, principal investigator of Cassini's Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS). "While we have not found evidence of the presence of microbial life in the ocean of Enceladus, the growing evidence for chemical disequilibrium offers a tantalizing hint that habitable conditions could exist beneath the moon's icy crust." The scientific community continues reaping the benefits of Cassini's close flyby of Enceladus on Oct. 28, 2015, prior to the end of the mission. INMS detected H2 as the spacecraft flew through the plume, and a different instrument had earlier detected tiny particles of silica, two chemicals that are considered to be markers for hydrothermal processes. "Distinct sources of observed CO2, silica and H2 imply mineralogically and thermally diverse environments in a heterogeneous rocky core," Glein said. "We suggest that the core is composed of a carbonated upper layer and a serpentinized interior." Carbonates commonly occur as sedimentary rocks such as limestone on Earth, while serpentine minerals are formed from igneous seafloor rocks that are rich in magnesium and iron. It is proposed that hydrothermal oxidation of reduced iron deep in the core creates H2, while hydrothermal activity intersecting quartz-bearing carbonated rocks produces silica-rich fluids. Such rocks also have potential to influence the CO2 chemistry of the ocean via low-temperature reactions involving silicates and carbonates at the seafloor. "The implications for possible life enabled by a heterogeneous core structure are intriguing," said Glein. "This model could explain how planetary differentiation and alteration processes create chemical (energy) gradients needed by subsurface life." ### INMS, built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, was operated by an international team of scientists headed by Waite. The Cassini-Huygens mission was a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, a division of Caltech, managed the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. For more information, go to: https://www.swri.org/planetary-science or https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085885. Release url: https://www.swri.org/press-release/enceladus-ocean-co2-plume-potential-life?utm_source=EurekAlert!&utm_medium=Distribution&utm_campaign=CO2-PR Client service link: https://www.swri.org/planetary-science?utm_source=EurekAlert!&utm_medium=SwRI&utm_campaign=CO2-PR Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 12:48 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607b0b7 1 Business banana,plantations,horticulture,exports,Trade,trade-deficit,trade-balance,Coordinating-Economic-Ministry,Cavendish-banana,Blitar,East-Java Free The Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister has initiated the establishment of Cavendish banana plantations for exports in Blitar, East Java, to help curb the nations trade deficit and spur local economic growth. According to ministry secretary Susiwijono, the government is working on a 4-hectare demonstration plot with farmers and agro-industrial firm Great Giant Pineapple (GGP) as a standby buyer for the products. The ministrys farmers empowerment program will cover matters related to production and marketing, he added. Cavendish bananas were chosen because of their high economic value and wide market potential, Susiwijono said. Indonesia currently exports Cavendish bananas to China, Japan, Korea and the Middle East. However, demand from these countries has not been fulfilled because of limited production land. This quick wins program is aimed at narrowing the national trade deficit, Susiwijono said as quoted from a press statement released on Tuesday. It will greatly contribute to solving the main problems of our economy related to the trade balance deficit. He pointed out that the agriculture sector is also the third-largest contributor to the nations GDP, after the industrial and trade sectors. However, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data recently revealed that fruit imports totaled US$1.24 billion from January to November last year, up 9.61 percent from $1.13 billion in the same period in 2018. Fruit imports contributed to the nations trade deficit widening to $3.11 billion as of November 2019. The rise of imported fruits is because Indonesian households buy more Chinese apples and oranges ahead of the holidays compared to last year, BPS chairman Suhariyanto said in December. The top three fruit importers into Indonesia were China, Japan and Thailand. Fruit imports from China have more than doubled to $134.42 million in November 2019 from $64.17 million in the same period in 2018. Indonesia's trade balance fell to a $1.33 billion deficit in November 2019, standing in stark contrast to the $161.3 million surplus recorded in October and marking the largest deficit since April 2019. Susiwijono said the development of export-oriented horticultural commodities would continue in various regions, such as Bener Meriah regency in Aceh and Bondowoso regency in East Java, among other areas. He went on to say that the program would also boost exports, investments and economic equality through partnerships between the government, private sector and farmers. "We start with 4-hectare demonstration plots in several locations, he said. Farmers will be assisted from the production process to marketing. Susiwijono added that he hoped similar programs could be rolled out at the national level, starting with selling the bananas at local markets while gradually developing logistics for exports. The ministry established a similar plantation in Jembrana regency, Bali, in December 2019. The family of a brain-dead pregnant woman who was kept on life support for almost four weeks owing to concerns about the Eighth Amendment are seeking some 3.3m damages from the HSE over her death. The State Claims Agency, which is managing the case for the HSE, disputes the level of damages sought. More than 3.1m is for future costs of care and appropriate accommodation for 26-year-old Natasha Perie's two young children, now aged 11 and nine, including the cost of full-time live-in nannies for both until they reach the age of 23, as well as education and counselling. The remainder is for some 184,000 for Ms Perie's father, Peter Perie, for loss of dependency. At the time of their mother's death in late 2014, both children were living with her and widower Mr Perie (67), in his four-bedroom home where they were described as "happy and content". The children have different fathers and, after Ms Perie's death, the children went to live with their respective fathers in accommodation not owned by the fathers. A hearing opened before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy yesterday for assessment of damages after a mediation failed to secure agreement. The family had last November received an apology from the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, and the HSE over failings in Ms Perie's care at the hospital in late 2014. She was pronounced brain-dead days after her admission there on November 27, 2014 but was afterwards kept on life support, against the family's wishes, because of doctors' concerns about the implications of the Eighth Amendment, which has since been repealed. Expand Close Peter Perie, father of the late Natasha Perie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Peter Perie, father of the late Natasha Perie The family ultimately secured High Court orders on December 26, 2014 ending the somatic support after the court held the only prospect for the unborn was "distress and death". Ms Perie, described as having a rotting brain and open infected head wound, was buried in a closed coffin. Her father and six other family members previously settled nervous shock claims, including a 150,000 payment for Ms Perie's daughter who was described as "horrified" when, then aged six, she saw her mother in a deteriorating condition on life support. A nervous shock claim was not pursued for her son as he was aged just four at the time of his mother's death. The larger aspect of the family's claim was for damages over fatal injury. The HSE last year accepted liability and accepted Ms Perie's death was caused by failure to diagnose a brain cyst which ruptured, leaving her brain-dead days after her admission to the hospital, having complained of severe headaches on a number of occasions. Yesterday, the court was told a 2017 report by a child psychologist described Ms Perie's daughter as having experienced "harrowing emotional difficulties". The hearing continues. Planes operated by Wizz Air will fly to Russia four times a week. Orthodox icon Virgin of Kazan is projected at the Kazansky Cathedral with a statue of Field Marshal Prince Mikhail Kutuzov on the left in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Source: TASR/AP) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Bratislava airport will soon offer a new flight connection to St Petersburg. Operated by the low-cost airlines Wizz Air, the planes are expected to fly to the new destination and back four times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The flights will be launched on June 1, but it is already possible to buy plane tickets. Related story: Related story: Bratislava airport will launch a direct flight to western Africa Read more We welcome Wizz Airs decision because the connection to St Petersburg is one we have been trying to gain for a very long time, said Jozef Pojedinec, general director of the airport, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that Slovaks are interested in this destination. Six Months After Yuen Long Attack, Victims Sue Hong Kong Police 2020-01-21 -- Hong Kong protesters on Tuesday marked six months since a bloody attack on train passengers and bystanders by white-shirted triad-linked thugs wielding batons inside Yuen Long MTR station, as eight victims of the attack sued the city's chief of police. Hundreds of people gathered for a silent sit-in outside the station to mark the July 21 attacks. Riot police closed in and fired tear gas and pepper spray on anyone who lingered after the official end time of 10:00 p.m. Protesters said they would never forget that the Hong Kong police failed to respond to more than 24,000 emergency calls from the area as the white-shirted mob ran amok, bludgeoning passengers for 39 minutes before police arrived on the scene, leaving 45 people in hospital. TV footage in the hours following the attack showed officers chatting to groups of similarly-clad armed men on the same day. A similar sit-in was held in Causeway Bay MTR station, according to social media posts. Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said he has gathered video footage and witness accounts in support of a lawsuit against the chief of police brought by himself and seven other victims of the attack seeking H.K. $2.7 million (U.S. $350,000) in compensation. "Our court case is not just for our compensation. We are looking for justice for the victims and for Hong Kong," Lam told journalists on Tuesday. "We believe that it was a turning point in Hong Kong history." "The police force deliberately allowed the gangsters to use weapons to attack civilians in Yuen Long indiscriminately. This was blatant collusion between the police and triads and marks a watershed for Hong Kong. We've been unable to trust the police from that point onwards," Lam said. Police have said the protesters had "provoked" the attackers, but there is scant evidence on video footage to support this view. Thirty-seven people, some of whom have links to triad organizations, were arrested in the wake of the attack, and seven of them face charges of "rioting." Treatment of journalists Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) has called on police to stop lying about their treatment of journalists covering the protests. The group said police officers had attacked reporters on Jan. 19 in Mong Kok and Central districts for no reason while they were in the process of doing their jobs. "They stole their video equipment and mobile phones, shoved them down on the ground and sprayed pepper spray on their heads," the HKJA said in a statement on its website. "Personal information was leaked because police deliberately displayed it for about a minute in front of a live camera." "The HKJA ... is extremely angry and strongly condemns these actions by police. We call on the higher ranks of the police force to exercise better restraint on frontline officers," it said. Protesters also took to social media to remember the Yuen Long attack. "Today marks six months of the 721 incident, when triads rushed into a train station and attacked people indiscriminately," Twitter user @usssnonichijyou wrote on Tuesday. "The police didn't care and arrived late. Never forget." Twitter user @HkKayau wrote: "It's been 6mo since the #721 #YuenLongAttack. This date marks the official beginning of #HKPoliceState, the collapse of rule of law and the tearing down of the facade of 1 country 2 systems." Under the "one country, two systems" framework agreed before the 1997 handover to Chinese rule, Hong Kong was promised the maintenance of its freedoms of speech, assembly and political participation. The protests that erupted seven months ago in response to plans to allow extradition to mainland China were largely triggered by the erosion of those freedoms, particularly following a series of high-profile interventions by the ruling Chinese Communist Party in the city's political life, including the debarring of pro-democracy lawmakers and would-be election candidates for their political views. Beijing also decreed that while it would allow Hongkongers to each have a vote in popular elections, they would only be allowed to choose from among candidates approved by China. Too little, too late Millions of pro-democracy supporters have taken to Hong Kong's streets with demands for a public inquiry into police violence, fully democratic elections, an amnesty for thousands of arrested protesters, and an end to the use of the word "rioters" to describe the movement. While chief executive Carrie Lam formally withdrew hated amendments to the city's laws that would have allowed extradition to mainland China in October, protesters slammed her response as too little, too late, and demanded she address the rapid erosion of the city's promised freedoms. Frontline protesters, eyewitnesses, journalists and human rights groups have repeatedly said that the majority of violence during the protests has originated with the Hong Kong police, who have been widely criticized for the excessive use of tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray, as well as both non-lethal and live ammunition weapons on unarmed protesters. Around one third of adults in Hong Kong have reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the protest movement escalated last June, according to a mental health survey published in The Lancet this month, which said the incidence of psychiatric problems was similar to those usually associated with war zones or terrorist attacks. Rights groups have warned that Hong Kong is now in a state of humanitarian crisis after police fired more than 16,000 rounds of tear gas in recent months, with around 1,000 of those fired into the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus during a single day in November. Reported by RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] Today: Why the story of Harry and Meghan matters. Its Thursday, January 23. Mark Landler, looking at the headlines and your byline, Ive been wondering how its been for you over these last few weeks to go from the Brexit beat to the Megxit beat? mark landler Well, I guess the first reaction I had was that its kind of interesting that after 27 years at this newspaper, I have risen up to the exalted position of being a gossip reporter. michael barbaro Mark Landler is the London bureau chief for The Times. mark landler But as I dug into it more and more, I realized that for all the soap opera quality to Harry and Meghan, this story actually does have a deeper dimension and a deeper context. michael barbaro Hm. And Mark, where in your mind does this story begin? mark landler Well, I think it really begins with a fairy tale. archived recording [HORNS] mark landler You have to go back to May of 2018 and the wedding of Prince Harry and his American bride, Meghan Markle. And on one level, this wedding had all the elements that one would expect from a royal wedding. archived recording [SINGING] mark landler It was held at Windsor Castle in the chapel of St. George. The chapel where it was held is actually also the resting place for English kings that literally go back centuries. The couple left afterwards in an open-top carriage. And so you had all of this majesty and pomp. And yet on another level, you had some elements that were strikingly new and different. archived recording [SINGING] Stand by me. mark landler You had, for example, a gospel choir archived recording [SINGING] So darling, darling, stand by me. Ooh mark landler that sang Stand By Me during the service. archived recording [SINGING] Hey, yeah. Stand by me. Stand by me. mark landler You had an African-American bishop archived recording (michael bruce curry) Now in the name of our loving, liberating, and life-giving God. mark landler delivered a homily in which he quoted Martin Luther King. archived recording (michael bruce curry) once said, and I quote, We must discover the power of love. mark landler There are a dazzling array of celebrities. archived recording 1 Idris Elba. archived recording 2 Idris Elba, massive celebrity. archived recording 3 Oprah Winfrey. mark landler Oprah Winfrey. archived recording This is a surprise. I dont think people were expecting her. But she is here. mark landler So you had this ceremony that really was both a throwback to the grandest old ceremonies of the British royal family and then something genuinely new. And at the center of all of it was this beguiling person, this figure of Meghan Markle. michael barbaro And what made her, in your words, so beguiling? mark landler Well, a couple of things. First of all, shes an outsider. Shes an American marrying into the British royal family. But beyond that, shes a very particular type of American. archived recording (meghan markle) Im Rachel Zane. Ill be giving you your orientation. mark landler Shes a television actress. archived recording (meghan markle) Good, youve hit on me. We can get it out of the way that I am not interested. archived recording No, Im sorry mark landler Shes three years older than Prince Harry. Shes divorced. Shes self-supporting. Shes a professional woman. But really above all, she is biracial. She has a white father and an African-American mother. And that, more than anything else made her a very different, very radical new member of a family that really hasnt changed much for centuries. michael barbaro And Mark, how are the British people thinking about all this and thinking about her as they watch this wedding? mark landler Well, among young people, there was just a jolt of excitement. You had this vision of a young person coming into the royal family, which just by itself was exciting. The queen, after all, is in her 90s. Prince Charles, the next king, is in his 70s. And then there was the nature of this person coming into the family. archived recording Their relationship is doing a lot to change the views that, like, the younger black generation will have. Because when I was growing up, I would never have thought this would happen. mark landler Young people thought of her as perhaps a vehicle for changing an institution that at some level they revered but probably thought of as somewhat outmoded. But archived recording Im just very dubious mark landler then there are the older generation. archived recording that somebody whos made her life in those sorts of films, been married before, comes over and has to become an active member of a very, very traditional family. I, I think that could be quite difficult. mark landler And for them, Meghan Markle was a challenging figure. archived recording Shes had a completely different life. She didnt really know the British royal family, or how it operated, or what her life would be like. And she is clearly used to being her own woman, operating mark landler All the things that made her exciting to young people made her to older Brits more of a threat to the fabric of the royal family, a family they revere as embodying the best of Britain and the greatest times in British history. michael barbaro As understood by a certain type of Brit? mark landler Indeed. As understood by someone who thinks of British history in the most traditional way. michael barbaro And how does this attitude begin to manifest itself? mark landler Well, fairly quickly after the wedding. There had been this rapturous coverage of the ceremony. But really within weeks, you began to see coverage and headlines in the British tabloids that started taking a slightly harder, meaner look at Harry and especially at Meghan. And its worth pointing out quickly that the tabloids are, across the board, conservative publications. These are papers that really play to very traditional ideas of the meaning and the value of the monarchy. So what you begin to see are a series of articles. Some are actually asking valid questions about the lifestyle of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. [music] For example, during one summer, they took two flights on vacation on private jets. And this raised a reasonable question. Prince Harrys a major campaigner for climate change. archived recording You cant lecture us and the rest of the world on climate change when youre taking private planes everywhere. And this was their mark landler And the newspapers pointed out that taking these private jet flights left an enormous carbon footprint. Also, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embarked on a very expensive renovation of the cottage that they were gifted by Queen Elizabeth on the grounds of Windsor Castle. This is known as Frogmore Cottage. And the couple authorized a $3 million renovation that was paid for by taxpayer money. archived recording Shes a multimillionaire from her time as a Hollywood actress. Hes a multimillionaire from all the money hes had over the years. Two multimillionaires asking the British public, the taxpayer, to contribute 2.5 million pounds to renovate an entirely different property to the one that theyd been offered, I think is a bit awful and the crucial point as well. mark landler And while some of that was perhaps legitimate, you also began to see just a more petty flavor to the coverage. And its really perhaps most visible if you look at the coverage of Meghan Markle side by side with that of Kate Middleton, who married Prince Harrys brother, William. michael barbaro Then what does that show? mark landler Well, for example, The Express covered a very similar incident, which is both women talking about their love of avocados. And the two headlines tell the tale. In the first headline about Kate, it says, Kates Morning Sickness Cure. Prince William Gifted with an Avocado for Pregnant Duchess. Same story, same newspaper about Meghan Markle, and the headline is Meghan Markles Beloved Avocado Linked to Human Rights Abuse and Drought. Millennial Shame. michael barbaro Its like literally the polar opposite take on the exact same piece of fruit. mark landler Its very hard to actually be that radically different about an avocado. But the British press figured out how to do it. While this is at some level humorous and not extremely serious, it did over time bleed into more sinister types of coverage of Meghan Markle, really around her mixed racial background. So you began to see descriptions of her in the press as, quote, exotic, or headlines that said that Harrys new girl is quote straight outta Compton. In other words, portraying Meghan as a coming up from the mean streets of Los Angeles. And so there is an element of it that is deeper, and more problematic, and gets at out-and-out racism. And certainly portraying her not just as an entitled millennial, but as an altogether more threatening figure. michael barbaro So youre seeing this kind of more conservative aspect of Britain and their view of Markle reflected in the British press. mark landler Thats right. But it isnt just the press, because there is another very conservative institution here, one that is perhaps even more important. And thats the House of Windsor itself. And Meghan Markle, by all accounts, has a very difficult introduction to the family. There are many reports that Kate Middleton is not particularly welcoming to her new sister-in-law. There is a sense that she is simply not being approved of, her lifestyle. There is a family event where one of the older aunts shows up wearing a brooch that is interpreted as a racial slur against Meghan. And Harry begins to feel a sense of aggrievement on behalf of his wife. And that then causes a rift between Harry and his brother William. One of the first tangible examples of this is when Harry and Meghan announced that they want to move out of Kensington Palace, which they share with Kate and William and his family, and move into their own place. And you begin to see more and more evidence of distance between Meghan and Harry on the one hand, and everybody else in the family on the other hand. So all of this culminates when the couple go on a long tour of southern Africa archived recording [CHEERING] It was a journey through Africa, but not always the one they expected. mark landler and they bring along a television journalist who theyre close to, Tom Bradby, whos making a documentary about this trip. And he has what turns out to be a remarkably revealing interview with each of them during the course of the trip. archived recording (meghan markle) When I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy. But my British friend said to me, Im sure hes great, but you shouldnt do it, because the British tabloids will destroy your life. mark landler So Tom Bradby asks Meghan Markle archived recording (tom bradby) I dont know what the impact on your physical and mental health of all the pressure that you clearly feel under mark landler how are you doing? Are you O.K.? And she looks visibly moved, visibly emotional. archived recording (meghan markle) You add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed, its um yeah well, I guess. And also thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if Im O.K. But its, uh, its a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes. mark landler Bradby follows up by saying, would it be fair to say she hasnt been O.K.? And Markle thinks about it for a moment and replies archived recording (meghan markle) Yes. michael barbaro Wow, so telling the world, in what sounds a little bit like a cry for help, I am not doing O.K. mark landler And that is very much the way its interpreted. And I think also, its the way that Meghan Markle intended for it to be interpreted. She knew she was going to be asked that question. I dont think there was anything accidental about the reply, nor do I think anyone misinterpreted who she meant when she said not many people have asked if Im O.K. By that she meant members of the royal family. But it doesnt end there. archived recording As this journey wore on, another human story emerged [CHEERING] of a man still wrestling with the legacy of his background, of his birth, and the tragic death of his mother. mark landler Tom Bradby then has a very emotional interview with Prince Harry, where he says a couple of things. One, he says that his grief for his mother Diana is still a wound that festers. archived recording (prince harry) Every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back. mark landler And so then later he tells Bradby that hes also grown distant from his brother William. archived recording (prince harry) Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that its under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens. But look, were brothers. Well always be brothers. Were starting on different paths at the moment. But I will always be there for him and as I know hell always be there for me. mark landler Hes openly acknowledging a rift between them. And that is a very powerful thing. Because remember, for the British public, these two brothers are imprinted in memory as the young boys who walked together behind their mothers casket after her death. And so to hear Harry openly acknowledge what perhaps people whispered, thats a very, very big deal in terms of both the emotional dynamic within the royal family, but also the image the royal family has with the British public. michael barbaro So this all seems to set the stage for what happens next. archived recording Tonight, the surprise announcement from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly blindsiding the queen. After returning from a long trip to Canada, they say they intend to step back as senior members of the royal family. mark landler Thats right. It sets the stage for what is an epic breakup between Harry, and Meghan, and the royal family, and really between Harry and Meghan and the British people. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. So Mark, what does happen next in this story? mark landler Well, so this is the part of the story that most people know. The couple spend several months thinking and planning their new life. They talk it over with members of the royal family. Buckingham Palace slow rolls them, tells them to take their time. It has to be thought through. Its complicated. The tabloids, particularly The Sun newspaper, get wind of the fact that they may be leaving the country. And suddenly, they decide to tell the world that they have this plan for a new lifestyle, and all hell breaks loose. [music] archived recording 1 And I got some breaking news. And it is about Harry and Meghan and a statement archived recording 2 In a statement, they said, We have chosen to carve out a progressive, new role within this institution. archived recording 3 We intend to, and here is the key bit step back as senior members of the royal family archived recording 4 and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty, the Queen. I mean, its virtually a letter of resignation, isnt it? archived recording 5 Harry and Meghan didnt consult with any of their relatives before releasing that statement, meaning even their closest family members had no idea how this was going to work. archived recording 6 Buckingham Palace is now in crisis after it was blindsided by Prince Harry and wife Meghans announcement. mark landler And a few turbulent weeks later after a lot of tense negotiations archived recording How you could spend half your time in North America and still continue to honor your duty to the queen, the Commonwealth, and all your patronages, I do not know. It is literally impossible to do so. mark landler They have actually gone ahead and started this new life. archived recording A smiling Meghan was seen out for a walk with her son and the couples dogs in leggings and boots. No need to follow a royal dress code. michael barbaro So they pulled it off. mark landler They pulled it off. Not without a lot of heartache, and a lot of pain, and a lot of controversy. But in the end, by acting as precipitously as they did, they managed to force the palace to deal with something that it really would have preferred to put off indefinitely. So they really forced the issue successfully. michael barbaro And in brief, what does this mean about their status within the royal family? How did that shake out? Are they still royals? mark landler Well, they are still royals. Prince Harry is still a prince. Hes still sixth in line to the throne. They still have the titles of His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness. But in a very big concession to the queen, they agreed to stop using those titles. Theyve also agreed to repay the cost of renovating their cottage in England. And theyve also importantly agreed to give up direct public funding of their activities. So its a real break. And it truly does not only liberate the couple, but it will impose some pressure on them to earn enough money to finance a lifestyle that is, by anyones account, very extravagant. michael barbaro Mark, what has been the reaction inside Britain to this seismic disruption to the royal family? mark landler Well first of all, its enthralled and riveted the country archived recording 1 One British newspaper today dedicated the first 17 pages of its edition to this announcement. archived recording 2 Yeah. This is archived recording 3 amazing. mark landler with days of banner headlines and breathless TV coverage. But the reaction has very much broken along familiar generational lines. archived recording 1 I understand why Prince Harry and Meghan have done it. I think you can see Prince Harry obviously, his wife is just getting hounded by the press, often in racially dodgy ways. And you go, of course he doesnt want any part of it. I can completely understand that. archived recording 2 If Harrys happy and Meghans happy, thats all that matters. mark landler Among young people, there was a great deal of sympathy for Harry and Meghan. Among the older generation, its been very different. archived recording All you can say is that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are behaving like spoiled brats, totally entitled mark landler Theres a sense that Prince Harry and Meghan exploited the goodwill of the queen. They blindsided Buckingham Palace by putting out their announcement the way they did, and also that they kind of want to have it both ways. archived recording Robert on email says, if Harry and Meghan want to relinquish their royal status, then get on with it. At the moment, theyre behaving like self-indulgent rich kids being supported by the taxpayer. They want to have their cake and eat it. mark landler It confirms some of the worst suspicions that people had about Meghan Markle as this relationship first began. [music] michael barbaro Mark, at the start of this conversation, you promised that you would tell us why all this matters beyond the human drama, and what it reveals about Britain. So heres your chance. mark landler Youre right, I did promise that. And heres the greater significance. Harry and Meghan are not just leaving Britain at any old time. Theyre leaving Britain at the very moment that Britain is leaving the European Union, that it is finally carrying out Brexit. michael barbaro Right. mark landler And I think this timing is crucial to understanding how this debate is playing out in Britain. Because as you see the country charting a new identity, casting off from Europe, theres a great deal of uncertainty, of uneasiness about the future of this country. What kind of a role will it play in the world? Will it be diminished? Will it be isolated? What will the post-Brexit Britain look like? So at this time of national uncertainty, there is a yearning for symbols. Theres a, a sort of an urge to reach out to things that symbolize British history and the immutability of the British idea. And theres no greater symbol of that than the monarchy. michael barbaro Right. mark landler And so this idea, that suddenly this brilliant young couple this shining symbol of the future of the monarchy would wind up turning their backs on it, and leave Britain, comes at a particularly vulnerable moment for the British people. And as it turns out, the people who are hardest on Meghan Markle are also generally the people who voted for Brexit. And its one of the great paradoxes of this story. That their resistance to Meghan Markle their complicity in making her life miserable has led to this outcome that has convulsed the royal family, has threatened an institution that these people care so deeply about. So I think thats the importance here. Its not just a debate that breaks down along generational lines. Its a debate that breaks down very much along Brexit lines. Did you vote for staying in the European Union or for leaving? How you voted in that case weighs very much in how you feel about Harry and Meghan. [music] michael barbaro So the same forces that pushed for Britain to leave the E.U., and are now craving its greatest symbols of nationalism in the form of the monarchy, they are the same forces who have inflicted all of this on Meghan and on Harry. And perhaps driven them to leave the monarchy, to weaken the monarchy. Its a, perhaps, classic case of getting what you wanted until you realize that its not really what you wanted. mark landler Thats right. And in that regard, its a lot like the Brexit debate itself. The people who voted to leave imagined some greater Britain. But instead, they may wind up not only with a much diminished country, but with a much diminished monarchy. michael barbaro Mark, thank you very much. mark landler Thank you, Michael. michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (adam schiff) Mr. Chief Justice, Senators, Counsel for the President, and my fellow House Managers michael barbaro On Wednesday, Democratic House impeachment managers began laying out their case to senators for convicting and removing President Trump from office, accusing him of a corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine into tarnishing his political rivals. archived recording (adam schiff) If not remedied by his conviction in the Senate and removal from office, President Trumps abuse of his office and obstruction of Congress will permanently alter the balance of power among the branches of government. michael barbaro While the Senate has so far refused to allow for witnesses, the House impeachment managers brought them to the floor anyway in the form of video clips of current and former officials who have already testified before the House, including former National Security Council official Fiona Hill and European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland. archived recording (gordon sondland) Mr. Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election, D.N.C. server, and Burisma. Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States. And we knew these investigations were important to the president. michael barbaro At one point, the Democrats even played a clip from President Trump himself. archived recording if foreigners, if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on an opponent, should they accept it, or should they call the F.B.I.? archived recording (donald trump) I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen. I dont, theres nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, we have information on your opponent. Oh, I think Id want to hear it. archived recording Do you want that kind of interference in our elections? archived recording (donald trump) Its not an interference. They have information. I think Id take it. michael barbaro Two children have been reunited with their parents after a fake kidnapping scheme was foiled by police. The two teenagers - aged 14 and 12 - had been separated from their family for eight hours as part of a virtual kidnapping scheme in Mixquiahuala in Hidalgo, Mexico. Their parents, whose identity has been kept anonymous while authorities investigate the case, have issued an emotional thank you to those involved in the rescue. The chilling ploy saw the criminals ring the woman and her husband to tell them that their children had been kidnapped and to demand a ransom for their safe return. Similarly, they made menacing calls to the teenagers, who had been together at the time, to say that their family would be harmed it they attempted to return home. The perpetrators, who often call from behind bars, rely on speed and fear to get their money before it becomes apparent that a kidnapping has not actually taken place. But in this instance the parents got in contact with the police who were able to foil the scheme by locating the frightened children. Two children have been reunited with their parents after a fake kidnapping scheme was foiled by police The FBI recommend any victims to simply hang up the phone and report the case to them. Pictured: The family reunited The officers put a new initiative into action that brought various emergency and intelligence services together. They were able to patch into the town's CCTV system to track down the whereabouts of the children who had got on a bus to a nearby town before walking the streets. The children's mother said: 'We would like to thank the police for helping us the entire time. 'Thanks to them, everything ended well and we didn't have to deposit a single peso.' A spokesman for the Hidalgo State Prosecution Service said: 'This is a very frightening crime.' Their parents, whose identity has been kept anonymous while authorities investigate the case, have issued an emotional thank you to those involved in the rescue The family had been separated for eight hours as part of a virtual kidnapping scheme A spokesperson for the Hidalgo Department of Public Security added: 'Technology was vital in dealing with this incident.' Police in Mexico have previously used software developed by Israeli firm NSO Group to fight crime and reportedly employed the company to help them capture notorious drug kingpin El Chapo. Similar 'virtual extortion' scams have been reported all over the world including the US, News Zealand, Australia and even the UK. Chinese exchange students at British universities have been contacted in elaborate schemes to persuade their families in China to pay fake ransoms. The scammers, pretending to be Chinese officials or international police, tell the students that relatives have been incriminated in serious crimes at home. They threaten them with violence unless they provide fake hostage videos which are then sent to the families to extract the payment. Police were able to patch into the town's CCTV system to track down the whereabouts of the children who had got on a bus to a nearby town before walking the streets The children's mother, whose identity has been kept anonymous while authorities investigate the case, has since thanked everyone involved in the rescue In America, the FBI has warned that the crime is on the rise and coming from Mexico itself. Many of the calls are traced to Mexican prisons where criminals, who are often working in shifts and using illegally obtained mobile phones, started to target rich American towns. The callers, who operate in English, dial number after number and often present themselves as having links to drug cartels to instill fear. They demand that funds are quickly wired to Mexico or dropped off at a designated location, where an accomplice can pick them up before they are smuggled into the prison. The officers put a new initiative into action that brought various emergency and intelligence services together They were able to patch into the town's CCTV system to track down the whereabouts of the children who had got on a bus to a nearby town before walking the streets The crime is currently thought to be under-reported but FBI Special Agent Erik Arbuthnot says it often proves successful. Speaking to CNBC, he said: 'It's really a perfect storm when the person is caught alone, and their daughter or son is not there, that's when you see the payment get made. 'The whole point of this for them is to make money fast, make as much money as possible.' Los Angeles music producer Jamey Heath told the news network how he had no doubt his 15-year-old son had been kidnapped when he was targeted in a similar scheme late last year. He said: 'Someone had my son, who I had heard crying and screaming in the background, covering his mouth with a gun to him.' He was told to withdraw money from his account before driving to the bank as the 'kidnapper' shouted at him on the phone. Bank employees had been trying to help him before his wife texted to let him know that his son was safe. Mr Heath added: 'And then I realize that I've been scammed. 'But my adrenaline, for the last 30 minutes, my body had experienced that my son was kidnapped.' The FBI recommend any victims to simply hang up the phone and report the case to them. Retiring TDs are set to share in an estimated 22m pension bonanza as political parties scramble to deal with the fallout from the controversy surrounding the increase in the pension age for voters. Analysis of the 17 retiring TDs, including Enda Kenny, Michael Noonan and Gerry Adams, shows they will be entitled to massive golden handshakes and substantial pensions after stepping down ahead of the election. Meanwhile, public anger is growing over Government plans to increase the age for the State pension from 66 to 67 years old next year. Last night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Fine Gael would introduce a transitional pension for people waiting to receive the State pension and it would match what they were entitled to. "There are people who are required by their contracts to retire at 65 or 66, before the new retirement age, and they don't want to have to sign on and we hear that, we get that, we accept that's a problem," he said. Expand Close Click to view full size graphic / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Click to view full size graphic However Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty seemed to contradict him, saying the transitional pension will only apply to those retiring at 66. Read More Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have struggled to offer a coherent policy on the pension age, while Sinn Fein has pledged to reduce it to 65 and the Labour Party said it would stop it from increasing to 67. It also emerged that public sector workers are not affected by the pension age change because they receive a substitute payment between when they retire and when the State pension kicks in. Private sector workers are forced to sign up for Jobseeker's Benefit if they retire before 66. Canvassing in Adare, Co Limerick, last night, Mr Varadkar said his party was working on the details of the transition pension, adding he accepted it was a problem that people aged 65 or 66 have to sign on for a Jobseekers' payment before they can get the State pension. "So we're working on a proposal to put in place a form of state transition pension that means that people will in those circumstances be able to get their pension early," he said. Asked if it would be the same amount as the State pension of just under 250 per week, he said: "That's the plan." He said Fine Gael expected to have a costed plan to introduce the transition payment included as part of its general election manifesto which will be published later this week. Read More However, Ms Doherty appeared to contradict Mr Varadkar. In a statement issued late last night, she stipulated that the transition pension will be for those retiring at 66 and made no mention of those retiring at 65. "Tonight, I can confirm that this new transition pension will be paid at a rate equivalent to the Contributory State Pension. This change provides financial certainty to people retiring at 66," she said. Fianna Fail is also promising a transitional payment matching the State pension for those waiting for the payment. Meanwhile, it can be revealed that former taoiseach Enda Kenny, who was a TD for 42 years, will receive an estimated retirement lump sum of around 140,399 along with an annual payment of about 46,800. Mr Kenny's pension would be worth more than 3.2m if it was bought on the private market at today's rates. Mr Noonan is estimated to receive a similar lump sum and pension as his former cabinet colleague and long-time political ally. The long-time Limerick City TD's pension would be worth around 2.7m if it was bought from a private pension company. Former Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett is also entitled a similar pension to his Fine Gael colleagues as he has worked the maximum number of Dail years to receive a full pension. Mr Barrett's pension would be worth around 2.8m if bought from a private firm. Read More The pension details were compiled by financial analyst Karl Deeter, who previously estimated the worth of TDs for the 'Sunday Independent's' Political Rich List. Mr Deeter told the Irish Independent: "Political pensions are exceptionally generous. Even with reforms, it puts politicians above regular people and this should be looked at." Mr Deeter's figures show controversial Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy will be entitled to a 63,179 lump sum and 21,060 annual pension once he reaches 66. Mr Murphy's entire pension would be worth 687,988 if bought from a private company. Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who was a TD for nine years, is entitled to an estimated lump sum of around 63,000 and an annual pension of 21,060. The cost of Mr Adams's pension in the private market would be an estimated 686,592. Mr Adams's Sinn Fein colleagues Martin Ferris (1.5m) and Caoimhghin O Caolain (1.7m) are also set to receive substantial pension payments. A Sinn Fein spokesperson confirmed the retired TDs were entitled to keep their full pensions under party rules. "Oireachtas pensions are a matter for individuals and the party has no role whatsoever in what is paid to former TDs or what they do with their payments," he said. There are no figures for Fianna Fail TDs as none choose to retire ahead of this General Election. However, there was public anger ahead of the 2011 general election when the pension entitlements of retiring Fianna Fail ministers were revealed. TDs could previously get their pensions from the age of 50, but this has since changed and they now are entitled to the payments only when they reach 66. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland police Capt. James Purcell, a leader in the effort to train the citys officers to effectively respond to mental health emergencies, died Saturday at age 56. Purcell has been on leave from the police department since last year, to undergo treatment for cancer. He died surrounded by family and friends at University Hospitals, according to his obituary. Purcells most notable feature was his height; he towered over his fellow officers at roughly 6 feet 8 inches tall. Those closest to him knew him best for his genial nature, said Cleveland police Lt. Jerry Zarlenga, who is vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8 union that represents Cleveland police supervisors. He was a gentle giant, Zarlenga said. He was the nicest guy that youve ever met. Purcell was also known for his intellect, said Cleveland police Sgt. Damian Glaser, who is assigned to the Second District in the southwest part of the city. Glaser worked with Purcell from 1997 to 2000 in the Third District on the citys East Side. A lot of policemen have sixth senses; Jim had seven Glaser said. He was a very cerebral, smart guy. He was usually the smartest guy in the room." Purcell served as the first coordinator for the police departments Crisis Intervention Team, which trains officers to respond to scenes where an individual is having a mental health crisis. He also served as one of the chairmen of the Mental Health Response Advisory Committee, which provides feedback for crisis responses. He earned a psychology degree from Cleveland State University and worked as a social worker after college, Glaser said. Purcell joined the Cleveland police department in 1988. The 31-year-veteran rose through the ranks by becoming a sergeant in 2000, a lieutenant in 2011 and a captain in 2015, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said. He was a hard-working police officer and a good father and family man, said Cleveland police Commander Michael Connelly, who worked with Purcell in the narcotics unit and now oversees the special investigations unit. He was a steady hand during an emergency. He always knew how to handle every situation. He started his career as a patrolman before becoming a supervisor for the basic patrol unit. He later served as a supervisor for the narcotics and vice units, Ciaccia said. I picked up a lot of supervisor skills from him. I learned a lot from talking to him, not just about work but life in general, said Cleveland police Lt. Ali Pillow, who worked with Purcell in the narcotics unit and is now assigned to the homicide unit. He was a good man, a great dad. He loved his family. He also had a great sense of humor. He will truly be missed. Purcell became the citys first Crisis Intervention Team coordinator in 2015. The team arose out of a settlement the city of Cleveland reached with the U.S. Justice Department to reform its police department. His duties including serving as a liaison between the police department and the mental health community. The police department also worked with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service Board of Cuyahoga County to create the Mental Health Response Advisory Committee to create a plan to train officers in crisis intervention. Purcell served as one of the three chairmen of the committee. He was really great. He was such a great advocate for the mental health community, said ADAMHS Board CEO Scott Osiecki, who also serves as a tri-chair of the committee. Purcell also participated in the National Alliance of Mental Health annual fundraising 5K, said Beth Zietlow-DeJesus, the ADAMHS Boards director of external affairs. Purcell stepped down as CIT coordinator last year due to his illness. Sgt. Bridgette Dorr-Guiser replaced him in the role. Funeral services for Purcell are scheduled at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Angela Merici Church at 20970 Lorain Road in Fairview Park. A wake will be held from 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday at Chambers Funeral Home at 29150 Lorain Road in North Olmsted. Cleveland.com reporter Adam Ferrise contributed to this story. Read more crime stories: Dog shot to death in Clevelands Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood Shoplifter knocked out Cleveland gas station owner during theft, police say Cleveland cop who urinated on girl as she waited for bus gets 4 1/2 years in prison Three teens knock man unconscious during robbery in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood Varanasi, Jan 22 : A temple built in the name of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be inaugurated here on Thursday which also happens to be the 123rd birth anniversary of the iconic freedom fighter. The temple, which is located in Subhash Bhawan on Azad Hind Marg, will be inaugurated by senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar. According to sources, the temple will have a Dalit woman as the chief priest and the morning 'aarti' will be held with a prayer to Bharat Mata. The temple is located in the front yard of the Subhas Bhawan and has a life-size black granite statue of Subhas Chandra Bose. The stairs around the temple are painted in red and white. "The red colour symbolizes revolution while white is for peace and black is for strength," said Dr Rajiv of Banaras Hindu University who is responsible for the temple being constructed. He said that the purpose of the temple was to inculcate a feeling of patriotism among people and keep the memory of Netaji alive. The significance of the Subhas temple in Varanasi lies in the fact that the holy city has a large Bengali population. The maximum numbers of widows, who come to Varanasi to spend the last days of their lives, are from Bengal. The holy city is often referred to as mini-Bengal. Investigators had initially looked into Gayle, interrogating him for 10 hours before ruling him out as a suspect, according to Chicago Tribune reports. A prosecutor said at Yangs trial that there is "not one piece of evidence that ties (Gayle) to the crime in any way. We rarely hear it put as bluntly as did the small congregation of Grove United Methodist Church, where some members recently claimed age discrimination over a service being cancelled, but there are many churches sending a similar message: If you are an older adult, we dont want you here. As a part of denominational efforts to reboot the Cottage Grove, Minnesota, church, leaders are asking the 25 or so people who gather each week in the Grove building to leave their building and worship at the nearby sister congregation while a team plants a new church at their campus. According to a St. Paul Pioneer Press report, these mostly older members have been directed to wait 1518 months after its launch before asking new leadership if they can migrate back. While a single news story cant fully capture the history of the relationship between the lay-led congregation and the denomination, nor the nuances of recent discussions over revitalization (church leaders clarified their approach in a follow-up by the Washington Post),the situation highlights a phenomenon with which many older adults are all too familiar. During more than a decade writing about spiritual formation in the second half of life, Ive heard a painful litany of stories from those whove been ignored, marginalized, patronized, or treated as rusting obstacles blocking the path to the holy grail of church growth. Older member hear the message theyre not valued in a variety of ways: a worship team comprised of members under 40, a range of programming designed for younger attenders, or a lack of pastoral care when theyre in the trenches of long-term illness or caring for aging parents. Those whove been burned or burned out by congregational politics tend to fade away from congregational life, and many have told me that no one ever bothered to find out why. A few years ago, I did an informal survey of nearly 100 pastors and church leaders and heard mixed perspectives on the older members in their congregations. While some expressed gratitude for their wisdom, experience, stability, and ongoing financial support, others were frustrated. They said the older demographic appeared to resist change while decreasing regular involvement in the life of the local church. Sadly, few leaders brought up how older members faced different challenges as they moved into the second half of their lives. Spiritual practices and church involvement are necessarily impacted by increased caregiving responsibilities, workplace demands, fatigue from church politics, disconnection from programming focused on attracting young families, and loss and grief. As we hear from studies and think pieces alike, the young are leaving many congregations. But so are Gen Xers and Boomers, who claim they no longer feel welcome at the churches they helped to build in their youth. Barna Research found that the majority of those who love Jesus but not the church are actually over 40. Nearly half (44%) of unchurched Christians are Boomers, and another third (35%) come from Gen X. While it is a good desire to want to draw younger families to a church, the desire is not a healthy one if it doesnt also include a desire for a diversity of ages and life stages that reflects the reality of what it means to belong to the multi-generational family of God. I fear the relentless focus on youth in our culturefrom advertisers to church plantershas warped our vision of the value of age embedded in other cultures around the world and throughout history. And certainly Scripture presents a counter-cultural message about the beauty and value of age and experience that flies in the face of the lopsided craving to build a church focused on young families. Throughout the Bible, we who love God are commanded to proclaim his salvation from one generation to the next. There is a reason that Marys response to the angelic news that she would be bearing a Son whod save the world included these words: His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation (Luke 1:50). She understood well that the household of faith was designed by God to be intergenerational. Article continues below Gods household is the very definition of the church. Were not like a household or family. We are one, wrote pastor Lee Eclov in Feels Like Home: How Rediscovering the Church As Family Changes Everything. Older members may hear theyre valued members of this family as theyre invited to serve in meaningful ways, honored as mentors and friends, offered programming that speaks to their life stages and maturity level, and welcomed onto multi-age worship teamsand even a few park play dates with younger families. In a culture fractured and divided, a congregation that functions as an intergenerational family is radically and beautifully countercultural. While I understand that an aging church building with a long-empty nursery may not seem to be the ideal vehicle to pass on the faith from one generation to the next, nor is a congregation without any gray-haired members. Michelle Van Loon is the author of six books including Becoming Sage: Cultivating Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality at Midlife (Moody Publishers), which releases April 7. Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the magazine. For as long as anyone can remember Prince Harry has had some major beef with the British press. Royal followers know that this long-standing controversy came to a head in early 2020 when the Duke of Sussex made the bombshell announcement confirming that he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex would be redefining their roles in the royal family. Part of that transformation meant snubbing the press in a more permanent, public way. Few royal fans were shocked by this declaration. But some diehard followers pointed out that even though the press may be partially to blame for Prince Harrys misery, theres a chance he could miss having them around. He wont necessarily yearn for the fame they provided but he might realize they were protecting him all along. Prince Harry | Toby Melville WPA Pool/Getty Images) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a bold new press strategy When Harry and Meghan first declared their intention to quit working as senior royals, no one was sure what that meant for the future. But one condition of their new lifestyle was laid out specifically. Notably, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were unwilling to participate in the Royal Rota system any longer. The long-standing tradition of giving certain publications access to royal events was part of what was making this couple miserable, or so they said. Instead, Harry and Meghans future includes giving access to credible media outlets of their choosing including grassroots organizations. Will Harry and Meghans press strategy backfire? Its true that rejecting the Royal Rota system affords Prince Harry and Meghan more freedom. But even though it seems like the press has been out to get them, in reality, some followers believe the couple will miss the protections that came from being part of the royal family inner circle. To keep the relationship strong, the British media often refrained from printing certain news stories that other journalists wouldnt hesitate to report. PR professional Nina Sawetz worded it this way: By detaching themselves from the Royal Family, they also detach themselves from the power, protection and authority the Royals have when they need it, she told Town & Country. Their desire for more control over press coverage is admirable, but I think theyll find quite quickly that theyve actually given the press even more freedom. The press has protected Prince Harry in the past Prince Harry | John Stillwell POOL/ Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images Life has certainly changed since Meghan came along. But even though Prince Harry was never particularly fond of the media, they did help protect him in the past. For example, the media largely ignored Prince William and Prince Harry during their college years. They also kept mum on the nature of Harrys military service and locations both for security purposes and as a show of respect. Fans also point out good attention the press delivered Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | Samir Hussein/WireImage Its not just protection the press offers Prince Harry. Over the years, plenty of positive news stories have helped create Harrys good reputation and highlight the work hes been doing with favorite charities. Thats part of what made the announcement to sue two British publications so shocking prior to the press release, those same papers had been promoting Harry and Meghans South African tour in extremely positive ways. Ultimately, the decision to continue with life as it was or make a change was up to Prince Harry and Meghan. But it will be interesting to see if he regrets making such a shocking, permanent choice to shun the British press. [January 22, 2020] Trinity HealthShare Resolves Dispute with Colorado Division of Insurance The Colorado Division of Insurance has entered a final agency order reflecting the stipulation between Trinity HealthShare and the division to resolve the allegations made against Trinity in an August 2019 ex parte cease and desist order. As a result of the order, Trinity will not accept contributions from Colorado residents and process sharing requests from its Colorado members for any services rendered after January 31, 2020. Trinity will, however, continue to process sharing requests from Colorado members for services rendered through January 31, 2020. "The vast majority of Trinity's members, both in Colorado and around the country, are very satisfied with our health care sharing ministry and continue to choose us because it's a cost-effective medical payment arrangement," said Joe Guarino, president of Trinity HealthShare. Trinity was prepared to defend its compliance with Colorado aw, but once the ministry requested a hearing to do so, the Division of Insurance offered to discuss a settlement. This outcome resolves the dispute without spending valuable member resources on litigation. Trinity agreed to the final agency order without admitting any wrongdoing or noncompliance with Colorado law. As a result, Trinity will unfortunately stop offering its health care sharing programs to Colorado residents at the end of January 2020. Meanwhile, Trinity remains committed to its members and will continue to facilitate sharing among members in other states. About Trinity HealthShare Trinity HealthShare is a 501(c)(3) non-profit health care sharing ministry built on the centuries-old Christian tradition of sharing and bearing one another's health care needs. Our members hold a common set of ethical and religious beliefs, and voluntarily agree to share their medical expenses in accordance with those beliefs. Trinity guides cost sharing of member contributions for certain eligible health care needs. Trinity uses innovative technologies to streamline access to individual and family-focused health care services at each step along the care continuum. Our sharing programs are designed to simplify the complexities of health care, while putting the power of choice back in the hands of our members, 24/7, 365 days/year. For more information, visit trinityhealthshare.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005851/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Its out: the annual report by tort reform advocates of what they say are the nations worst local courts and states that are abusing the civil justice system. The report also warns of state courts that did not make the list of the worst this year but may be on track to do so in the near future. This years Top 10 Judicial Hellholes are filled with widespread civil lawsuits, legislative loopholes that create more ways for lawyers to sue, and judges who allow junk science into evidence in trials, according to the American Tort Reform Foundation. The ATRF organization advocates for civil justice reforms including limits on the award of noneconomic damages, limits on contingent fees paid to attorneys, class action reforms, and appeal bond reform among others. Members of the group include businesses, municipalities and professional and trade associations. The group is often on the other side of these issues from the plaintiffs trial bar. Justice is abused in these Judicial Hellholes, with abuses in the civil justice system hurting businesses, consumers and the nation, said Tiger Joyce, ATRF president. Litigation abuse drives up insurance costs and drives away jobs, and the money businesses spend fighting often-frivolous lawsuits takes dollars away from research and development of new consumer products. The 2019-20 Judicial Hellholes report ranks Philadelphias Court of Common Pleas as the No. 1 Judicial Hellhole in the country, due to the large number of mass torts cases inundating this court system and the high-dollar judgments and settlements that result. For example, in October, Johnson & Johnson was hit with an $8 billion verdict involving the medication, Risperdal, which reportedly is the largest verdict from the court in 25 years. (A judge has since reduced that award to $6.8 million.) The report claims that trial lawyers spend millions of dollars on advertising in the Philadelphia media market to drive up the number of claimants. The group says this court also has opened its door to plaintiffs from all over the country such that 86 percent of the new pharmaceutical suits in Philadelphia are brought by out-of-state plaintiffs. Philadelphia beat out Californias state courts and legislature as the top hellhole, a title California held last year. But Californias drop to number 2 is not due to any improvement in the states liability climate, according to the report, but rather results from the severity of the new problems plaguing Philadelphia. New York City, ranked third, is criticized for too many consumer lawsuits and disability act claims against small businesses. Louisiana climbed to number 4 because of the current governors aggressive litigation agenda, the plaintiff-friendly legislature, and inescapable advertising practices by the plaintiffs bar. St. Louis improved its standing with tort reforms in 2005 but is back on the list at number 5 due to it becoming known for permitting lawyers to combine multiple plaintiffs, sometimes from different states, in toxic tort and pharmaceutical cases. The 2019-2020 top Judicial Hellholes are: Our hope is that this report on Judicial Hellholes will be a loud wake-up call for government officials to stop the madness, Joyce said. Stop creating more ways for lawyers to sue businesses, stop wasting money in court, and stop contributing to job loss. The report also spotlights additional courts and states that it says bear watching due to troubling developments: the Colorado Supreme Court, Florida, Maryland Legislature, Montana Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, South Carolina Asbestos Litigation and West Virginia Supreme Court. These locations are on the cusp of becoming full-blown Judicial Hellholes, Joyce said. The report also identifies what it sees as several worrisome areas emerging in civil litigation including an increase in local governments filing local lawsuits to address national public policy issues, legislation seeking to ban arbitration and new data privacy liability concerns. Also, in 2019, laws expanding employment liability were enacted in states across the country, including four bills in California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York which seek to ban arbitration in the employment context. The report also says that Californias Consumer Protection Act and Illinoiss Biometric Information Privacy Act are contributing to a regulatory patchwork of data privacy laws in the U.S. These lawsuits are becoming more prevalent and are imposing significant costs on legitimate businesses offering useful services all without enhancing consumer privacy, the group contends. National and global problems cannot be solved through litigation in local courts, Joyce said. (Alliance News) - Antofagasta PLC on Wednesday reported a "good" 2019 despite problems such as drought and social unrest in Chile. The copper miner achieved fourth-quarter copper production of 185,500 tonnes, which it said is "only" 5.8% lower than the previous quarter. The decline was due to planned lower grades and maintenance at the Centinela mine, as well as a strike at Antucoya and fuel delivery disruption at Los Pelambres due to social unrest in Chile. There was also been a major, decade-long drought in central Chile, and Antofagasta said 2019 was the worst year of the drought so far. Antofagasta said making better use of water remains a priority at the Los Pelambres mine in the region. Antofagasta's 2019 production of copper was 770,000 tonnes, a record for the company and at the top end of guidance. This was 6.2% higher than 2018 due to increased output at Los Pelambres, Centinela, and Zaldivar. That guidance had been cut in November due to social unrest in Chile hindering operations. Guidance was lowered to 750,000 tonnes to 770,000 tonnes of copper, from 750,000 tonnes to 790,000 tonnes before. Fourth-quarter gold production fell 28% quarterly to 55,600 ounces due to lower grades at Centinela, with the 2019 figure up 34% at 282,300 ounces. Molybdenum production in the fourth-quarter was 2,300 tonnes, down 21% on the previous quarter, and annual production fell 15% to 11,600 tonnes. Antofagasta's net cash costs for 2019 were USD1.22 per pound, 5.4% lower than the year before and below guidance. Before by-product credits, annual cash costs fell 4.1% to USD1.65. Looking ahead, the FTSE 100 miner sees copper production at 725,000 tonnes to 755,000 tonnes in 2020, as previously guided. Gold output is guided between 180,000 ounces and 200,000 ounces and 12,500 tonnes to 14,000 tonnes of molybdenum. Chief Executive Ivan Arriagada said: "2019 was a good year operationally for Antofagasta. We expect a solid performance from the group in 2020 as we continue to focus on improving the operating efficiency of our mines, enter into labour negotiations at Centinela and Zaldivar, and continue to optimise water usage across the group and particularly at Los Pelambres. "We will also complete the Centinela second concentrator feasibility study and continue to invest in our growth projects including the Los Pelambres expansion, the Esperanza Sur pit and the Zaldivar chloride leach project." "Following the civil unrest in Chile last year and the disruption of supplies at Los Pelambres, all of our mining operations have been operating in line with their respective plans, although the Transport division has had some interruptions due to occasional road blockages in the city of Antofagasta," Arriagada added. The company will release financial results for 2019 on March 17. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. In developing economies, the key to socio-economic growth is access to finance, but the challenge is to increase loans to individuals and SMEs without suffering the fall-out of bad debt. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) increased the minimum loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) of commercial banks from 60 per cent to 65 per cent in the latter part of 2019. According to a Bloomberg report, the measure was among a raft of regulations aimed at forcing banks to boost credit, mainly to farmers, small-and-medium-size businesses and consumers. The loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) is used to assess a banks liquidity by comparing a banks total loans to its total deposits for the same period. The LDR is expressed as a percentage. If the ratio is too high, it means that the bank may not have enough liquidity to cover any unforeseen fund requirements. Conversely, if the ratio is too low, the bank may not be earning as much as it could be earning. According to the report, Nigerias banks are some of the most reluctant lenders in major emerging markets, with an average loan-to-deposit ratio below 60 per cent. That compares with 78 per cent across Africa, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, with 90 per cent in South Africa and about 76 per cent in Kenya. Compare this with developed markets such as the UK, which according to Statista.com, states that Shawbrook Banks loan to deposits ratio on the British market between 2012 and 2016 increased from 74 percent in 2012 to 102.7 percent as of 2016. The Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, had stated that the greatest challenge business operators in the country have been facing over the years was access to credit, which he said had resulted to huge financing gaps. In order to expedite this Loan to Deposit Radio, new digital banks and progressive lending institutions in emerging economies are looking at using technology to expedite the process, such as digital scoring methods based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, where smartphone device metadata solutions, such as offered by CredoLab and other providers, is used to assess credit-worthiness instead of traditional methods. READ ALSO: Tarun Kumar Kalra, Global Head of Sales at CredoLab cited a successful example in Indonesia, which has one of the largest pool of unbanked customers in the world. One of the top 10 Indonesian banks serving over 2 million customers wanted to leverage the opportunities in this pool of unbanked customers. The bank had a comprehensive array of products and services being delivered through physical branches, mobile and web banking. The banks mandate was to increase the number of loans it disbursed to the new-to-bank (NTB) customers by using an underwriting process that was fair to the applicants and yet highly predictable of their behaviour, he said. There were several challenges, such as increasing approval rates, 85% of the applicants being rejected and the low predictability of existing underwriting process, he added. The bank solved this problem by introducing digital scorecards based on smartphone device data, which led to a +107% approval rate, a user adoption of 61% and an average of 5 seconds to approve the application. Mr Kalra said that whats noteworthy in the deployment of this solution was the short period of 2 weeks that it took for the bank to implement the new credit scoring system, as there were no development time or costs, while at the same time meeting local data security and privacy laws and regulations. Asked about the uptake of digital smartphone metadata credit scoring methodology, Kalra responded that over 61 lending institutions have adopted CredoLabs technology across emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region. With our launch into Africa, specifically in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya last year, we already have 3 major traditional and digital banks leveraging the technology in South Africa. Financial institutions in Nigeria and Kenya are investigating this technology as a secure and sustainable way of expanding credit into the unbanked markets, and raising banks Loan to Deposit Ratio while minimising risk, he concluded. SOURCE: CredoLab L abour chairman Ian Lavery has told Keir Starmer to "stand aside" so the party can have its first female leader. Mr Lavery made the calls while introducing Rebecca Long-Bailey at a rally in Hackney, London, on Tuesday. There, Ms Long-Bailey announced plans to introduce open selections for all MPs ahead of the next general election if she becomes leader. Earlier in the day, her fellow contender Lisa Nandy secured the backing of the GMB union and as a result her place on the leadership ballot. Jess Phillips stepped down from the running, admitting she could not "unite all parts" of the party. Ms Long-Bailey could go head to head with Mr Starmer, her only male rival, in the final round if she is endorsed by Unite unions on Friday. Mr Lavery has backed the shadow business secretary for leader / Getty Images Mr Lavery called on Mr Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, to move out of the way and let a woman win. He urged: We need a female leader of the Labour Party Stand aside Keir. Mr Lavery also suggested Ms Long-Baileys politics should be called Baileyism. He said: If we stand with Rebecca Long-Bailey, Baileyism, well have a leader who can take the fight to the Tories not in 2024 but in 2020. Weve got a woman who is as strong as anyone within the party. Shes got fantastic vision, shes got a fantastic history and a fantastic background, and she isnt frightened of anybody shes not even frightened of me. And she is the right person for the job. Mr Lavery's words came during a rally in Hackney / PA Ms Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, said that in her role as leader she would be to democratise the party and to examine new ways to empower our members. That means having a frank conversation about open selections with our movement, about where we go next, ripping up the outdated rulebook that has held back our members for too long and throwing open the door to a new generation of MPs and candidates. Im clear that our members should have the power to support their MPs, the power to choose candidates with positivity and the opportunity to become one. TODO: define component type apester If our party is to reconnect with those sick of the political establishment, then weve got to stop acting like them and empower our members in all of our heartlands, she said to applause and cheers from supporters. Ms Long-Bailey added: Being an MP or any elected representative is a privilege that must be earned and I want to open the discussion now on how our candidates should be selected, how we nurture and bring through talent in our movement, whilst recognising and valuing the experience of the MPs that we have. BARCELONA, Spain, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Abdullah Al Mandhari of the German University of Technology in Oman, winner of the third edition of the Roca One Day Design Challenge in Oman, and Ahmad Alkattan of the University Heriot-Watt of Dubai, winner of the fourth edition of the contest in United Arab Emirates, will travel to Barcelona from the 20th to the 22nd January to celebrate the first edition of the Master Design Challenge, along with the winners of all editions held all around the world in 2019. This world final will challenge the young designers to show their qualities to discover who will be the winner among winners. It will be held in collaboration with the BCD (Barcelona Centre de Disseny) and the We Are Water Foundation. All activities will focus on innovation, creativity, design and sustainability and will be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals defined by United Nations. The proposals of the representatives of the 12 countries that will be attending the final will be assessed by an internationally acclaimed jury: Joao Bessa, founder of BESSA; Josep Congost, Design and Innovation Director at Roca; Kenneth Koh, founder of Quarters Architects; Isabel Pintado, Regional Managing Director at Wilson Associates; Vladimir Pirozhkov, president of the 'Astra Rossa' industrial design and innovation center; Isabel Roig, general director of the BCD; and Xavier Torras, Roca Brand Communication Director. The winner will be able to attend the Boisbuchet Design and Architecture school at Lessac, France, and will be presented with 3,000 and a BenQ monitor for graphic design with a value of 1,190 . Roca, leading brand in products for the bathroom space, organizes these initiatives to provide visibility to young talent. Roca One Day Design Challenge was first held in 2012 and since then its international expansion has increased. The competition challenges young architecture and design students and professionals to create original and innovative products for the bathroom space in just one day. SOURCE Roca Related Links https://www.roca.es Channelling an Asian influence, Raf Simons looks to vintage gaming company Atari for their design. Printed across the chest of this blue garment, the iconic symbol offers a defined aesthetic that aligns with Simons retro futurist style. Complete with embroidered branding to the waist, a locker loop to the back and ribbed trim to the crewneck, cuffs and hem, Raf Simons have made this garment in Portugal. 100% Cotton Atari Chest Print Embroidered Branding Locker Loop Ribbed Crewneck, Cuffs & Hem Made in Portugal WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is barring Iranian investors and business people from entering or staying in the United States on certain types of visas. In new regulations published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security said Iranians and their families are no longer eligible to apply for or extend what are known as E-1 and E-2 visas. The ban will take effect on Thursday, according to the notice from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Those visas allow foreign traders and substantial investors in U.S. companies to live and work in the United States. CIS said the change is a result of the U.S. withdrawal last year from a 1955 treaty with Iran that had sought to promote commercial and economic ties between the countries. Iranians in the United States on the affected visas will be required to leave the country when their visas expire, it said, although the new regulation does not bar Iranians from applying for or extending other types of visas for which they are eligible. The number of Iranians in the U.S. on those types of visas was not immediately clear although it is believed to be relatively small. Out of more than 10 million U.S. non-immigrant visas issued annually, only about 48,000 E-visas are issued to people of from all nations. In the past RBI has paid a total Rs 38,000 crore as an interim dividend (Rs 28,000 crore in FY19 and Rs 10,000 crore in FY18) The Finance Ministry is likely to push for Rs 25,000-30,000 crore interim dividend from RBI, for the third time in a row, to check slippages in the fiscal deficit of 3.3 percent in 2019-20, according to an NDTV report quoting IANS. The central bank and government may touch upon the issue when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will meet RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das at the post-Budget Vision customary meeting. The government has a Budget estimate of Rs 90,000 crore dividend from RBI in FY20. RBI follows a fiscal of July-June. The interim dividend of the RBI's total dividend for 2019-20 (July-June) can help the government check 3.3 percent fiscal deficit target slippage. In the past RBI has paid a total Rs 38,000 crore as an interim dividend (Rs 28,000 crore in FY19 and Rs 10,000 crore in FY18). "If the RBI board recommends, then it will be the third time when the interim payout will be given to the government," said sources. The central bank had paid Rs 28,000 crore as interim dividend from its 2018-19 fiscal accounts (July-June) in February, which helped the government contain deficit at 3.4 per cent in the last fiscal. The Reserve Bank follows July-June financial year and usually distributes the dividend in August after annual accounts are finalised and interim dividends if any, they are given around February to the government. Seeking interim dividends are not common. The Bimal Jalan-led committee on the RBI's economic capital framework recommended in August that an interim dividend should be paid to the government only in "exceptional circumstances". The Finance Ministry's contention is that this year has "exceptional circumstances" because of the slowdown, low revenue generation and outgo of Rs 1.45 lakh crore due to corporate tax cuts. For 2018-19 (July-June), the RBI transferred a total of Rs 1.76 trillion to the central government, including a one-time transfer of Rs 52,637 crore which was deemed as excess reserves and comprising Rs 1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-19. The government is fighting a six-year low growth, subdued demand, and consumption leading to projections of 5 percent growth in current fiscal which is an 11-year drop. On Monday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed India's FY20 growth forecast to 4.8 percent, besides trimming global outlook and said India's slow growth is dragging down the world economy. The Finance Ministry might seek the interim dividend from the RBI to meet some of the financial pressure due to the low revenue generation from taxes and disinvestment and slowdown, said the sources. The RBI largely earns profits on its trading of currencies and government bonds. Part of these earnings are set aside by the RBI for its operational and contingency needs while the rest is transferred to the government in the form of dividends. The Union Budget 2019-20 had pegged dividends or surplus of the RBI, nationalised banks and financial institutions at Rs 1.06 lakh crore up from Rs 74,140.37 crore realised in the previous fiscal. Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2020-21 here Close Who are the Labour leadership contenders? Tory MPs have voted down a House of Lords amendment to Boris Johnsons Brexit legislation, which would have guaranteed family reunion rights for unaccompanied child refugees after EU withdrawal. It comes as Mr Johnson is warned the EU is preparing a trade deal offer on tougher terms than those given to Canada and Japan. Washington has also threatened to hike taxes on British car companies if the PM presses ahead with plans for a levy on US tech giants. Elsewhere, Labour leadership contender Lisa Nandy has won a place on the ballot, attacked New Labour for allowing Thatcherism to flourish and rejected party chairman Ian Laverys demand that frontrunner Keir Starmer stand aside for a female leader. Earlier, employees' provident fund (EPF) subscribers had to depend on their former employers to declare the date of exit as the facility was not available online to EPF account holders. Employees are no longer required to wait for their former employers' to update the date of exit on the portal. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched 'date of exit' facility on the EPF portal. Now Employee's can also update their Date of exit.#EPFO pic.twitter.com/IIZYC0Onja EPFO (@socialepfo) January 21, 2020 Earlier, the employees' provident fund (EPF) subscribers had to depend on their former employers to declare the date of exit as the facility was not available online to EPF account holders. Here is how an EPF subscriber can update date of exit details: 1. An account holder can log in to the EPFO portal using UAN (Universal Account Number) and password. 2. Go to "Manage" section and click on "Mark Exit". 3. Choose your PF account number from the "select employment" dropdown menu. 4. Fill in the date of exit and the reason for exit. 5. Click on option "Request OTP" and enter OTP sent on your Aadhaar-linked mobile number. 6. Select the checkbox and then click on "Update" and then "Ok". 7. The account holder will get a message informing that the date of exit has been updated successfully. Once it is done you can go to "View" and "Service History" where the subscriber will be shown the date of joining and exit from both EPF and EPS. The PF subscriber cannot mark his or her date of exit two months before leaving the company. Several employees in the past had complained that their former employers were not declaring the date of exit on the EPFO portal. Marking the date of exit is important since it may affect claim submissions, transfers and settlements later on. After switching jobs, if the date of exit is not marked correctly, the job may not be treated as continuous and the employee may be asked to pay a tax on the interest earned during the intervening period. Many of us were concerned when a rights activist tweeted in October 2018 that a Chinese scholar and author of Kyrgyz descent, Mambetturdu Mambetakun, had been sent to a "concentration camp" earlier that year. "Whereabouts unknown," it concluded. I was particularly alarmed. I had met Mambetturdu, respected him greatly, and had been trying unsuccessfully to contact him by telephone in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) since the spring. I read and reread the tweet, by Uyghur activist Abdugheni Sabit, warning of Mambetturdu's disappearance. To describe where the 53-year-old scholar, author, and poet had purportedly been interned since "early in 2018," Sabit had used the term "concentration camp" -- a phrase that extended as well to the ideological prisons of the Stalin era in the U.S.S.R. and during Mao's Cultural Revolution in China. But as recently as August 2018 I had spoken to Chinese scholars at an international forum for Altai studies in Bishkek, and they had told me that Mambetturdu was alive, well, and still working. So, the information about Mambetturdu's detention many months earlier must be untrue, I thought. I once translated into Kyrgyz a portion of the memoirs of the youngest daughter of Deng Xiaoping, Mao Zedong's successor and architect of the market-economy reforms that ushered in China's current era. From Deng Maomao's writing, it seems clear that an "ideological upbringing" in China in 1966-75 in many ways resembled that of the Soviets under Josef Stalin. Had Xinjiang stepped back into the past, back into an era of obscurantism? I phoned again. No one picked up the phone in Urumqi, Xinjiang's administrative capital. But I finally reached a Kyrgyz scientist working in Beijing. After polite greetings, I asked bluntly, "I've heard rumors that Professor Mambetturdu Mambetakun was detained and sent to a 'reeducation camp' in early 2018." "No, that's not true. I personally met with Mambetturdu two months ago," the scientist said confidently. I breathed a sigh of relief. Another source had seemingly confirmed what I heard in August, and Mambetturdu had been seen only recently. And there was more: Since the beginning of 2018, Mambetturdu had reportedly been active at various academic and cultural events in China dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Jusup Mamay, a popular 20th-century teller of the traditional Kyrgyz epic of Manas, and 90 years since the birth of the late Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov. The report from Beijing had been encouraging. But, by early November, I was hearing that Mambetturdu hadn't been seen at his research and education center in Xinjiang for over a month. I couldn't find anyone who had any recent contact with him. I was left to speculate: Could Professor Mambetturdu have been sent to eastern China on business? Maybe there was no reason to panic. 'Reeducation Camp' After those statements contradicting the report of his disappearance "early in 2018," we wanted to believe that such an outstanding scholar was still a respected authority in Urumqi. But, to our great regret, there is further evidence that Mambetturdu has been at a "reeducation camp" in recent months. And no one has heard from or seen him in that time. It seems fears of him being confined to a camp in Xinjiang are real. Like him, many thousands of others have vanished or been separated from their families due to dramatic changes in China's policies regarding ethnic minorities -- predominantly Muslim -- over the past two and a half years. The fate of so many of China's Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, and even Hui (ethnic Chinese Muslims) forcibly taken to the reeducation camps is part of a much larger campaign in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China. China claims the camps are for vocational education and training, and denies people at the centers are abused or mistreated despite thousands of reports and testimonies from internees. Accomplished Writer It would be such a shame for that to have happened to such an outstanding scholar and public figure. The Xinjiang Normal University professor, head of the Xinjiang research center for the Epic of Manas, and Turkologist is recognized outside of his native northwestern China. His works have been published in Chinese, Kyrgyz, Turkish, English, and other languages, and are scrupulously studied by writers, historians, ethnographers, folklorists, and Turkologists around the world. Mambetturdu is also an accomplished writer. One of his poems, Biz (We), written in 1990, is a quintessential modern version of a centuries-old Kyrgyz epic. More than 200,000 ethnic Kyrgyz currently live in China. An opera version of Manas was successfully staged in Beijing in 2018, based on the epic Kyrgyz tale as told by Mamay and with a libretto written by Beijing scholar Adil Jumaturdu, who like Mambetturdu comes from the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang. The same show was scheduled for Bishkek in June 2019. Mambetturdu is also known within the academic community as a good organizer. He has attracted foreign collaborators to modern research on the Epic Of Manas in China, as well as to Kyrgyz and to Kyrgyz folklore studies in particular. Mambetturdu has also helped organize student exchanges between Kyrgyz and Chinese universities and joint folkloric and ethnographic expeditions between 2012 and 2017. I recall with gratitude the support and assistance of Mambetturdu's Xinjiang Center for Research on the Epic of Manas and other Chinese institutions during my own visit with a group of scholars. I am deeply convinced that official Bishkek and official Beijing highly value Mambetturdu and other Kyrgyz scholars as multifaceted experts who, like Mamay, represent a bridge of friendship between China and Kyrgyzstan. I also cherish the hope that the governments of both states won't persecute such scholars but rather treat them with respect and support their academic endeavors. I hope the Kyrgyz government continues to officially invite Mambetturdu as an honored guest to academic and cultural conferences and other events in Kyrgyzstan. And, as a good neighbor and partner within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), perhaps official Beijing could support Bishkek in that regard and continue to sponsor Mambetturdu's projects within the scope of Chinese academic cooperation with Kyrgyzstan. This piece was originally published on November 15, 2018. Membetturdu was still missing in January 2020, according to family members. Nobody likes him, rages Hillary Clinton in a new documentary film. Nobody wants to work with him. He gets nothing done. She expanded on her vicious personal attack in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: Its not only him, its the culture around him. Its his leadership team. Its his prominent supporters.and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. She concluded: I think people need to pay attention because we want, hopefully, to elect a president whos going to try to bring us together and not either turn a blind eye, or actually reward the kind of insulting, attacking, degrading behavior that weve seen its all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it. Wow. Even by Hillarys standards, this was a savage assault on a man she clearly believes is an absolute disgrace and shouldnt be anywhere near the White House. Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton unloaded on Bernie Sanders saying nobody wants to work with him. He gets nothing done In fact, its hard to imagine a more withering anti-endorsement and I imagine it may well end up being used in 2020 Election attack ads. Theres just one problem She wasnt talking, as you may have assumed, about Donald Trump. She was talking about Bernie Sanders, a fellow Democrat and the man who is now leading the polls to be the partys official nominee. Its hard to imagine a more glorious bone for President Trump to delightedly gnaw on with his KFC as he flies back home today from the World Economic Forum in Davos. Heres the last Democrat he faced and beat - in an election ripping apart someone who may be the next one, in language so harsh it makes even Trump look like a linguistic choirboy. And Hillarys brutal takedown of Bernie comes just days after millions of TV viewers watched another presidential candidate, Elizabeth Warren, furiously harangue him at the end of a CNN debate for saying she lied about her claim that he told her no woman could be elected president. Its staggering to see the Democrats eat each other alive like this at the start of Election year. But then this is a party that seems to specialize in acts of spectacular self-harm. Clinton said no one in Congress liked Bernie Sanders and said he was full of 'baloney' Trump is seen speaking at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland Wednesday Take Trumps Impeachment trial thats just begun in the Senate. Its already descended into such a pathetic, petty, partisan farce that Chief Justice John Roberts had to warn both sides to stop behaving like squabbling children as they branded each other traitors and liars in unedifying late-night slanging matches. Yet what is the point of it at all? Everyone already knows the verdict: Not guilty. At some time in the next two weeks, Trumps going to be acquitted by a Republican majority Senate that has absolutely zero intention of bowing to what they see as a purely political attempt to unseat their President. So, this is all a complete waste of time. But worse than that, from a Democrat perspective, its going to hand their sworn enemy a gigantic vote-boosting win political victory just as they move into caucus game mode for the 2020 election. I can see Trump now, right after the Senate announces its verdict, making a celebratory speech from the Oval Office. Hell brand the whole thing a witch-hunt and fake news, and point to it as further evidence that he is the most unfairly attacked president in history. 'At some time in the next two weeks, Trumps going to be acquitted by a Republican majority Senate that has absolutely zero intention of bowing to what they see as a purely political attempt to unseat their President.' Trump is seen above at Davos on Wednesday Now, none of this will have anything to do with the reality which is that Trump behaved very badly over the Ukraine scandal. As Ive said many times, his conversation with Ukraine President Zelensky was a stupendously dumb thing to do, especially coming so soon after he was cleared by Special Counsel Mueller of colluding with Russia to fix the 2016 Election. For the President of the United States to ask a foreign leader to investigate his main domestic political opponent, Joe Biden, was unquestionably an abuse of his power. But Ive never felt it reached the very high bar for impeachment, which requires one of these four criteria: Treason, Bribery or other high crimes and Misdemeanors. Not least because what Trump is accused of doing denying Ukraine $400 million in military US aid unless it formally investigated Joe Biden for alleged corruption while he was Vice-President never actually happened. Clinton expanded on her vicious personal attack on Sanders in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: Its not only him, its the culture around him' The aid WAS given, albeit later than originally intended, and NO such investigation into Biden was ever launched. So, if there was any kind of quid pro quo deal, it never materialized. But even without the fire, theres enough grubby smoke blowing around Trumps actions to warrant a firm reprimand. That, though, is all it should have been. For the Democrats to pursue an impeachment they know they cant win is mind-blowingly stupid politics. And they will find out just how mind-blowing when Trump embarks on his lengthy victory tour and rubs their noses in it. The President will be sitting on Air Force One now, basking in the joyous double whammy of his opponents destroying each other, and severely damaging their election hopes with a D.O.A. impeachment. Hell be even more emboldened by what happened in Davos, where the undeniably strong performance of the U.S. economy, including record job numbers and stock market highs, was met with widespread approval and admiration by a crowd who in previous years have been rather sniffy towards all things Trump. Ironically, it was a Ukranian oligarch and politician who best summed up the mood of many delegates to Trumps claim that America was experiencing an economic boom that was nothing short of spectacular'. It was a speech of a countrys leader, said Vadym Novynskyi. This is actually what we lack in Ukraine so our country would demonstrate great results like Mr Trump has just demonstrated. Of course, being Donald Trump, he wasnt content to ride the wave of a well-received speech and proceeded to conduct a lengthy free-wheeling press conference today that will override many positive headlines he may have got. But overall, Id say this has been a brilliant 24 hours for him. I dont know what a state of Utopia feels like for Trump, but its not hard to imagine it involves his opponents tearing themselves to pieces, an ardent old socialist roaring into the lead for Democrat nominee, the purring U.S. economy being lauded by the worlds top business brains, and an Impeachment trial circus that is 100% guaranteed to end in a big win for him just as election fever hots up. The Presidents laughing all the way back to the White House. Chico City Council decides on new district map The Chico City Council is moving forward with a new districting system, with members of the council voted to approve the "lavender" map configuration. There will be some tweaks to the map though, including re-numbering two of the districts. In 2020, there will be four seats up for re-elections. Police searching for Red Bluff man wanted for attempted murder Police are searching for a Red Bluff man, Dana Brown. Red Bluff police say he was one of two people who stabbed two victims at a homeless camp near Willow Street Saturday night. Both victims are in critical condition. Police arrested one suspect, Kyle Grinnell. If you have any information or see brown, call the police. Former leaders of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians plead guilty to conspiracy, tax charges Three former representatives of the Paskenta band of Nomlaki Indians could be facing prison time, after pleading guilty to embezzling millions of dollars. The pleas stem from a 2017 federal case. Prosecutors say the trio stole nearly $5 million and failed to pay more than a million dollars in income taxes. The sentencing is in June, they could face up to four years in prison. New bills focus on preventing wildfires, power shut-offs Legislation aimed at moving money intended for environmental services into improving wildfire safety is now before state lawmakers. Senator Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman James Gallagher have introduced two bills they say focus on preventing wildfires and power shut-offs. The bills AB-1941 and AB-1942 would take money from renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction programs and instead use for things like forest management and utility infrastructure. New wildfire safety advisory board, first meeting tackled Our state has a new weapon in the fight against wildfires, the wildfire safety advisory board. Governor Newsom approved the plan last October and the board held its first meeting Tuesday. The advisory board will offer wildfire expertise to the California Public Utilities Commission. Which until now, it has never had a division of wildfire safety. CDC confirms first us case of Wuhan coronavirus Health representatives have confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in the U.S. Representatives say an infected passenger flew into Seattle, after a trip to China. The centers for disease control says screenings for the virus will begin at Hartsfield-Jackson international airport, in Atlanta, which has daily direct flights to China and South Korea. The impeachment trial is in full swing and President Trump says he would love to sit in This afternoon Democrats will begin presenting their case against President Trump, under new rules that give each side 24 hours over three days, not two. Those handwritten changes include accepting the house record of evidence and witnesses. There will be no decision on new witnesses until after both sides have presented their case. The Centre moved the apex court following the delay in execution of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. (Photo Credit: Representative image) New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court urging to seeking modification of the Shatrughan Chauhan judgment on rights available to death row convicts. The plea seeks imposition of time limit to file curative petition after review is rejected and says the convict should file his or her mercy petition within seven days after black warrant is issued. Welcoming the government move, Asha Devi, the mother of Nirbhaya, said: I want the Supreme Court should issue fresh guidelines for hanging the convicts. The Centre moved the apex court following the delay in execution of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, urging modification to the Shatrughan Chauhan judgment in 2014 regarding the right to legal relief for the sentenced convicts. The Centre's move comes in the the context of the pending executions of the death warrants of four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape-murder case. In the application, the Centre said that the judgment was "accused-centric", and that it is important to "consider laying down guidelines from the point of view of victims, their family and the society as well". In the Nirbhaya case, a three-judge bench laid down various guidelines for protection of rights of death row convicts, and declared that long pendency in disposal of mercy petition is a ground to commute death penalty to life sentence. What the petition says: It would be permissible for the death convicts to file curative petition after rejection of review petition only within a time to be stipulated by this Hon'ble Court and not thereafter; to clarify and direct that if the convict of death sentence wants to file mercy petition, it would be mandatory for a convict of death sentence to do so only within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of death warrant issued by the competent court; and to mandate all the competent courts. State Governments, prison authorities in the country to issue death warrant of a convict within seven days of the rejection of his mercy petition and to execute death sentence within seven days thereafter irrespective of the stage of review petition/curative petition/mercy petition of his co-convicts. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Burma Lawmakers Blast Yangon Govt for Misusing Public Funds Yangon chief minister U Phyo Min Thein at a regional parliamentary session. / The Irrawaddy YANGON The Yangon regional government has misused and breached financial regulations in spending public funds, in possible violation of the Anti-Corruption Law, according to the parliamentary Finance, Planning and Economy Committee. On the second day of parliamentary debates on the regional auditor-generals report on government expenditure during the 2017-18 fiscal year, the committee pointed out the financial wrongdoings. The committees chair, Daw Sandar Min, a National League for Democracy lawmaker, said the regional government had failed to impose a fine on Anawmar, the private business group that won a 50-year lease to renovate the historic Secretariat building, for overdue payments. She said the group appeared to have been given special privileges. It was contrary to the procedures and lost state revenue, the parliamentarian added. The audit revealed that Anawmar failed to pay its annual lease (from June 2018 to June 2019) amounting to 300 million kyats (US$204,000) to the Yangon government. The auditor-generals report said the group only made the payment in April 2019. According to the contract, any late payment incurs a fine of 10 percent. Daw Sandar Min also said the Yangon governments purchase of a 30-billion-kyat ($20.4-million), 25-megawatt trailer-mounted, dual-fuel generator with a limited tender violated a Presidents Office directive to call an open tender. The generator was bought to fulfill the citys electricity needs during hot-season power outages. However, the auditor-generals report said the project was too costly because the generator consumed 6,360 liters of diesel per hour. Since its installation in July 2017, the machine operated for only five months by May 2019, but it consumed 4,200,000 liters of diesel for 3.844 billion kyats ($2.6 million). The spending on the generator was one of the hot topics that drew heavy parliamentary criticism. The parliamentarians denounced the regional government for violating regulations and taking rash actions without negotiating or properly considering the impact, like the cost of diesel to run the generator. Yangon regional lawmakers have called for an explanation from the government for the loss of funds during the debates. The parliamentary debate will continue on Thursday. Daw Sandar Min also targeted the regional governments improper use of cash from capital investment through the Yangon Metropolitan Development Co. Ltd (YMD) and New Yangon Development Company (NYDC). The YMD was founded by the Yangon government in 2017 to build housing for squatters. The Yangon government owns 51 percent of the company and the 64 billion kyats spent in shares was approved by the parliament. NYDC was launched in March 2018 as the developer in the planned new city project on the western bank of the Yangon River. The Yangon government invested 10 billion kyats ($6.8 million) in NYDC from YMDs limited 64-billion-kyat ($43.5 million) fund without the parliaments knowledge. It has found that the Yangon regional government and the Yangon City Development Committee lost public funds by misusing and breaching rules in spending public funds, Daw Sandar Min said. She added that the committee found the regional government had breached the regulations to favor a certain group or person. According to Article 3 of the Anti-Corruption Law, loss of public funds and state property can be prosecuted under corruption charges. In September, the general manager of the Burma Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI), a state-owned drugs manufacturer in Insein, Yangon, was arrested under corruption charges for allegedly accepting low-quality raw materials. This was deemed to have breached the companys tender agreement and was seen as responsible for the loss of state funds. We need to take examples from the case of BPIs Dr. Aung Zaw, Daw Sandar Min said. There have been requests to investigate the loss of public funds and irregularities in spending by the Yangon regional government exposed in the auditor-generals report, including the 2016-17 auditors report. But no action has been reported against any government officials for misusing public funds. President U Win Myint has repeatedly threatened legal action against anyone responsible for the misappropriation and loss of public funds. He urged the authorities to strictly adhere to Presidents Office rules while awarding contracts. U Win Myint called on people and lawmakers to look out for the waste of public money, vowing that he would not defend corrupt officials. Farmers are being called on to help a midlands fundraiser. Tullamore Lions Club, in association with the farming community in the Midlands, is looking to raise funds to build a Level 3 Hospice in the midlands and has launched a community-based fundraiser, Hooves 4 Hospice. The hospice will provide specialist end of life care and support for people in the four midland counties: Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. The midlands is the only region of Ireland that does not have a Level 3 Hospice and the project, which has the support of other Lions Clubs and the Irish Hospice Foundation, involves recruiting a large number of farmers willing to rear a young animal, has the potential to raise a sizeable sum of money for this much needed Midland Hospice. Farmers are being asked to donate a young animal that they or a host farmer will rear for 12 to 18 months, according to Pat Lalor, chairman of the project committee. He also said that Tullamore Lions Club will source and purchase suitable animals and has set up a special sub-committee with farmer input to oversee that part of the project. It is intended that host farmers will not incur any exceptional costs over and above the cost of accommodating the young animals in their herds. When that donated animal is sold the proceeds will go directly into the Midland Hospice Building Fund. Offaly Hospice Foundation has already set a significant example by committing 500,000 towards the Midland Hospice Building Fund. Ms Sharon Foley, CEO, Irish Hospice Foundation, says the lack of a Level 3 Hospice in the Midlands means people in the region are at a disadvantage when it comes to hospice and palliative care services compared to those in other parts of the country. "On the one hand there is excellent palliative homecare available, while on the other there is no regional specialist palliative care unit (often called regional hospice) in the Midlands," she said. This, she said, means patients and their families are being denied the full range of services that come with a Level 3 hospice. Members of the public can contribute to the cost of purchasing these animals by buying some Hooves on the www.h4h.midlandhospice.ie Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. Luke 10:36-37 Its easy to assume no one in modern society would pass by someone ailing on the side of the road. But we can all recall a time when we witnessed someone pulled off to the side of the freeway alone. We so often dont pull over to help. Sometimes, out of a healthy fear of very real and opportunistic evil in the world. Other times, we choose not to put ourselves in danger on account of another accord. Further still, we are all consumed by the amount of time we have in each of our days. The story of the Good Samaritan reminds us to take time to notice, and inconvenience ourselves to stop and sacrifice our precious minutes and resources to love our neighbor the way were called to as Christians. God has purposed us to love one another. Let's take a look at the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who Is the Good Samaritan in the Bible? And What Happens in the Parable of the Good Samaritan? But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. Luke 10:33-35 The Good Samaritan is a character in one of Jesus New Testament Parables. When questioned by a Jewish lawyer who he should consider a neighbor, Jesus picked a Samaritan to be the heroine of the story. This is significant because Jews hated Samaritans. The NIVSB confirms, Jews viewed Samaritans as half-breeds, both physically and spiritually. Samaritans and Jews practiced open hostility, but Jesus asserted that love knows no national boundaries. As Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, he said, You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (John 4:22) The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible says Samaritans believed in the one God of Israel and claimed to be true heirs of his promises (they) rejected the history of Israel after Joshua, and changed the Ten Commandments to include the requirement to worship on Mount Gerizim which the Judeans (Jewish) destroyed. The Samaritans believed in God but didnt fully understand and know Him. Jesus rebuked them for what they got wrong, but all the more powerful when we consider the love the Samaritan man showed versus that of the priest and Levite who fully understood God and could call themselves Gods chosen people. Why Did Jesus Tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan? On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 10:25 Jesus taught in parables and communicated in a way they understood. People like the lawyer questioning Jesus were akin to answering inclinations with questions. Thus, Jesus replied to his inquiry with,What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it? Luke 10:26 His concern was for their souls, not in arrogantly winning an argument He already held the heavenly victory too. His compassion for those who questioned Him is possibly one of His most remarkable characteristics. He had the patience to honor their curiosity, even when deviously tried to trap or trick Him. And who is my neighbor? Luke 10:29 The priest and the Levite passed by the suffering man on the other side. Significant, because Jesus illustrated living a legalistic life and following religious rules is nothing if we purposefully pass by a hurting soul. Love is leveling. Anyone can choose to help someone. Jesus shattered their perception of class and division by illustrating that love is love. We arent called only to love other Christians or others like us. We are called to love period. How Can Christians Apply the Parable of the Good Samaritan Today? Here are 5 ways Christians can use the parable of the Good Samaritan for inspiration today. 1. Be Noticers We live in a fast-paced world where it is easy to overlook the needs of others, wrote Courtney Whiting, "But if we learn from this parable, we will be careful to be aware of those who are around us. We can take notice of the people God places in our lives, both those who encourage and help us and those who need our help and encouragement. The neighbor were called to love is often not the one we choose but one God chooses for us, writes Jon Bloom In fact, this neighbor is often not one we would have chosen had not God done the choosing. Scripture says the man on the side of the road appeared dead, a condition that would make a religious authority ritually unclean (Leviticus 21:1-3). The priest in the parable let his holiness hold him back from helping. He didnt want to be stained by the stuff of life, writes Pastor Rick Warren, When we live a lifestyle of avoidance, we try to keep all our relationships superficial. If we can keep everyone at arms length, we can pretend we dont see their pain and their needs. If we dont get involved, we can avoid getting hurt or inconvenienced. 2. Prayerfully Prepare for these Moments Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, Come back tomorrow and Ill give it to you- when you already have it with you. Proverbs 3:27-28 A disciplined life of prayer will allow to see people from Gods perspective and fight any fear holding us back from taking immediate action. Pray for people, wrote Anne Dahlhauser in 10 Ways to Love Your Neighbor," Ask God for love for your neighbors. When we pray for eyes open to see people in need, God is faithful to reveal them. When we do take notice of someone in need, its not just our action that needs to be immediate in aid, but our prayer. It's only humanly possible to help someone to a certain extent, so we need to cut God into the moment through prayer. Vaneetha Rendal Riser reflects in her article, How to Pray When Life Falls Apart, I need to remember his limitless power when my situation looks insurmountable. 3. Dont Hesitate In Christ we are given a right standing before God (justification), and we are propelled in love for God and others by the new power of his Spirit in us (sanctification), writes Jonathan Parnell, "This affects the way we see those around us. Instead of weighing our options and wondering if we have time to stop and help, trust God to stretch minutes when we are convicted to help. The Samaritan man wasnt prepared with a medical kit in case he crossed paths with someone who needed bandaging. He gave of what he had, choosing to invest in the struggling stranger. We may quote scripture and recite platitudes on love and God, but unless we are willing to get involved in the lives of others, we are only blowing smoke, wrote Joe Plemon, But he [the Good Samaritan] didnt. As the scriptures say, he had compassion and he acted on it. Given the man was robbed, the Samaritan probably put himself in danger of meeting the same fate. Love is something you do, writes Pastor Rick Warren, Love doesnt just say, Im sorry for this guy. Isnt it a shame? Isnt that too bad? Love seizes the moment. 4. Reflection and Gratitude Resist the cultural urge to frame those struggling as soft or weak. Suffering from the consequence of their own decisions doesnt afford us a license to love them any less. Weve all made bad decisions, suffered through our own consequences, or been hurt at the hands of another. Let gratitude for the people God had in place to pull us through fuel our love for them now. Remembering keeps us humble, reminds us to be grateful, and spurs us to pass it on. Instead of convincing ourselves we dont have the time or the means to help, focus prayerfully on allowing God to show us how He wants us to love those suffering around us. John Bloom wrote, if our restlessness is due to the disillusionment of having to deal with difficult, different people and defective programs, then perhaps the change we need is not in the church community but in our willingness to love our neighbors, the ones God has given us to love. 5. Generosity It is a sin to despise ones neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. Proverbs 14:21 Christians are called to live generous lives, both in meeting the physical needs of others and in our outpouring of compassion for our neighbors. The Samaritan man gave what he had. We are all too often led by a cynical mindset of short supply. However, God promises the more we share the more we have. Proverbs 14:31 says, Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Benching worry to care for others first models trust in God. He asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves and is the great Provider we can trust in to make it happen. Proverbs 28:27 assures us, Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. The goal is not to get something in return for helping one another, but trusting God enough to let go of what we have in order to do so, being a good steward of what Hes provided us with. 10 Bible Verses About Loving Our Neighbors Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the enters of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4:25 Do not say to your neighbor, Come back tomorrow and Ill give it to you- when you already have it with you. Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. Proverbs 3:28-29 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Romans 15:2 The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 19:19 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. Galatians 5:14 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37-40 A Prayer to Love Others Jesus, Not only did you come down to earth and live among us, but you choose to communicate on a level we can understand. Thank you for parables and stories we can apply to our daily lives, in order to understand a mere fraction of Your glory. We are humbled by your forgiveness and grace for the times we do indeed walk clear around those who need help. Convict us to stay alert, in prayer, and ready to love those You place in our paths. In Your Name, Amen. Further Reading The Good Samaritan - Bible Story The Parable of the Good Samaritans Deeper Meaning Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, Jan Wijnants [Public domain] Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has said that the Green Party's climate plan would "take us over a cliff edge" while Fianna Fail is not recognisable as an alternative Government. Speaking at the launch of Laois Offaly Fine Gael's election campaign in his home town of Mountmellick on Tuesday night January 21, he also hit out at both parties. "The greatest challenge we are facing along with Brexit over the next five or ten years is climate action. Richard Brutons plan is practical, doable, ambitious but realistic," he said. "The Green Partys climate action policy to my mind would take us over a cliff edge particularly here in a rural constituency like Laois Offaly where we have our own unique problem with ESB and Bord na Mona moving away from peat and at the same time a 70% target of renewable energy by 2030 remains live and realistic," Minister Flanagan said. "When you look at the Fianna Fail front bench if you even know who they are or recognise the alternative government, one thing is clear. They dont have a plan, they dont have a policy or solutions," he said. He did not spare Fianna Fail. "A vote for Fianna Fail or any other party is a vote for a ragbag group within Europe that doesnt have any idea of the problems facing Ireland much less lending us a sympathetic ear," he said. Minister Flanagan said that his party as part of the European People's Party "family" gives Ireland a listening ear from powerful European politicians. "People like Donald Tusk, Jean Claude Junker, Michel Barnier, they in effect are Fine Gael people that we can pick up the phone at any time and talk to them. We could get them to lend their ear to our unique and special problems in Ireland and that job is not yet done," he said. "Since 2017 146k jobs have been created. Thats good but its not enough. We know we have difficulty in housing, in health, I have difficulties in justice, but we are working towards a plan. The important issue we must put to the people is to allow us complete our plan," he said. "Our chance is to defy the opinion polls, to defy the naysayers because in effect what this election is boiling down to is the question of trust, we know what other parties have done to our county. Giving rise to the catastrophic economic collapse of a decade ago. "It is a question of trust between Varadkar and Martin, of the record between them, of division between them, and I know which of them my money is on. Im asking the Irish people to ensure that we return a Fine Gael government in order to ensure our programme commenced four years ago and revitalised now in this election that Irish people young and old, urban and rural, can be united in having a government that will serve their interests," Minister Flanagan said. Offaly TD Marcella Corcoran Kennedy the other Fine Gael candidate for the constituency also spoke to rally their troops at the launch in the MDA centre. The launch was attended by about 100 supporters from both counties. Guaido, who has defied a travel ban to go to Europe, is locked in a power struggle with President Nicolas Maduro. Agents from Venezuelas Sebin intelligence service on Tuesday raided the offices of Juan Guaido while the opposition leader was travelling in Europe, an opposition politician said. We have just confirmed that Sebin officers are inside the office of president Guaido, legislator Delsa Solorzano told reporters after speaking to security guards at Caracass Zurich Tower. National Assembly leader Guaido has been recognised as president by the United States and more than 50 other countries in his year-long power struggle with socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who earlier this year tried to block Guaidos re-election as Assembly president. The opposition said one of their legislators, Ismael Leon, was also arrested on Tuesday on his way to the National Assembly. Cowardly dictatorship! While I am away, consolidating support to overcome the tragedy that we Venezuelans are enduring, they shamelessly show what they are all about, Guaido, visiting London, wrote on Twitter. European trip The tower where the offices are located had been surrounded in the afternoon by hooded and armed Sebin officers dressed in black. The offices were empty when the search began, the opposition said, adding that several legislators had been unable to gain access. Whatever procedure is under way, they are carrying it out without authorisation without witnesses, and they have no search warrant, Solorzano said outside the building. Legislator Angel Torres said the agents abruptly entered the offices amid opposition fears they could plant false evidence. Venezuelan authorities made no comment on the report of the arrest of Leon. The 36-year-old Guaido has defied a travel ban to fly to London for talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson as part of a European trip which will include a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On Monday he visited Bogota, Colombia and met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who promised Guaido more US support in his effort to unseat Maduro. Despite international backing, efforts to remove Maduro have stalled and he retains the support of the powerful armed forces, as well as that of allies China, Russia and Cuba. OTTAWA - A longtime public servant whose decades-long career has spanned portfolios from defence to foreign affairs is being tapped to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's third national security adviser in as many years. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands in front of his cabinet as he speaks to media during the final day of the Liberal cabinet retreat at the Fairmont Hotel in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. A longtime public servant whose decades-long career has spanned portfolios from defence to foreign affairs is being tapped to be Trudeau's third national security adviser in as many years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Sudoma OTTAWA - A longtime public servant whose decades-long career has spanned portfolios from defence to foreign affairs is being tapped to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's third national security adviser in as many years. Vincent Rigby takes over the position after Trudeau's former national security adviser, Greta Bossenmaier, announced her retirement in November following a 35-year career in the federal public service. Rigby brings a variety of different experiences to the new role, including stints at the Department of National Defence, Public Safety Canada, the Privy Council Office and Global Affairs Canada. He has previously supported the prime minister's participation in three G20 summits, took part in talks to set new development targets at the United Nations, been involved in the Arctic Council and helped manage the Afghanistan mission. Rigby's appointment comes as the federal government is struggling with a number of sensitive security files, including a fraught relationship with China over Huawei and the detention of two Canadians, as well as the downed plane in Iran and ongoing concerns about Russia. Rigby is the third person to advise Trudeau on national security since Daniel Jean resigned in May 2018 in the wake of controversy around the prime minister's trip to India. David Morrison, who advises Trudeau on defence and foreign policy, was acting as national security adviser after Bossenmaier retired. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. Jeffrey Lendrum spent three decades living as the so-called "Pablo Escobar of eggs", smuggling the fragile shells from the nests of falcons and other birds of prey to wealthy international clients. His racket was smashed in 2018 when customs officers at London's Heathrow Airport found him in possession of 19 birds of prey eggs worth a total of 100,000 pounds ($130,000, 118,000 euros). During a full search, he was found to be wearing a body belt made out of bandages concealing 19 eggs from vultures, falcons and kites as well as two newly-hatched African fish eagle chicks. His body belt was designed to "brood" his stash so the chicks would not die before he sold them. A British court sentenced the 58-year-old Irish-Zimbabwean to more than three years in prison in January last year. But he now faces another court appearance on Wednesday, which could see him spend up to three more years in jail in South America, if Britain accepts an extradition request. He is wanted for skipping bail in 2016 after a Brazilian judge sentenced him to four and a half years for attempting to smuggle peregrine falcons out of the country. - Middle East buyers - Stealing bird eggs runs in the family: the veteran thief received his first conviction aged 22, when he and his father were found guilty of petty theft in Zimbabwe. He has since served time in Canada, Brazil and Britain. The main drivers of egg poaching are wealthy clients in the Middle East, where peregrine falcons are in great demand for traditional falconry and can sell for thousands of dollars, according to the wildlife trade specialists Traffic. Illegal trade in animals is worth nearly $20 billion each year, according to Interpol. But Traffic spokesman Richard Thomas said there are "fewer than half a dozen" reported cases of egg thefts around the world each year. However, the thefts are "not insignificant" and still constitute "serious crimes", he told AFP. "Some of the species involved are extremely rare and even small numbers (of eggs) illegally taken from the wild can have a significant impact on threatened populations," he added. - Anti-hero? - The smuggler's 35-year notoriety is such that "Lendrum is a well-known name to conservation charities working on illegal bird trade issues", said Thomas. In 2010, he was stopped at Birmingham International Airport in central England with egg boxes strapped to his chest. Nicknamed "the Pablo Escobar of eggs" by the British press after the Colombian drug lord, Lendrum has amazed readers with the audacity of his crimes. He has been arrested five times on three different continents. Details of his crimes contrast with the grey-haired, potbellied man, half-naked and wrapped in strips of cloth, after his arrest. Lendrum, once a member of the Rhodesian army's special forces, even used a helicopter during a theft in northern Quebec, hanging from a rope to get close to the nest, according to Joshua Hammer, in "The Falcon Thief", the book he wrote about Lendrum's exploits. The Financial Times called Lendrum "the world's greatest bird of prey thief" but Thomas warned against turning him into "an anti-hero". "Rather, I think the publicity around his regular convictions helps demonstrate that persistent offenders will be caught and receive increasingly more severe punishments," he said. WASHINGTON - The watchdog group Common Cause filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, alleging that Our Revolution, a political non-profit organization founded by Bernie Sanders, violated campaign finance law by accepting donations in excess of federal limits while boosting his White House ambitions. The complaint comes after The Associated Press reported earlier this month about the donations. Our Revolution denies any wrongdoing. Spokesman Paco Fabian called the complaint meritless and legally flawed. Sanders campaign did not respond to a request for comment. The campaign finance act says groups established by federal officeholders or candidates cannot raise money for federal electoral activity that exceeds the limitations of the law. Those contributions are currently set at $2,800 for candidates and $5,000 for political action committees. Our Revolution has taken in nearly $1 million from donors whose contributions exceeded those limits and whose identities it hasnt fully disclosed, according to tax filings for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Much of it came from donors who contributed six-figure sums. The group has paid for some social media ads backing Sanders campaign and is working to turn out voters who will support the senator in the Democratic presidential primary. The group will not have to disclose its 2020 spending until after the election. Because Sanders set up Our Revolution and they have raised and spent money in candidate elections, Our Revolution is required to comply with contribution limits, register with the FEC and discloses its donors but it hasnt, said Paul S. Ryan, an attorney for Common Cause. Its his establishment of the group that triggers these laws. That means a $5,000 limit, full donor disclosure and no contributions from prohibited sources. Candidates are barred from accepting contributions from corporations, labour unions, federal contractors and foreign nationals. The group does not fully disclose who its contributors are. For years, Sanders has railed against the torrent of money allowed to flood the political system following the Supreme Courts landmark 2010 Citizens United decision. But he has saved special ire for super political action committees, or super PACs. Our Revolution is not a super PAC. But the tax-exempt political non-profit functions much like one but without having to reveal its donors. Like super PACs, these nonprofits were similarly empowered to raise and spend unlimited sums after the Citizens United decision. But such groups must take steps to keep their activities separate from the candidates they support. Its far from clear if the FEC, which enforces campaign finance laws, will take action. After a recent resignation, the commission does not currently have enough members to legally meet. The simplistic and legally flawed analysis advanced by Common Cause is based both on a misunderstanding of the law and a misrepresentation of the facts, Fabian, the Our Revolution spokesman, said in a statement. To claim that Our Revolution is simply an arm of the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign is an insult to our grassroots members and all that we have accomplished. ... Our mission is much more than just electing Bernie to the White House. Sanders on Sunday sought to distance himself from Our Revolution during a candidate forum with New Hampshire Public Radio. While he acknowledged that he founded the group and had no apologies for that, he also suggested he was legally prevented from telling them to stop. If I got on the phone and I told them what to do, that would be a violation of campaign finance law, Sanders said. However, legal experts say theres nothing preventing him from asking them to stop. Its dubious, said Adav Noti, a former FEC lawyer who now works for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center in Washington. A full disavowal I do not want an outside group spending money from secret, wealthy donors to support my election theres nothing in the law that would prohibit a candidate from saying that. Sanders founded Our Revolution to further the political movement galvanized by his unsuccessful 2016 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, though Our Revolution leaders say he hasnt held a formal role since its first governing board was appointed in 2016. The group, which also includes hundreds of local affiliates across the U.S., initially backed a series of candidates in Sanders mould during the 2018 midterms. But after he entered the 2020 contest, its focus has shifted toward him. Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and a co-chair of Sanders campaign, was president of the group until she took a leave of absence to work on his presidential bid. In May, she resigned from the role, which paid her $187,000 in 2018. Other Sanders surrogates, including radio commentator Jim Hightower and Palestinian rights activist Jim Zogby, have also served on the board. There are other connections, too, between Our Revolution and people in Sanders orbit. Sanders wife, Jane OMeara Sanders, was a founding director of Our Revolution, according to business filings. In August 2018, the group also subleased Washington office space to Sanders Senate campaign, Friends of Bernie Sanders Inc., a financial disclosure shows. Our Revolution also provided a $105,000 seed loan to the Sanders Institute, a think-tank founded by OMeara Sanders and her son, David Driscoll. The Sanders Institute, which was mothballed after Sanders launched his 2020 campaign, paid Driscoll $100,000 a year to serve as its executive director. Driscoll previously was an executive for Nike and the Vermont snowboarding firm Burton, but had no previous non-profit experience, according to his LinkedIn profile. The loan was paid off in 2018. While Our Revolution doesnt fully disclose donors, it does list many of them on its website, though it does not include donation amounts. It does grant anonymity, however, to donors who dont want to reveal their identity. Still, other tax filings and FEC records reveal who some of the top contributors are. National Nurses United for Patient Protection, a super PAC that supported Sanders 2016 run, disclosed that it donated $300,000 to Our Revolution. Sixteen Thirty Fund, a non-profit group that allows donors to anonymously funnel large contributions to progressive and liberal causes, was the source of a $100,000 contribution in 2017. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. JACKSON, MI Jackson City Manager Patrick Burtch has accepted a city administrator position in Ohio and will resign from Jackson near the end of February, he told WKHM Wednesday. Burtch is taking the lead role in Maumee, Ohio, just outside Toledo, where his wife and family live, he told WKHM on Jan. 22. Hes been working with the city of Jackson since 2011 and started as city manager in 2012. "I think it's about time that I take my leave," Burtch said in the interview. "I'll miss Jackson. It's been tough, it kind of chokes me up. I really love what I do here in Jackson." Click here to listen to the full interviews with Burtch and Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies. Burtch noted his economic development work in the city among his accomplishments, calling the community second to none. He has faith in the council and city staff to continue moving Jackson forward with the projects in the works, he said. One of the frustrations in Jackson has been getting hacked apart with criticism from a small group of people, Burtch said. While thats common in many communities, Burtch said its abnormal how much it goes on and on, here. "At some point, it starts taking a toll on your health," Burtch said. "I really don't want to end up like my father did, at 60 years old, and having a heart attack. I've put my job and what I do as a living as my identity for 32 years, ahead of my family, and I just can't do that anymore." After Burtch leaves, Director of Public Works Jonathan Greene and Code Enforcement Officer Shane LaPorte will lead the city in the interim during the city manager search, Dobies told WKHM. No interim manager has been selected yet and theres no timetable for hiring a new city manager yet, per a city news release. Pat, whether you like him or not, he is one heck of a hard worker, Dobies said. That guy did four peoples jobs at one time I dont know if he ever slept. Burtch was the Dundee village manager for 23 years before coming to Jackson. I spoke with our City Manager this morning where he finalized his decision to leave. Nobody can contest the positive growth weve seen under his tenure, and hes putting the team in place to continue that progress for the residents and businesses we serve. pic.twitter.com/xrb1l8GHqk Derek Dobies (@derekdobies) January 22, 2020 More Jackson news: Contract tweak could net city manager extra $20K if he leaves for Ohio job Ohio city picks Jackson city manager as next city administrator Amid the ongoing controversy over the Aarey metro car shed for line-3 trains, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday stripped Ashwini Bhide from the post of Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Mumbai: Amid the ongoing controversy over the metro car shed for line-3 trains, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday stripped Ashwini Bhide from the post of Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is implementing the project. Bhide will be replaced by Ranjit Singh Deol who is currently serving as the vice chairman and MD of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. The reshuffle comes just a week after the Maharashtra government transferred 22 IAS officers. Last week, Bhide was elevated to the post of principal secretary. However, during the reshuffle, she has not been given any other charge. Aditya Thackeray, who is also the Maharashtra tourism and environment minister, had last year sought Bhide's transfer for ordering felling of trees at the Aarey colony, famous as the 'lungs of the city'. The corporation is executing the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3 corridor. Bhide's defence of the metro shed had drawn flak from activists as well as political parties. An IAS officer of 1988 batch, Bhide was very active on social media and used to post progress of the 33 km metro corridor. A release from MMRC recently mentioned that 100 per cent tunneling work of the project will be completed by September this year. Apart from this, the Corporation hopes to complete 70 percent of civil work and get the first rolling stock by December 2020, MMRC said in a statement. Currently, more than 70 per cent of the tunnelling work across the 33 km corridor has been completed. Walking into Tommys Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco is like walking into any classic Mexican restaurant across the country. Bright red booths with wooden tables line one side of the carpeted space. Scalloped paper placemats illustrated with Spanish words and cartoon drawings explaining their meanings sit at each seat. Mexican tapestries adorn the walls amid colorful artwork and a few sombreros. A giant neon sign with a margarita glass on it glows out front. But Tommys is not your typical Mexican restaurant. The family-run mainstay in the city's Richmond District has been in business for 56 years, serving Yucatan cuisine to locals and tourists alike. It consistently makes the list of the Worlds 50 Best Bars, and it has one of the most reasonably priced and largest specialty tequila menus in the world. Its signature cocktail, the Tommys Margarita, was inducted into the International Bartenders Associations official list and can be found on cocktail menus across the globe. This mix of the ordinary and the extraordinary is likely whats kept this neighborhood spot in business for so long, appealing to families as much as owners of Michelin-starred restaurants in a familial, chips-and-salsa-on-the-table kind of way. But as long-standing restaurants across the city topple and shutter one after another, even jovial owner Julio Bermejo is concerned about how to appeal to a new generation of diners. Its one he says relies too much on takeout (a feeling many recently closed restaurants have shared) and prefers residing in the virtual world of Instagram rather than chatting with the stranger two stools down at the bar. I think Im doing a poor job reaching Millennials, Bermejo says, miming looking down at his iPhone and texting rapidly. We are probably too intrusive and, I dont know how else to say it, were probably too nice. But, still, the restaurant is doing fine. On a recent chilly Thursday at 6 p.m. in January (a notoriously slow month for restaurants), a healthy mix of couples and groups of friends and families filter though, eating and drinking and giving the place a lively, warm vibe. Its not packed, but most seats are full and most any neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco would probably kill to have this kind of consistency. Bermejo knocks on wood as we talk about the business doing well, but he says it could always be better. San Francisco is expensive, and he wants to increase revenue so he 1) doesnt have to increase menu prices, and 2) can pay his staff more. Some of those staff members have literally been with the Bermejo family since the beginning, operating under the ownership of the late Tommy Bermejo and his wife Elmy, who opened the restaurant in 1965. Tommy came to the United States under the bracero work program in the 1950s, and later began working in kitchens to try and save money to bring his family to the United States from Mexico. When his wife and kids eventually moved to San Francisco, they opened their first establishment on McAllister Street, a small cafe. The duo later opened a barbecue restaurant and bought the building that houses Tommys today. But Julio said it was him and his four siblings who always worked in the restaurant growing up who encouraged them to change the restaurants focus to cooking Mexican food, the food they knew. Today, 85-year-old Elmy is still in the restaurant every night its open (its closed on Tuesdays), greeting customers, answering the phone and generally acting as the quiet matriarch of this successful business. It runs without the appearance of effort. Servers and bartenders deliver hot plates of food and mix margaritas with stunning efficiency, and somehow never look harried or distracted, all while making conversation with guests whenever they can. Its a well-honed skill in the restaurant industry that largely comes only with many years of experience. As ice clangs against glassware and the blender whirrs, Bermejo punctuates our conversation with greetings to every new customer, alternating from Spanish to English when necessary and intermittently making sure guests have everything they need. He wants to know what brought you to Tommys. He wants to know if youve ever had a really good margarita. He wants to know your kids' names. And not because hes desperate for you to come back to his restaurant, though obviously hed love if you did. Its just their way. This is what this generation is missing out on, Bermejo says. I want to show you something and not just say, Heres your food. I think thats why some places last. You dont just go to Buena Vista for the Irish coffee, you go because you want to watch the guy spill the coffee with the spoon and make the drinks. I make a really good Irish coffee, but Id rather have it at the Buena Vista. Id rather have a beer at Toronado. We want to talk to people and not just get people coming in that want to cross it off their list. The restaurants Outer Richmond location in Bermejos words the sticks of San Francisco prevents a lot of that, he says, but he also says the restaurant has never advertised and they dont do promotions or happy hour. Each margarita is made with 100 percent agave tequila and fresh-squeezed lime juice, a dedication to quality Bermejo says he wont compromise on. On my visit, bartenders were even peeling limes before squeezing them because Bermejo said that at this time of year when the fruit isnt as fresh they can produce too much lime oil, which can throw off the cocktails balance. As the few hanging TVs switch from Telemundo to the Warriors game, two women eating quesadillas at the bar have struck up a conversation with the man next to them about a rare tequila he drove in from Sacramento to come to Tommys to taste. Another man at the bar is updating Bermejo about his life he was a Tommys regular who moved out of San Francisco 10 years ago and was back in town visiting. While restaurant work is always hard, Bermejo says keeping up a neighborhood restaurant like theirs might be the hardest type of all. I think its harder to work at a place where you see people three times a week and be genuine with them than if youre visiting once in your life, he said, referencing a recent visit to a 3-starred Michelin restaurant he visited in Italy. Those places are great, but we see people too often for us to bulls the guest. While the hours can be grueling and something always needs fixing, Bermejo says he knows theyre one of the lucky ones to still be operating in the city. He said he lives by his personal motto and points to whats written in dry erase marker on the whiteboard behind the bar. If you live in San Francisco, please do not forget to remember how lucky you are. Tommys Mexican Restaurant is located at 5929 Geary Blvd. and is open Wed. - Mon., noon-11 p.m. Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa. Morocco on Wednesday integrated waters off the coast of Western Sahara into its maritime territory, adopting two laws that extend its legal jurisdiction over the disputed former Spanish colony. "These laws aim to update the national legal arsenal" in line with "the full sovereignty of the kingdom over its land and maritime borders," Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said before parliament in Rabat passed the laws. The laws, intended to establish Morocco's jurisdiction over territorial waters stretching from Tangiers on the northern coast as far as Lagouira, on the border with Mauritania, were unanimously backed by lawmakers and greeted with applause. The vast desert territory of Western Sahara lies north of Mauritania and is bordered to the west by around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) of Atlantic coastline. Morocco has controlled 80 percent of the territory since the 1970s and views it as an integral part of the kingdom. That is disputed by the Polisario Front, an Algerian-backed independence movement. The United Nations in 2018 oversaw talks between Morocco, Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania, followed by a second round in March last year, but no breakthrough was made. By Fabrice COFFRINI (AFP/File) The Polisario fought a war for independence from 1975 to 1991 and wants a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara choose between independence and integration with Morocco. Rabat has instead offered autonomy, but insists it will retain sovereignty. Supporters of the Polisario claim that 92 percent of Moroccan fishing is done in "pillaged" Western Saharan waters. In the works for years, the delimitation of the maritime territory, whose status is still unresolved, has in the past sparked tensions between Morocco and Spain, particularly after oil exploration in the area. The issue will be addressed on Friday during the first visit to Rabat by new Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez, according to Bourita. "We do not want to impose a fait accompli, but we are ready to engage in dialogue with Spain in the framework of our essential rights and sovereignty," he told parliament. In mid December, the Spanish government reminded Morocco that the delimitation of maritime borders with neighbouring countries was government by "mutual agreement". A Malaysian single mother has been charged in the Johor Baru magistrates court with murdering her two-year-old daughter. Nurul Shamira Mazlan, 22, is accused of intentionally causing the death of her only child, Nur Shahana Abdus Quddus, who died at Sultan Ismail Hospital on Jan 13. She nodded after the charge was read out to her before magistrate Rashidah Baharom yesterday. According to the charge sheet, Nurul Shamira, who is unemployed, committed the offence between Jan 5 and Jan 11 at an apartment in Taman Kempas Indah. The accused is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction. No plea was recorded and Ms Rashidah then set Feb 24 for the next mention of the case pending chemistry and post-mortem reports. Last week, Nur Shahanas 49-year-old grandmother, Madam Aslindah Md Sahat, said that she could not stop feeling guilty for not heeding the bruises on the toddler. I am still reeling from her death and am heartbroken that my sweet granddaughter is no longer around, said Madam Aslindah Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates SPOKANE, Wash. Democratic leaders of the state House of Representatives may not take any further action against a Republican lawmaker who has been accused of "domestic terrorism'' unless they get enough Republican votes to expel him. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, said she needs at least nine GOP votes, along with all 57 Democrats, to boot state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, from the chamber. "We need to have a two-thirds majority to expel him,'' Jinkins said Tuesday, according to The Spokesman-Review newspaper. Jinkins also said that Democrats plan to release the documents compiled by private investigators in a Dec. 1 report that produced the terrorism allegation. Those supporting documents will be released in the next week or two, Jinkins said. Investigators in a report prepared for the Legislature said Shea was involved in activities that could be considered domestic terrorism by helping to plan protests against the federal government in Nevada and at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Shea refused to talk to investigators, but has since called the allegations lies. After the report was released, House Republican leaders kicked Shea out of the GOP caucus, and members of both parties called on Shea to resign. Shea refused, but has been removed from committee assignments, lost access to Republican staff support and was moved out of offices controlled by the GOP. His seat was moved to the back row of the House. But Shea remains an elected representative of the 4th Legislative District. A private government contractor that repeatedly has been thwarted in its efforts to open two shelters for migrant boys in the area lost another round Tuesday night in Universal City. The Universal City council followed the advice of its planning and zoning commission and unanimously rejected a rezoning request from the New Covenant Family Church to turn an old school building into a shelter for up to 60 migrant boys. I feel that the current zoning is correct, it protects the health of that neighborhood, council member Beverly Volle said. Weve worked long and hard to get where we are. It was the sixth time officials in the San Antonio area have rejected shelters planned by government contractor VisionQuest, an Arizona company that operates migrant facilities around the country. I have a mandate from God that is 40 years in the making to stand here at this time to tell you its not about me, its not about VisionQuest, its not about this city, Bishop Grady Morris Sr. of the Schertz-based church told a room of about 200 people. Its about the children that are languishing in these camps (near the border) and need to be placed in an environment where they can be cared for. Some people grumbled, with one man whispering, Send them back to Mexico. Speakers at the hearing voiced drastically different reasons opposing the shelter. Some said they didnt want illegal aliens in their community. Others were opposed to the federal governments system of holding migrant children. Universal City previously turned down a proposal by VisionQuest for the shelter at the former school building. The church then stepped in to lease the same vacant building and submitted a modified zoning request. Morris wouldnt say how much VisionQuest would pay to operate the shelter. The company last year also was turned down in its bid to run a migrant youth shelter in the community center of the Second Baptist Church on San Antonios East Side. VisionQuest signed a $3.2 million, three-year lease with the church, but the plan was rejected by the planning and zoning commission and the City Council. The Detroit-based religious rights law firm of Dalton and Tomich has sued San Antonio on behalf of Second Baptist Church, claiming the city violated its religious rights to open the shelter. It argued the city has discriminated against Second Baptist because secular migrant shelters have been allowed elsewhere in San Antonio. The city disagreed and said it was within its legal rights to deny the rezoning. The same firm represents the New Covenant Family Church and has similarly notified Universal City that denying the rezoning request for the shelter would violate the churchs religious rights. Last year, more than 977,000 migrants crossed the border or entered via its international bridges, amounting to a crisis that backlogged federal migrant holding facilities and sent more than 32,300 recently released migrants to San Antonios bus station in 2019. The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is in charge of housing unaccompanied minors, has been under scrutiny in recent years for housing children separated from their parents. During the zero-tolerance policy in 2018, thousands of children were separated by the Border Patrol, labeled as unaccompanied and put into ORR shelters. The shelters are run by nonprofits or for-profit companies, including VisionQuest. Critics argue theyre run more like detention centers. The classes are off-site, everything is insular. Its not the type of situation where community members can have a positive impact, said Katy Murdza, a member of the Texas Organizing Project who has worked with migrants in detention. This is evidence of a trend toward (the government) using private companies to house migrant children, which incentivizes longer stays and more kids being put in there. There are at least four child migrant facilities in San Antonio, all run by nonprofits. Last year, the federal government awarded VisionQuest $14.6 million to run two facilities in the San Antonio area. The East Side facility would house up to 90 boys, ages 11 to 17. Universal Citys would house up to 60 boys of the same ages. The Tucson-based company has been accused of abusive or inappropriate staff behavior at other child facilities in the country. VisionQuest has said it responded swiftly and effectively to those allegations. Morris, the New Covenant bishop, said he had no qualms about working with VisionQuest. Thats history, thats the past, he said. We all have things we have to account for. But East Side County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, who has opposed VisionQuests pursuit to house migrant children in the area since it sought to do so at Second Baptist Church, expressed concern. Jesus never said let the little children come to me and I will bash their heads through a wall, said Calvert, referring to one of the allegations in VisionQuests past. In a letter to the Universal City council, he wrote: When these churches have no track record of serious refugee work, this tells me its about making money more than answering our call to love our neighbors. Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF Mother Lode District 4 Congressman Tom McClintock strongly opposed the recent House passage of the Use of Force Termination Resolution. He detailed exactly why he opposed it. McClintock was Wednesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Mr. Speaker: Throughout the debate yesterday on the so-called war powers resolution, some fundamental misunderstandings surfaced that I feel need to be addressed. The first misunderstanding is that the justification for the attack that killed Soleimani was that he was an evil terrorist responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans. There are a lot of evil terrorists out there, but that doesnt give the President authority to launch attacks on foreign countries to kill them. What DID give the President that authority in this case was the fact that Soleimani was acting as an armed combatant against U.S. forces in a war zone in which Congress had authorized the President to take military action when it adopted the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in Iraq in 2002. I hate to shock my woke colleagues but killing active enemy combatants is what war is all about. And it is a war that Congress started with that act. That act provides The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq. The very nature of this authority includes combatting hostile militia and armed proxies acting within Iraq against American forces. That is exactly what the President did. The authorization to use military force didnt end with the defeat of Saddam Hussein any more than the presidents military authority in Japan and Germany ended with the defeat of Hirohito and Hitler. In those cases, the Presidents authority didnt terminate until 1952 and 1955 respectively, and the Presidents military authority in Iraq remains in effect until the President and Congress terminate it. The second misunderstanding is that the Presidents action was an attack on Iran. It most certainly was not. It was carried out in the theater of war defined by Congress against a combatant who was commanding hostile forces against American troops. Not only did the President act entirely within his legal authority as commander-in-chief, but within his moral responsibility to protect American military and diplomatic personnel and American citizens in Iraq. The third misunderstanding is that the War Powers Act is applicable in this circumstance. The War Powers Act governs only those circumstances when the President responds WITHOUT congressional authority to an attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions or its armed forces. In this case, the President already HAD congressional authority. The fourth misunderstanding is that the attack on Soleimani was equivalent to President Obamas attack on Libya. These are two entirely different matters. The attack on Libya had no congressional authorization and the War Powers Act was not applicable because Mr. Obamas military attack was not in response to an attack on the United States, its territory or possessions or its armed forces. It was entirely unprovoked, entirely unauthorized and accordingly, it was entirely illegal. We need to get back to some basic understandings about the constitutional parameters of war powers. The American Founders made a sharp distinction between starting a war and waging a war, for some very good reasons. They understood that this most solemn and lethal decision should not be entrusted to one individual whose authority would be greatly augmented by it. The decision to start a war was given exclusively to Congress to assure that every voice in the country was heard and that Congress, having taken that stand, would be obligated to put the resources of the country behind that war and those fighting it. But once the war is begun, the Founders wanted a single commander-in-chief directing it with clear and unambiguous authority. There is no surer path to military disaster than having 535 squabbling prima donnas second-guessing every decision being made. Thus, the President can wage war but cannot declare it and the Congress can declare war but cannot wage it. The Founders debated these principles thoroughly during the Constitutional Convention. They recognized that the President needed certain residual military power to repel an attack when Congress could not act. I believe The War Powers Act faithfully defines these circumstances and establishes a framework to contain them. But the War Powers Act does not give the President the authority to launch military attacks EXCEPT in response to a direct attack on our country nor can it limit the Presidents authority as commander-in-chief once Congress DOES authorize war. I believe the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force in Iraq was a colossal mistake. It created a dangerous power vacuum, it was never supported with the full resources of the United States, and it was without provocation. But there should be no re-writing of history here. It may have been George W. Bush who advocated for the war and Bush, Obama and now President Trump who have waged it but it was Congress adoption of the AUMF that formally started it. And once started, only the President can wage it. President Trump inherited this mess and history will judge how well he handles it. Certainly, in this instance, the President not only had unmistakable authority to order the attack, he had a moral imperative to do so to. What is crystal clear from the debate yesterday that if the Democrats had their way, Soleimani would be alive today and the attack on American troops that he was in the final stages of planning would have unfolded. We would likely today be mourning the loss of very many American lives. If the President, knowing that the attack was coming, and in full possession of the opportunity and authority to stop it, had taken the Democrats advice and done nothing, he would have been deeply culpable for the loss of those Americans. It is shocking that even in hindsight, this is the course the Democrats have made clear that they would have taken. Which brings me to the nature of the resolution the House passed yesterday. The separation of war powers between the legislative and executive branches has been badly blurred in recent decades, and I do believe we need to re-establish not only the constitutional principles that separate the declaring of war from the waging of war, but also the American tradition that we go to war only when we have been attacked. And when we must go to war, we have the utmost obligation to put the entire might, resources and attention of the nation behind it and get it over with as quickly as possible. That is a legitimate debate to have but thats not what the House did yesterday. Yesterday, it deliberately and recklessly undermined the position of the United States government and the United States armed forces that we sent to Iraq, shredding the tradition that politics stops at the waters edge. At a perilous moment, the House refused to stand behind the war that it had authorized in 2002, refused to protect the men and women that it placed in harms way and gave a hostile foreign power a major propaganda victory. That is yet another stain upon the honor of this House, and one which should be deplored and condemned through the ages to come. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused the Prime Minister of ignoring the devolved governments (House of Commons/PA) Scotland is coming under unprecedented attack, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has claimed as he clashed with the Prime Minister over Brexit and a second Scottish independence referendum. Mr Blackford accused Boris Johnson of ignoring the Smith Commission which recognises that its up to the people of Scotland to determine their future. But Mr Johnson hit back during Prime Ministers Questions, claiming the SNP support nothing except manufacturing grievances. Boris Johnson hasn't accepted the reality that Scotland won't just get back in the box and accept his extreme Brexit deal. Scotland said no to Brexit, and we meant it. #PMQs pic.twitter.com/8yKyptNWvc The SNP (@theSNP) January 22, 2020 Mr Blackford said: Last night the Lords voted to reinstate the Sewel Convention that the devolved governments must give consent to legislation that affects them. Devolution is under attack from this Tory Government, powers are being grabbed back to Westminster, there is no respect for the people of Scotland, for Wales and Northern Ireland, their governments, or their decisions. Yesterday the Welsh Assembly became the third devolved Parliament to refuse consent for the Tory Brexit Bill. Why is the UK Government ignoring the principle of consent for our national government? Mr Johnson replied: (He) knows full well that it is no part or implication of the Sewel Convention to break up the oldest and most successful political union in the world. I agreed for a second... because he said Scotland said No and they meant it and he was right. The people of Scotland said No to independence in 2014 and they meant itBoris Johnson Mr Blackford claimed a power-grab from Westminster is taking place. He said: The Prime Minster ignores the Smith Commission that recognises that its up to the people of Scotland to determine their future. The Prime Minister just doesnt get it, this is an unprecedented attack. Scotland said No and we meant it. Mr Johnson replied: I agreed for a second with (him) because he said Scotland said No and they meant it and he was right. The people of Scotland said No to independence in 2014 and they meant it they were told it was a once in a generation event. The PM added that 60% of Scotlands trade is with the rest of the UK as he spoke of investment in Scotland. He said: We support manufacturing in Scotland, they support nothing except manufacturing grievances and they know it. Central Virginias JAUNT is adding what it says is the first all-electric vehicle of its kind operated by a public transit system. The van is a response to local environmental efforts and policy changes, as well as JAUNTs commitment to adapt to new technology, according to CEO Brad Sheffield. It will begin transporting senior citizens and residents with disabilities and supporting other area transit riders Feb. 3. Electric vehicle technology is an example that has become well-established, he said in a statement. Its time for commercial transit to get on board with electric vehicle technology. Members of the public can view the van at 10 a.m. Wednesday at The Shops at Stonefield in front of the Regal Stonefield movie theater. The vehicle, a Ford Transit Passenger Van, can seat 10 passengers and has a range of up to 120 miles on a charge. Electric, full-size buses are coming to some public transit service providers in Virginia, as well as some school divisions, but its unclear if any public entity is operating an an all-electric transit van in its fleet. JAUNT, which is owned jointly by and provides service to Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson and Buckingham counties and the city of Charlottesville, has commuter routes and operates the areas paratransit service for Charlottesville Area Transit under a contract with the city. In Albemarle, the Board of Supervisors last year adopted a resolution to establish community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The county is also in the process of developing the first phase of a Climate Action Plan, which will include identifying goals and strategies to achieve reductions. Charlottesville City Council last year also adopted a new goal for reducing greenhouse gas output. JAUNTs electric vehicle can use Level 2 and Level 3 chargers, which are 220 volts and 500 volts, respectively. Level 2 will be available at the JAUNT offices, and can charge the vehicle in about 8 to 10 hours. Level 3 is known as fast charging, and can provide an 80 percent charge in under an hour. Sheffield said there are some Level 2 chargers throughout the area and plans for Level 3 chargers are in the works. We need to start planning for fast chargers, he said. JAUNTs mechanics have received training on electric vehicles, and Sheffield said the van isnt much different to drive than the current gas-powered fleet. Sheffields response to inquiries about what would happen if the van runs out of battery power on the side of the road is lighthearted, but serious. Weve never had any vehicles run out of gas on the side of the road, he said. JAUNT estimates that it will cost about 8 cents per mile to charge the vehicle at national average electric rates, and said that a similar combustion-engined transit vehicle that gets 12 miles per gallon would cost about 15 cents a mile to fuel. The heater, air conditioner, lights and wipers can use up additional battery charge, but JAUNT says that none of these factors will impact the vehicles range. JAUNT plans to transition its entire fleet to electric vehicles, and Sheffield said the service is asking for funding from the state and local governments for six more electric vehicles in the upcoming budget, which would begin July 1. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Interior Ministry registered more than 55,000 requests. Only 1,044 Slovaks out of 1,173 of those who submitted their requests voted from abroad in 2016. (Source: TASR) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Slovaks living abroad have shown a robust interest in the February 2020 elections; 55,117 of them asked to vote while abroad. The Interior Ministry said 4,066 Slovak citizens without permanent residence in Slovakia delivered their requests to the ministry by January 10, which was the last day for submitting such a request. Up to 51,051 Slovaks with permanent residence in Slovakia asked their municipalities for the possibility to vote from abroad, the TASR newswire wrote. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement In 2016, only 1,044 Slovaks out of 1,173 of those who submitted their requests voted from abroad, the Interior Ministry spokesperson Peter Lazarov told the SITA newswire on January 13, 2020. He added the ministry registered about 4,000 requests around that time. Eastern Slovaks heavily interested in the vote BEIJING - A Chinese city of more than 11 million people planned to shut down outbound flights and trains Thursday as the world's most populous country battled the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17, state media reported. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, a worker monitors display screens for infrared thermometers as they check travelers at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP) BEIJING - A Chinese city of more than 11 million people planned to shut down outbound flights and trains Thursday as the world's most populous country battled the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17, state media reported. Everyone in the city of Wuhan was to be restricted to some degree. The state-owned People's Daily newspaper said no one would be allowed to leave. The official Xinhua News Agency said no one would be permitted to leave without a specific reason. Train stations and the airport were to shut down at 10 a.m. Buses, subways, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses would also be temporarily closed. Most of the cases are in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province, but dozens of infections have popped up this week around the country as millions travel for the Lunar New Year, one of the world's largest annual migrations of people. A handful of infected people who came from Wuhan have also been found overseas. In Geneva, the World Health Organization put off deciding whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency and asked an expert committee to continue meeting for a second day Thursday. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, travelers wearing face masks walk with their luggage at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP) We need more information, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. WHO defines a global emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a co-ordinated international response. When asked about Wuhan's public transport shutdown, WHO chief Tedros said authorities were likely acting to prevent transmission and mass gatherings. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, a worker monitors display screens for infrared thermometers as they check travelers at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP) We cannot say they have done something unusual, he said. The number of new cases has risen sharply in China, the centre of the outbreak. The 17 deaths were all in Hubei province, where the outbreak emerged in the provincial capital of Wuhan late last month. Wuhan authorities said the province has confirmed 444 cases, which would bring the national total to more than 500. The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus, a family of viruses that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses, such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 and killed about 800 people. Some experts have drawn parallels between the new coronavirus and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, another coronavirus that does not spread easily among humans and is thought to be carried by camels. A box of masks imported from Japan sits inside a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, China, January 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen to over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) There has already been human-to-human transmission and infection of medical workers," Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said at a news conference Wednesday. Evidence has shown that the disease has been transmitted through the respiratory tract, and there is the possibility of viral mutation." A tweet from WHO's Asia office this week raised the possibility that the epidemic is spreading more easily and may no longer require an animal source to spark infections, as officials initially reported. Authorities in Thailand on Wednesday confirmed four cases a Thai national and three Chinese visitors. Japan, South Korea, the United States, Taiwan and Macao, a former Portuguese colony that is a semi-autonomous Chinese city, have all reported one case each. All of the illnesses were of people from Wuhan or who recently travelled there. Hospital staff stand outside the emergency entrance of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) The situation is under control here," Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, saying there are no reports of the infection spreading to others. We checked all of them: taxi drivers, people who wheeled the wheelchairs for the patients, doctors and nurses who worked around them." Dr. Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Oxford University, said there were three criteria for the outbreak to be declared an international emergency: The outbreak must be an extraordinary event. There must be a risk of international spread, and a globally co-ordinated response is required. In my opinion, those three criteria have been met, he said. A health official scans the body temperature of a passenger as she arrives at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Indonesia is screening travelers from overseas for a new type of coronavirus as fears spread about a mysterious infectious disease after its first death reported in China. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) In response to the U.S. case, President Donald Trump said: We do have a plan, and we think its going to be handled very well." He said the U.S. and China were both "in very good shape. The patient, a man in his 30s who travelled to China in November, was doing well in an isolation unit in a hospital north of Seattle. He returned to Washington state Jan. 15, before the start of U.S. airport screening, health officials said. In Wuhan, pharmacies limited sales of face masks to one package per customer as people lined up to buy them. Residents said they were not overly concerned as long as they took preventive measures. Passengers wear masks to prevent an outbreak of a new coronavirus in a subway station, in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The first case of coronavirus in Macao was confirmed on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The infected person, a 52-year-old woman, was a traveller from Wuhan. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) As an adult, I am not too worried about the disease," Yang Bin, the father of a 7-year-old, said after buying a mask. I think we are more worried about our kids. Medical workers in protective suits could be seen carrying supplies and stretchers into Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some of the patients are being treated. Some countries have stepped up screening measures for travellers from China, especially those arriving from Wuhan. Travel agencies that organize trips to North Korea said the country banned foreign tourists because of the outbreak. Most tourists to North Korea are either Chinese or travel to the country through neighbouring China. Workers spray disinfectant at a train station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Chinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings, after warning on Wednesday that a new viral illness that has infected hundreds and caused at least nine deaths could spread further. (Chinatopix via AP) Officials said it was too early to compare the new virus with SARS or MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, in terms of how lethal it might be. They attributed the spike in new cases to improvements in detection and monitoring. We are still in the process of learning more about this disease, Gao Fu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, said at the news conference. Gao said officials are working on the assumption that the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals being sold illegally at a food market in Wuhan and that the virus is mutating. Mutations can make it spread faster or make people sicker. One veteran of the SARS outbreak said that while there are some similarities in the new virus namely its origins in China and the link to animals the current outbreak appears much milder. Dr. David Heymann, who headed WHOs global response to SARS in 2003, said the new virus appears dangerous for older people with other health conditions, but doesnt seem nearly as infectious as SARS. It looks like it doesnt transmit through the air very easily and probably transmits through close contact, he said. That was not the case with SARS. ___ Associated Press journalists Dake Kang and Emily Wang in Wuhan, China; Tassanee Vejpongsa in Bangkok; Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea; Maria Cheng in London; Yanan Wang in Beijing; Alice Fung in Hong Kong and Carla K. Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. PHILADELPHIA The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. Dangerously low blood supply levels are posing a concerning risk to patient care and forcing doctors to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become [] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Detained Senator Leila de Lima failed to secure a petition for writ of habeas data, a legal remedy that was supposed to protect her from President Rodrigo Duterte's threats and verbal attacks. The Supreme Court sitting en banc on October 15, 2019, dismissed De Lima's request on the ground that Duterte is immune from any suit while he's President of the country. The order signed by then Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and concurred by all the 13 justices present was released only on Wednesday. The justices agreed that while De Lima claims she was not seeking to hold Duterte administratively, civilly, or criminally liable, her petition contained allegations that the President violated her right to life, liberty, and security actions that violate the Magna Carta for Women and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. "[I]t will be impossible for the Court to enable her cause of action to be established without first determining whether or not said laws, which carry penal sanctions, had been violated," the high court ruled. In her petition filed just months after Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, De Lima said the President should refrain from making public statements that "malign her as a woman and degrade her dignity as a human being." She called out Duterte for accusing her of involvement in corruption and illegal drugs, and of immorality as the President repeatedly alleged she was having a romantic affair with her married driver. De Lima wanted Duterte and his officials to stop collecting information about her private life, and to disclose details about the foreign country that Duterte said was helping him listen in on her. She also wants these information deleted, destroyed, or rectified. De Lima said these attacks began after her privilege speech in August 2016 calling for an end to alleged extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on drugs. The Office of the Solicitor General, as the government's top lawyer, asked the Supreme Court to immediately dismiss the case filed by De Lima, arguing that the President's immunity from suit should be absolute. READ: Legal experts says De Lima has weak case at SC but may lead to international court De Lima has been detained since 2017 on drug charges, which she and human rights groups believe are fabricated cases meant to silence her for being a staunch critic of the Duterte administration and the bloody war on drugs. Malacanang has repeatedly denied retaliating against De Lima, stressing that her drug charges are being tried by the country's independent courts, and that the constitutionality of her arrest and detention has been upheld by the Supreme Court. CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Wed, January 22, 2020 09:06 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206070303 2 Lifestyle balenciaga,fashion,haute-couture,France Free Balenciaga said Monday that it intends to enter the elite ranks of Paris haute couture -- more than half a century after the founder of the storied fashion house staged his last couture show. Despite being called "the king of couture", the Spanish-born designer Cristobal Balenciaga spent years feuding with the French Federation of Haute Couture, whose members decide which houses are allowed to call themselves haute couture under French law. The Basque creator, whom Christian Dior deemed "the master of us all", pointedly held his shows a month after the official couture presentations, before shutting his workshop in 1968. But Balenciaga's current designer Demna Gvasalia told Le Figaro that "relaunching haute couture is my mission for this house". "This is where we came from, and after 50 years we're coming back," he said. The federation told AFP they could not confirm if Balenciaga was being admitted to the elite body, which currently counts just 16 haute couture practitioners. Haute couture shows are held twice a year, in January and July, separately from the presentations of ready-to-wear collections. Gvasalia, the Georgian-born provocateur, might seem an unlikely choice to spearhead a revival of painstaking and time-consuming craftmanship at the esteemed brand, now owned by French luxury conglomerate Kering. Read also: Balenciaga's spring show emerges from tunnel of trauma But the founder of the poverty-chic brand Vetements -- known for subverting expectations with items such as a $2,000 leather version of Ikea's iconic blue shopping bag -- said he was already dedicating one day a week to couture at Balenciaga, which he joined in 2015. His workshop will be at the same address on the Avenue George V where Balenciaga began plying his trade in Paris in 1937. "Haute couture implies certain constraints but it also allows a unique aesthetic freedom," Gvasalia told Le Figaro. "This project is also my response to the question: 'What is luxury today?'" he said. "I know that fashion wants to present itself as inclusive, but not everything can be available to everybody. And that's the way it should be." His announcement comes just days after French legend Jean Paul Gaultier said he would present his final haute couture show on Wednesday, capping a 50-year career that saw him explode the boundaries of what fashion could be. The flamboyant creator said he would bow out with a "big party" before embarking on an as-yet unspecified new project. Property developers have been left "gobsmacked" after a shock announcement from German hypermarket Kaufland that it would leave the Australian market, despite never opening a store and investing over half a billion dollars on property, staff and distribution. The company, which is owned by $170 billion retailer Schwarz Group, announced on Wednesday it would make an "orderly withdrawal" from Australia, giving no reason other than to say it would focus on its European operations. German supermarket giant Kaufland has announced it will depart the Australian market. The company had been set to open as many as 30 stores in Australia and had bought a number of warehouse and retail locations around the country, including a new $255 million distribution centre in Melbourne's north which began construction in June last year. The state-of-the-art 117,000 square metre facility was expected to generate 600 jobs in the area and was being built by Vaughan constructions on land purchased from private developer MAB Corporation. Nearly a year later, state police continue to investigate a shooting that left a man dead along Interstate 81 in Dauphin County. Tyrone Shaw 46, of Roselle Park, N.J., was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head on Feb. 4 on Interstate 81 northbound at mile marker 74.5. State police have determined he visited the Harrisburg area between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. that day and was killed after his vehicle became disabled with a flat tire on the shoulder of the interstate at around 7:10 p.m. that night. State police initially believed Shaws death may have been the result of a road rage incident, but it was later determined not to be the case. Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest. How you can help State police are asking anyone who saw Shaws black GMC Yukon between 7:10 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on February 4 to contact them with any observations they can remember. Police would also like to hear from anybody who saw Shaws vehicle at any time in or around the Harrisburg area on Feb. 4. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police in Harrisburg at 717-671-7500 or call Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online on the Crime Stoppers webpage. Individuals can remain anonymous. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Refusing to vote is never the answer to your disillusionment with politics, argues Dr Sean Healy. People are often critical of politicians, saying they ignore the will of the electorate and may even feel that refusing to vote is one way of getting back at these politicians. But the opposite is the case the best way to teach a politician a lesson is to cast your vote. Politicians know that every vote matter, so they pay close attention to whether or not people vote and to how these people vote. They also pay close attention to voters views on issues. If our views are to be taken into consideration, then its essential that these views be articulated. Our views should be based on evidence, not on fake news. Its very easy nowadays to be targeted, for example, by manipulators of social media promoting false versions of what a situation may need or how a challenge can be faced. So, voters should try to seek out the real story, get to know the evidence that supports or undermines proposals and then decide how to vote based on the available evidence. But its not just about letting the politicians know your views whether you agree or disagree with them. Elections are more significant than that they are central to the survival of democracy. In the modern world it is essential that every person has a genuine voice in shaping the decisions that affect them and that every person can contribute to the development of society. Voting in elections is only one of the ways this can be done but it is a central component of how people can make their voice heard. Decisions made by national and local government affect every one of us. The policies the new Government enact in the years ahead all have an impact on our day to day lives. So, its important that everyone plays their part in choosing the people who make these decisions. Ireland today is doing very well at a macro-economic level. Growth rates are among the highest in the world; employment is at a record level; unemployment is very low compared to previous decades. However, there are major challenges to be addressed climate change; poverty and inequality; inadequate infrastructure in areas such as social housing and rural broadband; services under pressure in areas such as healthcare and childcare; the changing world of work, and so on. It is clear that all of these challenges will take time to fully resolve. But the Government elected on 8th February will have the potential to make serious inroads into tackling these challenges effectively. Its imperative that all voters consider the issues and challenges that Ireland faces because decisions will be made, one way or another, on these in the course of the next Governments term of office. Its essential to vote and do what we can to ensure these decisions benefit all of us and promote the common good. If our voices are to be heard then its essential that people look at the situation Ireland is in, review the proposals being made, assess the evidence for or against each proposal and then decide who to support in the election. Refusing to vote simply means that others will decide who shapes your future The objective of the next government should be to develop a sustainable and fair society in which human rights are respected, human dignity is protected, human development is facilitated, and the environment is respected and protected. The challenge for Government is to do whats required to generate five outcomes SIMULTANEOUSLY: (a) a vibrant economy; (b) decent services and infrastructure; (c) just taxation; (d) good governance; and (e) sustainability. While we have had a vibrant economy the other four areas have been neglected. The wealth generated in the growing economy has not trickled down to a large proportion of Irelands people. All five outcomes must be pursued at the same time because they are complementary; its not possible to deliver on any one of these without delivering on the other four simultaneously. Its important for everyone to make their voice heard on these issues in the run-up to the General Election. This is a key moment. The future will be built by the decisions made in the years immediately ahead. So, before Election Day, Social Justice Ireland urges all voters to reflect on these issues and to cast their votes on the basis of how candidates propose to secure the wellbeing of this and future generations. Dr Sean Healy SMA is CEO of Social Justice Ireland United Nations experts said the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was possibly involved in hacking the cellphone of Amazon.com Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos and have called for an investigation. Bezos' phone was hacked following an exchange he had with the Saudi Prince on WhatsApp in 2018 that was infiltrated via an MP4 video file sent from the WhatsApp account used by the Prince, according to a statement by U.N. independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council Wednesday. A forensic analysis found that "massive and (for Bezos' phone) unprecedented exfiltration of data from the phone began." The statement said the intrusion "likely was undertaken through the use of a prominent spyware product identified in other Saudi surveillance cases, such as the NSO Group's Pegasus-3 malware, through the use of Israeli spyware." The report notes that the product is widely reported to have been purchased and deployed by Saudi officials. A representative for the NSO Group denied any connection to the Bezos hack, describing such a suggestion as "defamatory. Our technology was not used in this instance." The representative said "our technology cannot be used on U.S. phone numbers, our products are only used to investigate terror and serious crime." The report from U.N. independent experts Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, follows an investigation into the killing of Saudi and Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. "The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia," Callamard and Kaye wrote. The allegations also point to a pattern of targeted surveillance of perceived opponents and those of broader strategic importance to the Saudi authorities, the report said, which are relevant "to ongoing evaluation of claims about the Crown Prince's involvement in the 2018 murder" of Khashoggi. The report said the circumstances and timing of the Bezos hack "strengthen support for further investigation by U.S. and other relevant authorities of the allegations that the Crown Prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for but failed to stop the mission that fatally targeted Mr. Khashoggi in Istanbul." The revelation of new details about a security breach that affected the world's richest man comes about a year after the surprise announcement that Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, would divorce after 25 years of marriage. The National Enquirer subsequently disclosed an extramarital affair between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor, in a series of reports that relied, in part, on intimate text messages sent by Bezos. Bezos later wrote an extraordinary blog post accusing the tabloid of threatening to publish more embarrassing text messages and photos unless he publicly affirmed that there was no political motivation or outside force behind the tabloid's coverage. Gavin de Becker, a security consultant for Bezos, said at the time that he believed the Saudi Arabian government had accessed Bezoss phone before the Enquirer exposed the affair. He didn't provide any direct evidence to back up his claims, which he said came from "our investigators and several experts." De Becker cited the Enquirer's business relationship with the Saudis, as well as tough coverage of the murder of a critic of the Saudi regime by the Bezos-owned Washington Post, as reasons why bin Salman might seek to harm the Amazon founder. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to Bezos seeking more information about the hack and concerns of Saudi involvement. "Unfortunately, the breach of your device appears to be part of a growing trend," Wyden wrote. "To help Congress better understand what happened -- and to help protect Americans against similar attacks -- I encourage you to provide my office with information regarding your case. I am particularly interested in the technical details, including indicators of compromise from the hack, which could help the United States Government, businesses and independent researchers discover who else may have been targeted and take steps to protect themselves." - - - Bloomberg's David Wainer, William Turton and Ryan Gallagher contributed to this report. (Alliance News) - Barclays PLC has appointed the departing finance chief of oil major BP PLC to its board as a non-executive director, the lender said on Wednesday. The announcement comes just a day after BP said Chief Financial Officer Brian Gilvary will step down from the role after eight years at the end of June. He has been at BP for over three decades. Gilvary will join the Barclays board as a non-executive director from the start of February. "As a member of the board, Gilvary will bring to Barclays his extensive experience of management, finance and strategy gained at BP and other public and private boards," said Barclays. "Gilvary's experience with and understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in the energy transition, including the acceleration of key renewable options and developing key capital intensive clean energy technologies, will be invaluable as Barclays considers how it can help to accelerate the transition to a low carbon world." Gilvary worked in a number of senior commercial and financial roles at BP. He also currently is a non-executive director at French industrial gases firm Air Liquide SA, the Royal Navy, and the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research centre in London. Gilvary also currently is chair of the '100 Group', made up of the FTSE 100's finance directors. Barclays shares were 0.4% higher on Wednesday morning in London at a price of 175.06 pence each. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:13:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, has extended festive greetings to military officers and soldiers of Beijing-based troops ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on troops at all levels to carry out their duties faithfully and scrupulously, devote efforts in pushing forward reform and innovation, and continuously break new ground in strengthening the troops. Zhang visited a division of the surface-to-air missile forces, a division of the Beijing garrison command and a detachment of the Beijing armed police corps, checking military equipment and training, chatting with officers and soldiers, learning about their work and life and listening to work reports. Zhang also underlined the importance of obeying the Party's command, enhancing combat capabilities and promoting all-round progress in developing the military at the primary level. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 18:03:18|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron began his visit to Israel on Wednesday morning with a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli prime minister's office issued a statement saying that Netanyahu and his wife welcomed Macron at the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem. "He and Prime Minister Netanyahu are currently having a working meeting over breakfast," read the statement. The two are expected to discuss issues related to Iran and the Palestinians. Macron is also scheduled to meet with Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Macron arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv on Tuesday night. Macron is scheduled to attend a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp on Thursday in Israel. Researchers from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences have shown a possible link between a genetic variation and the widespread type of cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation. The scientists conducted the study in zebrafish, which is a recognized scientific animal model within cardiac research. Here, researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and the Max Planck Institute in Germany put special focus on the gene pitx2c. The result came as a surprise to them, says Assistant Professor Pia Lundegaard from the Department of Biomedical Sciences. It seems that we may also have to think of atrial fibrillation as an atrial cardiomyopathy - that is, a challenged heart - rather than as a purely electrical disorder." Pia Lundegaard, Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen Defects in muscle fibers and mitochondria Contrary to expectations, the researchers did not find any disturbances in the ion channels that spread electrical signals between the heart's muscle cells. Instead, they found defects in the structure of the heart muscle itself and in the mitochondria that normally function as the cell's power plant. The defects already occurred in the fetal stage of the fish and deteriorated exponentially with age. 'Usually the structure of a cross-section of the sarcomeres - the muscle fibers - shows a very fine grid structure. But in these fish, it is clear that the structure is disorganized from a very early stage', explains Pia Lundegaard, adding: 'At the same time, we can see in our pictures that there are too many mitochondria. So, it seems that the heart is trying to compensate for the defective muscle fibers. This indicates that there is a structural defect in the heart which over time will cause a rhythm defect'. Antioxidant prevents defects According to the research study, the increased number of mitochondria appears to aggravate the negative spiral, the reason being that also the mitochondria are defective and gradually increase the level of so-called oxidative stress. In other words, they create an unhealthy environment in the cell where different proteins are broken down. At the same time, however, the researchers found that early and ongoing treatment with the antioxidant NAC seemed to counteract the defect and in the long term prevent atrial fibrillation in the fish. However, Pia Lundegaard from the Department of Biomedical Sciences emphasizes that heart patients should not stockpile antioxidants such as NAC for that reason. She points out that the studied gene is just one of many possible factors behind atrial fibrillation, which is also greatly influenced by the individual's lifestyle. In addition, to better demonstrate the effect of the studied gene, the gene defect has been designed to be stronger in the test fish than commonly seen in humans. Better control procedures The improved understanding of the disease nevertheless provides greater insight into the reason why some atrial fibrillation medications may not always work as well as one might wish. Therefore, Pia Lundegaard hopes that the result of the new research will be that more practitioners reconsider the possible causes behind rhythm disorders. 'The rhythm disorder may be secondary to what is actually the problem. We hope that in the future, we can develop better control procedures that will prevent some people's hearts from being worn down for a long time and eventually fail', she says. The next step for the research group is to investigate other genes associated with atrial fibrillation. Likewise, the group will investigate whether antioxidants other than NAC can prevent the disorder. Supporters of "Pathalgarhi" movement, armed with lathis and axes,kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for allegedly opposing their stir, police said on Wednesday. With the horrific incident in Burugulikera village,over 175 km from capital Ranchi, triggering widespread outrage, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find reasons behind the massacre of seven innocent villagers. He also directed the officials to help families of the victims. "Set up a special investigation team (SIT) to get a breakthrough about the real reasons behind the incident and identify the guilty. Help families of the victims," an official release said quoting Soren. The tragedy coming barely days after the JMM-Congress- RJD coalition government assumed power in the state drew sharp reaction from the BJP. Newly-elected BJP national president J P Nadda condemned the mass killing and set up a six-member party team to visit the place and submit a report within a week, a press statement issued by the saffron party's national General Secretary Arun Singh said. The members of the team are- Jaswant Singh Bhabhor (MP from Gujarat), Samir Oraon (MP from Jharkhand), Bharati Pawar (Parliamentarian from Maharashtra), Gomti Saai (Chhattisgarh Lok Sabha member), Joan Barla (LS member from West Bengal) and former Jharkhand minister and MLA Nilkanth Singh Munda- the release said. Giving detail of the event, Inspector General of Police (Operation) Saket Kumar Singh said the policemen reached Burugulikera village on Tuesday night after getting information about the killing of seven natives. After murdering, the killers had dumped bodies of the victims in a nearby forest. A panchayat representative was among those massacred, he said. After an overnight search operation, bodies of the seven villagers were recovered from the forest, four km from the village, he said. There was a meeting over 'Pathalgarhi' movement in the village on Tuesday when a dispute had arisen, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Indrajit Mahata said. Following the development, supporters of the movement kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them with the help of lathis and axes, he said. Pathalgarhi is a name given to a tribal protest which seeks autonomy for village sabhas (Gramsabhas). Those demanding Pathalgarhi want no laws of the land be applicable on the tribal people in the area. The Pathalgarhis reject government rights over their forests and rivers. As part of the movement, Pathalgarhis erect a stone plaque or signboard outside the village/area, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of the outsiders. The chief minister had earlier in the day said "Law is above all and the guilty will not be spared. The police is investigating the matter." A high-level meeting will be convened to prevent recurrence of such an incident, he said. Pathalgarhi movement had hit the national headlines in the middle of 2019. On June 19, five NGO workers were allegedly abducted and gangraped by armed men associated with the Pathalgarhi movement. They were performing a street play at a school in Khunti district of Jharkhand when they were targetted. The raiders had branded the NGO workers as "dikus" (outsiders). On June 26, another group of armed Pathalgarhis had abducted three security personnel posted at the former BJP MP Karia Munda's home in Khunti. They were released later. The Pathalgarhi groups have been active across four districts of Jharkhand - Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum. All of them are Maoist-infested districts. Soon after being sworn in as the chief minister on December 29 last, Hemant Soren had announced his decision to withdraw all sedition cases registered during the Pathalgarhi movement and protests against the amendments to Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT Act) and Santhal Paragana Tenancy Act (SPT Act). Former chief minister Raghubar Das condemned the Burugulikera massacre and demanded immediate arrest of the killers. "I feel very painful at the barbaric killing of seven innocent villagers at Burugulikera in West Singhbhum district," Das said in a statement. He said the incident raises "a question mark on the law and order situation in the state". BJPs Scheduled Tribe Morcha national vice president Arun Oraon also strongly criticised the killing. "The BJP will send a partys central team to visit the spot to collect pieces of evidence and look into them," he told reporters here during the day. The Morchas national secretary and MLA, Koche Munda, alleged that the incident reflected the poor law and order situation in the state, "boosting the morale of anti-social elements". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A person in Washington state is infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, the first confirmed case in the United States of a mysterious respiratory infection that has killed at least six people and sickened hundreds more in Asia. The patient, who was hospitalized with pneumonia last week, recently had traveled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak appears to have originated, federal officials have found. Investigators tested samples from the patient for the presence of the virus; positive results were received over the weekend. Officials declined to identify the patient, who was said to be quite ill. News of the first case in the United States comes amid growing evidence that the virus spreads from person to person, although it is not clear how easily. READ MORE: As virus spreads, anxiety rises in China and overseas The outbreak, which began in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million, is spreading: Patients have been identified in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. On Tuesday, Chinese authorities confirmed that six people have died of the infection in Wuhan. Nearly 300 cases have been reported to date in China. Many of the patients lived in or traveled to Wuhan. The World Health Organization was planning to meet Wednesday to decide whether to declare the outbreak an international public health emergency. But information about the new virus is still thin, and its not clear whether or how many Americans are at risk. There are still more questions that we dont know the answers to than things we do know, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. For example, what is the source? We dont know exactly. The location likely was the live animal market, but we dont know the particular animal. The more pressing and urgent question, he said: How frequent is human to human transmission? READ MORE: Deadly virus finds a breeding ground in China's food markets In one instance a patient appears to have infected 14 health care workers in a medical facility, but that individual may have been a super-spreader, he said. Could people with mild infections transmit this virus from person to person? That all remains still under investigation. On Monday, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville changed its electronic prompts so that any patients coming in to its hospital, emergency room or clinics with a fever or respiratory symptoms will be asked whether they have been to China recently or have had contact with anyone who has recently traveled to China. Hospitals around the country are likely taking similar steps, Schaffner said, in an effort to quickly identify infected patients and place them in isolation so they can be cared for safely by hospital workers, and so specimens can be collected for testing. Schaffner cautioned anyone traveling to China to avoid visiting live animal markets and to keep a distance from all live animals, including domesticated farm animals. Travelers to China should practice lots of good hand hygiene, he added, and do their best to avoid anyone who is coughing or sneezing. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. After months of protests and unrest, a Hezbollah-backed prime minister and Cabinet are assuming leadership in Lebanon as they meet for the first time on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The big picture: Prime Minister Hassan Diab is inheriting a plethora of problems he must address quickly if he hopes to financially stabilize Lebanon and win the trust of protesters. He must also quell the nerves of the Arab Gulf states who are concerned about Hezbollah's growing influence in Beirut and hesitant to extend financial support as a result, per Reuters. The state of play: Lebanon has essentially been without any leadership or structured government since former Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in October 2019. Lebanon is in a state of economic crisis and is currently struggling with a public debt equal to 150% of its GDP, per Reuters. Protesters have been in the streets rallying against political corruption and calling for sweeping reform since October. Diab said his first trip as prime minister will be to other Arab countries, specifically the Gulf states. The mostly peaceful protests became violent this past weekend for the first time, leaving 540 protesters and police wounded, per Al Jazeera. What they're saying: "This [is a] government that does not aspire to cronyism and favors," Diab said, according to Al Jazeera. "None of the members of the government will be standing for the next elections. This government is made up of non-partisan people who are not affected by political wrangling." The Cabinet: Diab is a 60-year-old former professor at the American University of Beirut, Al Jazeera notes. Many of Diab's Cabinet members have limited or no experience relating to the new ministries they lead, per the New York Times. Worth noting: Six of the new ministers are women, including those for defense, justice and labor making Lebanon a "rarity" in the Middle East, the Times notes. The bottom line: In order for Lebanon to financially stabilize, Diab will have to make tough decisions such as imposing capital control and cutting down civil services, which could further alienate him with protesters, per the Times. Go deeper: BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Jan. 22, Trend reports. The Armenian armed forces were using large caliber machine guns. 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, 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. In general, states place limits on admitting that kind of evidence based on the fear that jurors might convict someone because they have a bad character rather than based on evidence that they committed the crime in the indictment. In New York, judges are expected to weigh the probative value of the evidence versus the prejudicial effect on a jury when considering whether to admit such evidence. Judge Farber wrote in his order that while admitting all 19 witnesses that prosecutors requested would result in undue prejudice, he said that the probative value of admitting a limited selection of incidents outweighs any such prejudice. Mr. Goodings legal team argued specifically against the admission of witnesses whose accusations dated back more than a decade ago or could not be narrowed to a specific date or location, saying that those limitations made it difficult for the actor to fully defend himself. The allegations that Judge Farber chose are more recent and are alleged to have occurred in specific locations that prosecutors provided to the court. In one of the alleged encounters that was admitted as evidence, a woman told prosecutors that she was at a work event at a bar in the Chatwal hotel in Midtown Manhattan around the date of Nov. 7, 2013, when Mr. Gooding grabbed her backside and licked her neck, according to court documents. In the other encounter, a woman said that she was introduced to Mr. Gooding at a party at the Shore Bar in Santa Monica, Calif., around the date of Aug. 16, 2018. As they were talking, the woman said, Mr. Gooding grabbed her buttocks and her breast and forcibly kissed her, inserting his tongue into her mouth before she pushed Mr. Gooding away, according to court documents. Groping allegations against Mr. Gooding first became public in June when a woman told the police that Mr. Gooding squeezed her breast at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar at the Moxy NYC Times Square hotel on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Since then, 21 women have come forward, resulting in two of the sets of charges for accusations that Mr. Gooding pinched a female servers buttocks at Tao Downtown nightclub in Chelsea and forcibly kissed another female server at Lavo, an Italian restaurant and nightclub on East 58th Street, in 2018. If investors want their finger on the pulse of the coronavirus threat, they can look no further than InterContinental Hotels Group. The London-based hotel chain is largely exposed to threats to international travel. InterContinental's Asia Pacific revenue was down 27% year-over-year in 2003, when the SARS virus swept China. "IHG is the most exposed of the major Western hotel companies," AB Bernstein analyst Richard Clarke said in a note to clients on Tuesday. Shares of InterContinental Hotels fell more than 4% on Tuesday on fears that the coronavirus outbreak in China would dent international travel. The outbreak of the new coronavirus in China has killed nine people with confirmed cases exceeding 400 ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, during which hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control told Reuters that a traveler from China was diagnosed with the first U.S. case of coronavirus in Seattle. In 2003, InterContinental Hotels warned about the impact severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS would have on the hotel chain's profit. Clarke said the SARS outbreak coincided with the threat and outbreak of the Iraq war, which also contributed to weakness in travel. "More encouragingly, the SARS outbreak saw no headwinds to unit growth, with additions of 1,646 rooms in Greater China in 2003," said Clarke. Today, China makes up 8% of InterContinental's earnings, according to AB Bernstein. "IHG's business model is materially more resilient today than in 2003, and the chances of a profit warning feel remote," Clarke added. While Clarke is less worried about the outbreak, billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones said Tuesday the coronavirus could be a "curveball" that derails in the bull market. "If you look at what happened in 2003 ... stock markets sold off double digits. If you look at the escalation of the reported cases, it feels a lot like that," Jones said. "There's no vaccination. There's no cure. ... If I was an investor, I'd be really nervous." InterContinental Hotels Group trades on the London Exchange but has an ADR, or American depositary receipt, that frequently trades on the U.S. stock exchange. InterContinental reports full-year earnings results next month. AB Bernstein said the hotel group faces other headwinds, including weakness in Hong Kong and the fires in Australia. with reporting from CNBC's Michael Bloom. Three incredibly well-preserved dinosaur eggs found in China reveal that the oviraptorids inside them hatched in a very similar way to modern-day birds. The fossilised remains were studied by a team of German researchers who pelted neutron beams at the dinosaur embryos. It revealed the two-legged dinosaurs all hatched at different times, placing them close to birds on the evolutionary timeline. Oviraptorids lived in Central Asia during the Upper Cretaceous Period around 88 million to 66 million years ago and grew to roughly the same size as humans. Scroll down for video Pictured: the three oviraptorid eggs studied by scientists at the University of Bonn and the TU Munich Artist's reconstruction of a clutch of oviraptorid eggs surrounded by the protective parents WHY ARE NEUTRONS USEFUL TO SCIENTISTS? Neutrons are the particles in an atom that have a neutral charge. They have a unique set of properties which make them ideal to investigate almost all kinds of matter. Because neutrons carry no electric charge, they therefore do not interact with the electron shell of the atom, but instead with the atomic nuclei or the centre of the atom. Thus, neutrons are non-destructive and can penetrate deep into matter, making them an ideal probe for biological materials. Neutrons can be used for studying geological samples, new materials for energy production and storage, chemicals which affect the environment, and polymers and plastics. Advertisement Scientists have assumed that they should be placed somewhere between modern crocodiles and birds in terms of their reproductive biology. But they had been uncertainty surrounding whether oviraptorids chicks emerged from their eggs at the same time as their siblings like todays crocodiles or hatched at different times like modern-day birds. Based on the internal thickness of the egg shells and bone structure of the three 67 million year-old egg fossils, the research team concluded they were more similar to birds in this regard. This is different with the fossils we've examined we found a pair of eggs and another egg together embedded in a block of rock, said Dr Tzu-Ruei Yang, co-author of the study, published in Integrative Organismal Biology. Researchers concluded that the the 7-inch (18cm) eggs, which were taken from the Ganzhou Basin in China, were laid almost at the same time by a female oviraptorid. By observing the length of the bones, the team estimated whether the three dinosaurs were due to hatch simultaneously or at different times based on the developmental stages of the embryos. 'The embryo with comparatively longer bones is more developed,' said Yang. Another indication of embryo development is the extent to which bones are connected to each other, with a more strongly connected skeleton suggesting more advanced development. Photogrammetry of 'egg 3, which was photographed and reconstructed from different perspectives. Neutron tomogram as cross-section through 'egg 3', which was one of two eggs laid later than the other Based on observations of the length and position of the embryo bones, researchers concluded that one egg must have been laid earlier than the other two in the same 'clutch' a group of eggs in a nest. However, the embryos of the pair were also at different developmental stages too. Developing embryos also would have absorbed calcium from the shell as it grew, to strengthen its developing skeleton. Therefore, the thinner the shell, the more advanced the embryos development and the older the egg. Researchers summarised that the embryo of this one egg was less developed than that of the two other 'paired' eggs. This showed that eggs developed and hatched at different times despite being laid around the same time. From this, the scientists concluded that the reproductive biology of oviraptorids were more similar to that of modern birds than crocodiles. Paleontologists at the University of Bonn in Germany initially tried to determine the position of bones inside the eggs with the institute's own X-ray microcomputer tomograph. This technology shoots x-rays at a physical object to create a detailed 3D model but it was not possible to distinguish the bones from the surrounding rock using x-ray tomography alone. The team therefore took the dinosaur eggs to the research neutron source of the Technical University of Munich at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) in Garching, Germany. The high penetration depth of the neutrons made it possible to visualise the detailed internal structures of the eggs. The study has brought the researchers one step closer to piecing together the life of the long extinct oviraptorids, who roamed Central Asia, including Mongolia and China, on two legs. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met his Tunisian counterpart Sabri Bachtobji during which the two leaders focused on expanding the bilateral economic cooperation and agreed to work closely in multilateral forums. Jaishankar arrived in Tunis earlier in the day on the concluding leg of his three-day two-nation trip to Niger and Tunisia. The tour is his first outreach to the African continent after becoming the foreign minister last year. "Began my #Tunisia visit with a meeting with FM Sabri Bachtobji. As two vibrant democracies in different regions, discussed shared interests and challenges," Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. "Agreed to work closely in multilateral forums especially the UN. Also focused on expanding bilateral economic cooperation and witnessed signing of an agreement on ICT," he added. Later, Jaishankar met Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi and discussed on expanding exchanges, especially between Parliamentary institutions and civil society, between the two countries. The External Affairs Minister said he was "greatly touched" by the Speaker's "strong empathy for India". Jaishankar also met President Kais Saied and "conveyed the good wishes of the world's largest democracy". The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a fair, just and a rule-based global order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: David Hofman/Unsplash Looking to up your appreciation of the arts? We've rounded up four artsy events around Philadelphia this week that will scratch your cultural itch, from an author discussion to a glassblowing workshop. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Glory: Life Among Legends From the event description: This powerful memoir by Dr. Glory Van Scott takes the reader from 1955, when her cousin Emmett Till was murdered the aftereffects cementing a lifelong journey that would translate her anger and grief into her passion for dance, theater and education. Dr. Van Scotts dedication to the performing arts as a professional would find her at the vanguard of a new vision of African-American dance and theater securing its place as an original American art form. When: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Where: Penn Bookstore, 3601 Walnut St. Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Launchpad Burlesque From the event description: Launchpad Burlesque is back as new acts take flight and rare numbers stretch their wings. Performers of all levels ranging from brand newbies to internationally recognized pros show off new and reworked acts. Our featured burlesque performers receive written feedback for their educational benefit, and you get to watch cutting-edge shows. When: Thursday, Jan. 23, 9 p.m.- Friday, Jan. 24, midnight Where: Franky Bradley's, 1320 Chancellor St. Price: $12 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Up to 42% Off Glassblowing Workshops at Jim Loewer Glass From the Jim Loewer Glass deal description: Students learn to blow glass with a master artisan, and take home a colorful, one-of-a-kind pendant. Your deal includes one ticket for a glassblowing workshop, one 90-minute private lesson or two tickets for a two-hour private lesson. Where: 1241 Carpenter St., Hawthorne Price: $92.50 (up to 38 percent discount off regular price) Click here for more details, and to score this deal This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The key rebel group behind a 16-year insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority south has met the kingdom's head negotiator for the first official meeting in their peace talks. Observers see the dialogue as the best hope of ending a conflict which has left thousands dead in Thailand's three southernmost provinces. The region has been in the grip of a simmering insurgency since 2004, with clashes between Malay-Muslim rebels and the Buddhist-majority Thai state claiming more than 7,000 lives, mostly civilians. The main rebel group believed to be behind the guerilla attacks -- the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) -- has long refused peace talks with Thai officials. They claim to be fighting for independence after Thailand annexed the three southern provinces -- Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat -- over a century ago. But this week marked a warming in relations as the two sides held their first official meeting on Monday, with Malaysia as a facilitator. The BRN said in a statement Tuesday that after years of back-channelling the two parties had agreed to "resolve armed conflicts... by means of political resolution". The rebel group added that "observers from overseas" had attended Monday's meeting. Thailand's National Security Council also released a statement saying they are "ready to work with every stakeholder". The rebel group has long insisted the talks be overseen by international mediators, which the Thai state has staunchly opposed, bringing the negotiation process to a stuttering halt in 2014. Since then, only MARA Patani -- an umbrella organisation representing other insurgent factions -- has taken part, and progress has been slow. A photo from Monday's meeting shows Wanlop Rugsanaoh, head of Thailand's Peace Dialogue Panel, and BRN representative Anas Abdulrahman clasping hands with former Malaysian police inspector-general Abdul Rahim Noor in the middle. "They have agreed to resolve the issues through peace and not to fight. It can be done," Abdul Rahim Noor told AFP late Tuesday. The two sides agreed another meeting will be held next month, he added. Calling this the "best hope" for the years-long conflict, Matthew Wheeler of International Crisis Group cautioned that a long journey remains. "As difficult as the process has been up to this point, the most difficult work remains to be done," he told AFP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FILE PHOTO: Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency poses for a portrait at their offices in Paris By Divya Chowdhury and Aaron Saldanha (Reuters) - A surplus of one million barrels per day (bpd) of oil is expected to keep a lid on prices in the first half of 2020, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Tuesday. Birol told the Reuters Global Markets Forum on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, that prices could not be expected to rise significantly under "normal conditions" although unexpected developments, such as rising instability in Iraq, could alter the situation. Iraq, the second largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has recently seen violent clashes between police and anti-government demonstrators, who are pressing for an overhaul of the country's political system. Below are excerpts from the interview: Question (Q) - What are your main concerns for energy markets in 2020? Answer (A) - I see an abundance of energy supply in terms of oil and gas. It's the reason that recent incidents we have seen - with the Iranian general killed, Libya unrest - didn't boost international oil prices. We still have $65 oil prices like we did at Davos last year, but we shouldn't be too relaxed. I have concerns about possible developments around Iraq OPEC's second largest oil producer. I hope Iraq keeps its stability, and as an important producer, continues to bring oil to the markets. The second issue is climate change, which is at the heart of the debate. The energy sector is in fact at the heart of climate change. Therefore, how the energy sector will adapt is a key issue for energy companies. Q - Do you see crude oil prices remaining around current levels of $65 per barrel? A - We expect, even with the cuts coming from OPEC+, we think at least the first half of this year, we will see a surplus of 1 million bpd. That's the comfortable market outlook. In normal conditions, we can't expect prices to go up significantly, but once again, there may be unexpected issues, such as those I mentioned around Iraq. Story continues Q - What are your forecasts for 2020 on oil supply and demand? A - We expect oil demand to increase by about 1 million bpd, mainly from emerging countries. Supply will grow very strongly from non-OPEC countries. From the United States, Brazil, Norway, Guyana, we expect more than 2 million bpd of oil. (This interview was conducted in the Reuters Global Markets Forum, a chat room hosted on the Eikon platform. Sign up here to join GMF: https://refini.tv/2LbSKPl ) (Reporting by Divya Chowdhury in Davos, Aaron Saldanha and Lisa Mattackal in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Potter) VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou returned to a Vancouver courtroom on Wednesday where Canadian prosecutors defended a U.S. extradition request, saying Mengs alleged bank fraud is the heart of the case that has strained relations between Ottawa and Beijing. Canadian prosecutors have told the British Columbia Supreme Court that Meng was arrested on charges of bank fraud, which is a crime in both countries, and not because of U.S. allegations she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran. Over three days of hearings, Mengs legal team argued that double criminality is at the heart of the U.S. extradition request. When ending its arguments on Tuesday, the defense told the judge that the case is unique because the risk of economic deprivation arises solely from the operation of a foreign criminal law for which no corresponding Canadianlaw exists. The United States has charged Meng with bank fraud, and accused her of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co Ltds [HWT.UL] business in Iran. Canadian prosecutor Robert Frater says fraud, not sanctions violations, is at the heart of the case. He said even when considering the foreign legal context of the U.S. sanctions against Iran, the case for fraud can still be made. Unlike the defense which encouraged the judge to consider the importance of Canadas independence and absence of sanctions against Iran, the prosecutors say the judge should think independently of that. Your job is not to stand up for Canadian sovereignty ... not to look at jurisdictional issues, Frater said. That tool is a matter for the executive .... you have a role that is described by statute he added. Court proceedings show the United States issued the arrest warrant, which Canada acted on in December 2018, because it believes Meng covered up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions against the country. EXCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD Meng, the daughter of Huaweis billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, remains free on bail in Canada, and has been living in a mansion in Vancouvers exclusive Shaughnessy neighborhood. On Wednesday, Meng sat beside her translator, behind her lawyers, pouring over documents with a pen in hand. The hearing is taking place in downtown Vancouver, in a specialized high security courtroom, with bulletproof glass separating the public gallery from the body of the courtroom. She has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition in part because her alleged conduct was not illegal in Canada, an argument known legally as double criminality. Unlike the United States, Canada did not have sanctions against Iran at the time Canadian officials authorized commencing with the extradition, her lawyers have said. The fact that Canada may have a different sanctions against Iran than the U.S. should not distract the court from the necessary inquiry into the essence of the conduct for double criminality purposes. Deceit and risk of loss are at the heart of the conduct, Canadian prosecutors have said in previous court submissions. On Monday, defense lawyer Richard Peck told the court that in a typical case, double criminality is not contentious. This case however is founded on an allegation of breach of U.S. sanctions, sanctions which Canada has expressly repudiated, he said. Sanctions drive this case, Peck said. Mengs legal team is currently only scheduled to call evidence in the last week of April, and a second phase of the trial, focusing on abuse of process and whether Canadian officials followed the law while arresting Meng, is set to begin in June. Closing arguments are expected in the last week of September and first week of October. Legal experts have said it could be years before a final decision is reached in the case, since Canadas justice system allows many decisions to be appealed. Through the eyes of Allied, German and Russian squad leaders, experience the most immersive World War II time strategy game where each battle is played out and won differently based on your tactical choices. Faces of War is devoted to the final period of World War II in Europe: from the summer of 1944 to the spring of 1945. During this period mighty battles were held in France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary and Germany. The German war machine was making every possible effort to defend the territory of Third Reich from the Soviet and Allied troops. However, in 11 months the German resistance was crushed all along the front lines and the war ended where it had begun in Berlin. Abhijit Mulye By Express News Service MUMBAI: Come January 27, the two most bustling business districts Nariman Point and Bandra-Kurla Complex or BKC will live up to the Mumbai much-admired tag of being the city that never sleeps. After many flip-flops, the Maharashtra cabinet, on Wednesday, cleared the Mumbai nightlife proposal allowing commercial establishments in non-residential areas of Mumbai to remain open 24x7. The Mumbai nightlife proposal has been approved by the Cabinet today. From January 27, malls, multiplexes, shops and eateries in non-residential areas like BKC and Nariman Point can remain open 24x7, said minister for tourism and environment Aditya Thackeray, who first conceived the proposal in 2013 and had been advocating it since then. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh too accompanied Thackeray as he made the announcement. In the Bandra-Kurla Complex and Nariman Point near NCPA, a lane will be opened for food trucks. Food inspectors will keep a watch on them. If rules on solid waste management, decibel limits and law and order are violated, there is a provision for a lifetime ban, the Shiv Sena leader said. The decision doesnt apply to pubs and bars as of now. Nightlife is much more than pubs and bars. We have not touched the excise department in the current decision. So, pubs and bars will be open only till 1.30 am as is the rule now, Thackeray added while explaining that the nightlife wont add to the existing burden of the Mumbai police. "The police force will not be under stress because after 1.30 am, their job till now was to check if shops and establishments were shut down," he said, adding that the establishments would be asked to hire security services which would increase the income for the police. The decision has been made to increase employment opportunities and add revenue to the state exchequer. But, it wont be a compulsion for anyone. Only those who feel they can do good business can keep their establishments open throughout the night, Thackeray said while giving examples of nightlife in London. Londons night-time economy is 5 billion pounds, he said, adding that Mumbai should not lag behind in providing similar facilities to people. The proposal was dumped after a rooftop restaurant fire killed 14 people in 2017. The BJP, which had been opposing the proposal, raised its voice on the issue again. BJP leader Ashish Shelar termed the proposal as killing life. The decision comes against the background of the loss of 14 lives at a roof-top restaurant at Kamla Mills two years ago. The decision is a big conspiracy to allow illegal constructions under the guise of a boost for tourism. At Kamla Mills, 4 FSI was obtained under the pretext of IT business but actually 10 FSI was used for pubs and discos which ultimately led to disaster. The rulers of the municipal corporation couldnt save the illegal constructions back then and hence they are now trying to boost similar things after gaining power in the state, Shelar said while opposing the decision on Mumbai 24x7. The food and beverage industry, however, has welcomed it. Shivanand Shetty, President of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR), said, In the first phase, only hotels and restaurants inside malls gated communities have been allowed to remain open 24x7 and just furnishing an undertaking that they wont serve liquor after 1.30 am would be enough for them to operate. But, at a recent meeting we were promised that in the second phase, hotels and restaurants near airports, railway stations, beaches and other public places of eminence would be allowed to remain open 24x7. This is a much-needed change. It will give a necessary boost to the business, though there are some worries about night footfall. We are keeping all 25 outlets open, especially since bars will be shut and people will need a place to eat. We are already looking at staff, said Rahul Leekha, owner of Coffee by Di Bella at BKC. The decision will set a precedent for the country, hoped Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants, the firm that has business interests in both the areas where the Mumbai 24x7 will be implemented from January 27. A L Quadros, president of the Mumbai Taximen Asociation, however, is wary of the outcome of the proposal. Though there might be a slight increase in business, we are afraid of an increase in scuffles between cab drivers and passengers. Not all saints will come to enjoy the nightlife and we are clueless on safety measures for taxi drivers, Quadros said adding that the union will soon meet CM Thackeray with their apprehensions. Mumbai 24x7: What, where and how? The Mumbai 24x7 project as of now is a pilot project. It is being implemented in two specific areas -- BKC in Suburban Mumbai and Nariman Point NCPA -- which comprise around 20 odd hotels/restaurants each and a couple of malls and multiplexes which would be direct beneficiaries of the decision. Street-food joints in these areas too will operate throughout the night. Regulating them effectively can be a challenge, though violation of solid waste management and other regulations like the noise limit can attract punishment including a lifetime ban for such establishments. According to the proposal, Mumbai 24x7 is aimed primarily at tourists. As the public transport systems in Mumbai, like the BEST buses and the lifeline of the city the local train services, dont operate after midnight hours, the proposal can mean a boost to business for taxis. Baghdad (Iraq), Jan 22 (ANI/Sputnik): Ten protesters were killed in Iraq over the past 24 hours during mass anti-government protests, the national High Commission for Human Rights has said. According to the commission, the security forces have detained more than 88 demonstrators, when they blocked main roads in Iraq's cities of Baghdad, Basra and Nasiriyah, the Al-Arabiya broadcaster reported. The local news outlets also reported that unknown gunmen opened fire and attacked three people in central Basra. The security forces sealed off the area and took the injured to the hospital for medical treatment. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured during protests, which Iraq has been facing since October. The people took to the streets demanding economic reforms, better living conditions, social welfare and an end to corruption. (ANI/Sputnik) Bharti Airtel has been granted permission by Indias Department of Telecommunications to receive up to 100% of its paid-up capital from overseas investors. Previously, the operator was permitted 49% FDI (foreign direct investment), and its current foreign ownership stands at around 44%. The ruling will likely enable Airtel to pull in more capital from non-domestic parties. In January, Airtel attempted to court overseas investors by making $1 billion in bonds available for sale. It also issued $2 billion in shares in an attempt to procure funding in the face of colossal debt burdens incurred following a controversial legislation change. Indias Supreme Court ruled in October 2019 that the term AGR (adjusted gross revenue) should cover all operator revenue, including any unrelated to telecoms. The ruling has saddled Airtel with licence and spectrum fees totally INR355 billion ($4.99 billion). (Alliance News) - Oriole Resources PLC on Wednesday reported encouraging results from exploration work at the Bibemi gold project in Cameroon. Recent mapping, Oriole said, has confirmed the continuation of Bibemi's mineralised zone by to over 5.0 kilometres in length. Rock-chip samples have returned grades of up to 35.9 grams of gold per tonne of ore. These grades come from stacked veins, Oriole said, and the presence of these veins suggest the area is "highly prospective" for enhanced concentrations of gold. Oriole is planning further drilling to test the north-eastern area of the Bakassi area at Bibemi. Chief Executive Tim Livesey said: "The results of our initial mapping, trenching and sampling programmes in 2018/19 confirmed extensive gold anomalism but it was clear gaining a better understanding of the structural setting would be essential in order for us to identify the most prospective areas of mineralisation where there is potential to define a resource. "We are delighted to see such positive results at the beginning of the 2020 field season. The mapping has confirmed extension of the zone one structure to the north-east and, importantly, the presence of sub-horizontal stacked veins is very encouraging for the development of a resource target. "This has been a fantastic start to our field season in Cameroon. It's rare to have your geological models advanced and supported so strongly, with every analysis coming back positive for gold. This is a great credit to our geological team who have developed and tested this hypothesis, yet again highlighting the value of having "boots on the ground," Livesey continued. Oriole shares were 0.4% higher on Wednesday at midday in London at 0.49 pence each. On Tuesday, the firm had reported progress in Senegal, where it has been granted a new licence lasting potentially a decade at the Dalafin project, which has been renamed Senala. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Press Release January 21, 2020 Bong Go pushes for amendments to Solo Parents' Welfare Act to provide greater benefits for solo parents Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go urged his fellow Senators on Monday, January 20, to support the bill that he filed that seeks to amend Republic Act No. (RA) 8972 or the Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000. "I am pushing for these amendments to be included in the existing law to cater to as many solo parents as possible, to help them build a stronger family despite their situation, and to support them as productive members of society," Go said during the public hearing that the Committee on Women, Children and Family Relations and Gender Equality conducted with the Senate Committees on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development; Finance; Health and Demography; and Ways and Means. "Solo parents are both the breadwinners and caregivers of their families, and they should be acknowledged appropriately. As the law now stands, the privileges and benefits awarded to them are insufficient and show a lack of understanding for the complexity of their needs," the Senator explained. "The enhancements I have introduced to the Solo Parents' Welfare Act aim to provide redress for some 14 million solo parents who are saddled by the double hardship of raising their children. They will infuse more benefits and privileges to the solo parent which will ease the burden of single-handedly raising his or her children," he added. If passed into law, Go's Senate Bill (SB) No. 206 will give solo parents amnesty or reduction in real estate and inheritance taxes and add P50,000 to their exemption from individual income tax. The bill will also grant them additional special discounts in purchases, such as ten percent from clothes for babies up to two years old, fifteen percent from baby's milk and food up to two years old, and fifteen percent from medicine up to five years old. According to the proposed amendments of Go, children of solo parents will also enjoy ten percent tuition fee discount from public and private schools from grade one to college and twenty percent discount from school supplies until 21 years old. Before solo parents could avail themselves of the privileges, however, they must apply for a Solo Parent Identification Card from the Local Social Welfare and Development Office and present the card to the companies and establishments from whom discounted purchases are made. The companies and establishments are likewise allowed to claim the discounts as part of their business expense. "Employment benefits are also included in my proposal. Under the existing law, solo parent employees who have rendered service of at least one year shall be granted parental leave of not more than seven working days. My proposed measure lowers the required length of service to six months instead and specifies that the leave should be granted 'with pay,'" Go said. "Further, I included penal provisions among my amendments in order to ensure compliance with the dictates of the law. Para mas makatulong talaga itong batas sa mga solo parents natin," he added. A fine of P200,000 or imprisonment of up to two years is proposed to be imposed on "any person, corporation, entity or agency which refuses or fails to provide the benefits granted to solo parents." Wanting the bill to benefit as many deserving Filipinos as possible, Go expanded the definition of solo parent in SB 206. Solo parent is defined under Section 3 as any individual who falls under any of the following categories: "A woman who gives birth as a result of rape and other crimes against chastity, even without a final conviction of the offender; provided, that the mother keeps and raises the child; "Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due death of spouse; "Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood while spouse is detained or is serving sentence for a criminal conviction for at least one (1) year; "Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to physical and/or mental incapacity of spouse as certified by a public medical practitioner; "Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to legal separation or de facto separation from spouse for at least six (6) months, provided he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children; "Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage as decreed by a court or by a church, provided he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children; "Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to abandonment of spouse for at least six (6) months; "Unmarried mother/father who has preferred to keep and rear his/her child/children; who has actual custody of the said child/children, instead of having others care for them or giving them up to a welfare institution; "Any other person who bears sole parental responsibility a child or children, including a foster parent duly-recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, a legal guardian appointed by the court or a legal single adoptive parent; and "Any family member who assumes the responsibility as the head of the family resulting from the death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parent." Under RA 8972, parents who are covered are those who have been left solo due to separation from the spouse or abandonment of the spouse for at least one year. The required time is reduced to six months in SB 206. The inclusion of duly recognized foster parents is another amendment introduced in SB 206. Go also reminded his colleagues that President Rodrigo Duterte called for the passage of the measure in his State of the Nation Address in July 2019. "Ito ay isang priority measure ng ating mahal na Pangulo na binanggit niya noong SONA niya, kaya hinihikayat ko ang aking mga kasamahan dito sa Senado na ipasa ito sa lalong madaling panahon," Go said. As hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets remain grounded awaiting approval from aviation regulators, the company said the plane is expected to return to service during mid-2020. "We're informing our customers/suppliers that we are currently estimating that ungrounding of 737 MAX will begin during mid-2020. This updated estimate is informed by our experience to date with the certification process," said Boeing in a statement on Tuesday (local time). Boeing also said this is subject to the company's attempts to address schedule risks and further developments in connection with the certification process of the plane, which was grounded in March last year after two crashes that killed 346 people. "Returning the MAX safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen. We acknowledge and regret the continued difficulties that the grounding of the 737 MAX has presented to our customers, our regulators, our suppliers and the flying public," Boeing said. The company earlier determined that a software fix was likely to correct the issue with the automatic safety feature that caused the crashes. However, as part of a December 2019 audit of the plane's safety ordered by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing found 'previously unreported concerns' with wiring in the 737 Max. The company informed the FAA that it is looking into whether two sections of wiring that control the tail of the plane are too close together and could cause a short circuit -- and potentially a crash if pilots did not react appropriately. A Boeing spokesperson had confirmed the report to CNN, saying the issue was identified as part of a rigorous process to ensure the plane's safety. "Our highest priority is ensuring the 737 Max meets all safety and regulatory requirements before it returns to service," the spokesperson had said. Orders for the 737 Max dried up following the grounding, and it was not until November last year that Boeing recorded its first new orders since the grounding. In the meantime, the company continued to produce the planes at a rate of 42 jets a month in hopes of quick recertification by airline regulators around the globe. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) L ondon is off-limits to young people from poorer backgrounds and has become an epicentre of the elites, a study has suggested. The idea of going to London to "move up in the world" had become "a myth", a report from the Sutton Trust found. Two-thirds of people from working class backgrounds never move far from home to seek their fortune, the study said, as it is more difficult for young people to move and work in the capital. Only those from more privileged backgrounds are able to move into the London and thrive, it added. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said the research shows that since the 1980s, "London has cemented its position as the epicentre of the elites". He added: "The Dick Whittington vision of moving to the capital to move up in the world is largely a myth. "Those that benefit most from opportunities in London were either born there or are the economically privileged from other parts of the country." The research found that the class-divide issue in the capital is worsened by unpaid internships, which are available only to those who can afford to live and work in London without earning. Increasing the number of degree-level apprenticeships as an alternative to university was recommended by study authors as a way to combat the rising inequality. The report also identified that the vast majority of the most socially-mobile people born between 1965 and 1981 had never made a long-distance move, instead choosing to stay closer to home. London is essentially off-limits to ambitious people from poorer backgrounds who grow up outside the capital, said Sir Peter. That means that boosting London is not going to have much impact on making things fairer for anyone other than those already living there. Supreme Court (file photo) The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any order to restrain the operation of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) or National Population Register (NPR). The top court gave four weeks time to the Centre to file counter affidavit and the hearing will take place in the fifth week. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde also indicated the probability of constituting a Constitution Bench to take up the matter on the next date of hearing. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) challenging the new law, urged the court to postpone the process for a few months. However, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal opposed it saying it was equivalent to a stay. "It means as good as granting stay on the operation of the law," said the AG. Then the Chief Justice said: "We aren't going to pass any such order today." The apex court said that the anti-CAA petitions from Assam and Tripura will be heard separately. The top court observed that Assam's problem with CAA is different from rest of country in the backdrop of earlier cut off date for citizenship was March 24, 1971, which is under the newly amended citizenship law is Dec 31, 2014. Therefore, it is essential to segregate the Assam anti-CAA petitions for separate hearing from other pleas challenging CAA. On a transfer petition filed by the Centre, the top court also restrained all High Courts from passing any rider on the CAA. Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi cited that the UPA government had identified 40,000 to grant citizenship under the new law, and if the citizenship is granted then revoking it will be an irrevocable process. The Chief Justice said there is a possibility to issue them some temporary permits for the time being. The AG contested it stating that the law itself talks about taking back the citizenship in certain situation. "There are provisions to withdraw citizenship," said the AG. The AG also told the bench that the government has received copies of nearly 60 pleas out of 143 petitions. Therefore, it will be appropriate to grant some time period to reply to pleas which have not been served. A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir as the operation to flush out ultras in Khrew area entered the second day on Wednesday, police said. An Army jawan and a special police officer (SPO) were killed in a gunbattle in the area of Tuesday. The gunbattle had started after cordon and search operation were launched by security forces in the district on Tuesday. Earlier in the day Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh had told reporters that there were reports of presence of two militants in the area. "The Khrew operation resumed this (Wednesday) morning after being suspended on Tuesday night. So far, there is no confirmation of any militant being killed there... We have reports of presence of two militants there and the search is on, Singh had said on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony of the slain SPO Shahbaz Ahmad. The DGP said operations against militants in the valley have been intensified. Counter-terrorist operations in the valley have been intensified, which has created a stir in south Kashmir. There have been half-a-dozen successful operations and they will continue in the same manner. We will work harder for the people and for establishing peace in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. Asked about preparations for the Republic Day functions in the Kashmir Valley, Singh said all arrangements are in place. We have done all preparations on the ground. Preparations have been done in all districts of the valley. All security arrangements have been put in place in Srinagar as well. I think all other arrangements have also been done for the January 26 function and this function will take place smoothly, the DGP said. On a question about the police using drones for surveillance in Srinagar city, Singh said they are technical aids that help police. Drones are a normal technical aid which every police force uses in this age. Jammu and Kashmir Police also uses them to cover law and order situations. I think this is a very good help and drones show us what happens in lanes and bylanes which otherwise is not possible. They tell us about any mischievous activity taking place there, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Horizontal Hostility is an odd little thing, dont you think? This is where people can share a fundamental point but part ways over a small detail. Unfortunately, I have seen many examples of this. One of my favorites comes from church. See, there are two main baptist churches in the town I went to high school in: First Baptist and Trinity Baptist. First Baptist Church was obviously first, but talking to a few old-timers, years ago, I learned the truth of how Trinity Baptist Church came to be You know what it was? Smoking. As the 20th century wore on, smoking became less and less socially acceptable. Some churchgoers viewed it as a sin, and others simply didnt want to give up a relaxing lifelong habit. So half the members of First Baptist left and formed Trinity so they could belong to a church that was less strict about smoking. They agreed on probably 99% of their theology and 100% of everything else, but smoking drove them apart forever. And good-grief how many other little things like this have fractured churches, businesses, relationships? Losing the forest for the trees We assume that common goals bind groups together, but the reality is that they often drive groups apart. According to Dartmouth psychologist Judith White, a lens for understanding these fractures is the concept of horizontal hostility. Even though they share a fundamental objective, radical groups often disparage more mainstream groups as impostors and sellouts. As Sigmund Freud wrote a century ago, It is precisely the minor differences in people who are otherwise alike that form the basis of feelings of strangeness and hostility between them. -Adam Grant, Originals The Republican-controlled US Senate rejected three Democratic efforts on Tuesday to obtain documents and evidence in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, an early sign the proceeding could advance along lines favorable to Trump. As the third impeachment trial in US history began in earnest, senators voted 53-47 along party lines to block three separate motions from Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to subpoena records and documents from the White House, the State Department and the Office of Management and Budget related to Trump's dealings with Ukraine. After the ... SAGINAW, MI A mother whom prosecutors extradited from Tennessee to face a child abuse charge in Saginaw County has pleaded down from a life-offense felony to a misdemeanor. Alison P. Ray, 22, on Jan. 13 appeared in Saginaw County District Court and pleaded guilty to an added count of fourth-degree child abuse, punishable by up to one year in jail. Michigan law states a person is guilty of fourth-degree child abuse if any of the following apply: The person's omission or reckless act causes physical harm to a child. The person knowingly or intentionally commits an act that under the circumstances poses an unreasonable risk of harm or injury to a child, regardless of whether physical harm results. In exchange for her plea, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a charge of first-degree child abuse, punishable by up to life imprisonment. State law defines first-degree child abuse as a person knowingly or intentionally caus(ing) serious physical or serious mental harm to a child. The presiding judge freed Ray on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond, but in a separate contempt-of-court matter ordered her to serve 20 days in jail. She is to participate in treatment programs and must not have contact with her son, or unsupervised contact with any minor. In February 2019, Ray and her husband reported their 5-month-old son was experiencing seizure-like symptoms, prosecutors previously said. The baby was transported via ambulance to Covenant HealthCare Hospital in Saginaw. Staff there determined the boy was suffering from a brain bleed and had two prior brain bleeds, among other injuries, prosecutors have alleged. As police investigated over the following months, Ray and her husband moved from Michigan to Clarksville, Tennessee. The couples parental rights were terminated on Sept. 18 and they both refused to return to Michigan for the hearings, prosecutors have said. Authorities on Oct. 1 issued warrants for Ray and her husband. Sometime afterward, police in Tennessee arrested Ray and before the month ended, she was extradited to Michigan and arraigned in Saginaw County. Prosecutors on Tuesday, Jan. 22 said they are not planning to extradite Rays 35-year-old husband, as hes imprisoned in Texas and will be so for several years. Ray is to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Jan. 31. U.S. special operations transport and surveillance aircraft have been flying over the Korean Peninsula, including a special-purpose reconnaissance aircraft for radiation detection. The aerial activity came amid fears that North Korea is preparing a fresh long-range missile launch or other provocation. According to CivMilAir, a Twitter account tracking civilian and military aircraft, on Tuesday, a C-146A Wolfhound tactical transport aircraft of the U.S. Air Force headed towards Mongolia on Monday after taking off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The C-146A Wolfhound has been used to transport plainclothes U.S. special forces and is rarely spotted here since it has carried out operations chiefly in the Middle East and Africa. It can carry up to 27 passengers or 2.7 tons of cargo. It is not known whether any U.S. special troops aboard were headed to Mongolia or somewhere else, or what they had been doing here. China's ex-Interpol chief sentenced to 13.5 years over graft, abuse of power Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2020 9:52 AM A Chinese court has sentenced former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei to 13 years and six months in prison on graft and other charges. The Tianjin First Intermediate People's Court also fined Meng, a former vice minister of public security in China, two million yuan (290,000 dollars) on Tuesday for receiving bribes and abuse of official positions. Meng, who admitted his guilt in June last year, said he would not appeal against the ruling, according to the court's online statement. Meng left Lyon, France where Interpol is headquartered in September 2018, prompting a media fanfare about his disappearance. A month later, China's anti-corruption watchdog, the National Supervisory Commission, said he was under probe on suspicion of "violating the law." Soon after the watchdog's announcement, Interpol said it had received Meng's resignation "with immediate effect," and that the body would elect a new president at its general assembly next month. The 65-year-old has lived with his wife and two children in France since he was elected Interpol president in 2016. Founded in 1923, the Interpol acts as a network linking the law enforcement agencies of its members but does not possess agents of its own with powers of arrest. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ashley and his mum Julie (Picture: Chris Shorley) A British tourist who was struck down with a flu virus in Thailand sent his mum a text saying Im dying here as he lay sick in the hospital. Ashley Shorley, 32, was initially feared to have the deadly Chinese Coronavirus but this has been ruled out, with doctors diagnosing him with serious flu instead. Ashley messaged his mum Julie from Phuket on December 27 after becoming ill while staying on the Phi Phi Islands. The Brit quickly deteriorated and was placed on a ventilator before his parents arrived from Spain, where they had been taking a holiday. Chris and Julie Shorley from Thorton, Lancashire, were told their son was two days away from death as the virus could have spread to his heart. His condition has now stabilised and he has taken his first steps since contracting the illness. The death toll from coronavirus rose to nine on Wednesday with 440 confirmed cases. Mr Shorley said Ashleys illness was their worst nightmare as parents and the stress has been off the scale. Ashley Shorley was put on a ventilator and was said to be "two days away from death" (Picture: Chris Shorley) He told Yahoo UK: Julie noticed there was something wrong when Ashley started sending garbled text messages and sent a picture from Phuket hospital. First thing he said was I am dying here mum. She was brilliant, she contacted me and got insurance to move him by seaplane to Bangkok otherwise he would have died. The drains in Phuket into his lungs were too small and did not drain fluid hence the infection. Ashley Shorley and his dad Chris (Picture: Chris Shorley) Mr Shorley added his son was still very ill after undergoing a five-hour operation at Bumrungrad Hospital to remove abscesses and puss from his lungs. He said Ashley, who is being treated with antibiotics and other drugs, would not be allowed to travel home until the grade A influenza virus had gone. He currently has a hole in his lung and needs oxygen to breathe. Mr Shorley said: His lungs were covered with a thick plasma, his outer sack filled with poison puss so his lungs could not expand hence he had urgent seaplane transfer to Bangkok. He may undergo an operation when his fever from pneumonia drops to the correct level. Story continues READ MORE YAHOO UK NEWS HERE: China coronavirus: British tourist believed to have contracted virus as infection cases increase European shares dip as Chinese coronavirus concerns deepen Hunt for missing British man 'swept out to sea' in Ibiza as Storm Gloria batters Balearic Islands Mr Shorley, who is now making his way back to the UK, has appealed for donations to help with Ashleys rehabilitation. You can donate to Ashleys Gofundme page here. Mr Shorley said the British embassy had been in touch to offer its support. He also thanked family, friends, nurses and doctors for their help. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesperson said: Our staff are supporting a British man who has been admitted to hospital in Thailand. We are also assisting his family and remain in contact with the medical team treating him. Good to read Shift gives housing bill a boost (Page 1, Jan. 18) about state Sen. Scott Wieners SB50 making it through committee. SB50 is a well-designed, stakeholder-managed piece of legislation that is trying to solve our great states intractable housing crisis. With homelessness and cost of housing higher than ever (these are, obviously, related phenomena), we need a concerted effort to prevent cities from stopping housing growth, even while they encourage job growth, as much of the Bay Area has done for the past 30 years. Hopefully, San Franciscos own supervisors will welcome this change if it passes the Statehouse, rather than voting against it symbolically (again theyve done that three times). San Francisco desperately needs measures to increase densification. Joe DiMento, San Francisco Are animals included? Regarding Pickens ranch at a discount (Business, Jan. 21): Heres a question for the brokers selling T. Boone Pickens huge Texas Panhandle ranch for $220 million, which includes broad mesas, lakes and rivers, a grand home and lodge on the Canadian River, and even has a runway that can handle jets: Does it come with any cattle or horses? Gregory Smithson, San Carlos Dems show unity I strongly disagree with The Chronicle article, Conflicts in Dems Strategies on Trump (Page 1, Jan. 19), suggesting Senate Democrats are at odds with one another. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris offer differing approaches to the impeachment trial all valid, formidable, appropriate and constructive. To read that these differences constitute their partys conflicting approaches to the trial suggests a party divided by the issue, when, it is obviously apparent that the Democrats are in lockstep with reality and how to manage the upcoming trial. Deidre Silverman, San Rafael United States of Guns After reading Gun-rights rally in state capital ends peacefully (Jan. 21), which described the mood at a rally in Virginia protesting state government plans to enact universal background checks on all gun purchases as largely festive, with many attendees carrying military-style rifles, spilling into the streets and chanting USA!, I felt a chill run down my spine. These faux patriots should actually have been chanting the letters USG, which is what they are turning this nation into: the United States of Guns. Elizabeth Samuelson, San Francisco More for you Editorial: Newsoms optional homelessness mandate Housing vouchers Regarding Compassion is not optional (Editorial, Jan. 19): I believe that housing is a human right. But I also share your skepticism over whether the voters would pass a state constitutional amendment to create a right to shelter, and mandate state and local government to pay for it. Ever since former President Ronald Reagans severe cuts to low-income housing assistance programs in the 1980s, state and local government have shown that they lack the resources to solve homelessness. So to expect Sacramento and local government to finance a right to shelter seems to be unrealistic. Instead, to significantly reduce homelessness nationwide, we should urge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fully fund the Housing Choice Voucher Program in this years House appropriations bill. Only about one-quarter of low-income persons who qualify for this federal program can use vouchers because the program is so severely underfunded. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, can advocate for full funding in the Senate appropriations bill. Congress can then negotiate with the Trump administration to significantly increase funding for housing vouchers. Bob Ryan, San Francisco Expensive irony Regarding Art collectors guide finds them good stuff (Page 1, Jan. 18): Its ironic that a front-page news story about advisers helping well-heeled buyers find and buy artwork priced up to hundreds of thousands of dollars appears below Shift gives housing bill a boost (Page 1, Jan. 18), about amending AB50 to create denser housing around public transit and in wealthy suburbs. One wonders if the people who are buying expensive art at Fog + Design are the same people whose NIMBY mindset is delaying passage of AB50 and fueling the current housing shortage in the Bay Area. Nigel Llewlyn, South San Francisco Planning sham election As soon as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the rules for conducting the impeachment proceedings against President Trump, it was obvious that he intends to hold the biggest sham trial since Josef Stalin governed the Soviet Union. It would be nice to think that at least some of the cowardly Republican senators who take part in this will pay a price at the ballot box, but dont bet on it. As soon as the trial is over and Trump is acquitted, he will feel liberated to do whatever he pleases and he and his fellow Republicans will start planning for a sham election in November, complete with misinformation from Russians, Fox News and others, along with voter suppression and fraudulent vote counts. Please dont think it cant happen here, because it has already been happening, slowly but surely, for the past three years. Peter Hanauer, Berkeley Cant be natural Regarding Capitalisms natural (Letters, Jan. 19): The writers definition of capitalism (retaining the profits from your efforts) is essentially inaccurate. Capitalism is the use of capital to create more capital. Since capital (i.e. money) is not a natural object, capitalism obviously cannot be natural. The capitalist may make something real or provide a service, but if he/she cannot make more capital (i.e. profit), the effort cannot last long. The ultimate capitalist is one who does nothing but manipulate capital to produce more money, such as those who manipulated junk mortgages to create the great recession of 2008. It is right and good that a worker would profit from his/her efforts, and this has been true for many economic systems going all the way back to Stone Age barter. But to claim that capitalism, in either its theory or its realization, is more natural than any other system is contrary to human history and reason. Wil Bruhns, Berkeley Stay open longer Regarding Octagon House angles for more interest (Datebook, Jan. 19): I lived half a block from the McElroy Octagon House for four years. In all that time, I only passed it once when it was open. The house is only open nine hours per month. If the National Society of Colonial Dames of America want to broaden public appreciation for their work and for this lovely home, they might start by opening for more hours each month, and especially during hours when working people can visit. Indian diplomat in Nepal on Wednesday inaugurated a school building constructed with India's assistance in the country's western district. The building of Aurobindo Ashram School in Thankot, 10 km west of Kathmandu was inaugurated by Dr Ajay Kumar, Charge d' Affairs, Embassy of India. Mani Ram Gelal, Director General, Department of Urban Development and Building Construction along with the political, community leaders also attended the ceremony, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement. Established in 1993 by Sri Aurobindo Yoga Mandir in Thankot, the school is a residential School, affiliated to National Examination Board, Government of Nepal. The school provided Secondary School to nearly 260 students, about 53 per cent of whom are girls. It provides free and hostel facility to them. The building is constructed with India's assistance of Nepalese rupees 28.25 million, the statement said. It is a three storied building comprising eleven class rooms, three labs, four store rooms, two staff rooms, one room each for account, administration, record, library, principal, PA, examination, multi-purpose hall and furniture, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service HYDERABAD: As many as 53.50 lakh voters will decide the fate of contestants in wards and divisions in nine municipal corporations and 120 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which go to polls across the State on Wednesday. The ballot box voting will begin at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm at 7,961 polling stations. Voter strength per polling station is around 800. A total of 11,197 candidates are contesting for the position of councillors in 2,647 wards in 120 ULBs while 1,747 candidates are in the fray for the positions of corporators 382 divisions in nine Municipal Corporations. The election for Karimnagar Municipal Corporation is scheduled for January 24. ALSO READ| Telangana police gear up for municipal elections today Elaborate arrangements have been made for the conduct of the elections. "There are 881 model code of conduct (MCOC) zonal offices, 285 flying squads and 360 stationary teams for vigilance to ensure smooth conduction of elections," State Election Commissioner V Nagi Reddy said. Over 45,000 staff members are deployed on election duty and the additional 5,000 staff members are there are backup. "The commission has zero-tolerance for impersonation," Reddy added. ALSO READ| Bhongir MP Komatireddy gheraoed for allegedly violating election code ahead of municipal elections State Election Commission to use Facial recognition app A total of 2,406 polling stations have been identified for live webcasting of the proceedings, also another 2,072 polling stations selected for video coverage and in 2,053 polling stations micro observers would cover the proceedings. In 10 selected polling stations, the State Election Commission (SEC) will also use facial recognition app to counter impersonation by voters. Meanwhile, AIMIM MLC Syed Amin Jaffery on Tuesday submitted a representation to SEC urging it to withdraw its order on use of facial recognition app. Highly precise testing by West Australian researchers has dated a meteorite crater in the states remote outback as the oldest impact found on Earth. And in a further twist, the age of the impact that caused the Yarrabubba crater near Meekatharra about 2.2 billion years old coincides with the end of a period in the Earths history when scientists believe the planet was covered by glaciers and ice. The impact happened billions of years ago, and researchers believe it may have brought Earth out of a global "deep freeze". The timing suggests the impact that created the 70-kilometre crater played a role in bringing an end to the early Snowball Earth. The research from Curtin Universitys School of Earth and Planetary Sciences was published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday. When Libyan scholar-turned-politician Aref Ali Nayed first descended on Washington five years ago to warn policymakers about what he called the bunch of thugs running things in Tripoli, he paid Washington lobby shop Sanitas $400,000 for two months of work. With Nayed now openly eyeing a run for office in the oil-rich country, Sanitas in September once again signed up to work for his Libya Institute for Advanced Studies but this time, for free. As Dr. Nayeds political career has developed, we have followed along and have supported him, Sanitas lobbyist Chris Harvin told Al-Monitor. In turn, Harvin said, Nayed is advising Harvins nonprofit Vanguard Africa, which lobbies for African political figures, for free. The pro bono agreement stands out at a time when rival Libyan factions have been shelling out millions of dollars to press their claims in Washington. With Nayed-allied strongman Khalifa Hifter pressing his attack on Tripoli, the UN-backed Government of National Accord signed lobbying deals valued at more than $3.5 million in 2019 alone. In May, Hifters self-proclaimed Libyan National Army hired a Texas consulting firm for $2 million. While unusual in a Middle East lobbying industry well known for its million-dollar deals, pro bono agreements are not unheard of. An Al-Monitor review of lobbying records uncovered at least four other lobbyists and firms currently working for free for Middle Eastern clients, including another one in Libya. For US lobbying firms, building relations with would-be leaders can deliver a hefty payday if and when grateful clients get into power. They can also foster lucrative relations with deep-pocketed supporters: Nayed, for example, served as Libyan ambassador to the United Arab Emirates after the fall of Col. Moammar Gadhafi and has close ties to the United Arab Emirates, which supports Hifter against the UN-backed government in Tripoli. Ben Freeman, the director of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy, likened the pro bono practice to trying out for a job. It can in some ways be like an audition for a paid position later, he said, adding that the practice is certainly not a new phenomenon and comes in multiple strains the good, the bad and the ugly. US lobbying law actually bans influence firms from being paid contingent on specific successes. But lawyers say its fine for lobbyists to work pro bono in the hopes of getting paid down the line as long as theres no formal deal. Theres nothing that prohibits a foreign agent from working pro bono in the hopes of securing more work, Joshua Rosenstein, a lawyer specializing in the Foreign Agents Registration Act, told Al-Monitor. But an agent would need to be careful that there was no agreement to be paid down the line if the work was successful. Nayed's name has been floated for years as a contender to be Libyas prime minister; if this happened, it would leave Sanitas in a good spot to capitalize on their relationship. In recent meetings with US officials, Nayed reportedly pitched himself as a political leader for Libya after Hifter liberates the capital. Another Libya lobbyist, Charlie Black, was in Vienna when he met Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq for the first time in April 2019. Blacks firm, Prime Policy Group, signed a pro bono contract with Maiteeqs chief of staff the following month and quickly reached out to key members of the US House and Senate foreign relations panels as well as the State Department, national security officials and private sector experts. Maiteeq could run Libya one day, Black told Mother Jones. He struck me as someone we ought to get around in the US, he said. Pro-bono lobbying extends beyond Libya. Former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey, for example, lobbies for free for the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran, even as the council pays former New Jersey Democratic Rep. Robert Torricelli $20,000 a month and former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph $15,000 per month. Building relations with the council, however, can prove beneficial in other ways: The umbrella organization dominated by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq has close ties to top Republicans, including President Donald Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, and the group is known to pay handsomely for politicians who speak at its events, as Mukasey has several times. Separately, Alabama businessman William Brooke briefly lobbied pro bono for then-Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in 2018 after visiting Lebanon on a mission trip with a church group, the Anniston Star reported. Brooke reported having verbally communicated with White House staff, State Department officials and members of Congress regarding the desire of the Office of the Prime Minister of Lebanon to engage in discussions with the United States regarding Lebanese national affairs. Finally, since last year Maryland real estate developer Antoine Haddad has been registered as an adviser to Lebanese President Michel Aoun, helping to keep US aid flowing despite mounting concerns about Hezbollahs influence in the country. The April 2019 contract calls for Haddad to be paid one symbolic Lebanese lira less than one US cent per month. Mom shares safety message after baby rescued from falling 8 feet down family's home heating vent originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com An Oregon mom of two is urging parents to think of every possible safety hazard in their homes after her 10-month-old son opened a heating vent and fell 8 feet below their house. "I didn't think I had to worry about the vents," Saydie Reedy told "Good Morning America." "There's other dangers in the world to worry about, I thought, than heating vents." MORE: Nurse asks, 'Did you know I was there?' in touching viral post Reedy, of Coburg, Oregon, was doing dishes last week just a few steps away from where her sons, 10-month-old Kolson and 3-year-old Jackson, were playing. Reedy was about to check on her sons when she said Jackson ran to her and said, Baby in." The 3-year-old eventually pointed to an open heating vent on the floor and said "Baby in" again, at which time Reedy called 911, panicked. PHOTO: Kolson Reedy, right, poses with his brother Jackson in this family photo. (Courtesy Saydie Reedy) "I couldn't even fathom that my baby was down a vent," she said. "I never even thought of that." Reedy and her family just moved into their 1920s-built home in August and were in the process of renovating it, which is why the heating vent cover was not properly screwed in. When police officers and firefighters arrived at the home, they could not hear Kolson crying through the vent opening. They then searched for and found the crawl space under the home. PHOTO: Police officers in Oregon look in a heating vent that a 10-month-old baby fell through. (Courtesy Saydie Reedy) Officer Kevin Wilson, of the Coburg Police Department, took off all his gear and climbed into the crawl space to find Kolson. "I crawled about 15 to 20 feet back to where the heat register was and I could hear him crying," said Wilson. "I cut the strap that was holding the heat tube and kind of accordioned it all the way to him and grabbed his arm." "As soon as I grabbed his arm he stopped crying and then he just looked at me like, 'What are you doing here?'" Wilson recalled. Story continues Wilson then scooted on his back with Kolson to the heat vent's opening in the floor and lifted Kolson up to a waiting police officer. MORE: 4-year-old being called a hero for calling 911 and saving her mom's life The toddler emerged with just a few scratches on his face and hands, according to both Wilson and Reedy. PHOTO: 10-month-old Kolson Reedy was rescued after feeling through a heating vent in his family's Oregon home. (Courtesy Saydie Reedy) "He was totally unfazed by it," Reedy said of her son. "I took him to the doctor and they said he was fine." Reedy later brought Kolson to the police department so they could personally thank Wilson and the other police officers and firefighters who saved his life. "It was really emotional," Wilson said of the reunion. "I think afterwards you look back and think, 'Was it really that bad?' and then you think it through and it was bad and could have been way worse. The reality of what you did kind of hits you." Reedy said she and her husband immediately screwed all the heat vents in their house into place and are taking a second look at safety hazards they may not have initially considered. Wilson recommends parents walk through their homes and take inventory while thinking like their kids. "The very thing you're thinking a kid would never do, they'll do," he said. "You have to think the way they'd be thinking and think of the things their fingers can get on." Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to meet with the mother of a US-Israeli woman jailed in Moscow on drug charges, a Kremlin aide said Wednesday, as the case has led to protests in Israel. The Russian leader will meet Yaffa Issachar, the mother of Naama Issachar, while visiting Israel on Thursday, Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, said. The meeting will also include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, who have both petitioned for the 26-year-old woman's freedom. "The humanitarian aspect of this case will be discussed at the meeting," Ushakov told journalists. Issachar was caught with nine grams of cannabis in her checked luggage while transiting from India to Israel at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport last April. She was convicted in October and jailed for seven-and-a-half years after a court outside Moscow found her guilty of smuggling a "significant amount" of drugs. The case has sparked outrage in Israel, where the foreign ministry has called the verdict "harsh and disproportionate" while Israeli President Reuven Rivlin appealed to Putin's "mercy and compassion," seeking his intervention in the case. Issachar's appeal was rejected in December. Initial reports speculated she could be swapped for a Russian hacker in Israeli custody, but Israel's top court ruled to extradite him to the United States instead. Israeli media this week reported that Israel is willing to relinquish Alexander's Courtyard, a piece of property in Jerusalem that is highly symbolic to the Orthodox Church, in exchange for releasing Issachar. Ushakov on Wednesday appeared to confirm some decision on the Courtyard, calling it "a decision in line with the good relations between our countries." He declined to tie it to any negotiations over Issachar's fate. The Alexander Courtyard in Jerusalem's Old City is a piece of land purchased around 1860 by the Palestine Orthodox Society, an organisation created by Russian tsar Alexander III. In 1917 the Russian prince heading the society emigrated to Germany in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution. Russia does not recognise the organisation's current legitimacy and has sought to reclaim the property to a Moscow-administered Imperial Palestine Orthodox Society. The Alexander Courtyard is listed by the Russian Orthodox Church as a plot of 1,433 square metres and is a major draw for Orthodox pilgrims in Jerusalem. Netanyahu, who is facing an election on March 2, last week said he was optimistic that Issachar would be released after speaking to the Russian leader by phone. Putin will participate in Israeli commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, taking part in an event at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem along with other world dignitaries. San Francisco, Jan 22 : Signalling an all-electric future is coming our way, Elon Musk-run Tesla has hit the $100 billion in stock market valuation for the first time. Tesla shares were last up 1.4 per cent at $555 after trading was closed on Tuesday, reports CNBC. The milestone came less than a month after Tesla's stock crossed $420 -- a price Musk tweeted last year which put him in much trouble. The $100 billion valuation must stay for both one-month and six-month average in order to help Musk get first of 12 tranches of $346 million in a record-breaking pay package. Tesla is currently valued more than Ford Motor and General Motors combined. Musk lost his position as Tesla Chairman after posting a notorious tweet in August last year that he was "considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured". The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Musk over the tweet, saying he misled investors by claiming falsely he had lined up funding for the take-private transaction. Musk reached a settlement with the SEC, agreeing to give up his role as Tesla Chairman and pay a $20 million fine. Tesla surprised Wall Street in October by registering a profitable third quarter with a total revenue of $6.3 billion riding on sales of its Model S, Model X and Model 3 electric cars. In the third quarter, automotive revenues were $5.35 billion. Tesla said it expected to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles this year, representing 45-65 per cent growth. A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Denmark on suspicion of murdering a Swedish national who was killed in front of his family on Christmas Eve. Flamur Beqiri was gunned down in Battersea, south-west London, at around 9pm as he returned home with his wife and young child. Detective Inspector Jamie Stevenson said the 36-year-old was shot multiple times in Battersea Church Road by a lone attacker who fled on foot. Flamur Beqiri was shot dead in front of his family (Metropolitan Police/PA) The Metropolitan Police said a 22-year-old man was arrested at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark on January 20 on suspicion of Mr Beqiris murder. He remains in custody in Denmark pending extradition proceedings back to the UK, a spokeswoman said. Scotland Yard said Mr Beqiri, a Swedish national who had Albanian heritage, had been living in London for four or five years. According to reports, he was the brother of former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri. Shortly after the attack, Mr Stevenson said: We believe Flamur may possibly have been involved in some criminality in Sweden, and are in liaison with our Swedish counterparts to try to understand what, if any, incidents there may have been that might have led to someone seeking retribution against Flamur in the UK. Police tape at the scene of the murder in Battersea (Kirsty OConnor/PA) According to reports, Mr Beqiri married his wife, Debora Krasniqi, in Cernobbio, by Lake Como in Italy, in October 2018. An article in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine, which published photos of the occasion, revealed that the couple met through Facebook. Ms Krasniqi told the magazine that the pair, initially just friends, fell deeply in love at his sisters wedding after speaking for endless hours over the phone. There was always something special about our connection and bond, she said. In a statement released through Scotland Yard shortly after his death, Mr Beqiris family said: Our family are in a state of shock and are grieving. To have so much sadness at this time of the year is heartbreaking. Story continues Neighbours living near the scene of the shooting described hearing multiple gunshots followed by a woman screaming desperately for help. Vittoria Amati, 60, said she heard eight to 10 gunshots fired in quick succession. Mrs Amati told the PA news agency: I then heard the screams of the wife. I came out and realised it was one of my neighbours. He was lying in front of his doorway in a pool of blood. He was still alive. We were really hoping he would make it. You have no idea how desperate she (his wife) sounded. The trial of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, was on Wednesday stalled by the failure of the EFCC to serve the charges on him and some of the other defendants. Justice Idris Kutigi of the Gwagwalada Division of the FCT High Court adjourned the trial to Thursday, based on the agreement of counsel in the matter. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the anti-graft agency on Monday filed multiple charges against Mr Adoke, which include a seven-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja and a 12-count charge before the FCT High Court. The charges include those related to money laundering, denying Nigeria taxes and an alleged N300 million bribe. In the charge before the FCT High court, the EFCC accused Mr Adoke of accepting gratification to facilitate and negotiate the OPL 245 resolution agreement with Shell, Eni, and their Nigerian subsidiaries. But at the court proceedings, a counsel to one of the defendants, Bala Sanga, informed the court that the EFCC had failed to serve four of the defendants the court charges. They are Mr Adoke, Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie, and Malabu Oil and Gas Limited. Mr Sanga added that the commission only served the charges on some of the defendants including Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited. Justice Kutigi, therefore, adjourned the case till Thursday for the continuation of the trial. Long Road To Trial The EFCC had been pursuing Mr Adoke for his alleged role in the controversial transfer of Nigerias OPL 245 oil field. PREMIUM TIMES reported how almost half of the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni in a controversial OPL 245 deal negotiated by Mr Adoke and some other officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration ended in accounts controlled by Mr Aliyu. The oil multinationals paid the money through the Nigerian government to Malabu, a company then controlled by Dan Etete, a former petroleum minister who is on the run. Malabu, which was illegally awarded OPL 245 when Mr Etete was a minister in 1998, then transferred about half of the money into accounts partly controlled by Mr Aliyu. The EFCC alleges that Mr Aliyu distributed the money to some top officials of Shell and Eni as well as some officials of the Jonathan administration. The EFCC also believes Mr Adoke received N300 million from Mr Aliyu in 2013. The anti-graft agency alleges that was his share of the Malabu windfall. Shell, Eni, and their officials are already being prosecuted in Italy for the scandal. Mr Adoke has denied any wrongdoing and said the actions taken in respect of the transfer of the bloc were based on the instructions of former President Goodluck Jonathan and in the best interest of Nigeria. In 2015, the former minister went on a self-imposed exile outside Nigeria. He eventually travelled to Dubai where he was arrested by Interpol at the prompting of the EFCC. Upon his return to Nigeria, he was arrested at the Abuja airport and handed over to the EFCC on December 19. The EFCC secured an initial court order to hold Mr Adoke for 14 days following his arrest in Abuja. Following the expiration of the first order, a judge approved a second order to keep the former attorney-general for another 14 days. That second warrant expired last Thursday. You have a legit option in furthering your education by choosing to study at the New Era University (NEU). The list of courses range from a wide range of undergraduate to graduate studies. Studies can also access preparatory and special education. Since the institution is always accepting new applications and even has an online registration option, what remains is finding out if what you want to study is available. Image: neu.edu.ph Source: UGC Since it started operating, this school pegs all its operations on the philosophy of godliness is the foundation of knowledge. That approach can explain why there is a long list of courses available. Also, applying and studying those programs is easy because the institution has several campuses. The backstory of New Era University senior high school is that the institution used to offer education at that level before upgrading. New Era University courses These courses fall under different colleges. For instance, there is the New Era University College of law and New Era University College of medicine. Here is the extended list though. 1. Undergraduate programs Accountancy Agriculture Business Administration Arts and Sciences Education Communication Criminology Computer Studies Medical Technology Engineering and Architecture Respiratory Therapy Physical Therapy Midwifery Medicine Nursing Music READ ALSO: Holy Angel University courses, address, entrance, fees 2. Graduate programs Medicine Law Doctoral Degrees Masters Degrees The institution also has an alternative learning system to support New Era University online courses. Students can access a select number of available programs and study online without having to attend physical classes. New Era University tuition fee Image: facebook.com, @Neu.ph.official Source: Facebook Here is a list of New Era University tuition fee so that you know what you expect to pay for your studies after you get admission. Bachelor (foreigners) - 20,000 USD per year Masters (foreigners) - 20,000 USD per year Bachelor (citizens) - 17,500 USD per year Masters (citizens) - 7,500 USD per year New Era University address If you are doing your research about this institution, one of the details you would want to know is the New Era University location. Also, if you have this information while you are in the Philippines and looking for a New Era University admission it will be easy to visit their offices. Physical location: No. 9 Central Ave., New Era, Quezon City, Philippines, 1107 New Era University contact number: (02) 8981-4221 Email address: Dean's Office: law@neu.edu.ph Legal Aid Clinic: legalaid@neu.edu.ph NEU-MCLE Office: mcle@neu.edu.ph Website neu.edu.ph Social media New Era University automate This is a system that the institution has put in place to provide portal access to different services. With the system, there is a portal for the management, administration, New Era University parents and students, and one for academic matters. You need to be a member of the institution to access any of the portals. New Era University uniform Students need to look decent while in the compound of the uni. The general dress code is a white t-shirt or top with a blue bottom garment. New Era University careers The school has flaunted its exam passing rate hence students can rest easy knowing their future careers look promising. As a student, one is expected to do their best to get good results. Opting to study at the New Era University might be one of the best decisions to make right now. The institution is forward thinking and always innovating to make its ecosystem conducive for everyone. Have you ever considered applying for admission at NEU? READ ALSO: University of the East: admission, contact number, courses, fees Source: KAMI.com.gh From August 1, 2019, Polish citizens under the age of 26 who earn less than 85,528 zloty ($22,207) a year will no longer have to pay income tax. Poland continues to have a strained relationship with Brussels after several years of legal disputes over changes to the country's judiciary, and fears over increasing authoritarianism in the Eastern European nation. The dispute came to a head last October when the European Commission referred Poland to the EU's Court of Justice in order to, it said, "protect judges from political control" that had been introduced by Poland's conservative ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS). Brussels objected to the fact that judges in Poland could be subjected to investigations and sanctions based on their rulings and that their judicial independence could be affected. In November, the court ruled that the changes were against EU law and could undermine the independence of courts and discriminated between genders. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told CNBC Wednesday that he hoped a solution would be found "very quickly" and seemed unrepentant, saying there was public support for the reforms and that changes were needed. "After four years of discussions with the European Commission (public support) is still at 80%," he said, speaking to CNBC's Geoff Cutmore at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and brushing off questions over protests by members of the judiciary against the changes. Seventh grader Luke Bonnes types on a computer during a class at Peirce Middle School in the West Chester Area School District Tuesday. West Chester is launching a new cyber school program next year in an attempt to bring students back into the district from cyber charters. Read more At an open house in a West Chester middle school library last week, a string quartet of high schoolers played classical music. Culinary students tended to a table arrayed with edible cookie dough and other treats, while district teachers and administrators greeted arriving parents. The goal wasnt to attract families to the West Chester Area School Districts traditional schools, but to a new cyber program led by its teachers. The selling points? A diploma from one of the districts well-rated high schools and access to all of its offerings like its 1,600-student orchestra program with the flexibility of go-at-your-own-pace schooling. Youre getting everything we have to offer here in West Chester, Kristen Barnello, the districts supervisor of fine arts and social studies, told parents a number of whom had children enrolled in cyber charter schools. As Pennsylvanias sizable cyber charter sector continues to draw students and funding from school districts despite posting poor academic results West Chesters attempt stands as the latest effort by a district to beat back the competition by offering its own online program. There are little statewide data on how such district programs are measuring up academically, although districts that have launched them say the initiatives have been successful. And a state legislative effort is backing their expansion. Lawmakers heard testimony on a bill Tuesday that would require every district in the state to offer full-time cyber education. Cyber education is an important choice parents should be able to make, but local accountability to our taxpayers and students is imperative, said State Rep. Curt Sonney (R., Erie), the bills sponsor and chair of the House Education Committee. Other Republicans on the committee questioned the purpose of the bill, which would require districts to offer three full-time cyber options and dissolve cyber charters as independent schools. Cyber charters oppose the legislation. READ MORE: Pa. charter-school students lag in math, with cyber results overwhelmingly negative, study says Nearly 80% of Pennsylvania districts already offer some form of cyber education, according to the state Department of Education. Many contract with the states Intermediate Units regional entities that provide educational services. The units hire outside vendors for curriculum, and in some cases teachers, all of whom are certified in Pennsylvania, according to officials. Students in those programs still earn diplomas from their home districts. But like West Chester, some districts are creating courses themselves rather than going through vendors. We decided if we [contracted with vendors], we wouldnt be able to have a better mousetrap. It wouldnt be authentically our own, said Garnet Valley Superintendent Marc Bertrando. Since launching its eSchool four years ago, the district has drawn students back from cyber charters, recouping about $400,000 annually, Bertrando said. About 75 students take at least one cyber course. In the Phoenixville Area School District, which for years has offered full-time cyber education through the Chester County Intermediate Units Brandywine Virtual Academy, teachers are now preparing to launch eight courses. To be frank, were competing with cyber charter schools, said Assistant Superintendent Le Roy Whitehead. Authorized by the state Education Department, cyber charters have long been a source of frustration for school districts, which must pay the charters for every enrolled student based on what each district spends per pupil, a sum that varies. Cyber charters are paid at the same rate as brick-and-mortar charters. District officials say their virtual programs are cheaper than what they pay cyber charters. According to a 2018 survey by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, most districts spent less than $5,000 per student in their cyber programs, compared with more than $11,000 on average for students enrolled in cyber charters. READ MORE: Are Pa. school districts paying too much for cyber charter students? Cyber charter leaders have disputed that comparison, questioning the districts calculations and arguing their programs are more comprehensive than what some districts offer. They also contend that parents have left school districts not solely to pursue cyber education, but because of other issues, including mistrust of the districts. Parents should have the right to choose a cyber charter, rather than only entrees from a menu in a particular restaurant called the school district, Maurice Flurie, CEO of Commonwealth Charter Academy, said Tuesday. But district leaders believe they can win parents back. In West Chester last week, some parents seemed favorable toward the new program, scheduled to launch this fall with the sixth and ninth grades. Among them was a mother whose daughter wants to experience high school, but currently attends a cyber charter so she can fit schoolwork around her competitive figure skating schedule. This is such a great school district, said the woman, who declined to give her name. Another mother, whose son attends Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School through a program conducted partly online and partly on-site, said she didnt think she would ever enroll him in a completely online program, but wanted to see what West Chester was offering. District leaders emphasized the connection they plan between the physical school and its online students from allowing students to take music classes and other electives offered at school to providing one-on-one tutoring through a cyber cafe housed in the Fugett Middle School library. The districts teachers who are creating and teaching the courses will also be available for calls with students, who will be given two to four weeks of coursework at once to complete on their schedule. If Im signing my name on the diploma, I dont want a teacher in Pittsburgh or Erie, said Superintendent Jim Scanlon. Teachers told parents they were enthusiastic about designing online courses. Im looking at what skills are going to help them the next few years and beyond, said Edward Pierce, who will be teaching ninth grade English language arts. This allows for a lot of creativity. The districts pitch didnt appear to convince Virginia Burton, who has children attending cyber charters. While Burton was interested in West Chesters new program, she didnt view it as necessarily superior to charter options. Its going to take a while to get something like that to that point, she said. The Council of Europe must overcome the existing crisis and restore confidence in it by getting over the harm caused by the unconditional return of a Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsia said this during a meeting with Chairperson of the Group of the European People's Party in PACE Aleksander Pociej and Chairman of the Group of Socialists, Democrats and Greens in PACE Frank Schwabe on Tuesday evening, the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reported. "Serhiy Kyslytsia noted that the Council of Europe needs to overcome the current crisis and restore confidence in it by overcoming the damage caused by the unconditional return of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He said that it is crucial for PACE to ensure that Russia fulfills its statutory obligations and the Assemblys requirements, including the cessation of armed aggression against Ukraine, human rights violations in the occupied territories and de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the statement reads. The parties stressed that the Council of Europe should remain an authoritative source of legal standards in the field of democracy, the rule of law, human rights, social cohesion for all its members without exception. In this context, the Ukrainian side emphasized that it will not support any decisions that weaken the Organizations ability to respond to violations by the member states of the principles and goals of the Council of Europe, the Foreign Ministry added. ish DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Infertility Treatment Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This analysis of the infertility treatment market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the forecast period 2019-2024. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the infertility treatment market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. The Global Infertility Treatment Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of Over 6% During the Forecast Period 2018-2024. The growing prevalence of infertility among men and women is increasing the demand for sterility treatment globally. Factors such as delayed parenthood, obesity, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and aging is increasing sterility incidences among married couples worldwide. The increasing acceptance of advanced and sophisticated medical care options such as ART and IVF is likely to drive the market. The globalization of healthcare facilities and the increasing popularity of medical tourism, especially fertility tourism, encourage several couples to travel abroad to seek state-of-the-art medical care options. The reimbursement coverage is also improving globally, and many countries cover fertility treatment as part of respective public health coverage programs The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the infertility treatment market during the forecast period: Increasing Prevalence of Infertility Growing Number of Obesity Cases Increasing Number of Facilities offering Fertility Services Increasing Financial Assistance Programs Growing popularity for Fertility Tourism Infertility Treatment Market: Segmentation This research report includes detailed segmentation by product, procedure, end-user, cause, and geography. Treatment by drugs has been dominating the infertility treatment market because it is a cost-effective measure and is considered to be the first choice among people to be treated. The acceptance of gonadotropin drugs for treatment is driving the segment significantly and is likely to witness steady growth during the forecast period. However, the surge in the prevalence of sterility, advances IVF devices technology, the increasing trend of delayed pregnancies, and the growth in disposable income are the major factors driving the infertility treatment devices market. Globally, the IVF treatments are witnessing an improvement in overall success rates majorly due to the availability of a broad range of culture media. The consumables segment is rapidly increasing due to the increasing effectiveness of ART procedures and surgical interventions that create huge demand for consumables and is expected to grow by 2024. The medication segment is the largest contributor due to a wide range and usage. The increasing approval of fertility services and cultural shifts has led to a high demand for medication and treatments. The awareness of sterility treatment has increased over time, thereby reducing the reluctance of people to opt for medication. ART is the fastest growing procedure on account of the high acceptance of this treatment because of the improvement in success rate and advanced techniques to cure sterility. The favorable financial support for ART procedures in both developed and emerging countries is another factor contributing to the growth. However, the segment is likely to witness hindrance due to the high cost of ART procedures. The fertility clinics dominate the market due to the high success rate of fertility services and IVF clinics. The number of fertility services is expanding across the globe. These clinics occupy the largest share in the infertility treatment market owing to the availability and accessibility of different services such as IVF programs, egg donation, ICSI, IMSI, and other services. The segment is projected to hold the highest share during the forecast period due to the constant rise in clinics and increasing partnerships of clinics with fertile consultants and experts. The female infertility segment is contributing significantly to the market due to the high prevalence of female infertility globally. The increase in the target pool of female patients and the growing number of dedicated fertility clinics are the major factors driving the growth of the segment. The prevalence of male sterility is increasing worldwide due to changes in lifestyle patterns, an increase in the consumption of alcohol and smoking, and an increase in the prevalence of obesity. All these factors affect sperm counts and their quality, thereby increasing the occurrence among men. Europe is the major region, which is leading the market and is expected to bolster its dominance during the forecast period because the region is going through a phase of reduction in population and is seriously considering tackling this sociological phenomenon. The demand for fertility services is increasing rapidly in North America due to the growing prevalence of sterility, the presence of the aging population and the high occurrence of obesity. These factors are likely to generate significant demand for fertility services in the future. APAC is growing at a steady pace owing to the shifting mean age among women during their first childbirth and the increasing sterility among people in developing countries. Latin America is witnessing a rise in sterility among men and women and decreasing fertility rates in the population, which is likely to increase the demand for fertility services. MEA faces a low healthcare facility, a lack of specialized health care professionals, and inadequate awareness of fertility medical care. However, with the growing awareness and development of advanced technology, the region is expected to drive the infertility treatment market in the region. Insights by Vendors There are a few global and several local and regional vendors offering medicines, devices, and equipment for treatment. The fertility drugs market is highly concentrated with key pharmaceuticals accounting for commendable shares. However, the other fertility drugs market is highly fragmented with many local and domestic companies are offering a wide array of low-cost drugs in their respective countries. The market is competitive due to the availability of several low-cost drugs. Companies offering fertility drugs are registering impressive growth rates for their products due to the increased uptake of these drugs. Key Topics Covered 1 Research Methodology 2 Research Objectives 3 Research Process 4 Scope & Coverage 4.1 Market Definition 4.1.1 Inclusions 4.1.2 Exclusions 4.2 Base Year 4.3 Scope of the study 4.4 Market Segments 4.4.1 Market Segmentation by Products 4.4.2 Market Segmentation by Infertility Cause 4.4.3 Market Segmentation by Procedure 4.4.4 Market Segmentation by End-user 4.4.5 Market Segmentation by Geography 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Introduction 7.1 Infertility: An Overview 7.1.1 Symptoms of Infertility 7.1.2 Causes of Infertility 7.1.3 Infertility Treatment 7.2 Infertility Treatment: Global Market Snapshot 7.2.1 Overview 8 Market Dynamics 8.1 Market Growth Enablers 8.1.1 Increasing Prevalence of Infertility 8.1.2 Rising Number of Obesity Cases 8.1.3 Increasing Acceptance of ART Procedures 8.1.4 Increasing Number of Facilities Offering Fertility Services 8.2 Market Growth Restraints 8.2.1 High Cost of Infertility Treatment 8.2.2 Lack of Standardized Government Regulations on Infertility Treatment 8.2.3 Ethical Challenges Related to Infertility Treatment 8.2.4 Limitations & Risks Associated with Infertility Treatment 8.3 Market Opportunities & Trends 8.3.1 Financial Assistance Programs & Employer Benefits for Infertility Treatment 8.3.2 Growing Popularity of Fertility/Reproductive Tourism 8.3.3 Technological Advancements & Innovations 8.3.4 Acceptance of Infertility Treatment in Single Parents & Same-Sex Couples 9 Global Infertility Treatment Market 9.1 Market Overview 9.2 Market Size & Forecast 9.3 Five Forces Analysis 10 By Product 10.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 10.2 Market Overview 11 Infertility Treatment by Drugs 11.1 Market Overview 11.2 Gonadotropins 11.3 Other Drugs 11.4 Infertility Drugs: Market Segmentation by Region 12 Infertility Treatment by Devices 12.1 Market Overview 12.2 Equipment 12.3 Media 12.4 Consumables & Accessories 12.5 Infertility Treatment Devices: Segmentation by Region 13 By Cause 13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 13.2 Market Overview 13.3 Female Infertility 13.4 Male Infertility 13.5 Other Types of Infertility 14 By Procedure 14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 14.2 Market Overview 14.3 Medication 14.4 Assisted Reproductive Treatment 14.5 Surgical Intervention 15 By End-user 15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 15.2 Market Overview 15.3 Fertility Clinics 15.4 Hospitals 15.5 Gynecology & Urology Clinics 15.6 Other End-users 16 By Geography 16.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 16.2 Market Overview 17 Europe 18 North America 19 APAC 20 Latin America 21 Middle East & Africa 22 Competitive Landscape 22.1 Competition Overview 22.2 Vendors Market Share Analysis 22.2.1 The Cooper Companies 22.2.2 Cook Medical 22.2.3 Vitrolife in Infertility Treatment Market 22.2.4 Ferring Pharmaceuticals 22.2.5 Merck KGaA 22.2.6 IVFtech in Infertility Treatment Market 23 Key Company Profiles 23.1 The Cooper Companies 23.1.1 Business Overview 23.1.2 Major Product Offerings 23.1.3 Key Strengths 23.1.4 Key Strategies 23.1.5 Key Opportunities 23.2 Cook Medical 23.3 Vitrolife 23.4 Ferring Pharmaceuticals 23.5 IVFtech 23.6 FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific 23.7 Merck KGaA 24 Other Prominent Vendors 24.1 Abbott 24.1.1 Business Overview 24.1.2 Major Product Offerings 24.2 Sanofi 24.3 Salix Pharmaceuticals 24.4 Microtech IVF 24.5 Novartis 24.6 Hamilton Thorne 24.7 Merck Co. 24.8 Thermo Fisher Scientific 24.9 INVO Bioscience 24.10 MedGyn Products 24.11 SOMATEX Medical Technologies 24.12 Carl Zeiss For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k1k42h Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Maple Ave. E., 300 block, 11:45 a.m. Jan. 13. A man in a van yelled at a male getting into a vehicle because his door hit the van. The male didnt see any damage and yelled back at the man. Then the man opened his door, slammed it into the male's car, and drove away. The car was damaged. While listening to news reports of what a monstrous threat Iran is, I've been wracking my brain to think of a single terrorist attack in this country committed by an Iranian. If there is one, now would be a good time to mention it! But I can't find any. Nor any child rapes, Medicare frauds, heroin dealing or general anti-social behavior making life in America such a pleasure these days. Even the 9/11 report could tie Iran to the attacks only on the thin reed of several hijackers passing through Iran on their way to the U.S. -- where our customs officials welcomed all 19 of them with open arms. Thirteen of the 19 terrorists had been given Florida drivers' licenses. If we're going back to 9/11, maybe Trump should consider dropping a drone on Jeb Bush. To get killed by an Iranian -- or even to be harassed by an Iranian -- you have to go the Middle East. Breaking News: Unrest in the Middle East! Why is the solution to this problem always to gather up our best young men ... and send them to the Middle East? President George W. Bush tried to pacify that region of the world with the Iraq War. We see how well that worked. By 2016, Americans were so sick of pointless Middle Eastern wars that even Trump's ham-handed attacks on Bush, saying he had "lied" about weapons of mass destruction, led to Trump's landslide victory in the most hawkish state of the union: South Carolina. But today, Americans are sitting at home being scared out of their wits by news reports of the "threat" Iran poses to their children, their homes, their commute to work, their very lives. They can rest easy. It's more likely that Mars will attack, and we didn't just kill a Martian general. Just in terms of American Lives Snuffed Out, the greatest threat to our country, hands down, comes from Mexico. Doesn't "national security" have something to do with keeping Americans alive? Mexican heroin killed at least 14,000 Americans last year. Mexican fentanyl and methamphetamine killed about 10,000 to 14,000. Hispanic drunk drivers -- Mexicans or other Hispanics given safe passage to the U.S. through Mexico -- kill about 3,000 Americans every year. That's not to mention the random murders, the Kate Steinles, the cartel and gang killings, and even the occasional mass murder committed by Mexicans in the U.S. (Look up Eduardo Sencion and Salvador Tapia.) Number of Americans killed in their own country every year by Iranians: 0 that I know of. Number of Americans killed in their own country every year by Mexicans: 30,000, by conservative estimate. Can we get a little news coverage of that? Perhaps a short segment, now and then, on the undeclared war right here in our own hemisphere? No, instead of ever mentioning the unprecedented transformation of our country from the most successful, prosperous nation on Earth to another failed Latin American state, we get nightly updates on Libya, ISIS, Syria and now Iran. Summary: Wretched, violent primitives are sitting on mounds of oil, which, fortunately, we don't need anymore, so this is of no interest to you, America. Cable news networks lure liberals and conservatives into taking opposing sides of conflicts that have less bearing on our lives than one day of illegal immigration. If Fox News and CNN had been broadcasting from Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, this is how I imagine they'd alert the public to the rising danger of Adolf Hitler: January 1933: Hitler appointed chancellor; the Reichstag begins process of transforming Weimar Republic into Nazi Germany. FOX NEWS HEADLINE: PERU DEFENDS AMAZON RAINFOREST FROM COLOMBIA; MEDIA MELTDOWN OVER PERU'S FIRST LADY CNN HEADLINE: COLOMBIA DEFENDS AMAZON RAINFOREST FROM PERU; POLL: MOST FOX VIEWERS CAN'T FIND COLOMBIA ON A MAP 1933-1939: Hitler reoccupies the Rhineland in violation of the Versailles Treaty, unifies with Austria and annexes parts of Czechoslovakia. FOX NEWS HEADLINE: BOLIVIA ATTACKS PARAGUAY IN GRAN CHACO REGION CNN HEADLINE: PARAGUAY ATTACKS BOLIVIA IN GRAN CHACO REGION 1939: Hitler invades Poland. FOX NEWS HEADLINE: CNN REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR FALSE REPORTING ABOUT CHACO WAR CNN HEADLINE: FOX NEWS HOST LOST IN GRAN CHACO REGION After 9/11, we went to war with two countries on the other side of the globe, spending trillions of dollars and sacrificing thousands of our greatest Americans because (mostly Saudi) immigrants killed 3,000 Americans. U.S. servicemen and women are still dying to avenge this single mass murder from two decades ago. Mexico kills at least 10 times that many Americans every year. Why on Earth are our media -- and our president -- consumed with "Whither Iran?" when hundreds of Americans are dying every day at the hands of the country sitting right next door? Ann Coulter is an American conservative social and political commentator, writer, syndicated columnist and lawyer. She frequently appears on television, radio and as a speaker at public and private events. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NORWALK - Sgt. Gregg Scully, who also serves as Norwalks Harbormaster, has been appointed to the Connecticut Port Authority Board of Directors. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff announced Scullys appointment on Tuesday. Sergeant Scully will be a great addition to the Connecticut Port Authority Board of Directors, Duff said. His distinguished career with the Norwalk Police Department, including his work as a Marine Unit officer and Norwalk Harbormaster, gives him unique insight into the Connecticut ports and maritime industry. I'm pleased that Gregg will be able to contribute his expertise toward ensuring our ports and maritime economy are thoroughly invested in and maximized," Duff said. Scully has served with the Norwalk Police Department since 1999. He began as a police patrolman and served in that capacity until 2012 and was promoted to sergeant in 2013. From 2006 - 2013, he served as a full-time marine unit officer, where he worked closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Aquaculture, obtaining water samples for environmental testing in the harbor and surrounding Norwalk Islands. Since 2017, Scully has served as Norwalk Harbormaster where he enforces all regulations in order to ensure the safety of navigation, security of the harbor, and correct operation of all harbor facilities. We have one of the most vibrant seaboards in the Northeast and I'm looking forward to bringing my experience as Norwalk Harbormaster working with the State DOT, DEEP, and Coast Guard to the Port Authority Board of Directors," said Scully. I've spent the last 45 years on the Long Island Sound, the last 15 years as a Master Captain, in the Norwalk Police Marine Division and as team leader of the Norwalk Police ESU Scuba Team and have developed a strong sense of responsibility to the resources of the Long Island Sound and surrounding boating communities. Scullys appointment is effective immediately and expires on June 30, 2021. The Connecticut Port Authority is a quasi-public agency created in 2014 that is responsible for marketing and coordinating the development of the state's ports and maritime economy. The governing board is composed of 15 voting members, including state officials, community leaders, port authority professionals, and individuals with knowledge related to trade, marine transportation, and finance. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has accused state government agencies of being "ideologically opposed" to hazard reduction, as he backed the Prime Minister's proposal for national targets. Mr Barilaro, the minister responsible for leading the state's bushfire recovery, also doubled down on his criticism of his cabinet colleague NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean, saying he was "playing the politics of the moment" in his advocacy for tougher action on climate change. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has accused his government's own agencies of being "ideologically opposed" to hazard reduction. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Barilaro took aim at the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service - which falls under Mr Kean's portfolio responsibilities - as he linked the "intensity" of the recent bushfires to high fuel loads in forest areas. "I genuinely do believe that we have agencies within government that, over decades, haven't actually honoured their commitments for fuel reduction because of ideological positions, especially in national parks. We just lock them up," Mr Barilaro told Sky News on Wednesday. Miscellaneous Fairmas further expands with Valencia representative office 22.01.2020 11:50:39 - Carla Richart represents Berlin-based hotel software developer Fairmas in Spain (live-PR.com) - 22. January 2020: Carla Richart is responsible for the business development of Fairmas GmbH within the Spanish hotel market, as she moves from Berlin back to her hometown of Valencia. She takes charge of the hotel software companys representation in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands with immediate effect. Following the first opening of a representative - 22. January 2020: Carla Richart is responsible for the business development of Fairmas GmbH within the Spanish hotel market, as she moves from Berlin back to her hometown of Valencia. She takes charge of the hotel software companys representation in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands with immediate effect. Following the first opening of a representative office in Amsterdam in 2018, this second one in Europe is a further step by the Berlin-headquartered Fairmas towards expansion. This fulfills the aim of increasing its market share in the area of financial planning and revenue software for the hotel industry in Europe. "The hotel industry within Europe and in Spain in particular, has developed a high demand for financial planning, revenue monitoring and controlling tools as a result of the increase in market developments over the last four years," says Niels Schroder, Managing Director of Fairmas, explaining the decision. "With Carla Richart, we have a tourism expert on the ground with experience in hotel management and the world of online travel agencies (OTAs). She is familiar with the development of the Spanish hotel market, knowledgeable about the regional differences and speaks the language. During her time in our Berlin headquarters, she did not only obtain extensive training on our Fairmas software but has also successfully established many interesting contacts with Spanish individual and chain hotels whom she is ready to meet. The success of Fairmas, which was founded in 2003 by three experienced hotel managers, proves that their company strategy is right. Long before digitization took off in the hotel industry, Fairmas was already enjoying a distinct reputation - a hotel specialist for process optimization through intelligent software solutions when they started with hotel benchmarking. Today, the core of Fairmas solutions is the financial planning software, FairPlanner. The hotel-specific SaaS planning software for the creation of budgets and forecasts is based on the Uniform Systems of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), a worldwide standard chart of accounts specifically for hotels. The automated data import enables FairPlanner to process revenue and expenses efficiently with the use of actual values from the hotel accounting system and property management system (PMS). What is special about FairPlanner is that it does not only map all revenues and expenses for all hotel areas but also automate the actual planning using drivers, among others. It is also extremely flexible in terms of data granularity in its reporting making it an effective management information system for all levels. We have an established presence in Spain with customers including Barcelo Hotels & Resorts, the renowned VIVOOD, as well as hotels from IBB Hotel Collection and InterContinental Hotels Group. However, having my workplace in Valencia shortens the distance so we can strengthen our existing customer relationships and I can actively expand the Fairmas network given the demand," says Carla Richart. Over the past four years, the Spanish hotel market has become increasingly attractive compared to other European countries with the annual turnover rising from 4% to 8% per year, varying by region. The supporting factors include functioning infrastructure (22 airports ensure the convenient arrival of 73% of all tourists), the extension of seasonal travel periods and the loss of attractiveness of some tourist destinations due to political uncertainties. At the same time, the investment volume in Spains hotel sector grew and reached a new record level of 4.81 billion in 2018. Today's Spanish hotel market is characterized by the steady growth of competitive pressure and the increased market entry of internationally operating hotel chains and investment companies. About Fairmas: Fairmas GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, develops web-based financial planning, controlling and management reporting solutions as well as daily benchmarking (in Germany) especially for the hotel industry. Fairmas software solutions integrate easily into the hotel's existing IT software environment and interface efficiently with all major property management systems (PMS), accounting systems and document management systems, among others. Fairmas has been a strong partner to the hospitality industry for more than 16 years. Currently, over 11,000 users in more than 4,000 hotels worldwide are using the companys software solutions from global hotel chains, to leisure hotels and privately owned hotels. Experienced executives from the industry secure the hotel industry know-how, while a team of 43 hotel and IT specialists ensures the creative solutions of tailor-made software products. For more information or free demonstration, please visit office in Amsterdam in 2018, this second one in Europe is a further step by the Berlin-headquartered Fairmas towards expansion. This fulfills the aim of increasing its market share in the area of financial planning and revenue software for the hotel industry in Europe."The hotel industry within Europe and in Spain in particular, has developed a high demand for financial planning, revenue monitoring and controlling tools as a result of the increase in market developments over the last four years," says Niels Schroder, Managing Director of Fairmas, explaining the decision. "With Carla Richart, we have a tourism expert on the ground with experience in hotel management and the world of online travel agencies (OTAs). She is familiar with the development of the Spanish hotel market, knowledgeable about the regional differences and speaks the language. During her time in our Berlin headquarters, she did not only obtain extensive training on our Fairmas software but has also successfully established many interesting contacts with Spanish individual and chain hotels whom she is ready to meet.The success of Fairmas, which was founded in 2003 by three experienced hotel managers, proves that their company strategy is right. Long before digitization took off in the hotel industry, Fairmas was already enjoying a distinct reputation - a hotel specialist for process optimization through intelligent software solutions when they started with hotel benchmarking. Today, the core of Fairmas solutions is the financial planning software, FairPlanner. The hotel-specific SaaS planning software for the creation of budgets and forecasts is based on the Uniform Systems of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), a worldwide standard chart of accounts specifically for hotels. The automated data import enables FairPlanner to process revenue and expenses efficiently with the use of actual values from the hotel accounting system and property management system (PMS). What is special about FairPlanner is that it does not only map all revenues and expenses for all hotel areas but also automate the actual planning using drivers, among others. It is also extremely flexible in terms of data granularity in its reporting making it an effective management information system for all levels.We have an established presence in Spain with customers including Barcelo Hotels & Resorts, the renowned VIVOOD, as well as hotels from IBB Hotel Collection and InterContinental Hotels Group. However, having my workplace in Valencia shortens the distance so we can strengthen our existing customer relationships and I can actively expand the Fairmas network given the demand," says Carla Richart.Over the past four years, the Spanish hotel market has become increasingly attractive compared to other European countries with the annual turnover rising from 4% to 8% per year, varying by region. The supporting factors include functioning infrastructure (22 airports ensure the convenient arrival of 73% of all tourists), the extension of seasonal travel periods and the loss of attractiveness of some tourist destinations due to political uncertainties. At the same time, the investment volume in Spains hotel sector grew and reached a new record level of 4.81 billion in 2018. Today's Spanish hotel market is characterized by the steady growth of competitive pressure and the increased market entry of internationally operating hotel chains and investment companies.About Fairmas:Fairmas GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, develops web-based financial planning, controlling and management reporting solutions as well as daily benchmarking (in Germany) especially for the hotel industry. Fairmas software solutions integrate easily into the hotel's existing IT software environment and interface efficiently with all major property management systems (PMS), accounting systems and document management systems, among others. Fairmas has been a strong partner to the hospitality industry for more than 16 years. Currently, over 11,000 users in more than 4,000 hotels worldwide are using the companys software solutions from global hotel chains, to leisure hotels and privately owned hotels. Experienced executives from the industry secure the hotel industry know-how, while a team of 43 hotel and IT specialists ensures the creative solutions of tailor-made software products.For more information or free demonstration, please visit www.fairmas.com Press Information: Fairmas GmbH Contact Person: Christina Niessen Sales & Marketing Assistant Phone: +4930322940520 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.fairmas.com 22.01.2020 11:50:39 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. A chilling blog post written by presumed dead, Connecticut mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos referred to her fears of ending up in a 'body bag'. The 50-year-old, stay-at-home mom vanished in May amid a bitter divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband Fotis Dulos. Earlier this month, the real estate developer was charged with her murder and kidnapping although no body has been found. Police found large stains of Jennifer's blood in the garage of her Connecticut home, spattered on trash cans and in her master bedroom, search warrants unsealed last week revealed. In blog posts discovered by DailyMail.com, hints of tension trickled out in Jennifer's anecdotes from family life. Dulos, who had a masters in writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, posted short pieces on her now-deleted blog Five Makes Seven and also shared her stories on Patch.com. In one post, titled 'More Sleep, No More', dated April 26, 2012, she detailed the difficulties of sleeping with her 18-month-old daughter, Noelle. Missing Connecticut mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos wrote a blog post in 2012 referring to her fears of ending up in a 'body bag', DailyMail.com can reveal The 50-year-old, stay-at-home mom vanished in May 2018 amid a bitter divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband Fotis Dulos. He's pictured in court Wednesday She hinted at the tension and lack of sleep that she and her daughter got when her husband Fotis was at home and explained how much better things were when he left. 'It was not like this when my husband Fotis was not here. We had more room. I and she (and he, somewhere afar) slept better. But if Fotis is to come back (he leaves again today) next Tuesday, then we do have to get this dealt with. Which may mean her crying, but it's just so heart wrenching. Then again, who can subsist on no sleep? And kicks in the nose?' she wrote. Jennifer then fantasized about being able to get some sleep at a luxury resort in Mexico called Las Ventanas 'that Jennifer Aniston frequents'. Fotis Dulos is charged with murder, felony murder, and kidnapping in disappearance 'Mexico. Los Cabos. Such a nice alternative thought to 54 degrees, Farmington, bed trauma,' she quipped. She closed the anecdote by writing: 'Oh, Noelle, I know that this too shall pass. But I fear I may be in a body bag by then' and signing it, 'Love, Your Mom.' A month earlier, in another blog post, Jennifer contemplated that she would have been a 'very happy monk' apart from the fact she would miss her baby too much. 'I wish I were a stronger person and that confrontation did not both scare and appall me. I just need quiet, peace and calm,' she wrote in the opening paragraph. Friends and relatives told investigators that Fotis, 52, was controlling and verbally abusive towards Jennifer during their 13-year marriage which ended in June 2017 when she filed for divorce after learning of his relationship with girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, and the fact that he wanted to move his lover and her young daughter into the family home in Farmington. A friend previously told the New York Post that Jennifer was 'afraid for her life' after leaving Fotis. 'She knew how enraged he was that she took this step,' the friend said. Last week, hundreds of pages of search warrants were unsealed in the murder case against Fotis which revealed how police found large stains of his missing wife Jennifer's blood in her garage, spattered on trash cans and in her master bedroom along with bombshell interviews from their children's nanny. He continues to deny having anything to do with his estranged wife's disappearance. Fotis and Troconis were initially arrested in June on evidence tampering and hindering prosecution charges. They were arrested again in September on another evidence tampering charge. Both have pleaded not guilty. Troconis, 45, and attorney, Kent Mawhinney, 54, were also charged this month with conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly helping Fotis to orchestrate the plan. In this post from 2012, with a stock photo of a mother and baby, Jennifer hints of tension in the home. She writes to her then 18-month-old daughter: 'Oh, Noelle, I know that this too shall pass. But I fear I may be in a body bag by then' The documents state that it is 'strongly believed' Jennifer was attacked in the garage of her home in New Canaan soon after she had finished the school run. Police believe she was then put in her own Chevrolet Suburban 2017 to be driven to the spot where the car was eventually found. In the car, they found her phone which had been active in the location where the car was left for 40 minutes before suddenly going offline. In those 40 minutes, Fotis - who had earlier been seen in Connecticut driving an employee's car - was nowhere to be seen. I know that this too shall pass. But I fear I may be in a body bag by then. Jennifer Dulos, 2012 Three minutes after Jennifer's phone went offline, he was seen turning back onto a road, in the same employee's car he'd been driving earlier. The search warrants do not give any indication of what may have happened to Jennifer's body. When authorities searched Jennifer's home they found blood in the garage - which had been previously reported - but exactly where in the garage remained a secret until last week. The new documents list that blood was found on the concrete floor of the garage, two garbage cans in the garage and on the passenger door of a Range Rover parked inside. Police also found shoe impressions and said that someone had tried to clean up the blood. Authorities reported finding traces of blood on a cell phone and a tablet that were discovered in the master bedroom of the home. The search warrants revealed the lengths police went to before bringing the charges. They have asked for countless phone records, access to Jennifer's iCloud account and GPS information from inside her car which they think will answer the mystery of what happened to her. The documents also revealed details of the many interviews that have been carried out between Jennifer's disappearance on May 24, 2019 and this month. Jennifer and her husband had been locked in a vicious custody battle for the last two years. In 2017 divorce documents, Jennifer said she was 'afraid' of Fotis and he would 'harm' her. She wrote of some of the tensions in the home in her blogs Clothes were seen being collected by police. The clothes pictured appeared to match those that Troconis was wearing when she was arrested Michelle Troconis, 45, and Dulos' former attorney, Kent Mawhinney (right), are charged with conspiracy to murder One interview took place with a technician, who worked for Fotis' construction company, and helped Troconis back up the contents of her phone onto a hard drive to give to her lawyer. Troconis told the technician that she wanted to avoid having photographs of her daughter on the internet and that she had already removed her Facebook page. At the time, neither Troconis nor Fotis had been charged. The technician reported saying: 'It must be really weird for Fotis with Jennifer missing,' and said that Troconis shot him a 'weird look' in response. Fotis' estranged wife Jennifer has been missing since May 24 He said that he thought nothing of the interaction until after their arrests. Other interviews were conducted with the couple's nanny, Lauren Almeida, who said Jennifer was 'very afraid' of her husband. Almeida recalled an incident in June 2017 when she said she found Jennifer crying in the driveway. Jennifer told the nanny that Fotis had just tried to run her over and that she had to jump out of the way. In the same summer, Almeida said that she watched Fotis 'chase' Jennifer through the house. Jennifer barricaded herself in her bedroom while Fotis pounded on the door, she said. The nanny said that he calmed down when he realized she and one of the children were also in the room. Almeida said Jennifer told her she did not want to call the police, however, because she was 'very afraid' of her husband. She said he threatened to take the children, who are aged eight to 13, with him to his native Greece. Jennifer's lawyer also told police that a week before she vanished, Fotis lost another attempt to try to win unsupervised visits with the children. On the night of Jennifer's disappearance, even after he had been notified that she was missing, Fotis called the nanny and asked her if she would still be able to bring the children to him the following day. It was unusual, Almeida said, because she was never normally involved in picking them up or dropping them off. She said that she was waiting on instructions from the police but he texted her later, asking for an update. The children have been living with Jennifer's mother, Gloria Farber, in New York City since their mother's disappearance. Dulos arrived at home in a different car that he left court in. He drove directly into his garage and then entered his house Police found large amount of Jennifer's blood in her garage in New Canaan. It was on trash cans, on the floor, on her car door and someone had tried to clean it up There are multiple examples of occurrences when either Jennifer or Fotis called police for a domestic disturbance. There is also reference to a gun that was owned by Fotis but which police wished to secure. The whereabouts of the gun is unknown, the warrants state. Almeida was interviewed on May 25, a day after Jennifer vanished. Fotis went in for a voluntary interview on the same day but froze up when police said they planned to seize his phone. He then left without answering questions. The warrants suggest that some crime took place at a property owned by Fotis where he asked Troconis to meet him in the hours after Jennifer vanished. He told her to bring cleaning supplies to the property - specifically a Swiffer, Clorox and paper towels. Later, the pair drove to what Troconis described to police as a 'creepy' area of Connecticut where Dulos insisted on getting out of the car several times to drop bags in trash cans. It was unusual for him, she said. Two people who match their descriptions were seen on surveillance cameras making those stops. A woman who fits Troconis' description was spotted dropping off a bag at a different trash can. Police later visited the area and found a bag containing altered license plates in the trash can that Troconis stopped at, and bags which contained Jennifer's DNA at the ones Dulos stopped at. Asked by a reporter if he thought there was enough evidence to convict him, Dulos shook his head and smirked as he was being led from the state trooper barracks Michelle Troconis, center, was arraigned on conspiracy to commit murder charges Wednesday Attorney Kent Mawhinney was arraigned on conspiracy to commit murder charges in the case of Jennifer in Stamford Superior Court on Wednesday On Wednesday, Fotis Dulos' attorney, Norm Pattis, issued a statement saying the state had no proof against his client and that the warrants proved nothing. 'A preliminary review of the warrant leaves us relieved and saddened. 'We're relieved that there is nothing we didn't expect or have heard about; saddled (sic) because it's obvious the state really have no idea what became of Jennifer,' he told News 12 Connecticut. Along with Troconis and Fotis, an attorney who previously represented him in a civil case has been charged. Troconis and Kent Mawhinney, who represented Fotis in a lawsuit against his estranged wife's family where they sued him for $2.5million in unpaid loans, are accused of helping Fotis cover up the killing by creating bogus alibis and through other actions. Police interviewed Mawhinney's wife who said she feared Fotis and her husband were plotting something against her because she had reported Mawhinney for rape. He had denied the charges, insisting their sex was consensual. Mawhinney, who is being held at a correctional facility in Cheshire, is next due in court on February 20. Fotis is under house arrest after he posted around $400,000 of a $6million bond on the murder charges against him. He is scheduled to appear at Stamford Superior Court on Wednesday for a probable cause hearing. Troconis is also under house arrest. Strikes and protests are being held on the Greek islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios over the government's handling of migrants arriving from Turkey. By John Carr Businesses on three major Greek islands closed their doors today to join a mass protest against a constant influx of migrants which they claim has overwhelmed the local economies. Shops and services on Lesbos, Samos and Chios closed for 24 hours, while thousands, many carrying Greek flags, gathered in the main square of Mytilene on Lesbos. They called on the government here in Athens to scrap plans to house the migrants in more permanent quarters, claiming it will only encourage more to come. Already Lesbos has more than 20,000 migrants huddled in makeshift camps, a population almost as large as that of the island itself. Many locals blame the migrants for heightened crime, and farmers claim their sheep are being stolen. Generally, they say, the islands resources are simply not enough to support the newcomers. Last week the Greek government upgraded its migrant and refugee administration to full ministry status. But that has not mollified the islanders, who fear that the government is unwilling to exercise stricter border controls and send back to Turkey those ineligible for political asylum. The number of Greek flags among the protesters in Mytilene today also signals that many Greeks fear being swamped by people of another culture, especially Muslims. They feel a sort of existential threat. And as long as Greece remains a magnet for the dispossessed of Western Asia, that sentiment can be expected to grow. The leading candidates to be crowned Australian of the Year on Sunday are in the medical profession - just like Dr Richard Harris and vet Dr Craig Challen, who received the award after helping save the lives of 12 young boys and their coach in a Thai cave. Pioneering South Australian eye surgeon Dr James Muecke and former refugee, human rights advocate and orthopaedic surgeon Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis are the two people considered most likely to receive the honour. Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis in his operating room in 2014. Credit:Tim Bauer Dr Muecke, the South Australian founder of eye health charity Sight for All, is the bookies' favourite with Dr Al Muderis just behind. "This is the first time we've seen two closely priced nominations and two potential winners with a hair's breadth between them," TAB spokesman Gerard Daffy said. Speech by President of the Republic of Poland Mr Andrzej Duda at the debate Growing Europe: The Economic Vitality of Central and Eastern Europe 22 January 2020, World Economic Forum, Davos Dear Madame President, Dear Mr President, Distinguished First Lady of Latvia, Dear Mr Prime Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests and friends, It is a pleasure to be here with you. I am grateful for the invitation. My special thanks go to the Polish House and our partners the Polish Insurance Company (PZU) and PKO SA bank for organizing this event. It gives me a wonderful opportunity to talk about my own region, which is the fastest growing market in Europe, and perhaps around the world. Identifying the sources of economic vitality of our region and potential tools to foster its economic growth has been one of my priorities over the last 5 years. It is my honour to open this debate along with my dear colleague and friend President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who has been my reliable and active ally in this process. Thank you very much, Kolinda. It is also my pleasure to be here with friends and partners President of Latvia Mr Egils Levits, as well as Prime Minister of Estonia Mr Juri Ratas. Almost five years ago, our joined effort to develop economic potential of Central Eastern Europe resulted in an idea of launching the Three Seas Initiative a platform aimed at fostering integration of infrastructure and the economy of twelve countries located in the territory between the Baltic, the Adriatic and the Black Sea. This geographical closeness, along with cultural affinity, convergent economic interests, as well as similar challenges stimulate us to plan deepened cooperation in infrastructure, energy and economy. The results are visible, as the economic role of Central Europe is on the rise. Since the nineties, the countries of Central Eastern Europe have undergone remarkable socio-economic transformation, and the region has become an important growth engine for the whole European Union. The consequence of this spectacular path of development has been our accession to the euroatlantic institutions, including NATO and the EU. As a result of three enlargement waves in 2004, 2007 and 2013 countries of the our region became the members of European Union increasing EUs potential by more than 110 million people, expanding its territory by 28%, yet generating only about 10% of its GDP. But times are changing. Today we are one of Europes most dynamically developing regions. Between 1996 and 2017 economies of our region have recorded 114% increase in GDP per capita, compared to just 27% in western countries. We are one of the most attractive regions to invest in. Put together our countries represent 1.4 trillion euros of GDP. Our economies are steadily and constantly catching up with their western counterparts in terms of the most important economic indicators. We are still able to offer relatively low labor costs, strong human capital with well-educated people, friendly tax environment, large consumer market and the best locations for foreign direct investments. The engine of the economic growth and our biggest competitive advantage is a diversified economy. There are various sectors operating in the region both traditional and innovative, such as: auto industry, IT services, agriculture, wood industry, real estate, food processing, electronics and finance. As you all know, Poland is the largest economy among the Central Eastern Europe states and one of the European growth champions. I am very proud that during my term as President, my country was able to join the club of EUs largest economies with a GDP of around 500 billion euros. Ladies and Gentlemen, Despite all positive developments, countries of the Three Seas still face the economic and infrastructural backlogs that require significant investments. According to the surveys, the investment needs for the modernization of the transport, energy and digital infrastructure in the twelve countries of Central and Eastern Europe require over 1 trillion euros. The Three Seas Initiative is our response. Being one of a co-founder of this platform, I am strongly convinced that this instrument will foster economic convergence of the region with the western part of the European Union. This is already happening through developments in infrastructure, economic and social cooperation and interconnectivity. Three Seas countries combine high growth with high stability. Therefore investors can achieve high yet safe rates of return from their investments. Our strategic goal within the Three Seas Initiative is fostering the development of the North-South communication, road and rail networks, inland waterways, energy interconnectors and digital infrastructure (fibre-optic networks, 5G networks, e-commerce logistics hubs). This goal cannot be achieved without the participation of private capital. That is why, last year, as a result of successful cooperation of development institutions from Poland, Romania, Czech Republic and Latvia, Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund was established to bring together both public and private investors. Its capital will be used to co-finance priority infrastructure projects in the region. The Initiative and the idea of strengthening our cooperation meets with growing interest of business entities. Last September during the Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdroj, so-called Polish Davos, a joint stock exchange index CEEplus was created. The collaboration of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and other local stock exchanges opened the region to the companies and investors from all over the world. Dear Friends, I would like to focus your attention on yet another instrument of boosting cooperation in the region, that is being established today. I am talking about the Growing Europe Business Council. Its role is to promote the Central and Eastern Europe as an attractive place for investments and support economic activities in the CEE region. I am very proud of these initiatives. The Fund, the CEEplus index, and the Growing Europe Business Council represent a modern business model introduced by the Three Seas countries. This is how we see economic growth of our region. This is a vision that is shared by our strategic partners. Last, but not least, I want to express my gratitude to Estonia, who is organizing the 5th Three Seas Initiative Summit in Tallinn this June. Mr Prime Minister, good luck with the preparations. You can count on us. I hope to see you all in Tallinn. Thank you very much. Priyanka Chopra took part in a fireside chat with many renowned figures at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday. The actor was dressed in a black dress paired with a matching overcoat as she headed for the meet and has now shared snippets from her chat and her meet and greet with the guests. Priyanka spoke about the need to create the kind of progress we want to see and why we need philanthropy at scale to solve the worlds most challenging problems. She also spoke about how India successfully eradicated polio with the help of 200 million volunteers. She stressed on creating a population people want to invest in. Priyanka Chopra during the fireside chat with Maria Forbes at WEF, Davos. Priyanka Chopra preps up for fireside chat at WEF, Davos. Priyanka Chopra with other speakers at the World Economic Forum meet. Talking about why she wants to be part of the change, Priyanka said, I want my kids to grow up in a world where the world leaders have listened to Gretas (Thunberg) generation, where the climate crisis is contained if not averted, where a womans ability to succeed is a basic human right and not based on geography and chance. Priyanka also shared a candid picture of herself prepping for the chat in her car. In the picture, she is seen sitting with papers spread all over and around her. The actor captioned the picture, In the office for my fireside chat with Maria Forbes. She also shared a happy picture of herself having a hearty laugh with Dr. Ngozi at the meet. Introducing her to her fans, she wrote in the caption, Dr Ngozi on behalf of Gavi has vaccinated 86% of the worlds children and has saved over 13 million lives since 2000. She is truly doing Gods work. Dr. Ngozi is an economist, international development expert and the Chair of @gavialliance - an incredible organization that has helped immunize more than 760 million children and saved 13 million lives. The proof is in the numbers, and its evident that with organizations like Gavi and its amazing partners like @unicef and @who, we can eradicate extreme poverty. #Davos2020. Also read: Priyanka Chopra arrives in Davos for fireside chat with billionaires, shares pics from Swiss Alps. See here Meanwhile, Nick Jonas shared a candid Tik Tok video on his Instagram, which shows him and his brothers Kevin and Jonas wearing wigs and crooning one of their popular songs. Follow @htshowbiz for more DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Businesses globally face a "digital ceiling" when it comes to digital transformation, according to new research from Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), the thought leadership and research arm of Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. The study reveals that businesses must change their mindsets to achieve sophisticated levels of digital maturity. Infosys Digital Radar 2020 assessed the digital transformation efforts of companies on a Digital Maturity Index and found year-over-year progress in basic areas, such as digital initiatives to improve a company's efficiency. However, most companies come up against a "digital ceiling" when trying to achieve the most advanced levels of maturity. The report, which surveyed over 1,000 executives globally, ranked the most digitally advanced companies as "Visionaries", followed by "Explorers" and then "Watchers." Companies know how to achieve moderate transformation success, with an 18 per cent increase in companies progressing this year from the lowest tier of Watchers to the middle Explorer tier. However, Explorers struggled to move into the top Visionary cluster, with the top tier remaining the same, indicating a "digital ceiling" to transformation efforts. The Visionary cluster remains unchanged despite companies reporting fewer barriers to digital transformation than last year. Human, rather than technological, barriers are now the most persistent, with the two of the top hurdles being the lack of talent or skills (34 per cent) and a risk-averse corporate culture (35 per cent). How to break through the digital ceiling? The research demonstrates that top performers break through the digital ceiling because they think differently. Firstly, successful companies focus strongly on people, using digital transformation to make improvements centred on customers and employees. Most companies (68 per cent) across the spectrum stated operational efficiency and increased productivity as a main transformation objective. But successful companies in the Visionary cluster are particularly motivated to make improvements for their employees. Nearly half of Visionaries describe "empowering employees" as a major business objective for transformation, compared with less than one third of Explorers and less than one fifth of Watchers. Likewise, Visionaries have an increased focus on customer centred initiatives, being significantly more likely than other clusters to undertake transformation to improve customer experiences and engagement and in order to respond more quickly to customer needs. Secondly, successful companies have a different mindset when it comes to transformation processes. Traditional linear transformations result in long transformation timelines, meaning a company's improvements are out of date by the time the process is complete. Instead, top performers demonstrate a cyclical mindset, implementing recurring rapid feedback loops to accelerate transformation and keep updates relevant. The Visionary cluster is far ahead of others in digital initiatives tied to quick cycles: 75 per cent operate at scale in Agile and DevOps, compared with an overall average of 34 per cent for the entire survey group. Businesses overestimate tech barriers and underestimate the importance of a company's mindset The importance of culture and a cyclical transformation mindset to breaking through the digital ceiling were underestimated by businesses last year. In the 2019 Digital Radar report, companies were asked to predict the biggest barriers to their transformation progress for the following year. This year's Infosys Digital Radar 2020 compares these predictions to the actual challenges businesses faced in 2019. Businesses reported dramatic declines in the impact that technological barriers have on their transformation progress, including: Inability to experiment quickly (down 49 per cent); Insufficient budget (down 40 per cent); Cybersecurity challenges (down 40 per cent). However, businesses made much less progress against cultural barriers, including lack of change management capabilities (down 7 per cent) and lack of talent (down 6 per cent). Progress across industries and geographies The technology and telecom industries continue to rank highest on the Digital Maturity Index this year. Consumer packaged goods, logistics, and healthcare achieved strong year-on-year improvements. The report's anecdotes from executive interviews suggest that the adoption of telematics, the Internet of Things and smart medical devices contributed to these increases. Likewise, the automotive industry placed fourth by digital maturity and featured the second highest percentage of Visionaries (30 per cent of those surveyed). The insurance industry lags significantly behind other sectors, featuring the highest percentage of Watchers (17 per cent). The digital ceiling was most dramatic in China , where 23 per cent of companies moved from Watcher to Explorer (which rose from 64 per cent to 87 per cent), but the percentage in the Visionary category (8 per cent) remained the same. Salil Parekh, CEO and MD at Infosys, commented: "We've seen enterprises successfully employ emerging technologies to optimise productivity and efficiency, but struggle at the next stage of digital maturity. Faster, better, and cheaper technology alone will not provide the improvements enterprises need. Our research has shown that companies which can keep pace with digital transformation are those that design digital initiatives to improve customer experiences and empower their employees, differentiating themselves and propelling their business to the most advanced levels of progress." Jeff Kavanaugh, VP and Global Head at Infosys Knowledge Institute, commented: "This year's Digital Radar research revealed significant progress across transformation initiatives however, traditional programme models are not keeping up with the rapid pace of market change and companies face a distinct barrier in reaching top levels of digital maturity. "The most successful businesses in our survey have an employee focus and a circular transformation mindset, which enable top performers to kick off a virtuous cycle in the company. The result is a "living enterprise" that is constantly sensing, improving, and attuned to its customers and employees. This living enterprise is suited to serving a larger circle of stakeholders employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, and larger society not just shareholders." For a full copy of the Infosys Digital Radar 2020, please visit: https://www.infosys.com/navigate-your-next/research/digital-radar-report.html Notes to Editors Survey Methodology From November 12 to 30, 2019, Infosys used a blind format to conduct an online survey that attracted responses from more than 1,000 CXO and other senior-level respondents from companies with revenue greater than US$1 Billion. Respondents represented multiple industries and hailed from Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, U.K. and the U.S. To gain additional qualitative insights, phone interviews were also conducted with a few practitioners and subject matter experts. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements mentioned in this presentation concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. These filings are available at www.sec.gov Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. SOURCE Infosys a Monday, Jan 10th, 2022 In Greece, journalists feel the squeeze By Yiannis Baboulias Last November Ingeborg Beugel, a Dutch journalist who has been covering Greece for decades, was advised by her countrys embassy in Greece that she should leave the country for her own safety. Days earlier Beugel had attended a joint press... Weve reached a pivotal moment for Montana farmers and ranchers, as three critical trade deals are finalized and implemented. The benefits here are enormous, and I strongly believe Montanas agricultural industry can look forward to renewed success and optimism this year. As a fourth-generation Montana rancher from Miles City, and the president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the steps we took over the last year will deliver big wins for Montana agriculture. First, the United States signed a historic trade deal with Japan one that will open the door for more Montana ag products in Japan. If theres one thing thats clear, its that the Japanese are crazy about our agricultural products especially our Montana beef. This new trade deal will allow us to meet their needs meaning a boost to Montana ranchers. This deal ensures that over time, Japanese tariffs on beef and pork products will drop from nearly 40% to 9%, and without this trade deal wheat sales in Montana would be expected to plummet $150 million annually for our wheat farmers. It was an honor to be with U.S. Sen. Steve Daines as President Trump signed this agreement. Both these men worked tirelessly to put Montana agriculture first and to ensure that we leveled the playing field to compete on fair terms, reduced tariffs and are able to now get more of our great Montana beef, wheat and other products to this market. Next, Congress has finally acted on the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement. As our second- and third-largest trading partners, Mexico and Canada are vital partners and this deal will be a huge boost to our agricultural economy. This deal is estimated to add a nearly $70 billion boost to the nations GDP, as well as create nearly 180,000 new jobs. USMCA will be great for the beef industry. Finally, theres even more good news to share, if you can believe it. President Trump just signed the first phase of a historic trade deal with China. This is an enormous accomplishment after intense negotiations. The progress made in this deal gives our farmers and ranchers the certainty they desperately need and access to yet another market to sell the best of what Montana has to offer. The wait was worth it. This will also be great for Montana beef. Theres little doubt its been a difficult time for our ag producers, especially over these last few years, and it was not easy to get to this point but we are grateful to President Trump for keeping his word and delivering on better fair trade deals. Im also incredibly thankful for Sen. Daines for his leadership, for fighting for our farmers and ranchers every step of the way, and for his own negotiations in securing these monumental deals. I hope you will join me in applauding all the work that President Trump and Sen. Daines have done for Montana agriculture as their hard work has delivered huge wins for Montana ranchers and farmers. Fred Wacker is a rancher from Miles City and president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 Janire Pascual-Gonzalez wants to expand markets and profitability for new agricultural products. | Photos: Cliff Hollis Pascual-Gonzalez is analyzing the potential and marketability of products such as bioplastics and renewable energy from sources like wood pellets and animal waste. Ride by an eastern North Carolina farm, and you'll see tobacco, corn, cotton, soybeans, maybe sorghum or wheat, and often some livestock.Janire Pascual-Gonzalez sees new sources of revenue for the state's farmers and agriculture industry.That's why she came to East Carolina University two years ago to take a position as a postdoctoral scholar. A chemical engineer by training with a doctorate in chemical, environmental and process engineering from the Universitat Rovira I Virgili in Spain, she's analyzing the potential and marketability of products such as bioplastics and renewable energy from sources like wood pellets and animal waste.she said.Since arriving, Pascual-Gonzalez has been part of a joint project of ECU and N.C. State University, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to explore value-added agricultural products. The project report is at https://bit.ly/2N9z154 said Jay Golden, Pascual's mentor and former vice chancellor for research, economic development and engagement at ECU Having worked for an engineering, safety consulting and water treatment firm before coming to America, Pascual-Gonzalez says the job of a postdoc has its own demands.she said.Her husband, Antoni Aguilar-Mogas, is also a postdoctoral scholar at ECU, specializing in big-data mining to analyze the economic structure of eastern N.C. counties as well as the economic impact of catastrophic events such as hurricanes.Pascual-Gonzalez will be at ECU at least two more years, and since arriving she's found some things to love about eastern North Carolina, such as the region's unique barbecue as well as its residents.she said. The Republican leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, who setting the rules, said as the trial began, "This initial step will offer an early signal to our country: Can the Senate still serve our (nation's) founding purpose?" The first order of business for Republicans, who control the Senate, and the Democrats first order of business when the trial began on Tuesday was coming up with rules procedure, including the calling of witnesses. The rules will have to be voted on by the 100-member Senate, where the Republicans have a 53-member lead. McConnell - like Trump - wants an early end to the trial, preferably before February 4 when Trump's State of the Union address is scheduled. Three Democrat senators seeking the party's presidential nomination are locked up in the trial while their rivals are able to campaign, especially in Iowa where party members will be the first in the nation on February 3 to make their choice. Notably, former Vice President Joe Biden, who is at the root of the charges against Trump, however, will be able to campaign with an advantage over Senators Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren. The charges of abuse of power stem from Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelentsky during a phone call to investigate the actions of Biden and his son, Hunter, in Ukraine. Calling new witnesses that the Democrats want will extend the duration of the trial. McConnell has said that he has enough votes ensure control over the rules and process, although he has made two changes to accommodate some moderate party members. However, even if there are defections from his party Trump's acquittal is almost a certainty because a two-thirds majority is required for convicting him. The only two other presidents - Bill Clinton in 1998 and Andrew Johnson in 1868 - to be impeached before Trump were both acquitted since the opposition could not muster the two-thirds vote for conviction. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chair, who is leading the prosecution, and Senate Democratic Party Leader Chuck Schumer demanded that they be allowed to call witnesses and introduce more evidence. Schumer said the rules proposed McConnell to bar witnesses and new evidence "will result in a rushed trial with little evidence in the dark of night." The Democrats did not allow the Republicans to call their own witnesses during the impeachment investigations and hearings in the House and the Republican leaders want to do the same to them. Schiff said, "Right now a great many, perhaps even most Americans, do not believe there will be a fair trial. They don't believe that the Senate will be impartial. They believe that the result is precooked." He called Trump's defence "nonsense." White House lawyer Pat Cipollone questioned the motives of the Democrats in launching the impeachment. He said, "A partisan impeachment is like stealing an election. ... They want to remove Trump from the ballot, but they don't have the guts to tell you that." The Democrats want former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Trump's Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and others who have knowledge of Trump's request for Ukrainian investigation of the Bidens to testify. Trump wants Biden to testify on his role in the firing of a prosecutor investigating his son's Ukrainian company. The debate on the rules resolution is expected to stretch late with a vote taking place late Tuesday night or in the early hours of Wednesday. If the rules are adopted, the House prosecutors are likely to start on Wednesday their three days of arguments laying their case Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump's lawyers will have three more days for counter-arguments. It will be followed by 16 hours of questions from Senators and fours hours of deliberations, after which a vote on new witnesses and documents. One of the House prosecutors Zoe Lofgren, who had participated in the impeachment of Clinton, said that Clinton had provided documents to the House probe, while Trump had not. Therefore, she said, Trump should be compelled to provide them to the Senate. The Senate has banned its members from using electronic media like mobile phones, tablets or computers and senators could be seen making notes on paper. But the prosecutors and defence used Powerpoint-type displays to make their case. Senators are also ordered to stay silent on pain of punishment. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in) TEL AVIV/GAZA - Three Palestinians in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday were killed by an IDF unit after crossing the perimeter fence with Gaza and throwing a bomb at the soldiers, military radio reported on Wednesday. The three were planning an attack, according to the report. Palestinian sources said the three youths had been instructed by the Islamic Jihad although they were not formally members. Over the past few hours Israel has raised the security alert around the Gaza Strip over fears that Palestinian militias could plan attacks as dozens of foreign leaders will be travelling to the Jewish State to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In particular, military radio reported that in that area Israel has boosted the Iron Dome defense system against rocket attacks. Latest News Sydney property prices might not drop yet, as planning problems persist NSW planning approvals have fallen off a cliff since October, showing that the supply crisis might yet continue The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed, with rentvesting and borderless investing likely to surge A new report has shed light on the performance of property resales across Australia over the September 2019 quarter. Around 85% of property resales over the period sold for more than their previous price, delivering a gross profit of $18.7bn for resellers across Australia, according to the CoreLogic Pain and Gain report. This was a slight increase in profitable resales, up 0.1% on the previous quarter, while gross profits increased by $2.4bn over the same period. Hobart sellers were most likely to experience gains with 98.1% of properties selling for a profit over the three months to September 2019. Regional Victoria (96.6%) and regional Tasmania (96.4%) also delivered positive returns for sellers. Hobart has experienced particularly large capital gains over the past five years and this has translated into exceptionally strong results for resellers of both houses and apartments during the past quarter, said CoreLogic head of residential research, Eliza Owen. When it comes to generating a profit for the seller, owner-occupied properties have outperformed investment properties in all markets except for Hobart and Regional Tasmania. Over the September 2019 quarter, 98.8% of investment properties resold in Hobart were profitable compared to 98.0% of owner-occupied dwellings." Nationally, 88.9% of owner-occupied properties resold for a profit compared to 83.4% of investment properties. Overall, house resellers were more likely than unit sellers to experience gains. Nine in ten houses across Australia sold for more than their previous purchase price compared to eight in ten apartments. The disparity was greatest in Brisbane and Canberra. In recent years, there has been a relatively high level of newly constructed apartments in state capitals, especially across Brisbane and the ACT. This oversupply, which contributes to lower prices and higher vacancies, has impacted returns for unit resellers, explained Owen. During the September quarter, regional markets outperformed capital cities, with sellers making a profit from 88.0% of regional resales compared to 87.1% of resales across the state capitals. There was $764.8m in gross losses over the quarter, generated from 12.6% of property resales nationally, with sellers in Darwin experiencing the greatest pain; just 51.7% of properties resold for a gross profit, followed by regional Western Australia at 56.9% and Perth at 63.6%. UPDATED at 02:30 EST on 01/22/2020 China on Wednesday reported hundreds more cases and 17 deaths from the new coronavirus traced to the central city of Wuhan, Hubei province, which has now closed all transport links into and out of the city, with officials warning that the virus could mutate. State television quoted the Hubei provincial authorities as saying that 17 deaths of people confirmed infected by the novel coronavirus (nCoV) had been reported as of 1200 GMT on Wednesday, with more than 540 cases confirmed. Tests have shown that the viruswhich causes high fever, respiratory symptoms and pneumoniais new, but comes from the same family as the SARS virus that left hundreds of people dead in 2002-2003. Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang called on people who live there not to leave, and on people outside it not to travel there. Meanwhile, the city closed its transport links on Wednesday, announcing the suspension of bus, subway, ferry, and other long-distance travel networks beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, local time, state media said. The shut-down comes as hundreds of millions of people had hoped to take trains, planes and buses back to their hometowns in time for Lunar New Year's Eve on Jan. 24. "The rise in the mobility of the public has objectively increased the risk of the epidemic spreading," National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin told a news briefing. "There has been human-to-human transmission, healthcare workers have become infected, and there is a certain degree of transmission within communities," Li said. "The virus is mainly transmitted via breathing, and it could be mutating." "We cannot take this lightly. We must be very vigilant," he said, speaking as the World Health Organization (WHO) began an emergency meeting to rule if the outbreak is a global health emergency. Li said around 2,200 people are currently in isolation after being in contact with infected patients. Virus is spreading The virus has spread from Wuhan around China to population centers including Beijing, Shanghai, Macau, and Hong Kong, with cases confirmed in Thailand, the U.S., Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. There is currently no vaccine for the virus, and Hong Kong and British scientists have estimated that between 1,300 and 1,700 people in Wuhan may have been infected, amid concerns that cases are being underreported. Travelers arriving from China are being screened at airports around the world, as Russia and the U.K. said they had stepped up quarantine controls. Masks are now common attire for people out and about in public places in China, with retailers selling out and supplies changing hands at hugely inflated prices. Concerns remain over a lack of transparency, and that political concerns among ruling Chinese Communist Party officials could interfere with reporting processes. State media reported on Wednesday that eight people called in for questioning for spreading "rumors" about the virus had said it was SARS, but that nobody had been detained or punished. Shutting down information A resident of Shanghai who gave only her surname Ma said the government's first impulse had been to shut down information from the outset. "The government always thinks first about blocking things ... to shut down the information and to suppress the people who disclose it," Ma said. "Logically, the government should be grateful to people who disclose things, because they get an early warning and have a chance to take action," she said. Some online comments harked back to the lack of transparency around the SARS epidemic and the persecution of whistle-blowers. Under current rules brought in since the SARS crisis, media organizations are forced to rely only on information approved and released by media organizations on the ruling Chinese Communist Party's whitelist, and are barred from carrying out independent reporting of breaking news. Authorities in Hong Kong said they have set aside two holiday camps in the city for use as quarantine centers in the event of further cases of nCoV in the city. Dozens of people have been isolated in the city's hospitals after arriving from Wuhan with flu-like symptoms, but only one case of nCoV had been confirmed as of Wednesday. More camps may open Health Secretary Sophia Chan said the government would meet on Thursday to decide whether more camps should be requisitioned for quarantine measures. "The Centre For Health Protection would have to identify these close contacts and then put them under medical surveillance," she said. "All these close contacts being identified by the Centre For Health Protection would be isolated in the holiday camps," she told reporters. The Hong Kong authorities ran several quarantine camps during the SARS outbreak of 2003. Chan said a 39-year-old man had been identified as a "highly likely" case of nCoV after arriving by high-speed train from Wuhan with his family, and staying in a Kowloon hotel. His family have continued their journey to the Philippines. Vaccine delayed In the U.S., the National Institutes of Health said it is working on a vaccine against nCoV, but that the process could take more than a year. "The NIH is in the process of taking the first steps towards the development of a vaccine," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told journalists. Fauci said it would be a few months before the first phase of the clinical trials would get under way, with a vaccine likely taking more than a year. In Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen called on the WHO not to ignore Taiwan, in spite of the democratic island's relative diplomatic isolation at China's behest. "Once again, I call on the World Health Organization (WHO) not to exclude Taiwan for political reasons," she said. "Taiwan is on the front line of global epidemic prevention efforts, and the WHO should make space for us to participate." Reported by Man Hoi-tsan, Wong Siu-san, Sing Man and Chung Kuang-cheng for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Hwang Chun-mei, Gao Feng and Lu Xi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Bernie Sanders canceled an Iowa rally scheduled for Wednesday. Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet didnt bother scheduling any campaign stops this week theyre all stuck in the Senate for the foreseeable future due to the impeachment trial. But even as four of Joe Bidens presidential campaign rivals were pulled off the campaign trail this week to sit as silent jurors in Washington, hes hardly got an advantage. While he largely has the Iowa stage to himself this week, the former vice president is playing a starring role in the impeachment saga along with his son, Hunter. Just before the trial kicked off, his campaign launched a preemptive strike by issuing a memo demanding reporters refer to President Trumps allegations against the Bidens as discredited conspiracy theory about their unrelated work in Ukraine. The clinical term for that is horseshit, Andrew Bates, Bidens rapid-response director, said in a YouTube video released Tuesday that wove in the history of the case with swear words. Its bullshit. Theres only so much distance Biden can get from a trial that was sparked by charges against Trump that he improperly leveraged U.S. aid to Ukraine in return for it launching an investigation into Hunter Bidens business dealings in the country dealings that dovetailed with his fathers overseas portfolio when he was vice president. Democratic House impeachment managers have rallied to Bidens side, insisting that the GOP-led Senate not call his son to testify in the Senate trial. It would not be appropriate for the president to seek to call witnesses merely to try to perpetuate the same smear campaign that was foiled when his plot was discovered, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of the House impeachment managers, said Tuesday morning . Hunter Biden, for example, cant tell us anything about whether the president withheld military aid, whether he withheld that aid to coerce Ukraine to conduct political investigations, or why he wouldnt meet with the president of Ukraine, Schiff said. Story continues But an impeachment trial is like no other in American law. Its a political process in which the jurors are senators who they write their own rules for the trial. And if Republicans will only allow witnesses for the House to appear in return for Hunter Biden testifying, it might be best to compel him to do so, said Jeff Hauser, the founder and director of the nonpartisan Revolving Door Project, which watchdogs executive branch appointees. Its definitely a mess of a situation. And its not going away, Hauser said. Theres a germ of truth in that Hunter Biden does seem to have personally profited from what his father does without, in turn, his father doing anything wrong ... Frankly, it would be in the best interest for the Biden family to address these accusations head on rather than to let them linger. Some Democratic senators have privately discussed a witness swap in the trial trading the testimony of Hunter or even Joe Biden for that of a top administration official according to the Washington Post. The Biden campaign declined to comment for this story. In this image from video, the Senate votes on an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) In prior remarks about his son, Biden has said he would let his sons remarks in an ABC interview speak for themselves. Also, Biden says, he knew little about his sons work for Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas company that was the subject of Trumps focus. Judging by the questions Biden has received at town halls, voters are more interested in healthcare, Social Security or abortion. But the topic of Hunter Biden and impeachment has still come up. In Grinnell, Iowa, Biden was asked on Jan. 5 by a voter about whether he or his son should testify and how the controversy would unfold if he becomes the Democratic nominee. I would comply myself with any legitimate subpoena that came to me, Biden said, pointing out that the witnesses who testified during the House impeachment proceedings said he did nothing illegal or unethical when, on behalf of the U.S. government as vice president and a coalition of foreign governments, he pressured Ukraine to fire a corrupt prosecutor. With regard to my son, Hunter, theres no way he shed light on whether or not Trump did in fact ask [the government of Ukraine] to investigate, Biden said. Biden usually avoids specifically discussing impeachment on the campaign trail and seldom says Hunter Bidens name at all a sharp contrast to his frequent mentions of his son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2014. Bidens emotions in defending his sole surviving son erupted last month when an Iowa farmer at a campaign event accused Biden of somehow selling access through his sons Ukraine arrangement with Burisma. Youre a damn liar, man. Thats not true. And no one has ever said that, Biden said in response. And when the man slipped up during the exchange, Biden exploded: Get your words straight, Jack! The fiery exchange and the nature of Trumps attacks on Biden, ironically, may have helped Biden to date in the primary. It reminds people that Trump is worried about Biden. He talks about him incessantly ... because he doesnt want to face Joe Biden in the fall, said Jeff Link, an Iowa Democratic consultant. A lot of folks in Iowa looked at what Trump is doing and thought, Well, I think Biden must be the strongest candidate to take on Donald Trump if Trump thinks so. Biden is in the midst of a two-day campaign swing through Iowa while the senators running against him are stuck in Washington. Just as Biden began campaigning in Ames, Iowa, Sanders campaign was announcing he had to cancel a Wednesday event in Cedar Falls. His surrogate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), will stand in for Sanders in Iowa. The other candidates similarly have surrogates stumping for them in the early states during the trial. The only other top-tier candidate in Iowa, Pete Buttigieg, is also on the campaign trail. Before Biden entered the race last year, some rivals were quietly whispering about the bad optics of his son getting lucrative contracts based on family connections. Some Democratic campaigns released opposition research about Hunter Biden, saying it was part of a pattern of him profiting off his fathers position as vice president and, before that, a senator. But then news of Trumps efforts to leverage Ukraine broke, leading to his impeachment. And Democrats quickly backed away from saying anything critical about the Bidens and Ukraine. That line of attack is just off the table, said one Democratic consultant with one of the rival campaigns. No one wants to look like Trumps messenger boy. Trump screwed it all up. Democrats are so sensitive about the appearance of siding with Trump that Sanders broke with his own campaign on Monday night by apologizing for an op-ed by a surrogate who attacked Biden for having a corruption problem. The op-ed specifically avoided any mention of Ukraine and instead focused on the corruption of the current campaign finance system. But the timing of the op-eds release the day before the impeachment trial made it untenable for Sanders. Still, theres a sense of unease among Democrats who dont expect Trump will let the Hunter Biden matter go, and fear the matter could turn off just enough voters to help him win the general election if Biden is the nominee. Democrats should not nominate him because hes got too many scandals, too much baggage, takes money from billionaires and is going to be doomed by the Ukrainian scandal, a progressive activist, Pete Sikora, told a New York television station earlier this month while protesting a Biden fundraiser. But, at least publicly, comments like that on the left are scarce on the campaign trail. It would be political malpractice for the Democratic candidates to discuss Hunter Biden because the overall facts are so bad for Trump that invoking Hunter Biden is a problem, said Hauser, the activist with the Revolving Door Project. NEW YORK - Two women who have accused Cuba Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct will be allowed to testify at his trial on charges that he groped three other women at Manhattan bars in 2018 and 2019, a judge ruled Wednesday. An April 21 trial date was set for Gooding, who previously pleaded not guilty to an updated indictment that covers the three accusations of groping. Prosecutors said they had 19 other women who could testify that the Oscar-winning Jerry Maguire actor was also inappropriate with them in similar settings bars, hotels and restaurants as far back as 2001. Gooding has denied the charges. His defence attorney, Mark Heller, previously called the allegations incredulous and assailed the prosecution as a waste of taxpayer dollars. Gooding and his attorneys left Wednesdays proceeding without commenting. The brief hearing at Manhattan criminal court came as opening statements began in the same building in the prosecution of Harvey Weinstein, a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement. Heller has called the charges against Gooding a distorted overreaction pandering to the current hypersensitive climate where innocent commonplace gestures are now misperceived and mischaracterized as offensive. He has accused prosecutors of amplifying long-ago allegations to bolster an otherwise weak case. Attorneys in the case are expected to return to court next week for a hearing on a protective order governing discovery. Prosecutors wanted an earlier trial date, but Goodings defence team said it needed more time to examine the evidence. Prosecutors asked Judge Curtis Farber to allow a parade of witnesses to testify that Gooding violated them in bars, hotels and restaurants as long ago as 2001. None of those claims resulted in criminal charges, but state law allows prosecutors to call accusers not involved in the criminal case as witnesses in an effort to show a pattern of misconduct. Gooding prosecutor Jenna Long said in a court filing that the previous incidents make clear that Goodings contacts with (womens) intimate parts are intentional, not accidental, and that he is not mistaken about their lack of consent. Farber, in a written ruling, said the admission of all 19 uncharged prior incidents would result in undue prejudice. He added that admitting a limited selection of incidents outweighs such prejudice. Farber also denied a defence motion to dismiss the charges on the grounds that Gooding was not allowed to testify to the grand jury. The judge wrote that prosecutors had no obligation to inform the defendant that a grand jury proceeding was pending. This weekend sees a nation-wide collection in US Catholic churches as a sign of solidarity between Catholics of the United States and those in Latin America and the Caribbean. By Linda Bordoni The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) annual Collection for the Church in Latin America will be taken up the weekend of January 25-26 2020. In a message Bishop Octavio Cisnero invites the faithful to help strengthen families, fund Catholic education, and foster priestly and religious vocations by giving to the Collection. The auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn and chairman of the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America of the USCCB says for over 50 years, Catholics in the United States have expressed solidarity with the Church from Mexico to the Caribbean, to the southern tip of South America through the Collection. The 2020 campaign highlights the faith of Latin America and the many opportunities we have to share faith with them. Cisnero says We also recognize the tremendous benefit of having our Latin American brothers and sisters in the Church and the revitalization their fervor brings to the faith. In addition to offering our help and support to the Catholics of Latin America, we have much to learn from them. The collection supports the work of the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America by funding grants for pastoral efforts such as lay leadership training, seminarian and religious formation, prison ministry, and youth ministry, among others. More information about the Collection for the Church in Latin America and the grants it funds, as well as resources to promote it across the country, can be found at www.usccb.org/latin-america. South Koreas first known transgender soldier pleaded to be allowed to continue serving after the military decided to discharge her for undergoing gender reassignment surgery. It was the first time in South Korea that an active-duty member has been referred to a military panel to determine whether to end his or her service due to a sex reassignment operation. South Korea prohibits transgender people from joining the military but has no specific laws on what to do with those who have sex reassignment operations during their time in service. The army said in a statement that it concluded the soldiers operation can be considered a reason for discharge. Please give me that chanceByun Hui-su It said the decision went through due process and was based on a related military law on personnel changes. Army officials cited a provision of the law allowing the military to discharge personnel with physical or mental disabilities if those problems werent a result of combat or in the line of duty. After the ruling, the staff sergeant, who identified herself as a tank driver named Byun Hui-su, held a news conference at which she asked military leaders to reconsider their decision and let her serve as a female soldier. She said becoming a soldier was her childhood dream and that she now wants to serve at the tense border with rival North Korea. Regardless of my sexual identity, Id like to show everyone that I can become one of the great soldiers who protect this country, Ms Byun said, holding back tears. Please give me that chance. Expand Close South Korean army Sergeant Byun Hui-su weeps during a press conference (Ahn Young-joon/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp South Korean army Sergeant Byun Hui-su weeps during a press conference (Ahn Young-joon/AP) Ms Byun said she had sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in November after suffering depression over her sexual identity for an extended period. She said in early 2019 she had the top score in an official assessment of tank driving skills among her battalion staff sergeants. Speaking at the same news conference, rights activist Lim Tae-hoon said he will fight alongside Ms Byun and others to transform what he called our savage military. Mr Lim, the leader of the Seoul-based Centre for Military Human Rights, took issue with the armys legal justification for discharging Ms Byun. I cant resist feeling wretched at the militarys vulgar mindset as they determined that the lack of a male genital is a physical disability, he said. Expand Close South Korean army Sergeant Byun Hui-su salutes (Ahn Young-joon/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp South Korean army Sergeant Byun Hui-su salutes (Ahn Young-joon/AP) South Koreas state-run human rights watchdog recommended Tuesday that the army postpone its decision. The National Human Rights Commission said in a statement that referring the soldier to the military panel would be an act of discrimination over sexual identity and affect the soldiers basic human rights. Public views on gender issues in South Korea have gradually changed in recent years. Several gay-themed movies and TV dramas have become hits and some transgender entertainers have risen to stardom. However, a strong bias against sexual minorities still runs deep in South Korean society. Activists say transgender people are likely to face harassment, abuse and insults, and many suffer from depression. A motorist who deliberately drove his car at a man outside a bar after they'd had a row, was yesterday jailed for three-and-a-half-years at the Crown Court in Londonderry. Raymond Lishman (30), from Clarendon Street, mounted the pavement outside the Bowery Bar in Ferguson Street in the city and struck the pedestrian, throwing him onto the bonnet before the victim fell to the ground. The man suffered tissue and tendon damage to his left knee, the back of his head was badly swollen and cut and he lost a front tooth in the incident on the night of October 7, 2018. Lishman, who had 54 previous criminal convictions, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent. In addition to his jail sentence, Lishman was also disqualified from driving for five years. The entire incident was recorded on CCTV. The footage showed the victim punching the rear driver's side window of Lishman's car with his fist. The victim apologised to Lishman and said he would sort out the damage the following day, the court heard. Lishman got back in the car and drove off, but when he reached the bottom of Ferguson Street he turned around, drove back up the street and sped directly towards the victim on the footpath. Lishman then phoned for an ambulance before walking away, leaving his car at the scene. Judge Elizabeth McCaffrey said Lishman had driven in an appalling and reckless manner. "It is clear to me from having watched the CCTV footage that it is only by the grace of God that the injured party did not sustain much more serious injuries and it is certainly no thanks to the way in which the defendant conducted himself on the night in question", she said. After his arrest, Lishman told police he was "mad" and acted on impulse. Defence barrister Eoghan Devlin described Lishman's actions as stupid. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstans Minister of Trade and integration Bakhyt Sultanov has proposed to look into possibility of exporting Kazakh goods worth $1.5 billion to France, Trend reports with reference to the Facebook page of Sultanov. According to Sultanov, the issue was discussed during his meeting with Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, who co-chairs Kazakhstan-French Intergovernmental Commission of economic cooperation. The meeting was held in Paris. Within the framework of the meeting, the parties also discussed development of trade and economic cooperation. Kazakhstan imports aircraft, medicine and vaccines, electric transformers from France. We have discussed the opportunities for trade turnover increase. Kazakhstan is also aiming to diversify its export structure, Sultanov said. According to the minister, Kazakhstan has the means to increase export of wheat flour, metallurgy and chemical products. I think that our talk with Lemoyne will give an impulse to the joint work on trade increase, Sultanov said. He added that the trade turnover value between Kazakhstan and France during 11 months of 2019 amounted to $4 billion. We export crude oil, uranium, cathodes and copper, as well as fishery products to France. Last year, the export value amounted to $3.4 billion, the minister said. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh INDIANAPOLIS -- Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have identified blood-based biomarkers associated with both delirium duration and severity in critically ill patients. This finding opens the door to easy, early identification of individuals at risk for longer delirium duration and higher delirium severity and could potentially lead to new treatments of this brain failure for which drugs have been shown to be largely ineffective. An estimated 7 million hospitalized Americans suffer from the acute confusion and disorientation, characteristics of delirium, including a majority of patients in medical or surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Individuals who experience delirium in the ICU are more likely to have more hospital-associated complications, longer stays and higher risk of readmission. They are more likely to experience cognitive impairment and also have a greater likelihood of dying for up to a year after their hospital stay than ICU patients who did not experience delirium. "If you can tell which patients will have higher delirium severity and longer duration and therefore greater probability of death, there are important treatment implications," said Regenstrief Institute research scientist and IU School of Medicine faculty member Babar Khan, M.D., who led the research and is the president of the American Delirium Society. "Analyzing biomarkers to stratify risk for delirium is a promising approach with the potential to be applied regularly in ICU patients in the near future." In a new observational study, Dr. Khan and colleagues report that biomarkers for astrocyte and glial activation as well as for inflammation were associated with increased delirium duration and severity and greater in-hospital mortality. Biomarkers of the 321 study participants, all of whom experienced delirium in an ICU, were identified from samples obtained via simple blood draws. Delirium severity was determined using a tool developed by a team including Regenstrief, IU School of Medicine and Purdue College of Pharmacy scientists. The CAM-ICU-7, short for Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit 7 -- is easy to administer, even to patients on mechanical ventilators. More than half of ICU patients in the U.S. receive mechanical ventilation. Each day with delirium in the ICU is associated with a 10 percent increased likelihood of death, according to Dr. Khan, so diminishing its duration and ultimately preventing it is critical. Regenstrief, IU School of Medicine and research scientists from other institutions have conclusively shown in several large trials that antipsychotics, such as the widely used haloperidol, are not effective for the management of delirium duration or severity. Regenstrief and IU School of Medicine researchers are actively exploring other approaches to delirium. Dr. Khan is co-principal investigator of an ongoing study that is the first to test whether listening to music, a non-pharmacological strategy that has been shown to decrease over-sedation, anxiety and stress in critically ill patients -- all factors that predispose to ICU delirium - and lowers the likelihood of developing delirium. In a completed study, Regenstrief researchers determined that waking ICU patients and having them breathe on their own decreased acute brain failure. The new study, "Biomarkers of Delirium Duration and Delirium Severity in the ICU" has been published online ahead of print in the journal Critical Care Medicine. ### Authors in addition to Dr. Babar Khan are: Regenstrief Institute research scientists and IU School of Medicine faculty Sikander H. Khan, D.O., M.S., and Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH. Regenstrief Institute research scientist and Purdue University College of Pharmacy faculty Noll Campbell, PharmD, M.S. Anthony J. Perkins, M.S., IU Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science and Indiana CTSI. Nagendra K. Prasad, BVSc, PhD, MBA; Anantha Shekhar, M.D., PhD; Sujuan Gao, PhD; Sophia Wang, M.D. and Homer L. Twigg III, M.D., all of the IU School of Medicine. Dr. Shekhar is also the founding director of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Edward R. Marcantonio, M.D., S.M., of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. The study was supported by National Institute on Aging (NIA) grant K23AG043476. The NIA is part of the National Institutes of Health. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. The Regenstrief Institute and its researchers are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About Indiana University School of Medicine IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. About Babar Khan, M.D. In addition to his appointment as a Regenstrief Institute research scientist, Babar Khan, M.D., is associate director at Indiana University Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute and associate professor of medicine at IU School of Medicine. He is the president of the American Delirium Society. As more and more large-scale human genome sequencing projects get completed, scientists have been able to trace with increasing confidence both the geographical movements and underlying genetic variation of human populations. Most of these projects have favored the study of European populations, and thus, have been lacking in representing the true ethnic diversity across the globe. To better understand the broad demographic history of pre-Hispanic Mexico and to search for signatures of adaptive evolution, an international team led by Mexican scientists have sequenced the complete protein-coding regions of the genome, or exomes, of 78 individuals from five different indigenous groups from Northern (Rara?muri or Tarahumara, and Huichol), Central (Nahua), South (Triqui, or TRQ) and Southeast (Maya, or MYA) Mexico. The genomic study, the largest of its kind for indigenous populations from the Americas, appeared recently in the advanced online edition of Molecular Biology and Evolution. "We modeled the demographic history of indigenous populations from Mexico with northern and southern ethnic groups (Tarahumara and Huichol) splitting 7.2 kya and subsequently diverging locally 6.5 kya (Huichol groups) and 5.7 kya (Triqui and Maya), respectively," said lead author Maria A?vila-Arcos, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The Nahua were excluded from the final analysis due to the noise it brought to the overall analysis. Overall, they identified 120,735 single nucleotide variants (SNV) among the individuals studied, which were used to trace back the population history. Furthermore, they were able to reconcile their data with the demographic history and fossil records of ancestral Native Americans. "The split times we found are also coherent with previous estimates of ancestral Native Americans diverging ~17.5-14.6 KYA into Southern Native Americans or "Ancestral A," comprising Central and Southern Native Americans) and Northern Native Americans or "Ancestral B," and with an initial settlement of Mexico occurring at least 12,000 years ago, as suggested by the earliest skeletal remains dated to approximately this age found in Central Mexico and the Yucata?n peninsula," said Avila-Arcos. "Studies on genome-wide data from ancient remains from Central and South America reveal genetic continuity between ancient and modern populations in some parts of the Americas over the last 8,500 years." "This suggests that, by that time, the ancestral population of MYA was not yet genetically differentiated from others, so our estimates of northern/southern split at 7.2 KYA and Mayan/Triqui divergence at 5.7 KYA fit with this scenario." Next, they scanned the data to identify candidate genes most important for adaptation. "Interestingly, some of these genes had previously been identified as targets of selection in other populations," said co-corresponding author Andres Moreno Estrada, principal investigator at National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (LANGEBIO) - UGA, CINVESTAV. These genes include SLC24A5, involved in skin pigmentation, and FAP, which was previously suggested to be under adaptive archaic introgression in Peruvians and Melanesians. Three genes were involved in the immune response. These include SYT5, implicated in innate immune response, and interleukins IL17A and IL13. The remaining candidate genes were involved in signal transduction (MPZL1), protein localization and transport (GRASP and ARFRP1), cell differentiation and spermatogenesis (GMCL), Golgi apparatus organization (UBXN2B), neuron differentiation (MANF), signaling and cardiac muscle contraction (ADRBK1), cell cycle (CDK5), microtubule organization and stabilization (NCKAP5L), and stress fiber formation (NCKIPSD). A couple of genes stood out for the team. These included, BCL2L13, which is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and could be related to physical endurance, including high endurance long-distance running, a well-known trait of the northern Mexico Rara?muri. The KBTBD8 gene has been associated with idiopathic short stature (also found in Koreans) and the team found it to be highly differentiated in Triqui, a southern indigenous group from Oaxaca whose height is extremely low compared to other Native populations. "We carried out the most comprehensive characterization of potentially adaptive functional variation in Indigenous peoples from the Americas to date," said Moreno Estrada. "We identified in these populations over four thousand new variants, most of them singletons, with neutral, regulatory, as well as protein-truncating and missense annotations. The average number of singletons per individual was higher in Nahua (NAH) and Maya (MYA), which is expected given these two Indigenous groups embody the descendants of the largest civilizations in Mesoamerica, and that today Nahua and Maya languages are the most spoken Indigenous languages in Mexico. Furthermore, the generated data also allowed us to propose a demographic model inferred from genomic data in Native Mexicans and to identify possible events of adaptive evolution in pre-Columbian Mexico." ### People in Puerto Rico gathered and protested in front of the Governor's mansion demanding the resignation of Gov. Wanda Vasquez after some Puerto Ricans recently found a warehouse full of pallets of water and unused emergency kits, according to an article published by NBC News. In a previous report of Latin Post, Gov. Vasquez fired Carlos Acevedo, the island's director of emergency management, after a warehouse was found filled with emergency supplies. Acevedo explained that they distributed more than 600 pallets of water when the country was hit by Hurricanes Karen and Dorian and the pallets of water found inside the warehouse had expired. He also added that there were no orders to destroy or seize those items. This has become one of the biggest issues in Puerto amid the ongoing earthquake crisis they are experiencing. According to Mari Rivera, a government employee, there is a need to get rid of the corrupt government officials and Gov. Vasquez needs to stop blaming others. Due to the disappointment felt by Puerto Ricans, demonstrators banged on pots and some waved the Puerto Rican flag and one of them yelled, "Wanda! Turn over the disaster supplies!" Meanwhile, the evangelical preacher, Ramon Marrero, together with his wife and daughters, drove up from the southern coastal town of Guayama and said that they came to show their indignation, annoyance, and rebellion amidst the warehouse controversy. The protest reminds many Puerto Ricans of protests that escalated over the summer that led to the resignation of former Gov. Ricardo Rosello. This time, the demonstrators vow to remain in the street until Vasquez steps down from office. Many of them chanted, "This fight goes on no matter what!" Moreover, Ricky Martin is expected to join the protests as he announced on his Instagram account that he was en route to the island. He wrote: "In the times of our people's greatest needs, those who are supposed to be leaders have once again failed. They have once again failed to address the most basic rights of human beings: water, roof, education, security." It can be remembered that Martin, along with several renowned artists, became part of the protests last year that drew tens of thousands of people to the streets. The protests came after Vasquez fired two other high-ranking officials in her administration. She fired Housing Secretary Fernando Gil and Family Secretary Glorimar Andujar due to the lack of information regarding aid collection and distribution centers. This occurred after she fired Carlos Acevedo on Saturday. Subsequently, amidst the protests and firing of high-ranking officials, Gov. Vasquez said that she lost confidence in some officials after people discovered the warehouse in the southern coastal city of Ponce. She also said that the emergency supplies were there since the island was hit by Hurrican Maria in 2017. Gov. Vasquez ordered an investigation into the incident and assured everyone that those who broke into the warehouse and distributed the supplies will not be prosecuted. The estimated cost of damage from the earthquake is $200 million. Limerick City and County Council is to spend in the region of 1m on a brand for Limerick to strengthen its competitive edge on an international scale. A city hall spokesman revealed the investment "as part Limericks ambitions to internationalise and create a new dynamic in the city and county." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 18:18 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20608a452 1 Politics Yasonna-Laoly,tanjung-priok,protest,Law-and-Human-Rights-Ministry,Jakarta-police Free More than one hundred residents of Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, flocked on Wednesday to the Law and Human Rights Ministry on Jl. HR Rasuna Said in South Jakarta to protest minister Yasonna Laoly after they took offense at a statement made by the official. We have deployed around 200 officers to safeguard the protest. We hope the protesters can maintain public order, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said as quoted by tempo.co. The Jakarta Police traffic unit posted a reminder to road users on its official Twitter account @TMCPoldaMetro at 12 p.m. to avoid Jl. HR Rasuna Said during the protests. 14:42 Kegiatan penyampaian pendapat di depan Kemenkumham Jl. Rasuna Said Jaksel (arah ke Menteng), lalin tersendat & msh pengamanan Polri. @AdibHidayat pic.twitter.com/SgvpBp8wqK TMC Polda Metro Jaya (@TMCPoldaMetro) January 22, 2020 The protest was staged in response to a statement made by Yasonna during a speech at Jatinegara prison, East Jakarta, on Jan. 16. The Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) member said that Tanjung Priok was an example of a "slum" and was source of all sorts of crime because of poverty. Crime is a social product, crime is a social problem. As a social problem, we all have the same responsibility. Crime mostly occurs in slum areas, not in Menteng, he said, referring to the wealthy neighborhood in Central Jakarta. Children in Menteng will not [commit crime], but try visiting Tanjung Priok where crime occurs because people are poor, he added. Twitter account North Jakarta Mania (@NjmaniaOnline) also posted a video on Wednesday afternoon showing hundreds of motorcycles heading toward Kuningan. In another post, a video shows the protest taking place in front of the ministrys headquarters. Dont you realize, Pak? Crime is not necessarily caused by poverty. Take a look at those corrupt [officials]. They are not our people, they are not from our place [Tanjung Priok], one protester said, followed by chants from the other protesters. Sedang berlangsung penyampaian pendapat di depan kemenkumham oleh beberapa orator dari berbagai elemen masyarakat Jakarta Utara. pic.twitter.com/bb6aIaeHMs North Jakarta Mania (@NJmaniaOnline) January 22, 2020 The protesters demanded Yasonna apologize. This is a peaceful protest and we demand Pak Yasonna take back his words and apologize to the people of Tanjung Priok, the protest coordinator, Warsito, said. Of course we are angry. But we want to show that Priok people are polite and civilized. Hence we decided to [hold a peaceful] protest in accordance with [the principles of] democracy, he said, adding that Yasonna had shown prejudice toward the people of Tanjung Priok. (vla) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 12:03:41|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday welcomed the outcome of the international conference on Libya held in Berlin on Sunday. The council will have further discussions in the coming days to follow up on the conclusions of the Berlin conference, said Vietnam's UN ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, whose country holds the council presidency for January. The members of the Security Council reiterated their support for top UN envoy in Libya, Ghassan Salame, and for his efforts to bring about a lasting cease-fire and a Libyan-owned and Libyan-led political solution, said Quy after the council was briefed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres behind closed doors. The council members urged the Libyan parties to conclude a cease-fire agreement as soon as possible, he said. Guterres called for "a real political process" following a cease-fire in Libya. Guterres, who attended the Berlin conference, said the event was a major step, but cautioned that there is still a long way to go. "We need to move to a cease-fire, and from the cease-fire, we need to move (to) a real political process and we are not yet there," said Guterres. Participants of the Berlin conference agreed to respect an arms embargo imposed on Libya by the UNSC and to work in military, economic, and political spheres toward peace in Libya. French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were the most prominent participants, apart from Guterres and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Fayez al-Sarraj, prime minister of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli, and Khalifa Haftar, who has been leading his Libyan National Army in an offensive on the country's capital since April 2019, were both in Berlin on Sunday but did not attend the conference nor meet each other. A couple was killed when their bike was hit by a vehicle on Bascule Bridge in the city's Port area, police said on Wednesday. Imran Kamal (37) and his wife Sabina Alam (31), residents of Ahiripukur, were returning home after attending a function on Tuesday night when the incident happened, they said. Police said they are yet to identify the vehicle. "They received multiple head injuries and were declared brought dead when rushed to the SSKM hospital," a senior officer of the Kolkata Police said "We are checking the CCTV footage to identify the vehicle which fled after the accident. We have found two helmets but whether they were wearing them or not is a matter of investigation," he added. In another incident, six persons were injured when an empty goods vehicle crashed into a roadside eatery on Coal Berth Road in the Port area. The accident happened on Tuesday night when the trailer somehow lost control. The driver of the vehicles and five others were injured in the accident, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Back in the fall, Hillary Clinton insinuated on a podcast that presidential candidate (still, somehow) Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii was being groomed by the Russians, referring to her as a favorite. Gabbard, who was interestingly the only representative to vote present during the impeachment trial at the house, is now suing Clinton for $50 million on grounds of defamation. The lawsuit states it plans to hold Clinton, as well as other political elites, responsible for distorting the truth in the middle of a critical Presidential election. She also claims to have suffered economically after Clintons claims, something that will need to be proven at trial. Former attempted Democratic candidate Marianne Williamson tweeted in support of Gabbard back when Clinton accused her of collusion with the Russians (or just being especially susceptible to being manipulated by them, jurys out on what exactly she meant). Williamson recently dropped out of the running to be the Dem nominee. In her tweet, she cited the ways in which the Democratic establishment pits women against each other. Gabbard seems to be adding fuel to the fire. The Democratic establishment has got to stop smearing women it finds inconvenient! The character assassination of women who dont toe the party line will backfire. Stay strong @TulsiGabbard . You deserve respect and you have mine. Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) October 19, 2019 Gabbard also tweeted in defense of herself back then, providing a legendary thread in which she calls Clinton the queen of warmongers. Great! Thank you @HillaryClinton. You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain. From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) October 18, 2019 Of the lawsuit, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill told NBC News, Thats ridiculous. A partner at the law firm Gabbard is working with for the lawsuit said although Rep. Gabbards presidential campaign continues to gain momentum, she has seen her political and personal reputation smeared and her candidacy intentionally damaged by Clintons malicious and demonstrably false remarks. We arent too sure what momentum Brian Dunne, the partner, is referring to. Newsweek recently reported Gabbard was the most disliked democratic primary nominee after her present vote, a decision she has greatly backpedaled on, stating the most centrist idea that I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country. Well see how it plays out. Gabbard has suspected Clinton has held a grudge against her ever since the 2016 election in which Gabbard became the first prominent politician to endorse Bernie Sanders over Clinton. Maybe its truethe dent Clintons comments have made in Gabbards campaign has been noticeable, despite the fact that Gabbard has failed to gain traction over the course of her entire campaign. Workforce Readiness Partnership Teaches Grads 'Human Skills' for Tech Industry Not everybody is cut out for coding. Two universities have begun collaborating with a consulting company to teach their graduates and alumni skills for working in technology without forcing them learn how to program. SV Academy is working with Arizona State University and Florida International University to train people in sales and support roles at tech companies. The new collegiate program is free to the students and specifically focused on teaching what the company called "human skills." For people who are currently employed, the training is part-time and lasts 12 weeks; or students can attend full-time and finish in four weeks. They eventually earn job titles such as customer success manager, sales development representative, value solutions strategist or retail partnership lead. Graduates of the program gain access to: Job preparation and placement support at the companies in SV Academy's network in the San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta and New York, including SurveyMonkey, Palo Alto Networks, Pure Storage and Cloudflare; Full-time job offers with average salary packages of $79,000; and A certificate issued by the university and SV Academy. Participants get a year of on-the-job training and mentoring, as well as access to a career network and events program. Mentoring is done by professionals from companies such as Google, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, LinkedIn and Facebook. "At ASU, we're passionate about giving our students and alumni the resources they need to pursue their dream careers," said Darcy Richardson, director of Continuing & Professional Education for EdPlus at Arizona State, in a statement. "With so many of our graduates interested in technology and our close proximity to California, where many of our students come from, partnering with SV Academy is another way for us to help people pursue the career they want." Officials at Florida International were wooed by SV Academy's focus on diversity and its "zeal for providing accessibility to life-changing education," added Joseph Riquelme, assistant vice president of FIU Online. He noted that the program will give the university's graduates "the tangible skills and mentorship that make them immediately hirable and valuable members of the tech community." According to SV Academy, it has led 28 cohorts since its founding in 2017, helping "hundreds of fellows" transition into sales careers. On average, graduates of the program get a relevant job in 39 days. The mix of the company's graduates is 25 percent African Americans, 16 percent Latinx, 60 percent women and 70 percent first-generation college graduates. The firm was co-founded by CEO Rahim Fazal, whose last company, Involver, was acquired by Oracle, and COO Joel Scott, a former VP of operations at Hewlett Packard. The Wilderness Society has launched a high-stakes legal bid, backed by local government and traditional owners, to overturn federal environmental approval for deep-sea oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight. The group filed documents in the Federal Court in Adelaide last week, challenging the federal regulator's decision to grant conditional approval to Norwegian energy company Equinor to take part in deep-sea oil exploration about 400 kilometres off the South Australian coast. The Wilderness Society has launched court action in the Federal Court in an effort to overturn the decision to allow Norwegian company Equinor to conduct drilling in the Great Australian Bight. Credit:AFR The drilling would take place within a section of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park that is classified as "mixed use". The Wilderness Society's South Australian director, Peter Owen, said the group's legal team would argue the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority's approval of the project was invalid because Equinor failed to properly consult with community and other groups. Car-value expert Gillian Keogh teams up with Motoring Editor Eddie Cunningham to help you make the right choice with your next purchase. Gillian is Editor of a monthly guidebook on the values of used cars produced by the Motor Trade Publishers team. The team supplies a car-valuing service to the motor trade, insurance companies and finance houses. Q I drive a Mercedes E220. I have been driving Mercs since Honda discontinued the Accord. Yearly mileage 30,000km - work related. Retiring and will downsize this year with free travel etc. Considering buying Honda Civic saloon Premium. Reasons: good-looking car, high spec and space in boot for spare wheel. Your advice please. Gillian: I love the Civic. I suggest it whenever I can. Going for the Premium model is a good idea too. Short advice but what else is there to say other than go enjoy? Oh! and I am jealous. Eddie: Ditto. QWe are a couple in our mid-70s. Driving Ford EcoSport D Jan 2017 (38,000km). Three to four lengthy runs a year. Interested in trading up to new. Concerns: safety, economy and comfort. Reservations about an EV. Would appreciate your advice. Gillian: If you have reservations about an EV, don't go there. You don't do much driving going by your current car's mileage, so an EV could save you a lot of money in the long run, although they are costly new compared with other options. There is a new model EcoSport with a 1.0 petrol engine if you simply wanted to come up a few years. A new model costs 23,525 so you wouldn't have to part with too much. It's not my favourite car. For similar money, how about a Hyundai Kona (Executive, 23,495) or Kia Stonic (K3, 23,695). Or a Volkswagen T-Roc, which does cost a bit more. The SEAT Arona is a good choice (Xcellence, 24,585). All models have a 1.0 petrol engine (for these prices), similar levels of comfort and safety. The Kia has the best warranty term of seven years, Hyundai close behind with five years and the SEAT and VW three years. Money not an issue, I would go for the T-Roc. Eddie: Buy anything except the EcoSport. It is the worst car Ford has made in a long time. I can't argue with Gillian on her choices, but I would go for the smaller Volkswagen T-Cross. I think it is nicer than the T-Roc. Q Here's a situation for you. Budget: max 350/month. Annual mileage: 15,000-20,000km. 5-seater SUV, preferably petrol. Present car: 171 Tuscon Comfort, 44,000km (fully serviced, two years warranty left and dent/scratch free). I bought 171 Tucson for 26,900 on a PCP plan and had put a down payment of 5,000: 330/month for three years (5.9pc rate) and GMV balloon payment of 13,000. Now, three years on, it's decision time to either buy it outright or upgrade. A few dealers offered ballpark 19,000 for trade-in. If current car is in good condition and giving good equity of 6,000 (if sold), does it make sense to just put down the balance (we have saved 13,000 already) and buy it outright? Or, does it make more sense to leverage this equity and invest in next higher model - say 201 Tucson Executive (35,000 - 3.9pc) or 191 Audi A3 petrol (40,000 at 3.9pc)? My dealer is advising that it's a no-brainer to go for the upgrade but by my calculations, I'll end up paying 55,000 at the end of six years between two cars which is a much more expensive option than to keep current one and sell it three years later. Gillian: Firstly, you are being offered great money for your car as a trade-in. Secondly, a Tucson is a different car to an A3 so you need to figure out what it is you need. If an A3 is roomy enough for you then why go for an SUV? Next, you are correct: in buying the car outright and keeping it for another three years, you will be saving yourself quite a bit of money but you will be driving the same car for another three years. If that doesn't bother you then I would go that route. If you want a change you have to be prepared to pay more. Another Tucson is an excellent choice; as is the A3. Eddie: You are overlooking the loss of value of your current Tucson if you buy it outright. How many thousand fewer will it be worth in three years? And if anything goes wrong? These are the factors you have to consider. In three years when you come to trade-in what will it cost to get you into a new SUV of that size and stature? My instinct is to go PCP again, given how uncertain the medium term is for diesel, but fight for a better percentage rate for Comfort spec; you don't need higher spec, you need lower APR. That's where you'll save money. Q I have a 141 Jaguar XF diesel (106,000km); annual mileage 10,000-12,000km. It is in good condition and due for NCT. I believe trade-in value is 15,000/16,000. Or is this too optimistic? Should I keep it until it loses more value, or trade in now at its current value? I don't need diesel and would be happy to go electric. Hybrid would be fine too. Budget on top of trade in is 10,000. I wouldn't want something basic. What is my best option? Gillian: I think you would be better to sell it now. Your expected trade-in value is a bit optimistic: if it's Premium Luxury, you might not be too far off with 15,000. If you are looking for another saloon, go petrol or hybrid rather than electric. I would start with the Lexus IS300. You could come up two years from your current 141. An F-Sport or Premium spec would be best. Something a bit different is a BMW 330e plug-in hybrid. You can come up three years into a 2017 model. If you are happy to go petrol, a Mercedes C-Class is a good choice. Definitely go for automatic. Eddie: Sell it now because its value will fall. Your best option is a Mercedes C-Class. I can't see you bothering with a plug-in. Q We're a one-car Galway household; usually only use it at weekends. City driving is limited to the odd pick-up/drop off or supermarket shop. The car spends most of its life sitting in the driveway. We have one child under two and another on the way. Room is going to be an issue with child seats etc. Our current car, a Toyota Corolla saloon, 2003 1.6 petrol, 190,000km, is old but in good shape. Not really keen on a SUV, a petrol estate type car would be the preferred option. What would you recommend? Budget, including trade-in, is 15,000 (perhaps 500 for trade in?). We did 5/6,000km the last 2/3 years. Five-seater needed. Gillian: The first car I think will suit is the Skoda Fabia estate, mainly because of the space it offers internally without being a pain to park. Petrol estates don't usually go well but the Fabia always attracted buyers. For 15,000, you could get a nearly new model. If you could push your budget another 1,000, a one-year-old (191) should be possible. Another option is a new model. Yes new. A 201 Dacia Logan MCV is an estate, a petrol and costs just 14,540. Dacia isn't usually at the top of the list for next cars but they can often be a good fit. Because they start so low new, they lose little year on year after that. Eddie: The Corolla is fairly roomy so if you foresee an issue with child seats in that you'll be going for a truly big car. I think that would be mad given the few km you put up. The best alternative, on that basis, is a Skoda Octavia estate petrol. But I'm wondering if you need a car at all. Take the purchase price and running costs (depreciation) into account and you'd be able to do a deal for rental when and where you want it. It's a night at the palace! On Monday night, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge donned their evening best for a reception at Buckingham Palace in honor of the United Kingdom-Africa Investment Summit. Hosted on behalf of Queen Elizabeth to promote the UK's relationship with the continent, the reception was also joined by Prince Edward, Princess Anne and the Countess of Wessex. While Prince William looked polished in a blue suit, it was Kate who stole the show in a sparkly red number from British label Needle & Thread. You can shop a shorter version of the dress for $519 at Net-a-Porter here. The duchess accessorized her look with Gianvito Rossi pumps and a clutch by Jenny Packham. Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The summit will demonstrate the strength of the relationship between the U.K. and Africa, showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa, and highlight the U.K.s commitment to supporting economic development in Africa, including through the creation of jobs and new partnerships, Kensington Palace described in a statement. While Africa has been the subject of much of the royal family's philanthropic work, it's a particularly special place for Prince Harry and Prince William, who retreated to the continent after the death of Princess Diana. It's also where the Duke of Cambridge proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010 after years of dating. The African continent holds a very special place in my heart," Prince William told guests at Monday evening's reception. "It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee. While Prince Harry took part in the summit earlier in the day, he was not present at the reception: He was spotted arriving at Vancouver Island later that evening. What is the masked Aadhaar card? Since its launch in 2009, the Aadhaar Card has become the most crucial ID and address proof document in India. The Government of India has constantly been encouraging citizens to apply for the card by visiting one of the many Aadhaar Seva Kendras. However, for the past many years, there have been issues concerning the security of Aadhaar cards. With many news outlets reporting about security breaches in the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) system, the government has been facing a challenge in urging citizens to apply for the card. To this end, they have introduced masked Aadhaar cards. Heres what they are and how you can download the card. Masked Aadhaar card is unique feature launched by the UIDAI under which you can partially mask the digits printed on the Aadhaar card, thus making it safer. The feature enables to mask or cover the first eight digits of your Aadhaar card, leaving only the final four numbers visible. This version of Aadhaar is available only in the digital form, and you can download it through the UIDAI website. The masked version of Aadhaar features your name, photograph, demographic information, QR code and other details as mentioned on your physical Aadhaar card while blurring the first eight digits of your Aadhaar number. Where is the masked version of Aadhaar accepted, and where is it not accepted? The masked version of the Aadhaar card serves as a valid ID proof at almost all private and public establishments in India. You may also use it for e-KYC purposes where sharing a photocopy or soft copy of your Aadhaar details is not necessary. However, you may not use this version of Aadhaar if you are applying for any government welfare schemes including but not limited to LPG subsidies, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana scheme and for opening bank accounts under various government schemes, etc. You need to provide all the necessary Aadhaar details if you wish to avail these benefits. How to download the masked Aadhaar Card? Visit the official website of the UIDAI - https://uidai.gov.in/ Locate the My Aadhaar option located on the top-left on the menu bar Under the My Aadhaar option, you will find several tabs, one of which is the Download Aadhaar tab. Click on this tab When you click on the Download Aadhaar tab, you will find three option Aadhaar Number, Enrolment Number or EID and Virtual ID or VID. Each of these options comes with a checkbox with the words I want a masked Aadhaar. You must check that box. Complete the captcha verification by typing the characters in the corresponding box. Remember to check and enter the lower and upper case letters and numbers exactly as mentioned in the captcha box. After completing the steps mentioned above, you will see two options on the screen: Send OTP Enter TOTP or Time-bound OTP You can choose either of the two options to proceed. The UIDAI system will send an OTP to your registered mobile number. You must enter the OPT on the OTP field on the website Upon entering the OTP, you will get instant access to your masked Aadhaar Card. You can download the masked Aadhaar and save it on your desktop, laptop or mobile phone. Follow the below-mentioned steps to download your masked Aadhaar CardThe Aadhaar card is the most widely accepted address proof document in India. It is designed on the lines of the Social Security System of USA. When you apply for Aadhaar, the UIDAI takes your biometrics photograph, iris and fingerprints scan and saves it in its system securely. The biometrics capture enables you to avail different services such as opening bank accounts, applying for a new mobile number and so on, without you having to provide a photocopy of your Aadhaar. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left), then-Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (second from right), and then-Indonesian military chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo (third from right) inspect a map after a signing ceremony for trilateral maritime patrols, in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, June 19, 2017. Kidnappings in Malaysian waters bordering Indonesia and the Philippines largely blamed on Abu Sayyaf militants are still happening despite joint air and sea patrols launched in 2017, a Filipino military official conceded Wednesday, saying it remains a challenge to secure the local seas because of their sheer size. While the Trilateral Maritime Patrols (TMP) launched in 2017 have had some effect in combating the threat, the region is lawless as pirates and militants reign with impunity, said Maj. Arvin Encinas, spokesman for the Philippine militarys Western Mindanao Command. We have our ongoing operation right now. We cannot just do it alone its coordinated with our counterparts, Encinas told BenarNews. Its effective, but its not enough since the area we cover is too big. His counterparts in Indonesia and Malaysia offered similar comments. They spoke about strengthening patrols to protect civilians, less than a week after suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen abducted five Indonesian fishermen from a fishing boat in Malaysian waters in eastern Sabah state, close to Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines. A spokesman for the Indonesian military (TNI) said the countries were hampered by boundaries. The kidnappings happened in Malaysia, so we couldnt do anything. Malaysia is responsible there, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sisriadi told BenarNews. We cannot go there because it is Malaysian territory. We must respect the sovereignty of each country, said Sisriadi who goes by one name. Indonesian Security Minister Mahfud MD said he planned to discuss maritime security concerns with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, adding there was a reason for why the kidnappings were still happening. Because Abu Sayyaf has not died, he told reporters. He also planned to speak to Malaysian officials about Indonesians being taken hostage in Malaysian waters. We have many thoughts. We managed to free three hostages and, suddenly, they took five more. Since when do we lose to pirates, he asked. Philippine troops on Jan. 15 rescued the last of three Indonesians who were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in September, about a month after his two compatriots were rescued. A day later, the five fishermen were taken hostage. Hazani Ghazali, commander of Malaysias Eastern Sabah Security Command, which oversees the waters where the five fishermen were kidnapped, had little to say but confirmed that the joint patrols were operating under the trilateral agreement signed in 2017. The maritime patrols began in June that year and air patrols began four months later. So far, the Philippines Armed Forces is giving us full support and cooperation, Hazani told BenarNews before ending the conversation. After the air patrols were launched in October 2017, there was a long lull in maritime kidnappings off Sabah, but at least five separate incidents of abductions from boats and ships sailing in area waters have been reported since September 2018. Public engagement Along with the patrols, Philippine officials are targeting advocacy and public engagement efforts at residents who live near Abu Sayyaf militant camps. There has been a relentless advocacy campaign conducted on residents of remote areas about the terrorists threats, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana told BenarNews. Sobejana, the commander of the Philippine Armys Western Mindanao Command, said he had ordered his officers to dismantle Abu Sayyaf. They were a bit popular before with their Robin Hood-style of sharing the bounty that they get out of the ransom being paid. They got the support of the locals, Sobejana said of Abu Sayyaf. Now, they dont have any kidnap victims except the latest ones. As for the five fishermen captured last week, Charles Honoris, a lawmaker with Indonesias ruling Democratic Party of Struggle, called on the government to make every effort to free them. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have signed a trilateral agreement related to securing territorial waters in the region, he said, adding that fishermen and others remained vulnerable because the agreement had not been fully implemented. The government must urge Malaysia and the Philippines to carry out security cooperation that has been agreed upon. Cooperation can also include the placement of sea marshals or armed personnel on ships that pass through vulnerable lanes, Honoris said. Analysts concerns Ramli Dollah, a security analyst at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said kidnappings were lucrative and would go on as long as issues in the region were not resolved, especially in the nearby southern Philippines where Abu Sayyaf is entrenched. Those issues led the nations to establish the trilateral agreement, he said. However, such cooperation is not a guarantee in dealing with such threats, Ramli told BenarNews. The situation becomes increasingly difficult as geographical factors, especially the proximity of the Philippines and Malaysia, facilitate the activity and make it difficult for the authorities to deal with the issue, he said, adding that trilateral cooperation could reduce but not eliminate the threat. Because of this, it is unfair to blame weaknesses in any specific country in dealing with the cross-border security threat, he said. Deka Anwar, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) in Jakarta, said the trilateral patrols could be effective in intercepting pro-Islamic State fighters returning to Southeast Asia from the Middle East. He does not think patrols can be as effective against kidnappers linked with Abu Sayyaf and other groups. Its critical to try and understand why these kidnappings at sea started, stopped and resumed. It almost certainly had little to do with the TMP, he told BenarNews, referring to the agreement on joint patrols. Anyone watching the Philippines should understand that as commanders are killed, their sons, brothers and nephews sooner or later will take their place, motivated by vengeance as much as profit, he said. Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales in Cotabato City, Philippines, Tia Asmara in Jakarta, and Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. T he Duchess of Sussexs father Thomas Markle has revealed he does not believe he will see his daughter ever again. Mr Markle said he thinks Meghan and Prince Harry are not thrilled with him and would not want to talk to him. His latest remarks surfaced after Prince Harry rejoined his wife in Canada to begin their new life amid a bid to step back as senior royals. The last time they might see me is being lowered into the ground," Mr Markle said in a Channel 5 documentary, which airs on Wednesday night. Thomas Markle pictured with his daughter Meghan In clip from the programme, 'Thomas Markle: My Story,' he added: 'I don't think at this point they're thrilled to see me or want to talk to me. He also said Harry and Meghan are turning the royal family "into a Walmart with a crown on it" over their decision to break away from the monarchy. In part of an interview released a day after Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Harry and Meghan's future, Mr Markle said the couple were "cheapening" the institution. The monarchy was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when Harry and Meghan announced they wanted to reduce their official duties and spend more time in North America. Mr Markle, who is estranged from his daughter, told Channel 5 news that he believed Meghan was tossing away "every girl's dream". "It's disappointing because she actually got every girl's dream," he said. "Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that and now she's tossing that away, for, it looks like she's tossing that away for money." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House in London 1 /13 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House in London PA Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images PA PA PA Getty Images Getty Images PA He added: "Apparently 3 million dollars (2.3 million) and a 26-bedroom home isn't enough for them. It's kind of embarrassing to me." The interview, which will be aired fully in the "coming weeks", was filmed after the couple's announcement that they would step back as senior royals. Mr Markle said he did not expect Meghan to get in contact. "I can't see her reaching out to me, especially now ... or Harry for that matter, but I think both of them are turning into lost souls at this point," he said. Midland Memorial Hospitals Volunteer Auxiliary has been serving the community for 70 years, with members logging a total of 1.5 million hours in volunteer work and $4.7 million raised for hospital equipment. Kimberly Modisett, director of volunteers at MMH, said the program was established in 1950 with 86 charter members. She said it was made up of a group of people from the community who came together knowing they wanted to serve the hospital. The auxiliary department hosted a fundraiser until 1968 called The Follies, a slapstick comedy that Modisett said was the precursor to Summer Mummers. The first gift auxiliary volunteers donated was $3,200 in furniture for the lobby of the hospital, she said. After 70 years, Modisett said what makes the auxiliary so special is the love of the volunteers who give their time unselfishly to help our hospital. Auxiliary members work in the gift shop, at the information desk giving directions and providing room numbers to visitors and stay with family members in the surgery waiting room, she said. Their time is just so valuable to us. You cant buy that, Modisett said. You cant buy a volunteer sitting and holding somebodys hand while their family member is in surgery or they get bad news. Modisett said the auxiliary is trying this year to hit the $5 million mark for equipment donated to the hospital. Their last donation was for $250,000 in August that purchased labor and delivery beds, fetal monitors and a new front door, she said. Some notable previous donations were two ambulances, a heart-lung machine and a public health library. There currently are 97 adult volunteers in the program who range in age from their 50s to 90s who work one four-hour shift a week, Modisett said. There also are 50 to 60 junior volunteers 14 to 17 who either want to become nurses or doctors or are homeschooled students and need volunteer hours, she said. Ann Kleine has volunteered with the auxiliary for 35 years and served two terms as president. Its my passion, she said. I love it. I know what the hospital is and what they do. Kleine said she began volunteering in 1985 after having a procedure done at the hospital. She said there was a candy striper helping her during her hospital stay and that inspired her to begin volunteering. She said she loves the time she spends at the hospital giving back to the community. Thats what the auxiliary is: helping others and the patients, especially family members who are grieving, Kleine said. Theres a lot more to being a volunteer for the hospital than you think. When Lawmakers Dont Get Technology The Public Sector Lags Behind Ignorance Has Been Bliss There was a time when American governments were drivers of technological change, sponsoring the space age and making the early investments that led to the creation of the Internet.Those days are long over. Today, governments largely leave research and development to big companies and startups in Silicon Valley and elsewhere private firms that arent necessarily incentivized to think about how their innovations can lead to ill effects for democracy and communities.If government is no longer driving the technology story, its also not responding robustly to those that are. Historically, government tends to be reactive, with lawmakers seeking to address problems after theyve already occurred. That makes it a bad fit for dealing with something rapidly changing and increasingly all pervasive as technology.Sometimes legislative policy works at the pace of a glacier, says Florida state Sen. Jeff Brandes. It definitely works that way when it comes to new technologies that are emerging.Even as technologies such as facial recognition and artificial intelligence are increasingly embedded in everything we do and interact with, theres no one, inside of government or out, in charge of thinking about where its all headed.We should not wait for the technology to mature before we start to put principles, and ethics, and even rules in place to govern AI, Microsoft President Brad Smith said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.AI may become like electricity, affecting every industry, Brandes says. Yet we have no national policy or even serious dialogue about how, ideally, we might want its still-developing effects to play out.In the United States, we suffer from a tragic lack of foresight, writes Amy Webb, a futurist and business professor at New York University, in her recent book. The U.S. government has no grand strategy for AI nor for our longer-term future.The lack of digital policymaking at the federal level has opened up a policy space for states and localities to step in. New laws are being passed and bills are being considered that touch on everything from privacy and facial recognition bans to bitcoin and autonomous vehicle regulation. The extreme polarization that we see in D.C. makes it difficult to have legislation on any front, says Darrell West, founding director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution. A number of the states are stepping up to make major policy changes.Still, most of these changes are reactive. Governments are still playing catch-up when it comes to using tech. If youre a slow adopter, its hard to think ahead as to what the future might hold. Many lawmakers lack basic understanding of how technology works, let alone how its changing. That leaves them ill-suited to help society navigate all the changes that we can see coming.Government has responded to technology without any positive, coherent vision of what we want the future to be, says Nikolas Guggenberger, executive director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School.The average state legislator has to cast votes on a wide variety of issues, ranging from taxes and public safety through education, health care, environmental policy and much else. No one is expected to be an expert on everything.Most lawmakers have one or two policy areas that they care about the most. For the rest, they largely take their cues from their colleagues on relevant committees, or perhaps the lobbyists theyve learned to trust.But in contrast with agriculture policy or workforce development, there typically isnt a standing technology or innovation committee. Some states have technology fellows embedded in the legislature, but none has a Department of the Future charged with thinking about how technology is integrating with and changing everything.Its probably true that technology is outsourced by more offices than most other subjects, says Lee Rainie, director of Internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center. Some lawmakers care about a roster of issues, but beside the people who come from tech-heavy districts, its something that lawmakers dont necessarily know how to think about well, except that they know that people have complaints.There are tech-savvy politicians, but most take a 30,000-foot view technology is good because its creating great opportunities, or bad because its disruptive. Many lack basic knowledge about more mundane things like IP addresses or how encryption works.As Rainie notes, the sometimes ignorant ways in which politicians talk about technology Ted Stevens, the late U.S. senator from Alaska, describing the Internet as a series of tubes, or Orrin Hatch, then a Utah senator, asking Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at a 2018 hearing how his company makes money means the face of the political class toward technology is people who dont understand it.Technology is by its nature complicated, and always becoming more so. If you dont have to think about this stuff for a living, its easy to let your mind glaze over when someone starts to talk, say, about the difference between edge computing and cloud computing.Tech companies are more than happy to exploit the black box nature of their businesses. They have no desire to disclose the full objective of what they might be up to how theyre scraping and selling peoples most personal information, for example.Its not that different from other areas of knowledge and expertise, except that things change so rapidly in technology, says Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit in San Francisco that defends civil liberties in the digital realm. This creates massive problems because it makes politicians susceptible to stories from industry lobbyists who accentuate the positive but dont talk about the negative.Lack of technological literacy not only makes it easier to fall for a companys line, but also leads lawmakers to make demands that simply cant be fulfilled. Not understanding how filters work, for example, can leave them puzzled as to why social media companies are able to block child porn but not communication among terrorists, or libelous speech.We just try to fix with a patchwork approach the most egregious problems we see, says Guggenberger, and have not been able to positively define what we actually want from this technological revolution.There have been complaints that government is too slow and unresponsive for longer than anyone has been alive. The sense that government is sclerotic has only been exacerbated by technology. The standard now for customer service on the Internet is seamless, instantaneous and efficient. Its fair to say that governments, on the whole, dont offer that level of experience.After a disaster, people will say, Why can Walmart use its supply chain to get everything that we need, even before we know we need it, to their stores, but government cant get inspectors in place, cant process loans, or make emergency payments or set up a website so that we could do things on our own, says Rainie. They also see their neighbors just sort of hacking together a distributed response mechanism at the neighborhood level that cant be duplicated by the mayor or city council.Technological breakthroughs may be touted by news outlets on a daily basis, but in government people are often stuck using old computers or running programs using languages that are the software equivalent of speaking Latin. Procurement for technology is still handled in many agencies as though the needs arent any different than buying office chairs.There are tech-talented people in government who are enormously frustrated by the fact that they routinely diagnose problems that could be cured with off-the-shelf apps available now, but which might be outdated by the time they get approval to install them. Vendors swap stories about projects being delayed for weeks at a time because agency rules wont let them do something as simple as picking up power cords without going through a whole process.The fact that the public sector is behind the times when it comes to tech implementation has its effects on how policy gets made. Its clear that lawmakers are often informed by personal experience. Mass transit systems get more attention when lawmakers ride the subways.Government is a technology laggard, says West. Even now, as the technology revolution is sweeping the world, the public sector is not using it to its full potential.What we used to call high tech really started taking off following Ronald Reagans presidency during the 1980s. American governments have since tended to take a more libertarian or neoliberal approach thats skeptical about regulation.Its clear that policymakers are starting to think more skeptically about technology, given rising public concern about data breaches and how both private companies and governments are using their information. Tech companies find themselves increasingly under populist attack from politicians on both the right and the left.As governments start to get more ambitious about regulating tech, they need to get smarter. Last year, a law took effect in California that requires disclosure from certain types of bots . Earlier versions of the bill didnt seem to differentiate between bad bots, such as those that spread malicious or false information in the virtual political sphere, and ones that can be helpful, for instance by alerting people about earthquakes or tornadoes.You get outrages of the day and lawmakers say, I want do something, and you can pass a bad law, says Ryan Singel, a media and strategy fellow at Stanford Law Schools Center for Internet and Society.In order to have effective regulations regarding IT, its essential not only to understand technology better, but to have a firm sense of desired outcomes. As a society, its critical that we ask what we want out of tech and where we want it to go.Despite the growing techlash, its important that as lawmakers seek to address problems with technology, they keep their eyes on both its benefits and their own first principles, says Brandes, the Florida state senator. Technology is not only a world-leading industry for this country, but something that has either the capacity or potential to save and prolong life and make companies more profitable and efficient, among other virtues.To make the most of it, lawmakers need to get out of the habit of only responding in a reactive way to perceived problems, while keeping their eyes on whats wanted most.The world is changing so quickly, legislators need to focus on the ideas that will change our future, Brandes says. While we need to focus on privacy and individual liberty, we need to make sure were not hamstrung by the laws, either. The directors of 10 leading NGOs published an open letter at the World Economic Forum meeting to stop the sale. Top NGOs, including Greenpeace and Amnesty International, called for the $1.1bn sale of the .ORG internet domain to a private company to be blocked on Wednesday, saying it could do irreparable harm to global civil society. Registrations for the millions of nonprofits whose websites end in .ORG are overseen by the Internet Society (ISOC), but in November, the United States nonprofit announced it was selling control to a year-old private equity firm called Ethos Capital. Since then, hundreds of organisations have objected. They worry Ethos will raise registration and renewal prices, cut back on infrastructure and security spending, or make deals to sell sensitive data or allow censorship or surveillance. On Wednesday, the directors of 10 leading NGOs published an open letter at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos urging ISOC and ICANN, the internets governing authority, to stop the sale. Should the governance and stewardship of .ORG end up under the control of private or other actors that could lead to financial or other barriers that would irreparably harm global civil society, the letter read. Brett Solomon, executive director of digital rights group Access Now, said the sale risked pricing smaller organisations off the internet. But he said that was really just a symptom of a broader issue around control. The entity that is responsible for the stewardship of the Public Interest Registry has access to everything, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone. They have a capacity to take somebody off the .ORG domain, which means they can censor, they can monitor, they can deny. And all these issues are very, very important for organizations who are challenging governments and are challenging powerful interests. ICANN, which has the power to veto the deal, did not respond to a request for comment. The Internet Society said in a joint statement with Ethos that the company had committed to limiting any cost increase to an annual average of 10 percent. It said agreements in place with ICANN contained strict limitations to prevent a domain registry from regulating content or selling information about registered organisations. Concerns about the sale have also been raised by the United Nations special rapporteurs for freedom of expression, assembly and association, and a group of US legislators, including presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. Certain public goods should never be for sale, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. We dont auction off the town square. Similarly, ICANN shouldnt approve the sale of .ORG, which is the essential haven where civic groups gather the world over. Australia's Westpac hires 'Mack the knife' McFarlane to chair crisis-hit bank FILE PHOTO: John McFarlane, Chairman of Barclay's, takes part in a panel during the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting in New York By Paulina Duran and Scott Murdoch SYDNEY/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Australia's Westpac Banking Corp named a former Barclays boss as chairman on Thursday, entrusting veteran banker John McFarlane with the task of steering it through the country's biggest money-laundering scandal. The bank, Australia's second largest by market capitalization, said the 72-year-old would become a non executive director in February before taking the chairman's role in April. McFarlane stepped down as chairman of Barclays in May after four years. Previously he had chaired British insurer Aviva which followed nine years as chief executive (CEO) of Westpac rival Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ). Scottish-born McFarlane takes over just two months after Westpac's top two executives stepped down following charges by the regulator for breaching of anti-money laundering laws which potentially facilitated child exploitation. Westpac's current troubles are part of wider ructions in the Australian banking industry. Two of the top four banks that dominate the domestic market have lost their leaders in the wake of damaging revelations from a government-backed inquiry into misconduct in the industry. McFarlane's appointment, however, failed to boost the bank's shares on Thursday as investors said the prospect of a huge fine - estimated by analysts to be up to A$1 billion - for the anti-money laundering breaches continued to weigh on the bank's earnings prospects. Westpac shares closed at $A25.08, down 0.24% while the broader benchmark S&P/ASX200 <.AXJO> lost 0.6%. "I was surprised to see the stock was down. I thought there would have been a better reaction," said Matt Haupt, portfolio manager at Wilson Asset Management, which owns Westpac shares. "I think some investors are still worried about the size of the fine and what will come out of the Austrac investigations." 'MACK THE KNIFE' Story continues Westpac's chief financial officer Peter King, who had flagged his retirement, is currently serving as Westpac's interim chief executive. McFarlane has been a hands-on chairman in previous roles, sparking speculation he may not rush to appoint a new permanent CEO. "He will shake up the executive ranks, and he won't hurry in appointing a CEO, he will back his own ability to be an executive chairman," said Matthew Wilson, banking analyst at Evans and Partners. In Britain McFarlane was nicknamed Mack the knife during his chairmanship of Aviva and then Barclays. In both, he acted as executive chairman for some time. In a statement earlier on Thursday, McFarlane said that the appointment of a "world-class" CEO could "take time". Vas Kolesnikoff, Australian head of governance adviser ISS, said Westpac needed to ensure there was a distinction between the chairman and the executive, with the search for a permanent chief executive underway. "You need to have somebody who is running the bank and you need to have a board that is sufficiently independent to oversee management and addressing all the issues," Kolesnikoff said. Martin Lawrence, governance analyst at Ownership Matters, a proxy advisory firm, said McFarlane came with a reputation for "drastic change". "If there needs to be hard decisions made, I dont think he is going to be afraid to make them," he said. Former Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer left the bank after the money-laundering scandal was revealed while chairman Lindsay Maxsted also accelerated his departure from the bank's board. At last month's annual meeting, the lender's shareholders voted down executive pay for a second year due to investor outrage over the scandal.. Westpac gave no details on Thursday of McFarlane's remuneration. (Reporting by Paulina Duran, Scott Murdoch and Nikhil Kurian Nainan; Editing by Jane Wardell and Muralikumar Anantharaman) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:38:14|Editor: zh Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government on Tuesday designated 15 aircraft as the blocked property of Venezuelan state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, the latest move to pressure government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a statement that designated aircraft are property in which Petroleos de Venezuela has an interest. Several aircraft had been used to transport senior members of the Maduro government, and some had been operated in an unsafe manner in proximity to U.S. military aircraft, according to the statement. As a result of this action, U.S. persons are on notice that they may not transact with these aircraft. The United States has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Venezuelan government in support of opposition leader Juan Guaido. Earlier this month, the Treasury blacklisted seven delegates of the Venezuelan National Assembly, claiming that the designated persons "took steps to undermine the elections process in the National Assembly." During his Monday meeting with Guaido in Colombia, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington would take further actions to support Guaido. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:34:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ATHENS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Greek parliament elected on Wednesday top judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou president of the Hellenic Republic, making her the country's first female head of state. Since 2018, she has been serving as president of the Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court. A total of 261 members of parliament (MPs) voted in favor of Sakellaropoulou, who was the sole candidate, in the 300-member assembly. The vote was attended by 294 MPs, parliament President Constantine Tassoulas announced. "I am fully aware of the weight I shoulder and the duty I assume. I assure the parliament and all Greeks, men and women, that I will fulfill my constitutional role with all my strength," Sakellaropoulou said when Tassoulas formally informed her about her election. "In your person both justice and the modern Greek woman are honored," Tassoulas said. A minimum 200 votes were required in the first round in order to elect a president, according to the Greek Constitution. Sakellaropoulou, who was nominated last week by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was supported by most MPs of the ruling conservative New Democracy party, as well as by the main opposition radical left SYRIZA and the center-left Kinima Allagis (Movement for Change). The rest of the opposition MPs stated "present" during the roll-call vote, which was broadcast live. Although the post of president in Greece is largely ceremonial, the persons chosen reflect the nation's unity, Mitsotakis noted announcing Sakellaropoulou's candidacy on Jan. 15. "This is a great day for the Hellenic Republic ... The result demonstrates that in significant issues we can reach consensus. Greece is entering a new era," the Greek premier commented after the end of the voting procedure, according to a press statement released by his office. Sakellaropoulou, 63, who was also the first female head of the Council of State, succeeds Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who assumed office in March 2015. She is the eighth president of the Hellenic Republic since 1974, when democracy was restored after a military dictatorship, according to the Greek Presidency's website. Sakellaropoulou is also the 13th president in the history of the Hellenic Republic and the first presidential candidate elected with the support of three parliamentary parties, the news agency AMNA noted. On March 13, Sakellaropoulou will be sworn in before the assembly and assume her duties, according to press release issued by Tassoulas's office. Pavlopoulos has contacted his successor and congratulated her during a phone call, a press announcement issued by the Presidency said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was one of the first foreign officials to congratulate Sakellaropoulou on her election, AMNA reported. "Greece is moving ahead into a new era of equality," she tweeted. According to the Greek Constitution, the country's president is elected for a five-year term and can be re-elected only once. To be eligible for the office of president, a person must have obtained Greek citizenship at least five years before the election; must be of Greek descent on the father's or mother's side; must be at least 40 years old; and must be legally entitled to vote. SHELTON BIC has won its lawsuit against California-based Arrow Lighter Inc. The global lighter and razor manufacturer, with U.S. headquarters in Shelton, announced Tuesday that the International Trade Commission ruled in its favor in the companys suit claiming that Arrow and its international affiliates were importing and selling knock-off lighters. Safety is a cornerstone of BICs business and is the No. 1 priority for BIC Lighters, so we take it seriously when another brand tries to pass for a BIC, said Steve Burkhart, vice president and general counsel at BIC, in a statement. Arrow has agreed to stop selling specific lighter models anywhere in the world as part of the resolution. The California-based company is also required to liquidate any current inventory of the knockoff lighters by Oct. 21. Arrow models that will no longer be in production include Nos. ZY-7G, ZY-5G, ZY-8G, ZY-30E (MK Dura) and ZY-7G MT (Metal Flint Gold and Silver). BIC is continuing to sue other defendants, according to the company. Arrow Lighter was not immediately available for comment on this article. BIC filed the lawsuit in December 2018 with the ITC and the U.S. Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York to stop the importation and sale of pocket lighters the company claimed were infringing on its trademarked product. The manufacturer alleged that Arrows lighters branded MK imitated the shape and design of BICs lighters without upholding safety standards. BIC had claimed the lighters were damaging its profits and reputation by deceiving consumers with false advertising while also risking their safety. The lawsuit accused MK of being involved in a 2009 lawsuit where the family of a Texas man alleged that one of the companys lighters caused his death. Burkhart said in previous interviews that the company tested the MK lighters and found that they do not conform to BIC safety standards, adding that products from MK failed flame height and drop tests, among others. Unfortunately, low-quality non-compliant imported lighters are rampant in the U.S. market, an overwhelming majority of which fail safety standards set forth by ASTM International, meaning they can lead to serious fires, damage or injuries, Burkhart said in Tuesdays statement. BICs win not only protects BICs customers, employees and shareholders, it protects all consumers by removing non-compliant imported lighters from the U.S. market. jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com GLEN CARBON SNIP Alliance, a not-for-profit charity providing low-cost spay-neuter services in Madison County, is disbanding. Founder and president Sandra Eaves released a statement Tuesday morning that the group, founded in 2008, was forced to disband due to finances. Since June, Amy Miller has served as its executive director. It is with much heartache that the board of SNIP Alliance has announced plans to disband the organization, something we did not expect as the direction for us in 2020, Eaves said. Madison County Animal Control Manager Katherine Conder said she was shocked and saddened by the announcement. I dont know how this is going to affect us going forward, she said. Over the past 11 years, the group had provided spay-neuter surgeries and rabies vaccinations for more than 7,600 animals in Madison County. Eaves said that, with the reduction in available grants and funding sources and limited opportunities for large scale fundraising and other unexpected circumstances disbanding SNIP was our only option. She said the group will follow the legal guidelines set forth by the Illinois Attorney Generals Charitable Trust Bureau to pass along any available monetary resources for spay/neuter services to other qualified non-profit organizations. According to Eaves, the Riverbend Pet Food Pantry will continue operating under the Metro East Humane Society. Distribution dates for 2020 will remain as scheduled and will be on its website starting in mid-February. SNIP Alliance is grateful that MEHS recognizes the importance of the pantry and will add this program to the many they provide to help the animals in our community, Eaves said. We know that SNIP Alliances supporters and volunteers will work hand in hand with MEHS to continue our mission. Alton city officials were scheduled to talk Tuesday night about a proposed agreement with SNIP, in partnership with Riverbend Pet Food Pantry, to use a structure on the Alton Public Works Departments grounds for SNIP spay and neuter clinics and the pet food pantry. We know that our closing will create a large gap in the spay/neuter services available to the citizens of Madison County, Eaves stated. And this is our biggest concern, that the number of unwanted litters will start to rebound, once again overwhelming animal control facilities. We can only hope that the education we have provided to school children and the general public over the past 11 years on the health benefits of spay/neuter will continue to make a difference in unwanted litters of puppies and kittens, she said. We are asking MEHS and all other animal organizations to list on their web page any resources available for low-cost spay/neuter. Eaves also said SNIP was beyond thankful to its volunteers, supporters and the city. In the next 10 days, there will be 5,000 more protest sites like Shaheen Bagh across the country, said on Wednesday evening as he reached the iconic demonstration spot in south Delhi to extend his support to the women protesting against CAA and Addressing a massive gathering, the Dalit leader said the Citizenship Amendment Act is a "black law" that is dividing people on religious lines. "I congratulate those who have participated in this protest. This is not just a political agitation. We have to save the Constitution and unity of the nation," he told the women who have been staging a sit-in against the CAA for more than a month now. Azad said even the record-breaking cold has not been able to break the will power of the women protesters. The crowd, singing Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Urdu poem 'Hum Dekhnege' before Azad's arrival, got charged as he reached the venue. Holding the Constitution, he said, "I promise you that in next 10 days there will be at least 5,000 Shaheen Baghs across the country". Azad said that earlier everyone had heard about Jallianwala Bagh, but now they were talking about Shaheen Bagh. "If you have the courage of sacrifice, then you have to sacrifice with holding your demonstration peacefully," he said. "Till the Bhim Army is here, this law would not be applicable and they have to go through my corpse (to implement it)," Azad said. "The court is saying that we should respect our Prime Minister. I do and and I will do because the constitution says this. But the Prime Minister also needs to respect the constitution of this country," he said. The protesters hailed Azad and raised slogans in his support. He said when he was in Tihar jail, he read the newspapers to know about the situation of women sitting on protest at Shaheen Bagh. His visit to Shaheen Bagh comes a day after a Delhi court modified the conditions imposed on him while granting him bail. He was arrested last month for giving "inflammatory speeches" during an anti-CAA protest at Jama Masjid here. The court allowed him to visit Delhi for medical reasons and election purposes. It also directed Azad to register his presence to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Fatehpur police station in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, every Saturday for four weeks and on the last Saturday of every month. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) DP World said Tuesday it has won another arbitration ruling against Djibouti over the African country's seizure of a container terminal managed by the Dubai-based global port operator. The company said a London tribunal ordered Djibouti to restore its rights and benefits under a 2006 concession agreement governing the Doraleh port within two months or pay damages. DP World estimates it has lost $1 billion since Djibouti took over the terminal in February 2018. DP World, which is majority-owned by the Dubai government in the United Arab Emirates, operates nearly 80 marine and inland terminals around the world. Djibouti seized the container terminal after DP World created another corridor for imports to landlocked Ethiopia in Somaliland, endangering Djibouti's near-monopoly on Ethiopia's imports. Ethiopia recently became a 19% shareholder in Somalilands Berbera port, where DP World holds a 51% stake. Somaliland, a breakaway northern region of Somalia, holds the remaining 30 per cent. The expansion into Somaliland came alongside plans by the United Arab Emirates to build a naval base in Berbera, part of its expanding military presence in the region. Djiboutis port alone accounts for 95% of Ethiopia's imports. With a population of 110 million people, Ethiopia is the largest economy in the Horn of Africa. DP World said the tribunal ruled that Djibouti broke the law when it removed the company from management of the terminal and transferred the terminal's assets to a state-run company. The Dubai-based company said Djibouti has ignored five previous rulings in its favor despite the fact that the contract is governed by English law. Bahujan Samajwadi Party supremo on Wednesday said her party is ready for a debate on the CAA on any platform, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah threw a challenge to the Opposition. Addressing a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) here on Tuesday, Shah had dared, besides Mayawati, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to a debate with him on the law on a 'sarvjanik manch' (public platform). "The is ready to accept the challenge thrown by the central government, which is troubled by the organised struggle and agitation all over the country against the most controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, especially by the youth and women, for a debate on the issue on any platform and anywhere," said in a tweet in Hindi. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does not include Muslims. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target the Muslim community in India. However, the central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries and not to take away anyone's citizenship. What began as a familiar flu-like cluster of chills, headaches and fever has rapidly expanded over the last three months into a catalogue of syndromes affecting most of the body's main organs Taiwan on Tuesday reported its first confirmed case of the new SARS-like coronavirus as the government warned the public against travelling to Chinese city where it emerged. The patient is a Taiwanese woman in her fifties, living in Wuhan, who returned to the island on Monday with symptoms including fever, coughing and a sore throat. Asian countries have ramped up measures to block the spread of the new virus as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300 since it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The Taiwan patient reported her symptoms to quarantine officials on arrival at Taoyuan airport and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, said the island's Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The woman told officials that she had not visited any local markets or had contact with birds or wild animals while in Wuhan. Authorities are monitoring some 46 passengers and crew from the same flight, the agency said. The CDC raised its alert on Wuhan to the highest level, urging the public against travelling to the city unless necessary. "We ask the public not to panic as the individual was taken to hospital directly from the airport and did not step into the community," it said in a statement, adding that it reported the case to the World Health Organization and China authorities. The coronavirus has spread to Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Weve just got to get them in the front door, Vogl-Rauscher said. Meanwhile, they are working with other business changes like an upcoming facelift to Park Plaza Pizza, using a city grant program, and an expected expansion of Active Outfitters into two storefronts on South Spring Street. Its finding these little gems that even I didnt know existed, and now its our responsibility to make sure other people know that theyre there, Propst said. Propst said their work involved traveling to other communities to see what kinds of businesses they had and following up with owners to see if they might be interested in opening a location in Beaver Dam. She said that led to the new location for Epic Ink, based in Allenton. Other businesses are expanding, like Bullfrogs and Butterflies with more shelf space in its new location. Mindy Murphy, owner of Epic Ink at 106 Front St., said things are going well so far and she is looking at boosting staff and available services at the shop. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Propst also said there is the possibility of another tattoo shop opening a location and she is working on the details of what might become a boutique clothing store at 316 S. Spring St. We are proud that Florida patients are choosing our dispensaries thanks to our modern open-concept retail experience, professional service and our unmatched product quality. AltMed Florida, the fastest growing Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) in Florida (source: OMMU), is the first ever to open three dispensaries in 24 hours. Three new MUV Medical Cannabis Dispensaries will have grand openings in Lutz, Tallahassee and Sebastian: Lutz (Tampa Bay) - 10 a.m. Friday Jan. 24. Address: 21126 State Rd. 54, Suite 104, Lutz Tallahassee - 9:30 a.m. Saturday Jan. 25. Address: 2711 Blair Stone Rd., Tallahassee Sebastian (Vero Beach) - 9:30 a.m. Saturday Jan. 25. Address: 1701 US 1, Sebastian With 16 dispensaries, AltMed Florida has accelerated its reach and is on pace to open 40 dispensaries statewide. More than 60,000 patients have visited MUV Dispensaries. MUV Dispensaries have the second highest market share in the state ahead of multiple companies with twice as many locations. We are proud that Florida patients are choosing our dispensaries thanks to our modern open-concept retail experience, professional service and our unmatched product quality, said AltMed Director of Corporate Affairs Todd Beckwith. As a Florida owned company, we take our obligation to serve patients across the state very seriously, as exemplified by becoming the first to open three dispensaries in 24 hours. From the Panhandle to Tampa Bay to the central east coast this weekend, and with new dispensaries in the works in every corner of Florida, our team is working tirelessly to give patients local access to our MUV products throughout the state. This Friday, AltMed Florida will open its fourth Tampa Bay area MUV in Lutz, serving patients in nearby Wesley Chapel and Land OLakes, and this Saturday, its first central east coast dispensary opens in Sebastian and the first Panhandle location opens in Tallahassee. The new Tallahassee dispensary, a former bank building, includes a drive-thru (MUV-thru) window for added convenience for customers, and is located just off Apalachee Parkway near Governors Square Mall, only a few minutes from the Florida State Capitol. The new Sebastian MUV Dispensary, located north of Vero Beach and just east of Interstate 95, allows AltMed to provide further access up and down the east coast - joining dispensaries in Jax Beach, south to Wellington/West Palm and Deerfield with more locations in development. During the three grand openings, all licensed Florida medical cannabis patients will receive 25 percent off their entire first purchase and the first 100 patients will receive a MUV SWAG bag with their purchase. Patients will also be able to order online at muvfl.com for express pickup or delivery after the grand openings. MUV Dispensaries offer an extensive selection of award-winning products including flower, pre-rolls, a wide range of vaporizer pens, metered dose inhalers, topicals, oral sprays, patent-pending encapsulation formulations in its Tinctures, 72-Hour Transdermal patches and transdermal gels. MUV is also recognized for having one of the widest selections of concentrates for patients needing macro-dosing options. Our dispensaries set the standard for quality products, service and overall patient experience at our current locations and were excited to offer our premium MUV medical cannabis brand to even more patients as we expand our presence across Florida, said AltMed Florida CEO John Tipton. Our MUV dispensaries are unlike any in the state and were excited to invite licensed patients who live in or near Lutz, Tallahassee and Sebastian to visit our newest state-of-the-art locations. Like AltMed Floridas 13 existing locations (Apollo Beach, Clearwater, Deerfield Beach, Fort Myers, Gainesville, Jacksonville/San Marco, Jacksonville Beach, Lakeland, Longwood/Orlando, Downtown Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa and Wellington/West Palm), the new MUV Dispensaries stand out from others because they are designed as a premium experience: think Apple Store, with a modern, open-concept design and expert staff with extensive training. The MUV brand already has a wide following in other legal medical cannabis markets, including Arizona, where it has won five Best of Arizona medical cannabis awards. MUV products are sold exclusively in Florida at MUV dispensaries because, unlike other states, Florida does not allow wholesale of product between license holders - only products that license holders make themselves can be sold in their dispensaries. For more information about the new ADA-compliant MUV Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, including hours and available MUV products, visit muvfl.com. AltMed Florida is on pace to open 40 MUV Medical Cannabis Dispensaries across the state, all supplied by its 200,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art cultivation facility. Visit this link for images of AltMed Floridas cultivation operations and watch this brief video to see what makes AltMed Florida and its MUV Medical Cannabis Dispensaries stand out. About Plants of Ruskin, LLC - d.b.a. AltMed Florida, LLC - With a focus on quality and attention to detail, Plants of Ruskin has more than 35 years of experience in providing seedlings to farmers for vegetable and medical product production. Plants of Ruskin founders, the Dickman Family, are 4th generation farmers with a long history of working in conjunction with the University of Florida, including an endowed chair specifically dedicated to plant improvement. About AltMed Enterprises - Alternative Medical Enterprises, LLC, headquartered in Sarasota, FL and doing business as AltMed Enterprises, is a fully integrated medical cannabis company that brings compassion, community engagement and pharmaceutical industry precision to the development, production and dispensing of medical cannabinoids. About MUV - The MUV brand of cannabis infused products was launched in Arizona in 2016 and quickly gained international attention and recognition. In its first six months alone, MUV received four best of Arizona medical cannabis awards, including two first prizes for its proprietary Ethanol extractions that are the basis of all MUV products. Forward-Looking Statements - To the extent any statements made in this press release contain information that is not historical, these statements are forward-looking in nature and merely express our beliefs, expectations or opinions. For example, words such as may, should, estimates, predicts, continues, believes, anticipates, plans, expects, intends, potential, strategy and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations or estimates and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) our ability to implement our business strategy of distributing high quality cannabis products where permissible under applicable law; (ii) availability and cost of additional capital; (iii) our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified employees and management; (iv) the impact of federal, state or local government regulations; (v) competition in the cannabis industry; (vi) our ability to generate revenues; and (vii) litigation in connection with our business. All forward-looking statements included in this press release and attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, regardless of whether new information becomes available, future developments occur or otherwise. AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shoppers are one step closer to skipping checkout queues forever with New Zealand technology start-up IMAGR raising USD$9.5m in its pre-series A funding round. IMAGR is the creator of the SmartCart intelligent shopping trolley. Harnessing computer vision technology and AI, this queue-busting solution automates checkouts and payments for a frictionless shopping experience. William Chomley, IMAGR CEO, says the funding was led by global industry giant Toshiba Tec Corporation. "It's thrilling to be backed by an international point-of-sale leader like Toshiba Tec which owns 96 percent of the convenience market in Japan (FY2017 Shipment in Japan). Its support of IMAGR shows we have the right technology in place to change how retail shopping is done across the world." Masami Uchiyama, Toshiba Tec Senior Vice President, says they underwent a rigorous due diligence process before deciding to support IMAGR. "We looked globally for the most promising automated checkout provider and settled on IMAGR as the most advanced technology of its kind." "Its computer vision and AI technology is industry-leading, outperforming other AI retail systems we have seen, and the integration into existing stores is simple and scalable. We can't wait to see IMAGR change the retail industry in the 2020s." The funding round was also backed by Sage Capital and Harald McPike, both existing IMAGR shareholders. Chomley says: "We were overwhelmed with support during this capital raise, with an over subscription nearly doubling the amount we initially set out for." Next year, IMAGR's SmartCarts will launch in Japan with H2O RETAILING CORPORATION and in New Zealand with Farro Fresh. Chomley says the funding from the capital raise will benefit execution in the Japanese and New Zealand markets, as well further international expansion. "Since starting up in 2017 we've experienced rapid expansion, as well as interest and commitment for our product. We've always had a simple goal: to make it easier for people around the world to shop. This funding will allow us to accelerate our plans, ensuring more people will be skipping queues by utilising our SmartCarts in 2020 and beyond." About IMAGR IMAGR is a retail technology start-up based in Auckland, New Zealand. It was founded in 2017 by William Chomley and the company has since gone from strength to strength. IMAGR is the creator of the SmartCart, a checkout-less shopping experience which is made possible through computer vision technology. SmartCart's contain four cameras, coupled with the world's most powerful AI vision recognition system. As a result, SmartCart knows what a customer puts in, or removes from, their carts. Self-contained in a robust trolley which is visually indistinguishable from a regular shopping cart, the cameras examine, recognise and account for goods as they are added or removed. About Toshiba Tec The Toshiba Tec Group, the worldwide leading brand in the retail market aims to be a company that can continually provide the best solutions to customers, which include the retail, food and beverage industries, as well as logistics, manufacturing industries, and offices. Their Group conduct business operations in over 100 countries and regions. Rather than continue as an extension of the past, they are actively striving to anticipate ever-changing market needs by looking at ways to enhance our creativity and adaptability, thereby enabling a swift response to these changes. By providing solutions that are one step ahead to all the customers, and endeavour to contribute to the realization of a better society. SOURCE Imagr Related Links https://www.imagr.co/ Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at Indias 71st Republic Day Parade on January 26. According to reports, the invitation to Bolsonaro is part of the Indian governments outreach to Latin and South America, including the exchange of high-level visits, to boost trade and investments. Reuters "President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro will be paying a state visit to India from January 24-27 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be the chief guest at India's 71st Republic Day Parade on January 26," the External Affairs Ministry said. President Bolsonaro, a former army captain, won a landslide victory in Brazil's presidential election in October 2018, and took the reins of the country in January last year. "This visit is expected to further enhance and strengthen the multi-faceted ties between India-Brazil," the ministry said. According to reports, on his four-day visit, Bolsonaro will be accompanied by seven ministers, Chairman of Brazil-India Friendship Group in the Brazilian Parliament, senior officials and a large business delegation. Who is Jair Bolsonaro? According to a Reuters report, Bolsonaro came to power with a 46% vote, and his supporters believe that he will rescue Brazil's dwindling economy . However, the Human Rights Watch report paints a disturbing picture of this world leader saying, 'Bolsonaro, a pro-torture, openly bigoted member of Congress, won a run-off election on October 28, 2018 and he took office in January 2019'. Ever since Bolsonaro took up office, his tenure has dotted with multiple protests against him. He has been widely criticized across the world for his extreme right-wing views and has been called a bigot, homophobic, authoritarian, xenophobic. He has also been dubbed the Brazilian Donald Trump and has vowed to make Brazil great again. In 2014, he was criticized after he suggested that a female colleague was too ugly to be raped. The leader has defended dictatorship, suggested that his opponents should be shot, and called refugees from Haiti, Africa, and the Middle East as the scum of humanity. Bolsonaro has also been public about his outright offensive views regarding the LGBTQ community. Back in 2018 Bolsonaro was quoted in a magazine, "Brazil can't be a country of the gay world, of gay tourism. We have families." Why is Bolsonaro the chief guest? Twitter In 2018, Indias investments in Brazil stood around $6 billion, especially in IT, pharmaceutical, and energy sector among others. They have also shared a similar historical past in terms of repression and eventually fighting for independence. According to News 18, the biggest point of connection between the countries is the shared respect for Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is still considered an important (and controversial) figure in Brazil's history of racism and is still revered by the people. According to the Indian Express, statues of Mahatma Gandhi have been installed in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Londrina. A commemorative postal stamp of Gandhi was released by the Brazilian Postal Department on Gandhi Jayanti in 2018. All inputs from PTI An American soldier sits on an armored vehicle during a routine joint military exercise in Yeoncheon-gun, the Republic of Korea (ROK). Photo from Xinhua News Agency By Li Zhihong The sixth round of defense fee sharing negotiations between the Republic of Korea and the United States, which were held on January 14-15, local time, failed to produce an agreement, their 11th Special Measure Agreement (SMA). Americas request to significantly increase the ratio of military expenses borne by the ROK was rejected, and ROK insisted on maintaining the current cost-sharing arrangement, leaving the negotiations at a stalemate. The New York Times reported that Trump recently demanded Japan to bear more expenses for the American troops stationed there, and defense expense negotiation between the two countries may kick off in this summer. The high pressure of bearing much more military expenses for the stationed American troops has put a strain on the US-Japan-ROK alliance. Each party has its own considerations Li Jiacheng, an associate professor at the School of International Studies, Liaoning University and a researcher at the Charhar Institute, said in an interview that the ROK has to be grilled by the US every year because the one-year agreement has to be renewed annually. This year Washington asks Seoul to bear five times more military expenses, which is a huge fiscal burden on the latter and will affect a series of issues, including the independent national defense development proposed by President Moon Jae-in and the future transfer of command of wartime operations. But Washington doesnt care about Seouls dilemma, instead it believes it has paid too high a security cost for the ROK and Japan and its only natural for them to pay a higher price, said Li Jiacheng, adding that this has something to do with Trumps pursuit for unilateral interests. He never cares much about the interests of US allies ever since he took office. The Trump administration has always been adamant about shifting more military expenses to the ROK and Japan. With the upcoming presidential election in November, Trump called during his election campaign four years ago for downsizing and withdrawing American troops stationed overseas. His putting so much pressure on Japan and ROK at such a juncture is related with the upcoming election, said Li Jiacheng. With the pressure of competition from Democratic candidate Biden and with the impeachment inquiry, Trump has to make some diplomatic achievements urgently. If Seoul and Tokyo eventually agree to bear a larger proportion of the defense expenses, that will be something Trump can brag about and add fuel to his election campaign. Allies drift apart The ROK Foreign Ministry said that the ROK and the US decide to have close consultation and try to come to an agreement as soon as possible. The seventh round negotiation is expected to begin at the end of this month. Its highly likely that ROK will continue to play the delaying tactic, Li Jiacheng pointed out, once it agrees to bear five times more of military expenses of the stationed American troops, it will put itself in a very bad situation and trigger Domino effects because Washington may keep asking for more. NHK reported earlier that Japan had assigned military vessels and patrol planes to the Middle East, and Reuters reported that Abe has recently reaffirmed his plan to continue sending Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to that region as well, which, in Li Jiachengs opinion, may be a sign of Japans overture to the US. In comparison, the ROKs ambiguity during the negotiations about sending troops to the Middle East can be also interpreted as a signal. However, Li added, Japans overtures may not be of any use given Trumps political character. ROKs response to the heavy pressure imposed by the US will offer some references to Japan in this years negotiations, but Li Jiacheng analyzed that the ROK and Japans military strength will be seriously weakened if they lose Americas assistance due to their obvious inferiority in that field. Besides, Washington has the upper hand in the negotiations because it still holds the trump card of withdrawing the stationed troops from those two countries, which will probably give in to US pressure by opting for the lesser evil in the end. The US has been trying to create the so-called mini-NATO for Northeast Asia, but its bullying moves represented by the rising defense expense will unavoidably deepen the rift among the allies and cause the US-Japan-ROK alliance to become ever more loosely bound, said Li Jiacheng. Disclaimer: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, which is the website of Overseas Edition of the People's Daily. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 15:55:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SUVA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Climate change and disasters have impacted all women differently, a Fijian government official said on Wednesday. Speaking at a three-day workshop on Strengthening's Women's Resilience to Climate Change and Disaster Risk in the Fijian capital city of Suva, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Women and Children Jennifer Poole said on Wednesday that women also have an unrealized impact on green jobs and environmental activities. She stressed the importance of the separation of women from opportunities to tap resources and exercise power often prevented them from accessing climate-smart technology and jobs. Poole highlighted that the workshop is designed to build the evidence base to demonstrate that government is strengthened when it has women's participation and leadership in climate change and disaster risk management. Pacific women's role in food production, whether through subsistence farming to feed their families or growing cash crops for income, is an indispensable part of food production and consumption practices. Given the unique knowledge and skills held by women, development planning for the region needs to acknowledge and effectively utilize women's contributions in order to adapt to climate change impacts. Despite the critical role that women play in food production, they often face barriers to accessing agricultural land, training, credit and services. The agricultural production that women and girls perform also tends to be considered part of women's household responsibilities. Find all our Lessons of the Day here. Lesson Overview Featured Article: Rural Montana Had Already Lost Too Many Native Women. Then Selena Disappeared. In the featured article, Jack Healy covers the ongoing crisis of Native American women who have gone missing or been found murdered in southern Montana. The article states that in 2019, 5,590 Indigenous women were reported missing to the F.B.I.s National Crime Information Center, but advocates say the staggeringly high rates of violence suffered by Indigenous people are still not fully reflected in official accounting. In this lesson, you will learn about the disappearance and community-led searches for Native American women, and the activism to create awareness and hold law enforcement accountable for locating those women. Then, we will ask you to respond artistically to what you have read, both to process your own reaction and to educate others. Note to Teacher: The articles linked below contain statistics and detailed information about violence, sexual abuse and disappearances of Native American women. Teachers should review the articles in advance before assigning or presenting the lesson to students. Warm Up In the April 2019 article Native American Women Are Facing a Crisis, Maya Salam highlights data from various sources on abuse and disappearances of Native American women. Choose one of the statistics below and then answer the questions below: 84 percent Thats how many Indigenous women have experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in their lifetime, according to the National Institute of Justice. This popular social media personality has sparked debate over a recent prank he pulled on an airplane. Australia native Jamie Zhu posted a video at an airport attempting to switch from an economy-class seat to business-class. Zhu then walks into a pharmacy and asks for a moon boot, saying he broke his ankle. On the plane, he asks a flight attendant to be moved to a different seat. The video then cuts to Zhu in business class, ecstatic that he pulled his prank off. The video, which has received over 75,000 views, drew criticism from fellow youtube users. One critic even wrote that Zhu should be arrested and charged with fraud. Another said that they felt sorry for people with real health issues. Zhu has defended himself, claiming many of his followers called the prank "Cheeky, clever, and lighthearted" Without their keen sense of smell, mosquitoes wouldn't get very far. They rely on this sense to find a host to bite and spots to lay eggs. And without that sense of smell, mosquitoes could not locate their dominant source of food: nectar from flowers. "Nectar is an important source of food for all mosquitoes," said Jeffrey Riffell, a professor of biology at the University of Washington. "For male mosquitoes, nectar is their only food source, and female mosquitoes feed on nectar for all but a few days of their lives." Yet scientists know little about the scents that draw mosquitoes toward certain flowers, or repel them from others. This information could help develop less toxic and better repellents, more effective traps and understand how the mosquito brain responds to sensory information -- including the cues that, on occasion, lead a female mosquito to bite one of us. Riffell's team, which includes researchers at the UW, Virginia Tech and UC San Diego, has discovered the chemical cues that lead mosquitoes to pollinate a particularly irresistible species of orchid. As they report in a paper published online Dec. 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the orchid produces a finely balanced bouquet of chemical compounds that stimulate mosquitoes' sense of smell. On their own, some of these chemicals have either attractive or repressive effects on the mosquito brain. When combined in the same ratio as they're found in the orchid, they draw in mosquitoes as effectively as a real flower. Riffell's team also showed that one of the scent chemicals that repels mosquitoes lights up the same region of the mosquito brain as DEET, a common and controversial mosquito repellent. Their findings show how environmental cues from flowers can stimulate the mosquito brain as much as a warm-blooded host -- and can draw the mosquito toward a target or send it flying the other direction, said Riffell, who is the senior author of the study. advertisement The blunt-leaf orchid, or Platanthera obtusata, grows in cool, high-latitude climates across the Northern Hemisphere. From field stations in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington state, Riffell's team verified past research showing that local mosquitoes pollinate this species, but not its close relatives that grow in the same habitat. When researchers covered the flowers with bags -- depriving the mosquitoes of a visual cue for the flower -- the mosquitoes would still land on the bagged flowers and attempt to feed through the canvas. Orchid scent obviously attracted the mosquitoes. To find out why, Riffell's team turned to the individual chemicals that make up the blunt-leaf orchid's scent. "We often describe 'scent' as if it's one thing -- like the scent of a flower, or the scent of a person," said Riffell. "Scent is actually a complex combination of chemicals -- the scent of a rose consists of more than 300 -- and mosquitoes can detect the individual types of chemicals that make up a scent." Riffell describes the blunt-leaf orchid's scent as a grassy or musky odor, while its close relatives have a sweeter fragrance. The team used gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to identify dozens of chemicals in the scents of the Platanthera species. Compared to its relatives, the blunt-leaf orchid's scent contained high amounts of a compound called nonanal, and smaller amounts of another chemical, lilac aldehyde. Riffell's team also recorded the electrical activity in mosquito antennae, which detect scents. Both nonanal and lilac aldehyde stimulated antennae of mosquitoes that are native to the blunt-leaf orchid's habitat. But these compounds also stimulated the antennae of mosquitoes from other regions, including Anopheles stephensi, which spreads malaria, and Aedes aegypti, which spreads dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other diseases. Experiments of mosquito behavior showed that both native and non-native mosquitoes preferred a solution of nonanal and lilac aldehyde mixed in the same ratio as found in blunt-leaf flowers. If the researchers omitted lilac aldehyde from the recipe, mosquitoes lost interest. If they added more lilac aldehyde -- at levels found in the blunt-leaf orchid's close relatives -- mosquitoes were indifferent or repelled by the scent. advertisement Using techniques developed in Riffell's lab, they also peered directly into the brains of Aedes increpitus mosquitoes, which overlap with blunt-leaf orchids, and a genetically modified strain of Aedes aegypti previously developed by Riffell and co-author Omar Akbari, an associate professor at UC San Diego. They imaged calcium ions -- signatures of actively firing neurons -- in the antenna lobe, the region of the mosquito brain that processes signals from the antennae. These brain imaging experiments revealed that nonanal and lilac aldehyde stimulate different parts of the antenna lobe -- and even compete with one another when stimulated: The region that responds to nonanal can suppress activity in the region that responds to lilac aldehyde, and vice versa. Whether this "cross talk" makes a flower attractive or repelling to the mosquito likely depends on the amounts of nonanal and lilac aldehyde in the original scent. Blunt-leaf orchids have a ratio that attracts mosquitoes, while closely related species do not, according to Riffell. "Mosquitoes are processing the ratio of chemicals, not just the presence or absence of them," said Riffell. "This isn't just important for flower discrimination -- it's also important for how mosquitoes discern between you and I. Human scent is very complex, and what is probably important for attracting or repelling mosquitoes is the ratio of particular chemicals. We know that some people get bit more than others, and maybe a difference in ratio explains why." The team also discovered that lilac aldehyde stimulates the same region of the antenna lobe as DEET. That region may process "repressive" scents, though further research would need to verify this, said Riffell. It's too soon to tell if lilac aldehyde may someday be an effective mosquito repellant. But if it is, there is an added bonus. "It smells wonderful," said Riffell. Kyle and Jackie O's resident psychic, Georgina Walker, predicts that Megxit spells nothing but trouble for the monarchy. During a segment on the KIIS FM breakfast show on Wednesday, the clairvoyant said that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure is the beginning of the end of the Royal family. Ms Walker also believes that six-year-old Prince George, who is third in line to the British throne, will never be king. Warning: Kyle and Jackie O's resident psychic, Georgina Walker, predicts that Megxit spells nothing but trouble for the monarchy. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving Canada House in London on January 7 'I knew it was going to happen, I predicted the Queen would refresh the monarchy to make it a more younger approach,' Ms Walker said. She then warned there will be long-term 'implications' of Megxit, which she described as 'the start of the end of the Royal family'. 'I said when George was born he would never be king. And he won't be. [Prince] William will be the last king... [and] it will be over. This is the start of the changes that I feel.' Seeing into the future: Ms Walker claimed that she 'knew [Megxit] was going to happen' An end to years of tradition? Ms Walker also believes that six-year-old Prince George (far right), who is third in line to the British throne, will never be king. Pictured with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and sister, Princess Charlotte, in Norfolk on Christmas Day She added that Prince Harry, 35, now has to 'sing for his supper' if he wishes to maintain the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. On January 9, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to 'step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family' in a statement on their official Instagram account. The couple said they would split their time between the UK and North America, and are now in Canada with their eight-month-old son, Archie. Bold claims: Ms Walker made her predictions about the royal family on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show. Pictured: host Jackie 'O' Henderson Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the Royal family following negotiations with the Queen last week. On Monday night, Harry spoke of his disappointment at not being able to continue performing duties on behalf of his grandmother. 'Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible,' he said. 'I've accepted this, knowing that it doesn't change who I am or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.' Harry's supposed rift with his brother, William, has reportedly been repaired but he is said to be still at odds with his father, Prince Charles. A 16-year-old has been charged with capital murder in the fatal stabbings of his mother and twin 13-year-old brothers Tuesday night in a Munford home. Deputies responded to the house on Roy Lackey Lane late Tuesday, according to Talladega County Sheriff Jimmy Kilgores office. When authorities arrived, they found Holli Christina Durham, 36, Branson Durham, and Baron Durham, both 13. A third child, 16-year-old Landon Durham, was arrested Wednesday on capital murder charges in the deaths of his mother and brothers, Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens told reporters. UPDATE: Teen slept, went to school after murders, authorities say This is the kind of crimes you see on TV or the media or the internet that happen in other places and for it to happen here, it really hits home," said Giddens. "Munford, like all communities in this county, are pretty close-knit, and I know theyre hurting, and we are, too ... Im not wishing this on somebody else but its hard to believe these things happen. According to the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office, Landon was found at 7:40 am while traveling toward Etowah County. The juvenile was apprehended without incident at a store. Investigators are actively following leads and processing the scene for evidence, the Talladega County sheriffs office posted on Facebook. We are aware of several inaccurate postings on social media concerning this incident, the office said. Kilgore said he doesnt believe the community is in danger, nor are the nearby Munford schools. As a safety precaution, Kilgore said additional deputies were stationed at the schools on Wednesday. Dr. Suzanne Lacey, Superintendent of Talladega County Schools, sent a statement about the triple homicide. Last night, we learned of a tragedy in the Munford community. Like any small town, when tragedy strikes it effects the entire community including the school community, she said. Our focus is to support the school family during this difficult time. We have additional counselors available to provide a helping hand and listening ear to our Munford students and staff. Anyone with information on the incident should contact the Talladega County Sheriffs Office at 256-761-2141, the county E-911 at 256-761-1556, or anonymously at talladegasheriff.com. The East Alabama Metro Crime Center, Oxford police, Munford police, and the Munford Volunteer Fire Department are assisting in the investigation. This post will be updated. AL.com reporter Howard Koplowitz contributed to this article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Over her lifetime, the average female scientific researcher at a New Zealand university earns about NZ$400,000 less than her male counterparts, and less than half of this disparity can be explained by research performance and age. Ann Brower and Alex James of the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, present these findings in PLOS ONE on January 22, 2020. A growing body of research sheds light on gender disparities in academia, including gaps in pay, promotion rates, research funding, and more. However, many studies can only estimate individuals' salaries and rely on publication impact as the sole measure of research performance. In contrast, to better understand gender gaps, Brower and James analyzed salary bands and research performance scores for every academic researcher in New Zealand. Research scores were calculated according to the country's unique system for awarding government funding, which incorporates several factors in addition to publication impact. The analysis revealed that a male researcher at a New Zealand university has over double the odds of being ranked professor or associate professor than a woman with similar age and research score. The average male researcher earns more in a lifetime than the average female researcher, with research score and age accounting for only 40% to 70% of the pay gap, depending on the field. The data also oppose the "male variability hypothesis"the idea that pay gaps can be explained by a greater proportion of men at the very top of each field; a pay gap persisted even between men and women with similar career trajectories. Between 2003 and 2012, women whose research scores improved more than those of their male colleagues still lagged behind in moving up the academic ranks. Brower and James suggest possible explanations for their findings, including the idea that universities might demand more teaching activities from women than from men, without sufficiently rewarding the work. They also show that current hiring practices will never close the gender gap in most academic fields. Brower adds: "If we take 2 academics, a man and a woman, of the same age and research performance score, the man's odds are double the woman's of being ranked (and paid) an Associate Professor or Professor. The lifetime difference in pay for men and women of the same research performance adds up to the equivalent of a quarter of a house to a whole house, depending on field." Explore further Mind the gap: New study examines pay and job rank among academic economists More information: Brower A, James A (2020) Research performance and age explain less than half of the gender pay gap in New Zealand universities. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0226392. Journal information: PLoS ONE Brower A, James A (2020) Research performance and age explain less than half of the gender pay gap in New Zealand universities.15(1): e0226392. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226392 donald trump a very stable genius wide Getty/Penguin Random House On Tuesday, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig published a new book on the Trump Administration. The book tells never-before-heard stories about the Trump White House, and confirms anecdotes that were detailed in other books and reporting. "A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America" is on sale now. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A new book by Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig is shedding new light on the White House, and what appears to be a very chaotic administration. "A Very Stable Genius," which took inspiration for its title from one of President Donald Trump's tweets, was released on Tuesday. According to publisher Penguin Random House, the book draws on "scores of exclusive new interviews with some of the most senior members of the Trump administration and other firsthand witnesses." These sources tell the story of a seemingly unhinged president, who regularly demeans and degrades his staff, who lacks fundamental knowledge necessary for the job, and who isn't being properly protected. Trump responded to the book's impending release with a tweet on Monday, calling Rucker and Leonnig "two stone cold losers from Amazon [Washington Post]." "Almost every story is a made up lie, just like corrupt pol Shifty Schiff, who fraudulently made up my call with Ukraine. Fiction!" he wrote. Here are some of the most interesting anecdotes from the book: Read the original article on Business Insider Srinagar, Jan 22 : A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and Kashmir after intelligence inputs suggest of possible terror strikes ahead of the Republic Day. Sources said a joint module of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen militants have been tasked by their handlers in Pakistan to carry out dastardly attacks in the run up to the republic day. There are inputs that militants could launch suicide attacks on security installations in south Kashmir and defence positions across the south of Pir Panjal in the Jammu region. According to inputs, terrorist movement has also been traced in areas of Srinagar and Budgam districts. Last week, Srinagar police busted a module of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed and arrested five of its operatives. A suicide vest and bomb making material was recovered from the arrested militants. There is heightened security ahead of the first Republic Day in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370 on August 5. The J&K Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh, in his recent press conference in Srinagar, said that there were no specific inputs about possible militant strikes ahead of the Republic day but given the amount of arms and ammunition recovered by the security forces, nothing is left to chance. "I have completed my task, today is the end of an era and the Movement must re-invent itself," Di Maio told a gathering of party activists here, adding that he would "keep taking an interest in 5-Star". Rome, Jan 23 (IANS/AKI) Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday announced he would step down as leader of the troubled anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, saying he had "completed his task". Di Maio took a swipe at mounting internal dissent within in the party, whose support has halved since Italy's 2018 election when it won 33 per cent of the vote and became the biggest parliamentary party. Over 20 lawmakers have left or been kicked out since 5-Star went into coalition with the centre-left in September last year. "We have been harmed by everyone turning on everyone else... enough backstabbing," said Di Maio, who was voted the party's first leader in September 2017. Di Maio, 33, said he would stay on as Foreign Minster "and continue to work for the good of Italians." Vito Crimi, a 5-Star Senator, will become acting party leader as a battle that could further weaken the fractious ruling coalition is likely to get underway. Di Maio's resignation comes as party leader comes as 5-Star is set for a poor performance this weekend in polls in the northern Emilia Romagna region, a stronghold of the Italian left. vd Janata Dal (United) vice president Prashant Kishor has challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to try and implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Being dismissive of citizens dissent couldnt be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you dont care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why dont you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation! Kishor said in a tweet on Wednesday morning. Being dismissive of citizens dissent couldnt be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you dont care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why dont you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation! Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) January 22, 2020 This comes a day after Shah, at a rally in Lucknow, reiterated that CAA wont be revoked. We are not afraid of protests. In fact we were born amid protests, raised amid protests. We had said the same thing in Opposition and we are now saying same thing while in power, Shah said. He also called for a public debate on the legislation. Also Watch l Wont withdraw CAA; challenge opposition leaders for a debate: Amit Shah The CAA fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from three neighbouring nations who entered India before December 31, 2014. Protests against the law are continuing across the country, and it has also been legally challenged in the Supreme Court by several petitioners, including the state of Kerala. The southern state and Punjab have also moved resolutions against CAA. Kishor has led the opposition to the amended citizenship law and NRC within his own party. The support for the act in Parliament had led to a rift within the JD(U) with Prashant Kishor and Pavan Varma speaking out publicly against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars decision to support it. Soon after, Nitish Kumar was the first NDA chief minister to come out against the NRC. Chief ministers of at least 11 states - Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Odisha, West Bengal and Kerala - have declared that they will not implement NRC. 2019 was an interesting year to travel by air. The beginning of the year saw substantial delays in the U.S. thanks to the government shutdown and intense storms. We heard more about flight-shaming, as travelers became more aware of sustainable options while leisure travel continued to grow. We also saw rankings of some of the best and worst airports for business travelers. Now that the year is over, the Wall Street Journal has released its study of The Best and Worst U.S. Airlines of 2019. They analyzed data from nine major U.S. airlines in seven categories, ranked from number one being the best, to number nine being the worst. Here's more on what they found and what you may want to be aware of as you plan your business travel. 1. On-time arrivals. The airline with the most on-time arrivals, both domestically and internationally, was Delta Air Lines. Delta was on-time 83 percent of the time. Considering major factors like weather and political turmoil that took place in 2019, they fared well. The airline with the worst on-time arrival record was Frontier. They were only on-time 73 percent of the time. United and JetBlue also had low on-time arrival rates. 2. Delay of 45+ minutes. Known as an extreme delay, the airline with the least delays of 45 minutes or more was Alaska, followed by Southwest and Delta. The airline with the most delays of 45 minutes or more was JetBlue. Knowing this beforehand can help you decide which airline and which airport to fly to when traveling for business. 3. Being delayed on the tarmac for two or more hours. Getting delayed and stuck on the tarmac can be one of the more stressful experiences, especially if you've waited hours on the tarmac only to have to deplane and find another option to make it to your final destination. If this happens to you often, know that JetBlue, United, and American had some of the worst rates for being delayed on the tarmac in 2019. The airline with the lowest rate of two-hour or more tarmac delays? Southwest. Allegiant and Frontier also came out on top. 4. Lost or delayed luggage. In 2019, American Airlines was the airline most likely to lose or delay your luggage while Allegiant was the least likely to do the same. Rounding out the top three are Frontier and Southwest. Interestingly, American, Delta (ranked 4th), and United (ranked 8th) all offer the ability to track your bag. 5. Bumped from a flight. In 2019, American Airlines bumped 15,000 travelers from their flights. In contrast, out of the 186 million people who traveled on a Delta flight, Delta (impressively) only bumped nine passengers in 2019. Yikes! 6. Canceled flights. Having a canceled flight can be one of the most frustrating experiences when traveling for business. In 2019, Delta had the least amount of canceled flights. American, who ranked last, was 3x more likely than Delta to cancel a flight. Note that if you have lost luggage and/or have a canceled flight, your credit card may be able to help (so long as you booked your travel with it). Some of the best credit cards with travel insurance perks can help when caught in a stressful situation. 7. Formal complaints. Spirit Airlines is the airline with the most formal complaints filed with the Department of Transportation. Southwest Airlines had the least. Best and worst overall. According to the data, Delta was the best airline overall thanks to its continuous dependability. They ranked first in having on-time arrivals as well as having the least involuntary bumps and canceled flights. Alaska and Southwest tied for second place overall. American came in last, ranking worst in all categories save for on-time arrivals (ranked 6th), extreme delays (ranked 6th), and formal complaints (ranked 7th). American also had a contract dispute with workers for over half the year, which forced delays and cancelations. Factors to consider Personally, I think Delta is the best run U.S. airline by far. But, consumers shouldn't just book tickets based on the rankings. There are many variables to consider. For instance, the routes some of these airlines fly aren't always an option. I fly LAX-MIA often, and I'm not going to book Delta, mainly because they only have one flight a day while American has seven. In the past week, Delta Air Lines DAL kick started the fourth-quarter 2019 earnings season for the airline stocks. The carrier reported better-than-expected earnings per share and revenues in the final quarter of 2019. Moreover, both earnings and revenues increased year over year. Results were aided by upbeat air-travel demand from holiday travelers. Like Delta, United Airlines Holdings UAL beat on earnings and revenues in the December-end quarter. Both metrics increased year over year. Moreover, United Airlines full-year 2019 earnings per share (on an adjusted basis) came in at $12.05 per share, thereby implying that the Chicago-based carrier achieved its earnings per share target (between $11 and $13) a year ahead of schedule. On the non-earnings front, Spirit Airlines SAVE was the primary news maker courtesy of its improved fourth-quarter guidance with respect to unit revenues and cost. The projections found great favor with investors as the news propelled the stock to its highest level in almost six months time. Southwest Airlines LUV also grabbed headlines by virtue of its decision to extend the grounding period of the Boeing 737 Max jets in the companys fleet till early June, this year. (Read the Last Airline Stock Roundup here). Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories 1. Deltas fourth-quarter 2019 earnings per share (excluding 1 cent from non-recurring items) of $1.70 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 30 cents. The bottom line also improved 30.8% on a year-over- year basis, mainly owing to low fuel costs. Deltas results were also aided by the sale of its stake in GOL Linhas GOL. Operating revenues in the quarter came in at $11,439 million, edging past the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Moreover, the top line increased 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. For the first quarter of 2020, the carrier expects revenues to be up 5-7%. The estimated fuel price, including taxes and refinery impact, is expected in the range of $2-$2.20 per gallon for the current quarter. Pre-tax margin is expected to be flat on a year-over-year basis. The company expects total revenues per available seat miles (TRASM: adjusted) to be either flat or increase up to 2% in the quarter. Non fuel unit cost (CASM -Ex) is estimated to increase in the 2-3% range during this period. (Read more: Delta Air Lines' Q4 Earnings Top Estimates, Rise Y/Y). Story continues 2. United Airlines fourth-quarter 2019 earnings (excluding 14 cents from non-recurring items) of $2.67 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents. In addition, the bottom line improved 10.8% year over year, mainly on lower fuel costs. Operating revenues of $10,888 million increased 3.8% year over year. Passenger revenues, accounting for bulk (91.2%) of the top line, rose 3.9% year over year. However, cargo revenues declined 5.4%. Consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM: a key measure of unit revenues) inched up 0.8% year over year to 13.98 cents. Consolidated unit cost or cost per available seat mile (CASM) excluding fuel, third-party business expenses, profit sharing and special charges was up 2.7% year over year. However, total unit costs slipped 1.3% year over year. For the current quarter, United Airlines anticipates PRASM to either remain flat year over year or increase up to 2%. Average fuel price per gallon is estimated in the range of $2.04-$2.14. Additionally, effective income tax rate is estimated between 22% and 24%. First-quarter adjusted earnings per share are expected between 75 cents and $1.25. The mid-point, $1, of the guided range lies above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 83 cents. 3. Spirit Airlines stated at an investor update that it now expects fourth-quarter total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM: a key measure of unit revenues) to reflect a decline of 3.6% from fourth-quarter 2018s reported figure of 9.59 cents. This is an improvement from its outlook issued in October 2019, when the company estimated fourth-quarter 2019 TRASM to drop in the 4.5-6.5% range. Additionally, the new guidance with respect to costs was favorable. The company expects fourth-quarter non-fuel unit costs (on an adjusted basis) to display a 3.3% rise from the fourth-quarter 2018s reported figure of 5.49 cents. Spirit Airlines had earlier predicted an increase between 3.5% and 4.5% for adjusted non-fuel unit costs. Notably, the company is slated to release detailed fourth-quarter results on Feb 5. (Read more: Spirit Airlines Stock Nears 6-Month High: Here's Why). 4. Southwest Airlines has extended the grounding period of its Boeing 737 MAX jets through Jun 6, 2020, from the previous expectation of Apr 13. Following the extension of the grounding period, Southwest Airlines, which has 34 such jets in its fleet, will remove approximately 330 weekday flights from its peak-day schedule (which exceeds 4,000 flights). 5. In a bid to expand its network, Alaska Airlines intends to operate non-stop flights connecting Seattle and Monterey. Flights on the route are scheduled to be operational from Jun 18. The carriers decision to operate on the route is a prudent one as it will be the only non-stop flight connecting the cities. Alaska's sister carrier, Horizon Air, will be responsible for operation of this all-jet service between Seattle and Monterey. An Embraer 175 aircraft will operate on the route. Performance The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the past six months. The table above shows that almost all airline stocks traded in the red over the past week, resulting in the NYSE ARCA Airline index's 1.8% decline to $109.38. Over the course of past six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline index has gained 3.5%. Whats Next in the Airline Space? Investors will keenly await the fourth-quarter 2019 earnings reports of American Airlines AAL, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways JBLU on Jan 23. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.6% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Spirit Airlines, Inc. (SAVE) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Telkom must cut jobs to safeguard the companys sustainability. This is according to a statement from the Telkom Group, which said it has started a consultation process with organised labour as part of a section 189 process. Telkom approached the CCMA to facilitate the process, it said. Rapid changes in technology remain a key challenge for the group. While Telkom has made the necessary investments in new technologies and revenue streams, particularly in the fast-growing mobile business, this has taken its toll on profitability. Telkom is planning to cut as many as 3,000 jobs across the company, according to reports from earlier this month. The job cuts will reportedly happen in phases with the first phase from January to April. Macro environment Telkom went on to state that besides the difficult macroeconomic environment confronting all companies operating in South Africa, Telkom must reposition itself amid fundamental changes within the telecommunications industry. At the same time, Telkom has seen a sharp decline in fixed-voice and interconnection revenues across the group as customers shift towards new technologies, such as fibre-to-the-home. This trend will continue, said Telkom. Telkom added that it has been competing in a duopolistic mobile market and the two biggest companies have virtual control over voice and data prices. This is in reference to Vodacom and MTNs superior performance in the open market. The group is optimistic that the Data Services Market Inquiry will yield firm regulatory action to stimulate competition in South Africas mobile market, said Telkom. It is our hope that through considered and constructive engagement with the unions we can present and debate the challenges within our economy, industry, and Telkom. Taxis are refusing to charge by the meter and ride-hailing apps have doubled peak hour prices and added surcharges as Tet draws close. Monday evening, five days before the Lunar New Year (Tet), Hoang Viet requested a car on ride-hailing app Grab. He was surprised to find that his 14-kilometer trip from an office block in Duy Tan street to the Gia Lam Bus Station cost VND280,000 ($12.11), more than double the usual price. When he tried to request rides on other apps like Be and Fastgo, he found that the prices were cheaper, but was unable to find a driver who would accept his request. Many others have reported running into similar situations since last week, especially during peak hours when travel demand is high as people rush to shop before Tet. Ngoc Mai, another resident, said it took her half an hour to call a taxi home after taking her child to a shopping center in downtown Hanoi. "Before opening the door, the driver asked me for VND120,000 ($5.2) for a 5-kilometer trip. This usually costs VND60,000-70,000 ($2.6-3) on regular days," she said. Mai then asked three other taxis parked around the mall, but received similarly high quotes, with drivers saying they were charging more because of traffic jams around the city. Mai ended up requesting a ride on an app, but it took 20 minutes for the driver to come to pick her up. During the ride, Mais driver apologized and explained that the roads had become heavily congested over the last few days. Despite his company charging higher fees, he was making only VND1 million ($43) from less than 10 rides, while on normal days, his revenue could go up to VND1.5 million ($65), he said. "Its not that we want to reject passengers, but roads are now very busy, especially in downtown streets, where it could take an hour to go just one kilometer. Yes, we have raised prices, but Grab has done so as well," said the driver of a traditional taxi who did not wish to be named. Taxi prices are expected to go even higher, with most-ride hailing firms adding a surcharge to support drivers during the Tet holiday from January 23-27. From Wednesday, passengers will have to pay an extra VND10,000 ($0.43) per trip on GrabBike and VND15,000 ($0.65) on GrabCar, the Singapore-based company has announced. Local ride-hailing firm Be also said it was adding a surcharge of VND20,000 ($0.86) per car ride during Tet peak times, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Meanwhile, Indonesia-based Go-Viet has said it will charge an additional VND20,000 ($0.86) for GoBike rides for the first 2 kilometers, and an additional VND5,000 ($0.22) for every kilometer after. It will also charge an additional VND10,000 ($0.43) fee per trip during the night. A UN human rights panel has ruled for the first time that people fleeing the effects of climate change may be entitled to claim asylum, even as it dismissed an individual plaintiff's case against his deportation from New Zealand. The UN Human Rights Committee published its ruling Tuesday in the case of a man from Kiribati who was sent back to the Pacific island nation after being denied asylum by New Zealand in 2015. The Geneva-based panel, which monitors states' compliance with the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, concluded that although the deportation was legal, similar cases might in future justify asylum claims. The ruling has no immediate legal impact, but it is likely to be cited by people who say their rights are endangered by the impacts of climate change -- such as violent storms and sea level rise. The plaintiff in the case, Ioane Teitiota, had argued that he and his family were threatened by the lack of fresh water and violent land disputes as the ocean encroaches on Kiribati. The panel concluded that he had failed to provide sufficient evidence for his claims and that while Kiribati is likely to become uninhabitable, there is still a chance the island's government might avert this. Still, the committee's 18 independent experts acknowledged that "environmental degradation, climate change and unsustainable development constitute some of the most pressing and serious threats to the ability of present and future generations to enjoy the right to life." "This ruling sets forth new standards that could facilitate the success of future climate change-related asylum claims,'' committee member Yuval Shany said. Shabana Azmi is recovering fast and can be discharged from the Kokilabehn Dhirubhai Ambani hospital soon. A report in Bollywood Hungama has quoted Javed Akhtar as saying, There is good news. All tests and medical reports including the MRI are positive. No serious harm was done. We we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Shabana was injured when her car Tata Safari Storme hit the rear-end of a truck on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday. Her driver, Kamlesh Kamath, has been booked for rash driving and negligence, and the Khalapur police, under whose jurisdiction the accident took place, have already recorded his statement. Shabana Azmi and Rekha at the birthday party of poet-lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar, in Mumbai on Jan 17, 2020. (IANS) Kamath was apparently trying to overtake another vehicle when their car rammed into the truck near Khalapur, about 60km from here in neighbouring Raigad district, a local police official earlier said. Police will file chargesheet on time in the case related to the road accident and will call the actors driver for questioning again if required, an official said on Tuesday. Kamath (38), who suffered minor injuries in the crash, has been booked under IPC sections related to rash and negligent driving and also relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Khalapur police station in-charge Vishwajeet Kaingade told PTI, A day after the incident, we recorded the statement of her driver Kamlesh Kamath, but he has not been arrested. We will call him again to the police station if required. Also read: Deepika Padukone talks about depression at WEF Davos, reveals I fainted, luckily the house help came and saw me on the floor Kaingade declined to share details of the statement given by Kamath to the police after the accident. The sections under which he has been booked dont require his immediate arrest. In such cases, we file chargesheet directly in the court. In this case, too, we will file chargesheet on time, he said. Shabana will now be seen in the Steven Spielberg-produced Halo, an adaptation of a popular video game franchise of the same name. She will be essaying Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the head of Office of Naval Intelligence in the series. The actor also has Sheer Qorma in her kitty. It is based on a same-sex love story and stars Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta in lead roles. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more Any parent can attest, it can be tough to sell kids on the merits of veggies and even some fruits. And on those days when the kale starts flying across the dinner table and the tears stream down cheeks, sometimes its just easier to serve a slice of pizza and go for the juice box. But this should be an exception to the rule, not the rule itself. And this brings us to the U.S. Department of Agricultures proposal to lower federal nutrition standards for school breakfast and lunch. The proposal announced with a visit to Castle Hills Elementary School by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, as well as U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, he of the Jesus Shot and liberator of cupcakes and deep fryers is as unpalatable as a soggy French fry. The concern is there will be a lot more fries in our school cafeterias. Loosening nutrition standards is an invitation to childhood obesity and other associated health concerns. We are going backward here. The rationale for this proposal is it will cut back on food waste. The argument being as school meals have become healthier, kids have pushed back against whole grains, veggies and fresh fruit. It follows other administrative actions to chip away at Obama-era regulations. In the past, the USDA has reduced required servings of whole grains, slowed a reduction in sodium and allowed potatoes to replace fruit at breakfast. Under this proposal, pizza, hamburgers and fries potentially could be served daily as a la carte options. As Colin Schwartz, deputy director of legislative affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement, In practice, if finalized, this would create a huge loophole in school nutrition guidelines, paving the way for children to choose pizza, burgers, French fries, and other foods high in calories, saturated fat or sodium in place of balanced school meals every day. He also said the proposal would limit the variety of vegetables served at lunch and allow schools to reduce the amount of fruit served with some breakfasts. For example, a cup of fruit could be reduced to a half-cup, with pastries and granola bars filling in the balance of calories. Whats particularly troubling is the USDA knows better. We know the USDA knows better because it has studied the Obama-era reforms and found immense benefit. The USDAs School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study, found the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger Free-Kids Act under Obama resulted in a dramatic improvement in the overall health of school meals. It also found higher student participation in schools with the healthiest meals and that waste remained unchanged. For San Antonio, where childhood obesity is an ongoing community concern, school meals are an important opportunity to instill healthy eating habits. And because San Antonio is the poorest big city in the nation, school lunches are a keystone to nutrition for many families. About two-thirds of public school children in Bexar County qualify for free or reduced-price meals, Express-News staff writer Alia Malik noted in her article about Perdues visit to Castle Hills Elementary School. The proposed rule change will soon be posted for public comment. We encourage parents and educators to share their thoughts and views on this. Regardless of the outcome, we strongly encourage area school districts to limit the offerings of pizza and fries, and focus on serving quality, healthy meals to our kids. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Forecasts by Platform (Land-Based, Airborne, & Naval), by Type (Radar-, GPS-, Infrared-, Laser- & Other-Guided Weapons) & by Geography (Canada, China, Germany, India, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, UAE, UK, US & Rest of World). Plus, Analysis of the Leading Players in the Market Space US Navy awards BAE Systems with $2.6B contract for precision-guided rockets Elbit Systems awarded $30M contract to provide high-precision guided mortar munitions Japan awards Kongsberg follow-on contract for Joint Strike Missiles Boeing awarded $6.5B contract for JDAM guided bomb tailkits Lockheed, Rafael sign agreement for precision bombs These are just some of the business-critical headlines that have surfaced about your industry in the last 18 months. How are you, and your company, reacting to news such as this? By ordering and reading our new report today, you will be fully informed and ready to act. What does the future hold for the Military Smart Weapons market? In this new, 144-page Visiongain report, you will receive 180 tables and charts as well as independent, impartial and objective analysis To request sample pages from this report please contact Sara Peerun at [email protected] or refer to our website: https://www.visiongain.com/report/military-smart-weapons-market-report-2020-2030/#download_sampe_div By ordering and reading this report today, you will be given: A concise definition and comprehensive analysis of the Military Smart Weapons market from 2020 to 2030. An understanding of not only the financial prospects of the Smart Weapons industry but also the growth potential of several submarkets including Land-Based, Airborne, and Naval smart weapons as well as Radar-, GPS, Infrared-, and Laser-Guided munitions. An informed forecast of the sales of twelve nations Canada, China, Germany, India, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, U.A.E., U.K., and U.S. A description of the main drivers and restraints that are affecting the development of the Smart Weapons market. Nine profiles of the key players in the industry as well as up-to-date information on the latest financial performances and R&D expenses. Predictions for the global market and submarkets what's possible? Along with an evaluation of the current level of international investment in the Military Smart Weapons market, this report provides measured forecasts for three submarkets covering the period 2020 to 2030. Military Smart Weapons Market by Platform, 2020-2030 Land-Based Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Airborne Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Naval Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Military Smart Weapons Market by Type, 2020-2030 Radar-Guided Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 GPS/INS-Guided Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Infrared-Guided Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Laser-Guided Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Other-Guided Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Military Smart Weapons Market by Geography, 2020-2030 United States Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Canada Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 United Kingdom Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Germany Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Russia Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 China Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 India Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 South Korea Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Qatar Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Kuwait Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Saudi Arabia Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 United Arab Emirates Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 Rest of World Submarket Forecast, 2020-2030 To request a report overview of this report please contact Sara Peerun at [email protected] or refer to our website: https://www.visiongain.com/report/military-smart-weapons-market-report-2020-2030/ Did you know that we also offer a report add-on service? Email [email protected] to discuss any customized research needs you may have. Companies covered in the report include: BAE Systems Boeing Company General Dynamics Corporation Kongsberg Gruppen Lockheed Martin MBDA Northrop Grumman Corporation Raytheon Company Textron, Inc. To see a report overview please e-mail Sara Peerun on [email protected] Related reports: Fire Control System Market Report 2020-2030 Weapons Carriage & Release System Market Report 2020-2030 Small & Tactical UAV Fuel Cell Market Report 2020-2030 Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2019-2029 Remote Weapon Station Market Report 2019-2029 Supersonic & Hypersonic Missiles Market Report 2019-2029 SOURCE Visiongain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. Read more The world continues to churn outside the impeachment trial in Washington, including some potentially game-changing events in Israel. In advance of the March 2 elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main political rival, Benny Gantz, have each vowed to annex one-third of the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu has also promised to extend sovereignty to 132 or more Israeli settlements, some the size of small cities, which are scattered across the West Bank. The Israeli leader said he wanted to take advantage of the unique, one-off opportunity afforded by the Trump administration. READ MORE: Netanyahu's pledge to annex much of the West Bank undermines Israeli security | Trudy Rubin Meantime, Israeli media claim President Donald Trump will soon release his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, crafted by son-in-law Jared Kushner, presumably in time to help Netanyahu in a tight election. Yet this rush toward annexation, with Trumps apparent blessing, could spell the end of Israel as a democratic Jewish state. For the past three decades, plans to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been premised on a two-state solution. That means an Israeli and (demilitarized) Palestinian state side by side, with the latter incorporating most of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Take a look at the demographics of those territories and youll understand why two-staters cling to this concept: If Israel annexes the West Bank and Gaza, the Arab population will soon outnumber the Jews in the Holy Land. A Palestinian census in 2017 counted 4.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, with another 435,000 in Arab East Jerusalem. The Israeli Defense Ministry echoed those numbers. If you add in the 1.5 million Palestinian citizens of Israel, Palestinians nearly equal the 6.9 million Jews in Greater Israel. Once Israel formally annexes much of West Bank territory, it can no longer avoid the question of what civic rights to grant Palestinians, who now live under severe restrictions. Denying those rights, as former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and other Israeli leaders have noted, would lead to a form of apartheid, where Israeli Jews rule over a disenfranchised majority of noncitizens. Yet granting Palestinians citizenship in one state would end the Israeli state as a Jewish homeland. Yet Israeli annexationists with the acquiescence of President Trump want to see the two-state idea dead and buried. And in reality, it is hard to see its resurrection. Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have ceased. Extensive Israeli expansion of settlements with over 600,000 Israelis living in an expanded Jerusalem and the West Bank has divided the West Bank into disconnected Palestinian cantons that rule out any contiguous Palestinian territory. Palestinian leadership is weak and divided, and the whole Israeli polity has moved rightward. READ MORE: Jared Kushner gets it backwards at Bahrain conference | Trudy Rubin Understanding this, some Palestinians are adopting the one-state concept. They want to fight for full rights within one state, an argument they believe will attract more international backers. Ironically, the Trump administration has effectively joined the one-state camp. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, endorses the Israeli concept of annexation on the West Bank. And President Trump carelessly told journalists: I am looking at two-state, and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like, during a Netanyahu visit to at the White House. Whether or not Kushner releases his peace plan, its clear it wont promote a two-state solution, or focus on any political solution. If Netanyahu remains in office, he will need to annex the Jordan Valley, and Israeli settlements, quickly in order to maintain his coalition. Even if Gantz wins and drops his annexationist pledges, no one expects a revival of serious peace talks or a cessation of settlement expansion. No wonder many analysts and scholars, including those who have supported the two-state idea for decades, have concluded that the two-state idea is dead. They include the University of Pennsylvanias Ian Lustick, whose new book, Paradigm Lost: From Two-State Solution to One-State Reality, argues its time to jettison the two-state concept because there is now a one-state reality that isnt reversible. Lustick stresses that this one-state reality is not the same thing as a one-state solution. He says it is not offering a solution by which I mean a pretty picture to which I have a route that I believe can be followed to attain it. Just because one solution (two states) is no longer plausible, doesnt guarantee that another is visible. Many observers, myself included, cant imagine Jews and Arab Palestinians coexisting in one binational state. Perhaps Palestinians will warm to the idea, out of necessity, but I cant foresee Israelis giving up the right to a Jewish homeland. And in the Mideast, communal sentiments trump. Yet we now see a strange de facto alliance between President Trump, right-wing Israelis who want to annex the West Bank, and a nascent one-state Palestinian movement that will fight for equal rights within Greater Israel. The consequences of annexation can be quite different from what is expected, says Lustick. And you can be certain the Kushner peace plan wont do anything to resurrect the moribund prospects of two states living side by side. DAVOS, Switzerland Leaders of American businesses attending the World Economic Forum have privately expressed concerns about the coronavirus, which has killed more than a dozen people in China. Several of these executives, who have investments in China, said on Wednesday that they are concerned about the virus spreading beyond China's rural areas and into heavily populated cities, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. These people declined to be named because they didn't want to cause alarm. The virus, which has sickened at least 440 people and killed 17 in China, has already spread into Beijing, Shanghai and Macau. Beyond China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently confirmed one case of the virus making its way to the U.S. Some business leaders raised these concerns directly with President Donald Trump during a breakfast Wednesday morning, according to an executive at the gathering who declined to be named because the event was private. Trump brushed aside those concerns, according to the executive, echoing comments he made earlier in the day, during an interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen that aired on "Squawk Box." The president said in the interview that he trusted China's President Xi Jinping's handling of the virus and said the U.S. has it "totally under control." A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. The discussions in Davos have focused, in part, on the impact the virus could have on the livelihoods of the citizens of China and people around the world if it turned into a pandemic, the people said. The talks also covered how leaders would manage their businesses amid the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations and beyond. The holiday is one of the busiest travel days in China. Many companies, including big financial institutions J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, have offices in China and employ thousands of people there. While these American banks have yet to issue any warnings about the virus, a Europe-based financial institution has issued guidance to its staff as the virus spreads, according to a person at the bank participating in the World Economic Forum. This executive declined to be named or disclose the name of the bank issuing the guidance, given the sensitivity of the matter. "We are advising staff to be aware of the situation, close monitoring is in place, and staff health and safety is our top priority," the bank executive said. Some business leaders have said publicly that the spread of the virus could hurt stocks. "We've got a curveball with this coronavirus. I think that's a big deal. If you look at what happened in 2003, estimates ranged 0.5% to 2% in GDP for China, half a percent for Southeast Asia," investor Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC's "Squawk Box" from the World Economic Forum. U.S. business executives at the conference have been hearing privately from their Chinese counterparts that the outbreak could become equivalent to that of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which originated in China in 2002. That virus led to more than 700 deaths. Some analysts have said the virus does not appear to be as lethal as SARS. Not everyone in Davos is raising a red flag about the coronavirus. A medical industry executive, who declined to be named because their company sessions are private, said they had not started holding deliberations about it because they believe the virus is mostly contained in rural areas. But Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, told CNBC in a phone interview on Wednesday that the unknown aspects of the virus could create fear, especially if it turns into an epidemic. "It appears, based on the limiting information we have now, that for most people it should only cause a mild or moderate illness," Gottlieb said. "But there's a lot we don't know, and even a mild illness, if it's novel and becomes epidemic, can create a lot of fear and uncertainty." FAIRFIELD Owen Weber, a junior at Fairfield Ludlowe High School and Troop 82 Boy Scout, completed his Eagle Scout project, which supports an ongoing effort to increase the population of grassland birds in our area. A massive undertaking, Owens project is benefitting grassland birds and the community. The multi-faceted project involved installing a fence and building and placing bird boxes for a Connecticut Audubon Society property in Westport. After intensive planning, Owen began implementing his project on June 29-30, 2019 by leading a team of 15-plus scouts, parents, friends and neighbors in putting up a 450-foot split rail fence on Sasco Creek Road. The benefit of the fence is two-fold. It replaces an unsightly edge near the road that had been overtaken by invasive weeds and is therefore aesthetically pleasing and, more importantly, it provides a perch for birds which helps them with feeding. With temperatures in the 90s, digging 45 holes for the posts and laying the beams in place took well over 100 man-hours and was no small job. In November, after securing and prepping the materials, Owen then completed the next step in his project. He took all the supplies needed to a Troop 82 meeting where he demonstrated the building of one bird box, which will be used by birds for nesting. He then instructed and led other scouts in building five more to be placed on the same Audubon property as the fence. Finally, the last week of November, Owen returned to the same property with all the bird boxes, poles and baffles that he constructed and installed them strategically throughout the field which his fence now defines. When asked how he feels having completed a project of such magnitude, Owen replied, Im happy that I could convert a seemingly abandoned field into something more meaningful. Charles Stebbins, CT Audubon Society Sanctuary Committee chair, having watched the progression of the project from the start, was justifiably impressed. Perching (fence) and nesting (boxes) will greatly enhance the habitat for important grassland birds like the blue birds, tree swallows, goldfinch and kingbirds. Owen is every inch a doer, a leader and a deserving Eagle Scout! Thank you, Owen and team! Owen thanked Charles Stebbins, who donated the fence posts and beams, West End Lumber, which donated wood for the bird boxes, and The Pantry, which donated lunch to the crew who built the fence in July. The Eagle Project is the opportunity for a Boy Scout to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of his community. It is the culmination of the Scout's leadership training and requires a significant effort on his or her part. The project must benefit an organization other than the Boy Scouts of America and cannot be performed for an individual or a business or be commercial in nature. Completing an Eagle Project is a requirement in order for Scouts to attain the Eagle Scout rank. Boy Scout Troop 82 is a nationally recognized member of Boy Scouts of America and has been an active Boy Scout Troop since the 1920's at The First Church Congregational in Fairfield. Troop 82 meets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at The First Congregational Church on Beach Road in Fairfield and holds an open enrollment policy. Former Head of Marketing: Network18 Digital, Sangeetha Aiyer, has been appointed as the Head of Marketing, NBCUniversal India. She will be responsible for the marketing, digital and promotional strategy of Universal Pictures theatrical products in India. In her new role, she will develop the cohesive strategy for the studios IPs and premium products in India working in tandem with the international marketing team and other functional heads in India to ensure the strategic direction of the studios releases is successfully implemented. With a career spanning over 19 years, Sangeetha is an experienced marketing and content professional with comprehensive experience across industries. She has been instrumental in building media brands on both linear and non-linear platforms, ranging from FM radio, Youth, News, Factual and Lifestyle channels. Prior to Network18 Digital, Sangeetha has had a long and fruitful association with AETN18 (JV between A+E Networks and TV18) for over 8 years. As one of the founding team leads, she has played a significant role in spearheading the growth strategy for the JV, specifically the brands History TV18 and FYI TV18 on linear and social platforms. She has also worked with Times Network, Star Network, Reliance Big FM, Arvind Brands and Ambience Publicis. Also Read: Sangeetha Aiyer calls it a day at Network18 Media & Investments Sangeetha Aiyer moves to Network18 Digital as head, brand & marketing Reports say that the victims were found unconscious in a resort in Daman of Makwanpur district on Tuesday morning. The two families belonged to Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode districts respectively. (Photo: Representational/ ANI) Thiruvananthapuram/ Kathmandu: Eight members of two families from Kerala, who were on a vacation in Nepal, died in their sleep at a resort on Tuesday in what police officials are describing as a gas leak from a heater in their room. The deceased include four children. Reports say that the victims were found unconscious in a resort in Daman of Makwanpur district on Tuesday morning. A helicopter was requisitioned from Kathmandu in which all eight were flown to the Institute of Advanced Medicine and Surgery in the Nepalese capital. One of the doctors at the institute said the four adults and four children who were brought to the hospital showed no signs of life. According to the manager at the resort, although they had booked a total of four rooms, eight of them stayed in one room and remaining others in another room. He said they had turned on a gas heater to keep themselves warm. The group was returning from Pokhara and had stopped at the Everest Panorama Resort in Daman, a popular tourist destination located at an altitude of nearly 2,500 metres above the sea level. The temperature at the tourist destination on Monday was 3 Celsius. Makwanpur police superintendent Sushil Singh Rathore said the victims may have used gas heaters to warm their room which could have choked them to death. We are investigating the matter, he added. According to officials at the ministry of external affairs, the deceased have been identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair (39), his wife Saranya Sasi (34), daughters Sreebadra Praveen (9), Archa Praveen and son Abhinav Saranya Nair (9). Ranjit Kumar T.B. (39), his wife Indu Lakshmi Peethambaran (34), and son Vaishnav Ranjith (2). The only survivor was their son Madhav. The two families belonged to Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode districts respectively. While Praveen was working as an engineer in Dubai, Ranjith, who was employed in Thiruvannathapuram techopark earlier, was running his own venture. Deeply distressed by the tragic news of the passing away of eight Indian tourists in Nepal, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar tweeted. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed shock at the tragic incident and said the state government has requested the external affairs ministry to extend all help to the relatives of the deceased in getting the post-mortem examination and other formalities completed. Minister of state for external affairs V. Muraleedharan said that officials at the Indian high commission were taking steps to bring the bodies back to India as early as possible. Hamed Khosrawi was at home on Monday afternoon with his mother when they realized his brother was late. It wasnt like Safiullah, a shy and hardworking 15-year-old, who usually came straight home from Woburn Collegiate Institute. Hamed took off looking for him. The intersection at Ellesmere and Markham roads was blocked off with police tape probably a car accident he thought. At the nearby mosque someone told him there had been a shooting at the school and students were in lockdown. I assumed the best and I thought he was in there taking shelter, Hamed remembers. By 6 p.m., he got a call from his panicked mother. Come home quick, she said. He could tell from her voice something was very wrong. He ran home and thats where I saw three cops with my parents. Safiullah was walking among a crowd of pedestrians when, just after 3:10 p.m., gunfire rang out multiple times. Terrified students scrambled. Safi, as he was known, was rushed to hospital where he died of his injuries. Friends, family, teachers and members of the community gathered at Masjid Al Jannah Wednesday, a mosque teps from where Safiullah was shot, to remember the kind and quiet boy who lay inside in a simple wooden coffin covered with a green and gold cloth, a single red rose placed on top. Theyre left looking for answers to why the Grade 10 student was killed. Police have not said whether he was targeted or whether this was a case of mistaken identity, though Det.-Sgt. Andy Singh said the latter was unlikely because the shooting happened in broad daylight. Another 15-year-old student at the school was arrested minutes after the shooting. The student, who cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is charged with second-degree murder. Singh said the accused shooter had gang affiliations but it was too early to tell if it was a factor. Singh said he didnt believe the accused and the victim were friends, and added there was nothing in Safiullahs past that suggested hed be in such a situation. Friends, family and police all say Safiullah had no gang ties. He was an innocent young boy caught in the crossfire, said Imam Hamza Wardak in his remarks following funeral prayers at the packed mosque Wednesday. Wardak taught Safiullah in an after school program for years and remembered him winning best behaviour awards. Youd probably think that this would be the last kid who would end up losing his life like this, he told the crowd after hundreds bowed their heads in prayer. When everyone started running, this boy started running as well, he told the Star before the prayers. And then suddenly he just collapsed. Hamed just wants to know why this happened to his brother, the youngest of four boys. This needs to be done. A 15-year-old kid in broad daylight gets shot, its just nonsense, somethings wrong there, he said. Sujanth Raveenthiran was among the crowd of students and pedestrians in the area when he heard gunshots ring out. He saw a figure laying on the ground, but only later did he realize it was his classmate. He has a smile worth a million dollars, Raveenthiran said, adding residents in the area are very concerned about gun violence. He said hed personally like to see more police presence. Fourteen-year-old Zaid Yaqobi called Safi one of the best friends he ever had. He was one of the few kids that were ever nice to me, he said. This is the kid I used to play Dragon Ball with. Apostolos Kokkolis, 15, grew up with Safi and described him as a good kid who won class awards and always got good grades. He didnt deserve to die, Kokkolis said. I actually want to see this community do better ... More youth programs, get them off the street. Our parents are scared to let us go alone in this area, added Mabishan Gopalakirshnan, 15. Theyre scared that this could happen to anyone, it could have been us. At Woburn Collegiate, where classes resumed Wednesday following Tuesdays teachers strike, the flag was half-staff. Grief counsellors were made available to both staff and students. I taught Safiullah in two classes. Wonderful young man. Always happy, wrote one of Khosrawis teachers on a Go Fund Me online fundraiser, which had collected more that $12,000 to support the grieving family in less than 24 hours. Arthur Matheson, who taught Safi in civics and English, was among those at the mosque for visitation before the prayers. He was just a nice, young man. I am deeply hurt by his passing, he said. I never heard anybody say a mean word to him, I never heard him say a mean word. One of the questions Toronto police are investigating is where the alleged shooter got the gun and whether it was brought to school. Theyre urging anyone with information about the shooting, including drivers and pedestrians with video footage, to contact police. Ryan Bird, spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board, said in an email Wednesday that we have no indication that a weapon was present in the school prior to Mondays shooting that occurred off school property and after school hours. As with any similar case, were supporting Toronto Police in every way we can, he said. Khosrawi is Torontos fourth homicide in 2020. Of the four people killed, three were shot and were 25 or younger. His death is a continuation of rising gun violence in the city, a pattern that last year contributed to a record-level number of people killed or injured by bullets: 292, the highest in at least 15 years. Speaking to reporters after Wednesdays Toronto police board meeting, Mayor John Tory acknowledged that both victims and alleged perpetrators of gun violence are getting younger and younger. That troubling pattern will be discussed at a meeting of GTA mayors and police chiefs next week, convened specifically to address rising gun violence across the region. Tory said he hoped the meeting would prompt significant financial support from the other two levels of government to invest in social programming to address the root causes of crime. Although he acknowledged the federal government has provided some support and action including a move to ban some firearms Tory said he is disappointed in how much money they have provided the city. I had been led to believe by very senior people in the government that we had such a need, that was easily understood, and that we would get the support we needed, Tory said, noting the city has received about one-sixth of what it requested from the federal government. Amid rising violence in 2018, Toronto city council approved an anti-gun violence plan totalling more than $50 million. To date, much of that plan remains unfunded, including about $25 million in community-based initiatives designed by city staff to intervene with youth involved in conflict and prevent violence from happening in the first place. But the federal government has since rejected most of the citys requests for money for those programs, and council has not found new funding to implement the plan. At the mosque, after packed prayers with more than 1,500 in attendance, mourners carried Khosrawis coffin down the stairs, on their way to a nearby cemetery. Community member Zakia Alam, speaking after the prayers, said shed come to pay her respects. She said the shooting had shaken her sense of safety. Originally from Bangladesh, she knows what its like to leave your country looking for a brighter future for your children; Khosrawis father came from Afghanistan, a relative told the Star. Alam said it is especially heartbreaking to see tragedy happen here. They came here for a better life, she said. Now their son is gone. With files from Jennifer Pagliaro Rescue workers in Ibiza are searching for a British man feared to have been swept into the sea by violent storms battering Spain. Ben Garland, 25, has been missing since yesterday when he went on a motorcycle ride around the island. Fears that he has been swept into the sea were growing today after the motorcycle was found abandoned but there was still no sign of Ben. Worried friends of Ben, from Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, appealed on social media for anyone who may have seen him. His uncle Kirk Garland wrote on Facebook: 'My nephew Ben Garland has been missing for over 18 hours. Please everybody pray for him to be found safe and well.' He later added: 'Please God let Ben Garland be found safe and well.' Worried friends of Ben appealed on social media for anyone who may have seen him Ben Garland, 25, has been missing since yesterday when he went on a motorcycle ride around the island. The bike was found abandoned but there was no sign of Ben Ben, who had been working as a crew member on a boat, vanished in the Portinatx area of the municipality of Sant Joan de Labritja. The northern part of Ibiza has been lashed by Storm Gloria, which has caused an intense swell that has led to the cancellation of all maritime connections from the island. Rescue workers are searching the coastline in Ibiza for a missing British man who is feared to have been swept into the sea during heavy storms Rescue workers believe the missing Brit could have fallen into the sea. He was one of the crew of a boat which docked in the port of Ibiza. The captain reported him missing after went on a tour of the island on a motorcycle on his day off but didn't return. The bike has been found in Cala Portinatx. The search is being carried out both by land, with agents of the Civil Guard, Civil Protection and Local Police, and by sea, with a Civil Guard vessel. Another man is also missing in the Balearic Islands as a result of the freak weather conditions. On Monday, a young man disappeared whilst practiced canyoning in the torrent of Na Mora, in an area of the Serra de Tramuntana between Soller and Escorca . Search work has also resumed today. Storm Gloria is expected to bring heavy rains to Catalonia today, increasing the risk rivers in areas like Girona could overflow (pictured: a woman enters her home yesterday in Tossa de Mar as foam fills the streets) Mallorca has been smashed by huge waves and another town filled with foam as a storm continues to lash Spain, leaving four dead and 200,000 without power. Videos yesterday showed waves crashing over the seafront walls and sending water cascading down the street towards buildings in Cala Ratjada on Mallorca. While in the Costa Brava holiday resort of Tossa de Mar, locals woke up to the surreal sight of sea foam which had invaded part of the old town. One woman was filmed trying to get into her house in the resort up to her waist in the foam. Storm Gloria is expected to bring heavy rains to Catalonia today, increasing the risk rivers in areas like Girona could overflow. The Interior Minister has described the storm as 'exceptional.' Two persons have been arrested from the city after fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 3.46 lakh were seized from their possession, police said on Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police personnel apprehended the two from Indira Gandhi Sarani near Shahid Minar under Maidan Police Station limits, he said. As many as 692 fake notes in the denomination of Rs 500 were recovered from their possession, the senior police officer said. The accused are residents of Malda district, he said. Preliminary investigation suggested that the accused are involved in a racket of fake currency notes. "We are probing into the matter," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda flew to Mumbai to start shooting for his next film, Fighter. The movie, starring Vijay Deverakonda in the lead, will be directed by Puri Jagannath and produced by Dharma Productions. The movie that is touted to be an action-thriller will reportedly release in five languages (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam), and will also mark the Bollywood debut of the Arjun Reddy actor. Here is how Vijay Deverakonda is preparing for his role in Puri Jagannath's Fighter. Vijay Deverakonda to flaunt six-pack abs for Fighter? According to an online report, Vijay Deverakonda is hitting the gym to attain a chiselled body for the Puri Jagannath's Fighter. Apart from flaunting a ripped body, the Arjun Reddy actor will also be performing some high-octane action sequences in the film, for which he reportedly learned Mixed Martial Arts and other fighting forms from professionals in Thailand. The movie that went on the floor yesterday (January 20, 2020), will also feature Ramya Krishnan and Ronit Roy in pivotal roles. Also Read | Vijay Deverakonda Learns Martial Arts In Thailand For His Next Action-entertainer Also Read | Vijay Deverakonda Begins Shooting Puri Jagannadh's Untitled Next With A Holy Ceremony Meanwhile, Vijay Deverakonda is gearing up for the release of his next film, World Famous Lover. The movie, starring Vijay Devarakonda, Aishwarya Rajesh, Rashi Khanna, and Izabelle Leite in the lead, is directed by Kranthi Madhav. Touted to be an anthology, the movie will see Deverakonda romancing four leading ladies. The multi-lingual movie is slated to hit the marquee on February 14, 2020. Catch the teaser of Vijay Deverakonda's movie- World Famous Lover: Also Read | Vijay Deverakonda Shares The First Song For His Upcoming Romance Film 'World Famous Lover' Also Read | Ananya Panday To Mark Her Telugu Debut Opposite Vijay Deverakonda In 'Fighter'? (Promo Image Courtesy: Vijay Deverakonda Instagram) Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Houses on the coastline in Skipsea, East Riding of Yorkshire. (PA) The government should help fund the demolition of dozens of houses in Yorkshire to protect homeowners, councillors have said. Members of East Riding of Yorkshire Council are meeting on Wednesday to discuss a report that found 24 homes were at risk on the coast. They feel helping residents knock down their homes and relocate would be the safest option. Monitoring of the soft clay cliffs on the 80km Holderness Coast has found that the coastline is eroding at a rate of between 0.5 metres and 4 metres each year, the fastest in Europe. It has seen losses of up to 10 metres since last March due to erosion. The council report, which will be discussed at the environment and regeneration overview and scrutiny sub-committee meeting, revealed that some areas recorded losses in six months that were nearly double the annual rate, with the area south of Withernsea losing land at a rate of more than 1 metre each month. Dozens of people in Skipsea will lose their homes to the sea on the fastest disappearing coastline in north-west Europe. (PA) The report predicts that this erosion, which is likely to increase in future due to climate change, will put 24 homes in the village of Skipsea at risk by 2025. But it says that a single erosion event could put a large number of properties at imminent risk within the next year and more than 200 residential properties will be lost within the next 100 years. Councillors are calling on the government to provide funding for affected residents who face paying thousands of pounds to demolish their own homes and relocate. The council has historically met these costs, but it cannot afford to fund the demolition of all 24 properties at risk. Councillors are set to discuss the devastating effect of erosion (Picture: PA) Councillor David Elvidge, who will chair Wednesdays meeting, said: With the amount of funding available, we can only really defend the large areas of population. Its a devastating thing. He said people in unprotected places such as Skipsea are appalled when they see coastal defence schemes being planned for other areas. A 5.5m scheme, which has received 3m funding from the European Regional Development Fund, is due to start in Withernsea this year. Story continues READ MORE YAHOO UK NEWS HERE: British tourist struck down with severe flu virus in Thailand sent mum Im dying here text Retired lecturer, 74, 'was shot with crossbow by killer hiding outside house' Lawyer fined for punching lingerie designer in seat row at Royal Opera House Councillor Jane Evison is calling on the government to provide funding to help cover costs, which she said can be as much as 20,000. She said: The council is in a position where theyre not allowed to defend a coastline and neither are the private householders, clearly theres erosion taking place, one or two homes are at very high risk, yet theres no funding. Ms Evison added: Ive asked for a letter to go to Defra to say, Look, as were not allowed to take action regards defending anything, we need funds available to keep people safe to help them with the costs of demolition and keep that coastline safe for people. A woman looks over the eroded coastline. (PA) I dont think its a fair situation when were not allowed to provide any protection but were picking up the bill to keep people safe. Government decisions have been to not defend much of the sparsely populated coastline, with coastal defences not economically, socially or environmentally sustainable for large stretches of the coast. In total 1.2bn is being spent to protect properties from coastal erosion around the UK, a government spokesperson said. Brasilia, Jan 22 : The prosecution office of the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais has filed charges against mining giant Vale and consulting company TUV SUD for intentional murder over the collapse of a tailings dam in 2019. The collapse of the tailings dam occurred in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, on January 25, 2019, leaving 270 people dead and more than 10 missing, Xinhua news agency reported. The prosecution office also filed charges against 16 individuals, including the former Chief Executive Officer of Vale Fabio Schvartsman. Prosecutors said both Vale and TUV SUD were aware that an unacceptable degree of risk existed in the dam before it collapsed. But the two companies did not inform the authorities. Instead, TUV SUD, which was supposed to make an independent audit of Vale's activities, colluded with Vale to make fake reports, authorities said. Besides a murder accusation, Vale and the TUV SUD have been accused of environmental crimes. Subscriber content preview Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says the Washington Department of Ecology has imposed a de facto blockade on the coal-mining states by denying a key permit for a proposed coal port facility in Longview. By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. Wyoming and Montana asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to rule on Washington state's denial of a permit for a port facility that could boost U.S. coal exports. The coal-producing Rocky Mountain states argue the denial violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from impeding trade between one another and with other countries. . . . PARIS On a recent evening, Amar Sitayeb squeezed behind a tiny counter at the minimart that he and his older brother Ali have run for more than 35 years in the Marais district of central Paris. A plump gray tabby cat prowled the floor, and faded photos of neighborhood babies, many now grown-ups, were taped to an old cash register. A stream of regulars filed in, grabbing potato chips, gum and soda, and lingering to exchange gossip and pleasantries. One neighbor with the sniffles bought honey and tea. Mr. Sitayeb fished mint for her from a refrigerator. This should help, he said. Ten minutes later, she returned and asked for rum. Thatll attack the cold quicker! he laughed, pulling a bottle from the shelf. The purchases were mainly an excuse to spend precious moments bantering with the Sitayeb brothers, known to residents around the rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, a boutique-studded Marais street, as the eyes, ears and unofficial mayors of the area. Air France will considerably expand its presence on the Croatian market this summer, with 2020 becoming its third consecutive year of growth in the country. The French carrier will boost frequencies on services from Paris to Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split. It will commence a second daily flight between Paris and Zagreb from May 5, maintaining a morning and evening departure out of Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Croatian capital. As a result, the aircraft arriving in the evening will stay the night in Zagreb before embarking on its return journey early the next morning. Both daily services will be run by Airbus A320-familly aircraft. At the same time, Croatia Airlines will continue to operate one daily flight between the two cities. The French carrier will resume its seasonal service between Paris and Dubrovnik at the very start of the summer season, on March 29. Flights will initially run twice per week, up from one last year, before increasing to daily in mid-July, representing an increase of two additional weekly flights. Air France will also resume seasonal services from Paris to Split which were inaugurated last year. Operations will commence on July 14 and will be maintained up to six times per week, up from three weekly flights in 2019. In total, Air France will run an additional five weekly rotations to the Croatian coast this summer. Delta Air Lines and KLM will codeshare on all of Air Frances flights to Croatia, while Kenya Airways, Croatia Airlines and Flybe have their codes on the carriers services to and from Zagreb. Air France said the Croatian coast is becoming more and more popular with tourists. Growth is happening in both directions. More people are travelling to the world, but also many people are visiting the region - from both a leisure and business perspectives. The area is developing nicely, and I only see further growth possibilities in the future", the General Manager for Air France, KLM and Transavia for Alps, Balkans and Central Europe, Thijs Komen, said recently. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 14:17:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wu Xi highlighted the bilateral relationship between the two countries as a "front runner" during her remarks delivered at the Chinese Lunar New Year reception held Tuesday in Wellington. Wu said the relationship between China and New Zealand was successful in the past year. Leaders of the two countries reaffirmed their commitments to the comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries concluded negotiations to upgrade the free trade agreement, explored opportunities for cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative. The two-way trade exceeded 30 billion New zealand dollars (19.78 billion U.S. dollars). New Zealand companies secured big contracts at the 2nd China International Import Expo. And the success of the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism" expanded bilateral tourism cooperations as well as people-to-people exchanges. Wu noted that the year of Golden rat, according to Chinese lunar calendar, represents the pioneering spirit, intelligence and vigour as the rat is the first of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. The two countries jointly created many historic "Firsts" in the bilateral relationship. "Looking back, none of these firsts involved easy decisions. Yet, we've achieved them through wisdom, vision, courage and the pioneering spirit, to the benefit of both countries and peoples. I am confident by working together we will maintain our ties as a 'front-runner' in relations between China and developed countries," Wu added. A couple of days ago, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised the New Zealand-China relations as important, maturing and far-reaching when she attended 2020 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day in Auckland, one of the most renowned Chinese New Year activities held by local Chinese community. New Zealand members of Parliament, members of diplomatic corps, hundreds of Chinese locals attended the reception party. A Californian businessman accused of groping a woman and spitting on a passerby has been arrested after he was filmed attacking at least three news photographers. Peter Carzis, the owner of Peter's Men's Apparel in La Mesa, San Diego, is seen screaming 'Motherf***er'! Call the cops!' as he confronts the group outside his store on Monday. In the footage, the 76-year-old shoves several camera operators who were reporting on his alleged lewd behavior. At one point, he lashes out at a man who is backing away. When the cameraman says 'I'm bada**', Carzis replies through gritted teeth, 'You're a bada**? Show me how bada** you are, motherf***er!' before returning to his store and closing the door. Peter Carzis (above), owner of Peter's Men's Apparel in La Mesa, San Diego, lashes out at news photographers and screams abuse outside his store on Monday after they confront him over his alleged lewd behavior. Carzis has been accused of groping a woman and spitting on a passerby Carzis, 76, was arrested on Tuesday after he was filmed attacking at least three members of the press. Pictured, Carzis grabs a reporter's camera while launching a volley of curses at him Following the incident on Saturday, Carzis, of La Mesa, was arrested and taken into custody on Tuesday. La Mesa Police Department said he was accused of battering multiple reporters and causing irreparable damage to a video camera reported to be worth approximately $7,000 According to witnesses, Carzis initially faced down a female photographer from Univision, breaking her camera - before striking journalist Dan Plante from news channel KUSI in the face, leaving him bloodied. Carzis, of La Mesa, was arrested and taken into custody on Tuesday on suspicion of misdemeanor battery and felony property destruction following the incident. Lt. Gregory Runge of the La Mesa Police Department said Carzis is accused of battering multiple reporters and causing irreparable damage to a video camera reported to be worth approximately $7,000, according to the Times Of San Diego. Carzis will be booked into the San Diego County Jail after being medically cleared, the police said. It comes after a still from an alleged video emerged on Twitter, and on a Facebook group called 'La Mesa Happenings' over the weekend which allegedly showed Carzis groping the breasts of a woman as he sat on a chair on the sidewalk outside his used men's clothes store on Saturday. Carzis returns to his used men's clothes shop after the encounter. He will be booked into the San Diego County Jail after being medically cleared, the police said A post on Twitter from the police department reads: 'The La Mesa PD is aware of the video posted on the La Mesa Happenings group and will be following up with any potential victims.' Prior to the incident involving the media, La Mesa police said they were investigating the spitting incident as battery and fondling as a lewd act - both are misdemeanors. Carzis allegedly spat on a passerby over the weekend. Addie Pastore wrote on the La Mesa Happenings page on Facebook that she and her husband were walking past Peter's Men's Apparel at 8239 La Mesa Blvd. when her husband waved at the store owner and he spat in their direction. Ms Pastore posted: 'My husband stopped and turned around and said, "Excuse me?" The owner again spat in my husband's face and said F-you to him for no reason.' Several other women have posted comments on Yelp's business forum claiming Carzis touched them inappropriately or made crude comments, according to reports. Superior Court records indicate that a Peter Carzis has had three civil lawsuits filed against him in East County, including two harassment cases in 2013 and 2015, according to the Times Of San Diego. In 2013, a restraining order against Peter Carzis was granted. In 2015, a civil harassment restraining order was dismissed. Another 2015 case involved a dependent adult abuse restraining order. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) ("Steppe Gold" or the "Company") is extremely pleased and proud to be the first company to receive funding from the Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV. The fund has subscribed for a 12% two-year secured convertible debenture of the Company in the principal amount of US$3 million (the "Debenture"). The Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV aims to finance high return projects that increase economic growth and provide a positive contribution to the social and economic development of the country. The Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV is managed by DBM Asset Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Government-owned Development Bank of Mongolia. The Debenture will bear interest from the date of closing at 12% per annum, calculated and payable semi-annually in arrears, and will mature two years from the date of issuance. The Debenture will be convertible at the option of the holder into common shares of the Company at any time prior to the close of business on the maturity date at a conversion price of US$0.68 (Approx. C$0.90) per common share. The Debenture will be a secured obligation of the Company, secured through a pledge by the Company of the shares of its subsidiary, Steppe West LLC, which indirectly owns an 80% interest in the Company's Uudam Khundii project. The gross proceeds from the Debenture will be used for exploration and development of the Company's properties in Mongolia, and to accelerate the production process. Matthew Wood, Chairman, commented, "This historic partnership with the Mongolian National Investment Fund is another important milestone for Steppe Gold. As we build the premier precious metals company in Mongolia, we are especially pleased to see the continued strong support from local institutions, who share our passion for developing the substantial mineral wealth of the country. In our recent capital raising activity, over 70% has come from Mongolian institutions." Story continues The offering is expected to close on or about January 27, 2020 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. About National Strategic Investment Fund PIF SPV The Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV is managed by DBM Asset Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Government-owned Development Bank of Mongolia. http://www.dbmamc.mn/ About Steppe Gold Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company and is projected to produce 60,000 ounces of gold from its ATO Gold Mine in 2020. The Company is also completing a feasibility study into the expansion of the ATO Mine to approximately 150,000 ounces of gold per annum. Steppe Gold has been selected as "The Company of the Year" by the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industries of Mongolia and "The Investment of the Year" by the Mineral and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia in 2019, respectively. For Further information, please contact: Matthew Wood, Executive Chairman Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic street 19A, Sukhbaatar District 1, Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia Tel: +976 7732 1914 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: The above contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among other things, statements regarding the trading of the Common Shares and business, economic, and political conditions in Mongolia. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51735 The most astonishing revelation in reports about the hacking of Jeff Bezos' cellphone is that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have played a direct, personal role. Bloomberg News reports that two people familiar with the breach say Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler, known as MBS, started the process by sending the Amazon.com chief a WhatsApp message containing hidden malware, which gave the Saudis access to the billionaire's phone. More damning still, independent United Nations experts say they have information suggesting MBS's involvement in the hack. "The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia," wrote independent experts Agnes Callamard, U.N. Special Rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, in a statement Wednesday. How the prince responds will reveal whether he has learned any lessons from the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and its fallout. The message to Bezos preceded the grisly murder of the journalist, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, by five months. The U.N. investigation into the killing said MBS "has a responsibility in relationship to the killing" and the CIA believes he gave the order. The Saudi government denies this, and went through a form of judicial proceedings to affix blame on people it claims were involved. This saga has done little to dispel the cloud over MBS's reputation. As I wrote on the anniversary of the murder, the ghost of Khashoggi haunts the prince's every step. It even attended, Banquo-like, the banquet for bankers that was the Aramco IPO. The story about the hacking of the Washington Post's owner has the potential to attract as much attention as the killing of the newspaper's columnist. The allegation that the prince was personally involved is especially damaging, and will lower even further his international standing. In the U.S., it will harden the resolve of many in Congress to hold MBS to account for the murder, despite President Donald Trump's best efforts to shield him. It won't end there. That the target was one of the world's richest men will invite closer scrutiny of other incidents involving less prominent figures - such as the reported hacking of phones belonging to Saudi dissidents, threats against other critics, and the charge that Twitter employees spied for the kingdom. The first response from the Saudis was true to form. The Saudi embassy in Washington has characterized the reports of the Bezos hack as "absurd," reprising the posture it adopted in dismissing first reports that Khashoggi was murdered on orders from Riyadh. The wiser course would be to allow a transparent investigation into the hack with a broader mandate than the U.N. probe - to find out who ordered it as well as who executed it. After the opaque process surrounding the Khashoggi killing, any investigation by Saudi authorities will inevitably give the impression of a cover-up. The best way to avert that reasonable suspicion would be to allow international supervision of the process. If such a probe concludes that the first breach of Bezos's phone came from MBS's WhatsApp message, then the prince must make a clear breast of it: a real mea culpa, and not the caveat-laden acknowledgment he belatedly allowed in the Khashoggi affair. Better still, he should forswear the use of such tactics against critics. MBS's admirers and defenders often point out that the prince has a long reign ahead of him: He could be king for 50 years. That era will go easier without more ghosts and scandals dogging him. - - - Bobby Ghosh is a columnist and member of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world. J ess Phillips has now quit the Labour leadership race, dropping her bid to replace the outgoing Jeremy Corbyn. The Birmingham Yardley MP threw her hat into the ring shortly after the party's defeat in the 2019 general election, having been a prominent critic of Mr Corbyn. But, abandoning her bid, Ms Phillips said would not be able to "unite all parts" of the party. She had been considered the third most popular choice for the job, according to polls, following Sir Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey. However, the outspoken politician has now thrown her weight behind Lisa Nandy, who was recently endorsed by the GMB union. Ms Phillips is still expected to play a huge role in the party and could be chosen for a cabinet position after a new leader is selected. Here's all you need to know about Jess Phillips: Who will replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader? 1 /4 Who will replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader? Rebecca Long-Bailey Getty Images Lisa Nandy REUTERS Keir Starmer PA Who is Labour MP Jess Phillips? Born and raised in Birmingham, Ms Phillips is the daughter of teacher Stewart Trainer and Jean, the ex-deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation and chair of the South Birmingham Mental Health Trust. She revealed in an interview with the Guardian that both her parents were left-wing Labour members who quit the party in protest over the Iraq War. The 38-year-old studied for a degree in economics and social history at the University of Leeds and a postgraduate diploma at the University of Birmingham, before starting work for the Women's Aid Federation of England in 2010. In 2012, Ms Phillips was elected as a Labour councillor for the Longbridge Ward, in south-west Birmingham. Just a year later she was selected from an all-women shortlist to contest Birmingham Yardley, a seat she won in the 2015 general election with 41.6 per cent of the vote. Ms Phillips, is on the soft left of the party, has been an outspoken critic of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership as well as speaking out against the war in Iraq during Tony Blair's tenure. A mother of two boys, she is critical of the direction the party has taken under Mr Corbyn, and nominated Yvette Cooper to run for the top job in the 2015 leadership election. TODO: define component type apester While Ms Phillips has never held a role on the front benches, her outspoken nature and fierce campaigning on a number of issues such as equality and tackling violence against women has brought her into the public consciousness. Her candidacy offered one of the cleanest breaks from the politics of the Corbyn era. Since the party's disastrous defeat at the 2019 general election she has been campaigning for people to join Labour in a bid to change it. Her public endorsement of Ms Nandy and her second favourite to win, front-runner Keir Starmer, shows she still aims for the party to depart from Mr Corbyn's reign. She said: "I truly believe that unless we talk to the country on their terms, not just on ours, that we wont be able to make the gains we need to win an election and (to) do what everyone in the Labour movement wants to do, and that is make peoples lives better. In order to do that, the Labour Party will need to select a candidate that can unite all parts of our movement the union movement, the members and elected representatives I have to be honest that at this time, that person isnt me. Despite many seats in Leave-supporting areas falling to the Conservative Party last year, there was only a small swing in her constituency despite the fact she was a Remainer standing in a Leave area. Ex-Labour MP for Great Grimsby, Melanie Onn, said Ms Phillips would be in a "very good position to be able to reach out to ordinary people" if she were to formally stand for the Labour leadership. After Ms Phillips announced the news of her withdrawing from the campaign for leadership, fellow MP Ms Nandy tweeted: "Im sorry to see Jess drop out. She has made waves, shown great friendship and Ill miss her in this contest. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry tweeted: "Im very sorry to see @jessphillips drop out of the contest. We need to broaden our debate, not narrow it, and force the two favourites to prove theyre up to the fight by pitting them against some real strength. Jess is a sad loss in that effort, but we will keep going. MP Wes Streeting wrote: "Honesty is the best policy and Jess has it in abundance. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:16:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming Spring Festival holiday will see a daily average of 1.87 million trips made by passengers through China's entry and exit frontier inspection stations, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said Wednesday. The figure will be 2 percent more than that for the same period last year, the administration said. It said the average daily tourist flow at major airports in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu is expected to reach 77,000, 116,000, 56,000 and 22,000, respectively. It anticipates that Gongbei Port linking the mainland and Macao will see a notable increase with an average of 409,000 inbound and outbound trips each day, up 14 percent from last year. The tourist flow at the ports connecting the mainland and Hong Kong will slightly decline, said the NIA. The NIA asked border inspection agencies nationwide to disclose information on passenger flows in a timely manner and ensure safety and order. The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 25 this year. With 48 drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2019 was another highly productive year for the pharmaceutical industry. The new medicines include treatments for various cancers, sickle cell disease, migraines and postpartum depression. However, the steady flow of drugs could be masking troubling signs about the health of the industry, according to Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society. 2019 showed several notable trends for new drugs, according to Senior Correspondent Lisa M. Jarvis. First, about 42% of the medicines had new mechanisms of action -- so-called "first-in-class drugs" -- to treat a disease. As in past years, most of FDA's approvals were for small-molecule drugs, but 2019 also saw an influx of new molecular entities, including antibody-drug conjugates, an antisense oligonucleotide and a small interfering RNA. Another trend was the introduction of new therapies for underserved diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, treatment-resistant tuberculosis and postpartum depression. Despite these successes, some analysts say certain aspects of the list point to trouble ahead for the pharmaceutical industry. For example, the proportion of new drugs produced by big pharma is declining. One explanation is that the industry has shifted its focus from primary-care treatments, which require large, expensive clinical trials, to rare diseases and specialty care indications, like cancer. These classes of drugs can be approved on the basis of much smaller studies, making it easier for small companies to bring a drug to market. Another concerning trend is that the number of companies directly contributing to drug development is shrinking, as large companies acquire the most productive small and medium biotech firms. Analysts worry that this industry consolidation will threaten the ability to introduce new medicines. ### The article is freely available here. For more research news, journalists and public information officers are encouraged to apply for complimentary press registration for the ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Exposition in Philadelphia. The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS' mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder and STN), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS' main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org. Follow us on Twitter | Facebook Presiding officer Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 16, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Impeachment Trial Begins With Clash Over Rules The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump formally opened on Jan. 21 with the defense and prosecutors arguing over rules that will govern the proceeding. The proceedings began with Trumps attorneys backing the rules for the trial proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) The Democrats objected to the rules, and, over lunch, McConnell heard similar protests from fellow Republicans. McConnell then loosened some of the rules, including easing plans for a tight two-day schedule for opening arguments and agreeing that additional House evidence will be included. The senators also listened to arguments for and against two amendments to McConnells rules proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who called for the Senate to authorize subpoenas for documents from the White House and the State Department. The Republican majority rejected the amendment for a White House subpoena 5347. The arguments on McConnells rules and Schumers amendments presented dual visions of reality, with the presidents attorneys calling the impeachment a baseless, unconstitutional act, and the House Democrats alleging there was overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing. In seeking to remove Trump from office, Democrats allege that the president abused the power of his office by pressuring the leader of Ukraine to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and obstructing Congress after the alleged scheme was uncovered. House Democrats voted to impeach Trump, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump denies wrongdoing and has cast down the proceedings as a hoax meant to derail his 2020 reelection. White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who is leading Trumps defense, attacked the foundation of the charges against the Republican president and said Democrats hadnt come close to meeting the Constitutional standards for impeachment. The only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong, Cipollone said. There is absolutely no case. House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who helped spearhead the House impeachment inquiry, summarized the charges against Trump and said the president had committed a trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment. Schiff said that although the evidence against Trump was already overwhelming, further witness testimony was necessary to show the full scope of the misconduct by the president and those around him. Trumps attorneys rebutted Schiffs claims, pointing out that if the evidence was overwhelming, the House impeachment managers wouldnt be fighting for additional evidence and witnesses. Trump counsel Jay Sekulow also recast Schiffs trifecta to underline the three due-process rights Trump was denied during the House impeachment inquiry: the right to cross-examine witnesses, the right to have counsel at hearings, and the right to access evidence. Schiff responded by saying the hearings had to be closed in order to prevent witnesses from coordinating their testimony. Democrats want a number of current and former Trump administration officials, including Trumps former national security adviser John Bolton and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to testify. McConnell unveiled a plan on Jan. 20 for what would be a potentially quick trial without new testimony or evidence. It would have given Democratic prosecutors and Trumps lawyers 48 hours, evenly split, to present their arguments over four days. That plan was changed to give each side three days of opening arguments over two 24-hour periods. The rules also will allow the Houses record of the impeachment probe admitted as evidence in the trial, as Democrats had demanded. We discussed it at lunch. It was pretty much a [Republican] conference consensus that that made a lot more sense, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said. Democrats had accused McConnell of trying to rig a trial with proposed rules that they said would prevent witnesses from testifying and bar evidence gathered by investigators. Both Schumer and Schiff accused the Senates majority leader of being part of a coverup. McConnell has repeatedly said the rules would mirror those the Senate used in the 1999 impeachment of then-President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. Republican senators havent ruled out the possibility of further witness testimony and evidence. Under McConnells plan, lawyers for Trump could move early in the proceedings to ask senators to dismiss all charges, according to a senior Republican leadership aide, a motion that would likely fall short of the support needed to succeed. Even if such a motion fails, Trump is almost certain to be acquitted by the 100-member chamber, in which a two-thirds majority is needed to remove him from office. The Democrats accused the president of withholding military aid and the prospect of a White House meeting from Ukraine in order to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The Republicans assert that not a single witness brought before the House impeachment investigators offered firsthand evidence of Trump directing the alleged scheme. They also say the president was within his right to inquire about reported Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election and potential conflicts of interest on behalf of the Bidens. Cipollone has described the Ukraine investigation as an illegal attempt to remove a democratically elected president and avert his reelection. Theyre not here to steal one election, theyre here to steal two elections, Cipollone said on Jan. 21. Hunter Biden received up to $83,000 per month from Burisma, a Ukrainian gas firm that was under investigation by Ukraines prosecutor general when Joe Biden forced the firing of the prosecutor. Biden has bragged about ousting the prosecutor by withholding $1 billion in loan guarantees from Ukraine. As the impeachment drama unfolded, Trump secured several policy victories, securing bipartisan support for the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement and signing the first phase of a trade deal with China. In arguments about the second article of impeachment, which alleges that Trump obstructed Congress, Schiff said that the White House has fought all of the subpoenas issued by the House Intelligence Committee and provided no documents. The presidents attorneys argued that it was Trumps duty to defend the executive privilege enshrined in the Constitution. The Senate trial is expected to continue six days a week, Monday through Saturday, until at least the end of January. Reuters contributed to this report. Amid continuing protests by meat traders and farmers Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced on Wednesday that he has delayed until July the entry into force of a ban on home slaughter of livestock in Armenia. The governments State Food Safety Inspectorate began enforcing the ban on January 15, citing the need to prevent the sale of unhealthy or contaminated meat. It thus required shops and market stalls to have documents certifying that meat sold by them is supplied from licensed slaughterhouses. The decision sparked street protests in Yerevan by farmers who have traditionally slaughtered their livestock on their farms and courtyards. They say that they cannot afford the extra costs of transporting animals to the abattoirs and paying for their slaughter. Disaffected meat vendors in Yerevan make similar arguments. The government essentially ignored the protesters until the angry farmers began blocking on Tuesday major highways in various parts of the country. Pashinian announced the six-month reprieve for them when he spoke during the governments question-and-answer session in the parliament. He stressed that it will not apply to meat sold in supermarkets or served in restaurants in Yerevan. Pashinian acknowledged that the protesters are right to point to a lack of abattoirs operating in Armenia. But he said their shortage is the result of the authorities reluctance to ban home butchery until now. In the last one and a half years we have twice approved such delays, complained Pashinian. People want to invest money but then think: Maybe I will spend money and built a slaughterhouse and then find out that the government has annulled this requirement. The premier also announced that the government will subsidizing loans and offer other financial incentives to businesspeople willing to build abattoirs. But, he said, this will be conditional on cattle farmers dropping their objections to the more civilized form of butchery. The sale of meat lying on the asphalt in anti-hygienic conditions must be banned in Armenia, he declared. All-out efforts ordered to curb spread of virus People's Daily Online (China Daily) 07:25, January 21, 2020 President calls containing outbreak urgent task during Chinese New Year holiday President Xi Jinping urged resolute efforts on Monday to contain the spread of pneumonia cases caused by a new strain of coronavirus as cases of the contagion rose to 224, all but six of them confirmed, as of 8 pm on Monday. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in an instruction on the prevention and control of the disease. All-out efforts must be made in the prevention and control of the contagion, Xi said, as he called for closer attention to related work. Given massive population flows during the upcoming holiday of Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 25, it is an urgent task to properly prevent and control the disease, Xi said. He urged Party committees and governments at various levels as well as relevant departments to make people's lives and health a top priority, devise meticulous plans, mobilize all available resources and take concrete and effective measures to contain further spread of the sickness. Every means should be tried to save and treat the infected, identify the cause of the contagion, strengthen case monitoring and standardize diagnostic procedures, Xi added. He called for timely disclosure of outbreak information and a deepening of international cooperation. Measures should be taken to guide public opinion, make relevant policies accessible to the public to uphold social stability and ensure people across the country enjoy a peaceful and happy festival, Xi said. Premier Li Keqiang also issued an instruction on Monday urging local governments and relevant departments to identify, report, isolate and treat patients in a timely manner and promptly and objectively release information about disease prevention and control. Li also called for good coordination with the World Health Organization, relevant countries and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan province to take united action to resolutely prevent the contagion from spreading. A State Council executive meeting chaired by Li on Monday also worked out concrete steps to prevent and control the disease. As of 8 pm on Monday, a total of 218 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infections had been reported in China 198 cases in Wuhan, Hubei province, where the first case of novel coronavirus infection was identified, five in Beijing, 14 in Guangdong province and one in Shanghai. Japan, Thailand and the Republic of Korea were also reported to have confirmed cases of the disease. More Chinese cities have stepped up monitoring, prevention and control of infectious pulmonary diseases. In line with the united prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, the National Health Commission has set up a leading task force group to cope with the outbreak while local governments including the Hubei provincial government were asked to shoulder their responsibilities in disease control. Responding to a question about the outbreak on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news conference that China had informed the WHO, organizations in relevant countries and regions about the disease in a timely manner, and has been in close communication with them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Angie Teo and Joyce Zhou BUNDANOON, Australia (Reuters) - Buddhist monk Phra Mana helped build his bush monastery with his bare hands three decades ago, but when Australia's worst wildfires in generations threatened to destroy it he stood up to fate with a smile. An inferno ripped through the forest surrounding the Sunnataram Monastery in New South Wales two weeks ago and, after being evacuated, he and his fellow monks could do nothing but pray. "I have never seen branches behave like this in the past 30 years," the Bangkok-born abbot said, describing how dry the land was. "So when the heat came, it just burned so quick." This season's bushfires have razed an area equivalent to half of the UK, killed millions of animals, devastated rural communities and cost farmers and vintners their livelihoods. At the monastery, which around 50 to 60 volunteer firefighters were dispatched to defend, only a few buildings and water tanks were lost. True to his religion, Phra Mana has been able to accept the damage with equanimity. "Wildfires are normal in Australia's bushland," the 56-year-old said as he strolled around the scorched compound in orange robes. "As long as our faith and morale remain strong, we are prepared to face it." The Buddha statues gracing the compound still stand, and now the monks have added a message spelling out "Thank you Firey", addressed to the firefighters. But the monastery remains under threat as a nearby forest continues to smolder. "We are prepared. At the same time, we accept," Phra Mana said. (Reporting by Joyce Zhou and Angie Teo. Writing by Karishma Singh; editing by John Stonestreet) Madhya Pradesh Bhartiya Janata Party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya lashed out at the Rajgarh district collector during a protest on Wednesday and said the Jawaharlal Nehru University virus had come to the state but the people know how such a virus is cured. The BJP national general secretary alleged that district collector Nidhi Nivedita was from the JNU and that is why she opposed the pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally organized by BJP workers and assaulted them. JNU is known for raising of anti-nation slogans. The Tri-colour is opposed over there. Thats why the BJP workers who held the national flag in their hands were insulted. JNU virus has come here and people know how a virus is cured., Vijayvargiya said. Collector Nivedita and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Priya Verma allegedly slapped a BJP worker during the rally on Sunday. However, both the women officers later accused the BJP workers of misbehaving with them while violating prohibitory orders. In video clips, which went viral on social media, both the officers were seen pushing and slapping BJP workers. Someone was also seen pulling Vermas hair during the commotion. BJP national vice-president and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, We will not tolerate the insult of BJP workers. BJP workers are capable of finishing off Kamal Naths Lanka. Chouhan said the administrative officers didnt have the right to slap anyone. He alleged the collectors slap was not against workers but on democracy and demanded an FIR against the collector. State BJP president Rakesh Singh said, The collectors slap on party worker has signaled the countdown of the Congress government. It will have to go in the interest of people. The leader of opposition in state assembly Gopal Bhargava said, the collectors act was an insult to Constitution which had bestowed her with the authority in the first place. State Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja, however, accused BJP leaders including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Gopal Bhargava, Kailash Vijayvargiya of making indecent remarks against the lady collector. Their remarks exposed their mindset towards women. They should be expelled from the BJP, Saluja said. Tulsi Gabbard is suing Hillary Clinton for at least $100 million in defamation damages after Clinton indicated she thinks the Hawaii congresswoman is a Russian plant in the 2020 presidential race. I will not stand quietly by as Hillary Clinton or anyone else tries to smear my character and my loyalty and dedication to serving our country. And Ive filed a lawsuit against her for that defamation to hold her accountable,' Gabbard told voters during a town hall meeting in New Hampshire Wednesday night. She received a round of applause at her remarks. The complaint argues Gabbard has proven her loyalty to America through her military service in the Army National Guard, charges Clinton with hurting Gabbard's presidential bid, and outlines Gabbard's belief Clinton made the comments in retaliation for Gabbard endorsing Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary. 'In February 2016, Tulsi believed the best Democratic presidential candidate for our country was Senator Bernie Sanders. She also knew that Clinton had a stranglehold over the Democratic party and that crossing Clinton (who considered herself the inevitable nominee) could mean the end of her own political career. Yet Tulsi put the country before herself, and she publicly endorsed Senator Sanders, becoming the most prominent politician to do so at the time,' the complaint reads. 'Clinton - a cutthroat politician by any account - has never forgotten this perceived slight. And in October 2019, she sought retribution by lying, publicly and loudly, about Tulsi Gabbard,' it adds. Gabbard is suing the former secretary of state for monetary damage and for legal fees - a total of at least $100 million. The suit notes Gabbard has lost more than $50 million in damages. 'The Defamatory Statements have caused Tulsi to lose potential donors and potential voters who heard the Defamatory Statements. Tulsi has suffered significant actual damages, personally and professionally, that are estimated to exceed $50 million,' the complaint reads. The complaint also argues Gabbard should be awarded at least another $50 million in special damages - bringing the total to at least $100 million. 'Tulsi is entitled to appropriate special and punitive damages of in view of Clintons malicious and unrepentant conduct. The amount of these damages will be proven at trial, but in no event should they be less than the amount of Tulsis actual damages,' it reads. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Forbes estimated Bill and Hillary Clinton were worth $240 million - an amount that has likely risen in the past four years. Tulsi Gabbard is suing Hillary Clinton for defamation Gabbard's complaint accuses Hillary Clinton of retaliating against Gabbard endorsing Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill told CNN the lawsuit is 'ridiculous.' Gabbard, in her lawsuit that she filed in Clinton's home state of New York, charges Clinton with unable to get over the 2016 election and having a 'special hatred and animosity' for the congresswoman. 'Clinton has not gotten over her loss in that election and still dwells on what happened. Clinton blames many persons for her loss,' the complaint reads, adding: 'Clinton reserves a special hatred and animosity for Tulsi - who never endorsed Clinton, did not campaign for her, and to top it off, gave the nomination speech for Senator Sanders at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.' The complaint also accuses Clinton for having no basis for making her charge against Gabbard. 'Clinton had no basis for making her false assertions about Tulsi - and indeed, there is no factual basis for Clintons conspiracy theory. Clintons peddling of this theory has harmed Tulsi, has harmed American voters, and has harmed American democracy. Tulsi brings this lawsuit to ensure that the truth prevails and to ensure this countrys political elites are held accountable for intentionally trying to distort the truth in the midst of a critical Presidential election,' the complaint reads. 'Tulsi has suffered anguish and damage to her reputation, with direct and substantial injury to her positions as United States Congresswoman; Presidential candidate; and officer in the Army National Guard,' it adds. Gabbard's presidential campaign has struggled to gain traction and she did not meet the qualifications for the last two presidential primary debates. She has 1.3 per cent in the RealClearPolitics polling average on the race for the Democratic nomination and is second from the bottom in rankings. Gabbard also has said she won't see re-election to her congressional district in Hawaii so she can focus on her presidential bid. Clinton made her accusation against Gabbard in an October 2019 interview. Clinton, who lost the 2016 election in part because of Russian interference that helped Donald Trump, claimed Moscow was at it again. 'I'm not making any predictions, but I think they've got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,' Clinton said in an interview. 'She's the favorite of the Russians.' Clinton did not mention Gabbard by name in the interview with former Obama adviser David Plouffe for his podcast but her accusation appeared directed at the congresswoman from Hawaii, who's been accused in the past of being cozy with Moscow. 'They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far,' Clinton added. Gabbard points out in her lawsuit that no American intelligence agency has said she is a Russian asset and adds she has never lost a security clearance, which she has held both as a member of the military and through her committee assignments in Congress. 'No United States law enforcement or intelligence agencies have claimed, much less presented any evidence, that Congresswoman Gabbard is a Russian asset. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Homeland Security Committee; and as a Major in the United States Army National Guard, with access to highly sensitive and classified information, Tulsi has never had her security clearances challenged or revoked,' it reads. Gabbard's lawyer called the Hawaii congresswoman a 'loyal American civil servant.' 'Tulsi Gabbard is a loyal American civil servant who has also dedicated her life to protecting the safety of all Americans. Rep. Gabbards presidential campaign continues to gain momentum but she has seen her political and personal reputation smeared and her candidacy intentionally damaged by Clintons malicious and demonstrably false remarks,' Brian Dunne, counsel to Gabbard and partner at Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP, said in a statement. One would expect someone of Mrs. Clintons political background to act with a greater level of maturity and dignity, but her personal hostility toward Rep. Gabbard apparently clouded Mrs. Clintons reason and blinded her to U.S. defamation laws. She resorted to a damaging whisper campaign founded on lies and when presented with the opportunity to retract her damaging remarks, she refused. Rep. Gabbard must defend her good name and hold Mrs. Clinton responsible. This lawsuit intends to do just that,' he added. Tulsi Gabbard in Syria in January 2017 Gabbard is suing Clinton for monetary damages Clinton's spokesman Nick Merrill doubled down on the former secretary of state's comments at the time. 'If the nesting doll fits,' he told reporters when asked if Clinton meant Gabbard in her interview. Clinton was not the first person to raise questions about Gabbard's ties to Russia and the congresswoman has faced questions about a January 2017 trip to Syria that she made in an unofficial capacity. In the Democratic primary debate in Ohio preceding Clinton's interview last year, Gabbard defended herself from claims she is a 'Russian asset,' calling them 'completely despicable.' She also defended her trip to Syria where she met with its dictator Bashar al-Assad, who is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'Just two days ago the New York Times put out an article saying that I'm a Russian asset and an Assad apologist and all these different smears,' she said during the debate. 'This morning a CNN commentator said on national television that I'm an asset of Russia.' 'Completely despicable,' she said of the comments and then promised: 'As president I will end these regime change wars.' In October 2019, The New York Times' published an article entitled 'What, Exactly, Is Tulsi Gabbard Up To?' and noted her candidacy is supported by alt-right internet stars, white nationalists and Russians. On Tuesday morning, the morning of the debate, CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers had said: 'There is no question, there is no question that Tulsi Gabbard, of all the 12, is a puppet for the Russian government.' Gabbard earns frequently mentions in Russian propaganda and media. She is a regular subject on RT, the news agency backed by the Kremlin. Some Democrats have feared Gabbard could make an independent third-party presidential bid, which would draw votes away from the Democratic nominee and result in Donald Trump's re-election. Clinton referenced those fears in her interview, when she accused Russia of meddling again in American politics. U.S. intelligence agencies also have warned about foreign interference in this November's contest but have not mentioned Gabbard. Trump has defended Gabbard from the charge, saying she is not a Russian agent. Gabbard has defended herself from meeting with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin In her interview with Plouffe, Clinton also accused Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate in both the 2012 and 2016 elections, of being a 'Russian asset.' 'That's assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not, because she's also a Russian asset,' Clinton said. 'Yes, she's a Russian asset, I mean, totally. They know they can't win without a third-party candidate.' Congressional reports on the 2016 election found that Stein was part of Russia's meddling effort into that year's presidential contest. NBC News reported Russian operatives boosted Stein's candidacy by targeting voters from key Democratic demographics - a move that would have hurt Clinton in the election. Stein earned nearly 1.5 million votes in the 2016 election and came in fourth. Trump has defended both women against Clinton's charges and did so again on Wednesday. 'And then what happened to Jill Stein of the Green Party, gets called a Russian agent by Crooked Hillary. And then Tulsi Gabbard - I dont know either of them, but I know theyre not Russian agents. Gets called a Russian agent. This is what these people do. They demean and the press play in because the press is largely their partner,' the president said Wednesday at a press conference in Davos, Switzerland, where he's attending the World Economic Forum. Glaukos Corporation (NYSE:GKOS), which is in the medical equipment business, and is based in United States, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$65.64 and falling to the lows of US$54.18. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Glaukos's current trading price of US$57.92 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Glaukoss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for Glaukos What's the opportunity in Glaukos? Great news for investors Glaukos is still trading at a fairly cheap price. According to my valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is $106.63, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. Although, there may be another chance to buy again in the future. This is because Glaukoss beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company's shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity. What does the future of Glaukos look like? NYSE:GKOS Past and Future Earnings, January 22nd 2020 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 99% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Glaukos. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Since GKOS is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With a positive outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on GKOS for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its prosperous future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy GKOS. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed investment decision. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Glaukos. You can find everything you need to know about Glaukos in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Glaukos, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Stef Blok, who came to Tbilisi late yesterday, says that Georgia is a very important country for security and stability in the region and enjoys values like the rule of law, human rights and democratization', Agenda.ge reports. "Georgia is a role model for democratic reforms, Blok said, expressing hope that the positive trend will be maintained. He said that the Netherlands will continue to support democratic reforms in Georgia: "We are waiting for Georgia to hold free and fair elections [this year], urging for a political dialogue [with the opposition] which will make Georgias democracy stronger'." THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The stage is set for next round of confrontation between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and the state government. Cabinet has approved draft of Governors address for the budget session of the State Legislative Assembly beginning on January 29 in which the government has explained its opposition to Centres decisions on Citizens Amendment Act (CAA), National Register for Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). The address contains issues on which Governor has serious differences with the state government. Over past couple of weeks the Governor has come out in the open on many occasions against the government, even terming its decision to file a suit in Supreme Court against CAA as unlawful. Khan had termed the decision unlawful as the government had not informed him about the decision to file suit in the apex court. According to him it was violation of Rules of Business of the Government. The clause 34(2) of rules of Business of the Government has clearly listed the classes of cases which needs to be submitted to the Governor for approval before taking a decision. These classes of cases include cases pertaining to relations of the state government and government of India, the Supreme Court and high court. Sources said considering the serious differences on these issues, the Governor has the option of sending back the draft to the Government and seek changes. But Cabinet can accept or reject the suggestions and go ahead with the original draft. In such a situation the Governor can skip the portions which are against CAA and the central government while delivering the address on the first day of the budget session. All eyes are now set on the Governors reaction to the address . The governments stand had received support from unexpected quarters on Tuesday. Former Governor P. Sathasivam had stated that there was no need to send a file or get permission from the Raj Bhavan for important government decisions. However, being the first citizen of the state normally any elected government is supposed to apprise him of such decisions. An Australian tourist is fighting for his life in Argentina after being repeatedly stabbed by a homeless man who tried to rob him while he was jogging in a park. Terrence Bulmer, 65, was stabbed in the chest while outside the Faculty of Law at the University of Recoleta in Buenos Aires on Saturday morning. The retired Brisbane mining executive had only arrived in the country a day earlier with his wife and friends to see the city ahead of a cruise. Terrence Bulmer, 65, with wife Janette, was stabbed outside the Law Faculty at Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday morning The incident unfolded on the Avenue Figueroa Alcorta at about 7.10am on Saturday morning in the up market tourist suburb Recoleta, according to local media. Mr Bulmer was reportedly approached by a man who threatened him with a knife, demanding he hand over his belongings. When he refused, the thief stabbed him in the heart - leaving the knife on the ground as he fled the scene. Mr Bulmer received a stab wound about two or three centimetres deep and was rushed to Hospital Fernandez where he underwent surgery to stop internal bleeding. He suffered a heart attack at the health centre and doctors had to urgently operate at about 11am. Mr Bulmer was out running in the tourist suburb Recoleta when he was allegedly stabbed by a homeless man who tried to rob him The head of the hospital's ICU Nestor Raimondi confirmed to local news site Clarin Terrence remains in an induced coma on life support on Tuesday. About 20 minutes before the attack another man reported being robbed by a man wearing a red shirt who stole his mobile phone and wallet. Another local resident who was out walking their dog in the neighbourhood reported being confronted by a man around the same area. His dog scared off the attacker, allowing him to flee and report the incident to a nearby police officer. The investigation is in the hands of the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 61 who consolidated both police reports to try and identify the attacker. Australian Tourist Terrence Bulmer, 65, is in an induced coma at Argentina's Hospital Fernandez after a stabbing Police suspect the attacker was the same as the person who attacked Mr Bulmer. A spokesperson for the The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia it is providing consular assistance to an Australian man in Argentina. Mr Bulmer works for mining company Thiess in Brisbane as an executive general manager for risk and assurance. Mr Bulmer and his partner Janette were planning to meet up with another couple and take a cruise ship to Montevideo, Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia before heading to Antarctica. Louis J. Vastardis, 97, of Newtown Square, a Greek immigrant who rose from humble roots to become a well-known builder of restaurants, died Sunday, Jan. 12, of pneumonia at Bryn Mawr Hospital. Mr. Vastardis was born in the village of Syneti on the island of Andros. When he was 13, his mother died, leaving him and his sister to care for the household. He took odd jobs, and although he wanted to become a sailor, he apprenticed as a carpenter, learning furniture-making and cabinetry. At the outbreak of World War II, Greece was occupied by Nazi Germany. Mr. Vastardis and some friends fled in a small motorboat to Turkey, where they volunteered for the British army. They were taken to Gaza for basic training. After the training, Mr. Vastardis was assigned to the British Royal Air Force as an aircraft mechanic deployed to North Africa. Toward the end of the war, he landed with the Allied forces in southern Italy. After his service, Mr. Vastardis realized his dream of becoming a sailor. A deck hand and helmsman, he joined his father on voyages to the United States. Encouraged by his father to seek a new life in America, he stepped ashore in Newport News, Va., in 1947 and decided to stay. He lived with an uncle in Reading, helping him paint farmhouses and office buildings in Philadelphia. In 1948, he was introduced to Goldie Stamis. Their marriage lasted until her death in 2002. Mr. Vastardis worked long hours painting bridges, high tension towers, and the sign atop the PSFS Building in Center City. When he had saved enough money, he bought a small, dilapidated house in West Philadelphia, restoring it with the carpentry skills he had learned as a youth. Soon he was able to buy a second house nearby, which he restored for his family to live in. He supplemented his earnings with rental income from the first property. Gradually, by living frugally, he saved enough money to make real estate investments. He partnered with a friend and went into the construction business. In 1962, he and his wife formed Vastardis Construction. She kept the books. The firm in Lansdowne built more than 100 restaurants and diners in the Philadelphia area and New Jersey. Among the local landmarks were Ponzios in Cherry Hill, the former Olgas Diner in Marlton, and Fishers Tudor House in Bensalem. He created a second company that built custom interiors for the restaurants. He gained a reputation for quality craftsmanship and integrity. He did a lot of work for us at Ponzios, said former owner Chris Fifis. He was a craftsman. He just didnt do the job, he did the job right. Cut corners? That would never happen. Usually jovial and smiling, Mr. Vastardis could become serious in an instant when dealing with work. When it came to business, he was all business. He made sure everything was right, Fifis said. Many of his clients did so well in the restaurants he built that he was known as Golden Hands, the family said in a statement. He retired in 1992. The firm closed later. Mr. Vastardis and his wife extended a helping hand to friends and family whenever it was needed. He was both a giving and a forgiving man, and rarely asked for debts to be repaid, the family said. When his wife died, Mr. Vastardis donated money for projects in her name, including restoration work and the installation of new church bells at St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, where they worshipped. He also created a scholarship program at the Hellenic American University and for local trade schools. In a memoir he wrote, Mr. Vastardis held himself out as an example of how sacrifice, hard work, patience, and love can lead to a better life. He was one of a kind, Fifis said. He is survived by children John, Celeste V. Brathole, and Nicholas; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Services were Monday, Jan. 20. North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of the first part of the second diamond drill hole completed into the "Tuvatu Deeps" area at the Company's 100% owned and fully permitted Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Company previously announced (December 18th, 2019) the results of the first "Tuvatu Deeps" drill hole, TUDDH493. Highlights The second diamond drill hole, TUDDH494, into "Tuvatu Deeps" is still in progress and currently at a depth of 700m Results received for the first half of the hole drilled to date include: 1.47m @ 1.45 g/t Au from 157.15m from Murau 1 lode 3.60m @ 13.12 g/t Au from 188.80m from Murau 2 lode Lion One to escalate the drilling program by moving to double shifting its own drill rig and review options for mobilising further drill rigs to the property The second diamond drill hole (TUDDH494) of the planned program of deep holes into the "Tuvatu Deeps" is currently at a depth of 700m and is continuing to approximately 1000m. Drilling has been slowed by the Christmas and New Year holiday period, and the commencement of the wet season. Results have been received from the first 400m of drilling with one significant intersection having been returned. The first diamond drill hole (TUDDH493) of the program was completed to a downhole depth of 536.90 meters late in 2019. Both TUDDH494 and the previously drilled TUDDH493 targeted the east-west striking Murau 2 lode in addition to the downdip extensions on the two main mineralised north-south structures at Tuvatu, namely the URW1 and the UR2 lodes. TUDDH494 was collared with a dip of 67o degrees and an azimuth of 097o TN. As can be seen in Figure 1 below, Tuvatu itself sits in the only area of systematic drilling in the entire 7km strike of the most highly prospective host rock within this significantly mineralised volcanic centre. Drilling to date indicates the mineralisation is open at depth, and mapping, geochemical sampling, and geophysics highlight the fact that this prospective zone is strongly mineralised along its entire 7km strike length. Figure 2 below shows a cross section including the previous drill hole, TUDDH493, and the current hole, TUDDH494. TUDDH494 is still in progress and results have been received for the first 400m of drilling. Results to date from TUDDH494 are included in the table below. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) True Width (m) Intersection (g/t Au) Lode 157.15 158.62 1.47 0.9 1.45 Murau1 188.80 192.40 3.60 2.2 13.12 Murau 2 including 189.90 190.51 0.61 0.37 64.24 As with the intersection of 105g/t Au in TUDDH493, the 3.60m interval grading 13.12 g/t Au beginning at 188.80 m down hole (true width estimated to be 2.2 m) in this hole TUDDH494 is interpreted to be part of the east west striking Murau 2 lode and clearly demonstrates that hydrothermal fluids are capable of depositing high-grade mineralization were active in this part of the Tuvatu system. This intercept shows this lode is open at depth where it might link up with a feeder structure. In an effort to escalate the speed of drilling at Tuvatu, Lion One is planning to double shift its drill rig from the single shift currently in place. Additionally, the Company is in discussions with several external drilling contractors regarding access to further drill rigs for the project. The Tuvatu Deeps program comprises a number of deep diamond drill holes targeting downdip extensions of the Tuvatu resource from 500m to 1,000m depths. The program is also designed to test the geological model for a deep, high grade alkaline gold system associated with the interpreted magma chamber of the Navilawa Caldera. The Company currently utilizes its own diamond drill rig. Samples are analysed at the Company's own geochemical laboratory in Fiji, whilst duplicates are sent to ALS laboratories in Australia for check analysis and quality control. All samples are pulverised to 80% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish (by Lion One and ALS [code Au-AA26]). Samples returning grades greater than 10g/t Au by Lion One and ALS are routinely reanalysed by gravimetric method (ALS code Au-GRA22). All samples are also routinely analysed for a range of additional elements using ICP-OES. The Lion One laboratory is not internationally certified, but the Company is anticipating certification in the next 12 to 18 months. Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed, prepared, and approved by Mr. Stephen Mann, P. Geo, Managing Director of Lion One, who is a qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI-43-101). About Tuvatu The Tuvatu gold deposit is located in on the island of Viti Levu in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji. The mineral resource for Tuvatu as disclosed in the technical report "Tuvatu Gold Project PEA", dated June 1, 2015, and prepared by Mining Associates Pty Ltd of Brisbane Qld, comprises 1,120,000 tonnes indicated at 8.17 g/t Au (294,000 oz. Au) and 1,300,000 tonnes inferred at 10.60 g/t Au (445,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Figure 1: Location of TUDDH 494 below Tuvatu resource in relation to entire Navilawa Caldera To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/51718_ff6807e07419dbff_002full.jpg Figure 2: Section 3920700N highlighting TUDDH493 and current drill hole TUDDH494 To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/51718_ff6807e07419dbff_003full.jpg About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One's flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One's CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited "Stephen Mann" Managing Director For further information Contact Investor Relations Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250 Email: info@liononemetals.com Website: www.liononemetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51718 CRAWFORD COUNTY, MI A promising day of hunting recently ended in citations for a Michigan man when his muzzleloader blew a hole in his deer blind, a hiding place for hunting. According to an official DNR report, the incident occurred in Crawford County last month when John Huspen, a conservation officer in DNR District 5, checked on a private-property baiting complaint. Huspen located an elevated blind looking over a large pile of sugar beets where an antlerless deer was eating. After several minutes, the deer ran off and Huspen knocked on the ladder to tell the hunter to come down and speak with him. What did you say? the hunter said. Conservation officer, I need you to come down, Huspen repeated, according to the report. The subject then yelled Hold on as a loud boom came from the blind. The hunter then yelled, My gun just went off. The hunter explained that his gun went off when he tried to move it. He was not harmed, the report said. Investigation revealed the gun had no safety mechanism and that the hunter was sitting with the hammer cocked. He was not wearing any hunter orange and upon request could not produce a deer hunting license. Huspen and the hunter walked to his residence nearby. According to the report, the man acknowledged that he made mistakes while hunting and ruined his deer blind in the same day. The hunter was cited for hunting without a license and failure to wear hunter orange. DNR District 5 is in Northern Michigan. At least one state lawmaker wants to get rid of the states Firearm Owners Identification card. State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, has filed a bill to eliminate the law that requires residents to obtain a FOID card to legally possess or buy guns or ammunition. Ive been filing this bill forever, Cabello said. I dont believe that FOID keeps us safer. I think that its just another roadblock for law-abiding citizens to obtain a gun. Illinois is one of only four states with similar laws on the books. Hawaii, New Jersey and Massachusetts are the other three. We have laws on the books against murder, but people still commit murder, Cabello said. The criminals are never going to follow the law anyways. I mean, theyre criminals. Cabello says theres also the issue of the backlog at the Illinois State Police, where around 62,000 people are waiting for either their initial FOID card or for a renewal. The state police are doing their absolute best, but they were never given the funding to actually fund the office the way it should be, Cabello said. We hear stories from citizens that are doing everything right by applying early for the renewal. But it still takes sometimes three to six months to get their new FOID card. Cabello also believes there are ulterior motives for keeping the law on the books. If they would just come out and tell the truth, Cabello said. We dont really want anyone to own guns, so were going to make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to have one. Plus, were going to use it as a revenue generator. Oh, OK. Well, at least youre telling the truth now. Illinoiss FOID card requirement has been in effect since 1968. Cabello has proposed similar legislation in previous years, but the measure never has received a vote in the full House. Naomi Osaka conceded she had been "a bit childish" after her frustrations boiled over on Wednesday in setting up a third-round showdown with teenager Coco Gauff at the Australian Open. The reigning champion handled the blustery Melbourne conditions to defeat China's 42nd-ranked Zheng Saisai 6-2, 6-4. But the 22-year-old Japanese was irritated by Zheng's defensive play and her emotions got the better of her when the Chinese broke early in the second set. Osaka threw her racquet to the floor, then gave it a kick for good measure. The two-time Grand Slam champion also tossed away a ball and slammed the racquet down again as she slumped to her chair, covering her head with her towel. "My racquet just magically flew out of my hand," Osaka said mischievously, smiling. "I couldn't control it, I think that's how I dealt with my frustration. "It was a bit childish. I just want to play one match without throwing my racquet or kicking it. That's all I want." The former world number one, seeded third for the defence of her Melbourne title, said that Zheng's way of playing -- "slicing and dicing and getting everything" -- had riled her. "It's really tough because you start thinking -- she's not hitting winners." "I definitely got very frustrated in the second set and it's something that I knew would happen," Osaka added. "But I didn't know the scale, what she would do to make me frustrated." Naomi Osaka dealt better with the blustery Melbourne conditions to defeat China's Zheng Saisai (This 21st January story corrects name of EU speaker in 15th paragraph to Anne Kemppainen after she was misidentified by United Nations as Croatian ambassador Vesna Batistic Kos) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it was no longer bound by commitments to halt nuclear and missile testing, blaming the United States' failure to meet a year-end deadline for nuclear talks and "brutal and inhumane" U.S. sanctions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set an end-December deadline for denuclearization talks with the United States and White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said at the time the United States had opened channels of communication. O'Brien said then he hoped Kim would follow through on denuclearization commitments he made at summits with U.S. President Donald Trump. Ju Yong Chol, a counselor at North Korea's mission to the U.N. in Geneva, said that over the past two years, his country had halted nuclear tests and test firing of inter-continental ballistic missiles "in order to build confidence with the United States". But the United States had responded by conducting dozens of joint military exercises with South Korea on the divided peninsula and by imposing sanctions, he said. "As it became clear now that the U.S. remains unchanged in its ambition to block the development of the DPRK and stifle its political system, we found no reason to be unilaterally bound any longer by the commitment that the other party fails to honor," Ju told the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament. Speaking as the envoy from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea's official name, Ju accused the United States of applying "the most brutal and inhumane sanctions". "If the U.S. persists in such hostile policy towards the DPRK there will never be the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," he said. "If the United States tries to enforce unilateral demands and persists in imposing sanctions, North Korea may be compelled to seek a new path." Story continues U.S. military commanders said any new path could include the testing of a long-range missile, which North Korea has suspended since 2017, along with nuclear warhead tests. "DO THE RIGHT THING" U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood voiced concern at Pyongyang's remarks and said Washington hoped the North would return to the negotiating table. "What we hope is that they will do the right thing and come back to the table and try to work out an arrangement where by we can fulfill that pledge that was made by President Trump and Chairman Kim to denuclearize," he said. South Korean Ambassador Jang-keun Lee said there must be substantial progress in denuclearization to "maintain and build upon the hard-won momentum for dialogue". "Therefore, early resumption of negotiations between the United States and the DPRK is critical," he said. Anne Kemppainen, head of the European Union's disarmament section, also called on North Korea to stick to the talks. Pyongyang, slapped with multiple Security Council resolutions and sanctions, has rejected unilateral disarmament and given no indication that it is willing to go beyond statements of broad support for the concept of universal denuclearization. North Korea has said in previous, failed talks that it could consider giving up its arsenal if the United States provided security guarantees by removing its troops from South Korea and withdrew its so-called nuclear umbrella of deterrence from South Korea and Japan. Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The North regularly used to threaten to destroy the South's main ally, the United States, before rapprochement began after the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Jon Boyle and Nick Macfie) During meet with Pak PM Imran Khan, Prez says US watching situation very, very closely. New Delhi: Ahead of his visit to India that may take place sometime next month, US President Donald Trump has reiterated his resolve to help in resolving the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, add-ing that the US is watching the situation in Kashmir very, very closely. The US President made the remarks in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at Davos, Switzerland, late on Tuesday. On his part, the Pakistani PM also hoped that the US will play its part in resolving that (Kashmir issue) because no other country can. This is despite New Delhi having repeatedly told the US President that the Kashmir issue has to be discussed only bilaterally between India and Pakis-tan. The US Presidents latest comments are being seen by observers as a sign of American pressure on India to begin talks with Pakistan. It is also being seen as a sign of Pakistan trying to push for US mediation on the Kashmir issue in return for helping the US work out a deal with the Taliban in Afghan-istan. The comments also come in the wake of the visit of US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster to J&K as part of the 15member foreign envoys delegation that visited the newly-created union territory earlier this month. Addressing the media with the Pakistan PM ahead of their talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, President Trump was quoted by news reports as saying, We are talking about Kashmir and with relation to whats going on with Pakistan and India. If we can help, we certainly will be helping. We have been watching it and following it very, very closely. Asked if he would visit Pakistan around the time he visits India, President Trump said, We are visiting right now, so we wont really have to. But I wanted to say hello for both a relationship standpoint... we have had a great relationship. On his part, Pakistan PM Imran Khan was quoted as saying, There are issues that we want to talk about, like Afghanistan. Fortunately, we are on the same page... India, of course, it is a big issue. We always hope that the US will play its part in resolving that because no other country can. In the wake of repeated offers of mediation between India and Pakistan by the US President last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had clearly told the US President during their bilateral meeting in New York last September that India was not shying away from talks with Pakistan. PM Modi had told President Trump that India had expected certain steps to be taken against terrorism by Pakistan and that it was Pakistan that had not taken those steps. Ahead of his bilateral meeting with PM Modi then, President Trump had hoped that PM Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan would get together and work out something on Kashmir, adding that we all want to see that. Premier Doug Ford has quietly appointed a Toronto police officer and a professor with Progressive Conservative links to sit on the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Star has learned. Const. Randall Arsenault a 19-year police veteran with Indigenous roots and a sizable following on social media, where he has lauded Ford and Violetta Igneski, a McMaster University associate professor in philosophy, were chosen to fill two commissioner positions. The human rights commission was caught off-guard by the political appointments, which were made on Jan. 14 but have yet to be officially announced. They come amidst the rights watchdogs ongoing inquiry into allegations of racial profiling and discrimination against the Toronto Police Service, raising questions around the optics and timing and the potential for conflict of interest. Neither Arsenault nor Igneski were among about 330 applicants for commissioners posts submitted for vetting to Renu Mandhane, Ontarios chief commissioner of human rights. Mandhane told the Star she came up with a short list of about 30 candidates late last year, under what she believed was a process to which the Ministry of the Attorney General had agreed. I didnt receive their applications as part of the package that was sent to me by the public appointments secretariat, she said. I dont know if they applied, but I didnt receive their applications. The commission is seeking clarification from Attorney General Doug Downey about how the appointments came about. Obviously, we were in the middle of a process that I thought we had agreed upon, so I was somewhat surprised to hear about the appointment of the two new commissioners, said Mandhane. She said she was concerned that a Toronto police officer on active duty had been appointed while the commission is conducting its inquiry. In a written statement, Downeys office said Arsenault and Igneski were named to support and advance the commissions mandate to provide leadership for the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights, and builds partnerships across the human rights system. The appointments were made in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, the statement said, referring to the necessity for commissioners to have knowledge, experience or training with respect to human rights law and issues. Downeys office emphasized that it is Mandhanes responsibility to manage potential conflicts between commissioners and their duties as members of the human rights commission. Since becoming premier in June 2018, Ford has shown little interest in the commission. While Mandhanes term as chief commissioner extends until October, all nine of the other commissioners terms had been allowed to expire before last weeks appointments. Last January, CBC News reported that University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson was granted a private audience with the premier a week after tweeting, The faster the Ontario Human Rights Commission is abolished, the better @fordnation. Peterson, who has 1.4 million Twitter followers, is internationally famous for his pointed critiques of political correctness. His tweet, which also referred to the commission as a dangerous organization, followed an interview Mandhane gave to CBC Radios Metro Morning. At the time, the Tories were unhappy the commission had joined a legal challenge of Fords decision to temporarily replace the 2013 sex-education curriculum with a lesson plan from 1998. A modernized curriculum was reinstated last year. Arsenault, an Aboriginal liaison officer with Toronto police, has 31,000 followers on Twitter and 53,000 on Instagram, where he frequently posts selfies, messages and videos. He also recently helped save two men from drowning. In Sept. 2018, Arsenault posted a picture on Instagram of himself and his partner with Ford at the premiers Ford Fest in Vaughan. Arsenault wrote in the caption that police officers have been taking photos with politicians in all levels of government and all political parties for quite some time now. I was proud to stand beside our Premier Doug Ford. Igneski is related to Jasmine Igneski, who has worked with the federal and provincial Conservatives. A research paper by Igneski thanks family for their support, and specifically a sister named Jasmine. Jasmine Igneski served as a policy adviser to prime minister Stephen Harper. She was also a senior policy adviser to Mike Harriss Progressive Conservative government. The Star left messages with Arsenault and Igneski seeking comment Tuesday, but did not hear back from them. Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray said Arsenaults many years of service and experience as a community-builder, youth mentor and Aboriginal liaison officer in his division will make him a valuable asset to the OHRC and his experiences with the commission can only translate positively for the TPS. As for his attendance at Ford Fest, Gray said both Arsenault and his partner were on duty and had permission to go. While the government is entitled to make the appointments, they come on the heels of controversy last summer over a series of political appointments linked to Fords former chief of staff, Dean French, and a promise by the premier to clean up patronage. Commissioners are part-time and receive per diem compensation for their work. On average, each commissioner is expected to work two days a month and make no more than $10,000 per year. My priorities for the commission are non-partisan appointees, people with deep human rights expertise, including lived experience, said Mandhane. Read more about: This image from video released courtesy of The Root and G/O Media shows Rep. Ayanna Pressley in a video posted Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, announcing that she has gone bald due to alopecia. The freshman Massachusetts' Democrat made a touching video for The Root, the African American-focused online magazine, in which she revealed her bald head. (Courtesy of The Root and G/O Media via AP) Read more When a dermatologist informed Nakea Fuller that her once-thick, shoulder-length hair which, because of a form of alopecia, was thinning and falling out in patches was never going to grow back, she went home and shaved it off that very night. All of it. I divorced my hair, Fuller, 45, of Philadelphia, said about the decision she made 10 years ago. My hair didnt want a relationship with me, so I let it go. And Ive felt free ever since. Last week Fuller and many other women who suffer from the autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss watched U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressleys emotional video on the Root about the condition thats left her bald. Some cried, some nodded in understanding. And all of them felt relieved. Here was someone giving a public voice to an often-private suffering. Pressley, a 45-year-old Democrat from Massachusetts, is known in fashion and political circles for her elegant Senegalese twists, extensions that matched the texture of her own hair. Those long twists, Pressley says in the seven-minute video, werent just a part of her personal identity. They helped define her political brand. Not to mention, she always heard from girls she inspired to be proud of the hair God gave them. That says a lot in a world that puts a premium on little black girls having long, straight hair. But now, with alopecia, there wasnt any hair in which to even attach the two-strand-twist extensions anymore. So, last Thursday, wearing a stunning black-and-gold blouse, Pressley informed us of her new reality as a bald woman. Im ready now, Pressley said, her lips a bold shade of red, her brows perfectly penciled in. I want to be freed from the secret and the shame that it carries with it. Im not here to occupy space. Im here to create it. Talk about being embracing strength and vulnerability at the same time. Cue exhale here. Hair loss, although common, can be devastating to women because so often we connect our beauty and femininity to our manes. Baldies are for boys. When our hair falls out, we blame ourselves. Society make jokes when wigs fall off or too much tension from braids cause edges to get scraggly and our manes to get thin. Losing our hair whether because of cancer or lupus, a finicky thyroid, or yes, alopecia can cripple our self-esteem. So we end up spending more time trying to hide our thinning mane or see-through strands or missing patches under wigs or weaves or floral-printed scarves than we do living. Our hair means so much to women, said Tanisha C. Ford, a professor of history at CUNY Graduate Center and author of Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girls Love Letter to the Power of Fashion. But there is another conversation that needs to be had. No matter how much we protect things from happening to our health, sometimes we cant save our hair. So I applaud her. I admire her for bringing this into the forefront and giving women the courage to live in their truth. The irony, though, is that there can be relief in the baldness. Jennifer Marquette, 37, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Before chemotherapy, she had a stylist give her a buzz cut, although that didnt stop her hair from falling out in clumps. Once I buzzed it off, I breathed a sigh of relief, Marquette, of Philadelphia, said. Ive been bald for almost a year and Ive really leaned into it. People tell me I have a pretty-shaped head. People tell me Im pretty. Things that were stressful just arent anymore. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, approximately 6.8 million people in the United States 147 million worldwide will develop alopecia at some point in their lives. And according to a 2019 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, black people have a greater chance of developing alopecia. But the reasons for the disparity, said George Cotsarelis, a dermatologist and chair of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, are not fully understood. There are three kinds of alopecia areata, Cotsarelis explained, which is the kind where hair can eventually grow back. The least severe is basic alopecia areata, where only a few patches are lost. Alopecia areata totalis is more advanced and causes complete hair loss. That is the kind, Cotsarelis said, that Pressley most likely has. Finally, there is alopecia areata universalis, and that is when body hair also falls out. Over the years, many celebrities, from Viola Davis to Neve Campbell, have had bouts of alopecia areata. In 2018, Jada Pinkett Smith dedicated most of an episode of her Facebook Live show to discussing alopecia. Black women, Cotsarelis said, are likely to suffer from traction alopecia. These are bald spots that result from too much tension from braids or twists, glue from weaves, or using harsh chemical relaxers. But if a woman stops those practices, the hair can and often does grow back. The alopecia that causes scarring in the follicles and permanent hair loss is called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia or CCCA. This form of alopecia, says dermatologist Susan Taylor, occurs almost exclusively in black women and is genetic. What is particularly troubling is that alopecia represents another inequity in medicine in that there is essentially no funding to study hair loss in black women, said Taylor, who said she has been trying for years. Fuller, who has CCCA alopecia, noticed that she was losing her hair while she was in college. By the time she was in her late 20s, she was wearing wigs. I tried everything: Nioxin, Rogaine, and I just kept losing it, Fuller said. I had hair down my shoulders, but in the middle it looked like George Jefferson." One weekend, she said, she had had enough, so she cut it off. Once I assured people I was OK, everyone was fine with it. But really it shouldnt matter that Im sick or not. If you want to tell a woman that shes beautiful without hair, tell her. Its OK to tell a bald woman shes beautiful. Because she is. UK's Farnborough Airport has announced record air traffic movements for a third consecutive year, surpassing the previous record from 2018 for the highest ever number of total annual movements. For the full year 2019, Farnborough Airport saw a year-on-year increase in air traffic movements of 5.3 per cent. For December 2019, the airport recorded an 11.6 per cent increase in movements for the month, with initial forecasts indicating this positive trend is set to continue in 2020. Specifically, air traffic movements to and from the US experienced significant growth during the year, with an increase of 15 per cent year-on-year. In the same period, traffic to and from Europe saw a 6 per cent increase. The airport also introduced its new brand identity following the recent acquisition. The new brand both embodies the airports philosophy to consistently offer a five-star service and reflects the award-winning architecture of the airports facilities with its iconic shapes and curves. Our performance in 2019 underpins the important role Farnborough Airport plays as Europes leading business airport. It is clear that customers continue to see us as the business airport of choice in this region, said Brandon OReilly, CEO Farnborough Airport. This success is a testament to the dedication of all our employees and the service they provide to our customers day in, day out. 2019 was another important year of milestones for Farnborough Airport, including the acquisition of the airport by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. The airport also hosted a coalition of business aviation organisations from around the globe for the sustainable aviation fuel initiative event, Fuelling the Future, and was named a winner at the IEMA (The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) Sustainability Awards 2019, further underlining the airports ongoing commitment to responsible and sustainable development. Farnborough Airport currently handles more than 30,000 flights per annum and is equipped to cater for a wide range of aircraft types, including Boeing Business Jets and Airbus Corporate Jets. As the only dedicated business aviation airport in the UK, it is specifically designed to offer a one-stop shop for business aviation customers, and with 240,000-sq-ft of heated hangar facilities and 1.2 million-sq-ft of ramp space can accommodate both based and transient aircraft. - TradeArabia News Service Protestors outside a Canadian courtroom pressing for the release of a senior Chinese telecommunications executive fighting extradition to the US were paid actors, they told local media. It was not clear, however, who footed the bill. A dozen men and women on Monday, at the start of the hearing considering whether or not to hand over Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to US authorities to face fraud charges, held up red and white hand-written signs that read "Free Meng" and "Trump stop bullying us". They declined to speak to an AFP journalist at the scene. But later a handful were tracked down and spoke to Canadian media, saying they were paid 100 Canadian dollars (USD 76) to 150 Canadian dollars for two hours work that they had understood to be as extras in a movie shoot. The offer, they said, came through Facebook or acquaintances. "A CBS reporter approached me and my friend and she started interviewing us. And it was in those moments and questions where I started realizing, OK, if this was background work, they wouldn't need detail on background people," Julia Hackstaff told public broadcaster CBC. After more journalists approached seeking comments, she said she realised that the movie she thought she was appearing in was in fact a very real event. "I started realizing, wait, no one called 'action,'" Hackstaff said. Another protestor, Ken Bonson, gave an identical account to the Toronto Star, saying she "had no idea what I was going into". "I'm honestly pretty ashamed and embarrassed," she said, explaining that she had not known about Meng or her legal saga. Meng is wanted by US authorities for alleged fraud related to sanctions against Iran. The US alleges she lied to HSBC about Huawei's relationship with its Iran-based affiliate Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating US sanctions against Tehran. Meng has denied the allegations. Her extradition hearing is scheduled to last until Friday, then adjourn until a second phase scheduled for June. Neither China's embassy in Ottawa nor Huawei responded immediately to a request for comment on the protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UNSC Urges Libyan Parties to Swiftly Engage in 5+5 Military Commission's Work - President Sputnik News 02:53 22.01.2020 UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) The UN Security Council is calling on the parties to the conflict in Libya to engage in the work of the 5+5 Military Commission as soon as possible, Security Council President Dang Dinh Quy said in a statement. "The members of the Security Council urged the Libyan parties to engage constructively in the 5+5 Military Commission in order to conclude ceasefire agreements soon as possible," Quy said on Tuesday. On Sunday, Germany hosted an international conference on Libya in Berlin under the UN auspices with the participation of representatives from Russia, the United States, Turkey, Egypt, the European Union, the United Nations and the African Union, in the hopes of finding a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis. According to a communique published after the meeting, the participants agreed to create an International Follow-Up Committee to coordinate their actions in regard to the Libyan issue, and called for all Libyan armed groups to demobilize and integrate eligible fighters into a unified army and law enforcement. The communique also mentioned the importance of forming an effective government, resuming ceasefire talks between the warring sides in Libya, and holding parliamentary and presidential elections in the country. Quy said the UN Security Council welcomed the conclusions reached at the Berlin conference, adding that member states will further discuss in the coming days its outcomes, as well as address a possibility of adopting a resolution endorsing its results. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The US federal government took Ohio's side in a lawsuit over the state law prohibiting doctors from performing abortions based on a foetal diagnosis of Down's syndrome. The US Justice Department said in a filing that "nothing in Ohio's law creates a substantial obstacle to women obtaining an abortion, and nothing in the Constitution or Supreme Court precedent requires States to authorise medical providers to participate in abortions the providers know are based on Down's syndrome". Government lawyers argue the bill does not outlaw any abortions, it only places restrictions on providers. The full Sixth US Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to rehear the case after a three-judge panel agreed with a lower court that the 2017 law was likely unconstitutional. That left in place a federal judge's earlier order placing enforcement of the law on hold. Taking up an argument used by supporters, the federal government told the court the law protects against discrimination based on disability, sticking with the principle established in other laws, such as the Americans for Disabilities Act. The law would specifically outlaw abortions in cases where there is a positive test result or pre-natal diagnosis indicating Down's syndrome. Doctors who perform such an abortion could be charged with a fourth-degree felony, stripped of their medical licence and held liable for legal damages under the law. A pregnant woman would face no criminal liability. Abortion rights groups say the law falls into a category of restrictions called "reason bans" for attempting to get into the mind of a pregnant woman as she decides whether to continue or end a pregnancy. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Ohio Department of Health, the state medical board and county prosecutors to overturn the law on behalf of Planned Parenthood and several abortion providers. President Donald Trump told CNBC on Wednesday he wouldn't be against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg running for the White House. "I heard he was going to run for president. That wouldn't be too frightening, I don't think," Trump told "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "But he does have that monster behind him," Trump said, referring to Facebook, which is facing multiple antitrust probes from federal and state investigators. Speculation swirled in 2017 that Zuckerberg, co-founder of the social network, was interested in making a bid for office after he hired Democratic pollster Joel Benenson for his philanthropic project. Benenson advised former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in her 2016 presidential campaign. Additionally, Zuckerberg embarked on a listening tour across the U.S., and hired Charles Ommanney, a photographer for both the George W. Bush and Obama presidential campaigns. Zuckerberg, however, has denied he wants to run for president. Just months ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Facebook has gotten flak refusing to remove or fact-check ads from political candidates even when the ads contain false information. Facebook has argued that fact-checking political ads could interfere with free speech in politics, though other tech companies, such as Twitter and Spotify, have taken strict stances. "I'd rather him just do whatever he's going to do," Trump told CNBC on Wednesday. "He's done a hell of a job, and he's going to do what he has to do." Facebook has been working to regain users' trust after the 2018 Cambridge Analytica data misuse scandal, which happened on the heels of the disclosure that Russian operatives used Facebook to try to influence the 2016 presidential election. The company soon after began cracking down on "coordinated inauthentic behavior," but some still fear the platform will be vulnerable to similar tactics in November. PITTSBURGH, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE: WCC), a leading provider of electrical, industrial, and communications MRO and OEM products, construction materials, and advanced supply chain management and logistics services, today announced that it was named to the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), marking the second consecutive year it has been included in the index. WESCO is one of 325 companies from 42 countries to be included in the 2020 Index, and one of only 16 industrial companies. Mr. John J. Engel, WESCO's Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "WESCO is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment. It is the right thing to do and it is a business imperative. We are pleased to be recognized for our leadership in pursuing gender equality by Bloomberg for the second year in a row." The GEI tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency. The reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies, and pro-women brand. This year, Bloomberg expanded the eligibility for inclusion in the index to nearly 6,000 companies across 84 countries and regions. "The 325 companies included in the 2020 GEI have shown their commitment to transparency and demonstrated leadership in gender-related data reporting," said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg. "Disclosure of company statistics and practices is an important first step in supporting gender equality globally." Through disclosure of gender-related metrics using the GEI framework, the firms included in the 2020 GEI have provided a comprehensive look at their investment in workplace gender equality and the communities in which they operate. WESCO International, Inc. was included in this year's index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework's five pillars. Both the framework and the GEI are voluntary and have no associated costs. The GEI is a reference index and is not for use as a financial benchmark. The index is not ranked. While all public companies are encouraged to disclose supplemental gender data for their company's investment profile on the Bloomberg Terminal, those that have a market capitalization of USD1 billion are eligible for inclusion in the index. To learn more please visit the GEI website. About WESCO WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE: WCC), a publicly traded Fortune 500 holding company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of electrical, industrial, and communications maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products, construction materials, and advanced supply chain management and logistic services. 2018 annual sales were approximately $8.2 billion. The company employs approximately 9,300 people, maintains relationships with approximately 30,000 suppliers, and serves approximately 70,000 active customers worldwide. Customers include commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. WESCO operates 11 fully automated distribution centers and approximately 500 branches in North America and international locations, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations. The matters discussed herein may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. Certain of these risks are set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, as well as the Company's other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SOURCE WESCO International, Inc. Related Links http://www.wesco.com WASHINGTON - President Donald Trumps defence relies in part on arguments made in the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson more than 150 years ago: that impeachment requires a crime. But most legal scholars disagree, including a law professor called by Republicans in the House investigation to argue against impeaching Trump. A lawyer for Johnson argued in his opening statement to the Senate that Johnson could not be removed from office because he was not guilty of a crime. Johnson was acquitted by a single vote. One of Trumps lawyers, Alan Dershowitz says that same argument that impeachment requires criminal-like conduct will be central to the constitutionaldefence he will make on the presidents behalf. The idea may be attractive to Republicans seeking a legal basis to acquit Trump of having abused his power and obstructing Congress. But legal scholars dispute the idea that the Founding Fathers ever intended for impeachable offences to require proof of a crime. And historians are equally dubious that the argument from Johnsons lawyer, Benjamin Robbins Curtis, can be credited with securing Johnsons narrow acquittal. This is a way in which history is weaponized and distorted in order to give these kinds of arguments heft, said Rachel Shelden, a Penn State University history professor and Civil War-era expert. Its a way of trying to promote an understanding of the Johnson impeachment that is false, based on what historians now believe. At issue is the Constitutions standard for impeachment: treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours. Over the centuries, the threshold has been understood to encompass actual crimes judges have been impeached for sex abuse and soliciting bribes, among other offences but also noncriminal misconduct such as being drunk on the bench or favouritism in the appointment of bankruptcy receivers. Johnson was impeached over accusations that he violated the Tenure of Office Act, which barred presidents from firing certain officials without Senate approval, over his removal of War Secretary Edwin Stanton. Johnsons defence team questioned the constitutionality of that now-extinct law, and at his 1868 trial, one of his lawyers asserted in his opening argument that an impeachable offence refers to, and includes only, high criminal offences against the United States. There can be no crime, there can be no misdemeanour without a law, written or unwritten, express or implied, said Curtis, a former Supreme Court Justice. There must be some law; otherwise there is no crime. My interpretation of it is that the language high crimes and misdemeanours means offences against the laws of the United States. Dershowitz, who is expected to make a constitutional presentation to the Senate within days, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that he would paraphrase Curtiss argument that the framers intended for impeachable conduct only to be criminal-like conduct or conduct that is prohibited by the criminal law. That argument prevailed. I will be making that argument as a lawyer on behalf of the presidents defence team against impeachment. Thats my role. Its very clear. I have done it before, Dershowitz said. Republican senators may well embrace the argument. One, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, told reporters Wednesday that anyone charged with wrongdoing has the right to know what law or standard theyre accused of violating. This idea that you can use abuse of power as a grab bag in which to stuff all your political, policy or personal grievances I think is very dangerous, Cornyn said. But legal scholars and Democrats are decrying the claim that an impeachable offence must be an indictable crime. Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law professor and former student of Dershowitzs at Harvard Law School, described it as rubbish. Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor who argued to the House against impeachment, wrote in The Washington Post on Wednesday that such an argument was politically unwise and constitutionally shortsighted. They had to go outside the realm of constitutional lawyers and scholars to a criminal defence lawyer to make that argument because no reputable constitutional law expert would do that, said California Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He is one of the seven Democratic managers prosecuting the impeachment case. Even Trumps attorney general, William Barr, wrote in a June 2018 memo before he was nominated for the Cabinet post that Congress could impeach presidents who abused their power. Democrats say Trumps abuse of power pressing Ukraine for an investigation into a Trump Democratic rival, Joe Biden, at the same time his administration withheld millions of dollars in military aid is a quintessential impeachable offence. They say the Founding Fathers intentionally created a flexible standard of bad acts that could result in impeachment, and that Trumps acts in this instance are the framers worst nightmare. Historians also point to multiple reasons for Johnsons acquittal and are skeptical that senators at the time found Curtis arguments persuasive. Had Johnson been removed from office, he would have been temporarily succeeded by Benjamin Wade, the Senate president and a radical Republican disliked by more conservative Republicans. Behind the scenes, Johnson and his allies worked to assure senators that if they voted to acquit him, he would stop interfering in Reconstruction. That was the very concern that led to Johnsons impeachment in the first place. And theres some agreement among historians that the senator who cast the deciding vote against impeachment was bribed. I dont think you can place any weight on that argument for explaining Andrew Johnsons acquittal, said Jeffrey Engel, director of Southern Methodist Universitys Center for Presidential History and co-author of Impeachment: An American History. The Constitutions framers seemed more preoccupied by the notion of a presidents faithfulness to the office than on the precise acts that would merit impeachment, said Kent Greenfield, a Boston College constitutional law professor. What that means is faithful as opposed to corrupt, faithful as opposed to self-interested, Greenfield said. Theres something like a fiduciary duty to the nation. That duty is really more than just, Dont break the law. It means, Greenfield said, putting the interests of the country above personal interests. Even if the argument that impeachment requires a crime isnt the best legal one, it may nonetheless be worth making to senators, who are not judges and may be persuaded by arguments that arent terribly good law, said David Stewart, a historian who has written a book about Johnsons impeachment. Ill be blunt: If I was the presidents lawyer, Id probably make the argument too, Stewart said. But I dont think its very strong. _____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP A thrill-seeking cyclist was swept off his bike when he rode towards the end of the pier and a massive wave crashed over him during Storm Gloria. Footage shows the dare-devil hopping onto his bicycle and riding towards the epic waves in A Coruna, Spain. He pauses for a brief moment and lets the towering waves slam into the coastline. A cyclist was engulfed by massive waves as he rode towards the end of the pier in A Coruna, Spain The sea water engulfs the cyclist and spray propels towards the camera's eye. Seconds later, the cameraman can be heard screaming in the adrenaline of the moment. The cyclist is then seen climbing up the rocks and appears to have escaped without any injuries. He vanished for a brief moment before reappearing. The thrill-seeker climbed up the rocks before collecting his bike He collects his bike which has been toppled over by the waves and heads inland, in the clip from January 14. Waves of more than 26 feet and winds of 53mph were reported in the area as a result of Storm Gloria sweeping the country. Teruel Albacete, Murcia, Barcelona, Tarragon, Girona, Valencia, Castellon and Alicante are on red alert. The cyclist appears to have escaped without injury. Waves of more than 26 feet and winds of 53mph were reported in the area as a result of Storm Gloria sweeping the country. A yellow warning had been put in place, as winds of up to 85 km/h were forecast. Alicante Airport has reopened after being temporarily being closed. The storm has seen 50ft waves along the Mediterranean coast and has been blamed for at least nine deaths. A 54-year-old Romanian woman died from hypothermia in Gandia, Valencia, following the vicious weather, local media reports. A huge wave breaks at a cliff nearby Palamos harbor in Girona, Catalonia, on January 22 Meanwhile a man, 44, died when he was run over by a van that lost control in snow-covered Santander, Asturias, on January 19. The extreme weather has swept towards the regions of Le Roussillon and Pyrenees Orientales in southern France, yesterday. Host cells infected with giant viruses behave in a unique manner. To gain deeper insight into the infection mechanism of giant viruses, scientists developed a specialized algorithm that can track the movement of host cells. This method could also be used to study any other type of cells, such as cancer cells, neurons, and immune cells, serving as an efficient tool in the field of cell biology. Viruses are probably the most peculiar "life forms" known to us, with each species having unique characteristics. One thing common to all viruses is that they attack a "host" cell and hijack its machinery, using it for its own replication. A type of large virus, called "giant virus," has interesting ways of attacking its host organism -- an amoeba. Virologists have been trying to understand what makes these viruses so unique for some time now, but to observe them, complex techniques are required. A method called phase-contrast microscopy is commonly used to study all types of cells, including amoebal cells. But, this technique relies heavily on the variation in the conditions of the cell and its background, and sometimes this leads to disruptions in the image produced -- for example "halo" (in which the cell is surrounded by a bright light) and "shade-off" (in which the inside of the cell and background are of a similar intensity). This is why, to dig deeper into exactly how giant viruses infect amoebal cells, more efficient cell-tracking techniques are needed. Just earlier this month, scientists from the Tokyo University of Science, led by Professor Masaharu Takemura, had reported the discovery of two new species of pandoravirus and mimivirus -- both families of giant viruses infecting amoebae -- from a riverbank in Japan. Prof Takemura says that continual discovery of viruses from soil is crucial from the standpoint of understanding the ecology of giant viruses. More importantly, in a brand new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, a team of scientists at Tokyo University of Science, once again led by Prof Takemura, tried to understand the behavior in which amoebal cells infected with different types of giant viruses. For this, they devised a new cell-tracking method that tackles the issues of conventional analysis methods. Prof Takemura elaborates on the motivation of the study, "Our aim was to understand how giant viruses infect amoebae in the natural environment and how this has affected to evolution of eukaryotes. For this, we wanted to develop a technique to quantitatively detect the time-dependent, sequential changes in cellular number, size, shape, and direction and distance of cell motility." In their study, Prof Takemura and his team focused on amoebae that were infected by a family of giant virus called "marseillevirus." To understand the behavior of host cells infected with this particular type of virus, the scientists developed a new algorithm that can trace individual amoebal cells in a population of amoebae using time-lapse phase-contrast microscopic images. They named this algorithm as "Phase-contrast-based Kinetic Analysis Algorithm for Amoebae" or PKA3. Using PKA3, the scientists revealed new, interesting aspects of how amoebae react to a giant virus attack. For example, they quantitatively showed that giant virus-infected amoebal cells formed aggregates or "bunches." They inferred that this could be either an antiviral strategy of the host or how the virus spreads, shedding light on the manner in which the viral infection takes place. What's more, they managed to detect changes in the number of cells and the appearance of marseillevirus-infected amoebae much faster than by conventional methods. Interestingly, they could also analyze the time taken by amoebae to respond to a viral infection, providing useful information on the life cycle of amoebae and viruses and the relationship between them. Prof Takemura says, "Our algorithm was successful in visualizing the movement of cells in images produced by phase-contrast microscopy, a method widely used in cell biology. Also, it allowed quantification of various parameters. This research will greatly contribute to the demonstration of amoeba behavior infected with the giant virus." Apart from studying giant viruses, this new algorithm could be used for various other applications, such as to study the dynamics of cancer cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, and neurons. In general, it could reveal new cellular phenomena by tracking exactly how these cells migrate. Prof Takemura concludes by saying, "Our new analytical method could be applied to all cells that can be observed with a phase-contrast microscope and can potentially be applied to various fields including cell biology, medicine, and biotechnology." Indeed, a technique like this -- which can potentially make cell biology research easier -- was much needed! His arrest on child pornography charges cost former university professor and researcher Trevor James Pemberton his career. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. His arrest on child pornography charges cost former university professor and researcher Trevor James Pemberton his career. Now, Pemberton "will have to live with the shame of being a convicted pedophile, which will follow me forever," he told a Winnipeg court Monday before being sentenced to 18 months in jail and three years supervised probation. Trevor James Pemberton, a former associate professor at the University of Manitobas department of biochemistry and medical genetics and a research collaborator with the Childrens Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, was arrested in July 2018 after an outside law enforcement agency alerted Winnipeg police a suspect with a local IP address was sharing images of child pornography. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and three years supervised probation. (FACEBOOK) Pemberton, 40, a former associate professor at the University of Manitobas department of biochemistry and medical genetics and a research collaborator with the Childrens Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, was arrested in July 2018 after an outside law enforcement agency alerted Winnipeg police a suspect with a local IP address was sharing images of child pornography. A police search of Pembertons electronic devices uncovered 107 unique images of child pornography and 292 of "investigative interest" pornographic images that could not be positively determined to depict children, Crown attorney Michelle Bright told provincial court Judge Wanda Garreck. Pemberton accessed the illegal images through a file-sharing program, but did not intentionally share images himself, said defence lawyer Matt Gould. A charge of distributing child pornography was stayed by the Crown. Court heard since his arrest, Pemberton has undergone regular psychiatric and psychological counselling. According to a letter from a psychologist provided to court, Pemberton reported feeling "socially isolated" at the time he was viewing child pornography and was suffering from depression and social anxiety. "Plenty of people spend a lot of time alone and isolated from others and they dont start looking at and sharing child pornography," Bright said. Pemberton came to police attention in August 2017 after a user linked to an IP address later tracked to him shared child pornography videos online. Police were unable to find any evidence of the videos when they arrested Pemberton the following year, Bright said. "Which suggests that he was keeping some files and getting rid of them," Bright said. "Its likely that the images located on his computer are not the only ones that he ever possessed." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Pemberton faces almost certain deportation to the United Kingdom upon completing his sentence. Pemberton said he recognizes now what he didnt prior to his arrest: that viewing child pornography perpetuates the ongoing abuse of children. "I now understand that any interaction with child pornography materials on the internet, regardless of the circumstances involved, contributes to children being hurt, and there is no excuse for that," he said. Garreck said she was satisfied Pemberton was truly remorseful, but said he will remain a risk "until he fully comes to understand what the triggers were for engaging in this type of offence." Pembertons probation order includes conditions that he have no access to a computer or the internet outside of work and that he have no contact with children. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca Health care stocks, which have been volatile in the run-up to the 2020 elections, are worth consideration even in light of uncertainty about a single-payer system, an investor told Yahoo Finance. Ben Phillips, chief investment officer at EventShares, sees value in health care along with other government policy-sensitive sectors like gaming and energy despite growing political pressures. While investors have been nervous about parking money in health stocks, Phillips said theres still value in some pockets of the market. Theres skittishness around the institutional investors, so the money doesnt want to be in health care right now given growing political and regulatory risks, Phillips told The Ticker this week. People with National Nurses United march in support of medicare for all, outside of the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, where a Democratic presidential debate is taking place, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) With Democratic contenders, such as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermonts Bernie Sanders, pushing for a single-payer solution to soaring health care costs, Phillips called the health sector oversold. He added: That creates an opportunity, especially when people are just saying, I want to be underweight in health care, Well, they sell the whole sector and so there are sub-sectors of health care that see really strong growth. Potential value include insurers and health tech which recently saw a boost from the federal governments willingness to reimburse for services provided through digital platforms, and managed care providers, Phillips said. Insurance stocks saw steep declines after Warren pushed for doing away with the market and replacing it with a single-payer government system. Phillips suggested that might be a red herring. So if you see a Bernie Sanders or an Elizabeth Warren surge, that can create some opportunity for some health care companies, because we dont think Obamacare is going away, we dont think Medicare-for-All is a real likelihood either, he told Yahoo Finance. He also predicted the return of earnings growth to the broader market in 2020, after a year of investors chasing value stocks. Story continues Anjalee Khemlani is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @AnjKhem Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Terming climate change, biodiversity loss and global warming as the greatest threats faced by humanity ever, Prince Charles on January 22 said it is not the lack of capital but the way it should be deployed which is thwarting the fight against these challenges. Returning to Davos after nearly 30 years, Charles also met young climate activist Greta Thunberg here. Climate change, biodiversity loss and global warming are the greatest threat humanity has ever faced, he said in a special address at the WEF 2020. It is not a lack of capital that's holding us back from tackling these threats, but rather the way we deploy it, he added. Prince Charles also announced the launch of a Sustainable Markets initiative and said this will put people and planet at the heart of global value creation. He listed 10 practical actions that will drive the sustainable markets approach forward, including shifting our default setting to sustainable; outlining responsible transition pathways to decarbonise and move to net-zero; re-imagining industries through the lens of sustainable markets; and identifying game changers and barriers to transition. The other actions listed by him were reversing perverse subsidies and improving incentives for sustainable alternatives; investing in STEM, innovation and R&D, investing in nature as the true engine of our economy; and adopting common metrics and standards. Making sustainable options the trusted and attainable option for consumers; and connecting investments to platforms that can rapidly scale solutions were the other two actions. On how quickly and who will drive us forward, Charles said we are further ahead than what one might think. From sustainable investment to aviation, shipping and renewables, progress is being made in almost every industry that we can build on, he said. One critical lesson that we have to learn is that nature is not a separate asset class, nature is the lifeblood of our financial markets, he emphasised. We must rapidly realign our own economy to mimic nature's economy and work with it, he added. Prince Charles announced a series of roundtables -- beginning here at Davos and taking place throughout the year -- to identify game changers, investments and barriers to transition. "Do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from from the brink," he asked. "What good is all that extra wealth in the world gained from business-as-usual except watch it burn in catastrophic conditions?" he said. On children and grandchildren, he said everything he has done over the last 50 years has been done with his children and grandchildren in mind. He said he did not want to be accused of doing nothing but prevaricate or deny the problem. His son Prince William had attended WEF annual meeting here in 2019. Reforming school education is one of priority areas of the Finnish assistance to Ukraine Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk met with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin during the World Economic Forum in Davos. He announced this on his Facebook page. I arrived in Switzerland. And the first meeting in my two-day working visit in Davos was with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Moreover, the meeting of the two Prime Ministers of Ukraine and Finland of this format is the first one in five years, reads the message. According to Honcharuk, they discussed issues of strengthening cooperation in the educational sphere, in particular, in the framework of the project "Finnish support for the reform of the Ukrainian school." The project is aimed at reforming the system of school and vocational education in Ukraine. "The reform of school education is one of the priority areas of Finnish assistance to Ukraine," he wrote. The Ukrainian Prime Minister also boasted a joint photo, noting that there are two of the youngest prime ministers in the world on it. As we reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated during his speech in Davos that there is a thought among people that the world is falling apart. SEATTLE A forensic analysis of Jeff Bezos cellphone found with medium to high confidence that the Amazon chiefs device was hacked after he received a video from a WhatsApp account reportedly belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, according to a person familiar with the Bezos-ordered investigation. After Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, got the video over the WhatsApp messaging platform in 2018, his phone began sending unusually large volumes of data, said the person, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The person said the investigators believed Crown Prince Mohammad was used as a conduit because the message would not raise suspicions if it came from him. The findings of the forensics investigation, completed on behalf of Bezos by Anthony Ferrante at the business advisory firm FTI Consulting, could not be independently verified by The New York Times. PRIVACY: Apple takes a (cautious) stand against opening a killer's iPhones After the investigators findings were reported by The Guardian and The Financial Times, the Saudi Embassy denied that the Saudi government was involved. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos phone are absurd, the Saudi Embassy said on Twitter. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Bezos security consultant, Gavin de Becker, had previously accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos phone, saying Saudi authorities targeted Bezos because he owned The Washington Post. The Post has aggressively reported on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, one of its columnists, who was a critic of the Saudi government. The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed ordered the killing. Two United Nations experts plan to release a public statement Wednesday morning addressing serious allegations that Bezos was hacked by receiving a WhatsApp message reportedly from an account belonging to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, one of the experts, Agnes Callamard, said in an email. Callamard, a specialist in extrajudicial killings, has been investigating Khashoggis murder, and David Kaye, an expert in human rights law, has been gathering information about violations of freedom of the press. Amazon and de Becker declined to comment. William Isaacson, Bezos lawyer at Boies Schiller Flexner, declined to comment beyond saying that Bezos was cooperating with continuing investigations. Ferrante declined to comment through a FTI spokesman. RELEASE NOTES: Sign up for Dwight Silverman's weekly tech newsletter All FTI Consulting client work is confidential, Matt Bashalany, a spokesman for FTI, said in a statement. We do not comment on, confirm or deny client engagements or potential engagements. The questions about who has had access to Bezos phone erupted a year ago, after The National Enquirer reported that the tech executive was romantically involved with Lauren Sanchez, a former TV anchor. At the time, The Enquirer published photos of the couple together, as well as intimate text messages. Bezos later published emails from American Media, the parent company of The National Enquirer, which he said amounted to extortion and blackmail. He suggested that the leaks of photos and details of his private life could have been politically motivated to harm him because of his ownership of The Post. In March, de Becker accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos phone. In an opinion article in The Daily Beast, de Becker wrote that his investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis got private information from Bezos phone and that he turned the evidence they had uncovered over to law enforcement authorities. De Becker did not detail specific evidence they uncovered, nor did he detail whether the leaked information was published by The Enquirer. American Media denied any Saudi involvement, saying Sanchezs brother was the tabloids sole source. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Montanas Big Horn County Sheriffs Office is still investigating the death of Selena Not Afraid a day after officials said they didnt suspect foul play. Selena, 16, was found Monday morning by a federal search team about a mile southwest of the rest stop she had reportedly walked away from on New Years Day between Billings and Hardin, Montana. In a press release issued Monday, the sheriffs office said foul play was not suspected. On Tuesday, Undersheriff Eric Winburn said that foul play wasnt suspected, but wasnt ruled out, either. Theres no evidence that anybody dropped her off. No foot or boot prints around her, he said. ... We dont rule anything out until the autopsy has been released. An autopsy is scheduled on Wednesday at the state crime lab in Billings. The location where searchers found the body was processed as a criminal investigation, Winburn noted. Selenas cellphone was found on her, Winburn said. The battery was dead. She didnt have a wallet or purse on her when she was found, he said. Selena was found by a federal search team with the Department of the Interior during a systematic grid search, according to a press release. The search team had been conducting the grid search for more than a week and were methodically working through the area of the rest stop, Winburn said. Search efforts from the DOI team began toward the east before making its way southwest, he said. Other areas toward Hardin, Billings and near Fly Creek were searched. We had no clue where she was, Winburn said. Where she was found had been searched by volunteers and law enforcement. Areas near the rest stop had been searched with a helicopter, thermal drone, foot search and K-9s, but had not been searched by the DOI team until Monday, he said. We had people on horses and 4-wheelers, but if you dont do every section by section, they couldve gone by her, he said. Sheriff Lawrence Big Hair told KTVQ News that he had looked in an area about 200 yards from where Selena was found and had not seen her. The five people who were in the van with Selena when she was last seen have all cooperated with authorities, officials said. All of the people in the car were believed to be intoxicated at the rest stop, Winburn said. County Attorney Jay Harris declined to comment on whether he would pursue charges against the adults. In a Tuesday press release, Harris said his office would pursue any provable criminal activities surrounding the circumstances of Selenas disappearance. The office issued a subpoena to review the investigation process for the sheriffs office and for federal agencies that assisted. Selena had purportedly walked away from the rest stop on New Years Day around 2 p.m. She was in a group of six driving to Hardin from Billings. The van they were in broke down at the rest stop. The driver restarted it, but was worried it would stall again and drove off without Selena and another woman. A relative of the driver was about 10 to 15 minutes behind and was expected to pick up the girls, according to the sheriffs office. When the relative arrived, Selena was gone. Selena supposedly scaled a fence, asked the woman she was with to cross the fence with her, and then walked off alone toward some trees, Winburn said. She wasnt dressed for the winter weather, according to a Missing Endangered Person Advisory issued that day. New Years Day saw a high of 50 degrees during the day in the area, but had cooled to a low of 25 degrees by the next morning, according to the National Weather Service in Billings. A MEPA alert was issued for Selena around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 1. A MEPA alert is sent to local media and pushes out a text notification to smartphone users who have the CodeRED app. An Amber Alert, which is typically reserved for young, abducted children, was not issued for Selena. The first search was conducted the day she went missing. By dark the area saw light rain and snow, according to NWS. Since Jan. 1 the area has seen about four inches of snow accumulation. The most was on Jan. 9 when the area got just more than an inch of snow. Twelve days after she was last seen, the FBI issued a be-on-the-lookout alert, or BOLO, for the girl. Searches by officials did not stop until she was found, Winburn said. Volunteers and family members packed up Jan. 13. The rest stop at mile marker 474 acted as a headquarters for family and friends. Hardin High School students gathered at the area a week later to pray, and fans wore red at sporting events Tuesday to honor Selena. Tuesday morning, the Hardin High School principal said that extra resources and counselors would be provided to students. Selena was a junior at the school. In a press release, Crow Tribal Chairman Alvin A.J. Not Afraid expressed thanks to those who searched for his niece. Selenas aunt Cheryl Horn also took to social media to thank those who had assisted in the search. Complete coverage: The search for Selena Not Afraid Wyoming News Family, volunteers put faith in FBI as search for Montana girl hits day 13 On Monday, family and volunteers left the rest stop where 16-year-old Selena Not Afraid was last seen. "The FBI are here," her auntie said, and added the family is putting their faith in law enforcement to find her. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Hillary Clinton is not mincing words about Bernie Sanders in both an upcoming documentary, where she calls him a career politician whom nobody likes, and in an interview published Tuesday where she took aim at his supporters. In that interview, for a cover story in The Hollywood Reporter about the four-part Hulu doc Hillary, the former Democratic presidential nominee and secretary of state confirmed she stands by a scathing assessment of Sanders which she made in the documentary. Sanders, Clintons erstwhile rival and a longtime Vermont senator who votes with but is not a Democrat, is one of the leading candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination after losing to Clinton in the 2016 primary. He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done, Clinton, 72, says in the documentary, according to THR. He was a career politician. Its all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it. Sanders, 78, has a contentious and complicated history with Clinton. He ran a surprisingly strong but ultimately unsuccessful campaign against her for the Democratic presidential nomination. She went on to narrowly lose the general election to President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Sanders brushed off Clintons comments when NBC White House correspondent Geoff Bennett asked the senator for his reaction: On a good day, my wife likes me, so lets clear the air on that one, Sanders replied. When Bennett asked Sanders why he thinks Clinton is still talking about 2016, Sanders said, Thats a good question. You should ask her. Despite the fact that Sanders has a strong chance at winning the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton told THR that she wasnt prepared to say whether shell endorse and campaign for him. Im not going to go there yet, Clinton said. Were still in a very vigorous primary season. Story continues Later Tuesday, Clinton tweeted that she would do whatever I can to support our nominee and that her ultimate goal was defeating Trump. She took a jocular, verging on sarcastic tone in responding to the headlines about her Sanders comments. I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views! she wrote. But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee. RELATED: Hillary Clinton Says the Fight Was Worth It for Womens Equality From left: former presidential nominee and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed her in 2016 | Taylor Hill/WireImage Even though Sanders endorsed Clinton as the nominee and campaigned for her in 2016, the two have not had a warm relationship. In one primary debate, Sanders said Clinton wasnt qualified to be president something she continued to take issue with in her THR interview this week. The Clinton camp was also critical of the fact that Sanders didnt immediately back her for president after she beat him out for the nomination and, indeed, insisted on continuing to run a Democratic primary campaign even when it became clear that he had lost. Sanders supporters have their own grievances. Hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee showed some party officials had a bias toward Clinton. Clinton, in turn, took umbrage with the behavior of some of Sanders backers. Some of his supporters, the so-called Bernie Bros, took to harassing my supporters online. It got ugly and more than a little sexist, Clinton wrote in What Happened, her memoir about the 2016 election. Nonetheless, his attacks caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trumps Crooked Hillary campaign. RELATED: Hot Mic Moment Shows Elizabeth Warren Accused Bernie Sanders of Calling Her a Liar at the Debate From left: Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016 | Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty In the 2020 primary, Sanders has been in another recent conflict, this time with fellow progressive Elizabeth Warren. Earlier this month, Sen. Warren said that Sanders told her in 2018 that a woman couldnt become president in 2020 which Sanders has vehemently denied. Anybody knows me knows that its incomprehensible that I would think that a woman cannot be president of the United States, Sanders said when asked about his comments at the mid-January primary debate. Go to YouTube today. Theres a video of me 30 years ago talking about how a woman could become president of the United States. Clinton doesnt seem to be buying it, telling THR: Its not only him, its the culture around him. Its his leadership team. Its his prominent supporters. Its his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it. And I dont think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it, but you either dont know what your campaign and supporters are doing or youre just giving them a wink and you want them to go after Kamala [Harris] or after Elizabeth [Warren]. I think that thats a pattern that people should take into account when they make their decisions. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday that the five-year-old boy from Wuhan, China who remains under its close watch may not have contracted the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which originated in the worlds most populous country. Meron paring posibilidad na hindi ito novel coronavirus. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. [Translation: There is still a possibility that this is not a case of a novel coronavirus.] The health chief said he finds it odd that the boy was not able to transmit his respiratory virus to his mother, who arrived with him in Cebu City on January 12. Ang nakapagtataka lang bakit yung nanay wala namang sintomas [2019-nCoV] na ipinakita [Translation: What is confusing is the childs mother did not exhibited signs of the 2019-nCoV.] But he added that the mother was also isolated and tested for coronavirus as a safety precaution. The DOH said Tuesday it is monitoring the child, who tested positive for a still unidentified coronavirus strain. Duque said that there are six known coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases such as such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), according to the World Health Organization. They can be transmitted from animal to person or infected human to others, according to the WHO. The boys blood sample and throat swab were sent to a laboratory in Melbourne, Australia to identify the type of coronavirus that infected him. The DOH earlier said the child tested negative for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The test results may be available by Wednesday or Thursday, Duque earlier said. Suspend flights from Wuhan, CAAP urged The boy's case has raised fears the mysterious respiratory illness believed to have first started from an animal in a market in Wuhan City has reached the Philippines. It has also prompted a lawmaker from the House of Representative to ask the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to suspend flights coming from Wuhan, China. In a January 22 letter addressed to CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco, Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon said, May I respectfully request that the suspension of these flights of Royal Air Charter Service and all other airlines coming from Wuhan, China to any part of the country, be considered by CAAP in consultation with the Department of Health and other concerned agencies. RJ Duque, passenger rights action officer from the Civil Aeronautics Board in Kalibo confirmed to CNN Philippines on Wednesday that airline Royal Air Charter Service offer direct flights from Wuhan to Kalibo, Aklan. Inaantay po natin ang confirmatory test result na manggagaling sa Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory, Duque said. [Translation: We are still waiting for the confirmatory test result from Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory.] For now, the Philippines still is free from the novela coronavirus, Duque said. Wala pa pong naiimport [virus] galing China." [Translation: No virus has been imported from China yet.] Officials in China are racing to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that has left at least nine people dead and sickened more than 440, CNN reported Wednesday. The WHO said confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV have also been reported in Thailand, Japan and South Korea, Common symptoms of the 2019-nCoV include fever, cough and colds, breathing difficulties, shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Health experts also urged people to practice good hygiene as it could help them keep healthy and free from sickness. -wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds -avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands -avoid close contact with people who show respiratory illness symptoms (ex. coughing and sneezing) -thoroughly cook meat and eggs -cover your mouth and nose with tissue when you cough or sneeze, then wash your hands -clean and disinfect objects and surfaces -seek medical attention if you have flu-like symptoms (especially if you have travelled from Wuhan, China) A Chinese boy hugs a relative as she leaves to board a train at Beijing Railway station in Beijing, China on Jan. 21, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) US Boosts Alert Levels for Travel to China as Viral Pneumonia Stirs Global Panic U.S. health authorities have upgraded a travel warning for China on Jan. 21 after they confirmed the first case of a viral pneumonia that first broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The patient is a man in his 30s living in Washington states Snohomish County, north of Seattle. He returned to Seattle in mid-January after visiting Wuhan, where the virus first began to spread in December 2019. Chinese authorities said the virus has claimed six lives to date. The man visited the doctor on Jan. 19 and is currently very healthy but being kept in isolation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On Jan. 21, the agency upgraded its precaution levels for traveling to China from level one to level two on a three-tier scale, warning travelers to exercise enhanced precautions. The third level would caution people to avoid nonessential travel. The CDC didnt provide details on how easily the disease can spread from one person to another, but noted they are tracking down anyone who had close contact with the patient since his return. Employees in scrubs talk next to the ambulance entrance at Providence Regional Medical Center after a spokesman from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a traveler from China has been the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus, in Everett, Washington, Jan. 21, 2020. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters) Heightened Concerns The CDC also said on Jan. 21 that they are going to implement screening measures at two more airportsHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Chicago OHare International Airportfor passengers directly flying from Wuhan. The agency also has set up an emergency operation center to coordinate the shipment of biological samples from suspected patients for lab testing, to ensure that results can come out by the following day. Such screening measures were first implemented at three major international airportsNew Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and San Francisco International Airporton Jan. 17. These airports see the largest volume of passengers from Wuhan; a total of 1,200 passengers have gone through the screenings so far. Authorities havent yet found anyone exhibiting symptoms in those airports. The illness is caused by a new kind of coronavirus, a type of pathogen that causes diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. CDC officials said they are working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation to redirect passengers flying from Wuhan to the five airports that are currently screening for the disease. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the agency is taking a very aggressive public health response strategy. She added that the agency is currently in active conversations about vaccines for the disease, and has developed a laboratory technique to quickly diagnose the virus. A staff member screens arriving passengers with thermal scanners at Hankou railway station in Wuhan, in Chinas central Hubei province on Jan. 21, 2020.(AFP via Getty Images) Global Alarm More cases were reported in nine other regions across China, including Henan, Sichuan, Shandong, and Zhejiang provinces, and in the cities of Tianjin and Chongqing. Wuhan health authorities recently began requiring increased restrictions on vehicles coming in and out of the city. Tour groups are no longer allowed to arrange trips to areas outside Wuhan, while private vehicles go through random checks for livestock or wild animals, according to Chinese state media. Taiwan also reported its first confirmed case on Jan. 21, adding to international cases found in South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. North Korea also plans to temporarily ban foreign tourists due to the worsening outbreak, according to the Chinese adventure travel company Young Pioneer Tours. The vast majority of tourists in North Korea come from China. The tour company told Reuters on Jan. 21 that the North Korean government is closing off its borders until the viral disease is well under control. The World Health Organization announced that it would hold an emergency meeting on Jan. 22 regarding how to respond to the outbreak. The mounting anxiety led to a decrease of 0.6 percent in Chinas onshore yuan, the biggest daily drop since Aug. 26, 2019, while airline and travel stocks also slipped, according to Reuters. Commuters wearing face masks walk in Hankou railway station in Wuhan, in Chinas central Hubei province on Jan. 21, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images) Projections Experts suspect the actual extent of the outbreak to be much worse than Chinese officials are reporting. A study led by Gabriel Leung, dean of the University of Hong Kongs medical school, estimated that more than 1,300 people in Wuhan could already have been infected, based on a statistical model that extrapolated from international cases confirmed from Jan. 1 to 17. The researchers said their model used a similar method to a Jan. 17 study by the Imperial College London, which placed the estimate at around 1,700. Aneesh Mehta, a virologist at the Emory University School of Medicine, expressed concerns that the coronavirus is showing the hallmarks similar to previous outbreaks such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), which led to a global spread. Furthermore, given that patients may not seek medical help right away when their symptoms are mild, its very possible there will be more cases than what have been discovered, he said. Laurie Garrett, a health policy analyst and formerly a Pulitzer-winning journalist for her coverage of the 1995 Ebola outbreak, said the figures from Chinese authorities are likely a gross understatement of the actual situation. Wuhan is definitely freaking out, she said, as seen by the authorities recent attempts to control the outbreak. She believes Chinese authorities mishandled the initial response to the outbreak, fueling its current spread. The kind of alert and alarm that should have been out did not go out until now, she said. The first patient contracted the virus on Dec. 12, but Wuhan authorities did not confirm the case until Dec. 31. It would have been a lot easier to control the first week of January, she said, but there was still a lot of denial, and a lot of hope that this was something trivialthat it was just a handful of people that hung out in an animal market, which was insane to assume, she said. Libya's neighbours to meet Thursday in Algiers Foreign ministers from Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, and Niger (ANSAmed) - ALGIERS, JANUARY 22 - Foreign ministers from Libya's neighbours will be meeting Thursday in Algiers as part of efforts to find a political solution for the conflict in the country. ''On Algeria's initiative,'' Algiers will be hosting ''a meeting of the foreign ministers of countries with a border with Libya, with the participation of Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, and Niger'', the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that Mali would also be taking part.(ANSAmed). Backpacking is very popular among Israelis after they complete their compulsory military service, and her case has captured the attention of many here. They view her as a pawn in a much larger geopolitical tussle between the United States, Russia and Israel. They hope that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has boasted in the past of his warm relationship with Putin, will be able to secure her release via diplomatic channels. PHOENIX, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Phoenix has announced that the Phoenix Campus has been certified as a Veteran Supportive Campus (VSC) by the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services (AZDVS). The VCS is a recognition that the University is working to better understand the needs of military students and become continually responsive to those needs. "This recognition is another testament to the University's commitment to providing military-affiliated students with the resources to support their service and education," said Brian Ishmael, senior director of the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs and a U.S. Army veteran. "University of Phoenix is proud to be named a Veteran Supportive Campus and continues to serve those who serve others." For more than 40 years, University of Phoenix has provided quality higher education options to help our nation's active-duty and Reserve service members, military spouses and eligible dependents and veterans pursue a degree or continue their education. Through an understanding of the unique challenges military students face, the University offers services and corporate alliances to help fit education into the military lifestyle. Military-specific services include: University representatives who understand military culture and military vocabulary Special military tuition rates Help navigating the application process for GI Bill benefits and other financial aid benefits and other financial aid Potential credit for applicable military training and education. As a resource for students and alumni, University of Phoenix has formed alliances with national organizations to provide resources, tools, and scholarships to support student veterans' success. The University has alliances with Give an Hour, which provides free mental health services for military, veterans, and their families, and American Corporate Partners, which provides free one-on-one professional, customized mentorships for active duty and post-9/11 veterans as well as their spouses. To help ensure that military-affiliated students and alumni have access to these resources, the University in 2015 opened a Veteran Resource Center (VRC) at the Phoenix Campus. VRCs are locations for veterans to connect with peers, access resources and establish a sense of community. Additional Veteran Resource Centers are also offered at the University's San Diego, Murrieta, Calif., Arlington, Va., and San Antonio Campuses. Online students have access to a virtual Veterans Resource Center, which can be accessed at https://www.phoenix.edu/students/veterans-resource-centers.html. Visit the University of Phoenix blog to learn more about the ways the University supports military students: https://www.phoenix.edu/students/articles/uopx-phoenix-campus-earns-veteran-supportive-campus-certification.html. To learn more about the University's Veterans Resource Center, visit https://www.phoenix.edu/students/veterans-resource-centers.html. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses and interactive learning help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. We serve a diverse student population, offering degree programs at select locations across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. SOURCE University of Phoenix Related Links http://phoenix.edu - The DCE of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Isaac Odoom, has disclosed that he used part of the district assembly common fund for rituals to pacify the gods - He said, after the completion of the new Breman Benin market, traders refused to move into it with the excuse that they would die if they moved there - Odoom added that constant persuasion from the market women forced the assembly to heed to their request Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Isaac Odoom, has disclosed that he used part of the district assembly common fund for rituals to pacify the gods. Answering to questions posed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the DCE said, after the completion of the new Breman Benin market, traders refused to move into it with the excuse that they would die if they moved there. According to Odoom, constant persuasion by the market women forced the district assembly to kowtow to the request of the women by buying goats and Schnapps to purify the market. READ ALSO: Outbreak of deadly virus; Ghana to screen passengers from China over new virus It is the communities that demanded from the assembly to do that. But I think the assembly was looking at it from the economic point of view; lets give them this [pacification items] for them to perform the rituals then the market can be used which we can go and take our tolls for more revenue, he said. Odoom said, as soon as the rituals were performed the traders moved into the market and were now doing brisk business. Alluding to the biblical saying that give what is for Caesar to Caesar and what is for God to God, the assembly later brought in some pastors to also pray at the site. He revealed that the market was one of the major sources of revenue for the assembly and so when they were faced with that situation they had to heed the request of the market women, who were told by a traditional priest that they would die if they moved into the new market without performing the rituals. READ ALSO: Nana Addo cant win election 2020 because he failed to build cathedral for God - Prophet In other news, the Ministry of Health has announced that all persons coming in from China to Ghana would undergo enhanced health screening and surveillance to prevent the spread of the new Coronavirus. Health Authorities in China have confirmed the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus in December 2019 after a series of reported cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. A press release signed by the sector Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu and reported by Citi News, assured that Ghana has in-country capacity to diagnose the infection at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. READ ALSO: Ghana seals deal to host Afro Nation for 5 years Burna Boy's full performance at Manifestive 2019 | #Yencomgh Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh OTTAWA - The federal and Ontario governments have reached a deal on funding a new French-language university in Toronto. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie Melanie Joly rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. The federal and Ontario governments have reached a deal on funding a new French-language university in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - The federal and Ontario governments have reached a deal on funding a new French-language university in Toronto. An agreement signed Wednesday says the two will spend $126 million on the project over eight years. The federal government will fund the university's startup costs for the first four years, then share expenses with Ontario starting in the fifth. After eight years, the province is to take over funding the university in the same way as it does other public post-secondary institutions. Federal Official Languages Minister Melanie Joly called it a historic day for Canadian francophones. "I want to thank my provincial colleagues for reversing their initial decision to abolish the university project at the beginning," Joly said. The agreement was reached only after difficult negotiations, she added. In an interview with The Canadian Press, her Ontario counterpart Caroline Mulroney said she's "delighted" to "deliver on this important promise" a year-and-a-half after her Progressive Conservatives won power. "It's a longstanding wish of Ontario's francophone community to have a university governed for francophones, by francophones," she said in French. Mulroney's Progressive Conservatives cancelled the previous Liberal government's plans for a French-language university shortly after winning the Ontario election in 2018 but backtracked after an uproar among Ontario's francophones. The Tories changed their minds shortly before the federal election campaign began last fall and began negotiating for financial support from the federal government. Mulroney said the Ontario government just put the project "on hold" while it cleaned up provincial finances. "Of course there was a federal election, but for us it was really about doing the work inside the government and to examine all the issues," she said. In a statement, the Assemblee de la francophonie de l'Ontario said it's happy to see funding for the new university secured and that the institution can begin hiring staff. The university expects to start teaching students in 2021, beginning with diploma programs delivered in partnerships with other schools. The stated plan is to expand to 1,500 students by the school year beginning in 2026, with programs up to the master's-degree level. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Activ Surgical, a technology company building the ActivEdge Platform, a hardware-agnostic software that empowers minimally invasive surgical systems to autonomously collaborate with surgeons, was recently named to Built In Boston's 50 Startups to Watch in 2020. Once a year, Built In Boston hand-selects startups that have the vision, team, focus and funding to drive innovation within the tech community. For their 50 Startups to Watch in 2020 list, they chose local companies founded within the past three years that they believe have positioned themselves for rapid growth in the year to come. "Thanks to a highly talented, passionate and motivated group of employees, Activ Surgical is proud to be included in Built In Boston's 50 Startups to Watch in 2020," commented Todd Usen, Chief Executive Officer, Activ Surgical. "I'm also extremely proud of our team and for the recognition of the good work we are doing on behalf of surgeons and their patients." The full list of the 50 companies named to Built In Boston's 50 Startups to Watch in 2020 can be found here http://bit.ly/30Fudta. About Activ Surgical Activ Surgical the technology company that completed the world's first autonomous robotic surgery of soft tissue is building ActivEdge, a hardware-agnostic surgical software platform that empowers minimally invasive surgical systems to autonomously collaborate with surgeons. The first product on the ActivEdge platform is ActivSight, an intelligent light system that augments surgical vision in real-time, providing surgeons with information not currently available today. Activ Surgical was founded in 2017 and has offices in Boston. More information can be found at www.activsurgical.com. About Built In: For thousands of tech professionals in some of the most vibrant tech markets in the U.S., Built In is the best place to learn about the industry, build connections at events and carve out futures at companies they believe in. For more information: Claire Nolan Associate Chief of Staff, Activ Surgical 617.333.8162 x401 SOURCE Activ Surgical Related Links https://www.activsurgical.com Impeachment manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) speaks in support of an amendment offered by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Trump Impeachment Trial: What Happened on Day One in the Senate Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and 100 senators gathered in the Senate chambers in Washington on Tuesday for the start of the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump. Trumps team of lawyers, led by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and the presidents person lawyer, Jay Sekulow, argued in support of a resolution introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that outlined initial trial guidelines. House impeachment managers, including House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), testified in support of amendments proposed by Senate Democrats, including one that would have guaranteed witnesses would be called, and others that would subpoena specific witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate. GOP members shot down all eleven proposed amendments, with only onethe last onegetting any votes from across the aisle. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) broke with her party to support the amendment, which still failed 48-52. The Senate approved McConnells resolution in a party-line vote in the early hours of Wednesday. That means opening arguments from Trumps team and House Democrats will start Wednesday afternoon after the trial resumes at 1 p.m. This artist sketch depicts White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaking in the Senate chamber during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Dana Verkouteren via AP) Trump was impeached on Dec. 18, 2019, by the House of Representatives in a sharply partisan vote that saw no Republicans vote to impeach the president but four Democrats break from their party to vote present or no to at least one article of impeachment. The two articles charged the president with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. House Democrats held the articles for about three weeks before submitting them to the Senate. After senators and Roberts were sworn in on Jan. 16, the trial started on Jan. 21. Its the third presidential impeachment trial in the history of the country. No president has ever been removed from office through impeachment. Convicting Trump, or removing him from office, would require a supermajority vote on one of the articles of impeachment. Acquitting him, or dismissing the articles, requires a simple majority. An acquittal is widely expected. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Fight Over Witnesses The first day was consumed with an ongoing fight over witnesses: whether to call them, when they should be subpoenaed if subpoenas are issued, and who should be called if any are called. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has repeatedly dismissed House Democrats impeachment case against Trump, calling it weak and rushed. Hes argued that the House is attempting to foist its responsibility onto the Senate in terms of calling witnesses and hearing additional testimony. More than a dozen witnesses testified during the House impeachment inquiry but many lacked firsthand knowledge of the events outlined in the articles of impeachment, including four constitutional law professors. Other witnesses included U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, National Security Council official Alexander Vindman, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. A number of former or current White House officials refused to testify, including Mulvaney and Charles Kupperman, a former aide to Bolton. The House subpoenaed Kupperman but a judge declined to rule on a lawsuit the ex-aide filed after the House dropped the subpoena. House Democrats declined to call witnesses requested by House Republicans, including former Vice President Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden and the person who filed a complaint against Trump over the July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. McConnells resolution means the trial will start without addressing the matter of witnesses. Im confident that the organizing resolution will allow us to do our due diligence, bring this process to a close in a timely manner, and get back to doing the work that the people of South Dakota sent me here to do, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). said in a statement. I voted for the resolution because the rules are fair to both sides, added Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). Consistent with the precedent established by the Senate during the Clinton impeachment trial, I believe that Senators should hear the arguments from both sides and have the opportunity to ask questions before determining whether additional evidence is needed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) holds a press conference about the Senate impeachment trial of Republican President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020, ahead of opening arguments. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) The Rest of the Week The resolution gives House managers and attorneys for the president up to 24 hours each to make opening arguments. After both sides complete giving their presentations, senators will get a chance to submit written questions to either side. The period in which answers can be given will last up to 16 hours. The Senate will then debate and vote on whether to subpoena additional witnesses or documents. Senate Democrats and House impeachment managers criticized the GOPs refusal to immediately vote on witnesses, arguing that those close to Trump could provide information pertinent to the case. If there is one thing we learned from a series of votes on the Senate floor it is that Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans dont want a fair trial that considers all the evidence, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said at a press conference on Wednesday morning. Yesterday we put the spotlight on the number one issue of having a fair trial, witnesses and documents, just the spotlight alone. I predict that as a result, that spotlight will continue to focus on witnesses and documents and the pressure will continue to build on Republican senators. Schumer said Senate Democrats would keep pressing for amendments. The motions will be made. Right now we have the arguments by House managers, then the arguments by the presidents lawyers, then there will be a question period, he said. We will certainly try to find wayswhether it is the House managers who want to do it themselves or usto get direct vote on each witness and document, once again, after the arguments are made. House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) walks along the Ohio Clock Corridor following the first day of President Donald Trumps Senate Impeachment Trial in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) The Defense and Prosecution Along with Cipollone and Sekulow, Trumps team includes Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, and former federal prosecutor Robert Ray. Trump also announced this week that eight House Republicans would assist in the defense effort. They are Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Mike Johnson (R-La.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), John Ratcliffe (R-Texas), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.). Schiff is leading the team attempting to convince senators to convict Trump. Joining him and Nadler are Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Val Demings (D-Fla.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), and Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas). In this image from video, presiding officer Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Jury and Judge Roberts, the head judge of the nations highest court, will preside over the trial. Roberts, 64, was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2005 by President George W. Bush. He was directly confirmed to be chief justice following the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Unlike other trials, if Roberts does make a ruling, 51 senators can vote to overrule him. In a rare rebuke issued early Wednesday, Roberts admonished both the House managers and Trumps lawyers after an intense back-and-forth. The hundred senators, meanwhile, are acting like a jury in the partisan trial. Senators are expected to be in attendance at all times during the proceedings and arent allowed to have phones or other electronics during the trial. They can only drink milk or water and also arent allowed to speak during the proceedings. Four Democratic presidential contenders are among those gathered in Washington: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). PHILOMATH, Ore. -- A traffic stop in Corvallis might have prevented a murder after police found bombs and more in the car, Philomath Police Chief Ken Reuben said. Reuben said Corvallis police arrested Kenneth Smelser, 33, of Albany on Jan. 12 after he was allegedly caught speeding in downtown Corvallis. The Oregon State Police bomb squad was called in after police allegedly found three homemade bombs, eight guns, ammunition and a bulletproof vest. Reuben said Smelser also had a warrant out for his arrest after his estranged wife reported that she was being stalked by him back in August. The Philomath chief said Smelser may have been planning to kill his wife. "It may not have been imminent at that exact moment, but someplace he was ramping up to do bodily harm, and we believe he was going to try to kill her," Reuben said. Smelser is currently in custody at the Benton County Jail. He's facing 12 charges, including eight counts of unlawful possession of a destructive device. Records show he's pleaded not guilty, and his bail has been set at $200,000. Reuban said they have gotten search warrants and have been searching Smelser's property, including vehicles, home and a storage unit to look for additional weapons. He said they have also been working with other agencies to relocate Semler's wife to a place where he can't find her. "I don't remember when the last four or five years that we've dealt with of something of this magnitude where we believe that somebody was going to harm somebody and was planning to do it," Reuban said. Smelser is set to back in court on Jan. 23 for a status hearing. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: A Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch on Tuesday claimed to have busted a sex racket and rescued six women from Old Town. The women were rescued after the STF team nabbed Sheikh Ibrahim, the alleged kingpin of the sex racket. He is accused of trafficking Bangladeshi women to Odisha. Ibrahim was arrested along with his woman accomplice identified as Anjali Biwi from Pipili. Sources said the women rescued from Old Town in the city told STF that they were asked to come to the city by a couple living in Pipili. STF DIG Jay Narayan Pankaj said they were verifying whether the rescued women are natives of West Bengal or Bangladesh. Investigation is on to find out whether Ibrahim and Anjali were running similar racket in other parts of the State. Last month, the Commissionerate Police had arrested a Bangladeshi woman for illegally staying in the city. The matter came to light after the woman lodged a complaint with Laxmisagar police on December 17 alleging that the manager of a hotel and a housekeeping staff misbehaved and physically assaulted her. Though police registered a case and arrested the hotels manager Mithun Swain and housekeeping staff Biswanath Patra, they also found that in her Aadhaar card, the woman was identified as Sikha Samaddar of West Bengal. Police then came to know that the details were fake and interrogated the woman, following which she revealed that she is a native of Bangladesh. Homeland Security Chief Warns Caravan Migrants Will Be Sent Home if They Reach US The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees immigration enforcement, warned a new caravan of Central American migrants that they wont be allowed into the United States. Being part of a large group, like a caravan, provides no special treatment or benefits to those who participate. Unfortunately, there have been acts of reported violence by some involved in this caravan, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement. The Department is prioritizing the safety and security of our officers and the American people. Should any members of the caravan reach the U.S.-Mexico border, they will be processed accordingly and quickly removed, returned, or repatriated, he added. His warning comes a day after Mexican police clashed with hundreds of migrants who were attempting to enter Mexico from Guatemala, according to reports. Yesterday there was a group of some 1,000 who tried to enter the country by force. A tragedy was avoided, because there can always be a lot of problems, above all when there are children and women, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told CNN. Despite the stones [National Guard personnel] were hit with, and a very tense situation, we can say that yesterday, if someone had the intention to provoke, they did not achieve that, Ebrard said. If someone is looking for violence in Mexico, they are not going to find it on the part of authorities. As reported by NPR, the migrants are in Mexico and are being prevented from traveling through the country by Mexican National Guard members in riot gear. The Guatemalan government confirmed that around 4,000 migrants entered the country from Honduras. One migrant told the news outlet: Our goal is to go to the United States. We arent turning around here. In his statement Wednesday, Wolf praised Mexican authorities measures to increase security at their southern border. I commend the government of Mexico for upholding their commitment to increased security and law enforcement at their southern border. The efforts by the Mexican National Guard and other officials have thus far been effective at maintaining the integrity of their border, despite outbreaks of violence and lawlessness by people who are attempting to illegally enter Mexico on their way to the United States, Wolf said. His agency is monitoring the caravan, adding that there are dozens of personnel on the ground in Central America assisting local immigration and security officials, which have already led to hundreds of individuals being stopped, apprehended, and sent back to their home countries. MTN Ghana has announced a goodwill package for its data customers commencing 23rd January 2020. According to a statement released from MTN Ghana, this is as a result of the recent disruption in data and international outbound call services which occurred last week due to cuts to the undersea cable delivering the service. The Chief Executive Ofiicer of telecommunications giant MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh, said, all data customers on MTN Ghana's network will receive free 2GB data valid for 2 days. READ ALSO: Outbreak of deadly virus; Ghana to screen passengers from China over new virus We appreciate customers for their patience and support during the period of the disruption,the CEO said. He added that customers are to note that the goodwill bonus package would be sent to their data account and not through a website. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that MTN disclosed its intentions to soon compensate its customers for the data challenges they experienced last week. READ ALSO: Ghana Air Force plane overruns apron during routine engine run The Corporate Services Executive at MTN, Sam Koranteng, speaking to Citi Business News said that efforts were underway to ensure that all concerns of customers are addressed. What is it is that, at MTN, when our subscribers have gone through some discomfort and challenges with the service, we make it a point to compensate them. As we are back and running on our normal routine, we are internally having that discussion and very soon we would come out with an inconvenience package for our subscribers. I am sure we should be coming out with something for our subscribers soon, he said. READ ALSO: We will compensate subscribers for inconveniences - MTN Ghanaian Traders Share Thoughts on Sales During Christmas | #Yencomgh Read more: https://yen.com.gh/144675-doctor-drops-warning-gari-soakings-cancer.html Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh [January 22, 2020] Mocana Awarded Contract by the United States Air Force SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mocana Corporation (Mocana) recently announced the company has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract in the Open Topic Category by the United States Air Force. The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the SBIR process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Under this contract, Mocana will provide Cyber Protection Solutions for Air Force strategic and mission critical systems. Mocana provides on-device protection with a services platform to protect devices, manage the security lifecycle of the devices, and collect and analyze data derived from the device to provide trusted device intelligence. The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to spend approximately $1.66 Trillion dollars to develop its portfolio of major weapons systems. Yet, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report stated that every software enabled weapon system tested between 2012-2017 ca be hacked. In a mission critical environment, it is imperative that the systems relied upon by warfighters remain available, operational and functionally sound. Mocanas Cyber Protection solutions protect these mission critical infrastructures and IOT devices. Utilizing Mocanas TrustCenter and TrustPoint solutions: Protect mission critical IoT devices and infrastructure from the inside-out, creating self-defending, tamper-resistant devices that resist exploits. mission critical IoT devices and infrastructure from the inside-out, creating self-defending, tamper-resistant devices that resist exploits. Manage the security lifecycle of the systems from device-build, deployment, operations, update through end-of-life thereby maintaining security for the entire supply chain with device integrity for the lifecycle of the devices. the security lifecycle of the systems from device-build, deployment, operations, update through end-of-life thereby maintaining security for the entire supply chain with device integrity for the lifecycle of the devices. Analyze and monitor security data from the devices to provide trustworthy device intelligence. Dave Smith, President of Mocana said, Mocana is very proud of its long-standing relationship with the US government and this win is another testament to the completeness of the Mocana solution. About Mocana Mocana protects families, companies, cities and countries by securing the mission- critical connected devices of our modern world. Through on-device cyber protection software and a comprehensive lifecycle management platform, Mocana empowers both commercial enterprises and governments to build self-defending, tamper-resistant devices that are trusted end-to-end. Mocana safeguards more than 100 million devices and is trusted by 200 of the largest industrial manufacturing, aerospace, defense, utility, energy, medical and transportation companies globally www.mocana.com . Media Contact: Dinese Christopher Senior Director Marketing, Mocana 111 W Evelyn Ave Suite 210 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 [email protected] +1.408.206.4940 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In honor of Martin Luther King Day, President Donald Trump took the opportunity to do what he always does -- Celebrate himself. It was exactly three years ago today, January 20, 2017, that I was sworn into office, he tweeted. So appropriate that today is also MLK jr DAY. African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great! They should be grateful, is his point. Ask yourself: Is this a line that will resonate for Black voters in 2020? We tested it out on Rev. Timothy Adkins-Jones, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, on Tuesday. He called us right back, from a hospital. My daughter was born yesterday, he said. There he was, celebrating the honor of her birth on the very same day as the great Dr. King -- and then he read that tweet. I had no idea it also was an anniversary, of sorts, of a horrible day in American history, he said. He meant Trumps inauguration. And that oft-repeated boast about the improved Black job numbers? A gross misrepresentation of the actual well-being of African Americans under his presidency, Jones said. It was exactly three years ago today, January 20, 2017, that I was sworn into office. So appropriate that today is also MLK jr DAY. African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020 As fact-checkers have repeatedly noted, the most dramatic drop in Black unemployment came under President Obama, a steady improvement that simply continued under Trump. Its not something he deserves much credit for. And in the meantime, what has he actually done for Black Americans? Sen. Cory Booker sent us a statement. Contrary to what President Trump may say in his tweets, Black Americans have not prospered under his administration and have instead suffered under policies that have eroded civil rights, undermined voting rights, rolled back environmental protections, and exacerbated wealth inequality, he said Tuesday. There was more. As we speak, his administration is in court attempting to overturn the Affordable Care Act, which has been instrumental in reducing racial disparities in access to health care. And, of course, the racism. Trumps racist and bigoted tropes embolden white nationalists and lend credibility to their cause, Booker said, as we saw with yesterdays tweet on the rally in Virginia. White supremacists and militia groups had threatened to join a pro-gun march in Richmond on MLK day, evoking fears of violent attacks like we saw in Charlottesville. The governor declared a state of emergency and banned all weapons. And what did the president do? Tweeted his support for the armed wingnuts. On MLK day. You see why the very fine people at Nazi marches openly embrace him. The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights. This is just the beginning. Dont let it happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020 Bottom line: President Trump has failed to deliver in a meaningful way for Black Americans and any statement to the contrary is a severe distortion of the truth, Booker said. Black voters know this. A 77 percent majority say Trump deserves only some or hardly any credit for the lower Black unemployment rate, according to a poll reported by the Washington Post last week. Nine in 10 disapprove of his job performance overall. And when he says, I dont have a racist bone in my body, theyre unmoved. More than 8 in 10 Black Americans say they believe Trump is a racist, and that he has made racism a bigger problem. When I saw that report, my immediate question was: Where did they get the two out of 10? Jones remarked. In fact, a majority of all Americans think hes racist, polls show. Yet plenty still cheer him, of course, including the smattering who held the Blacks for Trump signs handed out at his rallies, by a character calling himself Michael the Black Man. The one who stood directly behind Trump while he was speaking turned out to be a former member of a violent cult, and the author of an unintelligible conspiracy website. Oops. I love the signs behind me. Blacks for Trump. I like those signs. Blacks for Trump. You watch. You watch. Those signs are great, Trump said at the time. But if he thinks they reflect the sentiments of most Black Americans, then or now, hes dreaming. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ION Geophysical Corporation (NYSE: IO) today announced the Company entered into a multi-client agreement with Colombia's National Hydrocarbon Agency, the ANH, granting rights to reprocess existing data and acquire new 2D and 3D multi-client programs offshore Colombia's Caribbean coast. In February, the ANH announced a series of reforms to encourage investment in exploration and production, such as a permanent license round and a more attractive tax regime, to boost declining production and increase reserves. The data is intended to enable better understanding of hydrocarbon potential and investment opportunities of underexplored shallow and deep water offshore blocks on offer. "We are continuing to extract maximum value from existing datasets by seamlessly reimaging them into a single volume, tying all available well data and then supplementing with new data where necessary," said Joe Gagliardi, Senior Vice President of ION's Ventures group. "The combination of Colombia's new permanent license round and improved legislative terms are causing E&P companies to take a second look at Colombia's offshore frontier. Analysis to date suggests several established petroleum systems offshore that we believe are worth better understanding." To learn more, visit iongeo.com/Colombia. About ION ION develops and leverages innovative technologies, creating value through data capture, analysis and optimization to enhance critical decision-making, enabling superior returns. For more information, visit iongeo.com. Contacts ION (Investor relations) Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Steve Bate, +1 281.552.3011 [email protected] ION (Media relations) Vice President, Communications Rachel White, +1 281.781.1168 [email protected] The information herein contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include information and other statements that are not of historical fact. Actual results may vary materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the risks associated with the timing and development of ION Geophysical Corporation's products and services; pricing pressure; decreased demand; changes in oil prices; and political, execution, regulatory, and currency risks. These risks and uncertainties also include risks associated with the WesternGeco litigation and other related proceedings. We cannot predict the outcome of this litigation or the related proceedings. For additional information regarding these various risks and uncertainties, including the WesternGeco litigation, see our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed on February 8, 2018. Additional risk factors, which could affect actual results, are disclosed by the Company in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks filed during the year. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements. SOURCE ION Geophysical Corporation Related Links https://www.iongeo.com Last week, James O'Keefe's Project Veritas, doing the investigative reporting the media refuses to do when Democrats (or "socialist democrats," AKA Marxists) are involved, uploaded two videos introducing people to Kyle Jurek, a Bernie field organizer in Iowa. Jurek openly supports a communist takeover, dismisses Soviet gulags as mere "re-education camps," and thinks it would be a fine thing to have similar camps in America for Trump-supporters. Jurek also assured the undercover journalist that he was not alone; there are others, he said, who share his goals. Bernie never commented on the video, nor did his campaign dismiss Jurek. Today, Project Veritas released a third video proving that Jurek was right when he said he is not an anomaly within the Bernie campaign. Project Veritas's latest video looks at Martin Weissgerber, a South Carolina field organizer for the Sanders campaign. Weissgerber is a red diaper baby who boasts about his Belgian father's participation in the 1968 French civil unrest and bemoans the fact that his mother has to tone down her politics a bit for her work at an NPR affiliate. Weissgerber is cut from the same cloth as Jurek, for he insists that the gulags weren't that bad and openly describes himself as a Marxist who wants "anarcho-communism." His big dream is to send all of America's billionaires to his gulag camps, where they can "build roads ... rebuild our roads, rebuild our dams, rebuild our bridges. Let's force them," he says. He thinks it would be an equally good idea for all Republicans to get re-educated, too. Other goals that Weissgerber hopes that Bernie can realize are the dissolution of the American government with a Bernie dictatorship (although he worries that Bernie is not strong enough to make the best of it), the women's rights the Soviet Union offered (because it was the "most Progressive place to date in the world), and the seizure of all private property for total nationalization. When it comes to defeating his enemies, Weissgerber doesn't stop at re-education camps. He wants the guillotine and loves the idea of handling a Russian-designed AK-47. "I'll straight up get armed, I want to learn how to shoot, and go train. I'm ready for the f------ revolution...I'm telling you." It was almost funny to hear this bloodthirsty revolutionary admit he has no idea how to shoot a gun. A poster seemed appropriate: Images: YouTube video and Twitter. As was the case with Jurek, Weissgerber justifies his revolutionary dreams by claiming it's the only way to save the world from climate change. He seems unclear on the fact that those countries doing the most to clean up the environment are first-world, capitalist, free-market countries. Communist countries are among the world's worst polluters. You really have to watch the video to appreciate Weissgerber's passionate support for Bernie as the avatar of the Revolution, his complete Marxism, his hatred for the American political system and the American people, and his lust for power and violence: (Alliance News) - The following is a summary of top news stories Wednesday. COMPANIES Berkeley Group said it intends to increase its returns to shareholders by GBP455 million over the next two years, to total GBP1 billion over the period. The FTSE 100 housebuilder's existing programme was for returns of GBP125 million to be made by March 31, 2020, and GBP280 million in each of the following financial years up to September 30, 2025. However, Berkeley's new plan is to return GBP500 million through a B share scheme in March 2020, and a further GBP500 million to shareholders through a C share scheme in March 2021. Following the GBP1 billion return, Berkeley intends to revert to annual returns of GBP280 million, by making payments of GBP140 million every six months, up to and including September 30, 2025. Burberry raised its full-year revenue guidance after reporting sales growth over the pivotal Christmas trading period. In the period to December 28, retail sales rose 1.1% year-on-year to GBP719 million from GBP711 million, or by 2% at constant currency. On a like-for-like basis, sales climbed 3% during the period, building on a year before when they grew by 1%. The company, famed for its checked print and trench coats, said the revenue increase was due to a rise in full-price sales, which ultimately offset disruptions from civil unrest in Hong Kong. In its Asia Pacific unit, sales rose by a low-single digit, Burberry said, with mainland China up in the "mid-teens" while Hong Kong sales halved. For the financial year ending March, the luxury retailer now expects revenue to grow by a low single-digit percentage, at constant currency. Previously, it saw flat sales at constant currency. Antofagasta reported a "good" 2019 despite problems such as drought and social unrest in Chile. The copper miner achieved fourth-quarter copper production of 185,500 tonnes, which it said is "only" 5.8% lower than the previous quarter. The decline was due to planned lower grades and maintenance at the Centinela mine, as well as a strike at Antucoya and fuel delivery disruption at Los Pelambres due to social unrest in Chile. Antofagasta's 2019 production of copper was 770,000 tonnes, a record for the company and at the top end of guidance. This was 6.2% higher than 2018 due to increased output at Los Pelambres, Centinela, and Zaldivar. Fourth-quarter gold production fell 28% quarterly to 55,600 ounces due to lower grades at Centinela, with the 2019 figure up 34% at 282,300 ounces. Strong performance in North America and northern Europe helped drive Sage Group to double-digit revenue growth in its first quarter, the company said. Newcastle-headquartered Sage achieved recurring revenue of GBP410 million in the three months to December, 11% higher than the year before. This, it said, was underpinned by software subscription growth of 25% to GBP286 million. Recurring revenue growth was "principally" driven by the North America and Northern Europe segments, Sage continued, with strong momentum in its financial year ended September continuing. North America recurring revenue was up 12% to GBP154 million, and Northern Europe rose 15% to GBP93 million. WH Smith reported a "good" recent performance with the company on track to meet annual performance expectations. The FTSE 250 books and stationery retailer delivered revenue growth of 7% in the 20 weeks to January 18, with like-for-like revenue falling by 1%. The High Street business's revenue fell by 5% on both a reported and like-for-like basis. Gross margin was ahead of plan, however, and WH Smith has identified further cost savings of GBP3 million, meaning savings in its year ending August will be GBP12 million. Swindon-headquartered WH Smith achieved 19% revenue growth in the Travel business, which was driven by the acquisitions of Marshall Retail Group and InMotion. JD Wetherspoon reported a rise in like-for-like sales in the 12 weeks to January 19, but warned its year-end net debt will be higher than first thought and it again took aim at City corporate governance rules. During the first 12 weeks of its second quarter, which included the Christmas trading spell, total sales rose by 4.2% with like-for-like sales 4.7% higher. Total year-to-date sales were 4.9% higher year-on-year, or up 5.0% like-for-like. Since the end of its last financial year in July 28, the company has opened one new pub and sold five. It eyes opening between 10 and 15 and spending GBP80 million on new units or extensions. The FTSE 250 pub chain added that it has spent GBP57 million so far this financial on freehold reversions of 18 pubs. MARKETS London shares were higher shrugging off fears about the outbreak of the coronavirus in China. In the FTSE 100, Berkeley Group was the best performer, up 5.1%. Wall Street was called for a higher open with major stock indices pointed up 0.3% to 0.6%. In addition, the World Economic Forum continues in Davos, Switzerland. FTSE 100: up 0.2% at 7,625.75 FTSE 250: up 0.3% at 21,803.04 AIM ALL-SHARE: up 0.4% at 966.15 GBP: firm at USD1.3060 (USD1.3045) EUR: flat at USD1.1093 (USD1.1096) GOLD: flat at USD1,558.15 per ounce (USD1,557.30) OIL (Brent): down at USD64.16 a barrel (USD64.72) (changes since previous London equities close) ECONOMICS AND GENERAL UK MPs will consider amendments to the prime minister's Brexit deal after the government was defeated five times by defiant peers. The House of Lords backed two more amendments to the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill in a mauling for ministers on Tuesday. It followed three defeats on Monday on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings. With Brexit day looming on January 31, the Bill, which was passed with large majorities by MPs earlier this month, will have to return to the Commons for further scrutiny on Wednesday. A new virus that has killed nine people, infected hundreds and reached the US could mutate and spread, China warned Wednesday, as authorities scrambled to contain the disease during the Lunar New Year travel season. The coronavirus has caused alarm for its similarity to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. In Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, authorities cancelled large public events, called on visitors to stay away and urged residents not to leave the central Chinese city of 11 million people. The illness is mainly transmitted via the respiratory tract and there "is the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease", National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin told a news conference in Beijing. He added that 1,394 people are still under medical observation, while 765 others have been discharged. Republicans and Democrats clashed over calling witnesses and demanding White House documents on the first full day Tuesday of the historic impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump. House impeachment managers led by veteran prosecutor Adam Schiff used the opening debate over trial procedures to lay out on national television their case against the US leader, underscoring why they want the Senate to immediately issue subpoenas for new evidence and Trump aides to testify. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell bared his own political muscle, mobilizing his side's 53-47 majority in the body to slap down one after another Democratic efforts to change the trial procedures he reportedly crafted together with the White House to protect Trump. "The basic structure we're proposing is just as eminently fair and even-handed," McConnell said. But Schiff said that order of procedure "makes no sense" and was designed instead to ensure evidence is never heard and Trump is exculpated. Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Few states have gone through more dramatic changes to education policy recently than New Mexico. When Gov. Susanna Martinez, a Republican, took over as the states chief executive in 2011, she brought a bold plan for public schools to the office. She sought to shrink the state education bureaucracy to get more money into classrooms, fought with state teachers unions over a new evaluation system, and instituted a new A-F school grading system. Her pick to be the state schools chief, Hanna Skandera, proved controversial enough that it took about four years for her to be officially confirmed for the job. (Skandera served in an acting capacity during that time.) In fact, Martinez referenced Quality Counts in her inaugural State of the State speech in 2011, pointing out that the report gave the state an F grade for student achievement and telling lawmakers, Unless we take decisive action to improve our schools, history will judge us harshly, and rightfully so. But during the first year of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat elected in 2018, that agenda has been swept off the table and replaced with a very different philosophy. The impact of that shift remains to be seen. The need for action remains, however. Nine years after Grishams predecessor promised sweeping change, that largely hasnt translated into broad, significant improvements on key measures in Quality Countss Chance-for-Success Index, underscoring the challenges facing the governor and the educational system. Struggles and a Bright Spot Nine years ago, New Mexico ranked 50th on the Chance-for-Success Index, which measures a range of academic and socioeconomic factors, getting a D+ grade where the average state grade was a C+. In the 2020 report, New Mexico ranks 51st on Chance for Successlast place. Once again it had a D+ grade, the only state to get so low a mark for this years report. The state ranked last in levels of family income, 49th in parental education, and 48th in parental employment, highlighting difficult state conditions that impact its schools. New Mexico has one of the highest poverty rates of any state; in 2017 the state found that a staggering 27.2 percent of residents under 18 were living in poverty. Only Louisiana had a higher poverty rate for residents under 18. The states economy has also lagged behind other states in recovering from the Great Recession, although a University of New Mexico economic analysis predicted some promising developments for the state in terms of employment and the business climate. One policy area where New Mexico stands out is in the early years. It ranks 38th in preschool enrollment and 9th in kindergarten enrollment, and early childhood clearly remains a priority for the state. A year ago, the federal government awarded the state $5.4 million under the Preschool Development Grants, with the option of applying for additional money in future years, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The state has used this money to support its development of a three-year strategic plan for early-childhood education. That plan is currently under development, and in July, a new cabinet-level agency, the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, will begin operations. Taking Action In her first year, Grisham approved a funding increase for schools of nearly $500 million. The boost was earmarked for higher teacher salaries and more resources for low-income students, among other priorities. School staff received an across-the-board 6 percent pay raise. We are now leveling the playing field, that students irrespective of their socioeconomic status have opportunities in your public school, she told the Associated Press in April 2019. Separately, Grisham eliminated the state English/language arts and math tests aligned with the Common Core State Standards that was a key piece of the Martinez education agenda. And she also scrapped the A-F school grading system. But finding the right leadership over the school system hasnt been easy for the governor. She dismissed her first pick for state education secretary, Karen Trujillo, about half a year after tapping her, telling a New Mexico newspaper that expectations were not met. The state is in a position to use its new blueprint on early-childhood education to build on its relatively strong rankings for preschool and kindergarten enrollment. But its also clear that the new state leaders are betting that a drastically different approach than the one taken by the last administration will pay dividends. Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. 1.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trumps impeachment lawyers cant debate the facts so they are falsely claiming that Obama did the same thing that Trump did. Jay Sekulow said, Its interesting to note that the Obama administration withheld $585 million of promised aid to Egypt in 2013 but the administrations public message was that the money was not officially on hold as technically it was not due until September 30th. The end of the fiscal year. So day didnt have to disclose the halt to anyone. Sound like this may be a practice of a number of administrations. Video: Trump's lawyer tries to claim that Obama did the same thing as Trump, but leaves out the part where Trump broke the law and tried to extort Ukraine into investigating Biden. #SenateImpeachmentTrial #ImpeachmentTrial pic.twitter.com/AVRMRleUDa Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 22, 2020 Sekulow left out the part of the story where Trump broke the law, and then tried to blackmail a foreign government into launching a bogus investigation of his political rival. Besides the fact that Obama never broke the law, tried to rig an election, and extort a country by withholding military aid, the situations are exactly the same. The Trump defense is that it is perfectly normal for a president to ask a foreign government to interfere in a US election on his behalf. It is not. It has never happened before, and it is the reason why Donald Trump was impeached. Trump cant dispute the facts, so he is blaming Obama. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Workers at the Daikin factory in Hung Yen Province. Japanese investment in Vietnam has strongly developed in both quality and quantity. - VNS Photo Thu Ngan The investment trend will be essential as the 4.0 industrial era continues to develop well in Vietnam, with both domestic and foreign companies increasingly using advanced technologies including Big Data, the cloud, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) in their production. Because of US-China trade tensions, many Japanese companies want to set up manufacturing in Vietnam, experts have said. Moreover, the companies also see great potential in the Vietnamese market with its young population, cheap labour, and preferential policies from the Government. Speaking about Japanese investment in 2019, Hirai Shinji, chief representative of JETRO HCM City (Japan External Trade Organisation), said: There is now a greater diversity of investments, but manufacturing is still by far the largest in terms of money invested. Japan's Daikin Vietnam factory, for example, illustrates the trend in which the Japanese are investing more in highly advanced technology in Vietnam. Daikin, which has been in operation since May 2018, is expected to contribute to energy conservation and public health, such as energy-saving air conditioners and air purification, as more people in Vietnam are buying air cleaners, according to Shinji. Compared to factories of Daikin Global, the factory in Vietnam has the most advanced technologies as it is the first factory to use AGV, an automatic machine that delivers supply components to production lines. In other factories, employees working on production lines have to manually pick up components. The facility in Vietnam is also Daikin's first factory to use IoT (Internet of Things) technology in production systems. Other factories around the world are just starting to use this technology. In addition to using sensors, Daikin Vietnam uses many other technologies such as FDI technology (a single approach to device integration) and cameras from which the company can obtain inspection data and production data. Based on the data in the IoT system, the company's data managers can determine which additional devices should be installed on production lines and which machines are needed to help obtain data. Citing other examples of increased Japanese investment in Vietnam, Shinji said: Sumitomo Corporation is working on doing the same in Ha Noi, with plans to introduce 5G as well as face-recognition systems and blockchain technologies. In addition, Japanese company Sharp has announced a plan to invest in Binh Duong Province to produce air cleaners, displays, and other electronic devices, according to Shinji. And, automaker Toyota has opened a new dealership in An Giang Province, based on the belief that residents in provinces like An Giang can afford the cars. According to JETRO, as of April last year, about 2,000 companies had registered with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, the manufacturing sector made up 25 per cent of Japanese investment, making it the largest sector. HCM City has attracted the largest number of investment projects with 1,247, making up more than one-third of the total, and Ha Noi is second with 1,081. But in terms of money invested, Thanh Hoa Province has attracted the largest amount, with Nghi Son Refinery ($9 billion), the largest project in the country. The province is followed by Ha Noi, Binh Duong Province, Hai Phong, and HCM City. Im sure that the number of Japanese companies coming to Vietnam will increase, especially across sectors such as consulting, IT, retail, and distribution," Shinji said. "I dont expect any rapid or big changes from 2018 to 2020. But I think the manufacturing sector is strong, with relatively high levels of investment." In 2019, the number of investment projects from Japan was 655, with total value at $2.89 billion. English French Press release McPhy to equip the largest zero-carbon hydrogen site in Europe The first zero-carbon hydrogen plant on this scale to be implemented in Europe, with a production capacity of 3,000 tons per year (20 MW) A project initiated by Nouryon and Gasunie, two leading industrial groups, to be installed in Delfzijl, the Netherlands Reducing CO 2 emissions by up to 27,000 tons per year, pointing towards the decarbonization of the industry sector La Motte Fanjas (France), January 22, 2020 08:00 am CET McPhy (Euronext Paris Compartment C: MCPHY, FR0011742329), a specialist in hydrogen production and distribution equipment, today announces it has been selected to equip the largest electrolysis plant for zero-carbon hydrogen production, the first of its kind and on this scale in Europe. Laurent Carme, Chief Executive Officer of McPhy, states: We are proud of the trust we received from Nouryon and Gasunie, two major industrial groups. The size and scope of this unique project, as well as its deep integration into our customers processes, represent a major step change for McPhy and more globally for the hydrogen market. Now is the time to scale-up and industrialize clean hydrogen production technologies to lower their costs and boost the rise of a clean, secure and cost-competitive hydrogen ecosystem. Marcel Galjee, Energy Director at Nouryon Industrial Chemicals, adds: Green hydrogen is a cornerstone of building a sustainable, circular economy. Nouryon is already a leader in electrolysis in Europe and with the technology from McPhy we are one step closer to competitive large-scale production of green hydrogen for a more sustainable future. The first large-scale zero-carbon hydrogen project to be implemented in Europe The 20 MW hydrogen production platform will be designed, manufactured and integrated by McPhy with its innovative electrolysis technology Augmented McLyzer and will convert green electricity by electrolysis into 3,000 tons of clean hydrogen per year. This will be used to produce bio methanol and will contribute to reducing CO 2 emissions by up to 27,000 tons per year. This project, initiated by Nouryon, a leading specialty chemical company, and Gasunie, a gas infrastructure company, is a front-runner among hydrogen initiatives with the objective of reducing carbon emissions. The projects value chain breaks down as follows: Conversion of electricity from renewable sources into zero-carbon hydrogen (by the 20 MW electrolysis platform developed by McPhy); Transport of hydrogen from the point of production to the point of consumption; Production of clean methanol. The proposed clean hydrogen project will be funded by an 11m EU grant from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU) as well as an additional 5m in subsidies from Waddenfonds, a fund that invests in projects in the Netherlands. McPhy, a technological breakthrough allowing hydrogen to transition to an industrial scale Following a technological review conducted by Nouryon, the innovative electrolysis technology Augmented McLyzer by McPhy has been selected to be the cornerstone of this key project. This reflects our constant innovation policy as well as our expertise in large-scale platforms electrolysis. Our electrolysis platform will produce zero-carbon hydrogen with best-in class performances. This project confirms the relevance of our technological positioning and our transition to an industrial scale, in order to better meet the future needs of the industry as well as the mobility and energy sectors, concludes Laurent Carme. The Augmented McLyzer technology consists of a unique combination of McPhy 30-bar high-pressure alkaline electrolysis and a package of advanced electrodes, specifically designed for large-scale platforms (multi-MW). It is currently the most mature and robust technology available on the market, recognized among the market leaders and one of the most promising in terms of future development. McPhy will be involved in the pre-engineering phase and subsequently in the detailed engineering, production and commissioning of the electrolysis platform. Upcoming financial communication: 2019 annual revenues: Tuesday January 28, 2020, after market. About McPhy In the framework of the energy transition, and as a leading supplier of hydrogen production and distribution equipment, McPhy contributes to the deployment of clean hydrogen throughout the world. Thanks to its wide range of products and services dedicated to the hydrogen energy, zero emission mobility and industrial hydrogen markets, McPhy provides turnkey solutions to its clients. These solutions are tailored to our client applications: renewable energy surplus storage and valorization, fuel cell car refueling, raw material for industrial sites. As a designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment since 2008, McPhy has three development, engineering and production units based in Europe (France, Italy, Germany). The companys international subsidiaries ensure a global sales coverage of McPhys innovative hydrogen solutions. McPhy is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Segment C, ISIN code: FR0011742329; ticker: MCPHY). About Nouryon We are a global specialty chemicals leader. Markets worldwide rely on our essential chemistry in the manufacture of everyday products such as paper, plastics, building materials, food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care items. Building on our nearly 400-year history, the dedication of our 10,000 employees, and our shared commitment to business growth, strong financial performance, safety, sustainability, and innovation, we have established a world-class business and built strong partnerships with our customers. We operate in over 80 countries around the world and our portfolio of industry-leading brands includes Eka, Dissolvine, Trigonox, and Berol. About Gasunie Gasunie is a European gas infrastructure company. Gasunie's network is one of the largest high-pressure pipeline networks in Europe, comprising over 15,000 kilometres of pipeline in the Netherlands and northern Germany. Gasunie wants to help accelerate the transition to a CO2-neutral energy supply and believes that gas-related innovations, for instance in the form of renewable gases such as hydrogen and green gas, can make an important contribution. Both existing and new gas infrastructure play a key role here. About the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU) The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a unique partnership between the European Commission and the industry to fund and support the development of hydrogen technologies including research, technological development and demonstration (RTD) activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. Its aim is to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realizing their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-clean energy system. The three members of the FCH JU are the European Commission, fuel cell and hydrogen industries represented by Hydrogen Europe and the research community represented by Hydrogen Europe Research. CONTACTS Media relations NewCap Nicolas Merigeau T. +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 mcphy@newcap.eu Investors Relations NewCap Theodora Xu | Emmanuel Huynh T. +33 (0)1 44 71 20 42 mcphy@newcap.eu Follow us on @McPhyEnergy Attachment The Supreme Court will hear around 144 petitions on Wednesday related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), including petitions challenging the constitutional validity of CAA and transfer petitions filed by the Central Government. Popular Front of India (PFI) secretary Anis Ahmed has also filed a PIL in the Apex Court challenging the new legislation, which trigged protests across several parts of the country. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna will hear the pleas will hear Ahmed's petition with several other pleas against CAA listed for hearing today. Ahmed, in his petition, challenged not only the CAA but also the amendments made to related legislation, rules and orders. He stated religion has never been a criterion for citizenship. "However, as a result of the CAA, only Muslims run the risk of losing citizenship on account of their religion. The impugned legislation sets the criterion of religion for the purposes of granting or denying citizenship. That is not conducive to the constitutional ideals, such as justice, equality, liberty and fraternity, unity and integrity of the country," read the petition. Anis Ahmed stated that the CAA is "wholly destructive, divisive and dangerous to the harmonious living of the citizens of India". The PIL also states that "The Articles 2, 3, 7, 15 and 18 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR to which India is a party, mandates that there shall not be any discrimination on the ground of religion." "Unfortunately, the impugned legislations are wholly unjust, arbitrary, discriminatory, and unconstitutional and against the international Declarations/Covenants adopted by the United Nations Organization, wherein India is a member," read a press release by PFI. The PIL also sought to declare Rule 4(1)(ha) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules 1950, para 3A of the Foreigners Order, 1948 and the CAA as "unconstitutional and to strike down those legislations". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, co-author of "Cyberbullying and Its Relationship to Current Symptoms and History of Early Life Trauma." Credit: University of Miami Health System Cyberbullying had the impact of amplifying symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in young people who were inpatients at an adolescent psychiatric hospital, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study addressed both the prevalence and factors related to cyberbullying in adolescent inpatients. "Even against a backdrop of emotional challenges in the kids we studied, we noted cyberbullying had an adverse impact. It's real and should be assessed," said Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who co-authored the paper "Cyberbullying and Its Relationship to Current Symptoms and History of Early Life Trauma." He says children with a history of being abused were found to be more likely to be cyberbullied, suggesting that assessments for childhood trauma should also include assessments for cyberbullying. Likewise, children who report being cyberbullied should be assessed for a history of childhood trauma. "Cyberbullying is possibly more pernicious than other forms of bullying because of its reach," Dr. Harvey says. "The bullying can be viral and persistent. To really be bullying, it has to be personala directly negative comment attempting to make the person feel bad." The study helped to confirm other facts about cyberbullying: Being online regularly or the amount of time spent on social media weren't determining factors in who was cyberbullied. Cyberbullying cuts across all economic classes and ethnic backgrounds. Adolescents who have been bullied in the past had a higher risk of being bullied again. Studying Cyberbullying's Impact on an Inpatient Psychiatric Population The study of 50 adolescent psychiatric inpatients ages 13 to 17 examined the prevalence of cyberbullying and related it to social media usage, current levels of symptoms and histories of adverse early life experience. Conducted from September 2016 to April 2017 at a suburban psychiatric hospital in Westchester County, New York, the study asked participants to complete two childhood trauma questionnaires and a cyberbullying questionnaire. Twenty percent of participants reported that they had been cyberbullied within the last two months before their admission. Half of the participants were bullied by text messages and half on Facebook. Transmitted pictures or videos, Instagram, instant messages and chat rooms were other cyberbullying vehicles. Those who had been bullied had significantly higher severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anger, and fantasy dissociation than those who were not bullied. Links to Childhood Trauma Participants who reported being cyberbullied also reported significantly higher levels of lifetime emotional abuse on the study's Childhood Trauma Questionnaire than those who were not bullied. These same young people did not report a significantly higher level of other types of trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect or physical neglect). Further studies are needed to establish whether there may be some unique consequence of childhood emotional abuse that makes troubled teens more likely to experience or report cyberbullying. Conclusions While all of the participants in this study were psychiatric inpatients, those who had been bullied had significantly higher scores on PTSD, depression, anger, and dissociation scales than those who were not bullied. Dr. Harvey says this finding is consistent with past research. Dr. Harvey encourages psychologists, psychiatrists and other counselors to routinely ask young people if they were abused or traumatized when they were younger and whether they are being bullied now. He says adding these questions to the clinical evaluation of adolescents may bring to light symptoms that may have otherwise been ignored. Additionally, factors that may be causing or contributing to those symptoms can be targeted for specific intervention. Parents and adolescents can take action to discourage bullying, Dr. Harvey says. "It's not hard to block someone on the Internet, whether it's texting, Facebook, Twitter, or sending pictures. Ask why are people choosing you to bully? If it's something you're posting, assess that and make a change." Dr. Harvey collaborated on the study with Samantha Block Saltz, M.D., also with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and David L. Pogge, Ph.D., of Winds Hospital in Katonah, New York. Explore further Cyberbullying linked with depression, emotional abuse Description GIS 22 January, 2020: A heavy rain warning for Mauritius issued, today, by the Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS), will be valid till 16.00 hours. The local weather and atmospheric conditions are being influenced by clouds associated with the instability zone coming from the west. For the next 24 hours, the weather will be cloudy to overcast over the island with intermittent rain. The rain may be moderate to heavy at times with isolated thunderstorms. The heavy rain may cause temporary water accumulation in certain areas. The public is strongly advised not to venture along riverbanks and other water courses. It is expected that visibility will be greatly reduced and road users have to be very cautious. In case of thunderstorms, the public is informed to remain in safe places and avoid open areas, ventures at sea and sheltering under trees. The maximum temperature will vary between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius over the Central Plateau and between 29 and 31 degrees Celsius along the coastal regions during the day. For tonight, the minimum temperature will be around 22 degrees Celsius over the high grounds and will vary between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius elsewhere. The wind will blow from the North-West at 15 km/h in average, strengthening gradually during the day with gusts of the order of 60 km/h in rain. Additional Information The tropical disturbance which was evolving to the South-West of Diego Garcia is currently advancing to the North-East of Rodrigues and is moving towards the South-East. It will not influence the weather in Rodrigues. The general situation is being closely monitored by the MMS. A Japanese startup called SkyDrive Inc. has begun conducting test flights of their prototype flying car with a human pilot. The company hopes to be able to make a full public demonstration of the vehicle later this summer. The test flights are being conducted at a protected indoor facility at the companys research flight center outside of Nagoya. SkyDrive began test flights of its flying car prototype (pictured above) with a human pilot at a test facility in Nagoya There have been a number of previous test flights, but they were all conducted via remote control and no human pilot on-board. According to a report in The Asahi Shimbun, SkyDrive says the car could be ready for a limited retail release as early as 2023, and mass production by 2026. SkyDrive was founded by former engineers from Toyota and they intend their vehicle to be the worlds smallest flying car. In 2017, Toyota gave the company an infusion of around $350,000 (or 40million yen) to help develop flying vehicles. The company said it wont say more about how the test flights have been proceeding so far, but says things are going well enough to continue making them. SkyDrive says its proposed new vehicle will be 'the world's smallest flying car' The car will be able to travel as low as three feet above the ground and at speeds of up to 93mph SkyDrive says its planning a full public demonstration of the flying car later this summer and hopes a limited public release will happen in 2023, followed by a mass production release in 2026 While concept renders of the flying car present a glossy and slim cabin with four horizontal drone-style propellers at each corner, the testing vehicle looks more like a go kart. The prototype is around five feet tall thanks to the roll bar and a little less than 12 feet long and 12 feet wide. The company hopes the flying vehicles could help ease traffic congestion, especially in busy megalopolises like Tokyo. The company received funding from Toyota, which invested around $350,000 or 40million yen SkyDrive says the flying car could help alleviate traffic and congestion in big cities The car could also be useful in emergency scenarios or on search and rescue missions SkyDrive also believe flying vehicles could be helpful in search and rescue missions, and during emergencies where conventional infrastructure becomes unusable. The company is targeting top speeds of 62mph while in the air and 93mph while closer to the ground. The company says the vehicle will be able to travel as low as three feet off the ground. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia plans to postpone its decision on mandatory slaughterhouse butchering until July 1, but the decision will remain in force for Yerevans supermarkets and public catering places, ARMENPRESS reports Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during Cabinet-parliament Q&A session. PM Pashinyan explained that the decision is for making better regulations, particularly for solving the issue of availability of the slaughterhouses, but at the same time he emphasized that after July 1 the decision will fully enter into force. Armenia must be guided by the highest modern standards, he said. Following the January 15 decision of the Government on mandatory slaughterhouse butchering, farmers started protesting, complaining that there are no sufficient conditions for that. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan United Nations, Jan 23 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said that four looming threats endanger 21st-century progress and imperil 21st-century possibilities. "I see 'four horsemen' in our midst -- four looming threats that endanger 21st-century progress and imperil 21st-century possibilities," Guterres said at the informal briefing of the UN General Assembly about UN work priorities for 2020, the Xinhau news agency reported. "Four horsemen" refer to four figures in the Book of Revelation who symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world. "The first horseman comes in the form of the highest global geostrategic tensions we have witnessed in years," said the secretary-general. "Devastating conflicts continue to cause widespread misery. Terrorist attacks take a merciless toll. The nuclear menace is growing. More people have been forced from their homes by war and persecution than at any time since the Second World War. Tensions over trade and technology remain unresolved," he said. "The risk of a Great Fracture is real," the UN chief noted. "Second, we face an existential climate crisis," he said. "Rising temperatures continue to melt records. The past decade was the hottest on record. Scientists tell us that ocean temperatures are now rising at the equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs a second," he said. "One million species are in near-term danger of extinction. Our planet is burning," he said. "Our world is edging closer to the point of no return." "The third horseman is deep and growing global mistrust," said Guterres. "Disquiet and discontent are churning societies from north to south. Each situation is unique, but everywhere frustration is filling the streets. More and more people are convinced globalization is not working for them," said the secretary-general. "As one of our own reports revealed just yesterday, two of every three people live in countries where inequality has grown. Confidence in political establishments is going down. Young people are rising up. Women are rightly demanding equality and freedom from violence and discrimination. At the same time, fears and anxieties are spreading. Hostility against refugees and migrants is building," he said. "Hatred is growing," the UN chief noted. "The fourth threat is the dark side of the digital world," he said. "Technological advances are moving faster than our ability to respond to - or even comprehend - them. Despite enormous benefits, new technologies are being abused to commit crimes, incite hate, fake information, oppress and exploit people and invade privacy," he said. "We are not prepared for the profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the labor market and the very structure of society. Artificial intelligence is generating breathtaking capacities and alarming possibilities. Lethal autonomous weapons - machines with the power to kill on their own, without human judgement and accountability - are bringing us into unacceptable moral and political territory," he added. "These four horsemen - epic geopolitical tensions, the climate crisis, global mistrust and the downsides of technology - can jeopardize every aspect of our shared future," the secretary-general warned. L abour leadership hopeful Lisa Nandy was praised for "putting Piers Morgan in his place" during a debate about the press coverage surrounding the Duchess of Sussex. The Wigan MP, one of four candidates vying to succeed Jeremy Cobyn, questioned whether the ITV had the right to comment on racism because he has never had to deal with "ingrained prejudice".. Meghan, who is in Canada after she and Prince Harry stepped down as senior royals, has faced criticism from some sections of the media, with defenders claiming the coverage is racially motivated. Mr Morgan has long expressed negative views of Meghan but insists the coverage around her is not racist. As the topic was raised on Wednesday morning on Good Morning Britain, Ms Nandy, who signed a letter from female MPs written in solidarity with Meghan, said: "The way Meghan Markle was treated, I didnt like it at all this has not shown the British media in the best light. Lisa Nandy criticised the treatment of Meghan / GMB Mr Morgan said the criticism of Ms Markle had "nothing to do with her skin colour" and that she simply does not like negative press coverage - which he claims was weighted with positive reports. Ms Nandy replied: "If you dont mind me saying, how on earth would you know? As someone whos never had to deal with ingrained prejudice? "You're not in a position to understand people who have." Piers Morgan previously said he was "done" talking about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex / GMB Mr Morgan went on to say that the media had shown an "outpouring" of support for Meghan ahead of her wedding to Harry. Her comments were praised on social media, with one writing on Twitter: "My admiration for Lisa Nandy and my loathing for Piers Morgan have risen in equal measure by this encounter." Another wrote: "Just when I think I've decided who to vote for @lisanandy slaps @piersmorgan into place and makes me start thinking who I should vote for again. Hmm!" Previously, Ms Nandy, whose father is Indian academic Dipak Nandy who settled in the UK in the 50s, said she was a fan of Meghan and described herself as "sceptical" towards the monarchy. After speaking to Ms Nandy, Mr Morgan doubled down on his views and tweeted: "Media coverage of Meghan hasn't been racist and in fact, for much of her time in the royal limelight, it was spectacularly positive precisely BECAUSE of her ethnicity." The clash comes a day after Mr Morgan said he was "done" and "bored" with the duke and duchess. Speaking on Tuesday, he said: Im done with them now. Im actually bored with them, and now shes doing her little photocalls to the paparazzi, Im really done with them. Alt Strengthens Its Board as it Moves Towards Feasibility Canberra, Jan 22, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alt Resources Ltd ( ASX:ARS ) is pleased to advise that it has appointed Mr. Grant Harding as a Non Executive Director, strengthening its Board. Mr. Harding brings a wealth of mining and resources experience to the Company as it moves towards commensing operations at the Tim's Find project; followed by project development and production at the Company's larger Mt Ida Gold Project.Mr. Harding has over 30 years' experience with demonstrated successes in project development, operations management, and mineral processing design. He has been responsible for feasibility studies for gold operations, overseeing the process plant design and metallurgy on a number of projects and acting as the project and commissioning manager for others.Some of Grants previous roles include:- Manager Process Technical Services for PT AMNT's "Batu Hijau Copper Mine"2017-2019;- General Manager for Finders Resources' "Wetar Copper Project" 2007-2010;- President Director/BD Manager, and Chief Metallurgist, for Como EngineersCurrently Grant is a consulting metallurgist, he has a B.App.Sc. Mineral Science and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.In welcoming Mr. Harding to the board, Alt's Chairman, Mr. Bill Ellis, said, "We are pleased to have Grant join our board. His extensive experience will be invaluable as Alt moves towards the Maiden Ore Reserve Statement and Feasibility Study required to develop the Mt Ida project into a long life, low cost mining operation."Mr. Harding has also been appointed to the Audit and Risk Committee.About Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd is an Australian based mineral exploration company that aims to become a gold producer by exploiting historical and new gold prospects across quality assets and to build value for shareholders. - The Trump administration is eyeing seven countries for new immigration restrictions and Nigeria is listed - The list could include several countries that were covered in the first iteration of Trumps ban - Nigeria accounted for more than a quarter of non-immigrant US visas issued to Africans in 2018 Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in A report by the Wall Street Journal indicates that the United States of America government plans to add seven countries to a group of nations subject to travel restrictions, including Nigeria. Other countries on the list are Tanzania, Eritrea, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Sudan. According to the report, the countries wouldnt necessarily face blanket bans on travel to the U.S., but could have restrictions placed on specific types of visas, such as business or visitor visas. Some countries could be banned from participating in the diversity visa lottery program, which awards green cards to people in countries with low levels of immigration to the U.S. U.S president, Donald Trump had called for an end to the program, saying it lets undesirable people into America, proposing to rejig the visa system toward skilled workers instead. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! The Trump administration also said its policy restricting travel is necessary to prevent potential acts of terrorism, as countries on the list dont adequately vet their travellers to the U.S. In the 2018 fiscal year, 24% of Eritreans on business or visitor visas overstayed their permits, along with 15% of Nigerians and 12% of people from Sudan. Those compared with a total overstay rate in the category of 1.9%. Trump once said that if Nigerians come to the U.S., they will never go back to their huts in Africa, according to The New York Times. READ ALSO: Nana Addo cant win election 2020 because he failed to build cathedral for God - Prophet Source: YEN.com.gh NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to litigation in the highly promising yet still evolving space of blockchain, it looks like it's up to you, New York, New York. The Empire State featured the most active region for blockchain litigation the Southern District of New York according to the new Blockchain Litigation Year in Review Report, released today by financial services law firm Murphy & McGonigle. With the emerging, high-potential sector still facing an undefined regulatory landscape, participants have ranged from established financial services brands to investors to rogue actors. The second annual Blockchain Litigation Year in Review Report quantifies the incidence of litigation in the blockchain sector in 2019 for the U.S. marketplace. This includes cases involving cryptocurrencies, blockchain-based companies, mining companies, crypto-investment platforms, exchanges and ICO issuers and consultants. "As many companies are investing in or exploring innovative uses of blockchain, this Report helps quantify risk areas and provide a monitor for the litigation climate for blockchain along with current trends," said Daniel Payne, a member of the firm's FinTech & Blockchain Practice and architect of the firm's Blockchain Litigation Database. "There is no shortage of speculation on the potential of blockchain, and this report identifies potential pitfalls and red flags for those investing or sponsoring blockchain initiatives." According to the Report, based on data collected and analyzed from Murphy & McGonigle's proprietary Blockchain Litigation Database, five key trends emerged in 2019 that require attention from those in the blockchain space. Five Key Headlines from the Blockchain Litigation Year in Review Report: The Southern District of New York (SDNY): More Blockchain Litigation Than Any Other Venue The SEC Remained Active, with High Profile Enforcement Activity Regulatory Enforcement Actions Drop Off American Courts Issued Rulings that will Impact the Blockchain Industry The SEC's "Path to Compliance" is a Road Less Traveled Key Findings in Report The Report showed that the Southern District of New York had more than twice as many blockchain cases as any other venue in the United States "It is not entirely unexpected that a new industry that is both global and decentralized would see litigation emerging in New York," said Payne. "Given cryptocurrency's growing role in capital raising, the incidence of litigation in New York reflects the city's status as the hub of financial services." Other key findings of the Report include continuing high-profile enforcement activities of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the impact that American court rulings will have on the blockchain industry. Looking ahead, as cases filed in the past few years progress through the court system, courts may begin issuing conflicting rulings on significant legal issues. It is important for members of the blockchain industry to be aware of developing legal trends as they happen. For a copy of the Murphy & McGonigle Blockchain Litigation Year in Review Report, click here. The Blockchain Litigation Database Created in 2018 by Murphy & McGonigle's Innovation Lab, the Blockchain Litigation Database is a proprietary, data-based tool that monitors U.S. litigation in the blockchain industry. The Blockchain Litigation Database is monitored by Murphy & McGonigle, which analyzes and interprets the data to publish the annual Blockchain Litigation Year in Review Report. Murphy & McGonigle FinTech & Blockchain Practice Murphy & McGonigle's leading FinTech & Blockchain Practice advises clients on the rapidly evolving legal and regulatory financial services regimes applicable to digital financial instruments, including matters related to trading, clearing, and custodying these instruments. The firm represents a large U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, clients developing platforms for digital securities, and companies seeking the New York BitLicense, among others. The firm's FinTech & Blockchain Practice is comprised of lawyers who previously served at the SEC, the CFTC and the New York State Department of Financial Services. About Murphy & McGonigle Murphy & McGonigle serves the litigation, enforcement defense, and regulatory counseling needs across the full spectrum of the financial services industry from national banks, broker-dealers, investment advisers, and hedge funds, to national and international securities markets and exchanges. Many of the firm's partners formerly served in senior positions in the US Department of Justice, SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, and several served in senior executive positions in major financial institutions on Wall Street. Media Contact Mark Curran 212.880.3989 [email protected] SOURCE Murphy & McGonigle But Jabarin, her hair covered with a brown headscarf, was talking to visitors in Hebrew, not Arabic, and telling a story that not even her seven children knew until they were grown. She was born not Leila Jabarin, but Helene Berschatzky, not a Muslim but a Jew. Her history began not in this Arab community where she has made her life with the Palestinian man she fell in love with six decades ago, but in a Nazi concentration camp where her Jewish parents had to hide their newborn from the Nazis. TWIN FALLS A California company is the new owner of Canyon Park East and West, the two shopping centers along the canyon rim at the entrance to the city. Were excited to be good neighbors, Wood Investments Companies Managing General Partner Patrick Wood said. Geronimo LLC formerly owned the properties. The site for one of Twin Falls most controversial development projects in recent memory is part of the purchase. Canyon Park West includes the empty pad along the rim that is slated for a new, four-story hotel. The hotel faced significant opposition from residents and local geologists due to concerns about height and proximity to the canyon rim. Engineers for the hotel said that the building would be safe, and not in danger of falling into the canyon. The City Council approved the project. The new owners have done extensive research on the proposed hotel, and would like to see it built, Wood said. Canyon Park East and West sit atop more than 30 acres, and include major chains such as Best Buy, TJ Maxx, Outback Steakhouse, Dicks Sporting Goods, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Petco, among many others. There are also undeveloped pads within the Canyon Park West that might not be undeveloped for long. Theres plans for a bunch of different stuff, Wood said, adding that his companys approach to Canyon Park West wont differ much from Geronimos. Wood said he couldnt disclose the final sale price, but noted that it wasnt cheap. Wood Investments Companies completed the purchase in mid-December. Wood noted that the previous owners were very professional and very good at what they do. Wood Investments Companies is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, in Orange County. But Wood said hes very familiar with the Magic Valley. I had been coming to southern Idaho for my entire life, he said. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 3 Sad 7 Angry 8 BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra (file photo) The BJP, on Wednesday, launched a scathing attack on the Congress calling it "Muslim League Congress" citing multiple recent examples to accuse the party of being Hindu phobic and Muslim appeaser. Basing its argument on two Maharashtra leaders -- Congress's Ashok Chavan and its ally NCP's Jitendra Awadh, the BJP tore into both. Party Spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference to allege, "Two days ago, Ashok Chavan said - 'We formed the government in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena on the appeal of our Muslim brothers. Muslims were saying that BJP is their prime enemy. Thus, we should make the government with Shiv Sena to keep them out of power.' This is nothing but an appeasing statement from the former CM". He further alleged that Chavan's statement proves that Congress forms government after "consulting Muslims". "Does this mean the Congress forms government asking the Muslims and Muslims only? Do they not care about the Hindus or the other communities?," Patra asked. Training his guns at Congress ally NCP, the BJP hit out at the controversial statement of its leader. "NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said: 'Muslims can say where their forefathers were engraved but Hindus won't be able to tell where the last rites of their forefathers took place.' This is so demeaning. What form of politics is this?," remarked the BJP spokesperson. Next on BJP's line of attack on alleged Hindu phobia was Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Owaisi junior is known for his communal rants. The BJP said, "Yesterday, Akbaruddin Owaisi gave another remark, 'Why are we asked what Muslims have? We've ruled over this country for over 800 years. There is an imprint of ours on every part of the country.' Whose question was this," asked Patra. The BJP even went on to allege other political parties which it thinks are trying to spread falsehood over the CAA and the NPR across the country. Patra accused the Congress of abusing Hindus using these protests. "The Congress party should be renamed from Indian National Congress to MLC - Muslim League Congress," was BJP's unequivocal statement at a press conference here. He went on to link the top leadership of the Congress with the Popular Front of India (PFI), an organisation which is demanded to be banned in many states. "Six people from the PFI were arrested in Karnataka. It is the same organization that has, in the past, been supported by both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. PFI was plotting to kill RSS and BJP people," Patra remarked. It was an all out blistering attack on the Congress and its allies and leadership, taking out instances of senior leader Kapil Sibal's statement on May 16, 2017 on the Supreme Court, to instances of a youth Congress leader killing a cow on the Kerala street on May 17, 2017, to paint it not just Hindu-phobic but sternly anti-Hindu outfit. The sharp attack came just ahead of Delhi elections on February 8, where the Congress is a major player. Yesterday the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle left the French port of Toulon after President Emmanuel Macron announced in a January 16 speech to the armed forces that it would participate in Operation Chammal, the US-led bombing of Islamic State (IS) targets, for three months. This comes less than three weeks after Washington assassinated the Iranian regimes second-highest official, General Qassem Suleimani, in Iraq. Thus, France and the European powers are intensifying their military intervention in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Paris also announced a European naval surveillance mission in the strategic straits of Hormuz, off the Iranian coast, also involving German, Belgian, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Greek ships. The French Foreign Ministry published a communique declaring that Paris is deploying the carrier and its Rafale jets, armed with thermonuclear bombs, amid an explosive risk of war in the region. It declared: Recent events in the Middle East are a matter of real concern, as they stoke tensions and increase the risk of a potential large-scale war. Fully respecting international law, especially the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, the mission will concretely furnish knowledge and surveillance of the naval situation by deploying supplementary naval surveillance assets in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. On Europe1, French Defence Minister Florence Parly denied that such missions put pressure on Iran. France has made clear it wants to contribute to de-escalation in a region hit by very sharp tensions. She claimed, We have arrived at a point where there is no more escalation or, in any case, where escalation seems to have stopped. Parly claimed that Frances deployment of a carrier constitutes a counterweight to the US strategy of putting maximum pressure on Iran. Whatever Parly claims, this patrol testifies to Europes growing involvement, following in Washingtons wake, in the spiral of military escalation and war in the Middle East. The NATO imperialist powers are each bidding to increase their share of the profits from plundering the region. Washington in particular sees Iran as an obstacle to its military domination of the region, notably because Tehran is developing ties with Russia and China after 30 years of imperialist war launched by NATOs war on Iraq in 1991. The Charles de Gaulle is steaming towards the Middle East amid explosive tensions following Suleimanis assassination by a US drone strike on January 3 in Baghdad. This can have serious consequences for workers not only in France but around the entire world. The world is a few wrong decisions away from a military incident or spark that could plunge humanity into an all-out regional or even global war. A major factor in the recklessness of US-European war planning is the plan of the ruling classes to use military tensions to strangle an international resurgence of class struggle. 2019 saw strikes and protests by US autoworkers and teachers, by workers in a number of European countries, and by mass protests in Iraq, Lebanon and across the Middle East. For over a year, Macron has faced mass yellow vest protests launched outside the control of the union bureaucracies. Macrons widely hated pension cuts have driven broader layers of the working class into struggle against the government, in Frances longest strike since the May 1968 French general strike. Before Frances carrier reaches the Middle East, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is taking the unprecedented decision of going aboard to observe the launching of Rafale and Hawkeye planes. Philippe and Parly will then travel tomorrow afternoon to Lyon, to visit airbase 942 Lyon-Mont Verdun, a key node of Frances national air defence command. They will watch air supremacy exercises from within the national centre for aerial operations at the base. Macron is wrapping Philippe, who is constitutionally charged with domestic social rather than military policy, in the flag and dispatching him to Middle East interventions. Moreover, Iran is not the only country targeted by the European coalition whose vessels are escorting the Charles de Gaulle. Another key target is Turkey and its talks with the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces in Libya. Paris is seeking to instead develop ties with Cyprus, Greece and Egypt. French military news website OpEx360 writes, Nicosia, Athens and Cairo are vigorously complaining the maritime boundaries agreement drawn up between Ankara and the GNA. This deal allows Turkey to extend its continental shelf and disrupt the EastMed gas pipeline. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian denounced Turkeys illegal drilling in Cypriot waters before parliament in October, warning: We have decided to draw up a regime of sanctions, just in case Turkey were to continue these operations. We are planning a military presence in this zone. As the WSWS underscored after Suleimanis murder, No one should make the mistake of underestimating the consequences of war with Iran. The development of the conflict will rapidly acquire global dimensions. It will be only a matter of time before the logic of the conflictwhich affects the vital interests of countless states on the vast Eurasian land massdraws numerous countries into the vortex of war. Three decades after the Stalinist regime dissolved the Soviet Union, the relentless escalation of imperialist wars poses immense dangers. Great power conflicts that underlay the Pentagons attempts to dominate Eurasia after the Soviet collapse, with wars in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine and now in Iran are erupting openly today. As in 1914 or 1939, Washington, Moscow and other major capitals are all preparing for world war. During the US pivot to Asia to defend US world hegemony by politically and militarily isolating China, France also threatened to send the Charles de Gaulle to the South China Sea, echoing US claims that such operations aim to defend freedom of navigation. Paris also cut deals with India, a key rival of China in Asia, including for basing French troops in India. As he announced that the Charles de Gaulle would deploy to the Middle East, Macron also said it would go later this year to the North Atlantic and the North Sea, for exercises threatening Russia. A study for the French Defence Ministrys General Directorate of International Relations and Strategy reported by OpEx360 asserts: The security issues at hand correspond to French strategic interests. This is why France deployed Operation Lynx under NATO control to the Baltic states. Amid mounting geopolitical and social crises for which the capitalist class has no progressive solutions, Macron and the European powers are heading towards war. They are trying not only to demoralize workers with nationalism and militarism but to legitimize the construction of a military-police state capable of violent repression of the workers at home. These dangers, as well as that of a regional or world war provoked by the imperialist powers, underscore the necessity for workers in struggle to orient towards building an international anti-war movement in the working class. Kimberly Guilfoyle is now known as a media personality and as Donald Trump, Jr.'s girlfriend, but few remember that she was a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office for several years in the early 2000s. After she left the prosecutor's office, she was first lady of San Francisco for two years, during her marriage to then-mayor Gavin Newsom. When Guilfoyle talks about goings-on in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, she speaks as an insider, not an outside reporter. That's why an opinion piece she wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle, warning about the city's new district attorney, Chesa Boudin, needs to be taken seriously. Most people in America have already been made aware of the fact that Boudin is the son of convicted Marxist murderers and that radical Leftists (and Obama mentors) Bill Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dohrn raised him. That hard-left upbringing means that Boudin believes in "decarceral justice." Decarceral justice is the claim that the system criminalizes conduct that flows from poverty, not evil, and that people end up in prison because the system serves only the rich. In Boudin's case, decarceral justice means announcing that he will not prosecute lifestyle crimes (e.g., public drug use, low-level drug-dealing, soliciting sex, living on the streets, urinating and defecating on the streets). What people outside San Francisco missed is that, to effect these new policies, Boudin purged the D.A.'s office, getting rid of prosecutors who have the most experience in dealing with homicides, gangs, and felonies: The institutional knowledge possessed by someone like Ana Gonzalez, who headed the city's gang unit, is irreplaceable. Criminal organizations and their operations are often very complex, especially in a metropolitan area such as San Francisco. Without prosecutors who have a deep understanding of the various syndicates and the players within them, lawful prosecution of crimes becomes tremendously more difficult, allowing real criminals to walk free. Guilfoyle does not believe that Boudin's actions are simply because, as a D.A .who has never prosecuted a case, he doesn't understand how prosecution works. Instead, she sees it as part and parcel of the same Marxist approach to law that Bernie Sanders trails in his wake: These firings weren't based on any incompetency within the department; they were just a transparent effort to cripple the department's prosecutorial ability. Boudin is advancing a radical ideology that's focused on completely redesigning the city's and the nation's criminal justice system. This dangerous reality is also being peddled by a new brand of Bernie Sanders-endorsed Democrats across the country. And, worse yet, the ideology is seemingly inspired by American communist revolutionaries who gained notoriety during the late 1960s and early 1970s. [snip] Of course, if this was just this one city's district attorney with a wild, made-for-Netflix story, it probably wouldn't be worth noting. But it's much more than. This is exactly the kind of candidate Bernie Sanders who has his own checkered past supporting communist dictators abroad has been championing all over the country. [snip] Since losing the Democratic presidential nomination to Hillary Clinton in 2016, Bernie Sanders has waged a proxy war in Democratic primaries across the nation to nurture his radical agenda. Now Bernie is his own champion on the campaign trail. He is also, arguably, today's frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. That should give every American pause. Americans who think Bernie Sanders and could never implement the policies of his comrades in California and around the country at the federal level are wrong. They came less than half a percentage point away from victory in Florida and Georgia last cycle. In Democrat-run cities all over America, ordinary citizens have been guilted into believing that the most humane thing to do is to allow homeless people most of whom suffer from substance abuse and mental illness to pursue their bliss, living on the streets. People in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Sacramento, and New York have seen the cities become squalid and lawless under those policies. Now, under the guidance of Chesa Boudin and other Bernie Sanders lackeys, that lawlessness will become a city's open and affirmative policy. If citizens in leftist-run cities thought their cities were bad before, they are in for a big surprise, for the worst is yet to come. Bhubaneswar, Jan 22 : 14 new flights are planned to several national and international destinations as Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged airline operators to improve connectivity with the coastal state. Most of the flights are scheduled to operate between January to the summer of 2020. According to sources here, the planned destinations are Kolkata-Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar-Varanasi, Varanasi-Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda-Mumbai, Prayagraj-Bhubaneswar, Delhi-Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, Bhubaneswar-Kalaikunda, Bhubaneswar-Bangkok, Bangkok- Bhubaneswar, Singapore-Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar-Abu Dhabi. The Odisha government on Wednesday discussed with the airline operators and officials of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry about improving air connectivity to the state. More than 25 CEOs of different airlines were invited to the meeting. The Chief Minister cited the growth story of Odisha, the presence of techno-savvy diaspora in different countries, the emergence of a globe-trotting middle class, growth of tourism and rapid growth in various sectoral economies. Introduction of more international flights from Bhubaneswar to destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Bangkok will provide convenience and comfort to the people of the state, he said. "I take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Civil Aviation for increased connectivity to Odisha. I further request the ministry to introduce new connectivity from Odisha to domestic destinations like Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Vizag, Kochi and Ranchi. "Similar is the demand for potential international hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Colombo. I assure that the state government will provide necessary support," the Chief Minister said. Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said discussions are underway with various airlines for finalizing 14 new flights, including Jharsuguda-Mumbai, Prayagraj-Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar -Varanasi, Bhubaneswar-Bangkok and Singapore- Bhubaneswar. Union Civil Aviation Secretary P.S. Kharola described aviation is the new engine of economic growth. He pointed out that while there is only 17 per cent growth in aviation nationally, Bhubaneswar has seen 29 per cent cumulative growth. Civil Aviation Joint Secretary Usha Padhi made a presentation on the UDAN scheme and said Bhubaneswar will be provided viability gap funding under UDAN. She also highlighted the efforts to improve the different airstrips of Odisha. - The Ministry of Health has announced that all persons coming in from China to Ghana would undergo enhanced health screening and surveillance to prevent the spread of the new Coronavirus - Chinese health authorities say the virus can spread from human to the other - Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties The Ministry of Health has announced that all persons coming in from China to Ghana would undergo enhanced health screening and surveillance to prevent the spread of the new Coronavirus. Health Authorities in China have confirmed the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus in December 2019 after a series of reported cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. A press release signed by the sector Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu and reported by Citi News, assured that Ghana has in-country capacity to diagnose the infection at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. READ ALSO: ACP Benjamin Agordzo finally granted GHC500k bail following coup plot The health ministry has cautioned the public to regularly wash their hands with soap and water, keep a distance from persons showing signs of fever and immediately seek treatment upon suspicion of infection. As part of measures to prevent an outbreak in Ghana, passengers from China will undergo enhanced screening procedures including the administration of health questionnaire. Health facilities have also been alerted to prepare and manage cases in case of an outbreak, the statement noted. Messages have also been sent to all regions in Ghana on the outbreak of the disease in addition to guidance information on the disease. According to the statement, nine persons have been recorded dead and 440 infected with new coronavirus in China The virus, known also as 2019-nCoV, is said to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans. Chinese health authorities say the virus can spread from human to the other. Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. READ ALSO: Coup plot brouhaha: ACP Agordzor denied bail In other news, a prophet by name Emmanuel Micah says President Nana Akufo-Addo will lose the 2020 elections because he broke his covenant with God. According to the man of God, the NPP leader will see defeat in the December polls because he failed to build a cathedral for God. Subscribe to watch new videos He opined that Akufo-Addo made a covenant with God to build a house (cathedral) for Him when he visited Israel before the 2016 presidential elections. READ ALSO: Nana Addo cant win election 2020 because he failed to build cathedral for God - Prophet Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Burna Boy's full performance at Manifestive 2019 | #Yencomgh Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Amid growing concerns about the spread of a new potentially fatal coronavirus, Chicago's O'Hare and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airports on Wednesday became the latest in the U.S. to begin conducting expanded screenings of travelers arriving from Wuhan, China. More than 1,200 people have been scrutinized since U.S. health officials began screening passengers at John F. Kennedy, Los Angeles and San Francisco international airports last week. No one has been found to have the virus or been hospitalized through those screenings. The virus has killed at least 17 people and sickened hundreds more. More than 470 people have fallen ill in China, and cases have been identified in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. On Wednesday, authorities in Wuhan suspended all outbound travel beginning 10 a.m. Thursday, in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. Even with the virus's rapid spread, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they think this coronavirus presents a low risk to the American public. Even so, health officials characterized the enhanced screenings as "proactive preparedness precautions." President Donald Trump, attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said Americans have nothing to worry about because there was only one known case in the United States. "It's one person coming in from China, and we have it under control," he said. The person who was infected was identified as a man in his 30s, in Washington state, who had been visiting relatives in Wuhan. When he arrived in the Seattle area, he reported feeling sick, called his doctor and was later hospitalized. Officials are monitoring him but said he is not considered seriously ill. He was not screened when he returned to the U.S., because he arrived before enhanced screenings began. In a statement, officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency, in coordination with the CDC, has measures in place to identify travelers entering the United States who may show signs of illness and pose a risk to other members of the public. However, the enhanced screening at the five airports will focus specifically on symptoms related to 2019-nCoV, also known as the coronavirus. CDC officials will screen passengers on their arrival, Customs and Border Protection said. Travelers will have their temperatures taken, and those with high temperatures could undergo additional testing. While screening for a common virus usually takes only hours, health authorities said that people suspected of having the coronavirus could be delayed for up to a day for if additional testing is needed. The screening is being done in English and Mandarin. As part of the enhanced screenings, travelers arriving from Wuhan on direct or connecting flights to the United States will be rerouted to one of the five designated airports. That means a passenger traveling from Wuhan who caught a connecting flight in Shanghai that would have landed in Boston would be likely to be rerouted to JFK for screening, CDC officials said. If that person is cleared, he or she would continue on to Boston. The CDC, the Department of Homeland Security and transportation agencies are working out details about how travelers arriving in the United States will be redirected to the five airports. The rerouting is likely to create logistical challenges for airlines. U.S. officials want to make sure that every time someone books a flight from Wuhan to the United States, the person's first point of entry is one of those airports, said the CDC's Martin Cetron, the director of agency's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. Only JFK and San Francisco airports have direct flights from Wuhan. The process is complex and will involve "reissuing tickets and redirecting passengers all over the globe," Cetron said. U.S. carriers may not offer direct service between the United States and Wuhan, but some have partnerships with carriers that serve Wuhan. For example, United Airlines does not offer service to the affected area, but it has Star Alliance partners that do. Officials at American Airlines said they remain in close contact with CBP and CDC and are coordinating with them on any required health or safety-related measures. American does not serve Wuhan directly, but China Southern, one of its OneWorld network partners does. Even so, the airline said it expects the rerouting will impact only a small number of connecting passengers. Coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that range from the common cold to more-serious respiratory diseases. The strain identified in China is related to two other coronaviruses that caused major outbreaks in recent years, Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. [January 22, 2020] The 2020 Real Leaders Awards Spotlight the 100 Top Impact Companies Big Path Capital, impact investing's investment bank, and Real Leaders, the world's first sustainable business and leadership magazine, are pleased to announce the winners of this year's Real Leaders Impact Awards, which represents the Top 100 companies in the global impact economy. See video. This marks the second year for The Real Leaders Impact Awards, the premier ranking of companies making a positive impact on their communities and the world. In 2020, the list took on a decidedly larger and more global scale, and the new rankings showcase the breadth, growth, and evolution of the impact economy. Among this year's top-ranked companies are Tesla, which challenged the legacy auto industry to embrace cleaner electric technology and is now the most valuable carmaker in the country; Unilever, the global consumer product giant, committed to ensuring that all its plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025; and Vestas, a leading wind turbine manufacturer with installations in more than 80 countries. Formerly known as the RealLeaders 100, these awards honor companies that exemplify a new vision of capitalism - one that recognizes that doing good and adhering to key international sustainable development goals is also good for profits and growth. Big Path Capital and Real Leaders have developed the "MO (Momentum (News - Alert)) Score" to analyze and rank each company's positive impact. This metric utilizesdata from key social impact assessments as well as company growth and revenue figures to calculate their "force for good." "The Real Leaders Impact Award winners represent a new dynamic sector of the economy - one in which companies are achieving great financial, environmental and social returns, creating value for all their stakeholders," said Michael Whelchel, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Big Path Capital. "We hope these awards will inspire more companies to embrace this new model of capitalism that simultaneously focuses on both profits and purpose." "We cannot wait for politicians to solve the world's problems," says Mark Van Ness, Founder of Real Leaders. "Leaders in our everyday lives, including business leaders, are stepping up to fill the leadership void through their impact companies to benefit society." The Real Leaders Impact Awards Gala will be hosted on May 12th during the Momentum Summit which takes place from May 12-13, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. The gala will convene over 200 positive impact, high-growth CEOs to celebrate the honorees and host key discussions on advancing the global impact economy. The award winners are announced on the Real Leaders website and in this quarter's edition of the magazine. Additionally, listen to the Real Leaders podcast as award winners speak to how their companies envision making a positive impact and execute on those plans. You can also follow the honorees by searching for the hashtag #RealLeadersImpactAwards! on social media. About Big Path Founded in 2007, Big Path Capital is the leading investment bank for positive impact companies and funds. With one of the largest networks of impact investors, Big Path has worked with more impact companies and funds than any other investment bank in the world. Companies and funds engage Big Path Capital for capital raises, company exits, and founder and shareholder liquidity. Big Path is proud to be a certified B Corporation since 2007. About Real Leaders Real Leaders is the world's first sustainable business and leadership magazine. Its mission is to inspire better leaders for a better world - a world of far-sighted, sustainable leaders who thrive by creating solutions to the great challenges of our time. Real Leaders is a signatory in the United Nations Global Compact and an advocate for achieving the global goals for sustainable development. Real Leaders sponsors over 40 mission-aligned global events annually and are active impact investors. Real Leaders positions leaders to thrive in the new economy and to inspire the future. Visit www.real-leaders.com for more information. Twitter (News - Alert): @Real_Leaders #RealLeadersImpactAwards #InspireTheFuture View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005101/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] English French QUEBEC CITY, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stelmine Canada ( Stelmine ) (STH-TSXV) today announced the results of the annual meeting of its shareholders held in Montreal on this date (the Meeting). During the Meeting, the candidates recommended by management, being Andre Proulx, Isabelle Proulx, Christian Guilbaud, Michel Boily, Normand Goulet, Carole Gilbert and Ann Levasseur, were elected as directors of the Company, Brunet Roy Dube CPA S.E.N.C.R.L, chartered accountants, were appointed as the Companys independent auditors, and the Corporations Stock Option Plan (Stock Option Plan) was re-approved by the Companys shareholders. Follow us on www.Stelmine.com and on our Facebook page (Stelmine Canada) where we uploaded pictures of the Courcy camp and of our crew at work. About Stelmine Stelmine is a junior mining exploration company which concentrates its activities in the Province of Quebec. Stelmine holds 843 claims spanning 438 km2 on the eastern part of the Opinaca metasedimentary basin, which contains zones with a high potential for gold deposit discovery in geological contexts similar to the one leading to discovery of the Eleonore Mine. Its capital stock consists of 37,324,046 issued and outstanding shares. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information : When Mario Buatta died in 2018, a few days shy of his 83rd birthday, he left no will. Which is not to say that he didnt leave anything behind. I am the original hoarder, he would tell you. He had a ferocious appetite for collecting that started when he was 11 and bought an 18th-century lap desk for $12 on layaway and continued until just months before his death. (There are invoices to prove it.) It was a habit that filled every square foot of his parlor-floor townhouse apartment on East 80th Street (famously off-limits until the end), three storage units in Harlem, two in Staten Island and a Victorian gothic house in Thompson, Conn. An avatar of the English country style, and of 1980s excess, Mr. Buatta was perhaps the only decorator to achieve fame on the East Coast, West Coast and all points between, during a time when the wealthy found their footing with their decorators, not their art advisers. Prime Minister Modi said he is looking forward to a visit to Nepal this year (Photo Credit: Twitter @PMOIndia) New Delhi: India is committed to simplifying traffic with all friendly countries in the neighbourhood and to further facilitate contacts in areas like business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday. He said this after jointly inaugurating with his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli the second integrated check post at Jogbani-Biratnagar along the border. Built with Indian assistance, the integrated check post is spread over 260 acres and is capable of handling 500 trucks on a daily basis.The Rs 140 crore project will improve trade and people-to-people contact. The project was launched jointly by the two leaders via a video link. The first ICP was built in Raxaul-Birgunj in 2018. After inaugurating the ICP, Modi said India is committed to simplifying and smoothening traffic with all friendly countries in the neighbourhood, and to "further facilitate contacts between us in areas such as business, culture and education". He also said India and Nepal are working on several cross-border connectivity projects such as road, rail and transmission lines. "Integrated check posts at major places of border between our countries are greatly facilitating mutual trade and movement," he said. At the event, both prime ministers also witnessed the progress in Indian-assisted post-2015 earthquake housing reconstruction projects in Nepal. Out of India's commitment to build 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, 45,000 have already been completed. "The 2015 earthquake was a painful accident. Natural calamities like earthquakes test man's tenacity and determination. Every Indian is proud that our Nepali brothers and sisters faced the sad consequences of this tragedy with courage," Modi said. It is a matter of great satisfaction that 45,000 out of 50,000 houses have been constructed under Indo-Nepal cooperation, he said. "We hope that the construction of the remaining houses will also be completed soon. And these houses will soon be dedicated to Nepali brothers and sisters," the prime minister noted. Addressing the event via video, Oli invited Modi to visit Nepal. Prime Minister Modi said he looks forward to a visit to the neighbouring country this year. "I wish that with your cooperation and support in the new year, we take our relationship to a higher level. And this new decade becomes the golden decade of Indo-Nepal relations," Modi said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SPRINGFIELD USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers to enroll now in the Agriculture Risk Loss (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. March 15, 2020 is the enrollment deadline for the 2019 crop year. Although more than 200,000 producers have enrolled to date, FSA anticipates 1.5 million producers will enroll for ARC and PLC. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears. FSA offices have multiple programs competing for the time and attention of our staff. Because of the importance and complexities of the ARC and PLC programs; and to ensure we meet your program delivery expectations, please do not wait to start the enrollment process, said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. I cannot emphasize enough the need to begin the program election and enrollment process now. Please call your FSA county office and make an appointment soon to ensure your elections are made and contracts signed well ahead of the deadlines. ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. The programs cover the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium and short grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Until March 15, producers who have not yet enrolled in ARC or PLC for 2019 can enroll for both 2019 and 2020 during the same visit to an FSA county office unless yield updates are requested. Additionally, farm owners have a one-time opportunity to update PLC payment yields that take effect beginning with crop year 2020. If the owner accompanies the producer to the office, the yield update and enrollments may be completed during the same office visit. For more information on ARC and PLC, download our program fact sheet or our 2014-2018 farm bills comparison fact sheet. Online ARC and PLC election decision tools are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc. To enroll, contact your FSA county office for an appointment. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 [January 22, 2020] New Research from Accenture and Qlik Shows the Data Skills Gap is Costing Organizations Billions in Lost Productivity PHILADELPHIA and NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Qlik, titled The Human Impact of Data Literacy and conducted on behalf of The Data Literacy Project, found that while most organizations understand the incredible opportunity of data, a gap has emerged between organizations aspirations to be data-driven and their employees ability to create business value with data. Data is a gold mine that can fuel a culture of innovation and growth. However, when employees struggle to make sense of data, productivity and business value can be affected. Accenture and Qliks survey of 9,000 employees around the world found that each year companies lose an average of more than five working days (43 hours) per employee. These lost days due to procrastination and sick leave stem from stress around information, data and technology issues, and equate to billions in lost productivity around the globe: $109.4bn in the US; $15.16bn in Japan; $13.17bn in the UK; $10.9bn in France; $9.4bn in Australia; $4.6bn in India; $3.7bn in Singapore; $3.2bn in Sweden; and $23.7bn in Germany*. The research identified how the data literacy gap is impacting organizations ability to thrive in the data-driven economy. First, despite nearly all employees (87 percent) recognizing data as an asset, few are using it to inform decision-making. Only 25 percent of surveyed employees believe theyre fully prepared to use data effectively, and just 21 percent report being confident in their data literacy skills i.e., their ability to read, understand, question and work with data. Additionally, only 37 percent of employees trust their decisions more when based on data, and almost half (48 percent) frequently defer to a gut feeling rather than data-driven insights when making decisions. Second, a lack of data skills is shrinking productivity. An eye-opening three quarters (74 percent) of employees report feeling overwhelmed or unhappy when working with data, impacting their overall performance. Some overwhelmed employees will go to further lengths to avoid using data, with 36 percent of surveyed employees stating that they will find an alternative method to complete the task without using data. Six in 10 respondents (61 percent) report that data-overload has contributed to workplace stress, culminating in nearly one-third (31 percent) of the global workforce taking at least one day of sick leave due to stress related to information, data and technology issues. No one questions the value of data but many companies need to re-invent their approach to data governmnt, analysis and decision-marking. This means ensuring that their workforce has the tools and training necessary to deliver on the new opportunities that data presents, said Sanjeev Vohra, group technology officer and global lead for Accentures Data Business Group. Data-driven companies that focus on continuous learning will be more productive and gain a competitive edge. Empowering the workforce to thrive in a data-driven economy To succeed in the data revolution, business leaders must help employees become more confident and comfortable in using data insights to make decisions. Employees who identify as data-literate are at least 50 percent more likely to say they feel empowered to make better decisions and are trusted to make better decisions. Furthermore, more than one-third (37 percent) of employees believe that data literacy training would make them more productive. Jordan Morrow, Global Head of Data Literacy at Qlik and Chair of the Data Literacy Project Advisory Board added, Despite recognizing the integral value of data to the success of their business, most firms are still struggling to build teams that can actually bring that value to life. There has been a focus on giving employees self-service access to data, rather than building individuals self-sufficiency to work with it. Yet, expecting employees to work with data without providing the right training or appropriate tools is a bit like going fishing without the rods, bait or nets you may have led them to water but you arent helping them to catch a fish. In The Human Impact of Data Literacy report, Qlik and Accenture share five steps organizations should consider when planning their data literacy strategy to build a data-driven workforce, including setting clear data expectations and creating a culture of co-evolution. To support data literacy skills, Qlik and Accenture are founding members of the Data Literacy Project, the global community dedicated to igniting richer discussion and developing the tools needed to shape a confident and successful data-literate society. About the research The Human Impact of Data Literacy report is based on research conducted by Opinium amongst 9,000 global full-time employees in organizations of 50+ employees in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Singapore, Sweden, Japan, Australia and India in September 2019. To calculate the average time lost for organizations through data-related procrastination and sickness leave per year, the research team calculated the total of the average hours of time wasted from procrastination per week (measured against the average working weeks per country at 44.84 weeks) and the average days lost through data-related sickness leave each year. The time lost per employee was calculated at 43 hours per year. *All figures are in USD About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions underpinned by the worlds largest delivery network Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com. About Qlik Qliks vision is a data-literate world, one where everyone can use data to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. Only Qlik offers end-to-end, real-time data integration and analytics solutions that help organizations access and transform all their data into value. Qlik helps companies lead with data to see more deeply into customer behavior, reinvent business processes, discover new revenue streams, and balance risk and reward. Qlik does business in more than 100 countries and serves over 50,000 customers around the world. Copyright 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture. 2020 QlikTech International AB. All rights reserved. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Contacts: Julie Bennink Accenture +1 312 693 7301 [email protected] Kelly Hall Qlik +44 7983 298193 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Photo Caption: The First Lady of Sierra Leone HE Fatima Maada Bio; Dr. Judy Kuriansky, United Nations NGO representative International Association of Applied Psychology and Columbia University Teachers College; Deputy Executive Director of the WHO UN New York Office Werner Obermeyer. (Back row): Dr. Christine Roland-Levy, President, International Association of Applied Psychology History was made in healthcare recently when the governments at the United Nations adopted a Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) asserting that all people should have access to quality essential health and mental health services without risk of financial hardship. The same week, during the prestigious United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), an impressive event was held on September 27 entitled, Achieving SDG 3 And Universal Health Coverage: Innovative Projects, Policies and Financing Models To Reach Those Left Furthest Behind. Impressive speakers from all fields presented innovative programs, policies and financing. Sierra Leone was front and center, by main sponsorship of the Mission of Sierra Leone at the UN with support of the Office of the First Lady of Sierra Leone H.E. Fatima Maada Bio, and presentations by the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United State HE Sidique Wai, Ministers of Health and Sanitation and of Education of Sierra Leone, the Youth Envoy of Sierra Leone, and the Disability Coordinator at the Washington DC Embassy. Also present were Mission staff Deputy Permanent Representative HE Victoria Sulimani and Counsellor Finda Senesi; H.E. Francis Mustapha Kaikai, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Sierra Leone and co-chair of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding; and other Sierra Leoneans; and parliamentarian Rosemarie Bangura. The event was a spectacular show of support for health in two major ways. Firstly, all important angles of the topic were covered, with innovative approaches in three crucial areas: programs, policy and financing. Summaries of these important points are elaborated later in this article. Secondly, sponsors and speakers represented all stakeholder groups, a combination highly desirable at UN events: governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and youth. Government co-sponsors with Sierra Leone, included UN Missions from all regions of the world, namely, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Cuba, and the Peoples Republic of China, as well as high-level speakers from Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Portugal. The UAEs SDGs in Action co-sponsored, and Ministers of Health and Education spoke. Agencies were represented, with the primary health agency, WHO, as a co-sponsor, and speakers from UNAIDS and USAID, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IRFC). The private sector included co-sponsor Mission & Co, and speakers from the Islamic Development Bank and Pfizer. The University of Queensland represented academia. NGO co-sponsors included the International Association of Applied Psychology, the United African Congress and the Psychology Coalition of NGOs accredited at the UN. Luminary attendees included Dr. Nata Menabde, Executive Director of WHOs Office at the UN and Tamara Tchelizde, who played a major role as Counselor in the Mission of Georgia to the UN, in the negotiations and drafting of the UHC Political Declarations; program co-sponsor the International Association of Applied Psychologys President, Dr. Christine Roland-Levy; and program sponsor the United African Congress President, Gordon Tapper. Introduction by moderator and main organizer The moderator and major organizer was internationally acclaimed clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky, whose advocacy helped successfully ensure mental health being included both in the UHC Political Declaration and the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Developments Goal #3 on Health and Well-being for All. Introducing the event, she noted major advances in health and mental health and even during this weeks UNGA, when the UHC Political Declaration was adopted at a major summit the previous Monday whenthe UN Secretary General stated that health is at the core of the achievement of the UN Agenda 2030. The very first paragraph ensured health and mental health for all. The Climate Summit on the same day suggests the integration of health for the people and the planet. She outlined the comprehensive program; highlighted the special presentation of the First Lady of Sierra Leone, and played a music video of an original song, Honor Our Girls, co-written with international musician Russell Daisey, in honor of the First Ladys projects presented at the event. Part I. Welcoming remarks Setting the stage, WHO Deputy Executive Director of the UN NY Office, Werner Obermeyer, confirmed WHOs support of countries to revise their mental health policies and plans and the need for training caregivers and personnel, especially for child and adolescent mental health and community health services. Giving shocking statistics that 80% of people in low-and middle-income countries suffer without health quality or affordable mental health care, he affirmed, There is no health without mental health. Part II. The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio and her medical partners The First Lady passionately described current health challenges in her country and appealed for support for two projects. A hospital center is being planned to serve Sierra Leone and the neighboring Mano River countries of Liberia, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Her campaign #HandsOffOurGirls targets child marriage, teen pregnancy, violence against girls, and rape (horrifically as common as buying chewing gum). Encouraging cooperation, the First Lady invited partners to visit her country, ensuring a free VISA any time to come into Sierra Leone because we need it desperately. Attendees were riveted by her speech and touted her eloquence. Presentations were made by the co-chairs of the First Lady of Sierra Leone H.E. Fatima Maada Bio Medical Center and Research Group, USA, and Medical Center Project for the Mano River Union, a partnership arranged by Ms. Mine Anlar from World of Travel, Inc. Dr. Alper Tunga Demirarslan, Assistant Professor, Istanbul Okan University, Turkey, described the logistics and financing, targeting an initial $300 million. Four hospitals are planned, to address priorities of needs of women and children, infectious diseases, cardiology and oncology. The focus is on public health issues of infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, clean water, malaria, immunizations, teen pregnancy, Ebola, and mental health. Dr. Mark Johnson, Chair of the Howard University School of Medicine Department of Community and Family Medicine, described plans for training and staffing including thousands of community health workers. Part III. Statements from government co-sponsors The Mission of Canada to the United Nations, represented by HE Marc-Andre Blanchard, Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN, is a long-time supporter of mental health. The Canada statement affirmed that the Prime Minister has made mental health a national priority, with the government investing 11Billion in mental health and home care. In further proof of commitment, Canada launched the Alliance of Champions for Mental Health and Wellbeing with the United Kingdom and Australia, and also serves as co-chair of the UN Group of Friends of Mental Health and Well-being with Bahrain, Belgium and Ecuador. The Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, WU Haitao, reported that China already provides basic medical insurance for all. He also urged that, Developed countries should increase support to developing countries for health capacity building. He added that China and Africa are good brothers, good friends, and good partners, citing (1) the headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and China-Africa Friendship Hospitals to open soon in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; (2) the China-Africa Brightness Action charitable initiative for eye care, and (3) aid was sent by China for the Ebola outbreaks to West Africa in 2014 and currently to DRC and neighboring countries. China is ready to work with the UN, WHO, the international community and African friends to promote UHC and realize the mission of health for all, he pledged. The United Arab Emirates, an event co-sponsor, was represented by the Minister of Community Development, Hessa Bint Essa Buhamaid. She outlined considerable health improvements in the UAE, including eliminating deadly communicable diseases like polio and preventing malaria and river blindness. Also, His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, has launched US$100 million for The Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF) to end devastating neglected tropical diseases -- river blindness and elephantiasis -- in partnership with Bill Gates, the ALIMA philanthropies and others. Co-sponsor Cuba was represented by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anayansi Rodriquez Camejo, who was Ambassador to the UN. In achievement of UHC and SDG3, she reported that healthcare in Cuba is universal and free. Health is a human right that fully has to be implemented and respected, she said, in contrast to a world driven by selfish interest in which military expenditure is so high. Notably, the Cuban health care force has been deployed to many countries around the world in crises. Part IV. Statements from other Mission and Embassy high-level officials Trinidad and Tobago, an island country in the Caribbean, was represented by H.E. Pennelope Beckles, Ambassador to the United Nations, who shared her moving personal story of a cancer diagnosis 17 years ago, to emphasize the importance of Universal Health Coverage, and the urgency for expertise, technology and research for small countries (given that she had to go to the United States for care of her health crisis, that fortunately was caught early). In that context, she said, The wealth of a country to me is related to the health of a country. As the current President of the Executive Board of UN Women, Ambassador Beckles is also focused on the health of women and girls, including equity in physical and mental health and sports. Japan was represented by Ambassador Toshiya Hoshino, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission of Japan to the United Nations. HE Hoshino noted that Japan introduced a national health insurance system as early as 1961. He also emphasized the importance to Japan of mental health with physical health, nutrition and water sanitation. Japans commitment to health is evident in having (1) chaired the Group of Friends of Universal Health Coverage, missions that supported the (successful) passage of the Declaration on Universal Health Coverage; (2) hosted a recent International Conference on Africa's Development, that the First Lady of Sierra Leone attended; and (3) took over the Presidency from the country of Georgia of Innovative Financing for Development at the United Nations. Portugal has also been a big supporter of health and mental health. Representing the Mission of Portugal to the UN, Counsellor Jorge Castel Branco Soares elaborated Portugals commitment by (1) leading the UN resolution about mental health and human rights; (2) promoting the right to health, even extended to migrants and refugees on equal footing to nationals; and (3) supporting investment in mental health services as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights as core pillars to UHC. The Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United States, HE Sidique Wai, expressed deep appreciation for all the innovative and compelling presentations, and called for follow-up to advance the important ideas and to continue and create partnerships. His call was echoed enthusiastically by many of the other presenters. Part V. Policy * The Sierra Leone Health Minister Hon. Alpha Tejan-Wurie was interviewed by UNAIDS Director of Innovation Pradeep Kakkattil. The first question was: Suppose that I am a young pregnant woman in rural Sierra Leone about to deliver a baby. What does UHC mean to me and how are you delivering to the needs that I have so that Im safe, and my child is born safe? What are you doing? What are your plans? The Minister responded that rural pregnant woman would traditionally use a birth attendant or midwife without skilled personnel to help, but plans are underway for more training of all health providers to ensure trusted care, reversing the brain drain of medical experts, and implementing the new national action plan for health emergencies and ambulances. The second question: What can the international community do better to support your needs other than money? The Minister requested help with building the hospitals and providing specialists. * The Sierra Leone Minister of Education Minister Alpha Osman Timbo remarked that education is integrally connected to health, referring to his countrys Free Education for All plan in President Julius Maada Bios New Direction agenda. You cannot read when you are not healthy, he said. That is why health is an integral part of the human capital development program of the President of Sierra Leone. Part VI. Innovative Health financing Models In this section, three presentations were made of innovative ways to finance health coverage. * The Utkrishst Development Impact Bond (the Hindi word for excellence) is an innovative partnership between the USAID and partners aimed at reducing maternal and new-born mortality in Rajasthan, India. USAIDs Irene Koek, Acting Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Global Health, described how the UBS bank provides upfront capital for health providers, repaid by USAID and partner Merke Pharmaceuticals if certain targets are met. Such impact bonds are increasingly popular to finance development. * The WASH Fund is an innovative partnership of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) represented by IFRC Under-Secretary-General for Partnerships, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, together with the Islamic Development Bank Group represented by the Lead of Alternative Development Finance, Amine Hillal. The project provides funding for clean water and sanitation, given shocking statistics that 844 million people still lack basic drinking water and 2.3 billion people lack basic sanitation, leading to millions of deaths that could be preventable. The model involves blended finance with Sukuk [the Arabic for financial certificates] that helps stem cholera and acute watery diarrheal diseases, whereby sufferers are forced to use undignified ways to use the toilet, in very unsafe areas. Dr. Mahmood emphasized that such bonds need to go to low and middle-income countries rather than only to high-income countries. * The country of Georgia, a leader in Universal Health Coverage, co-chaired with Thailand the successful inter-governmental negotiations of the UHC Political Declaration. Mariam Jashi, Chairperson of the Education, Science, and Cultural Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, described how Georgia had launched its flagship UHC program already in 2013, investing 3.0% of GDP, proving that even with limited resources, any country can make a difference if you maximize financial investment in the health sector. Also, Georgia significantly eliminated Hepatitis C (with support of the US government and GILEAD providing $80,000 worth of free drugs) and made significant advances in immunization of HIV, TB and malaria. Georgia also served as President of the Leading Group on Innovative Financing (passed on to Japan), with a forum last year in Tbilisi. Jashi described interesting Innovative financing projects including: (1) UNITAAID that integrates contributions to health into airline tickets; (2) UNICEFs Checkout for Children with Starwood Hotels, that adds $1 donation to each hotel checkout bill; (3) Product (Red), co-conceived in 2006 by rock star U2 frontman and activist Bono, as ethical consumerism whereby a portion of purchases for participating products by Nike, Starbucks, Gap, Hallmark and others, goes to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; (4) Georgias National Solidarity Fund where donations from civil servants monthly salaries and ticket purchases (for theater, movies or festivals) covered high costs for pediatric cancer. * Personal funds have been invested by doctors in the Ethio-American Doctors Group (EADG) for their Healthcare City Centre, described by Dr. Mohammed Nurhussein. 150,000 square meters of land has been purchased and ground was broken, aiming for operation in 2021. The for-profit Healthcare City Centre center, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will include hospitals focusing on six disciplines: neurology, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology; trauma services, and maternal and child services, also providing in-patient and out-patient services and extended community health services. The buildings will meet standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Other land is allocated for hotels and allied businesses. Part VII. Innovative Health Programs and Partnerships * Numerous innovative health programs of the United Arab Emirates were described by Dr. Radheya AlHashimi, Director of Policy Impact Department in the Strategy and Innovation Sector of the United Arab Emirates. These include (1) hosting the World Government Summit bringing together world leaders to share solutions for the future; (2) the SDGs in Action campaign with Global Councils to devise innovations to accomplish the UN Agendas Sustainable Development Goals, praising the Health in Your Hands initiative founded by Dr. Judy Kuriansky and Dr. Shariha Khalid Erichsen to reach those at the last mile of health; (3) the upcoming Dubai Expo 2020; and (4) the UAE Government Accelerators initiative whereby teams devise solutions to long-standing problems within a limit of 100 days, e.g., the 15-day paperwork period after a babys birth was reduced to one visit, and breast cancer screening for women in remote areas was facilitated by collating all health records. * The Health in Your Hands initiative was described by Dr. Shariha Khalid Erichsen, Managing Partner of Mission & Co and member of the UAEs SDGs in Action Global Council 3 on health. The initiative was co-founded with Dr. Judy Kuriansky as a innovation solution to achieving SDG3 on health.The platformfeatures health innovations reaching the last mile and those let furthest behind that have documented impact and sustainable financial support. This innovation is significant, given staggering statistics that over half of the worlds population, including a billion people in remote rural communities, and given the lack of access to essential health services and an estimated shortage of 18 million health care workers. See: Healthinyourhands.co. One of the innovations, Living Goods in Kenya, was presented by the Deputy Country Director Dr. RuthNgech. The project supports community health workers in Kenya, Uganda, and starting in Sierra Leone, by providing live data to workers to follow their assignments through their cell phone, and tablets to supervisors to track workers and accurate diagnoses in the field. * The Ebola Coalition, a group of experts from the DRC and USA, described plans for innovative and comprehensive training workshops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to address three aspects of the outbreak: psychosocial support (to build resilience); risk communication (to combat myths that Ebola is not real); and community engagement (to eradicate stigma). Presentations were made by Gordon Tapper and Judy Kuriansky of the United African Congress, pastor Dr. Kaserika Kasmo of HaltEbola, Jacques Vithi, and BibiNdala of Friends of Congo. The team has been invited by the faith community in the worst-affected region. The intervention builds on the teams previous successful help and awareness-raising during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Part VIII. Commentary: Voices of the Private Sector, Academia, Disability Rights and Youth * Private sector representative Chris Grey, Senior Director of Global Health and Patient Access team at Pfizer, New York, read the statement from the UHC Private Sector Constituency, outlining seven contributions to UHC from the for-profit health-related private sector and businesses. These included to offer quality products, help strengthen the health workforce, and fundraise. * Representing academia, Dr. Claire Brolan, from the Center for Policy Futures, University of Queensland, Australia, and member of Finance Cluster of the UAEs SDGS in Action initiative, outlined three key messages when it comes to financing the SDGs and SDG 3: (1) Shift wording from talking about financing SDG 3 or UHC, to talking about investing in the health and wellbeing of the invisible men, women, and children being left behind; (2) Provide seed funding for wonderful ideas in low, middle, and high-income countries, since small amounts of money can go a long way; and (3) Partner with universities that can do research to provide data and evidence, and can write grants. * As a voice of youth, Lucy Fagan, Global Focal Point for the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth and Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Health Network, described the successful journey towards UHC from the UN Agenda2030 negotiations in New York in 2015, to the Astana Declaration last year about primary health care, and integrating mental health, to being back to New York now for adoption of the UHC Political Declaration. Action is now needed, she urged, that requires political will, innovation, and partnerships. Young people can play a major role in technology and digital innovations, and also in policy. * Another voice of youth, Sierra Leones Youth Delegate Isaac Bayoh, urged taking advantage of the resources of young people as partners in global discussions, who have passion to transform society. * Disability Coordinator at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington DC, Joseph Fofanah, described the needs of disabled persons in Sierra Leone after years of civil war, the Ebola epidemic, and the tragic mudslide, including equipment like wheelchairs, and mental health counseling to deal with the traumas. Conclusion In concluding, Dr. Kuriansky reaffirmed the historic nature of the advances in health and mental health and confirmed commitments made by the participants to heed Ambassador Wais call for ongoing cooperation and collaboration. Acknowledgments: The hard-working organizing team led by IAAPs Dr. Judy Kuriansky included WHOs Eva Kiegele, United African Congress Gordon Tapper, Mission & Cos Dr. Shariha Khalid Ericshen, graduate students in Kurianskys class on Psychology and the United Nations at Columbia University Teachers College led by Sitara Maria and Bibi Ndala, with support of the Sierra Leone Mission to the UN. Note: Coincident events focused on Sierra Leone during UNGA week included a gala luncheon hosted by the First Lady of Sierra Leone on 25 September at the prestigious St. Regis Hotel, presenting her #HandsOffOurGirls project. Luminaries from all fields attended, including the Sierra Leone President, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedrose Adhanom Ghebreyesus, many other First Ladys of Africa and the First Lady of Turkey, who pledged her countrys support. A gala fundraising dinner was also held, in New Jersey, honoring the First Lady and the President of Sierra Leone, and supporters of her projects. Musician Russell Daisey performed live the tribute song Honor Our Girls co-written with Dr. Kuriansky. The Frist Lady made a rousing appreciative address and danced with the enthusiastic attendees. Billionaire Jack Ma has said that getting sleep is the best way for him to make decisions in the face of a problem. "If I don't sleep well, the problem will still be there," he said at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos. "If I sleep, I have a better chance to fight it." Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, moves at a faster pace. In a 2016 letter to shareholders, Bezos wrote that he makes "high-quality, high-velocity decisions," meaning he makes choices quickly to avoid stagnation. This approach has allowed him to keep a beginner's mindset, he said. But this founder of two billion-dollar start-ups has a different approach when it comes to big decisions. Jeff Raider, the co-founder and co-CEO of Harry's and co-founder of Warby Parker, likes to walk when he needs to think or get some head space. "For me, it's sacred time when I can reflect, clear my head or formulate an opinion on a critical decision," Raider tells CNBC Make It. "On most days, I'm in back to back meetings, and my walk is one of the only times when I can take a step back and think creatively about what's best for Harry's." Science is on Raider's side: Studies suggest that walking can improve your cognitive functioning, and boost creativity. Everyone from Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Gwyneth Paltrow swears by the habit for the physical and mental benefits. In Raider's case he walks his commute to his office in New York City, which takes about 20 minutes. "But I usually extend it a little bit by grabbing a cup of coffee on the way," he says. While many people listen to music or podcasts on their commute, Raider intentionally does not. "Instead, I either use the time to think through the day ahead, what are the most important things I need to focus on and who on our team I want to be sure to spend time with," he tells CNBC Make It. Sometimes Raider will have people join him, so his first meeting of the day can be a "walk and talk." (This is something that Steve Jobs, the late Apple founder, would do when he needed to brainstorm or discuss a serious topic.) "Either way, I'm using the time to hash out a problem or open myself up to guidance," Raider says. In 2010, when Raider was still in business school at Wharton, he founded the direct-to-consumer eyeglasses company, Warby Parker, with his classmates Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa and Andy Hunt. Then in 2013, he co-founded the shaving brand Harry's with Andy Katz-Mayfield. As of March 2018, Warby Parker was valued at $1.75 billion, after raising $300 million in funding, the New York Times reported. And in May 2019, Edgewell Personal Care (which owns Schick) bought Harry's for $1.37 billion. As the co-founder of two unicorn start-ups, "you've got to be all in, and you've got to love it," Raider told the New York Times in November 2018. Finding small ways to prioritize work-life balance is very important to Raider, who has three young children. "Life is the thing I get to schedule. Work is something I fit around life," Raider said at a talk in 2019 as part of the More Than Ever tour. For example, Raider has a "no before yes" policy for scheduling plans after work hours. "It's simple: say no more often than saying yes," he wrote in a 2017 article for LinkedIn. "And when you can, say no. I've found that you can always go back to someone and say, 'That event you mentioned; is it okay if I swing by after all?' much more comfortably than bailing on something at the last minute." Raider also tries to walk home in time to read a book and listen to a song with his kids before they go to bed. If someone needs his attention at work, he'll ask them if he can call them in an hour. These strategies work well for Raider's position and lifestyle. Of course, "being a founder gives me flexibility other parents might not have," he wrote. Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook. Don't miss: But when police showed him photos and videos that placed him and his car in the Hinsdale area on May 4, Sanders said he had sold candy there for an organization many years before, and that he was considering selling candy again. WEST KELOWNA, B.C. - A photo of a sailboat covered in icicles has been released by police in West Kelowna, B.C., in the hope of finding its owner. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WEST KELOWNA, B.C. - A photo of a sailboat covered in icicles has been released by police in West Kelowna, B.C., in the hope of finding its owner. The RCMP say the sailboat was found leaning against a retaining wall on the shore of Okanagan Lake. A sailboat encased in ice is shown in an RCMP handout photo. Mounties in West Kelowna, B.C., have released the photo of a sail boat covered in icicles in the hope that its owner might recognize the frozen vessel. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP MANDATORY CREDIT The Mounties say in a news release they've been unable to locate any lost or stolen property reports related to the icy white sailboat. The vessel is coated with a thick layer of ice, with long icicles adorning the bow and a flaring skirt of ice around the bottom. The boat's sail is down and wrapped in a yellow sail cover for storage. To claim the vessel, police say the owner will have to provide proof of ownership and information about how the boat landed where it did. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020. Most visitors to the North are Chinese or visit through the mainland, which first reported the virus in December. North Korea has banned foreign tourists to guard against the spread of the new coronavirus that has emerged in China, a tour operator said. The temporary closing of the North Korean border began on Wednesday, Young Pioneer Tours said in a statement and subsequent tweet. South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, said it could not confirm the report. Most foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese or are people who travel to the North from China, its major diplomatic ally and biggest aid benefactor. Young Pioneer Tours is based in China. In its statement, it said further details had not yet been confirmed by its North Korean partners. If you are currently booked on our upcoming tours to North Korea our staff will reach out to you to confirm further details, it said in the statement late on Tuesday. confirmed that #northkorea are closing their borders https://t.co/hkVTUM9oPC Young Pioneer Tours (@YPioneerTours) January 21, 2020 Tourism has been one of the few legitimate sources of foreign currency for North Korea, which is under multiple rounds of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme. The North has been building ski slopes, spas and other attractions to entice more tourists and boost its economy. North Korea has not reported any cases of the new virus, which originated in Wuhan and has now infected at least 440 people around the country. Its state media has reported about the outbreak in China to try and increase public awareness of the disease and symptoms. In 2003, North Korea closed its borders during the scare over severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which was caused by a different coronavirus. At the time, North Korea suspended South Korean tours to its scenic mountain for two months, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min said. The joint tour programme was eventually suspended in 2008 after a North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist. Kepchar claimed he attempted to get Richardson out of the vehicle, but ran away once he noticed the truck had caught fire, records state. While on scene, Kepchar was taken to an ambulance to get checked out. It took Runyon no time at all to piece together the alleged lies in Kepchar's story once he noticed markings on the left side of Kepchar's neck from a seatbelt, indicating he was the driver, and not a passenger, police said. "I went into the ambulance a short time later and saw a mark on the left side of Kepchar's neck. I asked him to remove his shirt to which he did. I then asked him how he got the marks on the left side of his neck and chest. He stated that it was from the seatbelt. I then asked why the seatbelt marks were on his left side if (he) was the passenger. Marks from the passenger seat would be on the right side. Kepchar then stated that he was driving," Runyon wrote. Kepchar refused transport to the hospital and a field sobriety test, saying he was "told not to do so." Runyon then informed him Indiana's implied consent law, which requires that persons arrested on suspicion of drunken driving are giving "implied consent" to a chemical test, records state. A crowd celebrates outside of the Supreme Court in Washington in June 2015 after the court declared that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States. Read more Haddon Heights and 11 other public school districts in New Jersey are road-testing a new middle and high school curriculum that includes information about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people and will be rolled out statewide next fall. This welcome development could hold useful lessons for Pennsylvania and for any jurisdictions concerned about the potential impact of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected this spring about whether existing federal employment discrimination protections include LGBT Americans. Measures New Jersey passed in 1991 and 2006 already prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2018, the bill mandating the new curriculum, which also includes material about the contributions disabled people make to the American story, won strong support from educational and grassroots organizations and was approved by overwhelming majorities in both houses of the Democrat-dominated legislature. On the other hand, despite repeated efforts by individual Democrats such as State Sen. Larry Farnese and State Rep. Brian Sims, of Philadelphia, and others, Pennsylvanias Republican-controlled statehouse in Harrisburg has historically shown little or no inclination to move legislation involving the interests of the states estimated 400,000 LGBT people. As The Inquirers Melanie Burney reported this week, New Jerseys curriculum program has so far been generally well-received. But its also drawing predictable fire from organizations insisting that secular classroom material about LGBT people somehow violates religious freedom and parental rights. Thats quite a feat for, say, a high school history lesson that includes the fact that Bayard Rustin, who helped organize Martin Luther King Jr.s epic March on Washington, was a gay man. READ MORE: Why the Philadelphia airport hosted a job fair for trans and nonbinary people READ MORE: Even before the Stonewall Riots, Phillys Annual Reminders called for gay rights In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, fierce opposition to LGBT rights often emanates from well-funded national organizations such as the American Family Association which has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and has helped stymie recent legislative efforts in Harrisburg. Others argue the states historically gerrymandered congressional districts also have an impact, helping empower and sustain a political establishment more reliably conservative than the overall population. Even measures that in New Jersey have drawn bipartisan support, such as the bill Gov. Phil Murphy signed Tuesday banning the so-called gay and transgender panic defense in criminal homicide cases, would be nonstarters in Pennsylvania, where the existing hate-crime law hasnt been amended to include criminal acts motivated by anti-LGBT bias. Philadelphia and more than 50 other municipalities or counties in the state protect LGBT people from employment discrimination. But across much of Pennsylvania, an employer can dismiss someone simply for not being heterosexual. This is simply wrong by any standard. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, and the Supreme Court in October heard arguments in separate cases about whether sex should be interpreted to mean the act makes it illegal to fire someone solely for being openly gay or transgender. With five generally conservative and four reliably liberal justices, the court may prove unlikely to rule in favor of extending this basic protection to LGBT people. All the more reason for Pennsylvania and the 28 other states without such protections to follow New Jerseys lead. JANUARY 22, 2020 The UTSA Dreamers Resource Center will host an open house event today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to mark its two-year anniversary and to celebrate its key accomplishments in supporting the success of the universitys undocumented students. As we mark the two-year anniversary of the opening of the UTSA Dreamers Resource Center, it is a time of reflection on the students who have been impacted by the work of the center and deep appreciation for the campus and community partners who have aided in these successes, said Courtney Balderas-Jacob, the centers assistant director. The center has had the opportunity in the last year to heighten its visibility at the national, state and city levelsall to the benefit of the Dreamers it serves. Balderas-Jacob noted a list of accomplishments that have occurred over the past two years to further support the Dreamers. A library collection, visiting speakers and special programs, she said, are among the most significant moments. The center has had the opportunity in the last year to heighten its visibility at the national, state and city levelsall to the benefit of the Dreamers it serves. COURTNEY BALDERAS-JACOB, UTSA Dreamers Resource Center Assistant Director Additionally, the center led a successful advocacy and social justice event, Stand with Immigrants Day, at which UTSA student and faculty allies came together with Dreamers to discuss the importance of support for immigration reform. The center cofacilitated the 2019 Alternative Winter Break trip to San Juan, Texas, where 11 UTSA students had the opportunity to learn about immigration related topics in direct partnership with La Union del Pueblo Entero. The center partnered with Jessica L. Wright of UTSAs Department of Philosophy and Classics, who had invited visiting lecturer Dan-el Padilla Peralta, assistant professor of classics at Princeton University and a former Dreamer. Padilla Peralta shared his experiences at a Dreamer breakfast in the center and a community event at La Botanica, where UTSA Dreamers assisted in leading a discussion of his book, Undocumented: A Dominican Boys Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League. Given the growing need for holistic community support of Dreamers and students from mixed status families, said Balderas-Jacob, the center facilitated conversations with Julian Escutia, the general director for the Protection of Mexicans Abroad, and provided information sessions at the spring and fall Binational Education Week events at the Mexican Consulate. The center is working with the Census 2020 Immigrant and Refugee committee to ensure access to accurate information about the upcoming census and continues to be present at the DREAM summit events held by SAISD. Explore the Dreamers Resource Center and its spring 2020 events. The center also continues to provide training and participate in panels for UTSA departments and students upon request. Campus partners who have made these sessions available to their students and staff include the Tomas Rivera Center, First Year Experience, First-Gen and Transfer Student Center, Campus Recreation, the Career Center, Bilingual Education Student Organization, Center for Civic Engagement and the Honors College. Given indications that DACA may not be resuscitated by Congress, its imperative we escalate the support we offer our Dreamers, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said on the day of the centers opening. We must do everything we can to ensure they have the right resources and information in the months to come. Just as when the center was created, the assistance, enthusiasm and collaboration of the campus, educational partners and San Antonio community continue to be key, according to Balderas-Jacob. The open house and celebration for Intercultural Programs and Student Engagement in collaboration with the Dreamers Resource Center anniversary will be held in the Student Union (SU 2.01.04). Check-in will be available at tables in front of the Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28) and Mesquite Room (SU 2.01.24). The event includes a band and food. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-22 00:02:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 713 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2020 / PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSXV:PBX) (OTCQB:PWWBF) (Frankfurt:1ZVA) ("PowerBand," "PBX" or the "Company"), a leading online automotive leasing, auction remarketing, and vehicle acquisition and sales platform in North America, is pleased to announce that it has closed on a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") announced on December 20, 2019, of 7,692,307 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.065 per Unit for total proceeds of $500,000. The Private Placement was fully subscribed. Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share of the Company ("Common Share") and one half of one (1/2) common share purchase warrant (each whole share purchase warrant, a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder to receive, for no additional consideration, one (1) Common Share, subject to adjustments, at an exercise price of $0.15 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance.The gross proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund the Company's continued U.S. expansion, software development, business development, administration and for general working capital purposes.All securities issued in connection with the private placement are subject to a 4-month and one day hold period in Canada.About PowerBand Solutions Inc.PowerBand Solutions Inc. is a technology provider listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has commercialized its leading-edge cloud-based platform to buy, sell, lease, and auction vehicles. With the recent receipt of its exporter license and its acquisition of MUSA Auto Finance, the Company is now well positioned to become a leader in the USD$10 billion cross-border used vehicle export market, the USD$100 billion used vehicle auction market, and the USD$120 billion vehicle leasing market in the U.S. and Canada.For further information, please contact:Richard Goldman, VP Corporate DevelopmentP: 1-866-768-7653rgoldman@ powerbandsolutions.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will," "may," "should," "anticipate," "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law.Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.This press 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, unless an exemption from such registration is available.SOURCE: PowerBand Solutions Inc. The United Nations called for an investigation Wednesday into allegations that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia sent a text message encrypted with spyware to the cellphone of Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. According to news reports and U.N. investigators, forensic analysis found evidence that the Pegasus-3 malware, developed by the Israeli NSO Group, was used in the 2018 hack. The technology company has drawn the attention of human rights and privacy advocates, who are seeking to rein in its practices. Israeli human rights lawyer Eitay Mack is one of them. He's part of a team suing Israel's Ministry of Defense to revoke NSO's export license to limit the company's right to sell its signature spyware abroad. "It's our responsibility that surveillance systems that claim to be for targeting terrorist or criminal organizations will not be used for human rights violations," Mack said. The suit, brought this month in partnership with London-based Amnesty International and other human rights groups, alleges that NSO's "Pegasus software has been used to target journalists and activists across the globe - including in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates," according to Amnesty International. NSO has denied the general charges, saying it sells technology to states and law enforcement only "to help them fight terrorism and serious crime." Both the company and the Ministry of Defense have declined to comment on the case. NSO does not reveal its clients, through experts say they include Middle Eastern and Latin American countries. Part of the problem, Mack said, is that governments can chose to paint any opposition as terrorism. "In many countries around the world, the definition of terrorist is someone supporting democracy or human rights or indigenous rights," he said. The Ministry of Defense has oversight over cyber and arms exports, which includes approving licenses for Israeli defense and security companies to conduct sales of spyware. "NSO continues to profit from its spyware being used to commit abuses against activists across the world and the Israeli government has stood by and watched it happen," Danna Ingleton, deputy director of Amnesty Tech, said in a statement. Amnesty's allegations, filed in a Tel Aviv district court, echo findings in Thursday's U.N. report. The report, written by human rights investigators Agnes Callamard and David Kaye, cited "a pattern of targeted surveillance of perceived opponents" by Saudi authorities that was relevant to "ongoing evaluation of claims about the Crown Prince's involvement in the 2018 murder of Saudi and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi." The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to as MBS, ordered the killing of Khashoggi, a government critic. MBS has denied any involvement in the Khashoggi and Bezos affairs. The U.N. investigators further found that the forensic analysis of evidence from Bezos's phone "suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia." In October, WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, filed its own lawsuit against NSO in a federal court in San Francisco. The encrypted messaging app accused the company of helping government spies hack the phones of 1,400 users on several continents. The suit in Israel against NSO is ongoing but is playing out behind closed doors, meaning the arguments and results probably won't be released to the public. Human rights advocates said they will challenge the state for the information to be made public at every step of the process. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The presiding judge, Rachel Barkai, issued a gag order at the initial hearing Thursday, siding with the government's claim that if Amnesty could give public testimony, then the state's silence in court could appear like an admission of guilt. The court also cited national security concerns as cause for barring the media and public from the proceedings. "The Ministry of Defense, instead of treating this issue as a human rights crisis, they are treating this issue as a PR crisis," Mack said. "Which I think is madness. As they need to give answers." Mack has been part of other cases aimed at curbing the ministry's sales of arms and surveillance systems to governments accused of human rights violations, including in Myanmar, Cameroon and South Sudan. These cases were similarly placed under gag order on national security grounds. In the cases of Myanmar and South Sudan, Mack said, public pressure, and not just the court proceedings, helped to push Israel to stop the sales. Regardless of the case's outcome, he urged the Israeli government to revoke NSO's export license. "Where there is smoke, there is fire," he said. "There is so much smoke all around the world with different claims about the abuse of NSO's system. The Ministry of Defense should take responsibility and try to fix the problem with or without the court." Prehistoric 'dwarf' elephants the size of small donkeys once roamed islands in the Mediterranean, while their relatives became giants with 'grotesque' bulging heads. Scientists have long debated whether these different-sized elephant fossils found throughout Europe and Asia were all the same or belonged to two or more species. Apart from their stark size variations, the prehistoric elephants, known as Palaeoloxodon, had distinctive skull crests ridges of bone that protruded around their foreheads. An international team of researchers has now studied variations in these bulging skull crests to sort out the evolutionary history of the straight-tusked animals. While the first fossils found in India had distinctively thick skull crests compared to those found in Europe, suggesting that they were indeed separate species, the later discovery of Palaeoloxodon skulls with thick skull crests in Europe muddied the waters. However, experts have now determined that the larger Indian elephants were indeed of a different species from those with smaller skull crests. 'Even in European skulls with quite pronounced crests, the skull roof never becomes as thickened as in the Indian specimens,' said paper author and independent researcher Asier Larramendi, of Spain's EoFauna Scientific Research. 'This tells us we once had two separate species of these enormous elephants in Europe and India.' Scroll down for video Prehistoric 'dwarf' elephants the size of small donkeys once roamed islands in the Mediterranean while their relative became giants with 'grotesque' bulging heads. Pictured, an artist's impression of two Palaeoloxodon antiquus individuals based on fossils from Germany An international team of researchers used variations in these bulging skull crests to sort out the straight-tusked animal's evolutionary history Examining fossil Palaeoloxodon specimens, Mr Larramendi and colleagues found that the skull crest was bulkier on the larger-headed elephants than the smaller varieties. The team suspects that the skull crest became so huge to provide additional attachment areas for the extra neck muscles that would have been required to support the beast's enormous head. These could reach up to 4.5 feet (1.4 metres) in height, making them the largest elephant heads ever found. 'Besides the funky skull roof crest, the head of the straight-tusked elephant is also remarkable for being huge, the largest of any elephant ever some 4.5 feet from the top of the skull roof to the base of the tusk sheaths,' Mr Larramendi added. 'Therefore, the skull crest probably evolved to provide additional attachment areas for extra neck muscles, so the animal did not fall on its head.' The first fossil Palaeoloxodon skull to be found was unearthed in India, and studied by the Victorian Scottish geologist Hugh Falconer in the 1840s. He is known to have remarked that the creature's head seemed 'so grotesquely constructed that it looks the caricature of an elephant's head in a periwig' a reference to the once-fashionable headgear still worn by some judges today. Palaeontologists had long thought that Palaeoloxodon antiquus the European species had a slender skull crest, while Palaeoloxodon namadicus it's Indian counterpart had an 'extremely robust' one. But after the discovery of Palaeoloxodon skulls in Germany and Italy that featured the same exaggerated skull crests as seen in the supposed Indian form, experts began to question if the Asian and European variants might in fact be of one species. The first fossil Palaeoloxodon skull to be found was unearthed in India, and studied by the Victorian Scottish geologist Hugh Falconer, pictured, in the 1840s 'When we looked at a series of skulls from Italy, Germany and India, we found a consistent pattern,' Mr Zhang said The team made a breakthrough when comparing the skull crusts of fossils of the Indian and European variants of the prehistoric elephants 'When we looked at a series of skulls from Italy, Germany and India, we found a consistent pattern,' said paper author and University of Bristol earth scientist Hanwen Zhang. 'The skull crest developed from being very small not protruding beyond the forehead in juveniles to being larger and more protruding in young adults, eventually becoming very stout in aged adults. 'Just like modern elephants, Palaeoloxodon went through six sets of teeth in their lifetimes,' he explained. 'This means we can tell the age of any individual, with confidence, by looking at its fossilised teeth.' Scientists had long debated whether the different-sized elephant fossils represented individuals from within one species or two or more separate ones. Pictured, the skull of a straight-tusked elephant and a model reconstruction of how it would have looked during life 'Even in European skulls with quite pronounced crests, the skull roof never becomes as thickened as in the Indian specimens,' said paper author and independent researcher Asier Larramendi, of Spain's EoFauna Scientific Research. The researchers were able to go further with their findings than confirming two distinct species, Mr Zhang added. 'Having gotten to the bottom of the antiquus/namadicus problem, it then became apparent that other fossil skull materials found in Asia and East Africa represent distinct, possibly more evolutionary conservative species of Palaeoloxodon,' he said. 'It divided into many species, with distinct types in Japan, Central Asia and Europe even some dwarf forms as large as a small donkey on some Mediterranean islands.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews. DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Distributed Temperature Sensing Market (2019-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Distributed Temperature Sensing Market size is expected to reach $828.9 Million by 2025, rising at a market growth of 10.5% CAGR during the forecast period. The developments in the distributed temperature sensing market are propelled by the increased rules & regulations related to safety standards across the globe. Additionally, rising demand from oil & gas applications and extensive applications in the oil & gas industry and monitoring of power cables are expected to drive future market growth. However, the complex detection and troubleshooting system of DTS impedes this growth. It is expected that high investments in smart grid technology and the power industry is expected to give market players new opportunities. The use of distributed temperature sensing for monitoring of temperature patterns in the stream bed in order to determine various zones where groundwater is discharged is also on the rise. Distributed temperature sensing also enables monitoring of downhole temperature in order to study hydrogeological processes at spatial resolution and high frequency. Implementation of these sensors in passive mode for in site investigation of in-well flow, groundwater flow, or for the estimation of subsurface thermal property is also on the rise. Such factors are substantially propelling the use of distributed temperature sensors thereby driving market growth. Based on Fiber Type, the market is segmented into Multi-Mode Fiber and Single-Mode Fiber. The segment of multi-mode fiber is anticipated to cater for majority market share and is predicted to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The multi-mode fiber has a large core diameter that provides light in the fiber with multiple pathways. It has a high nonlinearity threshold and can unleash more fiber power. This type of fiber is widely used for long distances as it offers better resolution of the temperature. Recent Strategies Deployed in the Distributed Temperature Sensing Market Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements Nov-2019: AP Sensing collaborated with Energinet, a Danish Transmission Operator. In this collaboration, AP Sensing will offer a monitoring solution for Kriegers Flak transmission system. AP Sensing is monitoring a total of 300 km, using nine Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) units and six Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) units. These DTS units with a range of 30-50 km and 1-4 channels are in use for thermal profiling and to detect thermal abnormalities. Product Launches Feb-2019: Silixa unveiled Carina XwellXpress, the world's first fiber optic real-time hydraulic fracture monitoring service. This service accurately locates the microseismic and strain events through wireline interventions for enabling the operators to improve stimulation and improve designs for maximizing recovery. Jan-2019: Yokogawa introduced TDLS8100 probe type tunable diode laser spectrometer for use in oil, power, petrochemical, iron & steel, and other industries. This product is used for high pressure and high temperature gas concentration measurement applications and is intended for use in measuring the flowing gases. May-2018: AP Sensing launched next-generation distributed temperature sensing. This product will launch wide range of capabilities such as temperature sensing, asset monitoring, and breaking space, accuracy, and time limits. Expansions Nov-2019: NKT Photonics opened a new office in Shenzhen for expanding its reach to China . This facility is equipped with the latest products from NKT Photonics' ultra-fast laser portfolio and wide range of high-end measurement and test equipment. This expansion strengthens its presence in China and enables the further growth. for expanding its reach to . This facility is equipped with the latest products from NKT Photonics' ultra-fast laser portfolio and wide range of high-end measurement and test equipment. This expansion strengthens its presence in and enables the further growth. Nov-2019: NKT Photonics expanded its reach to United States by opening a new facility in Boston . This facility not only serves as sales and support but it also accommodates an application & service laboratory and state-of-art single-frequency fiber laser production. by opening a new facility in . This facility not only serves as sales and support but it also accommodates an application & service laboratory and state-of-art single-frequency fiber laser production. Sep-2019: Silixa opened a new office in Montana , United States in order to fulfill the increasing demand of distributed sensing-based monitoring solutions. These solutions is expected to be used in environmental, mining, and infrastructure applications. , in order to fulfill the increasing demand of distributed sensing-based monitoring solutions. These solutions is expected to be used in environmental, mining, and infrastructure applications. Jan-2019: Furukawa Electric expanded its business to North America with the completion of its optical fiber manufacturing facility. The new facility focuses towards the increasing demand for fiber optic cable and optical fiber. Scope of the Study By Operating Principle Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry Optical Time Domain Reflectometry By Fiber Type Multi-Mode Fiber Single-Mode Fiber By Application Oil & Gas Power & Utility Safety & Security Industrial Civil Engineering Companies Profiled Yokogawa Electric Corporation Halliburton Company AP Sensing GmbH Schlumberger N.V. NKT A/S (NKT Photonics A/S) The Furukawa Electric Company (OFS Fitel LLC) Bandweaver Technologies Optromix Sensornet Limited Silixa Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yun4fh Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com China at "crucial stage" to control novel coronavirus, experts say BEIJING, Jan. 21 -- Faced with the fast-changing situation of the novel coronavirus outbreak, China is at a crucial stage to prevent and control the spread of the virus, according to Chinese experts. "The current outbreak is concentrated in the city of Wuhan in central China, and is sporadic in other places, meaning it is still a regional outbreak," said Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory expert and head of a high-level expert team of the National Health Commission (NHC). "The people-to-people transmission of the novel coronavirus and infections among medical staff have been confirmed," Zhong said. EARLY STAGE The continuous emergence of new cases indicates the outbreak is still at its early stage of rapid changes, Zhong added. Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), said no infections among children or students have been reported in Wuhan, and the infection cases are mainly elderly people. The outbreak is at its early stage of community transmission, Zeng said, adding that it can be reversed if measures are taken now. China has taken solid measures to resolutely curb the spread of the virus, and has released the whole genome sequencing of the novel coronavirus, which will help scientists and health authorities across the world develop diagnostic kits and study the viral pathogenicity. The geographical distribution of Wuhan's infection cases indicates a close relationship between the outbreak and a local seafood market. Investigations showed that there were previously illegal sales of wildlife in the market. Based on the findings in the whole genome sequencing, it can be speculated that wild animals could have played a key role in the emergence of the disease. But it remains unclear what kind of animal has caused the infections, said Gao Fu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the China CDC. PREVENTING SUPER-SPREADER No super-spreader, or a highly contagious virus carrier, has emerged, according to the experts. Zhong predicted an increase in viral pneumonia cases during the ongoing Lunar New Year travel rush, noting that a key task is to prevent super-spreaders from emerging. According to Zhong, putting the confirmed and suspected patients in quarantine is the most effective method to bring the outbreak under control. The experts advised anyone who feels unwell to avoid traveling during the holiday season, and seek medical treatment as soon as possible. EARLY DETECTION The pneumonia resulting from the infection of the novel coronavirus has been classified as a category B infectious disease and a quarantinable disease at the border, according to an earlier announcement by the NHC. Preventive and control measures of category A infectious diseases have been taken to fight against the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus. Though the spread of the novel coronavirus has just started, which is at a rising stage, the virus is less contagious than the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus, Zhong said. The future situation depends on the development of the virus as well as how the outbreak is controlled, Zhong added. A total of 291 confirmed cases of new coronavirus-related pneumonia and 54 suspected cases have been reported in China by the end of Monday. On Monday alone, 77 new confirmed cases were reported. Experts cited the use of new testing techniques that lead to faster detection as a key reason for the rise in numbers. "Suspected cases are confirmed after being tested positive twice, much faster than the previous procedure of going through the China CDC or rigorous examination by health authorities," Zhong said. Early detection and timely quarantine will effectively contain the infection sources and help prevent large-scale outbreaks, said Li Lanjuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who heads the State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. Li added that a set of prevention and control measures have also been put in place for outpatient services across the country. "In general, China has a relatively sound clinical treatment system. There is no need for panic," Li said. STRENGTHENED MEASURES The NHC Tuesday announced it has led the establishment of a joint prevention and control mechanism, with 32 departments jointly overseeing the work of medical treatment, virus control and scientific research, among others. A daily report system of new pneumonia cases has been activated. The NHC has started publishing daily data of confirmed cases in all provincial-level regions since Tuesday. During the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, densely populated places including train stations, airports and shopping malls, as well as buses and trains, should adopt measures of ventilation, sterilization and temperature screening according to local situations, the NHC said. The commission also banned medical institutions from rejecting confirmed or suspected viral pneumonia patients for any reason, noting that the supply of relevant drugs, diagnostic kits and personal protective equipment is stable. SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore on Wednesday started screening all passengers arriving on flights from China to avoid transmission of the flu-like coronavirus, and advised travellers against non-essential travel to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicentre of the outbreak. There have been no confirmed cases of the virus to date in Singapore, a global travel hub, but the city-state's health minister said it was "inevitable" with cases arising in other parts of China as well as the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. "It is inevitable that we will see an imported case sooner or later," health minister Gan Kim Yong said in comments reported by local broadcaster ChannelNewsAsia. Singapore earlier this month started temperature screening passengers arriving from Wuhan. On Wednesday it stepped up measures to combat the virus after China confirmed it can pass between humans and cases and fatalities started to mount. As part of those new measures, Singapore's health ministry said it would treat anyone with pneumonia and a recent travel history to China, or those with acute respiratory infections that had recently sought treatment in China, as suspect cases and isolate them in hospital. The new measures come as throngs of people around the region prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holidays starting this week. The outbreak has stoked fears of a pandemic similar to the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that started in China and killed nearly 800 people. (Reporting by John Geddie; Editing by Robert Birsel and Peter Graff) A worker with anti-government views fatally stabbed his Trump-supporting boss at a highway construction site and placed an American flag next to the body after they got into a political argument, deputies in Florida said Tuesday. Mason Toney, 28, was charged with first-degree murder for the killing of William Knight on Monday, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriffs Office. Co-workers told investigators that Toney and Knight were friends outside of work despite their political differences. Knight was an outspoken American who was pro-Donald Trump, while co-workers described Toney as anti-government and very outspoken in his beliefs that the government is bad and out to get him, according to the arrest affidavit. Workers at the Florida Turnpike construction site in metro Orlando told detectives that Knight had picked up Toney for work and they had been driving to different job sites when they began arguing. After arriving at the Turnpike site, the workers heard Knight yelling for help by an excavator. They ran over and saw Toney standing over Knight, stabbing him with a trowel, according to the arrest affidavit. The other workers said they tried to stop Toney by throwing items at him, but he moved towards them with what they thought was a knife. He then jumped into a truck and took off. As he drove away, he called his co-workers terrorists, according to the affidavit. Next to Knights body, the co-workers found an American flag and the flags packaging, the affidavit said. Deputies in a neighboring county apprehended Toney several hours later. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates [January 22, 2020] A celebration of top broadcasting and streaming talent at the Inaugural BIGO Gala Awards 2020 SINGAPORE, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading technology company from Singapore, BIGO Technology (BIGO), the company responsible for popular new age communication platforms like Bigo Live (Live Streaming), Likee (Short-form Videos), and imo (Video Communication) hosted the first ever BIGO Gala Awards 2020 for talented broadcasters, on January 15, 2020, at the Capitol Theatre in Singapore. The event recognized and felicitated live-streaming hosts who have performed exceptionally well on Bigo Live over the past year. The ceremony was held in a grand fashion with a red-carpet affair attended by some of the biggest names on Bigo Live, who flew in from all over the world, joined by hundreds of their top fans who showed up in support. More than 75 broadcasters were awarded at this ceremony bringing the total number of attendees to close to 1,000. The 4 categories of award winners were "Top Regional Broadcaster", "Top Regional Family", "Top Global Broadcaster" and "Top Global Family"; indicating the best of the best in both the regions and across the globe. Bigo Live is rising fast in popularity around the world, where it has reached a total of around 22 million Monthly Active Users (MAUs). Live-streaming has become a worldwide phenomenon, as millennials feel the need to be constantly connected, and such platforms such as Bigo Live, allow them to stay connected, meet different people and share new experiences. Many of the award winners also took this opprtunity to connect with their fans, even broadcasting live while receiving their award. Top Global Champion RCT_Khan from Indonesia said that he had never expected to win, but now that he has, he attributes his success to his 2.2 million followers and promises that he will always stay true to himself despite winning the award. Runner-up in the same category Rain from USA said that she had worked hard to receive this award and promises to push herself harder next year. Receiving the award on her behalf was fellow broadcaster, Direwolf, who likewise won an award and is Rain's mother said that Bigo Live has given a purpose to her daughter and attributes Rain's new found confidence to being a broadcaster. After witnessing the glitzy affair, Direwolf too made a promise to herself and her own followers to do better and achieve new heights in the coming year. Speaking about awards and live streaming space, Mike Ong, Vice President of BIGO Technology said, "With the proliferation of live streaming around Asia Pacific, we want to hone this space in Singapore by inaugurating the BIGO Gala Awards here, as we believe, no matter where our expansion plans lead us to, Singapore will always be BIGO's home. Despite Singapore being small, it is a highly connected location making it a perfect market to launch this event. As the demand for content increases and mobile penetration rises, the live streaming phenomenon will continue to play a pivotal role in driving the industry. With the company now having over 330 million MAUs in over 150 countries worldwide, it is highly paramount to honour and celebrate the live streaming hosts who have performed exceptionally well on our platform over the past year. Our community is the very heart and soul of BIGO, and we want to recognize and appreciate their dedication and commitment to their art." The BIGO Gala Awards 2020 Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Howie Lau, Chief Industry Development Officer at the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), said, "The rapid expansion and adoption of OTT and streaming platforms in Asia have created new growth opportunities for content creation and distribution. Singapore is well-placed to ride this wave, being located at the heart of the growth in the region, and home to where East meets West, and tech meets media. We are excited to gather and celebrate some of the top media talent and content that Singapore and Asia have to offer." Through the BIGO Awards Gala 2020, BIGO aims to mark the growing significance of live streaming while celebrating the winners and setting the scene for this upcoming industry. Snippets of the ceremony will be aired in Southeast Asia, Middle East, U.S.A. Japan and Taiwan. About BIGO Technology BIGO is a fast-growing Singapore technology company established in 2014. BIGO operates products and services in more than 150 countries in the world. BIGO's products include Bigo Live (global livestreaming platform), Likee (global short video creation platform) and imo (global video communication platform). Visit BIGO's website for more information on their brand and products. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200122/2699411-1 SOURCE BIGO [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] MANILA, Philippines The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Japan Coast Guard (JCG) conducted a joint maritime exercise in the waters off the Philippine Capital. In a statement, the PCG said coast guard personnel from two countries participated in a vessel towing exercise held on Tuesday, January 21. They also conducted several drill scenarios involving response and rendering necessary assistance to a vessel in distress. The PCG said the said activity is part of the five-day practical training course on towing and firefighting for the crew members of BRP Malabrigo (MRRV 4402), BRP Kalanggaman (FPB 2404), and PB 151 from January 20 to 24, 2020. The joint maritime exercise between the PCG and the JCG, along with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, was conducted to enhance their capability on vessel operations, maintenance planning, and maritime law enforcement. The post PH, Japan Coast Guard conduct joint maritime drill in Manila waters appeared first on UNTV News. This weekend kicks off the Chinese Lunar New Year, a sign we are ticking closer to springtime. However, for winter enthusiasts, this weekend will feature activities that will take advantage of our recent snow accumulation. Use this list to plan your end of January activities. One thing we love here at CNYP is welcoming new friends to our stage! It's been great having Maria and Norriah making... Posted by CNY Playhouse on Thursday, January 16, 2020 Wait Until Dark A production mounted by Central New York Playhouse, Wait Until Dark tells the story of Susan Hendrix, a blind yet capable woman, imperiled by a trio of men in her own apartment. Best known by most audiences as a 1967 film starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, and Richard Crenna. Where: Central NY Playhouse, 3649 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY 13214 When: Jan. 23-25 at 8 p.m. How much: $20-$22 available on the playhouse website The Central New York Brewfest at the New York State Fairgrounds, located in the the Horticulture Building, Saturday February 4, 2017. Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.comSYR Central New York Brewfest In its 24th year, the annual celebration of all things beer returns with more than 200 beers from over 100 breweries at the CNY Brewfest. The first session will show the SU vs. Pitt game on a jumbo screen, second session will feature live music. CNY Brewfest will also be hosting its first ever Friday Night VIP Party pouring beers not available at the Saturday sessions. Where: Horticulture Building, NYS Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse, NY 13209 When: Jan. 24 from 6-9 p.m., Jan. 25 from noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. How much: $50-$110 available on Eventbrite New York Sportsmans Expo The New York Sportsmans Expo presents industry leading products, services and travel catering to the sportsman and outdoor enthusiast. The weekend will also include seminars, archery shoot, fully stocked trout pond, National Dog Dogs competition, and an appearance by Troy Landry from the History Channels Swamp People. Where: Exposition Center, NYS Fairgrounds, 601 State Fair Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13209 When: Jan. 24 from noon-7 p.m., Jan. 25 from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Jan. 26 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. How much: Adults $12, seniors, military/police/firemen with ID and children ages 6-12 $10, children 6 and under are free Robert Burns Weekend Celebrating the birthday of notable Scottish poet Robert Burns, the Brae Loch Inn presents a weekend of scotch tasting, formal Burns Supper with a six-course meal, bagpipes and drums, Highland dancers, Irish Step dancers, strolling minstrels, poetry, and Celtic rock. Where: The Brae Loch Inn, 5 Albany St, Cazenovia, NY 13035 When: Jan. 24 at 7 p.m., Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. How much: Friday night is free, Saturday Burns Supper $75 per person Homer WinterFest A weekend of events celebrating winter in Homer, NY, including a parade, snow sculpture contest, fireworks, bonfire, snow shoeing, chili cook-off, wingfest, and more. See the complete schedule on the Homer WinterFest website. Where: Various locations around Homer, NY When: Jan. 24 from 5-11 p.m., Jan. 25 from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. How much: Many events are free, some charge a small fee Frosty Forest at Green Lakes State Park Green Lakes State Park will offer horse drawn wagon rides, sled dogs encounters, arts and crafts, games and more this weekend. Food will be available to purchase from food trucks right at the beach. Where: Green Lakes State Park, 7900 Green Lakes Rd, Fayetteville, NY 13066 When: Jan. 25 from 1-4 p.m. How much: Free and a suggested donation of non-perishable food item(s) Lunar New Year Dinner and Celebration The Taiwanese American Association of Central New York will be hosting a Chinese New Year dinner and celebration featuring talent shows and lantern riddles. Where: Flaming Grill & Buffet, 244 Northern Lights Plaza, Syracuse, NY 13212 When: Jan. 25 from 6-9 p.m. How much: Adults $15, SU-ESF students $13, children ages 5-10 $10 third time the charm? Revision #3 thanks Kevin Stewart! Posted by Salmon River Winter Festival on Friday, January 17, 2020 Salmon River Winter Fest Pulaski and the town of Richland, NY will present the annual Salmon River Winter Fest. The weekend will include music, a movie night, winter scavenger hunt, restaurant food challenges, and more. Where: Various locations around Pulaski and Richland. See Facebook page for full event details. When: Jan. 24-26 How much: Free, some events charge small fee Dancing with the Stars Live Dancing with the Stars: Live! tours with audiences favorite dancers from the hit ABC show. The all-new production will be performing fan-favorite routines from the TV series and new numbers choreographed just for the live audiences. Where: Turning Stone Resort Casino, 5218 Patrick Rd., Verona, NY 13478 When: Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. How much: $49 - $89 available on Ticketmaster On Saturday, several thousands of young people demonstrated in Melbourne, the Victorian state capital, in opposition to the official response to the ongoing bushfire crisis across the country. The protests reflect the deep hostility and distrust that ordinary workers and youth have for successive Labor and Liberal-National coalition governments who have refused to act to mitigate bushfires or take any action on climate change, which is contributing to the severity of droughts and fire danger. Protesters march in Melbourne Like earlier rallies, the events were organised by Uni Students for Climate Justice, which is affiliated with the pseudo-left Socialist Alternative. The pseudo-left are seeking to channel the mass anger in the population into a parliamentary dead-end, calling for the replacement of Prime Minister Scott Morrison with another figure from the Liberal-National coalition government, and the future election of a big business Labor Party government. Summing up the bankruptcy of their perspective, Socialist Alternatives Cormac Ritchard told the Melbourne rally: If the Liberal MP who follows Morrison wont [tackle climate change]and they wontthen well sack them as well. And if the Labor Party government that comes in after them wont do itand they wontthen well sack them as well. Organisers lead young people in juvenile chants, such as ScoMos a wanker, F*ck ScoMo and ScoMos got to go. Kath Larkin Socialist Alternatives Kath Larkina leading figure in the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU)also spoke at the Melbourne rally. Larkin denounced the so-called Labor opposition, as well as the Morrison government, but then proceeded to promote the Labor-aligned and thoroughly corporatised trade union movement. She singled out the United Workers Unionwhich is aligned with the Labor right-wingand the RTBU for their statements of support for the protest. Larkin was silent on the negotiations between the RTBU and rail and tram operators over new enterprise bargaining agreements announced at the end of last year and the upcoming tram drivers strikes scheduled for January 28 and 30. The solution to the climate change crisis, according to Larkin, does not extend beyond the confines of the capitalist profit system. She echoed the call made by Socialist Alternatives Jerome Small at last weeks rally for a politically ambiguous mass civil disobedience movement. None of the speakers mentioned the words capitalism or socialism. All of the speakers promoted the claim that protest works and governments could be pressured to act on climate change. Their positions are in stark contrast to the growing awareness among young people internationally that decades of appeals for action by the ruling elite and its political representatives have failed, and that a struggle to end the capitalist system is necessary. Josh In Melbourne, Socialist Equality Party (SEP) campaigners and World Socialist Web Site reporters found a warm response from workers and youth at the rally for a revolutionary, internationalist and socialist program. Speaking with WSWS reporters, musician Josh said: The government isnt doing anything about the fires. ScoMo went to Hawaii and left us to burn. There wasnt enough done to reduce the impacts of it. And they saw it coming for a long time and did nothing. They [Labor] are just sell outs. Theyre in it for their own gain. In response to the SEPs revolutionary perspective, Josh said I fully agree. Im done with just protesting. Something needs to actually happen, because theyre not listening to us. Jennifer (right) Jennifer works in philanthropy and attended the rally with Mark, and daughter, Rose. She said, The government is not doing nearly enough. Theyve got a ridiculous position about climate change, complete denial, in bed with the coal industry. We vote against it whenever we can but its clearly not enough. So we want to keep sending a signal that we're unhappy. Yasmeen (right) Victoria University nursing student Yasmeen told the WSWS: The fires are happening and the government doesnt seem to be doing anything at all. You can only do so much raising money on social media. Climate change is real and it is going to have a terrible impact on future generations. It all comes down to money and how much they can make. But what is the point of improving economically if there isnt going to be anywhere to live? Marcus (right) Marcus noted that the fires are definitely climate change induced, I think we have to stand up to the government and actually demand that they do something. I think the response is focussing on emergency and disaster planning. I see that as a Band-Aid effect. I think you have to get to the root cause, and the root cause is climate change. Jessica High-school student Jessica, originally from New Zealand, said she thinks climate change is the biggest issue we are facing. I think there is too much greed, and profit is prevalent. Once there is money and powertheres too much. I think that climate change is not unconnected. Everything that happens has to take into account climate change. Social justice has to be tackled. Matt, from the outer-eastern Melbourne suburb of Boronia, told WSWS reporters: The situation is getting worse. I dont think politicians want to hear about this. In Australia we have a Prime Minister who brought in a lump of coal into the parliament. I vote Labor but I dont think any of the parties have made climate change a priority. Even the Greens and independents do deals that do not assist this cause. Matt (centre) Translator from Britain, Maddy, said: Im interested in the issue of climate change. Ive read about it and its scary. Ive come to realise that its an unavoidable symptom of the capitalist system which is based on exploitation and maximising profits, as if there are no consequences. Maddy (right) Its going to take a huge movement of people to change this. Political leaders are trying to appease business. I think that Scott Morrison is corrupt and the ALP still supports coal despite everything that has happened. In the UK the ruling party doesnt take any actions on climate change. She added: The way it is framed is that ordinary people have to keep making changes, but even if we recycled everything it wouldnt stop climate change. This has to come from government policy. Despite repeated warnings that the Philippiness Taal volcano could erupt at any time, some are risking their lives to stay close to home. Despite repeated warnings that the Philippiness Taal volcano could erupt at any time, some people are still refusing to leave the danger zones. In Batangas Province, Al Jazeeras Jamela Alindogan met residents who are risking their lives to stay close to home. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Border Service of Kazakhstans National Security Committee has arrested four Azerbaijanis on the territorial waters of Kazakhstan, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media which refer to the committee. The incident took place on the night of Jan. 21-22, 2020. The Sarbaz border patrol ship was carrying out its service for the protection of Kazakhstans maritime borders on the Caspian Sea and identified a target on the radar. Border guards reached out via international channel, but the target did not respond and Sarbaz started approaching it, the report said. The target turned out to be a Baida boat (Caspian sea poaching sea boat), the crew of which would not respond on the demands to stop and tried to escape southwest. Thus, the patrol began to pursue the boat. As a result of the pursue, Kazakhstans Border Service arrested four Azerbaijani citizens born 1971, 1975, 1978 1983. A pre-trial investigation under Intentional illegal crossing of the state border of Kazakhstan codex article was initiated, the report said. The initial report did not specify which country the poaching sea boat arrived from. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Eminent writer and niece of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Nayantara Sahgal said on Thursday that the doing of the ruling regime does not come as a surprise to her. Sahgal who resides in Dehradun was responding over the decision of replacing Urdu names with Sanskrit ones. "Why should we be surprised? Everything they are doing matches their policy. Such things are happening everywhere in every aspect. From this ruling regime we cannot expect anything else," said Sahgal. Notably, Sahgal had returned her Sahitya Academy Award in 2015 in protest against the 'increasing intolerance' in the country and to 'support right to dissent in the country'. After Indian Railways decided to replace Urdu names of Uttarakhand railway stations by Sanskrit, voices have emerged terming the move 'Apathy' and 'Exclusion' of one language over another. A petition has also been launched online to oppose the move. Swapna Liddle, a Delhi based historian who has signed the petition, commenting on the issue said, "I think that this move is less about including Sanskrit (because seriously, the name of the place written in Hindi and Sanskrit would be identical), and more about removing Urdu. This panders to the common misconception that Urdu is somehow a 'foreign' language, that we should be less proud of." Liddle, author of various books about the history of Delhi further added that Urdu is, in fact, a language that was born in India. "Its script, while derived from the Perso-Arabic, was heavily modified to include the sounds that are not to be found in those languages, e.g. sounds of ,,, , , , and many more. It was a script that was widely used in many parts of the country till some decades ago. The reason it has become less popular is exactly because of this kind of apathy and in fact deliberate exclusion," added Liddle. The online petitioners launched by Delhi based Yousuf Saeed which has garnered the support of around 1600 people till the time of writing this report. The petition said, "Urdu is part of our shared cultural tradition and more living today than a classical language. Many poets and writers of Urdu have lived in Uttarakhand towns like Dehradun, Mussoorie, Roorkee, and Almora etc. In fact, Urdu and Hindi cannot be separated - many mushairas, Kavi Sammelans and literary festivals are held in Uttarakhand regularly with readings of Urdu poetry. Urdu must be kept alive in Uttarakhand." Earlier, Indian Railways announced the move citing railway manual guidelines that the name of the stations in Uttarakhand will be written in Sanskrit replacing the Urdu on name displaying boards on platforms of the stations. The officials added that the name of the railway station should be written in the second language of the state apart from Hindi and English on display boards on the stations. In the case of Uttarakhand, the second language of the state happens to be Sanskrit. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 21, 2020 | 03:25 PM | PADUCAH The Michigan-based company began laying off employees last fall, and issued a statement in December saying there was a raw material shortage that lasted longer than anticipated. A Tuesday statement from Director of Operations Joe Pusateri says Genova was forced to halt operations when bank funding for materials was cut off, "with no reasonable notice." Since then, Pusateri said the company had been trying to restore funding, but had several deals fall through at the last minute. Pusateri said their previous layoffs fell under a loophole in the WARN Act, when public notification could hamper a company's ability to secure funding to stay open. But, he indicated some of their efforts were hurt anyway, when potential investors or suppliers heard of their struggles through news and social media reports. Pusateri said, "the unintended consequence of these proclamations made a most difficult job nearly impossible to achieve." Pusateri said they believe a buyer is in place and the deal is being reviewed by their bank. He said they will pass along more details when they are available. In December, the city of Paducah requested the West Kentucky Workforce Board to implement their rapid response service team for displaced Genova employees, and notified the Kentucky Education Workforce Development Cabinet of the situation. City Commissioner and Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilson said then that employees should go to the Kentucky Career Center to get assistance in filing for unemployment. All Please be advised that Genova Products is sending out notices to comply with the WARN act. Genova falls under the "Faltering Company" exception, and therefore could not send the notices out any sooner. (1) Faltering company. This exception, to be narrowly construed, covers situations where a company has sought new capital or business in order to stay open and where giving notice would ruin the opportunity to get the new capital or business, and applies only to plant closings Genova maintained its operations until such time the bank no longer provided funds for raw materials, and did so with no reasonable notice. Since that very day, efforts have been made to restore funding, thereby restoring operations. Our singular objective was to get the plants up and running at all locations so all of our employees could return to work. We believed we secured the funding on many occasions, only to have the deal sour for one reason or another at the last minute. Some of our efforts were hurt by our internal challenges being so well publicized in the news and social media. As customers and suppliers learned of our issues, they became wary of continuing to further our business relationships. Our challenges became public through the frustration of the people involved, which was completely understandable under the circumstances. The unintended consequence of these proclamations made a most difficult job nearly impossible to achieve. We currently have a potential buyer that Genova has agreed to the terms of their proposal. It is currently being reviewed by the bank and we hope to have some direction soon. Until such time I wanted to make you aware of where we are at and the notices were being sent out. As additional information becomes available, I will update everyone accordingly. Sincerely, Joseph Pusateri Director of Operations Genova Products, Inc. 5400 Commerce Drive Paducah, KY 42001 Genova Products has sent out notices to employees in compliance with the WARN Act, indicating that the Paducah plant will close.Here is the complete press release from Genova on January 21, 2020: On the Net: Reopening Lavash this month in San Franciscos Inner Sunset neighborhood took nearly everything Kaivon Talais family had in terms of time, money and patience. With whats left of each, they hope to survive the year. We consider Lavash an extension of our familys home. This place means so much to a lot of people, Talai said. But honestly right now is a struggle for us. We have to try to find a way to stay open. The business closed in early 2018 following a one-alarm kitchen fire. Over the next 20 months, the family made repairs to the restaurants electrical systems and drywall. Talai said the family paid out-of-pocket for many of the improvements and is still paying the bills associated with the closure. Were a small, family-owned business. We dont have a pile of cash or a lot of investors to help us out, Talai said. Were having full houses at night, but we arent seeing the profitability that we need to stay open. Talai and his parents, Saeed and Nazila, run Lavash, along with his younger brothers, Kian and Kamron. Its arguably San Francisco's most well-known Persian restaurant, popular for its zereshk polo (basmati rice with barberries, raisins and sauteed onions served with chicken seasoned in cumin, turmeric and saffron), ghormeh sabzi (beef stew with herbs, kidney beans and dried limes), and various kebabs. (See the menu here) Lavash San Franciscos dining scene may be witnessing an uptick in Middle Eastern concepts over the last few years, but the food of the local Iranian community rarely, if ever, receives high-profile attention. Other than Lavash, North Beachs Maykadeh is the only other notable Persian restaurant in the city, and its more of an upscale, white tablecloth establishment. Saeed and Nazila, the founders of Lavash, came to the U.S. from Iran in the 1970s. The couples first foray into the local food scene was in the 1990s when they opened a taqueria called LAvenida in the Inner Sunset. It proved popular over the years (Talai said he still urges his parents to reopen the concept in the city). After LAvenida closed in 2008, they opened Lavash. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Lavash is currently in a soft-open phase with limited hours and a limited menu. Talai said he hopes the restaurant will be fully operational by the end of the month. After all that has happened, I just hope we can make it, he said. We have to at least try. Lavash: 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. 511 Irving St., San Francisco. 415-664-5555 or www.lavashsf.com. Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @JustMrPhillips The Ulster Farmers' Union has said it will take part in a demonstration in Westminster urging the UK Government to maintain strict standards on food following Brexit. UFU president Ivor Ferguson said it and unions from England, Wales and Scotland are planning to stage a demonstration in March. UFU chief executive Wesley Aston said that the UFU is also concerned that while the Ireland and Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit withdrawal agreement enables farmers here to trade into the Republic and the EU, the process presented barriers to trade in Britain - Northern Ireland's biggest market. And with NI farm products made to adhere to EU standards in future, farmers could find it harder to trade into Britain, if standards there are different in future. Mr Ferguson said that with farmers here operating to strict Red Tractor standards - which impose levels of animal welfare - it could face competition from cheaper goods in Britain if standards were lowered. Mr Ferguson said the UFU and other unions had been lobbying for food standards to be maintained in the UK following Brexit. "Theresa Villiers (Environment Secretary) will say that of course we're going to keep out hormone-treated beef and chlorinated chicken, but that's only part of the problem. "We want to make sure that if a deal is being done they have to match Red Tractor standards as a minimum. That takes in animal welfare and all these other things, and that would protect us. "We have been campaigning and lobbying hard on this and we haven't had any comfort yet. "We hope to go to set up a demonstration on behalf of the four unions going forward, just to highlight the concerns to the Press and the consumers." While the Brexit withdrawal agreement provides for "unfettered access" to the British market from Northern Ireland, Mr Aston said he was concerned about how that would operate in practice. "There's always been concerns about both the genuine commitment to that and also about Great Britain to Northern Ireland." Mr Aston said that with a deadline of the end of the year imposed by the Prime Minister for securing a free trade agreement, that could mean a deal reached in a short period could be closer to the existing state of affairs. But he added: "Equally, the Chancellor came out the other day and said businesses need to wise up and realise that they need to do things differently after Brexit. So the two don't necessarily add up, so we have real concerns about NI trade in the UK internal market." Jerri-Lynn here. Im posting this to remind readers that while Trump may have, shall we say, pushed the envelope on corruption, Biden has long had his own special problems. Now, some of this behavior is not necessarily illegal just standard operating procedure in Washington. Im reminded of Michael Kinsleys quip: I have a saying: the scandal isnt whats illegal, the scandal is whats legal. We all know Democratic insiders are pushing the Biden candidacy, hard. This post makes the case for saying No to Joe. The Democrats cannot once again hand Trump the corruption issue again, to pound their candidate on what should be his great vulnerability. By Eoin Higgins, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams After establishment Democrats exploded over a column making the argument that former Vice President Joe Biden is too corrupt to credibly present voters an alternative to President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election, progressives presented more evidence from Bidens past that make the case against his candidacy. A column Monday by Zephyr Teachout, a professor of law at Fordham University and supporter of the Democratic presidential bid of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), set off a firestorm for asserting Biden has a corruption problem and that his past makes the former vice president a weak candidate compared to others in the primary field. Heres the thing, wrote Teachout, nominating a candidate like Biden will make it far more difficult to defeat Trump. Middle Class Joe Biden has a corruption problem it makes him a weak candidate | Zephyr Teachout https://t.co/Ooxb56VheB Zephyr Teachout (@ZephyrTeachout) 20 January 2020 Teachout detailed three major areas of concern: Bidens prioritization of the financial industry over working Americans, his ties to the healthcare industry, and his connections to the fossil fuel industry. The potential for Trump to use Bidens record against him in a general election, said Teachout, should not be underestimated. Corrupt politicians always use whataboutism, Teachout wrote. With Biden, we are basically handing Trump a whataboutism playbook. Cenk Uygur, the Young Turks host running for Congress in Californias 25th district, said on Twitter that the argument against Biden for corruption was an easy one to make. Of course Biden is corrupt, said Uygur. He takes millions in campaign contributions and votes with his donors. Its obvious. Establishment Democrats and members of the media cried foul over the piece, calling it an attack and placing the blame for it at Sanders feet. The Hills Krystal Ball replied by noting the double standard in which it is off the table for Sanders and his team to mark legitimate distinctions between the senator and other candidates while his rivals are allowed to levy unfounded attacks against him. So the Sanders campaign isnt allowed to point things out that are objectively true, while other campaigns are celebrated for nasty invented smears, Ball tweeted of an attack on the campaign from New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. Got it. So the Sanders campaign isnt allowed to point things out that are objectively true, while other campaigns are celebrated for nasty invented smears. Got it. https://t.co/e6Jjw8Rmk0 Krystal Ball (@krystalball) 20 January 2020 Jon Schwarz, a writer for The Intercept, opined that Krugmans distaste for the attacks was based in his support for Biden and not in a real interest in keeping the primary fair. Note Krugman doesnt say anything here is false, and is not denying Biden is corrupt, said Schwarz. Krugman surely knows Biden is corrupt (although in the standard Washington way, not the insane lurid Trump way). Krugman just objects to anyone mentioning these facts. Sanders, for his part, disavowed Teachouts article and claimed not to believe Biden is corrupt in an interview with CBS News. Thanks for acknowledging this, Bernie, Biden tweeted in response. These kinds of attacks have no place in this primary. Lets all keep our focus on making Donald Trump a one-term president. Giving Biden the ability to pivot away from discussing that history and calling for ignoring it altogether, said Intercept journalist Mehdi Hasan, is a problem. It is political malpractice that none of his rivals have brought up Bidens sponsorship of the infamous bankruptcy bill on behalf of the credit card industry in Delaware at a single TV debate so far, Hasan said, which allows Biden to then put out tweets like this. Journalist Sam Adler-Bell agreed and noted the possibility of the GOP taking advantage of a gaping hole in Bidens credibility with voters. Biden is corrupt and the Sanders campaign is justified in saying so, said Adler-Bell. Just on electability grounds, Bidens record is a huge opening for Trump (also corrupt). As a number of progressives pointed out, Bidens history at the very least hints at corruption and nepotism of the kind described by Teachout and used by Republicans to defend Trump from impeachment over withholding aid to Ukraine until the countrys leaders announced an investigation into Bidens son Hunters employment by gas company Burisma. Our impeachment contains in its underlying facts that Bidens son made $600k/yr at a no-show Ukrainian gas company board job, so everyone needs to keep the lips zipped on Biden corruption for the moment. > This is the amusing corner the Dems have walked themselves into. Matt Bruenig (@MattBruenig) 21 January 2020 Your son was working for the [credit card] company at the same time. In retrospect, wasnt it inappropriate? Tom Brokaw, 2008, quizzing Biden on the work he did for MBNA in the Senate while Hunter was on their payroll. https://t.co/a7KkQWV7Xf Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) 21 January 2020 Your son was working for the [credit card] company at the same time. In retrospect, wasnt it inappropriate? Tom Brokaw, 2008, quizzing Biden on the work he did for MBNA in the Senate while Hunter was on their payroll. https://t.co/a7KkQWV7Xf Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) 21 January 2020 With the politics of impeachment looming and Bidens documented history of promoting the interests of corporate donors clear to anyone willing to look, the time to air out the current national frontrunners record is now, said Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson. If we dont point out the truth, we risk getting stuck with a corrupt candidate that Trump will crush, Robinson said. Teachout, in her column Monday, called on Democrats to choose a different path. We still have time to break with this culture of corruption, wrote Teachout. We dont have to choose Bidens way, which would give Trump a perfect foil. We have a rare opportunity to end a larger culture of corruption and we should take it, she added. We will regret it if we dont. US secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to travel to Ukraine and meet with the countrys president next week, just over a week into Donald Trumps ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate. Mr Pompeo will be in Kiev next Friday, according to reports, and his visit is expected to include a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, who Mr Trump and his administration is accused of attempting to coerce into launching an investigation into the US presidents domestic political rival. The visit, first reported by Buzzfeed News, will represent the first time that a member of Mr Trumps cabinet has met with Mr Zelensky since last fall when impeachment investigations against the US president first began, spurred on by his alleged use of congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to compel Mr Zelensky to launch that investigation into Joe Biden and his family. Those allegations have led to the impeachment trial in the Senate, which formally began on Tuesday. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing, even as he became the third president in US history to face impeachment in December, with charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Show all 26 1 /26 Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Donald Trump Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clintons deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Whistleblower Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Second Whistleblower The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rudy Giuliani Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trumps personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the presidents enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a shadow foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trumps behalf and has called himself a hero. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Volodymyr Zelensky The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the favour he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin. AFP/Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pence The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had one or two phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trumps actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rick Perry Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didnt even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Joe Biden The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trumps opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Bidens son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Hunter Biden Joe Bidens son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Bidens lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Barr The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trumps preoccupations with the Bidens and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a cover-up of a cover-up. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pompeo The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president. AFP via Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Adam Schiff Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a parody of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a four Pinocchios rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Taylor The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff later identified as diplomat David Holmes overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about investigations the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trumps opponents, saying: It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal George Kent A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps personal lawyer, of leading a campaign of lies against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Marie Yovanovitch One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack very intimidating. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: Shes going to go through some things. Yovanovitch said she was shocked, appalled and devastated by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation. REUTERS Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Alexander Vindman A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trumps 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Jennifer Williams A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it unusual because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Kurt Volker The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraines reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Tim Morrison An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Gordon Sondland In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: Was there a quid pro quo? Yes, said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the presidents political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a great American a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Laura Cooper A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August undermining a Republican argument that there cant have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didnt know that aid was being withheld. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Hale The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Fiona Hill Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was being involved in a domestic political errand. She said: I did say to him, Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up. And here we are. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Holmes The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line because his voice was so loud and distinctive and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear asking about the investigations and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate. REUTERS Timing of Mr Pompeos visit aside, the trip is aimed at reassuring Ukrainian leaders that the US is still an ally in its fight against Russian aggression in the east of the country. The travel plans havent been officially announced, but Mr Pompeo is expected to stay one night in Kiev before heading to Belarus. The visit comes just after Ukrainian officials opened an investigation into possible illegal surveillance of former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was abruptly brought back to Washington last year. Text messages released last week show that Lev Parnas, an associate of Mr Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, had discussed Ms Yovanovitchs movements in Kiev with Robert Hyde, a donor to Mr Trump who is running for Congress in Connecticut. Britain on Wednesday enhanced monitoring of flights from the central China city at the heart of a new SARS-like virus that has killed nine people and spread to the United States. Public Health England also raised the risk level of an infection from "very low" to "low" due to the potential for human to human transmission. "From today, enhanced monitoring will be in place from all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK," the health service said in a statement. Health teams will meet each of the three weekly direct flights from Wuhan to London "to provide advice and support to those that feel unwell", it said. Mandarin and Cantonese language-speaking staff will also be on hand. "The enhanced monitoring of direct flights will be kept under continuous review and expanded to other Chinese departure points if necessary," the statement said. The coronavirus has caused alarm due to its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. The new virus is known to have infected hundreds, although doctors fear its true scale could be higher. The United States on Tuesday confirmed its first case of a person with the new virus. European countries have not registered any cases to date. London's Heathrow airport, which is Europe's busiest, said the stepped-up checks were "a precaution". "We would like to reassure passengers that the government assesses the risk of a traveller contracting coronavirus to be low," a Heathrow spokesperson said. Romanian health authorities on Wednesday also said they intend to introduce screening measures at airports. Elsewhere in Europe, French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn, said authorities were monitoring the situation but not following the lead of nations such as Russia, which has put up posters telling passenger what to do in case of symptoms. Such measures are not recommended by the World Health Organization, Buzyn said, and are "not very effective". German health authorities said they had also refrained from taking any measures at airports. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beacon Hill Democrats and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker coalesced around the commitment to make Massachusetts reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Baker announced his commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions during his State of the Commonwealth address Tuesday night. He tied it directly to his Transportation and Climate Initiative, a cap-and-trade program that could lead to higher gas prices but would reinvest revenue in transportation projects that reduce carbon emissions. Yesterdays solutions and yesterdays plans are no longer sufficient, Baker said. We must continue to take bold action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Hours before his address, Senate President Karen Spilka and Sen. Mike Barrett, both Democrats, announced plans for a comprehensive climate change bill in a video on social media. The bill is expected to include a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, updates from the current target of 80 percent emissions reduction by that point. Im thrilled that the governor is joining us with that, said Spilka, an Ashland Democrat. The Senate plans to unveil the details on Thursday. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, said the house plans to take up a similar proposal. He said he would like to get legislation passed by the end of the session in July. The legislators said they support TCI and understand the challenges that come with proposing a regional compact, including that some states might not want to join. I hope they do, Spilka said. The more states that do, the more benefits we will have with greenhouse gas emissions reduction, but even if a few, particularly the smaller states, dont join in, I think they will end up regretting it. Under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008, Massachusetts has a target of reducing emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. It also has a statewide limit of up to 25 percent by 2020, which Former Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles also set in his climate plan for 2020, but a 2015 update revised the measures to meet that target. In 2016, the Supreme Judicial Court ordered the Baker administration to create new regulations to make sure the state meets those targets. Baker issued an executive order that year that instructs the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to develop a comprehensive energy plan. In his speech, Baker not only announced this goal but called on lawmakers to pass his bills on transportation and health care before the end of the session. He also promoted his initiative to limit carbon emissions in a regional compact with other states along the Northeast corridor. But the goal could be harder to reach than Baker initially expected if neighboring states dont join TCI. Officials projected in December that the initiative could bring the region $7 billion in new revenue, including $500 million a year for Massachusetts alone. State officials say those figures are based on carbon caps on vehicle emissions of between 20 percent and 25 percent over 10 years. Officials say the state would see emissions reductions of 6 to 19 percent if nothing changes. Opponents call the initiative a regressive gas tax because of the possibility that the compact could lead to gas price increases of 5 cents per gallon to 17 cents per gallon if fuel suppliers pass on the full costs to the consumer. Those caps would decrease over time. After the estimates were released, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said he would opt out of the program. State leaders in Vermont and Rhode Island have expressed reservations. Almost all of the New England states have raised concerns with the regressive nature of the program and tonights speech will not change that, said Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. Massachusetts voters care deeply about keeping costs low and TCI will only dramatically increase the cost of living and doing business in Massachusetts. Erika Niedowski, northeast director of the Coalition for Community Solar Access, argued Massachusetts should try to meet the target with a tenfold annual increase of solar energy over the next several decades. "We applaud Governor Bakers decision to commit Massachusetts to net zero climate emissions by 2050 and share his belief that getting there will require bold action, Niedowski said. A handful of bills already call for reducing emissions to zero by 2050. I think its good news that the governor has signed onto that goal, said Sen. Eric Lesser, a Longmeadow Democrat who co-sponsored a bill with similar net-zero emission targets by 2045 goals, which was filed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge. Western Massachusetts could stand to benefit economically from the commitment to net-zero emissions, Lesser said. UMass Amherst has centers focusing on advanced battery technology, solar and wind turbines. This goal is going to be essential for the environment, essential to reduce climate change, he said. Its also going to create a lot of jobs, and its going to create a lot of economic opportunity for people. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- William Nix, Chairman & CEO of Creative Projects Group, is proud to announce that Nancy Cushing-Jones is launching her new consulting business in coordination with Creative Projects Group. Through ncj publishing services (http://ncjpublishingservices.com), she will provide a range of services from content editing, to brand development, to ideas for expanding brands across multiple platforms. Nix stated, when making the announcement, that "we are delighted to be working with Nancy in this new capacity, in addition to her on-going work with us as a member of our Board of Advisors. She brings with her an impressive legacy in global new business strategy, as a marketing transmedia specialist, and in developing and monetizing intellectual property rights into major global consumer brands for a wide range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to individuals. As Nancy often states, "there is nothing more fulfilling than working with clients to develop their ideas and businesses and help them achieve their goals." Nancy is an expert in translating story concepts from one medium to another and in all forms of publishing across all genres and age groups. She is one of the earliest creators of the "tie-in" publishing business, transforming it from a marketing-only function to a financially significant business. Nancy launched, and ran for 23 years, the worldwide book publishing and videogame licensing divisions of Universal Studios, where she became the first woman division President in the Studio's history. Nancy was also Executive Vice President of the Studio's Consumer Products Group. She also co-founded Broadthink, a media, marketing, branding, and business strategy company that has provided new directions for a wide range of clients. For more detailed information about Nancy's background, please see: http://creativeprojectsgroup.com/who-we-are/53-officers/363-nancy-cushing-jones.html SOURCE Creative Projects Group Related Links http://www.creativeprojectsgroup.com Nearly two-thirds of registered voters (63 percent) agree with Democrats that the Senate should call new witnesses to testify during President Trumps impeachment trial, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Only 26 percent of voters disagree. Conducted on Jan. 21 and 22 as the Senate trial was getting underway, the poll suggests that broad majorities of Americans side with Democrats in the pitched partisan battle over whether new witnesses should be allowed to testify or whether they should be blocked, as Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has maintained. Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Senate TV via Yahoo News, Getty Images In the survey, 85 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of independents said the Senate should call new witnesses. Among Republicans surveyed, 43 percent said the Senate should not call new witnesses, while 35 percent said witnesses should be called and 22 percent indicated they were unsure on the question. When asked about specific possible witnesses, majorities of voters said they wanted to hear from each of the four Trump allies Democrats have formally identified. Sixty percent of voters said they wanted to hear from Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani; 57 percent said they wanted to hear from Trumps secretary of state, Mike Pompeo; 53 percent said they wanted to hear from Trumps former national security adviser, John Bolton; and 50 percent said they wanted to hear from Trumps acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. In each case, only about a quarter of voters said they did not want to hear from these figures. Both Giuliani and Bolton have said they would testify if summoned or subpoenaed. Registered voters were slightly less interested in Giulianis Ukraine fixer Lev Parnas, but a plurality (47 percent) still said they wanted to hear from him. Lest Democrats get too excited about those numbers, registered voters also support summoning both Joe Biden (52 percent in favor vs. 36 percent against) and Hunter Biden (50 percent in favor vs. 34 percent against) to testify. Story continues Either way, the Americans surveyed expressed a lack of confidence in the Senate trial, with a plurality (42 percent) saying it will not be conducted fairly 10 points higher than the percentage who say the trial will be fair. Among Democrats, the unfair response number rises to 63 percent, and a plurality of independents (40 percent) agree. Only Republicans (57 percent) believe the Senate will conduct a fair trial. A December Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that a plurality of Americans (49 percent) believed that House impeachment hearings had been fair to Trump. Overall, registered voters remained divided over whether the president should be removed from office, with 46 percent saying he should, 45 percent saying he shouldnt and nine percent saying theyre not sure. Three-quarters of registered voters, however, predict that the Republican-controlled Senate will decline to convict and remove Trump. That said, a full 64 percent of registered voters in states holding an election for a Senate seat this November say that their senators vote on impeachment will be a very important factor in how they vote on Election Day, and 67 percent of voters nationwide say they are either following the trial very closely (35 percent) or somewhat closely (32 percent). Even if the outcome of Trumps trial seems preordained, the stakes remain high. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Beirut: Russian air strikes killed at least 23 civilians on Tuesday in northwestern Syria, as renewed violence tightened the noose around the country's last major rebel-held bastion and deepened an already dire humanitarian crisis. Retaliatory rocket attacks blamed on rebels and jihadists killed three more civilians in the nearby government-held city of Aleppo, state news agency SANA said. The spike in violence in the neighbouring provinces of Aleppo and Idlib follow so far unsuccessful diplomatic attempts to reduce hostilities in the flashpoint region, with the latest truce in theory going into effect less than two weeks ago. Most of Idlib and parts of Aleppo province are still controlled by factions opposed to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, including a group that includes onetime members of Al-Qaeda's former Syria franchise. The Damascus regime, which controls around 70 percent of the country after nearly nine years of war, has repeatedly vowed to recapture the region. Idlib hosts at least three million people, many of whom have fled other parts of the country and are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. On Tuesday, air strikes by regime ally Russia on a rebel-held zone of Aleppo's western countryside killed eight members of the same family, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Six children were among those killed in the raid in Kfar Taal village, where three girls died in strikes a day earlier, according to the Britain-based monitor. Another 15 civilians were killed in Russian air raids on western Aleppo and a southern region of Idlib, bringing the day's death toll to 23, including 13 children. "Over the past three days, the bombardment on Idlib and its surroundings, including in western Aleppo, has been exclusively Russian," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. "They want to push rebels and jihadists away from the city of Aleppo and from the motorway linking Aleppo to Damascus." SANA said rebel rocket fire on Tuesday also killed two women and a child in Aleppo city. The surge in violence comes despite a ceasefire announced by Moscow earlier this month that never really took hold. Last Thursday, Russia denied launching any combat operations in the region since the start of the ceasefire earlier this month. Thousands of Russian troops are deployed across Syria in support of the army, while a contingent of Russian private security personnel also operates on the ground. Moscow's military intervention in 2015, four years into the Syrian conflict, helped keep Assad in power and started a long, bloody reconquest of territory lost to rebels in the early stages of the war. Abdul Rahman said the latest spate of air strikes could be a prelude to a land offensive in western Aleppo province, as the regime and its allies continue their drive to shrink the last opposition-held pocket. "The regime has massed reinforcements on the outskirts of the city of Aleppo," Abdel Rahman said. The violence in northern Syria is escalating an already dire humanitarian situation, with aid groups warning of displacement on an unprecedented scale. Also Read: Syria Crisis: NATO Hammers Turkey Over Attacking Kurds According to the UN humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, almost 350,000 people have fled their homes since December 1, mainly northwards from southern Idlib, which has borne the brunt of the air strikes. The International Rescue Committee has warned another 650,000 people, mostly children and women, could be forced from their homes if the violence continues. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The funds will allow the company to accelerate the development of its chemotherapy drug candidate targeting solid tumors France based Seekyo, a privately-owned biotech start-up specializing in the development of the next generation of chemotherapies, announces that it has completed a seed round of fundraising to the value of 800k ($889K). The funds will allow the company to accelerate the development of its flagship drug candidate, before launching a new fundraising round that will address clinical trials. For this round, Seekyo benefited from the support of investors and of the French Tech Seed Fund, which is intended to give leverage to private investment in technology companies less than three years old. Its round table was based on a fundraising of 400,000 ($445K) from a pool of investors from the BAdGE, INVESTESSOR and SYNERGENCE business angel networks, reinforced by a 150,000 ($167K) European Investment Fund (EIF) Investment Initiation Loan. The French Tech Seed Fund, managed by Bpifrance, the French Public Investment Bank, completed the fundraising by providing 250,000 ($278K) in convertible bonds. This additional funding is a direct result of the labeling of Seekyo by the French Tech Seed Paris-Saclay consortium. The French biotechnology company was co-founded in 2018 by Oury Chetboun and Prof Sebastien Papot (CNRS/University of Poitiers, France). Seekyo develops a drug candidate that can specifically target solid tumors (pancreas, lung, triple negative breast, colon, head and neck). Based on its patented molecular platform, the drug is transported in an innocuous manner in the form of therapeutic vectors that detect the tumor and trigger its anticancer activity only in malignant tissues. The drug is activated in the tumor microenvironment via an extracellular and highly specific enzymatic cleavage. This increases the effectiveness of anticancer drugs, while considerably reducing their adverse effects. In 2018, the total number of new cases of cancer worldwide was estimated to be 18.1 million. It is also estimated that one in two men and one in three women will develop cancer before the age of 85. The total number of cancer-related deaths worldwide in 2018 was nearly 10 million (source: World Health Organization). More than 40% of cancers are solid tumors for which chemotherapy is one of the main forms of treatment. This relies on the use of drugs to eliminate cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy attacks not only cancer cells, but also healthy ones, causing significant adverse effects to patients. Drugs on the market or in development seek to be more selective in their targeting, such as Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC). However, they have already demonstrated their own limitations in the treatment of solid tumors, including low tissue penetration and cancer cells heterogeneity. The chemotherapy drugs developed by Seekyo constitute an alternative to ADCs. Seekyo has already conducted preclinical studies with its drug candidate SKY01, with very promising results. The company also develops a pipeline of early stage drug candidates based on its molecular platform. SKY01 is a therapeutic vector carrying a powerful cytotoxic agent that can be activated in the tumor microenvironment via an extracellular and highly specific enzymatic cleavage. With this, Seekyo positions itself as an alternative to the already identified limitations of treatments, such as ADCs, including targeting the tumor microenvironment without using monoclonal antibodies, said Prof Sebastien Papot, CSO and co-founder of Seekyo. We are very happy to support Seekyo which is embarking on a promising development with high technological intensity, said Mame Dieye, regional director at Bpifrance Poitiers. We are very pleased to have attracted new financial partners to push forward the development of our company and our drug candidate, said Oury Chetboun, CEO of Seekyo. The funds will allow us to consolidate the promising results in mice by conducting toxicology and pharmacokinetics tests. We are also preparing a new round of fundraising in 2020 to conduct regulatory preclinical trials, with the goal of entering human clinical trials within 24 months. In Western culture, the lowly rat couldnt have worse public relations. But in the Chinese zodiac, the rat has some star power: It represents wit, energy and a gift for getting things it wants. Its also the first of the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac, so the Lunar New Year (Tet in Vietnamese) that begins on Saturday will be a true fresh start. But because the zodiac also cycles through five inanimate elements wood, fire, earth, metal, water 2020 will specifically be the Year of the Metal Rat. The Rat Year tells you to develop your abilities, to be ingenious, to think outside the box, says Nan Hall Linke, possibly Houstons only astrologer/therapist/landscaper. The metal element, she says, signals renewed ambition and a desire to fulfill unmet needs. Dont look back, but look for financial opportunities. Now Playing: In Western culture, the lowly rat couldnt have worse public relations. But in the Chinese zodiac, the rat has some star power: It represents wit, energy and a gift for getting things it wants. Video: Art: Nadya Shakoor, Video: Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle Those born in a Rat year are close with their friends and seem confident. But they are anxious inside, and the dark side of that can be very dark, Linke says. The poisoned rat doesnt stop moving. More on Lunar New Year The Lunar New Year is celebrated across wide swaths of Asia, with customs and lengths of the holiday varying from region to region, and in the Chinese diaspora worldwide. It is a movable feast, its date falling at the second new moon after the winter solstice. In China this year, the 40-day period called Chinyun began Jan. 10. Because family reunions are key to the commemoration, the New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the largest annual human migration on the planet, according to CNN. According to one legend, thousands of years ago the Jade Emperor told the animals that he would determine the order of the zodiac by the order in which the animals arrived to his party. Rat hitched a ride on the back of Ox. But when they arrived at the palace, Rat hopped off Ox so he could be first. Festivities The Chinese Community Center Houston, 9800 Town Park Drive, will host a free celebration 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. ccchouston.org The Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore, will host two weekends of performances and events starting 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free festivities include lion dances, story time, dance performances and other family-friendly activities. asiasociety.org/texas The Asia Society Texas Center and Simon Malls are hosting Lunar New Year activities at The Galleria noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Feb. 1 and 2. See More Collapse On ReNewHouston.com: Houstons fitness czar offers tips for sticking to healthy resolutions A Rat Year doesnt encourage high-mindedness in anyone. Dont worry about other people, Linke says. Take care of yourself. Kathryn Weber practices classical Chinese feng shui in Victoria, where she runs the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine. The whole idea of feng shui is that the way your home and office are arranged affects your health, wealth and relationships, she says. Because the 2020 New Year is a zodiacal new beginning, the tradition of doing a deep house-cleaning in preparation for the holiday is even more important than in average years, she says. (But do not sweep on New Years Day, for risk of sweeping your luck out the door.) Repairing broken items around the home takes priority, too, as it also affects future success. Broken equals broke, Weber says. Fill your house with plant life flower arrangements, orange trees, lime trees or pussywillow, for example, to increase your prospects for abundance and good fortune. Both Linke and Weber look beyond the holiday itself to the year to come. Linke, who says that the aspects of this year align with what she sees in Western astrology, notes that owing to the 60-year Chinese great cycle, the last Metal Rat year was 1960. Think of John F. Kennedys stirring inauguration and the tumultuous decade that followed. The young are collectivizing, she says. Rat is out for itself, but it wants to be part of a collective conscious. Weber sees a rise in precious metals, advances in electronics and growth in high tech. On the negative side, she warns of electronic tampering and hacked voting machines. One thing I believe in is an increased need for digital security, such as passwords, and increased need for coverage for identity theft. In other words, maybe this is the year you finally learn to code. Its also important to be alert for family rifts. Metal has a cutting edge, she says, and there is no sharper knife in the drawer than the tongue. That cutting energy may mean excising whatever no longer works for you, from dealing with addictions to literal cutting, such as going in for small surgeries. But also on the personal side, Weber says, its a decent year for affairs of the heart, and nows the time for a romantic getaway. Phew! Babies born this year will be born sensitive and thinking, with quick minds, and need a nice, soothing environment, Weber says. Growing up, they will be highly motivated but also quite materialistic, always pushing toward security. If this coming year sounds difficult, Linke says youve got this. The talents youve learned in the last two or three years will be what you have achievements in. Webers advice is similar. We all have things we have to manage in our lives, the bumps in the road. Work with the energy of the year: smaller and smoother. Kyrie OConnor is a freelance writer and a former editor at the Houston Chronicle. SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindbody, the leading technology platform for the wellness industry, today announced a global agreement with one of the fastest-growing fitness franchisors in the United States, F45 Training. The five-year agreement will see Mindbody utilized in key markets to manage their studio operations. "The F45 team are true innovators, and are helping lead the global fitness movement," said Rick Stollmeyer, Mindbody CEO and co-founder. "We are proud to serve them as they continue to be at the forefront of consumer trends in the fitness industry." F45 Training's studios offer a unique team training workout that merges three separate leading-edge fitness training styles high-intensity interval training (HIIT), circuit training, and functional training into one. Founded in Australia in 2013 by Rob Deutsch and Adam Gilchrist, F45 Training has sold more than 1,760 locations worldwide. F45 Training's global headquarters are based in Los Angeles. By having one platform of choice across all locations, F45 Training will offer a consistent experience for both studio franchisees and team members, including the use of MINDBODY's advanced marketing and reporting features as well as 24/7 support. F45 Training members will also enjoy a streamlined experience across locations, with online booking available through each studio's website or through the Mindbody app. "We are thrilled to renew our partnership with Mindbody. It is our priority to ensure that F45 franchisees have access to market-leading software and systems. The team at Mindbody is uniquely positioned to support F45 now and into the future," stated Adam Gilchrist, F45 Training Co-founder and CEO. "As the leading technology platform for the wellness industry, we are singularly able to meet the diverse needs of businesses ranging from single studios to global brands like F45," continued Stollmeyer. "The Mindbody team continues to invest deeply in our platform and we have exciting innovations planned for release in the year ahead." About Mindbody Mindbody is the leading technology platform for the wellness industry. Local entrepreneurs worldwide use Mindbody's integrated software and payments platform to run, market and grow their businesses. Consumers use Mindbody to more easily find, engage and transact with wellness providers in their local communities. For more information on how Mindbody is helping people lead healthier, happier lives by connecting the world to wellness, visit mindbodyonline.com About F45 Training F45 Training is a global fitness training community specializing in innovative, high-intensity group workouts that are fast, fun and proven to get rapid results for members. F45 Training's commitment to innovation goes well beyond the gym floor. With an ever-growing suite of proprietary fitness and business technology, F45 Training provides an unprecedented level of insight and control for both clients and franchisees. For more information on F45 Training please visit www.f45training.com. 2020 Mindbody, Inc. All rights reserved. Mindbody, FitMetrix, the Enso logo, the Booker logo and Connecting the World to Wellness are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mindbody Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. SOURCE Mindbody Related Links https://www.mindbodyonline.com A large number of Indian students in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the new SARS-like virus which rattled China and the world with its sheer virulence, kept an anxious watch on the situation as local officials on Wednesday asked people to stop travelling in and out of the city. The bustling central Chinese city of about 11.5 million people with beautiful parks and lakes has overnight turned into a city of nightmare as nine people died and over 440 people admitted to hospitals with quarantine facilities. Wuhan became a household name in India for being the venue of the historic first informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in 2018. It is also home to about 700 Indians, mostly students. Over 500 Indian students are studying medicine while others were pursuing Ph.D and language programmes. China has become a major destination for Indian medical students with their numbers sharply increasing to 23,000 in the last few years. While most of the Indian students left for home in the second week of this month after completion of the exams, others remained in the city to complete their academic work. Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city, National Health Commission Vice-Minister Li Bin told journalists here on Wednesday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that there is no ban on people leaving and entering Wuhan, while the officials have stepped up monitoring measures like screening people at most of the crowded places. Curtailing the movement of people appears to be the main task for the Chinese officials as all the deaths and most of the cases reported in different Chinese cities and the world are linked to Wuhan. Local officials announced the suspension of Friday prayers in mosques, according to social media reports, in an apparent attempt to avoid close gathering of people as the coronavirus spreads human-to-human. It is an anxious wait for the Indians who stayed put. Most of the students stayed indoors. Currently the city appeared normal with local metro trains, buses running and airport operational, one student told PTI over the phone. As of now there are no restrictions on movement, going in and out of the city, he said. So far, no Indian or foreign students have been affected, the student said. People are venturing out with masks and following instructions like washing hands and face whenever going out, he said. While the Indian Embassy kept a close watch through the social media WeChat and WhatsApp, the students remained in close contact keeping an eye on the evolving situation. India has already issued a travel warning to people travelling to China. The students will await a word from the Indian Embassy to decide about leaving the city, he said. Besides the students, the fast spreading virus has become a major worry for their parents back home, the student added. In late 2002, many parts of China and the world were hit by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in which over 800 people had died. PTI KJV CPS AKJ CPS [January 22, 2020] Pricefx Invests in Next-Generation of Pricing Professionals with University of Rochester Partnership Pricefx, the global leader in native cloud pricing software, is partnering with the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester and Iron Mountain to sponsor the 2020 Simon Pricing Club Case Competition. This is the first implementation of Pricefx Next Gen, a program designed to support the real-world applications of pricing in educational settings. Pricefx customer Iron Mountain, the leading storage and information management services company, will also participate in the competition, providing the case and serving on the judging committee. "The velocity of innovation and change in business today requires students to master current technology, adapt quickly, think critically, and work in diverse teams," said Patrick Moorhead, Chief Marketing Officer of Pricefx. "This program is focused on putting real-world technology in the hands of students in order to better prepare them for careers with businesseswho are using modern, digital approaches to compete. Partnering with Simon Business School is an example of how Pricefx is living its values by being friendly to the broader pricing community." "Partnerships between business, technology and academia are critical to preparing students for emerging business challenges and developing the capabilities needed to integrate new technology tools and analytics into business operations," said Stephen Haggett, Vice President Revenue Management of Iron Mountain (News - Alert). "As a pricing professional in the business world, it is important to me that we help educate and train the next generation on the latest tools and strategies to support business needs." In the competition, student teams will be asked to solve a real-world business problem based on a mix of pricing, strategy and analytics. Students receive access to and instruction on Pricefx's SaaS (News - Alert) solution for Price Optimization, Management (PO&M) and Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) to help them build a winning response. "Universities play an important role in preparing students for success in the workforce and meeting the needs of today's businesses," said Steven Simpson, MBA Director, Marketing & Pricing at Simon Business School. "As the first Business School to offer a dedicated specialization in pricing within its STEM-designated MBA and MS Analytics graduate programs, we are excited to partner with Pricefx and Iron Mountain for this year's case competition. Working with the technology and business sectors enables Simon Business School to stay at the forefront of current workforce trends and provide hands-on educational opportunities to students." The competition kicks off on January 23 and the presentations are due on February 2. Shortlist finalists will be announced on February 7 and final round presentations will take place on February 10, with winners to be announced on-site. The Simon Business School is a world-class business school located on the campus of the University of Rochester. Rooted in quantitative analysis, Simon offers a distinct advantage in today's data-driven economy. Simon offers full-time and part-time MBA programs, as well as MS programs. About Pricefx Established in 2011 in Germany, Pricefx is the global leader in SaaS pricing software, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions that are fast to implement, flexible to configure and customize, and friendly to learn and use. Pricefx delivers a complete price optimization and management platform based on native cloud architecture, providing industry leading time to value and total cost of ownership advantages to customers. Their innovative solution works for both B2B and B2C enterprises of any size, in any industry, in any part of the world. Pricefx's business model is entirely based on the satisfaction and loyalty of its customers. Today, Pricefx delivers Passion for Pricing to more than 100 customers in more than 37 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pricefx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005167/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Advertisement Some of the biggest models in the fashion industry from the last forty years came out to display Jean-Paul Gaultier's final collection at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, which featured nods to some of his greatest looks from half a century of designing. Stars from past and present led the way as Gaultier, 67, who retired after Wednesday evening's show, launched his eagerly anticipated Spring-Summer 2020 collection at the Theatre du Chatelet. Among the former muses included the likes of Erin O'Connor, Canadian model Coco Rocha and US burlesque performer Dita Von Teese, who all donned looks to embody the idea of couture as they made their way down the runway. Meanwhile, current supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid were joined by Jourdan Dunn and Irina Shayk, who took to the catwalk in a cream mini dress which mimicked the famous conical bra that Madonna sported back in 1990. The dress added a modern twist to the look as it boasted a black hanging short cape and matching stockings, which gave the illusion that her legs had been ripped apart. Some of the biggest stars in the fashion industry from over the last forty years took to the catwalk to debut Jean-Paul Gaultier's final ever collection at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week On Wednesday. Pictured, the French designer Erin O'Connor (pictured) was among the famous faces who took to the star-studded runway in outfits which offered nods to some of Gaultier's greatest looks from half a century of designing Bella Hadid offered Jean-Paul Gaultier a hug after she had just modelled some of his last ever designs before his retirement US burlesque performer Dita Von Teese and British model Karen Elson celebrated after French designer Jean Paul Gaultier presented his last Spring/Summer 2020 Haute Couture collection during the Paris Fashion Week Jean even gave singer Boy George a playful kiss on the cheek as a way of thanks following his epic final fashion show Gigi Hadid (pictured) donned one of her boldest looks yet as she hit the runway for the star-studded fashion show Karlie Kloss also proudly displayed her physique in a sheer white lace jumpsuit with floral embroidery, as she sported the Gaultier signature sailor hat. She later returned to the runway in an even more bizarre look, as she donned an amazing gown that looked as if it had been made from bubble wrap. Winnie Harlow was difficult to miss as she donned a striking camouflage one-piece with a brown and green effect along with a vibrant matching cape. But perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the night was former Liverpool player Djibril Cisse, who also hit the catwalk and presented a creation by the legendary designer. Legendary: A teenage prodigy, who rose to fame in the 1980s when the Paris fashion scene was at its most decadent, Gaultier also carved out a parallel television career as the co-presenter of a cheeky series, 'Eurotrash' Model moment: Karen Elson and Dita Von Teese joined the esteemed designer and Karlie for a photo A vision: Karlie Kloss proudly displayed her physique in a sheer white lace jumpsuit with floral embroidery, as she also sported the Gaultier signature sailor hat What are those? Another dramatic twist to Bella's look came in the form of her heel-less boots, which she wore on the runway with ease Iconic: Heaved into the air by the models, it proved to be a fitting tribute for the French designer after five decades in the business Sexy: Dita Von Teese embraced her jaw-dropping curves as she donned a pink satin dress covered in thick belts with a corset style and stockings as she strutted her stuff on the runway Whoop! The iconic designer appeared to be having a great time as his years of hard work were recognised Cute: Bella shared a sweet embrace with designer Jean backstage in the midst of his epic fashion showcase Leading the way: Supermodel sisters Bella (left) and Gigi Hadid ensured legendary designer Jean-Paul Gaultier unveiled his final collection at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week as they took to the runway in some of their boldest looks yet Farewell: The designer cheered as he was lifted into the air by his friends at the show Glamorous: Other models including Coco Rocha (left) and Iris Mittenaere (right) also took to the star-studded runway for the lavish show Go Jean! Backstage Bella was seen cheering on the designer as she prepared to head back onto the runway for another showcase Sensational: At the end of the fashion show, Jean took to the stage to a thunderous reception from the models and slew of guests in attendance Busty: Winnie put on an eye-popping display as she strutted down the catwalk in her extremely revealing outfit Gorgeous: Later Bella transformed into the sexy vixen as she donned a jaw-dropping black dress with a fitted bustier and dramatic skirt, which had a daring vertical effect and dramatic tulle layers Heaven sent: The former Liverpool player's inkings included a pair of angel wings on his shoulder blades I say: French footballer Djibril Cisse showed off his numerous tattoos after peeling off his blazer Fashion Queen: Jourdan Dunn looked nothing short of incredible in a multicoloured gown with a bodice that featured a statement weave effect Naughty: French actress Beatrice Dalle made a daring move on the catwalk as she took a puff on her cigarette Hippie chic: Paris Jackson sported a more bohemian-inspired look as she walked the runway in a stunning multi-coloured outfit that made the most of her impressive 5ft9in frame Work it out: Models including Karlie Kloss, Anna Cleveland and Bella Hadid could be seen striking a pose on the runway Cheeky: Karlie put on a playful display as she later re-appeared on the runway sporting the gown which appeared to be made out of bubble wrap Ooh la la! Elsewhere Gigi's look was clearly inspired by the Le Male scent and its famous bottle, which mimicked the look of a male torso with blue stripes, as she sported a sheer top with an oversized striped detail at the front Not-so girly: Teaming her look with white flared trousers, Gigi oozed androgynous chic in the look as she sported a matching sailor hat, along with eye catching heels that were covered with bizarre spikes Bella, who took to the catwalk along with her sister, donned a sheer white gown covered with embroidery, which boasted a dramatic fishtail trim. Elsewhere Gigi's look was clearly inspired by the Le Male scent and its famous bottle, which mimicked the look of a male torso with blue stripes. JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER'S CAREER Jean-Paul Gaultier was introduced to the world of fashion by his grandmother, Marie Garage. He never received formal training as a designer and, instead, started sending sketches to famous couture stylists at an early age. On his 18th birthday, he was hired as an assistant for Pierre Cardin in 1970, and went on to work with Jacques Esterel in 1971 and Jean Patou later that year, then returning to manage the Pierre Cardin boutique in Manila for a year in 1974. He released his first individual collection in 1976, but his characteristic irreverent style started in 1981. Fashion editors, notably Melka Treanton of Elle, Claude Brouet and Catherine Lardeur of French Marie Claire, were impressed by his creativity and mastery of tailoring, and helped to launch his career. In 1985, he introduced man-skirts and promoted their use, especially kilts, in men's wardrobe, and the release of designer collections. He would often cause shock by using unconventional models for his exhibitions, including older men and full-figured women, as well as pierced and heavily tattooed models. In 1988, he released a dance single 'How To Do That' on Fontana Records. And between 1993 and 1997, he began co-hosting the Channel 4 programme Eurotrash with Antoine de Caunes. He was the creative director of Hermes from 2003 to 2010. Another notable moment in his career came when he sponsored the 200304 exhibit in the Costume Institute of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art entitled 'Braveheart: Men in Skirts.' He has often been credited with launching trends, including the 'granny grey' hair trend, whose autumn/winter 2011 show featured models in grey beehives. He also used silver-haired models in Spring 2015, with the trend soon taking off amongst celebrities and the general public. Up until 2014, he designed for three collections: his own couture collection and ready-to-wear lines, for both men and women. At the spring/summer 2015 show he announced that he was closing the ready-to-wear labels to focus on haute couture. In 2018, he staged a cabaret show loosely based on his life called "Fashion Freak Show" in Paris. And in 2019, he surprised many in the fashion community by collaborating with New York streetwear brand Supreme. He announced on January 17, 2020 that his Paris haute couture fashion show, which happened last night, would be his last and that he was retiring from the runway. Advertisement As she took to the catwalk, she left little to the imagination in a sheer top with a bizarre blue and white striped shell detailing along with sheer nude undershirt. Teaming her look with white flared trousers, the supermodel oozed androgynous chic in the look as she sported a matching sailor hat, along with eye catching heels that were covered with bizarre spikes. Later, she changed into a futuristic- inspired look as she donned a form-fitting black jumpsuit with one sheer side to highlight her slender physique and a bizarre metal plate covering her left breast. The daughter of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid nailed the look that could have been plucked from a science fiction film, as she also sported oversized hoops with the look. Unusual: Later Gigi changed into a futuristic- inspired look as she donned a form-fitting black jumpsuit with one sheer side to highlight her slender physique and a bizarre metal plate covering her left breast From another planet: The daughter of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid nailed the look that could have been plucked from a science fiction film, as she also sported oversized hoops with the look Perfection: The gown boasted layers of different types of plastic and a bizarre bodice that displayed every inch of Karlie's physique Throwback: Irina Shayk took to the catwalk in a cream mini dress which mimicked the famous conical bra that Madonna sported back in 1990, and boasted a black hanging short cape and matching stockings Sexy: Bella displayed every inch of her amazing figure in a fitted sheer gown covered with the floral black threading along with a dramatic fishtail skirt as she walked the runway Raven: Irina was also oozing gothic chic as she later changed into a statement black gown with a sequinned bodice and a statement layered skirt Racy: Puerto Rican model Joan Smalls wore a statement blue dress made of the matching thick belts, along with matching tights and T-strap shoes Flawless: Winnie Harlow was difficult to miss as she donned a striking camouflage one-piece with a brown and green effect along with a vibrant matching cape Grand arrival: Winnie's amazing gown was certainly a sight to behold as she displayed every inch of the voluminous cape on the runway Inner beast: The Canadian beauty displayed her jaw-dropping figure in the amazing look that seemed to embody the idea of couture as she made her way down the runway Oh my! Winnie worked the cape of the outfit as she performed a flawless turn on the runway Model it up: Mylene Farmer (left) looked sharp in dramatic reflective flared trousers, while Lais Ribeiro (right) highlighted her slender physique in a fitted black suit with gold embellishment Last one: It had been announced that this would be Jean Paul's final haute couture fashion show as the French designer was finally ready to retire (models pictured above wearing various looks) Unusual: French model Cindy Bruna wore yet another striking look that featured a dramatic mesh cape and a skirt that mimicked the famous Roman piece known as the Pteruges due to its fringed detailing She never ages! Yasmin Le Bon looked far younger than her 55 years in a simple but sophisticated ensemble, including a fitted sequinned shirt suit and the same spiked heel Paris Jackson sported a more bohemian-inspired look as she walked the runway in a stunning multi-coloured outfit that made the most of her impressive 5ft 9in frame The star lit up the purple tinted runway in a pair of snazzy snakeskin print slacks that were well tailored. She added a shirt with an orange and purple hue and several beaded necklaces added, along with plenty of red bracelets on her wrists. Strike a pose: Ami Benton, Elza Matiz, Pandemonia and Janet Mayer posed up backstage Fashionista: A model posed up backstage and put on an animated display during make-up Kiss: Jean-Paul was greeted with a kiss as he celebrated his five decades in the industry Racy: For her second look of the evening, Jourdan left little to the imagination in a black plunging and tasselled cut-out mini dress Finishing touches: She teamed the item of clothing with a pair of black high-waisted knickers, sheer tights and burgundy crocodile patterned heels Work it: The model went braless in two daring cut-out ensembles as she joined the likes of sister Gigi and Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk, Paris Jackson and Winnie Harlow on the runway Make way: Erin O'Connor (R) wore an androgynous ensemble as she walked the catwalk arm in arm with a male model on Wednesday evening Happy days: Bella and Karlie shared a special moment as the show ended and they celebrated the designer's illustrious career Sexy: Bella was one of the many stars who took to the epic runway for Gaultier's final fashion show, as she displayed her svelte physique in a sheer white gown covered with embroidery It had been announced that this would be Jean Paul's final haute couture fashion show as the French designer was finally ready to retire. The iconic creator revealed via an Instagram video on Friday that he would be bowing out with a big party to mark his 50 years in the business. His brand told AFP that his high-end fashion and perfume business would live on, but that Gaultier was stepping back from designing clothes himself. 'Rest assured haute couture will continue with a new concept,' the designer said to the publication. Gaultier, who famously put Madonna in a conical bra, dropped the bombshell in an amusing video, shot as if he was giving an exclusive interview to a reporter over the phone. Speaking in French, he says: 'Hi! This is Jean Paul Gaultier. I invite you to celebrate my 50 years in fashion at the Theatre du Chatelet on the 22nd of January. Coming? 'It's going to be quite a party with many of my friends and we're going to have fun until very very late. Superstar: 80s music legend Boy George also took to the stage to pay tribute to Jean at the end of his jaw-dropping fashion career by delivering a stellar performance Shout out: Boy George looked delighted to be celebrating the success of his friend Jean-Paul Flawless: Paris displayed her incredible beauty in her boho-inspired ensemble as she posed backstage during the fashion show Glamour girls: Bella proudly displayed her modelling prowess as she posed with a fellow beauty backstage Elegant: She looked every inch the vixen in her glamorous all-black ensemble during the star-studded runway show Bizarre: French-Iranian photographer Ali Mahdavi wore an interesting headpiece featuring three sleeping babies Backstage bombshell: Winnie put on a very busty display as she revealed her assets backstage at the show alongside Gigi Final show: Wednesday was Jean Paul Gaultier's final haute couture fashion show as the French designer is set to retire Wow: Jourdan showed off her supermodel prowess as she posed up a storm backstage Wow factor: Karlie Kloss exhibited her honed legs in a bridal inspired bodysuit with extravagant flared sleeves Delighted: After the show Bella was grinning from ear to ear as she posed alongside designer Jean after modelling some of his last ever designs before his retirement 'Now I am going to share something with you. This will be my last Haute Couture show. Be there! You can't miss this.' Gaultier stopped designing ready-to-wear clothes in 2015 to concentrate on haute couture - handmade clothes which only the world's richest women can afford. But as late as last year he insisted he had no intention of putting down his scissors - although he despaired of animal rights activists pressuring him to stop using furs. A teenage prodigy, who rose to fame in the 1980s when the Paris fashion scene was at its most decadent, Gaultier also carved out a parallel television career as the co-presenter of a cheeky series, 'Eurotrash'. In 2018, he staged his own hit cabaret show based loosely on his life story called 'Fashion Freak Show', which opened at the Folie Bergere in Paris. A spokeswoman for his brand told AFP that the designer would be back, but like the veteran Japanese creator Kenzo - who has moved into interior design - it would be in other areas. Ab-tastic: Following the spectacular style showcase, Bella continued to display her washboard abs in a 90s-style crop top and an oversized men's blazer, and topped things off with a colourful hat as she headed back into the city Pop of colour: She added an extra twist to her look with a rainbow beret hat as she donned a more casual ensemble to make her exit from the fashion show That's a look! Joan Smalls continued to sport her dramatic runway makeup as she wore a cosy brown faux fur jacket to head out of the Fashion Show Cosy: Gigi also donned an 80s-style cream jacket covered with geometric patchworks and orange ankle boots as she left the show Peace out: Gigi flashed the peace sign as she posed for fans while leaving the glittering show Gorgeous: Karlie revealed her lithe legs in a leopard print dress with feathered trim paired with a black overcoat as she exited the show Striking: Joan rocked her bold eyeliner from the show as she left in a fluffy chestnut coat Casual cool: The star forewent the heels in favour of some chunky boots as she strutted out of the venue Hippie girl: Paris donned her own cosy and comfy ensemble as she left the fashion show after another successful evening on the runway "We welcome Brooke to our commercial lending team at The Bank of Fincastle," said Sandra Craft, vice-president of commercial lending. "Her talent and expertise will allow her to make a significant contribution to the bank's growing commercial lending department." Miller is a graduate of Radford University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Roanoke Valley. A native of the New River Valley, she currently resides in Roanoke and enjoys volunteering, the outdoors, traveling and spending time with her two sons. In her role as commercial loan officer, Miller will be responsible for business development in the Botetourt and Roanoke area. Her office is currently located at the Daleville branch and she welcomes the opportunity to help you achieve your business goals. She can be reached at [email protected] . About The Bank of Fincastle The Bank of Fincastle has been a leading financial services provider for consumers and small businesses since 1875, and offers a full range of banking, lending and investment products. Headquartered in Fincastle, Virginia, the bank has six full-service branches, thirteen ATM locations, a 7 am to 7 pm drive through and Saturday hours of operation. They offer a complete line of bank products including online account opening, online and mobile banking, 24/7 telephone banking and online real estate lending applications. To reach one of their professionals visit www.bankoffincastle.bank or call 540-473-2761. The Bank of Fincastle is a Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender and Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact: Cindy Bailey, Marketing Director | 540-966-0248 | [email protected] SOURCE The Bank of Fincastle Related Links https://www.bankoffincastle.bank Corbett told Dynak she could use 1 days of sick time for the birth to make up for the days in June but that she wouldnt be allowed to transfer the paid sick time to the next school year, the lawsuit states. When Dynak took 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the FMLA at the start of the new school year, she was docked 58 days of pay, the lawsuit said. Had she been able to apply her paid sick time, she would only have lost out on 29 days of pay. Teachers typically receive paychecks during the summer, if they choose to have their wages divided evenly among the calendar months, though are not considered to be working. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai hinted at imposing more discipline on the company's "Other Bets," possibly selling stakes in some of them to outside investors as it's done with health tech company Verily, according to an interview with Fortune. "I think with the 'Other Bets' we are definitely at a phase where, while we take a long-term view, we also want to marry that with the discipline of making sure they are doing well," he said. "The question is, how do you assess the value of the entity you're creating and how do your other partners and other stakeholders?" he responded. "It's a direction we had already gotten underway. But you will see me focused on that more and emphasize that more." He gave an example of the life sciences company Verily, which has received outside investments from Silver Lake and Temasek, and has its own board of directors, which includes Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat. "We expect most of the 'Other Bet' companies to follow a process like that over time," he explained. Alphabet came into being in 2015, when the company split core Google businesses including search, advertising and Android which account for substantially all its revenue and profits from long-term and speculative businesses, which it deemed "Other Bets." Some of those businesses include GV and CapitalG, which make venture investments in privately held tech companies; Waymo, which is building self-driving cars; Wing, which is building delivery drones, and Sidewalk, which is building "smart city" technology and has a major test project underway in Toronto. Since the beginning of 2017, the Other Bets have showed operating losses of more than $8 billion on revenues of just over $1.5 billion. Pichai had been Google's CEO since the Alphabet reorg. But he took the top spot from Alphabet CEO Larry Page in a surprise move in December 2019, when Page and his Google co-founder Sergey Brin retired from active management at the company. The co-founders remain on the board and retain voting control of Alphabet's stock, however. Pichai's interview comes shortly after Alphabet became the fourth U.S. company to reach a trillion-dollar market capitalization. The company is scheduled to report Q4 2019 earnings on Feb. 3. Read the full interview in Fortune. Watch Now: This Arizona town is overrun with self-driving cars by Tanya Gazdik , January 21, 2020 Avocados From Mexico has revealed that actress Molly Ringwald will star in the brands Super Bowl spot. Set to air in the second quarter, the 30-second ad was created by Energy BBDO. This is the brands sixth consecutive Super Bowl spot. Best known for her 80s movies like Pretty in Pink, Ringwald will now be Gorgeous in Green, according to the brand. A 15-second Tiara Teaser shows Ringwald placing a tiny tiara on an avocado seated in a hair and makeup chair and proclaiming Theyre going to eat you up. This is Ringwalds first Super Bowl spot. "We felt Molly was the perfect fit for the brand given her prestigious career and the fact that she genuinely loves Avocados From Mexico, said Kevin Hamilton, head of brand marketing, PR & strategy at Avocados From Mexico, in a release. advertisement advertisement Avocados From Mexico recently announced the launch of a digital activation called #AvoNetwork. In order to build excitement in the lead up to the Super Bowl, the brand is hosting an interactive digital and social campaign. The digital activation will run through Feb. 2. Consumers can visit https://avocadosfrommexico.com/big-game/, where they can engage in online activities for the chance to win over $30,000 worth of prizes, including a designer tiara valued at $2,745. The brand's five digital agencies were involved in the campaign's development and execution, including Richards Lerma, 270B, and Ro2 Media as the leads of social media. D Custom assisted with content, Merkle for SEO and M8 out of Miami oversaw the paid search strategy and the consumer relationship management and data activations. Craig Lazon, 42, from Albany was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife The husband of a missing New York woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Tiffany Marie Lazon, 37, from Albany has been listed as a missing person by Albany police since January 9. Craig Lazon, 42, was arrested on Tuesday after investigators found 'bodily tissue and blood' matching Tiffany's DNA on a circular saw. Tiffany Marie Lazon, 37, from Albany (right) has been listed as a missing person by Albany police since January 9. Craig Lazon, 42, (left) was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday Craig had borrowed a battery-operated circular saw from a friend and returned it several days later, a missing person investigation found. He was reportedly already in custody on a second-degree animal neglect charge pertaining to Tiffany's cat, according to police, and an animal abandonment charge. Family members grew concerned for Tiffany's welfare after they hadn't heard from her since Christmas. They contacted police on January 8, asking them to conduct a welfare check. Husband Craig claimed he didn't know where his wife was and suggested she was moving to Washington. Police have not found any further evidence suggesting Tiffany is deceased. Anyone who has seen Tiffany or has information regarding the case is asked to contact Albany Police Detectives at (541) 917-7686. The cash-strapped air ambulance is set to be thrown a massive cash lifeline by farmers. Members of organizations like Kerry Co-Op and the Irish Farmers Association are to be asked to donate 20 each to the Irish Community Rapid Response-run service. There are around 13,000 members in the co-op alone and each one is due to get a text message asking if they will donate the money. If they all agree and donate the money, this could raise enough funds to send the air ambulance on around 74 life-saving missions. Kerry County Council councillor Johnny Healy-Rae has been approached by a group of farmers concerned about the future of the service. Last week, the charity raised 61,848 of a 400,000 target it set for a two-week GoFundMe campaign. When it launched it, the charity said it would ground its service if it couldnt reach the target. That didnt happen and instead, it cut service from seven to five days to ensure it could carry on for another six weeks, during which time it said it would try and come up with more money. However, it has - yet again - warned if it doesnt raise enough funds, the service again faces being grounded. A group of farmers are lobbying the major rural farmer's organisations to raise funds for the air ambulance, Mr Healy-Rae, who sits on Kenmare Municipal District, said. This is a critical service for Kerry and Cork, given our geography and a large amount of areas that are remote, and away from the main urban areas. There is a sense of urgency now given that we know, from what the government has said, there is no money coming from the State to help the service. He said the situation has not been helped by the fact that the Dail is not sitting and there is a General Election underway. It is hard for the charity to get much traction at the moment because of everything that is going on, he added. Also, there is still a number of people who dont realize the service even exists. Although the National Ambulance Service (NAS) provides medical staff and coordinates the taskings, the charity needs 2 million-a-year to fund the helicopters, pilots, fuel and its airbase. The charity has said it has already raised over 700,000 through donations, benefactors and public fundraising campaigns. It also says it had gone on 277 missions between July 31, 2019 and January 18, 2020. A substantial Kerry Co-op donation will go a long way to helping prolong the service. The charity has said the cost-saving measure is a temporary fix to ensure the survival of the service until February 28. Trump agrees US-Iraq 'security partnership' Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 President Donald Trump and his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh agreed on Wednesday on the need for a continued US military role in the country, the White House said. In Davos, Switzerland, the two presidents held their first meeting since the United States killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, sparking an Iraqi parliament call for expulsion of US troops. "The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the United States-Iraq economic and security partnership, including the fight against ISIS," the White House said. "President Trump reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to a sovereign, stable, and prosperous Iraq." Tensions between Washington and Tehran boiled over onto Iraqi soil this month, with the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and Iran striking back at an Iraqi base hosting American soldiers. Furious at the US hit, Iraq's parliament voted January 5 to oust all foreign troops, including some 5,200 American soldiers deployed alongside local forces. A source from Saleh's office told AFP he had discussed with Trump the US drone strike as well as the withdrawal of forces. Trump told Saleh that he "does not want to stay in Iraq", the source said, and would draw down forces in an "unprecedented way". Saleh told world leaders in Davos the parliamentary vote was "not a sign of ingratitude or hostility", but a response to a violation of his country's sovereignty. "It is not in our interest to choose to ally with one side at the expense of others, as long as both respect our sovereignty and independence." He added that "no country should seek to dictate to Iraq" the nature of its relationships. Saleh condemned acts of violence against the months-long protests movement rocking Baghdad and Iraq's Shiite-majority south, which has left hundreds dead since October. He met Trump on the Davos sidelines, hosting a brief press conference but brushing off questions on parliament's vote Trump left the annual World Economic Forum get-together in Davos later Wednesday to return to Washington. HCL Technologies (HCL), a leading global technology firm, today announced that its President CEO, Mr. C. Vijayakumar, has been named Chairman of the IT industry Governors community of the World Economic Forum. The announcement was made at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The Forum's IT Governors community convenes CEOs of the world's top Information Technology companies in order to help them responsibly shape the future of their industry. It acts as a platform for setting industry priorities, building shared understanding, and coordinating actions that lead to results. Under Mr. Vijayakumar's stewardship, the community will prioritise dialogue and action around the most pressing issues impacting the industry's future progress like Talent re-skilling, Data governance, security and privacy, Responsible proliferation of Artificial Intelligence, amongst others. "We're very pleased to have Mr. Vijayakumar chairing our efforts this year in the IT Governors, which will focus on responsible technology leadership. We are looking forward to next steps and tackling urgent challenges together," said Eric White, Head of the IT Industry at the World Economic Forum. "In today's world where technology is at the heart of virtually every individual, social, policy and corporate action and by that means at the very center of human progress, it is critical that the IT Industry remains a beacon of responsible leadership," said C Vijayakumar, President CEO, HCL Technologies. "With that vision as our north-star, I look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the IT Governors community this year on addressing prioritised issues of immediate and impending relevance as well as launch some new initiatives for cross-industry collaboration around data privacy, skilling and responsible use of new disruptive technologies," he added. The World Economic Forum is a leading International Organization of repute for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Its Annual Meeting in Davos brings together the heads and members of more than 100 governments, top executives of the 1,000 foremost global companies, leaders of international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations as well as the most prominent cultural, societal and thought leaders. About HCL Technologies HCL Technologies (HCL) empowers global enterprises with technology for the next decade today. HCL's Mode 1-2-3 strategy, through its deep-domain industry expertise, customer-centricity and entrepreneurial culture of ideapreneurship enables businesses to transform into next-gen enterprises. HCL offers its services and products through three business units IT and Business Services (ITBS), Engineering and R&D Services (ERS) and Products Platforms (P&P). ITBS enables global enterprises to transform their businesses through offerings in areas of Applications, Infrastructure, Digital Process Operations and next generational digital transformation solutions. ERS offers engineering services and solutions in all aspects of product development and platform engineering. Under P&P, HCL provides modernized software products to global clients for their technology and industry-specific requirements. Through its cutting-edge co-innovation labs, global delivery capabilities and broad global network, HCL delivers holistic services in various industry verticals, categorized under Financial Services, Manufacturing, Technology Services, Telecom Media, Retail CPG, Life Sciences Healthcare and Public Services. As a leading global technology company, HCL takes pride in its diversity, social responsibility, sustainability and education initiatives. As of 12 months ended December 31, 2019, HCL has a consolidated revenue of US$ 9.7 billion and its 149,000 ideapreneurs operate out of 45 countries. For more information, visit www.hcltech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005366/en/ Contacts: HCL Technologies Anne Coyle, US Anne.coyle@hcl.com Elka Ghudial, Europe Elka.ghudial@hcl.com Devneeta Pahuja, India and APAC Devneeta.p@hcl.com STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- cxLoyalty Group, a global leader in loyalty and customer engagement, today announced the appointment of Marc Lefar to its Board of Directors. Lefar is the Chief Executive Officer of RentPath, a leading digital marketplace connecting millions of consumers with apartments, condos and houses for rent through its network of websites and mobile apps, including ApartmentGuide.com, Rent.com and Rentals.com. Prior to joining RentPath, Lefar was the Chief Executive Officer of Vonage, a position he held from 2008-2014. Under his leadership, the Company underwent a comprehensive financial, operational and strategic transformation resulting in the successful expansion into new markets while driving dramatic shareholder returns. Prior to Vonage, he was the Chief Marketing Officer of Cingular Wireless, now AT&T Mobility, responsible for all aspects of marketing strategy and execution. Lefar played a lead role in the acquisition and integration of AT&T Wireless into Cingular in 2005 and later worked with Steve Jobs and his team during the development of the exclusive partnership to launch the iPhone. "Marc is a great addition to our Board. He brings a wealth of mobile and digital experience, leadership and insights that will be invaluable as we continue to grow our loyalty and customer engagement business," said Todd Siegel, CEO of cxLoyalty Group. Lefar currently serves as a Director and Chair of the Technology and Strategy Committees of Open Doors Atlanta, a non-profit partnership of Metro Atlanta nonprofit service providers connecting to end homelessness. He is a frequent guest lecturer on the topics of strategy, marketing and global commerce and serves on the Board of Advisors for the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. From 2015 2019, Lefar served on the Board of Directors of IPC Systems, the leading provider of communications for the financial services and trading communities. He is a past Director and Special Advisor to the Board of ClassPass, a digital marketplace and subscription service for the fitness industry. Mr. Lefar also served on President Obama's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee from 2011-2016. He is a past director of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama. An inventor, Mr. Lefar holds two U.S. patents and has five additional patents pending. He spent the first nine years of his career at Procter & Gamble. "I am pleased to join the Board of cxLoyalty," said Lefar. "cxLoyalty Group's robust combination of platform, content, delivery and analytics is a potent combination for the compelling loyalty and engagement market. I'm excited by the company's business potential and look forward to contributing to cxLoyalty Group's vision, strategy and growth." About cxLoyalty Group cxLoyalty is one of the world's leading loyalty and customer engagement solutions companies servicing over 68.7 million consumers with approximately 2,900 client partner relationships and over 40 years of experience. We design, administer and fulfill loyalty and customer engagement programs that strengthen and expand the value of relationships for our leading clients around the globe, including many of the largest and most respected companies in the financial services, retail, travel, and internet commerce sectors. Based in Stamford, Conn., the Company has approximately 3,100 employees located across the globe. For more information, visit www.cxLoyalty.com. SOURCE cxLoyalty Group Related Links http://www.cxLoyalty.com Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, beats a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times to bless the coming year in Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, January 19, 2020. Xi has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people during a three-day inspection tour to Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. [Xinhua] KUNMING, January 21 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people. He wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups a better life and the country greater prosperity in the new year. Xi, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a three-day inspection tour of southwest China's Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. During a visit to Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong on Sunday afternoon, Xi learned about poverty alleviation efforts and called for efforts to speed up the development of ethnic minorities and areas with large ethnic minority populations. After joining local villagers in making rice cakes, a traditional local festival food, Xi noted that shaking off poverty is the new starting point, calling for vigorously promoting rural vitalization after China completes the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. According to local custom, Xi beat a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times to bless the coming year. Later that day, Xi went to the old town of Heshun, a gateway on the ancient Southern Silk Road, where he visited a village-level library built over 90 years ago. Visiting the memorial hall of Ai Siqi, a renowned philosopher, Xi said the country needs a large number of talented individuals who can explain the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context well and who can use easy-to-understand language to spread the Party's new theories to more ordinary households. Visiting an ecological wetland of Dianchi Lake in Kunming on Monday, Xi stressed resisting the old way of developing the economy at the cost of the environment. Dianchi Lake, once among the most polluted lakes in China, has seen its ecology greatly improved after years of conservation efforts. Inspecting market supply for Chinese New Year at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center, Xi demanded a sufficient supply of safe and reliable goods during the festival. There, Xi extended Chinese New Year greetings to local residents, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese nationals. Xi then went to the former site of the National Southwest Associated University in Kunming. He stressed the close link between education and the fate and future of the country and noted that the goal of China's education system is to nurture a new generation of capable young people who are well-prepared to join the socialist cause. After hearing the work reports of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and the provincial government on Tuesday morning, Xi encouraged Yunnan to break new ground in promoting ethnic unity and progress, pushing forward ecological conservation, and pursuing greater cooperation with South Asia and Southeast Asia. Xi urged efforts to promote high-quality development, accelerate building a modernized economy, consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation, boost the healthy and sustainable development of tourism, while continuing to fight air, water and soil pollution. He also required further opening-up to neighboring countries, speeding up the building of connectivity networks and strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Xi demanded efforts to strengthen governance capacity in border areas and areas with large ethnic minority populations, implement the plans to boost the development of ethnic minority areas and ethnic groups with small populations, step up the fight against cross-border crime, gangs and their "protective umbrellas," and maintain the stability of border areas. On the anti-poverty fight, Xi ordered focusing on areas with extreme poverty, preventing people from falling back into poverty due to illness, injury or the lack of follow-up policies, and further aligning developmental poverty relief with protective poverty relief. On Party building, Xi said the "staying true to the Party's founding mission" campaign should be regarded as a lifelong task for strengthening Party building among all Party members and a source of inspiration in the new era. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects market supply for Chinese New Year at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, January 20, 2020. Xi has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people during a three-day inspection tour to Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. [Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins local villagers in making rice cakes, a traditional local festival food, in Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, January 19, 2020. Xi has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people during a three-day inspection tour to Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. [Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects market supply for Chinese New Year at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, January 20, 2020. Xi has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people during a three-day inspection tour to Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. [Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a village of the Wa ethnic group to extend his Chinese New Year's greetings to the villagers in Qingshui Township of the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, January 19, 2020. Xi has extended Chinese New Year greetings to all Chinese people during a three-day inspection tour to Yunnan Province which concluded Tuesday. [Xinhua] (Source: Xinhua) Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder of Malcolm McKeown. The men, aged 30 and 31, were arrested by detectives from the PSNI's Major Investigation Team. They have been taken to Musgrave PSNI Station for questioning. McKeown, a career criminal, was gunned down in broad daylight outside a filling station in Waringstown in August. He was shot six times in an attack minutes after he left the shop at the petrol station. His body was found slumped in his car at the side of the garage. A car believed to have been used by the murderers was later found burnt out on the edge of the Mourneview estate in Lurgan. There have been a number of arrests in connection with the police investigation. Two men, Jake O'Brien (25) and Andrew Martin (24) have been charged with McKeown's murder. Both deny the charge. Related South Sudan and holdout rebels commit to truce this week At least 32 people were killed Wednesday when suspected nomadic Misseriya herders from Sudan attacked a village in the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei along the border of South Sudan, a local official said. Abyei has been contested since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, while there have long been tensions between the South Sudanese Ngok Dinka community and the Misseriya herders who traverse the area looking for grazing. Kuol Alor Kuol, the chief administrator of the Abyei area, told AFP that heavily armed Misseriya and allied militia attacked the village of Kolom early on Wednesday. "Thirty-two people were killed among them children and women, and secondly about 24 people are wounded ... and about 15 people including children were abducted and 20 houses burned," Kuol said. He said the wounded had been evacuated to a hospital in the town of Agok which is run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). In 2011, the UN Security Council deployed a peacekeeping force to the area after deadly clashes displaced some 100,000 people. The United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) is made up entirely of Ethiopian troops, with some 4,500 soldiers on the ground. UNISFA could not be immediately reached for comment on the attack. The UN Security Council in 2018 warned that the situation in Abyei and along the Sudan-South Sudan border "continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace," and called on the two countries to show concrete progress on border demarcation and monitoring. Search Keywords: Short link: The most that can be achieved, and its a lot, actually, is to convey to the swing voters the independents, suburban women and moderate Republicans who delivered the House to the Democrats in the 2018 midterms just how much this president is ready to put himself above the law. And, therefore, four more years of his presidency, when he would no longer be restrained by the need for re-election, would be catastrophic for our countrys unity and for the institutions and norms that have sustained it since 1776. I am convinced that more Americans are worried about the countrys cohesion and its institutions being ripped apart by Trump than Trump realizes. Its a key reason his approval rankings remain largely flat while our stock markets soar. I also believe that the Trump team has overestimated how easy it will be for it to just keep hiding the most important evidence and witnesses now that the impeachment trial has begun and many Americans are tuning in to this issue for the first time. And when they do, variations of that simple question Why would an innocent man, and a jury interested in the truth, not want all the evidence out and all the witnesses to testify? Wouldnt you if you were innocent? will take on even more power. Republican senators have been able to dodge that question for months while the matter was in the House, but not any longer. And you can already see how uncomfortable it makes them by the way Senator Martha McSally literally ran away from and denounced a CNN reporter when he asked her if the Senate should consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial. There is a reason McSally fled. A CNN poll released Monday night found that 69 percent of Americans want the Senate to call new witnesses, while 26 percent do not. Democrats still need to come up with a compelling candidate against Trump. But the midterms told us that there is an important coalition of independents, moderate Republicans and suburban women no longer so sold on Trump. In 2016 they disliked Hillary Clinton and were willing to give Trump a chance, telling themselves, How bad could it be and hey, anyway, we have the Constitution to protect us. Then they witnessed just how bad it could be and that the Constitution in Trumps hands could not protect us. Democrats running in swing districts in 2018 also kept it simple, focusing on Trumps attempts to destroy Obamacare and coverage of pre-existing medical conditions. Police reports: Case closed Police got a call around 5 p.m. Friday about a disturbance between a man and a woman in the parking lot of Sparkys Garage, 222 E. Park St. When police arrived, the man had left by foot and the woman had gotten in her car and left, too. Unwelcome visitor A worker at the Butte Rescue Mission called police at noon Saturday after a male tried to push him to the floor. When police arrived, the male had left but was found walking nearby. Police gave him a no trespass order and he was told he was no longer welcome at the Mission. Roommates argue A male working at a convenience store called police Saturday afternoon about his roommate, who had shoved him a couple of times when the two argued over property. Their landlord confirmed that the two men were indeed roommates and both were welcome at their residence. Later, when police arrived at the residence, the two men were both home and had already resolved their issues. True identity Shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, police found Molly Julia Housel, 43, asleep in her car on the corner of Porphyry and Jackson streets. Police woke her up and she them gave a list of phony names. She was brought to the detention center where her true identity was determined. Housel was jailed on a $20,620 bond. She has two warrants for her arrest out of Ravalli County and Jefferson County. In addition, she was jailed on a probation violation, driving with a suspended drivers license, and obstructing a police officer. Simple assault Police responded to the 700 block of Nevada around 5 p.m. Monday, where Christopher Lee Burns, 36, was standing in a yard and yelling at another man. According to reports, Burns had punched the man living at this residence because he thought the victim was spying on him. Burns was arrested for simple assault, a misdemeanor. Ride offered Someone called the police just after midnight Sunday to report a man sleeping in his car behind the Pair-a-Dice Bar. When they arrived, they woke Robin Pfeifer, 58, who said he had the bartenders permission, which he did not. He actually was asked to leave the area. Police offered to give Pfeifer a ride anywhere he wanted to go but he adamantly refused. So, off to jail he went for failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Partner assault Police got a call at 8:30 p.m. Sunday about a disturbance on the 3200 block of Carter Street. When they arrived at the residence, there was only an adult female at home, who said Brandon Dallaserra, 35, of Butte, had come home drunk and was being a jerk. According to the woman, a fight ensued and Dallaserra threw her to the bed, got behind her and then choked her. He then left the area. Dallaserra was later found at another residence and arrested for partner or family member assault/strangulation, which is a felony. Warrant for arrest Police stopped a car near Utah and Front for speeding. One of the passengers was Cole Count Wounded Twomoons, 20, who had a warrant for his arrest out of Judge Jerome McCarthys city court. As Twomoons was being taken to jail, police found a syringe in his pocket as well. On the roof Well, it was not a revival of Fiddler on the Roof, instead it was 28-year-old Austin Campbell on a grocery-store roof. At 4:40 p.m. Saturday, police arrived at Safeway, 310 W. Front St., to find Campbell on the stores roof. Police advised Campbell to come down, which he did, and he was promptly arrested for trespassing. Headed to Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota police are on their way to Butte to pick up Carson Montgomery, 23, who had a warrant out for his arrest. Montgomery was jailed at 10:30 p.m. Friday for being an unwanted person on Walmart property. Contact violation Travis Ian Hunter, 29, was arrested Friday night because he contacted some people he was ordered not to have contact with. Outstanding warrant A phone call from someone at Northwest Title & Pawn Friday afternoon led police to the arrest of William Robert Murphy, 30, who had a warrant for his arrest out of Judge Robert Whelans district court. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 45 Sierra Leonean Youth completes the Training Course on Stitching and Sewing skills Sponsored by the Chinese Government 2020/01/21 On 20th of January 2020, the closing ceremony of Training Course on Stitching and Sewing Skills was held at Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) Hall in Freetown. The 90 days training course was sponsored by the Chinese government and supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Sierra Leonean government, with an objective to empower Sierra Leonean youth with stitching and sewing skills. The ceremony was graced by H.E. Hu Zhangliang, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Mr. Zhang Xueqian, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, Hon. Lansana Dumbuya, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Jurad Senesie, Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Mr. Charles Moinina, Director of Youth of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Ms Grace Fullah, Principal of YWCA institution. 6 Chinese teachers, 45 trainees with their family members, and 20 students from Fourah Bay College Secondary School also attended the closing ceremony. Ambassador Hu congratulated all the trainees on completing the training course.Ambassador Hu stated thathuman capital developmentis one of the top priorities in H.E. President Julius Maada Bio New Direction Manifesto, and over the years, China has been helping Sierra Leone in human capital development on a large scale. After watching the fashion show organized by the trainees, Ambassador Hu believed that the training course had ultimately fulfilled its purpose by making the 45 participants skillful tailorsor fashion designers. Ambassador Hu assured that China will continue to provide support and assistance to Sierra Leone for its economic and social development within her capacity and based on the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Hon. Lansana Dumbuya, Hon. Turad Senesie, Mr. Moinina and Ms. Fullah on behalf of their ministries and institution, expressed their sincere thanks and appreciation to the Chinese government for the great support to human capital development in Sierra Leone. They highlighted that promotion of youth employment could never be materialized if there were no skills involved, and they looked forward to seeing more training opportunities provided by the development partners. During the closing ceremony, 45 participants wore the clothes and dresses made by themselves during the training course and successfully put up a fascinating fashion show for all the guests present. Furthermore, they presented one piece of delicate embroidery as a gift to the representatives of the two governments to express their gratitude. They also presented 20 bespoke uniforms to 20 students from Fourah Bay College Secondary School to demonstrate their support and contribution to the Free Quality Education. S Godson Wisely Dass By Express News Service THOOTHUKUDI: A vaguely drafted notification from the Central Bank of India, listing National Population Register (NPR) letter as a document for Know Your Customer (KYC) update, has opened a Pandoras box in Kayalpattinam. The area with the majority Muslim population witnessed a fund withdrawal spree, despite the bank officials coming out with a clarification saying that submission of NPR letter is not compulsory. It all began with the bank coming up with a notification in newspapers dated January 11, saying that those (account holders) who havent submitted their KYC documents must do it for uninterrupted service. The notification listed a number of documents such as PAN card, passport, voter identity card, driving licence, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act card, Aadhaar and NPR letter as proof of identity and address. However, the vaguely drafted notification did give ample room for customers to misinterpret it as the notice was unclear on whether one has to submit all the documents or just one of them for KYC update. The notification went on to say that the accounts of those who do not submit the documents before January 31 would be frozen. This created unrest among Muslims, who have been thronging the Kayalpattinam Central Bank of India branch and withdrawing their savings and deposits for the last three days. Mass cash withdrawal rattles bank While the withdrawal crossed Rs 1 crore on Saturday, it shot up to Rs 1.85 crore on Monday. Sources told Express that the branch has some 15,000 account holders, with Muslims constituting about 90 per cent of them. The fund withdrawal spree forced the bank officials to give a clarification on January 19 saying that the customers need to submit any one of the listed documents, but not all. However, this failed to allay the fears of Muslims as the withdrawal amount crossed Rs 1.5 crore on Tuesday. To handle the rush, the bank had to issue tokens to the customers, a source told Express, adding that the clarification had little effect on the Muslim community. When Express made a visit to the bank, one Mohideen said he withdrew his entire savings -- Rs 1.06 lakh -- from his savings account. My account has just Rs 1000 now. We are afraid that things may go south. A Muslim woman, who did not want to be named, told TNIE that she withdrew Rs 1.5 lakh on Monday. The money is for my daughters marriage. I withdrew it in advance as I am afraid that something will happen to my savings. Some also withdrew their money to show the communitys opposition to the BJP-led Union government. A Muslim trader, with whom Express spoke, is one among such people. Standing in the queue, he said: NPR, Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have created an unrest among the community. The public had suffered a lot after demonetisation. To express our opposition, the customers are withdrawing the money. The centre is unmoved by the protests. Hence, this (mass fund withdrawal) is an ideal way to show our opposition. A local resident said the fund withdrawal spree spread to other banks in Kayalpattinam too. Customers made a serpentine queue at an Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) branch to withdraw their savings on Tuesday, he added. To allay the fears, bank officials met the local Muslim leaders belonging to Kayalpattinam Muslim Iykiya Peravai, a consortium of Jamats and local Muslim organisations, on Tuesday and explained about the notice. A bank official told Express that banners would be erected at public places to educate the customers on the KYC update. Kayalpattinam Muslim Iykiya Peravai assistant secretary Nawas Ahamad said: The notice triggered fear among Muslims. When asked, the bank officials could not explain as to why NPR letter was included as one of the proof even as the NPR procedure is on the cards. We requested the bank for a mass contact programme. Allay fears about projects: Vijayakanth CHENNAI: DMDK has urged the Centre to clarify about hydrocarbon projects. There is a fear among the common public and farmers that fertile lands of the Delta will be destroyed if hydrocarbon projects are implemented. Hence, the Centre should make clear the pros and cons of projects, said Vijayakanth. To do a textual reading of Donald Trumps comments on Kashmir during his meeting with Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is to credit his words with meanings he may not have himself intended to It never fails to surprise when Donald Trumps mention of Kashmir generates heat and noise in India. On Tuesday, for instance, the US president met Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. Before going for the bilateral meeting, Trump told reporters, again, that he is watching the Kashmir situation very closely and is ready to help if needed. This was enough to send commentators and media into a tailspin. In India, Trumps comments made instant headlines. The government did not react but talking heads and policy wonks were soon busy dissecting his comments and ascribing motives. This is weird. Bottomline: The US President doesn't sit next to the Pakistan PM & talk about intervening in Kashmir, especially if you're about to visit India soon. Rezaul Hasan Laskar (@Rezhasan) January 21, 2020 Its the we certainly will be helping that is not quite a re-run. This wasnt the standard if we are asked by both parties, we stand ready to help. Im sure people will @ me about reading too much into it, its all the same yada yada, but this formulation *was* different. https://t.co/EwbKka8kFI Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) January 21, 2020 Had Trump been a president in the same mould as other heads of states whose comments are an indication of policy positions, such enthusiasm over his tweets would have been understandable. This is a POTUS who has forced NATO to put time limit on speeches to cope with his short attention span, has no grasp of history, even lesser grasp of geography, tweets gibberish in the middle of the night, threatens to destroy cultural sites of a nation he doesnt like, says one thing about Pakistan, and something quite another later. This is a very stable genius who has totally upended all notions about the institution called American Presidency. To do a textual reading of Trumps comments, therefore, is to credit his words with meanings he may not have himself intended to. Trump has shown in the past that he likes to say nice words about the heads of states while in their company. He once called Chinese president Xi Jinping a very, very good friend and then, later on, termed him an enemy. So, one should be very careful in taking the words seriously when Trump describes Pakistan prime minister as a very good friend, as he did on Tuesday. That said, Trump, with all his idiosyncrasies, is not an irrational actor. There is a context to his comments, and (to his mind) very good reason behind raising the topic of Kashmir just before going for the meeting with Khan. The point is that his comments serve a finite purpose and are restricted to the immediate context instead of indicating tectonic shifts in US policy positions. The chronology of Trumps comments (with Khan by his side) is interesting. Worth noting that it was Trump who picked up the topic of Kashmir in his opening remarks. As a White House readout of the presser notes: Were going to be talking about trade and many other things. But trade is going to be of very, very paramount importance. And were doing more trade as it turns. And were working together on some borders, and were talking about Kashmir and the relation to whats going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping. And weve been watching that and following it very, very closely. Interestingly, it was Khan who picked up the topic of Afghanistan the issue that is of paramount importance to the Trump administration in an election year. Trump would like nothing more than to seal a peace process (more an exit strategy) and withdraw US troops from the region to end an 18-year-old war. And, he reckons that Pakistan, after a history of playing spoiler, is quite close to help the US in achieving that goal. This also indicates that the ebb and flow of US-Pakistan ties is intrinsically linked to the security relationship between the two nations over Afghanistan, and Trumps raising the topic of Kashmir, without Khans prompting, indicates that Pakistan is delivering on its promises to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table and maybe even facilitating the peace process. This may explain why US policy towards Pakistan is becoming softer and bilateral ties are becoming warmer, as the ongoing four-day official visit of a senior US diplomat to Islamabad would suggest. Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asia is expected to hold talks on Afghanistan and bilateral ties amid an assessment from the US Department of State that Pakistan is finally walking the talk. Worth noting that the Trump administration has announced the resumption of the suspended International Military Education and Training (IMET) programmes for young Pakistani army officers and are reportedly firming up bilateral trade and commercial ties that also found mention in Trumps comments. Washingtons optimism stems from reports that indicate Pakistan is working its leverages with Taliban. Pakistan seems to have understood that Trump administration wont be taken in with words unless there is demonstrable action and a Reuters report from early 2019 notes that it is extending help to the US, including exerting pressure on Taliban leaders who fail to cooperate even by by detaining members of the militants families". It is evident that Trump felt obligated to raise the Kashmir issue and deliver a small domestic win for Khan and the powerful military-industrial complex that it walking a tightrope between pressurising the Taliban and risking its own security architecture. This is also the reason why we should not attach too much importance to Trumps words. He has now raised the Kashmir issue several times and on at least seven occasions has offered to mediate. At the same time, with Trump seated beside him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated during the G-7 Summit last August that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and there is no space for third party involvement. Trump, in his part, had declared Modi really feels he has it under control and I think they (India and Pakistan) can do it (resolve the issue) themselves". Repeated reference to Kashmir may indicate that being a self-proclaimed stable genius, Trump seriously believes that only he can solve the intractable Kashmir dispute. But he is also rational enough to understand the limitations and leverages of that position vis-a-vis US-Pakistan and India-US ties. Instead of getting blindsided by the Kashmir bogey, therefore, the Indian media should note that Trump dismissed the idea of touring Pakistan during his expected visit to India. Early reports indicate that Trumps scheduled maiden visit as head of state may include a town hall event. These are signs that the India-US relationship is stable and based on mutual interests and convergence of strategic imperatives. It is free of the conditionalities that shape US-Pakistan ties. SCHOHARIE The trial of Nauman Hussain, the man charged with recklessly causing the Oct. 6, 2018 limousine crash in Schoharie County that took 20 lives, will now begin on May 4. Schoharie County Judge George Bartlett rescheduled the trial, which had been scheduled to start March 9, after holding a meeting in his chambers for most of Wednesday afternoon with Hussains defense attorneys and District Attorney Susan Mallery. Hussain, 30, of Wilton, is charged with 20 counts of second-degree manslaughter, each of which carries a maximum of 5 to 15 years in prison. He also faces 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide, each of which carries up to four years in prison. Hussains lead attorney, Joseph Tacopina, told reporters the discussion on Wednesday was concentrated on discovery the disclosure of evidence in light of justice reforms that went into effect Jan. 1 in New York. The changes, which ended cash bail for most violent crimes and misdemeanors, also require prosecutors to provide discovery material to the defense within 15 days of a defendants arraignment. The new discovery laws have sort of complicated and slowed down the process a little bit, Tacopina said. Hadnt the new discovery laws come into play, I think the dates wouldnt have been moved back, but they have and theres new things were entitled to. He said both the defense and prosecutors are waiting for the result of a forensic lab reports from Texas about fluids in connection with the operation of the limousine. Tacopina said he did not expect anything earth-shattering to come out of the test results. He said his client faced the possibility, if convicted, of consecutive sentences. This case is horrific all the way around, Tacopina said. Its horrific for my client because hes being accused of something he didnt do. And he did what he thought was right and reasonable. Its horrific because 20 people lost their lives innocent people and all these families that have to suffer. Theres nothing pleasant about this case at all and nothing that is bearable at all, quite frankly. This is a horrible case. The crash delivered an emotional gut punch in the Mohawk Valley communities where many of the victims lived. In the days after the crash, families, friends and strangers confronted the tragedy at funerals and nighttime vigils. Hussain was running his father's limousine company when its 31-foot-long Ford Excursion stretch limousine barreled across Route 30 at the intersection of 30A and crashed into a ditch at the Apple Barrel Country Store restaurant. The driver and 17 passengers were killed as were two pedestrians who were standing in the parking lot when the limo flew off the pavement. Earlier: Limo operator from deadly crash to remain free on $450K bond Records reveal mysterious life of FBI informant Shahed Hussain Sorrow, anger from families of limo crash victims at hearing Hussains: Living well until Schoharie limo crash Limo crash victims: Who they were Complete crash coverage Mallery has said evidence would show Hussain's maintenance of the vehicle was to blame. She said he knowingly rented out the vehicle after it was twice ruled unsafe to drive by a state Department of Transportation investigator and ordered off the road until repairs could be made. An expert hired by the State Police ruled massive brake failure prevented the driver, 53-year-old Scott T. Lisinicchia, from stopping the out-of-control limo as it rocketed down the road. Hussain's attorneys argued unsuccessfully that the case should be dismissed because other evidence showed that a Mavis Discount Tire outlet in Saratoga Springs falsified invoices for brake work that Hussain paid for in the months before the crash. The crash was the deadliest transportation disaster in the U.S. since the Feb. 12, 2009, crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Buffalo, which killed 50 people. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Tacopina said his client believes he did the right thing by bringing it to Mavis to be serviced, but is distraught and still feels horrible because it was his companys limousine. Hussain is free on $450,000 bail. Tacopina said his client waived an attempt to have it pulled back, even though his charges dont qualify for bail under the new rules. Hussain's next court appearance will be in late March. His father, Shahed Hussain, moved to Pakistan months before the crash after having open-heart surgery and is not expected to return. Shahed Hussain has been a longtime undercover informant for the FBI's counter-terrorism task force. Shahed Hussain put his sons Haris and Nauman in charge of the motel and limo businesses when he left the country in early 2018 and has not commented on the case publicly. Wednesday's court action came after the judge in the case dealt the defense several legal setbacks. In October, the judge rejected Hussain's request the judge throw out the manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges filed by a grand jury. Weeks later, Bartlett ruled that statements Nauman Hussain made to State Police and state transportation officials before and after the crash could be used at his upcoming trial. The Hussains, Mavis, and the state face several lawsuits filed on behalf of the victims. None of the civil cases have reached trial. The limousine's passengers close relatives and friends, many of whom knew each other since high school were headed to Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown to celebrate Amy Steenburg's 30th birthday. Why the limousine was driving on that rural route remains a mystery. A preliminary report from investigators said there were "intermediate stops" the limo had been planning to make. Many of those in the limo that day grew up in Amsterdam, a Mohawk River city of 18,000 that was once a manufacturing hub for the carpet industry. An Amsterdam middle school teacher and her husband as well as her three sisters and two of their husbands were among the dead. The relatives of the dead have become an unintended and unwilling family, the dozens of unrelated people united by the common grief of losing loved ones. "It seems like forever ago, and it seems like yesterday," Donna Rivenburg, who lost her 29-year-old daughter, Amanda, told the Times Union last year. "This tragedy has brought a lot of good people into my life. If there's anything good I can see so far, that's it." Two days after the disaster, a candlelight vigil held on Amsterdam's pedestrian bridge overlooking the Mohawk River drew 5,000 people. Lisinicchia was not licensed to drive a limo that size the Excursion was estimated to weigh more than 10 tons. It is unclear if he knew authorities had repeatedly judged the 17-year-old Ford to be unsafe for the road in the months prior. But Lisinicchia's wife later said he had expressed concern about the state of the vehicles he was assigned to drive by his employer, Prestige Limousine of Wilton. Steve Hughes and Larry Rulison contributed to this story. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has sued Madam Hillary Clinton for defamation in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Gabbards press release is posted online here; Gabbards Complaint is posted online here. Clinton defamed Gabbard as a Russian asset in a statement that did not call her out by name, though I dont think there can be any doubt that Clintons statement was of and concerning Gabbard. Identification of the plaintiff in the defamatory statement is of course an essential element of the cause of action for slander or libel. Gabbards Complaint addresses the issue in paragraph 28 et seq. Is the statement that Gabbard is a Russian asset protected as a statement of opinion (rather than one of fact)? I hope not. See generally Complaint paragraphs 26-46. The Complaint recites Gabbards request for a retraction from Clinton. Madam Hillary has declined to retract. See Complaint paragraphs 23-25. The strongest defense in most defamation cases involving public figures is the requirement of proving actual malice that the Supreme Court has imposed in such cases. The Complaint addresses the requirement in paragraphs 37-46. In the second sentence of her Complaint Gabbard asserts: Tulsi Gabbard is running for President of the United States, a position Clinton has long coveted, but has not been able to attain. I look forward to checking out Clintons response on this point when she files her Answer. Let the good times roll. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 13:55:50|Editor: zh Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian troops on Tuesday rescued 24 school children held hostage by armed separatists in the country's restive English-speaking region of Meme division, an official said. The children were kidnapped early Tuesday from their school in the southwestern city of Kumba and "taken to the forest where the camp of the separatists is located," Ntou Ndong Chamberlain, senior officer of Meme division, told reporters Tuesday afternoon. Two armed separatists were shot dead during the rescue operation and weapons and ammunitions were found, the official said. The children, aged five-10, have been reunited with their families, he added. Abductions have become rampant in the northwest and southwest Anglophone regions of Cameroon as general elections draw near. Armed separatists have been clashing with government forces since 2017 in an attempt to establish an independent nation in the two regions. The bosses of some of the world's biggest oil companies discussed adopting much more ambitious carbon targets at a closed-door meeting in Davos, a sign of how much pressure they're under from activists and investors to address climate change. The meeting, part of a World Economic Forum dominated by climate issues, included a debate on widening the industry's target to include reductions in emissions from the fuels they sell, not just the greenhouse gases produced by their own operations, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The talks between the chief executive officers of companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Chevron Corp., Total SA, Saudi Aramco, Equinor ASA and BP Plc showed broad agreement on the need to move toward this broader definition, known as Scope 3, the people said, asking not to be named because the session was closed to the press. The executives didn't take any final decisions. Shell declined to comment. Media representatives for Chevron, Total, Aramco and BP weren't immediately able to respond to requests for comment. Equinor confirmed its CEO Eldar Saetre attended the meeting. Targeting Scope 3 emissions would be a big shift for an industry that produces the bulk of the world's planet-warming emissions, once that could eventually require them to sell far less oil and gas. The simple fact that the industry's top executives were considering it underscored how climate concerns suddenly came into focus in Davos this year. For the first time, environmental risks occupied the WEF's top five long-term concerns. Business leaders from BlackRock Inc. CEO Larry Fink to Allianz SE boss Oliver Baete used their platform at the event to focus on sustainable investment. The two highest-profile attendees at the forum -- President Donald Trump and climate activist Greta Thunberg -- made headlines as they staked out opposing positions on the issue. Several companies have already pledged reductions in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases, which come directly from pumping and refining hydrocarbons. Yet these account for less than 10% of total emissions from the life cycle of oil and gas, so preventing a damaging increase in global temperatures requires action that goes much further. The executives debated a document produced by the World Economic Forum on "neutralizing emissions at the pump," a reference to the gasoline and diesel sold to customers. There's an urgent need to shift the industry's target from oil production to emissions from end users, said one person. Among major energy groups, only Shell, Total and Madrid-based Repsol SA have publicly announced that they are either targeting or monitoring Scope 3 emissions. The Spanish company made the boldest move, promising net-zero emissions in 2050 by diverting investment into wind and solar power. Shell has taken more modest steps, pledging to offset the greenhouse gases produced by fuel sold to drivers on their loyalty-card programs in the U.K. and Netherlands. Other companies, notably U.S. majors Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron have so far resisted specific pledges to cut total emissions, with the latter focusing instead on the carbon intensity of the energy it produces. BP CEO Bob Dudley, who retires later this year, has agreed targets for Scope 1 and 2 gases but opposed a Scope 3 target. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Eni SpA Chairman Emma Marcegaglia said in a Bloomberg TV interview that the company is committed to becoming carbon neutral on a Scope 1 and 2 basis by 2030. The Italian oil and gas giant is in discussions about Scope 3 emissions, but needs more guidance from the government on how to do so, she said. "We'll look at all our different sectors and how to make them close to carbon-neutral," Marcegaglia said. "But also keeping our capacity to make cash flow." - - - Bloomberg's Laura Hurst, Francois de Beaupuy, Matthew Martin, Francine Lacqua and Mikael Holter contributed to this report. The early weekend forecast for New Jersey includes the chance of a second consecutive snowy Saturday for the northern part of the state, while most residents are likely to get rain. The National Weather Service has not yet issued snow total forecasts three days out. But the preliminary forecast suggests only the higher elevations of Warren and Sussex counties could be cold enough to see a bit of snow Saturday. A wintry mix for northern New Jersey is likely to begin falling on Friday night or very early Saturday, but only higher elevations are in line for any accumulating snow. This is going to be primarily a rain event for New Jersey, said Joe Miketta, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday morning. Some of the models show all rain, but we think that might be overly optimistic. The morning forecast discussion goes onto say that the vast majority of the state - areas south of Interstate 78 - will get only rain during the day Saturday as temps should be in the low 40s. Then on Saturday night, colder air that pushes in has the potential to deliver snow showers. A messy mix of mostly rain, but some snow could continue through much of Sunday before the low pressure system moves away from our area. AccuWeather.com is calling for a mix of rain and snow for roughly the northern third of the state starting sometime after 7 a.m. Saturday. The potential for heavy snow for part of the Northeast cannot be dismissed, AcucWeather.com notes. The next thee days, however, will be dry and sunny in New Jersey. Highs on Wednesday will be in the upper 30s to low 40s before conditions warm up a bit on Thursday an Friday. The mercury will make it into the mid 40s both of those days. Wind wont be much of a factor for the next three days. High temperature forecast for Wednesday. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Pamela Anderson has tied the knot with film producer Jon Peters. On Monday, the Baywatch actor married the Hollywood mogul best known for the films A Star Is Born, Flashdance and Batman in a private ceremony in Malibu more than 35 years after they first dated. The 52-year-old former model began dating the 74-year-old film producer last year. However, the newlyweds briefly dated in the mid-80s after meeting at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Peters said: There are beautiful girls everywhere. I could have my pick, but, for 35 years, Ive only wanted Pamela. She makes me wild, in a good way. She inspires me. I protect her and treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Show all 13 1 /13 Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS Couple marry in magical Bollywood wedding at Disneyland Paris Rashpal / SWNS The film producer added that there is much more to the actor than meets the eye and that she is still yet to shine. While Anderson did not comment on their nuptials, she did share a poem to explain her love for her new husband, who she referred to as the original bad boy of Hollywood. Recommended Oprah Winfrey reveals why she never got married No one compares. I love him deeply like family, Anderson said. His life used to scare me. So much for a girl like me. Now Ive seen more of life and realisehes been there all along. The actor went on to explain that the couple understand and respect each other and love each other without conditions. Im a lucky woman, she concluded. Proof, god has a plan. The nuptials mark Andersons fifth marriage. The star was previously married to performer Tommy Lee between 1995 and 1998 and the pair share two adult sons, Brandon and Dylan. Anderson was also married to musician Kid Rock from 2006 until 2007, and married poker player Rick Salomon twice. Their first union in 2007 was annulled the following year but they found each other again and married in 2014 before getting a divorce in 2015. Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday discussed issues relating to bilateral trade and investment with South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hi, as he met a number of industry leaders and foreign ministers here at WEF 2020 Davos: Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday discussed issues relating to bilateral trade and investment with South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hi, as he met a number of industry leaders and foreign ministers here at WEF 2020. Goyal, who also holds the railways portfolio, discussed ways for accelerating investments in Indian Railways during a roundtable session with industry leaders here on the sidelines of WEF. Goyal highlighted the focus on innovation and modernisation in Railways, paving the way for new and higher investment opportunities. Separately, the minister held a number of bilateral meetings including with Carlos Brito, Global CEO of Anheuser Busch InBev, and discussed the various initiatives taken by the Indian Government to enhance Ease of Doing Business. He also met Alfred F Kelly Jr, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Visa, and Alan Hope, CEO of Unilever. With the South Korean minister, Goyal had a discussion on India's concerns to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment between the two nations, he tweeted. The resolutions adopted in Berlin on the Libyan conflict were greeted both inside Libya and abroad with a great deal of caution because the problems on the ground in Libya are so complex that no document produced by an international conference can solve them. The Berlin conference, which concluded its activities Sunday, called for a ceasefire in war-torn Libya, a halt to outside military interventions, and commitment to the UN resolution banning arms flows into Libya. The ceasefire will be monitored by a military committee that will convene in Libya in the coming days, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. The first hurdle to be overcome is the creation of this committee by the parties to the Libyan conflict. According to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the most important result of the conference was that the leaders of the two main rival factions, Fayez Al-Sarraj, the head of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), agreed to undertake a series of further steps, one of which was to form a military committee to monitor the ceasefire consisting of five representatives from each side. On the other hand, there remains a clear division over the cessation of hostilities since the LNA, supported by influential Libyan tribes, is now in a position to achieve a definitive victory over the militias that have allied with the Tripoli-based GNA. Many questions continue to hover over the prospects of achieving a lasting ceasefire. Will this attempt launched in Berlin succeed where others have failed? Will monitors be able to restrain the warring forces? Will it be possible to persuade combatants to lay down their arms? Moreover, the situation on the ground is now more complicated than ever due to the recent Turkish military intervention on the side of the militias that have controlled the capital, Tripoli, for many years. This intervention epitomises another crucial aspect of the problem, namely the foreign interventions that have exploited the collapse of the Libyan state in order to achieve political and material gains at the expense of the Libyan people. The participants in Berlin who agreed to usher in a new phase that will lead to an end to the Libyan crisis are looking forward not just to a lasting ceasefire but also to the resumption of the UN-sponsored political process in Geneva on 27 January. In this context, Egypts participation in Berlin underscored its unwavering position on the Libyan crisis. As President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi told other conference participants, Egypt supports a comprehensive approach to a resolution of the Libyan crisis covering all political, economic and security-related matters. In this framework, Egypt has made it clear that it does not deal with militias and other paramilitary entities, but rather with legitimate national armies. It is a position shared by the UAE and Russia. Radicalised militias and paramilitary entities cannot be part of any political or military agreement. They should not be granted legitimacy in this or any other manner. Unfortunately, the Tripoli-based government has worked in precisely the opposite direction through its relationship with such militias and the mercenaries that Turkey brought into Libya from Syria in order to support Al-Sarraj. These militias and mercenaries are consuming petroleum revenues that belong to the Libyan people and they are working to promote a situation in Libya that excludes the national army and the House of Representatives, which is the only popularly elected body in Libya. The coming days and weeks will tell us whether the Berlin conference was as successful as billed and whether the international community can produce a new reality in a country ravaged by nine years of war and that has become vulnerable to outside powers that have preyed on the conflict to achieve material gains and fulfil their own political ambitions. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The Alabama Futures Fund is announcing another investment in a medtech company relocating to Birmingham. SynsorMed, Inc., which was based in Tampa, Fla., has developed a cloud-based monitoring platform, or Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Its the second investment AFF has announced this year, having earlier committed an undisclosed amount to Birmingham networking platform startup Linq. The SynsorMed platform is a device-agnostic RPM platform. Monitoring devices have Bluetooth sensors that transmit readings directly to the cloud through the SynsorMed app on a patients smartphone. SynsorMed is initially deploying its platform for use with devices that monitor patients with chronic pulmonary disease, but the company plans to expand into monitoring for congestive heart failure, diabetes and other chronic conditions. The company said the device lowers the cost of patient care, increases medical practice revenue, reduces hospital re-admissions and empowers patients to take control of their personal health. With 44 million Americans on Medicare, a number expected to rise to 79 million by 2030, the company feels there is a large market for SynsorMeds solution. SynsorMed enables patients to measure medical data and securely upload that information to their physician through the companys proprietary, cloud-based app. This can eliminate the need to schedule appointments for routine check-ups, while physicians using it have access to patient data and can review patient records in real-time through an online portal and dashboard. SynsorMed was co-founded by CEO Theo Harvey and CTO Amin Holmes. Harvey spent 14-years at Cisco, most recently as a business development professional in Ciscos healthcare group. Holmes has spent the last 15 years in healthcare IT space. Harvey said the company is looking forward to its move to Birmingham. We see tremendous opportunities to grow our business and build great relationships throughout the city and its vast healthcare ecosystem, he said. Birmingham is positioning itself to be a leader in entrepreneurship and it just makes sense for SynsorMed to be a part of this momentum. Mickey Millsap, Partner at Redhawk Advisory, serving as the investment manager for AFF said the fund was thrilled to add SysnorMed to the AFF portfolio. Theo and Amin bring a wealth of experience in the healthcare IT space and both demonstrate the kind of hard work and commitment we look for in great founding teams, Millsap said. The AFF was founded in 2018 with a focus on growing the states entrepreneurial culture. AFF will only invest in companies that are headquartered in, or willing to relocate to, Alabama. Its also aimed at addressing the funding gap that continues to hinder startup activity and economic growth in Alabama. Welcome to the Trump Bench, a series where Slate analyzes a Trump judges recent work. At an unusually rapid clip, Trump has so far successfully appointed two Supreme Court justices, 50 appeals court judges, and 133 district court judges during his presidency. Trump judges tend to be different than appointees by past presidents of both parties. Many are quite young, some are openly partisan, others are patently unqualified. The judges will likely be Trumps most enduring impact on our nation, which is why we are choosing to spotlight their work. Advertisement The fourth installment is about Kyle Duncan, a culture warrior who spent his pre-judicial career attacking the rights of same-sex couples and their children, transgender students, women, minority voters, and immigrants. The Judge: Stuart Kyle Duncan of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Duncan was confirmed to a lifetime appointment on the 5th Circuit on April 24, 2018; today, he is one of five Donald Trump appointees on that court. He previously served in both the Texas and Louisiana attorney generals offices. Like most of Donald Trumps appeals court nominees, Duncan is a member of the Federalist Society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Age: 47 The Decision: Duncan cut his teeth defending policies that discriminate against transgender schoolchildren. He seemed to draw upon that experience in a transphobic opinion issued last Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement That opinion, U.S. v. Varner, involved a transgender inmates modest request to change her name on several court documents. These documents identified her as Norman Keith Varner, but she has since transitioned and legally changed her name to Kathrine Nicole Jett. Without the aid of an attorney, Jett asked the 5th Circuit to order a revision of these old court documents to reflect her new name and true gender identity. I am a woman and not referring to me as such leads me to feel that I am being discriminated against based on my gender identity, she wrote. I am a womancan I not be referred to as one? In a 21 decision, Duncan denied both of Jetts requests. He first refused to revise her name on court documents on technical grounds, finding no authorization under federal law to consider the motion. Then he embarked upon a five-page screed that willfully misinterpreted Jetts entreaty to be referred to as a woman. Duncan claimed that Jett demanded an order forcing the lower court and the government to use female pronouns under threat of contempt. (In reality, as Judge James L. Dennis explained in dissent, Jett had merely asked 5th Circuit to respect her gender identity by using the correct pronouns.) Advertisement Advertisement Duncan did acknowledge that judges have discretion to use the right pronouns, but refused to do so here, for the most trollish of reasons. He wrote that federal courts must sometimes decide hotly-debated issues of sex and gender identity, and that using a transgender litigants preferred pronoun may unintentionally convey a judges tacit approval of the litigants underlying legal position. The Code of Conduct compels judges to maintain the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, Duncan noted, and using preferred pronouns could indicate bias toward transgender people. Advertisement Advertisement As legal analyst Cristian Farias has pointed out, that same code also compels judges to be patient, dignified, respectful, and courteous to litigants. Duncan simply ignored that rule. Moreover, as Voxs Ian Millhiser wrote, Duncan does not actually maintain impartiality by using the wrong gender pronouns. He reveals that he has taken a side against transgender litigants. Advertisement Advertisement By misreading Jetts plea, Duncan also gave himself an excuse to disparage transgender people and question the validity of their identities. He threw up his hands at the supposed complexity of trans pronouns, pointing to an LGBTQ+ university resource centers pronoun usage guide that included uncommon variations like ze and xyr. And he cited a Harvard Law Review article by Jessica A. Clarke (while misspelling her name) describing unfamiliar pronouns, such as ze. (The articles next sentence warns: Issues related to pronouns are often distorted and politicized.) Advertisement Advertisement We decline, Duncan concluded, to enlist the federal judiciary in the quixotic undertaking of using preferred pronouns. The Precedent: Duncans assertion that courts cannot use transgender peoples preferred pronouns without entering a thicket of exotic neologisms is demonstrably false. Plenty of judges have used transgender litigants preferred pronouns without any trouble at all. And, notably, when anti-trans groups misgendered a trans plaintiff in their briefs, the clerk of the Supreme Court reprimanded them and directed them to use the correct pronoun. Advertisement At most, U.S. v. Varner confirms that the 5th Circuit will continue to intentionally misgender trans litigants. Judge James Hoanother Trump appointeealready misgendered a trans inmate in a malicious 2019 decision that allowed Texas to deny gender affirmation surgery to prisoners. Ho relied upon his apparent hostility toward transgender people to reject the scientific consensus in support of this treatment for certain individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. Advertisement The Record: Before joining the bench, Duncan devoted his career to an array of reactionary causes. He represented a school district that sought to bar a transgender student from using the correct bathroom on campus and opposed marriage equality at the Supreme Court. He tried to revoke a lesbian mothers parental rights over her adopted child and successfully challenged a married same-sex couples legal parentage over their adopted child. Duncan has also sought to curtail workers access to contraception, let states regulate abortion clinics out of existence, permit Republicans to enact racist restrictions on the franchise, permit deportation of undocumented parents of U.S. citizens, and bar any opportunity of release for individuals sentenced to life as juveniles. Advertisement Advertisement Duncans record on the 5th Circuit so far suggests that his hardline views have not budged. He cast the decisive vote halting reforms to the unjust bail system in Harris County, Texas, which a lower court found discriminated against poor people and violated their constitutional rights. He also voted to grant qualified immunity to police officers who shot a suicidal teenagerbefore the teenager had even seen the officers, and, allegedly, without warning him to disarm. Duncan voted against reconsidering a panel opinion eviscerating the Fair Housing Act. Yet he voted to abolish the independence of an agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack. The vote: Duncans blandly evasive performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee failed to persuade Democrats that he would join the judiciary with an open mind. He was confirmed by a vote of 5047, with every Republican present voting in his favor (including Susan Collins), and every Democrat present except Joe Manchin voting in opposition. Duncan is one of five Trump appointees on the 5th Circuit. This quintet has joined the courts existing far-right bloc to create a radically conservative majority that implements the jurisprudence of Trumpism to devastating effect. (UPDATE: Police ID man fatally shot at Flint-area trampoline park) FLINT TWP, MI -- The 39-year-old woman arrested in connection with a fatal shooting at Planet 3 Extreme Air Park in Flint Township has been released. A statement released Tuesday afternoon by Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the woman, whose name has not been released, is out of the Genesee County Jail pending further investigation. Officers with the Flint Township Police Department were dispatched shortly after 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 to the business located at 3450 Miller Road for a report of shots inside the building. The victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The woman was taken into custody by police within one minute of the original call. Investigators have learned the suspect and victim were known to each other. 1 dead, 1 in custody after shooting inside Flint-area trampoline park This is an isolated incident stemming from a history of domestic violence involving the deceased man and the woman, Leyton said. Police are also seeking the publics help to try and identify the driver of a light-colored -- cream or white -- SUV that was backed into a parking space in the parking lot of the business. There were several people inside the vehicle. The vehicle may have been damaged by the suspects blue Chevrolet Tahoe before the shooting took place. Anyone with information about the driver or the shooting is asked to contact Flint Township Police Detective Phil McBride at 810-600-3250 or report a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245), on the P3 Tips mobile app, or online at crimestoppersofflint.com or P3tips.com. Videos, photos, and audio can be submitted through the Crime Stoppers app or website. Fatal shooting at Flint-area trampoline park prompts concern South Africa's Department of Basic Education recently released the country's National Senior Certificate results for the class of 2019. These are commonly known as the matric results and they determine school-leavers' admission and placement into tertiary level study. About 81.3% of those who wrote the matriculation exams passed. There has been much well-deserved celebration of this achievement of the highest post-apartheid national matric pass rate. What the country is not hearing about from the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, is the drop in performance in mathematics. It is one of the gateway subjects, subjects which are considered critical for the country's economic growth and development. This decline can be measured in two ways. There is a reduction in the number of students writing mathematics from 270,516 in 2018 to 222,034 in 2019. The second measure is the performance: only 54% of the pupils who wrote the exam passed it. This pass rate is down from 58% in 2018. The minimum score for a pass is 30%. This means only 54% of mathematics exam candidates achieved a mark of at least 30%. Of all the maths candidates only 2% (4,415) achieved distinctions. A distinction is a score of 80%-100%. This is down from 2.5% in 2018. Why does this matter? The drop in numbers of pupils writing the grade 12 mathematics exam should be of great concern. Performance in mathematics matters for university entrance. Without it, school leavers are not eligible for programmes at university in science or engineering or some in commerce. A decline signals the closing of the doors of opportunity in these fields to a growing number of students. This will only increase inequality. Economics researcher Nic Spaull's research has shown that the top 200 high schools in the country produce 97% of the mathematics distinctions. The majority of these schools charge significant fees. The deterioration in performance is also of great concern. Getting a pass (30%) may secure a diploma or university entrance but these low pass marks will not prepare students to succeed at mathematics at university level. This development runs contrary to the needs of the fourth industrial revolution, which requires highly competent graduates in the science, technology, engineering and maths areas. Strong performance in mathematics is essential for careers in computing, programming, finance and machine learning. Universities need to shoulder the blame Universities cannot absolve themselves of this national challenge. At the University of Cape Town data from the Courses Impeding Graduation project is being analysed to better understand incoming students' challenges, specifically in courses like Mathematics 1. In this course a worrying pattern of performance emerged. A minimum mark of 70% for maths in matric is needed to get into Mathematics 1 at the university. Based on several years of data, an average of 33% of students fail this course. Those students who enter with a 90% mark for maths in matric score a pass in Mathematics 1 with an average mean of 64%. Those students who achieved between 80% and 89% in matric fail the course with an average mean of 47%. Those who achieved between 70% and 79% in matric fail with an average mean of 43%. Unless a student achieved a distinction for mathematics at school level they are at risk of failing it at university level. Students who fail Mathematics 1 will inevitably take longer to complete their degree and are at higher risk of being excluded from the university. Dealing with the problem The University of Cape Town is taking responsibility for its share in these dismal results. A number of interventions have been put in place over recent years to provide additional support to students. These include maths labs, Saturday workshops, and even providing multilingual resources to support students who are not yet fluent in the medium of instruction. Expert maths teachers have been appointed to lecture this challenging course. But the overall failure rates of approximately one third of the class have remained stubbornly in place. A decision was taken in 2019 to revise the Mathematics 1 curriculum to ensure a greater alignment between schooling and university curriculum. This kind of curriculum review raises a number of complex issues: what is the appropriate content to ensure a relatively seamless transition from school maths to university maths? Do different disciplinary areas like actuarial science, chemistry and engineering need different kinds of mathematics courses? How can the pacing of the curriculum accommodate different learning needs? How can educational technology support innovative forms of teaching and learning mathematics? These are global issues, not unique to South Africa. The national euphoria around the national pass rate means nothing if it hides problems such as declining mathematics performance. Suellen Shay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Suellen Shay, Professor, University of Cape Town Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday alleged that seven million Bangladeshi infiltrators are registered as voters in the state and removing their names by implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will ensure his partys victory in the 2021 assembly polls. Addressing a huge rally in support of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) at Falakata in Alipurduar district in north Bengal, Ghosh said the infiltrators can be identified and isolated through the NRC. 20 million illegal infiltrators have entered India from Bangladesh. Of them, 10 million have settled down in Bengal and the rest have spread across the country. Of the 10 million in Bengal, 7 million are registered as voters. TMC got at least five million of these votes. TMC got 24.7 million votes in the Lok Sabha elections and we got 23 million. Once the names of these illegal infiltrators are struck off, TMCs votes will go down. Ours, on the other hand, will cross 30 million because of CAA. Our victory in 2021 is certain, said Ghosh at the rally named Abhinandan Yatra. ALSO WATCH | Will expel 50 lakh Muslim infiltrators: Dilip Ghoshs threat amid CAA row In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC recorded 24,757,345 votes (43.69%) in its favour against 23,028,517 votes (40.64%) of the BJP. His remarks came a few hours after chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in Darjeeling, reiterated from a rally that her government will not allow CAA, NRC or National Population Register (NPR) in the state. Ghosh who was recently reappointed for a second term as BJP chief in Bengal, said that those who vandalised government property during protests against CAA were all infiltrators. No Indian can vandalise government property. They were all infiltrators, he said. TMC leaders shot back at him, daring Ghoshs masters in Delhi to implement any of the three CAA, NRC or NPR - in Bengal. Would Ghosh be kind enough to quote the source of the figures he mentioned? Where did he get the figures from? He wouldnt be able to answer because all this is said to divert public attention from core issues. They are targeting a particular minority community to create social unrest. People will resist them, said Tapas Roy, the states junior parliamentary affairs minister. BJP is dividing people by creating confusion in the names of citizen, refugee and infiltrator, Roy said. The CAA has sparked protests in many parts of the country including Bengal and has forced the BJP to launch a countrywide outreach programme to counter opponents of the law who claim that the legislation is unconstitutional. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Bogota, Colombia Wed, January 22, 2020 12:42 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206079baf 2 World Colombia,politics,protests,Bogota,Latin-America,violence,corruption,unemployment Free Riot police firing tear gas and stun grenades clashed with rock-throwing demonstrators in Bogota Tuesday as anti-government protests resumed across Colombia, leaving 11 people injured and nearly 100 arrested. Protests also took place in other major cities including Cali and Medellin, and nationwide the authorities recorded 165 marches, rallies or road blockages, police chief Oscar Atehortua said. Most of the arrests were in Bogota and 10 of the 11 injured were police, he said. The Bogota events started in the late afternoon as a traditional pot-banging demonstration of the kind common in Latin America and late last year when protests first erupted against conservative President Ivan Duque's 17-month-old government. What began as a general strike has morphed into a wider display of discontent over his economic policies, unemployment, political corruption and drug-financed violence. Security forces were still deployed in the old quarter of Bogota as night fell Tuesday. Mayor Claudia Lopez said the day had been mostly peaceful, although in some neighborhoods small groups turned violent. In the city center, a 60-year-old woman named Flor Calderon stood between protesters and riot police, asking officers to let the procession move forward. "This is a fight for you and your children's children because this country is a mess," she said to police, waving a white flag. Lopez, who took office on Jan. 1, has set up procedures to try to prevent violence at demonstrations, which have left four people dead since they began on Nov. 21. About 500 people have been injured and around 200 arrested. Many protesters feel that efforts to end the decades-long armed conflict with the country's FARC rebels has detracted from progress in other areas of society. They also want Duque to dismantle the feared ESMAD riot police, widely criticized for its heavy-handed response to demonstrations. Duque has yielded to some of the other demands on tax reform, announcing the refund of Value Added Tax to the poorest 20 percent of the population and benefits for companies that hire young people. The president defended what he called "a national conversation" with various sectors of society to try to find a way out of the stand-off. "We want to listen to all sectors so that we can move on to making proposals, where we can solve many of the country's needs that have emerged from years ago," Duque said. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will arrive in India on January 24 for a four-day visit, during which he will be the chief guest at the annual Republic Day parade and hold talks with the Indian leadership on bolstering trade and investment. Bolsonaro, who is visiting at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be accompanied by seven ministers, the chairman of the Brazil-India Friendship Group in Brazils Parliament, senior officials and a delegation of more than 80 businessmen. An invitation to a world leader to be chief guest at the Republic Day parade is an honour reserved for Indias closest allies and friends. In recent years, the honour has been accorded to former US President Barack Obama, leaders of the 10 Asean nations and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. India and Brazil will sign more than 15 agreements and launch an action plan for their strategic partnership during the visit, Brazils ambassador Andre Aranha Correa do Lago said on Tuesday. We are going to [sign] more than 15 agreements with the government and institutions. We are also going to launch a plan of action for our strategic partnership. We want to make our strategic partnership more dynamic, Lago was quoted as saying by ANI news agency. The visit will also focus on strengthening cooperation in energy, agriculture and defence, he added. The last presidential visit from Brazil was made by Michel Temer in October 2016 on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in Goa. Modi visited Brasilia for the Brics Summit in November, 2019. This is Bolsonaros first state visit to India. Former presidents of Brazil have been the chief guest at the Republic Day parades in 1996 and 2004. On January 25, Bolsonaro will meet his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind, who will host a banquet in his honour, and he will hold talks with Modi. Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and external affairs minister S Jaishankar will also meet Bolsonaro. On January 27, Bolsonaro will address business leaders at the India-Brazil Business Forum. The external affairs ministry said India and Brazil share a close and multifaceted relationship based on a common global vision, shared democratic values and a commitment to fostering economic growth of both countries. Bilateral ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2006, and the two countries work closely at forums such as Brics, IBSA and G20 and in multilateral bodies, particularly the UN. Trade between India and Brazil during 2018-19 was worth $8.2 billion, including Indian exports of $3.8 billion and imports of $4.4 million. Major Indian exports to Brazil include agro-chemicals, synthetic yarns, auto components and parts, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products. Brazilian exports to India include crude oil, gold, vegetable oil, sugar and bulk mineral and ores. Indian investments in Brazil were around $6 billion and Brazilian investments in India were estimated at $1 billion in 2018. Brazilian investments are mainly in automobiles, IT, mining, energy and bio-fuels. India has invested in Brazils IT, pharmaceutical, energy, agri-business, mining and engineering sectors. A card that gun purchasers must show weapons retailers in Rhode Island to prove they have a basic understanding of gun safety is not being tracked, an investigation found. Several law enforcement officials are calling for more stringent certification requirements for the state's so-called Blue Card, as there is currently no way to determine whether a card is real, an investigation by WPRI showed. Officials said the lack of information has made it challenging for them to share information related to gun owners and gun purchases across the state. The state's Department of Environmental Management issues the cards to individuals who participate in a safety-training course that consists of at least two hours of instruction in the safe use and handling of pistols and revolvers. The agency is required by the state to destroy all records of applications within 30 days. The issues with lack of record-keeping resurfaced after a 66-year-old man shot and killed one woman and injured two others in Westerly in December, before shooting himself, police said. WPRI requested the copy of his Blue Card from the agency to learn more about how the suspected killer obtained the gun used in the attack. But the agency could not say whether the suspect had a valid card or if he even passed a required test to obtain one. Frank Saccoccio, Rhode Island 2nd Amendment Coalition leader, is among those who believe the state should not keep records of gun owners longer than mandated 30 days. We are absolutely opposed to a list being created with regard to Blue Cards because it does tend to indicate who is going to be a firearm owner, Saccoccio said. It violates Rhode Island law, and it violates federal law. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. French police have launched an investigation after death threats were delivered to the Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Minister of Public Accounts Gerald Darmanin. Two bullets were enclosed in one of the letters which demanded the end of President Emmanuel Macron's push for pension reforms. "You convince Macron that enough is enough. Tell him to call off the reforms otherwise...you're finished," read one of the letters. Last September, Darmanin received similar threats while Le Maire was sent threatening messages just before the G7 summit in Biarritz last August. Back on the tracks Macron swept to power in 2017 on the promise of sweeping reforms for France. Strikes against his retirement benefits proposals, which began on 5 December, have largely subsided, but not before causing weeks of severe disruptions to public transport around France, in particular to the Paris metro and bus network. During the Christmas holidays, hundreds of thousands of travellers were affected due to limited or cancelled services. SNCF, the national train operator, says it faces losses of up to one billion euros due to the strike action. On 15 January, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe insisted the strikes would not succeed in derailing the government's plans. "The transport strike against pension reform will go nowhere. The government is determined," said Philippe after emerging from a meeting with key ministers and advisors. Read more: According to the recently published "Afghanistan Papers," for over eighteen years, U.S. civilian and military leaders have been simultaneously clueless and deceptive. "We were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan we didn't know what we were doing," said Douglas Lute, a three-star Army general who served as the White House's Afghan war czar during the Bush and Obama administrations. "If the American people knew the magnitude of this dysfunction ... 2,400 lives lost," Lute added, blaming the deaths of U.S. military personnel on bureaucratic breakdowns among Congress, the Pentagon, and the State Department. "Who will say this was in vain?" While I was assigned to the U.S. military headquarters in Afghanistan, the most commonly used phrase in reports coming from all echelons and locations was "progress is being made." At that time, the war was being fought, and probably still is, through PowerPoint presentations. As long as the slides said so, then "progress was being made." It was then and still is a facade. The only real progress being made is by the Taliban. The lack of fundamental understanding of the conflict has been exacerbated by military and civilian organizations and processes in Afghanistan that were complicated and convoluted. There were then numerous stove-piped and redundant programs operating in parallel, which provided little more than a collection of simultaneous arguments. The information being generated and shared was far greater than any organization could absorb, let alone analyze and understand. There can be, quite literally, "too much going on." With so many people doing so much with so little situational comprehension, motion becomes the equivalent of progress, and the emphasis quickly shifted from an effective process to simply maintaining a smooth one. It was a program on automatic pilot, where everyone was being reassured that everything was going according to plan. Despite the fact that symptoms of failure were already known, no one in the chain of command spoke up, and, hence, no one should be surprised about where we are now. As one moves up the bureaucratic ladder, the tendency to give and accept happy talk increases. Negative views can be expressed only as whispers in private conversations. Public criticism is suicide, and, contrary to popular belief, changing the system from within is at best serendipity or at worst urban myth. Afghanistan policy has been characterized by a laissez-faire attitude toward demonstrable progress, where the appearance rather than the substance of success is a satisfactory outcome. The ugly truth is that often mistakes are detected, if ever, only long after the senior officials responsible for the fiascos have been promoted or moved on. There is little incentive for doing better as long as the money keeps flowing, fresh troops keep arriving, and there is little demand for genuine accountability. The mission statement, open-ended and ambiguous, remains unchanged since 2001, to which the Pentagon clings like a security blanket: "To protect the homeland by preventing Afghanistan from being used again as a safe haven for terrorists to attack the United States or our allies." What does that actually mean for a country surrounded by Pakistan and Iran, regimes known to use terrorism as elements of their foreign policy? U.S. military leaders must have known that a counterinsurgency strategy was unwinnable when Pakistan, through its support of the Taliban, controlled the operational tempo and also the supply of our troops in landlocked Afghanistan. U.S. political leaders must have known that Pakistan has been a firm ally of China for decades, both of whom have very different objectives in Afghanistan from ours. The war in Afghanistan is endless because we have refused to recognize reality or accept and act upon it even when that reality has become obvious. It is self-delusion on a national political scale. The time has come to shift the burden of Afghanistan to those countries in the region who have worked so hard to ensure that we failed and likewise ensure that they reap the bitter harvest of what they sowed. Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel trained in Arabic and Kurdish, an I.T. command and control and cyber-security subject matter expert; and a veteran of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa. He receives email at lawrence.sellin@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @LawrenceSellin. WARWICK, R.I., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first U.S. case of a mysterious coronavirus that has already killed several people and sickened hundreds of others in China. Rising international concern has also led authorities to expand health screenings at US airports to help prevent further outbreaks. InsureMyTrip is monitoring the development of this situation and its potential travel impact. Summary: CDC raises alert level for an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China identified to be caused by coronavirus. Situation evolving with once confirmed U.S. case for an outbreak of pneumonia in identified to be caused by coronavirus. Situation evolving with once confirmed U.S. case San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airports to screen travelers from Wuhan to the United States for symptoms When it comes to public health threats, travel insurance benefits may apply in the following scenarios: Trip Cancellation: a traveler gets ill and must cancel a trip or a traveler must cancel a trip because a travel companion or family member gets ill. Emergency Medical Coverage: a sick traveler must see a doctor and/or go to the hospital during a trip. Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage: in rare cases, a sick traveler requires an emergency medical evacuation to the nearest appropriate hospital or back home for recuperation. Trip Interruption: an extremely sick traveler cannot continue with a trip and must return home. All claims must be supported by a doctor. In the event a person is afraid to travel due to health risks, consider a travel insurance policy with the optional time-sensitive Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) included. For more, visit InsureMyTrip.com. Media Contact: Meghan Walch [email protected] For additional information on novel coronavirus, please see: About InsureMyTrip It's simple. InsureMyTrip finds you the right travel insurance plan, every time. InsureMyTrip is the authority on travel insurance. We are committed to empowering travelers to make the best possible insurance decisions by leveraging our technology, data intelligence, and expertise. InsureMyTrip is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. SOURCE InsureMyTrip This year Lessings Hospitality Group will celebrate 130 years of continuous business in the food service and hospitality industry and another decade in the books. Over the last 130 years, the family-owned and -operated company has provided uninterrupted food, beverage and catering services to the Northeast and Florida. What began as a coffee shop in Manhattans Financial District has evolved over the years to a major hospitality conglomerate comprised of Restaurant, Catering, Food Service and Franchise divisions. The group has managed to continue its tradition of excellence by keeping up with new and changing trends, introducing innovative concepts and, most importantly, keeping their guests happy. Happy clientele begins with happy employees, and Lessings has always strived to promote a positive, educational work environment in each of their establishments. From their corporate office in Great River to their catering venue in Jupiter, FL, and all ventures in between, Lessings makes sure the company spirit is felt by all. Lessings is kicking off 2020 by announcing the newest addition to their catering portfolio, The Barn at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. One of Long Islands most unique venues, The Barn offers a rustic, romantic and rural setting for New Yorkers and visitors alike to host their events. Lessings is excited for the promise this new venue brings with it, and for the promise of the next 130 years to come. ABOUT LESSINGS, INC. Founded in 1890, Lessings Hospitality Group is a sixth-generation, family-owned company comprised of over 120 locations throughout the Northeast and Florida. Lessings operates 17 wedding and catering venues, 10 full-service restaurants, over 80 corporate and academic dining centers, nine Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza franchises and a historic inn. Steeped in 130 years of tradition, but adapting to a constantly changing industry, Lessings Hospitality Groups focus is on providing each guest with unique, personalized experiences and remarkable hospitality. At least 132 people, including political heavyweights, face arrest for allegedly selling State land, corruptly allocating themselves stands, fraud, abuse of cooperative funds and criminal abuse of office. This follows an audit report into Harare land sales by the commission of Inquiry led by Justice Tendai Uchena that traced land transfers in urban areas since 2005. Others stand accused of selling cooperative stands without authority from the Registrar of Cooperatives, malicious damage to property, as well as subdividing land reserved for recreational activities and schools. Prominent names recommended for investigation in the Harare land audit report include former First Lady Grace Mugabe, former Cabinet Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo, ex-Local Government permanent secretary Engineer George Mlilo, ex-Cabinet minister Ms Nyasha Chikwinya, businessman Dr Philip Chiyangwa, former Harare South legislator Mr Shadreck Mashayamombe and Mr Nhamo Tutisani. The majority of other people on the list are leaders of housing cooperatives set up by political heavyweights. Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo yesterday confirmed receipt of a copy of the audit report, saying investigations would start soon. Yes, we were given a copy of the land audit report by the Commission and our general manager (investigations) is liaising with the police so that we know who is doing what to avoid stepping on each others toes when investigating. We hope investigations will start on Monday after we have agreed on the cases that ZACC and the police will be investigating, she said. Mrs Mugabe is accused of grabbing stands at Carrick Creach Farm in Harare and transferring ownership into names of her relatives without payment. Some stands at the farm were allegedly allocated to people who were later pushed out by Mrs Mugabe, according to the report. Dr Chombo, according to the report, should also be investigated for allocating himself vast tracts of land on the same farm allegedly registering several stands under three companies without paying. Dr Chombo is also under spotlight for allegedly corruptly facilitating Mrs Mugabes land grab. The report states that Dr Chombo unlawfully took several stands and registered them in the names of his three companies without paying for them, well aware that the farm had not been handed over to the Ministry of Local Government by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement. The three companies were listed as Comverol Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Some of the stands had been allocated to other beneficiaries, who were later allegedly pushed out by Dr Chombo. The Commission of Inquiry recommended that Dr Chombo be investigated for abuse of office. At the same farm, three Local Government officials Mrs Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Mrs Rhory Shawatu and Mrs Ruramai Chembwa were also allegedly involved in illegal land dealings. Mrs Pazvakavambwa is accused of allocating herself a stand that had already been allocated to someone else while Ms Shawatu is said to have facilitated the transfer of stands allocated to Arusome Properties (Pvt ) Ltd before specified conditions had been met. Mrs Chembwa is accused of abusing her office by acting as a debt collector for Arusome in the name of the ministry. The commission said all stands improperly allocated at Carrick Creagh Farm must be recovered. Ministry of Local Government should recover the 50 stands unlawfully transferred to Arusome. It should also recover all the stands unlawfully taken and transferred by the former Minister Dr I. Chombo and former First Lady G. Mugabe. The stands should be given back to the beneficiaries to whom they had been allocated before they were grabbed by the former minister and former First Lady, wrote the commission. Dr Chombos name also featured in another reported improper allocation at Philadelphia Farm where he stands accused of allocating himself five stands before registering three of them in the names of his cronies. At Ordar Farm, Dr Chombo is accused of unlawfully handing over acquired State land to Sensene Investments (Pvt) Ltd, linked to businessman Dr Chiyangwa. Dr Chiyangwa, according to the report, should be investigated for alleged fraud after demanding, through his company Pinnacle Properties, payment from settlers at Stoneridge Farm in Harare. According to the report, Dr Chiyangwa, whose company owned subdivision A of Stoneridge Farm, was offered alternative land at Tantallon Farm to pave the way for desperate home-seekers. Despite being offered alternative land, it came out that the businessmans company continued demanding payment from the occupants, a development that was viewed as potentially fraudulent. Dr Chombo is also implicated in Stoneridge Farm allocations after allegedly abusing his office as minister to instruct officials in his ministry to enter into a deed of settlement with Pinnacle Holdings without being authorised by Cabinet. Mr Mashayamombe, former legislator for Harare South, features prominently in the land audit report for illegally selling State land at Saturday Retreat Estate under an entity called Solomon Mujuru Housing Trust. He allegedly entered into an agreement of sale with the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ). Mr Mashayamombe allegedly sold more State land at Rest Farm without a memorandum of agreement with the Local Government Ministry. Eng Mlilo faces abuse of office investigations after allegedly facilitating the illegal transfer of Nyarungu Estate to Jetmaster, a company associated with Dr Chiyangwa. Eng Mlilo, according to the report, should be investigated for bribery and corruption. Former National Assembly member for Hatcliffe Mr Tongesai Mudambo reportedly appropriated land to himself and sold State land reserved for solving double allocation problems at Hatcliffe North Farm. Ms Chikwinya is accused of illegally selling State land without developing it under Pilgrims Rest Developers at Hatcliffe North Farm. Mr Tutisani is accused of illegally subdividing open spaces and school sites into residential stands at Hatcliffe North Farm. He is also accused of selling State land without fully developing it. Two police officers Taruvinga Jindu and Watson Tundu allegedly received stands to influence the outcome of some land investigations they were conducting at Philadelphia Farm. Herald California in flames, floods in Texas, a harvest from hell in Alberta and drought-displaced refugees at the Rio Grande 2019 offered an inventory of the disorders attending climate change. And then theres Australia, burning. Everyone is at risk and everyone can and must do their part in helping to ward off even greater losses. The simple part is, we know that we need to do one thing, right now: reduce the atmospheric carbon dioxide thats causing climate change. The complicated part is that carbon dioxide is implicated in virtually everything we make, use and consume. Carbon enters the air every time oil, coal, wood or gas is burned, whether to move a car or make a brick. With a typical car, the carbon dioxide goes directly into the air. With a brick, the carbon dioxide is emitted in generating the heat needed to warm the oven that bakes it. Even though the brick itself doesnt give off carbon dioxide, theres a lot of carbon dioxide embodied in it, just by how its made. With a career in the construction industries, Ive become concerned about the vast amounts of carbon dioxide embodied in building materials. Concerning that brick, for instance: making even one single brick adds more than a pound of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Thats tiny , but I know from experience that big things are made one brick at a time, and here in Houston they really do add up. According to the Houston Chronicle, there are about 28,000 new homes completed annually in our area. Thats a lot of bricks and a lot of steel, concrete, stucco and lumber which by my calculation account for a minimum of 1.6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide. Homebuilding in major Texas cities accounts for an astonishing 6 billion pounds of carbon per year. Srinagar, Jan 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out fresh raids at the residence of disgraced Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh, who was caught while transporting two militants Naveed Baby, Rafi Ahmed and a lawyer Irfan Ahmed in his vehicle to Jammu on January 11. According to police sources, the two militants and the lawyer had planned to travel to Pakistan after reaching Jammu. Singh was posted with the anti-hijacking wing of the Kashmir police in Srinagar and was part of the security staff that received a group of foreign envoys who visited Kashmir last week. After initial investigations by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the case was transferred to the NIA on the directions of the Union Home Ministry. The NIA after being briefed by the police launched their own investigation into the case last week. Top officials of the NIA were returning to Delhi on Wednesday, while a few would stay back in the valley to further question Davinder Singh. Singh has been dismissed from the service and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday forfeited the commendation medal and certificate awarded to him. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Hearing a plea filed by the Jamia Millia Islamia University, a Delhi Court has asked the Delhi Police to file an action taken report on the FIR registered over the December 15, 2019, incident in the varsity campus. The varsity approached the court seeking an FIR against the police personnel who allegedly thrashed students inside the varsity campus on December 15, 2019, after the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Good Gamer Corp. (GoodGamer), an online social gaming engagement platform, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Definitive Agreement with LiteLink Technologies Inc. (LiteLink'') (CSE:LLT) (OTC:LLNKF) (FRA:C0B) subsidiary uBUCK Technologies SEZC (uBUCK) to make Streambucks the exclusive digital wallet of GoodGamer.gg . Streambucks is a digital wallet custom-designed by uBUCK, in this case, for the GoodGamer platform. Under the agreement, the Streambucks digital wallet will be integrated into the GoodGamer.gg mobile app to allow users to convert in-app currency into cash by loading a prepaid debit card. The Streambucks wallet is poised to be the first digital wallet in the world specific to the gaming industry. We are looking forward to incorporating the Streambucks digital wallet into GoodGamer.gg, said Good Gamer Corp. CEO Charles Creighton. We believe Streambucks is the perfect addition to the GoodGamer.gg app because it allows users to convert their in-app currency faster, safer and cheaper than other payment platforms weve come across. We are very excited to become the exclusive digital wallet of GoodGamer.gg and facilitate fast and easy transactions for gamers and streamers, said uBUCK CEO James Youn. This deal provides uBUCK with a grand entrance into the world of gaming, which includes 2.5 billion gamers worldwide. Social gaming platforms are looking for alternative payment methods to PayPal and Streambucks offers the perfect solution. About Good Gamer Corp. Good Gamer Corp. is a privately-held technology company focusing on gamers and streamers. The GoodGamer.gg app is a DMP-driven social gaming platform that allows gamers and streamers to play games, live stream, connect, chat, interact, send virtual gifts and earn rewards. Fans will be able to engage with their favourite streamers or download and install a multitude of games to earn rewards. For further information, contact Charles Creighton at 604-992-6991 or email charles@goodgamer.gg . About LiteLink Technologies Inc. LiteLink is a major player in developing world-class enterprise platforms that utilize artificial intelligence, blockchain, and predictive analytics to solve fragmented and outdated technology problems in the logistics and digital payment industries. Its flagship 1SHIFT logistics platform offers real-time transparency and tracking which allows brokers, shippers, and carriers to track shipments and settle payments in real-time. About uBUCK Technologies SEZC Based in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, uBUCK Tech is a fintech enterprise that specializes in digital payments and wallets. Streambucks is a multi-currency digital wallet built exclusively for gamers and streamers. Users will be able to load a prepaid debit card to make purchases online and offline at participating merchants where credit and debit cards are accepted. Cautionary Statements This release contains certain forward-looking statements and certain forward-looking information as defined under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, continue, plans or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements best judgment based on information currently available. The ancient Samaria ostraca -- eighth-century BCE ink-on-clay inscriptions unearthed at the beginning of the 20th century in Samaria, the capital of the biblical kingdom of Israel -- are among the earliest collections of ancient Hebrew writings ever discovered. But despite a century of research, major aspects of the ostraca remain in dispute, including their precise geographical origins -- either Samaria or its outlying villages -- and the number of scribes involved in their composition. A new Tel Aviv University (TAU) study finds that just two writers were involved in composing 31 of the more than 100 inscriptions and that the writers were contemporaneous, indicating that the inscriptions were written in the city of Samaria itself. Research for the study was conducted by Ph.D. candidate Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin, Dr. Arie Shaus, Dr. Barak Sober and Prof. Eli Turkel, all of TAU's School of Mathematical Sciences; Prof. Eli Piasetzky of TAU's School of Physics; and Prof. Israel Finkelstein, Jacob M. Alkow Professor of the Archaeology of Israel in the Bronze and Iron Ages, of TAU's Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology. The study was published in PLOS ONE on January 22, 2020. The inscriptions list repetitive shipment details of wine and oil supplies to Samaria and span a minimal period of seven years. For archaeologists, they also provide critical insights into the logistical infrastructure of the kingdom of Israel. The inscriptions feature the date of composition (year of a given monarch), commodity type (oil, wine), name of a person, name of a clan and name of a village near the capital. Based on letter-shape considerations, the ostraca have been dated to the first half of the eighth century BCE, possibly during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. "If only two scribes wrote the examined Samaria texts contemporaneously and both were located in Samaria rather than in the countryside, this would indicate a palace bureaucracy at the peak of the kingdom of Israel's prosperity," Prof. Finkelstein explains. "Our results, accompanied by other pieces of evidence, seem also to indicate a limited dispersion of literacy in Israel in the early eighth century BCE," Prof. Piasetzky says. "Our interdisciplinary team harnessed a novel algorithm, consisting of image processing and newly developed machine learning techniques, to conclude that two writers wrote the 31 examined texts, with a confidence interval of 95%," said Dr. Sober, now a member of Duke University's mathematics department. "The innovative technique can be used in other cases, both in the Land of Israel and beyond. Our innovative tool enables handwriting comparison and can establish the number of authors in a given corpus," adds Faigenbaum-Golovin. The new research follows up from the findings of the group's 2016 study, which indicated widespread literacy in the kingdom of Judah a century and a half to two centuries later, circa 600 BCE. For that study, the group developed a novel algorithm with which they estimated the minimal number of writers involved in composing ostraca unearthed at the desert fortress of Arad. That investigation concluded that at least six writers composed the 18 inscriptions that were examined. "It seems that during these two centuries that passed between the composition of the Samaria and the Arad corpora, there was an increase in literacy rates within the population of the Hebrew kingdoms," Dr. Shaus says. "Our previous research paved the way for the current study. We enhanced our previously developed methodology, which sought the minimum number of writers, and introduced new statistical tools to establish a maximum likelihood estimate for the number of hands in a corpus." Next, the researchers intend to use their methodology to study other corpora of inscriptions from various periods and locations. ### American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers -- ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #66 in the world. * Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered resolute efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that caused cases of pneumonia. Instructing on the work related to the pneumonia situation, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed putting people's safety and health as the top priority. * Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a draft law on amending the constitution for consideration by the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, the Kremlin said in a statement Monday. The draft law is aimed at improving the regulation of certain aspects of public government organization, said the statement. * US President Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday argued that Trump had done nothing wrong, urging the Senate to reject the impeachment articles approved by Democratic-led House of Representatives last month and acquit the president speedily. * The governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal have pledged their political support for the creation of a European-led maritime surveillance mission in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a joint statement released Monday on the website of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. * The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2020 is scheduled to take place on January 21-24 in Davos Klosters in Switzerland. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the WEF. * China is willing to work with the United States to build and advance bilateral ties featuring coordination, cooperation and stability, on the basis of mutual respect, equal dialogue, and managing differences while seeking common ground. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks in Beijing on Monday at the 2020 New Year reception hosted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. * Moscow hopes that Iran will not withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying Monday. * Uzbekistan's newly-formed Senate, the upper chamber of the parliament, has approved Tanzila Narbayeva as chairwoman and accepted the government's resignation. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the Senate's first session following the election of the deputies of the upper chamber early in January. * As dry weather continues in New Zealand, many regions are facing drought with water restrictions in place, said the weather watch organization on Tuesday. According to New Zealand Climate, Freshwater and Ocean Science research institute NIWA, there are widespread, extremely dry conditions for Auckland, Northland and upper Waikato. AUBURN, Ala., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it will be expanding in North Alabama with its newest restaurant in Cullman. Located at 1817 Cherokee Avenue Southwest, the new company-owned restaurant, which features a drive-thru, will celebrate its grand opening on February 4 and will offer free chicken salad for a year to the first 100 guests. "A little over a month ago, we debuted a new restaurant in Florence, which marked Chicken Salad Chick's fourth Alabama opening of 2019, and we are thrilled to continue that rapid growth in Cullman," said Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. "Our diverse, made-from-scratch chicken salad offerings that incorporate bold flavors and fresh ingredients have become a favorite for guests across our original home state and it's this unyielding support for the brand that pushes us to expand to more cities, such as Cullman. We appreciate that the Cullman community has been asking for us and we can't wait to open our doors there." During grand opening week, guests will experience the southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for, with giveaways and specials that include: Tuesday, February 4 Free Chicken Salad for a Year The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month.* Any guest not part of the first 100 in line can make a purchase and enter to win free chicken salad for a year.** Free Chicken Salad for a Year The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month.* Any guest not part of the first 100 in line can make a purchase and enter to win free chicken salad for a year.** Wednesday, February 5 The first 50 guests at 10a.m. and the first 50 guests at 6p.m. to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick tote bag. The first 50 guests at and the first 50 guests at to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick tote bag. Thursday, February 6 The first 50 guests at 10a.m. and the first 50 guests at 6p.m. to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick hat. The first 50 guests at and the first 50 guests at to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick hat. Friday, February 7 The first 50 guests at 10a.m. and the first 50 guests at 6p.m. to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick tumbler. The first 50 guests at and the first 50 guests at to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick tumbler. Saturday, February 8 The first 50 guests to purchase two large Quick Chicks will receive a free Chick blanket. The Chicken Salad Chick concept was established in 2008 by founder, Stacy Brown. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu offers a variety of options suitable for any guest. Under the leadership of CEO Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the company now has more than 145 restaurants currently open in 16 states and remains a standout brand within the fast casual segment. Chicken Salad Chick in Cullman will be open Monday Saturday from 10:00a.m. 8p.m. For more information, visit www.chickensaladchick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends. *Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age, purchase The Chick and are required to download the Craving Credits app. Redemption will start 2/10. ** Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age, must purchase The Chick and are required to download the Craving Credits app. 10 winners will be announced at the end of the day. Redemption will start 2/10. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit https://www.facebook.com/chickensaladchickcullman/ About Chicken Salad Chick Founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Today, the brand has more than 145 restaurants in 16 states and is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in Franchise Times' Fast & Serious, Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers and Entrepreneur's Top Food Franchises for the second consecutive year and QSR's Best Franchise Deals and Nation's Restaurant News' Next 15 in 2019. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information. Contact: Nikki Rode Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick Related Links http://www.chickensaladchick.com A man accused of murdering his partner's mother told gardai how he decided to "chop up her body a bit smaller" to make her lighter to lift from a shallow grave he had buried her in. Kieran Greene (34) said he "spewed" while he was dismembering Patricia O'Connor (61) with a hacksaw in a Wexford cornfield. He said that afterwards he drove the body parts to the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, stopped and ripped open bags to drop them into a ditch one at a time, then sobbed when he finished, and thought "I'm finally free". A Central Criminal Court jury was hearing evidence of four voluntary interviews that Mr Greene gave gardai after he "handed himself in" and told them he had killed Ms O'Connor. The grandmother's remains were found scattered at nine locations over a 30km-wide area in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14, 2017. Mr Greene denies murdering her at the house they shared at Mountain View Park, Rathfarnham, on May 29, that year. He is on trial alongside three other people who have pleaded not guilty to impeding the murder investigation - his then-partner Louise O'Connor (41), her daughter Stephanie O'Connor (22) and Louise O'Connor's ex-partner, Keith Johnston (43). The jury heard Mr Greene went to Rathfarnham garda station on June 12, 2017. He told gardai the body that had been found in the mountains was Patricia O'Connor and he had "done something terrible". "The body parts that were scattered in the Dublin Mountains, I cut them up and I threw them all over the place up there," he told them. In interview that day and the next, he said that after an argument, Patricia O'Connor hit him with a child's hurley, he got it off her, struggled and hit her. He said he passed out and when he awoke in the bathroom there was blood everywhere. Mr Greene told gardai he drove her in the boot of a car and buried her in a shallow grave in a field in Co Wexford. He said he returned to move her because it was "playing on my mind that she might be found" but he could not lift her. "I decided I would have to chop her up a bit smaller to make her lighter," he said. "I did the left leg first and then the other leg, and then started on her arms, one arm and then the other arm. That was the hardest part." Mr Greene told gardai that after he did the head, he "spewed into a bag", then did "the torso, the body", bagging them. He drove to the mountains, stopped and took out the first bag, opened it and the body part dropped down into the ditch. He drove on and did the same, "a body part until everything was gone". "I got back in the car and sobbed and sobbed, I just thought 'my kids don't have to worry any more, I'm finally free'," he said. The gardai asked him from what. "All the torment and pain she caused," he replied. He had earlier told gardai that Patricia O'Connor had been "verbally abusive on a constant basis, always threatening to have us killed". The trial continues. Hungry students at Rutgers-Newark having trouble affording food can now find refuge at the latest community restaurant launched by Jon Bon Jovi. The New Jersey-bred rock star and his wife stood alongside their longtime friend and neighbor, Gov. Phil Murphy, on Wednesday to unveil the new JBJ Soul Kitchen at the colleges Paul Robeson Campus Center. The Bon Jovis have opened similar non-profit, pay-what-you-can restaurants in Red Bank and Toms River. The Rutgers-Newark location is the first at a college campus. There are no prices on the menu. Instead, students, faculty, and residents who can afford it are encouraged to make a suggested $12 donation for a three-course, locally sourced meal using cash, credit card, or university dining dollar credits. Theyre also encouraged to pay it forward by making an additional donation that will go toward meals for the needy. Those who cant afford it can volunteer at the restaurant or elsewhere on campus to cover the cost of their food. Dignity and respect are always on the menu regardless of socio-economic status, Dorothea Bongiovi, the musicians wife and creator of the restaurants concept, said during the opening ceremony. Students have enough to worry about. Worrying about where their next meal will come from should not be on the list. Officials say statistics show one in three students attending a four-year college in the U.S. struggle with hunger, and more than 50 percent of Rutgers-Newark students have significant financial need. The restaurant a collaboration with Gourmet Dining, which supplies food at at the school officially opens to the public Thursday. The menu includes BBQ pulled beef, short ribs, maple-roasted chicken, coffee, desserts, and more. There will also be Halal, Kosher, vegan, and gluten-free options. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi opens up his new JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurant at Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday. Along the wall is Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy Murphy (right).Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media Bon Jovi said the two previous Soul Kitchen locations have served more than 100,000 meals last year. The Sayreville native said its possible this college model could be used at other schools across the state and nation. Well see how this one goes, he said. Gov. Phil Murphy speaks alongside Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Bongiovi on Wednesday.Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media Murphy said there are many talented, hard-working students in New Jersey struggling to make ends meet." And that means they may be going hungry, the Democratic governor added. As we all know, it can be difficult to ask for help, even from family. But this restaurant, he said, will help. Murphy said the work the Bon Jovis have done to combat food insecurity in New Jersey has made a difference in so many peoples lives. Your friendship cannot be overstated, said the governor, who has lived near the couple on the Navesink River in Middletown for years though Bon Jovi recently put his mansion on the market. Bon Jovi on philanthropy, his new album, and still being a rock star. pic.twitter.com/a4dELDT5mC Brent Johnson (@johnsb01) January 22, 2020 Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor, stressed that "what makes all the difference is that our students know that this is not a stigma." This is an empowerment," Cantor said. "This is a recognition of the reality of what it means to be a first-generation student, what it means to be a low-income student. While at the school, Bon Jovi also weighed in on one of the states most heated debates: Does Central Jersey exist? Yes, it does, he told the states infamous Twitter account. Im proof that it exists, Bon Jovi said. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Private sector RBL Bank on Wednesday reported a near 70 per cent drop in its consolidated net profit for the quarter ended December to Rs 66.49 crore, caused by a significant rise in provisions. During the correponding period of the financial year 2018-19, the bank had reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 221.51 crore. The bank's total provisions surged nearly 400 per cent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis to Rs 638.29 crore in the third quarter of the current fiscal, from Rs 160.68 crore provisioned during the October-December quarter of last fiscal. Its net non-performing assets (NPAs or bad loans) surged to Rs 1,236.41 crore during the quarter in consideration, from Rs 358.24 crore reported during the corresponding period of last fiscal. Commenting on the results, RBL Bank Chief Executive Vishwavir Ahuja said in a statement: "The bank has demonstrated strong growth in operating profits amidst a challenging business engvironment. However, challenges in a few corporate accounts and related provisioning requirements have impacted the bottom line for the quarter." It was supposed to be the "trial of the century." Now the case won't even get its day in court. The dismissal of a landmark, youth-led climate lawsuit late last week is a sign of how hard it will be to use the courts to solve a problem as big as climate change. That's a wrench in the plans of environmental advocates and their Democratic allies who are frustrated with Congress's failure to pass major climate legislation - and have increasingly turned to the court system to stop what they see as the pressing ecological and economic crisis of rising global temperatures. "From the outset, it was a big ask," said Michael Burger, executive director of Columbia Law School's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. "Courts simply do not have it in their power in the United States to command the entire energy system," he added. In Friday's 2-1 decision, a panel of federal appeals court judges in Oregon threw out a lawsuit brought by nearly two dozen children and young adults against the U.S. government. The 21 young people and the advocacy group representing them in court, Our Children's Trust, sought to compel the government to cut its support for fossil fuels and drawn down greenhouse gas emissions. They originally filed their case in 2015. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that even though the plaintiffs "made a compelling case that action is needed" to cut emissions, the young people ultimately did not have the legal standing to bring the case, known as Juliana v. United States. This is the second loss for environmental advocates in a much-watched climate case in as many months. In December, ExxonMobil won its legal battle with the state of New York over accusations the oil and gas company misled shareholders about the financial risks of climate change to its bottom line. Like the federal appellate judges, New York Supreme Court Judge Barry Ostrager treated the issue of climate change seriously in his ruling in favor of Exxon. "Nothing in this opinion is intended to absolve ExxonMobil from responsibility for contributing to climate change," he wrote. But Ostrager found the New York attorney general's office fell short in showing Exxon violated anti-fraud law when estimating the cost of complying with future climate regulations. The young plaintiffs made their unsuccessful case based a higher legal power - the U.S. Constitution. They accused the federal government of violating what they claimed to be their constitutional right to a healthy environment with its decades of failure to halt global warming. The Trump administration, which inherited the case from the Obama administration, contended that no fundamental constitutional right existed and that the issue of combatting climate change should be left to Congress and the White House. Environmentalists seized on that argument to ask why the Trump administration is rolling back regulations meant to address rising greenhouse gas emissions. "This ruling underscores this responsibility," said Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We say to the Trump administration and Congress: We are waiting." The young people's argument is not without precedent - at least internationally. A court in Colombia ordered government to come up with a plan to combat climate change and stop the destruction of the Amazon, pointing to the country's own constitution. And a court in the Netherlands ruled that the Dutch government's inaction on climate change violates international human rights law. But in Oregon, Judge Andrew Hurwitz ruled that it was "beyond the power" of his court to force the federal government to set climate policy. That case, Hurwitz wrote, "must be made to the political branches or to the electorate at large." The ruling is one in a long line of federal courts, long leery of weighing in on fraught policy questions, kicking the issue of climate change back to their legislative and executive counterparts. The Supreme Court made clear in a 8-0 decision in 2011 that it is up to the experts at the Environmental Protection Agency, not federal judges, to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. "Courts are still going to have a very vital role to play" in climate change, said Mark N. Templeton, a University of Chicago Law School professor specializing in environmental law. But he added: "The judges seem to think there are limits on this." Yet that half-century-old Clean Air Act does not directly address carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The closest Congress has come to comprehensive climate legislation was the last time Democrats fully controlled the legislative branch in 2009, when the House passed a cap-and-trade scheme that died in the Senate. So as long as Congress remains at an impasse, those demanding immediate action on climate change will turn to the courts. Several state and city governments, including Baltimore, Rhode Island, San Francisco and Oakland, have pending tort claims against in state courts against oil and gas companies for the damage caused by the heat-trapping pollution of their products. And a number of candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have promised to try to hold the oil industry legally liable for climate change should they win. "[I]f bad actors like Exxon break the rules and deliberately lie to government agencies," Warren wrote last year, "my plan will treat them the same way the law treats someone who lies in court-by subjecting them to potential prosecution for perjury." The fact that Mr. Adams, a former police captain who is black, named Iowa and Ohio, two largely white states, could alienate some voters in a wide-open Democratic primary for mayor, where Mr. Adams is an early front-runner. For some of his constituents, its maybe a dog whistle to gentrification and the changing composition of the borough, said Christina M. Greer, an associate professor of political science at Fordham University. But for quite a few New Yorkers who are transplants, its a pretty divisive message. In a crowded mayoral field, you want to be as inclusive as possible. Within hours of Mr. Adamss initial comments, Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed back against his inflammatory stance, even though Mr. Adams is a friend of the mayors. Its not my impression he said it the right way the fact is its a city for everyone, Mr. de Blasio said in an interview on NY1. So many New Yorkers have come here recently and are contributing a lot to the city. Affordability will likely be a central issue in the race to succeed Mr. de Blasio a theme that two other candidates emphasized at Mr. Sharptons event on Monday, an annual rite of passage for city and state leaders. The candidates, Scott M. Stringer, the city comptroller, and Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker, pledged to focus on creating more affordable housing. Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat in his second and final term, ran in 2013 on the theme that New York City had become a tale of two cities split between the haves and the have-nots and he vowed to battle inequality. But many New Yorkers believe he has not done enough to tackle the problem. That narrative is more important now than ever because the mayor has not gotten us any closer to a solution, Professor Greer said. WEF Davos 2020: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that India and China should not be considered developing nations by World Trade Organisation (WTO). He made the remarks during a press conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2020 at Davos Donald Trump has made similar comments before. He had said that these two Asian countries were "taking advantage" of the 'developing nation' tag at the WTO and he would no longer allow it. In July last year, Trump had asked WTO to define how it designates the tag. He claims countries like India, China and Turkey get lenient treatment when it comes to global trade rules. The US President had also empowered the US Trade Representative (USTR) to take punitive actions if advanced economies were found taking inappropriate benefits of the WTO loopholes. He had said in August that when India and China take advantage of the tag, it puts US in disadvantage. "They were taking advantage of us for years and years," Trump had said at a gathering in Pennsylvania. "We're not letting that happen anymore...Everybody is growing but us," he had said. Under the global trade rules, developing countries claim entitlement to longer timeframe for the imposition of safeguards, generous transition periods, softer tariff cuts, procedural advantages for WTO disputes and the ability to avail themselves of certain export subsidies. Also read: WEF 2020: India Inc. urges reforms, rallying together to overcome economic gloom Also read: WEF 2020: 'Everyone I met asked about falling Indian economy, social unrest,' says Kamal Nath at Davos The CBI carried out searches at 13 locations on Tuesday including the premises of the present and former directors of Mumbai-based Frost International which has been booked by the agency for allegedly cheating a consortium of 14 banks to the tune of over Rs 3,592 crore, officials said. The action has been taken on the complaint of the Kanpur Zonal office of Bank of India (BOI), which alleged that the directors had worked under the guise of undertaking merchanting trade without genuine business, they said. This is understood to be the biggest default reported by public sector banks to the CBI after January 2018 when Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi fled the nation causing a loss of over Rs 13,000 crore to the Punjab National Bank. The Bank of India in its complaint, which is now part of the CBI FIR, said Frost International's account had started showing signs of stress from January, 2018 and later became a non-performing asset. The probe agency carried out search operations at 13 locations including the premises of the company, its directors Uday Desai and Sujay Desai and other former and present directors in Mumbai, Delhi and Kanpur, officials said. Besides the company and directors, the agency has booked 11 more entities which include three Kanpur-based companies -- RK Builders, Globiz Exim Pvt Ltd and Nirman Pvt Ltd -- represented through their directors. These companies were corporate guarantors for Frost International, they said. It is alleged that they had defaulted in meeting payment obligation towards the lending banks of the consortium led by Bank of India, the officials said. The company and its directors, guarantors and unidentified others submitted forged documents, diverted and siphoned off the bank's funds, they said, adding the action of the company and its directors cheated the banks to the tune of over Rs 3,592.48 crore. The banks had already secured Look out Circular (LOC) against Uday Desai and 10 others on January 18, 2019. It was preceded by another LOC against Desai and 13 others on the request of Indian Overseas Bank, officials said. The Bank of India (BOI) in its complaint has said that Frost International was managed by Uday Desai, Sujay Desai, Sunil Verma and Anup Kumar Baldevraj Wadhera since its inception in 1995 and was banking with it since 1996 having businesses in diverse products from agro commodities to bullion. The company had suppliers and buyers across the globe from China to the USA with its promoters well versed in International trade. BOI had given it credit facility of Rs 380.65 crore which was increased to Rs 4,061 crore with the formation of consortium of 14 banks in 2011, it said. In addition to the credit facilities from 14 banks, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) also extended credit exposure of Rs 498.51 crore outside consortium arrangement, the complaint said, adding the company had hypothecated stocks and gave properties as collateral for credit facilities. Indian Overseas Bank and Bank of India were part of the consortium which also included Andhra Bank, United Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank, Vijaya Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Union Bank of India and Syndicate Bank. The bank said that from January 2018, the account started showing signs of stress when letter of credits started devolving with member banks as export proceeds were not realised. The account was ultimately classified as non-performing asset by the consortium, it said. "Clearly, there was a mismatch of cash flow resulting in cash crunch which was not understandable by the bankers," it said. The banks put the company for forensic audit which revealed that there was potential diversion of funds by way of providing unsecured loans to group concerns. It showed that there was no actual export of goods, there was mismatch in ship movement data compared with loading and discharge port which was underlined in 18 merchant trade transaction, it said. The audit showed that purchase and sales transactions amounting to Rs 9,822 crore and Rs 9,889 crore respectively were among parties known to each other, it said. Also read: Delhi court extends Robert Vadra's close aide CC Thampi's ED custody by 3 days Also read: Over 70% electoral bonds sold in 3 months during Lok Sabha polls, shows RTI Global Controlled Release Drug Delivery Market Research Report, by Route of administration (Transdermal, Oral), Release Mechanism (Polymer-based, Micro reservoir Partition), Products (Metered Dose Inhalers), End User (Hospital) Forecast till 2023 The controlled release drug delivery market is growing rapidly over the past few years. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing government regulation to prevent overdose effects act as a significant driving force pushing up the market growth. Furthermore, the growing geriatric and pediatric population is creating huge market demand. Moreover, the advantages that these controlled release drug delivery systems offer accelerate the growth of the market. Latest Free Sample PDF Available @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6794 According to Market Research Future (MRFR), the global Controlled Release Drug Delivery Market is expected to create a valuation of over USD 70.15 BN by 2023, growing at a double-digit CAGR of 14 % during the review period (2018 2023). Technological advancements, improved outcomes & patients experience, beneficial reimbursement policies, and increasing awareness towards healthcare are other key factors impacting the market growth, positively. On the other hand, some limitations associated with the application of these systems, such as the possibility of less accuracy in adjusting the dosage and controlled release drug delivery system is not suitable for all drugs are expected to impede the growth of the market. Also, the higher cost of these systems compared to the conventional drug delivery systems hampers the growth of the market. Global Controlled Release Drug Delivery Market Segmentation The report is segmented into five main dynamics to widen the scope of understanding, By Route of Administration : Oral, Injectable, Ocular, Nasal, Topical, Implantable, and Transdermal, others. By Release Mechanism : Micro-Reservoir Partition-controlled Drug Delivery Systems, Polymer-based Drug Delivery Systems, Feedback-Regulated Drug Delivery Systems, Chemically Activated Controlled Drug Delivery Systems, and Activation Modulated Drug Delivery Systems. By Products : Metered Dose Inhalers, Needle-Free Injectors, Auto-Injectors, Nasal Sprays, Transdermal Patches, Nebulizers, Infusion Pumps, Drug-Eluting Stents, Sustained Release, and Ocular Implants. By End-user : Hospital & Clinics, Personal Use, Research Centers, and others. By Regions : Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Rest-of-the-World Global Controlled Release Drug Delivery Market Geographical Analysis North America is the leading market for controlled release drug delivery. The significant market share of the market attributes to the vast patient pool suffering from various diseases, mainly such as gastrointestinal disorders (Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis) and Alzheimers, etc. Besides, advanced healthcare infrastructure, growing pharmaceutical industry, and increasing research & development activities foster the regional market growth. North America is a well-developed region, and its highest GDP helps the region to have the edge over other regions in terms of aspects such as healthcare and technology. Additionally, the presence of the geriatric population and development in medical technology are supporting the growth of the market. Indeed, the high economic growth is a key driving force behind the growth of the regional market, allowing access to the quality of life for the people. Europe stands second in the global controlled release drug delivery market. The increasing prevalence of respiratory diseases and high blood pressure or hypertension among the population boosts the growth of the regional market. The well-established healthcare sector is a major growth impeding factor for market growth in the region. Moreover, the resurging economy is playing a vital role in market development, allowing the proliferation of the healthcare sector in the region. Germany contributes to the growth of the regional market, hugely due to its flourishing medical devices markets. Furthermore, the UK and France, with the increasing investments in controlled release drug delivery, drive the regional market at a large scale. The European controlled release drug delivery market is estimated to register a phenomenal CAGR during the review period. The Asia Pacific controlled release drug delivery market is growing rapidly owing to the huge patient population suffering from chronic diseases and an increase in the geriatric and pediatric population. Also, the increasing demand for controlled doses to reduce the side effects and toxicity level in the patients contribute to the market growth of controlled release drug in Asia Pacific countries. The rising economy in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India impacts market growth positively. Furthermore, the rising demand for quality devices in healthcare and rapidly developing healthcare technology is expected to foster the APAC controlled release drug delivery market. Global Controlled Release Drug Delivery Market Competitive Landscape The global controlled release drug delivery market appears to be fiercely competitive and fragmented, with many well-established players forming a competitive landscape. Brand reinforcement, mergers & acquisitions, and innovation remain the popular trends for the key players in the market. Major Players: Players leading the controlled release drug delivery market include Coating Place, Inc.(US), Depomed, Inc. (US), Corium International Inc.(US), Pfizer Inc.(US), Alza Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)(US), SKY Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd.(China), Biogen (US), AstraZeneca (US), GlaxoSmithKline (UK), Collegium Pharmaceutical (US), Novartis (UK), and Allergan(Ireland), among others. Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: December 12, 2019 - The 3M Company (the US), a multinational conglomerate corporation operating in the fields of industry, worker safety, health care, and consumer goods, announced that it has agreed to sell most of its drug-delivery business to an affiliate of Altaris Capital Partners (the US), an investment firm focused on the healthcare industry. The deal is finalized at approximately USD 650 MN. 3Ms drug delivery business is a leading provider of transdermal and inhalation delivery technologies. This transaction would allow 3M to focus more on its core health care business and retain a share in the drug delivery business as it grows over the coming years. However, 3M will retain its transdermal drug delivery components business. 3M is also looking for pharmaceutical partners for the development of a smart inhaler, the project it has already undertaken. OBTAIN RESEARCH REPORT DETAILS WITH TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/controlled-release-drug-delivery-market-6794 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com NEW SCOTLAND - The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy needs approximately $500,000 to meet the $1.2 million purchase price for a historic farm as part of an effort to preserve one of the towns last large open spaces. The conservancy received a $400,000 state grant through the Regional Economic Development Council process in December to help fund the former Bender Melon Farm, but under its agreement with the lands owners, the group must close on the purchase by the end of May, Land Conservancy Executive Director Mark King said. Were better than halfway to our goal and weve got a couple strategies in mind to finish it off so were very optimistic at this point, he said. The groups vision for the land is meant to work in conjunction with the towns vision for the area, including the Heldeberg-Hudson rail trail and especially the historic Hilton Barn site, which the conservancy helped preserve several years ago, King said. The big picture on this is theres no end to the possibilities for this stretch of the trail and for the whole use of the rail trial, he said. The whole thing is a quality of life element for the area. The town also received a $411,000 grant in December to support the Hilton Barn project, which could include restrooms, an amphitheater, skating rink and further restoration of the barn. The 198-acre plot, near the corner of routes 85 and 85A, was the site of the former Bender Melon Farm, which became nationally known for its produce, and the site of a contentious development debate over a decade ago when a developer wanted to build a 1.5 million-square-foot mall, anchored by a Target or Walmart. The land is owned by 306 Maple Road LLC which includes James Murphy of Menands; Rebecca Freeman; Thomas Mottolese, a Menands dentist who died in 2015 and whose daughter, Maura, is now involved in the project; and Richard Esmay, a resident of Diamond Point on Lake George who died in 2016, according to Times Union archives. An attorney previously listed as representing the group could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. The 200-acre plot of land is listed for sale at $4 million. It has an assessed value of around $800,000. The conservancy was able to negotiate an option to purchase the land last year, King said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. In May 2018, the town adopted new hamlet zoning rules for the area, including the Bender farm, that aim to gradually transform 455 acres of once commercially zoned land into low-rise residences, sidewalks, small shops and park space, according to Times Union archives. King and New Scotland Town Supervisor Doug LaGrange described a rough idea of what could become of the former farm, including an open space next to the Hilton Barn, some commercial development near the intersection of routes 85 and 85A, and selling part of the land for permanent agricultural use. LaGrange said if the conservancy is successful, the purchase would be a way for the town to capitalize on that section of the rail trail while adding some commercial tax base. If we can split the difference and get some solid service-oriented commercial along with preserving the open space, its a win-win in my opinion, he said. And pretty much what we were trying to do with our zoning. Lev Parnas lawyer wants Attorney General Bill Barr to recuse himself from case to avoid 'conflict of interest' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A lawyer for Lev Parnas, who was indicted on campaign finance charges and is an associate of the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, called on Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself from overseeing the case, arguing that it would create a "public appearance of a conflict of interest." "Due to the conflict of interest of your being involved in these matters as Attorney General, and in an effort to preserve the public trust in the rule of law, we request that you recuse yourself," Joseph Bondy, Parnas' attorney, wrote in a letter filed to the court on Monday. Bondy suggested the Department of Justice appoint a special prosecutor from outside the department to handle the case. MORE: Giuliani's associate Lev Parnas speaks again: 'It was all about 2020' In his request, Bondy outlined several examples of why the attorney general should step back, including his involvement in President Donald Trump's Ukraine policy -- as Barr was named during the president's July 25 call with Ukraine that sparked the impeachment trial on Capitol Hill. PHOTO: File photo of Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas after a bail hearing at the Manhattan Federal Court in New York, Dec. 17, 2019. (File/Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) The New York City Bar Association also advised Barr to disqualify himself from the case. Bondy said "evidence has been brought to light" linking Barr to not only Giuliani, but other prominent GOP lawyers, including Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova, which he said creates a "public appearance of a conflict of interest. MORE: Giuliani associate Parnas: 'Trump knew exactly what was going on' about Ukraine He argued that "actual harm" was done to his client, because of perceived "delays in the production of discovery in his federal case." In other words, Bondy said Parnas was unable to turn over documents in a timely manner in order to comply with the congressional subpoenas sent during the impeachment inquiry. Story continues The letter did not give any details as to how the discovery was delayed. PHOTO: File photo of Attorney General William Barr holding a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on Jan. 13, 2020. (File/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) "This conflict of interest appears to have caused actual harm to Mr. Parnas," Bondy said, adding that his client couldn't dig up enough evidence "in time for congressional investigators to make complete use of his material or properly assess Mr. Parnas as a potential witness." MORE: Giuliani associate Parnas: 'Trump knew exactly what was going on' about Ukraine Parnas' attorney also said prosecutors "refused" to meet with Parnas so he could give them the information he had on Trump, Giuliani, Toensing, diGenova and "others." The Justice Department declined to comment. The prosecution in a court paper on Tuesday afternoon dismissed the idea that the government "purposefully delayed" discovery to the defendant, writing, "(s)uch a suggestion is baseless and completely belied by the facts." Prosecutors said in the paper that the delay in the government's production of the contents of Parnas' devices was caused by Parnas' refusal to give the government the password to his devices -- which they note is his right but said it significantly delayed the production. The prosecutors also wrote that the production was further delayed by Parnas' attorney's delay in providing them with a hard drive to deliver the produced materials and the counsel's technical difficulties in accessing the materials in his computer. They further noted that they have yet to access many of Parnas' other password-protected devices and that the FBI's efforts to unlock them are ongoing. "The Government has and will continue to work with defense counsel to facilitate each defendant's access to discovery and to make discovery available as expeditiously as possible," the prosecutors wrote. The government expects to conclude discovery by March. The Uddhav Thackeray Cabinet on Wednesday decided to let malls and eateries stay open through the night in Mumbai, a move that will begin from January 27 with shops in select non-residential areas in the first phase. The exemption, however, would not apply to the eateries that serve liquor such as pubs, bars and liquor shops. The bars and permit rooms will have to follow the 1.30 am deadeline, tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray said after the state cabinet cleared his proposal. The proposal, first mooted in 2013, has now been given a nod by the cabinet, Thackeray told reporters. But it hadnt been acted upon by the Devendra Fadnavis government owing to what Aaditya Thackeray described as a credit war. Also Watch l There will be thousands of Nirbhayas: BJP MLA warns Aaditya Thackeray Thackeray stressed that Wednesdays cabinet decision did not imply that people had to keep shops open the entire night. It is optional, the minister said. Londons nightlife economy is 5 billion pounds and we expect similar growth in Mumbai. We have 5 lakh youths employed in the service sector in Mumbai. This proposal may help the number of jobs to double to 10 lakh, Thackeray explained. In the first phase, the government has rolled out the 24x7 concession for gated communities such as Bandra Kurla Complex and Nariman Point. One lane each at Nariman Point and BKC have been identified to allow food trucks to do business during the night. Thackeray said the move will give a fillip to tourism, generate jobs and boost the economy. At the same time, it would not burden the police as establishments in gated communities have their own security arrangements. Home minister Anil Deshmukh said Mumbai 24 hours proposal had been okayed because for now, it was limited to specified areas. The government also warned establishments not to violate the law during the extended working hours, arguing that these would lead to permanent cancellation of licences. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of students will perform in a student showcase celebrating K-12 education on Monday, Jan. 27 at The Capitol - Great Hall from 11 a.m. to noon. This 2nd annual student showcase celebration is one of Massachusetts' largest National School Choice Week events and will feature musical and artistic performances from talented students at this fun, energetic celebration. Public and private schools across Massachusetts will be in attendance including: Nobel Academy; Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Mission Grammar School; and Hampden Charter School Of Science. Students will provide a variety of performances of "We Are the World" in different languages, poetry readings, and the National School Choice Week dance. The Massachusetts State House is located at 24 Beacon Street. This event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com Sarah Hyland was dragged online after she appeared during the Screen Actors Guild Awards with what looked to be a spray tan, but the Modern Family star was quick to shut down any critics. Hyland, 29, wore a Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini floral high-low dress for the SAG Awards on Sunday evening in Los Angeles, California. The actress looked tanner than usual in the dress, which was sleeveless and showed off her toned legs. And a few commenters thought Hyland received a spray tan before the event. Making her entrance: Sarah Hyland, 29, attended the SAG Awards on Sunday wearing a Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini floral high-low dress Criticism: One commenter accused the star of getting a bad spray tan for the event Clapping back: Hyland responded reminding the follower she got her tan from the sun 'If my legs got cold I had an extra built in blanket,' Hyland captioned pictures on Instagram from the red carpet. 'Thanks to the village that put all of this together I felt like a goddess last night.' Most of the comments were positive about the actress, except a few commenting on her skin color. 'The spray tan is way too much,' one critic wrote. Hyland, who just went on vacation in Mexico, was quick to respond to the critic and shut down their comment about her skin tone. 'I'll tell the actual sun to go easy on me the next time I see it,' she wrote in response. Supporters praised the star for standing up for herself against the critique. Other comments on her post included supportive messages from Hyland's friend and fellow actress Vanessa Hudgens as well as her fiance, Wells Adams. Unbothered: The star modeled a tan on the red carpet Sunday because she recently returned from a trip to Mexico Supportive: Other comments on her post included supportive messages from Hyland's friend and fellow actress Vanessa Hudgens as well as her fiance, Wells Adams Having fun: Hyland was in Mexico from the end of December into January with friends, helping get her a natural tan Love: Also on the trip to Mexico was Hyland's fiance, Wells Adams 'Just. Every. Thing,' Hudgens wrote with a series of emojis to express how much she loved Hyland's look. Wells, on the other hand, wrote 'Dear Lord' while including multiple drooling face emojis. The actress took time off from filming Modern Family at the end of December into the beginning of January to travel to Mexico with friends and her fiance. During the vacation, she got some color while sitting out in the sun. This color, Hyland said, led her to looking tanner than usual when appearing on the red carpet this past weekend. Hyland has faced criticism previously for her body image. Last year, Hyland rocked her natural curls multiple times when stepping out. One person accused the star of getting a perm. The tweet read: '@Sarah_Hyland bringing back the perm?!' But Sarah appeared unamused by the tweet and responded, 'Id like to say this once. ITS NOT A PERM. ITS JUST MY HAIR.' Commenters have also targeted Hyland for her body image, both accusing her of gaining weight and stating she is too thin. But the woman always takes these moments in stride and is unafraid to respond back. A British tourist feared to have been infected with the Chinese coronavirus just has an aggressive form of flu, according to his parents. Ash Shorley, 32, is now out of bed and walking after his health scare at a hospital in Bangkok, where he is still being treated. Surgeons allegedly drained 4.4lbs (2kg) of fluid from Mr Shorley's collapsed lungs and doctors confirmed he had an aggressive strain of the flu, possibly bird flu. Mr Shorley has been in the Thai hospital for around a month after being ferried there by seaplane because his lungs were too weak for a high-altitude flight. Mr Shorley's parents Chris and Julie, from Thornton, Lancashire, have flown out to be by their son's bedside. Their update comes as the fast-evolving situation in China has now led to more than 500 people being diagnosed with a type of virus which has never been seen before 17 people have been killed. Ash Shorley, from Lancashire, is now awake in hospital and walking again after his family feared he had caught the new viral illness which is spreading in East Asia (Pictured: Mr Shorley in hospital in Bangkok with his father, Chris) Ash Shorley, 32,is being treated in a hospital in Thailand but doctors have confirmed he does not have the coronavirus which is spreading around East Asia Mr Shorley is pictured in critical condition in a hospital in Phuket. He is now out of bed and walking Mr Shorley's father, 55, last week told The Sun: 'He was two days from death. If he wasnt so fit, he wouldnt be with us now.' Mr Shorley had sold his house to travel round Asia following a break-up with his long-term partner before Christmas. His parents, who are being supported during their stay in Thailand with the help of a GoFundMe page, said their son has lost 5st (70lbs/32kg) during his illness. He has had surgery to repair his lungs, which had developed abscesses, according to his father. Now out of intensive care, the former sales manager, is back to breathing without assistance and being able to talk. Video has also emerged of him walking with the help of health workers. Mr Shorley senior told LBC News: 'Its been absolutely horrendous. 'Any parent would not want this to happen to their child because it was touch and go whether he was going to live. 'Touch wood, hes now out of danger but at the time the emotional stress was unbearable.' Doctors now say that Mr Shorley's virus is not the coronavirus which is concerning health authorities around the world Mr Shorley's parents Chris and Julie, from Thornton, Lancashire, have flown out to be by their son's bedside. He is pictured in hospital during the most serious phase of his illness Mr Shorley's parents' update come as the spread of the coronavirus from China is fast evolving. At last count a total of 532 people had been infected with the virus and 17 had died. Experts in the UK have upped their estimate to predict 4,000 people in Wuhan alone have been infected, with their upper estimate stretching to 9,700. Heathrow Airport in London has started channelling passengers from Wuhan through a separate section of the airport in a bid to stop the infection spreading onto British soil. Health chiefs have now raised the threat level in the UK from a 'very low' risk of it spreading here to a 'low' risk. One said this morning the outbreak currently has a death rate similar to the global Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, which went on to kill more than 50million people. Leading scientists have also today warned up to 10,000 patients may have caught the SARS-like virus in Wuhan - more than double the previous estimate. The number of coronavirus cases in East Asia is increasing fast and rose above 500 this morning experts predict many more will be revealed in the coming days and weeks Chinese residents wear masks while waiting at a bus station near the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which has been linked to the outbreak which started in December A seafood market is believed to be the centre of the outbreak in the city, but health officials have reported that some patients had no history of contact with the facility It emerged last night that the coronavirus had reached the US. A man in his 30s from Washington State, who had travelled back from Wuhan, was confirmed to be the first American case. Patients have already been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and one man in Australia is being tested for the virus. US President Donald Trump today said America 'has a plan' to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which officials have confirmed can spread between humans. But British experts who fear there could already be a case of the never-before-seen virus in the UK have warned screening in the UK 'is not foolproof'. Bonuses for Armenian Health Ministry's employees is AMD 185 million, a former member of the Council of Elders of Yerevan, chair of the Healthy Society public organization Marina Khachatryan told reporters on Wednesday According to her, it was unacceptable to write out such bonuses amid the closure of maternity hospitals referring to the fact there were not enough funds and staff. "Five maternity hospitals could be provided with everything necessary, and if we add the bonuses received by employees of other state institutions, then these opportunities will increase, and we could help many people," she said. About 100 parents, students and community members gathered at Fletcher Elementary School on Tuesday to hear from district leaders and international officials about the growing number of resources BISD is providing for the bilingual community. Superintendent Shannon Allen said she was working to serve the needs of every one of the districts 18,000 students, and stressed that meeting the needs of the bilingual and Hispanic communities is an integral part of that. We need to be meeting the needs of every student so that they can be meeting the goal of graduating at the end of their experience here at BISD, Allen said. One of the things that we are going to focus on this year is increasing the percentage of our student attendance rate. Allen also highlighted the districtwide goal of increasing the number of students reading at or above grade level. Alberto Iglesias, a community liaison for the districts ESL department, said it was the largest turnout in the events history. I also think the community is starting to feel more comfortable at these events, Iglesias said. We want to see what is helpful for our community, and getting the feedback is the best way to do that. The preplanned event comes after a forum earlier this month, where community members said they felt ignored by the district. Related: Hispanic parents voice concerns about language barrier in BISD In response, the district leaders announced that they would meet with members of the public and a Hispanic Advisory Committee once a month to gain feedback, and give a voice to the Hispanic Community. Related: BISD forms Hispanic Advisory Committee Jenny Angelo, BISDs executive director of curriculum and instruction, who helped organize the event, said it was a success. The feedback we have gotten is that parents are grateful for the resources, Angelo said. They are weighed down with free instructional resources for math, reading, sciences, parent involvement and our STEM activities, so they were just so excited to get their hands on some really good activities. A portion of the free books was provided by the Mexican Consulate, which was represented at the event for the first time this year. We had our bilingual department travel to Houston to meet with the Consulate and talk to them about what they could offer the parents, Angelo said. And tonight was the perfect opportunity for them to come out and meet, because they might not get the opportunity to go to Houston. Alejandro Macias, the Mexican consul for economic and academic cooperation, said the officials were there to speak with parents who are of Mexican origin to educate them on the services offered, including providing government documents and identification. Beyond regular documents like passports we wanted to let them know that we have programs regarding health education, financial education, and let them know about the resources within their community and how to make use of them, Macias said. Visiting school districts is very important for us because we want to get parents really involved in the education of their children, and to let them know the benefits of not only kindergarten through high school, but also college. The books given free of charge to parents are the same ones used in Mexican schools and provide extra practice for students, Macias said. Luz Rodriguez, who has a son who attends Fletcher Elementary, said the district was starting to do a great job in interacting with the Hispanic community. Everything takes time and it is one step at a time, Rodriguez said. What I would like to see more is more participation from the community. BISD can give us a lot of things, that if as a community we dont approach this type of event, it is not going to help us. Rodriguez, who has volunteered for the district for 16 years, said the entire community needs to come together. I just wish that everyone as a nation and as individuals would come more together and stop putting those wall between each other, Rodriguez said. That is the main thing, and to teach our children that there is no difference between white, black or brown. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes KENSINGTON, New Hampshire A man choked a coyote to death Monday after he said it grabbed the jacket of his 2-year-old son and dragged him to ground. CBS Boston reports Ian OReilly and his wife managed to get their son away from the coyote without being bitten. However, OReilly said the animal refused to run away despite his efforts to scare it off. The coyote remained aggressive, biting OReilly on his arms and chest. There was no running away, it would not allow us to run away, OReilly tells CBS Boston. It was very much the aggressor. OReilly and his wife were with their three children when the attack occurred in a wooded area, WMUR Channel 9 reports. Unable to run, OReilly managed to get on top of the animal and choked it to death, reports say. CBS Boston says the coyote will be tested for rabies, but OReilly already is receiving shots. When I was able to get on top of it, I put my hand on its snout so it wasnt able to attack me," OReilly tells Boston 25. "There was quite a bit of snow on the ground, so I shoved the face into the snow and then eventually was able [to] put my hand on its snout and expire it through suffocation. Ultimately one hand on its windpipe and one hand on its snout did the trick. CBS Boston reports that authorities believe the coyote was responsible for two other incidents earlier Monday. A coyote went after a moving car, then a woman and her dogs were bitten later in the day, reports say. There has been a recent increase in reports of coyote attacks in Ohio and across the nation. Last week, a police officer in Columbus was bitten by a coyote while helping a stranded motorist. Earlier this month, two people, including a 6-year-old child, reported being bitten by a coyote in Chicago. A POTHOLES pot of 24 million will be set aside in the councils budget for resurfacing roads over the next four years. It follows an investment of 10 million over the past three years, which RMBC says has reduced the number of potholes by a third. The new commitment within the capital budget 6 million annually for the next four years would be the biggest roads investment in decades. The council says this will halve the number of potholes on the boroughs highways. Cllr Emma Hoddinott, cabinet member for roads, said: The results of our 2020 Roads programme can be seen right across the borough as we have begun to deal with the backlog of repairs needed. Last year alone, the council repaired 37 miles of roads. But we know that there is much more work still to do to improve roads for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. This commitment shows the importance that we know residents give to this work. The councils ruling Labour group is expected to publish its full budget Budget pot to beat potholes proposals on February 3. These will include cuts of 13.9 million in the revenue side of the budget, following a 15.8 million reduction for 2019/20. And it will take the total savings since 2010 to more than 200 million. Meanwhile, a report released this week revealed twice as much is budgeted to be spent on roads in London (62,350 per mile) than in the Yorkshire region (31,042) this financial year. The new Conservative government has pledged to make available 2 billion for filling potholes over the next four years, as outlined in the Conservative manifesto. WHERE should the council be prioritising its pothole attention? Do you regularly drive over a cav- ity-riddled carriageway or avoid running along a particularly ragged road? Send us your photos and selfies with the worst pot spots across Rotherham and well feature them and send on to RMBC. Email newsdesk@rotherhamad vertiser.co.uk, including your details and the location MBABANE A businessman is demanding compensation from his business partner, who is also an employee of the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) of E68 900. Malungelo Mhlanga of Mkhuzweni in the Manzini Region in his particulars of claim alleged that at the beginning of June 2017, he entered into a business deal, wherein he bought 50 per cent of the shareholding of Lucky Malimas company (EBOMA Electrical (Pty) Ltd). Malima (defendant) is employed by EEC. Mhlanga (plaintiff) claimed that the company was already in existence and was sub-contracting to EEC when the business deal was completed by the duo. During the purported meeting by the pair, Mhlanga alleged that they both represented themselves and they purportedly entered into material terms of the oral agreement that said Mhlanga would pay E80 000 to the defendant for purchasing the 50 per cent shares of EBOMA Electrical (Pty) Ltd. These are allegations contained in the plaintiffs particulars of claim whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the respondent is yet to file its detailed papers in the event it is disputing the claim against it. Mhlanga further claimed that they had agreed that after the payment of the E80 000 to Malima, he (Mhlanga) would supervise the daily operations of the company. The plaintiff also alleged that they agreed to share equally the dividends of the company on monthly basis. Plaintiff performed all his obligations in terms of the oral agreement in that he paid the agreed sum of E80 000 to the defendant on June 12, 2017 by depositing it to the latters personal bank account, reads in part Mhlangas submissions. obligations Following this transaction, Mhlanga claimed that Malima did not meet his contractual obligations in that he neither allowed the plaintiff to supervise EBOMA Electrical (Pty) Ltd, nor did he share the dividends of the business with him. He alleged that at the beginning of September 2017 after he had paid the E80 000 to the bank account of the defendant, he discovered that Malima was neither one of the shareholders nor a director of EBOMA Electrical (Pty) Ltd. Mhlanga claimed that Malima therefore fraudulently misrepresented himself to the plaintiff that he (defendant) was the sole shareholder of the aforesaid company knowing very well that same was not true or correct in order to induce him (plaintiff) to pay the sum of E80 000. The defendant was induced by the defendants representation aforesaid and paid the sum of E80 000 to him whereas if he had known the true facts, he would not have entered into the fraudulent agreement nor paid the amount at all, Mhlanga alleged. Mhlanga further submitted that as a result of the purported misrepresentation by the defendant, he cancelled the verbal agreement entered into by the parties as it was null and void and thereby he was entitled to a refund. The plaintiff further claimed that subsequent to the cancellation of the oral agreement by him at the beginning of September 2017, they both met in Manzini and Malima agreed to refund him the sum of E80 000 in full by September 30, 2017. repaid Furthermore, he alleged that contrary to the agreement to pay in full the money owed to the plaintiff at the aforementioned date, the defendant had so far repaid the sum of E11 100 to him which he (defendant) did on different dates. Mhlanga claimed that in June 2018, the defendant paid him E1 000 followed by E2 100 in August 2018. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant further paid him E4 000 at the end of May 2019 and the same amount at the end of July 2019. He alleged that the amount that remained owed to him by Malima was the sum of E68 900 and it was now overdue, owing and or payable by the defendant to him. Mhlanga claimed that despite numerous demands, Malima had failed, refused and or neglected to make payment in full. The plaintiff is demanding the payment of the aforementioned amount and that its compensation should incur an interest of 9 per cent per annum. Mhlanga further sought that the costs of suit be incurred by the defendant. In the event the defendant was disputing the claim, Mhlanga was advised to within 10 days of receiving the summons file their notice of intention to oppose and serve a copy thereof to the plaintiff. Thereafter, the defendant was further advised that he should within 21 days after serving notice of intention to defend, file with the registrar of the High Court and serve upon the plaintiffs attorneys, a plea, and exception, notice to strike out with or without a counter-claim. Mhlanga is represented by attorneys from Madzinane Attorneys. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Weve seen counter-productive, destructive policy by Armenia with regard to Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told EURACTIV, Trend reports. As it was said by my president, unfortunately, last year was a lost year with regard to the resolution of the conflict. We cant see any particular movement with regard to the resolution of the conflict. On the contrary, we have seen counter-productive, destructive policy by Armenia. Armenian side tries to change the format of the negotiation process. Nevertheless, we have already established the format of the negotiation process. Armenia and Azerbaijan are conflicting parties and OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are mediators. Armenian side has at a very high level said new territories, new wars, no inch of territory back and finally, Armenian Prime Minister in occupied Khankendi city of Azerbaijan said that Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia. It is a pure annexation of the territory of a sovereign state at the level of leadership of one country against other country. It is completely unacceptable. It was an element of not just undermining, but destroying the entire negotiation process. We have communicated the message to co-chair countries, to the international community that Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan and exclamation mark, said Hajiyev. As for EUs approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, he said Azerbaijan has taken a positive note about the EUs principled and firm position with regard to territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Particularly, it has been reaffirmed in the partnership priorities document that has been signed between the EU and Azerbaijan. We also see continuation of this policy, especially, in the implementation of the Common foreign policy and security document of the EU that has been endorsed in the European Parliament. It is a bounding principle that says that EU supports territorial integrity of all Eastern Partnership countries. For us it is critically important and we appreciate that position. We do think that these core fundamental principles that are deriving from the Helsinki Final Act and international law should in non-selective manner be applied to all countries and with respect to all Eastern Partnership countries. We would also like to see further continuation of this policy and see it also reflected in EU positions in some other different foras - in OSCE, UN and some other foras, because territorial integrity is a must for every country, he added. PHILADELPHIA A Garnet Valley doctor pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to five counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances for running a pill mill out of his office. Dr. Timothy F. Shawl, 60, was among 48 defendants charged in a sweeping health care fraud enforcement action across seven federal districts last year that involved more than $800 million in losses and more than 3.25 million opioid pills distributed out of pill-mill clinics. He was arrested in September along with 16 other defendants in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania five of them doctors or medical professionals allegedly involved in the distribution of approximately 738,000 oxycodone pills and submission of more than $4 million in fraudulent claims. Shawl wrote hundreds of prescriptions for controlled substances to patients without seeing, treating, or examining them, according to federal prosecutors, and prescribed more than 29,000 oxycodone tablets to approximately 16 patients. A release from U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain indicates Shawl admitted to writing oxycodone prescriptions that were not for a legitimate medical purpose, and which were issued without Shawl treating, examining, or even seeing the patients who received the prescriptions. Shawl additionally admitted that he had not conducted a physical examination on one patient for at least five years, despite regularly prescribing that patient controlled substances. The patient died in January 2019, just three days after Shawl last prescribed oxycodone for her, according to federal prosecutors. The cause of death was drug intoxication. Todays guilty plea from Dr. Shawl is the tangible result of the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force delivering on its mission to stop fraud, waste, and abuse within our federal health care programs and to stem the tide of illegal opioid distribution, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. Our Strike Force acts as a force multiplier, bringing together health care fraud prosecutors, civil enforcement attorneys, data analysts, and law enforcement agencies to do this important work. Todays guilty plea should serve as a warning to any medical professional engaged in this type of illegal behavior. Another 12 people, all of Philadelphia, were also charged in the sweep with presenting forged prescriptions for oxycodone to pharmacies in Marcus Hook, Drexel Hill and Kennett Square between September 2016 and June 2019. All told, those defendants may have obtained about 75,000 oxycodone pills. The medical professionals and others engaging in criminal behavior by peddling opioids for profit continue to fuel our nations drug crisis, said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski in a release announcing the charges. The Department of Justice will continue to use every tool at our disposal, including data analytics and traditional law enforcement techniques, to investigate, prosecute, and punish this reprehensible behavior and protect federal programs from abuse. Sentencing is set for May 5 before U.S. District Judge Richard Barclay Surrick. Senior US diplomat Alice Wells has said that there is no transparency in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the firms blacklisted by the World Bank have got contracts under the USD 60 billion project, which will increase the cash-strapped country's debt burden. Wells, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia who is here on a four-day visit to Pakistan, made the remarks while speaking at a think tank event on Tuesday. The CPEC is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang province with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. The project was launched in 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan and it now envisages investment of over USD 60 billion in different projects of development in Pakistan. Wells said that there was no transparency in the CPEC projects and Pakistan's debt burden was growing due to the Chinese financing, Dawn newspaper reported. While reiterating the allegations against the CPEC, Wells said that companies blacklisted by the World Bank had got contracts in the CPEC. Commenting on her remarks, the Chinese embassy here on Wednesday rejected the "negative propaganda" by the US diplomat against the CPEC. "Although you can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, we have to make our position clear and reject the negative propaganda by the US," the embassy's spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson said Wells' comments hold nothing new but were reflection of her speech in November, 2019, which was rejected by China and Pakistan. China had always requested the Chinese companies to operate according to local laws and regulations, the spokesperson said. "The entire process is open and transparent and is in line with international norm. We keep in touch with the relative accountability agencies of Pakistan and it is agreed that the CPEC is clean," the spokesperson added. The embassy also rejected her remarks that the CPEC was burdening Pakistan with debt. "In fact, international financial institutions including the Paris Club and IMF are the largest creditors of Pakistan. Loan for the CPEC is about USD 5.8 billion, accounting for 5.3 per cent of Pakistan's total foreign debt, it said. The embassy vowed that China would continue to work with the Pakistani government and people to steadily advance the BRI and CPEC to promote regional peace and development. Wells had in November last year urged Pakistanis to ask "tough questions" to China on the CPEC, saying the project is going to take a toll on the country's economy. Criticising the CPEC, she urged Pakistan to rethink its involvement in it. During her Tuesday's speech, Wells also questioned the immunity from prosecution for the newly formed CPEC Authority that served as the focal body working to identify new areas of cooperation and projects, besides facilitation, coordination and monitoring of ongoing projects. Talking about Pakistan's debt issue, Wells insisted that Chinese money was not an assistance. By getting Chinese financing for the projects, Pakistan was buying expensive loans and as a buyer it needed to be aware that what it was doing would take a heavy toll on its already struggling economy. Wells' recent remarks were made after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi sought closer engagement and a robust trade and investment relationship between Pakistan and the US during his recent visit to Washington. Qureshi had also sought help from the US to get the country off the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey list. The US has been critical of the CPEC. Some of the projects had already been completed but others were facing delays as Pakistan and China are working on operational and funding details. The diplomat also touched on the cost escalation in a railways project linking Karachi with Peshawar. She urged the government to be transparent about the mega project. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 17:02:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) and Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Dato Paduka Haji Erywan bin Pehin Yusof jointly preside over the first meeting of the China-Brunei intergovernmental joint steering committee in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Dato Paduka Haji Erywan bin Pehin Yusof jointly presided over the first meeting of the China-Brunei intergovernmental joint steering committee in Beijing on Tuesday. "The establishment of the joint steering committee is an important consensus reached by the two heads of state and meets the needs of the upgrading of bilateral relations," Wang said. The two sides further agreed to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in 10 areas including economy, commerce, maritime affairs and energy under the framework of the committee and establish several working groups, which are of great significance to the in-depth development of bilateral relations, Wang said. "China will continue to firmly pursue its good-neighborly and friendly policy toward the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," said Wang, adding that China has always held a consistent position on the South China Sea issue and stands ready to work with ASEAN countries to continue to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and push forward consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). Erywan said Brunei attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and speed up the joint construction of the Belt and Road. The Bruneian side reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy and is willing to work with China to actively promote consultations on the COC and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea region. The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on issues such as regional cooperation in East Asia and cooperation between China and Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area. Iraq protesters vow to press on as president addresses Davos Basra, Iraq, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 Rallies resurged in Iraq on Wednesday after an anti-government activist was killed in the south, as protesters press authorities to implement long-awaited reforms. The youth-dominated movement is desperately trying to maintain momentum in the face of spiralling US-Iran tensions and a rival anti-American rally planned for Friday. Iraq's President, Barham Saleh, warned against pushing the country to choose sides in escalating tensions between neighbouring Iran and the US, both allies of Baghdad. He also met US President Donald Trump for the first time since the US killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad led the Iraqi parliament to call for expulsion of US troops. The two leaders, meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, agreed on the need for a continued US military role in Iraq and discussed the protests. Anti-government protesters have escalated their demonstrations but face being sidelined by regional tensions as well as a new wave of violence. Late Tuesday, a female activist was killed by unidentified gunmen as she returned home from protests in the southern city of Basra, police said. "Civil society activist Janat Madhi, 49, was shot on Tuesday night around 11:00 pm by armed men in an SUV," a police source said. A source at the city's forensics lab confirmed to AFP that Madhi suffered gunshot wounds. Activists have for months complained of an intensifying campaign of kidnappings and killings that they say aims to scare them into halting protests. They are also worried about tensions with a competing rally this Friday organised by populist cleric Moqtada Sadr to urge the 5,200 US troops deployed in Iraq to leave. - Continued US presence - Tensions between Washington and Tehran boiled over on Iraqi soil this month, with the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and Iran striking back at an Iraqi base hosting American soldiers. Furious at the US hit, Iraq's parliament voted on January 5 to oust all foreign troops, including US soldiers deployed alongside local forces. But on Wednesday, Saleh told world leaders in Davos that the vote should not be understood as "a sign of ingratitude or hostility," but a response to a violation of his country's sovereignty. "It is not in our interest to choose to ally with one side at the expense of others, as long as both respect our sovereignty and independence." Trump told Saleh that he "does not want to stay in Iraq", a source from Saleh's office told AFP, and would draw down forces in an "unprecedented way". But he insisted that any withdrawal must not be insulting or disrespectful to Washington. According to the White House, "The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the United States-Iraq economic and security partnership, including the fight against ISIS". - Oil production hit - To head off Sadr's Friday protest while ramping up pressure on authorities, demonstrators this week launched sit-ins in new areas and shut roads with burning tyres. Their main demands include early elections under a new voting law, an independent premier and accountability for corruption and killings of protesters. More than 460 protesters have been killed since the rallies first erupted in October, fuelled by anger over graft and a joblessness then ballooning into demands for deep political reforms. On Monday, three protesters were killed in clashes with security forces in Baghdad and another demonstrator died on Tuesday after a tear gas canister punctured his skull. Rights groups accuse security forces of using military-grade gas canisters -- up to 10 times heavier than those designed for use against civilians -- and firing them directly at crowds rather than into the air. Demonstrators are outraged that only a handful of security personnel have been charged over the violence and no perpetrators of hit-and-run attacks have been pursued, while protesters have been swiftly arrested for shutting down streets. Blocking roads has been a key tactic this week, with protesters cutting streets and national highways around the capital and the Shiite-majority south. "We'll keep shutting roads and getting protesters into the street to keep these important demonstrations going," said Aqil al-Zamili, a 50-year-old activist. The road closures have left hundreds of tankers carrying oil products north towards Baghdad stranded outside the capital. They also forced a shutdown at the main oil field northwest of Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhi Qar province, a source at the state-owned provincial oil company told AFP. "Production... was halted for the third consecutive day because transport routes leading to the field are cut," the Dhi Qar Oil Company source said, adding that the field produces up to 100,000 barrels per day. Oil-rich Iraq is OPEC's second-biggest crude producer, logging around 3.4 million bpd of exports. But public services are failing, unemployment is high and one in five people live in poverty, according to the World Bank. Civil rights activists were still mourning the 1968 assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. Richard Nixon was president, the Vietnam War hadnt ended, and urban racial tensions remained. In that climate, a 24-year-old Black Panther Party member from Houston named Bobby Lee went into a Chicago neighborhood of poor Southern white migrants with a stunning and straightforward plea: Join us. A new PBS documentary is exploring a little-known movement that brought together blacks, Latinos and poor whites from Appalachia that later resulted in the upending of politics in the American Midwest. The First Rainbow Coalition, scheduled to begin airing Mondayas part of the Independent Lens series, shows how members of the Black Panther Party organized Puerto Rican radicals and Confederate flag-waving white Southerners to help tackle poverty and discrimination. The union shocked some allies and scared police and the FBI, who feared the coalition would upend the social order. It would eventually change Chicago. Filmmaker Ray Santisteban said it took him 14 years to complete the project. The effort only took off after he convinced Lee, the ailing organizer behind the multi-ethnic effort, to speak publicly for the first time. The subject of race also has come under scrutiny under President Donald Trump, who has been accused of making racist statements. Funders would tell me, this was an interesting film but what does this have to do with today? Santisteban said. Then, the country changed. I started getting calls about four years ago about it. In 1969, Lee reached out to Southern white migrants in a northern Chicago neighborhood called Hillbilly Harlem to join him in fighting poverty and police misconduct. They were poor. It was a slum. You could smell it, Lee told Santisteban. And you could smell a slum. Wearing a beret and his hands behind this back, Lee stood in front of a room of whites. To ease the crowds anxieties, Lee told the crowd, my name is Bobby Lee. But my real name is Robert E. Lee. It was an ironic reference to the former Confederate general who now shared the name with a black revolutionary. We laughed, remembered Hy Thurman, a white man from Tennessee and a member of a group called the Young Patriots. The police mistreated them like the police mistreated blacks, Lee told the crowd. Landlords also refused to change living conditions in their homes like the homes of black residents, he said. What do you want in your community? What do you want here? he asked. Lee also enlisted the Puerto Rican group, the Young Lords, to join the new multi-ethnic struggle. The coalition began pressuring landlords about conditions and challenged police on their tactics. When eight police officers from the Cook County states attorneys office raided an apartment and killed Illinois Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, the coalition helped Republican Bernard Carey defeat Democratic Cook County States Attorney Edward V. Hanrahan. It wasnt the first time there was an attempt to forge a multicultural alliance. New Mexico-born education pioneer George I. Sanchez and NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall corresponded in the late 1940s on ways to fight segregation. Japanese Americans would join Latinos in California to push for desegregation. During the Civil Rights movement, Mexican American and African American advocates tried to create a coalition in Houston. The Houston group fought even over whether they should be called the Black/Brown or Brown/Black Coalition until future Congresswoman Barbara Jordan told participants to call themselves the B and B Coalition. Chicano activists in the 1970s would later seek to build alliances with members of the American Indian Movement in South Dakota. Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR- the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, announced today the publication of a series of articles investigating the use of health technology assessment (HTA) in healthcare decision making across the globe. The series, "HTA Around the World- Influences of Culture, Values, and Institutions," appears in the January 2020 issue of Value in Health. Aleksandra Torbica, PhD, Centre for Research on Health and Social Care Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy, served as the Guest Editor for this themed section. In her introductory editorial entitled, "HTA Around the World: Broadening Our Understanding of Cross-Country Differences," Dr Torbica provides historical perspective, sets the context for the series, and introduces the other 7 articles in the special collection: The Emerging Social Science Literature on Health Technology Assessment: A Narrative Review by Olga Loblova, Trayan Trayanov, Marcell Csanadi, Piotr Ozieranski Differences in Health Technology Assessment Recommendations Among European Jurisdictions: The Role of Practice Variations by Rick A. Vreman, Aukje K. Mantel-Teeuwisse, Anke M. Hovels, Hubert G.M. Leufkens, Wim G. Goettsch Do Social Values and Institutional Context Shape the Use of Economic Evaluation in Reimbursement Decisions? An Empirical Analysis by Aleksandra Torbica, Giulia Fornaro, Rosanna Tarricone, Michael F. Drummond Economic Evaluation for Pricing and Reimbursement of New Drugs in Spain: Fable or Desideratum? by Juan Oliva-Moreno, Jaume Puig-Junoy, Marta Trapero-Bertran, David Epstein, Carme Pinyol, and Jose Antonio Sacristan Increasing the Legitimacy of Tough Choices in Healthcare Reimbursement: Approach and Results of a Citizen Forum in The Netherlands by Leon Bijlmakers, Maarten Jansen, Bert Boer, et al Role of Culture, Values, and Politics in the Implementation of Health Technology Assessment in India: A Commentary by Shilpi Swami and Tushar Srivastava Formal Implementation of Cost-Effectiveness Evaluations in Japan: A Unique Health Technology Assessment System by Masataka Hasegawa, Shigekazu Komoto, Takeru Shiroiwa, and Takashi Fukuda Dr Torbica notes that the insights provided in these articles provide a novel agenda not only to researchers interested in understanding the factors behind the differences in attitudes to HTA and economic evaluation across countries, but also to policy makers concerned with expanding the use of these tools in decision making. Save for the occasional bear or bobcat sighting, theres rarely much commotion in the rugged hills of Napa Valleys Atlas Peak area. But a dispute between two neighbors over a small vineyard planting and whether it might threaten its surrounding landscape turned into a major clash that led to a libel lawsuit, restraining orders and, allegedly, gunshots. In another valley, the disagreement might have blown over without fanfare. But in Napa, which has been wrestling with tensions between viticulture and environmental preservation the fight over Igor Sills vineyard took on a larger significance. As Napa Valleys wine industry has developed in recent decades with a grape crop valued at over $1 billion in 2018 a vocal contingent of residents has criticized it. They insist that the onslaught of vineyard plantings has led to too many uprooted trees, too much displaced wildlife and too many contaminated water sources, as chemical sprays run off from vineyards into streams. Wine has made Napa Valley what it is. And if the industry is left unchecked, these critics contend, wine will also be Napa Valleys undoing. The Atlas Peak troubles began in 2017 when vintner Sill wanted to plant an additional 0.74 acres of grapevines at his 25-acre Sill Family Vineyards. A former Silicon Valley venture capitalist who has owned land, including a vineyard, in nearby St. Helena for more than 30 years, Sill bought his Atlas Peak piece in 2015. (Sills winery and home burned in the 2017 Atlas Fire, though the vines were spared.) Sill said his neighbor, the environmental activist Chris Malan, objected to the vineyard expansion because she believed it would destroy vernal pools a type of seasonal wetland that can fill with water in a rainy season and become a habitat for plants and animals. Vernal pools range from bathtub-size to the size of a small lake, said Malan, who founded the Institute for Conservation Advocacy Research & Education in 2004. There are plants and animals that rely on this water seasonally for their gestation and mating and the growing of their young. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle How did Malan know that Sill had vernal pools? From living up here for 40 years and watching year after year, she said. In the 1990s, she attempted to halt grapevine plantings by the previous owner of the property. In the years since, she has worked to raise awareness about the ecological importance of vernal pools, including helping a botanist make a map of them throughout the county. Sill maintains that his property never had vernal pools. After Malan complained, he said, he was contacted by the regional Water Board, which sent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to investigate whether his proposed planting would threaten any water sources. In a report dated June 28, 2017, regulatory project manager William Connor wrote, It is my opinion that it is highly unlikely that wetlands were present at the construction site. Around that time, Sill wrote an article for the website Wine Industry Network Advisor called The Magic Behind Napas Mountain Grown Wines, praising Atlas Peaks microclimate and red volcanic soils for their roles in creating fine Cabernet Sauvignons. In response, a local citizens coalition called Napa Vision 2050 posted an article on its website in which author Dan Mufson wrote that Sill is currently ripping out previous vernal pools on Atlas Peak to plant yet more grapes. Creating terror in the animal population as he acts to create terroir. Mufsons article concludes: What are we to tell our children about the hills that once were alive with deer, fox, frogs, bees? Did we let these creatures all die for a few more precious drops of that red beverage that so looks like their blood? Mufson was the president of Vision 2050 until 2018; Malan, who also works for Napa County as a mental health counselor, has not been a member for the last three years. The 501(c)(4) organization a type of nonprofit that promotes social welfare is a coalition of several different environmental advocacy groups in the county, such as Watersheds Alliance for Atlas Peak, Protect Rural Napa and the Sierra Club. It was a major backer of Measure C, a failed 2018 ballot measure that would have limited the removal of oak trees for new vineyard plantings. (Mufson could not be reached for comment, and current Vision 2050 president Charlotte Williams declined to comment for this article.) Jessica Christian / The Chronicle According to Sill, Mufsons article on the Vision 2050 website led to a significant loss of business for his winery. I only sell products through the internet, Sill says. You could absolutely see a drop in sales volume. How large of a drop? He wouldnt say. When Sill filed a lawsuit against Vision 2050 in February 2018 claiming libel and negligent defamation, he asked for $100,000 in damages. The Mufson article clearly exposes (Sill) to hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy because it makes it appear that (he) acted in callous disregard of legitimate concerns for the environment, Sills legal complaint reads. And it wasnt just a loss of wine sales, Sill said in an interview. The property has been vandalized ever since that article came out. A flagpole was torn down, an entry gate smashed and a mailbox broken, among other things, he claimed. The suit was set to go to trial last week, but Sill accepted a settlement from Vision 2050 in early January. He would not comment on the settlement terms, adding that he intended to donate some of the funds to a worthy cause. Im assessing organizations that have a positive impact on the environment that dont have these personal agendas, he said. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. But the trouble between Sill and the environmentalists didnt end with that lawsuit. He filed civil harassment complaints in Napa County Superior Court against Malan and her husband Jack Malan. He complained that the Malans repeatedly trespassed on his property. In one instance, he said, a gun was shot into a structure on his property, and he believed the Malans may have been responsible. When asked about the incident, Chris Malan said: Certainly, my response to the gunfire is that I had nothing to do with that. No one was injured, Sill said, but the bullet ripped through three walls. There were no witnesses to the firing. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle With regard to trespassing, the Malans have long had an easement on Sills property, allowing them to use a road to access their home. We have a road easement, and theres been a friction regarding that, Malan admitted, but we are working to be neighborly. As part of the courts ruling, restraining orders were filed against both the Malans that bar them from possessing firearms. Court records show that on Dec. 30, the court required proof that Jack Malan had turned in, sold or stored his firearms. To Sill, the outcomes of his lawsuits were vindication. I think Napa Vision 2050 are very well intentioned people that have been misguided, he said, emphasizing that he, too, cares about environmental preservation. He hoped that his example would encourage other vintners to push back when groups like Napa Vision 2050 or individuals like the Malans try to interfere in their vineyards. But Sill is just one example, and the larger struggle between Napa Valley vintners and groups like Napa 2050 shows no signs of ebbing. If anything, its intensified since the passage of the controversial Water Quality and Tree Protection Ordinance last spring. That measure, passed by the countys Board of Supervisors, limits tree removal and creates setbacks from wetlands, and it pleased neither side: Vintner groups contended that it infringed on their right to farm, while environmental groups argued it didnt go far enough in its protections. Is there any vision for Napa Valleys future that could unite the wine industry and its critics? Or are these dilemmas now too deeply entrenched in Napas character? From the wine industrys perspective, agriculture has not only made Napa prosperous, but its success has also protected the land from the encroachment of housing subdivisions and strip malls. Is agriculture the antithesis of development? Or is it, as Vision 2050 sees it, the agent of development? Chris Malan, who said she did not know anything about the terms of the Vision 2050 libel settlement, was not deterred by the Sill saga. She was convinced more than ever that the wine industry needs to be reined in. I have heard some people liken it to the call to duty in World War II, she said of her cause. The wine industry, since 1990, has been rigorously developing the uplands of our county watersheds. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob The third day of the Economic Forum (WEF) meet turned to be fruitful for Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa with him persuading many of the big investors and industrialists to invest in the state. According to a statement, the Chief Minister made it clear to all these investors that the Karnataka government is ready to resolve all their issues and clear all their hurdles to make the investments a reality," the statement read. "I am serious on this score and my officers will work overtime to facilitate your investments," the Chief Minister was quoted as saying. Vice-president of the Dassault systems 3DS, Florence Verzelen said soon she initiate measures to set up two "centers of excellence". Steel magnate Laxmi Mittal also met the Chief Minister at Karnataka pavilion and discussed the Company's interest to invest in Karnataka where he already has 3000 acres of land at his disposal In Bellary district. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin global security and aerospace company Executive Vice-President Richard Ambrose said he will soon visit Bengaluru to explore the possibilities of his company investing in Karnataka and taking up R & D activities. Another investor Denso a global automotive component manufacturer also held a meeting with the Karnataka delegation. Its executive Vice-president Hiroyuki Wakabasyi said they have already set up an excellence and research center in Delhi and soon he will visit Bengaluru to explore possibilities of spreading its base in South India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON Armed with rifles and explosives, about a dozen Shabab fighters destroyed an American surveillance plane as it was taking off and ignited an hourslong gunfight earlier this month on a sprawling military base in Kenya that houses United States troops. By the time the Shabab were done, portions of the airfield were burning and three Americans were dead. Surprised by the attack, American commandos took around an hour to respond. Many of the local Kenyan forces, assigned to defend the base, hid in the grass while other American troops and support staff were corralled into tents, with little protection, to wait out the battle. It would require hours to evacuate one of the wounded to a military hospital in Djibouti, roughly 1,500 miles away. The brazen assault at Manda Bay, a sleepy seaside base near the Somali border, on Jan. 5, was largely overshadowed by the crisis with Iran after the killing of that countrys most important general two days earlier, and is only now drawing closer scrutiny from Congress and Pentagon officials. But the storming of an airfield used by the American military so alarmed the Pentagon that it immediately sent about 100 troops from the 101st Airborne Division to establish security at the base. Army Green Berets from Germany also were shuttled to Djibouti, the Pentagons major hub in Africa, in case the entire base was in danger of being taken by the Shabab, an East African terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda. The Congress on Wednesday said it congratulates Defence Minister Rajnath Singh "for not buckling under the pressure" and rejecting Adani Defence's bid to build six conventional submarines under a Rs 45,000-crore project and for keeping "the nation first and not friends". On Tuesday, the Defence Ministry shortlisted two Indian shipyards and five foreign defence majors for the mega project, but Adani Defence, a strong contender, failed to make the cut, official sources said. The Congress had been alleging that the government was "favouring" Adani group in the deal. Lauding the Congress effort in flagging issues and raising questions on Adani Defence's bid, party spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said Wednesday the non-awarding of the contract to Adani Defence is the "outcome of the valid questions and red-flag raised" by the Congress. "The Indian National Congress congratulates Rajnath Singh for not buckling under the pressure of the Prime Minister's Office and not awarding the contract to Adani Defence Joint Venture," he told reporters. "We congratulate Rajnath Singh for keeping the nation's interest first and not friends," he added. "The Congress congratulates Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for not awarding the contract for 75-I of six submarines worth Rs 45,000 crore to Adani Defence Joint Venture after the Congress raised specific, red-flagged specific objection regarding how the PMO or the higher powers in the government are adamant that the Indian Navy's decision of not considering Adani Defence Joint Venture have to be sidelined, they have to be bulldozed and Adani Defence have to be accommodated," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Wuhan coronavirus cast its shadow over international equity markets as the first examples of human-to-human infection emerged. The illness is of same grouping as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which, according to the World Health Organisation, infected more than 8,000 people, killing at least 700, in 2003. In the process, international trade was hobbled, with Asia suffering disproportionately. Fears: Beijing residents are pictured wearing masks in the street yesterday. More cases of the mysterious SARS-like Wuhan coronavirus virus have been reported No surprise then that markets in China were hit yesterday, with the Shanghai Composite receding 1.4 per cent and Hong Kongs Hang Seng down 2.8 per cent. The FTSE 100, down almost 100 points early on, closed 40.74 points lower at 7610.70 with Asia-affected stocks receiving the severest punishment. British Airways owner IAG was one of the leading casualties as its shares fell 3 per cent, or 19.4p, to 637.8p. Intercontinental Hotels Group, beloved of the business traveller, fell 3.5 per cent, or 181p, to 4965p. After a knee-jerk sell-off, Burberry, which derived over 40 per cent of its revenues from Asia last year, settled at 2263p, down just 14p, or 0.6 per cent. Stock Watch - BlueRock Diamonds BlueRock Diamonds sparkled after it booked revenue of 4.1million last year, up 190 per cent. In the second half of 2019, the miner also turned a profit for the first time, it said in a trading statement. The success was based on the sale of 12,675 carats from the Kareevlei mine in South Africa, which more than doubled the output of the previous year. Grades and price per carat also improved. The shares, up 80 per cent in the past six months, advanced 6.7 per cent, or 7.5p, to 119p. The fashion retailer will today be the first of the luxury chains to update on Christmas trading. In November it said a small decline in profit margins was likely to get worse in the second half. Flying the other way, one of the few risers was Easyjet, which rose 4.6 per cent, or 67p, to 1517p after the budget airline said it had benefited from the demise of Thomas Cook, which ran a rival service to holiday destinations. Lekoil shares climbed 20 per cent, or 0.62p, to 3.7p, after the oil and gas explorer was given longer to pay for work at an oilfield off the coast of Nigeria. The firm thought it had secured a 142million loan from the Qataris to pay next months bill and do further development work. But it revealed earlier this month that it had been scammed into paying 462,000 to individuals pretending to be linked to the Qatar Investment Authority. Lekoil now has until March and May to pay a total of 7.4million to the group that operates the area containing the oilfield. Elsewhere, Citigroup and UBS tuned in on the publishers, following the lead set by Goldman Sachs on Monday by reviewing its calls on the media sector. The former upgraded Relx to buy, suggesting the publisher may be a break-up candidate. Unfortunately, the stock closed 0.1 per cent lower, or 1.5p, at 1996.5p. Pearson fell 2.1 per cent, or 12.6p, to 576p after UBS acknowledged its optimism about the educational publisher was misplaced. The Swiss banks rating upped to buy back in September was marked down to neutral and the share price target was slashed to 600p from 820p. An upgrade to its forecasts sent Learning Technologies up 14.1 per cent, or 19.4p, to 157p, with the firm saying it now expects underlying earnings for 2019 to be comfortably ahead of expectations. Miner Jangada ended 2.4 per cent higher, or 0.05p, at 2.1p as it kicked off a drilling programme in Brazil. Oiler Egdon fell 2.4 per cent, or 0.12p, to 5.12p despite Anglo-Dutch major Shell becoming an investor in two of its UK offshore licences. But there was good news from gift card maker IG Design, which climbed 7.7 per cent, or 53p, to 742p after it raised 120million in an oversubscribed share placing. Looking to the fallers, Camellia shares were scalded, dipping 2.8 per cent, or 250p, to 8550p as global over-production of tea meant its sales in the final months of 2019 were much lower than expected. Finally, investors in smart home specialist Lightwave RF hit the dimmer switch as it fell 10.5 per cent, or 0.5p, to 4.25p as full-year losses widened to 3.6million from 2.5million. Indias gold imports & prices to rise in 2022 India more than doubled gold imports in 2021 to $55.7 bn. This far surpassed gold imports worth $22 bn in the previous year 2020.The pent-up demand from 2020 due to Covid lockdown, postponed weddings and suppressed festival shopping led to a phenomenal... Smiling Rocks launches Mens Engagement Solitaire Collection Smiling Rocks has launched its latest collection for the charismatic gentlemen Mens Engagement Solitaire Rings collection studded in lab-grown diamonds, says a press release from the US based company. Jonathan Tack Joins GSI as Executive Vice President of Business Development Gemological Science International (GSI), one of the largest gemological organizations in the world and a global leader in diamond and jewelry certification, announced that Jonathan Tack will join the organization as Executive Vice President of... The formation of diamonds is associated with the split of the supercontinents Diamonds are known to form in the bowels of the Earth at a very great depth and at high temperatures. Diamonds rise to the surface as a result of volcanic eruptions, they are found trapped in igneous rocks called kimberlites. However, the origin of this... YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on January 22, as of 08:00, some roads are difficult to pass in Armenia. The ministry told Armenpress that Vardenyats Pass is open for trailer trucks. Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass for all types of vehicles. The Georgian side informed that Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles. Drivers are urged to use winter tires. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan The Republican-run state Senate on Tuesday finally approved one of eight bills to help the homeless in Wisconsin. Its about time. But seven more proposals still demand action, with time running out before the Legislature adjourns for the year. This shouldnt be so hard. Bipartisan support is strong enough for all of the bills to easily pass if only Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, would allow votes. In fact, the Republican-run Assembly passed all of the homeless bills long ago. And it was former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, touted as a leading GOP candidate for governor in 2022, who was key to developing the package. So whats the hold up? No senators spoke directly against the bills Tuesday during lengthy debate on Assembly Bill 119, which eventually passed unanimously. Even Sen. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, who stressed the obvious that the proposals wont solve every aspect of homelessness acknowledged the bills will help and that he supports most of them. I ask that we talk about the root of the problem and not just money, Kooyenga said, ignoring that virtually all of Tuesdays discussion was about just that. Senators across the political spectrum spoke about difficult lives falling apart in their districts because of health problems, addictions, high rent and unemployment. Stop stalling, send homeless bills to governor OUR VIEW: Thousands of desperate people need a hand up with winter arriving early AB 119 will steer $500,000 more annually to homeless shelters for additional beds. The other bills which Senate Republicans refused to take up Tuesday, rejecting pleas from Democrats would help desperate people find and keep stable housing, help the homeless develop skills for employment, and assist landlords with repairs to low-cost housing. Several million dollars is already included in the state budget to pay for the proposals, and thats far less than what cold-winter states such as Minnesota commit to the problem. Nonetheless, Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, needlessly complicated AB 119 Tuesday by pushing to change its funding source, which we hope wont delay help further. Hands on Wisconsin: Scott Fitzgerald withholds homeless funding A number of bills to combat homelessness passed the Assembly with broad bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the measures were never voted on in the Senate even though the bills probably had enough to support to pass. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, told her colleagues that temperatures were in the single digits when she left western Wisconsin for Madison Tuesday morning. Single mothers with children, veterans with health issues and others make up the tens of thousands of people who lack housing across the state. I just think of kind of the cruelty of not addressing and helping just with the dignity of human life here in this state that we dont do more, and that theres not a sense of urgency to do it in a timely fashion that is compassionate, Shilling said. The governor should quickly sign AB 119. Then the Senate should rethink its stubborn delay and adopt all of these reasonable and righteous bills. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The tenanted farming sector has applauded the new Agriculture Bill for being in 'better shape' than its predecessor. Defra updated the new bill, brought forward to parliament last week , following criticism of the previous legislation by tenant farmers. In what is seen as a major victory for the sector, the government has now dedicated a significant section of the bill to reform of agricultural tenancy legislation. The Tenant Farmers' Association (TFA), the main group which lobbied the government, congratulated Defra on the bill's changes. In particular, the TFA applauded provisions to provide protection for tenant farmers whose landlords may try to block their access to new public goods schemes. The group's chief executive, George Dunn said: Tenants cannot always rely upon their landlords granting consent. It is therefore great news that the bill will allow tenant farmers to object to landlords refusals. This will give tenant farmers the confidence they need to make plans and participate as they desire in whatever new schemes are brought forward by the government. Alongside these developments, the TFA said it will be arguing for further improvements to be made to the bill. It said the schedule of changes to tenancy legislation also needs to be bolstered with further measures to assist older tenants into retirement, encourage landlords to let for longer periods of time and protect tenants from spurious notices to quit. Mr Dunn said: Rather than supporting non-active landlords, it is also essential to ensure that future financial assistance properly supports active farmers those in occupation of land, taking the entrepreneurial risk for the activities occurring on that land and in day-to-day management control. If the bill does not spell this out, there will be a significant risk that public funding will be misdirected, he added. Premier Brian Pallister committed to instituting his governments made-in-Manitoba green plan during a speech at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon on Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Premier Brian Pallister answers questions from the media after delivering an address at the FCC Theatre during the opening day of Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre on Tuesday, during which he reaffirmed his commitment to the made-in-Manitoba green plan. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) Premier Brian Pallister committed to instituting his governments made-in-Manitoba green plan during a speech at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon on Tuesday. "Manitobans designed a plan that was designed for us, by us. It was respectful, it was science-based," he said. "That plan is going to be enacted, we are enacting it, including a carbon levy, which will be flat like the prairie horizon and will not continue to rise with each passing year to unknown levels." The premier is calling on the federal government to take a new look at the Manitoba green plan and cap the carbon tax Manitobans pay. He said revenue from the carbon tax, which he referred to as a "carbon levy" in the proposed Manitoba plan, will not be used to generate revenue for the provincial government but will go back to residents of the province. Currently, the federal government rebates most of what is collected from the carbon tax when Canadians file their income tax. The Manitoba plan would also exempt farmers from paying the carbon tax on the cost of grain drying, something the Keystone Agricultural Producers called for earlier on Monday. "Our ag sector is an economic driver and we cannot let the ag sector take its foot off the gas and gas is going to need to be used. Lets make it a little greener and lets create more value-added jobs right here in Manitoba in the proses of doing so," he said. Premier Brian Pallister delivers an address at the FCC Theatre during the opening day of Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre on Tuesday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) More details on the plan were not available on Tuesday, including what dollar amount he is planning to set the levy at. Although the provinces original green plan set it at $25 per tonne of carbon. The commitment to the Manitoba plan follows Pallisters meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Winnipeg, where he said the provincial government is poised to reopen talks with the federal government on the carbon tax. The Manitoba plan was originally abandoned over a year ago after the federal government said it wasnt stringent enough. It originally proposed levying a $25-a-tonne carbon tax, while the federal carbon tax is set to rise to $50 per tonne by 2022. On Tuesday, Pallister declined to recommit to their original $25 per tonne of carbon price tag. He said Ottawa needs to respect the provinces investments in hydropower, which he called one of the most significant measures the province has taken on green power. "Thats got to start and thats got to start now. We invest triple what Quebec invests per-capita in hydro energy, but Quebec gets a nod and a wink with their carbon plan," Pallister said. He also touted other environmental initiatives the provincial government has taken, including revamping the watershed management program, the provincial governments promise to ban single-use plastic bags and eliminating night hunting. Adrien Sala, the NDP MLA for St. James and critic for Manitoba Hydro, said in an emailed statement Pallister has "failed to get the job done." "Manitobans deserve real leadership on climate change a plan that puts a price on pollution while keeping life affordable for families. The NDP is committed to meaningful action, like investing in Manitoba Hydro to create green jobs. But rather than ensure a future for our kids, Mr. Pallister is picking fights with the prime minister and wasting time in court," the statement reads. Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire said he agrees with many things outlined in the Manitoba green plan, including exempting grain drying from the carbon tax. The Conservative partys environmental plan, which was released before the October federal election, did not include a carbon tax. The federal Conservative plan focuses on exporting Canadian technology to reduce emissions in other countries. Pallisters announcement comes after a difficult fall harvest for many producers. Both Maguire and Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Conservative MP Dan Mazier have called for the federal government to exempt grain drying from the carbon tax. "This is one of the most brutal falls and costly falls for farmers to get their grain off in this area," Maguire said. "The carbon tax on drying grain this fall is just atrocious. Thats a slap to producers across the country, and particularly in southwestern Manitoba." dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ ETHANOL AND BIOFUEL BOOST Manitoba is increasing the amount of ethanol and biofuel required in transportation fuels, Premier Brian Pallister announced in Brandon on Tuesday. "Im honoured today to tell you were going to have not only the cleanest electricity in Canada here in Manitoba, but were going to have the cleanest fuels as well," he said during the dignitaries address at Manitoba Ag Days. The province will increase the ethanol content requirement of gasoline to 10 per cent, from 8.5 per cent, and the biodiesel content of diesel to five per cent, from two per cent. According to numbers supplied by the province, that will reduce Manitobas emissions by almost 400,000 tonnes over the next five years. That is equivalent to taking 100,000 vehicles off the road. Husky Energy, which runs an ethanol plant in Minnedosa, could not be reached for comment on Pallisters announcement by press time on Tuesday. The Brandon Sunt A Lincoln woman is being treated at an Omaha hospital after she fell 27 feet onto the ice from a rural Lancaster County bridge. Lindsay Kroger, 37, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center after undergoing emergency surgery for internal injuries on Sunday at Lincoln's Bryan Medical Center. Kroger was with seven other people who decided to do some stargazing from a bridge near Waverly, said Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner. The couples had been socializing and drinking alcohol, he said. Kroger sat on the railing of a bridge near 176th Street and McKelvie Road and leaned back, not realizing that nothing was behind her, Wagner said. She lost her balance and fell 27 feet to the iced-over Camp Creek below. Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene about 1 a.m. Sunday, Wagner said, and found Kroger lying on the ice. She was taken by medical helicopter to Bryan Medical Center. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 22.01.2020 LISTEN I don't know if it's the imported legal system that serves as a blueprint to our judges to pronounce sentencing this way, they're so unkind. Sentencing a 19-year-old girl to a ten years imprisonment for whatever reason safe murder, is disproportional, insensitive and inhumane, that could only be attributed to the night wolf who preys on Innocent feeding jungle inhabitants. It would have been reasonable if our prisons have facilities to correct "social misfits", one that will make this young lady come out and be profitable to the community within which she lives. But, all over Africa, prison is tantamount to the Biblical Hell. No one comes out of a long sentence in an African prison and hold intact his right sense that makes him be accepted by the society. We do arrest and keep marijuana smokers in jail in the name of reforming them, but they come out more deformed than before. They even learn from the prison the usage of other banned drugs that they knew not of before their incarceration. During which time cases had been adjudicated in the palace court, the monarch concentrated on the restoration of the one deemed of "subculture" and made an outcast to be profitable to the society, but not to facilitate his destruction. So, then, judgement was not pronounced sadistically to see human lose his dignity and be thrown out of the society. It's not like that today. Though, if like what the investigative journalist did here in Ghana, if all judges were spied on with hidden cameras, not all would maintain their "lordship" titles, but some punishment we read imposed on the poor because of some petty minor offences compels me to wonder if they're really representing their calling - giving justice to the people. The case under study that's calling for this painful rantings of mine is that of the 19-year-old girl sentenced for ten years in the Ndola High Court for possessing marijuana. Whatever reason given. Whether she being a second offender, peddling it, or smoking it to her befuddling stupor, she's not treated fairly. If it's the marijuana that's despised and need not reach the people, and with your power as a branch member of government, you couldn't stem its flow and possession. It's not the young girl who's having a bright future ahead of her that you set as the scapegoat for the country's shame. Come to think of it, if some countries are legalising and decriminalising marijuana possession and usage, why should same herb be a death sentence for a holder in another country? Why can't Africa learn from others' example, their motive for allowing their citizens to possess and use marijuana, rather than clutching on to ancient stated absolutes, vestiges of colonialism, that under clear scrutiny has lost its lustre in many cases? You're a judge today to raise tomorrow's generation of Africa with a clear conscience devoid of malice, do not use your power to destroy if you're not ready to build. If there is a facility that can train social deviants, it need not be named a "prison". For, there is no prison facility in Africa that trains and restores those kept in the custody. Written by: Charles Yeboah (Sir Lord) The UK-Africa Investment Summit hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Monday highlighted by the signing of 27 commercial deals worth over 6.5 billion. The numbers were revealed by the UKs Department for International Development and the Department for International Trade, which have published a summary of the 27 commercial deals signed on the sidelines of the Monday summit. The Departments say the deals demonstrate that the UK and Africa are securing a lasting commercial partnership of mutual benefit. The UKs world-leading expertise on finance, technology, innovation, and our commitment to clean growth make the UK and Africa natural partners for prosperity, the departments said. About 15 African leaders have attended UK-Africa Investment Summit, hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is putting more focus on strengthening non-European relations, especially in Africa, as Brexit negotiations are still weighing heavily in Parliament. Johnson used his speech before the summit to present Brexit as a new start for the UK and for trade with other nations. Johnson called for deeper investment ties between Britain and Africa, as part of a drive to develop trade links after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union at the end of the month. Johnson urged Britain to be the investment partner of choice for Africa. Africa is home to 8 of the 15 fastest growing economies in the world. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called Boeing a "big disappointment" after the manufacturer pushed back when it expects its beleaguered 737 Max to return to service after two fatal crashes. "Very disappointing company," Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen in an interview when asked about Boeing's new timeline. "This is one of the greatest companies of the world, let's say, as of a year ago and all of a sudden things happened." Boeing executives have told suppliers and airline customers that it doesn't foresee regulators lifting a flight ban on the 737 Max until June or July, months later than originally expected. The new timeline that Boeing disclosed on Tuesday after it was first reported by CNBC sent Boeing's stock down more than 3%. Boeing shares were little changed in premarket trading on Wednesday after Trump's comments. The company is under fire for including a flight-control system on the planes that was later implicated in the two crashes and not telling pilots about it before the planes were first flown commercially in 2017. Trump's comments represent a sharp shift in tone on Boeing, one of the country's largest exporters and defense contractors. Last week at a White House signing of the phase one trade deal with China, Trump urged Boeing executives to resolve the Max issues quickly. President Donald Trump speaks with CNBC at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22nd, 2020. Gerry Miller | CNBC "Get that going. Work together," Trump had told CFO Greg Smith, Reuters reported. "We've got to get that one moving fast and it's going to be better than ever I think." Regarding new Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, Trump said at the event last week: "It's not your fault. He just got there." Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin earlier this month estimated the Max problems could slow U.S. economic growth by half a percentage point. The crisis over the planes, which regulators grounded in March after two nearly new Boeing 737 Max jetliners crashed within five months, has already cost thousands of jobs. Boeing suspended production of the planes this month, a move that has rippled through its supply chain and cost airlines more than $1 billion in revenue. Boeing is scrambling to complete fixes for the planes, but regulators have said they have no set timeline for when they will allow them to fly again. The Max was Boeing's best-selling aircraft and it has a backlog of more than 4,000 of them. Boeing reiterated to CNBC this week that the manufacturer doesn't plan to lay off or furlough employees who work on the 737 Max. Earlier this month, the company said it would reassign thousands of workers to other aircraft programs and facilities. The Chicago-based company employees more than 150,000 people. Employees work on Boeing 737 MAX airplanes at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington on March 27, 2019. Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty Images The Centres petition comes amid anger over the delay in the Nirbhaya convicts hanging. In case the case of Mukesh, the President has already rejected his mercy petition but Vinay Sharma has yet to file mercy petition. (Representational Image) New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its convict centric guidelines in death sentence cases to victim centric as it sought shorter, tighter deadlines for hanging convicts after their death warrant has been issued. Arguing that the current rules are skewed towards the convicts and allowed them to play with the law and delay execution, the Centre said in its petition that once a death warrant has been issued, the death row convicts should have seven days time to file mercy petitions to the President. And once that is rejected, the convict should be executed within seven days, and not 14 days. The Centres petition comes amid anger over the delay in the Nirbhaya convicts hanging. Seeking shortening of period between the rejection of the mercy petition and the execution of death sentence, the Centre has sought the modification of top courts January 21, 2014, guidelines which said that there would be a gap of minimum 14 days between the rejection of the mercy petition by the President and the execution of death sentence. The Centres application said that all the guidelines are accused centric and do not take into account the irreparable mental Centre seeks shorter time for filing mercy pleas trauma, agony, upheaval and derangement of the victims and their family members, the collective conscience of the nation and the deterrent effect which the capital punishment intends to make. It added that the need of the hour is to lay down guidelines in the interest of the victims instead of keeping the rights of the convicts in mind. The application also says those convicted of heinous crimes take shelter of Article 21 (right to life) and take the judicial process for a ride. Of the 11 guidelines issues by the top court on January 21, 2014, one said that there would be a minimum of 14-days notice for execution. The guideline sought to be modified says, It is necessary that a minimum period of 14 days be stipulated between the receipt of communication of the rejection of the mercy petition and the scheduled date of execution for the following reasons: It allows the prisoner to prepare himself mentally for execution, to make his peace with god, prepare his will and settle other earthly affairs and have a last and final meeting with his family members. The Union home ministry, which has moved the application has sought direction that if a death row convict wants to file mercy petition then it would be mandatory for the convict file mercy petition within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of death warrant issued by the competent court. The application by the Centre has also sought direction that a death row convict, after the rejection of his review petition seeking the reconsideration of the top court verdict upholding the death sentence, would file curative petition within a time frame to be stipulated by the top court and not thereafter. It has urged the top court to mandate all the competent courts, State governments, prison authorities in the country to issue death warrant of a convict within seven days of the rejection of his mercy petition and to execute death sentence within seven days thereafter irrespective of the stage of review petition/curative petition/mercy petition of his co-convicts. The Centres move appears to be rooted in Nirbhaya case in which after the rejection of curative petition of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh by the top court, the curative petitions of otherb two convicts Pawan Gupta and Akshay Kumar Singh is still to be filed. In case the case of Mukesh, the President has already rejected his mercy petition but Vinay Sharma has yet to file mercy petition. A Delhi court has issued death warrant of all the four convicts to be executed on February 1. Earlier death warrant had fixed January 22 for the execution of four. However, since the convicts had not exhausted all the legal remedies, the date was changed to February 1, 2020. Supervision is fine but not suspicion. These are not the words of an irate teenager to her parents, as one would suppose. These are the words of the chairman of Indias largest industrial group, the Tatas, to the prime minister (PM) of India and his government. That the employer of three-quarters of a million people should say this reflects the current hapless state of India Inc. A few days later, the front pages of newspapers flashed the picture of former FICCI president and chairman of Edelweiss Capital, Rashesh Shah, being escorted for investigation by officials of the Enforcement Directorate on charges that the company has refuted vehemently. Given Shahs spotless image among his industry peers, WhatsApp groups in Mumbai that day were flooded with memes spoofing Minimum Government, Maximum Governance, the 2014 electoral promise of the PM. The very next day, the commerce minister, ostensibly responsible for improving commerce in the country, heaped scorn on the chairman of the worlds largest e-commerce company, who was visiting India to announce a large-scale investment in the country. This baffling behaviour set tongues wagging in the technology startup industry, perhaps the only sector that has provided growth and jobs in recent years. All these incidents happened in just one week. Recall, just five months ago, the chairman of Indias largest coffee chain, Cafe Coffee Day, jumped to his death, claiming, in a suicide note, that he was ending his life due to the ignominy and harassment inflicted on him by income tax officials. Also, two weeks ago, India recorded its lowest nominal GDP growth in over four decades. These are not unrelated events. Former PM Manmohan Singh, in an eloquent article in The Hindu, diagnosed the roots of Indias current economic crisis as the breakdown of trust between economic agents and the governors of the economy. He warned about the unhealthy climate of palpable fear and panic pervading Indian society and business. Back in August, in an article for the Hindustan Times, I pointed out the perils of the current governments morality governance paradigm in which every policy decision is characterised as good versus evil and the triumph of good over evil. The Goods and Services Tax (GST), demonetisation, the formalisation of the economy were all policies that followed this playbook. Here is where we are now the lowest economic growth in over four decades, the highest unemployment in four decades and so on. Where do we go from here? There will be yet another budget presented shortly. A lot has been written, providing policy advice to the government about improving demand or rationalising expenditure. But the most vital ingredient for economic recovery is the revival of business confidence. This cannot be done just through big policy announcements of tax cuts or sector-specific incentive schemes, but by removing the lens of suspicion and ending acts of tax harassment, as the chairman of the Tata Group pleaded. Watch for one number in the budget that will signal if the Narendra Modi government is serious about ending distrust and tax harassment or not the budgeted growth in tax revenues for the next year. The argument is straightforward. Tax revenues of any economy grows in line with its nominal GDP growth. In other words, there is a tight relationship between nominal GDP growth and tax revenues collected, also called tax buoyancy by economists. In the past, Indias gross tax revenues have largely grown in line with nominal GDP, except during the years of severe external shocks such as demonetisation and GST. For tax revenues to grow much faster than the nominal GDP in a particular year, either the tax rates have to be hiked or collection targets for tax officials have to increase to collect more from existing taxpayers and/or bring new tax payers, a license for tax harassment. Nominal GDP is now growing at roughly 7%, the lowest in roughly 45 years. There has been no increase in income tax rates and, if any, there has only been a reduction in corporate tax rates. So, in these circumstances, if the finance minister budgets next years tax revenues to grow significantly higher than nominal GDP (greater than 10%) in her upcoming budget, then it can only mean that either she is misleading us, or that the government is looking to increase tax rates substantially in the course of the year, or that the tax harassment of business and individuals is only going to intensify in an effort to increase tax collections, or a combination of these. Whatever the case, it is bad news if the budget assumes overall tax revenue growth that is significantly higher than nominal GDP growth. Formalisation of Indias economy and widening its tax base has been a much- vaunted doctrine of the governments policy over the past several years. The flip side of coerced formalisation is suspicion, harassment and distrust. No major economy in history has set out on an explicit path of formalisation of its economy as a goal. Formalisation is an outcome of economic development and growth. If India Inc today feels victimised and is pleading for mutual trust, it is the result of this explicit goal to formalise Indias economy by force. Headlines and narratives of the budget aside, look out for just one metric in the budget tax revenue growth of overall taxes, corporate taxes, income taxes and GST. If any of these numbers are significantly higher than 10%, then you have the answer the government has not learnt its lessons and the harassment of Indian industry will continue. Praveen Chakravarty is a political economist and a senior office bearer of the Congress The views expressed are personal It was announced today that Gateway UCC, which supports researcher led start-ups and spin out companies, has announced that the companies it has worked with have created 370 jobs since 2012. In that time, Gateway UCC supported companies have raised over 40 million of public and private investment, supporting 60 start-ups. It is estimated that these IP based companys have contributed more than 22 million a year in salaries to the local economy. Next week, Gateway UCC will launch its fourth SPRINT Accelerator Programme 2020, which is designed to support early stage start-ups working on technologies generated in UCC by UCC researchers and entrepreneurs. President Prof Patrick OShea will launch the programme on Friday, 31st January. The keynote speaker for the launch of the programme will be Sean OSullivan, Managing Partner, SOSV. The SPRINT Programme has been developed to help spin-out start-up companies overcome challenges they may encounter when starting their businesses. On the programme, pre and early stage start-ups will be working with successful business mentors who will help to bring their business from idea stage through to the eventual commercialisation of the product or service. The SPRINT programme is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, Bank of Ireland and Cork City LEO. It will be delivered in 20 modules over an eight month period. At the end of the Programme, the participants should have a business plan and road map strategy for developing their business over the first year or two of existence. Commenting on the programme, Manager of GATEWAY UCC, Myriam Cronin said, "We are very excited to launch the SPRINT 2020 Programme. The Programme now in its fourth year has proved to be a huge success for UCC and we are looking forward to building and growing the next wave of Intellectual Property based companies. We envisage ten participants on each course and projects nearest to market readiness will be chosen. Each participant will be assigned a mentor with start up experience in their areas." Source: www.businessworld.ie Clackamas County Chair Jim Bernard on Tuesday reversed course and said he has repaid the county for the cost of his legal bills from a state ethics investigation that found he had violated state laws. Bernard said he was not obligated to cover the cost but decided to do so anyway. Two of his four fellow commissioners opposed having taxpayers pick up Bernards legal bills and one last week said she asked Bernard to pay the bill. Bernard earlier this month asked the Board of Commissioners to use taxpayer money to pay an estimated $20,000 in legal bills for his ethics flap while he covered $5,000. Commissioners Sonya Fischer, Ken Humberston and Martha Schrader approved his request. Commissioner Paul Savas rejected the request. Then last week Schrader withdrew her vote, saying the county treated Bernard differently from two previous commissioners who generated legal bills from investigations into their conduct. Schrader said that lack of fairness and consistency prompted her to switch her vote. In 2014, county commissioners approved paying a total of $10,000 toward outside legal bills for two former commissioners, Tootie Smith and John Ludlow, who were the subjects of a hostile workplace complaint by an employee. An outside investigation concluded that both made inappropriate statements, but their remarks did not rise to the level of discrimination. The countys contribution covered only part of the outside legal bills Smith and Ludlow generated. Schraders change of heart did little to affect the outcome. County administrators said Bernards outside lawyer -- Steven Berman, an attorney with Stoll Berne in Portland -- had already been paid. Still, Schrader said she personally asked Bernard to consider picking up the costs, a suggestion she said he told her he would consider. In Bernards case, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission last year determined that he improperly used his official position to urge county leaders to hand over records to his wife for a possible lawsuit against the county. Bernards settlement with the state says he broke two laws -- one prohibiting public officials from using their positions for financial gain and the other dealing with declaring conflicts of interest. By Tuesday morning, Bernard announced during a commission meeting that he written the county a check for $20,912.05. He said he worried that paying his legal bills set a precedent and might stymie leadership and harm those leaders in the future with the best intentions. He said he wants the county to look into the possibility of obtaining insurance to cover such costs in the future. Savas, who had objected to the county picking up the costs, welcomed Bernards announcement, calling it the right move. I appreciate you doing that, he said. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Theramex today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire further rights to Zoely, a patented oral contraceptive, from MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Theramex currently markets Zoely in eleven European countries, and this transaction will bring the total number of markets up to more than 50 on a global basis. MSD retains rights in the United States and Canada. Theramex CEO Anish Mehta said: "Zoely is one of Theramex's flagship products, so we are delighted to have acquired further rights from MSD. This marks another exciting milestone in our global expansion, further demonstrating our commitment to patients by building on our portfolio of innovative treatment options for women." Zoely is a combined oral contraceptive tablet containing a combination of two steroid hormones; 17-beta estradiol, an estrogen that is structurally identical to the major estrogen produced by the ovaries of healthy non-pregnant women and nomegestrol acetate, a progestogen which mimics the naturally occurring progesterone in the body. About Theramex Theramex is a leading, global specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to women and their health. With a broad portfolio of innovative and established brands covering contraception, fertility, menopause and osteoporosis, Theramex supports women at every stage of their lives. Our vision is to be a lifetime partner for women and the healthcare professionals who treat them by providing innovative, effective solutions that care for and support women as they advance through each stage of their lives. To learn more about Theramex, please visit www.theramex.com. Related Links http://www.theramex.com SOURCE Theramex TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centerra Gold Inc. (Centerra) (TSX: CG) announces that the Kumtor Mine, located in the Kyrgyz Republic, has received all the necessary approvals and permits to re-commence open pit mining operations and to continue milling activity for the remainder of 2020. The relevant Kyrgyz state agencies have approved the Companys 2020 mine development plan for the Central Pit Development, including the revised waste dumping plan and special safety measures to place waste rock material in the Central Valley Waste Rock Dump and the Sarytor Waste Rock Dump. Open pit mining operations are currently ramping up and are expected to be in full mining production early next week, while the mill continues to process stockpiled ore as planned for 2020. In addition, Kumtor is continuing its own internal review and cooperating with Kyrgyz authorities inquiries in relation to the Lysii Waste Rock Dump. After six weeks, the search operation for the Companys two missing employees at the Lysii Waste Rock Dump returned no sign of the two missing employees. With the consent of the families and the relevant Kyrgyz state agencies, including the Ministry of Emergency Services, the decision was made to stop the search effort. A funeral prayer was held at the site attended by family members, relatives and community supporters. Our thoughts, condolences and prayers are with our employees, families and our deepest appreciation is to all those involved in the search efforts. About Centerra Centerra Gold Inc. is a Canadian-based gold mining company focused on operating, developing, exploring and acquiring gold properties in North America, Asia and other markets worldwide and is the largest Western-based gold producer in Central Asia. Centerra operates two flagship assets, the Kumtor Mine in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Mount Milligan Mine in British Columbia, Canada and is building its next gold mine, the 100% owned Oksut Mine in Turkey. Centerras shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol CG. The Company is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For more information: John W. Pearson Vice President, Investor Relations Centerra Gold Inc. (416) 204-1953 john.pearson@centerragold.com Additional information on Centerra is available on the Companys web site at www.centerragold.com and at SEDAR at www.sedar.com. A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/31416b0d-7926-4bf2-adfb-1d818af70db6 CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransUnion Healthcare (NYSE: TRU) today announced that its Insurance Discovery solution was recognized as a revenue cycle unicorn by KLAS, a global research and insights firm addressing the healthcare IT (HIT) industry. TransUnion Healthcare was included as one of the companies featured in the KLAS Revenue Cycle Unicorns 2019 report. The designation comes at a time when hospitals are struggling to collect on care provided. Earlier this month, the American Hospital Association issued a report that found hospitals spent $41.3 billion providing uncompensated care in 2018, an increase of 7.5% from $38.4 billion in 2017. To meet the needs of its more than 1800 hospital and health system clients, TransUnion Healthcares Revenue Protection solutions, including Insurance Discovery, have identified more than $6.4 billion in net revenue and cash. TransUnions solutions now enable its clients to recover more than $1.2 billion annually, helping reduce uncompensated care by nearly three percent. Receiving the revenue cycle unicorn distinction in KLAS report further reinforces the value of our innovative solutions. TransUnion Healthcares revenue recovery solutions help providers address complex reimbursement challenges. Our suite of products and technology-enabled services help improve patient financial experiences while maximizing reimbursements and accelerating cash flow for hospitals and health systems, said Dave Wojczynski, president of TransUnion Healthcare. We greatly value the extensive research and in-depth industry insights provided by KLAS and are proud to receive this recognition. In its latest annual report, KLAS examined those healthcare revenue cycle technologies that are outside the traditional healthcare revenue cycle management market segment and have the potential to disrupt the market. TransUnion Healthcares Insurance Discovery offering, part of TransUnion Healthcare's Revenue Protection suite of solutions , was recognized by KLAS because of its unique approach to helping hospitals identify insurance coverage across all accounts. Solutions were examined individually through the lens of the customer experience. TransUnions Insurance Discovery was selected for significantly improving revenue recovery for hospitals and health systems by searching for missed valuable coverage across a providers entire set of patient accounts. In addition to converting self-pay accounts to an insured status, the solution also reviews Medicaid accounts to identify Medicare or Commercial coverage that should be billed as primary, and identifies Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible accounts for cost report preparation. TransUnion Healthcare continues to invest millions of dollars in research, development and acquisition of new data and technology to make its Insurance Discovery solution the most effective in the industry. KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling provider and payer voices to be heard. By working with thousands of healthcare executives and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trending data, and statistical overviews about the healthcare industry. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. Founded in 1996, KLAS has been providing transparency to the healthcare industry for over 20 years. The complete KLAS Revenue Cycle Unicorns 2019 report can be found at https://klasresearch.com/report/revenue-cycle-unicorns-2019/1535 . About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good. TransUnion Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of TransUnion, is a trusted provider of Revenue Protection solutions that prevent revenue leakage by helping over 1,800 hospitals and 500,000 physicians engage patients early, ensure earned revenue gets paid and optimize collection strategies. A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people. http://www.transunionhealthcare.com By Trend Talks on Azerbaijani oil supplies to Belarus have real grounds, Director General of the Information and Analytics Center of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Sergey Rekeda told Trend. The political analyst said that Belarus is unhappy with the conditions on which it receives Russian oil and insists on new conditions that the Russian side isnt ready to support. As a result, negotiations are stalled and therefore, Minsk has begun searching for new oil suppliers, including Azerbaijan, the director general noted. Such actions by Belarus are not new; Minsk has already tried to buy oil in both Venezuela and Azerbaijan, but these purchases have never become an alternative to Russian oil, Rekeda added. Usually such purchases are made on a one-off basis. In fact, only one tanker is sent, and thats all. The issue of alternative supplies is constantly the issue of price, which, given the complex logistics, is becoming significantly bigger than the Russian one. Rekeda believes that the current oil disputes between Minsk and Moscow take place with higher probability of conflict (at least in the public space) and one can often hear from the Belarusian expert community that Belarus is ready to switch to more expensive oil this time. Such an approach may undermine the profitability of Belarusian oil refineries, so its not worth expecting complete reorientation of Belarus to Azerbaijani oil, the political analyst said. If Minsk and Baku agree on some volumes of regular oil purchases, I think that Moscow will treat this with understanding and respect, just like the position of partner countries. In turn, the Belarusian political analyst Alexei Dzermant believes that this is quite a real process, as the requests of the Belarusian side were officially sent and negotiations between Belarus and Azerbaijan on this issue are underway. However, so far we dont know whether it will be possible to agree on the price, Dzermant said. Still, there is a problem with the delivery of oil. It is important, first of all, to understand how profitable it is in terms of the price. The Belarusian political analyst noted that Russia hasnt yet reacted to Belarus search for alternative sources of oil. Officials say that they wont be opposed to this, but if Belarus finds something, then Moscow may offer a lower price, because Minsk is an important buyer of oil for it. However, this isnt yet known, Dzermant added. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 18:10:18|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will attend the Expo 2020 exhibition scheduled for this autumn in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the Mongolian government's press office said Wednesday. "Our country's pavilion will showcase a range of exhibits, texts, graphs, presentation, photos, videos and booklets with information on Mongolia's history, culture, economy, business environment and tourism," the press office said in a statement. The Dubai Expo 2020 World Exhibition will be held from Oct. 20, 2020 till April 21, 2021. More than 190 countries are expected to attend the expo under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future." If youre looking for the best Android Internet browsers? Youve come to the right place. While there are many great web browser apps available, finding the one that best suits your individual needs is not always easy. Luckily, there are plenty of choices out there when it comes to Android OS. Sure, you can just go with the app that comes pre-installed on your phone, but for a lot of people thats unlikely to be the best solution. After all, theres a reason so many different internet browser apps exist and what suits one user might not suit another. Regardless of whether youre looking for an Android browser app that focuses on speed, performance or security, were here to help. In this article well discuss the very best browser apps. Youll find 12 browser apps listed down below, just note that theyre not listed in any specific order. Advertisement Top 12 Best Android Internet Browsers 2021 Below is a quick overview of the top 12 best internet browser apps for 2021, including any download and in-app purchase costs. Download Cost In-app cost (per item) Google Chrome Opera Mini DuckDuckGo Brave Opera Firefox Dolphin Kiwi Opera Touch Microsoft Edge Samsung Internet Tor Top 12 Best Android Internet Browsers 2021 Downloads Below is a little more information on each app, and a direct link for easy downloading. All download links go to the apps Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store. Advertisement Google Chrome Price: Free to download Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars Google Chrome browser is the way to go if youre looking for a true Android experience. This browser comes straight from Google, and its the best option for most people. This is the app that comes pre-installed on the vast majority of Android smartphones in the market. Chrome has been around for a long time, and aside from being available for Android phones, its also available on a number of other platforms. This is one of the fastest browsers out there, and its also feature-rich. Chrome is available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS so, pretty much everywhere. That means that its great for your syncing needs as well. Chrome also comes with a dark mode option, and it has a data saver built-in. Saving favorite websites is a breeze on Chrome, thanks to a shortcut in the address bar that is there every time you open a website. Do you like keeping your identity safe while visiting some websites? Thats not a problem with Chrome either, as incognito browsing is an option. Those of you who like visiting foreign websites will also be at home here, as Google Translate is baked into Chrome. That is one of the advantages of this app, as it comes with strong ties to other Google services, such as Google Translate. Advertisement Download Google Chrome Opera Mini Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars Opera Mini is a well-known Internet browser for Android, and yet its not Operas main browser. The company has another app available in the Play Store which is called simply Opera. Opera is different to Opera Mini, as this application has a completely different purpose. If youre looking for the most feature-packed, and most-capable browser at the same time, Opera Mini is not that. If youre in the market for a lightweight browser suited for most people, well, then youll be right at home with Opera Mini. Advertisement This Internet browser is well-suited for those of you who have iffy Internet connections. This app will save data and allow you to browse faster even if your connection isnt the best. Opera is quite proud of its compression modes, and the best of those are implemented in Opera Mini. Despite the fact this is a lightweight browser, Opera Mini does come with a number of features. This application can send personalized news to your device, so that youre kept up to speed on current events. Private browsing is also an option within Opera Mini, and the app can even block some annoying ads for you. The app will also offer you video download options for some videos that you may not be able to download via other browsers. That will not be the case for every video, of course, but its still a useful feature. Night mode is also an option here, along with some other features. Download Opera Mini Advertisement DuckDuckGo Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: 16MB Google play rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars DuckDuckGo browser is for you if youd like to keep your browsing private. DuckDuckGo, a company behind this browser, is all about privacy. At least thats the companys major advertising point. DuckDuckGo is trying to be the exact opposite of Google in that regard, pretty much. The company claims that its privacy protection will block all the hidden third-party trackers it can find. It will also expose the major advertising networks which are trying to track you, so that youre aware what youre dealing with. DuckDuckGo browser also forces sites to use an encrypted connection where available, which will further protect your data from prying eyes. Advertisement DuckDuckGo claims that its browser will never track you. What you type in your browser is your business, and it does not concern anyone else, says the company. DuckDuckGo is also quite a fast browser, and a well-designed one. Youll find all the necessary Internet browser functions in this app, and its free to use. Download DuckDuckGo Brave Advertisement Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Much like DuckDuckGo, Brave is also a browser focused on privacy. This browser has been around for quite some time now, and more and more users are switching to it. Brave is a really fast browsers with over 10 million downloads in the Play Store. This browser is currently holding a 4.3-star rating. The main goal of Brave is to keep your browsing secure and private. It comes with a really competent ad blocker, and also a pop-up blocker. It is also designed to save both data and battery, as it wont load many of those annoying pop-ups that other browsers do. This browser comes with many security-related features, such as HTTPS Everywhere, script blocking, 3rd party cookie blocking, and incognito private tabs. You will also find all your regular Internet browser features here. Including bookmarks, browsing history, tabs, back and forward buttons, and so on. In fact, the experience of using this browser is quite similar to using Chrome, in our opinion. Brave does have that upper hand of some added pop-up blocking and ad-blocking, not to mention that its extremely fast. Brave Browser is worth trying out, thats for sure. Download Brave Opera Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars Opera browser is the way to go if you often visit websites that are not available in your region. Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is imperative if you want to visit websites that are not available in your region. VPN basically masks your connection as if youre visiting from somewhere else. For example, if youre living in France, and are trying to access a website that is open only for the US population well, a VPN can help you. This may not be something every person needs, but if you see yourself in what we just said, the Opera browser may be a perfect option for you. Opera browser is Operas main browser. This is the companys pride and joy, and the very first browser from the company to make it to the Play Store. Aside from having VPN support built-in, this app also comes with an ad-blocker. The dark mode is also built into the app, while Opera can also send the latest news to your browser if you want. You can actually filter those news, so that only what youre interested in is being pushed your way. This Internet browser can remember your passwords, and autofill them when needed. Opera assures its users that their passwords will be safe, to give users a peace of mind. This apps UI is also really simple to navigate, which is a good thing, of course. Download Opera Firefox Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Firefox is a great option if add-ons are your thing. Pretty much everyone has heard of Firefox at this point. Mozillas browser has been extremely popular on desktop computers for a long time, and a direct competitor to Googles Chrome. Well, Firefox on Android is also quite compelling. There are quite a few add-ons available for this browser. So, for example, if you find extremely annoying ads somewhere, you can download an ad-on for ad-blocking. You can also add a download manager add-on, or a password manager add-on. Mozilla did a really great job at implementing add-ons, so that you can personalize this browser the way you want. Firefox for Android also offers a high-level of privacy. Private Browsing with Tracking Protection is a part of the experience, while Firefox can sync across your devices. Quick share menu remembers which apps youve used recently, which makes sharing really easy with this browser. Firefox even supports streaming out of the box. You can stream the contents of Firefox from your Android phone to a large TV, or any other platform youd like, as long as it supports streaming. Download Firefox Dolphin Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: 17MB Google play rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars Dolphin has been around well, for a long, long time. This Android browser has been gracing the Play Store for ages now, and it has evolved quite a bit over time. If you love gestures, and would like a faster way of accessing websites look no further. Dolphin has something not many other browsers have, you can assign different actions for different browser gestures. For example, you can access DuckDuckGo search engine by drawing a letter D on the display. If you draw a letter B, the browser can open Bing for you. These are only some examples, of course, as you can set those actions to whatever you want. There are other options included here, other letters that you can take advantage of. By doing this, Dolphin allowed users a really quick way to access specific websites. So, just assign various letters to your favorite websites, and youre good to go. This browser also has a really nice-looking UI. Themes are supported by Dolphin, as is the Quick Share feature. This browser also supports something called Sonar. This is basically Dolphins voice search feature which allows you to access specific websites by talking to your browser. These are only some features that Dolphin offers, as this is one of the most feature-rich browsers for Android. Download Dolphin Kiwi Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars Kiwi Browser is a rather interesting offering. This browser is based on Chrome, but it offers more features than Googles browser. Thing of it as Chrome on steroids. This is one of the most feature-rich browsers for Android, if not at the very top of that list. The browser comes with a dark theme, and it allows you to adjust both contrast and grayscale mode. That way, you can tune it to your preference. It comes with a power ad-blocking software, which takes care of those pesky, intrusive ads. Kiwi Browser is also one of the fastest when it comes to loading webpages, which is certainly a plus. Cryptojacking protection is included in this browser as well. Kiwi Browser offers translation as well. If youre browsing a website in a foreign language you dont understand, chances are this browser can help you out. It can translate 60 languages, and it also blocks invasive trackers to protect your privacy. You dont like the fact an address bar is at the top of the display? Well, you can move it to the bottom if you want. You can also enable various gestures in Kiwi, for navigation back and forward between websites, for example. If you enable that feature, you will simply need to swipe from left or right sides of the display. Theres much more included in Kiwi, and you can even enable developer settings in the same manner youd do it with Google Chrome. Download Kiwi Opera Touch Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: 26MB Google play rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars Opera Touch may be the best option for you if you have one of those devices with high refresh rate displays. Like the Razer Phone 2, or the OnePlus 7 Pro? Opera Touch is not the only browser to support 90Hz displays, not at all, but it is one of the fastest ones. This browser is considerably different to the other two Opera browsers that are available in the Play Store. You will not get separate menu options on the bottom of the display here. You will get one button, which will show you a number of options when you tap and hold it. From there, you can move your finger in order to access various options. You can access your bookmarks from here, open tabs overview, or share a link. Opera Touch is one of the fastest browsers in the Play Store in general, and if you add a high refresh rate display to the mix, youre in for a treat. This browser loads pages extremely fast, and it also does come with some interesting features. Opera Touch includes an ad blocker, and it also comes with Operas cryptojacking protection. Download Opera Touch Microsoft Edge Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars Microsoft Edge is available for Android as well, its available for true Microsoft fans. This is a logical choice if youre using Microsoft Edge on Windows as well. This browser is actually quite compelling, believe it or not. It has quite a few features, it looks good, and it can load webpages really fast as well. It offers integration with Microsofts services as well, which is a plus for Windows users, for sure. This browser is equipped with Adblock Plus, for those intrusive ads. It has the Reading view which will make sure you can focused on your reading. Microsoft Rewards program is integrated in this browser as well, so you can collect points and then pick up rewards later on. A full-fledged password manager is also a part of the experience here. You will find all the regular Internet browser features here as well. You can assign your favorite websites, check out your browsing history, set aside websites for in a reading list, and much more. Sync with other Microsoft Edge programs / browsers is possible as well, while there is also a private browsing option available here. Download Microsoft Edge Samsung Internet Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars Samsung Internet Browser comes pre-installed on Galaxy phones. So, if you own, or have owned one of Samsungs Galaxy devices, chances are youve already seen what this browser can do. Samsung Internet Browser has a really compelling reading mode. Out of all the browsers weve tried out, this one appeals to us the more when it comes to reading. You can simply activate this mode from settings, and remove all distractions from the equation. Samsung Internet Browser supports a dark theme as well, so you can read in whatever mode you want. The design of this browser is also on the same level as its competition. Most of the options are moved to the bottom, so that theyre easy to reach. The search bar itself, however, is placed at the top of the display. This Internet browser features smart anti-tracking, and will also warn you if websites are trying to steal your data. It also features filters for content blocking, which makes browsing safer. A QR code reader is built into the browser, while you have access to a full-blown Download Manager. Standard Internet browser features are also a part of the package, including favorites, history, and so on. Download Samsung Internet Tor Price: Free to download In-app purchases: No Size: Varies with device Google play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars Tor Browser is an Android browser supported by the Tor Project. This browser is mainly focused on privacy, so that youre completely free to browse the web. The developer swear that this browser will always be free, though that donations are appreciated. Its also a non-profit app, which is great. This browser blocks trackers automatically, it clears cookies automatically when youre done browsing. Tor Browser also prevents someone watching your connecting from knowing what websites you visit. It has multi-layered encrypting. Your traffic is relayed and encrypted three times, as it passes over the Tor network. That network is comprised of thousands of volunteer-run servers, also known as Tor relays. You are also free to access sites your local internet service provider may have blocked. The design of the app is exactly what youd expect. Its simple, and thats a good thing. Itll look like basically any other modern browser app, for the most part. You do have some options in the settings, but dont expect to have all the features other apps offer. The main benefit this browser offers is the ultimate privacy. Download Tor New Delhi, Jan 22 : Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde on Wednesday took note on the excessive crowd in the courtroom ahead of the hearing on the 140 petitions challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act and said there was a need to devise a mechanism to tackle the menace. A bench, headed by Chief Justice Bobde and comprising Justices S.A. Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, observed that the courtroom was packed to the last bit and it was extremely difficult to hear arguments advanced by senior advocate Kapil Sibal in connection with the urgent mentioning of the matter. The court said this overcrowding has become a critical problem, and it leads people pushing each other. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre on the CAA matter, said: "This is a problem not only in courtrooms, but also on the corridors". The Chief Justice said that they may look into engaging specialists on this movement of people on the court premises. He also insisted on convening a meeting of law officers, and senior advocates to come out with a workable solution to control the crowd. As a lawyer mentioned that women are also being pushed, the Chief Justice replied: "Why should men be pushed...pushing is inhumane." Sibal suggested the Supreme Court Bar Association can be involved to ensure lawyers follow rules and discipline. The Attorney General, in the previous hearing, cited the example of the Pakistan Supreme Court where a lectern is set up for a lawyer to stand argue the matter. --IANS ss/vd A A The federal government has intensified screening at the different ports in the country following an outbreak of a disease known as No... The federal government has intensified screening at the different ports in the country following an outbreak of a disease known as Novel Coronavirus in China. This is even as the death toll from the virus, first reported in China, has increased to 17. Reuters quoted Chinese media as saying the deaths increased in Wuhan province where the disease was first recorded. In a travel advisory issued on Wednesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the port health services unit of the federal ministry of health has been placed on alert and has heightened screening measures at the points of entry. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also said in a separate advisory that the equipment and personnel used in combating the Ebola virus in 2014 are still very much in place at the airports, and urged passengers to comply with quarantine procedures. Coronaviruses, which were previously unknown, are said to be common among animals, and are believed to have originated from a Chinese market where wildlife is traded illegally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is considering declaring an international public health emergency over the outbreak. for it yet, although many of the symptoms can be treated. In the advisory shared on its website, NCDC said the symptoms of the disease include cough and breathing difficulties, and that no specific treatmentfor it yet, although many of the symptoms can be treated. It said it is in contact with the WHO and is currently coordinating a multi-sectoral technical group that is assessing and managing the risk of importation to Nigeria. Nigerians are advised to remain calm. Travelers from Nigeria to Wuhan, China, are advised to avoid contact with sick people, animals (alive or dead), and animal markets, the advisory said. Travelers from Wuhan to Nigeria, may be asked questions upon arrival by the Port Health Services unit at points of entry about symptoms of illness and travel history, and are advised to report immediately to NCDC if they feel ill after a trip to Wuhan. How to protect yourself To reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus, NDCD advised members of the public to adhere to the following measures: Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Activities resumed on Wednesday in Conakry, the Guinean capital, where the call for two days of demonstrations by the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) to denounce the government's desire to change the Constitution is not being heeded, PANA reported Myanmar President Win Myint on Tuesday said the military must investigate and punish soldiers and other security forces who committed rights violations during a 2017 crackdown on Muslim Rohingya communities in the countrys northern Rakhine state, based on the findings of a report issued a day earlier by a government-appointed commission that investigated accusations of army-led war crimes. The report by the Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE), formed by Myanmar in 2018 to probe the violent clampdown that killed thousands of Rohingya and forced more than 740,000 others to flee to safety in Bangladesh, concluded that war crimes and serious human rights violations were committed, but did not have genocidal intent. A 2018 United Nations-mandated investigation of the violence found that Myanmar had acted with genocidal intent against the Rohingya, though the government denied the accusation, saying that the military conducted a clearance operation in northern Rakhine in response to terrorist attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Muslim militant group. The Presidents Office announced that Win Myint sent the full report to military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing to investigate and take action against servicemen and other security forces responsible for atrocities cited in the report. In a 15-page executive summary of the report issued Tuesday, the Presidents Office concurred with the ICOEs suggestion that investigations against those deemed responsible for human rights abuses should be conducted and that military courts should proceed with prosecutions if there is sufficient evidence. According to the evidence offered by the ICOE, war crimes and serious human rights violations may have occurred in the form of disproportionate use of force by some members of Myanmars Defense Services and Police Force in the course of internal armed conflict against ARSA, the summary said. This must be further investigated, verified, and thereafter prosecuted by Myanmars natural legal processes, in particular its military justice system, it said. The summary also said there was not enough proof that genocide had occurred. There is insufficient evidence to argue, much less conclude, that the crimes committed were undertaken with the intent to destroy, in whole, or in part, a national ethnical, racial or religious group, or with any other requisite mental state for the international crime of genocide, it said. RFA was unable to reach Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun for comment on the executive summary, but he said Monday when the ICOE presented the report to Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi that he had nothing to say because he hadnt yet read the report. The military said previously that it would take legal action against and punish those among its ranks who had committed atrocities if the ICOE recommended it. The executive summary notes mass killings of 500-600 civilians in Maungdaw townships Mingyi village during fighting between ARSA and government troops on Aug. 29, 2017, based on eyewitness accounts. It also mentions mass killings in Maung Nu, Chukpyin, and Gu Dar Pyin villages, the same three communities also cited in the report by the U.N.s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. The summary puts the official death toll during the militarys clearance operation in Rakhine at 376 ARSA fighters, two Myanmar soldiers, 11 police officers, two government employees, and 13 civilians. It also tallied 181 people missing, more than 40,000 homes destroyed, and more than 410,000 villagers who fled to Bangladesh. RFA could not reach Zaw Htay, director general of the Presidents Office, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment. Deeply flawed Human rights activists meanwhile slammed the ICOEs investigation. In the ICOE report, the [commission members] said they didnt find any genocidal intent, but they dont deny that there was evidence of war crimes and other serious human rights violations, and that killings and forced migrations took place, said Aung Myo Min, director of Equality Myanmar, a human rights education group. The report suggests further investigations, but it doesnt suggest anything about taking effective measures against those who were responsible, he added. So, the report is not satisfactory because it only focuses on investigations and doesnt tackle anything about taking responsibility, Aung Myo Min said. The report would have been more reliable if it included suggestions to take action. A statement issued Monday by the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK) called the ICOEs investigation deeply flawed and another attempt to whitewash the militarys brutal violence against the Rohingya. It is simply another attempt by the Myanmar authorities to sweep the Rohingya genocide under the carpet, BROUK president Tun Khin said in the statement. But Aye Lwin, a Muslim leader in Myanmar who was a member of a commission headed by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan that called for an end to restrictions on the Rohingya minority to prevent further violence in Rakhine state, said the ICOEs report is more forward-looking and closer to the truth than reports on the findings of previous investigative bodies. The ICOEs investigative report is more progressive, he said. It uses words like war crimes and serious human rights violations. It seems to better reflect reality compared to the previous reports. It is a development that gets closer to the truth. The military has stated that if its service members are found guilty, it will take action against them, so I think this report is an experiment for the military to see if it really means this, he added. So far, Myanmars armed forces have conducted only two rare courts-martial of officers and other soldiers accused of committing grave rights abuses during the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya. In March 2018, four officers and three soldiers were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a group of Rohingya men and boys in Maungdaw townships Inn Din village amid the larger campaign of violence. But in November of that year, Myanmars military commander-in-chief pardoned and freed them. The military has held hearings since late November 2019 in a court-martial of soldiers accused of killing hundreds of Rohingya civilians, dumping their bodies in five mass graves, and burning the corpses with acid near Buthidaung townships Gu Dar Pyin village. The military has disputed the number killed, giving a much lower figure and saying that they died during fighting between government forces and ARSA. Reported by Thant Zin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Democrat withdraws from House 117 primary Josh Remillard listens to a voter at a meet-and-greet Sunday at Sanctuary Brewing Co. Danae Aicher, a Democratic candidate for the 117th state House seat, has withdrawn from the primary election, leaving Josh Remillard a clear path to the nomination. I am disappointed to announce that I can no longer run for office, Aicher said in a Facebook post last week. There have been some unexpected changes for our family and after a few days of exploring different options, weve decided it is best for Henderson County voters that I withdraw my candidacy. Aichers name will be on the ballot because she did not withdraw in time. On Monday, Aicher stressed the importance of health care and Medicaid expansion. "We can make sure hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians dont fall through the cracks and actually get the access to health care they need," she said. "Plus it would bring thousands of additional jobs and billions of dollars back into our state. "Thats why Im endorsing Josh Remillard for NC State House District 117," she said. "He is a veteran who has fought for our country and he is a family man, a father to two young children. I trust him to fight for us with the same dedication he would for them." Remillard, a U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq War, said hes not slowing down despite the fact that he has no active opponent. Weve been focusing on the general, Remillard said. Its been amazing. Ive just been out there trying to make sure that I convey a message of respect and decency to people. He has no plans to take a break from campaigning. Im not going to do that, he said. If youre on a mission thats what you do. Its either achieve or give until you cant give anymore. Early voting for the March 3 primary begins Feb. 13. Republicans running for the seat, which state Rep. Chuck McGrady will vacate a year from now, are Dennis Justice and Tim Moffitt. I hope those of us who are raising families will think deeply and honestly about the kind of world we want our children to grow up in and the kind of examples we want to set for them, Aicher said. I might be leaving the race, but I will continue to use my voice, to speak truth to power, and invite us all into discussions about our communities, our country, and what really makes us great. Family focused and people powered is not just a slogan, it's a way of life for many of us. Critics are blasting a proposal from Premier Doug Fords government to let developers hire and pay their own building inspectors, bypassing municipal inspectors in a bid to speed construction. Industry sources said the idea is to create a special training program to certify architects and professional engineers who would act as building inspectors, handling initial design approvals and building code inspections through various stages of construction for developers. But opponents warn the arrangement would be prone to abuse because of the money changing hands in a business relationship. Whats lacking is independent oversight, Will Johnston, the City of Torontos chief building official and a professional engineer, said Tuesday in an interview with the Star. He has recommended the citys planning and housing committee oppose the proposal, citing the potential for perceived conflicts of interest. The Ontario Home Builders Association said the development industry applauds the concept, noting architects and engineers already adhere to a strict regime of professional standards and would have to pass a certification course to do the work, easing the load on busy municipal building inspection staff. This is a specialized designation that gets people into their homes sooner and safer, said the associations chief executive officer, Joe Vaccaro. The idea remains a proposal at this point and no decisions have been made as consultations continue on updating the provincial building code, said the office of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark. We consulted on various models, including those that are used in other jurisdictions. To be clear, we will in no way select a policy proposal that gives developers the ability to pick their own building inspectors at whim, the statement added. Modernizing and transforming the delivery of our building code is going to take time, and our consultations are only the first step. Any decisions our government makes will always maintain our high standards for public safety. The Progressive Conservatives have been pushing to cut red tape, increase the supply of housing to help keep soaring prices in check and make homes more affordable as part of the governments open for business mantra. At Queens Park, opposition parties were united in their concerns over the building inspection proposal. Its like the fox guarding the hen house, said Deputy NDP Leader Sara Singh, echoing a similar comment from interim Liberal leader John Fraser. I think most people would want a city inspectorwhere it isnt just a profit motivation for that person to come in. Green Leader Mike Schreiner said safety is not red tape and maintained the proposal would undermine municipalities by taking away their power to approve designs and inspect building projects. Im startled the Ford government would consider punching holes in the neutral, independent process for inspecting new buildings, especially after the scathing auditor general report on Tarion, the provinces troubled new home warranty program now undergoing an overhaul, Schreiner said in a statement. I am worried that these proposed changes would create a conflict of interest that compromises safety and good quality work in service of speed. For the homebuilders association, Vaccaro said the proposed new system would allow municipal staff to quickly approve designs and issue building permits confident in the knowledge that professional work has already been done. Engineers and architects are often brought in for inspections by municipal staff, particularly in large, complex building projects, he added. Most municipal inspectors, when they do go into those buildings, dont have the expertise to determine if it was built as per the approved design. So they want the engineer or architect to confirm those things in reports anyways. That expertise is already being used as part of the inspection process, Vaccaro said. Under the proposed system, the municipal inspector comes in at the end, does a final inspection, checks the reports and confirms the building is safe to occupy. That level of detail is not in the governments proposal, said Johnston of the City of Toronto. This isnt a question of whether an architect or an engineer has the skill or ability to carry out this work and provide this service. What its a question of is its lacking that independent oversight of the design and construction, he added. That oversight provides the public with trust and confidence that the buildings they live in, work in or visit meet all of the safety requirements in the building code. Toronto is reviewing its building permit and inspection system with an eye to streamlining it, said Johnston, citing statistics that staff reply to more than 90 per cent of building permit applications within 10 to 30 days and responds to more than 90 per cent of inspection requests within two days. https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Want-Zionism-To-Survive-Keep-It-Simple.html Rather than reveling in nuance and complexity, we should tell ourselves a simple story of national and religious pride. Earlier this week, I attended a conference organized by the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. The topic was Israel and the media. Maybe it was that 14th cup of coffee, or maybe the superabundance of smart people congregating to discuss our shared obsession, but as the panels progressed and breakfast turned to lunch, I began having hallucinations. In my daydream, I was visited by a gaunt young man with an inky black beard. Like many of the conference attendees, the young man was a Jewish journalist. Like us, he spent hundreds of hours grappling with anti-Semitism and violence, trying to make sense of a world that seemed less stable and more perilous each day. He, too, fretted about the limits of his profession, and wondered how to reconcile the affinity he felt for his hunted people with his belief in the universalist and humanist values of his fellow cosmopolitan intellectuals. There was a point, however, when the real-life Theodor Herzl had a revelation. Journalism, he understood, could offer him nothing more than the meager satisfaction of standing by a burning building merely to measure and document the height of the flames. Herzl wanted more. He wanted to run in and save the people inside. As a reporter, he knew, he would always be biased, not in favor of one ideology or another but in favor of the what the trade prized above all else: dispassion. Dig for facts. Strive for objectivity. Tell all sides of each story. Dont take anything personally. The Dreyfus Affair showed Herzl a different direction. In Zolas Jaccuse and in the work of pro-Dreyfus journalist Bernard Lazare, he saw an alternative to the urbane and demure sophistication of his deracinated Jewish friends at the Vienna-based Neue Freie Presse, his employer. Dreyfus defenders made no effort to plunge into the infinity of nuance. They cared much more about the clear and shallow truth: An innocent man was dispatched to hell for no reason other than being Jewish. It was a simple story, but it was true and morally resonant and it moved Herzl and many others to action. The next time the bearded young gentleman made a serious effort at nonfiction, with 1896s Judenstaat, he wrote the following uncomplicated sentence: The Jews who will try it shall achieve their State; and they will deserve it. Ask even the most ardently Zionist among us to express our feelings, and you will likely hear a jumbled mess of equivocations, clarifications, throat-clearings, disclaimers, and half-apologies. Many of us American Jews consider ourselves Herzls disciples, and yet few of us seem capable of his clarity. Ask even the most ardently Zionist among us to express our feelings, and you will likely hear a jumbled mess of equivocations, clarifications, throat-clearings, disclaimers, and half-apologies. How do we feel about Israel? We support it, of course, but acknowledge that it is important to empathize with the other sides legitimate grievances, distance ourselves from Israeli policy positions with which we happen to disagree, and speak guardedly lest our passion, God forbid, come across as mere nationalistic zeal and offend our more refined peers. Talk to us, and youll hear facts and figures, the two columns of the ancient temple of hasbara, rather than normal human emotions. Query us about the conflict, and well all say we want peace, not, heaven forbid, victory. Even our language has grown limp, a phenomenon George Orwell keenly noted some decades ago when observing how bad politics can rot good words. Much talk at the academic conference was devoted to terminology and its conundrums, little of it particularly helpful. May we not, for example, call a man who plunges a knife into the throat of his fellow man a terrorist, regardless of the circumstances that led him to embrace violence? May we not call those slivers of land that lie between the Green Line and the Jordan River Judea and Samaria, the names assigned them in the holy book that is the cornerstone of our faith? And may we not insist that anti-Zionismwhich stipulates that Jews alone among all the nations of the earth not enjoy the right of national self-determinationis just a more cumbersome and obfuscating name for anti-Semitism? Sadly, these straightforward notions have become battlegrounds for a thousand tiring quibbles. Having peddled in the truism that life is immensely complexitself, ironically, a yawning over-simplificationcontemporary polite liberal thought insists that we approach every matter like museum goers gawking at a pointillist painting, leaning close to see not the big picture but the small dots of paint of which it is made. If we fail to dress any act or sentiment or thought, no matter how strong or stark, in thick layers of subtle distinctions, were chastised for being brutish or strident or dumb. A good reporters job, as one of the conferences participants eloquently put it, is to traffic in grays; he didnt say what ought to be done if reality itself, as reality so often does, turned black or white. As the conference slouched toward its end, the usual questions were asked by the usual suspects, kind and earnest rabbis and educators and parents who wanted to know why we had such a hard time defending Israel in the media or on campus, or why so many young Jews seemed less inclined to associate with the Jewish State. You hardly have to be Herzl to know the answer: Its because were telling the wrong story, or no story at all. Here is what we ought to say about Israel: We love it, simply and truly and without complications. We believe it is our homeland, deeply and religiously and without reservations. Here is what we ought to say about Israel, when asked by our fellow students or by our children or by the anchor on the evening news: We love it, simply and truly and without complications. We believe it is our homeland, deeply and religiously and without reservations. We acknowledge that it, like every earthly nation, is imperfect, but that its imperfection is precisely the engine that keeps thrusting it forward in search of a more perfect way of being in the world. We quarrel with it when we must, but are never needlessly harsh or unloving, and when we point out a problem we understand that we must also toil toward a solution because we have not only rights but also responsibilities. We praise it whenever we can, because theres much to praise it for. We feel many things, and acknowledge all these feelings, but above all we feel proud. Our ancestors understood much better than we do the power and complexity of seemingly simple tales. Simple stories drive us to inquire, to ask questions, to dissent. This is why the Bible, at the peak of the drama, has God saying but one lineand ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. God doesnt explain. He doesnt tell us why he selected the Jews, or what for, or whether or not the children of those standing at the foot of the mountain are chosen as well. He doesnt tell us what ought to be done. He merely leaves us with the blunt reality of divine election and lets us spend millennia trying to figure it out. Herzls command worked in much the same way: If we willed it, he told us, it would be no dream. The rest was up to us. But nowadays were too smart for such bluntness. We demand that everything be explained. We yearn for the gray, associating the black with scoundrels and the white with madmen. We congratulate ourselves for having such a fine grasp of the delicate machinations of the world and then wonder why we are abandoned and assaulted by so many other ideologies and movements that, with their simple and moving stories, are so much more vivid than our dull and dusty observations. To survive, then, and to thrive, we need to relearn the basic lesson of Zionism, and once again tell ourselves a simple story we really believe. This article originally appeared on tabletmag.com I do, he answered. If those offenses subvert the very essence of democracy. In the same interview, Mr. Dershowitz also said: It certainly doesnt have to be a crime if you have somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty. You dont need a technical crime. We look at their acts of state. We look at how they conduct the foreign policy. We look at whether they try to subvert the Constitution. But on Sunday, Mr. Dershowitz was acting as one of Mr. Trumps lawyers when he said to George Stephanopoulos that abusive or obstructive conduct is not impeachable and that an actual crime is required. And although the evidence demonstrates that Mr. Trump has committed crimes, Mr. Dershowitz asserted that, unless those crimes are explicitly stated in articles of impeachment, they cannot lead to Mr. Trumps removal from office. Mr. Dershowitz said that he was defending Mr. Trump to protect the Constitution, but serious constitutional scholars didnt buy his argument. Another of my former professors, the constitutional law expert Laurence H. Tribe, responded with an op-ed essay in The Washington Post. The argument that only criminal offenses are impeachable has died a thousand deaths in the writings of all the experts on the subject, he wrote. There is no evidence that the phrase high crimes and misdemeanors was understood in the 1780s to mean indictable crimes. Mr. Tribe likewise debunked Mr. Dershowitzs argument that the president could not be impeached for abuse of power, noting, No serious constitutional scholar has ever agreed with it. Among those scholars is the Republicans designated constitutional law expert, Jonathan Turley. He testified before the House Judiciary Committee that impeachment could result from conduct that was not technically a criminal act. Mr. Dershowitz is an expert on civil liberties and criminal law and procedure, not constitutional law generally. Facing widespread criticism and trying to reconcile his 1998 statements with his new position, he now says that Congress doesnt need a technical crime to impeach, but there must be criminal-like conduct, or conduct akin to treason and bribery. To the extent his earlier statement suggested the opposite, he retracts it. French and Dutch police arrested 23 people on suspicion of smuggling 10,000 Kurdish migrants to Britain in refrigerated lorries and rubber boats, Europe's judicial agency said on Wednesday. Nineteen suspects were held in France and four in the Netherlands following a 16-month probe, Eurojust said. The gang charged close to 6,000 per person to cross the channel, and made around 60 million in total profits, the agency reported. A file photo shows a boat coming to the rescue of a group of migrants in the sea off Boulogne-Sur-Mer in November 2019. Last year a total of 2,758 migrants were intercepted as they tried to cross the channel into Britain The gang 'are suspected of facilitating the illegal transport of approximately 10,000 Kurdish immigrants to the United Kingdom in refrigerated lorries and small rubber boats,' it said. The network picked migrants up from rest areas between Le Mans and Poitiers, in western France, before taking them across the English Channel. The probe extended to the Netherlands after vehicles with Dutch licence plates were seen to be involved. File photo shows nearly two dozen immigrants being detained afer being found in the back of a fruit lorry late last year in an incident that has not been linked to the arrests reported today. However, the smuggling group is said to have been attempting to smuggle people into Britain using similar methods to what is depicted above The payments were made through a 'hawala' banking operation in the Netherlands - an informal network of money transfers conducted through face-to-face guarantees. French authorities on Tuesday they intercepted more than 40 migrants, including 11 children trying to cross the Channel to Britain. The latest intercepts, combined with dozens of others earlier in January, reveal a continued sharp increase to dangerous crossing attempts to the United Kingdom. This photo shows a group of migrants picked up by border force in late 2019. Since the end of 2018 the number of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia have multiplied significantly Since the end of 2018, attempts by migrants from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia to make the dangerous crossing via the icy and choppy waters of the English Channel have multiplied, according to official data. Rights groups have linked the sharp increase in crossings to a police crackdown aimed at preventing the establishment of migrant camps near Calais, home to a busy ferry port and the Eurotunnel, and other areas along the French coast. Last year, a total of 2,758 migrants were intercepted, four times the number detained the previous year, according to the French maritime police. Four are known to have died trying to cross the Channel. Extension of existing agreement with Roche for supply of PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) Basel, Switzerland, January 22, 2020 - Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announced today that it extended its clinical supply agreement (CSA) with Roche (SIX: RO, ROG) to explore a combination of Basilea's panFGFR kinase inhibitor derazantinib and Roche's atezolizumab (Tecentriq)1 in patients with gastric (stomach) cancer. The initial CSA covered urothelial (bladder) cancer and was concluded in January 2019. Basilea expects to start a biomarker-driven multi-cohort phase 1/2 study (FIDES-03) in advanced gastric cancer patients with FGFR genetic aberrations in the third quarter of 2020. The study will assess the efficacy and safety of derazantinib as mono- and combination therapy in the second-line setting. Basilea will be the sponsor of the study and Roche will provide clinical supply of atezolizumab, a PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor. Dr. Marc Engelhardt, Chief Medical Officer of Basilea, said: "The unique kinase inhibition profile of derazantinib and convincing pre-clinical in vivo data in gastric cancer models support this phase 1/2 study with derazantinib alone and as a combination therapy in biomarker-defined groups of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Advanced gastric cancer is associated with a very poor prognosis and is an area of high unmet medical need." Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third most lethal cancer type.2 Median survival rarely exceeds twelve months and the five-year-survival is less than 10%.3 Basilea estimates that there are approximately 190,000 new cases of gastric cancer per year in total across the EU top 5 countries, Japan and the U.S. FGFR genetic aberrations have been observed in about 10% of gastric cancers.4 About derazantinib Derazantinib (formerly ARQ 087) is an investigational orally administered small-molecule panFGFR kinase inhibitor with strong activity against FGFR1, 2, and 3.5 FGFR kinases are key drivers of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. FGFR genetic aberrations, e.g. gene fusions, mutations or amplifications, have been identified as potentially important therapeutic targets for various cancers, including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), urothelial, gastric, breast and lung cancers.6 In these cancers, FGFR genetic aberrations are found in a range of 5% to 30%.7 Derazantinib also inhibits the colony-stimulating-factor-1-receptor kinase (CSF1R).5, 8 CSF1R-mediated signaling is important for the maintenance of tumor-promoting macrophages and therefore has been identified as a potential target for anti-cancer drugs.9 Pre-clinical data has shown that tumor macrophage depletion through CSF1R blockade renders tumors more responsive to T-cell checkpoint immunotherapy, including approaches targeting PD-L1/PD-1.10, 11 Derazantinib has demonstrated antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in previous clinical studies, including a biomarker-driven phase 1/2 study in iCCA patients,12 and has received U.S. and EU orphan drug designation for iCCA. Basilea is currently conducting two clinical studies with derazantinib. The first study, FIDES-01, is a registrational phase 2 study in patients with inoperable or advanced iCCA. It comprises one cohort of patients with FGFR2 gene fusions and another cohort of patients with FGFR2 gene mutations or amplifications.13 The second study, FIDES-02, is a phase 1/2 study evaluating derazantinib alone and in combination with Roche's atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in patients with advanced urothelial cancer, including metastatic, or recurrent surgically unresectable disease, expressing FGFR genetic aberrations.14 Basilea in-licensed derazantinib from ArQule Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. About Basilea Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development of products that address the medical challenges in the therapeutic areas of oncology and infectious diseases. With two commercialized drugs, the company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations +41 61 606 1102 media_relations@basilea.com (mailto:media_relations@basilea.com) investor_relations@basilea.com (mailto:investor_relations@basilea.com) This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com . References 1 Tecentriq is a registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. 2 F. M Johnston, M. Beckman. Updates on management of gastric cancer. Current Oncology Reports 2019 (21), 67 3 M. Orditura, G. Galizia, V. Sforza et al. Treatment of gastric cancer, World Journal of Gastroenterology 2014 (20), 1635-1649 4 A. Bass, V. Thorsson, I. Shmulevich et al. Comprehensive molecular characterization of gastric adenocarcinoma. Nature 2014 (513), 202-209 5 T. G. Hall, Y. Yu, S. Eathiraj et al. Preclinical activity of ARQ 087, a novel inhibitor targeting FGFR dysregulation. PLoS ONE 2016, 11 (9), e0162594 6 R. Porta, R. Borea, A. Coelho et al. FGFR a promising druggable target in cancer: Molecular biology and new drugs. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 2017 (113), 256-267 7 T. Helsten, S. Elkin, E. Arthur et al. The FGFR landscape in cancer: Analysis of 4,853 tumors by next-generation sequencing. Clinical Cancer Research 2016 (22), 259-267 8 P. McSheehy, F. Bachmann, N. Forster-Gross et al. Derazantinib (DZB): A dual FGFR/CSF1R-inhibitor active in PDX-models of urothelial cancer. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2019 (18), 12 Supplement, pp. LB-C12 9 M. A. Cannarile, M. Weisser, W. Jacob et al. Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitors in cancer therapy. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 2017, 5:53 10 Y. Zhu, B. L. Knolhoff, M. A. Meyer et al. CSF1/CSF1R Blockade reprograms tumor-infiltrating macrophages and improves response to T cell checkpoint immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer models. Cancer Research 2014 (74), 5057-5069 11 E. Peranzoni, J. Lemoine, L. Vimeux et al. Macrophages impede CD8 T cells from reaching tumor cells and limit the efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America 2018 (115), E4041-E4050 12 V. Mazzaferro, B. F. El-Rayes, M. Droz dit Busset et al. Derazantinib (ARQ 087) in advanced or inoperable FGFR2 gene fusion-positive intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. British Journal of Cancer 2019 (120), 165-171. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01752920 13 ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03230318 14 ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04045613 Attachment WINDHOEK, Jan 22 (Reuters) - More than 400 jobs are at risk as Africa-focused copper miner Weatherly, weighed by some $140 million in debt, is set to halt operations at its Tschudi mine in northern Namibia at the beginning of March, a union official said on Wednesday. "(Weatherly) are looking at an alternative investor, however, if they don't get one, over 400 workers will lose their jobs," Paul Situmba, assistant secretary-general of the Mine Workers Union, told Reuters. "Weatherly hosts a total of 150 permanent employees, as well as subcontractor workers from Basil Read and B & E Mining, which make up the bulk of the employees that will face the axe." Financing company Orion has reduced funding to the firm saying the activities are no longer viable. "Weatherly owes Orion $140 million. There is no way that can be repaid [given the current] state of copper mining," Weatherly Mining Namibia Managing Director John Sisay told local media last week. Sisay was not available for immediate comment on Wednesday. But he is on record saying the miner's debt to Orion and the depressed copper market made it unlikely that mining would continue at Tschudi in the foreseeable future. He was, however, optimistic that new investors could potentially come on board. "We are talking to several interested parties. They just need to understand the asset better, the ore body better. We hope for a stronger market in 2020. The asset in terms of mining equipment is still fairly new and working well," Sisay said. (Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa; editing by Jason Neely) By PTI KOLKATA: The ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday announced that it will bring a resolution against the amended Citizenship Act in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on January 27, the third such move after the Kerala and Punjab Houses against the contentious law. The TMC's declaration comes amidst mounting criticism by the major anti-BJP parties in the state for not passing a resolution opposing CAA. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said the TMC had submitted a resolution under rule 169 to the Assembly Speaker on January 20, which will come up in the house on coming Monday. Faced by a lot of "rumours and canards" from the fellow opposition parties over its position regarding CAA and National Population Register, Chatterjee said they "do not need lessons from others on how to continue its fight against CAA-NPR-NRC." "We have submitted a resolution to the speaker on January 20 regarding it. The resolution against CAA will be placed in the state assembly on January 27. Our government in principle is opposed to CAA," Chatterjee said. He said they would appeal to all the opposition parties to extend support to the resolution so that its approved unanimously. Adoption of the resolution in the house would not be a difficult task considering the fact that Mamata Banerjee's party on its own enjoys an overwhelming majority in the 295- member Bengal assembly. The development comes just a day after West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had said that an anti-CAA resolution would be placed in the assembly very soon. When asked whether the government was also mulling to move to the Supreme Court to challenge the law, Chatterjee said "the government and the party will fight it out on the streets and then take a call, if needed, whether to move a court or not". Kerala and Punjab assemblies have already passed resolutions against the new citizenship law. If the resolution is adopted, West Bengal will the third state to do so. The Left Front and the Congress have been criticising the TMC government for not adopting a resolution against the CAA. The West Bengal state assembly has earlier passed an all-party resolution, baring BJP, against NRC in September last year. In January this year, during a one-day special session, opposition Congress and Left Front wanted to bring a resolution against CAA. But their demand was turned down by the government, drawing sharp criticism from both the parties which had termed TMC as "B team" of the BJP in Bengal. Banerjee's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata on January 11 had further sharpened the charge of a "political match-fixing between the two parties". The TMC had trashed the allegations as baseless. Congress and the Left Front have welcomed the TMC's move to bring the resolution as a "positive step". Praising the initiative, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Abdul Mannan of the Congress said it's better than the TMC realised the necessity for such a resolution. "When we had said, they had opposed it. But it's better TMC has decided to bring it, at least they have realised the need for such a resolution," Mannan said. Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said "we want an anti-CAA resolution be passed but, would not take a call unless and until we have a look at the resolution brought in by the TMC government". BJP legislature party leader Manoj Tigga said they would oppose the move as it is "unconstitutional" to bring a resolution against a law (CAA) which has been passed in the Parliament. The new legislation to give citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the state, with the TMC opposing the contentious legislation tooth and nail, and the BJP pressing for its implementation. France has agreed to put on hold a tax on big tech companies' online business until November as a gesture of goodwill ahead of discussions later with the U.S. Treasury Secretary, a French government official said Wednesday. The official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity ahead of the meeting between French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and the U.S.'s Steven Mnuchin, said collection of the digital tax will be delayed in exchange for an American promise to drop threats of new tariffs on French wines. The official insisted that France is not shelving the tax altogether. Set up in July, the measure hits big internet companies including Google and Amazon with a 3% tax on the revenues from digital business made in France. The official said that tech companies will still pay some kind of tax on digital revenues this year - it will either be the French tax or a new international one brokered by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development group of leading industrial nations. The OECD has been seeking to come up with a framework that would allow France to suspend its unilateral tax. Le Maire was set to meet with Mnuchin and OECD Secretary General Jose Angel Gurria at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos later Wednesday. ``I absolutely expect we will come to a solution because there is no plan B,`` Gurria told The Associated Press. The French measure is an attempt to get around tax avoidance measures by multinationals, which pay most of their taxes in the EU country they are based in _ often at very low rates. That effectively means the companies pay next to no tax in countries where they have large operations. The tax applies to the digital business of companies that have global revenues of over 750 million euros ($833 million), and French revenue over 25 million euros. The revenue threshold is supposed to allow more room for startups. France argues that tech companies are abusing their market dominance, notably through tax avoidance, and preventing others from a fair chance of competing. The U.S. government responded to the French initiative by threatening tariffs on a list of goods, including French wine. President Donald Trump has also held out a bigger threat, to slap tariffs on cars made in the EU, where automaking is a huge industry. To avoid an escalation, the U.S. and France agreed in August to try to create an international agreement on how to tax digital business by mid-2020. The French official said international tech companies have already paid taxes in 2019, and were scheduled to pay a new round of taxes in April, and another in November. The French government offer this week is to delay the April payment until the end of the year, in hopes that a new international deal is in place by then that would replace the French tax. The official said European support has been crucial in the talks with the U.S., noting similar taxes or tax efforts in Austria, Italy, Spain and Britain. That shows that it's not just about France, the official said. Speaking Wednesday on CNBC from Davos, Trump faulted Europe for being ``very tough'' with the United States, though he had had a ``great talk'' with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a day earlier. ``But I said 'If we don't get something, I'm going to have to take action. And the action will be high tariffs on their cars and other things that come into our country.''' he said. ``Now saying that, I don't want your audience to get nervous. They (Europe) are going to make a deal because they have to.'' ``They have no choice,`` he said. Britain, which is scheduled to leave the European Union on Jan. 31 and is keen to strike a trade deal with the U.S. as well as one with its former partners in the bloc, has become caught up in the tariff dispute, too. Britain is due to impose a 2% levy on the digital business of firms making 500 million pounds ($640 million) a year in global revenues from April. Britain's Treasury chief, Sajid Javid, sought to walk a fine line on the issue. ``We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April,'' he told a panel discussion in Davos. ``It is a proportionate tax and a tax that is deliberately planned as a temporary tax. It will fall away when there is an international agreement.'' Mnuchin told the same panel that the two men would have ``some private conversations about that.'' ``We've been pretty clear that we think the digital tax is discriminatory in nature,'' Mnuchin said. Alluding to plans by dozens of countries contemplating such taxes, he said: ``If people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we will consider arbitrarily putting taxes on their car companies.'' Gurria urged those involved to give ``time and the space'' to the effort to create a global deal on the issue. ``Everybody will gain from that and then you won't have to be having these bilateral confrontations,'' he said. Search Keywords: Short link: SELBYVILLE, Del., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest report "Aerobridge Market by Wall Structure (Steel, Glass), Elevation System (Hydraulic, Electromechanical), Movement (Fixed, Movable), Tunnel Sections (Two, Three), Product Type (Apron Drive, Noseloader, T-Bridge, Commuter Bridge), Regional Outlook, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2025", by Global Market Insights, Inc., the market value of aerobridge will reach $8.5 billion by 2025. Favorable trends associated with airport passenger traffic growth will augment product sales during the forecast timespan. Major aerobridge manufacturers include CIMC-TianDa, ADELTE - The Boarding Company, Thyssenkrupp, PT Bukaka Teknsik Utama Tbk, ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd., FMT Sweden AB and JBT Corporation. A positive outlook for the global aviation industry will propel the aerobridge market demand within the forecast time period. Changing lifestyle standards and increasing disposable income levels have led to the increased air travel demand for business and travel purposes. Additionally, prices of air travel are experiencing a downward trend owing to a high degree of competition within the aerospace industry. This price fall has benefited passengers leading to a rise in passenger traffic. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/4497 Financial viability is one of the major concerns that can act as a major hurdle in the growth of the industry. Regional airports generally refrain from installing and maintaining aerobridges owing to requirement of significant capital investment. Moreover, low-cost airlines prefer step ladders and ferry buses due to shorter turnaround times and better on-time performances. It helps airlines to keep ticket fares as low as possible. Steel walled aerobridges will cross USD 3.5 billion by 2025. These aerobridges are used by many advertising agencies for brand promotions. They act as an important element of outdoor advertising and provide the opportunity to efficiently convey the brand message to thousands of passengers every day. The noseloader segment will cross 1,500 units by the end of the forecast period. In noseloader aerobridges, the tunnel moves around two axes, vertical and horizontal. Europe will clutch a significant share in the aerobridge market between the projected time period due to new airport construction projects. Make an Inquiry into purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/4497 Aerobridge market is highly consolidated as very few product manufacturers are present in the market. Some of the product manufacturers are CIMC-TianDa, ADELTE The Boarding Company, Thyssenkrupp, PT Bukaka Teknsik Utama Tbk, ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd., FMT Sweden AB and JBT Corporation. These product manufacturers are incorporating innovation, technological progressions and product expertise to provide high-quality aerobridges to customers. These manufacturers have adopted an integrated approach to meet the product and service demands of customers. Such strategies will help manufacturers to create a strong foothold in the market and achieve profitability. Some major findings of the aerobridge market report include: Glass walled aerobridges will gain huge customer acceptance over its counterpart due to aesthetic appeal. Movable aerobridges are expected to have the upper hand in industry growth over the next few years. Two tunnel aerobridges will grow at steady pace within the forecast period. Asia Pacific has a prominent future in the aerobridge market owing to rising passenger traffic and proposed airport & associated infrastructure development projects. Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 3. Aerobridge Market Insights 3.1. Industry segmentation 3.2. Industry landscape, 2016 - 2025 3.3. Industry ecosystem analysis 3.3.1. Life cycle analysis 3.3.2. Vendor matrix 3.3.2.1. List of component suppliers 3.3.2.2. List of key manufacturers 3.4. Innovation & sustainability 3.4.1. Patent analysis 3.4.2. Technology landscape 3.4.3. Future trends 3.5. Industry impact forces 3.5.1. Growth drivers 3.5.1.1. Rising air travel across the globe 3.5.1.2. Favorable trends associated with airport construction projects 3.5.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.5.2.1. High costs of aerobridges 3.5.2.2. Operational complexities associated with aerobridges 3.6. Industry megatrends 3.7. Aerobridge installations across various regions between 2016 to 2025 3.8. Regulatory trends 3.9. Growth potential analysis 3.10. Regional price trends 3.10.1. Cost structure analysis 3.10.1.1. R & D cost 3.10.1.2. Manufacturing & equipment cost 3.10.1.3. Raw material cost 3.10.1.4. Distribution cost 3.10.1.5. Operating cost 3.10.1.6. Miscellaneous cost 3.11. Competitive landscape, 2018 3.11.1. Company market share analysis, 2018 3.11.2. Strategic dashboard 3.12. Porter's analysis 3.12.1. Supplier power 3.12.2. Buyer power 3.12.3. Threat of new entrants 3.12.4. Industry rivalry 3.12.5. Threat of substitutes 3.13. PESTEL analysis Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/aerobridge-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg Related Links Aviation Fuel Industry Trends Aerospace Landing Gear Industry Trends SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc. Related Links https://www.gminsights.com The former fiance of slain Texas mother Heidi Broussard has been keeping her memory alive by sharing his favorite throwback photos of her and posting updates on their youngest child, baby Margo. Shane Carey took to Facebook last week to thank everyone who has supported him through the 'nightmare' of Broussard's abduction and killing after she had given birth to Margo last month. Broussard's long-time friend, Magen Fieramusca, 33, has been arrested on kidnapping and evidence tampering charges after police found Broussard's decomposing body in the trunk of her car, and the woman's newborn baby at her home near Houston. Shane Carey is pictured with his daughter, Margo, who was returned to him by police last moth after her mother's killing. Last week, the dad shared a sweet video of the baby (right) Broussard was found strangled to death in the trunk of a car outside a home in Houston, Texas on December 20 after she disappeared with her newborn As of Wednesday morning, no one has been charged in Broussard's slaying. Carey has since been reunited with his baby daughter and has been sharing heartwarming images of the infant on his Facebook page. Last week, he uploaded a 10-second video showing the squirming diaper-clad baby stretching out her tiny arms and legs on a blanket. 'There she is,' Carey says with a chuckle while standing over Margo. Broussard's close friend, Magen Fieramusca, 33, has been arrested on kidnapping and evidence tampering charges Carey later wrote a status update addressing all of his family's well-wishers. 'I want to send a heartfelt thank you for all the love, prayers and support throughout this incredibly difficult time,' he stated. 'It has been hard for me to put my thoughts into words sooner, as my mind has been racing trying to make some sense of this nightmare. 'I appreciate everything everyone has done, and still doing, for me and my family. Please continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, especially remember Heidi and her overwhelming love of life and her children. 'Heidi would want you to think of her and her goofy ways and ability to laugh throughout every situation. Im sorry I havent thanked you all personally but this whole ordeal has been overwhelming!' The grief-stricken fiance and single father-of-three has since shared multiple photos depicting Heidi and their children during happier times. Joyous memory: On Tuesday, Carey posted this image of his wife-to-be visibly enjoying her very first Popeye's fried chicken sandwich Carey has been sharing throwback photos of their growing family during happier times On Tuesday, Carey posted an image of his wife-to-be visibly enjoying her very first Popeye's fried chicken sandwich. The snapshot shows the mom giving the camera a playful wink and flashing the thumbs up sign with one hand, while holding the spicy treat with the other. 'She loved hot and spicy things and thats probably why she fell in love with you too lol,' a friend quipped in the comments section, referring to Carey. Since losing his fiancee, Carey has created the Heidi and Shane Family Fund seeking financial support for his family from donors. 'How do you describe the ultimate betrayal?' a description on the fund's website reads. 'I think thats what this story is.We are a family temporarily displaced by a brutal slaying with glimmers of hope coming from the return of my daughter. In this way we are blessed. The love I have for my Heidi will transcend and shine through my three children.' An arrest affidavit unsealed earlier this month says Fieramusca abducted Broussard on December 12 and packed her into a black duffel. Broussard's body was found a week later in the trunk of Fieramusca's car. Fieramusca is being held in the Travis County Jail. She denied being in Austin at the time of Broussards disappearance, the affidavit states. Carey has created a fund to help him care for his three children, including baby Margo According to the affidavit, which was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman, Fieramusca and Broussard were friends and met about a decade ago at church camp. At one point, Fieramusca had a key to Broussard's apartment and the women discussed being pregnant together, even considering that they might give birth on the same day, the court record states. Broussard's fiance, Shane Carey, told police that both women were expecting in late 2019, according to the affidavit. Fieramusca was 'visibly pregnant' and would hold her hands under her belly to support the weight, he said. Fieramusca's ex-boyfriend, Christopher Green, told police he believed she was carrying his child. Carey said Broussard told him on December 8 or 9 that Fieramusca had given birth to a baby girl, but he never saw any photos of the child, the affidavit states. The record does not make clear whether Fieramusca was ever pregnant, but investigators found discrepancies in her account of giving birth. In one conversation, she told a Texas Ranger that she went to the beach with a cousin on December 12. But she later told the same officer that she gave birth on that day, although she was unable to provide specifics of her delivery, according to the affidavit. Green and Fieramusca continued to share a home even after they broke up. On December 13, Fieramusca told Green that she had given birth without his knowledge and that the baby was in their home, the affidavit states. An investigator later showed Green a missing persons flyer showing Broussard and her daughter. 'That's the baby at my house,' he allegedly responded. In his first interview with ABC earlier this month, Carey said he does not believe Fieramusca acted alone and speculated that someone possibly had talked her into carrying out the deadly baby-stealing plot. 'Heidi loved Magen, they had a great relationship. She was a friend. You would not suspect this at all. Like, at all,' he said. Fieramusca is being held on a $600,000 bond and is set to appear in court on February 3. When an arm snaps, a leg cracks or a wrist twists, physicians set the bone to ensure it heals properly and with as little discomfort to the patient as possible. But the same cannot be said for most rib fractures. Past practice and teaching call for little to no treatment, even if it takes months for the patient to breathe normally or just get back to work. The prevailing wisdom has been succinct. Offer medicine for the pain and a ventilator if breathing is an issue. But otherwise, the bones will form a callus over time that allows it to function as it needs to." Evert Eriksson, M.D., trauma surgeon at the Medical University of South Carolina and coauthor of the paper And while that idea has morphed over the last decade to make multiple-fracture repair more common, patients with less severe fractures often still go untreated despite pain. This extended discomfort is what led Denver Health Medical Center surgeon Fredric Pieracci, M.D., along with several other trauma surgeons to conduct a study with members of the Chest Wall Injury Society. Twelve centers from across the United States came together to evaluate the success of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF), which involves installing a plate to line up the two ends of the fracture and hold them in place throughout the healing process. They theorized that by stabilizing partially displaced and fractured ribs, patients' pain and quality of life would improve. As recently published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, patients who underwent SSRF for three or more rib fractures with partial dislocation reported less pain on the numeric pain scale and a better quality of life after their stabilization surgery. "This research shows that patients who have partially displaced fractures as well as some pulmonary compromise also benefit from a procedure that is usually reserved for a more severely injured cohort," said Eriksson. Technological limitations have played a role in keeping surgeons from performing this procedure in the past. It wasn't until recently that surgeons acquired the right equipment to keep surgical incisions small and the risk of complications in the pleural space low. By pulling the muscles aside, instead of cutting through them, surgeons are able to access the chest wall and ribs less invasively. Even the material of the stabilization plates has improved, becoming less rigid and moving more naturally with the patient as the chest expands and contracts with each breath, according to Eriksson. While the level of narcotic use did not change significantly in patients who received SSRF, these patients consistently reported more comfort and less pain at each interview interval than those who had not undergone the operation. The fractured ribs took just as long to completely heal, but the patients' experiences during this process were far superior, and they reported feeling less pain and easier breathing throughout. Patients also experienced fewer complications from their rib fractures. By opening the chest, addressing any additional injuries, guiding the bones back into position and removing any excess blood from the area, surgeons decreased the chances that study participants would have any additional bleeding or fluid accumulation in that space. And the difference was statistically significant. Surgeons reported that in the group that underwent SSRF, there was a zero percent pleural space complication rate from their patients' injuries, while the group that did not undergo the procedure experienced a 10% complication rate. Next, Eriksson wants to look at other bones that are not treated surgically. "I had a patient from this study come to me and say, 'My chest no longer hurts. You fixed that. But now it's my shoulder that's the problem.' By stabilizing the chest wall, physicians may improve outcomes from clavicle or scapula fractures as well. This collaborative multicenter effort presents an opportunity for surgeons to address a different population than is traditionally not considered for operational treatment. "It gives us an opportunity to help a new set of patients," said Eriksson. "And that is important." US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (Evan Vucci/AP) President Donald Trump is leaving the World Economic Forum in Switzerland with bullish talk on the US economy and lashing out at his Senate impeachment trial back in Washington. Mr Trump called a surprise news conference Wednesday to mark a tremendous two days at the glitzy summit of world leaders and financiers in Davos, which has served as a respite from the trial underway in Washington. Its such a hoax, Mr Trump said of the impeachment case against him. I think its so bad for our country. pic.twitter.com/6PXtFe1yPm The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) January 22, 2020 Mr Trump gave his legal team high marks after more than 12 hours of arguments on procedural motions in which Republicans blocked Democratic efforts to immediately call witnesses and subpoena documents. But Mr Trump said he wanted to see his aides, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, give evidence in the Senate. Personally, Id rather go the long route, he said, referring to calling witnesses in the Senate trial, before suggesting that there were national security concerns to allowing their evidence. A resolution passed early Wednesday by a party line vote allows the Senate to consider calling witnesses only after both sides in the impeachment trial present their cases. I thought our team did a very good job, Mr Trump said, saying he watched some of the proceedings. Expand Close US President Donald Trump makes statements to the media (Evan Vucci/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump makes statements to the media (Evan Vucci/AP) He praised White House Counsel Pat Cipollones emotion on the Senate floor, adding: I was very proud of the job he did. Mr Trump repeated his attacks on Democratic House managers serving as prosecutors in the trial, saying that hed like to sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces on the Senate floor during the trial but that his lawyers might have a problem with it. Democrats say Mr Trump abused his power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstructed Congress in its investigation. Mr Trump denies doing anything wrong. Mr Trump opened his news conference with triumphant talk on the American economy and said he is pushing for very dramatic changes to the World Trade Organisation. Mr Trump had announced the unexpected availability during a meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih. Mr Trump arrived in Davos on Tuesday. He addressed the forum and over two days has held meetings with leaders from the European Union, Iraq and Pakistan, among others. The Republican president said in most of his meetings that trade was on the agenda. Minister challenges Rahul, Mamata to debate, says temple work to start within 3 months. Union home minister Amit Shah during a rally in support of CAA in Lucknow on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI) Lucknow: Attacking the Opposition for misleading people on the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the law will not be scrapped despite the protests over it. Addressing a rally in support of the CAA, Mr Shah also declared that the construction of a Ram temple touching the skies in Ayodhya will begin within three months. The minister accused the Congress of not implementing the suggestions that came from its own leaders in the past on gra-nting citizenship to mino-rity Hindus in Pakistan, Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and Afghan-istan after Partition. He also targeted West Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, saying she is now opposing Indian citizenship for dalit Bengalis. At the same meeting, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that the Congress is shelling out money for arson and protests over the CAA. Mr Shah said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyones citizenship away. A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamul Congress. The CAA is a law to grant citizenship, he added. I want to say that irrespective of the protests it will not be withdrawn, he added. Mr Shah challenged Opposition leaders to hold a discussion with him on the CAA at a public forum. He named Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Partys Mayawati and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee while throwing the challenge. If any clause of the CAA takes away the citizenship of anyone, including Muslims, they can tell me. The agitations and sit-ins, which are being organised in the country against it, are wrong, he said. The Congress has become blind due to vote bank politics, he said and also blamed the party for Partition. Rahul baba open your ears and listen carefully. Because of the sins of your party in 1947, the countrys partition on religious basis was accepted. Mentioning figures, he said the proportion of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains in Pakistan and Bangladesh dropped drastically after Partition. Where have they gone? They were either killed, converted or came to India as refugees. These blind people cannot see that atrocities were committed on crores of people, he said. Mr Shah asked Opposition parties where they were when crores of people were killed in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh on the basis of religion. He said five lakh pandits were displaced from Kashmir, but these parties did not utter a word. Now, because of PM Modi, a new chapter has begun in the lives of these people, he said. Mr Shah referred to the recent Supreme Court verdict that allows the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed Ayodhya site. The crowd cheered when he said the construction will begin in three months. Accusing the Opposition of speaking the language of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the BJP leader said, I dont know what relation they have with Khan. Mr Shah claimed that Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Indira Gandhi advocated citizenship to Hindus from Pakistan but their Congress Party never implemented the suggestion. On Mamata Banerjee, he charged, She was demanding citizenship for dalit Bengalis. Now when the citizenship is being given to them, she has problems. Mr Shah claimed that during the Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Congress had advocated citizenship to Hindus from Pakistan. The CAA allows easier citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains who entered India from three neighbouring countries before 2015 after facing religious persecution. Muslim migrants dont figure on this list. The situation in Lebanon is becoming critical, as the protests that have been taking place in the country over recent months have now turned to unprecedented violence. On Sunday, 145 people were injured during clashes between protesters and the police in the second day of violent protests due to the crushing economic and political crisis in the country. By the beginning of the week after two days of protest, 520 people had been injured. On Saturday, 377 were injured in violence unprecedented since the start of the demonstrations on 17 October last year. Lebanese Red Cross Secretary-General George Kettaneh said that both sides suffered injuries, meaning both the protesters and the police. Lebanons official National News Agency said journalists had been injured, while the Jadid TV channel reported that a cameraman had been injured by a rubber bullet. Reinforcements from the army and riot police deployed in central Beirut, where protesters gathered on streets leading to the parliament building near Martyrs Square. They chanted Revolution! Revolution! and threw rocks and fireworks at police barricades preventing them from crossing the street. The police responded with water hoses, tear gas, and rubber bullets. There are several causes of the violence, including protesters who are ready for so-called revolutionary violence influenced by anarchist or left-wing rhetoric. The violence has also resulted from the economic crisis and increasing financial burdens on citizens. Some of the violence is due to the goals of some of the countrys political parties, some of which are in power. Media reports said that the attacks on banks and the smashing of windows that took place some days ago was orchestrated by the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah in an attempt to distract from the groups role in the crisis and to take revenge on the banks, especially the governor of Lebanons Central Bank, Riad Salame, whom it sees as complicit with the US in the financial crisis. Media reports said that groups from Dahieh and Khandaq Al-Ghameeq, predominantly Shia areas, had arrived after the first clashes between leftists and security forces in front of Lebanons Central Bank. The reports said these groups were not affiliated with Hizbullah, but had entered the fray after directions to send out a violent message. There were similar moves in many Shia areas across the country. The attacks on the banks were followed by violence against the parliament, a Shiite stronghold headed by Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hizbullah. The demonstrators used unprecedented methods, while the security forces used water hoses and tear gas. Meanwhile, progress was made on forming a new government after Hizbullah pressured its ally Gebran Bassil, the presidents son-in-law, to stop bargaining with prime minister designate Hassan Diab. As a result, the Free Patriotic Movement announced it no longer insisted on controlling one third of cabinet seats plus one (giving it the upper hand in government). Hizbullah also faced problems with its other Christian ally, Suleiman Franjieh. Hizbullah is seeking to form a technocrat government, which will neither appease most demonstrators nor its local rivals or the international community, especially the US and Saudi Arabia. People view the cabinet as a Hizbullah window-dressing government, and it is known as a government of former cabinet advisers. The violent turn of the demonstrations and the international position embodies the dilemma facing the government, even if it is approved by parliament where Hizbullah and its allies have a majority, especially after Britain added Hizbullah to its list of terrorist organisations. The British categorised Hizbullah and all its branches as a terrorist group and decided to freeze the groups assets on 17 January. The decision came at a time when tensions were escalating between the US and Iran and its allies and as a crisis on forming a government in Lebanon was brewing, with this being seen as Hizbullahs government. The decision against Hizbullah will make it difficult to send economic aid to Lebanon while the group is in control. But in reality, the next cabinet will belong to Hizbullah, no matter what its official composition. The Lebanese media reported that these decisions had several goals, notably ending funds Hizbullah and its institutions as the group attempts to increase its funding by expanding its networking with Shia businessmen around the world. The decisions put pressure on this network and prevent such businessmen from funding Hizbullah in Lebanon. Hizbullah views the developments in the country, including the Shia actions, through the lens of a Western conspiracy aiming to put the group under siege. Whether or not this is true, the groups reactions have further entrenched such a conspiracy. The allies of the West and the Gulf countries have left power, and Hizbullah and its partners are in control of Lebanon, a country on the verge of bankruptcy, even if they hide behind a technocrat cabinet or a government of former cabinet advisers. It is likely that the stranglehold by the West of Lebanon will cripple Hizbullah, however. Britains decision shows that the USs negative position on the group could become a European position at a time when Lebanon is relying on Arab and Western assistance to end its financial crisis. As the status quo continues, Lebanon is struggling through a serious financial and economic crisis that could even cause its collapse, according to observers. The British also sent a message to Hizbullahs allies that the sanctions could also include them, amid reports that they would include cabinet members in the upcoming government. This is also a message to Hizbullahs supporters, who have started to suffer from difficult economic conditions, putting the group in serious trouble among its own supporters in areas under Hizbullah and Amal control. Saad Al-Hariri, the leader of Lebanons Future Movement, called for a new government to be formed quickly amid reports that he disapproved of the protests and the violent turn they have taken. Al-Hariri may oppose Hizbullah, but he does not oppose the state and will not allow its collapse. The role played by the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, associated with Future Movement, in confronting the violence by protesters, was widely noted. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Brewer has been part of that recent history, although he acknowledges that others played an earlier active role in Whiteclay. "Sometimes, you can be in the right place at the right time," he said. "Maybe it was the right time to take action on some of these issues." Brewer said his flag bill (LB937) will require a priority designation if it is to be considered during this year's 60-day legislative session. The bill has been co-signed by Sens. Tim Gragert of Creighton, Megan Hunt of Omaha and Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln. Pansing Brooks has been an ally on other Native issues, including Whiteclay. Brewer has met with Clerk of the Legislature Patrick O'Donnell to discuss the logistics of accommodating the Native flags if his bill wins legislative approval and believes that can be accomplished. "We're just trying to tell the story of part of our history," he said. Under provisions of LB937, the Commission on Indian Affairs would obtain the flags through donations from the tribes and then be responsible for replacing those flags. The state Capitol administrator would be directed to also provide for display of "the flags of any Indian tribes with historic and regional connections to Nebraska" in the Memorial Chamber on the 14th floor of the Capitol at no cost to the state. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 4 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. EDWARDSVILLE Experimental trio of musicians and performance artists Chaos Magick will perform its piano-centered premiere at Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles Dunham Hall Theater. Chaos Magick, spearheaded by pianist Angela Kim, this performance will be a one-of-a-kind concert involving all of the senses. The performance includes classic repertoire, electronic sound, graphic design, animation and dance. Created by artists of different genres from across the country Michael Robert Boswell, a graphic designer, and Peter John Kearney, a visual/motion designer, of Brooklyn, New York, and Kim, an SIUE assistant professor. Chaos Magick will spotlight SIUE assistant professor of piano Angela Kim in an evocative, multi-media experience, featuring Boswell and Kearney. This performance also will incorporate the work of composer Dan Van Hassel and choreographer Kevin Hockenberry, an assistant professor in SIUEs Department of Theater and Dance. Chaos Magick starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at Dunham Hall Theater. Chaos Magick will take the conventional concert experience to a different level. Supplemental to the core trio are modern art and its interpretation. The group takes live piano performance and integrates it with design, animation, electronic sound and dance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is very good to their faculty, actively promotes scholarly work of their professors and that is why we chose to start here, Kim said. Kims road to Chaos started in Seoul, South Korea. I knew I wanted to be a pianist all along, she said. I made a serious decision to pursue it when I was five, she recalled. Kim started competing at 7 years old and won the Soong-Eui Competition at 9 years old. She came to the United States in high school to study with one of Koreas most recognized pianist and her pedagogue, Wha Kyung Byun, of Boston, who is a longtime faculty member of the New England Conservatory. Kim received the prestigious Henry Cobos Endowed Piano Prize for demonstrating excellence in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music in New York. In 2017, she received the Emerging Artist Award from the St. Botolph Club Foundation in Boston and the Free For All Concert Fund from the Boston Foundation, a fund that brings live classical performances to underprivileged communities in the greater Boston area. Also in 2017, Kim accepted her SIUE position. I have never lived in the Midwest before. It has been unique and great, she said. Thats the beauty of theUnited States. Korea is such a small country, but the U.S.A. is huge and every area has its own culture. Even through the years of practicing classical piano up to 10 hours a day, Kim had an interest in where classical music could go collaborating with experimental groups and artists, as well as performing new music. I am classical-trained, of course, but, I think, it is every musicians responsibility to promote and understand what is happening now with music, Kim said. I listen to all sorts of music, she noted. It is important to me and I like to bring it to my performance. It creates a better musical world for everyone. The collaboration that creates Chaos Magick pushes classical music into a modern realm. It started when Michael Boswell sent me a video with no sound and I instantly thought of Mozart, Kim recalled. For that video, she recorded four tracks of piano, including a Mozart piece, but also she incorporated improvisation, using a prepared piano. American composer John Cage used extensively prepared piano, when a pianos sound is altered by placing objects on or between the strings. The graphics result in projected modern visuals of computerized 3D images, such as pyramids and fire, accompanied by traditional Mozart compositions, interrupted by Kims percussive improvisation from a prepared piano for a full sensory experience. We want to bring people to classical concerts who do not traditionally come, Kim said. We are looking at venues that are different than the usual, like, immersive art spaces and studios and Dunham Hall in Edwardsville is the perfect place to start. For more information and ticket information, visit www.siue.edu/arts-and-issues/current-season/ . The Aspinall Foundation are leading the groundbreaking project to 'rewild' two cheetahs from Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent HYTHE, England, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Two 2.5 year-old cheetahs from Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury will leave the park in early spring 2020 for a new life in South Africa. After a 6,000 mile flight, the pair will first settle in at Ashia's Cheetah Center in South Africa's Western Cape before eventually moving to Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve, a 14,000 hectare property in Great Karoo. There, they will undergo a rewilding process developed and successfully applied by Ashia over the last two years. Mount Camdeboo is home to many rescued and rehabilitated animals, including a bull elephant rescued by The Aspinall Foundation in partnership with the Mount Camdeboo team in October 2019. Saba was hand-reared by Aspinall Foundation Chairman Damian Aspinall and his wife, Victoria in their home. Damian and Victoria will accompany Saba & Nairo on their journey from the UK to South Africa and will personally release them into their new home. The groundbreaking project is the first time a captive-born, hand-raised cheetah has left the UK for rewilding in Africa. Cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable by the ICUN, with an estimated 6,674 individuals remaining in the wild. Habitat loss, conflict with humans and increasing pressure from the illegal pet trade means that cheetah only inhabit around 10% of their historic range. Saba & Nairo's rewilding and participation in a breeding programme will bring vital new genetics to the South African population. A major fundraising campaign has been launched to support the move. Big cat-fans will have the opportunity to donate, adopt Saba & Nairo or purchase limited edition merchandise on The Aspinall Foundation website. All profits will go directly to the move and ongoing care and monitoring of Saba & Nairo. Damian Aspinall, Chairman of The Aspinall Foundation said: 'It will be difficult to say goodbye to Saba & Nairo but finding ways to return animals to the wild is something I believe in passionately. This approach may challenge the zoo community, but it is the right thing to do and I sincerely hope more zoos around the world finally take notice and follow suit. With fewer than 7,000 cheetah remaining in the wild, it is more important than ever to support the wild population by bringing captive bred animals back to their ancestral homes for rewilding. We at The Aspinall Foundation have proven time and time again that it can work. We have already successfully rewilded animals in Congo, Gabon, Java, South Africa, Tanzania and China. We have selected our partners for this project very carefully and I have complete faith in the teams at Ashia and Mount Camdeboo Private Reserve, who we will work closely with every step of the way.' For further information about The Aspinall Foundation, please visit www.aspinallfoundation.org Editors' Notes The Aspinall Foundation manages conservation projects in Congo, Gabon, Indonesia, Madagascar and Southern Africa, as well as providing financial support to various partner projects around the world. The conservation charity's important work helps prevent some of the most endangered species on the planet from becoming extinct. The Aspinall Foundation works closely with two wildlife parks in Kent - Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park. The parks are breeding sanctuaries for some of the world's most endangered species. Where possible, animals born at the parks are released into protected areas of their natural habitat, as part of The Aspinall Foundation's Back To The Wild programme. The Aspinall Foundation team are working closely with Ashia ( www.ashia.co.za ) and Mount Camdeboo Private Reserve ( www.mountcamdeboo.com ) to rewild Saba & Nairo. Ashia, a world-class cheetah centre near Cape Town in South Africa's Western Cape, was founded to help prevent the further decline of cheetah populations and to increase the genetic gene pool through its captive Breeding, Wilding and Release Program. Ashia is successfully returning captive born cheetahs into the protected wild of South African game reserves and national parks. The relatedness of the reserve populations is becoming an issue and preventing inbreeding without supplementation from outside will be practically impossible. Mount Camdeboo, which will be Saba & Nairo's final home, is a 14,000 hectare private reserve. Information: The Aspinall Foundation Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, Aldington Rd, Nr Hythe, Kent, CT21 4PD Follow Us: Instagram YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080193/Aspinall_Foundation_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080194/Aspinall_Foundation_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080195/Aspinall_Foundation_3.jpg The president of Ukraine will participate in the annual session of the World Economic Forum President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has started the working visit to Switzerland, where he will participate in the annual session of the World Economic Forum as the Presidents Office reported. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has started the working visit to Switzerland. The head of the state will participate in the annual session of the World Economic Forum. The speech of Volodymyr Zelensky during Davos forum is provided, the message said. Moreover, Zelensky will meet the leaders of foreign states, representatives of business and international financial organizations. Besides, Executive Director of Corruption Counteraction Center Daria Kalenyuk, businessman Viktor Pinchuk, Director-General of DTEK (holding company that develops business streams in the energy sector, - ed.) Maksym Tkachenko, entrepreneur Vadym Novinsky, and Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko will come to Davos too. As we reported earlier, on January 23-24, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will pay a working visit to the State of Israel in order to participate in commemorative events at the Holocaust World Forum dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. " " Emma, seen here "shaking hands" with a co-worker, is the physical embodiment of what years behind a desk could do to your body. Fellowes Research Emma's been through a lot. It's pretty clear from one cursory glance that the stooped, sallow-skinned (but still smiling!) office worker has endured a rough couple of decades sitting behind her desk. And that's exactly what the researchers at the U.K.'s Fellowes Brands wanted to convey when they built the eerily off-putting character. That's because Emma is meant to represent the toll 20 years of poor posture and inadequately set up workstations can take on office employees. Advertisement Who Is Emma? "The 'Work Colleague of the Future' campaign was developed to shine a light on how the human body could change, physically and visually, if we continue to work with poor posture and minimal movement at our workstations over the next 20 years," Julia Dettler-Bates, European marketing communications manager for Fellowes Brands, says via email. "Our goal was to spark a debate about working behaviors, environments and lifestyles plus potential solutions." Fellowes is global manufacturer of products designed to improve life at work. It's safe to say the team achieved its goal, creating a hard-to-ignore embodiment of its findings in the form of Emma. "Office equipment and office behaviors need to change urgently, as our research with behavioral futurist, William Higham and a panel of occupational health experts has shown how our bodies are impacted by these lifestyles and behaviors," Dettler-Bates says. So what is the most concerning thing the research suggests? That we're sitting still at our desks far too much, and as we spend those hours on end without moving and our bodies are starting to atrophy in response, Dettler-Bates says. "It's accelerating not just musculoskeletal disorders, but also conditions such as heart disease and diabetes," Dettler-Bates says. The response was to visualize these physical effects of our modern working behaviors through 'Emma.' Advertisement Emma's Ailments According to the team's research, office employees spend an average of six hours a day seated at their desks. Nine out of 10 British office workers are suffering health consequences because of their work environment, and as a result, find their job more difficult. And even when employees ask for help in preserving their health, they may not get the resources they need. Researchers found that 25 percent of employees have asked for their workstations to be improved and are still waiting for a resolution. "We think that all of Emma's ailments are important to highlight," Dettler-Bates says. Those ailments, mostly evident from a cursory glance at Emma, include: A permanently bent back, caused by sitting for hours in a bad position Varicose veins from poor blood flow A rotund stomach caused by sedentary working Dry and red eyes from long hours staring at the computer screen Swollen wrists and ankles from repetitive movement Sallow skin from years of artificial light Red upper arms due regular contact with laptop heat Eczema caused by stress Hairy ears and nose, as well as a swollen nose, because of poor air quality " " After years of sedentary work at a desk, Emma now has (clockwise from top left) eczema, swollen wrists, even dry eyes and a hairy nose, and varicose veins. Poor Emma! Fellowes Research Advertisement The Best Position Is Your Next Position Higham himself says he was taken aback by some of the discoveries. "The most surprising finding for me was the massive impact that just sitting down for long periods can have," the consumer futurist, speaker, author and CEO of The Next Big Thing says. "I grew up thinking the most dangerous workplaces were factories and building sites but especially now those have seen so much legislation I'm starting to wonder if it might be offices! Like most people, I knew that sitting in the wrong position could curve the spine. But the impact that any kind of sustained sitting has is much greater than I'd expected. "Yes it can have a long-term effect on the spine but it can also weaken leg muscles, and the heart, and even accelerate diseases like diabetes and cancer. Simply moving one's position every half-hour or so can do wonders. As one expert put it when I asked them what is the best position to sit in: 'The best position is your next position.'" Advertisement Is Gender Relevant to the Findings? While the majority of Emma's ailments could ostensibly be seen in any overworked employee, regardless of gender, her sex does beg the question of why researchers opted to make her female. "The report is based on research on office workers across the U.K., Germany and France," Dettler-Bates says. "It is not specific to any gender. As such, the report does not cite that women are more at risk than men in developing these health issues." Dettler-Bates says that Emma was an organic creation of the Fellowes Brands team to clearly represent the findings of Higham's research, but gender appears to be irrelevant when it comes to the plight of office workers. She says they simply chose to make Emma a female office worker so people could see her physical changes easily. Having Emma in a dress makes for these parts of the body more clearly visible. "The same ailments could be seen if we would have chosen to build a male model," Dettler-Bates says "Creating a model to illustrate the dangers was a great idea," Higham says. "You can read any number of reports but seeing a representation of what we all could look like has much more impact. When we go around to show people Emma, I always say: 'It's too late for Emma, but you've got a chance to stop it happening to you!'" "However," Dettler-Bates adds elaborating on which findings were most shocking, "when we first looked at the results of our future report we were definitely surprised by the sallow skin as well as the hairy ears and nose." " " You can avoid destroying your body and becoming an 'Emma' by simply moving more during your workday. Matt Alexander/Fellowes Research Advertisement How to Not Become Emma At the end of the day, the team behind Emma just hopes her creation wasn't in vain. "We hope that Emma teaches office workers and the public about the serious negative impact that modern working behaviours can have on our bodies," Dettler-Bates says. "We hope that people better consider their well-being at work." Dettler-Bates says that Fellowes Brands has come up with specific takeaways for individuals and businesses alike, in hopes of encouraging more healthful work habits at every level to avoid long-term health damage as a result of the office environment: Avoid sitting for long periods of time Take regular breaks and stretch session Change positions often Move more during your day-to-day working lives Use sit-stand desks to increase movement Working comfortably with ergonomic equipment like foot, back and wrist supports Try walking meetings When it comes to the actions businesses can take to prevent workers from suffering Emma-like fates, Dettler-Bates says organizations need to prioritize employee health in concrete, personalized ways. "Companies need to ensure that they are complying with legal requirements and conducting workstation risk assessments for their employees," she says. "This will identify individual needs to ensure employees are working comfortably and with the correct posture. Ergonomic solutions such as monitor risers and wrist supports can help to position screens and input devices to reduce strain and discomfort." Dettler-Bates also adds that more movement is a must in the workplace and that companies ought to investigate the implementation of healthy workspace solutions like height adjustable desks and sit-stand desk converters. "More radically, they could look at ways to combine office work and physical work," she says. "Some progressive organizations are already encouraging their workers to stay physically fluid throughout the day. A few are discouraging sedentariness by offering myriad working locations and sit-stand spaces to use throughout the office and promoting 'walking meetings.'" And while we all know more movement would probably serve us well in our mostly-sedentary lives, Dettler-Bates points out that some less obvious factors took a toll on Emma throughout her 20 years on the job, and individuals and companies should be aware of their effects. "Air quality, artificial lighting, germ-laden surfaces and poor-quality building materials can all make us ill," she says. "Organizations should act against poor office air conditioning and the increasing use of vapour producing artificial materials to avoid Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)." Researchers define SBS as "a situation in which the occupants of a building experience acute health- or comfort-related effects that seem to be linked directly to the time spent in the building." To combat at least some of these negative outcomes, Dettler-Bates says it's essential for workers to take in some benefits from the great outdoors, even if they're stuck indoors all day. "Natural light stimulates metabolism, controls hormonal balance and the immune system, and promotes cell replenishment; artificial light removes these benefits," she says. "It can also negatively impact workers' internal clocks, making them sleepy in the day and restless at night. That's why it is so important offices have as much natural light as possible." "I hope Emma gives a wake-up call to other office workers, like she did to me," Higham says. "With so many of us spending so long working at desks these days, we really need to reassess our office behavior and exercise a little more self-care. But I hope it also makes employers think about what they expect from their employees. Not only is common courtesy to care about your team, it's also good business sense. A healthy worker is a much more productive one!" Now That's Interesting According to Fellowes' research, Emma's issues are rooted in very real statistics they uncovered when surveying current office workers: 50 percent reported strained eyes, 49 percent cited sore backs, and 48 percent complained of headaches as a direct result of their workspaces. Seven out of 10 also relied on medication to manage their health problems. Nova Poshta group of companies plans to invest $100 million in infrastructure development in 2020, co-owner of the company Volodymyr Popereshniuk wrote on his Facebook page. "We plan $100 million investment in the development of Nova Poshta for 2020. For us, this is an unprecedented amount, but we need to start sometime. I already said that Nova Poshta had not yet developed, but only trained. Now we are starting!" he declared. This year, the company plans to launch the second phase of Kyiv Innovation Center, increasing the capacity to 50,000 parcels per hour (with a prospect of up to 60,000). It is also planned to build four large innovation centers with an automated sorting system in Brovary, Dnipro, Odesa, and Kharkiv. "The capacity of each will be up to 20,000 parcels per hour. We will also build, update and equip dozens of other terminals in Ukrainian cities with modern equipment," he said. In addition, Nova Poshta plans to build the first cargo terminal with a robotic system for sorting pallets and bulky goods, to modernize branches and introduce new equipment to increase the speed of customer service. "We plan to purchase scooters, pickups, minibuses and intercity containers," the co-owner of the company said. According to him, most of the investment will be used for information technology and the development of mobile services. People are being warned to be cautious of information on mental health being distributed by a Scientology-linked group. It is understood leaflets from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights have been sent to homes in Dublin regarding antipsychotic medicines. The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland (CPI) says the information is "erroneous and potentially harmful". "To suggest that no mental health problem should receive treatment is entirely incorrect and goes against a large body of scientific and clinical knowledge," said Dr Maeve Doyle, Director of Communication and Public Education and Consultant Psychiatrist. "This leaflet could cause unnecessary distress to people who are already receiving treatment and may cause them to stop their treatment with serious consequences for themselves and their families. "It may also prevent people who are in urgent need of treatment from seeking help." The College has advised that individuals do not stop taking their medication. Anyone who may be concerned about their medication for any reason should discuss it with their psychiatrist or their GP. The leaflet claims that "According to top experts, the majority of people having mental problems are actually suffering from nonpsychiatric disease that is causing emotional stress". Elsewhere, the pamphlet says: "But do not think that these (psychotropic) drugs heal anything. They are intended to cover up or mask your problems. Meanwhile, they tend to wear out your body. "Like a car run on rocket fuel, you may be able to get it to run a thousand miles an hour to the end of the block, but the tires, the engine and the internal parts fly apart in doing so. Side effects can sometimes be more pronounced than a drugs intended effects. "There is no question that people do experience problems and upsets in life that may result in mental troubles, sometimes very serious. "But to say that these are medical diseases or caused by a chemical imbalance that can only be treated with dangerous drugs is dishonest, harmful and often deadly. "What psychiatric drugs do instead is mask the real cause of problems, often denying you the opportunity to search for workable, effective solutions. "There are far too many workable alternatives to psychiatric drugging to list them all here, though psychiatry insists there are no such options and fights to keep it that way." Dr Doyle said that emotional stress can cause mental health problems and vice-versa. "A key role of the psychiatrist is to listen to the patient's story and determine whether their current experiences are due to mental illness or not," she said. "This helps to guide management which is delivered by the psychiatrist as well as allied health professionals - nursing staff, psychologists, occupational therapists." According to Dr Doyle, psychiatrists will sometimes see individuals who do not have a mental disorder or illness but are suffering with emotional stress. "Such individuals may receive psychosocial support through the mental health service or be signposted to support in primary care such as supportive counselling as well as their general practitioner." The CPI says that the causes of the illnesses mentioned in the leaflet are multifactorial. There are many environmental causes such as substance use, traumatic events and genetic vulnerabilities. "Treatments, including medication and therapies such as CBT and Occupational therapies, are more individually targeted nowadays - one size does not fit all." Dr Doyle said that informed consent is always sought from a patient when prescribing antipsychotics and information, including side effects, is provided and explained and/or provided in leaflets to patients. Patients who are taking antipsychotics are extensively monitored including with physical tests. Update 23 January, 11.30am: In a statement, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights said: "The comments from the HSE and from the College of Psychiatrists regarding the content of the leaflet "ANTIPSYCHOTICS the facts about the effects" are highly misleading and inaccurate. "The leaflet emphatically states on page 2: "If you are taking these drugs, do not stop taking them based on what you read here. "You could suffer serious withdrawal symptoms. You should seek the advice and help of a competent medical doctor or practitioner before trying to come off any psychiatric drug. This is very important." "The leaflet does not suggest that people suffering from mental issues should not receive treatment, instead it highlights the fact that some treatments have actually caused more harm than good and that better ways may be available." Hazmat-clad Chinese medics have been spotted transporting a coronavirus patient inside a sealed plastic tube in a bid to avoid cross-infection. Footage shows two medical workers in hazardous material suits pulling a sufferer out of an ambulance and then wheeling the individual towards a hospital building. Twenty medical workers in China have been struck down with the new strain of coronavirus while looking after patients, the country's officials have revealed. Medics secure the plastic tube with the suspected coronavirus patient inside Footage shared by Radio Free Asia shows medics donning hazmat suits transporting a coronavirus patient in a sealed plastic tube in Huizhou, a city in southern China's Guangdong The virus originated in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China, and has so far killed 17 people and afflicted more than 530 in the country. Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the United States have also reported confirmed cases. The 17-second clip, released by Radio Free Asia on social media, was filmed in Huizhou in southern China's Guangdong Province. The small coastal city, with a population of nearly five million, reported its first confirmed case on Monday. As for the whole Guangdong province, 26 people have been struck with the virus, including seven serious cases and three critical cases. This picture released by the Central Hospital of Wuhan shows a medic donning full-body hazardous material suit looking after one patient who has been infected by a new deadly virus Another medic in hazmat suit is seen checking the medical equipment inside the hospital's intensive care units. Nine people have been killed by the virus since it emerged last month Doctors at the Central Hospital of Wuhan clench their fists to show their determination to fight the virus. 'Salute to the medical workers who fight on the front line!' the hospital said in a post The never-before-seen pictures were taken inside the intensive care units of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak It's believed that the source of the virus were the live animals traded in Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, the largest of its kind of Wuhan, which spreads along the banks of the Yangtze River. The Chinese authorities have urged its people not to travel in and out of Wuhan for the upcoming Lunar New Year, and strengthened the health screening in transport hubs across the nation. And the government of Wuhan has ordered all residents to wear face masks in public places. The government of Wuhan, where the new strain of coronavirus originated, has ordered all of its 11 million residents to wear face masks in public places amid an outbreak. The virus, which can pass between humans, left at least 17 dead and 444 people sickened in the province The Wuhan government has required the locals to wear masks in a list of public places, which include hotels, cafes, cinemas, parks, museums, shops and all means of public transport The virus is spreading as millions of people travel every day in China amid the country's Lunar New Year travel rush, which will see about three billion trips made in the space of 40 days Passengers are seen waiting for their trains at the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station today Coronavirus: What we know so far What is this virus? The virus has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold. But coronaviruses can also be deadly. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus and killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s. Can it kill? Yes. Nine people have so far died after testing positive for the virus What are the symptoms? Its symptoms are typically a fever, cough and trouble breathing, but some patients have developed pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the small air sacs in the lungs. People carrying the novel coronavirus may only have mild symptoms, such as a sore throat. They may assume they have a common cold and not seek medical attention, experts fear. How is it detected? The virus's genetic sequencing was released by scientists in China to the rest of the world to enable other countries to quickly diagnose potential new cases. This helps other countries respond quickly to disease outbreaks. To contain the virus, airports are detecting infected people with temperature checks. But as with every virus, it has an incubation period, meaning detection is not always possible because symptoms have not appeared yet. How did it start and spread? Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. The first cases identified were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. Cases have since been identified elsewhere which could have been spread through human-to-human transmission. What are countries doing to prevent the spread? Countries in Asia have stepped up airport surveillance. They include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. Australia and the US are also screening patients for a high temperature, and today the UK announced it will screen passengers returning from Wuhan. Is it similar to anything we've ever seen before? Experts have compared it to the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The epidemic started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere Advertisement Chinese officials this week confirmed that the virus had spread between humans, suggesting it can be passed through coughs and sneezes. The first pictures and footage of Chinese doctors treating patients who were struck down with a new deadly virus have also emerged. Images shared by the Central Hospital of Wuhan, where the virus originated, show medics donning hazmat suits attending to the sufferers at the hospital's intensive care units. While a video report released by state broadcaster CCTV captures the tense atmosphere at the intensive care units of the city's Jinyintan Hospital, where most of the patients are being looked after. Experts in the country today claimed that they had found ways to effectively kill the virus. Li Lanjuan, an expert from National Health Commission's, said at a press conference: 'Coronavirus will die in 30 minutes in a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius. 'Ether, 75 per cent Ethanol and disinfectant containing Chlorine can effectively kill the virus.' The killer coronavirus may already be in Britain, health experts have admitted today - as they warn humans have 'no immunity' to the deadly disease. The news came as Heathrow Airport announced it would take the extraordinary measure of separating all passengers flying into the UK from Wuhan to try to stop the infection reaching British soil. Health chiefs have now raised the threat level in the UK and one said this morning the outbreak currently has a death rate similar to the global Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, which went on to kill more than 50million people. Leading scientists have also today warned up to 10,000 patients may have caught the SARS-like virus in Wuhan - more than double the previous estimate. Officially, around 530 people have been diagnosed internationally and the Hubei Provincial Government has now confirmed the death toll has almost doubled, from nine to 17. Antibiotics do not work for viruses. It emerged last night that the disease had reached the US. A man in his 30s from Washington State, who had travelled back from Wuhan, was confirmed to be the first American case. Patients have already been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and one man in Australia is being tested for the virus. Another suspected case has been recorded today in Mexico. US President Donald Trump today said America 'has a plan' to contain the spread of the virus, which officials have confirmed can spread between humans. But British experts who fear there could already be a case of the never-before-seen virus in the UK have warned screening in the UK 'is not foolproof' and said that the borders are too 'porous' to keep the infection out. Scientists are desperately trying to contain the outbreak of the virus, which scientists say may have come from bats and can cause a fever and pneumonia. * UK plans new 'digital tax' to hit Google, Facebook, Amazon * United States' Mnuchin threatens tax on UK cars in return * U.S., UK eye post-Brexit trade deal but UK to prioritise EU * UK's Javid says EU deal on goods, services doable by end 2020 * Ex-Bundesbank chief Weber sees renewed investor confidence in UK (Adds Javid comments on EU trade deal, EU's von der Leyen) By Balazs Koranyi and Dmitry Zhdannikov DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 22 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his British counterpart Sajid Javid clashed over taxation on Wednesday in a brewing battle over how Europe taxes the world's biggest technology firms. Javid said Britain would press ahead with a digital service tax in April even as Mnuchin, sitting feet away on the same stage, said such a move could generate "arbitrary" retaliation. Several European nations are considering taxes on search engines, social media platforms and online marketplaces to compensate for lost revenues, drawing the ire of the United States which claims that such a tax unfairly targets U.S. firms. "International tax issues are very complicated and take a long time to look at. If people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we'll consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies," Mnuchin told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. France, which considered a similar tax, agreed this week to suspend payments for this year's digital tax after Washington threatened retaliation with tariffs on French wine. Javid said Britain would not back down. "We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April," Javid said. "It's a proportionate tax and it's deliberately designed as a temporary tax, so it will fall away once there is an international solution." Seemingly trying to ease the tension, Mnuchin added that talks over the issue would be done in private, not on live television, and the key discussion is likely to be between U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Story continues In London, Johnson's spokesman said that despite its preference being for a global solution, Britain would push ahead with its own tax because it was taking too long to address the issue internationally. "The problem is that the tax arrangements of multinational tax companies are undermining public trust and confidence in our economic system. The solution is an international agreement and Britain is at the forefront of discussions to achieve one," he said. EU, NOT U.S., BRITAIN'S FIRST PRIORITY The disagreement over tax comes as Britain is preparing to negotiate new trade agreements after it leaves the European Union. Mnuchin said the United States was ready to strike a deal. "We're very much looking forward to a new trade agreement with the UK. That's a big priority of ours for this year". Mnuchin jokingly added the he was disappointed that Britain would not do a deal with the United States ahead of the EU given that it would be an easier negotiating partner. Javid said a new trade deal with the EU was Britain's "first priority", as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set an end-of-year deadline for post-Brexit transition arrangements. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the timescale unrealistic for a comprehensive deal when she met Johnson this month, but Javid said recent conversations with his EU counterparts had been more positive. "I've had a number of discussions with my European colleagues... and there is a strong belief on both sides that it can be done... for both goods - where we want to see free trade with zero tariffs, zero quotas - but also on services." Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, von der Leyen said Britain should not feel it had to choose between an EU and a U.S. trade deal, and that there was progress to an agreement with the United States on a global approach to taxing internet companies. Axel Weber, a former president of Germany's Bundesbank who is now chairman of Swiss bank UBS, predicted there would be a deal by the end of the year which would lead to a gradual, rather than a sudden, increase in trade barriers. "It might not tick all the boxes for everyone, but it will reassure the market," he said. "Some of the 'investor strike' for the UK, where people waited for the ultimate resolution, we are seeing that disappear. People are coming off the sidelines. People are putting money to work again." (Additional reporting by David Milliken and Kylie MacLellan in LONDON; Editing by Alexander Smith and Toby Chopra) Netflix NFLX has expanded its presence to 190 countries and won subscribers rapidly, owing to growth in regional content, its award-winning portfolio, and partnering the top local content creators and artists, with some of them turning out to be huge hits. The company is working on projects across Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, France, Turkey and the entire Middle East to drive international subscriber growth. Notably, Netflix stated that local originals were the most popular titles in many countries, including India, Korea, Japan, Turkey, Thailand, Sweden and the United Kingdom in 2019. Moreover, La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) appeared on Netflixs top ten lists in more than 70 countries. The company also witnessed strong demand for Korean content. Netflix, Inc. Price and Consensus Netflix, Inc. Price and Consensus Netflix, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Netflix, Inc. Quote Expanding International Content Portfolio in 2020 Netflix is expected to benefit from international content deals and expanding content portfolio in 2020. The streaming giant recently announced the release of Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes BackEvolution, the CGI remake of 1998 film Pokemon: The First Movie. Slated to debut for Netflix subscribers globally on Feb 27, excluding Japan and Korea, the feature film follows the excursion of Ash and his companions as they get caught in a round of Pokemon's vengeance. Additionally, the company is set to release 21 films from Studio Ghibli, the Academy Award-winning Japanese art house on Feb 1 worldwide, excluding the United States, Canada and Japan. The films will be subtitled in 28 languages and dubbed in more than 20 languages. Netflix subscribers in the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America will be able to watch classics such as Academy Award-winner Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Arrietty, Kikis Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya in their native languages. Moreover, some recently-announced projects of Netflix include the multi-year pact with Nickelodeon for animated originals, a multi-year film and TV deal with creators of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and Dan Weiss. Further, Netflix has also signed a three-year deal with South Korean media conglomerate CJ ENMs Studio Dragon for originals and licensed titles as well as a pact with Korean producer JTBC Content Hub. Expensive Content Strategy Concerns The companys focus on streaming regional content has been leading to international growth. In fourth-quarter 2019, it added 8.33 million paid international members, up 14% year over year. During the quarter, Netflix debuted a record 802 hours of original programming, including Oscar contenders The Irishman and Marriage Story, per Deadline Report. The said metric was up 3% year over year. However, increased spending on new content is expected to hurt cash flow generation as the company is likely to spend $17.3 billion on content in 2020 as forecasted by BMO Capital Markets, per Variety Report. Notably, the company raised $1 billion 4.875% senior notes and 1.1 billion 3.625% senior notes, both due in 2030, in the reported quarter. As the company continues to finance its original content, investors can expect the new projects to weigh on its bottom line. Further, intensifying competition in the streaming space from the likes of Amazons AMZN Prime video service, Disneys DIS Disney+, Apples AAPL Apple TV+, AT&Ts upcoming HBO Now, and Comcasts upcoming Peacock has become a major threat to Netflixs dominance. Zacks Rank Netflix currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.6% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Click to get this free report The Walt Disney Company (DIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. T he Duchess of Sussex kick-started her new life as an independent royal today by revealing her secret visit to a London animal welfare charity. The Sussex Royal Instagram account posted pictures of Meghan at The Mayhew centre in Kensal Green. It is understood she made the visit earlier this month, when she spent a few days in London before returning to Canada following the bombshell announcement that she and Prince Harry wanted to step back as senior royals. On Monday Harry flew out to Vancouver Island to be reunited with her and their son, Archie. The Duchess of Sussex was made a patron of Mayhew in January 2019 / Instagram/Sussexroyal The pictures were released as Meghans sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, was conducting a solo 24-hour tour of the UK to mark the launch of a campaign and survey to help improve early childhood. The Five Big Questions survey aims to spark a national conversation to help create lasting change for generations to come, Kensington Palace said. Kate arrived in Cardiff this morning to raise awareness of the project, which the NSPCC said would be a vital source of information. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in Cardiff / REUTERS Todays pictures of the Duchess of Sussex show her meeting staff at the rescue centre in north-west London and stroking a dog. The post was captioned: Earlier this month, The Duchess of Sussex popped in to see the amazing people at Mayhew to hear about the incredible progress made throughout the festive period. The Duchess of Sussex, having been proud patron of Mayhew since January 2019 and long understanding the connection between animal and community welfare, applauds the people at Mayhew for the vital work they do every day. "From cats and dogs who have found new homes to animal welfare cases handled in the community, Mayhew believes in the power of togetherness and the special bond between humans and animals. Meghan, an advocate of adopting rescue dogs, chose Mayhew as one of her first patronages and visited the shelter in January last year. Yesterday the Duchess of Cambridge was promoting a cause close to her own heart as she began her whistlestop tour of the UK to promote her early years survey. She visited Birmingham to highlight her project to ask five big questions on the under fives which will guide her future work. The online poll, conducted by Ipsos Mori on behalf of the Royal Foundation, is thought to be the biggest survey of its kind. Kate joined primary and nursery school age children in MiniBrum, a child-size version of Birmingham where children learn through play, in the citys Thinktank science museum. She described the period of development which takes place during the first years of a childs life as the most crucial for future health and happiness. The Duchess of Cambridge attends the launch of a UK-wide survey on early childhood at Thinktank / PA She said: Parents, carers and families are at the heart of caring for children in the formative years, so that is why I want to listen to them. "As a parent I know how much we cherish the future health and happiness of our children. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lawmakers on Wednesday complained against ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders, Chief Minister and the Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly to Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan. The TDP legislators in a letter to the Governor alleged that the Chief Minister himself is encouraging his party MLAs to attack the opposition members. "Speaker is not taking any action. Though the speaker did not suspend us, our MLAs were pushed out by the marshals," the TDP MLAs wrote. The TDP MLAs further pleaded that in this wake, the Governor should intervene and take necessary action immediately. On the third day of the state assembly session on Wednesday, the TDP MLAs walked-out after marshals were called in by the Speaker of the House Tammineni Sitaram to prevent them from reaching the podium and raising slogans. The Speaker also referred the matter regarding their behaviour to the ethics committee. Earlier in the day, the TDP MLAs created pandemonium and raised slogans 'Jai Amaravati' in the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aqua Marketing & Communications, one of the nation's leading destination marketing firms, has been honored by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for creating some of the world's best marketing campaigns within the tourism, travel and hospitality industries. The Adrian Awards are recognized as the most prestigious global tourism marketing competition. As such, Aqua's work was judged by an international panel of distinguished professionals from within the industry. Aqua's acknowledged projects won six collective gold, silver and bronze awards, for their innovative approach to marketing and communications, which included: Gold Multimedia Series, "Cure" Bradenton / Anna Maria Island / Longboat Key Multimedia Series, "Cure" / / Gold Consumer Brochure/Visitor Guide Destin , Fort Walton, Okaloosa Island Consumer Brochure/Visitor Guide , Fort Walton, Silver Contest/Sweepstakes Bradenton / Anna Maria Island / Longboat Key Contest/Sweepstakes / / Silver Consumer Brochure/Adventure Guide Punta Gorda /Englewood Beach Consumer Brochure/Adventure Guide /Englewood Beach Silver Integrated Marketing Campaign, "Cure" Bradenton / Anna Maria Island / Longboat Key Integrated Marketing Campaign, "Cure" / / Bronze Integrated Marketing Campaign, "Outsiders Welcome" Punta Gorda /Englewood Beach "As an integrated firm offering a strategic blend of services spanning the entire spectrum of marketing communications, it is an honor to be recognized among the world's best for our work in multiple disciplines, including PR, advertising, promotion, digital advertising and social media," said Aqua President, Dave Di Maggio. "The wins are a testament to each department's ability to service our clients at the highest level and solidify Aqua's position as a leader in the industry. In short, they are proof our team can do it all and we do it all with award-winning results." The recent recognition is only the latest in a series of significant wins for the agency. Aqua also garnered statewide acclaim in the destination marketing and tourism industry through Visit Florida's Flagler Awards including two first-place Henry Awards. In addition, Aqua secured a national eTouism Summitt Excellence Award known as an eTSY from Expedia Travel Group Media Solutions. About Aqua Marketing and Communications As one of the nation's leading destination marketing agencies, Aqua Marketing & Communications, Inc., is a full-service firm specializing in destination marketing and economic development, with locations throughout Florida, including St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and Naples. Aqua offers an interdisciplinary marketing approach, through strategic execution of branding, digital advertising, creative, public relations and social media. Aqua successfully and efficiently drives brand awareness and visibility for its clients across the country. www.welcometoaqua.com Contact: Brittany Chapman Managing Director, Public Relations Aqua Marketing & Communications [email protected] SOURCE Aqua Marketing & Communications Metro-North trains were on time 94.4 percent of the time last year the best track record by the commuter line in six years. We are very pleased to report significant and improved train performance, while continuing to improve safety for employees and customers, said Catherine Rinaldi, Metro-Norths president. This year we improved our on-time performance for 13 consecutive months while operating more service than the prior year, Rinaldi said. Statistics released by the railroad on Monday show cancellations were down 55 percent and there were 41 percent fewer trains delayed more than 15 minutes. The railroad also saw 63 percent fewer trains operating with less than their normal complement of cars. Trains traveled 64 percent more miles before experiencing a mechanical malfunction and causing a delay. Metro-North said the improved performance follows an overall enhancement program aimed at transforming customers day-to-day commuting experience. In 2019, Metro-North said it installed more than 50,000 new cross ties, 28 new switches and over eight miles of continuously welded rail. The railroad also surfaced almost 111 miles of track, replaced five railroad grade crossings, installed a new cab signal system for the Port Jervis line, renewed components of the Cos Cob moveable bridge and installed 1,800 feet of fencing. That is only made possible by the dedication and commitment of our workforce, who rise to the challenge every single day, Rinaldi said. James Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a Hearst Connecticut Media transportation columnist, praised the railroad for improving performance. "Let's give the railroad credit where it's due, Cameron said. On-time performance is increasing thanks to a lot of effort, even though the trains are not running as fast as anyone would like, Cameron said. Nor is branch line service keeping up with improvements on the mainline. Cameron noted it took decades of neglect and under-investment to get the railroad into its current state and it will take many more years to dig out of the hole. The governors dreams of 30 minute travel times between Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Grand Central Terminal is an admirable goal but will never be achieved without adequate funding and a lot of patience on the part of commuters," Cameron noted. bcummings@ctpost.com U.S. health authorities have upgraded a travel warning for China on Jan. 21 after they confirmed the first case of a viral pneumonia that first broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The patient is a man in his 30s living in Washington states Snohomish County, north of Seattle. He returned to Seattle in mid-January after visiting Wuhan, where the virus first began to spread in December 2019. Chinese authorities said the virus has claimed six lives to date. The man visited the doctor on Jan. 19 and is currently very healthy but being kept in isolation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On Jan. 21, the agency upgraded its precaution levels for traveling to China from level one to level two on a three-tier scale, warning travelers to exercise enhanced precautions. The third level would caution people to avoid nonessential travel. The CDC didnt provide details on how easily the disease can spread from one person to another, but noted they are tracking down anyone who had close contact with the patient since his return. Heightened Concerns The CDC also said on Jan. 21 that they are going to implement screening measures at two more airportsHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Chicago OHare International Airportfor passengers directly flying from Wuhan. The agency also has set up an emergency operation center to coordinate the shipment of biological samples from suspected patients for lab testing, to ensure that results can come out by the following day. Such screening measures were first implemented at three major international airportsNew Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and San Francisco International Airporton Jan. 17. These airports see the largest volume of passengers from Wuhan; a total of 1,200 passengers have gone through the screenings so far. Authorities havent yet found anyone exhibiting symptoms in those airports. The illness is caused by a new kind of coronavirus, a type of pathogen that causes diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. CDC officials said they are working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation to redirect passengers flying from Wuhan to the five airports that are currently screening for the disease. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the agency is taking a very aggressive public health response strategy. She added that the agency is currently in active conversations about vaccines for the disease, and has developed a laboratory technique to quickly diagnose the virus. Global Alarm As of Jan. 21 in Wuhan, the number of viral pneumonia patients in China had reached 319, with 270 from the province of Hubei, where Wuhan is the capital. More cases were reported in nine other regions across the country, including Henan, Sichuan, Shandong, and Zhejiang provinces, and in the cities of Tianjin and Chongqing. Wuhan health authorities recently began requiring increased restrictions on vehicles coming in and out of the city. Tour groups are no longer allowed to arrange trips to areas outside Wuhan, while private vehicles go through random checks for livestock or wild animals, according to Chinese state media. Taiwan also reported its first confirmed case on Jan. 21, adding to international cases found in South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. North Korea also plans to temporarily ban foreign tourists due to the worsening outbreak, according to the Chinese adventure travel company Young Pioneer Tours. The vast majority of tourists in North Korea come from China. The tour company told Reuters on Jan. 21 that the North Korean government is closing off its borders until the viral disease is well under control. The World Health Organization announced that it would hold an emergency meeting on Jan. 22 regarding how to respond to the outbreak. The mounting anxiety led to a decrease of 0.6 percent in Chinas onshore yuan, the biggest daily drop since Aug. 26, 2019, while airline and travel stocks also slipped, according to Reuters. Projections Experts suspect the actual extent of the outbreak to be much worse than Chinese officials are reporting. A study led by Gabriel Leung, dean of the University of Hong Kongs medical school, estimated that more than 1,300 people in Wuhan could already have been infected, based on a statistical model that extrapolated from international cases confirmed from Jan. 1 to 17. The researchers said their model used a similar method to a Jan. 17 study by the Imperial College of London, which placed the estimate at around 1,700. Aneesh Mehta, a virologist at the Emory University School of Medicine, expressed concerns that the coronavirus is showing the hallmarks similar to previous outbreaks such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), which led to a global spread. Furthermore, given that patients may not seek medical help right away when their symptoms are mild, its very possible there will be more cases than what have been discovered, he said. Laurie Garrett, a health policy analyst and formerly a Pulitzer-winning journalist for her coverage of the 1995 Ebola outbreak, said the figures from Chinese authorities are likely a gross understatement of the actual situation. Wuhan is definitely freaking out, she said, as seen by the authorities recent attempts to control the outbreak. She believes Chinese authorities mishandled the initial response to the outbreak, fueling its current spread. The kind of alert and alarm that should have been out did not go out until now, she said. The first patient contracted the virus on Dec. 12, but Wuhan authorities did not confirm the case until Dec. 31. It would have been a lot easier to control the first week of January, she said, but there was still a lot of denial, and a lot of hope that this was something trivialthat it was just a handful of people that hung out in an animal market, which was insane to assume, she said. From The Epoch Times Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 09:50:25|Editor: zh Video Player Close CANBERRA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Australian teenagers are at increased risk of committing cybercrime, a study has found. The study, published by the criminology department of South Australia's Flinders University on Tuesday, analyzed the link between legal online activities and cybercrime. They found that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 who used the internet to view pornography were more likely to view illegal content while those who play online games were more likely to progress to illegal hacking. Lead author Andrew Goldsmith said that his team found that adolescents who were already prone to curiosity and thrill-seeing were more likely to commit cybercrime. "The internet allows young people to limit their social involvement exclusively to particular associations or networks, as part of a trend we've termed 'digital drift'. From a regulatory perspective, we're finding this poses significant challenges as it degrades young people's impulse controls," he said in a media release. "It's becoming increasingly important to understand the connection between young people's emotional drivers and committing crimes, as well as human-computer interactions to establish why the internet easily tempts young users into digital piracy, pornography and hacking. "For some young people, the Internet is like a seductive swamp, very appealing to enter, but very sticky and difficult to get out of." The researchers said that there has to be a greater understanding of the influential technologies regularly used by young people. "Online technologies render the challenge of weighing up potential risks and harms from actions even harder. A propensity for thrill-seeking common especially among young males encouraged by the Internet can create a form of short-sightedness towards consequences," Goldsmith said. Groundbreaking 200-MW Wright Solar provides model for creating local clean power jobs Redwood City, CA, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The largest renewable energy installation ever built for a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agency is officially online. Peninsula Clean Energy this month began providing more solar power to Californias San Mateo County from the 200-megawatt utility-scale Wright Solar Project located in the nearby Central Valley. This is actual new steel in the ground that will send more clean and affordable power to our customers, Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Jan Pepper said. As a leader among CCAs in California and nationwide, we are proving that aggressive movement toward 100 percent carbon-free power can be both environmentally and economically beneficial. Wright Solar is just the beginning of what is possible for providing good jobs and strong economic benefits to areas such as Merced County in Californias Central Valley. Peninsula Clean Energy has an exclusive 25-year power purchase agreement with Wright Solar Park LLC to buy all of the facilitys electricity to power more than 100,000 San Mateo County homes. The solar facility was constructed by Swinerton Renewable Energy with roughly 400 union workers from the surrounding areas that were hired as part of a five-union project labor agreement. That agreement was a result of Peninsula Clean Energys workforce policy requirements developed in consultation with local building trades and other unions. This project illustrates the vast potential that solar and other renewable generation can have in Merced County and Central California, from new construction jobs to millions of dollars in new tax revenues, said Lloyd Pareira, chairman of the Merced County Board of Supervisors. The Wright Solar Project showcases how local hires can complete a project in an amazing timeframe and provide a huge economic stimulus to the surrounding community, said Bobby Stutzman, business manager at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 684. This is also one of those projects that will transcend construction and can be used by the building trades and other unions as a model for future labor agreements. Story continues Laborers, electricians, iron workers, carpenters, operators and engineers many from the Bakersfield and Fresno areas joined forces to install roughly 650,000 4-by-2-foot solar panels and accompanying equipment in only 11 months. The Wright project is owned by Centaurus Renewable Energy and the construction and operations are managed by Clenera, LLC. The project adds to an escalating trend of new development spearheaded by CCAs that is advancing clean energy, economic development and green jobs throughout California and elsewhere. Californias 19 CCAs have on average added roughly 1,000 MW annually in long-term renewable energy purchase agreements, and are expected to make long-term investments in more than 10,000 MW of new clean energy resources and energy storage by 2030. That includes a joint solicitation in November from Peninsula Clean Energy and three other Bay Area CCAs for the installation of more than 30 MW of battery storage to 6,000 homes and hundreds of businesses, adding a clean and resilient backstop to areas hit by PG&E power shutoffs. About Peninsula Clean Energy Peninsula Clean Energy launched in October 2016 as Californias fifth CCA and is the official local electricity provider for all of San Mateo County. Peninsula Clean Energy has the goal of providing 100 percent greenhouse gas-free power by 2021 and estimates that its lower rates are already saving its 290,000 San Mateo County customers an estimated $18 million a year compared to PG&E. Find out more at peninsulacleanenergy.com. About Clenera, LLC Clenera, LLC (Clenera) based in Boise, Idaho, is an end-to-end utility-scale solar development and asset management service provider focused exclusively on utility-scale solar projects in the continental United States. Clenera relies on its experienced executive team and professional staff to identify the best projects and manage each project from pre-construction development and design through construction and commercial operation. Clenera utilizes an efficient finance, development, construction and operations platform to consistently deliver low cost and reliable clean energy from the projects it manages. By the end of 2018, Clenera is on-target to have constructed over 900 MWDC of utility-scale solar. For more information, visit www.clenera.com. About Swinerton Renewable Energy Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) offers engineering, procurement, construction, and SOLV services for solar photovoltaic plants throughout North America to a diverse range of clients. Over 130 years of building landmark projects, Swinerton has forged a reputation for unsurpassed safety, workmanship, on-time delivery, and customer satisfaction. Today, our team takes pride in building cost-effective solar systems that will generate reliable, clean power for many years to come. SRE has delivered over 3.5 GW of solar projects and our SOLV team manages over 4.5 GW of PV plants. Learn more at swinertonrenewable.com. Darren Goode Peninsula Clean Energy dgoode@peninsulacleanenergy.com Enjoying their new EV: Seamus says he plans to drive to Costa del Sol in his Model 3. Enjoying their new EV: Seamus is planning to drive to Costa del Sol in his Model 3 this summer when he and his wife Susan go on holiday AN IRISH couple saved so much when they quit smoking they were able to plan to buy a new Tesla. Seamus Murray and his wife Susan reckoned they were spending 30 a day - that's 210 a week - on cigarettes. Put it another way: a mortgage-dimension 840-a-month was going up in smoke. When they quit they put the money aside assiduously. And with the aid of an app Seamus no longer has, they monitored the savings. "You'd be amazed at how quickly it added up. Thousands and thousands of euro," he told Irish Independent Motors. Expand Close Enjoying their new EV: Seamus says he plans to drive to Costa del Sol in his Model 3. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Enjoying their new EV: Seamus says he plans to drive to Costa del Sol in his Model 3. The money they saved permitted enjoyment of some great holidays. And they caught the electric-car bug big-time while on one of two cruises. Seamus recalled how when they visited the Tesla store in Tampa, Florida a Scottish lady took them for a drive in a Model S. That was November 2015 but because it was a Model S, Seamus knew he couldn't afford it. However, as soon as the smaller Model 3 was subsequently announced he put down his 1,000 reservation. The 3 was launched on March 31, 2016. Three years, five months and 29 days later he collected his brand new car at Tesla's Sandyford outlet in Dublin. It is a real-life example of the difference between spending 30 a day on cigarettes and 30 a month on e-cigarettes. But while the savings were sizeable and put the 3 within touching distance there was a bit of a finance gap. Seamus wasn't sure how he would get the rest of the money together. They had worked out that: "We could use the 30 per day we saved on cigarettes toward our Tesla fund. Between the day of the launch and September 28, 2019, I had accumulated approximately 40,000, plus some savings. "Between that, and a small credit union loan, we purchased a Model 3 Performance." On the day of delivery, he tells how he arrived with son Andrew and three grandchildren at the Tesla centre. After a short presentation and a Q&A session, he and the other buyers took delivery of their new 3 models. That was the fifth brand-new car he's ever taken after many years of driving; and he reckons it was by far the best delivery experience of a new vehicle he's had. Since then they have been on several road trips, covering a total distance of 2,200km on their most recent drive to the UK. "The Supercharger network in Europe is outstanding and is constantly improving," Seamus says. "So much so, that this coming August 2020 I'm planning a road trip to the Costa del Sol and expect to cover approximately 8,000km." He and a couple of friends are going by car; wives are flying down, he told me. Seamus says owning a Model 3 all-wheel drive Long Range means he can drive anywhere in Ireland from his northside Dublin home without needing to charge. "As an EV driver, this is huge," Seamus says. He also loves the software updates. "The first one I received gave me the ability to watch Netflix and YouTube, plus multiple arcade games, when parked. "I've also received multiple updates which adds improvements to the car." He says his car is constantly evolving and improving right in front of his eyes with "extremely practical and fun stuff". Theirs is an 'electric' home, for sure. Susan has a Hyundai Ioniq electric vehicle as well. Both cars are used every day. They charge them at home on alternate nights (availing of night-rate charges): "We take it in turns." The ESB bill for the first 30 days of charging both cars was 64. His advice for other electric-vehicles owners is: *ABC (Always Be Charging). *And: "Don't let the range drop below 100km" if you can help it. Seamus runs a successful business in Dublin which supplies grease traps - every commercial kitchen needs one. They keep grease from going down the sink, he explains. A bit like the saving you can make when you quit smoking perhaps? Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Wednesday confirmed he's no longer allowed to travel to the United States for now since his visa has been canceled. Dela Rosa said that on January 20, a day before his birthday, he received a response from the US Embassy that his visa had been invalidated. "Should I want daw to apply for another visa, I may apply, subject to US laws and regulations," Dela Rosa told reporters in a chance interview at the Senate. Details surrounding the revocation including when it became effective and why it was implemented remain unclear for Dela Rosa. He however, acknowledged it "might be related" to alleged extrajudicial killings under his watch as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018. Reports in December 2019 said the US canceled Dela Rosa's visa in line with the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, an American law passed in 2018 that imposes financial penalties and visa ban sanctions on foreign individuals and entities involved in violations of human rights or religious freedoms, and censorship activities. This measure specifically states that no fund should be given as counternarcotics assistance for the Philippine National Police unless the Secretary of State reports to the US Congress that the Philippine government has adopted an anti-drug campaign that is consistent with international human rights standards. Among the actions being asked of the Philippine government is the prosecution of individuals involved in alleged extrajudicial killings. Dela Rosa is certain the travel restrictions against him are not related to the ban on Philippine government officials behind the highly contested detention of Senator Leila de Lima. He said the cancellation of his visa most likely happened before the ban was approved along with the entire 2020 budget of the US on December 20, 2019. Reports on Dela Rosa's voided visa surfaced earlier that month. EXPLAINER: How the US budget law bans some Philippine officials Dela Rosa on December 14 last year admitted to CNN Philippines he had been avoiding visiting the US for fear of being denied entry, causing him to miss his colleague and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao's win against Keith Thurman, Jr. in Las Vegas, Nevada, in July. Bato and the drug war President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Dela Rosa as top cop in 2016, entrusting him to lead the bloody war on drugs. From July 2016 to Dela Rosa's retirement from the police force in April 2018, more than 4,000 suspects were killed in anti-drug operations, government data show. The official death toll is now at around 6,000, but local and international human rights groups said there could be thousands more. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Criminal Court are looking into the country's human rights situation. The ICC targets to complete by next year a preliminary examination to determine if it would investigate the drug war. American senators have also been pushing for the release of De Lima, prompting them to propose that her accusers should be barred from the entering the US. The US has not released a list of banned Filipino officials but Dela Rosa was PNP chief when De Lima was arrested and detained in 2017 over drug charges, which the opposition insists were all fabricated. Early this month, the United States' Senate also passed a measure calling on President Donald Trump to deny US entry to and freeze the assets of all Philippine officials involved in drug war killings and De Lima's detention. Malacanang has repeatedly said there are no state-sanctioned killings, and that De Lima's cases are being tried by the country's independent courts. CNN Philippines' Joyce Ilas contributed to this report. A well-dressed man was caught stealing and hiding some clothes in his underwear at a boutique in Gwarimpa area of Abuja. The suspect was seen shoplifting on a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage after a salesgirl at the boutique went to inform her boss of the price they bargained for an outfit he claimed he wanted to buy. The man was forced to bring out the clothes he hid before being handed over to the police. Narrating the whole incident, media personality, Gwen Divy Ifeson wrote; Do you see this well-dressed man on White? He went into a boutique, priced their clothes, asked the salesgirl to go call her boss for them to agree on the final price. As the girl stepped out, he secretly grabbed some clothes, put inside his underwears and made to rush out. Unfortunately for him, he didnt know the shop owner saw him through his CCTV camera and caught him. Read Also: Lady Raises Concern Over Yahoo Boy Stereotype See the full post below: Days after Benghazi-based General Khalifa Haftar and his rebel LNA forces blocked all oil under their control from leaving Libyan ports (the LNA currently controls territory which includes some 90% of the nation's oil facilities), the United States has demanded the immediate resumption of oil exports. The suspension of National Oil Corporation (NOC) operations risks exacerbating the humanitarian emergency in Libya and inflicting further needless suffering on the Libyan people, the US embassy in Tripoli said in a Twitter statement Tuesday. NOC operations should resume immediately, it said. Haftar had previously issued the order, which immediately resulted in condemnations from some Western capitals, on Saturday just ahead of the Berlin peace conference on Libya. The action blocked several key export terminals, notably Brega, Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra ports. Oil terminal file image, via Al Jazeera. Bloomberg reported Saturday that pro-Haftar foces "blocked oil exports at ports under his control, slashing output by more than half and posing a potential setback for an international conference on Sunday that aims to broker an end to a civil war in the OPEC nation." The move is seen as aimed at protesting Turkey's increased military intervention in the conflict which has raged for much of the past two years. Turkey has recently sent both national troops and Syrian 'rebel' mercenaries to defend the Tripoli Government of National Accord (GNA). Haftar has in turn declared any Turkish vessel or aircraft a target to be destroyed. The oil stoppage also has military implications on the ground, given the GNA's national army relies on the country's oil revenue to purchase weapons via Tripoli's central bank. We are deeply concerned that the suspension of National Oil Corporation (NOC) operations risks exacerbating the humanitarian emergency in #Libya and inflicting further needless suffering on the Libyan people. NOC operations should resume immediately. https://t.co/NWvIdYADAq U.S. Embassy - Libya (@USAEmbassyLibya) January 21, 2020 Libya's Tripoli-based National Oil Company said Monday: The storage capacity of these ports is limited and the NOC will be obliged to put a complete halt to crude production once maximum capacity has been reached. S&P Global Platts has warned the country's oil sector could enter a "tailspin": Libya's oil sector could go into a tailspin with two-thirds of its total crude oil production of around 1.20 million b/d at risk after its key oil ports were suspended Saturday by the Libyan National Army... Haftar has vowed repeatedly to not give up his military offensive until he has control of the Libyan capital, despite fighting for months staying at a relative stalemate, and despite multiple failed ceasefire efforts. His dramatic move to cut off the nation's vital oil lifeline was widely interpreted additionally as an effort toward gaining "veto" leverage over any 'ceasefire deal' attempt in Berlin at the start of this week. The LNA's response to the US urging that oil exports must resume "immediately" will be interesting. Although for years Washington and the State Department has "officially" recognized the UN-backed government in Tripoli, President Trump starting last Spring verbalized his support for Gen. Haftar, who Trump said has "secured the oil" and is a stabilizing force. Oil exports make up over 90% of Libya's national revenue and as the below 2019 Stratfor map demonstrates, Haftar has long held the majority of the nation's oil fields. It should also be noted that Haftar has been described by many analysts as "the CIA's man in Libya" given he spent a couple decades living in exile a mere few minutes from CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia during Gaddafi's rule. An April 2019 White House statement which described a phone call between Haftar and Trump said: the president recognized Field Marshal Haftars significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libyas oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libyas transition to a stable, democratic political system. A member representing Lafia North Constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Alkali, has distributed 200 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms to 200 students of his constituency. Mr Alkali distributed the forms in Lafia, the state capital on Wednesday. He said that the gesture was under `Alkali-Talba Foundation aimed at improving the standard of education in the state and the country at large. He added the forms were distributed to reduce the burden of JAMB registration on parents of the students. Mr Alkali, who is the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, urged the beneficiaries to study well in order to come out in flying colours and secure higher institutions admission. He said in the second tenure, I have a Foundation known as Alkali-Talba Foundation through which I am distributing JAMB forms to 200 students of my constituency. The second segment under the Foundation will be Farmers Day when I will distribute farming inputs to farmers. For the third segment, I will assist and empower people including the less privileged ones. You have seen what I have done during my first tenure toward impacting positively on the lives of the people of my constituency. I have embarked on infrastructure development projects among other projects that had direct bearing on the lives of my people and the state at large. I want to assure you of an effective and sound representation at the state legislature in order to improve on your standard of living, he said. READ ALSO: Mr Alkali, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, promised to continue assisting the students of the constituency and other students in securing higher institutions admission. He urged the people of the constituency and Nigerians to support and pray for APC-led government at all levels to succeed. Also speaking, Aliyu Bello, the state APC Secretary, commended the lawmaker for the gesture and called for its sustenance. Responding, Fatima Hassan, a beneficiary who spoke on behalf of others, thanked the lawmaker for the gesture. She prayed that God would bless the lawmaker abundantly. (NAN) Attorney Justin N. Bryan of the law firm McCathern, PLLC, which filed the class action complaint against Unilver on behalf of its client. On January 8, 2020 McCathern, PLLC filed a Class Action Complaint against Unilever N.V., Unilever PLC, and Unilever United States Inc. on behalf of its client, the Plaintiff Janneth Pederson, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas San Antonio Division (Case No. 5:20-cv-00020). This action is being brought on behalf of All persons, in the United States or Mexico, who purchased, used, or otherwise acquired Ponds Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream/Ponds Rejuveness Crema Antiarrugas, in or from Mexico, within the last four years and who suffered mercury-related injuries. The Complaint alleges that Unilever manufactured, sold, and advertised its anti-aging beauty products in Mexico, including Rejuveness, that were used by Pederson and found to contain toxic and illegal levels of mercury. Pederson, and any other putative class members, were injured by exposure to this mercury. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Mercury Study Report to Congress Volume V: Health Effects of Mercury and Mercury Compounds" (1997) stated, mercury is highly toxic and easily turns into a dangerous vapor state at room temperatures, that, if inhaled, induce symptoms including hand tremors, emotional lability and erethism, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, slowed sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities, memory loss, and decreased cognitive functionality. The use of mercury in cosmetic products is condemned by many agencies worldwide, including the World Health Organization, which has published multiple flyers denouncing the use of mercury-containing creams. While mercury has been used in cosmetic products for its skin-lightening effects, many state entities such as the United States, the European Union, Canada, and the Philippines have banned or placed restrictions on concentration levels in such products. As the Complaint states, The use of Mercury in cosmetics such as facial creams isillegal in the United States except for an amount of one part per million if and only if it is impossible to manufacture the product without any mercury. As described in the attached class action complaint (Case 5:20-cv-00020), Pederson, of Boerne, Texas, is a professional fitness instructor and wife to a San Antonio physician. She is of Hispanic descent, and her mother and other family members live in Mexico. She used the Ponds Rejuveness product over a period of years for its intended cosmetic purposes as recommended on the label and did not suspect that it could be toxic or life-threatening. The products container indicates that it was produced at a facility in Mexico, which would free it from FDA regulations. The complaint alleges that her general health began to deteriorate in 2012 despite leading a healthy lifestyle. Symptoms included prolonged headaches, memory loss, decreased energy, extreme fatigue, limb paresthesia, and anxiety. According to the complaint, Pederson viewed a segment in September of 2012 on a Spanish language news broadcast about a woman in Southern California who had become comatose as a result of using a facial cream from Mexico which contained mercury. The broadcast showed an image of the cream, Ponds Rejuveness, which was the same product that Pederson had used for years. According to the complaint, Pederson then relayed this story to her husband and they then sent her container of Ponds Rejuveness to a laboratory for testing, which confirmed that it contained mercury. Her physicians admitted her to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio for treatment, where blood testing showed that her blood had a concentration of one hundred and forty (140) parts per million. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), normal blood has zero parts per million, and eleven (11) parts per million is considered acutely toxic. According to the complaint, Pederson ceased use of Ponds Rejuveness after the tests and began a treatment process that has since reduced her mercury levels to forty parts per million as of today. Her story was relayed to the CDC, which also tested her skin cream and found it to contain mercury levels hundreds of thousands of times higher than allowed by FDA regulations. The class action allegations of the complaint filed on 1/8/2020 are on behalf of Pederson (the plaintiff) and all other persons similarly situated, as members of the putative class. Based on the understanding that Ponds constitutes a substantial market for beauty and cosmetic products in the U.S., particularly in the southwestern region nearest to Mexico, the members of the class could number in at least the hundreds or thousands. The class action complaint filed today by McCathern, PLLC on behalf of Janneth Pederson, the plaintiff, alleges counts of Strict Liability and Negligence against Unilever. The plaintiff demands, individually and on behalf of the putative class members, a trial by jury. About McCathern, PLLC McCathern is a full-service law firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas with additional offices in Houston, Frisco, and Los Angeles. Founded in 1998, the firm has built a reputation for having the experience and acumen of much larger law firms with the personal attention to client needs of a small firm. McCathern handles a wide range of legal matters for a diverse client base, from small companies and high-net-worth individuals to Fortune 500 companies and high-profile organizations. About Unilever Unilever is a multinational corporation with a complex organizational structure. Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC are the two parent companies of the Unilever Group, headquartered in London, United Kingdom and Rotterdam, Netherlands, respectively. Unilever Group, its parent companies, and their subsidiaries effectively work as a single economic entity. Both Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC are holding and service companies, and the business activity of Unilever is carried out by subsidiaries around the word, including Unilever United States Inc. For additional information about this story, please call McCathern attorney Justin Bryan at 214-741-4714, or email him at jbryan@mccathernlaw.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 08:59:19|Editor: zh Video Player Close OUAGADOUGOU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua)-- Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore declared on Tuesday a 48-hour national mourning on Wednesday and Thursday in memory of the 36 civilians killed in Monday's terrorist attacks. Heavily armed men stormed into the villages of Alamou and Nagraogo in the West African country's central-north region on Monday, killing 36 civilians and setting fire to a local market. Burkina Faso is faced with a worsening security situation in the northern regions where frequent militant attacks have sparked a wave of panic. Since 2015, terrorist attacks in the country have killed over 700 people, including 200 soldiers, and displaced thousands of others. The underwater wreckage of the ill-fated RMS Titanic will now be protected by UK and US governments through a special deal signed by the two. The U.S. and U.K. have implemented a formal agreement on how to safeguard and manage the ill-fated steamship's wreckage. YouTube The passed legislation will give the two countries power to grant or deny any licenses that seek to enter the hulls of the wreckage or expeditions to remove artifacts from the outside, said UK Transport Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani, in a statement. "This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives, Ghani said in his statement. The treaty was signed by the UK in 2003 but the US did not ratify it until the end of 2019, added the statement. The ratification is a major step towards the protection of the ship. The agreement concerning the shipwrecked vessel RMS Titanic, sought to sort out and regulate public access, artifact conservation and salvage rights within 1 kilometer of the wreck site, situated hundreds of miles off the coast of Canada in the North Atlantic. Facebook In 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship afloat. The ship's length was 882 feet, 9 inches, and it weighed 46,328 tonnes. Its top speed was 23 knots. The wreckage is located about 350 miles off the southeast coast of Newfoundland. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) attends a House Oversight Committee hearing on high prescription drug prices shortly after her private meeting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, July 26, 2019. Read more Free college sounds great! Who doesnt like free stuff? To make the idea sound even more appealing, advocates continuously cite Europe as an example of success. Many European countries offer their citizens tuition-free higher education, so why cant America? The truth is that free college in Europe is no success story. Rather, it should serve as a cautionary tale for the United States. European-style tuition-free higher education has proved one thing beyond the shadow of a doubt: Free college is actually wildly expensive. Americans already pay a steep price for our higher education system. Taxpayers including those who never went to college and never intend to spend more than $150 billion a year on federal student loans, grants, and other government programs. The increasingly hefty price tag attached to college tuition reflects the fact that colleges have no incentive to keep their prices low because students can so easily take out massive loans from Washington. One of the few factors putting any downward pressure on higher education costs is the growing criticism that universities receive for leaving so many students burdened with massive amounts of student loan debt. Under a fully financed government system, however, universities would receive no such scrutiny. Theyd simply pass the bill to Washington and let lawmakers take the heat from unhappy taxpayers. That cumulative bill would quickly skyrocket. Many European countries that have experimented with free college are finding that approach to be simply unaffordable. Germany, for example, saw a 37% increase in the college subsidy cost to taxpayers once public universities removed tuition. Similarly, England had a free college policy between the 1960s and the 1990s. Enrollment soared, straining government revenues. Ultimately, England had to lower resources by 39% per student. Ultimately, Englands free college policy wound up hurting low-income students the most, as schools were forced to cap the number of students admitted. In fact, according to researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the gap in degree attainment between high- and low-income families more than doubled. European countries that offer tuition-free higher education also struggle with the issue of completion. Finland, for example, ranks first among all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of subsidies for higher education, with 96% of all higher education funding coming from public sources. However, Finland ranks 25th among OECD countries for degree attainment. France famously touts its tuition-free university system. Seldom, however, do its boasts note that almost 50% of French students drop out or fail out after just their first year. It is clear that transferring the entire cost of higher education from students to taxpayers is fraught with unintended consequences. Countries such as England and Poland actually saw significant increases in higher education quality and access after reinstating private tuition payments in their countries. It appears that there is some value in requiring students to invest in their own education. Given the increased tax burdens placed on taxpayers (including those who dont hold degrees), the significant overcrowding, and high dropout rates, European-style free college should largely be considered a public policy failure. The $1.5 trillion in outstanding student loan debt that Americans owe is certainly a crisis. However, the solution to this problem is not to encourage more students to attend who may later drop out, and ask Americans who did not go to college to pay for those who do. This would fuel inefficient higher education spending and weaken the integrity of our colleges and universities. The solution, in America as in Europe, is to put individuals rather than governments in charge of higher education financing. Mary Clare Amselem is a policy analyst in education policy at the Heritage Foundation. A version of this piece was originally published in the Washington Times. J ess Phillips is backing Lisa Nandy for Labour leader, a day after she dropped out of the race, it was reported today. Ms Phillips yesterday abandoned her run as she admitted she would not be able to bring the party together after its cataclysmic election defeat. Today a spokesman said she would vote for Ms Nandy as her first preference and frontrunner Keir Starmer as her second preference. They said: Jess will be backing the candidates who she thinks can bring the party together and win back the trust of the electorate. Who will replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader? 1 /4 Who will replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader? Rebecca Long-Bailey Getty Images Lisa Nandy REUTERS Keir Starmer PA She will be voting for Lisa and Keir. As she has said before, Lisa will be her first preference choice. Speaking on Sky News in her first interview since dropping out, Ms Phillips said Ms Nandy has been "deeply impressive" in her campaign. She added: "I have found that not just on a personal level but I think the public view and the stuff that she has been doing have really made her stand out. "So for me I would be happy if the Labour Party were led by Lisa Nandy or Keir Starmer. I think Lisa Nandy is a brilliant woman and would be a brilliant leader of the Labour Party." She added that on her ballot "I would vote Lisa one and Keir two". TODO: define component type apester Asked why she pulled out of the leadership race, the backbencher said whoever wins "has to be able to unite the unions, unite the membership and also elected representatives". "I think it's fine to give a fair assessment that that person wasn't me." Ms Phillips also hit back at suggestions from some Labour figures the party's next leader had to be a woman. "I wouldn't have voted for a Tory woman to be prime minister, it has to be the right woman and it has to be the right person," she said. Following the announcement Ms Phillips was dropping out, Ms Nandy tweeted: I'm sorry to see Jess drop out. She has made waves, shown great friendship and Ill miss her in this contest. Wigan MP Ms Nandy today attacked New Labour for letting Thatcherite principles continue. She also gave a speech in London, praising Mr Corbyn for breaking the consensus that economic conservatism was a bigger priority than people. Im not going to trash the legacy of the last Labour government because things like the minimum wage were complete game-changers the investment that went into health and education was really important, she told BBC Radio 4s Today. But it is certainly true to say that the consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years. Ms Phillip's backing is a boost for Ms Nandy who yesterday secured a nomination from the GMB union. The endorsement puts Ms Nandy within touching distance of a place on the final ballot paper. Candidates need the nominations of three Labour affiliates, including at least two unions, which amount to at least 5% of affiliate members. The only other route on to the ballot paper is by receiving nominations from at least 33 constituency Labour parties (CLPs). GMB general secretary Tim Roache said: Lisa Nandy is a breath of fresh air in the debate over Labours future. The more members see of Lisa in this contest, the more impressed they will be by her ambition, optimism and decisive leadership. GMB is proud to nominate her. Lisa wont shy away from the tough challenges or bold decisions that lie ahead, because she knows that after 15 years of losing elections, more of the same wont cut it. Ms Nandy, who already had the support of the National Union of Mineworkers, said: Labour is at a crossroads. To win again we will have to up our game, recover our ambition and inspire a movement. The GMB, the biggest industrial union which speaks for more than half a million workers, has been offering that leadership time and time again in recent years. As I seek permission to lead us back to power as Labours next prime minister I could not be more proud to have their support. The GMB also backed shadow education secretary Angela Rayner in the deputy leadership contest. [Editors Note: We are so excited to launch our Community Voices column into 2020 with Morgan Williamss long-form prose. Morgan is a fell runner, ultrarunner, and writer based in northern England. In this column each month, we showcase the work of a writer, visual artist, or other creative type from within our global trail running and ultrarunning community. Our goal is to tell stories about our sport and wildlands in creative and innovative ways. Read more about the concept and submit your work for consideration!] [Authors Note: I borrowed the title of this piece from the English mountaineer Doug Scott. Doug wrote his article, printed in Mountain 15 in 1971, about his ascent of the Salathe Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park with Peter Habeler. This narrative is about a much less vertical trip, but I feel complete understanding with Doug when he wrote: but after the trip I did seem to know positively where to go nextand that was back into society, relaxed, but with a new zest and enthusiasm.] Its hot, by English standards anyway. Im filthy, covered with dust and soil, about six feet below ground, pounding away with a pick axe, trenching tool, and shovel. It is autumn of 2017 and my wife Alison and I are helping to dig the foundations for a new three-story classroom block at Bani Bilas School on the outskirts of Kathmandu in Nepal. The old block was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake that affected significant parts of the country. Fortunately, the block was empty of children and teachers when the earthquake occurred. Good karma. My day job is desk-bound mostly, so these five days of manual labor are a shock to the system. Im part way through recovery from a serious knee injury after a bad running fall in 2016. Two knee ligaments have been repaired, my badly smashed tibia required substantial metalwork to fix multiple breaks, and a second plate mended my broken collarbone. Like I said, a bad running fall. The left knee just doesnt work the way it used to, so every new activity or the reintroduction to old ones has the frisson of uncertainty. I survive the week. We see something of Nepal and its mountains, even if from afar. Best of all, we make some Nepali friends who work in the mountains, and we promise to return. Ive done enough traveling in the East to know that you must go with an open mind. Pico Iyer, born in England of Indian parents and now settled in Japan, writes that: To travel across the globe simply to locate the facilities of the place one has quit would of course be an exercise in perversity (1). Iyer ruminates further on the tourist-local relationship, reminding us that as tourists we are not beleaguered innocents and the locals not shameless predators. To do so is to ignore the great asymmetry that governs every meeting between tourist and local: that we are there by choice and they largely by circumstance; that we are travelling in the spirit of pleasure, adventure and romance, while they are mired in the more urgent business of trying to survive; and that we are often courted by the government, enjoy a kind of unofficial diplomatic immunity, which gives us all the perks of authority and none of the perils of responsibility, while they must stake their hopes on every potential transaction Every foreigner is a messenger from the world of dreams (2). When we return to Nepal, it is important to us to travel well. As we plan our return, we decide that it is best we move through the Himalaya with some help, in case the reconstructed knee causes trouble. No lesser experience we hope. In emails back and forth to our friend, Gokul Thapa, one of the partners in Real Himalaya Pvt Limited who helped arrange the 2017 trip, we debate various options, one of which is to visit the Langtang Himal region, north of Kathmandu, returning by the sacred lakes of Gosainkund. This would be perhaps 16 days of mountain travel, mostly in a designated national park. I discover that English explorer H W (Bill) Tilman, a man who didnt impress easily, explored the Langtang Valley in 1949 and noted: The upper Langtang is a fine open valley, rich in flowers and grass, and flanked by great mountains (3). We also recall that in 2015 Kilian Jornet arrived in Nepal with the intent of reconnoitering Everest just after the earthquake. He and his friends abandoned their Everest intentions to help people in the Langtang Valley. Their film Langtang recording their efforts filled us with horror and sadness, but also with respect for the resilience of the Nepali people. The exhortation in the film to visit to help the local economy get back on its feet is the final push we need to know that Langtang is where we want to visit. In 2019, we finally return to Nepal. Before we head for the mountains, we have time for some sightseeing in Kathmandu. Gokul takes us out for the day. Nepal is a fascinating hodgepodge of religions, especially for the godless like me. Eighty percent of the population is Hindu, 11% are Buddhist with Muslims, Kirants, Christians, and Bon making up the rest of the religious mix. Gokul is a Hindu. An early morning finds us at the Pashupatinath temple complex, dating from the 5th century, dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of power and destruction, which sits on the banks of the Bagmati River and is a sprawl of 518 temples, images, ashrams, and ghats (cremation spots.) Here we find sadhus (religious ascetics who have renounced the worldly life), cows, goats, and always many people. The Bagmati finds its way south and flows into the Ganges. Because it flows into the Ganges, the Bagmati is a holy river. Gokul recalls swimming in the river when he was younger. Now, its in need of a good clean to remove the dead marigold garlands, ashes, bone fragments, and all the detritus of modern life floating along it or marooned on its banks. Close by are the funeral ghats which stretch along the river bank and the temple is almost always thronged with funeral ceremonies. In the immediate aftermath of the 2015 earthquake, victims arrived a dozen every hour and some days there were nearly 200 cremations (4). Despite some reluctance to observe, Gokul guides us through the experience, which is highly colorful by Western standards. According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, a dead body must be dipped three times in the holy Bagmati before cremation, so that the reincarnation cycle may be ended. The chief mourner, usually the first son, who lights the funeral pyre, must take a holy-river bath immediately after the cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also bathe in the river or sprinkle holy water on their bodies at the end of the cremation. The Bagmati spiritually purifies (5). The corpses are loosely wrapped in cloth but are unwrapped for bathing. These are new sights for us both, and a blunt reminder of the impermanence of life. Death is the only true certainty and it is common to us all. The experience reminds us to live our lives today because who knows what tomorrow may bring. That afternoon, Gokul introduces us to our guide who will be our constant companion for the next two weeks or so. Sange Sherpa hails from the lower Solukhumbu District where Everest is located, is solidly built, and has a proper twinkle in his eye. He clearly knows Langtang and Gosainkund well. We break the ice at the Kathmandu Guest House over vegetable and paneer pakoras and a cold beer. Immediately, we feel comfortable and chat away, swapping mountain tales and experiences. We quickly discover that Sange spent five years of his life in a monastery and his Buddhist faith is a cornerstone of his life. Like us, he is itching to get into the mountains. The obligatory jeep ride of seven hours or so takes us to the village of Syabrubesi, where the Langtang and Trisuli Valleys meet and from where we begin our trek. On the way, we collect our porter and the second of our two companions on our trip, Wongchu Sherpa. Its a novelty to have someone carry my kit for me in the mountains and I have some reservations at the prospect. A short reflection suggests I have fallen into the classic Westerners trap: either we cant understand that a system can be different to ours, or we can understand and we cant stop telling those in the other system whats wrong with it. I relax and remember that the trekking and mountaineering seasons are short, the job pays well, and families need to survive the rest of the year. And the metal plate in my right shoulder, smashed in the accident, means I bear heavy weights on it with pain. Rather than take the route deep in the river valley, I persuade Sange that we should take a higher, traverse route into Langtang from Syabrubesi village via Sherpagaon village. Tilman went this way and I feel motivated to follow in his footsteps (6). Our sea-level bodies dont suffer too badly on the initial climb up toward 2,500 meters, and slowly the gigantic scale of the landscape of Langtang Valley becomes apparent. A few hours in, we flush out a mongoose. It is distinctly unhappy at our presence and lets us know that in noisy terms. The climb finally relents, and we crest a ridge and move into the much-anticipated traverse section. There we come across two huge Korean caterpillar-tracked diggers. Looking ahead, as far as we can see, the age-old singletrack has been obliterated under a nascent jeep track. The damage is significant and the slopes below, especially the couloirs, are littered with fresh, loose earth and huge rocks torn from the ancient landscape. Sange is taken aback; we all are. The next kilometers are tinged with anger at what feels like wanton destruction. This triggers a conversation with Sange regarding interaction between national and local government, the body responsible for national parks, and the interests of the people who live here and who have businesses to cater for trekkers and climbers. No good answer comes out of this attempt to understand who makes the decisions, why, and in whose interests. Then Sange mentions the plan for a jeep road to be blasted from Syabrubesi village at 1,500 meters all the way to Langtang village at 3,430 meters, currently a two- or three-day hike. The effect on local businesses will be dramatic. Able to reach Langtang village in a few hours, tourists will come and go in a day. The local lodge owners may sell a few extra lunches but their dinner and bed trade will be hugely reduced. Selfishly perhaps, it begins to dawn on us that we may have to bring forward plans to visit other regions of Nepal. Later, as the day fades, from our elevated position at Sherpagaon village, the valley darkens to black whilst the sky turns a beautiful peachy pink, and all is briefly well with the world once more. Day 2 is a long one. We hike all the way to Langtang village, about 20 kilometers. The weather is warm with no clouds in sight. The river valley is magnificent and a constant delight. But regularly, we cross landslide areas from 2015 which remain unstable and dangerous. We know that late in the day we will walk across the site of where Langtang village used to be. In the 2015 earthquake, several million cubic meters of mountainside slipped off Langtang Lirung, a 7,200-meter mountain, and buried the entire village. Everyone there that morning, over 200 people, died. In Kilians film, he and his friends didnt approach this part of the valley because it was still too dangerous. All day, Kilians film flickers across my memory banks. I have tears in my eyes as we pass through the ruins of the tiny settlement of Ghodatabela, also destroyed in the quake. But these ruined buildings are little preparation for the devastation higher up the valley. The lower slopes of the mountain Langtang Lirung, once wooded and vegetated, are now grey rock. They have been scoured clean of their top surfaces. The valley bottom is an enormous chaos of rock, huge boulders, earth, smashed trees, and vegetation through which we walk. This is the brutal power of nature laid bare. Kilian has a phrase We cant fight nature and its meaning has never been more obvious. For the high mountain people though, life goes on, and the village, now moved up the valley, is re-establishing itself after the tragedy. Life, after all that death. On the third day, our journey onward takes us to Kyanjin, the highest settlement in Langtang Valley at 3,830 meters. The space around us feels endless. The sky is a cerulean blue. The trail wanders through a Buddhist landscape. Small stupas, dome-shaped buildings erected as shrines, are dotted about. Everywhere are long mani walls, with their beautifully inscribed stones. The stones are carved with the six-syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara, om mani padme hum, as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism. Avalokiteshvara means Lord who looks down with compassion and I think how suitable the mantra is in this tragedy-struck place. Sange imparts as much wisdom as he can to help us grasp the significance of what we see and we listen with delight to his quiet, bass-note, morning chants as we progress along the trail. The peace is profound. Wasting no time, and some might say breaking all the rules of acclimatization, our fourth day on the trail see us heading for the summit of Tserko Ri, a small peaklet by Himalayan standards, up-valley and east of Kyanjin village. As we have walked, Sange has grasped something of our mountain background and history, and our respective many years of mountain running. He has also been able to assess our fitness and adaptation to the altitude. We are all content with the decision-making. It is chilly at 5:00 a.m. when we leave Kyanjin and we need our headlamps. Sange has broken out his big coat. Wongchu, the strong man, appears utterly comfortable with his limited kit and, importantly, has the breakfast cheese and honey flat breads in his rucksack. Its a four-layer day for this Northern European. We gain height steadily and pass a few other early starters, including two French women. Nine in the morning finds us on top of the mountain, a smidgen shy of 5,000 meters. It is sunny and windy, but thankfully not brutally cold. The only effect of the altitude is a gentle headache and we continue to drink the copious water we carried with us. From our elevated situation, mountains crowd around us, but even higher: Yubra, Dagpachen, Yala Peak, Shishapangma, Langsisa, Pangen Dopku, Gangchempo, and the Langtang peaks. Faced with such a sight, even the godless must contemplate the intervention of a higher power. There are prayer flags everywhere on the summit, blue for sky, white for air, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for earth. The flags carry the texts of a thousand prayers stitched into the cloth and are intrinsic to Tibetan Buddhism. The wind takes their healing meditations and carries them out over the world. The French women catch us up whilst we indulge in an orgy of photography. They have come to pay their respects to the French people who died in the Langtang village landslide. Sange is able to find a broken-in-half memorial plaque placed up here in memory of them. It seems symbolic that even it is in pieces. This is a somber moment. Death, that most human of experiences, has been an integral part of every day since we arrived in Nepal and the theme continues as we descend from the mountain. One of the delights of being in these mountains is the complete absence of the internal combustion engine. As we descend, we hear the first such noise for days, a helicopter flying up the valley. Later we discover it was headed to Langsisa base camp to retrieve the body of someone who had died from altitude sickness. Tomorrow is never promised, is it? I recall that some Buddhists believe that life is the center of an endless web of moral credits and debits that will end only in death. In these awesome surroundings, I reflect on how my scales might be balanced. After descending the Langtang Valley almost back to Syabrubesi village, largely following our route up, we swing south then southeast and climb again, heading for the sacred lakes at Gosainkund. We are not to escape Lord Shiva. He meditated for several years in the Himalaya and took a bath in the largest of the many lakes and acquired purity of soul. Many Nepalis visit Gosainkund and bathe in this lake in the hope that their sins and sorrows will fade away. The shadow of Shiva is ever-present. We are walking strongly now, so undertake another significant days hike, from the village of Thulo Syabru at 2,200 meters up to the tiny group of lodges at Gosainkund at 4,480 meters. The houses in Thulo are dotted about a giant hillside which has been shaped into hundreds of terraces for cultivating crops. It is a delightful day as we wend our way through a variety of climate zones. The jungle-like lower elevations give way to rhododendron forest then banks of firs. Eventually we pop out above treeline. By now, we seem to swing along at a modest pace but one which covers the ground easily. Our days are intensely physical but were not finding them overly taxing and seem to have hit a sweet spot. We are ruled principally by the coming and going of daylight and how much ground we want to cover. Were smiling a lot. Our last few hours this day are enlivened by our interactions with numerous pilgrims coming toward us who have made the trek from Kathmandu to the sacred lakes. Their beatific smiles and limited clothing and equipment for the altitude suggest they have arrived at a place of deep contentment. We reach the lakes of Gosainkund in the late afternoon and, once we have donned down jackets, stand outside our lodge and watch a magnificent sunset from our high perch. Mother Nature is capable of delivering the sublime, and at a level far beyond human comprehension, design, or replication. In my life most of these moments have taken place in the high mountains. I understand that these sights are why we go, and why I feel that we must continue to return to these high places for as long and as often as we can. The following morning, we climb higher, cross the Laurebina La Pass at 4,600 meters, and begin our four-day descent through delightful terrain to the outskirts of Kathmandu. One morning we look east over a gorgeous landskein with ridge after ridge of mountains stretching away to the horizon. Sange shoots out the names of dozens of peaks, and fights to locate Everest. I smile to myself, recalling Tilmans gently acerbic remark: The identification of very distant peaks is a harmless and fascinating amusement, so long as the results are not taken seriously (7). One evening at the village of Thadepati, the wood-burner in the lodge dining room is broken. As we are the only guests, we are invited into the lodge kitchen with Sange and Wongchu. East meets West head-on at this point. After some reticence from the lodge owner and her daughter-in-law, everyone relaxes and we have an evening we will never forget. The talk flows easily, the food is excellent, and we feel part of the family. Ganesh Himal. Our last night on the trail is spent in a lodge with the name House of the White Snake Lady. It is hard to get to the bottom of this name, but some after-the-event research suggests its named after the Chinese Legend of the White Snake (8). Myths and fairytales respect no border. We only have a few kilometers to walk in the morning, and I am tempted to suggest to Alison that we turn around and walk in reverse to our starting point. We have the inclination but not the time. Reflecting out on the terrace on our time in the mountains, a great sense of well-being comes over me. Two weeks of constant foot travel with my loved one and two fine companions through the mountains has cleansed me somehow. I feel disgustingly fit and healthy. My work and domestic worries have vanished. Im focussing only on essentials. Back in Kathmandu, we have more time to reflect. We have made new friends and experienced first hand one of earths most magnificent landscapes, inhabited by warm-hearted people. Physically, we have both coped perfectly with the terrain and altitude. Two weeks of almost constant movement, up and down, mean that my knee feels better than at any time since the accident 39 months ago. The implications of this sink in. We make our return to the school at Bani Bilas where we dug foundations in 2017. Whilst we were away, Gokul, our friend and Kathmandu-based partner of our trek organizer, took a wadge of our rupees to the school supply store and bought a box of items for us to give to the school; something for all ages as the school takes children from six through to 18. The headmaster and teachers welcome us with the traditional gifts of scarves and hats. The sight of the new three-story classroom block and the new separate toilet facilities is a revelation. Some of the children remember us from 2017. We will never forget this place either. We have traveled well and somehow, a circle feels closed. Back home, after three weeks away, I am immediately smashed back into the maelstrom of work. Within four weeks, my physical and mental health are sliding backward. The intensity of the immediate workload means no runs, and barely any walking. I had hoped the trip would be a springboard to more activity, not less. The rungs of those magnificent Eastern ladders have been smashed to kindling. Im hurtling down an endless Western snake, headed back to square one. The time spent in the mountains improved us both in mind and body. Alison and I talk things through, and change is in the air. Life needs to be re-ordered, priorities shifted. The East has worked its subtle magic on us. After such close contact with destruction, death, and rebirth, maybe I have genuine intimations of mortality. Certainly my life is well more than half done, Alisons too. We resolve to create a life of what passes for perpetual motion. This cant happen tomorrow, but the days of the desk-bound job are strictly numbered, and a less cluttered, less painful future lies ahead. We are on the profundity trail. Call for Comments (from Meghan) Have you ever had such a moving experience in the outdoors that it somehow reset your lifes course? If so, can you share your experience? References Iyer, Video Night in Kathmandu, Bloomsbury 1988 p 8 Iyer, ibid p 15 H W Tilman, Nepal Himalaya, Cambridge University Press, 1952. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32492693 For a piece on the Bagmati see: https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2015/08/01/what-the-river-knows-bagmati-river-nepal Tilman, ibid p 33 Tilman, ibid p 17 The Legend of the White Snake also known as Madame White Snake: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Legend_of_the_White_Snake WASHINGTON House impeachment managers began three days of opening arguments Wednesday afternoon in the Senate trial, aiming to prove that President Trump abused the power of the presidency, obstructed Congress and has so compromised the integrity of the 2020 election that removing him from office is the only valid solution. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the lead impeachment manager, told the Senate that if [Trumps] conduct is not impeachable, then nothing is. All 100 senators sat at their desks for the second day in a row, a highly unusual situation that occurred only because impeachment rules require it. They quietly listened to Schiff begin the Democrats case, convening less than 12 hours after they had left the chamber around 2 a.m. earlier that day following a 13-hour first day in the trial. Schiff, who oversaw the House impeachment inquiry as chair of the Intelligence Committee, began his nearly two and a half hours of opening remarks by thanking Chief Justice John Roberts who is presiding over the trial and the senators for enduring the long day on Tuesday. You heard every word and argument in this impeachment trial, and I know we are all grateful for that. It was an exhausting day, but we have adrenaline going through our veins, and for those who are required to sit and listen, it is a much more difficult task, Schiff said. House impeachment manager Adam Schiff gives opening remarks on the Senate floor during the impeachment trial of President Trump on Wednesday. (Screengrab: Senate TV via Yahoo News) He then switched gears, reading a quote from Alexander Hamilton, expressing the fears of Americas founders that a demagogue might try to rise to power in their burgeoning democracy if not properly constrained by a system of checks and balances. When a man unprincipled in private life is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity it may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion, that he might ride the storm and direct the whirlwind, Schiff said, quoting from what Hamilton wrote in 1792. It was one of eight times Schiff would mention Hamilton in his first hour of remarks. He laid out a historical case for why the founders inserted impeachment into the Constitution. Story continues They feared that a president would subvert our democracy by abusing the awesome power of the office for his own personal or political gain. And so they devised a remedy for the evil it was meant to combat, impeachment, Schiff said. I dont think that impeachment power is a relic. If it is a relic, I wonder how much longer our republic can succeed, he said. The House impeached Trump on Dec. 18 for pressuring the government of Ukraine to investigate the son of Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading candidate to replace Trump as president in the 2020 election. President Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to a strategic partner, at war with Russia, to secure foreign help with his reelection in other words, to cheat, Schiff said. President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting in New York on Sept. 25, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. (Photo: Saul Loeb /AFP via Getty Images) And Schiff made the remarkable assertion that impeachment is necessary because Trumps attempts to solicit Ukrainian interference in the 2020 election have called the integrity of the presidential contest into question. The president's misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won, Schiff said. Americans decide American elections. At least they should, he said. Schiff took to the well of the chamber and began speaking from a lectern a few minutes after the Senate chaplain, Barry Black, opened the session with a prayer asking God to help [senators] remember that patriots reside on both sides of the aisle and that words have consequences. In the moments before the Senate came to order, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell huddled with the presidents lawyer Pat Cipollone. McConnell, gesturing animatedly, spoke for several minutes while Cipollone listened with his arms crossed and his head slightly bowed. McConnell pointed, patted Cipollone on the arm and pumped his fist, an unusual show for the normally restrained Republican leader. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer playfully leaned over and cupped his hand to his ear for a moment. Cipollone had a less than stellar showing Tuesday in the first day of trial proceedings, apparently caught off guard by Schiffs aggressive prosecution of the case against Trump from the beginning of what many thought would be a sleepy debate over the rules of the trial. White House counsel Pat Cipollone during impeachment proceedings in the Senate. (Screengrab: Senate TV handout via Yahoo News) On Wednesday, Cipollone and the rest of his legal team had no role other than to sit and listen to Schiff and the other House managers make their arguments. The House managers have 24 hours over three days to make their opening arguments, and then on Saturday, Cipollone and Trumps team will get their turn and have the same amount of time available to them. Its not known yet whether the presidents lawyers will use all three days available to them. After they conclude their opening arguments, senators will have two days to ask questions submitted in writing to the chief justice and after that the Senate will debate whether to allow witnesses and subpoena documents from the White House. Schiff took a more deliberate, measured and at times low-key approach in his second day of arguments. Yet Republicans were already demonstrating impatience with Schiffs lengthy speeches. When he hit the two-hour mark, several Republican senators were standing in the back of the chamber, stretching their legs. A few were out of the chamber altogether and in the cloakroom, despite Senate impeachment rules that require them to be at their desks. The Republicans thought Schiff was wrapping up. Instead, he said he was turning to a new topic, and an audible groan went up among the Republicans. Jay Sekulow, one of the lawyers on Trumps legal team, told reporters that Schiffs lengthy speech made his arguments less persuasive. The more they do this, two-and-a-half-hour events at a time, it undercuts their entire argument, Sekulow said. The good news is we only have 22 more hours to go, and then well go. President Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow during opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday. (Screengrab: U.S. Senate TV/handout via Reuters) Schiff, near the end of his presentation, put Trumps actions in a larger geopolitical and historical context. If we do not say clearly that this behavior is unacceptable and impeachable, we also undermine our global standing as a country long viewed as a model for democratic ideals worth emulating, he said. Schiff added that Ukraine is a crucial ally in the struggle against the autocracy represented by Vladimir Putins Russia. Ukraine, he said, is the de facto proving ground for just the types of hybrid warfare that the 21st century will become defined by cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, efforts to undermine the legitimacy of state institutions. If we allow the president of the United States to pursue his political and personal interests rather than the national interests, we send a message to our European allies that our commitment to a Europe free and whole is for sale to the highest bidder, Schiff said. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said she hoped that at least a few of her Republican colleagues were absorbing Schiffs arguments. I kept looking at my colleagues, thinking, Are you listening? This is wrong, Klobuchar told CNN. But some Republican senators signaled that they had no intention of taking the impeachment proceedings seriously. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., placed a crossword puzzle on his desk at the beginning of the proceedings. Before Schiff had said a word, Paul tweeted, The more we hear from Adam Schiff, the more the GOP is getting unified against this partisan charade! _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Another telephone scam is going around Dauphin County, in which the victims are threatened with fines for missing jury duty. Dauphin County district attorney Fran Chardo issued a warning on Wednesday, saying county residents were being targeted by the phone scam, which has been seen before but has had a recent resurgence. The scammers claim the person owes a fine for failing to appear at jury duty and that failure to pay would result in an arrest warrant being issued, Chardo warned. The scammers then instruct residents on how to buy and load a MoneyPak card. Scammers are able to steal the balance of the card electronically. These scammers can manipulate caller ID so that it appears the call originates from a county office, Chardo said. Jury duty notifications, including failure to appear notices, are almost exclusively delivered by mail, Chardo said. The only reason a prospective juror might receive a phone call would be from court administration or the jury managers office in the event of needing to reschedule. A prospective juror would never be asked to make a payment of any kind over the phone, Chardo said. Court staff would also never ask for a prospective jurors social security number. Anyone with information on these scams is asked to call Detective Roxanne Snider of the Dauphin County District Attorneys Criminal Investigation Division at 717-780-6216. Read more on PennLive: Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77. The actor and comedian, who had dementia, directed some of the comedy troupes most-loved works, including Life Of Brian. He appeared in TV series Monty Pythons Flying Circus in a variety of characters, and was known for his performances in drag. Expand Close John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam (PA) In 2016 it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with dementia. A statement on behalf of his family said: We are deeply saddened to have to announce the passing of beloved husband and father, Terry Jones. Terry passed away on the evening of 21 January 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good humoured battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD. Over the past few days his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in North London. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humour has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades. His work with Monty Python, his books, films, television programmes, poems and other work will live on forever, a fitting legacy to a true polymath. Video of the Day We, his wife Anna, children Bill, Sally, Siri and extended family would like to thank Terrys wonderful medical professionals and carers for making the past few years not only bearable but often joyful. We hope that this disease will one day be eradicated entirely. The statement added: We ask that our privacy be respected at this sensitive time and give thanks that we lived in the presence of an extraordinarily talented, playful and happy man living a truly authentic life, in his words Lovingly frosted with glucose. The Welsh-born star suffered from primary progressive aphasia, which affects the ability to communicate. Jones directed Monty Python And The Holy Grail in 1975 with Terry Gilliam. Expand Close John Cleese and Terry Jones in rehearsals for their Monty Python Live show in 2014 (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Cleese and Terry Jones in rehearsals for their Monty Python Live show in 2014 (PA) The groups Life Of Brian film in 1979, about a hapless man mistaken for Jesus, was attacked as blasphemous at the time but has since been voted the funniest classic comedy in a poll compiled by the magazine Total Film. On-screen, his much-loved characters included Arthur Two Sheds Jackson, Cardinal Biggles of the Spanish Inquisition and Mr Creosote, the monstrously obese restaurant patron. Jones also directed The Meaning Of Life in 1983, the Pythons last film together. Sir Michael Palin has said Terry Jones was kind, generous, supportive and passionate about living life to the full. John Cleese has also paid tribute: It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away He added: Two down, four to go. "And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin mint" One of Terry Jones' Top 10 Monty Python Movie Moments... Mr. Creosote: https://t.co/LTh2ZnyxcR Monty Python (@montypython) November 13, 2019 Jones' other credits include The Wind In The Willows in 1996, with performances from Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and John Cleese, 2015 comedy Absolutely Anything and Personal Services (1987). He took part in a reunion of remaining Monty Python members in 2014 Graham Chapman had died of cancer in 1989. He had two children with Alison Telfer, who he married in 1970, and became a father again, at the age of 67, with second wife Anna Soderstrom. Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor fired a fresh salvo at the BJP on Wednesday, daring Union Home Minister Amit Shah to "go ahead and try implementing" the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register for Citizens which the latter had "audaciously announced to the nation". Kishor, who is the national vice president of the JD(U), is helping Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party for the upcoming assembly polls even though his own party headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has tied up with the BJP to take on the less than a decade old party. "Being dismissive of citizens dissent couldnt be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you dont care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why dont you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation!", Kishor wrote on his twitter handle. The 42-year-old, whose first claim to fame was his handling of Narendra Modis spectacularly successful election campaign in 2014, made the remarks in the backdrop of Shahs assertion at a pro-CAA rally in Lucknow that "CAA is here to stay and it will not be taken back", country-wide protests by opposition parties and others notwithstanding. The Bihar BJP was, expectedly, rankled by the latest outbursts of Kishor, who joined the JD(U) about two years ago, got elevated to the top party post within weeks, and has been taking a public stand on the burning issue that has embarrassed the NDA. "There is no move on #NRC by the Govt but #CAA is now a legislation made by Parliament. Respect the Constitution. Dont worry. The Supreme Court has agreed to listen to the voice of dissent. Just to satisfy the professional ego and political frustration why creating hue and cry", state BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said replying to Kishors tweet. "You have all the right to disagree but selective propaganda on religious lines to suit the Congi (sic) style of Muslim appeasement must not be encouraged. The Gazette notification to start the process of #NPR and implement #CAA is published. Won't be taken back at any cost, Anand added. The JD(U) did not react to Kishor's comment. Party leaders are refraining from saying anything on the poll strategist-politician's assertions in recent times. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hyderabad: Telangana State became the first in the country to deploy facial recognition technology for voting on Wednesday. In spite of opposition by activists, the controversial technology was deployed at 10 polling stations spread over four wards in Kompally Municipality. The State Election Commission (SEC) had called this a pilot project to assess the feasibility of facial recognition for voter identification. If it succeeds, the technology is expected in the upcoming GHMC elections. However, activists and a few politicians have decried the move. They point out that currently there is no law that governs the collection, storage or deletion of personal and biometric data of users. Without such a law, they say, the technology could be misused. The voters at these polling stations were authenticated using a specially-designed app loaded on a mobile phone. Their data was preloaded from the EPIC Voter-ID database for comparison and authentication. Speaking to mediapersons, Kompally municipal commissioner MNR Jyothi said, This is only a trial. If a voters authentication does not happen via the app, an official will verify his credentials manually, like it has been done always. She added that Telangana State Technology Services (TSTS) officials, who handle the back-end infrastructural support for the technology, were present at each of the 10 booths for support in case something went wrong. Jyothi said that if the technology worked well, it would be useful for future polling. It will pr-event malpractice, double voting, duplicate voting and so on, she said. Activists criticised it. Srinivas Kodali, an independent internet rese-archer, tweeted that TS IT department had become opaque in the name of innovation. Fundamental right to privacy has been violated, says Owaisi The previous day, criticism of facial recognition came from AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Taking exception to the SECs decision, he asked if voters had consented to being recorded while entering a polling booth. What law permits the use of this technology? Are there safeguards to prevent the misuse of this data? he asked. On Twitter, he said, Right to privacy is a fundamental right and it cannot be violated so brazenly. The party also presented a letter to the SEC, asking it to not use the technology since it violated the guidelines on privacy laid down by the Supreme Court in the Puttuswamy judgement. A hunter, identified as Kehinde Edward, was reportedly shot on the head by a colleague, Kehinde Adeleke, while on hunting expedition in a forest in Osun State. It was also gathered that the hunters in the company of others went on hunting expedition in a forest in Ere Ijesa, a town in Oriade Local Government Area of the state, Saturday evening. It was gathered that few minutes after the hunters started shooting at animals in the forest, the deceased voice was overheard by fellow hunters, who rushed towards his direction. On getting to where he was, it was gathered, his lifeless body was found with gun injury on his head. The hunters, according to a source, developed cold feet and returned to the town to inform community heads of the incident. Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Folasade Odoro, said the incident occurred around 4:30 pm on Saturday. She said the deceased was shot by his colleague while hunting in the bush in Ere Ijesa. According to her, the body of the deceased has been recovered and deposited in the morgue of Wesley Guild Hospital in Ilesa. The Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, has ordered an investigation into the matter, she said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Rev. LeRoy Haynes, Jr. and Will Layng Haynes is chairman of the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform. Layng is the executive director of Portland Jobs with Justice. We need a police force that treats all citizens justly without regard to the color of their skin. Over and over in Portland, we see police officers using excessive and deadly force and shooting unarmed individuals especially people of color and those with mental illness. Over and over, we see police escape discipline for their actions. The upcoming contract negotiations between the city of Portland and the Portland Police Association, the union representing officers, provide a critical opportunity to create a more just community for all. The unjustified 2003 killing of Kendra James, a young black woman, by Portland Police sparked advocates for social justice to actively engage in efforts to reform the bureau. Since then, the high-profile deaths of James Chasse, who died after two Portland officers and a Multnomah sheriffs deputy tackled and beat him, and Aaron Campbell, shot by a police sniper with his hands behind his head to comply with police orders, led to the U.S. Department of Justice investigation of the police bureau, followed by a federal settlement agreement that issued a reform order for the bureau. Since then we have seen some progress, but also stagnation and retrenchment in efforts to transform the police bureau into a 21st century community policing bureau that treats all Portlanders fairly and justly. As longtime supporters of workers and unions, as well as organizers in communities suffering police violence, we are encouraged to see the increasing support among unions for reform of our criminal justice system. The September 2019 Oregon AFL-CIO convention encouraged union leadership on criminal justice reform and committed to work on initiatives that create fairness and justice for marginalized communities. Our efforts for community centered change in the Portland Police Association contract parallel similar efforts in places like Austin, Texas, where a community coalition worked together and won real community oversight over police. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500-700 words on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. Here in Portland, 27 different organizations united on key community demands in this years police contract negotiations. We need a contract that supports an improved system of civilian oversight. In deadly force cases, an independent civilian agency must have explicit jurisdiction to evaluate whether the officer violated bureau policies with the ability to compel testimony and recommend discipline of officers. A new contract also must allow the city to hold officers accountable. The city must be able to fire officers who have used excessive force or exhibited racism or other oppression against Portlanders. Provisions in the current contract severely limit the scope of misconduct investigations and narrowly restrict how discipline is handled. Police officers should be subject to mandatory drug testing for steroids and illegal substances. Currently, police have random drug testing but there is no process for testing after use of force incidents. There are great moral reasons to support a community centered police contract. Trust and confidence are essential to effective community policing, yet the bureaus own polling shows that 71% of all Portlanders, and 85% of African-American Portlanders do not have a high level of trust in police. Alarm bells up should be ringing at the bureau that should drive real engagement with our communitys demands in the negotiations this year. As Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner recently indicated, because police officers are given legal authority to use deadly force, they should be held to a higher standard. The upcoming contract negotiations will be a test of what, exactly, the police association means by a higher standard. We demand a community centered contract that will improve our police bureau and build trust in the community. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States Wed, January 22, 2020 14:08 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607d765 2 Entertainment Britain,royals,HBO-Max,Meghan-Markle,Prince-Harry Free A British royal family satire featuring a cartoon Prince George and his "modern Aunt Meghan" is coming to HBO Max, the streaming platform announced Tuesday. The animated comedy will be based on a popular Instagram parody account which imagines a young George's scathing reactions to news stories about Meghan and the wider royal family. It will portray the Windsors through "the eyes of a young Prince George," and feature notable characters in his life including "his modern Aunt Meghan and Uncle Harry". The announcement comes days after Harry and Meghan's shock exit from life as working royals. Prince Harry jetted out from Britain to join Meghan in Canada on Monday, as they start their new life at a luxury house outside Victoria on Vancouver Island. Gary Janetti, whose credits include Family Guy and Will & Grace, will write and executive produce The Prince. Janetti's Instagram account, which regularly features memes of Prince George, has more than 880,000 followers. A recent post linked to an article about Harry and Meghan losing their royal titles featured a shocked-looking George with the caption: "Oh my God, theyll be... people." Read also: 'The Crown' welcomes its new royals in Season 3 launch Another written soon after "Megxit" featuring a photo of George with his parents and sister had the caption: "Also, that wedding sucked." The show will feature the voices of Orlando Bloom, Alan Cumming and Tom Hollander. "We're so excited to bring the world Gary's created on Instagram over to HBO Max, where our viewers can discover what his Instagram fans already know - that George can be hilarious, shocking, and surprisingly sweet," said HBO Max original content head Sarah Aubrey. The show is billed as "a biting, satirical look at the life of Prince George," following him "from the 775 rooms of Buckingham Palace to his family's sea of corgis to primary school with commoners." It will air on upcoming streaming platform HBO Max, which is set to be launched by WarnerMedia in May, and will also feature the new prequel to Game of Thrones. "I'm thrilled to be working at HBO Max and bringing them yet another series about a family ruthlessly fighting for the throne," said Janetti. No launch date for The Prince -- produced by 20th Century Fox Television -- has been announced. TACOMA, Wash., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Bank today announced that through its Warm Homes grant campaign, the bank is providing two one-time grants for $25,000 each to organizations in Idaho and Washington working toward affordable housing solutions. To date, Columbia has provided $250,000 through the Warm Homes campaign. This year, Priest River Ministries Advocates for Women of Priest River in Idaho and Vine Maple Place of Maple Valley, Washington will receive the grants. The bank's Warm Homes program provides funding for current or new entrepreneurial transitional or permanent affordable housing solutions. These solutions work in concert with additional programs and services targeted at lifting low income or underserved families and individuals out of the cycle of homelessness. "We are pleased to add two more deserving organizations to our Warm Homes grant program," said David Moore Devine, Columbia's executive vice president and chief marketing and experience officer. "Each of the organizations were selected for their entrepreneurial approach and their deep commitment to reducing homelessness through warm, safe and sustainable housing." "The mission of Vine Maple Place is to break the generational cycle of homelessness," said Michelle Frets, executive director. "Columbia Bank's Warm Homes campaign is providing us with an amazing gift to continue our mission today and into the future." About Columbia Headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, Columbia Banking System, Inc. is the holding company of Columbia Bank, a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial bank with locations throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. For the 13th consecutive year, the bank was named as one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces," and for the 8th consecutive year Columbia has been ranked as one of the nation's best banks by Forbes. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at www.columbiabank.com. Media Contact: Financial Profiles, Inc. Marla Kertzman [email protected] (209) 852 9027 SOURCE Columbia Bank Related Links http://www.columbiabank.com Premier urges public not to panic after 1st Wuhan virus case confirmed ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2020 10:54 PM Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Premier Su Tseng-chang () on Tuesday urged the public to remain calm and not panic after Taiwan reported the first confirmed case of a new type of coronavirus earlier in the day, carried by a Taiwanese woman who was recently in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. On his Facebook page, Su said Taiwan has 44 million surgery masks and 1.93 million N95 particulate respirator masks that will be released onto the market if necessary. "Please don't panic," Su said. "Also please don't hoard masks." Su said during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the government will watch closely how the situation develops, while advising Taiwanese people to enjoy the holiday, which starts on Thursday and runs through Jan. 29. In the first confirmed case, a Taiwanese woman who works in Wuhan reported to quarantine officials at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport that she had a fever on returning Monday, according to an epidemic response command center established Monday to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The woman was immediately placed in quarantine and later tested positive for the pneumonia-like virus dubbed the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the center said. At the end of last year, an unspecified type of pneumonia broke out in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. As of Tuesday, Beijing had confirmed almost 300 cases, with at least six dead. In addition to efforts by the government to prevent the spread of the unspecific coronavirus, Su said, the Cabinet is also gearing up to prevent the impact of African Swine fever and help people return home for the new year holiday. "Safeguarding the health of the people, protecting Taiwan's pork and allowing people to return home safely are the Executive Yuan's top priorities during the holiday," Su said in his Facebook post. "The government will not relax for even one moment." Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has upgraded its travel alert for Wuhan by raising its travel advisory to the highest level in its three-tier system following the first confirmed case of coronavirus originally from the Chinese city. In response to the upgraded travel advisory, the Tourism Bureau said tourists are eligible for a refund from travel agencies that have arranged their trips to Wuhan if they choose not to go. Alternatively, tourists may also be asked by travel agencies to postpone their travel plans or change their destinations, the bureau said. In the event of disputes, customers can file a complaint with the bureau or the Travel Quality Assurance Association. Following the first confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus, carriers in Taiwan have come up with measures to protect their passengers. Among them, China Airlines, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, said it has stepped up efforts to disinfect blankets used by passengers on flights from Wuhan, while broadcasting educational films to increase passengers' awareness of the new virus. For its part, EVA Airways, another large international Taiwanese carrier, said all its flights have surgery masks and N95 masks, adding that all flights will be thoroughly disinfected after journeys. In the meantime, Lion Travel, one of the largest travel agencies in Taiwan, said it and its subsidiary UPlan Travel will stop taking tours to Hubei by the end of February so consumers who have purchased tours to the Chinese province that depart after February will be eligible for a refund. South East Travel Service said it previously stopped all tours to Wuhan in January and February, but has now also canceled tours originally scheduled to depart in March. (By Elaine Hou, Chen Chih-chung, Yu Hsiao-han and Frances Huang) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BS Yediyurappa-led government of on Wednesday invited global business leaders to the 'Invest 2020' Summit in Bengaluru in November. The chief minister, who is at Davos to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting, announced the dates for the summit, November 3-5, at an event in this Swiss ski resort town. A team of senior officials of the state government also showcased various steps taken to make a better place to do business and invited global companies to come to the state. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also asked the global companies who are participating in the WEF 2020 to invest in Karnataka and said the Yediyurappa government was working with a single mission of taking the state high. San Francisco, Jan 22 : Telecom major Vodafone has joined the list of top companies which have backed out from Facebook's controversial Libra cryptocurrency project. Vodafone joins PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, Mercado Pago, eBay, Stripe and Booking Holdings in withdrawing from the controversial project -- and is the first company to exit after the Libra Association was formed in October last year, Coindesk reported on Tuesday. The companies have left owing to concerns about heightened regulatory scrutiny and users' data privacy. "We can confirm that Vodafone is no longer a member of the Libra Association. Although the makeup of the Association members may change over time, the design of Libra's governance and technology ensures the Libra payment system will remain resilient," the Libra Association said in a statement. "The Association is continuing the work to achieve a safe, transparent, and consumer-friendly implementation of the Libra payment system." Despite top-notch firms pulling out, Facebook and 20 partner organisations formally joined the digital currency Libra project in Geneva in October. The Libra Association said that more than 1,500 entities have expressed an interest in joining the digital currency project. Several US senators have opposed Facebook's digital coin, arguing that the social networking giant has been irresponsible with user data privacy. They have even called the digital cryptocurrency Libra "delusional" and "dangerous". Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress in October about Libra, defending the idea, but acknowledging the struggles left to overcome. In a six-hour grilling at a House Financial Services Committee hearing, both Democrat and Republican lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with Facebook's cryptocurrency plans. "As I have examined Facebook's various problems, I have come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial for all if Facebook concentrates on addressing its many existing deficiencies and failures before proceeding any further on the Libra project," said California Representative Maxine Waters. "Facebook's internal motto was for a long time 'move fast and break things.' Mr. Zuckerberg, we do not want to break the international monetary system," added New York Democrat Nydia VelAizquez. Libra has failed in its current form, according to the President of Switzerland. In a media interview, Swiss President and Finance Minister Ueli Maurer stated that Libra does not have a chance of being successful "because the basket of currencies that is deposited in this currency is not accepted by the national (central) banks". "The project in this form has actually failed," Maurer was quoted as saying. The Libra project, which is still in development, aims for the launch of its first version this year. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chinese health authorities are adopting the strictest prevention and control measures for the new strain of coronavirus that has caused a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, as the pathogen continues to spread. On Monday, 77 new confirmed cases of the virus 2019nCoV were reported on the Chinese mainland, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 291, six of whom died, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday afternoon. Among the new cases, 72 were reported in Hubei province, two in Shanghai and three in Beijing. In addition, 27 suspected cases were reported on Monday, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 54, the commission said. Taiwan health authorities said on Tuesday said a woman of about 50 years of age was confirmed to be infected with the virus, the first such case on the island. In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, no confirmed cases were reported as of Tuesday evening, but the number of suspected cases rose to 118 as of Tuesday noon, according to official data. Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, reported 60 new cases on Monday and two additional fatalities a 66yearold man and 48yearold woman. Both of them died on Monday due to multiple organ failure, the Wuhan Health Commission said. The total death toll from the virus climbed to six, all in Wuhan. Zhong Nanshan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a prominent expert on respiratory diseases, said existing evidence shows the new virus can spread from human to human, and the epidemic may spread further, given that China will see a massive human migration during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday. The source of the infection has not been located, and its means of transmission is not clear. Health experts agree the possibility exists for mutation of the virus, according to the National Health Commission. Amid the severe situation, China is ramping up efforts in several areas. On Monday, President Xi Jinping ordered that resolute efforts should be made to curb the spread of the virus, stressing putting people's safety and health as the top priority. Premier Li Keqiang chaired a State Council executive meeting on Monday to coordinate measures. He called for all related authorities to fully estimate the situation and increase cooperation among government departments. Li ordered stricter preventive measures at hospitals and better protection for medical workers. The Wuhan Health Commission reported on Tuesday morning that 15 medical workers in the city have been infected. Also on Tuesday, the National Health Commission listed the pneumonia caused by the virus among Grade B infectious diseases, a category that includes such major infectious diseases as SARS, AIDS and polio. Currently, however, the new virus will be treated as a Grade A infectious disease, which requires the strictest prevention and control measures, including mandatory quarantine of patients and medical observation for those who have had close contact with patients, according to the commission. At present, only two infectious diseases bubonic plague and cholera are classified as Grade A infectious diseases in China. Wang Yuedan, an immunology professor at Peking University, said managing the new disease as Grade A will greatly help in its control and prevention. Some other serious infectious diseases, such as SARS, are also classified as Grade B infectious diseases, but have been managed as Grade A infectious diseases during their outbreaks, Wang said. On Tuesday, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang called on locals not to leave the city and people from outside not to come to Wuhan if there's no particular need. "Less human migration can reduce the spread of the virus, easing the pressure of prevention and control of the disease," he told China Central Television. Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong asked on Tuesday for full efforts to monitor and report the outbreak. He said no delayed reports or coverups would be tolerated, and he asked for better public communication to respond to public concerns. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization said in a statement that sustained humantohuman transmission may exist, and warned more cases of the virus could appear in China and outside in the coming days, given travel patterns and increased testing. The Chinese government is sharing information regularly and working closely with the WHO, it said, adding that a team of WHO experts are working with health officials in Wuhan in response to the virus. "The WHO encourages all countries to continue preparedness activities," WHO China said. Although much remains to be understood about 2019nCoV, including how it is transmitted, the clinical features of the disease, its severity, the extent to which it has spread and its source progress is underway, it said. China, along with other affected countries, will attend an emergency committee meeting convened by the WHO on Wednesday to share information about the disease, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday. Representatives from a number of countries, the WHO and relevant experts will make accurate assessments about the outbreak, Geng told a daily news conference. Prince Harry and Meghan Markles battle to keep their private lives out of the media spotlight has been made ten times worse by their move to Canada, experts have warned. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan are on Vancouver Island preparing to forge a financially independent new life for themselves and their eight-month-old son Archie, after stepping back from royal duties. Harry and Meghan have made things worse for their relationship with the media in their Canada move, a former royal editor has said. (PA Images) However, within days of trying to set up their new life, the couple issued a legal warning to the media after various outlets published paparazzi shots of Meghan walking her dogs in a park on Vancouver Island with Archie. Harry was also snapped within minutes of his plane touching down in Canada on Monday. They have also claimed attempts have been made to picture them in their home with long range lenses and paparazzi have been permanently camped outside their home. Privacy laws in the province of British Columbia mean that they could potentially sue if their photo is taken in a public place. Duncan Larcombe, who worked as the Suns royal editor for more than a decade, said the move to Canada will not stop the pair from being photographed - adding that their deteriorating relationship with the press is making things worse for them. Among the issues the Sussexes have created, he says, is withdrawing from the royal rota system that previously gives them a direct line to royal correspondents, which could allow them to stop unwanted paparazzi photos appearing in the media. He told Yahoo News UK: By burning those bridges, all that goodwill thats been bought up over the years - Harry has taken a sledgehammer to those agreements by saying they were hounded, the British public is racist, it is all awful, woe is me. Well thats fine, but he now finds himself thousands of miles from the UK dealing with photographers who have absolutely no qualms about hiding in a bush and taking his photograph, or photos of Meghan out for a walk with Archie. Harry, Meghan and baby Archie. (Henk Kruger/African News Agency via AP, Pool) They dont care, why should they? As far as theyre concerned hes just another famous face like Brad Pitt or George Clooney - theres no royal factor whatsoever. Story continues Having burned all his bridges with the British royal (press) corps - well, whos going to actually turn round and say is it alright to run this picture or will it upset Harry? Its a two-way relationship that Harrys walked out on. Legal differences While British Columbia's lush landscape and mild climate likely helped lure the Sussexes to hunker down there indefinitely, the provinces privacy laws probably didnt hurt either. Markles lawyers filed a cease-and-desist to British media outlets this week, threatening legal action if they published photos of her taken recently while she was walking with her son and dogs on Vancouver Island. Daniel Reid, a Vancouver-based lawyer at Harper Grey who specialises in privacy laws, says Markle would have an easier time going to court in British Columbia over privacy issues, than in most other parts of the country. Thats because since 1996, the province has enforced the Privacy Act, which allows people to sue for breach of privacy. The act states that someone can sue for damages if they feel that their privacy is breached unreasonably. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the annual WellChild Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. (PA Images) Just because someones a public figure or in a public space, doesn't mean that cant have expectations of privacy, he told Yahoo Canada. The issue is whats a reasonable expectation of privacy in the circumstances. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have a limited expectation of privacy in certain circumstances, especially if theyre attending public events. However, they may feel like their privacy is being breached if photographers are taking unauthorised photos of them on their property, or with a drone. It always turns on this idea of whats reasonable in the circumstances, Reid says. He explains that B.C.s Privacy Act makes an exception in some cases, like reporting on matters of public interest. However, that doesnt apply if the matter being reported on is obtained in a way that violates privacy. Surveillance or eavesdropping can absolutely be a violation of privacy under the privacy act here in B.C., he says. Most other provinces in the country dont have a privacy act like in B.C. In Ontario, for example, you can sue for lack of privacy but through the common law, which is still developing the terms of what that means. Pointless exercise Mark Stephens, a solicitor who specialises in media law and human rights at Howard Kennedy, says the royal couples international appeal will always make them targets. Even if photos taken of them in Vancouver are not used by Canadian media, and if they manage to successfully convince British papers to not publish photos in what they deem to be private situations, there are still other countries with varying privacy laws that will allow the photographers and news outlets to profit. Mark Stephens said going for the British press is not the answer to Harry and Meghan's troubles. (PA Images) ...Theres a much more broad market on the global level, so you can publish those images in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, other major Commonwealth jurisdictions where theres an interest in the family, but their privacy laws are not as robust or developed as they are in Europe or indeed in Canada. Until you solve the problem - the rather bellicose statements being sent by Harry and Meghans lawyers in London to British newspapers rather exacerbated the situation yesterday. ...What they did is draw attention to the problem, rather than dealing with the fundamental of the problem, which is suing the photographers, the freelance paparazzi in Vancouver. They tried to threaten the British newspapers. But that was a pointless exercise because there are papers all over the world that would be quite happy to publish them, and websites. As a consequence of that you havent removed the economic incentive of the photographers to continuously take the images and sell them in places around the world, where they still can. He said unless the economic incentive for photographers is removed, or if successful legal action is taken against photographers, then the problem will persist because they have something that they view rightly or wrongly as a commercial product which they will sell. Stephens said he believed the Sussexes have taken into account the Canadian media, which is not as intrusive or celebrity focused as perhaps it is in the UK, and said domestic press there are more likely to cover them when it is legitimately in the public interest. Making a bad situation ten times worse The only thing that will stop the British press running those pictures like Meghan yesterday is public opinion, Duncan says. But even that, is not a guarantee. ...History tells us even at the height of Princess Dianas battles with the press members of the public were happy to say Oh, they should leave her alone and then go out and buy Hello magazine, and let the sales of the tabloids soar every time she was put on the front page. Harry and Meghan may have made things worse as they try to get away from negative press headlines, Duncan Larcombe believes. (PA Images) So Harry cannot rely on the decision making of the British public because they are hypocritical. By extracting himself from past arrangements with the press - which the Sussexes feel have been to their detriment - the only action Harry can take is to fire off legal letters and bleat about his privacy, Duncan adds. The danger is that by going to Canada they have made a bad situation ten times worse. He said a system like the royal rota arrangement - which has allowed Prince William and Prince Harry to convince editors not to publish photos of their girlfriends that were obtained by paparazzi in the past - could have been used by Harry and Meghan when they arrived in Vancouver, had they stayed part of it. That way, Harry could have accepted his arrival was newsworthy but had leverage with the press to prevent photography of the couple being an every day occurrence - and that conversation should have been had with editors, not through lawyers. He pointed to pictures of Kate Middleton visiting a supermarket days after her wedding to William in 2011, which were published at the time. Mr Larcombe said the Royal Family could use arrangements with the media to prevent the Duchess of Cambridge being photographed whenever she left the house. (PA Images) The palace was worried it would set a precedent of the Duchess of Cambridge being pictured every time she stepped out of the house, but when photographers tried to sell photos of her at a supermarket again, newspaper editors felt there was no news value in it. He said that paparazzi photos of the royals are rejected at least 70% of the time. When they appear in the newsroom a call is put into the palace, where a discussion takes place as to whether it is acceptable to publish it. I hope for his sake he is able to realise his dream of being left alone but I cant see how, Duncan said. If I was advising him a few months ago, when he was mooting the idea, Id say, Harry, if you do that its not going to change a thing, it just means youre going to have pine trees and a Canadian backdrop behind you rather than Windsor, tragic though that is. Chinas interest in Indias automobile sector could be tactical, getting a foot in the door because an opportunity presented itself. Finally, some great news! Indias fastest-growing financial subscriptions service, Moneycontrol Pro, is available both on the website and mobile apps. Moneycontrol Pro offers curated markets data, independent equity analysis, insights into investment styles and exclusive trading recommendations. In sum, all the information you need for wealth creation. Bank of America fund manager survey: Global tail risk shifts from trade war to US elections Investors may be wondering if domestic equities are overheating. Heres a take on global investors view on emerging markets (EMs). The EMs are the most favoured region for global fund managers, finds the January 2020 survey by Bank of America. Does that mean theres still room for the rally to continue? Read here to find out. Investors should keep a watch on Chinas growing interest in Indias auto market Chinas interest in Indias automobile sector could be tactical, getting a foot in the door because an opportunity presented itself. If thats the case, the major incumbents may have nothing much to worry. After all, both acquisitions made by Chinese companies are thanks to GM deciding to exit India. But it could be strategic too. Read here to know more. Budget 2020 Chart Point | Why private sector capex needs to pick up The government has been doing the heavy lifting on capital expenditure. But thats not sustainable. Read here for todays chart that looks at why the private sector needs to step up to the plate. Ideas for Profit | HDFC AMC posts strong performance in Q3, should investors buy? HDFC AMCs performance was very good but its valuations are expensive too. The mutual fund industry is growing in size and HDFC AMCs AUM mix is favourable. Read here to know if the stock is still worth adding to your portfolio. Infrastructure: A great opportunity or a great myth? The Budget season is back and the infrastructure theme, which typically gets the highest attention during this period, is again doing the rounds in the market. Read here for our analysts take on the sector and how you should deal with all the noise surrounding this sectors investment potential. Federal Bank Navigating troubled waters well Federal Banks asset quality improved in Q3 and slippages were largely from the identified pool of accounts. The conscious effort to shift the book towards retail and less risky assets is good. Its deposit franchise warrants more attention, going forward. Read here to know why our analyst thinks this stock inspires confidence. Picks from our technical analysts (Please click on security name to access recos) HDFC Axis Bank Bank Nifty Mindtree BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - There is a bit of confusion surrounding voter registration in Butte County. Some voters are getting a notice to re-register. Several people who identify as "No Party Preference" got a postcard early January, saying you can either vote Democrat, American Independent or the Libertarian Party. The postcard didn't give voters an option to choose Republican, Green and Peace and Freedom parties because they did not allow crossover voting, according to Butte County Clerk-Recorder Candace Grubbs. Crossover voting is when people cast a vote to a candidate regardless of their party. If people are a "No Party Preference" voter and want to vote for the Republican, Green, and Peace and Freedom parties come the primary election, they must re-register by Feb. 17. One man I spoke to says cross over voting should be allowed in every political party. Ballots for the March 3rd primary election should be mailed across the county - the first week of February. Action News Now reported back in December, that some voters in Shasta County were claiming that their party affiliation has disappeared and they are now considered Non-Party Affiliated," that problem could lie with the DMV motor voter program launched in 2018. According to the Associated Press last year, DMV officials claimed one error may have prevented nearly 600 people from voting and another may have allowed about 1,500 people, including non-citizens, to incorrectly register to vote. The Butte County Primary Election is all mail. There has also been some confusion for Camp Fire survivors regarding voting. The Butte County Clerk Recorder's Office says Camp Fire survivors must clarify their mailing addresses. Butte County Clerk-Recorder Candace Grubbs says there are two types of mailing addresses for Camp Fire survivors. The first one is a resident address. Meaning if you want to move back where your home was destroyed then mark it that way. The second one is a mailing address, that's where you're currently living and receiving your mail. "Just say to yourself. Am I going back? Yes! Then I want that Paradise or Concow address as my residence, but my mailing address is where I'm at now," Grubbs said. Grubbs added that the DMV has been sending her office some wrong addresses for voters in Butte County. She wants the California Secretary of State and DMV to hopefully solve the problem. It's important to put that correct mailing address come November 2020 when local leaders are elected, Grubbs said. Voters can update their mailing address by visiting her office on weekdays at 155 Nelson Avenue in Oroville. If you want to re-register in Butte County, CLICK HERE. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 10:50:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has expressed grave grievance over the death of three on-duty Customs officers and extended the deepest condolences to their families. Five Customs officers fell to the sea as their vessel capsized after ramming an unknown object during a patrol at the waters near Sha Chau around 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Three of them were certified dead after being sent to hospitals, and the other two were injured. The cause of the incident is under investigation. "I am profoundly grieved by the unfortunate loss of three Customs colleagues who were on duty last night and I offer my deepest condolences to their families," said the HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who is currently on duty visit in Davos, Switzerland, adding that she hopes the injured officers would recover soon. She promised that the Civil Service Bureau and the Customs and Excise Department of the HKSAR government will make every effort to support the families. Alphabet topped the $1 trillion mark in market capitalization last week, becoming the fourth technology company behind Apple, Microsoft and Amazon to hit this milestone. Alphabet shares have jumped over 10% in the past month alone, and according to recent trading history, there are more gains to come for Google's parent company over the next month. According to hedge fund analytics tool Kensho, Alphabet has had similar one-month moves on seven other occasions in the past five years. A month later the trend tends to continue, with the stock gaining another 2%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index. Reasons for bullishness on Alphabet include its CEO Sundar Pichai, who in December was elevated from running Google to overseeing the parent company after Alphabet founder Larry Page announced plans to step down, along with co-founder and president Sergey Brin. Another reason Wall Street remains bullish is because the company's cloud business, still far behind the leader Amazon and second-place Microsoft, doubled its revenue run rate from $1 billion to $2 billion per quarter between February 2018 and July 2019. Though CNBC recently reported on the loss of a big health-care cloud contract, which is in a key market sector of focus for Google's cloud growth. Ads are still the lion's share of Alphabet revenue, but the company is generating more than $8 billion in annualized revenue from the cloud. Bank of America raised its price target on Alphabet's stock earlier this month, citing a healthy advertising business. One wildcard in the next month is Alphabet's next earnings report, which will hit the market on Monday, Feb. 3. Alphabet came up slightly short of earnings-per-share expectations in its last earnings report in late October, and the stock dipped, though it quickly rebounded with an upward trajectory over the remainder of 2019. Last spring Alphabet closed its worst post-earnings day since April 2010 after reporting sluggish advertising numbers. The stock dropped 7.5%, shaving more than $67 billion from its market cap. Investors also have been ignoring government scrutiny and an election year, which could bring in a new administration more hostile to Google's search business. Probes of big tech are ongoing by the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and state law enforcement, while presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have said that the companies should be split apart. Apple and Microsoft are still valued at more than $1 trillion, while Amazon is currently below the trillion-dollar mark. The five most valuable U.S. tech companies now account for more than 17% of the S&P 500, up from 11% in 2015. Some Wall Street analysts are expecting the momentum to slow this year for big tech given the recent gains. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Delil Souleiman (Agence France-Presse) Al-Hol Camp, Syria Wed, January 22, 2020 14:39 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607e1e6 2 World Syria,conflict,Kurds,France,repatriation,Islamic-State Free In an overcrowded desert camp for families linked to the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria, a French woman begged for another chance so she and her children could go home. In the same settlement, two other French women were more tepid about the prospect of repatriation, with one saying she feared being separated from her child. In the squalid camp of Al-Hol, the question of return has sparked a divide among the French wives of IS fighters. "We'd like the French government to give us the chance to make it up to them," 30-year-old Umm Mohammad told AFP in French. "I think it's better they repatriate us... We'll be judged in France," said the mother of four from Paris, dressed in a black robe and face veil. After years of fighting IS, Syria's Kurds hold 4,000 women and 8,000 children from families linked to the extremist organization, mostly in Al-Hol. Inside the camp, a veiled woman pushed a child in a pram, the bottom of her black robe caked in dry mud. Two boys in jackets and rubber boots dragged a cart over a dirt field beyond rows of white tents, a little girl in a pink coat running alongside. Umm Mohammad said that among her compatriots in Al-Hol's section for foreigners, "a huge amount want to go home". "There's another half who don't want to go back, but that's their problem," said the widow, who says her French husband was killed in Hajin, once one of the last bastions of the IS "caliphate". France has so far been reluctant to repatriate its nationals, allowing just a handful of children back on a case-by-case basis. But in an apparent U-turn last week, Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said she saw "no other solution" but to bring back jihadists. Kurdish-led forces expelled IS from its last patch of territory in eastern Syria in March last year. The jihadists stand accused of a wide range of crimes during their failed five-year experiment in statehood in parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq. But Umm Mohammad claimed she "did nothing at all" while living under IS. "I never killed anyone," she said. "We're really tired. Our children, we'd like them to go back to school." In the camp's makeshift market, women dressed in black examined piles of colorful clothes laid out on blankets. A woman carried a tray of white eggs, followed by another balancing a plastic crate of oranges on her head. Away from the bustle, another French woman lamented the living conditions. "I don't want to stay in this camp," said 23-year-old Nour, her brown eyes barely visible through the slit of her face veil. "It's very difficult. We live in tents. It's cold. People are sick." At least 371 children died in Al-Hol last year, the Kurdish Red Crescent has said, mainly from malnutrition, poor healthcare for newborns and hypothermia. The Kurdish authorities have warned that conditions could deteriorate further after the United Nations Security Council on Jan. 10 voted to restrict cross-border aid. The Yaroubiya crossing on the Iraqi border was a key entry point for UN-funded medical aid reaching the area, including Al-Hol. Nour, who said she was from the city of Montpellier in southern France, said she wanted to resume a normal life. "I want to live normally again with my hijab, my children, my Islam," she said. But she insisted she did not want to be separated from her children. "If they're going to separate us, frankly I don't see the point of repatriating us," she said. She too claimed she had not carried out any crimes. "I stayed at home and educated my children," she said. A third French woman who gave her name as Amal was more reluctant to speak. "I having nothing to say," said the 25-year-old, after slowly gliding around the used clothes market on clutches. She said she was wounded in the leg in Baghouz, a riverside hamlet where diehard jihadists made their last stand in 2019. She would not reveal the nationality of her late husband and, under her face veil, her brown eyes avoided the camera. "France doesn't want us... doesn't want Daesh," she said, referring to IS members. "I don't want anyone to judge me." Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market Research Report by Product (Disposables, Monitors, Minimally Invasive, Others), Type (Invasive, Non-invasive, Others), End-user (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Care Centers, Home Care Settings, Others), and Region-Global forecast till 2023 Global Industry Analysis By Size, Share, Trends, Business opportunities and Challenges. Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market Overview Based on the careful analysis of the latest trends, Market Research Future (MRFR) reports that the global hemodynamic monitoring systems market will be achieving the valuation of USD 1,054 million by the end of 2023, expanding at a CAGR of almost 7.3% during the forecast period (2018-2023). The market worth was USD 780 Million in 2017, indicating a lucrative growth pattern backed by numerous factors. Latest Free Sample PDF Available @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6678 Market Drivers and Key Restraints In the past couple of years, the hemodynamic monitoring systems market worldwide has showcased a dramatic growth primarily due to an alarming rise in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, coupled with various health conditions brought on by sedentary lifestyles and the increasing need for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening. Also, the surging incidence of COPD and other respiratory disorders will also bring in good news for the market in the years to come. On that note, the impact of these factors on the growth of the market is expected to be amplified on account of the highly conducive regulatory scenario currently existing. Furthermore, a rapidly graying world population is resulting in the surging adoption of hemodynamic monitoring systems in healthcare centers around the globe. In addition, neonatal care professionals dependency on hemodynamic monitoring systems has grown in recent years, with CCHD being considered as one among the seven most life-threatening congenital heart defects. Similarly, COPD has elevated to unprecedented levels amongst adults, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market Segmentation The market for hemodynamic monitoring systems is segmented on the basis of product, type, and end-use. The market, depending on the product, caters to disposables, monitors, minimally invasive, and others. Out of these, the monitors segment is leading the pack, account for the largest share in the global market. Type-wise, the market is considered for invasive, non-invasive, and others. The invasive segment accounts for the largest among all the types. The end-user industries in the global market are hospitals, clinics, ambulatory care centers, home care settings, and others. Hospitals and clinics make for the largest segment, out of all the segments in the global market. Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market Regional Outlook The regions among which the Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market is spread across include the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa and Europe. Out of all the regions, the Americas dominate the global market, with Asia Pacific touted to be the fastest growing region. The regional market of hemodynamic monitoring systems in the Americas is expanding at a significant pace owing to various factors. These factors include the rapid uptake of advanced technologies in the well-established healthcare sector as well as the high per capita health care expenditures in the region. Furthermore, the growing prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, in addition to the increasing use of patient monitoring systems and a massive base of renowned device manufacturers in Canada and the United States (US) contribute to the growth of the regional market as well. On the other hand, the market in Asia Pacific is benefitting largely due to the expanding geriatric population coupled with the growing prevalence of high/low BP, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, as well as obesity issues that lead to heart diseases & disorders. Apart from this, few other dominant factors like the rapid adoption of healthcare technology, favorable insurance, reimbursement policies and government initiatives to improve the quality of healthcare are also fostering the market growth in the region. Moreover, MRFR acknowledges Europe as the second-largest hemodynamic monitoring systems market, at a global level. The regional market has been profiting predominantly on the back of the increasing healthcare expenditure, government initiatives and availability of advanced treatment facilities. Additionally, the surging cardiovascular issues causing concerns will be highly instrumental in the market growth in the coming years. Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market Studied by Top Players The companies currently holding the leading position in the global hemodynamic monitoring systems market include Osypka Medical, CNSystems, PULSION Medical Systems SE, Teleflex Incorporated, Argon Medica, Cheetah Medical, Deltex Medical Group Plc., ICU Medical, Osypka Medical GmbH, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation; CareTaker Medical, LiDCO Group plc, NI Medical, and Uscom. Mergers & acquisitions, innovation, product launch, and expansion are few strategies adopted by these players in a bid to maintain their positions in the competitive market. For instance, in March 2019, reports say that Edwards Lifesciences will be acquiring CAS Medical Systems (CASMED), which is a medical technology company with expertise in non-invasive monitoring of tissue oxygenation in the brain, for the sum of about USD 100 million. Edwards Lifesciences will be receiving 510(k) clearance for a smart cable and software module that allows compatibility between HemoSphere, a hemodynamic monitoring platform and CASMEDs FORE-SIGHT sensor. OBTAIN RESEARCH REPORT DETAILS WITH TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/hemodynamic-monitoring-systems-market-6678 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 Indonesia has launched the operation of its largest coal-fired power unit to date, which offset all renewable energy power progress in the Southeast Asian country last year. Java 7 Unit 1, launched in December 2019, is over twice as powerful as all renewable energy plants launched the same year. The Banten-based plant has a capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW), 2.7 times greater than the 376MW worth of green energy plants introduced in Indonesia last year. The plants majority owner, Beijing-based coal miner China Energy Investment Corporation, described it as the largest individual installed capacity of any overseas thermal generation unit invested and built by a Chinese enterprise. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Warning that the world is facing looming threats of epic geopolitical tensions, climate crisis, global mistrust and downsides of technology, the UN chief on Wednesday said the "four horsemen" endanger the 21st-century progress and can jeopardise every aspect of a shared future. Addressing an informal briefing of the General Assembly, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, "We must continue to make the United Nations fit for the challenges of our new age." This is the reason, the UN chief said, he has pursued wide-ranging reforms rooted in flexibility, transparency and accountability in the world body. "I see four horsemen in our midst four looming threats that endanger 21st-century progress and imperil 21st-century possibilities," he said. Guterres said the first horseman comes in the form of the highest global geo-strategic tensions the world has witnessed in years. "Devastating conflicts continue to cause widespread misery. Terrorist attacks take a merciless toll. The nuclear menace is growing. More people have been forced from their homes by war and persecution than at any time since the Second World War. Tensions over trade and technology remain unresolved. The risk of a Great Fracture is real," he said. Guterres warned that the world faces an existential climate crisis as rising temperatures continue to melt records. "The past decade was the hottest on record. Scientists tell us that ocean temperatures are now rising at the equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs a second," he said, adding that one million species are in near-term danger of extinction. "Our planet is burning," he said. Guterres said the third horseman is deep and growing global mistrust as disquiet and discontent are churning societies from north to south. "More and more people are convinced globalisation is not working for them. With inequality growing, confidence in political establishments is going down and young people are rising up. "Women are rightly demanding equality and freedom from violence and discrimination. At the same time, fears and anxieties are spreading. Hostility against refugees and migrants is building. Hatred is growing," the Secretary-General said. Guterres termed the dark side of the digital world as the fourth horseman. "Technological advances are moving faster than our ability to respond to or even comprehend them. Despite enormous benefits, new technologies are being abused to commit crimes, incite hate, fake information, oppress and exploit people and invade privacy," he said. Interestingly, his comment on the dangers of digital technology came the same day UN human rights experts expressed grave concern that a WhatsApp account belonging to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "deployed digital spyware enabling surveillance" of The Washington Post owner and Amazon CEO Jeffery Bezos. Guterres said the world is not prepared for the profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the labour market and the very structure of society. "Artificial intelligence is generating breathtaking capacities and alarming possibilities. Lethal autonomous weapons machines with the power to kill on their own, without human judgement and accountability are bringing us into unacceptable moral and political territory," he said. He said the four horsemen can jeopardise every aspect of the world's shared future. With the UN set to mark its 75th anniversary, Guterres said there is a need of not nice speeches but 21st-century solutions. The UN Chief called on the international community to make the 2020s the Decade of Action and the year 2020 the year of urgency. "I make a special appeal to all Member States: Listen to people. Open new channels for all to be heard and find common ground. Respect freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Protect civic space and freedom of the press," he said. Guterres said to address the dark side of digital world, technology must be steered for positive change. With automation threatening to displace tens of millions of jobs by 2030, there is need to redesign education systems. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greenpeace International has said 24 banks participating in the WEF 2020 here have extended financing worth USD 1.4 trillion to the fossil fuel industry since 2015 Paris Agreement. In a report titled 'It's the Finance Sector, Stupid', released here, Greenpeace put the blame for the climate emergency at the feet of the banks, insurers and pension funds that participate in Davos summit. Since the ground breaking Paris summit on climate change, 24 global banks have invested USD 1.4 trillion in the fossil fuel industry, said Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, a non-governmental environmental organisation. The report said USD 1 trillion could buy 640GW of solar power, more than the current global capacity. However, financiers on a WEF 2020 panel along with Morgan, argued that the international financial system is fundamentally reshaping itself around how to transition to a net-zero economy (net-zero carbon footprint). They are responding to the demands of their clients as well as directly feeling the heat through, for example, having to reprice the cost of insurance risk. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, said: "With major investors, the question is: what is your plan to get to net-zero?" Two-thirds of questions at bank AGMs are now around these issues, he said, adding: "Everyone knows they need a plan." Carney acknowledged Greta Thunberg's reference at the Annual Meeting on Tuesday that on our current emissions trajectory we will in a little over eight years most probably breach the limit required to restrict global warming to 1.5C. He called for a credible trajectory towards a green transition, based on an agreed time frame and common metrics. This, along with public pressure and government policy, will determine where capital flows, he said. Morgan said governments are lagging behind and the world is in the midst of the largest civil society protest since the Iraq and Vietnam wars. She called on government leaders to take courage, sit down with experts, civil society and innovators, and put together what we know needs to be done. Carney pointed to November's COP26 meeting in Glasgow as the opportunity to get private actors and regulators together to ensure that climate change is taken into account in every financial decision. Speaking as a member of the board of directors for Saudi Aramco, Andrew N Liveris agreed that governments have been slow and called for businesses to "get very serious on the financial side of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)". Outcomes will only emerge if we hold people accountable to the right KPIs, he said, adding that COP26 is an opportunity to develop metrics that business will respond to. However, governments also need to get their own houses in order, said Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of Economics of Innovation and Public Value; and Founder and Director, Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, of University College London. Mazzucato asked how genuine the claimed transformation of the finance sector really is. "Currently there is lots of talk, but all the walk is going in the wrong direction," she said. What will really cause change is the way we govern businesses, she said, asking: "Why don't we have a financial transaction tax? Panellists all agreed on one key issue 2050 is far too late to achieve a net-zero economy. "We cannot get to 2030 and still have this conversation", said Liveris. - Badu Bonsu II was the king of the Ahanta tribe in the Western Region - King Badu Bonsu II was decapitated in retaliation for the killing of two Dutch emissaries in 1838 - On July 23, 2009, Ghana claimed the head of Badu Bonsu II, which had been preserved in formaldehyde in a bottle at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Before he was executed by the Dutch in 1838, King Badu Bonsu II, was the overlord of the Ahanta tribe in the Western Region. Badu Bonsu II, is believed to have been decapitated in retaliation for the killing of two Dutch emissaries in 1838. According to the Dutch government, Badu Bonsu II was handed over by his own ''nation'' to Dutch colonists, who were then in control of a part of the former Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) that included Ahanta tribal lands. Arthur Japin, a Dutch author who discovered the kings head when he was working on a historical novel, noted that Badu Bonsu IIs head was taken by Maj. Gen. Jan Verveer in 1838 in retaliation for the kings killing of two Dutch emissaries, whose heads were displayed as trophies on his throne. Preserved in a jar of formaldehyde, the head of King Badu Bonsu II was discovered gathering dust in a laboratory in the Leiden University Medical Centre by Arthur Japin, a best-selling Dutch author. READ ALSO: Apostle Safo, Obinim, Obofour among rich Ghanaian pastors with powerful luxury cars It had been there since its arrival in the late 1830s from what was then called the Dutch Gold Coast and is today Ghana. Japin, the Dutch novelist, explained how he had helped reunite Badu Bonsu II head with his body. ''I was researching my novel about an Ahanta boy brought to Holland in 1838, and in the process I learned about the head of the king, who had been a friend of the boy. I had been looking for the head for more than 10 years,'' Japin was quoted to have said. ''Finally, in 2002 I found it locked away in a dark cupboard where it had been for more than 170 years.'' After hearing of the heads location in 2008, Ghana filed a request for its return, saying, ''without burial of the head, the deceased will be haunted in the afterlife.'' In March 2009, Ghana government officials announced that it would be returned to its homeland for proper burial. The Dutch and Ghanaian governments and a member of Badu Bonsus Ahanta tribe signed a pact in The Hague for the handover of the head, which remained out of sight in a room elsewhere in the foreign ministry building for the ceremony. Ahanta tribe leaders held an emotional ritual, pouring alcohol on the floor of the conference room while invoking the chiefs spirit in the presence of Ghanaian nationals dressed in the countrys red and black mourning colours. Ghana claimed the head of Badu Bonsu II, which had been preserved in formaldehyde in a bottle among the anatomy collection of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) on July 23, 2009. In other stories, YEN.com.gh reported five years ago, Brooke Colemans life was that of a harsh reality as she struggled with homelessness as a pregnant single mother. However, she clinched to hope, kept her dream alive and determined to make it in life. Brooke Coleman successfully opened her very own restaurant called Stuffed Enuff in Dayton, Ohio, in 2019 with tons of positive feedback from her clients. Prior to becoming an accomplished business owner, she went through unimaginable tough times. READ ALSO: I don't joke with consultation fees, critics are ignorant Osofo Kyiriabosom fumes Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sell Canada Cobalt Works Inc. (CVE:CCW), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Buying? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year. See our latest analysis for Canada Cobalt Works Canada Cobalt Works Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when President Frank Basa bought CA$72k worth of shares at a price of CA$0.35 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of CA$0.72. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! TSXV:CCW Recent Insider Trading, January 22nd 2020 There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Does Canada Cobalt Works Boast High Insider Ownership? I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data suggests Canada Cobalt Works insiders own 1.1% of the company, worth about CA$708k. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership. Story continues So What Do The Canada Cobalt Works Insider Transactions Indicate? The recent insider purchase is heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Canada Cobalt Works insiders are expecting a bright future. To put this in context, take a look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. Of course Canada Cobalt Works may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. SAN FRANCISCO The world's first self-driving electric-powered ride-sharing vehicle is here, but no word on when you'll actually be able to app-hail this robotaxi. Cruise, the self-driving car division of General Motors, unveiled the Origin on Tuesday night in a former Honda dealership just south of downtown. The six-passenger vehicle looks a bit like a small bus, has no steering wheel or pedals, and offers a cavernous area where two rows of three passengers face each other. In introducing the vehicle, Cruise CEO Dan Ammann, a former president of GM, told a crowd made up mostly of company employees that the Origin "is a production vehicle," adding that an announcement about where and when manufacturing will begin is coming soon. Kyle Vogt, Cruise's co-founder who sold the company to GM in 2016 for $1 billion and now serves as chief technology officer, said that being the first automotive or tech company to introduce a dedicated autonomous ride-sharing car doesn't guarantee success. Kyle Vogt, co-founder and CTO of Cruise, GM's self-driving car division, shows off some sensor technology at the unveiling of the company's first purpose built self-driving, ride-hailing electric car, the box-like Origin. "There are pros and cons to being the first mover on this," said Vogt. "Our plan is to keep investing on the self-driving software side of things, to the point where that becomes the thing that really makes a difference to the experience." Consumers have yet to warm in huge numbers to sharing their Uber or Lyft rides with other riders, and Ammann said that Origins can be hailed by a single rider. But Vogt felt confident that the roomy and clubby nature of Origin's interior would "cut into the friction and discomfort that often comes with cramming into the back seat of a car with someone you don't know, and therefore increase the adoption of these vehicles." Cruise's announcement comes at a time when long-running excitement in the past decade over the prospect of self-driving EVs has gradually turned to skepticism, as promises about when consumers will finally be able to ride in them get broken. Story continues In 2018, Cruise, which has been testing a fleet of sensor-packed Chevrolet Bolt EVs throughout San Francisco, announced that a ride-hailing service open to the public would kick off in 2019. Currently, such a service is only available to Cruise employees. Neither Vogt nor Ammann offered a new prediction, with both focusing instead on the need to continue to refine existing sensors and develop new ones. The interior of the Cruise Origin, the GM company's first purpose built autonomous EV meant for ride hailing, features seating for six, who sit facing each other. At the presentation, Vogt showed off a device that was attached to the front of the Origin when he said was capable to "superhuman" abilities when it comes to scanning for nearby pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Cruise's technology came in for scrutiny last summer, when The Information, a technology-focused media site, reported that cautious Cruise vehicles sometimes took 80% longer to complete rides than a standard ride-sharing vehicle and that software glitches often required the human safety drivers to take control of the vehicle. "We've made a lot of progress, but we haven't cracked that superhuman threshold yet, so tomorrow it's back to work," said Vogt. GM bought Cruise at arguably the height of the self-driving car craze, when tech start-ups such as Google and Uber were pouring resources into the field. Not wanting to get caught out, some automakers opted to buy their way into the autonomous game, with Ford buying Argo AI in 2017 with a $1 billion-over-five-years deal. Ford has set a 2021 goal to unveil a ride-hailing service powered by a self-driving hybrid vehicle, with a mission to pick up passengers and also deliver goods. Cruise also said that its Origin vehicle could easily be reconfigured to accept packages. Cruise has been fueled by a series of major investments in recent years, including a $2.2 billion infusion from Japanese investment firm SoftBank and $750 million from Japanese automaker Honda. The company currently has a valuation of $19 billion, much of that predicated on the promise of delivering a ride-hailing service that will greatly undercut the fares of Uber, Lyft and other human-driven services. Cruise executives said the modular and low-speed nature of the Origin EV means that each vehicle will cost less to produce (about half of what it takes to build an electric SUV, according to Ammann) and be able to run 24/7 for up to 1 million miles. While the valuations of companies such as Uber and Lyft remain high, some analysts question whether a business model anchored to subsidized rides is tenable long term. The most expensive part of a ride-hailing journey remains the driver. Self-driving cars have been a near obsession at many technology companies, foremost among them Google. The Silicon Valley search company, now called Alphabet, started tinkering with the idea more than a decade ago and by most accounts has made the most progress based on sheer miles driven in the real world and in simulators. Google's self-driving car company, Waymo, has been testing a ride-hailing service in select cities with specially made Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid SUVs. The company also has developed a two-person vehicle with no controls that has undergone testing at private facilities, and also tests cars with no drivers behind the wheel in California. One unknown remains human adoption: Will consumers' innate concerns about having tech at the wheel with no possibility of human intervention been overridden by the lure of cheap fares? In 2018, an Uber self-driving Volvo struck and killed a woman in Arizona when the car's sensors failed to see her crossing a busy thoroughfare and the on-board safety driver did not react in time. That was a stark reminder that accidents will happen with self-driving cars. But proponents of the new technology point to the 40,000 Americans killed each year in traffic accidents, typically due to human error. Cruise, in fact, opened its event with a video presentation that featured the sights and sounds of a car's engine starting, followed by the thunderous sound of a car crash. "Speed or safety?" said Ammann after taking the stage. "What if you didn't have to choose?" Follow USA TODAY national correspondent Marco della Cava: @marcodellacava This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GM's Cruise takes wraps off Origin, self-driving ride-hailing robotaxi UPDATE: According to Grand Rapids Public Schools, all of the applicants for superintendent requested confidentiality. If confidentiality is requested by an individual, a school board can meet in a closed session to review employment/appointment applications under the Open Meetings Act. GRAND RAPIDS -- The Grand Rapids Board of Educations initial review of a selection of candidates for the superintendent job will be closed to the public. The board plans to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23. This is the first scheduled work session, since the application period closed. The board plans to select a handful of candidates for interviews. This is the second superintendent search to replace Teresa Weatherall Neal, who retired July 1, after seven years. Kristian Grant, school board president, said the meeting was closed on the advice of its search firm, Ray and Associates. The Grand Rapids Board of Education has retained a nationally-recognized and respected firm to lead us through our superintendent search process," said Grant, in a statement to MLive Wednesday, Jan. 22. "In order to ensure we had the highest caliber of qualified applicants, they recommended a process that will maintain anonymity for all applicants until the board has formally selected the candidates for interviews. This is widely recognized as a standard, best practice that is in accordance with state law and the attorney generals opinion. Mike Collins, regional director for Iowa-based Ray and Associates, said going forward the meetings and interviews will be open to the public. You want the communitys involvement and participation as you get toward the end, he said. "The earlier in the screening process that the process becomes public, you basically cannibalize your potential candidate list. Collins said there are a number of people out there that are qualified to apply for the position, but dont want their name public until they are at least a finalist. He said the board received 39 completed applications for the position. The school board had said that it planned to be transparent in its process for finding a new superintendent. Collins said keeping this meeting closed does not conflict with transparency. But the teachers union disagrees. Mary Bouwense, president of the Grand Rapids Education Association, said they planned to have about a dozen people at the Thursday meeting. Weve got a big stake invested in this and the culture of the district is going to depend on who the superintendent is, Bouwense said. I think we learned that we have to be involved in the process. Bouwense said she understands the desire to keep applicants anonymous at first, but she said the board did that during the first search while still keeping the meeting open. She said the board referred to applicants by numbers for confidentiality. It wasnt about getting the names on Thursday night, Bouwense said. It was about hearing the discussion about the people and their skills but also getting a sense of what the school boards thinking. Bouwense questioned whether closing is permissible under the states open meetings act. She pointed to a section in the Open Meetings handbook which lists instances where a meeting can be closed, including, To review and consider the contents of an application for employment or appointment to a public office if the candidate requests that the application remain confidential. She said it is unclear if all the applicants requested confidentiality. Collins said the board is playing by the rules. He said there was a verbal direction from the Attorney Generals office to Michigan Department of Education officials on how they could act during the last state superintendent search. But Kelly Rossman-McKinney, communications director for Attorney General Dana Nessel, said their office issued no verbal direction. "In fact, we were not asked for any advice during the last superintendent search,'' she said via text to MLive. Collins said the firm also went into close session when it conducted recent superintendent searches in Bloomfield Hills and Benton Harbor school districts. On Thursday, the company will present 10 candidates to the board for discussion, Collins said. From there, the board will choose a handful of finalists to bring in for interviews. At that point, he the process will become open to the public and the finalists will be made public. The group of candidates selected Thursday will be interviewed on February 8, said John Helmholdt, Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs for GRPS. Then, on February 10, the board plans to meet to consult with Ray and Associates to discuss the interviews and narrow down the list to the final candidates. If the board decides it needs another round of interviews of those final candidates, those interviews will take place on February 17, Helmholdt said. Ronald Gorman, assistant superintendent of PreK-12 Instructional Support, has been the interim superintendent since July 1. The board voted in April to restart the search. It passed on two finalists because it wanted to try to find someone with more experience and other desired qualifications. The position was posted in November, along with an expected salary in the range of $220,000. The school board meets in the administration building, 1331 Franklin St. SE. Read more MLive stories: Investigator emotional about babys death, dad had no apparent reaction to loss Former Democrat now running for Justin Amashs Congress seat as a Republican Michigan man who returned $43K he found in thrift store couch gets outpouring of support BART saw a significant surge in thefts of cell phones and laptops in the past year, with the No. 1 target being passengers on trains running through San Francisco stations, where 512 robberies and thefts were reported in 2019. Systemwide, BART police records show, 1,180 devices were reported stolen last year thats an increase of 288 thefts over 2018. The typical snatch-and-grab occurs when the train doors open and the victim is not paying attention, BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez said. According to BART, the thieves are often juveniles. They eyeball someone engrossed in their device as the train is pulling into a station, then grab the phone or laptop and run off the train just before the doors close. That leaves the stunned victim and any witnesses trapped on the receding train as the thief makes his getaway. The thieves then often head for Civic Center Station, where there has long been an active thieves market around U .N. Plaza. They can quickly fence the phone for $300 to $400, depending on the model. And they are paying cash, Alvarez said. The thieves usually turn off the phone immediately after the grab, so it cant be tracked by its signals. They got smart, Alvarez said. Standing next to a train door while holding his phone in one hand and scrolling through emails on his Tuesday morning commute, Murray Connell presented an ideal target as the train approached his Civic Center stop. I dont really think about it, Connell said when asked about the chances of being robbed. I feel safe. Im surrounded by enough people, especially at rush hour. And people all around me are doing it, too. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle The most likely place to be robbed? On trains running between the Powell Street and Balboa Park stations. Balboa Park topped the list with 118 cell phone and laptop thefts and robberies reported last year. That compares with 65 in 2018. Powell Street experienced 47 incidents, and located between it and Balboa Park are 24th Street Mission with 88, 16th Street Mission with 81, Glen Park with 60 and Civic Center with 54. It happens at different stations at different times, and right now its Balboa, Alvarez said of where most of the action is. Todd Trumbull In the East Bay, the Oakland Coliseum Station was No. 2 overall, with 103 reported robberies or thefts last year almost double the 53 reported in 2018. With the Airport Connector, the Arena and Coliseum, people tend to be thinking more about where they are going and what they will be doing, than to their immediate surroundings, Alvarez said. Oaklands Fruitvale Station came in second for the East Bay with 63 reports, followed by West Oakland with 60, MacArthur with 49, 12th Street with 42, 19th Street with 29, Lake Merritt with 26 and Rockridge with six. In all there were 378 thefts and robberies of electronic devices in Oakland last year. That compares to 309 in San Francisco. The safest BART stations were Pittsburg and West Dublin, which had no reported thefts in 2019, Millbrae, with one, and North Concord and South San Francisco, which each had two. BART police made arrests in 67 of the robbery and theft cases involving electronics last year. In 36 other cases, an investigation resulted in pending charges against specific suspects who are still at large. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. For now, BART police are concentrating their efforts on the San Francisco and Oakland stations. Weve been tracking the problem for about two or three months, Alvarez said. In recent weeks, a newly created team of 12 police officers has been riding trains and walking platforms on nights and weekends, with its primary focus the core of San Francisco and downtown Oakland. The new police patrols will work with BARTs newly approved ambassador program, which starts Feb. 10 when unarmed police staffers monitor the trains and stations as well. Alvarez is also looking into assigning police patrols to key stations, where data show a high volume of calls for service. Those officers would be responsible for the safety and security of a specific station and not go on roving patrols. Theres a new chief in town, and he is setting the tone that officers are going to ride the trains and be on the platforms, said BART Director Bevan Dufty, whose district includes the San Francisco lines. We are going to see if we can put a dent on this, Dufty said. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phil Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KGO-TV morning and evening news and can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier The Army Corps of Engineers will award $281 million to a North Carolina city and county heavily impacted by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The Corps will release $237 million to Surf City/ North Topsail Beach and $44.5 million to Carteret County for the locations to pursue damage reduction projects, U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr announced in a statement obtained by news outlets last week. The new round of funding comes after the Corps announced it would allocate $39.6 million to Princeville for a flood mitigation project. The senators sent letters to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Management and Budget this summer urging consideration of North Carolina when awarding disaster relief funds in the aftermath of the storms, news outlets reported. When Hurricane Florence made landfall in September 2018 it splintered buildings, trapped hundreds of people and swamped entire communities along the North Carolina coast, killing at least 41 people in the state. In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew similarly dumped about a foot (0.3 meters) of rain on the area, causing record flooding and killing more than 20 in North Carolina. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane North Carolina BERLIN My best source for what happened at the July 19 Berlin conference on Libya was the influential Moscow-based newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, and if its news analysis is accurate, the biggest loser of the gathering was Erdogan. A few hours after the Berlin summit ended with a long, final document, a Moskovsky Komsomolets headline said Erdogan freaked out leaving the conference on Libya in Berlin. The paper wrote that Russian President Vladimir Putin can breathe freely: The participants in the Berlin conference on Libya did not support Erdogans proposal for military intervention in the Libya conflict, to be carried by the Turkish army." The newspaper said attempts to bring together the Government of National Accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj and the Libyan opposition led by strongman Khalifa Hifter will continue. The publication continued, "And any military assistance and outside interference is strictly prohibited. As a result, Erdogan freaked out and left the conference ahead of schedule. This reporting showed Erdogan and Putin on opposite sides when it came to Libya, with Germany and Turkey with Sarrajs Government of National Accord and Putin, France, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates with Hifter. Hifter seems to have the upper hand on the Libyan battlefield and, perhaps more than important than anything else, its oil fields. Greece, which was not invited to Berlin, can be added to this axis. How credible is Moskovsky Komsomolets? Almost 10% of Russians and one-third of Muscovites follow the newspaper, which has a reputation for occasionally sensational and provocative news items. A month ago, on the 100th anniversary of the newspaper, Putin said the publication "is rightfully considered a leader among print media in Russia. The newspaper wrote, As it turned out, the Turkish leader left the conference ahead of schedule, when it became clear that his proposals for armed intervention in the Libyan conflict did not find support from other participants." The publication said that at the airport, "The president of Turkey looked nervous and gloomy." The paper added, "Recall that on the eve of the conference, Erdogan published an article calling on Europe to authorize a military operation against the Libyan opposition, trusting the Turkish army." Erdogan had written in Politico, Keeping in mind that Europe is less interested in providing military support to Libya, the obvious choice is to work with Turkey, which has already promised military assistance. Europe can count on Turkey an old friend and loyal ally to achieve that goal. Erdogan described Hifter as a warlord who seeks to carry out a coup detat in Libya who enjoys support from the anti-democratic governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Ironically, Erdogan has categorized his own autocratic government as one of those liberal-democratic regimes of Europe. In Europe, the issue has divided the Continent, which has yet to make up its mind about what to do in Libya. Germany, which supports the countrys legitimate government and advocates diplomacy, will host a peace conference in Berlin on Sunday. By contrast, France has sided with the Libyan coup plotter, Hifter, against that countrys legitimate government, Erdogan wrote without mentioning the Sarracs affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood network, which is considered as terrorist organization by Egypt and Saudi Arabia. But he didnt hesitate to accuse some factions within the Hifters ranks of being radical Salafi jihadis threatening global security. Terrorist organizations such as (IS) and Al Qaeda, which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq, will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet. Indeed, some groups that largely share those terrorist organizations ideology, including the Madkhali-Salafis, are fighting alongside Hifter. If the conflict rages on, the violence and instability will also fuel irregular migration toward Europe, Erdogan said. French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, is firmly against Turkeys role in Libya. On the day of the Berlin conference, Agence France-Presse reported that Macron voiced his acute concerns over the reported involvement of Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in the Libyan civil war. That must end, Macron was quoted as saying. A day before the conference, images allegedly showing the transfer of Syrian fighters to Libya were circulated in international media. The final document of the conference focused on halting arms supplies and other military support to the warring Libyan parties. This must be a concern for Erdogan more than anybody else as Turkey provides arms and strong military support to the Tripoli-based government. Nonetheless, the remarks of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host of the summit, may give Erdogan a leg to stand on. Contrary to the tension he has with Macron, Erdogan displayed an unusually warm attitude toward Merkel. She said, "We agreed on a comprehensive plan forward. I can say that all participants worked really constructively together." Merkel added that the leaders who attended the summit had agreed to continue to hold additional meetings to ensure the process continues so that "the people in Libya get their right to a peaceful life." This means Erdogan will remain in the international political and diplomatic loop in the near future. The big question still remains now is how he will sustain his military support unflinchingly to Sarraj. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to refrain from interference in Libya, saying the summit's conclusion is right that "there is no military solution to the conflict in Libya." European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Vice President Josep Borrell said in a joint statement, "The participants have committed themselves to refrain from any measures and further military support to the parties that would endanger truce." However, given the military upper hand Hifter seems to have in Libya, a truce may not be in his best interest. Sarraj and Hifter, despite both being in Berlin, not only did not meet, but they were not in the conference hall while the fate of their country was discussed among world leaders. It is not possible to establish a serious sustainable dialogue between them, the differences in approaches are too great, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, noting that the opinion of the Libyan people on the Berlin declaration has yet to be learned and taken into account. It remains to be seen what specific cease-fire, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms will be implemented by which foreign powers. Even after Berlin, it is still not known what concrete arrangements if any have been agreed upon. As long as the uncertainty continues, there will still be some space for Erdogan to make new maneuvers on Libya. One thing that seems certain, though, is that he cannot register Berlin as one of his success stories. Two of the 'Left United' -- as the combined four students' unions call themselves -- have been at loggerheads for a very long time now. The tussle came out in the open when a senior Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) activist took to social media to attack All India Students Association (AISA). In her Facebook post that was also shared as a status on Whatsaap, Swati Singh, a two-time councillor, alleged that the AISA was falsely accusing the DSF of "betraying" the students' movement against fee hike. She later also alleged that AISA's accusation stemmed from the fact that it was not given presidential post. "Bhai itta pyaar kyu hai humse? President post nahi milega to yehi sab kroge? (why so much of love for us? If you are denied presidential post will you do all this?") Swati Singh said in her FB post. Swati in her post had attached a screenshot of Whtasaap status where her contact was saved as Vivek JNU, wrote: "If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm." "Dedicated to D.S.F," the screenshot read. The rift appeared sharper as a senior AISA leader, who was also a former JNUSU member, told IANS: "They (DSF) had always tried to kill the protest -- they opposed our call for academic activity boycott and they opposed our call for registration boycott." The student leader added, "You ask any student he/she will tell you, it was us who forced them to call for a meeting with students and in the meeting they had to accept the decision for a boycott of academic activities and registration." However, the DSF stuck to its ground as DSF's Saket Moon denied commenting on the situation and told IANS to contact Sarika Chaudhary, DSF secretary. Sarika also denied commenting on the issue, but maintained that unity among Left organisations was foremost and that they would never do anything to weaken it. "We won't comment on any allegations until the person comes on record. These allegations are all false propaganda," Sarika said. The Left united front was formed by all Left-aligned students' organisations in JNU, after ABVP (RSS' students' wing) started gaining momentum on the campus. The move was to thwart splitting of votes among Left organisations, which could have benefited the ABVP. Four Left organisations became part of the front which included, Students Federation of India (SFI), AISA, DSF and All India Students Federation (AISF). Every year each organisation gets one of four posts to contest. This year SFI's Aishe Ghosh was selected as Left united's presidential candidate, while Saket Moon of DSF was chosen as vice-presidential candidate, AISA's Satish Chandra Yadav had contested for General Secretary's post and AISF's Danish Ali fought for Joint Secretary's post. All four candidates of 'Left United' had won in the JNUSU elections held last year in August. (Rohan Agarwal can be contacted at rohan.a@ians.in) For Immediate Release Chicago, IL January 22, 2020 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Qualcomm QCOM, Broadcom AVGO, Micron MU and Nvidia NVDA. Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog: U.S.-China Tech Race: U.S. Chipmakers May Be at Risk Just as the Space Race was fueled by the Cold War, the US-China trade conflict is driving a new tech race. This tech race sounds like it would be good for innovation, but it is isolating both globalized economies. This lack of collaboration and use of each of these global powers core competencies will likely inhibit the full potential of future innovation and limit firms addressable markets. This US-China trade dispute is having rippling long-term effects on the tech world. Technology companies became a focus in the conflict when the US decided to blacklist Chinas tech giant Huawei, the largest telecom equipment maker in the world. The US ban on Huawei equipment was for national security issues, but the impact has disseminated across the entire tech industry. My biggest concern about this technological friction is its effect on US chipmakers who have all seen an uptick in share price due to strong demand expectations over the next few of years. The market is largely overlooking the renewed sense of nationalism that has been instilled in the Chinese economy. China is the largest chip market in the world, making up almost half the global demand and is nearly 4 times the volume of North America, according to recent WSJ article. Not only is it the biggest chip market, but it is also the fastest-growing. This wave of nationalism has caused an explosion of Chinese semiconductor firms that are attempting to replace US chipmakers. Have U.S. Chip Producers Run Up Without Regard? Semiconductor stocks have been on a tear since the beginning of June as demand concerns eased. The most-traded semiconductor ETF, SOXX, has run up almost 50% in that time frame. These demand expectations may be overstated with the largest chip market in the world looking internally to meet its demand. Story continues Earnings season for chip companies is around the corner, and this could spell trouble for this space across the board. Qualcomm, Broadcom and Micron are the most exposed to China, with more than 50% of their revenue being driven by this country. All chipmakers have some level of exposure to this economic giant, and its latest nationalist movement in tech will likely have lasting impacts on the long term potentials of these US companies. Look for management guidance in the upcoming earnings reports, for how they expect the US-China landscape to effect long-term revenues. There could be a short-term pullback in semi stocks, considering how much has been priced in the past 7 months. As a long-term chip investor, I am looking for companies with a product that has substantial barriers to entry and a definite competitive advantage. Nvidia fits this profile with its state of the art GPUs having no close competitor in data centers and the development of AI. I would stay away from US chip stocks with products that are easily replicated because China will have no issue commoditizing these types of chips. Chinas supply chain shift to domestic chips will take years, but it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on US semiconductor stocks with low barriers to entry and those that are unable to keep up with the curve. Take Away As a short to medium-term investor, I may be wary of putting too much weight in semis as they have already had quite a bit of growth priced in. The real implications of Chinese companies locally sourcing chips will show their true colors in 2020. Chinese firms are racing to become the world tech suppliers, and the government has no issues subsidizing this growth for accelerated results. Keep your ears and eyes peeled in this upcoming earnings season for clues for who will be the winners and losers of the US-China Tech Race. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Click to get this free report QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Ingredion included for the third consecutive year; Gender-Equality Index identifies companies committed to advancing women in the workplace WESTCHESTER, Ill., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ingredion (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, announced it is one of 325 companies across 50 industries included in the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (https://www.bloomberg.com/gei/about/) (GEI). The GEI highlights companies that have made strong commitments to gender equality through self-reported internal company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement, and gender-conscious product and service offerings. Companies range from a variety of industries, including automotive, banking, consumer services, engineering and construction, and retail. "As we continue to build a highly engaged culture at Ingredion that is inclusive and diverse, we are proud to be recognized in the Gender-Equality Index," said Jim Zallie (https://www.ingredionincorporated.com/AboutUs/executiveleadershipteam/Zallie.html), Ingredion's president and chief executive officer. "Fostering an environment where everyone is valued enables us to be innovative for our customers, provide rewarding opportunities for our employees, and deliver value for shareholders." "Being named in the Gender-Equality Index for the third consecutive year is an important marker of our progress and reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace," said Elizabeth Adefioye (https://www.ingredionincorporated.com/AboutUs/executiveleadershipteam/Adefioye.html), Ingredion's senior vice president and chief human resources officer. "At Ingredion, we achieve a high-performance culture by celebrating our diverse perspectives and unleashing the full potential of our employees with a meaningful core purpose and inspiring company values." Within the last year, the Company has taken the following actions: Refreshed its Company values (https://www.ingredionincorporated.com/AboutUs/values.html) to strengthen the employee experience and support its business. (https://www.ingredionincorporated.com/AboutUs/values.html) to strengthen the employee experience and support its business. Launched a core purpose statement (https://www.ingredionincorporated.com/AboutUs/values.html) to align its global workforce around an overarching theme that reflects the pace of change happening in the food and beverage industry. The core purpose statement is the following: We bring the potential of people, nature and technology together to create ingredient solutions that make life better. (https://www.ingredionincorporated.com/AboutUs/values.html) to align its global workforce around an overarching theme that reflects the pace of change happening in the food and beverage industry. The core purpose statement is the following: We bring the potential of people, nature and technology together to create ingredient solutions that make life better. In North America, introduced new HR policies for parental leave along with flexible workplace options for employees. The GEI tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. The reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies and pro-women brand. This year, Bloomberg expanded the eligibility for inclusion in the index to nearly 6,000 companies across 84 countries and regions. "The 325 companies included in the 2020 GEI have shown their commitment to transparency and demonstrated leadership in gender-related data reporting," said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg. "Disclosure of company statistics and practices are an important first step in supporting gender equality globally." Through disclosure of gender-related metrics using the GEI framework, the firms included in the 2020 GEI have provided a comprehensive look at their investment in workplace gender equality and the communities in which they operate. Ingredion was included in this year's index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework's five pillars. Both the framework and the GEI are voluntary and have no associated costs. The GEI is a reference index and is not for use as a financial benchmark. The index is not ranked. While all public companies are encouraged to disclose supplemental gender data for their company's investment profile on the Bloomberg Terminal, those that have a market capitalization of USD1 billion are eligible for inclusion in the index. To learn more please visit the GEI website. Bloomberg Terminal subscribers can access the GEI at {BGEI }. The secrets of the worlds richest man were allegedly compromised by a single WhatsApp message, leading to fears that the popular chat app may not be as secure as it claims. The message, reportedly sent from the phone number of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, targeted the phone of Jeff Bezos, though the hacking attack was so advanced that the Amazon founder may not have even noticed that it took place. Cyber security experts believe the infiltration was achieved using Pegasus, a cyber weapon developed by Israeli company NSO. It can be sent across messaging platforms like WhatsApp in the form of an innocuous-looking file, such as a photo or video, and can be executed on the targets device without them even realising. Jake Moore, a cyber security specialist at antivirus firm ESET, said the reported attack on Bezos had all the hallmarks of Pegasus spyware. When Pegasus is run on a device you will likely have no idea of what has just happened, so no doubt Bezos was unaware what had just occurred, he said. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Show all 12 1 /12 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Unsend messages You can unsend a message by tapping and holding it, hitting the Delete symbol and selecting Delete for Everyone. The feature works for all types of messages, but only if they were sent less than seven minutes ago. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Dodge the blue ticks WhatsApps blue ticks show when sent messages have been read, but you can disable them buy going to Settings > Account > Privacy > Read Receipts. However, bear in mind that, by doing so, youll lose the ability to see when your own sent messages have been read. Another, more fiddly way of reading your messages without triggering the blue ticks, is enabling Aeroplane Mode before opening your messages - just remember to close the app before switching Aeroplane Mode off again. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Hide your 'last seen' time Prevent your friends from finding out when you were last online by hiding your last seen time. Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Last Seen. As is the case with disabling read receipts, hiding your last seen time will also stop you from seeing anybody elses. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Limit data usage You can control how much data you munch through on WhatsApp by limiting the types of media you automatically download on a mobile connection. Go to Settings > Data Usage and choose the best option for you. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Customise notifications If youre expecting an important WhatsApp message from someone, set a custom notification for them by opening the chat, tapping their name at the top and hitting Custom Notifications. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Format your messages To jazz up any of your messages, simply highlight it by tapping and holding it, hit the More Options key on the pop-up menu and tap the formatting option you want - bold, italic, strikethrough or monospace. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Type hands-free You can get Siri or Google Assistant to type your WhatsApp messages out for you by saying either Hey Siri or Okay Google, followed by the name of the person you want to message and the actual contents of the message. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Mark chats as unread When youve read a message but cant reply to it straight away, you can set a visual reminder by marking it as unread. On Android, long-press the conversation, and on iOS, swipe from left to right on a chat. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Email entire conversations You almost certainly wont do this on a regular basis, but its a handy option to have. You can export entire conversations - complete with emoji and media attachments - by hitting More inside a chat a selecting Email Chat. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Mass-message contacts You can send the same message to lots of your contacts without lumping them all into one group, much like the BCC option on email, by hitting the New Broadcast option on the apps main menu. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Pin conversations You pin up to three contacts and groups to the top of your WhatsApp conversation list by tapping and holding a chat, then hitting the pin icon. 12 useful WhatsApp features you didnt know existed Make things easier to find You can easily mark key messages with a star, allowing you to find them easily when you need to. Just tap and hold a message and hit the star icon to save it, and return to it later by selecting Starred Messages in WhatsApps main menu. A report filed to the UN Human Rights Council last June proposed a ban on the use of such hacking tools, claiming the technology is a paradigmatic example of surveillance tools being used in European and Middle Eastern countries. While anyone could be targeted by the sophisticated malware, the cost of acquiring it from NSO means it is likely only to be used by state intelligence agencies or other well-funded organisations. This means victims will be specific individuals of particular interest to the attacker. People of high value or wealth need to be extremely cautious of such tactics used, Mr Moore said. Bezos may well have innocently clicked on the file in the message, but extreme caution should always be adhered to whenever something is received. Although difficult to reduce the risk, anyone who is a possible target, including people in the media and politicians, should always be aware of the risks. Despite advanced hacking attempts across WhatsApp and other popular apps being rare, security experts consistently warn users to be wary of any files and attachments they receive. Jeff Bezos (left) and Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (AP/Getty) Saudi Arabia has denied reports that the crown prince was responsible for the attack on Mr Bezoss phone, calling the allegations absurd, while NSO also said that its software was not used. We know this because our software cannot be used on US phone numbers, the firm said in a statement. Our technology, which is only licensed to prevent or investigate crime and terror, was not used by any of our customers to target Mr Bezoss phone. The surveillance tool was previously used to monitor murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to a lawsuit brought by Amnesty International, though NSO also denies these claims. NSO co-founder Shalev Hulio said last year that Pegasus was designed to help governments fight crime and uncover terrorist networks, claiming it has saved the lives of tens of thousands of people by foiling jihadist attacks. It is not clear if WhatsApp has fixed any potential security vulnerabilities that may have allowed a file infected with Pegasus malware to be sent across its platform. The Facebook-owned company did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. In October, the popular messaging app filed a lawsuit against NSO for allegedly sending malware to 1,400 mobile phones capable of breaking WhatsApps end-to-end encryption. The lawsuit claimed NSO developed their malware in order to access messages and other communications after they were decrypted on target devices. WhatsApp has since patched the vulnerability detailed in the lawsuit. Pub group JD Wetherspoon said it will spend 80million in the coming year on new pubs and refurbishments as the firm reported a 4.4 per cent increase in like-for-like sales in the 12 weeks to 19 January. Total sales also rose by 4.9 per cent in the first 25 weeks of its financial year to date as the company announced it expects full-year expenditure to be around 85million. But it predicts that its net debts will be higher than it previously forecast, at between 780million and 820million due to greater capital expenditure. Prominent Brexit supporter Tim Martin (right) castigated the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) for 'doubling down on Project Fear stories' Wetherspoon made the announcement in a trading update in which its chairman Tim Martin slammed 'pro-Remain organisations,' major shareholders like Blackrock and corporate governance (CG) rules for harming the firm. Martin castigated the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) for 'doubling down on Project Fear stories' related to Brexit regarding possible job losses and rising food prices. Commenting on a recent BBC News article where both groups claimed that regulatory divergence with the EU could lead to higher food prices and job losses, he wrote that the FDFs warnings on potential food price rises are 'absurd.' He added: 'The EU is a highly protectionist organisation which imposes tariffs and quotas on about 13,000 non-EU imports including many food and drink products such as bananas, rice, oranges, coffee and wine. Elimination of tariffs will obviously reduce prices.' Martin called on the CBI and FDF to take 'a wise-up pill' and accept the result of the Brexit referendum. Tim Martin: 'The EU is a highly protectionist organisation which imposes tariffs and quotas on about 13,000 non-EU imports including many food and drink products such as bananas, rice, oranges, coffee and wine. Elimination of tariffs will obviously reduce prices' Wetherspoon says the company is in a 'sound financial position' and that it plans to open another ten to fifteen pubs later this year having launched one and sold off five in the last year. It claims its net debts are about equal to the amount it has spent on share buybacks and reversions. Over half a billion pounds has been spent purchasing its own shares since 2003, while reversion spending has totalled 320million in the last six years. The New Zealand-born founder also took the opportunity to lambast the UK's 'remote, counterproductive and inflexible' corporate governance system. He reserved particular opprobrium for the firm's two largest shareholders, Blackrock and Columbia Threadneedle, and the corporate governance adviser Pensions & Investment Research Consultants (PIRC). Martin rebuked the three organisations for not adequately dealing with issues raised by Wetherspoon over the CG system. 'The main consequence of the current governance system is short-termist and inexperienced boards, which have minimal representation from executives and the workforce - the people who are best placed to understand and run the business,' he commented. Wetherspoon will reduce the price of ten drinks from January 31 to celebrate Brexit In November, the PIRC recommended that Tim Martin be removed from his position as chief executive after he wrote a 1,300 word diatribe against what he described as the 'Noddy-in-Toyland' CG codes. Martin said the system 'institutionalises short-termism, inexperience and navel-gazing,' gave too much power to non-executive directors and was a threat to listed companies and the UK economy. Shareholders rejected the PIRC's calls and less than 2 per cent of them voted to get rid of the Spoons boss. Wetherspoon has declared that ten drinks from across Europe and the UK will have their prices cut from January 31 in celebration of Brexit. Bottles of Peroni and Estrella will be slashed by around 60p until February 29 across the chain's 870 UK pubs. Shares in JD Wetherspoon fell by 1.1 per cent to 1,577.9 this morning. Launched in August, the quarterly "Bankers Roundtable" series offers small business owners and entrepreneurs access to a strategic network of lending experts and resources to help build their businesses and create new jobs. The roundtable events are hosted by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce's Minority Business Partnership in collaboration with the other members of the Pathways Collaborative (the Minority Business Assistance Center, Wesley Community Center and Miami Valley Community Action Partnership) and include bankers and lending professionals from a number of local financial institutions, including KeyBank. "The Bankers Roundtable creates a common ground where regional competitors in the banking and lending space transform into collaborators to connect with small business owners seeking capital and remove some of the barriers that exist for minority and women-owned businesses," said Belinda Stenson, Director for the Minority Business Partnership. The Pathways Collaborative does targeted outreach to women, people of color and rural business owners to invite them to the roundtable events. The collaborative meets with all attending companies prior to the events and also makes referrals to banking partners for clients that have expressed a need to secure capital. "We have had very positive feedback from both the lenders and presenting companies," added Stenson. "In fact, participating companies are averaging 3 to 5 follow-up contacts from the Bankers Roundtable members after taking part in these roundtables." The Dayton Pathways Collaborative is one of a number of business and workforce development initiatives funded through the KeyBank Business Boost & Build Program powered by Jumpstart. The Business Boost & Build's mission is to stimulate economic growth by partnering with local organizations to provide high-impact technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners in urban neighborhoods that have struggled to access these services in the past. The program is powered by nonprofit venture development organization JumpStart Inc. and funded via an historic grant from KeyBank Foundation. "The organizations that make up the Pathways Collaborative are such critical members of the Dayton business community," said KeyBank Commercial Sales Leader Jeff Bardonaro. "KeyBank is proud to support this collaboration and take part in the Bankers Roundtable, which provides valuable resources to the many small businesses that bring economic vitality to our community." Small business owners, entrepreneurs and local lenders who are interested in learning more about the services provided by the Pathways Collaborative which includes the Bankers Roundtable, should contact the Minority Business Partnership: https://daytonchamber.org/services/chamber-programs/minority-business-partnership/ About JumpStart Inc. JumpStart is a nationally recognized investing, entrepreneurial support and economic development organization dedicated to unlocking the full potential of diverse and ambitious entrepreneurs to economically transform entire communities. For more information, visit www.jumpstartinc.org and follow @JumpStartInc on Twitter. About KeyBank KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $146.7 billion at September 30, 2019. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of over 1,100 branches and more than 1,400 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, vis. KeyBank is Member FDIC. About KeyBank Foundation KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank's purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation's mission is advanced through three funding priorities neighbors, education, and workforce and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp. About the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce brings together more than 2,200 businesses and organizations in a 9-county area surrounding Dayton, Ohio. The Chamber strives to improve the region's business climate and overall standard of living through public policy advocacy, economic development initiatives and providing networking and training opportunities for its members. Nationally awarded with "5-Star Accreditation" from the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Dayton Chamber is widely recognized for its innovative programs and outstanding contribution to positive change in the region. Information about the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce is available at www.daytonchamber.org or 937-226-1444. SOURCE JumpStart Inc. Related Links http://www.jumpstartinc.org By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of studying in detail the various initiatives undertaken by the Kerala government for the welfare of expatriates from the state, a high-level delegation from Telangana visited NorkaROOTS headquarters here on Tuesday. Telangana chief secretary Somesh Kumar, chief advisor to Telangana government Rajeev Sharma, principal secretary of Telangana Chief Minister S Narsing Rao were among those who visited the state. Principal secretary (Norka) K Ellangovan briefed the delegation about the various expatriate welfare schemes being implemented through Norka and the services offered by it. The delegations visit was part of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos decision to prepare a comprehensive NRI policy to support expatriates from Telangana. Rao had asked the officials to study various policies and schemes formulated in other states, especially Kerala which has a large expatriate population. Norka CEO K Harikrishnan Namboothiri, general manager V Jagadeesh were also part of the discussions. Job avenues in Maldives The deputy minister for education from Maldives Sharma Nazeer also visited Norka on Tuesday to discuss about job opportunities in the Indian Ocean island. The minister informed Norka CEO Harikrishnan Namboothiri that there were over 300 vacancies of Arabic/Quran teachers under the Maldives Ministry of Education. A recruitment drive to fill the posts will be held till January 24. The discussions about the Bidens are being closely held, and the issue is fraught for Democrats, due to the differing levels of support for Biden in a chamber stocked with presidential candidates and the clashing views on impeachment strategy. In private conversations in recent days, there has been much loathing of the Republicans spotlight on the Bidens among Senate Democrats, but also a fear that unless a witness deal is eventually struck, the trial could proceed without witnesses, according to party officials and Senate aides. Boeing's cursed 737 Maxes are no longer in production. The aircraft started falling out of the sky last spring, after which one nation after another banned them from taking off or landing at their airports; it emerged that pilots had long known of deficiencies in the 737 Max's control software, which the company had largely "self-certified" under lax FAA rules that allowed aerospace companies to police their own safety rules on the grounds that their internal quality assurance processes were sufficient (Boeing sidelined, silenced and marginalized its own employees who sounded alarms about the 737 Max). Part of the problem appears to be that certain crucial safety features were sold as optional upgrades, leaving pilots for carriers from poorer countries at a disadvantage. This week, Boeing pushed back its date for getting the 737 Maxes flying to summer 2020. Shortly after, the company announced that it was "pausing" production on the aircraft, with no restart date specified. Though Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg who oversaw the self-regulation process for the 737 Max was stripped of his role as chairman of Boeing's board and eventually fired, he left with $80m in compensation. Boeing will not disclose how many workers it will lay off as a result of the shutdown of the 737 Max. Boeing would not release a headcount for people who had been working on the plane. The company said the employees will be reassigned to other duties during the shutdown, and there are a number of reasons for that. First, under federal labor law, Boeing would have to pay them for 60 days following a layoff notice. Since Boeing is still hoping to resume work on the plane soon, it probably would have limited cost savings to go through the process of laying off the workers. And with unemployment in the Seattle metropolitan area at 2.9% lower than the national unemployment rate that's at a 50-year low Boeing can't risk losing the workers it needs once production resumes. In his email to Boeing employees a week ago, new CEO Dave Calhoun said the company would "keep taking steps to maintain our supply chain and workforce expertise so we're ready to restart production." Boeing has temporarily stopped making 737 Max airplanes [Chris Isidore/CNN Business] (via /.) (Photo: Shutterstock; Illustration: Beschizza) A former Leixlip Town Councillor has resigned as a Peace Commissioner after spending 38 years in the public non paid voluntary role. John Colgan, a well known public figure in Leixlip, said he formally tendered his resignation as a Peace Commissioner with effect from close of business on January 3, 2020 to the Minister for Justice. A Peace Commissioner (PC)is an honorary appointment made in Ireland by the Minister for Justice and Equality. Her/his powers consist mainly of taking statutory declarations, witnessing signatures on documents of required by various authorities and signing certificates and orders under various Acts. Mr Colgan said he wrote to the Minister on December 12 last to tender his resignation. SEE ALSO: Work to start on Celbridge dental clinic in February The late Jim Mitchell, TD, Minister for Justice, appointed him as Peace Commissioner from March 8, 1982. He said he had been asked by Mark Clinton, the Minister for Agriculture in the Liam Cosgrave-led Government of 1973-1976, if he would be willing to become a PC. At the time I was chairman of Leixlips wholly elected Community Council. However, I declined the role, thinking of it as a political sinecure. Of course I have since learned that it is not a sinecure. SEE ALSO: more Kildare stories In 1982 Mr Colgan was also appointed by the Minister for Justice as a member of the Visiting Committee to Arbour Hill Prison after he himself expressed an interest in that post. Of the Peace Commissioner role: Although I am fit, in good health and active, I feel that it was time I quit this role and that it should be taken up by another member of the Leixlip community. Besides, there is the matter of public liability insurance. Mr Colgan said from 1982 to now he never sought, nor obtained, any fee or remuneration of any kind, including expenses, for either of the Arbour Hill or PC roles. In the current context of the scandalous state of expenses for TDs and Senators, I don't think it is any harm to put this on record. Peace Commissioners are honorary appointments and there is no remuneration or financial compensation by way of fees or expenses for their services. Mr Colgan chaired the Visiting Committee for the purposes of preparing a submission to T K Whitakers Committee of Inquiry into Penal Reform and drafted the Committees recommendations dated May 21, 1984. A relatively old act, the Courts of Justice Act 1924 gives Peace Commissioners the power to issue summons and warrants. These powers are less frequently used these days. For example, applications for search warrants are normally made to the local District Court. The Department of Justice and Equality maintains the Roll of Peace Commissioners and will usually provide the name and address of a Peace Commissioner on request. There are no qualifying examinations or educational standards required to be appointed as a Peace Commissioner but you are required to be a person of good character. Anyone who has been charged with or convicted of a serious offence will not be considered for appointment. Most Peace Commissioners are well established in their local community. If you are already serving as a Peace Commissioner and are subsequently convicted for a serious offence, your appointment as a Peace Commissioner will cease immediately. Civil servants are usually only appointed as Peace Commissioners where the performance of their official duties requires this. Solicitors and persons employed in their offices and members of the clergy are, as a matter of practice, not appointed as Peace Commissioners because of the possibility of a conflict of interest. One can become a Peace Commissioner by applying on your behalf or you may be nominated by another person. A member of the public can also nominate someone. The application must be in writing and should include some information about the nominee and the reasons why you or they may be suitable. You can send your personal application (or your nomination) in writing to: Minister for Justice and Equality, Office of the Minister for Justice and Equality, 94 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. An albino elephant was left with trapped horrific injuries that resemble The Joker after being caught in a barbaric snare for four days. Khanyisa, an elephant calf, was found alone and tangled in the snare at a private reserve close to the border of Kruger National Park in South Africa. The vulnerable elephant, that has unique pink skin rather than the usual grey, had severe lacerations to the back of both her ears and her neck and the snare had wrapped itself around her cheeks cutting into her mouth. She had horrific gashes from her ears to her mouth on both sides just like Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker, who had slash wounds across his face in the 2008 film The Dark Knight, staring Heath Ledger as the infamous villain. Carer Herman from Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development looking after albino elephant calf, Khanyisa, after she was rescued from a barbed wire snare in South Africa Khanyisa pictured (above) sleeping. She was found trapped in a snare after four days being caught in the wire. She was left with gashes from her ears to her mouth on both sides The animal's wounds resemble Batman villain, The Joker, from the 2008 film The Dark Knight Her wounds were so bad maggots had starting eating the open flesh decaying around her cheeks which led to gaping holes in her mouth. But Khanyisa was rescued by Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development, also known as HERD - a dedicated elephant orphanage in South Africa. The youngster is now on the mend in her new home and has been pictured at the safe haven as she recovers. Sue Howells, from the organisation, said: 'She looked so innocent, fragile and pure, and yet so brave - a unique beauty who had been sadly mutilated by the hands of man. 'We knew we had to help her and protect her and give her a place of safety that she never has to endure such trauma again. Herman feeding Khanyisa with the bottle. The young elephant is now on the mend in her new home and has been seen at the safe haven of Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development as she recovers Khanyisa and Lammie and the stables at her new home in the background. Her wounds were so bad maggots had starting eating the open flesh around her cheek 'Khanyisa is an exceptionally strong and brave little elephant. She is incredibly resilient and has what seems to be an uncrushable spirit. 'Her sweet, fragile and thoughtful personality shines through her toughness, despite everything that she has endured at such a young age.' Adine Roode, the founder of HERD, called her Khanyisa, which means 'light' in Shona - a Bantu language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. HERD is a facility built to rehabilitate and hand rear elephant calves that have been displaced or orphaned. The orphanage allows for the baby elephants to be close to a herd, for emotional wellbeing. Khanyisa the elephant has unique pink skin rather than the usual grey. She is pictured (above) with her herd in the background after being rescued (Newser) Two inmates were beaten to death in a fight with other inmates in an understaffed Mississippi prison that has been shaken by other deadly violence in recent weeks, a coroner said. The state Department of Corrections on Tuesday confirmed the men died at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and said officials are investigating, the AP reports. Both victims appear to have died from blunt force beating injuries," said Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton. The department originally said the inmates died Monday night, but Burton later clarified that they died early Tuesday. Department spokeswoman Grace Simmons Fisher said the injuries occurred late Monday as the two inmates fought with other prisoners. At this moment, it appears to be an isolated incidentnot a continuation of the recent retaliatory killings, the Department of Corrections said Tuesday. story continues below Violence is a recurring problem in Mississippi prisons, where many jobs for guards are unfilled. Five inmates were killed and an undisclosed number of others inmates were injured during an outbreak of violence in Mississippi's prison system between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3. Three of those five deaths were at Parchman. In addition to those deaths and the two on Tuesday, another inmate was found hanging in his cell Saturday night at Parchman. Burton said she was called Sunday to the prison, where Gabriel Carmen was found hanging the night before. She said corrections officials reported he had been irate and throwing feces before his death. An autopsy was being done. Prison officials said Carmen's cell lock had been jammed from inside the cell. One of the inmates who died Tuesday was Timothy Hudspeth, 35, who was serving a 10-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The name of the other inmate was not immediately released because a chaplain was trying to reach his family. (Read more Mississippi stories.) Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information about controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda, who fled the country amid allegations of wrongful confinement of children, officials said on Wednesday. A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime. The Gujarat Police had sent a request to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the nodal body for Interpol matters in India, seeking a Blue Corner Notice against Nithyananda, the officials said. "Interpol issued the Blue Corner Notice against the controversial godman this month," Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad (rural), K T Kamariya, told PTI. The police said they are now working to get Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice, a global arrest warrant, against Nithyananda. The Gujarat Police had registered a first information report against Nithyananda after two girls went missing from his ashram in Ahmedabad. He was charged with kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram. Nithyananda was earlier declared wanted by the Gujarat Police. While police continue to look for him, reports emerged in December last year that he has created a Hindu nation, Kailaasa, with its own flag and political setup, on an island near Ecuador. WA Police say they are taking a spate of gun crime in the metropolitan area seriously after a young mother was caught in the crossfire of an attack in Perth's east this week. Two shootings within 24 hours in Thornlie and Cloverdale on Tuesday prompted State Crime acting Detective Commander Rod Wilde to address community concerns. Police are investigating whether there was a link between the incidents, if they are bikie or gang-related, or if they have any connection to a gun store heist in Yangebup in November last year. "One shooting is one too many so that's what's of concern to us," Detective Commander Wilde said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Wednesday condoled the death of Army jawan Rahul Rainswal who was killed fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Rawat prayed for fortitude to the soldier's kin in this hour of grief and assured them of all help from the state government. Rainswal (27) was one of the two security personnel killed in the encounter between security forces and the militants on Tuesday. He hailed from a village in Champawat district of Uttarakhand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Relying on Google services, as most of us Android-carrying primates do, comes with a certain tradeoff. It's no big secret or anything: Google makes its money by selling ads, which are more effective when they're catered to our interests the subjects we tend to search about, the things we buy (when Google knows about 'em, at least), and often even the places we go with our location-enabled phones in tow (and/or in toe, for the monkeys among us). That's all par for the course, as I frequently say part of the deal we all accept when we use Google services. That's what makes it possible for Google to give us top-notch apps for free, and it's also what opens the door to certain advanced features that wouldn't be possible without that information's presence. What you might not realize, though, is that if you're using an Android phone whose manufacturer makes significant modifications to the operating system or the system-level apps around it any phone other than a Google-made Pixel or a Google-associated Android One device, really there's a decent chance the creator of your phone is adding its own layer of complexity into that arrangement. And even though Google itself doesn't ever share your data with anyone, the company that creates your phone might be using its position to double-dip and directly profit off the same personal info you assume is protected. That certainly seems to be the case with Samsung. In addition to making a hefty chunk of change from selling you hardware, Samsung appears to have quietly created an intricate system for collecting different types of data from people who own its phones and then generating extra revenue by selling that data to third parties or sometimes using the data to power its own self-run ad network. That has the potential to be disconcerting for anyone and particularly red-flag-raising for businesses and enterprises, where information protection is an especially pressing priority. For all the times I've complained about the complexity and confusion created by Samsung's insistence on gunking up Galaxy phones with redundant versions of Google services, it never occurred to me that part of the reason it was doing that was to dip into user data and turn it into a secondary stream of income. It wasn't until the crew from XDA Developers noticed a newly present setting in the Samsung Pay app the other day, in fact, that such a notion crossed my mind. [Get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday with JR's Android Intelligence newsletter. Exclusive extras await!] Samsung, as XDA discovered, recently added a toggle into its Pay app's settings called "Do not sell." If you find it and activate it and no, it isn't activated by default then and only then, your payment-related data "can be locked away from Samsung Pay partners." Samsung does warn you that some of its Pay features won't work if you flip that switch, though it isn't immediately clear which specific elements of the app it's referring to. This switch's addition seems to be tied to a new set of privacy regulations enacted by the state of California: the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which went into effect at the start of this year on the same day that Samsung's privacy policy was updated. It's not clear if the same Samsung Pay "Do Not Sell" option is being provided to Galaxy device owners outside of the U.S., but what is clear is that Samsung didn't seem to provide this option to anyone or make it at all clear that it was apparently selling payment-related data to third parties before this point. And digging deeper into the company's privacy policy, it seems this isn't the only place where such data dipping practices are being employed. As part of the policy's "California Consumer Privacy Statement" again, making the disclosure specifically to California residents, as now required by law Samsung says: We may allow certain third parties (such as advertising partners) to collect your personal information. You have the right to opt out of this disclosure of your information. It also warns California-dwellers that prior to the CCPA's passage, it "may have" sold several specific categories of alarming-to-the-IT-department info, including: Identifiers such as a unique personal identifier (such as a device identifier; cookies, beacons, pixel tags, mobile ad identifiers and similar technology; other forms of persistent or probabilistic identifiers), online identifier, and internet protocol address Commercial information, including records of products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, and other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies Internet and other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding your interaction with websites, applications, or advertisements Inferences drawn from any of the information identified above to create a profile about you reflecting your preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes. Yikes. And that's barely scratching the surface. The company notes that it also may have "disclosed" even more personal info to "vendors" for "a business purpose" everything from your name, address, and phone number to your signature, bank account number, credit card number, purchase history, browsing history, search history, geolocation data, and once again that lovely-sounding collection of "inferences drawn" from all that info. I wish it ended there, but the more you dig, the more unsettling stuff you uncover. The privacy page for Samsung's Customization Service something that's integrated all throughout Galaxy devices' software and the Samsung-branded apps associated with it collects much of the same device-specific sorts of information. It taps into data about what apps you use on your device along with what music you play on the phone, what websites you visit, what searches you make, and where and when you're taking pictures. It also relies on Samsung-made apps like the company's custom Calendar and Internet (browser) utilities to analyze your data from those domains. And then it uses all that info to "display customized advertisements about products and services that may be of interest to you," among other things. It reserves the right to "collect, analyze, and share information" in order to provide you with "advertising and direct marketing communications about products and services offered by Samsung and third parties that are tailored to your interests." Speaking of ads, there's a whole other can of worms about that. Google never sells your data or shares it with third parties But wait: Isn't all of this already happening with Google, anyway? That's a valid question. And the answer is: not really. First, and most crucially, Google never sells your data or shares it with any third parties, even when said info is used to help determine what ads you see around the web via Google's ad networks. That's where the Samsung thing gets especially icky-feeling and potentially concerning, if you ask me in the selling of information to other companies. But beyond that, Google's use of data for ad personalization is a well-known, core part of its business at this point. Love it or hate it, Google's incredibly up-front about what type of data it's collecting and how exactly it's using it. The company's got entire websites devoted to that subject, with plain-English, non-legalese breakdowns. And it makes it possible to see exactly what information is being stored about you and to opt out of any form of data-driven activity you want including the entire ad personalization system with the understanding, of course, that doing so will affect what features are available to you in certain associated areas. Samsung's use of customer data, in contrast, feels slightly sneaky. Sure, you might've clicked through some sprawling terms of service screen when you first set up your phone who can remember? but the company certainly isn't going out of its way to make sure you understand and can control exactly what it's doing with your data. And the fact that its Android-integrated apps effectively give it access to your data from the underlying Google services like your calendar details, for instance make it tough not to see those apps in a completely different light, given the realization of what Samsung reserves the right to do with that data. I reached out to Samsung on Monday to see if the company could provide any further context or comment about any of this. I'll update this page if I receive any additional information. When we talk about Android and privacy, two very different realities exist Ultimately, though, it boils down to this: With Android or any Google services, you're accepting the arrangement with Google and entrusting Google to keep your data safe. That's the company's entire business, and presumably, you believe it can do a reasonably decent job of protecting your personal and/or work-connected information, even if it does use parts of that info for ad personalization. When you add Samsung's software into the equation, you're creating a secondary layer that sits on top of that and consequently doubles the number of companies with access to your info and the responsibility to guard it. (Also, one of those companies is openly claiming the right to pass some of your data on further as it sees fit, in addition to using it for its own secondary system of ad serving.) You're doubling your exposure, in other words, or more than doubling it once you factor in the third-party sharing. When we talk about Android and privacy just like when we talk about Android and software support or Android and overall user experience it's worth remembering that two very different realities exist: the one Google creates and provides via its own Android phones and the one other companies adapt to their own priorities and business interests. If you opt to venture outside of Google's jurisdiction and into another galaxy, it's critical to keep that distinction in mind and take it upon yourself to seek out and disable any secondary layers that you don't want in your mobile-tech equation. Sign up for my weekly newsletter to get more practical tips, personal recommendations, and plain-English perspective on the news that matters. [Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld] Princeton University Professor Robert P. George, widely considered one of the countrys most influential right-wing intellectuals, has written a letter to Attorney General William Barr calling on him to step up prosecutions of online pornography cases. Although DOJs website includes fact sheets confirming that obscenity law applies to online material, George wrote in the January 13 missive. It appears to me that DOJ is not prosecuting a sufficient number of federal obscenity cases to discourage its proliferation. The George letter goes on to cite a number of widely debunked, pseudoscientific claims about porns allegedly damaging effects on the health of its viewers. George is also the co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, one of the leading lobbying groups that worked, but came up short, in the effort to ban same-sex marriage nationwide. But now, George is crusading against porn, calling it a public health and a public safety and a public morality issue that is not protected by the First Amendment. George has also helped found the American Principles Project, a think tank that has moved to the front lines in the latest iteration of the war on porn. In a recent essay by that think tanks director, Terry Schilling, the group calls for a national age verification system for porn sites similar to the system that was intended to ao into effect last year in the United Kingdom, but was ultimately scrapped. Schilling in the essay called on the right wing under Donald Trump to be more aggressive wielding its power to enforce promote virtue, public morality, and the common good. Conservatives need to overcome their fear of governing the nation that elected them. But not all conservatives are on board with Georges crusade. What youre seeing now is this rise of a much more authoritarian and state-oriented variant of conservatism, said Reason Magazine editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward, in an interview with Vox.com. It just says, You know what? Actually, never mind. Lets take away the bad choices. Lets make some bad choices illegal. Photo By Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons DEINOVE launches the production of a new batch of Phyt-N-Resist to meet the needs of its distributors and future customers. Several projects for the development of cosmetic products containing the first DEINOVE's active made of Phytoene are underway. Regulatory News: DEINOVE (Paris:ALDEI) (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company that uses a disruptive approach to develop innovative antibiotics and bio-based active ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition, announces the production of a new industrial batch of Phyt-N-Resist, its first proprietary cosmetic active ingredient, to meet the needs of its distributors and future customers. Phyt-N-Resist is a colorless carotenoid with clinically proven antioxidant and regenerative properties. This first 100% pure Phytoene is an anti-aging active ingredient whose mechanism of action reveals a prime target for cell regeneration: laminin, a protein that links the different types of collagen and contributes to the adhesion of the epidermis to the dermis. DEINOVE has developed an exclusive process for the bioproduction and extraction of Phytoene. 100% naturally-sourced and vegan, produced exclusively in France, it is derived from fermentation of plant sugars by the extremophile microorganism Deinococcus geothermalis. Phyt-N-Resist has been sampled by nearly a hundred cosmetic brands and incorporated into various skincare formulations, demonstrating its potential in several strategic markets. The partners for distribution of this active ingredient are Solvay in the Americas and Asia, and Univar in EMEA. "Phyt-N-Resist has been tested in different formulations and several tangible projects for the development of cosmetic products containing this active ingredient have been identified. Our distributors work closely with these brands located in different geographical areas. This new industrial batch is essential to address market needs and supply future customers" says Coralie MARTIN, Marketing Manager at DEINOVE. ABOUT PHYTOENE A breakthrough in naturally-sourced active ingredients: DEINOVE bioproduced the 1st pure Phytoene. Both skin cells and plants rely on a common substance to protect themselves from oxidative stress: Phytoene, the original precursor of all carotenoids. However, unlike plants, skin cannot synthesize it. Phytoene counts among these essential molecules that need to be brought through food or external supplementation, either oral or topical. So far there was no way to extract pure Phytoene. None of the available production processes from plants allows the production of pure Phytoene. They provide only a random mixture of carotenoids, at low concentration, and with varying degrees of stability and colors. Tapping into the extraordinary resources of biomimetism, harnessing the potential of Deinococcus geothermalis, a UV-resistant extremophile bacterium, DEINOVE has for the first time ever achieved the bioproduction of pure Phytoene. Extended anti-aging properties Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant properties. Phytoene has been successfully tested for its ability to reduce the amount of lipoperoxidation products, appearing after cells exposure to UV radiations. Indeed, phytoene accumulates in cellular membranes to prevent cellular degradation. By protecting membranes lipids from free radicals, Phytoene reduces the harmful effects of oxidation and, ultimately, skin aging. DEINOVE went even further while putting in place a systematic screening of its active ingredients across several dimensions. This comprehensive, innovative approach has highlighted a previously untapped feature under the carotenoid family: cell renewal stimulation. Wounded skin is able to regenerate under the action of phytoene. These properties were subsequently confirmed by a conclusive clinical study, demonstrating its beneficial effect on skin firmness, elasticity and radiance. Above all, Phytoene has a significant antiwrinkle action. This makes Phytoene a thorough anti-aging active ingredient for the beauty industry. ABOUT DEINOVE DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company, a leader in disruptive innovation, which aims to help meet the challenges of antibiotic resistance and the transition to a sustainable production model for the cosmetics and nutrition industries. DEINOVE has developed a unique and comprehensive expertise in the field of rare bacteria that it can decipher, culture, and optimize to disclose unsuspected possibilities and induce them to produce biobased molecules with activities of interest on an industrial scale. To do so, DEINOVE has been building and documenting since its creation an unparalleled biodiversity bank that it exploits thanks to a unique technological platform in Europe. DEINOVE is organized around two areas of expertise: ANTIBIOTICS, New-generation anti-infective agents : A first antibiotic candidate is now in Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with bioMerieux and Naicons (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). : A first antibiotic candidate is now in Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with bioMerieux and Naicons (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). BIOACTIVES, Active ingredients of natural origin with cosmetics as the first market and potential in nutrition and health: DEINOVE is already marketing a first innovative asset, a second in partnership with Greentech and plans to launch new assets in 2020. Several other cosmetic actives are in development, including Oleos (Hallstar Group) and Dow. It also runs a program in animal nutrition with Groupe Avril. Within the Euromedecine science park located in Montpellier, DEINOVE employs 60 employees, mainly researchers, engineers, and technicians, and has filed more than 350 patent applications internationally. The Company has been listed on EURONEXT GROWTH since April 2010. Visit www.deinove.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005627/en/ Contacts: Investors Coralie Martin Communication, Marketing and Investor Relations Ph.: +33 (0)4 48 19 01 60 coralie.martin@deinove.com Media ALIZE RP Caroline Carmagnol Ph.: +33 (0)6 64 18 99 59 deinove@alizerp.com File image Businesses are facing a digital ceiling in their transformation process and few companies globally have reached the advanced stage on this front, an Infosys study released here showed on January 22. However, India ranks the highest in the digital maturity index and Indian companies are ahead of the global average, particularly in operating at scale in Application Programming Interface (API). Digital marketing is a particularly strong capability for Indian companies, according to the new global study by Infosys Knowledge Institute. The Infosys Digital Radar 2020, which measured companies' progress against 22 digital initiatives, this year found that India ranks the highest in the Digital Maturity Index at 71.4, whereas the overall digital maturity, stands at 62.3. The study reveals that 38 per cent of companies are in the visionary category which is significant percentage for India. The report, which surveyed over 1,000 executives globally, ranked the most digitally advanced companies as "Visionaries", followed by "Explorers" and then "Watchers". While influenced by high representation in the digitally strong high-tech sector, this is still a strong showing for India. Compared to the rest of the world, India excels in cybersecurity and APIs (60 per cent in the India vs 51 per cent globally). One of the strongest digital transformation initiatives in the Indian market is digital marketing (62 per cent in India vs 45 per cent globally). The biggest challenges to transformation in India is managing risk-averse cultures to tech advancement (45 per cent in 2020 vs 47 per cent in 2019). Infosys' study found that, globally, enterprises in India perform better than Explorers in all initiatives. The top drivers for companies in India in achieving digital maturity is a quick response to changing and improving efficiency (78 per cent). Infosys Digital Radar 2020 assessed the digital transformation efforts of companies on a Digital Maturity Index and found year-over-year progress in basic areas, such as digital initiatives to improve a company's efficiency. However, most companies come up against a "digital ceiling" when trying to achieve the most advanced levels of maturity. Salil Parekh, CEO and MD at Infosys, commented: "We've seen enterprises successfully employ emerging technologies to optimise productivity and efficiency, but struggle at the next stage of digital maturity. "Faster, better, and cheaper technology alone will not provide the improvements enterprises need," he said. Parekh said the research has shown that companies which can keep pace with digital transformation are those that design digital initiatives to improve customer experiences and empower their employees, differentiating themselves and propelling their business to the most advanced levels of progress. Its not a good look when financial disclosure deadlines result in a company fessing up to ugly truths. Boeing has had to admit that its fond hope that the FAA would give the troubled 737 Max a green light in February or March was optimistic. The airline announced it estimated that the ungrounding of the 737 Max would start in mid 2020 which it by which it indicated it means June or July. And remember, it takes time to get planes out of mothballs, plus pilot simulator training looks like a probable requirement, so it would be a couple of months after that before the planes were back in service. Boeings stock price fell by over 5% on this news to close down 3.3% for the day. That means another summer of running fewer flights than theyd planned for Southwest, American, and other 737 Max buyers. The Wall Street Journal states that having the 737 Max out of service has reduced the global passenger airline capacity by 5%. And if you read the various stories on the state of play with the 737 Max, this early-mid summer forecast is yet another guess. An article in the Seattle Times, based on a single source at an airline, claims the aircraft maker is being conservative and the plane may be good to go earlier. The reality is that Boeing does not know. It has a punchlist with the FAA that it has to clear up. The new CEO Dennis Calhoun has only officially been in the CEO seat for a week. He no doubt really does want to manage expectations better.but making this announcement under what amount to duress isnt a confidence builder. From the Wall Street Journal: However, the company had to provide internal assessments of the MAX return to close its 2019 accounts, with fourth-quarter earnings due to be reported on Jan. 29. Boeing issued its statement Tuesday after a report by CNBC. Boeings revised estimate takes into account extensive reviews expected by regulators, new hiccups that could emerge and the potential to approve additional simulator training for pilots, one of the people familiar with the projection said. While Boeings previous estimates for when regulators would approve the MAX have irked the FAA, the plane maker felt compelled to provide an update for financial planning and to inform airline customers and suppliers, this person added. Boeing notified the FAA of its revised estimate on Tuesday, this person added. Notice the FAA will not give any forecast. Per the Financial Times: The FAA said in a separate statement that the agency is following a thorough, deliberate process to verify that all proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 Max meet the highest certification standards, adding: We have set no timeframe for when the work will be completed. The pink paper pointed out that FAA Director Steve Dickson had said in December that the Boeing had almost a dozen items to clear up, but the Financial Times also said that the latest MCAS software problem wasnt the basis for pushing back the estimated back-in-service date. My assumption as to why the estimate of when the plane would be back in service affects 4Q earnings is liability reserves. Boeing already plans to compensate buyers for having grounded 737 Max planes via concessions on future purchases. In addition, the Southwest pilots union is suing Boeing over lost member flying time. As of when the Southwest union filed its suit, no other union planned to file similar actions. But will this posture hold if the grounding continues? According to the Seattle Times, Boeing maintains even with the further delay, it wont be cutting headcount. But the financial pain is set to increase. From the Financial Times: Airlines may be less eager to accept deliveries during their autumn slowdown, said Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Ron Epstein. Purchasing contracts also usually allow airlines to walk away after a year, giving customers the muscle to negotiate discounts from the plane maker. It also prolongs the cash bleed at Boeing, which Mr Epstein estimates at $1.5 billion per month. Wolf Richter looked at Boeings sorry state before this bout of bad news broke, focusing on its continuing borrowings to cover its cash bleed. Key points: The first thing to know about Boeings mad scramble to line up $10 billion or more in new funding via a loan from a consortium of banks, on top of the $9.5 billion credit-line it obtained in October last year efforts to somehow get through its cash-flow nightmare caused by the 737 MAX fiasco is that the company blew, wasted, and incinerated $43.4 billion to buy back its own shares since June 2013, having become a master of financial engineering instead of aircraft engineering..(share buyback data from YCharts): The second thing to know about Boeings mad scramble to borrow another $10 billion is that it already has a huge amount of debt and other liabilities, and that its total liabilities ($136 billion) exceed its total assets ($132 billion) by about $4 billion as of September 2019, meaning that it has negative net equity, that the share buybacks have destroyed its equity, which is what share buybacks do to the balance sheet. It also means that every dime in cash and cash equivalent listed on the balance sheet is borrowed. And this is about to get a whole lot worse. In October 2019, Boeing had already obtained a new credit line of $9.5 billion, which about doubled the size of its existing credit line. Credit lines serve as liquidity backup. And now Boeing is scrambling to pile $10 billion or more in new loans on top of it. Recall that Matt Stoller pointed out that Boeing is virtually alone in using an aggressive accounting approach that allows it to count expected future profits as if they were already earned 9emphasis his): Boeing is one of the few companies that uses a technique called program accounting. Rather than booking the huge costs of building the advanced 787 or other aircraft as it pays the bills, Boeingwith the blessing of its auditors and regulators and in line with accounting rulesdefers those costs, spreading them out over the number of planes it expects to sell years into the future. That allows the company to include anticipated future profits in its current earnings. The idea is to give investors a read on the health of the companys long-term investments. Our December warning still stands: If Boeing and the FAA are still at loggerheads in six months, with still no date for the 737 Max going into service, it isnt just that pressure on Boeings suppliers and customers will become acute, perhaps catastrophic for some. Boeings practice of booking future, yet to be earned, profits as current income means persistent negative cash flow could lead to an unraveling. The last time we saw similar accounting was how supposedly risk free future income from CDOs was discounted and included in the current earnings of banks. Remember how that movie ended? And as this fiasco continues, Boeing loses more credibility with a critical audience, airline passengers, who unlike suppliers and customers, do have option. On the one hand, its easy for a traveler to vow Never a 737 Max or No 737 Max until theyve been safely in the air a year and quite another to pay extra for that choice or refuse to board last-minute replacement equipment and incur time as well as money losses. But the flip side is US travelers can stick to the 737 Max-free Delta. And the customers most likely to throw their weight around this way are the lucrative front of the plane fliers. The plural of anecdote is not data, but the comments to the latest Wall Street Journal article on the 737 Max suggest the reputation problem is real. For instance: LEXINGTON, Va. - At the Robert E. Lee-Stonewall Jackson Day luncheon, this weekend I was surprised by the level of attention that was that paid to racial issues. The all-white crowd - except for me - had gathered for what is essentially a celebration of the Confederacy. There was no apparent reason to bring up the subject of race. But attendees appeared to be grappling for a new understanding. Awkwardly at times, but earnestly. In her welcoming remarks at the event on Saturday, Jennifer Thomson, 2nd District chair of the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, reported that she had spearheaded an effort to get a historical highway marker for Susie Gibson, a beloved African American educator and school supervisor in Bedford County from 1909 to 1949. Afterward, Thomson told me that a DNA test had shown she was 1% African. I said, "Where did that come from?'" A genealogical librarian at the Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library, Thomson traced her family line to New Orleans - and to a great-great-great-grandfather who appeared to be French Creole and had been a member of the same social club as Homer Plessy. Plessy, also French Creole - he described himself as "seven eighths Caucasian, one eighth African" - was arrested in 1892 for refusing to give up his seat on a whites-only train car. He became the plaintiff in a landmark Supreme Court civil rights case, Plessy v. Ferguson, which became the legal basis for "separate but equal" Jim Crow laws throughout the South. "All of that is part of my history now, along with the Confederate side," she said with wide-eyed delight. "I have to embrace it all." And Susie Gibson is now the first African American to have a highway marker in Bedford County, Virginia. Brandon Dorsey, former commander of the Lexington-based Sons of Confederate Veterans Stonewall Brigade Camp and now the group's spokesman, said he'd been wrestling with race and history ever since the NAACP began a campaign in the early 1990s to remove Confederate flags from public spaces. "I'd been going to Civil War reenactments with my grandfather ever since I was a child, and all of a sudden all that seemed good to me had people screaming at me," said Dorsey, who works as a land surveyor. "I want to be proud of my history, but I also have to do self- examination. Is there really anything of value here, or are we simply celebrating military prowess? Why are we portrayed as being so much more racist than other whites, which I know is not true?" Dorsey had made a tour of black Confederate heritage sites part of the Lee-Jackson Day commemoration. And he tried to get a historical marker for Jim Lewis, Stonewall Jackson's black manservant, put up in Lexington. But that effort backfired. "I was taking heat on both sides," he recalled. "Some of our guys were saying I had surrendered. On the other side, you had left-leaning whites not wanting to honor the man who cared for Stonewall's horse. At these community meetings, there'd be two groups of white people arguing and the black people just sitting there looking at us like, 'What are they talking about?' " Before giving his keynote speech, Civil War book author Phil Leigh made an offhand remark discounting the role of slavery in the war. Another man overheard him and pointed out that nearly all the states that seceded from the Union had cited the preservation of slavery as a main reason. That was it. End of the exchange. The topic of slavery as a cause for the war was still much too hot to be debated, at least not at a Lee-Jackson Day event. But race was still on the menu. Leigh's address included the story of John Harris, a black Confederate veteran who served in the Mississippi legislature in 1890. Harris had given a heartfelt speech in support of a bill that would allocate $10,000 for a Confederate memorial. The point being, if a black legislator was supporting Confederate memorials back in the 1890s, they couldn't be monuments to white supremacy, as many people see them today. " 'I, too, wore the gray, the same color my master wore,' " Leigh quoted Harris, who had fought at Seven Pines near Richmond, as saying. " 'I want to honor those brave men who died for their convictions. When my mother died, I was a boy. Who, sir, then acted the part of a mother to an orphaned slave boy, but my old missus? Were she living now . . . she would tell me to vote for this bill.' " Leigh gave a moving and verified account of what he said. But therein was the problem with how we see history. There's always more to the story. Harris's support for the Confederate monument went beyond his professed reverence for the dead. It was a compromise effort to get more white legislators to oppose a newly drafted Mississippi constitution. Harris failed, and the new state constitution was passed - a document born of white terrorist opposition to Reconstruction, drafted with the intention of disenfranchising black voters, institutionalizing racial segregation and creating a white supremacist power structure that, as it turned out, would rule the state for much of the next 100 years. And when the Confederate statue that Harris had voted for was erected, there was no doubt in anyone's mind what it symbolized. The theme for the weekend commemoration of Lee-Jackson Day was "Defending Confederate Memorials." But it wasn't just memorials, it was memory and identity, wrapped in a narrative of race, place and war. As Thomson said, it's all part of our history now. Some we can celebrate; some we can learn not to repeat. But we must embrace it all. She's currently enjoying a sun-soaked break away in the Maldives with husband Andrew Collins. And Luisa Zissman gave fans a glimpse at the break away on Wednesday, before starting to plan her next holiday as she asked whether or not she could fly in ski instructors for the occasion. The TV personality, 32, showed off her sensational figure in a blue floral-print bandeau bikini that accentuated her slender figure as she posed for snaps in the idyllic location. Stunning: Luisa Zissman showed off her incredible figure in a blue bandeau bikini as she enjoyed her Maldives break on Wednesday Luisa's ensemble showed off her toned abs and slender legs, and it also accentuated her cleavage as she posed in multiple locations around the resort. Her brunette locks were brushed into a sleek waves, and she wore a white hat to protect herself from the sun. She completed her look by wearing a pair of pink tinted shades that had a silver chain attached to them, while she also wore a silver pendant necklace. While inside her hotel room, Luisa posed in front of a mirror in a chic white kaftan as she joked that she woke her husband up to show him her outfit and he 'called me Dame Edna and rolled back over.' Pretty: Luisa's ensemble showed off her toned abs and slender legs, and it also accentuated her cleavage as she posed in multiple locations around the resort Amused: While inside her hotel room, Luisa joked that she woke her husband up to show him her outfit and he 'called me Dame Edna and rolled back over' Chic: Luissa completed her look by wearing a pair of pink tinted shades that had a silver chain attached to them, while she also wore a silver pendant necklace While she was clearly enjoying her break in South Asia, Luisa was already thinking ahead to her next trip in Chamonix, France, and asked fans for advice. Detailing her struggle to find the right instructors to hire, she asked: 'So I can't find ski instructors in Chamonix I'm thinking I can fly 2 instructors out there and put them up in an apartment/hotel. 'If you are a qualified ski instructor and interested in coming from 15th-22nd Feb please let me know!' And after apparently receiving a few snarky comments about her query, Luisa then hit back: 'Ps I am AWARE this is a very pathetic first world problem, no need for the DMs clogging up my inbox telling me that.' Reaching out: Luisa was already thinking ahead to her next trip in Chamonix, France, as she asked fans if they were instructors she could fly in for the occasion Hitting back: When a fan questioned her logic, she clarified that she had already contacted 'every ski school' but they were 'all full as it's half term week' Idyllic location: Luisa posed in front of the crystal-blue ocean in a floral co-ord ensemble The mother-of-three divorced first husband Oliver Zissman in 2014 after five years of marriage, and tied the knot with Irish businessman Andrew in July 2015. Luisa's posts come after she had a breast reduction, five years after having implants where she boosted her chest size from a 32C to a 32E. Taking to Instagram at the time, she shared a lengthy series of clips detailing why she opted for the reduction, admitting she wasn't prepared for the fact that her breasts would grow bigger after the birth of her children. After undergoing the 15,000 reduction surgery, the businesswoman explained: 'I had my implants out. No more big boobies! I was sick of them, I was sick of looking like a Love Island porn star. 'I actually feel ok, I'm not really in that much pain but I was in hospital since Saturday and I was like out of it. Now I have no t**s, they look tiny.' 'Bliss': Luisa also shared an image as she relaxed on a sun lounger at the beach Stunning: Luisa took a video of the resort she was staying in, which consisted of wooden huts floating in the ocean Harris County voters face doing homework when it comes to some congressional and local races in the March 3 primary because of the large field of candidates seeking office. For example, the contest for District 7 U.S. representative, which represents west Harris County, has drawn six Republican candidates. They are Wesley Hunt, Cindy Siegel, Maria Espinoza, Laique Rehman, Kyle Preston and Jim Noteware. The longtime Republican stronghold changed parties in the Nov. 6, 2018 election when Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, beat out U.S. Rep. John Culberson, who had first been elected to the seat in 2000. While Fletcher has no opponent in the Democratic Primary, theres a different story for the race for the District 22 U.S. representative seat now held by retiring Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land. Five Democrats are running for the position: Derrick A. Reed, Carmine Petricco III, Sri Preston Kulkarni, Chris Fernandez and Nyanza Davis Moore. Morning Report: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox In the Republican primary, 15 candidates want to represent District 22,which covers a large part of Fort Bend County and smaller portions of Brazoria and Harris counties. They are Pierce Bush, Jon Camarillo, Douglas Haggard, Aaron Hermes, Greg Hill, Matt Hinton, Dan Mathews, Diana Miller, Troy Nehls, Brandon Penko, Shandon Phan, Bangar Reddy, Howard Lynn Steele Jr., Kathaleen Wall and Joe Walz Olson narrowly beat Kulkarni in the Nov. 6, 2018, election. Olson succeeded Democrat Nick Lampson who won the seat in 2006, interrupting what had been a long Republican tenure by Tom DeLay who served as District 22 U.S. representative from 1984 to 2006. The large field of candidates shows the energy on the Republican side, said Paul Simpson, Harris County Republican Party chairman. We have so many people interested in running on the Republican banner. He thinks the intraparty competition is a good experience for candidates. They get on the campaign trail early, hone their messages and sharpen their skills. In addition to the training the campaigning provides, the candidates also are getting their message out to more voters earlier. It reflects the energy and enthusiasm on our Republican side. Breaking News: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox But theres excitement at the Harris Count Democratic Party as well, according to Nisha Randle, the partys communications director. Harris County is the biggest Democratic stronghold in Texas, according to Randle. We want to protect that, increase our voter share and were really confident about our chances in November. Simpson said misconceptions surround the last election cycle that saw longtime County Judge Ed Emmett lose his bid to a third term by a narrow margin. He received 48.16 percent of the total vote compared to 49.78 percent for his Democratic opponent Lina Hidalgo. Looking at the state and nation as a whole, Simpson said the Harris County Republican Party candidate outperformed much of the ticket. When 77 percent of the voters voted straight ticket, it was too much negative to overcome, he added. Neither Simpson nor Randle think that the governors elimination of straight party ticket voting will be a problem in November. Randle said, We are actually focused on every race up down the ballot from presidential to judicial races. Theyre all important to us. The party has been registering voters and reaching out to people to get them to vote. Its going to be really competitive and thats good, said Randle. Focus groups have concentrated on the general election after the primary and Randle said that will be one of the big communication issues. Its important to vote from the top of the ticket all the way down, she said. Simpson said the Republican Party is doing a lot of true and tried stuff in Harris County, but added, Were always refocusing campaign strategy. The party has focused on training candidates and reaching out to voters through advertising, door-to-door campaigns, phone calls and every tool available to us, he said. Not everyone gets the same message the same way, he continued noting differences between 25-year-old and 65-year-old voters. The Harris County Republican Party is informing voters of the importance of voting in judicial races and all the way down the ballot, Simpson said. Im optimistic voters will be able to vote down the ballot. Theyll vote Republican. They will want to and will do so. Simpson and Randle disagree on the possible impact President Donald Trump could have on local elections. I think Republican voters are happy with Trumps policies, said Simpson, on foreign and domestic policy and with the performance the country has had since his election. An increasing number of Independents are happy with the way the country is performing under the Trump economy, his appointment of judges and protecting Americans overseas by not appeasing thugs in Iran. I think a lot of Republicans came home and Independent voters are being won over, said Simpson. He credits national Democratic politics as providing a local boost. He said the nondiverse national Democratic Party ticket is running too hard to the left. Its embracing socialism and upending every tradition in this country, continued Simpson. Its turning off Independents and Republicans. But Randle sees Trump as a driver encouraging Democrats to get out and vote. At the end of the day, people want a good education for their kids, healthcare and a planet that will be around, she said. You cant move on any of those issues if you still have Trump as president. Voters are talking healthcare, education and climate, she said. Voters are aligned with what they see throughout the country. Healthcare is a big driver to a lot of people. A lot of younger people are worried on how were working to combat climate change and save the planet. The national platform is the same as ours in Harris County. Here are some of the primary races in Harris County: Republicans Harris County District Attorney: Lloyd Wayne Oliver, Mary Nan Huffman, Lori DeAngelo Harris County Sheriff: Joe Danna, Paul Day, Randy Rush Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner: Brenda Stardig, Tom Ramsey, Susan Sample Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Place 1: Russ Ridgway (incumbent), Adrianna Higginbotham, Mike Wolfe Democrats Harris County District Attorney: Todd Overstreet, Audia Jones, Carvana Cloud, Kim Ogg (incumbent) Harris County Attorney: Ben Rose, Christian Dashaun Menefee, Vince Ryan Harris County Sheriff: Ed Gonzalez (incumbent), Harry Zamora, Jerome Moore Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector: Jolanda Jo Jones, Ann Harris Bennett (incumbent), Jack Terence Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner: Kristi Thibaut, Erik Beto Hassan, Morris Overstreet, Michael Moore, Diana Martinez Alexander, Zaher Eisa Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Place 1: Roel Garcia, Israel Garcia, Eman Afshar Harris County Constable Precinct 5: Randy Newman, Mark Alan Harrison, Mark Miller karen.zurawski@chron.com 684 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Senate Democrats are considering calling the Republican bluff on witnesses by offering to swap Joe or Hunter Bidens testimony for John Boltons. The Washington Post reported: Several Senate Democrats are privately discussing the possibility of calling Republicans bluff on witnesses, weighing an unusual trade in President Trumps impeachment trial: the testimony of Hunter Biden for the testimony of a key administration official. . Behind closed doors, a small group of Democratic senators and aides have begun to question that logic, sounding out their colleagues on whether they should back a witness deal that could lead to testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton or other administration officials with possible firsthand knowledge of the Ukraine controversy, according to multiple Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussions. These Democrats said they believe having Hunter or possibly Joe Biden testify could backfire on Trump and the GOP, giving Biden and the party a platform to strike back and paint Republicans and the White House as obsessed with trying to damage one of Trumps 2020 presidential rivals. The Biden that Republicans are likely to get would be Joe Biden, who would eat them alive if he was allowed to return to his old Senate stomping grounds. Trump would go ballistic if he thought that there was a possibility of getting Joe or Hunter Biden to testify. The pressure on Senate Republicans to agree to such a deal would be immense. The deal would be loaded with landmines for Republicans. John Bolton isnt a Trumper and he is not going to commit felony perjury for Donald Trump. Secondly, giving Joe Biden a national platform by having him testify would almost certainly hurt Republicans in the general election. It is a gutsy move that reveals Democrats as playing for keeps at this trial. There are enough Senators willing to vote for witnesses to make the swap a potential reality. Democrats are setting Trump up, and if he falls into their trap, it could make him a one-term president. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook HONOLULU The family of a 5-year-old boy who died on a kayaking excursion filed a lawsuit against the school that conducted the trip. The family of Alaric Chiu filed the lawsuit Thursday against Mid-Pacific Institute citing reckless behavior and gross negligence leading to the boys death March 28. The kindergartner was participating in the private K-12 schools spring break day camp when he drowned off Kaaawa on Oahu. We trusted the school with our son, but instead they killed him. We do not want any other families to go through what we went through, Lucius Chiu, the boys father, said in a statement. Camp counselor Maria Davis, 63, also drowned when the kayak carrying four people capsized. Two other students escaped injury by clinging to the boat, which was designed for two people and was not equipped with life vests. In addition to the school, the lawsuit filed in Hawaiis First Circuit Court names former extended learning coordinator Puakailima Davis, who is the daughter of Maria Davis. The lawsuit also names her father, Wendell Davis, and brother, Kaehukaiopalemano Davis. The lawsuit claims the coordinators of the day camp took an unplanned, unscheduled detour to Kaaawa, where there were no lifeguards. The lawsuit also claims school personnel on site had not been trained in water safety or emergency procedures. Mid-Pacifics gross negligence and utter lack of systems created a cascade of reckless failures that caused Alarics senseless death, family attorney Jim Bickerton said. Puakailima Davis could not immediately be reached for comment. Mid-Pacific officials did not immediately return a request for comment. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ROCHESTER HILLS, MI - These three little pigs are looking for a forever home after someone abandoned them in a park. The Michigan Humane Society rescued Hickory, Dickory and Doc and now the organization says they are ready for adoption. But they cant go to just any home. Were looking for a home for these guys thats going to love them for whatever their natural life span may be, said Anna Chrisman from the Michigan Humane Society. We are looking for somebody that has appropriate shelter for them. A barn scenario would be ideal for them. Right now the piglets are about four to five months old and weigh around 30 pounds each. They will get big. Very big. These guys are probably going to get 500 to 700 pounds in our guesstimation, said Katlyn Haynes of the Michigan Humane Society. They are going to need acreage, they are going to need a barn. theyre going to need proper fencing. Someone abandoned them last month at Rouge Park in Detroit. The Humane Society is now accepting applications for the piglets. They hope the three can be adopted together, but they can be adopted separately. Theres an application process that folks will need to go through in order to apply to adopt these kiddos. The process goes through what type of housing you have for them, are you prepped with vet care, are you prepped with all the appropriate space. And we do a short interview talking about expectations and what your intentions for these little piggy friends are. The Michigan Humane Society encourages people to come to the Rochester Hills location at 3600 W. Auburn Rd. and submit an application in person. People can also call 1-888-M-HUMANE (888-648-6263). "It would be awesome if they could stay together, but we are willing to separate them. We know that 1,500 pounds of pig is a lot for one person to take on so we are more than happy to talk about separating them. These guys are not meat pigs. These are meant to be companion friends for somebody that has the space for them. Related: Pet and hold giant snakes and lizards at Michigans new reptile zoo Related: Pawfficer Donut sworn-in as the new Troy Police Departments cat Related: First Troy police cat, Pawfficer Badges, finally gets a new home Staff members wearing masks monitor thermal scanners that detect temperatures of passengers at the security check inside the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, Hubei province, China January 21, 2020. Picture taken January 21, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. By Chayut Setboonsarng and Satawasin Staporncharnchai BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has quarantined a fourth patient with the new coronavirus, including one Thai national, authorities said on Wednesday, days before Saturday's start of the Lunar New Year holiday is expected to bring an influx of Chinese tourists. At least nine people have died from the flu-like virus in China following an outbreak in the central city of Wuhan, and more than 470 cases have been reported globally. Global health authorities and financial markets fear the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel domestically and abroad for the holiday. Thai officials were stepping up screening at airports to look for passengers with high body temperatures, coughs, headaches and trouble breathing, police said. The Thai patient, a 73-year-old woman, had traveled to Wuhan during the New Year holiday and developed a fever after returning. She was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 15, the Public Health Ministry said. She was being monitored in a separate ward in a hospital in Nakhon Pathom, 60 km (37 miles) west of Bangkok, where her condition was gradually improving. "We can control the situation. There have not been cases of human-to-human transmission in Thailand because we detected the patients as soon as they arrived," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters. The other three patients in Thailand were Chinese. Two had recovered and been sent home, while a third would return once tests showed he was clear of the virus, Anutin said. The virus has spread to Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the United States, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Singapore on Wednesday began screening all passengers arriving on flights from China. The Tourism Council of Thailand said that if the virus situation persists, it could have an impact on the industry, which accounts for 12% of the Thai economy. It predicts 41 million tourists will come to Thailand this year. Story continues "If China asks its people from other areas not to leave the country, that will affect our tourist target this year," the council's president, Chairat Triratanajaraspon, told Reuters. Share prices of hotel operator Central Plaza Hotel Pcl fell nearly 4% and Airports of Thailand Pcl, which operates the international Suvarnabhumi airport, also dropped 1.3% with a smaller decline the benchmark index. The price movements were attributed to an overreaction by retail investors, said Vikas Kwatra, head of foreign institution sales at SCB Securities. "Sentiment has caused more damage than reality," he said. (Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Satawasin Staporncharnchai; Editing by Stephen Coates and Peter Graff) Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation, on Jan. 21, 2020. At the invitation of Guy Parmelin, vice president of the Swiss Confederation, Han Zheng visited Switzerland from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Guy Parmelin, vice president of the Swiss Confederation, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng visited Switzerland from Monday to Tuesday. Han met with Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation, and held talks with Parmelin. He also took part in the China-Switzerland "Belt and Road" capacity building forum. During his visit, Han recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Swiss leaders agreed in 2016 on forging an innovative strategic partnership between the two countries, which has charted the course for the development of bilateral relations. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Han noted, adding that the Chinese side is willing to take it as an opportunity to consolidate their traditional friendship and deepen practical cooperation so as to push for a steady development of the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership. Han said that the content of the innovative strategic partnership has been increasingly enriched and the two sides have continuously made new and positive progress in their bilateral cooperation in investment, finance, technology as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China is willing to work with the Swiss side in strengthening trade and financial cooperation, stimulating new vitality of technology and innovation cooperation, and pushing for more results in practical cooperation in various areas, so as to better benefit the two peoples, Han said. Noting that China is pushing forward reform and opening up to a higher level, Han said it welcomes Swiss companies to grasp the opportunities and invest in China. Han said there is a bright future for Chinese and Swiss companies to deepen their cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), adding that China supports enterprises of both sides to undertake third-market cooperation and build more model cooperation projects. The Swiss side said that in terms of Western countries' relations with China, bilateral relations between Switzerland and China have always been in the lead, with good prospects for economic and trade cooperation, adding that Switzerland is a natural partner with China regarding the BRI cooperation, and is ready to actively promote third-market cooperation between the two countries' firms. The Swiss side said that the country admires China's achievements in its reform and opening up, and stands ready to take the anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties as an opportunity to take bilateral relations to higher levels. It said that Switzerland welcomes Chinese investment and will provide a fair environment, adding that Switzerland highly appreciates China's active steps in further opening up, and will encourage more Swiss companies to do businesses in China for mutual benefits. LSD Information Technology (LSD) is announcing the merger of Knowledge Focus into their fold as of 1 January 2020. The strategic integration is the result of a shared vision to unify and further strengthen competencies across key open source solution spaces. With this merger, LSD hopes to explore new opportunities with their combined superpowers and will continue to deliver market-leading open source solutions. Stefan Lesicnik, CEO of LSD Information Technology, said on the merger: We are really excited to no longer compete with the great team from Knowledge Focus but rather as colleagues to work with them and deliver great customer solutions based on open source Elastic Stack and Kafka. Knowledge Focuss open source experience with Elastic and Kafka combined with the LSD expertise around DevOps, Openshift, and Kubernetes provides instant combined value for strategic solutions for our clients. Learn more about LSD Information Technology and open source technology at lsd.co.za Doug Moll, Director at Knowledge Focus, also commented: We are thrilled by what this means for the future of open source in South Africa. LSD has been a leader in this space for some time already and together with Knowledge Focuss core search and analytics strengths, will be even better positioned to support customers as they continue their journey into the world of open source. We are excited about the growth opportunities for ourselves but also for the depth and breadth of competencies that will be on offer to our customers. LSD and Knowledge Focus LSD, a part of IOCO OpenDigital, was founded in 2001 by Stefan Lesicnik and has grown into the largest pure-play open source developer in Africa in 19 years of operations with 30+ open source development resources. The company delivers innovative open source solutions featuring technologies from key partners including Red Hat, Ubuntu, SUSE, and Redis. Knowledge Focus was started in 2000 by Piet Dempsey and specializes in the delivery of search and analytics solutions. Having worked with most major search-based technologies, the company partnered with Elastic in 2015 as their core focus shifted to open source. Since then they have brought other open source competencies on board such as Kafka and Ansible. With a strong team of certified Elastic Engineers, the company offers expert consultation and support services to its customers and are also very active in the local Elastic community. By Alex Ho Investing.com - Oil prices dropped on Wednesday in Asia as the International Energy Agency forecasted that there will be market surplus. U.S. Crude Oil WTI Futures fell 0.5% to $58.10 by 12:05 AM ET (04:05 GMT), while international Brent Oil Futures dropped 0.4% to $64.33. Goldman Sachs said in a note that oil markets are likely to be impacted by Chinas deadly coronavirus, especially if it plays out like the SARS epidemic in 2003. The virus that originated in Wuhan could result in global demand falling by 260,000 barrels a day in 2020, the investment bank said. That would probably lead to a $2.90 a barrel drop in oil prices. While an OPEC supply response could limit the fundamental impact from such a demand shock, the initial uncertainty on the potential scope of the epidemic could lead to a larger price sell-off than fundamentals suggest, Goldman analysts Damien Courvalin and Callum Bruce said in the note. Meanwhile, the IEA forecast a market surplus in the first half of the year, further weighing on crude prices. "I see an abundance of energy supply in terms of oil and gas," head of the IEA, Fatih Biro,told the Reuters Global Markets Forum, while he was attending World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "It's the reason that recent incidents we have seen - with the Iranian general killed, Libya unrest - didn't boost international oil prices," Birol said, referring to the U.S. killing of an Iranian commander and retaliation by Tehran that sent prices briefly soaring earlier this month. Related Articles Gold Prices Down As Markets Await More News on Wuhan Coronavirus Goldman Says Oil Could Drop $3 If Virus Plays Out Like SARS Russian Steel Billionaire Invests $20 Million in Startups Mike Pence called one of the most persecuted Christians in America at church MLK celebration Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr., world missions president of the predominantly African American and 5.5 million member Church of God in Christ, called Vice President Mike Pence one of the most persecuted Christians in America Sunday. Mathews comments, which Pence alluded to as part of an overly generous introduction, came during a visit from the vice president at the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, Tennessee. During the visit Pence hailed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the heroes of his youth and highlighted ways in which the Trump administration has been good for African Americans. Before Pences speech, Mathews made it clear to the 800-member congregation that Pence, regardless of what others might think, is his brother in Christ who has suffered for his faith at the hands of the media. One thing I love about this man of God, you know if you dont know anything, is that he is one of the most persecuted Christians in America. The biggest criticism that he gets all over television and everywhere else is that he actually believes the Bible. They hate him for believing the Bible, the world missions president of Americas largest Pentecostal denomination said. In these divided times, let us remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he challenged the conscience of a nation and touched the hearts of millions of Americans. pic.twitter.com/ZA9VtlSmvN Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 19, 2020 On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pence made the focus of his speech about King, his life and his legacy, and highlighted how the Trump administration is seeking to build on Kings legacy by ensuring everyone has access to the American dream. Dr. King was one of the heroes of my youth as youve already heard. Frankly, to be here in Memphis on this occasion, the city where he spent his last days, is deeply humbling to me. He left this world too soon. April 4th, 1968, at the age of 39, Pence said. On his birthday last Wednesday he would have turned 91. Earlier today, visiting the National Civil Rights Museum, I was deeply moved standing in the parking lot and look up at the very balcony where he fell. Standing there I could not help but think what King David said on the death of Abner. Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel, Pence continued to smattered shouts of amen. Dr. Martin Luther King was a great man, he then declared, drawing more affirming applause from the church. While Mathews said Pence was not at the Tennessee church to campaign, nothing that the vice president said he just wanted to worship" and "celebrate Martin Luther King," Pence used the opportunity to highlight some of the Trump administration's achievements, including making $250 million in annual funding to historically black colleges and universities permanent under federal law. As Dr. King said in his Letter From Birmingham Jail, One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for whats best in the American dream and for the most sacred values of our Judeo-Christian heritage, Pence said. As I stand before you today, I want to assure you that under this administration weve made every effort to open pathways to the American dream for every American and we have stood strong for the values that we hold dear. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump weve created more than 8,700 opportunity zones, including many here in Tennessee, bringing new investment and jobs to underserved communities across the nation. And Im proud to say that today, African American unemployment is at the lowest level ever recorded, Pence continued. Weve stood for the right of parents to choose where their children go to school. And not long ago, surrounded by university leaders, President Trump made the more than $250 million in annual funding to historically black colleges and universities permanent under federal law, he said. Pence also highlighted the Trump administrations work on criminal justice reform, religious freedom, and protecting the sanctity of life. We worked with leaders in both political parties to do justice, to enact criminal justice reform to make our justice system more fair. To give those caught up in our criminal justice system a second chance. Weve defended the religious freedom of every American of every faith. And like Bishop Matthews, we have stood without apology for the sanctity of human life, the vice president said to applause. Despite the work the administration had done, he noted that there's still more progress to be made as a nation. Weve made great progress as a nation but theres much to be done. And I can promise you, this president and this administration will always stand for the values we share and the right of every American to live the American dream regardless of race or creed of color, so help us God, he said to more applause. As he celebrated Kings life and legacy at the church on Sunday, Pence told the audience that it was Kings faith that helped shape him into a truly great American leader. History records Dr. King was a civil rights leader. As I said before, he was a truly great American leader. But for my part, I think it was important to remember that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was also a Christian leader. Throughout my life, what has inspired me most about his example was that he [was] first and foremost a man of faith. A minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a workman approved rightly able to handle the word of truth. In Luke 6, our Lord says the good man brings good things out of the good treasure in his heart, for out of the overflow of his heart a man speaks. And one cannot hear or read the words of this great American without hearing the echoes of the Gospel and biblical truth, Pence added. He said we would not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. He had a dream that one day every valley would be exalted, every hill and mountain would be made low. "And as he said in his last speech right here in Memphis at the headquarters of the Church of God in Christ, the day before he fell, that like Moses on mount Nebo, he had been to the mountain top. He had seen the Promised Land. Those words that echoed into history. He said I may not get there with you but I want you to know that tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. And so we did, Pence said. Dr. King could see all that ahead because he had hope and that hope came from his faith in God. As he said during his famous march in 1963, this is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope... Gurugram, Jan 22 : The Gurugram Police crime branch have busted a unit making fake edible oil in the Bilaspur area and arrested its owner for alleged involvement in adulteration and illegal labelling of well-known brands for supplying adulterated refined oil in the market, according to an announcement here on Wednesday. Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Preet Pal Singh Sangwan said that the accused, identified as Yogendra Singh, has been involves in this illegal business for five years. He was arrested following a raid in his factory. The raiding team have also seized 89 packs of Fortune brand mustard oil , large number of Fortune company monograms, plastic rappers, bottles, bottle caps, four mixing machines, packing rolls, as well as a machine and a tractor from the unit. "The accused used to mix Fortune brand refined oil and mustard oil with lower quality local oils and then pack these afresh in other rappers before selling in the local market," Sangwan said. "We have sealed the units and samples have sent to the food and civil supply lab. It is a serious case of food adulteration and cheating using the name of a branded company," he added. The accused is a resident of Tavru. He has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Section 103/4 of the Trade Mark Act. ROME, N.Y. A 29-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in Rome for allegedly violating four separate orders of protection during a domestic dispute on Williams Road. Deputies from the Oneida County Sheriffs Office responded to a call regarding a domestic incident around 8:10 a.m., where they arrested Brian Platt, of Rome. Platt was charged with order of protection violations, as well as harassment, criminal obstruction of breathing and multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He was taken to Oneida County Jail to await arraignment. The New York state police also assisted at the scene of the incident. Legislation to take the UK out of the European Union on 31 January will be ratified within days, after Boris Johnsons Brexit bill completed the final stages of its passage through parliament on Wednesday evening. The Withdrawal Agreement Bill now requires only Royal Assent from the Queen to become law, allowing the prime minister finally to sign the Brexit deal which he struck with Brussels in October. The European Parliament is expected to add its ratification on 29 January, allowing an orderly end to the UKs 47-year membership of the continental bloc at 11pm on Friday next week. Labour's Brexit spokeswoman Thangam Debbonaire described the bill's passage as "a very sad day" but Mr Johnson said it provided an opportunity to move on from the "rancour and division" caused by the Brexit process. The PM is expected to sign the withdrawal agreement in the UK within the coming days, while European Council president Charles Michel and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will sign in Brussels on Friday. Once legal processes are completed, foreign secreary Dominic Raab will sign an instrument of ratification to be deposited in Brussels. Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Show all 76 1 /76 Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Crowds march through central London Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters gather in Parliament Square Led By Donkeys Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins protesters PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator marches EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters react after the result of the vote on the deal delay was announced at the House of Commons REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator carries his dog draped in EU flag AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters use their flags to shelter from the rain Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit demonstrators carry placards and EU flags AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Oliver Letwin MP in Parliament Square, London, during an an anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard rally, after it was announced that the Letwin amendment, which seeks to avoid a no-deal Brexit on October 31, has been accepted PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march UK BROADCASTERS POOL/AFP via Get Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A protester with "Bollocks to Brexit" stickers on his head Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Britain's main opposition Labour Party shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Keir Starmer, shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott, shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell, shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry speaks on stage in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A EU supporter waves flags REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant demanding a final say Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Police look towards protesters Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Pro-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march head to Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march in Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march past Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Cory (7) sits on his father's shoulders as protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People attend the 'Together for the Final Say' march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks on stage PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A woman in EU costume EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters hold an Independent banner Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters hold an anti-Brexit placard by The Independent stall during the Final Say Brexit march in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London, PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators hold placards and EU flags AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester joins in the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march in London REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Patrick Stewart and Paul McGann join in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator shouts into a megaphone as she marches AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A dog dressed in an anti-Brexit placard is walked in the Final Say Brexit march in London EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A morris dancer takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Whippets are dressed in EU flag clothing during the Final Say Brexit march in London AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit demonstrator takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters call on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate in London during the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament from Park Lane in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Marchers visit The Independent stall during the Final Say March in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester holds a sign calling for a Final Say during a march in London EPA Under the terms of Mr Johnsons deal, the UK will pay around 30 billion to the EU in settlement of its liabilities, guarantee the rights of Europeans living in Britain, create a customs border down the Irish Sea and lose all representation on the blocs decision-making bodies. But it will remain subject to EU rules during a transition period lasting until the end of 2020, while negotiations take place on a future partnership in areas like trade and security. Formal withdrawal from the EU will take place next Friday despite opinion polls over more than two years - including a BMG survey for The Independent less than two weeks ago - consistently finding that a majority of voters want to remain, and despite a majority in last month's general election backing parties seeking a Final Say referendum. The completion of the Bills parliamentary stages came after peers opted not to challenge Mr Johnsons defeat of five amendments to the legislation approved by the House of Lords earlier this week - including protections for the family reunion rights of unaccompanied child migrants after Brexit. Welcoming the breakthrough, Mr Johnson said: Parliament has passed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, meaning we will leave the EU on 31 January and move forwards as one United Kingdom. At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but weve done it. Now we can put the rancour and division of the past three years behind us and focus on delivering a bright, exciting future with better hospitals and schools, safer streets and opportunity spread to every corner of our country. The defeat of the so-called Dubs Amendment - named after its author Lord Dubs, a wartime child refugee from the Nazis - was condemned by charities including Save the Children, who said it puts some of the worlds most vulnerable and desperate children at even greater risk of harm. Mr Johnson's bill completed its parliamentary stages after just 11 days of scrutiny in the two houses, securing a 99-vote majority at third reading in the Commons earlier this month. Its smooth passage came after a tortuous year-long wrangle at Westminster as Theresa May's version of the agreement was voted down three times, once by a historic record margin of 230 votes. The stalemate eventually forced her resignation last July and was broken only by last month's general election, in which Mr Johnson secured an 80-seat majority, assuring him of victory in future Commons divisions and dashing remaining hopes of a confirmatory Final Say referendum on his deal. The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill being carried between the two Houses of Parliament by the Clerk of Legislation Liam Lawrence Smyth (UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor) Labour's shadow deputy leader in the Lords, Baroness Hayter, said that peers' changes to the bill had been swept aside by MPs in just 60 minutes. "Number 10 has decided not to listen, whether it is to the devolved authorities, to experienced judges and senior official post-holders or to experienced members of your lordships' house," she said. "If this is to be the pattern of this administration... then I fear we are in for an unfortunate time." As the bill left the Lords, Tory peer Patrick Cormack issued a plea for all sides of the debate to "now jettison the words, 'Brexit', 'Remain' and 'Leave'." He told peers: "Wherever we stood in the past, we are now moving forward. Let's now try to have some unity and some real healing across both Houses." HOUSTON - (Jan. 22, 2020) - A $6 million grant to Rice by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has succeeded in bringing new blood to the university's growing bioscience initiative. Caroline Ajo-Franklin, an established biophysicist and synthetic biologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, has joined Rice's Department of BioSciences as a professor. Ajo-Franklin explores the nanoscale interface between living microbes and inorganic materials, particularly mechanisms that facilitate charge transfer, and the assembly of materials at that interface. She is expected to be a key member of the university's Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology program, which includes faculty in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and Brown School of Engineering. The culture of collaboration at Rice and with Texas Medical Center institutions -- a key goal of the Vision for the Second Century, Second Decade -- and the chance to expand her research in new directions were a strong draw, she said. "The idea of coming to Rice was really attractive because there's been such a push in synthetic biology," said Ajo-Franklin, who joined the university last August in anticipation of the grant. "I saw an opportunity to help grow an excellent set of young assistant professors, with some more established faculty, into a really top-notch program." One cancer-related direction Ajo-Franklin expects to explore is the development of sensors that monitor chemotherapy agents in the body in real time. Two new studies from her Lawrence Berkeley lab point in that direction, she said. In one published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, she and her team made protein arrays that self-assemble into 3D bionanomaterials, Lego-like structures that can be programmed for use as catalysts, optical metamaterials and sensors. "Bacteria use these proteins like armor," Ajo-Franklin said. "If you look at the surface of bacteria, there's this beautiful, repetitive structure all over. When we peel it off, it literally looks like chain mail, and that's what we use to build layered materials. "Because these proteins have been subject to evolution, we find they're incredibly robust," she said. In the other study, which appeared in the American Chemical Society's ACS Synthetic Biology, the team increased the bioelectronic performance of genetically engineered bacteria by manipulating a protein, CcmH, that controls the expression of a key type of extracellular electron transfer protein. In experiments with E. coli, the researchers were able to increase the flow of electrons to an electrode up to 77% or decrease it by 66%. They found that electron flow could be adjusted with even a single-point mutation in CcmH. "If you didn't know how complex biological systems are, this highlights it," she said. "We make one amino acid change in one protein that affects how four other proteins are made, which then affects how electrons flow through the bacteria, which then affects how much current is produced by the system." Graduate student Lin Su, who came to Rice with Ajo-Franklin's lab and is lead author of the study, said the work should lead to new opportunities to interface with biological systems. "I think it will be very powerful for biosensing, or you can use it in biosynthesis to control the behavior of different bacteria, either in the environment or the human gut," he said. Ajo-Franklin said the projects represent separate branches of her endeavors that she hopes to bring together at Rice. "These papers are sort of two halves of my work," she said. "One is engineering biology to make materials, and the other is using biology to communicate with materials. "We dream of being able to have bacteria make entire bioelectronic devices," Ajo-Franklin said. "Imagine having bacteria seed something that doesn't look like an iPhone but has some of the functionality of electronic devices. It's hopefully a more sustainable way of making devices, and one that requires less energy." The grant to Rice was part of $38 million in funding announced Nov. 20 to recruit cancer researchers to Texas institutions. ### This news release can be found online at https://news.rice.edu/2020/01/22/cprit-grant-bolsters-rice-biosciences/ Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews Related materials: Programmable assembly of 2D crystalline protein arrays into covalently stacked 3D biomaterials: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bit.27261 Modifying cytochrome c maturation can increase the bioelectronic performance of engineered Escherichia coli: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssynbio.9b00379 Caroline Ajo-Franklin: https://biosciences.rice.edu/people/caroline-ajo-franklin Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology: https://sspb.rice.edu Rice Department of BioSciences: https://biosciences.rice.edu Wiess School of Natural Sciences: https://naturalsciences.rice.edu George R. Brown School of Engineering: https://engineering.rice.edu Images for download: https://news-network.rice.edu/news/files/2020/01/0127_CPRIT-1-WEB.jpg Caroline Ajo-Franklin joined Rice University as a professor of biosciences with funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University) https://news-network.rice.edu/news/files/2020/01/0127_CPRIT-2-WEB.jpg Rice University graduate student Lin Su, left, and Caroline Ajo-Franklin, a professor of biosciences, developed a method to increase the bioelectronic performance of genetically engineered bacteria. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University) Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 4 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Jeff Falk 713-348-6775 jfalk@rice.edu Mike Williams 713-348-6728 mikewilliams@rice.edu The Jharkhand government has declared January 23 as a public holiday to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, five years after it was dropped from the list of holidays in the state. The day was removed from the list of holidays between 2015 and 2019, though 'Netaji Jayanti' had been a holiday till 2014, an official release said here. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, during a review meeting on Tuesday, ordered that January 23 be declared a public holiday, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press release. "Jharkhand had been the 'karma bhoomi' (work place) of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose contribution in the freedom movement can never be forgotten. We all should take inspiration from his life," the release said, quoting Soren. The chief minister also called upon the youth to follow the footsteps of Netaji and serve the state and the nation, it added. Soren is leading a JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in Jharkhand since December last year, unseating the BJP from power which ruled the state from 2014 to 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NDO/VNA Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith will lead a high-ranking delegation of the Lao government to visit Vietnam and co-chair the 42nd meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee in Hanoi from January 2-4, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. T he Duchess of Sussexs father has told how he feels like he doesnt know who his daughter is anymore but that he misses who she was before their relationship broke down. Thomas Markle has spoken of his pain in a tell-all documentary on his dramatic fallout with Meghan and her and husband Prince Harry's move to break away from the royal family. Speaking to Channel 5 from his home in Mexico, Mr Markle said when his daughter was born he could not have been happier and that he just knew she was going to be special. But the duchesss father said he now doesnt know who his daughter is, saying: I miss Meghan. I miss who she was, I dont know who she is now. Thats the problem. Thomas Markle pictured with his daughter Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex The documentary, 'Thomas Markle: My Story,' which aired on Wednesday night, comes after Meghan and her husband Prince Harry announced they were splitting from the royal family. Mr Markle said that, as a father: "I think I gave her a sense of duty and work. I think Meghan would say, I did a very good job as a father. She was growing into a very nice young lady." But he said that now he is estranged from his daughter he does not expect to see her ever again. The last time they might see me is being lowered into the ground," Mr Markle said. I dont think at this point they are thrilled to see me or want to talk to me. Thomas Markle has opened up about his fallout with Meghan in a tell-all documentary / Channel 5 Mr Markle did not attend Meghan and Harrys wedding. As he spoke about his relationship with Doria, Meghan's mother, he said she looked like a "deer in headlights" when she attended events with the royal family. He said: "she never looks comfortable standing there," before slamming Doria sitting alone at the wedding as "the dumbest thing ever." The documentary showcased old video footage of Meghan as a teenager, fishing and performing in high school plays, all shot by her father. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House in London 1 /13 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Canada House in London PA Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images PA PA PA Getty Images Getty Images PA Harry and Meghan, who are now in Canada with their baby son Archie, are stepping back as senior royals and begin a "new life" as an "independent" family. The monarchy was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when Harry and Meghan announced they wanted to reduce their official duties and spend more time in North America. Prince Harry is pictured at Victoria International airport / SplashNews.com Mr Markle said the duke and duchess are turning the royal family "into a Walmart with a crown on it" over their decision to break away from the monarchy. He said he believed Meghan was tossing away "every girl's dream". Mr Markle added: "Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that and now she's tossing that away, for, it looks like she's tossing that away for money." He added: "Apparently 3 million dollars (2.3 million) and a 26-bedroom home isn't enough for them. It's kind of embarrassing to me." Mr Markle said he did not expect Meghan to get in contact. TODO: define component type apester "I can't see her reaching out to me, especially now ... or Harry for that matter, but I think both of them are turning into lost souls at this point," he said. Indonesia Fights Growing Pressure from China to Let it Use Use Disputed Waters By Ralph Jennings January 21, 2020 China is raising pressure on Indonesia over rights to use a contested tract of sea and challenging the militarily weaker Southeast Asian country to consider options from friendly dialogue to strong protests. Indonesia spotted as many as 63 "trespassing" Chinese vessels in 30 locations within its maritime exclusive economic zone last month, the research platform East Asia Forum says in a January 15 report. Another spate followed in early January. Chinese coast guard vessels had escorted some, media reports from Jakarta say. Though not a first between the two big Asian countries, this escalation near Indonesia's Natuna Islands raises the specter of a new flash point in a normally quiet part of the broader, heavily disputed South China Sea. "On the Indonesian side, I think that there's a growing sense at the security level that China is becoming a more problematic actor," said Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. China may hope Indonesia will bargain over the tract of sea that's near the 272 tiny Natuna islands northwest of Borneo, possibly in exchange for economic aid, Asia scholars say. But if Indonesia fears talks would validate China's claim, it might instead make diplomatic protests instead or get help from powerful Western-allied countries that already resent China's maritime expansion. "I think you'll see a lot more of China pushing not just on us but on Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and others through incursions and get us to eventually acknowledge their right to a negotiation, and I think this is why we're still very much resisting the notion that we should come and talk to the Chinese about this," said Evan Laksamana, senior researcher for the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Jakarta. "And I think China also doesn't want to make (the coordinates of its claim) that clear yet, so that's why these are kind of gradual, low-level incursions, that of course I think will escalate if Indonesia doesn't respond strongly and forcefully and provide actual diplomatic protest notes so that under international law we always challenge China's incursions," Laksamana said. China vies separately with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines over parts of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea north of the Natuna Islands. China uses a nine-dash line, sourcing it to maritime records from dynastic times, to claim about 90% of the waterway that multiple countries value for its fisheries and undersea fossil fuel reserves. The nine dashes cut into the Indonesian exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. Indonesia and China are in a new phase of testing each other's bottom line, said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Competing ship movements will continue "for a while", he believes. "In recent years, I think both China and Indonesia came to the realization that the Natuna Island EEZ and nine-dash line, they do intersect one another, so they are literally testing the water now," Oh said. Friction between the two sides dates back to 2016, when Indonesian President Joko Widodo showed signs of taking a harder line in the maritime dispute compared to his predecessors. Authorities in his government have burned dozens of foreign fishing boats found in the EEZ. Vessels from the two countries entered a standoff in 2016 when Indonesian authorities tried to arrest a private boat operator but a Chinese coast guard vessel intervened. Indonesia said then that China had officially included waters near the Natuna Islands on a territorial map. Two years later Indonesia opened a Natuna Islands military base for up to 1,000 personnel. China hinted this month that the two sides should talk. "I can tell you that China and Indonesia have always carried out dialogue through diplomatic channels," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing January 7 as quoted on his ministry's website. "We believe the Indonesian side also can see the issue from the vantage of bilateral relations and regional stability and resolve disputes with the Chinese side." China often offers aid and investment to ease rifts with smaller countries. Before Widodo took office in 2014, Indonesia normally said little about Chinese vessels near the Natuna Islands. China had invested in Indonesia's infrastructure and bought oil from its palm plantations. Indonesian officials today have been cautious on any deals to accept infrastructure aid under Beijing's $1 trillion, Belt and Road Initiative aimed at building trade routes across Asia. Indonesia indicated it would assert its maritime claim without dialogue. Maritime and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo made a working visit January 15 to the Natuna Islands "in order to follow up President Jokowi's instructions that Indonesian sovereignty is not negotiable," according to a statement on the ministry's website. Jokowi is the president's nickname. Indonesia protested diplomatically over the December ship movements and China replied that it had rights to use those waters. Jakarta might look to Australia, Japan and the United States for help such as "capacity building", Nagy said. Eventually, he said, nothing will be settled. That way China can show it's not being influenced by smaller countries and Indonesian people won't see their government as a pushover, he said. China would avoid any moves that might incite anger among Indonesian people, the source of deadly anti-Chinese riots in 1998, Nagy added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A west Belfast man accused of the murder of prison officer Adrian Ismay almost four years ago will not be giving evidence at his trial. Defence counsel Arthur Harvey QC told trial judge Mr Justice McAlinden that Christopher Alphonsus Robinson had been advised that if he did not give evidence the court could "draw an inference'' from that refusal. Mr Harvey told the non-jury Diplock-style trial sitting in Belfast Crown Court: "My instructions are that he does not intend to give evidence.'' Robinson (49), of Aspen Walk, Dunmurry, denies murdering 52-year-old Mr Ismay on March 15, 2016. He further denies charges of possessing an improvised explosive device and providing money or property for the purposes of terrorism. Mr Ismay was travelling to work from his home at Hillsborough Drive in east Belfast on March 4, 2016, when the device exploded under his Volkswagen Transporter vehicle. Although he initially survived the blast, the prison officer died 11 days later from his injuries. The defence were due to call a priest on Wednesday to give evidence in the case, but Mr Harvey told the court that an oral statement would instead be handed into court along with a number of medical reports. Both the Crown and the defence are due to make their closing submissions in the case, which first started in October 2018 and resumed in June 2019 following a seven month adjournment. At the opening of the trial 15 months ago, the prosecution showed CCTV footage of a Citroen car being driven into the victims street hours before the attack. Expand Close Murdered prison officer Adrian Ismay Photopress Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Murdered prison officer Adrian Ismay It is the prosecution case that the vehicle was used in the murder plot. The court further heard that the accused looked up Adrian Ismays profile online and that he showed a keen interest in the news story as it developed. The prosecution told the trial judge that before Adrian Ismay died he confirmed he had volunteered with St Johns Ambulance alongside the accused and that Robinson would have known he was a prison officer. The prosecution lawyer told the court: There is an inescapable inference that Christopher Robinson was involved in the joint enterprise to kill or seriously injure Adrian Ismay. When the trial resumed last June, Mr Justice McAlinden heard that Robinson was arrested on March 7, 2016 and was interviewed 16 times over the course of his detention until March 11, 2016. During these interviews he spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and that he understood the nature of his arrest. He also requested an appropriate adult due to mental health issues. The prosecutor said that apart from two short statements, Robinson refused to answer questions over the course of all interviews. In his statement, Robinson confirmed he had been arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of an off-duty prison officer, but said: "I have no knowledge of this incident, nor did I have involvement in it". He also denied being an "active member of the New IRA''. He also confirmed that he knew Mr Ismay as they were both members of St John's Ambulance based on the Saintfield road, and that Mr Ismay had been his senior officer. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 17:59:17|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Members of the Greek government applaud after the vote for the new President of the Hellenic Republic in Athens, Greece, on Jan. 22, 2020. The Greek parliament on Wednesday elected top judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou as president of the Hellenic Republic, the first female head of state of Greece. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Greek parliament on Wednesday elected top judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou as president of the Hellenic Republic, the first female head of state of Greece. Since 2018 she has been serving as president of the Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court. A total of 261 deputies voted in favor of Sakellaropoulou, who was the sole candidate, out of a total of 294 MPs participating in the process, the president of the parliament Constantine Tassoulas said. A minimum 200 votes were required in the first round in order to elect a president, according to the Greek constitution. Another New Jersey municipality has adopted a pro-Second Amendment resolution, following a lengthy debate touching on gun laws, domestic violence, self-defense, misinformation and even a reference to weapons restrictions in Nazi Germany. The Stillwater Township Committee adopted a resolution declaring Stillwater a Second Amendment / Lawful Gun Owner Township" on Tuesday night, but not everyone in the room was cheering. Some in the audience of more than 60 spoke in opposition to the resolution, which does not supersede any state or federal laws, before it was approved in a 3-1 vote. It resembled resolutions passed in at least seven other New Jersey municipalities since December. Stillwater Mayor Lisa Chammings cast the lone dissenting vote, stating that while she supports the Second Amendment she was not comfortable with the part of the resolution claiming that red flag laws - statutes that allow for removing weapons from someone judged a threat to themselves or others - had been "misapplied and misused and run afoul of the U.S. Constitution. I know the amount of domestic violence this township went through, Chammings, whose late father was Stillwaters last police chief, told the audience from the dais. She also alluded to the suicide of a police officer. Overflow crowd in Stillwater #NJ tonight as the township committee approves a pro-2nd Amendment resolution. Mayor casts lone no vote after explaining she was not on board with the part objecting to red flag laws. pic.twitter.com/onUEQg5G9A Rob Jennings (@RobJenningsNJ) January 22, 2020 The governing body in Stillwater, located in Sussex County, undertook the resolution at the behest of Assemblyman Parker Space, R-24th District, who voted against New Jerseys 4-month-old red flag law. The four committee members who voted Tuesday are Republicans. Space spoke several times during Tuesdays meeting. He outlined a hypothetical confrontation involving Stillwater committee member Vera Rumsey in asserting that New Jerseys red flag law could facilitate a false allegation against him. With red flag laws, we can sit down and have coffee - Vera and I, or Committeewoman Rumsey, and we could be talking about different things and she could feel - maybe, He was talking about Donald Trump and I dont like him, and I felt kind of threatened by what he had to say, and then she could, in return, report me, and then pretty soon theyre coming to my door, taking my firearms away, Space said. Space, though, was describing a different process than exists under New Jerseys red flag law, formally known as the Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018. It allows for a judge in response to a request from family or household members, or law enforcement to order the removal of guns and ammunition from someone who poses a significant danger of bodily injury to self or others, as described in the statute. The legislation received crossover support from many Republicans, passing the Senate by 32-5 and Assembly by 59-12. At least 17 other states have similar laws, including Florida, where Space at one point acknowledged owning property. Some in the audience who spoke in support of the resolution, though, appeared to pick up on the idea that the red flag law, and others, are simply a pretense for seizing weapons. There was applause when one speaker drew a parallel to gun restrictions under the Nazis in Germany. Kathleen Marshall, who spoke in opposition to the resolution, expressed dismay at the outcome. Im heartbroken, Marshall, a Stillwater resident since 1992, told NJ Advance Media. I love my town. I think theres a lot of misinformation and ignorance about what the actual laws are. They go right to, theyre taking our guns away, and thats not what this is about, Marshall said. Kathleen Marshall, a Stillwater resident who addressed the township committee in opposition to the resolution, remains at the meeting following the vote, Jan. 21, 2020Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com After Donna Price, a Stillwater resident, spoke in opposition to the resolution and disagreed with Spaces characterization of red flag laws, a man in the audience asked her if she felt threatened by him. I do, Price said. In response, the man responded, perhaps facetiously, that Space might get in trouble as a result. You just got red-flagged, the man said. Tuesdays meeting, while at times tense, remained civil. Every seat in the room, which has a maximum capacity of 55, was taken, and there appeared to be up to two dozen others standing along the side and back walls and just outside the door. Kaitlyn Hammerle, a Stillwater resident, spoke in support of the resolution. All it is saying is that Stillwater respects and supports the lawfully abiding gun ownership of all the residents. It avoids using the word sanctuary, which could be misconstrued as allowing illegal firearms," Hammerle said in a reference to a version of the resolution adopted in West Milford and, last week, by the Cape May County freeholder board. Mike Vrabel of Sparta spoke in opposition. He said the current laws do not violate the rights of law-abiding gun owners and refuted assertions from Second Amendment advocates that increasing access to guns would save lives. Vrabel, a U.S. Air Force veteran, alluded to a friendly-fire incident in 1989 in Panama, that he witnessed, that claimed the life of a 19-year-old Army Ranger. As far as the good guy with a gun theory, I understand the emotional appeal of that, said Vrabel, a member of the Sussex County chapter of Brady formerly the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Ask yourself, if an incident happens, and you are armed, and you have your concealed carry permit which I know is almost impossible in New Jersey are you up to the task, because even an Army Ranger can falter, Vrabel said. As he concluded, someone from the audience shouted, How many people were saved in Texas - a reference to a gunman at a Texas church who was fatally shot by another church member Dec. 29, but not before the gunman killed two people inside the building. Votes in additional places seem likely. Space has asked municipalities in Sussex and Warren counties, along with both freeholder boards, to consider pro-Second Amendment resolutions. Two Sussex County freeholders, board director Sylvia Petillo and Herb Yardley, attended Tuesdays meeting but did not address the Stillwater committee. Assemblyman Parker Space, R-24th District, in hat, with Sussex County Freeholder Herbert Yardley at the township committee meeting in Stillwater, Jan. 21, 2020Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com In contrast with the mayor, George Scott, the townships deputy mayor, offered unambiguous support for the totality of the resolution. Im concerned that theyre going to come in and take my guns, Scott said. Chammings, while stating her support for the Second Amendment, said she could not back the resolution without hearings specific problems regarding red flag laws. I dont know how its being misused or misapplied, she told NJ Advance Media following the vote, in quoting back the part of the resolution that gave her pause. Stillwater is home to about 3,900. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Following Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harrys bombshell announcement that they were stepping back as senior royals and would work to become financially independent, so many questions were raised. One that keeps coming up is about their security detail after the couple said that they dont want to rely on public funding from the British taxpayers any longer. However, the duke and duchess still have their 24-hour armed protection officers by their sides now even after Queen Elizabeth agreed to allow them to step down from their roles. There was talk that Canada would pick up the cost but that hasnt happened. So whos paying for their protection? The answer will surprise you. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | VICTORIA JONES/AFP via Getty Images Whos footing the bill for Harry and Meghans security detail? The biggest cost to the Sussexes as they step out of the royal spotlight is security. The Evening Standard noted that the cost to protect the queens family is estimated to be $130 million a year. So who will the cost for Harry and Meghan fall on now given their decision to split their time between the U.K. and North America? Its been reported that will still be on the British taxpayers even when the prince and retired actress are overseas. But why? Well, according to royal expert Dickie Arbiterwith, with no new plan in place, the Sussexes will continue to have armed protection and the cost will be paid for by the British public due to Prince Harry being a high-value target since he served in the military. It is the British taxpayers who are going to be funding the security, Arbiterwith said. It will have to happen because Harry has served in the army and is a risk. Prince Harry is a terrorist target and he has to be protected. Could the cost shift to Canadian taxpayers? Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS WPA Pool/Getty Images There were initial reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Queen Elizabeth that his government would fund the security cost for Harry, Meghan, and baby Archie. But theres a process that cant be ignored for that to actually happen. Before any decision like that can be finalized, it has to pass through the Canadian Cabinet and Parliament. The [Canadian] government will have to decide at the Cabinet-level and debate it in Parliament before the money is released, Arbiterwith explained. And so far, according to finance minister Bill Morneau, Canada hasnt decided if it would cover security costs for Prince Harry and Meghan. Therefore, for the time being, Scotland Yard will continue guarding [them] until a time they come up with an alternative plan, Arbiterwith added. So yes, for the foreseeable future, the British taxpayers will continue to fund the duke and duchess round-the-clock protection. Read more: You Have To See This Vancouver Mansion Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Eyeing Up For $36 Million Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! In the 1960s, the Star Trek television series brought the vision of artificial intelligence into the living rooms of millions of people. AI was everywhere in the show, in the form of machines that had all the intelligence of humans and a lot more. Take, for example, the universal translator on the USS Enterprise. It could translate alien languages into English or any other language instantaneously. That, of course, was all science fiction back in the days when Lyndon B. Johnson was the U.S. president, as were a lot of the other AI applications in use on the starship. It was all the stuff of an imaginary future. Now, lets fast-forward to 2020. Today, we are growing increasingly closer to Star Treks imaginary future, as AI-driven applications become part of our everyday lives. Language translation In the Star Trek realm, the universal translator enabled the translation of spoken languages for real-time communication. This amazing device scanned brain-wave frequencies and used the results to create a basis for translation. While the operating principles of todays language translation applications are quite different from those of the Star Trek era, we are coming closer to a world of accurate and instantaneous language translation systems. Using techniques and technologies for natural language processing (NLP), todays AI-driven translation systems provide efficient ways to help people of different languages communicate with one another. As Dell Technologies data scientist Lucas Wilson explains in a CIO.com blog on NLP, advances in language translation, voice-to-text conversion and conversational agents can now be linked together to enable enterprises to build fully automated customer support systems that can interact with callers more naturally than ever before. Then imagine having the corresponding models necessary to translate information back into any language your customers happen to speak, Dr. Wilson writes. These models could allow you to create your very own universal translator, ready to help you improve the customer support experience while streamlining your support structure. Bit by bit, these capabilities are making their ways into todays data centers. As an article on the StarTrek.com site notes, Current automatic translation cant compete with the 24th centurys, but its made astronomical progress in the past decade.1 Augmented and virtual reality Augmented reality (AR) enhances our view of the real world with layers of additional information and virtual objects. Virtual reality (VR) allows us to explore and interact with a virtual world. On Federation starships, immersive AR and VR experiences were always as close as the Holodeck, an environment that combined transporter, replicator and holographic systems. As the StarTrek.com site explains, Holodecks were used to relieve the stress and isolation of shipboard life for crew members and to provide an environment for tasks ranging from scientific simulation to tactical and covert training. Today, we have forms of the Holodeck at play in countless AR and VR training and gaming applications that allow users to immerse themselves in the experiences at hand. This is the case with the Dell EMC AR Assistant, an app people can use to see clearly how to perform certain hardware servicing procedures on Dell EMC PowerEdge servers, as if they had an assistant explaining each step. The AR Assistant displays simple animations overtop existing hardware, helping users to see which components they should interact with and what tools they should use. Dell Technologies The AR Assistant app helps to guide users through certain hardware servicing procedures. Intelligent scanner In the Star Trek series, the starship crew made frequent use of a tricorder, a handheld device combining sensors, recorders and built-in computing capabilities that could scan and analyze just about anything from human and alien bodies to elements in alien environments. With this device, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and company could instantly diagnose medical conditions of crew members. Back when it made its debut, the tricorder was solidly in the camp of science fiction. Today, teams of bright people are working to bring tricorder-like medical devices to market. One of these teams is a startup company named Basil Leaf Technologies. It has developed an early version of a device, called DxtER, that can diagnose and interpret multiple health conditions to various degrees, while continuously monitoring a patients vital signs. DxtER is built around an AI-based engine that learns to diagnose medical conditions by integrating learnings from clinical emergency medicine with data analysis from actual patients. It includes a group of non-invasive sensors that are designed to collect data about vital signs, body chemistry and biological functions. This information is then synthesized in the devices diagnostic engine to help users make quick and accurate assessments. While the DxtER development work in ongoing, the device is already a prize winner. The development team, then working under the Final Frontier Medical Devices name, won a $2.6 million prize in the global Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition. Launched in 2012, this global competition challenged teams to develop a consumer-focused, mobile integrated diagnostic device inspired by the medical tricorder of Star Trek fame.2 Threat intelligence Threat intelligence gives security teams a better view into the threat landscape. It provides context for trends to monitor, how threat actors behave and where an organization may be most vulnerable to an attack. In Star Trek, Starfleet Intelligence handled this work, collecting and analyzing intelligence information on potential and known adversaries and identifying possible threats. Today, down on Earth in 2020, organizations have sophisticated AI-driven systems and defense mechanisms in place to detect and stop cyberattacks and other types of threats. Many organizations count on services from companies like Secureworks for these sorts of threat detection and response services. Secureworks provides threat intelligence services that combine human and supervised machine learning intelligence to help security teams gain deep insight into the threat landscape. Mind reading Another wonder Star Trek brought us was the Vulcan mind meld, a touch technique that allows a Vulcan to merge his or her mind with the essence of anothers mind purely by using specialized contact via fingertip-points. While we are still quite far from mind melding down here on Earth, we are inching closer to the day when we may be able to use AI to read minds. Heres one example. A team of researchers from McGill University and the University of Montreal are making breakthroughs with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of peoples brains while carrying out various cognitive tasks. One of goals of this project is to create computational models of how the brain works, and then use those models to train artificial neural networks to map the images to actions quickly and accurately. Yes, were talking about mind reading. To collect the datasets for this ambitious effort, the research team recruited a half dozen subjects to watch videos, look at images and play video games while they are in an MRI machine. The machine allows the researchers to track and record the activity in the brains of the subjects as they carry out their tasks. The researchers expect to gather many terabytes of data over the course of the five-year study, during which time each subject will spend around 500 hours in an MRI machine. This data-intensive research requires a lot of HPC and data science expertise. To meet this need, the team sought the help of Dell Technologies and Intel, along with the data scientists and supercomputing resources of the Dell Technologies HPC & AI Innovation Lab in Austin, Texas. Key takeaways Thanks to steady advances in high performance computing and the technologies for artificial intelligence, were moving closer to a Star Trek-like world where machines can think and act like humans. Devices and capabilities that were once solidly in the camp of science fiction are now inching into the mainstream of everyday life and enriching our lives in countless ways. To learn more For a closer look at the mind-reading research project leveraging the resources of the Dell Technologies HPC & AI Innovation Lab, see the slidecast Brain Decoding: Using Neural Networks to Read Minds, featuring Dell Technologies Data Scientist Dr. Lucas Wilson. For a look at the use of natural language processing in a technical support tool, see the blog Streamlining Tech Support with Natural Language Processing by Dell Technologies Data Scientist Dr. Randi Ludwig. For a broader look at the way AI is changing our world for the better, visit Dell Technologies Artificial Intelligence. ______________ Cluid Housing which already owns over 300 houses in Laois rented out to council tenants, has begun a search for more development land in the county for up to 750 homes. Cluid has issued a tender to attract up to ten developers in Laois who own land with full planning permission for homes not yet built. The carrot for the developers is that they would get the contract to build the homes, paid in regular stages, as well as sale of the land. Cluid is looking for land that has planning approval for betweeen 10 and 75 housing units. Specifically they want lands in Portlaoise and Portarlington. In the tender, Cluid is seeking partners who have an accessible site with full planning permission to contact us with a view to delivering high-quality homes in Portlaoise and Portarlington. These are two areas where Cluid has worked with Laois County Council to identify a housing need. they told the Leinster Express. The average price of a single housing unit in a scheme in Portlaoise must not exceed 265,000, and 225,000 in Portarlington they stipulate. The tender was issued in December 2019 for expressions of interest to partner under their Developer Design and Build programme. Introduced in 2016, the programme is a suite of procurement documents and legal agreements which allows Cluid to offer stage payments to developers. This has opened up a whole new line of supply in the housing sector, the company states. Schemes of more than 20 units must have 25% 2 bed bungalow or 1 and or 2 apartment units, 65% as 3 bed houses / duplexes and 10% 4 bed houses. Cluid Housing will continue to work to provide long-term, sustainable homes to people on housing waiting lists. they said. Cluid is the largest Approved Housing Body in Ireland. It owns over 7,200 homes across Ireland, with over 300 in Laois. The not-for-profit bodies were formed to provide rental social housing. They differ to council built houses inthat their homes remain their property permanently and are never sold to tenants, thereby increasing the number of social rental housing over time. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 18:11:18|Editor: zh Video Player Close A machine is deployed to demolish the "illegally constructed" 16-storey headquarters building of BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Jan. 22, 2020. (Str/Xinhua) DHAKA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has began demolition of "illegally constructed" 16-storey headquarters building of the country's thousands of apparel exporters. Public Works and Housing Minister SM Rezaul Karim inaugurated the demolition activities of the building used for more than a decade as the headquarters of BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) on Wednesday. The demolition of the building will be done mechanically over a period of six months, the minister told reporters on the spot. "We've taken all necessary measures to avoid accidents during demolition of the mega structure." RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha), the development authority of capital Dhaka, has been supervising the entire demolition activities. Bangladesh's Supreme Court in November 2016 released the full text of its verdict in which it upheld a High Court judgment that ordered BGMEA to demolish the building at its own cost, otherwise, relevant government authorities will demolish within 90 days of receiving the order and realize the cost from BGMEA. BGMEA later sought three-year time for shifting away from the building after it lost its final review appeal in the Supreme Court. Bangladeshi High Court in its judgement had termed the building as a "cancer" in the middle of Dhaka's picturesque Hatirjheel lake. BGMEA is considered as a powerful trade body in Bangladesh representing thousands of factory owners in ready-made garment sector which contribute more than three-fourths of the country's annual export incomes. Bangladesh's over 34-billion-U.S. dollar apparel export sector comprises thousands of factories employing millions of workers, 80 percent of whom are women. The High Court verdict order said the BGMEA building was built on land acquired through forgery. No commercial establishment can be set up without the environment clearance from the Department of Environment as stated in Section 12 of the Environment Conservation Act 1995 and Rule 7(4) of the Environment Conservation Rules 1997, read the High Court verdict. The BGMEA building's foundation was laid in 1998 and opened in 2006. By SA Commercial Prop News Equites CEO, Andrea Taverna-Turisan, says a transaction of this size with a client of Pepkors stature, will assist to further cement the companys aim of being recognised as a developer of choice to the largest logistics Equites Property Fund (JSE: EQU), whose footprint extends to the UK, said on Tuesday that it will be developing a 122 734 square metre logistics warehouse facility in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu Natal to house JSE-listed retailer Pepkor (PPH). The real estate investment trust said the total cost of development is R1.3 billion, which includes the cost of the land of R281 million. It will enter into a 15-year "triple net" fully repairing and insuring lease with Pepkor on completion of the development. Pepkor will have a right to renew for three additional five-year periods. The development is expected to be completed by November 2021. Equites CEO, Andrea Taverna-Turisan, said the company is pleased with the transaction as it meets all its investment criteria. As a specialist logistics investor and developer, Equites has successfully delivered modern and efficient logistics facilities to users both in South Africa and the United Kingdom. A transaction of this size with a client of Pepkors stature and exacting requirements will assist to further cement the companys aim of being recognised as a developer of choice to the largest logistics, retail and e-commerce participants in the South African market. The modern, state-of-the-art logistics facility will be situated in Hammersdale, a prime logistics node due to its location along the N3 national road and its proximity to the rail network linking Gauteng to the Durban port. It is also close to the inland container terminal at Cato Ridge which is expected to change the logistics landscape in KZN. Other prominent South African retailers, such as Mr Price and Ackermans, have logistics warehouse facilities close to the property, providing further evidence of the attractiveness of this node. The warehouse will boast a clear height to eaves of 15.8 metres and yard depth in excess of 45 metres. Both companies place strong emphasis on sustainability in their assets from the outset and the facilities have been designed with increased steel tolerances to accommodate the installation of photovoltaic panels. Taverna-Turisan said: The development will increase Equites footprint in the key logistics node of KwaZulu Natal and create further scale in our high-quality logistics portfolio. Importantly, the developed facility will also add to the quality, defensiveness and income predictability of Equites. We are excited to welcome Pepkor as a client. The World Health Organization postponed making a decision Wednesday on whether the mysterious coronavirus that has killed at least 17 people and sickened hundreds of others in China is a global health emergency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said physicians need more information and he's asked his committee, which held an emergency meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, to reconvene on Thursday. "Today, there was an excellent discussion during the committee meeting, but it was also clear that to proceed we need more information," Tedros told about 150 reporters on a conference call that was delayed for almost two hours while the committee met. Tedros said the emergency committee on Wednesday was split on whether to designate the illness a global health emergency. He said WHO has researchers on the ground in China collecting data. "The decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern is one I take extremely seriously, and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence," Tedros said. Two women wearing protective masks walk outside Beijing railway station in Beijing on January 22, 2020. Nicolas Asrouri | AFP | Getty Images Chinese authorities say many of the patients with the new illness had come into contact with seafood and meat markets, suggesting the virus is spreading from animals to people. WHO physicians said they've found evidence of human-to-human transmission within close contacts, citing family members, and within a health-care environment. They said the virus was stable and not showing any kind of unusual activity. Physicians compared the outbreak to the 2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which had a short incubation period of 2 to 7 days and WHO officials said was less infectious than the flu. It took almost two months for SARS to spread to 456 people. The 2019 coronavirus has infected more than 571 people in less than a month. WHO defines a global health emergency, also known as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, as an "extraordinary event" that is "serious, unusual or unexpected." The virus that emerged from Wuhan, China, over the holidays has spread throughout Asia, infecting people in China, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and the Republic of Korea, according to WHO and Chinese state media. The U.S. confirmed its first case on Tuesday, a Washington state man who was traveling in China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. WHO doesn't enact the emergencies lightly, according to Lawrence Gostin, a professor and faculty director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. The international health agency has only applied the emergency designation five times since the rules were implemented in the mid-2000s. The last time WHO declared a global health emergency was in 2019 for the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo that killed more than 2,000 people. The agency also declared global emergencies for the 2016 Zika virus, the 2009 H1N1 swine flu and the 2014 polio and Ebola outbreaks. On the Via Dolorosa nearby, Chirac, who died last year and who was also the first French president to acknowledge the French governments complicity in the Holocaust, had likewise squared off against another Israeli security official. What do you want? Me to go back to my plane and go back to France? Is that what you want? Apples manufacturing partner Wistron has opened its third production facility in India. This will further help boost the production of iPhones under the Make in India program. Wistron had received approval from the Indian government to set up a new Rs 5,000 crore factory in India in March last year. The company has already completed trial production at the facility. It is now looking to hire people for top- to mid-tier management roles and then start production of low-cost iPhones. Presumably, the factory will be used to first assemble iPhone 8 before expanding to other low-cost iPhones including the upcoming iPhone 9. Wistron had first started assembling iPhones in India in 2017. The company already operates two other manufacturing facilities in India that produce the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s. Apples major manufacturing partner Foxconn has also expanded its production facility in India and has been making iPhone XR units there. Locally assembled iPhone XR units had started hitting the retail stores in India in October last year itself. By locally producing iPhones, Apple is able to save on import duties and customs which allows it to price them sensibly. The iPhone 11 Pro series is imported from China in India and after taxes, its prices start at Rs 99,000 which is about US$1,400. Since Apple is able to assemble older iPhones in India, it is able to price them more competitively in the price-sensitive smartphone market of the country. It remains to be seen when Apple starts producing high-end iPhones in the country so that they are also priced sensibly. [Via DigiTimes Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:58:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Masked gunmen on Wednesday killed the commander of paramilitary Basij security force in Iran's southwestern town of Darkhoein, official IRNA news agency reported. Two gunmen on a motorcycle ambushed and killed Abdolhossein Mojaddami in front of his house, the report said. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, four bullet were fired at Mojaddami. The assailants carried Kalashnikov-type and hunting rifles, Fars said. No group or entities has claimed the responsibility for the assassination. The case is under investigation, according to IRNA. Basij is an Iranian paramilitary security force affiliated to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos mobile phone got hacked after receiving a WhatsApp message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2018, suggests a media report. The Guradian reported that the message from personal account of Saudi Crown Prince carried an infected video file which probably triggered the intrusion into the phone. The digital forensics team is investigating the incident and, as reported by the US daily, large amounts of data were exfiltrated after the privacy breach. The alleged involvement of Saudi Crown Prince and his inner circle in the hacking of The Washington Post owners phone might open a can of worms as the incident was followed by the revelation of Bezos extramarital affairs and murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Posts columnist. The National Enquirer, an American tabloid newspaper, published a story about Amazon CEOs extramarital affair with Lauren Sanchez, along with intimate text messages and pictures of the duo. However, Saudi Arabia Embassy to the United States has rejected the claims and called for an investigation. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Saudi Embassy (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) January 22, 2020 Read: Verdict On Khashoggi Killing: Fiancee Fears 'the Truth' May Never Come Out The reports of Saudi involvement in hacking is a huge setback for MBS who has been trying to repair the tarnished image after Khashoggi killing. In December, Saudi Arabia court convicted eight people in the killing of The Washington Post columnist but exonerated inner circle of MBS. Read: UN Official Calls Verdict In Jamal Khashoggi Killing mockery Of Justice Controversial verdict Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, lashed out at the court verdict saying the masterminds were barely touched by the investigation and the trial. That is the antithesis of Justice. It is a mockery, she tweeted. Callamard said that 18 Saudi officials were present in their consulate in Istanbul for more than 10 days and cleaned up the crime scene. She called it obstruction of justice and a violation of the Minnesota Protocol for the investigation of arbitrary killings. Read: Amazon Unveils Electric Delivery Rickshaws In India, Jeff Bezos Drives It Read: Aramco Will Debut In Stock Market As Crown Prince's Decides: Saudi Min A team of international researchers dug deep to find some of the oldest African DNA on record, in a new study published in Nature A team of international researchers, which includes a Saint Louis University Madrid anthropologist, dug deep to find some of the oldest African DNA on record, in a new study published in Nature. Africa is the homeland of our species and harbors greater human genetic diversity than any other part of the planet. Studies of ancient DNA from African archaeological sites can shed important light on the deep origins of humankind. The research team sequenced DNA from four children buried 8,000 and 3,000 years ago at Shum Laka in Cameroon, a site excavated by a Belgian and Cameroonian team 30 years ago. The findings, "Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history," published Jan. 22 in Nature, represent the first ancient DNA from West or Central Africa, and some of the oldest DNA recovered from an African tropical context. They enable a new understanding of the deep ancestral relationships among early Homo sapiens in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was the product of collaboration among geneticists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists and museum curators based in North America (including Harvard Medical School and the Universite de Montreal); Europe (Royal Belgian Museum of Natural Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Universite Libre de Bruxelles and Saint Louis University's Madrid campus); Cameroon (University of Yaounde, University of Buea); and China (Duke Kunshan University). A unique archaeological site with exceptional preservation Shum Laka is a rock shelter located in the 'Grassfields' region of Cameroon, a place long pinpointed by linguists as the probable cradle of Bantu languages, a widespread and diverse group of languages spoken by more than a third of Africans today. "Linguists, archaeologists and geneticists have been studying the origin and spread of Bantu languages for decades, and the Grassfields region is key to this question," said Mary Prendergast, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology and chair of humanities at Saint Louis University's campus in Madrid, and a co-supervising author of the study. "The consensus is that the Bantu language group originated in west-central Africa, before spreading across the southern half of the continent after about 4,000 years ago." This expansion is thought to be the reason why most people from central, eastern and southern Africa are genetically closely related to each other and to West Africans. "Shum Laka is a reference point for understanding the deep history of west-central Africa," said Isabelle Ribot, Ph.D., a University of Montreal anthropologist who excavated and studied the burials, and is a key author of the study. The Shum Laka rockshelter was excavated in the 1980s and 1990s by archaeologists from Belgium and Cameroon. It boasts an impressive and well-dated archaeological record, with radiocarbon dates spanning the past 30,000 years. Stone tools, plant and animal remains, and eventually pottery collectively indicate long-term forest-based hunting and gathering and an eventual transition to intensive tree fruit exploitation. Shum Laka is emblematic of the 'Stone to Metal Age,' a critical era in west-central African history that ultimately gave rise to Iron Age metallurgy and farming. During this era, the site repeatedly served as a burial ground for families, with 18 individuals (mainly children) buried in two major phases at about 8,000 and 3,000 years ago. "Such burials are unique for West and Central Africa because human skeletons are exceedingly rare here prior to the Iron Age," said Ribot. "Tropical environments and acidic soils are not kind to bone preservation, so the results from our study are really remarkable." Scientists at Harvard Medical School sampled petrous (inner-ear) bones from six individuals buried at Shum Laka. Four of these samples produced ancient DNA, and were directly dated at the Pennsylvania State University Radiocarbon Laboratory. The molecular preservation was impressive given the burial conditions, and enabled whole-genome ancient DNA analysis. A newly documented population of hunter-gatherers Surprisingly, the ancient DNA sequenced from the four children - one pair buried 8,000 years ago, the other 3,000 years ago - reveals ancestry very different from that of most Bantu-speakers today. Instead, they are closer to central African hunter-gatherers. "This result suggests that Bantu-speakers living in Cameroon and across Africa today do not descend from the population to which the Shum Laka children belonged," said Mark Lipson, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, lead author of the study. "This underscores the ancient genetic diversity in this region and points to a previously unknown population that contributed only small proportions of DNA to present-day African groups." The spreads of farming and herding in Africa - as in other parts of the world - were accompanied by many movements of people. "If you go back 5,000 years ago, virtually everyone living south of the Sahara was a hunter-gatherer," said Prendergast. "But look at a map of Africa showing foraging groups today, and you'll see they are very few and far between." This study contributes to a growing body of ancient DNA research demonstrating ancient genetic diversity and population structure that has since been erased by the demographic changes that accompanied the spread of food production. A rare paternally inherited lineage with deep roots One of the sampled individuals - an adolescent male - carried a rare Y chromosome haplogroup (A00) found almost nowhere outside western Cameroon today. A00 is best documented among the Mbo and Bangwa ethnic groups living not far from Shum Laka, and this is the first time it has been seen in ancient DNA. A00 is a deeply divergent haplogroup, having split from all other known human lineages about 300,000-200,000 years ago. This shows that this oldest known lineage of modern human males has been present in west-central Africa for more than 8,000 years, and perhaps much longer. New light on human origins While the findings do not speak directly to Bantu language origins, they do shed new light on multiple phases of the deep history of Homo sapiens. The researchers examined the DNA of the Shum Laka children alongside published DNA from ancient hunter-gatherers from eastern and southern Africa, as well as DNA from many present-day African groups. Combining these datasets, they could construct a model of diverging lineages over the course of the human past. "Our analysis indicates the existence of at least four major deep human lineages that contributed to people living today, and which diverged from each other between about 250,000 and 200,000 years ago," said David Reich, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, senior author of the study. These lineages are ancestral to present-day central African hunter-gatherers, southern African hunter-gatherers, and all other modern humans, with a fourth lineage being a previously unknown 'ghost population' that contributed a small amount of ancestry to both western and eastern Africans. "This quadruple radiation--including the position of a deeply-splitting 'ghost' modern human lineage--had not been identified before from DNA," Reich said. Previous models for human origins suggested that present-day southern African hunter-gatherers, who split from other populations about 250,000-200,000 years ago, represent the deepest known branch of modern human variation. However, Lipson said, "the new analysis suggests that the lineage contributing to central African hunter-gatherers is similarly ancient and diverged from other African populations around the same time." This finding adds to a growing consensus among archaeologists and geneticists that human origins in Africa may have involved deeply divergent, geographically separated populations. Analysis also revealed another set of four human lineages branching between 80,000 and 60,000 years ago, including the lineages contributing most the ancestry in present-day eastern and western Africans and all non-Africans. Considering this new model of human population relationships, the authors could show that about one third of the ancestry of the Shum Laka children derived from a lineage closely related to central African hunter-gatherers, and about two thirds of their ancestry came from a distinctive lineage distantly related to a majority of present-day West Africans. "These results highlight how the human landscape in Africa just a few thousand years ago was profoundly different from what it is today, and emphasize the power of ancient DNA to lift the veil over the human past that has been cast by recent population movements," Reich said. International collaboration The international research team plans to return to Shum Laka this year, in part to help communicate findings to the Cameroonian academic and broader communities. "Interdisciplinary collaborations like this one are an essential part of ancient DNA research," says Reich. Key Take-Aways The study examines DNA from four people buried in the Shum Laka rockshelter in Cameroon, about 8,000 years ago and 3,000 years ago, at the transition from the Stone to Iron Ages. This study reports the first ancient DNA recovered from West or Central Africa, and includes some of the oldest DNA recovered from the African tropics. This part of west-central Africa - the 'Grassfields' region of Cameroon - has been identified as the probable cradle of Bantu languages, the most widespread and diverse group of languages in Africa today. For decades, linguists, archaeologists, and geneticists have investigated the origin of Bantu languages and their spread. None of the sampled individuals from Shum Laka are closely related to most present-day Bantu-speakers. Instead, they were part of a separate population that lived in the region for at least five millennia, and was later almost completely replaced by very different populations whose descendants comprise most people living in Cameroon today. The Shum Laka individuals harbored about two-thirds of their ancestry from a previously unknown lineage distantly related to present-day West Africans and about one-third of their ancestry from a lineage related to present-day central African hunter-gatherers. This finding reveals previously unknown genetic diversity prior to the spread of food production. Analysis of whole-genome ancient DNA data from these individuals provided insights into the relationships among several early-branching African human lineages. Results suggest that lineages leading to today's central African hunter-gatherers, southern African hunter-gatherers, and all other modern humans diverged in close succession about 250,000-200,000 years ago. Another set of genetic divergences was identified dating to about 80,000-60,000 years ago, including the lineage leading to all present-day non-Africans. These findings strengthen arguments recently made by archaeologists and geneticists that human origins in Africa may have involved deeply divergent, geographically separated populations. ### David Reich, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, and Mary Prendergast, Ph.D., Saint Louis University, are co-supervising authors. Other authors include corresponding author Mark Lipson, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, and Isabelle Ribot, Universite de Montreal; along with Swapan Mallick, Nadin Rohland, Inigo Olalde, Nicole Adamski, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Ann Marie Lawson, Saioa Lopez, Jonas Oppenheimer, Kristin Stewardson, Raymond Neba'ane Asombang, Herve Bocherens, Neil Bradman, Brendan J. Culleton, Els Cornelissen, Isabelle Crevecoeur, Pierre de Maret, Forka Leypey Mathew Fomine, Philippe Lavachery, Christophe Mbida Mindzie, Rosine Orban, Elizabeth Sawchuk, Patrick Semal, Mark G. Thomas, Wim Van Neer, Krishna R. Veeramah, Douglas J. Kennett, Nick Patterson, Garrett Hellenthal, Carles Lalueza-Fox and Scott MacEachern. Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University's diverse community of scholars is SLU's service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. For more information, visit http://www.slu.edu. The Shum Laka excavations were supported by the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS), the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the Leakey Foundation. The collection of samples from present-day individuals in Cameroon was supported by N. Bradman and the Melford Charitable Trust. The genotyping of the present-day individuals sampled from Cameroon was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant number BB/L009382/1). I.R. was supported by a Universite de Montreal exploration grant (2018-2020). M.G.T. was supported by Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award Grant 100719/Z/12/Z. G.H. was supported by a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society (grant number 098386/Z/12/Z). C.L-F. was supported by Obra Social La Caixa 328, Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (GRC 2017 SGR 880), and a FEDER-MINECO grant (PGC2018-095931-B-100). Radiocarbon work was supported by the NSF Archaeometry program (grant BCS-1460369) to D.J.K. and B.J.C. M.E.P. was supported by a fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University during the development of this project. D.R. was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIGMS GM100233), by an Allen Discovery Center grant and by grant 61220 from the John Templeton Foundation, and is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. ROCKFORD Getting the munchies is a well-known effect of using marijuana, and many cancer patients have found cannabis an effective way to stimulate their appetites to combat effects of nausea-causing chemotherapy. But for some, marijuana can have the opposite effect, health professionals say. One major problem identified in the past several months at SwedishAmerican Hospital is cannabinoid hyperemesis, said Kirk Schubert, and emergency medical clinical pharmacist. It is a rare condition that leads to repeated and severe bouts of vomiting and occurs in daily long-term users of marijuana. Schubert said the emergency department has recorded about 20 patient visits over the past six months, typically soon after marijuana was ingested. The patients had debilitating nausea. Their only comfort was hot showers on the abdomen to relieve symptoms, he said. Marijuana was approved for medical use in Illinois in 2014. Recreational use by adults became legal on Jan. 1. Its not something we were expecting, Schubert said. And we dont know what is causing it maybe the increase in THC levels. THC the main psychoactive compound in marijuana that provides the high in cannabis products sold in dispensaries typically is more potent than that purchased on the street. Its an unpleasant reaction but it is not terribly harmful in and of itself, Schubert said of the nausea. Patients may be more apt to report marijuana use to medical professionals as the drug has become more widely acceptable. Was it always there and we did not recognize it? Schubert said. Patients with cannabinoid hyperemesis can obtain relief by applying capsaicin cream, which is available over the counter, Schubert said. It aids in controlling peripheral nerve pain. If politics is just warfare by other means, both Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer have decided to drag out the heavy artillery in advance of the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. The Senate majority leader's rules proposal passed, thanks to the simple majority required, which itself is part of a pitted landscape in the upper chamber after nearly 20 years of partisan one-upmanship. That proposal will govern a process that might be more about settling scores with the House and with the Senate Democratic minority than it has to do with Trump or his handling of Ukraine aid. One has to wonder just how much of this will have to do with the case against the president at all. It's just as questionable, after three years of impeachment demands from and to House Democrats, how much the push to impeach Trump has to do with a delay in aid to Ukraine. We have spent the last 20-plus years coming to an inevitable war between Republicans and Democrats in the Beltway, one that will determine whether the institutions matter more than party affiliation. To grasp this, one needs to walk backward to 1999. Earlier this month, McConnell refused to sit down with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or disclose his rules proposal to her before she sent over the articles of Trump's impeachment, claiming the House Democratic majority was trying to unduly influence Senate operations. During the three-week standoff, McConnell repeatedly said that he would use the rules package from Bill Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial, which put off any votes on witnesses until after the presentment of the case. That rules proposal got unanimously adopted, including a vote from then-newly elected Senator Chuck Schumer. Pelosi finally gave up last week and transmitted the articles. By Monday, however, McConnell had adopted a new wrinkle in the Clinton-trial rules. It still used the same framework for voting on witnesses, but McConnell added a section that required a vote on admitting House-developed evidence. In previous trials, the House evidence was admitted automatically. That set Democrats off. They claimed that McConnell was cooking the trial, which might have pushed his grip on the majority just a little too far. By Tuesday afternoon, that rule had been replaced, subject to a hearsay objection and floor vote on specific House evidence. Story continues But what prompted that rule change in the first place? Republicans had seethed while House chairs Adam Schiff and Jerrold Nadler had used their majoritarian authority to largely sideline them in the impeachment process. Rather than go to court to bid for testimony, Schiff and Nadler jammed through the articles of impeachment without any first-hand testimony or evidence of wrongdoing. Republicans saw this as a continuation of the Democrats' efforts to impeach Trump over the earlier Russia-collusion hypothesis, which fell apart after Robert Mueller's special counsel probe found no evidence for the theory. Part of the animus driving Democrats was the way in which Republicans had muscled their way to Trump's first Supreme Court nomination. Barack Obama had nominated Merrick Garland after the death of Antonin Scalia in January 2016, a nomination McConnell had blocked with his Senate majority at the time. Democrats had at times threatened to do this in the past; Joe Biden in particular mentioned the possibility in 2007 and 1991, but the opportunity never arose for an election-year nomination. Chuck Schumer then attempted to filibuster the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, which led McConnell to change the Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster on Supreme Court nominations. And that resulted from Harry Reid's so-called "nuclear option" in 2013, in which he contradicted long-standing precedent to allow a simple Senate majority to change the rules in mid-session. Republicans at that time were using the filibuster to obstruct Obama's appointments to the D.C. Circuit appellate court. That was in payback for Senate Democrats' own obstructionism during the George W. Bush administration on federal judicial appointments, starting in 2002 and leading to a famous showdown and compromise in 2005. It is this partisan escalation, in Capitol Hill in general and the Senate in particular, which has led the nation to this impasse. Both sides are trying mightily to claim the moral high ground in the impeachment fight and rules debate, but both sides have also done their best to cook the process for their own ends. Georgetown Law professor Jonathan Turley, who spoke in opposition to impeachment on institutional grounds (although no fan of Trump in other respects), concluded on Tuesday afternoon that both parties have run this into the ground. "The tide of hypocrisy washing over the Hill today," Turley quipped on CBS, "was enough to take the dome off its foundations." Given the partisan warfare around the impeachment, the trial outcome is all but certain. Of more concern, however, should be the damage done to the legislative branch over the last two decades. This poisonous atmosphere of majoritarian flexing has transformed Congress from a co-equal branch to either the wingman or the executioner of the president. With this partisan war as context, succeeding House majorities will feel freer to impeach any president of the opposing party on any pretext, especially by launching constant investigations that encroach on the executive's co-equal status and automatically considering any objection to be obstructive. We will either have parliamentary systems with the executive under the thumb of the House, or presidencies entirely unencumbered by an independent legislature. At some point, we need leadership on Capitol Hill that restores its own prerogatives while respecting the prerogatives of the executive. This would benefit both parties in the long run, and it would return the federal government to actual representative democracy. Unfortunately, after two decades in the trenches of the Democrat-Republican war, there doesn't seem to be any leaders emerging of that quality nor a lot of demand from anyone else to produce them. Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here. More stories from theweek.com Stephen Colbert and Samantha Bee advise GOP senators to save themselves, subpoena Trump's secrets Several senators left the chamber in the middle of Adam Schiff's impeachment remarks With her proud students watching, Florida teacher becomes a U.S. citizen Prithviraj Chavan The Shiv Sena on Wednesday denied Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan's claim that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party approached the Congress after the 2014 state polls to form a coalition to keep the BJP out of power, saying such a proposal had "no value" at that time. The Sena, however, also said that its tie-up with the Congress and NCP after the last year's Assembly elections materalised because NCP chief Sharad Pawar did not allow "BJP's political machinations" to succeed and Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not reject the alliance proposal. Taking to PTI earlier this week, senior Congress leader Chavan claimed the Shiv Sena proposed to form a coalition with his party and the NCP after the 2014 state polls to stop the BJP from coming to power. But, the Congress then immediately rejected the proposal, he said. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Wednesday rejected the claim, saying the Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress and NCP contested the 2014 state Assembly polls separately. "There is no logic in what Chavan has said. The claim should have evaporated in Mumbai's mild winter breeze. The Shiv Sena and NCP didn't take the claim seriously. But, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis criticised the Shiv Sena, saying Chavan had exposed the party," it said. Fadnavis, who is now leader of opposition in the Assembly, on Monday said Chavan's remarks were very surprising and revealed the "true face" of the Shiv Sena, which in November last year formed government in the state along with the Congress and NCP. The Sena said in the four-cornered contest to the 288 -member state Assembly in 2014, the BJP got 122 seats, the Shiv Sena bagged 63, while the Congress and NCP 42 and 41 seats, respectively. The Congress was relegated to the third position. Under Chavan's leadership, the party had "lost miserably and had no voice", it noted. "There was no question of approaching the Congress for government formation. The Shiv Sena had made up its mind to be in the opposition," it said. Notably, after the 2014 polls, BJP ran the government but later the Thackeray-led party also joined it. The Shiv Sena in its editorial recalled that after the 2014 polls, NCP leader Praful Patel offered his party's support to the BJP. This exposed the "real face" of the BJP which had snapped ties with the Shiv Sena before the Assembly polls, it claimed. "Even if the three parties had come together, the tally would have been very close to the majority mark (of 145). This was dangerous and the BJP would have tried to pull down the government," the Marathi publication said. After the last year's state polls, the BJP has to sit in the opposition despite getting 105 seats as the "masks on its face continue to come off", the Shiv Sena claimed without elaborating. "This time, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi took shape because Sharad Pawar did not allow BJP's political machinations to succeed and Sonia Gandhi did not reject the alliance proposal. In 2014, such a proposal had no value," the Sena said. The Pocophone F2 is coming soon, the company has announced. POCO announced the news via its POCO India Twitter account. Do note that the Pocophone F2 will probably be referred to as POCO F2 in India. That was the case with the first-gen model, at least, while it was called the Pocophone F2 in most global markets. The Pocophone F2 is coming, the company just confirmed In any case, POCO did not flat out say that the Pocophone F2 / POCO F2 is on its way. The company did confirm it, though, in its own way. The company used the POCOIsHere hashtag, while it also said that the Season 2 is live now! Brace yourself for impact. On top of that, the company attached a short teaser video to that tweet. That teaser is not all too revealing, but its a spy movie-type teaser. All in all, its quite obvious that POCOs second flagship will arrive soon, no doubt about that. Advertisement This time around, however, POCO may announce more than one phone. The POCO F2 Lite surfaced quite recently, while some other phone with a slightly different SoC got benchmarked. None of those two phones packed in a flagship processor, though. The Pocophone F2, if its anything like the first-gen handset, will include the Snapdragon 865 on the inside. So, were still to see some info regarding the Pocophone F1s successor. The Pocophone F1 was announced back in August 2018. So, it has been two and a half years, almost, since the first-gen model arrived. Advertisement The Pocophone F2 was expected to launch last year, but that did not happen. Xiaomi introduced the Redmi K20 / Xiaomi Mi 9T series of devices instead. Well, POCO is now an independent brand, even though its owned by Xiaomi. That much was announced by Xiaomis official quite recently. The company was rumored to be working on the Pocophone F2 series, and that has now been confirmed as well. POCO is rumored to introduce three handsets this year POCO is actually rumored to introduce three smartphones this year. At least one of those phones is expected to be a flagship killer, as the first-gen model was referred to. Advertisement The other two will probably be mid-range handsets. If a recent leak is to be believed, the POCO F2 Lite / Pocophone F2 Lite will include a tiny display notch. On top of that, it will ship with a chin below the display. We still do not know when will the Pocophone F2 series of devices arrive, though. If the company plans to stick to its release cycle, it will arrive in August. We have a feeling that the device may drop much sooner than that, though. Not only did POCO skip 2019 in its entirety, but it also shared a coming soon teaser on Twitter, which probably means we wont have to wait for seven months in order to see some new hardware. Wed guess that the first phone will arrive either in January or February, but well see. That goes for India, at the very least, though the Pocophone F2 will almost certainly hit other markets. Advertisement #POCOIsHere and it'll give chills to others. IYKWWM Season 2 is live now! Brace yourself for the impact. pic.twitter.com/wJPWgDgwCn POCO India #POCOM3 (@IndiaPOCO) January 21, 2020 TobyMac's son Truett died of an accidental drug overdose, fentanyl involved Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment TobyMac's son, Truett Foster McKeehan, died of an accidental overdose last October, a representative has confirmed. In a statement to People magazine, the representative said McKeehan overdosed on fentanyl and amphetamines. The 21 year old aspiring rapper died suddenly on Oct. 23, 2019. The Davidson County Medical Examiners office confirmed that first responders went to the familys home in Franklin, Tennessee, after 911 was called to report a young male suffering cardiac arrest. More than 70,200 Americans died in 2017 from using illegal or prescription drugs. Of that number over 47,600 died from an opioid overdose, a twofold increase in just one decade, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Earlier this month, TobyMac released a song titled 21 Years, calling it an honest letter to his first-born child. Although he admits he never wanted to pen such a song, the Christian pioneer hopes the new single will help others who are also grieving the loss of a loved one. "'21 Years is a song I wrote about the recent passing of my firstborn son, Truett Foster McKeehan. I loved him with all my heart. Until something in life hits you this hard, you never know how you will handle it, he tweeted. The McKeehan family has been surrounded by people who've been helping them through this tragic loss and the Grammy Award-winning artist said he's grateful for the support. Writing this song felt like an honest confession of the questions, pain, anger, doubt, mercy and promise that describes the journey Im probably only beginning. The rest is yet to come. One thing I know is that I am not alone. God didnt promise us a life of no pain or even tragic death, but He did promise He would never leave us or forsake us. And Im holding dearly to that promise for my son as well as myself, he added. Some of the emotional words of 21 years say, Why would You give and then take him away? Suddenly end, could You not let it fade? What I would give for a couple of days. Upon hearing the tragic news, TobyMac, who was on tour in Canada at the time, flew back home to Tennessee to be with his wife and four other children. The family has since launched the Truett Foster Foundation where donations made in Truetts name will help send vulnerable youth to college, that they may realize their God-given potential to change the lives of others, the foundation says on its website. One hundred percent of the donations will be used to fund scholarships in partnership with the Global Orphan Project. The Christian organization will underwrite all general and administrative expenses in honor of the aspiring musician. Experts worried of economy falling into low-growth trap By Lee Min-hyung The country's economic growth cooled to a ten-year low of 2 percent in 2019 due to a setback both in domestic demand and exports amid prolonged trade feud between the U.S. and China. This is the worst since 2009 when the annual gross domestic product (GDP) came in at 0.8 percent in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. According to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), Wednesday, external shipments plunged by 10.3 percent last year from 2018 hit by a global slowdown caused by the U.S.-China trade war. Beset by sluggish exports, private consumption grew by only 1.9 percent, from a year earlier the lowest since 2013 when the figure was 1.7 percent. As a result, the private sector accounted for only 0.5 percentage points out of the 2-percent annual GDP growth, while the government spending drove the rest. This has raised concern that the local economy may experience a longer-term slump at a time when momentum for growth is not expected for the time being. Experts remained pessimistic that the economy will be able to report a notable rebound in 2020, even if chances appear slim that things will take a turn for the worse this year. "Broadly speaking, the nation's economic mood in 2019 was not favorable to companies as well as customers due to a number of factors, such as sluggish exports and weak private consumption," Korea University economist Shin Kwan-ho said. "Against the backdrop, companies lost their appetite for investment," he said. "The unfavorable business environment prevented most firms here from reporting outstanding earnings growth, so they shunned consuming more for the economy." The global economic slump was also another crucial factor to have weighed on the local economy last year, Shin said. On top of external factors, government policies, such as the minimum wage hike, have dealt a blow to corporate earnings and had a negative impact on their growth, according to the expert. Noh San-ha, another economist at the Korea Capital Market Institute (KCMI) expected the economy to report estimated growth of 2.3 percent in 2020. "A prolonged economic slowdown last year was attributable to the trade dispute between the United States and China," he said. "But with both sides showing signs of ending their feud, the Korean economy will take a turn for the better in 2020." The trade war decreased overall demand in the global economy, driving down economic growth here, he said. "The economy will recover to the estimated figure this year on condition that no outstanding external risks re-emerge," he said. "The government also plans to support the sagging economy by carrying out a super-expansionary fiscal budget in 2020, but it still remains to be seen how this will work for the domestic economy," he said. The economist also said the weak economic growth in 2019 was also in part due to a nationwide campaign to boycott Japanese products here, due to history and political disputes. Starting from July 2019, Korea and Japan escalated their trade war amid weakening relations due to the feud. Both sides are recently showing signs of de facto putting an end to economic retaliation against each other. But as Korean nationals' sentiment against Japan still remains in place, chances are this will keep private consumption here down in 2020, according to Noh. I was surprised to meet Ghanimat Azhdari in Geneva last June. When I was asked to speak at a gathering of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Indigenous Fellowship Programme, I did not expect one of the fellows to be an Iranian like myself. She was a young woman from the Indigenous Qashqai community, and despite the obstacles she had most certainly faced on her way, she was at the top of her field. She told me about her work promoting biodiversity and that she was headed to Canada for her PhD. So talented and ambitious. I was heartbroken to find Ghanimats face among the victims of the Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 that crashed in Iran on Jan. 8. After days of denial, Irans armed forces finally admitted that it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, blaming human error and U.S. adventurism for the crash that killed 176 people. Mistakenly. That word seemed to so casually gloss over what happened to Ghanimat. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that mistakenly is the word that has always been used to describe what happened to Iranians over decades of U.S.-Iranian tension: years living under the war, sanctions, political repression and threats of more war. I was born on the cusp of the most consequential social and political transformation in 20th century Iranian history: the 1979 Revolution. Instead of enjoying the inheritance of equality, bequeathed by the generations of Iranian women before me, I was confronted with one of the bloodiest wars in recent memory: the Iran-Iraq War. Eight years of war have shaped nearly every memory I have from my childhood. I remember the rations. I remember rushing out of Tehran to escape air raids and missiles. I remember the moment my dad was leaving us to return to the city with the fear of not coming back. I remember the worry in his conversations with my mother. I remember my aunt mourning her young son who was martyred. I remember, on July 3, 1988, two missiles fired from a frigate, the USS Vincennes, and shot down passenger plane Iran Air flight 655, apparently mistaking it for a fighter aircraft, in Iranian waters and killing all aboard. During the war, the Iranian government did not tolerate any criticism and opposite views. Freedoms were severely restricted. Thousands of political prisoners were executed. The country was at war and therefore anything could be justified. The world did not pay much attention to these cruel human rights abuses either. The reason seemed obviously clear: the country was at war, what else could dominate international headlines and concern? Iran-U.S. tensions have claimed the lives of many Iranian in many different ways. The Iran-Iraq War continues to claim dozens of lives with landmines left over from those years. Landmines that have mistakenly not been removed from contaminated areas over two decades later. The Iranian government, still under the pretext of defending national security, has imprisoned thousands of women, students, political activists, workers, teachers, journalists, artists and human rights defenders simply for expressing dissenting views. And when one of these prisoners dies under torture, as many have, it is always called a mistake. The U.S. invaded Iraq and as the international community shifted its attention to the nuclear issue, a new round of tensions emerged, with its own cruelties. The U.S. has imposed harsh sanctions that have driven economic hardship for nearly every Iranian and caused severe shortages of life saving medicines. But all this is seen as an unintentional outcome of maximum pressure. A mistake, in other words. We thought the Iran Deal would bring some economic relief, but that hope has been thwarted by the U.S. Life under U.S.-sanctions and the imminent prospect of war has created a canopy of desperation and fear stretching over our country. Now we witness an unprecedented increase in the war posturing on both sides. All Iranians watch helplessly, as the U.S. illegally trades assassinations for missiles attacks. We wonder what will be next. We wonder if the international community has already forgotten about the hundreds of Iranians that security forces killed during street protests last November. We wonder if this round of violence is really done. We pray for our neighbours in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq. So many mistakes, so many needless deaths. We hear the Iranian and U.S. governments both claim they are defending Iranian lives. We no longer know friendly fire from foe. And for Ghanimat Azhdari and the victims of flights 752 or 655, it hardly matters. U.S.-Iranian tensions need to end. For us, neither war nor sanctions are solutions. It seems every country in the world knows this, but few are pushing to make it happen. All we hang our hope on is for diplomacy to prevail. DETROIT An Allen Park man faces two misdemeanor charges in relation to a donut stunt that blocked I-94 traffic in December. Devin Ray Cronk was charged on Tuesday, Jan 21, with reckless driving and disturbing the peace, ClickOnDetroit reports. He was given a $100 cash bond. His next court appearance is set for Thursday, Jan. 23. Cronk turned himself in to police on Jan. 2. In a video recorded by people associated with the stunt, the drivers face was blurred, and the license plate number of the orange Chevy Camaro was covered as squealing donuts were performed. The video was posted to Instagram. The stunt continued for 10-15 minutes on a half-mile stretch of a four-lane section of I-94 in Detroit. WARNING: Profane language is audible in the following video. READ MORE: Prison van loaded with inmates crashes on I-94 Stranded children rescued after sled goes onto thin ice Cousins killed in eastside Detroit shooting HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Houston American Energy Corp. (NYSE American: HUSA) today provided an update on the company's recent financing activities and current financial position. Since reporting 3rd quarter 2019 results, Houston American has raised $4.49 million of net proceeds from the sale of common stock. The shares were sold under its previously announced "at-the-market", or ATM, sales program at an average price of $0.21 per share. These funds will be used to retire all short-term debt and are expected to fully fund the company's 2020 drilling budget and to establish a cash reserve to support operations and future projects. Jim Schoonover, CEO of Houston American Energy, stated, "With the broad strength in energy markets and energy stocks in the wake of the recent U.S./Iran conflict, we elected to access funds available under our ATM sales program. With this financing, we expect to be able to fully fund our operating and capital expenditure requirements during 2020 with additional capital available to pursue other growth opportunities that may come our way. We are excited about the additions to our prospect inventory over the past year and the direction of the company and look forward to reporting our progress to shareholders throughout 2020." Forward-Looking Statements The information in this release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate, including statements regarding our ability to fully fund our 2020 drilling budget and support operations and future projects. Our ability to fund our drilling budget, operations and future projects is subject to numerous risk factors, including potential cost overruns, unforeseen costs, acceleration of drilling operations not presently contemplated, other factors that may result in our spending more than presently contemplated to support operations, planned 2020 drilling operations and future projects, among other risks described in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For additional information, view the company's website at www.houstonamerican.com or contact Houston American Energy Corp. at (713) 222-6966. SOURCE Houston American Energy Corp. Related Links http://houstonamerican.com We are not done looking for those responsible. This was the warning given by the Head of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) Supt Roger Alexander yesterday during the Beyond the Tape TV programme on TV6. Earlier in the day, Alexander was part of several units which went searching for kidnap victim Mattie Maraj in the eastern division. (Alliance News) - Network International Holdings PLC on Wednesday said it has hired Ali Mazanderani and Anil Dua as independent non-executive directors effective immediately. The company also announced the resignation of Non-Executive Directors Shayne Nelson, Daniel Zilberman and Aaron Goldman, effective from the company's next annual general meeting. The digital payments solutions provider said that Non-Executive Director Suryanarayan Subramanian will remain on the board "given his long-standing experience with the business and market". Newly-hired Mazanderani is currently a non-executive director at financial technology provider Stone Co Ltd. He was previously a partner at investments firm Actis LLP. He has also served as lead strategy consultant at First National Bank of South Africa. Dua is currently a non-executive director at Africa-focused communications service provider Liquid Telecom Group, African Export Import Bank and internet banking company Nouvobanq. He is founding partner at private equity fund Gateway and has also served as chief executive officer West Africa of Standard Chartered Bank. "I am delighted to welcome Ali and Anil to the board, our independent balance. Ali has an extensive background in the global payments industry, while Anil's financial services experience has been focused on the African continent," said Network International Chair Ron Kalifa. "I would also like to convey my sincere thanks and best wishes to Shayne, Daniel and Aaron. They have been a key part of our journey from a small privately owned business to a publically listed leading payments business operating across the Middle East and Africa. Their expertise, and support of the management team, has helped set the business on a path to success," he added. Network International shares were up 0.9% at 576.00 pence each on Wednesday afternoon in London. By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Exterior banner for Adler Planetarium We are an incubator for inclusive science. We spark curiosity because as humans, we all have a seat at the table. Ninety years in the making, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago is unveiling a new brand. Developed and designed by branding partners, Pause for Thought and The Change Project, the new Adler identity is the culmination of a multi-year transformation aiming to make science more accessible to all citizens of the world. Max Adler founded the Adler Planetarium in 1930 with the hope that the youth of our city. may find new interests and fresh inspiration and also that with the aid of the Planetarium, science may be advanced. When Michelle Larson took the helm as CEO in 2013, she took this vision to heart and made it her mission to supercharge the experience, and the enthusiasm the entire staff has for inspiring curiosity and connections to the sky. We are an incubator for inclusive science. We spark curiosity because as humans, we all have a seat at the table. The updated brand promise and brand identity was a dream project for the branding partners. Ryu Mizuno, vice president of marketing at the Adler, came to us with a true story of transformation, notes Kelli Peterson, founder of The Change Project. Its one thing to say you want to connect your entire community to the sky and its another to have the ability to do it. The programming inside the Planetarium and deep into the Chicago neighborhoods is like no other. The Adler Planetariums new logo took cues from the sky in multiple ways. It now incorporates a warm yellow color -- bright, cheerful, and optimistic, much like the Sun. Early on in the process we established that the logo should not include the dome, said Janice Pedley, creative director of Pause for Thought. Although its an iconic building, the Adlers mission is much bigger than the sky shows inside. The Adler reaches millions through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach efforts. We suggested this extensive programming reach could be expressed through the metaphor of an orbit of influence, with Adler at the center. The circular planet is propelled upwards with gravity assist, symbolizing how the Adler inspires people to reach for the stars.' The new visual identity gives a nod to the Adlers historic collection that has been given new relevance and photography to showcase the human experience. Illustration has a part too and in fact here, the whole Adler team jumped in. We co-created the Adlerverse, a collection of hand drawn stars and doodles from the staff and volunteers that is now featured throughout the identity system, adds Pedley, With over a hundred submissions, the Adlerverse is an authentic expression of the whole organization and a celebration of the community. The Adler is now realizing Max Adlers original vision by delivering science for everyone by everyone. Link to Photos About Pause for Thought Pause for Thought is a New York-based branding agency that brings creativity and design principals to brands that value positive social change. About The Change Project The Change Project is a San Francisco-based branding agency that blends the principles of design-thinking and innovation to fuel growth and drive revenue for brands with social impact. About the Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium connects people to the Universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to an army of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the Adlers focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century. Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With the Adlers support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their Universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way. Daniel Arnold Daniel Arnold found this screeching Times Square performer (above), a fixture in one of the most claustrophobic corners of the city. In my imagination shes always been a defiant and sarcastic response to the Naked Cowboy, Arnold said, referring to the neighborhoods scantily clad guitarist. How would he describe the sound she makes? Blaaaahhhhhhhhh!!! Arnold also ventured south, where he found an exploding manhole near Union Square, a child making a brave choice in SoHo and a cat warning off intruders downtown. By Trend Austrian business delegation, which includes representatives of 32 companies, will visit Uzbekistan on 24-27 February 2020, Trend reports citing the Uzbek media. In relation with the visit, Trade Advisor at the Austrian Embassy in Kazakhstan Rudolf Thaler arrived in Uzbekistan. The delegation will include representatives companies operating the sectors such as energy, electronic government, oil and gas, processing of MSW (municipal solid waste), treatment facilities, construction materials, ticket-pass systems, production of cochlear implants, engineering, processing of milk and meat, brewing equipment, and transportation and logistics, Thaler said. Meetings of the Austrian delegation with representatives of Uzbek companies are scheduled to be held at Tashkent International Hotel on February 24. On February 27, the winners of Silk Road Biz Award 2020 to be presented by Trade Department of the Austrian Embassy in Almaty will be announced. Last year, the award winner was Salzburg's Oberhofer Stahlbau company, which implements a contract to supply the largest steel structure in Central Asia for the Humo Ice Arena in Tashkent. Earlier, the company supplied the steel dome for the Palace of Forums and the steel structure for the National Stadium (former Bunyodkor stadium) in the Uzbek capital. By initiating the award, which will be presented for the second time this year, we drew attention of mass media to the outstanding services of Austrian companies, stressed Rudolf Thaler. "There are many Austrian companies in Central Asia, and the award should help Austrian companies, which are highly innovative and successful, to publicize their achievements." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 15:10:58|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A new trade agreement was concluded on Wednesday between New Zealand, Singapore and Chile for exporters and consumers in the three countries to explore opportunities from digital trade, announced New Zealand government on Wednesday. New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker together with Chile's Vice Minister of Trade Rodrigo Yanez and Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, announced the conclusion of talks on a Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA). "It's an important step in making sure trade rules better reflect this digital era," Parker said, "DEPA will help make it easier for businesses and consumers to take advantage of digital trade opportunities, while protecting public and private interests." "Digital trade is constantly evolving. We may not know what new technologies will emerge, but we know it is valuable to have open channels of communication with close partners to discuss issues this change can bring," Parker added. DEPA complements and supports the ongoing WTO-based negotiations on e-commerce, as well as work within Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, said Parker. The DEPA is described by New Zealand government as an "open plurilateral" agreement, meaning it is open to other WTO members who can meet its standards. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Wed, January 22, 2020 In yet another example of religious intolerance in Indonesia, a local group named the United Muslim Forum (FUIB) has urged the Karimun regency administration in Riau Islands to revoke a building license (IMB) for renovation work on Santo Joseph Church. The group staged a rally on Jan. 17 in front of the regent's official residence, which is located next to the 92-year-old church. FUIB chairman Abdul Latif claimed the residents feared that the church would turn into an icon as it was located in the center of Karimuns capital of Tanjung Balai. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login FORT DODGE, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continued to run up his advantage among black political leaders Tuesday, with four Congressional Black Caucus members announcing their support, including three who previously backed Sens. Kamala Harris or Cory Booker. Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop was making his first public declaration of support in the Democratic primary. New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne previously backed Booker. Florida Reps. Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson previously backed Harris. Payne, Hastings and Wilson are the first Black Caucus members to pick new candidates after Booker and Harris ended their campaigns. The Biden campaign confirmed the endorsements Tuesday, bringing the 77-year-old candidates roster of Black Caucus supporters to 15. That far outpaces any of his Democratic rivals and underscores his advantage with and dependence on a key Democratic constituency. Harris had peaked at 11 Black Caucus endorsements. He will be the kind of president who will be able to relate to every demographic in the country, north, south, middle America, Bishop told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of his public announcement. Hell be able to empathize and be taken seriously by every demographic. Hes not so far to the left that he would put off anyone. Bishops colleagues offered similar sentiments via written statements, echoing the candidates contention that hes the Democrat best-positioned to win in November and handle the aftermath. Our candidate needs to have the strength to beat Donald Trump and the heart to bring this country together, for the sake of our children, Wilson said. Florida, with 219 pledged delegates at stake March 17, and Georgia, with 105 pledged delegates at stake on March 24, will hold two of the most significant primaries after the March 3 Super Tuesday slate when Democrats will scramble for more than a third of the total 3,979 pledged delegates. New Jersey, meanwhile, is among the last contests. But its 126 pledged delegates on June 2 could prove crucial if Democrats historically large field results in a drawn-out fight that requires every primary and caucus to determine a nominee. Black voters hold significant sway in choosing the Democratic nominee. Biden has maintained a lead in most national polls of Democratic voters because hes the clear favourite of African American voters, especially older ones. Consequently, he appears to hold a wide advantage, for now, in South Carolina, the Souths first primary and the first state contest with a large contingent of black voters. Yet in the overwhelmingly white early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Biden is clustered with other top contenders: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg. MURRAY, Ky. - Three of four National Guard soldiers accused of involvement in a 2017 sexual assault case have pleaded guilty in Kentucky to misdemeanour sexual misconduct charges. Anthony Tubolino, 28, Tyler Hart, 22, and Jacob Ruth, 24, accepted plea deals from the Calloway Commonwealths Attorneys Office and were recommended to serve 12-month sentences each, news outlets reported Wednesday. A circuit judge will formally sentence the men in April. Co-defendant Austin Dennis, 24, requested a jury trial on his first-degree sodomy charge. That date was set for May 27. The soldiers were charged in June 2017 after a victim accused them of supplying her with alcohol and sexually assaulting her, according to Kentucky State Police. The soldiers were in Calloway County waiting for a training deployment, news outlets have reported. Tubolinos attorney previously told news outlets the group was off-duty and drinking in a hotel room. Hart was originally charged with first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse, but pleaded down to two counts of sexual misconduct. Ruth was initially charged with first-degree sodomy and also pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct. Tubolino was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and unlawful transaction with a minor, as well as driving under the influence. The rape and sodomy charges were amended to sexual misconduct, while the unlawful transaction charge and the DUI remained. In the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met with CEO Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud of the Qatar Investment Authority. The interlocutors touched upon President Sarkissian's recent visits to Qatar and the agreements reached, noting that the opening of the Armenian Embassy in Qatar, the lifting of the visa regime, and the existence of direct air communication create good prerequisites for intensifying business contacts between Armenia and Qatar. The opportunities for implementation of cooperation directions and investment programs were discussed. The Qatar Investment Authority CEO noted that their organization is interested in developing economic ties with Armenia and is ready to cooperate with the relevant structures of the country. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Baku has decided to blame Yerevan for its destructive position once again, and a statement on this was made by Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Staff of the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev. As President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has already stated, unfortunately, last year was a year of losses. We didnt see any progress in the talks. In addition, we continue to see Armenia leading an ineffective and destructive policy," Hajiyev said, reports Interfax, citing Euractiv. Baku is discontent with Yerevans position on the need to restore the format of the talks and bring Nagorno-Karabakh back to the negotiating table. Hajiyev unilaterally presents the recent document of the European Union on the security policy, viewing it as evidence of support to Azerbaijans position. This is very important for us, and we are grateful for that stance. We believe the fundamental principles deriving from the Helsinki Final Act and international law must be applied for all conflicts, without exceptions. We hope this policy remains since territorial integrity is important for every country, Hajiyev said. In every region across the world, CEOs predict slower economic growth As we enter a new decade, CEOs are showing record levels of pessimism in the global economy, with 53% predicting a decline in the rate of economic growth in 2020. This is up from 29% in 2019 and just 5% in 2018 the highest level of pessimism since we started asking this question in 2012. By contrast, the number of CEOs projecting a rise in the rate of economic growth dropped from 42% in 2019 to only 22% in 2020. These are some of the key findings of PwCs 23rd survey of almost 1,600 CEOs from 83 countries across the world, launched today at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. CEO pessimism over global economic growth is particularly significant in North America, Western Europe and the Middle East, with 63%, 59% and 57% of CEOs from those regions predicting lower global growth in the year ahead. Given the lingering uncertainty over trade tensions, geopolitical issues and the lack of agreement on how to deal with climate change, the drop in confidence in economic growth is not surprising even if the scale of the change in mood is, said Bob Moritz, Chairman, of the PwC Network. These challenges facing the global economy are not new however the scale of them and the speed at which some of them are escalating is new, the key issue for leaders gathering in Davos is: how are we going to come together to tackle them. On a brighter note, while there is record pessimism amongst business leaders, there are still real opportunities out there. With an agile strategy, a sharp focus on the changing expectations of stakeholders, and the experience many have built up over the last ten years in a challenging environment, business leaders can weather an economic downturn and continue to thrive. CEO confidence in own revenue growth declines CEOs are also not so positive about their own companies prospects for the year ahead, with only 27% of CEOs saying they are very confident in their own organisations growth over the next 12 months the lowest level we have seen since 2009 and down from 35% last year. While confidence levels are generally down across the world, there is a wide variation from country to country, with China and India showing the highest levels of confidence among major economies at 45% and 40% respectively, the US at 36%, Canada at 27%, the UK at 26%, Germany at 20%, France 18%, and Japan having the least optimistic CEOs with only 11% of CEOs very confident of growing revenues in 2020. When asked about their own revenue growth prospects, the change in CEO sentiment has proven to be an excellent predictor of global economic growth. Analysing CEO forecasts since 2008, the correlation between CEO confidence in their 12-month revenue growth and the actual growth achieved by the global economy has been very close (see exhibit4 in notes). If the analysis continues to hold, global growth could slow to 2.4% in 2020 below many estimates including the 3.4% October growth prediction from the IMF. China looks beyond the US for growth Overall the US just retains its lead as the top market CEOs look to for growth over the next 12 months at 30%, one percentage point ahead of China at 29%. However, ongoing trade conflicts and political tensions have seriously dented the attractiveness of the US for China CEOs. In 2018, 59% of China CEOs selected the US as one of their top three growth markets, in 2020 this has dropped dramatically to just 11%. The US loss has been Australias gain, with 45% of China CEOs now looking to Australia as a top three key growth market compared with only 9% two years ago. The other countries making the top five for growth are unchanged from last year Germany (13%), India (9%) and the UK (9%). A strong result for the UK given the uncertainty created by Brexit. Australia is just outside the top five boosted by its increased attractiveness for China CEOs. Worries about uncertain economic growth on the rise In 2019 when asked about the top threats to their organisations growth prospects, uncertain economic growth ranked outside the top ten concerns for CEOs at number twelve. This year it has leapt to third place, just behind trade conflicts another risk that has risen up the CEOs agenda and the perennial over-regulation, which has again topped the table as the number one threat for CEOs. CEOs are also increasingly concerned about cyber threats and climate change and environmental damage, however despite the increasing number of extreme weather events and the intensity of debate on the issue, the magnitude of other threats continues to overshadow climate change which still does not make it into the CEOs top ten threats to growth. Policing cyberspace While CEOs around the world express clear concerns about the threat of over-regulation, they are also predicting significant regulatory changes in the technology sector. Globally over two-thirds of CEOs believe that governments will introduce new legislation to regulate the content on both the internet and social media and to break up dominant tech companies. A majority of CEOs (51%) also predict that governments will increasingly compel the private sector to financially compensate individuals for the personal data that they collect. However, CEOs are in two minds as to whether governments are striking the right balance in designing privacy regulation between increasing consumer trust and maintaining business competitiveness, with 41% saying it does strike the right balance and 43% saying it doesnt. The upskilling challenge While the shortage of key skills remains a top threat to growth for CEOs and they agree that retraining/upskilling is the best way to close the skills gap, they are not making much headway in tackling the problem with only 18% of CEOs saying they have made significant progress in establishing an upskilling programme. This sentiment is echoed by workers. In a separate survey by PwC, 77% of 22,000 workers around the world say they would like to learn new skills or retrain but only 33% feel they have been given the opportunity to develop digital skills outside their normal duties. Upskilling will be one of the key issues discussed this week at Davos and business leaders, educators, government and civil society must work together to ensure that people around the world stay productively engaged in meaningful and rewarding work. Leaders have a key role to play; although people may have fears about the future, they want to learn and develop and they are looking to leaders to provide a trusted path forward, added Bob Moritz. Climate change challenge or chance? Although climate change does not appear in the top ten threats to CEOs growth prospects, CEOs are expressing a growing appreciation of the upside of taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. Compared to a decade ago, when we last asked this question, CEOs are now twice as likely to strongly agree that investing in climate change initiatives will boost reputational advantage (30% in 2020 compared with 16% in 2010) and 25% of CEOs today compared with 13% in 2010 see climate change initiatives leading to new product and service opportunities for their organisation. While views of climate change driven product and service opportunities have remained relatively stable in the US and the UK, there has been a dramatic shift in views in China over the last ten years. In 2010, only 2% of China CEOs saw climate change leading to opportunities whereas in 2020 this has risen to 47%, by far the largest increase of CEOs in any country included in the survey. However, for these opportunities to turn into long term success stories the principles of climate change need to be embedded right across a businesses supply chain and customer experience. PwC conducted 1,581 interviews with CEOs in 83 countries between September and October 2019. Our sample is weighted by national GDP to ensure that CEOs views are fairly represented across all major regions. 7% of the interviews were conducted by telephone, 88% online, and 5% by post or face-to-face. All quantitative interviews were conducted on a confidential basis. 46% of companies had revenues of $1 billion or more; 35% of companies had revenues between $100 million and $1 billion; 15% of companies had revenues of up to $100 million; 55% of companies were privately owned. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest all industry news and trends. Subscribe 2022 Hospitality Trends As usual, fake news media ignored a Democrat irresponsibly throwing a racial-hate-generating grenade into a crowd of blacks. On MLK day 2020, Joe Biden referred to Trump as this president and his Ku Klux Klan... This is extremely evil when you understand that Biden knows his accusation is absurd and easily proven false. Biden thought he was simply throwing the dumb black congregation a vote-winning racist dog biscuit. As a black and grateful proud American, it turns my stomach the way Democrats repeatedly pander to us, pretending race relations in America have not progressed beyond the 1950s. Irresponsibly, Hollywood, public education and fake news media join Democrats in selling black America their absurd lie that America is a hellhole of racism, overrun with white supremacists and KKK members. It is all a huge scheme to keep blacks believing they are victims, voting for Democrats to keep rabid racist white America at bay. This Democrat lie is insidiously evil and destructive when you consider that America is the greatest land of opportunity on the planet for all who choose to pursue their dreams. Not only are Democrats not concerned about strained race relations, they thrive on it. They seek to create as much racial division and hate as possible. On the anniversary of the shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, Democrat presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren despicably ran to the microphones to proclaim that black Michael Brown was murdered by a racist white cop. This is a bald-faced lie, proven untrue by evidence presented to a grand jury. Throwing her racist dog biscuit to blacks was Warren's evil cold and calculated campaign trick to win black votes. Folks, this evil Democrat lie that Brown was shot in cold blood by a racist cop has caused many of our brave men in blue to be ambushed and assassinated across America in revenge. Warren has zero compassion for the fatherless children and widows created by the Democrats' Brown-was-murdered lie. This serial-lying wicked woman must never come anywhere near the seat of international power. Because I am an outspoken black Christian, conservative and Republican, white Democrats have freely called me a stupid n***** all over social media for decades; even threatening my life. It is not a stretch to believe they use the same vitriolic language at their high-dollar-fundraiser cocktail parties. We got those n*****s right where we want them. Blacks are only 13% of the population, which means white America obviously elected Obama two times. And yet, we successfully convinced stupid blacks to believe a majority of white Americans would never vote for a black man to be leader of the free world. I have been confronted by brain-dead black Democrat loyalists who call me an Uncle Tom for rejecting the absurd Democrat narrative that somehow Obama was elected under the radar of white America. How long will Democrats get away with playing us blacks for a bunch of useful idiots every election cycle, throwing us racist dog biscuits to keep us lapping around at their feet for more as they pet us on our heads for good luck? A caller on the Rush Limbaugh radio show said conservatism is really about love. I could not agree more. I became a conservative decades ago because I embraced Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs dream that people should be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. I connected with Ronald Reagan's call for all Americans to be the best they can be. I rejected Democrats' message of victimhoodism, class envy, and racial hate. Democrats are more determined than ever to punish the hard work of Peter to gift the fruits of his labor to lazy trifling Paul. Insanely, they even want to give Peter's hard-earned money to illegal aliens. Rather than relentlessly instilling hate and victim mindsets, Conservatism encourages and celebrates all Americans becoming their best. Democrats have been deceiving blacks for 50 years, throwing them racism dog biscuits. Due to their faithful monolithic voting for Democrats, blacks are suffering big-time in Democrat controlled cities; epidemic school dropouts, high incarcerations, high fatherless households, generational poverty and record-breaking black on black homicides. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is on the campaign trail claiming the most black-empowering president in U.S. history is the leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Not only does Trump have a long history of hiring, empowering, advocating, and promoting blacks, his presidency has black unemployment at its lowest in U.S. history. How many stupid blacks will stay on the Democrats' plantation, believing Biden's outrageous lie that Trump is a n*****-hating white supremacist? My fellow black Americans, please stop scarfing up Democrats' racist dog biscuits. Trump is offering blacks real hope and change. C'mon, black brother and sister Americans. It's time to get aboard the Trump Train. Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American Help Lloyd spread the Truth http://LloydMarcus.com The BJP on Wednesday cited statements of several opposition leaders to accuse them of "abusing" Hindus for their appeasement politics and referred to the Congress as "Muslim League Congress". Seeking apologies from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said leaders of these parties have used the ongoing protests against the amended citizenship law to "abuse" Hindus. Chavan has said in a public meeting that the Congress decided to join hands with the Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra as Muslims wanted the party to stop the BJP, Patra stated, claiming that it shows the opposition party has nothing to do with people belonging to other religions, including Hindus. Patra also referred to a statement from an NCP leader to attack the opposition. Asked about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's reported jibe at the RSS for its "non-participation" in the freedom movement, the BJP leader shot back, asking if parents of Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian origin, had fought in India's independence struggle. The Indian National Congress, he said referring to the opposition party's full name, should be called "Muslim League Congress". President Donald Trump has said that the US is watching the developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir "very closely" and repeated his offer to "help" resolve the longstanding dispute between the two neighbours as he met Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum here in the Swiss ski resort. AFP Addressing the media with the Pakistan Prime Minister prior to their private meeting on Tuesday, President Trump asserted that trade and borders were both critical points for discussion, while Khan said that for him, Afghanistan was the top priority. Trump told Khan, whom he referred to as "my friend", that he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the ongoing Kashmir issue. The US president is expected to visit India in the coming weeks, marking his first visit after taking up his post in the White House. "What's going on between Pakistan and India if we can help, we certainly will be willing to. We have been watching it very closely and it's an honour to be here with my friend," Trump said. Twitter "The Pakistan-India conflict is a very big issue for us in Pakistan and we expect the US to always play its part in deescalating the tensions, because no other country can," Khan said. President Trump has repeatedly offered to mediate following India's August 5 decision to revoke the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan which has been trying to internationalise the issue. New Delhi has defended its move, saying Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the issue was strictly internal to the country, and the special status provisions only gave rise to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. "The country took the decision of abrogation of Article 370, which had only given separatism and terrorism to that state," Prime Minister Modi said in October. Although President Trump has offered to mediate on the Kashmir issue in the past, New Delhi has told Washington that it is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and there is no scope for any third-party mediation. On the sidelines of the G7 summit in the French town of Biarritz in August last year, Prime Minister Modi, while interacting with the media alongside President Trump, categorically rejected any scope for third party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying the two countries can discuss and resolve all issues bilaterally and "we don't want to trouble any third country". BCCL This was the third meeting between Trump and Khan since Pakistan premier assumed office in 2018, and it came against the backdrop of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's recent trip to the US, amid reports that the US and Afghan Taliban were close to striking a peace deal. "There are issues we want to talk about. The main issue is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan. Fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with Taliban and the government," Khan said. When a reporter asked Trump if he would visit Pakistan considering he was already set to visit India, the US president said he was meeting the Pakistan premier in Davos. "Well, we're visiting right now. So we don't really have to. I wanted to say that from a relationship standpoint, we got a great relationship. From the standpoint our two countries, we're getting along very well. I would say we've never been closer with Pakistan the way we're right now. And this is a big statement," Trump said . Khan left for Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and meet the world leaders, including President Trump, on Tuesday. The four-day summit which kicked off on Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the forum. A total of 53 heads of State are on the guest list. Nearly 3,000 participants from 118 countries are expected to attend the event during which political leaders, business executives, heads of international organisations and civil society representatives are set to deliberate on contemporary economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues. Seven senators were spotted wearing Apple watches during the first day of Trump's impeachment trial Tuesday, despite strict rules banning electronics from the floor. Republicans Mike Lee, John Thune, Jerry Moran, James Lankford, John Cornyn and Tim Scott were spotted with the devices on their wrists, along with an aide to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Democratic senator Patty Murray was also spotted with the device, in violation of guidelines stating all electronics should be left outside in a cloakroom. Tim Scott, the Republican senator from South Carolina, was pictured wearing an Apple watch into the first day of Trump's impeachment trial - and later seen wearing it inside the chamber Republicans John Cornyn of Texas (left) and John Thune of South Dakota (right) were also spotted wearing Apple watches, despite strict rules banning them from the trial While earlier versions of the watches are stripped off all but their basic functions unless a phone is nearby, newer models have full network connectivity. That would allow senators wearing them to call, text, or browse the internet from the floor - potentially compromising the trial. The presence of the watches was first reported by Roll Call, which found no evidence that any of the senators were using them improperly. But amid a deeply partisan and increasingly bitter hearing, the presence of banned watches could prove yet another point of tension between warring senators. As the first day of the Senate trial got underway Tuesday, Republicans abruptly abandoned plans to cram opening arguments into two days. Patty Murray, a Democrat, was also seen wearing one of the watches. Under rules set for the trial, all tech must be left in a cloakroom outside the chamber However, they solidly rejected Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump's 'trifecta' of offenses. The daylong session started Tuesday with the setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the president's legal team, but it ended near 2 a.m. Wednesday with Republicans easily approving the rest of the trial rules largely on their terms. 'We have a great case,' Trump said as he began his second day at a global economic forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said he thought his legal time was doing a 'very good job.' The trial is now on a fast-track with almost no signs of Republican resistance to the actions that led to his impeachment. 'It's about time we bring this power trip in for a landing,' said White House counsel Pat Cipollone, the president's lead lawyer, lashing out at the House Democrats prosecuting the case. Trump's defense team led by Pat Cipollone (left) and Democrat prosecutors including Jerry Nadler (right) clashed during the first day of hearings on Tuesday Proceedings dragged on past midnight as Democrats tried to pressure Republicans into allowing subpoenas for evidence and witnesses, but were unsuccessful 'It's a farce,' he said about the impeachment proceeding, 'and it should end.' Over and over, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department, Defense Department and budget office. By the same 53-47 party-line, they turned away witnesses with front-row seats to Trump's actions including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and John Bolton, the former national security adviser critical of the Ukraine policy. Only on one amendment, to allow more time to file motions, did a single Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, join Democrats. But it, too, was rejected, 52-48. 'It's not our job to make it easy for you,' Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told the Senate. 'Our job is to make it hard to deprive the American people of a fair trial.' No president has ever been removed from office. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds vote needed for conviction. Russian senators approve appointment of Igor Krasnov as Prosecutor General RIA Novosti, Ilya Pitalev 12:30 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) Members of the Federation Council on Wednesday anonymously confirmed appointment of Igor Krasnov to the post of the Russian Prosecutor General, the press service of the parliaments upper house reports. On Tuesday, the Federation Councils Committees for Constitutional Legislation and State Building, and Defense and Security recommended that the senators affirm the candidacy. President Vladimir Putin offered him as a candidate for the post of Prosecutor General on January 20. The former deputy chief of the Russian Investigative Committee Krasnov has investigated such high-profile cases as attempted murder of Chairman of the Executive Board of Rusnano Anatoly Chubais, killing of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, murder of politician Boris Nemtsov and others. Senior BJP Member of Parliament from Gujarat C R Patil on Wednesday said his Instagram account has been hacked and sought police action in the matter. The Lok Sabha MP from Navsari claimed an unknown person is chatting with others using his '@crpaatil' handle on Instagram, a popular photo and video-sharing social networking service. The BJP leader gave an application to Surat Police Commissioner R B Brahmbhatt demanding action in the matter. "We have just received Patil's application claiming his Instagram account has been hacked. Our cyber crime team is probing the case," said Brahmbhatt. Interestingly, Patil can still access his account as he posted the same application on the site on Wednesday evening, warning people about the "illegal chatting" being done using his handle. "Someone hacked into my account and started doing chatting with others. Except chatting, no other harmful activity has been done by the unknown person yet. "It seems he has found my password. Thus, I have asked the police to take appropriate action," said Patil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MassLive is pleased to announce that reporter Steph Solis will be taking over coverage of the Massachusetts State House for the news organization. Solis joined MassLive in March 2019 and has covered immigration issues for MassLive as well as in-depth coverage of the states gaming industry. Solis reported for Masslive last year on sick foreign-born children living in Massachusetts with deferred action who were threatened with deportation if they didnt leave the country in 33 days. Her reporting has frequently involved reporting on public policy issues as well as reporting from the Massachusetts State House. In June, months before a vaping crisis caused the governor to temporarily ban the sale of vaping products, Solis reported on the popularity of vaping among student-athletes. The athletes were suffering from pulmonary and neurological effects of using e-cigarettes, including asthma and lung conditions, concerning parents and school officials. Solis will continue to cover immigration issues but will focus on coverage of the state legislature and governors office on Beacon Hill. Stephs ability to translate complicated policy issues into stories that readers can easily understand is a gift and is one of the reasons shell be terrific in this new role, said Ed Kubosiak Jr., Vice President of Content for MassLive. But it is her sensitivity to how policy impacts peoples daily lives and her willingness to ask the difficult questions that sets her reporting apart. Solis came to MassLive after working as a reporter Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and a digital editor with USA Today. In addition to covering breaking news, Solis covered immigration for the Press, including immigration legislation, ICE and sanctuary cities. Solis will fill the role left by former Republican newspaper reporter Shira Schoenberg who left this month to take a job with CommonWealth Magazine. The Republican is a media partner with MassLive. The two companies are both owned by Advance Local, based at 1 World Trade Center, New York City, New York with news websites and newspapers around the country. Solis is a graduate of Boston University where she received a bachelor of science in journalism with a minor in American studies. The popular program that provides discounts for trips between GO Transit and the TTC will expire at the end of March, after the Ontario PC government declined to continue funding it and the two transit agencies failed to reach an agreement to make up the shortfall. The province has contributed $18.4 million a year to pay for the program, which was launched by the previous Liberal government in January 2018 and offers riders transferring between GO or the Union Pearson Express and the TTC $1.50 off their trip if they use a Presto fare card. Premier Doug Fords government signalled last year it would end funding for the initiative. But on Tuesday TTC CEO Rick Leary asserted in his latest monthly report that Metrolinx, the provincial agency that operates GO, was in discussions with the province to secure funding to extend the discount double fare beyond its March 31, 2020 expiry date. Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroneys office declined to answer questions about whether the province would continue to fund the discount Tuesday, referring the Star to Metrolinx. Tuesday evening Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins confirmed that the program will end as scheduled on March 31, 2020. She said that the program had exceeded its allotted budget each fiscal year, by $2.6 million in 2018-2019 and by $6.7 million in 2019-2020, for a total of $9.3 million. Metrolinx made up the shortfall in both years. Aikins noted that Metrolinx has introduced other fare discounts in recent years, including letting children ride free and lowering the cost of shorter trips. Metrolinx and the Ministry of Transportation will continue to work collaboratively with all of its municipal partners, towards more accessible and affordable transit across the region, she said. Ontario NDP transit critic Jessica Bell blamed the Ford government for not extending funding for the program, calling the decision very disappointing. This government is going to be making transit more expensive, and its a step backwards, said Bell (University-Rosedale). We dont want to double whammy riders with very long commutes of two hours or more, and then high fares. We want to encourage these commuters to leave their cars at home and take public transit. When the Ontario Liberals announced the initiative more than two years ago, they pitched it as an important step towards integrating the fare systems of the two biggest transit agencies operating in the GTA. Shortly before the program launched, Metrolinx estimated that roughly 50,000 people transferred between GO or the UP Express and the TTC every weekday. Since 2018, millions of transit users have taken advantage of the lower fares. In a July 5, 2019 letter to the TTC, Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster said there were 1.6 million transfers between GO and the TTC in March 2019 alone, and the discount collectively saved riders more than $2 million that month. In the letter, Verster sang the discounts praises, saying it offered attractive and convenient connections for customers and had clearly benefited Toronto residents. Removing barriers between our services is beneficial to customers and contributes to ridership and revenue growth, Verster wrote. In his letter Verster said the provincial funding wouldnt be extended past March 31, 2020 and proposed a new arrangement, under which the TTC and Metrolinx would put up matching funds to continue the discount. The two agencies never reached such an agreement. In an email Tuesday, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green signalled little immediate appetite on his agencys part to fund the discount. He said the GO-TTC program was part of a broader and ongoing conversation about fare integration and would need to be considered in that context. Green said the discount caused a slight increase in TTC ridership, and the agency expects to lose $1.1 million in foregone fare revenue this year as a result of its cancellation. Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: LK: I didnt; I think you know a disqualifying answer when you hear one. MG: None. I tried to walk in with an open mind. NF: A lack of seriousness and depth. A reliance on platitude, slogans and pandering. Which candidate of those who have dropped out would you have liked to interview? AK: I would have liked to interview Tulsi Gabbard and Michael Bloomberg. Both declined. I dont really consider Ms. Gabbard a Democrat, in the same way that Bernie Sanders isnt really a Democrat. But she is only one of two people (including Mr. Sanders) who is a viable option for truly antiwar voters. Im not one, but I find it discouraging that Senator Sanders and Representative Gabbard are the only true antiwar options. MC: Kamala Harris. We came so close! BA: Im glad we were able to interview Cory Booker before he dropped out. His grasp of the nations problems and opportunities resonated with me, as I hope that some of his plans notably his proposal for baby bonds are picked up by other candidates. The person I most wish we had interviewed is still in the race: Michael Bloomberg, who declined to come speak with us. LK: I was bummed that we didnt get to talk to Kamala Harris or Julian Castro. They were both interesting candidates with creative ideas about how to protect reproductive rights. And I think they would have been fun to talk to. MG: Kamala Harris dropped out of the race moments before she was scheduled to meet with us. It was disappointing because I would have liked to ask her about what she was hearing from voters on the campaign trail, and her theory about why her candidacy didnt gain the traction it needed. NF: Julian Castro obviously didnt have a chance, but I would have liked to have gotten a better sense of who he is. He is going to be a player. Mr. Bloombergs refusal to meet with us in his own city did not speak well of him. What about this endorsement process do you think is most valuable to readers and voters who are already paying close attention to the race? AK: Anything thats on the record is a service to voters, in my view. MC: Ninety minutes of extended questioning is bound to knock the candidates off their talking points and stump speeches at least a couple of times. Though it was harder with some than others. Health professionals will check passengers as they arrive in Sydney from the Chinese city at the centre of the deadly outbreak of coronavirus. A number of Australians have been tested for the virus which has led to 17 deaths from about 524 cases in China. Cases have also been confirmed in Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Biosecurity measures have been ramped up for flights arriving into Australia from China and Wuhan in particular. The three flights Sydney receives from Wuhan each week will be closely monitored, starting on Thursday, when biosecurity staff at Sydney Airport will assess any arrivals who feel unwell. The Chinese city of Wuhan was placed under quarantine on Thursday in an effort to stop the spread of the killer coronavirus believed to have originated there. No one will be allowed to enter or leave Wuhan, a city of 11 million in China's Hubei province, as one of the country's busiest travel seasons surrounding the Lunar New Year kicks off. The Chinese city of Wuhan was placed under quarantine on Thursday in an effort to stop the spread of the killer coronavirus believed to have originated there A patient is transferred by an ambulance to the Infectious Disease Centre of Princess Margaret Hospital on January 22, in Hong Kong, China A flight from the Chinese city of Xian via Wuhan is due to arrive at 11.35am on Thursday. The crack team will include four NSW Health doctors and nurses experienced in public health and infection control alongside virology experts from Westmead Hospital and elsewhere. The team will wear masks and gloves when examining anyone with symptoms, NSW Health protection executive director Jeremy McAnulty said. 'If it looks like they may have an infection ... we can arrange for testing and management of that person right away,' Dr McAnulty said. Plane passengers in China are being screened after an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus Taiwan's Center for Disease Control (CDC) personnel use thermal scanners to screen passengers arriving on a flight from China's Wuhan province Experts at Westmead Hospital can rapidly diagnose patients although if someone is very unwell they could be taken to a hospital closer to the airport. Dr McAnulty said identifying potential carriers at the airport was 'not foolproof by any means' because people who've been exposed to the virus may not display symptoms for days. The virus is thought to have spread into humans from a Wuhan seafood market 'which illegally traded wild animals' before travelers carried it to at least five other countries - Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the United States. The virus, an as-yet unnamed variant of the coronavirus, was first detected in Wuhan, China last month but has now breached China's borders World Health Organisation (WHO) officials met Wednesday to decide whether to declare the outbreak a 'public health emergency of international concern', but members' opinions were 'split' and the committee will reconvene Thursday. Experts say its possible up to 10,000 people in China alone have been exposed to the virus, called 2019-nCoV, which is from the same family that caused previous outbreaks of SARS and MERS, killing hundreds of people in dozens of countries. China's National Health Commission said the virus had been mutating, making it more difficult to control. China's Wuhan, which is the epicentre of the coronavirus, will temporarily shut down airport and train stations for outgoing passengers as authorities attempt to control the spread of the virus. Residents have been urged not to leave the city, however, as it is the Lunar New Year holiday many will be planning trips. 'If its not necessary we suggest that people dont come to Wuhan,' Wuhans mayor Zhou Xianwang said. Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said it's possible the virus would reach Australia, but insisted the nation was equipped to respond. Chinese residents wear masks while waiting at a bus station near the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which has been linked to the outbreak that started in December 'We do have a lot of traffic from China and I think its quite likely we will get some cases here but Im very confident that were well prepared to respond if we do,' he told the Herald Sun. Australia's foreign affairs department said anyone travelling to Wuhan should 'exercise a high degree of caution' while in the city. Health Minister Greg Hunt said authorities had powers to take those who may be suffering from symptoms directly to hospital. 'But we expect that any passengers that do have issues will self-report because it's in their own interests,' Mr Hunt said. Queensland Health on Wednesday confirmed a man who had been isolated after returning from visiting family in Wuhan did not have the virus. WASHINGTON - Several Senate Democrats are privately discussing the possibility of calling Republicans' bluff on witnesses, weighing an unusual trade in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial: the testimony of Hunter Biden for the testimony of a key administration official. Publicly, most Democrats have scoffed at the growing GOP clamor to hear former vice president Joe Biden's son testify, dismissing him as irrelevant to the charges against Trump and accusing Republicans of trying to distract from the allegations against the president. But behind closed doors, a small group of Democratic senators and aides have begun to question that logic, sounding out their colleagues on whether they should back a witness deal that could lead to testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton or other administration officials with possible firsthand knowledge of the Ukraine controversy, according to multiple Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussions. These Democrats said they believe having Hunter - or possibly Joe Biden - testify could backfire on Trump and the GOP, giving Biden and the party a platform to strike back and paint Republicans and the White House as obsessed with trying to damage one of Trump's 2020 presidential rivals. "If you want to give Joe Biden an opportunity to sit in the well of the Senate and answer the question, 'Do you think the president acted appropriately?' go right ahead," said Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., a Biden supporter who is close with the family. Coons has not discussed the matter with Biden or Democratic leaders but said his longtime friend could hold his own. "I can't imagine a person more comfortable in the well of the Senate than a man who spent 36 years here as a United States senator," he said. Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said that Hunter Biden is immaterial to the impeachment charges, but left the door open to the possibility of having him testify. "If there are four Republicans who open the conversation about witnesses, then I assume there will be a negotiation that follows - but I can't tell you where it goes," he said. The discussions about the Bidens are being closely held, and the issue is fraught for Democrats, due to the differing levels of support for Biden in a chamber stocked with presidential candidates and the clashing views on impeachment strategy. In private conversations in recent days, there has been much loathing of the Republicans' spotlight on the Bidens among Senate Democrats, but also a fear that unless a witness deal is eventually struck, the trial could proceed without witnesses, according to party officials and Senate aides. That predicament has led to discussions about whether, down the line, Hunter Biden or Joe Biden should be considered as part of a witness proposal. But there is hesitancy to raise the issue publicly until Senate Democratic leaders signal interest, the officials and aides said. "Whether I'd make a trade or not, I'd have to think about it, but the question is then: well how does that get us more information about the charges that have been put forth?," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who added that he believed Hunter Biden was irrelevant to Trump's impeachment charges. The House impeachment charges center on the allegation that Trump withheld military aid and a White House meeting to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens as well as a discredited theory that Ukraine worked with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 election. Hunter Biden served on the board of Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, when his father served as vice president. Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani have promoted an unfounded allegation that Biden tried to stop a corruption investigation in Ukraine to protect his son, who is no longer on Burisma's board. Inside Biden's 2020 operation, there is little interest in publicly engaging with what Biden's advisers and friends dismiss as "a stupid Republican talking point," said a person familiar with the campaign's stance on the issue, who like others involved with the former vice president spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue. These people also described Biden as sensitive to how is family is covered in the news media and used by political opponents. "Biden and his people don't want to give it credibility so there is a stalemate right now, in terms of doing anything new," one Biden associate said regarding with the former vice president or his son would testify. A Biden campaign aide sharply criticized Republicans on Tuesday for their emphasis on Hunter Biden amid Trump's impeachment, calling it a "sad and obvious attempt at diversion." "Joe Biden was on the exact same page as Republicans and the rest of the Western world when helped oust a corrupt Ukrainian official in 2016," the Biden campaign aide said. "What's more, Hunter Biden's role with Burisma was announced in the spring of 2014 and was well covered. The GOP didn't say a word about any of this until now, half a decade later." The topic appears to also annoy some Senate Democrats who are of wary of publicly discussing an issue they contend is political gamesmanship by Republicans and should not be a part of Trump's trial. On Tuesday, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, scolded a reporter who inquired about the matter - even though he said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that he was "fine" with Hunter Biden testifying if it would lead to Trump officials appearing before the Senate. "It's a typical Donald Trump-Mitch McConnell distraction that the national media continues to play with and continues to assist them," he said. "I rarely criticize the media but I just, I continue to hear this 'Hunter Biden' stuff like this has anything to do with it. And it all helps [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell just to muddy the waters." Brown's comments underscore how Democrats are grappling with whether to horse-trade with Republicans on witnesses. If they make a deal and acquiesce to GOP demands on the Bidens, they'd be throwing one of their top 2020 candidates into the messy impeachment battle. But if they refuse to engage - and are unable to convince enough Republicans to join them in demanding witnesses - the may never uncover what Trump said to his top aides about Ukraine. For now, Senate Democrats are being advised by their leadership to reject the idea of a trade-off out of hand, keeping the focus instead on the GOP's refusal to subpoena key administration officials who may have firsthand knowledge about Trump's actions toward Ukraine. "The whole discussion is silly because Hunter Biden is not a witness to this matter. . . . Why not call him as a witness in the OJ trial?" said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, initially floated the idea of a Hunter Biden-for-Bolton trade off during a private GOP meeting last week. Since then, Hunter Biden's potential testimony has emerged as a potential flash point as it becomes clear that Republicans are determined to either avoid witnesses altogether or seek to trade one witness for another. Most Democrats see the proposal by Cruz - which has been echoed by other supporters of the president - as an obvious gambit to prod Democrats toward a deal that would swing the spotlight away from Trump. "Hunter Biden is not accused of withholding $391 million of congressional authorized defense spending for one of our allies whose under attack by Russia," said Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., Biden's home state colleague in the Senate for many years. "Donald Trump is. We need to keep that in mind." Democrats interested in a possible deal said they would want an assurance from the president that he would not assert executive privilege over Bolton or whichever witness they choose. Most acknowledge that an agreement seems unlikely, even as they insist it isn't off the table. One Democrat argued it could be risky for the Biden campaign, but said it could also give them a chance to steal the microphone from Trump. Additionally, some Democrats privately say Hunter, with his well chronicled struggle with addiction, could come across as a sympathetic figure under GOP attacks. One idea that has been informally floated, according to two people close to the Biden campaign, is to instead offer testimony from Joe Biden in exchange for testimony from President Trump. That would allow Democrats to put the spotlight on Trump's conduct while getting a chance to engage the president directly. Others have suggested that Biden could appear instead of his son, detailing his work fighting corruption in Ukraine and lambasting Republicans for attacking his family beset by tragedy. Biden allies worry that allowing him or Hunter to get involved in impeachment would only distract from the former vice president's effort to win the nomination. But Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, a Biden supporter, said the former vice president won't let that happen, predicting that he "is going stay focused on the issues facing Youngstown, Ohio and places like it." "Joe isn't going to let the Republicans' M.O. - trying to get Hunter to testify or whatever it is - distract him," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Paul Kane contributed to this report. The key witness against President Trumps former confidant and political mentor Roger Stone has written a highly unusual letter to a federal judge asking her not to sentence Stone to prison. The witness, Randy Credico, a left-wing activist, comedian and radio talk show host, and a one-time friend of Stone whose testimony was crucial to the governments case, told U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson that he had testimony that might have helped Stones defense, but he wasnt asked about it at the trial. In charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, Stone was convicted in November on seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering relating to his efforts to find out and report to the Trump campaign what documents WikiLeaks was planning to release during the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign. He is due to be sentenced by Berman on Feb. 20 and is theoretically facing more than 50 years in prison, although as a first-time convicted felon he is likely to get far less than that. Randy Credico, a New York radio host and associate of Roger Stone, outside federal court in Washington, D.C., September 2018. (Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The witness-tampering charge, which carries the most serious penalty, was based on threatening text messages Stone sent to Credico warning him not to be a rat or a stoolie. But Credico is asking Jackson not to incarcerate him at all, saying he never actually felt threatened by Stone. I am writing to respectfully yet fervently implore you not to send Roger Stone to prison when he is sentenced before your Honor, Credico wrote in a letter that was delivered to Judge Jackson on Wednesday and was also sent to Stones lawyers and federal prosecutors. A copy of the letter was also shared with Yahoo News. Roger Stone certainly rubs a lot of people the wrong way, particularly those on the receiving end of his wee hour low brow character attacks, Credico added. Stone enjoys playing adolescent mind games and pulling off juvenile stunts, gags and pranks. He shamelessly invents and promotes outlandish and invidious conspiracy tales. Story continues Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Trump, leaves court in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15 after being found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) But, Credico wrote, the bottom line is Mr. Stone, at his core, is an insecure person who craves and recklessly pursues attention. ... Prison is no remedy. Its one of the most unusual sentencing letters Ive ever been involved in crafting, said Martin Stolar, a veteran criminal defense lawyer who represents Credico and helped him write the letter. This is a rare occasion when a witness for the prosecution comes out and says, the guy I helped convict shouldnt go to prison. It also buoyed Stones lawyers efforts to keep their client, a 67-year-old self-styled dirty trickster, from going to jail. We are happy with Mr. Credicos correspondence to the judge, said Grant Smith, a member of Stones legal team. The letter speaks for itself. Credico spent two days on the witness stand last fall, disputing Stones testimony to Congress that he was Stones backchannel to Julian Assange, the source of confirmation that WikiLeaks was about to release documents that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton. WikiLeaks did, in fact, release such material emails stolen by Russian military intelligence hackers from the Gmail account of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta beginning on Oct. 7, 2016. But there is no evidence that either Stone or Credico had inside knowledge of WikiLeaks actual plans. Credico was also key to the most serious charge against Stone witness tampering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. (The five counts of lying to Congress on which Stone was also convicted each carry a maximum sentence of five years. Another count, obstruction of proceeding, has a maximum sentence of eight years.) The witness-tampering count was based on menacing messages Stone sent to Credico in April 2018 after the comedian publicly disputed Stones claim that he was his secret intermediary to Assange. You are a rat. A stoolie, he wrote in one email. Prepare to die [expletive], Stone wrote in another. Stone also appeared to threaten Credicos service dog, Bianca, saying he would take that dog away from you. New York radio host Randy Credico with his service dog, Bianca, after appearing before special counsel Robert Muellers grand jury in Washington, D.C., September 2018. (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Under cross-examination, Credico was asked by one of Stones lawyers, Robert Buschel, if he ever thought Stone was going to steal or harm Bianca the dog. Credico answered, No. He then added: Stone is a dog lover. I dont think he was going to steal my dog. I think he was pretty riled up at that time. While standing by his testimony on that and other matters, Credico wrote in his letter to Jackson that he was hoping Stones lawyer would follow up with a broader question, asking if he had ever felt threatened by Stone at all. The answer would have been the same, Credico wrote. I never in any way felt that Stone himself posed a direct physical threat to me or to my dog. I chalked up his bellicose tirades to Stone being Stone. All bark and no bite! It is unclear how legally significant Credicos point is about not having an opportunity to say he never actually felt threatened by Stone. Michael Zeldin, a veteran former Justice Department prosecutor, noted that the federal statute for witness tampering doesnt on its face carve out an exception if the witness doesnt feel intimidated. Whether Credico subjectively felt threatened is not legally relevant to whether or not Stone intended to intimidate him, he said. However, Zeldin added, Credicos letter is still noteworthy and could help Stones lawyers argue to Jackson next month that their client is not a Mob figure who was preparing to kill Credicos dog or break his kneecaps. Its not normal that your star witness writes to the judge saying, I didnt feel intimidated, he said. It also may not have been all that surprising. Despite his break with Stone over the WikiLeaks issue, Credico and Stone had bonded for years over their efforts to strike down New Yorks drug laws a rare case where Stones libertarian instincts led him to work with a self-styled radical. On the day Stone was convicted, Credico told Yahoo News he was in tears. I hate to see the guy go to jail because of me, Credico said in a phone interview minutes after the verdict. I feel horrible that this happened. This is not a day to rejoice. After those comments, Stones lawyers reached out to him to ask him to write to Jackson, Credico told Yahoo News this week. But he said he already had the letter in the works. In the letter to Judge Jackson, Credico noted that his father spent 10 years in prison and the mental scars of those years never left my fathers soul. Having fought for years to get nonviolent offenders released from jail, Credico said: I dont want to see my worst enemy go to prison. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Three new marijuana dispensaries may soon arrive in Muskegon County after the Muskegon Township board on Tuesday approved their applications. The board on Jan. 21 voted to approve licenses for both recreational and medical marijuana sales to Warren Elite, NoBo Michigan LLC, and Main Street Products, each of which is seeking to redevelop properties within the township for the purpose of selling cannabis products. Township Clerk Ann Oakes was the lone no vote on each of six motions. The three have received pre-approval, but still need to obtain permits from the state to operate, according to documents submitted with their applications. At a work session prior to the meeting, planning and zoning administrator Brian Werschem presented applications from the three companies seeking to develop businesses licensed to sell both recreational and medical marijuana. His staff reviewed each applications site plans and conducted background checks for each company. Based on this assessment, each proposal was recommended for approval prior to the vote. The township has now approved five marijuana dispensaries. Its ordinance allows for seven. Main Street Products previously received approval from the township for a medical and recreational dispensary in a new building to be built on vacant land at the southeast corner of Laketon Avenue and Rouse Street, which previously housed Bernies Transmission. Oak Flint LLC previously was approved to open a dispensary at the former 750 Grill on Whitehall Road. Warren Elite, of Ann Arbor, applied for recreational and medical marijuana licenses for a property at 1965 Holton Road, formerly a car lot. Main Street Productss second dispensary will be at 3737 E. Apple Ave., formerly Holiday Pool & Patio. Mark Guzniczak, a Newaygo-based consultant for cannabis businesses, spoke on behalf of Warren Elite and Main Street Products. He told MLive that work on both projects would begin immediately following approval, and that construction is expected to take until June. Each project is expected to create 15 to 20 jobs, of which four to five will be full-time, managerial-level positions, he said. NoBo Michigan LLC, of Benton Harbor, applied for recreational and medical marijuana licenses for property at 1401 and 1403 Apple Ave, which is currently vacant. Bill Stohler, NoBo Michigans director, spoke on behalf of that project. According to the application, construction across the two parcels would take place in two phases. In the first phase, the company would build a mixed-use medical and recreational retail facility, developing the second parcel into a temporary green space. The second phase would develop that green space into additional retail, not necessarily related to marijuana. Stohler said that the project would create about 15 jobs, paid at a living wage, and that preconstruction would begin immediately following approval, with groundbreaking to occur as weather permits. He said they would engage in open bidding for contractors. Voters in the state of Michigan approved provisioning of medical marijuana in 2008, and recreational marijuana in 2018. Muskegon Township approved ordinances in early October allowing both medicinal and recreational marijuana to be sold and grown within its borders. Read more... Pot entrepreneurs line up for Muskegon Township recreational marijuana licenses 2 recreational pot shops approved in Muskegon Township Pot dispensary sues township after waiting in line 9 days for a marijuana license by Austin Bay January 22, 2020 On May 1, 2019, Russian police in Moscow and St. Petersburg arrested over a hundred demonstrators who had made it clear to all observers they were protesting one man: Russian President and former KGB Col. Vladimir Putin. On Jan. 15, 2020, Putin announced that he would send the Russian parliament legislation that would amend the constitution and alter the current senior leadership structure. Putin called the legislation a necessary "reform" that offers "more power to the people." Putin added that he intends to occupy another executive governing position after his presidential term ends in 2024 but is not certain what it will be. Few observers believe Putin is giving ordinary Russians power. More likely his murky modifications of the Russian cabinet, the role of the prime minister and the office of the president are camouflage for solidifying his grip on state power. Several observers argue that Putin is acting now when he has the power to force laws through parliament and secure pro-Putin results in any national vote, to include guaranteeing public approval of a constitutional referendum. But in 2019, Vladimir had a tough year, one when public protests targeted him. In June, small demonstrations denouncing corruption and government mismanagement occurred around the country. Russians confront a declining standard of living. In July, the federal government's blatant efforts to rig Moscow's September city council election angered Muscovites and sparked major protests in the city. The rallies began attracting 50,000 people. By the end of July, the police were arresting demonstrators en masse. In August, Moscow's rallies continued, and protests broke out in St. Petersburg. By the end of September, every Russian province had had at least one major protest, the common grievances being corruption by senior officials and systemic mismanagement. Who heads the federal government? Vlad does. In 2014, Putin recovered the Crimean Peninsula and annexed it to Russia. His popularity soared. But Crimea started a war with Ukraine that has become a quagmire. His Syrian adventure hasn't brought prosperity to Russian workers. Since 2014, prices in Russia have risen over 10% a year. Putin has run Russia for over two decades, either as president or prime minister. When his 2008 presidential term ended, he slipped into the prime minister's job. Presidents at that time could not serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. So he ruled as prime minister (2008-2012) while his protege, Dmitry Medvedev, played puppet president. Legislation expanded presidential terms to six years. In 2012, Putin replaced Medvedev as president. In 2018, he was reelected. Six more years! Count the years. Putin has bossed the Kremlin longer than any Russian leader since Josef Stalin. Stalin became the Soviet Union dictator in 1924 and ran the oppressive gulag communist police state until he died in 1953. Which segues back to May Day's small but audacious anti-Putin protests. In the USSR's heyday, May Day -- with the nom de guerre International Workers Day -- was one of the communist state's biggest holidays. Soviet-era May Day speeches extolled communism's inevitable global victory. In Moscow, infantry, tanks and tracked vehicles carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles would parade through Red Square, passing in review before gray-faced Politburo septuagenarians. The pageantry supposedly displayed solidarity with "the international revolutionary proletariat" -- Marxist jargon for angry workers rebelling against exploitation by oppressive elites. The USSR collapsed in 1991 with the root causes of public disgust with corruption, poverty and secret-police oppression. A minor dispute rages over the translation of Putin's subsequent lamentation. Did he say the USSR's demise was "a major geopolitical disaster of the century" or that it was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century"? Whatever -- the Soviet collapse still appalls the former KGB colonel. According to persistent rumors, Putin has thin skin and riles when mocked. Staging anti-Putin protests on May Day must add an ironic edge. Corruption and mismanagement Putin has overseen and personally benefited from via graft is spurring angry Russians to rebel against exploitation by his oppressive regime. So he is securing a permanent personal grip on power in order to suppress all challenges. Fair bet he intends to die in power, just like Josef Stalin. Tutoring, anti-bullying prevention, family nights and even free laundry are among the wide-ranging services being offered at the states first-federally-funded, full service community high school in Paterson. State, local and federal officials gathered Tuesday at the John F. Kennedy Educational Complex, which enrolls grades 9-12, to outline efforts being made to support students and their families in New Jerseys third-largest city, where nearly a quarter of residents are below the poverty line. Paterson Schools Superintendent Eileen Shafer said the goal is for students to have everything they need so that they can be successful. That means, from getting their clothes laundered here, to a hygiene closet, to getting their academics met, to getting fed breakfast, lunch and dinner, right here in the school, and to provide not only these services to children but also to their families, including tutoring, homework help, medical screenings and mental health counseling, Shafer said. While more than 15 months have passed since the high school and Public School 2 received the 5-year, $2.5 million grant, officials said they waited until Tuesday to showcase the new offerings because it took a while for them all, including the more recently-added laundry, to be launched. The U.S. Department defines full service community schools as those that provide "comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, students family members, and community members that will result in improved educational outcomes for children. " At the John F. Kennedy Educational Complex in Paterson #NJ, @BillPascrell speaks of achieving greater things in remarks praising the states first federally-funded, full service community high school pic.twitter.com/YDXKBfuNRY Rob Jennings (@RobJenningsNJ) January 21, 2020 U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-8th, whose district includes the John F. Kennedy Educational Complex, was among those speaking at a 12 p.m. ceremony by the front entrance. We have highly-qualified and well-trained teachers. Thats important. Thats significant, Pascrell said. Federal funding for full-service community schools is going to help Paterson schools provide key academic, social and health services that will help our young students achieve their educational goals and their dreams, Pascrell said. Pascrell also issued a challenge. Remember, theres no excuses any longer. We will bring our scores up, but theyre not the end-all. We want people to graduate from this high school that have character, that are willing to come to the assistance of their neighbor. Thats what this is about, Pascrell said. Mayor Andre Sayegh also touted the federal support for the high school. I believe that every student that walks though those doors is scoring a major victory," the mayor said. Its a big win for our school district, for our students, he said. Sayegh, like Pascrell, spoke of encouraging service in the community. He alluded to Kennedy, the buildings namesake, whose assassination in 1963 not long before the high school opened resulted in it being named for him. We can paraphrase it and ask our students not what Paterson can do for them, but what they can do for Paterson," Sayegh said. A bust of President Kennedy is in the foreground as officials, including Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, await a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the high school named for the late president in Paterson, Jan. 21, 2020Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Pyongyang 'no longer bound by commitments' as US missed deadline Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2020 3:58 PM North Korea says it will no longer be bound by any commitments toward denuclearization and may seek a "new path," as the US has ignored a year-end deadline to engage in meaningful diplomacy. "We found no reason to be unilaterally bound any longer by the commitment that the other party fails to honor," Ju Yong-chol, a North Korean diplomat in the Swiss city of Geneva, said during an address to the United Nations (UN)-sponsored Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday. Ju said the US had imposed "the most brutal and inhuman sanctions" against Pyongyang. "If the US persists in such hostile policy toward the DPRK, there will never be the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. If the United States tries to enforce unilateral demands and persists in imposing sanctions, North Korea may be compelled to seek a new path," he said. Ju referred to his country's unilateral steps over the past two years, including halting its nuclear and missile testing, "in order to build confidence with the United States" and said Washington had instead responded by threatening North Korea "militarily by conducting dozens of large- and small-scale joint military exercises (with South Korea), which the US president himself promised to discontinue." The warning came after months of repeated calls by Pyongyang on the US to ease the sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in order for diplomacy to make sense. Earlier, and at the end of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, Pyongyang had made broad commitments toward denuclearization. Specific details were being worked out in lower-level talks, which failed as Washington refused to offer any sanctions relief. Pyongyang had taken the unilateral steps as signs of goodwill in the course of diplomacy with the US since 2018. It had put a halt on its nuclear tests since 2017. In the face of Washington's intransigence, Kim set the year-end deadline for the US to adopt reciprocal measures or forgo talks. North Korea had also warned in December last year of taking an unspecified "new path" if Washington failed to meet its expectations with a new approach to demilitarization talks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Its been just over one week since Microsoft officially ended services for its Windows 7 operating system, meaning the company is no longer providing updates like critical security patches. This does not mean that someone must stop using Windows 7 on their computer, it just means that they do so at their own risk. In certain cases, however, Microsoft will continue to provide security updates to Windows 7 users at a price.That is why the government of Germany will be shelling out U.S. $887,000 to Microsoft this year. According to Engadget , there are still about 33,000 computers in the countrys federal ministry that have not been upgraded to Windows 10. For $50 per machine, Microsoft will continue its security updates to those computers for one year. After that, the price will go up each year, so hopefully the country will be able to get all the computers upgraded by that time. It's been a luxurious time this first half of January for more drivers as sales of the three main German premium brands have had major increases over last year. It might be the draw of the new 201 plate, a desire to splash the cash or deciding to buy a big diesel while they are still relatively acceptable. Whatever, Mercedes-Benz sales were up nearly 70pc in the first 15 days of the year, BMW's were up 43pc and Audi's increased by 21pc. This added up to 1,731 cars for these three brands sold compared with 1,108 during the same time last year, accounting for nearly 10.5pc of the overall market compared with less than 7pc in 2019. In addition to those three marques, there were also big increases for Lexus, while Porsche delivered 26 cars in the first two weeks compared with just one last year. Of course, sales of the big three German brands were still way under those of the leading car marque in the early days of the year. Expand Close Hyundai Kona / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hyundai Kona This was Toyota whose 2,289 sales were 700 up on last year, mainly because of the new Corolla hybrid which sold 887 units against only 55 last year. The Corolla eventually became the country's most sold car last year. In the first two weeks of 2020, Hyundai's Tucson and Kona were the second and third placed cars, with respectively 787 and 596 sales. Hyundai's much-anticipated new i10 is just arriving in the showrooms and should be another huge success as it has consistently been the top city car in the country. Ireland is the first European country to launch the new i10. At the moment, the Korean marque lies second in the overall sales table. Not surprisingly, one of the biggest changes in the market has been the growth of hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, both of which went up nearly 90pc in the first two weeks of the year, going up respectively from 1,185 to 2,258 and 152 to 287. While sales of fully electric vehicles were only marginally up at 381, this could be because of a chaotic system, which, according to one of the leading EV suppliers, has led to many customers unable to get their cars as they are waiting for grants to be processed. The trend for SUV/crossovers shows no signs of abating this year, with 12 of the top cars being this style, with that dozen taking a combined 30.5pc of the market in the first two weeks. ******* The success of the Toyota Corolla, last year and early this year, reinforces the view of Steve Tormey, CEO of Toyota Ireland, that hybrid is the best option for most Irish drivers looking for an electrified drive. Toyota made the decision to invest in hybrid technology more than 20 years ago as a key principle of its contribution towards sustainable development. Here the company was ahead of governments and consumers in foreseeing the decline in the conventional diesel and petrol cars in its move towards less polluting, more environmentally friendly options. In Ireland, Toyota claims that its hybrids sold in 2019 will result in the reduction of 60,000 tonnes of CO2 from the environment over the course of their lifetime. Tormey says that Toyota has advanced its hybrid technology so much over the past 20 years that the latest-generation hybrids drive in zero emissions mode 62pc of the time on average during daily commuting conditions. "We are proud to say that Toyota is already delivering the lowest CO2 output of any car brand in Ireland. In fact, our average CO2 output across our range in Ireland was 17pc lower than the top 10 best-selling car brands," he added. Meanwhile, Kia plans to transition to an EV-based business system ahead of competitors, leveraging its production capabilities in manufacturing internal combustion engine vehicles. By prioritising future customer value, the company also plans to develop and release innovative EV models, offering a differentiated product appeal, such as an EV-specialised design, user experience and quality. Starting with the launch of its maiden dedicated EV model in 2021, Kia will establish a full EV line-up of 11 models by 2025, adding new EV models to its line-up along the way, including passenger vehicles, SUVs and MPVs from 2022. ******* The Green Party was pretty honest last week when it launched its campaign for the forthcoming General Election. Farmers and motorists might not have been too pleased by what was said, but the party acknowledged that there will be hard and unpopular choices that will have to be made in Ireland to tackle the climate emergency and hit environmental targets. "It won't be easy because we're changing everything," party leader Eamon Ryan said. He added that the "entire transport system, the entire food system, the entire energy system for the better, it'll take a decade at least to even start properly so this election is about the decade ahead, not just the next four or five years". Eamon believes that the "Irish people are ready to do it, what's happened in the last year has changed everything". However, he did say that the millions spent on motorways - including the 200m Castlebar to Westport road, which he dubbed the "Michael Ring Road" - would be better spent on improved public transport systems. That is all very well except rural communities deserve safer and better roads because the sparse population in some areas means they will be waiting a long time to get a worthwhile public transport system. It is fine that Belmullet was named a great tourist destination but if people can't get there without having to travel on a poor road, they won't be going at all. I want to see a big Green vote as their influence is needed in government or else the climate change agenda will not be pushed through. However, they are also guilty of mistakes. The massive change in the emissions-based road tax system in 2008 was a disaster and led to many people buying diesels who shouldn't have gone anywhere near one. SUVs and luxury saloons were soon paying the same road tax as a small city car. The whole idea of killer NOx emissions fell under the radar. That it was almost a Europe-wide policy was no excuse. We should expect more of our politicians than blind group-think. Timber industry wants to harvest burnt timber from road clearing operations Credit:Getty Images Victorian and NSW logging operators face a race against time to salvage millions of tonnes of timber from the states charred fire grounds before the wood becomes unusable. The Age revealed this month that up 40 per cent of the native woodland set aside for harvesting in East Gippsland had been burned, but the industry now believes that most of those trees can be salvaged. Despite the unprecedented damage done to the timber industry by the fires, timber mills are expected to have access to more wood than they can handle in the coming months as the salvage process ramps up. But the respite will be temporary, according to the sectors peak body, with the damage done to the plantation and native forests in both NSW and Victoria expected to seriously hit timber supplies in the medium and long term. - Increase in the geriatric population across the world, rise in the prevalence of renal disorders, and surge in healthcare expenditure propel the growth of the global nephrology devices market. PORTLAND, Oregon, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Nephrology Devices Market by Device Type (Dialysis Instrument, Lithotripter, Dialysis Catheters, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026". According to the report, the global nephrology devices industry was pegged at $12.51 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $16.42 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 4.0% from 2019 to 2026. Chief reasons for market fluctuations Rise in the geriatric population across the world , surge in prevalence of renal disorders, and increase in healthcare expenditure drive the growth of the global nephrology devices market. However, high prices of nephrology devices restrain the market growth to certain extent. On the other hand, high growth potential in developing economies creates new opportunities in the market. Request Sample Report at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6286 The dialysis instrument segment to rule the roost through 2026 Based on device type, the dialysis instrument segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global nephrology devices market. In addition, the segment is expected to portray the fastest CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. This is due to rise in demand for these machines in developing countries such as India, as there is an increase in the number of patients who require hemodialysis. The report also analysis other segments including lithotripter and dialysis catheters. North America held the largest share in 2019 The global nephrology devices market across North America dominated in 2019, contributing to nearly one-third of the market, and is estimated to lead the trail throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the easy availability of nephrology devices, and surge in the geriatric population. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 8.6% during the study period. This is due to surge in awareness related to the use of nephrology devices and increase inhealthcare expenditure. The report also examines other regions including Europe and LAMEA. Major market players Fresenius Medical Care Baxter International Nikkiso Co. Ltd Asahi Kasei Corporation Nipro Corporation Cantel Medical Corporation B. Braun Melsungen AG C.R.Bard Dornier Medtech DaVita For Purchase Enquiry at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/6286 Major market players Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals ACIC Fine Chems Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. Amerigen Pharms Ltd Akorn Pfizer (GenMed) Mylan Zydus Cadila Sanofi Takeda Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Get more information:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Similar Reports: Biopsy Devices Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices Market: Global Opportunity Analysis & Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Digital Therapeutics Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2026 LFIA Based Rapid Test Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2026 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. 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WASHINGTON - Two miles from President Donald Trumps impeachment trial in the Capitol, Michael Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg are looking to draw a distinction between the improbable and the practical. The two Democratic White House contenders, former mayors whose chief political experience was gained through leading cities, will both speak this week at the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, a bipartisan gathering where infrastructure and municipal finance are likely to be hotter topics than the trial of a president almost certain to end with an acquittal. Buttigieg, a Harvard educated former management consultant, has pointed to voter dissatisfaction with Washington as a reason to elect someone like himself, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a city of about 100,000. Bloomberg, meanwhile, presents himself as a doer and a problem-solver who served three terms as mayor of New York, the largest city in the U.S. with over 8 million residents. The occasion offers the two an opportunity to contrast their pragmatic, no-excuses mayoral experience with that of their campaign rivals, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet, who serve in a partisan and gridlocked Senate that has passed little substantive legislation in recent years and is all but guaranteed to acquit the president they are seeking to replace. Mayors have to get up every day and do something, said Annise Parker, a former mayor of Houston who is supporting Buttigieg. Its a contrast to whats going on in the Capitol. Yet while both Bloomberg, who spoke Wednesday afternoon, and Buttigieg, who is slated to address the conference Thursday morning, are looking to capitalize on their municipal experience before a familiar crowd, their experiences are decidedly different. Buttigieg has emerged as an eloquent voice as a married, gay veteran who presided over the rebirth of a Rust Belt city mired by decline. What he lacks in resume length he has sought to make up by presenting himself as a pragmatic Midwesterner and reasoned voice of generational change. Bloomberg, meanwhile, has promoted himself as a business success who turned to public service with an estimated worth of $60 billion from the financial data and media company that bears his name. He steered New York City through the aftermath of the 9-11 terror attacks, championed politically unpopular charter schools and made taxes on cigarettes and soda a centerpiece of his health care agenda. Bloomberg was a Republican during his early years as mayor and an independent in his later years. Since leaving office, he registered as a Democrat and has poured hundreds of millions of his own wealth into political causes including gun control, climate change and defeating Republican officeholders. Thats earned him goodwill among many party leaders. And he has sought to turn that into a network of support, offering millions in grants to city leaders through his philanthropic foundation while establishing a training program at Harvard. Bloomberg isnt somebody youre going to want to have a beer with, but hes made a huge investment in upping the skill set for mayors across America, Parker said. But Pete is the up-and-coming best and brightest. Hes a colleague, the guy who sat next to you in class and helped you study. Bloomberg used his remarks Wednesday to roll out an $850 billion 10-year spending plan to rebuild roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The subject has been a Washington punchline under Trump, whose administration has vowed multiple times to hold an infrastructure week, only to be blown off course by the White Houses often shifting priorities. Bloomberg acknowledged that many in the room were from different political backgrounds and may not agree on some issues. But he argued many are eager for an influx of support for infrastructure projects and frustrated by a lack of action from Trumps administration. Donald Trump has made promise after promise on infrastructure. What has he delivered? Nothing, Bloomberg told the ballroom of mayors. There seems to be only one construction project he cares about. And its a border wall thats a political gimmick and a costly one. Hes wasted billions of taxpayer dollars that should have gone to fix our roads and bridges and our airports and our water lines, he continued. Meanwhile, we are falling further and further behind the other countries on infrastructure, particularly China. While mayors, particularly those who lead smaller cities, may not seem like coveted presidential endorsements, they are more closely connected to voters than most politicians and are responsible for functions of government that often have a more direct impact on voters lives. That could turn into an advantage in closely divided primaries where local support and voter turnout may be the difference between winning and losing. When you survey our citizens on what level of government they trust, it always comes down to the local level, said Greg Fischer, the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. Its because were accountable. We have to get results. Bloombergs campaign released 11 new mayoral endorsements on Wednesday. Buttigieg has a similar list of at least 60 endorsements, which they call Mayors for Pete. Supporters of both say the two are poised to give voice to mayors who are frustrated by dysfunction and inaction in Washington that has stymied progress at the local level. I just wish there was a desire to get things done more than being partisan and scoring points, said Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler, who is supporting Buttigieg. Talk about what needs to happen to improve the quality of life, rather than engage in these esoteric back-and-forth battles. ___ Associated Press writer Kathleen Ronayne contributed from Sacramento, Calif. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Canadian actor Dwayne Johnson kick-started the shooting for Netflix film, 'Red Notice' along with Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot on Tuesday (local time). The 47-year-old 'Fast and Furious' actor hopped on to Instagram as he shared the picture of the clap and wrote, "(Day) 1 of shooting our RED NOTICE has officially begun for @Netflix.Me and my friends @vancityreynolds and @gal_gadot are on the move. In the world of international crime, an Interpol issued RED NOTICE is a global alert to hunt down and capture the world's most wanted. The world's greatest art thief. The world's greatest tracker.The world's greatest conman.#REDNOTICE#Netflix." Dwayne Johnson is re-teaming with 'Skyscraper' director Rawson Marshall Thurber for the Netflix film. 'Red Notice' is expected to release in 2021. Dwayne Johnson, is also set to essay the role of DC's supervillain, in his upcoming flick 'Black Adam' which will hit the theatres in 2021. Gal Gadot is also looking forward to the much-anticipated release of 2020 'Wonder Woman 1983'. Ryan Reynolds, who was last seen in Netflix's '6 Underground' will next be seen in 'Free Guy'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Londonderry native Peter Casey will run for election against Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in his Dublin West constituency. The former presidential candidate is also running for election in Donegal, where he currently lives, and says he will not be canvassing for votes in Dublin. Mr Casey came to prominence after finishing second behind Michael D Higgins in the presidential election in 2018, securing 342,727 (23.3%) votes. Read More Speaking to media after submitting his nomination papers on Wednesday, the businessman denied the move was a stunt. Its not a stunt obviously I am passionate about getting elected in Donegal, thats where my business is, thats where my home is, and I want to represent the people of Donegal, he said. Asked why he is also running in Dublin West, Mr Casey said: I am going to give people 10 reasons why they should not vote for Leo Varadkar. Top three he had to ask a barrister the difference between right and wrong in regards to the Maria Bailey scandal (former Fine Gael TD who was involved in a claim against a hotel); he was the minister for health when the National Childrens Hospital went off the rails with the budget; the biggest housing crisis in the history of the state. I think hell go down as the worst Taoiseach in history. Peter Casey, running in Donegal and the Taoiseachs constituency in Dublin, is returning the favour because Varadkar allegedly disparaged him in the Presidential race. Says he will go down in history as the worst Taoiseach ever. Top 3 reasons: Maria Bailey, homelessness and NCH pic.twitter.com/lM3mhC10oJ aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) January 22, 2020 Mr Casey said he was returning the compliment by running in Dublin West as he claims Mr Varadkar discouraged people from voting for him in the presidential race. In the presidential election, Leo Varadkar almost breached the constitution by telling people not to vote for me, and Im just returning the compliment, he said. I want to give people in Dublin West the opportunity to register their disgust with the way he has behaved. Hes not fit to be Taoiseach and shouldnt be Taoiseach. Anyone but Leo. Mr Casey contested the Midlands-North-West constituency in the 2019 European Parliament election finishing in fifth place with 9.5% of the vote, losing out on a seat to Sinn Fein's Matt Carthy. The 62-year-old was born in Derry and studied at St Columb's College before moving to Birmingham for University. He later lived in Australia and America before returning to Donegal in 2016. He has appeared as an investor on Ireland's version of Dragons' Den. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said he has told US President Donald Trump that a war with Iran would have disastrous consequences. Asked whether Trump agreed with him, Khan said the US President did not say anything but he probably understood what he meant. "Afghanistan is yet to be resolved and Iran would be much bigger (if war starts)," Khan said. Khan met Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit here on Tuesday. Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in the wake of the killing of powerful Iranian commander General Qasem Soleimani by America on January 3. "If there is conflict between Iran and the Western world it will be a disaster - it will cause poverty in the world - and who knows how long it may go on. In my opinion it would be insanity," Khan said. "I spoke to President Trump yesterday and I told him it would be a disaster," Khan said. The Pakistan Prime Minister also said he does not understand why countries try to resolve their differences through military conflicts. "The moment you start a military conflict, you don't know where it will finish. It has unintended consequences," he said. After meeting Khan, Trump on Tuesday had said the US is watching the developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir "very closely" and repeated his offer to "help" resolve the longstanding dispute between the two neighbours. Trump told Khan, whom he referred to as "my friend", that he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the ongoing Kashmir issue. Trump is expected to visit India in the coming weeks, marking his first visit after assuming office. "What's going on between Pakistan and India if we can help, we certainly will be willing to. We have been watching it very closely and it's an honour to be here with my friend," Trump had said. "The Pakistan-India conflict is a very big issue for us in Pakistan and we expect the US to always play its part in deescalating the tensions, because no other country can," Khan had said. Trump has repeatedly offered to mediate following India's August 5 decision to revoke the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan which has been trying to internationalise the issue. However, New Delhi has told Washington that it is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and there is no scope for any third-party mediation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The EU offered a pointedly warm welcome Wednesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is seeking to broaden international support for elections to be held in his country to vote President Nicolas Maduro out of power. Guaido is recognised as Venezuela's interim president by the US and around 50 other countries, though not by the European Commission, which describes him instead as the "legitimate" speaker of Venezuela's opposition-run parliament. Still, the convivial handshake extended by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and meetings with other top officials from the Commission and the European Parliament underlined the bloc's broad support for Guaido. Guaido's message, relayed in an interview with BBC radio, was that he was seeking "support to achieve the free and fair elections, support to fight against dictatorship" in Venezuela. The Brussels stop was part of an international campaign Guaido is waging to shore up backing in his bid to succeed Maduro. He defied a travel ban issued by Maduro's administration to go to Colombia and Britain before Belgium, and was to continue on to Switzerland to take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos and then to Spain at the end of the week. In Bogota, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed President Donald Trump's full-throated diplomatic support for Guaido. That was echoed in Britain, which is among the majority of EU countries that have joined the US in recognising Guaido's claim made early last year as Venezuela's temporary leader. While there was no unanimous EU position on recognising Guaido as such, a European source said "the meeting (between him and Borrell) is a message in itself." - Raid on Caracas offices - Meanwhile, as Guaido was out of the country, hooded Venezuelan intelligence agents raided his Caracas offices, an action that underlined the crucial support Maduro continues to enjoy from his country's security services. The EU, which is concerned by the unprecedented outflow of Venezuelans fleeing economic hardship, has seen its efforts to help solve the crisis in the South American country go nowhere. The European Union has already imposed sanctions on Venezuela, including an arms embargo and the targeting of 25 of Maduro's officials for "human rights violations and undermining of democracy and the rule of law". It has resisted US pressure to ramp up the sanctions. Guaido's status as Venezuelan president for many key countries but not the entire international community has contributed to a political deadlock that has dragged on. "If Guaido wants to break the impasse he needs to count on other allies beyond the traditional support given by the United States and the Lima Group" made up of a dozen Latin American nations and Canada, said Carlos Malamud, an analyst at the Madrid-based Elcano Institute for International and Strategic Studies. C anadian taxpayers should not foot the bill for the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs security, one of the countrys MPs has said. Harry and Meghan are on Vancouver Island as they prepare to forge a new life for themselves and their baby son Archie after stepping back as senior royals. The cost familys security when they officially leave the monarchy in spring has been at the forefront of debate since they announced the move. Laurel Collins, who is the MP for Victoria, where Harry and Meghan are staying, said she hopes they plan to cover their own costs. Prince Harry is pictured at Victoria International airport / SplashNews.com She added: "When it comes to the money our government spends and taxpayer money it's important that we put this into context and think about our priorities. Ms Collins added she wanted to focus on young families in the area, who "might be struggling with the housing crisis or struggling with affordability". It comes after a former Home Office minister warned the British public could face an "enormous bill" following the Sussexes bombshell announcement. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor / Getty Images There has also been speculation that a "cost-sharing" deal between the UK and Canada could be agreed. Security for the royal family as a whole costs the taxpayer in excess of an estimated 100 million a year, but the actual figure is never disclosed. Harry and Meghan will earn their own money when they step back fully from royal life. They had initially hoped for a dual role, supporting the Queen, the Commonwealth and Harry's military associations. However, the idea was deemed unworkable. The Prince of Wales will offer some private financial support to Harry and Meghan but it is not known if this will come from his 21 million a year Duchy of Cornwall income or other private funds. The residence of Prince Harry and and his wife Meghan seen from a boat on in British Columbia / AFP via Getty Images There appeared to be a subdued response to the new arrivals, with one local business owner saying the people of Vancouver Island are a lot more laid back than their British counterparts. Vancouver Island, an area known for its outstanding natural beauty, is off Canada's west coast and is part of the province of British Columbia. On Tuesday the Sussexes issued a legal warning to the media after various outlets published paparazzi shots of Meghan walking her dogs with Archie. The images of the duchess emerged on Monday morning and showed her walking her two pets with her son in a baby sling in a park in Vancouver. But the pictures were reportedly taken by photographers hiding in bushes with long-lens cameras. Economic sentiment here rose significantly in the final quarter of last year as the risk of a cliff-edge Brexit faded, according to a survey. Alongside the stronger outlook for Ireland, the survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants showed global sentiment had recovered modestly. "The Irish economy is buoyant against a global economy facing a sharp slowdown in global trade," said Michael Taylor, chief economist at the ACCA. A survey of more than 80 senior accountants, who advise 10,000 small businesses here, found that confidence had picked up from the record lows seen in the autumn study. However, Brexit is set to raise its head again this year as trade talks will commence after the UK formally leaves the European Union at the end of January. Both London and Brussels are digging in and telling each other they will not compromise, raising the risk of another cliff-edge scenario come the end of this year. "The year ahead will be crucial, notably as the UK and the EU negotiate a post-Brexit trade agreement - Ireland being the most exposed EU economy to the UK," said Mr Taylor. A recent estimate by Copenhagen Economics said there would be an 18bn hit to the economy here if there was no deal on trade between the UK and EU. "It would be very positive if a free trade agreement was reached in what is a tight time scale," Mr Taylor said. UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said talks will end on December 31, deal or no deal on trade. If there were to be an extension to the talks, it would need to be agreed by July. The European Commission will formally get its negotiating instructions from parliament by the start of March. The gloom of the third quarter of 2019 has lifted and financial markets are pricing in a stronger economy, thanks mostly to the strength of the US, and interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. However, the survey showed that there was little prospect of a robust recovery. "Global growth in 2020 is likely to be around 3pc, a similar rate to last year, which was the weakest in 10 years," said Mr Taylor. "As always, there are downside risks, the main one being a re-escalation of US-China trade tensions, resulting in another wave of tariff increases. More positively, monetary easing last year will support growth and consumer spending this year." Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressed her desire to make a movie on Chandragupta Maurya, the shepherd- turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has not done enough justice to our history. The National Award winner was in Patna to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session. Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar. The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here, she said. Kangana Ranaut during a programme in Patna on Jan 21, 2020. (IANS) Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai -- the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in Manikarnika, when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history. A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Also read: Kangana Ranaut reacts to Saif Ali Khans no concept of India before British comment The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood insiders like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teachers stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school. When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic Thalaivi, based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The actor said her forthcoming release Panga is a family drama. Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on Litti Chokha, a local delicacy. She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan. Follow @htshowbiz for more Residents, business owners and officials have launched a day of protest on the Greek islands hardest hit by migration, demanding that the government ease severe overcrowding at refugee camps. Most stores were closed and public services halted on Wednesday on the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos, where some camps have more than 10 times the number of people they were built for. Public protests are planned on all three islands, and their regional governors and mayors plan to travel to Athens on Thursday to present their demands to the government. Nearly 75,000 people crossed illegally to European Union member Greece from Turkey last year, according to the UN refugee agency, an increase of nearly 50% from the previous year. Island authorities are urging the Greek government to step up migrant transfers to the mainland and are seeking further information on plans to build additional facilities that would be used to detain migrants listed for deportation. The US Senate rejected an amendment offered by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seeking documents from the State Department during the first day of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. It was turned back on the strict party line vote, 53-47. Prior to the vote, President Trump's attorney, Jay Seculow argued the president's communications with advisors are covered under executive privilege. "The Supreme Court found such a privilege necessary to guarantee the candor of presidential advisers," Seulow said. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff argued the documents are necessary to conduct a fair trial. "Are you prepared to say that that president can simply say, I'm going to fight all subpoenas," Schiff asked on the Senate floor. "Are you prepared to say and accept that president saying, I have absolute immunity?" The rare impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trump's actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House. Chief Justice John Roberts read the results of the vote gaveled open the session hours earlier, with House prosecutors on one side, Trump's team on the other. Trump's legal team doesn't dispute Trump's actions - that he called the Ukraine president and asked for a favour during a July 25 phone call. In fact, the lawyers included the rough transcript of Trump's conversation as part of its 110-page trial brief submitted ahead of the proceedings. Instead the lawyers for the president, led Cipollone and a TV-famous legal team including Alan Dershowitz, say the two charges against the president don't amount to impeachable offenses and Trump committed no crime. Citing surrender of a jobless engineering graduate in the Mangaluru airport bomb case as an example, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to focus on core issues of economic slowdown and unemployment, instead of "divisive policies" like the CAA and NRC. Accusing the BJP of trying to create rift between communities, the JD(S) leader said on Wedesday that the surrender of Adithya Rao also makes it clear that any particular community cannot be blamed for terror activities. "Monday's incident in which Adithya Rao has surrendered looks dramatic to me, because he has come all the way from Mangaluru to surrender at the DG office here (Bengaluru)...It is still a question before me," Kumaraswamy said. Speaking to reporters here, he said he wants to bring the incident to the notice of the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister as Rao is a mechanical engineering graduate and was said to be disturbed without proper job. "Who has led him to such a situation, it is us..we talk about illegal migrants, CAA, NRC, NPR, which should not be our priority." Instead, issues of economic slowdown and growing unemployment should be immediately looked into, Kumaraswamy said. "Modiji please look into real problems... instead of that (core issues) you are creating an atmosphere that will be favourable for violence or riots in the country. "From today's surrender of the suspect it is clear that only those from Muslim community were not turning into terrorists, as being projected, but a situation has come that those from Hindu community are also turning into terrorists," Kumaraswamy said. Attacking BJP leaders for allegedly blaming a particular community for terror incidents, he asked as to what will they earn by dividing society. Thirty-six-year-old Adithya Rao, who is suspected to have planted the explosive at the Mangaluru international airport, surrendered before the police on Wednesday. The JD(S) leader claimed if the suspect in the Mangaluru airpost case was from Muslim community, BJP leaders would have embarked on a large-scale campaign against the community, accusing them of being involved in terrorism. "They (BJP) are silent now, as the suspect is a non-Muslim," he said. Hitting out at a BJP leader's reaction to his statements flaying the government's functioning, Kumaraswamy said he does not expect any "certificate" from them. Noting that Karnataka was a peaceful state, he said recently after BJP gained strength in the state, there have been incidents of violence or riots here, and alleged that the saffron party's conduct was responsible for it. The former chief minister on Tuesday had described the entire exercise of detection and defusing of explosive materials at Mangaluru Airport on Monday as a "mock exercise" and "farce", which had elicited sharp reaction from the ruling BJP which called him "anti-national." Alleging that BJP was indulging in "communal and caste" politics, Kumaraswamy on Wednesday, while defending his comments, accused the saffron party of turning a commercial hub into a hub of terror and communal activities. "At a time when the chief minister is leading a delegation to attend the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos to attract investment into the state, what message are you sending to the investors?" he asked. "I still call it an incident of firecracker, why that man kept it (explosive) at the airport, government has to find out," he said, as he chided the bomb defusing exercise that was carried out amid full media coverage on Monday. Kumaraswamy also claimed a section of officials were being used by the current dispensation in the state to create rift between communities, using pressure tactics. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A judge has reversed his own ruling that a case where a 20-year-old Cork man is facing charges of underage sex and sex assault concerning a teenage girl can be heard in the district court. At Ennis District Court today, Judge Patrick Durcan said that the allegation is very serious and after giving the matter more thought he has now decided to decline jurisdiction and the case will now be heard in the circuit court. Judge Durcan stated that after making his ruling on November 27th last I have reconsidered the matter and I have decided to recoil from that ruling and I have decided not to accept jurisdiction in the case and I am acting totally within my own jurisdiction to make that ruling. The decision by Judge Durcan places the accused at risk of a tougher sentence in the circuit court if he is convicted. In the district court, the maximum prison term for sexual intercourse with a teenager aged under 15 is 12 months in jail in the district court. The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had directed that the case be heard in the district court on a plea of guilty only. Solicitor for the accused, Stiofan Fitzpatrick told the court last November that his client required time to consider his plea in the case and Judge Durcan then adjourned the case to February 26th next. Last November in court, Insp Michelle Moloney told Judge Durcan that while an initial complaint was made over the alleged offences in an isolated location outside a Co Clare town, the complainant was reticent that the case proceed against the accused. Insp Moloney stated that the DPP was prosecuting the case in the public interest. She stated that the girl has failed to make a written statement of complaint in the case but that her mother in anxious that the case be seen through. Giving an outline of the facts in the case, Insp Moloney stated that it is alleged that the male then aged 17 had sexual intercourse with the then 13 year old girl in an isolated location outside a Co Clare town. Insp Moloney said it is also alleged that digital penetration of the girl also occurred. Mr Fitzpatrick told the court that no one is saying that there was any coercion or that the girl was forced to have sex. Mr Fitzpatrick was responding to a query from Judge Durcan who asked was the sexual intercourse consensual except in being breach of the law. In the case, the 20 year old is charged with having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 15 on May 2nd 2017 at a location in Co Clare The male is also charged with sexual assault of the girl at the same location on the same date. Judge Durcan imposed reporting restrictions that the identity of the complainant and the accused not be made known and remanded the accused on continuing bail for the drawing up of a Book of Evidence. Every punishment, which does not arise from absolute necessity, says the great Montesquieu, is tyrannical. Cesare Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishments The trial of film producer Harvey Weinstein, on five charges of sexual assault involving two women, is currently underway in New York City. The jury of seven men and five women was seated last Friday. Opening arguments will be offered on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the New York Times continued its vengeful and prejudicial campaign against Weinstein. In Harvey Weinsteins Dark Days, the Times gloated over the former film producers misfortunes and celebrated his virtual destruction. Reporters look on as Harvey Weinstein, center, arrives to court after a break on the first day of jury selection of his sexual assault trial, in New York, January 7, 2020 [Credit: AP Photo/Seth Wenig] The article observed, Manhattan prosecutors say Mr. Weinstein is a serial sexual predator who should get the maximum penalty of life in prison. His numerous accusers have said that he deserves no public sympathy and that his current misfortunes are the inevitable result of his serial mistreatment of women over the years. Plenty of others would agree: Mr. Weinstein has become a global symbol of the #MeToo movement and the behavior endured by women. And further: In the wake of the allegations, Mr. Weinstein, the once formidable Hollywood producer, lost his marriage, his livelihood and a large part of his fortune. Now, according to those who have stuck with him, he is anxiouseven petrifiedabout losing his freedom, too. Hes utterly isolated, said Jeffrey Lichtman, a New York lawyer who recently befriended Mr. Weinstein. And hes terrified, especially of going to prison. His health, according to the Times, has deteriorated sharply. A friend indicated that Weinstein was not well and has diabetes and hypertension. In December, he underwent a bilateral laminectomy, a back surgery his representative said was needed to repair his spine after a traffic accident in August. Weinstein has not been convicted of any crime, although the current trial, presided over by a judge who has already made clear his intense hostility to the producer, is intended to rectify that situation. A great deal of pressure is being brought to bear on the proceedings and its participants. After investing immense resources in the #MeToo campaign over the past two years and more, the Times and those sections of the establishment aligned with the Democratic Party need a Weinstein conviction both to ratify what has already been donethe ruin of dozens of careers and the undermining of elementary democratic principles, including the presumption of innocence and the right to due processand to prepare further attacks. The Times is involved in this cynical business for political reasons. One of the newspapers aims is to whip up its primarily middle class readers into a frenzy about Weinstein to divert attention from the social crisis, the looting of the economy by the rich and the drive to war. The Democrats, picking up from where they left off in 2016, intend to turn the 2020 election into a campaign about gender and race. Everything must be done to keep the issue of social inequality out of the public discourse. There was a time in the US when the sort of bloodthirstiness we see directed against Weinstein would have provoked at least a significant handful of courageous editorialists and legal minds to respond. Now, there is almost nothing of that sort. The same social-cultural processes and atmosphere, the overall erosion of democratic sentiment in upper middle class and ruling circles that have made possible shock and awe, Abu Ghraib, black sites, enhanced interrogation, kill lists, thousands of illegal drone strikes and the assassination of Qassem Suleimani, all that occurring with scarcely a murmur of protest from the media and academia, have also permitted the public evisceration of Weinstein to proceed. In their treatment of the Hollywood producers case, the Times and other outlets are doing their best to create a lynch-mob mentality. They deliberately appeal to the most shallow, most rancorous and basest instincts. For example, Tuesdays Dark Days article is vindictive enough, but the vast majority of comments it has generated are even more remorseless. Out of more than 120 comments, only one or two indicate the slightest compassion or democratic sensibility. These are typical: He has reaped what he has sown and deserves no sympathy. Whatever suffering comes to him he has brought it on himself. He will spend his final days in prison and without friends. His so-called dark days are far better than he deserves and hopefully things will get a whole lot more unpleasant for him. Seeing Weinstein crippled over, hobbling along with his walker, does not elicit pity, but a deep-seated disgust. So, Weinstein feels isolated and terrified. Good. I assume his defense will be that he is a broken man and can no longer physically be a threat to women. Lock him up. A number of readers took the Times to task for even going through the motions of representing Weinsteins side of the story. He deserves no pity, writes one commentator, Im fuming. Another says, Do we really need to both sides the abuser who is poor Harvey Weinstein? A third: The text reads as a writer trying to portray balance to cover up his real feelings of empathy and compassion for this poor man. Its not what I expect from the New York Times. Its difficult to suppress ones revulsion in the face of such vengefulness, encouraged by the Times and the rest of what has become almost universally a gutter media in America. And the various attempts to justify the pitiless comments on the basis of populist claims that Weinstein deserves what he gets because of his wealth, his entitlement and his belonging to the one percent are phony through and through. The annihilation of Weinstein, the undermining of elementary legal principles and the triumph of witch-hunting will only, like all such attacks, operate against the working class and the poor in the end. In a comment published in Newsweek in December, How the Media Is Keeping Harvey Weinstein from Getting the Fair Trial He Deserves, Weinsteins lead attorney Donna Rotunno commented that she did not seek sympathy for her client. Nor do I expect it, she went on. I do expect, however, that he receives due process and a fair trial. The fact that this needs to be argued should raise concern for us all. There is nothing preventing you from being next. Long before you stand before a judge, the claims of a few can upend your life and destroy your reputation. Im not debating any details or refuting any claims in this column; I will do that in court. I simply ask that the foundation of laws and civil rights that this country was founded on not be crushed by the emotions of the public. Let the trial run its course, let the exculpatory emails be brought to light and let the facts be sorted out in a court of law. The truth will come out through evidence and testimony. The jury will render its verdict. Only then can society cast its judgment. Anyone who stops to think about it will realize there is a staggering contradiction in the treatment of Weinstein and the ability of genuine criminals to walk the streets of Washington and New York and sit in corporate boardrooms across America. But this is not the result of oversight, or a temporary misunderstanding. The Times and their accomplices declare war on Weinstein precisely to draw hysterical petty bourgeois public opinion away from the malignant social ills and vast atrocities. Where are the prosecutions of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, Gina Haspel and the rest, responsible for the deaths of millions in the Middle East and Central Asia, for systematic torture, abuse and misery, for the virtual obliteration of entire societies? The Times editors themselves have a vast quantity of blood on their hands for their role in preparing and facilitating the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. Who are they to lecture anyone? And when will executives from BP, General Motors, Boeing, Wells Fargo and the rest of the banks, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. or Shell Oil face their day of reckoning in court? Where is their karma? When will they get what they deserve? All of these major, dastardly criminals unpunished, but Harvey Weinstein! TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As automation creeps into our everyday lives, everything from grocery delivery to one-day shipping for online shopping, workers face a new decade of increased reliance on technologies designed to make businesses more efficient than ever before. While some jobs may become obsolete, this new trend will also create career opportunities in what we now refer to as the grey collar workforce. Express Employment Professionals released a white paper today that explores this area between blue and white collar. In its polling and public opinion research, Express, working with The Harris Poll, uses the term grey collar to describe work that combines some of the manual labour aspects of blue collar work but also has components of white collar work. Several of the included professions require skilled workers with specialized training beyond a high school diploma, such as engineers, paralegals, airline pilots, firefighters, non-physician healthcare professionals and more. Jessica Culo, an Express franchise owner from Edmonton, believes that the need for grey collar workers will only increase. I think we are going to continue to see an applicant short market, specifically for grey collar job candidates, she said. Typically, organizations not only need the specific skills for these roles, but also certain 'soft skills' that make them harder to fill. And the skills which are not as easily replaced by new technologies like machine learning and AI will come to the forefront in terms of importance. After previously surveying the traditional blue and white collar populations, it became apparent that technology is changing businesses in such a way that more research was needed on this emerging population of workers, said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. In fact, the top workplace trend for 2019, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, was fostering the relationship between robotics and artificial intelligence. From manufacturing to farming, administration to education, industries are incorporating advanced technologies into their processes. Future Demand More than 66% of the surveyed grey collar workers hold a bachelors degree or higher, and 79% of those said going to university or college was worth every penny. Shane DeCoste, an Express franchise owner from Nova Scotia, is seeing the impact technological change is having on jobs that used to be described as blue collar. Jobs that were once 100% manual are now incorporating elements of technology for efficiency and information tracking, he said. Job seekers have to be willing to learn to use company software programs, scanning guns, tablets and other electronic tools in roles where they never had to previously. On skill level, were seeing a higher expectation for entry level roles. Companies long known for blue collar work will find themselves more reliant on grey collar workers. Forty percent of grey collar workers expect substantial job growth in their fields over the coming years, according to the Express survey. The new white paper also explores more about grey collar workers, including: Who they are Where they work What they do Satisfaction with lives and jobs Direction of their lives Ability of their job to provide a good living Future optimism Archaic Labels Most white collar (83%) and grey collar workers (81%) view labels such as grey collar, white collar and blue collar as a good way to describe the work they do, but also see these labels as old-fashioned and not necessarily applicable anymore (grey collar, 62%; white collar, 56%). Jessica Culo is cautious about relying on terms grey, white and blue collar. I think there is a danger that these terms can create stereotypes and stigmas which may not be appreciated by everybody, she says. We just need to be careful when we use them. For instance, the term white collar is associated with professional and educated employment. Many teachers or engineers would consider that label appropriate for their line of work. So, while examining the views of grey collar workers and working the term into our workplace lexicon can help form a clearer picture of the modern and future workforce, they do not paint the full picture. In the modern workforce, businesses and employees must be willing to change and adapt to new technology, regardless of collar classification, said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. Instead of panicking about how artificial intelligence will eliminate positions, we need to embrace these emerging grey collar roles and the opportunities they create. If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Adria Minsky at (416) 620-7111 or email adria@mapleleafstrategies.com . About Bill Stoller William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 800 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Since its inception, Express has put more than 7.7 million people to work worldwide. Health authorities in Australia have confirmed a man in the state of Queensland who was screened for the Wuhan coronavirus does not have the deadly illness. The man was quarantined earlier this month when he fell ill after returning to Brisbane from visiting family in Wuhan, China, where the virus broke out in December. Queensland Health on Wednesday afternoon confirmed tests for the 2019-nCov virus were negative. Nevertheless, health screenings will be ramped up for passengers arriving into Sydney on direct flights from the epicentre of the outbreak, and at other Australian airports. Cases have also been confirmed in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Australias Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says its possible the virus will reach Australia, but insists the nation is equipped. Its quite possible we will get a case, but I think we are well prepared to respond, Professor Murphy told Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a briefing at the Department of Healths National Incident Room in Canberra. Prof. Murphy said Australia is ready to respond and isolate any travellers who are suspected of carrying the virus. Biosecurity measures have been ramped up for flights arriving into Australia from China and Wuhan in particular. The sprawling capital of central Chinas Hubei province is the epicentre of the coronavirus which is thought to have started in animals before spreading to humans. The three flights Sydney receives from Wuhan each week will be closely monitored, starting on Thursday when biosecurity staff at Sydney Airport will assess any arrivals who feel unwell. The crack team will include four NSW Health doctors and nurses experienced in public health and infection control alongside virology experts from Westmead Hospital and elsewhere. The team will wear masks and gloves when examining anyone with symptoms, NSW Health protection executive director Jeremy McAnulty told reporters in Sydney. If it looks like they may have an infection we can arrange for testing and management of that person right away, Dr. McAnulty said. Experts at Westmead Hospital can rapidly diagnose patients although if someone is very unwell they could be taken to a hospital closer to the airport. Dr. McAnulty says identifying potential carriers at the airport is not foolproof by any means because people whove been exposed to the virus may not display symptoms for days. Australias foreign affairs department says anyone travelling to Wuhan should exercise a high degree of caution while in the city. Health Minister Greg Hunt said authorities had powers to take those who may be suffering from symptoms directly to hospital. They do have the capacity because of the measures taken, to bring people directly to hospital if that were required, Hunt told Sky News on Wednesday. But we expect that any passengers that do have issues will self-report because its in their own interests. By Christine Flatley, Heather McNab, and Nicholas McElroy Zenlayer has officially joined the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program as a Cloud Interconnect Partner. If youre doing edge computing using Google Cloud in Mumbai and want to connect that data to a program running on AWS in Los Angeles, [Zenlayer] can make that happen in just a few minutes if youre already using Zenlayer Cloud Networking or SD-WAN. Zenlayer has officially joined the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program as a Cloud Interconnect Partner. Partner Interconnect is a service from Google Cloud that allows customers to connect to Google Cloud Platform globally. Direct connections to Google Cloud through Zenlayers global network are currently available in Mumbai, Hong Kong, and Sao Paulo, with more locations to follow in the near future. Zenlayer differentiates itself by being known primarily as a global edge cloud services provider with global reach. The choices of India and Brazil for two of these first connections is an extension of Zenlayers multi-year plan to bring edge cloud services to emerging markets. Zenlayer not only offers direct connections to Google Cloud, but we can give you those connections no matter where you are in the world, said Joe Zhu, Zenlayer CEO and Founder. Theres no negotiating with a different third party for each region you want to connect in. If youre not already in a Google Cloud data center, you can co-locate with us, choose a managed hosting solution, or use our private backbone to make the connection to another data center. Either way, youll be guaranteed minimal latency. Ryan Yang, Zenlayers Sr. Product Director, concurred, We can provision connections instantly, not just to Google Cloud, but data centers and other public and private clouds around the world. If youre doing edge computing using Google Cloud in Mumbai and want to connect that data to a program running on AWS in Los Angeles, we can make that happen in just a few minutes if youre already using Zenlayer Cloud Networking or SD-WAN. By connecting to Google Cloud through Zenlayer, companies can choose bandwidth speeds that meet their needs, from as low as 1 Mbps to as high as 100 Gbps. Furthermore, bandwidth can be adjusted at any time to meet demand. Zenlayer expects to soon expand the number of locations in which it directly connects to Google Cloud. Of the 36 cities in the world with Google Cloud direct connections currently available, 13 offer ultra-low latency (under 5 ms). Two of those cities are Mumbai and Hong Kong. Zenlayer will strongly consider other ultra-low latency locations, with a preference for those in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, China, Indonesia, and South Africa. For more information about Zenlayer Cloud Networking, visit: https://www.zenlayer.com/products/cloud-networking/ About Zenlayer Zenlayer (https://www.zenlayer.com) is an edge cloud services provider and is headquartered in Los Angeles and Shanghai with offices in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. Businesses utilize Zenlayers software-defined platform to instantly enable worldwide connectivity and deliver superior user experience. Zenlayer offers on-demand bare metal cloud, cloud networking, SD-WAN, and managed services in more than 150 data centers on six continents. Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says the decrepit state of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos will be investigated. ... Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says the decrepit state of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos will be investigated. Ehanire made this known via Twitter, on Wednesday. This will be looked into immediately, he tweeted. Soyombo went undercover as a patient of the neuropsychiatric hospital to reveal the rot in one of Nigerias mental institutions. He spent 10 days on admission in the hospital tracking corruption at the centre after going in as a drug addict requiring rehabilitation. He documented his experiences on the failed rehabilitation programme, on corrupt officials as well as the low quality of service delivery at the facility. Soyombo recorded the difficulties involved in securing a bed space and having to pay a bribe to get one. Quoting a medical doctor at the hospital, he was told that the centre does not have a well-developed rehabilitation centre as a patient may go for days without seeing a psychologist. There is a tendency, probably with good reason, to be cynical about the sight of a conga line of plutocrats lining up in a Swiss ski resort to espouse the virtues of "green finance" and proclaim their commitment to progressive environmental, social and governance agendas. The theme of the World Economic Forum at Davos that got underway on Tuesday is "stakeholder capitalism", with a particular focus on climate change and how big business is responding to it. Bank of America chief Brian Moynihan says his investors are telling the bank to invest in companies 'doing right by society'. Credit:Bloomberg While it is right to be cynical of the apparent abrupt conversion of former followers of Milton Friedman who in an article in The New York Times in 1970 argued "companies must obey the law but, beyond that, their job is to make money for shareholders" to what Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan has termed "moral capitalism", there is a compelling reason why that cynicism actually supports the substance of the conversion. If the starting point is that businesses and their senior executives act in their own self-interest and are in the business of making as much money, for themselves and their shareholders, as they can, then the embracing of sustainable investment agendas helps protect their licences to operate, maximise their companies profitability and value and enhances their own net worth. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 23:27:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least two civilians from the same family were killed as a roadside bomb struck a vehicle in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday, a local security official told Xinhua. "The two civilians were going to the public market to sell their vegetables ... when their vehicle ran over a mine planted by the Houthi rebels," the security source said on condition of anonymity. "One of the civilians died immediately at the bombing site while the other died at the hospital," he added. Last week, around six children were injured by the explosion of a bomb laid by the Houthi rebels in the southwestern province of Taiz, a medical source told Xinhua. Yemen has become one of the largest landmine battlefields in the world since the World War II, according to humanitarian organizations. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a large military campaign and seized the capital Sanaa in late 2014, forcing President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile in neighboring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition intervened militarily and began pounding the Houthi-controlled Sanaa in March 2015, in response to an official request from Hadi to protect Yemen against Iran's influence. The conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government recently completed its fifth year, amid growing suffering of the Yemenis and the world's worst humanitarian crisis. US calls for 'immediate' resumption of Libya oil production Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2020 6:02 PM The United States has called for the "immediate" resumption of Libya's vital oil exports, after rebel militia loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar shut off production at the North African country's major oil fields last week. "The suspension of National Oil Corporation (NOC) operations risks exacerbating the humanitarian emergency in #Libya and inflicting further needless suffering on the Libyan people," the US Embassy in Tripoli tweeted. "NOC operations should resume immediately," it said. Industry experts, however, say Washington opposes the suspension of Libyan crude exports because of the impact on the world oil market. Haftar's militia, at war with government forces, stopped the production at virtually all of the nation's oil fields on the eve of an international peace conference in the German capital, Berlin, on Sunday. Global oil prices jumped to above 65 dollars a barrel on Monday as the Libyan disruptions coincided with the shutdown of some oil outputs in Iraq, reigniting fears about the market's vulnerability to geopolitical risks in key supply regions. The NOC earlier confirmed that Libya's daily crude output of 1.3 million barrels a day would be virtually wiped out. "The storage capacity of these ports is limited and the NOC will be obliged to put a complete halt to crude production once maximum capacity has been reached," the oil company said on Monday. In recent years, oil-rich Libya has been divided between two rival camps: the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's militia. The rebels launched an offensive to capture the capital, Tripoli, in April last year, but, despite intense fighting, they have so far failed to achieve their objective and the offensive has stalled outside the capital. The Berlin conference was the latest of many diplomatic attempts aimed at pushing Libya on a path to peace. Libya has been the scene of increasing violence since 2011, when long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled after a NATO military intervention. His ouster created a huge power vacuum, leading to chaos and the emergence of numerous militant outfits, including the Takiri Daesh terrorist group. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Film and television actress Malinda Williams and her husband journalist and digital media executive, Tariq Walker, are featured on the latest cover of Black Bride magazine. During the interview, the couple discussed their mutual admiration for each other, and their new business venture designed to help others fall in love with traveling to new and exotic destinations. "We chose Malinda for the cover because she is beautiful, fearless, a trailblazer, and changemaker, said Mary Chatman, CEO/Editor-in-Chief of Black Bride Magazine. She knows what she wants, and she carves out her own path. She doesn't follow the traditional Hollywood path. She moves quietly, filled with intention and I love that about her. I just knew she had a love story that would inspire women and men about love and life." Williams and Walker warmly shared their journey to the alter with the magazines readers. They said a mutual friend introduced them thinking that they might do business together. However, a few meetings in, they agreed to explore a relationship that went beyond work. After getting to know each other and dating for several years, Walker popped the question. He described the proposal as a deeply spiritual moment that was also natural and without extra fanfare. I was inspired by the fact that Malinda came completely perfect for me, said Walker. I did not want for any alteration in who and how she is. I only wanted her to be in my life forever. The day I chose to propose marriage was a normal morning with an extraordinary feeling to it. I wanted it to be intimate, personal, and reflective of the life we would share together. So, I did it one day after breakfast. When asked what made her say yes, Williams stated, Knowing that I had truly met my refection in Tariq and knowing that I wanted to care for this man and have him care for me no matter what the future might hold. Having decided to share their lives together, the pair returned to the initial reason for their meeting and decided to go into business together. Travel had been an integral part of their relationship and they wanted to share the positive impact their excursions had on their lives. That desire became www.thisisleaving.com Well-traveled and down to earth, the intrepid duo guides their audience of casual and seasoned travelers through the planning of their next great adventure-- whether its a low key "staycation" on the outskirts of Los Angeles, or a five-star resort in the Tuscan countryside. About Malinda Williams: Twice nominated for an Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Malinda Williams made a name for herself by grabbing lead roles in films such as The Wood, High School High, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, and the hit television series Soul Food. Her most recent venture is Shes Got A Habit, which was co-founded with her husband Tariq Walker and launched in January 2020. SHESGOTAHABIT.NET is an online lifestyle hub and retail marketplace created to inspire women to connect and support each other while cultivating good habits and wellness. Williams and the Shes Got A Habit Marketplace will become an official partner for the Sistahs in Business Expo, a multi-city womens empowerment tour that kicks off in Spring 2020 in her home state of New Jersey. Social Media: @Malinsworld About Tariq Walker: Tariq M. Walker has seen the Internet grow from a curiosity to a necessity. With more than 20 years of experience in journalism, online content development, digital advertising, and marketing strategy, Walker has been on the leading edge of technology, content, and innovation for his entire career and often shares his digital expertise as a guest and speaker on broadcast media, trade conferences, and special events. Prior to Launching This Is Leaving, Walker held several roles at Aol including VP of Video and Operations for Aols Partner Studio and VP of Creative Development for BE On, Aols branded content division creating programming for the companys owned and operated properties. He began his career at Black Enterprise as a journalist and eventually transitioned to Director of Digital Media before moving on to Corporate America. Social Media: @TariqMW #Casuallyobsessedwithstyle About This is Leaving: This Is Leaving is a travel and lifestyle brand that celebrates a life well-lived through travel and discovery. Founders Malinda Williams and Tariq Walker inspire others to cultivate a healthy, happy, and good life by delivering high quality information, products and services to travelers around the world. For this intrepid duo, each destination changes their perspectives for the better; and sharing them with their followers through a variety of reviews, travel tips, video, and variety of rich content is a distinct part of the experience. Join Tariq and Malinda as they spread the gospel of travel and inspire readers, viewers and visitors to explore the world near and far. Please visit: http://www.thisisleaving.com Social Media: @ThisIsLeaving About Black Bride Magazine: Black Bride is the first on and offline multi-cultural global company serving all brides of color in the $200 billion-dollar international wedding and events industry. Serving brides of color since 1998, we cater to the quintessential bride and the growing multi-cultural wedding and events industry by connecting engaged couples to wedding and event professionals. Serving this niche market also allows us to showcase brides and grooms of color and their unique love stories and elevate event professionals in the very best light. This service is what we are most passionate and proud of. Our mission is to celebrate, inspire and uplift women of color and their journey to love, marriage and even motherhood. This platform was designed to showcase positive imagery and embody the love that we seek to share, as we invite our readers to partake in the most precious and intimate moments of a womans life, marriage and motherhood. We honor all women of color, while celebrating cultural diversity, beauty, style, grace, and regalness. Black Bride above all things is a celebration of love, and the many facets that love can be expressed. We are committed to serving as a resource to women of color as they embark on one of the most important days of their lives, and beyond. We are here for couples before and after the aisle. Please visit us at: https://www.blackbride.com/ For More Information Contact: Taroue Brooks 202-431-1119 taroue.brooks@yahoo.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8756f008-9260-4c81-abbf-264994b2447f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/851a51ee-385f-46fb-b599-343e55009364 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1aa0e7a7-cd14-4ec5-85f4-d97ab5bace2e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f23e06f-5c53-4ade-938e-116ba29f0f0f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3afebae-1771-4b8d-95c0-ce898d76fef4 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22 2020 Pulmonologist Agus Dwi Susanto recalls treating a patient who was complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath after smoking e-cigarettes for six months. The patient was diagnosed with pneumothorax, a collapse of the lung that occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest. The diagnosis was one of many that directed Agus attention to the surging popularity of e-cigarettes among Indonesians, with many assuming that it is less harmful than conventional cigarettes. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Odisha government on Tuesday wrote to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) expressing its willingness to procure an old Dakota DC3 (VT-AUI) aircraft and bring it to Bhubaneswar from Kolkata. Premanada Khuntia, Additional Secretary to Government of Odisha (Commerce and Transport) Department has written to the Chairman of Airport Authority of India, in this regard. "Government of Odisha is pleased to take over Dakota DC3 (VT-AUI) Aircraft belonging to the Erstwhile Kalinga Airlines, which was founded by Ex-Chief Minister of Odisha (late) Biju Patnaik," Khuntia said in his letter dated January 21. "It is has been decided to bring back the Dakota Aircraft from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar and to be displayed at Biju Patnaik International (PBI) Airport Bhubaneswar, as a befitting tribute to the legend," he added in his letter. Khuntia also requested to the AAI to assist the state government and accord the necessary permission in this regard. Presently, this aircraft is parked in an abandoned state at Netaji Subash Chandra Boss International Airport Kolkata. Biju Patnaik has used this Dakota Aircraft to rescue former Indonesian Vice-President and then Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir from Dutch Military back in 1947. This Aircraft was a part of the fleet of 18 Dakota Planes of Kalinga Airlines used in the Kashmir operation in 1947-48 for ferrying troops to Srinagar and carrying medical assistant and other supplies. (ANI) Amid political upheaval, world leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of Nazi Germany's death camps. There will be two competing ceremonies one in Jerusalem on Thursday and the other at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland on Monday. They come amid tensions between Russia and Poland over World War II on how to interpret the past. By Stefan J. Bos As winter sets in, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a congressional delegation to the Auschwitz memorial site in Poland. Her visit came ahead of the 75th anniversary of the day that Soviet troops liberated one of the worst death camps of World War Two. From 1940-45, some 1.1 million people died here. Most of them were Jews from across Europe. But there were also Poles, Roma and Russian prisoners of war, who died. Listen to Stefan Bos' report They and the Jewish people were shot to death, killed in gas chambers, or died of starvation or another mistreatment here at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Red Army liberated the camp on January 27, 1945. Its an event now observed annually as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In total, some 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust or Shoah. Bitter dispute Yet the commemorations risk being overshadowed by a bitter dispute between Poland where Nazi German occupiers operated Auschwitz and other infamous camps and Russia, the successor state to the Soviet Union. Poland recalled that the Soviet Union signed a nonaggression accord with the Nazis shortly before the war began in 1939, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. It contained a secret protocol in which the totalitarian powers agreed to carve up Eastern Europe. Two years later, Germany turned on Kremlin leader Josef Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union. That brought the Soviets into the war on the side of the Allies. Millions of Red Army soldiers lost their lives in the eventual defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to shift wartime blame to Poland. He is angry that historical memory in the West has begun to focus more on the Soviet role in triggering the war and less on its role in defeating Germany. But that outraged the Polish government, which believes Putin's main motive is to weaken Polish influence in the European Union. EU angry The Europen Union's executive European Commission agrees with Poland. The EU's Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova told the European Parliament that she does not accept Russia's arguments. "If one member state is singled out in efforts to distort its historical role, the European Commission would always protest and counter disinformation and fake information. While preserving freedom of the press and the media journalist, " she said. "Allow me to express the hope that as we approach the 75th anniversary of the end of that worst war in the history of humanity, we will not see the multiplication of efforts to distort the history of the event and to mask victims as perpetrators," Jourova added. Amid the bitter Russian-Polish disagreement over the history of the beginning of World War II, Poland's President Andrzej Duda is due to skipping a significant Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. He is angry that he was not invited to speak at the event. But spokesman Simmy Allen of the memorial site, known as Yad Vashem, defends that decision. "Yad Vashem is here to ensure that the Holocaust remembrance remains outside the world of politics." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 12:45 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607ad1c 1 Business pgn,gas-prices,industrial-gas-price,industry,imports,gas-import,Jokowi,DMO-domestic-market-obligation Free Indonesias largest gas distributor is keeping its options open to import cheaper gas to bring down prices and create a more supportive business environment for top-consuming industries as mandated by President Joko Jokowi Widodo. State gas distributor PGN president director Gigih Prakoso said the publicly listed company was keeping an open mind about importing gas for specific industrial sectors. Seven industrial sectors consume 80 percent of Indonesias gas supply, namely rubber gloves, ceramics, glass, steel, fertilizer, petrochemicals and oleochemicals. This is an option to balance [high domestic gas prices] if a more competitive price is needed from LNG sources in the future, Gigih told a press briefing on Tuesday. High domestic gas prices have been blamed for hampering business expansion for industries as Indonesias economic growth stagnates. Jokowi in 2016 issued Presidential Regulation No. 40/2016 to bring down gas prices to US$6 per million British thermal unit (mmbtu) but today they remain at $8 per mmbtu. As a comparison, Brunei is selling LNG at around $4.4 per mmbtu as gas prices are tumbling globally, according to Reuters. In response, Jokowi announced earlier this month three possible solutions to reduce prices that were either a domestic market obligation (DMO), fiscal incentive or import relaxation. Our hope is that this can be achieved through a DMO with a special price, said Gigih. The government implements such a special price DMO for coal that requires miners to sell 25 percent of their product domestically at $70 per ton. PGN has estimated that the company would need to supply 320 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) for the seven industries to bring down prices. The figure represents one-third the production rate of last years most productive gas company, BP Berau, which yielded 1,034 mmscf of gas per day in 2019. We really need a special allocation to fulfill domestic gas needs, particularly in the industry sector, Gigih added. Something Rotten, a musical comedy mash-up about two brothers who set out to write the worlds first musical, will be presented at Curtain Calls Kweskin Theatre in Stamford, Friday, Jan. 31, through Saturday, Feb. 22. Lou Ursone, Curtain Calls executive director, said audiences will enjoy it because its a no-holds-barred, silly night of theater thats cleverly written, with plenty of tongue-in-cheek wit. Something Rotten gives audiences a somewhat historical and definitely hysterical look at the 1590s, Curtain Call says. A loving parody of both Broadway and Shakespeare, it enjoyed a two-year run on Broadway, as well as a two-year national tour. My favorite part is the musical number where Nostradamus, not THE Nostradamus, launches into a very, very funny eight-minute musical number explaining what he sees in the future, and that is musical theater, Ursone said. Additionally, I have to say, this is one of the biggest dance shows weve done since Newsies, and the choreography is really fabulous. Nick and Nigel Bottom are the siblings at the center of this story. Ursone shared more via email. After meeting with Thomas Nostradamus, based on his prognostication, the Bottom brothers set out to write Omelette, The Musical. They have to dodge potential investors, Puritan magistrates, and, navigate the blooming young love of Nigel Bottom with the head Puritans daughter. All the while, young Will Shakespeare is continuing to leave them in the dust. Something Rotten was created by Grammy-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John OFarrell. Hailed by Time Out New York as the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years, it will be directed in Stamford by George S. Croom, who also directed Curtain Calls Spamalot. Ursone said not only is this show hilarious, but so is much of its music. For example, he said theres a song called God I Hate Shakespeare, which is pretty darn funny as Nigel sings of his disgust for The Bard. Theres also some slightly risque lyrics in The Black Death. The Kweskin Theatre at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford. Friday, Jan. 31-Saturday, Feb. 22. Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. Doors open a half hour before show time. $35 adults, $25 senior citizens, $17.50 children. Thrifty Thursdays $27.50. Flex Passes offer discounts of 25% and more. 203-461-6358 Top Democratic officials and Democratic-aligned media outlets are engaged in a coordinated offensive against the campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. In an extraordinary interview published Tuesday, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, denounced Sanders and refused to commit herself to support Sanders if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination this year. Clinton was being interviewed about a forthcoming documentary set to premiere at the Sundance Festival and air on Hulu beginning March 6. He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him, Clinton says. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. Its all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders debate in the 2016 election in Flint, Michigan [Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File] Asked if this characterization still held good, Clinton told the Hollywood Reporter that it did . Asked if she would support Sanders if he won the Democratic nomination this year, Clinton declined to say, adding, Im not going to go there yet. Were still in a very vigorous primary season. She went on to denounce Sanders and his core adviserswho include his wife Jane, former Ohio state Senator Nina Turner and other womenas incorrigibly sexist. Its his leadership team. Its his prominent supporters. Its his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women, she said, adding that Sanders seems to really be very much supporting it. With this vicious personal smear, Clinton reminds the public why she was so hated in 2016. As the embodiment of the corrupt Democratic Party establishment, she managed to lose the presidential election to Donald Trump. Her refusal to say that she would support Sanders is remarkable. In effect, Clinton is suggesting that she might side with Trump against the nominee of her own party. Clintons statement is the culmination of a week of political provocations and personal attacks. The offensive was set off by the political stink bomb launched with the help of CNN by Senator Elizabeth Warren, who claimed that at a private meeting in 2018attended only by the two senators, without aidesSanders told her that a woman could not win the presidency in 2020. Sanders has repeatedly denied this claim and pointed out its absurdity, since Hillary Clinton actually won the popular vote in 2016. Leading up to that campaign, he met with Warren and offered to support her in a challenge to Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Sanders ran himself only when Warren told him she would not. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, a long-time media mouthpiece for the Democratic establishment, provided his own contribution Tuesday by denouncing the Sanders campaign for allegedly lying about former Vice President Bidens support for cuts in Social Security. Krugman takes a minor campaign incidenta Sanders aide posted an out-of-context video snippet of Bidenas though it was a political crime, describing it as bad almost Trumpian. He adds, The last thing we need is another president who demonizes and lies about anyone who disagrees with him, and cant admit ever being wrong. In fact, Biden did at one time speak of cutting Social Security cost-of-living increases. These denunciations coincide with the heavily publicized joint endorsement of Senator Warren and Senator Amy Klobuchar by the editorial board of the New York Times, in a statement published in its Monday print edition. While the editorial was not headlined, Anybody but Sanders, that is the essential thrust of it. The Times effort to boost Warren against Sanders is deemed particularly urgent by the party establishment, given Sanders rise in the polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states where voting will take place in early February. With greater enthusiasm, the newspaper also promotes Klobuchar, rather than former Vice President Joe Biden or former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, as the candidate of what the Times terms the realist wing of the Democratic presidential field. The joint endorsement of two female candidates, one for each lane of the nomination contest (radical and realist in the editorials phrasing) serves the Times relentless campaign to inject race and, in this case, gender, into American politics, while downplaying class and economic inequality. Thus the editorial concludes with the injunction, May the best woman win. What do Clinton, Krugman and the Times editors fear? The Democratic Party has two principal constituencies: finance capital and the CIA. Both of these constituencies are opposed to a Sanders nomination. They do not want to run an election that makes an appeal to opposition to social inequality or war. Sanders has returned to the latter theme in the wake of Trumps assassination of Iranian General Suleimani. The vicious tone of Clintons declaration is revealing. If Sanders were to become the frontrunner for the nomination, the party establishment and the media would seek to wreck his campaign. If Sanders won the nomination, they would try to defeat him, either openly supporting Trump or running a third-party independent candidate such as billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who has already entered the Democratic contest for the purpose of blocking Sanders. If, despite such efforts, Sanders were to win the general election, they would seek to sabotage his administration and block any attempt to pass Sanders-backed legislation through Congress. What this shows is the bankrupt and essentially reactionary role of Sanders himself. In 2016, when the campaign of the self-styled socialist attracted the support of millions, staggering the political establishment and the senator himself, Sanders dutifully wound up his bid for the nomination despite brazen cheating by the Democratic National Committee, which was brought to light through documents published by WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. The senator, who won wide support decrying the influence of the billionaire class, turned on a dime and endorsed and campaigned for the chosen candidate of Wall Street, Hillary Clinton. This year, while Clinton will not pledge to support Sanders, Sanders has already committed to supporting whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination. This is under conditions where millions of workers and youth have already demonstrated through strike action and protests in the street that they are prepared to go far beyond the political limits prescribed by the Democrats, the second oldest capitalist party in the world. Sanders portrays the Democratic Party, a ruthless defender of Wall Street and American imperialism, as a potential political vehicle for revolution against the corporate elite. In this exercise in mass deception, he has the assistance of an array of pseudo-lefts, from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Socialists of America to Jacobin magazine and Socialist Alternative. They all seek to make sure that the mounting social anger in America does not escape the death-grip of the Democratic Party. Sanders is not the spokesman of the political radicalization of workers and youth and the growing opposition to capitalism. Rather, his role has always been to contain this opposition within the framework of capitalist politics. His political revolution has boiled down to an effort to convince his supporters to support the Democratic Party. For these services, Sanders is kicked in the teeth, which only demonstrates the futility of what he claims is possible. To defend jobs, living standards and democratic rights and oppose the growing threat of imperialist war, workers and young people must break out of the straitjacket of the Democratic Party. Not a single step forward can be taken in the struggle against capitalism and imperialism without establishing the political independence of the working class from all the corporate controlled parties. This is the perspective that will be fought for by the Socialist Equality Party in 2020. The first television debate of the general election takes place tonight between the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Sinn Fein has slammed the decision to not let Mary Lou McDonald take part in the debate. It has been billed as the head-to-head between the men who would be Taoiseach. Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin will debate each other tonight on Virgin Media One with Pat Kenny moderating. It is the first time since Enda Kenny vs Bertie Ahern that two leaders have debated in this format during an election campaign. But it has caused controversy. Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald says it is a sham that she is being excluded as the leader of the third largest party. Micheal Martin argued that only Fine Gael or Fianna Fail will be in a position to lead the next government because of the number of candidates running. Leo Varadkar said he was happy to debate Ms McDonald but also wants the one-on-one format. Sinn Fein had been getting legal advice on the situation yesterday but as of this morning it looks as though the debate is going ahead as planned. On day eight of the election campaign, personal finance, pensions and issues in rural Ireland will be on the agenda for political parties. With it being the deadline for nominations today, Mr Varadkar will push it close as he hands in his papers to officially put him on the ballot for Dublin West. Later in the morning, Simon Coveney and Michael Ring will reveal Fine Gael's plans for rural Ireland. Fianna Fail will discuss their personal taxation proposals later this morning with Michael McGrath and Barry Cowen. Personal finance will also be the order of the day from Sinn Fein as Pearse Doherty reveals their insurance reform and pension policies. We are starting to see the first of the general election manifestos with People Before Profit launching theirs this morning. With pensions very much being one of the talking points of the election, Roisin Shorthall of the Social Democrats will also discuss her party's stance this afternoon. Labour will publish their proposals to support renters with Jan O'Sullivan and Kevin Humphreys. While Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will focus his campaign in Meath and Westmeath this afternoon. Keith Mills, 35, was jailed for 16 months. (Northumbria Police) An estranged son who terrified his dad by hiding near his allotment wearing a Donald Trump mask and holding two knives has been jailed. Keith Mills, 35, received a 16-month sentence after he was found lurking near the Hill Park estate, in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, on 14 May last year. He had been involved in a family feud with his estranged father and had warned a relative he was going to deliberately damage his dads allotment and wait for him there in a disguise. Mills was also spotted rummaging through wheelie bins on Stanley Street on the same day he was caught, which prosecutors claimed was an attempt to find out his fathers address. Keith Mills disguised himself in a Donald Trump mask. (AP) Police were called to the allotment after the defendant was spotted acting erratically. When they arrived they found metal fence railings at the edge of the plot had been damaged. A search of the area was carried out and Mills was later located in the driving seat of a van nearby with the engine still running. Mills was arrested by police after they found two knives, a saw and a Trump mask inside his van. At a Newcastle Crown Court hearing on 4 September last year, Mills, of Pine Street, Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place and possession of an offensive weapon. A judge sentenced him to 16 months imprisonment last Thursday and also handed Mills an indefinite restraining order which bans him from contacting his father. In a statement, Mills father told the court that he loved his son but was scared by his behaviour. He said: I love and miss him so much, but the way he is I am absolutely terrified of him and I dont think I could ever have him back in my life for what the stress would do to me. READ MORE YAHOO UK NEWS HERE: Abandoned dog soaked in urine and in 'tremendous pain' is saved by vets Off-duty police suffer broken eye socket and dislocated shoulder after trying to break up pub brawl Boy, 15, arrested after fellow pupil 'stabbed in the back at school Story continues PC Judith Holtham, of Northumbria Police, added: Mills behaviour on that morning was erratic and alarming. His actions understandably caused a great deal of distress to members of his family and frightened his father, who feared for his life. Upon locating the defendant, officers found him to be in possession of two knives that could have been used to cause significant harm. It is totally unacceptable under any circumstances to carry a knife and we are committed to ensuring anybody who is found in possession of these weapons is rightly brought to justice. Mills now must deal with the consequences of his actions, and I hope this conviction makes him consider the impact that his selfish behaviour can have on others. It's a leading research strategy for eliminating HIV from the body: "shock and kill." The idea is to activate the dormant virus from within the immune cells where it hides, then eliminate it. One obstacle has been finding a safe way to wake up the virus. In two complementary Nature papers, researchers now report that they have come closer to that goal. The papers are from researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, funded by the National Institutes of Health. The papers rely on studies involving two animal models of HIV infection. Each study took a different approach. But both yielded promising results, disrupting viral latency at levels not seen before. That means that the virus came out of its hiding places, even in the presence of antiretroviral drugs that had stopped it from replicating for months. The findings do not represent a cure and follow-up studies in animals, as well as clinical studies in humans, are needed and planned. But the results represent an advance because they could potentially be combined with other approaches directed against the virus, the scientists say. "If our goal is to cure HIV/AIDS, then we have to disrupt viral latency," says Guido Silvestri, MD, senior author of one of the Nature papers. "What we're doing now is a new combination approach that provides unprecedented levels of virus reactivation." Silvestri is interim chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, chief of microbiology and immunology at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and a Georgia Eminent Research Scholar. Past results of latency reversal experiments were not as sustained and extensive, says co-senior author J. Victor Garcia, PhD, director of the International Center for the Advancement of Translational Science and professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "Previously, no one had successfully demonstrated systemic HIV induction in humans or an animal model with human cells, and then replicated this success in a completely different species infected with a different virus," Garcia says. Ann Chahroudi, MD, PhD, co-senior author on both papers, says the studies described in the two papers take different approaches. She is associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Childhood Infections & Vaccines at Emory and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Both approaches were tested at Yerkes in monkeys infected with SIV, a close relative of HIV, and treated with antiretroviral drugs. At UNC, tests were also conducted in mice transplanted with human immune cells. One paper describes a drug called AZD5582, which activates an intracellular pathway that leads to HIV and SIV reactivation. AZD5582 appears to be safe and relatively non-toxic in non-human primates. In 12 monkeys treated with the drug, just one experienced a temporary fever and loss of appetite. With the aim of beginning clinical trials, researchers at UNC and Qura Therapeutics -- a partnership between UNC and ViiV Healthcare -- are investigating compounds related to AZD5582. "AZD5582 was remarkable in its ability to reactivate latent SIV from resting CD4+ T cells, and to induce continued virus production in the blood when monkeys were still receiving daily antiretroviral therapy," says Chahroudi. In the study described in the second paper, researchers stimulated the cells that are the main viral hosts (CD4+ T cells) while also depleting another kind of immune cell (CD8+ T cells), which normally keeps the virus in check. The combination of immune interventions was especially potent; both the stimulation and depletion components were necessary to see SIV re-emerge, Silvestri says. His lab had previously observed a similar but smaller effect with CD8 depletion alone. That means that CD8 T cells must have a role in keeping the virus inactive, which needs to be understood better, he says. "The old paradigm is that you need CD8 cells to clear other infected cells," Silvestri says. "We're showing that CD8 cells are also involved in repressing latency reversal." The main obstacle to a cure for HIV infection is the reservoir: immune cells that harbor the inactive virus when someone is being treated with antiretroviral drugs. Neither intervention - drug or immune stimulation/depletions - reduced the size of the reservoir, because once the animals were taken off antiretroviral drugs, viral levels did rebound. The scientists think the initial viral reactivation needs to be combined with other modes of treatment, such as antibodies directed against the virus itself. "The exciting thing about these papers being published together are the concordance of the results in two animal models with both approaches, and the opening up of new avenues for research towards the goal of an HIV cure," says Chahroudi. ### Julia McBrien, first author on the immune intervention paper, was an Emory Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis graduate student. Maud Mavigner, PhD, co-first author on the AZD5582 paper, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Her counterpart, Christopher Nixon, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina. Funding support came through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - to the Emory Consortium for Innovative AIDS Research in Nonhuman Primates (UM1AI124436) and other grants (R01AI125064, R01AI143414, AI123010, AI096113, AI111899, AI117851, P30AI050409); from amfAR - the Foundation for AIDS Research, Qura Therapeutics, and NIH's Martin Delaney CARE Collaboration at UNC and the NIH Director's Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P51OD011132, P51OD011092). Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched SAIL Employees Rendering Volunteerism and Initiatives for Community Engagement portal. Pradhan also unveiled the SERVICE policy to encourage the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) employees and their families to participate in volunteer activities towards achieving social good. "SERVICE is an employer-supported volunteerism scheme to make employees champions of peripheral area development through their Voluntary Philanthropic Activities (VPAs) #SAILinSERVICE," Pradhan tweeted. In another tweet, the Union Minister wrote that the aim of SERVICE is to incentivise the employees or groups taking VPAs and contributing towards social good. "SERVICE aims to focus on education, health, women employment, sustainable income generation, assistance to Divyangs, sanitation, environment sustainability, etc and seeks to incentivise the employees or groups taking VPAs and contributing towards social good. #SAILinSERVICE," he explained in another tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Being ranked among the top Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) students is the only assurance that you will get enrolled in the best courses for A or A- students. The best public universities want to fill out their undergraduate vacancies with the best and most talented students from secondary schools across the country. If you want to enrol in the best university, you need to do your part by working hard in your KCSE exams. Image: pexels.com (modified by author) Source: UGC Last year in November, more than 600,000 candidates sat for their KCSE examinations. Later on, in December, the Cabinet Secretary for Education released the KCSE examination results. A total of 627 students managed to score an A plain in their KCSE exams. The number of students who scored an A- (A minus) in their KCSE exams was 5,796. Students who have performed exceptionally well in their KCSE exams last year will this year be clamouring for the best undergraduate courses to give them the best start in their chosen career. So, what are the top courses for A students? With an A aggregate in your KCSE, you stand a chance of being enrolled in the best degree programs that are offered in the top universities in the country as long as you perform well in the cluster subjects. Best courses for A students Most of the candidates who score an A in their KCSE are attracted to engineering, actuarial science, and medical courses. That said, below are some of the best courses that are considered reserved for the top brains in the country. 1. Medicine and surgery A Bachelor of Medicine degree is one of the best courses that students with an A grade in KCSE can pursue. The course takes six years of three semesters each to complete. Students that manage to score 82 points and above in their KCSE have high chances of being selected to pursue this course in any of the universities that offer this course. The minimum entry requirements for this course for the regular students at the University of Nairobi is an A plain. However, students with an A- grade can still pursue this course at Kenyatta University, Moi University, or Maseno University. The requirements for this course are as follows; Principal passes in Biology and Chemistry A subsidiary pass in Mathematics or Physics B plain in English or Kiswahili 2. Biomedical engineering Students who have attained an A plain in their KCSE can also pursue a Bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering in the top universities. The four-year course aims at equipping the learners with innovative skills that are required in the design, manufacture, and maintenance of medical devices and equipment. The requirements for the biomedical engineering course are as follows; B+ in Mathematics B+ in Physics B plain in Chemistry B plain in English 3. Civil engineering A Bachelor's degree in civil engineering is one of the marketable courses that students with an A grade can pursue. The minimum entry requirements for admission into this course in the public universities under the regular program is an A-minus in KCSE. Students with an A plain have a high chance of being selected for the program. The minimum grades for the individual cluster subjects are as follows; C+ in Mathematics C+ in Physics C+ in Chemistry C+ in Biology or Geography 4. Aeronautical engineering For the top students who dream of pursuing a career in the aviation industry, a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering should be on top of their list. The rare course takes five years to complete. Most of the top students opt to pursue this course since it has an attractive pay and there are numerous job opportunities for the graduates of the program. You need to score at least a C+ grade in the following subjects; Mathematics Physics Chemistry Biology 5. Architecture The Bachelor of Architectural Studies is a very attractive career path for the students who have passed with flying colours in KCSE exams. Various top universities in the country offer this course including UoN, KU, and JKUAT. You need to score a minimum grade of C+ in the following subjects to be admitted into the program; C+ in Mathematics C+ in English or Kiswahili C+ in Physics, Biology or Chemistry C+ in Geography, History, or Religious Education 6. Electrical and electronic engineering The electronics and engineering degree program places considerable emphasis on equipping learners with practical knowledge in engineering technology. The minimum entry requirement for this course is a B minus. An A plain or A minus grade in KCSE increases the chances of being admitted into the program. Candidates who wish to pursue this course need to score the following minimum grades in the individual cluster subjects; C+ in Mathematics C+ in Physics C+ in Chemistry C+ in Geography or Biology 7. Law Image: pexels.com Source: UGC Students enrolled in this program are able to gain a sound knowledge of the principles of the legal system not only in Kenya but also internationally. The Bachelor of Law program lasts for a minimum period of four years or eight semesters. The minimum entry requirement for this course for the regular students is an A minus grade in KCSE. Candidates wishing to be enrolled in this course must score a minimum of B plain in English in the KCSE exams. Top universities offering this course include UoN, KU, Strathmore, and JKUAT. 8. Computer science The Bachelor of Computer Science is one of the best courses that the top students can pursue. Graduates of the program are imparted with sound practical skills to solve the day-to-day problems in the information technology sector. You can enroll for this course at JKUAT, UoN, KU, or Egerton. The requirements for this course are as follows; B+ in Mathematics B+ in Physics C+ in English 9. Pharmacy Graduates of the Bachelor of Pharmacy course are expected to have expertise in the promotion and provision of curative and preventive health service. The course takes five years to complete. To qualify for this course, the requirements are as follows; B- in Chemistry B- in Biology B- in Mathematics or Physics B- in English or Kiswahili Courses to do with an A- Students who scored an A- in their KCSE can still pursue the above-mentioned courses. They also stand a chance of being enrolled in the following degree courses that are offered in the top Kenyan universities. 1. Economics The Bachelor of Science degree in either finance or economics means that the graduates are prepared to take up positions in the world of economics and finance. The top universities in Kenya offer this course. To be admitted to this program, you need a minimum of C plus in KCSE. The minimum score for the cluster subjects are as follows; C+ in Mathematics B plain in Economics, Accounting, Commerce, or Business Studies 2. Information technology A Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program is designed to help students acquire a wide range of software, technological, and technical skills that are required in the industry. You need to score at least a C plus in KCSE to be eligible for this course. C+ in English C+ in Mathematics 3. Quantity surveying This is a four-year degree programme that enables learners to conceptualize and find solutions to the problems in civil engineering construction. Candidates must score a minimum of C+ in their KCSE. The minimum score for the cluster subjects is as follows; C+ in English C+ in Mathematics C+ in Geography, History or CRE C+ in Biology, Chemistry, Business Studies, Agriculture, or Art and Design 4. Clinical medicine Image: instagram.com, @daystar_uni Source: UGC The Bachelor of Science in Clinical Medicine equips the learners with skills, knowledge, and attitude to implement and harness clinical skills, conduct research, and advance academically to provide and improve health care delivery in Kenya. You need to score at least a C+ in your KCSE to qualify for the programme. The minimum score for the cluster subjects is as follows; C+ in Biology C+ in Chemistry C+ in Mathematics or Physics C+ in English or Kiswahili 5. Geospatial engineering Geospatial engineering is the most recent addition to the engineering family. The basic admission requirement for this course is a C+ in KCSE. In addition, the minimum score for the cluster subjects is as follows; C+ in Mathematics C+ in Physics C+ in Chemistry C+ in Biology 6. Mechanical engineering The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering course offers learners fundamental education in engineering sciences and engineering design. You need a minimum of B minus in your KCSE to pursue the five-year course. The minimum grades for the individual cluster subjects are as follows; C+ in Mathematics C+ in Physics C+ in Chemistry C+ in Biology or Geography 7. Software engineering The four-year engineering course allows students to master the skills that they need to thrive in the fast-paced world of computing. If you want to join this program, you need to score a minimum of B plain in your KCSE. The minimum grades for the individual cluster subjects are as follows; C+ in Mathematics C+ in Physics C+ in English or Kiswahili 8. Nursing The nursing degree should be on the top of the list of courses to pursue in the university if you want to work in the medical sector. If you want to join the program as a regular student, you need to score a minimum of B+ in KCSE examinations. The requirements for this course are as follows; C+ in Biology C+ in Chemistry C+ in Physics or Mathematics C+ in English or Kiswahili If you passed with flying colours in your KCSE exams last year, congratulations. But before you make your career choice, you can scroll through the above list of the best courses for A or A- students. Given that you are the top cream, chances are that you will be selected to pursue the prestigious course of your choice. Source: TUKO.co.ke To strengthen the relations between India and Ghana, IndianOil has signed an MoU with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) of Ghana for providing its assistance and technical expertise in the implementation of Ghanas National LPG Promotion Policy. To further strengthen the relations between India and Ghana, IndianOil has signed an MoU with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) of Ghana for providing its assistance and technical expertise in the implementation of Ghanas National LPG Promotion Policy. With Indias emergence as a world leader in the provision of clean energy to its citizens by the expansion of its LPG network, Ghana sought assistance from India in its own efforts to promote safe, clean and environmentally friendly LPG for increased domestic, commercial and industrial usage. The MoU was exchanged between NPA of Ghana and IndianOil in the august presence of Honble Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, H.E Mr. Michael Aaron, High Commissioner of Ghana at New Delhi, Mr. Ashish Chatterjee, Joint Secretary (GP & M), MoP&NG, Mr. G.K Satish, Director (Petrochemicals & Business Development), IndianOil, Mr. Gurmeet Singh, Director (Marketing), IndianOil and other Senior Officials of NPA, Ghana, and IndianOil. Mr. Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, Chief Executive, NPA, Ghana and Mr. L.K.S Chauhan, Chief General Manager (LPG Operations), IndianOil signed the MoU. The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to strengthen cooperation between the Parties in the field of Petroleum in particular LPG in which by IOC would support the NPA on the successful implementation of the Re-circulation Model (CRM) of LPG. In this regard, IndianOil, the countrys flagship oil marketing company would on behalf of India provide support to the National Petroleum Authority of Ghana in several areas such as development of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Standards, development of Licensing, permit and legal framework, development of economics for LPG bottling plant, pricing structure, and communication strategy. IndianOil will also assist in areas of infrastructure development for the new LPG Value chain, support for upgrading capacities of institutions along with policy development and review. The MoU also provides for administrative assistance to IndianOil in case it decides to participate as a commercial participant in Ghanas downstream petroleum sector. The MoU between the two countries symbolizes Indias recognition as a leader in providing clean energy access to millions of Indians through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana successfully implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with the support of oil marketing companies like IndianOil and others. About Indian Oil Corporation Limited: With a 33,000-plus work-force, extensive refining, distribution & marketing infrastructure and advanced R&D facilities, IndianOil have been providing energy access to millions of people across the length and breadth of the country through its ever-expanding network of customer touchpoints, currently numbering over 50,000. With a turnover of Rs. 6,05,924 crore and a net profit of Rs. 16,894 crore for fiscal 2018-19, IndianOil is one the largest and most trusted corporations in the Country, touching the lives of over a billion Indians. About National Petroleum Authority of Ghana and its National LPG Promotion Policy The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is the regulatory authority to regulate the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana. The NPA is tasked with the implementation of the proposed National LPG policy which seeks to provide direction on marketing and distribution of LPG in a safe and efficient manner through adoption of LPG Bottling Plant and Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) similar to India. The policy envisages that at least 50% Ghanaians (currently 23%) have access to safe and environmentally friendly LPG for domestic, commercial and industrial uses by 2030. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Coffee giant Starbucks has claimed dairy products are the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions across the firm's business. The huge chain has conducted a sweeping review of the environmental impact of its business and has announced goals for reducing its carbon footprint. By 2030, the cafe chain is targeting 50pc reductions in carbon emissions, water withdrawal and waste sent to landfills. An assessment of the company's environmental impact found dairy products produced the most emissions. Chief executive officer Kevin Johnson said that as part of this drive Starbucks will push consumers to choose milk made from almond, coconuts, soy or oats, whose production is environmentally friendlier than dairy. "Alternative milks will be a big part of the solution," Mr Johnson said. "The consumer-demand curve is already shifting." The Seattle-based company is testing new drinks made with plant-based ingredients and seeking ways to make whipped cream without emitting nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas. In 2018 Starbucks was responsible for emitting 16 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, using one billion cubic metres of water and dumping 868 metric kilotons of coffee cups and other waste. The audit was conducted with sustainability consultant Quantis and the World Wildlife Fund. "We know this journey will be challenging, we know we can't do this alone, and we know this will require others to join us," Mr Johnson said. The moves come as governments around the world step up action on the environment with measures such as a pending European Union ban on some single-use plastics. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 12:29 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206078bbc 1 Business LRT,Ngurah-Rai-International-Airport,Bali-Airport,Transportation,infrastructure-development,South-Korea,Nindya-Kirana,state-owned-enterprises,traffic-congestion Free I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali will soon get a facelift through the development of a South Korea-backed light rail transit (LRT) service to reduce traffic congestion in the area, an executive of the project's construction firm has said. State-owned construction firm Nindya Karya signed Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korean public company Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA), and Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation for the Rp 5 trillion (US$400 million) project. The LRT will span 4.78 kilometers with four stations between a would-be satellite terminal in Kuta, Balis tourist epicenter, and the airport, Nindya Karya acting president director Haedar A. Karim, said. The project is the first step to a green city and transit-oriented development in Seminyak and Kuta, Haedar said after the MoU signing in Jakarta. The LRT service could benefit millions of visitors who travel in and out of the airport each year by providing an alternative means of transport to the airport. Around 5.7 million people went through the airports gates between January and November last year, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show. Construction for the project would kick off around three months after the MoU signing, Haedar said. He expressed hope that the LRT would be able to start running in one-and-a-half to two years. It will look like [Jakartas] MRT," Haedar said, adding that it would be built 30 meters below surface level. We will build the LRT fully underground because in [Balinese] culture, building above [15 meters] is forbidden. Aside from Balis LRT project, KRNA has also provided $500 million to finance the development of the LRT serving the velodrome facility in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, to Dukuh Atas, Central Jakarta. The North Sumatra provincial administration is also planning to build an LRT system this year with the help of KRNA to connect four cities: Medan, Binjai, Deli Serdang and Karo. HYATTSVILLE, Md., Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Janet V. Johnson, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Doctor of the Year for her contributions in the field of Medicine as a Pediatrician at Loving Care Pediatricians. Dr. Johnson has over 21 years of experience rendering top quality healthcare. Her areas of expertise include pediatric treatment, adolescent medicine and care, and preventative medicine. She takes a collaborative approach to healthcare by heavily involving parents in their children's healthcare plan, providing them with the knowledge necessary to guide their child in a healthy lifestyle. Committed to promoting the health and well-being of newborns, infants, children and adolescents, Loving Care Pediatrics takes pride in their ability to provide continual care services to all patients from birth, through aging out of pediatrics. Exceeding the expectations of their patients and families, Loving Care Pediatrics continually instills new and innovate healthcare services in their practice to afford their patients the best available care and resources. To prepare for her career, Dr. Johnson earned her a Doctorate of Medicine from the State University of New York at Buffalo University School of Medicine in 1991. She completed a residency in pediatrics with Howard University Hospital in 1994. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and maintains affiliations with the Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents Baltimore and the Washington Adventist Hospital. She is an esteemed Member of the Community Adventist Group of Prince George's County Maryland, Washington Adventist Health Network, American Academy of Pediatricians, and the Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents, Medical Advisory Committee-Amerigroup Insurance. In recognition of a successful career, Dr. Johnson was honored in "Your Health Magazine" by Prince George County and the Bowie Maryland Lifestyle Magazine as a pinnacle professional of the healthcare field. Dr. Johnson dedicates this recognition to her mother Lula Mae Johnson. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com "In 2008, industry experts said travel agents were dinosaurs, on their way to becoming extinct, and were going to be put out of business by the Internet and the do-it-yourselfers," O'Hara commented. "But at Travel Leaders Group, we understood that our clients relied on their advisors and that we were not in the same business as online travel agencies. We knew that, as the complexity of the travel marketplace grew, this was a distribution channel that had tremendous potential for growth." Trends across the last decade heralded the rise of the travel advisor: Technology and an explosion of information expanded the boundaries of travel. Social media, influencers and FOMO (fear of missing out) broadened people's horizons. Ride-sharing and home-sharing apps spurred travelers' sense of adventure. Travelers' quests for authenticity and experiences spurred trends like culinary travel and a new definition of luxury travel. Families sought new adventures to bring them together. Travel Leaders Group's experts predicted that in the next decade, travel and the role of the travel advisor will expand: Travelers will seek hyper-personalization and self-fulfillment through travel. The company's 2020 Travel Trends survey of 2,000 consumers indicated they plan to travel more and spend more this year. The number of Americans with passports hit a record high: In 1990, only 4 percent of Americans had one. Last year, the number reached more than 42 percent. Industry and Travel Leaders Group's research show that the more complex and expensive the trip is, the more likely people are to use a travel advisor. Travel agencies book 75 percent of all U.S. international travel. "We are tremendously optimistic about the long-term prospects for our company, especially if we stay focused on our key three tenets: provide the highest quality support and tools to the travel advisor, impeccable service to traveler and unsurpassed value to preferred supplier partners," said O'Hara. Other Travel Leaders Group executives were on hand to discuss travel industry trends. John Lovell, President, Leisure Travel, Supplier Relations & Networks, discussed leisure trends, while Peter Vlitas, Senior Vice President, Airline Relations, and Mike Heflin, Senior Vice President, Hotel Division, provided updates on airlines and hotels, respectively. Stephen McGillivray, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for Travel Leaders Group, also welcomed Chris Allison, Head of Commercial Partnerships for Tourism Australia, to discuss current conditions in the wake of the Australian wildfires. Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion Travel Group, Michele Capaccio, Chief Operating Officer of Protravel International, Awilda Gonzalez, Senior Vice President of Tzell Travel Group, and Lisa Wheeler, Senior Vice President of ALTOUR, presented a donation on behalf of the Family Bonds Foundation, the Tzell and Protravel Foundation and the ALTOUR Foundation to support Australian relief efforts. Becky Powell, President of Protravel International, Cindy Schlansky, Co-President of Tzell Travel Group and Lisa Wheeler closed out the event reporting on luxury travel trends. Travel Leaders Group is home to more than 20 travel industry brands with collective annual sales of more than $20 billion. For additional information on Travel Leaders Group, visit travelleadersgroup.com. About Travel Leaders Group Travel Leaders Group ( www.TravelLeadersGroup.com ) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients through our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers, Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands. With over 6,000 agency locations, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry's largest travel agency companies. Travelers also have access to The Travel Collection by Travel Leaders Group, a portfolio of select travel offers including discounts on international and domestic flights, value-added benefits at lodging establishments, shipboard credits on cruises and savings on escorted and vacation packages. Membership to The Travel Collection is offered at no additional cost to U.S. American Express Gold Card, Business Gold Rewards Card, Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card Members. For more information visit www.TheTravelCollection.com . Contact: Berit Griffin 763-519-6561 [email protected] SOURCE Travel Leaders Group Related Links http://www.TravelLeadersGroup.com The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has declared his administrations intention to conduct fresh elections in the local government areas of the state. The governor stated this in his maiden broadcast to the people of the state. The Supreme Court last Tuesday declared Mr Uzodinma as the winner of the governorship election in the state and directed his immediate swearing in. He was subsequently sworn in on Wednesday. In his broadcast on Tuesday, the governor promised that the elections will be credible and will take place as soon as possible. After being sworn in last week, he sacked all the members of the Interim Management Committees in the 27 councils of the state. The committees were constituted by the ousted governor, Emeka Ihedioha, on assumption of duty in June last year, after suspending the elected office holders following a resolution to that effect by the Imo House of Assembly. The House, in passing the resolution, had accused the elected council officials of financial malfeasance. The suspended executives, all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were elected in an election conducted in 2018, during the Rochas Okorocha administration. Mr Ihedioha is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Though Messrs Uzodinma and Okorocha, as well as the Council officials are all of the same party, the APC, it was very clear that they did not share the same political vision for the state. Mr Okorocha had backed his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, for the governorship election, while taking away the partys senatorial ticket from Mr Uzodinma, who was then, the incumbent. Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha The dissolution of the committees was contained in a statement on Thursday night signed by the Principal Secretary to the governor, T. U. C. Nwokonkwo. The sacked members of the committees were directed to handover all government assets in their possession to the Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS) of their respective councils, who would take full charge and control of the councils and the assets, pending further directives by the government. The suspended council chiefs had, about two weeks ago, attempted to retake their positions, relying on the Supreme Court judgment in the case of Ekiti State, which ruled that governors and Houses of Assembly had no power to sack them. They claimed that the judgment also empowered them to resume after the governors and Houses of Assembly had been served copies of the judgment. But, Mr Uzodinma, while hosting the traditional rulers on Monday, said that pending the conduct of council elections, LGAs would be run by the Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS). It was not immediately clear how his stance on conducting fresh council elections will be taken by the suspended APC council chairmen. Council autonomy restored During the broadcast, Mr Uzodinma promised that his administration will uphold the independence and autonomy of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State. He said there will be no more deductions from federal allocations meant for the Councils. The governor said his administration would reconstitute the State-Local Government Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JACC) to manage council funds. Our New Imo State will restore financial discipline, entrench due process and conduct government business in the most transparent fashion. The New Imo State incorporates a new development trajectory that will harness the critical role of Local Government Councils in downstream value chain creation. Advertisements Read the full text of the governors broadcast below: GOV UZODINMAS MAIDEN BROADCAST TO THE PEOPLE OF IMO STATE. NdImo ndi nwem, I greet you all. It gives me great pleasure to address you today. A few days ago, precisely on Wednesday January 15, it pleased God Almighty for me to be sworn in as the duly elected governor of our dear state, following the historic judgment of the Supreme Court the previous day. I recall that on that event a large, enthusiastic crowd of our people thronged the airport and the swearing-in venue, Heros Square, to welcome me and to witness the ceremony. That was a clear indication that Ndi Imo joyfully welcomed my final emergence as the governor of the state. I recall too that an unprecedented large crowd of our people enthusiastically received me on November 15, 2018 when I clinched the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governorship candidate of the party. I was the front runner in the state all through electioneering. I deeply appreciate these uncommon show of support and love and I thank you profoundly. I deem it necessary at this point to address you, my dear good people of Imo state to assure you of my commitment, totally and unreservedly, to your wellbeing and security and to acquaint you with my vision for a new Imo State where equality and the rule of law shall reign supreme. About a year ago, precisely on January 11, 2019, I unveiled a manifesto of my developmental ambitions for our dear Imo State to a gathering of eminent persons. Addressing that audience, I told them that the occasion marked the beginning of a new partnership between key stakeholders and a governorship candidate. Indeed, it was the first occasion of its kind in which the governorship candidate of a political party involved real stakeholders of Imo State in sharing a common vision of where we stand in the geo-political map of our nation and where we ought to be. Well, so much proverbial water has passed under the axiomatic bridge since that occasion and following the trials and hectic tribulations of the campaign trail, I stand before you today as governor of our great state, solely by the uncommon grace of God to whom I give all the glory for the momentous Supreme Court judgment of January 14, 2020. That said, I urge every true man, woman and youth of Imo State to put the past behind us, without throwing away the lessons learnt, as we forge ahead in the great task of building a New Imo State defined by the common will of the people, in which equity, justice, freedom, and rule of law prevail over impunity and executive recklessness. This is the essence of good governance and it is my firm belief that democracy without good governance is nothing but a mirage. I believe that every man, woman, youth and child of Imo State is a stakeholder in my vision of a New Imo State. I therefore invite all of you to join me as partners in this new vision of a New Imo State for all Imo people, where everyone is recognized and respected as an Imo person, not on the basis of creed, gender or origin but because of his or her inalienable right as an Imo son or daughter. I strongly believe that our concept of governance which derives power from the people shall leverage your collective support as partners to deliver the great dividends of democracy and good governance to our people. My good people of Imo State, my vision of a New Imo State is predicated on freedom, security, and shared prosperity welded into good governance. The evidence on ground indicates that Imo State requires fundamental reform to forge a new trajectory. We have witnessed, over ten years now, a slow, steady but devastating loss of the core values that had defined our dear, adorable Imo State. In place of those cherished ideals, an insipid culture of lawlessness and neo-feudalism had crept into the body fabric of our state. The time is now to take action and free our state and her people from the strangle hold of the false religion of executive lawlessness, exclusive governance and total disregard to due process. I challenge every Imo man, woman, youth and child to hold us by the same standards and the same scales by which we judge past administrations. The New Imo State offers a new paradigm to redress the ripples of those years of maladministration, inexperience and outright inefficiency in public administration. The New Imo State will prove to our good people that government is not instituted to deride the people, but instead to protect citizens fundamental rights. Our New Imo State will restore financial discipline, entrench due process and conduct government business in the most transparent fashion. The New Imo State incorporates a new development trajectory that will harness the critical role of Local Government Councils in downstream value chain creation. In line with the provisions of the Constitution, we shall urgently restore the autonomy and integrity of Local Government Administration. Thank God therefore, for the objective effort of the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari in uncoupling the local government finances from the meddlesome interests of state officials. The dynamic LG System of our New Imo State will guarantee the steady trickle down of democracy dividends to the atomized hamlets and clans of our rural communities. To actualize this, credible Local government elections will be held soon. Our New Imo State will enshrine a new culture of shared prosperity in which the common wealth of the people is made available for the good of all. Above all, it is a new Imo State that will ensure good governance, prosperity, rule of law and equity. The Mission cuts across party line, religious leaning and intra ethnic divides. From now on it will no longer be governance as usual, but governance of the people, by the people and for the people, without discrimination against anyone. In practical terms therefore, the trajectory of development in the New Imo State of our vision is anchored on a 3-R super structure of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery of key economic and political institutions that all of us will be proud of. In this wise, the New Imo State envisions the overhaul of State Civil Service and relevant institutions of the Bureaucracy for optimal efficiency and Service delivery- involving prompt payment of salaries, pensions and other statutory obligations to spur officers to greater productivity. Accordingly, the following standards shall be maintained: Strict adherence to extant laws, procedures, and Statutes pertaining to an efficient service delivery. Civil Servants to be trained in line with new Digital Technology ecosystem platform in liaison with some Technology Incubation Centres. Hierarchy and Seniority in the Public Service shall be restored forthwith to ensure discipline and adherence to Civil Service Rules. Emoluments of core Civil Servants shall continue to be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, (CRF) and paid promptly but not later than every month end. Pensions and Gratuities shall likewise continue to be treated as First Line Charge to the CRF in accordance with the provisions of the law.Specifically, the salaries of Civil Servants and allowances of pensioners will henceforth be paid fully. Similarly, the State Government will commence payment of minimum wage once negotiation with Labour leaders is completed. Recruitment, Promotion and Discipline in the Civil Service shall be patterned to reflect the NEW IMO Paradigm. Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) shall now include an objective assessment of discrete output and supported with concrete evidence of MCIP (Mandatory Career Improvement Programme). The Treasury System shall be restored and the 27 Sub-Treasuries in the 3- Geo-political Zones restored to ensure a seamless downstream government service delivery in the Rural Communities. We shall promote a Digital Technology-driven Civil Service to ensure real-time service delivery.A staff Housing Loan scheme and Vehicle Advances shall be put in place in partnership with the Mortgage and Commercial Banks, guaranteed by Government, through the facilities of a revamped State Development Finance Incorporated, (DFIC.). We shall encourage hard work, resilience, honesty, and diligence in the New Imo Public Service. My esteemed Ndi Imo, our New Imo State will incorporate an IMO STATE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMME (ISEOP) involving but not limited to a highly functional qualitative technology and science-driven education system focused on skills acquisition, innovation, manpower development, and entrepreneurship. The New Imo State will crave for: an Educational System that has capacity to produce a new generation of Graduates equipped for immediate post school employment and self-reliance. An Educational Programme to enhance innovation, and creative Human Capital with capacity to add value to State and nation building. Build Foundation for innovative Human Capital that shall drive downstream value chain creation. Mandatory Professional Teachers Continuous Education Programme in line with the transformative impact of Digital Technology on Education. Provide Measured Financial Support to students with exceptional pedigree in academics, innovation and entrepreneurship. Other lateral non-financial support include, mentoring, career guidance and counseling, etc. Establishment of a Job Placement Office to enhance job search and placement, Internship (IT) and other career related programmes for graduates. Establishment of Diaspora Learning Centres for Student Exchange and Technology Incubation Centres in the USA, UK, China and Canada, etc. Development of a new Curriculum for schools that would integrate skills learning, innovation and entrepreneurship required to fit into the new Digital ecosystem. Establishment of New Digital learning Environment with cognate Digital Teaching Tools and Programmes in Six Pilot Centres within the Three Senatorial zones of the State. Restoration of Inspectorate Division in all the Zonal School Management Boards to enhance academic quality and content delivery, etc. Similarly, our government will undertake the following in the health care delivery sector: Comprehensive Medicare with focus on Primary Health Care, and Preventive Medical Care services. Within the first two years of this administration, we would have attained a 75% Health For All (HEFA), covering the 27 LGCs. We shall recruit 850 Community Health Workers to strengthen existing Primary Health Care System workforce in the state in the first year. In Collaboration with Local Government Councils, we shall rehabilitate, renovate and equip all dilapidated Community Health Centres in the 305 Wards of the State, within the first one year in Office. Run an integrated and holistic healthcare delivery system with modern diagnostic equipment, CT scan, and Mobile X-ray, in selected Zonal General Hospitals and Health Centres, etc. Provide a well-equipped Rapid Response Ambulance Services (RAMS) in the Zonal Divisional Hospitals, and Central Rural Health Centres to enhance an efficient 24/7 Health Support in all the Local Government Areas. Establish a value-based healthcare as opposed to the present fee for performance Healthcare model. Emphasis in our NEW IMO Health architecture shall be: optimal patient outcome, patient safety, and efficient professional and dynamic work force, etc. Establishment of Drug Revolving Trading Accounts (DRTA) in the Hospitals, and Health Centres for Essential and Non-Essential Drugs. to ensure adequate stock of life-saving drugs. Each Hospital or Health Centre shall operate a guided Self-Accounting Status to ensure that the Drug Revolving Regime is effectively managed, and accounts rendered. Restoration of Sanitary Health Inspection to support a holistic Primary Health/Preventive Medicare programme of government. A NEW IMO Health architecture would include urgent Rehabilitation of the moribund Schools of Nursing, Mid-Wifery in Owerri, Aboh Mbaise, and Awo-Omamma. Awo-Omamma and Aboh Mbaise shall, in liaison with the Nursing and Mid-Wifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), be converted into collegiate systems for Basic Mid-Wifery .These very important health training institutions shall be rehabilitated and equipped within the first one year of our administration to ensure early and seamless accreditation. We shall review our standing with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in relation to equipment and materials supplied to these institutions and government counterpart funding, etc. Establish criteria for research and integration of alternativemedicine or Traditional Medical practice (Trado-medicine) into NEW IMO medical practices. The IMSU College of Medicine, and the Teaching Hospital at Orlu, the Public Health Laboratory, and the Specialist Hospitals in Owerri, shall be equipped for Laser Surgeries, as well as serve as Regional Medical Informatics Centres, for the Southeast Region. The abandoned MRI and other sensitive scanning Machines mysteriously transferred from IMSUTH Orlu to OCHIEDIKE, shall be rehabilitated and restored for services in accordance with existing MoU with GE, and Howard International Medical Center, USA. On the economy, our focus in the New Imo State shall be job creation and massive economic growth. To this end we shall ensure: Mainstream Macro-Economic Programme which will involve a 3-R Algorithm, recovery of damaged economic structures, reconstruction of core infrastructure, and rehabilitation of component micro-economic institutions Micro-Small-Medium-Enterprises via Public Private Partnership (PPP). (MSMEs). Rapid economic Diversifications through Backward Integration, involving a synergy of Rural-Urban development paradigm. A shift from core public sector driven economy to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) driven one. Encourage private sector-driven knowledge based enterprise system. Provide enabling environment and selective policy intervention to bolster sustainable Medium Small Micro Enterprises (MSMEs). Encourage Diaspora Rural Economic Partnership Local Government Rural Malls, and Small-Scale Industries agriculture, and Farm Settlements via Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies, etc. Stimulate downstream Value Chain through intervention and support to MSMEs, and thus generate employment opportunities at Local Government levels. Ensure that De Sam Mbakwes International Cargo Airport receives URGENT Federal Government support, and provisions to qualify for IATA approval for Air Safety and increased Traffic flow. Establishment of Graduate Entrepreneurship Scheme to equip graduates with requisite set of skills for self-employment in the evolving Fourth Industrial Revolution. About 750 graduates shall benefit from the initial phase of the GES Programme. Government shall provide necessary guarantees for Start-ups through the facilities of State Development Finance and Investment Corporation (DFIC). Establishment of State Economic Development And Rehabilitation Council (SEDARC) -to provide remedial framework and templates to redress the chronic fiscal and infrastructural deficits militating against State economic development. SEDARC shall address key economic challenges of the State- Abandoned Roads in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe Metropolis, the Collapsing bridges, the abandoned Otamiri Water scheme, etc. shall receive the immediate attention of SEDARC. In addition, SEDARC shall fully identify, locate and recover all missing Public Assets, as well as coordinate a forensic investigation into the State Finances and determine the veracity of the huge public Debts estimated at over N200 billion, as well establish the Net-worth/Balance Sheet of the State Government as at January 13, 2020. SEDARC shall also recover all illegally acquired Private Lands, estates by Government or its agents and return them to their rightful owners. SEDARC shall abolish all forms of unconscionable Imperial, Taxes, levies, and fees other than that established by law which its applications shall not impoverish the citizens. The State BIR shall in liaison with SEDARC develop a new IMO INTERNAL REVENUE MENU that maximizes IGR Per Capita Contribution to the State GDP. Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) shall be re-activated and in liaison with the State DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AND INVESTMENT CORPORATION (DFIC)engage in active trading in Nigerias Capital and Money Markets and by so doing build-up formidable portfolio of Financial Assets to support Governments Treasury Services, etc. Ndi Imo eji eme onu, good governance- democracy and rule of law are the fundamental components of the New Imo State. Consequently, We shall recover and deepen lost virtues of liberal democracy in Imo State. Our government shall tenaciously uphold the pillars of good governance- security of life and property, right to own private properties, inclusiveness, pursuit of legitimate economic endeavours, rule of law, accountability and transparency, respect for human rights, honesty and trust. Our Government shall be accountable to the people of Imo State and shall adhere to the Anti-Corruption Mantra of our great Party, APC. We shall dismantle all existing structures in the State Civil Service that encouraged the massive looting of public funds. It takes a willing Civil Servant and an overbearing politician to engage in covert expropriation of commonwealth. Civil Servants who are part of the existing mode of plundering the Treasury shall be handed over to the appropriate Anti-Graft Agencies. In addition to the conduct of a credible local government elections soon, we shall reconstitute the State-Local Government Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JACC,) (a prototype of the FAAC) to manage and superintend overLocal Governments Funds. Accordingly, all deductions from Local Government funds are hereby stopped. Local Governments will henceforth receive their full allocation and be accountable for same. The State Government shall contribute 10% of its net IGR to JAAC as state Governments counterpart Funds towards rural economic and social development. The Autonomy of Local Government be restored forthwith. To Ensure Maximum Security in Imo State we shall IMMEDIATELY establish a new Security architecture aided with installation of State of the Arts Digital Technology/equipment linked to the 27 LGCs/DPO to enhance crime detection, intelligence gathering, tracking and apprehension of criminals, etc. We shall create a Neighbourhood Security Watch code named North East West (NEW) involving a coordinated network of Community Intelligence Gathering Programme in liaison with the NPF, DSS, NSCDC, NSO and some Private Security Companies. In tandem, we shall launch Operation FOC, (Flush Out Criminals) a combined Security Operations targeted at Flashpoints and Centres of high criminal activities, including hide outs, jungles, uncompleted buildings, forest, shrines, lakes and creeks, etc. Whether in Ohaji Egbema, or Nwaorieubi Shrine at Ifakala, or in the thick jungle at Akokwa, or Njaba or Urashi, We shall rout them and free our society of the menace of banditry, kidnappings, and ritual killings including Yahoo-Plus, and Alibaba Gangstars. It shall be a SAD season for criminals in Imo State. Community Leaders, Traditional Rulers, Town Union Presidents shall be held responsible for any security lapses within their domain Failure to Report, concealing or benefiting directly or indirectly from proceeds of criminal activities, shall attract maximum punishment . A cash reward shall be announced for a Whistle-blowing Campaign. Our NEW IMO STATE shall no longer be a haven for kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, Yahoo Plus, and Alibaba Gangs, baby factory, ritualists, human trafficking, etc. As an honest and transparent government, we shall hold quarterly Imo Stakeholders Forum (ISHF) to provide interim government Report Card and provide answers to Frequently Asked Questions, (FAQs) and concerns of citizens. The State Ministry of Information shall likewise provide Monthly briefings on government activities. We believe that power belongs to the people and not the other way around. Government is not instituted to deride the people, but to protect their fundamental rights. We shall be responsible and accountable to the good people of Imo State. This is the dawn of a New Imo. My beloved people of Imo State, with your enthusiastic support and encouragement, the work has already begun for the building of the NEW IMO of our dreams. However, there is need for vigilance. It is crystal clear to me that some of those who lost out in the final battle at the Supreme Court, where the real winner of the March 2019 governorship election was determined, are finding it difficult to come to grips with reality. They have consequently resorted to mischief making and incitement of the public. They spread falsehood against me and the government. They sponsor pockets of protests against the government and seek to divide us on clannish grounds. They deride our own institutions when such institutions take decisions that do not favour them. Let me make it clear that while our doors are wide open to accommodate everyone, including my political opponents, and while we insist on enduring peace and reconciliation, we shall not brood any reckless breach of the laws of the land. Those encouraging or sponsoring any breach of public peace should desist forthwith or face the full wrath of the law. Make no mistake about it, I have a responsibility to govern Imo State and to maintain the peace therefrom. In the discharge of these duties I shall not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law on anybody, no matter how highly placed, who constitutes himself or herself into a public nuisance. I also advise law abiding people of our beloved state to resist attempts to be used for selfish reasons by desperate politicians. We know those behind these incitements; who are sowing seeds of discord to divide our state. I appeal to them to have a rethink and remember that power comes from God and that even more importantly, no election is the end of elections but rather the confirmation that more elections are ahead. So the losers today can be the winners tomorrow and next tomorrow. As we celebrate the birth of a new Imo which we achieved with your support, it is time for us to harp on the things that unite us not on the things that divide us. I recall clearly that on the eve of the elections, our people were determined to ensure that no one imposed a political dynasty on them. It was the collective desire of all Imo people to see to it that our democracy was preserved in all its true tenets, to wit, government of the people for the people and by the people. As the arrowhead in that battle, Imo people voted massively for me. This fact should not be lost on anybody. Today, through your votes we have succeeded in disabling that obnoxious structure and dangerous ambition. Regardless, I appeal to you therefore to avail me of your total support to bring the valiant mission of a New Imo State to its logical conclusion. I count very much on your support and cooperation I thank you for your patience and wish you all a prosperous new year as you join me in the factory room to build a NEW IMO STATE of our common dream. SEN. HOPE UZODIMMA Executive Governor of Imo State January 21, 2020. U.S. stocks edged higher in volatile trading as investors considered the potential for a virus that emerged in China to eventually dent economic growth. Oil tumbled on concern the market is oversupplied. The S&P 500 index ended the day up less than 0.1%, lifted by gains in technology shares and positive earnings reports but held back by concern that the deadly respiratory illness could spread, even as China moved to contain the outbreak. IBM rose the most in four months after revenue beat estimates. Tesla Inc.'s market value soared past $100 billion. With stocks trading near records, investors are on alert for any developments that could derail the momentum. They have taken a cautious stance amid concern the coronavirus that has already killed 17 people could turn into a global pandemic. "The fear is that it could hurt growth, that this could continue to have an impact on global markets that are already reeling from the impacts of trade," said Matt Forester, chief investment officer at BNY Mellon's Lockwood Advisors. Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 index dipped as Italian banks slumped amid a fresh bout of political turmoil. West Texas oil fell below $58 a barrel as ample global supplies offset the loss of exports from Libya. The pound strengthened after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal cleared its final hurdles in Parliament. Here are some events to watch out for this week: - Companies including Texas Instruments Inc., Intel Corp. and Procter & Gamble Co. will post results. - Policy decisions are due from central banks in Indonesia and the euro region. - The World Economic Forum, the annual gathering of global leaders in politics, business and culture, continues in Davos, Switzerland. These are the main moves in markets: - - - - The S&P 500 index rose less than 0.1% at the close of trade in New York. - The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.1%. - The MSCI Asia Pacific index added 0.6%. - - - - The Bloomberg Dollar Spot index fell 0.1%. - The British pound jumped 0.6% to $1.3134. - The euro rose 0.1% to $1.109. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes - The Japanese yen was little changed at 109.87 per dollar. - - - - The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell one basis point to 1.77%. - Germany's 10-year yield dipped one basis point to -0.26%. - Britain's 10-year yield was little changed at 0.63%. - - - - West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 2.9% to $56.67 a barrel. - Gold was little changed at $1,558.55 an ounce. - With assistance from Bloomberg's Christopher Anstey, Andrew Janes, Adam Haigh, Todd White, Robert Brand, Sheela Tobben, Vildana Hajric and Sarah Ponczek. Murphy will report to Starr Insurance senior vice-president of sales & distribution Robert Cruz Kathleen joins Starr with more than 22 years of experience on both the brokerage and carrier sides of the business, commented Cruz. Cruz added that Murphys expertise will benefit the growth of Starrs southeast region, while her leadership skills will help the company develop new channels while reinforcing client and partner relationships. Nigeria: Muslim Fulani herdsmen kill 2 Christian teenage girls as persecution escalates Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed two young Christian women in southern Kaduna state, Nigeria, just weeks after members of the same terrorist group killed 13 and wounded three Christians in a neighboring town. According to Morning Star News, Briget Philip, 18, and Priscilla David, 19, were killed by herdsmen on motorbikes who rode into Gora-Gan village in Zango Kataf County at about 5 p.m. shooting villagers on sight. Both girls, who were secondary school pupils, worshiped at the Catholic parish of Gora-Gan, local resident Luka Biniyat told the outlet. Also wounded in the attack on the predominantly Christian community were 18-year-old Henry Jonathan, 19-year-old Benjamin Peter, and Goodluck Andawus, 12, he said, adding that the herdsmen attacked when people flocked to the village square where evangelism and social activities are held. As the people fled into nearby bushes to take cover, the attackers retreated and left, area resident Solomon John told Morning Star News. We are sad about these attacks on our people, which seem to be unending. Just two weeks earlier, a gang of 20 armed Fulani Muslim herdsmen attacked the predominantly Christian village of Kulben in Central Nigeria, killing 13 and wounding three, according to Morning Star News. All of the victims were members of the Church of Christ in Nations. "They were shooting with guns in all directions, forcing the villagers to scamper into surrounding bushes," area resident Michael Mutding said. "Corpses of those killed have been evacuated by soldiers and police to the mortuary of Mangu Cottage Hospital, and all the victims are members of COCIN." Audu Tetmut, a 60-year-old area leader of the Christian community, said there had never been any problem between his people and herdsmen living in the area. "Our community had lived peacefully with the herdsmen without any issues of dispute with them," Tetmut told Morning Star News. "So we are surprised that they attacked us." In 2019, over 1,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria as attacks by Fulani extremists continue to plague rural farming communities in the Middle Belt, according to estimates published by the U.K.-based nongovernmental organization Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust. There was a rise in Fulani extremist attacks in the Kaduna state in 2019 after Christians were accused of a reprisal attack on a Fulani settlement that killed as many as 131 in February. Nomadic Fulani herdsmen seek to replace diversity and difference with an Islamist ideology which is imposed with violence on those who refuse to comply. It is according to the Nigerian House of Representatives genocide, Baroness Cox told the Christian Institute. Persecution watchdog Open Doors USA ranks Nigeria at No. 12 on its 2020 World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Open Doors CEO David Curry said during a news conference last week that Nigeria still represents the most violent country in the world for Christians as far as the organizations data can track. I think it is wrong to look at [Fulani] as simply having territorial issues, Curry said. They have an ideology that is historically been radicalized and they have an agenda to push Christians out of these communities. The cover story that somehow these are their ancient lands and so forth doesnt justify unlawful behavior against Christians who live there. He criticized Nigerias government for its inability to control the violence perpetrated by both Muslim Fulani Herdsmen and the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram across the country. The great tragedy of Nigerias ineffectual response to Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen is now parts of Cameroon and those other areas like Burkina Faso are greatly affected, Curry said. French oil major Total is entering the South American nation of Suriname after entering into a joint venture for an offshore project with Houston exploration and production company Apache Corp. In separate Monday morning statements, the two companies announced that they have entered into a 50-50 joint venture agreement to explore and develop a 1.4 million-acre offshore lease known as Block 58 with water depths ranging from 300 to nearly 6,900 feet. Under the deal, Apache will serve as the initial operator while Total agreed to pay the Houston company a bonus of $100 million. Total also agreed to pay its share of past costs for the project. After the first three wells, Total will take over as operator. Already approved by regulators with the Surinamese government, the deal is expected to close on or before Christmas Day. Offshore: Apache stock plummets on vague results in Suriname The deal between Total and Apache comes three days after Exxon Mobil announced it has started oil production in the Liza offshore field in the neighboring nation of Guyana. It also comes three weeks after vague test results from Apache's Maka-1 offshore in Surname well sent the Houston company's stock plummeting. Hoping to replicate Exxon Mobils success in finding oil off the coast in neighboring Guyana, Apache is quick to point out that it is drilling just seven miles from the maritime border. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox Apache's Block 58 project has already spent four years in development. The Houston company signed a production sharing contract, or PSC, with Suriname's national oil company Staatsolie for the offshore lease in June 2015. The joint venture with Total brings in the French oil major into the project without a penalty for Apache. "Totals extensive offshore operational experience and global footprint make it an ideal partner for a block of this size and potential, Apache CEO John Christmann said in a statement. Upon meeting certain drilling commitments, the partnership has the rights to explore the entire block through mid-2026 without acreage relinquishments. This provides for a thorough evaluation of the multiple play types we have identified in this emerging oil-prone basin. Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com As part of the company's Goya Gives initiative, Goya has supported the orphanage since its inception in 2012. Each year, Goya donates food and financial support, and has developed a mentorship program, where Goya employees mentor many of the children at the orphanage all the way through their educational years. The NSA has committed to providing additional support, donations and continued guidance to those children who need it the most. "We have been members of the NSA since the very beginning and proud to further our collaboration with an organization that cares about the welfare and health of their communities. Our mission to support those in need are aligned and we couldn't think of a better way to partner in order to provide the children with even more love, support and gifts during the holiday season and year-round," said Bob Unanue, President of Goya. Goya has been a member of the NSA for 30 years and has collaborated with the NSA to further support the communities both organizations serve throughout the United States and abroad. "The NSA strives to work on projects that give back to the communities we come from and serve, so we are very proud to partner with Goya to bring joy and mentorship to these kids," said William Rodriguez, President of the NSA. For more information, please visit, www.goya.com. 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, the 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 NSA Founded in 1989 by Hispanic entrepreneurs, the NSA is a trade association that represents the interest of independent supermarket owners in New York and other urban cities throughout the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic region and Florida. Beginning in the mid-seventies, these entrepreneurs had the courage of opening supermarkets in areas abandoned by the large chains, as they were economically depressed and mostly minority neighborhoods. These men and women had the vision and the commitment to fill a vacuum in those communities, at a time when the term "food desert" had not even been coined. Currently, many NSA members continue to serve those areas by offering healthy foods and full-service supermarkets. The association has grown dramatically in the last two decades and currently provides its member's hands-on representation in both the private and public sectors and advocates issues that impact the entire supermarket industry. Current membership represents approximately 400 supermarkets. Most members are of Hispanic descent, and their stores are predominantly located in minority neighborhoods. The NSA provides outreach services to corporations that want to capture the booming Hispanic market by providing counseling on marketing strategies to reach Hispanic retailers and consumers, including market and cultural intelligence. For more information & photos: Natalie J. Maniscalco 845.659.6506 / [email protected] SOURCE Goya Foods Related Links http://www.goya.com JAMMU: In a significant development, the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday sanctioned a development package of Rs 80,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The Centre's announcement is likely to give a major boost to the development of various sectors including education, tourism, infrastructure and create job opportunities for thousands of educated but unemployed Kashmiri youths. The development package is also likely to uplift the socio-economic status of the people of the area. It may be recalled that on January 20, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had indicated that at least 25 projects will come up in newly-created Union Territory worth Rs 25,000 crore by March 2021. Describing Jammu and Kashmir as the "jewel" of the nation, he added that the government would come up with an industrial package for the Union Territory, hoping to attract larger investments. Live TV The announcement comes at a time when at least 36 Union ministers are visiting Jammu and Kashmir as part of the Centre's outreach program. The move comes six months after the Centre scrapped the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state. Prominent among those who will be visiting the Valley are Telecommunications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, Minority Affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, minister of state for Defence Shripad Naik and minister of state for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy. Ahead of their visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting of the Council of Ministers, where he asked the leaders to spread the message of development during their interaction with locals. They were also asked to spread the message about the various central schemes that will benefit the grassroots. PM Modi said the ministers should not restrict themselves to urban areas but also meet people in villages to inform them about the developmental work carried out by the central government in Jammu and Kashmir. The 36 Union ministers will visit different districts in both the divisions of the Union Territory starting from January 18 to January 24 and the Home Ministry is coordinating it. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 23:19:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Russia with its vast territory, huge population, multiple religions and a large number of ethnic groups needs a strong president, and is not ready to switch to a parliamentary system, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. "In order to make a parliamentary republic run effectively, it is necessary that the political structure develops for a long time," Putin said at a meeting with the public in the western Russian city of Lipetsk. He said that in Russia, no party has many years of experience, while in Europe, some parties have existed for centuries. It is hard to say whether political parties can survive without their leaders, as they are used to maintaining strong connections with their leaders, Putin said. He also recalled that Western experts claim that parliamentarism is experiencing a crisis as well. They are thinking about how to revive it, to give it a new quality, as well as how to make their parliamentary systems more efficient. In some countries, despite the existence of a political infrastructure in the form of stable political parties, they cannot form a government for six months, which could lead to a disaster if something like this happened in Russia, Putin said. France, Germany announced on Wednesday that they are joining forces with investment giant BlackRock to speed up attracting capital to invest in projects fighting against climate change in developing countries. The Climate Finance Partnership (CFP) brings together BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, France's development agency AFP, the German ministry, and a number of private foundations. The plan was announced on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, where private sector players and governments are under increasing pressure to show they are serious about reversing global warming. BlackRock already announced last week it is divesting holdings in companies that generate more than a quarter of their sales from thermal coal production. The CFP aims "to mobilise top-tier institutional capital investment into climate-related sectors in emerging markets, at scale," the parties said in a statement. The investments will be targeted towards countries in South East Asia, Latin America, and crucially Africa, which will account for at least 25 percent of the total capital invested. Projects could include renewable energy, energy efficiency in homes and offices, energy storage and electric transport, a statement said. "The unique challenges posed by climate change call for stronger joint action," said Remy Rioux, the CEO of the French development agency AFD. It will "help redirect financial flows towards sustainable development investments across the emerging world, and will include a priority focus on Africa," he added. There will be an initial investment of at least $100 million and then BlackRock will mobilise a goal of at least $400 million in institutional private equity capital commitments. "This would result in a minimum size of $500 million at first close and CFP parties share a collective goal of further scaling the vehicle going forward," the statement said. France and Germany intend to contribute $30 million each to the partnership. In addition, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust have committed $10 million and $7.5 million respectively. The CFP, a project initially announced in September 2018, is the first vehicle focused on climate infrastructure investments in emerging markets of BlackRock, "We believe creative collaboration is essential to mobilising investment into climate infrastructure in emerging markets at scale, providing our clients with further opportunity to invest in the global low-carbon transition," said Brian Deese, Global Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TOKYO, Jan 22, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has made an investment in Otter.ai, the US-based provider of the highly accurate AI-powered Otter Voice Meeting Notes live transcription application. The investment forms part of a business partnership aiming at supporting Otter.ai's expansion in Japan and was made through DOCOMO's fully owned subsidiary NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc. DOCOMO additionally revealed its plans to develop new services in collaboration with Mirai Translate, Inc., its AI-based translation service subsidiary, leveraging Otter.ai's AI-based meeting note-taker in order to offer more efficient translation solutions.Otter Voice Meeting Notes generates searchable, sharable notes from the spoken content of meetings, lectures and presentations held in English; these combine audio, transcriptions, speaker identification, inline photos, and key phrases. The Otter mobile and web application has been used by well over one million people around the world. The Otter application automatically records sentences according to the context of a speech, even over long multi-party conversations, and can transcribe text with high accuracy in real-time. AI is used to identify and label speakers in meetings, and their conversations are accurately transcribed, significantly reducing the time required to produce reports or meeting minutes. In addition, users can search transcribed content by keyword and playback specific sections merely by selecting the text on the screen, making it easy to review the content of meetings and thereby improving productivity.Utilizing DOCOMO's natural language processing technology, Mirai Translate offers highly precise machine translation between Japanese and English. This is one of DOCOMO's key initiatives in its quest to help people overcome language barriers in everyday communication.DOCOMO plans to start to support the introduction of Otter.ai within Japanese companies during the fiscal year 2020. In addition, DOCOMO plans to develop advanced translation solutions capable of conveying the content of speeches as well as recognizing the identities of multiple speakers at a meeting or event. It will achieve this by integrating Otter.ai. with Mirai Translate, with the aim of improving the operating efficiency of Japanese companies with global operations, and encouraging work-style reform across them.As a part of DOCOMO's collaboration with Otter.ai, the Otter Voice Meeting Notes application is being used on a trial basis in Berlitz Japan's English language classes in Japan in an initiative that commenced on January 8. In order for students to confirm and review the content of lessons, they use Otter to record and transcribe them; they are also able to click on sections of text and initiate voice playback of these. The aim of the trial is to verify the usefulness of Otter.ai in the study of English. DOCOMO, Otter.ai, and Berlitz plan to conduct further efficiency verifications and collaborate in the field of language education.DOCOMO additionally plans to conduct demonstrations during the DOCOMO Open House 2020, which will take place in the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition complex in Tokyo on January 23 and 24, 2020. English language content will be transcribed by Otter.ai and then translated into Japanese in real-time using a machine translation engine jointly developed by Mirai Translate and DOCOMO.Going forward, DOCOMO will continue to support the entry into the Japan market of overseas companies, leveraging its own cutting-edge services and technologies to develop new markets and services.About NTT DOCOMONTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 79 million subscriptions, is one of the world's foremost contributors to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Beyond core communications services, DOCOMO is challenging new frontiers in collaboration with a growing number of entities ("+d" partners), creating exciting and convenient value-added services that change the way people live and work. Under a medium-term plan toward 2020 and beyond, DOCOMO is pioneering a leading-edge 5G network to facilitate innovative services that will amaze and inspire customers beyond their expectations. DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (9437). https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/.About Mirai Translate Inc.Mirai Translate, Inc. is a machine translation solution provider as one of NTT DOCOMO subsidiary. Mirai Translate offer Software as a Service (SaaS) "Mirai TranslatorTM" with a neural network machine translation (NMT) engine which has the same translation accuracy as the Japanese and English bilingual businessmen. This SaaS offer 25 language pairs and customized models for as legal and pharmaceutical industry, and has been widely patronized as a highly precise and highly secure cloud machine translation service for businesses.About NTT DOCOMO VenturesNTT DOCOMO Ventures, the NTT Group's corporate venture capital firm, aims to accelerate innovation for the creation of new services, disruptive technologies and innovative processes serving as a primary channel for startup companies and venture communities on behalf of the NTT Group, Japan's leading ICT service provider. We proactively enhance cooperation with exceptional entrepreneurs on a worldwide scale by providing capital from our corporate venture funds and vast business development opportunities with the NTT Group companies.Source: NTT DOCOMOCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. You have a group of individuals in the country who are big supporters and big believers of the president that, much like we saw in the 2016 election, are unique to him, said Brian O. Walsh, president of the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action, which is attracting many of these donors. Thats the magnet that attracts them to want to participate at a higher level than ever before. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Tuesday, as the North African country's former coloniser seeks to boost ties and defuse regional conflicts. Tebboune, who came to power last month in a presidential election, received the first senior French government official to visit Algeria since the justice minister a year ago. That visit came just before an unprecedented protest movement burst onto the scene, forcing longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down in April. "The presidential elections took place. There is now a new government and France wants to work with it," Le Drian said. "President Tebboune has shown an ambition for Algeria -- one of deep reform, to reinforce governance, the rule of law and freedoms," he told reporters. The Algerian leader's vision also seeks "to revive the economy in accordance with the aspirations that Algerians have shown for the last year," Le Drian said. Tebboune, once a prime minister under Bouteflika, won the December election amid an official turnout of less than 40 percent. Analysts believe voter participation was substantially lower, in a context where the Hirak protest movement viewed the election as a ploy by an unreformed elite to consolidate its power. Le Drian's visit came amid international efforts to resolve the conflict in Libya -- a neighbour of Algeria -- and crises in the Sahel. Tebboune was among invitees to a summit on Libya held in Berlin on Sunday. "We were together in Berlin, the day before yesterday, on Libya's conflict and we will coordinate our efforts beyond even... a sustainable ceasefire" and recreating a political dialogue between Libya's warring parties, Le Drian said. "We will also take stock of the situation in the Sahel and recall our common objectives of security and fighting against terrorism," he added. France and five Sahel nations -- including three of Algeria's immediate neighbours -- pledged earlier this month to bolster efforts against jihadists waging an increasingly deadly insurgency. In addition to being an accomplished saxophonist, he also became a leading composer and arranger, with several tunes that have entered the canon as jazz standards. His boppish C.T.A. first appeared on a recording he made in 1953 with trumpeter Miles Davis, and For Minors Only debuted on a 1956 recording featuring trumpeter Chet Baker and alto saxophonist Art Pepper. His 1964 composition Gingerbread Boy has been recorded by Davis and many others and may be his best-known tune. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 15:59:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's capital Ulan Bator has launched a campaign to clean up the environment ahead of the traditional "White Moon" festival or the Lunar New Year, the press office of the municipal government said Wednesday. "Mayor of the capital city Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan on Tuesday ordered relevant officials of all nine districts of the city to intensify collection, transportation and disposal of waste in the city before the White Moon," the press office said in a statement. The government also urged citizens to join the one-month campaign called "Let's welcome White Moon without litter." The White Moon, the most important holiday in Mongolia, symbolizes the start of spring and the end of winter. The festival falls on Feb. 23 this year. All Mongolian families clean up their homes ahead of the festival, believing good luck comes with cleanliness. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-23 05:03:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices sank on Wednesday amid growing concerns over a potential oversupply of crude. The West Texas Intermediate for March delivery settled 1.64 dollars lower at 56.74 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery dropped 1.38 dollars to close at 63.21 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said he expects the market to be oversupplied by as much as 1 million barrels per day in the first half of this year, according to reports by the Reuters. The comments and the successes of the U.S. shale oil industry, which are also the main reason for the current oversupply on the oil market, weighed on the market, experts noted. In a monthly report published Tuesday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts further efficiency gains in shale oil drilling. Traders also kept a close eye on disruptions to Libya's crude output. Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Saturday declared a state of force majeure in oil ports, accusing the east-based army of closing the ports. The closure of the ports causes loss of daily crude oil production of 800,000 barrels, or a daily equivalent of 55 million dollars, the NOC said in a statement. Enditem Reinstated Today host Karl Stefanovic was axed in December 2018 amid his personal life dominating headlines. And on Thursday, Karl, 45, was excited to reveal that his private life with pregnant wife Jasmine Yarbrough, 35, was better than ever. He told The Kyle and Jackie O Show: 'We're glad that some of the heat has died out of the whole thing and we sort of lead a more normal life than we did before.' 'We're glad the heat has died out': Karl Stefanovic (left) has spoken about his wife Jasmine Yarbrough's (right) pregnancy for the first time Karl was dumped as co-host of the Today show in December 2018, while he was on his honeymoon with Jasmine. At the time, his personal life was making headlines after his split from his first wife, Cassandra Thorburn, with whom he shares three children. '[Jasmine] is glowing, she's happy and we're all very happy,' Karl said. Photos taken of Jasmine in a swimsuit in Byron Bay on December 14 confirmed speculation the couple were excepting their first child together. Karl later announced the news via Instagram by writing: 'After a great deal of speculation...the rumours are true.' 'We're all very happy': Karl (pictured with Jasmine on April 4, 2018) told The Kyle and Jackie O Show, 'We sort of lead a more normal life than we did before' 'We have very few surprises in this life': When asked if the couple knew the sex of their unborn child, Karl said they had chosen not to find out until the birth When asked if the couple knew the sex of their unborn child, Karl said they had chosen not to find out until the birth. 'We have very few surprises in this life, and there's been so much of us that is public. [During] the whole thing, we've been trying to hold on to ours,' he said. Karl then joked: 'I think pregnancy is one of those things that is really boring!' Exes: Karl and Jasmine began dating in late 2016, just months after he had separated from his first wife, Cassandra Thorburn, following 21 years of marriage. Pictured in 2011 Karl and Jasmine began dating in late 2016, just months after he had separated from Cassandra following 21 years of marriage. The former couple share three children: Jackson, 20, River, 12, and Ava, 14. In an interview with 3AW on Tuesday, Karl said that he couldn't understand why there had been so much public interest surrounding his split. Surprising: In an interview with radio station 3AW on Tuesday, the reinstated Today show host said he couldn't understand why there was so much public interest surrounding his split 'I thought, "Hang on, a lot of people go through [divorce], why is mine such a big deal?"' he said. 'I still don't know why it was, but I got divorced, I did find love again, and I'm sorry if people are offended by that, but it's made me really happy.' Karl said that while many people experience 'relationship difficulties', his were playing out in public, which led to some dark times. Happily ever after: In December, Karl and Jasmine celebrated their one-year anniversary after tying the knot in 2018 at Mexico's five-star One&Only Palmilla resort 'My kids are now just wonderful, and we've all moved through some difficult times. At the time though, there were some hardships there,' he added. In December, Karl and Jasmine celebrated their one-year anniversary after tying the knot in 2018 at Mexico's five-star One&Only Palmilla resort. The Today show airs weekdays from 5:30am on Nine A Huawei logo displayed above the companys booth at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Feb. 26, 2019. (David Ramos/Getty Images) Containing the Huawei Virus Can the United States stop the Chinese firm from enveloping the globe? Commentary The deadly virus originating out of the central Chinese city of Wuhan is making headlines, and well it should. Theres the potential for this new coronavirus to spread rapidly from China to the rest of Asia and the West. The virus attacks victims immune systems, compromising their health and threatening their very existence. At this writing, there are over 600 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with at least one in the state of Washington in the United States, and 17 deaths in China. The Huawei Contagion But theres another high-risk contagion that has spread much further and deeper into many nations of the world, with very serious consequences as well. Im talking about Huawei, of course, and its drive to be the main source of 5G telecommunication equipment for the world. As Ive written before, the China-based company is the biggest network equipment and phone infrastructure provider on earth. Its equipment is at the very heart of communications systems in countries across Europe and Asia, as well as in several Western states in the United States. Unfortunately, as many are aware, Huawei gear itself is the infection, compromising networks and phone systems with built-in spyware. This enables the company to record, gather, and alter data of all stripes, from the mundane to the top secret, and send it home to Beijing. The global equipment providers violations range far and wide in their damage to the national security, as well as economic viability, of every nation in which their network equipment operates. In medical terms, the Huawei virus undermines nations immune system, lowers its ability to defend itself in a variety of critical areas, including trade and foreign policy. In fact, Huawei was the catalyst of the U.S.China trade war and the threat it poses to U.S. sovereignty is reflected in President Donald Trumps very hard line against it. That also explains why Washington identified Huawei as a national security threat last November. There Are No Coincidences Of course, Huaweis behavior isnt breaking news. Meng Wanzhou, the CFO and daughter of the companys founder Ren Zhengfei, has been under house arrest in Canada since late 2018. She was taken into custody for allegedly violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran through a shell company based in Hong Kong. Coincidentally, Mengs arrest in Canada at the request of the U.S. government was the same day that Trump was in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Was the timing of Mengs arrest coincidence? Perhaps, but probably not. In politics, as the saying goes, there are no coincidences. Its much more likely, therefore, that Trump wanted to let Beijing know just how serious the United States is about stopping its predatory practices. Imagine the words that must have passed between them as Beijing learned of the arrest of one of the top officers of its flagship company. The conversation must have been quite animated, to say the least. Its also probable that in that moment, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership realized that it wasnt dealing with Barack Obama anymore. Thats also why Beijings detention of two Canadians shortly thereafter can only be seen in the context of retaliation against Canada for Mengs arrest. Blacklisting Huawei Although Meng, her father, and even the Chinese regime continue to deny the charge of Iran sanctions violations, investigations by both the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government have found, without doubt, that such is the case. Those investigations, which confirmed that Huawei acts as an agent of the CCP, resulted in the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisting Huawei from buying parts from U.S. companies without special permission. This is the context behind Mengs trial for extradition to the United States, which began this month. If China was expecting the United States to drop the charges against Huawei if they signed the Phase One deal, theyre likely to be disappointed. Leveraging such quid pro quos is business as usual for Beijing. However, as China is finding out, thats not how the Trump administration works. The United States is determined to rollback Huaweisthat is, Chinaspenetration and influence in the world, and especially with regard to U.S. allies. More to the point of the matter, Mengs extradition to the United States would almost certainly result in a conviction. It would have to. If she were to be acquitted, it would discredit the global campaign against Huawei and Beijings predatory trade practices that the United States is so ardently pursuing. The Cost of Banning Huawei If a conviction occurs, how serious will Beijing be about fulfilling its side of the Phase One deal? It wouldnt be a surprise if China backed out of the deal; doubts of its ability to meet the terms already exist. If that happened, the United States could ban Huawei from the American banking system, severely hindering its ability to do business. That option is already been considered and remains on the table. China, on the other hand, may be engaged in bit of messaging as well. Huaweis legal department issued what looks like a thinly veiled threat when chief legal officer Song Liuping stated that, Banning a company like Huawei, just because we started in Chinathis does not solve cyber security challenges. The meaning of this statement seems rather clear: Beijing is threatening cyberattacks against the United States if the case against Meng goes forward and/or results in a conviction and further actions against Huawei. The cost of containing Huawei may well be the unwinding of Phase One, which may have been Beijings plan all along. James Gorrie is a writer and speaker based in Southern California. He is the author of The China Crisis. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Senate Democrats called on constituents to flood phone lines. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii tweeted the phone number of the Senate switchboard, urging people to call and demand that lawmakers allow new witnesses and evidence to be considered. A key Republican said he would wait a little while to decide on witnesses. Senator Mitt Romney, who has said he is interested in hearing from John Bolton, Mr. Trumps former national security adviser, said in a statement Tuesday he would consider a vote to call witnesses only after opening arguments are complete, which, under Mr. McConnells plan, could be as soon as next week. The White House responded angrily to demands that Mr. Cipollone turn over documents. The requests suggested that Mr. Cipollone, the White House counsel, might have conflicts representing the president in a trial that revolved around events in which he played a part. The idea that the counsel to the president has to turn over protected documents and confidential information is ludicrous, a White House spokesman said Tuesday. White House lawyers are preparing for the possibility that witnesses will be allowed. Theyre planning contingencies for Mr. Bolton getting called, according to my colleague Maggie Haberman. Objections to his testimony would most likely involve arguing that portions of it are classified, then taking that argument to federal court. What it looked like on Capitol Hill today Special curved tables were set up in the Senate chamber to accommodate the House managers and White House lawyers. Lawmakers were only allowed to drink water and milk (milk!) in the room during the trial. One senator was responsible for doling out candy to his colleagues, who were forced to sit attentively for the duration of the proceedings. I asked my colleague Catie Edmondson, who was on Capitol Hill, to give me a sense of what it looked and felt like on the first busy day of the trial. Heres what she told me: A throng of roughly two dozen photographers were stationed in a roped-off pen just between Mr. McConnells office and the Senate floor, and as lawmakers walked from his office to their desks, a remarkable and blinding flash of light would go off as the photographers captured them. Security for everyone was as restrictive as Ive ever seen it. Reporters attempting to enter the chamber had to first go through a metal detector (we, along with anyone visiting or working there, ordinarily only go through detectors to enter the Capitol facilities). Aides were escorting reporters confined to those press pens between floors. The visual of all 100 senators seated at their desks sans electronics many carefully taking notes on legal pads and notebooks with glasses perched on their noses was also an unusual one for the Senate. Were used to seeing them milling about ahead of a vote, or not in the chamber at all. Even the gallery above the Senate was notable. Among the guests: the actress-turned-activist Alyssa Milano and Jeff Flake, the former Republican senator. Since photographers are not allowed in the Senate chamber, The Times sent a Supreme Court sketch artist to cover the trial. See his drawings here. China said on Jan. 22 that 440 people have now contracted a new virus that first appeared in Wuhan and has killed nine people, amid fears the respiratory disease could become a global epidemic. Li Bin, vice minister of Chinas National Health Commission, told reporters the figures were accurate as of midnight Tuesday, and that all nine deaths from coronavirus had been in Hubei province, from where the World Health Organization (WHO) was first notified of the virus on Dec. 31, 2019. A further 2,197 people who came into contact with those already infected were isolated, Li Bin said, and that 765 of those have been released from observation. China on Jan. 20 admitted that the disease could be transmitted human to human, raising concerns that the illness has already spread widely across the country. It is estimated that the virus has already reached 20 mainland cities other than Wuhan, according to a study by the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Recently there has been a big change in the number of cases, which is related to our deepening understanding of the disease, improving diagnostic methods, and optimising the distribution of diagnostic kits, Li said. He said the new strain of coronavirus is mainly spread through respiratory transmission, warning that China must now urgently work to prevent and control the spread of the disease. The virus may mutate, and there is a risk of further spread of the virus, he said, according to The Guardian. His comments came as the WHO on Wednesday scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the virus and whether to declare a public health emergency of international concern. The surge in cases of coronavirus also followed news that the U.S. had become the fifth country outside of Chinaand the first outside Asiato confirm a case of infection. The patient, who is in his 30s, is understood to have travelled on Jan. 15 to Seattle from Wuhan, where the outbreak originated. He remains in isolation at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has since upgraded its precaution levels for traveling to China from level one to level two on a three-tier scale, warning travelers to exercise enhanced precautions. Li said Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan had also confirmed one case each of the virus and Thailand four. An Australian man has also been placed in isolation after returning from central China with flu-like symptoms. Concerned about a global outbreak similar to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)another coronavirus that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003numerous nations have adopted screening measures for travelers from China, especially those arriving from Wuhan. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, a worker monitors display screens for infrared thermometers as they check travelers at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern Chinas Hubei province. (Chinatopix via AP)Concerns have been heightened as millions of Chinese are expected to travel to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday, which falls on Jan. 25 this year. Many return home for festivities or travel abroad for vacation, with official data showing that roughly 3 billion trips take place every year during the new year period. Wuhan has a population of 11 million people. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause respiratory disease ranging from the common cold to SARS. The most common symptom of the virus is a high fever. However, other symptoms include breathlessness, a sore throat, and a cough. Severe cases of infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the WHO. As the virusalso known as 2019-nCoVhas an incubation period of seven days, symptoms may not immediately be noticeable. Chinese authorities believe the outbreak is linked to a fresh food market in Wuhan which sold seafood and wild animals. The market, which was linked to all SARS cases seen in Wuhan in 2003, has been closed since Jan. 1. Gao Fu, the director of Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the virus likely originated from wild animals and mutated after it transferred to humans and became contagious among humans. He added that Chinese officials are working on the assumption that the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals that were being traded illegally in the Wuhan market. The WHO has urged people to avoid unprotected contact with live animals and avoid close contact with those with cold or flu-like symptoms, as well as cook meat and eggs thoroughly. Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. From The Epoch Times SYLVAN BEACH, N.Y. At least 75 ice fishing shanties dotted the ice at the eastern end of Oneida Lake this morning. Word travels fast in the ice fishing community, thanks to social media and word of mouth. With a shortage of safe, fishable ice on most waterways in Upstate New York, Oneida Lake has been a gathering point this week. The anglers interviewed by this reporter were locals, along with others from across the state and beyond. All were targeting walleye and perch. In most cases, though, it was more about fishing than catching. Many were happy just get out on the ice. I havent caught anything yet, but Im trying my best. We drove in from Buffalo this morning and were desperate to find ice and this is the closest ice," said George Zipressi, sitting outside of his one-person shanty and jigging a black and silver Jigging Rap. George Zipressi, of Buffalo, tries his luck ice fishing on Oneida Lake, off Sylvan Beach. Ive seen a lot (with my Vexilar flasher), but I just cant catch em, added Mike Salvagni, of Memphis, N.Y. , who was fishing nearby, Many of the anglers walked more than a quarter mile out on the ice from shore before setting up. Those nearest to shore had to drill through 4 to 6 inches of ice, along with as much as a couple of feet of shelf ice underneath that. Beyond where the shelf ice ended, anglers were fishing on four inches of ice on water up to nearly 30 feet. L-R, Wayne Parker and Sal Panzica, of Hannibal, N.Y., jigging Slab Raps tipped with buckeye minnows for walleye off of Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake. Some anglers were cashing in. A few showed this reporter a few nice walleye along with a few jumbo perch in the 12- to 13-inch range. Joseph Judge, of Spencerville, N.Y., landed a nice walleye measuring an estimated 23 inches, jigging a perch-colored Nils Master Jig Rap tipped with half of an emerald shiner. Joseph Judge of Spencer, N,Y. up an estimated 23-inch walleye he caught through the ice on Oneida Lake off of Sylvan Beach. The Upstate New York ice fishing scene has been delayed and dicey at times this winter with stretches of warm weather putting the kibosh on ice formation. The further south you get the worst it gets as far as ice conditions, said Al Daher, of Mickeys Bait and Tackle in North Syracuse. Ive been talking to guys from Pennsylvania. Theyre not doing anything down there. Theyre calling up here to see if theres any ice. The further north you go, though, the better the conditions. Places like Black Lake and spots in the Adirondacks. Kyle Gionet, of Thousand Island Bait Store in Alexandreai Bay on the St. Lawrence River, said some areas of the river have fishable ice, such as Goose Bay with 5-6 inches; Black Lake with 3- 4 inches and several smaller lakes in nearby Theresa (Moon Lake, Red Lake and Hyde Lake) with 3-4 inches. He mentioned Chaumont Bay on the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario, along popular ice fishing spot, has about 4 inches in places, but can be as thin as an inch in others. Rob Ripka, one of the owners of Fat Nancys Bait Shop in Pulaski, like other bait shop owners, was reluctant to give our recommendations on where theres safe ice. However, Sandy Pond is one place he felt comfortable talking about. There are guys out there on sleds (snowmobiles) on the ice. Its safe, he said. L-R, Ben Franklin and Dustin Vaile, both of Camden, N.Y. hold up fish they caught through the ice on Oneida Lake off Sylvan Beach. Vaile said his walleye was 18-19 inches long. Daher, at Mickeys said some are complaining, but its not the worst ice fishing season in recent memory, and the winter still has week to go. I can remember when each winter you could count on up to two feet of ice on the lake sometimes three. That ended in the mid- to late-90s, he said. About 10 years ago the lake never froze. That was unprecedented. He said ice conditions are getting progressively worse on Oneida Lake. Seems like lately you maybe get three good ice years out of every five, he said. MORE: How wildlife rehabilitators saved a great horned owl in Oswego County Best spots to see bald eagles in Upstate NY during the winter North Country snowmobiler found dead after hitting a group of rocks LOS ANGELES Brace-faced newcomer Athena May is the object of her step-brothers obsession in DickDrainers latest IR fantasy release, available now at the companys official website. With her super cute looks, fit body, a beautiful bubble butt, and high sexual energy, Athena is the exact type of girl we love to feature on Dickdrainers.com, said DDs Branden Richards. This was actually Athenas second scene with us, but it was so incredible we rearranged our release schedule to get this out ASAP. We're also happy to feature her very first rimjob on camera! She does it like a pro. You can definitely expect a lot more from her very soon, as shes already become one of our favorites! Athena May said, He treats me like a princess and fucks me like a whore. I love working for DickDrainers! The DickDrainers release, My Brace Face Step Sister Finally Gets The Punishment She Deserves! has a runtime of 48 minutes and is available for streaming and download here. Follow Athena May on Twitter @athenamayxxx. Follow Branden Richards on Twitter @BRichXXX. Follow DickDrainers on Twitter @DickDrainersXXX. Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh (Source: VNA) Hosted by the Centre for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies under the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IFES RAS), the event brought together a crowd of Vietnamese and Russian scholars. In his opening speech, Director of the IFES RAS Sergei Lyzyanin said the event aims to review achievements of cooperation between the two nations and discuss orientations to expand their relations in the coming time. Lyzyanin said that Vietnam is always a time-hounoured and reliable friend of his country in the region and the world. For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh highlighted the significance of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations, describing this as a strong support for President Ho Chi Minh and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 70 years ago. Participants reviewed and gave their assessment of the Vietnam - Russia relationship across fields from military, politics and information, economic and trade ties, and migration, to science-technology and culture cooperation. They also proposed initiatives to further strengthen the Vietnam - Russia ties in the coming time./. A beer a day keeps the doctor away. At least that's what one Brooklyn man is hoping. Floyd Hayes, 47, is going viral after filling out a form to have a "16 oz, lightly hopped session IPA served in a regular bar pint glass" serve as a service animal. I travel from upstate to Brooklyn a lot, and on the bus they say its a federal crime to smoke or have an alcoholic beverage unless by prior written contest, Hayes told the Brooklyn Paper. Not that Im an alcoholic." Hayes told the New York Post that this was more of an experiment and he was trying not to make fun of anyone who required the aid of a service animal. I dont mean it in a heady mental health manner, Hayes said. More if you go to a party, and want to break the ice. Hayes wrote on the website that his beer does not need any training and it was there to help him with his social anxiety disorder. According to Ale Street News, who first reported the news, the pint was registered with USA Service Dog Registration with the registration number: 1085780890. Upon entering the registration number into the website, the response of "enter tracking code is invalid" displayed on screen. Additionally, the USA Service Dog Registration has received numerous complaints from the Better Business Bureau. According to the United States Department of Justice, "there are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal." Hayes is an Integrated Experiential Creative Director/ECD who specializes in stunt marketing, according to his website. The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) vice presidential candidate during the last general elections, Peter Obi has stated that Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC), would not have been a governor during his time if PDP did what APC is doing now. Read Also: Secondus, Peter Obi, Melaye, Other PDP Bigwigs Storm Abuja Streets To Protest Imo Judgement Obi made this known while addressing journalists at his Abuja residence on Tuesday, 21st January. He said: I am speaking here, not just as a leader of PDP, but one of the beneficiaries being in government for 16 years for doing what is right. I was in a minority party. I won the election and PDP did not intervene. I went to court, PDP did not intervene. I benefited from it. Adams Oshiomhole wouldnt have been governor, he wouldnt have benefited from the judiciary if PDP did what APC is doing today. Residents living near a rail yard in Houston have had enough. Some still have cancer. Some have beat cancer. Many know someone who has died of cancer. We are tired, Sandra Edwards, a resident of the area and member of IMPACT, a community action group. I want to know if it is safe for me to live in the neighborhood. We are not waiting no longer. We want it done now. We want results now. At a town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston), with consumer advocate Erin Brockovich as a guest speaker, hundreds of residents packed Wheatley High Schools auditorium in Houstons Fifth Ward Tuesday night to call for relief for the community. But first, Brockovich acknowledged the problem. In one powerful moment during her remarks, Brockovich called on the crowd to stand if they, or someone they know, had cancer. Hundreds were brought to their feet. This is not normal, said Brockovich, who is best known for her work obtaining a multi-million dollar medical and environmental contamination settlement against Pacific Gas & Electric. You are human. You know what you see, and that gives you a right to stand up and speak up. For years, residents have wondered if contamination from a nearby rail yard was harmful to their health. Early last year, some began to organize to investigate the issue further following notification from Union Pacific, the company that owns the rail yard, that the groundwater beneath their homes was contaminated with creosote, a wood preservative and probable carcinogen according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Creosote, used to treat wood railroad ties, seeped into the ground and formed a plume deep below the surface, which moved beneath approximately 110 properties in the area in recent years. After state health officials found higher-than-expected rates of lung and bronchus, esophagus and larynx cancers in the areas immediately surrounding the rail yard in August, politicians and local agencies have mobilized to obtain more research on the issue as well as call for remediation efforts and compensation for those affected. A City of Houston health survey conducted in January found that 43 percent of families living in homes located above the plume of creosote report at least one cancer diagnosis. However, only 30 homes of the 110 properties were able to be contacted in the citys door-to-door survey; the citys health department said it plans to conduct a second, more comprehensive survey. The cancer cluster analysis conducted by the state health department cannot prove what caused the observed cancers in the area, but for many, the study simply stated what residents knew all along about their neighborhood: Too many people are dying of cancer. During the question and answer section, dozens of residents lined up to share stories of cancer in their families. Elevated rates of cancer: Cancer cluster identified in Houston neighborhood near Union Pacific creosote contamination Decades of contamination Creosote was used at the yard for decades until the 1980s. Many residents suspect that past exposure to the substance, which some recall occurring when it rained or even when they played in the rail yard as children, may have led to developing cancer later in life. Residents are also concerned about the potential for current exposure as well, since environmental experts have said it is possible that harmful contaminants evaporate from the contaminated groundwater, through the soil and into the air of homes. Union Pacific, which acquired the site through a merger with Southern Pacific after creosote operations had ceased, is in the process of renewing its environmental permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the states environmental agency. The company in recent months conducted groundwater tests on the potential for vapor intrusion at the request of the TCEQ and found that contamination was below the EPAs vapor intrusion screening level. In 2016, Union Pacific conducted soil remediation at the site including consolidation and excavation to prevent exposure. The company said in a statement provided before the event that it will continue to work cooperatively with all governmental authorities. Initial concerns: Houston neighborhood contends with rail yard after decades of contamination Call for relief In the meantime, other agencies have attempted to learn more about what may have caused the higher-than-expected rates of cancer in the area. In July, the city tested residents drinking water and found it to be safe. Harris County officials in December said they will investigate Union Pacifics management of the site, and earlier this month, city health officials conducted a door-to-door health survey. At the town hall, community members called on Union Pacific to provide more comprehensive clean up efforts and compensation for those affected. Lawmakers asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates the site, to provide more information to the community about the permit process. Jackson Lees office circulated a petition to request a superfund cleanup in the area by the EPA. Representatives from various federal agencies, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Transportation, spoke about federal grants and programs that residents may apply for in order to seek relief or resources. This is serious, said Jackson Lee. (The African American and black community) are living in areas where we are more subject to the environmental issues that cause our life expectancy to go down. We understand that there has to be some collaborative relief. erin.douglas@chron.com Twitter.com/erinmdouglas12 The Prince (Credit: HBO) HBO has signed up a new animated satire series based on the royal family. It's been created by US producer and writer Gary Janetti, one of the former executive producers of the sitcom Will & Grace. Read more: Prince Harry arrives in Vancouver The show, which will feature an all-star voice cast, is based on Janetti's popular Instagram account it has nearly 900,000 followers on which he posts about the royal family, particularly giving voice to the young Prince George. Janetti, who has also written for Family Guy, will voice Prince George himself, with Orlando Bloom as Prince Harry, Condola Rashad at Meghan Markle, Lucy Punch as Kate Middleton, Tom Hollander as both Prince Philip and Prince Charles, Alan Cumming as Prince Georges butler Owen. Elsewhere, Harry Potter star Frances De La Tour voices the Queen, with Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon as Prince William. Orlando Bloom (Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Im thrilled to be working at HBO Max and bringing them yet another series about a family ruthlessly fighting for the throne, said Janetti, presumably referring to HBOs other recent hit Succession. It comes at a turbulent time for the Windsors, as they come to terms with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, stepping away from both their royal duties, and their Royal Highness titles. Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle (Credit: STAR MAX/IPx) It also follows the controversy surrounding Prince Andrew and his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the subject of which was discussed in detail in an interview with the BBC before Christmas. Janetti was also the creator of the sitcom Vicious for ITV, starring Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi, which was panned by critics and ended after two series. PM to meet sugarcane farmers tomorrow to hear them out; tell them government initiative Kharif MSP at 150 per cent of input cost to be announced next week, PM told sugarcane farmers Highest ever! Govt nod to fair and remunerative price of Rs 290 per quintal on sugarcane for 2021-22 Explained: Why sugarcane farmers are protesting against Brazilian President as chief guest on R-Day India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 22: Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro will be the chief guest on Republic Day 2020 and will also explore ways to boost trade ties. This will be the third time that India has invited a Brazilian leader as the chief guest at the country's Republic Day event The politician, known as Brazil's Donald Trump, was sworn in on New Year's Day 2019. Bolsonaro is notorious for making racist, sexist and homophobic comments, and is pro-gun. However, the decision to invite Brazilian President as the chief guest has been criticised by the All India Sugarcane Farmers' Federation (AISFF). Captain Tania Shergill to become first woman parade adjutant for Republic Day parade #GoBackBolsonaro was launched by the Federation of Sugarcane Producers of India and has the support of All India Kisan Sabha, the largest farmers lobby in the country, founded in 1936. He is turned out to be a direct threat to more than five crore farming families in India who grow sugarcane. Brazil fears Indian sugar exports could undercut Brazil's global prices SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News Brazil, the world's largest sugarcane producer, along with Australia and Guatemala had moved the World Trade Organisation against India objecting to the fair and remunerative price for sugarcane growers here. The country had alleged that India's sugar subsidies are inconsistent with global trade rules and distorting the sugar market. Also, Brazil pointed out that the Minimum Indicative Export Quota (MIEQ) fixed for sugar mills was increased from two million tonnes in 2017-18 to five million tonnes in 2018-19, and claimed that it aids in building a global sugar surplus, which is ultimately affecting the farmers and millers of their respective countries. In its complaint, the Brazilian trade ministry said "suspicion is that Indian domestic support (to farmers) and its subsidies to sugar exports caused significant impacts in the sugar market in a context of falling prices and decreasing production in the main centers Brazil, China and Thailand". WTO investigation over sugar subsidies However in the month of October, pursuant to the complaint, the WTO issued a press statement notifying an adjudicatory dispute settlement body to discuss the complaint "India - Measures Concerning Sugar and Sugarcane". Under the WTO rules (Article 6 of the Agreement on Agriculture), India is permitted to offer a product-specific AMS (Aggregate Measurement of Support) for sugarcane up to 10% of the total value of production of cane. Republic Day 2020: Chinook, Apache to take part in flypast for first time India had maintained that its subsidies are in line with the WTO rule. The Indian sugar industry is suffering from various hurdles from last two to three years, and to bring the sector out of the crisis, the government had introduced various measures like soft loan scheme, hike in minimum selling price, scrapping of export duty, 100 per cent rise in import duty, hike in sugarcane price and others. Even Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna leader and former MP Raju Shetti has stated that if India signs an agreement with Brazil related to sugar, biodiesel and ethanol, it will directly affect the sugarcane farmers from 18 states of the country. N K Shukla, general secretary of AISFF said that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government instead of protecting the interests of farmers, is rolling out the red carpet for the Brazilian President whose government is seeking to destroy the livelihoods of sugarcane farmers. It should be noted that India's sugar production has fallen sharply by 30.22 per cent to 7.79 million tonne in the first three months of current marketing year ending September. The only founding member still on the Midland College Board of Trustees has resigned after serving for more than 47 years since before the community college began holding classes on-campus in 1975. Kenneth Peeler helped the college transition from educating college students at Lee High School classrooms for its first six years of existence to becoming a well-respected junior college that offers baccalaureate degrees and partners with universities across the state, including the Texas A&M University System and Texas Tech University. The campus has also grown to include an Early College High School and a pre-kindergarten charter academy. The long-serving trustee wrote in his resignation letter -- submitted Dec. 16 -- that serving as a founding member of the board has been one of the greatest honors of his life. The time has come for me to step aside and allow anther community leader to take my place, Peeler wrote. I am humbled by the generosity and support the college receives from the citizens of Midland, and I look forward to watching as both Midland College and the community it serves continue to flourish into the future. It is with deep gratitude and appreciation for each of you that I submit this letter, knowing full well that the good work we did together will continue, and that Midland College will always be a shining star in our community. Trustees Larry Lawrence and Steven Kiser reluctantly accepted Peelers resignation during Tuesdays board meeting. MC President Steve Thomas said there has never been a founding member retire from the board. This is really a historical agenda item, Thomas said. Since joining the board in 1972, just three years after the college was founded, Peeler has stood alongside four presidents and has assisted in making the decisions to implement several new degree programs and construct and renovate many facilities. The more recent include the newly renovated softball fields, which were completed this month, and the facilities that are currently under construction or being renovated, including the Cowden Dining Hall, engineering lab, ATC Health Sciences Labs and Murray Fasken Learning Resource Center. Through his efforts with the college, Peelers late wife, LaVoe, discovered the same love for the college. She was the one who suggested Pepe Paisano as the name of MCs chaparral mascot. In her memory, Peeler created the LaVoe B. and Kenneth A. Peeler ECHS at MC Endowed Scholarship. Because of his tenure, MC board president Linda Cowden discussed Tuesday giving Peeler an emeritus title. He would still be able to attend as an honorary board member but would not be able to vote on any items. The board unanimously voted in favor and agreed he deserved it for his hard work throughout the years. Cowden said Peeler likely has attended about 450 board meetings during his time as a trustee. Thats a lot of service, trustee Paul Morris said. The number of Americans exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals in their drinking water has been dramatically underestimated previously, according to a new study that has found toxic PFAS chemicals at dangerous levels in dozens of US cities. The studys release illustrates a concerning trend just as environmental regulation in the United States have faced a full-on assault during the Trump administration, and comes just as Donald Trump himself has claimed in a speech to world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, that his country has some of the best water in the world. The United States has among the cleanest air and drinking water on Earth, Mr Trump said in Switzerland, repeating a contentious claim he has made before in spite of criticism he has faced for proposed budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, alongside regulatory cuts seen as undermining water and air quality in spite of America's frequent high rankings among world drinking water sources. The chemicals analysed in the new study are included in a group known as toxic fluorinated chemicals, and have been linked in studies to some forms of cancer and infertility. The new analysis of water samples by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates that they have been found in larger concentrations across the country including in Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans and the suburbs of New York City. The study suggests that the chemicals, which are often referred to as forever chemicals because they do not easily break down after being released in the environment, may be a much more widespread problem than previously thought, with 43 out of 44 cities across the country testing positive for high levels of the compounds. Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda Show all 5 1 /5 Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda 5602363.jpg Siegfried Modola, Water Aid Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda 5602365.jpg Siegfried Modola, Water Aid Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda 5602364.jpg Siegfried Modola, Water Aid Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda 5602366.jpg Siegfried Modola, Water Aid Water hazard: How the UN plans to provide clean drinking water for everyone in Rwanda 5602367.jpg Siegfried Modola, Water Aid We dont know how long these communities have been drinking PFAS-contaminated water, but we do know that these chemicals have been used and discharged all across the country for years, said EWG president and co-founder Ken Cook, in a statement. Mr Cook continued, noting the work of attorney Rob Bilott, whose work to expose the effects of the chemicals in West Virginia has recently been dramatised in the Mark Ruffalo film Dark Waters: If not for Rob Bilotts dogged work to expose the decades of deception by DuPont, 3M and other chemical companies, the scope of PFAS pollution in our water, air and food might very well be largely secret today. Earlier studies by the EPA and EWG did not indicate that PFAS chemicals were quite as widespread, but the new analysis looked at 30 such chemicals, instead of the two most common ones that are commonly tested for. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, many of which are created as by-products from manufacturing things like Teflon coating or hazmat suits. The EPA standards for PFAS chemicals suggests a limit of 70 parts-per-trillion, though some states including New Jersey have stricter limits. Last year, the EPA delayed a decision to implement further limits, saying that it would instead test large cities for their contamination rates. To date, EPA has developed methods to reliably detect 29 PFAS chemicals in drinking water, a spokesperson for the agency told BuzzFeed in an emailed statement. Aggressively addressing PFAS will continue to be an EPA priority in 2020 and we will provide additional information on our upcoming actions as it becomes available. Some scientists have suggested that the newest study may not illuminate an increase in chemicals, and instead simply shows a greater ability to test for the chemical compounds in drinking water. Since Mr Trump became president in early 2017, his administration has embarked on an effort to strip environmental protections in the United States, including through the repeal of former president Barack Obama's clean water regulations that placed limits on the chemicals that can be used near streams, wetland and other bodies of water. The rollbacks have sparked alarm from environmentalists, and have been accompanied by efforts to undermine several other environmental protections, including rules to restrict pollution from coal-powered power plants, car tailpipes and methane emissions. EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler has described those efforts as a reversal of an egregious power-grab, and painted the rollbacks as good for business, saying last year that the new rules mean farmers, property owners and businesses will spend less time and money determining whether they need a federal permit and more time building infrastructure. A Knowlton Township stabbing that left a man injured is still under investigation and no one has been charged, Warren Countys prosecutor said Wednesday. New Jersey State Police said a man was in custody in connection with the Thursday afternoon attack at a home in the 500 block of Route 94 in Knowlton Township. The victim was stabbed once and was hospitalized at Morristown Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, Acting Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said Wednesday. Pfeiffer was out of the office and did not have the victims age or know his current medical status. No one else was injured in the attack. The man and victim knew each other but are not family and did not live together, Pfeiffer said. The county prosecutors office and New Jersey State Police are investigating the incident together. Pfeiffer said he believed there were other people in the home at the time, but that the home is in a rural area and investigators dont believe there are any additional witnesses. Pfeiffer said he anticipates sending out a news release with an update on the case by the end of this week. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Prashant Kishor (left) with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Janata Dal (United) Vice President Prashant Kishor has challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to "try and implement" the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC). In a tweet on January 22, Kishor said: "Being dismissive of citizens' dissent couldn't be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you don't care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why don't you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation! (sic) Kishor's comment comes a day after Shah at a rally in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh said that CAA will not be withdrawn, no matter who protests. On January 21, Shah said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyone's citizenship away. "A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamool Congress," he said. "The CAA is a law to grant citizenship," he added. "I want to say that no matter who protests, this (CAA) will not be withdrawn," he added. Shah also attacked opposition leaders for "misleading" people on CAA. Also read: Explained | CAA protests: Can states actually challenge constitutional validity of central laws? Kishor, who is also a well-known political strategist, has been a vocal critic of CAA and pan-India NRC. According to the amended citizenship law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and faced religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants \will be eligible for Indian citizenship. The law excludes Muslims. Those opposing the amended law say it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA, when combined with the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC), is intended to target Indias Muslim community. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to persecuted people from the three neighbouring countries and not take away citizenship from anyone. Tammy Hembrow visited the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital on the Gold Coast with her children on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Instagram sensation took to the social media platform to share snaps and video of the 'beautiful day,' before urging fans to donate to help injured animals amid the bushfire crisis. The fitness buff enjoyed the day out with sister Emilee Hembrow and her two kids, with Tammy telling fans: 'Our wildlife are more precious than ever.' 'Our animals are more precious than ever': Tammy Hembrow visited the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital on the Gold Coast with her children on Tuesday and urged fans to donate amid the bushfire crisis Tammy shared snaps of herself with an echidna and koalas, as well as a heartbreaking video of a koala on an operating table. 'A beautiful day at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital we learned so much,' Tammy's post began. 'With everything happening in Australia our wildlife is more precious than ever. Link in my stories to donate.' Sweet: In the snaps, Tammy's children, son Wolf, four, (pictured) and daughter Saskia, three, appeared thrilled to be visiting the animals Tragic: The bushfires have devastated Australia, burning more than 10 million hectares of land, killing 29 people, with more than a billion animals perishing in the flames In the snaps, Tammy's children, son Wolf, four, and daughter Saskia, three, appeared thrilled to be visiting the animals. They were joined on the day by Tammy's sister Emilee Hembrow, 26, and her two children, one-year-old Gabriel Storm and Aaliyah, three. Emilee wore black and white striped Adidas bike shorts, branded tube socks and a white activewear crop top. Family fun! Tammy was joined by her sister Emilee Hembrow (pictured left), 26, and her two children, one-year-old Gabriel Storm (pictured) and Aaliyah, three 'So today, me and my sisters and my babies all visited Currumbin Wildlife Hospital,' Tammy told her legion of fans on her Instagram story after the visit. 'It was such a good experience. They take such good care of so many animals. they're one of the biggest wildlife hospitals in the world. They see so many animals every year,' she continued. She added: 'They have all volunteers. So they could really use donations.' The bushfires have devastated Australia, burning more than 10 million hectares of land, killing 29 people, with more than a billion animals perishing in the flames. DAVOS, Switzerland - President Donald Trump sharpened his break from the international community at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, boasting about fossil fuel production and American economic success at a summit dedicated to fighting climate change and fostering global cooperation. Trump cited positive economic statistics - a soaring stock market, record low unemployment and factory openings - that he hopes will boost his reelection chances and overshadow the Senate impeachment trial underway back in Washington. "Today I'm proud to declare that the United States is in the midst of an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen before," he said in remarks that often sounded more like a campaign speech than an address to global leaders. Although the U.S. economy is outperforming other advanced economies, many of which are struggling, few economists would call it a boom. American job growth has been resilient, but domestic manufacturing is in recession and business investment has been sluggish. And economic growth overall in the United States is expected to slow further this year to about 2%, similar to the moderate pace during most of the economic recovery under President Barack Obama. ADVERTISEMENT The audience clapped politely for Trump, particularly when he backed a new international goal of planting 1 trillion trees worldwide. But the commitment was overshadowed by his touting of the extraction of "traditional fuels," such as coal and natural gas, that have contributed to global warming. Although the conference was awash with anxiety over growing nationalism and climate change, Trump brushed off the concerns and seemed to suggest that rising wealth would solve all problems. "We must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse," Trump said. "They are the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortunetellers." But his speech placed the president out of step with the rest of the summit's goals. "It flew in the face of everything that Davos is trying to talk about," said Sanjay Nazerali, the global chief strategy officer at the Dentsu Aegis Network, an international marketing firm based in London. He described Trump's speech as a "hymn to nationalism" at a time when leaders were discussing collaborative solutions to problems such as climate change that transcend borders and domestic politics. "Which nation is going to save the ice caps?" he asked. Other speakers warned of economic and environmental crises on the horizon. ADVERTISEMENT "The world is in a state of emergency, and the window to act is closing," said Klaus Schwab, a German engineer and economist who founded the World Economic Forum. Simonetta Sommaruga, the president of Switzerland, expressed alarm about the effects of climate change as global temperatures rise. "The world is on fire," she said. "We see the rainforest burning in the Amazon and the bush fires burning in Australia." A star attraction at Davos has been Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist. In her address, she said that "pretty much nothing" had been done to stop global warming despite all of the conversations about the problem. "Without treating it as a real crisis, we cannot solve it," she said before Trump spoke. Trump's comments had some business leaders pining for earlier versions of U.S. leadership. "The U.S. used to be a fantastic global leader," said John Neill, head of Unipart Group, a British manufacturing and logistics company. "We're trying to move to a more inclusive, collaborative world," he said. "Promoting your own country is not in complete conflict, but there was a contrast with the Chinese, who seem more inclined to try to embrace the global agenda for mutual advantage." ADVERTISEMENT Indeed, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng delivered an ode to globalization, with a veiled swipe at Trump's punishing trade war with China. Although tariffs remain in place, tensions have eased since both sides signed a preliminary agreement last week. "Despite the protectionist and unilateral moves by some countries," he said, "China will not stop opening up, and we will not follow their footsteps to move in the opposite direction." Although Trump fancies himself an international tycoon, he's never been completely comfortable with the economists, celebrities and others who flock to this glitzy Swiss ski resort every winter to brainstorm solutions to global problems. The conference center itself was a monument to several issues that Trump had ignored or rejected, featuring carpets made from recycled fishing nets, and the kind of energy-efficient lighting that Trump has mocked in the past. Trump's trip to Davos is his second, a surprising return engagement considering that he ran for office by denouncing globalists and previous presidents mostly shunned the gathering. He seemed eager for vindication from the crowd about his economic policies, saying, "The time for skepticism is over." He received some support from the International Monetary Fund, which predicted that global growth would hit 3.3% this year, in part because of the easing of Trump's trade war with China. That's up from 2.9% last year, the worst year for the world economy since the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009. At least some attendees seemed to have grown accustomed to Trump. Ian Bremmer, head of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm based in New York, said there was "zero panic" about Trump winning another term in the White House. "They like the regulatory rollback, they like his Cabinet, they like his tax policy," he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. But Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said any acceptance was more like relief that Trump's trade policies hadn't been more destructive. "His policies have been extraordinarily damaging," he said, "and there's universal consensus on that outside of a small group of people in the United States." Trump did not mention his impeachment during his speech but briefly rehashed his complaints about the process before entering the main hall. "It's just a hoax. It's the witch hunt that's been going on for years," he told reporters. --- (Los Angeles Times staff writer Don Lee in Washington contributed to this report.) --- (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:24:37|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A cultural exhibition featuring more than 170 pieces of historical relics from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD) will open at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing Thursday. The exhibition is expected to reproduce the historical features of the Three Kingdoms period and showcase the latest findings from the archaeological research of the period. The Three Kingdoms refer to the three separate states of Wei, Shu and Wu in ancient China. The relics have been selected from over 40 cultural heritage institutions by scholars from China and Japan during their three-year exploratory trips to more than 10 provincial-level areas in China. The exhibition is scheduled to run until April 19, 2020. Portland Public Schools will likely receive about $39 million for the 2020-21 academic year, the districts share of a $1 billion a year corporate tax for education passed by the Oregon Legislature last year. The figure is based on estimates released by the state Department of Education Tuesday. The Portland district sits at the top of the states list of beneficiaries of a $472 million pot that is being doled out to districts based on their enrollments, with extra weight for students in poverty, with disabilities or who are learning English as a second language. The Salem-Keizer district is projected to get the second most, at about $36 million. Beaverton is likely to get about $33 million. House Bill 3457, also known as the Student Success Act, imposes a gross receipts tax on Oregon businesses with profits of more than $1 million. Half of the money collected each year, expected to be about $500 million, is held in a school improvement fund for school districts. Districts must apply for the grants through a non-competitive process, outlining how theyd spend the cash. The pot of money reserved for school districts is meant to expand learning time, reduce class sizes, expand early literacy programs, hire mental health professionals or do a combination of those things. Districts are given wide latitude to choose which strategies they wish to deploy, as long as they do so in a way that will improve students mental well-being and help close achievement gaps for children of color, students with disabilities, those in poverty and students learning English as a second language. The state education department will measure districts success at reaching key metrics including graduation rates, third-grade reading proficiency and attendance. The Portland school board and district leaders have said they want to more than double the number of black, Latino and migrant students meeting state benchmarks in third grade reading tests and fifth grade math exams. Reading and math scores at Portland Public Schools dropped across the board from 2017 to 2018. The Portland district held community listening sessions in late 2019 to gauge how students, parents and community members wanted grant writers to prioritize their pitch to the state. Parents said they wanted to hold district officials to their promises. Some added theyd like to see the district employ more school psychologists and restorative justice specialists. I want changes made to ensure every student is receiving a quality education, Brittni Jones, who has twin kindergarteners at Jason Lee Elementary School in Northeast Portland, told The Oregonian/OregonLive during a listening session. Lawyers for a senior Chinese telecoms executive seeking to avoid extradition to the United States pressed on Tuesday for her release while stepping up attacks in a Canadian courtroom on the fraud charges against her. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is wanted by the US for allegedly lying to HSBC bank about Huawei's relationship with its Iran-based affiliate Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating US sanctions against Tehran. Her arrest at Canada's Vancouver airport caused a rift in its relations with China. Nine days after she was taken into custody China arrested two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor. Their detentions on espionage suspicions, along with Chinese restrictions on Canadian agricultural imports, have been widely interpreted as retribution by Beijing aimed at pressuring Canada to free Meng. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday outright rejected a proposal by one of his predecessors to release Meng in a "prisoner swap" for the Canadian men. Ottawa, he said, will "respect the rule of law and our international treaties as we look to secure the release of the two Canadians who have been unfairly detained." Meng has denied the allegations against her. She has been out on bail, living in one of her two Vancouver mansions for the past year. To secure her freedom, however, she must convince a Canadian judge that the US charges would not stand up in Canada and are politically motivated. In a high-security courtroom specially built for the prosecution of Canadian suspects in the 1985 Air India bombing, defense lawyer Scott Fenton said there were no grounds to hand over Meng to US authorities. He called it a "peculiar" case that relies on "an extraordinary use of the instrument of fraud." "As a matter of law the essential elements of fraud cannot be made out. (And so) the applicant should be discharged," he concluded at the end of the first two days of hearings. Meng, dressed all in black with heels matching a black electronic monitoring anklet, followed the proceedings with the help of an interpreter. - Heated exchange - In order to win extradition, lawyers for Canada's attorney general on behalf of the US Justice Department must demonstrate that the US accusations against Meng would be considered a crime in Canada if they'd occurred here. Government lawyers assert that Huawei controlled the operations of Skycom in Iran; that its staff used Huawei email accounts and security badges; and its bank accounts were controlled by Huawei. Meng, however, in 2013 told HSBC executives during a presentation in Hong Kong that Huawei no longer owned Skycom and that she had resigned from that company's board. From 2010 to 2014, HSBC and its American subsidiary cleared more than US$100 million worth of transactions related to Skycom through the US, according to court documents filed by Canadian government lawyers. In a heated exchange with Justice Heather Holmes, defense co-counsel Eric Gottardi said that if Canada were to agree to the extradition request, "We'd be allowing a foreign state to criminalize conduct in Canada" that is not illegal in this country. "Sanctions aren't meant to punish illegal acts by individuals. They're meant to influence state behavior," he added. Fenton noted that US banking sanctions underpinning the fraud allegations were repudiated by Canada and other US allies. "There is nothing wrong," he said, with extending credit or other financial services to companies doing business in Iran. "In fact, our government supports it." On Monday, defense lawyers argued that the US was abusing its treaty with Canada by asking it to nab Meng for prosecution as part of a campaign that Meng's father, Huawei chief executive Ren Zhengfei, surmised aims to crush China's largest international company. Meng's arrest during a stopover on a Hong Kong-to-Mexico flight in December 2018 placed her at the center of a US-China trade row. US President Donald Trump once mused that he would gladly exchange her release for Chinese trade concessions. It also put Canada smack in the middle of the feud between the US and China, with which Trudeau had hoped to nurture closer economic ties. The extradition hearing is scheduled to last until Friday. The Crown will begin presenting arguments on Wednesday. A second phase is scheduled for June. Iran-backed Shia armed groups call on President Salih to step down for disrespecting Iraqi sovereignty and blood. Baghdad, Iraq Leaders of several Iraqi Shia armed groups have condemned President Barham Salihs meeting with his United States counterpart President Donald Trump, with some threatening to force Salih to resign. The meeting between the two presidents took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. It came amid rising regional tensions that spilled over in Iraq after the killing of the leader of Irans Quds Force, General Qassem Soleimani, and the simultaneous assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy leader of the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces or PMF) in an airstrike ordered by Trump near Baghdad airport earlier this month. Al-Muhandis was also the founder of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group that the US targeted in Iraq and Syria on December 30, killing at least 25 fighters and injuring more than 50. The attack was in response to the killing of a US civilian contractor two days earlier. Supporters and members of Kataib Hezbollah and other paramilitary groups within the PMF, an umbrella organisation of mostly Iran-backed Shia armed groups, responded by storming the US embassy in Baghdad. Mohammad Mohie, a spokesperson for Kataib Hezbollah, told Al Jazeera that the group considered the Salih-Trump meeting deeply humiliating and inconsiderate of the loss of Iraqi blood. Trump has committed unforgivable crimes against the Iraqi people. How could Salih join hands with someone who has no respect for Iraqs sovereignty and the blood of its martyrs? Mohie asked. He [Salih] has positioned himself against the Iraqi people. We call on him to step down and not return to Baghdad. He is no longer welcome among us. Must step down Echoing those sentiments, Nasser al-Shammari, deputy secretary-general of the al-Naujabaa Brigades, another Shia armed group in Iraq, told Al Jazeera: The hands of this man [Trump] are covered in Iraqi blood. 200119195055712 Most Iraqi people consider this [meeting] treacherous. We no longer accept him [Salih] as our representative and wont rest until hes held accountable for going against the will of the Iraqi parliament and disregarding our martyrs blood. He must step down and be banished from Baghdad, al-Shammari added. Following the meeting, Naeem al-Aboudi, a member of the Sadiqoon parliamentary bloc, the political arm of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq armed group, wrote on Twitter: A statesman should not violate his countrys constitution and sovereignty, or be a reason to infuriate millions of his people. The PMF, which was legally integrated into Iraqs state security forces last year, did not issue a formal statement on the meeting. Its media representative, Mohannad Hussein, told Al Jazeera: We are part of the Iraqi government. It is within diplomatic protocols for heads of state to meet. Critics say some of the armed groups within the umbrella organisation operate independently of Baghdad. Ahead of the meeting, Kataib Hezbollah had warned that Salih would be violating the will of the people if he met Trump. In a statement ahead of the event, the Shia paramilitary group al-Nujabaa said it hoped Salih rejects meeting this fool. Indebted In his address in Davos, Salih said: Iraq is indebted to the US-led coalition for its military and economic support which [it] continues to provide in the fight against ISIL. The US-led military coalition was essential in allowing Iraqi forces to defeat ISIL. 200105150709628 The Iraqi parliaments vote to expel US troops was not a sign of enmity. It was just a reaction to what many Iraqis saw as a violation to their countrys sovereignty, an issue that will be addressed through dialogue. A statement from the Iraqi presidency said that the two heads of state discussed reducing foreign troops in the country and the importance of respecting the demands of Iraqi people to preserve the countrys sovereignty. In a joint news conference with Salih, Trump said the US and Iraq had a very good relationship and said the number of US troops in the country was historically low. Trump also met the president of Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Nechirvan Barzani, at the Swiss resort. Every single one While Iraqs populist Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr did not issue a statement about the meeting, the move has amplified support for his calls for a million-man march against US troops in the country. The leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali, issued a video statement condemning the meeting and called on Iraqis to join the march scheduled for Friday morning in Baghdad. The leader of the Iran-backed group warned that the US will have to face the consequences if it continues to disregard Iraqs political and public will to expel US troops. 200114180201883 Reiterating a similar message, Shammari told Al Jazeera: We expect an unprecedented number of people to take part on Friday. It will reignite the flame of resistance which wont die until we expel every single one of them [US troops] from Iraq. This is the will of the Iraqi people and the parliament, he added. Sadrs calls for the march came just days after the countrys parliament voted to expel foreign troops and cancel its request for assistance from the US-led coalition that had been working with Baghdad to fight ISIL. Around 5,000 US troops are left in Iraq most of them soldiers who came to Iraq in an advisory capacity to help the PMF from 2014 to 2017 in their fight against ISIL. The parliament vote earlier this month provoked Trump to threaten sanctions like theyve never seen before on Iraq. Abdullah al-Salam reported from Baghdad. Arwa Ibrahim reported from Doha. A Utah mother and her three children are dead after they were allegedly shot and killed by a boy authorities believe is part of their family. On Friday evening, Grantsville police officers responded to reports of deceased persons inside a home. Upon arrival, officers found the bodies of 52-year-old Consuelo Haynie and her children Alexis, 15, Matthew, 14, and 12-year-old Maylan, Grantsville Police Cpl. Rhonda Fields said at a press conference Monday. They had been shot. Colin Haynie, 50, and another boy, were already on their way to the hospital when officers arrived at the home, Fields said. At the hospital, the boy was taken into custody on four counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted aggravated murder and multiple felony counts of discharging a firearm. It is believed that he is a part of that same family, though without releasing his formal identification, there is no formal relationship, Fields told reporters Monday. His identity will not be released until charges have been filed. It is unclear who the firearm belonged to. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLEs free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Colin Haynie and the boy had been driven to the hospital by an acquaintance, Fields said. He has since been released from the hospital. The boy, who was not injured in the shooting, was taken into custody peacefully but reportedly did not cooperate with investigators. He is now being held at a juvenile detention center. The biggest question for everyone here is why, Fields said. The quadruple homicide is the first homicide in Grantsville in 20 years. In response to the shooting, the community has come together with fundraisers and a candlelight vigil. My heart goes out to that poor young man who was in such a dark place, family friend Diane Passey said at the vigil, ABC reports. Some people have said he was lonely and needed a friend and to be loved. This may be an experience for all of us to learn from and to just be a little kinder. The European Union offered a pointedly warm welcome Wednesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is seeking to broaden international support for elections to vote President Nicolas Maduro out of power. Guaido is recognised as Venezuela's interim president by the United States and 50 other countries, though not by the European Commission, which describes him instead as the "legitimate" speaker of Venezuela's opposition-run parliament. Still, the convivial handshake extended by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and meetings with other top officials from the Commission and Parliament underlined the bloc's broad support. Guaido's message, relayed in an interview with BBC radio, was that he was seeking "support to achieve the free and fair elections, support to fight against dictatorship" in Venezuela. In a statement, Borrell's office said he had stressed the EU's willingness to back "a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis" during his talks with Guaido. "They both underlined the urgent need for a concerted approach both amongst the actors in Venezuela and within the international community for a meaningful political process," the statement said. The Brussels stop was part of an international campaign Guaido is waging to shore up backing in his bid to succeed Maduro. He defied a travel ban issued by Maduro's administration to go to Colombia and Britain before Belgium, and was to continue on to take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos and then to Spain at the end of the week. In Bogota, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed President Donald Trump's full-throated diplomatic support for Guaido. That was echoed in Britain, which is among the majority of EU countries that have joined the US in recognising Guaido's claim made early last year as Venezuela's temporary leader. While there was no unanimous EU position on recognising Guaido, a European source said "the meeting (between him and Borrell) is a message in itself". - Raid on Caracas offices - Meanwhile, with Guaido out of the country, hooded Venezuelan intelligence agents raided his Caracas offices, underlining the crucial support Maduro continues to enjoy from his security services. Concerned by the unprecedented outflow of Venezuelans fleeing economic hardship, the EU has seen its efforts to help solve the crisis in the South American country go nowhere. The bloc already imposed sanctions on Venezuela, including an arms embargo and the targeting of 25 of Maduro's officials for "human rights violations and undermining of democracy and the rule of law". It has resisted US pressure to ramp up the sanctions. Guaido's status as Venezuelan president for many key countries but not the entire international community has contributed to a political deadlock that has dragged on. "If Guaido wants to break the impasse he needs to count on other allies beyond the traditional support given by the United States and the Lima Group" made up of a dozen Latin American nations and Canada, said Carlos Malamud, an analyst at the Madrid-based Elcano Institute for International and Strategic Studies. While there was no unanimous EU position on recognising Guaido, right, as Venezuela's interim leader, a European source said "the meeting (between him and Borrell) is a message in itself" Police told reporters today they have arrested a maid accused of scalding a toddlers hand by dipping it repeatedly into a boiling pot. This comes a week after the alleged incident was caught on video by the 16-month-old girls mother, Amy Low Mei Liang, who last night posted the clip online with her allegations. She indicated that the 45-second surveillance footage was filmed in her Buangkok kitchen while she and her husband were at work. She also posted photos of what appear to be the toddlers scalded and burned hands. I felt something was amissed [sic] and I decided to check the CCTV footage at home while waiting for the maid to be picked up. And what I saw was horrifying. The maid, she did it on purpose! It was never an accident! She took my daughters hand and dipped her hand inside a boiling pot. I was shaking throughout and made a police report immediately, Low wrote. The child can be heard screaming in pain after her hand appears to be placed in the water at least twice by the maid in the clip. Low had not responded to messages seeking comment from Coconuts Singapore as of publication time. According to her Tuesday night post (warning: disturbing images), the maid initially denied committing the act, saying that the toddler had touched the pot on her own. Low believed her at first but grew suspicious after the maid insisted she wanted to return to her home, and the maid agency began arranging her transfer to another family. The couple was alerted to the incident after their 8-year-old daughter called the husband up at work to tell him about her injured sister, according to Lows post, which had been shared 15,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon. When asked why she hurt the girl, the maid reportedly said she was told doing so would increase her chances of returning home, according to the Facebook post. She is reportedly from Myanmar. Low said the maid told her that an agency representative echoed the same sentiment. Low did not name the agency. Story continues She said the maid began working for her a month ago and had said she wanted to go home a week prior to the incident. But the situation appeared to be resolved after the employment agent met with the maid, according to Low. The 30-year-old maid was arrested Jan. 15 for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, according to the police, who said their investigation is ongoing. More news from the Little Red Dot at Coconuts.co/Singapore. This article, Police arrest maid accused of boiling toddlers hand in pot, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:17:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded Tuesday his latest pre-Spring Festival inspection tour in the southwestern province of Yunnan, an ethnically diverse province long stricken by poverty. His interactions with local residents have impressed the public deeply. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made it a tradition to visit ordinary people across the country ahead of Spring Festival, the most important holiday in the Chinese lunar calendar. He visited northwestern Gansu Province in 2013, northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2014, northwestern Shaanxi Province in 2015, eastern Jiangxi Province in 2016, northern Hebei Province in 2017, southwestern Sichuan Province in 2018 and Beijing in 2019. There has been a consistent theme throughout the years: a people-centered philosophy. As Xi has said, "Our people are the solid foundation of the country, and are our main source of confidence as the ruling party." China sets 2020 as the target year to eliminate absolute poverty. The task becomes more difficult as the deadline approaches. During his trips, Xi's talks about residents' living conditions always went into detail. Sometimes, he would go to farmers' barns and kitchens, calculated revenues and expenses with villagers and offered advice on increasing income. In his Yunnan tour this year, he visited Sanjia Village in the city of Tengchong, learning about poverty alleviation efforts and calling for accelerated development of ethnic minorities and areas with large ethnic minority populations. The calls and moves of Xi have inspired the nation to mobilize all the resources to fight the battle against poverty, more effectively and precisely, so that no one will be left behind on the way to a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Eliminating poverty is far from the end. The needs to be met for the people to live better lives are increasingly broad. Besides growing material and cultural needs, their demands for democracy, rule of law, fairness and justice, security and a better environment are also increasing. That is why Xi, during his trips, also discussed issues about education, jobs, food safety, healthcare, social security and environmental protection. All of these areas concern people's wellbeing and their sense of gain. China's leadership is fully aware that China remains the world's largest developing country. Development remains the top priority for the country. Much work needs to be done to promote well-rounded human development and all-round social progress. These efforts will determine whether the CPC has kept its promise to make people's lives better. CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Solution Type (Hardware and Software), Installation Type (Integrated and Standalone), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global deep packet inspection and processing market size is expected to grow from USD 8.7 billion in 2019 to USD 12.5 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.9% from 2019 to 2024. The major factors driving the deep packet inspection and processing market include the continuous evolution of cyberattacks and their corresponding security solutions, need for modern network performance management and optimization solutions. The growing need to meet compliance requirements, increasing advancements in the communication technology, and soaring need to counter fraudulent activities in several verticals are fueling the demand for installing deep packet inspection and processing solutions in various organizations across the globe. Browse in-depth TOC on "Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market" 164 - Tables 34 - Figures 181 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=252816977 By organization size, the large enterprises segment to hold a significant share in the global Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market in 2019 Large enterprises are organizations that have more than 1,000 employees. These organizations invest heavily in advanced technologies for increasing overall productivity and efficiency. To reduce Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX) of infrastructure, large enterprises are widely opting cloud-based deep packet inspection and processing solutions. Large enterprises are expected to invest significantly in implementing advanced deep packet inspection and processing solutions that are capable of anomaly-based detection to provide optimum security to their intense competitive environment. Large enterprises have adopted cloud security solutions, as they use a large number of cloud and Internet of Things (IoT)-based applications susceptible to cyberattacks. Moreover, as they face threats from targeted attacks to disrupt their Information Technology (IT) services, these organizations adopt deep packet inspection and processing solutions to provide effective security. Based on verticals, the IT and telecom vertical to hold a significant share in the global Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market during the forecasted period IT and telecom is one of the major adopters of deep packet inspection and processing solutions. It has been a highly regulated and competitive industry that always processes a majority of the private data of its customers. The increased integration of ICT with the daily activities of industries, governments, families, and consumers, along with the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, has led the telecom and IT vertical to focus more on their cybersecurity activities. Telecom organizations typically store personal data such as names, addresses, and financial data, which is a compelling target for cybercriminals or insiders. Thus, factors such as the use of Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls, storage of data on cloud services, mobility and cloud computing, and extensive use of platform-as-a-service in enterprises are expected to fuel the demand for deep packet inspection and processing solutions in the IT and telecom vertical. Speak to Our Expert Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=252816977 North America to hold the largest market share during the forecast period North America dominates the global Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market, as the growth in the region is being driven by the rising internet penetration and increasing adoption of cloud-based and IoT applications across verticals. Moreover, North America tops the world in terms of security breach incidents. Therefore, the global market is dominated by North America that is considered to be the most advanced region with regard to cyber technology adoption and infrastructure. Other factors pushing the Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market in this region are enormous usage of smart handheld devices, rapidly growing eCommerce, and friction among the competing countries in different regions. The strict announcement by the US government that no funding would be allocated to business projects unless cybersecurity is properly addressed in the mission is also arousing a sense of cyber awareness among the businesses in North America. Market Players The major vendors covered in the Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market include IBM (US), Cisco Systems (US), Extreme Networks (US), Juniper Networks (US), Symantec (US), SolarWinds (US), Viavi Solutions (US), NetScout (US), LogRhythm (US), Qosmos (France), Cubro Network Visibility (Austria), Lionic Corporation (Taiwan), Trovicor (Taiwan), Netronome (US), Sandvine (Canada), Huawei (China), Bivio Networks (US), Ipoque (Germany), ManageEngine (US), and WiseSpot (Hong Kong). Browse Adjacent Markets @ Information Security Market Research Reports & Consulting Related reports: Threat Intelligence Market by Solution (Threat Intelligence Platforms, SIEM, IAM, SVM, Risk and Compliance Management, Incident Forensics), Service (Managed, Professional), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/threat-intelligence-security-market-150715995.html Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Type, Deployment Type (Cloud and On-Premises), Organization Size (SMEs and Large Enterprises), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/intrusion-detection-prevention-system-market-199381457.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their pain points around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. 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Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/deep-packet-inspection-processing-market.asp Content Source:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/deep-packet-inspection-processing.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg A worker was killed and two others were seriously injuredin an explosion and subsequent fire at an industrial unit in Badlapur town here in Maharashtra on Wednesday morning, officials said. The explosion took place around 9 am in a dryer of the private factory unit, located in Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area of Badlapur, following which a fire broke out in the premises, fire officer Bhagwat Sonone said. "A worker was killed and the two others sustained serious injuries. The injured persons were rushed to a local hospital where they were undergoing treatment," he said. Three fire engines from Badlapur and neighbouring Ambernath town were rushed to the spot and efforts were underway to douse the flames, Thane Municipal Corporation's regional disaster management cell chief Santosh Kadam said. The deceased and those injured were yet to be identified, he said. "Our priority is to save lives and extinguish the fire," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said the powers of presiding officers in legislatures should be "limited" to help maintain their neutrality "so that no court needs to make a comment". His remarks came a day after the Supreme Court said Parliament should "rethink" whether the Speaker of a House should continue to have powers to disqualify lawmakers as such a functionary "belongs to a particular political party". Referring to a recent Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in Dehradun, Birla said the participants discussed the need to limit the rights of presiding officers of the legislative councils. "In a democracy, people ask for rights and demand for increasing these. But there was a dialogue amongst the presiding officers on how to maintain neutrality, for this powers of presiding officers should be limited and this will help maintain the tradition of a healthy democracy so that no court needs to make a comment," he said without elaborating. The Supreme Court had recently also made an observation about "a growing trend of speakers of legislative bodies acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral". Asserting that legislatures are "temples of democracy", Birla said elected representatives should ensure that there are no disruptions and the House runs smoothly and orderly. Speaking here on the concluding day of an orientation programme organised by Haryana Vidhan Sabha for the newly elected legislators, he said there should be discussion, debate and dissent in the House but no disturbance. "The House should run, this should be our first priority... A decision and pledge has to be taken that there will be no disruption for even a minute. Governments should also try to play a role in this," he said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, Union Minister R L Kataria, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, now the leader of opposition, and BJP MPs from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh, Hisar, Rohtak, Kurukshetra and Sirsa were also present at the event in addition to MLAs. Referring to the Haryana chief minister saying that during his previous tenure, he had taken initiative to increase the number of sessions held and sittings of the assembly, Birla, speaking generally, expressed concern over the decreasing number of sittings of various assemblies. "If in Vidhan Sabhas and Lok Sabha, number of sessions and sittings come down, where will elected representatives raise matters concerning people, Birla asked. Citing an example, he said in the 12thHaryana Assembly only 56 sittings (approximately 10-12 sittings per year) were held in five years, which is not a good sign for a healthy democracy. He also expressed concern saying Vidhan Sabhas and Lok Sabha are losing precious time due to disruptions and added "this is a matter of serious concern for the country". "In the world, India's democracy remained strong because over the years the way our members openly and freely debated on every issue in the assemblies and parliament, there have been exchanges and use of humour too, but whenever country's question arose, they (legislatures) stood solidly behind on those issues, he said. The Haryana chief minister said earlier discussions on the Budget in the Vidhan Sabha were held after presenting it. "But it has been decided to hold discussions before presenting the Budget so that good suggestions of the public representatives could be incorporated in the Budget, he said. He said during the last five years, 86 sittings of the Vidhan Sabha has been held which would be further increased to 100 in coming five years so that issues of public interest could be discussed in length. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flamur Beqiri was murdered on Christmas Eve in south London in front of his wife and child A man has been arrested in Denmark over the Christmas Eve murder of a suspected gangster in front of his wife and child in south London. The 22-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday night under a European Arrest Warrant at Copenhagen Airport at the request of Scotland Yard after arriving on a flight from Thailand. The suspect remains in custody in Denmark pending extradition proceedings back to the UK. He is accused of shooting Swedish national Flamur Beqiri, who police believe may have had criminal links in Sweden and was killed in a targeted attack. The 36-year-old was shot multiple times by a lone suspect on his doorstep as he returned to his Battersea home with his family at around 9pm on 24 December. The killer fled the scene on foot. A neighbour heard the gun shots and the screams of Mr Beqiri's wife and came out and saw the Swede lying in front of his doorway in a pool of blood. According to reports, Mr Beqiri is the brother of former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri. He met his wife at his sister's wedding, and reportedly ran a record company in London. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- He also has to forfeit 25 properties in Oregon and California and more than $16 million in Tesla stock. Here's how much time he'll serve. Members from the team are also working directly for Williams campaign in official capacities CANTON, Mich., Jan. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Three former members from the Donald J. Trump for President 2016 Michigan campaign staff Scott Hagerstrom, Tim Lineberger, and Kevin Tatulyan have endorsed Whittney Williams and her campaign for Michigans 11th Congressional District. Attorney and former Trump Michigan State Director Scott Hagerstrom is Williams chief campaign strategist. Former Trump Michigan Communications Director Tim Lineberger, who also served in the Trump Administration as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Labor, is Williams Communications Director. Former Trump Michigan Coalitions Director Kevin Tatulyan currently serves as Coalitions Vice Chair for the Michigan Republican Party. Like President Trump, Whittney is not a typical career politician and will never back down from a fight when it comes to standing up for America, said Scott Hagerstrom. I am inspired by her personal story, work ethic, and unwavering conservative values, and am proud to be part of her effort to defeat Haley Stevens. I support Whittney because she is running on a pro-America, anti-socialist platform and is unashamed about who she is and what she stands for, said Tim Lineberger. She represents a complete and total rejection of identity politics and is exactly the type of leader the country needs at this time. Whittney is a unique and authentic candidate that has an uncanny ability to connect with voters, said Kevin Tatulyan. She is a terrific representative of what the Republican party stands for and is the perfect candidate to take on Haley Stevens and win. President Trumps 2016 Michigan victory was a truly historic feat and it proved to be critical to the final outcome of the election, said Whittney Williams. I am honored to have the support of, and guidance from, the very same team that helped oversee one of the greatest political upsets ever. Story continues WinWithWhittney.com Contact: Tim Lineberger 714.676.4317 or tim@venturestrategic.com Tuesday, January 21st, 2020 Paid for by Whittney Williams for Congress Chuck Robbins , Cisco CEO, held a conference about The Next Generation, during the Mobile World Congress, on February 27, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The role of a business chief executive far extends beyond buoying up a balance sheet and delivering profit for stakeholders. In fact, in the 21st century, they are under more scrutiny and held more accountable for helping the communities outside the business. Speaking at a discussion, entitled Leading a 21st century corporation, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Chuck Robbins, chairman and CEO of IT giant Cisco Systems (CSCO) highlighted the social issues that huge corporations inadvertently play a part in creating and also have a responsibility in helping solve. Living in Silicon Valley, it really is a representation of what were talking about today. Teachers cant afford to live, fire fighters cant afford to live, San Jose has chronic homelessness, he told delegates. If you visit the camps, and want to be close to the problem, you have people who have full time jobs who are living in a tent. You dont have to go very far to see the problems that exist in our communities. More than 3,000 of the worlds most powerful leaders across business and politics have gathered at the WEF to discuss issues around Stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world. He pointed out that companies have the scale and investment to help elevate communities around them and build a future workforce in a practical way that will benefit society as well as business. READ MORE: Citi CEO's family story sums up why banks can't speed up tech advancements Over the years, Cisco has been one of the worlds biggest companies that have set a gold standard for key initiatives to educate, train, and upskill people in its Networking Academy, which has the goal of training over two million people by the end of the year. Robbins emphasised training people not only allows empowerment within the communities but for the company who has invested in them, they now have a whole range of people across the world who love Cisco, leading to ambassadors for the products and services. Plus, its likely top talent will get funnelled back into the company. Story continues Cisco also committed $50m to tackle homelessness in Silicon Valley and, as Robbins pointed out, Cisco was the first to do such a thing leading by example for other major firms globally. But of course, all these initiatives require great investment in order to make a difference. And many companies are still struggling to balance immediate profitability with sinking millions into programmes that does not necessarily guarantee graduates will join the company. It is for this reason Robbins delivered the one piece of advice and advocates, to get people to remove the mental barrier for executives that may still be on the fence: What Ive been trying to tell people is that they need to realise you have to get involved with issues that you cannot draw a straight line to your business. U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled a sharp divide in a Montana case that could make it easier to funnel public money to religious schools and other faith-based organizations. With Chief Justice John Roberts in his customary center seat, the court heard arguments a mere eight hours after he finished presiding over the first day of President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial. The trial resumes Wednesday at 1 p.m. The Montana Supreme Court struck down a taxpayer-funded scholarship program that was used primarily to help send children to religious schools, ruling that it violated a state constitutional provision. The ruling is being challenged by three mothers seeking to use money from the program to send their children to a Christian school. Roberts is likely to cast the pivotal vote. His questions suggested he might back the parents and revive the scholarship program, though he directed queries at lawyers on both sides. The chief justice made no mention of his new second job, conducting the hour-long session much as he usually does. He interrupted Justice Sonia Sotomayor during an especially long question to give a lawyer a chance to answer. Roberts later drew a laugh when he recommended that another lawyer answer Justice Stephen Breyer's question despite Breyer's suggestion that the attorney could ignore it. Sotomayor and other liberal justices questioned whether the mothers had any grounds to complain given that the entire program has been thrown out. Justice Elena Kagan said they were "in the same boat" as the parents of children in non-religious private schools. "There is no discrimination at this point going on, is there?" she asked. The 2015 scholarship program gave individuals and corporations a tax credit for contributing up to $150 a year to an organization that funds scholarships to help needy students attend private schools. The parents sued after the Department of Revenue issued a rule that barred use of scholarship money at religious schools. A trial judge blocked that rule, before the Montana Supreme Court went further and threw out the entire program. The Supreme Court's conservatives questioned the legality of the Montana constitutional provision that formed the basis of the state court ruling. The provision, which bars aid to churches and religious schools, was originally adopted in 1888. Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed to the anti-Catholic bias that proliferated at the time, saying that sentiment drove many states to adopt similar provisions. "They're certainly rooted in grotesque religious bigotry against Catholics," Kavanaugh said. Montana officials say the provision was re-adopted in 1972 for legitimate reasons. Roberts suggested the Montana court ruling was akin to a governmental decision to close its swimming pools because too many black people were using them. "How is that different from religion?" he asked the state's lawyer. Montana officials say the state court was right to invalidate the entire program if any of the money would go to religious schools. The state Department of Revenue says more than 90% of the scholarships went to students attending religious schools. The only organization formed under the law, Blue Sky Scholarships, supports just one non-religious school along with 12 religious schools, the state says. Big Sky awarded 54 scholarships during the most recent school year, totaling $27,000. Almost 20 states have similar scholarship programs, according to a filing in the case by school-choice advocates. The court will rule by June in the case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, 18-1195. But the agreement stops there. More than a dozen students, teachers and parents who were interviewed said they believe the school is foundering because the city has failed to properly invest in it. They are slamming a proposal from Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee to close the campus at the end of the academic year, saying it could hurt some of the citys most vulnerable students. Jan. 22, 2020, is the 47th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision and its lesser-known companion ruling in Dole v. Bolton (which overturned some abortion restrictions in a Georgia law). These rulings allowed the cold blooded, clinical execution of the most innocent, most defenseless, and most vulnerable human beings. These decisions undermine the very foundation of all law relating to the protection of human life. A dissenter in both decisions, Justice Byron White, who had been appointed by President Kennedy, described the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling at the time as an exercise in raw judicial power." I would go further and call it the greatest exercise in raw judicial power ever. In my view, the legality of killing a child in the womb is more of a service and convenience for the worst of men, be it aggressive husbands, boyfriends, playboys or greedy abortionists. At the same time, it devalues women and, certainly, motherhood. Joe Hegarty, Mullica Hill Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Man poses as he displays Flutterwave homepage on mobile phone screen in Abuja By Libby George LAGOS (Reuters) - Africa-focused fintech firm Flutterwave on Tuesday announced a $35 million fundraising round and partnerships with WorldPay and Visa as it targets expansion in northern and Francophone Africa. The startup, founded in 2016 by Nigerians and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in individual and consumer transfers -- one of several fintech firms aiming to facilitate and capitalize on Africa's booming payments market. As part of the deal, Flutterwave will become the African payment provider for Worldpay's clients worldwide, making the company the latest African fintech firm to attract global cash and big-name partnerships. While the agreement is not exclusive, it is WorldPay's only partner on the continent. Visa's investment is its first buy in to Flutterwave, with which it joined last year on a consumer payment platform now called Barter by Flutterwave, which allows individuals to make payments to one another across borders. As part of the latest funding round, Flutterwave will scale up and expand that service, allowing it to issue physical and virtual Visa cards and process payments using Visa's networks. "For us at Flutterwave, we have been focused on enterprise clients and now we are going to deepen that and also show how we can help small business scale their business when they use us as their payment partner," Flutterwave's founder and chief executive GB Agboola told Reuters. "That's a major goal for this investment for us." Visa also bought a 20% stake in Nigerian payments firm Interswitch late last year, elevating it to "unicorn" status - a term used for tech companies with a valuation of a billion dollars or more. Interswitch, founded in 2002 and also expanding across Africa, is the main platform for Nigeria's business-to-business transactions, whereas Flutterwave's main focus is on individual payments -- making it more akin to an African Venmo, where people pay each other back or transfer cash to family. "We have built a technology infrastructure that is steadily being recognized as the bridge to connect the payment system," Agboola said in a statement. Story continues Business consulting firm Frost & Sullivan forecast that Nigeria's fintech revenues alone will grow from $153.1 million in 2017 to $543.3 million by 2022. Flutterwave's main backer in the fundraising round was venture capital firm Greycroft & eVentures, with other large backers including CRE Ventures, WorldPay FIS, Visa, and Green Visor. (Reporting By Libby George; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David Evans) Two union ministers, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Renuka Singh Saruta, on Wednesday separately met Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor G C Murmu here, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said. Shekhawat, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, and the Lt Governor discussed wide ranging issues pertaining to the management of water resources, National Water Policy, groundwater development, and implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the Union Territory, the spokesperson said. He said they also discussed the Integrated Water Management which is vital for environmental sustenance and sustainable economic development. "The Lt Governor observed that the conservation of water bodies and the sustainability of natural resources are of great importance and the present Government is taking effective measures to ensure judicious, equitable and sustainable management, allocation and utilization of water resources and generating public awareness in this regard, besides having the target of providing tap water to every household by ending 2021," the spokesperson said. He said Saruta, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, and the Lt Governor discussed the various issues related to the integrated socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes Community and the activities undertaken by the Tribal Affairs Ministry for the welfare of the tribal population. They also had a discussion on several developmental interventions made by the Government in critical sectors through specially tailored schemes comprising of economic, educational and social development for promoting the interests of Scheduled Tribes Community in Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, several delegations including Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Jammu, J&K Cultural Foundation, Kashmiri Samiti Delhi and a public delegation from Inderwal area called on Murmu and highlighted their issues and demands. The delegation of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Jammu led by Gohar Hafeez Fani apprised the Lt Governor about various activities undertaken by them to promote peace and inter-religious harmony, the spokesperson said. He said the members of the delegation also presented to the Lt Governor a book titled 'World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace' by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Worldwide head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The delegation of J&K Cultural Foundation headed by Ayash Arif apprised the Lt Governor about the issues related to the conversion of Tagore Hall into a Cinema House, while the delegation of Kashmiri Samiti, Delhi led by its President Sumeer Chrungoo raised several issues and demands pertaining to the welfare of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits including their rehabilitation, creation of employment for the youth, relief and rehabilitation of the affected traders, enhancement of monthly cash assistance, the spokesman said. The Lt Governor assured the delegations that there will be a review of all the genuine issues and demands put forth by them for their early redressal and urged them to continue working towards promoting public welfare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Travellers from the area of China at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will be separated from other passengers and screened on arrival at Heathrow Airport. British officials say that the situation is constantly under review but no plans exist to screen arrivals from China at other UK airports. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said Public Health England is putting in place new precautions in relation to travellers to the UK from the region. Flights from the city of Wuhan will land in an isolated area of Terminal 4, where passengers will be met by a team of medics. PHE has upgraded the risk to the UK population who go to Wuhan from very low to low, the transport secretary said. It comes as the US has recorded its first case of the never-before-seen virus, which has killed 17 people and infected 532. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to declare the outbreak a public health emergency in a meeting in Geneva this afternoon. Travellers from the area of China at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will be separated from other passengers on arrival at Heathrow Airport as UK health chiefs step up their response Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said Public Health England is putting in place new precautions in relation to travellers to the UK from the region Mr Shapps told Sky News a 'separate area' at Heathrow will screen travellers arriving from affected regions at the centre of the outbreak. He did not specify which region this was. However, it is likely to be Hubei province, where the majority of the cases and all of the deaths have occurred. Chinese officials have urged travellers not to go to Wuhan, and have asked residents to avoid crowds and public gatherings to contain the virus. Mr Shapps said: 'There have been some announcements this morning about flights that come direct from the affected region to Heathrow with some additional measures there. 'Obviously we want to stay ahead of the issue so we are keeping a very close eye on it. 'Initially this is to ensure that when flights come in directly into Heathrow there is a separate area for people to arrive in.' Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 5 Live Health Secretary Matt Hancock will announce a package of precautionary measures later. Though not confirmed, a Government source has reportedly told the BBC the measures will include: Medics meeting each direct flight landing at Heathrow from Wuhan Aircraft announcements telling passengers to report if they are ill before landing Planes landing in an isolated area of Heathrow Terminal 4 A Heathrow spokesperson said: 'The welfare of our passengers and colleagues is always our main priority and we are working with the Government to support the implementation of enhanced monitoring measures as a precaution. 'We would like to reassure passengers that the Government assesses the risk of a traveller contracting coronavirus to be low. 'We would encourage anyone with individual questions or concerns to refer to guidance from Public Health England and the Foreign Office.' An American man with the new coronavirus has been identified in Washington state, CDC officials said on Wednesday, bringing the total number of countries with cases of the deadly virus to five outside of China, including the US, Thailand, Japan South Korea and Taiwan WHAT CAN THE UK DO AVOID THE CORONAVIRUS SPREADING HERE? Given that there is no known vaccine or treatment for the new outbreak of coronavirus, how can it be controlled and how would the UK handle any cases? Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the Medical Research Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, said it is not currently known whether, if there is a growing epidemic, it is controllable. He said the UK would not be able to implement some of the measures China has deployed against outbreaks in the past, including isolating tens of thousands of people. What measures would be taken? Cases would have to be diagnosed and isolated as quickly as possible in order to prevent onward transmission, and to ensure what is called contact tracing follow-up, according to Professor Ferguson. This would involve identifying who those individuals have come into contact with. And if not isolating them, tracking them through time - daily or more frequently - to see if they develop symptoms and testing them. What action that has been taken in past epidemics could be implemented again? Attempts could be made to reduce community transmission through social distancing measures. These include reducing the occurrence of mass gatherings, said Prof Ferguson. What has been done so far? The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of Wuhan novel coronavirus and Public Health England has developed a diagnostic test. The UK is also one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this novel disease. Public Health England says clinicians in primary and secondary care have already received advice, covering initial detection and investigation of possible cases, infection prevention and control, and clinical diagnostics. An algorithm has been developed to support NHS 111 in identifying suspected potential cases. There are a number of infectious disease units around the country able to take suspected patients. What is the situation at present? There are no known cases but enhanced monitoring will be put in place for all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK, the DHSC has said. This includes providing advice to travellers if they feel unwell and what symptoms to look out for. Advertisement Thai medical staff wear protective suits transfer a 70-year-old patient, who is suspected of having coronavirus infected after traveling back from Wuhan A child wears a face mask at Hong Kong's international airport MailOnline has approached Public Health England for further information. The body said it would release an update later today. London is connected to Wuhan by three direct flights per week. Almost every other city on Earth is a maximum of 18 hours away. The Foreign Office has updated its advice for Britons travelling to China, warning the virus had spread to other areas outside the Hubei province. The illness comes from a new coronavirus, not been previously identified in humans. Chinese health officials have confirmed it has spread between humans, warning that it may mutate to become even deadlier. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from a cold to more severe diseases such as SARS. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Three days after a woman IPS officer alleged that a soldier of Assam Rifles physically assaulted and molested her at a check post near Moreh town in Manipur's Tengnoupal district, the force in a statement rejected the accusations calling it "baseless and fabricated", and blamed her for "illegally entering Myanmar". In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Assam Rifles said the IPS officer entered Myanmar while she was on official duty illegally and bought suspicious and unidentified goods from across the border (Namphalong/Tamu). The paramilitary force claimed that it has the video footage of the IPS officer entering Myanmar and subsequently loading her "so called official vehicle" with suspicious goods, which exposes her "blatant lie" in her complaint that she was on official duty. "Can a Central government servant on bona fide duty cross over to Myanmar flaunting all FMR (Federal Management Regulation) rules and then cover her allegations on pretext of official duty? It needs investigation." Explaining the sequence of events, the force said: "The unilateral publication of uncorroborated and unsubstantiated allegations by the lady SDPO on alleged harassment, physical assault and misbehaviour by Assam Rifles troops on January 19, 2020 while returning from Moreh is baseless, fabricated, false and malicious. Assam Rifles categorically and firmly refutes the allegations leveled by the officer." The Assam Rifles said the officer tried to avoid checking of the unidentified and suspicious stores loaded in her vehicle. "Despite numerous requests from the troops of Assam Rifles, the lady (IPS) refused to divulge her identity and rather began questioning the troops who were performing their mandated duty by asking that 'Don't you know me?'." The statement said: "The least that could have been done by the lady is to cooperate with the security forces and provide the identity as asked which could have avoided such unwarranted incident as claimed by her," it said. FILE PHOTO: Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg and Swiss activist Loukina Tille attend a session at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo) U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a bilateral meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst) President Donald Trump criticized environmental "prophets of doom" on January 21 after Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg slammed authorities inactivity on climate change. The 50th meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) went underway in the ski motel with avowed attention on climate change; however, with starkly unique visions over global warming laid bare. "We have to reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse," said Trump, grumbling that "they want to see us do badly." He claimed that "alarmists" have been incorrect on preceding occasions using predicting population crisis, mass starvation, and the end of oil. Trump branded the ones warning of out-of-control global warming and different environmental disasters, "the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune tellers." Thunberg, together with the audience, was listening to Trump's speech before the start of his Senate impeachment trial in Washington. Trump informed the media later that his Davos trip was dedicated to meeting "the most important people in the world to bring back fantastic business." "Others are just a hoax," he remarked of the "disgraceful" impeachment trial. 'Nothing has been done' Thunberg, before Trump's attendance, underscored the message that inspired people across the world - saying "essentially nothing has been done" to fight climate change. "It would require much greater than this. This is simply the very beginning," the 17-year-old climate activist said. She said there is a difference between being heard to leading to something. Thunberg, speaking lightly and with a smile, mentioned that her campaign that began with school strikes had attracted massive interest without achieving real change yet. ALSO READ: Greta Thunberg Urges Youth to Continue Striking for Environmental Change Greenpeace, while the WEF and international business leaders were discussing climate change, said in a news report that a number of the globe's biggest banks, insurers, and pension funds collectively invested US$1.4 trillion in fossil gas businesses for the reason that Paris climate deal in 2016. In his speech, Trump reeled off a list of achievements for the American economy and touted the United States as the "primary producer of oil and natural gas." 'Governments preserve to fail' Sustainability is the buzzword on the Davos forum, which commenced in 1971, with heel crampons surpassed out to contributors to encourage them to walk on the icy streets as opposed to use cars, and the signage paint constituted of seaweed. Trump's resistance to renewable energy, his withdrawal from the Paris agreement, and the unfastened hand extended to the fossil gas industry puts him at odds with the thrust of this year's event. Eurasia Group president Ian Bremner told AFP at Davos that people are paying much more attention to the climate. He added there were "genuine action" by big players after funding titan BlackRock said it was partly divesting out of coal. Business leaders are also concerned about the use of the worldwide economy whose prospects, according to the International Monetary Fund, have "improved." The IMF reduced its global growth estimate for 2020 to 3.3 percent, saying that a current truce inside the trade battle among China and the USA had introduced a few stability. After Oxfam issued a report outlining how the number of billionaires doubled in the previous decade and the world's 22 wealthiest guys now have more wealth than all the girls in Africa, activists would be required for a much higher concrete action to combat inequality. I dont think any of us who have been in national security and have served for many years all over the world with friends and allies I dont think any of us have a hard time talking about this or explaining our decision to impeach Trump, Sherrill said in an interview. As long as we are putting the needs and interests of the country first, we are very confident in how we talk about that, and were confident about voting on that as well. ST. PAUL The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has posted for public comment an environmental assessment worksheet for a proposed Daley Farms expansion. Daley Farms, a Lewiston-based dairy with about 1,600 head of cattle, is looking to expand its operation to about 4,600 cattle, going from 2,275.2 animal units to 5,967.7 AU. The EAW was reviewed in the fall of 2018 and received approval for a feedlot permit on Jan. 4, 2019, but the Minnesota Center on Environmental Advocacy and Land Stewardship Project immediately filed suit against the MPCA decision. That case was heard at the Minnesota Court of Appeals on July 17, with a decision rendered Oct. 14 stating that the MPCA needed to revise its EAW to add an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions to the original EAW, then put the revised EAW up for public comment before reissuing the permit. That revised EAW was put online Tuesday, and the public comment period will run through Feb. 20. According to a statement from the MPCA, the only difference between the original EAW and the new one is a supplemental section on greenhouse gases. ADVERTISEMENT "If the MPCA is intent on moving forward with the process it announced today, we hope that the agency continues to consider a fair and balanced analysis of the total impact, if any, of our project," said Ben Daley, one of the fifth generation of owners of the family farm. "As the MPCA acknowledged in the supplemental EAW, our project includes many practices, such as the conversion of many acres of land from row crop production to alfalfa and pasture and the use of cover crops, that will actually sequester and keep carbon in the soil." Daley also noted that Winona County has lost cows during the past decade, according to the Census of Agriculture. The number of cows Daley Farms plans to add to its operation, he said, is less than the number of cows that has been lost in Winona County in the past five or six years. A public informational meeting will be hosted by the MPCA at the Lewiston Community Center (75 Rice St.) on Feb. 4 with an open house beginning at 6:30 p.m., presentations starting at 7 and questions from the public regarding the supplement to the EAW from 7:30 to 8:30. To comment on the greenhouse gas supplement to the original Daley Farms environmental assessment worksheet, visit the MPCA website at www.pca.state.mn.us/regulations/projects-under-mpca-review . The supplement is near the top of the page under the heading "Open for Public Comment." Comments can be sent to Kim Grosenheider, Resource Management and Assistance Division of the MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55155. Grosenheider can also be reached at 651-757-2170 or via email at kim.grosenheider@state.mn.us . These were among incidents reported by the Loudoun County sheriffs office and the Leesburg and Purcellville police. For information, contact your police or sheriffs department. EU, UK Bracing for Tough Post-Brexit Trade Talks News Analysis BRUSSELSThe European Union is bracing for a stormy opening to post-Brexit trade talks as it puts the finishing touches to a negotiating mandate that will offer Britain worse trading terms than it has given Canada. Senior EU figures expect a series of early rows over the conditions attached to market access for goods, with the two sides miles apart in their expectations for a tariff- and quota-free trade agreement. In a series of meetings over the past two weeks, diplomats from the 27 European countries, working with officials from the Commission, have pulled together the blocs negotiating positions and hardened their stance in key areas. Much of the discussion has focused around the EUs insistence that the UK signs up to a robust level playing field mechanism that would see it continue to follow swathes of rules made in Brussels. European countries fear Britain will lower its standards to match those of the United States in key areas like agriculture, labor rights, taxation, and the environment, allowing its companies to undercut those in the EU. They also want the UK to continue applying their state aid rules due to concerns that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will take an interventionist approach and pump government cash into industries hit by the fallout from Brexit. Top EU figures, including chief negotiator Michel Barnier, have warned that Britains geographical proximity and the volume of its trade with the bloc means it must be offered even less generous terms than Canada or Japan. They argue that due to the economic interdependence of the two sides, the risk to the single market from letting the UK diverge is one that has to be more tightly monitored and controlled. In a sign of Brussels distrust, EU officials have even argued that British industry bodies shouldnt be allowed to certify goods as confirming to European standarda right afforded to Canada and Japan. We have to be very clear on there is a difference whether youre a member state or not where access to the single market is concerned, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The closer the UK is to the EU the better the access to the single market. Theres a conditioneither you align and you accept the rules, then youre close, or youre more distant. She has developed a blunt message that there can be very limited access to European markets without following the rules, which EU officials say is an attempt to ram home the stark nature of the choice the UK is taking. British ministers have strongly rejected the EUs demands for a level playing field mechanism, with British Finance Minister Sajid Javid setting nerves jangling in Brussels with his strident talk of breaking free from the blocs regulations. The two sides are also set for a falling out over fishing rights, with a group of eight coastal member States led by France demanding a continuation of the status quo as a condition of even the most basic trade deal. They want access and quota levels for catches, currently set at an EU level, to be kept the same. That flies in the face of Johnsons vow to take back control of the UKs waters for British fishermen after Brexit. EU officials and diplomats also fear an acrimonious falling out if the Irish border, which was such a contentious issue throughout the withdrawal phase, is dragged into the trade talks by the UK side. They fear that British negotiators will threaten to not properly implement the checks in the Irish Sea, agreed between the two sides so the land frontier could stay open without compromising the single market. Its not unlikely theyll use this to try to exert pressure, but that would be counterproductive. It will backfire, but were afraid its the calculation theyre making, one European official said on the condition of anonymity. Von der Leyen has said the EU will very closely monitor the implementation of the Irish protocol and warned the British prime minister that he must abide by the law. Officials and diplomats in Brussels say they have experienced strong deja vu watching the UKs early approach to trade talks, which they feel mirrors former British Prime Minister Theresa Mays opening gambits back in 2017. Theyre making a textbook repeat of the same mistakes. If a managed no deal is the strategy, to try to put pressure on EU unity and force a series of sectoral agreements, once again it wont work, an EU source said. One of the men credited with creating the CIAs post-9/11 torture programme says he would do it again. One of the two psychologists credited with creating the CIAs torture programme has testified at Guantanamo Bay, as part of a pretrial hearing for five men charged over the September 11 attacks. Jim Mitchell defended his role in the controversial programme as a matter of moral courage. Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan reports from Guantanamo Bay. A Brisbane man being tested for coronavirus has been released from isolation and deemed "no risk" to the public, Queensland's health department says. The man had recently visited family in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, which was first detected in December, and returned from a trip there via Sydney. "He is out of isolation, fully recovered and showing no ongoing symptoms," a Queensland Health spokesperson said. Test results for the man are expected in the coming days when updated "primers' with details of the specific virus are received from the World Health Organisation. A nonprofit group says it has plans to build a new zoo in Alabama. The North Alabama Zoological Society announced it is working to construct a zoo and possibly an aquarium in the Huntsville area. The idea alone has proved popular, with the groups Facebook page quickly picking up more than 7,500 followers since its first post on Jan. 9. On its Facebook page, organizers said the plans are coming together, though details havent been released. We have been collaborating with local leaders and zoo producers to create a world class zoo for Huntsville, the group said. As for a possible location, the group said it was slated to be revealed at a later date with big fanfare. The organizations website has a poll asking people if theyd prefer to see a zoo, an aquarium or a combination of the two. The groups mission is to create a facility that will connect communities and visitors of North Alabama with the worlds natural wonders, as well as serving as a standard of wildlife conservation action. The North Alabama Zoological Society is currently looking for corporate sponsors and partners for the zoo. Subscriber content preview OLYMPIA (AP) Washington state lawmakers are considering more regulations and bigger fines around the disassembly of tower cranes at construction sites. The effort comes in response to an April 2019 crane collapse that killed four people in Seattle, The Seattle Times reported Monday. . . . Time spent getting dressed in the morning is part of the working day, an Italian court has ruled after a police officer was caught clocking on in his underwear. Alberto Muraglia was pictured stamping his time card in just Y-fronts and a T-shirt in the northern seaside town of Sanremo, not far from the French border. The 58-year-old officer was captured on CCTV in 2014 punching the card in his council accommodation block where he lived with his family near his place of work. After clocking on, he then went back upstairs to his apartment to get dressed into his uniform before heading back to the office for his shift. As a result of the clip captured on police security cameras, Muraglia was charged with defrauding the state of public funds. The court heard Muraglia sometimes sent his daughter down to punch in his time card in the mornings, according to local media. Alberto Muraglia was pictured stamping his time card in his council accommodation block where he lived with his family near his place of work Alberto Muraglia was acquitted of defrauding the state of public funds by an Italian court In the footage a young girl could also be seen wearing a dressing gown coming down to clock in the time card. But Muraglia was acquitted when a judge ruled it was legitimate for an officer to clock in at the start of his shift and then go home to finished getting dressed. Judge Paolo Luppi at the court in Imperia said getting dressed in the morning is an integral part of a government employee's duties, local reports state. After the ruling Muraglia told Il Messaggero: 'It is the end of a nightmare, but I was sure they would absolve me. 'I knew that I had done nothing wrong but it was good to hear the judge say that I am innocent.' Muraglia was sacked as a result of the case and it sparked an investigation into the practice of government workers slacking off work. Alessandro Moroni, who represented Muraglia, said his client was appointed custodian of a fruit and vegetable market in exchange for free accommodation in the market building. He told La Riviera: 'Donning a uniform was considered part of the working day and could therefore happen after clocking in.' Muraglia was caught on police CCTV clocking in, then going back upstairs to his apartment to get dressed into his uniform before heading back to the office for his shift The police officer sent his daughter to clock in his time card before he went to start work in the Italian town of Sanremo Moroni added that Muraglia woke up at 5.30am to open the gates and took up service at 6am in his day job. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera described the ruling as a 'surprise' and that Muraglia was 'a symbol of a world of lazy slackers in Italy's public administration'. More than 30 other public officials from Sanremo were caught up in the probe, including one who stamped his time card then went to the beach. Another common practice is for government workers to also hold second jobs and not spend much time working for the state. In total 16 entered plea bargain deals and were handed suspended prison sentences of 10 to 19 months, with the rest are awaiting trial. Investigators estimated that half of the city's 528 public servants were bunking off, including town hall staff who had second jobs as florists or others who went kayaking when they should have been working. Job Title: Finance Assistant Organization: United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) Duty Station: Entebbe, Uganda Reports to: The Service Line Manager Job Opening Number: 20-Finance-RSCE-130070-F-Entebbe (M) About US: The Regional Service Centre Steering Committee is the decision-making body for RSCE, in compliance with General Assembly resolutions, United Nations Secretariat rules and regulations, strategic guidance from United Nations Headquarters and oversight bodies. The Steering Committee consults with the Global Field Support Strategy Implementation Coordination Team, as required. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Accounts Perform the monthly and yearly closing procedures in Umoja ERP Analyze complex/unusual accounting transactions and difficult claims for travel, invoices and entitlement matters, etc. and make recommendations to the Team Leader or Service Line Manager on appropriate follow-up procedures. Review and reconcile all open-item-managed (OIM) accounts and investigate erroneous/invalid entries to take appropriate corrective accounting action. Review various vouchers and accounting transactions, e.g., payroll, payment of staff entitlements, final payments, travel claims, vendor invoices, agencies, field missions, etc., to ensure conformity adherence to relevant staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices. Issue of invoice to agencies through Service Delivery Module, and gnertate periodic report to review the agencies/missions balances. Assist in the preparation of the bank reconciliation on a monthly basis. Review prior and current budget period commitments for review, recommitment and cancellation of outstanding commitments. Respond to queries from staff members and third parties. Payments Verify that the necessary goods and services have been received in accordance with the contract, agreement, purchase order or other form of undertaking by which they were ordered and that they have been certified by a duly designated certifying officer before vouchers are submitted to approving officers for further review and approval. Review and prepare payments to staff and vendors for goods and services, including checking payments for accuracy and correcting any discrepancies. Review the computation of staff members regarding their entitlements, including salaries, claims, danger pay, daily subsistence allowance, mission subsistence allowance, voluntary living allowance and any other allowances, and prepare vouchers. Assist in preparing of the year-end reports for the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) on all pension contributions made by locally-recruited staff. Treasury/Cashier Review incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds. Release payments from a House Bank in the Umoja ERP Prepare and disburse payments/cheques. Dispatch payment instructions and cheques to banks. Prepare receipts and deposit slips for all incoming funds. Notify payees of status of payments. Identify and annotate bank account movements and monitors bank balances of the missions accounts. Assist in cash management, including preparing cash flow forecasts. Assist to make sure cash in vault are accounted for on a daily basis. Monitor cheque stock and cash receipt vouchers and requests for new stock as required. Monitor/review methods used to remit payments. Coordinate filing and archiving as required. Budget Review, analyse and prepare cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects. Assist managers in the justification of resource requirements for budget submissions; coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of the budget reports. Monitor budget implementation/expenditures and assist with the reallocation of funds as necessary. Monitor extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. Verify accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued. Provide inputs into the preparation of allotments and prepare redeployment requests. General Keep up-to-date on guidelines that have bearing on matters related to programme/peacekeeping budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures. Draft or prepare correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to financial and budget matters. Provide guidance and training (including preparation of training materials) to junior staff with respect to transaction processing and the use of various systems such as Umoja ERP System (SAP). Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor(s). Qualifications, Skills and Experience: High school diploma or equivalent is required. Technical or vocational certificate in accounting, finance, budget or related fields is desirable. Knowledge of accounting, finance and budget functions and treasury operations. Ability to analyse and apply data across the full range of finance, accounting and budget functions. Demonstrated use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next steps showing skills and ability to analyse and interpret financial data. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Speaks and writes clearly and effectively Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed Considers all those to whom services are provided to be clients and seeks to see things from clients point of view Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect Identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients environment to keep informed and anticipate problems Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience within the United Nations system or in the private sector at the national or international level in accounting, budgeting or financial management is required. Experience in a service centre is desirable. Experience in Finance and Budget in a UN Peacekeeping or Special Political Mission is desirable. English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For the position advertised, Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is an added advantage. Special Notice: This Recruit from Roster job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested Ugandan candidates should send their applications through the United Nations online portal at the link below. Click Here Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira.. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. No Fee The United Nations Does Not Charge A Fee At Any Stage Of The Recruitment Process (Application, Interview Meeting, Processing, Or Training). The United Nations Does Not Concern Itself With Information On Applicants Bank Accounts. Deadline: 4th February 2020 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Filmmaker Mohan Raja, whose last film was Velaikkaran, has been roped in to direct the yet-untitled Tamil remake of Hindi thriller Andhadhun. Actor Prashanth will star in the remake which will be bankrolled by his father Thiyagarajan. Its worth mentioning that Prashanth was last seen in Johnny, a Tamil remake of Johnny Gaddar. This will be the second Sriram Raghavan film that will feature Prashant, and his father has revealed that the shoot will begin soon. Almost every production house and star in our industry was trying to get the remake rights for this film. But Ive been in talks with the Bollywood production house since its release because the script is a powerful one. Every time a star expressed interest, the rate shot up, but in the end, since Ive a good rapport with the production house, having bought their Special 26 rights, I managed to get the rights for this film as well, Thiyagarajan was quoted by Times of India. At one point, Dhanush was interested in acquiring the Tamil remake rights of Andhadhun. While promoting his Hollywood film The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakhir, he had expressed his interest to star in the Tamil remake of Andhadhun. Also read | Kangana Ranaut on Saif Ali Khans no concept of India before British comment: If there was no Bharat, what was Mahabharat? While Prashant will play the lead, the rest of the cast and crew will be finalised soon. Thiyagarajan went on to add that Prashant will be perfect for the role because hes a pianist in real life as well. Prashanth has passed grade 4 in piano at the Trinity College of London. We have a grand piano in our home, and he plays on it almost daily. This role is going to be a cakewalk for him, he said. The project is expected to go on the floors very soon. Apparently, talks have been initiated with Ramya Krishnan for Tabus role. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop What to Know About the Mysterious Coronavirus Spreading in Asia and How to Protect Yourself The mysterious, deadly coronavirus has officially come to the U.S.: The Centers for Disease Control announced Tuesday that a man near Seattle contracted the virus after visiting China earlier this month. The disease has spread quickly in Asia, with around 470 cases of the respiratory infection and 17 deaths, as of Wednesday morning, though the CDC says that the risk for Americans is low. Still, the CDC is stepping up precautions at international airports around the U.S. Travelers coming from China to five airports San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Los Angeles International Airport, Chicagos OHare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will undergo enhanced health screenings to ensure that they do not have the virus. RELATED: First U.S. Case of Deadly Coronavirus Confirmed in Washington State And with questions about the origin of the coronavirus and how easily it spreads still up in the air, its important to stay informed and take simple precautions, especially for people with travel plans. Heres what you need to know. What is the coronavirus? Coronavirus is actually a blanket term for several respiratory illnesses, ranging from the common cold to more severe viruses such as SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The symptoms typically include trouble breathing, fever, coughing, headache and a sore throat. According to the CDC, the diagnosed man in Seattle recognized these symptoms after returning from Wuhan, China the presumed origin of this coronavirus and tracking the news, and informed his doctor that he may have contracted the illness. Officials in Wuhan take the temperature of boat passengers before letting them on board | Getty How did it start? Initially, Chinese health officials believed that this coronavirus was transmitted from animal to human, and they identified a food market in Wuhan with seafood and mammals as the likely source. However, theyve since determined that it can move from human to human, as people who had no contact with the market have contracted the virus. Story continues RELATED VIDEO: Dartmouth College Student, Sydney Kamen, Develops Life-Saving Program to Fight Ebola and Other Fatal Diseases Investigators do not currently know how the virus started. Theyve designated it as a novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, meaning that it originated in 2019 and is still under investigation. How does it spread? Investigators have not yet pinpointed exactly how 2019-nCoV spreads, but coronaviruses typically can be transmitted through the air, from coughing and sneezing, and from touching another person or a surface, such as a table or door handle, with the virus and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes. RELATED: U.S. to Implement Enhanced Health Screenings at 3 Airports Amid Deadly Virus Outbreak in China It spreads similar to how other viruses spread via people being in close contact with someone who is infected, Nicole Avena, assistant professor at Mount Sinai Medical School, tells PEOPLE. Airplanes, offices and schools are places where people are near each other and can easily spread the virus from coughing into the air. A man walks in Wuhan, China | Getty The Chinese government announced Wednesday that they are closing down any travel in or out of Wuhan, which is home to over 11 million people, beginning at 10 a.m. local time on Thursday, The New York Times reported. This comes right before the Lunar New Year holiday in China, the largest travel holiday in the world. How deadly is it? For people who have severe cases of 2019-nCoV, it can turn into pneumonia, SARS, kidney failure and death, according to the World Health Organization. People with compromised immune systems the elderly, babies, pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions are more at risk for complications associated with coronavirus or the flu, so it is best to be mindful if you are or are often around people with these conditions in order to help keep them healthy, Avena says. What are the best prevention methods? Right now, there are no vaccines that can prevent the transmission of this coronavirus, though the CDC said Tuesday that there are active conversations going on with the National Institutes of Health about developing a vaccine. For now, the best way people can protect themselves is with basic hygiene. The CDC recommends that people wash their hands often with soap and water, lathering for at least 20 seconds. They also say to avoid people who are sick, and for people to not touch their face with unwashed hands. Should people be concerned if theyre traveling? When traveling, I would be a little more cautious right now, not just because of the coronavirus, but also because of the terrible flu season we are in, Avena says. Personally, I am more afraid of the flu than coronavirus. BLUE BELL, Pa., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) said today that it will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2019 financial results on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Following the release, Unisys will host a conference call with the financial community from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results. The company will offer a live, listen-only Webcast of the conference call on the Unisys Investor Website at www.unisys.com/investor. A replay of the Webcast will be available on the Unisys Investor Website shortly following the conference call. About Unisys Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing. For more information on how Unisys builds better outcomes securely for its clients across the Government, Financial Services and Commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com. Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn. RELEASE NO.: 0122/9742 Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder. UIS-Q SOURCE Unisys Corporation The president will speak at this year's WEF. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has begun a working visit to Switzerland. As part of the visit, the president will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which is being held in Davos. Zelensky is set to address forum participants, according to the president's press service. Also, the president will meet with foreign leaders, CEOs, and heads of international financial organizations. Read alsoZelensky says seeks to have "strong relationship" with U.S. Zelensky has scheduled a meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the press service notes. UNIAN memo. The World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) this year gathers about 3,000 participants from 117 countries, including leaders of 53 states and governments. Events will last until January 24. In the wake of the U.S. killing of General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran is scrambling to figure out how to respond to President Trump. Throughout 2019, Iran ratcheted up threats and tensions, targeting oil tankers in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. troops in Iraq via proxies, testing Washingtons response. The decision to kill Soleimani, who arrived at Baghdad International Airport without any apparent suspicion of his impending death, threw down a gauntlet to Tehran that left the Ayatollah and the IRGC grasping for response options. This is a lesson to be learned from the recent Iran tensions: The U.S. can strike back at Iran and its allies without a major war resulting, so long as Iran is surprised or confused by the U.S. response. Iran, in response, fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq because it didnt know what else to do. Ballistic missiles enabled Iran to strike without risking its own casualties and to showcase a technology that it has and that the U.S. lacked defenses against in Iraq. But the strike was limited in scope, and Iran hoped that at worst the U.S. would respond with cruise missiles or some similar kind of missile strike. How do we know this? Iran didnt put its whole country on a war footing when it fired the missiles. It did down a civilian Ukrainian Airlines flight by mistake, showing that it expected some kind of aerial retaliation. Iran tries to project an image of itself as massively powerful and cunning, sending its constantly smiling foreign minister, Javad Zarif, abroad to demonstrate its ability to open doors from Europe to Asia. Closer to home, Iran pushes relations with Turkey, Qatar, India, Oman, and other countries. Iran boasts of massive revenge for its losses. All last year, Iranian media featured articles about its military technological achievements, such as new drones, missiles, and warships. But behind the facade of strength and boasting, Iran prefers long-term incremental achievements and influence entrenchment in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon. Story continues Take the Iranian proxy attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq throughout 2019 as an example. Iran can read U.S. media and official statements to gauge U.S. response. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Iraq in May to warn of possible Iranian escalation. From that moment Iran did escalate, attacking oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and downing a U.S. drone in June. In Iraq, rockets were fired at bases where U.S. forces are located. Pompeo warned in December that Irans proxies have recently conducted several attacks in Iraq and that the U.S. would respond directly if Iran harmed U.S. personnel. David Schenker, State Department assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, said that Iranian-backed militias in Iraq were shelling Iraqi bases where U.S. forces are located. Iran didnt expect the U.S. to carry through with a powerful response because it could read U.S. responses to the June drone downing and knew that Trump had refrained from a strike on Iran. Whether by mistake or intention, a rocket attack by Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah in late December killed a U.S. contractor near Kirkuk. Five Kataib Hezbollah sites were hit with U.S. airstrikes in response, and dozens were killed. Iran predicted that a show of force at the U.S. embassy would embarrass Washington and show the U.S. who is boss in Iraq. On Twitter on December 31, Pompeo singled out Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Iran, and other Iraqi proxies of Iran as responsible for the attack on the U.S. embassy. Tehrans leaders could have read that tweet as the threat that it was. Instead, Muhandis met Soleimani at the airport in Baghdad two days later, without fear that he was being followed by a U.S. drone that would soon turn his SUV into a smoldering wreck. The decision to go off script and strike directly at Soleimani and Muhandis has been termed regime disruption, a purposeful attempt to confuse Tehran by doing something unprecedented. Irans initial reaction was muted despite is boasts of hard revenge, because it doesnt know what to do. It wants to keep an open account with the U.S., as a threat to do more. But Tehrans usual attempt to control the tempo of conflict in the Middle East has been blunted. Lesson learned: Iran does best when it gets to set the narrative through its good-cop/bad-cop strategy of military bluster and political sweet talk, played by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Irans proxies in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. But what does Iran do when it faces complex challenges? In Syria, Israel has carried out more than 1,000 airstrikes on Iranian targets, and Iran has responded with desultory rocket fire. The attacks appear to have reached a point where Iran expects them and shrugs them off, because, as with Soleimani, it doesnt know how to respond to Israel. It has provided Hezbollah with a massive arsenal of rockets and wants to equip them with precision guidance, but Tehran must know that you get to use this massive arsenal only once before you provoke a war with Israel. That means that Hezbollah has one shot and that Iran must preserve that threat for a rainy day. Where Iran succeeds in its incrementalism is in the Gulf and in dealings with Europe over the Iran deal. Iran has walked away from key aspects of the deal over the past year, giving Europe 60-day warnings. Iran did the same in the Gulf, judging that Saudi Arabia would not respond to a drone and cruise-missile attack in September against its Abaiq refinery. Typically, when 25 drones and nine cruise missiles strike a massive refinery, the country would go to war in response. But Iran knows that Saudi Arabia cant afford a real war that would destabilize the Gulf and oil exports. Riyadh and its wealthy Gulf neighbors have more to lose than Iran does in such a scenario. Iran expects its adversaries to follow a script, and it has a ready-made tit-for-tat response. The U.S. left the Iran deal and struck Soleimani and Muhandis, surprising Tehran. Killing another IRGC commander would have diminishing returns, just as sanctions seem to no longer surprise Tehran. This is a challenge for American strategists: Devise a strategy whose core is to do the opposite of what the enemy expects. A combination of Seinfelds George and Sun Tzus Art of War. The more Iran has to focus on what the U.S. might do next, the less Iran can plan on how to attack the U.S. and its allies, including Israel. More from National Review Lucknow: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be arriving in Rae Bareli on Wednesday on a two-day visit. Rae Bareli is the parliamentary constituency of Sonia Gandhi. According to party sources, Sonia and Priyanka will arrive at the Fursatganj airport around 2:30 pm on Wednesday and will go straight to the house of former Congress MLA Ajay Pal Singh, whose son recently committed suicide, to offer condolences. In an address to the nation after Iran launched dozens of missiles at bases in Iraq that house U.S. troops, President Donald Trump expressed resolve to protect American lives, while at the same time offering Iran the opportunity for future cooperation and diplomatic engagement. Iran launched the attacks days after the United States killed IRGC-Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani, a terrorist responsible for the maiming and murder of thousands of U.S. troops. Soleimani also was the architect of the recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq that badly wounded four service members and killed an American contractor. He was planning new attacks on American targets, President Trump said, but we stopped him: Soleimanis hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood. He should have been terminated long ago. By removing Soleimani, we have sent a powerful message to terrorists: if you value your own life, you will not threaten the lives of our people. President Trump announced that the United States will immediately impose new economic sanctions on the Iranian regime in response to Irans aggressive behavior, but he made no mention of further U.S. military action. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent. . .The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it. President Trump declared that the United States and Iran share a common enemy in the terrorist group ISIS, whose brutal leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed detonating a suicide vest in Syria during a U.S Special Operations raid in October 2019. The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran, President Trump said, and we should work together on this and other shared priorities. Finally to the people and leaders of Iran, said President Trump: We want you to have a future and a great future one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home, and harmony with the nations of the world. BEIRUT, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Agreement has been reached on a new Lebanese government of 20 ministers, including economist Ghazi Wazni as finance minister, two senior political sources told Reuters on Tuesday. One of the sources said the government, which is needed to tackle Lebanon's worst economic crisis in decades, should be announced soon, barring any last minute hitch. (Writing by Ellen Francis Editing by Ghaida Ghantous) As well as commemorating Jewish peoples historical place in Germany the project is an attempt to counteract the rising anti-Semitism in the country. Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters Germany will launch a year-long campaign celebrating and explaining Jewish life and culture in 2021, in the face of what the Central Committee of Jews in Germany described as an explosion of anti-Semitism in the country. The joint initiative by the Central Committee of Jews in Germany, Catholic, and Protestant churches, and other groups will include a broad variety of cultural and historical exhibitions about Jewish life and faith in the country as well as festivals, special postage stamps, and the production of a Jewish food guide. Beyond the memory of the Shoah [Holocaust], we want to show how Jewish life has shaped our country in countless ways, said Abraham Lehrer, deputy leader of the Central Committee of Jews in Germany. The first mention of Jews in Germany appeared in an edict by the Emperor Constantine in 321 AD, saying they should be admitted to the city council in Cologne. Felix Klein, the governments antisemitism commissioner, told journalists in Berlin on Tuesday that Germany and Judaism belong together, and are a centuries-old, important pillar of our secular society. As well as commemorating Jewish peoples historical place in Germany, the project, called 321-2021: 1,700 years of Jewish Life in Germany, is an attempt to counteract the rising anti-Semitism in the country. Giving people a chance to discover more about the Jewish community in Germany will hopefully overcome prejudices against Jews, Lehrer said. Lehrer said that very few know what Jews are and what Jewish life is. He added that the year-long initiative is not about forgetting the Holocaust, but enlightening people about how much Jews have contributed to German science, culture, and society over the centuries. Klein said that explaining Jewish peoples place in ancient Germany and what modern Jewish life looks like could make people less susceptible to rumours and prejudices, to conspiracy theories and hate. Germany has seen a worrying rise in the number of attacks on Jewish people and their property, and defacement of Jewish cemeteries in recent years. A report in May 2019 recorded a 10% increase in anti-Semitic crimes in 2018 from the year before. Story continues In October 2019, a German gunman attempted to break into a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle to attack worshippers inside. When he failed to gain entry, he shot two people outside on the street. READ MORE: Germany to create 600 jobs to tackle far-right extremism It is not just Germany that is witnessing a dramatic increase in hatred in anti-Semitism. In 2018, a survey of 16,500 Jewish people in 12 EU member states by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that anti-Semitism pervades everyday life for them. Nine out of 10 respondents felt anti-Semitism had increased in their country in the five years before the survey, and 85% saw it as a serious problem. The overwhelming majority those who had experienced harassment did not report it to the police almost half of them said they thought it would not change anything to report it. The rise of the far-right political party Alternative for Germany, and online hate speech have stoked both anti-foreigner, and anti-Jewish sentiment in the country. AfD politicians have called for an end to Germanys culture of remembrance for the Holocaust, when over 6 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis. AfD leader Alexander Gauland called Hitler and the Nazis a mere speck of bird shit in more than 1,000 years of glorious German history. This year marks 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Israel will commemorate with an event in Jerusalem on 23 January, which will be attended by world leaders including the Russian, French, and German presidents, and US vice-president Mike Pence. There will also be a memorial at Auschwitz on 27 January. READ MORE: A polarised Germany marks 30 years since Berlin Wall fell Prolonged drought and other effects of climate change are pushing Australias unique platypus population towards extinction, scientists warned in a study published yesterday. The river-dwelling animal has already disappeared from up to 40 percent of its historical range on Australias east coast due to the drought, land clearing, pollution and building of dams, which fragment their habitat, the researchers said. They predicted that if the current threats persist, platypus numbers will fall another 47-66 percent over the next 50 years. If projections about worsening climate change are taken into account, the numbers of the duck-billed, egg-laying mammal could plummet up to 73 percent by 2070, they wrote. The platypus is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But the scientists from the University of New South Wales Centre for Ecosystem Science said damage to river systems caused by years of little rainfall and high temperatures had worsened prospects for the animal. These dangers further expose the platypus to even worse local extinctions, with no capacity to repopulate areas, said Gilad Bino, lead author of the study. The scientists said there is an urgent need for a national risk assessment to determine if the platypus should be downgraded to vulnerable status and to lay out conservation steps to minimise any risk of extinction. The study is the first across all platypus habitat zones to establish a so-called metapopulation model while also projecting the impacts of climate change on the species going forward. The survey estimated the total platypus population had fallen by 50 percent since European settlement of the continent two centuries ago. An earlier study published in November 2018 estimated the population had fallen by 30 percent over that period, to around 200,000. Under predicted climate change, the losses forecast were far greater because of increases in extreme drought frequencies and duration, such as the current dry spell, Bino said of the latest report. REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Raddish Kids, the leading culinary subscription kit that teaches kids to cook, is kicking off 2020 with one simple goal: getting families to cook and eat more meals together. A culinary resource for kids and families alike, Raddish has launched "Rad Family Dinners" a free, themed weekly e-newsletter that shares tips and recipes from popular recipe creators and cookbook authors to make family meal planning and preparation approachable, easy and fun. Raddish has launched "Rad Family Dinners"- a free, themed weekly e-newsletter that shares tips and recipes from popular recipe creators and cookbook authors - to make family meal planning and preparation approachable, easy and fun. Raddish Kids is kicking off 2020 with one simple goal: getting families to cook and eat more meals together. Research shows that kids who dine regularly with their parents are healthier, happier and have stronger bonds with their parents. According to Harvard University's Family Dinner Project, about half of American families rarely have family dinner. Yet, research shows that kids who dine regularly with their parents are healthier physically , mentally and emotionally and have stronger relationships with their parents. From preventing substance abuse and eating disorders to getting better grades and having a more positive self-image, family dinners have shown to have an incredibly positive impact. Each "Rad Family Dinner" newsletter features a new theme with tips and a variety of recipes. The first week's recipes center around DIY Dinnerseasy-to-make dinners that each family member can customize to his or her tastesand includes Doodle Bowls, Pizza Pinwheels, Cheese Fondue, Taco Night and Cookie Dough Bites. The theme for Week Two is "Dinner and a Movie" and highlights meals inspired by fun family films. "Encouraging families to take a break from 'the busy', and gather in the kitchen to make and eat more meals together is the motivation behind 'Rad Family Dinners'," said Raddish founder Samantha Barnes. "As a mom, I realize that making family meals is oftentimes the first thing to go. We hope these free weekly recipe guides that are centered on a fun theme, will make the kitchen a place where families can find time to talk, laugh, cook and connect." Samantha shares the following tips to help families make family mealtimes a regular occurrence: Meal Plan Together! The excitement begins when families sit down together to review recipes and decide what to make and enjoy together. Kids love having a say in what is served and a hand in what is made. The excitement begins when families sit down together to review recipes and decide what to make and enjoy together. Kids love having a say in what is served and a hand in what is made. Make Grocery Shopping a Game. Nothing puts a damper on a cooking party than missing an ingredient. Make your shopping lists on the weekend and make the experience a family scavenger hunt where each child is responsible for ingredients in a certain recipe or section. Grocery shopping is a life skill and it's amazing how well kids behave when a once boring activity becomes a game. Nothing puts a damper on a cooking party than missing an ingredient. Make your shopping lists on the weekend and make the experience a family scavenger hunt where each child is responsible for ingredients in a certain recipe or section. Grocery shopping is a life skill and it's amazing how well kids behave when a once boring activity becomes a game. Pick a Date . Be realistic in the days you can actually make time to cook and eat together. Mark dates on the calendar so meals are noted as priorities. Start with one meal a week and work your way up as you find your rhythm. Even one meal a week together is better than none! . Be realistic in the days you can actually make time to cook and eat together. Mark dates on the calendar so meals are noted as priorities. Start with one meal a week and work your way up as you find your rhythm. Even one meal a week together is better than none! It Doesn't Have to be Dinner. A meal made and prepared together can happen any time of the day: breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner. Set your schedule for what works best for your family! A meal made and prepared together can happen any time of the day: breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner. Set your schedule for what works best for your family! Take a Break from the Busy. We are all busy but changing the mentality of you have to get dinner on the table vs you get to make dinner with your family, catch up, slow down and enjoy one another can make all the difference in the experience. We are all busy but changing the mentality of you to get dinner on the table vs you to make dinner with your family, catch up, slow down and enjoy one another can make all the difference in the experience. Celebrate your Creations. Food brings us all together and that doesn't end when you sit down to enjoy the meal together. Talk about your triumphs in the kitchen, what you might do differently, what you like best/least and savor each bite and moment. For more information or to sign up for the "Rad Family Dinners" e-newsletter, visit www.raddishkids.com/radfamilydinners . ABOUT RADDISH KIDS Founded by Samantha Barnes, Raddish Kids is the leading, award-winning monthly subscription kit and cooking club for kids that delivers a new culinary adventure to families each month. Each thematic kit is designed by educators and chefs to nurture kids' confidence in the kitchen, expand their palates, and make learning delicious. Raddish cooking kits entice kids into the kitchen with beautifully illustrated recipes, culinary tools, and fun activities, and take the guesswork out of teaching kids to cook. Science, math, geography, STEAM, and other subjects are intricately woven into each themed kit, making the kitchen the tastiest place to learn. Raddish has been recognized as an Inc. 500 fastest growing company in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine as well as honored with a Parents' Choice Gold Award and CUBE Best Customer Experience Award. www.raddishkids.com . MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer Parnell [email protected] 720-515-3651 SOURCE Raddish Related Links http://www.raddishkids.com N. Korea's New 'Blunt' Foreign Minister May Reinforce Foreign Policy Realignment By William Gallo January 21, 2020 North Korea has appointed a former military officer with a blunt-speaking reputation to be the country's new foreign minister, the latest evidence Pyongyang may be realigning its foreign policy after apparently losing hope in nuclear talks. North Korea has notified foreign embassies in Pyongyang that Ri Son Gwon has been named as foreign minister, a diplomatic source confirmed to VOA. The story was first reported by NK News, a Seoul-based online publication with contacts in North Korea. The move comes as North Korea continues to boycott nuclear talks, amid frustrations Washington has not offered enough concessions. The appointment of Ri as foreign minister may be the latest evidence North Korea will take a hardline approach in 2020. A former army colonel, Ri has relatively little diplomatic experience and apparently no history working on nuclear issues. Most recently, he was the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, which handles relations with the South. He has led North Korean delegations for inter-Korean talks, including in 2018. During those talks, Ri gained a reputation for straightforward and sometimes standoffish behavior, according to South Korean media reports. Policy still dictated by Kim However, many analysts cautioned against reading too much into Ri's reputation or background. "North Korean diplomats can be both blunt or charming, depending on the situation. So his reported bluntness is secondary" to whatever message North Korea wants him to convey, says Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korea specialist who teaches at King's College London. "Policy decisions will still come from Kim Jong Un, not from the foreign minister. So in terms of substance, it does not matter much who is the foreign minister," he adds. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, agrees that the new foreign minister's past experience and policy positions are "less important than what he is empowered to do by the Kim regime. "Will he be entrusted with restarting denuclearization talks with Washington and inter-Korean exchanges with Seoul? Or will it be his job to stonewall [U.S. Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo and [U.S. North Korea envoy Stephen] Biegun while overseeing a pressure campaign including the demolition of South Korean-built tourism facilities at Mt. Kumgang? Recent signs from North Korea are not encouraging," Easley said. North Korea has not formally announced Ri as new foreign minister. It is not clear what happened to his predecessor, Ri Yong Ho, a career diplomat who served in the position for about four years. Some analysts have suggested that Kim may be reprimanding Ri for the failed nuclear talks. "I agree that it's a way to show displeasure with the lack of progress," says Pacheco Pardo. "If there was a deal, I don't think we would have seen the changes in personnel." Stalled talks Kim Jong Un had set an end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to make a new offer in nuclear talks. After the deadline passed without any U.S. concessions, many analysts had expected him to lay out a starker "new path" for his country. But Kim's New Year's comments were more pessimistic than provocative. Kim warned of a "long-term" standoff with the U.S. and said he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. But he also did not rule out talks altogether. Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times. In June 2018, they signed a vague agreement to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The talks have been stalled since February 2019, when a Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump ended abruptly in no deal. There are signs that the Trump-Kim diplomacy has reached its limit. Earlier this month, a North Korea foreign ministry official said that while the two men's relationship remains "not bad," talks would not resume unless the United States first unconditionally accepts the North's demands. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BJP MLA Dilip Makwana on Tuesday joined school students in protest against the suspension of a school principal after an NGO distributed notebooks with photos of Veer Savarkar to school students. The students had skipped their examination on Tuesday and sat on a hunger strike along with the MLA. Later, the hunger strike was called off and the students agreed to appear for their exams on Wednesday. Speaking to media, Makwana said, "I sat on a dharna with the children. If an NGO has distributed the copies then what is the mistake of the principal RN Kerawat. There is no mistake by the principal. The copies were also distributed in the past but no action was taken then. But he was suspended this time." When asked about whether he had spoken to the administration, he said, "I have discussed with the administration and told them that action should be taken soon. Kerawat should be reinstated within seven days." " If he is not reinstated then we will meet the Collector along with the students. If required I will meet the chief minister of the state with the children," he added. A student said, "Sir has given us a week's time and he has said that we should give the examination so we ended our protest." Another student said that as many as 80 students participated in the protest. The principal of a government school here was suspended by the state government after notebooks carrying pictures of Veer Savarkar were allegedly distributed in the school. KC Sharma, District Officer had said, "The principal was suspended as he didn't take permission from concerned authorities before approving the distribution of notebooks with Savarkar's photo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Popular Front of India (PFI) national secretary Anis Ahmed has also filed a PIL in the Apex Court challenging the new legislation, which trigged protests across several parts of the country. The Supreme Court will hear 144 petitions on Wednesday related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), including petitions challenging the constitutional validity of CAA and transfer petitions filed by the Central Government. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna will hear the pleas will hear Ahmed's petition with several other pleas against CAA listed for hearing today. Ahmed, in his petition, challenged not only the CAA but also the amendments made to related legislation, rules and orders. He stated religion has never been a criterion for citizenship. "However, as a result of the CAA, only Muslims run the risk of losing citizenship on account of their religion. The impugned legislation sets the criterion of religion for the purposes of granting or denying citizenship. That is not conducive to the constitutional ideals, such as justice, equality, liberty and fraternity, unity and integrity of the country," read the petition. Anis Ahmed stated that the CAA is "wholly destructive, divisive and dangerous to the harmonious living of the citizens of India". The PIL also states that "The Articles 2, 3, 7, 15 and 18 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR to which India is a party, mandates that there shall not be any discrimination on the ground of religion." "Unfortunately, the impugned legislations are wholly unjust, arbitrary, discriminatory, and unconstitutional and against the international Declarations/Covenants adopted by the United Nations Organization, wherein India is a member," read a press release by PFI. The PIL also sought to declare Rule 4(1)(ha) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules 1950, para 3A of the Foreigners Order, 1948 and the CAA as "unconstitutional and to strike down those legislations". New Delhi, Jan 22 : With just about two weeks left for the Delhi Assembly polls, leaders of Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday hit the streets of the national capital with roadshows and public meetings seeking votes for the party. Starting from party's national convenor and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who held two roadshows during the day, numerous senior party leaders were also on streets holding public meetings and roadshows. Kejriwal started the day early with one roadshow in Badli, along with sitting MLA Rajesh Yadav, and appealed to the supporters of all other parties to vote for "real development". He said the party affiliation does not matter but vote for a better future. He said a vote for the other parties will "destroy the current education and healthcare system of Delhi". Kejriwal evoked an emotional tone during the roadshow, which ended in Adarsh Nagar, and said he had worked for the welfare of the people, "like the elder son of the family". "The elder son of the family is responsible for providing a good life to the family, arranging adequate financial resources, getting younger sisters married, providing adequate healthcare and education to the children of the family and I have tried to be that elder son for my people. We have made efforts to take Delhi forward in the last five years. It is my appeal to the people of Delhi to not let anything obstruct the development of Delhi," Kejriwal said. Later in the day, Kejriwal held another roadshow between Krishna Nagar and Shahdara. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia held a public meeting at Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar. Party's star campaigner Bhagwant Maan held public meetings at Mehrauli, one at Chattarpur and another at Bijwasan. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh too held a 'Jansabhas' at Deoli, Kasturba Nagar and Ambedkar Nagar. Delhi is going for polls on February 8. The GAO has been getting a lot of attention lately for claiming that President Trump "broke the law," and it doesn't deserve it. I don't recall the GAO saying that Congress broke the law by misusing taxpayer money to set up a slush fund to pay out claims to protect members of Congress. We are told that $17 million was paid out over decades to pay 268 claims. We don't know what the claims were, we don't know whom the claims were against, and we don't know who was paid, so why should we believe that only $17 million was paid? It is a great story of how little legislative bodies throughout the United States care about ethics, taxpayer money, transparency, and policing their own. The media and other Democrats said that when Trump used personal money to pay off blackmailing Stormy Daniels, that somehow violated campaign financing laws. That is idiotic, but wasn't this slush fund used specifically to protect people in power? Using taxpayer money for personal purposes surely should violate campaign financing laws, but members of Congress always consider themselves special, and the media protect most of them. Congress paid out $17 million in settlements. Here's why we know so little about that money I don't remember Pelosi, the media, the GAO, and other Democrats ever giving a damn about other presidents withholding money from things Congress has approved. I don't remember Pelosi, the GAO, the media, and other Democrats caring that when Obamacare came up short of money, President Obama illegally stole money from other things Congress approved to pay for the shortfalls. Did the GAO or Pelosi care when Obama used $1.8 billion of taxpayer money to bribe Iranian leaders without congressional approval? Did the GAO or Pelosi care when, under Obama, the Justice Department, CFPB, and EPA stole taxpayer money to establish slush funds to be used for political purposes and to give kickbacks to political supporters? Did the GAO care with all the kickbacks Obama gave to his political supporters with the stimulus bill like Solyndra? Did the GAO care when the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, and other agencies used so much taxpayer money to protect Hillary and target Trump and his associates before and after the 2016 election. Did Congress authorize money to target political opponents? Isn't it clearly a violation of the Hatch Act for members of the Executive Branch to spend so much time on what clearly were political activities? What about the IRS clearly spending so much time and money seeking to shut up Obama's political opponents? The Hatch Act: Political Activity and the Federal Employee But President Trump holds back funds for a couple of months in Ukraine, which they got by the end of the fiscal year, and suddenly, on the day Pelosi finally turned over the impeachment articles to the Senate, the swamp creatures at the GAO, who pretend to be non-partisan, issue a report that Trump broke the law. How is it breaking the law when Ukraine got the money before the due date in the law? I bet they wouldn't have found a crime if Biden and Obama held back $1 billion if the prosecutor wasn't fired. Does anybody believe that it was a coincidence that Pelosi sends over the impeachment articles on the day the GAO magically makes up a report that says Trump broke the law? The GAO report is as fictional as the Russian dossier. Or maybe Pelosi had to wait to deliver the articles until those special pens were designed, ordered, and delivered for the "solemn" signing ceremony. The 535 members of Congress have always thought they were special and better than the rest of us. In the 1990s, it was the House banking scandal, where hundreds of members of Congress had the privilege of using taxpayer money when theirs ran out without penalties. And these people write the laws that we ordinary people must obey. It is no wonder that so many politicians and other members of the swamp are so unethical and dishonest when the media spend so much time protecting politicians whose policies they support and targeting those they don't. Facts haven't mattered for a long time. And the media and other members of Congress want Trump impeached because they don't like what he does, not because of breaking any laws. I have heard many people say they don't believe that the media and Democrats understand Trump, but I believe that is not true. I think the media and other Democrats do understand Trump and what he stands for. That is what they fear. They are scared that if the public, especially minorities, see the economic prosperity that comes from capitalism and smaller government, the fewer votes they get. After all, all Democrats care about is power, and they would rather have people dependent on government than giving them freedom of choice to move up the economic ladder. EDWARDSVILLE The Edwardsville Rotary Club honored Edwardsville High School (EHS) student Nathan Greenland with the Student of the Month Award for the month of January. Greenland was nominated by science teacher, Grace Bannon. Greenland is a member of National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Tri-M Music Honor Society, along with being a Commended Scholar for PSAT. He also serves as a drum major for the Edwardsville High School Marching Band, and plays saxophone in the Marching and Symphonic bands and Pit Orchestra. Additionally, Greenland is involved in the Edwardsville Peer Influence Club (EPIC) and EHS Broadcasting. Greenland would like to attend Purdue, Northwestern, or the University of Chicago to pursue a degree in genetic/chemical engineering. He would like to eventually work for an agricultural firm like Bayer. The Edwardsville Rotary Club recognizes a student each month from September through April. Each May, Edwardsville High School staff chooses one of the monthly winners to receive the $1,500 Edwardsville EHS Rotary Scholarship. The awards have been given since 1996 and the Edwardsville Rotary Club has given out over $28,000 in scholarships to date. India Shortlists Firms to Build 6 Nuclear Conventional Submarines Worth $7 Bln Sputnik News 17:28 21.01.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): The Indian Navy currently has 15 submarines including one INS Chakra (Akula class nuclear sub) from Russia. Last week, Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh, speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi he said that New Delhi is keeping a close watch on the growing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region. India's apex decision making body for defence procurement has approved the shortlist of companies that will build six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. The Defence Ministry said that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had approved a shortlist of Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to construct submarines at the cost of over $7 billion under the ambitious strategic partnership model. Sources said from the Indian side private firm Larsen & Toubro, and state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited will partner with a foreign firm for the project. DAC has rejected the joint bid by Adani and Hindustan Shipyard Limited on technical grounds. The council has also cleared the names of five foreign technology partners who applied to take part in the competition. "The strategic Partnership Model aims at promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment, in addition to establishing an industrial and R&D eco-system capable of meeting the future requirements of the Armed Forces besides giving a boost to exports," the defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The Indian Navy had formally launched the programme to construct six air-independent propulsion-enabled submarines under Project 75 (India) in 2017. The request for information was issued to six foreign shipyards Rubin Design Bureau of Russia, Naval Group of France, Navantia of Spain, Saab of Sweden, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and ThyssenKrupp of Germany under the strategic partnership model. However, the Japanese side did not respond to the Indian invitation because of the conditions for the transfer of technology. The strategic partnership model stipulates collaboration between one of India's private defence shipbuilders and a foreign manufacturer. The Indian Navy had asked the selected manufacturers to provide operational details of their respective submarines with air-independent propulsion systems (AIP) and anti-surface, anti-submarine and land-attack capabilities. Presently, the Indian Navy has nine Kilo-class and four Shishumar (Type 209/1500) class, one Kalvari (French Scorpene) class and one INS Chakra (Akula class nuclear sub) from Russia. Under Project-75, the Indian Navy had finalised a contract with the French Naval Group to construct six diesel-electric submarines at an Indian shipyard and to date has commissioned one submarine under the project. The Indian Navy assessed a requirement of at least 24 submarines to maintain its superiority over Bangladesh and Pakistan who are poised to deploy additional submarines sourced from China soon. Last week, Admiral Karambir Singh said that New Delhi is keeping a close watch on the growing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region. "We are all aware of the numbers, the tonnage, the number of ships, everything that is growing. We had seen this in the Indian Ocean region itself starting in 2008 when joined in the anti-piracy patrol. Before that, they weren't very obvious in the Indian Ocean region, but now you find that at any given time, there are seven to eight PLA warships in that area," the Indian Navy Chief said in New Delhi while speaking at the Raisina Dialogue on 15 January. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new report released by Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Global Management indicates that there are $1-3 trillion annually of emerging market opportunities with the deployment of climate restoration solutions by 2030, with an additional $3-5 trillion market opportunities from deployment of natural solutions per year by 2030. Rick Parnell, CEO, of the Foundation for Climate Restoration stated, The multi-trillion dollar climate restoration market opportunity should rapidly mobilize innovators to identify the best mix of solutions that are safe, scaleable, financeable, and permanently store CO 2 . Climate restoration solutions should be deployed at a large scale as soon as possible to address the climate emergency. Our work is about galvanizing a movement to ensure a habitable planet for future generations. To catalyze and connect the mounting climate restoration initiatives to reach the scale necessary to achieve climate restoration, the Global Climate Restoration Task Force was launched in conjunction with the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland with initiating partners: Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (ASU), the Foundation for Climate Restoration, Office of the Presidency Republic of Kenya, Ice911 Research, Ocean-Climate Trust, NEXUS, Office of County Supervisor Dave Cortese, Santa Clara County, California, and Earth Day Network. Leaders in the global movement for climate restoration are demonstrating momentum including: This week Microsoft announced it will be carbon negative by 2030 , and launched a $1 billion fund to finance carbon reduction, capture, and removal technologies over the next four years. , and launched a $1 billion fund to finance carbon reduction, capture, and removal technologies over the next four years. In August 2019, Stripe committed to pay, at any available price, for the direct removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and its sequestration in secure, long-term storage. committed to pay, at any available price, for the direct removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and its sequestration in secure, long-term storage. In December 2019, Goldman Sachs pledged to spend $750 billion on sustainable finance projects over the next decade. pledged to spend $750 billion on sustainable finance projects over the next decade. In December 2019, a record 631 investors managing over US $37 trillion signed the Global Investor Statement to Governments on Climate Change , which called for acceleration of private sector investment into the low carbon transition, and commit to improve climate-related financial reporting. , which called for acceleration of private sector investment into the low carbon transition, and commit to improve climate-related financial reporting. In December 2019, Blue Planet Ltd and KDC Announced A Global Partnership to scale carbon negative concrete worldwide to the company making limestone aggregate to produce carbon-negative concrete that allows for carbon-negative building materials to be readily available for the global commercial market and will help remove the excess trillion tons of CO 2 from the atmosphere. "There are over 5,000 identified sites for Blue Planet and KDC. If KDC and Blue Planet were to initially develop 100 of these in the US by 2025, it alone could equate to enough emission reductions of nearly 5% - 10% of the entire U.S.'s Paris Treaty obligations." -Brent Constantz, CEO of Blue Planet to scale carbon negative concrete worldwide to the company making limestone aggregate to produce carbon-negative concrete that allows for carbon-negative building materials to be readily available for the global commercial market and will help remove the excess trillion tons of CO from the atmosphere. "There are over 5,000 identified sites for Blue Planet and KDC. If KDC and Blue Planet were to initially develop 100 of these in the US by 2025, it alone could equate to enough emission reductions of nearly 5% - 10% of the entire U.S.'s Paris Treaty obligations." -Brent Constantz, CEO of Blue Planet In January 2019, the Local Governments for Climate Restoration Campaign was launched by Dave Cortese, County Executive, Santa Clara County, CA, Office of the Special Secretary for Climate Change Presidency of Kenya, Earth Day Network, and Foundation for Climate Restoration to call on all cities and counties to adopt a Climate Restoration Resolution. To survive as a civilization, we need to restore the climate now. The global response to this climate humanitarian crisis will occur one individual at a time; one town at a time; one city at a time, one county or province at a time, until we have knit together a global climate restoration movement that is unstoppable - Dave Cortese, County Executive, Santa Clara County, California, USA was launched by Dave Cortese, County Executive, Santa Clara County, CA, Office of the Special Secretary for Climate Change Presidency of Kenya, Earth Day Network, and Foundation for Climate Restoration to call on all cities and counties to adopt a Climate Restoration Resolution. To survive as a civilization, we need to restore the climate now. The global response to this climate humanitarian crisis will occur one individual at a time; one town at a time; one city at a time, one county or province at a time, until we have knit together a global climate restoration movement that is unstoppable - Dave Cortese, County Executive, Santa Clara County, California, USA At Davos, Ice911 Research announced that they will deploy testing of its climate restoration material on sea ice . . At Davos, Cambridge Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge (CCRC) and the Foundation for Climate Restoration, announced a new partnership to expand research on the deployment of climate restoration solutions in oceans and the Arctic. Working in partnership with the Foundation for Climate Restoration provides the needed research and solution testing structure in order for us to make effective evidence-based decisions and actions to tackle the climate emergency that threatens life on Earth as we know it. -Sir David King, Founder and Honorary Executive Chair, CCRC, Fellow, Downing College, Cambridge and Former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government Climate Restoration is the global endeavor to return the Earth's climate systems to the safe and healthy state in which humanity and our natural world evolved. This requires returning atmospheric CO2 to proven safe levels of less than 300 parts per million (PPM) and restoring sufficient Arctic ice to prevent permafrost melt and the resulting disastrous methane emissions. About the Foundation for Climate Restoration The Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR) is a nonprofit whose mission is to catalyze action to restore the climate by 2050. It uses global dialogue and initiatives to unite the public, policy-makers, and technical and business experts behind the common goal of reversing global warming and restoring a healthy climate for future generations. The F4CR encourages and spotlights achievable solutions to remove excess carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and rebuild Arctic ice. For more information visit www.f4cr.org Media Contact: Alexandra Pony alexandra@ponycommunications.com 250.858.0656 President has said that the US is watching the developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir "very closely" and repeated his offer to "help" resolve the longstanding dispute between the two neighbours as he met Prime Minister on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum here in the Swiss ski resort. Addressing the media with the Pakistan Prime Minister prior to their private meeting on Tuesday, President Trump asserted that trade and borders were both critical points for discussion, while Khan said that for him, Afghanistan was the top priority. Trump told Khan, whom he referred to as "my friend", that he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the ongoing Kashmir issue. The US president is expected to visit India in the coming weeks, marking his first visit after taking up his post in the White House. "What's going on between Pakistan and India if we can help, we certainly will be willing to. We have been watching it very closely and it's an honour to be here with my friend," he said. "The Pakistan-India conflict is a very big issue for us in Pakistan and we expect the US to always play its part in deescalating the tensions, because no other country can," Khan said. President Trump has repeatedly offered to mediate following India's August 5 decision to revoke the special status to and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories, evoking strong reaction from Pakistan which has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue. New Delhi has defended the move, saying is an integral part of India and the issue was strictly internal to the country, and the special status provisions only gave rise to terrorism in "The country took the decision of abrogation of Article 370, which had only given separatism and terrorism to that state," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a function in October last year. This is the third meeting between Trump and Khan since Pakistan premier assumed office in 2018 and it came against the backdrop of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's recent trip to the US, amid reports that the US and Afghan Taliban were close to striking a peace deal. "There are issues we want to talk about. The main issue is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan. Fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with Taliban and the government," Khan said. When a reporter asked Trump if he would visit Pakistan considering he was already set to visit India, the US president said he was meeting the Pakistan premier in Davos. "Well, we're visiting right now. So we don't really have to. I wanted to say that from a relationship standpoint, we got a great relationship. From the standpoint our two countries, we're getting along very well. I would say we've never been closer with Pakistan the way we're right now. And this is a big statement," Trump said. Khan left for Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and meet the world leaders, including President Trump, on the sidelines of the annual event which kicked off at the ski resort town of Davos on Tuesday. The four-day summit marks the 50th anniversary of the forum. A total of 53 heads of State are on the guest list. Nearly 3,000 participants from 118 countries are expected to attend the event during which political leaders, business executives, heads of international organisations and civil society representatives are set to deliberate on contemporary economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues. Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): A meeting on enhancing air connectivity for Odisha was held in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The meeting was Chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, where Minister Commerce and Transport, Government of Odisha, Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Arvind Singh, Chairman of Airport Authority of India and other senior officials and CEOs of different Airlines operator were present. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, "Odisha has witnessed rapid growth over the years and made his foothold strong in many areas, including mining, manufacturing, tourism, culture, sports, education and IT. In the last few years the aviation traffic in Odisha has seen immense growth. Though Domestic flight connectivity has seen an improvement." Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation said, "The purpose of today's meeting was to chalk out an action plan for enhancing air connectivity within the State and other parts of the country and beyond the country." "The Aviation is a driver of economic growth today if we look at the last five years, Air traffic at Bhubaneswar has seen a growth of 29 per cent against the national average of 17 per cent, which shows Odisha's potential for the aviation sector," he added. Officials of more than 25 airlines, including Air India, Go Air, SpiceJet, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines among others attended the meeting. It was informed in the meeting that 14 new flights are planned to/from Odisha. Most of the flights are scheduled to operate between January to Summer 2020. The planned destinations are Kolkata-Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar-Varanasi, Varanasi-Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda-Mumbai, Prayagraj-Bhubaneswar, Delhi-Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, Bhubaneswar-Kalaikunda, Bhubaneswar-Bangkok, Bangkok- Bhubaneswar, Singapore-Bhubaneswar and Bhubaneswar-Abu Dhabi. (ANI) A new UK-wide cattle and sheep industry group is to be created to speed up progress against endemic diseases and challenges which are costing the sector 500m per year. An industry consultation on creating the new group had a strong majority supporting the move in principle. Many people believed it will accelerate work to control conditions like liver fluke, mastitis and lameness. As a result, the new Ruminant Health and Welfare Group (RHWG) will be formed on April 1. The consultation was facilitated on behalf of the ruminant industry by the AHDB, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) and Livestock and Meat Commission (Northern Ireland). Rebecca Geraghty, AHDB Chief Technical Officer, said the case for change is 'compelling' as the UK is in 'unprecedented times'. Despite a number of worthwhile initiatives and significant progress in some areas to date, endemic diseases in ruminants continue to have a major impact on our industrys performance and profitability. Due to Brexit and potential changes to both our operating environment and consumer preferences, we face challenges and opportunities which can be better managed by a robust ruminant industry with world-leading health and welfare. Reducing the scale and impact of endemic diseases in a meaningful way would build our industrys resilience in the face of economic challenges such as Brexit. It would also go a significant way to improving our environmental impact, she said. In terms of export of meat and dairy, there has been a broad recognition that having a high national animal health and welfare status would enable the UK to access more markets. The broad agreement from discussions with government, devolved administrations and industry over the past 18 months is that the time is right for a united UK-wide industry voice. Ms Geraghty added: This would act as a welcome driver for a simpler, more co-ordinated and more widely committed approach to ruminant health and welfare across all parts of the UK. We are excited at facilitating and supporting the formation of this new umbrella group and look forward to it making a real difference in ruminant health and welfare to the benefit of everyone involved in livestock farming, she said. None of the 60 responses to the consultation disagreed with the principle of improving the health and welfare of all ruminant livestock. There was universal recognition that disease knows no boundaries and that discussions on how to accelerate improvement were commendable. There were, however, both common benefits and concerns raised across stakeholder categories, irrespective of whether they agreed or disagreed with the proposal, which the new group will need to consider. The RHWG will be an independent industry group, but set-up as a committee under the AHDB operating umbrella to minimise operating costs and governance complexities. Technical and scientific expertise will be central to its work and will be sought for individual projects as appropriate. AHDB will provide beef, sheep and dairy levy-funding for RHWG to cover the cost of the chair and secretariat. This will predominantly come from the existing AHDB funding for the Cattle Health and Welfare Group (CHAWG) and Sheep Health and Welfare Group (SHAWG), in England. There will be a transition period from 1 April 2020 for these committees to work alongside the RHWG and agree which workstreams will be transferred and which will close. The recruitment process to find a chair for RHWG started today. The closing date for applications is Thursday 20 February. Andrew Castle has predicted that Meghan Markle will have 'wellness range' in two years, while Prince Harry will start his own line of 'Sussex Royal underpants'. The broadcaster, 56, from Epsom, appeared on This Morning today alongside Bev Turner, 46, from Manchester, to discuss whether those with royal connections should be able to cash in on their status by promoting products. This comes after The Queen's eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, 42, appeared in two TV adverts for a Chinese state-owned dairy firm while Princess Diana's niece Lady Kitty Spencer was seen endorsing Satine Jersey milk in a photoshoot. Andrew said that while he has no problem with the royals using their status to 'make some money' he believes that the antics of Phillips and Spencer will 'pale in comparison' to what's to come for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Scroll down for video The broadcaster, 56, from Epsom, appeared on This Morning today alongside Bev Turner,46, Manchester to discuss whether those with royal connections should be able to cash in on their status Andrew Castle has predicted that Meghan Markle will have 'wellness range' in two years, while Prince Harry will start his own line of 'Sussex Royal underpants' The Queen's eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, 42, appeared in two TV adverts for a Chinese state-owned dairy firm He said: 'If it's okay to be on the cover [of a magazine] as Kitty Spencer has been, as a successful model for the last five years, flogging Dolce & Gabbana or something - what's wrong with flogging some Chinese milk company? 'This pales into insignificance compared to what's coming from Harry and Meghan, by the way. 'Can you imagine what they're going to do? Surely Harry's gonna come out with a line of Sussex royal underpants and surely there will be a wellness range for Meghan, two or three years down the line.' Host Holly Willoughby weighed in, suggesting that the couple may take a more behind-the-scenes approach, such as the Obama's have done with streaming service Netflix. However hosts Holly Willoughby ( pictured left) and Phillip Schofield (pictured far left) felt the couple would be drawn to more highbrow work 'But a wellness range for Meghan would be okay wouldn't it?', asked Andrew. Phillip Schofield then interrupted, insisting the couple would likely only do 'classy' and 'high quality threshold stuff'. After Bev insisted that she wishes the couple 'all the best', Andrew added: I do too. 'You've got to make some money. He [Phillips] doesn't take any money, does he - Peter Philips from the public purse? It was good fun watching the advert though.' The discussion arose, after Princess Anne's son was seen in the TV ad, holding a glass of milk in front of a stately home, with the caption: 'British Royal Family member Peter Phillips.' Mr Phillips, who grew up on his mother's estate in Gloucestershire, boasts in the advert of being brought up on Jersey milk from the herd at Windsor. 'British royal family member Peter Phillips' how Anne's son is presented on the ad he signs off Sales pitch: Lady Kitty Spencer helps launch the Chinese Jersey milk brand in a commercial event at the British Museum A spokesman for Longleat House, the Wiltshire property used in the commercial, said permission had not been granted. The revelation will intensify the row about 'royals for rent', as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex embark on their new lives . Harry and Meghan have had to promise not to use their HRH titles to cash in as they set about becoming 'financially independent'. Mr Phillips and his sister Zara have never had HRH status, and both have come under scrutiny in the past for the way they make money. Meanwhile, Spencer is plugging a rival Chinese daily brand and the 29-year-old model, a first cousin to Princes William and Harry, in an ad that sees her posing for a cup of tea at the British Museum. She told Chinese journalists: The day of the Royal Family usually begins with a cup of milk or a cup of tea. Attorney General William Barr leaves a news conference after speaking to reporters at the Justice Department in Washington, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, to announce the results of an investigation of the shootings at the Pensacola Naval Air Station that happened in Florida on Dec. 6, 2019. Barr wants Apple to unlock the shooter's iPhones. Read more If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. We have heard this so many times since the birth of the security state following the 9/11 attacks that we scarcely give it a second thought. But there was life before the TSA, the Patriot Act, enhanced border security, metal detectors, and clear backpacks. Its just getting harder to remember with each passing year. This week, Reuters sources revealed that, at the FBIs urging, Apple dropped a plan that would have made it impossible for Apple to unlock data on users phones. Yet still, we are told that if we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear. Not that we could hide much anyway at this point. Our online lives are archived and CCTV captures a good deal of what we do in public every day. Our cell phones are tracking devices that we carry at almost every moment. The federal government does its level best to keep track of as much of this data as it can. Therein lies the rub. The government sees the personal data of American citizens as a treasure trove of information to be used to both solve and prevent crimes. American citizens, on the other hand, tend not to think about government monitoring efforts all that much. When they do, they seem to regard them the same way they regard random traffic stops, frisks before concerts and ball games, endless TSA lines at the local airport, and facial recognition software. They are government-mandated inconveniences that Americans have no choice but to endure. While an individual cant stand up to the full weight of the security state, there are at least a few corporations that could. One opportunity is brewing after the December attack at a naval base in Pensacola, Fla., an attack that was unambiguously an act of terrorism. A member of the Saudi Air Force, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, killed three and injured eight in a shooting spree that lasted 15 minutes. The Department of Justice says there is no evidence that the shooting was anything other than the act of a lone gunman, but the government nonetheless wants to unlock two iPhones that belonged to the gunman. The Justice Department wants access to data and messages contained within encrypted apps in order to determine whether Alshamrani did, in fact, act alone on that fateful day in December. This is where the security story gets interesting. Apple is stonewalling the federal government, and the attorney general of the United States is becoming agitated. We dont want to get into a world where we have to spend months and even years exhausting efforts when lives are in the balance, said Attorney General William Barr. We should be able to get in when we have a warrant that establishes that criminal activity is underway. This isnt the first time that Apple and the federal government have come to loggerheads over privacy concerns. In December 2015, a husband and wife terrorist team killed 14 people and injured 22 more in San Bernardino, Calif. Apple defied a court order to assist the FBI in accessing the shooters phones. The FBI ended up working with a private company to access the phones, leaving the question of what Apple might be required to do for another day. And now, its another day. In these cases, there were clear suspects and even search warrants. But to arrange matters so that the government has access to these phones opens the door to the government having access to all phones. What should the public want Apple to do? We can hold to current policy and say, If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear, or we can finally draw our own line in the sand. We can say that we are sick of being treated as suspects as a matter of course. We can say that we are tired of being frisked, prodded, and groped as we move about our daily lives. We can say that we have had enough of the governments prying into every aspect of our digital lives. No one of us has the power to draw that line. But Apple could. And if Apple doesnt continue to do so, there are plenty of entrepreneurs out there who would love the opportunity to try. Either way, if consumers demand the privacy that should be accorded free people, we will eventually get it. The open question is whether Apple wants to be the one to provide it. Antony Davies is an associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. James R. Harrigan is the managing director of the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom at the University of Arizona. They host the weekly podcast, Words & Numbers. US watching developments between India-Pakistan over Kashmir very closely: Trump 22 January, 2020 Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love Types of Casino Payment Methods Are Slot Developers Important for players? Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry Woke Bingo DAVOS: US President Donald Trump said the United States was watching developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir very closely and was prepared to help if necessary. Speaking ahead of talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Trump said trade and borders were both critical points for discussion, while Imran said that for him Afghanistan was the top priority. This is the third meeting of the two leaders in less than a year amid reports that the US and Afghan Taliban are close to striking a peace deal after over yearlong painstaking process. The premier is accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, and Special Assistants to PM Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari and Dr Moeed Yusuf in the Swiss city. Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Ambassador at Large for Investments Ali Jehangir Siddiqui will also join the prime minister in Davos. Trade is going to be of very, very paramount importance and were working together on some borders, and were talking about Kashmir in relation to what is going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help we certainly will be helping, said the US president. Weve been watching that and following it very, very closely, he added. On August 5 last year, India had stripped Occupied Kashmir of the special autonomy it had for seven decades through a rushed presidential order. Kashmiris see the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers. Pakistan had strongly condemned the move and vowed to exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps taken by New Delhi. Imran said that while relations with India were important, the most pressing concern was Afghanistan. The main issue, of course, is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan, he said. Fortunately we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with the Taliban and the government. He said it was always hoped the US would take part in resolving the issue, because no other country can. Imran is one of at least three leaders Trump is scheduled to meet at Davos. The others include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Iraqi President Barham Salih. The US president avoided responding concretely to a question by a reporter whether he would also visit Pakistan when he makes a trip to India, instead saying, Well, we are meeting right now. I wanted to say hello. Trump said that from a relationship standpoint, the US and Pakistan are getting along very well. We have never been closer with Pakistan than we are right now. The meeting comes against the backdrop of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshis trip to the United States, where he met with his counterpart to defuse regional tensions. The prime minister will deliver a keynote address at the WEF special session and also interact with corporate leaders at the Pakistan Strategy Dialogue. On the sidelines, Prime Minister Imran will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders, but the most significant of which is his meeting with US President Donald Trump. The premier will also hold meetings with a number of corporate, technology, finance and business representatives of international financial institutions. In addition, he will address senior international media persons and editors during a session with the WEFs International Media Council, official sources said. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the forum where political leaders, business executives, heads of international organisations and civil society representatives will deliberate on contemporary economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues. According to the Foreign Office, PM Khan will speak to senior international media persons and editors during a session with the Forums international media council. Throughout his engagements at Davos, the premier will share Pakistans vision and achievements in the areas of economy, peace and stability, trade, business and investment opportunities. He will highlight the current situation in India-held Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistans perspective on key regional and international issues, the FO statement added. The premier is accompanied by FM Qureshi, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, Special Assistant on National Security Mooed Yusuf and Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, while Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Ambassador at large for Investments Ali Jehangir Siddiqui will join the delegation in Davos. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the WEF where political leaders, business executives, heads of international organisations and civil society representatives will deliberate on contemporary economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues. The Time magazine has featured Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with other world leaders, on its cover page yet again in a special issue on the WEF. Other leaders featured on the cover illustration include founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF Klaus Schwab, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Europes Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. The magazines cover featured the five leaders sitting on a chairlift with the snow-covered Swiss Alps in the background. US President Donald Trump and young climate activist Greta Thunberg can also be seen sitting together on another chairlift in the background of the illustration. More than 150 people gathered Jan. 21 at Holiday Inn & Suites in Willowbrook for an around-the-world-themed celebration of the hotels presence in northwest Houston. Patrons, business leaders and even the Consul General of Pakistan were among the events guests, said general manager Michael Khan. The Holiday Inn & Suites, and its conference center, officially opened early last year, but Khan explained that the hotel was waiting for all key positions to be filled before hosting a grand opening. They were looking for general manager and director of sales to be in place in order for them to do this. They wanted to wait for the right time and get the facility going, Khan said. After about 10 months of operation, the new hotel was ready to show off its facilities with a community introduction event. Related: Go inside Houston's top luxury hotels In addition to 120 guest rooms, a heated indoor pool and restaurant-bar area, the facility includes variously-sized meeting spaces the largest of which is a 6,000-square-foot conference center that can host an up-to 400-person dinner event. Already, Khan said, the conference center has hosted weddings and most recently, an international pageant. We can host conferences, we can host meetings; if they want to have weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, huge corporate events, Christmas parties we can host all of those, Khan said. I think we are the only hotel in this area that has this large of a conference center and meeting facility. Another unique feature Khan mentioned are the solar panels on the roof of the hotel for green, planet-friendly energy. Related: Take a spin in the Peloton rooms at C. Baldwin Hotel Part of the grand opening events purpose was to introduce community members to the hotel. The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce joined hotel representatives for a ribbon cutting ceremony and a proclamation from Harris County Pct. 4 was presented to the hotel, Khan said. Guests enjoyed a hotel tour, complimentary drinks, a variety of dishes and raffle prizes. Khan started in his position as general manager in September. He hopes that as the only full-service Holiday Inn in the area, the Willowbrook location will keep the momentum going for community awareness and involvement. We were hoping that the awareness of us being here, it can be known in the community, because before this probably some people were not aware that we exist, Khan said. And we wanted to thank our guests and the community who support our hotel. Our goal is to stay involved as much as we can with the local community. mfeuk@hcnonline.com Oil pipes in an oil field Oil continues to whipsaw wildly, rallying significantly in the wake of substantially higher tensions in the Middle East, as Iran and the U.S. teetered on the brink of war, and then pulling back sharply as the crisis eased. That saw the international benchmark Brent soar briefly to a multi-year high of over US$75 per barrel and then plunge to trade at just over US$64 per barrel. There are a range of factors weighing on oil, including the rapidly deflating risk premium created by the latest Middle East crisis, growing U.S. shale oil production, and fears of weaker demand growth because of a softer global economy. Those factors are applying pressure to energy stocks to see the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund down by 7% over the last year. That along with many Canadian oil stocks failing to rally has created considerable opportunities for investors seeking to boost their exposure to oil. Here are two oil stocks poised to deliver value in 2020 and beyond that every investor should consider. Colombian oil producer My top energy pick for 2019 was intermediate upstream oil producer Parex Resources (TSX:PXT), which has risen by 22% over the last year, and I remain bullish on the company for 2020. Parex has amassed 2.7 million acres across the Andean nations Llanos and Magdalena Basins, which hold proven and probable oil reserves of 185 million barrels. The driller has had considerable drilling success announcing two oil discoveries during 2019, which will expand its oil reserves. Parex also acquired three additional blocks in Colombias Llanos and Magdalena Basins, which have the potential to further boost its oil reserves, particularly if they perform as strongly as its earlier purchases. The driller is trading at a deep 40% discount to the after-tax net asset value (NAV) of its oil reserves, indicating that there is considerable upside ahead, making now the time to buy. Growing oil reserves coupled with a high rate of drilling success will also sustain higher production. This will allow Parex to maintain the impressive 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) reported for its oil output between 2014 and 2018. Parex will also be able to take full advantage of higher oil and significantly boost its earnings as well as cash flow. The drillers attractiveness as a play on higher oil is significantly enhanced by its rock-solid, debt free balance sheet. Story continues For the reasons discussed, Parex will unlock further considerable value during 2020, making now the time to buy. Globally diversified driller One Canadian upstream oil producer that has been roughly handled by the market is Vermilion Energy (TSX:VET)(NYSE:VET). It has lost a whopping 35% over the last year compared to the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gaining 10%. This not only indicates that it is very attractively valued but also sees Vermilion paying a dividend with a very juicy 13% yield. Vermilion owns a globally diversified portfolio of petroleum assets across North America, Western Europe, and Australia, which hold gross oil reserves of 488 million barrels. Those reserves give Vermilion an after-tax NAV of around $26.74 per share, which is 26% greater than its current market price, indicating that there is considerable upside ahead. Vermilion has a long history of production growth reporting a 7% CAGR for its oil output from 2012 to its 2019 forecast daily average of round 100,000 barrels. The drillers steadily expanding oil output, along with firmer oil, will give Vermilions earnings a healthy boost. While there is considerable speculation that a dividend cut is looming, particularly if oil weakens further, the payment appears sustainable with Vermilion forecasting a total 2020 payout ratio of less than 100%. Importantly, Vermilions 2020 guidance is based on WTI averaging US$60.44 per barrel during the year, which is only 5% greater than the current spot price and 2% higher than the United States. EIA has a 2020 forecast of US$59.25 per barrel. This indicates that the guidance is achievable. Furthermore, Vermilions CEO has publicly committed to maintaining the dividend. When that is combined with the companys history of retaining the payment, even when crude dipped below US$30 per barrel, highlights that it will remain untouched for the foreseeable future. That indicates investors can buy Vermilion today and lock in a juicy 13% yield, which will reward them while they patiently wait for oil to recover and its stock to appreciate. More reading Fool contributor Matt Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announces Blue Moon, a lunar landing vehicle for the Moon, during a Blue Origin event in Washington, DC, May 9, 2019. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images DUBAI, United Arab Emirates U.N. experts on Wednesday called for an immediate investigation into the "possible involvement" of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the hacking of Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos' iPhone in 2018. "The alleged hacking of Mr. Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by U.S. and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the Crown Prince in efforts to target perceived opponents," U.N. experts said in a statement. "The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia." The statement from the U.N.'s human rights body centers on forensic investigations into the claim by Bezos one of the world's wealthiest men that the Saudi government orchestrated a cyberattack against him to extract large amounts of data from his phone, including nude photos sent to his mistress, Lauren Sanchez. The full analysis report, carried out by Washington-based business advisory firm FTI Consulting on behalf of the American billionaire, was published exclusively later on Wednesday by Vice's Motherboard and can be viewed here. Riyadh has consistently rejected the accusations, and the Saudi Embassy in Washington on Wednesday called the allegations "absurd." The U.N. special rapporteurs, who are appointed by the world body but operate independently, made the statement after reviewing the 2019 forensic analysis. Their statements follow earlier investigations into the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote critical commentaries of Saudi Arabia in Bezos' newspaper and was slain in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. FTI consulting could not detail the specific spyware used in the attack but said its experts had "medium to high confidence" that Bezos' iPhone was hacked by malware coming from a WhatsApp account used by the Saudi crown prince. "Based upon the results of a full forensic examination of the logical file system of Bezos's phone, including network analysis, and an in-depth investigation conducted over several months, FTI reports with medium to high confidence that Bezos's IPhone X was compromised via malware sent from a WhatsApp account used by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," the U.N. statement said. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, called the hacking allegations "absolutely illegitimate" and based on "no evidence." "It was purely conjecture, and if there is real evidence, we look forward to seeing it," he told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Tweet1 Bezos, through his security consultant Gavin de Becker, has flatly accused the Saudi government of wanting to do him harm. De Becker alleged last March that the Saudis had "access to Bezos's phone, and gained private information" and that the government was "intent on harming Jeff Bezos since . . . the Post began its relentless coverage" of the brutal murder in October 2018 of Khashoggi. Riyadh said the killing was the result of a "rogue operation" that did not involve the crown prince, contradicting the CIA's reported conclusion from late 2018 that implicated the crown prince. The hack: How experts believe it happened According to the 2019 forensic analysis by FTI Consulting, Bezos' phone was likely "infiltrated on 1 May 2018 via an MP4 video file sent from a WhatsApp account utilized personally by Mohammed bin Salman." Bezos and the crown prince had reportedly exchanged numbers the previous month. Within hours of the video being sent from the crown prince's account, "massive and (for Bezos' phone) unprecedented exfiltration of data from the phone began" the volume of data being transited to another location suddenly shot up by nearly 30,000% to 126 MB. "Data spiking then continued undetected over some months and at rates as much as 106,032,045% (4.6 GB) higher than the pre-video data egress baseline for Mr. Bezos' phone of 430KB," the report said. The analysis suggested a spyware product previously identified in other cases of Saudi surveillance, saying the intrusion was "likely undertaken" by a product like the Pegasus-3 malware created by Israeli-based NSO Group. Pegasus has been widely reported as having been purchased by Saudi officials including Saud al-Qahtani, Prince Mohammed's former advisor who was implicated in the Khashoggi murder but ultimately not charged by the Saudi authorities. "This would be consistent with other information," the U.N. special rapporteurs wrote. "For instance, the use of WhatsApp as a platform to enable installation of Pegasus onto devices has been well-documented and is the subject of a lawsuit by Facebook/WhatsApp against NSO Group." Still, FTI maintained that they could not decisively conclude what kind of malware was used. "Due to end-to-end encryption employed by Whatsapp," the analysts wrote, "it is virtually impossible to decrypt the contents of the downloader to determine if it contained any malicious code in addition to the delivered video." NSO responded in a statement posted to its website Wednesday, saying "NSO is shocked and appalled by the story that has been published with respect to alleged hacking of the phone of Mr. Jeff Bezos," and calling for a "full investigation" if the story is true. "Just as we stated when these stories first surfaced months ago, we can say unequivocally that our technology was not used in this instance," the company said. Saudi crackdown on dissent The U.N. statement noted that the alleged hacking of Bezos' phone was "consistent with the widely reported role of the crown prince in leading a campaign against dissidents and political opponents." The accusations also carry echoes of a 2019 U.S. criminal case against two Twitter employees and a Saudi national who accessed private accounts of certain users critical of the Saudi royal family that they then shared with the kingdom's authorities. While Prince Mohammed has spearheaded a sweeping social and economic reform agenda for the oil-rich kingdom, human rights groups criticize his simultaneous crackdown on activists and dissidents inside and outside Saudi Arabia, as evidenced by increased arrests and the reported overseas hacking campaigns. Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud and Jeff Bezos pose for a photo during his visit in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 9, 2016. Bandar Algaloud | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The Assam Rifles has dismissed a woman IPS officers allegations that one of its troopers misbehaved and harassed her at a post in Manipur as baseless, fabricated, false and malicious. The IPS officer and her escort party were allegedly detained, harassed and assaulted by Rifleman PK Pandey of 12 Assam Rifles at Khudengthabi check-post on the Imphal-Moreh highway in Tengnoupal district while they were returning after duty from the border town of Moreh, 110 km south of Imphal on January 19. According to the officers complaint lodged with Tengnoupal police station the rifleman misbehaved and assaulted her and her escort party even after she and her team showed their identity cards. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Moreh police station in Tengnoupal district. In a statement Tuesday evening, the Assam Rifles, Indias oldest paramilitary force which functions under the Armys command, claimed the woman officer and her escort team tried to bypass the designated scanning lane and also jumped the vehicle queue at a check post. It said that on being inquired about their identity and reasons for jumping the queue, The woman along with her armed male escorts, all in civil dress, started arguing in an ignoble and indecorous language. Despite numerous requests, the lady officer refused to divulge her identity and rather began questioning the troops who were performing their mandated duty, it said. The Assam Rifles said that also alleged that the woman sitting on the co-drivers seat started clicking photographs of the check post which was objected by Rifleman PK Pandey. The paramilitary force said that the security grid along NH-102 has been strengthened ahead of the Republic day. It also said that the check post where the incident took place is the designated frisking and checking point on the Moreh-Imphal route and contraband worth Rs 500 crore have been seized here since January 2019 in 125 separate incidents. Ahead of the Assam Rifles statement, the Manipur Chapter of the IPS Association at an emergency meeting on Monday had said that it expected the paramilitary to cooperate with the police investigation into the incident. Hillary Clinton criticized the campaign of her former Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders in a new documentary in which she says he was an ineffective U.S. senator who accomplished little because "nobody liked him." Clinton also weighed in on the dispute between Sanders and 2020 Democratic presidential rival Elizabeth Warren centering around the electability of women, saying Sanders demonstrated "a pattern" in how his campaign attacked women rivals. The criticism, made in a Hulu documentary to be shown at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday and an interview promoting it, revealed lingering bitterness toward Sanders after he mounted an unexpected Democratic primary challenge to Clinton in 2016. Clinton backers blame Sanders' supporters for tarnishing her with vitriolic criticism that helped put Republican Donald Trump in the White House. "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it," Clinton says in the documentary, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Asked recently by the magazine if that assessment still holds, Clinton said, "Yes, it does." Sanders said in a statement that "my focus today is on a monumental moment in American history: the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Together, we are going to go forward and defeat the most dangerous president in American history." Clinton did not commit to endorsing and campaigning for Sanders should he win the nomination this year, citing a competitive Democratic field, but she criticized his campaign as having a culture of insult and attack. "I will say, however, that it's not only him, it's the culture around him. It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women," Clinton told the Hollywood Reporter. Clinton later tweeted that she would back a Democratic nominee. She wrote in a tweet: "I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views!" "But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee," she said. When she was asked about the dispute over whether Sanders told Warren in a private conversation that a woman could not beat Trump, Clinton pointed out that she got 3 million more votes than Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton called the dispute part of a pattern with Sanders, noting he had attacked her as being unqualified despite her experience, including as secretary of state and a U.S. senator. She encouraged voters "to elect a president who's going to try to bring us together, and not either turn a blind eye, or actually reward the kind of insulting, attacking, demeaning, degrading behavior that we've seen from this current administration." UPDATE: Amberly Nicole Flores has been found safe in Huntsville. EARLIER: Authorities are searching for a young teen girl who has been missing for more than 24 hours. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Pelham police have issued a missing child alert for Amberly Nicole Flores. The 13-year-old girl was last seen about 7 a.m. Tuesday in the area of the Green Park South mobile home community in Pelham. "After reviewing surveillance video near Green Park South, we can confirm that Amberly Flores willingly got into the dark SUV you see in this photo,'' Pelham police posted on Facebook. Detectives are working to identify the make and model of the SUV. Amberly Flores has been located and is safe. ----------- (ORIGINAL POST) MISSING TEEN UPDATE: We have better images of... Posted by Pelham, Alabama Police Department on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 Call 205-620-6550 with info if you have it. We still need to locate Amberly Flores. She is described as a Hispanic female, 5-feet, 1-inches tall and weighing 115 pounds. Amberly was wearing a white jacket, blue jeans and carrying a pink backpack. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or Pelham Police at 205-620-6550. "Deutsche Bahn is Germany's largest railway operator. This contract is not about concession, it is a strategic partnership aimed to develop Ukraine's infrastructure," said Oleksiy Honcharuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine. "I believe that German operational efficiency and zero tolerance for corruption will inspire changes in Ukrzaliznytsia. Ukraine retains full control over Ukrzaliznytsia German experts will focus on reforming the enterprise management mechanisms." Also attending the National Investment Council meeting was Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the EBRD, who said, "EBRD remains the largest single investor in Ukraine, and 2019 was a standout year. We have doubled the scale of investments with over 1 billion invested during the year, two-thirds of which has been in the green economy. The new government has a mandate to implement genuine reforms, especially concession laws, as well as legislative and taxation procedures." The day was packed with exciting discussions from globally recognized speakers. During the morning panel sponsored by EBS, "More from Less: Imagining the Future of Work", guests enjoyed a conversation on trends in the future of work with a globally renowned panel. The afternoon sessions got underway with a talk on, "Untapped Potential: Ukraine As Europe's Next Industrial Powerhouse" featuring top officials and industry experts. The panel was sponsored by Hillmont Partners and moderated by James Hart, Partner of Hillmont Partners. Speakers discussed new opportunities for privatization and the country's industrial sector. Dmytro Sennychenko, Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, said: "Our goal is to purge inefficiency and monopolistic behavior in the economy so that assets can finally begin to contribute to the economy rather than harming it. In 2020, the State Property Fund will offer an investment menu consisting of more than 500 assets with unprecedented levels of transparency with the possibility of 20 times the return on investment". Later in the day, Victor Pinchuk Foundation hosted a talk with Oleg Sentsov, liberated political prisoner, Ukrainian filmmaker, writer and activist from Crimea. The Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee expressed their gratitude to Mr. Sentsov for his invaluable role in the fight for Ukraine's freedom. When asked about how the world understands the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Sentsov said: "Putin is a very dangerous, powerful and cruel enemy; he would rather give up the Kremlin than give up Crimea. It is crucial for the Ukrainian authorities and world leaders to understand that." The MHP-sponsored panel titled, "The $50-Billion Challenge: How Business and Government Can Create a Win-Win Investment Climate in the New Ukraine" gave a platform for speakers to discuss current and future investment opportunities in Ukraine. Yuriy Kosyuk, CEO and Founder of MHP said that for the first time in his more than 20 years of doing business in Ukraine, the government is open for dialogue and supporting Ukrainian businesses. Follow the event via social media on #ukrainehousedavos and at: Twitter: @UAHouseDavos Facebook: @ukrainehousedavos Instagram: @Ukraine.House.Davos LinkedIN: UkraineHouseDavos YouTube: ukrainehousedavos About Ukraine House Davos Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee is led by five women who volunteer their efforts to launch this event: Olga Afanasyeva , Executive Director of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) , Executive Director of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) Jaroslawa Johnson , President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) , President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) Svitlana Grytsenko of Victor Pinchuk Foundation of Victor Pinchuk Foundation Lenna Koszarny , Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, and, , Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, and, Alexa Chopivsky , Executive Director of Ukraine House Davos Ukraine House Davos is made possible by the generous commitment of its sponsors. Ukraine House Davos is supported by the National Investment Council of Ukraine, UkraineInvest, Ukrainian World Congress, Atlantic Council, Reputation Institute. Media Partners include NV, Liga.net, Ekonomichna Pravda, Ukraine Business News www.ukrainehousedavos.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080820/Ukraine_House_Davos.jpg SOURCE Ukraine House Davos West Bengal Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday handed over compensation cheques to people whose cars and buses were damaged on the day of a strike called by some central trade unions on January 8. The owners of two private vehicles and managing directors of state transport undertakings, whose buses were damaged, were given compensation offered under an insurance scheme, state Transport secretary N S Nigam said. The maximum amount given to a single owner was Rs 2.34 lakh, he said. The state government had insured all vehicles that plied on January 8 for a maximum amount of Rs 5 lakh each. The minister also handed over sanction letters to 1500 Gatidhara scheme beneficiaries, under which the state government provides subsidy for buying commercial vehicles to jobless young people. The minister also flagged off 10 electric buses and two inter-state buses that would ply between Kolkata and destinations in Bihar and Odisha, Nigam said. Adhikari also flagged off several motorbikes and ambulances to Howrah city police and other authorities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Karat addressed the students while standing outside the varsity gate, which was locked. Police personnel were deployed outside the gate. New Delhi: CPM leader Prakash Karat was on Wednesday not allowed to enter Ambedkar University, where he had gone to deliver a talk over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), with the varsity citing the model code of conduct for Delhi elections for denial of permission, according to Left-backed Students' Federation of India (SFI) which organised the event. Karat addressed the students while standing outside the varsity gate, which was locked. Police personnel were deployed outside the gate. The SFI had sought permission for the talk on the issues of CAA, National Population Register (NPR)and National Register of Citizens (NRC), but were not allowed by the University. Karat said the university authorities "obviously do not" know the law. "They have denied permission for a meeting on CAA on the pretext that there is a model code of conduct in place because of the Delhi elections. The MCC is related to the Assembly election and election campaign and nothing to do with a seminar inside a university. It is ridiculous," he told PTI. The university authorities have "suppressed debate and discussion within their campus", he alleged. "Permission was sought yesterday and was denied on this pretext (MCC)," he said, adding that the students did not accept the diktat of the authorities and listened to him through the locked gates. There was no immediate reaction from the University. According to an SFI functionary, the model code of conduct seemed to be just an excuse. "He (Karat) is himself not contesting the Delhi polls and his party is also not in the poll fray," he said. He claimed that earlier the varsity would allow permission for events, "but of late it does not give permission for events organised by them". "Seeing the turnout of students, Karat delivered the talk while standing outside the varsity gate, which was locked and police were also present," he said. Meanwhile, Badal Prakash, a functionary of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), said they had informed the varsity administration about the event since it was happening without the permission of authorities and at a time when the model code of conduct is in place. The administration then intervened in the matter. A police team was deployed outside the gate of the varsity to ensure that no untoward incident takes place, a senior police official said, adding the varsity had not granted permission for the programme. Students who had gathered near the gate also shouted slogans against the university administration. New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday held a strategic meeting attended by party national president JP Nadda and its former chief Amit Shah in view of the ensuing Delhi assembly elections. According to BJP sources, discussions were held on the issues with which the party will approach the voters during campaigns for Delhi polls. The meeting concluded on Tuesday late night. The party has come up with the slogan - 'Free pani nahi, saaf pani chahiye' (Need clean water, not free of cost water), said sources. Another slogan which has been devised by the BJP is - 'Desh badla hai, dilli badlenge' (Have changed the nation, will change Delhi too). Sources said the party will also propagate that the central government has made the reduced the cost of LED bulbs. If Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opposes the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), BJP will raise the issues ranging from abrogation of Article 370 to CAA, they said. AAP had won a landslide victory in the last polls winning 67 of 70 seats. The voting for the 70 seats of the Delhi Assembly will take place on February 8 and counting of votes will take place on February 11. (ANI) The Bengaluru civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, conducted a demolition of more than 100 makeshift homes during an eviction drive in Kariyammana Agrahara. Twitter The authorities who directed this demolition of shantytowns ended up leaving more than 300 people homeless. The homes were razed after BJP MLA, Arvind Limbavalli, tweeted a video of shantytowns in North Bengalurus Kariyammana Agrahara area, claiming that the settlements belong to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The residents who mostly belonged to Assam, Tripura, some even from North Karnataka, were allegedly asked to vacate the land despite having documents like Aadhaar, pan and voter ID to prove their Indian citizenship. Some of them who belong to Assam also have their names in the NRC. Few people have taken shelter under illegally constructed sheds located in Kariyammana Agrahara of Bellanduru which is within the jurisdiction of our Mahadevapura Assembly constituency. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/WjvmWlSE55 Aravind Limbavali (@ArvindLBJP) January 12, 2020 According to reports, the person who had passed the orders for demolition was not authorised to do so and has been suspended by the civic body. He had reportedly taken the action after several residents of the area complained to him. Photos of rooms demolished. Electricity and water lines to the settlement was cut off earlier. The police have now left the place and the JCB is no longer here. Police asked all residents to keep their documents ready for verification. pic.twitter.com/3ab6VklHND Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) January 19, 2020 Netizens expressed their anger over the 'privileged' apartment dwellers who lodged a complaint in the first place and also condemned thauthorities for taking an action without any background check: #1 The demolition drive of was unauthorised ?? So hundreds of families were rendered homeless just because few privileged from a nearby apartment complex complained ? The authorities didnt even bother to check the papers but went on a demolition drive !https://t.co/VQEXVnn8bH K (@drpiscean) January 21, 2020 #2 Shame on the public servant who went berserk ordering this demolition drive..This is bound to happen given the hate and fear mongering being spread in our country! Wonder if the @CMofKarnataka also approves of this just to please @AmitShah @samar11 #Bengaluru https://t.co/YygAB8uhlW Shakeel Gundagi (@shaqueelsinai) January 22, 2020 #3 This is beyond crime. This is war declared on the people by the very state they have paid for through underpaid labour and indirect taxes. It does not matter whether they were from North Karnataka, Bihar, Bangladesh, Tajikistan or Ethiopia. suneelr@writing.exchange (@suneel_r) January 21, 2020 #4 1. Bangalore demolition Proves that CAA NRC will hit Dalit Adivasi OBC most, along with Muslims 2. Kumar Das is Dalit & not Bangladeshi 3. His house was demolished coz BJP leader said hes illegal 3. Now amplify this 1Million times and you have the draconian NRC pic.twitter.com/OLPE18V9Ik Ravi Ratan (@scribe_it) January 21, 2020 #5 Demolition of 300 homes in B'luru. Unanswered questions: 1) How did BBMP or @ArvindLBJP determine "illegal migrants"? 2) Even if they were, where was due process? 3) BBMP isn't authorised to declare migrants, let alone illegal. 4) @BBMPCOMM in the dark, why? 5) Bangladeshis? pic.twitter.com/xGX6cDh1S9 Chethan Kumar (@Chethan_Dash) January 20, 2020 He [Narayan Swamy] had no authority to do so [order demolition] as it is not BBMP land, Mahadevpura Zone Special Commissioner Randeep D said, according to The New Indian Express. It is private land and taking the decision to bring down the sheds was not right. He cannot pass any order unless it is our [BBMP] land. We have decided to take strict action against him. But we are conducting a further inquiry on the issue after which action will be taken against him. Reports state that people who lived in these huts flocked to the city in search of jobs as domestic workers, security guards. The demolition drive has now left them completely vulnerable and hopeless. New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sambit Patra on Wednesday slammed the Congress for its appeasement policy and said that the grand old party should be termed as Muslim League Congress (MLC). Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Patra also demanded an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and alleged that AIMIM president Akbaruddin Owaisi was trying to project himself as 'neo Jinnah'. The BJP leader said that Ashok Chavan said in a meeting that they formed a government with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra on the appeal of Muslim brothers. We have formed the government in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena on the appeal of our Muslim brothers. Muslims were saying that BJP is their prime enemy. Thus, we should make the government with Shiv Sena to keep them out of power. This is an appeasing statement from the former CM," Patra said. Patra alleged the country was divided because of the personal ambitions of two people Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru. He also accused the opposition of creating confusion in the country about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NPR. It is especially the Congress party. Patra also referred to a statement from an NCP leader to attack the opposition. Asked about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's reported jibe at the RSS for its "non-participation" in the freedom movement, the BJP leader shot back, asking if parents of Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian origin, had fought in India's independence struggle. The Indian National Congress, he said referring to the opposition party's full name, should be called "Muslim League Congress". Earlier, Patra said that Rahul Gandhi should drop his surname as it was stolen by his family for political gains, BJP leader Sambit Patra said. "They stole the Gandhi name for political gains. He should give up the name of Gandhi. You (Rahul Gandhi) are a political deserter," Patra alleged. Hitting out at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi over her several visits to meet those arrested and injured in the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh, Patra said she understands pain "selectively". He also asked when will she visit Kota in Congress-ruled Rajasthan where several children have died in a hospital. "I give her Kota challenge and ask her when will she go to Kota where under the nose of the Congress government in Rajasthan so many children have died. She herself is a mother, she should realise the pain of other mothers as well," Patra said at a press conference at the BJP's party office here. "It seems she understands the pain selectively as when she visited AIIMS trauma centre she chose to look away from the injured students who differed from her ideology. This reeks of selectivism," Patra alleged. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Victorian Liberal leader Michael O'Brien has called on the federal government to adopt long-term "sensible" emissions reduction targets, saying communities and businesses need certainty beyond 2030. Mr O'Brien's comments will present another climate strategy headache for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has openly brawled with the NSW Liberal government over a lack of long-term federal climate policy and the use of Kyoto carryover credits to meet Australia's 2030 Paris commitment. Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien says Victoria "absolutely" can, and should, be a leader on tackling climate change. Credit:Simon Schluter Mr O'Brien has also walked away from his predecessor Matthew Guy's opposition to long-term emissions reduction targets by the states, saying Victoria could now lead the nation in reducing emissions in the absence of a cohesive national strategy. The comments represent a major turning point for the Victorian Liberals, who fought and lost the 2018 election with a minimalist climate platform and a pledge to build a new fossil fuel-burning power station in the state. Matthew Feargrieve (left) hit Ulrich Engler in a row over seats. (SWNS) A lawyer has been fined after punching a lingerie designer in a row over a front-row seat at the Royal Opera House in London. Matthew Feargrieve, 43, hit Ulrich Engler after losing his temper when the victim sat next to his partner Catherine Chandler, in Row A, just before the third act of Wagners Ring Cycle. Mr Engler, who was originally sitting in Row B, irritated Feargrieve when he moved Ms Chandlers coat, the court heard. This led to a scuffle and Mr Engler was hit in the shoulder. Prosecutor Jennifer Fakada argued at Westminster Magistrates Court that Feargrieve was guilty of aggravating factors as the victim suffered an injury that took six weeks to heal. The incident happened at the Royal Opera House in London. (Getty) Ms Fakada read out Mr Englers victim impact statement, which said: I had numerous blows to my upper body which caused bruising and sustained pain. He added: Im still self-conscious while in public and unsure when speaking to strangers. Im not the easy-going person I once was. This has totally changed my positive happy behaviour. Mr Englers friend told the court she had paid 2,000 to be there, adding: "People don't behave like that at the local cinema, never mind the local opera house." Matthew Feargrieve was fined for the attack. (SWNS) Lisa Wilding QC, defending Feargrieve, claimed he reacted aggressively as a result of defending his partner. She said: There are multiple witnesses that say it have been as little as one blow. "It was clear from an independent witness that when the complainant moved into the vacant seat, which upset Ms Chandler, there was a tussle between her and Mr Engler. One witness said that Mr Engler appeared to hit her or was sort of rough with her. It was her impression she put in her sworn evidence the man was probably defending his wife. It may have been as little as one blow. READ MORE YAHOO UK NEWS HERE: Man wearing Trump mask jailed after hiding near estranged dads allotment armed with knives 'Phubbing' your children could put them at risk of depression, study finds Abandoned dog soaked in urine and in 'tremendous pain' is saved by vets Story continues She said the impact of the coverage of proceedings and damage to Feargrieves reputation has been devastating. Ms Wilding said: Since March of last year, he has not been in employment. His work generally is sporadic. Sentencing Feargrieve, Deputy District Judge John Zani said: You lost your temper, whatever was happening between Miss Chandler and Mr Engler, you decided you were not going to sit idly by and behaved in a way I have found which you assaulted him in circumstances which you should have not... Youre a professional man you should know how to behave. Mr Zani fined Feargrieve 900, costs of 775, compensation of 500 to the victim and a victim surcharge of 90. The combined total of 2,355 must be paid within 14 days. One Nigerian army officer and seven soldiers have lost their lives after Boko Haram insurgents ambushed a military patrol team in Borno, military sources said. Five soldiers were wounded and two still missing in action as of late Tuesday, sources said. A Boko Haram fighter was killed while an assault rifle was recovered from the attackers. The ambush on 156 Task Force Battalion occurred at about 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday in Mainok, about 60 kilometres west of Maiduguri. Soldiers have recovered the bodies of their fallen colleagues and moved the wounded to a medical facility for treatment, military sources said. Two gun trucks and three anti-aircraft equipment could not be accounted for following the attack, although it was not immediately clear whether they were carted away by the insurgents or temporarily misplaced during exchange of fire. Sagir Musa, a spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, did not return requests for comments on the attack Wednesday morning. Regrouping Following weeks of relative calm, Boko Haram appears to have regrouped in recent days, striking civilian and military targets along the highway leading into Maiduguri. The group has killed or abducted many residents and aid workers in the region over the past week. The implementation last year of super camps reduced soldiers vulnerability to incessant attacks on military units in the troubled North-east, where Boko Haram jihadists have killed thousands since they declared war against the Nigerian state in 2009. While strong academics, well-educated parents, and high levels of postsecondary enrollment have once again helped put Massachusetts to the top of the EdWeek Research Centers Chance-for-Success Index, the state faces challenges in other areas that make up that yardstick of educational quality, such as the percentage of children whose parents are fluent English-speakers. Massachusetts in the past 10 years or so has typically been ranked at or near the top on various metrics, said Jeffrey C. Riley, the elementary and secondary education commissioner with the state. But when we look closer at our data, what we see is were kind of only number one for some. We see that kids living in poverty, students with special needs, kids learning English, arent necessarily having the same success as other students in our state. And so we feel a moral obligation to fix that. Riley hopes a new funding formula passed at the closing of 2019 that directs more dollars into school districts with the neediest students will help shore up the states weak spots. Massachusetts has topped Chance for Success for more than a decade. It performs strongly in all three realms of the index, which measures a range of academic and socioeconomic factors from the early years, through school, and into adulthood. It ranks 9th nationally for early foundations, in large part because of family incomein that category the state ranks secondand in parent education, where the state ranks fourth. Both of them help children get a head start in life. But where Massachusetts really shines is in the school years and in the outcomes for its students when they enter adulthood: The state ranks first on the index for the school years and second for adult outcomes. Driving that is strong academic performance from studentsthe state ranks first nationally in 4th grade reading and 8th grade math. And on either end of the K-12 school years, the state ranks high for preschool enrollment and postsecondary participation. Massachusetts falls outside the top 10 states on the school-years indicator for graduation rates, where it ranks 12th, and kindergarten enrollment, where it ranks 36th. However, its graduation rate still isnt that far below the top-performing state. And in terms of adult outcomes, Massachusetts is 2nd for both educational attainment and annual income. But those bright spots can obscure areas where the state is struggling. In the area of parental fluency in English, Massachusetts ranks near the bottom at 42nd. Massachusetts schools have seen a substantial increase in the number of second-language students, many whose families are immigrating from Central and South America, said Riley. The state legislature recently increased funding to help studentsand in particular adultslearn English through the states adult learning centers. Whatever we can do to provide supports for the entire family, we feel like we are going to get better educational outcomes for our kids, said Riley. I think a parents ability to navigate an educational system may be too often dependent on their level of comfort in English. Funding Law Rewrite Massachusetts governor, Charlie Baker, a Republican, signed a bill into law late last year that rewrites the states funding formula and boosts money for schools by $1.5 billion over the next seven years. The Student Opportunity Act, as its called, aims to address funding inequities across districts by funneling more dollars to those with higher percentages of English-language learners and low-income students. Massachusetts also ranks toward the low end in kindergarten enrollment, as do other New England states New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Massachusetts ranking of 36th for kindergarten enrollment is likely because attending kindergarten is not mandatory in the state, said Riley. At the same time, we are starting to see a recognition that both kindergarten and prekindergarten are incredibly important to our childrens success, and so youre starting to see those [enrollments] rise and I think they will continue to rise both in kindergarten and in prekindergarten, he said. A couple of other areas where Massachusetts falls short in the Chance for Success rankings are parental employment, where it ranks 28th, and steady employment for graduates, where it ranks 45th. Were always trying to figure out what is next to prepare our kids to enter the world, the new challenging world that theyre going into, said Riley. "[D]espite some strong academic gains and outputs, and being at the top of the Chance-for-Success Indexthats all greatbut were also interested in figuring out what is next. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Three men have staged separate pickets outside the Chinese Consulate in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, demanding the release of their relatives and other ethnic Kazakhs being held in custody in China's northwestern Xinjiang region. Marat Qurbanov, Serik Azhibai, and Baibolat Kunbolatuly said on January 22 that their relatives and three other ethnic Kazakhs, some of whom are Kazakh passport-holders, were being held in "political prisons." They called for detailed information about their whereabouts and their release. Nobody from the consulate met with the demonstrators. Security officers asked them to submit their requests in writing. Similar protests have taken place in Kazakhstan in recent months, with demonstrators demanding that the Kazakh authorities officially intervene in the situation faced by ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang. In August 2018, the United Nations said an estimated 1 million Uyghurs and members of other indigenous ethnic groups in the region were being held in "counterextremism centers." The UN said millions more had been forced into so-called reeducation camps. China denies that the facilities are internment camps. People who have fled the province say that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang are undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of camps. Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs. The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans. Han, China's largest ethnicity, is the second-largest community in Xinjiang. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The BJP, on Wednesday, launched a scathing attack on the Congress calling it "Muslim League Congress" citing multiple recent examples to accuse the party of being Hindu phobic and Muslim appeaser. Basing its argument on two Maharashtra leaders -- Congress's Ashok Chavan and its ally NCP's Jitendra Awadh, the BJP tore into both. Party Spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference to allege, "Two days ago, Ashok Chavan said - 'We formed the government in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena on the appeal of our Muslim brothers. Muslims were saying that BJP is their prime enemy. Thus, we should make the government with Shiv Sena to keep them out of power.' This is nothing but an appeasing statement from the former CM". He further alleged that Chavan's statement proves that Congress forms government after "consulting Muslims". "Does this mean the Congress forms government asking the Muslims and Muslims only? Do they not care about the Hindus or the other communities?," Patra asked. Training his guns at Congress ally NCP, the BJP hit out at the controversial statement of its leader. "NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said: 'Muslims can say where their forefathers were engraved but Hindus won't be able to tell where the last rites of their forefathers took place.' This is so demeaning. What form of politics is this?," remarked the BJP spokesperson. Next on BJP's line of attack on alleged Hindu phobia was Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Owaisi junior is known for his communal rants. The BJP said, "Yesterday, Akbaruddin Owaisi gave another remark, 'Why are we asked what Muslims have? We've ruled over this country for over 800 years. There is an imprint of ours on every part of the country.' Whose question was this," asked Patra. The BJP even went on to allege other political parties which it thinks are trying to spread falsehood over the CAA and the NPR across the country. Patra accused the Congress of abusing Hindus using these protests. "The Congress party should be renamed from Indian National Congress to MLC - Muslim League Congress," was BJP's unequivocal statement at a press conference here. He went on to link the top leadership of the Congress with the Popular Front of India (PFI), an organisation which is demanded to be banned in many states. "Six people from the PFI were arrested in Karnataka. It is the same organization that has, in the past, been supported by both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. PFI was plotting to kill RSS and BJP people," Patra remarked. It was an all out blistering attack on the Congress and its allies and leadership, taking out instances of senior leader Kapil Sibal's statement on May 16, 2017 on the Supreme Court, to instances of a youth Congress leader killing a cow on the Kerala street on May 17, 2017, to paint it not just Hindu-phobic but sternly anti-Hindu outfit. The sharp attack came just ahead of Delhi elections on February 8, where the Congress is a major player. It was the birth month of three children, who were looking forward to the Nepal trip as a finale of the celebrations, but fate had something else in store. The three children died along with their parents Praveen and Saranya and three others, part of a 15-member group of family friends from Kerala on Tuesday, possibly due to asphyxiation in their room at a mountainous resort in Nepal. Sree Bhadra (9), Aarcha (7) and Abhinav (4)- the children of 39-year-old Dubai based IT professional Praveen Krishnan Nair and his wife Saranya, had told their friends and teachers that they were going on a tour to celebrate their birthdays. The shell-shocked teachers of a private school at Elamakkara in Kochi, where the Praveen's family was staying, said they were yet to come to terms with the reality that they would never see the little ones again. The teachers said the three kids were well-mannered and would joyfully complete tasks assigned to them. "It is a loss to us. Such wonderful children...," a teacher told media as she broke down. The Kochi school will hold a remembrance for the children during the assembly on Thursday, she said. According to family members, all the three children were born in the month of January. While Sree Bhadra was born on January 3, Abhinav on 15 and Aarcha on 31st of the same month, they said adding that the Nepal trip was planned also as a birthday gift for the little ones. They were seen all happy and excited in the CCTV footage from the apartment in Kochi, which was recorded minutes before they left for the airport to catch a flight to New Delhi and then to Nepal. Besides Praveen and family, Kunnamangalam-based couple Ranjith Kumar TB (39) and Indu (34) and their son Vaishnav (2) had also lost their lives at the resort on Tuesday. IT professionals Praveen and Ranjith along with two other friends and family members had gone to the Himalayan resort after a get together of Engineering college batchmates in Delhi. According to friends, Ranjith and wife Indu had embarked on the trip days after celebrating their wedding anniversary. Indu, who worked in a local cooperative bank in Kozhikode, had cut a cake at the office to celebrate the anniversary on the previous day of their Nepal trip. The photos of the cake cutting event during the lunch break, in which Indu was all smiles, has now become a haunting memory for her colleagues. Ranjith's elder son, Madhav, a second-standard student, who was sleeping with another family in the neighbouring room, has been orhpaned by the tragedy. Madhav is at Kathmandu with the friends of Praveen and Ranjith. "I will come soon," he told a relative who got in touch soon after hearing about the tragedy on Tuesday. Praveen, who hails from Chempazhanthi, a town bordering Kollam, worked as an engineer in Dubai while his wife, Saranya, who was a second year student of MPharm at the Amrita Pharmacy college at Kochi, was very "social and friendly". "All of us are shocked on hearing about her death," college sources told PTI. The four friends had studied together at the Sree Chitra Tirunal College of Engineering at Pappanamcode from where they had graduated in 2004. Ranjith, who had worked at Thiruvananthapuram and at Infopark at Kochi, had few months ago quit his job and started his own business at Kozhikode. Praveen's friends said two of their former batchmates have rushed to Kathmandu to accompany the mortal remains, which is expected to reach the state for the final rites on Thursday. Union minister of state for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said post-mortem procedures of the 8 keralites, has already begun and efforts are on to expedite the process. In a tweet, the minister said he had spoken to the Indian Embassy officials in Nepal. "Spoke to Indian Embassy in Nepal. Post-mortem of the deceased 8 Indian tourists has already started. Our embassy is working closely with the T.U. Teaching hospital and local authorities to expedite the process," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The European Union is eyeing long promised punitive measures against Turkey for its illegal military incursion into northern Syria, as well as its unauthorized natural gas drilling off Cyprus' coast. Germany's Deutsche Welle reported on Saturday the EU has moved to cut pre-accession aid to Turkey by 75 percent, citing a letter sent to the European Parliament by the EU foreign affairs commissioner. The Instrument for 'Pre-Accession Assistance' (IPA) is offered in support of reforms in countries in the process of joining the EU, despite previously planned 'fast-tracked' talks for Turkey to join the European bloc stalling significantly after 2016. However, the EU quickly distanced itself the report, which appears to have originated with a leaked draft EU letter: An EU spokesman on Sunday denied media reports from the previous day that claimed the bloc had agreed to massive new cuts to pre-accession aid to Turkey. Germany's Funke Media Group had said it saw a letter from the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announcing a 75 percent cut to the funds Ankara receives as a prospective EU member via the "Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)." DW It appears the letter was leaked to or seen by the media prematurely, and now EU officials are scrambling to deny it. Europe has also of late been concerned over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing authoritarianism and control over various branches and institutions of Turkey's government, especially since putting down the 2016 Turkish coup d'etat attempt which resulted in him and his supporters emerging stronger than ever. "Turkey will now only receive 168 million ($186 million), of which 150 million will be spent on strengthening democracy and rule of law," the original disputed Deutsche Welle report said of potential measures, threatening an aid package which is supposed to be over twice the size. EU foreign affairs commissioner Borrell's apparently leaked letter indicated the potential slash in funds are directly related to Turkey's Syria operations against the Kurds and incursions into Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone. This follows the European Commission announcing sanctions in November to target "individuals or entities responsible for, or involved in, unauthorized drilling activities of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean." Over the past year, Turkish authorities have been brazen in publicizing their territorial claims and actions backing them in the eastern Mediterranean, even as EU leaders have slammed the now nine months-long exploration and drilling expansion in solidarity with Cypriot condemnations. Starting last summer two exploration and drilling ships the Yavuz and the Fatih had been deployed a mere 42 miles off the west coast of Cyprus, accompanied also by military vessels and on occasion aircraft. Related: Why Trump Cant Retreat From The Middle East But as DW reports further, this latest proposed looming and now disputed cut in pre-accession aid will not affect the billions promised to Turkey in the wake of the 2015 to 2016 peak of the refugee crisis: The cut in aid, however, doesn't affect the 3.5 billion offered to Turkey as part of a larger EU deal to prevent refugees from reaching European shores. The EU has already warned Turkey of possible repercussions over illegal gas drilling off the coast of Cyprus. However, the EU has signaled it could be a first step in more punitive measures to come. Download our free ''A New War In The Middle East'' report and read about the top risks for oil markets in 2020 Turkey has long claimed it's drilling within its territorial rights, based on its lone claim to the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (since 1974), which supposedly allows Ankara to share revenues from Cypriot gas exploration. Ultimately, Turkey has laid claim to waters extending a whopping 200 miles from its coast, brazenly asserting ownership over a swathe of the Mediterranean that even cuts into Greece's exclusive economic zone. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Hong Kong reported its first suspected case of the new SARS-like virus Wednesday in a man who arrived in the city from Wuhan via the cross-border high-speed railway. Health secretary Sophia Chan said the 39-year-old man was "preliminarily positive", but a final test result would only be known on Thursday. "We decided to announced the case (early) due to heavy public concern," Chan said. The man and four family members had taken the high-speed railway from Wuhan to Shenzhen on Tuesday before transferring to another train that brought them to Hong Kong. He was put in isolation in hospital after tests, but Wednesday when his relatives showed no symptoms after a night at a city hotel they were allowed to leave for the Philippines. The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. The new virus has now infected at least 440 people across China, with most cases in Wuhan. A further 1,394 people are still under medical observation. The World Health Organisation is meeting Wednesday to determine whether to declare a rare global public health emergency over the disease, which has now been detected in the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Macau. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa Congress on Wednesday said the Supreme Court's ruling on powers of the House Speaker holds significance for the state, where a petition seeking disqualification of 10 party MLAs who joined the BJP is pending before the Assembly Speaker since August 2019. Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar said in light of the ruling, the state Assembly Speaker should decide on the party's petition, seeking disqualification of the 10 MLAs, without any further delay. In a path-breaking ruling on Tuesday, the SC said Parliament should "rethink" whether the Speaker of a House should continue to have powers to disqualify lawmakers as such a functionary "belongs to a particular political party". Parliament may seriously consider amending the Constitution to substitute Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Assemblies as arbiter of disqualification issues with "a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court" or some other mechanism to ensure swift and impartial decisions, it said. In July 2019, ten of the 15 Congress MLAs in Goa quit the party, formed a separate group and merged it with the BJP, increasing the ruling party's strength in the 40-member Assembly to 27. Some of them became ministers in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet. Talking to reporters, Chodankar said the disqualification petition filed against the 10 MLAs by the opposition party is pending before Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar since August 2019. "Since then only once, on September 23, 2019, the Speaker called our lawyer Abhijit Gosavi for hearing before him. After that there has been no progress in the disqualification case," he said. Chodankar said in the petition he had challenged the merger of the Congress group comprising the ten MLAs with the BJP as there was no split in the party or its Goa unit. "We had filed the disqualification petition expecting quick verdict from the Speaker," the Congress leader said. He said the SC, in its ruling related to the Manipur Assembly Speaker, has observed that disqualification petitions should be decided within a certain time-frame. "We also appeal to the Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker to decide on our petition within a time-frame. Since no progress was made in the case, in December 2019 we filed a reminder before the Speaker, but nothing happened since then. "Whether he disqualifies (the MLAs in question) or not, it is up to him, but he has to give the decision within a certain time-frame, Chodankar said. He said all the 10 MLAs are enjoying public positions despite a disqualification petition pending against them. On Tuesday, a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman took note of the role played by Speakers and inordinate delays in deciding pleas for disqualification of lawmakers. The bench asked the Manipur Assembly Speaker to decide within four weeks the plea of a Congress leader seeking disqualification of BJP lawmaker and Manipur Forest Minister Th Shyamkumar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greece's Parliament elected Katerina Sakellaropoulou, former head of the State Council, as the country's first female president on Wednesday. Sakellaropoulou's candidacy was backed by 261 lawmakers out of 300, including by the members of the ruling New Democracy Party. She will serve for five years starting on March 13, when the incumbent president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, will vacate the post following the end of his term. In Greece, the president has a largely ceremonial role and limited political power. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Young Australian investors are turning away from the local sharemarket and ignoring warnings about excessive valuations to back high-flying American tech stocks such as Elon Musk's electric automaker Tesla instead. Tesla's share price recently hit fresh record highs above $US510 ($744), pushing its market value above $US90 billion. The recent surge in the Tesla share price has wrongfooted Wall Street analysts and burnt short sellers who have placed bets the share price would fall. Tesla, led by its chief executive Elon Musk, is proving to be a huge hit with Australian investors. Credit:AP But some Australian retail investors have managed to capitalise on this dynamic. Jeremy Kinstlinger who runs currency brokerage firm Global Prime said he invested in Tesla due to the sheer amount of coverage the company was getting in the media. "People hate Elon Musk - I don't know why," he said. "But the more hated a stock is, the more it can fly up in people's faces - Tesla had some massive short sellers." "If you've got the same opinion as everyone else, then you're probably on the wrong side of things." T he National Gallerys upcoming exhibition featuring the work of Artemisia Gentileschi, a 17th-century artist and pioneering feminist of her age, provides a welcome focus on female talent which is often overlooked. Women artists have been consistently airbrushed out of history. Yet they were there, despite the fact that women were actively excluded from academies before the late 1800s. History was painted and seen through the eyes of men. That distorts our understanding and leaves half the population without a voice. Fast forward to today, and Fawcetts 2020 Sex and Power Index shows the heads of art galleries and museums are still overwhelmingly male, so perhaps its not surprising that women artists have not been celebrated in equal measure. Lets hope the Nationals Gentileschi exhibition represents a conscious shift to bring female artistic talent to public attention. I cant wait to see it. Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society Editor's reply Dear Sam I am looking forward to the exhibition too; as well as 30 outstanding works, the Nationals show includes letters that bring Gentileschis personality vividly to life. I take your point about womens exclusion from academies; Gentileschi, however, learned from her father in his studio. Whats especially interesting about her is how she featured herself in her work: in strong characters like St Catherine of Alexandria. Her viscerally violent depiction of Judith holding the head of Holofernes is thought to be her revenge after being raped; if so, she sublimated her rage into a work of intense power. And its interesting that she returned to the Old Testament subject of Susanna and the Elders, a story that does the male subjects no favours. I dont agree that there should be a gender quota of gallery directors or artists, but Gentileschi needs no special favours; she was one of the most remarkable artists of her time. Melanie McDonagh, Art critic Protect the green space we all enjoy Julian Glover makes a vital point that its patronising to think that only a certain kind of person can enjoy our National Parks [From Mile Ends tawny owl to the muddy Lake District my radical plan to improve our countryside, January 16]. This will be well known to many Londoners, many of whom will be among the 100 million annual visitors to these great green spaces. Keswick, in the Lake District / PA We must protect the National Parks. There are too many cases of developments taking place in what are meant to be our best-guarded and most cherished landscapes. National Parks need to be revitalised and renewed but it is essential that the features that make these places so special in the first place are secured. These two objectives are not incompatible if the will is there to do it. Corinne Pluchino, Chief executive, Campaign for National Parks Dont shunt HS2 off the tracks I agree with your leader comment [Give HS2 the green light, January 20] that the Prime Minister should go ahead with the new north-south railway. The Government should avoid the urge to ditch flagship projects of a previous administration as Trump does with Obamas in the United States. Stan Labovitch Snapping back at alligator park Two alligators lounge on grass / AP We were concerned to read about a developers plans to build Londons first alligator park in the Old Kent Road [Alligator park coming to theOld Kent Road, January 16]. The RSPCA believes that animals should only be kept in captivity if good welfare can be assured. Captive alligators are wild animals with specialist needs that are no different to alligators living in the wild. Animals need to be kept in a way which meets their normal biological needs, with sufficient space containing the necessary shelter, cover and stimulation to prevent distress or suffering and to promote positive welfare. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:39:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUANDA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Angola is expected to have its first digital bank (Dubank Angola) this year with initial investment capital estimated at 12 million U.S. dollars, the bank's CEO, Sergio Hirose, said on Wednesday. Sergio Hirose explained that the digital bank has complied with legal demands set by the National Bank Reserve regarding share capital, structure, balance sheet, transparency, among other essentials to open a conventional bank. Investment has been made since April 2019 such as the installation of a technological systems platform. The Dubank Angola, the CEO said, will have customer service and since it is a digital bank its service will be able to reach everywhere in Angola, where there is an internet connection. Installed since last December, Dubank Angola's website has already registered more than 5,000 pre-registration requests seeking to open an account. Although Angola has not yet digital bank activity regulation, the Dukank Angola will guarantee security and transparency, taking into consideration that the central bank is responsible for the audit, he said. Enditem KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Prairie Village leaders will consider whether to lift a ban that bars residents from owning pit bulls. The City Council will take up the issue at its regular meeting Tuesday on the request of council members Jori Nelson, Tucker Poling, Ron Nelson and Chad Herring, The existing city ordinance makes it unlawful to own, shelter or possess a pit bull within city limits. The United States has its first confirmed case of a mysterious and new virus, the Wuhan coronavirus, which originated in China and has killed nine people and sickened hundreds since it first appeared, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. The first case of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the U.S. appeared in Washington when a patient recently returned on January 15 from Wuhan, China, the central Chinese city where the virus was first reported. He arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport before any screening for the coronavirus has begun. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have a halo, or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under an electron microscope. Credit: CDC/Dr. Fred Murphy The virus has caused the pneumonia-like illness that was previously believed to be spread by animals. In recent reports, however, the human-to-human spread is happening, though its still unclear how the virus spreads in human populations. The patient sought medical attention in the state by January 19, where he was treated for the illness. Based on the patients history of travel and manifestations, the healthcare professionals have suspected that the patient has contracted the new virus. They collected a clinical specimen and sent it to CDC for analysis overnight and confirmed the diagnosis through a test called the Real-time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) test. The patient is now stable but still being kept in isolation out of an abundance of precaution and to prevent the spread of the virus to other people in the country. CDC is currently working closely with local partners and the state to ramp up measures preventing the spread of the virus. It has initiated an ongoing investigation to track all close contacts to determine if anyone else has become sick. Efforts to control the virus spread Last weekend, the CDC started screenings in all airports in the country to detect passengers coming from China, particularly from the city of Wuhan. The screening includes checking of the temperature and observing for signs and symptoms that may hint an ongoing coronavirus infection, including the difficulty of breathing and a cough. Currently, the CDC has raised its travel notice for Wuhan, China from level 1 to level 2, advising those who will travel to practice enhances precautions. To further protect the health of the American public during the emergence of this novel coronavirus, CDC is beginning entry screening at three ports of entry. Investigations into this novel coronavirus are ongoing and we are monitoring and responding to this evolving situation, Dr. Martin Cetron, director of CDCs Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said. The CDC is deploying 100 additional staff to three other airports SFO, LAX, and JFK, to help the existing staff at CDC quarantine stations. What is the 2019-nCoV or Wuhan coronavirus? The first cases of the Wuhan coronavirus or the 2019-nCoV were seen in patients exposed to a large market where live animals were present, prompting health officials to suggest that the new virus has been spread from animals to humans. Though there is still no spread in communities, Chinese officials have reported certain indications that some limited person-to-person spread may have happened. The Wuhan coronavirus belongs to the same family as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which was recognized as a global threat in March 2003, first appearing in China. SARS causes a serious form of pneumonia, which causes acute respiratory distress and in worse cases, death. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illness, ranging from common colds to more severe illnesses such as SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). The new strain that appeared in China is called a novel coronavirus (nCoV) is an infection not previously identified in humans, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. The 2019-nCov first appeared in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China in December 2019, and health officials reported it to the WHO. By January 7, 2020, the Chinese health officials identified the culprit for the infections as the 2019-nCov. The common signs and symptoms of the disease include respiratory symptoms, cough, fever, breathing problems, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, it may lead to kidney failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and even death. T he Duchess of Cambridge visited a women's prison in Surrey on the last stop of her 24-hour tour. Her trip to meet inmates at HMP Send on Wednesday was part of the launch of her landmark national survey about the early years development of children, titled "five big questions on the under fives". Kate met people who are receiving and have received help in their rehabilitation from The Forward Trust. She had visited the prison in 2015 and was reacquainted with some of the women she met five years ago, who trace their history of offending and addiction back to troubled childhoods. Reuters The duchess said to a group who have since been released from custody: "It really shocked me when I came here last time how early the challenges were that you face. How early you could take it back." In the prison visits hall, sitting around a coffee table with mugs of tea and a cake, she chatted to five ex-offenders about their childhood traumas - problems with alcoholic or absent parents, family breakdown, domestic abuse - and how they believed it had triggered their offending. She had similar conversations in a smaller room with four women currently serving sentences at the prison who told her stories about parents splitting up, drink, and drug addiction. One current prisoner, Francesca, told Kate that she got on drugs and started offending after her loving parents split up. At Send with the Forward Trust programme she has started to resolve many of her issues going back to childhood. What they have done here has literally changed my life. Its a miracle, she said. She added: Coming to jail is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. The Duchess smiled and said: It's so often I hear that. Why does it have to get to that point before people receive the help and support?" AFP via Getty Images She told the women: I'm hugely passionate about trying to really help get into this crisis, trying to help provide that prevention mechanism and that support system in our communities. "Particularly that support in the early years of life." When she asked the earlier group of ex-offenders how much of their problems they put down to their childhood, at least three of the women - Hayley Wood, Kerrie Peters, and Kirsty Day - replied in unison: All of it. Among the group was Julie Muir, who now works as head of recovery at The Forward Trust. She became addicted to drugs after family problems when she was a teenager. Ms Muir was in and out of custody for drugs offences as a juvenile before being jailed for three years when she was 21 in 2001. She served time in HMP Send. I spent my 21st birthday in prison. That was a wake up for me, she said. Asked why most people ended up committing crimes and going to jail, she replied: Childhood trauma. Its all to do with trauma in the early years - parents separating, domestic abuse, addiction, children not being given the right emotional tools, she said. We need more support for parents, more counselling services. Benny Refson, trustee at The Forward Trust, called the duchess's interest in their work "huge", adding: "It's actually recognising the importance of the work, and the complex world that prisons are, and the uncomfortable world, and by her coming to these prisons it's giving value to the work that people do." HMP Send is a resettlement prison housing an 80-bed unit that helps women with rehabilitation, building skills and confidence. A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah dared opposition leaders for a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday said her party accepts the challenge to discuss and debate the new citizenship law "at any forum and at any place." Mayawati alleged the government is "disturbed by protests against the contentious Citizenship Act, Register of Citizens (NRC) and Population Register (NPR)" across the country. "The government, disturbed by protests against the controversial CAA, NRC and NPR, across the country, especially the youths and women, has challenged the Opposition for a debate on the matter. The BSP accepts the challenge for debate at any forum and at any place," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi. Union Minister Shah on Tuesday had challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for a debate on the CAA. "I have come to you for a Jan Jagaran Abhiyan in Lucknow. Our government is hardly 8 months old but we are conducting this campaign to dispell the falsities being spread by the opposition against CAA. I challenge Rahul Gandhi, Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav to engage in a debate on CAA," Shah had said while addressing a gathering in Lucknow. Union Home Minister Shah had accused the opposition parties of "misleading" the people on the CAA and said that the new law will not be scrapped despite protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Michael I. Sovern, an ebullient law professor who as president of Columbia University during the 1980s and 90s shored up the schools finances, brought about divestment from companies doing business in South Africa and opened Columbia College to women, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 88. His wife, Patricia Sovern, said the cause was amyloid cardiomyopathy, in which clumps of protein build up in the heart tissue. When Mr. Sovern was named to replace William J. McGill as Columbias president in 1980, he faced numerous challenges. Columbia was not considered well-managed; an internal study by distinguished professors faulted the university for the erosion of standards in some departments, a loss of pre-eminence in social sciences and a growing paucity of elite faculty talent. Buildings were in disrepair. New faculty had to be recruited. The predicate for everything was the financial condition: We were broke, he said in a 2014 interview before an audience at Roosevelt House, a public policy institute at Hunter College in Manhattan. Joe and Enita Dugan with their son, who has long struggled with impulse control, depression, and anxiety. The Dugans are withholding their son's name to protect his privacy Read more Joe and Enita Dugans son has long struggled with impulse control, depression, and anxiety. He started therapy at age 7 and medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at 9. After a run-in with the legal system in middle school, the Dugans had him tutored at home. Eventually they transferred him to a new school where he still had trouble regulating his emotions and maintaining relationships with peers. The litany of psychiatrists we went through, and the medications we went through, Enita recalled. We didnt find anything that was going to cure him or just get him through the day. Joe Dugan, who works as a financial adviser for a large wealth management company, said they were also increasingly worried their son (whose name they are withholding to protect his privacy) might harm himself or someone else. A psychiatrist said kids like him become addicted, detained, or dead, Joe said. Eventually, the Dugans, of Linwood, N.J., placed their son, now 16, in residential treatment in Utah. He was there for a year-and-a-half, though the Dugans insurance company, United Behavioral Health, started denying their claims in September 2018. The family paid the $12,000-a-month price tag out-of-pocket, using up their savings and taking out a second mortgage. The Dugans had to bring their son home in late December, not because he was ready, but because of the cost, Joe said. He and Enita are panicked, frustrated, burned-out, and angry: How many years have we paid in? Enita asked about their health insurance policy. They always want their premiums every year, and when we need [them] its deny, deny, deny. This kid needs help. Despite two recent federal laws meant to bring parity between mental and physical health-care coverage, gaping holes remain in how behavioral health costs are paid. Insurance companies continue to interpret the rules for mental illnesses in a more limited fashion than they do for physical illnesses, according to the Milliman Report, a recent study of insurance claims in all 50 states. The study demonstrates that out-of-network use of behavioral health providers is higher than for medical providers, supporting the experience of patients and families who have trouble finding in-network mental health providers. The disparity between physical and mental health coverage has grown substantially in recent years, according to the Bowman Family Foundation, which commissioned the study. At the same time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown a steep decline in U.S. life expectancy for the last three years, primarily due to drug overdoses and suicides, otherwise known as deaths of despair. If theres one statistic that should be a wake-up call for America, it is that over the last three or four years, the life expectancy rate is going negative, and that has not happened for over 100 years, not since the great flu epidemic of 1918, said Henry Harbin, a Baltimore psychiatrist and mental health advocate. Former CEO of Magellan Health Services and adviser to the Bowman Family Foundation, Harbin said that we have more money being spent on behavioral health than ever, and yet we have a worsening set of outcomes, morbidity and mortality. Red tape to get through The paperwork hassles and low reimbursements mean that many psychiatrists and psychologists wont accept insurance, leaving patients to pay up-front and hope to recover partial reimbursement. Brad Norford, a licensed psychologist who owns Bryn Mawr Psychological Associates on the Main Line, decided not to accept insurance when he opened his practice now with 12 full-time psychologists 20 years ago. Working for a practice that took insurance, I would see firsthand the struggles the facility would have, as well as me trying to get payment from the insurance companies in different cases the paperwork, the red tape to get through, Norford recalled. Over half of patients with behavioral health issues never even see a specialist, relying on their primary-care provider who may not offer consistent screening or tracking of outcomes, Harbin said. We know from study after study that the quality and effectiveness of the care given in primary care to these folks with behavioral diagnoses is very poor, Harbin said. So how would you ever fix behavioral health outcomes in America with you not addressing that? You cant, according to former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, who helped write the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requiring large group health plans to cover physical and mental health in the same fashion. What I was hoping was that the federal law was going to act as a good impetus for AHIP [Americas Health Insurance Plans] to come together and say, Hey, fellas! This parity thing is going to become a bigger and bigger problem for you because were not going to be able to comply with it,' Kennedy said. Kennedy, who lives in South Jersey, travels the country on behalf of the Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that helps people challenge insurance denials for behavioral health claims. I have no doubt in my mind that we can cut in half the numbers of lives lost if we spend on deaths of despair the same amount we spend on HIV/AIDS, he said. That is in part what the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions a nonprofit dedicated to driving health-care value has been trying to do, said Harbin. One of the alliances goals is early screening for behavioral health issues by primary-care physicians, OB-GYNs, and pediatricians and then referring to the appropriate care. Another major goal includes getting employers and insurers together with providers to make this a priority, Harbin said. An example of how such a system can work is a program at the University of Pennsylvania, where psychiatrist Cecilia Livesey and primary-care physician Matthew Press have been spearheading a collaborative care model. Patients of eight Penn primary-care practices seeking mental health assistance are scheduled for a screening with a virtual resource center and then connected to the appropriate mental health provider, usually a licensed clinical social worker embedded in the primary-care practice. For some patients, the social worker, in conjunction with the primary-care provider and the consulting psychiatrist, offers all the care they need through brief behavioral interventions. For those with more complex issues, the resource center connects them to specialty psychiatric care. Instead of the approximately 500 patients the staff of the eight Penn primary-care practices involved expected to participate in the first year, they received more than 6,000 referrals in 2018 and more than 14,000 by the end of 2019. More than 1,400 patients at risk for suicide were identified through the assessment process, as well as hundreds with symptoms of mania, psychosis, or post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Livesey. Our depression and anxiety scores have been around 50% remission, so thats really exciting, and the [primary-care] providers totally love the program, Livesey said. The most vulnerable point of your life Meanwhile, the Dugans are grappling with their insurers insistence that their son can get by with a much lower level of care than his doctors think he needs. The company vowed to consider their case. We want our members to have access to the behavioral health support they need, when they need it, as part of our broader commitment to accessible, quality care, Maria Gordon Shydlo, communications director of UnitedHealthcare, of which United Behavioral Health is a subsidiary, said in a statement. We will continue to work with the family and the members doctors to address coverage of his health care needs under his plan. In fact, the insurance company had not been in touch with the Dugans for months. But after a reporter called the company, the Dugans received several calls from UBH inviting them to file an appeal, even though the two appeals they previously filed were denied. While I want this conflict with the insurance company to go away, I also want people to see how poorly you can be treated when youre in perhaps the most vulnerable point of your life, Joe Dugan said. Ill be working an extra 10 years as a result of all of this. Open source The EU can provide a tranche of 500 million euros to Ukraine as early as February 2020. Ricard Yozvyak, Radio Svoboda's journalist, wrote about in on his Twitter page. "It is possible that the second and final tranche of the European Commissions macro-financial assistance for Ukraine, worth 500 million euro, can be released in February. First tranche was released in November 2018," the statement said. It should be noted that assistance is provided in the form of credit. In November 2018, Ukraine received 500 million euros from the EU at 1.25% per annum, which used in order to carry out reform in the tax and energy sectors, as well as social policy and corporate governance at state enterprises. Ukraine has to pay back a credit by April 2033. As we reported earlier, by 2023, Ukraine should close books on cooperation with the IMF. These are the expectations of Oksana Markarova, the Finance Minister of Ukraine. She said so in an interview with Hromadske. "My ambitious plan is to manage to complete it (the program with the IMF, - 112 International), so that in 2023 we would not be disturbed by the question when would we get the new loan, being able to provide ourselves instead", Markarova said. The official hopes that the program of cooperation with the IMF that is now subject to negotiations would be the last one. pti/representational image Bringing more bad reputation for the country, India has slipped to 42nd place on an annual Global Democracy Index amid rise of conservative religious ideologies" and increase in vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as other dissenting voices. Read more Heres more top news of the day: SC Refuses To Stay Citizenship Amendment Act Without Hearing Centre, Gives Govt 4 Weeks To Respond BCCL Making clear it will not stay the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the government four weeks to respond to petitions challenging the CAA and said a five-judge Constitution bench will hear the matter. Read more BHU Orders Felling Of Around 200 Trees To Make Way For Colony A note circulated by the teaching and non-teaching staff, who are against the move, states that some of trees have already been cut. They assert that there is enough vacant space for the development project and trees need not be cut. Read more Death Toll In China's Coronavirus Goes Up To 9; The Sars-Like Virus Has Affected 440 So Far China's novel coronavirus is affecting people in China and has resulted in nine confirmed deaths so far in the country. The cases has also risen to 440 with the health authorities warning that the disease could spread further in the ongoing Chinese holiday season during which millions travel at home and abroad. Read more Jharkhand Leads The Way, Puts Off Plan To Build Airport To Save Important Elephant Corridor The habitat of the elephant, an endangered species and Indias national heritage animal, are regularly threatened by developmental projects. The Dhalbhumgarh airport sought nearly 100 hectares of land from forests in Jharkhand that serve as a corridor for elephants migrating between Jharkhand and the neighbouring state of West Bengal. Read more Man Who Kept Bag With IED In Mangaluru Airport Arrested, Took Revenge For Not Getting Job There Bengaluru DCP Central Division, Chetan Singh Rathore: He surrendered before police claiming to be responsible for the Mangaluru airport incident. He is being medically examined & we are preparing procedure to hand him over to the Mangaluru team which is already on their way. https://t.co/qZCSGYXCkz pic.twitter.com/lGTExNExb8 ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2020 Mangaluru Police have said that they have cracked the case of recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mangaluru International airport. This comes after a man identified as Aditya Rao has surrendered before the police. Read more STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Frances Williams walked to the bus stop on Jersey and Pauw streets shortly after noon on July 10, 2018, as she had done so many times before, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday. It would be the last time she ever did so. As she waited for the bus, Williams, 67, an innocent bystander, was fatally shot in the head by a bullet fired by Isaiah Kelson, Assistant District Attorney Arda Ozdinc said in his opening statement at Kelsons murder trial in state Supreme Court, St. George. Kelson, said Ozdinc, had driven to New Brighton bent on revenge after watching a buddy of his get mowed down less than an hour earlier by a van containing members of a rival gang. Robert Craigwell, 26, was killed around 11:30 a.m. on Fort Place in St. George, following two fights at and near the Staten Island Courthouse between members of rival gangs from New Brighton and West Brighton, said Ozdinc. Isaiah Kelson murdered Frances Williams, and he did so as part of a conspiracy or agreement with Jaleel Hewitt and Marquise Tart, said Ozdinc, who is prosecuting the case along with Assistant District Attorneys Adam Silberlight and Andrew Botelho. Kelson fatally shot the victim while actually intending to shoot a man he believed was associated with the New Brighton gang, Ozdinc said. Hewitt, 27, and Tart, 26, are also on trial. They are accused of conspiracy and criminal facilitation stemming from the events leading up to Williams shooting. They are not charged with murder. Tart is also charged with hindering prosecution and evidence tampering. Lawyers for all three defendants contended the prosecution is predicated on unreliable testimony from cooperating witnesses, who are criminals looking to save their own skin, and whose accounts are tailored to fit the governments case. And videotape evidence which prosecutors plan to show jurors doesnt establish guilt on their clients parts, the attorneys said. I predict none of the hours of the videotape will depict my client had any weapon whatsoever, said Robert Reuland, Kelsons lawyer in his opening statement. Theres going to be no video of my client shooting a gun, much less having a gun. Both Rick J. Pasacreta, Tarts attorney, and Mario Romano, Hewitts lawyer, vehemently denied their clients conspired with anyone to commit a crime. In his opening statement, Pasacreta said there was no physical or scientific evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, linking Tart to the events that occurred that day. Youll hear no evidence that Mr. Tart ever agreed with anyone to commit a crime, said Pasacreta. If Mr. Tart didnt exist at all this would have all happened the same way. Romano was even more emphatic. Jaleel Hewitt did nothing wrong that day, Romano said in his opening argument. Jaleel Hewitt did nothing wrong at all. There is no shred of evidence my client was involved in any plan. Ozdinc said the events were set in motion when Kelson and two other men Sean Oliveras and Craigwell were summoned to back up West Brighton gang members who had been involved in the fights around the courthouse with the New Brighton gang. They drove to the area and walked onto Fort Place. Craigwell brought a gun, and, as he went to use it, the van plowed into him before smashing partly through a building on the corner of Montgomery Avenue, said Ozdinc. Videotape evidence would show how visibly angry and upset Kelson, as well as Tart and Hewitt, who came on the scene after the crash, appeared then, the prosecutor said. At this point they plot to get revenge, said Ozdinc. The prosecutor said Kelson and Oliveras drove off, and Kelson got two guns a 9 mm handgun, which he kept, and a 9 mm revolver, which he gave to Oliveras. They drove to New Brighton and rendezvoused with another car in which Hewitt and Tart were traveling, said Ozdinc. The two cars drove in unison around New Brighton, looking for rival gang members, he said. On seeing a suspected gang associate, Kelson and Oliveras car stopped. They hopped out, removed their guns and fired at the man, said Ozdinc. That person wasnt hit. But one bullet struck Williams in the head, Ozdinc said. She was standing at the bus stop. Ozdinc said the fatal bullet was fired from a 9mm gun, similar to the type Kelson had. Cops recovered six spent 9 mm shell casings at the scene, he said. True North Cannabis Partnership to Maximize Northern Lights Organics Farm Operations and Revenues, Capital Structure Now in Place to Raise Funds Necessary to Realize Full Potential of Assets and Fund Future Acquisitions VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 20, 2020 / Weekend Unlimited Inc. ("Weekend" or the "Company") (POT.CN)(0OS1.F)(WKULF) announces a key partnership with True North Cannabis to realize the full potential of its Northern Lights Organics Hemp operation, and as part of its continuation to requirements of the Corporation's new jurisdiction of British Columbia, which was approved by shareholders; the Company will change its name from "Weekend Unlimited Inc." to "Weekend Unlimited Industries Inc." (the "Name Change"). In conjunction with the name change the Company will also be completing a share consolidation on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation common share for every ten (10) pre-consolidation common shares (the "Consolidation"). True North Partnership Calgary based company, True North Cannabis Corp. ("True North"), has a proven track record for creating value for hemp growers across Canada by providing the guidance, infrastructure, and technology required to produce commercially viable, extract ready CBD biomass from industrial hemp. With Northern Lights Organics having both Certified Organic land and a proprietary CBD yielding cultivar, as well as impressive results from genetic research trials done in past years, True North and Northern Lights Organics have agreed to a partnership, where True North's expertise and resources will be used to increase the potential value of our 2020 crop and beyond. "This is a partnership that will create synergies moving forward allowing Northern Light Organics to fully realize the value of our asset," said Mr. Chris Backus, Weekend President and CEO. "Anyone can plant hemp in the ground, however the key to success in the industry is to be able to produce and harvest premium output and sell that output to the market for the best price. True North is an expert in the space of hemp harvesting for CBD and have brokered millions of dollars of biomass to some of Canadas biggest CBD licensed producers. In addition, they bring a breadth of knowledge to our business model beyond the sale of biomass; with future consideration expanding to pedigree seed production and Hemp Craft/fiber sales. Having True North as close advisors and partners with Northern Lights Organics provides significant upside for the overall success of both our short and long-term operations." Story continues "We are excited at the opportunity to work alongside the Northern Lights Organics team for their upcoming hemp crops," said Shayne Hamilton, CEO of True North. "The results observed in their research trials to date are extremely promising and indicate the potential to produce a premium hemp-based CBD biomass for CBD extraction." Consolidation Effective at the commencement of trading on January 21st, 2020 the Company will begin trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on a post-consolidated basis under the new name but will retain the stock symbol "POT". The new CUSIP and ISIN are: 94856V208 and CA94856V2084, respectively. The Company's Board of Directors approved this Consolidation, as permitted by the Company's Articles and the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). "The consolidation is necessary to attract new capital and position the Company to realize the full potential of current assets and undertake possible future acquisitions," explained Mr. Backus. "We have lucrative assets and it is essential that we structure the Company in such a way to fund the development and growth of those assets to generate significant revenues." Currently there are 442,505,249 common shares issued and outstanding and after the Consolidation there will be approximately 44,250,525 common shares issued and outstanding and approximately 15,922,973 warrants, and 2,672,500 stock options outstanding. The Company will not be issuing fractional post-Consolidation common shares to shareholders in connection with the Consolidation. Where the Consolidation would otherwise result in a shareholder being entitled to a fractional common share, the number of post-Consolidation common shares issued to such holder of common shares shall be rounded up to the next greater whole number of common shares if the fractional entitlement is equal to or greater than 0.5 and shall be rounded down to the next lesser whole number of common shares if the fractional entitlement is less than 0.5. In calculating such fractional interests, all common shares held by a beneficial holder shall be aggregated. A letter of transmittal with respect to the Consolidation will be mailed to registered shareholders of the Company. All registered shareholders with physical certificates will be required to send their respective certificates representing pre-consolidated common shares along with a completed letter of transmittal to the Company's transfer agent, Odyssey Trust Company ("Odyssey"), in accordance with the instructions provided in the letter of transmittal. Additional copies of the letter of transmittal can be obtained through Computershare. All shareholders who submit a duly completed letter of transmittal along with their respective pre-consolidated common share certificate(s) to Computershare, will receive a post-consolidation share certificate. Shareholders who hold their common shares through a broker or other intermediary and do not have common shares registered in their name, will not need to complete a letter of transmittal. The exercise or conversion price and the number of common shares issuable under any of the Company's outstanding warrants and stock options will be proportionately adjusted to reflect the Consolidation in accordance with their respective terms thereof. For further information, please contact: Mr. Chris Backus, President & CEO, Director Telephone: 1(236) 317-2812 E-mail: IR@weekendunlimited.com About Weekend Unlimited Inc. Weekend Unlimited is a lifestyle-based recreational cannabis and CBD wellness company. We are developing and launching premium cannabis and CBD brands to deliver life's highs - any- time, anywhere. Our CBD products are available online and at a retailer near you. Weekend Unlimited is well-positioned to launch and scale the brands that will define cannabis and CBD. Learn more at www.weekendunlimited.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward- looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Of- ten, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward- looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new in- formation, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. SOURCE: Weekend Unlimited Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/573606/Weekend-Unlimited-Partners-with-True-North-Cannabis-Announces-Name-Change-and-Consolidation Press Release 22 January 2020 Riyadh, KSA - Taiba Investments Co. (TDWL: 4090) today announced the signing of DoubleTree by Hilton Jeddah King Abdullah Square Hotel and Suites, marking its 1st hotel in Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia. Advertisements DoubleTree by Hilton Jeddah King Abdullah Square Hotel and Suites, which is expected to open in 2024, will offer guests 250 contemporary and stylish guest rooms, in addition to 200 apartments. The hotel will feature four food and beverage offerings including a specialty restaurant, Lobby Cafe, Pool Cafe and all day dining restaurant, offering guests a great choice of lite bites and full meals throughout the day. The hotel will also feature a number of meeting rooms, multi-purpose halls, and a large ballroom, in addition to a fitness center, pool and kids club. Eng. Saleh Al-Habdan, CEO of Taiba Investments Company, stated: "We are pleased to partner with the well-established and well-known international hotel company, Hilton. We are eager to choose our partners carefully, as their prestige and expertise matters in the first place to increase efficiency levels at our hotel projects with added value to our shareholders and the society, and contributing effectively to the economic growth in the Kingdom while creating memorable experiences for our guests." Eng. Al-Habdan also stressed on the continued support of Taiba company and its great belief in the Kingdom's 2030 Vision, which is achieved through its investments in the tourism sector which is an important part of the Kingdom's non-oil economy. Commenting on the signing, Carlos Khneisser, Vice President Development Middle East and North Africa, Hilton, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Taiba Investments Company as the operator of this incredible new hotel. Our DoubleTree brand is a perfect fit for the location and proves our ongoing commitment to supporting the Saudi Arabian government's Vision 2030 and drive for more tourists to visit the country to explore its culture and great natural beauty." The agreement was signed on behalf of Taiba company by Eng. Al-Habdan and by Mr. Carlos Khneisser on behalf of Hilton at the SHIC conference in Riyadh. According to a White House transcript, before their meeting Trump said: "We're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping." The readout of the meeting in Davos on Tuesday makes only a mention of "regional issues" among the many topics discussed, chief among them Afghanistan, where the US is negotiating a settlement with the Taliban. He added: "And we've been watching that and following it very, very closely." Trump was careful in his wording about possible involvement in the Kashmir issue compared to the past, qualifying his statement with the preface, "if we can help." It apparently takes into account India's opposition to any third party involvement in the Kashmir or other disputes between the two countries because of the 1972 Simla Agreement in which the two countries agreed to deal with their disputes bilaterally. Trump created a diplomatic furore in July when he claimed before a meeting with Khan in Washington that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate or arbitrate the Kashmir issue. He said that when he met Modi in Osaka in June during the G-20 Summit, "We talked about the subject, (and) he actually said, 'Would you like to mediate, mediate or arbitrate?' I said, 'Where,?' (and he said) 'Kashmir'." India strongly denied Trump's claim about the request for his involvement in the Kashmir issue. Before his meeting with Khan in New York in September, Trump had said that he would "be an extremely good arbitrator" in the two countries asked him to "iron out differences". "And if at any time they say, you know, 'We have some points we think you can maybe iron out,' I think I'd be an extremely good arbitrator," he added. According to the transcript of remarks before the Davos meeting, Khan suggested that Washington play a role in resolving the issues with India. He said, "For us, in Pakistan, it's a big issue. And, of course, we always hope that the US will play its part in resolving it because no other country can." The focus of the talks between Trump and Khan on Tuesday was on Afghanistan, where the US is negotiating with the Taliban for peace deal that would allow the US to withdraw its troops from there or considerably scale back their presence. Trump would like to reach a deal with the Taliban, which is backed by Pakistan, before the November elections so he can claim he kept his 2016 poll promise of bringing back US troops from the longest war it has been involved in. Khan's leverage ith Trump comes from his influence with the Taliban, who have found sanctuaries and help in Pakistan even as they waged war against the US in Afghanistan. The readout of the meeting said: The two leaders agreed to continue efforts to seek a lasting political settlement in Afghanistan that would bring peace and ensure terrorists can no longer operate from the country." Before their meeting, Khan said that during their discussions "the main issue, of course, is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan. And, fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with Taliban and the government." Asked by a reporter if he would be visiting Pakistan during his forthcoming trip to India, Trump said he will not as he was meeting Khan in Davos. "Well, we're visiting right now (with Khan), so we won't really have to. But we -- I wanted to say hello for both a relationship standpoint -- we've had a great relationship -- and from the standpoint of our two countries," Trump said. He added, "We're getting along very well. I would say we've never been closer with Pakistan than we are right now. And that's a big statement, although I wouldn't say at all times we were close, as a country. But we are very close right now because of the relationship that we have. So it's very important." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) BURNS LAKE, B.C. - A collective of First Nations who support the liquefied natural gas industry in British Columbia say human rights advocates failed to do their research when they called for a pipeline project to be halted. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A natural gas refuelling port is seen on a vehicle at the Vancouver Board of Trade energy forum where David Keane, president of the newly formed B.C. LNG Alliance, addressed those gathered in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday October 8, 2014. A collective of First Nations who support the liquefied natural gas industry in British Columbia say human rights advocates failed to do their research when they called for a pipeline project to be halted.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck BURNS LAKE, B.C. - A collective of First Nations who support the liquefied natural gas industry in British Columbia say human rights advocates failed to do their research when they called for a pipeline project to be halted. The First Nations LNG Alliance has issued open letters to the B.C. human rights commissioner and the United Nations Committee to End Racial Discrimination over statements they made about the Coastal GasLink project. They called for the project to be stopped in the face of opposition from Wet'suwet'en hereditary clan chiefs who say the project has no authority without their consent. Both said the free, prior and informed consent of all affected Indigenous groups should be granted before any project is allowed to proceed. Coastal GasLink has signed agreements with 20 elected First Nation councils along the pipeline's 670-kilometre path but the Wet'suwet'en chiefs say within their territory, those councils only administer small reserves and it's the hereditary chiefs who hold jurisdiction over a broader area covering 22,000 square kilometres. Karen Ogen-Toews, CEO of the First Nations Alliance, says in the letter to commissioner Kasari Govender that the pipeline was approved through a democratic process that Indigenous people participated in freely, and neither the committee nor commissioner consulted supportive Indigenous groups before taking a position. No one could be reached for comment at the UN committee and Govender was not available for an interview Tuesday. "It is disheartening to see that the input from 20 First Nations, who participated extensively during five years of consultation on the pipeline, and have successfully negotiated agreements with Coastal GasLink, is so easily dismissed by the B.C. Human Rights Commission," Ogen-Toews says in one of the open letters. Ogen-Toews was elected chief of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation representing 255 members on and off reserve lands for six years. The Wet'suwet'en First Nation covers a smaller area than the Wet'suwet'en Nation over which the hereditary clan chiefs claim authority. The letter accuses Govender of ignoring the social and economic benefits already realized by workers and communities from the project. More than one-third of work on the project has been completed by Indigenous people and Coastal GasLink has earmarked $620 million in contracting opportunities for First Nations in the province, it says. The letter also accuses both the provincial commission and the UN committee of issuing public statements without talking to supportive First Nations. "Both groups know nothing about the importance we place on finding a way out of endlessly trying to manage poverty, and finding the kind of opportunities for our First Nations people that non-Indigenous people have enjoyed for centuries," the letter says. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The UN committee also called the federal government to stop two other major resource projects, the Site C dam and Trans Mountain pipeline expansions. Na'moks, a spokesman for the Wet'suwet'en hereditary clan chiefs, has said they will never consent to the project. The chiefs issued an eviction notice to Coastal GasLink after the B.C. Supreme Court extended an injunction on Dec. 31 to the company. The RCMP has established a checkpoint along a logging road that leads to a pipeline work site, as well as two camps and a small settlement established by supporters of the hereditary chiefs. Last year, 14 people were arrested when the RCMP enforced a previous injunction granted to the company. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020. Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary PALM BEACH, Florida, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 will NOT be a good year for some cannabis marketers or will it? The Black Market will be under fire from regulators, enforcement officials, lawmakers, health experts and industry officials in cannabis regulated states. California has already begun to take efforts to drive down, if not eliminate the illicit growth & sales of cannabis. An San Diegoarticle said: "With an ongoing vape safety crisis, lack of access to legal banking, sluggish sales, legal and illicit market company raids, big IPOs, bigger valuation busts and mass layoffs, it is safe to say that California's cannabis industry in 2019 experienced a return to earth from the soaring expectations that came after 2018 and recreational legalization. Though there was a lot of bad news, there is still plenty to look forward to in 2020. The first bit of good news is that it's normal for markets to correct frequently as well as early on. Considering the legal market is only recently fully operational, it's hardly surprising that there are some fairly large bumps in the road-not only due to normal market cycles, but especially because the market moved from a long-time illicit one to a fully legal one in just a couple of years." Cities from San Diego to LA have been cracking down, hard, on these Black Market operations. California regulators have mounted dozens of raids against illegal marijuana retailers all across the state. The state has been under pressure from California's legal industry to do more to stop the underground pot economy, which in Los Angeles and other cities often operates in plain sight. According to some estimates, roughly 75% of sales in the state remain under the table, snatching profits from legal storefronts. Active cannabis companies in the markets this week include: Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD), Smart Cannabis Corp. (OTCPK: SCNA), Aphria Inc. (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APHA), VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX-V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF), MedMen Enterprises Inc. (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQB: MMNFF). The GOOD NEWS is that recent reports of revenue projections and a retrospective lookback at the last two years bodes well for 2020 and beyond. California saw some growth in 2019, with sales reaching $2.96 billion, the report shows and cannabis sales in California are expected to grow from $2.96 billion to $3.6 billion for 2020. It's interesting that as last year's explosive growth was that the growth came amid a fallout in public market valuations, with the stock of numerous public cannabis companies sinking throughout the year. One industry insider explained "Wall Street often gets is wrong and it tends to get overexcited and over-depressed" It's really just the crowd mentality - too bullish in 2018 and too bearish in 2019". Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) BREAKING NEWS: Sugarmade Places on Hold Reverse Split - Plans to Enter Regulated Cannabis Market as Industry Turmoil Creates Opportunities - Sugarmade today announces the Company has placed a hold on plans to complete a reverse split of its common shares. Pending a vote by its board of directors, management believes temporarily holding the reverse split or canceling the reverse split altogether may be the best future course of action. The Company is also announcing its planned entry into the regulated and licensed portion of the cannabis marketplace, with an emphasis on the California distribution and retail sectors. Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade commented, "For at least the time being do not see a reason to move forward with the reverse stock split. However, we reserve the right, should circumstances warrant to reactivate the reverse. We are in the process of modifying our business strategy to better align with where the cannabis marketplace is headed and thus our cancellation of the previously proposed transaction. We see significantly larger opportunities in the California cannabis distribution arena and have entered into advanced talks to make a strategic move into this area." The cannabis industry in California is rapidly evolving. As recently as only a few months ago, the competitive landscape for legal and licensed cultivators, processors, distributors and retailers was bleak, but the situation has rapidly improved as the crackdown on illegal market participants in California has shown great success. Sugarmade expects these successes to continue. Sugarmade sees a strong opportunity to enter this business arena as the environment changes and as long-time industry participants seek publicly traded partners. The Company recently announced the rescission of an agreement to acquire a hydroponic equipment supplier. In a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Sugarmade outlined that approximately 1.2 billion common share equivalents will be returned to the Company's treasury. In addition, the rescission is estimated to save Sugarmade approximately $1 million per month over the next seven months. Sugarmade's board of directors has determined the business combination was no longer viewed as the best shareholder maximization strategy as industry upheaval accelerates. Sugarmade has been presented with numerous other business combination opportunities that its board of directors now believes are superior and are under consideration. The Company's board of directors believes entry into the regulated portion of the cannabis business sector, which includes hemp and legal THC cannabis cultivation, processing and marketing, is particularly appealing due to the large number of assets within that sub-sector that are currently available for purchase or acquisition. Sugarmade has entered into discussion with several such companies relative to a strategic business combination." Read this and more news for Sugarmade at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-sgmd/ Other recent developments in the cannabis/cbd/hemp industries: Smart Cannabis Corp. (OTCPK: SCNA) recently announced that its new executive management has diversified the Company's business strategies with the acquisition of a CBD and hemp retail operations. In 2019 3rd Quarter, the Company appointed Mark Cheung as its interim CEO who sought out promising retail CBD and hemp businesses with growth potential. He said, "Given that the Company had been constructing and selling cannabis-oriented green houses, it seemed a logical next step to enter the ever-growing CBD and hemp retail sales." As a result, effective October 1, 2019, the Company acquired Budding Botanicals, and placed it within Company's Next Generation Farming, Inc. subsidiary. Budding Botanicals has been actively selling its CBD and hemp products at its online store and has also sold its products at pop-up locations in Southern California. Aphria Inc. (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APHA) recently announced that it has received its European Union Good Manufacturing Practices ("EU GMP") certification in respect of medicinal products for human use and investigational medicinal products for human use, from the Malta Medicines Authority ("MMA") at the Company's subsidiary, ARA - Avanti Rx Analytics. Aphria selected the MMA to perform the EU GMP audit as the criteria and certification thresholds established by the MMA are among the most stringent and demanding in the EU. The certification will allow the Company to ship bulk and finished dried flower, as well as bulk and finished cannabis oil for medicinal use in permitted jurisdictions throughout the European Union. VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX-V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) recently revealed its new Cannabis 2.0. products set to come to market in the coming months across Canada. VIVO will focus on the vape, chocolates and concentrates categories leveraging VIVO's premium adult-use cannabis brands including Canna Farms and Fireside. "VIVO is committed to changing the way people view cannabis and to enhancing lives. I'm delighted with our Cannabis 2.0. offering. The range is robust and stretches across multiple new legal categories including vapes, chocolates, and concentrates that include kief, rosin, bubble hash, wax and shatter. Coupled with our commitment to quality and consistency in supply, I'm confident that our range of products will help to play a role in decreasing the size of the illicit footprint," said VIVO's CEO, Barry Fishman. MedMen Enterprises Inc. (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQB: MMNFF) recently has partnered with Los Angeles wellness studios Sweat Yoga, LIT Method, Cycle House, Box Union Robertson and Oraya Movement as part of an enhancement of 2020 community programming. The goal of the partnership is to discover synergies between the benefits of wellness and cannabis. MedMen collaborated with Papa and Barkley and Kikoko to provide each studio with samples of their leading cannabis products, as well as including incentives to visit MedMen. MedMen's "New Year, New You" program will also be covered extensively on Ember, MedMen's digital editorial platform. Ember is high culture for all, providing a point of view on style, wellness, food, and travel through a cannabis filtered lens. "New Year, New You" is part of MedMen's strategy to enhance community engagement in 2020. "New Year, New You" complements MedMen Buds, the Company's new loyalty program, and recently launched same-day delivery platform available at all California and Nevada locations. All three programs are aligned with MedMen's industry-leading omni-channel experience and customer service. DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM 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. FNM'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. FNM 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 FNM has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Sugarmade, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This 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. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Contact Information: Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com +1(561)325-8757 New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Ministry of Shipping has dedicated its tableau for Republic Day parade to Kolkata Port Trust. The Kolkata Port Trust represents a theme of glorious past and vibrant future which is a glorious saga of 150 years. The Port of Calcutta began its official journey on October 17, 1870 by an Act, although, the Port was in existence long before. After the beginning of the Docks at Kolkata, the first ship had arrived at Kidderpore Dock in 1892. "Since then, Kolkata Port has witnessed stages of modernisation, and is today equipped with the latest technology in cargo handling and riverine navigation enabling it to service even cape-sized vessels," said a senior official of the Ministry of Shipping. The front portion of the tableau begins with a heritage replica of an old ship, reminiscent of the ships that arrived at the time of the formation of the first docks. It shows the labourers (then called 'coolies') loading and unloading goods. The historic light house and clock tower, all prestigious utilitarian possessions of the Port, symbolise the passage of time and the glorious riverine journey of India's oldest Port in existence. The middle portion focuses on the Howrah Bridge or Rabindra Setu, one of the city's finest engineering and architectural icons built and maintained last 76 years with pride by the Port. "Kolkata Dock System and the Haldia Dock Complex are twin dock systems, handling, inter alia, large volumes of containers and liquid cargo," the officer added. At the rear another engineering marvel, the motorised Bascule Bridge at Kidderpore Docks has been featured through animation. Footy star Josh Reynolds posted a cryptic message on social media just hours after footage emerged showing him a calling a woman a 'dog' and a 'c**t' as she lay in bed. The West Tigers player, 30, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a quote by author Michael Cheshire. 'Truth. Always Wins. Unfortunately... Liars get their turns first,' he posted. Reynolds, whose nickname is 'The Grub', appears shirtless in the 37-second rant when he called her a 'filthy piece of s***'. Scroll down for video Disturbing footage has emerged of NRL star Josh Reynolds verbally abusing a woman The West Tigers player, 30, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the quote, originally by author Michael Cheshire: 'Truth. Always Wins. Unfortunately ... Liars get their turns first' 'Give me my phone, honestly where the f**k is it,' he asked, angrily. 'What's wrong with ya?' The woman responded: 'I don't even know, Josh.' The camera then focused on Josh as he tells her to 'get out of my house' before he 'flips it'. 'Can you get out. Out of my house, I want you out now. I want you out now or I'm going to f***ing flip it. I swear to god, I'm going to flip it.' 'Why? What did I do?' the woman continued. 'You f**king stormed into me like I'm a f**king convict you f**king piece of s**t,' Reynolds yelled. 'F**king dog. Why the f**k would I do s**t like that? Why why why?' You scared the f*** out of me, you scared me... you walked in? You f***ing barged in you lying c***,' Reynolds says in the clip 'Are you serious? All I done [sic],' the woman started. 'You scared the f*** out of me, you scared me... you walked in? You f***ing barged in you lying c***,' Reynolds continued. The distressing footage then ends with the woman saying, 'oh wowee'. On Wednesday, the Wests Tigers released a statement stating they were aware of the video. Wests Tigers NRL player Josh Reynolds leaves the Sutherland Local Court in Sydney 'Wests Tigers are aware of a video circulating on social media of Josh Reynolds,' they said. 'Both Josh and Wests Tigers have previously alerted NSW Police and the NRL Integrity Unit as to this matter and will continue to work closely with them as required. 'As the subject matter is presently before the courts, Wests Tigers will be making no further comment.' The video comes after Mr Reynolds pleaded not guilty to assaulting his long-term girlfriend Arabella Del Busso (pictured together) in December last year An NRL spokesman told Daily Mail Australia said they were aware of the footage, and would continue to 'work with NSW Police, the Wests Tigers and Josh Reynolds on this matter.' The video comes after Mr Reynolds pleaded not guilty to assaulting his long-term girlfriend Arabella Del Busso in December last year in an alleged incident unrelated to the video. His lawyer Dan McGirr entered a plea of not guilty to domestic violence-related assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Earlier this year the NRL enacted a 'no fault' stand-down policy, allowing CEO Todd Greenberg to use his discretion to suspend players charged with criminal offences, particularly those involving women and children. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: The Russian LUKOIL company intends to implement new joint projects in the Caspian Sea with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan - SOCAR, head of LUKOIL company Vagit Alekperov told reporters. "We are discussing a number of projects, namely, the Nakhchivan block, the offshore block and the so-called transition zone in northern Absheron, Alekperov added, Trend reports on Jan. 22 referring to TASS. Our geologists think that they are promising," Alekperov said. "Together with SOCAR, we will conduct the negotiations related to the exploration, the head of the company said. Perhaps, the agreement will be signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 22. As a well-wisher of the Indian Statistical System and part of the system for more than 37 years, Sunil K Sinha, former DG and CEO, NSSO, offers suggestions to improve data quality. The controversy surrounding the release of the National Sample Survey Office report on the status of unemployment in India and recent leak of the NSO (earlier NSSO) report on household consumption have seriously eroded the credibility of the Indian Statistical System. A look into the working of the NSSO is needed at this moment. The Indian Statistical System was developed to capture a wide variety of data on our very large and decentralised economy. Despite the system's impressive achievements, there has been growing concerns regarding the quality of data. To address problems of data collection, tabulation and interpretation the Indian Statistical Service (ISS) took shape in 1961. Subsequently in line with the recommendations of the C Rangarajan Commission the present National Statistical Commission (NSC) came into existence on July 12, 2006. The National Sample Survey Office has been tasked to undertake large scale household and enterprise surveys on various aspects of the economy. The NSS was established in 1950 by the government on the advice of Professor P C Mahalanobis, then statistical adviser to the Cabinet, with the support of Jawaharlal Nehru. The National Income Committee had found large gaps in statistical data for computation of national income aggregates. The main objective of the NSS was to fill these data gaps. In April 1961 the Department of Statistics was set up and the NSS became a part of it. In October 1999, the NSSO became an attached office in the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI). The National Sample Survey inaugurated its survey operations with a multi-subject enquiry conducted in the rural areas only from October 1950 to March 1951. By the 10th round, the NSS was firmly established. The Indian Statistical Institute, too, got a statutory status, with the passing of the ISI Act in Parliament (1959). An evidence of its general recognition was the interest shown by government organisations and autonomous bodies in using the NSS survey apparatus for collecting data needed by them. As per an administrative order of the MoSPI in May 2019, the NSSO along with CSO has now been renamed NSO with no change in the status of the four divisions of the NSSO. The little autonomy which the NSSO enjoyed to produce analytical reports seems to have been eroded. No doubt there are working groups and technical committees and the National Statistical Commission, but their present roles remain purely technical. Some of the recent NSS reports were leaked to the print media before release leading to many accusations. This year the NSS will be 70 years old. As a well-wisher of the Indian Statistical System and part of the system for more than 37 years here are some suggestions to improve data quality. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Theramex today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire further rights to Zoely, a patented oral contraceptive, from MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Theramex currently markets Zoely in eleven European countries, and this transaction will bring the total number of markets up to more than 50 on a global basis. MSD retains rights in the United States and Canada. Theramex CEO Anish Mehta said: "Zoely is one of Theramex's flagship products, so we are delighted to have acquired further rights from MSD. This marks another exciting milestone in our global expansion, further demonstrating our commitment to patients by building on our portfolio of innovative treatment options for women." Zoely is a combined oral contraceptive tablet containing a combination of two steroid hormones; 17-beta estradiol, an estrogen that is structurally identical to the major estrogen produced by the ovaries of healthy non-pregnant women and nomegestrol acetate, a progestogen which mimics the naturally occurring progesterone in the body. About Theramex Theramex is a leading, global specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to women and their health. With a broad portfolio of innovative and established brands covering contraception, fertility, menopause and osteoporosis, Theramex supports women at every stage of their lives. Our vision is to be a lifetime partner for women and the healthcare professionals who treat them by providing innovative, effective solutions that care for and support women as they advance through each stage of their lives. To learn more about Theramex, please visit www.theramex.com. SOURCE Theramex Related Links http://www.theramex.com China locked down some 20 million people at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak on Thursday, but the World Health Organization said the disease did not yet constitute a global health emergency. The respiratory virus has claimed 18 lives since emerging from a seafood and animal market in the central city of Wuhan, infected hundreds of other people and been detected as far away as the United States. The new virus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. But after two days of talks to determine the level of global concern, the World Health Organization on Thursday stopped short of declaring a so-called a public health emergency of international concern -- declaration used for the gravest epidemics. "This is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva. WHO had postponed its decision by a day, after Chinese authorities announced unprecedented measures to rein in the spread of the virus. China has effectively quarantined nearly 20 million people across Wuhan and other cities, and announced measures to curb the disease nationwide as hundreds of millions of people began travelling across the country this week for the Lunar New Year holiday. - 'End of the world' - Beijing cancelled massive gatherings that usually attract throngs at temples during the New Year holiday, while the historic Forbidden City will close from Saturday. Streets and shopping centres in Wuhan were eerily quiet after authorities told residents not to leave the major city of 11 million people, where most of the cases have been identified. Trains and planes out of Wuhan were indefinitely suspended and tollways on roads out the city were closed, leading to fear and panic for those who were trapped. "We are feeling as though it is the end of the world," said one Wuhan resident on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform, voicing concerns about shortages of food and disinfectant. Authorities in neighbouring Huanggang city also announced public transport and train services would be suspended at midnight, while people were told to not leave the city of 7.5 million. Ezhou, a city in Hubei province with a population of 1.1 million, announced the train station had been closed earlier in the day, while three other cities in the province announced restrictions on their public transport or roads. - 'Effective and short' - Tedros hailed China for taking "measures it believes appropriate to contain the spread of coronavirus in Wuhan and other cities." He stressed though that "we hope that they will be both effective and short in their duration." WHO emergency committee chairman Didier Houssin meanwhile told reporters that after receiving "precise information" from Chinese authorities, the health experts had determined that the travel restrictions were "not directly related to a specific evolution of the epidemiology in the city." More than 580 people have been infected with the virus across China -- with most cases found in Wuhan, where a seafood market that illegally sold wild animals has been identified as the epicentre of the outbreak. China meanwhile confirmed Thursday the first death from the virus outside the epicentre, bringing the total number of deaths to 18. The health commission in northern Hebei province -- which borders Beijing -- said an 80-year-old man diagnosed with the new virus had died. The other 17 fatalities have all been people aged 48 to 89 and had pre-existing health conditions, Chinese health authorities said Thursday. The first case of the new virus was confirmed on December 31, and it has since been detected in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States. Singapore and Vietnam confirmed their first cases on Thursday. - Spreading between people - Animals are suspected to be the primary source of the outbreak, with studies published this week suggesting the virus may have originated in bats or snakes. The WHO has confirmed that the new virus can be passed between people, at least those in close contact. Chinese health officials warned it could mutate and spread further. But Tedros stressed Thursday there was so far "no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China." If WHO had declared a global emergency, it would prompt countries to intensify their cooperation towards reining in the virus, including possibly on trade and travel restrictions -- something the organisation is not recommending for the time being. Countries have already increased efforts to stop the spread of the pathogen -- known by its technical name 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) -- with thermal screening of all passengers arriving from China at airports in a number of countries. Several companies have also begun exploring developing a vaccine for the virus, with hopes that initial clinical trials could be carried out within months. Tedros meanwhile hailed China for quickly spotting the new virus and for its "cooperation and transparency" in sharing vital information about it with the international community. But a senior US State Department official said Washington was "still concerned" about transparency in the Chinese government. During the SARS epidemic, the Chinese government took months to report the disease and initially denied WHO experts any access. WHO's emergency committee stressed the need for international vigilance and information sharing, and recommended a new meeting in "a matter of days to examine the situation further." A woman wears a protective mask at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. China is halting public transport and closing highway toll stations in two more cities in Hubei province, the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak. China has classified the outbreak in the same category as the SARS epidemic Regional map including China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and Wuhan Seafood Market, identified as the centre of an outbreak of a SARS-like virus. Gabbard, the first Hindu-American elected to Congress, has had long-standing differences with Clinton going back to the 2016 Democratic primaries when she backed Senator Bernie Sanders for the party's nomination. "Whether out of personal animus, political enmity, or fear of real change within a political party Clinton and her allies have long dominated" Clinton lied about Gabbard, her lawyers said in the case filed in the Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday. Gabbard resigned as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 after accusing the party leadership of favouring Clinton instead of being neutral during the primaries. The court paper filed in the case by her lead lawyer Brian Dunne said, "Clinton falsely stated that Tulsi - an Army National Guard officer and US Congresswoman who has spent her entire adult life serving this country - is a 'Russian asset.' Clinton's false assertions were made in a deliberate attempt to derail Tulsi's presidential campaign." Gabbard is a major in the Army National Guard and has served in combat zones in Iraq. She continues to serve and even while in Congress she has been called up periodically for service. Gabbard "has suffered significant actual damages, personally and professionally, that are estimated to exceed $50 million - and continue to this day," Dunne said in the court filing that seeks damages from Clinton. The US defamation and libel laws give wide leeway for attacking public figures like Gabbard, a member of the House of Representatives, and sets a higher bar for filing cases. To meet the required standards, her lawyers, therefore, alleged that Clinton acted with "actual malice" and "reckless disregard of the truth." Clinton said in a widely distributed podcast in October that there is "somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary" who "(the Russians) are grooming...to be the third-party candidate." "She's the favourite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far." In response Gabbard had called Clinton the "personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party." The court filing noted that Clinton's spokesperson had reaffirmed her allegation by saying, "If the nesting doll fits" and called it "a reference to the universally known Russian nesting dolls (Matryoshka dolls)." Clinton, who is still smarting from the defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump in 2016, has been trying to settle scores with those who had opposed her in moves seen as dividing the Democratic Party that is preparing to take on Trump. She recently said that "nobody likes" Sanders and "nobody wants to work with him," drawing criticism from several Democrats, including Gabbard. Gabbard told a TV station, "It's time to grow up, you know? This isn't high school." She added, "There are real issues that people are struggling with and they're wondering, 'Why are our leaders not working for us?'" Gabbard, who supported Sanders in 2016, is running against him for the Democratic nomination this time. Gabbard has only 1.3 per cent support in the party according to RealClear Politics, the authoritative aggregator of polls. Although she qualified for three of the party's national debates, she has since failed to meet the qualifications for participation. In the July debate she launched a stinging criticism of Kamala Harris, the senator of Indian and Jamaican-African descent, alleging that she put minorities behind bars for minor offences like marijuana violations. From about that time Harris, who failed to get the support of African Americans, has tumbled in the polls and withdrew from the race for Democratic Party's presidential nomination. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) (L-R) Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) hold a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Democrats Wont Trade Witnesses in Senate Impeachment Trial Top Senate Democrats said they wouldnt trade witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, arguing the ones they want could actually exonerate the president, pushing back against the notion that theyre Democrat witnesses. Reporters pressed Democrats in Washington before day two of the trial on whether theyd accept an agreement that will allow for one or more witnesses Democrats want to testify in exchange for the testimony of an equal number of witnesses Republicans want to take the stand. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) framed the dismissal of a proposed swap as Republicans wanting illegitimate witnesses while Democrats want legitimate ones. The bottom line is that the witnesses should have something to do with and direct knowledge of charges against the president, we dont need to have witnesses that have nothing to do with this that are trying to distract Americans from the truth, Schumer said in Washington on Wednesday. Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, waits for the start of his fathers debate at Centre College in Danville, Ky., on Oct. 11, 2012. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), asked separately about a witness swap, also shot down the idea. Democrats want former security adviser John Bolton, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former Mulvaney aide Robert Blair, and White House Office of Budget and Management official Michael Duffey to testify. Some Republicans have floated former Vice President Joe Biden, Bidens son Hunter Biden, and the person who filed a complaint against Trump over the July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as witnesses they might push for, but GOP leadership has signaled they could be against calling any witnesses. Right now we havent heard them wanting any witnesses at all, Schumer said. He then posited that the witnesses Democrats want could actually help Trump. We dont know what these witnesses and documents will reveal. They could be exculpatory of the president, they could be incriminating of the president. These are not Democrat witnesses or Democratic documents. We want, as both of my colleagues said, the truth, Schumer said. Republicans voted down 11 amendments proposed by Democrats on Tuesday and early Wednesday, many of which dealt with the matter of witnesses. The trial started back up at 1 p.m. on Wednesday with the issue pushed back until after both sides present opening arguments, senators submit written questions, and each side answer the questions. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said at a press conference later Wednesday that Democrats didnt wait during the House impeachment inquiry for a federal judge to weigh in on questions surrounding executive privilege, which Trump said hed cite in blocking testimony from Bolton. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) arrives for the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Abuse of power, in this case, I think undercuts the ability of the president to literally do his job, Graham said. There is nobody more important to the president than the secretary of state, the national security advisor, and chief of staff. He needs to protect the institutions of the presidency. If Im asked to waive the executive privilege, I will say no, Graham added. The only option is to stop the trial and go to court or have the Senate decide the privilege. Heres what I would tell the future House: If you blow through these privileges because you want to impeach a president before the election, and you come to the Senate and you ask me to destroy the privilege, forget it. Im not going to reward this kind of behavior. Bolton said earlier in January that hes willing to testify in the impeachment trial. Trump said Wednesday that the former national security advisers testimony would be a national security concern. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday hed testify in the trial if he was legally obligated to. If I am legally required to testify, as Ive said before, Ill be happy to do it, Pompeo told reporters while in Jamaica, Reuters reported. Pompeo said he hasnt been following updates on the trial as he tours the Western Hemisphere. Allies of Rebecca Long-Bailey have demanded Sir Keir Starmer pull out of the Labour leadership race to make way for a woman to take over from Jeremy Corbyn. Ian Lavery, the party chairman and a key backer of the shadow business secretary, said Sir Keir should 'stand aside' and 'understand your place'. Mr Lavery also appeared to label Sir Keir a 'wolf in sheep's clothing', questioning the shadow Brexit secretary's socialist credentials. His comments came as Ms Long-Bailey last night declared war on moderate Labour MPs as she said she wanted to introduce open selections for election candidates in a move which would make it easier for hard left activists to oust incumbents. Meanwhile, Lisa Nandy today vowed to 'rock the boat' in the race to replace Mr Corbyn as she said the party can no longer 'play it safe' when it comes to who leads Labour. Ms Nandy, viewed as an outsider in the contest, said Labour has been 'losing over and over again' in the last 15 years because it has been 'simply changing the face at the top'. She said Labour could no longer just 'tinker' with its approach as she called for a major overhaul of the party. However, she risked moderate fury as she said Margaret Thatcher's approach to government 'lasted all the way through' Labour's last period in power. The battle for the party top job is now heating up with Sir Keir, Ms Long-Bailey and Ms Nandy all expected to make it onto the final ballot paper. Sir Keir is already there while Ms Long-Bailey is likely to punch her ticket later this week if she gets the expected backing of the Unite union. Ms Nandy took a massive step towards progressing yesterday as she received the endorsement of the centrist GMB union. The last remaining candidate, Emily Thornberry, is yet to secure any major union backing making it unlikely that she will make it through to the final stage. Last night Rebecca Long-Bailey set out plans which would make it easier for sitting Labour MPs to be deselected Ms Long-Bailey's ally, Ian Lavery, also called for Sir Keir Starmer to pull out of the leadership race to allow a woman to be the next Labour chief Ms Long-Bailey held a campaign event in London last night when her allies attacked Sir Keir and demanded he withdraw from the contest. Mr Lavery reportedly told the event: 'We need a female leader of the Labour Party. 120 years in existence and we still havent had one female leader of this party. 'Stand aside, Keir. Understand your place.' Meanwhile, Mr Lavery also appeared to call Sir Keir a 'wolf in sheep's clothing', according to comments reported by the Huffington Post website. He said: 'Im not going to get into a slagging match with other contestants but beware of Greeks bearing gifts, beware of wolves in sheeps clothing because theyre all saying theyre socialists and theyre all saying I told you so.' Ms Long-Bailey used the event to promise to introduce open selections of MP candidates if she becomes leader. That would make it much easier for sitting MPs who want to seek re-election to be booted out. Ms Long-Bailey said: 'We need to rip up our outdated rule book that has held back our members for too long and throw open the door to a new generation of MPs and candidates. 'Being an MP or elected representative is a privilege that must be earned, and I want to open the discussion now on how our candidates should be selected, how we nurture and bring through talent in our movement, whilst recognising and valuing the experience of sitting MPs.' Ms Long-Bailey has the backing of the current Labour leadership but she dismissed claims that she is the 'continuity Corbyn' in an interview with The Mirror as she said the suggestion was 'disrespectful'. However, her comments risked being undermined after it was claimed that she had given the interview in Mr Corbyn's parliamentary office. The support of GMB yesterday re-energised Ms Nandy's campaign and means she can now look to trying to overhaul the lead of the two front runners ahead of members starting to vote. Today she used a speech to set out her vision for a reformed welfare state and this morning she used an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme to urge activists not to back the 'safe' candidates in the race. She said: 'There is a tendency I think in the Labour Party and in any party when you have had a defeat as shattering as this one to try and play it safe, not to want to rock the boat. 'I think one of the phrases that has been used is that we need to steady the ship. 'But actually we have been doing the same thing for 15 years in the Labour Party and losing over and over again. 'We just simply keep changing the face at the top thinking that will solve all of our problems and it hasn't.' She added: 'We need to go out and recover our ambition. We don't just tinker at the edges of the systems that we have. We need to get on the front foot.' However, Ms Nandy risked angering supporters of the last Labour governments led by Mr Blair and Gordon Brown as she appeared to suggest that they had been influenced by the approach of Ms Thatcher. Lisa Nandy, pictured at a campaign event in London today, said Labour must no longer 'play it safe' on who leads the party Ms Nandy today risked Labour moderate fury after suggesting that Tony Blair's government had been influenced by Margaret Thatcher Asked whether she believed Mr Blair had put 'fiscal rectitude' ahead of people, she said: 'I am not going to trash the legacy of the last Labour government because actually things like the minimum wage were complete game changes in towns like Wigan and the investment that went into health and education was really, really important. 'But it is certainly true to say that the consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years.' She also defended Mr Corbyn's record as leader as she said: 'I don't think he deserves to be trashed for a minute.' To make it onto the final ballot the four remaining candidates must win the nominations of 33 local constituency Labour parties or three Labour affiliates, including at least two trade unions. That means without the backing of one of the major unions, a candidate will likely have to go the much more arduous route of sewing up a raft of endorsements from local parties in order to stand a chance. Candidates who do secure the required support will be put to a ballot of party members between February 21 and April 2. The winner of the contest is due to be announced at a special event on April 4. The CBI has taken over the probe into an attempt to kill a veteran journalist in 1997 and three other fresh cases allegedly involving jailed gangster Chhota Rajan, officials said on Wednesday. Baljeet Shersingh Parmar, a noted crime reporter in Mumbai, was severely injured after motorcycle borne shooters of Rajan allegedly attacked him outside a building at Antop Hill on June 12, 1997, they said. The agency has taken over the Mumbai police FIR in the case filed under IPC sections related to attempt to murder, they said. The agency has registered two more cases of extortion by alleged gang members of Rajan and one case related to issuing threats to life, the officials said. The agency has booked Rajan and his henchmen Guru Satam and Suresh for allegedly demanding Rs 20 lakh as extortion money from businessman Devang Bipin Parikh in 1995, they said. The other case pertains to alleged demand of Rs 25 lakh in 1998 from a man named Ghisulal Jain by Hemant, who is believed to be a member of Rajan gang, they said. The Mumbai police had filed charge sheets in both the cases but Rajan remained absconding, they said. The last case is related to threats issued to the life of builder Shabbir N Patel and his son in 1996, they said. In November last year, the CBI had taken over 10 cases, including those of extortion and murder, in which Rajan was allegedly involved. These cases were registered in a 14-year period since 1992, they said. These cases include killing of trade union leader Datta Samant in 1997 in Mumbai in which Rajan's role is suspected, they said. Rajan was arrested at Bali airport in Indonesia on October 25, 2015, and deported to India. He is an accused in around 70 cases in Maharashtra, including the J Dey murder case in 2011. The Maharashtra government has handed over all these cases to CBI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he did not consider the brain injuries suffered by 11 U.S. service members in Iran's recent attack on a base in Iraq to be serious, as the American military moved more troops out of the region for potential injuries. In a separate statement on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said that more troops had been flown out of Iraq to Germany for medical evaluations following Iran's Jan. 8 missile attack on the base where U.S. forces were stationed after announcing the 11 injuries last week. Further injuries may be identified in the future, it added, without giving further details. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said about a dozen troops were being transported to Germany. Talking down: 'I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report it is not very serious,' Donald Trump said while he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos. 'I've seen people with no legs and no arms.' Aftermath: Iranian missiles caused destruction and left bomb craters at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, one of the main U.S. bases in Iraq Trump and other top officials initially said Iran's attack had not killed or injured any U.S. service members before the Pentagon reversed course on Thursday, saying 11 U.S. troops had been treated for concussion symptoms after the attack on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq. On Wednesday, Trump declined to explain the discrepancy. 'I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report it is not very serious,' Trump told a news conference in Davos, Switzerland. Asked whether he considered traumatic brain injury to be serious, Trump said: 'They told me about it numerous days later. You'd have to ask the Department of Defense.' Pentagon officials have said there had been no effort to minimize or delay information on concussive injuries, but its handling of the injuries following Tehran's attack has renewed questions over the U.S. military's policy regarding how it handles suspected brain injuries. While the U.S. military has to immediately report incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight, it does not have an urgent requirement to do so with suspected traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can take time to manifest and diagnose. 'I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen,' Trump said. 'I've seen people with no legs and no arms.' Various health and medial groups for years have been trying to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, including concussions. Such injury can cause symptoms such as memory problems, headaches, and sensitivity to light. Mood changes and possible links to mental illness are also concerns. Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has said that Ukraine soon expects that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approves the three-year program. "In the near future we expect to get a long-term program from the IMF and we are already reconciling the key conditions," he said in an interview with the Report Company in cooperation with Newsweek. "I'm not sure I can divulge details of the program before it is announced, but my ideas of the contents is that it might contain relief of administrative pressure on the energy markets, hence we can expect a continued liberalization in this field," Honcharuk said. The prime minister said that macroeconomic stability can be provided by the national bank as an independent financial regulator and supporting the independence of this institution could be an important part of the IMF program. "There are also essential elements of the banking sector that can be reconsidered. One of the peculiarities of our sector is that there are too many state-run banks, and good corporate governance is a big issue at these banks. We have to introduce good corporate governance to stop political figures from interfering with the operations of the financial sector through these large state banks," he said. He also said that the illegal enrichment is the important issue. "The law re-criminalizing illicit enrichment has just been adopted, and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention is being relaunched. Another driver of economic reform is land reform, privatization, and the PPP instruments. We might find some points of growth there that may be reflected in the new program," he said. Do you know what no one needs while exploring the San Francisco Zoo on a Sunday morning? Tequila. And yet this past Sunday, there across from the popular Leaping Lemur Cafe, was a bar serving hard liquor cocktails. This seems like a really bad idea. As my grandfather would say, Theres gonna be tears. I stopped to take a photo of the zoos cocktail bar, complete with its bottles of Tequila and whiskey and asked two members of the zoos staff if the bar was always here. Apparently cocktails are only available on select holiday and/or sunny weekends, as was the case on Sunday. Wine and beer, however, are available at the Leaping Lemur Cafe every day. When I snapped my photo, a security guard asked me which cocktail was my favorite. I dont drink, I replied, perhaps too tersely. Im in recovery. Beep, beep. Lets back up for a moment. Just because I dont drink alcohol doesnt mean no one else is allowed to. Booze is a delightful part of our culture when enjoyed responsibly in moderation which I cant do. So cheers to the happy drinkers, I wish I could be one of you. My issue, and it was perhaps inappropriately expressed in my stern response to the security guard, is the frequency with which I find modern-day parenting connected in some way to alcohol. When did drinking become such a wacky, carefree part of child care? Social media is an incredible resource for parenting tips. Its also home to mommy juice culture; oft-shared memes of harried moms day-drinking Chardonnay, and the worrisome hashtag #WineMom. Theres even a brand of wine called Mommys Time Out. A number of the mothers groups Ive joined host lovely Moms Nights Out at local bars. Ive never gone, mainly because I dont want to fork over $60 for a babysitter when Id rather drink La Croix at home while watching the Netflix docuseries Cheer. My mom friends know why I bow out of drinking nights. Its no big deal. But I have sober girlfriends who struggle with their desire to fit in without mommy juice. Sure, a sober mom could just do what I do and be up-front about why we dont drink, but many people in recovery choose to keep that private. And sadly, not everyone embraces sober people with the downright praise we deserve. How can we navigate parenthood, filled with more than a few challenges and triggers, now that drinking has woven its way into the mix? I mean, really theres Tequila at the zoo. Disapproval of the drunken mom trend is nothing new. Numerous studies have shown that binge drinking is on the rise among women. Its unclear whether this increase was buoyed by the #WineMom trend, but the tipsy parenting culture certainly cant help. I simply contend that we not enable trouble by serving booze in the middle of the day at places designed for children. If a permanent public facility contains a playground, a petting zoo or a rideable choo-choo train, it should not sell hard liquor before 5 p.m. (One-off street fairs, festivals and the like are exempt from my commonsense booze rule. Evening and private events are also off the hook.) Softer drinks, like wine and beer, are presumably less problematic. In addition to the San Francisco Zoos offerings, the California Academy of Sciences, the Exploratorium and numerous others offer Pinot Grigio and pale ale right alongside juice boxes and sippy cups of milk. Other than (maybe, possibly) contributing to a culture of buzzed caregivers, there are some practical issues with serving liquor at a facility designed for children. Alcohol is not known to bring out the best in all of us. Theres a reason bars have bouncers. Booze lowers our inhibitions, inhibitions that might keep us from screaming, fighting, crashing cars, improperly monitoring minors, causing general drama, texting ex-partners, and taunting animals (RIP Tatiana). Lets please hold on to our inhibitions when caring for children in a public setting with other children. This is not too much to ask. This is the bare minimum. I suspect the zoo has the very best of intentions in offering drinks to grown-ups. The San Francisco Zoo is a beloved world-class facility and a city treasure. This temporary booze bar is simply an example of a larger trend in which parenthood now comes with a cocktail menu. Theres an expectation that if I need to do something anything with my kid, I expect mommy juice. Well, I expect no such thing. And neither should you. Beth Spotswoods column appears Thursdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com On the first day of the Senate impeachment trial, President Trumps lawyers were caught off-guard and unprepared. White House counsel Pat Cipollone and a crew of several other lawyers for the president arrived for their first day of the trial, apparently expecting things to start off slowly with sleepy arguments over the rules for the trial. Opening arguments were not expected until Wednesday. Cipollone was granted an hour to speak a few minutes after Chief Justice John Roberts entered the Senate chamber and the trial began in earnest. He used only three of those minutes. He spoke in a halting voice and said little of substance, simply asserting that Trump has done absolutely nothing wrong. And then he sat down, yielding the floor to the lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Schiff ambushed Cipollone and Trumps team of lawyers, launching immediately into a passionate, comprehensive and piercing set of arguments about why the House impeached the president in December for withholding $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to pressure its government to announce an investigation into a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Early in what ended up being a 50-minute presentation by Schiff, the mood in the Senate chamber was sedate. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., held up his watch in front of his face, winding it to the correct time. But it quickly became apparent that Schiff was not there merely to argue about the rules; he also intended to take the Senate, and the nation, on a 360-degree tour of the case for impeachment at a moment when public attention was at one of its highest points. Schiff warned the chamber that the assertion by Trumps lawyers that he could not be impeached even if the House were able to prove its case makes him a monarch, the very thing Americas founders wrote the Constitution to prevent against. Our system of checks and balances will be broken. Our presidents will be accountable to no one if the Senate does not conduct a fair trial that hears from witnesses and includes White House documents, Schiff said. Story continues And Schiff appealed to the 53 Republican senators to go against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is aiming to prevent the trial from hearing witness testimony and demanding White House documents until the trial is effectively over. Its completely backwards. Trial first, then evidence, Schiff said. Later he referred to this process as ass-backwards. Rep. Adam Schiff speaks during opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. (Screengrab: Senate TV handout via Yahoo News) He told the Republican senators that their votes Tuesday on whether to grant a request by Democrats to hear from witnesses and to subpoena White House documents at the beginning of the trial rather than toward the end were just as important as their votes on whether Trump is guilty or innocent of the charges brought against him by the House: one for abuse of power, and a second for obstructing Congress. They say Leader McConnell is a very good vote counter. Nonetheless, I hope he is wrong, Schiff said, referring to reports that McConnell had 51 Republican votes to approve rules that put off witnesses and documents until after opening arguments. Schiff asserted that the opening statements are the trial. You have all now sworn an oath, Schiff told the senators. That oath binds you. As Schiff spoke, Republican senators began to fidget. Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, chewed on a pen. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., picked at his right pinkie cuticle. A Senate Republican aide seated next to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., was visibly flushed, his face a brilliant shade of red. He and Laura Dove, a top aide to McConnell, began furiously scribbling notes on their legal pads. Cipollone, who was seated at a table to Schiffs left, facing the Republican senators, flipped through a black binder, while another Trump attorney seated to his left, Jay Sekulow, wrote down notes. By this point, Schiff was making his way through the precedents of impeachment trials throughout American history, drawing on the record of the 1868 Senate trial of President Andrew Johnson, and on the records of impeachment trials of federal judges, to drive home his point that the standard for impeachment trials is to hear from witnesses and to require relevant documentation. The president must not be allowed to mislead you, Schiff told the Senate. The truth will come out. The question is, will it come out now? When Schiff relented, Justice Roberts noted to Cipollone that he had 57 minutes available. The presidents lawyer sent Sekulow, an outside lawyer for Trump who heads the American Center for Law & Justice, up to respond. President Trumps personal attorney Jay Sekulow speaks during opening arguments in the impeachment trial. (Screengrab: U.S. Senate TV/Handout via Reuters) Sekulow spoke with a big, booming voice and immediately began ripping into Schiff, attacking him and the House impeachment inquiry process that Schiff presided over as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. But Sekulows arguments were jumbled, disconnected from one another, and sometimes completely inaccurate, such as his statement that Schiff was arguing that the president cannot claim executive privilege. Sekulow did not actually address most of Schiffs arguments, choosing rather to complain about Democratic animus for Trump and about actions taken by the FBI in investigating the Trump campaign after the 2016 presidential election. As for the actual arguments over impeachment, Sekulow said merely that he and Trumps legal team would make their case in the days ahead. Cipollone then got up and spoke for several minutes, and in contrast to his earlier presentation, he was louder and more bombastic this time, referring to Schiffs arguments repeatedly as ridiculous and slamming the lectern with his right index finger. Its very difficult to sit there and listen to Mr. Schiff, Cipollone said. Its too much to listen to almost. But Cipollone, too, relied more on attacking Schiff and his leadership of the inquiry also with false statements than he did on responding to substantive arguments. Cipollone said not even Mr. Schiffs Republican colleagues were allowed into the impeachment inquiry depositions. This was untrue, since over 100 Republican members of the House were allowed into the depositions. White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaks during impeachment proceedings in the Senate. (Screengrab: Senate TV handout via Yahoo News) So what are we doing here? Cipollone said. He was referring to the trial but could have just as well been referring to himself and his legal team. Schiff responded with a point-by-point rebuttal of Cipollones grab bag of arguments. To the argument that the House should have gone through the courts to obtain documents and witnesses blocked by the White House, Schiff pointed out that Trumps lawyers were arguing in a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn that the House is not entitled to those items through the courts. To the argument that a former White House adviser, Charles Kupperman, has said he cannot speak to Congress because of national security concerns, Schiff pointed out that John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser and Kuppermans former boss, has said there is no need to go to court and that he will testify if called by the Senate. Schiff also suggested to the senators that when Cipollone and Sekulow attacked him, they should ask themselves what Trumps lawyers were trying to distract from, and why dont they have a better argument to make on the merits? Ill tell you why were here, Schiff said, rattling off once again the basic facts of the case against the president. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed an amendment to the rules to subpoena documents from the White House. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who was a congressional staffer during the 1974 congressional impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon, argued for 40 minutes in favor of the amendment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during debate ahead of the reconvening of the impeachment trial. (Photo: U.S. Senate TV/Handout via Reuters) Patrick F. Philbin, a Cipollone deputy in the White House counsels office, spoke for 15 minutes against the amendment. Schiff closed out the first round of skirmishes with under 10 minutes of what were essentially closing arguments. We are ready to call our witnesses. The question is, will you let us? he told the Senate. Dont blind yourself to the evidence, Schiff said. There was a sign, at that moment, that Schiffs forcefulness and litigators skill might not have been enough to offset the partisan view that some Republican senators have of him, due to his prominence on cable TV and in some of the more political skirmishes over the past few years on the House Intelligence Committee. Schiff said, I yield back. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said loud enough to be heard in the press gallery, Thank you, and flashed an irritated look. Graham, the South Carolina Republican and a close ally of Trumps, looked over at Roberts and laughed. Moments later McConnell moved to table, or squash, the Schumer amendment. There was some suspense in the chamber, but there were no surprises. Every Republican senator voted against Schumers proposal, and every Democrat voted for it. A handful of additional votes on subsequent Schumer amendments were expected to play out in a similar fashion into the evening. It was likely that McConnell had proposed the hard-line package that he revealed Monday night as a way of negotiating with the Republican senators who have said they are open to calling witnesses and subpoenaing documents. These Republicans might have been persuaded by Schiffs arguments, but likely had already promised the Republican leader their support after he softened the rules. But Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is one of those moderate Republicans and who is also up for reelection this fall, immediately sent a statement to the press after her vote for McConnells rules package. Sens. Jim Risch and Susan Collins arrive at the Senate for the start of the impeachment trial. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) While I need to hear the case argued and the questions answered, I anticipate that I would conclude that having additional information would be helpful. It is likely that I would support a motion to subpoena witnesses at that point in the trial just as I did in 1999, Collins said. Schiffs rhetoric could not counter McConnells behind-the-scenes maneuvering on the first day of the trial, but the Democratic impeachment manager did his best to lay a foundation for the vote to come, likely next week, on whether to allow witnesses and to subpoena documents in the trial. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: There is disagreement about how many guest rooms the committee booked at the Trump hotel, a figure that hotels often use to determine whether to offer discounted meeting space. Racines staff said they determined the committee booked up to 80 percent of the rooms the week of the inaugural. Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten said that the committee paid for 5 or 6 percent of the hotels rooms at most. Not only was there never any room block but in the end the PIC was only responsible for a nominal number of rooms, he said. Neither side provided evidence to support their claims. A teenager is in a critical condition after being stabbed in west London during a suspected knife fight. The victim, aged 19, was found injured in Eastcote on Tuesday at 11pm. Met Police confirmed they were called to reports of a fight in Field End Road, Pinner, on the borders of Hillingdon and Harrow. A spokesman added: Officers attended along with LAS and found a 19-year-old man suffering stab injuries. The man has been taken to hospital where his condition is critical but stable officers await a further assessment. Detectives have launched an investigation and officers have not made any arrests. WASHINGTON - Americans are sharply divided along party lines about whether President Donald Trump should be removed from office, and they doubt the Senate impeachment trial will do anything to change their minds, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, the public is slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not, 45% to 40%. But a sizable percentage, 14%, say they dont know enough to have an opinion. Americans on both sides of the debate say they feel strongly about their positions, and three-quarters say its not very likely or not at all likely that the trial will introduce new information that would change their minds. Linda Valenzuela, 46, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, leans Democrat and said she is certain that Trump acted unlawfully in pressuring Ukraines leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to investigate activities by former Vice-President Joe Biden, a Trump political rival, and his son Hunter in the Eastern European nation. But Valenzuela also said that it is not at all likely that she will hear anything from Trumps defence team during the trial that would change her mind about the president. I know what he did was not legal, she said. Similarly, Jackie Perry, 59, a Republican from Carrollton, Georgia, said that she was certain that Trump had acted within the law. She said she could not envision her position on Trump changing because of evidence or testimony presented in the trial. Perry, who cast her first-ever ballot in the presidential election in 2016 for Trump, said her opinion of the president is shaped by how hes handled the economy. The national unemployment rate is 3.5% and has been hovering near a 50-year-low for months. This is a person who has helped our country, I think, more than any president has, Perry said. Hes done so much for us. Our economy is flourishing again for the first time in many years. There are help wanted signs everywhere you go now. Our country is getting back up again. That to me is the important thing. About 8 in 10 Republicans think the Senate should not convict and remove Trump from office, compared with roughly the same share of Democrats who say Trump should be convicted and removed. Overall, confidence in the Senate to conduct a fair trial of the president is limited, though Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say it will be a fair trial. A slim majority of Republicans think Trump has done nothing wrong in his interactions with Ukraines president, though that share has declined slightly from an AP-NORC poll in October 64% then compared with 54% now. Roughly another third now think Trump did something unethical but not illegal, while just about 1 in 10 thinks he did something illegal. By comparison, roughly three-quarters of Democrats say Trump did something illegal in his interactions with Zelenskiy Democrats brought articles of impeachment against Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for actions related to his decision to temporarily withhold nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine last year. Democrats contend that move was made to push Zelenskiy to target Hunter Biden for criminal investigation. The younger Biden had served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Officials in Ukraine have said they have found no wrongdoing in Hunter Bidens service on the board. To Chester Trahan, Trump has used the United States governments mechanism for his own personal benefit as opposed to benefit of the United States of America. The 80-year-old Democrat from Palm Coast, Florida, added: He has more or less blackmailed an ally to get something he wants. Trumps approval rating has remained within the narrow range it has consistently occupied throughout his presidency. The new poll shows 41% approve of his performance, similar to what it was in December and throughout the fall. About half of Americans think Trumps administration is co-operating too little with the trial, while about 4 in 10 think the level of co-operation is about right. Everything that the Democrats have done has been without basis or merit, said Robert Feller, 67, a Republican from Millville, New Jersey. He said he approves of the level of co-operation offered by the administration. Democrats are on a fishing expedition, he said. It feels like they started with a guilty verdict and are in search of a crime. One question theres widespread agreement on: Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About 7 in 10 said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats. Trump repeated Wednesday that he would like to have his top advisers testify, but said it could create national security concerns. Jay Sekulow, a Trump personal attorney serving on his impeachment team, argues that Trumps communications with his advisers are privileged information. The administration is not co-operating at all, said Andrew Collins, 31, Democratic-leaning resident of Gainesville, Florida. He said Trump should be mandated have his aides appear as witnesses. What kind of world do we live in that we cant hear from witnesses to a crime? Perry, the Republican Trump supporter from Georgia, said she, too, thought that top advisers should testify but for a different reason: They hold the keys to exonerating the president. The people who are close to him, work with him on a daily basis, they know what hes about and what hes trying to do for the country, Perry said. I do think they should be able to testify. Theyll get up there and say he did nothing wrong. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,353 adults was conducted Jan. 16-21 using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods and later were interviewed online or by phone. ___ Online: Poll results: http://apnorc.org/projects/Pages/The-Trump-Impeachment-Trial.aspx ___ This story has been corrected to change the spelling of Las Cruses, New Mexico, to Las Cruces, New Mexico Caprice Bourret and Hamish Gaman during the Dancing On Ice 2019 photocall at ITV Studios on December 09, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage) Caprice Bourret has spoken about her new Dancing On Ice partner, Oscar Peters, for the first time since switching skaters after "parting ways" from Hamish Gaman. A fan reached out to Bourret, 48, on Twitter to ask about the identity of her new skating partner, with the model singing his praises in her response. She answered: "Oscar Peters he is amazing." Read more: Angelina Jolie branded a 'horrible b****' by Caprice Bourret Oscar Peters he is amazing Caprice Bourret (@CapriceBourret_) January 21, 2020 The mother-of-two also assured another fan she would "absolutely" be back for the upcoming episode of the programme on Sunday 26 February and told another so was "so excited". Cant wait to meet u xxx https://t.co/b7bNdwNmkk Caprice Bourret (@CapriceBourret_) January 22, 2020 The news of her split from skater Gaman was revealed on Sunday night's instalment of the show. Unfortunately, Caprice and Hamish have parted ways and will not be skating this week, divulged presenter Holly Willoughby. As you saw in our opening number, Hamish remains one of the members of our professional team and we hope to have Caprice back on the ice next week. Bourret later liked tweets from fans who expressed their concern. Caprice Bourret attends the Dancing On Ice 2019 photocall at the Dancing On Ice Studio, ITV Studios, Old Bovingdon Airfield on December 09, 2019 in Bovingdon, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) However, the reason behind their uncoupling has not yet been revealed by any party. The programme confirmed on Monday that Bourret would be returning to the ice as a spokesperson shared on Monday: "Were pleased to say that Caprice is back on the ice today in training and very much working towards returning to the show on Sunday night." Two celebrities have been voted off the competition so far, with Lucrezia Millarini being the latest to go after Trisha Goddard became the first evictee. Michael Barrymore never even made it onto the live shows, as an injury saw him forced to pull out of the contest before it began. Ever since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their exit from the royal family, the hot glare of the media they tried to escape in the U.K. has continued to burn brightly, even on Canada's west coast. Monday evening, SkyNews published video of Harry, decked in a puffer jacket and tuque, deplaning from a West Jet plane on the Victoria airport tarmac. Photographs of Meghan's life on the island taking a seaplane to Vancouver, going to a yoga class, picking up a friend from the airport have all been published. On Tuesday, media outlets like the Guardian said the couple had issued "a stern warning" against photographers in Canada after "unauthorized" pictures of Meghan walking with eight-month-old Archie in a park with the family's two dogs were published in a number of British tabloids. The couple, who have long had a difficult relationship with the tabloid press, are involved in a number of lawsuits with U.K. tabloids over invasion of privacy but their latest Canadian warning could mean a test for this country's privacy laws. Privacy is governed by both federal and provincial statutes in Canada, explains privacy lawyer David Fraser, who works for the firm McInnes Cooper, and runs the Canadian Privacy Law Blog. Dan Istitene - Pool/Getty Images Most Canadian privacy law is similar to U.K. law, he says, but what is different in British Columbia is the implementation of the provincial Privacy Act. In B.C., the Privacy Act is what allows individuals to sue other people for invasions of privacy where they had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The act also says privacy may be violated by eavesdropping or surveillance, whether or not accomplished by physical trespass. "So, the act of the paparazzi of continually following around a person in this case the duchess probably could be surveillance for the purposes of this act, which could lead to a lawsuit," Fraser explained. A successful lawsuit wouldn't bring substantial monetary damages, he says, but could grant the privacy-seeking couple something more important an injunction against that kind of repeat surveillance from photographers. Story continues The major caveat, however, is that the law hasn't really been tested with these types of "celebrity" cases. "It's all relatively untested when it comes to these sorts of circumstances [because] we don't have in Canada the same sort of paparazzi culture," Fraser said. "Most of the cases that we've seen under this statute ... principally relate to voyeurism, to a landlord putting a hidden camera in an apartment [or] harassment and things like that." James Glossop/Reuters/Pool As Vancouver Island continues to bear the gaze of the international tabloid press, Fraser says pure economics rather than the law might be the blunt instrument of choice that eventually wins the young family their peace. "If you're a freelance paparazzi photographer in Los Angeles or Monaco or London, that's a pretty target rich environment," Fraser said. "On Vancouver Island, there will be one or two celebrities and one baby that you'll be looking to try to earn your living from." Separately, an inmate was found dead in his cell on Saturday night, officials said, in an apparent suicide. The inmate was being held in Unit 29, a section that officials have been trying to clear because it has fallen into disrepair. The turmoil at Parchman and in other state prisons across Mississippi has become one of the most pressing issues confronting Gov. Tate Reeves, who took office last week. On Tuesday, he wrote on Twitter that there was much more to be done here. Mr. Reeves has formed a search committee to find a new commissioner for the Department of Corrections, an agency gripped by crisis over the deteriorating state of its facilities and its struggle to hire corrections officers who are willing to work in dangerous environments for low pay. All the prisons across Mississippi were locked down after the explosion of gang violence, but Parchman is the only facility still under those restrictions. While gangs have driven the unrest, activists and inmates have said that a severely underfunded and understaffed prison system has been a contributing factor. In a letter calling for a federal investigation, a collection of civil rights groups and elected officials detailed a long record of violence, escapes, uprisings and inadequate health care, as well as extreme staff vacancies that have allowed the facilities to become a breeding ground for chaos. The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, declared that the recently launched Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun, has come to stay. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that governors from the six states in the South West region; Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) had, two weeks ago, launched the new security outfit with a motive to complement the efforts of the existing security agencies in the country. Since the launch, several opinions have been expressed by individuals, groups and organisations on the rationale and legality of the new security outfit. While some, especially, groups and organisations within the South West geo-political zone, say that the establishment of the new security outfit is a good development, which will put a stop to the insecurity situation in the region, others, especially those outside the region are of the opinion that the new security outfit is targeted at certain groups and individuals. Last week, the federal government declared the regional security outfit illegal. Mr Makinde who was the host during the launch of the new security outfit in Ibadan, in his expression said that the new security outfit has come to stay. While addressing some groups under the umbrella of Yoruba Worldwide Congress (YWC) who protested in support of the new security outfit on Tuesday, Mr Makinde added that the new security outfit was targeted at complementing the effort of the existing security agencies and not targeted against some individuals as erroneously circulated. The governor, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka, insisted that the demonstrations will show further commitment to this idea. He maintained that nothing is going to change and that the idea has definitely come to stay. He said that it is a fact that the police cannot be everywhere, hence there is a need for the new security outfit to stand. Mr Makinde said, The idea of Amotekun is one that has come to stay. It is not one that is supposed to rival either the police or other security apparatus which are national in nature. All were trying to do is to complement their efforts. Its a fact that the police cannot be everywhere, they cannot be in all the nooks and crannies of this state, but, we know that the national security apparatus is well stretched so were only trying to complement. But, it is an idea that has come to stay because we have security challenges in this part of the world and in order that we can address them and complement the efforts of the police, this is an idea that has come to stay. I am sure the commitment that the governors have demonstrated is just the beginning. The demonstrations will demonstrate further commitment to this idea. So, people can buff and puff, nothing is going to change, the idea has definitely come to stay. At the end of December 2019, Switzerlands then-president Ueli Maurer described Facebooks Libra coin as a failure, saying that the digital currency wouldnt have a chance at success in its current form. However, an internal memo shared with Bloomberg shows that the Swiss government has now indicated that it would be open to working with Facebook to approve the Libra cryptocurrency. The Swiss Confederation, led by Simonetta Sommaruga since the start of 2020, has noted that it remains open to projects which seek to reduce the costs of cross-border payments and increase financial inclusion. Maurer had previously painted a bleak outlook for Libras future in the Alpine nation, claiming that the project had failed in its current form and explaining that regulators and central banks would never accept the basket of currencies backing the digital currency. It now seems that these sentiments may have been the personal thoughts of Maurer rather than the wider Swiss government as regulators look for new ways to work with the tech giant. Facebook Global Holdings had chosen Switzerland as a base for its Libra Network operations, registering the project as a blockchain payments firm in Geneva last May. The project, which could potentially become the largest borderless payments system in the world by virtue of Facebooks colossal user base, may generate significant employment and commerce opportunities in Geneva. Bloomberg reported yesterday that despite a fresh look at Libras regulatory status, Facebook officials could not say for certain that the digital currency would be launching in 2020, with regulators still largely undecided on the digital currencys fate. Regulatory concerns Libra has faced significant regulatory roadblocks since its inception, drawing the ire of lawmakers, bankers, and governments worldwide many of whom believe that the project will undermine national monetary sovereignty. Story continues In October, Russian IT minister Dmitry Peskov indicated that Russia would look to ban Facebooks Libra and Calibra ecosystem if lawmakers in the US also moved to outlaw the currency. Similarly, former Peoples Bank of China governor Zhao Xiaochuan has stated that Libra should be regulated and controlled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make it work in consumers best interests. Representatives from the European Central Bank (ECB) have been equally sceptical of Libra, with one executive calling the project beguiling but treacherous and urging Europeans to stick with traditional established payment solutions. You can read more about Libras progress and regulation here. The post Swiss regulators indicate that Libra could eventually gain approval appeared first on Coin Rivet. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 22:11:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, talks with medical workers at the Qinghai Red Cross Hospital in Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 21, 2020. Li made an inspection tour in northwest China's Qinghai Province from Tuesday to Wednesday. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) XINING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed solving problems facing people's livelihood through development, and continuously improving the living standards of people of all ethnic groups. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour in northwest China's Qinghai Province from Tuesday to Wednesday. In his visit to a market in Xining, the provincial capital, Li said measures should be taken to guarantee the supply of food, especially beef, pork and lamb, and stabilize prices during the upcoming Spring Festival. In a village inhabited by Han and Tibetan people, Li checked their living conditions and sent his festival greetings. He said the western region should promote a new type of urbanization and give full play to the leading role of major cities, so as to provide more job opportunities for the farmers and lift them out of poverty. When checking the site of a road collapse accident that had previously occurred in Xining, Li urged local authorities to carefully check and rectify the hidden dangers of public facilities, and ensure the quality of new projects. Regarding the control of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), all localities should further improve and implement detailed prevention measures in time, said the premier while visiting Qinghai Red Cross Hospital. Medical personnel should try their best to treat patients and contain the epidemic, and take precautions themselves, Li urged. During his visit to an old residential community, Li said progress had been made in improving housing conditions thanks to the large-scale shantytown renovation in the past few years. He called for cooperative efforts between government and residents to improve the renovation of old residential communities and enrich public services including elderly care, medical treatment, catering and cleaning to enhance people's livelihood, especially for elderly people and children. When visiting a restaurant, he urged more efforts to guarantee food safety. Li applauded the achievements Qinghai has made in economic growth in recent years and called for new progress. Anglers and conservationists who have been worried about the arrival of invasive silver carp in Alabama waters just got a wakeup call. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources has confirmed that a fish that jumped into Dustin Hinkles boat on Lake Chickamauga in October is one of these dreaded critters, known for reproducing in the millions and making some waterways risky for boaters due to their jumping behavior. Chickamauga is two lakes upstream from Guntersville and other TVA lakes in Alabama, which likely means the fish or their forebearers passed through Alabama waters and that lots of them could still be there. silver carp are so abundant in Kentucky Lake, downstream of Pickwick, that theyve reportedly decimated the bass population there, and some have already been reported in Pickwick. Hinkle said the invasive fish jumped into the boat as I deployed my trolling motor. Hinkle encountered the fish near the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, and stated he saw 15-20 more fish near the surface exhibiting a feeding behavior. No additional reports have been made since this occurrence. said Cole Harty, TWRAs aquatic nuisance species coordinator. This is an excellent reminder to report carp sightings from East Tennessee, where carp are not already known to be established. We encourage anyone reporting to include photos, location information, and if possible keep a fish frozen to share with TWRA. It is likely that these fish traveled up the Tennessee River through navigation locks, ultimately finding their way to Chickamauga Lake. TWRA has been working with multiple partners to limit the spread and impact of invasive Asian carp in Tennessee, said Frank Fiss, TWRA Fisheries Chief. This new observation demonstrates the urgency of the issue. Other than becoming flying missiles that sometimes smack boaters, the carp are considered a threat to gamefish populations because they vacuum up all the algae and plankton in a lake as they reach critical mass, starving outpopulations of smaller baitfish like gizzard shad and thus reducing the food supply for bass and other gamefish. Fry-sized gamefish also rely on zooplankton for their food and can be wiped out by dense concentrations of carp, according to biologists with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The carp quickly become too large for bass to eat, reaching more than 50 pounds and living 20 years. Because of the threat, Alabama has joined forces with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to work collectively on mitigating the spread of silver carp. A multiple-state group called the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resources Association has been formed by the 28 states in the Mississippi basin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and two Native American tribes are also members of the coalition. With federal funding, Tennessee Tech was tasked with monitoring numerous lakes, including Pickwick, for silver carp. One of the goals is to catch silver carp and insert sonic tags to allow the tracking of the fish movements. A few years ago Tennessee Tech researchers netting in Bear Creek on Pickwick made a disturbing discovery. In the six net-sets, 75 silver carp were caught, according to Alabama DCNR Fisheries Division Chief Nick Nichols. Several different methods are being evaluated in deterring the migration of silver carp, Nichols said, including electronic barriers and large hydrophones to scare the fish away from the locks. Although these methods are experimental, Nichols hopes the sonic devices will be installed below Barkley Dam and Pickwick Dam in the next couple of years. Nichols said it may be up to Mother Nature to limit the spread of silver carp, which require tributary systems to successfully spawn. Meantime, anglers on Alabamas TVA lakes should keep their eyes open for flying fish. Video of leaping carp in Mississippi River: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a meeting with Tonga Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva (not in picture) on October 26, 2018 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Noble - Pool/Getty Images) Royals apart: Meghan and Harry have said they are stepping back from front-line royal duties and claim they want to be financially independent. Photo: Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are likely to be highly sought after once they step down from royal duties (Yui Mok/PA Wire PA) Harry, Meghan and baby Archie, soon before the pressures on the couple apparently began to take a toll (Toby Melville/PA) Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have issued a warning over harassment by paparazzi photographers after stepping down from their royal duties to start a new life in Canada, a royal source said today. The warning came after the media published images of Meghan taking a stroll through a park in Canada. They have been used by several outlets. "The Sussexes' legal team have issued a legal notice to UK press, TV and photo agencies, concerning the use of paparazzi agency photos," the royal source said, referring to the couple by their title as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harry said last year he felt his wife had faced "bullying" from some tabloids similar to that faced by his mother Princess Diana who died in a 1997 car crash while trying to escape paparazzi photographers. The couple accepted substantial damages and an apology from a news agency last year after it took aerial photographs of their home in the Cotswolds, southern England, forcing them to move out. Earlier on Tuesday, Harry was shown arriving on Vancouver Island, days after reaching an arrangement with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth and other senior royals that will see him and Meghan quit their royal roles to seek an independent future. Read More Buckingham Palace confirmed on Saturday that Harry and Meghan would no longer be working members of the royal family. They would not use their "Royal Highness" titles and would pay their own way in life, freeing them to forge a new future in Canada and the United States. Harry has admitted he had not wanted to step away entirely from his royal life and his military appointments, but said there was no other option. "It brings me great sadness that it has come to this, he said on Sunday. American actress Meghan returned to Canada on January 10 to be reunited with their baby son Archie, and Harry flew out late on Monday to join her. Expand Close Harry, Meghan and baby Archie, soon before the pressures on the couple apparently began to take a toll (Toby Melville/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harry, Meghan and baby Archie, soon before the pressures on the couple apparently began to take a toll (Toby Melville/PA) Video of the Day The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the couple's formal title which they will continue to use, spent six weeks in Canada at the end of last year before returning to Britain. They publicly announced earlier this month by publicly announcing they wanted more independence, leaving other senior royals feeling hurt and disappointed, royal sources have said. The new arrangement, agreed following a summit held by the queen at her Sandringham estate in eastern England and attended by Harry's father and heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and elder brother Prince William, will come into effect this spring. Harry is expected to carry out some official engagements before then, although it is not clear whether Meghan will be involved. She was pictured in the Sun newspaper on Tuesday, walking her dogs in a park on Vancouver Island close to where the couple have been staying in a secluded house. Read More In their new life, the couple will no longer receive public money and will repay the cost of refurbishing their British home in Windsor, which official figures show amounted to 2.4 million. But certain details, such as whether the couple could continue to use the "Sussex Royal" title for their website and branding and their future security arrangements, have either not been finalised or publicly revealed. Asked about who would pay for their protection, Britain's justice minister Robert Buckland said there was an issue about how public money was spent. "Quite clearly there have already been arrangements made about how that family are going to live and how they are going to be able to get private income but there clearly has to be a line of delineation," he told Sky News. "I think we all want a family like that to be safe, but at the same time I think what really needs to happen is they need to understand how their lifestyle is to adapt and what their needs might be." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday that talks about the couples security costs were continuing. Any appearance of a person mentoring the head of state might cause diarchy and that would be a disaster for the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with university students on Wednesday, TASS reports. A MGIMO student, who took part in the meeting, asked Putin about prospects after 2024, the year when his presidential term expires. She proposed using the experience of, for example, Singapore, which introduced the position of Minister Mentor (taken on by Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew). For his part, Putin pointed out that Lee Kuan Yew was a mentor in the government of his son, Lee Hsien Loon. "He was father of the incumbent [prime minister], so the succession was direct," the president said praising Lee Kuan Yew as a prominent politician who "created the country." "Do you want me to be a mentor?" Putin asked and then remarked that it would undermine the institution of presidency. "Once any institution emerges above president, it will mean nothing else but diarchy. It is an absolutely disastrous situation for a country like Russia," the president concluded. Speaking about the possibility of a parliamentary form of government in Russia, when the winning party will appoint prime minister whose terms in office will not be limited, Putin said that "it is inappropriate for Russia." "We do not have political parties which have existed for more than a hundred years, like in European countries. However, it is a mandatory condition [for a parliamentary republic]," the president said underscoring that problems crop up even in Europe, as "they are unable to form government for more than six months," Putin said referring to Belgium as an example. Putin stated that Russia "unconditionally must be a strong presidential republic." "We have so many ethnic groups and so many different ways of life. It is next to impossible to integrate them all within the framework of a parliamentary republic," the president said. Between now and the end of March there will be approximately three million lambs born in Ireland. A significant number of those will take their first, tentative steps on Wexford soil courtesy of the some 96,000 ewes in the county. And a smaller, but no less significant, amount may not be born at all, dying in the womb because someone forget to lock up their dog at night. Pat Murray, is the Wexford representative on the IFA's (Irish Farmer's Association) Sheep Committee, and he estimates that 20 dog attacks occur throughout the county each year. That might not seem like a lot, but some of the more severe attacks can have devastating consequences for the farmers involved. One such Enniscorthy farmer, who preferred not to be named, lost 68 sheep during an attack last year, an incident which cost him, in financial terms, 8,000, but an intangible amount in terms of stress and worry. Expand Close An injured sheep after the attack in Enniscorthy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An injured sheep after the attack in Enniscorthy 'The two dogs entered the shed shortly after 9 a.m. on the day. I discovered them that evening, sometime after 5 p.m. As a result of the attack 68 sheep were slaughtered or had to be humanely put down,' he says. 'When I came into the shed and saw what had happened my initial reaction was one of disbelief, I just couldn't believe what I was looking at.' Although he tries to downplay the emotional impact of the attack, the farmer admits it left him 'distressed', the shock of seeing his animals massacred having a longterm impact. 'I'm paranoid about it happening again, I've been putting more cameras in the shed but I don't have WiFi there so have to top them up with credit to make sure they're always on.' Then there's the financial cost. Although insured against dog attacks the scale of the attack meant the Enniscorthy man was left out of pocket to the tune of 8,000. And this was just one of several attacks he has endured in recent years, each with a common denominator. 'People don't realise that once a dog gets a taste for blood it doesn't matter if they're a doberman or a terrier. I've had several dog attacks over the years but this was the worst one and in each case there was always a husky involved.' 'This attack involved a husky and a doberman but the doberman didn't do a tenth of the damage the husky did. Those dogs are bred to kill and they're not even on the dangerous dog list.' For Pat, the emphasis is on ensuring dog-owners act responsibly, regardless of the breed. 'It's about responsible dog ownership, making sure to have them on a lead at all times. There's plenty of dangerous dogs out there, and for any dog their immediate instinct is to run after a sheep. 'People don't realise the damage that can be done, and the implications, some of it which isn't always seen. At this time of the year the ewes can end up aborting after the attack, through the stress, the physical toll, of having to run away.' Working in tandem with the Dog Warden, Pat is striving to educate the public on the danger their dogs present to farmers. 'We're trying to be proacive, urging people to keep their dogs locked up a night. Even if you leave them out for half and hour they can go and do damage, and there's more attacks in the darker evenings,' Pat says. Currently dog owners can be fined up to 200 for not controlling their animals, a figure which Pat would like to see increased. 'The law needs to be tightened up, and stronger fines should be introduced. The databases for dogs need to be linked too, there's currently four of them and we need to have just one' With a current flock of between 500-600 sheep and lambing season in full swing, then Enniscorthy farmer believes harsher penalties need to be introduced to help protect not just his animals but also his livelihood. 'The guards need to have more severe fines for people who don't have licenses for their dogs, and they need to police rural areas more. There's still dogs loose around here, although they haven't done anything yet,' he says. And with last year's attack still fresh in his memory the farmer says he wouldn't hesitate to act if faced with a similar situation. 'I have the right to shoot a dog. Would I? If I seen him attacking one of my sheep I would.' A United Nations investigation to be released Wednesday will report that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's cellphone was hacked in 2018 after he got a WhatsApp message that came from an account purportedly belonging to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a person with direct knowledge of the report. The report is expected to detail a forensic investigation into long-standing allegations by Bezos, the world's richest man, that the Saudi launched a cyberattack on him as part of a complex series of conflicts among Bezos, the Saudis, President Donald Trump and the National Enquirer tabloid. A U.N. official, special rapporteur David Kaye, says in a new documentary film that Bezos's phone was infected with malware that was delivered via a message from Mohammed. Soon after the message was sent, investigators concluded, a massive amount of data was extracted from Bezos's phone. The Guardian newspaper, which first reported Mohammed's alleged involvement Tuesday, said Bezos and the prince, often referred to as MBS, were engaged in a friendly chat on WhatsApp on May 1, 2018, when Mohammed sent Bezos an apparently infected video file. Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, has alleged through his security consultant, Gavin de Becker, that the Saudi government had "access to Bezos's phone, and gained private information." De Becker has written that the Saudis were "intent on harming Jeff Bezos since . . . the Post began its relentless coverage" of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Post contributing columnist, in October 2018. After Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul, Bezos became the target of waves of criticism from Saudi-based online trolls. But the alleged hacking of Bezos's phone took place five months earlier. A spokesman for Bezos, Jay Carney, declined to comment. Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and one of the authors of the forthcoming report, declined to comment Tuesday evening and said she will issue detailed findings Wednesday morning. It was unclear Tuesday whether the United Nations conducted its own forensic investigation or relied on work done by a consultant hired by Bezos or someone else. De Becker wrote last year that "our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone." The Saudi Embassy in Washington denied the report. "Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd," the embassy tweeted. A Palestinian researcher who lives in Norway and focuses on the Saudi government's use of online propaganda, Iyad el-Baghdadi, said on Twitter that the hacking of Bezos's phone "came directly from MBS's personal phone, a few days after [the prince and Bezos] exchanged numbers." Baghdadi said he assisted de Becker and Bezos in their investigation of alleged Saudi attacks on the billionaire. In addition, a new documentary film titled "The Dissident," which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, reports that the video file Mohammed sent to Bezos probably contained Pegasus, a hacking program that lets users surreptitiously extract past and future data from a phone after the target clicks on a link. The film reports that the two men had been discussing a plan for Amazon to build data centers in Saudi Arabia. Relations between Bezos and the Saudi government seemed to go from promising to poisoned over the past two years. After Trump picked Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip as president, and Mohammed visited the United States in early 2018, Bezos's company continued its efforts to make a $1 billion deal to build three data centers for Amazon Web Services in the desert kingdom - a project that seemed to dovetail with the prince's desire to expand his country's participation in the global economy. Bezos and Mohammed exchanged phone numbers at a dinner in Los Angeles during the prince's trip to the United States, according to The Financial Times. Amazon Web Services, which dominates the cloud-computing industry, is the most profitable part of Bezos's colossal business empire. But a far smaller piece of Bezos's business interests, The Post, proved to be what the billionaire later called "a complexifier" in his relationship with the Saudis. The Post's editorial department, which runs the opinion side of the newsroom, gave Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who had fled to the United States, a contract to write columns. After Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, a wave of anti-Bezos tweets originating in Saudi Arabia appeared, criticized Amazon and The Post. A Saudi court last month sentenced five people to death for the assassination, but Callamard says in the documentary that the sentencing has allowed the plot's masterminds, whom she believes to include Mohammed and his senior advisers, to avoid censure. In January 2019, the National Enquirer, a longtime defender of Trump, published a cover story exposing an extramarital affair between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a pilot and former TV host. On the occasion of Mohammed's visit to the United States, the Enquirer's parent company published a glossy magazine titled "The New Kingdom" extolling the prince's reign as a golden era. Immediately after the article was published, Saudi accounts launched Twitter attacks on Bezos. "Jeff Bezos has incited against Saudi Arabia and its leadership for weeks via his Washington Post, and now has been struck by a marital infidelity scandal that will cost him half his fortune in the divorce," a typical tweet said. "Whoever earns Saudi Arabia's enmity will be broken, disparaged, and ended by God." Bezos did not deny the affair but wrote an online essay in which he said he was investigating how the Enquirer had obtained his texts with his girlfriend. "Certain powerful people who experience Washington Post news coverage will wrongly conclude I am their enemy," Bezos wrote. Baghdadi, the Internet researcher, concluded in a report for Twitter that a top-ranking Saudi official set the narrative for tweet attacks on the government's critics and communicated it to paid influencers, many of whom controlled dozens of Twitter accounts. Meanwhile, Trump stepped up his criticism of Bezos, Amazon and The Post, tweeting that he would take "a very strong look" at Amazon Web Services' efforts to win a Defense Department cloud computing contract. The $10 billion contract was awarded to Microsoft in October. Amazon filed a legal complaint last month, saying it lost the contract because Trump applied "improper pressure" against Amazon. - - - The Washington Post's Jonathan O'Connell, Jay Greene and Shane Harris contributed to this report. She's been sharing behind-the-scenes snaps from her recent photoshoot with her social media fans over the past week. And Lauren Goodger took things up a notch as she put on a daring display from five-star hotel Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane on Wednesday morning. The former TOWIE star, 33, sent temperatures soaring as she slipped into barely-there lingerie, which highlighted her famously curvaceous physique. She's not shy! Lauren Goodger took things up a notch as she put on a daring display from five-star hotel Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane on Wednesday morning Oozing sex appeal, the media personality looked sensational in a black lace bodysuit, designed with a thong and cut-out detailing along the bodice. The Celebs Go Dating star went barefoot as she posed a storm in her walk-in wardrobe, boasting an uncharacteristically neutral-toned make-up look and lightly-curled locks. Sharing the identical image on Instagram, she penned the powerful message: 'Never be afraid to do things that make you feel free.' Lauren has so far had a healthy 2020 after insisting her recent hospitalisation was not the result of excessive alcohol consumption. Going nude: The former TOWIE star, 33, has been sharing behind-the-scenes snaps from her recent photoshoot with her social media fans over the past week The speculation was sparked when the TV star first shared the news she was suffering a horrendous hangover, saying she 'feels like I'm dying.' The reality star then uploaded a selfie of herself with wires attached in the back on an ambulance. Alongside the image, she penned: 'Under a lot of stress lately, had paramedics at mine now on way to hospital.. really not good way lately... I need a break' [sic]... She also shared a clip of her knees trembling beneath a hospital blanket, with Lauren adding that she 'can't stop shaking'. Back to the grind: The media personality has so far had a healthy 2020 after insisting her recent hospitalisation was not the result of alcohol consumption (pictured last week) 'Feel like I'm dying': The speculation was sparked when the TV star first shared the news she was suffering a horrendous hangover, saying she 'feels like I'm dying' (pictured last year) Concerned: She uploaded a snap from within an ambulance as she stated she was forced to call paramedics to her home Lauren was clearly worried for her health, yet she still managed to keep her fans updated with glamorous snaps from her hospital bed. The reality star seemed keen to shirk any such belief with an impassioned post. She wrote: 'Just want to say thank you for the love and the DMs... I've took a few days out and when I'm ready to talk I'll explain all... 'For those who was saying I've gone to hospital for a hangover you need [to] seriously shut up and think before you type... Because I've had many hangovers and also panic attacks before... 'If it wasn't serious the paramedics wouldn't of took me from home to hospital and it's not often I ask for help... But anyway I do see the love and support and all I can say is I will turn this all into something to make you proud.' By Rasana Gasimova Gas exports from Shah Deniz, Azerbaijans largest gas field that takes Caspian gas resources to European markets, have increased. The country exported 10 billion 417.8 million cubic meters of gas from the Shah Deniz field in 2019. This figure is 24.2 percent higher than that of 2018, local media reported referring to the State Statistical Committee. It was noted that the share of gas exports from the Shah Deniz field accounted for 37.9 percent of all gas transported through gas pipelines in 2019. Azerbaijans gas pipelines transported 27 billion 512.7 million cubic meters of gas in 2019, which indicates a 17.1 percent increase compared to 2018. In 2018, the export of Azerbaijani gas from Shah Deniz amounted to 8 billion 386.9 million cubic meters. Shah Deniz gas field is the largest natural gas field in Azerbaijan. It is situated in the South Caspian Sea, off the coast of Azerbaijan, approximately 70 kilometers (43 mi) southeast of Baku, at a depth of 600 metres (2,000 ft). The field covers approximately 860 square kilometers (330 sq mi). Stretching out over 140 square kilometers, the reservoir is similar in size and shape to Manhattan Island. The Shah Deniz field is operated by BP which has a share of 28.8 percent. Other partners include TPAO - 19 percent, SOCAR - 16.7 percent, Petronas - 15.5 percent, Lukoil - 10 percent and NIOC - 10 percent. Currently, gas production from the Shah Deniz field is carried out from the Alfa platform as part of Stage 1 and from the Bravo platform as part of Stage 2. Shah Deniz Stage 2 is a giant project that will add a further 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year to the approximately 10 billion cubic meters per year produced by Shah Deniz Stage 1. The discovery of the giant Shah Deniz field and the successful implementation of the project made Azerbaijan a country that can export a large amount of natural gas to the world. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A transgender tank driver wept as she begged the South Korean army to overturn its decision to discharge her after surgery to become a woman. Staff Sergeant Byun Hui-su fought back tears as she said being a soldier had been her 'childhood dream' and that she wanted to help guard the tense border with communist North Korea. She said: 'Regardless of my sexual identity, I'd like to show everyone that I can become one of the great soldiers who protect this country. 'Please give me that chance.' Staff Sergeant Byun Hui-su fought back tears as she said being a soldier had been her 'childhood dream' and that she wanted to help guard the border with communist North Korea The tank driver said she wanted the chance to become one of her country's 'great soldiers' Ms Byun said she had sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in November after suffering depression and last year scored top marks in tank driving skills among her battalion staff sergeants. Ms Byun, her country's first known transgender soldier, was speaking at a press conference after South Korean military leaders announced on Tuesday their decision to discharge her. A military panel concluded that Ms Byun should be discharged as she had a 'physical or mental disability'. The soldier had sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in November after suffering depression A military panel concluded that being transgender was a 'physical or mental disability' South Korea prohibits transgender people from joining the military but has no specific laws on what to do with those who have sex reassignment operations during their time in service. The panel insisted it had been through due process and had based its decision on related military law on personnel changes. Army officials cited a provision of the law allowing the military to discharge personnel with physical or mental disabilities if those problems weren't a result of combat or in the line of duty. South Korean human rights activist Lim Tae-hoon told the news conference that he would fight to transform what he called 'our savage military'. Mr Lim, the leader of the Seoul-based Centre for Military Human Rights, said: 'I can't resist feeling wretched at the military's vulgar mindset as they determined that the lack of a male genital is a physical disability.' The soldier has also won the backing of the country's state-run watchdog, the National Human Rights Commission, which called on the army to postpone its decision. It said in a statement that referring the soldier to the military panel would be an act of discrimination over sexual identity and affect the soldier's basic human rights. Public views on gender issues in South Korea have gradually changed in recent years. Several gay-themed movies and TV dramas have become hits and some transgender entertainers have risen to stardom. However, a strong bias against sexual minorities still runs deep in South Korean society. Activists say transgender people are likely to face harassment, abuse and insults, and many suffer from depression. Recently, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah talked at length about the ongoing nationwide protests against CAA, NRC and NPR in an interview with The Wire. Expressing his opinion, the actor spoke about the current state of the country, rising communalism, and the dead silence of B-town celebrities over this issue. Besides, the 69-year-old actor also particularly mentioned actor Anupam Kher and his views on social media and called him a clown. He also said he doesnt think Kher needs to be taken seriously. In the interview, he said, "I am not on Twitter. These people, the Twitterati, and I really wish they would make up their minds in what they believe in. Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think, he needs to be taken seriously, he is a clown, any number of his contemporaries from NSD, NFTII can test to his psychopathic nature, it is in his blood, he can't help it. The others who are opposing it should really decide about what they want to say and don't remind us of our responsibilities, we have known our responsibilities, he added. After the clip of the interview was made available online, it went viral on Twitter and the social media users started to bash Naseeruddin left, right and centre. Check out the reactions here: This man Naseeruddin who's heart bleeds for #Yakub and not for #Kashmiri #Hindus is a clown and not #AnupamKher ji. He is eating in #India and all the time keep cursing the #culture of this very country. We never saw him appreciating the native people of #India. Hopeless! Amol A Girhe (@amolagirhe) January 22, 2020 #NaseeruddinShah This joker Naseeruddin Shah dares to call Anupam Kher puppet, but Mr. Shah you are an anti national puppet.... I repeat anti national clown.#AnupamKher BIREN BHATT (@birenbhatt) January 22, 2020 #naseeruddinshah is abusing @AnupamPKher because he speek for Kashmiri pandits. Now this so called liberals r complitly exposed as they shown there hatred for Hindu community Dark Truth (@chetansonone3) January 22, 2020 #NaseeruddinShah calls co actor & contemporary #AnupamKher a clown Says sycophancy runs in his blood Jiske apne khoon mein Jihaad daudta hai woh Anupam Kher ko Nationalism pe lecture de raha hai pic.twitter.com/BuATWPPwI5 Archie (@archu243) January 22, 2020 Now they are coming open with original enemity and hatred. It proves they were pretending to be your friends till now. When you stood united they cant tolerate..#naseeruddinshah https://t.co/HNoUGuGP2b J W Masade (@aab54a558ad2459) January 22, 2020 The ongoing issue of CAA, NPR and NRC has surely got unrest across several parts of the country and Naseeruddin thinks its actually a cause of worry. In addition to that, he also appreciated actor Deepika Padukones visit to JNU as many celebrities like Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan among others chose to keep mum on the entire issue. Its understandable why the established figures of the industry dont speak up. However, one wonders how much do they have to lose? Will it kill you? You have to laud the courage of a girl like Deepika (Padukone), who is at the top and yet takes a step like this, said the actor. What investors really want to know is what effect will the current sharp impact on the oil and gas industry in the early days of 2020 have on the price of oil and gas in the months ahead. 2019 - A quiet year The end of 2019 saw the VN Index increase by about 8% from 880 points to 890 points. The general market had increased well in the first two months of the year, then went into adjustment to around 960 points to 1,000 points for the rest of the year. The growth of the stock index in absolute value was quite modest, and 2019 was a difficult year for not only stock markets but also for the oil and gas industry. Except for leading industry groups such as PVGas, PTSC, PVtrans and PVD that had positive business results, smaller groups of Binh Son Petrochemical Refinery (BSR), PVoil, and PVPower have not achieved the results as planned. This also partly reflects the price movement of these shares in 2019. GAS, PVS, PVD, PVT increased slightly, while PVPower, BSR, and DCM continuously saw new bottom. This is obviously not good news for businesses and investors holding these stocks. Meanwhile, according to data from Fiin Pro, in the last six months of 2019, oil and gas stocks such as GAS, PVD, and POW were strongly sold by foreign investors besides also stocks of VIC, VHM, and MSN. This shows that oil and gas stocks were not only affected by internal causes in the industry, but also by the selling force of foreign investment funds. 2020 - Many difficulties ahead Although some international organizations and corporations forecast that oil prices will recover in 2020, they are expected to fluctuate in the range of USD 70 to USD 80 per barrel, but it is still too early to say how much the oil and gas enterprises will benefit from this scenario. Major domestic oil and gas projects are expected to bring jobs for businesses, such as Ca Rong Do, Blue Whale, Yellow Leopard, and Black Leopard fields, which are all behind schedule or temporarily suspended. These under exploration oil and gas fields are in sedimentary basins such as Cuu Long and Nam Con Son, and are all in the final stage of exploration with reduced output. This is also one of the reasons that caused the gas-electricity-fertilizer segment to face many disadvantages in 2019 and may continue to do so in the whole of 2020. In 2020, the world oil price is likely to increase beyond the threshold of USD 75 per barrel as a result of the conflict between the US and Iran. The speculative cash flow will focus on popular stocks in the industry, such as GAS, PVT, PVS, and PVD. Therefore, the divergence between oil and gas stocks will continue to occur in 2020. Causes Many reasons can explain the situation above. First, there are more incidents from upstream activities. Many large mining projects have been implemented slowly. Oil and gas projects such as Sao Vang Dai Nguyet and Block B O Mon have not achieved the required progress. Blue Whale Project, one of six key projects of Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN), is being delayed and divestment of PVN in 19 enterprises has encountered difficulties, somewhat affecting the business and production situation in the units. Compared to the period before 2014, in recent years, enterprises in oil and gas industry all have recorded a decrease in profit and revenue. Despite the efforts of each unit, the support from the Government, and progress in implementing of important oil and gas projects, there are too many factors affecting business performance such as stock prices. The unfavorable oil price in 2019 is also a factor affecting the plans and results of many enterprises. Another reason is the slow divestment and the production and business situation of some oil and gas enterprises which have not reached their targets. Specifically, compared to the divestment target of PVN, the speed of divestment in 19 enterprises had not changed in 2019. New policies from the group and divestment decisions all took place slowly compared to the plan, somewhat disappointing investors. Regarding the production and business situation, except for some corporations, member companies that exceeded the plan in 2019 such as PV Gas, PTSC, PVtrans or Vietsopetro, most companies such as PVoil, BSR, PvPower, and PVD faced certain difficulties. Some bright spots In 2019, PetroVietnam Gas Corporation (PVGas) surpassed most of its business targets. All four gas systems of PVGas operated safely and effectively, continuously supplying gas to customers, and exceeding the production plan by 6-44%. PVGas has produced and provided more than 9.9 bn cubic meters of dry gas, over two mn tons of LPG (1.3 mn tons for domestic); over 66,000 tons of condensate, of which LPG output target reached the target three months ahead of schedule. The world oil price is likely to increase beyond the threshold of USD 75 per barrel in 2020, and speculative cash flow will focus on preferred stocks such as GAS, PVT, PVS, and PVD. However, many upstream operating incidents occurred, such as the incident at Thai Binh mine, flooding and saltwater intrusion into some fields, delay in projects of Nam Con Son phase 2, Sao Vang Dai Nguyet, and White Lion phase 2. Since the beginning of the year, GAS stock price has increased from VND 80,000 to VND 94,000 per share. PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC-PVS) had consolidated revenue in 2019 of VND 16,000 bn, achieving 123% of the plan, up by 5% compared to 2018. Consolidated profit before tax was at VND 860 bn, reaching 123% of the plan, down 12% compared to 2018. Consolidated profit after tax was VND 610 bn, reaching 109% of the plan, up 6.5% compared to 2018. In 2020, it is expected that the oil and gas service market will be positive with many ongoing projects deployed, such as Sao Vang Dai Nguyet, Gallaf-Al Shaheen, and Long Son petrochemical complex. However, there are still many risk factors and uncertainties that are likely to directly impact production activities and business performance of PTSC. The price of PVS stock had increased slightly in 2019 from VND 16,000 to VND 16,800 per share. For PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services Corporation (PVD), the business results in 2019, including net revenue, reached VND 4,500 bn, 117% of the plan. Profit after tax was at VND 88 bn, with expected loss at VND 440 bn. The highlight of 2019 for PVD was the signing of a six-year contract to supply the semi-submersible drilling rig "PV DRILLING V" for Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP). Although the business has prospered, the price of PVD is still lower than book value, only increasing slightly from VND 12,600 to VND 15,000 per share as of 31 December 2019. Translated by Francis Le Duc Khanh (Bloomberg) -- Jeff Bezoss mobile phone was hacked following an exchange between the Amazon.com Inc. chief executive officer and Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman on WhatsApp, according to two people familiar with an analysis of the breach. While a message from the prince to Bezos in mid-2018 that preceded the hack appeared benign, investigators found digital evidence suggesting it contained code that ultimately led to the breach of the billionaires phone, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the probe isnt public. A forensic analysis showed with moderately high confidence that a WhatsApp account used by bin Salman was involved, another person said. The Guardian newspaper reported earlier Tuesday that an analysis had found that the theft of data from Bezoss phone in 2018 started with an infected video file sent from bin Salmans personal account. The Financial Times, which confirmed elements of the Guardians account of the hack, said the analysis was conducted by global business advisory firm FTI Consulting. A representative of the firm declined to comment, saying: We do not comment on, confirm or deny client engagements or potential engagements. The revelation of new details about a security breach that affected the worlds richest man comes about a year after the surprise announcement that Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, would divorce after 25 years of marriage. The National Enquirer subsequently disclosed an extramarital affair between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor, in a series of reports that relied, in part, on intimate text messages sent by Bezos. Bezos subsequently published an extraordinary blog post accusing the tabloid of threatening to publish more embarrassing text messages and photos unless he publicly affirmed that there was no political motivation or outside force behind the tabloids coverage. Gavin de Becker, a security consultant for Bezos, later said he believed the Saudi Arabian government had accessed Bezoss phone before the Enquirer exposed the affair. He didnt provide any direct evidence to back up his claims, which he said came from our investigators and several experts. De Becker cited the Enquirers business relationship with the Saudis, as well as tough coverage of the murder of a critic of the Saudi regime by the Bezos-owned Washington Post, as reasons why bin Salman might seek to harm the Amazon founder. The newspaper reported last year that the Central Intelligence Agency linked the crown prince to the 2018 murder of Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Story continues De Becker declined to comment on the Guardian report Tuesday beyond the lengthy statement last year, which was posted on the news site The Daily Beast. The Saudi embassy, in a tweet, attacked the reports as absurd and called for an investigation so that we can have all the facts out. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan referenced the statement made by the Saudi Embassy but declined to comment further. A spokeswoman for WhatsApp declined to comment. A United Nations investigation, led by UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye, is set to be released Wednesday and is expected to confirm that Bezoss mobile phone was hacked using a WhatsApp message from bin Salman, the Washington Post reported late Tuesday. Its uncertain whether the alleged hack of Bezoss phone accessed any sensitive Amazon corporate information. The company hasnt commented on the matter in the nine months since de Beckers accusation. Company representatives didnt return messages seeking comment on Tuesday. Its unclear whether his phone had more, privileged access to information from his companies, said Bastien Bobe, an analyst at cybersecurity firm Lookout. That would not be in line with security practices and risk mitigation at companies though. But technically it would be feasible for that technology to access the data. (Updates with comments from Saudi Embassy in the eighth paragraph, WhatsApp comment, additional context) --With assistance from Spencer Soper, William Turton, Helene Fouquet and Francine Lacqua. To contact the reporters on this story: Greg Farrell in New York at gregfarrell@bloomberg.net;Alyza Sebenius in Washington at asebenius@bloomberg.net;Matt Day in Seattle at mday63@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack, Michael Hytha For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. From the day President Trump was elected, Democrats have said it was their mission to impeach and remove him from office. In September, their three years of working for this came to a head Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives would initiate an impeachment inquiry against the President of the United States. The authority to impeach and remove a sitting president is among the gravest responsibilities that our Constitution grants to Congress. There is a reason why our Founders warned that the impeachment process could be abused to serve short-term political goals. They knew in order to avoid a toxic partisan precedent, impeachment of a president would need a clear basis and bipartisan support. They understood this process should only be initiated when the evidence was overwhelmingly strong, objective, and justified. Our Framers pleaded that if this process were weaponized by the fever of factions, it would lead to the mistrust and the cheapening of our political institutions tearing our national unity. Late last year, those fears our Founders foretold played out before us all. The House of Representatives conducted an impeachment process that was deeply partisan, lasting just 12 weeks. House Democrats held secret meetings, did not seek subpoenas through the courts, and even refused to litigate any questions of privilege. They did all of this without providing President Trump a fair inquiry. Unbelievably, the president was not allowed to have his lawyers cross-examine witnesses at the House Intelligence Committee hearings and deposition. This was a major departure from how impeachment proceedings were conducted in the past, where both the majority and minority had the right to question witnesses, and the presidents lawyer had the right to be present. On December 18, 2019, House Democrats voted on strict party lines to impeach the president. In fact, the only bipartisan agreement was against impeachment: three House Democrats crossed party lines to oppose one or both articles of impeachment and one House Democrat voted present on both. Whats more, House Leadership waited another month to send the articles to the Senate so that it could conduct a trial. It is important to remember that the framers of the Constitution established the United States Senate for this exact purpose: to take the long view. This body was designed for times such as these to cool the partisan rage and assess how our actions will affect future generations and our core institutions. The Senate trial will begin the same way it did 20 years ago during the Clinton impeachment. The House has appointed its team of seven lawmakers or managers who will be prosecutors in the trial, while the presidents legal team serves as defense. The House managers will make their case and the presidents defense team will have an equal opportunity for rebuttal. Chief Justice John Roberts will preside over the entire trial. All Senators must remain silent and seated at their desks at all times. Senators may submit questions in writing, which will be read aloud by the Chief Justice. An examination of evidence will follow. Closing arguments will then take place with two representatives from the House managers and the presidents legal team. The Senate will deliberate and then vote on each impeachment article separately, and any conviction would require a two-thirds vote. If less than two-thirds of senators vote to convict, the entire process comes to an end resulting in acquittal of the president. As disappointed as I am in the way the proceedings were conducted in the House, I must now fulfill my constitutional duty as a juror in the Senate trial. I want to assure all Nebraskans that I will not waver in my commitment to our nations founding principles. I am committed to a fair and serious process and will honor the oath I took to listen and judge impartially as the House managers present their evidence and the presidents legal team responds. Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week. Deb Fischer is a US senator representing the State of Nebraska. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MUSICIANS: Set Goals, Stay Accountable In The New Year Many artists are kicking of the new decade with whole host of resolutions to be more productive and goal-oriented in the new year. This is all well and good, but the real key to success boils down to effectively holding yourself accountable. Guest post by Dre Dimura of Soundflys Flypaper Welcome to the roaring 2020s. New Year, New Me posts are completely unavoidable. I never thought Id say this, but I actually kind of miss mindlessly thumbing through my friends feeds just to find a cat video to chuckle at. These days, Instagram is just a sea of reminders-to-self to be happy, gracious, more productive and more goal-oriented this year. Newsflash: flexing on social media doesnt lead to more doing! You want to know what does? Holding yourself accountable. Here are six helpful tips on how to set the right goals for yourself and your music career, and how to stay accountable as you set out to accomplish them this year. 1. Goals versus dreams. Lets quickly discuss the difference between your goals and your dreams. Dreams were important. Hopefully, you had a lot of dreams when you were younger. Dreams motivated you to make life choices that brought you to where you are now, pursuing your passions and earning a living in the arts. Now I want you to let go of your dreams and seize upon your goals, with every ounce of strength and will that you have. Dreams got you this far, but they wont get you any further; in fact, they will likely hinder you, impoverish you, and create such a distance between what you think you want and what you have, that the sheer impossibility of bridging that gap will make your dreams unattainable. Goals are things that we can achieve with the tools we already have. They provide the kinetic energy that allow our dreams to happen. Dream: Get famous on Instagram. Goal: Use sponsored posts to increase follower count by 10,000 by the end of this year. Dream: Get rich. Goal: Find side hustle to increase monthly income by $600, and open a savings account. Dream: Travel the world. Goal: Save $400 each month toward a trip to Thailand. Does that make sense? 2. Establish the big picture. Alright, now that weve established how goals help you push your desires forward, lets put them to work. Your long term goals will determine the short term goals you need to accomplish each day/week. Start the year off by making a list of five (or less) big picture goals youd like to accomplish. Sign a publishing deal Increase cash flow by teaching more Tour in 10 new markets Increase follower count by 10,000 this year Trip to Southeast Asia with (insert name of bae) Setting short term goals to help you achieve your big picture goals is critical to avoid getting discouraged. Think of your short term goals as a to do list for every day write them down in a notebook or journal, on a sticky note, or in your phone. Include small things like scheduling rehearsals and writing sessions, changing your guitar strings, or setting aside creative time to produce. To make sure youre not just busying yourself with nonsense, ask yourself how each short term goal contributes and supports your big picture goals. If your big picture goal is to get that publishing deal, setting daily and weekly goals for padding your catalog, tightening your workflow, and building relationships with A&R reps will help you to work towards that goal. Be as specific as possible, if its helpful, use big picture goals as headers and organize your daily goals like the following. Goal: Sign a Pub Deal January 21, 2020 -Finish Song Title demo -Add lyric sheets from last co-write to Dropbox -Confirm session on Friday -Email so and so at such and such publishing company. Wow, that was so easy! Look at how easy those tasks are imagine how much progress youll make if you do that 300 days a year! No magic spells or lucky break required. 3. Create a vision board. Its important to honor your creative spirit and imagination. In order to do that, create a vision board to give life and color to your big picture goals. Your vision board should be physical, tangible, something that you can put your hands on and engage with in the real world. This technique is crucial for creating a living, breathing representation of what you seek to achieve. Get a piece of large poster board or recycle some cardboard youre not using. Print out some photos, shear apart an old magazine, cut and paste and make it messy. Put stickers and glitter on it if you want. Create something that inspires and creates accountability each day, but remember that youve already written out your goals elsewhere, so feel free to play around and have fun with this. A good vision board might incorporate things like: A photo of your favorite band performing in-front of a large crowd. A million dollar check with your name on it. Newspaper quotes from a business person you admire. Cover art of the Spotify playlists you want to land. Pictures of the places you want to visit this year. These things are unique to each individual, just make sure your vision board relates back to your big picture goals. 4. Practice both patience and impatience. Patience is a virtue but good things do not come to those who wait. Be patient in the macro, be impatient in the micro. Big picture goals take time and patience to achieve, yes, so go after your daily goals aggressively and unapologetically. Dont wait, dont put off until tomorrow what you can do today. If you wake up feeling on-edge and dissatisfied, throw that energy into your daily goals. Capitalize on that feeling, let it fill you with hustle and get to work. Lets call this micro-impatience. Before you go to sleep at night, make sure to reflect on what youve achieved that day, and reintroduce some macro-patience into your perspective. Show gratitude that you have the privilege of working toward your goals each day. 5. Get yourself an accountability partner. Weve all heard this a thousand times. Its not hard, yet most of us have probably never done it. Call a friend, or your cousin or your mom, and get yourself a mentor. Touch base once a week and talk about what you worked on, how its helping you achieve your big picture goals. Ask your partner for a friendly reminder to rise and grind every couple of days. These things take minutes, and they go a long way. 6. Act as if Okay, lets be lofty for just a sec. Weve swallowed a healthy dose of practicality throughout this article, so Ill leave you with one last thing that I think is both really fun and effective. Back to the beginning. Draft a post on Instagram or Facebook announcing the achievement of your big picture goal. Take it seriously, create something you could actually see yourself posting when you accomplish your goal. Save it for later, act as if. Give it life, its only a matter of time. Dre DiMura is a professional guitarist, songwriter, and author. While his friends were studying for the SATs, Dre was already touring the world with Gloria Gaynor, Dee Snider, Palaye Royale and Evol Walks. Hes a musician and hes played one on TV too. You may see him at your local enormo-dome on tour with Diamante. Share on: The city of San Antonio has paid more than $300,000 in court fees with more invoices pending in connection with two lawsuits and one federal investigation into its March decision to ban Chick-fil-A from the San Antonio international Airport. As of January 17, the city had spent a total of $315,880 to resist efforts to hand over records to state authorities, local ABC affiliate KENS5 reported last week. The city council passed a motion ten months ago to effectively ban a Chick-fil-A franchise from opening in the airport by making its exclusion a prerequisite for the renewal of the airport concession contractors license. The city cited concerns that Chick-fil-As donations to certain Christian charities would create an unwelcoming environment for LGBT travelers. With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion. San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior, Councilman Roberto Trevino said in a statement at the time. Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport. The move prompted Texas attorney general Ken Paxton to announce an investigation into whether the motion violated state law, and the Texas state legislature proposed a Save Chick-fil-A bill that was initially blocked by the state houses newly-formed LGBTQ caucus, but signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June. Paxton also sued the city in June after deputy city attorney Edward Guzman told him San Antonio would block his request to obtain certain records based on 63 exceptions to the states Public Information Act. The citys extreme position only highlights its fear about allowing any sunshine on the religious bigotry that animated its decision, Paxton said in a statement. In November, Chick-fil-A said it would stop donating to the Salvation Army, the Paul Anderson Youth Home, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which all promote traditional views on marriage. More from National Review Wuhan to see reduced population mobility as pneumonia spreads Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/21 21:38:41 Multiple airlines and travel platforms have announced refund or rebooking policies for customers who planned to travel into or out of Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. The province confirmed 270 patients with the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus as of 9:00 pm on Tuesday, the People's Daily reported. Wuhan on Tuesday issued a personnel control order covering entries and departures from the city, in a bid to contain the disease's spread, China Central Television reported. Experts and travel industry practitioners noted that Wuhan may see lower population mobility associated with the Spring Festival travel season. Domestic online travel platform Lvmama launched a contingency plan to offer full refunds or rescheduling to its customers who had booked tickets or guided-travel products in Wuhan, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by the company on Tuesday. Tianjin Airlines and Hainan Airlines have also posted statements to offer refunds without charge or rebooking policies for passengers who intended to travel to or from Wuhan. With favorable economic growth and a key geographical location, Wuhan has been a tourist hot spot and a city with high population mobility, Li Mingde, a former vice president of the Beijing Tourism Society, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The city's GDP stood at 1.15 trillion yuan ($167 billion) in the first three quarters of 2019, among 16 Chinese cities that achieved an annual GDP of 1 trillion yuan, according to the People's Daily. Wuhan's high-speed railway station can take people directly to 25 provinces and more than 40 cities in China, according to a report by domestic news site yicai.com. With many colleges and universities, Wuhan is said to be the hub with the largest number of college students in the world, and it has attracted many enterprises in need of talent. Now is a bad time for the outbreak of the virus, as people are heading to their hometowns for the Chinese Spring Festival, which leads to massive population mobility, Li said. The People's Daily issued a warning with a report headlined: "For now, it's better for people from outside Wuhan to stay out of the city, and Wuhan residents to stay in the city." Given that the pathogenesis of the disease has not been confirmed, it would be better for people to avoid areas with emerging and confirmed cases in the short term, Li suggested. A Beijing resident surnamed Tang, whose hometown is Wuhan, told the Global Times that he dropped his plan to go home for the Spring Festival due to concerns about the outbreak. Meanwhile, another Wuhan resident surnamed Hou told the Global Times that life is going on as usual, and she wears a mask while commuting. "I hope the disease is brought under control in the short term," she said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two years ago, an oil well near a small Oklahoma town exploded into a fireball that swept through a drilling rig, killing five in an accident deemed a needless catastrophe by federal investigators and casting a short-lived spotlight on a lack of regulation and oversight across the oil and gas industry. The accident involving a Houston drilling company was the industrys deadliest since the Deepwater Horizon tragedy 10 years ago, but the response to the Oklahoma explosion has been far less urgent. While the Gulf of Mexico explosion, which killed 11 people, spurred a drilling moratorium and a wave of new regulations, the Oklahoma disaster entered the national headlines for a brief spell and was quickly forgotten even after the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found widespread failures and a woeful lack of safety standards and rules in the onshore drilling sector. What has happened since then? Not much. Onshore is sort of a black hole, said Lauren Grim, a supervisory investigator at the Chemical Safety Board. Theres not really a whole lot of rules and regulations for safety on the state and federal levels, and thats what were trying to correct. The safety boards report was scathing. It found that the companies planned poorly and cut corners, resulting in myriad contributing factors to the five deaths, including a failed blowout preventer, a muted alarm system, lapses in well monitoring, inadequate employee training and not enough emergency exits in the drillers cabin, called the doghouse, where the workers were trapped. The Chemical Safety Board also found that state and federal safety laws governing drilling are inadequate, as are the standards adopted by the American Petroleum Institute, the industrys trade group. Federal and state regulators and API are beginning to consider the safety boards recommendations, which range from better well control rules to tougher equipment standards to improved employee training, but bureaucracy moves slowly, Grim said. More substantial changes could still be a couple years away. These recommendations do take a lot of time, Grim said. Its really hard to say how it will turn out until we see all the responses and the end results. On HoustonChronicle.com: Report finds sweeping blame for fatal Oklahoma rig explosion In contrast, the federal government imposed the drilling moratorium less than two months after Deepwater Horizon. Executive orders to increase oversight of the ocean and coasts were issued within three months while a national commission reported its findings on the accident within a few months. In just over a year, the federal Minerals Management Service, which had overseen offshore development, was split into three agencies with distinct oversight and regulatory capabilities: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue. The BP accident, of course, was the largest offshore oil spill in the nations history, spewing 3.2 million barrels of oil from Louisiana bayous to Florida beaches before the well finally was permanently sealed five months after the initial loss of life. On HoustonChronicle.com: Deepwater Gulf enters next phase of growth Houston companies involved The environmental impact of the Oklahoma explosion pales in comparison to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, but the slow-moving regulatory process means the risk of a repeat incident. The onshore well was owned by a small Oklahoma City firm, Red Mountain Energy, but the drilling rig was owned and operated by Patterson-UTI Energy, a Houston oil field services company. Another key contractor was the Houston company National Oilwell Varco, called NOV, which monitored the drilling fluids used to keep the well pressures stable and the drill bit moving along. Killed in the fire were Josh Ray, 35, of Fort Worth; Cody Risk, 26, Wellington, Colo.; and Matt Smith, 29, McAlester, Okla.; all of whom worked for Patterson-UTI; and Parker Waldridge, 60, Crescent, Okla.; and Roger Cunningham, 55, Seminole, Okla., who worked for other contractors. Most of the families of the dead workers have settled lawsuits with Red Mountain and Patterson-UTI and signed nondisclosure agreements. A trial in Oklahoma is underway this week as the family and friends of Ray and Risk pursue claims against NOV, which has refused to accept blame in the accident. The families of the victims declined comment, citing ongoing litigation and the settlements. NOV did not respond to messages seeking comment. In his opening statements in court, attorney David Rumley noted that Risk was new on the job as a floorhand, connecting pipes, doing the heavy lifting and keeping the site organized. He was the primary parent to three children. Rays daughter, Ava, counted the days until her father would return home to Fort Worth on an oil derrick magnet on the refrigerator. Shed write in the day of when her daddys coming home, Rumley told the jurors. He was coming home in two days to see his family. Rumley argued that NOV used drilling fluids that werent heavy enough to keep the natural gas from flowing out of the well. He told the court that NOV didnt provide enough staffing and that the workers didnt have enough training. He alleged reckless disregard, saying all the companies were at fault but only NOV has refused to accept responsibility. NOV has responded in court that it was at the bottom of the chain of command and didnt bear any responsibility. All the decisions were made by Red Mountain, the company said, and the drilling fluids cited by Rumley as a smoking gun were destroyed in the fire. The fluids tested after the fact werent necessarily reflective of what was used in the well, NOV said. What comes next Responses to the report by the companies and Oklahoma and their recommendations to the Chemical Safety Board are expected to be completed this year. A spokeswoman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it is taking the reports recommendations under advisement and that potential rule-making changes are on the agenda under long-term actions. The first report back is likely to come from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which sets regulations for oil and gas drilling in the state. The commissions report should be finished in February, spokesman Matt Skinner said. This is a complex issue looking at all the state laws and government regulations, Skinner said. Its a terrible tragedy obviously, but it doesnt fit neatly into the current box of state law. The Oklahoma commission has limited jurisdiction, so any substantial new rules and regulations recommended by the state commission would require approval from the Oklahoma Legislature. But enacting new laws would take additional time and might never come to fruition. Patterson-UTI plans to file its response report and recommendations later this year. The Houston driller said it immediately evaluated which policies and procedures could be improved. It has enhanced well control policies, among other steps, and created a new technical training program that it has shared with the industry to help prevent a similar accident from happening again. We continue to remember the five men who lost their lives in this accident, and our deepest sympathies remain with their families, the company said in a statement. While nothing can make up for the tragic loss of life, we reached mutually agreeable settlements with each of their families. We remain committed to preventing an accident like this from ever happening again. The American Petroleum Institute, which is the oil and gas industrys arm for setting technical standards as well as political lobbying, said it is still working through its responses to all of the Chemical Safety Boards recommendations. API spokesman Reid Porter said the oil and gas industry is safer than ever and constantly working to improve, including updating its industry safety standards for drilling and well-servicing operations last year. We are continuing our engagement in industry work groups to consider the recommendations from the Chemical Safety Board since the incident, Porter said. We regularly update industry standards through ongoing research, training and information sharing. Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox Adam Peltz, a senior attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund on oil and gas regulations, said he hopes Oklahoma will adopt better safety rules for well control procedures and those improvements would spread to other states. Federal authorities need better oversight over oil and gas drilling, Peltz said, but much of the regulatory details needs to remain with the individual states because geology and topography varies across the country. States should have the expertise to set rules for drilling in their geological formations from shale rock to salt domes, from gas-laden Appalachia to the oil-heavy Permian. Peltz said most well blowouts dont have fatalities but still release enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. They frequently go overlooked. Texas, for instance, records anywhere from 10 to 30 instances a year of well blowouts or well control problems. When theres an accident of this magnitude with this many fatalities, its a great tragedy, he said, and were grateful theyre as rare as they are. jordan.blum@chron.com twitter.com/jdblum23 The Odisha police arrested a 25-year-old man of Jajpur district on Wednesday for allegedly uploading 'intimate' photographs of his ex-girlfriend on a social networking site. The accused reportedly confessed to his crime saying he did it in a fit of rage following an altercation in which her girlfriend said she was snapping the relationship, police said. Her father lodged a police complaint on Saturday after she was informed by friends that her 'intimate' photographs have been posted on social media. The accused and the 23-year-old woman had visited several places where he clicked those photos, according to the complaint. They had also promised to marry each other. However, since December last year, the woman started suspecting that he has been cheating on her and refused to marry him. Following a heated argument on the snapping of the relationship, he uploaded the photos last week. The man and the woman live at separate places under Kuakhia police station limit of Jajpur district. The man was arrested under various sections of the IPC and IT Acts. A local court remanded him to judicial custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Migration was debated at Davos. Photo: PA Voters change their minds very easily and very rapidly on immigration, according to a leading UK think tank chief. Sara Pantuliano, chief executive of the Overseas Development Institute, said her team had researched public attitudes towards both migrants and refugees in the UK, Germany and Sweden. She said at an event at the Davos summit of world leaders on Wednesday that public attitudes were less hostile to migration than often assumed in public debate. We hear a lot from politicians that theyre responding to what the public wants, said Pantuliano. Public attitudes are not as polarised as we think. She said surveys suggested that in many countries around a quarter of voters were implacably opposed to immigration, and around a quarter were the opposite in supporting it. But she said the majority were in the anxious middle, with evidence people are a lot more influencible than sometimes thought. READ MORE: UK employment hits record high as Bank of England weighs rate cut These attitudes are not fixed in time. A tiny incident or happening in the media or event can swing them one way or the other. Positions are not so polarised, she said. But of course populist politicians are having a field day about stoking fears, trying to manipulate what they say is public opinion, when we know its not actually the majority of pub opinion. She criticised supporters of migration for how they often defend their stance. Theres been a lot of mythbusting thats been focused on efficiency, data, giving hard factsand that doesnt work. Populists are in a way winning the argument as they engage emotions; [they] make their arguments relatable to peoples emotions and were not doing that. She said supporters, which included many businesses, should highlight success stories about migrant integration. Pantuliano added that voters in Europe had a sense of unmanageability of numbers, but denied this was the case. But she also said people will always find a way to migrate, despite heavy investment in reducing migration and secure borders in Europe. Story continues Migration is a fact of life since time immemorial, she said. Thats not going to change. The comments came at a panel event entitled Debunking the migration myth, debating how the power and potential of including migrants in the economy could increase support for migration. READ MORE: Top CEO tells Davos capitalism as we know it is dead Alessandra Galloni, global managing editor of news service Reuters who chaired the debate, said more than 3% of the worlds population are migrants but contribute nearly 10% of global GDP. The WEF summit takes place every year in the town of Davos, a ski resort in the Swiss Alps. More than 3,000 guests are attending Davos 2020 throughout this week. Stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world is the official theme, with climate change in particular high on the agenda. Organisers hope the annual event will facilitate discussion and collaboration to tackle major international issues among some of the most powerful people in the world. But the summit, typically labelled Davos after the host town, has become a lightning rod for criticism of global capitalism and the worlds elite. Hosted by the Centre for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies under the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IFES RAS), the event brought together a crowd of Vietnamese and Russian scholars. In his opening speech, Director of the IFES RAS Sergei Lyzyanin said the event aims to review achievements of cooperation between the two nations and discuss orientations to expand their relations in the coming time. Lyzyanin said that Vietnam is always a time-honoured and reliable friend of his country in the region and the world. For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh highlighted the significance of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations, describing this as a strong support for President Ho Chi Minh and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 70 years ago. Participants reviewed and gave their assessment of the Vietnam - Russia relationship across fields from military, politics and information, economic and trade ties, and migration, to science-technology and culture cooperation. They also proposed initiatives to further strengthen the Vietnam - Russia ties in the coming time. For almost two years, the global economic system has been under stress due to trade tensions between China and the United States. Out of about $20 trillion world merchandise trade in 2018, these two giants contributed about $9 trillion. As per the US Department of Commerce, total goods and services trade only between US and China was about $740 billion in 2018. So, confrontation between them created serious uncertainties for the global trade regime as well as for the global economy. Now any truce between them, even if limited, is a relief for the markets. After many months of negotiations, a 96-page document with eight chapters as phase 1 of the agreement has been signed. It is agreed that compared to 2017 figures, China will buy an additional $200 billion of US goods and services over the next two years: $80 billion manufacturing goods (including aircraft, vehicles, iron and steel, pharmaceuticals and, optical and medical instruments); about $50 billion energy products ( LNG, coal and crude oil); about $40 billion services (financial services and insurance, tourism); and about $30 billion agricultural goods (oilseeds, meat, cereals, cotton, seafood etc). Different chapters of the agreement also deal with intellectual property, technology transfer, financial services, macroeconomic policies and exchange rate matters. Some of these commitments were already made at the G20 and WTO summits. In exchange, the US will also reduce tariffs for $120 billion-worth of Chinese products from 15 per cent to 7.5 per cent. This is obviously a limited deal than what both were trying to achieve. There are still issues concerning Chinese industrial subsidies to its State-owned companies; Hueweis 5G services as well as enforcement and interpretation. Still, there are remaining high tariffs on many items from both sides. Overall, however, the deal provides an assurance to markets that at least things will not become worse in the coming months. The US-China truce along improved Brexit certainty will provide some stability to global markets. The agreement, however, is another blow to already weakening multilateral trading system under the WTO. With bilateral quid-pro-quo deals, President Donald Trump is sinking the WTO dispute settlement mechanism further. These trends should be worrying for New Delhi as India trades with its major partners viz China, the EU and the US through WTO rules. Last year, out of a total $840 billion Indian goods trade; China, the EU and the US accounted for about $300 billion. The FTA negotiations with the EU are struck since 2013. The RCEP seems history. Any major FTA with the US is also unlikely to happen any time soon. The limited deal also shows that with sustained efforts, some concessions can be gained from China. As India also has a huge trade deficit of more than $50 billion with China, it has to get its acts together for negotiating a similar deal with Beijing. A high-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism was established during the informal meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai last year. So far little is known about progress made by this mechanism. Similarly, India is also negotiating with the US. Some of our products have already lost the GSP advantage. It is becoming clear that these deals are dependent not only on simple trade dynamics but also on strategic positions taken by India on Indo-Pacific and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Free from a China deal, Trump may now target India to fix another trade issue. Already reports indicate that some US-India mini trade deal focusing on key interests from both sides is possible during Trumps India visit in the coming weeks. Both the US and China are Indias key trade partners. We need to study the list of items agreed between the US and China carefully. Some of the products which China has promised to buy more from the US viz. meat, fish, cotton, iron and steel etc. might affect our own exports to China. At this stage, problems for India Inc. are complex. It is not just resolving the issue of external demand. There are also serious supply side constraints related to capital, technology, infrastructure and global value chains. With slowing economy and cautious approach to global integration, competitive scaling of production of many products may become a serious issue. As India was somewhat insulated from the consequences of US-China trade war, it will also have limited capacity to take advantage from the fall in trade tensions and possible increase in global growth. Lawyers for a senior executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei have argued that allowing her extradition to the United States would result in Canada bowing to foreign law. Meng Wanzhou, 47, appeared at the hearing in Vancouver on Tuesday wearing the GPS ankle monitor she has been fitted with while free on bond pending extradition to the U.S. This week's hearings deal with the question of whether the U.S. charges against Meng are crimes in Canada as well. Her lawyers argue the case is really about U.S. sanctions against Iran, not a fraud case. Canada does not have similar sanctions on Iran. 'Canada doesn't enforce foreign criminal law,' said Meng's lawyer, Eric Gottardi. 'We simply cannot import that law and have it operate in Canada domestically. Its contrary to our values.' Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend a hearing in British Columbia Supreme Court on Tuesday in Vancouver, British Columbia Meng, who is out on bail and remains under partial house arrest after she was detained last year at the behest of American authorities, leaves B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver Meng Wanzhou chief financial officer of Huawei wears an ankle monitor as she leaves her home to go to B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, Tuesday Canada's arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, the daughter of the company's founder, in late 2018 infuriated Beijing to the point it detained two Canadians in apparent retaliation. The U.S. accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It says Meng, 47, committed fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the company's business dealings in Iran. Meng, who is free on bail and living in one of the two Vancouver mansions she owns, sat next to the court interpreter. She listened to the proceedings with her head down studying documents. Meng denies the U.S. allegations. Her defense team says comments by President Donald Trump suggest the case against her is politically motivated. Prosecutors say that Meng's case is separate from the wider China-U.S. trade dispute, but Trump undercut that message weeks after her arrest when he said he would consider intervening in the case if it would help forge a trade deal with Beijing. This courtroom shows Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou seen attending her extradition hearing in British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver, British Columbia Meng leaves court on Tuesday. Canada's arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, the daughter of the company's founder, in late 2018 infuriated Beijing In apparent retaliation for Meng's arrest, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor Huawei represents China's progress in becoming a technological power and has been a subject of U.S. security concerns for years. Beijing views Meng's case as an attempt to contain China's rise. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for cellphone and internet companies. Washington is pressuring other countries to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft. Arguments will continue throughout the week. The second phase, scheduled for June, will consider defense allegations that Canada Border Services, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the FBI violated Meng's rights while collecting evidence before she was actually arrested. In apparent retaliation for Meng's arrest, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. The two men have been denied access to lawyers and family and are being held in prison cells where the lights are kept on 24-hours-a-day. China has also placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China, including canola oil seed and meat. Last January, China also handed a death sentence to a convicted Canadian drug smuggler in a sudden retrial. Pawel Gaul/iStock(NEW YORK) -- An American woman disappeared over the weekend while vacationing in Belize, authorities said. Alison MacKenzie, 43, was among a group of tourists who on Friday embarked on an overnight excursion to Rendezvous Caye, a tiny island off the coast of Belize. A member of the tour group reported that when they woke up the next morning around 6:00 a.m., MacKenzie was nowhere to be found, according to a spokesperson for the Belize Police Department. The police spokesperson told ABC News that the investigation is ongoing and nothing has been ruled out. As of Tuesday night, a person-of-interest had not been identified and no one had been detained for questioning. An official with the U.S. Department of State told ABC News in a statement, "We are aware of reports of a U.S. citizen missing in Rendezvous Caye, Belize." "Whenever a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we share information with their family however we can," the official said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case that advocates say could reshape the education landscape. Read more A widely watched case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday pitting school-choice advocates against proponents of public schools has been described by both sides as having potential to profoundly reshape the national education landscape. Yet it is unclear to what extent Espinoza vs. Montana Department of Revenue could affect Pennsylvania. The case centers on the Montana Supreme Courts decision to end a state program that gave students scholarships to attend private schools. The court based its decision on a state constitutional provision that bars government money from going toward religious schools. Pennsylvanias constitution also restricts the use of public education funding for religious schools and, like Montana, has programs that award scholarships to students to attend private schools. Heres what you need to know: How did the Espinoza case begin? The case was brought by three Montana mothers of children in a Christian school who challenged a state decision that made students in religious schools ineligible for a scholarship program created by the state in 2015. In response, the Montana Supreme Court struck down the program, based on language in the state constitution prohibiting the appropriation of government money for religious institutions. Such provisions are sometimes called Blaine Amendments. Critics say the provisions, named after Congressman James Blaine, of Maine, reflect anti-Catholic bias in the mid-19th century. Pennsylvania is among the 37 states with such provisions, according to the Institute for Justice, the nonprofit representing the mothers in the Espinoza case. Why is it significant? School-choice advocates and President Donald Trumps administration are hoping the high court will strike down the provisions, which Education Secretary Betsy DeVos described as the last acceptable prejudice. Across the nation, many traditional public schools are not working, and the repercussions are posing great danger, Jeanne Allen, CEO of the Center for Education Reform, and Paul Clement, U.S. solicitor during George W. Bushs administration, wrote in a Time op-ed Tuesday. Teachers unions and supporters of public schools, meanwhile, say such a ruling could jeopardize the broader public education system, validating private-school voucher programs they say would drain money from public schools. If it rules in favor of the petitioners, the Supreme Court will be responsible for unleashing a virtual earthquake in this country that threatens both religious liberty and public education," American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said Wednesday. How will it affect Pennsylvania? Like a number of states, Pennsylvania already has programs that give money to students to attend private and religious schools. The programs, which grant tax credits to businesses and individuals in exchange for donating to the scholarships, function similarly to vouchers. READ MORE: Pa. lawmakers push bigger tax credits for private-school scholarships; public-ed advocates object But they dont violate Pennsylvanias prohibition against using public education money for religious schools for two reasons, said Colleen Hroncich, senior policy analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative advocacy group in Harrisburg. Pennsylvanias constitution specifies that no money raised for the support of the public schools of the Commonwealth shall be used for any religious school. The money for the tax-credit programs comes from the states General Fund, which isnt raised specifically for schools, Hroncich said. And the state doesnt give money directly to religious schools, she said. Rather, it gives tax credits to donors who support scholarships many of which end up being used by students to attend religious schools. Hroncich doesnt believe a Supreme Court ruling against the Espinoza petitioners would doom Pennsylvanias programs, because theyre written so specifically as to be constitutional. But a ruling in favor, she said, might inspire lawmakers to provide more options for our students. Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Turzai of Allegheny County, have pushed for the growth of the tax-credit programs the larger of which grants $135 million a year in K-12 scholarships citing unmet demand from families and donors. Gov. Tom Wolf last year vetoed an expansion of one of the programs, saying the measure didnt provide enough accountability for tax dollars. He ultimately agreed to a smaller increase in the budget. Donna Cooper, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, a public education advocacy group, said Pennsylvanias tax-credit programs had not been tested by state courts. Depending on the courts ruling, we may end up rethinking whether the tax-credit programs and their support for religious education is appropriate, Cooper said. In addition, public-education advocates say the issue is about more than tax-credit programs. Petitioners in the Espinoza case are seeking a broader constitutional ruling that could fuel future lawsuits over whether private schools are entitled to public funding, said Chris Lilienthial, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the statewide teachers union. It really depends on how far the court is willing to go in its ruling, and how it handles this case," Lilienthal said. What happened in court? During oral arguments in Washington on Wednesday, some conservative justices seemed favorable toward the petitioners. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the constitutional provisions in states barring aid for religious schools were rooted in grotesque religious bigotry against Catholics, according to the Associated Press. Some of the courts liberal justices, meanwhile, suggested the Montana court hadnt discriminated because it ended the program for all private schools, not just religious ones. So wheres the harm? asked Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the AP reported. The New York Times reported that Chief Justice John Roberts often seen as part of the 5-4 conservative majority on the court seemed to be searching for a limiting principle, one that would allow the scholarships but stop short of requiring state support for religious education in other contexts. A decision is expected before the courts term ends in June. Kabir Khan is marking his digital debut and that's just one of the main reasons why Amazon Original Series 'The Forgotten Army - Azaadi ke Liye' remains one of the most anticipated series of 2020. Amazon Prime Ahead of the release of the series starring Sunny Kaushal and debutante Sharvari, the makers shared a video that conveyed a powerful message to the citizens of this country from a Soldier's point of view. In the video, Sunny Kaushal is joined by his brother and actor Vicky Kaushal as they convey a moving message that needed to be told. Amazon Prime The Kaushal brothers talk about the years - 1944, 1948, 1961, 1999, the years of extreme conflicts, where Vicky said that a soldier is called "Veer", Sunny compares his story where Soldiers are called "Gaddar". They both share the same lines of the journey of the soldier. In the show, Sunny Kaushal will be seen essaying the role of an Indian soldier who marched towards the capital, with the war cry 'Challo Dilli', to free their country from the reign of the British. The trailer of the show promised that the series will take the viewers back in time, relive the era and witness the Indian freedom struggle and the sacrifice of the 55,000 soldiers who have contributed to our freedom. The web series is based on the sacrifices army personnel make to keep the nation safe. It also unfolds the real story of the pain of a real soldier and how they surrender their lives for the nation. Kabir Khan has left no stone unturned in doing justice with this untold story of the freedom fighters who braved bullets to fight for the Independence of India. 'The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye' will release on Amazon Prime Video on 24 January 2020. Helmed by Kabir Khan, it'll be based on true events about the men and women in the Indian National Army (INA) led by Subhash Chandra Bose. REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevro Corp. (NYSE: NVRO), a global medical device company that is providing innovative, evidence-based solutions for the treatment of chronic pain, today announced a series of data presentations supporting the use of the Company's HF10 therapy for patients with chronic pain. Results will be presented at the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) meeting held in Las Vegas, January 24-26, 2020. This year a total of 25 presentations on Nevro's clinical research, consisting of 11 podium presentations and 14 poster abstracts, will be presented at NANS 2020. The broad range of research investigates both new and established pain areas, programming versatility with paired waveforms, and preclinical studies to understand the unique mechanism of action with HF10 therapy. Dr. Erika Petersen, Director of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at UAMS, and lead Principal Investigator for the SENZA-PDN study, will present primary endpoint data and other study results on Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 7:00-7:10 a.m. PDT. The SENZA-PDN study, which compares HF10 therapy plus Conventional Medical Management (CMM) to CMM alone in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. A total of 216 patients at 18 centers in the United States were enrolled in the study and enrollment was completed in August 2019. "I would like to thank the many investigators furthering the field of neuromodulation and expanding the growing body of clinical evidence supporting HF10 therapy," said D. Keith Grossman, Chairman, CEO and President of Nevro. "We are excited for Dr. Petersen to share the significant data from the SENZA-PDN trial at NANS, reflecting our commitment to helping physicians treat a large and underserved patient population suffering from chronic pain. Additionally, we are pleased the many other clinical investigators studying HF10 will have the opportunity to present the results of their studies." A complete list of Nevro's NANS presentations can be found at www.nevro.com/NANS. About Nevro Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Nevro is a global medical device company focused on providing innovative products that improve the quality of life of patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain. Nevro has developed and commercialized the Senza spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, an evidence-based, non-pharmacologic neuromodulation platform for the treatment of chronic pain. HF10 therapy has demonstrated the ability to reduce or eliminate opioids in 65% of patients across six peer-reviewed clinical studies. The Senza System, Senza II System, and the Senza Omnia System are the only SCS systems that deliver Nevro's proprietary HF10 therapy. Senza, Senza II, Senza Omnia, HF10, Nevro and the Nevro logo are trademarks of Nevro Corp. To learn more about Nevro, connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Media: Amy Cramer 650-391-3714 [email protected] Investor Relations: Juliet Cunningham Vice President, Investor Relations +1 650-433-3247 [email protected] SOURCE Nevro Corp. Related Links http://www.nevro.com Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russians consumer baskets structure should be revised to include more vegetables, fish and meat. "You are right, this has to be adjusted timely and the basket should be looked into," the head of state said at a meeting with community leaders of Usman. "Experts say its structure requires an improvement because, I do not remember the exact figures, but the bulk of it consists of potato, fats and all, bread and bakery, while vegetables, fruit are too scarce, fish and meat do not occupy their due place in the basket," the PRIME news agency cited Putin as saying. The federal criminal code didnt even exist when the Constitution was drafted, yet the framers were aware of the innumerable ways an executive could abuse or violate his trust. They were also aware that impeachment was a long-established remedy for such abuses. In his authoritative 19th-century legal treatise, Justice Joseph Story of the Supreme Court explained that impeachable acts are by their nature impossible to define in advance. There are many purely political offenses that qualify, he wrote, not one of which is in the slightest manner alluded to in our statute book. This view is not remotely controversial. And yet Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard law professor and self-professed liberal who has lately taken to defending President Trump against all comers, insists that everyones got it wrong. That includes, apparently, Mr. Dershowitz himself, who argued back in 1998 that if you have somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty, you dont need a technical crime. Now, Mr. Dershowitz argues that to be impeachable, a presidents behavior must be, if not criminal, at least crime-like an argument that could charitably be described as legal-like. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a president who described the Constitution as like a foreign language would cling to such a legally preposterous claim. But to be fair to Mr. Trump and his lawyers, its the only one left. The evidence amassed during the House impeachment proceedings that he shook down a foreign government in the service of his own re-election campaign is overwhelming, and Mr. Trump has yet to counter any of it with so much as a single piece of paper or word of testimony. He has given himself no option but to say, in effect: Yeah, I did it. So what? This is the Trumpian equivalent of, Its a free country! And yet as every grade-school child quickly discovers, that does not mean you can do whatever you want. NEWS FLASH Air Serbias representative for Northern Greece has met with the Mayor of the city of Ioannina in the north-west of the country to discuss potential flights from Belgrade. Mayor Moses Elisaf said there were good prospects to connect Ioannina with the Serbian market. Air Serbia maintains scheduled flights to Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece but has an extensive charter network to the country over the summer months, which includes Chania, Corfu, Heraklion, Karpathos, Kefalonia, Kos, Preveza/Lefkada, Samos, Santorini, Skiathos, Rhodes and Zakynthos. In addition, it maintains summer charters from Banja Luka to Athens, while scheduled services from Kraljevo to Thessaloniki will be introduced later this year. Starting next week, Air Serbia will increase frequencies from Belgrade to both Athens and Thessaloniki. The airline plans ten instead of seven weekly flights to the Greek capital and six instead of five weekly services to Thessaloniki to be maintained from January 30 until the summer, before they are both increased to the usual double daily operation. The husband and family of a woman who stole more than 10,000 from a church's nursery she managed know nothing of her court case, a judge heard yesterday. Applying for the case against 44-year-old thief Joanne Montgomery to be adjourned, her defence counsel revealed to Craigavon Crown Court that despite the prospect of going to jail, "her husband and family remain unaware" of her crimes. At a hearing last November Montgomery, a mother-of-four from The Beeches Manor in Stoneyford, pleaded guilty to one charge of committing fraud by abusing the position she held with Little Oaks Pre-school in that she wrote out cheques worth 9,906 to herself and a charge of theft in that she stole 1,299 which had been "raised at fundraising events", all committed on dates between December 1, 2013 and September 30, 2016. She was due to be sentenced by Judge Patrick Lynch QC yesterday but her lawyer asked for that to be put back to allow her more time to gather together "reparation" monies. He conceded the plea and sentence had been adjourned for longer than is normal as she sought to potentially remortgage her home to pay back the stolen monies, but that proved to be not possible. The lawyer further revealed, however, that in the interim her former employers had written to her to inform her there was a lump sum of a pension, amounting to 10,191, to be made available from February 1. "Given the court's concerns and attitude to reparation, I would ask the court to grant some indulgence to allow her that period... to make payment and to put the best foot forward that she can," submitted the lawyer. Prosecution counsel Ian Tannahill told the court "I have to say that I'm sceptical", outlining that Montgomery's plan to remortgage her house had come to nothing. "She had been the manager of the group, people's taxes were not paid and items for the children were unable to be bought," said Mr Tannahill, but conceded that "if someone had to make reparation and can realistically do it, the court needs to take that into account". Adjourning passing sentence until February 21 and freeing Montgomery on bail, Judge Lynch told the fraudster "it's not impressive" that she was hiding her "mean offence". "I think trying to hide this is probably the worst thing that she can do and doesn't impress the court at all," he said. Judge Lynch warned the defendant: "I make no promises one way or the other as to what the sentence will be." Prime Minister Narendra Modi's younger brother, Pankaj Modi, is among the Republic Day tableau team from Gujarat which is in Delhi currently, officials said on Wednesday. Pankaj Modi on Wednesday interacted with the media during an event held at the Delhi Cantonment where various tableaux for the January 26 parade were unveiled. "Our Gujarat tableau will showcase the state's architectural and cultural heritage. The main piece will be the Rani Ki Vav of Patan, and it will be fronted by a statue of a village woman wearing Patola saree of the region. We are very delighted and excited to represent our culture on the Rajpath," he said. Rani Ki Vav or Queen's Stepwell was built by Rani Udayamati as a memorial to her husband King Bhimdev I in the 11th century in Patan district and it was added into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. A senior official in Gujarat Bhawan here said Pankaj Modi is a senior officer in the Gujarat government's Information Department and has travelled to Delhi in that capacity. "Pankajbhai ji our PM's brother and he is representing the Gujarat team for the Republic Day parade. We are very excited it be part of this and doing rehearsals with great vigour. We are looking forward to be on Rajpath," said Foram Patel, a young woman from Gandhinagar and part of the dancing troupe which will accompany the tableau. Besides, the Walled City of Jaipur, a UNESCO world heritage, and the 550th anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev will also be thematically showcased during the Republic Day Parade this year, officials said on Wednesday. Out of the total 22 tableaux, 16 will be of states and UTs and six of ministries, departments and the National Disaster Response Force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has followed the debates that have ensued following the Electoral Commission's (EC) decision to compile a new voters register ahead of the December 7, 2020 general elections. CODEO has diligently assembled and reviewed relevant and available information pertaining to the debate, including statements issued by political parties and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in support of or opposition to the EC's decision. After careful deliberations over the matter at its meeting on Monday January 20, 2020, CODEO has come to see the urgent need for a meeting between the EC and all key election stakeholders, including the political parties and CSOs to discuss the various concerns and help minimize rancor and acrimony over the voters register as the country prepares for the December 2020 elections. Indeed, CODEO agrees with the recent call by the EC's Eminent Persons Advisory Body for an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting to find an amicable solution stand-off over whether or not to compile a new voters register for the December 2020 elections, including overhauling its Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. CODEO believes that the IPAC mechanism has served this country very well over the years and should be a platform to be utilized to address election administration disputes. CODEO makes the following observations regarding the key issues articulated by some political parties and CSOs in opposition to the EC's decision to compile an entirely new voters roll: - Some of the technical justifications for the EC's decision have been contested, and alternative suggestions advanced on how the EC can avoid having to acquire a new IT system for compiling and managing the register. - Value for money issues associated with the EC's procurement process have been raised. - The practice of registering voters every two election cycles is wasteful and must come to an end, particularly as this practice has not addressed some of the underlying challenges associated with the compilation of voters register in Ghana. - There is a high degree of mutual suspicion and mistrust between the ruling and opposition political parties, the bases of which must be laid bare and addressed. Recommendations 1. CODEO believes that given all that has ensued in the recent past regarding public discussions on the matter, the best way to get a resolution around these issues and to move the process forward is by providing an avenue for dialogue and consultation which also recognizes the constitutional mandate of the EC guided by several subsidiary rules to administer and manage the electoral processes in Ghana, and bearing in mind the electoral timetable. At the same time, the EC needs to acknowledge that not all electoral administration and related disputes are just a matter of law, but of political governance which requires transparency, accountability and the building of trust between the Election Management Body (EMB) and all stakeholders, including the general public. In this regard, CODEO urges all stakeholders to engage constructively in an effort to address the issues raised. 2. CODEO is committed to the pursuit of a free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections on December 7, 2020. A credible voters register is essential to laying the foundation for a free and fair elections. CODEO is aware that by convention, the voters register must be ready at least three months to the election date to avoid any constitutional complications. 3. CODEO, thus, welcomes the recommendation of the Eminent Persons Advisory Body of the EC for an extended IPAC meeting to further discuss the issues towards building a national consensus on the way forward. CODEO recommends that the Advisory body extends this engagement to other stakeholders such as CSOs which have raised substantial issues on this matter. CODEO believes it should be possible for stakeholders to ascertain the true state of the EC's IT infrastructure in respect of the existing register, and whether or not it can deliver credible elections on December 7, 2020. Similarly, it should be easy to verify the prices of goods and services being sourced by the EC. 4. CODEO further believes that even if the EC has to proceed with its plans to compile a new register, it is important for the EC to invest time and energy to engage stakeholders and the general public on why it has taken its decisions, share relevant information and address any lingering concerns from stakeholders. This is important in building trust and enhancing the credibility of the EC going into the December election. 5. Finally, it is important for all electoral stakeholders, including the EC, political parties and citizens to work diligently to rid ourselves of the mistrust and suspicion that continue to characterize our electoral process and constantly threaten our democratic stability. Significantly, all stakeholders should ensure that this will be the last election year that the voters register becomes an issue of contestation. The country has made significant progress in its electoral administration over the past two decades for a voters register to always become a matter of dispute in every election year. All stakeholders must be part of a solution that ensures that under age voters and foreigners do not register during these exercises. In that regard, there has to be a credible plan to ensure that even if the EC goes forward with compiling a new register, it will be the last time it physically collects biometric data. Signed: Albert Arhin, National Coordinator, CODEO Dated: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 ITHACA, N.Y. -- An Ithaca College student rode an electric scooter onto the White House grounds Monday to talk to President Donald Trump about fascism, officers said. Bronzert Pedulla-Smith was arrested Monday by the Secret Service and charged with illegally entering the White House grounds in Washington, D.C. Pedulla-Smith told an officer he was on a leave of absence from Ithaca College, where -- according to his LinkedIn profile -- he is a senior. He told the secret service he has bipolar disorder, officers said, and has been having manic episodes. The incident happened at 5:21 p.m. at the intersection of 15th Street and East Street. Pedulla-Smith rode an electric scooter through a restricted area, stopped at a checkpoint and put his kickstand down, a Secret Service officer said in a statement filed in the United State District Court for the District of Columbia. He was then confronted by Officer Brandon Connaughton. What are you doing here? Connaughton said he asked the student. This is a restricted area and you are not allowed to be here. Pedulla-Smith threw his hands in the air, Connaughton said. After he was pulled to a sidewalk and handcuffed, Pedulla-Smith told officers he thought was allowed to be on the White House grounds and wanted to take photos, Connaughton said. He explained that he also wanted to talk to the president about fascism, the officer said. Pedulla-Smith told officers he had taken an Amtrak train Monday to Washington, D.C. after an outpatient visit to a mental health facility in Ithaca, Connaughton said. He said he took the trip to tell Trump he is a fascist and bring him down" in a non-violent manner, the officer said. After his arrest, Pedulla-Smith was taken Sibley Memorial Hospital and given his medications, Connaughton said. He then became quiet, the officer said, and spoke more coherently. Pedulla-Smith has been charged with entering and remaining on grounds without authority. The crime is punishable by fine or up to one year in prison. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Deepika Padukone is at the World Economic Forum being held at Davos, Switzerland where she discussed mental health with WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday. The actor made her presence felt in a black suit paired with diamond jewellery and revealed how she suffered mental illness when she had least expected it. Deepika was praised by Dr Tedros for her openness in dealing with the issue. He shared a picture from their chat on Twitter and wrote, Delighted to discuss #mentalhealth with @deepikapadukone at #wef20. Your openness and vulnerability are helping others to seek help and helping to break down stigma. @WHO look forward to working closely with you. There is no health without mental health. #LetsTalk. The actor later thanked him for his warmth and generosity. Thank You @DrTedros for your warmth and generosity and we look to working together in our efforts to de-stigmatise mental illness and creating awareness regarding mental health.@TLLLFoundation @WHO https://t.co/hxxQlWAVPo Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 21, 2020 Responding to her request for helping get mental health included as a part of the sustainable development goals, Dr Tedros assured that the entire UN system would work for that. Also Watch | Deepika Padukone receives the Crystal award, talks mental health at WEF Davos Deepika Padukone during her appearance at the WEF, Davos 2020. Speaking at the WEF 2020, Deepika said she had to lie for a long time when people asked her a simple question like how are you doing? and she had to reply good. She recalled, Mental illness happened to me when I had least expected it. I was at a professional high, my movies were doing great and I was in an amazing relationship. Everything was going just perfect. One morning when I woke up and I felt all was well, I fainted. Luckily the house help came and saw me on the floor. I was taken to a doctor and I was told it was nothing and probably just some blood pressure fluctuation or something like physical tiredness. Those were the first physical signs. For a long time, I just felt like sleeping, not going out, not meeting people. She went on to add, Luckily, my mother had come to my place and when my parents were packing, I just started crying. She asked me what was it and I had no answer. At that time, my mother told me that I probably needed professional help and thats how I began consulting a psychiatrist. Deepika said she and her family initially didnt feel like telling everyone and letting media know about it. After I was diagnosed with a clinical depression regarding my mental health, I had to even lie when someone asked me how was I doing. I would say, Im great, though I was actually terrible, she said. She went on to add, As I began on my path of recovery, I also understood the stigma attached with the mental health and the need to go public with it. Imagine what would have happened, if my mother had not said that I should a professional help for my problem. I felt that I should do something to help others with their signs and symptoms and that was the reason for going public with my illness and then setting up the Live Love Laugh foundation. Also read: Priyanka Chopra at WEF, Davos: I want my kids to grow up in a world where the world leaders have listened to Gretas generation Stressing on the need to be more aware about mental illness, she said, Are you feeling sadness and a low for a long period of time? You need to understand sadness is transient and depression is for a long period of time. It is very important to share with somebody around you about how you are feeling. It is also important that the people around you dont dismiss it as attention-seeking or some small thing. It is important for caregivers to encourage people to seek help. She also spoke about how in our country, parents are not comfortable with taking their children for professional help. At times, it is other way round too when parents want to take, but children do not want to seek medical help or consultation. I want every person experiencing mental illnesses to know that you are not alone - because there are no obvious physical symptoms. You feel like you are the only one going though this, and it comes with a lot of guilt, she said. For humanity, she said that people must realise that there are some fundamental things that need to change such as a notion that men are not supposed to have mental illness. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more By Laila Kearney and Stephanie Kelly PHILADELPHIA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Third-generation Philadelphia oil refinery worker Lee Murray wore his late father's hard hat every day of the 25 years he spent there. A colleague gave it to him on his first day on the job, only months after the older Murray died, an act emblematic of the tight bond workers forged at the East Coast's oldest and largest oil refinery. "I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. Plus, it was one of the higher-paying jobs in the area with just a high school diploma," said Murray, 54, who was a unit operator. The hard hat now sits on a shelf, and Murray has moved from his roots a short drive from the refinery complex for work more than 300 miles (480 km) away, near Pittsburgh. He, along with more than 1,000 coworkers, was thrust into a shrinking East Coast refining market after refiner Philadelphia Energy Solutions shut down following a colossal fire on June 21. Those workers accounted for about half of Pennsylvania's roughly 2,000 oil refining jobs, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. The massive complex, located less than three miles (4.8 km) from downtown Philadelphia, is empty but for a handful of caretakers watching over the site. The complex is now slated to be sold to Chicago-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners for $240 million, but the chances that it reopens as a refinery are slim. While the U.S. economy has been growing steadily for several years, oil refining employment has slipped as automation and the shuttering of plants has bit into the industry. Refining jobs are down by nearly 8% nationwide since 2009, according to BLS figures. The U.S. Gulf Coast is the one region that has seen a surge in oil industry employment, presenting PES workers with the difficult choice of staying local for jobs that pay less, or moving hundreds of miles away. Workers who have stayed in Philadelphia have left the industry or dipped into retirement savings to pay bills while looking for work. Story continues "It's a tough industry to be in unless you're in Houston and willing to live down there," said Rich Francis, 28, a former PES gasoline trader. His wife requires continued medical care for a kidney condition, which had been covered by company health insurance. He ended up leaving the industry to remain near family, who can help during emergency hospital visits. The process of finding a job has been worsened by the terms of PES layoffs that cut off health benefits two months after the fire. PES liquidated its group medical insurance plan under a provision allowed for companies in bankruptcy to save costs. That blocked dismissed workers from temporary health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), according to a document seen by Reuters. The lack of health insurance has made the job search more urgent for PES's unionized workforce, whose average age was in the 50s, according to a 2016 study by the United Steelworkers' local. "It was really a kick in the teeth," said Mike Gioquindo, 56, who was laid off after 13 years at PES, leaving his family without healthcare coverage for several months. He is now receiving benefits from his new job in public transportation, but took a 30% to 40% pay cut. The 335,000-barrel-per-day plant was the third major East Coast refinery to close since 2008. Crude processing capacity in the region has dropped by 50% in the last 10 years to roughly 1.5 million bpd, according to iirenergy.com data. (Graphic: U.S. East Coast refining capacity plummets - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/13/882/880/U.S.%20East%20Coast%20refining%20capacity%20plummets.png) Ryan O'Callaghan, the former local union head at PES, who worked there for 14 years, dropped his daughter off at her first day at a new college the day the refinery closed. O'Callaghan is looking to shift careers to stay near his family. "It's like being in the twilight zone," he said. (Reporting by Laila Kearney and Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Dan Grebler) Press Release 22 January 2020 The restaurant industry is undergoing a staffing crisis, with employee turnover rates as high as 150%. What can restaurateurs starting a food business do to put an end to the cycle? Advertisements THE FOODSERVICE TURNOVER CRISIS Globally, the food & dining industry is going through a golden age. Restaurants are thriving, and the marketplace is booming with ambitious young entrepreneurs opening new dining concepts left and right. And while growth and job creation is great news for the industry, it's also caused an alarming gap in the availability of good restaurant talent - who now have the ability to go wherever they want, whenever they want, and practically name their price. Estimates say that at the start of 2019, employee turnover rates for the foodservice industry were as high as 75%, meaning restaurants can expect to lose three out of four employees over the course of a year. In the quick-service industry, this rate can be as high as 130-150%. And surprisingly, it's not restricted to certain job profiles, either. Restaurant Insider reported that 42% of front-of-house employees leave within the first three months, and that 43% of managers leave within a year. HOW IT'S AFFECTING BUSINESSES Employee turnover is one of the single biggest costs for restaurant owners. Estimates say that businesses are losing an estimated $3,500 every time an employee leaves. And that's just the cost of hiring and training a new member of staff. A shortage of staff also heavily impacts the performance of the business, and the well-being of those who stay behind. As employers seek to fill in the gap, other staff members have to compensate to keep things running (somewhat) smoothly - and burnouts and walk-outs are almost inevitable. It's actually not uncommon for the departure of one staff member to trigger others to follow suit. But what about the diners? Unfortunately, diners can always feel when there's a shortage in staff - whether it be in lackluster food, poor or inconsistent service or reduced opening hours - and we all know what happens when customers get disgruntled. It's no wonder, then, that many restaurants - especially fast food restaurants - are turning to robots and ordering kiosks to automate the process. In fact, experts predict that fast food will be one of the first job sectors ruled by robots. BUT WHY ARE THEY LEAVING? There are several factors driving the churn of employees in the restaurant business. Seasonality plays a big role. A lot of restaurants hire additional staff to bulk up for the summer months - when everyone's out and about, enjoying their lives and hitting up patios. But once fall comes around, most of these temporary employees head back to school or move on to other jobs, which inevitably leads to a big reduction in headcount. A lot of restaurants hire young staff Teenagers or young college students - who are only looking for a temp job to earn some extra money. In fact, research shows that the restaurant industry employs about 1/3 of all working teens, who usually only work part-time or when their schedule allows it. So they're not really in it for the long run, either. The food service industry is booming Then there's the fact that industry boom has created so many opportunities for employees to choose from, that many of them develop a 'free agent' mentality where they just jump shop at the slightest bump in the road. How a restaurant is managed also plays a huge role Among the top reasons why employees leave are: They feel underappreciated They don't feel their work is meaningful There's no room for growth They don't agree with the management style They don't get along with their coworkers They're not empowered SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES HAPPY? Netflix, the leading streamer of movies and TV shows in the world, has included six more contemporary Vietnamese feature films to its repertoire. "Choi Voi" (Adrift), "Co Dau Dai Chien" (Battles Of The Brides), "Sieu Trom" (Bitcoin Heist), "Doat Hon" (Hollow), "Lua Phat" (Once Upon A Time In Vietnam), "Thien Menh Anh Hung" (Assassins Sword) are the six new movies that Netflix began streaming Monday. The new movies are from a variety of genres including romantic comedy, drama, fantasy and horror. "Choi Voi" is the story of a new bride who faces intimacy issues while her best friend plots to disrupt her marriage. A "Thien Menh Anh Hung" (Assassins Sword) poster. Photo courtesy of Netflix. "Co Dau Dai Chien" depicts the drama of a couple who must deal with ex-lovers of the groom in their wedding. "Sieu Trom" revolves around a special agent who goes rogue and assembles a team of thieves to catch a shadowy hacker called " The Ghost". "Doat Hon" is about a family preparing to grieve for their presumably drowned daughter, who is found alive, but her spirit appears possessed by another soul. "Lua Phat" tells the story of Dao, who is a warrior-monk and takes up arms to protect a village controlled by a villain. "Thien Menh Anh Hung" reflects the fate of Nguyen Vu, who vows to have his revenge on the cruel empress after she killed his entire family. Joined by lethal swordswoman Hoa Xuan, Vu takes on the palace guards in a bloody fight to the finish. Netflix launched its Vietnamese language website in October 2019. The companys labor action is yet another part of the series of national protests against President Macrons planned pension reforms. The twist is that, as we know, ballet is not like other professions (dancers bodies wont hold out until age 65), and the Paris Opera Ballets pension system dates back to the 17th century. Dance Magazine Scientists have cracked the secret behind what coffee drinkers around the world have wanted to know for years how to make the perfect cup. Mathematicians and physicists have come together to devise a formula for making a flawless brew as part of a study which has been published in the journal Matter. Dr Jamie Foster, a mathematician from the University of Portsmouth, launched the study after finding that sometimes two shots of espresso, made in seemingly the same way, can taste different. Fosters team created a mathematical theory to describe extraction from a single grain, many millions of which comprise the coffee bed which you would find in the basket of an espresso machine. The conventional wisdom is that if you want a stronger cup of coffee, you should grind your coffee finer, Foster said. Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Show all 17 1 /17 Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan The wood oven is fired at the Princi bakery in the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Starbucks barista Cecilia Cacciatore operates a nitro ice cram maker at the Affogato Station at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Francesco Pirelli crafts a Black & White Manhattan, a specialty cocktail at the Arriviamo Bar in the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan The ceiling is shown at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy. Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan The floor is shown in the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan A latte and iced mocha are shown on the marble bar at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy. Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan A guest explores the interactive augmented reality (AR) experience at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan The "clacker board" is shown at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan The open cask is shown at the Starbucks Roastery in Milan Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Starbucks coffee roaster Francis Howard roasts coffee at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Starbucks chairman emeritus Howard Schultz and Liz Muller, Starbucks senior vice president and chief design officer are photographed in the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Starbucks barista Gabriel Sebastian Denes works at the siphon brewing station at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Starbucks chairman emeritus Howard Schultz is shown at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, Italy Starbucks Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan Inside Starbucks first Italian store: the Reserve Roastery, Milan "This makes sense because the finer the grounds mean that more surface area of coffee bean is exposed to water, which should mean a stronger coffee." However, the researchers found that coffee became more "reliable" from cup to cup when using fewer beans which had been ground more coarsely. Recommended How to get a free coffee at Pret "When beans were ground finely, the particles were so small that in some regions of the bed they clogged up the space where the water should be flowing, Foster explained. These clogged sections of the bed are wasted because the water cannot flow through them and access that tasty coffee that you want in your cup. Instead, the mathematician stated that fewer beans which are ground more coarsely results in a more efficient extraction. He added that this method is also cheaper, because it uses fewer beans and is also kinder to the environment. "Once we found a way to make shots efficiently, we realised that as well as making coffee shots that stayed reliably the same, we were using less coffee, Foster added. According to a spokesperson from the University of Portsmouth, the new recipe has been trialled in a small coffee shop in the United States. Over a period of one year, the coffee shop has reported saving thousands of dollars. Recommended Best manual coffee machines Estimates indicate that scaling this up to encompass the whole US coffee market could save over 1.1 billion US dollars (843 million) per year, said the spokesperson. It is reportedly the first study to use theoretical modelling to study the science of the perfect espresso. Last year, a separate study conducted by researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Harvard Medical School found that drinking coffee just before bed does not affect quality of sleep. The team monitored 785 people for a total of 5,164 days and nights, recording how much caffeine, alcohol and nicotine they consumed as well as sleep duration, sleep efficiency and how quickly participants woke up after drifting off. The study found that while nicotine and alcohol did disrupt sleep with a pre-bed cigarette taking 42 minutes off total duration of sleep for insomniacs (a person who is regularly unable to sleep) caffeine seemed to have no effect. The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu told the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to go ahead and boycott the upcoming national voter registration exercise. Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The NPP scribe says the NDC is being insincere in their decision on the new voters register. While demonstrating, they [NDC] are [also] motivating their people to go out there and register. So, the good people of this country shouldnt be deceived by this deception. READ ALSO: Ghana Air Force plane overruns apron during routine engine run We are waiting for the Electoral Commission to come out with the days and plan for the movement of their machines and the periods for the registration exercise for us to get ourselves registered. If the NDC believes in what they are saying, they should boycott it when it gets to the registration date. Election or registration is not compulsory in this country, he said in an interview on Citi TV. The NDC and some other political parties are opposing the Electoral Commissions decision to create a new voters register ahed of the December 2020 polls. The NDC have already held two demonstrations in Tamale and Kumasi to express their displeasure and disapproval of the move. READ ALSO: ADB to publish names and photos of loan defaulters in the coming weeks Meanwhile there have been mixed reactions from Ghanaians concerning the new voter register. Also some Civil Society Organizations have kicked against the ECs intentions. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana The Electoral Commission has received an approved amount of GHS390 million by Ghanas Parliament for the exercise. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a prophet by name Emmanuel Micah says President Nana Akufo-Addo will lose the 2020 elections because he broke his covenant with God. According to the man of God, the NPP leader will see defeat in the December polls because he failed to build a cathedral for God. Curvy Ghanaian woman steals the show at Kente Party 2019 with her wild dance moves| #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Top NPP economist says government should print money to pay depositors of collapsed banks Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook. Source: YEN.com.gh Hundreds of Central American migrants who entered southern Mexico in recent days have either been pushed back into Guatemala by Mexican troops, shipped to detention centers or returned to Honduras, officials said Tuesday. An unknown number slipped past Mexican authorities and continued north. The latest migrant caravan provided a public platform for Mexico to show the U.S. government and migrants thinking of making the trip that it has refined its strategy and produced its desired result: This caravan will not advance past its southern border. What remained unclear was the treatment of the migrants who already find themselves on their way back to the countries they fled last week. Mexico doesn't have the capacity to process so many people in such a simple way in a couple of days," said Guadalupe Correa Cabrera, a professor at George Mason University studying how the caravans form. The caravan of thousands had set out from Honduras in hopes Mexico would grant them passage, posing a fresh test of U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to reduce the flow of migrants arriving at the U.S. border by pressuring other governments to stop them. Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said 2,400 migrants entered Mexico legally over the weekend. About 1,000 of them requested Mexico's help in returning to their countries. The rest were being held in immigration centers while they start legal processes that would allow them to seek refuge in Mexico or obtain temporary work permits that would confine them to southern Mexico. On Tuesday afternoon, Jesus, a young father from Honduras who offered only his first name, rested in a shelter in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, with his wife and their baby, unsure of what to do next. No country's policy sustains us," he said in response to hearing Ebrard's comments about the situation. If we don't work, we don't eat. (He) doesn't feed us, doesn't care for our children. Honduran officials said more than 600 of its citizens were expected to arrive in that country Tuesday by plane and bus and more would follow in the coming days. Of an additional 1,000 who tried to enter Mexico illegally Monday by wading across the Suchiate river, most were either forced back or detained later by immigration agents, according to Mexican officials. Most of the hundreds stranded in the no-man's land on the Mexican side of the river Monday night returned to Guatemala in search of water, food and a place to sleep. Late Tuesday, the first buses carrying Hondurans left Tecun Uman with approximately 150 migrants heading back to their home country. Mexican authorities distributed no water or food to those who entered illegally, in what appeared to be an attempt by the government to wear out the migrants. Alejandro Rendn, head of Mexico's social welfare department, said his colleagues were giving water to those who turned themselves in or were caught by immigration agents, but were not doing the same along the river because it was not safe for workers to do so. It isn't prudent to come here because we can't put the safety of the colleagues at risk, he said. Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador said Tuesday that the government is trying to protect the migrants from harm by preventing them from traveling illegally through the country. He said they need to respect Mexican laws. If we don't take care of them, if we don't know who they are, if we don't have a register, they pass and get to the north, and the criminal gangs grab them and assault them, because that's how it was before, he said. They disappeared them. Mexican Interior Minister Olga Snchez Cordero commended the National Guard for its restraint, saying: In no way has there been an act that we could call repression and not even annoyance." But Honduras' ambassador to Mexico said there had been instances of excessive force on the part of the National Guard. We made a complaint before the Mexican government, Alden Rivera said in an interview with HCH Noticias without offering details. He also conceded migrants had thrown rocks at Mexican authorities. An Associated Press photograph of a Mexican National Guardsman holding a migrant in a headlock was sent via Twitter by acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli with the message: We appreciate Mexico doing more than they did last year to interdict caravans attempting to move illegally north to our southern border. They absolutely must be satisfied with (Mexico's) actions because in reality it's their (the United States') plan, said Correa Cabrera, the George Mason professor. They're congratulating themselves, because in reality it wasn't Lpez Obrador's plan. She said it is an complicated issue for Mexico, but the National Guard had no business being placed at the border to handle immigration because they weren't trained for it. The government is sending a group that doesn't know how to and can't protect human rights because they're trained to do other kinds of things, she said. Mexico announced last June that it was deploying the newly formed National Guard to assist in immigration enforcement to avoid tariffs that Trump threatened on Mexican imports. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Built by Harland and Wolff, the Titanic was the largest and most luxurious passenger vessel of its time and described as "unsinkable" (AFP Photo/PETER MUHLY) Britain on Tuesday hailed a new treaty with the United States that seeks to protect the wreck of the Titanic from damage by explorers and tourists. The remains of the ship lie largely intact 2.5 miles (4km) below the surface of the north Atlantic Ocean, after it hit an iceberg in 1912. But there have been growing concerns about visitors taking artefacts, leaving rubbish and even placing plaques in memory of the 1,500 people who died. An international treaty to limit access was signed by Britain in 2003 but only ratified by the United States in November last year. During a visit to Belfast in Northern Ireland, where the Titanic was built, British maritime minister Nusrat Ghani said it was a "momentous agreement". It meant the site "will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives", she said, according to a government statement. "The UK will now work closely with other North Atlantic States to bring even more protection to the wreck of the Titanic." Built by Harland and Wolff, the Titanic was the largest and most luxurious passenger vessel of its time and described as "unsinkable". It set sail on its maiden voyage from the English port of Southampton on April 10, 1912, bound for New York but it never arrived. The ship, carrying around 2,224 passengers, hit an iceberg on April 15, broke apart and sank to the bottom of the ocean. The wreck was discovered in September 1985 about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, in Canada. Several countries have been negotiating an international deal to protect it since then, while it is also protected by UNESCO. Britain and the US have now both passed legislation giving them the power to grant or deny licences authorising people to enter the hull sections of the Titanic and remove artefacts, UK officials said. The executive director of Pride Toronto has left the job effective last Wednesday, the organization has announced. An emailed statement on Tuesday from Tom Spence of the Pride communications team did not provide a reason for Olivia Nuamahs departure. But a source close to Pride said the board of directors has decided to take the organization in a different direction that is closer to the community and less about politics. Nuamah said she enjoyed her time at Pride, but it was the right time to leave. Ive steered them through a difficult time, got them out of debt, tried to create stability, feel that I was able to achieve all of those things, she said. Hired by Pride Toronto in 2017, Nuamah held the job during a controversial period in the organization and the LGBTQ community, which was shaken by the murder of eight men with ties to Torontos gay village amid criticism of police handling of the disappearances and killings. She was criticized by some members of the community for suggesting that uniformed police be allowed to participate again in the annual Pride parade after they were excluded following a 2016 protest of police participation by Black Lives Matter. But in a narrow vote in early 2019, the Pride membership decided that police would not be welcome at the parade for at least two years. An auditors report in the summer of 2018 found Pride was $700,000 in debt and suggested that it needed new sources of revenue. Nuamah said that government grants, lower spending and sponsorships from the biggest parade in a number of years, helped put Pride on a more balanced financial footing. What I hope I was able to do was at least position Pride Toronto as an organization that truly represents some of the more vulnerable voices inside the LGBTQ community, she said. Nuamah, 47, was raised in Torontos Moss Park neighbourhood and has an undergraduate degree in international development and social anthropology at the University of Toronto. She also has a PhD in computer science that she earned after leaving the job of executive director and secretary to the board of the Atkinson Charitable Foundation between 2010 and 2012. The foundation was founded by Star publisher Joseph Atkinson in 1942. The 39-year-old Pride parade attracts about 1.7 million people to the downtown each June, according to the Pride website. Pride thanked her for her service and went on to say that the group would soon be releasing a timeline for the search for a new executive director. It said that the timeline will include multiple opportunities and mechanisms for the membership and the communities we serve to provide input and authentic engagement into what the skills, experience, priorities and passion of the next executive director should be. EP Global Opportunities Trust plc (the "Company") Total Voting Rights As a result of the purchase of 25,000 Ordinary 1p shares placed into Treasury on 22 January 2020 and in conformity with Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1A, the issued share capital and voting rights of the Company are as follows: Class of share Total number of shares in circulation Number of voting rights attached to each share Total number of voting rights of shares in circulation Number of shares held in treasury (carrying no voting rights attached until issued) Total number of shares in issue Ordinary 1p Shares 40,887,725 1 40,887,725 23,621,917 64,509,642 The above total voting rights figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interest in EP Global Opportunities Trust plc under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. 22 January 2020 LEI: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58 Enquiries: Kenneth Greig Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited Tel: 0131 270 3800 The Company's registered office address is: 27-31 Melville Street Edinburgh EH3 7JF The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday, alleged that some foreign countries were sabotaging the efforts of the commission in its fight against corruption in Nigeria. Mr Magu made the allegation while speaking with journalists during an official visit to the Ibadan zonal office of the commission. Although Mr Magu did not mention any specific country, he said the commission would not be frustrated especially in the case a former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who has been indicted for graft. and is currently in the UK. We are collaborating with everybody including Nigerians in the diaspora, Mr Magu said. We have collected a lot of information so as to expose the looters for them to return their loots. For instance, there is a sabotage from foreign partners about the trial of a former Petroleum Minister, Alison Madueke, because they (foreign nations) are giving her protection. Mr Magu also said the commission is working with foreign security outfits to bring back the indicted official. We have relations with the FBI and CIA. She (Madueke) will be brought down to Nigeria for the continuation of her trial this year because there is no reason for keeping her. She has not been taken to court for the past five years of her trial. Why should one issue be investigated for five years, this is a straight forward case. It is a financial crime case. This is a straight forward case, if they dont have enough evidence, she should be brought back home for trial. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mrs Alison-Madueke was arrested in the UK where she fled to in 2015 following after the then president, Goodluck Jonathan, lost the presidential election. She is being investigated for money laundering in the UK, an investigation Mr Magu referenced as taking too long. In Nigeria, the EFCC has named her in various corruption trials while properties worth billions of naira have been seized from her. Whistle-blowing The EFCC boss noted that the whistle-blower policy of the federal government is still Nigerian Newsactive explaining that it had slowed down considerably due to court processes involved in the entire process of recovering loot. On the recent raid of suspected internet fraudsters in a night club in Ibadan, Mr Magu said the commission did not only seek to arrest them but also rehabilitate them into the society. He said this is because these are small and intelligent youth who are still useful to the society. We (only) go against the fraudsters who made their money illegally, and we only do that when we have actionable intelligence, he said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how many Nigerians criticized the EFCC for arresting dozens of young men at a club in Ibadan over allegations they were involved in internet fraud. Jennifer Packet took home top prize at Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant held at Vancouver Convention Centre Dec. 4. First runner up was Winnie Zheng, who also won Vancouver Laser and Skin Care Most Charming Award and Pure Heart and Spirit Award. Second runner up was Danni Jia. Beauty Court Sparkling New Star award went to Xin Wen. Candice Zhang won Luk Fook Jeweller Miss Photogenic award and 3 Fish Best Posture Award. Andrea Zang won the Richmond Anti-Aging Clinic Best complexion award. Fairchild Television donated $460,000 to the BC Cancer Foundation for the surface-guided radiation therapy. Masters of Ceremonies included Delon Lew, comedian B Chiu and Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant 2017 second runner up Tingting Niu. Judges included celebrity chef Chengxin Wei and World Natural Bodybuilding Champion Kenneth Lo and Canadian Immigrant Award winner Marquis Lung. The 10 final contestants performed in various arts, including singing, folk dancing, Latin dancing, belly dancing, modern dancing, calligraphy, playing instruments while singing. They als performed a fusion dance routine incorporating Chinese Taichi and Western social dance elements. Police officers have been criticised for spending their time litter-picking instead of fighting crime. Dozens of images on social media show PCs and PCSOs carrying bin bags and scooping up litter during their shifts all over the UK, including Cardiff, Bradford and London. Much of it is volunteer work, but some PCSOs are involved in 'community engagement' and go into schools to help litter-pick with primary school pupils. However, some have criticised the practice, saying removing waste from the streets should be the job of councils and not uniformed officers. Glasgow Police PC joins school pupils in picking up litter in the city - though some have criticised the practice Some forces say the practice helps give a 'police presence' - but locals say that presence should be used to combat things like burglary and anti-social behaviour. Pete Thomas snapped two police officers with litter-grabbing utensils and pink plastic bags during their shift in Cardiff. The 52-year-old was walking through Canton last week when he saw a police officer and a police community support officer holding the bags. Officials have since said the the pair were taking part in a community event. But Mr Thomas said the sight of uniformed police officers armed with a bin bag and litter pickers sent out the wrong message. Mr Thomas, who lives in nearby Ely, said: 'I said to the officers ''Should you be out there catching crime instead of picking up litter?''. 'I don't want to be odd or demeaning but it looks odd and strange. Some forces say the practice of helping schools and local people pick up litter helps give a 'police presence' Police officers helping young pupils at Rodbourne Cheney Primary School pick up litter 'People shouldn't be dropping litter in the first place but it should be down to council services not the police, it's wrong. 'If they're walking down the street and a crime happens are they going to be running with litter pickers and bags in their hands? It would look like a joke.' Another resident said: 'Why don't community workers do this and police do important things like catching thieves? 'Then the thieves can do community work picking up litter and save the taxpayer some money.' Although the site of the PC and the PCSO may have looked strange to passers-by, South Wales Police insist the activity was worthwhile. PC Jon Edwards, from the Canton neighbourhood policing team, said: 'Community engagement is a key part of policing, and we are hoping to further strengthen the relationships we have with local people, groups and partner organisations. 'Today's community-run event was a great chance to do exactly that, while at the same time doing our bit to keep our local area tidy - and providing a visible police presence. It was also an opportunity to hear from members of the community about any concerns they may have.' There are dozens of other pictures online that show police cleaning the streets. Shibden Head Primary Academy in Queensbury, Bradford, tweeted: 'Year 3 were doing their bit for the community this week. 'Thank you to the PCSO team @bradfordmdc for leading our community litter pick up. 'Waste land tidied, and some beggars offered support with a view to re-homing.' South Yorkshire's Neighbourhood Police account for South East Sheffield posted a picture of a youngster with a PCSO who was helping with a tidy-up. The tweet read: 'We love this photo! After our litter picking session this morning in Handsworth this guy made a beeline for PCSO Briggs to say thank you and to give him a high five.' Other shots show PCSOs in Smethwick, West Mids, Roath Park in Cardiff, Bradford, Rodbourne Cheney Primary School in Swindon, Wilts, and police cadets in Hounslow removing waste. In Wales' Rhondda Valley, PCSO Savage snapped himself collecting litter with police youth volunteers while at Uphill Primary School in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, so called 'mini police' - or young police volunteers - had help litter-picking from officers. PC Honeyman of Glasgow South West Police took several selfies as she helped pupils from two schools clear up alleyways and paths near their schools. And in response to a Keep Riverside Tidy campaign in Cardiff showing PCSOs litter-picking, one resident said: 'You would never see the police in Hathershaw doing that...never.' Two uniformed officers posted Twitter pictures of themselves bagging up roadside rubbish on an industrial estate in Penrith, Cumbria. A tweet read: 'Please use bins provided, please don't litter, please pick up!' Police and PCSOs can issue fines to those who litter if they witness the rubbish being dropped. A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said of the images taken in Glasgow: 'It is part of the remit of a campus officer to engage with the school children. 'These pics show the campus officer engaging with the school children whilst at the same time improving the educational and social environment for the pupils and that of the local community.' Iran said it had asked the US and France for equipment to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian airliner. Photo: AP Iran said it had asked the US and France for equipment to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian airliner, potentially angering countries which want them analysed abroad. Canada, which lost 57 of its citizens among the 176 people killed in the crash, has said France should handle the flight data and voice recorders as one of the few nations with the capability. Kiev wants the recorders sent to Ukraine. The US-built Boeing 737 flown by Ukraine International Airlines was shot down in error on January 8. Tehran, already embroiled in a stand-off with the US over its nuclear programme that erupted into tit-for-tat military strikes this month, has given mixed signals about whether it would hand over the recorders. An Iranian aviation official had said on Saturday that the black boxes would be sent to Ukraine, only to backtrack a day later, saying they would be analysed at home. A further delay in sending them abroad is likely to increase international pressure on Iran, whose military said it shot the plane down by mistake while on high alert in the tense hours after Iran fired missiles at US targets in Iraq. Iran, which took several days to acknowledge its role in bringing down the plane and faced street protests at home as a result, launched its missiles at US targets in response to a US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on January 3. "If the appropriate supplies and equipment are provided, the information can be taken out and reconstructed in a short period of time," Iran's civil aviation organisation said in its second preliminary report on the disaster. On Monday, the nation honored the towering legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But the progress he demanded remains unfinished, and nowhere more than in the deeply segregated neighborhoods many of us call home. Dr. King understood that where a person lives determines so many of their opportunities, including access to good jobs, schools, health care, food and safety. Barely a week after Dr. Kings assassination, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act with overwhelming bipartisan support in recognition of this truth. In the more than 50 years since its passage, the Fair Housing Act has helped fight discrimination in mortgage lending, zoning restrictions that prevent people from being able to choose where to live, and local landlord abuses. In 1973, the United States government used it to charge Fred Trump and his son, our current president, with housing discrimination. Rather than fight those charges, the Trumps signed a consent decree requiring changes to the way they managed their properties. The Fair Housing Act was the only backstop for the people the Trump family discriminated against, and now the Trump administration is seeking to gut its protections. Key to those protections are two principles established by Congress and enforced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where I was secretary under President Barack Obama. The first is disparate impact, which makes clear that policies or practices that discriminate against people of color or other protected groups are illegal even without proof they are intentional. For example, if white couples are regularly approved for mortgages but black couples with the same qualifications are rejected, the bank must fix their loan process, even if its employees didnt have racist intentions. Under disparate impact, its the results that matter. The second is a mandate that communities affirmatively further fair housing, which requires government to promote greater opportunity and integration as well as fight discrimination. For example, if a citys affordable housing is all located in black neighborhoods with failing schools, limited transportation, and poor health care, that city must make an effort to fix the problems in those neighborhoods and build new affordable housing in other neighborhoods, in addition to ensuring theres no racial discrimination when any of the individual apartments are rented out. As reports of the deadly coronavirus rapidly increase airports around the world have taken precautions, and now, the city of that is believed to be the center of outbreak is taking major measures to contain the deadly virus. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Chinese authorities are closing off planes or trains leaving the city of Wuhan starting on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time. Although the announcement, which was made well past midnight could derail Lunar New Year plans, authorities insisted that the swift action would effectively cut off the transmission of the virus, resolutely curb the spread of the epidemic, and ensure the safety and health of the people. Later, Reuters reported that neighboring city of Huanggang also suspended transportation. Ahead of the city's transportation being closed off, Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific annouced they were allowing their employees to begin wearing surgical masks to work and In a memo to employees this week, obtained by One Mile at a Time, the airline announced the new health and safety measures, including distribution of face masks and antiseptic wipes at the boarding gate for flights from Wuhan (the epicenter of the outbreak) to Hong Kong. Flight attendants and crew members of the airline are now permitted to wear surgical masks on all flights, per their request. "Our frontline staff are reminded to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene, and to remain alert and vigilant while being on the lookout for passengers presenting with infectious disease symptoms," the memo read. A staff member checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau. | ANTHONY WALLACE/Getty Images Passengers and staff at the Luohu railway station have put on masks in Shenzhen, China. | Barcroft Media/Getty Images The Chinese government has reported over 400 cases of the coronavirus, with at least 17 people dead, according to The Associated Press. On Tuesday, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that a man in Seattle, Washington had contracted the disease. In Hong Kong, additional cleaning and disinfection measures have been ordered for planes and trains. Surveillance has also increased. At Seoul Airport in South Korea, health officials are screening all passengers arriving from Wuhan, using ear thermometers to check their temperatures. Thermal screening has also expanded in India. Story continues Airports around the world including in the UK and Australia are doing additional health screenings for travelers arriving from central China. Flights to Australia are being met by health personnel, who are distributing pamphlets in Chinese and English describing the symptoms of the disease. A man in Brisbane was placed in isolation after developing a respiratory illness after traveling to Wuhan but is recovered. At Heathrow Airport in London enhanced monitoring is enacted for all flights arriving to the UK from Wuhan, according to The Independent. Inflight announcements on flights from Wuhan will also inform passengers of safety measures and what to do if they start to feel unwell. Members of Public Health England will meet passengers who report illnesses and conduct health screenings upon arrival. "The welfare of our passengers and colleagues is always our main priority and we are working with the government to support the implementation of enhanced monitoring measures as a precaution, a spokesperson for Heathrow said in a statement to Sky News. "We would like to reassure passengers that the government assesses the risk of a traveler contracting coronavirus to be low. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States has also set up screening points at airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York for travelers from China. Those who are traveling to Wuhan, China should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms, Public Health England advised. Early symptoms include runny nose, cough and headache. The disease could advance to cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses, including pneumonia. The 2020 Fine Homebuilding House Connecticut "This opportunity to cover the Greenwich remodel is a natural progression of our commitment to use on-the-job-site experiences to educate professionals on quality design and purposeful building aspirations, and advance the conversation on home-remodeling choices." - FHB's Renee Jordan Fine Homebuilding is the trusted industry leader in providing residential building and design information for professional builders, architects, and designers, as well as hands-on homeowners. Today, the company announces one of its most progressive initiatives to date: The 2020 Fine Homebuilding House remodel project in Greenwich, Connecticut. For the first time, the Fine Homebuilding House will feature a complete gut-remodel. Past Fine Homebuilding Houses have been new-construction, demonstration-home showpieces, but the 2020 project will transform a 1940s traditional colonial into a contemporary farmhouse with clean modern lines. Inside the house, all three levels will be stripped back to the studs and the floor plans will be reconfigured for 21st-century living. The new house places the kitchen at the center of the home with an open floor plan for entertaining while also adding a home office, media room, and guest quarters. Updated with exceptional craftsmanship and upscale finishes, the 6-bedroom, 7-full-bath house will be comfortable in every sense of the wordfrom the high-end kitchen and spa-like bathroom suite to the high-performance building envelope. Air-sealing, insulation, and efficient mechanical systems paired with a solar array will bring an 8,000-square-foot house, originally built in the age of cheap energy, to complete net-zero-energy consumption. Sean Groom, project manager of the Fine Homebuilding House Connecticut remodel, notes that the project has two intertwined goals: The clients aim of recreating the house with their contemporary design aesthetic and configured for modern living includes retrofitting the house to high-performance building standards. The entire team recognizes the importance of improving the energy performance of existing housing stock. Bringing Passive House building techniques and efficiency to an 80-year-old house while updating it with careful craftsmanship and luxurious finishes, is the ideal remodeling outcome. MORE THAN ANOTHER SHOW HOME - INNOVATIVE LEADERS WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD BETTER-PERFORMING HOMES Fine Homebuildings mission with the 2020 Fine Homebuilding House remodel is to showcase building education and elevate the knowledge of best construction practice, along with the products and processes chosen to fit the system of the house to achieve energy and overall performance goals as well as high-end design. Justin Fink, editorial director of Fine Homebuilding, adds: Weve raised the bar higher and higher on each of the past four Fine Homebuilding House projects, but this years remodel will be our best yet. The audience will have a chance to follow the entire nine-month-plus deep energy retrofit in video, week by week, from start to finish, with extensive coverage. Fine Homebuilding has teamed up with the local, Ridgefield, Connecticut, boutique firm Trillium Architects. Principal architect and founder, Elizabeth DiSlavo, is renowned for designing energy-efficient, environmentally responsible, healthy homes. The firm brings a refined aesthetic sensibility and deep understanding of materials and energy performance to each project and has been recognized nationally and internationally for its high-performance houses. In addition, the 2020 Fine Homebuilding House will be remodeled by frequent Trillium Architects collaborator, BPC Green Builders of Wilton, Connecticut. Founded by brothers Mike and Chris Trolle, this team has built the first PHIUS-certified Passive House in Connecticut and have gone on to build many PHIUS- and LEED-certified projects that have won national and state awards for their energy performance and building innovation. Renee Jordan, publisher of Fine Homebuilding, elaborates on the importance of this project, this opportunity to cover the Greenwich remodel is a natural progression of our commitment to use on-the-job-site experiences to educate professionals on quality design and purposeful building aspirations, and advance the conversation on home-remodeling choices. We are storytellers, and are excited to see this one come to life across all of our media platforms, not only for our audiences, but also for our partners who are bringing their commitment to innovation and sustainability in the building industry to this project. Brands that are interested in being integrated and featured in this exceptional home remodel are invited to reach out to associate publisher, Noelle Kennedy, at NKennedy@taunton.com or 203- 304-3530. About Fine Homebuilding Fine Homebuilding is the most trusted and authoritative resource for the residential construction and remodeling community. We uniquely source our content from the job sites and design offices of the most qualified and talented builders and designers in the industry to empower a global workforce with the ability to create the most advanced homes possible. Driven by the ethos that exceptional homes are possible, and that craftsmanship is an honorable and worthy pursuit, Fine Homebuilding has become the brand for skilled practitioners, deeply knowledgeable enthusiasts, industry influencers, and forward-thinking companies who are collectively committed to shaping the way we build. http://www.finehomebuilding.com With the #KeepCraftAlive campaign, Fine Homebuilding is leveraging all of its resources to bring awareness to the skills gap cause, partnering with industry organizations and influencers to build awareness of the skills training and educational opportunities that exist in this country, and funding student scholarships with SkillsUSA to support those who want to pursue a path in the trades. Fine Homebuilding is committed to celebrating the value of true craftsmanship in all trades in order to influence the cultural narrative about what it means to be a respected, successful professional. For more information about Fine Homebuilding and the #KeepCraftAlive initiative, visit http://www.keepcraftalive.org. Philadelphia labor, employment, workers compensation and family law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson is pleased to announce that Thomas M. Gribbin, Jr. and Aneesah El-Amin-Jaamia have been promoted to partner. Since joining the firm, both Tom and Aneesah have demonstrated professional excellence and outstanding leadership and client management, said Managing Partner Deborah R. Willig. I look forward to their continued advocacy as they represent workers in labor union and family matters. An experienced labor law attorney, Gribbin focuses his practice on representing private and public sector labor unions and individual employees. Included among his clients are police, firefighters and correctional officers. He regularly advocates for clients in grievance and interest arbitrations, mediation, administrative proceedings and before state and federal courts. He has a long history of representing clients before the Philadelphia Civil Service Commission and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). He also appears before the Public Employment Relations Commission in New Jersey and the Public Employment Relations Board in Delawarestate equivalents of the NLRBas well as the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. In addition to his law practice, Gribbin serves as deputy mayor and councilman of Hammonton, New Jersey. He holds a bachelors degree from Villanova University and a law degree from Duquesne University School of Law. El-Amin-Jaamia focuses her practice on family law. An associate with the legal services practice group at Willig, Williams & Davidson since 2007, she guides clients through divorce, support, custody, equitable distribution of property, adoption and domestic violence matters. Clients have praised her competence, compassion and clarity. She works most frequently in Philadelphia and the surrounding five-county area as well as in South Jersey. Before joining the firm, El-Amin-Jaamia clerked for the Honorable Susan F. Maven, Superior Court of New Jersey. She holds a bachelors degree from Temple University and later went on to achieve her law degree at Temple Universitys James E. Beasley School of Law. About Willig, Williams & Davidson Willig, Williams & Davidson (http://www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Jenkintown Pa., as well as Haddonfield, N.J., and Chicago, Ill. Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people and their families on a variety of legal fronts, including national, regional and local contract negotiations; election and campaign finance; dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation; family law matters; benefits law design and compliance issues; discrimination, overtime and unpaid wages, and other employment matters; prepaid legal services for union members; social security disability; and workers compensation matters in Philadelphia and beyond. Workers inspire us. The National Weather Service Miami has warned people to watch for falling iguanas, as temperatures are expected to drop into the 40s or even 30s at night freezing the cold-blooded lizards and eventually forcing them to drop from trees. This isnt something we usually forecast, but dont be surprised if you see iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! the service said on Twitter. Iguanas are cold-blooded. They slow down and become immobile when temps drop into the 40s. They may fall from trees, but they are not dead, it continued. Jan 21 This isnt something we usually forecast, but dont be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01 NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020 Iguanas cannot sustain their body temperature and are unable to withstand temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, causing them to go into a kind of slow motion and eventually become completely numb. When temperatures hit below 45 degrees, the animals go into a state of hibernation or cold-stunned state. They become entirely still, and only their most basic vital functions remain in operation. If they are exposed for too longover eight hoursto such cold, they may diebut not before falling out of any trees they happen to be in. The temperature threshold for when iguanas begin to go into a dormant state depends greatly on the size of the iguana, said communications director for Zoo Miami Ron Magill, according to CNN. Generally speaking, the larger the iguana, the more cold it can tolerate for longer periods. Adult males can reach a length of 5 feet and weigh up to 20 pounds, so the risk of a falling iguana is something to be taken seriously. Its not just iguanas that are susceptible to coldsea turtles also reportedly freeze up from time to timebut of course they dont carry the risk of falling from trees. Iguanas are native to the Caribbean, Central, and South America and are considered invasive animals. They have been released and abandoned in southern Florida as a result of the pet trade, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. They have adapted quite well to the mild southern Florida climate and are a nuisance to many property owners as they savage lawns, pools, and waterworks. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission caused outrage among animal lovers during last years cold spell when it encouraged people to kill as many frozen animals as possible, CBS reported. Later it changed its stance, advising having the beasts removed by professionals who do this for a living. Doing it yourself is not advisable as the animals may bite when they thaw out. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Skyrocketing oil and natural gas production in southeastern New Mexico continues to produce record-setting state revenue. A broad coalition of agricultural and environmental groups believe some of that money should help restore the states land and water. Senate Bill 102, the New Mexico Agricultural and Natural Resources Trust Fund Act, would direct a portion of the states oil and gas revenue surplus to a permanent fund for habitat restoration and sustainable agriculture projects in the state. Bill sponsor Sen. Steven Neville, R-Aztec, joined representatives from the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts and several other groups at the Roundhouse on Tuesday to show support for the bill. The bill proposes that $150 million be appropriated from the general fund into an Agricultural and Natural Resources Trust Fund in fiscal year 2021. Interest from public and private investments in the fund would pay for restoration projects. Everything we care about in New Mexico really begins with the well-being of our land and water, and this is an opportunity to reinvest in those resources, said Lesli Allison, executive director of the Western Landowners Alliance. This could give New Mexico a different future. The legislation is modeled on the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust program, which has allocated $97 million since 2005 for river restoration and rangeland improvements. Money in the New Mexico fund could be used to reduce streambed erosion, improve water quality, and restore fire-impacted watersheds. Potential projects also include preserving open space, purchasing conservation easements, enhancing wildlife habitat in areas impacted by residential, energy, mineral or industrial development, managing invasive plant species, and creating healthy soil and other sustainable agriculture projects on private land. The fund could provide state money as a match to qualify for federal conservation grants. People have been caring for this land for generations, and they want to see it protected forever, said Cecilia Rosacker, executive director of the Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust. Our stumbling block has always been funding. The bill would secure long-term funding for habitat preservation projects, instead of fighting for scraps every year, according to Michael Dax, New Mexico representative for Defenders of Wildlife. Some other organizations in support of SB 102 include Trout Unlimited, Audubon New Mexico, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, the Quivira Coalition and Holistic Management International. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Funds worth $2.5 million have been saved through laying electricity lines on the platforms of the Hangam oil field, shared by Iran with Oman, said Behzad Saadati, chief expert in electrical engineering and design issues at the Iranian Offshore Oil Company, Trend reports referring to the companys website. Saadati noted that a new substation had to be built due to the lack of 33 kilovolts of electricity on the Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province. The expert said that this substation will convert 20 kilovolts of electricity into 33 kilovolts. As a result of the research, the possibility of laying power lines to the platform through 33 kilovolt cables via converter stations was determined, Saadati noted. Three platforms related to the Hangam oil field are located 35 kilometers away from the Hangam Island, and upper parts of these platforms are under construction. The Hangam field has reserves of more than 700 million barrels of oil and 566 billion cubic meters (2 trillion cubic feet) of gas. ASEAN countries have become an alluring destination for Chinese-based businesses looking to benefit from the cost-savings of relocating all or part of their... 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Superior Court judges Bradley Letts and Tommy Davis presided. The cases: Terry D. Blankenship, of Mt. Olivet Road, Tuxedo, pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking in methamphetamine, manufacture methamphetamine, maintain vehicle/dwelling/place cs, pwim precursor - meth. Blankenship was sentenced to 100 months in prison. Jesus Hernandez Flores, of 107 Brooks Ave., East Flat Rock, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent liberties with a child, sex act by a parent or custodian. Flores was sentenced to 90 months. Shawn L. Hall, of 129 Pace Creek Road, pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking in opium or heroin, habitual felon. Hall was sentenced to 105 months. Saul A. Hinson, of 262 King Creek Blvd, hendersonville pleaded guilty to felony possession Schedule I drugs, two counts of possession of firearm by felon, two counts of possessession of narcotics in a prison/jail premises. Hinson was sentenced to 54 months. Jonathan L. Joshua, of Robinson Terrace, Hendersonville, pleaded guilty to malicious conduct by a prisoner. Joshua was sentenced to 41 months. Ruth B. Langford, of 48 Nash Lane, pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine, pwimsd methamphetamine, maintain vehicle/dwelling/place cs x2, possess drug paraphernalia x2, simple possession of sch ii cs, habitual felon. Langford was sentenced to 134 months and ordered to pay a fine of $50,000. Zachary M. Rice, of 620 Jonas Street, pleaded guilty to flee/elude arrest with motor vehicle. Rice was sentenced to 20 months. Trent A. Willis, of 569 Solomon Jones Road, Pisgah Forest, pleaded guilty to larceny of motor vehicle. Willis was sentenced to 17 months active. . Opening arguments follow marathon day of debate over the rules of the impeachment trial against Trump. Washington, DC Opening arguments in the United States Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump are set to begin on Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans waged an overnight power struggle over witnesses and evidence. Led by Democratic congressman Adam Schiff, the Houses prosecution team will rely on evidence developed in the Houses impeachment inquiry last year. Were ready to present our case, ready to call witnesses, ready to see the documents, Schiff said in arguments before the Senate on Tuesday. Trump was impeached on December 18 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Schiff and fellow House managers plan to use video clips from 12 witnesses who appeared in House hearings, interspersed with text messages and emails, to build a public timeline of Trumps pressure campaign on Ukraine. Democrats accuse Trump of withholding nearly $400m in US security aid in an attempt to coerce Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to open a sham investigation into Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. House managers are expected to argue Trump imperilled US national security by illegally delaying the aid to Ukraine and, in seeking the Biden investigation, Trump solicited interference by Ukraine in the upcoming US presidential election. Democrats, citing witness testimony, also say Trump withheld a White House meeting Zelenskyy was seeking until the Ukrainian government announced an investigation of Biden. Under US law, the president cannot block the distribution of congressionally approved funds without an explanation to Congress. The Government Accountability Office said the White House broke federal budget law by blocking the funds. Further, it is illegal for Americans to seek foreign contributions of any kind to US political campaigns. At the centre of the impeachment inquiry was a July 25 telephone call between Trump and Zelenskyy, in which Zelenskyy asked to buy US weapons and Trump responded: Do us a favour, though by looking into the Bidens. There is no evidence former Vice President Biden, or his son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, did anything wrong. Trump attended a bilateral meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos [Fabrice Coffrini/AFP] Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump repeated his claims that the call with Zelenskyy was perfect, that there was no pressure applied to Ukraine. He has called the impeachment a hoax and a witch-hunt. Democrats press for witnesses The trial took a contentious turn on Tuesday on its second day as Republicans repeatedly voted to deny Democratic requests for witnesses and documents from the White House. Democrats proposed the Senate issue subpoenas to the White House, the State Department and the Office of Management and Budget for documents and emails. Democrats also asked to subpoena former National Security Adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, among others, to testify in the Senate trial. Trump in Davos said Bolton should not be allowed to testify because of national security concerns. The problem with John is that its a national security problem, Trump said. He knows some of my views on foreign leaders, Trump said. In this image from video, Senators vote on approving the rules for the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate [Senate Television/AP Photo] Republicans defeated 11 Democratic proposals to subpoena documents and people in a series of votes along 53-47 party lines that concluded in the early hours on Wednesday. House managers will have 24 hours of floor time over three days to make their case for Trumps impeachment and removal from office. The presidents lawyers will then have 24 hours over three days to mount a defence. That is a change from the initial two days of arguments for each side that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had proposed. He made the handwritten changes to the House rules resolution abruptly, following objections from Democrats and some Republicans. Nothing wrong Trumps defence team, led by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, gave a preview of what its arguments might look like on Tuesday. Cipollone repeatedly argued the charges against the president did not come close to meeting the US Constitutions standard for impeachment. The only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong, Cipollone said, as he argued in favour of McConnells proposal to decide on whether to allow further witnesses or documents later in the trial. There is absolutely no case, he said. White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaks during opening arguments in the US Senate impeachment trial Trump [US Senate TV/Reuters] After an expected six days of arguments, senators will have 16 hours to submit written questions to the House managers and Trumps defence, after which the Senate will revisit whether to call witnesses. A majority 57 percent of Americans say that House managers should be able to introduce new evidence in the Senate impeachment trial, according to a new poll by Monmouth University. More than half of the American public 53 percent approve of the House of Representatives decision to impeach Trump, while 46 percent disapprove, according to the Monmouth poll. The survey of 903 adults was taken between January 16 and 20 and had a 3.3 percentage-point margin of confidence. With Republicans standing together in defence of Trump, a guilty verdict in the trial is unlikely. The end of this proceeding is going to be an acquittal, Senator Ted Cruz told reporters on Tuesday. Trump is only the third US president to be impeached. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. The case of the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh under both Congress and BJP rule proves that in actual practice, it is the state governments that determine who gets or doesnt get citizenship. Joining the Dots is a weekly column by author and journalist Samrat in which he connects events to ideas, often through analysis, but occasionally through satire *** Arunachal Pradesh, in the easternmost corner of India, is a wild and beautiful land. Much of its hill tracts were unmapped territory even in the early 1900s. Colonial accounts of the time speak of raids by warlike tribes, and military expeditions to map the territory and punish its inhabitants for those raids. It was only through a process of such expeditions, raids and counter-raids that those areas gradually came into the administration of British India with fateful consequences for its inhabitants, and for independent India, because the same territories were and still are claimed by China. Many tribes big and small inhabit Arunachal. One of them is the Chakma tribe. It is a tribe whose inhabitants were resettled there in the 1960s by the Indian government after they fled what is now Bangladesh and was then East Pakistan. Many members of this tribe, whose members are mainly Buddhists, have been struggling to obtain citizenship for decades. Over half a century after migration and two Supreme Court judgments, not a single citizenship application of the Chakmas has been processed, writes activist Suhas Chakma, in an essay in Insider Outsider, an anthology on the topic of belonging in Northeast India of which I was one of two editors. Chakma mentions that there are about 55,000 Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh and over 90 percent of them are citizens of India by birth under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act. However, they are still discriminated against as foreigners and not included in electoral rolls, mainly for the reason that they belong to the Chakma tribe and race, which is violative of the Constitutional mandate of Article 325. Suhas Chakma is one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act, but the Chakmas of Arunachal have found themselves the subject of negative attentions in the state because of concerns there that the CAA will somehow help them get the citizenship that they have so far been denied. It is an irrational fear, given the fact that the state is exempted from the Act along with other states where entry is regulated by the Inner Line Permit, an offshoot of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1873. However, Chief Minister Pema Khandu of the BJP has sought to allay apprehensions by telling the assembly that Arunachal would fight a case in the Supreme Court to deny the Chakmas the citizenship that the Supreme Court itself, in 1996 and again in 2015, had ordered the state to give. The power of states to deny or give citizenship is now moot, since leaders of several states across the country have said they will not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act. The case of the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh under both Congress and BJP rule proves that in actual practice, it is the state governments that determine who gets or doesnt get citizenship. In the case of Arunachal, the reason for denying citizenship to the Chakmas is that although they are tribals, they are not considered indigenous to the state. A similar reasoning, that sees entire states as exclusive homelands for local tribes, is widespread across Northeast India. Last week, there was news about an agreement being signed to enable tribal Bru refugees in Tripura to settle there. These refugees came to Tripura from Mizoram. They had been driven out of there in 1997 because powerful local Mizo organisations had demanded that members of the Bru tribe should be denied voting rights, and then proceeded to ethnically cleanse them out of the state. The Brus, although tribals, were seen as not being indigenous to Mizoram. Chakmas, who also inhabit a part of Mizoram where they have lived since well before Partition, are similarly subjected to discrimination and attempted eviction there as well. This discrimination contrasts powerfully with the regimes of special rights for locals. Thus, in Meghalaya, for example, 80 percent of jobs are reserved for members of the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia tribes. Another 5 percent is reserved for other tribes and Scheduled Castes. Out of 60 assembly seats, 55 are reserved for local tribals. Professor Sanjib Baruah, in his book Durable Disorder had mentioned these facts and gone on to write, While the historical disadvantages that the tribal peoples suffered account for this elaborate protective discrimination regime, the status of non-tribals in Meghalaya as well as in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland where such a protective discrimination regime exists, is best described as that of denizens. In all these states, the rights to land ownership and exchange, business and trade licenses and access to elected office are restrictedOne of the unintended effects of this process of incremental policy-making is that the notion of exclusive homelands, where certain ethnically defined groups are privileged, has become normalised in the region. The Citizenship Amendment Act, through its exclusions for Sixth Schedule areas and states covered by the Inner Line Permit, is the latest example of such incremental policy-making with unintended consequences. It has given further legitimacy to the idea of exclusive ethnically-defined homelands. It has also provoked demands in the areas not already so defined to advance in that direction. Thus, Manipur has been brought under the Inner Line Permit. Assam is now seeing agitations against the CAA whose ultimate aim will be to protect and enhance the privileges enjoyed by those who define themselves as indigenous, while stripping the rights of everyone else. Descendants of labourers who were transported there by the British to work in tea plantations and paddy fields, and of the clerks, traders, porters, sweepers etc who migrated within what was then the same country in search of livelihoods, are still considered outsiders in their birthplaces even after three or four generations. Members of tea tribes living in the border areas of Meghalaya in the Khasi Hills near Sylhet did not have voting rights even as recently as 2017, when I visited there. Descendants of Dalit Sikhs who were transported to Shillong by the British administration when the town was being founded circa 1863-64 faced the outsider tag, and attempts at eviction, as recently as 2018. They live as second or third-class citizens, but like other communities considered non-indigenous, their very presence is unwanted. How many centuries should it take for a denizen of a place to become a citizen with full and equal rights? How long does it take to belong? And if identifying people on the basis of their ethnicity and discriminating against them as groups in a deliberate, organised way generation after generation is not racism, what should we call it? Samrat is an author, journalist and former newspaper editor. He tweets as @mrsamratx Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 16:20 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2060837e5 1 Politics internet-blackout,Papua,West-Papua,Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,racial-abuse Free Civil society groups have filed a lawsuit against President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration over the internet blackout imposed during the weeks of protests in Papua and West Papua last year, arguing that it was substantially and procedurally flawed. The plaintiffs the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) specifically sued the President and the Communications and Information Ministry over the blackout, lodging the case with the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN). They demanded the court declare that the internet blackout which officials argued was to put in place to prevent hoaxes from spreading was flawed in authority, substance and procedure, asking the panel of justices to order the government to refrain from imposing similar measures in the future and to pay the fees incurred by the case. The governments policy of imposing the internet blackout [] is an act against the law [carried out] by a government body and/or government officials, the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit, which was read out by presiding judge Nelvy Christin during the first hearing of the case on Wednesday. The acts of the defendant were flawed in their authority, procedure and substance, the lawsuit proclaimed. The government throttled back internet access in parts of the countrys easternmost provinces on Aug. 19, 2019 between 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. local time, shortly after widespread protests escalated in the regions in response to incidents of racial abuse suffered by Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java. According to the lawsuit, the government imposed a weeks-long blackout between Aug. 21 and Sept. 4, affecting 29 cities and regencies in Papua and 13 cities and regencies in West Papua. Due to the deeds of the defendants, journalists in Papua and West Papua could not do their daily jobs to fulfill the publics rights to information because of the lack of or limited internet access, Nelvy said, reading out the lawsuit. AJI and SAFEnet said they considered the internet blackout to have violated stipulations set out in, among other pieces of legislation, Law No. 39/1999 on human rights and Law No. 40/1999 on the press. For the defendants, only one legal representative from the Communications and Information Ministry attended the hearing on Wednesday. The ministry argued that the governments decision to limit internet access in Papua and West Papua was done according to existing law and the principles of good governance. The hearing was adjourned and is scheduled to resume on Jan. 29 when the judges are to hear arguments presented by a representative of President Jokowi. Editor's note: Paragraph seven of this article has been edited. A major search-and-rescue operation was launched on Wednesday evening for a missing light plane. A mayday call was made about 4.30pm before the aircraft dropped off the radar. The flight path of the Rescue 500 helicopter involved in the search off Moreton Island on Wednesday evening. Credit:FlightRadar24 An Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman said the plane with two people onboard was flying from Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast to Tangalooma on Moreton Island. Two rescue helicopters, the AMSA Challenger jet, a water police boat and Volunteer Marine Rescue vessels from Redcliffe and Bribie Island searched to the north of Cape Moreton into the night. tekashi 6ix9ine Redfern/Michael Campanella via Getty Images A judge ruled that the rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine whose real name is Daniel Hernandez may not serve the remaining 10 months of his two-year sentence in home confinement. Hernandez's lawyer requested that he be moved to home confinement earlier this month, citing concerns that members of the gang he testified against may harm him. The judge wasn't sympathetic, saying a "lesser form of confinement" wasn't acceptable. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Tekashi 6ix9ine may not serve time in home confinement, the judge overseeing his case ruled on Tuesday, dashing the controversial rapper's hopes that he could spend the rest of his two-year prison sentence away from the gang he once betrayed. In December, the rapper whose real name is Daniel Hernandez was sentenced to two years in prison, 13 months of which had already been served at the time, after he pleaded guilty to charges that included racketeering, illegal firearms possession, and aiding in an attempted murder. Hernandez's conviction was part of a larger case brought against members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang. He cooperated extensively with prosecutors, which led them to argue that he should be given a reduced sentence. Lance Lazzaro, Hernandez's attorney, asked the judge earlier this month for his client move to home confinement, arguing that he was unsafe because he shares the private prison with members of the Bloods. Lazzaro said Hernandez would not be safe in a public Bureau of Prisons facility, either, pointing out that his co-conspirator Rolland Martin was "almost killed" in a similar facility "for merely renouncing his membership in the gang." But in a new ruling handed down Tuesday and reviewed by Insider, Judge Paul Engelmayer held firm, saying he already took Lazzaro's arguments under consideration. "The Court's determination was, and is, that a 24-month prison sentence is necessary in this case," Engelmayer wrote. "A shorter sentence would disserve the assembled [factors], including that Mr. Hernandez's sentence reflect the seriousness of his crimes. A modification of Mr. Hernandez's sentence along the lines that he proposes, which would eliminate the remaining prison component of his sentence in favor of lesser forms of confinement, would similarly be insufficient to respect the [factors]." Story continues In addition to his remaining two-month prison sentence, Engelmayer had also ruled that Hernandez must complete 300 hours of community service and pay a $35,000 fine. Read the original article on Insider Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:00:33|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close Zhao Yanbo, Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, speaks during an event to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana, on Jan. 21, 2020. Chinese Embassy in Botswana celebrated the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in Gaborone on Jan. 21. The event also marked the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua) GABORONE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Embassy in Botswana celebrated the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in Gaborone on Jan. 21. The event also marked the Chinese Lunar New Year. Speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, Zhao Yanbo, said the two countries adhere to an independent foreign policy of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. "We each view the other's development as our own opportunity, and we each seek to promote the other's development and prosperity through closer cooperation." "In the meantime, as guardians of the international order and champions of multilateralism, we share broad consensus on international affairs and are both committed to upholding the common interests of developing countries," he said. China has rendered within its capacity, assistance for Botswana's economic and social development, including helping build the Botswana Defense Force. More than 40 China-aid projects in Botswana cover a wide range of areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, education, health and housing. "In the past four decades China has dispatched 15 medical teams with a total of over 500 doctors and nurses to Botswana, providing medical care and treatment to local patients. We have also sponsored thousands of Botswana citizens in various sectors for study or training in China," said Zhao, adding that the relations are at a new historic starting point blessed with important opportunities for stronger growth. For her part, Botswana's Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Unity Dow, said Botswana attaches high importance to relations with China and is proud to be celebrating four and a half decades of fruitful friendship and cooperation, which has expanded and deepened under the guidance of both countries' successive leaders. "We have benefitted and continue to benefit from each other's successes in many ways," stated Dow. The leaders in two countries are very clear in their intentions to strengthen the Botswana-China partnership, said Dow. To date, the two countries have over 30 bilateral agreements and Memoranda of Understanding covering social, economic, technical and technological cooperation, as well as human resource development. Botswana and China have witnessed an increased growth in areas of development including trade and investment, tourism as well as people-to- people interaction. Botswana also appreciates the important role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as a vital framework that contributed to efforts of advancing the cause of Africa's socioeconomic development. Lisa Nandy and Piers Morgan had a blazing row over the press coverage of Meghan Markle this morning as the Labour leadership candidate said the ITV presenter had never faced 'ingrained prejudice'. Mr Morgan insisted the Duchess of Sussex had not been unfairly treated by the British media. But Ms Nandy, who is fighting to replace Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the Labour Party, said he was wrong. She also claimed Mr Morgan was 'not in a position to understand' people who have suffered prejudice. Ms Nandy said of the ongoing row over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex: 'It has not shown the British media in its best light which is a shame because there are large sections of the British media including local papers that are really decent. But Mr Morgan interrupted and said 'I would take issue with that' to which Ms Nandy replied: 'I know you will, Piers.' Lisa Nandy today told Piers Morgan he 'never had to deal with ingrained prejudice' and as a result he was 'not in a position to understand people who have' Referring to a letter written by the Duke and Duchess about alleged press intrusion, Mr Morgan continued: 'I thought that letter was ridiculous. 'I thought it didn't bear any relation to the reality which is Meghan Markle has had exactly the same level of treatment as someone like Kate Middleton, for example, good and bad in equal measures. 'If you are a member of the royal family you get acres of press coverage. 'I would say 70 per cent of the Meghan coverage has been positive, 30 per cent has been negative. 'She just doesn't like the negative stuff. It has got nothing to do with her skin colour, nothing to do with her gender. 'It is just they have done stuff that the British public and the media reflect British public opinion most of the time, just thought was wrong.' Ms Nandy then hit back during her appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain programme and said: 'Well, if you don't mind me saying, how on earth would you know? 'As somebody who has never had to deal with ingrained prejudice you are not in a position to understand people who have.' Ms Nandy is one of four people in the running to be the next Labour leader. Her campaign was given a major boost yesterday after she won the support of the centrist GMB union, paving the way for her to make it onto the final ballot paper. Today she set out her leadership vision but she risked Labour moderate fury as she said Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had allowed Thatcherism principles to continue during the New Labour government. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I'm not going to trash the legacy of the last Labour government because things like the minimum wage were complete game-changers in towns like Wigan, and the investment that went into health and education was really important. 'But it is certainly true to say that the consensus that Thatcher built lasted all the way through the New Labour years. 'I came into politics after 10 years working in the voluntary sector with homeless teenagers, first of all, and then with child refugees. Mr Morgan told Ms Nandy he believed the press treatment of Meghan Markle had been 70 per cent positive 'And the reason I did was out of frustration with a system under the last Labour government that took small amounts from people at the very top of the system and handed it with conditions to those at the bottom.' To make it onto the final ballot the four remaining candidates - Ms Nandy, Sir Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry - must win the nominations of 33 local constituency Labour parties or three Labour affiliates, including at least two trade unions. Sir Keir has already made it while Ms Long-Bailey and Ms Nandy are also expected to progress but Ms Thornberry is facing an uphill battle having failed to secure the backing of a major union. Candidates who do secure the required support will be put to a ballot of party members between February 21 and April 2. The winner of the contest is due to be announced at a special event on April 4. Awards season rolls on, with the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards right around the corner on Jan. 26. And after more than six decades of music celebrating its own on the industrys biggest night, we know better than to put too much stock into how the prizes are allocated; even Adele tried to give her Grammy away to Beyonce back in 2017. But one thing the Grammys have going for them is the element of surprise: last year, underdog country singer Kacey Musgraves stunned everyone by taking home Album of the Year. Meanwhile, Childish Gambino cleaned up with his searing This Is America in the other top categories, while Dua Lipa was crowned Best New Artist. This years show arrives in a haze of turmoil, 10 days after Recording Academy President and CEO Deborah Dugan was shockingly removed from her post. But the Grammys may well rise above the fray: after all, the show will be celebrating a year in which Lil Nas X came from nowhere to dominate the charts, Lizzo resurfaced a 2017 song to boost herself to new heights and teens like Billie Eilish dominated the zeitgeist. The Grammys have always tried to balance popular appeal with more traditional tendencies, to generally mixed results. But each year is an opportunity to reset those norms. And hope springs eternal. With the show coming up, TIME writers Raisa Bruner and Andrew R. Chow consider the wide range of nominees and make their picks for who should receive the prized trophies and who will probably get them instead. Album of the Year Billie Eilish at the 2019 Electric Picnic Music Festival in Ireland. | Debbie HickeyGetty Images I,I, Bon Iver Norman Fking Rockwell, Lana Del Rey When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, Billie Eilish Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande I Used to Know Her, H.E.R. 7, Lil Nas X Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Lizzo Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend Raisa Bruner: Id love to see Lana Del Rey get her due this year. Norman Fking Rockwell was beautiful, elegiac and witty, the culmination of Del Reys many years exploring her sad-Americana style. It offers an alternative vision of our era, layering a veneer of pretty poetry over a decade that often felt garish. But it may be Eilishs time to shine. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? recorded with her brother Finneas in their bedroom studio is a precocious debut statement that reads as both experimental, nimble pop and a deadpan in-joke with the next generation. Story continues These two artists actually have more in common than not; theyre just reflecting distinct eras, with the nihilism of both deeply inscribed in their work. In between them lies Ariana Grande, whose thank u, next is also generation-defining. Part of that is in its timeliness, with its release dovetailing with (and providing inside information on) Grandes tabloid presence. The other part comes down to Grandes overall sound, which leans heavily on a light trip-hop that feels very current. While I think this is Grandes best album-length statement yet, the Grammys may wait to award a project that showcases more of her vocal ability. Andrew R. Chow: Lana certainly deserves her due, but Ive been a bit mystified this year to watch critical consensus pool around this particular record, which seems to be no stronger nor weaker than the rest of her catalog. The highs on Norman Fking Rockwell are blazingly high (more on that later), but some of the lyrics possess a strong How do you do, fellow kids energy (see: Ill catch you on the flip side / If you come back to California, you should just hit me up). I think Eilish has the inside track here. When We All Fall Asleep was the best-selling album of 2019 and also well liked by critics and voters were intrigued with its sonic intricacies and oddities enough to nominate Finneas for Producer of the Year. Eilish would be the youngest winner of Album of the Year in Grammys history, and rewarding the worlds biggest teen idol would make sense for an institution making a desperate bid for relevancy. But the Recording Academy voter pool is still just 22 percent women so it also wouldnt be surprising if Bon Iver walked home with a win in the mold of Arcade Fire (2011) and Beck (2015). The bands creator Justin Vernon is eight years removed from the Who is Bonnie Bear? debacle, making him a bonafide Grammy vet; his music was just featured in a high-profile Lebron James Nike ad, and hes a man who plays guitar and writes his own songs. And if it counts for anything, i,i is a truly breathtaking album, filled with daring experimental production and accessible earworms. Record of the Year Lil Nas X performs at WiLD 94.9's FM's Jingle Ball 2019 on December 08, 2019 in San Francisco, California. | Getty Images2019 Miikka Skaffari Hey, Ma, Bon Iver Bad Guy, Billie Eilish 7 Rings, Ariana Grande Hard Place, H.E.R. Talk, Khalid Old Town Road, Lil Nas X Truth Hurts, Lizzo Sunflower, Post Malone & Swae Lee Bruner: Truth Hurts is such a joyful anthem that I want it to get some love here. But its been embroiled in legal questions over the origin of the songs most memorable lyric, which could complicate things for voters. In lieu of that, Im partial to Bad Guy. 7 Rings and Old Town Road were the chart hits, but one is an ode to materialism (sorry, but its true!) and the other, while a certified banger of a song of the summer, doesnt have the kind of gravity and production complexity that the Recording Academy tends to favor. Chow: I dont see how the Grammys could ride down any other path here than Old Town Road. While the songs barebones production may be less shiny than that of its competitors, its seamless genre blend of country and trap is genuinely inspired and the Lil Nas/Billy Ray pairing is almost too on the nose for a Recording Academy that loves to trot out Grammy Moment odd couples every year (pun intended). And while the song is irresistible, the narrative surrounding it is even more ironclad. Lil Nas represents a feel-good underdog story and has managed to avoid cultural exhaustion thanks to his undeniable online charisma; Academy voters were surely watching this year when institutional rejections of the song (from Billboard and country radio) backfired spectacularly. If Lil Nas is looking for another viral moment, an acceptance speech on the Grammys stage would be an ideal place to make it happen. Bruner: It certainly would be fun to see what Lil Nas X has to say and hes absolutely earned a right to be there; I dont know any artist who learned so much so quickly and managed to succeed so brilliantly along the way. If theyre going to reward innovation, then I can see him taking it home, too. Song of the Year Interscope Records Always Remember Us This Way, Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Lady Gaga) Bad Guy, Billie Eilish OConnell & Finneas OConnell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) Bring My Flowers Now, Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker) Hard Place, Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, D. Arcelious Harris, H.E.R. & Rodney Jerkins, songwriters (H.E.R.) Lover, Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift) Norman Fking Rockwell, Jack Antonoff & Lana Del Rey, songwriters (Lana Del Rey) Someone You Loved, Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pete Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn & Sam Roman, songwriters (Lewis Capaldi) Truth Hurts, Steven Cheung, Eric Frederic, Melissa Jefferson & Jesse Saint John, songwriters (Lizzo) Bruner: Song of the Year is about the songwriters, which makes this one a little more complicated. Although the A Star Is Born soundtrack was mostly snubbed in this round of nominations, Lady Gaga did already take home an award for Shallow last year, so it would be a surprise to see a repeat with the less-memorable Always Remember Us This Way. If this is Eilishs night, Bad Guy could continue picking up awards here, now with added focus on her songwriting partner and brother Finneas. Chow: Will you be mad if I say that the choices in this category leave me cold? Lover, Someone You Loved and Hard Place are pretty but fairly generic ballads. The Truth Hurts origin controversy certainly doesnt help that songs chances here. And Bad Guy is a better fit for Record of the Year, because, well, try singing the song out loud its a nursery rhyme that barely has a melody. The category would have been much more competitive with Ariana Grandes gloriously petty Thank u, next which was perhaps forgotten due to its late 2018 release date and viral curveballs like Ava Maxs Sweet But Psycho and Lil Teccas Ransom. (And thats not to even mention some of our own picks for best of the year, from the Highwomen to Caroline Polachek.) But of the listed choices, Im leaning towards Lana del Rey, though hesitantly. Im a little perplexed as to why this track was the one chosen to rise out of this album it feels more like a prelude than a standalone statement, and so many other Lana tracks this year were more ambitious and evocative (Mariners Apartment Complex, The Greatest, Venice Bitch). Nevertheless, the song is a worthy distillation of her sepia-toned ethos and there was no better start to an album this year than her proclamation of God damn man child, followed by a hilarious and unprintable second line. Bruner: Honestly, youre right there are a lot of middling pop ballads here that, while nice in their own way, dont really rise above. Pour one out for all the songs that got overlooked. Give me Ava Max and Caroline Polachek any day! Best New Artist Lizzo performs at FOMO Festival 2020 on January 15, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. | WireImage2020 Dave Simpson Black Pumas Billie Eilish Lil Nas X Lizzo Maggie Rogers Rosalia Tank and the Bangas Yola Chow: Hey Raisa, remember when fun. beat Frank Ocean in 2013? Remember when Macklemore & Ryan Lewis beat Kendrick Lamar? All Im saying is that you can count on the Grammys to make the wrong choice here. Im going to guess Lizzo wins here for her ebullient multihyphenate act. But her astonishing rise feels like a very 2019-specific product of circumstance a Netflix trailer, a wave of interest championing body positivity, a need for escape from a tense and divisive online moment. My money is on Eilish to have a more varied and stable career going forward. Bruner: Dont make me dwell on those strange twists of awards fate, Andrew! Those choices are why Best New Artist remains a tough one to predict not to mention the strange eligibility clauses that have brought this collection of acts into the mix. Tank and the Bangas are underdogs who deserve all the love, but are they really new? (Their first album came out in 2013.) Eilish seems the clearest choice shes young, shes fresh, and she had an absolutely dominant year, and I agree shes got the most solid path forward. (Hello, James Bond soundtrack choice!) Dont count out Rogers; Heard It In a Past Life was the sound of an artist carving out a genre of her own, turning pop into something warmer and earthier than were used to hearing. Rosalia is a powerhouse whos just getting started. And yet Lizzo who has also been around for a minute may make the most sense to voters in the category. As youve noted, shes a full-package performer who really burst onto the scene and became omnipresent this year, and the Grammys might be in the mood to reward her generally here instead of for the specific works she put out. Best Music Video Weve Got to Try, The Chemical Brothers This Land, Gary Clark Jr. Cellophane, FKA twigs Old Town Road (Official Movie), Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus Glad Hes Gone, Tove Lo Bruner: Give this one to FKA twigs, whose brilliant album Magdalene released after the Grammy eligibility period had closed was preceded by her stunning video for lead single Cellophane. In it, an ethereal, superhuman FKA twigs writhes and pole-dances her way through a cyber-dreamscape. The choreography is eye-popping, and the animation worthy of recognition. Honorable mention in this category to Swedens Tove Lo, whose song Glad Hes Gone was one of my sleeper favorites of the year, with a video that shows her casually traversing the territories of the Earth in search of her friend. Thats real love. Chow: To quote Lil Nas himself: come on, now. Cellophane is gorgeous, but it cant match the reach and power of Old Town Road. What other cultural figure could have smashed together Chris Rock, TikTok dance crazes, the Yeehaw Agenda, a washboard-playing Diplo and a bingo game into a cohesive, unfettered, 420-million-views-garnering joy? Bruner: You have a point. I wont be mad if FKA twigs loses out to the delightful Lil Nas X here as long as she gets her due in the rest of the categories next year! Content is posted regarding non-gluten standards, an introduction of Japanese non-gluten rice flour, and recipes using rice flour that local people are likely to enjoy. In the future, products that can be purchased in the United States will be introduced. transcosmos inc. has launched a promotion of Japanese non-gluten rice flour in the United States. Activities will be conducted to increase awareness in the U.S. market of non-gluten rice flour produced in Japan. In recent years, gluten-free (*2) foods have become increasingly popular mainly in the United States and some other countries. In addition to increased health consciousness, this comes from a growing number of people diagnosed with Celiacs disease (*1) or experiencing sensitivity to gluten protein in wheat, barley, and rye. To meet these needs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan has formulated guidelines that only rice flour with 1ppm (1g/g) or less of gluten, utilizing the world's highest standard method of examination, can be labeled as "non-gluten" rice flour. Since rice can be very finely crushed into powder, Japanese non-gluten rice flour is an emerging wheat substitute for various food products such as bread and cakes. (*1) An autoimmune disease triggered by an immune response to gluten, a type of protein found in grains including wheat, barley and rye. According to a survey report compiled by the Japan Grain Inspection Association or Country Arroz Promote Network in Japan, it is estimated that there are 3 million celiac patients in the United States. Survey report on gluten-free labeling in six countries and organizations, covering Europe, America and Australia: https://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/keikaku/komeko/attach/pdf/index-63.pdf (*2) Gluten-free is generally labeled based on a standard of 20ppm or less (gluten content of 20/million or less), but in Japan "non-gluten" certified rice flour is made based on a stricter standard of 1 ppm (gluten content of 1/million or less). Japan Environmental Health Organization & Rice Flour Products Non-Gluten Certification Authority https://nongluten.jp/about/ transcosmos has launched a website and Facebook page to make the appeal of Japanese non-gluten rice flour and rice flour products widely known in the United States. Content is posted regarding non-gluten standards, an introduction of Japanese non-gluten rice flour, and recipes using rice flour that local people are likely to enjoy. In the future, products that can be purchased in the United States will be introduced. An additional aim is to increase awareness of the non-gluten mark through these promotions. Operations will be carried out by transcosmos America Inc., a subsidiary based in the United States. Furthermore, this initiative is supported by the "Overseas Rice Market Expansion Strategy Project Promotion Support Plan" of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. Website: THE POWER OF JAPANESE RICE FLOUR URL: https://www.japanesericeflour.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePowerOfJapaneseRiceFlour/ transcosmos has offices in 30 countries and regions around the world to support the overseas expansion of its client companies. It researches and analyzes products that match the cultures, business customs and needs of each region and is able to provide one-stop services ranging from strategy and planning to creative production, construction and operation of websites and EC sites, digital marketing and customer support. Going forward, it will continue to support the overseas promotion of superior products that have not yet penetrated overseas markets. transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. In Japan and other countries. Other company names and product or services names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies. About transcosmos inc. transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior people with up-to-date technology to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 168 bases across 30 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce services to deliver our clients excellent products and services in 48 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the Global Digital Transformation Partner of our clients, supporting the clients transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. About transcosmos America Inc. Since our foundation in 1988, transcosmos America Inc. has been committed to increase customer satisfaction by assisting clients, in particular Japanese businesses, operate in the U.S. market. Building on both proven know-how developed in Japan and knowledge, experience and cutting-edge technologies in the U.S., we continue to deliver diverse services including e-commerce strategy planning, e-commerce site development, digital marketing, selling on Amazon, e-commerce one-stop services that range from importing to logistics to fulfillment to customer services as well as customized solutions that meet the needs of each client. Visit us here: https://transcosmos.com/ The U.S. E-Commerce Market Blog (Japanese only): https://transcosmos.com/jp/blog/ Photo: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images An unpopular president may soon expand an unpopular, if unfortunately constitutional, policy: According to Politico, the White House is considering adding countries to the Trump travel ban, an action that may come as soon as next Monday. The ban currently restricts travel from Muslim-majority nations like Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, as well as travel from Venezuela and North Korea. Though the potential additions have not been finalized, the list could soon include Belarus, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. The draft as it stands would severely restrict immigration, but would not fully ban citizens of the seven nations from entering the U.S. January 27 marks the three-year anniversary of the executive order that put in place the original travel ban, which blocked visas for seven Muslim-majority countries. Though the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals initially ruled against the ban, a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court in June 2018. As New Yorks Ed Kilgore wrote at the time: The order is a modification of two previous, stricter travel bans, both of which were blocked by lower courts because they were judged to have exempted travel based on religion. In a transparent attempt to modify the law just enough to dodge that charge, the Trump administration modified the ban to include two countries North Korea and Venezuela that are not majority Muslim. The Supreme Court accepted this explanation, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing that the president was within his rights to enact the ban because of national security concerns even though Trump has been quite clear, from the day he called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States, that prohibiting an entire religion from entering the U.S. is exactly what he wants. In an interview on Tuesday, Trump confirmed with the Wall Street Journal that he wanted to expand the current ban, though he declined to list the countries under consideration. As Politico notes, some of the choices are inconsistent with the goals of American foreign policy: Nigeria, for instance, is a U.S. counter-terrorism partner and there is a large Nigerian diaspora community in the United States. At the same time, Trump has in the past referred to African nations as shithole countries whose citizens he did not want coming to the United States. He also once said that if Nigerians come to the U.S., they will never go back to their huts in Africa, according to The New York Times. Myanmar is another intriguing case: the United States has spent the last decade trying to improve ties with the country, which has embraced partial civilian rule after years of living under a military dictatorship. The U.S. still wants to coax Myanmar out of Chinas orbit, despite the Myanmar militarys mass slaughter of Rohingya Muslims. U.S. officials also have been keen to improve relations with Belarus, a country long seen as under the sway of Russia. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had planned to visit the country just weeks ago, but had to cancel the trip to respond to rising tensions with Iran. The choices are, however, consistent with the xenophobic presidents vision of the world, as reiterated in an America-first, climate change-denying speech delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos. At a conference purportedly focused on multilateralism, Trump called environmental activists prophets of doom and turned inward, focusing on his contributions to the American economy. [January 22, 2020] FirstLight Launches DDoS Protection and Mitigation Solution ALBANY, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstLight , a leading provider of fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud computing and unified communications services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast, announced today that it has launched a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) mitigation solution to help defend against the growing threat of DDoS attacks. FirstLight's DDoS Protection and Mitigation Solution helps monitor, detect, and mitigate suspicious traffic, DDoS attacks, and malicious activity. FirstLight's DDoS solution helps prevent intrusions with sophisticated algorithms that identify suspicious traffic and potential incidents. In the event of an attack, legitimate traffic can still reach a customer's network, eliminating downtime and mitigating risk. According to independent website hostingtribunal.com, an average attack in the U.S. costs between $20,000 to $40,000 an hour, and another industry source reported that the number of attacks is on the rise with nearly 400,000 DDoS attacks reported each month worldwide. "Regardless of company size or industry, a solution to mitigate DDoS is increasingly important for all organizations to consider," explained Maura Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Management. "In fact, a recent survey of more than 640 IT security and operations professionals revealed that 38% of respondents ranked Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks as their most significant IT security concern. Our DDoS solution can offer peace of mind by quickly detecting and then mitigating attacks while allowing valid traffic to continue to be delivered throughout the ordeal." FirstLight's DDoS solution filters network activity, continually identifying potential threats and monitoring for unusual or malicious activity. Analytics are provided through a user-friendly portal, along with automated notifications and alerts. "We are pleased to offer this service in response to customer demand," said Kurt Van Wagenen, FirstLight President and CEO. "It is a perfect complement to our low-latency, dedicated Internet solution. We feel it is a particularly relevant and prudent service given the proliferation of connected devices through the Internet of Things (IoT). This solution serves as an important defense against malicious attacks and could provide a critical lifeline to companies during an attack." About FirstLight FirstLight, headquartered in Albany, New York, provides fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast connecting nearly 9,000 locations in service with more than 30,000 locations serviceable by our 15,000-route mile network. FirstLight offers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications products featuring a comprehensive portfolio of high bandwidth connectivity solutions including Ethernet, wavelength and dark fiber services as well as dedicated Internet access solutions, data center, cloud computing and unified communications services. FirstLight's clientele includes national cellular providers and wireline carriers and many leading enterprises, spanning high tech manufacturing and research, hospitals and healthcare, banking and financial, secondary education, colleges and universities, and local and state governments. To learn more about FirstLight, visit www.firstlight.net, or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Maura Mahoney 617-571-1927 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firstlight-launches-ddos-protection-and-mitigation-solution-300991128.html SOURCE FirstLight [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] JOS, Nigeria, January 21, 2020 (Morning Star News) The Rev. Lawan Andimi had a treasured life, a loving family, an affectionate congregation, respect from his colleagues. The kidnapped district chairman of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) in Michika County, in northeast Nigerias Adamawa state, had stated in a video that he trusted in God should he lose his life to Islamic terrorists of Boko Haram. The rebel militants executed the father of eight children on Monday (Jan. 20), the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed today. Ahmad Salkida, a Muslim journalist who has been a primary means for Boko Haram to release information, reported in a tweet today that the group beheaded Pastor Andimi on Monday afternoon. To break some news items can traumatize. Im battling with one of such. Reverend Andimi, abducted by #BokoHaram was executed yesterday, Salkida tweeted. Rev. Andimi was a church leader, a father to his children and the community he served. My condolences go to his family. CAN President Samson Ayokunle today confirmed in a comment to the Nigerian newspaper the Daily Post that Pastor Andimi had been executed. Pastor Andimi had said in a Boko Haram video released by Salkida on Jan. 5 that he hoped to be reunited with his wife, children and colleagues. If the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God, he said. I want all people close and far, colleagues, to be patient. Dont cry, dont worry, but thank God for everything. Pastor Andimi, who also served as chairman of CANs local chapter, was kidnapped on Jan. 2 when Boko Haram attacked two Christian communities in the area. In the video released on Jan. 5, the pastor called on church leaders to speak out for him and urge Adamawa Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri to intervene to secure his release. I have never been discouraged, because all conditions that one finds himself is in the hand of God, Pastor Andimi said in the video. Strongly Worded Statement CAN President Ayokunle said in a press statement that the execution of Pastor Andimi was gruesome, unfortunate and a shame on the federal government, according to Nigerian newspaper The Nation. What has become of intelligence-gathering of our security agencies? Ayokunle said in the statement. Is this government and the security agencies still claiming that the war against these criminals in religious garments has been won despite all the killings? Is the government sincere in fighting these terrorists or merely paying lip service to the war against the insurgency? Is there any hope that our security is guaranteed under this government? CANs director of legal and public affairs, Kwamkur Vondip, reportedly said in a statement that the church did everything within her reach to secure the safe release of this pastor gentleman but it was not possible because they didnt have the military power to do so, according to The Nation. Just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev. Denis Bagauri, was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa state, Vondip reportedly said. The church views the unabated kidnappings, extortions and killings of Christians and innocent Nigerians as shameful to the government that each time boasts that it has conquered insurgency. In the strongly-worded statement, Vondip said it was reprehensible and saddening that each time the government claims the defeat of Boko Haram, more killings are committed. In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria, bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region! Is that lopsidedness not a cover-up for the operation of the insurgency? If not, why couldnt the well-equipped security agents of Nigeria get this man killed rescued? Vondip urged the government to ensure the release of Leah Sharibu, kidnapped from a high school in Dapchi, Yobe state in February 2018, and hundreds of other victims of Boko Haram and splinter group the Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP). A government that cannot protect the governed is a failed government, Vondip said. Can the government tell us what they did since Rev. Andimi cried out to them for help? ... If the security agencies claim the terrorists are operating outside the country, why is it possible for these hoodlums to invade the country, kill, maim, burn and kidnap without any convincing checks on the part of the security agencies? Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders? If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasnt it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionary ones into the security system? He said that as long as the government refuses to act, the crimes will continue. We are almost losing hope in governments ability to protect Nigerians, especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch, he said. Ayokunle called on the international community to come to the aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian church, so that we might not be eliminated one by one. President Buhari, in a statement to the Daily Post, said security forces were working continuously to secure the release of hostages and appealed for Nigerians not to see terrorist attacks and plans as a religious fight or persecution of Christians. Not seeing terrorists as they should be is exactly what they wish to divide Nigerians, Buhari said in the statement. Nigerians must continue to be united in ensuring that they do not subscribe to the terrorists message of division. Unfortunately, some leaders and politicians seek to make political capital from our religious differences. As we fight Boko Haram on the ground, so too must we tackle their beliefs: stability and unity in face of their hatred is itself a rejection of their worldview. This government shall never tolerate religious intolerance. We clearly and unambiguously restate our support for the freedom to practice whichever belief you wish. The politicization of religion as forbidden by the constitution has no place in Nigeria. Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution but second in the number of Christians killed for their faith, behind Pakistan. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Ahmad Salkida/Morning Star News Related: Boko Haram Kidnaps Christian Leader in Attacks in Northeast Nigeria We are honored to welcome these highly respected business leaders to the board as Airlink celebrates its 10th anniversary. I look forward to working with our volunteers, staff and supporters to grow the organizations capacity to help more people in communities around the world, said James Hnat. Airlink, a nonprofit relief organization focused on mobilizing the aviation industry to ensure assistance reaches communities affected by disasters and other humanitarian crises around the world, recently added three new members to its Board of Trustees. As of January 1, new trustees Patrick Dowling, Mary Ellen Jones, and Jennifer Villa Tennity joined 12 other volunteers governing the organization. Former JetBlue executive James Hnat is chair of Airlinks Board of Trustees, succeeding the organizations founder Bob Brown, who remains on the board as chair emeritus. Robyn Mandel, vice president and general counsel of Aersale, is secretary and Todd Kallman, president of TK Advisory Services, is treasurer. Airlink works with more than 40 airlines to transport aid workers and emergency supplies free-of-charge for non-governmental organizations (NGO). Its first humanitarian response launched in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Since then, the organization has coordinated transport of more than 6,700 relief personnel and 3.13 million pounds of aid in response to 68 disasters and recovery projects. As a result, millions of people have received food, access to clean water, medical care, temporary shelter and other assistance needed to recover from crisis. We are honored to welcome these highly respected business leaders to the board as Airlink celebrates its 10th anniversary, said James Hnat. I look forward to working with our volunteers, staff and supporters to grow the organizations capacity to help more people in communities around the world. About the New Trustees Patrick H. Dowling is president and CEO of Seabury Corporate Finance and senior managing director of Seabury Capital where he focuses on investment and merchant banking for the aviation, maritime, government services, aerospace and defense industries. Dowling has 38 years of experience in the finance industry. He was a partner with Massif Partners and held senior positions in companies including, Tygris Commercial Finance Group, CIT Leveraged Finance Transportation, and GE Capital. Dowling is a certified public accountant and earned a bachelors degree from Fordham University and a J.D. from Pace University School of Law. His other volunteer engagement includes service on boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the USO of Metropolitan of New York, and the Miss Kate Foundation. (Bio and image: https://airlinkflight.org/teams/pat-dowling/) Mary Ellen Jones is vice president of Asia-Pacific sales for Pratt & Whitney. Her experience includes other leadership positions with the company in sales, customer support, marketing, the Engine Alliance, and management of Pratt & Whitney operations at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France. Jones serves on the board of the Connecticut Airport Authority, which sets the direction and strategy for Bradley International Airport and five general aviation airports in the state. She is a member of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Foundation, the International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA) advisory board, and is past-president of the Wings Club Foundation. Jones earned a bachelors degree from Michigan State University and an M.B.A from Johns Hopkins University. (Bio and image: https://airlinkflight.org/teams/maryellenjones/) Ive spent my career in the aviation industry and am proud to support Airlinks mission of using aviation to help people in need. Airlink has repeatedly proven its capability to harness our industrys resources and efficiently deploy them to get humanitarian aid on the ground fast. I feel fortunate to be part of that effort, said Mary Ellen Jones. Jennifer Villa Tennity is president of CITs aviation lending business, which provides aircraft-backed loans for the commercial aviation industry, lending to hedge funds, private equity participants, lessors, and airlines. Having joined CIT in 1998, she served previously as CITs senior vice president and chief risk officer of the aerospace business, handling a myriad of duties both within and outside the risk organization. Villa Tennity earned a bachelors degree in economics and a certificate in political economics from Princeton University. She is a member of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) and International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA). (Bio and image: https://airlinkflight.org/teams/jennifer-villa-tennity/) Airlink does such amazing and critical humanitarian work. I am truly honored to become a board member and help guide the organization to future success, said Jennifer Villa Tennity. Airlink is currently responding to the brushfires in Australia, earthquakes in Puerto Rico, a Dengue Fever outbreak in the Marshall Islands, and the Taal Volcano in the Philippines. To learn more about Airlink and its efforts to transport relief workers and humanitarian aid to communities around the globe, visit https://www.airlinkflight.org. [Photo of board members available at: https://airlinkflight.org/about-us/leadership Airlink is a global rapid-response disaster and humanitarian relief organization linking pre-qualified nonprofits with partner airlines to transport emergency personnel and supplies. Its network includes more than 135 aid organizations and 40 commercial and charter airlines. Since its inception in 2010, Airlinks airline partners have flown over 6,000 relief workers and transported more than three million pounds of aid cargo. For more information, please visit http://www.airlinkflight.org. Follow Airlink on Facebook and Twitter. Automotive components are the building blocks of automobiles and hence are a key part of the one of the worlds largest manufacturing industries. Within Africa the automotive components industry is only established in a few countries, but there exists the potential for the industry to grow rapidly and become the basis for the deepening of industrialisation and value chains in many more countries. Existing trade data suggests that there is room for the automotive component sector to grow in Africa. If only 5.4% of Africas requirements are supplied from within Africa, the potential surely exists for investment and growth in the sector. Automotive components, in that they are intermediate products, are also suited to become part of global and regional value chains. At present Africa is largely dependent on the rest of the world for automotive component imports, with the exception of the contribution of South Africa. In order to reduce dependence, deepen industrialisation and enable technology and skills transfer, Africa needs a continent-wide industrial policy logic for the automotive sector. This policy will include protection, investment and incentive provisions, but it must also feature an intelligent mechanism for identifying and allocating regional value chains among countries. This mechanism must not just be based on the desire to distribute industry evenly across members but must be based on the actual and potential industrial and market strengths of member nations. Regional value chains in Africa have been suggested as one of the means by which the continent could develop a viable automotive industry. This is due to their ability to found industries large enough to attain economies of scale (EOS) required to compete at global unit cost benchmarks. Markowitz & Black (2019)[1] have approached the issue of automotive value chains in Africa by doing a situational analysis and then a comparative analysis against the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), India and the South American Mercado Comun del Sur (Mercosur). They conclude that there are three essential prerequisites for the establishment of a network of regional value chains in the automotive industry: Viable automotive space, which means a larger regional market into which a smaller country can integrate its production. This helps to create the EOS required for competitive manufacture. Competitive manufacturing capability: which is a challenge in Africa, where unit labour costs are higher than in Asia, utilities provision can be unreliable and manufacturing is not well developed or competitive. In fact, many African countries have been on a path of deindustrialisation as the manufacturing share of their output has been on a secular decline for several decades. A supportive policy environment with a regional integration emphasis. South Africas supportive automotive industrial policy has over many decades contributed to the current success of the industry. Within SACU, the BLNS countries already participate to varying degrees in value chains with South Africa as a hub. At a super-regional level and with countries that dont have the historical trade ties with South Africa that the BLNS countries do, the interactions become more complex and a regional policy will be required. South Africa is the only true exporter of automotive components into Africa and this entrenched market dominance will make it difficult for smaller neighbours to sustain their own industries in the absence of tariff protection. However, a regional policy that takes these factors into consideration creates a logic for the regional distribution of components of the value chain and allows for phasing-out of tariff and NTBs could be practicable. In fact, two such regional policies are currently under development in Africa. With respect to the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), a concept note has been prepared for a regional SACU-EAC motor vehicle strategy[2]. This note outlines how the automotive industries in the SACU and the EAC would be integrated through value chains. As it stands, the SADCs industrialisation strategy identifies the automotive sector as one of six key clusters for value chain development, along with agro-processing, minerals and beneficiation, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and modern services[3]. In addition, in May 2019, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) executive met to consider a regional automotive policy named the Automotive Industry Policy Framework (AIPF) and based on the Nigerian NAIDP[4]. The purpose of the policy is to reduce dependence of the region on outside imports, preserve foreign exchange and develop industry and skills. The policy would retain high tariffs on FBUs but have lower tariffs on completely knocked down (CKD) or semi-knocked down (SDK) kits. It would also offer incentives in the form of various tax breaks to component manufacturers. Of course such regional policies are not a simple matter to either design or implement, but something similar to this has worked for ASEAN the ASEAN Industrial Corporation[5] (AICO). The AICO incentivises complementary production between enterprises in two different countries, i.e. it directly encourages the establishment of regional value chains. However, the question is raised as to how to allocate production across the members of a REC or even at continental level. A forthcoming tralac working paper proposes a data-driven analysis intended to help identify how value chains could be developed across African countries, according to their already revealed comparative advantage[6]. Early trade theory was based on Ricardos Law of Comparative Advantage, which predicts that each nation will specialise in the product/s for which they have a relative, if not an absolute advantage. Thus specialities are determined not by looking inward but by looking outward with reference to the inward, to the world of trading countries and their industries. Value chain analysis recognises that a nation may achieve optimal specialisation not by producing finished products but by participating in a chain of shared production with other nations. Rather than simply cherry-picking a role in the value chain, each nation should look to their strengths or at least relative strengths. Comparative advantage can explain much of the observed reality in existing trade patterns and in value chain configuration. For example, South Africas primary automotive component export is catalytic converters, a component that has an essential input platinum group metals (PGMs). South Africa is the leading producer of PGMs by some margin, which explains its success as an exporter of catalytic converters. In like manner, other African nations could build on their relative strengths to appropriate places for themselves in the value chain. By what method should country value chain specialities be determined? The previously cited forthcoming tralac working paper uses a technique based on UNCTADs revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index, which calculates a value for each country for each main export product group. The RCA measures the extent to which a certain countrys relative exports of a product, exceed the world aggregate. Using this data it is possible to propose specific industrial sectors in which a particular country could potentially establish itself in the value chain. For example, given their revealed comparative advantage in related sectors, the following nations could participate in value chains in a proximate transport-related industrial sector, using existing industrial know-how: Congo, Lesotho and Morocco. Likewise the following countries could participate in value chains in the indicated sectors: Togo is an exporter of plastic manufactures (HS39). This could indicate its eligibility to manufacture plastic bumpers, vehicle interiors and other plastic items such as wheel arch mouldings. The same could be applied to Ghana. Zimbabwe exports electric generators, these units are petrol or diesel driven and therefore indicate Zimbabwe has some capacity in the manufacture of internal combustion engines, albeit not ones that are capable of powering a vehicle. Benin exports excavating machinery and ships cranes. These industries are small but are proximate to the traditional transport manufacturing sector. Zambia is an exporter of copper it could beneficiate its copper output into cabling and wiring looms. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is also a major copper exporter. Mozambique is an exporter of unwrought aluminium; it could beneficiate aluminium into vehicle components such as cylinder heads and wheel rims. Uganda is an exporter of iron and steel; it could beneficiate this into vehicle components such as engine blocks and truck bodies. These are some examples of the outcomes developed in the forthcoming paper and this is not an exhaustive list. In addition, other factors would also play an important role in value chain selection, such as quality of infrastructure, availability of skilled personnel and proximity to other countries either forward or backward linked in the chain. The extension of the automotive components industry to additional African countries depends on the regional distribution of production via the development of regional value chains, since industry scale is a significant determinant of success in this sector (although less so than with vehicle production and assembly). Specialisation can overcome problems of scale economies, although intra-African transport infrastructure and border friction issues must also be overcome. So too must the issue of intra-African liberalisation, which is the goal of the AfCFTA. One component of a possible future AfCFTA automotive industry policy would be to establish a mechanism for identifying the potential for regional value chains among its members. Current tralac formal research proposes one such approach, using a ranking and cross-referencing of the revealed comparative advantage of Africas exporters to determine viable value chains. Regional value chains in the automotive component sector are indeed viable in Africa, but require a coordinated, continent-wide approach that takes into account existing and potential strengths and also addresses issues of equity and barriers to trade. [1] Markowitz, C. and A. Black. 2019. The prospects for regional value chains in the automotive sector in Southern Africa. In Scholvin, S., Black, A., Revilla Diez, J. and I. Turok (eds.). Value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa: challenges of integration into the global economy. Geneva: Springer [2] Osoro, G. 2019. TFTA Update. AfCFTA Stakeholder Workshop: 18-19 November 2019 [3] AUC/OECD. 2019. Africas development dynamics 2019. Addis Ababa: AUC / Paris: OECD Publishing [4] EIU.2019. Ecowas considers automotive industry policy framework. Economist Intelligence Unit [5] As for footnote 1. [6] Stuart, J. 2020. The Automotive Components Trade in Africa: Its Place and Potential. tralac Working Paper. Stellenbosch: tralac. Here are some of the highlights of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's executive budget proposal, presented Tuesday; his blueprint will be negotiated with the Legislature before the April 1 start of the new state fiscal year: Marijuana legalization Nearly seven months after his last legalization proposal failed, Cuomo again is seeking to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana for adult use. He is proposing an Office of Cannabis Management to oversee production, distribution, transportation and sales of any adult- or medical-use cannabis products. His plan includes a cultivation tax of $1 per dry weight gram of cannabis flower, 25 cents per dry weight gram of cannabis "trim," and 14 cents per gram of wet cannabis; a 20 percent tax on retail sales; and a 2 percent sales tax where the revenue would go to a trust for the municipality hosting the marijuana shop, provided that municipality has a population of more than 1 million meaning New York City. Cuomo budgeted $20 million in revenues for the first year of the program and $63 million for the second. The governor has not said how the state will spend the funds, which he previously estimated could bring in $300 million in annual tax revenues once it's fully rolled out. Anti-legalization groups have vowed to fight the proposal, saying it would endanger public safety, increase illicit youth use, and promote a thriving black market. Both opponents and supporters of legalization are using the recent spate of vaping-related lung illnesses to support their arguments. Tied to illicit THC vaping products, supporters of legalization say a regulated market would help stifle contaminated products. Environment Cuomo has offered an ambitious push to update water and sewer systems around the state. Overall, he wants $33 billion in environmental and energy spending during the next five years, including $2.5 billion that was previously approved for water system improvements. His plan also seeks a $3 billion bond that would pay for a Restoring Mother Nature initiative to restore wetlands, reclaim flood plains and plant trees as natural barriers to flooding. More renewable or carbon-free energy production including a revamping of what he termed the lengthy bureaucratic system in which new power plants are approved a five- to 10-year process. The plan would increase environmental and energy spending from $2.15 billion to $2.28 billion. He would create two new state parks along the Hudson River: a 508-acre park in Kingston and the Hudson Eagles State Recreation Area, a linear water-based park connecting five boat launches between the cities of Rensselaer and Hudson. The plan expands programs to handle used mattresses and carpeting, which are major landfill contributors. A Green Jobs Tax credit of up to 7.5 percent of wages for each net new job related to the green economy would be created along with a tax credit of up to 5 percent for new green economy projects and 8 percent for research and development. Transportation The state Department of Transportation is in line for a two-year, $11.9 billion capital plan for roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure. The two-year plan is shorter than usual due to uncertainty over federal funding, where the current allocation runs out in September. The governor wants to merge the state Bridge Authority with the Thruway Authority a move that should be eased with the growth in cashless tolling. There is an allocation of $110 million for capital funding to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for critical infrastructure projects. Public Safety The budget includes $25 million for safety and security projects at not-for-profit organizations deemed at risk of hate crime attacks. The plan would tighten gun restrictions for those who commit domestic abuse or have committed crimes in other states and expand domestic violence protections, including for those seeking a divorce. He wants to create a new high-level felony crime for acts of terrorism motivated by hate that would be punishable by up to life in prison; improve efficiency in investigating online sexual exploitation of children; and prevent the manufacturing and dissemination of untraceable "ghost guns" across the state. Education Cuomo's plan includes a 3 percent increase in school aid, bringing the $27.7 billion pot up to $28.5 billion, with over 80 percent of those funds directed to high-need school districts. The $826 million education boost includes $704 million in Foundation Aid, $50 million for community schools, and $72 million in reimbursements for expense-based aid. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. It also includes $15 million to expand the state's free pre-kindergarten program for three- and four-year-olds, an additional $10 million for after-school programs in high-need districts, and an additional $6 million for early college high schools. Cuomo also wants to revamp New York's hotly debated Foundation Aid formula, which determines how billions of dollars in state aid are distributed among more than 700 school districts. The Board of Regents has asked for a $2 billion foundation aid increase. Economic Development Cuomo urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would protect workers in the so-called gig economy, or independent contractors who arent eligible for the same benefits as traditional employees. Legislation proposed this session would classify more of those workers, including drivers for ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft, as employees, entitling them to benefits like healthcare, retirement and the ability to form a union. The plan would authorize $5 million in new funding to foster innovation hot spots and the incubation of start-up businesses across the state, as well as $34 million to foster programs including the state Economic Development Fund, the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Development and Lending program and the Urban and Community Development Program. The Downtown Revitalization Initiative would be provided with $100 million for an additional round of funding to transform downtown neighborhoods into vibrant communities where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work and raise families, the plan says. Ten downtowns in regions across the state will receive $10 million each. Glens Falls was selected as the Capital Region recipient, with $5 million being set aside to fund a South Street anchor building that will house a farmers market, test kitchen and retail space. Public Health The governor has proposed reviving the states Medicaid Redesign Team to identify $2.5 billion in long-term savings to the program by the start of the new fiscal year. He also announced the state will only assume the local share of Medicaid spending growth if local governments contain annual growth at 3 percent. A three-point plan for lowering high prescription drug costs would cap insulin co-payments at $100 a month for insured patients, empower the state Department of Financial Services to hold drug makers accountable for unjustifiable price increases, and establish a commission to study the feasibility of a Canadian drug importation program. Support the development of a consumer-friendly website called NYHealthCareCompare that would allow New Yorkers to compare the cost and quality of medical services across various hospitals around the state. Expand access to medication assisted treatment in emergency rooms and jails for those with opioid addiction. Ban on any new fentanyl analogs that have been added to the federal schedule of controlled substances. In addition to banning flavored e-cigarettes and advertisements that target youth, the budget proposes raising minimum fines for underage sales of tobacco products from $300 to $1,000 and a ban on all tobacco sales in pharmacies. Legalizing gestational surrogacy, which Cuomo said will enable infertile and LGBTQ couples to start families. Appropriate $14.2 million for a state-funded program to help replace the federal funds certain health care providers lost when they refused to abide by the Trump administrations Title X rule that prohibited Title X recipients from providing or referring patients for abortion except in rare cases. Compiled by Rick Karlin, Michael Williams, Rachel Silberstein and Bethany Bump U.S. President Donald Trump attend a bilateral meeting during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Fabrice COoffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Says His Lawyers Did Really Good in Opening Day of Impeachment Trial President Donald Trump said his lawyers did really good in the opening day of the Senate impeachment trial. Trump, in Davos for the World Economic Forum, said he watched some of the trial from Switzerland, which is six hours ahead of U.S. eastern time. I did get to see some of it. Its a hoax. Its a total hoax, Trump told CNBC on the sidelines of the forum. I think the team was really good. The facts are all on our side. White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow led arguments on Tuesday into early Wednesday, urging the Senate to adopt a resolution introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that laid out the initial trial rules, and attacking various aspects of arguments by House Democrats. The Republican president noted that GOP members stuck together in the House, with none voting to impeach him last month, and Senate Republicans did the same on Tuesday, repeatedly voting together against amendments offered by Democrats until Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) broke with her party to vote for the tenth and last one, which was still blocked. The Republican party has never been this unified. You saw that. A hundred and 95 to nothing. I guess twice. In fact we got three Democrats voting for us. That was with the House, Trump said. White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaks in favor of of Senate Resolution 483, the organizing resolution for the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Four Democrats broke with their party in the House. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) voted present on both articles of impeachment and Reps. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Jeff Van Drew (now R-N.J.), and Jared Golden (D-Maine) voted against one or both of the articles. Trump said he feels like his July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which served as the trigger for the impeachment inquiry, was perfect. All you have to do is read the transcript. Readif you take a look at the transcriptand its really two transcripts. Itsyou know, I had a first call which was perfect, and I had a second call which was perfect. You notice they dont mention the calls, though. They never mention the calls. They talk about everything but the calls, Trump told CNBC. All they have to do is read the transcripts. I put it out all the time. The other thing is speak to the president of Ukraine. Hes been great, I have to tell you. And his foreign ministers been great. Ukraine officials have repeatedly said Trump did not pressure them to open an investigation into former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Bidens son Hunter Biden, who have been accused of corrupt activities in Ukraine. Trump noted in the call that the elder Biden spoke in 2018 of pressuring Ukraine in 2016 to oust a prosecutor, Viktor Shokin. The prosecutor at that time was probing Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian company that employed Hunter Biden from 2014 to 2019. The Bidens have also said they did nothing wrong. If witnesses are called in the impeachment trial, some Republicans want Hunter Biden called to testify. A forensic analysis of Jeff Bezos cellphone found with medium to high confidence that the Amazon chiefs device was hacked after he received a video from a WhatsApp account reportedly belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, according to a person familiar with the Bezos-ordered investigation Seattle: A forensic analysis of Jeff Bezos cellphone found with medium to high confidence that the Amazon chiefs device was hacked after he received a video from a WhatsApp account reportedly belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, according to a person familiar with the Bezos-ordered investigation. After Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, got the video over the WhatsApp messaging platform in 2018, his phone began sending unusually large volumes of data, said the person, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. The person said the investigators believed Crown Prince Mohammad was used as a conduit because the message would not raise suspicions if it came from him. The findings of the forensics investigation, completed on behalf of Bezos by Anthony Ferrante at the business advisory firm FTI Consulting, could not be independently verified by The New York Times. After the investigators findings were reported by The Guardian and The Financial Times, the Saudi Embassy denied that the Saudi government was involved. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Bezos phone are absurd, the Saudi Embassy said on Twitter. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Bezos security consultant, Gavin de Becker, had previously accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos phone, saying Saudi authorities targeted Bezos because he owned The Washington Post. The Post has aggressively reported on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, one of its columnists, who was a critic of the Saudi government. The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed ordered the killing. Two United Nations experts plan to release a public statement Wednesday morning addressing serious allegations that Bezos was hacked by receiving a WhatsApp message reportedly from an account belonging to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, one of the experts, Agnes Callamard, said in an email. Callamard, a specialist in extrajudicial killings, has been investigating Khashoggis murder, and David Kaye, an expert in human rights law, has been gathering information about violations of freedom of the press. Amazon and de Becker declined to comment. William Isaacson, Bezos lawyer at Boies Schiller Flexner, declined to comment beyond saying that Bezos was cooperating with continuing investigations. Ferrante declined to comment through a FTI spokesman. All FTI Consulting client work is confidential, Matt Bashalany, a spokesman for FTI, said in a statement. We do not comment on, confirm or deny client engagements or potential engagements. The questions about who has had access to Bezos phone erupted a year ago, after The National Enquirer reported that the tech executive was romantically involved with Lauren Sanchez, a former TV anchor. At the time, The Enquirer published photos of the couple together, as well as intimate text messages. Bezos later published emails from American Media, the parent company of The National Enquirer, which he said amounted to extortion and blackmail. He suggested that the leaks of photos and details of his private life could have been politically motivated to harm him because of his ownership of The Post. In March, de Becker accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos phone. In an opinion article in The Daily Beast, de Becker wrote that his investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis got private information from Bezos phone and that he turned the evidence they had uncovered over to law enforcement authorities. De Becker did not detail specific evidence they uncovered, nor did he detail whether the leaked information was published by The Enquirer. American Media denied any Saudi involvement, saying Sanchezs brother was the tabloids sole source. Karen Weise and Matthew Rosenberg c.2020 The New York Times Company Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi is looking to enter the Russian market, according to the CEO of the country's sovereign wealth fund which is one of the investors in the firm. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is an investor in Didi. RDIF's CEO Kirill Dmitriev told CNBC on Wednesday that Didi is now looking to enter Russia. "Didi is thinking about entering the Russian market and we are looking at the Russian market with them," Dmitriev said. Didi was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. The company has been on an international expansion drive over the past couple of years and operates in Japan, Australia and Latin America. An entry into the Russian market would pit Didi against Yandex Taxi, a joint venture between Russian internet giant Yandex and Uber. Frank Lampard insists Chelsea have the firepower to cope if England hitman Tammy Abraham's ankle problem keeps him sidelined for several weeks. Abraham was carried from the field with an ankle injury scare at full-time as Chelsea were held to a 2-2 Premier League draw by 10-man Arsenal. The striker was later seen hobbling away from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham injured his ankle after he clattered into the advertising boards He is the latest England striker to be injured after Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford. Asked for the severity of Abraham's injury, Lampard replied: 'He has had ice on his ankle, but I haven't spoken to him yet so I don't know.' When asked if Chelsea could cope without Abraham, who has 13 Premier League goals this term, Lampard said: 'Yes, yes; and we have the players there to do that. Abraham was carried from the field with an ankle injury scare at full-time on Tuesday night 'I hope he's not (out for several weeks), but then if he is then yes, we do have the players.' Chelsea boss Lampard refused to dampen down links to wantaway Paris St Germain striker Edinson Cavani on Monday, and injury to Abraham could increase the Blues' need to recruit a striker in the January window. Olivier Giroud wants to join Inter Milan to link back up with ex-Blues boss Antonio Conte, while Chelsea also have Michy Batshuayi as their other frontline striker. The Chelsea striker was seen by fans hobbling away from Stamford Bridge after the match Lampard reiterated Chelsea are more likely to look at loan deals than permanent transfers this month, as he plots his long-term strategy at the club. 'I know and I feel where we need strengthening,' said Lampard. 'It's not going to be just January, this is more of a short-term window for us. 'This season has given us some answers on the pitch in where we need to improve. But that's not so much for this window.' The draft law aims to simplify procedures for importers and exporters to release their cargos and to reduce time and costs Chairman of the Egyptian Customs Authority (ECA) Sayed Kamal Negm has stated that a new draft customs law has been finalised and submitted to parliament to be discussed and ratified. Negms comments came during a seminar held Tuesday organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). The new draft law, according to Negm, aims to simplify procedures for importers and exporters to release their cargos and to reduce time and costs, which will lead eventually to a decline in the cost of goods and products in the domestic market. The new law will reduce the number of documents that exporters and importers have to submit to ECA to only six documents instead of 11 in the current law. In addition, it adopts a digital outlook that allows scanned documents to be accepted instead of paper ones, Negm clarified. He added that ECA has put 87 x-ray devices at a number of customs points, and another 100 devices will be ready to use during 2020, which will ease the operation of inspecting imported and exported cargos in all ports. The authority has signed a cooperation agreement with the Italian Customs Authority which is listed at the top of its field internationally by the World Bank for the sake of upgrading Egyptian customs systems. Furthermore, we established two logistics centres in Cairo Airport and Port Said customs points, to reduce the required time for releasing cargos and to eliminate any attempt to forge documents. Other logistics centres will be established by June in Ain Sokhna, Damietta, Safaga, and Alexandria, covering 90 percent of Egypts imports from external markets, Negm said. Negm unveiled that ECA, as well, is considering reducing the time of cargo release to three days as of the inspection date, instead of 26 days. Speaking of a white list that includes companies that are committed to customs rules, Negm explained that this list has not been activated for 25 years, but ECA reactivated it last November, while it remains open to applications by companies to be listed in that group. Some 52 companies have applied and will be accepted after revising their security data. Listed companies will be allowed to clear their goods without being subject to standard full procedures. The anticipated law will be beneficial for the manufacturing and investment sectors in Egypt, and will help Egypt to improve its classification globally, as set by the World Bank," Negm said. Search Keywords: Short link: Approval of golden parachute comes months before polls which President Pierre Nkurunziza says will not contest. A luxury villa and a one-off sum equivalent to more than $500,000 that is what presidents in Burundi will receive after leaving office, according to new legislation adopted by the countrys Parliament. The move on Tuesday came months before an election scheduled for May, in which President Pierre Nkurunziza has said he will not run. In 2015, his campaign for a third term plunged the country into violence and led to an enduring political crisis. The new law states that at the end of the mandate, the president will receive a luxury villa built with public funds in the location of their choice within five years, as well as a one-off allocation of one billion Burundian francs [$530,000]. This amount is a fortune in Burundi where more than 65 percent live in poverty and where 50 percent of the country is food-insecure, according to the United Nationss World Food Programme (WFP). The legislation, adopted with 98 votes for and two against, differentiates between former heads of state elected via universal suffrage of which Nkurunziza is the only candidate and those who came to power via peace deal or military coup. A president who came to power via the simple consensus of a group of politicians does not have the same regard as one who was democratically elected, Justice Minister Aimee-Laurentine Kanyana told the national assembly. The retired president will also get the same benefits as a serving vice president for seven years after they step down, and will for the rest of their life get an allowance equal to that of a legislator. The cost and size of the villa that will be provided are not specified. The benefits that will be given to a president at the end of his mandate are exorbitant if one takes into account the crisis in the country, but it is a positive measure as it seems to indicate very clearly that Nkurunziza will in fact not run for the presidency, a diplomat in Burundi told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. In power since 2005, Nkurunziza surprised observers when he announced he would not seek another term in office, despite a new constitution in 2018 adopted by referendum allowing him to do so. An Iranian lawmaker stoked fresh controversy amid worsening relations with Washington by announcing an award of $3 million for killing US President Donald Trump. Such announcements have been made in the recent past but not from a lawmaker and that too in the Parliament. Iranian semi-official agency reported that Ahmad Hamzeh declared a prize of $3 million on behalf of people of Kerman province for whoever kills Trump. Kerman province is the hometown of slain Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a drone strike, on January 3, ordered by the US President. Read: Iran Threatens To Quit Global Nuclear Deal If Case Goes To United Nations Similar bounty announcement During the funeral procession of Soleimani on January 6, a eulogist had announced a bounty of $80 million on Trump, broadcasted live on a state TV station. We are 80 million Iranians. If each one of us puts aside one American dollar, we will have 80 million American dollars, and we will reward anyone who brings us (Trump)s head with that amount, said the eulogist to the huge crowd gathered in Mashhad. The man went on to say that whoever brings the head of yellow-haired lunatic will get $80 million on behalf of the great Iranian nation. Read: Iran Acknowledges Russian-made Missiles Targeted Ukraine Jet Since then, Iran has carried several retaliatory attacks on Iraqs military bases that housed US troops. Iran has also announced that it will file a lawsuit against the United States for assassinating its top military leader. Tehrans Judiciary spokesperson Gholam Hossein Esmaeili reportedly said that they will file the case in Iran, Iraq, and at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague. Trump's decision to take out Soleimani was questioned by Democrats as they doubted the justification of 'imminent threat'. The officials kept shifting the definitions saying they didnt know the precise details of the threat. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also been largely inconsistent with the threat information saying they were unaware of the exact date and time of the potential attack but Soleimani was plotting a broad, large-scale attack against American interests, and those attacks were imminent. Read: Donald Trump Rejects Warnings By Climate Activists, Calls Them 'prophets Of Doom' Read: Trump To Submit Comprehensive Defense In Senate As Impeachment Trial Begins (With inputs from agencies) Extreme measures during outbreaks have been imposed elsewhere before. During the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, Sierra Leone ordered everyone in the nation to stay home for three days as the authorities went door-to-door checking for new cases, retrieving dead bodies and trying to stop the disease from spreading further. In Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, a sprawling neighborhood with tens of thousands of people was put under strict quarantine by the government and guarded by police officers in riot gear, setting off violent clashes with penned-in residents. During the 2003 SARS outbreak, anyone in China who displayed symptoms of the disease was hospitalized, and students were examined daily. In Singapore, people suspected of having SARS were confined to their homes and monitored with webcams and electronic bracelets. Still, medical experts were startled by the scale of the shutdown in Wuhan, which has more people than the entire country of Sierra Leone. Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said that a city the size of Wuhan has tens of thousands of connections with the outside world that are coming and going all the time, bringing food and medicine. The complexity and downside cost of that will be potentially very high, Dr. Inglesby said. Roughly 30,000 people fly out of Wuhan on an average day, according to air traffic data analyzed by researchers at Northeastern University in Boston. Many more leave using ground transportation like trains and cars. The city is the hub of industry and commerce in central China, home to the regions biggest airport and deep-water port and sometimes known as the Chicago of China. It is popular among tourists for its colonial architecture, spicy noodles and proximity to the Yangtze River. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 09:57:26|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close CHONGQING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The world's oldest captive giant panda Xinxing and her four "great-grandchildren" celebrated the upcoming Spring Festival at a zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Tuesday. The 37-year-old celebrity "granny panda," her age equivalent to more than 100 human years, was treated with carrots, apples, bamboo shoots and leaves in the panda house decorated with lanterns and streamers. The food was carried to the dining area by the four panda cubs in baskets on their back as gifts for their "great-grandmother" to mark the occasion of their first meeting. The celebrity panda is in good physical condition, except occasional high blood pressure, according to Zhang Naicheng, head of the panda house. She weighs 97 kg and eats 30 kg of bamboo shoots and 1 kg of bamboo leaves each day. Xinxing, born in Sichuan Province in 1982, is the world's oldest captive giant panda. She is the matriarch of a huge family of 137 pandas. Her offspring are spread across the globe in more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Canada and Japan. Xinxing was brought to the Chongqing Zoo at the age of one. She visited Calgary, Canada during the 1988 Winter Olympics where she attracted over 1 million visitors. Ask your smartphone how to drive from Copenhagen to Berlin and it will give you an estimate of how long the trip will take, based on current traffic. If there is a traffic jam in Hamburg, say, the extra time this traffic jam takes will be included in the estimate. But, of course, you are not at all the points of your journey now. Rather, youll be in Copenhagen first, then at Odense, then Kolding, and so forth. By the time you get to Hamburg, there may no longer be a traffic jam. The estimate your smartphone gave you will be off. Life expectancy is calculated in much the same way. Life expectancy in 2019 is calculated using the chances of survival for all ages in 2019: those who turned 70 in 2019, those who turned 69 in 2019, those who turned 71 you get the point. But nobody actually has all their birthdays in 2019. People have at most one birthday a year (less than one for some of those who died that year and those born on February 29). Since I turned 35 in 2019, why should the 2019 chances of survival for a 70-year-old matter to me? By the time I turn 70, the world will have changed. The estimate will be off. Read more: Mortality rates are still rising in the UK and everyone is ignoring how many more people are dying But your smartphone also tells you something like 31 minutes extra travel time due to a traffic jam. With this information, you can guess how long the trip will take assuming that the traffic jam will be resolved by the time you get there: just subtract those 31 minutes. Every part of the journey has a travelling time and you can pick those pieces apart. Similarly, life expectancy is built up out of many small pieces, one for each age, and demographers can pick those pieces apart. We did that to answer questions such as: what is the part of life expectancy lived between ages 50 and 85? (which will be a number between 0 and 35). And suppose that in 2015 no 70-year-old died of smoking (for example through lung cancer), what would that life expectancy have been? And how has the importance of smoking-related deaths been changing, and was that different for men and women? Story continues Throw all that in the mixer and you get some interesting results, which my colleagues and I a team from the University of Southern Denmark and University of Groningen published in BMC Public Health. Read more: Improving life expectancy used to be the UK's forte now it's falling behind We studied the part of life expectancy lived between ages 50 and 85 for high-income North America, high-income Europe and high-income Oceania for the period 1950-2015. Around 1950, males lived about two and a half years less than females. Around 1980, this difference had increased to about four and a half years. Then the difference in life expectancy declined to new lows of about two years in 2015. All of that increase and subsequent decrease was due to smoking. Remove smoking and you get an almost flat line at only two years, which is what the difference in life expectancy between ages 50 and 85 would have been if nobody had smoked. Long time coming If smoking is so bad, why are we seeing all of these early deaths? Why arent people smarter? Well, if cigarettes killed you right away, nobody would touch them. The problem is that cigarettes do kill you only decades later. Because, historically, men started smoking earlier and heavier than women, any effect of smoking on life expectancy shows in males first. While medical doctors were coming to the conclusion that smoking is bad basing their conclusions on evidence from men women decided it was time to take up smoking. Now, decades later, the effect of smoking (death) is declining in males but still increasing for older females who smoked in the past. This gives rise to a four-wave pattern dubbed the smoking epidemic: first men smoke, then men start dying from smoking at around the same time women start smoking, then women start dying from smoking. In the final phase of the smoking epidemic, people get smarter and stop smoking. This last part of the smoking epidemic, however, is the more difficult part. Unfortunately, people keep smoking (big tobacco is doing just fine). But our study also showed some good news. Recently, there was a big drop in smoking-related deaths for people of around 50 years old. While smoking is certainly not down and out, at least some people seem to get that tobacco is a killer. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation Maarten Wensink does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. The US government intends to send an ambassador to Bolivia for the first time since 2008, the embassy of the North American country stated after the meeting of the acting Bolivian President Jeanine Anez with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale. According to the diplomatic mission, during the meeting, Anez and Hale also discussed the upcoming presidential elections in Bolivia, scheduled for May 3. In 2008, Bolivian ex-president Evo Morales declared the US ambassador to La Paz persona non grata, accusing him of financing the opposition and supporting the riots. The administration of ex-US President George W. Bush expelled the Bolivian ambassador from Washington and ranked Bolivia among the countries that ignore their international obligations to combat drug trafficking. At the end of November last year, the Bolivian MFA announced that Anez' government appointed Walter Oscar Serrate as the new US ambassador. MILAN (Reuters) - French telecoms and media group Iliad has filed a request to have a 5G network-sharing agreement between Italian phone carriers Fastweb and Wind Tre annulled, a legal document and a source said on Tuesday. According to a document from an Italian administrative court seen by Reuters, a first hearing will be held on the matter on Feb. 12 to decide whether to grant Iliad access to the agreement deed, while a ruling in merit will be held on Oct.7. The agreement between Fastweb and Wind Tre was announced last June. Iliad, Italy's fourth-largest mobile phone player, is the only operator not to have clinched a network-sharing agreement for 5G. Fastweb, a Swisscom unit, and CK Hutchison-owned Wind Tre declined to comment. Iliad was not immediately available for a comment. (Reporting by Domenico Lusi, additional reporting by Elvira Pollina, writing by Stephen Jewkes) There is little doubt that the recent US assassination of powerful Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq was good news to Saudi Arabia, which had kept the commander on its own terror list since October 2018. The general, who commanded Iran's Quds Force the special forces unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rarely targeted Saudi Arabia with direct harsh rhetoric. But he exercised no reservation when it came to hitting back at Saudi threats. In October 2016, Soleimani commented on internal Saudi politics, describing Mohammed bin Salman as a crown prince in hasty pursuit of his ambitions. "He aims to push aside Mohammed bin Nayef [grandson of the founding monarch, King Abdul-Aziz] and may even resort to killing his own father [King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud] to occupy the throne," he said. In June 2019, Soleimani's message for the United States and Saudi Arabia was more explicit and pejorative: "Whether it is the US, Saudi Arabia or any other fool, they can't do a thing to us as we are here to stand up against them. Soleimani for years remained the brains inside Iran's situation rooms and the leading commander executing the country's regional policies on the ground. Many now wonder if his death might ultimately usher in a de-escalation in Iran-Saudi tension. Since King Salman ascended to the throne in early 2015, Riyadh has markedly broken free from its characteristic restraint in foreign policy. And with Prince Mohammed assuming increasing powers, the kingdom has been pursuing a more aggressive approach toward its regional archenemy, Iran. Riyadh has repeatedly expressed concern over regional plans spearheaded by Soleimani. In the immediate fallout of the Soleimani killing, Saudi officials guarded their public reactions, with King Salman urging all sides to exercise restraint and work toward easing tensions. The Saudi Foreign Ministry encouraged the international community to abide by its responsibilities to protect peace and security in the region. Saudi media, however, could not help rejoicing as they spoke of Soleimani's death heralding a milestone era in the Middle East. The Saudi media's argument was based on the assertion that the charismatic Soleimani possessed everything needed to rally political groups and militias in the region. Therefore, with him now gone for good, Riyadh must feel closer than ever to achieving one of its key foreign policy objectives: curbing Iran's influence and restricting it within its own walls. Yet that doesnt appear to reveal the entire picture. Some Saudi officials have been concerned that the flames of Iran's wrath following the death of its commander might not spare Riyadh. That fear perhaps explains their initial cautious reaction. The Saudis even declared that they had no prior knowledge about the US plan to hit the Iranian commander. Riyadhs watchful handling of the development might have to do with the immediate Iranian threat that a harsh retaliation awaited the United States. Riyadh also recognizes how Tehran's broad network of loyalist groups in the region can quickly line up behind Iran in potential crises. Those militias include not only Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq, but the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemens bitter civil war, where Saudi Arabia leads a coalition against the rebels. Houthis pose an imminent and direct threat to Saudi security. "The US variable cannot be ignored in any analysis of Iran-Saudi tensions," said Kamran Karami, a Tehran-based Saudi affairs analyst. "In other words, with the [US administrations] maximum pressure policy [in Iran] well in place, there is no light on the horizon for a speedy de-escalation between Riyadh and Tehran," Karami told Al-Monitor. "Following the [Houthi-claimed] strike on the Saudi Aramco oil facility and the downing of the American drone over the Persian Gulf, Riyadh began to stop raising tensions with Iran, if not fully abandoning its hostile policies. And under the current circumstances, Saudi Arabia is stepping aside to avoid falling in the range of potential Iranian attacks. Washington's decision not to instantly retaliate for the Jan. 8 Iranian attacks on Iraqs Ain al-Asad air base, which houses American forces, could make Riyadh even more cautious in its Iran strategy. But will that alone walk the two sides to a path of de-escalation? The Soleimani assassination Jan. 3 matched the Saudi goal of curtailing Iran's influence in the region, according to Yasser Nour-Alivand, a senior researcher with the Iranian Research Institute of Strategic Studies. "Yet there are obvious signs that Saudis are extremely worried it may ignite a regional conflict," he told Al-Monitor. "In the post-assassination era, therefore, it seems that Riyadh will move toward reducing tensions. The foreign policy analyst argues that Saudi Arabia would prefer to see the United States maintain its policy of holding Iran back without a military conflict breaking out, one that could endanger Saudi security in the region. In open remarks, Irans leadership has made it clear that US forces must be ousted from the region, where Saudi Arabia serves as a key US ally. Against that backdrop, the key question is whether Iran is willing to come to terms with Saudi Arabia in the first place. "It is not just about today; we have long been seeking de-escalation with Saudi Arabia," a senior Iranian diplomat told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "It is Riyadh, however, which has refused to welcome the idea. If at the end of the day, Saudi officials realize that their old approach has failed, Tehran will be more than ready for dialogue. Given the complexities of the regional situation and the shifting calculations, as well as the combustive nature of developments, the Middle East appears prone to fresh crises with higher susceptibility than ever. With that in mind, its hard to paint a clear picture of the future of Iranian-Saudi ties. The Soleimani assassination, as an ideal development serving Saudi interests, may have brought Riyadh nothing more than a fleeting moment of ecstasy. The City of Laredo held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday to celebrate the recent opening of an overpass. READ MORE: Laredo City Council denies federal government access for border wall surveys Officials gathered to cut the ribbon officially opening the United States 59 Loop 20 lanes that run over Interstate Highway 35 and the Union Pacific Railroad Line. Cost of the project was more than $25.8 million, according to the City of Laredo. Funding consisted of more than $18.74 million coming from the federal level $18.53 million in federal funds and $204,804 in coordinated border infrastructure and more than $7.06 million from the state $4.63 million in state highway funds and $2.43 million in Proposition 1 state funds. The overpass project was constructed by SER Construction Partners of Houston over a 25-month period after starting Nov. 2017. It was opened to traffic for the first time a few days ago. Im proud to have fought for and secured over $18 million for this project and want to thank the Texas Department of Transportation, City of Laredo, Webb County and the Webb County-City of Laredo Regional Mobility Authority for their assistance in making this overpass a main priority, said Congressman Henry Cuellar in a release. This will greatly improve travel within our community, as well as improve the commute for those who travel to and from the US-Mexico border. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to ensure that federal funding is being used to enhance our districts infrastructure and roadways. With the overpass completed, traffic now is uninterrupted from International Boulevard to the entrance of the World Trade International Bridge. READ MORE: Blue Duck Scooter usage seeing steady decline in Laredo As part of the planned Milo Interchange, five direct connectors out of eight still have yet to be completed. The city says Texas Department of Transportation has funding for three of those, as two will get bids for construction in 2020 and the other in 2023. South Africa's prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme has achieved remarkable successes in recent years. It has improved the health and life expectancy for pregnant women living with HIV, and it has reduced the risk of transmission of the virus to their offspring. HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, at the time of delivery, and through breastfeeding. The most critical intervention to prevent transmission is to ensure that the mother has undetectable HIV viral load levels in her bloodstream. This is done by providing her with effective antiretroviral treatment (ART). Access to ART for pregnant women was first introduced in 2004 and has evolved over the years. In 2015, antenatal services for pregnant women were further improved by providing access to lifelong ART, irrespective of CD4 count or clinical disease severity. As a result, South Africa's programme is a global leader with more than 95% of women being tested for HIV during antenatal care. More than 90% of HIV-positive women are now being initiated on ART, a huge improvement from only 57% accessing ART in 2007. Mother-to-child transmission rates have dropped dramatically. Without any intervention, the HIV-infection rate was around 40%. With these interventions the HIV-infection rate at birth is currently around 1%. The aim now is to eliminate mother to child transmission completely. But realising this ambitious target will require innovative strategies and continuous quality improvement. Maternal viral suppression rates need to be improved, particularly in the period after the mother gives birth. In turn, this would lead to reduced HIV transmission during breastfeeding, improved maternal health, viral suppression in future pregnancies and reduced HIV transmission to sexual partners. To achieve these outcomes the South African Department of Health has revised the guidelines for the prevention of mother to child transmission. It now includes a strong focus on maternal viral suppression during antenatal care, at delivery, and in the period after birth. If implemented effectively, the approach set out in the guidelines, would put South Africa within reach of eliminating mother to child transmission. What's being done A significant strategy to achieve and sustain maternal viral suppression is the new drug dolutegravir. This game-changer is now available in the arsenal of first-line ARTs in South Africa. The drug has a number of features that make it particularly attractive and therefore the preferred first-line option in people starting ART. Most importantly, it rapidly suppresses the viral load, and has few side-effects. This makes it easier for people to continue taking their treatment as their medication doesn't make them feel ill. Dolutgravir also has few interactions with other drugs, especially certain family planning methods, and the virus doesn't easily develop drug resistance against it. But there is a potential safety concern. Recent data from Botswana suggest that there may be a risk of neural tube defects in the babies of women falling pregnant while on the drug. As a result, the recommendation is that the drug is used with caution around the time of conception. This highlights the need for all women to be appropriately counselled on contraceptive options and the risks and benefits of dolutegravir. They must be allowed to make an informed choice. Potent ART regimens are most effective when coupled with viral load monitoring which provides a way of confirming good adherence and viral suppression. It also enables timeous detection of factors that may be negatively affecting viral load suppression such as depression, non-disclosure, or drug-interactions. New to the programme is that all women will have a viral load test at the time of delivery. This will determine the response to ART received during antenatal care and facilitate an appropriate response to ensure viral suppression into the breastfeeding period. A viral load has also been introduced at six months after delivery for all women on ART, and an HIV test at 6 months for all HIV negative but exposed infants. Finally, the breastfeeding period is now widely considered to be the new frontier for preventing mother to child transmission. More than half of the transmission now occurs in the first 6 months after delivery. To improve viral suppression rates in the period after birth, the new guidelines outline mechanisms for linking mothers back into care post-delivery, for integrating care for the mother-infant-pair to ensure drug regimens are adhered to, and for promoting and protecting breastfeeding as a major child survival strategy. To reduce the risk of transmission through breast milk, greater efforts are being made to promote optimal feeding practices and to provide babies with infant prophylaxis until maternal viral suppression is achieved. The whole new approach is designed to be practical and user-friendly so that health care workers can provide the necessary care to mothers and their babies. Creating an environment that enables rigorous implementation of this guideline will move South Africa closer to the goal of eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV and making an HIV-free generation a reality. Ute Feucht received funding from the Global Fund and the World Health Organization towards the work done in developing the PMTCT guidelines. This funding was administered by the Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn and Child Health Care Strategies of the University of Pretoria. She is affiliated with the Tshwane District Health Services, Gauteng Provincial Department of Health and the University of Pretoria (Department of Paediatrics as well as the Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn and Child Health Care Strategies). She is a member of the Paediatric HIV and PMTCT technical working groups as well as the Maternal, Child, Women's Health Think Tank at National Department of Health. Jeannette Wessels received funding from the Global Fund and the World Health Organization towards the work done in developing the PMTCT guidelines. The Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn, and Child Health Care Strategies of the University of Pretoria, with whom she is affiliated, administered this funding. She is a member of the PMTCT and Paediatric technical working groups at the National Department of Health. By Ute Feucht, Associate Professor in Paediatrics, University of Pretoria Shilajit Mitra By Express News Service One of Indias foremost mainstream directors, Kabir Khan started out making documentaries. His debut work, The Forgotten Army, was aired in 1999. The six-part docuseries chronicled the adventures of the Azad Hind Fauj, revisited through memories of veteran soldiers. It tracked what was called the Azad Hind Expedition, wherein Kabir, along with several veterans of the Indian National Army (INA), made the same trek from Singapore to New Delhi, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence. The documentary was an unbelievable experience, Kabir says. It got me a lot of attention and kickstarted my career. But, somehow, this story never left me. Well, more than two decades later, Kabir is back on the trail. His upcoming web series for Amazon Prime Video, titled The Forgotten Army Azaadi Ke Liye, gives big-scale iteration to INA history. Massively mounted and shot, the fictional show stars Sunny Kaushal and Sharvari in the lead roles. The war epic was filmed in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Mumbai, and looks battle-ready to become the next big thing in the Indian OTT space. In this interview, Kabir discusses the relevance of the Azad Hind Fauj, the dominance of the popular narrative, the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and his faith in a secular India. There have been several films and shows about Subhas Chandra Boses army. What prompted you to revisit this story? When I made my documentary 20 years ago, I was travelling with Captain Lakshmi Sehgal and Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon. At that time, I didnt realise what a gift this journey was to me. There was so much unfolding behind the scenes. You see, these were two people who had fought a war from 1942 to 1945. So, when they went back to the same areas after five decades, they were in a trance. They were revisiting their glory days. For instance, Dhillon saab would always be in search of somebody but never talk about it. That thought was the trigger point for me. In fact, the show begins with an old man going back in time. Given the complex history of our freedom struggle, how have you made the show accessible? Its the story of the soldiers. I dont think you can make a film or a show about politics. When working in a mainstream format, you should allow the audience to enjoy the story at face value. However, if they do discover the political layers, it becomes more profound. To give an example, if you watch my first film, Kabul Express, as a thriller about journalists getting kidnapped by the Taliban, thats fine. But if you dig deeper, you will find ideas about perception and what defines an enemy. Similarly, you can enjoy the Chicken song from Bajrangi Bhaijaan as a fun childrens track. But if you wonder Is this a comment on the beef ban? that makes it even better. Historical fiction always has contemporary echoes. Is it the same with The Forgotten Army? The spirit of standing up and fighting for what you believe in is contemporary. The ability to debate ethical issues What is right? What is wrong? Who is a traitor and who isnt? What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism? all that is hugely contemporary. Theres a line in the trailer that says, You dont need to be of a certain religion or race to be a part of the Azad Hind Fauj. Its become so relevant today, at a time when we are being asked to prove we are Indians. Do you find parallels between this story and the anti-CAA protests happening across India? Throughout history, the popular narrative is used to submerge the truth. During the freedom struggle, it was an embarrassment to the British administration that 55,000 soldiers had turned against them. So, they censored everything and spun a narrative that this was a ragtag army of traitors. More than the military advantage, the British knew the psychological advantage Netaji had. This is exactly whats happening at the moment where, if you speak up against the government, you are deemed an anti-national. When did the government become equivalent to India? Governments come and go, India is here for eternity. Its interesting because you are a popular director. Your films have done massive numbers. Does it mean theres still an audience for all points of view? I have grown up with the strong belief that India inherently is a secular country. Yes, we are going through dark times and you do start questioning yourself. But I dispel those thoughts. Take the example of Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The polarisation that we are going through had already started when the film came out. In it, I was talking about a Pakistani girl who is escorted back to safety by a man who grew up in the RSS environment. And yet, this film goes on to become the biggest blockbuster. So that gives me faith that maybe well recover from all this. I would still like to believe that this is just a dark phase. Maybe I am being naive. Davos, Switzerland France will delay its tax on big tech firms like Google and Facebook in exchange for the United States' promise to hold off retaliatory tariffs a potential sign of goodwill in the U.S. and European Union's increasingly tense relations over trade. After President Donald Trump threatened the EU with bigger tariffs, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Wednesday he had negotiated a truce with Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Le Maire said France would delay collection of the digital tax until December, parking the issue until after the next U.S. presidential election where Trump hopes to secure another four-year term. The 3 percent tax on the revenues of big internet companies only came into force last July and prompted outrage in the U.S., which launched retaliatory tariffs against French wine, cheese and other products. The two countries eventually agreed a month later to try to create an international agreement on how to tax digital business by mid-2020, but neither side would back off their punitive taxes. They came to an agreement on Wednesday in Davos. Le Maire, Mnuchin and the head of the Paris-based Organization or Economic Co-operation and Development, Jose Angel Gurria, will meet Thursday to work on an international approach to taxes on digital companies. "I absolutely expect we will come to a solution because there is no plan B," Gurria said. It remains unclear whether they can find an international agreement, as it would involve dozens of countries with often conflicting views. Le Maire said France was not in a position to scrap its tax until such an international accord has been reached and insisted that companies reliant on internet business need to pay taxes wherever they are based and wherever they operate. The French measure attempts to get around tax avoidance measures by multinationals, which pay most of their taxes in the EU country they are based in often at very low rates. That effectively means the companies pay next to no tax in countries where they have large operations. "Digital companies will pay their fair tax in 2020," Le Maire told reporters in Davos. At face value, the deal appears to dial down the risk of a wider trade war between the U.S. and the EU, of which France is part of. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. However, Trump and Mnuchin both took a noticeably tough line on the EU that stoked concerns that the months ahead could see a new escalation in trade tensions. Trump, who last week reached an interim trade deal with China, easing tensions between the world's two biggest economies, ratcheted up his criticism of the EU and said its approach to trade was in fact worse than Beijing's. "They have trade barriers where you can't trade," he said at a news briefing at the conclusion of his two-day stay in Davos. "They have tariffs all over the place. They make it impossible. They are, frankly, more difficult to do business with than China." Trump said he wanted to get a first trade deal with China before taking on deeper negotiations with the EU. Trump has used tariffs or the threat of them repeatedly to wrest trade concessions from U.S. trading partners including China, Mexico and Canada. In October, he slapped tariffs worth $7.5 billion on EU goods in October after prevailing in a case over airplane subsidies. He has also repeatedly raised the specter of tariffs on European cars. The Portland City Auditors Office says it wont investigate campaign finance complaints against Mayor Ted Wheeler, mayoral candidate Ozzie Gonzalez and city commissioner candidate Jack Kerfoot that allege they violated a voter-approved $500 campaign contribution limit. The office dismissed the complaints Friday because a Multnomah County circuit judge ruled the limit unconstitutional several months after it was approved by Portland voters in November 2018, said City Elections Officer Deborah Scroggin. The Auditors Office intends to uphold the will and intent of the voters in implementing campaign finance restrictions, she wrote in a letter to Wheeler, Gonzalez and Kerfoot on Friday. However, we will not be enforcing, investigating, or acting on complaints regarding provisions of the charter that are currently being litigated and have been held unconstitutional. The complaints were filed in December by Ronald Buel, a member of political action committee Honest Elections Oregon, which pushed for the campaign finance limits. He said he believes the city should still enforce the contribution limits because the judge only deemed certain parts of the changes to the city policy to be unconstitutional. Buel also filed a similar complaint against Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann in December. Tim Scott, the countys elections director, alerted Buel the day after receiving the complaint that his office also wouldnt investigate the claims. Buel wanted city and county elections officials to fine all four campaigns for violating the campaign contribution limit measures. Honest Elections Oregon organized the Portland measure approved by voters in 2018, as well as a similar one that was passed by Multnomah County voters in 2016. The Portland measure amended the city charter to limit individual or political committee donations to $500 per election cycle in city races. The measure also limited campaign spending and required campaigns to disclose advertising funders and as well as impose other restrictions. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Eric Bloch struck down the county rule in 2017 and did the same to parts of the Portland rule in June 2019, saying they violated the Oregon Constitutions prohibition on limiting free speech. The decision on the county measure was appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in November 2019. A ruling is expected later this year and will likely impact the Portland measure. A city appeal of Blochs ruling is on hold until the Supreme Court rules in the Multnomah County case. Buels complaint against Wheeler took issue with more than $40,000 contributed in 15 cash and in-kind donations. Buel claimed Gonzalez, a TriMet board member, and Kerfoot, a retired renewable energy consultant, each have accepted four donations over $500. Kerfoot was initially campaigning for incumbent Commissioner Chloe Eudalys seat on the council. City records show Kerfoot has since refiled to instead seek the position vacated by Commissioner Nick Fish, who died of cancer Jan. 2. Buel told Scroggin in an email that he disagreed with the dismissal of the complaints and questioned what would happen if the Oregon Supreme Court reverses the lower court decision at a later stage of the election cycle. Scroggin said Tuesday that Buel can appeal the decisions to the Multnomah County District Court. Amy Rathfelder, Wheelers campaign manager, said they are happy to move past the matter and are focused on running a fair and accountable campaign. Gonzalezs and Kerfoots campaigns didnt immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Earth just finished its hottest decade on record with the five last years as the five hottest years on record, according to U.S. and other science agencies. Scientists repeatedly point to more extreme weather as a problem worsened by human-caused climate change. There have been 44 weather and climate disasters in the United States that caused at least $1 billion in damage since 2017, killing 3,569 people, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Senator Mohammed Sani Musa of the All Progressives Congress, APC representing Niger East has yet again lamented at how his people are being killed everyday by armed bandits without responses from appropriate authorities. He said even though several calls and appeals were made to concerned authorities for action on the situation, not much has been done. The lawmaker revealed that he had to cut short his trip after he received news of the fresh attacks by the bandits. Senator Musa in a statement personally signed by him said, For several months now, my people (the people of Niger East) have not had a moment of solitude. Bandits have taken away sleep from their eyes, be it in the day time or at night. Many lives have been cut short, women have been raped, some even before their spouse, children have been turned to orphans and many have been abducted with huge ransoms being demanded. Cattle are being rustled, farm produce and other valuables are stolen. This is besides thousands of persons who have been rendered homeless. Read Also: How I Trekked For Two Hours Inside The Bush: Emir Recounts Ordeal With bandits The havoc rendered by bandits to my people in the past few months is immeasurable and the pains indescribable. It is truly a sad situation that has continued to pull tears to my eyes seeing my people being put through such a torturous and inhumane treatment in the hand of a godless people supposed to give all concerned cause to worry. For this unwarranted situation I had to cut short my trip and return this morning after I received the report of fresh attacks on five communities in Shiroro local government area, which include Zongoro, Kwaki, Magami, Masuku and Maguga as well as other communities in Munya local government area. The village Head of Masuku was killed and his son abducted in the attacks which has lasted since 14th of January. I have also gathered that not less than 30 people have so far been abducted by the bandits. I therefore wish to appeal to Mr President the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the aid of my people. This is not the first time I am making this kind of passionate appeal but not much has been done to address the situation. I pray that his Excellency would hear my appeal this time and use his powers in this regard. I have no doubt that the Federal Government has the capacity to tackle the problem once and for all, considering the efforts of Mr President at tackling the insurgency in the north east since his assumption in office. I also wish to call on the Governor of Niger State, Dr Abubakar Bello not to relent in quest towards handling this unforgettable situation. I urge him not to relent but to continue to deploy all necessary machinery to arrest the menace once and for all. After a 6,000 mile flight, the pair will first settle in at Ashia's Cheetah Center in South Africa's Western Cape before eventually moving to Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve, a 14,000 hectare property in Great Karoo. There, they will undergo a rewilding process developed and successfully applied by Ashia over the last two years. Mount Camdeboo is home to many rescued and rehabilitated animals, including a bull elephant rescued by The Aspinall Foundation in partnership with the Mount Camdeboo team in October 2019. Saba was hand-reared by Aspinall Foundation Chairman Damian Aspinall and his wife, Victoria in their home. Damian and Victoria will accompany Saba & Nairo on their journey from the UK to South Africa and will personally release them into their new home. The groundbreaking project is the first time a captive-born, hand-raised cheetah has left the UK for rewilding in Africa. Cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable by the ICUN, with an estimated 6,674 individuals remaining in the wild. Habitat loss, conflict with humans and increasing pressure from the illegal pet trade means that cheetah only inhabit around 10% of their historic range. Saba & Nairo's rewilding and participation in a breeding programme will bring vital new genetics to the South African population. A major fundraising campaign has been launched to support the move. Big cat-fans will have the opportunity to donate, adopt Saba & Nairo or purchase limited edition merchandise on The Aspinall Foundation website. All profits will go directly to the move and ongoing care and monitoring of Saba & Nairo. Damian Aspinall, Chairman of The Aspinall Foundation said: 'It will be difficult to say goodbye to Saba & Nairo but finding ways to return animals to the wild is something I believe in passionately. This approach may challenge the zoo community, but it is the right thing to do and I sincerely hope more zoos around the world finally take notice and follow suit. With fewer than 7,000 cheetah remaining in the wild, it is more important than ever to support the wild population by bringing captive bred animals back to their ancestral homes for rewilding. We at The Aspinall Foundation have proven time and time again that it can work. We have already successfully rewilded animals in Congo, Gabon, Java, South Africa, Tanzania and China. We have selected our partners for this project very carefully and I have complete faith in the teams at Ashia and Mount Camdeboo Private Reserve, who we will work closely with every step of the way.' For further information about The Aspinall Foundation, please visit www.aspinallfoundation.org Editors' Notes The Aspinall Foundation manages conservation projects in Congo, Gabon, Indonesia, Madagascar and Southern Africa, as well as providing financial support to various partner projects around the world. The conservation charity's important work helps prevent some of the most endangered species on the planet from becoming extinct. The Aspinall Foundation works closely with two wildlife parks in Kent - Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park. The parks are breeding sanctuaries for some of the world's most endangered species. Where possible, animals born at the parks are released into protected areas of their natural habitat, as part of The Aspinall Foundation's Back To The Wild programme. The Aspinall Foundation team are working closely with Ashia ( www.ashia.co.za ) and Mount Camdeboo Private Reserve ( www.mountcamdeboo.com ) to rewild Saba & Nairo. Ashia, a world-class cheetah centre near Cape Town in South Africa's Western Cape, was founded to help prevent the further decline of cheetah populations and to increase the genetic gene pool through its captive Breeding, Wilding and Release Program. Ashia is successfully returning captive born cheetahs into the protected wild of South African game reserves and national parks. The relatedness of the reserve populations is becoming an issue and preventing inbreeding without supplementation from outside will be practically impossible. Mount Camdeboo, which will be Saba & Nairo's final home, is a 14,000 hectare private reserve. Information: The Aspinall Foundation Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, Aldington Rd, Nr Hythe, Kent, CT21 4PD Follow Us: Instagram YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080193/Aspinall_Foundation_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080194/Aspinall_Foundation_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080195/Aspinall_Foundation_3.jpg SOURCE The Aspinall Foundation A recent fundraiser at Dow Chemical Employees Credit Union resulted in the donation of more than 125 plush toys to the Midland Police Department to provide comfort to children during traumatic incidents. Over the holidays, Dow Chemical Employees Credit Union sold stuffed animals for a $10 donation to support the Michigan Credit Union League & Affiliates state PAC, a political action committee that supports credit-union-friendly candidates for the Michigan Legislature. The plush toys were offered for personal gift-giving for the holidays, or members could choose to donate them to the Midland Police Department. Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, Chin, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Chinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings, after warning that a new viral illness that has infected more than 400 people and killed at least nine could spread further. The appeal came as the World Health Organization convened a group of independent experts to advise whether the outbreak should be declared a global emergency. The number of new cases has risen sharply in China, the center of the outbreak. There were 440 confirmed cases as of midnight Tuesday in 13 jurisdictions, said Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission. Nine people have died, all in Hubei province, since the outbreak emerged in its provincial capital of Wuhan late last month. "There has already been human-to-human transmission and infection of medical workers," Li said at a news conference with health experts. "Evidence has shown that the disease has been transmitted through the respiratory tract and there is the possibility of viral mutation." The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus, a family of viruses that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 and killed about 800 people. Some experts have drawn parallels between the new coronavirus and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, another coronavirus that does not spread very easily among humans and is thought to be carried by camels. Hospital staff wash the emergency entrance of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) But WHO's Asia office tweeted this week that "there may now be sustained human-to-human transmission," which raises the possibility that the epidemic is spreading more easily and may no longer require an animal source to spark infections, as officials initially reported. Authorities in Thailand on Wednesday confirmed four cases, a Thai national and three Chinese visitors. Japan, South Korea, the United States and Taiwan have all reported one case each. All of the illnesses were of people from Wuhan or who recently traveled there. "The situation is under control here," Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, saying there are no reports of the infection spreading to others. "We checked all of them: taxi drivers, people who wheeled the wheelchairs for the patients, doctors and nurses who worked around them." A customer walks out of a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Macao, a former Portuguese colony that is a semi-autonomous Chinese city, reported one case Wednesday. Some experts said they believe the threshold for the outbreak to be declared an international emergency had been reached. Dr. Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Oxford University, said there were three criteria for such a determination: the outbreak must be an extraordinary event, there must be a risk of international spread and a globally coordinated response is required. "In my opinion, those three criteria have been met," he said. In response to the U.S. case, President Donald Trump said: "We do have a plan, and we think it's going to be handled very well. We've already handled it very well. ... we're in very good shape, and I think China's in very good shape also." Travelers wear face masks as they line up at turnstiles at a train station in Nantong, eastern China's Jiangsu province, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new virus has risen to over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (Chinatopix via AP) In Wuhan, pharmacies limited sales of face masks to one package per customer as people lined up to buy them. Residents said they were not overly concerned as long as they took preventive measures. "As an adult, I am not too worried about the disease," Yang Bin, the father of a 7-year-old, said after buying a mask. "I think we are more worried about our kids. ... It would be unacceptable to the parents if they got sick." Medical workers in protective suits could be seen carrying supplies and stretchers into Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some of the patients are being treated. Travel agencies that organize trips to North Korea said the country has banned foreign tourists because of the outbreak. Most tourists to North Korea are either Chinese or travel to the country through neighboring China. North Korea also closed its borders in 2003 during the SARS scare. Hospital staff stand outside the emergency entrance of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Other countries have stepped up screening measures for travelers from China, especially those arriving from Wuhan. Worries have been heightened by the Lunar New Year holiday rush, when millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad. Officials said it was too early to compare the new virus with SARS or MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, in terms of how lethal it might be. They attributed the spike in new cases to improvements in detection and monitoring. "We are still in the process of learning more about this disease," Gao Fu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, said at the news conference. Gao said officials are working on the assumption that the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals being sold illegally at a food market in Wuhan and that the virus is mutating. Mutations can make it spread faster or make people sicker. Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, Chin, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Jiao Yahui, a health commission official, said the disease "will continue to develop. It has developed different features compared with the early stage, and the prevention and precautionary measures need to change accordingly." One veteran of the SARS outbreak said that while there are some similarities in the new virusnamely its origins in China and the link to animalsthe current outbreak appears much milder. Dr. David Heymann, who headed WHO's global response to SARS in 2003, said the new virus appears dangerous for older people with other health conditions, but doesn't seem nearly as infectious as SARS. "It looks like it doesn't transmit through the air very easily and probably transmits through close contact," he said. "That was not the case with SARS." Health officials confirmed earlier this week that the disease can be spread between humans after finding two infected people in Guangdong province in southern China who had not been to Wuhan. Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, Chin, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) A box of masks imported from Japan sits inside a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen to over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Hospital staff wash the emergency entrance of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) A hospital staff member looks out a window of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen over 400 in China Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Passengers wearing masks walk by as a quarantine officer, center, monitors a thermography during a quarantine inspection at Kansai international airport in Osaka, western Japan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Chinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings after warning on Wednesday that a new viral illness infecting hundreds of people in the country. Japan, South Korea, the United States and Taiwan have all reported one case each. All of the illnesses were of people from Wuhan or who recently had traveled there. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP) Masked pedestrians walk down a shopping street in downtown Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Hospital staff wash the emergency entrance of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) Fifteen medical workers also tested positive for the virus, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has said. Fourteen of themone doctor and 13 nurseswere infected by a patient who had been hospitalized for neurosurgery but also had the coronavirus. "This is a very profound lesson, which is that there must not be any cracks in our prevention and control," Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang said about the infections of the medical workers in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV. Experts worry in particular when health workers are sickened in outbreaks by new viruses, because it can suggest the disease is becoming more transmissible and because spread in hospitals can often amplify the epidemic. The Lunar New Year is a time when many Chinese return to their hometowns to visit family. Li, the health commission official, said measures were being taken to monitor and detect infected people from Wuhan, and that people should avoid going to the city, and people from the city should stay put for now. Explore further How the new coronavirus developed 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. January 21, 2020 What's it like to work as an IT managed service owner? Discover what experienced IT MSP company owners have to say about why they enjoy their line of work. IT managed service providers offer the business community valuable services, enabling small business owners to grow their companies, protect themselves from malicious cybercriminals, get expert IT assistance 24/7, and much more. While a growing number of companies are embracing IT MSPs and all they have to offer, many people are unaware of what the IT MSP owners think about their line of work. The following fascinating comments from IT managed service provider business owners throughout the MSP community offer a peek into the lives, thoughts, and feelings of those who take on the challenging job of keeping business IT set-ups optimized, safe, and in good working order. What is the Best Thing About Being a Managed Services Business Owner? Jorge Rojas from Tektonic Inc. reports that the best thing about being an MSP owner is that being self-employed offers freedom and flexibility. He notes that there is a lot of hard work involved in running a company but that self-employment gives you the feeling you are in control of your life. Scott Clarke from Menark Technologies Inc. echoes Mr. Rojas' sentiments, stating that the best part of his job is the freedom to make his own way, do what he wants, and set up his business the way he wants it. Sarah Smith, a team member at Ulistic, points out that she enjoys knowing her own success is a direct result of her own hard work. Business owners don't have to climb the corporate ladder and wait to be promoted; instead, they believe that anything a person wants in life is achievable if he or she is willing to find a way to make it happen. James Ritter from Pulse Tech comments that one of the main things he loves about his job is that it not only gives him the opportunity to provide for himself and his family but also the chance to give back to the community and support others in his local area. He notes that he has found that his line of work gives him the ability to make a lasting impact on doing what he loves to do. Jason Simons from ICS also puts a premium on his job's ability to make a difference. He reports that the thing he loves best about his line of work is that it gives him the ability to come up with and implement ideas that shake up the market, improving life for people throughout his city. Scott Gallupe, the President of 403Tech Inc., makes an interesting point, stating that one thing he enjoys about his job is that it gives him the opportunity to meet and grow with other like-minded individuals. Most people think of IT tech experts as nerdy, brainy people who prefer the company of machines to that of real people; however, Mr. Gallupe clearly enjoys interacting with the many people that he meets in his line of work, noting that being an entrepreneur has given him the ability to surround himself with people he wouldn't have met otherwise. What are the Challenges? At the same time, it's important to note that the life of a self-employed entrepreneur is far from easy. Scott Gallupe, the President of 403Tech Inc. accurately points out that entrepreneurship is all about taking risks and that most successful entrepreneurs take high risks in the hopes of reaping high rewards. He also notes that business owners can't expect to work only during regular business hours and then have free time in the evenings and on the weekends. Instead, they often have to work while others are relaxing in order to finish a project and collect a paycheque. Even so, entrepreneurs aren't put off by the extra work or risks; instead, they are attracted to them as they know that failing is simply part of entrepreneurship. Anyone who is familiar with the challenges of running a company will certainly understand what Mr. Gallupe is talking about. An astounding 70% of small business owners fail within ten years of starting a company. The average entrepreneur spends 52 hours a week working, more than 60% more than the average employee; at the same time, there are plenty of new business owners who work anywhere from 60 to 70 hours a week to get their company off the ground. It's clear that, as Mr. Gallupe points out, being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle, not merely a job. Naturally, entrepreneurship isn't for everyone and many IT technicians opt for a traditional job as opposed to launching their own business. Nonetheless, those who do step up to the plate and launch their own MSPs don't regret it. They may not succeed in every task they take on, but their passion for helping local business owners create, manage, repair, and secure their IT-set-ups benefits the lives of people throughout the MSP business community. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended a panel discussion on Strategic Outlook: Eurasia held as part of the World Economic Forum. The head of state responded to moderator's questions. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. As we said, Eurasia has now these great super-powers, Russia and China on each side. As President of Azerbaijan who do you call first-Moscow or Beijing? President Ilham Aliyev: Baku. Moderator: Baku... President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, our policy is friendly towards our neighbors, but at the same time our national interests first. Therefore, all the achievements which we enjoyed during the years of independence we achieved due to the commitment of our people to our independence and the fact that we have managed to implement very serious reforms in political and economic area. Our achievements are also reflected in Davos World Economic Forums annual assessment. We have very high level of development in infrastructure, and as far as roads construction and quality of roads is concerned we are number 27 in the world. Moderator: Fantastic, I was interested to see that you have refreshed your government. You have brought in young technocrats. President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, exactly the government was changed. New people were invited to the government, well educated, with more than vision, because as I said publicly many times in 21st century we cannot achieve success with the vision of 20th century. Therefore, the new people we brought not only to the government, but also to the Presidential Administration, which also was changed largely and next month we will have early parliamentary elections. The aim of that was also to give opportunity to people to select those people whom they trust, and the parliament I am sure after election will be important part of the continuation of the reforms. Moderator: For Azerbaijanis who want their lives to get better, what do you hope this new government will deliver to them. What will they see over the next year or two that thats different? President Ilham Aliyev: I think that in the previous times we largely invested into infrastructure project, therefore, today, with respect to access to electricity, according again to Davos Forum, Azerbaijan is number 2. Gasification level in Azerbaijan is 96 percent, we have built 16 thousand kilometers of roads and more than 3000 schools and 700 hospitals. But that was part of the state investment. What we need now, we need new approach in the governance, good governance, transparency, accountability, bringing the criteria of our life and living standards closer to the standards of European Union. And I think this is possible, this is achievable, because we have a strong political support. Again I want to come to the assessment of Davos Forum which ranks Azerbaijani government's strategic vision as number 10 and governments ability to provide stability number 11 in the world. So, the new government will concentrate on major challenge, which is growing population. Therefore, our economic growth must be in line with growth of population. During the time of independence we came from seven million to ten million people. So, it needs additional infrastructure. It needs additional food supply, and our population grows every year more than hundred thousand that means we need at least hundred thousand jobs, annually and it is not easy. Therefore, the government will address that. We will try to keep poverty as low as it is today, it is below 5 percent. And also we have a long strategy of reduction of the foreign direct debt, which is today very low, it is 17 percent of GDP but our target is to bring it down to 10 percent of GDP. And of course, keeping inflation low, as it was last year 2.5 percent, and income of people must always be ahead of inflation as well as job creation must be ahead of demographic growth. Moderator: I read that a third of the population of the Central Asia is now under 15, thats one third of the population under 15. If we look at youth in every other continent of the world, we see them on the streets, they are demanding more voice, they are used to having more voice. You have just explained that in your country a growing number are those young people. What would you say, if they want to come out on the streets and demand more voice? President Ilham Aliyev: We will listen to what they want but the fact is that in Azerbaijan youth is not in the streets, youth is in the universities, at school, youth is in the start-up business, youth is actively involved in governmental issues. We have launched a very huge volunteer movement, and tens of thousands of people have been trained in the public services sector as volunteers and then, we recruit these people, those who have good results, the governmental institutions. Frankly speaking when we see in different parts of the world youth on the streets it is because of dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction with the life, they lost trust in their governments. The governments use populistic slogans to come to power, and then, cannot deliver what they promised. Actually they lie, and the main reason for that is irresponsibility of politicians. Because we see in many countries not only in Europe but in other places that one government comes, immediately the head of government is under fire. People elect him or her and then within one year he or she loses all the credibility. That is because the promises were given which were not been possible to implement. In Azerbaijan we always keep our word, we never say something we cannot deliver and year after year living standards of our people is better. Moderator: Thank you President Aliyev. President Ilham Aliyev, do young people in Azerbaijan, do you think they share that vision, this aspiration to be part of a regional organization and delegate sovereignty to that regional organization? Is there grassroot support for that idea in Azerbaijan? President Ilham Aliyev: I dont think so, I think the main idea and the main ideology of Azerbaijan, including the young generation is sovereignty, independence and reliance on our own resources. And me as the president one of my targets was to transform Azerbaijan into a self-sufficient country. The country does not depend on anyone. In other words, economic independence was the main priority because this is a foundation for political independence. Of course, different countries have different agenda, economies of different countries is more vulnerable than others. As far as Azerbaijan is concerned once again, our geographical location is very advantageous, plus we invested largely into creation of modern infrastructure. Second, as you mentioned our generation is very young, and we have extra labor resources and very creative. Of course, we are rich in natural resources, oil and gas, which create energy security for us, Therefore, our relations with our neighboring countries and the big number of partners are based on mutual interest and plus in every issue related to our presence in that or other international body we look at the pragmatic side. What will it give to us? If it gives us more economic incentives more opportunities for business, more stability, more security, of course, we are considering that. We are members of a number of international institutions. One of them is the Non-Alignment Movement. Moderator: What is your bright hope or your worst nightmare for the region, President Aliyev? President Ilham Aliyev: I think the most important now, especially taking into account the regional situation and new emerging conflict zones is the regional stability. We dont have internal risks in the country whether its political risks or economic risks country is stable, development is sustainable. We have a very broad agenda of reforms which in the face of implementation which will create better opportunities for our people. The main concern and the main potential nightmare would be aggravation of tension beyond our borders. And for that, unfortunately, we are not responsible, and we cannot to full degree influence that process. Responsibility lies on the super powers, on the big powers which must agree on certain issues between themselves so that this fragile stability is not shaken more. Moderator: And for those in the room who dont know the region well what are the tensions that you most worry could flare up? President Ilham Aliyev: You know, we see those tensions close to our borders, we see tensions in Afghanistan we see unresolved situations there. We are ourselves subject of occupation by Armenia and this is a permanent source of threat, 20 percent of our territories are under Armenian occupation in violation of international norms and united Nations Security Council Resolutions. We see aggravation of tension with respect to US-Iranian relationship, and many other hotspots in the region which are already flaring our potential. Therefore, we are very interested in safety, security, and predictability beyond our borders, because even economic difficulties outside of Azerbaijan can influence our economic and social situation. Therefore, I think stability in the region is the main concern which we have, and instability in the region is the main nightmare if I may put it so. Moderator: Thank you Mr President. X X X Other participants in the panel discussion included President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga, Managing Director of Astana International Financial Centre Kairat Kelimbetov, President and Chairman of VTB Bank Management Board Andrey Kostin and Director-General of the United Nations at Geneva Tatiana Valovaya. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with President of Iraqi Kurdistan Nechirvan Barzani in Davos on the sidelines of World Economic Forum, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. President Sarkissian said Armenia closely follows the ongoing developments in the Middle East and is attaching importance to the development of relations with friendly Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan, adding that the country will continue boosting and deepening the ties also with Iraqi Kurdistan in the context of the dynamic relations of the two countries. As a key factor contributing to this Armen Sarkissian mentioned the presence of Armenians, who bring their contribution to the development of Iraqi Kurdistan by living there. The sides highlighted IT, creative education, tourism and e-governance as possible areas for cooperation. President Sarkissian said the Armenian side is ready to share its experience in the field of e-governance. In addition to development of commercial ties, the officials also highlighted higher education as a prospective area. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Israel ATLANTA Jan. 21, 2020 $1 million Israel Eitan Yudilevich Ofer Sharon Ray Huang About OncoHost About RayBiotech Media Contact: Ellie Hanson BINYAMINA,and/PRNewswire/ -- OncoHost, global leader in host response profiling for improved personalized cancer therapy, together with its partner RayBiotech, a leading life sciences company developing high-throughput protein detection technologies for biomarker discovery initiatives, announced today the companies have been awarded agrant from the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. The BIRD Foundation supports cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies for developing joint products or technologies in a wide range of technology sectors that are of mutual benefit to the U.S. andThe grant will support OncoHost and RayBiotech's combined development and clinical validation of host response testing for the early prediction of treatment responsiveness in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients undergoing immunotherapy. It will also be used to further develop and implement an automated slide assistance platform (ASAP) for reducing the time of large-scale protein processing as part of a new joint service: host response enrichment for pharmaceutical companies. Both of these developments will contribute towards the enablement of personalized cancer therapy for patients."The BIRD Foundation Board of Governors selected to support the project between OncoHost and RayBiotech on their mission to counteract therapy resistance in order to improve cancer treatment response," said Dr., Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation. "This joint project contains a high level of innovation and knowledge that could benefit the treatment of lung cancer patients.""The grant and support from the BIRD Foundation represents an important milestone for OncoHost," said Dr., CEO of OncoHost. "We are committed to develop a system for the early identification of resistance to cancer therapy in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), as well as a discovery tool for new drug targets. Our unique approach of host response analysis represents a significant step forward for precision oncology and personalized cancer treatment."OncoHost's host response profiling platform PROphetleverages proprietary machine learning and bioinformatics technology, and will be used together with RayBiotech's high-throughput protein analysis platform to identify treatment resistance in cancer patients."This partnership perfectly aligns with our mission to advance precision medicine," said Dr., CEO of RayBiotech. "Antibody array-based profiling of patient samples has proven a critical approach to informing personalized therapies and biomarker discovery studies, particularly in cancer research. We are eager to see how the PROphet platform can harness the power of high-throughput protein detection."OncoHost combines life-science research and advanced machine learning technology to develop personalized strategies to maximize the success of cancer therapy. Utilizing proprietary proteomic analysis, the company aims to understand patients' unique response to therapy and overcome one of the major obstacles in clinical oncology today resistance to therapy. OncoHost's Host Response Profiling platform (PROphet) analyzes proteomic changes in blood samples to monitor the dynamics of biological processes induced by the patient (i.e., the host) in response to a given cancer therapy. This proteomic profile is highly predictive of individual patient outcome, thus enabling personalized treatment planning. PROphet also identifies potential drug targets, advancing the development of novel therapeutic strategies as well as rationally based combination therapies.For more information, visit http://www.oncohost.com.Follow OncoHost on LinkedIn.RayBiotech is a leading life sciences company providing proteomic discovery tools. RayBiotech has nearly 150 employees whose objectives are to provide excellent products and service worldwide to RayBiotech customers which include scientists in industry, academic and research institutes in 41 countries. RayBiotech's mission is to provide cutting-edge array technologies for the discovery of disease-related protein biomarkers and key factors, the identification of new drug targets, and the advancement of personalized medicine. RayBiotech is committed to accelerating customer success through innovation and leadership in the Life Sciences. https://www.raybiotech.com/Finn Partners+1-929-222-8006 ellie.hanson@finnpartners.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oncohost-and-raybiotech-awarded-1-million-grant-from-the-bird-foundation-to-advance-precision-oncology-for-patients-receiving-immunotherapy-300990297.html SOURCE OncoHost Health Secretary Francisco Duque III MANILA, Philippines The Department of Health (DOH) is currently observing the condition of a Chinese boy in Cebu City after showing symptoms of coronavirus. The DOH said the boy is now in stable condition though he is not yet recommended for discharge. The five-year-old boy remains in isolation until the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia completes its test on the boys blood sample. Kaunting ubo at wala ng lagnat pero ang nakakapagtaka lang ay iyong nanay na wala namang sintomas na ipinakikita (The boy only has a cough and his fever subsided. Were just curious why the mother didnt show any symptoms), noted Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. So mayroon pa ring prosibilidad na baka hindi naman talaga ito novel coronavirus (So it is still possible that maybe this is not novel coronavirus), he added. The boy traveled from Wuhan City in Hubei province where the new strain of coronavirus was first detected. He arrived in the Philippines supposedly to study English but he was delivered straight to the hospital due to his illness. Meanwhile, DOH-Region 7 allayed fears among residents on the possible spread of the virus across Cebu. The agency is now monitoring 12 other individuals, specifically the medical personnel, with whom the boy had close contact. The DOH-7 said the persons concerned are not showing any signs of viral infection, so far. MNP (with reports from Aiko Miguel) The post Chinese boy infected with coronavirus now stable, remain in isolation DOH appeared first on UNTV News. The Healthy New YOU Expo returned to Emory campuses earlier this month, with the goal of helping employees start the new year with their health and well-being in mind. This popular event featured cooking demonstrations, chair massage, mini fitness classes, talks by wellness experts and exhibitors in the areas of nutrition, fitness, stress management, ergonomics, finance and more. The expo was held Jan. 9 at eight Emory locations this year. The main location at the Emory Student Center on Emorys Atlanta campus had an all-time high attendance of nearly 450 employees. Total attendance across all sites was 1,572 employees. "We have been hosting the expo at Emory since 2013 and this was our best turnout yet, says Dawn McMillian, senior wellness specialist with Emory Health & Wellness and coordinator of the expo. This year we were excited to extend this event to our employees at our newest hospitals, the former DeKalb Medical facilities. Expo locations featured speakers who discussed a variety of topics including personal safety, sleep hygiene and how to recognize when your elderly family members need assistance. These are all really pertinent areas for our employees says McMillian. In addition to the speakers presentations, expo attendees had an opportunity to interact with a number of exhibitors representing Emory departments and local partners. McMillians hope for the expo was that employees got assistance with making whatever changes they wish to improve their well-being. Everyone deserves to start off 2020 with a healthy new you and a little fun too. Resources available year-round Although Healthy New You lasts only one day, Healthy Emory offers a wide variety of programs, resources and services throughout the year to support and promote employees efforts to live healthy lives. Initiatives focus on improving health and wellness in three areas: physical activity and fitness; healthy eating and weight; and stress or emotional health. Healthy Emory Connect is Emorys personalized web platform and mobile app that helps participants track healthy habits such as taking the stairs, eating a healthy breakfast or gauging their mood. Employees can earn incentives to help save on medical expenses by tracking activities and participating in challenges. Active Works encourages Emory employees to add more movement and activity to their days. Those who take the Active Works pledge commit to finding simple ways to make more active choices at work, such as taking a few laps around their building or office space throughout the day. The Move More Challenge pits employees against each other as teams compete to see who can log the most steps during the time period. The annual challenge began in 2015 as a way to engage employees in more physical activity and has been widely successful, with thousands of employees participating each year. The Diabetes Prevention Program is a one-year, small group program that teaches participants how to eat healthy, increase physical activity and manage stress in order to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. This national program was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and includes workshops, healthy cooking lessons and more. For employees interested in finding resources close to home, Healthy Emorys Community Resources page provides a county-by-county listing of programs in the metro Atlanta region. From farmers markets to fitness centers, each area offers services that encourage healthy lifestyles. Tran Van Tung, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, talks to Vietnam News Agency on his ministrys contributions to national industrialisation and international integration. Tran Van Tung, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. VNA/VNS Photo How did the Ministry of Science and Technology contribute to industrialisation and international integration in 2019? One of the major tasks the ministry has been assigned by the Government is to offer the best services to accomplish national targets in the fields of production, national defence, science and technology, particularly in biotechnology, petrochemicals, material, energy, automation, nano and some others. Last year, the ministry pooled all its efforts to carry out the tasks assigned by the Government to help raise national economic development. At the same time, the ministry has cut many business conditions for enterprises and acted as a focal point in implementing the Prime Ministers Instruction No.16 on the 4th Industrial Revolution. In 2019, the ministry carried out measures to accelerate the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Meanwhile, the ministry also worked with other ministries and sectors to speed up the national socio-economic programme. For example, work was carried out in studying, designing, manufacturing and successfully launching the Micro Dragon satellite of Vietnam. It also contributed to improving the capacity of natural disaster forecasting and prevention as well as climate change adaptation to relevant agencies. The ministry actively implemented scientific and technological programmes for the national target project on building new-style rural areas and the One Commune-One Product programme to develop agricultural products. Other activities included scientific and technological research to build technical standards for products and prevent trade fraud, and supporting businesses in researching and mastering advanced technologies and equipment and manufacturing high-value products. Many scientific and technology programmes were carried out, focusing on developing key products and promoting innovative start-up. Difficulties remain for the sector in affirming its role and position in the countrys development process. What are the ministrys solutions in the future? The science and technology sector has made huge contribution to the countrys socio-economic development. In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, the sector has mapped out solutions to become a motivation for the countrys rapid and sustainable development in the future. In the year 2020 and beyond, the ministry will focus on implementing key programmes and master plans to promote demand for technology and innovation from businesses, encouraging businesses to invest in setting up funds on science and technology, establishing research institutes and science and technology enterprises, and enhancing public-private partnership in implementing large-scale technological projects. The ministry will also work to further complete its legal corridor to promote the development of science and technology. In addition, we also hope to accomplish the revision of the Law on Intellectual Property Rights for the National Assembly to consider and approve in 2021. The ministry will continue this year to renew its management tasks on science, technology and creativity while working on the development of more management staff in science and technology. Last but not least, in 2020 Vietnam will play the role as the ASEAN Chairman and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2020-2021. This is an occasion for Vietnam to push up its research co-operation to tap into resources and knowledge within advanced countries while gradually raising its research capacity. It is also important to draw the strengths of Vietnamese scientists abroad. The ministry will continue renewing to further developing the science and technology sector, making greater and more practical contribution to the rapid and sustainable development of the country. VNS HCM City to build Centre for Innovative Startup The HCM City Department of Science and Technology announced the approval of the municipal Peoples Committee for the selection programme of an architecture design for the HCM City Centre for Innovative Startup. The special task force (STF) of the Bihar police arrested two persons including a hardcore cadre of the prescribed CPI (Maoist) from separate raids at Jamui and New Delhi, a police officer said Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, an STF team arrested a hard core Maoist Amrit Bhulla, a resident of Goli in Jamui. He was an active member of the gang led by Maoist Commander Sidhu Koda. Bhulla was wanted in connection with several criminal cases lodged against him at police stations in Jamui and neighboring state Jharkhand, said a police officer, adding that police team arrested him near Jamui railway station when he tried to catch a train for South India. In another incident, a wanted criminal Nityanand Singh was arrested from Bahadurgarh in New Delhi. He is wanted in around eight extortion and murder cases. He had come under the police radar after he allegedly murdered a jewellery businessman named Sriman Narayan Gupta on December 29, 2019 in Barhara when he refused to pay extortion of Rs 1 lakh. Tracing his whereabouts, the Bihar police traced him to Delhi and approached the local police to seek assistance in nabbing the fugitive. Earlier he demanded extortion of Rs 5 lakh from mobile shop owner Suraj Keshri, a trader of Saraiyabazar in Bhojpur district and threatened to eliminate him and his family if his demands were not met. Nityanand also fired on him but Keshri survived. During interrogation, Nityanand said that he and his associate had planned to extort money from businessmen in Bhojpur and made a list of targets. They started calling them individually and also sent their henchmen to threaten them. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Left to Right, Artwork by Charles Emerson, Jim Phalen, Geoff Flack Gage Academy of Art, one of Seattles most beloved art institutions, is starting the new decade with 2020 Visions: Gage Academy of Art at 30, an art exhibition on view at the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle from January 9 through April 13, 2020. Celebrating Gages 30th anniversary, 2020 Visions embodies the spirit of the schools past, present and future through a selection of 70 artworks by 40 of its instructor-artists who, with their passion and dedication to teaching, partake every day in crafting the schools ethos and vision. Working in a broad range of mediums ranging from oil on canvas and watercolor, to drawing, printmaking and sculpture, the Gage instructors share daily with their students not only techniques painstakingly honed but the eye-opening skill of learning to see. At its inception, I could have only dreamed of the success that Gage has accomplished today, stated co-founder Gary Faigin. 2020 Visions truly exemplifies the ethos of not only Gage, but the community as well. The art showcased in this exhibition is both visually intriguing as well as symbolically poignant. I am honored to have these artists instructing the next generation at Gage. Gage is best known for its unique atelier programs, adult classes and workshops, as well as its dedication to providing equal access to art for all youth, exemplified by the Teen Art Studio, a weekly, free, safe space for disadvantaged and at-risk teens to create art and express themselves. Gages tireless commitment to improving and including all walks of life in their learning community is one of the cornerstones of their continued success. Gage was founded on the inspiring core belief that artists are made, not born, remarked executive director Stefano Catalani. That is a profoundly democratic belief! By cultivating our skills of observation and perception we develop critical thinking, awareness of ourselves and above all, of others. Today, more than ever before, these are much needed qualities. As we look ahead at the next 30 years, Gage will continue to serve the community by offering access to art as a profound and transformative journey. The artists featured in 2020 Visions represent an ebullient cross-section of the Pacific Northwest art scene and capture, with their individual artistic practices, the vitality and vision of Gage Academy at this juncture in time. The public is invited to experience this momentous exhibition free of charge, every day at the Washington State Convention Center, and celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gages vibrant learning community in Seattle. Featured Artists: Juliette Aristides, Kai Carpenter, Larine Chung, Tiffany Dae, Margaret Davidson, Riley Doyle, Abigail Drapkin, Justin Duffus, Charles Emerson, Nicholas Enevoldsen, Edie Everette, Gary Faigin, Geoff Flack, Grace Flott, Barbara Fugate, Klara Glosova, Aron Hart, Tom Hoffman, Linda James, Mark Kang-OHiggins, Marcus Donal O'h'Uiggin, Patrick LoCicero, Ray Mack, Mike Magrath, Dominique Medici, Scott Mexcal, Barbara Noah, Jim Phalen, Mardie Rees, Christopher Remmers, Jeffrey Simmons, Tenaya Sims, Brian Snoddy, Misa Steinmetz, Elijah Strongheart Evenson, Kimberly Trowbridge, Ryan Weatherly, Suze Woolf, Junko Yamamoto, and Hamid Zavareei About Gage Academy of Art Gage Academy of Art (http://www.gageacademy.org), a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Seattle, is celebrating 30 years as a vibrant extended-learning and contemporary art center, providing community-based artistic development for students of all ages and abilities. Guided by the belief that artists are made, not born, Gage educates, enriches, and transforms the community through the visual arts. Gage offers instruction in the principles of drawing, painting, sculpting and printmaking through classes, workshops, and 7 unique Atelier programs of national renown. The school is home to art lectures, exhibitions and community events. "Zeal should not outrun discretion" Aesop It is doubtful that very many people watched hours and hours of the impeachment proceedings in the Senate Tuesday. A little bit went a long way. But this much was abundantly clear: Adam Schiff is maniacally obsessed with removing President Trump from office. We have known for years that he is a pathological liar; he lies even when he surely knows his lies will be exposed in due time. YouTube screen grab. Rep. Schiff promised for at least two years that he had absolute proof that Trump had colluded with Russia. He did not. The Mueller Report put that claim to rest. Schiff made up the phony transcript of the president's phone call to President Zelensky of Ukraine even after the actual transcript had been released. He was so driven that he read his little screenplay in public, in an official hearing! How dumb is that? It is worse than dumb; it is pathological. Schiff appears to have some serious mental problems. Watching him, even in small doses, throughout the first day of the "trial" in yet another of the Democrats' sure-to-fail attempts to see President Trump removed from office, one cannot help but realize we are watching a disturbed man melt down before our eyes. He is shockingly arrogant, thoroughly disdainful of the president, Republicans, and the American people. Schiff is willing to fabricate and twist the tale he tells even though there is no evidence for all of his wild accusations. He's already been caught misrepresenting the evidence, as Melanie Zanona of Politico reports: House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff appears to have mischaracterized a text message exchange between two players in the Ukraine saga, according to documents obtained by POLITICO a possible error the GOP will likely criticize as another example of the Democrats' rushed effort to impeach President Donald Trump. The issue arose when Schiff (D-Calif.) sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) last week summarizing a trove of evidence from Lev Parnas, an indicted former associate of Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. In one section of the letter, Schiff claims that Parnas "continued to try to arrange a meeting with President Zelensky," citing a specific text message exchange where Parnas tells Giuliani: "trying to get us mr Z." The remainder of the exchange which was attached to Schiff's letter was redacted. But an unredacted version of the exchange shows that several days later, Parnas sent Giuliani a word document that appears to show notes from an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of Burisma, followed by a text message to Giuliani that states: "mr Z answers my brother." That suggests Parnas was referring to Zlochevsky not Zelensky. The charitable explanation for this is sloppiness. But Schiff has deliberately lied before, so charity may not be in order. He surely cannot think President Trump will be convicted in the Senate, so he must have his eyes on defeating Trump at the polls in November. Not much chance of that, given the quality of the opposition candidates and the phenomenal success of President Trump's three years in office. America, as Trump rightly asserted in Davos, has not been so economically successful in decades. He encouraged his fellow CEOs from around the world to follow his lead, to unleash their own populations with freer markets, fewer regulations, etc. He was the star of that show. Adam Schiff has made himself the face of impeachment, and he is obviously very proud of his role in this Democrat disaster. He just seems not to know how big a disaster it is, for him and his party. Sure, the talking heads at CNN and MSNBC think Schiff is some kind of hero. How they miss his deranged visage and manner is a mystery because it is likely that most Americans who saw any of his frenzied attacks on the president on Tuesday were not only put off, but horrified. The man is not well. By midnight, Schiff seemed close to actually melting down like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz close to tears, as in his final act at the oh, so illegitimate "inquiry." Schiff is the biggest mistake Pelosi ever made, for he has made fools of her and all those who are too cowardly to rein him in, to admit that the emperor has no clothes. They may grit their teeth and utter his praise, but they all know he is a menace to their society. "An outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth" (Aesop again). Schiff is all show, an empty vessel. He will be his party's undoing. Adam Schiff's unrestrained zeal to overturn the 2016 election and affect the 2020 vote betrays his wholesale lack of discretion. And Trump, despite all the Democrats' efforts to unseat him, will be re-elected in a landslide in 2020. Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego has been appointed to serve on President Donald Trumps Commission on Law Enforcement. Samaniego, along with 15 other law enforcement leaders from around the country, were sworn in Wednesday by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. The commission is tasked with researching important current issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system. The commission will meet monthly for the next year and then report its findings to the Barr, who will submit a final report to President Trump. This Commission is critical, not only because it is timely, but because law enforcement faces more and greater challenges than ever before, Town said. Sheriff John Samaniego is a dedicated public servant with the experience and capacity which will serve the Commissions purpose well. Not only will the fruits of this effort reduce crime in America, it will reduce the respect deficit towards law enforcement that so deservedly need our support. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama noted the appointment in a tweet Wednesday. (Twitter) Samaniego is in his second term as sheriff and has served for more than 40 years in law enforcement. Prior to serving as sheriff, he served 12 years as the countys chief deputy. He has previously served as the commander of the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force and assistant chief of the Tuscaloosa Police Department. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the DEAs Drug Unit Commanders Academy, the U.S. Secret Service Executive Protection School, the FBI National Executive Institute and the National Sheriffs Institute. Samaniego holds a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama. I am truly grateful and humbled by the opportunity to serve the interests of our country and our nations law enforcement officers. I applaud President Trump for the vision and directives he has set forth for this commission and I will work tirelessly to represent Shelby County and the State of Alabama, Samaniego said. Most importantly, I will strive to deliver to President Trump, along with my fellow Commissioners, recommendations that will better serve our citizens, safeguard liberties, and encourage and support our nations law enforcement and their families. Others named to the commission are: David Bowdich, Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation James Clemmons, Sheriff, Richmond County, North Carolina D. Christopher Evans, Chief of Operations, Drug Enforcement Administration Frederick Frazier, City Councilman, McKinney, Texas Robert Gualtieri, Sheriff, Pinellas County, Florida Gina Hawkins, Chief of Police, Fayetteville, North Carolina Police Department Regina Lombardo, Acting Deputy Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Erica MacDonald, United States Attorney, District of Minnesota Ashley Moody, Attorney General, State of Florida Nancy Parr, Commonwealths Attorney, Chesapeake, Virginia Craig Price, Secretary of Public Safety, State of South Dakota Gordon Ramsay, Chief of Police, Wichita, Kansas Police Department David Rausch, Director, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation James Smallwood, Police Officer, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Donald Washington, Director, United States Marshals Service KUNMING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Tourism is blossoming at the former site of a wartime university in southwest China's Yunnan Province. In Yunnan, the former site of the National Southwest Associated University (NSAU) has become a must-visit place of interest in the provincial capital of Kunming in recent years. The NSAU was a coalition between Peking and Tsinghua universities in Beijing and Tianjin's Nankai University during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. It was established in Kunming in 1938. Authorities are promoting the site, with the Yunnan provincial publicity department recently joining hands with Tencent Pictures and the Runhe Culture Media to create a TV series called "Our NSAU." Filming has just wrapped up. In 2017, Chinese authorities listed the NSAU among its Red Tourism destinations. The former site now stands inside the modern campus of Yunnan Normal University. It consists of some decayed pillars, an old classroom and some steles. In 1937, the Japanese troops attacked the Chinese forces at Beijing's Lugou Bridge, also known as Marco Polo Bridge, and started its full-scale invasion of China. Amid the crisis, Peking, Tsinghua and Nankai universities jointly established an interim university in the city of Changsha in the central Hunan Province. As the warfare worsened, they moved the university to Kunming and named it NSAU. They set up two campuses, one in Kunming and the other in the Yunnan city of Mengzi, about 250 km away from Kunming. The university closed its doors in 1946 when the three universities moved back to their original campuses. During their journeys back and forth, the Japanese troops intercepted and killed some of the students. In 2011, authorities transformed a part of the NSAU's Mengzi campus into a museum. They restored the classrooms, with a university anthem on display. They also repaired the dormitory of Wen Yiduo, a famous poet and literature professor from Tsinghua University. The campus housed some of the most famous professors in Chinese history, including Wen Yiduo, Zhu Ziqing and Feng Youlan. Nobel Prize-winning physicists Yang Chen-ning and Tsung-dao Lee both studied at the NSAU. "I think it makes perfect sense to promote the spirit of dedication and perseverance of NSAU," said Zhang Xiaoming, whose parents were English majors at the university. "People at the NSAU never gave up on learning even in the toughest of times, and that will always touch the hearts of people." Yes, we know how this is going to end. But some developments along the way to President Trumps acquittal will matter more than others and leave a lasting impact long after the trial ends. The big picture: Were all going to be flooded with information and distractions over the course of the trial. Heres what deserves your attention. 1) The rules of engagement: It matters how much time House impeachment managers get to present their case, how long Trumps legal team gets to respond and what evidence is allowed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell backed down quickly on his original plan to make House managers and Trumps team each present 24 hours of arguments over two days. By spreading it over three days each, McConnell may be better able to balance the competing pressures from the White House, which wants a speedy trial, and vulnerable Republicans like Susan Collins of Maine, who pushed for more time. The Senate rules will now also allow evidence from the House impeachment inquiry automatically, though senators can attempt to strike evidence. But Senate Democrats got shut down Tuesday in their early efforts to subpoena White House and State Department documents. All of this will set precedents for future presidential impeachment trials. And dont kid yourself there will be others. 2) What do we not already know? Weve learned some new details since the House impeachment vote, such as the Government Accountability Office report that concluded the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the law by withholding military aid to Ukraine. Theres also Lev Parnas allegation that Trump knew all about his efforts to pressure Ukraine. But all of that information is already known to the public so it wouldnt really break new ground. To advance what's already known about Trumps actions not just summarize what's already come out Democrats would need majority support in the Senate to call witnesses, like former national security adviser John Bolton, or subpoena evidence. We dont yet know whether either will happen. 3) Chief Justice John Roberts role: Things likely would have to go pretty far off the rails, even by 2020 standards, for Roberts to end up having much of a substantive impact on the proceedings, Axios Sam Baker reports. Roberts has some power to decide evidentiary questions, which could include calling witnesses, but the Senate largely makes its own rules for impeachment trials. And the Senate can overrule Roberts. It wouldn't look great for senators to overrule the chief justice, or be contradicted by the chief justice. But it's also believed that the chief justice himself would prefer to avoid a partisan back-and-forth. (He did scold the House impeachment managers and Trump's legal team early Wednesday morning for their rhetoric.) Its unlikely Roberts will end up deciding many make-or-break questions; if he does, then the trial will have already taken some unpredictable turns. 4) Democrats to watch. Sen. Doug Jones, whos running for re-election in deep-red Alabama, has written that he wants a full, fair and complete trial and has said there are gaps in the House case. Hes being targeted during the impeachment trial with a $1 million ad campaign by the pro-Trump group America First Policies. He might not vote to convict Trump if his doubts arent satisfied. Two other Democrats to keep an eye on are Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. There's a well-covered handful of Republicans who could help Democrats force more testimony or evidence including Collins and Cory Gardner of Colorado, both up for re-election, as well as Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. But any Democratic defections would get an outsized spotlight especially from the Trump team. 5) The Democratic presidential candidates. Every day Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar arent on the campaign trail is a day that they cant compete with Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg in chasing votes. The Iowa caucuses are less than two weeks away. Warren and Sanders are both deploying high-profile surrogates to help make their closing arguments this weekend in Iowa including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Sanders and Jonathan Van Ness, star of Netflix's "Queer Eye," for Warren, Axios Alexi McCammond reports. 6) What does Trump do? He hasnt exactly been shy about his comments on the impeachment process especially on Twitter. Now he has a legal team to fight for him and knock holes in the House impeachment case on his behalf, and a fierce group of media-savvy GOP congressmen to attack his critics on TV. Hes in friendly territory in the Republican-controlled Senate, and the end could come relatively quickly as long as he doesnt say anything that causes himself more problems or undermine their work. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Roberts' scolding of the House impeachment managers and Trump's legal team. Anti-Christian violence, attacks on churches in Europe at all-time high in 2019: report Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Attacks against Christians in Europe reached record highs in 2019, as hostility and vandalism against churches, Christian schools and monuments sweep the continent. Earlier this month, the Gatestone Institute International Policy Council published its research of anti-Christian violence after having reviewed hundreds news reports, parliamentary inquiries, and police blotters, and found that approximately 3,000 acts of vandalism, looting and defacement occurred last year, incidents routinely obscured by the media. "Violence against Christian sites is most widespread in France, where churches, schools, cemeteries and monuments are being vandalized, desecrated and burned at an average rate of three per day, according to government statistics. In Germany, attacks against Christian churches are occurring at an average rate of two per day, according to police blotters," the group documented in a Jan. 1 report. Those committing the crimes are rarely apprehended and the information about their identities are covered up by police and journalists, the group asserts. Because many suspects are said to have mental disorders, the acts of vandalism, though demonstrably anti-Christian, are not formally classified as "hate crimes." The hostile acts that have been documented include instances of arson, defecation, desecration, looting, mockery, profanation, satanism, theft, urination and vandalism, and often the perpetrators are never caught. The violence is carried out by different groups depending on the country. "In France and Germany, the spike in anti-Christian attacks dovetails with the recent mass immigration from the Muslim world. The lack of official statistics on perpetrators and motives makes it impossible to know precisely how many attacks can be attributed to Muslim anti-Christianism or the jihadist cause," the Gatestone Institute said in its report. "In Spain, by contrast, attacks against churches and crosses are overwhelmingly carried out by anarchists, radical feminists and other far-left activists, who appear to be striving for Christianity to be permanently removed from the public square." The vandals have targets iconic monuments testifying to important developments in Christian history. In July, the International Monument to the Protestant Reformation in Geneva, Switzerland, which is also called the Reformation Wall, was defaced with several colors of paint, those in the rainbow, the international symbol of LGBT activism. As 2019 concluded, an evangelical church in the town of Tubingen, Germany, was vandalized with spray-paint and a minibus sitting in front of the church set ablaze. The group that later claimed responsibility online was called Feminist Autonomous Cell. That same group vandalized another church, St. Elisabeth Catholic Church in Berlin in the Schoneberg district, on the night of Jan. 8-9. According to a Jan. 11 article in the National Catholic Register, a letter was posted later online explaining that the attack was in response to the church hosting March for Life participants during the event which is held in Berlin every September. The anecdotes and statistics come amid emerging recent analysis about a changing culture and political demographics in Europe, such as Douglas Murray's 2017 book, The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, and Islam. In his 2019 book, The French Archipelago, author and political analyst Jerome Fourquet noted that "[t]here is a growing de-Christianization, which is leading to the 'terminal phase' of the Catholic religion ... For hundreds of years the Catholic religion profoundly structured the collective conscience of French society. Today this society is the shadow of what it once was. A great civilizational change is underway." The Gatestone Institute is a non-partisan, nonprofit international policy council and think tank that works to expose what mainstream media fails to report by promoting democratic institutions, human rights, energy independence among other things, according to its website. Davos/Bengaluru, Jan 22 : Showcasing Karnataka at the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is eyeing global firms to create jobs through investment in the southern state, an official said on Wednesday. In one-on-one meetings with global enterprises on the margins of the event, Yeddiyurappa said he was looking for investments in sectors that would help the state farmers and its rural economy, as the manufacturing and services sectors were doing better than the agriculture sector. "We want investments in projects that will boost the state's economy, provide jobs to thousands of youths and raise incomes of lakhs of farmers and other rural folk," said Yediyurappa. "The Chief Minister has urged global investors and multinationals to invest in Karnataka in sectors that will create more jobs in the state's rural and semi-urban areas," state Additional Secretary P. Ravikumar told IANS in an email from Davos. A 10-member team from Karnataka is participating in the five-day WEF summit since Monday. It is part of the Indian delegation led by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The Chief Minister invited 2000 Watt company to invest in the state's agro-food processing and products for value addition and better remuneration to growers and farmers. "The Swiss firm said it had technology and resources to invest in food clusters across rural areas where over 60 per cent of the state's 70-million population live," said the senior official. Scientist and academician Andreas Binkert told the Chief Minister that his company (2000 Watt) would provide farm techniques to grow healthy food in the southern state and then market them after value addition. 2000 Watt's founding partner Madhav Bhagwat explained to the state delegation the concept of smart cities for improving the quality of people living in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities across the state. As an expert in carbon-neutral smart township development projects, Watt signed a pact with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) in western Maharashtra. Global auto major Volvo president Hanka Angwel also interacted with the Chief Minister and his delegation on the company's Indian subsidiary expansion at Hoskote near east Bengaluru. Haryana's Gurugram-based ReNew Power expressed interest to set up solar power plants in the state's arid lands, especially in the northern districts like Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur and Vijayapura. "We are planning to set up power storage batteries and gadgets to store power produced in excess of the state's demand," ReNew chief executive Samanth Sinha told Yediyurappa and sought speedy approvals for proposed businesses in the state. "Global firms and investors told the state delegation to make land acquisition hassle-free by amending relevant laws, which are archaic and lead to delays," noted the senior official. Assuring the investors of all help in ease-of-doing business, Yediyurappa told them that he was ready to go the extra mile to help them invest across the state sectors. State Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar, Chief Secretary T.M. Vijayabhaskar, Additional Principal Secretary Industries Gourav Gupta and IT-BT Secretary V. Ramanareddy were present at the investors meet. Yes you read it right! Parents often attach a plethora of expectations and dreams when they are blessed with an offspring, and a man in Udaipur made his dreams and intentions very clear by giving a unique name to his new born child. Vinod Jain, who is employed with the media department at the office of the Rajasthan CM, surprised everyone around him when people saw that his sons birth certificate reads his name as 'Congress Jain'. Twitter/ANI Jain explained that his entire family has been associated with the political party since generations and it was only natural for him to name his son 'Congress' to show his loyalty towards the party. Some members of my family were reluctant to call the baby Congress, but I was determined and so waited until they came around," he said. His inspiration is Ashok Gehlot, the CM of Rajasthan and Jain believes that like him, his son will also grow up to pursue a career in politics with Congress party. People on social media are naturally baffled with the choice of his name. What if he joins BJP when he grows up? RK (@FairPlayCitizen) January 21, 2020 Would have suggested bettername as "Corruption" than naming Congress. Narasimhan (@NarasimhanSimha) January 22, 2020 Next he will name - 2G -CWG - Coal -Adrash -Antrix ... - Bofors https://t.co/W1h6wQ3Rts Srikanth (@srikanthbjp_) January 21, 2020 Well, lets just hope his son fulfils his wish and doesnt join any other political party! Provided Albany County District Attorney ALBANY - An city man was sentenced to 7 years in state prison on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a loaded .357 revolver that was stolen from New York State Police, Albany County District Attorney David Soares said. Sentenced by Albany County Judge Thomas A. Breslin, Gordon Hepburn, 29, was arrested on a warrant on June 11, 2019 by Albany police, Soares said. During a search in the area of Third Street, police recovered the firearm that was reported stolen in March 2012. Adam Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, began making the Democrats case against Donald Trump by describing how the president allegedly took part in a shakedown of Ukraines government for his own political and personal gain. The California Democrat led off for the seven house managers who will have up to 24 hours, spread over the next three days, to convince 67 senators that he deserves to be removed from office for his actions towards Ukraine. Democrats impeached him last month on two counts, including one that he abused his office. They alleged he pressured the eastern European countrys new president to investigate his domestic political foes and used congressionally-approved US taxpayer dollars to do it. President Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid ... to secure foreign help with his re-election, Mr Schiff said on the chamber floor as senators sat silent at their desks. In other words, to cheat. He then, for the first of several such instances during Democrats opening few hours of their case, used a word intended to paint the president as the centre of a push to get the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to do what Mr Schiff dubbed his dirty work. His scheme was undertaken for a simple but corrupt reason: to help him win re-election, Mr Schiff said. Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Show all 26 1 /26 Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Donald Trump Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clintons deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Whistleblower Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Second Whistleblower The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rudy Giuliani Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trumps personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the presidents enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a shadow foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trumps behalf and has called himself a hero. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Volodymyr Zelensky The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the favour he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin. AFP/Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pence The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had one or two phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trumps actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rick Perry Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didnt even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Joe Biden The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trumps opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Bidens son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Hunter Biden Joe Bidens son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Bidens lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Barr The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trumps preoccupations with the Bidens and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a cover-up of a cover-up. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pompeo The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president. AFP via Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Adam Schiff Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a parody of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a four Pinocchios rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Taylor The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff later identified as diplomat David Holmes overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about investigations the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trumps opponents, saying: It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal George Kent A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps personal lawyer, of leading a campaign of lies against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Marie Yovanovitch One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack very intimidating. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: Shes going to go through some things. Yovanovitch said she was shocked, appalled and devastated by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation. REUTERS Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Alexander Vindman A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trumps 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Jennifer Williams A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it unusual because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Kurt Volker The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraines reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Tim Morrison An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Gordon Sondland In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: Was there a quid pro quo? Yes, said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the presidents political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a great American a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Laura Cooper A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August undermining a Republican argument that there cant have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didnt know that aid was being withheld. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Hale The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Fiona Hill Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was being involved in a domestic political errand. She said: I did say to him, Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up. And here we are. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Holmes The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line because his voice was so loud and distinctive and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear asking about the investigations and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate. REUTERS The intelligence committee chair, who spearheaded the house Democrats impeachment probe, repeatedly said Mr Trump circumvented career diplomats and national security officials when he froze nearly $400m in military aid congress approved to help it counter Russia through an advanced scheme. Mr Schiff spoke about an unprecedented effort led by the president himself to obstruct the house Democrats investigation and to hide it from the American public. That cover-up continues today, Mr Schiff said before saying he suspects those are efforts the president is no doubt proud of. Adam Schiff asks if Donald Trump 'was fighting corruption, why would he hide it from us?' The Democrats will lay out what Mr Schiff called an overwhelming and damning picture of the president trying to obtain foreign help for his re-election campaign via a scheme and cover-up. He described a months-long scheme by Mr Trump and his personal attorney, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, to press Mr Zelensky to announce investigations into former vice president Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden; at the time, the former VP was the 2020 Democratic frontrunner. If Mr Trumps conduct is not impeachable, Mr Schiff said, then nothing is. At the heart of Mr Schiffs presentation was a contention that the president overstepped his powers by using congressionally approved funds to try to garner a personal political advantage. The reason such manoeuvres are so constitutionally damaging, the reason they are precisely the sort of high crime that the framers made the basis for impeachment like bribery and treason is that they strike at the heart of government under constitutional law, according to Philip Bobbitt, a former member of the CIAs external advisory board who now directs the Centre on National Security at Columbia Law School. In this case it is the constitutional law of congressional appropriations, which is more fundamental to the integrity of the US constitutional system than seems to be widely appreciated, he added. The central bargain of representative government is that the taxing and spending powers are placed in the hands of elected officials who are accountable to the voters every two years. When the president refuses to disburse funds, or finances US government operations out of private funds, he commits the gravest of constitutional offences. During a press conference as he departed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Trump referred to Mr Schiff as a corrupt politician. He labelled another impeachment manager, the house judiciary chair Jerrold Nadler, a sleazebag, deploying some Big Apple-speak for his fellow New Yorker. Mr Trump acknowledged he was able to watch parts of the trials opening session in-between meetings and events in Davos. He appeared to be watching Mr Schiffs presentation on Air Force One as he flew back to Washington, tweeting NO PRESSURE as he pushed back on the allegations he and his team pressed Mr Zelensky to announce the investigations. Back in Washington, congressman Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican and close Trump ally, said the president is on board with Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnells plans for as speedy a trial as possible. For now, that means no witnesses; no GOP senators voted with Democrats on minority leader Chuck Schumers multiple motions calling for current and former Trump administration officials to testify during the trial. Yeah, I think hes willing to see this trial end very quickly. I think he would prefer that we just dismiss it and get on to lowering prescription drug prices, working on roads and bridges, you know, keeping the economy going, said Mr Meadows, who is not seeking re-election and is often mentioned by Washington insiders as a candidate to become Mr Trumps fourth White House chief of staff. That being said, if theres going to be witnesses, there certainly would have to be a number of witnesses that house members have asked for for a long time, whistleblowers, you know, the Bidens, and even ... some that were outside the whistleblowers direct line of communication in terms of the complaint, Mr Meadows added, referring to an intelligence officers alarms raised in a report to a top government inspector general that prompted the impeachment probe. On the Senate floor, Mr Schiff previewed just how the house Democrats intend to make their case. Their first stage will focus on a narrative about just what they contend Mr Trump did and why it is worthy of impeachment and removal; the second and third parts of their pitch to senators will feature what he called a factual chronology followed by a description of the constitutional framework of impeachment. The latest round of talks over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam concluded in Washington last week without a final agreement Talks in Washington about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), held under the auspices of the US Treasury and the World Bank, fell short of easing Egypts worries about how the filling of the dams reservoir could reduce its share of Nile water. Officials from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan said they have reached a preliminary agreement that should help clear the way for a final agreement on the filling and operation of GERD by the end of this month. Cairo, though, expressed no more than cautious optimism about the prospects. In Washington, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri told the Middle East News Agency that the understanding reached does not constitute an agreement but merely highlights issues to be included in the final agreement. The so-called preliminary agreement sets outlines for the final agreement. The important issues of filling and operating the dam are still being discussed, professor of political science Tarek Fahmi told Al-Ahram Weekly. The three countries agreed that the dam should be filled in stages during July and August, the rainy season in Ethiopia, continuing into September subject to certain conditions. The filling of GERD will be executed in stages and will be undertaken in an adaptive and cooperative manner that takes into consideration the hydrological conditions of the Blue Nile and the potential impact of the filling on downstream reservoirs, read the statement issued by the three countries, the US and the World Bank after the meeting read. Initial filling of the dam, according to the statement, will aim for 595 metres above sea level, allowing early electricity generation in Ethiopia but providing appropriate mitigation measures for Egypt and Sudan during times of drought. The statement, said a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity, used imprecise words like adaptive and cooperative, and vague phrases such as takes into consideration, which may cause trouble in reaching a final agreement and then implementing it on the ground. Defining an effective coordination mechanism and provisions for the settlement of disputes are supposed to be included in the final agreement, he added. Although it leaves important details undetermined the preliminary agreement is important given Ethiopia will start filling the reservoir in a few months, says Cairo University professor of political science Abbas Sharaki. Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to meet again on 28 and 29 January. The US and the World Bank will attend as observers. Ahead of the meeting which is supposed to result in a final agreement, ministers of the three states are scheduled to hold technical and legal talks. A statement issued by the Egyptian ministry of irrigation last said the talks would be significant in solving outstanding matters. Various legal and technical points, including cooperation on the rules of operation and the mechanism for settling disputes that may arise from re-setting the operation policy owing to changes in flood levels from one year to another are expected to be discussed in the two week before the Washington meeting at the end of January, read the statement. The final agreement, says Fahmi must reassure Egypt that its water quota on which it depends for over 95 per cent of its water needs will not be affected, and there has to be a clear explanation of measures to be taken during periods of drought and severe drought. US President Donald Trumps engagement with the Washington meeting last week he met with the foreign and water resources ministers of the three countries to discuss progress on the dam talks is being interpreted as a final attempt to pressure Egypt and Ethiopia to resolve their dispute. During the meeting Trump emphasized US support for a cooperative, sustainable, and mutually beneficial agreement among the parties. Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan convened in Washington for the third time last week, aiming to reach a deal before the mid-January deadline set during the first meeting in Washington last November. According to the roadmap drawn then for GERD talks, the three countries agreed to hold four meetings to try to reach an agreement. The first meeting was held in November in Addis Ababa, the second and third rounds were held in December in Cairo and Khartoum. The fourth and final round took place in Addis Ababa earlier this month. All meetings ended without agreement. In the meantime, Ethiopia has called for mediation from South Africa, the incoming chair of the African Union. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that he had asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to mediate to find solutions to the disagreement between the three countries after the final round of negotiations ended in stalemate. We are willing to play a role in whatever agreement can be crafted, and we will remain supportive to finding peaceful solutions between countries on our continent, Ramaphosa said. Shoukri pointed out in his interview with MENA that the idea of resorting to a mediator other than the US had not raised last weeks Washington negotiations. The dispute over the filling and operation of the massive dam began in 2011. Cairo has repeatedly expressed its fears that the dam will reduce the amount of Nile water flowing to Egypt. Addis Ababa denies the dam will harm Egypt and insists it is vital to its economic development. Past River Nile agreements The treaty between Great Britain and Ethiopia in 1902: In Article 3 of the treaty, emperor Menilik II of Ethiopia agreed not to construct or allow to be constructed any work across the Blue Nile, Lake Tana, or the Sobat, which would arrest the flow of their waters except in agreement with Britain and the Government of Sudan. The 1929 treaty: The accord was between Egypt and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and gave Egypt and Sudan the right to utilise 48 and four billion cubic metres, respectively, of the Nile flow per year, and gave Egypt the right to undertake River Nile related projects without the consent of upper riparian states, and the right to veto any construction projects that would affect its interests adversely. The 1959 treaty: Signed by Egypt and Sudan, the treaty stipulates that Egypts share of Nile water is 55.5 billion cubic metres and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic metres. The treaty also reaffirmed Egypts right to veto any construction projects that could impede the flow of Nile water. The Cairo Cooperation Framework of July 1993: This framework was concluded between Egypt and Ethiopia. Both countries pledged not to implement water projects harmful to the interests of the other and consult over projects to reduce waste and increase the flow of water. The Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in 2015: It stated that the three countries should cooperate to reach an agreement on the guidelines for different scenarios of the first filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam reservoir in parallel with the construction of the dam, and an agreement on the guidelines and annual operation policies of the Renaissance Dam, which the owners can adjust from time to time. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the title: Talks about talks Search Keywords: Short link: House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff appears to have mischaracterized a text message exchange between two players in the Ukraine saga, according to documents obtained by POLITICO a possible error the GOP will likely criticize as another example of the Democrats rushed effort to impeach President Donald Trump. The issue arose when Schiff (D-Calif.) sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) last week summarizing a trove of evidence from Lev Parnas, an indicted former associate of Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. In one section of the letter, Schiff claims that Parnas continued to try to arrange a meeting with President Zelensky, citing a specific text message exchange where Parnas tells Giuliani: trying to get us mr Z. The remainder of the exchange which was attached to Schiffs letter was redacted. But an unredacted version of the exchange shows that several days later, Parnas sent Giuliani a word document that appears to show notes from an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of Burisma, followed by a text message to Giuliani that states: mr Z answers my brother. That suggests Parnas was referring to Zlochevsky not Zelensky. The word document contains a series of questions and answers, but doesn't identify who is doing the asking or answering. Yet the questions center on the hiring practices at Burisma, while the responses include statements such as "we wanted to build Burisma as [an] international company and "we also thought it would help in Ukraine to have strong international board figures, which seems to point to Zlochevsky not the Ukrainian president as the respondent. The apparent mischaracterization, however, does not undercut Democrats' argument that Trump withheld critical military aid to Ukraine as a way to pressure Zelenksy into opening up investigations into the Bidens, including Joe Bidens son Hunter, who was once a board member on Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company. Story continues A Democratic official working on the impeachment trial didnt dispute the suggestion that the initial interpretation was incorrect. But the official maintains that z was commonly used as short-hand for Zelensky by those involved in the Ukraine pressure campaign, and noted that the word document does not reveal its author or source. The official also pointed out that there is little question that Giuliani and Parnas sought high-level engagement with President Zelensky and his administration. Beginning with Mr. Giulianis May 10 letter to President Zelensky two months earlier and leading up to Mr. Giulianis August 2 meeting with Mr. Zelenskys representatives in Spain, Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Parnas actively sought high-level engagement with President Zelensky and his administration to carry out the Presidents corrupt scheme, the official said. If Mr. Giuliani sought out dirt from other sources, that would be consistent with their overall effort. There are plenty of examples of Giuliani attempting to arrange a meeting with Zelensky, and he did in fact meet with top aides to the Ukrainian president even though Parnas role in the whole matter is still unclear. And Democrats have not predicated their impeachment trial arguments on Parnas' new allegations, making limited references to the former Giuliani associate in their brief. Lev Parnas is surrounded by reporters as he arrives to court in New York, Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. Parnas and Igor Fruman, close associates to U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, were arrested last month at an airport outside Washington while trying to board a flight to Europe with one-way tickets. They were later indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) But it appears that Democrats misjudged at least one instance where they thought they found an example of Parnas trying to arrange a meeting between Giuliani and Zelensky, according to the unredacted material. Democrats didn't receive the Parnas evidence from the courts until last week and were scrambling to sort through all the materials ahead of the Senate impeachment trial. A Republican aide said the assumption that mr Z is a reference to Zelensky is sloppy oversight work at best. The most charitable view of the situation is that [Schiffs] staff committed the equivalent of Congressional malpractice by not looking more than an inch deep to determine the facts before foisting this erroneous information on his colleagues and the American public, said one senior GOP aide. But given the selective redactions and contextual clues, it seems as though Chairman Schiff sought to portray an innocuous meeting with Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky as an insidious one with the President of Ukraine simply because both of their surnames start with the letter Z. A major divide between public and private sector workers has emerged as Fianna Fail has vowed not to end a preferential deal for State employees if elected to office. The party said it was not going there when asked if it would seek to end the inequity whereby public workers get a supplementary payment until the state pension kicks in. A major row has erupted as it emerged that the majority of public servants will not be affected by the increase in the state pension age. Many public service employees can retire early and receive a supplemental payment until the state pension kicks in. In contrast, private sector workers who are legally obliged to retire at 65 cannot claim the state pension until they are 66. At its press conference, the party's finance spokesman Michael McGrath said it would be unfair to seek to level the playing field by removing an entitlement unilaterally at political level. He said any change would only come as part of public sector pay talks. Mr McGrath said decisions that would shape pension policy for 30 years should not be made on the back of an envelope or in the heat of an election campaign. Mr McGrath was pressed on Fianna Fail's position on the pension age - an issue that has featured prominently during the first week of the election campaign - as he launched the party's election promises on personal taxation. The party has committed to undertaking what Mr McGrath described as a "comprehensive" review of the state pension if elected. A plan to increase the qualifying age from 66 to 67 next year would remain on hold until the review was completed, Mr McGrath said. In the interim, he said a transitional pension would be paid to those private sector workers who are contractually required to retire at 65 but who currently have to claim job seekers' allowance - which pays less than the pension - until they become eligible for the state pension a year later. Under existing plans, the pension age is set to increase to 68 in 2028. Justifying the need for a review, Mr McGrath told the event in Dublin: "It's not about kicking it down the road, it's about getting it right and it's about being fair to people. "It is complex issue. Anyone who does the back-of-an-envelope calculation and says they want to change pension policy for the next 20 or 30 years in Ireland is not being fair to the Irish people and is not being honest with them. "So there are challenges around sustainability. We know what the demographic trends are and we need to deal with that. But you don't do that in the heat of a campaign and set out fundamental changes to what has been the established policy for a period of time. So we are making it very clear that there will be a comprehensive review." Mr McGrath unveiled a 1.3bn package of tax measures today. He said it is "very much aimed at middle Ireland". Among the proposals is a plan to reduce the 4.5% Universal Social Charge rate to 3.5%. If elected, Fianna Fail would increase the standard rate income tax band by 3,000 for an individual and 6,000 for a couple. Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Finance Michael McGrath (centre), Spokesperson on Public Expenditure Barry Cowen TD and Dublin City Councillor Deirdre Heney, at today's press briefing on personal taxation proposals. Pic: Rollingnews.ie The party has also pledged to set more funds aside for unexpected financial shocks. It will increase the current annual contribution to the country's "rainy day fund" from 500m a year to 750m. Mr McGrath said: "It will be an important reassurance for investors. "For those who buy government bonds and so on, to see that Ireland has very much learned its lessons and is putting money aside for exceptional measures that may arise, economic shocks, challenges to the stability of the state and any period of severe economic downturn." He described the tax proposals as "modest, affordable and sustainable", and acknowledged Fine Gael has made more generous commitments. But he insisted his political rivals have a track record of making promises they do not keep. "We're not getting involved in an auction with Fine Gael in relation to income tax cuts," he said. "We know their form - they'll promise the sun, moon and stars and they'll drop it after the election. "That's exactly what they did in 2016 - so I don't think people will believe them." William H. Pitsenbarger was a Vietnam War hero. In 1966, the 21-year-old Air Force pararescue jumper, or P.J. in military parlance, descended from a helicopter a real-life deus ex machina into the thick of a ground battle, where dozens of U.S. Army soldiers were being slaughtered in an ambush. Before Pits, as he was called, was himself killed in what was known as Operation Abilene, the emergency medical specialist saved the lives of several men, some of whom who were ferried away by the same chopper that Pits waved off after his airborne crew urged him to get the heck out of there. A Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, has lambasted leaders of the Yoruba-dominated Southwest region of the country for setti... A Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, has lambasted leaders of the Yoruba-dominated Southwest region of the country for setting up a new security outfit known as Amotekun. Mohammed asked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to test the matter at the Supreme Court to get a pronouncement that no state has the right to raise a state or region army while the constitution forbids such. The ex-parliamentarian described the outfit as a tribal militia to enable them to actualize the emergence of the Oduduwa Republic through the backdoor. Recall that a former Governor of old Kaduna State Balarabe Musa had earlier made a similar claim. Mohammed told Vanguard that the move by the Southwest leaders would backfire against them and equally pitch them against other Nigerians. Mohammed, who was a member of the 2014 Constitutional Conference wants President Muhammadu Buhari to come out at once and condemn what he called the illegality orchestrated by the Southwest before it becomes too late for Nigeria to be able to deal with the misdemeanour. The outspoken Northern leader said the Southwest governors knew that their action was illegal from the outset since no section of the Nigerian constitution makes provision for the state police or regional ethnic army but fragrantly tested the political will of the federal government by going ahead to flout the fake army. It was a grave mistake for the Presidency to allow the governors to set up the outfit if it is true that the federal government gave them any form of permission to launch, he said. How can governors who have not been able to pay the new minimum wage, be able to set up an army and armed the militias? To me, it is not in Nigerias interest to allow Amotekun at this time in its history. As far as I am concerned the fact that they went ahead to flout such an entity at this moment in the history of Nigeria shows clearly that there is something fundamentally wrong with the polity. I know the key players in the Southwest very well. And part of their calculation is that if Amotekun fails, they would at least use it to force the federal government to make more concessions to the Yoruba. But I want the masterminds of this grave illegality to be ready to face the consequences of their dastard action. Mohammed disagreed that Amotekun, Hisbah police, and Civilian JTF were, all the same, pointing out that while Amotekun is armed by the governors of the Southwest, Civilian JTF are mere hunters and like Hisbah do not carry arms. [January 22, 2020] Opsens - Election Results for the Board of Directors QUEBEC CITY, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Opsens Inc. ("Opsens" or the "Company") (TSX: OPS) (OTCQX: OPSSF) held its annual general and special shareholders' meeting (the "Meeting") yesterday in Quebec City, Canada. At the Meeting, all the individuals nominated as directors were duly elected to the Board by a majority of votes cast by the shareholders present in person or by proxy. The shareholders re-elected Alan Milinazzo, Denis M. Sirois, Gaetan Duplain, Denis Harrington, Jean Lavigueur, James Patrick Mackin and Louis Laflamme to the Board. Name For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Votes Alan Milinazzo 99.88 46,627,511 0.12 58,040 Denis M. Sirois 84.58 39,485,094 15.42 7,200,457 Gaetan Duplain 99.91 46,644,511 0.09 41,040 Denis Harrington 99.74 46,563,111 0.26 122,440 Jean Lavigueur 99.92 46,650,511 0.08 35,040 James Patrick Mackin 99.55 46,474,094 0.45 211,457 Louis Laflamme 99.91 46,643,111 0.09 42,440 The shareholders present or represented by proxy at the meeting also voted in favor of the appointment of Deloitte LLP, as independent auditors of Opsens for the coming year and have authorized directors to determine their remuneration. Independent Auditors For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Votes Deloitte 99.73 49,480,992 0.27 132,722 The shareholders present or represented by proxy at the meeting also voted in favor of the Amended Stock Option Plan. Amended Stock Option Plan For % For Votes Against % Against Votes 82.59 38,555,394 17.41 8,130,157 The report of the voting results is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Opsens Inc. (www.opsens.com or www.opsensmedical.com) Opsens focuses mainly on physiological measurements, such as FFR and dPR in interventional cardiology. Opsens offers an advanced optical-based pressure guidewire that aims at improving the clinical outcome of patients with coronary artery disease. Its flagship product, the OptoWire, is a second-generation fiber optic pressure guidewire designed to provide the lowest drift in the industry and excellent lesions access. The OptoWire has been used in the diagnosis and treatment of over 80,000 patients in more than 30 countries. It is approved for sale in the United States, European Union, Japan, and Canada. Opsens is also involved in industrial activities in developing, manufacturing and installing innovative fibre optic sensing solutions for critical applications. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance and achievements of Opsens to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the said forward-looking statements. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE OPSENS Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] This summer, St. Paul-based Kemps is closing its Southeast Rochester site, where 125 people work. The announcement came late Tuesday afternoon. The milk plant, which occupies half of the Associated Milk Producers Inc. -owned facility at 700 1st Ave. SE, is scheduled to close on June 30. Kemps employs 125 people at the AMPI facility, where they produce and package fluid milk, cream, half-and-half and other fluid dairy products. This closure will not affect the more than 200 Kemps employees who work at the ice cream production facility on North Broadway. The ice cream plant will remain in operation. After more than 60 years of processing milk in the Med City, Kemps CEO and President Greg Kurr wrote that AMPI's own ending of operations and listing the complex for sale propelled this change. ADVERTISEMENT "Business decisions that impact peoples lives are difficult," Kurr wrote in a prepared statement. "In evaluating our options, it became apparent ceasing operations is the best long-term strategy for our business. The employees at this facility have done an excellent job, and we greatly appreciate their hard work and dedication." AMPI's closure resulted in 75 lost jobs. This latest announcement will bring the tally of lost jobs to 200. The Teamsters Local 120 represents about 350 Kemps employees in Rochester at the milk plant and the ice cream facility as well as the AMPI employees. Kemps pledges to work with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to help its 125 employees through this transition. A Zimbabwe teacher, who helped students to stage a peaceful protest over the deteriorating situation in schools, has fled to a neighboring country claiming that state security agents want to punish him for allegedly leading the march. Brian Mutsiba says he left the country yesterday after going underground for several hours on Monday as the police, members of the Central Intelligence Organization and military intelligence and other arms of the state were looking for me saying l committed a serious crime. Mutsiba, who asked VOA Studio 7 not to reveal his hideout, says he is monitoring the situation back home amid reports that the police and other state security are looking for me all over the country. The teacher, who claims that he was asked by concerned students to help them organize the protest in Bulawayo, says his life is unsafe. Im in this place (hideout) to save my life. I never thought this will one day happen to me. Students were expressing their right and I merely helped the students at Njube High School to do that. I have not committed any crime, said Mutsiba, who declined to reveal the people and organizations that helped him to leave Zimbabwe. Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi was unavailable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone. Members of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Teachers Association and others are on strike demanding salaries pegged on the interbank rates and improved working conditions. The government recently awarded the teachers a 100 percent salary increase which they declined saying its not enough to cater for their needs. An Italian backpacker accused of murdering an animal lover on a remote farm had been volunteering there for only three weeks, it has been revealed. Luigi Gian Palmas, 26, appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of Katherine Bevan, a veterinary pharmacist, on January 3. Her body was found in a bull pen at a farm in Gittisham, Devon, where she lived and cared for cattle. Luigi Gian Palmas (pictured outside Exeter Magistrates Court), 26, appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of Katherine Bevan Ms Bevan (pictured), a veterinary pharmacist, was found in a bull pen at a farm in Gittisham, Devon, where she lived and cared for cattle Her death was initially believed to have been a tragic accident. But after a post-mortem examination at the weekend, police launched a murder investigation and arrested Palmas. An acquaintance of Palmas revealed he had been volunteering at Combe Farm an Arabian horse stud for about three weeks. It is understood he had been recommended by an Italian friend who had previously worked there and was respected by the team. It came as Palmas appeared at Exeter Magistrates' Court charged with Mrs Bevan's murder. The suspect, who was joined by an Italian translator, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth at the short hearing. An acquaintance of Palmas revealed he had been volunteering at Combe Farm for about three weeks.(GV of Combe Farm in Gittisham, Devon) Wearing a grey tracksuit, he held his head in his hands and shook it in disbelief as he was told he would be remanded in custody. Palmas was also charged with assault by actual bodily harm relating to an incident in Exeter on January 20. The case was sent to Exeter Crown Court, where Palmas will next appear on February 20. Mrs Bevan began volunteering at Combe Farm in Gittisham once described by Prince Charles as his 'ideal English village' five years ago, and recently released a book called Knowing Daisy, which chronicles her relationship with calves Daisy and Dandelion, which were both rescued and taken to the farm. She wrote affectionately about her time there, saying: 'The farm is part of a larger estate and is set in what must be the most beautiful location I have ever found. Michael Harris, who runs Combe Farm, described Mrs Bevan as a 'lovely, wonderful person'. They bought a penthouse, which is almost double the size of their current home. We dont plan on changing anything, Romano said. Thats another reason we liked this building. Since we bought early, we could customize the inside a bit so now we can just move in. A lot of the stuff in the building is modern, but it also seems organic and we like the feel of it. The announcement came late yesterday evening after a meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. Since the night, protesters have blocked numerous streets across the country and tried to break through the cordon to protect Parliament. The executive is not comprised of external technicians but "experts" linked to the various political movements. Beirut (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The announcement late yesterday evening of the formation of the new Lebanese government, welcomed with satisfaction by the UN secretary general after months of serious political crisis and street demonstrations, has not stopped the population's protest. Overnight and in the early morning today, demonstrators blocked numerous communication routes and roads in Beirut, Tripoli and Bekaa. The new executive led by Hassane Diab, unveiled shortly after 10 pm after a meeting with President of the Republic Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, seems insufficient to appease the vast popular discontent. Since October 29, following the resignation of the then Prime Minister Saad Hariri in front of the vast protest movement, the country has been without leadership and even this new formation does not seem to be enough to resolve the crisis. Even before the official announcement of the new executive, some protesters gathered in the center of the capital, where riot police were deployed, to prevent access to Parliament. The demonstrations, initially peaceful, degenerated into clashes between citizens and law enforcement agencies overnight following an attempt to remove the barriers protection Parliament, which was followed by the throwing of stones in the direction of the police. In Tripoli, the crowd blocked Riad al-Solh avenue and the el-Mina intersection with garbage cans. Others blocked the Naameh highway, which connects the capital to the south, the Beddawi highway that leads to the north and the al-Mazraa road to Beirut along the coast. Exacerbated by economic hardships, anti-government protests escalated in mid-December, when it became clear that, largely because of cross-vetoes, no one was going to be able to form a government to replace the one that resigned on 29 October. On several occasions, top Church leaders have reminded politicians about their responsibility and the urgency to stir the ship of state in a country that is dangerously close to a cliff. The new government, which needs a vote of confidence that appears to be taken for granted in Parliament, does not include independent technicians as promised by Diab at the time of the appointment, but "experts" whose allocations on the different portfolios are established by the various political parties, especially the Free Patriotic Current (Cpl), the Shiite factions and the Marada movement. The new government was formed only after the interim Prime Minister accepted the condition placed by Hezbollah to expand the team to 20 elements instead of the 18 initially announced. Diab then renounced the Ministry of Labor that he wanted to entrust to Damien Kattar, accepting the conditions imposed by Marada that pressed for Michel Najjar. Russian warplanes have conducted a number of airstrikes across Idleb and the Aleppo countryside, killing a number of civilians reports Alsouria Net. Russian warplanes launched airstrikes on villages and towns in the western countryside of Idleb, killing civilians, according to documentation by the Syrian Civil Defense teams in the area. The Civil Defense said that nine people were killed on Tuesday in a Russian raid on the village of Kfartaal in the western Aleppo countryside, including six siblings, along with their mother and father, in addition to a 22-year-old. The organization pointed out that the warplanes are still operating, launching raids on the western Aleppo countryside. They published photos documenting the extent of the damage caused by the Russian escalation. The Idleb Media Center documented the deaths of two civilians, with others wounded, as a result of Russian missiles targeting the vicinity of the town of al-Barah, south of Idleb, in addition to targeting the vicinity of the town of Masran, alongside regime artillery shelling of Maarat al-Numan in the southern Idleb countryside. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle A pedestrian who was struck and killed on the sidewalk in Berkeley by a driver fleeing police was identified as a 58-year-old woman with no permanent address, authorities said. The Alameda County Coroners office was notifying the victims family on Tuesday afternoon and had not released the womans name. Berkeley police described her as a transient. Beijings iconic Summer Palace tourist resort is the home of a huge new ice rink thats opened just ahead of the Winter Olympics. The rink measures 300,000 square meters and consists of two areas designed for different types of activities. The city has opened seven municipal ice rinks and four snow resorts to the public. Since 2014, ice and snow activities in municipal parks have attracted nearly 2 million visitors, according to the Beijing Municipal Administration Center for Parks Jan 11, 2022 07:26 PM To the Editor: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the 20th Centurys best-known advocates for human rights and non-violent social change. Born in Atlanta, Ga., Kings exceptional oratorical skills and personal courage first attracted national attention rights activists after leading a boycott of transportation companies for acquiring non-whites to surrender their seats and stand at the back of the bus. Over the following decades, King wrote, spoke and organized non-violent protests and mass demonstrations and to demand civil rights of African-Americans. In 1963, in Birmingham, Ala., King guided a peaceful mass demonstration that the police force cornered with police dogs and fire hoses, creating a controversy that generated headlines that went around the world. Subsequent massive demonstrations in many communities led to a march of more than 250,000 protesters to Washington, D.C. This demonstration is where King delivered his famous I have a dream speech in which he envisioned a world where people were no longer divided by race. So powerful was the movement, King inspired Congress to enact the Civil Right Act in 1964, the same year he was honored with the Noble Peace Prize. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. King is an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. HIs life and work symbolize the quest for equality and non-discrimination that lies at the heart of the American human dream. I had the privilege and honor to have been seated next to Dr. King at the Bridgeport University at that time. Fran Smith U.S. Vacuum: How Libya Is Descending Into A Russia-Turkey Proxy War By Frud Bezhan January 21, 2020 Libya has been torn by civil war since longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi was killed in an uprising in 2011 following a NATO-led bombing campaign. The conflict has descended into a proxy war as regional and international powers jostle to secure their own interests in the oil-rich North African nation. The escalating war has hastened international efforts -- including a major conference hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on January 19 -- to reach a political reconciliation, although the prospects of peace appear far off. Escalating Violence Libya has been divided since 2011. The country's west is ruled by the internationally recognized and UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in the capital, Tripoli. Eastern Libya is run by a self-declared administration based in the city of Tobruk that is backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. A former general, Haftar has portrayed himself as a figure who can restore stability and combat the Islamist militants that have grown in influence in the lawless country. His critics accuse him of carrying out a coup and wanting to create a military dictatorship. In 2014, Haftar assembled former Qaddafi soldiers and, after a three-year battle, seized the main eastern city of Benghazi. He also captured the south with its crucial oilfields. In April, Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive against the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Haftar's forces have been unable to reach central Tripoli but have gradually advanced to its suburbs. The clashes around Tripoli have killed more than 280 civilians and some 2,000 fighters, while at least 140,000 people have been displaced, according to United Nations figures released in December. Internationalized Conflict Since NATO pulled back from Libya following its 2011 intervention, a host of regional players have looked to fill the vacuum, providing military support to their local proxies. Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have backed the 76-year-old Haftar, a former ally of Qaddafi. The United Arab Emirates has deployed jets and drones to aid Haftar. Russia has sent weapons, while there has been an influx of hundreds of mercenaries allegedly from the Kremlin-linked Vagner private security firm. Moscow has denied sending private mercenaries to support Haftar. With greater support from Russia, Haftar's forces have made a renewed push to seize control of Tripoli. There are also up to 3,000 mercenaries from Sudan, Niger, and Chad fighting for Haftar. Established by the UN in 2016, the GNA is officially supported by the United States and other Western countries. But practically, Tripoli's only foreign backer is Turkey, which has provided armored vehicles and drones to Sarraj. Addressing the imbalance on the battlefield, Ankara this month sent dozens of military advisers to Tripoli and has deployed up to 2,000 Syrian fighters to support the government. Russia-Turkey Proxy War Moscow and Ankara have become the two most active international players in Libya. Russia has condemned Turkey's decision to increase its military assistance to the Tripoli government. Meanwhile, Ankara has slammed the presence of Russia-linked mercenaries in Libya. The result, Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based political analyst said, was an "increasingly overt Russia-Turkey proxy war" in Libya. "There is a danger that Turkish military personnel embedded with GNA units could be wounded, killed, or captured in clashes with Russian-supported LNA units and the growing number of Moscow-supported Russian mercenaries in Libya," said Jenkins. Wolfram Lacher, a Libya expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said Turkey's military intervention is likely to aggravate the conflict. "It's possible that Haftar's foreign backers will respond to Turkey's increasing intervention by boosting their assistance to Haftar [and] escalating the war further," Lacher said. Competing Economic Interests Turkey has allied itself with the GNA to advance its strategic and commercial interests, analysts said. In November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sarraj signed a military cooperation agreement and a separate deal on maritime boundaries that would give Turkey drilling and pipeline rights over a large swath of the Mediterranean Sea between the countries. The deal has been widely criticized. Large reserves of gas have been discovered in the eastern Mediterranean and Erdogan has said he envisages joint energy-exploration activities with Libya there. Libya, which has a long Mediterranean coastline, controls vast oil reserves and produces 1.3 million barrels a day despite the war. Ankara's tensions with Egypt, which is run by the military, is viewed as another reason for Turkey's troop deployment. Erdogan was an ardent backer of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government that was overthrown by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2013. "Erdogan believes that he needs the GNA to survive in order to try to legitimize Ankara's claims to natural gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean," said Jenkins. "This agreement is designed not only to try to legitimize Ankara's natural gas claims but to create a barrier to Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel jointly exporting eastern Mediterranean gas to Europe." Jalel Harchaoui of the Clingendael Institute in The Hague said Russia viewed Libya as a "commercial" but also "geostrategic and symbolic" opportunity. He said Russia's involvement in Libya permitted Moscow to counter NATO and EU influence in North Africa and illustrate that it can succeed where the West had failed. Peace Efforts Germany on January 19 brought together the leaders of 11 countries for talks that ended with a commitment by outside powers to stop fueling Libya's war with troops, weapons, or financial support. The Berlin summit was aimed at relaunching a political process and preventing what some fear could become another Syria-like flood of refugees from Libya. Since 2011, there has been a lack of engagement by the United States and Europe in Libya. "As a result, the war has raged on and gradually drawn in Turkey and Russia," said Lacher. "Europeans now have no influence in a conflict on their doorstep that is driven by faraway powers like Russia." Moscow and Ankara appear to be trying to work together to resolve the conflict, brokering a fragile cease-fire between Haftar and Sarraj that came into effect on January 12. The following day, the two men met in Moscow to sign a cease-fire deal, but Haftar pulled out of the talks. Expectations remain low of a lasting peace anytime in the near future. Lacher said a negotiated solution will be difficult given Haftar's ambitions to establish authoritarian rule, and the deep distrust he inspires among his adversaries. "Both Turkey and Russia would therefore have to shape the military landscape, which would require months of further, violent conflict," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-vacuum-how- libya-is-descending-into-a-russia-turkey -proxy-war-/30389900.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi: An Iranian lawmaker on Tuesday offered a USD 3-million reward to anyone who kills US President Donald Trump. Ahmad Hamzeh, offered this to avenge the assassination of a top general, semi-official news agency ISNA reported. He made the offer on behalf of the people of Kerman, the hometown and final resting place of storied commander Major General Qasem Soleimani. We will give USD 3 million to anyone who kills Trump, Hamzeh, who represents Kahnouj county near the southeastern city of Kerman, was quoted as saying by ISNA. Qasem Soleimani, the popular head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm, was killed in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport on January 3, ratcheting up tensions between the arch-foes. Following this, Iran launched over a dozen ballistic missiles targeting at least two bases where US military and coalition forces are stationed in Iraq. Soleimanis killing has been the most dramatic escalation yet in the spiralling tensions between Iran and the US. Who Was General Qasem Soleimani? Soleimani was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies. General Soleimani, who headed the external operations Quds Force for the Guards, had wielded his regional clout publicly since 2018 when it was revealed that he had direct involvement in top-level talks over the formation of Iraq's government. It was no surprise at the time for a man who has been at the centre of power-broking in the region for two decades. Soleimani has been in and out of Baghdad ever since, most recently last month as parties sought to form a new government. Where once he kept to the shadows, Soleimani has in recent years become an unlikely celebrity in Iran -- replete with a huge following on Instagram. His profile rose suddenly when he was pushed forward as the public face of Iran's intervention in the Syrian conflict from 2013, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries -- and even being featured in a music video and animated film. In a rare interview aired on Iranian state television in October, he said he was in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war to oversee the conflict. To his fans and enemies alike, Soleimani was the key architect of Iran's regional influence, leading the fight against jihadist forces and extending Iran's diplomatic heft in Iraq, Syria and beyond. "To Middle Eastern Shiites, he is James Bond, Erwin Rommel and Lady Gaga rolled into one," wrote former CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack in a profile for Time's 100 most influential people in 2017. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad welcomed the chief of the Palestinian militant group Hamas to Putrajaya on Wednesday during his first official trip to Malaysia since becoming the organizations top leader in May 2017, officials said. While paying a courtesy call at the prime ministers office, Ismail Haniyeh praised Mahathir, who is known for being outspoken in criticizing Israel, for supporting the Palestinian people, according to state media and information on the Malaysian leaders official Twitter account. Both the United States and Israel have branded Haniyeh as a terrorist and Hamas as a terror organization. Haniyeh was visiting Malaysia as part of his first trip outside of the Gaza Strip or Egypt as chief of the political wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), a tour that has also taken him to Iran, Oman, Turkey and Qatar. According to the Hamas leader, Malaysia has a very special position in the Islamic world, Malaysias state-run Bernama news service quoted Mahathir as saying about his conversation with Haniyeh. Mahathir said Haniyeh expressed gratitude for the prime ministers efforts to bring fresh ideas to the Islamic world, and the Hamas leader cited the Kuala Lumpur Summit organized by the Malaysian government as an example. Last month, Malaysia hosted the leaders of Iran, Turkey and Qatar all rivals of Saudi Arabia during a three-day conference. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) criticized it as an event that could weaken the 57-nation intergovernmental body based in the Saudi kingdom. In 2018, after Haniyeh became the Hamas chief, the United States government added his name to its list of specially designated global terrorists, saying he had committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States. The U.S. State Department had previously listed Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing units associated with it up of conducting suicide bombings against Israeli civilian and military targets. In April 2018, a Palestinian engineer named Fadi Mohamad Al Batsh, who was allegedly linked to Hamas, was gunned down in Kuala Lumpur. According to reports in the Israeli press, he was killed by the Mossad, Israels national intelligence service. The 94-year-old Mahathir, who has been accused in the Israeli and Western media of expressing anti-Semitic views, has not shied away from criticizing the United States over its longtime alliance with Israel, even after returning to office as prime minister of Muslim-majority Malaysia in 2018. In a September 2016 interview with BenarNews, Mahathir pointed to Western polices in the Middle East, including ongoing Western support for Israel, as exacerbating the worldwide problem of terrorism. The militant group that calls itself the Islamic State grew out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said. But the world will not see it because the press is totally controlled by the Western countries, Mahathir said in the interview. They will not blame themselves. The real cause is that they have mishandled the Middle East over the last 60 years. This election gets a dash of showbiz tonight when Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and would-be Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, go head-to-head in a debate on Virgin One TV at 9.30pm. It makes for an interesting clash as both men are spiky debaters who are well informed and can think on their feet. With 17 days campaigning to go, this television contest could pack a punch. The veteran of many election debates, presenter Pat Kenny, will be on hand to keep order and the talk flowing. It has been a tough eight days for Fine Gael and Leo Varadkar since he fired the election start gun. The days leading up to the election announcement were dominated by a bitter controversy over botched official efforts to commemorate the RIC and DMP police forces. Then on day one the Taoiseach made some ill-chosen comments about the serious injury to a homeless man on the Grand Canal in Dublin. On health and housing Fine Gael were left explaining and reminding us of that old American political maxim: when youre explaining youre losing. And then they found themselves on the wrong side of a controversy about the details surrounding extending the pension qualification age to 67 years from January 1 next. The Irish Times opinion poll on Tuesday put Fianna Fail ahead on 25pc to Fine Gaels 23pc signalling advantage to Micheal Martin. Read More Another tranche of that opinion poll on Wednesday found that up to three quarters of voters favour a change of government, even though there was a deal of uncertainty what voters wanted to replace the current set-up. Add all of those things together and you find the Taoiseach and Fine Gael have a heck of a hill to climb. In that event we can expect that Leo Varadkar will take some risks tonight in an effort to wrest back the advantage from Micheal Martin. In private conversations many Fine Gael heavy hitters take consolation in looking at the election of May 2007. In that contest, Fianna Fail were getting a hammering from Enda Kennys Fine Gael and the media coverage was dominated by reports of Bertie Aherns extraordinary personal finances. Coincidentally, this was also the last time we had a one-on-one debate between two potential Taoisigh. In the two elections since then we have had big debates with up to seven leaders involved. But on the evening of May 17, 2007, one week from election day, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern faced would-be Taoiseach Enda Kenny in RTE. Mr Kenny was never regarded as good with technical detail but on that night he did well and showed he had done his homework. Expand Close Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and FG leader Enda Kenny shake hands before the Prime Time debate with Miriam O'Callaghan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and FG leader Enda Kenny shake hands before the Prime Time debate with Miriam O'Callaghan But Bertie Ahern was deemed the winner by observers and a subsequent opinion poll indicated seven out of 10 people believed he won. It was his easy mastery of details on economic policy which swung it. Mr Ahern and Fianna Fail won a rare third back-to-back election on May 24, 2007. Other things had finally begun to go their way in those last days, including the reinstatement of powersharing in Belfast, a walkabout the Battle of the Boyne site by Ahern and Ian Paisley, and a well-received address to the UK parliament in London. But Fianna Fails own private polling suggested the television debate was worth an extra 5pc. So, these debates can count. At this stage this election is beginning to look like its Fianna Fails to lose. We can expect their leader, Micheal Martin, to adopt a steady-as-she-goes approach. But a scoreless draw will not be enough for Leo Varadkar, who has to lift party activists morale and take the fight back to Fianna Fail. Simon Cowell reportedly stormed out of the Britain's Got Talent auditions this week after a contestant revealed his talent was painting with his penis. According to The Sun, Tim Patch from Australia arrived to audition before the judges in a pink thong, chaps and cowboy hat and painted Simon, 60, and David Walliams with his manhood. The painter, 70, who is said to call himself Pricasso, horrified Simon who immediately pressed his red buzzer and then went to his dressing room. Unimpressed: Simon Cowell, 60, stormed out of the Britain's Got Talent auditions this week after a contestant revealed his talent was painting with his penis David, who remained in his chair, said: 'This show has taken a dark turn. Weve lost Simon, hes gone home.' Fellow judges Amanda Holden and Alecia Dixon were not as unimpressed as Simon as they joined hosts Ant and Dec by the stage to get a closer look. Tim is no stranger to the small screen as he previously auditioned for Australia's Got Talent last year. He picked up his unusual talent after his divorce from his ex wife, saying on an appearance on This Morning in 2019: 'I got divorced and decided I'm going to do something I want to do.' Surprise: Tim Patch, 70, arrived to audition before the judges in a pink thong, chaps and cowboy hat and painted Simon and David Walliams with his manhood (pictured in 2016) Presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield struggled to keep their emotions in check when Tim painted them with his manhood. Tim, who said he charges $200-300 for a painting, including either an R-rated or PG-video and shipping, said he used all body parts to create his vision. 'I use the buttocks if I need to cover a lot of space, but I also use the scrotum and the testicles,' he said. Holly replied: 'This is the strangest interview ever - I can't believe we're talking about getting a wrinkly effect by painting with a scrotum.' Tim later went on to paint Holly and Phillip again to celebrate their tenth anniversary of presenting the ITV chat show together. Talent: Tim is no stranger to the small screen as he previously appeared on an episode of This Morning and painted Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield (pictured in 2016) Shocked: Tim, who is said to call himself Pricasso, horrified Simon who immediately pressed his red buzzer and then went to his dressing room (pictured in 2016) Appearing in a video message last September, he said: 'G'day Holly and Phillip. Pricasso here in Australia. 'Congratulations of course on your tenth anniversary of shows. I know there will be many more. 'It's been my honour to be asked to paint a special anniversary portrait of you. I know it's a bit cheeky but what can you expect seeing as it's painted with my willy.' The Kerala government will meet the entire expenses for airlifting the bodies of eight tourists from the state who died at a resort in Nepal, official sources said here on Wednesday. The victims, including four children, died due to possible asphyxiation after they fell unconscious probably due to a gas leak from a heater in their room at a mountainous resort in Makwanpur district of Nepal. "The government will bear the entire expenses to bring the bodies to the state from Nepal", a source in the Chief Minister's Office told PTI. The Norka (Non Resident Keralites Affairs) department has been in touch with the family members and friends of the deceased since the incident took place and they came to know about some issues relating to the transportation of the bodies. The matter was brought to the Chief Minister's notice following which the decision to bear the expenses was taken, official sources said. The deceased - two couples and four children - were part of a group of 15 people travelling from Kerala to Pokhara, a popular mountainous tourist destination. They were on their way back home and stayed at Everest Panorama Resort in Daman in the district on Monday night. The bodies were expected to be brought here on Thursday after post-mortem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Companies May Soon Adopt a Standardized Framework for Reporting ESG Matters By John Jannarone As U.S. President Donald Trump and Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg descended on Davos, Switzerland, this week, the topics of climate change and social responsibility came into sharp focus not only for countries, but corporations. The trouble is, it can be tricky for investors to determine exactly how companies are addressing those concerns. In his annual letter to CEOs last week, BlackRock Inc.s Larry Fink once again put pressure on companies to focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related issues. He also made a more specific request: that companies make disclosures around ESG in alignment with standards developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). ESG experts say that the BlackRock request is significant because it could steer more companies toward a specific reporting standard. BlackRock has always had a policy to directly hold Boards accountable for not properly overseeing ESG issues (rather than supporting shareholder proposals, for example), Lyndon Park, Managing Director and Head of Governance Solutions at consulting and advisory firm ICR Inc. told CorpGov. What is new is that there is now a specific recommendation for companies to disclose based on SASB and TCFD recommendations, the first explicit recommendation that could potentially standardize ESG reporting frameworks. It appears that SASB and TCFD standards are already becoming part of corporate reporting if only gradually. A combined 38 proxy statements and annual reports (10-Ks) mentioned SASB in 2019, up from just two documents in 2015, according to Sentieo, a leading AI-enabled financial research and workflow platform. The trend was similar for TCFD, which was mentioned in 37 times last year, up from zero mentions in 2015 when it was established. Story continues While we are seeing a surge in ESG investing, from indices to formal allocations by the large institutional managers, the reported data is still not standardized, said Nick Mazing, Director of Research at Sentieo. This has created very different approaches for determining what is an ESG rating: from company and consumer surveys, to relying on single data point disclosures, such as gender balance in board rooms. Within SEC filings, mentions of SASB and TCFD vary considerably. Some companies have embraced such frameworks outright, some have fought shareholder proposals to incorporate them, and others have alluded to them only in passing. Consider The Clorox Company, which appears ahead of most companies in selecting a framework. This year, as part of our ongoing efforts to implement best practices and provide additional information that our shareholders may find helpful, we are including certain information aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) reporting framework, Clorox said in its proxy filing in October. This is the first year that we will be reporting certain information aligned with SASB, and we hope to continue making more disclosures in the future pursuant to this framework as standards continue to formalize and collecting and validating data for relevant industry classifications becomes more commonplace and comprehensive. SASB was also mentioned by Charter Communications, Inc. in its 2019 proxy because of a shareholder proposal urging the company to use it as a standard for ESG reporting a proposal Charter told shareholders to vote against. We agree that environmental, social and governance-related (ESG) matters are important and worthwhile areas of focus for the Company. We conduct our business with a compliance focus and have a strong corporate culture of doing the right thing, including with respect to ESG matters, Charter said in its proxy in March. However, although the Company remains mindful and vigilant with respect to ESG matters as it hires employees, engages vendors and provides products and services to its customers, we do not believe that separate reporting with respect to our policies and improvement targets as proposed in the stockholder proposal represent an efficient or prudent use of our corporate resources. Mr. Park also pointed out that many companies may actually use SASB but not include it in SEC filings, instead making mention in the sustainability section of their investor relations websites. And they may also not tie SASB directly to ESG something that BlackRock could help change. One important takeaway BlackRocks active strategies are pivoting to a comprehensively ESG-integrated model, Mr. Park added. This sea change is coming for other global active managers, as there is a raft of regulatory imperatives coming from the EU in 2020 which will require asset managers to better describe how each is integrating ESG into investment considerations. BlackRocks letter may also lead more directors and senior management members to simply pay more attention to ESG matters, even if they dont adopt standardized frameworks. Whether or not BlackRocks efforts produce a consensus on a sustainability disclosure standard and accelerated voluntary reporting, it is clear that, going forward, investors will expect officers and directors of investee companies to demonstrate a strong understanding of company-specific sustainability and climate-related risks, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz wrote in a client note regarding the BlackRock letter. Companies that have not yet disclosed against SASB and TCFD standards are well-advised to familiarize themselves with these frameworks and develop their rationales for not making those disclosures, deciding upon a reasonable time frame for making new disclosures or adhering to a different standard. CorpGov Contact: John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief editor@corpgov.com www.CorpGov.com Twitter: @CorpGovernor Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday filed a sharply worded defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, claiming Clinton tried to derail her 2020 presidential campaign by describing her as a Russian asset in a podcast interview in October. Asked for comment on Gabbards suit, Clintons spokesman, Nick Merrill, told PEOPLE: Thats ridiculous. Clinton has not yet responded in court filings. What she actually said about Gabbard last fall has been the subject of some dispute. The 72-year-old former secretary of state and presidential candidate suggested that Gabbard, 38, was a Russian asset while she was interviewed on political strategist David Plouffes Campaign HQ podcast. Though Clinton did not name Gabbard, the discussion makes clear it was Gabbard to whom she was referring. Merrill later confirmed that, telling NBC News, If the nesting doll fits Politifact, the fact-checking organization, transcribed the full context of Clintons comments to Plouffe. During the episode, Plouffe said to her that one of the reasons [Trump] was able to win is the third party vote, and Clinton agreed. She later said, Theyre also going to do third party again. And Im not making any predictions, but I think theyve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. Shes the favorite of the Russians. The she here referred to Gabbard, but the they in grooming referred to Republicans, not Russians, according to Clintons spokesman though others who heard her remarks were initially confused. The Russian asset remark now at the center of Gabbards suit was made during this part of the podcast. Shes the favorite of the Russians, Clinton said, meaning Gabbard. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far, and thats assuming [2016 candidate] Jill Stein will give it up. Which she might not, cause shes also a Russian asset. Story continues If the Russian propaganda machine, both their state media and their bot and troll operations, is backing a candidate aligned with their interests, that is just a reality, it is not speculation, Merrill, Clintons spokesman, said afterward. RELATED: Hillary Clinton Has Absolutely Nothing Nice to Say About Bernie Sanders Nobody Likes Him Rep. Tulsi Gabbard | Ethan Miller/Getty Gabbard immediately responded to Clinton on Twitter accusing her in a series of fiery messages of being the queen of corruption who orchestrated a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. Her lawsuit, filed Wednesday morning in federal court in New York, echoes that same argument. It takes pains to detail Gabbards background of military and civic service but describes Clinton in far more scathing terms: a cutthroat politician by any account. Gabbard claims that Clintons Russia comments peddled damaging conspiracy theories and were an attempt to derail her 2020 campaign. (Gabbard is a longshot to win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and has never polled among the top candidates.) In October 2019 whether out of personal animus, political enmity, or fear of real change within a political party Clinton and her allies have long dominated Clinton lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard. She did so publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent, Gabbards complaint states. Shes demanding a jury trial and an appropriate amount of compensatory, special and punitive damages. By way of alleged harm done to her by Clinton, Gabbards suit cites unidentified scientifically conducted opinion surveys that she says prove Clintons podcast comments were believed by millions of Americans and large numbers of battleground state voters. Gabbard further claims the interview cost her potential donors and potential voters and she has suffered significant actual damages, personally and professionally, that are estimated to exceed $50 million. That figure is not further explained. RELATED: Every 2020 Presidential Candidate Celebrities Have Supported So Far Hillary Clinton | NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Russian preference for Gabbard is widely understood to be because of her unusual position on the Syrian civil war and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by the Russians. While al-Assad has been widely shunned and denounced as a violent dictator, Gabbard believes American military involvement in the region is not the answer and she raised eyebrows by choosing to meet with al-Assad in 2017. Gabarrds lawsuit also alleges Clinton sought revenge against her after she backed Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clintons rival in the 2016 Democratic primary. RELATED: Who Is Tulsi Gabbard? What to Know About the Headline-Grabbing 2020 Candidate & Hawaii Lawmaker Brian Dunne, one of the lawyers representing Gabbard, tells PEOPLE Clinton smeared Gabbards reputation and he insists Clinton refused to retract what shed said. One would expect someone of Mrs. Clintons political background to act with a greater level of maturity and responsibility, but her personal hostility toward Rep. Gabbard apparently clouded Mrs. Clintons reason and blinded her to U.S. defamation laws, Dunne argues. He adds: Rep. Gabbard must defend her good name. "The company has received the approval from DoT vide its letter dated January 20 for increasing the limit of foreign investment up to 100 per cent of the paid-up capital of the company," Bharti Airtel said in an exchange filing on Tuesday. New Delhi: The Department of Telecom (DoT) has approved Bharti Airtel's proposal to approve up to 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bharti Airtel from the 49 per cent allowed earlier . The approval would enable Bharti Airtel to raise more funds from foreign investors to pay for statutory dues, network expansion and for spectrum auction payments in case it bids. Airtel has to clear statutory liabilities of up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore are towards licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore are spectrum dues. As per extanct rules, 100 per cent FDI is allowed in the telecom sector, while 49 per cent is allowed through the automatic route. The approval, read together with the RBI approval dated July 3, 2014, granted to the company, allows the FPls/Flls to invest up to 74 per cent of the paid up capital of Bharti Airtel, the company said. Bharti Telecom is the single largest shareholder in Bharti Airtel with about 41 per cent stake. Singtel owns 48 per cent in Bharti Telecom, which gives it a 35 per cent stake in Bharti Airtel. Foreign investors such as Indian Continent Investment Ltd, Viridian Ltd and Pastel Ltd together own 21.46 per cent stake in the company. "We are thrilled with the depth and breadth of experience these hires bring to Civitas," Healy said. "Their impressive backgrounds align perfectly with the firm's core value of uncompromising integrity. As well, the diversity of work and life experience each brings to the table helps us provide investors the relentless creativity for which the firm is known." Background for the three hires includes the following: Austin Khan Managing Director, Investments Austin Khan is an experienced hotel and real estate investment management professional and a senior member of the Investments team at Civitas. Khan's 20 years of experience in real estate principal investment and advisory roles includes hospitality, office, multifamily, and retail investments throughout the capital stack. Khan brings over $1.2 billion in lodging investment experience and $3 billion of total real estate transaction experience to Civitas Capital Group. At Civitas, Khan is responsible for general management of the firm's lodging investment team. He serves on the firmwide Investment Committee as well as various other committees, boards, and the like related to Civitas lodging investment vehicles. Khan most recently served as Managing Director of Blue Lion Capital, LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused on real estate special situations investing. Prior to Blue Lion Capital, Mr. Khan was Chief Investment Officer of Ethika Investments, a $1.2 billion real estate private equity platform focused on opportunistic equity investments and high-yield credit, with a significant focus on the hotel sector. There, he oversaw investments in 15 hotels throughout the United States, including acquisitions and significant redevelopments. Kerry Braxton Vice President & Deputy General Counsel Braxton was most recently Assistant General Counsel & Vice President Legal and Corporate Risk for Lincoln Property Company, the second-largest property management company in the United States. He was responsible for overseeing the national legal functions for property management and corporate risk operations for the company. Prior to Lincoln Property, Braxton served as Managing Senior Counsel, Legal and Risk Management, at FedEx Office. He was responsible for managing the domestic and international legal functions for the real estate legal division. Prior to FedEx Office, Mr. Braxton was a Partner at Squire Patton Boggs, an international law firm, where he provided legal advice and consultation to Fortune 500 domestic and international corporations and major financial institutions in the acquisition, development, and finance of commercial and retail real estate assets. Braxton's combination of experience in legal, real estate, and corporate insurance and risk provides a unique asset to Civitas. Braxton is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and holds a seat on the Board of Directors of the Texas General Counsel Forum. Jorge Adler Senior Associate, Investments Adler comes to Civitas from The Howard Hughes Corporation, a publicly traded firm that owns, manages, and develops commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate throughout the U.S. At the Howard Hughes Corporation, Adler was part of a team that was responsible for underwriting, sourcing, and closing property-level financings, strategic acquisitions, dispositions, and joint-venture opportunities. Over the past five years, Adler was responsible for closing over $1.1 billion of debt through a variety of structures and for an array of asset types. Adler holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California, as well as a Master's degree in city/urban planning from USC. ABOUT CIVITAS CAPITAL GROUP Civitas Capital Group is a global alternative investment manager with $1.7B AUM. Civitas offers compelling, niche opportunities in U.S. real estate, lodging, and alternative credit. Driven by relentless creativity, Civitas digs deeper to uncover opportunities that others miss. Civitas was founded in 2009 by Daniel J. Healy and Rafael Anchia and is proudly based in Dallas, Texas. Civitas' core values, ever-deepening cultural competency, and sense of global citizenship define the firm's purpose: to create opportunities that enrich communities, investors, and employees alike. For more information, visit civitascapital.com. SOURCE Civitas Capital Group Related Links https://www.civitascapital.com HOXIE, Ark. - Nine people were injured, including a child who was airlifted to a hospital, when a school bus and a dump truck collided Tuesday afternoon on a state highway in northeast Arkansas, authorities said. Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said the vehicles collided just south of Hoxie, about 120 miles (190 kilometres) northeast of Little Rock. The dump truck was southbound on U.S. 73 south of Hoxie when it struck the rear of a bus that was starting to turn onto a side road. The bus veered off the road and overturned, according to a state police statement. Seven students and the drivers of both vehicles were injured when the dump truck rear-ended the bus, the state police said. The agency said none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening. All students were alert, able to communicate, said Hoxie School District Superintendent Kelly Gillham. Offcials said one student was airlifted to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, 78 miles (125 kilometres) to the southeast. Others were sent to hospitals in Jonesboro, Arkansas, 18 miles (29 kilometres) to the southeast. She said the students on the bus were elementary through high school age. Officials in the Pacific Northwest are scrambling to isolate and contain the nations first incident of the potentially deadly coronavirus after revealing a man who recently travelled to China and fell ill on his return had been positively diagnosed. Authorities in Washington state confirmed that a man aged in his 30s had contacted his doctor after visiting the city of Wuhan, and developing flu-like symptoms a few days later. As health officials said the man, being treated in isolation at the Providence Regional Medical Centre in Everett, was comfortable, they were also racing to trace people he may have come into contact with, both in China and on his return to Washington state. This meant authorities were liaising with airlines and federal disease experts, as well as talking to the man about his trip, and the flights he took. It is known he did not fly directly to Wuhan from Seattle. We have asked for his ticket information, and the details of how he got here, but we dont have that yet, Scott Lindquist, Washington state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, told reporters on Tuesday, after officials detailed the nations first confirmed incidence of the Wuhan coronavirus, also called 2019-nCoV. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty Officials in Everett said they were also contacting the small number of staff and patients who may have come into contact with the man at one of their clinics. They were also implementing a screening system in their electronic records to identify patients at risk. In China, officials have said they had detected 300 cases and that six people have died so far. Reports have linked the disease to the central city of Wuhan. Experts say that number is likely to grow, with the US becoming the fifth nation to report the virus after Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Centre for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases, said having last week predicted it was possible a case would be reported in the US, it was now likely there would be more. Information is rapidly evolving. We hope over the coming days the situation will become clear, she said. China reports sharp rise in coronavirus infection Five international airports in the US have implemented screening for individuals likeliest to have travelled to Wuhan, but Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is not among them. The town of Everett, which has a population of around 110,000 people and is located around 20 miles north of Seattle, is best known for being home to Boeings assembly point, as well as being a jumping off point for the Puget Sound. On Tuesday, as dark skies threatened rain, a number of residents voiced concern about news of the coronavirus. Bruce Tipton, whose wife was being treated for lung cancer in the hospital, said it was only right that the man who fell ill be properly treated as well. Im not surprised given all the world travel there is, he told The Independent. And the way these viruses mutate is very unpredictable. Health official Chris Spitters told reporters no one wants to be the first in the nation in these types of situations (Getty) Heaven Nation, a 30-year-old woman who was walking into the hospital to seek help for a sore throat, said she was concerned about the virus spreading. She said she had two children, along with nephews and nieces. I dont like to listen to the news, she said, explaining why she had not heard of the coronavirus. Its always just about people tearing each other apart. It was reported that stocks of four US airlines that fly to China fell as news of the virus outbreak emerged. None fly directly to Wuhan, which has a population of 11m and is located in Hubei province, but because some of their Chinese partners do, passengers transfer from Chinese carriers to American ones. Officials said the man had travelled to China, from where he had moved to the US, alone. They said he was in a comfortable condition in the hospital, and had asked to use a phone to call his parents. It is not known if his parents live in China, but officials said the man, who has not been identified, was a US resident. In a sign of the mounting concern about the virus, the World Health Organisation is to meet on Wednesday to decide whether to declare the outbreak an international public health emergency. No one wants to be the first in the nation in these types of situations, but these are the types of situations that public health and its partners train and prepare for, said Chris Spitters, a senior official with Snohomish Health District. Because of this, everything has been going along quite smoothly. [January 22, 2020] Tipalti Announces North American Expansion With New Offices in Vancouver, B.C. Tipalti, the leading global payables automation solution, today announced that it will be opening offices in Vancouver B.C., Canada. This is the third global office for Tipalti, joining existing locations in San Mateo, California and Kibbutz Glil-Yam, Israel. The new office will be centrally located in the central Vancouver downtown core and opens on February 1, 2020. Tipalti is actively recruiting talent for the new location including a Vice President of Sales, sales representatives, and other professionals. Tipalti expects to hire over 50 new team members in Vancouver by the end of the year. "With a favorable business climate and a large pool of highly-educated talent, Vancouver serves as an ideal siteto help drive our continued growth," said Chen Amit, CEO and Co-Founder of Tipalti. "Vancouver also happens to be one of the world's most livable and attractive cities." The Vancouver office will be led by Tipalti's Chief Revenue Officer, Sam Barakat, who joined in 2019 from BlackLine, Inc. As Vice President of Midmarket at BlackLine, Sam built and led BlackLine's midmarket division from the ground up. The opening of Tipalti's third global office comes after another year of continued growth. The company raised $76 million in a Series D round of funding led by Zeev Ventures, maintained its best-in-class customer satisfaction rating of 98%, and more than doubled new customer and business bookings during the first half of 2019. It also made both the Deloitte (News - Alert) Fast 500 and Inc 5000 lists of America's fastest-growing businesses, for the second consecutive year. Tipalti was also recognized as a Best Place To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times for the third straight year. For more information about opportunities in Vancouver, visit https://tipalti.com/join-team-tipalti-cn/. About Tipalti Founded in 2010, Tipalti is the only payables automation solution to streamline all phases of the global accounts payable workflow in one holistic cloud platform. Tipalti makes it painless for finance departments to manage their entire AP and supplier payments operation. Leading companies use Tipalti to eliminate up to 80% of their supplier payments workload, helping them scale their business efficiently with global growth, while strengthening financial and tax compliance controls. Hundreds of companies trust Tipalti to transform their supplier payment operations including Roku, ClassPass, Twitter (News - Alert), Automattic, Amazon Twitch, GoDaddy, Postmates, Medium, Zola, Foursquare, and Vimeo. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005151/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hasm was plotting a series of "terrorist attacks" against public figures, buildings and houses of worship on the anniversary of the 25 January Revolution Egyptian authorities foiled a plot orchestrated by fugitive leaders of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey with the aid of accomplices in Egypt that was designed to destabalise the country on the ninth anniversary of the 25 January Revolution, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. The plan, unveiled by the National Security Apparatus, aimed at "undermining security and stability, stirring chaos in the country and damaging its economy" in tandem with the anniversary of the popular uprising, the ministry said in a statement. The group was plotting a series of "terrorist attacks" by the militant Hasm group against important figures and buildings and places of worship on the anniversary of the revolution, and was providing the necessary funding to achieve that. The ministry said they already carried out an attack in Qalioubiya that killed two policemen and a civilian in November. They also attemped to use accounts on social media platforms to organise protests and provoke riots and chaos, and hired media committees to "spread lies and rumours to fuel public anger." The ministry identified the names of seven orchestrators of the plot whom it said are now in Turkey. Four of them face jail terms over terrorism-related charges and the others are issued arrest warrants over similar accusations, it said. Police arrested a number of those behind online campaigns aiming to stir riots and sabotage state buildings, and others working for media platforms belonging to the outlawed Brotherhood, which was designated a terrorist organisation in 2013. Security forces arrested some members of the militant Hasm group, including the perpetrators of the November attack, the statement added. They were found in posession of automatic weapons, shotguns, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and explosive devices. Authorities are working to arrest the figuitives, the ministry said. Search Keywords: Short link: The Duchess of Sussex made a secret visit to an animal welfare charity during her short visit to London two weeks ago, her aides revealed today. Meghan Markle visited The Mayhew centre in Kensal Green, North West London, to hear about the 'incredible progress made throughout the festive period'. The Sussex Royal Instagram account posted two photographs this morning of her during a visit to the centre, where she has been a patron for a year. Meghan visited The Mayhew centre in Kensal Green, North West London, two weeks ago The post came at a strategic moment, after the Duchess of Cambridge launched a landmark national survey in Britain about the early years development of children. The timing was noted by several people commenting on the post, with Liyana Ali saying: 'Someone is so insecure that every time the Cambridges or Kate is out for an important engagement they've posted on the exact same day. Coincidence?' Another, @xmaurxx, said: 'So you had these pictures for almost a month but released them during the release of Kate's project? Interesting.' And a third, @p_hello123, posted: 'Hmm. The timing of this post, even though the visit has passed already, is very interesting.' The Sussex Royal Instagram account posted two pictures of her during a visit to the centre But others praised Meghan, with @icklenoni calling her an 'inspiration and supported more than you could ever know' and Kadie Rodgers saying she is 'incredible'. Meghan was also hailed for making a 'real and positive impact for every patronage you've worked with' and for being a voice for dogs and cats without homes. The pictures were also revealed ahead of a Channel 5 interview with her estranged father Thomas Markle, which is critical of her and is due to air at 9pm tonight. Meghan had been in London for a few days before returning to Vancouver Island, where she had been staying with Prince Harry and son Archie over Christmas. The Instagram post mentioned the 'incredible progress made throughout the festive period' The @SussexRoyal Instagram post said: 'Earlier this month, The Duchess of Sussex popped in to see the amazing people at Mayhew to hear about the incredible progress made throughout the festive period. 'The Duchess of Sussex, having been proud patron of Mayhew since January 2019 and long understanding the connection between animal and community welfare, applauds the people at Mayhew for the vital work that they do every day. 'From cats and dogs who have found new homes to animal welfare cases handled in the community The Mayhew believes in the power of togetherness and the special bond between humans and animals.' The Duchess will continue to be a patron of the centre despite announcing on January 8 that she would be stepping down as a senior royal along with Harry. The timing as Kate revealed her survey was noted by several people commenting on the post Caroline Yates, chief executive of The Mayhew, told MailOnline: 'We were delighted to see our Patron recently during a private visit where we caught up about recent progress, Mayhew's upcoming work and the year ahead. 'The Duchess of Sussex has long championed animal welfare and we are delighted that with Her Majesty The Queen's blessing she will continue as our Patron. 'We look forward to continuing to work together to help more animals and people.' Ms Yates also gave Meghan her backing earlier this week, saying: 'The Duchess of Sussex has long championed animal welfare. Others praised Meghan, with Kadie Rodgers saying she will 'always be an incredible person', and @icklenoni saying she is an 'inspiration and supported more than you could ever know' 'We are delighted that, with Her Majesty The Queen's blessing, she will continue as our patron. We look forward to continuing to work together to help more animals and people.' Meghan, an advocate of adopting rescue dogs, chose animal welfare charity Mayhew as one of her first patronages. She previously visited the shelter in January 2019, and was introduced to Maggie, a one-year-old Jack Russell who was up for adoption on the charity's website. The duchess picked up Maggie when she saw her shivering, and clutched her to her chest as she chatted to Mayhew staff, who told her about the charity's projects in India and Afghanistan. During their engagement interview in 2017, Harry revealed that the Queen's corgis quickly took a shine to his future wife. The Duchess of Cambridge launches a UK survey on early childhood in Birmingham yesterday He said: 'The corgis took to you straight away. I've spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing...' Describing the moment, Meghan said: 'Just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet.' And Harry added: 'Just wagging tails and I was just like argh.' Mayhew was founded in 1886 and today sees itself as an animal welfare social worker, keeping cats and dogs, whether family pets or companions for the homeless, safe and well alongside their owners, and supporting communities. It has a pet refuge service, provides vet services for vulnerable owners, and has a team of animal welfare officers who work with local residents helping local communities. Meghan went to the animal centre while in London two weeks ago during a trip that also saw her visit Canada House with Harry for a public engagement. Harry joined Meghan and Archie in Canada on Monday night after arriving on a WestJet plane on Vancouver Island as they prepare to live a more private life. Vancouver Island, an area known for its outstanding natural beauty, is off Canada's west coast and is part of the province of British Columbia. Harry arrived in Canada hours after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson and world leaders at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in South East London. This is likely to be one of his few remaining official engagements before he and Meghan take their 'leap of faith' and leave the monarchy in the spring. Meghan took son Archie and her dogs Oz and Guy for a walk on Vancouver Island on Monday The duke gave an emotional speech on Sunday night, saying he had 'no other option' but to give up his official royal duties and forge a new life in Canada. In the speech in London, Harry told invited guests: 'What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you. 'Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.' The Sussexes had wanted to remain as working royals, although not prominent members, and drop their public funding to become financially independent. Harry smiles after arriving at Victoria Airport on Vancouver Island in Canada on Monday night However, critics have accused the couple of turning their backs on the monarchy to enjoy the freedom of being able to take on commercial ventures. Meanwhile, Kate has described early years development as life's most 'crucial' moment for 'future health and happiness' as she launched a survey about the issue. Kate travelled to Birmingham yesterday to highlight her ambitious project to ask 'five big questions on the under fives' which will guide her future work. The online poll, by Ipsos Mori for the Royal Foundation, is thought to be the biggest survey of its kind and aims to encourage a UK-wide conversation on early childhood. The visit came in the week Harry and Meghan went to Canada House in London on January 7 Kate began a 24-hour tour yesterday which will also see her visit the likes of Cardiff and Surrey to launch the initiative today. In Birmingham, she joined a group of youngsters at an interactive attraction and chatted to health professionals, fellow parents and supporters of her project. In Switzerland today, Prince Charles will launch a project to help financial markets become more sustainable during a visit to the World Economic Forum. Charles will highlight his Sustainable Markets Council during a brief visit to the Swiss resort town of Davos. He will then travel on to Israel and Palestine for an official trip. The Congress on Wednesday attacked the government over India slipping to the 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking, alleging that the BJP dispensation has managed to destroy the democratic spirit of the country. India slipped 10 places to the 51st position in the ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend. India's overall score fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in the index that provides a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide for 165 independent states and two territories. "An India which was once lauded for its democratic values and principles has now been labelled a 'flawed democracy' several years in a row. In less than 6 years, the BJP govt has managed to destroy the democratic spirit of our nation," the Congress said on its official Twitter handle. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New York, Jan 22 : Although US President Donald Trump had said that he is talking with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan about Kashmir, there was no specific mention of it in the official US readout of their meeting. The readout of the meeting in Davos on Tuesday makes only a mention of "regional issues" among the many topics discussed, chief among them Afghanistan, where the US is negotiating a settlement with the Taliban. According to a White House transcript, before their meeting Trump said: "We're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping." He added: "And we've been watching that and following it very, very closely." Trump was careful in his wording about possible involvement in the Kashmir issue compared to the past, qualifying his statement with the preface, "if we can help." It apparently takes into account India's opposition to any third party involvement in the Kashmir or other disputes between the two countries because of the 1972 Simla Agreement in which the two countries agreed to deal with their disputes bilaterally. Trump created a diplomatic furore in July when he claimed before a meeting with Khan in Washington that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate or arbitrate the Kashmir issue. He said that when he met Modi in Osaka in June during the G-20 Summit, "We talked about the subject, (and) he actually said, 'Would you like to mediate, mediate or arbitrate?' I said, 'Where,?' (and he said) 'Kashmir'." India strongly denied Trump's claim about the request for his involvement in the Kashmir issue. Before his meeting with Khan in New York in September, Trump had said that he would "be an extremely good arbitrator" in the two countries asked him to "iron out differences". "And if at any time they say, you know, 'We have some points we think you can maybe iron out,' I think I'd be an extremely good arbitrator," he added. According to the transcript of remarks before the Davos meeting, Khan suggested that Washington play a role in resolving the issues with India. He said, "For us, in Pakistan, it's a big issue. And, of course, we always hope that the US will play its part in resolving it because no other country can." The focus of the talks between Trump and Khan on Tuesday was on Afghanistan, where the US is negotiating with the Taliban for peace deal that would allow the US to withdraw its troops from there or considerably scale back their presence. Trump would like to reach a deal with the Taliban, which is backed by Pakistan, before the November elections so he can claim he kept his 2016 poll promise of bringing back US troops from the longest war it has been involved in. Khan's leverage ith Trump comes from his influence with the Taliban, who have found sanctuaries and help in Pakistan even as they waged war against the US in Afghanistan. The readout of the meeting said: The two leaders agreed to continue efforts to seek a lasting political settlement in Afghanistan that would bring peace and ensure terrorists can no longer operate from the country." Before their meeting, Khan said that during their discussions "the main issue, of course, is Afghanistan because it concerns the US and Pakistan. And, fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with Taliban and the government." Asked by a reporter if he would be visiting Pakistan during his forthcoming trip to India, Trump said he will not as he was meeting Khan in Davos. "Well, we're visiting right now (with Khan), so we won't really have to. But we -- I wanted to say hello for both a relationship standpoint -- we've had a great relationship -- and from the standpoint of our two countries," Trump said. He added, "We're getting along very well. I would say we've never been closer with Pakistan than we are right now. And that's a big statement, although I wouldn't say at all times we were close, as a country. But we are very close right now because of the relationship that we have. So it's very important." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text LUCKNOW Nothing seemed to dampen the spirits of women staging a sit-in against the CAA and NRC as their peaceful protest at the Clock Tower entered the sixth day on Wednesday. They found support from common people who reach the site with snacks and other items required in the protest. A group of lawyers also assured the protesters that they would defend them in court, in case of arrest. While the number of protesters was growing steadily at the Clock Tower, a dargah in Ujariaon area of Gomti Nagar became the new spot for protesters. More than 100 women were staging a sit-in here since January 20. Protestors at both sites asserted that their protest would not stop till the CAA was rolled back. Agar sarkar CAA wapas nahin legi to hum bhi wapas nahi jayenge. Yeh awam ki awaz hai, ye nazarandaz nahi ki jaa sakti (if the government doesnt roll back the CAA, we will not go back. This is the voice of the masses, it cant be overlooked), said Rubina Begum, 44, a home-maker, sitting on the steps at the pedestal of Clock Tower. A group of women at both places were protesting even at night. They spend the night on thin mattresses covered under blankets donated by people. The protesters at Clock Tower had not been allowed to set up a tent on the spot despite repeated attempts. We are forced to sleep under the open sky because the police have not permitted us to set up a tent, said Mubina Begum, 58, protester at Clock Tower. Meanwhile, several civil society members and activists requested the police to allow the protesters to set up a tent. Retired IPS SR Darapuri wrote a letter to the commissioner of police, Lucknow, urging him to allow the women protesters to set up tent at the site. Subhashini Ali of Communist Party of India (CPI) also reached Clock Tower to express solidarity with the protesting women. The women organised a havan and reading of Quran to pray for the rollback of CAA. Initially, the police tried to prevent people from joining the protestors, but were now keeping a distance from the agitators. Cops and units of Rapid Action Force (RAF) were staying at a distance from the Clock Tower, said locals. On Monday, the police booked over 200 protesters for violation of Section 144. A hedge fund lawyer who punched a fashion designer in a row over seats at the Royal Opera House has been fined 900 and ordered to compensate the victim. Oxford-educated Matthew Feargrieve, 43, of Barnes, lashed out at Ulrich Engler in the front row as the music started for the third act of Wagners Ring Cycle. Mr Engler, who has styled royals including the Countess of Wessex, had climbed forward a row to take an empty seat, to the annoyance of Feargrieves partner, Catherine Chandler. In the ensuing verbal dispute, Feargrieve reached across and struck Mr Engler at least once on the left shoulder. Sentencing at Westminster magistrates court today, District Judge John Zani said Feargrieve had shown little remorse and still maintained that he had acted in self-defence. You really shouldnt have behaved in the way that you did, in my view you lost your temper, he said. Whatever was happening immediately next to you between Ms Chandler and Mr Engler, you decided you werent going to sit idly by. You behaved in a way I have found you did, assaulting him in circumstances that you should not have. Feargrieve and Ms Chandler were on the front row of the stalls on October 7, 2018, when Mr Engler took the seat and moved Ms Chandlers coat out of the way. Mr Engler told the court he himself was arrested and held for 11 hours before being released without charge. Lisa Wilding QC, for Feargrieve, said he has not worked since the criminal case was first reported in March last year. (Alliance News) - Proton Motor Power Systems PLC on Wednesday said it has secured a deal worth EUR400,000 to supply 45 fuel cell systems to bin collection trucks in Belgium as part of a EU sustainability project. Shares in the fuel cell firm were 24% higher at 45.74 pence each in London on Wednesday afternoon. The order is part of "Refuse Vehicle Innovation & Validation in Europe", an EU-funded scheme which aims to find a sustainable means to transport waste. The programme began in 2018 and will run until 2021. Proton Chief Executive Faiz Nahab said: "We are delighted with this order as it further confirms the European appetite for cleaner cities and is a clear indication for higher demand for hydrogen as a clean energy source." By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Getahun Fetana spent years admiring Emebet Melaku from a distance before plucking up the nerve to speak to her, taking advantage of a chance encounter during Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of epiphany. Breaking off from his friends, the 37-year-old professor walked over to introduce himself, and the sparks that flew led to their wedding on the very same holiday one year later. We got married on Timkat because we wanted to remember it as a breakthrough in our relationship, Getahun told AFP. The day has a special place in our hearts. It is far from the only Ethiopian love story closely bound up with Timkat, which Orthodox Christians celebrated Monday with feasts and elaborate processions across the country. The holiday, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, was marred this year by the collapse of a wooden seating structure during a pivotal ceremony in the northern Ethiopian city of Gondar, an accident that left at least 10 people dead. But it is generally a sunny and joyous affair -- and one that offers a choice meeting ground for young singles on the hunt for romance. Multiple factors make Timkat ideal for finding a partner, said Aschalew Worku, the top tourism official in Gondar. First, the holiday comes at the height of wedding season, meaning love is already in the air. The fact that its also the dry season means the countrys roads are in good shape, making it easier to travel and meet new people. Finally, worshippers don their finest traditional clothing on Timkat, including pristine white robes and tunics accented with the greens, reds and yellows of the Ethiopian flag. Theres even a saying -- Let a dress not meant for Timkat be shredded -- suggesting that Timkat clothes are the only ones worth keeping. Everyone is dressed to impress, Aschalew said. Everyone attends Timkat clean and fresh, and this creates an opportunity for dating. - Courtship customs - The most famous Timkat celebrations take place each year in Gondar, the former seat of the royal empire located 700 kilometres (435 miles) north of the capital, Addis Ababa. Before dawn on Monday, thousands of people gathered at stone baths constructed during the reign of 17th-century Emperor Fasilides. The ceremony during which the seating area collapsed -- in which worshippers dive into holy water to recreate Jesus baptism -- was meant to cap a weekend-long traditional celebration that last month was inscribed on UNESCOs list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. For many young people, though, the main event came the day before, as tens of thousands of Ethiopians and foreign tourists marched alongside priests carrying cloaked tabots -- replicas of the Ark of the Covenant -- amid a riot of song, dance and prayer. This is when young men and women have typically sparked up conversations that can lead to relationships. One Timkat custom calls for young men to throw lemons at women they find attractive, aiming for the heart to signal their intentions. But while lemon-throwing is still common in rural areas, it is increasingly out of fashion in Ethiopias fast-growing cities. A common joke in Gondar is that instead of throwing lemons at their crushes, young men today would do better to throw iPhones. - Back to our old ways - For Aschalew, the tourism official, this reflects a broader shift away from traditional dating habits, as Ethiopian youth explore new ways to meet partners. These days there are plenty of platforms for dating. People meet at the workplace or in school, and technological advancements mean they can meet on Facebook, he said. Aschalew described this as an acceptable result of modernity, but some Gondar residents told AFP they believed the old customs should be revived. People who find their spouse on Timkat are getting a gift from God, said Rahel Mola, a 37-year-old Gondar native. She was celebrating with her daughter, 20-year-old Katim Tewodrose, who bemoaned the fact that no boys had thrown lemons at her. Its our tradition and I dont think its practiced anywhere else, so Im patiently waiting for someone to throw a lemon at me, Katim said. Their nostalgia was shared by Tariku Munye, 33, who took part in Sundays procession. Our elders used to embrace Timkat dating, but now we have gotten away from it. I think we need to go back to our old ways, he told AFP. You never know, he added, you could find your destiny here. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dispatch plan aimed at protecting national interests South Korea's decision to dispatch a naval unit to the Strait of Hormuz is inevitable but realistic, given its alliance with the U.S. as well as its diplomatic ties with Iran. On Tuesday, the Moon Jae-in administration announced a plan to provisionally expand the operational area of the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit stationed in the Gulf of Aden to the strait to protect the safety of Koreans and ensure freedom of navigation for Korean ships there. The expansion means that the country will not have to send an additional naval vessel to the area. It can mobilize the existing anti-piracy unit with 300 sailors to cover the Strait of Hormuz, a transportation chokepoint, through which more than 70 percent of South Korea's oil imports pass. About 170 Korean ships navigate through the strait 900 times a year. Well over 25,000 Koreans reside in Iran and other Middle East countries. The decision was made at the request of the United States. Washington had demanded Seoul join its International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) coalition to ensure security and stability in the region. But Korea could ill afford to comply with the demand, which could have put Seoul-Tehran ties at risk. For this reason, the government has decided on the expansion of the anti-piracy mission without taking part in the IMSC. Therefore the unit will operate independently of the coalition. However, two liaison officers will be sent to the IMSC headquarters in Bahrain for operational cooperation. In fact, Seoul was in dilemma over what decision to make. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to please both Washington and Tehran at the same time. It is all the more so when tension between the two is growing after a U.S. drone strike killed an Iranian military leader, Qassem Soleimani, earlier this month. President Moon found it hard to categorically turn down the Trump administration's call for the dispatch. Thus, he made the final decision after much consideration. We have to acknowledge that Seoul has strived to strike a balance between its strong alliance with the U.S. and its robust trade relations with Iran. The U.S. welcomed Korea's decision, saying that it demonstrated the strength of the bilateral alliance. We hope Seoul's move will have a positive effect on the ongoing defense cost-sharing negotiations with Washington and much-needed bilateral collaboration in dealing with North Korea over stalled nuclear talks and inter-Korean dialogue. But Iran has expressed its concern about the decision, according to a foreign ministry official in Seoul. In this regard, the Moon administration needs to make a concerted effort to seek Iran's understanding about the inevitable move. Now Seoul must make preparations to help the Cheonghae Unit conduct smooth operations in the Middle East waterways. Most of all, the country should leave no stone unturned to avoid being drawn into a war in the volatile area. That is why Korea must engage in active diplomacy to make sure that it will not be caught in the crossfire. By Rasana Gasimova The Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Fund (AZPROMO) will organize a customer mission to the country for European companies aimed at promotion of Azerbaijans non-oil products under the Made in Azerbaijan brand in October 2020. The mission is organized for companies operating in the markets of Germany, Poland, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. Food products, wines and spirits products are offered products for purchase, AZPROMO told local media. The mission scheduled for May 16-21 will include representatives of 10 companies. The companies wishing to participate in the customer mission should submit all necessary documents by March 19. AZPROMO also noted that foreign citizens participating in the customer missions will be provided with a hotel room, tickets for air transport, as well as local transport by the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry. AZPROMO organizes customer missions for the promotion of the countrys non-oil products. Only 10 people can participate in a customer mission, and the period of their stay in the country should not exceed six days. Introducing local products to international markets helps strengthens business ties with foreign countries. To this end, the Made in Azerbaijan brand was launched in 2016. It envisages a large-scale promotion of local non-oil products in foreign markets. The brand is highly successful in regional and world markets, and Azerbaijans local output meets all the necessary standards. Azerbaijan also opens its trade houses abroad to further promote domestic products. Currently, Azerbaijani trading houses operate in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Poland and China. Export mission are another tool that AZPROMO uses to attract foreign investment to the countrys economy. In 2019, some 25 export missions were organized to Iraq, Latvia, Poland, and Russia as well as to the countries of Middle East and Central Asia. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A new blood test can accurately predict when the menopause is about to strike up to two years in advance, scientist say. There is currently no reliable way to predict when a woman will experience the menopause, and doctors rely on monitoring their periods. This means women are often caught off-guard by the negative symptoms that it causes, including low mood and hot flushes. The new test could help prepare women and encourage them to seek treatments in advance to reduce the toll it takes on their health, scientists say. It works by measuring levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in the blood. When AMH is low, it means eggs are running out. A blood test can predict when the menopause is about to strike within one year, a study by University of Colorado Medical School in Aurora shows (stock photo) Researchers at University of Colorado Medical School analysed blood tests conducted on 1,537 women between the ages of 42 and 63. Samples were tested for AMH levels as well as follicle-stimulating hormone, another reproductive hormone. This process made it possible to predict the final menstrual period's timing within 12 to 24 months in women in their late 40s and early 50s. The scientists say this information allows women to make 'better medical decisions', such as coming off birth control or seeking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is used to replace hormones that are no longer produced in the menopause and prevent common symptoms like vaginal discomfort and hot spells. It could enable women who suffer with fibroids, which are growths that develop in or around the womb, to have surgery. WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE? Menopause is defined as the changes a woman goes through just before and after she stops her periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms, around 60 percent experience symptoms resulting in behavioral changes and one in four will suffer severely. Common symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness leading to discomfort during sex, disrupted sleep, decreased sex drive, problems with memory and concentration and mood swings. Menopause happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51, according to the NHS. Advertisement A hysterectomy, for example, is the most effective way to remove fibroids, but is not always a viable option for pre-menopausal women because it makes them infertile. Lead author of the paper Dr Nanette Santoro said: 'Establishing a way to measure time to the final menstrual period has long been the holy grail of menopause research. 'Using bleeding patterns or previously available tests to predict the time to menopause can only help us narrow the window to a four-year period, which is not clinically useful. 'Women can make better medical decisions with the more complete information offered by new, more sensitive anti-Mullerian hormone measurements.' AMH is produced in the ovaries and controls the development of ovarian follicles from which eggs develop. Previous research suggested it could be a marker for ovarian function, and therefore an indication of fertility. But tests had not been sensitive enough to detect the very low levels that occur in the year or two leading up to menopause. Co-lead author Dr Joel Finkelstein, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said: 'It took a [study like this one] which followed the same women year after year from well before menopause until well after, to get the kind of data necessary to be able to demonstrate the predictive value of AMH.' The findings are published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman's oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51. Periods may stop suddenly or become less frequent over a few months or even years before they stop altogether. In rare cases, the NHS offer blood tests if there is concern that a woman is going through the menopause early, aged before 45. The test measures levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which rises in reponse to a drop of oestrogen. If FSH is within a normal range, it rules out the menopause and suggests another condition that cause menopause-like symptoms for example, a thyroid disorder. Currently, FSH levels are the strongest indicator that a woman is menopausal and is the only measurement used by GPs. It is not clear when a blood test measuring AMH will become available as not all experts believe it is reliable. In 2010, a similar test was praised for not only predicting the timing of the menopause, but revealing how long women will remain fertile. A small study by Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran found the menopause predictions were accurate to within four months on average. Other factors such as smoking, body weight and long-term hormonal contraception are recognised as having an impact on AMH levels, too. [January 22, 2020] Exponea Appoints Scott McNabb as SVP and General Manager of the Americas NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Exponea, the global market-leading Customer Data Platform (CDP) for online retail has announced its appointment of Scott McNabb as SVP and General Manager of the Americas. Scott brings over 20 years of vast industry experience in the marketing technology sector to the role, having guided countless Fortune-500 companies towards prolific success. The announcement comes as Exponea enters the next phase of international growth, following its #1 CDP ranking on the largest independent review site G2.com. Exponea was the first SaaS business in the world to be GDPR-certified . And with the new CCPA act effective in the United States since January 1st, 2020, Exponea is also positioned to support the more than 70% of US companies that are currently not compliant in their efforts to become compliant and avoid aggressive fines. To support its rapid growth, Exponea has expanded its presence from New York City to the Southeast by opening a headquarters in Atlanta, GA, which is considered to be one of the top 5 fastest-growing tech hubs in the United States. As SVP and General Manager of the Americas, Scott will take command of all commercial aspects of Exponea's US expansion, including ownership of revenue, growth, retention, customer success, and partnerships. His focus will be driving thegrowth of Exponea's Customer Data and Experience Platform (CDXP). Exponea's CDXP is built atop a powerful CDP powered by the Google Cloud Zero Emissions infrastructure. Its marketing execution channels are fueled by AI-supported decision making, which provides industry-leading brand innovators like TopShop, Olukai, Agent Provocateur, Benefit Cosmetics, Victoria Beckham, and River Island the ability to deliver highly personalized experiences throughout the entire customer lifecycle in real-time and at scale. Furthermore, Exponea enables its clients to meet their customers directly where they are via an omnichannel execution layer of social, SMS, email, retargeting, and web push notifications. This versatility is designed to make an organization's digital marketing strategy radically simpler to execute. Brands can now engage with their customers using hyper-personalized methods not possible before Exponea. Scott McNabb, SVP and General Manager of the Americas: "Exponea's industry-leading CDXP is revolutionizing the way in which our clients are engaging with their customers, driving unparalleled retention with an incredibly low CAC. Sales and marketing teams can now reverse engineer their business outcomes to better forecast and predict future growth. This is game-changing AI-powered technology that enables retailers to drive significant revenue performance lift from easily crafted personalized customer engagement. I'm thrilled to death to join this innovative global team that places the needs and goals of our clients first." Peter Irikovsky, CEO, Exponea comments: "Scott is a seasoned veteran of the Martech industry who brings extensive knowledge of how to guide companies towards extraordinary revenue growth. His ability to build sales cultures and go to market strategies, with a focus on customer love will be essential in this next phase of our growth. I love Scott's entrepreneurship. He has interviewed with many of our competitors and has always asked, who are they most afraid of. As it was Exponea, he knocked on our doors and we immediately clicked together. Exponea is making significant investments in the US, Canadian, and LATAM markets. We will be aggressively growing our industry reach within Fashion Retail, Beauty, Travel & Leisure, and Financial Services with Scott at the helm." Speaking at the CEE Unicorns panel at 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Peter is also quoted as saying, "Exponea has the first CDP that can be deployed in a private cloud mode via Google's Anthos cloud service platform. It's also important to note that Google Cloud is the world's only fully sustainable cloud infrastructure self-powered with zero emissions and we are proud to power the Exponea platform using GCP." Click here to contact Exponea. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/exponea-appoints-scott-mcnabb-as-svp-and-general-manager-of-the-americas-300990884.html SOURCE Exponea [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Lagos State governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the opening of the Igando Relief Camp of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) to persons displaced as a result of the Ile-Epo pipeline explosion, Abule Egba. The pipeline explosion which happened Sunday night rendered many people homeless. Not less than five people lost their lives in the explosion, while multiple vehicles were destroyed. A statement released by Nosa Okunbor, the spokesperson of LASEMA on Wednesday, said Mr Sanwo-Olu gave a directive that the internally displaced persons from the incident be taken to the camp at Igando with immediate effect. Mr Okunbor said about 300 people lost their shelters as over 20 houses were burnt in the explosion. An investigation by the agency had earlier revealed that the fire was as a result of pipeline vandalism. The fire was, however, put out through the timely intervention of first responders and the cooperation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who shut supplies to the affected lines in a bid to contain the fire. Relief According to the statement, the opening of the relief camp is a response to the request of the Chairman of the Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, Adeoye Augustine Arogundade, as a way of providing relief for his constituents who suffered losses. The governor had earlier commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the incident as well as those who lost their houses and other valuable items, Meanwhile, Bosun Ogunkolade has been appointed by the agency as the Head of Special Duties and Camp Commandant. He is therefore responsible for the welfare of the about 300 displaced persons, Mr Okunbor said. Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Incline Equity Partners closed its latest private equity fund, Incline Equity Partners Fund V, with $1.2 billion of capital commitments. The Pennsylvania-headquartered private equity firm said the fund was oversubscribed above its initial target of $850 million. Fund V received capital commitments from several domestic and international investors, including endowments, foundations, multi-manager funds, consultants, public pensions, corporate pensions, and family offices, said the PE firm investing in specialized light manufacturing, value-added distribution and business services companies. Investors in the fund include the $59.1 billion Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System, Harrisburg. Fund V targets middle-market companies with multiple opportunities for growth in the value-added distribution, specialized light manufacturing, and business services sectors. The fund will make control-oriented equity investments in companies with enterprise values in the $100 million to $450 million range. "We are extremely grateful for the demand and support generated from our limited partners in Fund V. Incline looks forward to building on our track record as a leading player in the middle-market investment community by remaining focused on producing value for our portfolio companies and investors in Fund V," said Jack Glover, Managing Partner at Incline. Predecessor fund Incline Equity Partners IV closed in 2017 at ...................... To view our full article Click here Disgraced former state Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos allegedly opened an Instagram account and spoke to two relatives on the phone without informing authorities, leading police to arrest him at his eastern suburbs home, a court has heard. Orkopoulos, 62, a convicted paedophile who was released on parole six weeks ago, was arrested at Malabar on Wednesday and charged with two counts of failing to comply with his reporting obligations under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act. Milton Orkopoulos leaves court on Wednesday. Credit:Isabella Porras He was granted bail by police at Maroubra to face Waverley Local Court on Wednesday afternoon. Magistrate Greg Grogin asked the police prosecutor and Orkopoulos's lawyer why the case was being dealt with "in a special way" by coming before the court just hours after the former politician's release, instead of weeks into the future as would be the normal procedure. Fast action and open communications by China is helping the world prepare for another potentially devastating infectious disease outbreak. While the situation is rapidly evolving, there is good news that may not make the headlines. Many will recall the dark days in the spring of 2003 when Asia and the world were threatened by the appearance of a new virus disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, which first appeared in southern China and quickly spread to other countries around the world, ultimately causing over 8,000 cases with nearly 10 percent of those ending in death. SARS was caused by a novel coronavirus then unknown to medical science. There was no known cure, no diagnostic tests and little understanding of where it came from or how it was spread, although person-to-person transmission was obvious as health-care workers treating the first cases were themselves among the early victims. Initially, China was reluctant to share information or alert the international community of the magnitude of the epidemic, leading to international criticism and a dangerous global health situation. Fortunately, under pressure, China reversed its position, opened to collaborations with the World Health Organization, U.S. and others, and the epidemic was eventually controlled. Today, with another novel coronavirus discovered in China; the start is very different. In quick measure, Chinese health officials recognized that a new disease had emerged, quickly isolated patients and instituted an impressive set of interventions to limit the spread of disease and characterize the new pathogen. Importantly, they have been transparent in sharing their findings with the world, thus allowing other nations to take precautions and be on the lookout for the new disease. Already, the genome of the new virus has been sequenced and posted for easy access by international experts, allowing rapid exploration of possible treatments, development of diagnostics and epidemiological investigations. Chinas ability to respond quickly and efficiently to this new threat is the result of nearly two decades of investments and collaborations to improve public health in China. The Chinese Centers for Disease Control incorporates many of the strengths of our own CDC, but is designed to meet the needs of a 1.4 billion-plus population. In addition, China has invested in building a robust scientific capacity and partnered with containment laboratories such as ours to incorporate best practices when studying dangerous pathogens. The current outbreak demonstrates a welcome openness to health information sharing with the global community. To diagnose an outbreak early requires astute health-care providers able to recognize when something new or unusual is occurring; however, clinical recognition alone is meaningless if there is no capacity to investigate the cases or characterize the disease-causing agent. For the last few years, our National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine has worked with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build relationships and share information on emerging diseases and advancements in the development of vaccines and treatments. In Galveston, we welcomed leading Chinese health officials to learn about biocontainment facility design and construction, biosafety training and laboratory operations. These collaborations, along with U.S.-based educational opportunities for Chinese students, benefit us all. Chinas response to the new coronavirus demonstrates their investments both in physical laboratories and scientific diplomacy over the past decade are paying dividends, not only to China, but the entire world. Control of a new disease efficiently transmitted person-to-person is nearly impossible as we witnessed during the 2009 novel influenza pandemic and much must still be done together during this quickly evolving situation. The outbreak is still in the early stages, but it is now clear that the new virus may be transmitted person-to-person, although the efficiency of such transmission remains in question. A few hundred patients have been identified, deaths occurred and the disease has spread from the epicenter in Wuhan to major cities in China and other Asian countries. Our CDC is now screening travelers arriving from Wuhan at U.S. airports and the WHO is set to consider a global emergency response. With millions about to travel for the Chinese New Year, avoiding a global catastrophe must be the current goal. A person in Washington State was identified Tuesday as the first confirmed case in the United States. The good news is that at a time when U.S.-China relations are being tested on many fronts, relations within the public health and scientific research arenas remain open and positive, which lays a solid foundation for curtailing this latest threat. Le Duc, PhD, is the Director of the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch and a professor in UTMBs Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, who played a historical character of Udaybhan Singh Rathore in the movie Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, recently made a statement that did not go down well with many. In an interview with Anupama Chopra, Saif, who calls himself a history buff, said that there was no concept of India until the British came in. This remark from the 49-year-old actor triggered a controversy as many prominent personalities, including some politicians, reacted strongly to it. Renowned author, Tarek Fatah reacted to Saif's statement by tweeting, "Bollywood 'history buff' #SaifAliKhan claims 'there was no concept of India until the British came'. Yeah right. French East India Company was about China & Vasco D'Gama went to Fiji. Last time he invoked 'history' he named his son 'Timur'". BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi also targeted Saif on the same lines that Fatah did for the comment. "Even Turks find Taimur a brute! But some people choose to name their children Taimur," she tweeted. There are some others who stood in support of Saif, and counter-slammed others for dragging Saif's son in the debate. Timur was a Turkish ruler, who was known for his cruelty and conducting mass murders, as mentioned in the history books. Earlier, Saif had responded to the controversy of naming his son Taimur, by saying that it was not put in reference to the historical figure. I am aware of the heritage of the Turkish ruler and my son was not named after him; he was Timur, my son is Taimur. Perhaps the root is similar but its not the same name. Taimur is an ancient Persian name meaning iron," he had told Mumbai Mirror. Meanwhile, as in most cases, this time as well, some people on Twitter came up with some funny responses to Saif's comment also. Check a few tweets below: "There wasn't a concept of India till British came..." : A "history buff" Saif Ali Khan.. Bhai, Phir Britishers ne apni company ka naam "East India company" Johnty Rhodes ki beti ke naam pe rakha tha?? Ekita (@LostByWaves) January 19, 2020 Syracuse, N.Y. Adding five days to the New York State Fair would call for some creative churning when it comes to one of the fairgrounds most iconic attractions: The butter sculpture. You know? I dont know the answer to that, fair Director Troy Waffner said today, when asked if the butter sculpture would survive an 18-day run. But how cool would it be if we changed it up halfway through the fair? Well look at changing it out, he said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday proposed extending the fair as he presented his $178.6 billion budget. The state Legislature must approve the budget and this five-day extension of the fair. If passed, the fair would run from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7. But Waffner is already planning for a fair that would span three weekends. He says the extra days would mean 10 additional acts at Chevy Court and five more at the New York Experience Stage. Theres plenty of time to plan the changes, he said. Vendor contracts and other plans typically start going out in the next couple of weeks. Hes also planning to reach out to the American Dairy Association and Council, which is in charge of the butter sculpture, to see how to make that second work of art happen. Its definitely possible for 2020, he said. Waffner said the five extra days would also allow for more days to celebrate certain groups of people and workers, from healthcare workers to fairgoers with sensory issues. The fair is planning to carve out time to quiet the music and shut off the blinking lights on the midway so that children with autism and other conditions can enjoy the fair. Fair officials are also working on a new ticket pricing plan that eliminates dollar days and instead offers one uniform price for most fairgoers, Waffner said. Our goal is to stabilize the price of tickets, Waffner said. Believe me, were not increasing the price. The general admission price at the door for adults is $10, or $6 in advance. But in recent years, Cuomo has announced special discounted days once the fair gets going. Its a bargain for some fairgoers yet irksome to others whove already bought their $6 ticket. Were still working out the math on it, he said, adding the details would be available soon. None of the days that offer free admission for seniors, youth, law enforcement, veterans or others would change, he said. Cuomos proposal also calls for adding 21 full-time positions at the fair. Waffner said some of the current hourly workers would likely move into those spots. The budget also calls for $4.9 million in additional spending this year. The president and CEO of Wade Shows, Frank Zaitshik, is also on board with the longer fair, Waffner said. Hell have the rides set up and inspected and ready to go by Aug. 21, Waffner said. The change would not make the New York fair the longest in the nation. The San Diego County Fair runs a full month each summer. The Texas State, Los Angeles County and Arizona State fairs are each 24 days long. New Yorks fair would be longer than Californias, which runs 17 days, according to the International Association of Fairs and Expositions. The changes would also mean working with animal owners, farmers and veterinarians who oversee the health of the livestock that comes to the fair. Most of the cows, goats, chickens, pigs and other animals are rotated in and out after just a few days. That lessens any stress they may feel from the travel, crowds and heat. Waffner said that rotation would continue, and he did not expect there to be any fewer animals at the fair than in previous years. Grazzi Zazzara, who owns the Villa Pizze Frittes stands at the fair, said he was thrilled by the news. A lot of the expense is setting up and tearing down, said Zazzara, who also has the food and beverage contract for the Expo Center. Its great to get three weekends in. It can do nothing but help attendance. But another long-time vendor was not as excited. I dont think its a good idea, personally, said Jim Kerwin, who runs the Tikki Turtle on the Colonnade. I think its going to stretch the same amount of people over a longer period of time. And its going to be terribly difficult to get people (to work) over that period of time. Kerwin said he wished state officials had asked vendors for input before making the proposal. The fair is all about weather, Kerwin said. Eighteen days of good weather in Central New York? You might as well wait for the Easter Bunny to come. Waffner said Centro has agreed to continue to run shuttle buses at the fairgrounds, and its Park-N-Ride service, during the longer fair. The plans to take the light down on Interstate 690 that stops traffic during the fair is also underway. Waffner said he thinks fair attendance may dip a little each day with the longer fair, but that overall the extra days will bring in thousands more people. Last year, the fair broke its all-time attendance record with 1,329,275 visitors. Will the fair attract 2 million this year? Probably not, Waffner said. But I think well have a clean shot in the next couple of years, he said. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. This article, SpaceX moon passenger Yusaku Maezawa has 27,000 applicants for girlfriend to take along, originally appeared on CNET.com. Yusaku Maezawa, the Japanese billionaire set to become the first private passenger on a SpaceX Starship, is seeking a partner to "go to the moon with him." The 44-year-old Japanese drummer-turned-entrepreneur, who founded clothing site Zozotown, has begun an unusual quest to find a female partner to take to the moon -- and he got over 27,000 applicants. In partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX, Maezawa announced in 2018 he would be going to the moon. As part of his mission, he bought up six to eight seats on the company's next-generation Starship and told reporters he would be asking six to eight artists to head to lunar orbit with him. The project, known as #dearMoon, is scheduled to launch in 2023. Perhaps one of those seats will be filled by his new partner. [WANTED!!!] Why not be the first woman to travel to the moon?#MZ_looking_for_love https://t.co/R5VEMXwggl pic.twitter.com/mK6fIJDeiv Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) (@yousuck2020) January 12, 2020 The campaign website details a "serious matchmaking documentary" known as Full Moon Lovers, which will air on Japanese streaming service AbemaTV, and the application process (or casting call?) is already open. It appears the project is driven by AbemaTV. "As feelings of loneliness and emptiness slowly begin to surge upon me, there's one thing that I think about: Continuing to love one woman," wrote Maezawa, in a statement on the site. "When I got the offer to go on this program, I was first taken over by emotions of embarrassment and pride, and I thought about refusing the offer." The conditions, according to the website, suggest Maezawa is looking for "women aged 20 or over" with a "bright personality" who are "interested in going into space." Additionally, applicants should "be someone who wishes for world peace." On Friday, a spokesperson said the total number of applications hit 27,722. "This number has exceeded our expectations, but we're grateful to hear from many ladies all over Japan and outside Japan," they wrote in a statement emailed to CNET. Reactions to the announcement have been rather mixed. The state Department of Environmental Protection hosted a public hearing on Tuesday in Flemington for a proposed sewer service area of what would be a 333-unit housing development in Hampton bordering the Musconetcong River, drawing in dozens who voiced their opposition to the project. The 47-acre sewer service area, included in an amendment submitted by Tony D Environmental Permitting, LLC on behalf of Hampton Farms, LLC, features a discharge-to-groundwater treatment plant that would serve the proposed Haberman Hampton project. This residential housing unit development consists of of 142 single family homes, 146 multi-family attached units, and 45 multi-family attached affordable units in addition to 6,000-square-feet of commercial space. Hampton is a small borough in Hunterdon County. It had a population of 1,401 at the time of the 2010 Census. The proposed project would generate a projected wastewater flow of 86,175 gallons per day to be received by the subsurface sewage disposal system. Hampton Borough Mayor Todd Shaner could not be reached for comment about the proposed development. Tony Dilodovico, president of Tony D Environmental Permitting, LLC, on Tuesday said at the hearing that the sewer service area would be outside of a 300 foot riparian zone, and would not be located in any wetlands, National Heritage Priority sites, or habitats of threatened or endangered species. We have ensured that we have not included any of the environmentally sensitive areas that cannot be in the sewer service area in the sewer service area," Dilodovico said. "And, as was said, this is just a first step in moving forward. The proposal for the Haberman Hampton development project has not been submitted to the Hampton Borough Council or Planning Board for review. A number of individuals presented testimony opposing the project, arguing that it countered both the 2004 Highlands Act for preserving drinking water sources and the rivers Category One water designation by the NJDEP, which prevents measurable changes in the quality of waters with exceptional ecological, recreational, water supply or fisheries resources significance. Bill McQuaid, a resident of Hampton Borough for over 30 years, expressed his concerns with the karst landscapes -- which include features like sinkholes and disappearing streams -- characterizing the area of the proposed project. Describing karst landscapes as essentially like Swiss cheese, McQuaid argued that their lack of filtration could enable the contamination of both the waters of Musconetcong River and a Hampton Borough well located roughly half a mile from the project site. Like a lot of people in the area, my wife and I walk down Valley Road to the bridge on the river," McQuaid said. We ride bikes in the area on both sides of the river down River Road. And its a beautiful, beautiful area, and in our opinion it would be an environmental disaster to have this proposed system go through. In addition to making similar remarks regarding the presence of karst landscapes, Mary Paist-Goldman, a trustee of the board of the Musconetcong Watershed Association, said the project would add a significant amount of impervious surfaces to the area, causing an increase in stormwater runoff volume that she argued could be detrimental to the Musconetcong Rivers trout population. If DEP allows additional discharge of this warm water into the river, we are directly impacting the trout population and reducing the potential for the river to support trout into the future," Paist-Goldman said. She added that the area already comprised of a total maximum daily load of fecal coliform bacteria, which are primarily created by humans and wastewater discharges. Why should we add that substantial volume of wastewater into an area thats already been identified as one that needs to be improved?" Paist-Goldman said. Echoing Paist-Goldman, Charlie Fineran, chair of the Musconetcong River Management Council, said the project contradicts the rivers Congressional designation as a National Wild & Scenic River because it could further pollute and degrade its waters. The Musconetcong River is a National Wild & Scenic River because it has good water quality and provides a high quality environment for a wide variety of recreational activities which are important for the local economy, Fineran said. Theres a lot of people out there, folks, that are working along that river to give you access. So this is not only for Hampton; this is for you along the Musconetcong River and all our other treasures of New Jersey. Kimberly Cenno, bureau chief of the Division of Water Monitoring and Standards for NJDEP, said the publics comments on Tuesday will be used to inform the agencys decision regarding the sewer service area, which will be adopted or rejected as a site-specific amendment to the Upper Delaware Water Quality Management plan. Caroline Fassett can be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips Pupils of Swedru D/A Primary School in the Afigya Kwabre South District will from Monday 27th January benefit from the nationwide School Feeding Program. On Monday, 20th January 2020, after a stakeholder consultation and briefing, DCE of Afigya Kwabre South, Hon. Christian Adu Poku finally affirmed Swedro D/A Primary to benefit from the program. The DCE further noted plans to extend the program to all government schools within the catchment of Afigya Kwabre South. "Before the end of this year 2020, I shall ensure that every government basic school within the district receives a share of the school feeding program" - Hon. Adu Poku said. He highlighted the urgent need to improve the quality of food served the kids. Hon. Adu Poku mentioned that his outfit has set up a team to monitor the activities of the caterers in the schools currently running the program, therefore advising the Cooks to take the exercise seriously. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Nana Addo led government in seeing to the improvement in the educational needs of school children in Ghana. Britain's Heathrow Airport will introduce separate areas for passengers travelling from regions that have been affected by the new flu-like coronavirus in China, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday. "That is something which we are keeping a very close eye on," Shapps told Sky News. "There's been some announcements this morning about flights that come direct from the infected region to Heathrow with some additional measures there. This is to ensure that when flights come in directly to Heathrow there is a separate area for people to arrive in." The Virginia state Senate passed a red flag law that would allow authorities to take guns away from people who are deemed a danger to others or themselves. The Democrat-controlled Senate voted for the measure, SB240, on Wednesday along a party-line vote of 21-19, WHSV reported. The bill stipulates that courts that find that there is probable cause to believe that a person poses a substantial risk of personal injury to himself or others in the near future by such persons possession or acquisition of a firearm, shall issue an ex parte emergency substantial risk order, according to language of the bill. Such order shall prohibit the person who is subject to the order from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for the duration of the order. Similar bills have reduced the deaths in several states, particularly suicides, and also have been used in several situations of threats of mass shootings, said state Sen. George Barker (D-39th), WTVR reported. However, Republicans said the bill would impact peoples Second Amendment right while creating dangerous situations for officers trying to enforce such measures. What were doing is going to undermine not only the Second Amendment rights but the right to due process of Virginians, said Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26th). The move comes after tens of thousands of gun-rights demonstrators gathered near the state Capitol premises to highlight what they say are draconian measures to stifle their rights. Officials have said that more than 20,000 people showed up. Gov. Ralph Northam, who signed an emergency declaration ahead of the rally to ban weapons at the State Capitol, said the measures abide by the Constitution and do not threaten Virginia citizens constitutional rights. They are constitutional. They dont threaten the Second Amendment. Their purpose is to keep Virginia safe, Northam said, reported WSLS. Were going to do work together, sit down at the table and find things that we can agree on and at the end of the day, make Virginia a safer place for everybody, he said. The rally drew the attention of President Donald Trump, who later told reporters that such gun legislation will prompt people to vote for Republicans in 2020. I think Virginia is crazy where they want to take away guns, Trump told Fox News on Wednesday, speaking from Davos, Switzerland. Virginia is very much in play. I think we are going to win [the] state of Virginia. They want to take everyones gun away in Virginia. You cant do it. You cant do it. People need that for safety. They need it for hunting but many people need it for safety. From The Epoch Times The man charged in connection with the 2017 shooting death of a Broadwater County deputy can be involuntarily medicated to make him fit to stand trial, the Montana Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The suspect, 63-year-old Lloyd Barrus, suffers from a variety of mental illnesses. He has refused to take antipsychotic drugs to treat his delusional disorder, which manifests in his beliefs that he is either Jesus Christ or Michael the Archangel, according to testimony from Dr. Virginia Hill, the head psychiatrist at the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. In their appeal to the Supreme Court, Lloyd Barrus' attorneys argued that Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeley incorrectly interpreted the law when she ruled that he could be given antipsychotic medications via injection to make him competent to stand trial. In its 6-0 ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Court agreed with Seeley's determination that "involuntary medication is likely to render Barrus competent to stand trial, the medication is not likely to cause significant side effects, alternative treatments are unlikely to achieve the same results, and the medication is in Barrus's best interest." Lloyd Barrus and his son Marshall Barrus were involved in a May 16, 2017, high-speed chase that began after the pair allegedly shot and killed Broadwater County sheriff's deputy Mason Moore near Three Forks, 60 miles south of Helena. The chase ended in a shootout with law enforcement, the death of Marshall Barrus, and the arrest of Lloyd Barrus after a 184-mile, high-speed pursuit on Interstate 90. Lloyd Barrus has been charged with deliberate homicide, two counts of accountability to homicide, assault on a peace officer and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted person, all felonies. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 More than 70 prisoners, including members of Brazil's most powerful gang, have escaped from a jail in Paraguay after digging a tunnel. Cells filled with as many as 200 bags of earth were found as the government claimed some prison officials were believed to have known about the operation in the city of Pedro Juan Caballero. The facility's director was fired along with six other prison officials following Sunday's breakout by 75 inmates near the Brazilian border, Paraguay's justice minister Cecilia Perez said. She told radio station Monumental: "It's an operation that took days and it is impossible that the officials did not realise that they were leaving... obviously this was a paid plan." Interior minister Euclides Acevedo said the tunnel could have been used to cover up complicity by prison officials and many inmates may have been allowed to walk out of the main gate. He said the majority of the escapees were members of the First Capital Command (PCC) gang based in Brazil, which borders Pedro Juan Caballero. Brazilian authorities said 40 of the escapees were from Brazil, and said they had passed their names and photos to border police. The gang was established inside a Sao Paulo prison in the 1990s and has extended its influence throughout the country, becoming one of Brazil's largest criminal organisations. The border region near Pedro Juan Caballero is seen as a transit point for drug trafficking and other criminal activity by gangs like Brazil's PCC and Comando Vermelho, also known as Red Command. Paraguay's government said it had alerted Brazil's federal police, but the prisoners were believed to still be in Paraguay. "In that area, there are many woods and they know the territory... these are highly dangerous people," Paraguayan attorney general Sandra Quinonez told Monumental. At least one Paraguayan prisoner has already been captured, according to reports. The man was found in a private house in the San Juan neighbourhood near the prison. Story continues The government of the neighbouring Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul has stepped up security along the border. Brazilian justice minister Sergio Moro said he was prepared to help Paraguay recapture the escapees and was working with Paraguay to stop them re-entering Brazil. "If they return to Brazil, they will get a one-way ticket to a federal penitentiary," he said on Twitter. Beef importers in China looking to renegotiate Brazil beef prices According to Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, importers from China are declining to pay for beef shipments exported from Brazil, negotiating discounts after the shipment has arrived to China, reported Reuters. China approved additional meat import sources overseas to supplement dwindling supplies of pork caused by the African swine fever outbreak in the country. Many new Brazil beef and other meat processing plants were recipients of the approvals, with more than 50% new deals coming from Brazil. Increased meat purchases from China has resulted in price hikes globally for meat, with domestic beef prices in Brazil hitting a record high late 2019. China also imports meat from Uruguay and Argentina. The report from Folha de S.Paulo said Brazilian producers who have arranged deals with China's meat importers are facing financial difficulties as the renegotiation means they cannot pay for the upgraded infrastructure invested to expand export capabilities. Current cargoes to China are being rerouted to other potential export destinations, including Iran. Brazilian beef exporters group ABIEC did not have a comment regarding the Folha de S.Paulo report. - Reuters Pune, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines Market size is projected to reach USD 11.15 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 16.3% during the forecast period. The increasing incidence of HPV associated cancers such as anal, oropharynx, and genital parts and growing demand for HPV vaccines to help reduce the infections are factors likely to bolster healthy growth of the market in the forthcoming years. Additionally, growing cases of cancer observed in females will spur demand for HPV vaccines in the foreseeable future. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), higher incidence rates for vaginal, vulva and cervical cancer was recorded in the year 2018. According to the report, published by Fortune Business Insights, in a report, titled Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Bivalent and Polyvalent), By Disease Indication (HPV Associated Cancer and Genital Warts), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers, and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 the HPV vaccines market size was valued at USD 3.32 billion in 2018. The report incorporates several factors that have impacted the growth of the human papillomavirus vaccines market shares in recent years. Besides growth stimulators, it reveals a few of the factors that have restricted the market growth. The report highlights a few of the leading products, significant companies, and considerable industry developments of recent times. The competitive landscape in the market size has been discussed in-depth. Forecast values for the market have been provided in the report for the period of 2019 to 2026. Moreover, the report recognizes areas that have witnessed the highest demand and applications for the product in recent years. Nonetheless, the figures and topics covered in this report are both all-inclusive and reliable for the readers. For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccines-market-101962 Increasing Effectiveness and Enhancement of Vaccines to Promote Healthy Growth The growing efficacy and improvement in vaccines for reducing the adverse effects associated with HPV infections will have a positive impact on the HPV vaccines market revenue in the forthcoming years. Furthermore, the rising focus of manufacturers towards the development of novel vaccines to immunize against HPV infections will create lucrative business opportunities in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the growing cases of cervical cancer around the world has led to an increase in sales of HPV vaccines. For instance, Mercks Gardasil sales grew from US$ 1.7 billion in 2014 to US$ 3.2 billion in 2018. Additionally, the penetration of vaccines doses in the developing and low-income countries through the immunization programs by international organizations such as GAVI/PAHO/WHO will boost the HPV vaccines market share during the forecast period. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccines-market-101962 Mass Vaccination of Girls in Kenya to Spur Growth Opportunities The increasing manufacturing of HPV vaccines to maintain a supply-demand balance will surge the markets revenue during the forecast period. The introduction of the HPV vaccine by the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia is predicted to facilitate the healthy growth of the market in the forthcoming year. For instance, in December 2018, the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia introduced the HPV vaccine through a school-based approach for girls of 14 years of age to immunize against cervical cancer. Furthermore, the mass vaccination of girls against HPV in Kenya will accelerate the growth of the market in the forthcoming years. For instance, in October 2018, Kenyan authorities started mass vaccination of girls against HPV. According to the World Health Organization, the East Africa region has the highest rate of cervical cancer in the world. Additionally, the increasing efforts by government authorities to provide vaccines to the underprivileged citizens will have a stellar effect on the HPV market growth. For instance, Zimbabwe introduced HPV vaccines to protect and reach 800,000 girls across the country. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, Zimbabwe has the fifth highest burden of cervical cancer in the world. Over a thousand women die from the disease in the country every year, making it the most common cause of cancer in women in the country. Rapid Adoption of HPV Vaccines to Enable Speedy Expansion in North America North America generated a revenue of USD 1.87 billion in 2018 and is expected to dominate the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines Market during the forecast period. Higher sales and value of Gardasil/Gardasil 9 along with rapid adoption of human papillomavirus vaccines across the region will boost development in the region. Major Companies in the HPV Vaccines Market Include: GlaxoSmithKline plc. Merck & Co., Inc Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccines-market-101962 Detailed Table of Content: 1. Introduction 1.1. Research Scope 1.2. Market Segmentation 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Definitions and Assumptions 2. Executive Summary 3. Market Dynamics 3.1. Market Drivers 3.2. Market Restraints 3.3. Market Opportunities 4. Key Insights 4.1. Pipeline Analysis 4.2. Technological Advancements in the HPV Vaccines Market 4.3. Regulatory Scenario - For Key Countries, 2018 4.4. Prevalence of Cervical Cancer - For Key Countries, 2018 4.5. Key Industry Developments - Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships 5. Global HPV Vaccines Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 5.1. Key Findings / Summary 5.2. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Type 5.2.1. Bivalent 5.2.2. Polyvalent 5.3. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Disease Indication 5.3.1. HPV Associated Cancer 5.3.2. Genital Warts 5.4. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Distribution Channel 5.4.1. Hospital & Retail Pharmacies 5.4.2. Government Suppliers 5.4.3. Others 5.5. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Geography 5.5.1. North America 5.5.2. Europe 5.5.3. Asia pacific 5.5.4. Latin America 5.5.5. Middle East & Africa TOC Continued.! Request for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccines-market-101962 Have a Look at Related Reports: Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Recombinant/Conjugate/Subunit, Inactivated, Live Attenuated and Toxoid), By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Disease Indication (Viral Diseases and Bacterial Diseases), By Age Group (Pediatric and Adults), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Region Forecast, 2019-2026 Recombinant Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Subunit and Live Attenuated), By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Disease Indication (Human Papillomavirus, Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Herpes Zoster, Meningococcal B, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 Influenza Vaccine Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Inactivated and Live Attenuated), By Valency (Quadrivalent and Trivalent), By Age Group (Pediatric and Adults), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 Prefilled Syringes Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (Glass and Plastic) By Closing System (Staked Needle System, Luer Cone System, and Luer Lock Form System) By Product (Complete Syringe Set and Components & Accessories) By Design (Double-chamber, Multiple-chamber, and Single-chamber) By End-user (Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies, Contract Research & Manufacturing Organizations, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Nuclear Medicine/ Radiopharmaceuticals Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals, Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals), By Application (Neurology, Cardiology, Oncology, and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Guidewire Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Coronary Guidewire, Peripheral Guidewire, Urology Guidewire, Neurovascular Guidewire, and Others) By Material (Nitinol, Stainless Steel, and Others) By Coating (Coated and Non-Coated) By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Electrophysiology Devices Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Ablation Catheters, Diagnostic Catheters, Mapping Systems, Accessories & Others), By Application (Atrial Fibrillation, Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), Ventricular Tachycardia, and Others), By End User (Hospitals & ASCs, and Specialty Clinics & Diagnostic Centers), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Cardiovascular Drugs Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Drug Type (Antihypertensive, Antihyperlipidemic, Anticoagulants, Antiplatelet Drugs, Others), By Disease Indication (Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, Coronary Artery Disease, Arrhythmia, Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospitals Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019 -2026 Orthopedic Implants Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Joint Reconstruction, Spinal Implants, Trauma Implants, Dental Implants, Orthobiologics, and Others) End-user (Hospitals, Orthopedic Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Plasma Fractionation Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Albumin, Immunoglobulin (Intravenous Immunoglobulin and Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin), Coagulation Factors, Protease Inhibitors and Others), By Application (Immunology & Neurology, Hematology, Critical Care, Pulmonology and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics,), and Geography Forecast 2019-2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs A 35-year-old priest has been arrested in Navi Mumbai for duping people on the pretext of performing puja of their gold jewellery to ward off evil spirits, police said on Wednesday. The accused, Ajay Jangam, was arrested last week by the Navi Mumbai police's Crime Branch, they said. Police seized around 954 grams of gold worth Rs 36.10 lakh from him, they said. The case came to light after a person approached Jangam to get rid of problems in his life, the police said. The priest asked him to hand over his gold jewellery on which he will perform puja to ward off evil spirits responsible for his woes, they said. However, Jangam disappeared after taking possession of gold jewellery, the police said. The victim approached the police which launched a search for the accused. "After a case was registered against Jangam on January 11, we launched a search operation, but since he did not use a mobile phone, it was difficult to track him, said a Crime Branch official. However, the police received a tip-off about his presence in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, from where they was arrested, he said. During interrogation, he confessed cheating many people using the same modus operandi and swindling gold worth Rs 36.10 lakh from them. "We suspect he had duped many people using the same technique and we are in the process of identifying the other victims, added the officer. Jangam has been booked under IPC sections related to cheating and criminal breach of trust, the police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Peter Henry Barlerin Twitter The Embassy of the United States of America in Cameroon has revealed that military cooperation between the U.S. and Cameroon has broadens and matures in 2020. In a statement made public Tuesday, January 21, 2020, the US Embassy in Yaounde said the United States has made significant contributions to Cameroons maritime security. This development comes after Washington said in February 2019 that she was scaling back its security assistance to Cameroon following allegations of human rights violations by the countrys military. At the state of 2020, Washington denied Cameroon privileged access to the US market offered under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA citing human rights violations among others. Tuesdays press release from the US Embassy in Yaounde reads: Starting in January 2020, the United States began its one-year secretariat of the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group, with Gabon serving as co-secretariat. This group coordinates the support of international partners for the maritime security standards agreed upon by West and Central African heads of state at a summit in Yaounde in 2013. The G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group helps secure the Gulf of Guinea against the threats of piracy, armed robbery, and other illicit maritime activities. By creating the conditions for improved maritime security, this group fosters prosperity and economic growth for all countries along the Gulf of Guinea. This is only the latest example of U.S. partnership for the security and stability of Cameroon and the subregion. The United States has made significant contributions to Cameroons maritime security. In 2016, the United States funded the creation of six maritime operations centers in Limbe, Douala, and Kribi that enable naval operations at sea, and we will continue to provide maintenance and training for these centers this year. Through 2017, the United States provided several Defender class rigid hull boats to the Cameroonian military for maritime patrols. One of the Defender boats was used in the August 2019 rescue of over 100 shipwreck victims after a boat coming from Nigeria capsized near Limbe. In 2020, the Cameroonian Navy plans to purchase two 110-foot American patrol boats to greater extend its ability to patrol Cameroons economic exclusion zone. Over the years, the U.S. has provided significant security assistance to Cameroon to achieve our mutual goals in maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, countering violent extremism in the North, and supporting regional security initiatives. Our partnership remains strong. While we continue to aid Cameroon in its fight against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa, our role is changing as the threat from these groups evolves and the coordination and capabilities of Cameroon and regional partners mature. We are proud to support Cameroon and the Gulf of Guinea region this year in our role leading the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group. SOUTH HAVEN, MI Property owners are demolishing or relocating their homes and building boulder walls to block Lake Michigan waves as shoreline erosion creeps inland, swallowing bluffs and buildings along the way. In Casco Township, just north of South Haven, a staircase fell off a bluff and toppled into the lake. Several other smaller structures have also been hit, as homeowners and officials monitor the waters destructive force and try to predict what it could take next. Homeowners and government officials fear the stairs are just the first step, and that more damage is still to come. Multiple counties and several local lawmakers have requested assistance from Gov. Gretchen Whitmers office in handling the erosion fallout. Allegan County Emergency Management/Homeland Security Director Scott Corbin said more than 100 homes are at risk, in varying degrees. Officials have categorized the homes by severity based on how close they are to the edge of the bluff, including any homes within 100 feet. The owners of a house at 2268 Lakeshore Drive in Allegan Countys Ganges Township, south of Saugatuck, decided to demolish the home before it went over the edge, Corbin said. Standing mere feet from the drop-off, the home was demolished beginning Jan. 20, and crews were wrapping up demolition the next day as well. These shorelines are very unpredictable, Corbin said. Factors like weather and surface water erosion play a role in how fast shore erosion occurs, he said. Its very difficult to estimate, Corbin said. The ongoing erosion has property owners concerned from the southernmost point in Berrien County, to places farther north such as Muskegon County, where one homeowner is experiencing the problem that everyone wants to avoid. Shortly before midnight on Dec. 31, a home toppled from the top of a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan in Muskegon Countys White River Township. Some of the problems caused by erosion in Southwest Michigan have been seen for some time. A sinkhole opened up in October 2019, forcing a permanent road closure along Lakeshore Drive and cutting off road access to a dozen or more homes, Corbin said. South Haven Area Emergency Services Executive Director Ronald Wise said his agency is in an advisory role, and has been measuring the distance between homes and the edge of the bluffs, keeping a close eye on how quickly the bluffs erode. If we see a house and enough erosion has occurred and its foundation starts being exposed, we have to have a serious talk about the stability of the house to say how long is this house going to stay stable, he said. Septic tanks and drinking water wells near the bluffs could also be an issue for lakefront properties as the erosion pushes inland, he said. There are also environmental ramifications when a building falls over a bluff, Wise said, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy would require owners to pay for any resulting cleanup. Some municipalities are worried about the possibility of property owners walking away from their properties entirely because of high water, Wise said. Township officials are in contact with a few property owners and are monitoring any homes that are close to going over the edge, Casco Township Supervisor Allen Overheiser said. Some are being moved back from the shoreline now, like one home in Glen Haven Shores being split into three sections and moved to separate lots, Wise said. They lost a lot of property, he said. Officials inspect the bluffs, but having snow on the ground hampers their progress, as it can be dangerous to get close to the edge, Wise said. The bluff is disappearing so quickly, Overheiser said, saying many locals he has spoken to said they have never seen anything like it. The townships shoreline does not have the river surge issues seen elsewhere like the flooding in South Haven last year where a swelling river can more quickly increase water levels. But its many tall bluffs overlooking the lake are being eroded from the bottom up, leading to material higher up collapsing and bringing the bluff edge closer to homes and other properties, Overheiser said. Township officials recently recommended a property owner remove a shed that is now just feet from the edge. Beyond the concerns of private property owners, concerns about the impact of high water also high in the city of South Haven, where officials have received a report that details $16 million in potential improvements to address the problem. The city council will hear a report about the impacts at a meeting in February. Also on MLive: Cleanup completed on collapsed Lake Michigan cottage before big storm hits Counties on Lake Michigan shoreline seek governors help with high water emergency Move houses near Lake Michigan bluffs or lose them, experts warn Making clear it will not stay the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the government four weeks to respond to petitions challenging the act and said a five-judge Constitution bench will hear the matter. Hearing a batch of 143 petitions, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre and restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on the CAA till it decides on the pleas. The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, said it will hear the petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura separately as the problem with the CAA in these two states is different from rest of the country. "The matter is uppermost in everybody's mind. We will form a five-judge bench and then list the case," the court said. Asserting that it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter, it said, "Will pass order on granting any interim relief to petitioner opposing CAA after four weeks." The court also made it clear it will not pass any ex-parte order without hearing the Centre on staying the operation of the CAA and exercise of the National Population Register (NPR). It said the earlier cut off date for citizenship in Assam was March 24, 1971 and noted that it has been extended till December 31, 2014 under the CAA. The petitions concerning Tripura and Assam as well as the matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately, the bench said. The bench said it will decide in-chamber the modalities of hearing the batch of petitions on the CAA and may fix them for day-to-day hearing after four weeks. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to all the pleas. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of the CAA and postpone the NPR exercise for the moment. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA. Among those who have filed pleas are the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. The IUML said in its plea that the CAA violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion on the basis of religion. The petition had alleged that the government's CAA was against the basic structure of the Constitution and intended to explicitly discriminate against Muslims as the Act extended benefits only to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The plea filed by Ramesh said the Act is a "brazen attack" on core fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution and treats "equals as unequal". The other petitioners include the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the All Assam Students Union (AASU), the Peace Party, the CPI, NGOs Rihai Manch and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and law students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taioseach Leo Varadkar (right) and Tanaiste Simon Coveney during a visit to Fermoy in Co. Cork. Photo: Douglas O'Connor/PA Wire Fine Gael is promising to increase the maximum tax rebate for first-time buyers to 30,000 in the next Budget as part of its pitch to young voters struggling to get on the housing ladder. The party's General Election manifesto will include a pledge to increase the amount that can be claimed under the Help-to-Buy scheme by 10,000 in the next Budget if it is returned to government. The rebate has previously been blamed for inflating property prices during the country's housing crisis. Under Fine Gael's proposal, a prospective home buyer will be able to claim up to 10pc of the purchase price of a property, up to a maximum of 30,000. The party is attempting to outflank Fianna Fail, which has said it will raise the Help-to-Buy grant by 5,000 and introducing a new SSIA-style savings scheme to give first-time buyers 1 for every 3 they save up to 10,000. The Help-to-Buy scheme, which has helped over 15,000 homeowners so far, currently allows first-time buyers to claim up to four years of their income tax back in order to get a portion of their deposit on homes costing up to 500,000. The grant is a refund of PAYE and Dirt, which applies to both new builds and self-builds. Claimants can get 5pc of the purchase price up to a maximum value of 20,000. In an example given by the party of how the new policy would work, a person or persons buying a three-bedroom home in Dublin costing 320,000 would only require a deposit of 2,000 provided they have made a certain number of income tax payments in the previous years. Expand Close Pledges: Darragh OBrien during a Fianna Fail press briefing on housing in Dublin yesterday. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pledges: Darragh OBrien during a Fianna Fail press briefing on housing in Dublin yesterday. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins Taoiseach Leo Varadkar committed to enhancing and extending the scheme in a recent address to the Fine Gael parliamentary party. Meanwhile, Fianna Fail has published legal advice that a rent freeze would be "unconstitutional" after being accused of doing a U-turn on a cornerstone of its housing policy. The party released a document from barrister Darren Lehane in which he said a rent freeze would "restrict the property rights of the owners of rental properties" without compensation. He said it could not be justified by the common good or social justice, particularly in the context of existing legislation governing rent pressures zones. Fianna Fail's spokesperson on housing, planning and local government Darragh O'Brien said the party would keep the pressure zones in place. But he said the existing plan would be reviewed. Meanwhile, members of 'generation rent' would get a 600-a-year tax credit regardless of whether they live in Leitrim or Dublin under the plan that commits an extra 2.1bn to housing. When asked if this would be a drop in the ocean for someone living in the capital, Mr O'Brien said it would be "a start". He also announced that the party would set up a national rent deposit scheme when in government. This would mean that tenants would make a 'lifetime deposit' that would move with them until they withdrew it. Mr O'Brien also pledged to ban "battery hen style" co-living, prevent cuckoo funds buying up developments, build 50,000 affordable homes that would be priced at less than 250,000 each and penalise land hoarders by doubling the vacant site levy to 14pc. Police killings in Brazil's tourist hot-spot Rio de Janeiro state soared 18 percent to a record 1,810 last year, government data showed -- an average of five deaths per day. Figures published by the Public Security Institute late Tuesday also show intentional homicides not involving police fell 19 percent from the previous year to 3,995. Far-right governor Wilson Witzel, who took power last January on a promise to get tough on crime, has made no apologies for his hardline security strategy. He previously advocated using a "missile" to blow up criminals in a violent slum and supports the use of police snipers to take out suspects from long distances. "The order is clear: if someone is carrying an assault rifle, they have to be neutralized in lethal fashion immediately," Witzel told local media in March. He sparked further outcry in May after posting a video on Twitter of himself in a police helicopter as officers fired toward a favela below. "In Rio, large police operations have become in recent years the main form of intervention by the police," Silvia Ramos, a security expert at Candido Mendes University, told AFP. "It is a policy based on confrontation and not enough on intelligence and planning." Within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met with the president of the Swiss National Council, Isabelle Moret, who is also the head of the Switzerland-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group. Recalling warmly her visit to Armenia two years ago, Moret noted that Armenia and Switzerland have historically established friendly relations. They touched upon the agenda of Armenian-Swiss relations, highlighted the role of active inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well as exchanged views on opportunities for development of cooperation and implementation of joint programs in modern technologies and innovations, science and technology, and food safety. The parties also exchanged views on regional issues. The challenge has been, for many years, that many of these students dont get the kind of preparation they need to be competitive in college, said Lomax, who, along with Martha Karsh, is a member of KIPPs board of directors. KIPP has been rigorous about academic preparation. These young people are just the students we want to come tohistorically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs. Endowments at HBCUs lag behind those at historically white institutions, a gap that jeopardizes these institutions ability to rebound from decreases in state and federal funding, according to a report published by the United Negro College Fund and the American Council on Education, a higher education interest group. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am most touched that Professor Klaus Schwab should have invited me to be with you as we mark the 50th Anniversary of the World Economic Forum and its mission to 'improve the state of the world'. It is this mission, and the urgent need to shape the next fifty years, that has inspired me to be with you here today, after an absence of 30 years I hate to tell you. We are in the midst of a crisis that is now, I hope, well understood. Global warming, climate change, and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced and one largely of our own creation. I have dedicated much of my life to the restoration of harmony between humanity, Nature and the environment, and to the encouragement of corporate social and environmental responsibility. Quite frankly, it has been a bit of an uphill struggle. But, now, it is time to take it to the next level. In order to secure our future and to prosper, we need to evolve our economic model. Having been engaged in these issues since I suppose 1968, when I made my first speech on the environment, and having talked to countless experts across the globe over those decades, I have come to realize that it is not a lack of capital that is holding us back, but rather the way in which we deploy it. Therefore, to move forward, we need nothing short of a paradigm shift, one that inspires action at revolutionary levels and pace. With this in mind, I am delighted to be launching a Sustainable Markets Initiative, with the generous support of the World Economic Forum. For me, Sustainable Markets offer a new systems-level framework which ground markets in a higher purpose mission in other words, putting people and planet at the heart of global value creation. Sustainable markets generate long-term value through the balance of natural, social, human and financial capital. Systems-level change within sustainable markets is driven by consumer and investor demand, access to sustainable alternatives and an enhanced partnership between the public, private and philanthropic sectors. Sustainable markets can also inspire the technology, innovation and scale that we so urgently need. The past decade has shown us just how quickly industry transformation can happen when you reimagine and re-engineer the business model - we need only look to mobile technology, electric vehicles, the space industry, e-commerce and online streaming for inspiration. Looking forward, new employment opportunities, entire new industries and markets rooted in sustainability are within our grasp, with the potential for unprecedented economic growth. Changing our current trajectory will require bold and imaginative action, together with determination and decisive leadership. We all know the problem, and increasingly we agree on the direction. 2020 is the time for solutions and practical action. With our S.D.G. and Paris commitments in mind, - and the good news is that they are well within our reach if, Ladies and Gentlemen, we all pull together in a coordinated global initiative to tackle the greatest global threat - I would like to outline ten practical actions that will drive forward the sustainable markets approach. First of all - shifting our default setting to 'sustainable'. For sustainable markets this means everyone in a leadership role putting genuine sustainability at the centre of our business models, our analysis, our decisions and our actions. In other words, put simply, we need to put Nature, and the protection of Nature's capital from which we draw an annual return at the heart of how we operate. It also means further defining and developing the discipline and framework of sustainable markets and sustainable industries. Second - outlining responsible transition pathways to decarbonize and move to net zero. It is time for businesses, industries and countries alike to design and implement how they will decarbonize and transition to net zero. Moving together, with clear roadmaps, will create efficiencies and economies of scale that will allow us to leapfrog our collective progress and accelerate our transition. A little competition in this area could go a long way. Third - reimagining industries through the lens of sustainable markets. Using a sustainable markets framework, we have an incredible opportunity to create entirely new sustainable industries, products, services and supply chains, based on a circular bioeconomy, while in parallel helping to transition our existing systems. To do this we must look at our markets using a business model approach to revenue generation and system operations. Fourth - identifying game-changers and barriers to transition. We need to identify, showcase and invest in the game-changing technologies and solutions that are emerging around the world. To accelerate, we must also identify the barriers to progress, be it policy, regulation, infrastructure, investment or the wider enabling environment. Often, I have found, it is simply about bringing the right people together to help lift those roadblocks out of the way. This convening role is, I hope, at least one practical contribution my Sustainable Markets Initiative can make. Because it is only by seeking out these game-changers and barriers that we will be able to make tangible progress. Fifth - reversing perverse subsidies and improving incentives for sustainable alternatives. To achieve scale within sustainable markets we must not be afraid to adapt our long-standing incentive structures if we are to reap the benefits afforded by a more sustainable world. Re-orientating economic subsidies, financial incentives and regulations can have a dramatic and transformative effect on our market systems. It is time to level the playing field and to think about how we properly deploy taxes, policies and regulation in a way that catalyses sustainable markets. For instance, for many years I have tried to encourage the adoption of the 'polluter pays' principle in order to provide the necessary incentives. Public policy, therefore, has a critical role to play. Sixth - investing in STEM, innovation and R&D. Whether it is AI (where that does not seek to challenge or replace unique human characteristics and intuition), or indeed nuclear fusion, 3-D printing, energy storage, electric transportation, carbon capture, renewables or biotechwe are on the verge of catalytic breakthroughs that will alter our view of what is possible and profitable within the framework of a sustainable future. To move forward, we must acknowledge that sustainability and profitability are no longer mutually exclusive. Effective solutions must ensure that sustainable technologies and alternatives are competitively priced. Seventh - investing in Nature as the true engine of our economy. Beyond major innovations and technologies, we must also look to invest in Nature-based solutions in sectors like agriculture, forestry and fisheries indeed, for all the resources that we take from the Earth. Nature's contribution to the global economy is estimated to be worth more than $125 trillion annually greater than the entire world's annual G.D.P., estimated at $85.91 Trillion in 2018. Building conservation and nature-based solutions into our asset base and supply chains can, therefore, offer significant economic growth opportunities for countries and businesses alike including in areas such as the circular bioeconomy, ecotourism and green public infrastructure. If, Ladies and Gentlemen, we valued our natural capital properly (as I have been trying to say for quite a long time), our national and individual balance sheets might look very different indeed! Eighth - adopting common metrics and standards. An increasing number of corporations are adopting E.S.G. methodologies and highlighting their S.D.G.-aligned investments. However, it is time to move to unified metrics and global standards. People want to trust that the goods and services they buy are socially, environmentally and ethically produced. Through new technologies we have the ability to tag, track and trace supply chains in unprecedented ways so it is time to make this level of supply chain transparency the norm. Ninth - making the sustainable options the trusted and attainable options for consumers. With consumers controlling an estimated 60% of global G.D.P., people around the world have the power to drive the transformation to sustainable markets. Yet, we cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices if these choices are not clearly laid before them. As consumers increasingly demand sustainable products, they deserve to be told more about product lifecycles, supply chains and production methods. For a transition to take place, being socially and environmentally conscious cannot only be for those who can afford it. If all the true costs are taken into account, being socially and environmentally responsible should be the least expensive option because it leaves the smallest footprint behind. We must communicate better with consumers about the sustainability of the goods, services and investments we offer. Tenth - connecting investments to investables using platforms that can rapidly scale solutions. On every pressing issue we face, there are solutions that are not just available, but increasingly cost effective. At the same time there are trillions of dollars in sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance, and asset portfolios looking for investible and sustainable projects with good long-term value and rates of return. It is time to align sustainable solutions with funding in a way that can transform the market place. This requires not only showcasing high potential investments, but that we reimagine financial analysis, structuring and models of return. Now if we all accept that a profitable, yet sustainable, future is the desired end state the questions we must ask are: How quickly can we get there and who are the leaders who will drive us forward? I submit that we are, in fact, far further ahead than we might think, making it critical that we leverage the vital work already underway. I would therefore like to highlight just a few examples to demonstrate that in nearly every industry we are seeing progress that we can build on. To start with, despite great efforts over the past 35 years, I have found that we could never convince financial and capital markets of the overwhelming need to invest in ways that truly benefit people and planet. Yet, in the last two or three years, we have seen a dramatic increase in sustainable investing. Investment managers frequently tell me that the demand for these investments far outstrip supply. At the same time, returns on sustainable investments are increasingly out-performing traditional portfolios. In the financial sector, many central banks and financial institutions have committed to integrating climate risk into stress-testing, supervision and disclosure. With this progress there are now growing calls from financial institutions and companies alike to make disclosure mandatory. In aviation, there are opportunities to develop commercially viable, hydrogen-powered and electric aircraft within the decade. In the interim, many in the industry are ready to adopt Sustainable Aviation Fuel made from waste material that can reduce carbon emissions - starting today. In shipping, the manufacturers of ship engines are proposing it may take two to three years to build engines that run on green ammonia and methanol made from solar and wind power. These ships could start operations in the middle of the decade and become the norm around 2030. This hasn't all been certified and tested, but if the industry and the regulators make a real effort, we can make it work creating a real tipping point. In renewable energy, we are witnessing breakthroughs in the cost of solar that have the potential to revolutionize almost every industry. We are rapidly approaching a time when renewable energy will be an order of magnitude cheaper than fossil fuels. In carbon capture and storage, there are a growing number of initiatives that might just buy us vital time as we make our transition to sustainable markets and a net zero economy. In forestry, Ladies and Gentlemen, we can now transform wood, the most versatile natural material on the planet, into a new generation of wood-based products capable of offering alternatives to plastics, chemicals, textiles, transport and construction. Increasingly, we are seeing that the bioeconomy has the potential to ignite new industries and fuel sustainable markets thus providing, at last, the economic incentive to value the vastly important eco-system services provided by the immense biodiversity and carbon-capture potential of restored and expanded forests, along with huge opportunities in integrated agro-forestry systems. When the right sustainable goods and services are developed, proved and affordable, the choice to adopt them will become obvious. Truly to seize these opportunities, we need to visualize the future and have the confidence to invest in it. If there is one critical lesson we have to learn from this crisis it is that Nature, Ladies and Gentlemen, is not a separate asset class. Nature is, in fact, the life blood of our financial markets and, as such, we must rapidly re-align our own economy to mimic Nature's economy and work in harmony with it. After nearly fifty years of trying to champion this cause, I cannot help but feel that, finally, we are ready to change our trajectory. For my part, I have made Sustainable Markets my priority for 2020 and actually beyond for however long it takes. I have instructed my teams and my organizations similarly to align with this effort and I expect them to contribute. With the stakes this high, I would challenge you to do the same. And, critically, we must foster innovation - and here, if you will allow me, I would like to acknowledge the new Earthshot initiative of my son, The Duke of Cambridge, which seems to me to extol the sort of horizon-lifting approach we need in order to give us hope. Beginning here at Davos, and throughout the year and in order to identify game-changers, investments and barriers to transition - I will be convening a broad range of industry and issue roundtables including, but not limited to: aviation; water; carbon capture and storage; shipping; forestry; plastics; financing; digital technology; the bioeconomy; nature-based solutions; renewable energy; batteries, storage and electric vehicles; fisheries; integrated healthcare; cement; steel; traceability and labelling; and agriculture at the end of which I shall probably be dead. So Ladies and Gentlemen, as we look to design and create sustainable markets and industries, these roundtables will bring together system innovators, investors and decision-makers to start designing and charting the course. I believe profoundly in the critical importance, at this juncture, of forming an unprecedented global alliance of investors which can genuinely mobilize the kind of trillions of dollars needed to put our economy on the correct path. This would be the most dramatic act of responsible leadership ever seen by the global private sector and would at once provide a catalytic incentive for the public sector to follow. With 2020 being seen as the 'super year', kick-starting a decade of action for people and planet, there is also an opportunity to bring sustainable markets into focus in each of this year's major global meetings. While it will be a bit of a challenge for me to get to them all, I intend to do my utmost to ensure that the message of urgency, systemic change, collaboration and integration is heard. After all, Ladies and Gentlemen, do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing to bring the world back from the brink in time to restore the balance when we could have done? I don't want to. And just think for a moment what good is all the extra wealth in the world, gained from 'business as usual', if you can do nothing with it except watch it burn in catastrophic conditions? This is why I need your help, your ingenuity and your practical skills to ensure that the private sector leads the world out of the approaching catastrophe into which we have engineered ourselves. It is my greatest possible hope that you will join me this year in accelerating the transition to sustainable markets and rapid decarbonisation Ladies and Gentlemen, you all have a seat at the table as this must be the year that we put ourselves on the right track. Everything I have tried to do, and urge, over the past fifty years has been done with our children and grandchildren in mind, because I did not want to be accused by them of doing nothing except prevaricate and deny the problem. Now of course, they are accusing us of exactly that. Put yourselves in their position, Ladies and Gentlemen. We simply cannot waste any more time the only limit is our willingness to act, and the time to act is now. Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Pune are the three biggest markets for student housing in the country, and these cities require an additional 4.75 lakh beds from organised co-living operators to meet the current demand, according to a report. Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), in association with the Student Accommodation Providers Forum of India (SAPFI), on Wednesday released a report Exploring the Student Housing Universe in India City Insights. The report has identified education clusters in the cities of Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Pune, the three biggest markets for professionally managed student accommodation (PMSA) operators. The report estimated 9.08 million migrant students in India, amounting to over 24 per cent of 37 million total student enrolments in the country's higher educational institutions (HEIs) for the year 2018-19. "Delhi-NCR with 7.45 lakh students enrolled in HEIs as of 2018-19 has 50 per cent outstation students. There is demand for additional 2.5 lakh beds from PMSA operators," it said. Bengaluru has the highest number of HEIs in India with student enrolments estimated at 5.38 lakh. With 60 per cent outstation students, additional demand currently stands at around 92,000 beds, the report said. In Pune, the report said student enrolment stood at nearly 4 lakh. With 60 per cent outstation students, additional capacity requirements in PMSA segment is 1.33 lakh beds. Anshul Jain, Country Head and Managing Director-India, Cushman and Wakefield, said: The significant mass of migrant students in the higher education sector today demand and expect quality student accommodation facilities providing food, security and a range of amenities. While globally, PMSA has found its footing as part of the mainstream sector, in India it is still in a nascent stage." With policy support and private investments, Jain said the student housing segment could be the next growth driver in the overall realty sector. Kaushal Mahan, Convenor, SAPFI, said, The sector is expected to witness a huge amount of foreign direct investment inflows resulting in job creation and economic development." Mahan said this segment requires encouragement from the government for building a favourable policy ecosystem. (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.) HALIFAX, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW/ - In the aftermath of last weekend's record-breaking storm in Newfoundland and Labrador, which brought more than 75 cm of snow and winds reaching hurricane levels of 160 km/hour, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is offering tips and advice for those who have been affected. "To say that the recent blizzard disrupted the lives of many families across the province is an understatement. When you are able to safely assess any damage the storm may have caused to your property, your insurer is ready to take your call and to hear the details of any potential claims," said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Atlantic, IBC. Safety Tips Only if safe to do so, here's what we recommend: Clear snow from your roof and deck to avoid potential collapse, or hire a professional to clear the snow. Keep snow and ice clear of natural gas or propane meters, exhaust vents and basement window wells. Safely clear snow away from all windows. If you need to drive, make sure to clear all snow and ice from your vehicle before you start out. Drive according to the conditions. Keep your sidewalk and the front stairs of your house clear of snow and ice to prevent falls and injuries. The claims process If you have been affected by the winter storm, take the following steps (remembering to put safety first): Assess and document any damage. Taking photos can be helpful. Create a list all damaged or destroyed items. Call your insurance representative and/or insurance company. If possible, assemble proofs of purchase: photos, receipts and warranties. Keep damaged items unless they pose a health hazard. If you have to move out of your home because of insured damage, check with your insurance representative about whether your policy includes additional living expenses coverage, which may cover your additional costs if you have to move into a hotel/motel. Next steps Once you have reported a loss, you will be assigned a claims adjuster. You must ensure that nothing results in further damage. For example, covering any broken windows, as best possible, if it is safe to do so. The claims adjuster will investigate the circumstances of the loss, examine the documents you provide and explain the process. Take notes during these conversations and don't be afraid to ask questions. Resources Anyone with questions should contact their insurance representative or, for general information, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC (1-844-227-5422). Additional resources IBC.ca Severe weather IBC.ca Water About Insurance Bureau of Canada Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up 90% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties. P&C insurance touches the lives of nearly every Canadian and plays a critical role in keeping businesses safe and the Canadian economy strong. It employs more than 128,000 Canadians, pays $9.4 billion in taxes and has a total premium base of $59.6 billion. For media releases and more information, visit IBC's Media Centre at www.ibc.ca. Follow IBC on Twitter @InsuranceBureau and @IBC_Atlantic or like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 18442ask-IBC. SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada For further information: Media Contact: Vanessa Barrasa, Manager, Media Relations, 416-550-9062, [email protected] Related Links www.ibc.ca Padma Lakshmi has been on vacation this week in the Dominican Republic. And the Top Chef star has been generously sharing images from the fun getaway. On Sunday the pinup posted a bikini portrait taken from her hotel room. And the next day the former Vogue model posted a clip where she was jumping in a swimming pool. Jumping for joy: Padma Lakshmi wore a yellow bikini as she jumped in a swimming pool in the Dominican Republic with her daughter Krishna and a friend on Tuesday There they go: The three held hands as they went in; a man was seen in the background The siren had on a yellow string bikini which showed off her toned figure. She was with her daughter Krishna as well as another pal. The caption read, 'Jumpin around in the DR.' She blasted the House Of Pain song Jump Around when the clip played. Lakshmi welcomed Krishna in February 2010 with Adam Dell, 49, the brother of computer magnate Michael Dell. The two had briefly dated in 2009 before she moved on with businessman Teddy Forstmann. They resumed dating in 2017. The Indian-born beauty was previously married to author Salman Rushdie, 72, from 2004 to 2007. Before that the TV star was seen in a red bikini while standing outside the hotel while holding a red and white umbrella. Her caption read, 'Rainin in paradise.' Now drenched: There was also a shot of Padma after she came up out of the water And on Sunday the single mom had a special treat for her 600K Instagram followers. The star showed off her very toned frame while in a skimpy black string bikini while while posing in a doorway of her hotel room. The former supermodel turned cookbook author and reality TV star kept her caption simple: 'Feelin' fine at 49.' The star - whose full name is Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan - had her arms up on the doors so fans could get a good look at her small waistline. She owns a lot of bikinis! Before that the TV star was seen in a red bikini while standing outside the hotel while holding a red and white umbrella. Her caption read, 'Rainin in paradise' The briefs came down so low she was exposing her hip scar. A serious car accident at age 14 left her with a fractured hip. She also has a long scar on her arm after she had surgery from shattering her bones in the wreck. She had on flip flops that revealed a white pedicure, and the cover girl wore her raven locks up. The Glitter actress also had on slightly tinted sunglasses as she seemed to be makeup free. Padma said she was on vacation in the Dominican Republic. Still a 10: The Top Chef star looked incredible in a skimpy black bikini while while posing in a doorway on Sunday This comes days after she called out The New Yorker for confusing her with Priyanka Chopra. The television personality took to her Instagram in late December to respond to the weekly publication's recent flub on social media. She scared a screenshot of a since-deleted post by The New Yorker Instagram with her image but instead tagging Priyanka Chopra's account. Ouch: Padma Lakshmi (left) has called out The New Yorker for confusing her with Priyanka Chopra 'I know we all look alike': The television personality took to her Instagram to respond to the weekly publication's recent flub on social media Padma showcased her signature wit while trashing the publication as she wrote: 'Thank you to the illustrious @nydailynews for the shoutout [wink emoji] 'I know to some we all look alike, but [woman shrugging emoji]... #desilife #justindianthings' Several fellow celebrities even commented on the flub as Natalie Portman responded with a simple: 'Oh no.' The Zoological Sketches are two volumes of 100 plates published between 1857 and 1867. They show particularly rare animals from Regents Park in London, which Joseph Wolf captured in watercolours and on the basis of which Joseph Smit made lithographs. The edited notes were written by David William Mitchell, Secretary of the Zoological Society. After his death his successor, Philip Lutley Sclater, took over the work and completed the volumes. The Library of the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin holds a copy of this title in its collection. There is a digital copy of the work in BHL, contributed by the Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. Regents Park, now London Zoo, was founded in 1828 for the purpose of scientific observation of wild animals from all parts of the British Empire. In the year 1852 the Council of the Zoological Society [] resolved to commence the formation of a series of original water-colour drawings []. For this purpose the Council were fortunate enough to secure the services of Mr. Joseph Wolf, who may be fairly said to stand alone in intimate knowledge of the habits and forms of Mammals and of Birds. (Preface). Joseph Wolf was born on 22 January 1820 in Morz (Germany). He was trained as a lithographer in Munster, but also mastered the work with pencil, water and oil paints, and coal. He worked in different places in Europe before coming to London in 1840 to work at the British Museum as an animal illustrator. By that time, he had already made a name for himself with his illustrations, especially of birds. Sir Edwin Landseer described him as without exception, the best all-round animal painter that ever lived. (Palmer 1895, p. 283). The Zoological Society appointed Wolf as its resident artist in 1861. Wolf, who until then only sketched animals in the wild, always dealt with the self-assertion of the individual and incorporated this into his works. The housing of the animals in the zoo in which they did not show their natural behaviour was therefore a challenge for him. Animals that came to Regents Park in the 19th century often had a long, exhausting journey behind them. Wolf wrote for sometimes, when they arrived, they were in a miserable state, and hardly I knew what to make of them. I used to do two or three of these drawings in a day, if the material were good. All these were vignettes only; but I took care to get the true character of the animal (Palmer 195, p. 110). In addition to the embellished depictions of the individuals, most of the 100 plates show the zoo animals in an ideal, natural environment. A few, however, provide insights into zoo life and depict the animals in their enclosures or provide a view of the visitors. Although the animals are described anonymously by Mitchell and Sclater, the records of the Zoological Society allow us to deduce which individuals of Regent Parks Wolf drew. The hippopotamus bull Obaysh came to Regents Park as a calf on 25 May 1850 and quickly became a crowd puller. In 1854, he got a companion, Adhela. On plate XXVII (Part I) are two adult hippos, as well as a herd in the background, a mother with a calf and a western swamphen in a natural habitat. Since Joseph Wolf himself never visited Africa, he relied on third party sources for the design of the environment. For all the hippopotami depicted, especially the two individuals in the foreground, Obaysh and Adhela were probably models. Their names are not mentioned in the text and the representation of the right side of the body makes it impossible to identify Obaysh by a characteristic scar on his left side. As Obaysh and Adhela were the only hippos in the zoo, Wolf used different sketches of them for the herd to show different behaviours of the species. The situation is similar with plate XXIV, Part 2, where a herd of elephants shows up in a supposedly natural environment. Probably Jumbo, who came to Regents Park on 26 June 1865, and Alice were depicted. This plate makes it clear that Wolfs depiction of zoo animals does not show their natural behaviour. The picture of the bull elephant together with the cow and a calf rather reflects the ideal of a Victorian family, as bull elephants are rouges. Furthermore, in African elephants, both females and males have tusks but the cow elephant shown here does not seem to have any. This can be explained by the fact that Alice was only 2 years old when Wolf made his sketches, and her tusks were apparently not yet fully developed. Plate XVII, Part 1 is one of the few that shows an animal in its zoo enclosure. The almost portrait-like drawing shows a Syrian Bear on straw in front of a board wall. It is not possible to take a closer look at the surroundings, e.g. to determine whether he lives together with other animals of the same species or to measure the dimensions of the enclosure. By depicting the bear in its actual accommodation, Wolf focuses on the animals personality; the bear no longer remains anonymous. The accompanying text also mentions that the bear was a gift from the Persian Gulf and arrived in London in August 1851. The discussed plates show a selection of the illustrations of the Zoological Sketches and set highlights on individual features that are characteristic for this work. Despite their idealization and partial embellishment, they remain true to their scientific purpose and are an outstanding example of 19th century European animal painting. You can also explore all of the artworks from this title in the BHL Flickr: Volume One | Volume Two Sources Palmer, A. H. 1895. The life of Joseph Wolf,: animal painter. London: Longmans, Green. Susset, Nicole Ricarda, and Nicole Ricarda Susset. 2013. Lebendigkeit im Bild: Joseph Wolf und die Tiermalerei im 19. Jahrhundert. Schulze-Hagen, Karl, and Joseph Wolf. 2000. Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), Tiermaler. Marburg an der Lahn: Basilisken-Presse. Hainan Airlines Airbus commercial passenger aircraft is pictured in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, on Nov. 26, 2018. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters) Hainan Airlines to Halt Prague Flights From March: Czech Authorities PRAGUEChinas Hainan Airlines will halt regular direct flights between Beijing and Prague starting in March, the Prague Airport and the Czech Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 22. No reason was given but relations between the Czech Republic and China have deteriorated sharply in the past months following a series of diplomatic spats. Flights to China by other carriers are not affected, the airport said. We dont have any official information why this step was taken, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Stichova said. We dont know whether this is a temporary or definitive decision and whether this step is commercially or politically motivated. In forthcoming negotiations, whether in Prague or Beijing, we are going to ask our Chinese partners about the reasons for this decision. Hainan Airlines and Chinas embassy in Prague did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Hainan Airlines has operated the Beijing-Prague route since 2015 with, currently, three flights weekly. Relations between the Czech Republic and China took a turn for the worse last year after city authorities in Prague showed support for Tibet and demanded changes to an intercity partnership agreement with Beijing over a reference to Chinas one-China policy on Taiwan. The agreement was eventually canceled, and Prague last week instead signed a cooperation deal with Taiwans Taipei, further infuriating Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province. An initial blow came in December 2018 with a warning by the Czech cyber-security watchdog over risks about using network technology provided by Chinese telecoms equipment makers Huawei and ZTE. Building closer links with China had been among the priorities for Czech President Milos Zeman who visited China five times in the past seven years. But Zeman said earlier this month he would skip a planned summit between China and central and eastern European countries in April, after planned Chinese investments failed to materialize. Apart from Hainans flights to Beijing, China Eastern Airlines operate flights between Prague and Shanghai and Prague and Xian, and Sichuan Airlines fly between Prague and Chengdu. Hainans website was offering direct Beijing-Prague and Prague-Beijing flights until Feb. 28 when checked on Wednesday. By Jan Lopatka THE Regional Peace and Order Council in Davao region is heartless for ordering the closure of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Haran Compound, which for years, has been providing shelter to Lumad refugees displaced by the ongoing militarization in the indigenous communities. The RPOC has insensitively and cruelly disregarded the plight of the Lumad staying at the church who fled their communities due to human rights violations perpetrated by paramilitary groups and state forces in their ancestral lands. The move against the church institution would make the situation even worse for the Lumad people. The closure order aims nothing but to inflict further harm and trauma to the Lumads, especially the children. Most of the evacuees have been situated in Haran for almost five years and they have been calling the government to cease militarization in ancestral lands and investigate the alleged violations committed by military personnel. However, instead of heeding their demands, the government agencies persist in persecuting Lumad and the organizations supporting them. Salinlahi noted that the closure order is based on recycled and fabricated allegation that UCCP church officials are committing violations of indigenous peoples rights, child trafficking and even kidnapping. This is absurd but its not surprising that our government agencies have resorted to this kind of fascist measure. We are referring to another closure order released by the Department of Education Region XI against 55 campuses of the Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center (STTICLC). We recall the statement of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons Chaloka Beyani after his visit at UCCP Haran Compound in 2015. He said that he received reports about the displacement of lumads due to militarization of their ancestral lands and the closure of lumad schools by paramilitary forces Alamara and AFP. Beyani also included in his statement that the tribal leaders informed him that they were not detained at the UCCP against their will. The persistent attacks against Lumad people and human rights groups are all happening by virtue of President Rodrigo Dutertes Executive Order 70 that institutionalizes whole-of-nation approach. Through coordinated actions, government agencies are using its mechanisms and the law to attack human rights organizations and individuals including marginalized and vulnerable groups that are critical to the government. (Salinlahi Alliance for Childrens Concerns) Reuters Facebook will hire 1,000 people in London this year in roles such as product development and safety as it continues to grow its biggest engineering centre outside the United States after Britain leaves the European Union. Over half of the new jobs will be in technology, including software engineering and data science, Facebook's vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Nicola Mendelsohn said in an interview. Other roles will be in the "community integrity" team, which makes products to detect and remove harmful content from platforms like Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. Mendelsohn said London's appeal was not only in its technology ecosystem but also the strength of its creative industries. She said that while Facebook's enthusiasm for London was undimmed, like other tech companies it wanted certainty about Brexit. "The Johnson government has been very clear about what that looks like, and so we will continue to invest here in London," she said. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Facebook's growth was "great news". "We are committed to making the UK the safest place in the world to be online, alongside being one of the best places for technology companies to be based," he said. Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg will announce the new jobs, which will take its total UK employees to more than 4,000, on Tuesday before travelling to the World Economic Forum in Davos with Mendelsohn, where they will meet global leaders, regulators and other business chiefs. The company is trying to rebuild trust in its platforms after the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018, in which a British political consulting firm collected data from Facebook for voter profiling and targeting. Nick Clegg, Facebook's public affairs chief and a former British politician, said on Monday that the company will do a better job of preventing bad actors from manipulating this year's US presidential election than it did four years ago. Mendelsohn said trust would take time to rebuild. "We also understand that this is an ongoing important conversation we want to be part of that conversation," she said. "We want to be working with policymakers in this area to get to thoughtful policy." Facebook has commissioned research to show the economic benefits its platforms bring to businesses in Europe. The study by "Copenhagen Economics", which questioned 7,7320 businesses across 15 countries, estimated Facebook apps helped create 208 billion euros ($230 billion) of economic value last year. "When you extrapolate that further, what you see is that has resulted in 3.1 million jobs in Europe as a result of people utilising our platforms," Mendelsohn said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 17:17:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday criticized Britain, France and Germany for their recent triggering of the dispute mechanism in Iran nuclear deal. The move to trigger the mechanism has been the result of the U.S. pressures and demands, Salehi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. "It proved Europe's inability and imprudence in the face of the U.S. demands," he said. Last week, the three European countries announced they had taken a step to trigger the dispute mechanism with Iran in response to Tehran's back-off from the nuclear commitments over the past months. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that the Islamic republic would leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty "in case the Europeans try to take another measure." Mexico granted political asylum Thursday to four members of Ecuador's opposition holed up in its embassy in Quito since widespread social unrest in October, the foreign ministry said. The four lawmakers, including former Congress speaker Gabriela Rivadeneira, "took a commercial flight to Mexico" early Thursday, the ministry said in a statement. Mexico also granted asylum to seven other people, including two former officials in exiled ex-president Rafael Correa's government, a diplomatic source told AFP in Quito. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia said the four who had taken refuge at the embassy were linked to Correa's party. "After the violent days of October, a group of activists linked to the RC (Citizen Revolution party) entered the Mexican embassy in Quito and applied for diplomatic asylum to that country," Valencia said. He said Mexico had informed Ecuador of the decision to grant asylum, and Quito had offered to facilitate the departure of the individuals. The government "is sure that the conspiracy to attack democracy and the violent events of October will be clarified by justice and those responsible will be sanctioned following due process," Valencia said. Weeks of violent protests by indigenous groups, during which President Lenin Moreno declared an emergency and deployed troops onto the streets, left several people dead, more than 1,000 injured, and caused widespread destruction to infrastructure. The protests were sparked by Moreno scrapping fuel subsidies to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, a move that caused prices to double. The head of state accused his predecessor Correa, as well as his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, of being behind a plan to destabilize his government. Correa, who served as president from 2007-17, is wanted in his homeland on suspicion of kidnapping and corruption. He has requested asylum from Belgium, where he lives with his family. Add the U.S. government to the list of groups going after patients for thousands of dollars in medical debt, per reporting by The Center for Public Integrity and The Atlantic. How it works: Civilians can receive care at military hospitals in an emergency or if the military hospital offers superior care. Unlike nonprofit and private hospitals, which are supposed to offer charity care to low-income patients, military hospitals are required by the Department of Defense to take "prompt and aggressive action" to settle debts. The rules surrounding government debt collection are looser than the ones for private debt collectors. Once military hospital debt is transferred to the Treasury Department, the government can withhold patients' wages, tax refunds or 15% of their Social Security income all without a court order. My thought bubble: Let's not overlook the irony of lawmakers' outrage over the collection practices of private hospitals and doctors, while the most aggressive collector is the U.S. government. Go deeper: Residents of Northern Ireland are wrestling with the effects of an impending Brexit. But tourists aren't likely to experience any significant impacts: In 2020, I expect a visit to Northern Ireland to be just as easy as ever, and probably even more interesting. Planning is needed to visit a few popular sights near the town of Portrush, on the northern coast. To walk across Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, dramatically suspended above the Antrim Coast, it's smart to buy timed-entry tickets ahead of your visit (now available online). To tour the Old Bushmills whiskey distillery, travelers should show up early, as groups are limited to 18 people and spots are only available on a first-come, first-served basis. In Northern Ireland's capital of Belfast, the "Glider" buses, the city's new form of hybrid-powered rapid transit, have proved popular after a little more than a year of being fully up and running. These 105-person buses, connecting east and west Belfast on one line and the city center and Titanic Quarter on another, are particularly handy for travelers who want to get from the City Hall area out to the Titanic sights, including the excellent Titanic Belfast museum. Prosecutors in Luanda said they will use all possible means to force return of businesswoman and daughter of ex-president, Isabel dos Santos, who built a business empire worth an estimated $2bn. Isabels wealth was revealed by the Luanda Leaks, a trove of 715,000 emails, charts, contracts, audits, and accounts that help explain how Dos Santos built her business empire. Dos Santos has made her name, and fortune, through key roles and investments in some of Angolas most important industries. She holds stakes in oil, telecoms and banking, was head of the states oil business, and was behind lucrative plans, since scrapped, to redevelop a vast area of Angolas capital, Luanda. The documents offer details of how those holdings came about, including presidential decrees from which she benefited, and the formation of a network of offshore companies. Named Africas richest woman, dos Santos is accused of using her fathers backing to plunder state funds from the oil-rich but impoverished southern African country and with the help of Western consulting firms move the money offshore. The 46-year-old Isabel dos Santos, who spends her time between London and Dubai, has rejected the accusations as pure allegations and as completely unfounded. Dos Santos is already being investigated as part of an anti-corruption campaign launched by President Joao Lourenco, who has pledged to root out corruption. Prosecutors last month froze bank accounts and holdings owned by the businesswoman and by her Congolese-Danish husband Sindika Dokolo. One of Mexico's leading broadband and Cable TV providers, Gigacable, today announced that it has selected Telia Carrier's IP Transit and backbone services to provide dedicated Internet access to its consumer and enterprise businesses in Mexico. The partnership will give Gigacable access to Telia Carrier's global network, supporting consumer demand for the increasing need for scalable, high performance connectivity in the Mexican market. Gigacable is the first broadband and cable TV provider to deliver a 100 percent digital, interference-free broadband services in Mexico. Gigacable also offers the most extensive programming in the region. "As one of the leading broadband and cable TV service providers in Mexico, tapping into Telia Carrier's IP backbone enables us to deliver advanced solutions and robust networks," said Jose Alfredo Mercado, General Manager of Gigacable. "Working with Telia Carrier assures both our business and consumer subscribers a direct secure connection to Internet access with lower latency as well as more capacity than they need to grow." "We've seen a huge demand in Mexico for our IP Transit and Cloud Connect services, and have many customers in the region, including mobile operators, local access providers, and ISPs, amongst others," said Luis Velasquez, Mexico business manager, Telia Carrier. "Up until recently, ISPs and operators in the region have had limited options to help them meet their subscribers' needs. With our formidable IP backbone, Telia Carrier can directly serve those mid-size ISPs, looking for higher-bandwidth solutions that will enable them to deliver better services and cloud connectivity to the Mexican market." Telia Carrier expanded into Mexico in the Spring of 2018, providing wholesale IP Transit, Ethernet, IPX, and Cloud Connect for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), content and cloud providers in the region. Top-ranked global backbone For more than two decades, Telia Carrier's global fiber backbone has grown organically, without acquisitions. It was the first network to successfully transmit 1 Tb/s in super channels on its U.S. network and recently announced the first real-time transmission of 600Gb/s wavelengths in a live production network. According to Dyn Research's global backbone rankings, Telia Carrier's global IP backbone, AS1299, is currently ranked number one. The company enables worldwide connectivity by connecting 300 Points of Presence (PoPs) across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. About Telia Carrier Telia Carrier owns and operates one of the world's most extensive fiber backbones. Our mission is to provide exceptional network infrastructure and services empowering individuals, businesses and societies to execute their most critical activities. By working close to our customers, we make big ideas happen at the speed of fiber. Discover more at teliacarrier.com. About Gigacable Gigacable is the first telecommunications company in Mexico to offer a 100 percent digital interference-free services, providing DVD image and CD sound quality. We are focused on delivering the most extensive programming in the region, which covers the most important events of the State of Aguascalientes. We also offer the most flexible, highest-speed broadband Internet services in the region that can be bundled with TV or sold as an la carte option. Content-control, reliability, innovation, fast service, and quality are characteristics that define and identify our service. Learn more at gigacable.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005003/en/ Contacts: Media contact: Jeannette Bitz, Witz Communications, +1.510.599.5499, jbitz@witzcommunications.com By PTI WASHINGTON: Pakistan's leadership has "limited options" to respond to India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir as many analysts view that Islamabad has "little credibility" on the issue given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there, according to a US Congressional report. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its second report on Kashmir in less than six months also said that Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy. CRS is the independent research wing of the US Congress which prepares periodic reports on issues of interest for US lawmakers so that they can take informed decisions inside the Congress. ALSO READ | 'US watching Kashmir closely, will speak to Modi': Trump after meeting 'friend' Imran at Davos Currently, two resolutions are pending in the House of Representatives, one of which is being sponsored by Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. In its report dated January 13, CRS said that post-August 5, Pakistan "appeared diplomatically isolated", with Turkey being the only country to offer solid and explicit support for Islamabad's position. Ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories on August 5, evoking strong reactions from Islamabad. Pakistan has been trying to rally international support against India on the issue. However, India has maintained that the move was "entirely an internal matter". The 25-page report said that Pakistan called for a UNSC session and, with China's support, the Council met on August 16 to discuss Kashmir for the first time in more than five decades, albeit in a closed-door session that produced no formal statement. "Many analysts view Islamabad as having little credibility on Kashmir, given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there. Pakistan's leadership has limited options to respond to India's actions, and renewed Pakistani support for Kashmiri militancy likely would be costly internationally," it said. "Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy," the CRS said. ALSO READ: Indian-Americans commemorate 30th anniversary of Kashmiri Pandit exodus "Given also that Pakistan and its primary ally, China, enjoy limited international credibility on human rights issues, Islamabad may stand by and hope that self-inflicted damage caused by New Delhi's own policies in Kashmir and, more recently, on citizenship laws, will harm India's reputation and perhaps undercut its recent diplomatic gains with Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE," it said. According to CRS, the long-standing US position on Kashmir is that the issue should be settled through negotiations between India and Pakistan while taking into consideration the wishes of the Kashmiri people. "The Trump Administration has called for peace and respect for human rights in the region, but its criticisms have been relatively muted," it noted. With key US diplomatic posts vacant, some observers worry that the US government's capacity to address South Asian instability is thin, and the US President's July offer to "mediate" on Kashmir may have contributed to the timing of New Delhi's moves, it said. The United States seeks to balance the pursuit of a broad US-India partnership while upholding human rights protections, as well as maintaining cooperative relations with Pakistan, the report said. CRS said that following India's August 2019 actions, numerous Members of the US Congress went on record in support of Kashmiri human rights. H.Res. 745, introduced in December and currently with 40 co-sponsors, urges the Indian government to end the restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir, it said. An October hearing on human rights in South Asia held by the House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation included extensive discussion of developments in Jammu and Kashmir. In November, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held an event titled "Jammu and Kashmir in Context." US policy, it said, seeks to prevent conflict between India and Pakistan from escalating, and the US Congress supports a US-India strategic partnership that has been underway since 2005, while also maintaining attention on issues of human rights and religious freedom. CRS in its report told lawmakers that over the past decade, Washington appears to have grown closer to India while relations with Pakistan appear to continue to be viewed as clouded by mistrust. The Trump Administration "suspended" security assistance to Pakistan in 2018 and has significantly reduced non-military aid while simultaneously deepening ties with New Delhi. It views India as a key "anchor" of its "free and open Indo-Pacific" strategy, which some argue is aimed at China, it said. "Yet any US impulse to 'tilt' toward India is to some extent offset by Islamabad's current, and by most accounts vital, role in facilitating Afghan reconciliation negotiations. President Trump's apparent bonhomie with Pakistan's prime minister and offer to mediate on Kashmir in July was taken by some as a new and potentially unwise strategic shift," it said. The founder of Border Force's illegal tobacco squad says increased cigarette prices have generated a corresponding increase in criminals stealing cigarettes, which have become "as expensive as silver", to sell on the booming black market. The former police officer says normally law-abiding citizens have been pushed into buying cheap imported "chop chop", which can cost as little as a quarter of the price of legal cigarettes. Rohan Pike founded the Australian Border Force's illegal tobacco squad. A series of robberies across Victorian service stations in recent months have targeted cigarettes, which are likely sold on the black market. Rohan Pike, who spent 25 years at the AFP before setting up Australian Border Force's Tobacco Strike Team, said more robberies will happen as cigarettes rise in price. The police said it is now working to get the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice, a global arrest warrant, against Nithyananda. New Delhi: The Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information about controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda, who fled the country amid allegations of wrongful confinement of children. A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a persons identity, location or activities in relation to a crime. According to sources, the Gujarat police had sent a request to the CBI, the nodal body for Interpol matters in India, seeking a Blue Corner Notice against Nithyananda. The Interpol issued the Blue Corner Notice against the controversial godman this month, deputy superintendent of police, Ahmedabad (rural), K.T. Kamariya, told a news agency. The police said it is now working to get the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice, a global arrest warrant, against Nithyananda. The Gujarat police had registered an FIR against Nithyananda after two girls went missing from his ashram in Ahmedabad. He was charged with kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram. Nithyananda was earlier declared wanted by the Gujarat police. While the police continues to look for him, reports emerged in December last year that he has created a Hindu nation, Kailaasa, with its own flag and political setup, on an island near Ecuador. (Sharecast News) - London stocks were set for a firmer open on Wednesday, taking their cue from an upbeat session in Asia, as investors shrug off worries about the spread of coronavirus. The FTSE 100 was called to open 20 points higher at 7,360. CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson noted that for the moment, the main casualties of the virus have been people whose health was already fragile. "However if the virus were to spread further, and cause changes in consumer behaviour then markets might well take fright. "As it is for now, investors are cautious but not overly concerned, as can be seen from today's session in Asia which initially saw equity markets come under further pressure, but which have since rebounded, despite new cases of the virus slowly increasing. "While the virus appears contained investors still appear to be in 'buy the dip' mode and as such today's rebound in Asia markets looks set to translate into a positive open here in Europe." On home shores, all eyes will be on the release of public sector net borrowing figures for December at 0930 GMT and the CBI industrial trends survey for January at 1100 GMT, after sterling was boosted by solid jobs numbers on Tuesday. In corporate news, supermarket chain Sainsbury's said chief executive Mike Coupe had confirmed his intention to retire in July to be replaced by the company's retail and operations director Simon Roberts. Coupe, who has been chief executive for six years, will step down from the role at the end of May and leave the board on July 2 at the company's annual shareholder meeting, Sainsbury's said in a statement. Software group Sage said first quarter recurring revenue increased 10.7% year on year to 410m, underpinned by software subscription growth of 24.8% to 286m as it continued to focus on migrating existing customers and attracting new customers to subscription and the cloud. Recurring revenue growth was driven principally by North America and Northern Europe (UK & Ireland), with strong momentum from 2019 carried forward into the first quarter. WH Smith reported a "good performance" for the 20 weeks ended 18 January, with total revenue up 7% and like-for-like revenue down 1%. The FTSE 250 company said that in travel, total revenue was up 19%, with like-for-like revenue up 3%. In its high street business, the firm said its strategy of actively managing its space, gross margin growth and good cost control was still delivering sustainable profit and "good" cash generation, with total revenue there down 5% and like-for-like revenue also down 5%. Cooch Behar (West Bengal) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Amid anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of India (NRC) protests across the country, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said that two crore Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators have entered India and no Bangladeshi Muslim will be allowed to stay here. "Two crore Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators have entered India, one crore is in West Bengal and one crore have spread across the country. We will not allow any Bangladeshi Muslims to stay here. If their names are in voters' list then it will be removed," said Ghosh during a public rally. His statement came after he had stated that 50 lakh Muslim infiltrators will be identified and chased out of the country if needed. Addressing a rally in the North 24 Parganas district, he had said, "50 lakh Muslim infiltrators will be identified, if needed they will be chased out of the country." Cornering West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for opposing Citizenship Amendment law and NRC, he said, "Firstly, the names of Muslim infiltrators will be removed from voters' list then didi (in reference to Mamata Banerjee) cannot appease anyone." He said there will be a reduction in the number of votes to Banerjee in the 2021 state assembly elections following the process of removing infiltrators' names from the voters' list. "Once this is done didi's votes will be reduced and in the coming elections, we will get 200 seats, she will not even get 50 seats," he said. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (ANI) Hyderabad: A 25-year-old stalker allegedly set ablaze the house of a woman he wanted to marry in Andhra Pradeshs East Godavari district, killing a child and a teenager in an attack that also injured four members of the family, police said on Wednesday. The two killed in the early-morning blaze were aged 18 and 5 years. The injured have been admitted to a government hospital at Rajahmundry [about 20 from their village in Kadiyam block], said Kadiyam police sub-inspector K Sridhar Kumar. Police said the accused was on the run. He added the condition of a 45-year-old woman and her 25-year-old daughter, who suffered third-degree burn injuries was critical. Sridhar said the accused, Madala Srinivas had been staking his cousin over the last couple of years. Srinivas was pressuring his aunt to get her daughter married to him, but she rejected his proposal because of his bad habits, according to the sub-inspector. He continued to allegedly harass her cousin even after she got married last year, according to the police officer. Srinivas allegedly attempted to attack his aunt and uncle with a knife last week but they managed to escape and lodged a complaint with the police. At around 4.30 am on Wednesday, Srinivas...poured petrol over the house and set it ablaze, when all family members were fast asleep, Sridhar said. Srinivass aunt, her elder daughter and two grandchildren were injured. Two other members of the family died at the spot while his uncle survived without any burns. We have filed a case of murder and are investigating. Srinivas is absconding and a manhunt has been launched to trace him, the police officer said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (@ChaudhryMAli88) The prime ministers of Georgia and Bulgaria agreed on Tuesday to expand transport cooperation between the two Black Sea nations, the Georgian government said MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2020) The prime ministers of Georgia and Bulgaria agreed on Tuesday to expand transport cooperation between the two Black Sea nations, the Georgian government said. "Giorgi Gakharia and Boyko Borisov positively referred to the ferry transportation services between the marine ports of Georgia and Bulgaria, thereby stressing the need of extending the current transport links," the statement reads. The ministers, who spoke on the sidelines of the Davos economic forum, emphasized a "rich potential of cooperation" between their countries, including in the communications sphere. They also discussed economic ties and Georgia's EU membership aspirations. Bulgaria has been one of Georgia's top 10 trading partners for years. Gakharia invited Borisov to visit the Caucasian country. Strong Alliances Ensure Successful Implementation and Support for Customers Around the World AUSTIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Accruent, the leading provider of solutions to manage the built environment, announced that its partner network grew by more than 16% in 2019 at its global partner conference, Synergy, held January 12-15, 2020 in Sevilla, Spain. In addition, Accruent used the event to recognize the growing impact of its partner network and present its annual partner awards. The British Institute of Facilities Management most recently estimated that global facilities management spending exceeds $1.2 trillion annually. This massive investment is driven by trends such as the use of flexible workspaces, strategic management of energy consumption, and a transition from preventive to predictive maintenance. As these trends are embraced by organizations around the world, facilities management software providers like Accruent need a strong network of partners capable of supporting customer needs. A critical element of such a partner network is ongoing communication between the vendor and its partners to assure that they remain aligned as the market evolves. Each year, Accruent partners from around the world gather at the Synergy conference for sessions on Accruent product news and industry trends, and to share best practices. This annual event reflects the diversity and energy of Accruent's partner network that spans more than 40 countries. This year's conference theme, "Accelerate Together," was chosen to reflect how the event helps partners uncover trends in the marketplace, discuss collaboration and leverage the Accruent portfolio of solutions and services. The conference also provided partners an opportunity to share insights with Accruent and focus on identifying growth opportunities that complement partner business strategies. The award ceremony at Synergy 2020 recognized the success of Accruent partners, including: Partner of the Year for 2019 - Mensch und Machine was recognized for their consistent success, growth and ability to exceed customer expectations Largest New Customer Project in 2019 - Hagerman and Company was recognized for its support of a major US competitive energy provider Most Promising Partner for 2019 - Synchronoss was recognized for their initial plan development and commitment to jointly market Accruent's IoT solutions into the Smart Buildings market Most Consistent Partner - Symetri was recognized for demonstrated leadership, technical expertise and business development skills over a long period of years Full Portfolio Award - Cushman & Wakefield was recognized for delivering results across multiple Accruent product lines "Our partner awards not only recognize outstanding effort and performance by our partners, but also represent the value that our partners deliver to the customers that they serve," said Hans de Groot, SVP Channels and Partnerships, Accruent. "Organizations around the world need intelligence that drives management of the built environment, and our partner network is a key component of our ability to deliver them the tools to gather that intelligence." Accruent serves more than 10,000 companies, universities and government entities worldwide, providing solutions that help its customers plan, manage and assure compliance for their facilities, assets and the work required to support them. Acquired by Fortive Corporation in 2018, Accruent has more than twenty offices worldwide. "Both geographically and through the diversity of our product portfolio, we have seen a rapidly expanding global partner base, and together we aim for a high level of service, professionalism, and flexibility for our customers," added Andy Ruse, President, Accruent. "In this new wave of technology, we must form strong alliances with other companies that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers." About Accruent accruent.com, @accruentllc Accruent is the world's leading provider of intelligent solutions for the built environment - spanning real estate, physical and digital assets, and the integrated technology systems that connect and control them. Accruent continues to set new expectations for how organizations can use data to transform the way they manage their facilities and assets. With major office locations in Austin, New Orleans, London and Amsterdam, Accruent serves more than 10,000 customers in a wide range of industries in more than 150 countries around the world. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/834621/Accruent_Logo.jpg Credit: CC0 Public Domain Children and young people have been deeply impacted by the current bushfire crisis. Schools have been destroyed and thousands of houses have burnt down. Hazardous air pollution is causing major public health concerns and the devastating impacts on animals and wildlife is leading to emotional distress. Many childrenlike 11-year-old Finn who drove a boat with his mother, brother and dog on board to safetyhave been directly involved in the emergency response. Vast numbers of tourists have also been affected, many of them children. This shows how essential it is for all children and young people, regardless of their geographic location in Australia, to have appropriate education about bushfire prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. Recommended for 80 years The 1939 report of the royal commission into the Victorian Black Friday bushfires noted: "probably the best means of prevention and protection is that of education, both of adults and children. " It recommended that all schools, in the city and country, make "fire prevention a real part of the curriculum." Similar recommendations were later made by the Bushfire Review Committee following the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires and the 2004 National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management. But despite this history, the final report of the 2009 royal commission into Victoria's Black Saturday fires noted those recommendations were never fully implemented. The commission handed down recommendation six, which attempted to rectify those past failures: "Victoria [should] lead an initiative of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs to ensure that the national curriculum incorporates the history of bushfire in Australia and that existing curriculum areas, such as geography, science and environmental studies include elements of bushfire education." Following this, Victoria took the lead during consultations on the Australian Curriculum in 2012. It obtained agreement from other states to include elements of bushfire education in the curriculum. As a result, year five geography in the Australian Curriculum now includes "the impact of bushfires or floods on environments and communities, and how people can respond." More specifically, this content includes: mapping the location, frequency and severity of bushfires or flooding in Australia explaining the impacts of fire on Australian vegetation and the significance of fire damage on communities researching how prevention, mitigation and preparedness minimize the harmful effects of bushfires or flooding. This content, or slight variations of it, is found in all state and territory curricula. The Australian Curriculum for year six science now includes "recognizing that science can inform choices about where people live and how they manage natural disasters," and science in year nine includes "investigating how ecosystems change as a result of events such as bushfires, drought and flooding." However, the implementation and effectiveness of this curriculum has not been reviewed at a state, territory or national level since it was developed. Given the curriculum isn't always taught in the same way as it is written, we should not assume bushfire education is being delivered as intended, or that it is being delivered at all. What works best One problem with the Australian Curriculum content statements is that they are relatively abstract and detached from children's lived experiences. One of the authors conducted interviews with children aged 8-12 to find out their knowledge of bushfire emergency responses. Children revealed many misconceptions about bushfire safety, which often came from a lack of knowledge about bushfire behavior. For example, children often assume bushfires only travel through direct flame contact and think a nonflammable physical barrier (such as a river, a road or a brick wall) will prevent a bushfire from reaching their property. But burning embers can travel many kilometers ahead of the fire front and ember attack is a major cause of home ignitions. Such misconceptions are best addressed by making bushfire education more relevant to their own lives. Children need to explore and understand vulnerability to bushfire in their own communities as well as their capacity for reducing risk. Bushfire education in schools is also more effective when taught across the curriculum, rather than as isolated topics. One example is the bushfire education program at Victoria's Strathewen Primary School for students in grades five and six. It incorporates science, art, civics and citizenship, design, English and geography. A recent evaluation of the program showed it increased children's knowledge of local bushfire risks and the actions people can take to manage them. It also helped increase children's confidence for sharing their knowledge with others, gave them a sense of empowerment and reduced bushfire-related anxieties. The program's benefits extended to families, including increased bushfire planning at home with more participation from children in the process. Other research shows teachers can better develop curricula that is sensitive to local social, environmental and cultural contexts when they have technical support from emergency services. They also need access to local expertise in topics such as bushfire behavior, emergency management planning, and Indigenous cultural burning. Rather than another royal commission, Australia would benefit from an expert panel review of bushfire education. This would examine the best ways to enable teachers to deliver bushfire education that draws on local capacities for bushfire management including Indigenous practices; promotes children's participation in bushfire safety activities; and leverages community partnerships with schools. Students need to become life-long bushfire learners, rather than memorizing content from 2020 which will go rapidly out of date in our changing climate. Explore further Before we rush to rebuild after fires, we need to think about where and how This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. ABC News Tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is apologizing for an "error of judgement" related to an in-person interview he conducted last month after being exposed to COVID-19 as he continues to fight to stay in Australia and compete in the first major of the year. Djokovic, who is tied for first all time with 20 major wins, released a new statement Wednesday midday local time in Melbourne explaining the timeline of several public appearances around when he tested positive for COVID in December -- which he says should allow him to compete in the Australian Open despite apparently not being vaccinated. "I want to address the continuing misinformation about my activities and attendance at events in December leading up to my positive PCR COVID test result," he wrote in an Instagram post. The Labour Party has said a temporary rent freeze for three years would not be unconstitutional. Fianna Fail has published legal advice stating that the roll out of a rent freeze would be unconstitutional and has said it will introduce a special savings top up scheme for First Time Buyers and will expand the Help To Buy Scheme. Fine Gael has ruled out rent freezes and said it would support first time buyers by increasing the grant under the Help to Buy Scheme by 10,000 euro to 30,000 euro. Announcing its housing policy on Wednesday, the Labour Party pledged to introduce a three-year rent freeze, introduce a rent to buy scheme and said it will ban the practice of landlords asking for more than one months rent as a deposit. Renters need a break. Labour will: freeze rents until enough homes are built cap rents NCT-style inspections for rentals introduce a rent-to-buy scheme Read more about our plans for renters https://t.co/XdcII0818q #GE2020 #AnEqualSociety pic.twitter.com/MFyYH7mRB4 The Labour Party (@labour) January 22, 2020 Labour Party housing spokeswoman Jan OSullivan said on Wednesday she received legal advice that a rent freeze would be only be unconstitutional if it was for an indefinite period. I spoke to our legal adviser and it would be unconstitutional if it was indefinite and if it was over a long period of time. You can only put rent up once a year and basically we would be extending that to three years. We are absolutely certain this there is not a legal problem doing this. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein said it will abolish the local property tax, re-introduce the State pension at 65, make all income under 30,000 euro exempt from the Universal Social Charge (USC) and abolish the local property tax. Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said in Government, the party would put more money back in the pockets of workers. It will mean that no USC is paid on the first 30,000 euro you earn, putting up to 700 euro back in the pocket of every worker in the State each year. This will take one million workers out of the USC. And crucially, it will benefit all workers. Mr Doherty also pledged a rent freeze: Sinn Fein is the only party in this election that is committed to reducing rents and then freezing them for a period of three years. Sinn Fein will abolish the Local Property tax, introduced by Fine Gael and Labour with the support of Fianna Fail, saving families an average of 244 euro at current rates. People Before Profit launched their manifesto on Wednesday and said it is now time to break the cycle of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. People Before Profit want to restore the pension age to 65, make housing a human right and have pledged 33 hours of free childcare per week for parents. PBP TD Richard Boyd Barrett said: It is clear that the message of leaving behind the failed past of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail is resonating loudly as the campaign progresses with now a majority of people looking for alternative to the two major parties and demanding a different future. This could be and earthquake moment in Irish political history, the political equivalent of the repeal moment and we would urge voters to come out and vote in the largest numbers possible and grab this historic opportunity for change with both hands. Ireland is among the worlds best countries for attracting skilled talent but a laggard when it comes to gender equality and opportunities for women, according to a new report. The Global Talent Competitiveness Index published by Swiss-based recruitment firm Adecco says Dublin in particular has surged as a hub for top business talent, rising from 35th place in 2019 to 13th spot today. Ireland as a whole rose one notch to 15th place, overtaking New Zealand in a 132-nation field. Thirteen of the top 20 countries are in Europe, where Ireland trails Switzerland (1), Sweden (4), Denmark (5), Netherlands (6), Finland (7), Luxembourg (8), Norway (9), Germany (11), the UK (12) and Iceland (14). But the US dominates when measuring the talent attractiveness of cities. New York is in first place, San Francisco fourth, Boston fifth and Los Angeles ninth. London (2nd) and Singapore (3rd) round out the top five of 155 cities rated. Ireland scores well in its ability to attract, retain, train and educate skilled workers. It is rated best in the world at winning foreign direct investment and technology transfer - as evidenced by the more than 1,550 multinationals based here. It ranks 7th worldwide in the proportion of foreign-owned businesses, and 14th in its ability to recruit the worlds top students here. The State also rates highly for economic openness, its pool of vocational and technical talent, and its ability to match labour supply to market demand. Its lowest scores reflect womens role in the workplace. The report found that Ireland rates only 47th in reducing the gap in employment and pay between men and women. And it sinks to 82nd place on the percentage of university graduates who are women. Those ratings on womens educational and work opportunities rate North America and most of Europe as less favourable than the equality standards of top-scoring Qatar, Mongolia, Tunisia, Panama, the Dominican Republic and the Baltics. The report said Irelands score as a talent hub would improve if it could boost its scores on womens uptake of university places and jobs. The area where Ireland always excels in is in attracting overseas business, which fuels a spirit of entrepreneurship as well as employment opportunities, said Alex Fleming, president and country head of the Adecco Group in the UK and Ireland. He said Ireland could raise its rank as a talent magnet. But to get there, Ireland will need to improve its performance on gender equality and the hiring of female graduates. The Worcester Historical Museum this weekend is celebrating the launch of a catalog that documents the countys LGBTQ+ story at the MB Lounge in Worcester. The catalog, FOR THE RECORD LGBTQ+ WORCESTER," follows an exhibit of the same name that was on display at the historical museum last year. In 116 pages, the full-color catalog documents LGBTQ+ stories across Worcester County. One of the main ways gay people become isolated is when our history is taken away from us," said Josephine Ross, the Gay & Lesbian Community Coalition of Central Massachusetts co-chair in 1993 when the initial LGBTQ+ archive was being established. The launch event at MB Lounge, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 40 Grafton St. in Worcester, will feature readings from authors and exhibit curators including Joseph F. Cullon of WPI, Robert Deam Tobin of Clark University and Stephanie E. Yuhl of the College of the Holy Cross. Admission to the event is free. The catalog will be sold for a launch event price of $25. Its regularly sold at $28. Related content: Submarine USS Pittsburgh Inactivated After 35 Years Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200121-04 Release Date: 1/21/2020 12:41:00 PM By Petty Officer 1st Class Andrea Perez, Commander, Submarine Group 9 Public Affairs KEYPORT, Washington (NNS) -- The crew of the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) held an inactivation ceremony at the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington, Jan. 17, to celebrate the boat's 35 years of service. The occasion marked the crew's final public event before the submarine is officially decommissioned in the controlled industrial area at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Crew members, Navy League members and supporters, past and present, were on hand to bid farewell to the boat. Dr. Carol H. Sawyer, a professor of organizational leadership at University of La Verne, California, spoke fondly of what it has meant to her to have been the Pittsburgh's sponsor and a part of the Pittsburgh family since the ship's commissioning, Dec. 8, 1984. "It means that every day for 35 years, I have embodied the gratitude of the American people. In my very person, in who I am, I have literally lived our gratitude for the commitment, the service, the professionalism, the sacrifice and the patriotism that I have witnessed," said Sawyer. "And not just gratitude for those who have sailed with USS Pittsburgh, but also gratitude for those who supported her at home, and in countless organizations and locations around the world." Rear Adm. Douglas Perry, Commander, Submarine Group 9, and a prior crew member aboard Pittsburgh, served as the ceremony's guest speaker. "Pittsburgh Sailors; they are tough. They're resourceful. They know how to have a good time, said Perry. "We are all better Sailors for having been a part of the Pittsburgh's history." Inactivation is the process in which a submarine will be de-fueled, with the hull retained in safe storage until decommissioning, when the boat is then taken out of active service and the crew is reassigned to another ship or command. "Pittsburgh was and, as long as she has former crew members in the fleet, is a major part of the legacy that has built this truly asymmetric advantage that the CNO speaks of in the undersea domain," said Perry. "As you and your crew go about your work putting USS Pittsburgh to rest, take that legacy forward. Take that spirit and that heart of steel out into the rest of the submarine force and our Navy." The ceremony concluded with the lowering of the national ensign, a symbolic securing of the watch and remarks from the 14th and current USS Pittsburgh Commanding Officer Jason Deichler, who himself is a native of Pittsburgh. "The essential inside of the submarine is gone. But what remains are the stories, the memories and moments that's where the Pittsburgh will eternally reside." said Deichler. "I consider myself truly blessed to close the final chapter and draft those final memories on board the Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh completed their last deployment Feb. 25, 2019. Then the boat and her crew made their first arctic transit for a final homeport change from Groton, Connecticut, to Bremerton, arriving May 28, 2019 to commence the inactivation and decommissioning process. Pittsburgh is the fourth U.S. Navy vessel to be named for the city of Pittsburgh. The boat's mission was to seek out and destroy enemy ships and submarines, and to protect U.S. national interests. At 360-feet-long and 6,900 tons, Pittsburgh could support armament of sophisticated Mark 48 torpedoes and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is in need of hunter and trapper educators in the Magic Valley. They are looking passionate and responsible volunteers to help foster the next generation of sportsman to become ethical and educated hunters. Those interested will be teaching firearm safety, hunting law and ethics, and other hunting skills. If you are interested the new instructor orientation class on Saturday, February 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Fish and Game Magic Valley regional office. "Somebody who has a passion for hunting and trapping, they have experience in the field and they have a desire to make sure we have more hunters and trappers into the future," said Terry Thompson Regional Communications Manager. If you have any questions and would like to attend the ordination on February 29, then call the Fish and Game offices at 208-324-4359. John White, the superintendent of schools in Louisiana, announced earlier this month that he would step down from his position in March. White, whos been in his position since January 2012, is the longest-serving state K-12 education chief in the country. He was appointed by the state school board and served during the tenures of Bobby Jindal, a Republican, and current Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat. White, 44, a former English teacher in New Jersey, has a long and controversial record, and hes made high-profile moves impacting the breadth of the states K-12 system, as well as its connections to early-childhood education and colleges and universities. The Teach For America alumnus, who ran the Louisiana Recovery School District before taking over as state chief, has touted the states improvement on the National Assessment of Education Progress, as well as the return of the New Orleans school district to local control and new support for students seeking financial aid for colleges and universities. Yet his critics have said hes ignored many educators concerns in the name of imposing an inflexible and unforgiving agenda on schools. We spoke with him for roughly 30 minutes about his time leading the department, which oversees 720,000 public school students. You can see his thoughts on various topics below: On how he became a symbol of education reform and whether that helped or hurt him: When we asked White about this, he immediately distanced himself from the education reform activity of the last 10 to 15 years at the national level. Instead, he said his work and his teams work was rooted in the standards-based reform going back to the Reagan administration and the famousor infamous, depending on ones point of view"A Nation at Risk report. (Events such as the Charlottesville summit of governors in 1989 also come to mind.) That movement, he said, intentionally focused on policies concerning curriculum and teacher training and how to make sure schools could succeed in those areas at a large scale. I am a card-carrying member of that movement, White said. But he said that during the last several years, the debate over education reform has increasingly and unhelpfully focused on what he called niche issues, such as private school choice, the Common Core State Standards, and charter schools, that are increasingly used to define political agenda but not drive improvement in schools. White, of course, has been a very public supporter of school choice, including vouchers and charters. He fought the Obama administration in court to maintain how Louisiana has funded vouchers , for example.Its pretty clear where he stands on that issue in general. Hes backed the common core and aligned tests despite big political pushback (more on that in a bit). And he has an extensive record supportin charter schools to help turn around first the New Orleans and now Baton Rouge school districts. But he argued to us that he doesnt define his tenure largely by such priorities and political tussles. These are very narrow slices of what should be a much larger and comprehensive and long-term orientation among policymakers. But they have become expedient terms for politicians to use to rile up their bases, White said. On whats changed the most for state education chiefs during his tenure in Louisiana: Its hardly new that state chiefs have pursued agendas that match larger political aims in their states, White said. But whats shifted, he said, is that theres less of a discussion about how to drive improvement and growth in the existing system, and more of a discussion about how to divide up the existing pie and make it more equitable. That shift has some merits, he said, but it runs of the risk of ignoring how to help students in schools where they are now, and not realizing that politicians often dont approach issues with both those concepts in mind. He used early-childhood policies as an example. White said the nation needs better maternity and paternity policies, and a more-robust child-care system, if it wants better outcomes for young people over the long term. But focusing on those issues can and do distract leaders from what happens to students when they transition into elementary schools and begin more formalized academic instruction. Thats why his team has focused on both instruction-driven improvement in schools and an expanded early-education system. You dont become a great reader just because you went to a Head Start program, he said. In the same vein, White said that while he appreciated more attention to the issue of segregation and racial isolation in American schools, There are legions of kids who are going to single-race schools right now that need a better education than theyre getting. The fact that theyre attending such schools, he said, is unlikely to change during their school careers. It is a different time from when he started as Louisiana state chief, White added. And in many ways its a little bit more of a cynical time. And in many ways its less of an idealistic time. On how his relationships with the Obama and Trump administratons have differed: White was quick to say that he always had a good relationship with the three education secretaries hes worked with, even though he had different criticisms of both administrations. The ambition of the Obama administration was welcome, even though much of their implementation could be sometimes abrupt, White said of President Barack Obamas K-12 team, which was led for the majority of Obamas time in office by Arne Duncah. As for the Trump administration, he said that while he thinks Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her department have been helpful in some respects, he wished that they would do more to drive the discussion towards improvement on a state-by-state, district-by-district basis. He did single out the Trump administrations public stance and comments on immigration for sharp criticism. For example, he said schools in his state and others are morally and legally obligated to serve children irrespective of their parents legal status. The rhetoric and other actions around people of color not born in the U.S., he said, have been very unhelpful. I have serious concerns about much of the rhetoric of the administration and its affect on children that has nothing to do with Secretary DeVos, White said. On his takeaway from his very big split from former governor Bobby Jindal over the common core: Former Gov. Bobby Jindal backed White to be the school superintendent, but the two had a big-time falling out over the common-core standards and aligned tests , which Jindal ended up opposing and White continued to support. Louisiana ended up making changes to the common core and the test thatin the view of many observersdidnt substanatively depart from what White originally sought. There were just some things that were nonnegotiable, White said, when we asked him what his main takeaway was from that experience. We werent going to back off of it. ... You have to respect the fact that we never changed our position. I think that is sadly rare in the political world. Why did he refuse to change his stance when Jindal wanted him too? White said he was thinking of teachers. The last thing that teachers wanted to see happen was another change. It was important that what we said was credible to teachers. And you cant be credible to teachers if they see you as part of this constant flip-flopping, he said. On driving big changes without supercharging the bureaucracy: Speaking of teachers: One of Whites signature rhetorical strategies in public has been to criticize how education bureaucracy can put too much of a burden on educators, and ignore complex on-the-ground realities. Yet his tenure has been characterized by sweeping and systemic changeLouisianas goal of tying the states model curriculum to a pilot assessment, for example, requires a lot of input and work by the state education department. So how does he think hes accomplished the second objective without undermining his concern about overreach? His response was that while other countries have managed to make it clear how different pieces of the educational system fit ogether and support teachers, thats simply not the case in many instances here. The goal, he said, is not putting teachers in a box, but helping them understand whats expected of them and why it all ties together. Thats related to what White points to as among his most important accomplishments in the state: the fact that aspiring teachers must now undergo a year of residency at a school before they become a fully fledged teacher, to better prepare them for the work. Its not that any guidance from the top is inherently a bad thing. The fragmentation of the American system is a bad thing for teachers. We have been unyielding on the notion that coherence is important for teachers, White said. We think coherence is the foundation of empowerment. And once the state has done that, we dont think its the job of the state to get in the way of what teachers want to do, he said. On his next steps, and whether hed ever want to be U.S. secretary of education: Whitesaid he has no plans for his immediate future. However, he did say that hell continue to work on the issue of connecting high school graduates to work and careers, at a time when the connections between employers and their communities have basically dissipated. He pointed to a nonprofit group he founded, Propel America, that aims to connect students to pathways with the help of employers as well as schools. White serves as the groups board chairman, but said he wasnt planning to move from the Louisiana education department to working at that organization. And what if a president called him up and asked if hed be interested in taking over the U.S. Department of Education? Of course Id be honored to be asked and would discuss it to see if it would be a good fit, White said. Photo: Superintendent of Education John White speaks after his meeting with Gov. Bobby Jindal about public school testing, in Baton Rouge, La., in 2014. White, who helped strengthen the role of charter schools, backed a taxpayer-funded tuition voucher program for private schools, and oversaw major changes to the states school accountability efforts, is stepping down from his position in March. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File) Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . Yet another person has been arrested in an alleged plot to foment communal disturbance in the state. A joint team of the Central Crime Branch and the Internal Security Division arrested Salim Khan, 40, from Kolar district, in the case registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was arrested from his alleged hideout in southern Bengaluru's Gurappana Palya. A senior officer from the CCB confirmed the arrest and said Khan was produced before a court on Monday evening and had been remanded in police custody until January 27. Khan is the accused number 11 in the case. Police said he was closely associated with the main suspect, Mehaboob Pasha, who was arrested recently along with his cousin Mohammed Mansoor. "We will interrogate Khan about his role in the terror module," a senior officer said. 22/01/2020 - Huge changes to the world of work over the past two decades have made little impact on teenagers career expectations, which have become more concentrated in fewer occupations, according to a new OECD report. Dream jobs: Teenagers career aspirations and the future of work says 47% of boys and 53 % of girls surveyed in 41 countries expect to work in one of just 10 popular jobs by age of 30. The figures, based on the latest PISA survey of 15-year-olds released last month, reveal a narrowing of expectations as these shares increased by eight percentage points for boys and four percentage points for girls since the 2000 PISA survey. The report says the narrowing of job choices is driven by young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds and by those who were weaker performers in the PISA tests in reading, mathematics and science. Traditional 20th century and even 19th century occupations such as doctors, teachers, veterinarians, business managers, engineers and police officers continue to capture the imaginations of young people as they did nearly 20 years ago, before the era of social media and the acceleration of technologies such as artificial intelligence in the workplace. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the findings were discussed by educationists, business leaders, teachers and school students, OECD Education Director Andreas Schleicher said: It is a concern that more young people than before appear to be picking their dream job from a small list of the most popular, traditional occupations, like teachers, lawyers or business managers. The surveys show that too many teenagers are ignoring or are unaware of new types of jobs that are emerging, particularly as a result of digitalisation. The report finds a broader range of career aspirations in countries with strong, established vocational training for teenagers. In Germany and Switzerland, for instance, fewer than four in ten young people express an interest in just 10 jobs. In Indonesia, on the other hand 52% of girls and 42% of boys anticipate one of just three careers business managers, teachers and, among girls, doctors or, among boys, the armed forces. German teenagers show a much wider range of career interests, which better reflect actual patterns of labour market demand. Gender continues to exert a strong influence. Among students who score highly in the PISA tests, it is overwhelmingly boys who more often expect to work in science and engineering. The data also shows that high achievers do not always aim to their potential. High-performing young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are, on average, four time less likely to hold ambitious aspirations than those with high PISA scores from the most privileged social backgrounds. The report also points to the frequent misalignment of young peoples career aspirations with the education and qualifications required to achieve them. Addressing this challenge requires ensuring effective systems of career guidance combined with a close engagement with the working world. The report points to the importance of social and family backgrounds in young peoples career choices and aspirations as well as to the need for clear signals of the requirements of the labour market. The report is available at www.oecd.org/education/dream-jobs-teenagers-career-aspirations-and-the-future-of-work.htm. For further information about its findings, please contact: cassandra.davis@OECD.org or the OECD Media Office (tel. + 33 1 4524 9700). Additional information on the OECDs work on education and the future of work is available online. This report is part of the OECDs I am the Future of Work campaign, which aims to contribute to a positive future of work transition, helping to transform learning and social protection systems as well as reducing inequalities between people and across regions. See http://futureofwork.oecd.org. Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Missouri Senator: Parson defying Trump by continuing to accept refugees - Missourinet State Senator Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, says Gov. Mike Parson and other Republican governors have been "guilted into" continuing to welcome international refugees to their states. Last September, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring states and local governments to submit written consent if they want to continue letting refugees resettle in their ... This one matters in terms of lukewarm support of the Missouri Guv. in his 2020 election fight whilst every woman and Democratic Party denizen in the State is likely to vote for Auditor Galloway. Read more: WASHINGTON Upstate New York Rep. Elise Stefanik today called President Donald Trumps impeachment unfair and criticized Democrats for moving forward with a Senate trial. This is the flimsiest, weakest case of impeachment in our nations history, Stefanik said this morning in an appearance on Fox & Friends. It was Stefaniks first public appearance since Trump asked her to serve with seven other House Republicans on his impeachment defense team. The Senate trial began Tuesday and continues today. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, emerged as one of Trumps top defenders in impeachment hearings held by the House Intelligence Committee in November. She frequently criticized the process and committee chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Schiff, one of the House impeachment trial managers, blasted Senate Republicans on Tuesday for not allowing the House to call witnesses or submit documents and evidence in the case. Stefanik told Steve Doocy of Fox & Friends today that Schiffs comments were hypocritical. "If you take a step back and really remember the House impeachment proceedings, Republicans were not able to call our requested witnesses, Stefanik said. So, Adam Schiff is being completely hypocritical. The only thing he has said thats accurate is that this is an unfair trial. Its unfair to the president. Stefanik is in her third term representing New Yorks 21st Congressional District. The sprawling North Country district includes Fort Drum near Watertown. Trump won the district by almost 14 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election against Hillary Clinton. Great to join @SteveDoocy on @foxandfriends to talk about my role on @realDonaldTrumps Impeachment Defense Team & the utter lack of evidence Adam Schiff & the Democrats have to support impeachment. Im proud to stand up for the Constitution, #NY21 & American voters WATCH pic.twitter.com/VpsvFJN07X Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 22, 2020 The White House did not say this week what role Stefanik may play for the impeachment defense at the Senate trial. Read more Roberts warns both sides over conduct at Trump impeachment trial Trumps trade war foils Central New York companys attempt to bring jobs here Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tasroh (The Jakarta Post) Banyumas, Central Java Wed, January 22, 2020 17:53 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206088fb4 3 Opinion Japan,flood-control,flood-mitigation,infrastructure-development,infrastructure Free Landslides and floods occur throughout the country and have claimed many victims. From the New Year flooding alone in Jakarta, Banten and West Java, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has estimated losses in the hundreds of billions of rupiah. Such disasters seem to be an annual occurrence and have shown an alarming increase in intensity. Many experts argue that we are partly to blame for inviting such disasters through our ineffective, though seemingly aggressive, infrastructure development agenda. The budget of Rp 287 trillion (US$20.9 billion) dedicated last year to infrastructure development, especially roads, bridges and drainage, is said to have only met 45 percent of what is needed for development, repairs and maintenance of key infrastructure. Typically, 80 percent of the budget is earmarked for repairs, maintenance and construction of roads and bridges, minus drainage. Unfortunately, the aggressive infrastructure development push under President Joko Jokowi Widodo has not overhauled the old model, with the infrastructure budget still dedicated to repairs, maintenance and the construction of roads and bridges. Only 20 percent of the national infrastructure budget is allocated specifically to building and improving drainage, which is limited to highways in big cities. The result: roads and bridges that cost hundreds of trillions of rupiah to build every year seem to disappear in an instant, especially during the rainy season. The government should, therefore, redefine its infrastructure development strategy by building infrastructure that can adapt to various disasters, especially floods and landslides. Japans experience is perhaps one of the best to follow in this regard. Although the sakura country is well-known as the worlds disaster hotbed, Japans so-called sustainable eco drainage allows it to withstand flooding fairly successfully. Eco drainage refers to the construction, maintenance and repair of waterways on either side of a road or bridge that are integrated with a water collection and distribution site so that the runoff does not overflow and lead to flooding in the surrounding area. The use of eco drainage in infrastructure development and maintenance in Indonesia is very poor. Aside from the fact that infrastructure is not properly integrated with watershed development, there is also not sufficient land for massive reservoirs. Usually, drainage for road and bridge constructions is not completed until flooding occurs during heavy rainfall. In Japan, the first things completed in every infrastructure project are the drainage, waterways and reservoirs. Roads and bridges are always built in conjunction with large-scale waterways and are designed to be disaster-resistant. The water collected in the reservoir during the rainy season can be used during the dry season. In this way, torrential rainfall can become a blessing. Such development strategies have also long been implemented in European countries. The construction and improvement of drainage also increases the strength of roads and bridges, which are built with several layers to form a very strong concrete system. In various areas of Japan, eco drainage infrastructure is connected to centralized reservoirs. In Beppu, 82,000 drainage sources are integrated with giant water reservoirs that are used as a source of micro hydro electricity. In Oita Ken, eco drainage provides water for inland fish farms that span 600 hectares and reach depths of 500 meters, such as in Miyazaki. In Beppu, rainfall that previously caused floods and landslides is now drained away from main roads into an export-scale inland fish farm. Likewise, in Fukuoka, rainwater from the areas abundant drainage channels is used to irrigate farms and is also very profitable for a mineral water business. In October last year, eastern Japan was hit by a powerful typhoon, floods and mudslides that led to the deaths of 10 people and left at least four missing. The catastrophic floodwaters reportedly flowed easily into huge reservoirs. Through the development of infrastructure that is integrated with drainage and the large reservoirs, Japan is often able to avoid the worst impacts of floods and landslides, arguably saving many lives and preventing massive damage to public facilities. However, unprecedented rainfall and a lack of hazard area maps were among the factors blamed for the 2018 floods that almost killed 200 in Japan. Infrastructure development in Indonesia typically sees roads and public facilities easily destroyed shortly after they are completed, whereas in Japan, infrastructure has an average lifespan of more than 30 years. Therefore, road and bridge projects must be integrated with infrastructure to collect, contain and channel water in order to mitigate disasters and save lives and assets. *** Member of the infrastructure supervision team of the Banyumas regency administration, Central Java, and alumni of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan. The views expressed are his own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a working dinner with European business leaders during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images The White House appears to have confused Iran and Iraq in a YouTube video, and suggested that Donald Trump met with the Iranian president. A video of a meeting between Trump and Iraqs president, Barham Salih, was titled President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the President of the Republic of Iran on the White Houses official YouTube channel. A meeting between Trump and Irans president, Hassan Rouhani, would have been notable given the ongoing tensions between the two countries. But the title actually seemed to be the result of a mix-up by the White House, which appeared to have confused the two countries, presumably as a result of their similar names. The meeting between the two presidents took place during the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the video, which shows a press conference after the meeting, Mr Trump does identify Mr Salih accurately. He begins the video saying that it is great to be with the president of Iraq. Were obviously working on a lot of things together, he says. Were working on military, were working on Isis we have a whole host of difficult things to discuss, and some very positive things also. Weve been friends and the relationship is very good and I just want to thank you very much. Salih then went on to speak about their co-operation. Members of the press asked Trump whether he was planning to move troops out of Iraq something its parliament has called for in the wake of the killing of Qassem Soleimani on Iraqi soil but neither president gave any indication that would happen. Reports suggested the topic was discussed, however. The video has only been viewed around 1,000 times, and is one of many posted on the official White House account around meetings in Davos. Read more Trump targets Greta Thunberg in barely coherent tirade Laois native Claire Byrne will be the face of RTE's first showcase debate of leaders hoping to lead their parties to success in the General Election and she is determined that voters get a clear picture of what is on offer. Next Monday night, January 27, the Mountrath woman will host the biggest Election 2020 leaders debate of the campaign so far which will be broadcast live on RTE 1 from NUI Galway. The seven political parties leaders joining Claire on stage for the major two-hour live debate will be: Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Fein), Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael), Brendan Howlin (Labour), Micheal Martin (Fianna Fail), Richard Boyd Barrett (Solidarity / People Before Profit), Eamon Ryan (Green Party) and Roisin Shortall (Social Democrats). RTE says the leaders will also face questions from an audience of over 300 people independently selected by RED C Research polling company. The broadcaster has already hosted a debate on the health service involving the various party health spokespersons. She is looking forward to the leaders' debate. "I am really looking forward to bringing the national debate to Galway. I want voters to get a clear picture of what each party is offering. We'll be teasing out the key policies with the seven leaders with the sole aim of giving voters the information they need before they head to the polling booth on February 8," she said. This is the second time a major leader's debate has been broadcast outside of Dublin. RTE's hosted a similar debate at the University of Limerick in 2016 which was also hosted by Claire Byrne. President of NUI Galway Ciaran O hOgartaigh welcoming the broadcast from Galway. NUI Galway is for the public good, belonging to the people and for society. Were delighted to partner with RTE to bring this important debate to Galway. The University is 175 this year, and our city is European Capital of Culture, so its fitting that the leaders of our countrys parties will meet here to outline their visions for the future of the nation. We look forward to welcoming them to the West at this important moment of decision-making in our nations history, he said. RTE says the programme will be available to watch live on RTE One, RTE News Now and worldwide on the RTE Player. Claire Byrne Live Leaders Debate, Monday 27th January at 9.35pm Australia will continue to grapple with a massive tech talent shortage this year with a growing talent mismatch between the skills employers need and those jobseekers possess, according to the latest Hays Jobs Report. Hays said the top 5 skills employers are looking for in the first six month of this year are: cloud engineers and architects, project managers, network engineers, security GRC specialists, and end user support specialists. Project managers are in great demand across the financial services sector and across various sub sectors there is continuous demand for people with a strategic and business management mindset and a hybrid background in change management. While most organisations strive towards agile delivery, there has been constant demand for project professionals with hands-on experience on Agile frameworks. As a response to the Royal Commission [into banking], demand for candidates with exposure to risk, compliance and regulatory change will continue to rise, the report said. On the cloud front, there is demand for candidates with experience across ServiceNow and Salesforce from development through to project management and implementation. Network engineers are also in high demand, as are candidates with experience with the three main cloud providers (Google, Microsoft and Amazon), software-defined networking, or NFVi skills. Network engineers who can demonstrate DevOps, continuous integration and continuous delivery, and Agile expertise are also required. On the digital front, the top five skills in demand are for full stack software engineers, cloud engineers, data engineers, data scientists, and React.js/react native engineers, Hays said. Meanwhile, organisations in recent months have shifted their preference from contract to permanent employment contracts to retain IP and build a strong team culture. However, candidates are resisting this change as they prefer the higher hourly rates and greater level of flexibility associated with contract roles and therefore do not want to be converted to a permanent role, the report said. While projects and business change, vacancy activity will remain high. This is a dynamic and progressive area with most private sector organisations investing in digitisation, process automation and technology upgrades. The banking, finance and insurance sectors will add vacancy activity because of reforms and growth. Agile maturity is also improving with organisations taking a more strategic approach with phased implementations of new delivery styles. This brings employees on the journey rather than requiring immediate adoption without notice to a new way of working, Hays said. Finally, local and state governments will maintain their high volume of vacancy activity in response to legacy upgrades and transformation works. Public sector staff continue to transform the way they deliver services to their internal and external customers. Microsoft Office 365 has been a major trend and is an increasingly in-demand skill set for project managers, business analysts and change managers. These transformations are being accompanied by a transition to Agile working, with a variety of Agile methodologies adopted across the public sector. Experienced transformation specialists are sought to lead teams on these significant journeys. CHICO, Calif. Students at Little Chico Creek donated $1,500 to the Chico Animal Shelter on Tuesday. Organizers said the shelter brought in a lot of animals from the Camp Fire and students thought this would be a good cause. There is no city-funded adopted program, so students held a coin drive in December to raise the money. Teachers said each day students would drop off coins and even bills into the bucket. The school's original goal was $500 but they tripled that target. Action News Now spoke to some involved with the donations. Our students have really big hearts. They knew about all the animals that were either needing medical care, homeless or lost help," Third-grade teacher at Little Chico Creek, Rebecca Klein said. Students from all grade levels participated. The Chico Animal Shelter said theyre very grateful for the donation and have never received this large of a donation before. The money will be put towards health care for animals, neutering, and any kind of needed medical treatment. UN experts demand immediate investigation by US and others after The Washington Post owners iPhone allegedly breached. United Nations experts on Wednesday called for an immediate investigation by the United States and others into information suggesting Amazon founder Jeff Bezoss phone was hacked after receiving a file sent from Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans WhatsApp account. The alleged hacking of Mr Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities, UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement in Geneva, Switzerland. At a time when Saudi Arabia was supposedly investigating the killing of Saudi critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and prosecuting those it deemed responsible, it was clandestinely waging a massive online campaign against Mr Bezos and Amazon targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post, the experts said in the statement. Bezos purchased The Washington Post in 2013. The UN investigators said they had received information suggesting spyware such as the NSO Groups Pegasus-3 malware was installed on Bezoss phone via a WhatsApp message from an account utilized personally by Mohammed bin Salman. NSO Group, an Israeli company that makes surveillance software, is implicated in a series of digital break-in attempts, including the gruesome killing of Khashoggi, who was dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud dismissed the allegations on Wednesday, calling them absurd in an interview with Reuters news agency in Davos, Switzerland. The idea that the crown prince would hack Jeff Bezoss phone is absolutely silly, he added. Extreme change The UN experts reviewed a 2019 digital forensic analysis of Bezoss iPhone, which they said was made available to them as UN special rapporteurs. The experts said records showed within hours of receipt of a video from the crown princes WhatsApp account, there was an anomalous and extreme change in phone behaviour with enormous amounts of data from the phone being transmitted over the following months. The Financial Times has seen the forensic report done by FTI Consulting, a private firm hired by Bezos. The newspaper said the forensic report does not claim to have conclusive evidence, and could not ascertain what alleged spyware was used. The forensic report assessed with medium to high confidence that Bezoss phone was infiltrated on May 1, 2018 via an MP4 video file sent from a WhatsApp account used personally by the Saudi crown prince. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October that same year. Previous allegations In an earlier incident, Bezoss security chief said last year the Saudi government gained access to the Amazon CEOs phone and leaked messages to US tabloid the National Enquirer between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor who the newspaper said he was dating. A month before, Bezos accused the newspapers owner of trying to blackmail him with the threat of publishing intimate photos he allegedly sent to Sanchez. The Saudi government has denied having anything to do with the National Enquirer reporting. Saudi Arabias US embassy also dismissed the allegations. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out, it said in a message posted on Twitter. MILFORD Judge Peter Brown Wednesday tossed a plea deal for a man who confessed to brutally beating a female neighbor in March and quickly quelled the applause that followed. Meanwhile, defendant Russell Molleurs sister wrote a letter to the court on behalf of her brother, saying hes intellectually disabled, scared in jail and turned to drinking when their mother died five years ago, as she was his support system. The controversial plea deal offered to and accepted by Molleur, 57, has been thrust into the spotlight by victim Lori Wierzbicki and her brother, Stratford firefighter Tim McLaughlin, who have gained enormous support from people outraged over the plea bargain. Their Justice for Lori Facebook page has thousands of supporters, with a rally held on the Green and more than 19,000 signatures on a change.org petition. The pair on Wednesday had about 40 supporters in the courtroom who burst into applause when Brown said he was vacating the plea deal. Brown gently stopped the courtroom applause. Brown said he made the decision in part because Wierzbicki revealed in her victim impact statement read in court Wednesday that the weakness from her multiple sclerosis limited her ability to fend off the attack, and also because Molleur is facing criminal charges involving an intellectually disabled man. Brown said one of the motivating factors in the plea deal offered to Molleur was that he had no previous record, but that the charges for his actions with the disabled man negate that. In that case, Molleur is charged with second-degree threatening, second-degree unlawful restraint and disorderly conduct, records show. Both Wierzbicki and McLaughlin told Brown they believe Molleur is a danger to the community. Molleur originally was charged with assault, unlawful restraint and strangulation, all in the first degree; disorderly conduct and tampering with evidence. Under the original plea bargain, Molleur was to see most of the charges dropped or downgraded and receive eight years in prison suspended after two years served, and three years of probation, with the right to argue for a full suspended sentence at Wednesdays hearing, court records state. McLaughlin said they were informed the plea bargain gets rid of strangulation, disorderly conduct and tampering with evidence and the assault charge was changed to second-degree, which has no mandatory minimum sentence. The only charge to stand was first-degree unlawful restraint. As promised to the family, prosecutor Charles Chuck Stango told Brown he favored vacating the plea deal. Life for her (Wierzbicki) has been forever changed, Stango told Brown. Wednesday was Molleurs sentencing date, but Brown instead put Molleurs case back on the pretrial docket and he is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 13. Brown made no mention of all the publicity surrounding the case, and granted the media permission to photograph in the courtroom. Wierzbicki, who along with MS has bipolar disorder, was strangled and beaten unconscious, punched in the face numerous times during a bloody attack described by police as life threatening. Molleur confessed to police at the scene. Wierzbicki said on the courthouse steps later Wednesday, Im happy were back to square one. Wierzbicki also said she was happy the judge acknowledged her disability, as it was not reflected in the criminal charges. She has maintained Molleur should have been charged with assault on a disabled person, which carries a minimum 5-year sentence. McLaughlin said Brown and Stango did the right thing. I thought Judge Brown was very fair he really listened, McLaughlin said. Both Wierzbicki and McLaughlin thanked supporters who had attended the court session, as well as thousands of supporters from all over the state and country who have supported the Justice for Lori cause. McLaughlin said he hopes the attention his sisters case has received from the public and lawmakers will be a launching pad for victims rights. Molleurs attorney, public defender Susan Brown no relation to Judge Brown told the judge her client belongs in a facility because he has an intellectual disability for which he receives Social Security benefits. She said his life was fine until five years ago, when his mother died. Molleur didnt cope with the loss well, as she was his primary support system, Susan Brown said, and his drinking got out of control. Mr. Molleur is very sorry this happened they were friends, they spent time together, Susan Brown said, referring to Wierzbicki, who has described Molleur as a casual acquaintance. The two lived in a local complex for the elderly and disabled. One of Molleurs sisters wrote a letter to the court on behalf of her brother, detailing his intellectual disability from childhood and his inability to cope after their mothers death at age 95. In the letter read in court by Attorney Brown, the sister stated that although he is 57, Molleur has the mental capacity of someone 12 to 14 years old. With that, and standing only 5 feet, 1 inch tall, hes scared in jail, she said. Susan Brown gave Molleur credit in court for asking a neighbor to call police, not fleeing the scene and confessing to police. He was horrified by what he saw, she said, referring to Wierzbickis state after the crime. She had bruising so severe that her face and body looked distorted. Its a horrible situation. Mr. Molleur has done everything he can to make it better. Molleur has been jailed since early March when the attack occurred. Supporter Michele Lebel was emotional outside the courtroom following Browns decision. She was among the many who wore purple, Wierzbickis favorite color, and even her lipstick was purple. This means a lot because there are so many cases where people dont speak up, and dont get justice, Lebel said. This is a positive. Its nice to see they (the court) were open and listening. Supporter Bryan Anderson, one of about 100 who attended a rally on the Green in December, said he was impressed with how the judge really listened and considered Wierzbickis victims impact statement, while weighing the evidence. What was achieved today was remarkable, Anderson said, calling the tossing of the plea deal unprecedented. It really speaks to the fact that Loris situation resonated with the community, Anderson said. Wierzbicki had tearfully objected to the plea deal over the phone the day of the plea deal hearing, according to court files, but she said she was never given a realistic chance to appear in person because she was only notified that morning and didnt have transportation. After the bloody assault that left her unconscious, Wierzbicki said Molleur ordered her to strip, get in the shower and wash off the blood evidence, as Molleur sat cross-legged on the floor threatening to kill her. In her victims impact statement, Wierzbicki told Judge Brown she still has a fear of showering and on Wednesday took shower number 26 since the attack. The shower makes her relive the assault, so she has to wash herself with baby wipes and wash her hair in the kitchen sink. I thought I was going to die that day, Wierzbicki told the judge. She told the judge that in addition to being charged with assault on a disabled person, Molleur should have been charged with attempted murder. Many who were there in court to support Wierzbicki were residents of her complex who said she is loved by all. Wierzbicki keeps the doors double locked these days, but still keeps coffee cups and home baked cookies on the table in case anyone wants to have a cup and chat. A secret application by WA Police to restrict takeaway alcohol sales to light beer only in the state's Kimberley region has raised the ire of Broome's shire president, who is angry and frustrated at the lack of consultation surrounding the proposal. Harold Tracey has sat at the head of the popular tourist town's local council for three years and is concerned stringent liquor restrictions will see a downturn in the tourist dollar Broome relies so heavily on. Booze problems in the Kimberley are long-standing, and not hidden from plain sight. Credit:Kate Hedley "A blanket ban on takeaway alcohol sales hasn't been thought out," he said. "It's a knee-jerk reaction to a coroner's inquiry that has no practicality around it." DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will never seek nuclear weapons, with or without nuclear deal, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, calling on the European powers to avoid Washington's mistake of violating Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with major powers. "We have never sought nuclear weapons ... With or without the nuclear deal we will never seek nuclear weapon ... The European powers will be responsible for the consequences of violating the pact," said Rouhani, according to his website President.Ir. In reaction to Washington withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and the reimposition of sanctions, Iran has gradually rolled back on its commitments. Rouhani said Iran remained committed to the deal and could reverse its steps away from compliance if other parties fulfilled their obligations. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Edmund Blair) WASHINGTON Armed with rifles and explosives, about a dozen al-Shabab fighters destroyed an American surveillance plane as it was taking off and ignited an hours-long gunfight this month on a sprawling military base in Kenya that houses U.S. troops. By the time al-Shabab was done, portions of the airfield were burning and three Americans were dead. Surprised by the attack, U.S. commandos took around an hour to respond. Many of the local Kenyan forces, assigned to defend the base, hid in the grass, while other U.S. troops and support staff were corralled into tents, with little protection, to wait out the battle. It would require hours to evacuate one of the wounded to a military hospital in Djibouti, roughly 1,500 miles away. Two men were arrested on Wednesday from Indore in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly manufacturing sub-standard antacids, police said. The accused Santosh Patel (28) and Narendra Jain (54) used sodium bicarbonate (cooking soda) and other chemicals to manufacture the drugs at their workshops, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ruchi Vardhan Misra. They have prima facie violated the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the SSP said. "Police have sealed their workplaces and seized the drugs and raw material," Misra added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TORONTO - A family doctor who sent a dying infant home with instructions to give him water and juice with vitamin C and who failed to report criminal driving convictions has been stripped of his medical licence. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - A family doctor who sent a dying infant home with instructions to give him water and juice with vitamin C and who failed to report criminal driving convictions has been stripped of his medical licence. In punishing Howard Wu earlier this month, the discipline committee of Ontario's medical regulator noted the doctor had a history of problems that included previous findings of professional misconduct. "(Dr. Wu) failed to maintain the standard of practice with multiple patients in varying situations," the committee found in ordering his licence revoked. "He has demonstrated serious clinical deficiencies that put his patients at risk." Wu, 50, who studied medicine at Queen's University and the University of Toronto, practised in Markham, Ont. According to disciplinary records from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, a mother took her feverish newborn to see him in November 2015. Instead of recommending an immediate hospital visit, the doctor sent them home with instructions to give the baby water and vitamin C-rich juice. He gave the same advice two days later when the infant's condition did not improve. The baby died within days. A college investigator stopped short of blaming Wu directly for the death but said he did not give the child the needed care. The committee also reviewed complaints from an insurance company that Wu was prescribing an inordinate number of medical devices such as braces. Evidence was that the supplier next door paid him $100 a year for each patient he referred. Wu had previously denied any financial interest in the sale of devices sold by the supplier. In addition, the committee found that Wu had done hundreds of eye exams despite having little competency. He was unable to describe the basic steps needed for such exams or the equipment used, according to the committee. Records also indicate Wu was convicted of dangerous driving in 2015 and driving while disqualified in January 2017. However, evidence was that he lied to the college on several occasions when he denied having faced any charges. Despite admitting some allegations and pleading no contest to others, Wu argued he should be allowed to return to a period of supervised practice after a 15-month licence suspension. He admitted not having the knowledge to recognize that a baby with fever could be much sicker than appeared. He also said he no longer performed eye examinations. Overall, he promised to do better but the committee was having none of it. In considering appropriate punishment, the panel noted Wu had been suspended for misconduct in 2009 and again in 2013, and had been through several periods of supervision. The committee also found Wu had been less than truthful on multiple occasions. "These omissions and misrepresentations extend beyond simple poor judgment and reflect a propensity to mislead the college, which causes the committee significant concern with respect to Dr. Wu's governability," the committee said. Ultimately, the panel ordered immediate revocation of Wu's licence along with a reprimand. He must also pay $31,110 in costs. This article was first published by The Canadian Press on Jan. 22, 2020. China is going all out in its state-huge bid to address plastic waste. Several years ago, the country announced it would no longer be accepting the rest of the world's rubbish. This week, the nation took an even more significant step towards ridding its broad range of waste. In the next five years, the nation plans on rolling out a nationwide ban on single-use plastics, restricting the production, sale, and use of favorable products - such as plastic baggage, microbeads, straws, packaging tapes, cotton swabs, and utensils. Businesses that do not comply might also be blacklisted, officers warn. The brand new restrictions might be slowly implemented at different paces throughout the country to make a huge transition as clean as possible. Smaller towns and villages have more time allowance to implement the law while plastic bags might be banned in major cities in less than a year. Both the production and sale of foam plastic tableware and cotton swabs might be banned entirely in the country by the end of 2020. Chemicals with microbeads, on the other hand, would stop its production first and would be barred from sale at a later time. "Consumption of plastic products, in particular, single-use objects, has always been increasing," said a reason behind the new guidelines, as cited by a New York Times report. It added that stronger comprehensive making plans and a scientific rollout to clean up plastic pollution are very much needed. Today, China is the most massive producer of plastic in the world - generating nearly 30 percent of all products. Asia produces a total of 50 percent of the world's plastic. The North American Free Trade Area provides 19 percent of the plastic, and Europe at 18 percent. Tackling this big problem isn't insurmountable, but it'll require substantial systemic changes. In China, that means some industries might be forced to conform sooner than others. The restaurant industry, for instance, will be given till the end of 2020 to prevent using single-use straws, while reducing different plastic items via 30 percent. Hotels, on the other hand, will have until 2025 to prevent counting on single-use plastics, and the packaging sector may have an equal quantity of time to prevent the usage of plastic containers, tape, and sacks. If achieved, this would be quite the achievement for plastic pollution now not handiest inside the country but worldwide. China might join countries that have committed to banning single-use products - like the European Union, Thailand, and Canada. Implementation Ma Jun, director of the Chinese environmental group Institute of Public and Environment Affairs, told AFP that China has to learn from its past experiences while laying down "more comprehensive" steps is the key to proper implementation of the law. He said authorities did well by stopping large retailers from giving out free plastic bags to their clients. "[Now, the companies] have to work with online retail platforms to implement the regulations," Ma suggested. He said there are limitations to bans alone, saying ultra-thin plastic bags are still being used despite being banned in the previous round of regulations. The new goal also extends to plastic packaging used in postal services, a massive area of growth in the last decade given China's booming e-commerce sector. By the end of 2022, postal delivery outlets in areas such as Beijing, Jiangsu, and Shanghai will ban the use of non-degradable plastic packaging and disposable woven bags. The document also calls for firms in sectors such as e-commerce and food delivery to cultivate new business models and work with their merchants to reduce waste and disposable plastics. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) A Batangas official on Wednesday admitted the provincial government has been complacent in enforcing the off-limits policy around Taal Volcano island an area marked by state scientists as a permanent danger zone. Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste said that while the government long provided relocation sites for island residents, thousands continue to settle in the area due to the numerous economic opportunities offered by its tourism. Medyo naging lax po kami doon... Parang nakasanayan na nila ang risk ng Taal Volcano, Leviste told CNN Philippines The Source. [Translation: We came somewhat lax. Its like our residents have already been used to the risks of the Taal Volcano.] People really go to the volcano island primarily for tourism. People live there because they want to take advantage of the tourism economy, he added. An estimated 4,000 individuals have permanently resided on the island, which is frequently flocked by tourists despite its permanent danger zone category. State scientists said chances of survival in the area are slim in the event of an eruption. Fast facts: Taal Volcano Leviste, however, assured the government will ensure the island will formally be a no mans landespecially with the current developments in Taal. Ito ay pagkakataon, at senyales na rin, para malinawan ang lahat na hindi talaga pwedeng tumira diyan, Leviste said. Under our watch, 'yan ang titiyakin namin hindi na po namin pababalikin diyan. [Translation: This is a chanceand a signto make it clear that people really cannot live there anymore. Under our watch, we will make sure of it We wont let people go back.] Leviste said the island settlers can instead relocate to other parts of Batangas, with the government planning to develop vacant lands in the towns of Rosario and San Juan. Alert Level 4 is still raised over Taal Volcano, with volcanologists warning of a possible hazardous explosive eruption soon. The continued unrest of Taal renewed calls for the government to officially bar people from entering and living on the volcano island. READ: Govt to permanently bar people from returning to Taal Volcano Island Washington D.C. [US], Jan 22 (ANI): The first case of coronavirus which has claimed the lives of six people in Asia, has been detected in the US, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention announced on Tuesday. The United States has its first confirmed case of a new virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, last month, the CDC announced, reported CNN. The male patient, who travelled from Wuhan to Washington, is in isolation at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. CNN quoted him as saying that he did not attend the animal markets in the Chinese city where many of the patients were infected. The virus can spread person to person, though not nearly as easily as viruses such as measles or influenza. This comes even as Chinese healthcare authorities said that 291 confirmed cases of new coronavirus-related pneumonia and 54 suspected cases had been reported in the country by the end of Monday, reported Xinhua. Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered resolute efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus (nCoV) that causes pneumonia. (ANI) BANGKOK Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday as health authorities around the world moved to monitor and contain a deadly virus outbreak in China and keep it from spreading globally. China and other nations have ramped up screenings for fever on aircraft and at airports in measures that appeared to reassure investors. The central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus is concentrated, closed down its train station and airport Thursday to prevent people from entering or leaving the city. Japans Nikkei 225 index rose 0.7% to 24,031.35 while the Kospi in South Korea surged 1.2% to 2,267.25. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng jumped 1.3% to 28,341.04. Australias S&P ASX/200 picked up 0.9% to 7,132.70. Shares fell in India, Jakarta and Malaysia but rose in Taiwan and Singapore. Japan reported Thursday that its trade balance was negative in 2019 for a second straight year, as China-U.S. trade tensions and friction with neighboring South Korea bit into exports. Overnight, technology companies led stocks to a flat close on Wall Street, erasing early gains. But that was an improvement over Tuesday, when investors dumped shares on fears the outbreak might spread, hurting tourism and ultimately economic growth and corporate profits. The coronavirus has been confirmed in five countries, including China, the U.S., Thailand, Japan and South Korea. So far, China has confirmed more than 500 people have fallen sick and 17 have died from the illness, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms. The S&P 500 index rose 0.1% to 3,321.75 after gaining as much as 0.5% earlier in the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed an early gain, edging less than 0.1% lower to 29,186.27. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.1% to 9,383.77, while the Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks slipped 0.1% to 1,684.46. Bond prices fell. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 1.75% from 1.77% late Wednesday. A World Health Organization committee was scheduled to meet for a second day Thursday as it decides whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. As far as the market is concerned, the current reaction remains mild and perhaps rightly so given the difficulty to estimate the impact of an evolving syndrome, Jingyi Pan of IG said in a commentary. By postponing a decision on whether the virus is a global health emergency, the WHO helped assuage some fears the crisis is escalating, she said. While only about 10% of S&P 500 companies have reported their results for the last three months of 2019, early indications are encouraging. Of those companies that have reported results, 78.4% topped analysts forecasts for profits, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Those forecasts were low, to be sure, with analysts saying S&P 500 profits fell last quarter for the fourth consecutive time, according to FactSet. Traders also bid up shares in homebuilders Wednesday following new data showing that U.S. home sales climbed 3.6% last month. The National Association of Realtors said that sales of previously occupied homes rose in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million. For all of 2019, 5.34 million homes were sold matching the 2018 level. High mortgage rates hurt sales in the first half of the last year, while lower rates boosted purchases in the second half. Hovnanian Enterprises led the home builder rally, gaining 2.5%. Investors continued to drive Tesla shares higher. The electric vehicle and solar panel maker climbed 4.1%, attaining a $100 billion market capitalization for the first time. That market cap could turn into a supercharged payday for CEO Elon Musk, enabling him to receive a stock option package thats worth close to $400 million. Benchmark crude oil fell 93 cents to $55.81 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost $1.64 to settle at $56.74 a barrel on Wednesday. Brent crude oil, the international standard, gave up 88 cents to $62.33 per barrel. It slid $1.38 to close at $63.21 a barrel overnight. Gold rose $1.20 to $1,557.90 per ounce, silver lost 5 cents to $17.78 per ounce and copper fell 3 cents to $2.77 per pound. The dollar rose to 109.62 Japanese yen from 109.83 yen on Wednesday. The euro weakened to $1.1086 from $1.1097. ___ AP Business writers Alex Veiga and Damian J. Troise contributed. With the goal of expanding its local operations, Novartis invested more than $6 million in creating the right conditions for Novartis Vietnam Co., Ltd., including qualified GSP warehouse lease, additional personnel, enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation, and share capital. During the inauguration ceremony, Novartis announced the arrival of the first import shipment of Novartis medicines in the Port of Ho Chi Minh City. Upon customs clearance, the imported Novartis medicines will be delivered to registered domestic wholesalers in compliance with local regulations. Novartis Vietnam Co., Ltd. secured its license to import and export medicines from Vietnam on August 28, 2019. We strive to enhance the Vietnamese peoples access to high-quality, innovative medicines. In support of that, we invest in strengthening local research and development capabilities. And as a committed partner of the government, we are supporting healthcare system strengthening initiatives. Collectively these commitments contribute to the socio-economic progress of Vietnam, said Roeland Roelofs, country president of Novartis Vietnam. Addressing the event, Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh Citys Health Department in Vietnam, said, For many years, Novartis has been known as one of the largest pharmaceutical companies by both market capitalisation and sales. Novartis has made great efforts to develop early patient access to newly invented drugs, typically cancer drugs. Since 2011, Novartis has been a leader in conducting clinical trials in Vietnam across a wide range of disease areas, including dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, respiratory, urology, neuroscience, and cardiology. To date, the company has conducted 43 clinical trials involving more than 900 patients, 500 healthcare professionals, and over 50 sites. Now that Novartis Vietnam has received the license to support clinical trial activities, all trials will be consolidated in the new company, thus allowing smoother operations and an expansion of the number and variety of trials. Novartis has been operating in Vietnam since the 1950s through its predecessor companies, Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy. The company owned a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Bien Hoa Industrial Zone, Dong Nai prior to 2002. The representative office of Novartis Pharma Services AG were established in 2008. In February 2019, Novartis Vietnam Co., Ltd. was created. The value of Novartis medicines in Vietnam reached more than $120 million in 2019. In addition, Patient Assistance Programmes of Novartis enabled access to innovative medicines, especially in oncology, valued at $100 million in 2019 and more than $500 million since 2010. Novartis medicines reach an estimated 10 million people in Vietnam. As of January 2020, 475 highly skilled Vietnamese associates are working at Novartis Vietnam. Novartis programme benefits thousands of Vietnamese cancer patients The Vietnam Medical Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Vietnam Social Insurance, and Novartis Vietnam Co., Ltd. organised on January 14 a ... Novartis ventures further into primary healthcare in Vietnam Global drug giant Novartis on December 16 signed an MoU with Vietnams Ministry of Health on raising primary healthcare in Vietnam through activities at commune ... UN health agency to gauge global threat, as China confirms coronavirus transmission between humans 21 January 2020 -- Following an announcement by China's national health body that a new virus first identified there, can be transmitted from person to person, the World Health Organization (WHO) is to hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide if it should be declared a global health emergency. In a message released on social media, WHO said that the agency's Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, will "convene an Emergency Committee on the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) under the International Health Regulations", with the aim of ascertaining "whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it". The Chinese National Health Commission confirmed on Monday that two people in Guangdong province had been infected via human-to-human transmission, raising the potential of the virus spreading more widely. "Based on current information, an animal source seems the most likely primary source of this outbreak with limited human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts", WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. "Reports suggest that infection can cause mild to severe disease and be fatal in some. Based on current data, some new cases seem to experience milder diseases which is within the milder end of the spectrum of symptoms caused by respiratory illnesses". On Saturday, hundreds of millions of people will cross-cross China, as they travel to celebrate the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year. This also risks complicating efforts to contain the virus. The international dimension to the outbreak was first reported on January 13, with the news that a traveller from China was being treated for the virus in Thailand. Mr. Jasarevic said that four cases have been reported outside China: a further case was identified in Thailand, as well as in Japan, South Korea and Wuhan. All the patients had reportedly travelled from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first identified in December 2019. Some 278 cases have been identified worldwide, including the major metropolitan centres of Beijing and Shanghai, but most patients are in Wuhan, a city of around 11 million. On Monday, Wuhan's health authorities said that some 15 medical workers have been infected, possibly due to contact with patients, and that one is in a critical condition. "More cases should be expected in other parts of China and possibly in other countries in the coming days", said Mr. Jasarevic. "A team from WHO are concluding a mission with health officials in Wuhan working on the response to novel coronavirus". WHO has issued guidance on how to detect and treat people sickened by the virus, including regular hand washing; covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; thoroughly cooking meat and eggs; and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing and sneezing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address I admit that I dont have a detailed plan for their future. But I also think its sad that such institutions and the people within them dont have one either, especially when they have all the resources at their fingertips. These (people) are supposed to be the best and brightest in their field, representing the group that positions itself as the peak of Hollywood glamour, history, and importance, so surely theyre not entirely devoid of ideas (and) I do firmly believe that making the people involved fully confront the issue and commit to change on the record will have a tangible impact. And it will also force the industry around it, from actors to producers to publicists and journalists and beyond, to confront their own biases and make important shifts that will ripple throughout. Scoop In preparation for the BS6 regulations, the Hyundai i20 premium hatchback has ditched the petrol CVT and all diesel variants. Rushlane has learnt that the next generation i20 is due for launch in June and till then the existing model will be available only with the petrol engine and manual transmission. Production has stoped and some dealers have stopped taking bookings as they no longer have stock. Those dealers who have stock, are accepting bookings till stocks exist. Of the seven petrol variants of the Hyundai i20 available so far, the entry level ERA manual, the mid-level Sportz+ CVT and fully loaded Asta (O) CVT have been discontinued. Overall, of the 12 variants, only 4 of them have received BS6 upgrade which puts the premium hatchback at a disadvantage, especially when a new promising rival, the Tata Altroz, rides in. However, Hyundai is already focusing on the 2020 i20 which will have India as one of its first markets. The 2020 Hyundai i20 has been spotted testing extensively in Europe as well as India for about a year now. Based on the spyshots, the next gen model receives significantly revised front and rear fascia styling while the profile retains a sense of familiarity. The new hatchback will come with a wide array of new equipment (especially on the connectivity front), a brand new interior and improved safety features. The new Hyundai is likely receive 5-star rating in Euro-NCAP crash tests. The India-spec 2020 Hyundai i20 is expected to be available with an entry-level naturally aspirated 1.2-liter petrol engine and a 1.0-liter GDI turbo petrol unit. The diesel engine is likely to be the 1.2-liter BS6 diesel unit which made its debut with the Aura compact sedan. Another viable candidate is the 1.5-liter BS6 unit which also powers the Kia Seltos and the upcoming Creta 2020, albeit in a slightly tuned down version. The next gen hatchback will offer both manual and automatic transmission options. Since its inception, India has always been the i20s primary market and that is set to continue with the next generation model. However, with increased competition and general shift in the customer preference towards crossovers, the new hatchback will have its work cut out. It would be interesting to see if the 2020 Hyundai i20 can manage to snatch the premium hatchback throne from the ageing Maruti Baleno or not. As many as 109 retail investors have come together to revive the debt-ridden Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd which is facing liquidation, an official said on Wednesday. The revival plan, which has been submitted by the retail investors who hold less than one per cent stake in the company, will be placed in a meeting for approval of creditors, FCCB holders and shareholders, he said. The meeting is slated to be held on February 21. "The February 21 meeting has been convened as per direction of the Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal to discuss and decide on the resolution plan proposed by the 109 shareholders who are also employees of the company. "The meeting will seek approval of creditors, FCCB holders and shareholders," the official liquidator of Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd, Sumit Binani told PTI. There are rumours that the erstwhile promoter of the company Arun Jagatramka has been actively backing the plan. Asked about this, Jagatramka said, "I am not a party to these proceedings and it will not be proper for me to comment on this matter. If somebody is trying to revive the company, it is good for 1,100 employees," he said. In October last year, a two-member bench of NCLAT headed by Chairperson Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya did not allow Jagatramka to negotiate with the creditors of the metallurgical coke producer as he was declared ineligible to be a resolution applicant of the company under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). "My appeal against NCLAT order is pending in Supreme Court and I am confident of getting a favourable order," he said. He also alleged that "a commercially-viable company has been forced into liquidation due to inaction on the part of bankers who have been apprehensive of investigative agencies". According to the resolution plan, all admitted claims of the secured creditors of Rs 3,800 crore will be settled, the official said. The plan involves Rs 400 crore term loan at 8.10 per cent interest, issue of equity shares worth Rs 380 crore and compulsory redeemable preference shares worth Rs 3,021 crore, according to a notice issued to the shareholders. The claims of foreign currency convertible bond (FCCB) holders aggregating Rs 144 crore will be converted into equity, it said. The dues of Rs 1,343 crore to the unsecured creditors will be settled by issuing equity shares worth Rs 335 crore and the rest, Rs 1,007 crore, will be written-off, the notice said. The company owes about Rs 5,000 crore to secured and unsecured creditors while the liquidation value of the company was pegged at Rs 350 crore, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T he Foreign Office has issued advice for people planning on travelling to China following the outbreak of coronavirus. The flu-like disease originated in Wuhan, central China, and has now spread to other areas and countries around the world. There have now also been nine confirmed cases in the UK, where more than 4,000 people have been tested for the virus. Because it's a new illness, the NHS says that officials do not know exactly how the coronavirus is spread. But the virus belongs to the same virus family as MERS and SARS, which are spread in cough droplets. Chinese authorities have put large parts of the country on lockdown and millions are thought to have been affected by the measures. Coronavirus: WHO working 'day and night' to combat virus What is coronavirus? Coronavirus comes from a family of viruses which give rise to a huge range of illnesses from the mild common cold to severe SARS. It is thought to have originated from animals and traces of the disease were found at a market in Wuhan which sold poultry and seafood. Although it is now clear how it is spread, similar viruses are spread through cough droplets and people in affected areas have started to wear face masks to try and limit its spread. People around the world are wearing masks in a bid to stop the deadly virus / AFP via Getty Images Initial symptoms include fever, cough, tightness of the chest, runny nose, headache and shortness of breath. Chills and body aches are later signs of the strain. Coronaviruses are named after the spikes that protrude from their membranes, like the suns corona. Is it safe to travel to China? The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel to Hubei Province due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, and all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has also announced that anyone in mainland China should leave the country. Mr Raab said: We now advise British nationals in China to leave the country if they can, to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus. Where there are still British nationals in Hubei province who wish to be evacuated, we will continue to work around the clock to facilitate this. The Chinese government continues to impose further restrictions on movement within China in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Some airlines, including British Airways, have suspended flights to and from mainland China. Other commercial airlines are still operating, but it may become harder over the coming weeks for those who wish to leave China to do so. The FCO said if you want to leave China soon, you should consider making plans before any further restrictions may be imposed. Masked workers disinfect a passenger thoroughfare at the Taoyuan International Airport / AFP via Getty Images Due to increasing travel restrictions and difficulty accessing medical assistance, the FCO is working to make an option available for British nationals to leave Hubei Province. This may happen quickly and with short notice. An FCO spokesman said: "If youre a British national in Hubei Province and need assistance, contact our 24/7 number +86 (0) 10 8529 6600 or the FCO in London on (+44) (0)207 008 1500. "If you have registered your desire to leave, you will be contacted once arrangements are confirmed." There has been no warning against travel / AFP via Getty Images In January, Wuhan authorities closed all transport hubs including airports, railway and bus stations while British Embassay and Consulate staff have also been withdrawn. Some shops and amenities are closed, public events have been cancelled and Chinese authorities have advised the public to avoid crowds. Travel restrictions are also in place in other cities in China. What should I do if I've already booked flights? The FCO is advising against all travel to the Hubei Province. Anyone travelling to China should remain vigilant and check the latest travel advice The Chinese authorities are focused on tackling the impact of the virus in different ways, many of which are likely to impact British nationals in all areas of China, not just Hubei province. These include temperature checks at transport hubs and other locations, quarantine arrangements for travel between different parts of the country, and restrictions on travel between and within cities. Medical facilities across the country are under significant pressure. Some are not accepting patients and others have long queues. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP Some businesses have closed and many tourist attractions are shut. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has suspended all tour group companies activities to prevent further virus spread. Public Health England has offered advice to travellers and you should comply with any additional screening measures put in place by the local authorities. If you decide to cancel your trip, normal policy would apply and it would be best to consult your airline's website on their cancellation procedure. If the Foreign Office warns against travel to the region, travellers on package holidays organised by a British firm should be able to cancel without a penalty and receive a full refund. Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport / AFP via Getty Images Airlines are not obliged to refund tickets whatever the Foreign Office advice, but in the past they have offered some flexibility. Travel insurance could also be a way of recouping costs, according to the Association of British Insurers. But, if you were to travel to an area against the advice of the Foreign Office it will invalidate most insurance policies. If youre abroad and you need emergency help from the UK government, contact the nearest British embassy, consulate or high commission. "Dr. Michael brings a calm, sincere demeanor and a commitment to provide outstanding patient-centered care." Dr. Mark Hutchin is pleased to announce that Dr. L. Evan Michael M.D., Ph.D. has joined his practice and will be seeing patients at Dermatology of North Asheville located at 209 East Chestnut Street."I am very excited to welcome Dr. Michael to my practice," said Dr. Hutchin. "Along with his impressive credentials, he brings a calm, sincere demeanor and a commitment to provide outstanding patient-centered care. Dr. Michael attended medical school and graduate school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he received his Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology. He performed his internship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, New York, and completed his Dermatology residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Michael then returned to New York, where he completed his fellowship in Dermatopathology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. Before his move to scenic Asheville, Dr. Michael was part of a dermatology practice near Atlanta, GA. Dr. Michael is looking forward to the transition, and says, I am so pleased to join Dr. Hutchin and the team at Dermatology of North Asheville. Their mission to provide attentive, timely, and individualized care is especially important in the field of dermatology. He and his wife, Jessica, are enjoying the beauty of Western North Carolina and are also excited to explore the community. Dermatology of North Asheville provides comprehensive skin care with an emphasis on skin cancer diagnosis and treatment. They also offer products for sun protection and skin care, as well as cosmetic procedures. With no mid-level practitioners, all patients are seen by board-certified medical doctors. For more information on the practice or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael, please contact 828-253-2533 or visit: http://www.ashevillederm.com But as the names of the new ministers leaked to the press in the days leading up to the announcement, it became clear that most, if not all, are proteges of the existing elites. Last-minute haggling among politicians over the final composition of the cabinet was played out in the media, giving another indication that this government offers neither a break from the past nor a reason to believe it can unite the dangerously fractured country, analysts said. KAMPALA The Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has lauded the United States of America government for supporting Ugandas health sector. This was on Tuesday evening when National Medical Stores (NMS) and the Ministry of Health had hosted a farewell dinner for the US Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah Malac at Serena Hotel, Kampala. The Minister hailed Amb. Deborah for being the first ambassador to bring the US embassy team very close to the Ministry of Health to the point where one didnt know the difference between the US Government and the sector. Thank you for your friendship, your down to earth nature, and believing in us, and believing that we are not all in corruption. Thank you!, she said amidst applause. Ms Malac, a career diplomat was nominated by former US President Barack Obama in September 2015 and took over from Ambassador Scott Deilsi who had announced his retirement. Senate confirmed her appointment in November 2015 and she presented her credentials to President Yoweri Museveni in February 2016. Malac will be replaced by Natalie E. Brown, the Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Eritrea. In a September report sent to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the US State Department said Ms Brown, who has also previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission of U.S Embassy in Tunisia, has the necessary experience for the job. Related There are more than a billion smokers globally, and one in 25 undergo major surgery each year, according to the W.H.O. In wealthier countries, as many as 16 percent of post-surgical patients develop severe complications; in the developing world, the post-surgery mortality rate can reach 10 percent depending on the country. Studies have found that smokers who undergo surgery have more than double the rate of complications compared to nonsmokers, posing a significant burden on hospitals around the world. Not only is it bad for the patient, but its bad for the distribution of health services because smokers are likely to be readmitted to the hospital, which potentially denies treatment to someone else, Professor DEspaignet said. The authors of the report said the findings provided a powerful case for doctors to delay elective surgery for smokers to give them more time to quit. They found that patients who stopped smoking a month before surgery had fewer complications six weeks later, and that every tobacco-free week beyond those four weeks improved health outcomes by 19 percent. The dangers of tobacco are widely understood, but few people appreciate the disadvantages that smokers face when recovering from a hip replacement, open-heart surgery or even a face lift. Smoking adversely affects cardiovascular function and the ability of tissues to heal. Thats because the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the oxygen needed for normal cell function. Nicotine is also thought to stymie the clumping of the blood platelets that aid healing. Surgery itself is an assault on the body and your recovery is going to be that much harder if you smoke, said Dr. Kerstin Schotte, a medical officer at the W.H.O. who works on tobacco control and helped write the report. The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday extended the stay on conviction and sentence of BJP MLA Prahlad Lodhi for eight more weeks. Lodhi and 12 others were sentenced to two years in jail by a special court in Bhopal on October 31, 2019, for attacking a revenue official in Panna district in 2014. After he filed an appeal, the high court stayed his conviction on November 6, 2019, while grating him bail. On Wednesday, Justice VPS Chauhan extended till March 18 the stay in response to an application by Lodhi's lawyer, government counsel Vishal Yadav said. Following the trial court's verdict, Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati had disqualified Lodhi as MLA from Pawai seat. After the BJP leader moved the Supreme Court, his membership of the House was restored by the Speaker. Lodhi and others were convicted by the trial court for attacking Raipura tehsildar R K Verma in August 2014 after the officer seized a tractor carrying smuggled sand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan agrees that the salaries in the judiciary help create a situation where people quit, open law offices and earn more money. However, if we talk about raising the salaries of officials of the public administration system, this will cause uproar, and there is already uproar, Pashinyan said during a question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament today. I have statistics according to which the government has allocated an additional AMD 71,000,000,000 to raise the salaries of servicemen and teachers, pensions, minimum wages, as well as the salaries of doctors and forest rangers and the specialists of other social groups throughout 2020, and we have envisaged AMD 1,000,000,000 to raise the salaries of state servants, Pashinyan said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 15:17:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2020 shows a press conference held by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of China's Macao Special Administrative Region government in Macao, south China. The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of China's Macao Special Administrative Region government said on Wednesday that the first case of novel coronavirus has been reported in a local hospital. (Xinhua/Cheong Kim Ka) MACAO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of China's Macao Special Administrative Region government said on Wednesday that the first case of novel coronavirus has been reported in a local hospital. A 52-year-old woman traveling from Wuhan in central China was diagnosed with the disease by Macao's hospital of Centro Hospitalar Conde de Sao Januario on Tuesday afternoon and has been quarantined and treated in the hospital. The patient arrived in Macao through the Border Gate on Sunday and checked into a hotel in Macao. She had a sore throat and cough for about a week before she went to the hospital on Tuesday. As of 9:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT), the patient just began to have a fever without any breathing difficulties. Those who were in close contact with her in Macao were under quarantine observation, the center said. Chinese health authorities said Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by Tuesday. Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, and one in South Korea. NEW YORK Harvey Weinstein went on trial Wednesday in a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement, with prosecutors painting him as a sexual predator who used his movie-magnate stature to abuse women for decades, while his lawyers sought to discredit his accusers and portray them as willing participants. Prosecutor Meghan Hast told the jury of seven men and five women that the former studio boss was not just a titan in Hollywood he was a rapist who screamed at one victim that she owed him sex, used injections to induce an erection before an assault and pushed his way into the apartment of another woman and assaulted her. It is for his complete lack of empathy that he must be held accountable, Hast said. Weinstein lawyer Damon Cheronis countered by laying out plans to use friendly sounding emails, calendar entries and other evidence to call into question the accusers accounts of being attacked. The opening of the rape trial more than two years after a barrage of allegations against Weinstein gave rise to #MeToo was seen by activists as a milestone in the global reckoning over sexual misconduct by powerful men. Weinsteins lawyers, though, have portrayed the case as the result of a climate of accusation run amok. Weinstein, 67, said little as he arrived at court. Asked whether he believed he would have a fair trial, he said yes: I have good lawyers. Weinstein has insisted any sexual encounters were consensual. He could get life in prison if convicted. The once-powerful and feared executive brought to the screen such Oscar-winning movies as Pulp Fiction, The Kings Speech, Shakespeare in Love and Chicago and hobnobbed with the elite in Hollywood and beyond, a point prosecutors made by showing jurors a photo of Weinstein with former President Bill Clinton. Scores of women have accused Weinstein of exploiting his position as a career-maker to sexually harass or assault them over the years. But the New York charges center on two allegations: that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on former Project Runway production assistant Mimi Haleyi in his apartment in 2006 and raped an aspiring actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault, unless they come forward publicly. Michael R. Sisak and Tom Hays are Associated Press writers. President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday rang the bell on the floor of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) to signal the start of a partnership between the London stock market and Ghana. The occasion formed part of the itinerary of President Akufo-Addo, who is currently in London for the UK-Africa Summit. The President was joined by the UK MP for Africa, Andrew Stephenson; Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The LSE partnership with the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) is expected to help develop some of the capital market's infrastructure that can sustain and deepen the financial market, as well as move to emerging market status. In a speech read earlier at the launch of the UKAfrica Summit 2020, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana expected the partnership between LSE and GSE to culminate in revenue and resource mobilization for investments on the African continent. He also noted that Ghana's endowed resources made it fully ready to partner the London stock market in investment on the continent. Among other things, the President stated, There are things that we need to do on our side in Africa. We can do better in terms of our own domestic resource mobilization; move away from raw materials exports and insist on processing and adding value to our own resources. But in the process, the stock exchange in London can be a pivot in the new relationship with the continent of Africa. Countries like my own see themselves in the noble opportunities of helping to mobilize all of these capitals around the world for investment in Africa's infrastructure. On the official British High Commission in Accra's Twitter feed, it said @UKinGhana H.E. @NAkufoAddo, alongside @Andrew4Pendle @KenOfori_Atta and @ayorkorshirley, rang the bell signalling trading at the London Stock Exchange, and launched a new partnership with @LSEplc& @gstockexchange to enable Ghana to move to emerging market status #InvestinAfrica. Last year, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia indicated that co-operation with the LSE would assist Ghana's aspiration to become the financial service hub of Africa. Back in Ghana, we are aiming at a Ghana Beyond Aid. This requires that we put together the right economic policies capable of delivering on the Beyond Aid Agenda; our financial systems should be robust enough to support local businesses as well as international investors. We consider co-operating with the LSE as a step in the right direction, Dr. Bawumia indicated. The UK-Ghana Business Council meets twice a year and brings both governments together to find ways to reduce barriers to trade, investment and job creation. The forum is a vehicle to move forward a new strategic economic partnership between the UK and Ghana that focuses on increased trade and investment and also emphasizes the development of priority sectors of the Ghanaian economy that leads to job creation and sustained economic growth. ---Daily Guide A Down GAA star who sustained a fractured skull in an assault over Christmas has been questioned about his knowledge of a glass bottle being thrown towards a disabled man triggering the incident. Caolan Mooney and his brother Patrick Mooney were assaulted in an altercation. Newry magistrates court was told it started after glass from a smashed bottle injured the eye of a wheelchair user known to the defendants. Former Down Minor star, Caolan Mooney moved to Australia in 2011 to play Australian Rules for Melbourne side Collingwood, returning to Ireland three years later to re-join the Down senior squad. The Down man was treated in the Royal Victoria Hospital for a fractured skull whilst his brother was attended to for a broken nose in on street brawl. Lee McKay (37) with an address of Drumalane Park, Newry is charged with attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and affray on December 30, 2019. Co-accused Ruairi Connolly (35) of School Meadow, Newtownhamilton is charged with grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray in the early hours of the same date on Merchants Quay, Newry. A bail variation to allow Mr McKay to return to Australia, where he has lived for the last 10 years, was objected to by a PSNI officer for risk of flight. The entire altercation was said to have been captured by CCTV, and as such when the medical reports have been completed the straight forward, but serious case could be wrapped up quite quickly. However, we are in the hands of the doctors awaiting the reports, said prosecution. Defence solicitor, Gerard Treanor cross examined the police officer and asked if the complainant in the case had been charged with anything. The officer stated that the other man had been interviewed, but not charged. Mr Treanor highlighted that Patrick Mooney, had since left the jurisdiction and moved to California, USA, and therefore Mr McKay should be afforded the same courtesy. Mr McKays parents put forward the deeds to their house as well as offering to sign surety for their son to vary his bail. My client has been on bail since his first appearance in court, he now wishes to return to Australia to work pending any trial, said defence. He is from Newry and came back home for Christmas. He has an entirely clear record. During police interview he was cooperative. The incident is manifest on CCTV. There was a bottle thrown from a crowd. It smashed beside a disabled man, who is in court today, it injured his eye. Mr McKay intervened into the crowd and remonstrated with Patrick Mooney. There are two complainants who are the alleged the injured parties, one of which threw the bottle. This (Mr McKay) is a decent man who has never been in trouble before, added Mr Treanor. District judge McGarrity refused the bail variation due to an inability to manage the defendant whilst in Australia. though suggested any delay in the case would add sympathy to a future application. Both men were released on continuing bail with an appeal expected to take place for Mr McKay at the high court in the coming days. The case was adjourned to February 19, for medical reports to be completed. The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group has insisted that people of the Southwest are the most primitive when it comes to politics. Natio... The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group has insisted that people of the Southwest are the most primitive when it comes to politics. National Secretary of the group, Alhassan Saleh, made the declaration while faulting people of the Southwest for supporting the establishment of Amotekun, a region security outfit. Featuring on Channels Televisions Sunrise Daily programme, Saleh explained that people of the Southwest are very intolerant of opposition. When asked to confirm a statement credited to him saying that the Southwest may lose out in 2023 presidency with the support for Amotekun, Saleh, affirmed saying he was not trying to blackmail the Southwest by making such a remark. He said, It is not blackmail. Unfortunately, with a very strong apology to my South-West friends, despite the education of the Yoruba people, they still remain the most primitive in terms of political culture. They are not tolerant to the opposition and if you allow them to have an ethnic army, definitely there will be fear from Nigerians. Governors from Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos States had a few weeks ago in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital launched the security outfit. The governors had explained that Amotekun was established to curb the issues of insecurity in the Southwest. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: In 2019, the number of imported cars from Georgia to Azerbaijan increased by 86.4 percent or 11,269 units compared to 2018 and reached 24,314 units, Trend reports referring to Georgian National Statistics Office (Geostat). During the reporting period, cars worth $248.76 million were imported by Azerbaijan, which is 31.1 percent or $59.04 million more compared to 2018. In 2018, the number of imported cars from Georgia to Azerbaijan amounted to 13,045 units in the amount of $189.72 million. Last year, the external merchandise trade (excluding non-declared trade) of Georgia amounted to $12.8 billion, 2.7 percent higher year-on-year. The exports equaled $3.7 billion (12.4 percent higher), while the imports stood at $9.1 billion (0.8 percent lower). In 2019, the share of the top ten trading partners by exports in the total exports of Georgia amounted to 73.3 percent. The top partners were Azerbaijan ($498.7 million) and Russia ($497.1 million). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 [January 21, 2020] Harris Williams Advises Groundworks on its Growth Capital Partnership with Cortec Group Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces that it advised Groundworks, a portfolio company of Succession Capital Partners (Succession) and Matt Malone, Groundworks founder and CEO, on their growth capital partnership with Cortec Group (Cortec). Groundworks is the nation's largest privately-held residential foundation services company and a rapidly growing residential services platform. The transaction was led by John Neuner, Brent Spiller, Zach Ledwith and Dylan Digmon of the Harris Williams Consumer Group. As part of the transaction, Succession will remain an investor in the company and Matt Malone will continue as CEO. "We are excited to have seen first-hand the incredible platform that Founder and CEO Matt Malone and his team have put together. Through its relentless dedication to its customers and employees, the Groundworks team is well on its way to becoming the first national foundation services player," said John Neuner, a managing director at Harris Williams. "We are proud to have found the Groundworks team a fantastic partner in Cortec as they begin the next chapter of growth together." "Groundworks is a unique company that is not just rapidly growing, but evolving an industry. The company'sdifferentiated business model, scalable infrastructure and passionate team position the business for continued growth. It is an honor to have led another marquee residential services transaction which represents our fifth deal in the space over the last 18 months. We look forward to extending our deep track record in this dynamic sector," added Brent Spiller, a managing director at Harris Williams. Groundworks is the nation's largest privately-held residential foundation services company. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the company provides foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, and concrete lifting. Groundworks is comprised of Complete Basement Systems, Florida Foundation Authority, Foundation Recovery Systems, Foundation Repair of Western Colorado, Indiana Foundation Service, Innovative Basement Authority, JES Foundation Repair, Mount Valley Foundation Services, Ohio Basement Authority, Ohio Basement Systems, Tar Heel Basement Systems, A-1 Sewer & Drain, Independence Materials Group and Bizwiz Software. Since 1986, the combined companies have helped over 250,000 homeowners protect and repair their most valuable asset, their home. Groundworks operates over 20 offices that serve Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minneapolis, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The company has been named to the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies list and received the Inc. Best Workplaces award numerous times. Since 2009, Succession has specialized in partnering with family-owned, blue-collar business owners seeking to transition out of their businesses while looking to protect their employees and business legacy. Unlike traditional private equity firms, the Succession investment approach includes the investment team running the business day to day. Founded in 1984, Cortec teams with entreprenuer/founders and management to invest in high value-added, middle market consumer, healthcare, distribution, and other specialty services and products businesses, with a focus on teams who want to work with Cortec to drive growth and improve business fundamentals. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC (News - Alert) Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). The Harris Williams Consumer Group has completed more than 60 transactions in recent years across a variety of verticals, including branded consumer products; consumer services; food, beverage and agribusiness; and restaurant and retail. For more information on the Harris Williams Consumer Group and other recent transactions, visit the Consumer Group's section of the Harris Williams website. Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 5th Floor, 6 St. Andrew Street, London EC4A 3AE, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: [email protected]). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business. For media inquiries, please contact Katie Langemeier, associate brand manager, at +1 (804) 915-0179. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006023/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] JERUSALEM, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mike Evans, on behalf of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center, announced on Wednesday, January 22nd that he will be bestowing the "Friends of Zion Award" to Russian President Vladimir Putin and on behalf of the Russian people, who saved a multitude of Jews during World War II. President Putin is in Jerusalem for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, an event titled "Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Antisemitism," with over forty world leaders. The forum falls on the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Friends of Zion Present Award to Vladimir Putin. In December 2017, President Donald Trump received the Friends of Zion Award in the Oval Office from Mike Evans (Photo Credit: White House) The "Friends of Zion Award" was commissioned by Israel's ninth President Shimon Peres, who served as the first International Chairman of the Friends of Zion, honors world leaders for their support of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Nine world leaders have received the "Friends of Zion Award," including: two American presidents: President Trump and 43rd President George W. Bush. In December 2017, President Donald Trump received the "Friends of Zion Award" in the Oval Office from Mike Evans. The event was attended by Vice President Mike Pence, Senior Advisors Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump and faith leaders representing over 150 million Christian globally. Mike Evans has notified the Russian Embassy in Israel of his decision to honor President Putin, in addition he announced that "Friends of Zion Heritage Center will be building a special exhibition honoring Russia for saving a multitude of Jews during World War II. FOZ is also building an exhibition in honor of President Trump for all he has done to support the State of Israel and combat anti-Semitism," said Evans. The Friends of Zion Heritage Center is the largest social network organization in the world combatting anti-Semitism. On Facebook alone, they have 69 million followers (Jerusalem Prayer Team). Located in the heart of Jerusalem, the Friends of Zion Museum brings stories of love and heroism to the world. Magnificently told using ground-breaking technology found nowhere else in the nation, visitors experience the unfolding story as though stepping back in time. Accompanied by a moving original musical score, fantastic surround sound, lighting second-to-none and interactive displays that appear to come to life before your very eyes, the Friends of Zion Museum is a once in a lifetime experience for audiences from around the world. Visitors enter a whole new world, where they meet the biblical figures, academics, businessmen, and military officials who, through their faith, have forged an everlasting bond between the Jewish and Christian peoples. Mike Evans is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with 100 published books. He is the founder of Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem of which the late President Shimon Peres, Israel's ninth president, was the chair. He also serves as a founding member on the Trump Evangelical Faith Initiative and has 69 million Facebook followers on the Jerusalem Prayer Team. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080634/Friends_of_Zion_Award.jpg For more information or interview interest, please contact PR360 at +972-3-5449494 or [email protected] SOURCE Friends of Zion Museum The kidnapped chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa state, Lawan Andami, has been killed. The pastor who was abducted on January 3 by members the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), after an attack on Michika town, was announced killed on Monday by his abductors. The killing of Mr Andami came two days after ISWAP claimed to have killed another abducted Christian whose identity has not been made known. A Nigerian journalist who has maintained contacts with Boko Haram, Ahmad Salkida, broke the news on his Twitter handle Tuesday. Mr Andami was last seen alive in a video clip shared online by his abductors two weeks ago. In the video, be was heard saying that his abductors were nice to him. The murdered CAN chairman appeared calm and sounded hopeful that he would regain his freedom. They didnt do anything wrong to me,\ he said in the shared video that went viral. I believe God who allows them to act in this way is still alive, and by the grace of God He will still make arrangement for my releaseby the grace of God I will soon be together with my wife, my children, and my colleagues, but the opportunity has not been granted yet. Though no video or photograph of his corpse was shown, the national body of CAN confirmed the execution of Mr Andami in a harsh statement that berated the Nigerian government for failing to stand up for the deceased and many other Christians killed the insurgents recently. The CAN President, Samson Ayokunle, said he is almost losing hope in the governments ability to protect Nigerians especially Christians. He said, the Church did everything within her reach to secure the safe release of this pastor gentleman but it was not possible because they didnt have the military power to do so. Just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State. The Church views the unabated kidnappings, extortions and killings of Christians and innocent Nigerians as shameful to the government that each time boasts that it has conquered insurgency. Mr Andami, a native of Kwada kwsmtiyahi village, in Chibok local government of Borno State was abducted after Boko Haram attacked Michika town on January 3. His execution coincided with the day his native home was attacked by Boko Haram on Monday. Reaction The United Kingdom High Commissioner for Nigeria in reaction to the killing of the pastor sent out a message on Twitter condemning the development. Terrible to read the news of the execution of Pastor Rev Lawan Andimi by Boko Haram, he said. I utterly condemn such an awful crime and offer my deepest sympathy to his family and congregation. Nigerias former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has also reacted to the issue. This development saddens me, he said. Theres a compelling need to recalibrate our security architecture. I sympathize with the family of Pastor Lawan Andimi and the entire body of CAN in Nigeria. May the soul of the deceased Rest In Peace. President Muhammadu Buhari reacted to the killing of the reverend from London. Advertisements A statement circulated by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the terrorist killing of Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika local government area of Adamawa, describing it as cruel, inhuman and deliberately provocative. President Buhari regretted that the terrorists killed the religious leader while giving signals of a willingness to set him free by releasing him to third parties. He consoled the Christian community all over Nigeria, the government and people of Adamawa as well as the Bishops family over the sad loss of the man of God. He said that terrorists would continue to pay a heavy price for their actions and would comprehensively be defeated by our determined armed forces. The president urged nations of the world to end all support provided to the Boko Haram and the Islamic States in West Africa (ISWA) terrorist groups whose only goal was to sow death, violence, and destruction in the sub-region. The Boko Haram insurgency which is currently in its second decade has recently worsened with the outlawed group embarking on daily attacks and mass abductions that reminds one of the pre-Buhari era. More than 40,000 are estimated to have been killed during the war. Millions of others have been displaced mainly in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. Highlights The new Snapdragon chipsets have been launched in India by Qualcomm The chipsets bring support for ISRO's new navigation system The three chipsets are mid-range offerings and greatly improve in performance over their predecessors US-based chipmaker Qualcomm has launched three new chipsets at an event in New Delhi. The chipsets have been announced for entry-level and mid-range smartphones and include the latest Snapdragon 720G, Snapdragon 662, and Snapdragon 460 SoCs, which come as successors to last year's mid-range offerings that ended up becoming quite popular with smartphone buyers. The company has informed that all three chipsets feature Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and Bluetooth 5.1 support, and are also the first to support ISRO's Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) satellite positioning system. The chipsets also bring with them other interesting features, including improved AI and imaging features. Snapdragon 720G The Qualcomm 720G offers the Snapdragon Elite Gaming suite, and brings support for features like jitter reduction, 10-bit colors with HDR, and AptX Adaptive audio codec. It also brings support for Qualcomm's FastConnect 6200 Wi-Fi subsystem, doubling Wi-Fi range and real-world speeds. There's support for Wi-Fi 6 with 2x2 MIMO, and a 4x4 MIMO X15 LTE modem that delivers Category 15 speeds up to 800Mbps over mobile networks. There's also dual SIM dual VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling. For performance, the chipset is built using an advanced 8nm process and features two Cortex A76 cores at 2.3GHz and six A55 cores at 1.8GHz. There's an Adreno 618 GPU for "true HDR10 gaming", the same as the 730G. There's also a Hexagon 692 DSP for better on-device AI, and Qualcomm's Sensing Hub for always-on digital assistants. The SoC can support cameras up to 192MP and can handle displays up to FHD+ (2520 x 1080) running at 90Hz/120Hz refresh rates. For battery performance, there's support for Quick Charge 4+. Snapdragon 662 The Snapdragon 662gets a number of upgrades that help it become ready for 2020. It is powered by four Cortex A73 cores at 2.0GHz and four A53 cores at 1.8GHz, sat alongside the Adreno 610 GPU. For connectivity, it has an X11 modem that goes up to 390Mbps with 2x2 MIMO. However, its main highlight is the support for the Spectra 340T ISP, which helps it support up to three cameras at the back. This will be the first time that a 600 series chipset for Qualcomm will be able to support this many cameras. For individual sensors, however, the chipset can handle sensors up to 48-megapixel, and can also handle HEIC photo and HEVC video formats. The Snapdragon 662 can support FHD+ displays at 60Hz and even juice up phones using Quick Charge 3.0. The chipset has been fabricated using a 11nm node. Snapdragon 460 Qualcomm's latest SoC in the series promises a performance boost of 70 per cent over its predecessor. Graphics performance has also been bumped up with the use of an Adreno 610 GPU for the first time in this series. Much of this upgrade in performance is because Qualcomm is using Cortex A73 cores that go up to 1.8GHz. The SoC has again been fabricated using an 11nm process, with the chipset supporting Quick Charge 3.0, HEIF compatibility, and FHD+ panels running at 60Hz. Interestingly, the Snapdragon 460 is rated to support cameras with up to 25-megapixel, which can be a maximum three in number. The Congress accused the Narendra Modi government of spreading falsehood regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which it said was "unconstitutional" as the country's Constitution does not allow grant of citizenship on the basis of religion. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal challenged Amit Shah for a debate on the new law, hours after the home minister challenged Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders for the same. His comments came a day before the Supreme Court is set to hear petitions challenging the amended citizenship law. Addressing a press conference, Sibal said Prime Minister Modi and Shah were spreading a "set of nine lies" on the amended citizenship law, and wondered how the people of the country would believe them. "The government, the prime minister and home minister are perpetrating nine lies on CAA. Their first lie is that CAA is not discriminatory. The Constitution has five provisions for citizenship and religion is not mentioned anywhere. Citizenship Act, 1955, also contains the same provisions," Sibal told reporters. "India's Constitution says you cannot give citizenship on the basis of religion," he said, alleging that it was the prime minister and the home minister who were spreading lies on the issue and misrepresenting the provisions of the new law. Sibal alleged that the government brought the new law deliberately in order to divert people's attention from key issues such as economy and price rise. On whether the states need to implement CAA, he termed the question "academic" and said, "Attempts are being made to create a controversy out of nothing." "I am sure that something will be done to make sure when the Supreme decides the matter, one way or the other, that will be the law of the country like the Ram Janmabhoomi," the Congress leader said. Another lie being spread by the PM and the home minister is that CAA has no connection with the planned National Register of Citizens (NRC), Sibal alleged. "In April 2019, Amit Shah had said the CAB will come first, followed by NRC. On December 9, 2019, he spoke of a nationwide NRC after passing CAB in the Lok Sabha. The link of CAA-NRC cannot be denied," the Congress leader said. He said the third lie is that Modi said in a rally on December 22 that there was no discussion on NRC after he formed government. "Whereas, in the President's address to the Joint Session of Parliament on June 20, 2019, NRC implementation primarily was announced." "The fourth lie is that the process of NRC was neither notified nor is it legal. This is a complete lie because when NRC was adopted in 2003, article 14 (a) mentions it as being legal and that it will give identity card to every citizen of the country," he said. Sibal said the government's claim that NRC is yet to begin is a "lie" as "NRC commencement notification has been issued effective April 1." Claims that the National Population Register (NPR) has no relation with NRC is the "sixth lie", he alleged, adding, "The home ministry's 2018-19 annual report stated that, 'NPR is the first step towards implementing NRC'." Sibal said the "seventh lie" is that no Indian needs to be scared and the "eighth" is what Modi said that there is no detention centre in the country. "As many as 988 people are imprisoned in six detention centres in Assam alone. In January 2019, the Government of India directed to set up Detention Centres," the Congress leader said. He added the "ninth lie" was that no force was used against anti-CAA protesters. "Twenty-eight people died in UP alone. People's houses were burnt, shops were burnt, they entered people's houses and killed them and the BJP government is lying," Sibal said. "Is it the priority of the government to uplift people out of poverty or to get people involved in issues, which will destroy their lives and livelihoods. When the economy is not functioning, when unemployment is at a such high level, when our farmers are not getting anything, all that is being done is attempting to get foreign investment even by destroying the ordinary traders of this country," he alleged. On the arrest of NRI businessman C C Thampi by the ED in a money laundering case, Sibal said, "When these protests are going on, what else will these people do?... These are all diversionary tactics. The most important thing is to deal with the concerns of our people. Immigration Attorney Lisa Rivas in Danbury has been based named a Cramer & Anderson partner. Attorney Rivas joined Cramer & Anderson six years ago as a young Associate and we knew from the first day she would be an important member of the team, said Partner Dan Casagrande. Her work for clients and on cases is meticulous, but its also only the beginning of her inspiring attributes, Casagrande said. Attorney Rivas summons creativity, innovation and sheer willpower in addressing important issues that affect the lives of so many through her volunteer work and community leadership roles. She goes above and beyond, has a tangible positive impact, and inspires colleagues to seek opportunities outside the office to effect positive change, he said. Casagrande said he presented Rivas with the Pro Bono Award during the Law Day events in Danbury in 2017. I am honored to join such a group of well-respected partners, who have always been very supportive of me and what I do, Attorney Rivas said. They encourage zealous representation while being respectful, and they have always encouraged us to be active in the community and to give back, which is very important to me. I am also proud to be the first Latina partner. That means a lot to me personally, he said. Attorney Rivas, who is bilingual, has made it a priority to work in difficult areas of Immigration Law that help clients who might otherwise have nowhere to turn. For example, she offers a low-fee structure to clients pursuing U visas as victims of qualifying crimes. Despite a long, slow process that can stretch on for three to four years, she is committed to this reduced-fee work because U visas could be the only option for a lot of people. Attorney Rivas handles cases involving Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ) Status, the program designed to help foreign children in the U.S. who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both parentsand she has been successful in fighting the deportation of immigrant children in such situations. Outside the office, Attorney Rivas is a tireless advocate for the community of immigrants in western Connecticut, providing legal guidance to newcomers about their rights and obligations on the path to U.S. citizenship, as well as giving numerous free presentations at churches, schools, and nonprofit centers on immigration-related topics. From the moment she began practicing law, Attorney Rivas has been a Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury volunteer. In that role she initiated a citizenship course that began as an annual program but quickly became so vital and popular it was offered four times annually. The goal now for Attorney Rivas is to expand the classes to other towns in the Greater Danbury region and New Milford in order to increase the reach of an effort that ends up minting new U.S. citizens, giving them hope, and putting them on a path to success. Attorney Rivas is expanding those efforts with the 2020 election on the horizon in order to get as many people naturalized as possible so they can vote and have a voice in the communities and country where they work, pay taxes, and contribute to the diverse richness of life. Through the Hispanic Center and other local organizations, Attorney Rivas also gives free talks on issues such as government benefits and drivers licenses, geared to the perspective of those who want to become citizens. She presented a recent talk on more serious matters in Kent, where ICE officers were detaining people, and a similar free presentation is in the works for Danbury. In the past year, she has participated in events for parents of students attending Rogers Park Middle School and Ellsworth Avenue Elementary School. Those who attend are reminded of the risks of circulating publicly and being detained, and informed of their options, which include selecting a standby guardian in case they are detained by DHS or an ICE agent. These presentations by Attorney Rivas are part of an effort to ensure members of immigrant communities are educated about their legal rights, and positioned to pursue those rights without being worried about the cost. To honor Attorney Rivas volunteer work, the Hispanic Center gave her the Above and Beyond Award in 2016, and that same year Attorney Rivas received a Connecticut Law Tribune New Leaders in the Law award for her advocacy on behalf of the immigrant community. Her work and impact as a volunteer doesnt end there. Believing that education is the key to a better future for those who have come to the U.S., Attorney Rivas has helped coordinate the Hispanic Centers annual drive to provide backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need in Greater Danburyand she has been a donor, and then board member of the Latino Scholarship Fund for a decade. A Latino Scholarship Fund scholarship recipient as a high school student, Attorney Rivas currently serves on the scholarship selection committee, which awarded approximately $20,000 in scholarships in June 2019, including a $10,000 scholarship to one student. She is also on the planning committee for the 26th annual gala, Red Carpet Gala, to be held Feb. 15. Attorney Rivas practice areas also include Divorce & Family Law, Immigration Law, Personal Injury Law, and Workers Compensation. She may be reached at (203) 744-1234, or by email at lrivas@crameranderson.com. Attorney Rivas, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Georgetown University, and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law, lives in New Milford with her family. Samsung had great success in the midrange market last year thanks to its revamped A-series and M-series. 2020 is set to deliver even more Samsung phones in that segment and a new set of certifications from the Wi-Fi Alliance gives us some more details about the upcoming Galaxy M11, M31 and A11. The listing reveals all three handsets will run Android 10 but the M11 (model number SM-M115F/DS) and A11 (SM-A115F/DS) will only support single band 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity while the M31 (SM-M315F/DS) steps up to dual-band capabilities. Galaxy M11 and M31 certifications The only other info we have on the M11 is that it will to come in blue, black and violet colors. The M31 was spotted on Geekbench with an Exynos 9611 SoC and 6GB RAM but weve also seen some reports that we could see the Snapdragon 665 instead. The camera department is expected to come with a 48MP main shooter alongside a 12MP wide and 5MP depth helper. Galaxy A11 certification The A11 is expected to come with 64GB base storage but thats about all we know about this model so far. We'll make sure to update you once we have more info on either of these. Sources 1 2 3 | Via FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators hold Jordanian national flags and chant slogans during a protest against a government's agreement to import natural gas from Israel, in Amman By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's parliament on Sunday approved a draft law to ban imports of Israeli gas to the country just days after they started under a multibillion-dollar deal struck in 2016 which is opposed by much of the population. The motion was passed unanimously by Jordan's 130 lawmakers and will be referred to the cabinet to be made law, although legal hurdles may prevent it coming into force. The government has previously said it was a deal between companies rather than a political matter. The $10 billion supply deal was originally struck between Jordan's state-owned utility and a U.S. Israeli consortium led by Texas-based Noble Energy, to provide gas to the country's power plants for electricity generation. [L8N2960Q9] It was not referred to parliament for approval. A source in the Israeli energy industry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "The gas agreement between Jordanian National Electric Power Company and American-based Noble Energy is being implemented from early January 2020, and no change is expected in that regard." Although U.S. ally Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel the deal, which supplies Jordan for 15 years, has faced much popular opposition, with lawmakers arguing it makes the kingdom dependent on its neighbour for energy. Many Jordanians are also the descendants of Palestinians who moved to the country after the creation of Israel in 1948, and view Israel as an erstwhile enemy that expelled their ancestors from their homes. The Jordanian government said after the agreement was signed in 2016 that securing stable energy prices for the next decade could achieve annual savings of at least $500 million and help reduce a chronic budget deficit. The import of Israeli gas has become a major focus in Jordan and sparked protests and calls for both the deal and the peace treaty to be scrapped. "The gas of the enemy is an occupation. Down with the gas deal," placards carried by protesters said. Story continues Jordan's ties with Israel have come under increasing strain since the gas deal was struck as Israel has moved to the right and since Donald Trump replaced Barack Obama as U.S. president. Jordan's King Abdullah fears Israel's rejection of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank could spark renewed violence and see a new generation of Palestinians relocating to Jordan. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Amrit Singh, an Indian-American law enforcement officer, has scripted history by becoming the first-ever turban-wearing Sikh to be sworn in as Deputy Constable in Harris County in the US state of Texas. Singh, 21, will be the first in his profession to wear his articles of faith - a turban, beard, and uncut hair in the line of duty. It was a historic day on Tuesday as Singh's swearing-in coincided with the adoption of a new policy that allows law enforcement officers in nearly every single Harris County Constable's Office to wear articles of their faith while in uniform. For Sikhs, that means being able to wear a turban and beard while on duty. Singh always wanted to work as a peace officer. He spent years in law enforcement explorer programmes and five months in a police training academy. "Growing up, I always wanted to be a deputy and my Sikh faith was also very important to me," Singh said. "Constable Alan Rosen was the first one to give me a callback. He opened this agency with open arms for me," he said. Speaking at Singh's swearing-in ceremony, Precinct 1 Constable Rosen said the county's eight constables supported accommodations for Sikhs to serve while adhering to their religion. "As a man of the Jewish faith, I know how it feels to be religiously targeted and how important it is to teach inclusion, understanding and tolerance," Rosen said, standing in front of representatives from the county's other constable offices. "To me, wearing a yarmulke or him wearing a turban really doesn't impact the quality of work he's going to do. It should have zero impact on public safety or what job we do. Are you going to care if the person showing up to your door to help save you has a turban or yarmulke? You're not. You're just happy they're there to save you and keep you safe," the officer said. Singh will now go on to months of field training, after which he will be assigned to patrol within Precinct One. In 2015, Harris County made national headlines after sheriff's deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal fought for and won the rights to wear his turban and beard on duty. At the time of the deputy's murder last year, just a few dozen law enforcement agencies across the United States and the US Army had uniform policies with religious accommodations allowing Sikhs to serve in accordance with their faith. "Legacy of Dhaliwal is not far removed, it clearly recognised and acknowledge his service and this is a gift that continues to give in his recognition and legacy," said Bobby Singh, a Sikh community leader. In 2009, Dhaliwal was the first Sikh to join the Harris County Sheriff's Office and in 2015, he became the first Sikh law enforcement officer to be allowed to wear his articles of faith in uniform. He was shot and killed during a traffic stop last year. "We honour his legacy by honouring his faith here today," Rosen said. In the months since Dhaliwal's death, law enforcement agencies in California, Washington and in Texas have signalled willingness to change their policies, said Manpreet Singh of the Sikh Coalition, which advocates for religious accommodations for minority communities in public and private sectors. "It makes me proud to be a Houstonian, and a Texan. I hope the rest of the nation follows Texas," she said. "I could just hope that I could be half as decent a cop as he ever was, and everything I do, I want people to know that I'm doing it following in his footsteps," Deputy Singh said. "He made our community proud," said Suhel Singh, Deputy Singh's father. Singh's parents were recognised at the ceremony. They told FOX 26 that they were proud to see their son pursue his passion even though it is a dangerous job. "The way I look at it, maybe it will make me pray harder and be more praying for his protection from God," said Singh's mother Sukie Kaur. Singh is now one of just two law enforcement officers in the county wearing a turban. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JERUSALEM - French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday lost his temper with Israeli security agents during a visit to a French church in Jerusalem and angrily ordered one of them to leave the premises. The incident occurred during a spat between Israeli forces and Macrons own security detail as he entered the Church of St. Anne. The church, located in Jerusalems Old City, is French state property and Macron did not want the Israeli guards leading him inside. Everybody knows the rules, Macron said in English as he raised his voice toward an Israeli security official. I dont like what you did in front of me. Go outside. He then turned to another Israeli official and thanked him for his work. But he then asked the police around him to please respect the rules as they are for centuries. They will not change with me. Macron later described the incident as a moment of irritation between security forces, noting that Israeli security stops at the door of the church and French security takes over. Israel has deployed thousands of police as dozens of world leaders, including Macron, descend upon the city for a commemoration ceremony Thursday marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The scene was reminiscent of a 1996 visit by then French President Jacques Chirac, who also got angry at Israeli security accompanying him in Jerusalem. What do you want, me to go back to my plane and go back to France? Chirac screamed at the time. In a joint statement, Israeli police and the Shin Bet security agency said that when Macron arrived, there was a discussion between Israeli and French security about entering the church with him. It said Israeli guards escorted him inside based on the terms agreed upon ahead of time. When the president and the delegation finished the visit, he apologized about the incident and shook hands with the security personnel and continued his scheduled visit in the old city with security guards, it said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Actress Yassi Pressman on Wednesday spoke up on the breakup of fellow network artists James Reid and Nadine Lustre that has dragged the name of her sister. The 24-year-old Filipina-British model took to Instagram to defend her sister Issawho she said has fallen victim to cyber bullying. Be careful with the words you say, and things you think are true on social media. They're not always the truth, Pressman wrote on her social media page. Do not be so quick to point fingers, when you do not have the proper information, she added, accompanying the post with the hashtag #ThinkBeforeYouClick and a photo with Lustre herself. Hindi po papatol ang kapatid ko sa mga sinasabi ninyo," the actress said. [Translation: My sister wont do the things youve been saying.] Lustre and Reid, who were supposed to celebrate their fourth anniversary in February, confirmed on Monday that they have indeed parted ways. The two cited personal growth as reason for the split. They first teamed up onscreen in 'Diary ng Panget: The Movie' in 2014, in which many became fans of their love team. This was followed up by several movies and television dramas like "On The Wings of Love" and "Till I Met You." An Indian immigrant armed himself with a knife after men threatened him over an 'outstanding debt' in an attack where three men lost their lives, a court heard today. Gurjeet Singh, 29, was arrested after a 'vicious fight' in which three men, aged 29, 30, and 38 years, were killed in Seven Kings, Ilford on January 19. Singh was charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place after the deaths of Harinder Kumar, Narinder Singh, and Baljit Singh. Police have not confirmed whether Singh will face any further charges. Singh did not enter a plea at today's hearing at Redbridge Magistrates Court, and was remanded into custody at Pentonville Prison. Harinder Kumar (far left), Narinder Singh (centre left) and Baljit Singh, (right) were stabbed to death and found slumped near Seven Kings station in Ilford at about 7.30pm on Sunday Prosecutor Jagjeet Saund said: 'The circumstances of this incident is that he found himself walking down some stairs and two males were there waiting for him. 'When there was a confrontation, he ran back up some stairs. He was chased and two other males were waiting for him at the top of the stairs. 'He was effectively boxed in. What took place thereafter was a vicious fight involving weapons. 'What's clear is that three people have died as a result of this.' Mr Saund said Singh, who lives in Dagenham, is an Indian national and an overstayer, who was served with a notice to leave in May 2015. Police officers in forensics suits search a park near the scene in East London on Monday He said: 'It's unclear when he entered the UK but he was issued with a student visa with an expiry date of November 2013. 'In 2015 he made a failed application to remain in the UK under the Human Rights Act. 'As of this moment, he has not been granted any right to remain in the UK. 'In relation with interfering with obstructing the course of justice, four people were involved in the fight. 'One person is still outstanding. 'It is believed this incident may have revolved around an outstanding debt owed by Mr Singh to a number of individuals.' Magistrate Gillian Seabright told Singh: 'We are sending you to trial at the Crown Court. That is Snaresbrook Crown Court and it's for the offence of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. 'Your first attendance is at Snaresbrook for a plea and trial preparation hearing on the 19 February 2020. 'You need to be in court at 9.30 on that day.' The court heard there was at least one other person still at large involved with the altercation that saw three individuals lose their lives. Singh, who appeared in court in a grey prison-issued jogging bottoms and sweatshirt with medium-length scraggly hair and goatee, also had bandages wrapped around his index and middle finger on his left hand and wrist. He stood quietly throughout the ten minute hearing and only spoke to confirm his name, age and address, nodding throughout as he listened to the Punjabi interpreter. A forensic tent is seen in the Seven Kings area of Ilford in East London on Monday morning A graphic shows where the incident unfolded in the Seven Kings area of Ilford in East London One of the victims who were all said to have been builders - was stabbed in the neck, shoulder and chest, while another had been hit in the head with a hammer. Jasbal Singh, Narinder's brother, said on Monday that he rushed to the scene the day before just after 7.30pm and pleaded with his dying brother to 'wake up'. 'I went there and just saw him laying there,' he added. 'There was blood everywhere. I shouted 'wake up, wake up' but it was no good. I had lost him.' Mr Singh added that Mr Kumar had been a close friend and housemate, adding: 'I have lost not only my brother but a best friend I lived with.' Detectives said they were keeping an open mind about the motive for the killings, and are not looking to make any further arrests for murder. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine, of Scotland Yard, said: 'We now believe all those involved were known to each other and from the Sikh and Hindu community.' Police said anyone with information should contact the incident room on 020 8345 3865 or anonymously call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 WHERE THE SIX MURDERS IN LONDON DURING 2020 HAVE BEEN COMMITTED # NAME AGE DATE INCIDENT TIME STREET LOCATION 1 William Algar 53 Jan 3 4.57pm Nowell Road Barnes 2 Takieddine Boudhane 30 Jan 3 6.50pm Charteris Road Finsbury Park 3 Krasimir Kartikov 60 Jan 13 8.50am Whitehorse Road Croydon 4 Harinder Kumar 22 Jan 19 7.38pm Elmstead Road Seven Kings 5 Narinder Singh 26 Jan 19 7.38pm Elmstead Road Seven Kings 6 Baljit Singh 34 Jan 19 7.38pm Elmstead Road Seven Kings Last week a majority of the judges who serve on Spains Constitutional Court (CC) ruled that Jordi Sanchezs pre-trial detention was lawful. Nevertheless, two of the sitting justices (Fernando Valdes Dal-Re and Juan Antonio Xiol Rios) cast a dissenting vote. On Tuesday the court published the judgement that dismisses the appeal filed by the former president of the Catalan National Assembly [ANC in Catalan], together with the opinions of the two dissenting judges. While neither Valdes nor Fiol openly oppose Sanchezs imprisonment, both of them argue that, once he was elected to the Catalan parliament, Spains Supreme Court should have given more pre-eminence to Sanchezs right to political representation. The two dissenting CC judges point out that [the ruling] fails to mention any considerations that might be understood as part of the necessary judgement of proportionality required when the right to political representation is invoked. Their criticism applies both to the initial decision by the examining judge, Pablo Llarena, and to the decision taken by the Supreme Courts panel that ultimately dismissed Sanchezs appeal. Their point point of view is consistent with the opinion that the same two judges plus their colleague Maria Luisa Balaguer issued when they had to review a request by ERC leader Oriol Junqueras to be released so that he may attend the opening session of the Catalan parliament. Not only did Justice Llarena disregard Sanchezs office as an elected representative when he denied his release, but in an interlocutory statement the judge emphasised that Sanchez was more likely to re-offend after becoming a member of parliament. On 6 of February 2018 Justice Llarena wrote that not only has Mr Sanchez not relinquished his public activities which from various fronts have been instrumental to the events [being probed], but he has also doubled on his commitment by running on a slate whose candidates have pledged to bring back the political dynamic that led to the actions currently being examined by this court, and that eventually led to the suspension of Catalonias home rule [in 2017]. An adverse effect on the Catalan parliament Valdes and Xiol point out that, as a member of a regional parliament, Sanchez was denied the exercise of his office, for which he needed to be physically present [in the chamber] and, furthermore, the Catalan parliament was denied the contributions of a particularly outstanding member in its deliberation and decision-making processes, bearing in mind that Jordi Sanchezs name was even considered as a presidential hopeful. For these reasons, the two judges (whose views were in a minority in the CCs vote) believe that other options rather than detention should have been contemplated or, at the very least, Sanchezs right to political representation should have been given more pre-eminence. In their statement Valdes and Xiol also mention that the concern about Sanchez hypothetically re-offending [after his release from prison] is not founded on the certainty that he is guilty of a crime that might be repeated, as that will only be ascertained once the defendant has been positively convicted. Jeffrey Lendrum spent three decades living as the so-called "Pablo Escobar of eggs", smuggling the fragile shells from the nests of falcons and other birds of prey to wealthy international clients. His racket was smashed in 2018 when customs officers at London's Heathrow Airport found him in possession of 19 birds of prey eggs worth a total of 100,000 pounds ($130,000, 118,000 euros). During a full search, he was found to be wearing a body belt made out of bandages concealing 19 eggs from vultures, falcons and kites as well as two newly-hatched African fish eagle chicks. His body belt was designed to "brood" his stash so the chicks would not die before he sold them. A British court sentenced the 58-year-old Irish-Zimbabwean to more than three years in prison in January last year. But he now faces another court appearance on Wednesday, which could see him spend up to three more years in jail in South America, if Britain accepts an extradition request. He is wanted for skipping bail in 2016 after a Brazilian judge sentenced him to four and a half years for attempting to smuggle peregrine falcons out of the country. Middle East buyers Stealing bird eggs runs in the family: the veteran thief received his first conviction aged 22, when he and his father were found guilty of petty theft in Zimbabwe. Jeffrey Lendrum was found to be wearing a body belt of bandages concealing eggs from vultures, falcons and kites as well as two newly-hatched African fishing eagles chicks His body belt was designed to "brood" his stash so the chicks would not die before he sold them. By HO (CROWN PROSECTION SERVICE/AFP/File) He has since served time in Canada, Brazil and Britain. The main drivers of egg poaching are wealthy clients in the Middle East, where peregrine falcons are in great demand for traditional falconry and can sell for thousands of dollars, according to the wildlife trade specialists Traffic. Illegal trade in animals is worth nearly $20 billion each year, according to Interpol. But Traffic spokesman Richard Thomas said there are "fewer than half a dozen" reported cases of egg thefts around the world each year. However, the thefts are "not insignificant" and still constitute "serious crimes", he told AFP. "Some of the species involved are extremely rare and even small numbers (of eggs) illegally taken from the wild can have a significant impact on threatened populations," he added. Anti-hero? The smuggler's 35-year notoriety is such that "Lendrum is a well-known name to conservation charities working on illegal bird trade issues", said Thomas. In 2010, he was stopped at Birmingham International Airport in central England with egg boxes strapped to his chest. Nicknamed "the Pablo Escobar of eggs" by the British press after the Colombian drug lord, Lendrum has amazed readers with the audacity of his crimes. He has been arrested five times on three different continents. Details of his crimes contrast with the grey-haired, potbellied man, half-naked and wrapped in strips of cloth, after his arrest. Lendrum, once a member of the Rhodesian army's special forces, even used a helicopter during a theft in northern Quebec, hanging from a rope to get close to the nest, according to Joshua Hammer, in "The Falcon Thief", the book he wrote about Lendrum's exploits. The Financial Times called Lendrum "the world's greatest bird of prey thief" but Thomas warned against turning him into "an anti-hero". "Rather, I think the publicity around his regular convictions helps demonstrate that persistent offenders will be caught and receive increasingly more severe punishments," he said. Students attend a talk on LGBTQ+ rights in Murcia. No te prives It all began with a photo. In April 2018, the then-chief of the education department of Spains southeastern Murcia region, Adela Martinez Cacha, of the conservative Popular Party (PP), posed for a press photo at a school with members of No Te Prives (Dont Deprive Yourself), an LGBTQ+ collective that gives talks on preventing abuse and homophobia in schools. The [ultra-conservative Catholic organization] Family Forum demanded that parents be asked to give their permission to allow their children to attend our talks, says Eva Illan, a social educator from the collective. Both Illan and members of the Murcia Association of High School Principals (ADES) say this moment was the origin of the so-called parental veto, a policy by the Spanish far-right group Vox that gives parents the right to stop their children from attending complementary workshops organized during school hours. Schools are organizing fewer activities because of the bureaucratic and organizational problems involved with the parental veto Clara Garcia, workshop organizer Under the policy, parents must give express authorization for their children to attend workshops on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, school bullying and xenophobia. There has been no great outcry from parents demanding this measure complaints about these types of workshops in Spain have been few. But those who give such talks in and outside of Murcia say they feel targeted by Vox, and have already been affected by the controversy. Clara Garcia has been organizing storytelling workshops in Murcia for more than 20 years, and gets requests from schools every month. But not this school year. I think its because schools are organizing fewer activities because of the bureaucratic and organizational problems involved with collecting permissions from parents and managing what the children without them are going to do during that time, explains Garcia. Up to 165 organizations have signed a document against the parental veto: We cannot make optional at school values that have not been optional in our country for more than 40 years, the statement reads, in reference to Spains return to democracy in the late 1970s. These are some of the workshops that are being targeted by Vox: Barbara Saenz and Ruth Arriero, founders of Serise Sexologia, at a school in La Rioja. Serise Sexologia Now there are students who dont come to my talks No Te Prives. LGBTQ+ workshop (Murcia) The collective No Te Prives has been giving talks since 2010. The talks are divided into two sections. In the first, we clarify concepts like what is biological sex, gender, sexual orientation, explains Illan, while the second half exposes prejudices and explains how to address rejection of those who are different and how to respect that difference. The last school year, the group gave 200 talks in 28 schools, reaching 3,000 students. But this past fall they have begun to notice the effect of the parental veto. Now there are students who dont attend. According to Illan, by not attending this talk, students miss out on the opportunity to hear something that they may not hear at home, to be critical. To hear someone tell them that there is nothing bad about not being heterosexual, that they can live normally. They have called us pedophiles Skolae. Sexual education (Navarre) The coeducation plan Skolae, approved by the Navarre regional government in 2017, is centered on four themes: a critical attitude towards sexism, personal autonomy and economic independence, leadership and empowerment, and sexual education and the preventiion of gender violence. This last issue was used by the center-right party Ciudadanos, the PP and the regional group Navarra Suma in the lead-up to the 2019 regional election in May. The concept of erotic childrens games, which was mentioned in the program, roused heated public debate. Catholic and evangelical groups denounced the workshop, which won the UNESCO Award for Women and Girls Education in 2018. Two pending lawsuits against the program are awaiting sentencing by the Navarre High Court. I dont know what the dirty minds of the far right think these games are about Marian Moreno, Skolae Marian Moreno is one of the creators of Skolae, and was called to testify before a judge. I dont know what the dirty minds of the far right think these games are about, but the term refers to how babies discover their own bodies, something that was punished not long ago. This concept, seen from the perspective of sexology, is the basis of preventing childhood sexual abuse. They learn to set limits and say no, says Moreno, who has not had a social media account since 2018 because of the abuse she received online. We have suffered the consequences of what can happen with a parental veto. They have threatened us and called us pedophiles, indoctrinators, she explains, adding that the group is ready for these threats to resurface. For Moreno, Voxs discourse is a political weapon against equality and public education. I would show pro-veto parents how I help girls of 14 and 15 give birth Murcia Midwives Association. Sex education (Murcia) Pedro Morillas, who is the head of the Murcia Midwives Association, says the organizations sex education program is still up in the air this year. Last year, together with the Cepaim Foundation and Columbares Association, the program reached 1,500 teens in two schools in Murcia. The programs had been requested by the schools, where teachers were worried about the risky practices that teens, many of them in vulnerable situations, were engaging in. This year, however neither of the two schools have contacted them about repeating the talks, even though these had been praised by both students and teachers. I feel very frustrated, because there is an enormous lack of knowledge on sex education among teens. For the parents who dont want to give their children permission to attend these talks, I would bring them with me to the labor room when I help girls of 14 and 15 give birth, he says. There are schools that dont call us for fear of reprisals Seriase. Sexology talks (La Rioja) A tweet from Vox started a hate and defamation campaign against two sexologists. This is how they indoctrinate six-year-old children in sexology in schools in La Rioja. Thats why the parental veto is key, wrote the far-right party in a message on Twitter, where it shared a video with tampered audio of one of the workshops given by the founders of Seriase Sexology: Babara Saenz and Ruth Arriero. The video has been seen more than 187,000 times. Saenz says the daily abuse on social media and by email began a year ago and has intensified since the end of last week, when the controversy over the parental veto erupted. Although for now, [the aggression] has not moved from the virtual world, the fear has been there since they threatened us with physical violence online, he says. There is always someone from the management team present at our sessions. If what Vox says were true, [schools] would have stopped our talks from the start, he adds. There are schools that have not called us again for fear of reprisals. English version by Melissa Kitson. Weather, traffic, and even wild animals can spell trouble for many flights across the country. Since some airports are located in areas that are home to lots of local wildlife, you might expect to see a row of ducks, rabbits, or other wildlife blocking your plane. In Arizona, some passengers can thank a wily coyote for delaying their takeoff. According to USA Today, the animal disrupted three flights taking off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Monday. Perhaps he was just trying to catch that rascal Road Runner. An airport spokesperson told AZ Central (an affiliate of USA Today) that employees led the coyote off the airfield and toward the Salt riverbed. No harm came to any personnel or the coyote. %image1 However, three flights had to circle the airfield until the animal was led away, according to USA Today. Other airport operations were able to proceed without any disturbances. A coyote on the runway may seem unusual, but it's a fairly common sight in the Phoenix metropolitan area, even in urban neighborhoods across Arizona, according to USA Today. Other airports across the country have had their own wildlife run-ins as well. For instance, a 450-pound seal delayed flights at Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Utqiagvik, Alaska, back in 2017. Similarly, in 2018, an alligator wandered onto the runway at Orlando International Airport, blocking a Spirit Airlines flight. Wildlife can also directly interfere with equipment, like the pigeon that snuck on a flight at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, or the owl that decided to take a nap inside a Virgin Australia plane engine. Luckily, these animals were unharmed. For the most part, employees work to make sure local wildlife stays away from machinery on the runway. If one animal does get in the way, it is usually (humanely) taken to a safe area. On Wednesday, Lebanon finally got a new government after being in the midst of political turmoil for the past several months. This new development was announced by the country's presidency. A Qatar based news agency reported that the presidency announced the formation of the new government after Hezbollah and its allies addressed the issue of what they called "the country's worst economic crisis in decades." Hezbollah managed to crack a deal with the cabinet to tackle this. Read: Over 200 injured as protesters and riot police clash in Lebanon The new government will be headed by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, a 60-year old professor at the American University of Beirut. His ministry would consist of 20 ministers-technocrats. Diab said this government represented the will of the people who had taken to streets asking for a change in the political pool. He stressed that "it will strive to meet their demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of embezzled funds, for the fight against illegal gains." Read: Lebanon to release protesters detained after night of riots Revolution against the political elite The country has been hit by protests since October last year against the ruling political class. The protesters have rallied against the country's political elite who have ruled Lebanon since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. The protesters blame politicians for widespread corruption and mismanagement in a country that has accumulated one of the largest debt ratios in the world. Read: Israel building underground defense system on Lebanon border Read: Lebanon: Massive protests turn violent, President calls on Army to intervene in Beirut (With inputs from agencies) The Democratic presidential primary is heating up in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses, with Senator Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden releasing dueling attack ads in a feud over Social Security. Biden on Tuesday night released an ad accusing Sanders of 'dishonest attacks' after the Sanders camp repeatedly pointed to evidence that Biden had supported cuts to Social Security. 'I've been fighting to protect and expand Social Security for my whole career. Any suggestion otherwise is just flat-out wrong,' Biden wrote in a tweet. Sanders immediately fired back with an attack ad of his own, adding in a tweet: 'Let's be honest, Joe. One of us fought for decades to cut Social Security, and one of us didn't. But don't take it from me. Take it from you.' The Sanders ad features audio from Biden addressing the Senate in 1995, saying 'When I argued that we should freeze Federal spending, I meant Social Security as well.' Biden's ad features quotes from prestige press opinion columnists, accusing the Sanders camp of misrepresenting Biden's record on Social Security. Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shakir responded with a blistering four-page press release highlighting Biden's prior remarks about cutting or freezing Social Security, dating back to 1984. 'Biden just released the first negative ad of the 2020 Dem primary, and let's be clear about why: he's trying to distort his decades-long record of proposing and voting for cuts to Social Security benefits for millions of people,' Shakir said in a statement. It comes just a day after the two campaigns had apparently brokered a truce, after Biden falsely accused Sanders' campaign of using a 'doctored video' to question his record on Social Security. The video in question, circulated on Twitter by a top Sanders adviser, is real, and matches the official transcript of the event word-for-word. Biden released an ad accusing Sanders of 'dishonest attacks' after the Sanders camp repeatedly pointed to evidence that Biden had supported cuts to Social Security Sanders immediately fired back with an attack ad of his own, adding in a tweet: 'Let's be honest, Joe. One of us fought for decades to cut Social Security, and one of us didn't' Meanwhile, Sander's campaign has reportedly urged staffers to ignore recent remarks from Hillary Clinton that 'nobody likes' the Vermont senator. Sanders' aides and allies feel that Clinton is trying to bait them with her remarks, including declining to commit to supporting him if he wins the Democratic primary, according to Politico. Sanders' campaign told staffers internally to not discuss Clinton's comments, and urged his online fans to volunteer for him instead of tweeting about Clinton. Clinton made her remarks in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote 'Hillary' - a documentary of her marriage and political life that will air on Hulu. She addresses Sanders in the documentary, saying: 'He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.' Hillary Clinton speaks at a panel for the Hulu documentary 'Hillary'. In a recent interview she said of Sanders 'Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him' She told The Hollywood Reporter that her assessment of Sanders still holds. And she wouldn't answer whether or not she will endorse him in the 2020 contest. 'I'm not going to go there yet,' she said. 'We're still in a very vigorous primary season. I will say, however, that it's not only him, it's the culture around him. It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters.' She went on to blast his supporters - known as 'Bernie Bros' - for their attacks on women. 'It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women,' Clinton said. 'And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it.' Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan today received the delegation led Head of Unit of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Eastern Partnership of the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission Vassilis Maragos. The parties discussed the main directions for cooperation between Armenia and the European Union and underscored the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as judicial and legal reforms and reforms in migration and the fight against corruption. Arman Tatoyan attached importance to the effective partnership of the Office of the Human Rights Defender, the European Union in Armenia and other EU institutions and highly appreciated the EUs support to the operation of the Office of the Human Rights Defender in Armenia. He also attached importance to the ensuring of human rights in the migration sector and particularly stated the protection of the rights of persons seeking shelter, refugees and migrants, the reforms in the border patrol and rearmament of state border checkpoints. The representatives of the EU delegation attached importance to the cooperation with the Office of the Human Rights Defender and the Ombudsmans involvement in the reforms taking place in Armenia and expressed willingness to support implementation of the programs of the Office of the Human Rights Defender. Its time to acknowledge the pink elephant in the room. The provincial governments ongoing dispute with Ontario teachers unions, cleverly disguised as a budget exercise, is an attack on both female workers and family-friendly policy. Although Doug Fords Progressive Conservatives won 40 per cent of the popular vote in the 2018 provincial election, 57.6 per cent of voters chose one of the progressive parties, either the NDP, the Liberals, or the Greens. This means most Ontarians backed parties offering family-supportive policies. We knew what was at stake: polls conducted in April 2018 showed that many Ontario women were already wary of Fords socially conservative tendencies. My union, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, is 81 per cent female-identified. Contrary to Fords recent insinuations, teachers unions are democratic institutions. I vote for the union steward at my school, the local executive, and the provincial president of my union. They consult us regularly and represent our interests. Teachers unions exist because teachers have historically been a female workforce, facing the unique challenges of caring for children at work and often acting as caregivers, spouses and breadwinners at home. Over the decades, unions have won protections for their members, which came to be extended to all workers, such as paid maternity leaves and health benefits. Modern teaching still exists at the intersection of ordinary life and the human spirit. On a daily basis, Ontarios teachers deal with the consequences of a rapidly evolving society. We are on the front lines of immigration and settlement, the provinces mental health crisis and the changing family. Every day, were called upon to help our students self-regulate, to deal with violence in the classroom and to connect our students and their families to services, such as social work and counselling. As budget cuts decimate those services, we do so with very limited support. Like nursing, teaching is a profession still overwhelmingly occupied by women. Like nursing, it encompasses evidence-based practice, yet relies upon a seasoned workforce with a well-honed tool kit of empathy, deep interpersonal skills and problem-solving ability. In other words, its a form of emotional labour that women continue to provide, even though its increasingly devalued. In offering parents $25 to $60 to cover child care during our one-day strike, the government shows that this work is lowly regarded. When the work of women is maligned, it makes it harder to attract and retain male teachers in the profession, thereby doing a disservice to all genders/expressions. Elementary teachers are striking to save full-day kindergarten, which allows children to learn with both teachers and early childhood educators in the classroom. In Quebec, a world-class daycare program has returned many women to the workplace, causing a baby boom and economic upswing lasting many years. Now, Quebec Premier Francois Legault wants to extend this child-centred and feminist policy to a full-day kindergarten program based on Ontarios model the model Premier Ford seems bent on eliminating. In addition, teachers are walking out to save funding for the special education programs that serve our most vulnerable students and to oppose larger class sizes, which make it impossible for us to provide the kind of individualized attention and instruction families have come to expect. Were not alone in this fight: reports suggest 70 per cent of Ontario parents consulted by the Ford government opposed an increase in class sizes. And yes, were also striking to protect our own working conditions. In the egalitarian society Canada claims to be, a woman who holds at least five years of university education and 10 years of experience in her field should not need to justify her desire for compensation that reflects those qualifications. Nor should a person of any gender expression. In the most recent round of negotiations with the Ontario Police, an overwhelmingly male workforce, officers were granted salary raises of 2 per cent per year. It is time for teachers, and all Ontarians, to call out the pink elephant in the room. Fords dispute with teachers unions is sexism wrapped in the monks robes of austerity. It hurts women. It hurts families. And it needs to end. Andrea Raymond is an elementary school teacher with 16 years of experience, an ETFO member and writer based in Toronto. Read more about: The National Lottery Community Fund has today announced more than 3.7m of grants to over one hundred projects that are helping tackle issues affecting communities across Northern Ireland such as domestic violence and isolation. Fermanagh Women's Aid is using a 498,237 grant to fund their 'Safety and Wellbeing Support' project over the next four years. Mid Ulster Women's Aid is using over 8,000 to refurbish their refuge. Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid has also been awarded 9,600 to provide children living in their three refuges with a "buddy back pack" containing essential items to comfort them during their stay. Many groups have also received funding who help support good mental health. Bikes and Minds in Dunmurry, which brings people together to enjoy a common interest and help people who may be lonely, is using a 10,000 grant to purchase tools and equipment for bicycle and motorcycle repair. Robert Guiney, who helped set up Bikes and Minds, said: "Each Saturday we have around 20 people who come together and have the craic all while fixing some motorbikes and having a chat. We have a range of people coming, young and old. Men in particular are not good at talking about feeling lonely or admitting there is something wrong or worrying them." UofG research will look at the worldwide map of contemporary Burns Suppers He is Scotlands national bard and an iconic Scottish figure known around the world. And every year on the birthday of Robert Burns 25 January we celebrate his life and enduring legacy with haggis, whisky and poetry. Since the first supper was held in 1801 by the bards close friends as a memorial dinner it has morphed into a worldwide event celebrating Scotlands distinctive heritage and culture. Today it is estimated that over nine and a half million people around the world take part in a Burns Supper every year. Now academics at the University of Glasgow plan to pull together a worldwide map of contemporary Burns Supper activity. They will create a digital map of Burns Supper activity, past and present with detailed information on format, food and drink products used, speeches, toasts, all elements of the performance by men, women and children over all the many and diverse communities involved. Through the generosity of Frank and Susan Shaw of Atlanta, the research project, which will run from 2020-2022 is being carried out by the Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS), which has the worlds largest concentration of Burns experts. Professor Gerard Carruthers, Co-Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies based at the Universitys College of Arts, who will be leading The History of the Burns Supper project said: Robert Burns is world writer whose life and work have given rise to one of the great world cultural phenomena the Burns Supper. It is a testimony to the bards enduring appeal not only within Scotland but around the world. And at the centre of the supper of course is his great body of work from poetry to song which speaks so strongly to people. On 21 July 1801, close friends of Burns held the first Burns supper to mark the fifth anniversary of the bards death. They would never have guessed nearly 220 years on that this would have grown into such a worldwide phenomenon. We feel it is fitting to launch this research project during Burns Season 2020 and we will produce our findings across 2021-22, as we mark the 220th anniversary of the first Burns Supper. By the end of the project we aim to have have a one-stop shop for everything you want to know about the Burns Supper, past and present. Bill Nolan, Secretary of the Irvine Burns Club, one of the oldest continually existing Burns Clubs in the world and Immediate Past President of the World Burns Federation, said: Burns Suppers are a very special part of Scotlands social fabric that we have exported successfully to the rest of the world. I cant think of any other writer or poet who is remembered annually in this way and thats why Robert Burns is uniquely Scotlands international icon. Its a myth that theres any formal protocol that has to be followed other than the basic one that every Burns Supper has to be fun and thats easily assessed by asking one question Would Robert Burns have enjoyed this event? To which the answer should always be a resounding Yes - and hes coming back next year The History of the Burns Supper project will build on the pioneering work of Dr Clark McGinn, an advisor on the project who did his PhD with the CRBS. Dr McGinn said: Within a few years of the first dinner, Burns Suppers were being held across Scotland, but in England, India, America, and Jamaica too; with Canada, Australia and New Zealand following. This spontaneous, global growth was because the Burns Supper was the kind of party Burns himself would have enjoyed, so what better way to showcase and celebrate his life, poems and songs? The first Burns Supper was celebrated in Burns Cottage, Alloway on the 21 July 1801 commemorating the date of the bards passing rather than his birth, and those friends met again, as did the founders of Greenock Burns Club holding Burns Suppers on 29 January 1802, getting the poets date of birthday wrong by four days. The research will collate and track the elements of the Burns Suppers from those first dinners, such as the Grace, the Immortal Memory and other kinds of poems, songs and speeches performed to understand the patterns of growth over the last 200 years. Poems and songs about Burns used over the 200 years at these occasions will be gathered. Burns Suppers will be detailed through the nineteenth-century, across the British Empire, by missionaries, soldiers, reformers & others, across America, Asia, Australia and Europe and right up to the present day. Born in 1759, Robert Burns poems and songs have been translated into every major language, and his influence has extended far beyond Scotland. A recent Scottish Government commissioned report by the Universitys Professor Murray Pittock shows that Robert Burns is worth over 200 million a year to the Scottish economy and the poets brand is worth nearly 140 million annually. The study also found that in Scotland alone, Burns Suppers are worth 11 million annual with an estimated 9.5 million people worldwide attend Burns Suppers every year. The Centre for Robert Burns Studies The Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow has the biggest concentration of Burns experts in the world. It was established in July 2007. Its mission is the development of research, scholarship and teaching in the area of Robert Burns, his cultural period and related literature. The Centre for Robert Burns Studies is currently working on a 15 year project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council called Editing Robert Burns for the 21st century. By 2024, it will have produced a new multi volume edition of his entire work published by Oxford University Press. It has attracted research and development income well in excess of 4 million since 2010. For more information, contact Aine Allardyce in the University of Glasgow Communications and Public Affairs Office on 0141 330 7126 or email aine.allardyce@glasgow.ac.uk Reacting to the story last week about three puppies which were thrown from a car near Rhode in Co Offaly, and the conviction of a man for animal cruelty near Tullamore, Green Party general election candidate for Laois-Offaly, Senator Pippa Hackett, has highlighted animal welfare as an important election issue. Ms Hackett, who is the partys Spokesperson on Animal Welfare and an animal lover, stated: This is always one aspect that is overlooked by most candidates in elections. It is constantly sidelined by politicians as unimportant, and while they are busy chasing headlines in other areas, animal welfare gets ignored. One thing I always notice when out canvassing, that almost every house I knock on has at least one pet, sometimes more, and mainly dogs, so pets are important to people in Offaly. I always have to laugh when people come to the door, and their overexcited canine friend wants to get out to greet me first. Ive actually had dogs pull my canvassing card back through letterboxes hopefully not to chew up! In conjunction with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), the Green Party has called on the government to implement responsible pet ownership into the school curriculum. How we treat our animals is a reflection of our society as a whole. If we can educate our children from an early age on how best to look after their pets, then we are teaching them some important moral values which they will hopefully nurture in other aspects throughout their lives. I have visited the Offaly Dog Pound in Tullamore and seen the work they do to rescue and rehome dogs. Animal welfare charities like the OSPCA are almost wholly reliant on the public for support, and they work incredibly hard to help and protect neglected animals. "I have seen the great work that is done by these organisations, and virtually all by volunteers. The Green Party has a very close working relationship with the ISPCA and other welfare groups, and we all want to see the best protection for our animals. Despite what the other candidates and political parties think about animal welfare, rest assured that animal welfare is high on the agenda of the Green Party. We are the only party with a dedicated animal welfare policy, and we are constantly working to improve it, in conjunction with other relevant bodies. It was the Greens that began the process to stop fur farming here in Ireland, and we have called on stricter law enforcement and penalties for those responsible for animal cruelty. "The level of support for animal welfare organisations from the government is totally insufficient, and having consistently demanded an increase in funding for this sector for years, this is just one aspect we are looking to fulfil should we get the chance to go into government. Pentagon gives conditional approval to resume training of Saudi nationals in US The Pentagon has given the Navy and other military services conditional approval to resume training of Saudi Arabian nationals in the US, six weeks after a Saudi national opened fire on fellow service members. Operational training, such as flying and other non-classroom work, for the approximately 850 Saudis at multiple US bases was suspended on December 10, four days after one Saudi trainee shot and killed three US Navy service members at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist said in a memo dated January 17 and released Tuesday that non-classroom training can resume once the military services have met certain conditions, including implementing a prohibition on the possession - on or off U.S. military property - of privately owned firearms and ammunition by international military students and their families. Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, where a Saudi trainee shot and killed three US Navy service members on December 10 Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist (pictured) said in a memo dated January 17 and released Tuesday that non-classroom training can resume once the military services have met certain conditions The victims: On December 6 gunman Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, an aviation student from Saudi Arabia, opened fire at the base and killed three Americans (L to R): Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, 21; Mohammed Haitham, 19; Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23; and injured eight others The military services must also ensure that all international military students are under continuous monitoring for potentially disqualifying behavior. The continuous monitoring, which was ordered last week by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, is intended to allow US officials to pick up on signs of radicalization or other problematic behavior that might not have been apparent when the student entered the training program. Saudi Air Force officer, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani is seen above. Alshamrani killed three U.S. sailors and injured eight other people The military services must also take steps to transition most international military students to credentials that limit physical access to those Defense Department facilities for which they have a bona fide requirement to access. Norquist set no firm date for resumption of the training. It is up to the military services to meet the conditions first, and then notify the Pentagon agency that is responsible for overseeing international training programs. Last week, the Justice Department announced that 21 Saudi military students were sent home after a review of all Saudi trainees. The 21, including an undisclosed number at Pensacola, had jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had 'contact with child pornography,' including in internet chat rooms, officials said. None is accused of having had advance knowledge of the December 6 shooting or helped the gunman carry it out. The shooting at Pensacola in which Saudi Air Force officer Mohammed Alshamrani killed three U.S. sailors and injured eight other people focused public attention on the presence of foreign students in American military training programs and exposed shortcomings in the screening of cadets. Police tape stretching across a street near a building after the shooting incident at a naval base in Pensacola, Florida Following the attack, the FBI and the Pentagon began a review into a slew of Saudi trainees studying at US military installations across the nation. About a dozen Saudi trainees were confined to their quarters in Pensacola while the FBI investigated the shooting as a possible terror attack. Jonathan Hoffman, chief spokesman for the Defense Department, announced last week that the department will introduce additional screening procedures for international students as well and increased security measures at American bases. The shooter had two iPhones with him when he attacked the base. One of them he took with him and the other he left in the car. The phone he took with him in the attack he shot, leading cops to believe there may be key information on it. Information on his Twitter account led investigators to believe he was radicalized. New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Delhi's Saket Court on Wednesday asked the city police to file the action taken report (ATR) on Jamia Millia Islamia's (JMI) plea in which the varsity administration has sought the direction to file an FIR on the police action in the campus on December 15, 2019. The court has listed the matter for the next hearing on March 16. Earlier JMI, in a statement, had said that it had been decided in its Executive Council (EC) that the university will move the court seeking direction to the police to register the FIR with regard to the 15 December 2019 police action on students in the library. On January 13, JMI Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar had said that Delhi Police entered the varsity campus on December 15 without permission and the process of filing an FIR against them will begin on January 14. Akhtar's remark came after hundreds of students entered the JMI campus and protested outside the VC's office demanding FIR against the Delhi Police for the December 15, 2019 incident. The students barged into the office after breaking the lock on the main gate and raised slogans against the V-C. They had staged a sit-in outside the office, asking the VC to interact with them over the issue. On December 15, the Delhi Police allegedly had thrown teargas shells inside the campus, barged into the premises and dragged students out of the library before assaulting them. The action followed a day of protests where some protesters -- Jamia has maintained were outsiders and not students -- set buses and vehicles on fire in some parts of South Delhi. Following this, Akhtar had demanded a high-level inquiry against the police entering into the campus and the crackdown on students. She had said the university would also file an FIR against "unidentified police personnel" for the "violence and vandalism." (ANI) The term veteran wields a strange talismanic power in American politics today; the military is almost the only institution in American life that has maintained very high favorability ratings over the past 30 years. Invocation of the sacred words military service invariably grants a presumed license to make ad hominem arguments: Oh yeah? What do you know about it? Did you serve? A military past, regardless of how extensive it was, tends to be seen as a shining jewel on the resume of a politician. Democrats especially seem to think this way: A party that suspects, with excellent cause, that people have noticed its doubtfulness about the merits of the American experiment is if anything even more eager to find veterans to convey its message. The party hopes that having served in the military will immunize a candidate against doubts about a given candidates patriotism. This theory reached a loony apotheosis when the 2004 Democratic party nominated for the presidency a veteran who had become famous for characterizing the U.S. military as a gang of war criminals and thrown away his medals in disgust. We saw Vietnam ravaged equally by American bombs and search and destroy missions, as well as by Viet Cong terrorism, Kerry said, characterizing the military as racist and calling a vicious Communist regime that would later cause millions to flee South Vietnam the threat we were supposedly saving them from. No way anyone could have any misgivings about this guys patriotism! Or so Democrats think. Democrats are odd. People join the military for all sorts of different reasons. Many join because its the best available job. Our former colleague David French joined, under no obligation whatsoever, at the Methuselan age of 37 (for which a special waiver is required) because he felt a deep moral urgency to aid fellow Americans in Iraq, where he served in 2007 and 2008. I joined to pay for college. Pete Buttigieg apparently joined because he thought it would add a great line to his resume when he ran for president, which he planned to do from the time he was a zygote. Story continues Military service is so alien to most Democrats that they dont notice the details. Say someone told you he was from Nepal. You wouldnt have a lot of follow-up questions. You dont know that much about Nepal. Thats how the military is to most liberals. To them, whether your record is that of Nathan Phillips or Norman Schwarzkopf, its all the same. Liberal reporters didnt notice the weasel words when Phillips (the Indian who provoked the Covington kids by marching straight up to them and banging a drum in their face) kept saying he was a Vietnam-times or Vietnam-era veteran, which was his way of saying he was repairing refrigerators in Nebraska in the early Seventies. Reporters kept saying he was a Vietnam veteran. He wasnt. Republicans are far more likely to be familiar with the basics of the military, which is why we are unimpressed with Pete Buttigiegs military career. Three things stand out about his brief sojourn in the Navy: One, he joined via direct commission. This, to most veterans, is a jaw-dropper. To say the least, this isnt the way its usually done. Many of us recall the intensive pre-commission training (in my case, four years of ROTC in Connecticut and Advanced Camp with the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg) as the most trying intervals of our careers. Others spent four years at Annapolis or West Point. Buttigieg just skipped all of that. He passed a physical. He signed some papers. Voila. To put this in terms a liberal might understand: Imagine you heard that someone got a direct diploma from Harvard but didnt actually have to do four years of papers and tests. Youd never forget it. Youd probably think of that person primarily as a short-cut specialist for the rest of your life. The second thing that stands out is that Buttigieg specifically cited Kerry as a role model. John Kerry! Kerry is a guy who immediately and shamefully turned on his brothers in arms when the political winds turned that way, and became very famous at a very young age because of it. Kerrys fans insist hes a war hero, but aspects of his career are cloudy, and Kerrys stubborn refusal to release his military files ensured that doubts would persist. There is no doubt that Kerry was anti-military when he got out, or that when he joined the Navy he felt something other than a call to duty. He was just a politically ambitious fellow in search of the least-bad option after his educational deferment was denied. When I signed up for the Swift boats, they had very little to do with the war, he wrote in 1986, adding, I didnt really want to get involved in the war. No shame in that, but not much to brag about either. Buttigieg is such a well-programmed Political Message Bot that he almost never commits a gaffe, but his Kerry remark is the most notable exception Ive come across. The title of his memoir is also a self-own: Shortest Way Home. Its as if Elizabeth Holmes had launched Theranos while publishing a book called Shortcuts to Your First Billion. In the book Mayor Pete writes, as if completely oblivious to how this sounds to anyone who believes the U.S. Army morally superior to the Viet Cong, I thought back to 2004 and John Kerrys presidential run, and then remembered that it was during the campaign that I saw the iconic footage of his testimony as the spokesman for Vietnam Veterans against the War. What the hey? This is amazing. Buttigieg flat-out admits that he sees the military as a necessary stepping-stone to political fame, and at the same time he implicitly backs Kerrys thundering denunciation of the military, in the process of bragging about his own military service. Its like the scene in A Clockwork Orange in which Alex fondly recalls the life of Christ for guidance but then reveals he identifies with the Roman soldiers whipping Christ on the Via Dolorosa. Ambitious and calculating Democrats of the future: When youre trying to portray yourself as Captain America, dont praise a guy whose first notable public act was dumping all over the military. And certainly dont remove all doubt by specifically citing the moment the guy was excoriating our boys in uniform and saying they were no better than Viet Cong thugs. The third thing that stands out about Buttigiegs military service is his bizarre brag that he used to travel around Afghanistan in various motor vehicles. Has anyone who has ever served the U.S. military on overseas land not driven around? When he launched his campaign last April he bragged about 119 trips I took outside the wire, driving or guarding a vehicle. Thats . . . not a thing. There are no such stats. Sorties in aircraft are an official military statistic. Motor-vehicle trips are so routine no one would bother to keep track, any more than someone would log how many times Pete Buttigieg took a shower. No one cares. So Buttigieg himself created this phony statistic. Picture it: He made himself a little Heros Log but all he had to put in it was routine trips. Its pathetic. Its hilarious. Its apple-polishing, resume-buffing, box-checking, attention-seeking vaporware. Just like his whole career. More from National Review Rebel Wilson declared 2020 'the year of health', before enlisting the help of renowned personal trainer, Jono Castano Acero. And now the 28-year-old Men's Health 'transformation trainer' has revealed to E! the 39-year-old's daily workout routine. Jono explained that 'results come through consistency', before explaining how he created a personalised program for the Pitch Perfect star. No more horizontal running! Celebrity trainer Jono Castano Acero (left) reveals Australian actor Rebel Wilson's (right) intense daily exercise routine On a typical week, Rebel works on high-intensity interval training, mobility, weights, resistance, technique and tempo, getting only one day a week for resting. 'Rebel and I are just focusing on enjoying training and getting the body moving,' Jono explained. He encouraged everybody to get a personal trainer, so they can be 'checking up on you all the time.' 'Results come through consistency': The 28-year-old Men's Health 'transformation trainer' (pictured) spoke to E! News about Rebel's, 39, daily workout routine 'Exercise is vital': Jono explained that 'results come through consistency', before revealing he created a personalised program for the Pitch Perfect star 'Keeping you focused is the key to helping someone stay on track and dedicated. Training is not just about the 45 minutes, it's also how you can keep someone motivated outside of that time,' Jono said. He also revealed that it has been an 'absolute pleasure' to work with Rebel because of her sense of humour. On Friday, Rebel shared a video of herself being put through her paces during a rigorous training session. Oh my quad: On a typical week, Rebel works on high-intensity interval training, mobility, weights, resistance, technique and tempo, getting only one day a week for resting Standing in the middle of a darkened gym, she is seen repeatedly whipping two thick black ropes onto the ground. She then proudly walked over to her trainer, who was filming the video, victoriously outstretching her arms. 'My Friday is SLAMMING! Thanks Jono,' she captioned it, adding an emoji of an arm flexing. My Friday is slamming: Jono also revealed that it has been an 'absolute pleasure' to work with Rebel because of her sense of humour And Jono seems to be equally thrilled with his star client's progress, sharing a series of photos and videos on his Instagram, too. 'Friday vibes but Rebel has been putting in the yards seven days a week! Proud of you gurl,' he captioned a photo and video, adding a love heart emoji. On January 2, Rebel said she was focusing on her health this year, in an effort to make 'some positive changes'. Looking ahead: On January 2, Rebel vowed to focus on her health in 2020 and 'make some positive changes'. Pictured left in January 2018, and right in December 2019 'Okay so for me 2020 is going to be called 'The Year of Health' - so I put on the athleisure and went out for a walk, deliberately hydrating on the couch right now and trying to avoid the sugar and junk food which is going to be hard after the holidays I've just had but I'm going to do it!' she wrote. She added: 'Who's with me in making some positive changes this year?' Her candid post came after she revealed that she lost eight pounds in just four days while shooting the musical movie Cats. Lebanon's new cabinet held its first meeting on Wednesday, bearing a message of support from the United Nations as ministers begin the urgent task of addressing an economic catastrophe, as Prime Minister Hassan Diab described the countrys situation. Debt-ridden Lebanon faces an economic "catastrophe", Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Wednesday as his newly unveiled cabinet met for the first time. "Today we are in a financial, economic and social dead-end," he said in remarks read by a government official after the new cabinet's inaugural meeting in Beirut. President Michel Aoun said the new government must tackle the country's economic woes, win back international confidence and gain the trust of the Lebanese. "Your mission is delicate," the president's office cited him as saying at the same meeting, where he presided. He also said the government would have to work to make up for lost time. Diab also said his new government's economic and financial approach would be "completely different" than past governments. But he also said that dismissing Lebanon's central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was "currently out of the question". The prime minister told reporters he had met with a number of foreign ambassadors who had "all expressed readiness to cooperate". A few moments later, French President Emmanuel Macron, who was visiting Jerusalem and speaking alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, stated that France "will do everything, during this deep crisis that [Lebanon is] going through, to help...our Lebanese friends." Lebanon's government under Diab was formed on Tuesday after the Iranian-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies agreed on a cabinet of 20 specialists. UN Secretary-General voices support United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will work with Diab to support the reform agenda, Guterres's spokesman said in a statement, reiterating the UN's commitment to strengthening Lebanon's sovereignty, stability and political independence. Story continues The heavily indebted state has been without effective government since Saad Hariri, Lebanon's main Sunni leader and a traditional ally of the West and Gulf Arab states, quit as premier in October following widespread protests against politicians who have led Lebanon into its worst crisis since the 1975-90 war. Diab was nominated by Hezbollah and its allies last month. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist group by the United States. New Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni said on Tuesday that Lebanon needed foreign aid to save it. He described forthcoming foreign currency sovereign debt maturities as "a fireball". Protesters took to the streets of Beirut as the new government was announced and closed roads in several cities using tyres and other makeshift barriers. The protests came after a weekend marked by unprecedented violence, as at least 530 people were injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. (FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AP and AFP) "Why can't you just be polite?" A rare chink in Frances' otherwise eternally optimistic armour occurs in the final scene of 'You Stupid Darkness!'', the latest offering in a Paines Plough season that marks the exit of two joint artistic directors James Grieve and George Perrin and celebrates the start of two others Katie Posner and Charlotte Bennett. This production takes place in the Brightline helpline centre, Amy Jane Cook's design of crumbling walls and charred plug sockets plastered over with posters and mantras that convey the fragile optimism the volunteers provide callers on the verge of giving up hope. It's this thin veneer vestiges of a once intact society now reduced to rubble that makes the play so watchable. Sam Steiner's dark comedy projects a message of community spirit despite its dystopian setting. Frances valiantly leads her team of workers Jon, Angie and Joey once a week for a few hours to field calls and give advice to those on the other end of the line who need something to believe in. Grieve's production is a consistent background hum, establishing a pleasing base level of noise and activity that makes for fascinating watching. The show opens with the audience playing flies on the wall, flitting between a series of one-sided, intricate and clever exchanges. The atmosphere is realistic yet light-hearted despite the play's subject matter, washing over the stage and bathing the listener in a warming, familiar glow. And then, the characters' personal lives start to bleed into their professional duties. Frances is the mother figure, desperate to keep spirits up wherever possible. Joey is the new member of staff, a boy of 17 who often displays wisdom beyond his formative years. Jon is the grumpier male figure, bursts of reality countering Frances' unflinching positivity. And then there is Angie, a scene-stealing performance courtesy of Lydia Larson. Larson's pace, delivery and characterisation are effortlessly funny her tone of voice, physical mannerisms and facial expressions deliver an entire narrative in a few short seconds. She can make the creation of the tissue box both laugh-out-loud funny and devastatingly poignant. All the actors are ultimately watchable, relatable and likeable You Stupid Darkness! is a play to laugh along to as well as silently weep with. The energy dips towards the middle the play's humdrum vibe and rhythmic pacing become predictable towards the end of the first half. Grieve chooses to focus in on microscopic moments rather than on the overarching story. Interactions between Francis the teacher and Joey the student, or between Jon the practical paternal presence and Joey the youthful sponge, each reveal there is more to the character than their reassuring phone voice. They reach out to the afraid and scared, to those overwhelmed by the state of the world. And yet, each one is fragile themselves, doing all they can to hold it together in the face of imminent disaster. There is no climax or conclusion, no definitive ending that resolves matters or relates the show back to the wider society. And nor should there be. Steiner's play is timeless it transcends any specific period and paints a picture of a potential apocalypse that seems inevitable in the current political climate. Regardless of the gas masks or the flooding or the working by candlelight, the helpline's workers continue. There is beauty in their resilience. "Food insecurity is one of the most critical issues college students face today," said Jon Bon Jovi, Board Chairman, JBJ Soul Foundation. "We applaud Gourmet Dining and Rutgers University-Newark who have made tackling this issue a priority so that students always have a place to go for a great-tasting, healthy meal. We couldn't have found a better place to open our third JBJ Soul Kitchen location and truly believe that when students are supported with basic needs and backed by their community, they can and will go on to do amazing things." Rutgers University - Newark has long been at the forefront of addressing the issue of student food insecurity and has taken a comprehensive approach to open a food pantry, organize a care team and work with student organizations dedicated to fighting hunger on campus. Introducing the JBJ Soul Kitchen at RU-N provides even greater opportunities for the entire campus community to come together and educate and assist one another to solve this problem. "Our new partnership with the JBJ Soul Foundation and Gourmet Dining to open JBJ Soul Kitchenthe first on a college campustakes our collective action on food insecurity to a whole new level," said Rutgers University Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor. "This is the kind of action that I think the late great Newark Rabbi Joachim Prinz had in mind when he spoke at the March on Washington just before Dr. King in 1963 and said: 'Neighbor is not a geographic term. It is a moral concept. It means our collective responsibility for the preservation of human dignity and integrity.' For us at Rutgers-Newark, that is what it means to be an anchor institution." At JBJ Soul Kitchen RU-N, students, faculty and community members are invited to dine and pay-it-forward by making a minimum donation of $12 or using a donated meal plan "swipe". Students may also volunteer their time by participating in various activities around the restaurant or in other campus dining locations to cover the cost of their meal. "What makes the JBJ Soul Kitchen model special is that it's designed so that everyone can enjoy a healthy, delicious meal and dine with dignity whether you're hungry or hungry to make a difference," added Dorothea Bongiovi, Co-Founder, JBJ Soul Kitchen. No matter the individual's socioeconomic situation, everyone who dines at the JBJ Soul Kitchen will enjoy the same chef-created, three-course meal. Every week the menu changes with a variety of options for appetizers, main courses and desserts. Some of the menus will feature a Soul Spiced BBQ Pulled Beef, a Coffee and Soul Spiced Short Rib, and Maple Roasted Chicken. All meat served is certified Halal, Kosher is available upon request, and there are always vegan and gluten-free options, along with delicious desserts. "As a campus dining service, everything we do is focused on meeting the ever-changing dining needs of our students and know that great meals are a part of their success. One day, after seeing a long line of students waiting to visit the food pantry, I knew we needed to do something more to help them focus on being students and not worry about where their next meal is coming from," said Michael Frungillo, President, Gourmet Dining. "Understanding there was a successful model and a great champion essentially in our own backyard in New Jersey, we soon approached Jon and Dorothea and the JBJ Soul Kitchen. We're honored to carry their mission forward and know we have all the right ingredients to make a difference." Beginning on Thursday January 23, the JBJ Soul Kitchen RU-N will be open for lunch from 11:30am-1:30pm ET Monday-Friday. It is located on the second floor of the Paul Robeson Campus Center at 350 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Blvd. in Newark, N.J. Individuals interested in making a contribution to the JBJ Soul Kitchen can visit https://www.runewarkdining.com/jbjsoulkitchen/. About JBJ Foundation/Soul Kitchen Since 2006, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has worked to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through developing partnerships, creating programs and providing grant funding to support innovative community benefit organizations. The JBJ Soul Foundation, in partnership with local community organizations, has helped provide funding for over 700 units of affordable housing and shelter in 11 states and Washington DC for thousands of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and financial instability including youth and veterans. For more information, please visit jbjsf.org . The Foundation expanded its mission in 2011 to address issues of food insecurity and currently operates two JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurants in Red Bank and Toms River, NJ, in addition to the new JBJ Soul Kitchen at Rutgers University - Newark. Soul Kitchen serves nutritious, culinary dishes using a 'pay it forward' model where there are no prices on the menu but instead you are encouraged to make a suggested donation. If you are unable to donate, you are invited to join our community to learn about volunteer opportunities and resources. Since its inception, the Kitchens have served over 100,000 meals, reaching the goal of serving 51% of paying diners and 49% of diners' in-need. For more information, please visit jbjsoulkitchen.org. About Gourmet Dining As New Jersey's largest regional dining service company, Gourmet Dining manages on-site foodservice operations for a variety of educational, corporate, healthcare and long-term care clients throughout the state. With more than 2,500 employees, Gourmet Dining has built its reputation on creating innovative, custom-designed programs that continually meet and exceed the evolving needs of clients by serving delicious meals every day. About Rutgers University-Newark Rutgers University - Newark (RU-N) is a diverse, urban, public research university that is an anchor institution in New Jersey's cultural capital. More than 13,000 students are currently enrolled at its 38-acre campus in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, University College, the Graduate School, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, the Rutgers Law School - Newark, the School of Criminal Justice, and the School of Public Affairs and Administration. RU-N is exceptionally well positioned to fulfill higher education's promise as an engine of discovery, innovation, and social mobility. It has a remarkable legacy of producing high-impact scholarship that is connected to the great questions and challenges of the world. It has the right mix of disciplines and interdisciplinary centers and institutes to take on those questions and challenges. It is in and of a city and region where its work on local challenges undertaken with partners from many sectors resonates powerfully throughout our urbanizing world. Most importantly, RU-N brings an incredible diversity of people to this work-students, faculty, staff, and community partners-making it more innovative, more creative, more engaging, and more relevant for our time and the times ahead. For more information please visit www.newark.rutgers.edu. Contact: Lisa Claybon/Gourmet Dining [email protected] Kristen Foster/Full Coverage Communications [email protected] Megan Cannell/JBJ Soul Foundation [email protected] SOURCE Gourmet Dining This year, the Armenian authorities will start preparing for the celebration of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War a month in advance. This is what Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Suren Papikyan said during a question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament today, responding to a question from deputy of the My Step Alliance Alexey Sandikov. The minister particularly stated that there is a commission set up to organize the festivities in May and that he is personally chairing the commission. In early March, the commission will prepare the list of events to be held in the months to follow. Taking into consideration the fact that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, we will start preparing for the events in February, Papikyan said and suggested that Sandikov also participate in the preparations. A key part of the NSW government's plan to fix the state's building-standards crisis rests on credit rating agencies developing for free a new risk-rating tool they will be able to sell to prospective apartment buyers. Having grappled for more than 12 months with the fallout from three evacuated buildings and abandoned apartments that have trashed confidence in the industry, the Berejiklian government announced on Monday new powers for the Building Commissioner to use the rating tool to select sites to audit and halt dodgy apartment projects. The Herald understands that US-giant Equifax has been looking into the project, while several other global agencies were surprised to learn of the proposal and expressed reservations. Among the concerns raised was that the tool would be venturing outside the industry's sphere of expertise, which generally focuses on credit risks, and the difficulty in obtaining information about defective buildings and phoenixing developers. She's gearing up for her final appearance on Coronation Street, which will see her say goodbye to her character Bethany Platt in March after five years. And Lucy Fallon bid farewell to her TV stint in style as she held a wild leaving party with her on-screen uncle Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt), on-screen mother Tina O'Brien (Sarah Platt), Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Bradley) on Tuesday evening. Documented in a series of Instagram clips, the soap star, 24, let her hair down as she knocked back glasses of wine with her co-stars, before cutting shapes on the dancefloor at Manchester's Vina Karaoke Bar. In good company: Lucy Fallon bid farewell to her Corrie stint as she held a wild leaving party on Tuesday (pictured with her on-screen uncle Jack P. Shepherd and co-star Colson Smith Kicking off the night with alcoholic beverages, the actress put on a giddy display as she played with Instagram filters with Colson, 21, who plays Craig Tinker in the soap. The ITV stars displayed their fancy footwork as they boogied to Maroon 5's hit single Moves Lix Jagger and Sex on Fire by Kings Of Leon. A chirpy Lucy took things up a notch as she twerked alongside Jack, who also shook his bottom during their lively outing. Thespian Tina, meanwhile, threw her hands in the air as she accidentially flashed the top of her sheer stocking while singing along to club classics. Booze-filled: The soap star, 24, knocked back glasses of wine with her co-stars, before cutting shapes on the dancefloor at Manchester's Vina Karaoke Bar (Tina O'Brien pictured) Pals! Lucy couldn't contain her delight as she rang in her departure with (L-R) fellow actress Sally Ann Matthews, 49, on-screen uncle Jack, 32, and on-screen mother Tina, 36 Letting loose: Kicking off the night with alcoholic beverages, the actress put on a giddy display as she played with Instagram filters with Colson, 21, who plays Craig Tinker in the soap Having fun: The ITV stars displayed their fancy footwork as they boogied to Maroon 5's hit single Moves Lix Jagger and Sex on Fire by Kings Of Leon Saucy! A chirpy Lucy took things up a notch as she twerked alongside Jack, who also shook his bottom during their lively outing The lads belted out to a series of chart-topping tracks, including Rock DJ by Robbie Williams and Elton John's Rocketman. Actress Tina recently admitted she feels 'really upset' that her on-screen daughter is leaving the soap. She told BANG: 'I'm really upset. I really, really like her. On and off screen, I think she's a very talented actress and she has a natural ability. 'She doesn't have to say anything and I don't think many people have that. I did a scene with her the other day and she just looked at me and in her look I could read all these different emotions. Wardrobe malfunction: Thespian Tina threw her hands in the air as she accidentally flashed the top of her sheer stocking while singing along to club classics On cloud nine: The lads belted out to a series of chart-topping tracks, including Rock DJ by Robbie Williams and Elton John's Rocketman The Platts: The Blackpool native documented having a whale of a time on Instagram with her longtime friends 'I walked on set the other day and I didn't really know anyone, because you sometimes work with people you don't really know. Lucy was there and within five seconds we were laughing and joking. Although Lucy stepped off the cobbles for the final time a few days ago, her last appearance in the programme will be in two months. In September, the blonde discussed her departure in an interview with Lorraine, admitting it's 'horrible' to leave the part behind but she feels like it's the 'right time' to move on from the long-running show. Great spirits: Dynamic duo Lucy and Tina pulled animated facial expressions as they partied through the night Supportive: The group enjoyed time away from their busy schedules ahead of Lucy's exit from the long-running series in March Lucy explained: 'At the end of January I will leave Corrie but will be on screen until March, it's going to be horrible. I'll have been there five years.' 'But it feels like the right time. I will miss everyone so much. I can't think about it properly cos Ill get upset. I've had the best time, it's a cliche but we're like a family. She joked: 'I'll be devastated but hopefully they keep me in the group chat!' Lucy received widespread acclaim for her portrayal as abused teenager Bethany Platt in ITV's Coronation Street, winning British Soap Award's Best Actress prize and Best Female Dramatic Performance back in 2018. Now that J.J. Abrams is done with the Star Wars universe, J.J. Abrams is turning his attention to the DC Comics with a Justice League Dark cinematic universe. Abrams' company Bad Robot is developing both movie and TV projects for a Justice League Dark universe, through its overall deal with Warner Bros., according to Deadline. The deals are still in early stages and there is no word on any specific projects being developed for the franchise quite yet. Dark: Now that J.J. Abrams is done with the Star Wars universe, J.J. Abrams is turning his attention to the DC Comics with a Justice League Dark cinematic universe JJ: Abrams' company Bad Robot is developing both movie and TV projects for a Justice League Dark universe, through its overall deal with Warner Bros., according to Deadline Hannah Minghella, Bad Robot's Head of Motion Pictures, and Ben Stephenson, the company's Head of Television, will be taking meetings with reps for talent and writers about which characters will get their own projects. Justice League Dark was first published in September 2011 with Justice League Dark #1, as part of DC Comics' New 52 initiative that revamped its entire line of comics. Justice League Dark brought together DC Comics characters who were involved with supernatural elements and the occult, created by Peter Milligan. DC Comics: Justice League Dark was first published in September 2011 with Justice League Dark #1, as part of DC Comics' New 52 initiative that revamped its entire line of comics The Justice League Dark original team consisted of John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Shade, The Changing Man and Zatanna. The team was put together to handle situations that were considered outside of the realm of the traditional Justice League, featuring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. The original run spanned six volumes from September 2011 to March 2015, with a second volume launching for DC Rebirth. Traditional Justice League: The team was put together to handle situations that were considered outside of the realm of the traditional Justice League, featuring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman The new team was lead by Wonder Woman, bringing back John Constantine and Zatanna, along with Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, Detective Chimp and Doctor Fate. The Justice League Dark comics had previously been adapted into an animated film released in February 2017. There were plans to bring in Justice League Dark with both The CW's Constantine series and DC Universe's Swamp Thing, but both shows were canceled before that could happen. New team: The new team was lead by Wonder Woman, bringing back John Constantine and Zatanna, along with Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, Detective Chimp and Doctor Fate A live-action version of Justice League Dark has been in development before, with Guillermo del Toro set to direct back in 2012. The story was rumored to follow John Constantine recruiting Swamp Thing, Etrigan the Demon, Deadman, Spectre, and Zatanna to join the team. Del Toro eventually bowed out and Doug Liman was slated to direct in 2016, but he backed out in May 2017 and the project has been languishing ever since. President Donald Trump on Wednesday stepped up his pressure over Apple's refusal to unlock iPhones for authorities in criminal cases. "Apple has to help us. And I'm very strong on it," Trump told "CNBC Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "They have the keys to so many criminals and criminal minds, and we can do things." Apple CEO Tim Cook has been credited with being able to work with the president and his administration in a way other Silicon Valley companies have stumbled. In November, Cook toured Apple's Austin campus with Trump. Trump told CNBC he's helped Apple a lot, including waivers from tariffs put on Chinese-made imports in the trade war between Washington and Beijing. "I've given them waivers, because it's a great company, but it made a big difference," Trump said. Last week, Trump slammed Apple for declining the government's request to unlock password-protected iPhones used by the shooter who killed three people in December at the Pensacola Naval Air Station before being fatally shot. TRUMP APPLE TWEET In a statement, Apple said it provided gigabytes of information to law enforcement related to the Pensacola case but that it would not build a "backdoor" or specialized software to give law enforcement elevated access. Trump told CNBC on Wednesday: "They could have given us that information. It would have been very helpful." The president said he's not concerned about his relationship with Cook or Apple because the stakes are so high. "You're dealing with drug lords and you're dealing with terrorists, and if you're dealing with murderers, I don't care," Trump said. Chinese health officials are warning that the coronavirus is starting to mutate and spread around the world. The illness has killed nine people in China so far and more than 400 have been infected. It has travelled as far as the US. Extra measures are being put in place in airports which have direct flights to Wuhan but Dublin Airport says it has not received instructions from the Department of Health to do so. The HSE and Department of Health are the experts in this area," a Dublin Airport spokesperson has said. "They will issue public health guidance as required and we will liaise with them and follow any and all guidelines. "Dublin Airport currently has no direct flights to China. The World Health Organisation says it is closely monitoring the situation. Dr Maria Van Kerkhove outlines how you can protect yourself. "The coronovirus typically causes respiratory symptoms so we recommend basic hand hygiene - just washing your hands with soap and water," said Dr Van Kerkhove. "We also recommend respiratory hygiene such as when you sneeze, sneeze into your elbow." The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus, a family of viruses that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses such as the Sars outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-03 and killed about 800 people. Officials said it was too early to compare the new virus with Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) or Mers (Middle East respiratory syndrome), in terms of how lethal it might be. They attributed the spike in new cases to improvements in detection and monitoring. Gao Fu, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control, said officials are working on the assumption that the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals being sold illegally at a food market in Wuhan and that the virus is mutating. Jiao Yahui, a health commission official, said: The disease will continue to develop. It has developed different features compared with the early stage, and the prevention and precautionary measures need to change accordingly. Health officials confirmed earlier this week that the disease can be spread between humans after finding two infected people in Guangdong province in southern China who had not been to Wuhan. Fifteen medical workers also tested positive for the virus, Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. Fourteen of them, one doctor and 13 nurses, were infected by a patient who had been admitted to hospital for neurosurgery but also had the coronavirus. Additional reporting by Press Association SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Agnetix, a pioneer of advanced horticultural lighting and growth technology solutions for commercial indoor growers, announced the closing of its Series Seed Preferred funding. The funding round was notably oversubscribed and included a diverse group of private and institutional partners. Agnetix provides advanced LED lighting technology solutions for cannabis and agricultural production that includes a powerful, highly-efficient, liquid-cooled LED grow lighting platform, designed to reduce operational energy costs by up to 50% and significantly improve crop yield. The sustainable lighting system is further enhanced with patented data capturing and control capabilities that deliver greater predictability and mitigate risks for cultivators. In the last year, Agnetix achieved several notable growth milestones: Grew business globally with new clients and sales on 4 continents, 5 countries and across 11 states Expanded its North American reach by naming a premiere value-added Master Distributor in Canada , Okanagan Grow Tech Innovations , Okanagan Grow Tech Innovations Strengthened its core leadership team with the addition of Elisa Danielson as VP of Finance & Operations and Troy Robson as VP of Sales as VP of Finance & Operations and as VP of Sales Awarded "Best Grow Lighting Product of the Year" by the Cannabis Independent Innovation Council for the Agnetix A3 Series Elected to the Resource Innovation Institute Founder's Circle and Technical Advisory Committee The new round of financing will be used to fuel company growth initiatives including team expansion, supply chain capabilities and R&D efforts to further develop the hardware, software and data technology platforms. Agnetix Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ihor Lys, PhD. notes, "We are pleased with the excitement that Agnetix received in this round of funding and we are eager to apply our expertise in digital LED technologies to propel the horticulture industry." Lys adds, "Securing this funding is a testament to the strength of our leadership team, business strategy and growing technology patent portfolio." Visit www.agnetix.com or contact Agnetix at [email protected] to learn more. About Agnetix: Agnetix is a fast-growing, privately-held, LED lighting technology company founded in 2015 when an expert in the agricultural growth industry joined forces with one of the biggest pioneers in advanced LED technologies. Agnetix is leading a more sustainable, energy-efficient shift for indoor agriculture. The Agnetix mission is to design leading-edge, liquid-cooled LED lighting systems, using the latest in science & technology, for efficient, rapid and healthy growth of indoor agriculture. The Agnetix platform combines decades of experience in advanced LED systems design with the latest in controlled environment agriculture technology to create the highest power and most efficient LED system available. www.agnetix.com SOURCE Agnetix Related Links https://www.agnetix.com CROWN POINT Former Crown Point Clerk-Treasurer Kristie Dressel has withdrawn a complaint filed against Michelle Fajman, director of the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration. Dressel, who ran an unsuccessful 2020 campaign for mayor, told The Times on Tuesday she chose to "show mercy," by withdrawing the complaint. The original complaint, filed on Nov. 19, alleged Fajman sought to defame and assassinate Dressel's character by publishing a copy of her report of receipts and expenditures form, also known as the CFA-4, on Facebook. Dressel said Fajman defamed her when she posted a photo of the original CFA-4 form on her personal Facebook page with errors marked in red. Dressel filed an amended CFA-4 four days after she filed the original report, records show. The complaint was dismissed Tuesday during the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration board meeting. Fajman declined to comment, adding she wants to see the matter fizzle out. Fajman previously told The Times she apologized to Dressel for posting the form, saying it was out of character, as it doesn't align with what she typically posts on Facebook. January 22 : On Tuesday, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas made her presence felt at the World Economic Forum annual meeting. The Sky is Pink actress inspired all the invitees with her boss lady looks and encouraging speeches that were aimed at a better world for humanity. She expressed her happiness and gratitude as she was able to speak with the worlds most prominent billionaires. The actress was also part of the fireside chat and chatted with dignitaries like South African disability activist Eddie Ndopo, Chief Strategy Officer of Verizon Rima Quershi, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans and many others. Priyanka Chopra looked elegant and powerful in her all-black suit look. As Global Ambassador of Global Citizen, talked about the richer people in this world should come forward and invest about 5% of their money for the less fortunate and improve the living of poorer countries around the world. This could be done annually so that the global goals for Sustainable Development by the year 2030. Among the list of Bollywood celebrities, the event had invited Deepika Padukone and she was honored with the majestic Crystal Award on Monday. She had spoken about how important it is to treat mental illness. Priyanka Chopra was last seen in The Sky is Pink and soon will be working along with Rajkummar Rao in The White Tiger. Alongside this, she will be seen with Mindy Kaling in a comedy-drama. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Wed, January 22, 2020 17:49 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206088493 1 SE Asia coronavirus,Batam,Singapore,China,wuhan,Malaysia,Riau-Islands Free Batam Port Health Office in the Riau Islands has stepped up the surveillance of passengers arriving on ferries from neighboring Singapore and Malaysia to head off the spread of the SARS-like coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. Romer Simanungkalit, the health office's head of quarantine and epidemiology surveillance division, said thermal scanners had been installed at the international ferry port and Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam. He said port officers carrying out the surveillance had also been equipped with protective gear such as face masks, gloves and other equipment. "The officers have been given protective equipment because of the tighter surveillance they are carrying out," Romer told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. "How long we carry out these tighter surveillance measures depends on the escalation of the virus." He added that the health office had also prepared an ambulance and coordinated with relevant agencies in case the virus was found in Batam. "If there is an indication [that a passenger is infected] then we will quarantine and isolate them," he said. Read also: Jambi, Bali ports increase health monitoring amid Wuhan coronavirus outbreak Batam Health Agency head Didi Kusumayadi said his office was trying to get in contact with its counterpart in Singapore regarding suspected cases of the coronavirus there. "We are looking for information but have not received any yet. It is important for us to monitor the situation in Singapore because there is a lot of traffic from that country," he said. Didi said the health agency had appointed two hospitals Embung Fatimah Public Hospital and the BP Batam Hospital as reference hospitals for suspected coronavirus patients. He added that all passengers from Singapore would also be scanned through thermal scanners at the port and anyone with an above normal temperature would be examined. In 2019, Singaporeans accounted for 47 percent of the more than 2.5 million visitors to Riau Islands, while Chinese made up 10 percent. Reuters reported on Wednesday that there were 440 confirmed cases of the virus, including the United States' first case, a Washington state resident who had recently traveled to China. (kmt) MARQUETTE COUNTY, MI The Michigan DNR says property owners in the Upper Peninsula tried to use Lake Superiors waves and an incoming storm to wash away construction debris. According to an official DNR report, the bizarre incident occurred in Marquette County in late-December when Josh Boudreaux, a conservation officer in DNR District 1, assisted Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Det. Trey Luce with a littering complaint. Officials had received a report of individuals throwing construction debris into Lake Superior prior to incoming storms so that it would be washed away. CO Boudreaux followed up with the property owner shortly after he and Det. Luce examined the remnants scattered along the beach. He was able to get a confession from the property owners who reportedly didnt believe they were doing anything wrong, but were simply trying to save a trip to the local landfill. A citation was issued for litter and the property owners were ordered to clean up their mess or face additional charges. DNR District 1 is in the Western Upper Peninsula and includes Baraga, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Marquette, Menominee and Ontonagon counties. MANILA, Philippines Five suspects in the killing of former Batangas 2nd District Rep. Edgar Mendoza and two others are now under police custody, authorities said Wednesday. Police Brig. Gen. Joel Coronel, director of Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG), said one of the apprehended suspects was identified as the mastermind of the crime. The charred remains of Mendoza and two others, identified as his bodyguard Roel Ruiz and his driver Nicanor Mendoza, were found inside a burnt car in Tiaong town in Quezon Province on January 9. Mendoza reportedly left his home to meet someone in Calamba, Laguna on the day he died. He was last seen with his driver and aide on January 7 in Lipa, Batangas. His family reported him missing when he failed to return home. Coronel said the motive in the grisly murder appears to be connected to financial and legal disputes. A lawyer by profession, Mendoza handled cases related to real estate and properties after his stint in Congress. Coronel said the arrested suspects will be face murder charges. RRD (with details from Correspondent Lea Ylagan) The post 5 suspects in murder of ex-Batangas solon now under police custody appeared first on UNTV News. The Shiv Sena on Wednesday dismissed the claim made by Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party had proposed to form government with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party in 2014. The party also attacked the BJP, saying the 2014 assembly polls had revealed the true face of its former ally which had snapped 25-year-old ties with Sena before the election then. On Sunday, Chavan had said that after the 2014 Maharashtra polls, Shiv Sena and NCP had approached him to form a coalition government to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party. But the Congress had rejected the demand immediately. An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday, however, said that there is no logic in Chavans claims. The Congress faced a drubbing in the 2014 election under the leadership of Prithviraj Chavan. The Congress then did not have a voice. The question of going to Chavan with the proposal to form a government does not arise, the editorial said. In the four-cornered contest to the 288 -member state Assembly in 2014, the BJP got 122 seats, the Shiv Sena bagged 63, while the Congress and NCP 42 and 41 seats, respectively. The Congress was relegated to the third position. Following the claims of Chavan, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, now Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, said the Congress leaders statement was very surprising and revealed the true face of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which in November last year formed the government in the state along with Congress and NCP. The Saamana editorial hit out at the BJP, saying it cruelly broke off the alliance with Shiv Sena. In 2014, the true face of BJP was exposed which the whole country saw... without thinking about Hindus, division of Hindu votes, relations of 25 years, the BJP cruelly broke off the alliance with Shiv Sena. This was the first mask of BJP that came off, the Sena said. After the state election five years ago, BJP initially ran the government alone but later the Thackeray-led party also joined it. The editorial in Sena mouthpiece added that the BJP has multiple masks on it face as it has a factory of manufacturing masks. NCPs Praful Patel came forward and extended unconditional support to BJP to form the government. Here, the second mask of the BJP came off. It can be safely said that all these things were planned in advance. When all this was unfolding, the Shiv Sena was not hiding behind any mask, it further added. Referring to the recent assembly election and its aftermath, the Sena said that despite attempts, Sharad Pawar did not let a repeat of 2014 happen in 2019. The same Sena that was in 2014 is still here. Despite having 105 [legislators], they had to sit in the Opposition because the masks that the BJP wear are unending. They say one thing and do another. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON How to Deal with the Kansas City Cold The Kansas City winter is upon us! The walks to and from classes are unbearable once again, but don't worry, it will be over in four months. We already had our first taste of icy streets and snow-covered trees and we can only expect that to become more frequent as it gets colder. College scribes share their secret to success that mostly involves some fleeting luxury paid for by their parents . . . Luckily, that's how most middle-aged locals "cope" as well.Meanwhile, the remaining 99% of cowtown broke-asses must look for solace on a budget and by way of booze, smokes, carbs or refined sugar. Double bonus:Read more: In a vivid report from Wuhan, population 11 million, our correspondent describes how nervous residents are buying up face masks and flooding hospitals to report fevers and coughs. He also explains why President Xi Jinping, who is eager to expand Chinas global influence, is under pressure to show that the worlds most populous nation can responsibly handle a public health crisis. Details: The outbreak has already killed at least nine and infected more than 400 people in China, and spread to at least five other countries, including the United States. The virus is thought to have originated with animals but is now spreading from person to person. Whats next: The worry is that the outbreak will ripple farther across Asia as many people there travel for the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday that begins on Friday, and possibly turn into a pandemic. Background: China withheld information during a 2002-2003 outbreak of another coronavirus, SARS, that killed more than 800 people. Mr. Xis authoritarian government has vowed to do better this time, but its already controlling the narrative about the virus by censoring news articles and social media posts. Go deeper: Our graphics editor mapped where cases have been reported so far. Others have most likely gone unreported. (Support Free Thought) Los Angeles, CA The country watched in horror last year after news stations across America ran the story of how Los Angeles Sheriffs Deputy Angel Reinosa was shot in the shoulder by a sniper as he walked from his patrol car into the station. A massive manhunt ensued as heavily armed deputies in military attire set up a perimeter and locked down the area. For days the police state ran rampant as officers looked for the shooter. But they would never find himbecause the entire story that led to the militarized lock down of the town, was a lie. Now, this cop is finally getting what he deservesaccountability. Reinosa was charged this month with two insurance fraud felonies and a misdemeanor for filing a false report. Last week, police obtained a warrant for this lying cop and detectives from the Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau arrested him during a traffic stop. He was booked into the County Jail Inmate Reception Center, where his bail was set at $40,000. Not only does it bring discredit to the department and our deputies, it jeopardizes the trust and good faith we ask for from the public and elected officials. Worst of all, its a slap in the face of deputies who have been shot in the line of duty, and to the families of those who paid the ultimate price for their service, the union said in a statement. At the time, Reinosa claimed the shots came from a sniper in a nearby apartment building that houses people being treated for mental illness. This likely led to the rights of innocent individuals being violated as the department blamed the facilitys proximity to the station. Its insanity to allow such a facility to exist in that particular location, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said during an emotional press conference last year. Who decided to put a four-story building that looks down on a parking lot of that particular type there its beyond my comprehension, Parris said. The only reason that deputy is alive is because he had his vest on, he said without having one shred of evidence. An entire complex full of innocent people getting help for their mental illnesses was blamed and all of it based on the lies of a single cop. After news of the sniper blew up the airwaves, the news this cop completely fabricated the story, barely registered as a blip. On the following Saturday night, assistant Sheriff Robin Limon held a press conference to tell the truth. Limon said the deputy lied about the entire ordeal. The 21-year-old rookie had reportedly cut holes in his shirt to make it look like he had been shot and was treated for a bruise on his shoulder. But when police began questioning him, his story didnt add up. Things didnt add up, Homicide Bureau Capt. Kent Wegener said. There was no sniper, no shots fired and no gunshot injuries sustained to his shoulder. Completely fabricated. Much of his statement was self-serving, didnt make a whole lot of sense, Wegener told reporters. There were several things that were curious, Wegener said. There was no ballistic evidence in the parking lot at all. No bullet was recovered. There were many things that didnt add up. If convicted for his tall tales, Reinosa faces a possible maximum sentence of five years and six months in jail. Luckily, no one was injured or killed during the manhunt, other than the reputation of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. The same cannot be said about the innocent people who suffered during the manhunt for Chirstopher Dorner. While Reinosas fake shooting story may seem outlandish, it is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. In fact, several other officers have been caught forwarding the false narrative about the war on cops with fake shootings. In September of 2016, police around the country spread the story and asked for prayers for one of their own whod been shot while on duty. An investigation was launched, a dragnet conducted, the town locked down and a suspect had been brought in. However, cops and their supporters quickly found out they had been duped by their fellow officer once investigators discovered the entire story had been fabricated. In October of last year, former Jackson Police Department Officer Sherry Hall was sentenced to prison for her lies. As TFTP reported, one cop went to the ultimate extreme to fake a war on cops and actually took his own life. In September 2015, a massive manhunt ensued after Lt. Joe Gliniewicz was found dead 50 yards from his cruiser 15 minutes after he radioed in that he was pursuing three suspects on foot. Despite locking down the entire town, no suspects were found in the area. The following November, it was revealed that the reason no suspects were ever found was due to the fact that Gliniewicz killed himself. In a press conference, Lake County Major Crimes Task Force commander George Filenko said, This staged suicide was the end result of extensive criminal acts that Gliniewicz had been committing. Gliniewicz wasnt alone either. Also in September 2015, a Millis, MA police department placed an entire town on lockdown after a cop claimed hed been shot by a black man. However, it was quickly discovered that the cop faked being shot at to cover for his reckless driving. We have determined that the officers story was fabricated. Specifically, that he fired shots at his own cruiser as a plan to concoct a story that he was fired upon, Millis Police Sgt. William Dwyer said. The evidence indicates the shots were not fired by a suspect, and there is no gunman at large in or around the town. England Police Department Sgt. David Houser faked being shot during a traffic stop in Arkansas. Another statewide manhunt was launched for a non-existent Hispanic man. Two weeks later, Houser caved to pressure and confessed to shooting himself. Before that, it was reported that veteran police officer Terry Smith was shot in the back by an unknown assailant, and Black Lives Matter protesters were implicated. However, the Houston Police Department found that it was actually his partner, Gregory Hudson who shot Smith. In September 2015, Officer Bryan Johnson crashed his police cruiser into a tree. To cover up his terrible driving, Johnson then fired several shots into his wrecked car and then radioed into the station, claiming hed been a victim of the war on cops. Yet another massive manhunt was launched in search of a fake shooter. Commerce City Police Officer Kevin Lord was also arrested in 2015 after it was revealed he faked being shot at during a traffic stop. Lord claimed he was shot at close range while making a traffic stop in the 9700 block of Peoria Street. Like Reinosa, his bullet-proof vest was credited with saving his life. Contributed Photo / Norwalk Police Department NORWALK A Bridgeport man who fled to California after committing a serious assault in 2018 has been apprehended, police said. Police said Nicholas Richards, 25, got drunk at the victims Norwalk home on Dec. 6, 2018. The victim told investigators that Richards got to the point where he could barely walk or talk, but he repeatedly threatened to drive away from the home, police said. Major central banks have joined to explore whether they should issue cryptocurrencies as the use of cash declines and more people turn to electronic forms of paying. The study group is made up of the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Swedish Riksbank and the Swiss National Bank. They said in a statement Tuesday that they will assess the potential case for digital currencies in their home jurisdictions. Three Indonesian fishermen rescued after being held in the southern Philippines by an Islamist kidnap-for-ransom gang for 18 months are seen in Barangay Buansa, Sulu province, Sept. 16, 2018. Philippine military officials on Wednesday confirmed that the latest abduction of five Indonesian fishermen in waters near Lahad Datu in Sabah, Malaysia, was carried out by Abu Sayyaf militants. The hostages were believed to have been taken to the Sulu archipelago in the southern Philippines after the military tracked their speedboat and destroyed it in an air raid last week, regional military chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said. Two of five Abu Sayyaf gunmen guarding the hostages were killed in clashes over the weekend, according to authorities. They were working for the Abu Sayyaf, Sobejana said. Sobejana identified the slain men as Kah Bong and Melbi, the navigator and negotiator of the group, respectively. The pair were among a group of known Abu Sayyaf associates and members who snatched the Indonesians on Thursday. The gunmen and their captives, who worked for a Malaysian fishing company, are believed to be somewhere on the island of Sulare off the coastal town of Parang in Sulu, a remote, jungle-clad area the Abu Sayyaf militants have controlled for years. Sobejana said that because reports of the kidnapping were not relayed until Friday, this Abu Sayyaf group was already able to enter the area. The Philippine Navy with the help of local authorities managed to pinpoint the area where the Abu Sayyaf gunmen took the hostages, he said, adding that Sulare Island was under tight military blockade. As we speak, we are cordoning the Sulare Island, Sobejana said. During the weekend airstrike, the gunmen aboard the small speedboat managed to escape by jumping overboard. One of the militants, identified as Kah Bong and said to be an expert Abu Sayyaf navigator, was killed. Four other militants were killed during a clash on Sunday. He said the military had not determined if the Indonesian hostages had been handed over to other Abu Sayyaf units, a common practice used to confuse troops. The Abu Sayyaf Group is the smallest of several armed groups operating in the southern Philippines, but it is considered the most brutal one. Three years ago, Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded two Canadian hostages and a German captive after their governments refused to pay ransoms for their release. Abu Sayyaf figures allied with the so-called Islamic State group and foreign militants led a takeover of the southern city of Marawi in 2017. They were defeated five months later after a battle with Philippine forces that killed an estimated 1,200 militants, soldiers and civilians. In January 2019, an Abu Sayyaf unit helped two Indonesian suicide bombers attack a church on Jolo island, leaving 23 dead. Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales in Cotabato, Philippines, contributed to this report. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys exports of chemical products to Uzbekistan increased by 16.94 percent in 2019, compared to 2018, and amounted to over $242.2 million, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Trade Ministry. Turkeys export of chemical products to Uzbekistan increased by 23.93 percent in December 2019, compared to December 2018, and amounted to just over $18 million. Export of chemical products from Turkey increased by 18.06 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, amounting to just over $26 billion or to 11.4 percent of the countrys total exports. Turkeys exports of chemical products increased by 20.5 percent in December 2019 compared to the same month of 2018, reaching $1.8 billion or to 11.8 percent countrys total export. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu KALAMAZOO, MI The recent death of U.S. Army Spc. Bradley Walsh, a Kalamazoo native, prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to order U.S. and Michigan flags be lowered to half-staff Thursday in honor of Walshs service. The 21-year-old soldier was in his third year of active duty when he passed away on Jan. 8, according to a news release from the governors office. He was stationed with the 73rd Transportation Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Transportation Brigade at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, the release said. Our state mourns the loss of Army Specialist Bradley Walsh as he is laid to rest, Whitmer said in the release. We are grateful for his selfless service to our state and nation in the United States Army. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. To recognize Walshs duty, honor and selfless service, Michigan residents, businesses, schools and local governments are encouraged to bring their own flags to half-staff on Jan. 23 to coincide with Walshs funeral, according to the news release. Flags should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The process is reversed before the flag is lowered for the day, the release said. Walsh was born in Kalamazoo, but grew up in the small Northern Michigan town of Hillman, where he enjoyed playing guitar and being outside, according to his obituary from Adams Funeral Home. He moved south again for his senior year, graduating from Otsego Adult Education in 2017 and later joining the U.S. Army. He was described in his obituary as a kind and supportive man who would put his friends and family first. Visitation is set for 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Adams Funeral Home, 502 W. Michigan Ave. in Paw Paw. Walshs funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at First Baptist Church, 32464 E. Red Arrow in Paw Paw. Walsh will be laid to rest at Harwick Cemetery in Mattawan. Also on MLive: Man ensures military honors for fellow veteran after finding remains under stairway 102-year-old WWI services papers from California traced back to Kalamazoo nurse Bengaluru: E-commerce giant Amazon India will deploy 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in its delivery fleet by 2025, the company said on Monday. "The expansion of our electric vehicle fleet to 10,000 vehicles by 2025 is an integral milestone in our journey to become an energy efficient leader in the industry," said Amazon Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets Customer Fulfilment vice president Akhil Saxena in a statement. Saxena said Amazon is dedicated to building a supply chain model of operations which will minimise adverse environmental impact as it aims to decrease its dependence on non-renewable sources. Amazon committed to this green initiative after successfully conducting pilots runs across multiple cities in 2019, enabling the company to establish a large scalable and long term EV fleet. The 10,000 Indian EV commitment is in addition to the global commitment of deploying one lakh electric vehicles in the e-tailer's delivery fleet by 2030, announced as part of the company's Climate Pledge. Plying electric vehicles for delivering e-commerce orders, the e-tailer aims to slash carbon emissions and environmental impact of its operations. The fleet of 10,000 EVs will include three-wheelers as well as four-wheelers, designed and manufactured in India, even as the company is working with several Indian manufacturers to build the electric fleet. "Significant progress in the Indian e-mobility industry in the last few years has led to advanced technology, and superior motor and battery components," said Amazon. It also listed Government of India's focus to encourage electric vehicle adoption by issuing policies such as Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) for propelling Amazon's EV vision in the country. In 2020, Amazon's electric delivery vehicles will operate in 20 Indian cities, including Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur and Coimbatore to gradually add more cities. In September 2019, the company announced its plan to eliminate single use plastic packaging material at Amazon India's fulfilment centres and by June 2020 it aims to reduce overall packaging waste. "Amazon India has also invested in energy conservation and solar power generation in its fulfilment and sort centres, with advanced building energy management systems, and water conservation methods to make operations more sustainable," the company said. According to Amazon, the company was the first signatory of the Climate Pledge, promising to groom the e-tailer to be net zero carbon by 2040 across its businesses, almost 10 years ahead of Paris Accord's 2050 goal. Joining the Climate Pledge and endeavouring to decarbonise on a faster time horizon will enable the signatories to play a crucial role in stimulating investment and development of low carbon products and services. Building 10,000 electric delivery fleet by 2022 and one lakh such vehicles by 2030, saving four million metric tons of carbon per year by 2030 is part of Amazon's Climate Pledge. Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Market Size USD 18.4 Billion in 2018, CAGR of 5.3%, FAME Industry Trends innovations and advancements in biodiesel applications widening the scope for Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) market New York, Jan. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the current analysis of Reports and Data, the global Fatty Acid Methyl Ester market was valued at USD 18.4 Billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 27.8 Billion by the year 2026, at a CAGR of 5.3%. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) is commonly known as biodiesel and is an environmental-friendly and renewable source of energy. It is superior to expendable fossil fuels in terms of biodegradability, sulfur content, and carbon emission. The physical properties of fatty acid esters are much similar to those of fossil fuels, particularly the conventional diesel, than pure vegetable oils. FAME is also non-toxic and biodegradable. It is produced from animal fats, vegetable oils, or waste cooking oils by the process of transesterification. In the process, a glyceride reacts with alcohol forming a mixture of fatty acids esters and alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. A combination of different fatty acid methyl esters is commonly referred to as biodiesel, which is an alternative renewable fuel. Impurities, such as metals, in FAME must be restrained in the application as a motor fuel. Request free sample of this research report at: https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/2355 The market for fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) is anticipated to witness strong growth globally over the coming years, mainly due to its rising demand in biodiesel. FAME is preferred mostly over conventional diesel on account of its properties, such as lower toxic emissions. FAME is widely used in the food industry as a thickening and emulsifying agent. The growth food industry worldwide is expected to assist the market growth. FAME is being commonly used in solvent applications as a green solvent since it contains low VOC along with being readily biodegradable. Story continues Moreover, in the leather chemical industry, it is used to produce a leather fat liquoring agent, which is used as an excellent textile detergent. Growing detergent demand is further expected to couple with the market growth over the forecast years. Its additional characteristics, such as excellent lubricity, superior solubility in organic solvents, and high boiling points are increasing its inclination in various end-use industries such as metalworking solvents, fluids, detergents & surfactants, lubricants, fuels, coating and food among several others. High fatty acid esters cost and availability of substitutes are expected to pose as restraints to market participants over the forecast period. Among the regions, North America is foreseen to register substantial growth over the forecast period driven by soaring demand from end-use industries including personal care market particularly in the U.S. Additionally, favorable regulatory policies for biodiesel in the region to combat global warming is further projected to complement the FAME market growth. Asia Pacific regional market is predicted to attain significant growth owing to the rapid industrialization and increasing disposable income particularly in emerging economies including China, India and Southeast Asia. Consequently, the availability of substitutes such as Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEE) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) may hamper the market growth. Further key findings from the report suggest As of 2018, rapeseed methyl ester is the leading type segment of the global Fatty Acid Methyl Ester This segment is projected to register the fastest growth with the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to its higher efficiency and performance as compared to the other methyl esters The Glyceryl Monostearate Fatty Acid Methyl Ester segment has shown the highest growth trend in 2018 and is expected to maintain the position during the forecast period The fuels application of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester accounted for the most significant market share in 2018. It is projected to maintain its lead with a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The growth is mainly due to the rising preference of bio-diesel in automotive and transportation industry due to emerging need of fuel security and environmental conservation The fuels application segment is also the fastest-growing segment, registering the highest CAGR followed by the lubricants segment which held the second position in the Fatty Acid Methyl Ester market The market finds rising opportunities from demand for bio-based raw materials in novel applications such as polymer manufacturing The North America region accounted for the most significant market share in 2018. This region is proposed to remain the dominant regional segment during 2019-2026. The U.S. country is the fastest-growing economy, which is projected to drive the global Fatty Acid Methyl Ester market Both Europe followed by Asia-Pacific regions are forecasted to show significant growth over the coming years Key participants include KLK Oleo, Cargill Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), BASF S.E., Wilmar International Limited, P&G Chemicals, Emery Oleochemicals Group, Longyan Zhuoyue New Energy Co. Ltd., Alnor Oil Company Inc., Berg + Schmidt, Evonik Industries, and Biofuels Corporation To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/fatty-acid-methyl-ester-market t Segments covered in the report: For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the Fatty Acid Methyl Ester market on the basis of type, product, application, and region: Type (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Kilo Tons, 20162026) Rapeseed methyl ester Soy methyl ester Palm oil methyl ester Others Product (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Kilo Tons, 20162026) Sealant Gasket Molding Others Application (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Kilo Tons, 20162026) Glyceryl monostearate Medium chain triglycerides Polyol esters Glycol esters Isopropyl palmitate Sucrose esters Order Now: https://www.reportsanddata.com/checkout-form/2355 Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany France UK Spain Italy Rest of the Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America Brazil Browse more similar reports on Materials and Chemicals category by Reports And Data Splice Tape Market - https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/splice-tape-market Sizing Agents Market - https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/sizing-agents-market Magnesium Alloys Market - https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/magnesium-alloys-market About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help clients make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Reports And Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com WASHINGTON, D.C. - If Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown had his druthers, the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump that started Tuesday would be handled very differently. Thered be witnesses. It would all be done during the day. Thered be no media restrictions on coverage in the U.S. Capitol. Senator (Mitch) McConnell is simply rigging the system, Brown said of the Senate Majority leader from Kentucky. He keeps us in until two in the morning, but people stop watching... Hes taken the cameras out of the Senate Chamber because he doesnt want the American public to see, in the dead of night, fundamentally what hes doing, and we owe it to our country to do better than that. In an interview with Ohio reporters after the first day of a trial where Senators will decide the propriety of Trumps request that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigate the family of a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, Brown said he was upset that a bloc of 53 Republican Senators continuously defeated Democratic requests that documents or witnesses be introduced into the record. These are people who were in the room, who could shed light, and theyre not never-Trumpers, said Brown. They are not anti-Trump, they are Trump employees in most cases ... I kept thinking, the whole night, why in a court of law, which what this fundamentally is, is the defense unwilling to allow witnesses to come in and say what really happened? He questioned what Republicans are hiding and who theyre afraid of. WATCH: Mitch McConnell is rigging this trial, and history will not look kindly on it. Weve got to fix this for the American people. pic.twitter.com/s0uKyOsXA3 Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) January 22, 2020 Of the 15 trials in the Senate in 200 some years, this is the first one witnesses will not be allowed," Brown fumed. "McConnell should be ashamed of himself, and Im just shocked that the other 52, whether theyre terrified of McConnell, whether theyre afraid of the Presidents criticism, whatever the reasons, I just cant believe they did this. It is not a real trial, unless you have witnesses and evidence, and they dont seem interested. As the trial kicked off on Tuesday, McConnell said that its structure would align with the first steps of President Bill Clintons impeachment trial in 1999. He said the Senate will consider whether to hear witnesses after opening arguments and questions from senators. He accused Senate Democrats of trying to precommit to seeking specific witnesses and documents before senators had even heard opening arguments or even asked questions. In a separate media availability on Wednesday, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Democrats were making redundant motions, over and over again, because they view this as an opportunity to continue their partisan attacks on the president instead of focusing on the priorities of the American people. We are going to give each side up to 24 hours to present their case, said Cruz. We are going to have up to 16 hours of questions from Senators and then we will have a vote on whether additional witnesses, additional documents are necessary. If the vote is Yes, then this trial could extend for many weeks or even months. If the vote is No, then what I think is likely is the Senate will vote to move to final judgment and it will end with an acquittal with each senator standing and voting guilty or not guilty." Brown said McConnell wants the trial to be over quickly, with less information revealed to the public, to cover up Trumps wrongdoing. The President blackmailed or bribed, choose your verb, the Ukrainian president for our president to get a personal political benefit, said Brown. And theres a coverup here and a coverup is to shut down, to run a sham trial where people arent able to speak up that would be willing to if we subpoenaed them. Brown said he doesnt think Democrats should negotiate to trade testimony from Hunter Biden for testimony by John Bolton. He described Republican requests for testimony by Biden as a distraction thats great for the Trump base. The whole idea of the Biden family testifying is sort of ludicrous because the trials not about them, the trials about what happened, what did the President do when he was talking to President Zelensky, and what the President did afterwards. Brown said the impeachment trial has been unlike any other Senate proceeding hes witnessed. Usually, Senators can come and go from its chambers during debates, but this time everyone sits silently at their seats during the whole proceeding. Its a very somber, very sobering place to be, said Brown. Ive never sat in the Senate when its like that. Read more coverage: Gun activists seek 'Second Amendment sanctuary designations in Ohio The Equal Rights Amendment - its history in Ohio and what comes next: Q & A Trump jokes with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow at White House ceremony Ohios Jim Jordan is ready to assist President Trumps impeachment defense, if the White House wants Facial surveillance alarms Congress; Republicans and Democrats pledge action As Ohio prepares for record 2020 election turnout, Frank LaRose wants state to pay postage for voters mail-in ballots House votes to designate PFAS forever chemicals as hazardous substances House votes to limit Trumps war powers in measure backed by Ohio Democrats Sen. Sherrod Brown cautions against war in Middle East and questions Trumps judgment Trump in Ohio: A timeline of his presidential visits Toledo Democrats warn President Trump against hate speech during upcoming visit Koalas could be extinct in just 30 years and Australia is to blame for 'sleepwalking to this catastrophe', an expert says. Around a billion animals are thought to have perished in the bushfire crisis that has ravaged the nation since October. More than half of the koala population was wiped by fires on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, with experts warning the species may be extinct by 2050 - or even earlier. A koala is seen sitting among burnt trees in Kangaroo Island, South Australia In the wake of the fires, Professor Christopher Dickman of the University of Sydney said Australia is 'sleepwalking to this catastrophe'. He said there was as many as 100 species of plants and animals that were at risk of extinction but due to 'poor monitoring' of Australian wildlife. 'It's going to be some time before we get in to assess whether particular species are still there or not, but anywhere from 20 to 100 plants and animal species that were already threatened were in the path of the fires and would be at real risk,' he told The Daily Telegraph. Professor Dickman said that while koalas have taken a massive hit, there were large areas inhabiting the animals that remain untouched. 'Koalas do have a big range, and even though the fires have covered over 10 million hectares there's still a very large area of koala habitat that remains unburnt,' he said. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have estimated that by 2050, koalas would be wiped out along eastern Australia, but Dr Stuart Blanch predicts the fires have 'brought the extinction timeline forward'. Koala numbers in Queensland and New South Wales have dropped significantly over three decades. In 1990 there were 326,400 koalas in these states and in 2010 there were just 188,000, according to the WWF. An injured koala sits in a laundry basket after it was rescued from fires on Kangaroo Island A rescued koala is seen at an animal hospital at the RSPCA headquarters in Brisbane In 2020 there are fears there are less than 100,000 across Australia, with the loss attributed to deforestation and land clearing. As Australia is still in the midst of one of its worst bushfire seasons, Dr Blanch estimated between a quarter and half of the koala population had been killed. 'Climate impacts including drought and bushfires are happening a lot quicker than expected so it's reasonable to conclude the extinction risk will come well before 2050,' he said. Speaking previously to Daily Mail Australia Professor Dickman said koalas would struggle to reproduce in the wake of their habitats being destroyed. 'Some things probably won't come back,' he said. 'It's nearly half a billion native animals. You could say functionally extinct in some areas,' Professor Dickman said. Last week the Federal Government announced they would be committing $50million for emergency wildlife and habitat recovery. 'This initial investment of $50 million into the protection and restoration of our wildlife and habitat is a critical step in creating a viable future for the animals that have survived,' Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said. 'As part of the Government's support $25 million will be provided for an emergency intervention fund to be used on critical interventions where required and to help with the immediate survival of affected animals, plants and ecological communities and to control pests and weeds. A koala is being treated at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Zoo earlier this month 'A further $25 million will be made available to support wildlife rescue, our zoos, Natural Resource Management Groups, Greening Australia and Conservation Volunteers Australia with on the ground activities. In the wake of the heavy loss of Australia's wildlife, several groups across the country have made it their mission to care for injured koalas. The Adelaide Koala Rescue cared for more than 100 animals in a hall in Paradise Primary School. The makeshift hospital was created to care for koalas that had been burned in the Cudlee Creek blaze. One couple, Paul and Christeen McLeod, are looking after koalas who had been burned from their own living room, running the Koalas in Care service from their home in Taree. Purpose-bred professional field detection dogs are also being used to help find koalas in burnt-out areas. The dogs conduct post-fire koala surveys where they search the area finding faeces - which can indicate the presence of koalas nearby. What feels as though it started the day after New Year's finally ended on Sunday the four-leg tour of menswear shows for Fall 2020, where collections were showcased in London, Florence, Milan and finally Paris. With the new decade upon us, designers explored a variety of themes this season as it relates to how men should feel free to dress. The biggest takeaways revolved around two major concepts: The idea of childhood, vulnerability and innocence, and the modernization of traditional couture designs. Turning back the clock to a time where one can see the world (and clothes) through the eyes of a child were a big theme at Gucci, Loewe and Louis Vuitton, while the focus on haute couture techniques made waves at Dior Men, Givenchy and Valentino. This resulted in a curious tension between the two, as on one hand designers sought to evolve traditional dress and business codes for men, while on the other, many looked toward the archives from past couture collections. What's clear, however, is that the tides are shifting. We saw a return to elegance begin to form last season, with less and less streetwear tropes infiltrating the runways. For Fall 2020, this became even more pronounced, with some designers avoiding sneakers on the runway altogether, while others treaded more cautiously with a sort of street/tailored hybrid. Either way, there was a stronger sense of individuality this season, much like we saw in the women's shows, with unique styling cues, unconventional materials and new colorways being introduced. If there's one unifying theme, it's that the old rules of dressing are continuing to be broken down. Here are the 10 biggest trends we saw on the Fall 2020 men's runways. Check, Please! Raf Simons From windowpane checks on traditional suiting at Fendi to neutral gingham patterns at JW Anderson, plaids came in all shapes and forms this season. Corduroy Prada Everyone from Prada to Etro interpreted the classic menswear fabric into modern iterations in unexpected colors and silhouettes. Wear It On Your Hip Botter The crossbody bag was the most popular accessory for fall, whether it's an oversized hobo bag at Rhude or a bag worn all the way down to your knees ala Marni. The Gloves Come On Dior Men From short length gloves at Telfar to the longer embellished opera versions at Dior Men and everything in between, there's no limit to how designers are personalizing the cold-weather accessory this season. One Color Fits All A-COLD-WALL* One of the biggest trends from the women's season, the monochromatic looks trickled over into menswear with head-to-toe single hues in a variety of colors. Oversized Tailoring Marni Whether it's a slouchy jacket from Random Identities or a boxy striped suit from Martine Rose, the oversized tailored look remains a popular look. Puff Piece Telfar Puffers are no longer just relegated to outerwear, as the material was incorporated in everything from pants like Telfar or single sleeves ala Undercover. Bare Arms Fendi Perhaps the biggest trend to emerge from Milan, the sleeveless look dominated the runways in Fendi and Prada with Paris coming in close ala Givenchy. The Neck Tie Officine Generale The return of elegance and sophistication, a concept that started to emerge last season, made a big splash for Fall 2020, with Officine Generale and Ferragamo leading the way. Utility Gear Heron Preston From cargo pockets at Louis Vuitton to buckle straps at Rhude, utility gear was seen on all the runways this season. Photos via Imaxtree The State Aviation Service revised the level of safety of air transport and its suitability for flights Open source The State Aviation Service of Ukraine conducted an unscheduled check of the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA). The reason for the revision was the recent plane crash in Iran, State Aviation Service stated this in response to UNNs request. "The State Aviation Service was conducting an unscheduled check of PJSC Ukraine International Airlines from January 9 to January 11, on the order of the State Aviation Service from January 8, 2020, 13," the message reads. The department noted that the inspection was conducted in order to maintain the level of flight safety and execute prevention activities in aviation. It is also reported that the airworthiness review of the entire civilian fleet will be conducted by the State Aviation Service in accordance with the schedule of inspections. As we reported earlier, Boeing 737 of Ukraine's International Airlines, flight PS 752 with 176 passengers aboard crashed in Tehran, not far from Imam Khomeini airport. Iranian Tasnim News Agency informed about that, pointing out that the reason of the crash was a "technical malfunction". As of 7 a.m. January 8, the fate of passengers remained unknown. Local authorities feared that no one survived, because the plane was visibly on fire as it was falling, CGTN reported. THE IRISH Cancer Society is seeking new Daffodil Day volunteers to help replace one of Limerick citys most prolific fundraisers, who is stepping down as coordinator of the event after 30 years. Described as the pulse of Limerick Citys Daffodil Day collections for over three decades, Ennis Road woman Maura OFlaherty has helped to raise over 500,000 for the fight against cancer through the years. In the past 20 years we have seen a 20% increase in the number of people in Ireland surviving a cancer diagnosis. Without the passion, dedication and goodwill of people like Maura I dont think we would be in a position to say this, so we are incredibly thankful to her for all her efforts, said Irish Cancer Society Community Fundraiser Lorraine Toner. Mauras absence from the 2020 Daffodil Day event will leave a sizeable gap that organisers have appealed to members of the community to fill. Whilst it is always difficult to fill such a gap, we are looking for three or four people who would be interested in continuing to build on what Maura has established and help coordinate our Daffodil Day activities in Limerick City, added Toner. Daffodil Day will take place on March 27 and is a crucial fundraiser in the Irish Cancer Societys fight against cancer. Funds raised on the day go towards supporting nurses, researchers and volunteers across Ireland whilst providing much-needed free support services to relieve worry and stress on cancer patients and their families at one of the most difficult times in their lives. The Irish Cancer Society will be holding a morning tea to recognise and thank Maura for her dedication and to provide information for anyone interested in finding out more about Daffodil Day, the Irish Cancer Society or how they can make a difference. The event will take place at 11am on January 28 at the South Court Hotel. Google declined to comment for this article. Lofts have become hubs not just for technology companies, but for manufacturing companies that embrace technology. At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, companies are assembling robots, drones and 3-D printers in lofts. Some have even asked that their buildings not be fixed up too much. None of them would want to be in a traditional office space, said David Ehrenberg, the president and chief executive of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, the nonprofit that runs the city-owned complex on the East River. When Tim Armstrong was hired as Googles first New York employee in 2000, he turned his loft apartment on the Upper West Side into the companys inaugural office. Now his latest venture, DTX, a product, design and technology company, is based in a former metalwork shop in SoHo that was transformed into a loft. There are open areas with couches, long tables and rows of computers in an airy mezzanine. No one has offices or desks. Life is not all about being in a shiny office building, he said. Its about being in a zone where youre trying to figure things out the world doesnt know it needs yet. NEW HAVEN Alder Eli Sabin, D-1, cannot remember a time before the United States was at war in the Middle East. Sabin a Yale University student and the youngest member of the Board of Alders was born in 2000, just three years before troops invaded Iraq. Weve been at war in the Middle East almost my entire life, Sabin said. Sabin and 20 other alders opted to introduce a resolution on the floor Tuesday to urge New Havens congressional delegation to support a resolution by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to prevent escalating tension to a war with Iran. Kaines resolution has enough Republican co-sponsors to pass the Senate if no Democrats break with their party. If the resolution were to pass, President Donald J. Trump would be required to seek approval from Congress before taking more military action in Iran, following a Jan. 3 strike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, deemed a terrorist by the U.S. Sabin discussed his support of the resolution by paraphrasing civil rights icon the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the day after the national holiday in his honor. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death, he said. We want better schools and more affordable housing, not more troops in the Middle East. Sabin said days earlier he and state Sen. Gary Winfield witnessed James Hillhouse High School students stepping off a school bus and they observed how many of them were in JROTC uniforms. We all know if America goes to war itll be the sons and daughters of New Haven going off to fight that war, not Donald Trumps kids or Mike Pences kids, he said. More News Protesters in New Haven chant against U.S. Middle East involvement The measure passed unanimously. Alder Steve Winter, D-21, a co-sponsor, said residents in New Haven want to see their neighborhoods improved with tax dollars instead of having them support endless wars. Especially with how reckless the president is, he added. Current conflicts in the Middle East began under former President George W. Bush and were continued by former President Barack Obama. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com It can be tough to churn up the motivation to get out of the house in January. Its cold, its dark and the post-holiday blues and fatigue make binge-watching a series on Netflix preferable to almost any other activity. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It can be tough to churn up the motivation to get out of the house in January. Its cold, its dark and the post-holiday blues and fatigue make binge-watching a series on Netflix preferable to almost any other activity. Festival preview Click to Expand Winterruption Jan. 22-25 Various venues Tickets: range in price from $10-$30 in advance, visit wecc.ca for purchasing information But for a while eight years to be exact the Big Fun Festival provided a real reason (for music lovers, anyway) to get out and about in January, bringing in an eclectic collection of musicians to an eclectic collection of venues each year. In June 2019, festival organizers stated Big Fun would be going on hiatus, leaving a gap in winter musical programming during the weeks post-holiday concerts and prior to the Winnipeg New Music Festival, which paved the way for Winterruption to land in Winnipeg. Leonard Sumner headlines Wednesday's Winterruption concert at the WECC. (Supplied) Winterruption, a music festival, has been running in Regina and Saskatoon since 2015, and along the way has added Edmonton, Swift Current, Sask., and, now, Winnipeg to its roster of participating cities. Winnipegs Winterruption will take place at venues throughout the West End, including the Good Will Social Club, X-Cues Billiards, the Handsome Daughter and the West End Cultural Centre, starting tonight and winding up Saturday. Artistry infused with green vision Click to Expand Posted: 7:00 PM Jan. 21, 2020 When the Free Press calls, avant-garde pop artist Hannah Epperson answers her phone from Chicago, where she has a long layover between trains as she travels by rail from her adopted home of New York City to Vancouver, where she spent much of her youth. Train travel is the way of the future. Its the way of the past, its gotta be the way of the future, laughs the 32-year-old Salt Lake City native and Canadian permanent resident who is keen to limit her travel by air and car. Read Full Story "We wanted to make it a neighbourhood thing, which is not the same as what Big Fun was; Big Fun was a bit more downtown. We want to bring people to walk around the West End, theres a big intent behind that, we want people to walk around the neighbourhood," says Jorge Requena Ramos, the West End Cultural Centres booking manager. "We want to make sure that were creating an environment where people can go to a show at the Good Will and then go to a show at X-Cues, or come to a show here (at the WECC) and then go to the Handsome Daughter, we wanted it to be a more circulating, ambulant festival." Though the festival is a chain of sorts, being under the Winterruption umbrella doesnt really affect how Winnipeg organizers from the West End Cultural Centre, the Good Will Social Club and Real Love Winnipeg have planned and programmed the event. It does, however, allow artists to create a mini-tour by hitting up multiple Winterruptions in multiple cities, which makes touring the Prairies in dead of winter more enticing. For the inaugural festival, nine shows take place over the four-day event and include headliners such as Manitobans Leonard Sumner (Wednesday, 8 p.m., WECC) and Lana Winterhalt (Thursday, 8 p.m., X-Cues), as well as 2 Heads hitmaker Coleman Hell (Thursday, 8 p.m., WECC) and avant-garde pop artist Hannah Epperson (Thursday, 9 p.m., Good Will), among others. Lana Winterhalt takes to the stage Thursday night at X-Cues. (Supplied photo) "Were trying not to focus on genre to brand the festival in that way. We wanted it to be a mix of things, like Coleman Hell is a Top 40 artist, which is rare for the WECC and we want to introduce ourselves to those people," says Requena Ramos. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. There are no festival passes for Winterruption this year, except for three "golden tickets" organizers gave away in a contest on Instagram, so attendees must purchase tickets, which range in price from $10 to $30, for each show individually. As an added incentive to check out multiple venues, those who attend shows at three or more venues in one night will be given a free beer. Top 40 artist Coleman Hell is part of the Winterruption roster. (Aaron Vincent Elkaim / Canadian Press files) Its a small saving that Requena Ramos hopes will encourage movement from venue to venue, allowing attendees to explore more of the West End and to feel safe doing so. "Were very adamant that we want to let people know the West End isnt a dangerous place. I feel like because of the shooting at the 7-Eleven and the other crime streak of people stealing booze from the liquor commission or breaking into cars, I feel like were getting a bad rap," he says. "We want to put on a good show so we can get back in peoples good books as a neighbourhood, so were making a big effort to bring people over here to our home in the West End." erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @NireRabel If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will showcase their flood rescue team in action, rescuing drowned people, including children and animals, during the Republic Day parade on Sunday. The NDRF tableau will showcase its successful and illustrious journey of humanitarian service carried out during natural and manmade disasters. "It is a specialised multi-skilled and multi-disciplinary disaster response force of its own kind," said a senior NDRF official. The tableau in the front portion will showcase the flood rescue team in action. It will also depict slithering and winching by helicopters and the use of drones in rescue operations. It will showcase the collapse structure rescue with modern equipment and communication set-up. "The ground team will depict the specialised responder of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergency with modern equipment," said the official. In his final attempt to torpedo Pennsylvanias Mariner East II Pipeline, now-former Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan filed criminal charges last month against security contractors hired to secure pipeline construction sites. Sadly, the accusations are merely another publicity stunt in the DAs crusade to upend the permitted project rather than an honest effort to serve the public. Pennsylvanians deserve better than this kind of gamesmanship that puts political agendas ahead of residents welfare. The charges accuse several security personnel employed by Mariner East of paying state constables to provide security for the pipeline during construction. The constables authority, Mr. Hogan alleges, was used as a weapon to intimidate citizens. But the facts of the situation tell a different story-one that when coupled with the DAs record of claims against the Mariner East point a finger back at Mr. Hogan for politicizing his public office. Its not uncommon for businesses of all industries to employ private security. Thats especially true for energy developers and operators, who regularly hire personnel to not only protect their investments, but also to ensure individuals are not inadvertently injured by equipment or ongoing construction around infrastructure sites. Long before the Mariner East developers contracted the security personnel now under scrutiny, they consulted local law enforcement about the possibility of using state constables. Those authorities raised no concerns. And its hard to imagine why they would. Pipelines have become targets for environmental extremists, and reports of sabotage and other criminal activities against energy infrastructure have grown in recent years. In fact, one disgruntled Central Pennsylvania landowner even lured bears to pipeline work sites, set fires near equipment, and harassed workers in an unlawful attempt to halt the pipeline. Another group admitted to sabotaging equipment in Southeast Pennsylvania. Its a sad reality that pipeline operators often need extra security to prevent senseless attacks, and based on past criminal activity, its necessary for the Mariner East builders to take additional precautions. Its also important to understand the function of Pennsylvanias constables. Like a sheriff, a constable is an elected or appointed position in the executive branch of government. Primarily, they serve at the direction of the courts to issue summons and warrants and the like, but they are fully empowered to enforce both criminal and civil laws. Unlike most law enforcement officials, constables do not receive a set salary. They are compensated by assignment at rates established by state law. As public peace officers, constables are employed by a third party-never directly, as a security guard would be. In that way, Mariner Easts situation is not unusual: The developer hired a private contractor to secure the construction sites. The contractor then enlisted the support of state constables. John-Walter Weiser and Philip Intrieri, the president and the solicitor of the Commonwealth Constable Association, respectively, recently called out the absurdity of the Chester County DAs claims. It is frankly offensive to accuse a constable of selling his badge, when he is only operating under a fee-driven system he did not create, and which is intended to save our tax dollars, Weiser and Intrieri wrote last month. Filing felony charges of law when that law is unclear is a grievous abuse of power. Its impossible to reconcile the precautions taken to add extra security around the Mariner East Pipeline with the charges now being leveled. Instead, the evidence points to a pattern of abuse of public office to wage an ideological campaign against midstream energy infrastructure. Mr. Hogan has criticized Mariner East of environmental crimes and has promised that other charges are coming down the line. In his statement announcing the most recent allegations, Mr. Hogan goes so far as to accuse Governor Wolf of being asleep at the wheel. All this was said and done as Mr. Hogan was leaving office. The DAs attacks against the Mariner East Pipeline seem to peel back the true motives behind these latest charges-which are to derail energy infrastructure deployment in Pennsylvania. But these accusations are too serious for residents to accept as politics as usual. As Hogans successor Deborah Ryan takes office, it is critical that Pennsylvanians are afforded an open debate about the Commonwealths energy security-not policy by litigation that, apparently, will readily sacrifice those who find themselves on the wrong side of the agenda of those in power. George Landrith is the president of the Frontiers of Freedom Institute in Washington. India dropped 10 places in the Democracy Indexs global ranking to 51st place, with the survey describing the erosion of civil liberties in the country as the primary cause of the democratic regression. The Democracy Index - prepared by Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of The Economist Group - provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories. It is based on electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. Indias overall score, on a scale of 0-10, fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in 2019, with the survey listing India among countries where there were regressions. In the Asia and Australia region, India ranked eighth, behind countries such as Timor-Leste, Malaysia and Taiwan. By contrast, Norway topped the index, with a score of 9.87, while North Korea was at the bottom of the global rankings, with a score of 1.08. Chinas score fell to 2.26, and it is now ranked 153rd, close to the bottom of the rankings. The Democracy Index described 2019 as a tumultuous year for Asian democracies. The biggest change occurred in Thailand, whose score improved by 1.69 points compared with 2018, to 6.32, resulting in a rise of 38 places, while introduction of a fake news law in Singapore led to a deterioration in the score for civil liberties. The Democracy Index referred to the changes in Jammu and Kashmir and the controversial implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam while describing what it said was the democratic regression in India, the worlds largest democracy. The Indian government stripped the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state of its special status by repealing two key constitutional provisions granting it powers of autonomy, it said, referring to Article 370 of the Constitution and Article 35A, which prevented residents from other states from purchasing land or property in Kashmir. Following the removal of these provisions of the Constitution and the passage of a new Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, J&K no longer enjoys statehood and is now divided into two union territories: one that retains the name Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, it said. Ahead of the move, the government deployed a large number of troops in J&K, imposed various other security measures and placed local leaders under house arrest, including those with pro-India credentials. The government also restricted internet access in the state, it added. The Democracy Index noted that the citizenship registration exercise in Assam had excluded 1.9m from the final list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The vast majority of people excluded from the NRC are Muslims, it said, adding the ruling BJP says that most of the people excluded from the list are immigrants from Bangladesh, whose government denies this. It added: Critics claim that the exercise targets the Muslim population and will lead to demographic changes along religious lines. There are almost 200m Muslims in India: the figure was 195,810,000 in 2015, representing 14.9% of the total population of India and 10.5% of the total Muslim population of the world... At current growth rates India will be home to the worlds biggest Muslim population by 2060, with a Muslim population of more than 333m or 19.4% of the total population. The new citizenship law has enraged the large Muslim population, stoked communal tensions and generated large protests in major cities. Three countries - Chile, France and Portugal - moved from the flawed democracy category to the full democracy category, while Malta moved in the opposite direction, falling out of full democracy to become a flawed democracy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Sanders campaign is the most prolific campaign when it comes to livestreaming, airing nearly all of the candidates rallies live on YouTube and often providing nightly campaign update broadcasts featuring either Mr. Sanders or his campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, on both YouTube and Twitter. The campaign updates on Twitter often attract about 100,000 viewers, evidence of Mr. Sanderss devoted online following, and this weekend his campaign said roughly three million viewers tuned in to one of Mr. Sanderss rallies across all platforms. The Sanders campaign will continue its updates and videos while he is in Washington, and the candidate will appear in the videos when he can. Its difficult to discern, however, how many of those viewers are future caucusgoers in Iowa, or voters in New Hampshire, and the tools for targeting or promoting livestreams are somewhat limited. Ms. Klobuchars team is weighing linking a digital broadcast with events on the ground, such as having Ms. Klobuchar broadcast into events hosted by her surrogates. The campaign is also discussing holding some tele-town halls over a video messenger that would also be livestreamed. Ms. Warren will be recording videos, doing satellite interviews and possibly tele-town halls, and Mr. Bennet will be holding tele-town halls and appearing on Facebook Live. Former Central Regional Chairman of the largest opposition NDC and Social Commentator, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for the introduction of the Eminent Advisory Committee. Allotey Jacobs described the establishment of an Eminent Advisory Committee by the Electoral Commission (EC) as a wise decision. I praise the EC for introducing the Eminent Advisory Committee, it will help in ensuring free and fair elections,'' Allotey Jacobs told Lawyer Ohene Gyan on 'Pae Mu Ka' on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7 According to him, he believes that will help to remove the suspicions people have about the Commission. He expressed the hope that the formation of the committee will help to remove doubts from people's minds about the independence of the Commission. He urged members of the committee to speak out on issues of national importance now so their voices will be recognized and appreciated when they speak out during the election period. Background The Electoral Commission (EC) inaugurated a 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee to enhance engagement and interactions between the Commission and the Ghanaian Society, as the nation prepares towards the 2020 General Election. The Committee, which is made up of distinguished eminent Ghanaians, is under the Chairmanship of Mr Justice Emile Francis Short, former Chairman, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice. Members of the Committee include Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante; Chairman, National Peace Council; Sheik Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, National Chief Imam; Mr Sam Okudzeto, Member, Council of State; Nana Ato Dadzie, a former Chief of Staff; and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer, Action Chapel International. Others are Dr Yaw Baah, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress; Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Roman Catholic Church's Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, Mr Affail Monney, President, Ghana Journalists Association; Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, former President, GJA; Rev. Prof Emmanuel Martey, former Moderator, Presbyterian Church of Ghana; Mr Tony Forson, President, Ghana Bar Association, and Dr Eric Oduro Osae, a Local Government Expert. ---KingdomfmOnline [January 22, 2020] Intellinetics Achieves EVV Vendor Certification in Ohio IntelliCloud EVVTM, an Alternative EVV System Offers Compliance with Benefits COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellinetics, Inc. , (OTCQB: INLX) a cloud-based document solutions provider, announced today that the company has achieved Alternative Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Certification in Ohio. This comprehensive certification process was conducted by the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) in response to federal requirements established in the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act). This certification allows Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) Medicaid services providers to select Intellinetics IntelliCloud EVVTM instead of the state-provided system through Sandata Technologies. Intellinetics was one of the first alternative EVV solution vendors in the state to receive this certification. All alternative EVV solutions must be certified by ODM through a hands-on demonstration process to ensure they capture all federal and state-specific requirements, so Ohio DODD providers can choose IntelliCloud EVV with confidence. IntelliCloud EVV turns mandatory compliance into an asset by simplifying processes and streamlining the workflow. This represents an alternative approach to EVV technology, which puts providers and patients first. IntelliCloud EVV was designed to help agencies improve their quality of care by offering: A system that was built from day-one to be easy to learn and easy to use, Five different ways to record EVV visits including manually, through smart phones, a dedicated website, a phone land line and even using Amazons Alexa, An agnostic system that integrates with an agencys existing infrastructure, and The ability for the agencys direct service providers to use personal smart phones, eliminating the need to learn and carry another device. Going even further to offer a complete solution, IntelliCloud EVV does more than just capturing the mandated EVV compliance requirements. In the future, there is the potential for this solution to be expanded to inclue scheduling, incident management and ISP management allowing clients to pay only for what they need, when they need it. IntelliCloud EVV empowers providers with a complete solution that not only puts providers and patients first but also simplifies and streamlines their work, said James F. DeSocio , President & CEO of Intellinetics. Because of our teams personal connections to the individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we know and understand the challenges the industry faces. And we are better equipped to develop complete solutions that not only solve the problem but also tie everything together to give our clients actionable data. With IntelliCloud EVV, we continue to deepen and expand our offerings for I/DD providers. Intellinetics also offers thorough training and customer support through its EVV Concierge Service. The process of meeting the EVV mandate has been confusing, distracting and intimidating for myself and my team, said Dominic Vacca, Executive Director of Erie Residential Living, Inc. and Intellinetics partner in the certification process. Intellinetics Concierge Service did all the heavy lifting for us. They were able to step in, take the worry off our shoulders and work closely with us. Intellinetics trained our Direct Service Providers (DSPs) so they are comfortable and understand the new technology. It was such a relief to turn this difficult process over to a proven solution provider. Intellinetics is so knowledgeable about our field and can relate to what our DSPs are dealing with on a day-to-day basis. Using that knowledge, they built an EVV solution that meets the needs of DSPs. Intellinetics is a great team to work with. About Intellinetics, Inc. Intellinetics, Inc., located in Columbus, Ohio, is a cloud-based content services software provider. Its IntelliCloud suite of solutions serve a mission-critical role for organizations in highly regulated, risk and compliance-intensive markets in Healthcare, K-12, Public Safety, Public Sector, Risk Management, Financial Services and beyond. IntelliCloud solutions make content secure, compliant, and process-ready to drive innovation, efficiencies and growth. For additional information, please visit www.intellinetics.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Intellinetics, Inc. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical, including statements regarding future business and new revenues associated with any product, industry, market, initiative, service or innovation; market penetration; execution of Intellinetics business plan, strategy, direction and focus; and other intentions, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or strategies regarding future growth and other future events are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in Intellinetics cash flow or adequacy of capital resources, market acceptance risks, the success of Intellinetics solutions providers, including human services, technical development risks, and other risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed from time to time in its reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Intellinetics most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as subsequently filed reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Intellinetics cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Intellinetics disclaims any obligation and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release. Expanded and historical information is made available to the public by Intellinetics on its website at www.intellinetics.com or at www.sec.gov . CONTACT: Joe Spain, CFO Intellinetics, Inc. 614.921.8170 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] It's hard to say it, but it's time to say it. Nickelback's new tour includes two Texas dates, but none in San Antonio. The Duggar family is all about forgiveness when it comes to eldest son and sex pest Josh Duggar, who molested four of his younger siblings as a teenager but parents Jim Bob and Michelle don't seem to have the same open-arms policy when it comes to issues with one of Josh's victims. Today, 31-year-old Josh's wife Anna, also 31, shared a photo of the couple alongside his parents Jim Bob and Michelle, proclaiming the foursome had just enjoyed a double date. The happy family outing comes just three weeks after 28-year-old Jill Duggar's husband Derick Dillard, 30, told Instagram followers that they aren't even allowed at her family's house without express permission from Jim Bob. What a foursome! Josh and Anna Duggar went on a double date with Josh's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle (plus Josh and Anna's new born, Maryella) Unconditional: Anna wrote that 'it means the world to have parents that unconditionally love us and who are there to encourage us along life's way' Anna shared the photo in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, possibly while up for a late-night feeding with her newborn daughter Maryella. She and Josh have six children in all, with the youngest born this past November. Int he photo, Anna smiles wide while holding Maryella, with a pleased-looking Josh posing behind her. Josh's dad Jim Bob and mother Michelle smile next to them. 'We enjoyed a double date with Pops & Lolli this evening!' Anna wrote, referring to the grandparent nicknames that Jim Bob and Michelle only recently adopted. 'It means the world to have parents that unconditionally love us and who are there to encourage us along lifes way,' she went on. 'The older I get, the more I realize just how much I value and lean on the advice from our parents and the Godly men & women who are a couple decades ahead of us in life. 'Thanks Sweetie, Pops & Lolli for such a fun evening it was great to chat, laugh and have a great night out together!' While the double date may have been a special outing, Josh and Anna spend plenty of time with his parents, and are even believed to live on the land that Jim Bob owns. They're often spotted in family photos taken at the house or during various outings, and accompanied several of the other Duggars to an anti-abortion protest this weekend. In the fold: Josh and Anna have six children and live on land owned by Jim Bob All's forgiven! Josh famously admitted to molesting four of his younger sisters and a fifth child when he was a teenager Trustworthy? The family was vocal about forgiving Josh for molesting his sisters, and he still spends a lot of time with everyone In fact, there seem to be no qualms or reservations about including Josh in the mix, despite his troubled past. When Josh was a teenager, he admitted to touching the chest area and genitals of four of his younger sisters, as well as a family friend, and was subsequently sent away from counseling though the seedy family history was buried until 2015, when InTouch unearthed an old police report. Within months of the news coming to light and sisters Jessa and Jill coming forward as two of his victims it was discovered that Josh had an account on the adultery website Ashley Madison. Like it never happened! Anna shared effusive praise for her husband on his 31st birthday and mentioned his 'redemption' less than four years after he admitted he was unfaithful He went on to admit that he had been unfaithful and also copped to a porn addiction. But the family frequent preaches forgiveness. His wife Anna, in particular, has spoken a bit about sticking by his side. 'Redemption is a beautiful thing!' she told a fan on Instagram who commented on Josh's presence in photos. On his birthday last year, Anna also wrote an effusive Instagram post singing his praises, saying: 'Your gratitude for redemption through JESUS and striving to please HIM above all!' But while Josh has clearly elicited the forgiveness of his wife and parents, his sister Jill seems to be on rockier ground with Jim Bob and Michelle. In December, her husband Derick went scorched earth on Instagram offering up some new revelations about the family dynamic and the rumored rift. Replying to comments on a Christmas post, Derick made accusations against both Jim Bob and TLC, claiming that Jim Bob restricts their time with the rest of the family and that the Counting On network pressured Jill, an abuse victim, to continue filming when she tried to quit. Stunning accusations: Just last month, Derick Dillard the husband of Josh's victim Jill said that they aren't allowed at her parents' house without father Jim Bob's permission A rift? Fans noticed that they weren't at Jim Bob and Michelle's house for Christmas, even though they live nearby and most of Jill's siblings were there The rules: Derick revealed that they're not allowed at the house when Jim Bob isn't there, and Jill needed permission from him to come over and assist in her sister Jessa's birth in May Laying it out: He also accused Counting On network TLC of pressuring 'an abuse victim to continue filming when we tried to quit' Nearly all of the Duggars were at Jim Bob and Michelle's house for Christmas, but Jill and Derick, who live nearby, spent the day at home with friends. When a fan asked whether they ever spend time with Jill's family, Derick dropped a bombshell. 'Yes, but it's just harder now because we're not allowed at the house when JB isn't there,' he said. 'Jill even had to ask JB permission to go over to the house to help her sister when she was in labor because her sister wanted her help, but Jill couldn't provide the assistance until we got it cleared with JB.' Derick was referring to Jill's sister Jessa, who gave birth to daughter Ivy Jane in May. Jill, a midwife, helped with the delivery though it seems her involvement didn't come as smoothly as it seemed on camera. Though Jill did appear on screen in Jessa's birth episode, she and Derick are otherwise absent from Counting On. 'We're not on 19 Kids and Counting anymore,' he said. 'We've only made guest appearances over the years for wedding, birth, etc.,' he added. 'We've never had any contact with TLC hence not knowing there was a contract. Nobody from TLC has even mentioned to us what they would prefer we say or not say.' Daddy dictator? Derick has made it clear he doesn't think much of Jim Bob, accusing him of using a heavy hand in administering the lives of his adult children Not good for the camera? Derick's reply to this commenter seems to indicate that they aren't invited over because they aren't useful for publicity Presured: He told another commenter that he and Jill were 'made to believe' they 'didn't have a choice' when it came to filming and thought they'd be 'sued' if they refused Controlled: He also suggested that some of Jill's siblings may be facing similar pressure Greedy patriarch? Derick reiterated a past claim that only Jim Bob ever had contracts with TLC. He has previously said that only Jim Bob was paid Who's in charge? He wrote that despite the rebranding from 19 Kids and Counting to Counting On, it's still Jim Bob and Michelle's show But leaving the show, he said, wasn't easy. 'We were made to believe we didn't have a choice and that we would be sued if we refused [to film],' he said. 'However, once we became more enlightened, we realized that we could easily defend ourselves against a lawsuit from the family/TLC. 'We were pressured to think that we were required to and that we would get sued if we didn't. 'It's not going to look good for TLC when it's exposed that they pressured an abuse victim to continue filming when we tried to quit, just so they could continue with Jill & Jessa: Counting On after 19K&C.' In 2015, Jill famously came out as one of Josh's molestation victims. She and Jessa both submitted to an interview with Megyn Kelly on Fox News in which they defended their big brother. But Derick's comments shed new light on that interview, indicating that Jill may not have wanted to participate but felt powerless to opt out. Derick also doubled down on his previous claim that only Jim Bob ever had a contract with TLC and only he received any payment. Iron fist: Meanwhile, Jim Bob and Michelle hosted nearly all of their other children for Christmas Gang's all here! Photos show almost all of the adult children with their spouses and children, though Josh and Anna were in Florida celebrating with her side of the family So many kids: John David posed with his little sister Josie, two nephews, and a niece (left), while Josiah and Lauren showed off their new baby girl, who was born in November (right) Left out? It's unclear if Jill and Derick weren't invited or just chose to spend Christmas at home Young parents: Jessa poses with daughter Ivy (left) and Ben plays with his son Henry (right) 'All of the shows have been under his contract, and he is the only one with a contract,' he said. He also speculated that Jill's siblings may continue to film because they are being 'pressured into submission with threats of lawsuits' or else they are 'too deep into it/dependent.' Derick had previously said on Twitter that TLC wouldn't release them from a 'bogus contract,' though in his latest comments, he didn't shed more light on that claim. DailyMail.com has reached out to TLC for comment. There have been rumors and speculation for some time that Jill and Derick aren't getting along well with her family. Some fans have wondered whether it's because Jill has been rebelling against some of her parents' teachings: In the past few years, the mother-of-two has gotten a nose ring, begun wearing pants and shorts, and hinted that she may be using birth control to limit her pregnancies. She has also spoken openly about sex in a way that the rest of her family hasn't, and recently cut her hair quite short by Duggar standards. The boss: Jim Bob, pictured with one of his many granddaughters, has always ruled his home with an iron fist and set very strict rules for his children, especially his daughters An actual grown-up: Jim Bob is pictured with his 30-year-old daughter Jana, who is unmarried meaning she still lives at home and is subject to her dad's rules But Derick's Instagram commenting spree has indicated there may be much more than meets the eye when it comes to the division in the family and he hinted that he has more to say, and may even write a tell-all book in the future. When one fan suggested he write a book, he replied: 'I am working on it, but it takes time!' Meanwhile, the other Duggars were all at Jim Bob and Michelle's house for Christmas last week, as seen in dozens of photos posted on Instagram. The images show Michelle and Jim Bob and their youngest children who still live at home, John David and his then-pregnant wife Abbie, Jessa and her husband Ben with their three kids, Joy Anna and Austin with their son, and Joe and Kendra with their two kids, and Josiah and Lauren with their daughter. Among the missing were Josh and Anna and their six kids, who spent Christmas with her family in Florida, and Jinger and Jeremy and their daughter, who live in Los Angeles and had a visit from his parents. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fiachra Gibbons (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Wed, January 22, 2020 10:07 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206072ddc 2 Art & Culture Judy-Chicago,Paris,France,fashion Free American artist Judy Chicago had a glint in her eye -- as well she might -- as she posed in front of a giant golden banner embroidered with the legend, "What if women ruled the world?" At 80 the feminist pioneer pulled off the coup of her career Monday by planting a massive temple to the mother goddess on the lawn of one of art's greatest machos, the sculptor Gustave Rodin. But that was not the best of it. One enters the 15-meter high shrine to "The Female Divine" behind the Rodin Museum in Paris through the deity's tastefully stylized vulva. On Monday it hosted half of Hollywood and an embarrassment of pop stars for Dior's haute couture fashion show. "We walk in the way we came out," laughed Chicago, resplendent in a burnished gold Dior Bar trouser suit from the collection, her hair tinted to match the imperial purple of the carpet of "one thousand flowers" she had made for the interior. "Everybody wants to go back to the womb," she added, joking about the space she had created inside the goddess. "Given what is happening in the world, it is a totally understandable impulse, don't you think?" said the artist, who made her name 40 years ago with the now iconic "The Dinner Party", three tables set for 39 great but often forgotten women from history. Chicago has been dreaming since of creating a temple inside a giant reclining figure that resembles Cybele, the ancient Anatolian mother goddess. Read also: Women painters take center stage at NY art auctions If God was female In its warm, curiously comforting interior Chicago has hung 10 banners which question what the world might look like if it was run by women. They start by asking "Would God be female?" and go to "Would the Earth be protected?" via "Would there be equal parenting?" and "Would there be violence?" "I know it is a miracle that I am standing here given all the opposition I have faced in my life," said Chicago, whose work was once dismissed by a male New York Times art critic as "vaginas on plates". "But here I am in the body of the goddess and people seem to love being in this space." The artist could not believe her luck when Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's first ever female designer stumped up the cash for her to finally make her most famously unrealized work. Even if the four-month deadline she was set might give artists half her age heart failure. "It's so appropriate that it is Dior," Chicago told AFP. The brand's founder Christian Dior opened an art gallery before he began designing and "was way ahead of his time", she added. "Dior is (way ahead) again now because they have anticipated that women don't want to be oppressed by clothes anymore... they want to be empowered by them." Chiuri created a fashion earthquake in 2016 when she began her first Dior show with a T-shirt declaring that "We should all be feminists", and has used every one since to champion women and sisterhood. Chicago said her temple -- which will open to the public on Tuesday for five days -- was "the creative opportunity of a lifetime". Read also: Girls Out Loud: A message about feminism from Valeriana Grajales Ribbing Rodin "I discovered goddess imagery while I was doing 'The Dinner Party'. All early societies worshipped female deities. That was very empowering for me to realize that God could have a female face," she told AFP. "Unless we can see ourselves in the divine we cannot experience ourselves as fully human. "Imagine if you were told you were born out of a rib?" the artist added, leaning back to unleash another roar of laughter as she referred to the biblical story of how women were created from Adam's rib. Chicago is also tickled by the kismet of how her monumental ode to womanliness has ended up in Rodin's backyard. The giant of French art's legacy has long felt the sting of feminist critics for his treatment of Camille Claudel, his onetime lover and model, who many argue was his equal artistically. You pass one of Rodin's most famous sculptures, "The Kiss" as you walk down the steps to enter Chicago's stylized vulva. "In the Rodin Museum you have a male gaze and a masculinist position," Chicago argued. But "behind it is a female gaze and a feminist position, and they both take up the same amount of space. It's a good example of equality. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if that's what the whole world was like..." KAMPALA, Uganda - Burundis president could receive the title of paramount leader under draft legislation approved by the government Wednesday as his troubled third term nears an end. Jean Claude Karerwa Ndenzako, a spokesman for the presidency, tweeted that the Cabinet took the decision to make President Pierre Nkurunziza Paramount Leader, Champion of Patriotism and Leadership Core. It was not immediately clear what being paramount leader might entail or what powers it might have for one of Africas most divisive leaders. Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader who has led Burundi since 2005, threw the East African country into chaos in 2015 when he ran for a disputed third term that some called unconstitutional. As security forces fought protesters, hundreds of thousands fled to neighbouring countries. Allegations of abuses led to Burundi exiting the International Criminal Court and kicking out the U.N. human rights office. Nkurunziza has said he will not run again when his current term expires this year. But he reportedly faces pressure from supporters who want him to prolong his stay in power. Burundis ruling CNDD-FDD party will hold a conference Sunday to choose its candidate for the presidential election set for May. A military general who is a Nkurunziza ally is widely believed to be the front-runner. Lofty titles have been given to Nkurunziza before. In 2018 the ruling party called him the eternal supreme guide, a description mocked by some of the presidents critics. Alex Griswold has TikTok to thank for saving his life. The social media star who has amassed nearly 500K followers on the social media platform, where he shares glimpses of his married life in San Francisco recently learned that a mole he had on his back was potentially cancerous, after two of his followers spotted the growth in one of his videos. I am so thankful they reached out, Griswold told ABCs Good Morning America. I would have gone years without going to the dermatologist and then we really dont know what would have happened. Griswold first told the story in a video on his TikTok account in December. He explained that his dermatologist removed the mole to have it tested and found it was moderately atypical, which means it could become cancerous. The doctor was like, Whoever told you, probably saved your life, Griswold said. So because of two kind strangers, I avoided skin cancer and this is a perfect example that the world is a wonderful place. RELATED: Beautician Alerts Client to Irregular Mole and Saves Her from Deadly Skin Cancer One of the people who had reached out to Griswold was Lizzie Wells, a woman from Macon, Georgia. She was watching a video of Griswold having a pimple popped on his back when she saw the mole. Wells is a melanoma survivor, and is studying to become a doctor. I immediately paused the video and was like, I need to get a hold of this person, she recalled to GMA. And so I commented on the video. Going through the trauma myself, you just dont want other people to go through that, she added. Though Wells was the second person to reach out, the fact that she was actually a skin student pushed Griswold to go to get checked, he told GMA. I realized, Okay. She might also know what shes talking about, he said. And so thats when I actually decided to make an appointment to go to the dermatologist. Story continues Alex Griswold | Alex Griswold/TikTok RELATED: Summer Houses New Mom Ashley Wirkus Reveals She Had Skin Cancer in Candid Post Every hour, more than two people die of skin cancer in the U.S., the skincancer.org website notes, with more than 9,500 people in the U.S. diagnosed with skin cancer every day. In all, 1 in 5 Americans will develop the disease by the age of 70. The website urges people to look out for the ABCDEs of Melanoma. Asymmetry, because suspicious moles arent a perfect circle. Border irregularity, as they tend to be uneven. Color, because the mole is often darker than others you have. Diameter, as the mole will be bigger than a size of a pencil eraser. Evolution or change, with the mole changing in shape, color, or texture. Portarlington may have been forced into Kildare at the General Election but a resident of the Laois Offaly border town will be on the ballot paper at the General Election on Saturday, February 8 next. Dr Cathal Berry is a first-time candidate running as an Independent in the upcoming General Election in the four-seat Kildare South constituency which has extended due to the inclusion of an area of Laois and Offaly made up of 12,000 people. Dr Berry is a doctor and decorated veteran of the Irish Defence Forces (DF) who was based in the Curragh Camp for the last 25 years. He says his priorities include healthcare, housing, the environment, education and the plight of Defence Force families. Working in the voluntary, private and public sectors, both nationally and internationally, he claims to have established a reputation for honesty and hard work. Dr Berry says his top priority is healthcare. He says he is uniquely placed to provide insight, guidance, expertise and leadership in the creation of a health service the people of Ireland deserve. The candidate says he is fully committed to improving the health service and to reducing patient waiting lists. He says he has first-hand, frontline experience of the significant challenges and indeed, frustrations faced by patients and doctors. Dr Berry says he has always put Ireland first and now, as an army veteran and Doctor, he insists he will continue to dedicate himself to serving others. He says he served as a soldier in some of the most dangerous regions, protecting some of the worlds most vulnerable people and proving himself to be competent and principled. He says there are many serving members of the Defence Forces, veterans and military families living and working in the constituency. Dr Berry says he is also committed to investing in the future of the DF, in recognising the unique nature of military service and the benefits it brings to Irish society as a whole. Dr Berry says he will support Kildare South in "becoming the most vibrant, environmentally conscious and safest constituency in Ireland". He also claims to have the strategic vision, the skills and experience to lay the foundations and take the necessary steps for Ireland to grow, modernise and lead on the world stage. Dr Berry will officially launch his candidacy in the Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, Co. Kildare on Thursday 23rd January at 7:30pm. OLIVE YOU in GULFOOD will highlight the modern profile of European table olives, inform visitors about the quality and flavor of the product, and test new commercial types of the most popular varieties of olives (HALKIDIKI, KALAMATA, KONSERVOLIA). At the same time, the trained staff of the campaign will try to identify the perception and consumption habits the visitors have, towards this significant European product (preferred varieties, packaging and commercial types), through the campaign questionnaires and gather useful information on the awareness and market trends in United Arab Emirates and other countries of the Middle East. The 3-year EU co-financed campaign aims to generate awareness and demand for European table olives from Greece in 13 countries around the globe (Germany, Austria, France, UK, Poland, Sweden, USA, Canada, Russia, Australia, Norway, Saudi Arabia and UAE). The campaign launched in 2017 will run until February 2020 through a wide variety of actions advertising, events, master-classes, in store tastings, trade shows, press relations etc. - informing consumers and professionals about the unique quality and flavor of the most popular olive varieties, thus increasing table olives exports. ABOUT PEMETE: PEMETE (Panhellenic Association of Table Olive Processors, Packers and Exporters) is a professional association, founded in 1970, that promotes the interests of table olive exporters. The members of PEMETE are Greek exporting table olive processing, packaging and exporting companies. All of them process their end products in accordance with the existing Food Safety Regulation 852/2004. The 53 member-companies of PEMETE represent more than 90% of Greece's exports of table olives to more than 100 countries. These companies export some outstanding and unique Greek table olive varieties, such as: "Konservolia" farmed in Central Greece, "Chalkidiki" in Northern Greece, and "Kalamata", mainly but not exclusively - farmed in the regions of Etoloakarnania, Laconia and Phtiotida. The greatest advantage of Greek table olives is that the olives "ripen" naturally on the olive trees. www.oliveyou-eu.eu / info@oliveyou-eu.eu / info@pemete.gr Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1079919/PEMETE_OLIVE_YOU.jpg Related Links http://www.oliveyou-eu.eu SOURCE PEMETE NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After, Inc., the global leader in Warranty Marketing and Analytics Solutions since 2005, has just announced the return of Scott Morrison, an original founder, to lead new business development and strategic innovation for the company. Morrison has been named Executive Vice President, and will use his extensive experience in Warranty Analytics, Warranty Marketing, and Warranty Innovation to help bring incremental revenue and cost reductions to each client's Warranty Operations. "Scott has considerable strategic, analytical, and marketing operations knowledge and expertise. which will greatly benefit our clients, both new and existing," said Nate Baldwin, CEO of After, Inc. Morrison has over 20 years of experience, optimizing Warranty and Service Contract profitability across many verticals, including; Automotive, Marine, Avionics, Power Sports, Power Equipment, Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Medical Devices. After, Inc. (http://www.afterinc.com/) is a global leader in the Warranty Services industry. Its predictive analytics, data-driven marketing strategies, reporting and program administration are second to none. After, Inc. has partnered with some of the world's top brands to help transform their warranty businesses, driving customer satisfaction post-purchase, higher product reliability, deeper brand equity and additional revenue / profit opportunities. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn. and with offices in New York City, After, Inc. is part of EPIC Holdings. *LOGO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-1030s2p-after-inc-300dpi.jpg This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE After, Inc. Related Links http://afterinc.com/ Royal Charity Organisation and Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works in Education and Training have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing ceremony was attended by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Representative of HM the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Charity Organisation. The memorandum seeks to fulfil the wish of the two institutions to collaborate and communicate in order to consolidate cooperation and exchange experiences in the fields of social, humanitarian and solidarity work. This positive step also falls within the framework of strengthening fraternal relations, and embodies in its essence a consensus of visions between the two institutions in the fields of social and humanitarian work. It affirms the strength of the fraternal relations between Bahrain and Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Majesty King Mohammed VI. The MoU was signed by Mustafa Al Sayyed, the Secretary General of the Royal Charity Organisation and Youssed Al Baqali, the president of Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works in Education and Training - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seems to be in high demand in Hollywood - According to some report, the royal couple was reportedly offered a deal to work on The Crown by Netflix - It should be noted that the couple are yet to confirm that they took the deal International online streaming service, Netflix, has reportedly approached Prince Harry and Meghan for a movie job titled The Crown. The service wants the royal duo to contribute to their popular movie. The offer is coming a few days after the royals announced that they would like to leave their royal titles. The Crown is a fictionalised account of Queen Elizabeth II's life, along with the lives of her family members. The show has just released its third season and is highly popular. Netflix wants to work with Prince Harry and Meghan on 'The Crown' Source: UGC Season four is currently in production and will reportedly feature Charles' introduction and early marriage to Princess Diana - Prince Harry's mother. According to Glamour, Netflix confirmed their interest. While nothing has been set in stone yet, the possibility is there. As it is, Meghan has signed a deal with Disney to do voice-over work. Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that as the drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle raged on, a Canadian poll has said a majority of Canadians would back the prince as its governor-general. Sixty per cent of those who participated in the poll said they would give their support to Harry to take the position of Julie Payette whenever her term expires. It should be noted that the post of the governor-general in the country is also acting as the representative of the Queen. he present governor-general started her tenure in 2017 and will serve a five-year term. Another thing worthy of note is that Harry has never shown any interest in the position as it had always been occupied by Canadians since the 1950s. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update In other news, there was a new twist to the royal drama involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they announced on Wednesday, January 8, that they would like to be relieved of their royal duties. On the Sussex royal twitter page, the couple had said they took the decision after much reflection, calling it a transition they had to make this year in the bid to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. They added that they planned to be financially independent without withdrawing their support from her majesty, the Queen. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Which country would you leave Nigeria for? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Why did the Arab Spring work in Tunisia when it was not as successful elsewhere? Watch below to learn about the challenges facing Tunisia and what The Carter Center is doing to bolster democracy and human rights. In December 2010, a young Tunisian set himself on fire to protest injustice, touching off a revolutionary fever that swept the region. The Arab Spring, as it became known, seemed to augur the arrival of a democratic era. But while its reverberations are still being felt in Algeria and Sudan, only Tunisia can boast of new democratic institutions. The Carter Center has worked there since 2011, implementing democracy-strengthening projects and observing the transition, including last falls elections. Panelists: Alexis Arieff, Africa policy analyst at Congressional Research Service Sarah Johnson, associate director in the Carter Centers Democracy Program Ihsen Sbabti, Tunisian citizen and project officer in the Carter Centers Tunisia field office Moderator: Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters, Carter Center CEO AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) reported Wednesday that its fourth-quarter net income climbed to 1.13 billion euros from last year's 787.5 million euros. Earnings per share were 2.69 euros, higher than 1.86 euros a year ago. Total net sales for the quarter were 4.04 billion euros, higher than 3.14 billion euros a year earlier. Gross margin was 48.1 percent, up from 44.3 percent last year. In the quarter, total system sales increased to 76 units from 64 units last year. Net bookings grew to 60 units worth 2.4 billion euros from 53 units worth 1.59 billion euros last year. Looking ahead for the first quarter, ASML expects net sales between 3.1 billion euros and 3.3 billion euros and a gross margin between 46 percent and 47 percent. ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink said, 'We expect that 2020 will be another growth year, both in sales and in profitability, driven by EUV demand and our Installed Base business.' Further, ASML announced a three-year share buyback program up to 6 billion euros, to be executed within the 2020-2022 time frame. The company also proposed a dividend over 2019 of 2.40 euros per share, a growth of 14 percent from last year. This leads to a final dividend payment over 2019 of 1.35 euros. Separately, ASML announced certain changes to the Supervisory Board effective from the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on April 22. W.H. (Wolfgang) Ziebart will retire at the end of his current term. D.W.A. (Warren) East and D.M. (Mark) Durcan will be nominated for appointment as member of the Supervisory Board effective from the 2020 AGM. A.P. (Annet) Aris will also be nominated for reappointment effective from the 2020 AGM. 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. - Total funding exceeds $180 million, including the most recent Series B round of $161 million. This is the largest funding round in the cell-based meat industry. - Memphis Meats intends to use the funds to build a pilot production facility, grow its world-class team and bring products to market. - New investors include SoftBank Group, Norwest and Temasek. BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The leading cell-based meat, poultry and seafood company Memphis Meats has announced the close of a $161 million funding round. This breakthrough round marks the largest funding moment in the history of the cell-based meat industry, and will enable Memphis Meats to reach a historic milestone of bringing its products to consumers. In total, the company has raised more than $180 million. Memphis Meats expects to use the funds to build a pilot production facility, continue to grow its world-class team, and to hit a major milestone of launching products into the market. The company has not yet announced a date for product launch, and is working with regulatory agencies to ensure a timely and safe market entry. The Series B round is led by SoftBank Group, Norwest and Temasek. Also joining the round are new and existing investors including Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Threshold Ventures, Cargill, Tyson Foods, Finistere, Future Ventures, Kimbal Musk, Fifty Years and CPT Capital. This round extends the Memphis Meats coalition to Asia, which is a strategically valuable market for cell-based meat and faces significant challenges in meeting growing demand for meat. "We are excited to welcome these investors into our Big Tent," said Uma Valeti, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Memphis Meats. "Memphis Meats is revolutionizing how meat is brought to every table around the world. We are providing compelling and delicious choices by producing real meat from animal cells, its natural building blocks. Cell-based meat is poised to dramatically expand humanity's capacity to feed a growing global population while preserving our culinary traditions and protecting our planet." As an expert in consumer businesses, Jeff Housenbold, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers said, "I am delighted that SoftBank Group is supporting Memphis Meats and its talented team in their mission to deliver a more sustainable, humane and secure food system." Said Priti Youssef Choksi, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners: "The reality is that conventional production methods for meat can't keep up with global demand, which is expected to double by 2050. Cell-based meat addresses this issue while offering enormous potential to improve the environment and have a positive impact on food safety and animal welfare. Memphis Meats is on a mission to serve up real meat without the compromise. We are thrilled to partner with this visionary team." About Memphis Meats Based in Berkeley, CA, Memphis Meats is developing methods to produce meat directly from animal cells, without the need to breed or slaughter animals. The company released the world's first cell-based meatball in February 2016 and the world's first cell-based poultry in March 2017. It aims to bring to the market delicious, real meat that is significantly better for the environment, animals and public health, while claiming a share of the $1.4 trillion global market for meat. For more information, please visit www.memphismeats.com . About Norwest Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $9.5 billion in capital. Since our inception, we have invested in more than 600 companies and partner with over 150 active companies currently in our venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early to late stage companies across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise, and healthcare. We offer a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com . Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP. About Temasek Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$313 billion (US$231b) as of 31 March 2019. Temasek's Charter roles as an investor, institution and steward, shape its investment stance, ethos and philosophy, to do well, do right and do good. Its investment philosophy is anchored around four key themes - Transforming Economies, Growing Middle Income Populations, Deepening Comparative Advantages, Emerging Champions. Temasek actively seeks sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as it captures investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, Temasek has 11 offices around the world: Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore in Asia; and London, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Mexico City, and Sao Paulo outside Asia. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg . Additional quotes about this announcement: Richard Branson: "I am proud to invest once again in Memphis Meats, the world's leading cell-based meat company. In the next few decades I believe that cell-based meat will become a major part of our global meat supply. I cannot wait for that day!" Heidi Roizen, Partner, Threshold Ventures: "Memphis Meats is a game-changer a company that can not only be a massive force in the market, but also one that will have a huge positive impact on the challenge of feeding the world in a sustainable way. We are thrilled to continue to support their ambitious vision." Elizabeth Gutschenritter, managing director of Cargill's alternative protein team: "To meet the growing global demand for protein, it will take all of us working together we need both animal and cell-based. Our continued investment in Memphis Meats underscores our inclusive approach to the future of meat. We need all options on the table to meet customer and consumer needs now and in the future." Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO, North American Meat Institute: "We embrace innovation that can expand consumer choices and feed the growing demand for protein around the world. We're delighted to see Memphis Meats continue to lead the way in developing this new technology." Anne Veneman, former US Secretary of Agriculture, former executive director of UNICEF, Memphis Meats advisor: "The success of food and agriculture in the US is driven by innovation. And Memphis Meats is a leader in innovating new sustainable products to give consumers more choice." Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director, Good Food Institute: "Memphis Meats pioneered the birth and growth of the cell-based meat industry and has been raising the bar ever since. This investment round is a monumental milestone in the progress of the field and will help Memphis Meats move toward the scale they need to get their products to market, with huge positive results for climate change, food security, and global health." More information: www.memphismeats.com www.twitter.com/MemphisMeats www.instagram.com/memphismeats/ www.facebook.com/memphismeats Media kit: Press kit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a8d448rg2ia38wb/AADuRbATpdsm6zlkzXWFBB53a?dl=0 Media contact: David Kay [email protected] SOURCE Memphis Meats Related Links http://www.memphismeats.com/ It shouldnt be easy to confuse the the bright lights of Atlantic City and a remote 12,900-plus acre wildlife management area in the Pinelands nearly 70 miles away. But the Jackson Police Department says it just keeps happening and theyve figured out the popular Waze navigation app is to blame. Jackson police have gotten about 10 calls for cars that become disabled on unpaved, sandy roads near Success Lake in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. The drivers had all used an advertisement for the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa pinned in the Waze app that directs drivers into a heavily-forested area in the sprawling Pinelands. One of our officers started asking drivers what route theyve been following and they all said the same thing, said Lt. Christopher Parise said. The stranded drivers calls for help have all come in the last three days and it got to the point where the Jackson police decided to post a warning on the departments Facebook page. The Ocean County Sheriffs Department shared it as well. Recently the Jackson Police Department has seen a tremendous increase in disabled motor vehicles in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Area, Parise wrote in the Facebook post. Many are from the north New Jersey or New York area. While the address on the ad correctly lists 1 Borgata Way in Atlantic City for the popular hotel-casino, the location pinned within the ad is erroneous. The directions take drivers to a remote stretch of woods along the north end of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Its possible that other drivers who made the same mistake called AAA to be towed so police wouldnt be aware of those incidents, Parise added. Jackson police notified Waze of the error but hadnt heard back as of Monday morning. Waze couldnt immediately be reached by NJ Advance Media. Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area is about 12,910 acres and straddles the border of Plumsted and Jackson. Suspected assassins on Wednesday afternoon shot dead a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state, Babatunde Oreitan, in Ibadan, the state capital. Mr Oreitan was one of the leaders of the party in Ona Ara local government area of the state. Sources said the APC chieftain was murdered in his house located at Oremeji Agugu area of Ibadan. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the APC chieftain was murdered after the Dhur prayer in a mosque located in his house, though details of his death remain scanty. Police spokesperson in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, could not be reached for his comments as calls and text messages to his telephone did not connect or deliver. But, the deputy national youth leader of the APC, Afeez Mobolaji, confirmed the killing. Mr Mobolaji, a former Special Adviser to former governor of the state, Abiola Ajimobi, on Youths and Students Matters, described the deceased as a devout Muslim. He said, The leader of APC in Ona Ara LG, Alhaji Babatunde Oreitan has been murdered. Alhaji Babatunde Oreitan was a principled politician, a devoted Muslim and a political leader. Those that killed you will never have peace. Rest in peace Baba Gbemisola, Baba Lateef, he said. LONDON In 1970, the Native American leader Wamsutta Frank B. James was asked to give a speech at a state dinner in Plymouth, Mass. It was 350 years since the arrival of the Mayflower, and Mr. James, a member of the Wampanoag tribe that has inhabited what is now Massachusetts for 12,000 years, was invited to participate in the commemorations. This is a time of celebration for you celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America, his speech began. We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people. But that speech was never delivered. The events organizers had asked to see an advance copy, and proposed an alternative text. Mr. James chose not to participate. He led a protest near Plymouth Rock instead. Fifty years have passed, and commemorations for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower crossing are now approaching. This time, Native Americans particularly the Wampanoag Nation are actively shaping the programming of events in the United States and Britain. A Victorian terrorist convicted over a plot to sail a fishing boat from northern Australia to overthrow the Philippine government is set to be released from jail with strict conditions on his freedom. Murat Kaya, 29, is due to be freed "imminently", according to a Federal Court judge who on Wednesday placed him under a control order, preventing him from travelling overseas or using social media. Murat Kaya was sentenced to three years and eight months' prison for his lesser role in the plot, having pulled out of the travel plans. The five other men - Musa Cerantonio, Paul Dacre, Shayden Thorne, Antonino Granta and Kadir Kaya - were also jailed. Kaya, one of the so-called "tinnie terrorists", pleaded guilty in February 2019 to preparing for an incursion into a foreign country. Islamic State sympathisers Robert "Musa" Cerantonio, Kadir Kaya, Paul Dacre, Antonio Granata and Shayden Thorne were arrested in May 2016 as they drove with a 7.5-metre boat toward Cape York. SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Kia Motors Corp. (KIMTF.PK) said it plans to offer a full line-up of 11 battery electric vehicles, by the end of 2025. It looks to achieve a 6.6% share of the global EV market, excluding China. The EV model to be launched 2021. The company plans to invest about 29 trillion won or US$25 billion by the end of 2025 to develop the electric vehicles and and diversify its business. It targets a 6% operating profit margin and 10.6% return on equity ratio by the end of this period. It aims to reach 25% share of its sales from eco-friendly vehicles by end of 2025. Kia also aims for 500,000 annual EV sales and global sales of 1 million eco-friendly vehicles, excluding China, by 2026. The company plans to operate two different types of EVs with different charging capabilities (400V/800V). Kia will diversify its business to offer eco-friendly mobility services centered on electric and autonomous driving across major global cities. It will also enter the Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) market. In the long term, the company aims to operate self-driving robotaxis and on-demand roboshuttles in urban centers that also operate the Mobility Hubs. The sales ratio of SUVs, which currently stands at 50% of all models, is expected to rise to 60% by 2022, excluding the China market. 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. People Before Profit launched its election manifesto in Dublin by calling for the electorate to break the cycle of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail". Richard Boyd Barrett, the partys TD for Dun Laoghaire, said its belief is that a fairer, better, more just Ireland is actually possible. He said the partys plan would deliver an affordable home, childcare that is affordable, and a cost of living that is affordable for working-class families. We could be facing an historic moment, the political equivalent of the Repeal movement in terms of the Irish political landscape, an earthquake where people break free from the shackles of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. In the week since we put out that central message, that it was possible to break the cycle of Fianna Fail domination, it has clearly resonated. "Within a short week that has become a reality, with the opinion polls showing that less than 50% of people want to vote for those parties, he said. Flanked by PBP TDs Gino Kenny and Brid Smith, together with Paul Murphy who is now running under the Rise umbrella, Mr Boyd Barrett outlined the manifesto, which would make housing a human right by introducing legislation for proper rent controls and security of tenure, while pledging to put an end to Irelands current two-tier health system. It has placed action on climate change to the forefront of its election pitch, pledging to fight for free public transport, stop the importation of fracked gas, and place a carbon levy on the big polluters, not ordinary people. Families want a fair deal, says @RBoydBarrett saying ordinary workers are being hit while corporations and billionaires escape paying pic.twitter.com/kX1HKxhVLo Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) January 22, 2020 As part of its push for a 32-county socialist republic the party promised to restore the pension age to 65 while increasing the weekly package to 260 per week, while guaranteeing 33 hours of free childcare per week with fees capped at 3% of income and an end to third-level fees. All of this can be paid for if some of those who have reaped the benefits of extraordinary economic growth were made to pay their fair share of taxes, Mr Boyd Barrett said. Cyberbullying had the impact of amplifying symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in young people who were inpatients at an adolescent psychiatric hospital, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study addressed both the prevalence and factors related to cyberbullying in adolescent inpatients. "Even against a backdrop of emotional challenges in the kids we studied, we noted cyberbullying had an adverse impact. It's real and should be assessed," said Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who co-authored the paper "Cyberbullying and Its Relationship to Current Symptoms and History of Early Life Trauma." He says children with a history of being abused were found to be more likely to be cyberbullied, suggesting that assessments for childhood trauma should also include assessments for cyberbullying. Likewise, children who report being cyberbullied should be assessed for a history of childhood trauma. Cyberbullying is possibly more pernicious than other forms of bullying because of its reach. The bullying can be viral and persistent. To really be bullying, it has to be personal - a directly negative comment attempting to make the person feel bad." Dr. Philip D. Harvey, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine The study helped to confirm other facts about cyberbullying: Being online regularly or the amount of time spent on social media weren't determining factors in who was cyberbullied. Cyberbullying cuts across all economic classes and ethnic backgrounds. Adolescents who have been bullied in the past had a higher risk of being bullied again. Studying cyberbullying's impact on an inpatient psychiatric population The study of 50 adolescent psychiatric inpatients ages 13 to 17 examined the prevalence of cyberbullying and related it to social media usage, current levels of symptoms and histories of adverse early life experience. Conducted from September 2016 to April 2017 at a suburban psychiatric hospital in Westchester County, New York, the study asked participants to complete two childhood trauma questionnaires and a cyberbullying questionnaire. Twenty percent of participants reported that they had been cyberbullied within the last two months before their admission. Half of the participants were bullied by text messages and half on Facebook. Transmitted pictures or videos, Instagram, instant messages and chat rooms were other cyberbullying vehicles. Those who had been bullied had significantly higher severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anger, and fantasy dissociation than those who were not bullied. Links to childhood trauma Participants who reported being cyberbullied also reported significantly higher levels of lifetime emotional abuse on the study's Childhood Trauma Questionnaire than those who were not bullied. These same young people did not report a significantly higher level of other types of trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect or physical neglect). Further studies are needed to establish whether there may be some unique consequence of childhood emotional abuse that makes troubled teens more likely to experience or report cyberbullying. Conclusions While all of the participants in this study were psychiatric inpatients, those who had been bullied had significantly higher scores on PTSD, depression, anger, and dissociation scales than those who were not bullied. Dr. Harvey says this finding is consistent with past research. Dr. Harvey encourages psychologists, psychiatrists and other counselors to routinely ask young people if they were abused or traumatized when they were younger and whether they are being bullied now. He says adding these questions to the clinical evaluation of adolescents may bring to light symptoms that may have otherwise been ignored. Additionally, factors that may be causing or contributing to those symptoms can be targeted for specific intervention. Parents and adolescents can take action to discourage bullying, Dr. Harvey says. "It's not hard to block someone on the Internet, whether it's texting, Facebook, Twitter, or sending pictures. Ask why are people choosing you to bully? If it's something you're posting, assess that and make a change." Get it over with quickly and keep it out of sight as much as possible. That's Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. And his GOP colleagues, sadly, are just fine with that roadmap, which was formally introduced on Tuesday afternoon and approved on a party-line vote. Effectively what this means is that Senate Republicans are set to run a sham impeachment trial, compressed into days rather than stretching over weeks, and are hoping to do much of their dirty work in the wee hours while the citizens aren't watching. On Monday, shortly after lawyers for Trump sought to wave away as "frivolous" the two articles of impeachment adopted by the House of Representatives last month, McConnell, of Kentucky, unveiled a set of rules for the trial that will in essence amount to a coverup of Trump's misdeeds. Trump has long liked to dismiss any media report he doesn't like as "fake news." How fitting that McConnell will be giving him a fake trial. After Tuesday was devoted to procedural bickering, the meat of the trial was set to get under way on Wednesday, structured to get it over with as quickly as possible, and with little real information being revealed. Trump has long behaved as though he views congressional powers, as spelled out in our nation's Constitution, as an inconvenience. Now, Senate Republicans are affirming his view by letting him get away with having pressured a foreign nation to help him cheat in November's presidential election. And to flatly stonewall Congress's efforts to get to the bottom of his skullduggery. Senators who back McConnell's rules for the sham trial are supporting unfettered presidential powers. Effectively, they are arguing against their own role in our republic. A government of the people, by the people and for the people needs to have the members of both houses of Congress representing the citizenry. This Republican-majority Senate has effectively ceded all authority to Trump. He may as well be king, and members of the once-Grand Old Party his court. If the impeachment trial proceeds as seems likeliest, with speedy acquittal for the frequently lawless president, Trump will doubtless be emboldened to do as he pleases more than ever. It will then be up to the voters -- the people -- to boot him from office come November. SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Confirm BioSciences, a leading provider of comprehensive screening tools and solutions, today announced the release of an industry report, U.S. Drug Testing 2020: Trends and Predictions. Based on a study of 1,600 hiring managers and HR professionals and citing research on usage patterns, accuracy of product labeling and legislation related to drug use, the study indicates that employers face new compliance challenges and identifies a growing need for flexibility in drug testing. "New drug laws, skyrocketing rates of CBD use, inaccurate labels on CBD products that may lead to users being unknowingly at risk for positive THC test results all of these factors complicate the drug testing landscape for employers and employees alike," said Nikhil Nayak, Chief Operating Officer. "This report details the changes, highlights the challenges and provides an overview of practical solutions that can help people successfully navigate the rapidly changing environment." The study points to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) research that found one in five CBD-infused products tested contains trace amounts of THC. Consequently, millions of people who are using the substance for health reasons may be at risk of testing positive during an employment-related screening for recreational marijuana use. The Confirm BioSciences study also highlights employer and employee confusion on how to proceed with testing in states where marijuana use is legal. The issue is further complicated because in some states, marijuana use is legal to treat certain medical conditions, but not for recreational use. But in states like Colorado and other jurisdictions, including New York City as of this year, recreational use is legal. That poses a dilemma for employers. Should they test at all? Should they test for THC levels, especially in jobs where quick reaction times are critical? Also, federal law, which prohibits marijuana use across the board, takes precedence in some occupations. The study notes that in Colorado, one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, nearly 30% of young adults report using marijuana in the last 30 days. This has prompted some companies to move away from testing for the substance altogether, while others that continue to test may be looking to restrict the "lookback" period. And in some cases, marijuana users in recreational use states might remove themselves from the candidate pool for jobs that require testing, complicating recruiting efforts. "One of the key takeaways from this report is that employers have options," Nayak observed. "There are three kinds of drug testing methods that are widely admissible at the state level: urine, oral fluid and hair testing. These options offer different levels of immediacy, lookback and substance type screening capabilities. Employers who keep up with applicable laws and are clear about their screening objectives can find the testing instrument that meets their unique needs." To view or download the full U.S. Drug Testing 2020: Trends and Predictions report, please visit https://www.confirmbiosciences.com/knowledge/blog/. To learn more about Confirm BioSciences, go to https://www.confirmbiosciences.com/. About Confirm BioSciences Confirm BioSciences is a leading provider of high-quality, comprehensive screening tools and solutions across the full spectrum of health and wellness. With core competencies in testing drugs of abuse and broader health metrics, Confirm is dedicated to providing its customers with meaningful, actionable information. The company's product portfolio ranges from instant and lab-based testing solutions for drugs of abuse, including HairConfirm and DrugConfirm, to HealthConfirm, a line of testing solutions for health and wellness, with results delivered in insightful user-friendly reports. As an industry authority, Confirm educates and empowers its customers, and supports initiatives that create drug-free and healthy homes, workplaces and communities. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California. For additional information, visit https://www.confirmbiosciences.com. Related Links https://myhealthconfirm.com/ https://www.confirmbiosciences.com/ Contact: Brianna Helm (630) 744-9545 [email protected] SOURCE Confirm BioSciences Ukraine's only nonprofit and independent television channel intends to seek recourse with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding a Ukrainian Supreme Court decision on January 21 that ruled a right-wing nationalist groups reputation had been impugned. The Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling that said Hromadske TV had damaged the reputation of the nationalist group C14 by describing it as "neo-Nazi." C14, which a U.S. State Department human rights report says is a "nationalist hate group," had initiated the litigation. The lawsuit was in response to a tweet by Hromadske in May 2018 regarding news that C14 had apprehended a Brazilian national who had fought with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. "Neo-Nazi group C14 has seized a former militant of the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk Peoples Republic,' Brazilian Rafael Lusvarghi, and were going to hand him over to #Ukraines Security Service, one of the group members posted on Facebook," the social media post said. A lower court in Kyiv on August 6 ordered Hromadske to refute its original description of the group by publishing the court's decision and pay $144 in court fees to C14. The ruling shocked human rights groups both inside and outside of Ukraine. Now, Hromadske intends to challenge the Supreme Court's decision with the ECHR, the TV station said on January 21. In previous court appearances, C14's lawyer Viktor Moroz said his client "is a nationalist group but in no way is it a neo-Nazi [group]." C14 was documented committing 40 acts of confrontation and violence during a one-year period starting from October 14, 2018, according to a monitoring report by Institute Respublica, a Ukrainian public advocacy group. The report, published on January 20, stated that C14 had committed 25 acts "of a violent nature," including 10 incidents of violence toward people. Winter in Florida? The winter haven for freeze-fleeing northern residents? How could it be? For three days this week, some Floridians have been forced to deal with the most daunting of Southeastern circumstances: freezing temperatures. After spending much of the first half of the month sweating through temperatures that were routinely more than 5 to 15 F above the historical average, a sharp turn toward the cold sent residents in cities such as Tampa Bay and Miami scrambling for scarves. "It was bitterly cold by Florida standards on Wednesday morning," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said. "Factoring in wind, some weather stations in South Florida observed wind chills in the 20s, leading to wind chill advisories." Wind chill advisories were issued in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach on Wednesday morning, and Jacksonville and Tallahassee had temperatures lower than Denver, Colorado, Juneau, Alaska, and Great Falls, Montana. While some of the shocking figures to come out of the region have been due to erroneous reports - Miami didn't actually get snow and temperatures didn't actually reach minus-74 in Alligator Alley - the shocking temperatures have been anything but fake. Just ask the iguanas. Iguanas are not native to Florida and the cold-blooded reptiles struggle to maintain their core body temperature when temperatures drop. The struggle results in the reptiles becoming stiff, immobile and, thus, much more likely to fall out of trees, where they usually sleep. When fully grown, iguanas can be up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 25 pounds. Such large lizards falling from trees can damage sidewalks and could cause injury to unaware humans who don't normally prepare for raining reptiles. To warn the public, the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Miami issued an unofficial falling iguana alert on Tuesday night. Jan 21 - This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr! #flwx #miami pic.twitter.com/rsbzNMgO01 NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 21, 2020 Sure enough, iguanas were seen falling out of trees during the overnight hours. By Wednesday morning, as the sunshine warmed up the air, iguanas began emerging from their cold-induced slumber and returning to consciousness. Frank Guzman, the Broward bureau chief for WSVN-TV, captured video of a zombie-like iguana lying on its back unconscious on the sidewalk, and then slowly waking up and staggering to its feet. Story continues Frank Guzman, a bureau chief for a local TV station, caught video of an iguana that had fallen unconscious on the sidewalk emerging from its cold-induced stupor on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Frank Guzman / WSVN-TV) Robert Molleda, a warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS in Miami, told AccuWeather that issuing such a unique warning was fun for the meteorologists. "Despite the fact that it wasn't an official warning, the fact that it's such a unique aspect of the cold temperatures certainly made it take a life of its own on social media," Molleda said. "I don't think we expected the posts to get as much attention as they did. The mention of falling iguanas wasn't meant to be the main takeaway from this event, but it appears it has overshadowed what in reality is a non-record breaking cold spell." Molleda said the iguanas were introduced to Florida from the Caribbean and Central and South America. Recent warm winters have allowed the reptiles to adapt and spread throughout the southern portion of the state, but the iguanas are still susceptible to winter cold snaps like the one to hit Florida this week. A frozen iguana spotted in a Delray Beach, Florida, backyard on Wednesday morning, Jan. 22, 2020. (Twitter / @RoyalGoddess) CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Because of the invasiveness and destructive habits of iguanas, Molleda said most Floridians have come to despise the reptiles. "Iguanas are not viewed favorably by South Floridians, however they're not aggressive and don't attack or harm humans or pets, so people generally view them more as pests than a real threat," Modella said. "However, their droppings can contain the salmonella bacteria." A young iguana found on a road Wednesday morning, Jan. 22, 2020, after falling out of a tree due to cold weather. (Twitter/@EricBlake12) Even though meteorologists had some fun issuing the "warnings," visitors in the supposed Sunshine State are probably ready to see the warm conditions they expected when their trips were booked. Local residents, however, may not be as disappointed, according to Molleda. "Contrary to what some people may think, a lot of local South Floridians like the cold weather as it's a change from the typical mild/warm weather," Molleda said. "People break out jackets, boots, and other warm clothing they don't get to wear too often. As far as tourists are concerned, there are probably some varying opinions, with some people looking forward to and expecting 80-degree temperatures probably surprised and disappointed by weather resembling more of where they came from." On Wednesday morning, temperatures in multiple locations dipped under 30 F for the first time in years. In Miami, the low temperature of 39 F on Wednesday morning made for the coldest day since 2010. Iguanas weren't the only animals that dealt with the unseasonable chill. Over on Florida's Gulf Coast, manatees could be seen in aerial footage huddling together in the shallow water near the docks in Apollo Beach, a sight that brought out troves of onlookers. Molleda said the cold spell is a result of a high-pressure area from Canada that traveled down into the United States over the past week, bringing a cold air mass that coupled with a low-pressure area off the Southeast coast on Tuesday to spread the cold air across the eastern half of the country. Iguana falling from tree Florida An iguana falls from a tree in southern Florida as an unseasonable cold snap enveloped the Sunshine State Tuesday night into Wednesday. (WPLG / ABC Newsone) Thankfully, the weather forecasts showed a clear likelihood for this cold spell to arrive, giving the state's residents enough time to dig through their closets to find those rarely-worn winter boots. "Weather models were showing a distinct possibility of colder weather as early as last week, and lower temperatures have been in the forecast for several days," Molleda said. "Therefore, I don't think residents were caught by surprise, and many were looking forward to a spell of colder weather after a pretty warm first half of January." Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. An FIR has been lodged on a complaint by Union Minister Smriti Iranis aide that her picture was used by a developer without her consent in an advertisement, police said on Wednesday. Iranis private secretary Vijay Gupta had written to the Superintendent of Police, Khyati Garg complaining that a local paper had published an advertisement by Sai Green City, Jagdishpur which had used the pictures, names and designations of some eminent people including Irani to sell plots. The letter in this connection stressed that the name and picture of the MP (Irani) has been used in the advertisement without her consent for attracting buyers, SP Garg said. Through the letter, a demand for action has been made and FIR has been lodged in Jagdispur Police Station against some unknown persons and investigations are on, Garg added. Inquiries are on with the MD of the Sai Green City, Virendra Vidhi, his partner Sonu Yagya Saini, gram pradhan Abhay Pratap Singh and others, the SP said. Using the picture, name and post of a peoples representative without his/her consent is a crime, the SP said. Besides Irani, the name and picture of Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Pasi and outgoing district unit president of the BJP Durgesh Tripathi have also been used in the advertisement. Congress leader and MLC Dipak Singh had highlighted the matter through a tweet saying it had not yet been a year since Irani won Amethi and she was already selling plots by giving advertisements in newspapers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Within days of the beginning of the new year, China made clear that its attitude towards India will not change. The all-spectrum China-Pakistan compact will stay intact and get further consolidated through closer diplomatic and military coordination. At the same time, China will retain, as cosmetic window dressing, the semblance of cordiality in bilateral relations with India through summits and official-level meetings, which have yielded negligible results. Additionally, there will be the dissimulation that it is under compulsion to support Pakistan. Beijing will simultaneously strive to advance its commercial interests by blending economic incentives with threats, as it has in the case of Huawei and the bid for 5G. Beijing would have interpreted Indias recent decision to allow Huawei to participate in the 5G trials, at the risk of introducing vulnerabilities in national security, as succumbing to Chinas pressure. Just look at three of Chinas recent actions. One, Beijing attempted, for the third time in barely five months, to convene a session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the Kashmir issue. This was blocked by the United States (US), France and Russia and, for the first time in a seeming change of policy, by the United Kingdom. This will not be the last such attempt. Two, it publicised the first large-scale military exercises in 2020 by Chinese troops in Tibet. Official Chinese media reports -- helpfully in English -- pointed out that new high-powered weapons suitable for use in high altitudes were used by forces of the Tibet Military Region. The Tibet Military Region is under the direct operational control of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in Beijing headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Three, it held the first nine-day joint Sea Guardian exercises with Pakistan in the Arabian Sea, starting on January 6. For the first time, these included warlike air defence systems, anti-missile technology, anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and live-fire and joint marine training drills, as well as submarine rescue and amphibious landing operations by 60 Chinese Marines from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)s Southern Theatre Command. The PLA Navy did add the ritual anodyne comment that the exercise wasnt targeted at any third party. Together, the two sets of exercises reflect the land and sea-based threats to India. These have been preceded by other statements in Chinas official military media that underscore the extent of China-Pakistan cooperation in military matters. Late last year, reports proposed the sale a few years later of Chinas first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, to Pakistan. The discussions suggested that the sale would help rectify the existing imbalance in maritime power between Pakistan and India, be more affordable for Islamabad, and financially benefit China. Later, following the Indian airstrikes at the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp at Balakot inside Pakistan, the Chinese military media reported extensively on the performance of Pakistan Air Force pilots and aircraft. They lauded the performance of the Chinese-made JH-7 jet aircraft, saying its performance would be good for the sales of Chinese military products. At the time, Chinas media also discussed further assistance to Pakistan. One suggestion was that Chinas air force should position its electronic JH-7 jet aircraft on the Sino-Pakistan border to loan it quickly to Pakistan when conflict breaks out. The report was recommending deployment of these aircraft in the South Xinjiang Military District, subordinate to the PLA Western Theatre Command, which exercises operational jurisdiction over the areas opposite Ladakh and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, and which is tasked to protect the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China has, since April 2015, when it announced the CPEC, been exerting pressure on India to improve its ties with Pakistan. Beijing has been insisting in official and Track 1.5 and Track-2 discussions that India commence talks and ease tensions with Pakistan, resolve the Kashmir issue, and only then look to improving ties with China. At that time, the CPEC projects were valued at around $49 billion and now they are officially estimated by Pakistan at almost $64 billion. For China, the stakes are undoubtedly high. To increase pressure, China has revived reference to the UNSC resolutions while referring to the Kashmir issue. Beijing has, in the past, referred to UNSC resolutions when its relations with India were under strain. At this juncture, for India to host a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is a China-sponsored and controlled organisation, will afford Beijing another opportunity to exert pressure on India. This time, China could try and muster support from sections of the Indian media, civil society and others to persuade India to soften its stance on Pakistan and Kashmir. Jayadeva Ranade is a former Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat and is President of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy The views expressed are personal The state government has asked health officials to remain alert after the Centre issued guidelines to prevent spreading of the Novel Coronavirus. According to a senior official of the state health department, the directive sent by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on preventing the spreading of the 'China virus' has been forwarded to the districts and doctors have been asked to be ready to deal with any emergent situation. "We are at the moment preparing a policy specifically for our state. We have forwarded the directive sent by the central government to all the districts," the official said. The Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital and BG Hospital are being readied in this connection, he added. Senior officials of the state health department also held a meeting during the day on the issue. "Today's meeting was held to check our preparedness to counter the Coronavirus. We have alerted our doctors and are trying to frame a policy quickly to handle the situation in emergency cases," he said. The Centre has recently listed steps to prevent the spreading of the Novel Coronovirus, following reports of 41 such cases in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sydney: Prolonged drought and other effects of climate change are pushing Australia's unique platypus population towards extinction, scientists warned in a study published on Monday. The platypus, which along with four species of echidna are the only mammals that lay eggs, is one of the world's strangest animals, with the bill of a duck, tail of a beaver, otter-like feet and a venomous spur on its hind leg. The river-dwelling animal has already disappeared from up to 40 per cent of its historical range on Australia's east coast due to the drought, land clearing, pollution and building of dams, which fragment their habitat, the researchers said. They predicted that if the current threats persist, platypus numbers will fall another 47-66 per cent over the next 50 years. If projections about worsening climate change are taken into account, the numbers of the duck-billed, egg-laying mammal could plummet up to 73 per cent by 2070, they wrote. The platypus is listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But the scientists from the University of New South Wales' Centre for Ecosystem Science said damage to river systems caused by years of little rainfall and high temperatures had worsened prospects for the animal. "These dangers further expose the platypus to even worse local extinctions, with no capacity to repopulate areas," said Gilad Bino, lead author of the study. The scientists said there is an "urgent need" for a national risk assessment to determine if the platypus should be downgraded to "vulnerable" status and to lay out conservation steps "to minimise any risk of extinction". The study is the first across all platypus habitat zones to establish a so-called "metapopulation" model while also projecting the impacts of climate change on the species going forward. The survey estimated the total platypus population had fallen by 50 per cent since European settlement of the continent two centuries ago. An earlier study published in November 2018 estimated the population had fallen by 30 percent over that period, to around 200,000. "Under predicted climate change, the losses forecast were far greater because of increases in extreme drought frequencies and duration, such as the current dry spell," Bino said of the latest report. The new study comes as unprecedented bushfires ravage vast areas of eastern Australia, fuelled by the drought and record-high temperatures. Two persons were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district on Wednesday for alleged illegal occupation of land, police said. The accused, Jai Bhagwan and Sunil, used to allegedly grab the land of people belonging to economically poor section, they said. The two, along with their accomplices, allegedly made changes in the registries of the agricultural land to illegally occupy land of poor people, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sadar) Anshu Jain. He said the duo had earlier been booked under the Gangster Act. Their accomplices -- Sachin, Dhanmeet and Prabhu Dayal -- were recently caught and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University in Sweden have achieved something long thought almost impossible counting the molecules of the neurotransmitter glutamate released when a signal is transferred between two brain cells. With a new analysis method, they showed that the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously realised. The ability to measure the activity and quantity of glutamate in brain cells has been long sought-after among researchers. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Despite its abundance, and its influence on many important functions, we know a lot less about it than other neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, because so far glutamate has been difficult to measure quickly enough.The new findings around glutamate are therefore very significant and could help improve our understanding of the pathologies underlying neurological and psychiatric diseases and conditions. The relationship between glutamate and these disorders, as well as our memory, our appetite and more, are just some of the questions which the researchers newly discovered technology could help answer. When we started, everybody said this will never work. But we didnt give in. Now we have a beautiful example of how multi-disciplinary basic science can yield major breakthroughs, and deliver real benefit, says Ann-Sofie Cans, Associate Professor in Chemistry at Chalmers and leader of the research group. The key was to do the opposite of what had been previously attempted. Instead of using a biosensor made from thick layers, they used an ultrathin layer of the enzyme needed for biological identification. The researchers made it so that the enzyme, which was placed on a nano-structured sensor surface, was just a molecule thick. This made the sensor technology a thousand times faster than previous attempts. The technique was therefore fast enough to measure the release of glutamate from a single synaptic vesicle the small liquid vessel which releases neurotransmitters to the synapse between two nerve cells. This is a process that occurs in less than a thousandth of a second. When we saw the benefits of improving the sensor technology in terms of time, instead of concentration, then we got it to work says Ann-Sofie Cans. The research was carried out in two steps. In the first, the breakthrough was being able to measure glutamate. That study was published early in Spring 2019 in the scientific journal ASC Chemical Neuroscience. In the second part, which the current publication addresses, Ann-Sofie Cans and her research group made further important adjustments and ground-breaking discoveries. Once we had built the sensor, we could then refine it further. Now, with the help of this technology we have also developed a new method to quantify these small amounts of glutamate, she explains. Along the way the group had many interesting surprises. For example, the quantity of glutamate in a synaptic vesicle has been revealed to be much greater than previously believed. It is comparable in quantity to serotonin and dopamine, a finding which came as an exciting surprise. Our study changes the current understanding of glutamate. For example, it seems that transport and storage of glutamate in synaptic vesicles is not as different as we thought, when compared with other neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, says Ann-Sofie Cans. The researchers also showed that nerve cells control the strength of their chemical signals by regulating the quantity of glutamate released from single synaptic vesicles. The fact we can now measure and quantify this neurotransmitter can yield new tools for pharmacological studies in many vital areas in neuroscience. The level of measurement offered by this ultra-fast glutamate sensor opens up countless possibilities to truly understand the function of glutamate in health and disease. Our knowledge of the brain function, and dysfunction, is limited by the experimental tools we have, and this new ultra-fast tool will allow us to examine neuronal communication at a level we did not have access to before, says Karolina Patrycja Skibicka, Associate Professor in Neuroscience and Physiology at Gothenburg University. The new finding, that glutamate-based communication is regulated by the quantity of glutamate released from synaptic vesicles, begs the question of what happens to this regulation in brain diseases thought to be linked to glutamate, for example epilepsy. More information on glutamate and glutamic acid Glutamate, or glutamic acid, is found in proteins in food. It occurs naturally in meat, in almost all vegetables, and in wheat and soy. It is also used as a food additive to enhance flavours, for example in the form of MSG, or monosodium glutamate. Glutamate is an amino acid, and an important part of our body. It is also a neurotransmitter which nerve cells use to communicate, and forms the basis for some of the brains basic functions such as cognition, memory and learning. It is also important for the immune system, the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and to prevent microorganisms from entering the body. Source: Swedish Food Agency and Chalmers University of Technology https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/livsmedel-och-innehall/tillsatser-e-nummer/ovriga/glutamat/ CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY "I wouldn't say I was hooked immediately, but I was very interested because the world that they were describing was not the world of Next Generation," Stewart says. "It excited me because the world we're living in is not the same world that we were living in 2002 when I wrapped Nemesis. "I was excited by that and I saw in it the potential, only a potential maybe, to make one little tiny element in the world, which might be positive, optimistic and beneficial to everyone," Stewart adds. "That's what Star Trek always attempted to do." For Stewart, whose screen credits include Excalibur, the X-Men films and stage productions of A Christmas Carol, Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice, the role of Jean-Luc Picard was career defining, a catalyst for some of his best work but also a complex hurdle. Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Credit:Paramount Pictures "It can be an albatross," Stewart says. "After I had wrapped the final film, I got a meeting with a director I'd been trying to meet for a project in which there was a supporting role that I wanted to do. He was very nice, very friendly, but then he said, 'I like what you do. I like your work, but why would I want Jean-Luc Picard in my movie?' "That was shattering," Stewart says. "It disturbed me deeply for a long, long time, and I thought, oh my God, is that what I've done to myself? [Have] I erased my career essentially by doing this? [But] I worked with some good people and things changed, and it hasn't quite ended up like that." The Next Generation television series and movies gave Picard a complex personal mosaic, including a family that was tragically killed in an accident and a number of women with whom he had meaningful relationships, notably Dr Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Lt Commander Nella Daren (Wendy Hughes). "I had occasional relationships, romantic relationships in the series," Stewart says. "[That was an] acknowledgement that actually the Enterprise was his home and the crew were his family and he felt that as an intense responsibility in every way, socially as well as professionally and scientifically." "Jean-Luc was never obsessed with position or roles, people were people to him," says Stewart of his famous character. Credit:Amazon Prime Video The Jean-Luc Picard we meet again in Star Trek: Picard is not your parents' Starfleet captain, nor is he living in your parents' Star Trek. Retired and running the Picard family vineyard in La Barre, France, the former starship commander carries some bitterness over the circumstances of his departure from Starfleet and is, to some extent, haunted by the past. Loading "Haunted is a very good description," Stewart says. "He has profound feelings of guilt about the death of Data. He has profound feelings of disappointment that he messed up a job that he was given to do, and that he got it wrong. Although Jean-Luc was never obsessed with position or roles, people were people to him, the world is changing and he's aware that it's changing and there's nothing he can do about it." Into his life sprints Dahj (Isa Briones), a young woman with a connection to his past, whose arrival unmasks a Romulan conspiracy. Other characters include scientist Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill), former Starfleet officers Chris Rios (Santiago Cabrera) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), Romulan agent Narek (Harry Treadaway) and Romulan refugee Elnor (Evan Evagora). In the original Next Generation series the gleaming ship, and its noble captain, were metaphors for Star Trek's storytelling, a 24th century fable about mankind's conquest of the stars, and the defeat of his own inner darknesses. If Star Wars was used and messy, Star Trek was always fresh and clean. Star Trek: Picard, a sequel which picks up that story some two decades later, upends all of that. The universe of the new Star Trek ambitiously mirrors our own: chaotic, less certain, and threatened. One of the houses burnt by 'General' Ayekeh of Ambazonia Facebook "Human Rights Watch, HRW, has released its 2020 report on the human rights barometer on Cameroon, in which it has indicted Cameroon Government forces for killings, destruction of property, burning of villages, torture, alongside other human rights violations. The report also indicted Separatist fighters in the Anglophone Regions for kidnappings, torture, and occupation of schools. Citing examples from documented cases, the HRW report on the situation in Cameroon, dwelling on the happenings of 2019, noted in its opening statement that: Armed groups and Government forces committed widespread human rights abuses across Cameroon throughout 2019." The report, though largely concerned with the atrocities in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of the country, also documented attacks by the Boko Haram sect in Cameroons northern regions. It points out that the sect carried out over 100 attacks, killing over 100 civilians in 2019. On the situation in Anglophone Cameroon, the report noted: In Anglophone Regions, violence intensified as Government forces conducted large-scale security operations and armed Separatists carried out increasingly sophisticated attacks. Over 3,000 civilians and hundreds of security forces personnel have been killed in the Anglophone Regions since 2016 when the crisis started. The unrest in these regions led to the displacement of over half-a-million people. Killings, destruction of Property, Torture by Government Forces Narrowing its report to groups, and pointing out their abuses, HRW accused Cameroon Government forces of destroying property, killings, torture, among others. Responding to increasing attacks by armed Separatist groups, security forces killed scores of people, burned hundreds of homes and other property in villages and cities across the Northwest and Southwest Regions, and tortured suspected Separatists in detention, the report states. The report cited the February 6 storming of the Bole Bakundu Market by State security officers, leading to the death of 10 men; the April 4 assault on Meluf village in the Northwest Region, which led to the killing five civilian males, including one with a mental disability, and wounding one woman. Eighty homes were broken into, looted and some burnt; the May 15 incident in Mankon, Bamenda was cited, where Air Force and BIR soldiers killed three men, and burnt over 70 houses; the September 24 attack on the Bafut Royal Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site - where soldiers wounded a man and looted the palace museum, taking several precious artefacts; the incommunicado detentions of several people at the State Defense Secretariat, popularly known by its French acronym, SED, where Gendarmes and other security operatives used torture, including severe beatings and near-drowning, as well as other ill-treatment to force suspects to confess crimes or to humiliate and punish them. The report also stated that: While the Government maintained it did not tolerate crimes committed by security forces, it failed to demonstrate progress in investigating and punishing them. Kidnappings, Torture, Occupation of Schools By armed Separatists HRWs report also indicted separatist fighters, stating that: Armed Separatist groups have killed, tortured, assaulted, and kidnapped dozens of people, including students, teachers, clergy, and administrative and traditional authorities. Citing particular cases, HRW pointed out the February 16 abduction of 170 students, mostly girls under 18, a teacher, and two guards from a boarding school in Kumbo, who were released a day after; the mid-May torture of a man in an abandoned school in Bali village, Northwest Region; the June 18 incident where over 40 people were beaten and robbed in Bafut; the June 28 abduction of SDFs Chairman, John Fru Ndi, as well as the abduction of the Bamenda Archbishop, Cornelius Fontem Esua. Apart from the situation in Anglophone Cameroon, HRW also documented the crackdown on opposition protests, as well as the detention of peaceful protesters. It also recorded the crackdown on sexual relations between persons of the same sex. The report also cited the lack of transparency in the trial of security personnel accused of carrying out human rights violations. It stated that: The visible lack of accountability appears to have fuelled abuses, including killings, destruction of property and torture. The report mentioned the USs decision to scale back military support to Cameroon, due to the countrys alarming human rights abuses. It also mentioned Germanys decision to end its military cooperation with Cameroon, alongside the stance of other international actors, who generally take exception to the many human rights cases of abuse by the Cameroon Government, especially in Anglophone Regions. The Denver Post is looking for new opinion writers. The job advertisement sounds enticing, does it not? Megan Schrader, the Posts opinion editor, claims to value having a wide variety of voices in our pages, asserts that the paper is looking for both conservative and liberal writers, and insists that there isnt any type of political litmus test for our columnists. But is this description accurate? Jon Caldara, president of Colorado free-market think tank the Independence Institute, who was one of the Posts most-read writers from 2016 until he was fired this week for stating the obvious, and with whom I spoke yesterday, doesnt think so. Coincidentally, Tuesday was George Orwell Day. Writing in the mid-20th century, Orwell warned us about totalitarian abuses of language and urged people to see what is in front of ones nose. Caldara attempted to do exactly that specifically: by stating that sex is binary but doing so cost him his job. For the past three years, Caldara has written for the Post on a range of issues, especially those related to political and economic freedom. This week, however, Caldara was told that his most recent column (criticizing the lack of transparency among Colorado Democrats on their sex-ed curriculum) would be his last. He had written that gender ideology ought not to be forced into classrooms by the back door. What are the protections for a parent who feels transgender singing groups and teddy bears with gender dysphoria might be stigmatizing for their kid? he wrote. In his previous column, Caldara had complained about left-wing bias in the media: One only has to listen to NPR reporters and their pee-your-pants excitement at covering Trumps impeachment to conclude they still have no idea so much of America considers them the enemy. Furthering his argument that the liberal press is now woefully out of touch, he referenced The Associated Presss decision to state in its style guide that gender is no longer binary. He said that this was blatant activism, since there are only two sexes, identified by an XX or an XY chromosome. Story continues That sex is binary is not a belief. Nor an opinion. It is a fact. That sex is binary is per Orwell in front of ones nose. Which is perhaps why Caldara did not realize that expressing something so obvious would cause him serious problems. I went over a tripwire I did not know existed, he tells me by phone. Caldara leans libertarian on many issues and considers himself a live-and-let-live kind of guy. He supports euthanasia, gay marriage, and transgender rights. He feels saddened by the Posts decision to fire him but, nevertheless, describes his editor as a delightful woman who cares deeply about those who have been victimized. Still, compelled speech is totalitarian, no matter how nice the perpetrators are. My frustration is that [Schrader] doesnt quite understand that the speech code shes pushing is having an opposite effect, I think, of what she wants, he says. Ill say! Its a little Stalinist in that you dont know youve committed a crime until youve been executed, he says. I cant speak for [the editors at the Post], but I was in no doubt that the idea that sex is binary was in their mind a bigoted hate crime. Later he admits that he would probably have written it differently, if I had known that it was a firing offense to speak my mind on this issue in the words I wished to use. After all, Caldara has a teenage daughter and a son with Down syndrome to support, and the financial hit from losing his position has been significant. Besides, transgenderism is simply not something he feels particularly passionate about. Caldara has become associated with the resistance to transgender overreach by accident. But that is the precise nature of overreach; it affects things that it oughtnt. Through his columns, Caldara had intended to make a point about political transparency and the role of the press in arbitrating debates. But he attempted to do so by using language that is no longer considered acceptable by the speech police, and on a subject in which there is zero tolerance for dissent. Caldara worries that those on the left, even delightful editors like Schrader, think that the ends do justify the means. Intolerance is ugly, he tells me. But they dont see this as intolerance. Fittingly, in his previous columns, Caldara had referred to George Orwells idea of newspeak. Orwell included an appendix to his dystopian novel, 1984, explaining this concept: It was intended that when Newspeak had been adopted once and for all and Oldspeak forgotten, a heretical thought that is, a thought diverging from the principles of Ingsoc [the totalitarian government] should be literally unthinkable, at least so far as thought is dependent on words. Im just a columnist. Im an editorial guy, he says. Im supposed to have provocative thoughts, and Im supposed to have provocative debates. Quite so. If columnists cant state facts plainly, then who can? More from National Review Pamela Anderson became an international sensation in 1990s and since then her high-profile relationships, engagements as well as wedding have been making headlines. Yet again, the 52-year-old Canadian-American actress, model and animal rights activist is the news for she has tied the knot for the fifth time with Jon Peters, 30 years after her first date with him. Love is the most important thing in the world. Everything else is meaningless, really," said Pamela, a couple of years ago, who has walked the aisle for the fifth time. Now, in a secret ceremony, she has married movie mogul and A Star Is Born producer Jon Peters. Pamela Anderson and Jon Peters first dated about 30 years ago. But the sparks of love were still flowing across when they reunited a couple of months ago. The bond was so strong apparently that they both tied the knot on Jan 20. The wedding was a hush-hush affair, which was reportedly attended by her sons, Brandon and Dylan, and Jon's ex-wife producer Christine Forsyth-Peters and their daughters Caleigh and Skye. Confirming the wedding, the 74-year-old producer told The Hollywood Reporter that he always wanted Pamela in his life. "Pamela has never seen her full potential as an artist. She has yet to shine in a real way. There is much more to her than meets the eye, or I wouldn't love her so much. There are beautiful girls everywhere. I could have my pick, but - for 35 years - I've only wanted Pamela. She makes me wild - in a good way. She inspires me. I protect her and treat her the way she deserves to be treated." monstersandcritics.com Confirming the news, the Baywatch star also wrote a poem to honour her wedding and love for the Batman producer. I love him deeply like family. His life used to scare me. So much for a girl like me. Now Ive seen more of life and realize hes been there all along. Never failed me. Im ready now and hes ready too. For the unversed, Jon Peters is a former hair stylist who shot to fame after a high-profile romance with Barbra Streisand, for whom he designed a wig in 1974 for For Petes Sake, and later got to producer her film, the 1976 version of A Star Is Born. He subsequently oversaw the Tim Burton 'Batman' films in the 1980s and 1990s, and brought another comic books icon back to the screen in 2006's Superman Returns. Peters, reportedly first met Anderson at the Playboy Mansion in the 1980s, and proposed to her shortly after. But when asked about their relationship in an interview in 2017, Peters said, "You'll have to do your research. I can't even remember anymore." Pamela has been earlier married to Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. She twice married poker player Rick Salomon. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said the team of Central ministers were in Jammu and Kashmir to spread positivity among the people and to create a "strong environment of change". A group of central ministers are on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir to spread awareness about the positive impact of abrogation of Article 370 provisions and development measures taken by the government for the region. The people have a lot of confidence, there is a positive atmosphere and we are here to go to the people and spread this positivity among other people too by communicating with them. We are working to create a strong environment of change, Naqvi told reporters here. The Union minister visited a vendors' market in Lal Chowk city centre the commercial hub of Srinagar. The Union minister was flanked by Farooq Khan, advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu. Naqvi also visited the Mecca Market and interacted with vendors and assured them of redressal of their problems. Earlier, authorities had sealed the road from Regal Chowk to the Clock Tower in Lal Chowk for Naqvi's visit. All traffic was diverted to other roads, causing inconvenience to the people. A pre-Chinese New Year celebration with friends turned into a bloody ordeal Sunday after a tempered glass tabletop spontaneously disassembled into a storm of food, scalding cookware and glass shards. Several people had to be hospitalized with cuts and burns from the incident, according to a now-viral post yesterday by the host of the calamitous dinner, Stephanie Chu. Photos show broken glass strewn among prawns, soup bowls, and vegetables on the floor. Chu said she was among those treated at the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. After the incident happened, all of us sat there in shock, and we couldnt do anything as there were glass shards and hot soup everywhere, she wrote. [W]e immediately called the ambulance and paramedics came down to rescue us. With all my guests injured, some with cuts bigger than the size of an eye. I myself was brought to [Ng Teng Fong] for treatment of 2nd degree burns. View of bandaged legs inside an ambulance. Photo: Stephanie Chu/Facebook Aftermath of glass breakage. Photo: Stephanie Chu/Facebook Comfort Design, which sold Chu the table, told Coconuts Singapore today they believed the incident resulted from thermal stress on the glass due to inappropriate equipment being used on it. Hotpot equipment should not be used directly on tempered glass tables as glass is a bad conductor of heat. Glass is not designed to withstand high temperature, the company said in a written reply. Aftermath of glass breakage. Photo: Stephanie Chu/Facebook Chu also cited thermal stress as a possible cause of the breakage but insisted that the tempered glass, which she said was 15 millimeters thick, was supposed to be tough. Chu added that Comfort Design would not pay for her medical and repair expenses but offered to replace the broken glass after she reported the incident to it last night. Comfort Design spokeswoman Grace Shen told Coconuts Singapore it had discussed monetary compensation with Chus husband, Low Yong Chin but failed to come to an agreement as he had asked the company to bear the full exten[t] of the damage. How the table looked before the incident. Photo: Stephanie Chu/Facebook Chu and Low had not responded to Coconuts Singapores online inquiries by publication time. Story continues Her post had been shared nearly 20,000 times as of Tuesday afternoon. Some images showed graphic images of gashed feet and bandaged legs. Shen denied the cuts were due to its glass as it is designed to break into granular chunks instead of sharp pieces. The cuts that were seen in the pictures were, chances are, caused by the broken cutlery, she said. Chu said she was traumatized again by her dining horror upon returning home from the hospital. When I came home from [the hospital] last night, I broke down and cried when we opened the door. My house is in a mess and it smells like a crime scene of a murder. But well thankfully it was not during the actual CNY, where elderlies and babies/children could have been severely injured, she wrote. More news from the Little Red Dot at Coconuts.co/Singapore. This article, Singapore womans friendly hotpot gathering explodes in bloody carnage, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! An old extensive water channel that is older than the pyramids in Egypt has resurfaced in the state of Victoria after the bushfire burned away the thick vegetation that covers it. According to UNESCO, the said aquatic system was built by the Gunditjmara people using volcanic rocks about 6,600 years ago -- at least a millennium older compared to the pyramids in Egypt. It has channels, weirs, and dams built, and is said to be used to trap and harvest eels for food. The archaeological site, now called Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List since July of the previous year. However, most portion of the site was still covered back then until the fire revealed it in December. According to Denis Rose, project manager at non-profit group Gunditj Mirroring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, he was "surprised" when they returned to the site and found a 25-meter long channel that was previously hidden. He also added that there were some structures that look like channels and ponds. He also said that this water system has provided a "rich, sustainable life" for the aborigines. Since these areas were previously unexplored, Rose said that they will conduct a "comprehensive cultural heritage survey" to study the site. UNESCO explained that the aborigines built the water system to redirect the water flow and maximize aquaculture yield. The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape also represents the cultural traditions and knowledge of the Gunditjmara, the Paris-based organization also added. Like in many places in Victoria, the fire near the national park was caused by lightning, said Mark Mellington, district manager for Forest Fire Management Victoria. Then, it burnt at least 790 hectares of land. Since the site was protected, firefighters have to use "low impact technique", in contrast to the typical high-pressure water hose, to minimize the damage, Mellington also added. According to the Victorian government, the Gunditjmara strived in the southern parts of Victoria before the European settled. Its population started to dwindled shortly after the Europeans arrived in the 19th century. Massive Smokes from the Fire Scientists from NASA warned that the smoke from the Australian bushfire will make at least one "full circuit" around the globe and will return to the country where it originated. By analyzing the plumes' movement on the satellites, the space agency said that the smoke from late December has always traveled "halfway across Earth" and is now affecting the air quality of other countries, like its neighbor New Zealand which will see "black snow". pic.twitter.com/ZedZ199lvJ A fleet of NASA satellites working together has been analyzing the aerosols and smoke from the massive fires burning in Australia. https://t.co/93geNvCBnU NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) January 9, 2020 The bushfire crisis in Australia has been going on since late September, killing at least 30 people and displacing thousands of others. People have thought that rain will end the crisis, which happened on Monday. However, despite the heavy downpour, at least 80 bushfires were still active in New South Wales and Victoria. Also, the storm has given more damage than help as it came with huge balls of ice which smashed many windows and windshields. The on-going crisis has also led to more people discussing climate change and why it should be taken more seriously. The Morrison government was criticized for its "inadequate actions" on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Malcolm Turnbull, a former prime minister of Australia, accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of "misleading" the country by downplaying the effect of climate change on the intensity of the current bushfire crisis. It is noted that Morrison is among the world leaders who deny climate change. ALSO READ: What's Wrong with the Morrison Government? A TV soap actress has lost a court battle with workmen after she accused them of botching repairs on the hot tub at her 4.4 million Hampstead home. Georgia Slowe, who played Perdita Hyde-Sinclair in Emmerdale between 2006 and 2008, said she was left very cross after a callout from Hampshire-based Hot Tub SOS to fix a leak in one of her bathrooms. The actress claimed she was left with a horrible mess of glue over her hot tub, and was forced to call out another firm of repairmen when the leak reappeared two months later. But a judge at Central London county court found Hot Tub SOS had carried out the work with reasonable care and skill, deciding Ms Slowe was not owed damages for the stress she had suffered as that was part of everyday life. Ms Slowe claimed she had been promised a permanent fix to the leak during the November 2017 callout. The home in Hampstead But Hot Tub SOS fought a breach of contract civil claim, insisting the actress had asked them to fix her tub with glue as a cheaper option. The company said it had not charged for the glue repair and Ms Slowes husband had signed paperwork with a disclaimer saying the silicone glue was not guaranteed to last beyond 28 days. Ms Slowe, 53, who was married to Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin between 1993 and 2000 and remarried photographer Stuart McClymont in 2017, told the court she used the hot tub to help soothe back pains. The tub had started leaking around a bank of embedded LED lights used to illuminate it while in use, meaning the pump and electrics had needed replacing at a cost of over 1,000. Hot Tub SOS engineer Stephen Horler said an added 600 would have been needed for a specialist to replace the LED lights, and when Ms Slowe did not want to pay this he reluctantly suggested glue as a temporary solution. When the leak re-appeared Ms Slowe baulked at paying Hot Tub SOS a 125 callout fee to inspect the problem. I wouldnt have gone for it if it was going to happen again, she said. It would have been completely idiotic and Im seriously not an idiot. Ms Slowe then enlisted another repair company which replaced the pump again and fitted new LED lights. Ruling against her, Judge Ian Avent said Mr McClymont was bound by his signature over the disclaimer and ruled Ms Slowe had opted for the cheaper option when agreeing for glue to be applied. LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- For a city that has so many bars, its ironic -- and, well, downright egregious -- that Lakewood doesnt have its own brewery. Thats all about to change with the expected spring opening of Immigrant Son Brewery, which is currently planned for the former Constantinos Market location at 18120 Sloane Ave. The visionary behind the full-service brew pub is Lakewood resident Andrew Revy. Were opening a 10-barrel system brewery thats going to have 20 taps and a full-service kitchen, said Revy, a 1990 Lakewood High School graduate. Were focusing both on the craft beer experience, as well as the culinary experience. In addition to offering its initial four Immigrant Son Brewery flagship beers -- an IPA, a saison, an English pub-style ale and an American pilsner -- the bar will have other lagers and pilsners on tap, along with seasonal beers. Our head brewer is Cara Baker, who is of award-winning fame, Revy said. Many people in Northeast Ohio are very familiar with her and her work. Im very excited to give her the opportunity to make some great beers for Immigrant Son Brewery. On the food side, Revy said the 200-seat venue, which includes a 15-seat bar as well as high tables, will transform obligatory brew pub options into something special. Sure, theres going to be a burger board, but the kitchen will be serving its own proprietary meat blend. There will also be charcuterie boards with local cheeses and in-house made meats. However, Revy said Immigrant Son Brewery is taking a literal approach to its name. Theres going to be an emphasis on world cuisine and world-fusion cuisine, Revy said. One of the things Im looking forward to doing here -- and I think the people will absolutely love -- is were going to be making our own langos, which is a Hungarian food favorite. Its fried dough thats plain with a little bit of salt. (It) is fantastic and goes great with ice-cold beer. One of the classic fantastic ways of serving it is with sour cream and cheese on top. I have some fond memories of my days in Hungary of swimming and eating this fantastic langos and having an ice-cold pilsner, too, Revy said. Other planned Immigrant Son Brewery signature dishes include chicken paprikash, lasagna, pierogies, ravioli, and chicken and dumplings. Currently, the 9,000-square-foot space is being remodeled following Green Restaurant Association guidelines. Were very excited about that, because we like the sustainability aspects of reuse and repurposing, Revy said. Also, there are a lot of cool architectural aspects to this building -- high open ceilings, great space. One of the difficulties of opening a brewery is you need the right amount of space, accessibility and parking. Taking a look at the relative infrastructure that was already in place, the building was almost built to be a brewery. Its a great destination spot. All of these things factor into why I think its the right time and the right place for the brewery," he said. Lakewood City Planner Katelyn Milius said Immigrant Son Brewery is perfect for the area. It seems to be a great fit for the property, Milius said. Were really excited to see this building go to good use and this project come to Lakewood. Read more news from the Sun Post Herald. EBRD and EU to provide loans and risk cover for private sector renewable investments First EBRD guarantee programme supported by EUs External Investment Plan Ukraine, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia to benefit from wind and solar energy expansion The EBRD and the European Union (EU) have agreed a new 50 million programme of financial guarantees aimed at scaling up investment in renewable energy in Ukraine and in the EUs Southern Neighbourhood with a particular focus on Jordan , Lebanon and Tunisia . This is the first EBRD guarantee programme to receive funding through the EU External Investment Plan (EIP) , an EU initiative launched in 2017 with the aim to attract more investment, especially from businesses and private investors, into countries neighbouring the EU and in Africa. Under the new programme, the EBRD will provide guarantees to lenders such as local commercial banks, which will allow them to provide financing to projects alongside EBRD loans. The guarantee is expected to help generate total investments of up to 500 million. Through the EIP, to date the EU has allocated 4.5 billion in public funds to leverage 44 billion in public and private investment for development in countries neighbouring the EU and in Africa. The EBRD will implement the largest volume and number of guarantees under the EIP in the EU Neighbourhood. The projects under this programme will help unlock countries substantial renewable energy potential, promote the development of renewable energy more widely and demonstrate how the private sector can help meet growing demand for energy. The guarantee is expected to provide 340 MW of additional installed renewable energy capacity. This translates into an extra 970 gigawatt hours per year of electricity production from renewable sources, and a cut in annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 530 kilotons of CO 2 . Pierre Heilbronn, EBRD Vice President, Policy and Partnerships, said: Were delighted to partner with the EU for such an urgent cause as climate action. Our lending combined with the EUs financial instruments encourages more participation of the private sector in investments which are very much needed to face the global challenges of the future, including a more sustainable development model. This first agreement is only the beginning of our cooperation with the EU through the External Investment Plan in the EU neighbourhood regions. Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, added: The guarantee agreement will help finance many more renewable energy projects, with private sector financing. It will cut greenhouse gas emissions, first in Ukraine and then in countries in the EUs Southern Neighbourhood, with a particular focus on Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. Were convinced the guarantee provides sufficient risk cover to attract major private sector investment in countries where not enough such financing is available, therefore we are preparing to support even greater volume of private investment in sustainable development post 2020, through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, which will also cover enlargement countries. The programme will have an important demonstration effect, introducing a number of new developers and commercial financiers to these markets. Background About the EBRD The EBRD is a pioneer in financing projects promoting renewable energy and combatting climate change. To date, the EBRD has signed 30 billion in green investments, financed over 1,600 green projects and reduced over 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions. The EBRDs Green Economy Transition Approach is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement , and is delivered through the EBRDs unique business model , and its sector and country strategies . About the EU External Investment Plan The plan has three pillars. The first is finance. Through financial guarantees, the EU mitigates the risk in countries with difficult environments so that private investors and development banks will lend to entrepreneurs or finance development projects. The plans second part is technical assistance. This funds experts who help develop new projects, to the benefit of will authorities, investors and companies. Technical assistance may include, for example, market intelligence and investment climate analysis, targeted legislative and regulatory advice, support to partner countries in implementing reforms, chains and identification, preparation, and help to carry out necessary investments. The third part is investment climate support. The EU works closely with governments in partner countries to help them improve the conditions which investors consider when making their decisions. These include the business environment and a countrys political and economic stability. The EU also brings together governments and business to discuss investment challenges. For more information Indian universities can play a global catalytic role for promoting sustainable future, O P Jindal Global University Vice Chancellor Raj Kumar said at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Kumar, the only VC from the country at the WEF, spoke in three separate panels, according to a release by the university. "The Theme of WEF 2020 Annual Meeting is Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World and Indian Universities need to focus on building leadership and imagination with a stronger focus on sustainable futures. The sustainability framework should permeate all aspects of institution building among the Universities of the world," he said. "Indian Universities can play a global catalytic role for promoting sustainable futures given the significant demographic situation that prevails in India. This is further underlined by the fact that more than 850 million in India are less than 35 years of age and India's life expectancy has increased to 71 years," he said. Two of the panel discussions are ' & Leadership for Sustainable World' and 'The Role of Global Universities in Promoting Sustainable Futures'. In addition, Kumar also spoke at Times Higher Exclusive Davos Breakfast Debate on "What is the power of place?" At Davos, O P Jindal Global University will also sign a memorandum of understanding with the University of Zurich for mutual cooperation in higher and research. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dublin, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The US Snacking Market with Focus on Healthy Snacks Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2019-2023)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the US snacking market, with detailed analysis of market size and growth. The report provides an analysis of the US snacking market by value, by volume, by segment, by type and by distribution channel. The report further provides a detailed segment analysis of the US healthy snack market by value. The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the US snacking market has also been forecasted for the years 2019-2023, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The US snacking market is dominated by few players like Nestle SA, PepsiCo, Inc., General Mills Inc., and Kellogg's, who are also profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies. The US snacking market has shown progressive growth during the previous years and it is forecast to continue this growth between 2019 and 2023. The US snacking market is predicted to grow due to escalating disposable income, rising youth population, growth in fast food demand, increasing urban population, escalating middle-class spending, swelling functional food demand, bulging employed population, etc. On the other hand, the growth of the US snacking market would be negatively impacted by numerous challenges. Some of the major challenges faced by the market are fluctuation in raw material prices, unanticipated business disruption, and stringent regulations. Growth in e-commerce food product sales, surging organic snack demand and evolution of personalized and customized snacks are some of the latest trends in the market that would support the growth of the market in the forecasted period. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 Snacks: An Overview 2.2 Snacking: An Overview 2.3 History of American Snack Foods: An Overview 2.4 The US Snacking Segmentation: An Overview 2.5 Manufacturing Process of Snacks 3. The US Market Analysis 3.1 The US Snacking Market: An Analysis 3.2 The US Snacking Market: Segment Analysis 3.3 The US Snacking Market: Type Analysis 3.4 The US Snacking Market: Distribution Channel Analysis 3.5 The US Snacking Market Volume: Segment Analysis 3.6 The US Healthy Snacks Market: An Analysis 3.7 The US Healthy Snacking Market Volume: Segment Analysis 3.8 The US Healthy Snacks Market: Segment Analysis 3.9 The US Healthy Snacks Market: Distribution Channel 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Growth Drivers 4.1.1 Escalating Disposable Income 4.1.2 Rising Youth Population 4.1.3 Growth in Fast Food Demand 4.1.4 Increasing Urban Population 4.1.5 Escalating Middle-Class Spending 4.1.6 Swelling Functional Food Demand 4.1.7 Bulging Employed Population 4.2 Challenges 4.2.1 Fluctuation in Raw Material Prices 4.2.2 Unanticipated Business Disruption 4.2.3 Stringent Regulations 4.3 Market Trends 4.3.1 Growth in E-Commerce Food Products Sale 4.3.2 Surging Organic Snack Demand 4.3.3 Evolution of Personalized and Customized Snacks 5. Competitive Landscape 5.1 The US Snacking Market Players: A Financial Comparison 5.2 The US Snacking Market Players' by Research & Development Expenditure 6. Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kjh532 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. COLUMBIA Entrepreneurs are often credited with innovative, creative thinking and Jennifer Beech, owner and operator of a new mobile art studio is no exception. The Artstream Studio, based in Columbia, Illinois and set up in a rehabbed vintage 1968 Airstream Trade Wind camper, is literally Beechs vehicle for bringing art to children. The Artstream Studio gives one-of-a-kind, fun art experiences to Metro East youngsters, as well as those in St. Louis, who otherwise might not have opportunities to create and explore art in a studio setting. Its been an idea Ive had for fifteen years, Beech said. I feel like this is my dream, just reaching the kids who dont get the opportunity to create and explore on their own. Theres not a lot of times they get to go to a designated studio to make art, so its something thats really interesting to them. Beechs original idea was for a brick-and-mortar studio in town, but she eventually saw a greater opportunity in being able to travel to neighboring communities and rural areas. Looking to house the new business in an Airstream, Beech and her husband searched for more than two years for one of the highly sought models of campers and recreational vehicles. They traveled as far away as Texas in their hunt. They finally found one suitable for the mobile studio project for sale in Indiana. Then the couple slowly turned their Airstream into Jennifer Beechs dream space, complete with heat and air conditioning. We scoured for a couple of years, just trying to find something, and then rehabbed it for about a year, she recalled. On a general basis, she continued, we have gemstones, lots of glitter and all of the traditional supplies, like, colored pencils, crayons, markers. We have quite a few materials that I bring in and out, so its different every time, depending on what program were working with. Accommodating just 15 people, the studio works great for Beech, who develops and leads Artstream Studios programs. Our studio is small, so it is just me teaching right now, she said. Everything we do is process art, so we focus on the experience of thinking, as opposed to the final product. We offer the experience that goes into the making, as opposed to just the making. Originally an art major, Beech received a degree in organizational leadership and spent years working and honing her various skills at places such as the Saint Louis Science Center, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and Laumeier Sculpture Park, in St. Louis County, among others. Its basically a culmination of everything Ive liked to do, every job Ive had and everything Ive ever done, she said. Its kind of like my background funneled me to this, and then throwing the travel aspect into it, it really resonates with me. With a target audience of children age 3 to 8, Beech partners with various groups and organizations within a one-hour driving distance of Columbia. Private events, such as birthday parties, also are popular. Although we do serve the St. Louis area, the goal in setting this up was being able to bring a quality process art education experience to schools, libraries, daycares and the general public, on this side of the river, she said. My focus right now is on this area and reaching rural areas that maybe dont have an art studio in their town. Beech said she needs about 50 feet of parking space for the Artstream Studio and some parks require permits, which are the responsibility of the party host, but most places are supportive of the project and willing to work with her. Well pull up to parks or restaurants and basically wherever, she said. Part of what were doing is building community and collaborating with other businesses. Creating that connection and partnering with other businesses is part of our business plan. With more programs planned for spring, Beech is excited to see what the future holds and already sees the possibility for growth beyond the one mobile studio. When the kids get into the studio, they get to make their own choices, she said. They get to build that skillset and it excites them. For more information, visit www.theartstreamstudio.com, follow The Artstream Studio on Facebook and Instagram or contact Jennifer Beech at 618-791-2873. After a 2019 filled with police raids, court cases, vehicle seizures and finger-pointing in connection with Mobiles controversial towing laws, city council leaders sat down with attorneys and members the industry Tuesday to write fair and modern laws to satisfy all. The council committed itself over the summer to a full overhaul of the towing laws after the Mobile Police Department raided the premises of five city towing companies, accusing them of price gouging and overcharging customers. MPD banned the offending companies from the lucrative police rotational towing list for 60 days and then brought criminal charges against the owners of one company. The list of more than 50 private towing companies helps the police clear city roads of more than 6,000 stricken vehicles a year. However, the police had also been overcharging customers. After an apology in August, they promised to do better. While progress was made during the meeting, towing operators raised questions about perceived favoritism toward one company and concerns over the Mobile police chiefs ability to suspend and ban companies without presenting evidence first. But by far the biggest issue for most tow operators and one city council member at the meeting was that the Mobile Police Department will continue to be tasked with enforcing laws in an industry where it operates a for-profit towing arm. The draft is written so they can have control over your business, said Jeff Presnall of Herrelsons towing. In no other industry can the police department ask to see documents whenever they want and thats unacceptable when they are in direct competition with us. And they havent followed the same rules because when they admitted overcharging drivers they werent held to the same legal standard as others. That means they already have an advantage. The Mobile Police Department admitted to AL.com to overcharging citizens since at least Dec. 2015, back when current director of public safety James Barber was running the city police department. Despite later charging the father-son owners of one towing company for insurance fraud specifically overcharging what is allowed in current laws the police department said its own actions were not criminal in nature and merely a policy mishap. Current Chief of Police Lawrence Battiste quickly changed the policy. City of Mobile council member Fred Richardson echoed Presnalls concerns in an email to AL.com. The government should not be in competition with private industry, said Richardson. Many in the towing business expressed concern that since the MPD operates a towing yard for profit, it would be in their best interest to put tow owners out of business. I cant deny that probability. Council members Joel Daves and C.J. Small, who were both at the meeting, did not respond to requests for comment. In a separate email to AL.com, city council member Bess Rich, who is leading efforts to rewrite the laws, said she disagreed that a conflict of interest existed. I dont believe that the MPD is in competition with the individuals in the towing Industry, she said. I cant speak to why they feel that way. I do hope that wont be an overriding mentality as the council moves forward in earnest to update the ordinance. There is currently no specific language in the draft ordinance on how the new rules would affect the police impound yard, Presnall said in his conversation with AL.com. And the language continues to leave the rules and laws open to favoritism toward one company, Pitts & Sons. Pitts & Sons is one of the states largest towing companies and is often called to some of the larger wrecks. Many in the industry have said the perceived favoritism toward the company is unfair and want language inserted in the new laws that ensure the company isnt favored for the biggest and most lucrative jobs. Council member Rich, who welcomed criticism and input throughout the meeting, said the current draft had been pieced together using ordinances from Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, the Mobile police department and advice from local towing industry operators. However, in conversations with seven members of the Mobile towing industry AL.com was unable to find anyone who was asked to contribute to the draft. There is also concern that the Battiste will continue to have sole control over punishing offenders of the new rules. Multiple towing operators at the meeting said that those powers should be handed to the city council so the police department is no longer in the awkward position of banning companies it rivals in the industry. However, council member Rich said the council would not be able to take over that role. The council isnt involved in the operations of any city department thats strictly administrative. The chiefs punitive power was seen over the summer when he banned the five companies at his own discretion. After the original 60-day ban was over, charges of insurance fraud were filed against Gary Smith Jr. and his father Gary Smith Sr. of SOS Towing. After being arrested, their four towing vehicles were taken under civil asset forfeiture laws, but later returned after two judges said the charges against the men seemed weak. The criminal case against the pair was ultimately sent to a grand jury and the civil case regarding the trucks is currently being looked at by the Alabama Supreme Court after an appeal from the Mobile District Attorneys Office. Despite vocal concerns from many operators, the president of the South Alabama Towing and Recovery Association said she was hopeful that talks would continue in good faith. After meeting with the Public Safety Committee, we are optimistic that the concerns of our members have been heard, said Crystal M. Smith. While I do believe there is much work still left to do to ensure the best outcome for the towing community and public alike, I remain hopeful that a common ground can be met. All coronaviruses are also zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people The Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to the Chinese city of Wuhan after a new virus killed 17 and infected hundreds. Wuhan's local transport networks, including bus, subway and ferries, was suspended as of 10am local time (0200GMT) and airport and train stations closed to outgoing passengers. Authorities are asking citizens not to leave unless there are special circumstances, state media reported. The World Health Organisation's boss called it an "evolving and complex situation" and said a decision on declaring an international health emergency would be made on Thursday. Screening for signs of the virus is in place at major US airports, while Britain's transport secretary said a separate area was being set up at London Heathrow to monitor arrivals from the city . However, one British man arriving from the city on Wednesday evening told Sky News his temperature had not been screened at Wuhan or Heathrow. "We got a leaflet as we landed, saying if you have any symptoms please contact us. However, that was all in English, not Chinese," said Thomas Crosby. Scoot, the budget carrier in the Singapore Airlines group, and Taiwan's China Airlines cancelled flights to Wuhan on Thursday. More than 500 cases of the new coronavirus have so far been confirmed by Chinese authorities. The first case in the US was identified this week, while others have been diagnosed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. All of them had been to Wuhan, the Chinese city with an 11 million population where the virus is believed to have started - with illegally trafficked animals at a market being named as the likely source. Symptoms include fever, coughing and difficulty breathing. More serious cases could lead to deadly conditions such as pneumonia and kidney failure. The Foreign Office said on its website that travellers should not visit Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, "due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak". Story continues Public Health England (PHE) has revised the coronavirus risk from "very low" to "low", and says Britain is "well prepared for new diseases". Concerns are growing as hundreds of millions of people in China prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Saturday. Sales of surgical masks have increased and some people are cancelling trips and avoiding public places, as cases of the virus show up in Beijing and Shanghai. Taiwan has joined Australia in telling its citizens to avoid Wuhan, while North Korea has banned foreign tourists, most of whom are Chinese. Singapore is also among the countries that have started screening all passengers arriving on flights from China, with heat-detecting equipment scanning people for signs of fever. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses ranging from the common cold to severe diseases such as SARS, which killed nearly 800 people during the 2002-03 outbreak. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker When a new strain emerges that has not yet been identified, as with the current outbreak, it becomes known as a novel coronavirus (nCoV). Chinese state media say the latest strain is different from those identified in the past, but have confirmed it can be passed from person to person. All coronaviruses are also zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. There are no reliable vaccines. The best someone can do is take medicines and treatments for specific symptoms. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia in Davos. They noted that friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia were successfully developing in a variety of fields. The importance of implementation of global and regional energy and transport projects with the participation of the two countries was stressed. The sides touched upon the significance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. It was noted that the importance of this project was emphasized at a session on New Vision for Eurasia - Partnerships for Sustainable Growth held as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, and its special role in establishing a new format of cooperation was mentioned. The sides exchanged views on prospects for cooperation between the two countries. WASHINGTON The House Democratic impeachment managers began formal arguments in the Senate trial on Wednesday, presenting a meticulous and scathing case for convicting President Trump and removing him from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the lead House prosecutor, took the lectern in the chamber as senators sat silently preparing to weigh Mr. Trumps fate. Speaking in an even, measured manner, he accused the president of a corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine for help to cheat in the 2020 presidential election. Invoking the nations founders and their fears that a self-interested leader might subvert democracy for his own personal gain, Mr. Schiff argued that the presidents conduct was precisely what the framers of the Constitution had in mind when they devised the remedy of impeachment, one he said was as powerful as the evil it was meant to combat. If not remedied by his conviction in the Senate, and removal from office, President Trumps abuse of his office and obstruction of Congress will permanently alter the balance of power among the branches of government, Mr. Schiff said in his opening remarks. The president has shown that he believes that hes above the law and scornful of constraint. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Citing erosion of civil liberties in the country, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) put India 10 ranks lower at the 51st place out of 167 countries in its Democracy Index's global ranking released on Wednesday. India's overall score fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in 2019 while the average global score fell from 5.48 in 2018 to 5.44 (on a 0-10 scale). The EIU termed the results as "the worst result since the Democracy Index began in 2006". The ranking report was most critical of the Indian government's move to deploy large numbers of security personnel in J&K and placing local leaders under house arrest before it "stripped the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state of its special status by repealing two key constitutional provisions granting it powers of autonomy". "Meanwhile, a separate citizenship registration exercise in Assam, a state in north-eastern India, has excluded 1.9m from the final list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The vast majority of people excluded from the NRC are Muslims," the report said. "The new citizenship law has enraged the large Muslim population, stoked communal tensions and generated large protests in major cities," the EIU added. The NDA Central government has been battling hard with the consecutive protests in major parts of the country, including the national capital itself. The series of protests started with students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University hitting the streets demanding withdrawal of proposed hike in hostel charges. The stream of protest soon turned into a massive as the students also started raising voices against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The situation, however, turned ugly after an alleged police crackdown over violent protesters inside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus. Since then a large crowd of thousands have been protesting against the CAA and police crackdown at Shaheen Bagh and the Jamia. Meanwhile, China's score fell to 2.26, to the 153rd place, "as discrimination against minorities, especially in the north-western region of Xinjiang, intensified and digital surveillance of the population continued apace". Protest-hit Hong Kong slipped a further three places in 2019, from 73rd to joint 75th with Singapore out of 167 countries owing to a "wave of often violent protests that grew from mid-2019 is largely a manifestation of pre-existing deficiencies in Hong Kong's democratic environment". BOZEMAN -- To make a building material that's alive, Montana State University researcher Chelsea Heveran has a recipe: get some gelatin from the grocery store, make a broth with bacteria called Synechococcus that photosynthesize like plants, add a bit of calcium, then mix with sand and cool until hardened into an concrete-like solid that can be used to replicate itself. Like many recipes, this one is underlaid by some complex chemistry and is the hard-won result of experimentation, according to Heveran, the lead author of a new paper published in the journal Matter that summarizes the research. The article appeared online Jan. 15 and was featured the same day in a story in the New York Times. Heveran, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, said the study marks the first time that microbes have been used as the main catalyst of a building material in a way that preserves them for later use. The team demonstrated that the Synechococcus cyanobacteria remained alive in the sandy bricks for a month or more under favorable conditions of humidity and temperature. "You can break off a piece and use it to make new bricks," said Heveran, who conducted the study with a team of colleagues at University of Colorado Boulder, where she was a postdoctoral researcher before continuing to contribute to the project as an MSU faculty member. That's a fundamental improvement over normal concrete, where each batch requires significant amounts of a chemical binder -- cement -- that must be mined, processed and hauled to the mixing site, Heveran explained. By contrast, she imagines a scenario in which a single living brick could be brought to a remote location; simple additives and some basic equipment are all that would then be needed to transform native earth into infrastructure. The recipe works because the photosynthesizing Synechococcus cause calcium carbonate, the main mineral in limestone, to form in the solution and solidify the sand mixture. The researchers found that they could reliably control the cyanobacteria's behavior by adjusting temperature and humidity. High humidity and cool temperatures let the microbes stay alive for extended time periods, while higher temperatures caused the bricks to re-dissolve and promoted microbial growth and mineralization. In this way, one brick could be divided to generate multiple new living bricks. Maximum strength was achieved by drying the material, which killed the microbes. According to Heveran, the material is surprisingly tough -- about as strong as cement mortar but weaker than concrete. "We aren't ready to build a skyscraper out of this stuff," she said. Compared to normal concrete, however, the bacterial bricks are relatively easy to recycle by dissolving them and adding new Synechococcus to re-solidify the mixture. Heveran conducted the research in the Living Materials Laboratory run by Wil Srubar, assistant professor in CU Boulder's Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, as well as at MSU, where she joined the faculty in August 2018. She said MSU is known for its research in biomineralization -- the process by which living organisms produce minerals that can modify their surroundings. A team of MSU researchers that includes assistant professor of civil engineering Adrienne Phillips has used other biomineralizing bacteria to seal leaks in oil and gas wells. Along with Phillips and Cecily Ryan, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, Heveran is now researching ways to make an effective concrete filler from discarded plastic that has been shredded and biomineralized to improve its chemical bonding ability. "We're very excited to have Chelsea here," said Dan Miller, head of the mechanical and industrial engineering department. "Her expertise is a great contribution to MSU's research in materials science and the crossover with biology, which is creating a cutting-edge and growing field in engineering right now." Heveran said she draws inspiration from bone, a living material she studied while earning her doctorate at CU Boulder. "Bone is amazing because it's made by cells -- it self-repairs and maintains high strength and toughness for decades," she said. The new study published in Matter suggests potential for additional properties engineered into building materials using other microorganisms. "We're happy with what we engineered -- it has some neat properties," Heveran said. "But we're thinking of this more as a platform to say, 'We really could start to engineer living building materials. We could do so much more.'" ### A worshipper wearing protective mask offers prayers in Bangkok after Thai health official confirmed its found two cases of coronavirus - REX Chinas mystery new coronavirus has so far infected more than 830 people and killed 25. While the vast bulk of cases have been confined to China, cases in this fast-moving outbreak have now been found in the United States, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau, Japan and the Philippines. Fourteen people are being tested in the United Kingdom. And experts the world over are on high alert after authorities confirmed that the virus could jump from human to human. The World Health Organisation said it is "too early" to declare an international public health emergency over the outbreak "given its restrictive and binary nature". Speaking at a press conference, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said: "Make no mistake, this is though an emergency in China. "But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one." Athough it remains unlikely that the outbreak will grow into a global epidemic, experts have been warning for years that the world is long overdue a major disease outbreak. And so it is sensible to be prepared. This guide will be updated daily and is underpinned with the best advice from leading experts from the NHS and beyond. A worshipper wearing protective mask offers prayers in Bangkok after Thai health official confirmed its found two cases of coronavirus Credit: RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA-EFE/REX What are the symptoms of the new coronavirus? According to the WHO, the new coronavirus causes a fever, fatigue, sore throat and dry cough in the early stages of the disease. As the illness progresses, patients may experience difficulty breathing. But these symptoms similar to many other respiratory diseases are what make it so difficult to control. The virus was initially described by Chinese authorities as a new strain of pneumonia, but was later confirmed to be a novel coronavirus. These are a family of viruses that originate in animals before making the jump to humans. Seven, including the new virus, have been found in humans, with four causing only mild, common-cold like symptoms. Story continues But two Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) are much more severe, having killed more than 1,500 people between them. Around 15 to 20 per cent of hospital cases are severe and the current death rate stands at about two per cent. This is quite high but it may be because authorities are not aware of milder cases of the disease. How are coronaviruses transmitted? Like other coronaviruses such as the common cold the virus is spread via droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread when someone touches a contaminated surface such as a door handle. Hospitals are also key locations for "super spreading" events - when a single patient infects many people. When patients arrive in hospital with vague respiratory symptoms health workers may not know they need to take special precautions such as wearing masks or keeping them away from other patients. The outbreak originates from animals and the source is thought is thought to be a seafood market in Wuhan which also traded in other live animals such as marmots and bats. Can the new coronavirus be treated? There are no specific treatments for coronaviruses just as there is no treatment for the common cold. Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health, at the Centre of Tropical Medicine and Global Health at the University of Oxford, said the disease bore all the signs of a "classic viral pneumonia". "There are currently no antivirals for this, so care is just supportive, supporting the lungs and other organs until patients recover," he said. "There are other potential therapeutics out there but no effective antiviral," he added. According to CNN, researchers in the US and China have already begun working on a vaccine, thanks to China's prompt sharing of the virus's genetic code. However, any vaccine will not be available for up to a year and would most likely be given to health workers most at risk of contracting the virus. What can you do to limit the risk of catching the new coronavirus? The risk to the UK is currently low. But anyone travelling to China and worried about catching the virus needs to take the basic hygiene precautions. Maria Van Kerkhove, acting head of emerging infectious diseases at the WHO, said: Coronaviruses typically cause respiratory symptoms so we recommend basic hand hygiene such as washing hands in soap and water and respiratory hygiene so when you sneeze, sneeze into your elbow. She cautioned against any unnecessary contact with live animals in China. Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England, added: Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK, informing their health service prior to their attendance about their recent travel to the city. What advice has the UK government issued? The government has not issued any travel or trade restrictions with China and says the risk to the UK is currently low and even the risk to travellers to Wuhan a city of 11 million people is also low. However, it says its advice is constantly under review. Travellers arriving on flights at Heathrow from Wuhan will be separated from other passengers and Public Health England has announced "enhanced monitoring of direct flights" and health workers on site to greet incoming flights from Wuhan. Workers spray antiseptic solution on the arrival lobby amid rising public concerns over the possible spread of a new coronavirus at Incheon International Airport in South Korea Credit: Suh Myung-geon/Yonhap Have international travel warnings been issued? The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) increased its risk assessment on Tuesday, saying that there is now a moderate chance the virus could reach the European Union. Three airports in the EU have direct flight connections to Wuhan including London Heathrow. But the risk of international transmission remains highest in Asia, where cases have already crossed borders. Tighter screening measures have been introduced at airports across the continent, as well as in Australia, New Zealand and at three major transit hubs in the United States. But screening cannot pick up everyone as the incubation period for contracting the virus and the onset of symptoms is between six to 10 days. Professor David Heymann, infectious diseases expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: Temperature screening picks up people with fevers but people can take aspirin if they want to travel and dont want to get picked up. The best thing to do is educate people if youre sick you should tell a doctor, he said. Are certain groups more at risk? At least two of the deaths have been in people with underlying conditions and older people seem to be more vulnerable to the most severe form of the disease. But information filtering out of China and other countries suggests that people of all ages are at risk of contracting the disease. Wuhan's health commission said in a statement that the 60 most recent cases range in age from 15 to 88. What is the difference between a coronavirus and a flu virus? Coronaviruses and flu viruses might cause similar symptoms but genetically they are very different. Flu viruses incubate very rapidly - you tend to get symptoms two to three days after being infected, but coronaviruses take much longer, said Professor Neil Ferguson, a disease outbreak scientist at Imperial College London. [With the] flu virus you become immune but there are lots of different viruses circulating. Coronaviruses dont evolve in the same way as flu with lots of different strains, but equally our body doesnt generate very good immunity, he added. What risks are presented if the coronavirus mutates? Chinese officials have warned that the virus is already starting to mutate, which means there's a chance that the disease could start to infect many more people. The worry is that if you have a new virus that is exploring a human host its possible that they might mutate and spread more easily in humans, Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, told The Telegraph. The genetic sequence of the virus shows a slow mutation rate, said Prof Ferguson. "Could it mutate to become more lethal and transmissible? Thats speculation," he said. How does this coronavirus compare to past respiratory pandemics? The 1918 Spanish Influenza - or H1N1 virus - remains the most devastating flu pandemic in modern history. The disease swept around the globe and is estimated to have caused between 50 and 100 million deaths. The same virus was also behind the 2009 swine flu outbreak, which is thought to have killed as many as 575,400 people. Other major influenza outbreaks include the Asian flu in 1957, which led to roughly two million deaths, and the Hong Kong flu 11 years later which killed one million people. But coronavirus outbreaks have been far smaller. Sars eventually spread to 27 countries in total, infecting around 8,000 people and killing 700. Mers on the other hand has proved less explosive but more tenacious - it first emerged in 2012 in Jordan, when it jumped from camels to humans, and then spread throughout the Arabian peninsula. Around 2,500 cases of the disease have been identified so far and, while the disease hit a peak of more than 600 cases in 2014, there were still more than 190 cases last year. It is more deadly than Sars, and has claimed around 850 lives in total. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security. And sign up to our weekly newsletter here. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) A fugitive cop involved in the Maguindanao massacre surrendered to authorities on Tuesday. PO1 Ysmael Baraquir submitted himself to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Pagalungan, Maguindanao. Baraquir was mistakenly listed as one of the acquitted when a Quezon City court handed down its verdict on the mass killing on December 19 in 2019. With his surrender, only 77 suspects in the Maguindanao massacre remain at-large. Two other men tagged in the 2009 killing who were arrested after the verdict will now face trial for the gruesome murder of 57 people, including 31 media workers. Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes ordered the revival of charges against Kagi Faizal and Gambayan Kasim following their arrests this month. Stating that he is not anxious but angry about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, actor Naseeruddin Shah says he can't produce a birth certificate, like many other Indians, and asks why 70 years of living here is not proof enough of him being a citizen. The actor, who stressed that he was speaking as a concerned citizen and not a Muslim, said he has contributed to the country in the social and educational spheres and five generations of his family are buried in this land. Shah, one of Hindi cinema's best known actors, joins others from the industry such as Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and Richa Chadha to speak on the intense debate over the CAA. "I don't have a birth certificate. I cannot produce one. Does that mean we are all going to be excluded? I do not need any reassurances that Muslims don't need to worry. I am not worried," Shah said in an interview to The Wire. "If living here for 70 years does not prove me to be an Indian, I don't know what does. I am not afraid, I am not anxious, I am angry that such a law has been imposed on us," the 70-year-old added. Referring to the protests across the country, he said the youth has risen and suddenly realised they are being trampled upon. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014, but leaves out Muslims.The government has been saying that the CAA does not target the Muslim community. "You expect a refugee who is running for his life, who with his meagre belongings trying to outlive a trauma of leaving everything he owned and everything he loved and trying to cross the border to book a ticket to Jeddah? You expect him to go to UAE?" Shah asked. He said he was not speaking as a Muslim and had never thought of himself as one. "I have not seen it as an obstacle in anyway," he added. What hurt the most, Shah said, was the "contempt" for the student community and intellectuals. There's no leader in this movement, it's all spontaneous anger that is arising. If you dismiss the anger of the youth, you are creating dangers for yourself. That's all I can say, he said. Shah also spoke about the silence of big stars of the industry. As far as the established figures are considered, it's understandable why they don't speak up. One does wonder how much do they have to lose? Haven't you made enough to last you seven generations? "It does seem to be like that. Loss of popularity, loss of revenue will it kill you? The star is basically concerned with themselves and not other people around, otherwise there would be more parity." The outspoken actor, who has been vocal on many issues in the past, also praised Deepika Padukone, who went to the Jawaharlal Nehru University during a public meeting and stook silently behind student leaders. You have to laud the courage of a girl like Deepika who is in the top... and yet takes a step like this. Let us see how she takes this. She'll lose a few endorsements, sure. Will that impoverish her? Will that lessen her popularity? Will that make her less beautiful than she is?" "The only god that the film industry worships is money," he added caustically. Asked about instances of period films being made to rewrite history, the actor said there was nothing new in it. "The film industry has always pandered to those in power. There is too money at stake. They do what pleases the centre. I really wonder how much conviction there is in these filmmakers who are helping rewrite history and what is the purpose of it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HCL Technologies announced that its President & CEO, C. Vijayakumar has been named Chairman of the IT industry Governors community of the World Economic Forum. The announcement was made at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The Forum's IT Governors community convenes CEOs of the world's top Information Technology companies in order to help them responsibly shape the future of their industry. It acts as a platform for setting industry priorities, building shared understanding, and coordinating actions that lead to results. Under Vijayakumar's stewardship the community will prioritise dialogue and action around the most pressing issues impacting the industry's future progress like Talent re-skilling, Data governance, security and privacy, Responsible proliferation of Artificial Intelligence, amongst others. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World needs to prepare for 'millions' of climate displaced - U.N. FILE PHOTO: A general view of tents at a camp in Bar Elias By Luke Baker DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The world needs to prepare for millions of people being driven from their homes by the impact of climate change, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday. Speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum, Filippo Grandi said a U.N. ruling this week meant those fleeing as a result of climate change deserved international protection, and that it had broad implications for governments. The U.N. Human Rights Committee made the landmark ruling on Monday in relation to Ioane Teitiota, from the Pacific nation of Kiribati, who brought a case against New Zealand after authorities denied his claim of asylum. "The ruling says if you have an immediate threat to your life due to climate change, due to the climate emergency, and if you cross the border and go to another country, you should not be sent back, because you would be at risk of your life, just like in a war or in a situation of persecution," Grandi said. "We must be prepared for a large surge of people moving against their will," he said. "I wouldn't venture to talk about specific numbers, it's too speculative, but certainly we're talking about millions here." Potential drivers include wildfires like those seen in Australia, rising sea levels affecting low-lying islands, the destruction of crops and livestock in sub-Saharan Africa and floods worldwide, not least in parts of the developed world. Whereas for most of its 70 years UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, has worked to assist those fleeing poorer countries as a result of conflict, climate change is more indiscriminate. "It is further proof that refugee movements and the broader issue of migration of populations ... is a global challenge that cannot be confined to a few countries," said Grandi. 70 MILLION DISPLACED Yet the convention relating to the status of refugees, signed in 1951, made no provision for climate change as a reason for people to flee their country and seek asylum elsewhere. As climate impacts grow, legal questions become more complicated. Story continues UNHCR, whose budget has risen from $1 billion a year in the early 1990s to $8.6 billion in 2019 as conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria have forced civilians to flee, now assists more than 70 million forcibly displaced people. Turkey is the largest recipient, with more than 4 million refugees and asylum seekers, the vast majority from Syria. That has strained Turkey's public finances and led President Tayyip Erdogan to demand more assistance from Europe. Last November, Erdogan threatened to open the door for Syrian refugees to head to Europe unless the European Union stepped up, and he is now calling for the "resettlement" of up to 1 million Syrians in the north of their homeland. Grandi said European governments needed to think hard about solutions to the migrant crisis, which has affected them since 2015, but also show more understanding of Turkey's situation. "We must recognise that, for the past several years (Turkey)has been hosting the largest refugee population in the world," he said. "There's a lot of political talk. I concentrate on the substance of this, which is 'let's strengthen Turkey's ability to host refugees until they can go back safely, voluntarily to their countries'." (Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Alex Richardson and Kevin Liffey) By Rasana Gasimova Azerbaijan plans to invest $1.5 billion in Ukraines economy, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Ukraine Azer Khudiyev said during a meeting with the chairman of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Alexey Kucher on January 21, local media reported. Azerbaijan has already invested $1 billion in the Ukrainian economy and we want to invest another $1.5 billion, Khudiyev said. During the meeting, the parties discussed possible areas for cooperation, such as IT, industry, agriculture and the implementation of infrastructure projects, particularly, road construction. Khudiyev also said that representatives of Azerbaijani businessmen plan to visit Ukraine at the end of winter and early spring. Kharkiv region is one of the regions that businessmen plan to visit. Potential investors will visit the region around March, he noted. During the meeting, Alexey Kucher proposed to consider interregional cooperation. We have an inter-regional agreement with Kazakhstan. There is no such agreement with Azerbaijan. Perhaps we need to develop it, he said. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Ukraine increased by 15.5 year year-on-year in 2019 and the two countries are taking measures to expand and diversify the bilateral trade ties. In December 2019, the countries held the Azerbaijan-Ukraine business forum aimed to further develop economic and trade relations. Over 90 companies from Ukraine and more than 100 companies from Azerbaijan participated in the forum. As part of the forum, a protocol of intent was signed between the city of Ganja and the city of Odessa and an Agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between the city of Guba and the city of Truskavets. An agreement on cooperation between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine in the field of the regulation of conditions of doing business was also signed. Azerbaijan Trade House was opened in 2018 in Kyiv and Ukrainian Trade House was opened in Baku in December 2019. Companies with Ukrainian capital successfully operate in industry, construction, trade, agriculture, transport, services and other areas of Azerbaijani economy. The two countries have potential for cooperation in various sectors of economy, including transport, ICT, tourism and other areas. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Nine years ago, the beginning of the Arab Spring raised hopes for better days in several Middle East and North African countries. The reality is much grimmer at the dawn of the new decade, however. The continuation of the Libyan civil war adds to regional instability with no light at the end of the tunnel. A U.N.-recognized government under Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj fights against the so-called Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar. Several international conferences in Paris, Abu Dhabi and Palermo sought to pave the way for peace in line with relevant U.N. resolutions with limited success. A few days ago, the German-hosted Berlin conference on Libya gave another opportunity to world leaders to mediate and contribute to peace. Representatives from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, from Algeria, Congo, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and also from the African Union, the European Union, the League of the Arab States and the U.N. travelled to the German capital to discuss a potential ceasefire with al-Sarraj and Haftar. The Berlin conference took place almost immediately after a Moscow meeting where the two men had been invited to talk under the leadership of the Russian and Turkish governments. The Berlin conference conclusions do not guarantee peace and stability in Libya but could establish a basis for a termination of all military movements and a ceasefire. An arms embargo, a return to the political process, reform of the security sector, economic and financial reform and respect for humanitarian laws were the main pillars of the agreement. It is important to mention that al-Sarraj and Haftar agreed to nominate their representatives for the military 5+5 committee proposed by the U.N. Support Mission to Libya and declared they would refrain from further military deployments. China expressed some optimism for a new beginning to address the Libyan crisis after the Berlin Conference. As a matter of principle, China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of other countries and supports political solutions under the U.N. aegis. It will thus continue to work with the international community to positively contribute to restoring peace, stability and development in Libya. German Chancellor Angela Merkel deserves credit for undertaking a promising diplomatic initiative in difficult times. She has endeavored for many years to score a foreign policy success perhaps missing from her impressive political record. Germany's participation in the Minsk accords and its support for the Syrian constitutional committee are not being ignored, but a potential management of the Libyan crisis will be an unprecedented step. The question is whether al-Sarraj and Haftar will make the required mutual compromises. In the German capital, they even avoided to talk face-to-face. Although the political process should be Libyan-led and owned, the decision of participants in Berlin to create an international follow-up committee to hold regular meetings gives a hope that the process can be facilitated. The problem in the case of the Libyan quagmire is that a proxy-war is unfolding. Turkey, for example, did recently sign a memorandum of understanding with the U.N.-recognized government of Libya on military and security cooperation. President Tayyip Erdogan has already sent troops to the country to fight against the Libyan National Army. In contrast, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are backing Haftar because al Sarraj's consolidation of power damages their interests. Meanwhile, Qatar, that had been diplomatically isolated by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries in 2017, also supports the prime minister. Amid chaos, uncontrolled militias and terrorist organizations might gain ground to add further perplexities to the situation. Moreover, a power struggle between the U.S. and Russia is being played out. Whereas the former does not seem interested in brokering a deal, it is concerned about the fast-developing presence of the latter. The Mediterranean is becoming a region of tensions, where several conflicts erupt and great power rivalries prevail. Several scholars are pondering whether Libya could turn out to be the next Syria. The Berlin Conference despite the lack of efficient enforcement mechanisms seems the only available solution to mitigate the consequences of another drama. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. The government on Wednesday gave its approval for signing of a pact between India and Brazil for cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources. The Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi "has given its approval for the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines of the Republic of India and Geological Survey of Brazil - CPRM, Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Federative Republic of Brazil on 'cooperation in field of geology and mineral resources'," the Mines Ministry said in a statement. The pact will provide an institutional mechanism between both the nations for cooperation in field of geology and mineral resources, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 22, 2020] Sysdig Closes $70M in Series E Funding to Enable Enterprises to Confidently Secure Cloud-Native Workloads in Production Sysdig, Inc., the secure DevOps leader, today announced it raised $70 million in Series E funding led by Insight Partners with participation from previous investors, Bain Capital Ventures and Accel. Glynn Capital also joined this round, along with Goldman Sachs, who joined after being a customer for two years. Sysdig's total funding to date is $206 million. Sysdig will use the funds to extend market presence and leadership in enabling enterprises to confidently run cloud-native workloads in production. The Sysdig Platform addresses both DevOps security and IT operations spaces. IDC forecasts the worldwide DevOps software tools market will reach $15 billion in 2023.1 "Containers and Kubernetes development is disrupting the way organizations deploy and run containers, but when you look at the history of major technological changes, Kubernetes is still early. We invest in high-growth companies that are disrupting the old way of doing things, companies that will lead this decade-long transition. Sysdig's novel approach of providing a single source of truth for both security and monitoring for container-based applications has proven more effective, more scalable, and higher ROI," said Richard Wells, Managing Director at Insight Partners. "As a customer, we are impressed with Sysdig's technology and the company's open source approach to security. We look forward to Sysdig joining our investment portfolio and seeing their continued growth as a leading Kubernetes security vendor," said Soumya Rajamani, Vice President of Merchant Banking at Goldman Sachs and Sysdig Board Observer. International expansion is a key priority for the company and will be bolstered by this investment. Sysdig also announced today the launch of a Japanese subsidiary, Sysdig Japan GK. Kubernetes is the de facto operating system of the cloud; however, as organizations move workloads into production, security and visibility are the biggest barriers. Traditional tools and processes leave enterprises blind because they do not provide visibility with application context for these environments. To reap the benefits of the agility that containers and Kubernetes provide, enterprises need an approach that integrates security and compliance into DevOps workflows. This approach is often referred to as secure DevOps or DevSecOps. According to Gartner (News - Alert), "By 2021, DevSecOps practices will be embedded in 60% of rapid development teams, as opposed to 20% in 2019. By 2023, more than 70% of enterprise DevSecOps initiatives will have incorporated automated security vulnerability and configuration scanning for open-source components and commercial packages, which is a significant increase from fewer than 30% in 2019."2 To date, Sysdig is the only security company to support a secure DevOps approach by integrating monitoring and security into a single platform. Cloud teams can embed security, maximize availability, and ensure compliance. By integrating security into the DevOps process, teams can realize the business goals in their transition to cloud native. Open by design, Sysdig provides the scale, performance, and usability enterprises demand. Sysdig customers include: Goldman Sachs, Steelcase, and Worldpay from FIS. This announcement comes on the heels of a monumental 2019 The company made several significant updates to the Sysdig Secure DevOps Platform in 2019. At the beginning of the year, the company introduced extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) instrumentation to extend the Sysdig secure DevOps approach for container-optimized Linux platforms. During the summer, the company announced the addition of machine learning for runtime profiling and anomaly detection. With the Sysdig Secure 3.0 update in November, Sysdig became the industry's first runtime threat prevention, incident response, and audit tool for Kubernetes. Business milestones Sysdig more than doubled revenue from Fortune 500 banks and financial institutions. 96 percent of new enterprise accounts in 2019 purchased the complete Sysdig Secure DevOps Platform, validating the secure DevOps approach. The Sysdig office count grew to six with the addition of two offices: Spain and Italy. The company made several key hires, including Janet Matsuda who joined as Chief Marketing Officer from Palo Alto (News - Alert) Networks, and Kubernetes expert, Kris Nova, who joined as Chief Open Source Advocate from Heptio/VMWare and Microsoft (News - Alert). The company won several Best Places to Work Awards, including awards from Inc., Glassdoor, and the San Francisco Business Times. Partnership milestones IBM expanded its global IBM Cloud Service agreement that designates Sysdig Monitor as the default monitoring service, to include the entire Sysdig Secure DevOps Platform. Sysdig Secure was added to the IBM Cloud Paks for Multi-Cloud Manager. Sysdig joined several cloud launches, including Google Anthos and Google Cloud Run for Anthos serverless technology. Sysdig expanded integrations with the leading container and cloud platforms: Red Hat OpenShift, IBM Public Cloud, IBM Cloud Paks for Multi-Cloud Manager, VMware, AWS, Google (News - Alert) Cloud, and Azure. Sysdig was elevated to Red Hat Strategic Partner status and invited as an inaugural member of the Red Hat Software Partner Advisory Council. Open source milestone Falco, the open source cloud-native runtime security project originally created by Sysdig, was accepted as an incubation-level hosted project within the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. "Containers and Kubernetes will take over the world. Over the last year, we have seen competitors partner in an attempt to deliver capabilities similar to ours, but the reality is, these approaches cannot provide the level of visibility and security that we can, even when they use multiple tools. As Kubernetes adoption increases, CISOs will continue to recognize that their IT teams and security tools need to adapt. In 2020, we look forward to partnering with more Global 2000 organizations in their cloud-native journeys," said Suresh Vasudevan, Chief Executive Officer at Sysdig. [1] Source: Worldwide DevOps Software Tools Forecast, 2019-2023, July 2019 -- Doc # US42656218. [2] Gartner "12 Things to Get Right for Successful DevSecOps," Neil MacDonald, Dale Gardner, December 19, 2019 About Sysdig Sysdig enables companies to confidently run cloud-native workloads in production. With the Sysdig Secure DevOps Platform, cloud teams embed security, maximize availability, and validate compliance. The Sysdig platform is open by design, with the scale, performance, and usability enterprises demand. The largest companies rely on Sysdig for cloud-native security and visibility. Learn more at www.sysdig.com. About Insight Partners Insight Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight currently has over $20 billion of assets under management and has cumulatively invested in more than 300 companies worldwide. Insight's mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. Across its people and its portfolio, Insight encourages a culture around a core belief: growth equals opportunity. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @insightpartners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005251/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 22, 2020] Stratix Strengthens its Senior Leadership Team with Three Executive Hires Stratix Corporation ("Stratix"), a leading provider of managed mobility services in the U.S., today announced three strategic hires to its senior leadership team. Brad Ferguson joins Stratix as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Alex Kalish joins as Chief Strategy and Solutions Officer (CSSO) and Kip Wagner as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). As Stratix continues to scale, Ferguson, Kalish and Wagner will support the company's mission of empowering companies through mobility as the largest, most experienced pure-play managed mobility service provider in North America. Ferguson succeeds interim CFO Larry Hagenbuch. He brings over 25 years of experience in the technology services space in increasingly progressive roles, most recently as SVP and Chief Financial Officer with Cotiviti, a national healthcare IT services and analytics company. Previously, Ferguson spent over 20 years with EarthLink, a nationwide provider of cloud-connected network services, where he served in various operational, strategic and financial executive leadership roles, including CFO. He earned a BBA from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business and an MBA from the oizueta Business School at Emory University. As Stratix's first CSSO, Kalish leads the company's efforts to innovate and enhance the company's robust solutions offering. Kalish brings nearly 20 years of experience leading strategy, corporate development and finance functions for global technology companies. Most recently, Kalish was an operating leader at Amazon where he and his team launched and grew Amazon Freight, a nationwide truckload and less-than-truckload transportation service for shippers. Before joining Amazon, Kalish worked in various financial and strategic leadership roles with EarthLink, Allstate and McGraw-Hill Education. He earned a BBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University (News - Alert) and an MBA with honors from the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. With his appointment as CRO, Wagner leads the Stratix marketing, sales and mobile solutions architect teams. He brings over 25 years of sales leadership experience to Stratix, spanning entrepreneurial startups, mobility, artificial intelligence and IoT companies. Wagner joins Stratix from CB4, a cutting-edge AI and machine learning technology company, where he served as SVP of Sales. Prior to CB4, he held EVP positions over the Managed Mobility Services group and Commercial Sales organization for DMI (News - Alert). Wagner earned his BA from Lafayette College and several technical certificates from Carnegie Mellon University. "Brad, Alex and Kip are extraordinarily talented and fully embody our core values. We could not be more excited to have them join Stratix," said Louis Alterman, CEO of Stratix. "Our experienced, well rounded and customer obsessed team will accelerate Stratix's growth and the value we deliver to our customers every day." About Stratix As the largest pure-play enterprise mobility specialist in the U.S., Stratix is dedicated to guaranteeing nonstop mobility. The company leverages 35+ years of expertise and experience to accelerate and inspire business mobility transformation for some of the world's most iconic brands. Their SmartMobile programs ensure each client has the right technology, tools and support programs in place to stay ahead. For additional information, visit: www.stratixcorp.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005039/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had once again chosen the 'Gandhi family' over the Sikh community by refusing to clarify if he supported the protection given to Sikhs under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This comes after Captain Amarinder yesterday sent Badal a copy of Adolf Hitler's autobiography 'Mein Kampf' and advised him to read it to understand the "dangerous" implications of the new citizenship law passed. The SAD is part of the ruling NDA and Sukhbir's wife and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal is a Union Minister in Narendra Modi cabinet. In a statement, the SAD president said, "I would soon be sending across a bundle of books written by prominent Sikh scholars detailing how the Congress party and its first family had planned and engineered the attack on Sri Harmandar Sahib as well as mass killing of Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country." "I am sure these books will refresh your memory and remove the selective amnesia which has clouded your mind. Please do give the books space in your library and read them. You will never again give inane suggestions to anyone. This gift of books could also force you to have a change of mind and forsake servility towards the Gandhi family and make you more sensitive towards the suffering of your own community," he added. Badal said that if all this did not help he would recommend Captain Amarinder to go through a story taught in schools - Andher Nagri Chaupat Raja. "Probably you would find some affinity with the story seeing which way Punjab is going under your leadership with gangsters and mafia running extortion rackets from jails, farmers committing suicides, youth giving up hope of employment and even the employed agitating for their just dues," he said. Badal also advised the Chief Minister to come clean and tell Punjabis why he continued to remain in a political party and supported leaders who had sheltered the perpetrators of the 1984 genocide. "Let me remind you this ethnic cleansing was not conducted against foreigners but members of your own community. It is shocking and downright insensitive of you to make a reference point to 'Mein Kampf' but turn a blind eye to a reference point that is available at your doorstep. One does not have to look as far as Germany to learn about State-sponsored genocide. Despite this, there is not one squeak from you against any of the perpetrators. You have consistently even sheltered the butcher of Delhi - Jagdish Tytler on numerous occasions. How can Punjabis expect you to protect your own?" said Badal. Telling Captain Amarinder that while he continued with his theatrics for 'political expediency', the SAD would lead by example in keeping with its philosophy of the Guru Sahiban, the secular credential of the party as well as the path shown by the makers of the constitution including Baba B R Ambedkar. "This was the true moral stand which echoed the philosophy of 'sarbat da bhala' and aimed at helping all persecuted people irrespective of caste, creed or religion," said Badal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six high school students have been hospitalised after a bus crash in the rural Victorian town of Nelson, close to the South Australian border. Police believe the bus lost control and rolled onto its roof on Port-Nelson Road, near Black Swan Road, about 4.25pm. Six students were taken to hospital, a police spokesman said. Three of those students were taken by ambulance to Mount Gambier Hospital, an Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said. Another two students were flown to hospital. Tunis [Tunisia], Jan 23 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday (local time), began his Tunisia visit with a bilateral meeting with the country's Foreign Minister Sabri Bachtobji. "Began my #Tunisia visit with a meeting with FM Sabri Bachtobji. As two vibrant democracies in different regions, discussed shared interests and challenges," he tweeted. Both the leaders agreed to work closely in multilateral forums especially the United Nations. In another tweet, Jaishankar informed, "Agreed to work closely in multilateral forums especially the UN. Also focused on expanding bilateral economic cooperation and witnessed the signing of an agreement on ICT." The Minister called on the country's President Kais Saied and conveyed the "good wishes of world's largest democracy". "Called on President @KaissSaide of #Tunisia. Conveyed the good wishes of the world's largest democracy. Reaffirmed our commitment to a fair, just and a rule-based global order," he tweeted. Jaishankar also met Rached Ghannouchi, the Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament. The EAM tweeted, "Warmly received by Speaker @R_Ghannouchi. Greatly touched by his strong empathy for India. Agreed on expanding our exchanges, especially between Parliamentary institutions and civil society." (ANI) WASHINGTON - Donald Trumps inaugural committee spent more than $1 million to book a ballroom at the Trump International Hotel in the nations capital as part of a scheme to grossly overpay for party space and enrich the presidents own family in the process, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. The District of Columbias attorney general, Karl Racine, said the committee misused non-profit funds and co-ordinated with the hotels management and members of the Trump family to arrange the events. He said one of the events planners raised concerns about pricing with Trump, the presidents daughter Ivanka Trump and Rick Gates, a top campaign official at the time. District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies, Racine said. In this case, we are seeking to recover the non-profit funds that were improperly funneled directly to the Trump family business. It was the latest allegation that Trump and his family have used public and non-profit funds spent at Trump-owned properties to enrich themselves part of the peril of Trump not fully withdrawing from his businesses while he is president. Trump has maintained ownership but turned the reins over to his adult sons, who have bristled at the charge that they are profiting off their fathers presidency. The committee has maintained that its finances were independently audited, and that all money was spent in accordance with the law. The committee raised an unprecedented $107 million to host events celebrating Trumps inauguration in January 2017. But the committees spending has drawn mounting scrutiny. The inaugural committee said Wednesday that it co-operated with the investigation and that Racines office hadnt contacted its lawyers to interview any employees. A spokesman for the committee also said the group had not been contacted by the attorney generals office since last summer and suggested the timing of the suit was politically motivated, as the Senate impeachment trial of the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress was underway. The facts will show that the PIC operated in compliance with the law and this suit is without merit. In fact, it reads more like a partisan press release than a legal filing, according to a committee statement. Prosecutors found that Gates, a former Trump campaign aide who flipped on the president during the special counsels Russia investigation, personally managed discussions with the hotel about using the space, including ballrooms and meeting rooms. In one instance, Gates contacted Ivanka Trump and told her that he was a bit worried about the optics of the committee paying such a high fee, Racine said. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to first lady Melania Trump who played a leading role organizing the inaugural parties, had also told Trump, when he was president-elect, and Ivanka Trump that she was uneasy with the offer, Racine said. Winston Wolkoff later followed up with an email to Gates and Ivanka Trump warning that the hotels proposal was at least twice the market rate, Racine said. But Gates went through with it anyway, at a cost of $1.03 million, the suit says. Prosecutors say the committee could have hosted inaugural events at other venues either for free or for reduced costs but didnt consider those options. Gates pleaded guilty to charges tied to his lucrative political consulting work in Ukraine and was sentenced last month to 45 days in prison, a punishment that a judge said reflected the extensive co-operation Gates had provided to the Justice Department. Racines office said investigators did not directly speak with Gates in as they pursued the suit. A lawyer who represented Gates for the criminal proceedings didnt immediately return a message seeking comment. The White House didnt immediately return a message nor did the Trump Organization. The suit contends that the hotel went against industry practice and refused to discount the space, and double-booked its largest ballroom with a different organization that was still affiliated with the inauguration, the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast. Both organizations were nonprofits, but the breakfast paid $5,000 for the ballroom. The committee, however, paid $175,000, the suit claims. Prosecutors say the committee also used non-profit funds to throw a private party on Jan. 20 2017, the night of the inauguration, for Trumps family a $300,000 affair. The reception was for three of Trumps children Donald, Jr., Ivanka and Eric. There will be an after party at the OPO (Trump Hotel) following the inaugural balls on Friday. DJT is not expected to attend but was more for you, Don and Eric, Gates wrote in an email to Ivanka Trump, according to the suit. DJT is a reference to Donald J. Trump. Event staff within the inaugural committee recognized this would not be a proper use of committee funds and had tried to cancel this event, according to the suit, but Gates and the Trump family went ahead anyway. Racine said his office focused on the inaugural committee and the companies that profited because investigators believe thats the best option for them to possibly recover the funds. Racine had been sending subpoenas for months related to the investigation. The inaugural committee was also being investigated by New York and state authorities in New Jersey, who are looking into, among other things, whether foreigners illegally contributed to the inaugural events. ___ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to show the inauguration was held on Jan. 20, 2017. Japanese tech major on Wednesday said a significant part of its USD 7 billion global commitment for data centres business would be spent in India over the next four years. The company also feels that there will be margin compression issues for the data centres business in India as capacity supply goes up along with an increase in competition, NTT's country chief executive for global data centres and cloud infrastructure, Sharad Sanghi, told PTI. In the last few months, a string of corporates, including the Adani Group, Hiranandanis and Reliance Industries have announced investments in data centres, on the back of regulatory moves like data sovereignity which makes it incumbent upon financial institutions to house their data locally. "India is the fastest growing region for and a substantial amount of the USD 7 billion commitment will be invested here," Sanghi said. When asked if the money will be equally split between the four regions the company operates in, Sanghi said the overall investments are bound to be shared proportionately, hinting that over USD 1.5 billion or nearly Rs 11,000 crore will come into India. The company, whose revenues have been growing at 30 per cent every year, is targeting to more than double its capacity in the next three years through the investments, Sanghi said. Its overall capacity, which stands at 1.2 million sq ft at present spread across Mumbai, Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru, will go up by 1.5 million sq ft, he said. The company is looking at going to newer locations as well and also adding to its land bank to house the facilities, he said. Demand is coming from global hyperscalers like the cloud service providers, data localisation requirements and as a greater number of enterprises move to the cloud, Sanghi said. The Adanis have committed Rs 70,000 crore for data centres in Andhra Pradesh, Hiranandanis have committed Rs 14,000 crore and RIL has announced a partnership with Microsoft for the same. Sanghi said the high quantum of investments in the business will change the characteristic of the market, which has so far been dictated by suppliers, from 2021 onward once the capacities come on board. While the revenues will keep growing because of the market opportunity, the supply increase can cause a short term blip in profitability by narrowing operating margins, he said, stressing that this will not last for long time. is confident of guarding its business and growing in the face of competition, he asserted, adding data centres is its core business and clients, who sign long-term contracts, partner with which are not into different businesses like power and realty. There will be a consolidation in the industry due to the dynamics and the smaller entities may find it difficult to survive, Sanghi said, making it clear that NTT does not look at mergers and acquisition as a strategy but may move in opportunistically for the buys. He also made it clear that aggressive pricing may not work for companies, pointing out to two incidents of who tried getting business using this strategy going bust. Sangi pitched for an improvement in power supply in Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru, saying two hours of power down time per week is a worry. NTT on Wednesday announced the launch of an integrated division to look over the global opportunity. During the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, Italy was home to complex networks of metalwork exchange, according to a study published January 22, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Andrea Dolfini of Newcastle University (UK), and Gilberto Artioli and Ivana Angelini of the University of Padova (Italy). Research in recent decades has revealed that copper mining and metalwork in Italy began earlier and included more complex technologies than previously thought. However, relatively little is known about metalwork exchange across the country, especially south of the Alps. In this study, Dolfini and colleagues sought to understand how commonly and how widely copper was imported and exchanged throughout Late Neolithic (Copper Age) Italy. The researchers conducted an analysis of 20 copper items, including axe-heads, halberds, and daggers, from central Italy dating to the Copper Age, between 3600 and 2200 BC. Comparing archaeological data and chemical signatures of these items to nearby sources of copper ore, as well as to other prehistoric sites, they were able to determine that most of the examined objects were cast from copper mined in Tuscany, with the rest sourced from the western Alps and possibly the French Midi. These results not only confirm the importance of the Tuscan region as a source of copper for Copper Age communities in Italy, reaching as far as the Tyrolean area home of the Alpine Iceman, but also reveal the unexpected finding that non-Tuscan copper was a significant import to the region at this time. These data contribute to a growing picture of multiple independent networks of Copper Age metal exchange in the Alps and neighboring regions. The authors note that future research might uncover other early sources of copper, as well as more details of the interactions between these early trade networks. The authors add: "The first systematic application of lead isotope analysis (a geological sourcing technique) to Copper Age metal objects from central Italy, 3600-2200 BC, has shed new light on the provenance of the copper used to cast them. The research has revealed that, while some of the copper was sourced from the rich ore deposits of Tuscany, as was expected, some is from further afield. This unforeseen discovery demonstrates that far-reaching metal exchange networks were in operation in prehistoric Europe over a thousand years before the Bronze Age." ### In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0227259 Citation: Dolfini A, Angelini I, Artioli G (2020) Copper to Tuscany - Coals to Newcastle? The dynamics of metalwork exchange in early Italy. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0227259. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227259 Funding: Chemical and isotopic analyses of ore and object samples were funded by the University of Padua, who also covered all travel expenses for Angelini. Dolfini's research trips were funded by the Historical Metallurgy Society, Coghlan Bequest Fund. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Wayne A. Ernst, 68, of Bridgeton, N.J., a master baker whose Century Bakery was famous for its delectable German pastries and old-world customer service, died Sunday, Jan. 12, of cardiac arrest at his home. Mr. Ernst was the last in a long line of bakers. His grandfather John Ernst emigrated from Austria and set up a bakery in Mayfair in the 1930s. Mr. Ernsts father, Albert, acquired the bakery in 1961, and Mr. Ernst in turn bought the Cumberland County business in 1981. The bakery, a fixture on Pearl Street in Bridgeton, was known for its wedding cakes, doughnuts bursting with homemade butter creme, and its chewy, flaky fried pastries swirled in cinnamon. It held an annual Doughnut Day on Shrove Tuesday, when it made fastnachts, the German doughnuts that were once intended to clear the pantry of sugar and fat just before Lent. Former residents said online that no trip to Bridgeton was complete without visiting the Century Bakery. It was the personal service that drew them. Every customer has told me that when they went to the bakery, he would stop what he was doing and greet every customer with a smile, wearing his white bakery hat, said his daughter, Kristin Thompson. He didnt feel like he was selling doughnuts or cakes, he felt like he was selling happiness, said his son, David W. Ernst. After he died, people took off work who were customers to come to his service. Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of Albert Samuel Ernst and Lois Elaine Young Ernst. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1968 and from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1973. As he grew up, Mr. Ernst split his time between Philadelphia and Bridgeton, where his father taught him the art of baking and decorating the fresh treats. He was adamant about one thing: When I grew up, I was not going to be a baker, he told NJ.com in a 2015 interview. Mr. Ernst had fun making enough money to travel in Europe while in college. But when his father died at age 59, duty called. Mr. Ernst and his wife, Barbara Buzby Ernst, took over management of the business. In 1989, he completed rigorous practical and written exams administered by the Retail Bakers of America to become the first certified master baker in the country, the Ernst family said in a statement. To qualify as a master baker, a candidate had to manage a baking operation, produce quality baked goods, and demonstrate a knowledge of sanitation, merchandising, and training. In 2015, realizing that his three children had families and careers at a distance and would not take over the business, he put the bakery up for sale. I want Century Bakery to go forward as it has, for the sake of our 15-member staff, our customers, and, admittedly, my ego, he tweeted. Dont worry, I wont let go unless Im confident the place is in good hands. In September 2019, he sold the business to Hopeloft, a local nonprofit. Hopeloft and the Ernst family had developed a job training program using the bakery to support local foster youth who are transitioning out of foster care. As we mourn the passing of the first Master Baker himself, we have him to thank for creating a beloved business that will support those in need in our own community, Hopeloft director Melissa Helmbrecht said in a message she posted. Mr. Ernst was a member of Fairfield Presbyterian Church in Fairton, N.J., where he served as an elder and Sunday school teacher. He loved the beach in Ocean City, and spending time reading, traveling, and tinkering with his DeLorean car. Mr. Ernst attended many baker conventions and visited other bakeries on any trip. That was my dads hobby, to travel around the country always visiting bakeries and looking for ideas, Thompson said. Besides his wife, son, and daughter, he is survived by son Richard J.; seven grandchildren; a sister; and a brother. Services were Thursday, Jan. 16. Interment was in Overlook Cemetery, Bridgeton. Memorial contributions may be made to Fairfield Presbyterian Church, Box 68, Fairton, N.J. 08320. Thane As the neglected Kasarvadavli lake in Thane awaits conservation, there is a tussle over a beautification proposal tabled in the civic body recently. Two young Shiv Sena corporators argued in the Thane Municipal Corporations general body meeting recently over the lakes beautification. Sena corporator Siddharth Owalekar said Thane Municipal Corporation has spent money on the beautification of the lake thrice without any result. Purvesh Sarnaik, whose father and MLA Pratap Sarnaik, had proposed the beautification insisted that the proposal be approved. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena opposed the beautification, pointing out that there are no facilities around the lake. However, local residents said they want the lakes beautification. When the proposal for the lakes beautification came up for discussion, some corporators claimed that since this lake is included in the 36 lakes under the lake conservation project, there is no need to spend additional funds. The civic administration had tabled a proposal of spending Rs8 crore on the beautification of the Kasarvadavli lake. Owalekar said the administration should first make walkways and access road to the lake before beautifying it. The mayor, Naresh Mhaske, finally decided to conduct a meeting in his office to address the issue. Few days ago, Pratap Sarnaik had a meeting with civic commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal, demanding the lake along Ghodbunder Road should be conserved and beautified. Following this meeting, the proposal was tabled in the general body meeting. A TMC official said, The lakes beautification will include safety wall, railings along the lake, jogging tracks, viewing gallery, an immersion ghat and beautification of the area around a small temple near the lake. A play area and seating arrangement too are planned. The budget for the project is Rs8 crore. Owalekar said the lake was taken up for beautification thrice. TMC has spent money three times on the beautification of the lake. However, nothing has changed. The lake is also included in the lake conservation project and the work is already underway. There is no need for a separate budget. TMC should first develop an access road and construct proper storm water drains near the lake before spending on beautification. Purvesh claimed that the road near the lake is in good condition. There is no problem with the access road to the lake. The proposal is aimed at protecting and conserving this lake so that people in the surrounding area can use it as a hangout. Standing committee chairman Ram Repale suggested that a meeting be conducted with the mayor on this. Mhaske agreed that the issue will be resolved after discussion on the proposal. The administration said that though the work order was given for the work on this lake under the lake conservation project, no work was actually carried out. A civic official requesting anonymity, said, We had proposed to beautify the lake under the lake beautification and conservation project. However no money was every spent on the beautification. MNS oppose beautification The MNS said there was no need to spent funds on the lake, while there are no roads or other facilities near the lake. Kiran Patil, city president of MNS Thane, said, Smart city does not mean merely beautification but it also means providing basic amenities. The corporation should first spend money on roads, pathways and storm water drain surrounding the lake and then spend on beautification. If the proposal is approved, we will stage a protest. Local residents demand beautification The villagers staying around the lake have supported the beautification proposal, claiming that they had earlier boycotted the election over this. Vandana Kaware, 50, a resident of Kasarvadavli, said, The lake was cleaned two decades ago. After that, there has been no effort by the corporation to clean the lake. We immerse idols during Ganeshotsav and Navratri so the lake is heavily silted and needs to be conserved. Another resident Gauri Patil, 57, said, The water in the lake stinks because garbage is dumped in the lake. The beautification of the lake is our long-standing demand and we had boycotted elections a few years ago. The Kasarvadavli lake is in Kasarvadavli village on Ghodbunder Road. The lake is a clean water body with no encroachments. People often come to the nearby temple which is famous as Sheesh Narayan temple. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Celebrity chef Miguel Maestre broke down in tears on Wednesday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Despite having a tough exterior, the 40-year-old couldn't contain his emotions as he spoke of missing his two kids: Claudia, nine, and Morgan, five. 'Oh, I miss the kids so much. That's the only hard thing I find hard here. My children,' Miguel tearfully told campmate Tanya Hennessy. 'It's the only thing I find hard here': On Wednesday, IAC's Miguel Maestre, 40, (pictured) broke down in tears to campmate Tanya Hennessy and revealed he is missing his children The Spanish-born chef continued to openly weep, as he spoke of his love for the cherubic youngsters he shares with wife Sasha. Tanya offered her support during the emotional exchange. 'You're dealing with it very well,' she said, tenderly. 'I know, I'm very good at keeping things inside,' Miguel said, with him clearly upset 'I know, I'm very good at keeping things inside. I am good at all this...' Miguel said. 'I'm not the type of guy that cries, but I really miss them, you know. I really miss them.' It comes after Miguel's wife revealed the adorable gift he gave her while in the jungle, after the couple celebrated their wedding anniversary. Family: Miguel shares two children with his Sascha: Morgan, 5, (L) and Claudia, 9 (R) Sascha took to her husband's Instagram last week, to share the sweet gift. 'Happy tenth wedding anniversary to my gorgeous husband,' she wrote. 'We love you so much and missing you.' 'Can't believe you organised these beautiful flowers and balloons before you left. So lucky and special.' 'We love you,' she concluded, referring to their two children Morgan and Claudia. An increasing number of Iranian students are being turned away from entry points when arriving at U.S. airports amid heated diplomatic tensions between the two nations, the New York Times reports. What we know: Boston's Logan International Airport rejected an Iranian student, Shahab Dehghani, 24, on Monday, even though he had a valid student visa. The refusal sparked airport protests on the student's behalf. Although a petition for him to stay was eventually granted, Dehghani had already been sent back to Iran. The Times reports that at least 13 Iranians have been blocked from entry despite presenting valid student visas. Obtaining student visas takes months, and students often spend vast sums of money to afford travel and admittance into their respective universities. Some who have been returned to Iran received paperwork stating they cannot enter the U.S. for a minimum of five years. Go deeper: NBCs Bring The Funny semi-finalist Morgan Jay brings his eight years of stand-up experience to Stamfords Palace Theatre Upstage Saturday, Feb. 1. Jay, a first generation American performer based out of Los Angeles, was most recently featured in NBCs competition show Bring The Funny, where he made it to the semi-finals by impressing both viewers and the judges, Jeff Foxworthy, Chrissy Teigan and Kenan Thompson. Originally from New Jersey, he started his career in New York City, where he attended the Tisch School of the Arts. With over eight years of stand-up experience and an extensive background in music Jay has managed to create a unique performance that touches comedy and music fans alike with his smooth melodies derived from his love for classic R&B and Bossanova. Jay has performed at 2019 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, 2017 SF Sketchfest and 2017/2018 Big Fire. He is a regularly featured artist for sofarsounds.com, and won 1st Prize for best comedy/novelty song in the International Songwriting Competition, which received over 16,000 submissions. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22 : Jacob Thomas, the senior most director general of police in Kerala was once the blue eyed boy of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. After the two fell out, he got a shock on Wednesday when news surfaced that a recommendation has been made to demote him to the rank of additional director general of police. The Vijayan government on Wednesday received a report from Chief Secretary Tom Jose stating that Thomas had violated the All India Service Rules and had written a book. The government will now ask for an explanation from Thomas which would be sent to the Union Ministry of Personnel for further action. If he is demoted, it would be the first time in the history of Kerala Police that a DGP will be demoted. Reacting to the news, Thomas, currently managing director of an ailing state public sector unit Metal Industries Ltd, said that he has no idea of what's going on. "Even if I am demoted to the post of an ordinary Sub Inspector of Police, I have no issues, as that post also is a very good post," said Thomas. Thomas was appointed Director General of Police (DGP), the same day Vijayan assumed office in May, 2016 and was given the plum post of the Vigilance Director, a post that the Oommen Chandy-led Congress government did not give him. But a year later relations between Vijayan and Thomas soured and he was suspended in December 2017. It was after a long drawn legal battle that he was reinstated in August last year and was given the present post of managing director of one of the state public sector units that is struggling to keep afloat. Thomas also has a few cases against him which include criticising the government on its handling of the Ockhi disaster, writing a book without permission and charges of corruption over buying a dredger when he headed the Ports Department. Thomas is due to retire from service on May 31 and with this new development it could well be the start of yet another legal battle as previously he had moved the court and got himself reinstated last year. You are here: World Flash A bus rolled on a scenic road between Glenorchy and Queenstown in New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday, which left about 20 Chinese tourists injured, among whom two were under serious conditions. The Chinese embassy in New Zealand confirmed that the injured people were part of a Chinese tourist group. The two seriously injured people have been sent to hospital. Ambulance, rescue helicopters and police cars rushed to the scene and the road was blocked. No death has so far been reported from the incident. The Chinese consulate general in Christchurch has sent people to assist and visit the injured at hospital. Glenorchy, a small scenic town and one of the most popular tourist destinations in New Zealand, is located 45 km from Queenstown in South Island. By Jason Lim In one of the pivotal scenes in the Netflix movie, "The Two Popes," Pope Benedict XVI cries out, "I can no longer hear God!" to his would-be-successor. "I believe in God! I pray ... but only silence. How can I reveal his word to our millions of pilgrims if I do not hear his presence?" He then goes on to utter what I believe are the most insightful lines of the whole movie: "I have been alone my whole life, but I have never been lonely, until now. You wished for an extraordinary reason for my resignation do you have one now?" Benedict might have meant that the extraordinary reason for his resignation was that he, as the Vicar of Christ, could no longer personally hear God. But what I took away was that he was lonely. By the nature of the position and his own personality, he was disconnected from real human relationships, isolated without any community, and surrounded by utter silence, even from his own internal guiding voice he had relied on. In today's lingo, he was being "ghosted" by his world. This, more than anything else, drove his decision to resign. All the concerns about the evolution of the church, theological discussions, and his own failings as a leader seem like rationalizations for an emotional decision that he has made because he was lonely. I say emotional not to mean dramatic and impulsive, but to refer to the deeper-than-intellect, underlying fabric in all human beings that determines our sense of wellbeing. Maslow's hierarchy of needs taught us that we build on our different needs from the bottom up in the order that they affect our physical survival and safety. As we satisfy our basic needs, we turn our attention and resources to the more abstract needs such as social belonging and self-actualization. However, our brain is not so neatly categorized. David Rock, founder of Neuroleadership, said, "Firstly, that much of our motivation driving social behavior is governed by an overarching organizing principle of minimizing threat and maximizing reward (Gordon, 2000). Secondly, that several domains of social experience draw upon the same brain networks to maximize reward and minimize threat as the brain networks used for primary survival needs (Lieberman and Eisenberger, 2008). In other words, social needs are treated in much the same way in the brain as the need for food and water." Social connection is a fundamental need. One of the most revered and powerful men on earth resigned because this fundamental need wasn't being met. Overlay this with the current state of the elderly in Korea, and you have a tragic and alarming phenomenon. Korea suffers from the highest elderly poverty rate among all OECD countries, approaching 50 percent. Contrast this to Japan's 19.6 percent. Korea also experiences an astounding 48.8 per 100,000 for 70-somethings and 70 per 100,000 for those in their 80s or older. The national average was 24.3. For a country with one of the longest average lifespans in the world, the golden years certainly don't seem too golden for many. More often than not, being old and poor also means being isolated and lonely. Among the elderly poor, almost one in two live alone. The number of elderly living by themselves is up nearly 20 percent since 2006. It's not even news any longer when someone dies in Korea in such isolation that he or she isn't found for an extended period. When I visited Seoul last summer, I ran into a huge, loud crowd outside Seoul Station shouting for some conservative causes, including calls to free the jailed former President Park Geun-hye. Many in the crowd were elderly. In fact, the overwhelming presence of the elderly in conservative protests has been a noticeable phenomenon. This makes sense, of course, since this was the generation that personally experienced the rags-to-riches story spearheaded by Park's legendary father. The younger, more progressive generations have ridiculed these elderly protesters for their outdated sense of the world, foolish gullibility, religious fervor, blind faith to corrupt conservative politicians, etc. But what if they are just lonely? What if these protests provide a sense of community and meaning, a welcome distraction from the effort of everyday subsistence leading to the inevitable invisible death? They have been living, nay dying, in faithless silence, unable to hear their God and find any sort of meaning and community. Not only are the elderly in Korea abandoned, but they are reviled and made to wallow in their isolation until they drown. The younger generations look upon them as more nuisance and burden to today's society than anything else. Or it may be that the younger generations are angry at their parents, accusing them of monopolizing the great story of the Miracle on the Han River and leaving their children and grandchildren only with pale shadows of the fresh hope and new beginnings that they greedily exhausted. No matter. As one of the fastest aging societies in the world, poverty and loneliness will be everybody's problem soon enough. Jason Lim (jasonlim@msn.com) is a Washington, D.C.-based expert on innovation, leadership and organizational culture. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a cryptic warning to Americans on January 6th regarding the Potential for Iranian Cyber Response to the recent U.S. military strike in Baghdad last week that claimed the life of Qassim Soleimani, major general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In just the past few days, Iran has claimed responsibility for missile attacks aimed at multiple U.S. military targets in Iraq. As a result of these recent events, one horrific byproduct of Iranian aggression and confusion that materialized was the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, which was scheduled to travel from Tehran to Kiev. Despite the fact that Iran doesnt possess intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland and it isnt thought to have a nuclear weapon, there are still many other avenues available to the Iranian regime to wreak havoc and exact revenge against the United States and other western countries. The most likely method is thought to be via a large-scale cyber offensive. Iran has already shown a propensity for this type of disruptive activity, as over the past decade they have shown the ability to penetrate the systems associated with our critical infrastructure. This included the August/September 2013 attack executed by an Iranian who was employed by a company performing work on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who was able to access the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems of the Bowman Dam in Rye, New York. This hacking incident allowed the actor to access information regarding the status and operation of the dam and possibly manipulate its day-to-day functions. Additionally, almost five years ago, Iran was the culprit when over half of Turkey, an estimated 44 of 81 provinces which are home to over 40 million people, suffered a massive power outage that lasted for most of March 31st, 2015. The total blackout encompassed everything connected to the Turkish electrical grid, including computers, airports, traffic lights, hospitals, water and sewage systems and more. More recently, according to IBM, the Iranian hacking group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 34 (APT34) has developed a new strain of malware, which is being aimed at the industrial and energy sectors in the Middle East. This malware, which has been named ZeroCleare could be easily deployed against U.S. as well. ZeroCleare has the ability to wipe the data from computers that are associated with critical infrastructure targets that use Windows as an operating system. Another worrisome attack by Iran occurred against the United States Navy and was originally reported in September, 2013. This attack can be viewed as a preview to possible wartime tactics should an escalation in tensions between Iran and the United States increase. At the time, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Navy's largest unclassified computer network had been infiltrated by a group either "working directly for Iran's government [or] acting with the approval of Iranian leaders." Months later, U.S. officials would disclose that the hack was far more extensive than initially thought and lasted for far much longer than had been initially disclosed. It reportedly took the Navy several months, or until November 2013, after initial news of the hack was made public in late September, to finally purge the Iranian hackers from the network. The cybersphere in general has become an increasingly common theater of war and conflict over the past decade. This summer, reports surfaced that in response to Russian cyberaggression against the United States, the Trump administration authorized the hacking of Russias power grid. At the time, former National Security Advisor John Bolton stated his desire to widen the scope of possible targets the U.S. can strike via cyberwarfare. Ironically enough, the attack that is generally accepted as the first incidence of cyberwarfare in the modern era, 2010s Stuxnet attack, victimized Iran and according to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, was said to be initiated as a joint collaboration between the United States and Israel. According to reports, the attack ruined almost one-fifth of Irans nuclear centrifuges. The next few weeks are sure to be tense as the world braces for what may come next as a result of the recent incidents between Iran and America. While the possibility of a conventional war between the two nations still seems unlikely, certain elements of warfare, especially cyberwarfare, are likely to materialize going both ways. Julio Rivera is the Editorial Director for Reactionary Times and a Political Columnist and Commentator. The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday sought a reply from the state authorities over an incident where government officials allegedly slapped a few BJP workers during a rally in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Rajgarh district. Justices S C Sharma and Shailendra Shukla of the Indore bench of the high court issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Rajgadh district collector Nidhi Nivedita and other officials, seeking replies within four weeks. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Harshvardhan Sharma, a Rajgarh-based lawyer. A video purportedly showing collector Nivedita and deputy collector Priya Verma slapping some BJP workers during a rally in support of the CAA at Biaora in the district on Sunday had gone viral. Orders prohibiting public gatherings under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were in force when the rally was held. The PIL alleged that the collector and her deputy misused their powers and slapped BJP workers who were holding the national flag in their hands, said the petitioner's lawyer Pushyamitra Bhargava. It requested the court to revoke the powers of executive magistrate accorded to the two officers and order a magisterial inquiry into the incident, Bhargava told reporters. It also demanded that the prohibitory orders imposed under CrPC section 144, banning protests across the state, be lifted as they violate people's constitutional rights, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bloomberg/Getty Images En espanol | A woman in Chicago who recently returned from a visit to Wuhan, China, is the second U.S. patient to test positive for the coronavirus that has killed at least 26 and sickened hundreds in Asia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday it expects more cases in the U.S. The woman, in her 60s, is hospitalized in Chicago. The first patient is a Washington state man whod also been to Wuhan, the outbreaks epicenter in central Chinas Hubei Province. Physician Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a news briefing Friday that while the immediate risk to the American public remains low, its a rapidly changing situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) convened this week to decide whether to declare this outbreak a global health emergency and decided it was too early to do so. Meanwhile, the U.S. began funneling all travelers arriving from Wuhan into five major international airports for screening: San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Yorks John F. Kennedy. But the circumstances have clearly changed, said internist and infectious disease specialist Martin Cetron, director of the CDCs Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. Chinese officials in Wuhan and a growing number of surrounding cities have implemented strict travel bans. (Officials in China are especially concerned with Saturdays start of the Chinese New Year holiday, a busy time for travel throughout the country.) And, considering that both of the people who have tested positive for the virus in the U.S. were asymptomatic when they arrived, Cetron added, we are reevaluating our approach. More than 2,000 passengers on about 200 incoming flights have been screened, with no new cases identified. So far, the central region's potential had not been developed due, among others, to its scarce population. With development coming in now, there will be huge economic and social impact," said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He said that he has ordered the development to be done in such as way as to be environmentally responsible. "This is to ensure that our energy resources will be developed in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner," Badawi said. SCORE will make up 57 percent of Sarawak's land mass, a total of 70,700 square kilometers. Following yesterday's launch of SCORE, Sarawak Energy Bhd signed several letters of intent (more precisely, memoranda of understanding) with companies for the implementation of power-related projects for SCORE. An agreement with Press Metal Bhd was made to implement the 8x300MW Bakun Hydroelectric project, as well as a project to connect the Bakun dam to the Malaysian peninsula via two underwater cables. Among the other companies selected were Sime Darby Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd, and Rio Tinto Aluminium Ltd. Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd also signed such a memorandum with Rio Tinto Aluminium Ltd to provide aluminum smelting technology services for Salco, which is a joint smelter venture between the two companies. The companies estimate that up to RM2.4 billion (741 million U.S. dollars) will be added to Malaysia's gross domestic product from this smelter project alone. Cahya Mata managing director, Datuk Richard Curtis, commented: "We laud the steps taken by the Sarawak state and the Federal Governments to establish the new poverty eradication and industrial development corridor, a project that is clearly in line with transforming Sarawak into a developed state by 2020 with other plans of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Since from before the announcement on Monday until today, Tuesday, at closing, a sampling of related stocks reacted to the news as follows: Sarawak Energy Bhd (2356.KL) is up 4.5% to close at 2.30. Press Metal Bhd (8869.KL) is up 0.7% to close at 1.40. Sime Darby Bhd (4197.KL) is unchanged at 11.90. Tenaga Nasional Bhd (5347.KL) is down 1% to close at 9.20. Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (2852.KL) is up 4% to close at 2.25. Yesterday, February 11, the chief minister of the Malaysian state Sarawak, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, unveiled the plan to create the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy, "SCORE." He said that through this corridor the state seeks to become the major supplier of energy for all of Malaysia. Malaysia has allocated $1.5 billion for the development of renewable energy under SCORE.The city of Bintulu has been chosen for the launch of SCORE. In the space of a generation, Bintulu transformed from a 5,000 person fishing village into a city of over 150,000 inhabitants. Now it may be poised for further growth.We are confident that the Salco smelter project will boost Sarawak's economic prosperity even further."During the same period, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) was up about 1.6%.More news here on hotstocked.com on this breaking story as it develops. President Donald Trump has criticised Boeing as a 'very disappointing company' in a press conference today. He cited the aerospace giant's recent problems after the grounding of the 737 MAX plane, which he said had a knock-on effect for the US economy. 'This is one of the great companies of the world, let's say as of a year ago, and then all of a sudden things happen,' Trump said in an interview on CNBC from the Davos economic forum in Switzerland. US President Donald Trump holds a news conference at the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. He criticised Boeing as a 'very disappointing company' This 'had a tremendous impact. You know, when you talk about growth, it's so big that some people say it's more than a half a point of GDP. So Boeing - big, big disappointment to me,' he said. Trump's words come a week after he urged Boeing executives to resolve the Max issues quickly, telling CFO Greg Smith: 'Get that going. Work together.' Boeing had Tuesday officially pushed back the time frame for the 737 MAX to return to the skies, with executives stating they do not foresee regulators lifting a flight ban until June or July, months later than the original estimate. The revelation sent shares plunging and overshadowed an earlier announcement of a first flight of the delayed 777X plane. The timetable - the latest of several delays in the plane's approval process - will create more headaches for airlines by pushing the Max's return further into the peak summer travel season or possibly beyond it. Employees at work on a MAX at the Boeing's Renton, Washington, factory. Boeing had Tuesday officially pushed back the time frame for the 737 MAX to return to the skies Boeing shares fell more than 5% by Tuesday afternoon. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday he believed that issues including the grounding of of Boeing 737 MAX plane had shaved some 0.5 to 0.7 of a percent point off the US growth rate. The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide March 13, 2019 after two crashes claimed the lives of 346 people. The first disaster happened in October 2018 in Indonesia, when a MAX flying as Lion Air flight JT 610 fell into the Java Sea 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta. All 189 aboard the plane died, including 180 Indonesians, one Italian and one Indian. Investigators with the US National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) look over debris at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 on March 12, 2019 in Bishoftu, Ethiopia The second crash occurred in March 2019 when Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, which also was a MAX jet, took off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital and crashed. Shortly after the first Max crash, Boeing began updating software that investigators say was triggered by a faulty sensor and pushed the plane's nose down. Boeing has made the software less powerful and tied it to two sensors instead of one. That work was done months ago, but the company is still working on changes to flight-control computers and pilot-training requirements. Another software issue was discovered last week, although one of the people familiar with the situation said it would not cause more delay in the plane's return. The FAA will ultimately have the final say on when the MAX can fly again. Three alleged members of a white supremacist group were plotting to murder demonstrators at Mondays gun rights rally at the Virginia Capitol before they were arrested by the FBI last week, according to court documents. The men were caught discussing their plans on a hidden camera set up in their Delaware apartment by FBI agents. We cant let Virginia go to waste, we just cant, said Patrik J. Mathews, one member of the hate group the Base that promotes violence against African-Americans and Jews. According to authorities, the 27-year-old former Canadian Armed Forces reservist also discussed creating instability in Virginia by killing people, derailing trains, poisoning water, and shutting down highways in order to kick off the economic collapse and possibly start a full blown civil war. Mathews also discussed the possibility of executing police officers and stealing their belongings and remarked that, We could essentially be like literally hunting people. Virginia will be our day, said 33-year-old Brian M. Lemley Jr., adding, I need to claim my first victim. Lemley discussed using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to conduct ambush attacks, the court filings read. The two were arrested along with a third man, 19, last Thursday. They are charged with federal firearms violations and transporting and harboring an alien, referring to Mathews, who is a Canadian national. Four more members of The Base have also been arrested and charged in Georgia and Wisconsin. In a search of the apartment, prosecutors said that FBI agents found propaganda fliers for The Base, communications devices, empty rifle cases, go bags with numerous Meals-Ready-to-Eat, knives, and materials for building an assault rifle. Tens of thousands of gun rights advocates rallied in Richmond on Monday to protest the states Democratic legislatures gun-control agenda. Critics raised fears beforehand that militant white supremacists could disrupt the rally, but the day ended peacefully with no violence. More from National Review A live auction in Mumbai on February 27 will take place, followed by an online auction on Saffronart's platform on March 3 and 4. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday roped in Saffronart, a leading international auction house, for auctioning seized assets of fugitive Nirav Modi. Collectively, the two auctions will feature 15 artworks by significant modern and contemporary Indian artists as well as a selection of luxury watches, handbags and cars. Highlights of the auction include a 1935 masterpiece by Amrita Sher-Gil, a significant oil on canvas by M.F. Husain from his 'Mahabharata' series. Both the art works have been estimated at Rs 12 to 18 crore. The exhibition will also showcase a serene blue painting by V.S. Gaitonde from 1972 which is estimated around Rs 7-9 crore in the market, and a vivid red depiction of 'Krishna' by Manjit Bawa (estimate: Rs 3-5 crore). Apart from modern artworks, important watches which will be on sale include a Jaeger Lecoultre Men's 'Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2' and a Gerrard Perregaux Men's 'Opera One' wristwatch. Of more than 80 branded handbags included in the auction are several from the Birkin and Kelly lines by luxury retailer Hermes. CEO and Co-Founder of the auction house, Dinesh Vazirani, said, "We are extremely honoured to lend our services and expertise to the Enforcement Directorate, Government of India. We are diligently working with the ED to assess and evaluate each item and put together the catalogue for both the sales, which includes a distinguished line-up of artworks." This is the first time that the Enforcement Directorate has appointed a professional auction house to conduct an auction of seized assets in India. Earlier, the Income Tax Department, in March 2019, had appointed the same auction house for the bidding that raised Rs 54.84 crore. Supporters of Pathalgadhi movement, armed with lathis and axes, allegedly kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for allegedly opposing their stir, police said on Wednesday. Ranchi: Supporters of Pathalgadhi movement, armed with lathis and axes, allegedly kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for allegedly opposing their stir, police said on Wednesday. Inspector General of Police (Operation) Saket Kumar Singh said the policemen reached the Burugulikera village on Tuesday night after getting information about the killing of seven locals. After the murder, the perpetrators had dumped bodies of the victims in a forest. A panchayat representative was among those killed, he said. After an overnight search operation, bodies of the seven villagers were recovered from the forest, four kilometres from the village, he said. The place is over 175 kilometres from the capital Ranchi. There was a meeting over 'Pathalgadhi' movement in the village on Tuesday when a dispute had arisen, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Indrajit Mahata said. Following the development, supporters of the movement kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them with the help of lathis and axes, he said. Pathalgadhi is a name given to a tribal protest which seeks autonomy for village sabhas (Gramsabhas). Those demanding Pathalgadhi want no laws of the land be applicable on the tribal people in the area. The Pathalgadhi activists reject government rights over their forests and rivers. As part of the movement, locals erect a stone plaque or signboard outside the village/area, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of the outsiders. Expressing grief over the incident, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said "Law is above all and the guilty will not be spared. The police is investigating the matter." A high-level meeting will be convened to prevent recurrence of such an incident, he said. Pathalgadhi movement had hit the national headlines in the middle of 2019. On 19 June, five NGO workers were allegedly abducted and gangraped by armed men associated with the Pathalgadhi movement. They were performing a street play at a school in Khunti district of Jharkhand when they were targeted. The raiders had branded the NGO workers as "dikus" (outsiders). On 26 June, another group of armed Pathalgadhi had abducted three security personnel posted at the former BJP MP Karia Munda's home in Khunti. They were released later. The Pathalgadhi groups have been active across four districts of Jharkhand Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum. All of them are Maoist-infested districts. Soon after being sworn in as the chief minister on 29 December 2019, Hemant Soren had announced his decision to withdraw all sedition cases registered during the Pathalgadhi movement and protests against the amendments to Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT Act) and Santhal Paragana Tenancy Act (SPT Act). TheJakartaPost Please Update your browser Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below. Just click on the icons to get to the download page. Powerful Storm Gloria now heading into southern France with torrential rains and snow in the mountains. At least four people have been killed since Sunday after Storm Gloria swept over parts of Spain with gale-force winds, heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. Seaside towns across eastern Spain, from Torrevieja in the south of the Valencia region to Castellon in the north, are counting the cost of the damage caused by massive waves pounding the shore during the powerful winter storm. Gloria battered the country for a third day on Tuesday, destroying promenades, spreading dead fish across beaches and leaving large areas under a blanket of snow. The heavy snow cut electricity supplies to hundreds of thousands of people in the northeast province of Girona. Huge waves were seen hitting Barcelona Olympic port, while snowstorms blocked roads and highways in the cities of Teruel and Zaragoza. More than 30 provinces were put on red weather alerts due to the storm, with Valencia on the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands bearing the brunt of it on Monday. Ocean foam on Tuesday covered the streets of the seaside town Tossa de Mar, in Catalonia, after Gloria caused high waves and seawater agitation, which can cause the creation of foam. Waves were seen crashing over Tossa de Mars beach, with floodwater moving past shoreline restaurants and businesses into the old town centre. Authorities in Tossa de Mar described the situation as complicated, but said the foam did not pose an immediate threat to people. The owner of a waterfront restaurant that experienced flooding described the situation as a disaster. Gloria is now affecting coastal areas of southern France with heavy rain and powerful winds. Photo: CTV News Victoria police say a dozen adults have been taken into custody following a day-long protest in the offices of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Police say officers were called Tuesday morning for a report that a group had occupied the lobby area of the building. Protesters said they wouldn't leave the building until the demands of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs had been met to stop the construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline through their territory in northern B.C. Police say there were numerous efforts over 15 hours to resolve the situation without arrests, but officers were asked to remove protesters by the building's owner once negotiations failed. A statement from the Victoria Police Department says the minimum amount of force was used to make the arrests, which took place over a four-hour period. There was also a crowd outside the building and police say their officers were surrounded, pushed and shoved while carrying out protesters who had been inside and that resulted in the arrest of one person outside. Civil War-era bottle found on highway median may be rare witch bottle Witch bottle: Given the artifacts contents and context, William & Mary archaeologists believe this Civil War-era jug is likely a rare ritual item known as a witch bottle." Witch bottles served as a kind of talisman to ward off evil spirits. Photo by Robert Hunter Photo - of - Hide Caption At first glance, it just looked like a bottle full of junk. It was this glass bottle full of nails, broken, but all there, near an old brick hearth, said Joe Jones, director of the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research (WMCAR). We thought it was unusual, but werent sure what it was. The bottle was recovered as part of an archaeological dig at the Civil War-era site of Redoubt 9, which today is more commonly known as exits 238 to 242 of I-64 in York County. The dig was conducted in 2016, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation, and supervised by former WMCAR project archaeologist Chris Shephard, who now works for VDOT. Jones notes that WMCAR works frequently and closely with VDOT, and the standard arrangement is for their archaeological work to be scheduled well in advance of active roadwork. In this case, the dig took place before VDOTs planned interstate widening project. Whats left of Redoubt 9 now rests in the median of Interstate 64. It was constructed by Confederates, but occupied by Union troops after the Battle of Williamsburg in 1862. The fortification was one of 14 mini-forts constructed along a line between the James and York rivers to counter the threat of a Federal assault on Richmond via the Peninsula, Jones explained. The Union troops were likely tasked with holding and repairing the fortification whenever they had reason to expect Confederate assault, Jones said. They were building up a fortification, so we just assumed they needed a place to keep their nails and used a bottle. The real use of the bottle, first suggested by WMCAR staff member Oliver Mueller-Heubach and WMCAR founder Robert Hunter, is far more interesting. Given the artifacts contents and context, Mueller-Heubach and Hunter theorized, the nail-filled vessel is likely a rare ritual item known as a witch bottle. Jones cited reports by historians indicating that the witch bottle tradition originated in the East Anglia region of England in the late Middle Ages and was introduced to North America by colonial immigrants. The bottles served as a kind of talisman to ward off evil spirits, Jones explained. An afflicted person would bury the nail-filled bottle under or near their hearth, with the idea that the heat from the hearth would energize the nails into breaking a witchs spell. While nearly 200 witch bottles have been documented in Great Britain, less than a dozen have been found in the United States. Its a good example of how a singular artifact can speak volumes, Jones said. Its really a time capsule representing the experience of Civil War troops, a window directly back into what these guys were going through occupying this fortification at this period in time. Records suggest that Redoubt 9 was occupied by the 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry intermittently between May 1862 and August 1863. The same regiment was held responsible for the burning of the Wren building. They likely occupied Redoubt 9 only during periods of strife, such as Confederate raids, when the Union hold on Williamsburg was at risk. One such raid occurred on September 8, 1862, when a contingent of Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina cavalrymen attacked Union troops posted at William & Mary. The group went on to attack the Union camp and supply depot at Fort Magruder. Pennsylvania Cavalry would have occupied the outlying redoubts, including Redoubt 9, in the days and months following that raid in an attempt to keep Confederates from retaking them, Jones said. There were a lot of casualties and fear during this period. The Union troops were an occupying force in enemy territory throughout most of the war, so there were plenty of bad spirits and energy to ward off. Jones added that the nail-filled bottle found near a brick-lined encampment hearth was made by a bottler in Pennsylvania. Thats noteworthy, given the fortification was likely occupied by Pennsylvania cavalry. Centuries later, theres no way of knowing for sure if the artifact is a charm against evil spirits or just a bottle full of nails. Jones explained that most witch bottles contain relics of those who buried them. The afflicted would add nail clippings, locks of hair and even urine to witch bottles. The bottle recovered at Redoubt 9 was broken at the top, so Jones said its practically impossible to know who made it or what their real intentions were. Perhaps the nails in the bottle were put there not by enlisted men using the bottle as an expedient container, but instead by an officer who felt especially threatened occupying hostile territory, Jones said. Given the perceived threat of Confederate attack and general hostility of local residents, he had good reason to pull all the stops and rely on folk traditions from his community in Pennsylvania to help protect his temporary home away from home. Archived Results for Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 Older Page 1 New Delhi: OPSC Judicial Service Prelims 2019 admit card has been released. Candidates who are going to appear for the Judicial Services Prelims 2019 exam conducted by Odisha Public Service Commission need to visit the official website, i.e. opsc.gov.in to download the Odisha Judicial Service 2019 Prelims admit card. It is to note that the OPSC Judicial Service Prelims Exam 2019 is going to be conducted on February 2, 2020 in respective exam centers. OPSC Judicial Service Prelims 2019 Admit Card In order to download the Odisha Judicial Service Prelims admit card 2019, candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps: First, visit the official website of Odisha Public Service Commission, i.e. opsc.gov.in Then, click on the OPSC Judicial Service admit card link that is avaliable on the homepage A new page will open Enter the respective login details Click on the submit button The OPSC Judicial Service admit card will be displayed Download and take a printout of the OPSC Judicial Service admit card Alternatively, candidates can also click on the below mentioned direct link to check and download the OPSC Judicial Service 2019 Admit Card. OPSC Judicial Service Prelims 2019 admit card direct link Candidates will be selected on the basis of prelims exam performance followed Main exam and interview result. Earlier, the OPSC Judicial Services Application process started on December 18, 2019. For more details, candidates need to visit the official website of Odisha Public Service Commission. New Delhi/Washington The Indian government on Wednesday pushed back against US President Donald Trumps latest offer, his seventh, to help resolve the Kashmir issue, with people familiar with development saying there was no role for a third party in the matter. Despite Indias persistent spurning of his offers to mediate or assist in handling the Kashmir issue, the US president raked up the matter ahead of his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos on Tuesday. Our position on the Kashmir issue has been clear and consistent. There is no role for any third party in this matter, said an Indian government official who asked not to be named. There is nothing further to add, the person added. This is the seventh time since July last year that Trump has offered some variation of assistance for resolving the Kashmir issue, including mediation, arbitration or intervention. India has consistently pushed back every time Trump has raised Kashmir, with the external affairs ministry roundly dismissing the US presidents claim last July that Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested him to mediate on the Kashmir issue. Ahead of his meeting with Khan on Tuesday, Trump said they would be talking about Kashmir in relation to whats going on with Pakistan and India. He added: And if we can help, we certainly will be helping. The US, he said, has been watching the issue and following it very, very closely. Khan welcomed his remarks and described Kashmir as a big issue for Pakistan. Of course, we always hope that the US would play its part in resolving it because no other country can, he said. However, the readout issued by the White House about the meeting made no mention of Kashmir. Trumps remarks came weeks ahead of an expected visit to India. Experts said they were clearly made with an eye on securing Pakistans assistance for the troubled peace process in Afghanistan. Rajiv Dogra, a former ambassador who served in Pakistan, said: This is a meeting of interests and Imran Khan knows he has Trump where it hurts him the most Afghanistan. Its a beautiful bargain for them and all the strategic theories have gone for a six ever since Trump was sworn in. The Indian government has bristled at all mention of Kashmir on international platforms, including Chinas recent effort to discuss the issue at the UN Security Council. Trumps first offer on Kashmir came on July 22, 2019, during Khans first visit to the White House. If I can help, I would love to be a mediator, Trump had said, in response to an appeal from Khan. It...impossible to believe two incredible countries that are very, very smart, with very smart leadership, cant solve a problem like that. But if you want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do that. He prefaced the offer with the stunning claim that Modi had asked him to arbitrate. The response from New Delhi was swift and unequivocal: Modi never invited Trump to mediate and India considers Kashmir a bilateral issue to be resolved with Pakistan. It appears there is still no love lost between political frenemies Babu Owino and Jaguar after the Starehe MP made light of his colleagues problems. As youre already aware, the Embakasi East MP is in remand at the Industrial Area Prison awaiting a court ruling on his bail application on January 27. This appears to have provided Jaguar with an opportunity to mock his nemesis with whom he exchanged blows during the divisive 2017 presidential election. VIDEO: Watch Jaguar and Babu Owino Exchange Blows in Parliament On Tuesday, Jaguar donated several mattresses to inmates at Industrial Area Prison, announcing that Babu Owino would be one of the beneficiaries. Today I will donate over 200 mattresses to Industrial Area Prison, Starehe. I believe that remandees should be as comfortable as possible as they await the outcome of their cases. My colleague, Hon. Babu Owino, will benefit from one of the heavy-duty mattresses, he tweeted. Naturally, Kenyans on Twitter had something to say about Jaguars gesture, with some accusing him of being petty. Others, like Stivo Simple Boy, alluded that Jaguar is a Kigeugeu. Wale wanasiasa uliimba katika ule wimbo wako ndio wewe sasa, tweeted Simple Boy. Another Kenyan on Twitter(KoT) wrote: You should be pushing policy to make the judicial process & prisons less painful &more efficient The poor need justice not charity! Kigeugeu. Gov Sonko and Waititu will also benefit from the same, said another. He will beat you again when he comes out dont forget, another internet user tweeted. Some more reactions below. If you've always dreamed of, quite literally, having breakfast at Tiffany's, then your time has arrived. The American jewellery brand has announced it will open its first European Blue Box Cafe next month. The first ever Blue Box Cafe opened at the brand's Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York City in 2017 and the concept is now expanding across the pond as it prepares to open within Harrods. "We are excited to introduce the Tiffany Blue Box Cafe to Europe and it seems only fitting to do so at Harrods, one of the worlds most iconic department stores," Richard Moore, divisional vice president, global store design and creative visual merchandising of Tiffany & Co said. "We have a long-standing presence in London and by introducing the Tiffany Blue Box Cafe here, we offer our customers in this city yet another way to immerse themselves in the world of Tiffany.". The cafe in New York City, which opened in 2017 (Tiffany & Co. ) / Tiffany & Co. Harrods' will be the fourth outpost of Tiffany's restaurant concept: following the launch in New York, the brand also opened outposts in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The original Blue Box Cafe was inspired by the infamous scene in the 1961 film, in which Audrey Hepburn gazes longingly into the store's windows, coffee and croissant in hand. Guests at the cafe will be able to enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner, while being surrounded by what the brand hopes will feel like one of the brand's infamous blue boxes. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tanvi Chauhan (The Jakarta Post) Troy, Alabama Thu, January 23 2020 With the narrative that floats around, one is tempted to think that the Ukraine crisis is all about Crimea, that it started and ended there. So what about the internal oblasts like Odessa, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk (the southeastern regions) where a protracted conflict broke out? Are they not part of the resolution to the Ukraine crisis? But before any party decides on how to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, it is crucial to understand what needs to be resolved. First, the negotiating status. Formal peace talks began with the Minsk-I ceasefire in September 2014 but Kiev refused to engage with rebels as negotiation partners, even while Kievs negotiators had no official status, proceeding to brand rebels as terrorists (Anna Matveeva, 2018). For as long as the insurgents are not considered cohorts in negotiating a peace deal and power sharing arrangements, the Ukraine crisis will not resolve. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Wearing pajamas in public may not be a thing in the Western world, but its actually pretty popular in some parts of China, including the ultra-developed city of Shanghai, so when authorities in Anhui province decided to publicly shame a number of locals on their social media account for walking on the streets in their sleeping outfits, they received some serious backlash. In a so called attempt to discourage uncivilized behavior, Government officials in Suzhou City, Anhui province, recently released photos of seven people wearing pajamas in public, along with the offender surnames, headshots and redacted ID numbers. The seven citizens six women and one man were thus shamed for breaking the supposed local dress code. The pictures were originally posted on the local Governments Weibo account, but were swiftly deleted after receiving criticism from citizens. Eventually, authorities were forced to issue a public apology, claiming the photos had been posted on its social media page after an inadequate review process. Murderers have their ID numbers published is wearing pajamas in the streets illegal?! one angry person wrote on Weibo. Getting on with pertinent matters isnt enough, they have to micromanage peoples lives like this, another comment read. Even the press was appalled by the online shaming operation, with one investigation journalist asking the seven people whose pictures and private information had been shared online to contact him if they want to sue the Suzhou management bureau. Though Im not a fan of people who wear pajamas in public, those local officials in Suzhou clearly have no concept of the rule of law. If any of those residents are thinking about suing, please message us directly, journalist Luo Changping, who also owns co-owns a law firm, wrote. Although some people clearly believe that wearing nightwear in public places is both improper and impolite, there was once time when it was considered a status symbol. PJs were once considered an exotic and luxurious Western apparel, so the rich people of Shanghai started wearing them in public just to show off their wealth and privileged status. Today, pajamas are so cheap that most people wear them in public because of how comfortable and convenient they are, but in some parts of China, there is definitely a cultural aspect to this trend as well. In Shanghai, the practice of wearing pajamas in public was discouraged before the 2010 World Expo, with local authorities running a campaign with the slogan Leave your pajamas at home. Be a civilized person for the World Expo, but today many believe that the fashion phenomenon should actually be preserved an encouraged. Its primarily a Shanghai fashion phenomena, and a rather charming and rather elegant one at that, American photographer Justin Guariglia told the Wall Street Journal. There has been a raging debate in Shanghai media over people wearing pajamas in public, and I support the pro-pajama movement. I hope it becomes more accepted around the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly floated a three-point strategy to boost country's economic diplomacy. PM Modi held talks with a panel of senior government officials to strengthen India's economic diplomacy and rework strategy related to this, reported CNBC TV18. As per the report, the PM has mooted three 'T' - trade, tourist and technology - to boost Indian economic diplomacy. The proposal aims to use India's overseas missions and embassies as tools to increase exports from the country. "According to PM, the functioning of Indian missions should be judged from their ability to boost trade, tourist inflows and facilitating technology transfer to Indian companies," the agency quoted a senior government official as saying. The official added that PM Modi's inputs would be considered in the upcoming budget. Also Read: India's exports decline for fifth straight month in December 2019 to $27.36 billion PM Modi proposed his idea to a panel of officials, which comprised of secretary-level officers from ministries such as commerce, finance, heavy industries and health, at a meeting where he was given a presentation on 'Vision for the Indian Economy' last week, the report said. In a bid to boost exports, the PM asked the panel to reach out to states and draw up district-specific export strategies, said official. He directed them to work in measures to improve agriculture exports and study the reason for the rejection of Indian farm export consignments at foreign ports. He also asked officials to focus on Ease of Doing Business measures at the district level. Also Read: Slowdown Blues: Gems & jewellery exports decline for 9th consecutive month in FY20 On tourism, the PM directed officials to draw up a strategy on popularising the Buddhist circuit amongst foreign travellers. According to a recent government data, India's export contracted for the fifth month in a row by 1.8 per cent in December 2019 to $27.36 billion, affected by currency volatility, fluctuation in commodities prices. Exports of gems and jewellery declined for nine consecutive months by 2 per cent YoY to $2,436 million in December 2019. India's trade deficit also declined to $11.25 billion in December as against the deficit of $14.49 billion in the same period a year ago. By Chitranjan Kumar Santa Rosas test automation program... will provide dual value by delivering significant time savings for our existing team to focus on higher value activities while also allowing us to dramatically increase testing capacity, scope and frequency without adding new staff. Santa Rosa Consulting, Inc., a leading provider of test automation solutions and technical services exclusively to the healthcare industry, announced today that Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) has partnered with the firm to establish a comprehensive test automation program for its Epic EHR. SIH is a prominent multi-hospital health system dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of the many communities it serves. We are thrilled to expand a long-time relationship with SIH with our industry leading test automation program, said Bill Leander, EVP/Chief Strategy Officer at Santa Rosa Consulting. SIH has always been a thought leader when it comes to innovation toward the advancement of their mission. Like many organizations, they recognize that the traditional, manual testing simply cannot keep up with the growing complexity of their IT ecosystem coupled with increasingly frequent and complex Epic releases. Our test automation program, therefore, is a critical aspect of mitigating risks to patient safety, clinical care and revenue cycle integrity. Santa Rosas test automation program is head and shoulders above anything else we found in the market. It will provide dual value by delivering significant time savings for our existing team to focus on higher value activities while also allowing us to dramatically increase testing capacity, scope and frequency without adding new staff, said Megan McFarland, Interim CIO at SIH. Santa Rosa has an extensive track record in delivering high-impact solutions to SIH, and we are confident test automation will do the same. Santa Rosas test automation program is the only end-to-end solution powered by Epic certified testing engineers and accelerated through a national library of Epic automated test scripts for all major modules. Automated test scripts are customized to each organizations unique build and workflows. Santa Rosas engineers then meticulously update those scripts over time to reflect ongoing changes to Epic. Uninterrupted benefits are realized not only in testing but in system adoption, education and training, and optimization. ABOUT SANTA ROSA CONSULTING: Santa Rosa Consulting provides management advisory and technical consulting services to the healthcare industry across the spectrum of vendor and IT products and systems. We empower better healthcare by designing, creating, staffing and sustaining IT solutions that deliver quantified value. Founded in 2008, Santa Rosa Consulting is managed by industry veterans with an average of 20 years of healthcare information technology experience. Santa Rosa is recognized for delivering world-class services and solutions and has received Modern Healthcares Best Places to Work in Healthcare award multiple years in a row. For more information, visit santarosaconsulting.com, call (866) 944-4772 or email TestAutomation@SantaRosaConsulting.com for more information. ABOUT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HEALTHCARE: With nearly 4,000 physicians, advanced practice providers and staff, SIH is Southern Illinois second largest employer with a primary service area including Williamson, Jackson, Perry, Franklin, Johnson, Union and Saline counties. The organization is home to three hospitals (SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, SIH Herrin Hospital and SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital), the SIH Cancer Institute in Carterville, 30 family medicine and specialty practices, 11 outpatient rehabilitation facilities and the only trauma center in Illinois south of Springfield. A not-for-profit safety net health system, SIH is the largest provider of charity care, unreimbursed care and community benefits in Southern Illinois. As part of its mission and values to provide care to all people in the communities they serve, SIH provided nearly $120,000,000 in uncompensated care and over $5.4 million in charity care, or free and discounted services, to patients in FY 2018. SIH continues to garner national quality honors for cardiac, stroke, bariatric, cancer, breast imaging and rehabilitation services and enjoys robust affiliations with the BJC Collaborative, Prairie Heart Institute and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago). The local arm for Korean automotive brand Hyundai suffered a slight drop in their year-on-year sales figures, while maintaining its stature as one of the top-selling vehicle marques in the Philippines. Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) has rolled out 33,763 units for the full 12 months of 2019, which is a 6.1% drop from 2018. Despite the drop, HARI, in a statement, claimed that they have maintained its position in the market as one of the leading brands in the Philippine market. The decline, HARI stated, is attributed to the companys non-participation in some market segments, such as that of the Pick-ups. However, December sales grew by 2.9 percent as compared to the 3,163 units sold versus the same month last year. December marked the third month in 2019 that HARI breached the 3,000-unit sales mark. HARI presidnt Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo expressed optimism with all the results in 2019. We rose to the challenges in 2019 and have sustained our position as one of the preferred brands in the market. We are very excited to start the new decade with the introduction of innovative models that will disrupt certain segments and offer customers more and better choices. We shall also carry on with our aggressive PC and CV network expansion to serve high-growth corridors across the country, he said. Month-on-month, the Passenger Cars (PC) segment rose by 8.5%, from 1,516 units in December 2019 to 1,645 units in January this year. This was prompted by the Hyundais golden pair the Hyundai Reina (PC A-Segment) and the Hyundai Accent (PC B-Segment). Hyundai Accent The Reina, despite being launched only in early 2019, is now No. 2 in the A-segment in total sales while the venerable Accent remains in the Top 3 in the B-segment. The company sold a total of 17,761 PC units in 2019. Meanwhile, Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales increased by 2.9 percent in December 2019 to 1,399 units compared to the same month last year. The sales rally was spearheaded by the durable and versatile Hyundai H-100 (Light Truck) and the globally-awarded Hyundai Kona (Sub-compact SUV). Story continues Both models are No. 1 in their respective segments. Overall, Hyundai LCV sales declined by 2.6% with 15,095 units sold. Hyundai Commercial Vehicles (CV) continued to be the best performing segment for the year with a 63.4% full-year growth, or a total of 907 units sold led by the Hyundai County bus. HARI CV sales are expected to further surge in 2020 due to higher demand generated by government programs to improve the existing public transportation. Late last year, HARI rolled out its Class-2 and Class-3 Modern Jeepneys (built on the Hyundai HD50S platform) to serve the needs of transport cooperatives while the Hyundai H-100 Class-1 Modern Jeepney was launched earlier in the year. Both Class 1 and 2 Modern Jeepneys were granted their Certificates of Compliance by the Department of Transportation in October 2019. Finally, in 2019 alone, HARI inaugurated five dedicated CV dealerships. For 2020, you can trust that Hyundai will continue to exceed customer expectations with newer models, innovations in After-Sales, and more convenient ownership, and relevant CSR engagement through H.A.R.I Foundation, Inc.s flagship programs in health, education, and environmental sustainability. Ultimately, we want to be an integral part of our customers lives as we give them better products, better services, and better journeys, Agudo added. The post Hyundai Sustains Position as One of Top Automotive Companies in 2019 appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. OTTAWA, Jan. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amid escalating tensions on the picket lines in Regina, including recent arrests, Canadas unions are joining the growing chorus of support coming in from across the country. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) reaffirm their commitment to stand in solidarity with the workers. Canadas unions know the sacrifice it takes for workers to stand against an unreasonable employer, said CLC President Hassan Yussuff. The arrest of Unifor Local 594 workers on the picket line, including Unifor President Jerry Dias, is unacceptable. It is time for this lockout to end. Following the nationwide call for solidarity by Unifor leadership, Canadas labour movement is answering in support of all workers. The escalation of this labour dispute through the use of replacement workers and last nights arrests, signal that it is time for this lockout to end. Here we have a wealthy and powerful employer who makes billions in profits annually, locking out workers over pension concessions. The disrespect and unreasonable demands need to end, added SFL President Lori Johb. We understand the Co-op Refinery workers frustration and want to reaffirm that our support for will be steadfast and ongoing. For more information and to set up an interview, please contact: Amaravati, Jan 22 : In a huge jolt to the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh, the state Legislative Council Chairman on Wednesday referred two Bills for creating three state capitals to a select committee. Amid strong protests by ruling ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Chairman Mohammed Ahmed Shariff sent the Bills to a select committee as demanded by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP). After day-long suspense over the fate of the Bills, Shariff gave his ruling. Legislative Affairs Minister B. Rajendranath Reddy termed it as black day in the state's history. The YSRCP wanted the chairman to take up the Bills for voting while the TDP, which has majority in 58-member upper house, stuck to its demand that they be referred to a select committee. The Andhra Pradesh Decentralization and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill and Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill were passed by the Assembly on Monday. With the Council Chairman's move, the process of creating the three capitals may be delayed by three months. There are indications that the government may abolish the Council. Earlier, pandemonium forced the chairman to adjourn the House. However, leaders of both the parties including ministers queued up at his chambers to press for their demands. The ruling party leaders had believed that even if the Bills are rejected in the Council, they will be sent back by the Assembly and if the second time, the upper house rejects the Bills, they will be deemed approved. The TDP also demanded the Chairman to disqualify its two members who defied the party whip to vote against a TDP resolution on Tuesday. In a setback to the government, the resolution disapproving the government's policies was adopted in the Council on Tuesday night. The resolution moved under Rule 71 was approved with 27 members voting in favour of it and 13 members voting against it. Nine members abstained from voting. Though four opposition members including two of TDP resorted to cross-voting, the resolution was still adopted, causing embarrassment to the government. The YSRCP has just nine members in 58-member Council. The TDP has 34 members. SANFORD, N.C., Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DisposeRx, Inc., manufacturer of the market leading at-home medication disposal solution, has in place a network of more than 1,000 pharmacies in New Jersey ready to meet the requirements of new legislation signed into law today. The bi-partisan legislation requires that pharmacists provide written and oral information on medication disposal, as well as a safe disposal method, for all controlled substances. Governor Phil Murphy signed the bill after more than two years of legislative effort. "New Jersey legislators and the governor have taken a huge step forward in battling the opioid public health crisis across their communities," said William Simpson, DisposeRx President. "In anticipation of this milestone, our pharmacies and their pharmacists have DisposeRx packets in their inventories and are prepared to respond immediately. Education for pharmacists and technicians, and most importantly patients, is required for these efforts to gain traction. We'll continue to support these stakeholders with our integrated and consultative program as these new regulations are implemented." The legislation, which was first introduced in 2018, honors Charlie Van Tassel who lost his battle to addiction at 33 years old in 2017. "DisposeRx has engaged with and invested in pharmacies, health plans, hospitals and legislators over the past three years to help them understand the risks associated with unused medications in the home and the need for behavior change," said Ben Donaldson, DisposeRx Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs. "There is no doubt that this legislation will encourage and facilitate medication disposal behavior change so that disposal is an active decision rather than an afterthought." About DisposeRx Packets DisposeRx at-home medication disposal packets are comprised of materials that are FDA-approved for oral medications and provide a simple, convenient and effective solution for the disposal of unused or expired medications. The active ingredient in the medication is chemically and physically sequestered in a polymer gel when water and the DisposeRx powder are added to a prescription vial and shaken. Patients can use the patented product with pills, tablets, capsules, liquids and powders and can then throw away the vial in the household trash. About DisposeRx, Inc. DisposeRx, Inc., a North Carolina-based company, is dedicated to decreasing the risks of drug diversion, overdoses, accidental poisonings and antibiotic resistance by facilitating medication management behavior change and eradicating the misuse of leftover medications. DisposeRx's patented drug disposal packets and education programs are currently available at almost 50% of retail pharmacies and through 90% of the wholesale pharmacy and medical distributors across the nation. For more information, visit DisposeRx.com. SOURCE DisposeRx, Inc. Related Links https://disposerx.com/ Now you might think this sounds like a police procedural, and youd be half right. Artique clearly can do that stuff, if he is not already doing so. This is not the first drama about police-involved shootings and there are some similarities here, for example, with a major plot strand in the recent CBS series The Red Line. But that show stacked the deck to make a defensible point; it presented the shooting, a cop emptying bullets into someones back, as an inevitability of systemic police racism. As powerful a political statement as that may be, such an approach tends to lead cops to say, you dont know me or what I do. And thus it plays only to the choir. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said his government is looking at the possibility of recruitments in private sector through the state-run Human Resource Development Corporation. However, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the opposition Congress have reacted sharply to it, saying they are against any such plan of the government. Addressing a gathering in his Assembly segment Sankhalim on Sunday, Sawant said, "In the next budget, we want to provide job security to our state's youth. We are contemplating whether recruitments in private sector could be done through the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation." "If we can recruit them through the corporation, we will be able to create 10,000 more employment opportunities (in private sector) for youth," the BJP leader said. Sawant also said it is not possible for all unemployed youth to get jobs in the government sector, due to which the state government is looking at private industries. The government's plan has, however, not gone down well with key industry players in the coastal state. "If there is any such move, we would oppose it. We are, in principle, not for any such decision," GCCI president Manoj Caculo said. Some industry players feel they should have a free environment for growth of the economy. "Political interference in recruitments in the industry would be detrimental to growth," a Goa-based industrialist said on condition of anonymity. Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar also criticised the government's plan, saying there should be no political interference in private sector recruitments as it involves the sentiments of investors. He said the "competency and quality" of workforce selected by the state-run body could also be questionable. "In several government jobs, political interference has overpowered talent. A similar situation should not be there in the private sector also," Chodankar said. "The youth will be frustrated (with this plan). The government can (rather) implement the plan to reserve 80 per cent jobs in private industries for locals based on merit, so that youth do not get frustrated and brain drain is stopped," the Congress leader said. He claimed the industrial estates in Goa were still struggling to have a decent infrastructure in place. "Issues like power and water supply are plaguing the industrial estates. With this move, I am sure the industries will not even have proper manpower," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Has Prime Minister Justin Trudeau really changed? Talk to Liberal colleagues, staffers and journalists who cover Parliament Hill, and they will almost undoubtedly try to convince you that Trudeau is a "changed man" after suffering through last fall's election, one of the most bitter and controversial campaigns in Canadian history. Supporters and mere observers alike will tell you that the incredibly arrogant, chronically self-assured, frequently dismissive Trudeau of the past is gone, replaced by a new, more humble man, thanks to the political bludgeoning he absorbed in October. From a cabinet revolt to multiple ethics scandals and the black/brown face scandal, he seemed to be everyone's favourite political chew toy. Although he did ultimately win a slim minority mandate, Trudeau has gone from being a rock star in international political circles to a punchline for late-night television comedians. Those are the kinds of experiences that should change the tone of any political leader. But Trudeau? Lamentably, journalists and the public saw so little of Trudeau during his three-day visit to Winnipeg that it's tough to tell if the kinder, gentler, more humble Trudeau is a myth spun out of the Liberal marketing machine, or the reality of a man who had a near-death electoral experience. The prime minister was in short supply at the three-day retreat, often sprinting past the scrum mics and ignoring invitations to comment. For the most part, he seemed quite happy to let his ministers interact with journalists on the major stories of the day. He dropped brief comments here and there, but did very little to earn individual attention. Perhaps Trudeau knows that out in the open, away from the safety of his security and spin doctors, he is still too vulnerable. Proof of that lingering vulnerability was evident in the city. On Monday, he visited Oh Doughnuts, an upscale local pastry shop on Broadway, located just a few blocks away from the Liberal retreat at the Fairmont. A photo on the PM's Twitter account showed him hauling out a huge stack of doughnut boxes, with a shoutout to the locally owned shop. The picture sparked some criticism suggesting that Trudeau was a hypocrite for patronizing Oh Doughnuts, where a dozen fancy doughnuts can cost $47. The critics said he should have gone to Tim Hortons, instead. Although the gross majority of Twitter response was in support of Trudeau and Oh Doughnuts, at least one television network was prompted to move an online story suggesting that "Canadians" were up in arms about Trudeau's decision to procure pricey doughnuts. The prime minister was in short supply at the three-day retreat, often sprinting past the scrum mics and ignoring invitations to comment. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) Except that we were not up in arms. This story was more of a make-work project for a bored web producer than real news. (It should be noted that the doughnut scandal did not qualify as news for the journalists who were in Winnipeg and accredited to cover the retreat. That could be because one of those infamous doughnut boxes somehow made its way into the media filing room in the basement of the hotel. It's hard to write a story raging against the prime minister's doughnuts choice when your fingers are sticky.) What the doughnut-store choice does show us is that even if Trudeau has not changed, the view that people have of him certainly has. Two or three years ago, nobody would have cared where Trudeau satisfied his sweet tooth. Now, everything he says and does is an opportunity for criticism. Environmentalists now doubt his commitment to fighting climate change. Indigenous people are suspicious about his ability to make meaningful improvements to their lives. And western Canadians certainly have a pipeline full of concerns about his long-term plans to cripple resource industries. How does Trudeau win back the confidence of his core supporters and quiet his critics? If his closing news conference at the cabinet retreat is any example, the prime minister is going to try and kill people with kindness. Now, everything Trudeau says and does is an opportunity for criticism. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) Trudeau opened the news conference by expressing his condolences to the Canadian victims of the Ukrainian airliner shot down in Iran. He also offered words of support for Newfoundlanders still dealing with the ravages of a devastating winter blizzard. "We lean on each other, we support each other through challenges and that's very much the approach Canadians have shown us all over these past weeks," an earnest Trudeau told reporters. Trudeau promised to seek speedy approval of a new North American Free Trade Agreement and push through construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. He also pledged revised legislation on medically assisted suicide and new restrictions on military-style assault rifles and handguns. On navigating a minority Parliament, Trudeau said he would seek common ground with opposition parties, but offered no real insight into how he was going to pull off that trick. One can assume that a kindness offensive will be part of the strategy. Perhaps Trudeau is a changed man. His performance in Winnipeg may be a sign that he has adopted a "less is more" approach to leadership. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Trudeau opened the news conference by expressing his condolences to the Canadian victims of the Ukrainian airliner shot down in Iran. (Mike Sudoma / Canadian Press files) But the true test of his new and improved Trudeau is yet to come. Next Monday, Parliament reconvenes for what is expected to be a raucous session that will, among many priorities, deal with the passage of a budget for the forthcoming fiscal year. If opposition parties are going to try to topple Trudeau's Liberals sooner rather than later, this will be their big opportunity. Opposition critics, many of whom suffered through the prime minister's hubris when he had a majority mandate will be looking for some payback now that he cannot take the confidence of Parliament for granted. How he responds to their taunts will tell the real story of the new and improved Trudeau. Perhaps he could employ some of the tactics he used in Winnipeg. Like contacting Oh Doughnuts and ordering 338 of their finest treats. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Hello from Davos, Switzerland, where President Trump spent yesterday and today schmoozing with corporate leaders. More below. Todays tidbit: Guess whos in Davos? Wesley Snipes. (Want this in your inbox each morning? Sign up here.) Did the Saudis hack Jeff Bezos? The late-night talk at Davos yesterday was dominated by the explosive revelation that the Amazon chiefs phone might have been hacked using a WhatsApp account tied to Saudi Arabias de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman. People pulled out their phones at Anthony Scaramuccis wine-tasting event a staple of the Davos party circuit to read The Guardians report that Mr. Bezoss device had probably been compromised in 2018 after receiving malware from a WhatsApp account linked to Prince Mohammed. Mr. Bezoss phone had begun sending unusually large volumes of data, the NYT reports, citing a person familiar with the inquiry. Investigators hired by Mr. Bezos believed Prince Mohammed was used as a conduit because the message would not raise suspicions if it came from him. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov received Totals Executive Director for Azerbaijan Regis Agut, Trend reports on Jan. 22 referring to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy. The current situation related to the Absheron project implementation and the issues of cooperation with Total company in the field of renewable energy sources were discussed during the meeting. Shahbazov praised the work carried out within the Absheron project and the role of this field in meeting the country's domestic needs. The minister also inquired about the company's plans for launching the production and the further stages of development. Agut described the Absheron project as the project meeting the interests of both parties. Totals executive director for Azerbaijan spoke of the work which is being carried out in launching gas production on the field, including drilling of the deepest well in the Caspian Sea. Agut said that the production of the first gas on the field is scheduled for 2021. Totals role in the process of energy transformation and activity in the field of renewable energy sources, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy and Total Eren company to develop this sphere were touched upon during the meeting. Pianist Ivo Pogorelich By Park Ji-won Controversial Yugoslavia-born, Croatian pianist Ivo Pogorelich, 61, has returned to play for Korean audiences after a 15-year long hiatus, pledging to show how his performance has evolved through time by playing sonatas by Beethoven. "You could see my past and present at once. Those who are familiar with me and my music in the past will find out what has evolved over the years, and I hope that the younger audience who are unfamiliar with my name and playing will be able to see the various charms that my music world has," Pogorelich said in a recent email interview with The Korea Times. The artist will play his favorite repertoire: Beethoven's piano sonata No. 11, Op. 22; Bach's English Suite No. 3, BWV 808; Chopin's 'Barcarolle' and prelude; and Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit" during his upcoming recital at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Feb. 19. Making his debut in 1981, Pogorelich, who last performed in Korea in 2005, has been avoiding the international limelight for many years for unknown reasons until recently, which many critics see as the impact of the death of his wife and musical mentor Aliza Kezeradze and his father. Since he became famous for making pianist Martha Argerich storm off the jury in protest for it dropping him from the final round of the International Chopin Competition in 1980, his reputation has been polarized and controversial. Last year, however, he released his first solo album in 21 years, putting an end to his long-time silence of more than 10 years and taking a move to expand his musical activities into Asian territories. Recalling his late wife Kezeradze, someone who truly understood him, he said his relationship with her brought responsibility to his life and musical career. "At one point people started calling me a genius and other exaggerated stuff which really made me laugh, as the real genius in my opinion was right next to me. Not only that, we were also married and were enjoying a family life with a child to raise, so it was all very responsible." Meanwhile, he stressed the importance of playing Beethoven during the recital citing it is the 250th anniversary of the legendary musician's birth as well as that it represents the true pinnacle of high art. "Beethoven and the piano is very particular. I am privileged to descend from a tradition that goes from Beethoven through Liszt to present day still his music remains of unparalleled depth and every work of his is a discovery. In high art there is one reality... What looks easy and simple at first sight is often very complex and difficult to grasp." He added that he respects Korean musicians for playing European classical music and Korean audiences for their classical music knowledge while urging them to enjoy his music emanating from the stage. "I am very respectful of Korean musicians, those who like to play European classical music. Korea has always impressed me. The audience is extremely well educated and I admire the respect and devotion people bring to music. You can feel it when you enter a concert hall in your country!" Virginity testing is a complex, culturally mediated practice that is poorly understood by Western clinicians. Although there is published literature on the ethics of 'virginity' testing and on the lack of reliability of a hymen examination to determine 'virginity', little practical guidance has been published for clinicians who may encounter requests for virginity testing in the clinical setting. Now, a researcher from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) is providing recommendations for primary care physicians who are asked to perform this procedure. While advocating for global elimination of the practice of virginity testing as a human rights violation, clinical practice is often more complicated and ethically nuanced, the clinician must act in the best interest of the patient which might include performing an evaluation. Upholding human rights does not have to be incompatible with providing a needed service to a patient, even if the practice does not fit into our social norm." Sondra Crosby, MD, associate professor of medicine at BUSM, author of the article According to Crosby changing social norms, attitudes and practices about 'virginity' testing will not occur easily and change must come from within the culture and be spearheaded by members of the community. "Engagement with religious and community leaders is crucial for enacting change," adds Crosby, who also is an associate professor of Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights at Boston University School of Public Health and a physician at Boston Medical Center. She believes education about the lack of reliability and the possible harms of virginity testing should be provided in communities who follow this practice, through training community members, reading materials and inclusion in other reproductive health discussions. "Simply condemning the practice is not sufficient to successfully promote change, nor does it help the women we are obligated to protect." Crosby recommends if a physician has a large population of patients from countries or communities where 'virginity' testing is practiced, they should use routine or other visits to discuss this issue and provide education on the matter. "While it is not possible to determine if someone is a "virgin" based on examination of the hymen, 'virginity' testing can be discussed as part of comprehensive sexual education and counselling during well-visits for all genders, adults and adolescents, as well as during pediatric and teenage preventive exams. Such conversations can help build trust; assess knowledge, attitudes and practice of at-risk patients; and allow the physician to anticipate future requests." Babatunde Oreitan, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state, has been murdered by suspected gunmen at a mosque in his Agugu residence in Ona Ara, Ibadan. The party leader in Ona Ara local government was said to have been murdered shortly after Surh prayer on Wednesday. Oreitans death was confirmed in a tribute by the partys Deputy National Youth leader, Afeez Mobolaji Repete on his Facebook page. It read: Alhaji Babatunde Oreitan, you were a principled politician, a devoted Muslim, and a political leader. Those that killed you will never have peace. Rest in peace Baba Gbemisola, Baba Lateef. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Tagaytay City officials said classes have been suspended until further notice in the wake of the Taal Volcano eruption. In a message to the Schools Division Superintendent in Cavite, Mayor Agnes Tolentino said the suspension was in light of Alert Level 4 on the volcano and a further assessment of conditions within and outside the school. "The safety of our learners is our primordial concern. we shall be closely coordinating with your agency for any changes or updates," Tolentino said in the statement. Authorities have enforced stricter security measures in all 199 barangays in 15 municipalities and cities in Batangas and Cavite within the 14-kilometer danger zone, which have been identified as vulnerable to base surges and volcanic tsunami in case of Taal's explosive eruption. Mandatory evacuation has been in place since the steam-laden eruption of the restive volcano on January 12, but Joint Task Group Taal Commander Brig. Gen Marceliano Teofilo said they were now ordered to strictly enforce it. On Monday, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla told CNN Philippines The Source schools in his province would be willing to accommodate students displaced by the eruption. Remulla said a school identification card would suffice, and students need not present other documentation such as transcripts, especially if these were left at home. The Education Department previously said the January 12 eruption has affected over 2.4 million students. Meanwhile, the chairman of the provincial disaster management office of Batangas has announced classes in colleges, universities, vocational schools under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will resume on Thursday, January 23. Governor Hermilando Mandanas said the decision was made after receiving clearance from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Mandanas added primary and secondary school classes in the province will reman suspended while Alert Level 4 is in effect. YEREVAN. At the January 22 sitting of the National Assembly of Armenia, the deputies passed in the second final reading a number of legislative amendments to the existing laws, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from parliament. These include the packages of bills on making amendments and, or, addenda to the Criminal Code and related laws, the Law on Criminal Procedure and Bank Secrecywhich implies the opening of banking secrecy, the Law on State Registration of Property Rights, and the Law on State Pensions. In addition, the parliamentarians passed some other draft laws in the first reading. In 2016, Mari Andrew made a New Years resolution that, albeit simple, would eventually cause a seismic shift in her life and meandering career (which, up until 2017, included stints as a lawyer, writer, and teacher, amongst other things). She vowed to post one illustration to Instagram every single day. Four years later, that daily habit (which she continued diligently for two and a half years) has garnered her more than a million Instagram followers, two book deals, a freelance career as an artist, and the opportunity to teach classes on how to experience creative transformation by being intentional about a daily artistic practice. While Andrews leap into the freelance world proved worth the risk, it wasnt without its unexpected hurdles, and the important life lessons that shook out from them. Because however prepared you may be to actually make the switch from a 9-to-5 to being your own boss, the hardest part is often what comes next the things no one tells you about. Thats why we tapped three women, including Andrew who all use Skillshare to teach everything from branding 101 to establishing daily creative habits to tell us the most surprising (and most important) lessons theyve learned after becoming their own boss. Mari Andrew Mari Andrews habit of posting one Instagram a day, which eventually led to a full-fledged career as a freelance illustrator and author, is a testament to the advantages of starting small. You dont have to abandon the stability of a 9-to-5 overnight in order to earn your stripes, and when you do eventually make the jump, be realistic when setting expectations and goals for yourself. You should ask yourself, How do I want to feel at the end of a season or at the end of the year? she says. And then work backwards from that, envisioning the person you want to be. I love setting goals, Im naturally a disciplined person, and I think people forget or dont realize how much fun it can be to work toward that. Story continues Most importantly: Dont lose sight of why you loved your hobby or side hustle in the first place. When you become your own boss and youre, like Andrew, never not working, you still need to maintain your original passion otherwise, your work will suffer. An interesting challenge to get used to when youre working for yourself, especially in a creative career, is that it really bleeds into every part of your life. I think a lot about the relationship between work and creativity what is my job versus what is my work? because Im always working. Because of that, my creativity has become almost like a relationship to me. Its a relationship that Im always working on. Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton and her husband Adam opened Chillhouse the self-proclaimed destination for modern self-care that pairs facials and manicures with an in-house cafe in 2017 with one goal: to create a space where New Yorkers could go and practice wellness on their own terms, without being told how to do self-care. We started to think about ways we could really own the [wellness] conversation, Ramirez-Fulton says. It felt like something was missing in the industry in New York: a place where you can enjoy the space and feel like youre in a more relaxed state, versus feeling like its just the traditional coffee shop or just a traditional bar, you know? We really wanted to create a kind of hub that served lots of different needs. Three years later, the original Lower East Side Chillhouse location has revamped into a face and body studio offering massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, and infrared sauna sessions along with matcha lattes and a full service coffee bar. And in November 2019, a much larger Soho flagship with a new food and drink menu opened its doors. Ramirez-Fulton didnt open Chillhouse with wellness landscape expertise, and getting acquainted with the ins and outs of a new industry meant lots of learning experiences (many of which she now divulges in her own Skillshare class on how to build an aspirational brand in the era of Instagram). Her best advice? Know your industry like the back of your hand (even and especially if you plan on disrupting it). If you dont have that knowledge going in, come prepared with a willingness to learn and adapt. I just assumed we were going to open up this cool, chic space and people would want to work for us. But it was very obvious from the get-go that we had to prove it was more than just a cool concept. That was humbling. You have to treat the industry with respect and understand whats been done before and why. And with the trial and error of becoming your own boss, remember that sometimes its okay to fail. If you find that theres something that just truly isnt really working, dont be so hard on yourself and dont be so emotionally attached to something that you are unwilling to make any changes, she says. Dont be afraid to fail forward. Laci Jordan If you ask Laci Jordan, she landed the gig of illustrating for R29 Unbothereds Go Off, Sis podcast because she manifested it: with enough comments, DMs, and story mentions on Instagram to make almost everyone on the team take note. It was her fiercest play on manifesting [her] future yet, and a testament to the fact that Jordan believes in going after what you want, no holds barred. Just a few years prior, Jordan was working full-time as a graphic designer, but she didnt know anything about vector illustrations the illustration style shes now known for until she started taking classes on Skillshare (she now teaches her own class on beginner digital illustration). After years of coming home from her 9-to-5 and working on side projects until 2 or 3 in the morning, shes now freelancing full-time, illustrating for an impressive array of brands and working on cultural partnerships for important moments like Black History Month. As a freelancer who is the boss of her own schedule, time management has been the most challenging thing Jordan has had to navigate. Learning how to recreate the structure that she had in her previous 9-to-5 turned out to be an important lesson in self-discipline. I was sort of under the impression when I quit my job that I would have all this time, like a portal of unexpected time that I would have all of a sudden. But theres a lot of days where Im like, What did I do today? Like wait, What happened today? I realized that when you work a corporate job, you sort of have this machine, this schedule, and when you can quit that job you have to essentially recreate the same machine for yourself, for your own work. Jordan demands a lot of herself and her work, but that doesnt mean she isnt also making space for self-love; in fact, its a key part of her entrepreneurial philosophy. Its intimidating, but you really have to follow this urge to just figure out who you are. Just keep pushing, she says. I think a lot of people look forward to a certain point in life where you can say, Okay, I have it all figured out now, and that doesnt really exist. I never really have it all figured out. You just have to keep your head down and focus on you. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Rwanda's health officials on Tuesday issued a warning about the coronavirus which is spreading fast in China and urged people traveling to Asia to take appropriate action as a move to prevent viral contamination Wet snow Thursday should go to rain/snow, then rain with time with temperatures rising frmo 31-32 to 35-36. Up to 1" of accumulation is possible before the change-over & it will melt away. Rain should change back to snow Friday late afternoon-evening as deepening low pivots out of Missouri to our area. Temperatures should fall back from 35-36 to 32-33. If it would track more southwest of our area, we would end up with all snow & heavy snow at that with gusty north to northeast winds. However, this track is not favorable for heavy snow here. We will monitor, however. Through Friday afternoon, you can see where the heavy snow occurs. Note the areas of +7" in Missouri, Wisconsin & northern Illinois. With change-over to snow with time Friday, heaviest should fall Friday night with gusty northwest winds at 15-30 mph. Temperatures will run 31-32. Total accumulation Friday night varies from 0.5" in the far east to as much as 4" in Newton & Jasper counties & 1-3" elsewhere. We will monitor. Total liquid from the system is running 0.60-1.10". So, if we could end up making this an all-snow system, it could be 6-12". That does not look to be the case for us right now, however. Saturday should feature some snow showers & highs near 35. A few snow flurries are possible Sunday with highs around 36 as any snow cover sees melting. Providence Regional Medical Center Everett where a man with the first case of coronavirus in the United States is being treated on January 21, 2020, in Everett, Wash. A US resident who recently returned from a trip to central China has been diagnosed with the new virus. Health officials said Tuesday that the man returned to the Seattle area in the middle of last week after traveling to the Wuhan area, where the outbreak began. (Image: AP) She tried to convince the people of the hills, mainly the Gorkhas, that the CAA-NRC-NPR would not be implemented in the state. Kolkata: Hitting back at Union home minister Amit Shah a day after he blamed her of lying on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has asked him to tell the truth to the nation about the CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). The Trinamul Congress supremo not only wondered whether a person, once declared a foreigner, would be allowed to apply for citizenship through the CAA but also alleged that the Centre has been targeting non-BJP ruled states for the implementation of the CAA, NRC and NPR. She even branded the BJP as Chhupa Rustam to justify her argument that it drafted the three policies secretly to cover up its wrong decisions earlier. Ms Banerjee, who has been on a visit to the North Bengal, was addressing a rally at Chawkbazar in Darjeeling against the CAA-NRC-NPR on Wednesday after leading a four-kilometre-long march in the hills. I saw how the Union home minister delivered a lot of sermons on Tuesday. He claimed we spread lies. If it is, you tell us what is the truth? Will a person be declared a foreigner first and then allowed to apply for citizenship in the CAA? The West Bengal chief minister reiterated that the BJP-led Central government would have to throw her out first before driving out any person from the state. She tried to convince the people of the hills, mainly the Gorkhas, that the CAA-NRC-NPR would not be implemented in the state. Referring to Mr Shah, Ms Banerjee asked, Why is it not happening in Tripura? Why is it halted there? Is the number of Bengalis there less than us here? She pointed out, It is halted there because it is their (BJP) state. Then why do you want to implement it in those states where the BJP is not power? She observed, Such a situation has evolved in the country that you can not withdraw your money even if you have it in your bank account. Ms Banerjee added, To cover up the situation, they drafted this policy like Chhupa Rustam. But if and when we raise our voice, we are labelled as Pakistanis. She reasoned that all the states, except West Bengal, attended the NPR meeting, called by the Union home ministry in New Delhi on January 17, out of fear. I asked why they had gone. Did they know what was written in it, the West Bengal chief minister noted. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved agreements and MoUs to be signed with Brazil including on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The cabinet nod came ahead of the visit of Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro who will be the chief guest during the Republic Day parade. Apart from the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, the cabinet also approved MoU on cooperation in oil and natural gas sectors. It approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to be signed between Brazil's Ministry of Citizenship and the Ministry of Women and Child Development for cooperation in issues relating to early childhood. It also gave approval for the signing of MoU between Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Geological Survey of Brazil. An official release said the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters aims to enhance the effectiveness of two countries in investigation and prosecution of crime through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The proposed agreement will provide a broad legal framework for bilateral cooperation in the context of transnational crime and its linkages to terrorism with Brazil. It will help in the investigation of crime as well as tracing and confiscation of proceeds and funds meant to finance terrorist acts. The MoU on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas will enhance cooperation between the two sides in the oil and natural gas sector. Under the MoU, both sides will explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Brazil, India and third countries, and also encourage collaboration in energy policies such as energy efficiency, energy research development and expansion of the regional energy infrastructure networks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PRISTINA -- A court in Kosovo has sentenced eight ethnic Albanian men found guilty of the attempted murder of a former politician and of plotting to kill the country's president and prime minister in 2017. The Basic Court in Pristina on January 22 handed terms ranging from two to 12 years to the convicted, whose aim was to " seriously destabilize or destroy the political, economic, constitutional, or social structures" of Kosovo, presiding Judge Naime Krasniqi Jashanica said in the verdict. The 70-page indictment stated that the group sought to achieve their goals by killing current and former senior Kosovar officials who had been active in politics from 1980-1991, considering them traitors. The eight were part of a group known as People's Eye, which President Hashim Thaci and the court have described as a terrorist organization. One of them is Murat Jashari who received a 10-year sentence for shooting at and wounding former politician and prominent lawyer Azem Vllasi on the doorstep of his house in March 2017. Their list of targets also included Thaci, former Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, as well as religious leaders, businessmen, and journalists, the Pristina court said. Their lawyers said they would appeal the sentences. As the Long Beach Unified School District commits to keeping classes in-person, the city a new testing site opens for LBUSD employees and students only. The city is also ramping up its own testing efforts with a new 3,000-person per day testing site. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A West Brighton man who police say left his 1-year-old son on an outdoor subway platform in the Bronx in sub freezing temperatures has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Dondre Hunter, 27, of Bodine Street, was captured on police surveillance cameras pushing a stroller onto the platform near the intersection of East Burnside and Jerome avenues just before 2 a.m. Sunday, according to court records. At about 4 a.m., a bystander wheeled the stroller into the nearby NYPDs 46th Precinct Station House, saying the child was found alone in the stroller on the platform. At about 6 a.m., Hunter approached an officer at a subway station at East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, about five miles from where the stroller was found. He allegedly told the officer, I fell asleep on the subway and when I woke up my baby was gone. When the officer showed Hunter a photo of the child, he said thats my son," according to the criminal complaint. Hunter was arraigned Monday in Bronx Criminal Court, where a judge released him without bail. A temporary order of protection was issued on behalf of the child, and the defendant is due back in court Feb. 10. His attorney could not be reached for comment. Records show Hunter pleaded guilty in 2018 in Richmond County Criminal Court to a charge of criminal possession of stolen property. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To make your smart city more sustainable, liveable and appealing, you need to adopt the co-creation model, says Deutsche Telekom (DTAG). As smart cities become more popular, citizens must be empowered to adapt to their new digital environments. Telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom believes smart cities can thrive with the right solutions. The problem is, only 10 per cent of cities have a strategy to implement their smart city concepts. Ole Schilling, VP Market Development Smart Cities & Regions at DTAG, explains that cities face undeniable challenges, so they need the suitable tools to overcome these obstacles. There are four main issues to address: Which are the most relevant topics in your city? How do you integrate the increasing number of stakeholders? How do you use your existing IT infrastructure? Who is driving digitisation in your city? Using the co-creation model, however, can bring the answers within reach. Schilling advises that anyone developing the smart city should: Choose the right challenges and focus on them clearly Find the right group of stakeholders who want to drive changes Focus on clear goals and KPIs, and ask what can be achieved with the time, money and people available Test the solution and show it is relevant and realistic Smart cities should offer sustainable ways of living, with an improved quality of life. And when people work together, amazing things can be achieved. That's why co-creation is the secret to success for smart cities. To learn more about how to develop your smart city through co-creation, read the full article here. About Business Reporter Business Reporter is distributed with The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and City AM, with each publication reaching an average of 1.5 million people. Content is also published through the Business Reporter and teiss websites, which include video debates, online articles and digital magazines, delivering news and analysis on the issues affecting businesses to a global audience. Business Reporter also hosts conferences, breakfast meetings and exclusive summits, events which bring together some of the most influential decision makers and innovators in modern business. These exclusive events for business leaders give Business Reporter direct contact with readers and help to inform the content and direction of its editorial projects. Business Reporter is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and was the first UK member of the UN SDG Media Compact. We have launched a website dedicated to showcasing the work of companies towards these goals at 17globalgoals.com. Business Reporter is committed to providing meaningful analysis to everyone in business. Whether you're running a small business, the head of a local company or an executive in a multinational corporation, there's something for you at Business Reporter. www.business-reporter.co.uk About Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom is the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. Its recent smart city initiative focuses on how we can make our cities more liveable, efficient and sustainable - a collaborative approach Deutsche Telekom calls 'co-creation', which encourages the development of smart cities through design thinking. https://smartcity.telekom.com/cocreate/en/ Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe is standing down and heading into retirement after six years in the role, the supermarket revealed. Mr Coupe, who launched the abortive attempt to merge with rival chain Asda in 2018 - during which he was famously caught singing 'We're in the money' on national media - will remain until the end of May. The company's director of retail and operations Simon Roberts will then replace him. Mr Roberts, 48, joined Sainsbury's in 2017 having formerly been executive vice president of Walgreens Boots Alliance and president of its Boots unit. Prior to that, he was managing director of Boots UK. Mike Coupe is standing down after six years as Sainsbury's chief executive His appointment means two of the biggest UK supermarkets will be run by Boots alumni, as Ken Murphy, a former joint chief operating officer at Boots UK & Ireland, will succeed Dave Lewis as chief executive of Tesco in the summer. Sainsbury's has been engaged in a tough battle with the other major British supermarkets for a share of the groceries market over recent years, as well as the German discount chains, Aldi and Lidl. The battle led to Coupe's time in charge being overshadowed by the protracted and the ultimately failed bid to merge with rival Asda, owned by American chain Walmart. The shock merger, plans for which were first revealed in April 2018, was made impossible by concern held by the competition watchdog which Sainsbury's could not adequately address. Most commentators had expected Coupe to depart in the wake of the failure last April but he stayed in post, until now. But his position has been made untenable by the ailing Sainsbury's share price, which has fallen around 20 per cent over the last year, and by a third since July 2018. Coupe said: 'I feel very privileged to have spent almost six years running Sainsbury's, in a period that has been the most challenging and competitive of my 35-year career in retail. Sainsbury's is a very different business today to the one I took over in 2014.' The outgoing boss said he is 'proud' that nearly 20 per cent of total sales now come from online. 'This has been a very difficult decision for me personally. There is never a good time to move on, but as we and the industry continue to evolve, I believe now is the right time for me to hand over to my successor.' Sainsbury's chairman Martin Scicluna paid tribute to Coupe who has spent more than a decade and a half with the business, saying: 'He has added enormous value to the business, to our colleagues and to our shareholders over that time.' Simon Roberts will be the new boss of Sainsburys from 1 June Of Roberts he said: 'Simon has been extremely effective during his three years at Sainsbury', leading our store teams through great change in that time.' 'Simon is a dedicated, determined and enthusiastic champion of the customer and of our colleagues and has overseen sustained improvements in our competitiveness during his time so far.' AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: 'Farewell, Mike Coupe, the deal-hungry Sainsbury's boss who may unfortunately be remembered for his singing rather than retailing. He did the dance with Argos and Nectar but tripped up with attempts to marry Asda and partner with Danish retailer Netto in the UK. 'Just when you thought being caught on camera singing 'we're in the money' was a low point, the Asda merger subsequently didn't happen and Coupe was left scrabbling for a plan B.' Sainsbury's has been engaged in a battle with the other major British supermarkets and German discount chains Aldi and Lidl. 'Despite such hiccups, it is fair to say that he wasn't afraid of making some bold strategic decisions, even if perhaps he should have been paying closer attention to the day-to-day running of the business,' Mould continued. 'Argos is proving to have been a good deal and recent grocery trading has been fairly resilient despite intense market competition. 'Coupe's replacement is Simon Roberts who is currently the retail and operations director at Sainsbury's. With a background at Marks & Spencer and Boots, he will be no stranger to the operational challenges facing large retailers.' 'His agenda is likely to focus on getting more out of the existing business rather than finding new things to bolt on. Like most retailers, the priority is to have a superior digital offering and a top-notch supply chain. That is likely to involve investment in IT and logistics, something that sounds very similar to Marks & Spencer's current situation.' Our growth is more than a story of surpassing growth goals - its a testament to the hard-working team members at ResMan and our commitment to offering best in class, customer-first solutions and services that outpace our competitors. ResMan, a leading property management SaaS platform provider, today announces the company experienced a year of significant growth and milestones in 2019. Overall, the company saw a substantial number of new customers make the switch to using the ResMan platform for the management of their Multifamily and Affordable property portfolios. ResMan also completed the acquisition of Razz Interactive in December 2019, an award-winning website design and marketing platform for real estate and property management professionals. With this acquisition, ResMan now offers customers the ability to build and deliver high-end websites at the cost and convenience of a traditional templated solution. Over the past 12 months, ResMan hit several significant new milestones for the number of units and clients across all segments in Multifamily, Affordable, and Commercial industries. The company also continued the execution of its Partner strategy by adding over ten new integrated partnerships and strategic relationships to its Partner network. 2019 Product Launches: Commercial In November, ResMan Commercial was launched, a lease-based solution designed by industry experts specifically to meet the needs of commercial and mixed-use property managers and investors. This addition, which includes Lease Management, Property Management, and Common Area Maintenance (CAM), expanded ResMans platform to encompass the broad spectrum of property management needs. Affordable The company released extensive new updates for both HUD and Tax Credit compliance to ResMan Affordable in April. The comprehensive compliance suite ensures accuracy, reduces errors, and helps avoid risk. Customer Portal ResMan also launched a new Customer Portal in November 2019. Customers can quickly access over 600 knowledge base articles and videos, create and track support cases, access release notes and update information, access the most shared articles from other ResMan users, and live chat with support agents. ResMan University The companys new online learning management system allows customers to learn at their own pace. Managers can assign individual lessons or entire courses to their staff and monitor their progress along the way. ResMan University provides comprehensive, in-depth knowledge training by role. Additionally, throughout 2019 ResMan continued its fierce corporate commitment to provide financial and volunteer support in the communities its team members live and work. In addition to volunteering at local VFWs, PTAs, churches, soup kitchens and more, team members based at the companys headquarters in Plano, TX enthusiastically supported The North Texas Food Bank, Samaritan Inn, Trusted World, United Way and The Salvation Army. We are so proud of the strides we made in 2019 both for the business and in our communities. Our growth is more than a story of surpassing growth goals and welcoming new customers and partners to our platform - its a testament to the hard-working team members at ResMan and our commitment to offering best in class, customer-first solutions and services that outpace our competitors. As always, well continue to listen to our customers needs, remaining dedicated to building solutions that matter most to them and delivering best in class customer experiences. We look forward to reaching new heights in 2020, said Paul Bridgewater, CEO, ResMan. ABOUT RESMAN ResMan is the preferred growth partner that drives profitability and efficiency for nearly a thousand property management companies across the U.S. ResMan delivers the property management industrys most innovative technology platform, making property investments and operations more profitable and easier to manage. ResMans platform unlocks a new path to growth for property management companies that deliver consistent NOI improvement and brilliant resident experiences easier than ever before. For more information, visit us at http://www.myresman.com or engage with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. This article, Boeing says 737 Max will stay grounded until mid-2020, originally appeared on CNET.com. It's been almost a year since commercial flights of the 737 Max stopped, and now Boeing faces more delays in getting the aircraft back in the air. On Tuesday the company warned airlines that it won't be able to resume 737 Max flights until at least June or July of this year, another delay from the original projection of this month. The announcement means that Southwest, American and other airlines that operate the Max will be forced to juggle their fleets and possibly cancel flights during another peak summer travel season. Boeing blamed the new timetable on its experience with the Federal Aviation Administration's certification process, a critical step before airlines can can return the plane to service. "It is subject to our ongoing attempts to address known schedule risks and further developments that may arise in connection with the certification process," the company said in a statement. "Returning the MAX safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen." The 737 Max has been grounded since March following two crashes, one in Indonesia and the other in Ethiopia, that killed 346 people. Though the company says it has fixed the flight control system being blamed for both crashes, the FAA has not said when it would begin test flights. Airlines also will need time to train flight crews on the changes. In addition to MCAS, the flight control system under scrutiny, the FAA is examining whether two bundles of wires near the horizontal stabilizer are too close together and a possible weakness with a rotor on its engines. Anti-abortion activists gather this week in Washington for their annual March for Life, eager to cheer on a continuing wave of federal and state abortion restrictions. However, many activists on both sides of the debate already are looking ahead to March 4, when the U.S. Supreme Court hears its first major abortion case since the addition of two justices appointed by President Trump. The case is likely to reveal whether the court more conservative since the arrival of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh is now willing to weaken the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. At issue is a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The law is similar to one in Texas that the Supreme Court struck down in 2016. Abortion opponents hope the reconfigured court will allow it to take effect. The Trump administration has sided with Louisiana in the case, arguing in a recent Justice Department brief that the contested law should be accepted. Were really looking forward to the oral arguments to see how the court weighs in, said Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life. Nancy Northup, CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said it was alarming that the administration along with more than 200 Republican members of Congress now supports a restriction that was struck down by the high court as an undue burden on women seeking abortion. What was true about this undue burden in 2016 remains true today, she said. All that has changed is the election of a president who ran on a promise to reverse Roe v. Wade. The March for Life is scheduled for Friday, two days after the 47th anniversary of the Roe decision. Its theme this year is Life Empowers: Pro-Life Is Pro-Woman an effort to link the march to the womens suffrage movement ahead of 100th anniversary celebrations later this year for the 19th Amendment that gave American women the right to vote. Anti-abortion leaders contend that prominent suffragist Susan B. Anthony strongly opposed abortion. Some scholars have challenged that view. David Crary is an Associated Press writer. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh and other members of the Police Management Board have visited the Mankessim Roman Catholic hospital where two police officers are receiving treatment, following a gun battle with robbers who attempted robbing the Zen filling station in Mankessim. According to police reports, at about 2am today [Wednesday] a Police patrol team responded to a distress call from the Zen filling station at Mankessim and upon arrival, some suspected armed robbers opened fire injuring two Police officers in the process and killing another. The Police administration assured the family of the deceased, Lance Corporal Kingsley Boaheng who was in civil cloth and met his untimely death 200 metres away from the crime scene, to remain calm as the police conducts investigations into the matter. According to the IGP, a team of senior investigators have been brought from the Police headquarters to join the regional investigation team to bring the perpetrators of this crime to book. My team made up of other members of the police management board, we came down from Accra after hearing the incident that happened here in Mankessim. We learnt one officer was shot dead and two others are receiving treatment after getting injured. We have visited both crime scenes and investigations are being carried out. We had an initial crime team and another crime team has arrived from Accra to beef up and support the Regional crime team. Investigations will proceed and whatever happens, we will let Ghanaians know. We have to wish the injured officers speedy recovery and to the family and friends of the deceased, we offer them our condolences. Owner of the Zen Oil Filling station who wished to remain anonymous told Citi News this is the second time in two months that his station has been robbed Around 1:03 I received a distress call from my security that he has seen some unfamiliar movements at the station so I immediately called the Mankessim patrols team and at exactly 1:08pm they got here and the robbers started firing at them so they had to back off. There were about five heavily armed men and this is the second time in two months this is happening to me. Member of Parliament for Mfanstiman Ekow Quansah Hayfron who was at the scene of the incident was optimistic that the suspects will be arrested soon. Kasoa cop killing Last year, two Police officers from the Kasoa Divisional MTTD Sargent Micheal Dzamesi and Lance corporal Mohammed Awal were killed after an occupant of a vehicle they signalled to stop at Gomoa Budumburam refused to do so. Until the perpetrators of this crime are arrested it will be yet another cold case which has gone unsolved. Police offers GHS10,000 bounty The Inspector-General of Police has announced a GHS10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of suspected robbers who killed the police officer at Mankessim in the Central Region. citinewsroom Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond arrived at court this morning where he is accused of sexually assaulting 10 women over a period of six years. Salmond, 65, appeared at a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning to deny the 14 charges against him ahead of his trial in March. He smiled for cameras outside court where he was escorted by a number of police officers. The former MSP is accused of attempting to rape a woman at Bute House, the official residence of the first minister of Scotland, during the independence referendum campaign. Court papers allege he placed her legs over his, repeatedly kissed her face and neck, groped her then blocked her path. He is then alleged to have pinned her against a wall, pulled at her clothes and stripped himself naked before trying to rape her on a bed. Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond arrives at court in Edinburgh this morning for procedural hearing over 14 attempted rape and sexual assault charges against 10 women Salmond's trial is set for March but he attended a preliminary hearing at Edinburgh's High Court this morning Overall, the charges span from June 29 2008 to November 11 2014 - two months after he stepped down as first minister and SNP leader The ex-MP is also accused of sexually assaulting a woman with intent to rape in December 2013. He is alleged to have forced a woman to lie on his bed at Bute House, lay on top of her, groped her, struggled with her and pulled up her dress with intent to rape her. Both incidents were said to have taken place between the date of the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012 and the day of the independence vote in September 2014. Overall, the charges span from June 29 2008 to November 11 2014 - two months after he stepped down as first minister and SNP leader. The first of the charges accuses Salmond, who became first minister in 2007, of indecently assaulting a woman by allegedly kissing her mouth and groping her on various occasions around Glasgow between June 29 and July 24 2008. He smiled for cameras outside court this morning where he was escorted by a number of police officers Salmond was escorted to the court by police officers in Edinburgh this morning It is further alleged he sexually assaulted a woman on various occasions between May 2011 and June 2013 at the Scottish Parliament, Bute House and elsewhere by touching her bottom and stroking other parts of her body. He is also accused of taking off a woman's shoe and trying to kiss her foot in October 2013. The indictment states that in September 2014, the month of the independence referendum, he grabbed a woman by her shoulders at Bute House, repeatedly kissed her face, tried to kiss her lips and touched her leg and face. Several charges involve Salmond allegedly groping women, including one incident at the Ego nightclub in Edinburgh in December 2010 or 2011 and another at the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant in Glasgow in March 2012. Speaking outside court following the hearing in November, Salmond said he was innocent and vowed to 'vigorously' defend his position. Seven villagers have been killed in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for allegedly opposing Pathalgarhi, police said on Wednesday. Inspector General of Police (Operation) Saket Kumar Singh said that the police reached Burugulikera village on Tuesday night after getting information about seven villagers being killed and their bodies dumped in a forest. A panchayat representative was among those killed, he said. After an overnight search operation, the bodies of the seven villagers were recovered from a forest, four kilometres from the village, he said. There was a meeting over 'Pathalgarhi' movement at the village on Tuesday when a dispute had arisen, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Indrajit Mahata said. Following the development, 'Pathalgarhi' supporters had kidnapped the seven villagers, he said. The supporters of Pathaligarhi had allegedly perpetrated the crime in which lathis and axes were used, the police officer said. Expressing grief over the incident, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, "Law is above all and the guilty will not be spared. The police is investigating the matter." A high-level meeting will be convened to prevent recurrence of such an incident, he said. 'Pathalgarhi means carving a stone it is an ancient tradition in the tribal communities of Jharkhand. The stones signify self-rule by the local gram panchayat, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of outsiders into the village. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Close Screening in Chinese city of Wuhan at centre of coronavirus Chinese health authorities have warned people not to travel to the city of Wuhan over concerns a new viral illness that has infected hundreds and killed at least 17 could mutate and spread further. Some 473 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in 13 jurisdictions, said Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission. The virus has also spread to Thailand, where four cases have been confirmed, as well as Japan, South Korea, Macau, Hong Kong and the United States, which have all reported one case each. Officials are working on the assumption the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals being sold illegally at a food market in Wuhan and the virus is mutating, Gao Fu, an academic of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, told a news conference. Health minister Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford has announced there will be enhanced monitoring of all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK from today. Catch-up on events as the happened Peter Casey pictured after he registered at the Dublin County Returning Officer in Finglas to be included on the ballot for the General Election. Picture:Frank McGrath Businessman Peter Casey has nominate himself as a general election candidate in Taoiseach Leo Varadkars constituency today. While his real ambition is to win a seat in Donegal, Mr Casey told Independent.ie he wants people in Dublin West to register a protest vote against the Taoiseach. I want to give the people of Dublin West an opportunity to register their disappointment in Leo Varadkar. Hes been a disappointment to Dublin and Ireland. Its time for Dublin West to send a message, he said. Candidates have until midday to lodge their nominations paper. Mr Casey has already submitted the necessary paperwork to the returning officer in Donegal. He will be in Dublin today to ensure his name is on the ballot in the capital too. This is allowed under election rules, although he would only be able to take one Dail seat even if he was successful in both constituencies. Having been travelling the country in recent days as part of Fine Gaels campaign, Mr Varadkar is back on home turf today and will also lodge his papers ahead of the deadline. Expand Close Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured with Liam Walshe from the [Dublin County Returning staff] before he registered at the Dublin County Returning Officer in Finglas,to be included on the ballot for the General Election.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/1/20 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured with Liam Walshe from the [Dublin County Returning staff] before he registered at the Dublin County Returning Officer in Finglas,to be included on the ballot for the General Election.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/1/20 While Fine Gael are not fearful that Mr Casey could cause an electoral upset, they will be unhappy with the negative campaigning he will bring to the battle. Read More He gained notoriety during the 2018 presidential election after arguing that Travellers should not be recognised as an ethnic minority. The ex-Dragons Den investor has also made controversial comments about immigration. During this campaign he plans to heavily criticise Mr Varadkar over his initial support for swing-gate TD Maria Bailey, his record in health and plans to roll-out fibre broadband. Donegal is absolutely where my heart and passion is. I want to represent the people of Donegal in the 33rd Dail but I want to give Dublin West an opportunity to register a protest, he said. Other candidates in Dublin West include former Labour leader Joan Burton, Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger and Fianna Fails Jack Chambers. Ms Burton accused Mr Casey of having a message of "hate and division" and she said this is "not welcome in Dublin West". She said on Twitter that "like any other citizen" Mr Casey has a right to put his name on the ballot paper but that many "will be uneasy at his sudden intervention in the constituency". She said Dublin West is "one of Irelands most diverse and inclusive communities" and in part this is because it's the location for so many major international companies. Ms Burton said: "Inclusive societies thrive on their openness and diversity and Dublin West Is no exception." She said there are "immense efforts" in workplaces, schools and sports clubs to "create a caring and friendly environment for families from many nations who have settled here". "These efforts have borne fruit and it would be a shocking thing if a Dail candidate notorious for creating division should use the occasion of this election to sow seeds of disharmony for purely political purposes," Ms Burton added. She said: "If that is his intention then I respectfully suggest that he think twice and turn back his cavalcade on the N3 and leave Dublin West communities to continue with their work in making the area a welcoming place to live, study and find employment." If Mr Casey, who finished second in the 2018 presidential election with more than 340,000 first-preference votes, is to win a Dail seat it is more likely to happen in Donegal. His arrival on the ticket there will be a concern for Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, which hold three out of five seats in the constituency. Sinn Fein has also targeted Donegal for a gain, having lost a seat there in 2016. Donegal has a number of high-profile sitting TDs including Education Minister Joe McHugh, Sinn Feins finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty, the Leas Ceann Comhairle of the Dail Pat the Cope Gallagher (FF), Fianna Fails agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue and independent Thomas Pringle. USAFE-AFAFRICA builds partnership with Malawian air force By Capt. Korey Fratini, U.S. Air Forces Europe & Air Forces Africa Public Affairs / Published January 21, 2020 LILONGWE AIR BASE, Malawi (AFNS) -- Airmen from U.S. Air Forces Africa conducted force development training with the Malawian air force, Jan. 13-17. Force development training provides an opportunity for the U.S. Air Force to enhance relations, share ideas and build partnership capability in the region. "This is a very important partnership for us and right now the force development program is helping us lay the foundation of the Malawian air force," said Maj. Gen. Andrew Lapken Namathanga, Malawi air force commander. "I am very excited because the establishment of the force development program here three years ago has brought a foundation during the transition period for the development of our air force. It is through the program that the Malawian air force airmen are becoming knowledgeable on how an air force functions. Now, our airmen are all equipped with air knowledge and able to execute roles and functions in our air force because of this program." Since 2018, the USAFE-AFAFRICA Manpower, Personnel and Services Directorate, Force Development team, has been coming to Malawi to partner with the Malawian air force to provide them with tools to build, sustain and stand up an independent air force. Until August 2019, the Malawian air force was not a separate service within the Malawian defense force. Since that time, the newly separate service has expressed continued partnership with the U.S. Air Force resulting in events like the force development training. "This program gives us a chance to share ideas, how to meet current threats and various challenges in terms of human resources," said Mr. Noel Fachi, USAFE-AFAFRICA Force Development program manager. "Our program brings our partner nations together to try and solve African problems. By providing frameworks for how to address most of these challenges, we bring partners together to collaborate, share ideas and come up with solutions to answer those challenges." One unique element about the force development program is its lasting ability to have a huge impact despite its low cost, according to Fachi. He highlighted the fact that because of their program, they are able to conduct engagements with countries in Africa more frequently throughout the year. This leads to creating trusted partnerships with those countries and ultimately leads to greater interoperability with our partners across Africa. Fachi also highlighted how the Malawian air force has been an eager and excited partner to work with over the last few years. "To have an air chief and a deputy air chief sit in every single event when we have been here, day in and day out, it shows you how serious they are," Fachi said. "They have empowered their Airmen." The majority of events during the week revolved around the sharing of ideas related to the U.S. Air Force's Deployment Transition Center, located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The Malawian air force routinely deploys to the Democratic Republic of Congo and expressed interest in developing their own deployment transition center for their airmen returning from deployments. "I think it is imperative to have our own center because currently we do not have one within the Malawian defense force and we have seen the effects of the experiences the troops are facing in the mission area," Namathanga said. During the week, members from the U.S. Air Force DTC shared how the U.S. executes their program to help integrate Airmen back from a deployment into their home-station environment. They provided the Malawian air force with recommendations on ways they could establish their own program to assist their own airmen who come home from deployments. The week concluded with an event where the Malawian and U.S. Air Force came together to thank each other for the opportunities over the course of the week to learn from each other. Namathanga thanked the U.S. Air Force for their role as Malawi continues to develop an independent air force. He is excited to see where the Malawi air force will go in the future because of the tools the U.S. shared with them to build a foundation to succeed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WATERBURY - State Police have identified the man shot by a Waterbury officer Monday afternoon as 57-year-old Edward Gendron, of Waterbury. He was shot by veteran Waterbury police officer Ronald W. Tompkins III who has been on the job since 1989, state police said. Gendron was the third person in the state to be shot and killed by a police officer in three weeks. Local police were called to 81 Craigie Ave. at around 12:30 p.m. Monday after receiving a report from a landlord that a tenant had found a bullet hole in a wall or ceiling shared with the address, reports said. Gendron displayed a gun to Tompkins, who was the first arriving officer to check out the report of a bullet hole, state police said. An altercation between the two men ensued with Tompkins firing his service weapon, state police said. Gendron was pronounced dead by paramedics a short while later, state police said. The findings of an autopsy were not released Tuesday. Waterbury officers had been at the address multiple times in the past few weeks for other types of calls, according to Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo. Gendron had a valid gun state-issued gun permit, police said. The Waterbury Police Department is in the process of looking at purchasing body cameras so there is no video footage of the incident, police said. Brian Preleski, the New Britain State's Attorney, was assigned the investigation into the use of deadly force. The State Police Central District Major Crime Squad is helping with the investigation by gathering evidence which will be turned over to Preleski. The fatal shooting comes less than a week after a state police trooper shot and and killed a teen who allegedly had attempted a robbery with a knife in Norwalk and then fled in what appears to be a carjacked vehicle leading state police police on a several mile chase to West Haven. Body camera footage shows state police Trooper Brian North firing seven times into the vehicle 19-year-old Mubarak Soulemane was driving as it was blocked in by police cruisers under an underpass in West Haven. The driver's side window of the car was rolled up when North fired, the video showed. North shouted after the shooting that Soulemane was reaching for a knife, the video shows. North has been placed on administrative duties. Soulemane's family have called for North to be sent home from desk duty as the investigation into the deadly use of force is continuing. The state's Division of Criminal Justice agreed to gather evidence in the use of deadly force on Soulemane after his family and the Connecticut American Civil Liberties Union pointed out that state police would be involved in investigation of one of their own. The investigation was turned over to Michael Gailor, the State's Attorney for the Middlesex Judicial District Tuesday. The investigation was originally assigned to the New London State's Attorney who is preparing for a triple-murder trial, officials at the Division of Criminal Justice said. The actions of Ansonia police are also under investigation after the fatal shooting of city resident Michael Gregory Jan. 2 while officers were investigating a domestic dispute Information from the Associated Press and staff writer Tara O'Neill was included in this article. Photo Taken In Ramallah, Palestinian Territory. Photo: Getty Middle East economies are tipped to have just grown by 1% in 2019 and, as pointed out by delegates at the World Economic Forum in the session Strategic Outlook: Middle East Economies, this is not enough to help make a dent in unemployment rates across various regions. Some economies like Egypt have talked about greater cooperation with the private sector to address the . issue, according to Rania A. Al-Mashat, minister of international cooperation of Egypt. But in the session, Palestines new prime minister Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh outlined the regions unique problem. The region suffers from certain imbalances due to the lack of political uncertainty. Those who export capital arent doing it and those who export people arent doing it, he said, emphasising how this all hurts investment. We suffer from unusual conditions we are under occupation for our land and water and so we have to design our system within that. Much of the worlds problems, when it comes to unemployment, is down to unskilled labour being pushed out especially in light of the fourth industrial revolution where technological advancements have meant automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics are replacing human jobs. However, in Palestine, the issue is with the glut of skilled workers who cant find a job. READ MORE: Economics professor: The biggest global risk with greater digital disruption in finance The problem we have with unemployment is not with the unskilled labour, its with the very skilled labour 45% of our university graduates are unemployed, said Shtayyeh. Theyre not leaving either because the regional labour market is not able to absorb the new commerce and then theres the political chaos. So we are merely stuck with what we have. He outlined that that in the West Bank, there are 27,000 engineers but out of those graduates, 8,500 are unemployed. In Gaza, there are 18,000 engineers but 11,000 are unemployed. During the discussion for extra causes, he did acknowledge that it is also cultural. Story continues It has also to do with the culture. Every mother wants to see their son as a doctor or engineer or so on, so thats why were redesigning things, he said, acknowledging that career ideals dont match up with market demand. In order to tackle this, he said the government is implementing a multi-pronged approach to alleviate the problem of unemployment and empower the younger generation. We have introduced new programmes with applied sciences and vocational training, so were creating five levels of vocational training from school onwards. Were developing a program similar to the Germans a dual system, he said. He also outlined another initiative, including giving away land. One of the initiatives is that we are giving plots of land the size of 2.5 acres so graduates can do what they need with it to create and develop industry, he said. We have also created a fund with the Islamic Development Bank of $500m (382.9m) of which $216m has been pledged and $57m has been paid. The idea is to empower the young people by creating jobs and shares in newly established companies in the private sector. Beef produced in Uganda will have an 'honoured place' on the UK's supermarket shelves post-Brexit, Boris Johnson has said. The prime minister attempted to woo African leaders at the UK-Africa investment summit in London on Monday (20 January). He underlined the need for closer relations and trading links with the continent as it continues to experience 'staggering levels of growth'. Look around the world today and you will swiftly see that the UK is not only the obvious partner of choice, were also very much the partner of today, of tomorrow and decades to come, Johnson told the summit. Speaking solely on Uganda, the prime minister said beef from the central African country 'will have an honoured place on the tables of Britain'. But I want to go beyond that. Because what I am really talking about is building a partnership that benefits all of us, he added. Uganda's State Minister for Investment, Evelyn Anite who also attended the event, said Johnson's words would mean a 'great opportunity' for the country's beef producers. Low hanging fruits for #Uganda out of the #UKAfricaInvestmentSummit PM @BorisJohnson: I told H.E @KagutaMuseveni that his beef cattle will have an honored place on the tables of Britain. Big thanks to PM. Boris for this great opportunity for the Ugandan beef farmers. pic.twitter.com/cfMIfJCqq7 Hon Anite Evelyn (@HonAniteEvelyn) January 20, 2020 Meanwhile, Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said his country has 'opportunities' in agriculture. We have sufficient electricity, a skilled workforce, fair tariffs, good roads. Opportunities exist in agriculture, services, tourism, dairy sector, ICT, among others, he said. According to the Uganda Investment Authority, the majority of the country's cattle herd (90%) is kept under pastoral and mixed smallholder farming systems. And beef production there has increased from 190,000 metric tons in 2012 to 211,000 in 2017, Uganda Bureau of Statistics highlights. But UK farming groups have consistently warned the government not to allow food produced to lower standards to fill the shelves in any post-Brexit trade deal. The recently introduced Agriculture Bill contains no provisions underpinning assurances that lower-standard food imports would not be able enter the UK. NFU president Minette Batters said: We will continue to press the government to introduce a standards commission as a matter of priority to oversee and advise on future food trade policy and negotiations. But at the Oxford Farming Conference, Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers insisted that high standards would be maintained, telling delegates that backing better standards was a core part of the government's approach. We can maintain and, indeed, enhance UK standards as we negotiate new trading relationships with friends and neighbours in the EU and other leading global economies, she said. I will continue to work with you and others across the food and farming sector as these negotiations progress to understand your concerns to make sure your voice is heard loud and clear at the negotiating table in international forums, she said. The Gujarat Police had registered an FIR against Nithyananda after two girls went missing from his ashram in Ahmedabad Ahmedabad/New Delhi: Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information about controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda, who fled the country amid allegations of wrongful confinement of children, officials said on Wednesday. A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime. The Gujarat Police had sent a request to the CBI, the nodal body for Interpol matters in India, seeking a Blue Corner Notice against Nithyananda, the officials said. "Interpol issued the Blue Corner Notice against the controversial godman this month," Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad (rural), KT Kamariya, told PTI. The police said they are now working to get Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice, a global arrest warrant, against Nithyananda. Nithyananda is believed to have fled the country after an FIR was registered against him at Vivekanand Nagar police station in Ahmedabad district in November last year, he said. The chargesheet was filed on the basis of the FIR registered against the controversial godman and two of his women disciples on the charges of wrongful confinement and abduction of two girls and a boy living in his ashram in Hirapur village on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. As per the chargesheet, filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate, the women followers of the godman and minor girls living in his ashram were made to dance at "any time during nights". The children at the ashram were forced into labour work like preparing and uploading "Swamiji's videos on social media platforms", it stated. Children were even thrashed by the Ashram staff if they couldn't achieve various "targets" set for them, the chargesheet said. It stated that around Rs 10 lakh collected from people with the help of children were transfered to various bank accounts of the ashram. "Police are trying to get a Red Corner Notice issued against the controversial godman, who is believed to have fled the country after registration of the FIR in November," said Deputy SP, Ahmedabad Rural police, KT Kamariya. The officer said the Interpol issued the Blue Corner Notice against Nithyananda in early January declaring him as "wanted". "Now, we are working to get a Red Corner Notice issued against the godman by the Interpol. For that procedure, we will acquire an arrest warrant from the court under section 70 of the CrPC," Kamariya told reporters here. He added that these details were mentioned in the chargesheet. Nithyananda and the women disciples Pranpriya and Priyatatva who used to manage the affairs of his Hirapur ashram were slapped with the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children so as to make them collect donations from followers for running the ashram. While the women were arrested, Nithyananda has been on the run. The trio were booked under sections 365 (kidnapping), 344 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "The section 14 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 was also invoked against them," the police officer said. Nithyananda is also an accused in a rape case in Karnataka. "We have filed a chargesheet against the two women and Nithyananda, who was born as A. Rajasekaran, showing him as the key conspirator in the case. He has been declared as 'wanted'. Though he is believed to have fled the country, we don't have any specific information about his present whereabouts," said Kamariya. While police continue to look for him, reports emerged in December last year that he has created a Hindu nation, Kailaasa, with its own flag and political setup, on an island near Ecuador. A Windsor law professor is sharing his experiences working on a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court and involved Russian spies. Alexander Vavilov was born in Toronto in 1994 to Russians posing as Canadians under assumed names. When he tried to have his passport renewed around 2010 after his parents were arrested and deported to Russia he was denied. In 2013, Vavilov was issued a certificate of Canadian citizenship that was then cancelled, after the Canadian Registrar of Citizenship changed their interpretation of the Citizenship Act. His citizenship will be reinstated after a lengthy appeal process which made it all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. The decision was just finalized in December 2019. "Seven judges agreed and two judges rendered a concurring decision ... which basically means they agree," said lawyer Sujith Xavier, a University of Windsor law professor who helped represent Vavilov in his Supreme Court appeal. "It's really unusual for a Supreme Court to take so long to make this decision," said Xavier. "The significance of the questions ... I think that's why the court took its time." Xavier helped draft submissions, primarily doing preliminary research, on behalf of Vavilov, prior to taking on the teaching role with UWindsor. "I was part of the legal team who went to Ottawa, to the Supreme Court," said Xavier, who was teaching in Malaysia when the submissions were due. John Badcock/CBC Xavier said he was acutely aware of the intrigue and controversy of dealing with 'Russian spies' while he was working on the case but it wasn't his first time in those circumstances. "In my time with the firm, I worked with similar situations," said Xavier. "I'm an expert in public international law and so whether or not Alex's parents were employees of the Russian state and if they had diplomatic immunity .. that's all dealt with through international law." According to Xavier, the 200+ page decision will have an impact on Canadian administrative law and the decisions of Canadian administrative officials moving forward. About 70 students will attend a discussion panel Wednesday at UWindsor to hear Xavier and the other lawyers involved discuss the case. The students will be able to ask questions about the process. DailyMail.com can share an exclusive first look of a Jeffrey Epstein accuser recoiling as she relieves being 'manhandled' by the predatory financier when they first met in 1997 while she auditioned for Victoria's Secret. In an interview with Dr. Oz that will air on Thursday, Alicia Arden relives being groped and told to take her clothes off by Epstein. She was 26 at the time when they met in a hotel in Santa Monica, California, where Epstein pretended to be scouting her for the lingerie brand. She was desperate to get work with Victoria's Secret which is still owned by Epstein associate Les Wexner. It is not the first time she is sharing her story but it is her first on-camera interview about it since Epstein's death. Scroll down for video In an interview with Dr. Oz that will air on Thursday, Alicia Arden relives being groped and told to take her clothes off by Epstein. 'He was taking off my shirt and then he was taking off my skirt. 'I started to not like that. So I was putting it down and I grabbed my portfolio and I had wanted to leave. 'And, for whatever reason, he took $100 out of his wallet and he put it on the table. 'It made me feel like a prostitute so I did not take that,' Arden said. The pedophile died in August by hanging himself in his cell. He is shown in the last known photograph of him alive She added that she was scared she was going to be raped or assaulted. 'I felt a little scared and I did not want to be assaulted or raped. 'Keep in mind when you go on an audition like that, I was in a tiny little top with a swimsuit type bra underneath it and a little skirt so that you could see my legs and my hips and my stomach. 'So, he was looking at me and he said "Well, let me see your hips and come, let me manhandle you." 'He said that word. I've never heard that word ever in my entire life from anyone, not in anything,' she said. She previously told both the Daily Mail and The New York Times of her claims. Arden's interview with Dr. Oz will air on Thursday at 1pm EST on Fox channels. She also says that she reported the incident to police but that no one took it seriously. Alicia Arden (above in LA circa 2002) filed a police report saying she was sexually assaulted by Epstein at a Santa Monica hotel in 1997 after he pretended to be a model scout Epstein killed himself in his prison cell in August. There are dozens of lawsuits against his estate including one from the US Virgin Islands which wants to confiscate his island - Little St. James - which is valued at $86million. The local government's top prosecutor says Epstein flouted their laws to routinely bring underage girls there and abuse them. She filed a lawsuit last week and on Tuesday was interviewed by CBS This Morning about it along with one of the women the late financier is said to have trafficked. That woman insisted on having her identity obscured. She revealed that Epstein held her against her will in a bedroom on the property where he kept a gun taped to the bedpost. She also said he raped her in his office on St Thomas. Brandeis launches composition prize, hosts archives and concert series to honor renowned composer Henri Lazarof. Brandeis University will host an international composition contest for composers, honoring the music and memory of 20th century classical composer Henri Lazarof, who earned his master of fine arts degree from Brandeis in 1959. The world is big enough for all kinds of composers, Lazarof once said. I try to always write for new instrumental forcesto search out the limits of the performer and ones own limits as a composer. , entries for which are due March 15, will provide support to composers attempting to do the same today. The annual prize is for the composition of an original work for select instruments. The specific instrumentation will change each year to complement an existing work by Henri Lazarof, and the commissioned piece will be performed alongside Lazarof's work. Instrumentation for the 2020 prize is flute, harp and viola. Electronic music components and/or multimedia may also be included. The winner will be awarded a $15,000 commission prize, and the winning composition will be performed at Brandeis University in the spring of 2021. , established by a gift to the university, includes the commission prize, as well as , the , and the at Brandeis. On Sunday, April 5, Brandeis will hold the opening of the Henri Lazarof Archives at Brandeis University and the inaugural Henri Lazarof Chamber Concert, where the first recipient of the Henri Lazarof International Commission Prize will be announced. The archives, which consist of the composers scores, musical sketches, unpublished works, correspondence, personal papers and nearly 400 audiovisual items, provide a view into the career of a contemporary symphonic composer working in the second half of the twentieth century. The annual Henri Lazarof Chamber Concert, at which the commission prize winners composition will be premiered starting in 2021, will continue the Brandeis music departments mission of hosting concerts that feature works by contemporary composers. The Henri Lazarof New Music Brandeis Annual Concert will fund the residency of prominent new music performers to work with graduate student composers, giving these young composers the opportunity to have their works performed by outstanding musicians. The Henri Lazarof Living Legacy will support a number of exciting programs and opportunities for research at Brandeis, said Mark Berger, associate professor of the practice of music and music department chair. The support will allow Lazarofs prolific compositional voice, which Berger describes as exquisitely crafted and intricate, yet always highly expressive to the core, to continue to be heard, while encouraging the creation and performance of new music. Lazarof was the recipient of many worldwide prizes, including first place in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. He also received grants from the Ford Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and earned two Grammy nominations in 1991. We at Brandeis are deeply honored to host the Henri Lazarof Living Legacy, celebrating a renowned alumnus and composer, said Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz. Mr. Lazarof lived an extraordinary 20th century life, which our university was privileged to be part of, and we are pleased to be able to perpetuate his legacy through our university and todays composers and musicians. In addition to composing, Lazarof, who died in 2013 at age 81, was also a conductor, pianist and teacher. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, he became a concert pianist at a young age, but soon switched to composing. In his youth, he became literate in French, German, Ladino and Bulgarian. Upon arriving at Brandeis, he also became fluent in English, one of seven languages he spoke fluently. His familys factory in Bulgaria was taken over by the Nazis during World War II, and his family emigrated to Israel when he was in his teens. He studied with Paul Ben-Haim, a prominent Israeli composer, and served in the Israeli army, writing compositions and organizing concerts for the troops. He won the first musical scholarship awarded in Israel to attend the prestigious St. Cecilia Academy of Music in Rome, studying with composer Goffredo Petrassi. Kenneth Levy, a musicology professor at Brandeis, convinced Lazarof to move to the United States and pursue graduate studies at Brandeis. Lazarof studied with storied music professors Harold Shapero and Arthur Berger and graduated in 1959. He later moved to California, where he taught music composition at UCLA for more than 30 years, organized music festivals, and served as composer-in-residence in a variety of locations, from Berlin to Tanglewood. The 126 works Lazarof wrote include seven symphonies, numerous concertos, 11 string quartets, vocal music, and many other chamber and symphonic works. His compositions were known for their broad range of textures, dynamics and diversity of rhythms, with many featuring unusual combinations of instruments. His works were commissioned, recorded and premiered by many orchestras throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Jay Bharat Maruti fell 3.94% to Rs 250 after consolidated net profit fell 39.21% to Rs 6.79 crore on 12.1% decline in net sales to Rs 402.74 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. Consolidated profit before tax (PBT) fell 40% to Rs 10.55 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 21 January 2020. The stock has hit a 52-week high of Rs 321.5 on 12 March 2019 and a 52-week low of Rs 133.1 on 05 August 2019. In the past one year, the stock jumped 6.36% to its current market price of Rs 250. On the technical front, Jay Bharat Maruti's RSI (relative strength index) stood at 58.73. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. Jay Bharat Maruti manufactures sheet metal components, assemblies and sub-assembles and is a dedicated ancillary to Maruti Udyog. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALEPPO, Syria The cease-fire that has been observed in Idlib governorate since Jan. 12, after it was announced by the Turkish Ministry of Defense on Jan. 10, may not hold for long. The Syrian regime has repeatedly breached the agreement through land and airstrikes on rebel-held areas in Idlib and has committed horrific massacres, the latest of which killed on Jan. 16 more than 100 people. This return to strikes and possible return to confrontations raises questions about the ability of the opposition, namely Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the largest military force in Idlib, to confront and prevent the advance of the regime forces. The military spokesman for the HTS military wing, Abu Khaled al-Shami, told Eldorar Alshamia network Jan. 12, We declare our full readiness to repel any expected aggression. This means that HTS expects an imminent collapse of the truce. These field developments, namely the regime and Russian strikes on Idlib, have reopened a debate within the opposition circles about the video message delivered Dec. 25 by HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani under the title, War of liberation and independence. According to some opposition activists, Golanis speech was detached from reality and seemed quite peculiar, as he did not adopt the traditional rhetoric that jihadis usually use. He spoke fast using easy and simple words. Part of his speech was directed toward the Arab Gulf countries, Turkey and the United States, and seemingly aimed at conveying certain messages that would eventually lead to interest-based alliances. Also, Golani did not go into details of the field developments in Idlib, as he merely focused on the geopolitical dimension of the conflict in the region. The speech came at a time when the regime forces were attacking and seizing several areas in Maaret al-Numan in the southeast of Idlib as part of a military operation that kicked off Dec. 20. In record time, the regime managed to take control of a large number of villages on Dec. 21 in the southeast of Idlib, including the town of Jarjanaz. Golani said, [Syria] has overcome the stage of overthrowing the regime and is now in a war of liberation and independence from the Russian and Iranian occupations. The causes behind our success and defeat lie within us our own selves, our faith and our constant willingness to sacrifice while repenting and staying away from sin." He continued, The whole world will bear the consequences of this war and its economic, political and military consequences that will shuffle international cards and redistribute regional powers. The old version of the regime is forever gone, God willing. The revolution prevailed in several ways. It dismantled the regimes army, proved the failure of the regimes security forces and shattered the regimes economy, thus depriving it of its legitimacy and preventing it from running the country. He said, The regime is a puppet manipulated by the Iranian and Russian occupiers who are seeking to secure their positions in the Mediterranean Sea in order to plunder the region's wealth and play an effective role in regional conflicts. Golani pointed out that land owners always bear the consequences because they are the ones who decided to confront the occupier and went out of their way for the sake of liberation. We have overcome the phase of overthrowing the regime and are now waging a war of liberation and independence against the brutal Russian-Iranian occupiers that are targeting our religion, our land and our wealth. Syrian National Army media coordinator Yahya Mayo told Al-Monitor, Golanis speech is illogical as it mentioned a war of liberation and independence at a time when the Islamic faction he leads is falling short of showing the expected resistance it is supposed to show against the regime forces on the Idlib fronts. These forces are seizing one area after the other. Such resonant speeches are useless and will not stop the progress of the regimes forces. Munzer Toomeh, a media activist from the countryside of Idlib governorate, told Al-Monitor, HTS and its leader do not care about Idlib. They are not saddened by the fall of the territories in the grip of the regimes forces. This was made obvious by Golanis latest speech. People here want someone to defend them and their lands. They want someone capable of reassuring them and providing them with assistance. They do not need constructive speeches. People in Idlib criticized his speech and considered it as a clear expression of the detachment from reality of HTS and its leadership. Such a speech cannot be built upon in the upcoming confrontations with the regime forces. Media activist Abdel-Fattah al-Hussein, who works with civil and humanitarian organizations and local news networks he declined to name and is based in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib, told Al-Monitor, Speeches aimed at raising the morale of fighters are a good thing but not when they are delivered by the commander of a military faction that controls most of the fighting fronts with the regime forces. People here expected Golani to talk about the reasons behind the loss of areas to regime forces and the supposed defensive and offensive plans. They needed reassurance. The last thing they needed was such an unrealistic speech. Hisham Esskeef, deputy head of the political bureau of the Free Syrian Army-affiliated Liwaa as-Salam," told Al-Monitor, It seems that the title of Golanis speech 'War of liberation and independence' was not random but based on a clear pragmatic shift in this jihadist faction. The speech was loaded with many messages. Chief among these is that HTS is now a national liberation movement and is no longer a jihadist faction. This means that it has come to derive its legitimacy from the resistance people and not from a religious jihadist authority." Hussein Nasser, media activist and former director of the Center for Combating Extremist Thought in the northern countryside of Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, Golani referred in his speech to the Russian and Iranian forces as forces occupying the Syrian territories. But he made no mention of other forces, such as the United States and Turkish forces, and he did not mention Israel. This means that he is implicitly willing to cooperate with international powers that have an interest in weakening Russia and Iran. A scientist who led a study more than 30 years ago on the impact climate change could have on bushfires has joined two professors urging governments to heed the science on the issue. Tom Beer - author of the world's first bushfire and climate change study in 1988 and former leader of the climate change research program at the CSIRO - is among those to have made the appeal in a statement. 'For over 30 years, climate scientists have been warning Australian governments about the escalating threat of catastrophic bushfire conditions because of climate change,' the statement, released by the Climate Council on Wednesday, reads. Tom Beer authored the world's first bushfire and climate change study in 1988 and is a former leader of the climate change research program at the CSIRO Will Steffen speaks during the launch of the 'Cranking up the intensity Climate change and extreme weather events' report in Brisbane on February 8 2017 'Climate change is fuelling the national bushfire catastrophe, and it will get worse without radical action.' Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science at the University of Tasmania Professor David Bowman and Climate Councillor and Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University Professor Will Steffen have penned the statement with Dr Beer. They say the scientific community has long warned that climate change is leading to hotter temperatures, more frequent, longer and more intense heatwaves and shifting rain patterns. It was also warned that would lead to more severe bushfire conditions, which the trio say has played out in the nation's current bushfire crisis. 'These warnings have been validated this summer,' the statement reads. 'We do not seek recriminations, but rather, today we seek to state clearly that the time has passed where we can ignore these warnings, or continue to deny Australia's role in this global problem.' BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Brevard County Sheriffs Office in Brevard County, Florida, has selected Corizon Health to provide medical services to inmates under a new contract beginning on Feb. 1, 2020 and running through Jan. 31, 2023. Corizon, which currently cares for patients in five additional county jails across Florida and has been serving clients in the state for more than 25 years, was chosen following a competitive bidding process. The Brevard jail complex, located on the east coast in the county seat of Titusville, encompasses an adult detention center, an annex female facility, and a farm labor facility with an average daily inmate population of approximately 1,700 in 2019. In decades of serving Florida sheriffs departments and jail patients, Corizon has demonstrated a commitment to quality via innovative clinical programs and achievement of multiple accreditations. The company also focuses on partnering with community organizations to help bridge re-entry and reduce recidivism. In addition to Brevard, Corizon currently cares for patients in jails in Okaloosa, Leon, Polk, Alachua, and Charlotte counties. We look forward to working with Sheriff Iveys team as their partners in providing care for patients in the Brevard facilities, said Karen Davies, vice president of operations for Corizon. About Corizon Health Corizon Health is a leading provider of correctional healthcare services in the United States, providing quality healthcare services to states and municipalities across the country for more than forty years. Corizon offers comprehensive solutions for medical care, behavioral care, pharmaceutical and re-entry services. For more information, please visit www.corizonhealth.com . : Healthcare major Piramal Group has agreed to invest Rs 500 crore over the next three years in Telangana for setting up new facilities and warehousing expansion, an official release said on Wednesday. Minister for Industries and IT KT Rama Rao who is currently in Davos attending the annual meeting of World Economic Forum met Piramal Group chairman Ajay Piramal on Tuesday, it said. "After a series of deliberations at the Telangana Pavilion in Davos, the Piramal Group has agreed to invest an amount of Rs 500 crore over the next three years in the state. The proposed investment is expected to increase production capacities with creation of new manufacturing blocks, warehouse expansion, and Utility augmentation etc," it said. KTR welcomed the decision of Piramal Pharma to expand their operations in the state and assured that the government will provide necessary assistance to the group, according to the release. Piramalis also keen on adding capacities through acquisitions in and around Hyderabad, Telangana region with an aim to support active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) manufacturing, run CSR activities in the areas of Primary Healthcare (Piramal Swasthya)and safe drinking water (Piramal Sarvajal) in and around Digwal village in the state, it said. In addition, the Piramal Group plans to shift their plant from other states to new location in Hyderabad in order to take advantage of the ease of business without roadblocks offered by the Telangana government. "This proposed expansion in the healthcare sector in Hyderabad will employ over 500 people at an additional revenue of up to Rs 500 crore. It shall be among the best facilities globally engaged in manufacturing life saving medicines. The Piramal leadership team plans to visit the new site early next month," it added. Piramal Pharma presently has a manufacturing facility in Telangana, cGMP API manufacturing facility approved by various regulatory agencies across the globe including USFDA and EU. Presently, Piramal employs close to 1,400 people including staff and contract workmen employed at the site with plans to add another 600 jobs by FY23 to support the expansion. In addition, close to 300 people will be indirectly engaged with the facility on a regular basis through various service contracts, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States urged China on Tuesday to join trilateral nuclear arms talks with Moscow, calling Beijing's secrecy around growing stockpiles a "serious threat to strategic stability." U.S. President Donald Trump said last year he had discussed a new accord on limiting nuclear arms with Russian President Vladimir Putin and hoped to extend that to China in what would be a major deal between the globe's top three atomic powers. But China has so far refused to take part. "We think, given the fact that China's nuclear stockpile is estimated to double over the next ten years, now is the time to have that trilateral discussion," Robert Wood, U.S. disarmament ambassador, told reporters on the opening day of the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He said that Washington had discussed the potential trilateral talks in a security meeting with Russia last week and had reached an "understanding" about pursuing them. "We cannot afford to wait," he added. Asked how to go about pressuring Beijing to join, Wood said that he hoped Russia, and others, would help. "Hopefully over time and through the influence of others besides the United States, [China] will come to the table. We think it's imperative for global security that the Chinese do that." Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched a voluntary service scheme of SAIL where the employees of the PSU would contribute in the areas of education, health, women empowerment and nutrition, among others. The scheme, SAIL Employees Rendering Volunteerism & Initiatives for Community Engagement (SERVICE), will be operational from January 24 which is the foundation day of the PSU. SAIL Chairman A K Chaudhary said the scheme aims the contribution of its employees in "giving back to the society and work for the community" Volunteers can register on the portal of the SERVICE scheme mentioning the areas in which they are willing to work. In his address, Pradhan said, "This year marks 70 years of our constitution coming into effect. President of India Ramnath Kovind has said that while being alert about their rights, citizens should also be conscious of their duties. Through SERVICE, employees of SAIL will come forward to perform their social duties voluntarily and contribute towards social welfare and nation building." He also exhorted other PSUs to encourage their employees to work voluntary for society based on their interest areas. Chaudhary said that the PSU expects that its about 70,000 employees and 60,000 contractual workers will register for the initiative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alexander Novak will continue to be the face of Russias energy diplomacy at OPEC+ summits as he remains Russias Energy Minister in the new government that President Vladimir Putin appointed on Tuesday. Novak, who has been leading the energy ministry since 2012, has been a key figure in the talks between OPEC and its leader and largest producer, Saudi Arabia, and the Russia-led alliance of non-OPEC producers in cutting deals to reduce oil production in recent years. A week ago, the Russian government, including Energy Minister Alexander Novak, resigned in an unexpected move after Putin said that he would be looking to make amendments to the Russian constitution. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev tendered the resignation of his whole government last week to allow the president room to prepare for the discussion of the constitutional amendments, the outgoing prime minister said at a meeting of the cabinet with Putin. After a week of speculation and uncertainty about who will hold which posts, including that of the energy minister, Putin signed the executive order to appoint the new government. Several key ministers, including Novak and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, will keep their posts. Novak was widely expected to keep his job as energy minister in the government reshuffle. Putin believes the OPEC+ deal is positive for the Russian economy and Novak can count on retaining his position in the Russian political system, said an analyst from the Russian National Energy Security Fund. As a minimum, he would remain Energy Minister, Igor Yushkov added, referring to Novak. This should give assurances to OPEC and the market that Putins energy representative at the upcoming meeting of the OPEC+ coalition in March is the same familiar face. Russias position regarding the fate of the deeper production cuts in place until the end of March will be much less familiar, as Novak is known for keeping it a secret until the day of the meeting. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China, Tanzania conclude "Sincere Partners 2019" joint military training PLA Daily Source: China Military Online Editor: Chen Lufan 2020-01-21 19:56:48 DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Jan. 21 -- The 25-day-long China-Tanzania joint military training, code-named "Sincere Partners 2019", concluded at a comprehensive training center in Dar city of Tanzania on the afternoon of January 16, 2020. Before the closing ceremony, senior delegations from the two sides observed a live-ammunition drill participated by the Chinese and Tanzanian troops. Commanders of both sides delivered speeches respectively at the closing ceremony and issued certificates as awards to all participating members. Starting on December 23 last year and covering such subjects as command post exercise, explosive operation, light weapons shooting, search of residential areas, etc, the joint training reinforced pragmatic cooperation between the two militaries and upgraded their capabilities to conduct military missions. The joint training is the first of such kind involving only the ground forces of China and Tanzania. The codename of "Sincere Partners" highlights the close ties between the two sides established since 1960s and reflects their vision to build a new type of security partnership featuring equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A woman takes pictures in front of a poster of a protester as she joins others to take part in a Lunar New Year fair organised by pro-democracy district councillors in the Sai Ying Pun district in Hong Kong. AFP photo Hong Kong: The politics of protest was a running theme at Lunar New Year fairs in Hong Kong this week, as stall holders sold t-shirts, tattoo transfers, tote bags, and coasters bearing slogans popularised during months of pro-democracy demonstrations. Often-violent protests, sparked by a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, have persisted in Hong Kong for more than seven months and the long queues at the fairs showed they retain broad popular support. At one market in the prime Causeway Bay shopping district there was a shooting gallery, where visitors could fire foam pellets at cut-out images of Hong Kongs unpopular pro-Beijing leader, Carrie Lam, and Chinas President Xi Jinping. I need to vent, said Lu Koo, a 28-year-old hotel employee, said. Government officials have their heads in the clouds. At another stall, Amelie Li, a 32-year-old human resources specialist, and her mother tossed rings over beer bottles arranged in the shape of a protest slogan. Lis favourite purchase of the day was a keychain made of concrete that read Liberate Hong Kong. I will carry this every day because we hope this will come true, Li said as she left the market laden with shopping bags. This year, the government banned the selling of dry goods at officially-sanctioned seasonal markets and slashed the number of stalls by one third, citing safety concerns. The measures prompted activists to find new venues across the city to set up protest-themed stalls, with many vendors donating proceeds to organisations supporting the movement. Cheung Chun-kit, who owns the Lung Mun Cafe popular with protesters, set up a market on the 10th floor of an industrial building on the Kowloon peninsula. Fai chun red banners, usually hung in doorways for good luck in the new year, drew the longest queues. These carried protest slogans instead of traditional blessings of health and prosperity. Other items on sale included protest-themed T-shirts, key chains, and small, 3D-printed figurines of Lady Liberty a white statue that has become a symbol of the protests all made in a nearby building by dozens of students. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is asking for the publics help to identify the driver of a red truck who is sought for questioning in connection with an attempted robbery at a bank in Castleton Corners. An individual entered the drive-thru of the Santander bank branch located at 1850 Victory Blvd. and passed two notes demanding money through a chute at the drive-up teller window on Tuesday at about 1:30 p.m., according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. There was no money passed or removed and the individual fled the scene on Victory Boulevard in a red Ford truck, according to the statement. The notes included an unfounded bomb threat, a police spokesman said on Tuesday. 3 Driver of red Ford truck sought in connection with attempted bank robbery The notes indicated that the man allegedly placed a bomb by the banks ATM which is located inside of the building earlier in the morning, and that if he drives off with no bills, he will set it off in 15 seconds, the police spokesman said after the incident. The NYPD released surveillance images of a red truck and its driver, taken from cameras in the vicinity of the bank, who is sought for questioning in the incident. People with information are encouraged to contact the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS) or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782 (PISTA). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Globeleq, the leading independent power producer in sub-Saharan Africa, has signed a joint development agreement with the Togolese government to develop a utility-scale renewable energy project. Under the terms of the agreement, Globeleq and the Togolese government intend to develop between 24MW and 30MW of reliable, low cost and 100% renewable energy to support Togo's industrial development policy. The project could take the form of a pure hydropower plant, a combined hydropower and solar power plant, or a solar power plant with large capacity battery storage. The development area of the project would be between Kara and Dapaong depending on the technological choice that will be made and will be connected to the Kara-Mango-Dapaong transmission line currently under construction. The agreement was signed in Lome on 5 December 2019 and will be developed on a PPP (public-private partnership) model. It is part of the National Development Plan 2018-2022 and is the concrete manifestation of the Government of Togo's desire to increase economic relations with the United Kingdom. Globeleq CEO Mike Scholey said: "We are delighted to be working with the Togolese government on this innovative project. It will bring new low-carbon power generation to northern Togo and promote development and growth in the region." The Togolese Minister of Mines and Energy, Dederiwe Ably-Bidamon, said, "Togo is resolutely committed to the promotion of renewable energies to ensure its energy independence and guarantee the low prices necessary for the industrial and job-creating policy desired by the President of the Republic. We are delighted to be able to move forward on this path with the support of Globeleq and, through it, of the British government." About Globeleq Globeleq is a leading developer, owner and operator of electricity generation in Africa. Its experienced team of professionals have built a diverse portfolio of IPPs, generating more than 1,400 MW in 13 locations across 5 countries. With an additional 305 MW in construction and around 2,000 MW of power projects in development Globeleq has a long-term commitment to the power sector in Africa. www.globeleq.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/612609/GLobeleq_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.globeleq.com SOURCE Globeleq SANTEE Southeast farmers can learn tips to maximize profitability of cotton and peanut crops at annual meetings planned by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service this month. The annual South Carolina Cotton Growers Meeting will be 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Santee Conference Center, 1737 Bass Drive, Santee, S.C. 27142. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. A dicamba training will be held after the meeting adjourns. The annual South Carolina Peanut Growers Meeting will follow on Jan. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the same location. Preregistration is not required for either event; lunch will be provided at both. Clemson University scientists will share the latest research results on pest management, precision agriculture, as well as variety updates. Extension economist Nathan Smith will provide market outlooks during both meetings. South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers will report on the state of South Carolina agriculture also during both meetings. The cotton meeting, sponsored by Clemson Extension and the South Carolina Cotton Board, also includes presentations and remarks from the state cotton board, the S.C. Department of Agriculture, Bayer CropScience, BASF, Americot and Phytogen. Attendees also will have opportunities to win door prizes. Participants will receive commercial and private applicator pesticide re-certification credits. Certified crop advisor credits also will be offered. For information on the cotton meeting, contact Michael Jones at 843-519-0477 or majones@clemson.edu. The peanut meeting also includes presentations on federal policy and remarks from the South Carolina Peanut Board, the Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association, the S.C. Department of Agriculture, the American Peanut Council, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University, the National Peanut Board, The Redding Firm of Washington, D.C., and The Spearman Agency of Tifton, Georgia. Updated copies of the Peanut Money-Maker 2020 Production Guide will be available. Continuing education and pesticide credits also will be available. Also during the peanut meeting, growers will have an opportunity to win grand prizes, including the use of a new model 74 series Kelley Manufacturing Company Peanut Combine for the 2020 peanut harvest season, with the option of purchasing the combine through an authorized Kelley Manufacturing dealer with $15,000 off the list price. Growers must visit the KMC booth for entry, and be certified as a peanut grower with an FSA farm number with a minimum of 75 peanut acres. The grand prize from Amadas is the use of a new 4-row or 6-row Amadas Peanut Digger/Inverter for the 2020 harvest season or $10,000 towards the purchase of a new Amadas self-propelled peanut combine or $5,000 towards the purchase of a new Amadas 4-row or 6-row pull-type peanut combine. 2019 commercial peanut growers who intend to plant peanuts in 2020 are eligible for this prize. Growers must be present to win. For information on the peanut meeting, contact Dan Anco at 803-284-3343 ext. 261, or danco@clemson.edu. Denise Attaway reports for Public Service and Agriculture in the Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Advertisement French president Emmanuel Macron today launched a furious English language attack on heavily armed Israeli security guards for following him into a French church in Jerusalem. The 42-year-old head of state erupted in anger after officers broke diplomatic protocol by walking into Saint Anne's, in the city's Old Town, on Wednesday. 'Everybody knows the rules,' Macron shouted. 'I don't like what you did in front of me. Go outside!' Macron shouted at israeli security: 'I don't like what you did in front of me. Go outside!' Macron arriving at St Anne's Church, which has belonged to France ever since the Ottoman Empire gave it to Napoleon III in 1856 as thanks for his support during the Crimean War. It was an echo of a similar row his predecessor Jacques Chirac had at the church in 1996. When an Israel official initially refused to move out of the church, Mr Macron said: 'You know the rules! Nobody, nobody, nobody has to provoke. 'We keep calm. We had a wonderful walk. You did a great job in the city, I do appreciate, guys, but please respect the rules as they are for centuries they will not change with me, I can tell you, so everybody respect the rules.' French President Emmanuel Macron was touring the Old City of Jerusalem today Macron is pictured during his trip to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City today Macron is pictured meeting priests at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is shared by six Christian denominations, during his trip to the Old City of Jerusalem today Macron is pictured standing in front of the altar at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem today Macron, pictured centre, is visiting Jerusalem's holy sites to mark the 75th anniversary of the Red Army's liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp Video footage of the row was circulated on social media. St Anne's Church has belonged to France ever since the Ottoman Empire gave it to Napoleon III in 1856 as thanks for his support during the Crimean War. Mr Macron is acutely aware of protocol in Jerusalem, which is claimed as a capital city by both Israel and Palestine. Macron, his security detail, and church officials, walk through an arch of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during his visit to Jerusalem's Old City earlier today Macron and priests talk in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre today in Jerusalem's Old City Macron greets locals during his visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre earlier today Macron is pictured praying at the Western Wall today in Jerusalem's Old City French President Emmanuel Macron, right, visits the Western wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in the Old City of Jerusalem today The French president shakes the hands of local children as he prepares to enter the Western Wall Tunnels Sites in Jerusalem's Old City today Surrounded by locals, Macron puts on a kippah and makes his way to the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City today Macron is pictured shaking the hands of Jewish people in the Old City of Jerusalem earlier today during his visit to commemorate the Holocaust It is also considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Mr Macron began a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, and hoped to avoid the controversies of past presidents. In 1996, the then conservative President Jacques Chirac visited St Anne's but refused to enter until Israeli security guards had left. Macron meets Muslims in Jerusalem today as he visits the al-Aqsa compound located in the Old City Locals present a gift to the French president during during his visit to the Dome of the Rock mosque inside the al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City today Macron grasps the hand of a local during his visit to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City today Macron receives a souvenir from locals in front of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City today Macron speaks with locals during his visit to the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City earlier today In 1996, the then conservative President Jacques Chirac had a similar row at the church Jacques Chirac visited St Anne's in 1996 but refused to enter until Israeli security had left Mr Chirac, who died last September, said the Israelis were being deliberately provocative and heavy-handed, and at one point threatened to get back on his plane to Paris. Mr Macron's two-day visit had included meetings to discuss the prospect of peace in the Middle East with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr Macron has frequently expressed his desire to renew the Israel-Palestine peace process, which stalled in 2014. But earlier this month, he said: 'I'm not going to come saying 'this is a peace plan' because it would only fail. I'm going to speak to the players, see what the conditions are. France always has a role to play and I don't think we're absent from the debates in the region.' Shamina Singh is executive vice-president of sustainability at payments giant Mastercard. Photo: Getty In the war for talent in the world of business, a company having a presence at LGBT pride events is important. But what happens the day after the parade is just as important, according to a top executive at payments giant Mastercard. If you want the smartest people and the best and the brightest to come work for you, then you will do the things necessary not only to make your business more successful, but to recruit and attract the best people to your business, said Shamina Singh, the executive vice-president of sustainability at Mastercard. Singh said: I think an organisation like a Mastercard, or any other company whether or not we march in a gay pride parade every day, the truth is, it's like: what happens after the parade? READ MORE: 'Racism isnt just a moral issue. This is a profit and loss issue' The Mastercard executive was speaking on a panel about being free to be LGBTI at the World Economic Forum in Davos. You're going to see on a gay pride day, you'll see every company from Walmart to Target to Mastercard to all of these organisations out there, she said, because it gives us as an employee an opportunity to stand up as a proud member of our community and as a proud worker for our company to say who we are, and that we are proud of who we are. "But I think the question to always ask is: what happens the day after the parade?" Singh said that actually feeling accepted in work, actually being paid the kind of salary you deserve, and working with managers and bosses who believe in you was often more important. "If you're working for a place that actually does pay you and believe in who you are and accept who you are and wants you to be your best self, then you kind of know you're working in the right place. And if you're not, if you don't feel that, then you're not working in the right place. And you'll be able to get another job. Singh called the ability to be your authentic self a God-given right. That's your freedom. The freedom to be you is the freedom to be whoever you want, whenever you want, however you want, doing whatever you want. The Supreme Court on Tuesday in an important ruling asked the Parliament to rethink on the power of the Speaker in deciding disqualification petitions, as the member continued to belong to a particular political party. A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said Parliament may "seriously consider" amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies as an arbiter of disputes concerning disqualification and suggested a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court. The judgment of the apex court while deciding the plea relating to the disqualification case of Forest and Environment Minister Th Shyamkumar of Manipur. The apex court has asked the Speaker of Legislative Assembly of Manipur to take a decision on Shyamkumar's disqualification within four weeks. "It is time for the Parliament to rethink on whether disqualification petitions ought to be entrusted to a Speaker as a quasi-judicial authority when such Speaker continues to belong to a particular political party either de jure or de facto," the top court said. "Parliament may seriously consider amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies as arbiter of disputes concerning disqualification which arise under the Tenth Schedule with a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court, or some other outside independent mechanism to ensure that such disputes are decided both swiftly and impartially, thus giving real teeth to the provisions contained in the Tenth Schedule, which are so vital in the proper functioning of our democracy," the verdict added. The court was hearing the petition filed by Congress MLA Keisham Meghachandra seeking disqualification of Shyamkumar after similar petitions filed at the High Court of Manipur were disposed of citing jurisdictional issue. Shyamkumar was elected to 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly from Andro AC on a Congress ticket in 2017 and later joined the BJP without resigning from Congress and helped BJP form a coalition government. He was sworn in as a Minister in the BJP-led coalition government. Congress MLAs had filed applications for the disqualification of Shyamkumar before the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly but no action was taken. The apex court deciding the issue said it can't quash the appointment of Shyamkumar as a minister of a cabinet led by a BJP government, as disqualification under the Tenth Schedule from being an MLA and consequently minister must first be decided by the exclusive authority (the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly). It also said the disqualification petition can't be decided by this Court in these appeals given the inaction of the Speaker. "The only relief that can be given in these appeals is that the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly be directed to decide the disqualification petitions pending before him within a period of four weeks from the date on which this judgment is intimated to him. In case no decision is forthcoming even after a period of four weeks, it will be open to any party to the proceedings to apply to this Court for further directions/reliefs in the matter," the apex court said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lebanon ended a painful wait by unveiling a new cabinet line-up, but the government was promptly scorned by protesters and faces the Herculean task of saving a collapsing economy. More than a month after he was designated with backing from the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and nearly three after his predecessor Saad Hariri resigned under pressure from the street, Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday announced his cabinet of 20 ministers. The academic and former education minister, who was little-known in Lebanon until last month, insisted in his first comments as premier that his cabinet was a technocratic one that would strive to meet protesters' demands. "This is a government that represents the aspirations of the demonstrators who have been mobilised nationwide for more than three months," he said. He said his government "will strive to meet their demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of embezzled funds, for the fight against illegal gains". Groups of demonstrators had gathered in the streets of Beirut before the cabinet was even unveiled, blocking off a main street in the centre of the capital where violent scuffles with the police left dozens wounded over the weekend. Close to the parliament building, protesters attempted to rip down barbed wire and throw stones at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon, an AFP journalist witnessed. The government, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday for the first time, includes the country's first-ever female defence minister, Zeina Akar, and five other women. The post of foreign minister, which had been held by President Michel Aoun's controversial son-in-law Gebran Bassil, was handed to respected diplomat Nassif Hitti. The new cabinet is made up of unfamiliar figures, many of them academics and former advisers, but protesters were quick to argue that the absence of the biggest names in Lebanon's widely reviled hereditary political elite was but a smokescreen. - 'Not serious' - "We want a new Lebanon, a Lebanon with no corruption," Charbel Kahi, a 37-year-old farmer, told AFP as fellow protesters beat drums behind him. "They are not taking the Lebanese people seriously with this government," he said. Diab admitted that "Lebanon is experiencing a difficult time in its history" and called for stability but within minutes of his address protesters were out in the streets of several cities, including Tripoli, Sidon and Byblos. Hilal Khashan, a professor at the American University of Beirut, argued that the idea of a genuinely technocratic government in Lebanon was "wishful thinking". "Behind every candidate, there is a political party backing their nomination," he said. Paula Yacoubian, a former journalist and independent MP, scorned the new line-up as "patches on old clothes". "Hassan Diab did not keep his promise of forming a government of independent" experts, she said. Diab, a 61-year-old engineering professor at the American University of Beirut and self-professed technocrat, had come under pressure on both the political and economic fronts. Every day that passed without a cabinet had fuelled the anger of protesters and tested the patience of foreign donors warning that the quasi-bankrupt state could ill afford further delays. - Mission impossible? - Donors and citizens are pinning their hopes on a new government to spearhead reforms, unlock billions in international aid and help stabilise a plummeting currency. "The task that awaits any cabinet during this serious period is Herculean," said Karim Mufti, a political scientist. "In view of the multidimensional nature of the crisis, it seems difficult to envisage short-term solutions to the country's financial, economic and social problems." A grinding dollar liquidity crisis and informal caps on withdrawals of the greenback have compounded the crisis, leaving Lebanon on the brink of default. The outgoing government included all of Lebanon's political factions, but Hariri's Sunni-dominated movement and some of his allies have opted to stay out of the new cabinet. This leaves the small country of six million led by a government dominated by the sanctions-hit Hezbollah movement and its allies. Both the Christian bloc of President Michel Aoun and the Shiite Amal party of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri are political allies of the Iran-backed organisation. Observers have warned that such a lopsided government could struggle to foster enough goodwill at home and abroad to implement much-needed reforms. Ms. Cline brings extensive banking experience into her new role. In her prior role as Universal Banker, she provided customer service to existing and prospective customers. Before joining BCT, Ms. Cline was Branch Banker with BB&T. Prior to that, Ms. Cline gained extensive financial service experience with Citibank where she served in the Unsecured Lending division as well as the Retail Credit Cards division. Alice Frazier, President and CEO of BCT stated, "Desiree has been a perfect addition to the BCT employee family and promoting her to Relationship Banker is the result of her leadership within the branch teams. As a 'Best Bank To Work For,' retaining and promoting high-performing employees like Desiree is a commitment we make to ensure we continue to provide exceptional customer experiences. I am pleased to see Desiree's success and resulting promotion." Community service is important to Ms. Cline. She currently serves on the Local School Improvement Council for Tuscarora Elementary School and will soon become an official Advocate for the Berkeley County Board of Education. Ms. Cline will also be serving as a volunteer for Read Aloud WV, and continue her volunteer efforts with the Jefferson County Fair and Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival. Past community service included serving with the Lighthouse Project while at BB&T. Ms. Cline is a Berkeley County, West Virginia native and a graduate of Martinsburg High School. She continues to live in the Berkeley County area with her husband, two children, and their family beagle. About the Company Founded in 1871, BCT - Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS). With approximately $505 million in assets as of September 30, 2019, the Company conducts operations through its main office, eight branch office facilities, and one loan production office in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties (WV), Washington County (MD), and Loudoun County (VA). The Bank provides various banking products and services including free access to over 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network plus online and mobile banking for individuals, businesses, and local governments. The Bank also offers commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans. The Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction to perm loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. For over 60 years, BCT Wealth Advisors has provided financial management, investment, trust, and estate services to its clients. In 2019, the Bank was named a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker. In 2018, Forbes named BCT a "Best In State Bank" for Maryland. The Company's shares are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." For more information about Potomac Bancshares, Inc. and the Bank, please visit our website at https://www.mybct.com. SOURCE BCT - Bank of Charles Town Related Links http://www.mybct.com YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament adopted at final reading the bill on criminalizing any association with criminal subculture. The amendments to the Criminal Procedures Code of Armenia and the Criminal Code of Armenia passed with 73 votes in favor, 20 against and 15 present. The opposition Bright Armenia (LHK) party announced it would vote present. The new law envisages criminal liability for granting or receiving criminal hierarchic status. Creating a group of criminal subculture, leading it, or participating in it will also be criminalized. The law aims at tackling the organized crime bosses known as thieves-in-law and other mafia-related activities such as racketeering. Creating or leading a group of criminal subculture will be a criminal offense punishable by 5-10 years imprisonment with the possibility of asset confiscation. Aggravated cases such as the involvement of minors, or committing the crime by abuse of official position or in the military or by a convicted prisoner, will be punishable by a 8-12 years imprisonment with the possibility of asset confiscation. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Based on the employer interests by a record number of participating gaming industry executives, Penn National was the first choice among 21.0 percent. Seminole Hard Rock, which held the top spot for the previous four years, finished second at 17.7 percent, followed by MGM Resorts International at 8.5 percent. MGM received the highest number of second-choice votes and Wynn Resorts received the highest number of third-choice votes among the 31 listed casino companies and standalone casino properties. "It is fascinating to watch our industry grow and evolve with the times. In 2019, we witnessed major properties change ownership, while many online gaming companies inked exciting new partnerships." said Ben Farber, President of Bristol Associates, a Los Angeles-based executive search firm. "Thanks to the engagement and participation of our peers, we have the ability to reflect on these changes and make improvements collectively." For the first time, the Casino Gaming Executive Satisfaction Survey asked participants to select their employer of choice in the combined igaming and sportsbook space. Hard Rock Casino ranked first at 18.6 percent, followed by William Hill at 14.9 percent and DraftKings at 12.5 percent. "We began this survey nearly two decades ago to serve as an accurate measurement of sentiment toward gaming employers by senior managers. The survey has accurately demonstrated a strong connection between corporate culture and earnings growth, which is precisely as it should be," said Michael Pollock, Managing Director of Spectrum Gaming Group, a global consulting firm. The survey also asked gaming executives about their level of optimism about the future of their careers, their level of employment satisfaction, preferred locations to work, work-life balance, and other important employment attributes of interest to gaming executives. The complete Casino Gaming Executive Satisfaction Survey Results Book is available at https://bristolassoc.com/casinogaming-survey-results-2019. Founded in 1967, Bristol Associates, Inc. (www.bristolassoc.com) is an executive search firm that has well established, successful recruitment practices in the following industries: Casino Gaming; Hotels and Resorts; Travel, Tourism, and Attractions; Facilities and Concessions; Food and Beverage Manufacturing; Restaurant; Healthcare; and Nonprofit. Bristol maintains one of the largest databases of executive talent in the industry. Typical searches in the Casino Gaming industry include key corporate and property-level executives within operations, finance and accounting, marketing, human resources, hospitality, information systems and development. Current searches and examples of completed searches can be found at https://www.bristolassoc.com/jobs/casino-gaming/. Spectrum Gaming Group is a non-partisan consultancy that specializes in the economics, regulation and policy of legalized gambling worldwide. They have provided independent research and professional services to public- and private-sector clients since 1993. Spectrum brings wide industry perspective to every engagement, having worked in 40 US states and territories and in 47 countries on six continents. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.spectrumgaming.com. SOURCE Spectrum Gaming Group Related Links http://www.spectrumgaming.com WASHINGTON President Trump suggested on Wednesday that he would be willing to consider cuts to social safety-net programs like Medicare to reduce the federal deficit if he wins a second term, an apparent shift from his 2016 campaign promise to protect funding for such entitlements. The president made the comments on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Despite promises to reduce the federal budget deficit, it has ballooned under Mr. Trumps watch as a result of sweeping tax cuts and additional government spending. Asked in an interview with CNBC if cuts to entitlements would ever be on his plate, Mr. Trump answered yes. At some point they will be, Mr. Trump said, before pointing to United States economic growth. At the right time, we will take a look at that. - Strive Masiyiwa, a UK-based billionaire has offered to pay the salaries of Zimbabwean doctors who have been on strike for 4 months - Reports indicate that the strike action has been the longest in the history of the country - Strive Masiyiwa offered to pay the doctors 3 times their salaries with other benefits for 6 months Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Zimbabwes junior doctors have agreed to return to work, ending a strike that has lasted for over four months, after they accepted an offer from a Zimbabwean telecoms billionaire Strive Masiyiwa. Citinewsroom.com reports that the strike was the longest in the history of Zimbabwe and caused the public healthcare system to crumble. The UK-based billionaire is set to pay the doctors three times what they used to earn when they were being paid by the government. READ ALSO: Couple hold wedding with only 10 people in attendance In addition to the salaries, the doctors would also get free transportation to and from work. Each doctor would be paid a subsistence allowance of about $300 (230) and provide them with transport to work, through the fund he set up. Reports indicate that a large majority of the doctors on strike were earning less than $100 a month. Strive Masiyiwa has agreed to fund the striking doctors for six long months but it is not clear what would happen after the period ends. The strike has reportedly ended the lives of an unknown number of people. The senior doctors association in Zimbabwe have called the entire development as a 'silent genocide'. READ ALSO: Beautiful intern doctor gets murdered by her boyfriend; mother can't keep calm In other news, an amazing couple has gotten married with only 10 individuals present to witness the event as beautiful pictures have surfaced on social media. In a post sighted by YEN.com.gh, the couple got married with only the small number of witnesses in order to save money. The move appears to be a bold and brave one as the wedding would likely be criticized by close friends and extended family members who did not get the chance to be invited. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Ghanaian Traders Share Thoughts on Sales During Christmas | #Yencomgh Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh JEFFERSON CITY Missouri officials are making plans for a possible visit next week by Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education. Although her office has not confirmed the trek to the capital city, DeVos is expected to be announced as the keynote speaker at an event organized by a conservative legal organization. The Federalist Societys annual Missouri conference is slated for Monday in the House chambers. An announcement on the keynote speaker is expected to come on Friday. The schedule includes speeches from statewide officials and panel discussions, including one on school choice. The school choice session will be moderated by U.S. District Judge Sarah Pitlyk, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a post serving Missouris eastern district over the objections of opponents who said she is not qualified. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The cellphone of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was hacked in what appeared to be an attempt by Saudi Arabias crown prince to influence, if not silence the newspapers reporting on the kingdom, two U.N. human rights experts said Wednesday. The U.N. experts called for an immediate investigation by the United States into a report commissioned by Bezos that showed the billionaire technology moguls phone was likely hacked after he received an MP4 video file sent from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans WhatsApp account after the two men exchanged phone numbers during a dinner in Los Angeles in 2018. The video file was sent to Bezos phone five months before Saudi critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by Saudi government agents inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October. At the time, the crown prince was being widely hailed for ushering in major social reforms to the kingdom, but Khashoggi was writing columns in the Post that highlighted the darker side of Prince Mohammeds simultaneous clampdown on dissent. The Post was harshly critical of the Saudi government after Khashoggis killing and demanded accountability in a highly public campaign that ran in the paper for weeks after his death. The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia, the independent U.N. experts said. At a time when Saudi Arabia was supposedly investigating the killing of Mr. Khashoggi, and prosecuting those it deemed responsible, it was clandestinely waging a massive online campaign against Mr. Bezos and Amazon targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post, the experts said. Bezos first went public about the hack last year. He said the National Enquirer tabloid, whose owner has ties to the crown prince, was threatening to publish Bezos private messages and photos if he didnt stop a private investigation hed sought into the hacking of his phone. Iyad el-Baghdadi, an activist who worked with Bezos investigators, told The Associated Press it appears the hacking was about free speech. Its not about trying to compromise a businessman for business purposes, he said. Its not about Amazon, its about The Washington Post. Saudi Arabias foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, called the hacking allegations absolutely illegitimate. There was no information in there thats relevant. There was no substantiation, there was no evidence, he told an AP reporter at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It was purely conjecture, and if there is real evidence, we look forward to seeing it. The independent experts, Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, were appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council. They published their statement after reviewing the report conducted by FTI Consulting, which was hired by Bezos security adviser to manage the investigation. The report was published in full exclusively by VICEs Motherboard later on Wednesday. The digital forensic investigation assessed with medium to high confidence that Bezos phone was infiltrated on May 1, 2018, via the video file sent from the crown princes WhatsApp account. The U.N. experts said that records showed that within hours of receiving the video from Prince Mohammeds account, there was an anomalous and extreme change in phone behaviour with enormous amounts of data being transmitted and exfiltrated from the phone, undetected, over months. The report stated that Bezos phone was compromised possibly via tools procured by Saud al-Qahtani, the former adviser to the crown prince who was sanctioned by the U.S. for his suspected role in orchestrating the operation that killed Khashoggi. Saudi Arabias justice system found al-Qahtani not guilty of any wrongdoing in the killing. A judge sentenced five people to death and sentenced three others to a combined 24 years in prison in December for Khashoggis slaying. Al-Qahtani was also head of Saudi Arabias cybersecurity federation and allegedly behind campaigns that created artificially-trending tweets to attack the princes perceived enemies, rally support around the leadership and stymie criticism on social media. The full investigative report, reviewed by The Associated Press, found that due to end-to-end encryption, it was virtually impossible to decrypt the contents of the downloader to determine if it did indeed have any malicious code. Saudi Arabia has already been accused of spying in America in a case involving Twitter. U.S. prosecutors in California allege that the Saudi government, frustrated by growing criticism of its leaders and policies on social media, recruited two Twitter employees to gather confidential personal information on thousands of accounts that included prominent opponents. Adam S. Hickey, deputy assistant attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justices National Security Division, would not confirm or deny a U.S. investigation of the latest allegations was underway, but said we investigate nation state-sponsored hacking all the time. Separately, a Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, said presidential adviser Jared Kushner has communicated with the Saudi crown prince on WhatsApp. Bezos visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 to meet with Prince Mohammed before the two men met again during the princes tour of the United States in 2018. The billionaire had been looking for a site in the Middle East to expand Amazons cloud services. The company ultimately selected the island nation of Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia. During that time, Amazon had already expanded into the Middle East with its 2017 purchase of e-commerce website Souq.com, which is a competitor of Noon.com, a platform launched that same year and is heavily funded by Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, which is overseen by the crown prince. Bezos went public last February after allegedly being shaken down by the National Enquirer, which he said threatened to expose a below-the-belt selfie hed taken and other private messages and pictures hed exchanged with a woman he was dating while he was still married. Bezos wrote in a lengthy piece for the Medium that rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, Ive decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten. While he did not accuse Saudi Arabias crown prince of being behind the hacking of his phone, he noted that the owner of the National Enquirer had been investigated for various actions taken on behalf of the Saudi government. Bezos chief investigator, Gavin De Becker, went further, saying in a published report last March that the investigation concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone, and gained private information. In a piece for The Daily Beast he outlined in detail what he said was the crown princes close relationship with David Pecker, the chairman of AMI, which is the parent company of the National Enquirer. The investigation said that any number of cyber weapons could have been used, including Israeli spyware firm NSO Groups Pegasus. The firms wares have been used by governments to target journalists in Mexico, opposition figures in Panama and human rights activists from the Middle East. The U.N. experts said Bezos phone hacking occurred during a period in which the phones of two close associates of Khashoggi were also hacked, allegedly using the Pegasus malware. In response, the company denied involvement in Bezos phone hack and said its technology was not used in this instance. ___ Associated Press writers David Rising and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Jamey Keaten in Davos, Switzerland, Chris Den Hond in Paris and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report. "Why debate with them? Debate with me," said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday after Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav for a debate on the newly enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Addressing a gathering in Karimnagar, the Lok Sabha MP said that he is ready for a debate on the CAA, the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "You should debate with me. I am here. Why debate with them? The debate should be with a bearded man. I can debate with them on CAA, NPR and NRC," he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Tuesday attended a BJP party event in Lucknow where he said that the Opposition is spreading rumours about the CAA. "I have come to you for a Jan Jagaran Abhiyan in Lucknow. Our government is hardly 8 months old but we are conducting this campaign to dispell the falsities being spread by the opposition against CAA. I challenge Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav to engage in a debate on CAA," he said. But while Greater Clements deploys the grinding gears of melodrama to wear down its doomed characters, Paris takes an almost flatline approach to the unhappy existences it portrays. Yes, these people explode in fits of temper on a regular basis; they taunt and insult and scrap with one another; and at least one of them is involved in dangerously illegal activities. Yet suspense rarely makes an appearance in this realistically acted, astutely written play, which is directed with a very even hand by Knud Adams. An ever-corrosive anxiety the kind that comes from never knowing if this weeks paycheck will cover this weeks living expenses is in the oxygen of Berrys. And it leaves those working in its airless confines (evoked mercilessly by David Zinns gloomy set) in a state of depleted resignation. This includes the stores newest staff member, Emmie. As embodied by the appealing newcomer Jules Latimer, in a bravely affectless performance, Emmie (birth name: Emaani) has the self-effacing mien of someone who aspires to invisibility. As it turns out, this is a not a state she has to work hard to achieve. Emmie is black. And though she has lived most of her life in Paris, a small and insular town, and also works at a popular local bar (called Blonde Jovi), none of her fellow employees can remember having seen her before. Racism is seldom openly acknowledged in Paris; it is instead a stealthy, insistent part of its general climate. Gar (Eddie K. Robinson), the store manager who hires Emmie in the plays first scene, is also black. But that doesnt necessarily mean hes her ally. A man convicted of drug trafficking last week by a federal jury in Casper is linked to a stash house raid in California that turned up more than 130 pounds of drugs, federal prosecutors say. The federal jury early Friday evening in Casper convicted Arnold D. Butler, 53, of Rio Linda, California, of five drug trafficking crimes following a May traffic stop of his tow truck. On May 14, investigators working on the side of Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne found a drug shipment totaling more than 50 pounds of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine inside a hidden compartment located in the back of a salvage title sedan Butler was carrying on his truck. Butler told investigators at the scene that a person whose name he did not know had asked him to take the sedan to Nebraska. At the end of the weeklong trial, jurors took about five hours to find in favor of the government. Butler awaits sentencing, and federal guidelines listed in court documents call for him to serve a minimum of 15 years imprisonment. Proceedings, however, continue in California. The man accused of operating the Sacramento stash house which, prosecutors there say, had almost 100 pounds of meth inside, in addition to about 30 pounds of other illegal drugs has not yet been tried in the case. The criminal complaint that alleges Armando C. Tabarez ran the stash house states that he faces a count of possession to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Court documents do not indicate if prosecutors have convened a grand jury to indict Tabarez on further charges. The complaint, though, does indicate that authorities began investigating Tabarez only after an informant tipped off the government to a tie to the Wyoming arrest. In the document, an FBI agent states that a person facing criminal charges in a separate drug case told the bureau about two weeks after the Wyoming arrest that Butler and Tabarez were connected. The informant whom the complaint does not identify by name told investigators that Tabarez was coordinating drug runs between Sacramento and southern California. Drug Enforcement Administration agents also found text messages between Butler and Tabarez, according to court documents, that showed them planning for a drug run days before the Wyoming traffic stop. The informant told investigators as well that Tabarez was operating the stash house in Sacramento, according to the documents. The court filing states that the next day, FBI agents began surveilling the lakefront apartment in Sacramento that doubled as a drug den. Tabarez, according to the documents, had another man rent the apartment under his name and was therefore not connected in the paperwork associated with that address. However, the phone number that federal agents say Tabarez used to text Butler was listed on paperwork that Tabarez had provided to the state of California in connection with his ongoing parole in a different case. About a half week after the FBI began surveilling the Sacramento apartment, agents spotted Tabarez carrying a cardboard box into the house, the documents state. When Tabarez left the stash house the same morning, a local drug task force officer tried to pull over the minivan he was driving. The documents state, though, that Tabarez instead sped off. Pursuing law enforcement saw Tabarez abandon the minivan about a mile and a half from the alleged stash house, where, according to the documents, he jumped into the Sacramento River while carrying a plastic grocery bag and a cellphone. As agents watched and shouted from the shore, he emptied two large zip-close bags of what appeared to be methamphetamine into the river, the documents state. Police found two cellphones on the shore of the river and a third in the minivan, according to the documents. Also in the minivan, law enforcement found more than $15,000 cash, the documents state. After searching the apartment, investigators say they found about 130 pounds of illegal drugs, mostly methamphetamine, but also heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Also inside the apartment were drug-packaging paraphernalia, including scales, bags and a cocaine cutting agent, the documents state. Although Tabarez was not indicted in the Wyoming proceedings, lawyers discussed his ongoing case before jurors. During Mondays opening statements, U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen said that Butler was an experienced drug runner who investigators cellphone tracking indicated likely had run drugs from southern California to a Tabarezs stash house in Sacramento. Butler did not contest at trial that the drugs were found in the car. However, after a failed pre-trial attempt to keep evidence of the drugs from jurors, claiming that the traffic stop was illegal, Butlers lawyer argued that his client did not know the drugs were inside the vehicle. Keith Nachbar, the defense lawyer who represented Butler at trial, told jurors that Butler and Tabarez were connected, but not via the drug trade. They were long-term friends and unrelated to drug smuggling, Nachbar said during his opening statement. Tabarezs legal issues were his own, the lawyer said. In a written statement issued Tuesday, Klaassen who prosecuted the case against Butler along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Sprecher called for continued drug enforcement on Wyoming roads. Unfortunately our highways are being used by drug traffickers to bring addictive substances from smuggling gateways in places like California to distribute them across the nation, in some cases using commercial vehicles to disguise their illegal cargo, Klaassen said. We must continue our efforts at all levels of law enforcement to disrupt this flow and protect our communities. Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 7 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sana Shakil By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday clarified that disclosing information under the National Population Register (NPR) is voluntary and not mandatory. The clarification came from Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy who also said that the Centre will keep sensitising states over NPR, which along with CAA-NRC, has caused countrywide protests. The clarification comes at a time when several states, including Kerala and West Bengal, have opposed NPR, saying it is a prelude to a countrywide NRC. Speaking to journalists, Reddy said, Disclosure of information in NPR is voluntary only, said Reddy, adding NPR is a constitutional obligation and state governments should not oppose it. He pointed out that NPR was first initiated by the Congress-led UPA in 2010 and it is a constitutional obligation. The minister also said the central government will keep sensitising states about various aspects of the NPR exercise that will be carried out along with the house-listing phase of the Census 2021 from April 1 to September 30, 2020. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed to her counterparts in the Northeast and non-BJP states to carefully study the NPR form, its questions and criteria before taking a decision on updating it. The Kerala government has announced that it will implement the census exercise but will not cooperate on NPR. The NPR exercise conducted in 2010 and updated in 2015 collected details on 14 parameters, but the upcoming NPR will seek details more parameters, which includes some new columns, seeking details on mothers tongue, place of birth of parents, and last place of residence along with other information like Aadhaar (optional), voter ID card, passport, mobile phone and driving licence numbers. The government on Tuesday also asserted that census data is confidential and guaranteed under the law and those violating it will be punished. In a series of tweets, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) said 2021 would be the first-ever census to be conducted with a mixed-mode approach a mobile app (created in-house by RGI office). While confidentiality about your data is guaranteed by Census Act, 1948, the same law specifies a penalty for both public and census officials for non-compliance or violation of any provision of the Act, the RGI said. HARTFORD The public will have to wait a few more days for a glimpse of the final draft of the 10-year, $19 billion transportation package. Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday submitted their final revisions to the Legislative Commissioners Office to be drafted for a public hearing next week. Senate President Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said a Tuesday afternoon meeting between legislative leaders and the chairs of the Transportation Committee would help nail down ideas that existed in concept, but need to be reduced to statutory language. There will be a five-day public notice period before a public hearing is held, according to the rules of the General Assembly. No final bill has been drafted yet, but its expected to be ready in time for a public hearing next week. The thing that we are worried about since we are not in regular session and we are a part-time legislature there are people who have other plans and a vote of this kind is one we dont want anyone to miss, Looney said Tuesday. Connecticut has 22 Democratic senators, which means 18 of them would need to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass. We have to schedule it at a time when we can get everyone here, Looney said. He said both chambers will have to do a careful headcount to schedule a vote. Looney declined to commit to pulling together a special session before the start of the regular session on Feb. 5. Asked if he was concerned about Rhode Islands recent revision to its spending from truck-only tolls, Looney said their plan is still only to have tolls on large trucks on bridges. Connecticuts plan is exactly the same as Rhode Islands when it comes to the size of the trucks it would toll and the number of gantries it expects to erect. On Monday, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondos new budget reduced the amount of toll revenue it planned to use from $25 million to just $8.5 million. As of last month, five of the 12 planned toll gantries in Rhode Island were in operation. Thats half the number the Rhode Island Department of Transportation had expected under a schedule released back in May. Connecticut legislative leaders have said they expect Connecticuts truck-only tolls to raise about $150 million to $175 million per year. That toll revenue is then expected to help Connecticut leverage federal loans. Federal loans if they are even granted are going to have to be repaid, said Joe Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut. If truck toll revenue is not there, it will have to come from car tolls, or increased income taxes, or sales taxes, or gas taxes, or all of the above. Democratic lawmakers have vowed to include language in the legislation that would make it clear they have no intention of tolling passenger vehicles. Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh (Photo: VNA) Vietnams participation in the event aims to promote the countrys achievements in socio-economic development and global integration while introducing its development orientations and policies to encourage other nations, partners and large businesses to bolster cooperation with Vietnam. The 50th WEF meeting has drawn nearly 3,000 delegates from 117 countries, including 53 heads of states and governments, along with presidents and managing directors of 1,000 partner companies and members. It aims to support governments and international organisations in monitoring the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and to discuss technology and trade governance./. We invite all vendors to register on the Empire State Purchasing Group to start receiving business opportunities. The Town of Mamaroneck announced it has joined the Empire State Purchasing Group and will be publishing and distributing upcoming bid opportunities on the system. BidNets Empire State Purchasing Group connects participating agencies from across New York to a large vendor pool and streamlines the bid and vendor management process. BidNets New York purchasing group provides notification to registered vendors of new relevant solicitations, any addenda and award information from participating agencies from across New York. The Town of Mamaroneck joined the purchasing group in December. The Town of Mamaroneck will utilize the system to streamline the purchasing process including bid management, bid distribution and vendor relations. The Empire State Purchasing Group is a single, online location for managing sourcing information and activities and provides local New York government agencies the tools needed to minimize costs and save time throughout the purchasing process. The Empire State Purchasing Group expands an agencys vendor pool and enhances vendor competition without increasing distribution costs. In addition to the existing vendors on the Empire State Purchasing Group, all vendors looking to do business with the Town of Mamaroneck can register online: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york. The Town of Mamaroneck invites all interested bidders to register today. Registered vendors can access all open bids, related documents and files, additional addendum and award information. In addition, the Empire State Purchasing Group offers a value-added service to notify vendors of new bids targeted to their industry, all addenda and advance notification of expiring term contracts. Registered vendors have access to not only the Town of Mamaroneck bid opportunities, but all participating agency bids. Our vendors can now save time and paper. They not only have direct access to our open bids, but those from other agencies throughout the state. We invite all vendors to register on the Empire State Purchasing Group to start receiving business opportunities, stated Lindsey Luft, Assistant to the Town Administrator of the Town of Mamaroneck. Vendors may register on the Empire State Purchasing Group: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york. BidNets vendor support team is available to answer any questions regarding the registration process or the bid system at 800-835-4603 option 2. Other local New York government agencies looking to switch from a manual bid process, please contact the Empire State Purchasing Group for a demonstration of the no-cost sourcing solution. About the Town of Mamaroneck: The Town of Mamaroneck is located in southern Westchester County, New York with a population of roughly 29,000 residents. The operating budget for the Town is $42 million, which includes funding for capital projects. The Town prides itself on the quality of services that it provides to residents. About the Empire State Purchasing Group: The Purchasing Group is a part of BidNets regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. With years of input from procurement professionals, BidNet specifically developed the bid system to fill the need for a robust bid and supplier management solution for local government agencies. BidNet runs regional purchasing groups across all 50 states that are used by over 1,300 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello says he will not negotiate with bandits as his administration would deal ruthlessly with all criminal elements in the state. The warning was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mohammed Onogwu, during the North Central/Nigeria Police Regional Security Summit held at Taal Conference Centre in Lafia, Nasarawa state on Wednesday. The summit according to the statement was to deliberate and strategize on how to overcome insecurity through community policing. The theme of the summit was: Strategic Partnership for Effective Community Policing in the North-Central Zone/FCT. Read Also: Buhari Is Most Democratic President I Have Seen: Yahaya Bello The governor stressed that with the cooperation of the security agencies, traditional rulers and citizens of the state, the state dealt with insecurity which was common place before his administration and has become one of the safest states in Nigeria today. Bello said his government will deal ruthlessly with those who want to cause unrest, adding that they have never discriminated against group in the country. BRBY Information Filter by Category All Company Announcement - General Additional Listing AIM Admission AIM Notice Base Rate Change Block Listing Interim Review Capital Reorganisation Change of Name Conversion of Securities Drilling/Production Report Final Announcement Released Geographical Distribution Intention to Float Issue of Debt Issue of Equity Joint Venture Net Asset Value Portfolio Update Price Monitoring Extension Product Launch Publication of a Prospectus Publication of Final Terms Research Update Restoration Rights Issue Stabilisation Notice Statement Suspension Tender Offer Trading Statement Treasury Stock All Mergers, Acquisitions and Disposals Acquisition Merger Form 8 (DD) Form 8 (OPD) Form 8.3 Form 8.5 (EPT/NON-RI) Form 8.5 (EPT/RI) Form 8.6 Rule 2.9 Announcement Offer By Offer For Offer Update All Results and Trading Reports 1st Quarter Results 3rd Quarter Results AGM Statement Annual Report Final Results Half-year Report Notice of Results Result of AGM Result of EGM Result of Equity Issue Result of General Meeting Result of Tender Offer Syndicate Results All Dividends Dividend Declaration Dividend Currency Election All Executive Changes Directorate Change Change of Adviser Change of Registered Office All Directors' Dealings Director/PDMR Shareholding All Advance Notice of Results Notice of AGM Notice of GM Notice of EGM Notice of Results All Non-Regulatory News All Transaction in Own Shares All Holding(s) in Company Total Voting Rights Notification of Major Holdings The UN has approved India's proposal to ensure that applications by NGOs seeking consultative status with the world body's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are not from individuals and entities proscribed by the The move will guarantee that persons and entities banned by the UNSC are not associated with the world body. Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Paulomi Tripathi welcomed the decision of the UN's NGO Committee to include additional screening questions for the NGOs seeking consultative status with the ECOSOC. The additional screening is related to the NGOs' possible associations with entities and individuals sanctioned by the "We are glad that India's proposal to corroborate the NGO applications with the sanctions list of the before granting consultative status has resulted in this important first step in strengthening the review process by the Committee," Tripathi said during an intervention at the regular session of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs on Tuesday. Tripathi underscored that the aim is to ensure that NGOs affiliated with individuals and entities proscribed by the UN Security Council shall not enter into a Consultative Status with the ECOSOC. She said the additional information received through the amended questionnaire will help in verifying the NGO applications with the sanctions list of the UN Security Council before granting consultative status. "This step addresses a gap in the method of exercising due diligence while granting consultative status. It also seeks to bring the work of the NGO Committee in alignment with the measures taken by the Security Council on behalf of all UN Member States," she said. She cited two instances in July 2017 and in June 2019 when the Committee's decision to grant Consultative Status to two organizations had to be reversed by the ECOSOC, based on information received about their alleged terror links. In July 2017, the ECOSOC decided against granting consultative status to Foundation Alkarama, following objections by the United Arab Emirates over the group's alleged ties to terrorists. India supported the decision by the UN council to deny granting consultative status to the Geneva-based human rights NGO that had been declared a terrorist organisation by the UAE and whose founder had been sanctioned by the US and the UN. The ECOSOC had decided not to endorse the NGO Committee's May 2017 recommendation for special consultative status to Alkarama. In June 2019, the NGO Committee's decision to grant Consultative Status to Palestinian Association for Human Rights Witness' was also reversed after Israel said the organisation did not disclose its ties with Hamas. India voted in favour of the decision introduced by Israel in ECOSOC that objected to granting consultative status to the Palestinian NGO. Following the vote, a press release by Israel's Permanent Mission to the UN said that the Palestinian organisation, registered in Lebanon under the name "Witness", ostensibly dealt with the rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. However, Israel's security establishment revealed that Witness belongs to the Hamas movement and acts on its behalf against Israel as part of a network of institutions and organisations the terrorist organisation operates outside the Gaza Strip. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an order declaring "Witness" a terrorist organisation. Referring to the two cases, Tripathi said such situations called for further strengthening of scrutiny of NGO applications at the Committee itself, before they are recommended for consultative status. Emphasizing that non-governmental organisations with consultative status contribute to the work of the in a significant way, Tripathi described it as a partnership based on trust between the UN and the NGOs, as well as the NGOs and the communities whose voices they represent. "It is in this spirit of trust that the Committee seeks further information from the NGOs regarding their possible linkages with individuals and entities in UNSC Consolidated List. "We believe that only through such collective commitment to combat terrorism, we can ensure that no individual or entity sanctioned by the UNSC can enter into a relationship of trust with the The current measure also ensures that greater scrutiny does not pose any hindrance in the process of granting consultative status." Consultative status to an NGO is granted by the ECOSOC upon recommendation of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, which is composed of member states. The Committee on NGOs reviews new applications for consultative status twice a year, in January ('regular session') and in May ('resumed session'). The Committee does not decide but only recommends. These recommendations, contained in one report for the January session and one report for the May session, are reviewed by ECOSOC in June and July respectively. In most cases, ECOSOC decides to approve the recommendations made to it by the NGO Committee. In very rare cases, it does not. The United Nations' peace operations are changing. This is true of a range of operations, from special political missions and peacebuilding offices to multidimensional peace efforts. This reflects the fact that the UN Security Council has always adapted to new forms of conflict and to new security environments, expanding the notion of security in its resolutions. As a result, peacekeeping has adapted to suit the purpose and methods of its time. Until the end of the 1980s, peacekeeping was mainly a tool to help end interstate conflicts. These included the Suez crisis, the conflict between India and Pakistan and that between Israel and Syria over the Golan heights. The exceptions were civil wars in the Congo and Lebanon. Since then, UN peacekeeping has become mainly an imperfect tool to help solve intrastate conflicts like those in Angola, Somalia, Cambodia and elsewhere. Exceptions have been the conflicts between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2000 and the civil unrest in Haiti in 2004. Peace operations are now becoming entangled in conflicts with regional and transnational dimensions. These very often involve a proliferation of armed groups (both rebel and criminal). Many are in conflict with the host countries. As a result, the relationship between peacekeepers and host states has been more complicated. Many don't see an interest in complying with the mandate of the UN, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo under former president Joseph Kabila, or in Mali. Moreover, peace operations have become, more than ever before, playgrounds for the political interests of China, France, Russia and the US, whether allied with regional actors or not. Some of the operations have become bases for creating new spheres of influence or strengthening existing ones, like in Central Africa and Mali. This power struggle is not helping peace operations deliver on their various complex mandates. New direction For a few years now, UN peace operations have stood at a crossroads. Do they continue with expensive missions with little peace to keep, but which provide much-needed confidence and security in the world's most difficult contexts? Or do they opt for less ambitious and more achievable objectives, which would place more responsibility on other actors (national, regional, parallel forces) to shore up basic security in trying to find a path to peace? In 2019, peace operations seem to have taken the second path, shifting away from large, multidimensional, conflict management operations. The reasons for this shift include political and budgetary pressures the kind of investments member states and the Security Council are willing to make as well as structural reforms. The number of personnel deployed in UN peacekeeping has slowly been decreasing. In April 2015 the UN was responsible for 107,800 soldiers and police officers worldwide. It now has only 83,669 uniformed personnel deployed. Four missions have been closed Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia and two in Haiti). Despite this, the UN is today the second largest single deployer of troops in the world after the United States. Divisions within the Security Council have also affected the delivery of mandates, and have weakened the relationships between various missions and their host states. As pointed out by Arthur Boutellis, a senior advisor at the International Peace Institute, in a recent paper, a number of peacekeeping missions did not enjoy unanimously supported mandates. And cracks have started to occur among the United States, the United Kingdom and France, all permanent members of the Security Council, on some missions. Adaptability UN bodies should recalibrate peacekeeping operations to accord with the level of investment member states are willing to provide. This would, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, help This means that multidimensional peacekeeping seems to be behind us as it has become too expensive for the UN. It contradicts the push for dramatic financial cuts to make peacekeeping more nimble. The political missions that are likely to take over from the multidimensional missions in Darfur in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and in Hodeida, Yemen all show the wide array of tools the UN has at its disposal, and the spectrum its conflict resolution and conflict management is covering. As pointed out by a recent United Nations University report, another example is the task force established in Burkina Faso by the UN resident coordinator, the UN country team and the UN Office in Western Africa and the Sahel to reinforce conflict prevention and peacebuilding capacities in key areas. It is supported by the UN's Peace-building Fund. This example shows another innovative way the UN can work. Such an approach is yet more proof of the adaptability of the UN system. As was the effort in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to deal with the Ebola pandemic in 20142015 the UN's first emergency health mission. Another is the strengthened coordination established in the Beni region of the DRC with the World Health Organisation in May 2019. This breadth of tools and this spectrum of crisis resolution and management is an asset that makes the UN unique. It enables a truly global approach in dealing with crises and conflicts. The more the UN is able to use these tools and the systems attached to them, the more flexible it will be in adapting to evolving challenges. The transitions in Haiti and Darfur, and the evolving situation in Burkina Faso, will serve as a reality check for the new secretariat's nimble approach to maintaining international peace and security. This article is a shortened version of the one published in December 2019 for the NYU Center on International Cooperation's Peace Operations Review 2019. Alexandra Novosseloff is a non resident senior fellow at the International Peace Institute and at the NYU Center for Cooperation. She is also an independent consultant on UN issues. By Alexandra Novosseloff, Chercheure-associee au Centre Thucydide, Universite Paris 2 Pantheon-Assas Presently, Earth is the only known location where life exists in the Universe. This year the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to three astronomers who proved, almost 20 years ago, that planets are common around stars beyond the solar system. Life comes in various forms, from cell-phone-toting organisms like humans to the ubiquitous micro-organisms that inhabit almost every square inch of the planet Earth, affecting almost everything that happens on it. It will likely be some time before it is possible to measure or detect life beyond the solar system, but the solar system offers a host of sites that might get a handle on how hard it is for life to start. Mars is at the top of this list for two reasons. First, it is relatively close to Earth compared to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter (which are also considered good candidates for discovering life beyond Earth in the solar system, and are targeted for exploration in the coming decade). Second, Mars is extremely observable because it lacks a thick atmosphere like Venus, and so far, there are pretty good evidence that Mars' surface temperature and pressure hovers around the point liquid water--considered essential for life--can exist. Further, there is good evidence in the form of observable river deltas, and more recent measurements made on Mars' surface, that liquid water did in fact flow on Mars billions of years ago. Scientists are becoming increasingly convinced that billions of years Mars was habitable. Whether it was in fact inhabited, or is still inhabited, remains hotly debated. To better constrain these questions, scientists are trying to understand the kinds of water chemistry that could have generated the minerals observed on Mars today, which were produced billions of years ago. Salinity (how much salt was present), pH (a measure of how acidic the water was), and redox state (roughly a measure of the abundance of gases such as hydrogen [H2, which are termed reducing environments] or oxygen [O2, which are termed oxidising environments; the two types are generally mutually incompatible]) are fundamental properties of natural waters. As an example, Earth's modern atmosphere is highly oxygenated (containing large amounts of O2), but one need only dig a few inches into the bottom of a beach or lake today on Earth to find environments which are highly reduced. Recent remote measurements on Mars suggest its ancient environments may provide clues about Mars' early habitability. Specifically, the properties of pore water within sediments apparently deposited in lakes in Gale Crater on Mars suggest these sediments formed in the presence of liquid water which was of a pH close to that of Earth's modern oceans. Earth's oceans are of course host to myriad forms of life, thus it seems compelling that Mars' early surface environment was a place contemporary Earth life could have lived, but it remains a mystery as to why evidence of life on Mars is so hard to find. Reference: Keisuke Fukushi1*, Yasuhito Sekine1,2, Hiroshi Sakuma3, Koki Morida4 & Robin Wordsworth5, Semiarid climate and hyposaline lake on early Mars inferred from reconstructed water chemistry at Gale, Nature Communications, DOI?10.1038/s41467-019-12871-6 1 Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. 2 Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan. 3 National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. 4 Division of Natural System, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. 5 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of "monotsukuri," meaning "technical ingenuity and innovation," the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research. The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) is one of Japan's ambitious World Premiere International research centers, whose aim is to achieve progress in broadly inter-disciplinary scientific areas by inspiring the world's greatest minds to come to Japan and collaborate on the most challenging scientific problems. ELSI's primary aim is to address the origin and co-evolution of the Earth and life. The World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) was launched in 2007 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to help build globally visible research centers in Japan. These institutes promote high research standards and outstanding research environments that attract frontline researchers from around the world. These centers are highly autonomous, allowing them to revolutionize conventional modes of research operation and administration in Japan. Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research since it was founded in 1949 as the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast. The University has 3 colleges and 17 schools, 7 graduate schools offering courses in subjects from humanities and social sciences to natural sciences and life sciences. The University is located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa - a city where tradition and innovation are existing in harmony. Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,100 students including over 650 from overseas. Astrobiology Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter. Pearland officers took 10 people into custody recently on drug-related charges, according to reports from the citys police department. Police charged a Houston man, 39, with marijuana possession and DWI Jan. 13 in the 13600 block of Broadway Street. A Pearland man, 41, was charged with possession of a controlled substance Jan. 13 in the 2600 block of Country Club Drive, police said. Police charged a Houston man, 31, with possession of a controlled substance and DWI Jan. 14 in the 10800 block of Shadow Creek Parkway. A 46-year-old Fresno woman was taken into custody on charges of possession of a controlled substance and DWI Jan. 15 in the 17800 block of Texas 288, police said. Police charged a Houston man, 29, with possession of a controlled substance Jan. 15 in the 2800 block of Business Center Drive. A Manvel man, 21, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia Jan. 16 in the 3000 block of Business Center Drive, police said. Police charged a 17-year-old Pearland man with possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct Jan. 16 in the 11200 block of Dawson Road. Police arrested a Houston man, 22, on a charge of marijuana possession and warrants Jan. 17 in the 3700 block of Broadway Street. A 19-year-old Houston woman and 38-year-old Schenectady, New York, man also were charged with possession of marijuana, police said. Theft Police charged a Pearland woman, 20, with theft Jan. 13 in the 2500 block of Cullen Parkway. A 36-year-old Houston woman also was taken into custody after an accident involving damage to a vehicle, police said. Police took a Texas City man, 27, into custody on a theft charge Jan. 13 in the 500 block of West Walker Street. Police charged a Spring man, 54, with theft Jan. 14 in the 8300 block of Broadway Street. A Houston man, 56, charged with driving while license invalid. A Houston man, 27, was charged with theft of service Jan. 15 in the 3600 block of CR 45, police said. Police charged a Brookshire man, 22, with theft Jan. 15 in the 10100 block of Broadway Street. A 49-year-old Houston man was charged with theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and no license plate Jan. 16 in the 16700 block of Texas 288, police said. Police arrested a Carrollton woman, 47, on a charge of shoplifting Jan. 16 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street. A Houston man, 32, was charged with shoplifting Jan. 17 in the 2800 block of Business Center Drive, police said. Police charged a Houston man, 46, with theft Jan. 17 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street. A 25-year-old Bellingham, Washington, man was charged with theft Jan. 18 in the 10100 block of Broadway Street, police said. Assault Police charged a Stafford man, 32, with assault Jan. 17 in the 13900 block of Texas 288. A Pearland woman, 44, received a citation for assault Jan. 19 in the 12400 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said. Criminal mischief, trespass Police charged a 23-year-old Houston man with criminal mischief and evading arrest or detention Jan. 14 in the 1900 block of Main Street. A Pearland woman, 32, was charged with criminal trespass Jan. 14 in the 11100 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said. Other incidents Police charged a Rosharon man, 32, and Seabrook man, 27, with intentional unauthorized discharge Jan. 15 in the 4200 block of Wells Drive. A Houston man, 53, was charged with failure to identify Jan. 15 in the 3300 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police took a Pearland man into custody on a murder charge Jan. 15 in the 2500 block of Cullen Parkway. A 66-year-old Houston man was charged with DWI Jan. 19 in the 1500 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police charged a Pearland man, 23, with violation of a bond or protective order Jan. 19 in the 2100 block of Breeze Way Drive. Pakistan assured US of its role seeking political solution in Afghanistan: FO ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assured the United States of its role seeking a political solution to the lingering conflict in Afghanistan amid reports that the US and the Afghan Taliban are close to striking a peace deal after over a yearlong painstaking process. The Afghan peace process was one of the agenda items during a meeting between the visiting US chief diplomat for South Asia, Ambassador Alice Wells, and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood at the Foreign Office on Tuesday. Ambassador Wells is on a four-day tour to Pakistan as part of ongoing consultations between the two countries on a wide-range of issues covering bilateral ties as well as other regional and international issues. The meeting at the Foreign Office came just ahead of an interaction between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Trump on the sidelines of World Economic Forum at the Davos. An official handout issued by the Foreign Office said the two sides discussed recent developments regarding the Afghan peace and reconciliation process. The foreign secretary reaffirmed Pakistans resolve to continue to support the peace process and pursue positive development of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, the statement added. Foreign Secretary Mahmood highlighted the grave human rights violations in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoJ&K), intensified ceasefire violations from the Indian side, belligerent rhetoric of the Indian civil and military figures, and Indias aggressive measures along the Line of Control (LoC). Mangalore Airport Bomb scare: Suspect deemed 'habitual offender' surrenders before police India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru, Jan 22: The Bengaluru police have arrested one person two days after an unattended bag with a low-intensity explosive was found at the Mangalore International Airport. The accused, identified as Aditya Rao, had surrendered before the police. Interrogations with the accused are currently underway. It is reported that Rao is a habitual offender and was arrested earlier too for making a hoax call to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru. Mangaluru police releases photographs of the suspect who kept IED bag in the airport SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News The suspect has been identified as Adithya Rao, a native of Manipal, they said, adding he resembled the one captured on CCTV footage at Mangaluru airport. The suspect confessed to having planted the bomb at the airport, sources said. Meanwhile, a team of police officials from Mangaluru have arrived in the city to question the suspect. Mangaluru city police commissioner P S Harsha tweeted that the investigation team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action. Police sources said, Rao, who was taken to Halsoor Gate police station in Bengaluru for questioning, is an engineering graduate and an MBA holder. He had earlier been arrested for making a hoax bomb call to Bengaluru airport in 2018 and was jailed for six months. This was an act of revenge as he was denied the job of a security guard at the Bengaluru International Airport which he had applied for due to lack of certain documents, they said. Rao had come to Bengaluru in 2012 seeking a job and landed one in a private bank, which he resigned. He then returned to Mangaluru, where he worked as a security guard for six months and then as a cook in Puthige Mutt in Udupi. Later, he went back to the state capital and joined an insurance company, which he left and tried to become a security staff at the airport, the sources said. A 'live' explosive device was found in an unattended bag near a ticket counter of the departure gate of the international airport in Mangaluru on Monday and later defused at a nearby open ground. MANILA, PhilippinesAll foreign residents in the country departing for vacation ahead of the Chinese New Year are advised to process reentry fees before leaving for abroad, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina issued the appeal to reduce the volume of travelers lining up to pay their reentry fees at Immigration cashiers of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). We are expecting a surge of Chinese residents in the Philippines who wish to spend the Chinese New Year abroad, said Medina. It may result in heavy congestion of our airports, which could be avoided if they process and pay their fees before heading to the airport, he added. Medina said aliens may proceed to BI satellite offices to pay before they proceed to the airport. This would also lessen worries of not catching their flights as they could directly proceed to visa counters. The Philippine Immigration law requires foreign nationals who are holders of valid immigrant and non-immigrant visas to pay exit and re-entry permits every time they leave the country. Official receipt of payment must be presented at Immigration counters before they can be cleared for departure. The BI has almost 60 offices nationwide that may cater to this need. Its a very quick process, which will only take a few minutes, Medina explained. We also have offices located in malls and other convenient locations, he said. Coming to the airport with the receipt at hand makes processing faster, allowing departing aliens to avoid the rush and relax before their flight, he added. The Philippines is home to thousands of Chinese immigrants and non-immigrants. According to Chinese traditions, they should at least visit their homeland for the celebration of Chinese New Year, which is on January 25. The post Aliens in PH urged to pre-pay reentry fees at BI offices appeared first on UNTV News. Operator: Standby for todays conference, we will begin in just a few moments. Know if you are standing by, all lines will be listen only. You can press start and 1 to ask a question on the phone line. This call is being recorded if you have objections, you can continue next disconnect at this time. You may begin. Ben Haynes: Thank you, Sarah, and thank you for joining us for today regarding the CDC 2019 novel coronavirus response. We are joined today by Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease and health officials from the state of Washington. Dr. Messonnier will provide opening remarks before taking your questions. I will now turn the call over to Dr. Messonnier. Nancy Messonnier: Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us. During our briefing last Friday, I foreshadowed that we could see a novel coronavirus infection in the United States, most likely in a traveler from Wuhan. Today I am joined by representatives from the state of Washington to announce that we have now confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus in the United States. CDC has been proactively preparing for an introduction of the virus here. We know that todays news is concerning. Im grateful with the work being done at all levels within the federal government and at the state and local level to prepare and respond. Based on international reports, there are now close to 300 people who have been confirmed with this novel coronavirus in China, and there have been travel associated introductions in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Additional deaths have also been reported. Human to human spread has been confirmed. How easily or sustainably this virus is spreading remains unknown. These new developments further emphasize CDCs proactive approach in responding to this evolving outbreak. In terms of our response: Over the weekend CDC finalized development of a real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction abbreviated as rRT-PCR test that can diagnose this new virus. We used this test to quickly confirm our first U.S. case. Right now, testing for this virus must take place at CDC, but in the coming weeks, we anticipate sharing these tests with domestic and international partners through the agencys International Reagent Resource. Yesterday, we activated our Emergency Operations Center in response to the newest developments. I know a lot of you are likely wondering about the entry screening that we started on Friday at San Francisco airport, New York JFK, and LAX airport. So far, CDC staff have screened over 1,200 passengers. However, no individuals have been referred to a hospital or discovered yet through entry screening. This is an evolving situation and again, we do expect additional cases in the United States and globally. This week CDC will add entry health screening at two more airports Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago OHare. Today, we will also be raising our travel health notice from a level 1 to a level 2. Preliminary information suggests that older adults with underlying health conditions may be at increased risk for severe disease. Im now going to hand the briefing over to my colleague, Washington State Secretary of Health, John Wiesman, who will introduce key players in Washington state and outline what the public health system is doing in response to the case. Dr. Wiesman. John Wiesman: Great, thank you Dr. Messonnier. I appreciate that. Hello, I am John Wiesman, Secretary of Health for the state of Washington. I first want to begin by recognizing the quick, collaborative work being done with our local and federal public health and healthcare partners. Over the holiday weekend, this group of people quickly identified a possible risk, coordinated the patient care, sent samples to CDC, and CDC tested them immediately. Together we are implementing actions to ensure the publics health is protected. I am also thankful that the man who tested positive for this virus acted so quickly to seek treatment. Because of that we were able to isolate him from the public. His actions gave us a head start. All of this work means we believe the risk to the public is low. Its true that we are learning more about the new coronavirus. We have a strong public health team here in Snohomish county and Washington state. And together with our partners at CDC, we will share any additional information as we learn it. To give you information about the situation, Ill hand it over to our state infectious disease epidemiologist, Dr. Scott Lindquist and Dr. Chris Spitters, the health officer from Snohomish Health District, who will tell you more about the current situation. Dr. Lindquist. Scott Lindquist: Thanks, this is Scott Lindquist, the state epidemiologist for Washington state. And just want to remind everyone how we had anticipated screening, so our system was ready despite a holiday weekend. Im thrilled to say we were able to detect this gentleman early. This is a man in his 30s in a county north of Seattle, Snohomish county, and we have been in close contact, thanks to the CDCs Emergency Operations Center helping direct the appropriate specimen collection, isolation, and investigation procedures with the local health jurisdiction. So, Ill turn it over to our local health officer, Dr. Chris Spitters, who can give us some details of where theyre working on this patient right now. Chris. Chris Spitters: Thank you Scott. Last night, the Snohomish Health District coordinated with the Snohomish county emergency medical system to safely transport the patient to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. That facility is following our jointly developed infectious disease protocols to ensure prevention of transmission in the facility. As stated earlier, the risk to the general public is low. We are working with the medical center to ensure that the small number of healthcare workers and patients that may have been exposed are notified for symptom watch and monitored. No one wants to be the first in the nation in these types of situations, but these are the types of situations that public health and its partners train and prepare for. Because of this, everything has been going along quite smoothly and on behalf of the Snohomish Health District, Id like to thank the Centers for Disease Control, the Washington State Department of Health, and Providence Regional Medical Center, as well as all of our local partners in Snohomish county for their support and collaboration in this effort. Nancy Messonnier: Thank you all. I just wanted to add briefly that a CDC team has been deployed to support the ongoing investigation in the state of Washington, including tracing close contacts to determine if anyone else has become ill. As always, we stand by to help out state, local, and global partners in any way we can. As I mentioned on Friday, we have faced similar challenges before with SARS and MERS. Those outbreaks were complex and required a comprehensive public health response. Because of that experience, we know its crucial to be proactive and prepared. The confirmation that human to human spread with this virus is occurring in Asia certainly raises our level of concern about this virus, but we continue to believe the risk of this novel coronavirus to the American public at large remains low at this time. Activation of the EOC and the enhanced airport entry screening reflect the continuation of CDCs very aggressive public health response strategy. Enhanced airport screening is just one part of a layered approach to increasing the public health and healthcare delivery system to raising its awareness to properly detect the cases early. This individual had a level of concern that enabled him to seek medical care promptly and his clinicians appropriately evaluated and reported the patient. I want to remind everyone that we are still in the early days of this investigation both domestically and abroad. We are monitoring the situation closely and working to keep you informed every step of the way. I want to take a moment to thank our colleagues in Washington at both the state and local level, as well as the healthcare staff that have been fully engaged and collaborating with us since yesterday when this case was discovered and tested as novel coronavirus. Our ability to coordinate and react this quickly is entirely dependent on these collaborations. We are aware that this situation could change quickly. Therefore, we at CDC are taking a cautious approach to this outbreak and are prepared to respond to any new developments. Ben Haynes: Thank you doctor, we are now ready for questions. Operator: The first question is from Helen Branswell with STAT, your line is open. Helen Branswell: Could we get something clear off the top. This was supposed to be an embargoed press conference, but this news is out. We can assume the embargo has lifted, yes? Nancy Messonnier: I understand the answer to that is yes. Helen Branswell: Thank you very much. In this case with this individual, can you give us information about his condition? Is he ill? Do you know if he had contact with people who were contagious? Nancy Messonnier: Washington state we will let you answer that. Chris Spitters: So, regarding the patients condition, they are in good condition and again, theyre currently hospitalized out of an abundance of precaution and for short term monitoring. Not because there was severe illness. At this point, the individual has reported that he did not visit any of those implicated markets and did not know anyone who was ill. He was just traveling from that area. Ben Haynes: Next question please. Operator: Thank you, our next question from Evan Brown with Fox News, your line is open. Evan Brown: Thank you very much. Just thinking back a number of years to the Ebola incident in Dallas. We saw a real push to not only have that individual placed in isolation as well as the other folks who became ill with very strict isolated standards. Is this a scenario where this same contingency is needed? Or no? What type of care is given to the patient for this? Are they isolating him and what type of medications can he get? Or, is it a matter of supportive care? Nancy Messonnier: This is CDC, maybe well give a general answer and then well turn it over to Washington for you all to talk specifically about this patient. Thank you for that question. Its actually important to clarify that the precautions for this patient are standard isolation precautions. This is something many hospitals know how to do and were grateful that in this region in Washington state they were quite prepared for this contingency. So this is not a situation like the Dallas one. This is something where most hospitals in the region should have a hospital that can utilize these kinds of precautions. Washington? This is CDC, maybe Ill also say this is a hugely important issue and the health of our healthcare workers is very important to all of us. And we are practicing very, we are being proactive at all levels to make sure that as much as possible the people taking care of this patient are careful and cautious. And CDC will be working closely with the state health department on the particulars of this patients care. Scott Lindquist: Just regarding the Dallas or the Texas incident, this is again, not the same situation and plus this is an area of the state that has drilled recently on transporting a person in the ambulance and what types of isolation they should require. And theres no question that there is isolation equipment available to the hospital. Again, we are very comfortable that this patient is isolated, poses a very little risk to the staff or the general public in this current situation. And again, because of an abundance of caution, we have used pretty strict isolation requirements and hospitalization because it is the first person in the United States. We will likely learn from this and future cases and we will adjust our recommendations accordingly. Ben Haynes: The next question please. Operator: Our next question comes from Lena Sun with the Washington Post. Lena Sun: Hi, can someone go over the basics with us. When did this person arrive? Did they arrive through one of the airport screening locations? Were they on a direct flight from Wuhan? What was the timeframe? Is this person a resident of the United States he went to China for business or pleasure and is now back in the United States? Scott Lindquist: We can give you the detail we know and thats our priority today is really all the details of flight numbers, seat numbers, and people that would have been exposed. What we know currently is he proceeded the institution of the screening at the airports. He came in before that screening was done and was actually not with symptoms when he came to the United States. But this was a very astute gentleman that is looking at internet activity and had actually researched this and shared this information with his provider. We know it was not a direct flight from Wuhan to Sea-Tac, which is our local airport. And thats really our challenge coming forward. We had talked about this on Friday that while we werent screening at Sea-Tac, we potentially could have a traveler that came through many routes. So we decided to activate and be ready before all the screening airports were set into motion. So, this gentleman kind of preceded and slipped around that type of screening, but because the public health system was aware and because this is a really agreeable gentleman who was looking out for his health care, we were able to detect it early and really minimize ongoing exposure to anybody. Lena Sun: So I have a follow-up question that I want to understand. So, this gentleman came to Seattle and youre not sure how. It was not a direct flight and because he was monitoring the internet and did not have symptoms, when he started to get symptoms, he proactively reached out to providers or health officials? Scott Lindquist: Correct, thats exactly how he did it. Chris, is there anything you would like to add? Chris Spitters: Just to add on that he has been fully cooperative. Lena Sun: Okay, is he a resident of the United States? Chris Spitters: Yes, a resident of the U.S. Nancy Messonnier: Before we move on, I just want to say that as this situation and as the information has been accumulating over the weekend, CDC has been thinking and rethinking our stance and we made some decisions on Sunday even in advance of this case. And Dr. Marty Cetron, who many of you know, is just going to tell us where we are on that screening. Marty Cetron: First I want to highlight the fact that, leave not doubt, entry screening is just one part of a multilayered system. The point is to alert the system. Individuals are often very empowered to make good decisions if they are informed. Healthcare systems and public health departments, as you just heard, are being alerted. The entry screening is one part of that with notices going out. The screening system started after the Seattle case, this gentleman was indirect, not through a direct flight. Over the weekend with the increasing cases, we decided to move into this full on 100% coverage strategy which means adding additional airports and instructing on Sunday the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation to begin our funneling approach and redirect all the traffic to the airports that have screening so the benefit of the alert can be more completely covered. So that plan is in place, the new airports will be rolling online this week and the operationalizing of the funneling, which is a very complex process involves reissuing tickets and rerouting passengers from all over the globe through connecting and direct flights. All of that is part of the strategy that was acutally initiated before we even heard about this case to compete that coverage. Lena Sun: I have another follow-up question. The reporter would like to know the date of when this gentleman came to Seattle? Marty Cetron: Our best understanding is on the 15th of January. The screening initiated on the 17th. Lena Sun: When did he reach out to providers? Scott Lindquist: Yeah, he actually reached out on the 16th. This is Scott Lindquist. He actually reached out to his medical provider on the 19th. We were in communication with the CDC Emergency Operations Center coordinating specimens that were shipped overnight and had the results the following day, incredibly fast. Ben Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: The next question comes from USA Today. Your line is open. Grace Hauch: Hi there. I wonder if this gentleman came through Sea-Tac why there is an screening there and at Chicago, has screening begun or is it about to begin? Are there other airports considering? Marty Cetron: Yeah, no, the kind of active screen isnt in place at Sea-Tac and as I indicated last Friday, when we spoke, you have to go down to a lot of airports to do this across the country, for every single possible flight. So, we concentrate that by volume and when we get to the top five as we are looking at here in this regard, that we begin to redistribute the flights so they can be concentrated in the airports. However, all 14 airports that had passengers had notices and had been put on alert, had been working from the airport quarantine stations with their public health partners. So, again, its a multistep process. It rolls out and, in fact, this idea of funneling means redirecting and reissuing tickets so all the arriving passengers from Wuhan would come in to the airports where we can surge this capacity at. All the airports are doing other steps, particularly passenger education, as which you can see if very important in this regard. And that education is in both English and Mandarin. Ben Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: The next question from Ryan with the Seattle Times, your line is open. Ryan Blethen: Hi, I wasnt let onto the phone call until the question- and-answer period and I may be asking about things already covered. Where in Washington state is this man? You can start with that. I am curious as to where he is in Washington in which hospital he is at? And what are hospitals doing in Washington now to look for this? Also, on the screening question, is Sea-Tac going to be one of the airports that will be screening for this now? Chris Spitters: So the gentleman is a Snohomish county resident and he is currently at Providence Medical Center. This is Chris, I am the health officer for the Snohomish Health District. Marty Cetron: I think its important to point out that all the quarantine stations do enhanced education and respond to any illness report. I indicated that active screening, which is where every passenger is questioned and has a temperature check is going on at the top three airports right now JFK, San Francisco which has direct flights and LAX which has most of the indirect flights. Additional screening will be added to Chicago and Atlanta this week and rolled out as soon as the capacity. And the rest of the airports, all of the people who originate in Wuhan and travel into the United States, all of those tickets, passengers will be rerouted into these five. Scott Lindquist: And this is Scott Lindquist, the state epidemiologist for Washington state. This is part of our larger plan of preparing the hospitals and the healthcare system for all hazard preparedness which means Ebola, SARS, MERS, or in this case, the novel coronavirus. Most of these hospitals have been prepared with infection control with how to sample, how to isolate. And we were well prepared as this hospital is one of the hospitals that recently did a drill as well as our ambulance system for transporting this patients. John Wiesman: And just sort of reinforcing the layered approach here, hospitals need to be prepared with patient education. In this case we dont believe even if we had active screening at the airport that this patient would have been picked because at the time, we dont believe the patient had symptoms or a fever. So, this is the important piece about having a strong public health system all across this country that is prepared for this kind of biosecurity approach. Ben Haynes: Two more questions. Our next question comes from Roni Rabin with the New York Times. Roni Rabin: I also came in very late and right now what is being done to secure or what steps is the CDC doing about that? You have people in China who are working with the Chinese authority. Nancy Messonnier: This is CDC. As you say, there is new information hour by hour, day by day that we are tracking and following closely. We do have staff in China and Thailand and they have long term placements there working closely with the ministries of health. We also have staff at WHO and certainly have collaborated with global health leaders worldwide. We and the global health community are really working together to understand the situation. Information is rapidly evolving and we hope that over the next coming days, the situation will become clearer and certainly as you point out, the key issue that we all need to understand is how easily or sustainably the virus is spread form human to human and that is information we dont completely have nailed down yet. But were continuing to work globally with all our partners to better understand it. Roni Rabin: Thank you. Can you still hear me? In the case of the Washington patient ? Just a reminder of the timeline. Scott Lindquist: Just a reminder of the timeline. This gentleman presented on Sunday, specimens were obtained, and the results were learned on Monday. And today, Tuesday, our priority is doing contact investigation and tracing. So, we have had three people assigned to us from CDC that are here and that is our priority to determine what it means to be at risk, who those people are, doing the contact investigations all the way from China to his home here in Snohomish county. Thats exactly what our priority is right now early in this investigation. Nancy Messonnier: Just to add that we are grateful that the patient is doing well and that is clinically not ill and he has been so cooperative. Things have been moving quickly and the health department has appropriately been prioritizing their activities. But there will be a whole set of activities to come in the coming days. But their first priority was clearly making sure this patient was healthy and being appropriately treated as we move on to the next phase. Ben Haynes: Last question. Operator: The last question comes from Julie Steenhuysen with Reuters, your line is open. Julie Steenhuysen: Are you coordinating with the world health organization in terms of how to treat this patient? What are you using at this point? Nancy Messonnier: There is a global effort to share information about potential treatments. Thats globally among the community of people that have dealt with similar issues with MERS and SARS, as well as inter-governmentally within the United States. So all those conversations are ongoing and very active. That being said, as our collaborators in Washington state said, the gentleman is right now very healthy. I think that it would be characterized that he is getting supportive care and monitoring. Chris Spitters: Thats absolutely correct, I have nothing to add. Julie Steenhuysen: One more follow-up, is CDC working with NIH to develop a vaccine and where is that effort? Nancy Messonnier: NIH has always been very active in this area and there is early work early and early conversations. As you know, the development of a vaccine is a complex process. Its not something thats going to be available tomorrow. But there are active conversations about vaccines as well as diagnostics [editors note: therapeutics should replace diagnostics]. Ben Haynes: Thank you Dr. Messonnier, Dr. Cetron and colleagues from the state of Washington. Id also like to thank you all for joining us for todays briefing. Please visit the 2019 novel coronavirus webpage for continued updates. If you have further questions, please call the CDC media line at 404-639-3286 or email media@cdc.gov. Operator: That does conclude todays call. Thank you for participating. You may disconnect your lines at this time. A man and his three children who sued over the care given at Cork University Hospital to his 68-year old wife who had thyroid cancer and died have settled their High Court actions. It was claimed there was an alleged failure to investigate properly whether radioactive iodine therapy could be provided at the hospital to Eileen Hyland from Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, who was on dialysis. It was further claimed there was an alleged failure to advise her family the treatment was available in the UK. In the High Court today, a letter was read to the court in which Cork University Hospital expressed sincere regret on Mrs Hylands untimely death. The letter was read as Mitchelstown bookshop owner Jim Hyland and his three children John, Sinead and James settled their individual actions. Mr and Mrs Hyland has been married over 43 years at the time of her death. The details of the settlements against the HSE are confidential. In the letter, Cork University Hospital said it is fully committed to addressing the recommendations of an internal report of March 29, 2019 in relation to the Hyland case. In that regard the recommendations will be reviewed and assessed in particular in relation to the provision of radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) to cancer patients on dialysis. In the event that facilities to treat patients with RAIT while on dialysis is not possible in the hospital these patients will be given advice to seek such treatment in other specialist centres. The hospital also extended our deepest sympathies to all of Mrs Hylands family on their undoubted loss. Outside court, Mrs Hylands son John said it was very important that people will have that opportunity our mother was not given. He said it was a fitting legacy to our mother and they hoped nobody else will be in the situation. In court, Counsel for the Hyland family Aongus OBrolchain SC instructed by Michael Boylan solicitor, told the court the settlement is without admission of liability and a full defence was filed in the case. Mr Hyland and his three children had sued the HSE claiming there was an alleged failure to treat Mrs Hylands cancer with radioactive iodine therapy. Grandmother of six, Mrs Hyland, who suffered from end-stage renal failure and was undergoing dialysis, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in July 2016. She had a total thyroidectomy at Cork University Hospital a few months later. In October 2016, it was recommended Mrs Hyland be treated with RAIT but the family were later told that this treatment was not available to a patient on dialysis. It was claimed that Mrs Hyland and her family were allegedly wrongfully advised the RAIT could not be given to a patient on dialysis. It was further claimed there was an alleged failure to make any or any adequate enquiries concerning the referral of Mrs Hyland to a centre where RAIT was available. It was further claimed there was an alleged failure to advise that RAIT was available at Liverpool University Hospital to patients undergoing dialysis and there was an alleged failure to investigate properly whether RAIT could be provided to Mrs Hyland at the Cork hospital. The claims were denied. Mr OBrolchIn told the court there was huge upset in the Hyland family over whether Mrs Hyland should have been transferred to the UK for treatment. Mrs Hyland who was prescribed medication for her thyroid cancer in April 2017, was admitted to hospital two days later with nausea and vomiting. Her condition, it is claimed, deteriorated and she died in hospital on May 5, 2017. Approving the settlements, Mr Justice Kevin Cross expressed his sympathy to Mr Hyland and his family. Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan (pictured following their engagement in 2017) have started a new life in Canada away from the British monarchy. (AFP/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their baby son Archie, are living at the scenic, wooded property of Mille Fleurs on Vancouver Island after exiting from their royal roles. They planned their shock announcement while staying over Christmas and New Year at the luxurious multimillion-dollar house, which is tucked away behind tall trees and a dark metal gate at the end of a private road. And the couple are now back together there after Harry finalised the details of their new life and flew back from London. Residents walking dogs on a path near the house told AFP that they opposed intrusion into Harry and Meghan's new Canadian set-up, and were proud of the local instinct to give them space. "We don't like it. Leave them in peace," said Anne Girling, adding she had met Meghan jogging on a trail nearby and they wished one another "Good morning." Sue Starkey, another dog walker, said it felt special when she heard baby Archie had experienced his first snow in the neighborhood. She described the area as a "really friendly" community. "What I've been really proud of is how our neighborhood has been so respectful and giving them space. And, you know, not getting over the top and trying to peek in," she said. "I'm really happy they're here and I hope they can find some peace." ATTENTION IS 'NOT CANADIAN' Locals often walk through a patch of forest just steps away from the home as an occasional seagull and bald eagle wheels overhead. Businesses where Harry and Meghan have dropped in, including the Fickle Fig Farm Market and the Deep Cove Market, declined interview requests from AFP. In Sidney, a small seaside town a short drive away, Rachel Remouch, a university student and barista at a coffee shop, said she saw Harry and Meghan hiking in Horth Hill, a popular forest park. "It's hard for a small town trying to keep it quaint and peaceful. We're not used to big frenzies," she said, adding people naturally kept their distance from the couple. "I think it's really cool they're really sticking up for themselves, trying to separate themselves from the monarchy. She reminds me a lot of Diana." A smiling Meghan, 38, was photographed with Archie taking their dogs for a walk in Horth Hill on Monday. Another local, Laurie Kelly, said she was unhappy how North Saanich had found itself at the centre of global attention. "It's not Canadian," she said. "We're all about giving people space, the freedom to live, enjoy our beautiful country. "They've chosen to come here, so it should be an honour. Instead it's a feeding frenzy ... None of us are happy about it. I feel strongly we need to let them be and live their lives." But Meghan and Harry may not be in North Saanich for long. According to local reports, the couple are looking to buy a beachside house in Vancouver or possibly in Toronto. Several roads in central Delhi are expected to remain shut briefly on Thursday for the full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day Parade, raising the possibility of traffic congestion. The rehearsal will start at 9.50 am at Vijay Chowk and will proceed towards the Red Fort via Rajpath, C-Hexagon, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg, taking the route the actual parade will take on January 26, according to Delhi Police. Traffic on Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate has been restricted till the rehearsal is over on Thursday, and from 6 pm Saturday till the parade concludes on Sunday, police said in an advisory. Metro services will be available for commuters on Thursday but a few gates at Udyog Bhawan and Central Secretariat stations will be closed. "Exit and entries will remain functional at the two stations," a senior DMRC official said. On Sunday, the entry and exit will remain closed at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan from 5 am till 12 noon and Lok Kalyan Marg and Patel Chowk from 8.45 am to 12 noon, the official added. The Delhi Police advisory added that no cross traffic will be allowed on Rajpath from 11 pm on Wednesday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till the rehearsal gets over. C-Hexagon-India Gate will be closed for traffic from 09.15 am on Thursday till the rehearsal parade crosses Tilak Marg, it stated. From 10 am on Wednesday, the traffic on Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Subhash Marg has been restricted on both directions. Cross traffic will only be allowed depending upon the movement of the rehearsal parade, the advisory said. For Republic Day too, no traffic will be allowed on Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 6 pm on Saturday till the parade gets over on Sunday. No cross traffic on Rajpath from 11 pm on Saturday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till the parade gets over. C-Hexagon-India Gate will be closed for traffic from 2 am on Sunday till the Parade crosses Tilak Marg, it said. From 5 am on Sunday, the traffic on Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Subhash Marg will not be allowed on both directions. Cross traffic will only be allowed depending upon the movement of the parade. No heavy transport vehicles/large goods vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi from borders from 10 pm on Wednesday till the rehearsal gets over. They will be allowed to ply between ISBT Sarai Kale Khan and ISBT Kashmiri Gate on Ring Road from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm on Thursday. The same restriction will be in place for heavy transport vehicles/large goods vehicles on Saturday and Sunday. Flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang gliders, UAVs, UASs, microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small size powered aircraft, quadcopters or para jumping from aircraft are prohibited over the jurisdiction of National Capital Territory of Delhi till February 15, it said. No auto-rickshaw and taxi will be allowed to enter or ply after 7 am on Thursday and Sunday on Mother Teresa Crescent, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Ashoka Road, Sansad Marg, Tolstoy Marg, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Ferozeshah Road, Bhagwan Dass Road, Mathura Road, Subramaniam Bharti Marg, Humayun Road, APJ Abdul Kalam Marg, Kamal Ata Turk Marg, Kautilya Marg and Sardar Patel Road. Buses from Ghaziabad bound for Shivaji Stadium shall take NH-24, Ring Road and terminate at Bhairon Road. Buses coming from NH-24 shall take right turn on Road No. 56 and terminate at ISBT Anand Vihar. Buses coming from Ghaziabad side will be diverted at Mohan Nagar towards BhopraChungi for Wazirabad Bridge. All Inter State buses coming from Dhaula Kuan side shall terminate at Dhaula Kuan. If any unidentified object or suspicious person is seen, please inform the nearest policeman on duty, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) That is, if you ever have any... I know, leftover cake sounds like an oxymoron, but just a few weeks ago I found myself in the surprising position of having baked a lemon pound cake that turned out terribly. It was so bad, in fact, that my family barely choked down their pieces, most didn't even finish, and the rest of the cake sat covered on the counter for a week without anyone touching it. Considering all the butter (and other ingredients) that had gone into it, I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, so finally I turned to that font of wisdom, Google, for advice. 1. Make cookies "Turn it into biscotti," I read, and immediately I felt a stirring of hope. Yes, that could work. I followed vague directions that a commenter had left on a lemon pound cake recipe on the Kitchn: The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMIDP) has tagged off its 2020 distribution of food and non food items to Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno State Wednesday. The Honourable Federal Commissioner, Basheer Garba Mohammed while flagging off the symbolic distribution of items to women IDPs at the NYSC and Dalori IDPs Camps said President Buhari was mindful of their plight at the Camps and federal government was doing everything possible to provide relief materialsfor them at the Camps. He said the President extends his greetings to them while urging them to continue to exercise restrain over their relocation as plans are underway for their resettlement and empowerment through skills and entrepreneurship programmes among others. The Federal Commissioner further said that the commission was planning to build resettlement Cities across the country for the IDPs which will have facilities like schools, hospitals, boreholes, markets or shopping complexes, children playgrounds, police outposts, fire services stations, roads and drainages among others. He added that the commission has this year 2020 planned to resettlle and empower a target of one million IDPs across the country while plans are also on the pipeline to repatriate all Nigerian IDPs from Cameroon, Niger, and Chad Republuc back to Nigeria in collaboration with their respective states and local governments to enable them come back home and reunite with their people and localities. "I urge you please to make proper utilization of the items distributed to you. I don't want you to sale the items in your own interest. I assure we will relocate you from the camps very soon. We are working on that and we also know your feelings and want to resettle as well as empower you", Basheer said. Commissioning the new NCFRMI North East Zonal Office Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Center located at Waziri Ibrahim House, Opposite MMC Secretariat, the Hon. Federal Commissioner sympathized with the IDPs trainees/entrepreneurs and advised them to make proper use of the knowledge and skills they acquired and earn a better living by being self reliant and even employer of labour in future. Senator Basheer also enjoined the 45 graduating IDPs ICT entrepreneurs to be serious and committed to their respective professions, noting that, the programme is a continuous one as more IDPs have been targeted to be trained in the same programme subsequently. He assured that the commission will not hesitate to provide more computer gadgets, accessories and equipments for the entrepreneurship programme . "Plans are underway to train thousands of the IDP women and youths and empower them to be self employed to cushion their sufferings and hardship without necessarily depending on government for a white color job which is not forthcoming", Basheer said. Earlier, the Executive Secretary, SEMA, Borno State, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo thanked the Federal Commissioner and his delegates for the visit and distribution of food and non food items to the IDPs . She disclosed that there are over 1600 IDPs at the NYSC IDPs Camp while Dalori IDPs Camp has more 10,000 IDPs and all the IDPs for now will benefit from the relief materials available and being distributed . Yabawa further charged the beneficiaries to make good use of the items to better their lives instead of selling them out while congratulating the ICT IDPs entrepreneurs for successfully finishing the training program. She called on them to concentrate more on how to become useful to themselves and the society at large by dedicating themselves to the skills that they have acquired and live a better life. The Borno State Social Investment Programme State Focal Person, Hajiya Aisha Waziri Ibrahim Umar appreciated the efforts and support of the NCFRMII and SEMA for establishing and organizing such a programm for the IDPs and pledged to continue to render all the necessary support to the ICT Center when demanded. Items distributed include rice, beans, maize flour, cooking oil, tomato pastes, Maggi cubes, salt, millet, cooking stoves, plates, dishes, cups, buckets, blankets,. Others include slippers, spoons, toothpastes, toothbrushes, pots, mats, mosquito nets, children wears, wrappers, antiseptic bathing soaps, detergents, sanitary pads, bags and pants among others. A district-level farmer leader was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a tanker in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district, police said on Wednesday. Jagram Tiwari, district unit president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BJU), was returning home on Tuesday evening when his motorcycle was hit by a tanker, killing him on the spot, police said. The tanker driver has been arrested, police said, adding that Tiwari's body has been sent for post-mortem examination. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The long-drawn-out push and pull between exiled Kenyan activist Miguna Miguna and the State took another twist Tuesday after the court pushed his case to March 23. Reacting to the ruling, Migunas lawyer John Khaminwa said his client was going through hell as he sought to return to his motherland. Dr. Miguna Miguna is going through hell in Europe. He would like to return to his motherland, Khaminwa said. The lawyer further accused the counsel from the Attorney General for allowing the magistrate to decide on the case at 9 am, earlier than the agreed time of 11 am, without their presence. It is our respective view that the counsel from the AG has not been candid enough. He should have explained to the judge that this matter was set for mention at 11 am, Khaminwa said. He said he will file an application on Wednesday to oppose the set date of March 23, which he said is too far. We intend to make an application tomorrow, by way of certificate of urgency to try and persuade the lordship to try and give us an early date and canvas the judge so that Miguna Miguna can return home urgently, Khaminwa said. Following the Tuesday ruling, Miguna Miguna resolved to return to Canada after spending over two weeks in Europe. In a statement, Miguna said his return to Canada was not a sign of surrender and he would continue to fight for his citizenship rights. He tweeted: I arrived in Berlin, Germany, on January 5, 2020. On January 6, 2020, I was blocked from boarding @lufthansa and later @airfrance to Kenya because Despot Uhuru Kenyatta had issued illegal red alerts and threatened withdraw landing rights to all airlines that flew me to Nairobi. 2) Having waited for Despot Uhuru Kenyatta and his appointees at the ministries of Interior and Immigration to obey court orders and revoke their illegal red alerts to no avail, Ive no option but to return to exile in Canada. Ill not surrender. The struggle continues. 3) I intended to attend the funeral of my father-in-law who is being buried tomorrow, January 22, 2020, in Migori, Kenya, however, Despot Uhuru Kenyatta and his conman enabler Raila Odinga have out of cowardice and abuse of power prevented me from doing so. Rest In Peace Mzee Omolo Awange. (Bloomberg) -- WeWork has sold its minority stake in the female-focused co-working startup the Wing, part of parent company We Co.s efforts to re-focus on its main office-sharing business. The company had been exploring the sale since last year, Bloomberg previously reported, following the theatrical dissolution of its plans for an initial public offering and the ouster of its chief executive officer, Adam Neumann. Last quarter, we articulated a long-term plan for disciplined growth and a clear path to profitability, and we continue to execute on this plan each day, Co-CEO Artie Minson said in a statement. A group of investors purchased WeWorks stake in the Wing. The group included GV, formerly Google Ventures, as well as existing investors Sequoia Capital and NEA. The Wing also said it had added actress Mindy Kaling as an investor, adding her to a list of backers that also includes athletes Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe. Fortune earlier reported some details of the sale. In three years, the Wing has grown from a single location to a global community of women, co-founder and CEO Audrey Gelman said in a statement. In addition to divesting its stake in the Wing, WeWork said it would sell Teem, a cloud services developer, to iOFFICE, a facility management software company. It also said it was in the process of selling Meetup, a website used to create online groups for in-person events, and Managed by Q, a workplace management platform. On Wednesday, the company also said it is expecting a $1.75 billion credit line from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. that it secured in December to become available within the coming weeks. (Adds investor details in the fourth paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Nikitha Sattiraju in New York at nsattiraju@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Molly Schuetz at mschuetz9@bloomberg.net, Anne VanderMey, Jillian Ward For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Nebraska Medicine also has added Wuhan to the travel locations patients are screened for when they visit clinics or the emergency room. During such visits, health care providers start by asking patients whether they have a fever, cough or rash, Hewlett said. Those who do are asked to wear a mask. That's an important way to control the spread of respiratory illnesses, including influenza. After that, patients are asked whether they have traveled outside the United States within the past month and, if so, where they have traveled. The answers could suggest MERS, if patients have traveled to the Arabian Peninsula, or Ebola, if they have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the travel question also can pick up on other potential concerns, such as malaria, in travelers who have been to parts of Africa or South America. Hewlett said Nebraska and Iowa residents face a more immediate concern than the new coronavirus. "I would be much more worried about influenza than this novel coronavirus in China," she said. It's not too late to get the flu shot, she said. Those who are sick should stay home. Everyone should cover their coughs and wash their hands. Both go a long way toward preventing the spread of all kinds of viruses. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form trump davos Denis Balibouse/Reuters President Donald Trump gave a rambling, 30-minute speech at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. There he lauded US economic achievements, including his recent trade deals with China and Mexico, and his administration's efforts to improve the US economy. "America is winning again like never before," he said. He made no mention of his impending impeachment trial at the Senate, which was due to begin a few hours after his speech. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. US President Donald Trump gave a rambling speech to members of the world's political and financial elite in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, touting US economic achievements without mentioning the elephant in the room his impending Senate impeachment trial back home. In his 30-minute speech at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting, Trump lauded to the packed audience his recent trade deals with China and Mexico and his administration's efforts to improve the US economy, among others. "Today I'm proud to declare the United States is in the midst of an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen before," he said. "America is thriving. America is flourishing and yes, America is winning again like never before." trump china AP Photo/Evan Vucci Trump and Liu He, China's vice premier, signed a phase-one trade agreement last Wednesday. Though this was the first tangible sign of de-escalation in the nearly two-year trade dispute, the agreement still left out many key issues the US has with China, including the large-scale subsidies China gives its companies and remaining tariffs on thousands of products. "Our relationship with China has right now probably never been better," Trump said. "We went through a rough patch." The day after, the Senate also passed a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement now known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement giving Trump another major trade victory. Story continues U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Reuters During his Davos speech, Trump also claimed he "saved HBCUs" referring to historically black colleges and universities adding: "They were going out. I saved them." He was most likely referring to a bipartisan bill signed last month, for which he took credit, to permanently restore $255 million in annual funding to HBCUs that had lapsed earlier that year. On the domestic US economy, he added: "Tremendous wealth is pouring into areas that for 100 years saw nothing ... There is no better place on earth than the United States." The president also announced that the US would join the WEF's Trillion Tree Campaign in recognition of the body's focus this year on sustainability and climate change. "I'm a big believer in the environment," Trump told reporters before his speech. "The environment to me is very important." US President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives in Davos, Switzerland on Marine One, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. President Trump arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday to start a two-day visit to the World Economic Forum. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Associated Press Speaking with reporters after the speech, Trump said his talk was "very well received" among the audience, which he said contained leaders of many countries and large companies. "Many of those people will be coming, making investments in a very large number, big investments in the United States," he said. "That means jobs, economic development, and we're doing well, we've never done this well before, and we're going to do a lot better." The elephant in the room There was not a single mention in his speech of his impending Senate impeachment trial back home, which was scheduled to begin hours later at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Shortly before his speech, Trump called the trial a "hoax" that had "been going on for years," NBC News reported from Davos. He did not talk about it afterward. FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, file image from video, presiding officer Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Reporters at the Capitol want more cameras in the Senate to cover the impeachment trial and fewer restrictions to talk to senators when they are not sitting in judgment of the president. (Senate Television via AP, File) Associated Press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who previously said he would work with the White House to absolve Trump, on Monday unveiled a resolution meant to make the trial a speedy one. A CNN poll released Monday night found that 51% of Americans said the Senate should vote to remove Trump from office. Read the original article on Business Insider Advertisement A British politician has slammed plans to cut open the hull of the Titanic and salvage its Marconi wireless radio in defiance of a new landmark treaty between the US and UK to protect the iconic shipwreck. Gavin Robinson, DUP MP for Belfast East, where the Titanic was built, deplored the plan outlined by American firm RMS Titanic Inc to salvage artefacts from the Titanic and put them on display in Las Vegas. Mr Robinson likened the company to sea-faring bandits, and said the mission is little more than an attempt to 'pilfer and pillage' the wreck. Currently, RMS Titanic owns the sole salvage rights to the Titanic, after being awarded them 30 years ago. But UK Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani announced on Tuesday that a new treaty will ensure the historic wreck is treated with the 'sensitivity and respect' the Titanic and her passengers deserve. The 'momentous' treaty will give both the US and UK the power to grant or deny licences to companies to enter the remains and remove artefacts found outside the hull. RMS Titanic lashed out at the ground-breaking agreement and said it plans to ignore it because it has 'no teeth' and can not be enforced in US law. It has already hatched a plan to 'surgically remove' a roof to get to the radio that gave out the Titanic's final distress signal on April 15, 1912. Scroll down for video The wreck of the Titanic will be protected for the first time following a 'momentous' treaty which will restrict exploration of the sunken vessel's decaying hull, pictured Constructed by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat of her time The tragic wireless operator who stayed behind to tap for help Senior operator Jack Phillips died when the Titainic sank on April 15, 1912 Senior operator Jack Phillips kept tapping his equipment as the ship sank beneath the waves - despite Captain Edward Smith having abandoned his post. Phillips refused to give up, only accepting defeat when the power cut out. He died when the ship sank on April 15, 1912. The Marconi wireless he used, which was a world-leading device at the time, is hoping to be recovered by RMS Titanic Inc. If the US company succeed, it would be the most notable piece ever salvaged from the wreck. When the liner hit the iceberg, the wireless sent out 'come at once', which was received by RMS Carpathia. The second ship travelled 67 miles to save 700 people. A search of the wreckage in 2000 revealed the wireless was in one piece, despite being rusted. Tragically, it remained in the reset position after Phillips attempted to boost the signal before Titanic went under. Advertisement Mr Robinson told The Telegraph: 'I think it's important that we get behind government and make sure that there are robust efforts in place that would frustrate the efforts of those who want to simply profiteer. 'The idea that a vested connection would warrant pilfering and pillaging what is essentially a tomb to the sacrifice to those who were aboard Titanic, I think it's entirely misguided. 'If the detail of this agreement is not sufficiently robust to frustrate their efforts, I think that's where we need to place our attention now.' RMS Titanic Inc, backed by Private Equity firms, wants to use three underwater robots to lift part of the ceiling to grab the Marconi wireless. A document seen by the Daily Telegraph said: 'In the next few years the overhead is expected to collapse, potentiality burying forever the remains of the world's most famous radio.' RMS Titanic claims it wishes to preserve the relics on the wreck before they are lost forever. It has been in contact with relatives of the souls who lost their lives on-board that fateful night and has received blessings for the salvage mission. Vanessa Beecham, 59, is the great-niece of Edward Biggs who perished aged 21 on the Titanic's maiden voyage. She told The Telegraph: 'If the wireless can be retrieved in a sensitive way, then they have my blessing'. The United States District Court in Eastern Virginia received court documents this week from the RMS Titanic revealing the company's intent. They read: 'Without the recovery and conservation of these artifacts, the ability experience additional items would be limited to less than 150 people, an elite group who have the privilege and means to travel to the wreck site. 'The Company places the highest value of ensuring that any recovery is completed in a respectful and judicious manner taking into account the sensitivities of such actions.' The same firm was involved in the successful salvage mission of the Mary Rose, which went on display in 2013 and attracted over 1.8 million visitors in that time. It is thought the company wishes to showcase the Titanic's artefacts at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas before embarking on a global tour. Owned and operated by the White Star Line, the passenger vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912. Pictured, the Titanic's grand staircase, as depicted in an illustration of the time Constructed by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat of her time. Pictured, the Titanic undergoes sea trials Owned and operated by the White Star Line, the passenger vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912. Pictured, the Titanic's pool The liner made two short stops en route to her planned Atlantic crossing one at the French port of Cherbourg, the other at Cork Harbour, Ireland (pictured) where smaller vessels ferried passengers on and off board the Titanic A reproduction of the Marconi Radio Room, from the Titanic, at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. A plan is being hatched to 'surgically remove' a roof to get to the radio that gave out the Titanic's final distress signal. The doomed luxury liner sank on April 15, 1912 after a collision with an iceberg and now lies on the seafloor around 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The wreck sank in two pieces and has long been deteriorating due to corrosion, biological activity and deep ocean currents. But it is believed the various expeditions down to the Titanic including those led by film director James Cameron have further damaged the vessel. In addition, private expeditions have removed artefacts of archaeological significance from the wreck and its surroundings. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the hull and structure of the ship is likely to collapse within the next 40 years. RMS TITANIC: SPECIFICATIONS Pictured, the Titanic in Southampton Length: 882 ft 9 in Width: 92 ft 6 in (beam) Tonnage: 46,328 GRT Decks: 9 Boilers: 24 Engines: 2 Power: 46,000 HP Max speed: 24 knots Cost: 1.5 million (140 m in 2016) Capacity: 2,435 + 892 crew Facilities: Included a pool, Turkish baths, kennels and post office Advertisement The wreckage which lies some 12,500ft beneath the ocean's surface had previously been afforded a 'basic level of protection' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. But its resting place in international waters had meant it was not previously covered by explicit legislation. The new agreement protecting the sunken vessel was signed by the US in 2003, but has only just come into force following its ratification by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in November 2019. 'Lying two and a half miles below the ocean surface, the RMS Titanic is the subject of the most documented maritime tragedy in history,' said Ms Ghani. 'This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives.' 'The UK will now work closely with other North Atlantic states to bring even more protection to the wreck of the Titanic.' Both Canada and France were involved in the negotiations of the new treaty, but have yet to sign the agreement. Constructed by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat of her time. Owned and operated by the White Star Line, the passenger vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912. The liner made two short stops en route to her planned Atlantic crossing one at the French port of Cherbourg, the other at Cork Harbour, Ireland, where smaller vessels ferried passengers on and off board the Titanic. Nearly five days into her voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg at around 23:40 local time, generating six narrow openings in the vessel's starboard hull, believed to have occurred as a result of the rivets in the hull snapping. Nearly five days into her voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg at around 23:40 local time, generating six narrow openings in the vessel's starboard hull, believed to have occurred as a result of the rivets in the hull snapping. Pictured, the iceberg believed to have sunk the Titanic The Titanic took on water some fifteen times faster than could be pumped out, with the hull damage too extensive for the vessel's watertight bulkheads (pictured, with the damage in green) to keep the flooding from spreading across the compartmentalised lower decks After around two-and-a-half hours, the vessel broke into two sections and sank, each settling to the seafloor around a third of a mile apart. Around 1,500 people were believed lost in the tragedy, including around 815 of the liner's passengers The Titanic took on water some fifteen times faster than could be pumped out, with the hull damage proving too extensive for the vessel's watertight bulkheads to keep the flooding from spreading across the liner's compartmentalised lower decks. THE TITANIC DISASTER TIMELINE Ned Parfett, the 'Titanic paperboy', outside of the White Star Line offices in London April 10, 1912 (12:00): The Titanic sets sail from Southampton to New York, calling at Cherbourg and Cork en route. April 14 (09:0022.30, ship's time): Marconi Company radio officers on the Titanic received a total of six warnings of ice in the vicinity, not all of which were passed on to the crew. April 14 (23:39): Lookout Frederick Fleet, in the crow's nest, spots an iceberg dead ahead of the ship. Turning to port, the vessel managed to avoid a direct collision, but suffered a 'glancing blow' instead. April 15 (00:05): Captain Edward Smith orders abandon ship and has radio operators issue distress signals. April 15 (02:05): The Titanic's final lifeboat is launched. Ten minutes later, the liner's angle in the water increased rapidly, ultimately reaching over 30 degrees, as water reached previously unflooded parts of the ship through deck hatches. April 15 (02:20): The Titanic finally disappeared beneath the waves, some two hours and forty minutes after striking the iceberg. Advertisement After around two-and-a-half hours, the vessel broke into two sections and sank, each settling to the seafloor around a third of a mile apart. Around 1,500 people were believed lost in the tragedy, including around 815 of the liner's passengers. The Titanic disaster prompted the drawing up of the Safety of Lives at Sea convention in 1914, which today still sets the minimum safety requirements to which all ships are required to comply. While the stern of the sunken vessel was ruined, much of the bow despite impact damage and deterioration remained recognisable when the wreck was finally discovered on the seafloor by US underwater archaeologist Robert Ballard in 1985. RMS Titanic has released new 3D composites of both the starboard and port side as it decays on the Atlantic Ocean floor. Since then, dozens of expeditions to the wreck to observe the ship and recover artefacts have been carried out with experts being concerned this activity is causing the Titanic to decay far faster than she otherwise would. The landing of craft on the wreck has caused substantial deterioration to the promenade deck, with some of the more significant damage caused by the Cameron expedition, during which a submersible collided with the Titanic's hull. To mark the signing of the treaty with the US, Ms Ghani will be visiting the 1851 Trust Maritime Roadshow for Girls in Belfast on January 21, 2020. The travelling event which is to be temporarily held at the Port Harbour Office aims to inspire girls to study science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, which are vital in the maritime sector. On the treaty, visitor attraction Titanic Belfast's CEO Judith Owens said: 'We welcome any additional protection and safeguarding of the wreck, in line with the views of our strategic partner Dr Robert Ballard, who discovered her in 1985.' While the stern of the sunken vessel was ruined, much of the bow (above) despite impact damage and deterioration remained recognisable when the wreck was finally discovered on the seafloor by US underwater archaeologist Robert Ballard in 1985 After taking on water, the Titanic broke into two sections and sank, settling to the seafloor around a third of a mile apart. Pictured, sonar images of the Titanic's stern After taking on water, the Titanic broke into two sections and sank, settling to the seafloor around a third of a mile apart. Pictured, sonar images of the Titanic wreck. The intact bow can be seen near the top of the image, while the severely damaged stern lies at the bottom The state of the wreck which sank in two pieces has long been deteriorating as a product of corrosion, biological activity and deep ocean currents. However, it is believed that the various expeditions down to the Titanic including those led by director James Cameron have further damaged the vessel. Pictured, the remains of Captain Edward Smith's bathroom According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the hull and structure of the ship is likely to collapse within the next 40 years. Pictured, rusticles grow on the wreck Union Home Minister Amit Shah's open challenge to the opposition for a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was on Wednesday accepted by BSP supremo Mayawati while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav threw a counter challenge for a debate on development. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also responded to the challenge, telling Shah, 'Daadi wale se karo na' (Debate with a bearded man). Accusing the opposition of "misleading" people on the amended citizenship law, Shah on Tuesday threw the challenge for the debate to Rahul Gandhi(Congress), Mamata Banerjee(Trinamool Congress), Akhilesh Yadav(Samajwadi Party) and Mayawati(Bahujan Samaj Party). "The BSP is ready to accept the challenge thrown by the central government, which is troubled by the organised struggle and agitation all over the country against the most controversial CAA/NRC/NPR, especially by the youth and women, for a debate on the issue on any platform and anywhere," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. Asked by reporters in Lucknow about Shah's challenge, Akhilesh Yadav said, "I challenge the BJP for a debate on development." "I ask them to fix a place or a forum, with their favourite channels and anchors, for a debate on development. We Samajwadis are ready for it. Why did they not want to debate on the state of the economy and demonetisation," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Yadav said those who "understand the soul" of the country are opposed to the contentious law and accused the BJP of discrimination on the basis of religion. Speaking at a rally in Karimnagar district in Telangana, Owaisi wanted Shah to discuss the new law with him instead of others. "I am here.. debate with me.. why (debate) with these people.. 'Daadi wale se karo na' (Debate with a bearded man). We will talk and debate on CAA, NPR and NRC," the leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(AIMIM) said. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has already challenged Shah for a debate while party colleague P Chidambaram asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why he or his government did not accept his suggestion of the PM holding an open debate with five critics of the amended Citizenship Act and let people draw their own conclusion. "I had suggested that the PM should select five of the most articulate critics and hold a Q&A session with them. Why doesn't the PM/Government accept the suggestion? "Let five critics of CAA-NPR debate the PM. Let the event be televised live. And let the people draw their own conclusions," he said on Twitter. In another tweet, he said, "HM (home minister) has dared the Opposition to debate CAA. Is that not what the Opposition, jurists, academics, writers, artists, students and youth have been doing since Dec 12?" According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does not include Muslims. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target the Muslim community in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Instead of panicking about how artificial intelligence will eliminate positions, we need to embrace these emerging grey collar roles and the opportunities they create. - Bill Stoller, Express CEO As automation creeps into facets of our everyday lives from grocery delivery to one-day shipping for online shopping, workers are facing a new decade alongside technology designed to make businesses more efficient than ever before. While some jobs will become obsolete, this new trend is also creating career opportunities that possess characteristics of what were traditionally labeled blue or white collar jobs. Express Employment Professionals released a white paper today that introduces who is in the middle: the grey collar workforce. In its polling and public opinion research, Express, working with The Harris Poll, uses the term grey collar to describe work that combines some of the manual labor aspects of blue collar work but also has components of white collar work. Several of the included professions require skilled workers with specialized training beyond a high school diploma, such as engineers, paralegals, airline pilots, firefighters, non-physician healthcare professionals and more. After previously surveying the traditional blue and white collar populations, it became apparent that technology is changing businesses in such a way that more research was needed on this emerging population of workers, said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. In fact, the top workplace trend for 2019, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, was fostering the relationship between robotics and artificial intelligence. From manufacturing to farming, administration to education, industries are incorporating advanced technologies into their processes. "The human element will never go away," Dan Schawbel, partner and research director at New York City-based Future Workplace, said of automation in the workforce. The big opportunity moving forward is for HR to partner with IT and even other departments in order to collaborate and manage the human experience. Future Demand More than 66% of surveyed grey collar workers hold a bachelors degree or higher, and 79% of those said going to college was worth every penny. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, an analysis of federal data found that new manufacturing jobs that require more advanced skills are driving up the education level of factory workers who in past generations could get by without higher education. This is why companies long known for blue collar work will find themselves more reliant on grey collar workers. Forty percent of grey collar workers expect substantial job growth in their fields over the coming years, according to the Express survey. The new white paper also explores more about grey collar workers, including: Who they are Where they work What they do Satisfaction with lives and jobs Direction of their lives Ability of their job to provide a good living Future optimism Archaic Labels Most white collar (83%) and grey collar workers (81%) view labels such as grey collar, white collar and blue collar as a good way to describe the work they do, but also see these labels as old-fashioned and not necessarily applicable anymore (grey collar, 62%; white collar, 56%). So, while examining the views of grey collar workers and working the term into our workplace lexicon can help form a clearer picture of the modern and future workforce, they do not paint the full picture. In the modern workforce, businesses and employees must be willing to change and adapt to new technology, regardless of collar classification, said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. Instead of panicking about how artificial intelligence will eliminate positions, we need to embrace these emerging grey collar roles and the opportunities they create. If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Karami, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966. About Bill Stoller William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 800 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Since its inception, Express has put more than 7.7 million people to work worldwide. About Express Employment Professionals At Express Employment Professionals, were in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, our international network of franchises offer localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve, employing 552,000 people across North America in 2019. For more information, visit http://www.ExpressPros.com. This article was first published on NerdWallet.com. Who hasnt felt the shame of a refrigerator purge? Youre sentenced to face the forgotten leftovers, fuzzy produce and years-old salad dressing that you swear must have come with the fridge. But it didnt. You paid money for all these things, and now you have to throw them away. Take heart. Youre far from the only person to waste food and money. And unlike more ambitious money fixes, reducing food waste is relatively simple and sure to pay off. In fact, a person could save about $370 annually on average by wasting less food, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. And a family of four could pocket an extra $1,500 or so on average in the new year. As if saving money doesnt feel good enough, reducing food waste also helps the planet. Most food we pitch winds up in landfills, which emit harmful methane gas. Less waste, less gas. Reducing wasted food also conserves energy and resources, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. So make this the year you dont have to come eye-to-potato-eye with another decaying legume. Heres how to waste less food: Start with a fridge cleanout Get a reality check on whats going to waste in your fridge, says Cassie Bartholomew, program manager at StopWaste, a public agency reducing waste in Alameda County, California. Remove and evaluate all items that are spoiled or inedible. Rather than feel bad about the waste, try to learn from it. Ask yourself, Why am I tossing this food? she says. Look at those root causes. Did you buy an ingredient you never used? More planning before shopping could help. Did you forget about leftovers or produce thats gone bad? StopWastes 10-Minute Fridge Reality Check recommends designating part of the fridge to food thats quick to spoil. Label that section with an Eat This First sign. During your cleanout, you may realize some foods on death row still have some life in them. Foods past their sell-by or use-by dates may still be safe, and wilted produce could still be cooked. (More on that later.) While youre in the fridge, Bartholomew recommends checking its temperature. A temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below will keep foods safe, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which recommends using a freestanding appliance thermometer. (You can find these in many stores and online for under $10.) Freezers should be at 0 degrees. Plan before shopping Keeping tabs on your fridge and pantry or cupboards will help you buy less stuff that could go to waste. Before shopping, Bartholomew recommends identifying which foods you already have and what meals you can make with them. (Potatoes and butter? Mashed potatoes it is no need to buy those ingredients.) Then identify what you need to complete the dish. (Low on milk add it to the shopping list.) Otherwise, its too easy to overspend on groceries by purchasing foods you may not need. Store foods to last You bought the right groceries, now make sure they stay fresh. Google how to store produce, and youll learn that some foods should be refrigerated (kiwis, cucumbers), while others shouldnt (bananas, avocados). And some fruits, like apples, release a gas that ripens other produce faster. Store leftovers and cooked foods so they stay safe and can be identified later. Bartholomew recommends clear, airtight containers with labels that state the food and when it was prepared or stored. Thats especially important for foods in the freezer, since youll likely toss ice-crusted artifacts with no origin story. Use soon-to-be spoiled foods Check your fridge and freezer for foods on the brink of going bad, says Lindsay-Jean Hard, author of Cooking with Scraps: Turn Your Peels, Cores, Rinds, and Stems into Delicious Meals. Of course, she says, moldy or spoiled food is off-limits. (StillTasty.com provides guidance on shelf life and signs of unsafe foods.) But wilted vegetables are usually fine for cooking or throwing into a soup. Or roast them now, and freeze them for later, she says. For those last few slices of bread that are too stale to be appetizing, Hard suggests making them into bread crumbs or croutons. Then you can add a lot of texture to different types of dishes, like salads or pasta, she says. And just like that, youve removed bread from your next pantry purge. This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press. Laura McMullen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: lmcmullen@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lauraemcmullen. The article This Is the Year You Stop Wasting Food (and Money) originally appeared on NerdWallet. Tourists visiting Vietnam during Lunar New Year are often delighted with the colours, food, and gifts on show Lunar New Year is the most anticipated event for most Vietnamese people every year, which marks the arrival of spring on the lunar calendar. Like people in some other Asian countries, Vietnamese believe that the colours red and yellow will bring good fortune, which may explain why these colours can be seen everywhere all over the nation during the Lunar New Year festivities. Days before the main event and many family reunions, Hang Ma street in Hanoi Old Quarter is always noisy and full of people. Red envelopes, lanterns, LED lights, and decorative stickers are available in bright colours and many different shapes, and many visitors enjoy the bustling and vibrant scenery that these products create in the Old Quarter. Meanwhile, the flower markets in the biggest cities are more crowded than ever as people race against the clock to purchase the most beautiful flowers for their homes. In the north, pink peach flower blossoms are very popular while people in south prefer yellow apricot trees for decoration. However, in recent years, people have also decorated their house with orange or grapefruit trees as well as orchids in bright colours to diversify the options. Well-known flower markets in Hanoi such as Quang An, Hoang Hoa Tham, Lac Long Quan, and Hang Luoc feel like fairylands with full of peach blossoms, kumquats, orchids, and roses. Especially people walking along Lac Long Quan are often impressed by the additional art products and miniatures being sold there. Along with the flower markets, Tay Tuu Village, the largest flower growing area in Hanoi, is a must-see for tourists with its countless flowers. Meanwhile, the Bat Trang pottery village brings out a series of rat-shaped ceramic plates to herald the Year of the Rat. Stores are packed with candied fruits and a variety of coloured gift baskets. Markets are more vibrant with people selecting satisfying gifts for their family and friends. As additional preparations for the Year of the Rat, programmes to celebrate the memorable moments throughout the country are ready. Hanoi will organise a firework display on New Years Eve, with six locations for high-level fireworks and 24 more points for others. An art programme to celebrate the Lunar New Year will take place at 10pm on January 24. With the theme Ho Chi Minh City - Confidence to Move Forward, the Nguyen Hue flower street will welcome visitors from 7pm on January 22-28. The highlights of the street event are designed based on a harmonious combination of natural elements, using environmentally-friendly materials. In addition, the designers present traditional Lunar New Year elements in unison with modern architecture and positive social meanings. Australian bushfires destroyed a large area of land and vegetation, but that has revealed extensive water channels built by indigenous Australians thousands of years ago, to trap and harvest eels for food, in the state of Victoria. According to UNESCO, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is considered to be one of the world's most extensive and oldest aquaculture systems, consisting of dams, channels and weirs. Pedestrian It was built by the Gunditjmara people more than 6,600 years ago and it is older than Egypt's pyramids. The existence of the aquatic system has been known to the archaeologists and it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, in July last year. More sections of the water channels were revealed when the fires ravaged the state in December 2019. Gunditjmara representative Denis Rose, project manager at non-profit group Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, told CNN that the system was significantly bigger than what was previously recorded. Kitti Boonnitrod "When we returned to the area, we found a channel hidden in the grass and other vegetation. It was about 25 meters (82 feet) in length, which was a fairly substantial size," CNN quoted Rose as saying. New structures appeared when the landscape burned. According to the Aboriginal Corporation's website, the aquaculture system, which is part of the Budj Bim National Park, was built by the indigenous population using the abundant volcanic rocks from a now-dormant volcano in the area. The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape bears an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions, knowledge, practices and ingenuity of the Gunditjmara, reads the website. YouTube The fire near the national park occurred after a lightning strike in late December, which eventually spread to some 790 hectares (3 square miles) in size. Firefighters worked extensively to stop the fires from spreading and destroying the cultural site. "Over the next few weeks, we are hoping to conduct a comprehensive cultural heritage survey to check areas that were not previously recorded. It's important because it provided a rich, sustainable life for the traditional people, and has continued to be an important part of our cultural life, Rose said. Thats a silver lining I guess. By Sam Richards Bay City News Foundation MARTINEZ (BCN) In a nod to continuity and as an affirmation of the good job the clerk-recorder's office is doing despite the problems of its former leader, acting Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder Deborah Cooper was selected Tuesday afternoon to continue in that chief elections official position for the next three years. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors selected Cooper from among five finalists the board interviewed in public session Tuesday afternoon. Assuming background checks come back clean, Cooper is scheduled to be appointed at the supervisors' Feb. 4 meeting. Cooper had been deputy clerk-recorder from August 2012 until Nov. 1, 2019. On that date, she became acting clerk-recorder following the abrupt resignation in October of Joe Canciamilla, who was finishing his first year of a second four-year elected term. About a week after he resigned, Canciamilla -- who served as a member of the Pittsburg school board and City Council, and is a former state Assemblyman -- reached a settlement with the state Fair Political Practices Commission on 30 counts of campaign finance violations including using $130,529 in campaign funds for personal expenses and for filing falsified records to cover it up. Among the five candidates interviewed by supervisors were Cooper and Scott Konopasek, the county assistant registrar of voters since 2013, as well as three higher-profile hopefuls -- former 16th District Assemblywoman Catharine Baker of Dublin, political campaign consultant and former CEO of First 5 Alameda County Mark Friedman of El Cerrito and Kristin Connelly of Lafayette, president and CEO of the East Bay Leadership Council. A sixth applicant, Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, had withdrawn late last week from consideration, saying Tuesday that "some personal, private issues have arisen in my family." Mitchoff was on the supervisors' dais Tuesday, asking the other applicants various questions. The supervisors said on Dec. 14 that whoever is appointed will have to be comfortable with taking what they say could become an appointed position in the next few years. Seventeen California counties have appointed chief election officials clerk-recorders, and that the argument is strong for not having an elected official overseeing compliance by other elected officials and candidates. Cooper said she would happily serve as either an appointed or an elected official. But she also said she would feel awkward if she was an elected official counting other candidates' votes. "I think it's good timing for the board to address this," Cooper said. Most of the supervisors and applicants went out of their way Tuesday to separate Canciamilla's travails and the accompanying negative spotlight from everyone else in the clerk-recorder's office. There was general agreement that staff members of that office have performed well, one reason why Cooper and Konopasek were finalists for the job. Cooper said her most immediate priority is making sure the 2020 elections in Contra Costa County go smoothly, as well as bolstering voter outreach (especially in areas where voter turnout is low) and more effectively "branding" the elections office's services and activities. As for her long-term future, Cooper told the supervisors nothing's certain, but that she is considering retirement in the next few years. Tuesday's interviewees were selected Jan. 14 from among 22 applicants, many of them current or former City Council members in Contra Costa County or other elected or appointed officials. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Ex-owner of the bank Oleg Bakhmatyuk is offering to return UAH 8 billion (US$330 million), while no response has been received yet from the Fund and the National Bank. Ukraine's Deposit Guarantee Fund on February 6 will hold another auction to sell a pool of assets belonging to OJSC VAB Bank, which includes credit claims. The starting price of lots is UAH 1.17 billion (US$48.2 million). During the bidding, it may drop to UAH 234.4 million (US$9.6 million) (the minimum price set). However, the bank's ex-owner, Oleg Bakhmatyuk, is offering to return UAH 8 billion (US$330 million), while no response has been received yet from the Fund and the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). On January 16, the Deposit Guarantee Fund already held an auction to sell the said pool of assets. The starting price was UAH 5.86 billion (US$241.7 million). During the bidding, it dropped to UAH 1.17 billion (US$48.2 million). But in the end, the lot was never sold. The auction was held by LLC First Financial Network Ukraine. The sale of a land plot in Zakarpattia region worth UAH 3,200 (US$132) was the only deal sealed at the bidding, according to the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel. VAB Bank was in 2014 withdrawn from the market along with most Ukrainian banks during the so-called Ukrainian banking system purge a large-scale campaign to liquidate banks in keeping with the NBU's decision although the bank's credit rating had been at 'uaAA' (very high reliability in the long run) and was considered one of Ukraine's most reliable banks. Most loans in the pool are pledged by the NBU. According to the Fund, the relevant assets "were traded up to 10 times both separately and as part of the pool in the ProZorro.Sales system, but none of the buyers have shown interest in them yet." Ex-owner of VAB Bank Bakhmatyuk has offered to repay the bank debt to the state worth UAH 8 billion, using restructuring mechanisms. However, the businessman has not yet received a response to his offer from the NBU and the Fund. Meanwhile, the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has begun interrogating 10,000 employees of Bakhmatyuk's agricultural companies. According to the press service of the agricultural holding, the reason was the conflict of interests of NABU Director Artem Sytnyk the court found him guilty of corruption and put into the register of corrupt officials, which threatens his post. The main witness for the prosecution in this case was an advisor to Bakhmatyuk's sister. Her name was Rahab. You might think from her profession that she was destined to die an early death, to fade away into shame, the disgraced woman. This woman, Rahab, was like that relative in the family tree that we prefer to not talk about or to keep in the shadows. You might think any or all of these things because Rahab was a prostitute. Scholars disagree on whether it was 1406 BC or 1250 BC. But there came a pivotal moment in the story of the Ancient Near East when Gods judgment came to the unrepentant peoples of Canaan, fulfilling the covenant made with the Patriarchs. One thinks of Audens remarkable poem, The Fall of Rome, when the movement of herds on the European tundra marked the march of Goths and Visigoths: Altogether elsewhere, vast herds of reindeer move across miles and miles of golden moss, silently and very fast. Rahab in the Book of Joshua The Book of Joshua marks the moment and describes the first movements of the Conquest: And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there (Joshua 2:1). However debaucherous, brothers, bars, and red light districts have often functioned as infamous meetings placed for military espionage. Thus, we must not be surprised that Joshuas advance team knew to go to Rahabs Place. Some branches of Jewish tradition emphasize Rahab as merely an innkeeper. But the Hebrew word, zona, is interpreted in the Septuagint as porne. Thus, we read of Rahabs identity in the New Testament: By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies (Hebrews 11:31 ESV). Rahab was an innkeeper who, sadly, found other ways of bringing in revenue. Of course, the Canaanites were infamous for cultic prostitution related to idolatrous worship. It may very well have been that Rahab was "a religious prostitute in pagan practices. We only know what the Bible reveals. The Story of Rahab But there's more to the story of Rahab so much more. Rahab recognized the God of Israel. She trusted in him for the righteousness she could not produce in her own life: I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath (Joshua 2:9-11 ESV). Whatever Rahab was before Israel crossed into the land of the Canaanites she became someone new in the promised land. For Rahab believed. She not only believed in God but she also acted. For Rahab trusted in God who fulfilled the covenantal promise to Abraham that he would be given land from which would bring a nation, and a descendant, who would bless the earth. And we must always remember that this woman, rehab, was chosen by Almighty God to be a chosen instrument in bringing about salvation to the ends of the earth. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way (James 2:25)? The Importance of Rahab Rehab became a central strategic figure of incomparable courage as she helped Israel to enter the promised land and subdue her own people. Whenever the Army of Israel entered Canaan, Rahab acted according to a prearranged plan and hung out a scarlet cord from the window of her establishment. Thus, she and her family were saved. How interesting that a scarlet cord, likely, an emblem of ill-repute, became a sign of salvation. How very beautiful to think that it is a scarlet cord of the covenant of God's grace that binds all of the Word of God together. And in Christ Jesus, the blood-stained crimson cross of shame became the gleaming symbol of salvation. Rahabs faith in God engrafted her into a new family. Even more, Rahab was, soon, engrafted into the physical family of Israel as she became the wife of Salmon, one of the leaders of Israel who supported Moses when they left Egypt. Rahabs husband is chronicled in both the Old and New Testaments (1 Chronicles 2:10-11, Ruth 4:20-21, Matthew 1:4-5 and Luke 3:32). A Woman Saved by Faith The woman who had been called a harlot became a godly wife and mother in Israel. She and her husband became the parents of a boy named Boaz. And that boy would one day marry a widow woman by the name of Ruth (Ruth 4:5, 10). Thus, as God worked all things together for the good, using the humble and the most unlikely, God raised up a harlot to become the great-great-grandmother of King David. From the line of Rahab came the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world, our God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no more touching story of God's glorious grace than the genealogical introduction to the birth of Jesus by faith through the line of Joseph in Matthew chapter 1. Among the many stories that are interwoven in that wonderful section of the Bible, the woman of the scarlet cord takes her honored place. And so if you ask me, "How could God possibly use me? How could Almighty God, the holy God of heaven, use such a sinner like me?" Then I will introduce you to the woman of the scarlet cord, the greater grandmother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She is not remembered for her sin. She is remembered for the remarkable transformation. The word "harlot" is undoubtedly repeated so that you and I will know that whatever we have done God will forgive us if we come to him by faith. Rahab is the ever-present message of God to you: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Learn more about the Story of Rahab from Christianity.com Image Credit: Wikipedia MICHAEL A. MILTON (Ph.D., University of Wales; MPA, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; MDIV, Knox Theological Seminary; Cert. in Higher Education Teaching, Harvard University) serves as the Provost and James Ragsdale Chair of Missions and Evangelism at Erskine College and Seminary. A Presbyterian minister (PCA, ARP), Milton has penned more than thirty books, hundreds of articles in journals, magazines, opinion columns, and newspapers. As president of the D. James Kennedy Institute and Faith for Living, Milton has served as a public theologian. His work has been cited on numerous national media outlets as he provides historic Christian insights into faith and life in a changing world. Dr. Milton's record of ministry includes seminary chancellor, president of three seminaries, senior minister of one of America's historic churches, founder of three congregations, and a Christian academy. A composer and artist, Mike and Mae Milton reside in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Learn more at michaelmilton.org/about. [from a press release by McCain& Associates.] HNTB Corp. El-Aarag Moein El-Aarag joined HNTB Corp. as transportation structures department manager in the Bellevue office. El-Aarag was an associate project director for another consulting firm. He has over 20 years of experience in bridge design, management and construction in the Northwest. He has done project work for the Washington and Seattle departments of transportation, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and King and Snohomish counties. His work includes the Ballard Bridge planning study. In addition to his new role, he will continue to provide design oversight for the Lander Street Bridge project. HNTB is an infrastructure firm. Tata Motors Ltd is quoting at Rs 185.35, down 3.16% on the day as on 13:19 IST on the NSE. The stock jumped 2.83% in last one year as compared to a 12.01% rally in NIFTY and a 5.2% fall in the Nifty Auto index. Tata Motors Ltd dropped for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 185.35, down 3.16% on the day as on 13:19 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.31% on the day, quoting at 12132.55. The Sensex is at 41198.64, down 0.3%.Tata Motors Ltd has gained around 5.28% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Tata Motors Ltd is a constituent, has eased around 0.2% in last one month and is currently quoting at 8245.9, down 0.99% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 223.77 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 330.89 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark January futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 186, down 2.97% on the day. Tata Motors Ltd jumped 2.83% in last one year as compared to a 12.01% rally in NIFTY and a 5.2% fall in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 0 based on TTM earnings ending September 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Burma Japan to Provide Over $1 Billion in Loans to Myanmar for Development Projects Downtown Yangon / The Irrawaddy YANGONMyanmar and Japan have signed four loan agreements worth about US$1.1 billion (120.915 billion yen, or 1.61 trillion kyats) to fund sewerage, urban development, power distribution and infrastructure improvement projects in seven regions and states in Myanmar. The four Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan agreements were signed on Tuesday between Japanese Ambassador Maruyama Ichiro and U Maung Maung Win, Myanmars deputy minister for planning, finance and industry, with the aim of improving living standards and economic and social development in Myanmar, the Japanese Embassy in Yangon said in a statement. About 45.9 billion yen will go towards developing Yangons sewerage system. The funds will be used to renovate and expand wastewater treatment plants, lay sewer pipes and improve living standards in the central business district of Yangon. Currently, much of Yangons human waste and domestic and industrial wastewater flows into the Yangon River untreated, resulting in poor water quality. The project will result in a seven-fold increase in the citys capacity to treat wastewater by 2030 (two years after the projects scheduled completion), with the total volume of wastewater treated increasing by about 130 times, the embassy said An estimated 24.085 billion yen will go towards an urban development project to reduce traffic congestion and repair damage caused by flooding in Yangon. The project will improve about one-third of the regions main drainage channels and introduce measures to reduce congestion and improve safety on Yangons main roads. It will also reduce traffic congestion at level crossings where main roads intersect with the Yangon Circular Railway. According the embassy, rapid economic growth in recent years has brought with it a dramatic increase in the number of registered motor vehicles in the Yangon metropolitan area, and traffic congestion has been severe for a long time. Moreover, the poor capacity of existing drainage channels results in flooding during the rainy season, exacerbating the traffic problem and posing a threat to public safety. Japan also committed about 12.288 billion yen to a power distribution improvement project, which aims to repair and expand the electricity distribution network to improve the power supply in Yangon and Mandalay. Myanmar has Southeast Asias lowest rate of access to electricity, and power demand is increasing rapidly as investment in development projects increases. According to the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE), power demand is expected to increase to 1,588 MW by 2020. In May last year, the Myanmar government announced plans to buy 1,000 MW of electricity from a Chinese state-owned enterprise to cover an expected electricity shortage over the next two years. The project will lower the power distribution loss rate in each city and reduce the number of power outages caused by the insufficient capacity of the distribution facilities, according to the statement. The embassy will also fund a project to improve regional infrastructure in Chin, Rakhine, Mon and Kayin states and in Tanintharyi Region. An estimated 38.642 billion yen will be provided for construction, renovation and installation of basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and power and water supply in rural areas of the states and region. A total of 70 sub-projects (35 road/bridge projects; 25 electricity projects and 10 water supply projects) will be implemented in the states and region, the embassy said. The poverty rates in Chin (73.8 percent) and Rakhine (43.5 percent) are the highest in Myanmar. The majority of the states residents are unable to access electricity or adequate water supply. Mon and Kayin states and Tanintharyi Region are situated along Japans East-West Economic Corridor and Southern Economic Corridor, and this should assist in their development, the embassy said. Under Japans grand plan for the region, Myanmar sits on two major economic corridors: the East-West Economic Corridor connecting Vietnams Dong Ha City with Yangons Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) via Cambodia and Thailand, and the Southern Economic Corridor connecting central Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand to the Dawei SEZ in southeastern Myanmar. The economic development of regions and states is emphasized in the Ayeyarwady, Chao Phraya and Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and the establishment of basic infrastructure is important to the promotion of steady economic development in rural areas, the embassy said. ACMECS is a sub-regional initiative grouping Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. According to the statement, the projects are part of the 800 billion yen in private-public assistance that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to provide within five years during a meeting with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in November 2016. In October 2018, the State Counselor made a six-day visit to Japan to attend the Mekong-Japan Summit. At the bilateral meeting, Abe promised more than 70 billion yen in low-interest loans for development projects to improve sewage, drainage, traffic, roads and sidewalks in Yangon. The two leaders also discussed the ongoing distribution of the 800 billion yen in assistance agreed in 2016. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Election Commission Warns of Fake News Ahead of 2020 Election Ex-Tanintharyi Region Chief Minister to Face Corruption Charges Mumbai, Jan 22 : Actor Naseeruddin Shah has opened up about the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and said his fellow actor Anupam Kher, who has been "very vocal" in his support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its policies, is a clown. In an interview with The Wire, Naseeruddin talked about the protests against the CAA, about many Bollywood stars keeping mum over the issue, and also about the student protests and actress Deepika Padukone's show of solidarity at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), reports hindustantimes.com. Asked if speaking against the ruling party or voicing opinion could harm actors or the film they are associated with, Shah said actors usually think only of themselves. "Otherwise there'd be more parity. But that's a story for another day," he said. He also spoke about Deepika, who received mixed response for her visiting JNU after some of its students were thrashed. "You have to laud the courage of a girl like Deepika who is in the top firmament and yet takes a step like this. Even if she has a lot to lose," he said. "Let us see how she takes it. She'll lose a few endorsement, sure. Will that impoverish her? Will that lessen her popularity? Will that make her less beautiful than she is? They're gonna come around sooner or later. The only god that film industry worships is money," he added. As for his "A Wednesday" co-star Anupam Kher, Shah said: "Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously. He's a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it." T he Duchess of Cambridge told of how she felt isolated as a first-time mother today. On visit to a childrens centre, Kate recalled how she was living in Anglesey when Prince George was a tiny baby". At the time, Prince William was working night shifts as an RAF Search and Rescue helicopter pilot. On a visit to the Ely and Caerau Childrens Centre in Cardiff, she said: Its nice to be back in Wales! The Duchess of Cambridge UK Landmark Tour - In pictures 1 /34 The Duchess of Cambridge UK Landmark Tour - In pictures Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Cardiff Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge speaks with former prisoners who have received help with rehabilitation from the Forward Trust PA Kate walks with Prison Governor Carlene Dixon during a visit to HMP Send in Wokin POOL/AFP via Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Ely and Careau Childrens Centre Getty Images Duchess of Cambridge leaves with HMP Send Governor Carlene Dixon after a visit to HMP Send REUTERS Duchess of Cambridge visits HMP Send Getty Images She speaks with serving prisoner Francesca POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge at HMP Send AFP via Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Cardiff on January 22, 2020 in Cardiff, Wales. The visit is part of HRH's 24-hour tour of the country to launch '5 big questions on the under 5s' Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) reacts as she leaves after visiting HMP Send in Woking, south west of London AFP via Getty Images Getty Images PA The Duchess of Cambridge chats with children during a tour to promote her new survey Reuters The survey aims to spark the biggest ever conversation on early childhood PA PA PA Getty Images The duchess was taking part in a 24-hour tour of the country to launch '5 big questions on the under 5s' PA The Duchess of Cambridge chats with children on the tour Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Reuters Reuters "I was chatting to some of the mums earlier. It was the first year and Id just had George William was still working with search and rescue and we came up here and I had a tiny tiny baby in the middle of Anglesey. It was so isolated, so cut off. "I didnt have any family around and he was doing night shifts. If only I had had a centre like this." Earlier, as she arrived at the centre in Ely, an economically deprived area of the city, she told her hosts: I will have to remember my Welsh! She also mentioned her children, adding, We will be taking a trip down to Anglesey at some point. Kates first stop was in the baby sensory room, where babies were playing with spaghetti, jelly and musical instruments. The Duchess of Cambridge chats with children on the tour (REUTERS) / Reuters Crouching down, the duchess was in her element as she cooed over the little ones and chatted to their parents about the centre. She smiled at 11-month-old Eleanor Logue, who was happily covering herself in cooked spaghetti as mum Rhi, 29, talked about how she felt supported by other parents there. You can come here and tell people, I havent slept, said Rhi. And everyone else is like, I havent either! laughed Kate. It normalises it. No one is going to judge you for it. And its a social thing for you. So many families now are so spread out, the duchess continued. Its much harder to rely on other generations for support. The survey aims to spark the biggest ever conversation on early childhood / PA She asked several parents about the survey, Five Big Questions on the Under Fives, saying: Have you heard about the survey we are doing? What do you think? There is so much pressure on parents, but actually they need the community too. Afterwards, Rhi said: We talked about post-natal depression and how hard it is to have a kid and how important centres like this are. I would have been in such a dark place without it. Its lovely to see her in a place like Ely. Its such a deprived area and there have been so many funding cuts. Sometimes you are scared to walk the streets, but coming here you feel safe." In another room, Kate was charmed by 14-month-old Indie Corten-Maynard and one of her two mums Estelle Corten. Are you going to push me over? laughed the duchess, as the toddler pushed a large spiky inflated ball into her. The Duchess of Cambridge chats with mothers and their children during a visit to Ely and Careau Childrens Centre / Getty Images She was asking me what it was like coming here as a same-sex couple and I told her how welcoming the centre has been," said Estelle. It was amazing to have the future Queen here in Ely." In the English language part of the centres bilingual nursery, Kate sat down with older children who were playing with dough and joined them in making doughballs as she was told how the children spend lots of time outdoors. One little girl was keen to ask what was going on and the Duchess told her: We are talking about your nursery! Its so cool I would love to come here. Whats your favourite thing about it? Do you like playing outside? She then took the little girl by the hand and asked her to show her the outdoor area, stopping to meet the resident guinea pigs Willow and Bella in a wooden hut, appropriately bearing the sign Caths Cottage. Kate told one of the children that she was 'shy' during the visit / Getty Images She crouched down to stroke the black-and-white pet, Willow, telling the children: I had guinea pigs when I was little. I think your nursery is the best. Shes so soft, isnt she? Watching as the children fed them carrots and sprouts, she joked: I did not know that guinea pigs liked Brussels Sprouts. She then introduced herself to another group of youngsters who were drawing, saying Nice to meet you, Im Catherine. These guinea pigs are a lot quieter than the ones I had at home." As she emerged, she told head of centre Carolyn Asante: They are so happy in there, Its like their own little world. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2019 In the centres Welsh medium nursery, Kate was presented with flowers and a drawing of herself by four-year-old Erin Jones, who briefly hesitated when prompted to hand them over. Are you shy? asked Naomi Asante Chambers, a senior teaching assistant. Dont worry, I am too, the duchess told the little girl. Is this my dress? she asked, pointing at the drawing. I love your hair, I should have done mine like that today. I love the drawing too, thank you. Thank you so much, what a special morning I have had. She also joined three-year-old River Roson, who was playing with pretend food. Are you cooking too? Are you making a stir fry? Youre my friend! the little boy told her, to which the duchess replied: Youre my friend too! As she made her way back through the building, Kate was stopped by another little girl who asked her to help clean her hands. Blink, and you might just miss it. We are referring to the colossal gains that can be achieved by a select group of stocks in almost no time at all, namely those inhabiting the healthcare sector. But how is it that these types of investments can reach such heights overnight? The answer, as it turns out, is related to the nature of the industry itself. Unlike other names, these companies count on only a few vital indicators like the release of data or FDA rulings. As a result, a single update can act as a catalyst, with the power to rapidly catapult shares in either direction. This volatility and the risk that come with it can be enough to ward off some investors. For others, these stocks represent some of the most captivating growth plays the Street has to offer. Based on this, seasoned Street veterans argue that the right time to snap up shares of a healthcare name might just be ahead of key catalysts. However, once a potential portfolio addition has been identified, it isnt always easy to determine if its the most compelling investment. Thats where TipRanks comes in. Taking advantage of TipRanks' Stock Screener tool, we were able to find out what Wall Street analysts are saying about 3 healthcare stocks as they approach important catalysts in the first quarter. Not only is the analyst community bullish, with each earning a Strong Buy consensus rating, but the stocks also boast substantial upside potential from current levels. Lets jump right in. Karyopharm Therapeutics (KPTI) Karyopharm Therapeutics primary goal is to develop treatments that will help patients in their battles against cancer. Thanks to its innovative oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) technology, its products could potentially inhibit Exportin 1 (XPO1), a protein that decreases the bodys ability to defend against tumors. With Phase 3 BOSTON study data for its Selinexor (Xpovio) drug scheduled for release this quarter, Wall Streets focus has shifted towards KPTI. The therapy, which has already been approved for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) treatment in patients that have received at least four previous therapies, is being evaluated for use in earlier lines of treatment. Specifically, the BOSTON study will provide data on its ability to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have already received one to three lines of therapy. Story continues J.P. Morgan analyst Eric Joseph tells clients that he expects a favorable outcome based on its SVd performance in the Phase 1b/2 STOMP study and the control Vd regimens previous performance. On top of this, the four-star analyst noted that the FDAs statements about Xpovios accelerated approval in July as well as physician experience with SVd support this conclusion. While he did acknowledge that the readout window does create some risk, he wrote in a note to clients that current levels still reflect overly cautious risk assumptions for BOSTON against a base case peak sales opportunity. In line with this bullish thesis, Joseph maintained an Overweight rating in addition to increasing the price target by $4. At the new $27 price target, shares could surge 54% in the next twelve months. (To watch Josephs track record, click here) In general, the rest of the Street is on the same page. 5 Buys and a single Hold add up to a Strong Buy analyst consensus. Additionally, the $25.60 average price target puts the upside potential at 46%. (See Karyopharm stock analysis on TipRanks) Kala Pharmaceuticals (KALA) Switching gears now, Kala Therapeutics is focused on treatments for eye diseases. Due to its proprietary mucus-penetrating particle (MPP) technology, the analyst community has been keeping tabs on this biopharma. After the company received a complete response letter (CRL) for the KPI-121 0.25% (EYSUVIS) NDA, its Dry Eye Disease therapy, the upcoming Phase 3 STRIDE 3 trial top-line data readout has attracted significant attention as this data will be used in its CRL response. Management stated that they have decreased the patient variability in STRIDE 3 that led to missing statistical significance for ocular pain in the STRIDE 2 Phase 3 trial. With the readout expected sometime from late February to the end of March, an NDA could be resubmitted in the first half of 2020, should the results be positive. For Wedbushs Liana Moussatos, the large market opportunity is enough to get her on board. We estimate that in 2027 gross annual sales for KPI-121 0.25% could reach about $1.89 billion for Dry Eye Disease. We project full year profitability in 2021 with about $173 million in revenues in 2021 (~$87 million for Dry Eye and ~$86 million for Post-Surgical Inflammation and Pain), she commented. As KALA represents a buying opportunity, she reiterated her Outperform call. Most noteworthy, however, is her $51 price target, which is the highest on the Street and suggests 694% upside potential. (To watch Moussatos track record, click here) While not nearly as aggressive as Moussatos, Oppenheimer analyst Esther Rajavelu is still very much in favor of KALA. We maintain our Outperform rating as we believe Eysuvis (if approved) may address significant unmet needs in the nascent dry eye disease market, which we estimate could be a $3B US market opportunity. We remain positively skewed on STRIDE-3 readout anticipated in 1Q20, as the changes in trial inclusion/exclusion criteria could meaningfully increase the probability of success, she explained. Based on this assumption and the lower operating expenses, the analyst increased the price target from $9 to $12 along with her bullish call. (To watch Rajavelus track record, click here) Looking at the consensus breakdown, the rest of the Street also has high hopes. A Strong Buy consensus rating breaks down into 3 Buys and 1 Hold assigned in the last three months. Not to mention the $19.75 average price target implies 208% upside potential. (See Kala stock analysis on TipRanks) Kadmon Holdings (KDMN) With a proven track record of successful drug development, Kadmon Holdings wants to offer cutting-edge medicines for immune and fibrotic diseases as well as immuno-oncology therapies. As it prepares for a Pivotal trial data readout for its late-stage candidate, KD025, in chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), some think that 2020 could be a big year for KDMN. Analysts are even more excited about the companys prospects after it was announced that INCYs candidate itacitinib failed to meet its Phase 3 endpoint for treatment-naive acute GVHD. Cantor Fitzgeralds Eliana Merle argues that the itacitinib setback indicates significant commercial upside for Kadmons candidate and supports its safety profile. We think KD025's differentiation on safety/tolerability could be a key driver of longer duration of use (and ultimate market opportunity), the analyst stated. On top of this, she believes that the design of KD025s trial lends itself to a favorable outcome. Itacitnib was evaluated in the acute steroid-naive setting, which makes it more difficult to achieve a successful result, while KD025 was studied in the steroid-refractory chronic environment. Merle added, We continue to see the cGHVD market opportunity as underappreciated for KDMN's KD025. We model $500 million in U.S. peak sales and we see INCY's update as supportive of this opportunity. It makes sense, then, that the analyst stayed with the bulls, leaving the Overweight rating and $10 price target unchanged. Should the target be met, a 118% twelve-month gain could be in the cards. (To watch Merles track record, click here) What do other Wall Street pros think? As 100% of the analysts that have published a review in the last three months were bullish, the word on the Street is that KDMN is a Strong Buy. With a $13.25 average price target, the upside potential comes in at 189%. (See Kadmon stock analysis on TipRanks) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic. The sides hailed the level of relations in accordance with the strategic partnership document signed between Azerbaijan and Croatia. They exchanged views over prospects for cooperation between the two countries in energy, transport, information and communication technologies and other areas. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidilla and Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 15:21 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607f25a 1 Business Garuda-Indonesia,Airlines,state-owned-enterprises,management,shareholders-meeting Free National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia appointed Irfan Setiaputra as its new president director and former Creative Economy Agency head Triawan Munaf as its new president commissioner during the airlines latest extraordinary general shareholders meeting on Wednesday under the supervision of the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry. Irfan is to step up as Garudas new president director to replace I Gusti Ngurah Askhara Ari Danadiputra, who was discharged late last year following the discovery of high-end goods smuggled into the country on one of the airlines newest airplanes. Irfan, who earned his bachelors degree in information engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 1989, previously served as chief executive officer and president director at a number of telecommunications companies, including Sigfox Indonesia in 2019 and PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia (INTI) from 2009 to 2012. Garudas board of directors now consists of president director Irfan, deputy director Dony Oskaria, finance director Fuad Rizal (previously Garudas acting director), operations director Tumpal Manumpak Hutapea, human capital director Aryaperwira Adileksana, technical director Rahmat Hanafi, IT and business development director Ade R. Susardi and commerce and cargo director M. Rizal Pahlevi. Meanwhile, the current lineup of Garuda commissioners comprises president commissioner Triawan, deputy commissioner Chairal Tanjung, independent commissioners Yenny Wahid and Elisa Lumbantoruan and commissioner Peter Gontha. The current structure has been designed to fulfill the needs of Garuda. We expect the new team to get to work immediately. We, the former commissioners and members of the board, believe that the new team will work efficiently to resolve any future turbulence in accordance with established business ethics, said former Garuda president commissioner Sahala Lumban Gaol during the meeting. State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir said the ministry had striven to appoint the most credible figures to lead the flag carrier. I hope Pak Irfan Setiaputra may serve well to change Garuda for the better, in accordance with good corporate governance principles. Based on his years of experience in the field, Pak Triawan Munaf will also be able to impart strategic marketing insights and, hopefully, restore Garudas reputation, which has seen its fair share of blemishes, Erick said in a statement. He said he also expected Yenny to lead by example as one of the airlines independent commissioners. The corporate reshuffle came on the heels of a period when the airlines sterling reputation was tarnished by a slew of legal blunders that made headlines throughout the past year. Garuda faced controversy on multiple fronts last year, culminating in the discovery of high-end goods comprising a disassembled Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Brompton folding bicycles on its new Airbus A330-900 aircraft upon its arrival in the country from France in November last year. The controversy led to the immediate firing of then-president director Ari Askhara late last year. (rfa) Ophelia Brown (centre) will hope to take advantage of alumni coming out of European success stories such as Spotify (Blossom Capital/PA) One of Britains top venture capitalists has launched her second fund as she tries to snap up a larger portion of the expanding European technology scene. Ophelia Brown said the number and quality of European start-ups has skyrocketed in the last half a decade as she opened Blossom Capitals 185 million US dollar fund (142 million). It brings the companys total fundraising to 270 million US dollars (207 million), just 12 months after the first fund launched. The US funds ... are investing more frequently and with more capital in the very best European start-upsOphelia Brown Blossom has invested in travel booking platform Duffel and cybersecurity company Tines. The volume and quality of European start-ups is now five times what it was five years ago. The US funds have noticed this and they are investing more frequently and with more capital in the very best European start-ups, Ms Brown said. The fund will increase the investors commitment to early-stage fundraising, partnering with financial technology companies, travel firms and the infrastructure sector, among others. Ms Brown added: Today we announce our second fund through which we will keep investing with conviction in European-founded companies that we know will one day operate successfully in global markets. Louise Samet, partner at Blossom Capital, said that successful start-ups such as Spotify and Klarna are now shedding many alumni who have new ideas. Discovering founders solving some of societys biggest problems wherever they are is a significant strength of Blossom Capital and were poised to continue this with our second fund, she said. The fund aims to connect US expertise and networks with the opportunities in Europe. The UK is facing a constitutional crisis after each of the three devolved administrations voted against Brexit legislation, the SNPs Westminster leader said. Ian Blackford spoke after the Welsh Assembly voted on Tuesday to reject the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill following in the footsteps of the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. The SNP MP accused the UK Government of using the legislation for a power grab on the Parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, criticising the gross disrespect from Boris Johnson and his Brexit fanboys that are in Number 10 Downing Street. After the vote in Cardiff on Tuesday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: All three devolved parliaments have now rejected the EU Withdrawal Bill it is unprecedented and momentous. For the UK to ignore that reality will simply demonstrate how broken the Westminster system is. The Senedd rejected UK Gov's Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. We're not trying to derail Brexit, but this Bill is flawed and doesn't protect the interests of those we serve. We continue to stand up for Wales and must be involved in negotiations on UKs relationship with the EU #WAB https://t.co/Fdieju4iPo Mark Drakeford (@fmwales) January 21, 2020 Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said the Bill was flawed and doesnt protect the interests of those we serve. Meanwhile, Mr Blackford said the Scottish Parliament would lose 28 devolved powers covering areas such as farming, fishing and the environment. He raised fears this could be just the first such attack on devolution from Westminster. The Sewel Convention, a key feature of the UKs political arrangements, sets out that the UK Parliament will not normally legislate on devolved policy areas without the consent of the administrations. Story continues SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said it is an issue of respect (Isabel Infantes/PA) Mr Blackford, speaking on BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland programme, said: If you can argue, as the Government seems to have done in this case, that the situation is not normal, then you can always say the situation is not normal. What is to stop you turning around and taking powers back from the Scottish Parliament at another time? While none of the devolved institutions have granted permission for Westminster to go ahead with the legislation, their actions will not stop the Withdrawal Bill from passing through Westminster. Mr Blackford added: Theres 28 devolved powers that were going to be losing as a consequence of this. But really it is about this issue of respect. What weve got here is the Government acting with a big stick, that is effectively telling not just Holyrood but Cardiff and Belfast as well this is what going to happen and you dont have a say in this. Were supposed to have a family of nations and Scotlands place in the United Kingdom is supposed to be respected. None of that is happening and I think that is why you have got legitimate concerns. He added: The Queen is going to be asked to give Royal Assent to this Act and it is an Act that doesnt have the support of three of the four Parliaments in the United Kingdom. That is unprecedented and I would suggest it is in effect a constitutional crisis. The Prime Minister has got to change his position, hes got to respect the first ministers in all the devolved administrations. Nine days after suffering a massive heart attack while driving, a 39-year-old woman reunited with the first responders who saved her life, including a man who is CPR- and AED-certified, who happened to be driving behind her as she crashed. Accompanied by her two daughters, Washington Borough resident Jennifer Andrews appeared at the headquarters of the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad on Saturday morning to thank those who played a role in saving her life. I just wanted to be able to meet everyone and say thank you in person," said Andrews, who checked out of the Hunterdon Medical Center on Thursday. Borough of Washington resident Jennifer AndrewsRich Maxwell |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Describing Saturdays reunion, Deputy Chief of the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad Bucky Buchanan said he appreciated witnessing the "chain of survival ... come to life. Ive been doing this for 34 years, and its only the third or fourth time that I can say Ive truly had such an experience where someone has survived such an event and been able to walk away and thank their rescuers," Buchanan said. Those who helped that day included squad members, Clinton police officers, Hunterdon Medical Center paramedics, Annandale Hose Company and Clinton Fire Department volunteers, High Bridge Police Chief Brett Bartman and two Hunterdon County residents. Andrews, 39, was driving north on Route 31 in Clinton on the afternoon of Jan. 9 when she received what she described as a massive heart attack that left her unconscious. Her car spun off the road into an area directly south of Moebus Place, where she traveled down a 20-foot drop until stopping in a heavily-wooded area not visible from the roadway. Following behind was Hampton Borough resident Miguel Alves, a CPR- and AED-certified flight officer, who stopped. When I saw the car going down the embankment and into the woods, I didnt see any taillights," Alves said. I thought immediately that she fell asleep, she had a heart attack, or a seizure. "So I stopped the car and went down there to look for her. Alves said that he spotted the vehicle amongst a shroud of trees within a wooded area resembling a mangled grove." The car was still running. Smoke was coming out all over the place ... and the wheels were (spinning) in reverse, Alves said. Heavy brush and trees blocked his access to the front doors of her car, so Alves climbed into the backseat and, through the smoke, spotted Andrews leaning forward in the drivers seat, unconscious. "She was hardly breathing, (just) very deep breathing ... and at this time I said to her, Are you OK? Even though I knew she was not OK, Alves said. After calling 9-1-1, Alves, said he heard what sounded like Andrews last gasp. I put my ear next to her nose and mouth; theres no breathing. So I check her pulse, and theres no pulse, Alves said. "So at that point I tell 9-1-1, Theres no breathing, theres no pulse, I cannot be on the phone, Im going to initiate CPR on this woman.' Alves said that he performed CPR on Andrews two separate times, briefly resuscitating her both times. Upon the arrival of the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad, Alves said that he informed them that he was both CPR- and AED-certified, and insisted on them allowing him to use a defibrillator on Andrews. (Squad member Matt Morris) said, Do you need help? And I said, Im going to need a defibrillator just in case she goes out again, Alves said. I said, Yeah, I am (CPR- and AED-certified). But its not time for a piece of paper, right now; just bring the AED because she went out on me twice, and if she did that, because of the position shes in, shell probably go out again. Needless to say, when I stopped saying this, she goes out again." Alves resuscitated Andrews for a third time using the defibrillator. One of our EMTs was in the car, along with the bystander Miguel, who was in the backseat," Buchanan confirmed. "They reported that they had had one shock advised, delivered, and were actively doing CPR when she had returned to spontaneous circulation. Onsite firefighters and squad members, Buchanan, and Alves then successfully extricated Andrews from her vehicle. A pathway in the wooded area had been cleared by former squad member John Frischette, who was driving by the scene in his Superior Towing & Transport service truck and stopped to assist those on site by cutting through the brush with a chainsaw. (We) removed her from the car and got her off in an ambulance so that she could continue to receive treatment. And seven days later, she walked out of the hospital, Buchanan said. From the ambulance, Andrews was taken directly to the operating room of the Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, where she underwent immediate life-saving emergency surgery. Buchanan said that Andrews survived only because of the entire chain working, and particularly pinpointed the vital actions taken by Alves. When we have a critical situation like that, and we have limited manpower until more manpower gets there, those first-responding community members are key to survival, Buchanan said. And from early access, to early CPR, from quick defibrillation from the First Responders, to get her to the hospital -- thats what made the difference." Echoing Buchanan, Alves described rescuing Andrews as a team effort. I gave her life, the ambulance squad let her live, and the doctors at the hospital gave her permission to continue living, Alves said. While stating that the incident has brought a complete lifestyle change, Andrews said she remains in disbelief it occurred. I didnt really have any emotions," Andrews said. I feel like Im still pretty young, so it was a pretty big shock. Alves described seeing Andrews and her daughters on Saturday as a total game-changer. It does make me feel good that I brought somebody back. Especially a mother. At the same time I was doing that CPR, thats what I was looking at ... that this lady has got to be somebodys mom," Alves said. "And I didnt want her to leave me; I wanted her to be with me, Alves added. Buchanan expressed his gratitude for playing a part in piecing together a good news story. Unfortunately, so often ... its not a 'good news' story. But this is, and again its because of the entire community coming together. It doesnt matter whether youre paid or youre volunteer, doesnt matter whether you have red lights on your vehicle or not. Everyone did their part that day for a good outcome," Buchanan said. Reflecting on the day, Andrews said that there was a second component of Saturdays reunion of which she was especially appreciative. It was nice to be able to hear the story. Because I wasnt sure what the story was, Andrews said. Caroline Fassett can be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips [January 22, 2020] Sares Regis Raises $328 Million for Value-Add Multifamily Fund On October 25, 2019, Sares Regis Multifamily Value-Add Fund III (the "Fund") announced a final close, raising over $328 million in total equity commitments. Utilizing leverage, the Fund will seek to acquire approximately $1 billion of assets in its target markets. "We greatly appreciate the continued support and confidence of our existing investment partners and welcome several new institutional investors who participated with us in this exciting closing," said Ken Gladstein, the Fund's President. The diversified investor base for the Fund includes insurance companies, public pension funds, and wealth managers, in addition to endowments and quasi-governmental entities, primarily from the United States and Asia. Approximately two-thirds of the investors in the Fund have invested in prior Sares Regis funds. "Our value creation strategy continues to offer attractive risk-adjusted returns, especially at this later stage of the real estate cycle," he added. Sares Regis formed the Fund to capitalize on attractive multifamily fundamentals in the Western United States, as well as the potential to create value via the renovation and repositioning of well-located Class-B properties by leveraging its vertically integrated operating platform. The Fund targets assets in Northern and Southern California and the metropolitan areas of Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Phoenx. To date, the Fund has acquired six assets that, in aggregate, represent approximately 44% of the Fund's total commitments. "We are pleased with the current portfolio composition and have another property that we expect to close in the first quarter of 2020," said Bill Montgomery, the Fund's Chief Investment Officer. "We continue to identify and pursue compelling investment opportunities in strong markets that will benefit from the enhancements we create and are expected to generate attractive cash flow and appreciation potential," he added. Accord Capital Partners LLC served as exclusive global capital advisor to Sares Regis. ABOUT SARES REGIS and Sares Regis Multifamily Funds As a leading western U.S. real estate investor and developer founded in 1993, Sares Regis manages a portfolio of over 20,000 units for its partners and investor clients. With the Sares Regis Multifamily Funds, which launched in 2013, the firm has deployed approximately $565 million of equity across thirty Class-B multifamily assets with a total capitalization over $1.65 billion in its target markets in the Western U.S. For further information on the Sares Regis Multifamily Fund platform, visit: https://srgfunds.com. ABOUT ACCORD CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC Accord Group Holdings LLC ("Accord"), through its affiliates, is a global capital advisor and principal investor. With its headquarters in San Francisco and personnel in Chicago, London, Hong Kong and Seoul, Accord engages with a wide variety of participants in the real estate private equity industry. Accord Capital Partners LLC, its broker/dealer affiliate, provides advisory and capital raising services in the United States. www.accord-group.net View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005565/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pakistan Prime Minister Imran on Wednesday urged the international powers, including the UN and the US, to help de-escalate tensions with India, saying they "must act" to prevent the two nuclear-armed countries from reaching a point of no return. Khan, who is here to attend the World Economic Forum, also claimed that India might attempt to raise tensions at the border in order to divert attention from domestic protests against the new citizenship law and Kashmir issue, according to Dawn newspaper. "You cannot have two nuclear-armed countries even contemplating a conflict," Khan said while speaking during an interview with the International Media Council on the sidelines of the WEF annual meeting in Davos. For this reason the UN and US must take steps, Khan said, a day after meeting US President Donald Trump who repeated his offer to help on the Kashmir issue. Khan also demanded that UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) be allowed along the Line of Control, the paper said. India maintains that the UNMOGIP, established in January 1949, has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC. Prime Minister Khan said that he "came across a brick wall" when he reached out to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi after assuming office in 2018, and the ties deteriorated after India carried out air strike in Balakot targeting Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp following the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. But "things went from bad to worse" when India abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August last year, he said. "I just think that the path which India is going [on] is a disaster for India," Khan was quoted as saying by the paper. Responding to a question, Khan said the close relationship between India and the US was "understandable" because of the former being a huge market for the latter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian agencies desperate to stick charge against me: Zakir Naik India urges Interpol gen secy not to delay RCNs against fugitives like Zakir Naik Explained: Difference between Blue Corner and Red Corner Notice India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Jan 22: The Interpol has on Wednesday issued a blue corner notice to locate the controversial godman Nithyananda on a request of Gujarat Police. Swami Nithyananda, the cult leader has fled the country after he was alleged of raping his former disciple. The FIR has registered also on the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children against Nityananda. In November, the Gujarat Police turned to the Ministry of External Affairs and investigative agencies for help after it is believed that the self-styled godman fled the country. The government then cancelled Nithyananda's passport. Interpol issues Blue Corner Notice to help locate controversial godman Nithyananda So what is this Blue Corner Notice Blue Corner Notice is an enquiry notice which is issued to locate, identify or obtain information about a suspect who goes missing. Blue Corner Notice is issued to the country the criminal belongs to and to track the suspect to be in other countries. This notice, if issued, makes it mandatory for member countries to share the whereabouts of a person. The Interpol can issue a blue corner notice against more than one person at a time. Recently in the last year, it has issued a blue corner notice against 100 Indians who were suspected to be part of an illegal immigration bid and sailed off from Kerala port. The former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi is another big name who was issued a BCN in recent years. Is there any similarity with Red Corner Notice While a BCN is issued seeking whereabouts of a person, a Red Corner Notice is issued to seek the arrest or provisional arrest of wanted criminals with the intention of extradition. An RCN is a request to locate individual who is convicted in a criminal case. The individual may not mean to be guilty after RCN is issued against him, he should be proven guilty by the court. Interpol cannot pressurise any member country to arrest an individual who is served a Red corner Notice. This notice is issued in the four official languages of Interpol which are English, French, Arabic and Spanish. RCN is issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country. In recent years, Interpol has issued an RCN against absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi. In many cases countries issue notice against person for the fulfilment of their political or religious gain. In such a case, the Interpol has all the right to refuse to issue a red notice against any individual. (Reuters) - The United States' economy would be growing at a pace near 4% if wasn't for the lingering effect of Federal Reserve rate hikes, President Donald Trump told CNBC in an interview on Wednesday. "Now, with all of that, had we not done the big raise on interest, I think we would have been close to 4%," Trump told CNBC. "And I could see 5,000 to 10,000 points more on the Dow. But that was a killer when they raised the rate. It was just a big mistake." U.S. gross domestic product increased at a 2.1% annualized rate in the third-quarter of 2019. Trump nominated Jerome Powell in late 2017 to succeed Janet Yellen as the Fed chair, but he soured on the former lawyer and investment banker in 2018 after Powell steered the Fed through a series of rate increases. Trump has previously blasted the hikes as "loco" and "ridiculous" and accused the Fed of undercutting economic growth. The U.S. central bank subsequently cut rates three times in 2019. In his CNBC interview, Trump also said that Boeing's 737 MAX fleet grounding and the strike at General Motors had weighed on the economy. "But we had Boeing. We had the big strike with General Motors. We had things happen that are very unusual to happen," Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra) Millennials. All over the world, the term millennial which Statistics Indonesia (BPS) defines as those born between 1980 and 2000 elicits sighs and eye-rolls, conjuring up images of avocado toast, coworking spaces and hoverboards. The much-vaunted Indonesian millennial, sought after by politicians for their votes and businesspeople for their cash, is a mainstay in the media recent online news headlines about millennials range from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) launching a new app to appeal to millennials to the development of new houses for millennials, priced at Rp 200 million (US$14,567) to 500 million. In January, the Education and Culture Ministry announced that the word, or the Indonesian equivalent milenial, was the most popular word in the country throughout 2019. In general, the typical media conception of the Indonesian millennial is not that different from its global counterpart that of an upper-middle class, highly-educated, latte-sipping, GoFood-ordering urban youth, probably employed in the technology or creative sector. The other millennials Indonesian population aged 20-39 by educational attainment Year 1970 0 Total population Source: Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital *Projected population for 2020 No education 10,130,700 Incomplete 5,863,500 Primary 10,964,400 Lower secondary 2,510,700 Upper secondary 1,582,400 Post secondary 203,900 Post secondary Source: Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital *Projected population for 2020 But the data shows that most of the countrys millennials only have a high-school level education, work in blue-collar or low-level service jobs, with an average monthly income of only around US$150. According to the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, only 14.4 percent of millennials in Indonesia have any post-secondary education at all, while only a tiny 0.38 percent have graduate degrees. And according to BPS data from 2017, the average wage for a millennial is only around Rp 2.1 million. Even in the cosmopolitan region of Greater Jakarta, which has the largest per capita income in the country, around 25 percent of men aged 20 to 34 and 38 percent of women only have junior high school diplomas or lower, according to a joint Australian National University and University of Indonesia study in 2010. Young and struggling Living with nine relatives in a small one bedroom house measuring about 25 square meters in Kampung Muka, North Jakarta, 22-year-old Tri Adhitia Diantomo, known to friends and family as Adit, is thus much more representative of the majority of millennials than the common media depiction might have you believe. Adit stopped going to school after graduating from the local state junior high, because he was "naughty," by his own admission, and now earns a salary of Rp 1.5 million ($106) a month working six days a week as a driver for a forwarding agent, picking up packages from Senen train station in Central Jakarta and driving them as far away as Depok and Bekasi in the neighboring province of West Java. Adit said he planned to pursue a Kejar Paket C, or senior high-school equivalency diploma, next year, which would allow him to seek a job at a bigger company, for bigger pay. One of his high-school graduate friends, he said, worked as a driver for a television station, and made around Rp 4 million a month. His current job is far from the white-collar, high-tech work that people might imagine millennials engage in. The work is physical and arduous, involving the loading and unloading of unwieldy boxes in the Jakarta heat, and driving long distances in an old, air-conditionless pick-up truck. The deliveries he makes include smaller packages like fruit and documents, to large shipments ranging from motorcycles to live animals. Adit said the weirdest package he had to deliver was a live pig. The pig was eventually delivered to the private home of a wealthy man who kept many other animals in his house. "It was like a zoo," he recalled. Despite the labor-intensive nature of his job, Adit said he enjoyed it, because it allowed him to be outdoors and go different places. According to BPS data from 2017, around 20 percent of millennials are blue-collar workers, while around 25 percent work in sales or service jobs, compared to only 1.4 percent who hold managerial positions and 7 percent who work in professional jobs. Tri Adhitia Diantomo Wearing a red Sheila on 7 T-shirt, and a bunch of colorful Sheila on 7 rubber bracelets, Adit, whose hobbies include listening to music and watching YouTube videos, and who has no plans to get his own place anytime soon, does have some things in common with the stereotypical millennial. He is also pretty tech-savvy, though the only gadget he owns is a Chinese-made smartphone that he bought on layaway. "If it's not destroyed, I won't replace it," he said, laughing. Almost all of his salary currently goes to installments for the motorcycle he recently bought, and he depends on his per diem of Rp 50,000 (plus the occasional tip) for miscellaneous expenses such as data packages for his phone and going to Sheila on 7 concerts. But mostly he spends his free time at the local community unit (RW) office with the neighborhood youth group. On Wednesday nights, he practices percussion with his friends not on drum sets but on used buckets and paint cans. They play at weddings and community gatherings and have even performed in front of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. When asked what he would do if he could do anything, Adit said he would open an angkringan-style coffee shop that didnt have any wi-fi, so people will have to talk to each other instead of looking at their phones. The struggling young mom Riska, another 22-year-old who lives not too far from Kampung Muka on Jl. Tongkol Dalam, North Jakarta, represents a big chunk of the millennial population the stay-at-home mother. According to the 2010 study, around 56 percent of women aged 20 to 34 in the Greater Jakarta region were mothers, more than two-thirds of whom were unemployed. Riska got married at the age of 19, not long after she graduated from a private vocational school. "I wasn't planning to get married, but there was someone who was serious and proposed and refusing the proposal would mean refusing jodoh [a mate], so I accepted," she said. She worked briefly as an administrative assistant at a small office after she got married, but left the job after she gave birth to her son, Arshakha, who is now 2 years old. Riska's 27-year-old husband, Zainal, works as a driver and makes around Rp 3 million a month. Recently, she started taking orders to string beads into bracelets with her mother, and gets Rp 1,000 a dozen for their labor. She said they could finish around 80 dozen bracelets in three to four days. The bracelets are sold as souvenirs in Central Java, where they are priced at Rp 5,000 apiece. Riska Every day, Riska takes her son from the boardinghouse she rents with her husband to her parents' cramped home. Her father, 55-year-old Endang, used to work as a truck driver, but has stopped working in the last few months due to a number of ailments, including heart problems and diabetes. Riska helps out by taking her father to doctor's appointments and by minding the small warung (stall) her parents keep in front of their house. In turn, her mother, Asnah, 47, helps her take care of her son. A homebody even before she got married, Riska does not go out much, and her online activity is limited to Facebook and WhatsApp. She also helps her friend sell some small household knickknacks like soap dispensers on Facebook for some extra cash, making Rp 5,000 to Rp 10,000 per item. When asked what she does for recreation, Riska laughed. "It's very rare, usually only when my husband is off work on Sundays. At most, we'll go to Atlantis [waterpark] with my son," she said, referring to a water park at nearby Ancol. Riska said her dream was to open her own small business, perhaps selling sembako or basic commodities, so that she could make money while still taking care of her son. Demographic bonus is just a number Without university degrees or technical qualifications, Adit and Riska are typical of the majority of the 82 million-strong millennial generation, which makes up the bulk of Indonesia's much-touted "demographic bonus." The "bonus", defined as a period when a country's productive population (aged 15 to 64) outnumbers its non-productive population (below 15 and over 64), is currently underway and is expected to peak in 2030, with millennials the largest generation among the productive population. Ariane Utomo, a social demographer at the University of Melbourne who took part in the 2010 study, said that she preferred the term demographic "window of opportunity" to "bonus," and that the expectations surrounding the so-called "bonus" may be based on assumptions that are no longer applicable. Unlike in South Korea, which welcomed its demographic dividend, Indonesia sees the arrival of the largest educated cohort of young adults as coinciding with a complex set of labor market and economic conditions, Ariane said. South Korea, on the other hand, had a high number of young adults from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s when there were plenty of manufacturing jobs around, she explained. Current-day Indonesia, meanwhile, is going through what economists call "premature deindustrialization", with the share of manufacturing jobs stagnating without ever reaching the heights that earlier industrializing nations such as South Korea enjoyed. At the same time, Ariane said, millennials were entering the labor force at a time when there was "a rapid global transformation in the nature of work," characterized by the rise of the gig economy and an increase in vulnerable employment. All eyes on the privileged In November, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo unveiled his crack new team of young expert staffers, who seem to embody the millennial image, with entrepreneurs aplenty, not to mention a couple of Ivy League graduates in the mix. At a sprightly 35 years old, Gojek founder and newly-appointed Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim, is probably the country's premier millennial, and has said he would be the millennial representative in the President's Cabinet. But, with a bachelors degree from Brown, an MBA from Harvard and an estimated net worth of US$100 million, Nadiem is far from the typical Indonesian millennial, and the President seems to have realized that, saying in his second inaugural address that the development of human capital particularly that of the younger generation would be one of the main priorities of his second term. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (fourth left) strikes a pose with his presidential staff at the Merdeka Palace on Nov. 21, 2019. (JP/Seto Wardhana) Consequently, the Jokowi administration has focused its efforts on helping millennials improve their skills and supporting their transition between school and the working world, with the aim of preparing young people for so-called Industry 4.0 jobs with programs such as the pre-employment card and the President's planned "talent management" body. Ariane said there was nothing wrong with the government's efforts at "skilling" but that even if millennials gained the skills, it was unclear whether there would be enough jobs. Entrepreneurship has been touted as another solution to the changing economic landscape, with the President preparing an omnibus law to empower small-and-medium businesses like the ones Adit and Riska dream of one day starting. But Ariane pointed out that, until very recently, most of Indonesia's workforce had been self-employed, particularly in the informal sector. The evidence is not very clear whether policy campaigns to promote entrepreneurship can be effective in generating millions of meaningful, stable and upward-mobility enabling jobs," she said. While the problem is a global one, the challenge in Indonesia is exacerbated by the sheer number of young people entering the labor market, many with skill sets that do not match industry. Corporate Earnings Setup Rally To Stock Market Peak Our research team believes the current Q4-2019 earnings season and expectations are prompting a Rally To A Peak. Weve been warning our followers and clients that we believe the US Stock Market has rallied to levels that constitute a near peak enthusiasm related to historical price volatility. As youll see from these charts, below, we are not dismissing this current upside rally and the potential that it could last for many weeks or months longer were just warning our followers and clients that we believe a very volatile period or price rotation is setting up within the next 10 to 25+ days as prices reach the historical upper boundary. Our researchers believe that price channels are a very common form of technical analysis. Price enters a channel when defined boundaries are established and when price continues to rotate within these boundaries. Historically, when a price channel is broken or breached, a new price channel is quickly established. Youll see examples of this very clearly in the Custom US Stock Market Index and Custom Volatility charts below. Within this research post, we want to highlight the rally levels across a number of our Custom Index charts because we believe the current US stock market rally is nearing a peaking level/process that may surprise many investors. Even though the current price trend may be quite stable to the upside, price tends to rotate in up and down price cycles throughout shorter and longer-term trends. We have termed this true price exploration. It is the basis of the Elliot Wave theory and Fibonacci price theory. The price must always attempt to establish new price highs or new price lows at all times. Put in more simple terms, the price will always rotate up and down within a trend it will never go straight up or straight down. There must be some rotation in price as support and resistance levels are established while true price exploration is taking place. This process is the reason that we believe the global markets are setting up for a moderate price rotation/reversion in the near future. This first chart, our Custom US Stock Market Index Weekly chart, highlights the recent upside price breakout that took place late in 2019. We believe this rally is the result of a continued Capital Shift into the US stock market by foreign investors as well as continued fundamental economic data as a result of President Trumps tax and deregulation policies. The US/China trade deal, beginning to settle in November 2019, was also very good news for the markets overall. As technical investors, these massive global concerns or positive events play a big role in understanding how the price will bias as it digests these positive or negative events. The one aspect of this Custom US Stock Market Index chart we want to focus everyone onto is the Price Channel that weve drawn across the peaks and troughs of price over the past 2+ years. The downside price rotation late in 2019 setup a defined price channel that we believe will act as critical price resistance in the very near future. Should this price rally continue for another 2+ weeks, the price will very likely reach this resistance level then what? The current upside price rally technically confirms that price has already established a new price high and if this resistance level is a strong as we believe, based on the historical price channel structure, it may prompt a moderately large price correction/reversion event. Once price rallies to near the upper price boundary, there is a very strong likelihood that price will experience hard resistance. A potential rotation in price could prompt a move below 880 the middle price channel level. Our Custom Valuation Index Weekly chart highlights the amount of capital pouring into the markets and the fact that global investors continue to believe the upside price rally in the US stock market is likely to continue. The past FLAG formation, from September 2019 till near November 2019, suggested that global investors were quite concerned about future valuation growth. It would appear that global investors began to become very cautious in September 2019 then started pouring capital back into the markets in late November/early December 2019. It was likely foreign investors that began pouring capital into the US markets at that time. Either way, the advance in the price of our Custom Valuation Index suggests that global investors believe the US stock market is, again, in rally mode into early 2020 and through Q4 2019 Earnings. Now for the kicker. Our Custom Volatility Weekly chart is back into extreme overbought territory. This indicator can stay in this range as price advances for many weeks like what happened in late 2018. Over the past 24+ months, every time the Volatility Index moved up into these extreme overbought levels, a moderate to severe price rotation/reversion took place. This is important to understand for all traders. Price could attempt to stay up in this overbought level for many weeks or months yet the risk of a price correction/reversion would only gain strength the longer the Volatility Index stays above 19. Be prepared for increased volatility over the next 60+ days and be prepared for a potential price reversion. Our researchers believe we are very close to critical price resistance and an explosion in volatility. As skilled technical traders, this is exactly what we want to see happen. We want to be able to find and identify profitable price trends, prepare for price corrections and attempt to time our entries into various ETFs and sectors to be able to profit from these bigger swings. As the rally continues to push higher, pay attention to the earnings data that is release and expect volatility to begin to move higher. We believe a number of earning surprises are going to hit the markets. These could prompt some 2% or greater price swings in the US markets. This is the year you really want to find the right team to help you identify and trade these bigger trends. Dont let 2020 pass you by while these incredible setups continue to roll into bigger market trends. Visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn how we can help you find and execute better trades. Join my Wealth Building Newsletter if you like what you read here and ride my coattails as I navigate these financial markets and build wealth while others lose nearly everything they own. Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. When Billie Ozturk walks down the street with her twin sister Jasmine Reynolds they regularly receive unsolicited sexualised comments. The 26-year-old from Essex remembers one occasion when a man passing in a car shouted: Wonder if their boobs are the same? and another time when a builder said audibly to his friend: I'd love to have a set of twins in bed. It isnt just strangers who make comments, the sisters receive remarks in their dating lives too. One person asked Billie: Why do you think your boyfriend went for you and not Jasmine? Often the sisters feel social pressure to laugh such comments off; but underneath they find them hard to deal with. While most adults are considered autonomous individuals, twins are regularly treated as two halves of a whole. This has the two-fold effect of making one twin forgettable (Billie worked in a pharmacy for two years before her sister but their manager still couldnt tell them apart) while being treated as though they dont have free will independent of each other. In short: they become a package deal. On more than one occasion twins Kate and Simone, 37, from London, say men have approached them in a bar and said they dont have a preference on which to talk to - they will take either. Although this did once lead to Kate dating someone - he initially started chatting to my sister at a party, but she had a boyfriend at the time so she introduced us - on the whole the sisters hate it. We have been asked for threesomes on countless occasions. Once a man even offered to pay us. We had to highlight one too many times that its incest and f**king weird. Eve and Jess Gale (ITV) When Love Island producers selected 20-year-old twins Jess and Eve Gale for the 2020 line-up they were playing into long-established ideas about twin sisters. And it didnt take long for them to get the intended reaction. As the twins arrived fellow contestant Mike said: Twice is definitely nice, you know what I mean? and now-ex-Islander Ollie knocked over his drink in excitement. Although viewers criticised the show for sending the sisters on double dates, dressing them in matching outfits and generally selling them as a buy-one-get-one-free deal (until Eve was voted out on 19 January), the fetishisation of the twins was seen as largely acceptable. But the thought of siblings flirting with each other in any other context, and then broadcast on primetime TV, would likely be reported to Ofcom. Numerous adverts have used the figure of (almost always) female twins to sell products... Dr Mattias Frey, University of Kent The first recorded evidence of twins comes from around 300BC - a time when the arrival of two live babies would have understandably been perceived as something of a medical marvel. Twins have proven culturally fascinating ever since, appearing throughout Ancient Greek and Roman mythology (Apollo and Artemis, Eros and Anteros, Romulus and Remus, Castor and Pollux, Cassandra and Helenus); in the early 1900s when circuses still hired twins as a freakish double act, and in horror movies to depict the uncanny. Today biology has made sense of multiple pregnancies. In recent years fertility treatments and IVF have increased multiple births. The NHS says in 2016 around 12,000 sets of twins were born in the UK (approximately 1 in every 65 births) compared to 1984 when twins accounted for just 1 in every 100 births. But the fascination persists. The Shining/Rex Features (Rex Features) Dr Mattias Frey, Professor of film and media at the University of Kent explains that popular culture is full of narratives of danger or wonderment relating to twins or the 'double'. He uses the example of early cinema using the doppelganger as a storytelling device in films such as The Student of Prague (1913), The Golem (1915) or The Cabinet of Dr. Galigari (1919). [They] depict a threat from the 'outsider' twin or fantasise about leading a double life apart from bourgeois constraints, he says. Similar themes have persisted throughout cinematic history. The Shining (1980) and its hallucinatory rendering of two twin girls, is one of the most famous examples of the horrific potential of twins, says Frey. Not forgetting photographer Diane Arbus photograph of identical twins Cathleen and Colleen, frequently described as haunting or creepy, or the disproportionate number of films and documentaries made about the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie. The real Kray Twins Show all 12 1 /12 The real Kray Twins The real Kray Twins Twin brothers and organised crime bosses Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Cedra Court, off Cazenove Road in northeast London, 3 August 1964 Getty The real Kray Twins Boxers Reggie (left) and Ronnie Kray with their mother Violet Kray in 1950 Getty The real Kray Twins The Twins fight in 1951 Getty The real Kray Twins The Kray Twins in September 1951 Getty The real Kray Twins The Twins in 1952 Getty The real Kray Twins The Kray twins pictured on 23rd January 1953, when as teenagers they would report to a local gymnassium in the East End of London Getty The real Kray Twins Reginald Kray, one of the infamous Kray twins, celebrates his marriage to Frances Shae in April 1965 Getty The real Kray Twins Notorious East End gangsters Ronnie (right) and Reggie (left) Kray in October 1965 Getty The real Kray Twins London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray refresh themselves with a cup of tea in 1966 Getty The real Kray Twins London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray at home having a cup of tea in 1966 Getty The real Kray Twins The Twins in 1966 Getty The real Kray Twins East End London gangster Reggie Kray lights up a cigarette for his twin brother Ronnie in 1969 Getty But Frey says as well as being used to depict unease or horror, the uncanny aspect of twins also fuels sexual fantasies. Numerous adverts have used the figure of (almost always) female twins to sell products: for example, the infamous Doublemint gum twin adverts and their tagline jingle, 'a double pleasure is waiting for you'. This sentiment isnt exclusive to fictional twins in adverts either: in 2012 real-life-twins and Cheeky Girls Monica and Gabriela Irimia, who came to fame in 2002 on Pop Idol with their song Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)" appeared topless on the front cover of Nuts magazine wearing only thongs, spanking each other and pulling on each other's underwear. Twin Fiona Baxter, 29, from London, whose sister Ali lives in Oxford, says that as a twin she finds this sort of imagery particularly uncomfortable. How do people feel this kind of incest is acceptable? To some, it is as if twins are the same person so it makes it ok, but its totally not the case at all." Psychotherapist Lucy Beresford, who specialises in sex and relationships, says the source of much of the twin fetishisation is the taboo of incest. Sex with twins feels dangerous and thrilling, as well as exotic (by dint of being rare), she says. Although this idea has been around for a long time the proliferation of online porn has made it far more visible and accessible in recent years, says Beresford. There are currently 1,700 videos on Pornhub labelled twin. Incest has never been, and probably never will be a socially acceptable sexual kink, yet, twins are, says sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight. But, however you try and weigh it up, Im afraid you cant really have one without the other. Twins Hanneke and Lieke, 35, from the Netherlands, say they have seen this spill over from pornography into mainstream social media. I recently came across an Instagram account called @datingtwins, explains Lieke. It was set up by the guy to boast how he is living every mans dream, which you can also see from the comments. I dont understand why people dont think its disturbing he is dating two sisters? "Maybe it has to do with twins featuring in Playboy or porn, but now it just has come to be something any may should want, she says. Hanneke vividly remembers being made to stand next to her sister when they were 15 so they could be rated on their looks and similarity by a group of boys. I hated that, she says. Sex columnist Tracey Cox warns that in reality, just like with threesomes, most men would be terrified if their wish was granted, so why does the concept of the fetishised twin continue on large platforms like an ITV2 show? Fundamentally Cox says that we are all interested in what it would be like to have another you on the planet. Clinical psychologist Hamira Riaz agrees, saying: From a psychological perspective, our disproportionate fascination with twins taps into at least two complex and unresolved big questions about what it means to be human. Firstly, the age old question of nature vs nurture nowhere is this played out more compellingly than in the case of identical twins; the same genetic material, often the same early background, resulting in two distinct personalities and outlooks on life. Twins are a visible reminder of that. Secondly, twins live with the most extreme version of duality - being connected to someone else and feeling unique." Some twins dont mind the comparisons and there's big money to be made with twinning. YouTube channel, the Rybka twins, featuring sisters Sam and Teagan, has racked up 6.7m views on a video that purports to show the siblings communicating via telepathy. Louise McCormack and her sister Karen Bell, 41, have also made a career out of it, starting a cabaret and jazz singing double act - Twin and Tonic. Although they have had similar questions to the other siblings (Louises husband has been asked: Are they both yours?) theyve made peace with being seen as a package deal. I guess were marketing ourselves that way, she jokes. Less than 24 hours after Eve Gale left the Love Island villa and returned to Britain, the remaining sister Jess confessed she was considering leaving too, as it wasnt going to be the same without her twin. Only time will tell if removing the twins selling point means her romantic prospects have halved too. Renovation 22 January 2020 BEI San Francisco, formerly the Holiday Inn San Francisco-Civic Center, officially completes a top-to-bottom $30 million renovation. One year ago, the lifestyle hotel officially reflagged to become the newest independent lifestyle hotel in the quickly growing Mid-Market neighborhood. An investment by BEI Capital with a sister property in Beijing, BEI offers 396 guest rooms, two dining options (Sum and Ren) and 10,000 square feet of coworking, meeting, and event space. Designed by iu + bibliowicz Architects, LLP and Steinberg Hart, BEI has 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space in addition to several intimate coworking spaces inspired by the forward-thinking offices found throughout San Francisco and Silicon Valley. BEI aims to answer the increasing demand for integrated living and workspace in San Francisco by offering various remodeled room categories, each averaging 350 square feet. Most notable are BEI's "Stay Work Play" rooms that feature beds that tuck away to transform living space into working space with an additional outdoor terrace for breakout meetings and sessions. In addition, BEI offers 3,000 square feet of traditional meeting space that can become three breakout rooms, and 7,000 square feet of flexible space, which includes the lobby, game room, gallery and fourth floor outdoor terrace. A new 800-square-foot fitness center is located near the outdoor terrace to complement the classes and wellness programming that BEI implemented in fall 2019. New wellness programming will be announced later this month. BEI also has two new food and beverage concepts on the ground floor. Sum, the restaurant and bar, is a casual dining concept, open for breakfast and dinner, featuring paired shareable plates and classic cocktails, craft beer and wine. Ren is an on-the-go daytime dining option with freshly made pastries, specialty deli items, and features coffee creations from West Coast favorite, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, beer and wine. Situated only 20 minutes from San Francisco International Airport, BEI San Francisco offers instant access for guests to walk and experience many of the city's beloved neighborhoods such as Hayes Valley, SOMA, and Fillmore District; as well as iconic attractions and event venues, such as the Orpheum Theatre, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco Opera, Moscone Center, and SFJAZZ Center. For more information, reservations, and rates, please visit www.beihotelsf.com. Outgoing BP chief Bob Dudley on Wednesday criticized sweeping climate proposals from Sen. Bernie Sanders, a top-tier 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a champion of the far left. "They have a completely unrealistic idea of the complexity of the global energy system," Dudley told CNBC's "Squawk Box" from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "It's very complex." Nearly a year ago, Ocasio-Cortez, with Sen. Ed Markey, released the Green New Deal, an ambitious plan to remake the U.S. economy and drastically reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. Sanders, who endorsed the proposal, later released his own detailed plan, building on the Green New Deal and calling for the U.S. to move to renewable energy across the economy by 2050. Sanders later Wednesday responded on Twitter to Dudley's comments. "What's 'unrealistic' is thinking we will let fossil fuel companies continue to destroy the planet. The outrageous greed of companies like BP got us into this crisis. We are going to solve the climate crisis, end their greed and hold them accountable for the damage they caused," Sanders tweeted. TWEET The office of Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment. Dudley on Wednesday did not entirely shoot down the need for energy transition. He stressed that "we must reduce carbon emissions" and that "renewables need to grow." But he said there's other factors to be considered. "The world needs all forms of energy," he said. "Less emissions, but all forms of energy." Industry executives have been focused on sustainability issues this week in Davos and around the global. The theme at this year's annual WEF in the Swiss Alps is "stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world." Days before the forum opened, BlackRock chief Larry Fink called on industry leaders to prepare for a long-term climate crisis that will reshape finance. Fink, whose BlackRock surpassed $7 trillion in assets under management, used his annual letter to the world's biggest companies to sound the alarm. "Climate change has become a defining factor in companies' long-term prospects. But awareness is rapidly changing, and I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance." BlackRock will put "sustainability at the center of our investment approach," he wrote from portfolio construction to launching new investment products that screen fossil fuels. Dudley said he spoke with Fink on Tuesday. Fink explained, according to Dudley, that the letter was not a call to "get out of hydrocarbons." Dudley said Fink "made that clear." In November, Dudley told CNBC that there was a lack of realism from environmentalists and lawmakers who want the energy industry to immediately stop carbon-emitting activity. "There's just a lot of people, very well-meaning people, who want to believe that there is a simple solution," Dudley said at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference. He said that natural gas, which emits roughly half of the carbon as coal to produce the same level of energy, needed to be a big part of the energy transition story. He said fast-developing technology to monitor gas leakage, such as satellite imagery and drone inspection, would soon help to reduce waste further. Dudley will be stepping down on Feb. 4 as CEO and from the board. He's the company's longest-serving chief executive, with nearly a decade at the helm. He will retire at the end of March. CNBC's David Reid contributed to this report. CAIRO - At least 19 people were killed in an attack Wednesday in the disputed Abyei region on the Sudan-South Sudan border, a U.N. peacekeeping mission said. The mission, known as UNISFA, said in a statement that armed men allegedly from the Sudan-allied Misseriya attacked the Dinka village of Kolom, about 9 kilometres (5.5 miles) northwest of Abyei. UNISFA said the attack wounded at least two dozen others and that three children were reportedly missing. At least 19 houses were set ablaze, it said. UNIFSA It has been in Abyei since 2011. Kuol Alor Kuol, the chief administrator of the Abyei area, told local media at least 29 people were killed in the attack. This morning at around 7:10, gunmen came and attacked Kolom area. The attackers killed 29 civilians including 9 children, Radio Tamazuj quoted Kuol as saying. Footage circulated online showed burned properties to the ground, as well as graphic images of burned bodies and wounded people with blood-stained clothes. Sudans transitional government condemned the attack, and called on the UNISFA to contain the situation and provide protection to civilians in the region. A decades-long civil war between Sudans north and south ended with a 2005 peace deal that allowed for South Sudan to become independent following a referendum in 2011. The pact also required both sides to work out the final status of Abyei, but its still unresolved. The regions majority Ngok Dinka people are believed to be in favour of joining South Sudan. The Abyei region is rich in oil, one of the reasons both Sudans are reluctant to give it up. 1. Yes. The downtown area needs a good draw. Some quality taverns would be a plus. 2. Yes. Too many storefronts are vacant. Bars could help to bring in needed revenue. 3. No. Putting a number of bars downtown is just asking for trouble. Dont change things. 4.No. Several churches have located downtown. Putting bars close by would be a bad fit. 5. Unsure. It would depend on how the law is written and what standards are enacted. Vote View Results Former chairperson of National Commission for Minorities Wajahat Habibullah and Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday challenging constitutional validity of some laws including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The plea said the laws are "arbitrary", "irrational" which would lead into "hostile discrimination" of certain sections of the society. Besides Habibullah and Azad, social activist Swami Agnivesh and Delhi resident Bahadur Abbas Naqvi are also the co-petitioners in the case. Besides the CAA, the fresh plea has also sought quashing of the Passport (entry into india) Amendment Rules, 2015; Passport (entry into india) Amendment rules, 2016; Foreigners (amendment) order, 2015; Foreigners (amendment) Order, 2016; Citizenship (registration of citizens and issue of national identity cards) Rules, 2003 and Citizenship Rules, 2009. The top court on Wednesday made it clear that it would not stay the operation of the CAA without hearing the Centre and said that a five-judge Constitution bench would decide its validity. In the fresh plea, the petitioners have made the Ministries of Law and Justice, Home Affairs, External Affairs and Defence the as respondents. The plea claimed these laws were ultra vires the Constitution and an attempt to play a "fraud" on the people of the country. "The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, which has been brought into force vide notification dated January 10, 2020, is only a step leading to the promulgation of the National Register of Citizens with the clear intent of placing all the backward sections of citizens including Muslims into detention centres and removing them from the mainstream, thereby destroying the existing fabric of the Nation," it alleged. It further claimed that the enactments were steps leading to the promulgation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with a clear intent of "placing all the backward sections of citizens including Muslims into detention centres and removing them from the mainstream, thereby destroying the existing fabric of the nation". "The amendment treats migrants belonging to certain specific religions as a separate class from other illegal migrants and creates a class within a class which is impermissible. The amendment treats illegal migrants who have entered India on or before December 31, 2014, as a separate class from other illegal migrants and creates a class within a class which is impermissible. The Ordinance is based on arbitrary, hostile discrimination and is devoid of reasonable classification," the plea alleged. It added that the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015 and 2016, and Foreigners (Amendment) Orders, 2015 and 2016 were against the legislative policy regarding Indian citizenship. "There is no data substantiating the conclusion that persons belonging to Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Christian communities have fear of persecution in their day to day life. Moreover, there is no mechanism put in place to verify the same," the plea said. It said the newly amended citizenship law violated article 14 (equality before the law) as there was no preamble to the Citizenship Amendment Act and the classification was "arbitrary, irrational, devoid of intelligible differentia". It further claimed the provisions of the law destroyed the secular fabric of the country as only migrant Muslims will now remain 'foreigners'. "There was an unexplained haste/hurry in passing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, resulting in wide spread protests... The CAA was introduced by misusing executive power and after having stealthily excluded Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis and Jains from the definition of 'foreigner' under the Foreigners Act 1946 and from the definition of 'illegal migrant' under the Citizenship Act, 1955," the plea said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged China on Wednesday to release all information about the outbreak of a new virus and work with Taiwan on curbing its spread. At China's insistence, Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organization and is not allowed to participate in any of its meetings. However, large numbers of Taiwanese travel to and live in China, where hundreds of people have been sickened and nine have died in an outbreak that apparently originated in the city of Wuhan. Despite Beijing's restrictions, the Taiwan Center for Disease Control said earlier this month it had been notified on Jan. 15 by its Chinese counterpart about the outbreak. It said it had also sent two experts to Wuhan to visit health care facilities in order to better understand the treatment process of the cases." Tsai made no mention of those interactions at her conference Wednesday. I especially want to urge China, being a member of international society, that it should fulfill its responsibilities to make the situation of the outbreak transparent, and to share accurate information on the outbreak with Taiwan," Tsai told reporters. One case of the previously unknown coronavirus has been confirmed in Taiwan and others in Macao, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the United States. The Taiwanese patient, a businesswoman who recently returned from Wuhan, is recovering, Tsai said. Sharing information is also important for the health of the Chinese population and Beijing should not put political concerns above the protection of its own people," Tsai said. China regards Taiwan as its own territory and says it is not entitled to representation in most international bodies. I want to reiterate that Taiwan is a member of international society. The 23 million people here, like all other people in every corner of the world, are facing threats to their own health," Tsai said. Taiwan, which was heavily affected by the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak that also originated in China, has enacted strict monitoring, detection and quarantine measures. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the Taiwanese experts had visited Wuhan at Taiwan's request on Jan. 13-14 and held exchanges with Chinese colleagues. No one cares more about the health welfare of Taiwan compatriots than the Chinese central government," Geng said at a daily briefing on Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court of India (SC) on January 22 gave the Centre four weeks to file a response to petitions challenging constitutional validity of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde refused to stay implementation of CAA or the National Population Register (NPR) in the meanwhile. The bench was hearing a batch of 143 petitions challenging the validity of CAA, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to pleas which have not been served on it. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of CAA and postpone the NPR exercise for the time being. The court said it will not grant any stay on CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. The apex court also restrained all high courts from passing any order on CAA. Also read: Explained | CAA protests: Can states actually challenge constitutional validity of central laws? According to the amended citizenship law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be eligible for Indian citizenship. The law excludes Muslims. Those opposing the amended law say it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA, along with the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC), is intended to target Indias Muslim community. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted people from the three neighbouring countries and not take away citizenship from anyone. SHEBOYGAN, Wis., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute Medical Director Dr. Nalini Rajamannan has sent the FDA Affidavit outlining Illinois and Minnesota testimonies to the newly Minted FDA Commissioner Dr. Hahn, as of December 2019. Dr. Stephen Hahn is a radiation oncologist formally working at M.D. Anderson in Texas and an experienced clinical trial specialist. The Illinois and Minnesota Attorney General's offices and the Chicago Mayor's office are reviewing the Minneapolis FDA Affidavits regarding Patient's rights under HHS Federal Codes for human subject research. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments. The FDA is led by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, appointed by President Trump with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The FDA Commissioner, Dr. Hahn has oversight to protect citizens in the United States and states from receiving non-exempt FDA medical devices without informed consent. The events follow recent reporting by Kaiser Health News that the FDA has lifted their exemption laws. Dr. Nalini Rajamannan, a specialist for patients with valvular heart disease in Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology, confirms FDA statements after a decade of requesting answers from the FDA from her location in Downtown Sheboygan. Dr. Rajamannan revealed the confirmation FDA letter to Congressman Glenn Grothman that the Food and Drug Deputy Commissioner on policy for the FDA will not inform the patients regarding the status of a heart device implanted in 667 patients across the United States of America. Former Board of Trustee for the University and now Governor of Illinois, Gov. Pritzker also received the FDA affidavit after years of delays by the FDA in reporting to the patients. The surgical placement for these devices began in 2006. In 2007, the device manufacturer confirmed the "exempt status" in a two-line email to the hospital. The saga related to the heart device is outlined by Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal's new book "An American Sickness", which highlights the issues related to exempt medical devices in the chapter, "How to get into a Patient's Heart? Follow the Money." The chapter outlines the events summarized by eye-witness Dr. Nalini M. Rajamannan in the series "The Myxo Files a XXIV: A Tale of Three Rings" as published by Kindle Publishing on Amazon.com. Dr. Rajamannan reviewed the FDA letter to the Senate Finance Committee's Chairman Grassley after several years of investigations, classifying the device as not exempt from reporting the device to the FDA, and that the device manufacturer needs to submit a new approval application. (See Linked PDF of the FDA Congressional Letter.) Summation points from the recent press conference at the Institute after a decade of FDA investigations: 1) FDA report to Senate Finance Committee confirms the Myxo ETlogix Device is not exempt and needed an approval from the FDA. 2) FDA letter to Senator Lugar confirms 667+ patients received the non-exempt device which needed an approval. 3) FDA report to the House Committee on Government Oversight confirms that the FDA does not plan to inform the patients. 4) Congressman Grothman is still waiting for a response as to why the FDA is not planning to inform the patients. 5) HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson is not planning to inform the patients of the non-exempt status of the heart device after requests for information by Senator Ron Johnson. 6) Dr. Rajamannan Presented documents and affidavit to Senator Amy Klobuchar's staff in Minneapolis. Senator Klobuchar has met with Dr. Rajamannan since 2014 in Washington DC, after the Senate Judiciary Committee began their investigation. 7) Dr. Rajamannan awaiting response by the FDA to inform the patients of the design control study under 21CFR810.30 as reviewed by the FDA Minneapolis office. The information will help the 667+ patients to finally get answers about whether medical devices placed in their bodies are tested and safe, as the Food and Drug Administration begins to allow access to volumes of previously shielded data from consumers as written to then-Senator Richard Lugar (IN) and Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI). The Senate Finance committee is involved in these investigations on behalf of Medicare and Medicaid because government dollars fund the use of medical devices in patients' health. More importantly, the new changes to the FDA reporting laws as outlined by Kaiser Health News will help patients know more about medical devices implanted into their bodies. Dr. Nalini Rajamannan is a heart valve expert in the field of cardiovascular medicine. She earned her undergraduate science pre-professional degree from the University of Notre Dame, her Medical Doctorate from Mayo Medical School and her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the Mayo Clinic and Research Fellowship on the NIH training Grant. She also worked at the Mayo Clinic as a staff consultant in Internal Medicine and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and the Lakeside and Westside VA. Currently, she practices consultative valvular medicine and Osteocardiology at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute, WI. Press Contact Oscar Delgado Press Officer for Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute Former NBC Bureau Chief Latin America 773-573-6890 [email protected] Related Images fda.png FDA FDA Track Related Links https://www.sacredcardiology.com SOURCE Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology Related Links https://www.sacredcardiology.com/ [January 22, 2020] 638 New LIUNA Journeymembers Enter Southern California's Construction Industry The Laborers' Training and Retraining Trust of Southern California (Laborers Training School) celebrated the advancement of 638 apprentices to LIUNA journeymen and journeywomen status at the 2019 Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, January 18, 2020. "These new journeymen and women should be proud of themselves because this is a milestone moment for them professionally and personally. This achievement will bring so many great opportunities to grow their careers, but more importantly, provide for their families." said Jon P. Preciado, Business Manager of the Southern California District Council of Laborers (SCDCL). "Their dedication to their apprenticeship is reflective of this Union's commitment to the construction industry. I congratulate them on behalf of the 30,000 LIUNA members in Southern California." Over the last five years, nearly 3,000 LIUNA apprentices have graduated from one of the programs sponsred by the Laborers' Training and Retaining Trust of Southern California. For the class of 2019, the Construction Craft Laborer Apprenticeship graduated 607, the Laborers' Landscape & Irrigation Fitter Apprenticeship program graduated 18, and the Laborers' Cement Mason Finisher Apprenticeship graduated 13 new journeypersons. At the present time, the Laborers' Training School has more than 2,300 indentured apprentices. "Staff at the training school have doubled down on their efforts to meet the needs of our members and our contractors. In fact, we trained nearly twice as many students in 2019 as we did just five years ago." said Scott Gordon, Laborers Training School Executive Director. "But the pride we have in our training program is exceeded by the pride we have in these new journeymen and women. They are on the front lines of the industry and will help shape its future for years to come." The Laborers' Training and Retaining Trust of Southern California is a partnership between the SCDCL and its signatory contractors. The Laborers Training School operates 12 facilities in Southern California and provided 334,032 hours of construction skills training to 21,961 students in 2019. The Laborers' School offers: - More than 140 courses that meet industry standards - 12 training sites and mobile training units that bring training to any location - Three California-Apprenticeship-Council-approved apprenticeship programs - Instructors credentialed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing - Training processes that are accredited (AC 371) by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005685/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters/Denis Balibouse Privacy cannot be a luxury good in 2020, the CEO of Google warned on Wednesday, as he pointed to the European Unions GDPR regulation as a template for other similar privacy laws around the world. Sundar Pichai said that he believed that the tech giants products should be privacy-enhancing, noting that Google was increasingly giving users control and choice around privacy decisions. For us, privacy is at the heart of what we do. Users come to Google at very important moments, ask us questions. We deal with people's sensitive information in Gmail, Google Photos, and so on. And so we have to earn that trust, he said. Pichai was speaking at a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos about quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and the future of technology governance. Speaking about the EUs once-controversial privacy regulation, Pichai called GDPR a great template. It gives a standardised privacy framework, and often when we are in other countries and they are thinking about privacy regulation, we point to GDPR as a template. I'm glad Europe took the lead on it, he said. Earlier in the week, Pichai urged governments and regulators to introduce a proportionate response to the potential implications of artificial intelligence when they are drafting rules for the technology. He also suggested that he supported a potential European ban on facial recognition, stressing that regulators needed to be aware of the threats posed by these technologies. But Pichai said on Wednesday that AI could end up being used as a way to improve privacy, since it will allow algorithms to make decisions based on less data. "We can use AI to preserve privacy as we improve user experiences, Pichai said at Davos. The remarks come before the EU is expected to publish proposals on the regulation of AI. ORANGE - Funeral services have been set for Tim Smith, the towns longtime fire marshal who was killed in a motor-vehicle accident on Sunday. The crash happened in Woodbridge Sunday at about 4:47 p.m. on Litchfield Turnpike (Route 69) south of Downs Road, according to the Woodbridge Police Department. Smith, 56, died from injuries sustained in the accident after responding to a structure fire in Orange. On Monday, Smiths body was taken in a motorcade from the state Medical Examiners Office to the Cody-White Funeral in Milford. With the assistance of Orange and state police the motorcade made its way to Milford. Along the route, the brothers and sisters from West Haven Professional Firefighters- IAFF Local 1198 and Milford Fire Department came out to show their respects, Orange firefighters posted on their Facebook page. The Members of the Orange Volunteer Fire Department paid great tribute to Fire Marshal Smith as the motorcade passed by the Fire Marshals Office and Station 2. Fire Chief Vaughn Dumas and Deputy Fire Marshal James Vincent rode in the procession as firefighters, the auxiliary, and First Selectman Jim Zeoli saluted their friend and colleague. Smiths uniform was there as well. Smiths wake - called a gathering of family and friends will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Cody-White Funeral home at 107 North Broad Street in Milford. More News CT fire marshal killed in car crash on way home from blaze A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Holy Infant Church, 450 Race Brook Road in Orange. Tim Smith, 56, becamefire marshal in 1989, after the retirement of George Smith (no relation), who had served the town for 44 years as a firefighter and 28 as fire marshal. Tim Smith previously had served as deputy fire marshal. Previous reporting by Pam McLoughlin was used in this story. Get this newsletter in your inbox Monday-Friday by signing up at subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters. Top stories for Wednesday, Jan. 22 Molly Harbarger HOMELESSNESS: Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek is preparing a bill that would declare a homelessness state of emergency in Oregon and allocate an unprecedented $40 million to add shelters statewide. Kotek would like to see more shelters like Portlands Harbor of Hope River District Navigation Center (pictured), which opened in August and can serve up to 100 people at a time. (Molly Harbarger/Staff) INTEL LAYOFFS: Planned layoffs at Intel will extend into the companys software group and other business units, according to sources inside the company, likely numbering at least several hundred. Meanwhile, Intel Chairman Andy Bryant has stepped down from his post and will retire from the board altogether in May. SCHOOL FUNDS: Portland Public Schools will likely receive about $39 million for the 2020-21 academic year, the districts share of a $1 billion-a-year corporate tax for education passed by the Oregon Legislature last year. MUSEUM GIFT: The Portland Art Museum announced Tuesday that longtime supporter Arlene Schnitzer has given $10 million to the museum, which it calls the largest contribution from an individual donor in its 127-year history. ETHICS FLAP: Clackamas County Chair Jim Bernard on Tuesday reversed course and said he has repaid the county for the $25,000 cost of his legal bills from a state ethics investigation that found he had violated state laws. CAMPAIGN FINANCE: The Portland City Auditors Office says it wont investigate campaign finance complaints against Mayor Ted Wheeler, mayoral candidate Ozzie Gonzalez and city commissioner candidate Jack Kerfoot that allege they violated a voter-approved $500 campaign contribution limit. CORONAVIRUS: The coronavirus thats infected around 300 people in China, and killed at least six, has reached the United States. A man in Snohomish County, Washington, is the first confirmed case in the U.S. JEREMY CHRISTIAN TRIAL: On the first day of jury selection in his trial, murder defendant Jeremy Christian said he preferred to wear his jail outfit over dress clothes. If I wear (civilian) clothes, Id be lying to the jury, said Christian, whos being tried for the 2017 MAX stabbings. Keep up with key events and takeaways in the trial by subscribing to our free Jeremy Christian trial newsletter. Snap of the day Mark Graves/Staff CHEERS: We started our search for Portlands best breweries at the beginning of 2019, visiting every brewery that calls the Rose City home. Now weve got a list of our top 20. (Mark Graves/Staff) More news Man suspected of stabbing Portland fire lieutenant is arrested Beaverton High School classes will resume Wednesday, after closures from weekend fire 2 pedestrians, including child, fatally struck in Vancouver Tornado grazes northern Oregon Coast Kelso man stuck in snow dies while waiting for search party Sports betting contractor sues Oregon Lottery, justice department, The Oregonian/OregonLive to keep contract secret Eagle Point to pay $4.5 million to settle suit filed by parents of man shot and killed by police after alleged jaywalking offense Unprecedented marine heatwave likely killed 1 million West Coast seabirds Find more at oregonlive.com Weather and traffic Wednesday will be another wet day with a warm front spreading rain all day. High 50, low 48. The Oregon Department of Transportation continues to repair and replace joints on the freeway ramps along Interstate 405. Find a list of related closures here. Get the latest forecast at oregonlive.com/weather Stay up to date on traffic conditions at oregonlive.com/commuting Advice Ask Amy: Friend wonders if bringing up long-ago trauma is worth the risk Dear Abby: Boyfriend with no life goals leaves long-term relationship in doubt Dear Annie: Its not a gift if youre expecting something in return Find more, including today's horoscope, at oregonlive.com Today's comics Click here to see today's comics Today's obituaries Click here to find area deaths reported recently Today in history In 1973: The U.S. Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, legalized abortions using a trimester approach. In 1974: Nike registered the Swoosh, designed by Carolyn Davidson, as a trademark. In 1998: Theodore Kaczynski pleaded guilty in Sacramento, California, to being the Unabomber responsible for three deaths and 29 injuries. His plea came in return for a sentence of life in prison without parole. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Such statements are music to Putin's ears. Putin has defended his support for separatists in eastern Ukraine by drawing parallels with Hungary, saying that his order allowing residents of the Donestk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine to apply for Russian passports was similar to Hungary's desire to grant passports to ethnic Hungarians abroad. Ukraine's language laws have also been a justification for Russia's support to separatists in Ukraine's Donbas region. Hungary's complaints even led then-US envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker to visit Budapest in May. In an interview with Hungarian media, Volker was quoted as saying there were two fundamental principles: the right of national minorities to speak their own language, and the reasonable expectation that all citizens can use the national language. Volker urged the two governments to talk. Volker resigned his role in late September, one day after the release of a whistleblower complaint expressing concern over a phone call in which US President Donald Trump asked Ukraine's President to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Identity and access management in 2022 - what will the future look like? As we enter into 2022, there is still a level of uncertainty in place. Its unclear what the future holds, as companies around the world still contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working has been encouraged by most organisations and the move to a hybrid working system has become business as usual, for the majority of businesses. Some have reduced their office space or done away with their locations altogether. Following best security practices With all this change in place, there are problems to deal with. According to research, 32.7% of IT admins say they are concerned about employees using unsecured networks to carry out that work. Alongside this, 74% of IT admins thought that remote work makes it harder for employees to follow best security practices. This need to manage security around remote work is no longer temporary. Instead, companies have to build permanent strategies around remote work and security. The coming year will also create a different landscape for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Here are some key predictions for next year and what to start preparing for in 2022: The reality of SMB spending around security will hit home SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working, especially in comparison to their size. They had to undertake significant digital transformation projects that made it possible to deliver services remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve seen a shift in mindset for these companies, which are now more tech-focused in their approach to problem solving. According to our research, 45% of SMBs plan to increase their spending towards IT services in 2022. Around half of all organisations think their IT budgets are adequate for their needs, while 14.5% of those surveyed believe they will need more, to cover all that needs to be done. Identity management spending to support remote work For others, the COVID-19 pandemic led to over-spending, just to get ahead of things and they will spend in 2022, looking at what they should keep and what they can reduce their spending on. Areas like identity management will stay in place, as companies struggle to support remote work and security, without this in place. However, on-premise IT spending will be reduced or cut, as those solutions are not relevant for the new work model. Services that rely on on-premise IT will be cut or replaced. The device will lead the way for security We rely on our phones to work and to communicate. In 2022, they will become central to how we manage access, to all our assets and locations, IT and physical. When employees can use company devices and their own phones for work, security is more difficult. IT teams have to ensure that theyre prepared for this, by making sure that these devices can be trusted. Wide use of digital certificates and strong MFA factors Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication There are multiple ways that companies can achieve this, for example - By using digital certificates to identify company devices as trusted, an agent, or strong MFA factors, like a FIDO security key or mobile push authentication. Whichever approach you choose, this can prevent unauthorised access to IT assets and applications, and these same devices can be used for authentication into physical locations too. Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication. Understanding human behaviour Alongside this, it is important to understand human behaviour. Anything that introduces an extra step for authentication can lead to employees taking workarounds. To stop this, it is important to put an employee education process in place, in order to emphasize on the importance of security. The next step is to think about adopting passwordless security, to further reduce friction and increase adoption. Lastly, as devices become the starting point for security and trust, remote device management will be needed too. More companies will need to manage devices remotely, from wiping an asset remotely if it gets lost or stolen, through to de-provisioning users easily and removing their access rights, when they leave the company. Identity will be a layer cake Zero Trust approaches to security Identity management relies on being able to trust that someone is who they say they are. Zero Trust approaches to security can support this effectively, particularly when aligned with least privilege access models. In order to turn theory into practical easy-to-deploy steps, companies need to use contextual access, as part of their identity management strategy. This involves looking at the context that employees will work in and putting together the right management approach for those circumstances. For typical employee behaviour, using two factor authentication might be enough to help them work, without security getting in the way. How enterprises manage, access and store identity data There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time For areas where security is more important, additional security policies can be put over the top, to ensure that only the right people have access. A step-up in authentication can be added, based on the sensitivity of resources or risk-based adaptive authentication policies might be needed. There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time, so that it aligns more closely with those use cases. Identity management critical to secure assets in 2022 There are bigger conversations taking place around digital identity for citizenship, as more services move online as well. Any moves that take place in this arena will affect how businesses think about their identity management processes too, encouraging them to look at their requirements in more detail. Overall, 2022 will be the year when identity will be critical to how companies keep their assets secure and their employees productive. With employees working remotely and businesses becoming decentralised, identity strategies will have to take the same approach. This will put the emphasis on strong identity management as the starting point for all security planning. Omars La Boite Lower East Side Omar Hernandez, the restaurateur and night life spirit animal, has set his sights on the Lower East Side. After making a name for himself in Miami, Mr. Hernandez arrived in Greenwich Village in 2013 and opened Omars La Ranita, a private supper club that had a brief but storied run as a celebrity magnet. Next came Omar at Vaucluse, which brought his velvety aesthetic to the Upper East Side. On Jan. 14, he opened Omars La Boite on Broome Street. If the soft opening and private parties held earlier are any sign, the spot will draw a highly curated mix of downtown scenesters, uptown Real Housewives types, celebrities, jet-setters, heiresses, models and other merrymakers. ROME - Tunisia's ambassador to Italy on Wednesday said nationalist opposition League party leader and populist strongman Matteo Salvini was guilty of a "deplorable provocation" after the anti-migrant former interior minister rang a Tunisian family's doorbell in Bologna to ask if a drug pusher lived there. Ambassador Moez Sinaoui told ANSA he had written to Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Casellati to complain about Senator Salvini's "regrettable" behaviour, which he said had shown "a lack of respect for the private abode of a Tunisian family" and had been "divulged in an ostentatious way to public opinion". Sinaoui voiced his "consternation" at the "shameful episode". He told ANSA: "I voiced my consternation to Speaker Casellati because this gesture comes from a member of the Senate, a high institution of Italy, with which Tunisia has a long history of friendship, in particular between the two parliaments." In the case, Sinaoui said, "a Tunisian family has been stigmatised, and we don't want members of our community to be stigmatised in an illegitimate way in an electoral campaign. Emilia Romagna, the region around Bologna, elects a new government and governor on Sunday. Earlier Wednesday the Tunisian parliament's deputy speaker said Salvini had shown himself to be a "racist" in the case. The incident in Bologna's high crime working class Pilastro district showed "a racist and shameful attitude that undermines relations between Italy and Tunisia," said the official, Osama Sghaier. Salvini was led to the flat by a local mother of a dead addict who told him a pusher allegedly lived there. He commended her actions, saying more people should show such concern for their communities. Salvini rang the bell of the Tunisian family and said "good evening madam, is your son a drug pusher?". Anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Salvini has been criticised for anti-migrant policies he enacted as interior minister in the last government. These including shutting Italy's ports to NGO run migrant rescue ships, and a migrant and security decree which critics said criminalised migrants by stripping them of certain rights. Salvini responded to the Tunisian official's charge by saying "I listened to the cry of pain from a mother courage who lost her son to drugs. "An act of appreciation that we should all do: the fight against drug pushers should unite and not divide. "Zero tolerance for drugs and pushers of death: for us it is a priority. "In Emilia Romagna and in the whole of Italy there are decent hardworking immigrants, who have integrated and respect the law. But those who push drugs are a problem for all: whether they are Italian or foreign, it makes no difference." Salvini is campaigning hard in Emilia Romagna ahead of the regional elections there on Sunday. The alleged pusher, 17, said Wednesday he was seeking legal advice from a local lawyer who has set up a campaign against hate speech, Cathy La Torre. The youth was born in Italy of Tunisian parents. His father has also resorted to La Torre's services. Popular DJ, writer and actor Fabio Volo mocked Salvini for "only taking it out on the weak" saying "go and ring the doorbell of the Camorra", the Naples mafia, "if you have the balls for it". Volo's remark went viral, with most commentators on social media appearing to agree with him. Swarms made up of millions of locusts descended on several regions in Kenya in late December, devouring crops and grazing pastures. Farmers are afraid the invasion will destroy their livelihoods and government efforts to spray the area with insecticides have done little to slow down the devastation. Dozens of videos shared on social media over the past few weeks show swarms of locusts descending on north-eastern Kenya. Some of the videos show the desperate attempts of local people to drive them away by banging pots and pans, yelling, honking horns and even firing shots. Wajir County is one of the areas most affected by this invasion and farmers there are terrified for their livelihoods. 'The locusts have literally eaten everything'Abdinasir Hamud, 32, owns two corn farms in Wajir. One of my farms was devastated by the locusts. They attacked the corn and literally ate everything, leaving nothing but the stalk. According to my initial estimates, weve lost at least 250,000 Kenyan shillings [Editors note: about 2,230]. There were so many locusts in the field that we think that the ground is full of bacteria and were afraid to plant anything. So we will likely abandon this site. 'Branches broke under their weight' Ahmed B. is a cow herdsman in Wajir. Right now, we are herding our cattle from one seasonal pasture to another. One night last week, a cloud of locusts descended on us. I watched as they ate all the grass. The branches of the bushes broke under their weight. For the time being, we are trying to bring the animals to pastures that havent been affected by the locusts yet, but if this continues will there be any left? 'Its the worst invasion since 1957' A local radio operating in Wajir city, the capital of the eponymous country, has been warning residents each time that a new wave of locusts descends on the area. Editor-in-chief Halima Kahiya has spoken to many local residents about the repercussions of this invasion. Story continues This morning, a wave of locusts descended on the village of Shanta Abak. The local community decided to set the trees on fire in the hope that the smoke would chase them away and, inadvertently, they started a huge brush fire. Around 40 million locusts have descended on our area since late December as part of 12 different waves, according to estimates by the authorities. Its the worst invasion since 1957 and the worst invasion that Ive ever seen [Editors note: Another, smaller invasion took place in 2007]. The government is trying to kill them by flying planes over the area to spray it with insecticide, but that hasnt worked yet. Everyone is worried, but livestock farmers are the most affected. The locusts seem to destroy more grazing land than crops. They eat the grass and leaves that our goats, sheep, cows and camels usually feed on. The dry season was harsh this year and many cattle farmers struggled to feed their animals. Then, there were strong rains that revived the plants but attracted the locusts. The herdsmen are afraid that their animals will starve and become malnourished again Before reaching Kenya, swarms of desert locusts swept the Arabian peninsula, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea. One of the clouds of locusts measured 50 kilometres by 40 kilometres (2 000 km or 772 square miles), according to the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa, which is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Desert locusts are the most dangerous type of migratory pests in the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). They reproduce rapidly and can travel extremely long distances in short amounts of time. A swarm of locusts can completely destroy a farmers fields and all his sources of income in a single morning. A farmer took this photo of one the locusts that swarmed Wajir. In recent days, the Kenyan government announced that it would increase its efforts to aerially spray affected areas with insecticide. The government admitted on January 16 that the insecticides it had initially used were ineffective. On January 18, authorities announced that they were going to start spraying the area with fenitrothion, a powerful insecticide most often used against mosquitos. Aside from destroying fields, the locusts also make visibility difficult for pilots. On January 12, an Ethiopian Airlines flight had to be rerouted after locusts covered the windshield of the cockpit. The FAO is afraid that the swarms will reach other neighbouring countries, including South Sudan and Uganda. This article was written by Liselotte Mas Bay of Plenty If you love working out doors and in a small team then we have the role for you. We are needing someone who has either maintenance... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / Round13 Capital ("Round13"), Canada's premier entrepreneur-focused growth equity investor, announced two new funds today, bringing total capital under management to over $325 million. Round13 recently closed approximately $125 million for Round13 Fund II ("Round13 Fund II"). Round13 Fund II's strategy will be consistent with that of Round13's first fund, the Founders Fund, which actively invests in and advises rapidly growing, Canadian-based technology companies that have proven product-market fit and are ready to scale. Round13's current portfolio includes active investments in 14 companies. Round13 is also pleased to announce the launch and $100 million first closing of a new late-stage growth equity fund, Round13 Growth, to be headed by well-respected technology advisor and financier Sanjiv Samant. During his professional career Sanjiv has advised a wide variety of late-stage Canadian growth companies on M&A, IPO and capital raising initiatives, including leading transactions for almost all public software-as-a-service companies in Canada. Trusted clients have included Lightspeed POS, Shopify, Kinaxis, Halogen, Pure Technologies, Solium, COM DEV International, Bridgewater Systems and RuggedCom among many others. Round13 Growth will invest in late-stage growth opportunities including those in technology and healthcare, as well as more traditional industries where an opportunity for technology enablement exists. Round13 Growth will be solely focused on Canadian-based growth companies where the firm's knowledge, experience and relationships can be utilized to help drive growth as well as positively and actively influence outcomes. With this announcement, Round13 has firmly established itself as the leading entrepreneur-focused multi-stage equity capital provider for early to late-stage Canadian growth companies. Bruce Croxon, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Round13, said: "With the announcement of these two new funds, Round13 has catapulted itself into the top tier of growth equity funds and is perhaps the only firm of its size focused solely on Canadian entrepreneurs. We are ecstatic to have Sanjiv Samant on board to spearhead the new Round13 Growth fund as we continue to support Canadian businesses throughout their many stages of development. We couldn't think of anyone who has more experience or a better skill set to work with late-stage growth companies as they ultimately move towards a liquidity event. We believe Sanjiv will make a valuable contribution across the entire Round13 portfolio of companies." Sanjiv Samant, Managing Partner of Round13 Growth, said: "I am thrilled to join an absolutely top-notch group of professionals at Round13, and am eager to help fill the market void in Canada for value-added late-stage growth capital." About Round13 Capital Round13 Capital is the premier multi-stage, entrepreneur-focused growth equity investor for Canadian companies. For more information, please visit www.round13capital.com. PR Contact: Vaneh Keshishian Round13 Capital info@round13.com SOURCE: Round13 Capital View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573846/Round13-Capital-Announces-125-Million-Closing-of-Second-Venture-Fund-And-Launch-Of-New-Later-Stage-Growth-Equity-Fund January 22, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON The National Academy of Sciences will honor 15 individuals with awards in recognition of their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, and medical sciences. Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Arizona State University, will receive the Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship for illuminating the early evolution of rocky planets and planetesimals. The award is presented with a $50,000 prize and funds to present a series of Day Lectures. Richard N. Aslin, Haskins Laboratories and Yale University, and Susan Elizabeth Carey, Harvard University, will receive the Atkinson Prizes in Psychological and Cognitive Sciences. With these awards, the Academy recognizes Aslin for his groundbreaking contributions to understanding infant learning and development, and Carey for revolutionizing the study of the origins of cognition. Each recipient will receive a $100,000 prize. Lisa Kewley, Australian National University, will receive the James Craig Watson Medal for improving our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve. The medal is presented with a $25,000 prize, and $50,000 to support the recipients research. Bert Vogelstein, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Ludwig Center, and Lustgarten Laboratory, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will receive the Jessie Stevenson Kovalenko Medal for pioneering studies of the molecular basis of cancer. The medal is presented with a $25,000 prize, and an additional $50,000 for research. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will receive the John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science for her invention of bioorthogonal chemistry. This years award is presented in the physical sciences with a $25,000 prize. Julia Chuzhoy, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, will receive the Michael and Sheila Held Prize for advances in discrete optimization and structure of graphs. The award is presented with a $100,000 prize. Christina Maslach, University of California, Berkeley, will receive the NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing for advancing our understanding of job burnout and worker well-being. This years award is presented in the social sciences with a $20,000 prize. Shuji Nakamura, University of California, Santa Barbara, will receive the NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science for pioneering energy-efficient LED lighting. This years award is presented in sustainability with a $25,000 prize. John C. Tully, Yale University, will receive the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences for developing pioneering theories of the dynamics of molecules. The award is presented with a $15,000 prize. Hashim Murtadha Al-Hashimi, Duke University, will receive the NAS Award in Molecular Biology for pioneering studies into RNA and DNA function on the atomic level. The award is presented with a $25,000 prize. Zachary B. Lippman, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will receive the NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for genetic studies into developing hardier crop breeds. The award is presented with a $100,000 prize. Leslie B. Vosshall, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will receive the Pradel Research Award for research into how disease-carrying mosquitoes select human hosts. The award is presented with a $50,000 research award to support neuroscience research. Michael C. Frank, Stanford University, and Nim Tottenham, Columbia University, will each receive a Troland Research Award. With these awards, the Academy recognizes Frank for pioneering studies into childrens early language learning, and Tottenham for her studies into human brain development and the effects of early-life stress. Each recipient is presented with a $75,000 prize to support their research. The winners will be honored in a ceremony on Sunday, April 26, during the National Academy of Sciences' 157th annual meeting. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. Contact: Molly Galvin Director, Executive Communications Office of News and Public Information National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 202-334-2138 news@nas.edu; www.nationalacademies.org Springmann also denied a motion for order to show cause, in which Snyder requested the court hold a hearing where the prosecution can explain why they should not be lightly censured for violating their obligations to accurately represent case law and the factual record to the court, because Van Bokkelen was in a far better position to make that determination. The 2100 Market St. building. | Photos: Teresa Hammerl/Hoodline Sterling Bank & Trust has gotten the go-ahead from the Planning Department to move into the ground floor of a recently constructed building at 2100 Market St. (at Church and 14th). The move will be a convenient one: Sterling has been located right next door, at 2122 Market St., since 1997. Senior vice president and regional manager Steve Adams says the bank will make the move in June or July. The move was necessary because the bank's lease is up, Adams said. He wants to stay at Church & Market because "that's where our customers are," from small business owners to people who live in Market Street's SROs. The bank needed authorization for the move from Planning because it qualifies as "formula retail," with 20 branches in the Bay Area and two on the East Coast. At Sterling's Planning Commission hearing, Adams tried to distinguish himself from larger banking chains, noting that he also lives in the neighborhood. "I am a community bank," he said. "I am not Wells Fargo, I am not [Bank of America]." The current storefront of Sterling Bank, at 2122 Market St. The new bank will have an open floor plan, with a 24-hour ATM and exterior security cameras. Adams noted that the corner has "been long neglected," and he plans to have the sidewalk steam-cleaned weekly, likely starting next month. Adams said he's also willing to make the new bank's conference room available for neighborhood community meetings, encouraging neighbors to reach out to him or the branch manager once it opens. The developer of the building, Brian Spiers, told Hoodline that he has known Adams for a long time, and is excited to have him as a stable tenant. A second, smaller retail space on the building's ground floor remains available. Spiers also pointed to Adams' involvement in the community. He currently serves as the president of the city's Small Business Commission, and was previously board president of the Castro Merchants for more than five years. Story continues Sterling Bank (left) will relocate to the currently empty retail space on the right. The 2100 Market building drew controversy last summer, after all of its 52 market-rate units were leased to Sonder, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in furnished apartment rentals. Many neighbors expressed concern about the loss of permanent dwelling units amid San Francisco's ongoing housing crisis. Sonder officially welcomed its first tenants last September, and Spiers tells us that 44 of the 52 apartments are currently leased. 23 of the 44 apartments are on one-year leases, while the remaining 21 are on leases ranging from 30 days to six months. The building also has eight below-market-rate (BMR) units, which are operated by the Mayors Office of Housing. A lottery to determine the future tenants of the BMR apartments took place on January 7, Spiers said, and the winners will soon begin to tour the building in lottery rank order. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ukraine on Jan. 31 to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, BuzzFeed News reported Wednesday, citing three diplomatic sources with knowledge of Pompeo's schedule. Why it matters: It's the first time a member of the U.S. cabinet will meet Zelensky since the House voted to impeach President Trump on charges that he sought to pressure his Ukrainian counterpart to announce investigations into his political rivals. Trump and Zelensky met personally at the United Nations in September, a day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would begin an impeachment inquiry. The meeting between Pompeo and Zelensky will almost certainly take place at the same as the Senate impeachment trial. The big picture: It is not clear what the pair will discuss, but sources described the meeting as "substantive and not simply a drop-in," BuzzFeed reports. The meeting would mark a show of support for Ukraine as Zelensky continues to seek an end to the country's six-year war with Russia. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Go deeper: Ukraine, Russian-backed rebels swap prisoners in step toward ending war Pipeline 22 January 2020 The first Zleep hotel in Hamburg is set to launch in 2022 as Deutsche Hospitality rolls out its recently acquired Danish brand in Germany for the first time. Having taken over the Scandinavian hotel concept at the beginning of 2019, the group has now embarked on a robust path of expansion by announcing new openings in Madrid and Hamburg. These are scheduled for 2021 and 2022 respectively. Farnhornstieg 8 GmbH, a joint venture between SORAVIA and Kiskan Kaufmann Architekten, will act as project developer for the new build in Hamburg. The Zleep Hotel Hamburg Altonaer Volkspark will offer 204 guest rooms together with a lobby, reception area and a Nordic-style breakfast and snack bar. Plenty of car parking spaces and bicycle stands will also be available. Its location to the North of Altona Railway Station within the direct vicinity of the Barclaycard Arena and the Volkspark Stadium will provide excellent links with public transport and with the road network in the Hamburg metropolitan area. Major companies such as Montblanc and Oticon are situated close by. The hotel will also be near the DESY Research Centre, which will form the hub of a new Science City which is currently being planned. Deutsche Hospitality currently has more than 30 further hotel openings in the pipeline. The emphasis is on both international and domestic locations. Talking about the importance of Artificial Intelligence in various sectors, Minister KTR said, "No business can stay untouched from the AI revolution. AI must be factored into every policy or strategy, whether government, IT, non-IT industries. We consider AI to be integral to all our work and hence in Telangana, we have dedicated 2020 to the year of AI."During the panel discussion, he said, "AI is expected to transform the global economy and early adopters will have first-mover advantage. Therefore, the Telangana government is setting a vision to accelerate AI readiness and develop a conducive ecosystem in the state."The minister asserted that AI will add 40% to the world's GDP by 2030. He also highlighted that Telangana has declared 2020 as the Year of AI to capture the global AI opportunity in the coming decade. "This declaration has set in motion a bunch of coordinated initiatives with key strategic partners, to achieve the state's vision to establish Hyderabad as amongst the Top 25 Global AI Innovation Hubs," he said.When asked about the state of AI deployment currently, the minister stated that Telangana Government has deployed AI-based systems for G2C Chatbots, identity authentication for citizen service delivery, commodity supply chain optimisation, crowd counting, criminal tracking, and other law enforcement applications.The minister highlighted that Hyderabad City Police recently piloted an AI-enabled traffic management system, saving road time for citizens. "Effective use of citizen data helps us identify the key issues our citizens face, makes us design targeted programs and provide better citizen services," he added.Sharing his thoughts further, the minister said, "As an international AI community, we need to brainstorm governance models to hold AI accountable. Govt of India, in consultation with critical stakeholders, is already developing AI governance guidelines. I appreciate the WEWF C4IR network's project on Public Sector AI Procurement guidelines."Minister S. Iswaran, Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore (MCI), Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Michael Salvino, President, and Chief Executive Officer, DXC Technology, Frans Cronje, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer, DataProphet and Genevieve Bell, Distinguished Professor; Director, 3A Institute, Australian National University were the other panelists who shared their thoughts during the panel discussion.On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Minister KTR held meetings with global industry leaders at the Telangana Pavilion in Davos.Roche Chairman Christoph Franz met the minister at the Telangana Pavilion. During the meeting, the minister informed Franz that Hyderabad is renowned as the pharma and life sciences hub of the country. The minister also mentioned the investment opportunities in Hyderabad Pharma City and Medical Devices Park.The minister also met Hewlett Packard Enterprise COO Vishal Lall, Apollo Tyres Vice Chairman & MD Neeraj Kanwar, Carlsberg Group and Carlsberg Foundation Chairman, Prof. Flemming Besenbacher, and ProcterGamble CEO & MD, Southeast Asia Magesvaran Suranjan and highlighted the investment opportunities in sectors like food processing, electronics, textile and life sciences in Telangana. (ANI) LONDON, U.K.Brenda Taylor BEM [British Empire Medal], principal of The Brenda Taylor School of Dance and Performing Arts for 55 yearswhere they teach The Royal Academy of Dance classical ballet syllabusknows what makes an artist is something that goes beyond just the movement. There is a feeling, a connection that the dancer has to make as well. On Jan. 21, 2020, Taylor witnessed dancers perfectly grasp the idea at the Eventim Apollo during a performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts. The feeling that they said, its divine. And you know, youve really got to reach out to heaven, hypothetically, and feel it. I think this is it. Brenda Taylor The feeling that they said, its divine. And you know, youve really got to reach out to heaven, hypothetically, and feel it. I think this is it. We keep saying to our children, our young people, feel when youre dancing, think good things,' Taylor said. I think when you teach for the amount of time Ive taughtthats what you have to believe in. New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company, and its name translates into something like the beauty of divine beings dancing. The artists mission is to revive the divinely-inspired traditional Chinese culture and share it with the world through music and dance. I loved it. I just absolutely loved it. It was the tranquility of it, and I felt I learnt something about the culture of China, Taylor said. Shen Yun Performing Arts curtain call at Londons Eventim Apollo, on Jan. 21, 2020. (NTD Television) What I felt was the stories behind it, said Taylor, who has extensive experience with Western dance and was excited to get her first glimpse into the authentic traditional Chinese culture. Taylor marveled at the brilliance of the costumes and the serenity of some of the scenes and characters in the program. You come out uplifted, she said. Its made me thinkI think thats it. It was wonderful. Taylor wanted to thank the artists and tell them their art was wonderful. I would come tomorrow except Ive got to go to work, she said. Im about to dance! With reporting by NTD Television. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. New York Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg launched a new impeachment-focused television ad Tuesday urging the Senate to remove President Donald Trump from office. The ad will run in 27 states, including states represented by vulnerable Republican senators, and be Bloomberg's only ad on television in the next few days. It comes as the Senate begins its impeachment trial against Trump. "It's time for the Senate to act and remove Trump from office, and if they won't do their jobs this November, you and I will," Bloomberg says in the ad. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Bloomberg's impeachment-focused ad will run in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas, as well as 19 other states. Five of those key states also vote on March 3, known as Super Tuesday, where Bloomberg is focusing his attention in the primary contest. Search operation for seven trekkers including four South Korean nationals and three Nepali tour guides began on Wednesday as weather conditions improved in Annapurna mountain region of Nepal. The seven trekkers had gone missing on January 17 after an avalanche hit a section of Annapurna circuit trekking route. "From today, we have started some more activities because of the favorable environment and climate. The search team is very hopeful because of the good climate," Director General of Department of Tourism Dunduraj Ghimire told ANI. Nepal Mountaineering Association earlier today deployed long-line rescue experts Dawa Finju Lama Bhote and Pimba Tenjing Lama to search the missing trekkers and their guides. The rescue teams are using detectors around the area where the trekkers are suspected to be buried under the snow. High Altitude Rescue Team of Nepal Army also has been deployed in the avalanche hit area of Annapurna circuit earlier this week. Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain in the world, attracts a large number of tourists around the The avalanche hit area falling in-between Deurali and Macchapuchre base camp lies between 3200-3700 meters above the sea level. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed on Wednesday that pre-Budget meetings are being held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) but Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not being invited. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not happy with Sitharaman's performance, he should ask her to resign, the former Maharashtra chief minister said here. The Union budget would be presented on February 1. "Traditionally, pre-Budget meetings are conducted by the finance ministry. The entire Budget process happens at the finance ministry, under the finance minister's guidance," Chavan, who was a minister in the PMO during the UPA years, said. He claimed that Modi held 13 pre-Budget consultation meetings which were attended by top industrialists. "Surprisingly, to none of these meetings Sitharaman was invited," he alleged. If this meant that the prime minister was not happy with her performance, Sitharaman should be asked to resign, the Congress leader said. "This (keeping Sitharaman out of the loop) will demoralize the entire finance ministry staff as this is unprecedented," Chavan added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 13:58:50|Editor: zh Video Player Close COLOMBO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka earned a record 5.3 billion U.S. dollars from its apparel exports in 2019, showing a 5.1 percent year on year increase, according to the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF). However, a slight decline in export earnings was recorded in December 2019 due to a slowdown in the key EU and U.S. markets while retail sales in Sri Lanka's largest apparel export market, the United Kingdom, remained sluggish because of Brexit, the report seen on Wednesday said. Despite the decline in these markets, exports to other markets recorded an impressive growth leading to record export earnings, JAAF data showed. Exports to EU grew by over 5 percent year on year to reach 2.2 billion U.S. dollars while exports to the United States recorded a growth of 3.3 percent year on year to 2.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Exports to other markets such as Canada, The United Arab Emirates, Australia and Japan also grew at a comparatively faster pace. Local media reports, quoting experts in the apparel industry said that Sri Lanka's apparel sector has been trying to diversify its export base in BRICS countries (comprising of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) particularly in India and China as growth in the traditional markets has slowed down. Industry leaders said that the proposed Free Trade Agreement with China and the Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement with India are crucial to break into the Chinese and Indian markets. The apparel and textile industry contributes six percent to Sri Lanka's GDP while accounting for 40 percent of the country's total exports. By GENE HERRICK A journalists memory book Time does fly, and suddenly the memories of the beginning and the ending of the historic life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. come flooding back on this anniversary of the day the nation has set aside to honor the man and his birthday. He was born Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was 62 years ago in 1956 when the powerful and demanding voice of a black preacher echoed from the pulpit of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. That voice was a blowback to the years and years of mistreatment of black people in the South, and especially then, about the removal of a black lady from a city bus in Montgomery. As an Associated Press photographer working out of the Memphis, Tennessee bureau, I covered both of these events, which were a major part of the beginning of the civil rights movement that spread quickly throughout this country, and really, to all parts of the world. Ironically, I also covered Rev. Kings assassination in Memphis in 1968. Memories of King, for me, usually center on his commanding voice and message. Veteran journalists have covered many good speakers, but Kings sermons or speeches seem to vibrate the airwaves and generally leave the audiences in awe or raucously responding. The fiber of his voice was commanding. I remember shaking his hand. I remember the picture I took of his wife, Coretta, kissing King on the cheek while among cheering supporters after he was leaving court in 1956. He was found guilty of conspiracy to boycott city buses in a campaign to desegregate the bus system. This picture has received a lot of recognition, as did the picture of Rosa Parks being fingerprinted following her arrest for not moving from the white section of a city bus to the area reserved for black people. Those days of covering King giving speeches and sermons in his church are still memorable and frequently recalled because of the impact this man created such a legacy in the world in his battle for the freedom for black people who, for years, had suffered terrible indignities and slavery. His oratory voice seemed to shake the rafters of the relatively small church in Montgomery. The church was always jammed with parishioners and guests. This great voice went on to events around this country and the world. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. While in Montgomery, King stayed busy with his sermons, going to court, as well as visiting with lawyers and groups of regular citizens. King, it is reported, was almost always fearful for his life, because he knew he was stepping on many customs or feelings of people who opposed his ever-gaining following. He had a scary time in Cicero, Illinois in the 1960s. In Memphis, on April 3, 1968, King delivered his famous speech, Ive Been to the Mountain Top. The next day, a sniper took Kings life with a bullet to his throat while he was standing on the walkway of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. AP photographer Charles Knoblock and I were immediately dispatched from Chicago to Memphis to cover this historic event. I received a phone call from my New York office and learned of Kings assassination. My boss said that since I had worked out of Memphis and covered King before that I should get down there as soon as possible. I called the airline we most often used. They put me on the next flight that left in one hour. I got my ticket, ran like everything and got on the plane with engines already churning. The other passengers were already abuzz about the killing. About halfway there, the stewardess informed me that the pilot said they would have to overfly Memphis and go to Baton Rouge, Louisianna. No, no, I replied strongly. Please explain to the pilot I would lose so many hours to do that and return to cover the story. She returned and told me the pilot said martial law had been declared, and that there were military, tanks and machine guns at the airport, and that I could not get into Memphis. I replied, Please tell the pilot I had all sorts of identification and could get into town. I also told her to please ask the pilot to just land the plane out in the grass and let me off. I could get into town. The pilot did land in the grassy area at Memphis, and I got off, walked to the terminal, caught a cab and went into town. Wow. But my most outstanding memory of that event was standing in the flophouse bathtub where the killer had stood to assassinate King. There I had strange emotional feelings on the one hand the very pleasant and moving coverage of King in the beginning, then the horrible shocking thoughts of his tragic death and the silencing of one of the worlds great voices. I stood in that bathtub, put my arms on the windowsill, where the assassin held his killing gun and looked across the marrow space between buildings to the platform of the Lorraine Motel balcony. All of these years later, I still remember. It is the commanding voice and the commanding persona of a man fighting against all odds to change the worlds behaviors, beliefs and treatment of black people, minority groups and those subverted by prejudice and hate, that my memory focuses on that event even until this day. The memories range from the beginning 64 years ago and the ending 52 years ago. In his last speech, he said, Then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I dont know what will happen now. Weve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesnt matter with me now, because Ive been to the mountaintop. And I dont mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And Hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over. And Ive seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so Im happy, tonight. Im not worried about anything. Im not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord! His memory lives on. Two persons have died of Lassa fever at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, causing panic across the state. According to reports, those who have had contact with the deceased, have been quarantined and are receiving treatment. A woman who gave birth through cesarean operation is suspected to be the index case of the disease, theCable reports. The online news platform quoted the source as saying a house officer who assisted in the surgery died recently. A house officer that died recently assisted in the C/S that was done to the woman, he said. The late Dr Habib who died recently had contact with the patient in ICU. The SR that operated the patient is currently sick and has been isolated. The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has urged all those who have had any contact with the patients to comply with the treatment regimen. Read Also: Lassa Fever Outbreak: 3 IMPORTANT Things You Must Know My dear colleagues, It is sad weve lost our colleagues within a week. Of note are the 2 cases of suspected Lassa fever (whose samples were taken to confirm the diagnosis), a statement by the NMA read. While awaiting the results. There was an emergency meeting this evening for a harmonious effort between the Kano State MOH & AKTH. The two sides have shown commitment so far; Suspected cases received IV Ribavrin and were transferred out to Yargaya Isolation center; All primary contacts are to be on quarantine; Contact tracing will continue from tomorrow morning (all those identified should please comply, for early treatment). Lassa fever can be contacted when a person comes in contact with food or water contaminated by urine or faeces of a species of rat that carries the disease. [January 22, 2020] Howard University Receives $10M from Martha and Bruce Karsh; Largest Gift in its History WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard University proudly announces a generous $10 million gift from the Karsh Family Foundation to endow its prestigious and highly competitive STEM program, which will be renamed the Karsh STEM Scholars Program (KSSP). Founded in 2017, the program is designed to increase the number of underrepresented minorities earning a Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. in a STEM discipline. This is the largest gift in Howard University history. The gift also creates the Lomax KIPP Scholarships, a unique, debt-free financial aid program for graduates of KIPP, the Knowledge is Power Program, a nationwide network of high performing public schools in underserved communities. Lomax KIPP Scholarships are named in honor of Michael L. Lomax, CEO and President of United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and a longtime distinguished advocate and inspiration for African American students seeking higher education. "We are grateful to Martha and Bruce Karsh for their transformative investment and support of our students and our vision to create a diverse workforce of highly-skilled scholars equipped to take on careers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math," said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA. "When we created this program, with the support of the Board of Trustees, we envisioned building a model program to demonstrate how higher education can serve as a pipeline to diversify STEM fields nationally, but we knew it wouldn't be sustainable without external resources. This gift will ensure that Howard can train the nation's brightest students who desire to obtain their Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. for generations to come." The Karshes' gift will support the overall KSSP graduate scholarship and ensure its future viability to fund cohorts of approximately 30 scholars per year. The announcement arrives just as applications for the fourth cohort are streaming in prior to the Jan. 30 application deadline. "We are excited to endow this visionary program at Howard," said Martha and Bruce Karsh. "Simply put, we believe education, expertise and research in STEM fields will define mankind's future, and we are proud to be able to help Howard attract and support the best and brightest students for its already renowned program." According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Howard University is the No. 1 baccalaureate institution of African American science and engineering doctorate recipients. Each year, the STEM program attracts hundreds of competitive high school students who are interested in careers as research scientists, surgeons, policy makers and corporate leaders. Scholars selected for the program receive a scholarship that covers 100 percent of the tuition and fees associated with attendance. The program provides an inclusive learning environment to challenge students, through rigorous coursework, mentorship and immersion experiences. "Thanks to this generous gift, the Karsh STEM Scholars Program will realize its full potential to cultivate a workforce pipeline of talented students from underrepresented communities who are well equipped to become leaders in the global STEM community," said KSSP Program Director Ronald Smith. The Karsh Family Foundation was founded in 1998 by Bruce A. Karsh, Oaktree Capita Management co-founder and co-chairman, and his wife Martha L. Karsh, an attorney and designer. The Foundation's philanthropic focus and mission is educational equity and opportunity; to date, it has made gifts and pledges of approximately $250 million to support education and scholarship at all levels. "We are inspired by Dr. Lomax's passion to remove all obstacles for underserved students, and his relentless passion to advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)," said Martha and Bruce Karsh. "We share his vision of creating a more equitable and affordable education system from preschool to graduate school, and we are proud to honor his name with this scholarship at an institution as prestigious and historically significant as Howard University." Martha Karsh serves on the board of the KIPP Foundation along with Dr. Lomax, where together, they have collaborated to secure scholarships and other educational support for KIPP graduates and African American students. The Lomax KIPP Scholarships help make college more accessible to deserving students and is unique in that it promises a debt-free education for its recipients. "Thank you, Martha and Bruce for helping to build a pipeline of KIPP students to HBCUs and for believing as I do that 'a mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in,'" said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF. Two Lomax KIPP Scholarships will be awarded each year. Each scholarship will cover the gap between financial aid and the cost of attendance, ensuring students have full coverage to graduate debt-free in four years. The first recipients will be selected this spring, entering Howard University in fall 2020. The gift also designates on campus support for all KIPP alumni at the university. Currently, 53 KIPP graduates are enrolled at Howard University. "We are filled with gratitude for the continuous support the Karsh family, Dr. Lomax and Howard University have given to our KIPP students," said Richard Barth, CEO of the KIPP Foundation. "This scholarship and our partnership with Howard will ensure more KIPP students have access to a phenomenal college education and the opportunity to pursue their passions." KIPP surveys show that, at HBCUs like Howard, KIPP alumni report a stronger sense of belonging and stronger health outcomes, and are more likely to have a mentor and to seek out academic supports than students at non-HBCUs. And, KIPP's early data indicates that KIPP alumni enrolled in HBCUs experience higher 1st to 2nd year persistence rates than peers with similar academic backgrounds enrolled in other colleges. The Karsh gift will fund a shared on-campus persistence advisor for KIPP students; a program that makes a significant difference in the success of first-generation college students. In addition, this donation establishes Howard University as one of almost 100 college partners for KIPP. Applications are currently being accepted for the fourth cohort of the Karsh STEM Scholars Program at Howard University. The deadline to apply is Jan. 30. Interested and qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit the Karsh STEM Scholars Program website https://karshstemscholars.howard.edu. About Howard University Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu. About UNCF and Dr. Lomax Founded in 1944, UNCF, which is the nation's largest scholarship provider to students of color and was founded on the principle of providing equal access to higher education, has always held true to its mottoA mind is a terrible thing to wasteover time, raising $5 billion to help more than half a million students graduate from college. UNCF annually awards 10,000 scholarships$100 million a yearto deserving, students, often the first in their families to go to college. Since 2004, under the leadership of Dr. Lomax, UNCF has raised more than $3 billion and fought for college readiness and education reform through partnerships with reform-focused leaders and organizations and worked to further advance HBCUs with Congress, the administration and the Department of Education. Before joining UNCF, Dr. Lomax was president of Dillard University in New Orleans and a literature professor at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. He serves on the boards of the KIPP Foundation, America's Promise, the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of African American History and Culture and the Studio Museum in Harlem. About KIPP KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 242 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll 100,000 students in all grades from Pre-K through high school. Nationwide, KIPP students complete their bachelor's degree at a rate comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average for students from low-income families. Media Contact: Alonda Thomas, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/howard-university-receives-10m-from-martha-and-bruce-karsh-largest-gift-in-its-history-300991374.html SOURCE Howard University [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A total of nine people have died from the new strain of coronavirus in China, with as many as 440 cases currently confirmed in the country, Li Bin, vice head of China's National Health Commission, told reporters on Wednesday. "As of now, the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in China has reached 440, nine people have died," Li Bin said. Earlier on Wednesday, China's National Health Commission said that there were 324 confirmed coronavirus cases. The Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest report this week that a total of 282 new coronavirus cases had been confirmed, 278 of them in China, where 6 people had died from the virus. Cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus have been reported in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the United States. China's health authorities have confirmed that the virus can be passed from one person to another. On Tuesday, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it had started working on the development of a vaccine that could cure the new coronavirus strain. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The substantive proceedings in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began on Tuesday with a full day of wrangling over procedural rules. In a series of votes stretching over many hours, the Republican majority leadership succeeded in pushing through a truncated process aimed at securing Trumps acquittal before the February 4 State of the Union address. Conviction and removal of an official impeached by the House requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, where the Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell secured the necessary votes to reject a flurry of Democratic amendments to his resolution on the trial rules that would have committed the Senate to access documents withheld from the House impeachment inquiry and call witnesses who had refused to testify at the behest of the White House. All of the votes were along strict party lines. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives at the Senate for the start of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump [Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite] Top on the list of potential witnesses sought by the Democratic House managers prosecuting Trump is former national security adviser John Bolton, a proponent of war against Iran and North Korea who broke with Trump over his withholding of military aid from Ukraine. The de facto alliance between the Democrats and Bolton on continuing the longstanding policy of transforming Ukraine into a vassal state and staging ground for war against Russia illustrates the right-wing basis on which the Democrats are conducting their impeachment drive. McConnell was obliged, however, to make certain concessions to Democratic procedural demands in order to satisfy a small number of Republican "moderates" who are considering voting with the Democrats later on in the trial to call additional witnesses, something Trump and McConnell are seeking to avoid. The original plan McConnell submitted called for each side to present opening arguments for up to 24 hours spread out over two days. This is to be followed by 16 hours of questioning by the senators, acting as jurors, an additional two hours of arguments for each of the legal teams, and then a vote on whether or not additional documents and/or witnesses are to be considered. If the latter proposal passes, there will be separate votes on specific sets of documents and witnesses. However, the White House has made clear that even if four Republicans defect and vote with the Democrats to call witnesses, giving the Democrats the 51-vote margin they require, Trump will likely invoke executive privilege either to block testimony from current or former aides or require that they speak behind closed doors in a classified setting. At the last minute on Tuesday, McConnell altered his resolution to allow three days for each side to make its opening arguments instead of two. He also changed the text to stipulate that the evidentiary record of the House impeachment inquiry will be incorporated into the record of the Senate trial, instead of may be. The statements on the Senate floor by both the lawyers for Trump, led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, and the House impeachment managers, led by Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, made clear the right-wing, antidemocratic politics of both warring factions. They reiterated the themes laid out in a series of legal briefs and documents submitted by the two sides over the weekend. Schiff, speaking in opposition to the procedural resolution submitted by McConnell, emphasized the anti-Russian axis of the articles of impeachmentone for abuse of power and the other for contempt of Congress. Accusing Trump of threatening our national security, he declared: The evidence is already overwhelming and the evidence is that the president abused the power of his office, withheld hundreds of millions of dollars of military aid to an ally at war in order to coerce that ally into interfering in our election. And when he was caught, he obstructed Congress to cover it up. The charge that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine because he is an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putinthe absurd, McCarthyite-style claim that runs throughout the Democrats criticisms of Trump ever since the 2016 electionis spelled out in greater detail in the 111-page brief released by the House managers on Saturday. It asserts that Trump sought to use the withheld military aid and delay of a White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to pressure Ukraine to intervene in the 2020 election in his favor, just as he had supposedly solicited the intervention of Putin in 2016 against his opponent Hillary Clinton: That assistance was a critical part of long-running bipartisan efforts to advance the security interests of the United States by ensuring that Ukraine is properly equipped to defend itself against Russian aggression In this case, an Oval Office meeting with President Trump was critical to the newly elected Ukrainian President because it would signal to Russiawhich had invaded Ukraine in 2014 and still occupied Ukrainian territorythat Ukraine could count on American support. The White House lawyers responded by declaring any attempt to impeach Trump an unconstitutional violation of presidential powers and an illegal move to overturn the results of the 2016 election. In a six-page response to the Democrats brief published on Sunday and a 171-page legal brief of their own released Monday, Trump's defense lawyers advance the conception of an imperial presidency that is not subject to any serious restraint by Congress or the courts. They argue that the first article of impeachment charging abuse of power is structurally deficient and collapses at the threshold because it fails to allege any violation of law whatsoever. This claim that an official can be impeached only for violating a specific law is contradicted by historical and legal precedent and virtually all constitutional scholarship, which maintains that impeachment is a political and not a criminal process. But this assertion is linked to a more fundamental and reactionary theory: that of the unitary executive. This is spelled out in the White House brief, where it states: In the First Article [of impeachment], the House attempts to seize the Presidents power under Article II of the Constitution to determine foreign policy They sought to undermine his authority under Article II of the Constitution, which vests the entirety of [t]he executive Power in a President of the United States of America. This is a brief for dictatorship. Trump is, moreover, accompanying this legal offensive in the Senate with an open appeal to right-wing and fascistic forces entirely outside the constitutional framework. He has in recent speeches attacked his political opponents as traitors, radicals and socialists and accused the Democrats of supporting terrorists who attack Americans. In recent days he tweeted support for armed right-wing and militia elements that marched in Richmond, Virginia to oppose mild gun-control legislation passing through the Democratic-controlled state legislature, declaring that the Democrats are out to take your guns. The Democrats are not, however, opposing Trump for his many real attacks on democratic rights, including the assassination of a high Iranian government official, the destruction of the right to asylum and the incarceration of immigrants in concentration camps, the illegal diversion of Pentagon funds to build his border wall with Mexico, and his incitement of right-wing violence. Nor are they opposing his brutal cuts in food stamps, Medicaid, housing and other social benefits, or his massive tax cuts for the rich. They are instead seeking to remove him from office or rein him in because he is seen by those sections of the military, intelligence and foreign policy establishment, as well as Wall Street, for whom the Democratic Party speaks, as a threat to critical foreign policy interests of American imperialism. The last thing they want to do is provide an outlet for the mass popular hatred of Trump, which is driven by anger over the obscene levels of social inequality, revulsion over anti-immigrant racism and opposition to war. It is up to the working class, prosecuting its independent struggle against all sections of the ruling class and both big-business parties, to remove Trump and replace him with a workers government and socialism. The Duchess of Cornwall seemed in high spirits as she visited the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, today. Camilla, 72, was the picture of elegance in a checked grey coat for the occasion, which she teamed with an elegant, star-embellished, light blue scarf. The Prince of Wales' wife has been patron of Elmhurst since 2006 and this is her fourth visit to the Birmingham Royal Ballet associate school. The Duchess of Cornwall seemed in high spirits as she visited the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, today Camilla, 72, was the picture of perfection in a checked grey coat for the occasion, which she teamed with an elegant, star-embellished, light blue scarf Camilla watches a ballet lesson alongside Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Elmhurst Vice President Carlos Acosta (pictured left), after meeting Head Girl Maddie Irwin (pictured right, centre) and Head Boy Bradley Howell (right) at Elmhurst Ballet School Cutting a stylish figure, Camilla's statement coat flared at the waist and offered a flattering silhouette for the royal. The duchess could be seen smiling and joking with staff as she was introduced to students. Camilla observed a Year 7 ballet class during her visit and watched a performance in the schools studio theatre. Camilla observed a Year 7 ballet class during her visit and watched a performance in the schools studio theatre The Duchess of Cornwall speaks to a young dancer receiving treatment in the Health and Wellbeing Centre during a visit to Elmhurst Ballet School The duchess signs the visitors' book at the school while posing alongside young ballet dancers Camilla shakes the hand of a young ballet dancer who performed for her during her visit She also took a short tour of Elmhursts state-of-the-art Health and Wellbeing Centre - which was under construction during her last visit in 2014. The centre offers a wide range of services and facilities, including a purpose built physiotherapy and exercise suite. Jessica Wheeler, Principal, said: 'It is always a great pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness, a long-standing supporter of Elmhurst, to Birmingham and the school. The royal, looking perfectly polished in her grey ensemble, poses onstage with Elmhurst pupils The Duchess of Cornwall is presented with a handbag during a visit to the factory of the high-end handbag firm Launer in Birmingham, (pictured right), and she colours the final part of a drawing during the official opening of Lichfield Street Hub (left) The royal during a visit to the factory of the high-end handbag firm Launer in Birmingham The royal speaks to staff when visiting the designer's factory in Birmingham, in the West Midlands today 'On behalf of all our students and staff, we are thrilled Her Royal Highness has included a visit to the school in her busy schedule. 'Since Her Royal Highnesss last visit we have continued to work hard to retain our place at the forefront of ballet education and training, ensuring our students leave us with the very best chances to succeed in a professional dance life. 'We look forward to sharing our latest news with our wonderful Patron.' Staff at the Launer factory in the UK's second city showcase their resources to the duchess Camilla intently listens to a staff member as they detail their work at the Birmingham Launer handbag factory Camilla is asked to cut the cake when touring the factory as part of her visit to the second city Camilla was all smiles as she looked at the work being produced at the Birmingham factory The visit comes after the duchess was asked for her opinion on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down as senior royals. During a visit to the Prospect Hospice in Wroughton, on Monday, Camilla was questioned by a reporter: 'Will you miss Harry and Meghan?' Camilla smiled and paused, initially replying with a 'hmmm', before adding 'course' as she walked away. The Duchess of Cornwall looks at a new stained-glass window installation during a visit to Birmingham Children's Hospital The Duchess of Cornwall meets Head Girl Maddie Irwin (centre) and Head Boy Bradley Howell (second right) alongside Principal Jessica Wheeler (left) during a visit to Elmhurst Ballet School The Duchess of Cornwall delivers a speech to people at the school, of which she is a patron How is a man, who died in 1973, suddenly in the middle of a fresh political controversy involving actor-cum-aspiring-politician Rajinikanth? For that, it is necessary to understand the legacy of E V Ramasamy whose ideas and ideology continues to shape the politics and the larger Dravidan movement in southern India and particularly Tamil Nadu. Supporters and admirers fondly call him Periyar (Elder) on Thantai (Father) for his rationalist self-respect movement, which they say was aimed at eliminating caste system, fighting imposition of Hindi language and strengthening womens rights. All the Dravidan political offshoots which exist today including AIADMK, DMK, DK, PMK, MDMK and numerous others owe their ideological existence to the anti-Brahmin and anti-Hindi politics which he pioneered in the early part of the 20th century. Critics have called him anti-Hindu and somebody who displayed a virulent hatred for Brahmins. First the context. Actor Rajinikanth, speaking on January 14 at the 50th anniversary of Thuglak magazine, said Cho Ramaswamy, the founder of the publication, was the only one to cover an event of Ramasamys Dravidar Kazhagam at Salem in 1971 where Ram and Sitas idols were paraded without clothes and garlanded with footwear. The magazine is now edited by RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy. Cho, said Rajini, condemned the incident in his magazine. However, the then ruling DMK which saw Ramasamy as its ideological mentor attacked Thuglak inadvertently boosting visibility of the publication. This remark of Rajini at the event was condemned by Dravidar Vidhuthalai Kazhagam (DVK) which claimed the actor had spread mis-information on Ramasamy, with an intent to malign his reputation and filed a police complaint under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Rajinikanth stood by his statement saying on Tuesday that he would not apologise as there was evidence to what transpired then, including various published and oral accounts. This is why a man who has been dead for 46 years is again in the limelight. While Ramasamy is revered today by a large section of Dravidan movement, he was an extremely controversial figure even when he was alive. Ramasamy quit Congress party in 1925 accusing it of being dominated by Brahmins and started Justice Party which was later renamed Dravidar Kazhagam. However, following the death of his first wife, 70-year-old Ramasamy decided to marry a 32-year-old woman Maniammai, who was declared his successor forcing some of his closest associates including CN Annadurai to start the DMK. Later, when differences developed between DMK leader M Karunanidhi and the then popular movie star mascot of the party M G Ramachandran, the latter chose to break away and started the current ruling AIADMK. Ironically, the AIADMK saw some of its most stunning electoral success under J Jayalalithaa, a Brahmin. However, even today, almost all the Kazhagams (associations, as the parties call themselves) see Ramasamy as their ideological fountainhead. Ramasamy led several agitations to abolish caste, tell people to take pride in Tamil language and fought against imposition of Hindi. Incidentally, Ramasamy himself belonged to a Kannada speaking Naicker family from Erode, but he chose to drop his surname which he felt was a marker of his caste. He was even jailed a couple of times for leading processions where portraits of Hindu gods including Rama would be garlanded with slippers. With Rajinikanth on the cusp of converting his fan association Rajini Makkal Mandaram (RMM) into a political party ahead of the assembly polls due in the first quarter of next year, DMK which sees itself as the key inheritor of Ramasamys legacy feels threatened. Rajinikanth has also made no bones about his own overtly personal religiosity and with BJP making overtures to him, DMK and the Dravidan movement feel this is an issue on which they could take him on. With AIADMK not having a charismatic leader to lead into the assembly polls next year, DMK sees Rajinikanth as a threat, as he is electorally an untested wild card for now. However, unlike in the past, several of the issues which drove the Dravidan movement do not have electoral resonance. The anti-Hindi agitation has petered out except for an occasional outburst. Brahmins at 2-3 per cent of the states population are electorally insignificant to be built up as threat. While the issue of caste still has a strong cachet, the fight is now between a section of the prosperous middle castes like Gounders, Vanniyars, Mukkalthors and Mudaliars on one side and Dalits on the other, for opportunities and political space. The controversy is thus actually a political fight between those who claim to be ideological legatees of Ramasamy and with an politically unknown Rajinikanth, the AIADMK and BJP alliance on the other side. This is why in the runup to the assembly polls, Ramasamy and the overall Dravidan legacy is likely to be contested even more strongly. Tcheky Karyo (The Missing) will return as retired police investigator, Julien Baptiste, and will be joined by Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve, Fleabag) for a new series in Budapest. Harry and Jack Williams, writers and managing directors of Two Brothers Pictures, said: We are thrilled to be continuing Julien Baptistes story. Even more ambitious than ever, this years story pays homage to its roots in The Missing by unfolding across two distinct periods of time, and we can guarantee even more surprises and twists. Its a privilege to work once more with the mesmerising Tcheky Karyo who has created an iconic character. And this year hell be joined by Fiona Shaw, an incredible actress who weve wanted to work with for some time. We cant wait to see the two of them together. Tcheky Karyo, says: I am so excited and proud of Harry and Jack for their new audacious story in Hungary. I cant wait to prepare for Juliens new adventure and for the emotions that he is about to go through. Im looking forward to sharing this incredible journey with an amazing cast. Fiona Shaw says: Im honoured to be joining this hugely talented and committed team with the superb writing of Harry and Jack Williams and under the direction of Thomas Napper. Im so lucky to be working with all the best of the new generation! Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, adds: I am delighted that Baptiste is returning to BBC One and cant wait to see Tcheky in action with Fiona Shaw in her new role. Jack and Harry have taken this series into a whole new ominous world which will surprise as well as excite fans. Filming will begin in Budapest, Hungary in February and further casting will be announced. Julien Baptiste is not the man we knew before. After enduring a horrific personal tragedy, Julien has pushed his wife Celia away and is looking for any distraction whether that be the bottom of a bottle or a new case to consume him. When British Ambassador Emma Chambers (Fiona Shaw) whole family disappears whilst on a skiing holiday in the Hungarian mountains, Baptiste immerses himself into Emmas world, committed to finding her husband and two sons. However, when the case turns into something far more brutal and desperate, Julien must navigate a Hungarian police force he doesnt trust and unrelenting media interest who are hungry for information on such a high-profile international case. Julien must remain rational in the face of chaos in order to find Emmas family. Will he be able to solve his most complex case yet? Baptiste airs in Australia on BBC First. Highlighting the difficulties of the response effort, Wang Guangfa, a member of the National Health Commissions expert group that traveled to Wuhan to investigate the outbreak, was among the infected. He wrote in a social media post that he thought he contracted the virus through his eyes because he had been wearing a mask. But, he said, he was responding well to treatment. Grand Junction, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2020) - Bullfrog Gold Corp (OTCQB: BFGC) (CSE: BFG) (FSE: 11B) ("Bullfrog", "BFGC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering"). The Company issued 15,384,615 units (the "Units") at a price of CAD$0.13 per Unit for gross proceeds of CAD$2.0 million. Each Unit is comprised of one share of the Company's common stock and one half of a common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share at a price of CAD$0.20 for a period of two years. Proceeds of the Offering will be used to advance the Bullfrog Project, including the completion of all work commitments required to purchase Barrick Bullfrog Inc's key lands in the Bullfrog Mining District located 125 miles NW of Las Vegas, Nevada, and for general corporate purposes. The Bullfrog Project consists of 5,250 acres of patented and unpatented mining claims that have an established mineral estimate and strong exploration potential in one of the most prolific gold exploration areas in the US. More information may be sourced at www.bullfroggold.com, including a presentation that shows all major land holdings in the Bullfrog and surrounding mining districts. David Beling, BFGC CEO stated, "We are very pleased to have new strong shareholders participate in the growth of the Company and welcome the continuing confidence and support from our existing shareholders. As a result, several exploration and development activities designed to add value to the Bullfrog Project will be pursued during the year, in addition to purchasing the Barrick lands currently under a Lease/Option." In connection with the closing of the Offering, the Company paid finders fees of CAD$118,918 in cash and issued 914,750 share purchase warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") to Haywood Securities Inc and Canaccord Genuity Corp. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one share of the Company at a price of CAD$0.20 for a period of 24 months. The offering is subject to compliance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange and applicable securities requirements. The securities issued under the Offering, and any shares that may be issuable on exercise of any such securities, will be subject to statutory hold periods of four months and a day under Canadian securities laws for any purchaser. In addition, the securities were all issued pursuant to applicable exemptions from requirements to file a registration statement in the United States. Story continues About Bullfrog Gold Corp. Bullfrog Gold Corp. is a Delaware corporation that controls the commanding land and mineral positions in the Bullfrog Mine area where Barrick Bullfrog Inc. produced 2.3 million ounces of gold by conventional milling from 1989 into early 1999. An independent 43-101 compliant report prepared in August 2017 estimated mineralization at 624,000 ounces at 0.7 g/tonne gold within expanded pit plans based on a gold price of $1,200 and heap leaching. The Company has thoroughly analyzed a large data base obtained from Barrick, including detailed information on 155 miles of drilling in the Bullfrog Mine area and has released successful metallurgical testing and gold recovery results during the past year. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including those with respect to the objectives, plans and strategies of the Company and those preceded by or that include the words "believes," "expects," "given," "targets," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "projects," "forecasts" or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. We use certain terms in this valuation such as "mineralization" and "mineral inventory estimates" that are not defined in Canadian National Instrument 43-101; or recognized under the U.S. SEC Industry Guide 7. The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures and may not result in the discovery of sufficient mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no resources or reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Additional information regarding important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations is disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact Information: David Beling, PE, President, CEO and Director, (970) 628-1670 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51698 BEIJING - A Chinese city of more than 11 million people planned to shut down outbound flights and trains Thursday as the world's most populous country battled the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17, state media reported. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, a worker monitors display screens for infrared thermometers as they check travelers at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP) BEIJING - A Chinese city of more than 11 million people planned to shut down outbound flights and trains Thursday as the world's most populous country battled the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17, state media reported. Everyone in the city of Wuhan was to be restricted to some degree. The state-owned People's Daily newspaper said no one would be allowed to leave. The official Xinhua News Agency said no one would be permitted to leave without a specific reason. Train stations and the airport were to shut down at 10 a.m. Buses, subways, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses would also be temporarily closed. Most of the cases are in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province, but dozens of infections have popped up this week around the country as millions travel for the Lunar New Year, one of the world's largest annual migrations of people. A handful of infected people who came from Wuhan have also been found overseas. In Geneva, the World Health Organization put off deciding whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency and asked an expert committee to continue meeting for a second day Thursday. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, travelers wearing face masks walk with their luggage at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP) We need more information, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. WHO defines a global emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a co-ordinated international response. When asked about Wuhan's public transport shutdown, WHO chief Tedros said authorities were likely acting to prevent transmission and mass gatherings. In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, a worker monitors display screens for infrared thermometers as they check travelers at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP) We cannot say they have done something unusual, he said. The number of new cases has risen sharply in China, the centre of the outbreak. The 17 deaths were all in Hubei province, where the outbreak emerged in the provincial capital of Wuhan late last month. Wuhan authorities said the province has confirmed 444 cases, which would bring the national total to more than 500. The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus, a family of viruses that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses, such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 and killed about 800 people. Some experts have drawn parallels between the new coronavirus and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, another coronavirus that does not spread easily among humans and is thought to be carried by camels. A box of masks imported from Japan sits inside a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan, China, January 22, 2020. Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. The number of cases of the new virus has risen to over 400 in China and the death toll to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) There has already been human-to-human transmission and infection of medical workers," Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said at a news conference Wednesday. Evidence has shown that the disease has been transmitted through the respiratory tract, and there is the possibility of viral mutation." A tweet from WHO's Asia office this week raised the possibility that the epidemic is spreading more easily and may no longer require an animal source to spark infections, as officials initially reported. Authorities in Thailand on Wednesday confirmed four cases a Thai national and three Chinese visitors. Japan, South Korea, the United States, Taiwan and Macao, a former Portuguese colony that is a semi-autonomous Chinese city, have all reported one case each. All of the illnesses were of people from Wuhan or who recently travelled there. Hospital staff stand outside the emergency entrance of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The number of cases of a new coronavirus from Wuhan has risen to over 400 in China health authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) The situation is under control here," Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, saying there are no reports of the infection spreading to others. We checked all of them: taxi drivers, people who wheeled the wheelchairs for the patients, doctors and nurses who worked around them." Dr. Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Oxford University, said there were three criteria for the outbreak to be declared an international emergency: The outbreak must be an extraordinary event. There must be a risk of international spread, and a globally co-ordinated response is required. In my opinion, those three criteria have been met, he said. A health official scans the body temperature of a passenger as she arrives at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Indonesia is screening travelers from overseas for a new type of coronavirus as fears spread about a mysterious infectious disease after its first death reported in China. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) In response to the U.S. case, President Donald Trump said: We do have a plan, and we think its going to be handled very well." He said the U.S. and China were both "in very good shape. The patient, a man in his 30s who travelled to China in November, was doing well in an isolation unit in a hospital north of Seattle. He returned to Washington state Jan. 15, before the start of U.S. airport screening, health officials said. In Wuhan, pharmacies limited sales of face masks to one package per customer as people lined up to buy them. Residents said they were not overly concerned as long as they took preventive measures. Passengers wear masks to prevent an outbreak of a new coronavirus in a subway station, in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. The first case of coronavirus in Macao was confirmed on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The infected person, a 52-year-old woman, was a traveller from Wuhan. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) As an adult, I am not too worried about the disease," Yang Bin, the father of a 7-year-old, said after buying a mask. I think we are more worried about our kids. Medical workers in protective suits could be seen carrying supplies and stretchers into Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some of the patients are being treated. Some countries have stepped up screening measures for travellers from China, especially those arriving from Wuhan. Travel agencies that organize trips to North Korea said the country banned foreign tourists because of the outbreak. Most tourists to North Korea are either Chinese or travel to the country through neighbouring China. Workers spray disinfectant at a train station in Wuhan in southern China's Hubei province, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Chinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings, after warning on Wednesday that a new viral illness that has infected hundreds and caused at least nine deaths could spread further. (Chinatopix via AP) Officials said it was too early to compare the new virus with SARS or MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, in terms of how lethal it might be. They attributed the spike in new cases to improvements in detection and monitoring. We are still in the process of learning more about this disease, Gao Fu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, said at the news conference. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Gao said officials are working on the assumption that the outbreak resulted from human exposure to wild animals being sold illegally at a food market in Wuhan and that the virus is mutating. Mutations can make it spread faster or make people sicker. One veteran of the SARS outbreak said that while there are some similarities in the new virus namely its origins in China and the link to animals the current outbreak appears much milder. Dr. David Heymann, who headed WHOs global response to SARS in 2003, said the new virus appears dangerous for older people with other health conditions, but doesnt seem nearly as infectious as SARS. It looks like it doesnt transmit through the air very easily and probably transmits through close contact, he said. That was not the case with SARS. ___ Associated Press journalists Dake Kang and Emily Wang in Wuhan, China; Tassanee Vejpongsa in Bangkok; Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea; Maria Cheng in London; Yanan Wang in Beijing; Alice Fung in Hong Kong and Carla K. Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. MetroWest Medical Center plans to close nearly all services at one of its two hospitals, according to documents the hospital filed with the state on Tuesday. According to the notice, MetroWest plans to shutter its medical/surgical unit, intensive care unit, operating rooms, emergency department, and outpatient rehabilitation service at Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick, which has been in operation for more than 125 years. Psychiatric service, sleep labs, and CT services are the only services that will remain on the campus. The hospital, which was founded in 1893, said in its filing that it would submit a formal proposal with the state on Feb. 20, kicking off a 90-day notice of its closure. Hospital officials did not immediately return calls for comment. MetroWest, which includes Framingham Union Hospital as well as the hospital in Natick, is one of the states few for-profit institutions and also one of the few to be operated by an out of state parent company. The health system is owned by Texas-based Tenet HealthCare (NYSE: THC), which also owns Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester. Like its parent, the hospitals financials have fluctuated in recent years but most recently operated in the black. According to financial documents submitted to the state for fiscal 2018, which ended in December 2018 and is the most recent year available, MetroWest Medical Center as a whole reported a $4.3 million operating gain on $251 million in net patient service revenue. That compares to a $3.4 million loss on $238.4 million in net patient service revenue the year prior. State filings also show that parent company Tenet Healthcare reported a $316 million operating revenue in fiscal 2018. That compares to a $444 million operating loss the year prior. This article originally appeared on the Boston Business Journals website. Authorities are yet to confirm whether debris found off Moreton Island is from a light plane that went missing with two people on board. A mayday call was made about 4.30pm Tuesday before the aircraft dropped off the radar during a scenic flight over the island from Caloundra. The flight path of a rescue helicopter involved in the search off Moreton Island on Thursday morning. Credit:Flight Radar 24 The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said debris was found floating in the water southeast of Cape Moreton overnight during the extensive search, though authorities were yet to confirm its origin. The search was suspended around midnight because of rough seas and storms. The tiltrotor aircraft intended to be the next carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft for U.S. Navy personnel has made its first flight. A CMV-22B Osprey, built by Boeing and Bell Textron Inc., conducted its first flight operation at Bell's Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas, the company announced Tuesday. The first new CMV-22B, specifically upgraded with extended range to ferry personnel and supplies between aircraft carriers and shoreline installations, is scheduled to be transferred to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 later this year, officials said. "With the ability to travel up to 1,150 nautical miles, the CMV-22B will be a lifeline for our servicemen and women out at sea," said Kristin Houston, vice president of Boeing Tiltrotor Programs and director for the Bell Boeing V-22 Program. Related: V-22 Osprey Engines Still at Risk in Sand and Silt, Watchdog Report Finds "The quality and safety built into this aircraft will revolutionize the way the U.S. Navy fulfills its critical carrier onboard delivery mission," Houston said in a news release. The CMV-22B will replace the aging C-2A Greyhound, used for carrier strike group operations since the 1960s. The latest model joins its Air Force CV-22 and Marine Corps MV-22 cousins, used for special operations missions since the late 2000s. The Defense Department announced in 2018 that the Navy and Marine Corps had signed a $4.2 billion deal with the joint venture company to develop 39 tiltrotor craft for the Navy and 14 MV-22Bs for the Marines. The CMV-22B is scheduled for its first operational deployment in 2021 aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, according to the Navy. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read more: US Special Operators Could Use This New Suppressor That Relies on WWI Technology Amazon spends millions of dollars each year physically protecting CEO Jeff Bezos, but his personal data remained all too vulnerable. According to a bombshell report published in The Guardian this afternoon, Bezos was the victim of a hacking operation conducted via WhatsApp that potentially involved Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The breach was apparently carried out in early May 2018, when Bezos received an unsolicited message from the crown prince -- or an entity in control of his WhatsApp account. That message allegedly contained a video file that forensic analysis later concluded was highly likely to contain malware that allowed "large amounts of data" to be surreptitiously removed from the Amazon founder's phone. For now, though, most of the case's finer details remain unknown. For example, The Guardian has not identified the party that carried out that forensic analysis. While today's report suggests a significant amount of personal data was ferried off of Bezos' phone as a result of the hack, there is no clear sense of what kind of data was ultimately collected. It's also unclear at this point what role -- if any -- the crown prince himself played in the dissemination of malware. The Guardian report specifically notes that the malicious file originated from a number used by Mohammed bin Salman but stops short of directly implicating the 34-year-old Saudi royal. If true, the attack represents a particularly brazen attempt on the part of the Saudi government to gain leverage over the world's richest man. It also raises serious questions about what that data might have been used for immediately after the attack took place. Five months after that message was sent from MBS's WhatsApp account, Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and vocal critic of the Saudi government, was murdered in Istanbul. And just months after that, text messages and images Bezos sent to his mistress, former television anchor Lauren Sanchez, were published by the National Enquirer. The Guardian report notes that Bezos and the crown prince had been enjoying an apparently innocuous WhatsApp conversation prior to the file being sent, which comes as little surprise since the royal figure has long cultivated relationships with the Silicon Valley elite. Beyond that, Bezos had a vested interest in maintaining a friendly relationship with the Saudi government. As recently as early 2019, Amazon planned to expand its e-commerce reach into Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the company considered opening AWS data centers in the Crown kingdom. Even now, Amazon has 22 open job listings in Saudi Arabia, most in the capital city of Riyadh. Story continues However, Khashoggi's assassination and the Bezos data leak quickly caused whatever relationship existed between Amazon and the Saudi government to deteriorate. And while today's report shines more light on the mechanics of Saudi cyber-operations, Amazon -- and Bezos -- had long suspected the kingdom's involvement in a data breach. In March 2019, following the public airing of Bezos's extramarital affair, Amazon head of security Gavin de Becker wrote in a piece published by the Daily Beast that "our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information." Update: Via Twitter, the US embassy of Saudi Arabia called the reports "absurd," saying "We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out." Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 21:46:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council Wednesday expressed condolences over the death of three on-duty customs officers in Hong Kong. Xu Luying also extended sincere sympathies to the families of the deceased as well as the injured personnel. A patrol vessel of the Hong Kong Customs sank while on duty in the waters near Sha Chau around 9 p.m. Tuesday, Xu said. Three customs officers died in the accident, while the other two on the vessel were injured, Xu said. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Just get an e-book, man. Reply Thread Link Cut up books?! No. Never. Nope. Reply Thread Link idk depends on the book Reply Parent Thread Link Ehhhhhhhhhh, this seems like a non-issue but also depending on the context, I get the weirdness around it. Like, does he do this just for his reading copy? A paperback he bought with the specific intention of doing this? I imagine most writers enjoy displaying their library to some degree so I can't fathom he's doing this to books he plans to display. Mostly just let people do with their possessions what they like, I guess. ETA: I had a ton of people throughout school get on me about the way I "treated" my books bc a lot of them were obsessed with keeping the books as pristine as possible. But I was a voracious reader, often reading at lunch and dinner, and a lot of my books became worn as a result. One of the best things about looking through my old Harry Potter books years back was seeing all the Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and Kool-Aid stains on the pages from where I was just a wee 10 year old trying to consume every word as fast as humanly possible. It makes me feel like a book got used, it was important to someone. Edited at 2020-01-22 01:09 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link As long as these books aren't like out on his coffee table, it can't look that bad to display them right? Like, if they're on your bookshelf and you've already got a lot of books would people if notice? Reply Parent Thread Link My Order of the Phoenix has cheeto on a number of pages. I must have eaten them while reading it. Reply Parent Thread Link My mom hates used~ books lol like she can't buy them if the binding is bent or even if a few corners are bent (which I can't do myself because the horror but I'll buy a book). Basically if they've lived a life Haha It never bothered me but I'm like you where my books got worn out from being carried and read every where. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm a sucker for a used bookstore so I can't relate to your Mom lol. I love the little history in every crooked cover edge. An absolute score of a find for me is a book I've read before with someone else's notes in them. They often tend to be sold at a discount, too, so you save a lot of money that way. I'm just not precious about them idk why. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I was really particular about books growing up, but I actually liked when they became worn after many reads! I always took care of them as much as possible, so when they started to look visibly used, it just meant they were loved and read a lot :) Reply Parent Thread Link I can't keep books pristine. Basically every book I own that I've read has coffee stains, tears, worn covers, they're a mess. That's why I rarely buy new books, I know I'll ruin them. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I have sunscreen grease stains on a few pages of the Goblet of Fire because I was reading it when I was in Myrtle Beach lol. Brings me right back whenever I see it. Reply Parent Thread Link i used to wear my books to death as a kid and not gaf now days im obsessive about how pristine they are lmao tho tbf i don't care about the inside as much but i get rly twitchy if the spine is cracked bc i hate seeing that on the bookshelf lmao so i usually just get hardbacks Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i like libraries with books that look like they've been "worn in," if that makes sense. my entire library is crammed with used & new books alike, but they all eventually look messed up compared to how they were when i originally bought them (maybe not to such a great degree with my used copies). my books go through hell because i'm a researcher so most of my collection is history-based and definitely not going to stay pristine. they're filled with writing, highlighting, tabs and sticky notes popping out of them... like, you'd think my research was every historical field you could think of. i tend to not eat super greasy foods with my books tho because i hate the look of grease stains, but coffee... totally different thing. i'm pretty decent at not staining my books but many of them are filled with coffee stains because i drink and read at the same time. some have beer stains tho, but that's because i'm the only loser who reads at a brewery Reply Parent Thread Link Yeh, I dont get the preciousness around the condition of mass produced books. Its the words on the page that are important, and if its still readable...what does it matter if its a lil dirty/bent/cut in half lol These arent special editions or historically important copies of books. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Same, I grew up reading library books so I'm used to mangy looking books. I tried keeping the ones I buy neat for a while but it's hard as hell if you lug them around everywhere. Like I literally just bought a book the other day because I really liked the cover and promptly got water all over it when my water bottle leaked in my bag lol, whelp. Reply Parent Thread Link Im someone who has dog eared, have written in books and yet this actually infuriated me. Reply Parent Thread Link have to agree here. so many of my old books are warped because i used to read in the shower and bath (or pool if we stayed at a hotel) Reply Parent Thread Link same. i used to read in the bath tub every night so my books were always a fucking mess. who cares? i was reading them Reply Parent Thread Link What to do if your book's too big: an alignment chart pic.twitter.com/cYb4PHggPF Louis Eon (@QuipThe) January 21, 2020 Which one are you, ONTD Reply Thread Link chaotic neutral lol Reply Parent Thread Link Definitely e-reader. When I got my kindle I sold/gave away all my books except for the rare ones (which I sadly lost later anyway) Reply Parent Thread Link neutral good or lawful neutral, depending on the situation Reply Parent Thread Link Im either chaotic good or lawful evil, there is no in-between. And when it comes to my comics I want the individual issues unless its a true trade length crossover or series, i.e. House of X/Powers of X. Reply Parent Thread Link Neutral good. Reply Parent Thread Link It depends where I'm going. If it's to a coffee shop nearby, I'll add a bag. If I have to take public transportation or walk really far, choose a smaller book or switch to my Kindle. If I'm going on a plane, I use the secret option, "bring smaller books, use Kindle, but then sabotage myself by buying several books in the airport bookshop that I didn't plan on purchasing, and now I'm stuck hauling around all these extra books that I have no room for" Reply Parent Thread Link True Neutral in public and Neutral Evil at home. I've been collecting leather bound versions of all the books I love and they're too beautiful and heavy to bring out. Reply Parent Thread Link lawful neutral + true neutral Reply Parent Thread Link true neutral. Reply Parent Thread Link true neutral lol Reply Parent Thread Link true neutral Reply Parent Thread Link neutral evil should be puddy from seinfeld staring at the seatback on the plane because he didn't bring a book to read. i'm a true neutral, or i read at home. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Lawful good/ true neutral, depending Reply Parent Thread Link neutral good Reply Parent Thread Link I either read it on an ereader or I carry it in an extra bag. Reply Parent Thread Link lawful evil - whew I did not expect to buy books on my last trip! Reply Parent Thread Link lawful good and sometimes lawful neutral Reply Parent Thread Link lawful evil for sure lmao, I never carry a door stopper with me but generally speaking I'm lawful and chaotic neutral depending on how much I want to read something or if I have to have the book with me. Reply Parent Thread Link I am neutral good and neutral evil Reply Parent Thread Link i'm definitely the true neutral Reply Parent Thread Link lawful good or chaotic neutral Reply Parent Thread Link I just carry my books. No book is too big. But I'm not going grocery shopping or running errands with my book in hand. I'll leave it in my car if need be. Reply Parent Thread Link Neutral evil baby, only I use my phone instead of staring blankly lol Reply Parent Thread Link lawful neutral, neutral good, and true neutral Reply Parent Thread Link either true neutral or neutral evil. i either completely concentrate on a book pref in an ereader cuz otherwise i fidget the pages, or i cannot concentrate at all Reply Parent Thread Link lawful good. my only criteria for bags and purses are that they need to hold 2-3 books. Reply Parent Thread Link Neutral good, chaotic good or true neutral. Depends on what I have available I've also had moments of peak laziness and read dodgy pdf files on my phone lmao. Reply Parent Thread Link A mix of lawful evil and the secret option of wearing a backpack (that I wear anyway, basically as a purse substitute) to lug the book around in. Reply Parent Thread Link Chaotic good or true neutral Reply Parent Thread Link Lawful neutral. Going to a work conference next week, gonna be gone 3 days, trying to figure out how many books is too many to haul along. Also what bag should I take them in. Reply Parent Thread Link neutral good Reply Parent Thread Link Lawful good. I want them protected and in perfect state Reply Parent Thread Link lawful good or chaotic neutral Reply Parent Thread Link true neutral. i've been listening to audiobooks on audible lately but only because i forgot to cancel my free trial and paid for four credits and am forcing myself, i'm really not into it. Reply Parent Thread Link chaotic good. im almost exclusively an audiobook reader now. its really hard for me to read physical books now. which kind of sucks? but i also listened to like 40 books last year so ......... Reply Parent Thread Link Lol. I'm neutral evil XD Reply Parent Thread Link neutral evil because i get sick reading in transport (even on my phone) and can't keep up with audiobooks. need to be able to go back and reread sometimes Reply Parent Thread Link Neutral Good. If I'm reading a book and I'm on the go, I always make sure my purse is big enough to hold the book I'm reading. Reply Parent Thread Link I enjoy the aesthetic of books. This is truly upsetting. It actually took me a while to understand what I was looking at. This would look horrible on a bookshelf. Reply Thread Link That is utterly stupid but book snobs are annoying. Reply Thread Link People are so OTT about books. Reply Thread Link Its even weirder when people store them with the pages facing out so that all the different colored spines wont ruin the aesthetic of the room Reply Thread Link That's how the do it? I just thought they wrapped all the book covers to protect them, lmao. Reply Parent Thread Link omg, I've never seen anyone do that but that's unfathomable bc to me the books are the aesthetic! My living room would look way more boring without my bookshelves. Reply Parent Thread Link now that pisses me off Reply Parent Thread Link But how awkward must it be to find something to read? Did I read this right? Lol Reply Parent Thread Link That doesnt matter, its the aesthetic thats important Reply Parent Thread Expand Link @this thread, why do people still get so worked up about this? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Just the other day some of the pages of one of my Sweet Valley High Books fell out while I was reading it and I nearly had a heart attack. Damaged books always make me feel uneasy for some reason lol. I guess I'll add it to my list of irrational fears/ dislikes along with my fear of big statues. Edited at 2020-01-22 01:10 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link weird. just get an e-reader lol. i fucking love my Kindle. Reply Thread Link I don't understand people who get so bent out of shape about books. If it was rare ones or something I get it, take care of em, but regular paperbacks? Who cares, let people do what they want. Reply Thread Link Who does this? That poor book. Like get an ereader then. Edited at 2020-01-22 01:12 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link How does that make them more portable? Does your friend carry the other half of the book? Reply Thread Link now i'm picturing some guy on a bus reading a cut up book, getting to the end and being like "whelp guess i won't know what happens until i get home i guess" lol Reply Parent Thread Link it's a giant book...you'd only take the part of the book you're reading with you for the day. it's not that complicated. Reply Parent Thread Link the pages would surely all start falling out from the split Reply Parent Thread Link mte, how does he stop that from happening? Reply Parent Thread Link They wouldnt fall out immediately. Im sure youd be able to finish the book before worrying about that. Reply Parent Thread Link Looks like they're taped together in the picture posted. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link eh whatever im not precious about books. and some people dont want to look at another screen for hours on end. I would just choose not to travel around with a book that large but that's just me. Do what you want its your book. Reply Thread Link The Kerala government on Wednesday gave its approval for the draft shareholders' agreement for the development of the Kochi-Palakkad Hi-Tech Industrial Corridor. A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, also approved the state support agreement for the project, an official statement said here. The hi-tech corridor is being developed as a part of extending the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor from Coimbatore to Kochi, the commercial hub of the southern state, it said. As per the plan, the length of the Kerala-Kochi-Coimbatore corridor is 160 km and the region would have six integrated production clusters, it said. In the production cluster in Palakkad region, food processing, rubber, electronics, general and electrical machinery have been given high priority, the statement said, adding that the ambitious initiative is expected to create huge investment and employment opportunities in these sectors. The cabinet meeting also decided to recommend to the Governor to convene the Legislative Assembly from January 29. The budget session of the House was originally scheduled from January 30, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Regulatory News: Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Electric' (MRA-Electric) has awarded Europe's largest concession contract for electric vehicles charging to Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT). Under this agreement, Total will install and operate up to 20,000 new public charging points in the Netherlands, in the three provinces of North-Holland, Flevoland and Utrecht*. This new contract intends to address the fast growing demand for public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points in the Netherlands. This EV charging network covers a population of 3,2 million inhabitants and around 15% of the current Netherlands EV charging demand. Total Netherlands' is already the main EV charging operator in the MRA-Electric region, with over 4 500 public charging points under operation and accessible to the public. The size of this new contract, the largest ever in Europe, is the logical resultant of the success of the existing EV charging solutions available in the MRA, combined with Total's expertise in installation, operations and management of public EV charging networks. As part of this concession contract, the electricity supplied by Total Netherlands to the EV charging network will be 100 sourced from renewable power (Solar, Wind, ) and produced in the country. Total Netherlands has additionally pledged to gradually source part of it from the MRA region itself, enabling EV drivers to charge their electric vehicles with locally-generated and sustainable energy. Total Netherlands will also study new solar power production opportunities in the MRA region. In addition, Total will develop and implement smart charging technologies allowing both a stable grid management at times of high electricity consumption as well as efficient and sustainable charging when cost of energy is more affordable. "We are happy to have been awarded the largest public Electric Vehicle charging contract in Europe by 'Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Electric'." highlights Alexis Vovk, President for Marketing Services and Member of the Executive Committee at Total. "By combining the experience and legacy of our team in the Netherlands -formally PitPoint Clean Fuels**- with the expertise of Total in EV charging and in Solar Power, we were able to present an innovative offer fitting the needs of both the MRA-Electric and the future users. For Total, providing the Dutch EV drivers with such reliable charging infrastructure and services, powered by clean and renewable electricity, is a significant and unprecedented step toward sustainable mobility. It is in line with our ambition to operate 150,000 charging point by Europe by 2025 and to become a major player in the electric mobility business. "Thanks to the project approach of Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Electric (MRA-E), governments and private companies, we can work together and stimulate electric transport. Together on the way to clean air !" declared Maarten Linnenkamp, Project Manager for 'Electric Mobility' at the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam: * With the exception of the municipalities of Amsterdam and Utrecht ** As of January 1st 2020, PitPoint's offerings have been merged into Total. About Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Electric The project is a cooperation of governments in the region aimed at stimulating electromobility in the three provinces North-Holland, Flevoland and Utrecht and the municipalities within these provinces. About 3,2 million people, more than 18 percent of the population in the Netherlands, live within the this region. It is the country's most robust economic region. About Total Total is a major energy player that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major. About Total in the Netherlands Total Nederland N.V. coordinates the marketing, distribution and sale of fuels and lubricating oil products in the Netherlands. The company has around 200 employees. In the Netherlands, the TOTAL network currently has around 350 service stations. In addition, Total sells fuels to traders and business end users. Lubricants are marketed under the TOTAL, ELF and TOTAL AGRI brands. For more information: www.total.nl Cautionary note This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TOTAL S.A. directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TOTAL S.A. has no liability for their acts or omissions. In this document, the terms "Total", "Total Group" and Group are sometimes used for convenience. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL S.A. nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006205/en/ Contacts: Total Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@total.com l @TotalPress For Dutch Medias: Yvonne Hoddenbach l 070 512 9637 l yvonne.hoddenbach@total.com Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962 l ir@total.com By Laurence Frost and Conor Humphries DUBLIN (Reuters) - There is no alternative to the grounded 737 MAX and it would be "absolutely stupid" for Boeing to launch a replacement before the next wave of technology a decade from now, the head of one of the world's top aircraft lessors said on Wednesday. Aengus Kelly, chief executive of Aercap , which has committed to a fleet of 100 MAX jets, told Reuters in an interview he had spoken to all of the biggest MAX operators in the world and said they still viewed it as a very good plane. Kelly was speaking after Boeing on Tuesday warned of further delays in returning its grounded 737 MAX airliner to service, with the plane not likely to be cleared by U.S. regulators until the middle of the year. He said that some of his customers may cancel leases, but that the majority would not and some are keen to order more. "For people to say this is the end of the MAX, that is absolutely incorrect. These people don't have much insight," Kelly said. He said, however, it was still impossible to say when the MAX might fly again. "We saw another delay from Boeing last night I don't think they know," he said. "Is July the last delay? Who knows?" Asked if the MAX might be replaced in the coming years, a move that might undermine the jet's value, Kelly said it would be absolutely stupid for Boeing to launch a replacement plane before technology allows an additional 15% reduction in fuel burn, something he believes will not happen before 2030. BANKS STILL LENDING Kelly said all of the main aviation banks were still willing to lend money against the MAX, but added if that changed, the plane's valuation would be hit. "Are the lessors and the banks willing to still finance the MAX and buy the MAX? The answer to that right now is yes. And if that is the case that puts a floor on the value of the aircraft," he said. Story continues He acknowledged banks may insist on lower loan-to-value ratios on loans issued against the MAX than against rival Airbus planes. Kelly said he would expect Boeing to compensate it if it is forced to take back leases and lease the plane to new airlines. Any costs due to the grounding or any fall in the planes value would also feed into talks on compensation, he said. "We would expect Boeing shareholders to absorb that pain because its their fault not our shareholders," he said. (Writing by Conor Humphries, editing by David Evans) Professor Timko is combining his research on food waste with municipal green waste to create a a liquid biofuel. Theres no one silver bullet to creating green energy, but this is a piece of that puzzle. - Michael Timko, associate professor of chemical engineering at WPI Chemical engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are broadening attempts to convert waste into environmentally friendly biofuels, lowering reliance on fossil fuels, cutting the amount of municipal waste going into landfills, and reducing water pollution and unhealthy emissions from petroleum products and landfills. Michael Timko, associate professor of chemical engineering, has been developing ways to significantly improve the yield of biofuel that can be created from food waste. Now, with a $1,995,199 three-year grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) and $275,000 from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, he is expanding his earlier research to mix food waste with municipal green waste, such as yard trimmings, leaves, and sticks. By combining the two kinds of waste, hes aiming to create even more energy-dense oil that can be upgraded to a liquid biofuel. Timko is teaming up on the project with Andrew Teixeira, assistant professor of chemical engineering, and Geoffrey Tompsett, assistant research professor of chemical engineering. We have shown that we have methods to convert food waste into energy products, said Timko, who in 2019 received a prestigious F ulbright U.S. Scholar Award to develop a device he can use in his biofuel research. Increasing scale is a big goal. If you can handle more wastedifferent kinds of wasteyou can have a larger-scale process. Theres no one silver bullet to creating green energy, but this is a piece of that puzzle. Every time you can add a piece of that puzzle, it matters. Timko envisions energy-producing companies one day using his processes to turn food and yard waste from towns, grocery stores, schools, and other organizations into energy. The U.S. generated more than 262 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2015, about 34% of which is made up of food and green waste. Typically, its disposed of in landfills. The problem is that landfill space is reaching existing limits and the landfills leach water pollutants, toxins, and greenhouse gases, like methane. Timko notes that there is significant energy potential in food and green waste, which have a relatively high energy content (approximately 20 megajoules per kilogram; by comparison, kerosene has a heating value of 43.1 megajoules per kilogram). Collaborators on the DOE grant include researchers at MIT, University of California, Riverside, Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Florida-based Mainstream Engineering Corp. One of the main goals of the project is to develop a catalytic method for converting the municipal solid waste components into an energy-dense oil. The main process currently used is called anaerobic digestion, which involves a series of microbial processes to break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. However, anaerobic digestion cannot easily handle yard waste, especially if it contains whole biomass, such as wood. Timko and his research team are investigating the use of hydrothermal liquefaction, a process that uses moderate heat and high pressure to convert wet biomass into crude-like oil. This process is faster than anaerobic digestion and also can be used with wet waste, so the waste doesnt need to be dried first, which would take enough energy to make the process financially untenable. The hydrothermal liquefaction process converts carbon contained in the feed into products that separate into oil, gas, char, and water phases. Researchers are working to improve the hydrothermal process to get the highest-quality fuel possible, to divert the carbon lost to the water into the production of oil, and to minimize the amount of energy put into the process, while maximizing the energy produced. To do that, they are adding various catalysts, such as red mudan inexpensive, stable, and reliable waste product created during the production of aluminum. Another approach is promoting carbon-carbon coupling reactions that save carbon from being lost in the water so it can be used to create more oil, while also decreasing the cost of treating waste water. A big challenge in the field is the amount of carbon you lose to the water phase of biofuel production, said Timko. If you look at all the challenges to make this competitive with fossil fuels, cost is the biggest one. Timko and colleagues also are investigating the best temperature to use and the best mixture of food waste to yard waste to create different oils of different qualities. Timko said he hopes to have a working pilot by the end of the three-year grant. About Worcester Polytechnic Institute WPI, the global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPIs pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. http://www.wpi.edu Contact: Jessica Messier, Public Relations Specialist Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts (508) 831-5937 (office) jmmessier@wpi.edu Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 14:25 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607dfdd 1 National TVRI,helmy-yahya,Premier-League,Indonesia Free The supervisory board of public television broadcaster TVRI has criticized its former president director, Helmy Yahya, who was fired from his position after purchasing the rights to broadcast the English Premier League. The board said the program was counter to the nation's identity. TVRI supervisory board chairman Arief Hidayat Thamrin said during a meeting with House of Representatives' members on Tuesday that state-owned television was supposed to deliver educational shows with nationalistic values for the public. "TVRIs main duty, as stipulated by its vision and mission, is to be public television. We're not privately-owned, so our priority is to educate, give a sense of identity and be the media that unites the nation," Arief told lawmakers as quoted by kompas.com, "Those are our priorities. But in reality, we're watching Premier League shows." In addition to the Premier League, he also mentioned Helmy's decision to purchase broadcasting rights to the Discovery Channel. "We're watching African crocodiles on the Discovery Channel, even though the Indonesian ones are probably much better," Arief said. Arief said that TVRI aired a lot of foreign shows under Helmy's leadership, which he assumed was caused by the former president director's concerns about ratings and share values, which he said drove Helmy away from TVRI's vision and mission. "[Helmy] treated TVRI as if it was a privately-owned channel, even though its a public one," he said. On Friday last week, Helmy said in a press conference that he was fired by the TVRI supervisory board from his position after he made the "extraordinary purchase" of Premier League broadcasting rights. Read also: TVRI director Helmy Yahya sacked after purchasing Premier League broadcasting rights Pamungkas Trishadiatmoko, a supervisory board member, previously argued that the purchase of Premier League broadcasting rights might create debt for the state-owned television provider, which might be unable to pay for the program, creating scandals similar to state insurer Jiwasraya. Pamungkas cited Helmy's words that the Premier League would be broadcasted on TVRI free of charge. However, Pamungkas argued that it would cost Rp 126 billion (US$9.2 million) to broadcast the Premier League in three sessions from 2019 to 2022. "Every session costs US$3 million for 76 matches, equivalent to Rp 552 million per match," he said, adding that at a cost of Rp 15 million per episode, the money for one match could be used to fund 37 episodes of other TVRI programs. During a press conference on Friday of last week, Helmy assured the public that the supervisory board had agreed to the broadcasting rights purchase. However, TVRI Program and Broadcasting Department director Apni Jaya Putra said that Helmy had only reported the purchase to the supervisory board during a meeting on July 17, 2019. (dpk) By Bailey Vogt January 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Nearly half of Americans are working low-wage jobs despite unemployment numbers being at a record low, a new study released in late November found. The Brookings Institutions Metropolitan Policy Program found 44% of U.S. workers between the ages of 18 and 64 are in jobs that pay median annual wages of $18,000. Places with some of the highest wages and most productive economies are home to large numbers of low-wage workers: nearly one million in the Washington, D.C., region, 700,000 each in Boston and San Francisco, and 560,000 in Seattle, writers Martha Ross and Nicole Bateman wrote. The writers added that getting a better job through skills training wont solve the issues. There simply are not enough jobs paying decent wages for people without college degrees (who make up the majority of the labor force) to escape low-wage work, they wrote. The study noted that 53 million of these low-wage jobs were people in prime working-age of 25 to 54, not just recent high school or college graduates. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Brookings reported their median hourly wage was $10.22, above the federal minimum wage of $7.25, but below what many experts would designate as a livable wage. Brookings reported that the job market has been growing, the jobs created dont provide high wages or good benefits to help with success, and workers have shared their frustrations. Six out of ten workers said in a separate Gallup survey their job was mediocre to terrible, and 1 in 5 workers said their benefits have worsened over the last five years. Nearly half of all workers earn wages that are not enough, on their own, to promote economic security, Ms. Ross and Ms. Bateman wrote. This article was originally published by "Washington Times" - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Beijing [China], Jan 22 (ANI/Sputnik): A total of nine people have died from the new strain of coronavirus in China, with as many as 440 cases currently confirmed in the country, Li Bin, vice head of China's National Health Commission, told reporters on Wednesday. "As of now, the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in China has reached 440, nine people have died," Li Bin said. Earlier on Wednesday, China's National Health Commission said that there were 324 confirmed coronavirus cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest report this week that a total of 282 new coronavirus cases had been confirmed, 278 of them in China, where 6 people had died from the virus. Cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus have been reported in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the United States. China's health authorities have confirmed that the virus can be passed from one person to another. On Tuesday, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it had started working on the development of a vaccine that could cure the new coronavirus strain. (ANI/Sputnik) The police here on Wednesday arrested three men from Maharashtra for allegedly trying to extort money from Goa PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar. Rishikesh Patil (27), Pravin Naik (28) and Amol Sami (28), all hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra, were booked under IPC section 384 (extortion). Inspector Sudesh Naik of Panaji Police said the three were arrested at the minister's official residence when they arrived to collect the money. Pauskar said he was receiving threatening calls from Mumbai and Dubai over the past few days. The callers were demanding Rs 3 crore from him. "They were threatening me that they would defame and even kill me. I ignored the calls initially, but later decided to hand them over to the police," the minister said. A trap was laid and when the people who were making the calls sent the three men to his bungalow on Wednesday afternoon, the latter were arrested. Pauskar said others involved in the racket were still at large. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeOmic, the creator of the LIFE mobile apps and the Precision Health Cloud (PHC) platform in use at major medical and cancer centers, today announced a partnership with the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank , a unique resource established by researchers at Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center and Indiana University School of Medicine , to improve breast cancer research. The Komen Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center will utilize the PHC for genomic, clinical and imaging data aggregation and analysis, as well as its health care compliant survey capabilities. The Komen Tissue Bank is the only repository in the world for normal breast tissue and matched serum, plasma and DNA. The tissue bank advances breast cancer research by offering high quality, richly annotated tissue samples to scientists worldwide. Scientists who access the Komen Tissue Bank's Virtual Tissue Bank can query the medical history of donors, request tissue and download existing data. The current system does not support genomic data. "We are passionate about sharing our research resources with scientists worldwide," said Jill Henry, chief operating officer of the Komen Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center. "Using LifeOmic's PHC will expand the Virtual Tissue Bank's capabilities to help fuel ongoing treatment and prevention discovery." LifeOmic and the Komen Tissue Bank will work together to deploy the Virtual Tissue Bank onto the PHC's secure, reliable and scalable platform. The new platform enables researchers around the world to query an extended data model including whole-genome sequencing data. The use of analytics tools in the PHC allows researchers to overlay data reported from participants' clinical history with all other data available in the PHC, including genomic, clinical and imaging data. "The Precision Health Cloud was created to break down silos that exist between current systems, to help advance precision health," said Dr. Don Brown, CEO and founder of LifeOmic. "We are thrilled to partner with the Komen Tissue Bank because of our shared goal to break down silos and help its mission to end breast cancer by enabling advanced research using PHC." For more information on LifeOmic's PHC, visit: https://lifeomic.com/products/precision-health-cloud/. About LifeOmic: LifeOmic is the software company that leverages the cloud, machine learning and mobile devices to power precision health solutions for providers, researchers, health care IT, pharma and individuals. The company's cloud-based software securely aggregates, stores and analyzes patient data to accelerate the development and delivery of precision health treatments. LifeOmic's core competency is the Precision Health Cloud, a cloud-based repository of all patient data such as a basic profile, whole genome sequences, gene expression levels, lab results, medical images and more. The company's product lines also include security software platform JupiterOne and consumer-centric LIFE mobile apps. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Indianapolis, LifeOmic was created by serial entrepreneur Don Brown and boasts a team of highly experienced engineers, scientists and security specialists. For more information, visit https://lifeomic.com . About The Komen Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center: The Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank, a resource established by researchers at Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center and Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, is uniquely positioned to characterize the molecular and genetic basis of normal breast development and compare it to the different types of breast cancer. The bank was established expressly for the acquisition of normal tissues from volunteer donors with no clinical evidence of breast disease and/or malignancy, providing a resource to investigators around the globe. More than 6,000 women have donated breast tissue since 2007. In all, more than 12,000 women also have donated DNA and blood to the tissue bank. For more information, visit https://komentissuebank.iu.edu/ Contact: Katie Grant BAM Communications (858) 284-7768 [email protected] Michael Schug Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center (317) 278-0953 [email protected] SOURCE LifeOmic Related Links https://lifeomic.com The submissions were made in response to a PIL seeking removal of restrictions on cash withdrawals from the PMC Bank. New Delhi: Restrictions on cash withdrawals from the scam-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank Ltd were based on the bank's liquidity position and ability to pay its depositors, RBI told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. Justifying its action on putting cap on withdrawals, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said restrictions were placed due to liquidity and solvency issues but that does not "extinguish the liability" of the bank towards the depositors. "The steps taken by RBI are not arbitrary in nature. Directions under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act 1949 (AACS) were issued in view of the large scale irregularities and wrong doings committed by the bank to prevent further deterioration of the bank's financials and also aim at protecting the interest of depositors," RBI said. The submissions were made in response to a PIL seeking removal of restrictions on cash withdrawals from the PMC Bank. The central bank further said that the move to restrict payment of deposits was based on available liquidity to prevent any discretionary and discriminatory payment to the small body of depositors. Seeking dismissal of the plea, it told the court that all concerned authorities are working in close co-ordination for speedy resolution of this crisis and therefore no intervention from this court is desired at this juncture. The RBI said it has not violated any fundamental rights of the petitioners and directions for invoking Article 226 of the Constitution of India against RBI and the petition was not maintainable. The PMC Bank has been put under restrictions by the RBI, following the unearthing of a Rs 4,355-crore scam. Cash withdrawals have been capped by the RBI at Rs 40,000 for a six-month period, causing panic and distress among the bank's customers, petitioner Bejon Kumar Misra had said in his plea. In the petition, Misra had sought quashing of the RBI notifications by which the restrictions were placed on cash withdrawals from the bank. He has also said a full insurance coverage of the depositors' money was the need of the hour, "considering the reoccurrence of financial scams in co-operative and nationalised banks". The plea was first moved by Misra in the Supreme Court, which refused to entertain it last month and asked him to approach the high court. Subsequently, he filed the petition in the Delhi High Court. The petition has sought directions to the Centre and the RBI for constituting a high-powered committee to look into the working and operations of all cooperative banks "in order to have a robust and transparent mechanism, which can inspire confidence of the public in cooperative banks". MILFORD A disabled woman who was strangled and brutally beaten by a neighbor will have thousands with her at least in spirit Wednesday when she asks a judge to toss her attackers plea deal and give him a stiffer sentence than whats on the table. Lori Wierzbicki will not only have her brother, Stratford firefighter Tim McLaughlin, at her side, but shes gained an army of supporters who believe the plea deal is much too lenient. Some will be in the courtroom, hundreds more will be rooting her on from their jobs and elsewhere and some 19,000 will have their names on a Change.Org petition that McLaughlin plans to present to Judge Peter Brown. Wierzbicki, 50, has multiple sclerosis and bipolar disorder controlled by medication and said Tuesday she never could have launched this fight for justice without her brother. I want my sisters voice to be heard because that was robbed of her at the (plea deal) hearing, McLaughlin told the Register Tuesday. I want her to be validated. McLaughlin has been a tireless voice for his older sister for months, since she learned her attacker, neighbor Russell Molleur, was offered and accepted what is perceived as a lenient plea deal by Brown at an October hearing. Wierzbicki was strangled, beaten unconscious, punched in the face numerous times during the bloody attack described by police as life threatening. Under the plea bargain, Molleur, 57, who confessed to police and has pleaded guilty, would see most of the charges dropped or downgraded and receive eight years prison time, suspended after two years served, and three years of probation, with the right to argue for a full suspended sentence Jan. 22, court records state. The plea deal throws away the most serious charges and downgrades others. Molleur has been jailed since March, when the attack occurred at the complex for the elderly and disabled where they both lived. Wierzbicki tearfully objected to the plea deal over the phone the day of the hearing, according to court files, but she said she was never really given a chance to appear in person because she was only notified that morning and didnt have transportation. The fate of the plea bargain that Wierzbickis supporters want tossed rests in Browns hands. On Wednesday she will get her day in court and read a victim impact statement telling of continuing nightmares at night, high anxiety during waking hours, fear of showering because Molleur allegedly made her get in the shower and wash off the blood evidence, as he sat cross-legged on the floor pondering out loud whether to kill her or let her live. In a separate case, for which Molleur is also scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, he is charged with criminal behavior toward a disabled adult in the complex. Wierzbickis victim impact statement also reads: this plea deal is so lenient, that I fear it will embolden him to offend again. The police report documenting my attack, described my injuries as life threatening. She goes on to talk about how she has memory loss from the attack due to strangulation. McLaughlin has said prosecutor Charles Chuck Stango has told him he will ask Brown to throw away the plea bargain, but Stango cannot comment publicly on the case because it is pending. McLaughlin said hes also outraged at Stangos comments during the plea bargain hearing, according to a transcript of the proceeding. Stango told the judge that Wierzbicki begged him (Molleur) to call for help and he did, to his credit, call the police. McLaughlin said he doesnt think the perpetrator should get any credit for that since his sister had to convince him through her survival instinct. I give him no credit, McLaughlin said. Molleur originally was charged with assault, unlawful restraint and strangulation, all in the first degree, disorderly conduct and tampering with evidence. McLaughlin said they were informed the plea bargain gets rid of strangulation, disorderly conduct and tampering with evidence and the assault charge was changed to second-degree, which has no mandatory minimum sentence. The only charge to stand as it was is first-degree unlawful restraint. McLaughlin has said Molleur have also should been charged with assault on a disabled person which carries a minimum of five years upon conviction. Weakened by MS, Wierzbicki walks with a cane. McLaughlin launched a Justice for Lori movement that has gained thousands of supporters who want Brown to throw out the deal, and the petition has more than 19,000 signatures that will be presented to Brown in a binder of 400 pages of names on both sides. McLaughlin held a Justice for Lori rally on the Green in December well attended despite rain and stood outside the courthouse two days last week with signs urging the plea deal be tossed. The case has also attracted the attention of high-profile politicians, including the Milford legislative delegation, who, led by State Rep. James Maroney, want the plea deal tossed as well. Maroney and state Reps. Kim Rose, Kathy Kennedy and Charles Ferraro recently wrote to the Milford States Attorneys office expressing strong concerns with the courts handling of the case, and urged the court to take whatever actions are necessary and possible to prevent this unjust outcome to a horrifically violent, and confessed to, assault that has been perpetrated on a vulnerable member of our community. According to a letter from the delegation, the legislators express concern over why the plea had to be accepted with such urgency, without affording the victim the opportunity to speak on the record and personally express what were apparently going to be her strong objections before the plea was offered and accepted. A woman named Amy, herself a victim of a nearly deadly assault in New Haven more than a decade ago, also is backing Wierzbickis cause, and told a crowd at the recent Justice for Lori rally to stick together because there is strength in numbers. Lori lives in fear every day, for her future is unknown. Lori, you are not alone. We will stand with you and let it be known that you deserve justice, she said. McLaughlin said they were told by States Attorney Margaret Kelley the case may be difficult to prosecute at trial because Wierzbickis memory was fuzzy from going in and out of consciousness. To that, McLaughlin wrote on his Justice For Lori Facebook page: So if you dont remember something because you are unconscious or your brain is deprived of oxygen, even with photos of hand/fingered shaped bruising around your throat, your attacker cant be convicted. Remember that everyone! If you want to almost kill someone, be sure to strangle and beat them as hard as you can in their head! If they lose memory, you can walk free! Welcome to Connecticut. McLaughlin said hes also perplexed by the extreme differences in perception of the case by Brown and the female judge who presided over Molleurs arraignment. Judge Donna Wilkerson Brillant told him at the arraignment, I just want to say, Mr. Molleur, the allegations are sickening. Right now Im having a hard time breathing based on what Ive read. During the arraignment, prosecutor Matt Kalthoff called it a brutal assault, after passing photos of the victims injuries to the judge. The state has a very strong case, he told the judge. The defence ministry on Tuesday cleared two Indian and five foreign shipbuilders to take part in a Rs 50,000-crore project to build high-tech submarines in the country, one of the biggest Make in India programmes in the military sector, two senior officials said on condition of anonymity. Six advanced submarines will be built under project P-75I to scale up the Indian Navys undersea warfare capabilities and counter the rapid expansion of Chinas submarine fleet. The project will be pursued under the governments strategic partnership (SP) model, which seeks to provide fillip to the governments Make in India programme. The defence acquisition council (DAC) approved the shortlisting of Indian strategic partners and potential original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who would collaborate to construct six conventional submarines in India, the defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The Indian strategic partners cleared to collaborate with the foreign OEMs are Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and L&T, said one of the officials cited above. The foreign yards they can team up with for the project are the French Naval Group, German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Russias Rubin Design Bureau, Spains Navantia and South Koreas Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company, he said. A joint venture between the Adani Group and state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited was rejected by an empowered committee as it did not meet the eligibility criteria for being shortlisted as a strategic partner, the second official said. Headed by the defence minister, the DAC is Indias top defence procurement body that evaluates and green-lights acquisition proposals made by the armed forces. The other members of the council are the minister of state for defence, the chief of defence staff, the three service chiefs, the defence secretary, secretary defence research and development, secretary defence production, and director general, acquisition. General Bipin Rawat attended the DAC meeting for the first time as the Chief of Defence Staff. The defence ministry said the DAC approved procurement of equipment worth over Rs 5,100 crore from indigenous sources. The military hardware cleared for purchase includes electronic warfare systems for the army. The council also approved prototype testing of trawl assemblies, designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, for T-72 and T-90 tanks to boost the armys indigenous de-mining capability. Todays decisions are also in keeping with the mandate given to the CDS and the newly constituted department of military affairs to promote use of indigenous hardware by the services, the statement added. The ministrys statement said the SP model sought to promote India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment and establish an industrial and R&D ecosystem capable of meeting the militarys future requirements. Its necessary for the P-75I programme to make concrete contribution to submarine building capacity in India but in a way that also helps us towards indigenisation as has been achieved for nuclear submarines, said military affairs expert Rear Admiral Sudarshan Shrikhande (retd). Apart from next-generation submarines, the SP model covers fighter planes, choppers and armoured vehicles. Last January, the DAC approved the submarine-building project under the SP model to bolster the navys underwater force levels. It was the second project to be cleared under the SP model after the DAC, in August 2018, approved a project to build 111 naval utility helicopters in the country to replace the navys outdated fleet of French-designed Chetak choppers. The NUH project is worth Rs 21,738 crore. It will take years for the submarine project to materialise as the process is quite long-drawn out. The ministry will take the project forward by issuing requests for proposals (RFPs) to the shortlisted Indian strategic partners who will then respond with techno-commercial offers in collaboration with one of the shortlisted OEMs. In exceptional cases, rules allow the Indian strategic partner to submit techno-commercial offers in collaboration with two OEMs. The next steps will involve opening and evaluation of technical offers, trials, staff evaluation, opening of commercial offers of companies technically compliant with the RFP and finally, the selection of the strategic partner with the lowest bid. The council also gave its approval to include Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in the Defence Procurement Procedure to provide avenues in capital procurement for the armed forces to startups and innovators. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sabrina The Teenage Witch was a TV essential for many 90s youngsters. So fans will no doubt be delighted to see that cast members - including the show lead Melissa Joan Hart - reunited for dinner on Tuesday evening. Taking to Instagram, Melissa, 43, sent fans wild as she shared a cosy snap with Nate Richert, 41, David Lascher, 47, and Elisa Donovan, 48, who played Harvey Kinkle, Josh Blackhart and Morgan Cavanaugh respectively. Happy days: Sabrina The Teenage Witch's Melissa Joan Hart joined co-stars Nate Richert, David Lascher and Elisa Donovan for dinner on Tuesday evening Sabrina The Teenage Witch first hit screens in 1996 before the final episode aired in 2003 after seven series, 163 episodes and three movies. The series was based on a 1960s comic-book series of the same name and an animated TV series that aired in the 1970s, while the show has now had a reboot in Netflix's 2018 movie Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It seems the cast are as close as ever as Melissa shared the sweet snap with her 1.3million followers on Instagram while referencing a song from the show with the hashtag: '#shakeyourwhammyfannyfunkysongfunkysong'. She also filmed a video of the group while saying into the camera: 'So we're having a little Sabrina reunion. It's David, it's Harvey and Morgan and Sabrina!' Happy days: Sabrina The Teenage Witch first hit screens in 1996 before the final episode aired in 2003 after seven series, 163 episodes and three movies Funky: The song Funky Song (Shake Your Whammy Fanny) - which appears repeatedly throughout the series - is attributed to fictional band Brothers Junk The song Funky Song (Shake Your Whammy Fanny) - which appears repeatedly throughout the series - is attributed to fictional band Brothers Junk. Fans soon swarmed the comments section on the snap, as she penned: 'Instant flashbacks to watching and rewatching episodes every single day... driving my mum absolutely crazy. I'm gonna be singing that song allllllll day!... 'Omg your # took me right back to the episode with Harvey i miss Sabrina... This looks like an Amazing dinner party! :D... Hit: Nate played her long-term love Harvey for seven years 'Great, trying to study and now all I can think is "shake yo whammy fanny, funky song, funky song... Watched Sabrina today... 'A reboot with Sabrina and Harvey married with kids would be the best ever!... You all look wonderful! That hashtag about Funky Song has me in stitches though, that will pop in my head when I'm cleaning or walking my dog even now.' Before the dinner, Melissa shared a selfie with Elisa behind-the-scenes on the set of Young Sheldon, where she acts as a producer. Melissa played the titular character on the show for its entire run while Nate played her long-term love Harvey for seven years. That was then: David meanwhile played coffee shop owner and Sabrina's fleeting beau Josh from 1999 to 2002 Sweet: Before the dinner, Melissa shared a selfie with Elisa behind-the-scenes on the set of Young Sheldon, where she acts as a producer Stunner: Clueless star Elisa played Sabrina's ditzy landlady and coffees shop employee Morgan starred from 2000 to 2003 Woo! Fans were extremely excited at the prospect of a reunion David meanwhile played coffee shop owner and Sabrina's fleeting beau Josh from 1999 to 2002. Clueless star Elisa played Sabrina's ditzy landlady and coffees shop employee Morgan starred from 2000 to 2003. Since the show ended, the group have explored various paths. In 2018, Nate hit headlines when it was revealed he works several day jobs in order to pay his bills, in an act of support with The Cosby Show's Geoffrey Owens. He detailed on Twitter that he is working as a janitor, maintenance man, and carpenter, highlighting how difficult it is for actors to get regular work. The musician and actor is one of several actors who have spoken out after photos emerged of Owens working as a cashier at a Trader Joe's in Clifton, New Jersey. (Newser) The comedy world is mourning a genius. Terry Jones of the Monty Python comedy troupe died Tuesday at age 77 after what family described as "a long, extremely brave but always good humored battle with a rare form of dementia." The Welshman, who died at his home in London, had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2016, per the BBC. With Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, and Terry Gilliam, Jones formed Monty Python's Flying Circus, "whose anarchic humor helped revolutionize British comedy," per the AP. Jones appeared in the troupe's TV series and in 1975s The Holy Grail, 1979's Life of Brian, and 1983's The Meaning Of Life, three films for which he received directorial credits. He was also the author of children's books, per the Guardian. story continues below "His work with Monty Python, his books, films, television programs, poems, and other work will live on forever, a fitting legacy to a true polymath," reads a statement from wife Anna Soderstrom and Jones' three children. "We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative, and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect, and extraordinary humor has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades," they said. Palin also released a statement, praising Jones as "the complete Renaissance comedian" and "one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation." Fellow actor-comedian Stephen Fry also paid tribute in a tweet. "What pleasure you gave, what untrammelled joy and delight. What a wonderful talent, heart and mind," he writes. (Read more obituary stories.) During their original heyday as Disney heartthrobs and pop sensations, the Jonas Brothers became known for many things, including skinny ties and Miley Cyrus. But what Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas made headlines for most might have been their purity rings. At the time, the three brothers said the rings symbolized their faith-based commitment to wait for the right person to lose their virginity. Now, the all-grown-up Jonases joke openly about their purity rings, which theyve long since removed. But the oldest Jonas, who got married first, seems to have made a different personal decision when it comes to sex before marriage than his two younger brothers. Heres what Kevin Jonas had to say about his purity ring and waiting for sex until his wedding night. Danielle and Kevin Jonas | Kevin Winter/Getty Images Kevin was the first of the Jonas Brothers to remove his purity ring Raised as evangelical Christians by an Assemblies of God pastor and homeschooled in a devout environment, the Jonas Brothers were often asked about their purity rings in the context of their religious beliefs. In a 2008 statement to the Huffington Post, Joe, then 18, said the Jonases purity rings represented promises to ourselves and to God that well stay pure till marriage. Eventually, all three brothers removed the notorious rings. According to Bustle, the Jonases are now able to laugh about the awkwardness of that time in their lives. On an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2019 after the band reunited, the brothers revealed on an episode of Carpool Karaoke that Kevin was actually the first to remove his ring. When Corden asked the band which brother removed the ring first, Joe and Nick pointed right at their older brother. The Jonas Brothers have since described the purity ring questions during their initial rise to fame as incredibly annoying and even inappropriate, given that some of them were minors when the band took off in the mid-to-late-2000s. He and his wife waited until their wedding night for sex Since the Jonases removed their purity rings, Joe and Nick have both opened up about losing their virginity before marriage. Kevins story was a bit different. The oldest Jonas married his wife Danielle Deleasea (now Danielle Jonas), a former hairstylist from Denville, New Jersey, in 2009. The couple met during a 2007 vacation in the Bahamas and dated for two years before 21-year-old Kevin popped the question to 22-year-old Danielle in 2009. According to Elite Daily, Kevin was instantly taken with Danielle and asked her sister for her number after he saw her walking along the beach with flowers in her hair. It was tough performing last night, knowing that I was going to ask the biggest question in my life to the most amazing girl in the world, he told People after he asked Danielle to marry him. Although he no longer wore his purity ring, Kevin and Danielle had a short engagement in part because they chose to save sex for their wedding night. I couldve gotten married the day after we got engaged, Kevin told People after they wed. Wed have gone crazy waiting any longer. The pair married at Long Islands Oheka Castle, with Joe and Kevin serving as best men in the ceremony. The oldest Jonas recently celebrated his 10-year engagement anniversary 32-year-old Kevin and 33-year-old Danielle, who had their own E! reality special, Married to Jonas, at one time, have now been happily married for 10 years. The Jonases live in New Jersey and have two daughters of their own, Alena Rose Jonas and Valentina Angelina Jonas. In a sweet Instagram post for his wife to celebrate their 10th anniversary, Kevin raved about their unique journey together. My wife of ten years. My best friend of twelve years. The love of my life, he gushed. I cannot explain how amazing it is to look back on our journey together and to see how much we have grown togetherThis is just the beginning, we havent even started our journey and I cannot wait for the next 10 and then the next. I love you to the moon and back. Newly appointed Special Adviser on Education to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Joseph Odemuyiwa, has confirmed stories accusing him of certificate forgery, according to SaharaReporters. On Monday, the online news medium had published a story exposing how Odemuyiwa forged a letter of promotion to become associate professor when he left Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, to Kwara State University. Apart from being sent packing from KWASU, the Ogun governor appointee was asked to refund all payment made to him upon his sack from the university. Aside from his issue in Kwara State University, sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that most of the claims outlined by Odemuyiwa on his resume were all made up to continue to sustain his lies and scheming. Giving his own side of the story, Odemuyiwa accepted that his appointment did not pass through the normal process. He said, I took an appointment with KWASU based on the understanding of adjunct lectureship. One can observe that the letter lacks the basic conditions and terms of employment for a full time appointment. The remuneration was not also attached. The Vice Chancellor actually wanted me to assist in perfecting Business Education, which was running its second year and was not listed for NUCs initial program accreditation, and also help in recruiting younger academics for the program. I gave a letter of resignation dated March 1, 2011. The letter was never acknowledged to date, rather pressures were mounted on me that the university registry had been complaining that an adjunct position ought not to have been given to anyone below professorial cadre like me. It was on this premise that I was invited for interview for the readership position. My final departure from KWASU fetched me a letter later requesting for a refund of all salaries and allowances paid to me during my stay with them with a claim that I got the job illegally. I paid all, as requested, including all tax earlier deducted to fulfill all righteousness. Odemuyiwa also shed more light into his frequent change of workplace and movement between Tai Solarin University of Education and OOU, both in Ogun State. He said, My first contact with Tai Solarin University of Education was in 2005 when I was offered a sabbatical job as a Senior Lecturer in Business Education in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education. I became the Head of the unit and was able to fine-tune Business Education in the young university. I left at the expiration of my one year tenure for Olabisi Onabanjo University that was also looking for someone to help secure NUC accreditation. Towards the end of 2008 again, TASUED had problems with accreditation this time in the Department of Economics (Business Management Unit) and I was invited again and offered a part time appointment as a Senior Lecturer. While I remained a Senior Lecturer in Business Management in the College of Social and Management Sciences, the College of Applied Education and Vocational Technology of the same university would not let me go. I was also appointed an External Examiner for Business Education for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 sessions. Speaking further, Odemuyiwa explained that his job application into TASUED was facilitated by ex-governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. He added that he was given a position he did not apply for in the school, accepted the job offer but never resumed work in the tertiary institution. He stated, My application was actually summoned by the visitor and proprietor of the university, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the then governor of Ogun State. The Governor got attracted to my paper on Business Education as a synergy for poverty alleviation and socio-economic viability in South-West Nigeria and wanted me to do something in my area of specialisation with TASUED, hence the executive approval of my professorial chair as a minute on my application under reference to the Vice Chancellor. The university responded to my application by giving a letter of appointment as a Senior Lecturer (a position I never applied for, and which I have been occupying since 2005. This was dated March 30, 2011. I was persuaded to accept the offer in the interim to allow for proper processing of the visitors approval of my full professorial chair. This I did but never resumed till date. One thing I remember, the university management invited me for an interview for the position of a Reader/Associate Professor which I never applied for after the exit of Otunba Gbenga Daniel. I attended this interview to put my skills to test for a higher academic position. The outcome of the interview was never known or communicated to me till date, I still earnestly await it. Apart from Odemuyiwa, the Ogun State governor had also appointed selected two others with questionable academic credentials to be part of his administration in recent days. They are Sidi Osho and Adeleye Adebiyi, who were selected as Commissioner for Education and Special Adviser on Politics respectively. Source: SaharaReporters Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The world's oldest mushroom has been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and dates back to around 810 million years ago. Preserved in rock, the fossil fungi were found near the city of Mbuji-Mayi in a 'major' discovery that smashes the previous age record by some 350 million years. The fungi played a key role in the history of life by helping to create primordial soil that would later allow plants to first grow on the land. The primitive mushrooms grew in a lagoon or coastal lake, the researchers said. Scroll down for video The world's oldest mushroom, pictured, has been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and dates back to around 810 million years ago 'This is a major discovery and one that prompts us to reconsider our timeline of the evolution of organisms on Earth,' said paper author and geologist Steeve Bonneville of the Free University of Brussels. The fossilised remains of the fungal mycelium a vast underground network of root-like filaments for extracting nutrients from the soil were discovered in rocks dating back to between around 715810 million years. The ancient rocks containing the fungus are part of the collection of the Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium, while lies just outside of Brussels. The fungi were found in rocks that formed in a transitional area between water and the land. This fact, explained Professor Bonneville, 'leads us to believe these microscopic mushrooms were important partners of the first plants that colonised the Earth's surface around 500 million years ago.' The origin of mushrooms has mystified evolutionary experts for centuries. Their delicate nature means that their fossils are extremely rare not to mention difficult to tell apart from other microorganisms. 'This is a major discovery and one that prompts us to reconsider our timeline of the evolution of organisms on Earth,' said paper author and geologist Steeve Bonneville of the Free University of Brussels. Pictured, interconnected filaments formed part of a large mycelium Around 120,000 species of fungi have been described by taxonomists but their global biodiversity is still not fully understood. A 2017 estimate suggests there may be between 2.2 and 3.8 million different species. Until now, the oldest confirmed mushroom was 460 million years old. Prof Bonneville and colleagues analysed the new mushroom in microscopic detail using state of the art scanning devices that let them identify it from its molecular composition. They even detected traces of chitin a very tough compound that is found in the cell walls of fungi. The fungi played a key role in the history of life by helping to create primordial soil that would later allow plants to first grow on the land. Pictured, the fungi as seen using laser scanning fluorescence microscopy The team also determined that the organisms were eukaryotes meaning that their cells were complex and featured a nucleus. For much of Earth's history, the only living things were single-celled organisms like bacteria. Today, the planet is home to much larger ones like trees, elephants - and humans. These are all eukaryotes. In particular, eukaryotes contain sausage-shaped structures called mitochondria that supply them with energy. Preserved in rock, the fossil fungi were found near the city of Mbuji-Mayi in a 'major' discovery that smashes the previous age record by some 350 million years 'Only by cross-correlating chemical and micro-spectroscopic analyses could we demonstrate the structures found in the old rock are indeed around 800 million-year-old fungal remains,' said paper author and geoscientist Liane Benning. Previous mushroom fossils had been identified based solely on the morphology of their organic remains, which were extracted from rocks using corrosive acids. 'This method damages the chemistry of organic fossils and only allows morphological analysis,' said Professor Bonneville. This, he added, 'can lead to incorrect interpretations because certain morphological characteristics are common to different branches of living organisms.' Recent research has suggested that dry land was first colonised by primitive mushrooms. Fungi was vital in laying the groundwork for complex plants and later animals to exist out-of-the-sea by beginning the processes of rot and soil formation. Scientists generally agree that life first migrated from the oceans to the land around 500450 million years ago, in the early Palaeozoic era. But before any complex life forms could emerge, there needed to be nutrients on land to support them. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Science Advances. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Coca-Cola Company is interested in expanding production in Georgia and it will continue to invest in the country, Trend reports citing the press service of the Georgian government. The remark was made during the meeting of Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia with Coca-Cola Vice President Michael Goltzman in Davos, Switzerland. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum which is taking place in Davos, Switzerland on January 21-24. "Coca-Cola is interested in expanding production in the region and continues to invest in Georgia, said Goltzman. As he noted, the Georgian investment environment is a major motivator for setting up an additional production line and expanding business in Georgia. According to him, expanding production in Georgia will increase the country's employment rate and support the countrys further economic development. "Business in Georgia is important for Coca-Cola. We are proud of the more than 200 people we have employed in Georgia. We continue to invest in Georgia, said Goltzman. Coca-Cola, one of the worlds largest soft-drink companies has more than 500 brands and operates in more than 200 countries. The annual income is $32 billion with more than 62,000 employed people. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 Brenda Urban Fairmont Century Plaza has named Brenda Urban director of public relations. Urban was previously a vice president at Lou Hammond Group and director of communications at Klick Communications. She has represented all facets of the hospitality industry, including tourism boards, resort groups, hotels and transportation. In her new role, Urban will be spearheading all public relations and communications campaigns for digital and traditional media. Following a restoration by architect Minoru Yamasaki, the hotel is set to open this spring as part of a $2.5 billion mixed-use development project including two 44-story towers with 268 privately-owned luxury residences, and 95,000 square feet of shopping and restaurants. Wendy Orthman Infiniti Motor Company has promoted Wendy Orthman to general manager of Infiniti global communications, effective April 1. She succeeds Trevor Hale, who will remain in the role until March 31. Orthman will be based in Yokohama, Japan. She currently manages product lifecycle, lifestyle and brand communications for Nissan North America, working out of Nashville. (Infiniti is the luxury division of Nissan.) Before coming to Nissan in 2015, Orthman served as Midwest PR manager for Chrysler and worked in product communications for General Motors. In her new post, she will lead Infiniti Communications worldwide as the brand transitions to its new global headquarters in Yokohama. Wendys energy, creativity and depth of experience will be essential in leading our global communications efforts as we craft the narrative for the future of the Infiniti brand," said Infiniti Motor Company deputy chairman Michael Colleran. Manvir Kalsi Lippe Taylor has hired Manvir Kalsi as senior vice president, insights & planning. Kalsi previously served as head of consumer & market insights at Samsung Electronics America. Prior to Samsung, he was a research analyst at Knowledge Networks (GFK) where his clients included Novartis, Pepsi, Burger King, Procter & Gamble, Colgate, Home Depot, SIRIUS, Walmart and CarMax. At Lippe Taylor, he will be leading the Insights & Planning team, which includes analytics, qualitative and quantitative research and customized strategic solutions for clients. He will report into agency chief integration officer Lori Rubinson, who oversees its integrated offerings, including influencer marketing, analytics, earned media, strategy and planning. After the EVFTA comes into effect, the EU will remove nearly 86 per cent of tariff lines and more than 99 per cent of tariff lines will be eliminated after seven years.- Photo tapchicongthuong.vn The same day, the committee also gave recommendations to adopt the Viet Nam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) with 26 of 39 members saying yes. Later, in February, the recommendations and consent of the agreements will be voted for at the Parliaments plenary session. Assuming the Parliament gives its consent in February, the EVFTA will come into force one month after Viet Nam and the EU have notified each other that legal procedures have been completed. Meanwhile, the EVIPA will still have to be ratified by all member states which can take several years. The EVFTA includes 17 chapters, two protocols and a number of accompanying memorandums of understandings on trade in goods and services, investment, trade remedies, competition, state-owned enterprises, government procurement and intellectual property. In terms of tariffs, after the EVFTA comes into effect, the EU will remove nearly 86 per cent of tariff lines and more than 99 per cent of tariff lines will be eliminated after seven years. Currently, the EU is Viet Nam's 5th biggest foreign investor. The figure is expected to increase significantly in the near future as 62 per cent of investors from the EU have a positive opinion of doing business in the Southeast Asian country, experts have said. Reuters cited Belgian lawmaker Geert Bourgeois, who led discussions in parliament, as saying that Tuesdays vote was a positive signal to the ASEAN region and the rest of the world in times of rising trade tensions. This deal really is a win-win situation. In absolute terms Vietnamese exports of goods and services to the EU will increase by 15 billion euros while EU exports to Viet Nam augment by 8.3 billion euros by 2035, he said. CVS Cat renamed C.C. Reed sits on his own cozy cat bed inside his foster parent's home in West Norriton. Read more CVS Cat is no longer relying on a pharmacy to serve as his home. The orange-and-white tabby who lived part time inside an East Passyunk CVS after his owners abandoned him was picked up off the streets last week. Now, he resides in the West Norriton home of foster parent Sue Krause, where he has been enjoying plenty of treats. (His favorite is Inaba Churu, a chicken-and-cheese puree that he rapidly licks from its Go-Gurt-like plastic tube.) Theres a little house cat in there that wants to be spoiled, and its just starting to blossom and come out, says Krause, who fosters for the rescue organization Cat Tales. His acclimation time has been amazing it took him less than 24 hours to start purring and head-butting me for attention. Krause renamed him C.C. Reed, a play on CVS Cat and the 10th and Reed Street CVS where he regularly napped atop newspaper stands. These days, C.C. Reed curls up in his own cozy cat bed, never failing to rise at the first sound of food. Safe and warm, he appears to be in good hands. Yet, C.C. Reed is still on the lookout for his forever home. With four cats of her own, Krause doesnt plan to keep the cat she describes as so stinkin cute, no matter how much she wishes she could. Brought in from the cold How did an East Passyunk cat end up almost an hour away in West Norriton? It was a team effort. I had read the [Inquirer] article about him, and when I looked at the weather and saw it was going to be in the low 20s, I felt for him, says Krause. I know hes been outside a lot lately, but he wasnt sleeping outside originally, and I just didnt want to think about him freezing to death. With snow in the forecast, Krause was concerned she couldnt make it to Philly before the bitter cold arrived. So she reached out on Instagram to fellow fosterer Adrienne Amato, whom Krause had never met but was pretty sure lived in South Philly. Amato was at the CVS by 7:30 p.m. that same day. And there was the cat, seated in one of his favorite spots the pharmacys glass vestibule. Before he could dart, Amato reached for the scruff of his neck and put him into a crate, butt first. He was screaming bloody murder, but the whole thing happened pretty quick. Freaking out is normal, but he wasnt hurt in the process, says Amato. During the car ride to West Norriton, Amato periodically slid her fingers through the crate. C.C. Reed rubbed his head against them in search of comfort. Ive seen cats like him before. There will be an adjustment period, but hes not a feral cat thats afraid of human contact, says Amato. Whered CVS Cat go? The morning after his trapping, Liz DeMartino walked to the CVS and noticed that her favorite shopping companion was missing. She was terrified. For weeks, DeMartino, who lives in the neighborhood, had been trying to find the cat a home. In the first Inquirer article about CVS Cat, she gave out her email to assist potential adopters. I was nervous that I just did something real bad by getting the word out it couldve been some crazy person who took him, says DeMartino. A CVS employee eased her concerns. I was told someone caught him by the scruff of his neck, and so I knew it was clearly someone whos trapped cats before, says DeMartino. So DeMartino harnessed the power of Instagram, searching for the hashtag #CVSCat. Krauses account (@krause_haus_kitties) popped up, already full of C.C. Reeds fluffy, green-eyed face. Ive never heard this cat purr so much as now when Im watching videos of him in his new bed, says DeMartino, who has since talked with Krause on the phone. It makes me so happy to see him thriving, not seeing him as I walk into CVS. You want me to put the cat on a plane to California are you crazy? Still, C.C. Reed is without a permanent home. Fortunately, there seems to be an abundance of interested people. Over the last few weeks, DeMartino received close to 500 emails about the cat. Many were from potential adopters who never followed through. Some were from angry residents who felt no one should interfere with the cats life. Others expressed gratitude for DeMartinos concern. About 30 came from out of state. A lot of Ohios and Floridas in there, and even California you want me to put the cat on a plane to California? Are you crazy? says DeMartino. I responded by letting them know that there are plenty of cats they could help on a local level. How to adopt the cat Krause says people who are still interested should act now. Adoption applications are on CatTalesInc.org. Fees are $70 to $100 for adult cats. Hes a bit of a local celebrity, so the candidate pool will be better for him than most street cats that are brought in, says Krause, currently fostering two other kitties, kept in a separate room. Itll be a few weeks before C.C. Reed leaves Krauses home. Krause wants to make sure he goes to the right owners, so shes giving him time to settle in so she can uncover his personality. Eventually, Krause will introduce him to her other cats to observe how he reacts. One attribute that isnt likely to change: C.C. Reed hates being picked up. I dont want someone to adopt him because hes Philly famous. I want someone to adopt him wholl accept his idiosyncrasies, says Krause. Hes definitely a little bit of a cranky old man. Krause explains that C.C. Reed likes to be petted when he feels like it, and hell let you know when hes had enough with a little warning swat. The more you get to know him, the more his affectionate side shines through. He loves back rubs and will head-butt your feet to get them. C.C. Reeds first vet appointment is Jan. 31. The vet will identify his age, get him up-to-date on vaccinations, and provide any needed medical care, ensuring that he goes to his next owner as a healthy cat. Going to CVS is different now, but Im happy this is happening, and quicker than I thought it, says DeMartino. Now when I walk in, Ill have the memories and know hes in a better place, and with someone whos genuinely interested in finding him the right home. She is at least the sixth former Maryland lawmaker convicted of fraud or bribery in the past two years. Most recently, former state delegate Tawanna P. Gaines, a Prince Georges County Democrat, admitted to using $22,000 in campaign donations to purchase fast food and pay for dental work, hairstyling and other personal expenses. Our hopes for a Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston re-coupling were given a serious boost at the SAG Awards when the couple shared a tender moment after their respective wins. The Once Up a Time in Hollywood star, who scooped Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Quentin Tarantino flick, congratulated his ex-wife after she won the Best Actress gong for The Morning Show at the ceremony, held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday. Brad, 56, sent hearts racing when he grasped the hand of his old flame, who looked elated as she gave him a quick embrace. Social media erupted after images of the reunion were shared online, with a host of amusing memes posted to Twitter by fans of the former couple, who divorced in 2005. Images of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston reuniting backstage at the SAG Awards on Sunday sparked a frenzy online - and now the photographer has opened up about the meeting Emma McIntyre, the photographer who took the images of Brad holding Jennifer's wrist, said that the two 'genuinely seemed happy to see one another' Now the photographer who took the images has revealed what happened in the build-up to the most-talked about interaction of the night. Emma McIntyre, who works for Getty Images, has been taking photos backstage at the event for four years. 'The moments are really joyful and there are often encounters between winners in this area,' she told People. 'I try and capture as many of these celebratory moments as I can... It's always fun to capture spontaneous run-ins between actors.' Emma said she sensed there would be a photo-worthy opportunity when Jennifer, 50, won her award not long after Brad picked up his. She told how she was running back and forth between the two backstage areas and, having just taken some snaps of Jennifer, spied Brad walking down the hallway towards her. 'He called out "Aniston!" and she turned around and they embraced and congratulated each other,' Emma recalled. Great to see you: Jennifer looked delighted to reunite for a hug and chat with her ex husband Brad 'It was a moment of two accomplished people at the top of their game, acknowledging each other's successes and genuinely seeming happy to see one another. 'The moment was really touching and you could sense the respect between two people who have known each other 20 plus years and are both outstanding in their field.' She admitted that situations like this are rare, while candid moments can be hit and miss as it's often difficult to capture a clean frame. Emma said there's usually a mobile phone in front of your lens or someone's hair covering their face - which is what makes these particular photos even more of a triumph. The couple were snapped as they briefly clasped together after they both won prizes at the awards show She added that there were two other photographers present taking shots of the winners as well as her, but she lucked out with her advantageous spot. 'I positioned myself to the side of where Brad and Jennifer were standing, so their reaction was more angled to me meaning I could capture their interaction and expressions,' she told People. During their reunion, Brad gently grabbed Jen's wrist and she sweetly touched his chest. Earlier in the evening, as Brad gave his acceptance speech, Jen could be seen laughing as he joked about his love life and even being on Tinder. Twitter went into meltdown after the reunion, with one excited user writing: 'Brad and Jen!! Brad and Jen!! This is not a drill!!!' Minutes afterwards, she won her own SAG for her role in The Morning Show, taking home the Best Actress in a Drama Series prize. As she delivered her acceptance speech, cameras caught Pitt stopping to watch his ex-wife's big moment backstage. He was seen grinning as she accepted her award until moments later the pair met up backstage. Twitter went into meltdown, with one excited user writing: 'Brad and Jen!! Brad and Jen!! This is not a drill!!!' Jen, who gave a peace sign and a smile, wrote: 'No wrinkles... harder than it looks! Somewhere between these two photos, my peers gave me a gift I will cherish and a night I will never forget. Thank you @SAGAwards, @TheMorningShow, and our incredible cast and crew. Let's get back to work!' Jennifer shared this image of her dress and award taken the morning after the event, sending fans wild with speculation that Brad had a hand in removing the dress 'Brad Pitt is on Tinder? I guess I am on Tinder now too,' wrote another Twitter hopeful. 'I can't believe this month gave us Meghan and Harry and Brad and Jen. 2020 quit while you're AHEAD,' said another. 'GUYS Brad and Jen was YEARS ago ok ENOUGH already now would everybody PLEASE just STOP and tell me WHERE I should get this TATTOOED,' another witty online poster wrote, marveling at the longed-for images. On Monday Jen sent fans wild again when she shared two snaps of herself before and after her Best Actress win. The second image showed her award and the vintage Dior dress she wore to the ceremony on her edge of her bathtub - with her shoes kicked strewn on the floor, with fans quipping that Brad 'took that dress off!' A new study has analyzed the amount of sunscreen ingredients that get absorbed into the blood stream via the skin. The study titled, Effect of Sunscreen Application on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients A Randomized Clinical Trial, was published in the latest issue of the journal JAMA. Image Credit: Oleg Mikhaylov / Shutterstock This study does not advocate the general population from not using sunscreens while stepping out into the sun say the experts on the team. They write that sunscreens are the best protection from getting skin cancers due to exposure to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. This was a randomized clinical trial that included 48 healthy adult volunteers. David G. Strauss, M.D., Ph.D., U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland and other researchers from the US FDA conducted this study where they looked at the absorption levels of sunscreen ingredients including avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate and octinoxate. These six ingredients were assessed in four sunscreen products available as lotions, aerosols, sprays or pumps. The team wrote that there has been a 2019 study from the FDA published in the same journal that looked at these six ingredients present in the four sunscreen products. These six chemicals were found to have been absorbed into the blood streams of the persons applying them over their skin. The levels of these chemicals found in the blood, in the last FDA study were also much above the recommended safe levels by the FDA, wrote the researchers. They wrote that the recommended safe blood levels are 0.5 ng/ml of these chemicals. This had prompted the researchers to look at the safety of these chemicals once they were in the blood stream at such high levels. For this study the team conducted a clinical trial at the Clinical Pharmacology unit (West Bend, Wisconsin) including 48 healthy adults. The persons were recruited for the study between January and February 2019. The study was funded and conducted by the US FDA. The participants were of an average age of around 39 years. There were equal number of men and women among the volunteers. Of the participants there were 23 whites, 23 of African American descent and 1 each was of Asian descent and 1 was on unknown race or ethnicity. The trial was completed by 44 individuals. Each of the participants were randomly allocated to be part of one of the four study groups. Each of the groups were asked to use one of the four tested sunscreen products. The products were a lotion (this group had 12 participants), aerosol spray formulation (12 participants), non-aerosol spray (12 participants) and pump spray formulation (12 participants). The amount of sunscreen to be applied was ear marked at 2 mg/cm2 over 75 percent of the body surface area. The amount was to be applied at the start of the assessment at 0 hours on day 1. The application was to be repeated on day 2 when the sunscreens were applied four times a day. It was applied regularly till day 4 when it was applied every 2 hourly. Over 21 days of the study, the participants were asked to provide 34 blood samples. Results revealed that between days 1 and 21 the highest amount of chemical in the sunscreen found in the participants blood samples was avobenzone. Maximum amounts of other chemicals oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate were also noted over 21 days of the study from the study participants. Each of the ingredients were found to be over 0.5 ng/mL. This is the recommended threshold by the FDA. The blood level of each of the chemical ingredient surpassed this level on day 1 of application of the sunscreen. The amount of avobenzone in blood was 7.1 ng/mL (73.9%) for lotion, 3.5 ng/mL (70.9%) for aerosol spray, 3.5 ng/mL (73.0%) for nonaerosol spray, and 3.3 ng/mL (47.8%) for pump spray on the first day of application, wrote the researchers. The amount in blood rose with rising frequency of application on day 4 the team explained. The researchers also reported that the commonest side effect of the sunscreen noted was skin rash and it was seen in 14 participants. The researchers wrote in conclusion, all 6 of the tested active ingredients administered in 4 different sunscreen formulations were systemically absorbed and had plasma concentrations that surpassed the FDA threshold for potentially waiving some of the additional safety studies for sunscreens. These findings do not indicate that individuals should refrain from the use of sunscreen. In a world of changing climate, would nature's insect vampire, the tsetse fly, perish or change its hunting ground? Like vampire bats, tsetse flies survive solely on the blood of vertebrate animals. Unlike bats, they hunt almost exclusively during the day. Tsetse flies can also pass deadly diseases to their victims when they feed. These diseases include African trypanosomiasis. Also known as African sleeping sickness, it's a parasitic disease caused in humans by infection with either Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or T. b. rhodesiense. If left untreated, sleeping sickness can lead to the infected person becoming lethargic, then possibly entering a prolonged coma before dying. The sickness is curable, but diagnosis and treatment are complicated. In livestock, the flies can pass on nagana a parasitic disease caused by infection with several species of the protozoan Trypanosoma. The history of African trypanosomiasis dates back to antiquity. Evidence suggests that the disease was known in ancient Egypt. But it was only in 1903 that a Scottish pathologist and microbiologist, David Bruce, provided unequivocal evidence that the disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected tsetse fly. Today, the disease is endemic in 36 sub-Saharan African countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo has the highest burden, with 70% of all reported cases in the past 10 years. Sleeping sickness places a large burden on public health services. It also has social and economic consequences, particularly for farmers because it affects livestock. Tsetse flies have limited the areas used for agriculture as farmers tend to move away from tsetse infested areas. For instance, following the eradication of tsetse (Glossina austeni) in 1997 in Zanzibar, agricultural production increased substantially, as farmers were able to access more fertile lands and acquire more productive breeds of cattle. Reported cases of sleeping sickness have declined over the past 50 years. This is because of sustained surveillance and treatment efforts by international organisations and government health ministries. The number of reported cases has gone down significantly. There were only 977 in 2018. The World Health Organisation's aim has been to eliminate the disease by 2020. Future strategies to get rid of tsetse will need to take into account the effects of changing climates. My colleagues and I conducted research examining the impact of changes in temperature on the tseste fly. Humans can regulate body temperature to a large extent. But the tsetse fly is a cold-blooded animal. Its body temperature depends on the prevailing environmental temperature. High temperatures can affect the natural metabolic activities in the flies, leading to high death rates. We developed mathematical models to help determine whether increasing temperatures could lead to the extinction of tsetse populations in the Zambezi valley of Zimbabwe as well as other parts of Africa. The effect of climate change There is already some evidence that changes in temperature are affecting tseste populations. Research that built a model around temperatures and tsetse populations suggested that an increase in temperature might explain the observed collapse in tsetse population. This modelling provided the first step in linking temperature to sleeping sickness risk. If the effect at Mana Pools on the Zambezi River extends across the whole of the Zambezi Valley, then transmission is likely to have been greatly reduced in this warm, low-lying region. Conversely, rising temperatures may have made some higher, cooler parts of Zimbabwe more suitable for tsetse and the emergence of the disease. Female tsetse produce only one offspring approximately every nine days. It takes another 40 to 60 days (depending on temperature) before a female offspring matures to the point where she starts producing offspring of her own. This means that tsetse have a much lower birth rate than other insects. For instance mosquitoes can lay up to three sets of eggs in their lifetime, and each set can consist of 100 eggs. High temperatures have been shown to kill more than 50% of tsetse pupae and newly emerged adults. We calculated that the low birth rate coupled with such high death rates could lead to the extinction of tsetse populations. As a first step, we developed a model to determine the chances that a tsetse population would die out if temperature and other climatic conditions were fixed and the death rate varied. Our mathematical model allowed us to make several simplifying assumptions that made complex processes a lot easier to understand. For instance, we could hold factors such as temperature at a fixed level, and then gradually increase the daily mortality rate to determine a value that would result in tsetse population extinction. We found that if only about 3.5% of female flies in a population were killed each day, and this level of added mortality were sustained indefinitely, then a tsetse population would be eradicated. Where mortalities of the order of 8% were imposed, the time to eradication could be reduced to as little as a year. We then developed a model that replicated situations where tsetse flies were kept in laboratory colonies and room temperatures could be changed manually. The results showed that high temperatures were fatal for the flies. So, like the vampires in fiction, the tsetse can't withstand very hot sun for long periods. We are currently improving our model to better predict which areas of Africa are likely to be warm enough for the flies to survive and spread the disease. The model will need climate data for different parts of Africa as well as information on other aspects of habitat suitability, such as vegetation cover and host abundance. Nature's vampire may have started changing its hunting ground. But we hope to use our mathematical modelling tools to predict where they are headed. This article won the Science Communication Award in a competition hosted by The Conversation Africa and the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis. Elisha Bayode Are receives funding from SACEMA, which receives core funding from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of South Africa. John Hargrove receives funding from SACEMA, which is core-funded by the Department of Science and Innovation, Government of South Africa By Elisha Bayode Are, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) London: Malcolm Turnbull has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of "misleading" Australians over climate change and the summer bushfire disaster, in a dramatic worsening of simmering tensions between both men. "I don't know why Scott Morrison has acted the way he has, to be frank with you. I worked with him very closely, I've known him for 20 years and I can't explain his conduct," the former prime minister told the BBC. "I can't explain why he didn't meet the former fire commissioners who wanted to see him in March last year to talk about the gravity of the threat. Everybody knew we were in a very dry time and as a consequence the fire season was likely to be very bad. "So rather than doing what a leader should do and preparing people for that, he downplayed it and then of course chose to go away on holiday in Hawaii? At the peak of the crisis? I just can't explain any of that. It's just not consistent with the way in which a prime minister would or should act." A new study has been released that shows dairy cows respond to positive and negative emotional prompts with individual 'voice'. And the results of the University of Sydney research could have implications for farmers and animal welfare. Studying a herd of 18 Holstein-Friesian heifers over five months, PhD student Alexandra Green determined that the cows gave individual voice cues in a variety of positive and negative situations. This helps them to maintain contact with the herd and express excitement, arousal, engagement or distress. The study recorded 333 samples of cow vocalisations and analysed them using acoustic analyses programs with assistance from colleagues in France and Italy. The conclusion of the research is that farmers should integrate knowledge of individual cow voices into their daily farming practices. We found that cattle vocal individuality is relatively stable across different emotionally loaded farming contexts, Ms Green said. Positive contexts were during oestrus and anticipation of feeding. Negative contexts were when cows were denied feed access and during physical and visual isolation from the rest of the herd. We hope that through gaining knowledge of these vocalisations, farmers will be able to tune into the emotional state of their cattle, improving animal welfare, the PhD student added. She said that by understanding these vocal characteristics, farmers will be able to recognise individual animals in the herd that might require individual attention. It was previously known that cattle mothers and offspring could communicate by maintaining individuality in their lowing. But Ms Greens research confirms that cows maintain this individual voicing through their lives and across a herd. Cows are gregarious, social animals. In one sense it isnt surprising they assert their individual identity throughout their life and not just during mother-calf imprinting, Ms Green said. But this is the first time we have been able to analyse voice to have conclusive evidence of this trait. Ms Green travelled to Saint-Etienne, France, to work with some of the best bioacousticians in the world, including co-authors Professor David Reby and Dr Livio Favaro, to analyse the vocal traits of the cattle. The study will be incorporated into her doctorate, which investigates cattle vocal communication and use in welfare assessment on dairy farms. The paper was published in December 2019 in Scientific Reports. Luckily, she said yes. CBS 21 morning news anchor Jessie McDonough received the surprise of a lifetime Wednesday during the noonday newscast. McDonoughs boyfriend, Danny, proposed to her on live television. Oh my gosh, Im panicking, she said, as he presented her with a flower bouquet. My time in Austin and my time being here definitely made one thing clear, that I love you," he said. You mean a lot and I definitely dont want to be apart again. "With that being said, Jessie McDonough will you marry me? he asked. Oh my gosh, I did not expect this," she said before saying yes. Later McDonough took to Twitter to say, Biggest SURPRISE of my life! Love you Danny We are engaged and man did he surprise me! A Pennsylvania native, McDonough was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and previously worked with news stations in South Bend, Indiana, Jacksonville, Florida and El Paso, Texas. She earned a Pennsylvania Broadcast Award last year for covering the shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018. Our own CBS21 Morning News Anchor @JessieCBS21 was in for a huge on-air surprise, when her longtime boyfriend, Danny, proposed during our noon newscast. CONGRATULATIONS JESSIE pic.twitter.com/hvVpusvC0m CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) January 22, 2020 Ted Slowiks column talked about why the south suburbs should care about impeachment. President Donald Trumps done more than former President Barack Obama did in eight years. Obama came up with regulations and exemptions to make it better for poor people. Im Republican. Im tired of paying for poor people. The biggest example is income tax. My taxes are almost $10,000 yearly. I never get money back. Yet, some bum who doesnt pay income tax gets thousands of dollars back yearly. I wasnt put on Earth to pay for other peoples medical care, social services, etc. Im here to support my family only. The outbreak began at a market in China and now has spread to at least four other countries. A person in Washington State is infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, the first confirmed case in the United States of a mysterious respiratory infection that has killed at least six people and sickened hundreds more in Asia. The man is a resident of Snohomish County, Wash., who experienced symptoms after returning from a trip to the region around Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, The New York Times reported. Read alsoChina sentences ex-Interpol chief to 13 years in jail He was hospitalized with pneumonia last week, and infection with the coronavirus was confirmed on Monday afternoon. Local officials declined to identify the patient, who was said to be quite ill. News of the first case in the United States comes amid growing evidence that the virus spreads from person to person, although it is not clear how easily. The outbreak, which began in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million, is spreading: Patients have been identified in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. On Tuesday, Chinese authorities confirmed that six people have died of the infection in Wuhan. Nearly 300 cases have been reported to date in China. Many of the patients lived in or traveled to Wuhan. Volunteers at a makeshift shelter help dogs rescued from the exclusion zone surrounding Taal Volcano in Nasugbu, Batangas province, Philippines, January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Joseph Campbell By Joseph Campbell NASUGBU, Philippines (Reuters) - A small farm in the Philippines' Batangas province is providing a safe haven for pets rescued from an exclusion zone around an active volcano. Taal began spewing clouds of ash on Jan. 12, forcing thousands to flee their homes and abandon their pets. Felix Casba, a caretaker at the farm in Nasugbu town, said he and his boss have been taking in stray dogs for years, but since the eruption, they've collected more than 200 new animals, including goats, cats, rabbits and pigeons. "If things in the area go back to normal, then the owners of the dogs will come and claim them. But if the dogs remain unclaimed, then we'll still take good care of them for life," Casba said on Tuesday, after accepting a dozen rescued dogs. Authorities have thrown a 14-km (9-mile) exclusion zone around the volcano, with experts saying an eruption could bring a devastating rain of rocks and magma and unleash a tsunami in the lake around it. Volunteer Renz Oliver Garcia, 27, said he and other rescuers have been sneaking around back roads to avoid police roadblocks and rescue pets and livestock at addresses posted by desperate owners on social media. Garcia said he did not mind the risks, even if he had been bitten by rescued animals. "Yes, I have been bitten so many times. The risk is rabies. When a dog bites me, we observe the condition of the dog. Then Ill have rabies shots. But sometimes, I dont get the rabies shots after the bite," he said. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated after Taal, one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes, erupted more than a week ago, blanketing homes, schools and farms with ash. Volcanologists have kept the danger level at 4 out of a possible 5, meaning that a "hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days". Just 311 meters (1,020 feet) high, Taal is one of the worlds smallest active volcanoes. It killed more than 1,300 people in an eruption in 1911. (Reporting by Joseph Campbell; Editing by Giles Elgood) DAVOS, Switzerland Boeing is back on President Trumps mind. At a breakfast on Wednesday with the chief executives of major technology companies in Davos, Mr. Trump spoke at length about how technology is making things more complicated, according to four people familiar with the conversation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. As an example, he invoked Boeing, which is reeling from the biggest crisis in its history after two accidents that killed 346 people led to the grounding of its 737 Max jetliner. Mr. Trump said that the 737 was a good airplane before, but that too much software had messed it up. New software developed for the Max played a role in both crashes, in late 2018 and early 2019. His remarks echoed thoughts he shared on Twitter just days after the second Max crash, when he said, Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Mr. Trump, who was attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, added that automobiles had also become too complex, complaining that it used to be easier to recline seats. A San Antonio-based communications company that holds a hard-won, multimillion-dollar contract with the city and Bexar County now is at the center of a federal corruption case in West Texas. Federal prosecutors have charged former San Angelo Police Chief Timothy Ray Vasquez, 49, with taking $134,000 in bribes to help Dailey & Wells Communications win contracts for first responder radio systems in San Angelo worth more than $11 million. Dailey & Wells of San Antonio and two of its affiliates made several payments to Vasquez and his wedding band, Funky Munky, after winning the contracts in 2007 and 2015, a Jan. 8 indictment alleges. Two years ago, San Antonio City Council members awarded the same company a 15-year, $108 million contract to overhaul the citys radio system for first responders, which also is in use by the Fire Department and the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. The city hired Dailey & Wells to build the current radio system in 2004. The new system is expected to come online in December 2021. Two company executives CEO Richard Wells and Senior Vice President Joanne Wells are prolific donors to local political candidates. Theyve given at least $164,000 to sitting city and county officials since 2014, campaign finance records show. Campaign contributions from Dailey executives Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar: $45,000 Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff: $30,000 Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff: $30,000 Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert,Jr.: $20,000 Precinct 1 Commissioner Sergio "Chico" Rodriguez: $10,000 San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg: $6,000 Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales: $5,000 District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino: $2,000 District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia: $2,000 District 9 Councilman John Courage: $2,000 District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval: $1,500 District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran: $1,000 District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda: $1,000 District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez: $1,000 District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry: $1,000 District 7 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales: $500 Source: City of San Antonio, Bexar County See More Collapse Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff tried to distance themselves from the executives, pledging to give the donations they received from the Wells to nonprofits. Dailey & Wells isnt named in the indictment and none of its employees has been charged in the case. But San Angelo City Council documents show it holds the San Angelo contract. And state filings show the companys affiliation with the entities that allegedly funneled funds to Vasquez and Funky Munky. A company representative didnt return a call requesting comment. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio council selects incumbent provider for 15-year, $108 million public-safety radio contract City Manager Erik Walsh took pains to reassure Nirenberg and council members this week that nothing is amiss with the companys contract in San Antonio. He reminded them it took three years for the city to vet potential radio system vendors capable of either extending or replacing the current system before council adopted the Dailey & Wells contract in 2018. Our due diligence did not surface any of the alleged irregularities reported in San Angelo or with any other business dealings of Dailey & Wells, Walsh wrote in a memo sent Tuesday evening. But Wolff said the city should review the terms of the Dailey & Wells contract and see if theres a way to get out of it. The city needs to take a real hard look, Wolff said. City officials are going over records to make sure that there are no irregularities reported, not only in San Angelo but also in business dealings with Dailey-Wells here locally, Nirenberg said. I think its absolutely vital that we do our due diligence to make sure nothing improper was done, Nirenberg said. District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said she was open to re-examining the San Antonio contract. Viagran unsuccessfully tried to delay the February 2018 vote that gave Dailey & Wells the contract, arguing the council needed more time to consider the award. I think we should review it, Viagran said. I think we should go and see if there are any gaps. But no other council member seemed eager to revisit the contract after the exhaustive bidding process, barring a major development in the federal case. At this point, I don't see anything wrong, said District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, who received $1,000 from the two Wells. In this country, youre innocent until proven guilty. Right now, those are just allegations, and weve got to let the process play out. On ExpressNews.com: County approves public-safety radio system agreement with city, CPS Energy Council members from every district except the East Sides District 2 have received campaign contributions from Richard Wells and Joanne Wells, ranging from $500 to $2,000. Viagran received $1,000. So has the mayor; Nirenberg has received $6,000 from the two company officials since March. Nirenberg campaign consultant Kelton Morgan noted the mayor got the donations after the council voted to give the company the contract. Nirenberg was not present for the vote. There's nothing that says that any of the money they gave to anyone was illegal money, was a bad contribution, Morgan said. Nonetheless, Nirenberg opted Wednesday to donate the funds to Family Violence Prevention Services, which runs the city's battered women's and childrens shelter, Morgan said. And the mayor was quick to note he believes the citys low campaign contribution limits prevent donors from improperly swaying candidates once theyre elected. Right now, donors can give no more than $500 to council candidates and no more than $1,000 to mayoral candidates per election cycle. No one individual should be or can exert undue influence over our municipal campaigns, Nirenberg said. On ExpressNews.com: Proposal for San Antonios independent ethics czar, ethics code changes makes headway Richard Wells and Joanne Wells have given more than $140,000 to six sitting Bexar officials, including Wolff and Sheriff Javier Salazar. Wolff received $30,000 from the two Wellses two $10,000 donations in 2014 and one in 2017. He said he plans to donate the latest payment to at least one nonprofit. Salazar received $45,000, the most of any official in Bexar County, but sidestepped questions about the donations. If the allegations against this former public official are true, I find that to be personally reprehensible, and he should absolutely be held criminally responsible for his actions, Salazar said in a statement Wednesday. Trish DeBerry, running to fill the seat held by Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff, whos not seeking re-election, said she will reroute the $10,000 the two Wells donated to her campaign. DeBerry, a public relations executive and former mayoral candidate, said she would send the money to Davids Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit that raises awareness of bullying and cyber abuse. I dont want that kind of money, DeBerry said. The perception alone is bad. Munky business Federal prosecutors accuse Vasquez of soliciting bribes from Dailey & Wells named in the indictment as Vendor 1 and trying to hide his behavior. Dailey & Wells was one of three firms in 2007 that bid on a contract to build a new radio system for first responders in San Angelo. Before he backed Dailey & Wells to get the contract, Vasquez allegedly solicited a vacation trip from another bidder. A committee that included the former police chief recommended in April 2007 that Dailey & Wells get the contract. Three months later, one of its subsidiaries, Juniper Valley, cut a $10,000 check to the Funky Munky Band which Vasquez then allegedly deposited in his own bank account. That September, Dailey & Wells entered into the $5.7 million contract. Two months later, Juniper Valley wrote another $8,000 check to Funky Munky. Vasquez deposited $4,400 into his personal bank account and took out $3,600 in cash, prosecutors allege. Dailey & Wells and its subsidiaries allegedly paid Funky Munky $134,000 over the next nine years, the indictment says. Sometimes, the company or one of its affiliates said it was paying the band to play at Christmas parties. Occasionally, they would write Vasquezs name on the check. In at least one instance, an affiliate paid Vasquez in cash. The companys affiliates continued to pay Vasquez while he urged San Angelo officials, looking to phase out the companys system in 2014, to keep Dailey & Wells for a new radio contract. Vasquez and San Angelo officials met with company officials during a July 2014 trip to San Antonio. Vasquez discussed a way to exempt Dailey & Wells from a formal bidding process and hand it a new contract outright, the indictment states. It was unclear Wednesday whether that happened. Nonetheless, San Angelo did give Dailey & Wells a new $5.7 million contract in June 2015. Vasquez made his first court appearance Friday. He hasnt entered a plea yet; he was released after posting a $50,000 bond. Vasquezs attorney did not return a call and email requesting comment. Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio city government and politics. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFReports Russian airstrikes target civilians in Syria Over one million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks over the last year. Russian warplanes have carried out fresh airstrikes in the de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, killing at least 3 civilians, a Syrian civil defense group said Wednesday. MORE THAN 1.300 CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED Turkey has pushed hard for a cease-fire in Idlib after the region endured months of battering by forces loyal to the Bashar al-Assad regime and its allies, sending about a million civilian refugees flocking towards the Turkish border. Turkey and Russia agreed in September 2018 to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. Since then, more than 1,300 civilians there have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces as the cease-fire continued to be violated. Drug firm Cipla on Wednesday said it has received observations from the USFDA for its Goa manufacturing facility. It further said that the developments will not have any material impact on the company's US business at this stage. "The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has classified the inspection conducted at its Goa manufacturing facility from 16-27 September 2019 as Official Action Indicated (OAI). The company does not believe that this will have any material impact on the US business at this stage," the drug major said in an exchange filing. Cipla further said it has a strong track record of maintaining the highest standard of compliance and will work closely with the agency to comprehensively address the observations received. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A black man sentenced to life in prison in 1991 in connection to an armed robbery and murder has been granted a new trial after his defense lawyer was found to be a 'virulent' racist. The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit announced in an en banc ruling filed last week that Ezzard Ellis's conviction was overturned so that he could get a new trial, following a concession from the state of California. Ellis was tried five times for a 1989 robbery in a McDonald's parking lot that left one dead and another severely wounded. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole by an all white jury in San Bernardino in June 1991. Donald Ames was appointed to Ellis as his defense counsel in April 1990 after the man's first trial ended in a mistrial. The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit announced in an en banc ruling that Ezzard Ellis's conviction was overturned so that he could get a new trial. Pictured above stock prison photo But according to US Circuit Judge Jacqueline H Nguyen, Ames 'was a virulent racist who believed in the inferiority of racial minorities'. She continued: 'Worse, he allowed his repugnant views to infect his professional lifeAfrican American clients, court personnel, and lawyers were "n*****s," and an Asian American judge was a "f*****g Jap" who should remember Pearl Harbor. 'Ames was disloyal and entirely indifferent to the fate of his non-white clients, convinced that they were all stupid and deserved to be convicted. The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office - the governmental entity that originally prosecuted the case against Ellis - stands by the conviction. Ames - who died in 1999 at the age of 77 - was known for his loud personality and was said to be difficult in the courtroom. Nguyen details how even Ames's daughters noted their father's tendency towards prejudice. According to US Circuit Judge Jacqueline H Nguyen, Ellis' lawyer - Donald Ames - 'was a virulent racist who believed in the inferiority of racial minorities' The lawyer's oldest daughter - Jill Heft - shared that her father especially ridiculed black people, referring to them with racial invectives such as 'trigger the n****r' and 'shoot the c**n to the moon. Alison Taylor, Ames's youngest daughter, stated that her father frequently used 'racial slurs to refer to blacks and other minorities'. Ames is said to have repeatedly claimed that '[black] people can't learn anything,' and even said of his black legal secretary at the time that 'he was going to fire that dumb little n****r' if his old secretary returned. Of the former black secretary, Ames is said to have repeatedly called her a 'dumb f*****g b***h' to her face. The woman quit after four months. A fiscal clerk at the San Bernardino courthouse heard Ames emply 'racist terms to characterize court personnel, his employees and his clients' during Ellis's trial. Ames comments about the Asian American judge were made in the presence of a courthouse employee, as well. In 1991, Ames reportedly told a legal secretary that his African American co-counsel in connection to the case for Ellis was 'a big black n****r trying to be a white man.' Besides the case for Ellis, Ames is said to have 'expressed hostility to his clients who were minorities'. The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office - the governmental entity that originally prosecuted the case against Ellis - stands by the conviction In May 1990, Ames lauded when a former client was sentenced to death. He repeatedly called the man - identified as Melvin Wade - a 'n****r' who 'got what he deserved.' Ames also said that his client, Isaac Gutierrez, 'deserved to fry.' Comments Ames made at home led his oldest daughter to believe that he 'did not care about his clients, many of whom were black.' What is an en banc ruling? An en banc ruling is one made by a full appellate court, Some appellate courts across the country are known to split into panels when tackling large caseloads. When cases are put to the United States Appeals Courts, they are usually heard by panels that consist of three judges. The panel or case litigants can ask for the case to be reheard by a full court, or en banc. The full court - with all of the judges - will then issue a decision on the case. Advertisement Allison Taylor even described how her father told her of a case 'in which African-American men were accused of holding up or robbing someone at a fast food restaurant,' speaking of the case for Ellis. Taylor noted that Ames 'referred to his client in the case with racial slurs' and 'commented on how stupid his client was.' Ellis first learned of his former lawyer's extreme views on racism after he was sent a newspaper article detailing Ames's shoddy history in 2003. The LA Weekly article cited a judge's comments that Ames was 'deceptive, untrustworthy and disloyal to his capital clients.' The article also references remarks made by the lawyer's daughter condemning their father. Ellis was initially unsuccessful when petitioning the state courts for habeas relief in 2003 - following the discovery of the article - as he claimed that Ames's 'racial prejudice against African-Americans' created a conflict of interest. He then sought habeas relief in federal court. The district court determined that the man's claim under the Sixth Amendment lacked merit and denied the petition while a three-judge panel affirmed the original decision at the time. Ellis repeatedly filed his appeal and included the testimony from the two daughters, which was ultimately used to grant his appeal. A quarantine inspection station at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia. (AP) North Korea is set to ban tourists from entering the country in an effort to stop its citizens becoming infected with the deadly new coronavirus from China. A foreign tour operator said on Tuesday it had been told the country would be closing its borders to tourists from other countries to stop the disease spreading. The vast majority of tourists to North Korea come from China, Pyongyang's main supporter. Young Pioneer Tours, an adventure travel company based in China, announced the border closure in a statement on Tuesday. The disease has already infected several hundred people in China. (Getty) "I have confirmed the DPRK will temporarily suspend all foreign tourists from entering North Korea until they feel the coronavirus is well under control," Rowan Beard, of Young Pioneer Tours, said. Further details are yet to be confirmed by the company's travel partners in North Korea, the Young Pioneer Tours statement said. (PA Graphics) A manager at another foreign tour company said they too had been told of the move, but that it was not yet clear who would be affected by such a policy, with more details expected on Wednesday. Fears are growing over the virus, which could be spread through human contact, with millions of Asians travelling for the Lunar New Year holiday this week. READ MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS UK: In China, the number of confirmed cases rose to 291 on Monday. Tourism is one of the last major ways that North Korea can legally earn foreign cash, as international sanctions restrict many other forms of business with the politically isolated country. North Korea is estimated to earn millions of dollars from a steady flow of Chinese tourists. South Korean budget airline T'way Air said on Tuesday it had postponed the scheduled launch of a new route to Wuhan because of concern over the spread of the new coronavirus. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- elon musk donald trump Evan Vucci / AP President Trump showered Tesla CEO Elon Musk with strange and confusing praise during a CNBC interview in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. "I was worried about him, because he's one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius," Trump said, comparing Musk to the inventor Thomas Edison. "He does good at rockets, too, by the way," the president said, referring to Musk's SpaceX business. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump showered Tesla CEO Elon Musk with strange and confusing praise during a CNBC interview on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "I was worried about him, because he's one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius," Trump said. "You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison, and we have to protect all of these people that came up with originally the lightbulb and the wheel and all of these things." Trump alluded to Musk and Tesla's past problems and recent momentum in the interview. Musk was forced to step down as the electric-car maker's chairman and pay a $20 million fine in September 2018 after tweeting that he had secured the funding to take Tesla private, and he was taken to court last December after calling a British diver a "pedo guy" on Twitter. Meanwhile, Tesla has regained momentum in recent months, sending its stock up more than 80% in the past year. "You go back a year, and they were talking about the end of the company," Trump said. "And now all of a sudden they're talking about these great things." The president also complimented Musk on another of his companies, SpaceX. The spacecraft manufacturer is probably best known for its reusable rockets, designed to be fired into the atmosphere then safely landed back on their launchpads. "He's also doing the rockets, he likes rockets, and he does good at rockets, too, by the way," Trump said. "I never saw where the engines come down with no wings, no anything, and they're landing." Trump's compliments are somewhat surprising given that Musk quit two of the president's advisory councils in 2017 in protest of Trump's decision to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord. In November 2018, Musk agreed with the "Recode Decode" podcast host Kara Swisher that Trump "screwed" him. Read the original article on Business Insider Viewers have accused filmmaker Tyler Perry of trolling them after spotting a number of hilarious blunders in his new movie A Fall from Grace. The Netflix thriller stars Crystal Fox as a woman named Grace who is awaiting trial for beating her husband to death. But as the story unfolds in flashback, Graces lawyer unravels the truth. The combination of cheap sets, bad wigs and melodrama have long been a standard for Tyler, who found fame playing the gun-toting church lady Madea in a number of stage plays and feature films. But viewers have been floored by the amount of blunders in A Fall from Grace. Among the most notable is a scene in which a character receives a text message, but their phone quite clearly shows a screenshot of a notification. Viewers also spotted a background extra sat in a diner and pretending to eat food from his plate, and drinking from an empty glass. Film mistakes Show all 29 1 /29 Film mistakes Film mistakes Batman (1989) The Tim Burton-directed superhero film has multiple mistakes, but a major one happens in the scene when Joker and his crew deface paintings at a museum. One of his gang members slaps a painting with his hands that are covered in red paint, but in the next shot, the handprints have disappeared from the artwork. Film mistakes Once Upon a Time In Hollywood (2019) Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, flies back to Hollywood on a Boeing 747. But it would have been a 707. The film was set in 1969 and the 747 went into service in January 1970. Film mistakes The Graduate (1967) Dustin Hoffmans character drives in the wrong direction across the Bay Bridge in San Francisco on his way to Berkeley, California. He is travelling on the top deck of the bridge for traffic going from California to San Francisco. Embassy Pictures Film mistakes Pretty Woman (1990) There is a continuity issue at breakfast when Julia Robertss character takes a bite out of a croissant. Shes in the hotel room with her co-star Richard Gere, but when the camera pans back to her, it transforms into a pancake. Then when she takes a second bite out of the pancake, there is only one bite mark in it. Rex Film mistakes North by Northwest (1959) One of the children playing an extra in Alfred Hitchcocks film covers his ears a few seconds before Eva Marie Saints character unexpectedly fires a gun at Cary Grants character in the Mount Rushmore cafeteria. MGM Film mistakes Pulp Fiction (1994) Bullet holes can be seen in the walls of the apartment where John Travolta and Samuel L Jacksons characters go to get a briefcase, but its before the shoot-out has happened. Miramax Film mistakes Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) John Connors Cessnas plane numbers keep changing in the film. When he is in the hanger on the runway it is N3035C, but once its flying, the numbers change to N3413F. Warner Bros. Film mistakes The Wizard of Oz (1939) Judy Garland isnt wearing her iconic ruby red slippers in the scene where the trees pelt Dorothy and the Scarecrow with apples. Instead, she can be seen wearing plain black shoes. Alamy Film mistakes American Sniper (2015) The baby that Bradley Cooper holds while adapting to civilian life after the Iraqi War is plastic. In fact, it looked so fake, even he admitted it was nuts. Film mistakes Independence Day (1996) When computer expert David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum, is throwing a tantrum in the hanger housing the captured alien craft, he knocks over a bin that is labelled Art Dept. Clearly, a set designer left it there by mistake. 20th Century Fox Film mistakes The Fast and the Furious (2001) In a scene when Jesse and Tran race, Tran is wearing a shirt with sleeves, but in the next shot hes in a tank top. Didnt anybody notice when they edited it? Universal Pictures Film mistakes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) We were always told that Harry Potter had his mothers blue eyes. But when we see Lily Potter as a child, she has brown eyes. Warner Bros. Film mistakes Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977) As a group of stormtroopers enter a control room, one of them accidentally bangs his head on a door. The actor responsible, Laurie Good, couldnt believe it made it into the final film. Film mistakes Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) There is a crew member wearing a cowboy hat and looking out to sea behind Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow on the pirate ship. Disney Film mistakes Quantum of Solace (2008) A street cleaner behind Daniel Craigs James Bond is pretending to sweep the road but is holding his broom several inches off the ground. Sony Film mistakes 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) When Bianca accidentally shoots a gym teacher with an arrow, an extra, who is playing a student, runs off to get urgent help but once she thinks she is out of shot, she stops and looks back at the camera. Buena Vista Pictures Film mistakes Braveheart (1995) There is a modern car in the background of a big battle scene. Considering the film is set in the 13th century, its hard to imagine how it stayed in the final cut. 20th Century Fox Film mistakes Django Unchained (2012) Leonardo DiCaprio accidentally cut his hand while filming a scene in which he slams his hand on the table and breaks a glass. But rather than shout cut, he carried on in character. Tarantino liked it so much that he kept it in the film. TWC Film mistakes Captain Marvel (2019) Many of the mistakes are related to the films 1990s time period. These include computers using a wrongly dated version of Windows and Carol Danverss memories being jogged by a Nirvana song that wasnt out until after she left Earth. AP Film mistakes Spider-Man (2002) Toby McGuires Spider-Man saves Kirsten Dunsts Mary Jane from a group of attackers. He throws them through a set of windows before he kisses her upside down in the rain. But during their romantic embrace, the windows behind her are perfectly intact. Rex Film mistakes Blade Runner (1982) As Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) dies one rainy evening, he releases a dove into a clear, blue sky. It is a lovely symbolic act but slightly dampened by this continuity error. Ridley Scott finally fixed this and other mistakes with his 2007 Final Cut. Film mistakes Halloween (1978) John Carpenters slasher film starring Jamie Lee Curtis was set in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, but all the cars have Californian number plates and there are shots of palm trees, as the film was shot in Southern California. Film mistakes The Goonies (1985) At the end of the cult film, Data tells news reporters that the octopus was really scary, but this actually refers to a deleted scene. It was only added back in for the Disney Channel version. Rex Features Film mistakes Avengers: Endgame (2019) Eagle-eyed fans have noted that Ant-Man can be seen in two places at once during the final battle scene in the van, and in his giant form, fighting alongside the other Avengers. Film mistakes The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Merry and Pippin are captured by the Orcs at the start of the film, and Pippin is seen in handcuffs. But he doesnt have them anymore in the fight scene. And then they reappear on his wrists a few moments later. Rex Film mistakes Gladiator (1999) Ridley Scotts epic film took place many centuries before fuel-powered vehicles. But during the Battle of Carthage, a gas canister can be seen on the back of a chariot when it flips over. Rex Film mistakes The Dark Knight Rises (2012) There is a mix up over whether it is day or night at the beginning of the stock market heist scene in Christopher Nolans film. It is clearly daylight, but suddenly, after the police chase, its pitch black. Rex Film mistakes Titantic (1997) When Jack (Leonardi DiCaprio) is painting a naked Rose (Kate Winslet) and tells her to go over by the bed, and then says he means the couch, it was DiCaprio flubbing his lines. But James Cameron kept it in the film because it was funny. Rex Film mistakes Jurassic World (2015) The blockbuster featured about 33 mistakes, including a scene in which lead actor Chris Pratt talks to co-star Bryce Dallas Howard without his mouth moving. In another scene, a phones broken screen suddenly appears fixed. Rex A scene in which Grace is sat in an interrogation room also features a wig that dramatically changes in size, becoming significantly bigger in a split second. Tyler Perry is trolling us, one viewer tweeted. Another added that the film was a s*** pie sprayed with dog pee. Earlier this month, Perry boasted that the film took just five days to film, with production taking place days before Christmas 2019. While it takes people in Hollywood seven days to shoot one episode of a primetime drama, we shoot two in six to seven days, Perry told the Hollywood Reporter. I just have a crew that does the impossible every day. They work closely with me, and we pull it all off, so its really amazing. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Actor Mathew Law, who stars in the film, added: The stereotype is that using a black built production is slow that its secondary, that its subpar. And so to see this world-class production [and] to be a part of it, its so rewarding. A Fall from Grace, which also stars Cicely Tyson and Phylicia Rashad, is Perrys first collaboration with Netflix. Netflix this week claimed that 83m households had watched their Ryan Reynolds thriller 6 Underground since its release, though some have questioned the metrics behind the claim. Viewing figures for A Fall from Grace have yet to be revealed. NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, HONG KONG OR JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. Reference is made to the stock exchange announcements by PGS ASA (PGS or the Company) on 22 January 2020 regarding a successfully completed bookbuilding for the private placement (the "Private Placement") of new shares in the Company, and a potential subsequent offering (the Subsequent Offering). PGS hereby calls for an Extraordinary General Meeting in the Company, where the approval of the Private Placement and the Subsequent Offering is on the agenda. The calling notice and proxy forms for the Extraordinary General Meeting can be downloaded from www.newsweb.no or www.pgs.com. The calling notice and proxy forms are also available in Norwegian from the related content links given below. Register for the Extraordinary General Meeting on www.pgs.com. About the Meeting Date: 13 February, 2020 Time: 15:30 hrs CET Location: PGS headquarters, Lilleakerveien 4C, 0216 Oslo, Norway Contacts: Bard Stenberg, SVP IR & Corporate Communication Mobile: +47 99 24 52 35 *** IMPORTANT NOTICE This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of PGS. The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering or their securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this announcement will be made solely to "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act. In any EEA Member State, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. The expression "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation 2017/1129 as amended together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State. This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only for relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "strategy", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Actual events may differ significantly from any anticipated development due to a number of factors, including without limitation, changes in public sector investment levels, changes in the general economic, political and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operate, the Companys ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, changes in the Companys ability to engage in commercially acceptable acquisitions and strategic investments, and changes in laws and regulation and the potential impact of legal proceedings and actions. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not provide any guarantees that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this announcement are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this announcement or any obligation to update or revise the statements in this announcement to reflect subsequent events. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this document. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement. Neither the Managers nor any of their respective affiliates makes any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this announcement and none of them accepts any responsibility for the contents of this announcement or any matters referred to herein. This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities in the Company. Neither the Managers nor any of their respective affiliates accepts any liability arising from the use of this announcement. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments Jan 22 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. - Boeing said on Tuesday it did not expect regulators to approve the return of the 737 MAX to service until the middle of the year. https://nyti.ms/2GeZhXb - A forensic analysis of Jeff Bezos' cellphone found that the Amazon chief's device was hacked after he received a video from a WhatsApp account reportedly belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. https://nyti.ms/37imFyW - A filing Tuesday related to PG&E Corp's bankruptcy case said more than 80,000 people were now seeking to tap into a relief fund projected to total $13.5 billion over California wildfires started by its equipment. https://nyti.ms/2ujhZKG - Mitsubishi Motors is under investigation for possibly selling diesel vehicles in Germany that had been programmed to cheat on emissions tests, Frankfurt prosecutors said Tuesday as the police raided offices of the Japanese carmaker. https://nyti.ms/2ReR3EM (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom) Karen Ruedisueli is the director of government relations for health affairs for the Military Officers Association of America. Recent short-notice Middle East deployments are stark reminders of the challenges military members and their families face. Another less-publicized example: The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincolns unexpected deployment extension, together with a home port change from East Coast to West, which left many Navy families dealing with more than nine months of separation on top of a cross-country move without their service member. Now, imagine having a sick child under these circumstances and not being able to get them appropriate medical care. That is a situation no military family should face. Military families understand that lengthy separations, frequent relocations and threats to the service members safety are all part of the deal, and most face military life with strength, grace and resilience. But that doesnt mean they should do it alone: They need support, particularly when it comes to medical care. These families must have ready access to high-quality health care to navigate the challenges of military life successfully. That is why the Military Officers Association of America is so concerned about the unprecedented Military Health System reform currently underway. Congressionally mandated MHS reform is touching almost every element of the system. While MOAA supports MHS reform goals -- eliminating inefficiencies; improving health care quality, access and the patient experience; and improving the readiness of uniformed medical personnel -- we are concerned the magnitude and speed of reform efforts will cause pockets of trouble across the system. We arent alone in our concerns. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy recently called for a slowdown to reform efforts. It's about pacing, the secretary said during a media event. You are bringing thousands of people and functions to one organization. Like all mergers and acquisitions, there are cultural dynamics, there are synergies you are trying to achieve and, if you do it too fast, you can make a mess." The secretary was referring to the recent transfer of the management of Army, Navy and Air Force military treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency -- in essence, a gigantic merger. We hope DHA Director Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place is right that patients will absolutely positively see better care following the merger. But what if hes not? We fear DHA doesnt have the right problem reporting and tracking systems in place to identify and resolve issues if systemwide problems -- or even if just pockets of trouble -- arise. This could leave military families struggling to obtain health care. We believe there are some key steps DHA must take to protect military families access to care during MHS reform efforts. These include the following: Reinstate the Tricare Select escape hatch : Tricares annual open enrollment policy prevents families using Tricare Prime from switching to Tricare Select to seek civilian care even if they experience problems at their MTF. Families must be allowed to switch to Select if they are dissatisfied with their MTF, particularly while MHS reform creates a system in flux and potentially rife with problems. : Tricares annual open enrollment policy prevents families using Tricare Prime from switching to Tricare Select to seek civilian care even if they experience problems at their MTF. Families must be allowed to switch to Select if they are dissatisfied with their MTF, particularly while MHS reform creates a system in flux and potentially rife with problems. Create, and publicize, an online reporting tool for MTF access problems: Even before MHS reform began, MOAA regularly heard from families who couldnt get appointments at their MTFs. Many are afraid to push back when they are told there are no appointments available and arent aware of the Patient Advocate, the primary resource to resolve MTF problems. Families need an easy-to-use online tool to report problems making medical appointments, and these problems must be addressed, tracked and reported up to DHA. Even before MHS reform began, MOAA regularly heard from families who couldnt get appointments at their MTFs. Many are afraid to push back when they are told there are no appointments available and arent aware of the Patient Advocate, the primary resource to resolve MTF problems. Families need an easy-to-use online tool to report problems making medical appointments, and these problems must be addressed, tracked and reported up to DHA. Provide facility-based metrics: DHA must develop meaningful access to care metrics and report them in ways that identify facilities with appointment shortages. System-level data does not allow targeted solutions for local health care problems. Congress and DHA have undertaken a massive effort to find efficiencies, improve medical readiness and enhance the system for patients. The reforms are needed, but you cant fix problems you dont know about. Any plans that dont include common-sense ways to solicit and act on the feedback of military families, and allow them to leave their MTFs if care isnt available, are doomed from the start. These families have shown their willingness to make sacrifices for their service members and their nation. We cant allow their health care to be put at risk. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Scientists have created a tool which they claim can identify children who are at high risk of suffering from depression. Researchers used data from 2,192 Brazilian 15-year-olds to develop the the tool, which took into account factors including how well they do at school, their drug use and whether they have run away from home. From the data, they say they were able to work out which young people would go on to suffer from serious depression when they turned 18. The scientists used existing research to identify 11 factors which could be combined into a single score to recognise those at risk. The factors also included young people's sex, their skin colour and their relationships with their parents. Scientists said they could work out whether a child was likely to develop depression by assessing how well they did at school, their relationships with their parents and their drug use, for example (stock image) Other ways of working out depression risk are based on family history and symptoms which may not be serious enough to indicate depression, the researchers said. Dr Valeria Mondelli, of King's College London, who co-authored the study, said the research marked 'an important first step' in screening young people and improving mental health. Around one in six adults (17 per cent) in England experience mental health problems like anxiety or depression. In the US, nearly one in five (60million) are said to suffer, National Institute of Mental Health statistics show. Numerous factors are thought to influence it, including someone's family history, suffering from illness, using alcohol and drugs and going through traumatic events. Dr Mondelli and her colleagues said they used their chosen 11 factors because they were easy to collect and had a strong association with depression. WHAT DID THE SCIENTISTS CONSIDER WHEN CALCULATING DEPRESSION RISK? Researchers from King's College London used 11 factors to calculate an overall score which they used to predict someone's likelihood of developing depression. These factors were: Biological sex Skin colour Drug use School failure Social isolation Involvement in fights Poor relationship with mother Poor relationship with father Poor relationship between parents Childhood mistreatment History of running away from home Advertisement She said they tried to 'go beyond' traditional ways of identifying young people who might be at risk. The researchers added that they tried to learn from risk scores used to predict other health problems. These include the Framingham cardiovascular risk score, which attempts to predict the risk of someone suffering a heart attack over the course of 10 years. Dr Mondelli and her colleagues assessed the Brazilian students at both 15 years of age and 18 years. They then developed the tool to predict their risk of suffering from depression. lt was also used to try to predict the condition among 1,144 British 12-year-olds and 739 15-year-olds from New Zealand. But they found that the tool was not as effective on young people in those countries. This was because there was not the same level of information available for them and different measures had been used to assess their mental health aged 18. Study co-author Dr Christian Kieling, of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, said the results indicated the need to adapt the new test's score according to where it will be used. The research was published in the journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. It was part of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence (IDEA) project funded by mental health research charity MQ. The IDEA project is a major study analysing research and data from the UK, Brazil, Nigeria and Nepal in an attempt to find universal risk factors for depression in young people. King's College London is the lead institution on the project. Dr Kieling said: 'In our study we tried to go beyond more traditional ways of identifying youths at high risk of depression and learn from other medical specialties that combine multiple variables to generate composite risk scores, such as the Framingham cardiovascular risk score. 'This is relatively new in the field of mental health.' Dr Mondelli added: 'When developing any new risk assessment tool it is important to consider how it will work in the real world. 'As part of the IDEA project we are interviewing adolescents, parents and other stakeholders to understand their perceptions of this tool and the ethical implications of using it to stratify young people in terms of risk for developing depression.' Credit: CC0 Public Domain China has been the origin of several major viral epidemics over recent decades, with the current outbreak of a new deadly coronavirus emerging in the central city of Wuhan. A recap of the main epidemics: 2003: SARS The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome emerged in November 2002 in the southern Guangdong province. Believed to be from bats, it was apparently transmitted to humans via civet cats sold for meat in wildlife markets. Also a "coronavirus", so-named because of its crown-like appearance when seen under an electron microscope, SARS was highly contagious and caused acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia. From early 2003 it caused major panic across Asia, mainly in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 12 issued a global health alert. The SARS epidemic caused 774 deaths worldwide from more than 8,000 infections in around 30 countries. Eighty percent of the victims were in China and Hong Kong. 1997: bird flu A(H5N1) The A(H5N1) strain of bird flu claimed its first lives in Hong Kong in 1997, leaving six dead. It resurfaced in 2003 in Southeast Asia, killing 282 people from 468 infections in 15 countries, according to a WHO toll. But the virus was particularly dangerous for farmed fowl and almost all human cases were among people who had direct contact with infected birds. Infections between people were extremely limited, even though there were fears the virus would evolve into an easily transmissible form, so bird flu was not considered a human epidemic. 1968: Hong Kong flu A new influenza virus of the A typeamong the three seasonal varietiesstarted spreading in Hong Kong from July 1968, going on to infect 500,000 people or 15 percent of the population. It then moved into the rest of Asia, reaching the United States and Europe weeks later. Considered the first pandemic of modern times, its spread was aided by the increase in international air travel. The epidemic spurred major international mobilisation coordinated by the WHO. From November 1968 effective vaccines were developed. The pandemic is estimated to have killed one million people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1957: Asian flu The first cases of this variant of the flu, also a type A, were identified in February 1957 in China's southwestern province of Guizhou. The virus spread throughout China and the rest of Asia and the world in the most serious pandemic since the Spanish flu of 1918. It is estimated to have killed 1.1 million people, according to the CDC. Explore further Testing rules out Chinese virus in Australian case 2020 AFP Brazilian prosecutors allege that the writer Glenn Greenwald was a member of a criminal organization who got his hands on compromising conversations between government officials and then disseminated the material to the general public. I allege that Brazilian prosecutors are merely offering the best definition of good journalism. There are very few issues on which I agree with Greenwald some of his views I find detestable, actually but by any reasonable characterization, hes a journalist. A pretty good one, in fact. Whether you agree with his conclusions, objectives, or worldview, Greenwalds scoops about the surveillance state changed the way Americans talk about their government. In the past few years, Greenwald, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, has published leaked text messages that raise questions about the impartiality of former judge (now justice minister) Sergio Moro, and other prosecutors who served on an anti-corruption task force that indicted a number of high-profile left-wing politicians, including former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This rampant corruption helped right-wing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro win power. Now, I dont pretend to be an expert on Brazilian politics, even if I find hyperbolic some of the reaction to Bolsonaro, who seems no more autocratic than the average left-wing leader in South America. But three things seem undeniable: (1) The text messages and transcripts released by Greenwalds publication, The Intercept Brasil, have genuine news value; (2) Greenwald acquired those conversations using established and sound journalistic practices; and (3) Bolsonaro is attempting to intimidate journalists by seeking retribution against a reporter who has done a particularly effective job of damaging him. Yes, Greenwald is an ideologically driven writer. So are most American reporters (though the problem with journalism in the United States isnt as much ideology as it is unprincipled partisanship, which flows like a torrent in one direction). And yes, Greenwalds husband, David Miranda, is an elected official with the opposition left-wing Socialism and Liberty party. All of that matters, but none of it undermines the veracity of the conversations that Greenwald uncovered. Nor, more important, does it mean that the process by which he obtained the information should be considered criminal in a free nation. Story continues The Brazilian governments case relies in part on the allegation that Greenwald assisted in facilitating the commission of a crime by encouraging his anonymous sources to delete copies of stolen messages in an effort to evade detection by authorities. Well, using this malleable justification, most investigative journalists could be charged with a crime in Brazil, since most conspire to evade authorities on some level. Ask any American reporter, and theyll happily tell you they would go prison to protect the name of sources who illegally pass on information to them. Greenwald would like draw comparisons between his case and that of Julian Assange, charged by U.S. authorities with conspiring to hack government computers. But theres an important distinction: Assange allegedly participated in the initial criminality by offering assistance in breaching passwords, while Greenwald advised a source on how to protect his or her identity after already handing over information. Last year, a justice on Brazils supreme court barred federal police from investigating Greenwalds role in disseminating hacked messages. The ruling prohibited Bolsonaro from using coercive measures to stop Greenwald. Its unclear if the Bolsonaro administration will fight the judges decision or simply ignore it and move ahead with a prosecution of Greenwald. Either way, its authoritarian to use police powers to silence journalists who embarrass you. Because often maybe most of the time the most consequential journalism entails working with informants or whistleblowers who engage in illegality to uncover unflattering or corrupt interactions that powerful people would love to bury. Without such muckraking, much meaningful journalism would illegal. More from National Review New York, Jan 22 : Students living in New Jersey who are children of foreign workers on H1B visas will now qualify for the more affordable in-state tuition for higher education at the states public institutions. Nikhila Natarajan New York, Jan 22 (IANS) Students living in New Jersey who are children of foreign workers on H1B visas will now qualify for the more affordable in-state tuition for higher education at the states public institutions. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a legislation that exempts students whose parents or guardians hold H1B visas from paying out-of-state tuition charges, subject to criteria that include graduating from a New Jersey high school and having attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years. The H1B programme allows employers in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in "specialty occupations" that "normally require bachelor's degrees (or higher) in a specialty field". For nearly 30 years, US employers have used the H1B visa programme to employ foreign workers in the US. New Jersey, along with California, New York, Texas and Illinois, ranks among the top 10 destinations for H1B workers. New Jersey higher education officials expect the new legislation will make college more affordable for students who meet the requirements to qualify. Indian-American state Senator Vin Gopal is one of the five primary sponsors of the legislation. Others include M. Teresa Ruiz, Raj Mukherji, Daniel Benson and Robert Karabinchak. Speaking in support of the new legislation, Gopal said, "When we deny their children the opportunity to access an affordable college education right here at home, we're shutting the door on a whole new generation of brilliance and talent." Children of H1B workers will now be able to enrol in a New Jersey public college or university "at the same in-state tuition rate that is charged to their classmates," New Jersey higher education officials said. The new legislation came soon after the state unveiled a new economic plan that prioritises education and training for job seeking residents and access to high quality career opportunities. "Immigrants come to the US not only with a dream of a better life for themselves, but also for their children. With this bill, we're ensuring that our younger generations have the resources they deserve to realise their dreams," said Deepak Raj of New Jersey's Investment Council. H1B visas feature prominently in US President Donald Trump's Buy American and Hire American Executive Order which directs DHS to "suggest reforms to help ensure that H-1B visas are awarded to the most-skilled or highest-paid petition beneficiaries." The H1B programme allows employers in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in "specialty occupations". Specialty occupations include, but are not limited to, physicians, architects, professors, engineers and accountants. The visa category also includes fashion models "of distinguished merit and ability," and Department of Defence (DOD) researchers. The top 30 employers of the H1B programme are large information technology companies. "Approximately 66 per cent of the H-1B petitions approved in FY 2018 were for computer-related occupations," according to the Department of Homeland Security data. In FY 2018 alone, USCIS accepted 418,790 H1B petitions which included new petitions, amendments to earlier petitions and renewals. The number of new (initial) H1B visas issued each year are currently limited to 65,000 and an additional 20,000 H1B visas are available only to qualified foreign workers who have a master's degree or higher from a US institution of higher education. DETROIT Detroits largest craft brewery has been sold to beer industry giant Molson Coors. Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the U.S. craft division of the beer industry giant responsible for beers like Coors Light, Coors Banquet, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian and Blue Moon, announced the acquisition of Atwater Brewery on Wednesday. Terms of the sale were not disclosed, but the transaction is expected to be completed within the next couple of months. "The agreement with Tenth and Blake is both the culmination of our past and the catapult to our future," said Mark Rieth, Atwater Brewery owner. For Atwater to continue to grow, it will require both capital and brewing expertise. Tenth and Blake brings both, which makes them the ideal strategic partner to help us continue to live our mantra Born in Detroit. Raised Everywhere. Rieth and his management team will continue to lead Atwaters day-to-day operations from its location in Detroits historic Rivertown district. Atwater also has locations in Grosse Pointe Park and Grand Rapids. Rieth invested in Atwater in 2002 and purchased the brewery outright in 2005. Atwater beers are some of the most popular in Michigan with brands like Dirty Blonde, Vanilla Java Porter, Better Life Choices IPA and Decadent Dark Chocolate topping the brewerys portfolio. Atwater sold the fourth-most beer by volume in Michigan in 2018, selling 22,481 barrels of its own beer. That was up 14% compared to 2017. Only Bells, Founders and Shorts sold more in the state, according to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. Atwater Brewery joins other well-known craft brewers owned by Tenth and Blake, including the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin), AC Golden Brewing Company (Golden, Colorado) Saint Archer Brewing Company (San Diego), Terrapin Beer Company (Athens, Georgia), Hop Valley Brewing Company (Eugene, Oregon) and Revolver Brewing (Granbury, Texas). According to the company, the acquisition of Atwater is the latest example of Molson Coors Beverage Company executing its revitalization plan, which was launched in October 2019 to generate savings that are being reinvested across its entire portfolio. Atwater has been a staple and a leader in the Michigan craft community for more than two decades, and were thrilled to have them join Tenth and Blake, said Paul Verdu, vice president of Tenth and Blake. Our priority is to make sure their beer is enjoyed by consumers throughout their core markets and eventually across the Great Lakes region." Arlington Capital Advisors served as exclusive financial adviser to Atwater throughout the sale. STEM & STEAM Education Researchers Developing Tools to Teach CS to English Learners Researchers at the University of California, Irvine are launching a program to develop computational curriculum that focuses on the needs of English language learners. School of Education Professor Mark Warschauer has won a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, to study how to improve the teaching of computational thinking to culturally and linguistically diverse students in U.S. public schools. The grant lasts for five years. Warschauer is a professor of education and informatics who runs the university's Digital Learning Lab. Warschauer's research team will target fourth grade Hispanic students in three school districts: the Santa Ana Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District and Chicago Public Schools. The project will involve development and assessment of CS curriculum and professional development. In year one, the "intervention" will be developed. In years two and three, the focus will be on pilot testing and revisions. In year four a randomized control trial will take place. And year five will feature analysis and further improvement of the intervention, along with dissemination of the resources. Over the course of the five years, the researchers expect to have direct contact with at least 4,000 students. "The field of computer science has been a field that has not been equally accessible to all learners. This is one of the first programs in the [United States] that is developing computational curriculum to focus on the needs of English Learners," Warschauer said in a statement. "It is our intention to transform the teaching of computer science in Santa Ana and beyond. As a result of this grant, every fourth-grade teacher in Santa Ana will have received training in teaching computational thinking, with a focus on the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. We expect that our work on this grant will eventually lead to expansion of computational curriculum for grades five and beyond, with national impact." The latest work builds on a previous project undertaken at the university. Collaborative Network of Educators for Computational Thinking for All Research (CONECTAR), funded by the National Science Foundation, promoted computational thinking for all students in grade 4 in the Santa Ana school system, with scaffolding for non-native English speakers. [January 22, 2020] Results from Influenza Challenge Study Published in Lancet Infectious Diseases SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxart, Inc. (VXRT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral recombinant vaccines administered by tablet rather than by injection, announced today that the results from its H1 influenza oral tablet vaccine challenge study were published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, January 21, 2020 and currently available at doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30584-5. Topline results had been reported previously. The study demonstrated a single dose with the Vaxart oral tablet H1 influenza vaccine was well tolerated and provided statistically significant protection against H1 influenza infection in the human challenge model. Efficacy results trended favorably when compared to Fluzone, an injectable quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) and the active comparator in the study. If the results of the oral H1N1 influenza vaccine in this clinical trial can be reproduced with a quadrivalent mixture of strains this would revolutionize immunization against influenza, which after all is a mucosal disease, said Stanley Plotkin, MD. Dr. Stanley A. Plotkin is Emeritus Professor of the University of Pennsylvania and Adjunct Professor of the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Plotkin has developed several vaccines including the rubella vaccine now in standard use throughout the world and a recently licensed pentavalent rotavirus vaccine. He has also been involved in other vaccine development programs including anthrax, oral polio, rabies, varicella, and cytomegalovirus. These results provide clinical proof-of-concept for Vaxarts proprietary technology being able to make an oral vaccine that is at least as protective as Sanofis Fluzone, said Sean Tucker, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Vaxart. The results of the clinical study also demonstrated that our oral tablet vaccine primarily protects through mucosal immunity, a potential key factor for improving influenza vaccine performance. Data from the Phase 2 influenza A challenge study demonstrated that Vaxarts oral tablet influenza vaccine generated a 39 percent reduction in clinical disease relative to placebo, compared to a 27 percent reduction by Fluzone. It also reduced infection rates by 47 percent, compared to 43 percent by Fluzone. The tablet vaccine showed a favorable safety profile, similar to placebo. Influenza continues to be a serious public health problem affecting all age groups and causing severe illness and sometimes death in high-risk populations. A convenient and effective tablet vaccine may significantly increase current vaccination rates, generating important public health benefits for at-risk groups and the population as a whole, said Wouter Latour, M.D., M.B.A., chief executive officer of Vaxart. These results also confirm the value of our oral vaccine platform, prticularly for mucosal pathogens such as flu, norovirus, RSV, as well as coronaviruses such as SARS, MERS and the virus that recently emerged in China. The Phase 2 influenza A challenge trial was a randomized, double-blind study consisting of three groups. Subjects received either a single dose of the Vaxart oral tablet vaccine and a placebo intramuscular injection, a QIV injection and a placebo tablet, or a double placebo. Subjects were challenged intranasally with homologous A strain influenza virus 90-132 days after vaccination. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the percentage of subjects protected by the Vaxart oral tablet vaccine against influenza illness, measured as a reduction in clinical symptoms and laboratory-confirmed homologous influenza A infections, compared to QIV and placebo. The Phase 2 study was completed with support from the Office of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Vaxart received a total of $15.7 million under a contract from BARDA to support the advanced development of more effective influenza vaccines to ultimately improve seasonal and pandemic influenza preparedness. This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority under Contract No. HHSO100201500034C. About Influenza The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times, can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year. While the impact of flu varies, it places a substantial burden on the health of people in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9.2 million and 60.8 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010. For further information on influenza, its burden on human health and vaccine development, please visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/flu/. About Vaxart Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing oral recombinant protein vaccines based on its proprietary oral vaccine platform. Vaxarts vaccines are designed to generate broad and durable immune responses that protect against a wide range of infectious diseases and may also be useful for the treatment of chronic viral infections and cancer. Vaxarts vaccines are administered using a convenient room temperature-stable tablet, rather than by injection. Vaxart believes that tablet vaccines are easier to distribute and administer than injectable vaccines and have the potential to significantly increase vaccination rates. Vaxarts development programs include oral tablet vaccines that are designed to protect against norovirus, seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV). For more information, please visit www.vaxart.com. Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding our strategy, prospects, plans and objectives, results from preclinical and clinical trials, commercialization agreements and licenses, beliefs and expectations of management are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as believe, could, potential, will and other words and terms of similar meaning. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Vaxarts ability to develop and commercialize its product candidates and clinical results and trial data; Vaxarts intention to continue its efforts to advance its oral tablet seasonal flu vaccine; and Vaxarts expectations with respect to the important advantages it believes its oral vaccine platform can offer over injectable alternatives, particularly for mucosal pathogens such as norovirus, flu and RSV, as well as coronaviruses such as SARS, MERS and the virus that recently emerged in China. Vaxart may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Vaxart makes, that Vaxarts product candidates may not be approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities; that, even if approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities, Vaxarts product candidates may not achieve broad market acceptance; that Vaxart may experience manufacturing issues and delays; and other risks described in the Risk Factors sections of Vaxarts Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the SEC. Vaxart does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. CONTACT: Brant Biehn Vaxart, Inc. (650) 550-3500 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 17:07:12|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean man on Wednesday was sentenced to an eight-month jail term for killing a lost dog, according to Yonhap news agency. The Seoul Western District Court condemned the 28-year-old man, identified by his surname Jeong who worked at a local fried chicken restaurant, to eight months in prison. Jeong reportedly killed a lost dog in western Seoul in October last year, breaching the country's animal protection law. The dog was found severely injured in its head. Prosecutors earlier demanded an 18-month prison term for Jeong. In November last year, the same district court sentenced a South Korean man in his 30s to six months in prison for assaulting and killing a cat. Earlier this month, the district court in Suwon, south of the capital Seoul, handed down a four-month jail term to a man in his 50s for murdering two cats over two days. Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, filed a complaint Tuesday with the Senate Business Office against fellow Sen. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township. In allegations first published in Crains Detroit Business, McMorrow said her first interaction with Lucido in November 2018 made her feel like a piece of meat," and said a Michigan Advance report published last week about an interaction between Allison Donahue and Lucido helped her make the decision to come forward. Lucido has denied the allegations made against him by McMorrow, who told reporters Tuesday that during an orientation for incoming senators, she walked over to introduce herself to Lucido. She said he put his hand on her lower back and held it there. He asked her where she was from, McMorrow said, and when she told him shed defeated her opponent in the district, she said he looked her up and down and said, I can see why. It implied, You won because of what you look like, McMorrow said. I know Im a sitting member, I know that my story carries weight... Its on us to change this culture and make this a comfortable place for everybody to work. Lucido is currently under investigation by the Senate Business Office, which was started last week after Donahue wrote in a first-person account that Lucido told her a group of male high school students he was meeting with could have a lot of fun with her. The report sparked immediate criticisms of Lucidos behavior and gained nationwide attention, and Senate leadership asked for the investigation within hours of publication. Lucido initially issued a brief statement apologizing for the misunderstanding." He later told a handful of media outlets Donahues report was inaccurate. Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said Tuesday Shirkey is withholding comment on McMorrows specific allegations while the investigation unfolds, and said the Senate is currently seeking independent counsel to advise on the investigation. McCann said Shirkey encourages anybody who has a concern or feels that they have something that deserves attention or further investigation utilize the means to file a complaint. Watch McMorrows comments to reporters in full below: Read more: Michigan senator hopes filing sexual harassment complaint against her colleague will change this culture Michigan senator plans to file complaint against lawmaker accused of sexual harassment, report says Michigan senator criticized for telling reporter a group of high school boys could have fun with her Michigan legislative leaders open investigation into senator after comments to female reporter Michigan senator being accused of sexual harassment now alleging report was inaccurate [January 21, 2020] CollabNet VersionOne and XebiaLabs Combine to Create Integrated Agile DevOps Platform CollabNet VersionOne (CollabNet), a leading provider for Agile (News - Alert) planning and collaborative development, and XebiaLabs, the leader in release orchestration, deployment, and continuous delivery, announced today that the two companies have merged. The combination, which was backed by TPG Capital, unites CollabNet's upstream Agile planning and enterprise version control functionality with XebiaLabs' downstream release orchestration and deployment automation capabilities to create an Agile, end-to-end, DevOps platform for enterprises. In connection with the transaction, Ashok Reddy, an accomplished industry veteran and former Broadcom (News - Alert) executive, has joined the combined company as CEO. He replaces Flint Brenton, who is stepping aside to focus on family and personal interests after nearly five years of successful stewardship. Derek Langone, current CEO of XebiaLabs, will serve as President of the combined company. Stephen Gregorio, EVP and CFO of XebiaLabs, will serve as the combined company's CFO. "The combination of CollabNet and XebiaLabs will provide enterprise customers with the end-to-end visibility and management capabilities needed to develop software quickly, reliably, and securely, ultimately helping accelerate their digital transformation and drive business outcomes," said Nehal Raj and Art Heidrich of TPG Capital. "We congratulate Flint on a successful tenure, and look forward to partnering with Ashok, Derek, and the broader team to further accelerate our strategy to create a leading enterprise DevOps platform company." Founded in 2008, XebiaLabs is a high-growth provider of release management and automation developer tools. The company provides release orchestration and application delivery software that enables enterprises to orchestrate, automate, and analyze the entire software release pipeline at enterprise scale. XebiaLabs' downstream capabilities complement CollabNet's upstream product portfolio, which includes VersionOne for enterprise Agile planning and management, VS for connected workflows and visibility throughout the entire delivery value stream, and TeamForge for enterprise-scale version control management and application lifecycle management. Both companies' platforms and tools are recognized by analysts as industry-leading offerings that drive innovation into the market. "We are on a mission to fundamentally transform how enterprise software development and delivery is done," said Reddy. "The combination of CollabNet and XebiaLabs will provide a platform that enables digital transformation at scale with Agile and DevOps processes to continuously adapt, learn, and improve, especially in a world of AI-driven intelligent apps and experiences. I am thrilled to be joining at this critical juncture and look forward to working withthe entire team to lead the combined company through its next chapter of growth." "XebiaLabs has established itself as the standard for DevOps in large enterprises. Counting among our clients the world's largest financial, healthcare, and manufacturing companies, our focus has been on creating a platform that takes advantage of existing tooling and processes while providing the scale, standardization, security, and reporting that large companies require," said Langone. "I am thankful for what we have been able to achieve with the support of Susquehanna Growth Equity and Accel. By combining XebiaLabs and CollabNet, our mutual clients will now benefit from the most capable Agile DevOps platform available in the market. This is a game changer for businesses that need to maximize their software application assets while navigating complex regulatory, compliance, and security requirements." Most recently, Reddy led Broadcom's multibillion-dollar Enterprise Software Division, where he helped create a platform for global enterprises to scale their digital transformations and become real-time digital businesses. With a career spanning more than 25 years in enterprise software and deep experience in Agile and DevOps transformation, Reddy has held leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies including IBM, CA (News - Alert) Technologies, Rational Software, Honeywell, and Novartis. Reddy will work closely with Langone and Gregorio, both experienced software executives, to lead the combined company. "I thank my colleagues at CollabNet for the success created by their hard work and dedication," said Brenton. "While I am proud of all we have built together, I have decided it is the right time for me to return to California and begin the next chapter of my life. CollabNet and XebiaLabs are in strong and capable hands with Ashok, Derek, and TPG Capital, and I am confident that under their leadership, the combined company will achieve even greater success and scale." Barclays, Evercore, and KeyBanc served as financial advisors to TPG Capital and CollabNet, and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel. Shea & Company served as financial advisor to XebiaLabs, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel. XebiaLabs' existing shareholders, Susquehanna Growth Equity and Accel, have sold their respective stakes in the company as part of the combination. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About CollabNet VersionOne CollabNet VersionOne is a leading platform provider for Value Stream Management, Agile planning, DevOps and source code management. Its offerings provide global enterprise and government industry leaders a cohesive solution that enables them to ideate, create and orchestrate the flow of value through continuous delivery pipelines with measurable business outcomes. To learn more visit: www.collab.net About XebiaLabs XebiaLabs' mission is to help large companies accelerate their software releases with more reliability - no matter how diverse the infrastructure or complex the processes. The XebiaLabs DevOps Platform is the industry's only end-to-end DevOps toolchain orchestration and reporting solution, providing the automation, control, and visibility enterprises need to deliver software faster and with less risk. With the XebiaLabs DevOps Platform, organizations can connect all their DevOps tools, manage their interactions, deploy to any environment, and create a data hub for reporting, without ad-hoc scripting and endless maintenance. For more information, please visit www.xebialabs.com. About TPG TPG is a leading global alternative asset firm founded in 1992 with more than $119 billion of assets under management and offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, and Singapore. TPG's investment platforms are across a wide range of asset classes, including private equity, growth equity, real estate, credit, and public equity. TPG aims to build dynamic products and options for its investors while also instituting discipline and operational excellence across the investment strategy and performance of its portfolio. For more information, visit www.tpg.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006172/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Francis Erhabor, the divisional police officer of Itam, Akwa Ibom state police command, who rejected a N6 million bribe to compromise the security system while he was a pipeline commander in Edo has received the 2019 Integrity Icon award. The Integrity Icon summit award is organised by Accountability Lab in partnership with Luminate, MacArthur and Ford Foundation to name and fame honest government officials, thereby encouraging integrity in the public service. Other awardees are; Tani Ali Nimlan, an official of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Tina Lirmdu, a lecturer at the University of Jos, Plateau state; Kacheilom Roberts-Ndukwe, a teacher in a secondary school in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, and Christian Ahiauzu, head of the network infrastructure unit in ICTC at the University of Port Harcourt were also honoured at the event which held in Abuja. Read Also: Speed Darlington Laments After Police Allegedly Collected 200k Bribe From Him (Video) Erhabor, said I almost compromised if not for the mercies of the Lord. The story that is making frontline today that has brought me here was when I had just N800 in my pocket and I was a pipeline commander in Edo state, where I had worked for close to three to four years. My actual allowance was just N37,500 from the government, which was not coming when due. And I had a few persons who dangled N1.5million to me and they were to be giving me N6million every week. And if I were to be there for 30 days, that is N24 million. I eventually spent more than three years. But because of that decision I took before I entered the force because I had taken an oath that the day I compromise myself, Lord just embarrass me, show me on TV. Make me stick to the N37,500 that was not forthcoming. It didnt go without persecution and agonism, sometimes my life was threatened, but the beautiful thing is that at the end of the day, I earned respect, I earned trust, got confidence not only from my colleagues but also from outside forces and it has been fun because the outcome has paid off. BRUSSELS - Venezuelas opposition leader said Wednesday that he wants the European Union to broaden sanctions against members of the Venezuelan government as a way to push toward free presidential elections in the country. Speaking in Brussels during a global tour that defied a year-long travel ban at home and sought allies support to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido also told The Associated Press that he is seeking a meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington. We are making all efforts to align as many agendas as possible, he said in an interview. We dont rule it out. We are looking for a space. Guaido just missed an opportunity to meet the U.S. president in Europe. Trump was at the economic forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos on Tuesday and Wednesday, where the Venezuelan politician has a scheduled appearance on Thursday before he continues what he called an intense agenda that could also take him to France and Spain. A year ago, Trumps administration rushed to throw its support behind Guaido, the speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, recognizing him as the countrys legitimate president. About 60 nations have also backed him, contending that Maduros 2018 re-election was invalid and marred by fraud. Guaido, however, has been unable to remove the Venezuelan president from power. Maduro controls key government institutions, the Supreme Court, the electoral board and the military. Despite the setbacks, including a failed call for a military uprising last April, the Venezuelan opposition has continued to increase pressure on Maduro. This week, Guaidos team is pushing hard to secure appearances with foreign heads of government, like he did on Tuesday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Spains new, left-wing government has said that Guaido is welcome to visit the country, which hosts a large community of Venezuelans, but that he would be received by the foreign minister, not Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. That has been read as the influence that the anti-austerity Podemos party wields in Sanchezs new coalition cabinet. Podemos founder Pablo Iglesias, now a deputy prime minister, once criticized the Spanish government for backing Guaido, saying that the Venezuelan opposition leader sought a coup detat with U.S. intervention and a blood bath in the Latin American country. Asked about the influence of Podemos in a country key in shaping the EUs Venezuelan policy, Guaido said he trusted Sanchezs determination and love for the values of freedom, democracy and the support that Venezuela and the region need. This is not a problem of right or left. In Venezuela, the problem is about the dictatorship and the citizens who keep fighting for their democracy and their dignity, Guaido said. Its important not to see this with an ideological bias, but to understand clearly our demand for free elections. The 36-year-old opposition leader also wants Europe to ban the trading of Venezuelan gold mined from the countrys southern jungles, what he calls blood gold responsible for damages in the environment and local communities. The metal has increasingly become a source of revenue there. And after the EU pledged last year to stiffen the blocs sanctions against Venezuelan individuals if the now defunct talks hosted by Norway to reach a negotiated solution to the countrys 7-year-long crisis failed, Guaido said the moment had arrived. Dictatorships and dictators need to know that there are sanctions, that there is a responsibility and that they cant laugh at the world, he said. After his meeting with the EUs top diplomat, Josep Borrell, the European Foreign Affairs Office issued a statement saying that the bloc is committed to support a genuine process toward a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis, based on credible and transparent presidential and legislative elections. Guaido also lamented the raid of his Caracas office on Tuesday night by Venezuelas powerful intelligence police unit, as well as the disappearance of Ismael Leon, a deputy in the National Assembly who the opposition said was taken by security forces. He said those attacks were unmasking the true nature of the dictatorship but that he was nevertheless committed to returning to Venezuela. Without any doubt, Im going back, he answered when asked whether he feared reprisals or detention. I am the interim president of Venezuela and we are going to work from Caracas, despite the risk that it carries. DUBAI (Reuters) - Gunmen in Iran shot dead a commander of the hardline Basij militia who was an ally of Qassem Soleimani, the senior Revolutionary Guards commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq, the official news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday. The Basij are under the command of the Guards, the most powerful and heavily armed security force in the Islamic Republic. IRNA said that Abdolhossein Mojaddami, a Basij commander in the city of Darkhovin in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, was shot on Tuesday in front of his home by two men riding a motorcycle. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, IRNA said. It described Mojaddami as one of the defenders of the shrine, a reference used to describe members of security forces who have fought in recent conflicts in Iraq or Syria. Soleimani, a general who oversaw Iran's drive to extend its influence across the Middle East, was killed at Baghdad airport on Jan. 3, prompting Iran to fire missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq in an escalation of their confrontation over Tehran's nuclear program and broader security issues in the region. On Saturday, the United States said it had imposed sanctions on a Revolutionary Guards general in Khuzestan who commanded units Washington accused of responsibility for killing anti-government protesters in November. The U.S. State Department cited multiple media reports and information submitted by Iranians through its "Rewards for Justice" tipline saying that Guards units killed as many as 148 protesters with machinegun fire and by setting fire to a marsh in which protesters took cover in the city of Mahshahr. Iranian authorities disputed the U.S. account, saying security forces confronted rioters who they described as a security threat to petrochemical plants and to a key energy supply route that, if blocked, would have created a crisis. Protests in November were initially sparked by hikes in gasoline prices but demonstrators quickly expanded their demands to cover calls for more political freedom and other issues. The unrest prompted the bloodiest crackdown on demonstrators in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic, which blamed foreign enemies for rising tensions. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Former Emmerdale actress Georgia Slowe has lost a bitter court battle with workmen after suing them for 'botched repairs' on a leaking hot tub at her 4.4 million North London townhouse. The 53-year-old actress, who played Perdita Hyde-Sinclair in the long-running ITV soap, told a judge she was 'very cross' over work carried out on the spa at her seven-bedroom, five-bathroom house in a leafy suburb in November 2017. Mrs Slowe, who was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 1989, told a judge at Central London County Court that her hot tub was left covered in glue and continued to leak despite being invoiced 1,052 by Hot Tub SOS Ltd. The Hampshire-based firm insisted they did not breach their contract because Mrs Slowe was told that using a silicone sealant was 'the cheaper option', and that she 'didn't want to pay' the additional 600 required to have the leaking part replaced. Calling the claim 'spurious', they insisted they had never promised the glue repair would be permanent and didn't charge her for it, general manager Chris Perry and engineer Stephen Horler told Judge Ian Avent. Loses claim: Emmerdale actress Georgia Slowe, 53, has lost a bitter court battle with workmen after suing them for 'botched repairs' on a hot tub at her 4.4 million London townhouse. A judge ruled the hot tub repair company had made it clear the work carried out was temporary But Ms Slowe told the judge: 'I wasn't able to use my hot tub for months and months and months. 'It wasn't worth saving a few hundred pounds for months of aggravation.' Judge Avent threw out her claim, rejecting her accusations against Hot Tub SOS, which he said had done its work with 'care and skill'. Mrs Slowe began acting when she was a child and has enjoyed a successful career. She appeared in Emmerdale between 2006 and 2008, as well as playing Alice in the cult gothic fantasy The Company of Wolves in 1984. She was later nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet in 1989. She was married to Ray Kelvin, founder of the Ted Baker clothing chain from 1993 until they divorced in 2000, after having two sons. Then later remarried to photographer Stuart McClymont in 2017 with whom she shares the 4.4m house where the row over the hot tub erupted. The court heard that Ms Slowe called out Hot Tub SOS after discovering her tub had started leaking around a bank of embedded LED lights used to illuminate it whilst in use. Hot Tub SOS general manager Chris Perry (left) and engineer Stephen Horler said they had never promised the glue repair would be permanent and didn't charge Mrs Slowe for the labour carried out. Mrs Slowe demanded the repairmen fix the further damage without charge The hot tub 'was important to her and her husband,' the judge said, because soaking in it helped sooth back pains the actress had been suffering. The leak had caused water to get into the pump and electrics, which needed to be replaced to the tune of over 1,000. Hot Tub SOS engineers told the judge they also informed the actress that to replace the lights to stop the leak would cost an additional 600 and the job would have to be done by a specialist on another occasion. The company said she was 'not prepared to pay' the extra 600 and, in the circumstances, 'reluctantly suggested' they could try to mend the lights with a special silicone glue. However, engineer Stephen Horler wrote out a disclaimer on the 1,052.40 invoice which Ms Slowe's husband signed, saying the glue fix was not guaranteed beyond 28 days. The 53-year-old actress, who played Perdita Hyde-Sinclair in the long-running ITV soap, told a judge she was 'very cross' over work carried out on a spa at her seven-bedroom, five-bathroom house in the leafy North London suburb in November 2017 (her London townhouse above) 'We said we could not guarantee this would be a permanent fix. We didn't charge anything extra for the labour dealing with the lights because we couldn't guarantee it would be a permanent solution,' Mr Horler told the judge. Subsequently, Ms Slowe found that the tub was leaking again - and even worse than before, the court heard. A row ensued because the new leak was not discovered until after the 28 day period and the repairmen said they would have to charge a 125 call out fee to travel from Hampshire to inspect the problem. Ms Slowe refused and said she wanted the work redone for free. 'I'm not going to pay 1000 to have a leaky hot tub,' she told the judge, adding of her refusal to pay the callout fee, 'we argued back and forth because I thought it was immoral.' She eventually enlisted another repair company, which replaced the pump fitted by Hot Tub SOS and replaced the LED lights they glued. Mrs Slowe married photographer Stuart McClymont in 2017 and the pair now share the 4.4m house in where the row over the hot tub erupted. The hot tub 'was important to her and her husband,' the judge said, because soaking in it helped sooth back pains the actress had been suffering The actress went on to sue Hot Tub SOS, claiming thousands in damages for the cost of the repairs the other company carried out and reimbursement for their own bill for 'bad work'. She told the judge that she had only agreed to 'glueing the lights' because she had been told it was a permanent cheap fix. 'The gentleman that was working on the hot tub gave me his absolute assurance,' she said. 'I would not have gone for an option that would mean that the hot tub carried on leaking. 'They never said it wouldn't be a permanent fix otherwise I wouldn't have gone for it in a million years. After they left, it was leaking worse than before. 'I wouldn't have gone for it if it was going to happen again. Why would I do that? It would have been completely idiotic and I'm seriously not an idiot,' she said. Georgia Slowe as Perdita Hyde-Sinclair in Emmerdale in 2007. She was also nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet in 1989 She also complained that the glue repairs left her tub in a mess, saying she spent the next day scrubbing it off. 'The whole of the hot tub the next day was covered in this rubbery stuff,' she said. 'The top of it was all covered in filthy rubbery glue. It was a horrible mess. It looked like just a really horrible mess. I came upstairs and I was really cross.' She added: 'It turns out the special glue they used was only silicone.' On the written receipt signed by her husband setting out that the glue fix was not guaranteed to last more than 28 days, she said: 'My husband didn't read it, he just signed.' Mr McClymont added: 'I made a mistake in not reading it. I didn't think I was signing a legal document. I thought I was just signing for the payment.' Hot Tub SOS general manager Chris Perry told the judge the actress had brought 'a bit of a spurious claim.' Judge Avent told Ms Slowe: 'Your husband signed the paperwork saying it had been repaired and you were satisfied with it. 'It has been established law for 100 years now that a person is bound by their signature, whether they read the document or not.' Giving his ruling, he added: 'The burden is upon Ms Slowe to prove that her case is to be preferred. She alleges there had been a breach of contract. Georgia Slowe as Perdita Hyde-Sinclair in Emmerdale in 2008. She was also nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet in 1989, as well as having appeared in cult British horror The Company of Wolves in 1984 'In the end, she went for the glueing process. She opted for the cheaper option and instructed Hot Tub SOS to carry out repairs.' There was 'no evidence at all' from other engineers that Hot Tub SOS's work was shoddy or that the pump they fitted was at fault, he added. Of Ms Slowe's complaint that she suffered months of stress, the judge said: 'That may well be, but that's part of everyday life I'm afraid. Your stress and inconvenience doesn't fall under a head of damage.' Throwing out her claim, he went on: 'Ms Slowe wants her money back. She didn't want to pay twice. Hot Tub SOS defend the claim, on the basis that they simply followed the instructions were given and carried out their part of the bargain. 'There was no charge in relation to the glueing of the lights so she suffered no loss. The only loss she had suffered arguably is the replacement of the pump and I'm not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the pump required replacement. 'She was given two options regarding the lights. She opted to have them repaired. It didn't work and she has now opted to have them replaced, but that is an expense she would have incurred in any event. 'I don't accept that Hot Tub SOS gave an unqualified representation that there would be a permanent fix and there would be no further leaks in this tub. 'I take the view that Hot Tub SOS did the best they could in the circumstances and performed their part of the bargain with reasonable care and skill.' Starr Insurance Companies has appointed Kathleen Murphy as regional vice president, Southeast Region, effective January 13. Murphy is responsible for field leadership as well as broker and client relationships. According Robert Cruz, senior vice president, Sales and Distribution, Murphy has more than 22 years of experience on both the brokerage and carrier sides of the business. He added she will help Starrs growth of its Southeast region and to develop new channels. Starrs Southeast Region comprises: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Murphy reports directly to Cruz and is based in Atlanta. Starr Insurance Companies (or Starr) is a marketing name for the operating insurance and travel assistance companies and subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. and for the investment business of C. V. Starr & Co., Inc. and its subsidiaries. Starr is an insurance and investment organization with a presence on six continents; through its operating insurance companies, Starr provides property, casualty, and accident and health insurance products as well as a range of specialty coverages including aviation, marine, energy and excess casualty insurance. Starrs insurance company subsidiaries domiciled in the U.S., Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, U.K. Topics Carriers The death toll from a storm that has lashed Spain rose to four on Wednesday after the body of a man was found in a flooded area, officials said. Police found the body in a zone in the southeastern province of Alicante where they were looking for a 67-year-old man who went missing when his car got swept up in a flash flood, said a local police spokesman. "We still have not been able to confirm the identity of the person," he added. Four people are still thought to be missing after Storm Gloria crashed into eastern Spain on Sunday with gusts of over 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour, snow, freezing rain and massive waves. The storm is blamed for three other deaths, including that of a 54-year-old homeless woman who died of hypothermia and a 63-year-old man who was killed by flying roof tiles. Officials are looking for four people, including a 25-year-old British man who went missing on Tuesday while on a beach in the north of the holiday island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean. Ibiza is part of the Balearic Islands which were hit by waves on Tuesday which reached a record high of 14.77 metres (45.93 feet), according to the port authority. Spanish media showed images of a powerful wave crashing over a seafront wall and sending water cascading toward the street and nearby buildings in Cala Ratjada in Mallorca, the largest island of the archipelago. National weather agency Aemet said the storm was starting to abate on Wednesday although it kept the northeastern region of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands on alert. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Officials in Massachusetts are alerting parents of a dangerous video trend that teens have been participating in, which authorities say has led to multiple fire incidents in the area. In an advisory released on Tuesday, Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey notified parents of the new challenge, which he said originated on video-sharing platform TikTok and involves the unsafe use of electricity and fire, TV station WHDH reported. Ostroskey explained that teens are recording themselves sliding a penny behind a phone charger that is partially plugged into an electrical outlet. When the coin hits the exposed metal prongs, sparks shoot out of the outlet, causing electrical system damage, possible injury, and in some cases, fires. So far, there have been two documented fire incidents in the state one at a residence in Holden and another at a high school in Westford, Ostroskey confirmed. The incident in Holden was reported after a mother noticed the outlet on her wall appeared to be scorched and burnt, as shown in a photo obtained by the State Fire Marshal. The other involved one or multiple students at Westford Academy, whom Ostroskey said will be held responsible for starting a fire at the high school and are expected to face charges. RELATED: Mom Speaks Out After Girl, 12, Sets Herself on Fire While Attempting Viral Fire Challenge This video is a concern and similar to past viral videos that encourage unsafe behavior, Ostroskey noted, referencing similar dangerous viral challenges, such as the Fire Challenge, the Cinnamon Challenge, and the Tide Pod Challenge. To prevent further incidents, the State Fire Marshal urged parents to look for signs of fire play like scorched outlets and to speak with their children about fire safety. Have conversations about fire and electrical safety with tweens and teenagers, he said. S.A.F.E. educators might reach out to their school partners because teaching why this is dangerous could be a good science lesson. Story continues A rep for TikTok did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. RELATED VIDEO: The 10 Year Challenge: Viral Sensation or Facebook Ploy? Besides Ostroskey, the Holden Fire Department (HFD) and Canton Fire Department (CFD) also issued similar advisories about the challenge. The HFD reminded parents in their release to follow fire safety tips, including fully inserting plugs into the sockets, installing tamper-resistant electrical outlets for young children, replacing any outlets that appear to be damaged, and avoiding overloading outlets. Participating in any of these viral trends or challenges can be dangerous and have serious repercussions, added CFD Chief Charles E. Doody. We want parents to be aware of this trend so they can help to educate their kids about the danger and prevent possible fires, electrical damage or injuries. PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) announced today that its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET at FMC Tower at Cira Centre South, 2929 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104. About FMC FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, provides innovative solutions to growers around the world with a robust product portfolio fueled by a market-driven discovery and development pipeline in crop protection, plant health, and professional pest and turf management. This powerful combination of advanced technologies includes leading insect control products based on Rynaxypyr and Cyazypyr active ingredients; Authority, Boral, Centium, Command and Gamit branded herbicides; Talstar and Hero branded insecticides; and flutriafol-based fungicides. The FMC portfolio also includes biologicals such as Quartzo and Presence bionematicides. FMC Corporation employs approximately 6,500 employees around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.fmc.com. FMC, the FMC logo, Rynaxypyr, Cyazypyr, Authority, Boral, Centium, Command, Gamit, Talstar, Hero, Quartzo and Presence are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. Always read and follow all label directions, restrictions and precautions for use. Products listed here may not be registered for sale or use in all states, countries or jurisdictions. Hero insecticide is a restricted use pesticide in the United States. Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2018 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law. SOURCE FMC Corporation Related Links http://www.fmc.com Farmers and government officials are still assessing the impact of the devastating Australian bushfires on agriculture, but it may take months before the full impact is apparent. So far it seems that the major dairy plants have not been damaged by the fires. On a short-term basis, some milk is being dumped due to inaccessible roads. Some farms are running on back-up generators. Some farmers have not been able to milk their cows for a few days, either due directly to the fires, due to no electricity, or lack of fuel for generators. The picture today is that some milk has been lost, but anecdotally it doesnt sound like a lot. There are reports of cattle losses There are roughly 23 million beef cattle and 1.5 million dairy cows in Australia. About 2.5 million of the cattle are along the east coast where the fires have been the worst, which would include about 150,000 dairy cows. I dont think its out of the question to assume 1% to 2% of the cattle in the affected areas were or will be killed by the fires. That would be direct losses of 25,000 to 50,000 cattle, of which 1,500 to 3,000 would be dairy cows. That would reduce the size of the Australian dairy herd by 0.1% to 0.2%. So, the direct kill from the fires probably isnt that big . . . relative to total number of cows and milk production. Maybe the bigger issue will be feed availability after the fires cool down. How many acres of pasture/hay or hay stocks have been burnt up? How quickly will those pastures regenerate, and is there enough feed available to carry the dairy cows through until the pastures regrow? If all 150,000 cows in the worst hit areas had to be dried off early, it would reduce total milk production by roughly 5% for the current season. Some of the cows would likely be sent to slaughter and some farms shutdown too, so there could be long-run impacts into next season as well. Looking to the markets In the worst case, lets say Australian milk production falls by about 5% from previously expected levels due to the fires. That would knock about 450,000 metric tons off global production. If that fed through to Australian exports on a 1-to-1 basis, it would reduce global milk equivalent exports by about 0.6% which would push prices about 3% higher than they otherwise would have been (assuming demand elasticity of 0.20). So, the worst-case scenario around the fires would add about $100 per metric ton to whole milk powder over the next year (from whatever it would have been without the fires) or 5 cents per pound to cheese. Again, thats the worst case. If you read about the fires in California a few years ago (which produces almost twice as much milk as Australia), you would have thought the whole state was on fire and the dairy industry would have suffered considerable losses. In reality, the impact on the California dairy industry was minimal, and its possible the impact from these fires in Australia will prove to be minimal as well. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2020 January 20, 2020 maybe I'm just not paying attention but it's quite telling how muted the coverage of this has been. variety reported on it but there isn't one article about it on the hollywood reporter front page. mmmmmm. Reply Thread Link https://twitter.com/eriqgardner/status/1219738486414225409?s=21 I follow THR on twitter and theyve been tweeting about it all day I follow THR on twitter and theyve been tweeting about it all day Reply Parent Thread Link i just went to their page [ that's good then.i just went to their page [ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/] and ctrl+f "grammy" and there was literally nothing so it's definitely on their front page which is a bit weird. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link they have been trying to downplay her comments for a while, citing harassment claims against her Reply Parent Thread Link we love an awards scandal!!! here's the song nominees. i wonder which one ranked low (i bet it was gags or taylor) "Always Remember Us This Way" -- Lady Gaga "Bad Guy" -- Billie Eilish "Bring My Flowers Now" -- Tanya Tucker "Hard Place" -- H.E.R. "Lover" -- Taylor Swift "Norman Fucking Rockwell" -- Lana Del Rey "Someone You Loved" -- Lewis Capaldi "Truth Hurts" -- Lizzo Reply Thread Link I thought that meant a song that shouldve been nominated at last years Grammys (the 2019 ceremony), so my money was on Shawn Mendes bc why the fuck was he nominated for SOTY? Reply Parent Thread Link ugh are we considering these the 2020~ nominees?? i hate when they dont call them by their calendar year. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link On Twitter some people are pointing out "In My Blood" wasn't nominated for any other categories and every other song was so you're probably right Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao this is definitely Tanya Tucker Reply Parent Thread Expand Link "This Is America" Childish Gambino "All the Stars" Kendrick Lamar & SZA "Boo'd Up" Ella Mai "God's Plan" Drake "In My Blood" Shawn Mendes "The Joke" Brandi Carlile "The Middle" Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey "Shallow" Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Shawn Mendes seems like a suspicious choice for Song of the Year, but I doubt he has enough influence in the industry to pull something like this. My money is on Drake or Lady Gaga. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I wonder how voting for these nominees work. Reply Thread Link Yes! I love a good scandal! Even if it's for an award that I care nothing about! Why would you fire someone right after they submit a report on discrimination and irregularities in voting at the Grammys? Come on, that's just making it too easy. Reply Thread Link She was fired like a week before the ceremony, its wild that this hasnt gotten more coverage. I hope female performers do back out of the show, and that theres some sort of reform within the Recording Academy and the music industry in general (tho lbr reform will never happen). Anyways the Grammys are useless, and Im not watching the ceremony this year Edited at 2020-01-22 04:51 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link I wonder if its true about the female performers dropping out? The men should join I wonder if thisll finally cause a Edited at 2020-01-22 04:51 am (UTC) I had no idea the former president had sexual assault accusations D:I wonder if its true about the female performers dropping out? The men should join I wonder if thisll finally cause a #metoo movement in the music community? I remember Lana hoping it would when the Weinstein stuff came out and I think some other girls said similar things. Reply Thread Link I wanna know who it is, dammit! Let's cross-reference the 2019 SOTY with who sat on the nominee committee. I always knew the Grammys weren't shit and here's proof. Reply Thread Link Dugan claims that Ed Sheeran & Ariana Grande received enough votes for a "Song of the Year" nomination in 2019, but did not gain the nomination due to the song that finished. I wonder which song this is. Reply Thread Link Expose them! The Grammy's have always been a joke and I am not at all surprised people are paying for noms. It totally makes sense. I still remember when Loose barely got nominated for anything but B'Day got a bunch of big noms. Neil Portnow, Dugan's predecessor, didn't get his contract renewed because he "alledgedly" raped a female recording artist. WTF. That guy is such a fucking creep. I've never liked him. He would always give himself a 10 minute speech every year like bro no one knows who you are or cares go away. Edited at 2020-01-22 04:58 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Regarding Beyonce I remember the rumor(?) that her dad was part of the committee or voting branch at one point and thats how Destinys Child won their first Grammys back then. I dont know if thats true but its clearly not happening now cause shes been shut out every year. Reply Parent Thread Link Her last two albums were nominated for Album of the Year lol. Lemonade got 9 nominations. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link WTF. That guy is such a fucking creep. I've never liked him. He would always give himself a 10 minute speech every year like bro no one knows who you are or cares go away. He's also the asshole who said that women needed to step up when few women were nominated in 2018. It's the women who are to blame and not the predator and sexist who was president of the academy. I've always hated him. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Out of all the entertainment industries, the music industry seems like the toughest to be in IMO. All of the industries can be shady as fuck, but there is something about the music industry that unsettles me. Reply Thread Link Burn it all down. Reply Thread Link No fckn way... /s Reply Thread Link I was wondering when this was going to drop. Sus that she quit weeks before the ceremony. But we been knew the Grammys are trash and rigged. They some reforms and transparency. The secret committees are telling. Reply Thread Link after what neil portnow did to lorde, i'm not surprised he's a dogshit human. i wish this would burn the grammys to the ground but it probably won't. Reply Thread Link What did he do to Lorde? Reply Parent Thread Link he was largely why she was kept from performing/snubbed for melodrama. Reply Parent Thread Link She was nominated for Album of the Year. He asked all the male nominees to perform, they did except Jay Z who said no. She wasn't asked. And then when he was asked about the lack of women nominated and performances he said "women need to step up" if they want recognition. Reply Parent Thread Link I was just reading the post about this on the popheads subreddit because I was hoping they'd have some interesting info but their lack of knowledge on music that isn't Top 40 was too much for me. Some people think the undeserved SOTY nomination was Brandi Carlile and their reasoning seems to be that she's not mainstream enough to get a Grammy nomination?? Reply Thread Link I think it is too, though. 18/20 seems about right when it comes to what place it would come in if it was left up to voting. Reply Parent Thread Link idk, maybe, but Grammy voters always vote in a few seemingly random but highly respected musicians every year. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 09:32:22|Editor: zh Video Player Close CANBERRA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister has called for a national approach to hazard-reduction burns to mitigate the impact of future bushfires. Scott Morrison said that hazard reduction would be equally as "important as emissions reduction and I think many would argue even more so because it has an even more direct, practical impact on the safety of a person going into a bushfire season." "You talk about action on climate change, that's what that is. Hazard reduction is action to take account of the climate we're living in, which is a more challenging environment over the next decade and beyond," he told Sky News. Hazard reduction burning, which is carried out in the winter months, is the process by which authorities reduce the amount of fuel available to feed bushfires. Morrison called for a national standard for hazard reductions, by which all states and territories would have to abide. "We report all the time on what our emissions reductions are but across the country there is not a national system of reporting to track how hazard reduction is progressing," he said. "These are all responsibilities of the states and I'm not making any argument for the federal government to be intervening in any of these areas but it is a very reasonable expectation people have that there are national standards, that there is transparency around how this is being achieved." Morrison is preparing to establish a royal commission into the bushfires, which have killed 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes since September. On Tuesday night he said the inquiry should not take more than six months, which would be short for a royal commission, in order to allow time to prepare for the bushfire season of 2020/21. Representative image Piramal Group real estate arm Piramal Realty plans to invest Rs 1,500 crore for developing a residential project in Thane, targeting homebuyers with specific budgets by offering smaller configurations, a top company official said. Terming it 'value housing' segment, the company has for the first time configured size of the apartments to attract millennials with relatively smaller budgets. The project is a part of the 32-acre township project Piramal Vaikunth, which will be spread across five acres and have a development potential of 2 million sq ft. "With millennials at the helm, we have witnessed an increased traction towards the value segment over the last few quarters. Our foray into this segment is in line with our expansion plans of creating presence across the consumer demand pyramid. We will be investing Rs 1,500 crore for this development," Piramal Realty founder Anand Piramal said. The configurations of these homes would be 1, 1.5 and 2 BHK apartments with access to premium amenities starting at 350 sq ft carpet area at Rs 60 lakh. He further said the company plans to replicate the model in future expansion of its existing projects. However, he did not give further details on the same. The company will fund its investment plans through debt and internal accruals, Piramal said. Developers, across markets, who have been primarily in the luxury and premium residential projects, are trying to right-price and right-size their offerings to meet requirements of first time homebuyers. Piramal Realty, which currently has 17 million sq ft of residential and commercial space under development in and around Mumbai, plans to add another 10 million sq ft of residential space under development in 2020. "Along with this project, we will be launching a few more including the next phase of our Byculla project and the other at Mahim, which we are developing jointly with Omkar Realtors. Apart from these, we will be also considering a few stressed projects to achieve the 10 million sq ft target," Piramal said. Banks and financial institutions are approaching the company to take up projects which they have funded and are now stuck due to various reasons, he added. "We are evaluating a few such deals. Moreover, its a good proposition for us as we will not have to make capital investments as these projects are already funded, but we will get project development fees," Piramal said. A Muscatine, Iowa, insurance agent has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for wire and mail fraud. Federal prosecutors for Iowa said that Ashley Erin Murphy Schneider, 37, was sentenced Thursday in Davenports federal courthouse after pleading guilty to five counts last year. Schneider was also ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution and fines. Schneider was a licensed insurance agent who, among other things, established fraudulent insurance policies for businesses that did not exist, investigators said. She also in 2015 set up a supplemental cancer policy for a child that paid out more than $192,000 for cancer treatment claims. It turned out that the child did not have cancer, prosecutors said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Agencies Fraud Iowa LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. ("Gabriel" or the "Company") announces that it has granted an aggregate of 5,850,000 incentive stock options under the Company's stock option plan (the "Option Plan") to certain officers and employees of the Gabriel group of companies in relation to 2019 compensation awards. All incentive stock options so granted are exercisable for a period of ten years at $0.46 per share and vest as to 50% immediately from the date of grant and 50% on the first anniversary of the date of grant. The Option Plan allows for the issuance of up to 10% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the Company in the form of incentive stock options. As of the date hereof, a total of 31,485,711 common shares of the Company are reserved for issuance under the Option Plan, representing approximately 5.5% of the issued and outstanding share capital. For information on this press release, please contact: Dragos Tanase President & CEO Phone: +1 425 414 9256 dt@gabrielresources.com Richard Brown Chief Financial Officer Phone: +44 7748 760276 richard.brown@gabrielresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Further Information About Gabriel Gabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Ro?ia Montana gold and silver project in Romania ("Rosia Montana Project"). The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license ("License") for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Ro?ia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Ro?ia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company. Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group (as defined below) focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Company's current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Company's actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Company's ability to fund its operations (including but not limited to the completion of further funding noted above) or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "is of the view", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation: delay or extension to the duration of the ICSID Arbitration; required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration against Romania; changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and the group of companies of which it is directly or indirectly parent ("Group"); access to funding to support the Group's continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future; equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of new or existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares; the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the TSX Venture Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities; the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: unforeseen historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Group and political and social instability; regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation; volatility of currency exchange rates, metal prices and metal production; the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Group of certain key employees and consultants; and risks normally incident to the exploration, development and operation of mining properties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Company's affairs since the date of this press release that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Company's website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Company's disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com. SOURCE: Gabriel Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573891/Issuance-of-Incentive-Stock-Options Two women stopped in front of the windows at 328 Main Street in Worcester. They peered through the glass that was being cleaned Tuesday morning. After a few seconds, noticing the Maker to Main sign, the front end of an antique truck, and a custom table, the two couldnt contain their curiosity. They knocked on the window trying to grab the attention of Lynn Cheney, signaling if her local grocery store was open. Raising her voice so the two could hear her outside, Cheney said, Two to three weeks. Thats what happens all the time. Those women I see almost daily, Cheney said. I have yet to meet them because theyre always outside and Im always in here. But that constantly happens. People are asking, When are you open? When are you opening?' The ritual continued outside the store scheduled to open Feb. 7. Maker to Main will bring fresh local groceries to downtown Worcester, something the area is lacking. Maker to Main plans to open Feb. 7. Less than a half hour later, a man passing by walked in and asked Cheney when the store was opening. Minutes later, the Maker to Main sign tempted another pedestrian to enter and ask the same question. The excitement for a locally-sourced grocery store in Worcesters downtown is felt on both sides of the glass. The grand opening of Maker to Main is years in the making for Cheney. Cheney founded Lettuce Be Local in Sterling seven years ago. This was her fourth attempt at opening a grocery store downtown. In previous opportunities, the timing wasnt right, the finances didnt work, or the partnership fell apart. Im a big, big believer that everything happens for a reason and this just kind of fell in my lap, Cheney said. A sneak peek inside Maker to Main, a local grocery store opening soon in downtown Worcester. Posted by MassLive Worcester on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 Cheney grew up in Brooklyn, Connecticut, where she said the towns cows outnumbered the people. She has fond memories of driving 40 minutes northeast to visit her sister in the big city. Those trips as a young girl connected her to New Englands second largest city and planted the seeds for Maker to Main. Her passion for the city is seen within the space on Main Street. The contractors, the refrigerators, the artisans that created the signs and logo all have Worcester County roots. Even the front end of an antique truck can be traced back to Central Massachusetts. It was just important that as many details as we could figure out, if there was someone who did it locally, to make it work, Cheney said. Maker to Main will bring fresh local groceries to downtown Worcester, something the area is lacking. Maker to Main plans to open Feb. 7. The decor and the tables will house locally sourced products that goes beyond vegetables. Its was the driving reason why she changed the name from Lettuce Be Local to Maker to Main. I think people thought, oh, different varieties of lettuce? Cheney said. Believe it or not, I got asked that a lot. In addition to local veggies, Maker to Main will quench the thirst of all grocery needs including dairy products, spices, herbs, ice cream, chocolate, non-dairy products and more. This is essentially a food desert down here. Cheney said. ...Theres certainly no where to buy groceries. All these people living down here, they dont have any means to get food. Maker to Main will be open seven days a week. Monday through Saturday, doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Local chefs will be able to purchase food beginning at 9 a.m.. Customers driving to the grocery store will have parking options in the lot across the street from the Palladium. Patrons who spend at least $15 will have their parking validated. Its a grocery store. People eat every day, so if youre going to have product be accessible to everyone, it should be accessible every day, Cheney said. Maker to Main will bring fresh local groceries to downtown Worcester, something the area is lacking. Maker to Main plans to open Feb. 7. The accessibility extends to visitors of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The items that will fill the shelves of Maker to Main will be locally sourced meaning they were likely harvested a day or two prior. She said that freshness often creates healthier meals. Cheney wants those meals available to all of Worcesters residents, as she plans to at some point accept SNAP benefits. Maker to Main will also look to offer a service where customers can create a basket online and pick up the items the same day. That will definitely take us a little while to roll that system out, Cheney said. Maker to Main will officially open on Feb. 7, a day after the Worcester Public Market is scheduled to open. Cheney hopes to eagerly greet those who knock on her windows a few days prior to the grand opening, with a soft opening on an undetermined date. Overall, Im very humbled. Ive literally worked the same scheduled of a farmer from sunbreak to sundown, every single day for a very long time to make this come to fruition, Cheney said. And I wouldnt change any of it for anything. Concern is growing over the spread of Wuhan Coronavirus, which has killed at least 26 people in China. At least 800 cases have been confirmed, with 15 or more medical workers infected through human-to-human contact. The outbreak began at a live animal market in Wuhan. Most cases are in the central China city itself, which has now effectively been placed in quarantine. Flights, trains and local public transport have been halted. The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to Wuhan. The warning against travel to Wuhan will affect very few British travellers, because it is not a tourist city. Five cases of the disease have been reported in Thailand, three in each of Singapore and Taiwan, and two in each of Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. The only case outside east Asia has been confirmed in Seattle, Washington. The traveller had arrived in the US from China. Fourteen people have also been tested for the virus in the UK, but they were all negative. Imperial Colleges MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis believes the actual number of cases is far higher. By 18 January 2020, the centre estimates there were 4,000 cases in Wuhan alone. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty With millions of people on the move for the Chinese New Year on 25 January and the Spring Festival, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts many more cases will occur. These are the key questions for travellers. What is this virus? It is a novel coronavirus. The term novel simply means that the strain is newly identified. A coronavirus (abbreviated to CoV) is so-called because, under a microscope, it appears to have a circular fringe. Typically a coronavirus causes a runny nose, cough, sore throat, headache, fever and what the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calls a general feeling of being unwell. It adds: Most people get infected with these viruses at some point in their lives. These illnesses usually only last for a short amount of time. The medical director at Public Health England (PHE), Professor Paul Cosford, said: The vast majority of people who are infected do seem to be getting better. But coronaviruses can cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses, notably pneumonia, especially among very young or old people and those with weakened immune systems or existing cardiopulmonary disease. This appears to have been the primary cause of death for the victims of the Wuhan Coronavirus, which is also known as WN-CoV and 2019-nCoV. How is it transmitted? Public Health England says: As WN-CoV has only been recently identified, there is currently limited information about the precise routes of transmission. Coronaviruses are mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with infected secretions. Until more evidence emerges, it is wise to assume that it can be contracted by airborne particles or contact with an ill person. How soon does the infection become apparent? The MRC Centre says that the delay between infection and detection is 10 days made up of an incubation period of five to six days, and an estimated four- or five-day delay from the onset of symptoms to the detection and hospitalisation of a case. Chinas National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin, said: Though the transmission route of the virus is yet to be fully understood, there is a possibility of virus mutation and a risk of further spread of the epidemic. Is this related to Sars? To a degree. The severe acute respiratory syndrome was a coronavirus that spread, mainly in east Asia, in late 2002 and 2003. Nearly 800 people died during the outbreak, but no cases have been reported since 2004. Another coronavirus, Mers (Middle East respiratory syndrome) has affected people in the Middle East, particularly the Arabian Peninsula, since 2012. What is being done to prevent the spread? The World Health Organization currently says: Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend any restriction of travel or trade. Some countries, including the UK, have started screening passengers arriving on flights from China. This is of limited use, since people who contract the virus will not show any symptoms for the first five days. In addition it does not identify passengers who have travelled via other hubs in China, the rest of Asia and the Middle East. The first affected arrival at London Heathrow was China Southern flight 673 on Wednesday 22 January. It was met by health officials who checked for symptoms of coronavirus and provided information to passengers about symptoms, and what to do if they become ill. But all flights from Wuhan have now been halted by order of the Chinese authorities, so there will be no more arrivals until the all-clear is given. Travellers from China to three airports in the US Los Angeles, New York JFK and San Francisco are having their temperatures taken and filling out a symptom questionnaire that asks if they are suffering with a fever, a cough or breathing difficulties. Australia has said that it will screen arrivals from Wuhan. Dubai airport in the UAE, where many passengers transfer, says it will carry out thermal screening on all incoming passengers from China, rather than just from Wuhan itself. Where are the key airports where infected travellers might be? According to analysis of airline schedules by John Grant of OAG, Bangkok is the most popular international destination from Wuhan, followed by Hong Kong (classed as international even though it is part of the Peoples Republic), Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei. For domestic connections, Guangzhou is the leading airport for travellers from Wuhan. What precautions can I take? The same basic hygiene regime that every traveller should observe: washing hands frequently with soap, avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing, and avoiding meat and egg dishes that have not been thoroughly cooked. Airline passengers are particularly susceptible. Wearing a medically approved face mask, which is certified as offering FFP3 protection, may protect the wearer against contracting the virus. But the main benefit of wearing a mask is for symptomatic passengers, because it reduces the possible spread of the virus. For anyone who thinks they may have contracted the virus, Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of PHEs National Infection Service, says: Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK, informing their health service prior to their attendance about their recent travel to the city. I am booked to travel to Asia. What are my options? Travel to specifically to Wuhan is unlikely to be possible until the outbreak is deemed to be under control, and any British traveller who goes there against Foreign Office advice will not be covered by standard travel insurance policies. Airlines serving Wuhan itself are offering refunds, with most of them allowing even holders of non-refundable fares to get their money back for journeys up to 29 March 2020. For trips elsewhere in China and the region, there is no general entitlement for a refund from your travel organiser or from travel insurance. A spokesperson for British Airways said: We are monitoring the situation closely, and our flights continue to operate as normal. Like other airlines, we are liaising closely with both government and health organisations and following their advice. Some companies are offering flexibility. IHG, the global hotel chain which includes Holiday Inn, InterContinental and Kimpton, is allowing penalty-free cancellations for bookings at properties in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, up to and including 3 February 2020. The company said the policy was in response to the recent new coronavirus outbreak and in order to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our employees. Accor, Hilton, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula and Shangri-La are also reported to be offering flexibility to guests booked at hotels in China. What if the Foreign Office were to warn against travel elsewhere in the region? In that highly unlikely event, travellers who are on a package holiday organised by a British firm should be able to cancel without penalty for a full refund. Airlines are not obliged to refund tickets whatever the Foreign Office advice, but in the past they have offered some flexibility. A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers said: Travel insurance may cover some out-of-pocket losses, and also help you to leave the area if a warning to return back to the UK comes into effect while you are there, if you are unable to get assistance from any other source. Conversely, travelling to an area against the advice of the Foreign Office will invalidate most insurance policies. What if I feel ill when I return? If you have recently been in Wuhan and believe you may have been infected, seek medical help. But before you turn up at your GPs surgery or A&E, call NHS Direct ahead on 111 to tell them about your symptoms and recent travels so they can put precautions in place. Will it spread far and wide? I dont know how the new coronavirus will evolve over the next few months. Cases are likely to be reported worldwide, but mainly among travellers who have travelled from China. Wuhan Coronavirus may spread across the globe and cause widespread harm as well as massive disruption. More optimistically, new cases might peak soon but then subside; if previous killer virus scares are typical, concern will soon dwindle. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says it is likely that cases will be identified in the EU. But it adds: Assuming that timely and rigorous infection prevention and control measures are applied around imported cases detected in the EU/EEA, the likelihood of further sustained spread in community settings is considered low. Tom Jenkins, chief executive of the European Tourism Association said: [The virus] remains a very remote threat effectively no threat for any traveller in Europe. They tied the knot during a romantic ceremony in 2017. And Alicia Vikander and her husband Michael Fassbender looked more loved-up than ever as they attended Louis Vuitton's jewellery launch during the haute couture Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The Tomb Raider actress, 31, and Assassin's Creed star, 42, appeared in good spirits as they packed on the PDA and linked arms as they made a glamorous exit back to their hotel. Smitten: Alicia Vikander and her husband Michael Fassbender looked more loved-up than ever as they attended Louis Vuitton's jewellery launch during the haute couture Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday Alicia showed off her stellar sense of style at the event, donning a black top with a V-neckline, ruffled detail and a flower brooch. The Swedish star paired it with a white mini skirt while she added height to her frame with a pair of matching LV heels. Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Alicia completed her look for the evening with a black clutch bag with a shimmering detail. PDA: The Tomb Raider actress, 31, and Assassin's Creed star, 42, appeared in good spirits as they packed on the PDA and linked arms as they made a glamorous exit back to their hotel Stylish: Alicia showed off her stellar sense of style at the event, donning a black top with a V-neckline, ruffled detail and a flower brooch Meanwhile, Michael looked dapper in a classic black trouser suit and an unbuttoned white crisp shirt. Posing up a storm on the red carpet, Alicia was joined at the event by model Caroline Dauer who looked stylish in a white and black striped miniskirt. Alicia's appearance comes after she revealed she films all of her raunchy scenes in just one take so as to keep things 'technical'. Details: The Swedish star paired it with a white mini skirt while she added height to her frame with a pair of matching LV heels Dapper: Meanwhile, Michael looked dapper in a classic black trouser suit and an unbuttoned white crisp shirt In one still from the film Earthquake Bird, Alicia provocatively removed her white lace bralet, while in another she and on-screen boyfriend Teji get steamy under the covers. And Alicia, who is married to Michael, insisted raunchy sessions on set 'shouldn't be anything but technical' as she aims to keep her experiences short and sweet. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK, the Tomb Raider star shared: 'I probably did my first sex scene at 20 and it's always been technical, as it should be; it should never be anything but technical. I tell the crew it's a one-taker.' Finishing touches: Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Alicia completed her look for the evening with a black clutch bag with a shimmering detail Work it: The actress knew how to work her best angles as she posed up a storm at the event on Tuesday night 'Technical': Alicia's appearance comes after she revealed she films all of her raunchy scenes in just one take so as to keep things 'technical' Radiant: Posing up a storm on the red carpet, Alicia was joined at the event by model Caroline Dauer who looked stylish for the event Euphoria producer Alicia shared the benefits of keeping filming 'technical': 'That way, everybody on set is on point, because you have to get it done in one take. Like a dancer, we [choreographed it] the same way. 'I think that's the way to do it because then everyone feels comfortable and then hopefully, although it is super strange and uncomfortable, a little magic comes through a lens and people will be convinced.' Earthquake Bird takes viewers to 1989 Tokyo, following expat Lucy Fly (Alicia) and her intense love triangle with her boyfriend Teji and new friend Lily (Naoki Kobayashi and Riley Keough). Alicia most recently starred in 2018's Tomb Raider as Lara Croft, while screen star Riley fronted films Under the Silver and Logan Lucky. A newcomer to US films, actor Naoki has fronted Japanese films and shows after his successful stint as a member in J-Pop group Exile. A man allegedly beat a four-year-old boy and put his head down a toilet as part of a campaign of child cruelty, the High Court heard today. He is accused of hurting the youngster and also subjecting his five-year-old brother to bouts of violence at their home in Ballymena, Co Antrim. The 31-year-old defendant, who was in a relationship with the two boys' mother, is not being named to protect their identities. He denies two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a further two counts of child cruelty. The authorities launched an investigation last October after a witness said she noticed significant bruising on the younger boy's ear. Police were then informed about an alleged incident on September 30 when the mother heard her partner screaming at the child in their bathroom, prosecutors said. It was claimed that she went to investigate and found her son with his trousers down, red marks to his bottom and legs and saying that he had been smacked. Hospital examinations confirmed the little boy had sustained bruising to his head and body. A Crown lawyer submitted they were blunt force trauma injuries caused by physical abuse, including being struck repeatedly. During interviews the four-year-old claimed his mother's partner "hurt him when he did bad things" by punching him on the back of the head and spinning him around. "He also said (the accused) put his head down the toilet and put him up in the sky with one hand," counsel added. The boy's five-year-old brother told police he had been beaten too. According to his account the defendant punched, kicked and threatened to slap him if he didn't do stuff for him. Investigations are continuing, based on photographs of other suspected injuries and further disclosures by the two children, who have now been put into foster care. Opposing the accused's application for bail, the prosecution argued that he still knows where they go to school. Defence barrister Turlough Madden insisted: "The applicant maintains his innocence." He argued that an exclusion zone could be imposed to ensure his client stays away from the boys' primary school. But adjourning the bail application, Lord Justice McCloskey requested further checks on proposed sureties. The slain commander, Abdolhossein Mojaddami, headed the Basij forces, a paramilitary wing of the Revolutionary Guard used for internal security and other tasks, in the town of Darkhoein. He was gunned down in front of his home in the town in the countrys oil-rich Khuzestan province. Two gunmen on a motorcycle, armed with an assault rifle and a hunting rifle, ambushed Mojaddami, IRNA reported. Other Iranian media said the gunmens faces were covered with masks and that four shots were fired. The case is under investigation and a motive was not immediately clear, but Basij units had been involved in violent clashes with demonstrators in the area in November in which many protesters were injured and killed. Amnesty International has reported that more than 300 people were killed in the unrest across the country, though Iran has not announced a death toll. Mojaddamis killing is seen another blow to the Revolutionary Guard, following the death of top general Qassem Soleimani earlier this month in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. Mojaddami was described by IRNA as an associated of Soleimani, who was the head of the Quds forces, the foreign wing of the Guard. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:17:35|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close By Dana Halawi BEIRUT, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Some Lebanese analysts are concerned about the new cabinet's capacity to overcome the country's economic and financial crises. Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Tuesday the formation of a new cabinet of 20 ministers. The prime minister promised that the new cabinet will exert all its efforts to save Lebanon. Thousands of protesters took to the streets following the announcement. Demonstrators accused that the appointed ministers were chosen by political parties. Diab defended his cabinet by saying that the appointed are professionals with great expertise. He added that the political parties may have named some ministers but they all meet the right criteria. "This cabinet does not have the freedom to make independent decisions because it was appointed by political parties even if the ministers are professionals and experts," political analyst from the Lebanese University Youssef Diab told Xinhua. Diab said the appointment contradicts to the requests of the Lebanese people and the international community for a completely independent government. "Why should we expect the new ministers to be able to make serious reforms if the political parties themselves have failed on it?" said Hilal Kashan, chair of the Political Studies Department at the American University of Beirut. Sami Nader, director of Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs in Lebanon, said, "Protesters are not convinced by the way this cabinet has been formed." However, he suggested the people to give this government a chance "in all cases because it is better than the previous one." "We cannot judge now, they may surprise us," he said. Salem Zahran, political analyst and director of Media Focal Center, believes that the new government can succeed based on a few conditions including gaining support from the international community and the people, and working with a proper strategy capable of saving the economy. Zahran said the international community does not really care if the government is technocrat or political but it focuses mainly on the cabinet's program and plans. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the formation of a new Lebanese government. The secretary-general looks forward to working with Hassan Diab and his incoming cabinet, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday. Sure even the dogs in the street are Fianna Fail in Longford, the delighted owner of a pair of cute pomeranians reassured party leader Micheal Martin in a canvass that was marked by quite a few canine encounters. Later, Mr Martin admired Sashie and Sheba, two formidable huskies their owner Jerry Gibbons insisting he has trained them not to bite politicians and cautiously petted a large poodle through a car window a few moments later. Even if the Longford doggies are solid supporters, there werent enough of them four years ago, with the result that the county is a Dail wasteland for the party, a tir gan teanga where the sweet discourse of Fianna Fail is nowhere to be heard. Thats a situation that Mr Martin and his candidate Joe Flaherty, aim to put right. The forceful Mr Flaherty is the boss of a chain of regional newspapers, and had clearly planned yesterdays canvass with the care that he has put into climbing the corporate tree. Wheres the shoes? he hissed at an aide in Paul McKennas cobblers. On cue, a pair of battered brogues, more hole than sole, were produced, to be brandished for the cameras, a vivid illustration for his party leader of the hours Mr Flaherty has spent pounding the Longford pavements, and a token of his commitment to the town. Earlier, Mr Martin faced a grilling from roomful of Leaving Cert students in the towns Mercy College. Why is he here now, promising a new school when they have been crying out for years, the girls wanted to know. Principal, Aoife Mulrennan, urged the students to use their phones to take snaps of the Fianna Fail leader holding flyers urging the rebuild, evidence for later perhaps of his stated backing for the development. What is the difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, other girls asked; why does less than 2% of the population of Longford use public transport, one wanted to know. We seem to be getting commitments a lot recently, another observed wryly. Mr Martin fielded the questions evenly, praising the students for their scepticism, and leaving them with words of advice. An absence of confidence is a great inhibitor in life, he told the room, they should believe in themselves and not follow the herd, but they should also look out for each other. Back on the street, Nigerian-born Alalemba Chukwunenye (call me Chuk) said it pains him that so many people in his adopted country dont want to work. Pensioners Tommy and Mary Quinn lamented the difficulties theyd encountered in getting a homecare package. Marie ORourke and Maureen Gallagher said people above in Dublin dont realise how hard things are in towns like Longford. There was better news from Patrick Stapleton in Dennistons record shop. Waving a copy of a Jim Reeves CD, the octogenarian invoked the crooner, vowing to Mr Martin: I wont forget you. There was a more awkward encounter with the candidate who caused uproar on the Longford ticket last time. Connie Gerety Quinn was added by headquarters to make up the gender quota but endured a torrid time after the local party organisation voted no confidence in her. Would she vote for her successor on the ticket? Just say as a Fianna Fail member, I hope he takes a seat, she said, adding darkly that she hopes Mr Flaherty will be better treated by the party than she was. Mr Martins canvassing style seems to defy the laws of physics; he is perpetually on the move yet still has time to sit and talk. He has mastered the art of extricating himself politely yet briskly when he wants to move on. Data courtesy of The Irish Times Neither does he need any prompting when a photo opportunity presents itself, leaping up on Dermot McCormacks JCB for an impromptu snap at the traffic lights. Mr Flaherty is an energetic candidate, but hes by no means assured of joining his Westmeath-based colleague, Robert Troy, in Leinster House, even with the tailwind stirring behind his party. Longford Town hasnt felt the rising tide of economic recovery, shuttered units on its streets, and an unfinished shopping centre testimony to an economic slump that is still keenly felt. His slogan, Make Longford Matter, may have echoes of Boris or Donald, but it reflects a widespread feeling that town has been left behind. At the end of the day its midlands bread-and-butter issues, and not the dangers posed by Brexit that will decide whether the county gets a Fianna Fail TD next month. ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Grain Management, LLC ("Grain"), a leading Washington, D.C.-based investor focused on the global communications sector, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of a majority interest in Summit Vista, Inc., dba Summit Broadband ("Summit"), from Cable Bahamas Ltd. ("CBL Group"). Terms of the deal, originally announced on August 19, 2019, were not disclosed. Summit Broadband is a fiber-optic telecommunications provider that serves business and residential customers in central and southwest Florida. Its products include voice, video, data and high-speed internet services, as well as Ethernet and dark-fiber transport. TD Securities served as financial advisor to Grain in the transaction, Alston & Bird LLP served as legal counsel, and the Direct Lending team at Deutsche Bank provided committed debt financing for the transaction. About Summit Broadband Summit Broadband is a leading fiber-optic telecommunications provider in Central and Southwest Florida. The company provides voice, video, data and high-speed internet services to residential and commercial customers, as well as Ethernet and dark-fiber transport to enterprise and carrier customers. Providing a superior customer service experience since 1994, Summit Broadband owns and operates its own fiber-optic network, with a reach of more than 1,800 fiber route miles, serving multiple industries and communities throughout its territory. For more information visit summit-broadband.com. About Grain Management, LLC Grain Management, LLC is a leading investor focused on investments in the global communications sector. The firm was founded in 2007 with the objective of bringing a differentiated approach to the industry characterized by expansive sector knowledge, rigorous analytics, and dedicated, in-house operating and financial professionals. Grain is directed by a team of highly experienced investment professionals with deep industry knowledge and a specialized skill set, marked by extensive operating history, quantitative and analytical proficiency, and regulatory expertise. For more information visit graingp.com . Contact: Caroline Luz Lambert & Co. 203-656-2829 [email protected] SOURCE Grain Management, LLC Related Links https://www.graingp.com Many South African Internet users have been experiencing poor Internet speeds since last week, thanks to cable breaks on the WACS and SAT3/WASC submarine cables. The WACS and SAT3/WASC cable systems are deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and connect South Africa and other African countries to Europe. The WACS system lands in South Africa at Yzerfontein, Western Cape while the SAT3/WASC system enters South Africa at Melkbosstrand, Western Cape. Openserve said the unusual and simultaneous dual cable break has resulted in customers experiencing reduced speed on international browsing. The company noted that it is always challenging to repair a broken cable in the ocean and that the repair time depends on weather conditions. Process has started Good news is that the process of repairing the broken cables has begun after the weather in Cape Town improved. Adverse weather conditions had prevented the cable repair ship from departing to fix the breaks. Openserve said on Tuesday that the ship was loading the necessary tools and supplies for the repairs and all loading will be complete by Wednesday evening. Once this process is complete, the ship is set to depart at around 18:00 today. ISPs respond The impact of the cable breaks on local Internet service providers depends on their capacity on other cable systems such as EASSy and Seacom. If an ISP has sufficient capacity on all the cable systems which land in South Africa WACS, EASSy, SAT3, SAFE, and Seacom the impact will be minimal. If an ISP relies solely on WACS and SAT3/WASC for international connectivity, the impact of this break can be severe. MyBroadband therefore asked South Africas top ISPs what the impact has been on their networks. Cybersmart virtually no impact Cybersmart CTO Laurie Fialkov said the impact on its network is minimal because of its redundancy. Whenever we extend our network we always do so with redundancy in mind as our 1:1 FTTE service guarantees no service impact even during a single undersea cable failover, said Fialkov. Cybersmart has equal capacity on WACS and EASSy to ensure this full redundancy. He added that Cybersmart currently has excess international capacity, which means the WACS outage did not affect their customers at all. All our subscribers are now routing via the east coast, and the only impact is that Cape Town customers now have slightly higher latency, he said. Our customers were unaware of the outage until they learned about it from the extensive media coverage, he said. MWEB minimal impact MWEB general manager for product, sales, and marketing Carolyn Holgate said the WACS outage had minimal impact on MWEB subscribers While WACS is one of MWEBs primary sources of international connectivity, the ISP has a redundant network in place. The company uses WACS and Seacom, and its network is designed around a geographical north/south split. Our northern customers are routed to international transit via Seacom, while our southern customers are routed via WACS, said Holgate. For customers who were routing via WACS there is an increase of approximately 20 milliseconds of latency caused by the traffic rerouting to our Johannesburg data centre, she said. There is another increase of 20-30 milliseconds due to the fact that Seacom physically follows a slightly longer route than WACS to London, she added. Overall the result is an increase of approximately 50 milliseconds in international latency, which would only really be noticeable for serious online gamers, she said. Cool Ideas minimal impact Cool Ideas co-founder Paul Butschi told MyBroadband it uses WACS as its primary path, with Seacom and IS Transit as alternatives. IS would be using Seacom and EASSy. He said Cool Ideas subscribers will only see a slight increase in latency due to the east coast route being slightly longer. Other than the higher latency, Cool Ideass services are not impacted. RSAWEB largely unaffected RSAWEB is largely unaffected by the WACS outage as it has capacity on four major cable systems WACS, EASSy, Seacom and SAT3. While it uses WACS for its primary international connectivity, because it is the most direct path to London, it has full redundancy on other cables. The ISP explained that the unlikely double cable system failure meant they were initially affected by suboptimal routing and packet loss internationally. Its engineers and vendor partners worked to reroute traffic and apart from a slightly higher international latency its subscribers are not affected. Webafrica big impact initially, but things are better. Webafrica CTO Alan Kirton told MyBroadband that it uses Openserve for its primary International route. They use numerous cable systems, but significant capacity is split between WACS and SAT3, said Kirton. The loss of WACS would have gone unnoticed under normal circumstances, but the loss of both at the same time caused a significant drop in available capacity and put extreme pressure on the remaining routes. He said the lost capacity has been replaced via Seacom, adding that Webafrica still has access via Openserves other routes including SAFE and EASSy. We also plan on adding additional capacity in the coming day or two to ensure our users experience is back to its previous high standard, said Kirton. Up until Sunday night Webafrica subscribers experienced a degraded service on international routes, which means gaming or browsing internationally was slow. We have now managed to replace the lost capacity and more is on the way so our customers experience should be back to normal, he said. Mind the Speed virtually no impact Mind the Speeds head of customer success Siobhan Zurnamer said while they do use WACS as a primary international link, the break has had little impact on their network. The cable break has had little to no effect on our network, as we have the same capacities available on all our backup paths, said Zurnamer. Certain Mind the Speed customers may experience a slight increase in latency, as all alternative subsea cables have a comparably higher latency than WACS. Laredo City Council on Tuesday voted to deny the federal government access to the miles-long span of riverfront land they own, which Border Patrol had requested in order to conduct environmental surveys to develop the border wall. READ MORE: Hundreds of locals march against border wall on MLK Day An engineer on the border wall team for Customs and Border Protection said that this action does not jeopardize the governments plan to build a bulkhead, a friendlier-looking structure, through the downtown portion of riverfront in Laredo. This stretch is funded, the official said. However, as concerned citizen Luis Arriaga noted, there is no written guarantee here. The citys denial of the governments request for the right of entry will in essence delay the process of getting the border wall built on city land. The matter will now be handed over to the Department of Justice, which will demand access to this property in federal court. When the city went through this process for the riverfront land they own in Starr County, it was a couple of months until a federal judge granted the government the right of entry. Congress recent $1.3 billion appropriation for the border wall has funded 52 miles of barrier in Webb County and 18 miles in Zapata County, Laredo Sector Border Patrol told council. They were joined by Tim Roman, the CBP engineer, and Paul Enriquez, the director of the Border Wall Management Program in Washington, D.C. Enriquez said they have been granted the right of entry by about 40% of the affected landowners they have reached out to in the Laredo area. Roman noted that the border wall system is made up of the barrier itself, which is typically 30-foot tall steel bollard fencing, lighting, cameras and roads on either side of the fence. The rendering that the feds produced for council was extremely basic and non-specific to the Laredo area, depicting a cross view of the river, brush, a clearing, the wall and a camera tower. By the way, I could make that on Microsoft Paint, Arriaga quipped as the citizen left the podium. Council members roundly expressed that they were disappointed by the lack of detail the feds were able to provide the public at the meeting. Government officials argued that the planning process is currently in a very preliminary stage, and that they are seeking access to the citys land so that they may conduct surveys and then be able to answer council members questions in more detail. Roman said they have done quite a bit of detailed hydrology work and analysis at the floodplain. They are now at the point where they cannot go any further until they get on the land itself, he said. Councilwoman Nelly Vielma noted that the city had very recently had a negative experience with the federal government when they built a sprawling tent facility in the downtown floodplain for an immigration court. This was after the mayor and and co-interim city managers traveled to D.C. to offer the government $1 a year rent for a nearby city-owned building. Their answers Tuesday were evasive, Vielma said. Councilman Roberto Balli said that until recently, the citys relationship with the federal government had been good and cooperative. It started to turn when they built the tent courts, he said. Which appears to be just an attempt to humiliate people and embarrass people, Balli said. Citizens also brought up that the feds are waving dozens of laws in this process. Christopher Rincon, representing the River Pierce Foundation, read each one there are nearly 50. Enriquez said that the government does this to expedite the planning and construction process, but said its the intent of the agency to follow these laws. Balli said that makes absolutely no sense, and that it prioritizes finishing the work quickly, even if its shoddy. Tricia Cortez, executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center, said that with this funding, Border Patrol could instead hire thousands of agents or install thousands of sensor towers. She called the wall oppression and unjust treatment of a predominantly Hispanic region of the U.S. READ MORE: Border wall reaches City of Laredo as feds seek access to river vega land We are not in a war zone. We urge you to hold the line and not sign the right of entry documents and to stand with us, the people, to oppose this project with all means necessary, she said. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com Representatives with Black Hive Ink and Arts announced today the company is sponsoring a tattoo contest hosted by Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson. We are excited to sponsor the annual tattoo contest, said Luis Guzman, owner and spokesperson for Black Hive Ink & Arts. Join us on Saturday, January 25, from 1 to 4 pm to participate in the tattoo contest, revealed Guzman before adding, there is no entry fee for the contest and there are attractive prizes to win. Contestants will be competing for Best Black & Grey Tattoo, Best Color Tattoo, Most Regrettable, and Best Booty Tattoo categories, revealed Guzman. Winners of the tattoo contest will win Black Hive Ink gift cards, Harley Davidson gift cards, Black Hive merchandise such as T-shirts and hoodies as well as Harley Davidson merchandise. The annual tattoo content will be held at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28303. We encourage all tattoo enthusiasts to participate in the contest and if you have questions, please free to get in touch with us, said Guzman. Guzman noted that Black Hive Ink & Arts provides free consultations to those who are considering a tattoo. Were pleased to be able to offer consultations at no charge, which helps potential and current customers and artists to meet, speak, and discuss ideas before booking, highlighted Guzman. This is to ensure that you are paired with the right artist for your new art piece, Guzman stressed. The company recently completed two years in business. It has been an honor serving our clients for two years, said Guzman. It seems like yesterday, and for us to see it blossom the way that it has for the past two years, were very excited about what the future holds. Black Hive Ink is Fayettevilles new premier tattoo studio. Its goal here is to offer the highest quality experience for each one of our customers. With over 30 years of experience combined, Guzman noted that they recognize the value of its clients and the responsibility that comes with creating beautiful art on their bodies. All our tattoo artists have traveled nationally and internationally to gain knowledge and experience from renowned artists, Guzman revealed, before adding, This has only served to enhance their skill set. The Black Hive experience starts with our customer service and continues to each custom art piece that is created. We want the overall experience to be unforgettable. Black Hive Ink & Arts serve clients in Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Durham, Southern Pines, Pinehurst in North Carolina. Guzman highlighted that Black Hive Ink & Arts now offers free consultations for potential customers and current customers and artists to meet, speak, and discuss ideas before booking. To receive a free consultation, fill out the form located here, and a representative will be in contact with you to schedule the consolation within the next 24-48 hours. For more information, please visit https://blackhiveink.com/blog About Black Hive Ink & Arts Black Hive Ink is Fayettevilles new premier tattoo studio. Its goal here is to offer the highest quality experience for each one of our customers. Contact Details: Luis Guzman 7960 Raeford Road Fayetteville, NC 28304 United States Phone: 910-226-2464 Source: Black Hive Ink & Arts Every time we witness a gun tragedy in this country, Republicans who live in thrall to the death cult that is the National Rifle Association make the same argument: Its too soon. Its too soon to politicize whatever the existing tragedy might be, and we must all wait until the appropriate time and politicize it then. Two weeks later it is always, always too late. Ten minutes later, it would also be too late. This is the long-standing procedural deflection for remediation of any exigent political problem: Berate your opponent for intemperate and unseemly haste, then run the heck out of the clock. There are, evidently, always only twelve seconds in which the time for action is ripe. Advertisement Throughout this first day of the historic Senate impeachment trial for Donald Trump on Tuesday, this was the standard play for Trumps legal team. Scoff at Democrats for being hasty, reckless and intemperate as they moved impeachment through the House, then insist they were now simply too late to do anything. The Republicans, as has been noted, will have to rely exclusively on such purely procedural contortions throughout the Senate trial in order to obstruct testimony and evidence that was already ably obstructed by the White House throughout the House inquiry. But there is a laughable argument being advanced in these opening hours that should now be, well, laughed at. In tabling Chuck Schumers various motions to call witnesses and subpoena documents and records, Trumps defenders are somehow claiming both that its too late to obtain such evidence, and also, of course, that its far too early. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Time and time again Tuesday afternoon, we heard Trumps lawyers disparage House Democrats for fast-tracking this impeachment process: The Democrats recklessly refused to allow their subpoenas to linger for years in the federal courts; they insulted poor Charles Kupperman, a deputy to national security adviser John Bolton, by refusing to wait for him to litigate his subpoena in the courts; when the president declined to participate in any aspect of the House Inquiry, they rudely didnt include him. And so it went: Stupid, stupid Democrats were so hellbent upon impeachment that they didnt follow all the rules and processes that would have made this impeachment impossible. And then, faced with the opportunity to amend Mitch McConnells rules that are designed to short circuit any meaningful trial, those selfsame Republicans claimed on Tuesday that its far too soon to decide anything of the sort. Whats the rush? They inquire, wide-eyed and ingenuous, why do we need to decide on these witnesses now, when we have all the time in the world? As Sen. Susan Collins said in explaining her own votes to tables Schumers amendments, she need[s] to hear the case argued and the questions answered before she could make any meaningful determination about witnesses. Advertisement Advertisement Which is it then, too early or too late? Did Democrats fast track the House impeachment and then demand that the Senate do their clean-up work for them? Or were they simply too slow and poky, and now they have to wait some more? Reader, it will surprise you to learn that its both! And if it sounds familiar its because its always the case that Democrats are too early and too late for all the things, and that they should just get out of the way and stop trying. There were 12 vital seconds in which to properly call for witnesses and evidence, and the Democrats missed them again! Advertisement Advertisement Trump lawyer Patrick Philbin gave voice to this on Tuesday when he managed to simultaneously condemn House Democrats for rushing to conclude their impeachment investigation and also insisted that there was no reason to vote today on calling witnesses. He sneered at House Democrats who had failed to try to accommodate White House counsels Oct. 18 letter refusing to participate in any part of impeachment. Did the House take any steps to remedy that? Did they try to dispute that? Did they go to court? Did they do anything to resolve that problem? said Philbin. No. He then accused the House Managers of having shown up at trial unprepared. First thing they have done is to say, Well, actually, we need more evidence. Were not ready to present our case, Philbin stated. This is stunning. Its a stunning admission of the inadequate and broken process that the House Democrats ran. He added: If the House has not done the investigation and cannot support its case, then it is not the time that once it arrives here to start doing all of that work. That is something that is the Houses role. Moments later, Philbin pivoted to the claim that there was no need to hear from witnesses now; it could all happen after opening statements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his rebuttal, Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff bristled at the implication that the Democrats were both too early and too late. We are ready. The House calls John Bolton. The House calls John Bolton. The House calls Mick Mulvaney. Lets get this trial started, shall we? We are ready to present our case. We are ready to call our witnesses. The question is, will you let us? That is the question, Schiff said, moments before a vote on subpoenaing documents. The vote was 5347 not to do so, with Republicans uniformly voting to table the amendment and Democrats united in opposition. Advertisement Based on the first day alone, its clear that there will be a whole lot of process directed at obstructing the Senate trial. There will be overt lying, as was the case with White House counsel Pat Cipollones claim that not even Schiffs Republican colleagues were allowed into the SCIF, the secured facility where House committees conducted initial impeachment depositions and Republicans had equal time to ask questions as Democrats. There will be gaslighting, as was the case when Cipollone claimed that Schiff released a fraudulent version of the phone call between Zelensky and Trump, when he had actually paraphrased that call, after its substance had been released. Most of all, there will be attacks on Senate Democrats, in lieu of defenses of the president, who has no defense on the merits. We will hear that all testimony is hearsay, unless the president himself says it. The president, of course, has refused to testify, unlike President Bill Clinton during the last impeachment. But do pay attention: because when you hear Republicans claim that Democrats are both too early and also too late to participate in a process, its a good sign that there is no process at all. Advertisement Advertisement The problem for Senate Republicans colluding to obstruct the same facts and witnesses that have been obstructed by the White House? Many of those facts are out. More will come out. This isnt going to stay in the can forever. Schiff closed a portion of his remarks this afternoon with this precise caution: The facts will come out in the end. The documents, which the president is hiding, will be released through the [Freedom of Information Act] or through other means over time. Witnesses will tell their stories in book and film. The truth will come out. The question is, will it come out in time? Its already too late for the Senate to obstruct that truth. Its simply too early for historys judgement. All the work that goes into an e-commerce website is governed by a sole issue; to make the website more user-friendly, in turn earning customers trust and reducing his/her anxiety. Rise and fall of any company stands on this one point alone, and the rise in the number of online e-commerce website has made this an uphill task. Its not only the customers confidence that has to be quickly gained but earning trust and confidence of merchants is also of major concern. And the only means to achieve this feat is to bring transparency into the process. A customer or merchant, at any point, should not be disconnected from their orders and should be able to constantly monitor it. One fault from the online retailers and they might lose the customer and/or merchant forever. Mistakes like these might snowball and affect the existence of the company. While shopping, customers should be able to easily compare the price of a product across the market and decide any merchant of their desire. Apart from the obvious necessity for the product to be genuine, for a customer to indulge into a transaction with an online retailer, he/she expects rather demands the payment gateway to be up-to-date and most importantly secure. A bridge of trust should be built between customers and the e-commerce website so as to eliminate any doubt or hesitation in the customers mind while buying products. Also the level of transparency at the merchants side should be such that, they should be able to assess the performance of their products, derive statistics and analyze them, thus allowing improving the sales. Keeping the trust of customers and merchants intact is essential for the survival of a company in the market. With the competition increasing in the e-commerce space, the industry is constantly striving for new innovations and better technology. Technologies like integrated automation systems have begun to replace the elaborate and tedious manual procedures, bringing down the percentage of errors, involved during manual process, to almost null. Since the automation systems work round the clock without any need of human intervention, they are generally preferred, wherever possible. One of the recent innovations in the use of automation system in the e-commerce industry is the ability for a system to track an order and report the status to a caller based on the phone number from which it is called, without any human buffer. Innovations such as these reduce enormous amount of human resources and manual errors, subsequently allowing the resource to be used effectively where it is essentially required. Technology: an Enabler for Merchants The entry of online market into the retail industry has divided the market into 3 segments: Merchants who sell goods exclusively online; Merchants who sell goods both online and offline; and Merchants who sell goods offline. Another sub-segment of online merchants are those who sell goods either through their own portal and/or through a third party e-commerce website. For merchants to sell online, a robust inventory management system is required, in order to keep all the systems up-to-date; efficient management systems are backbone of any online store. These factors have compelled a merchant to focus on the technological infrastructures provided by an e-commerce company before considering associating with it. A merchant expects the technology provided to handle critical facets like fraud detection systems, supply chain management and several other aspects of the business. Also the merchant should be informed as soon as the order is placed so they can begin to dispatch the product at the earliest. Another challenge faced by the merchants in the online space is the lack of understanding of customer needs. While in an offline store it is fairly easy to track the performance of the products by studying the customers behavior. However the process is not easy in the online world, simply because of its enormous structures and depth. Since a customer can login from anywhere in India, at anytime, it becomes very hard for the merchants to understand their customers. And hence it is of critical importance to deduce web-analytics, transactional analytics, and behavior analytics in order to understand the online customer, but analyzing these big data sets becomes impossible to track records without any specific tools for it. And providing with such tools, merchants can now assess their performance and decide the quantity of products to be stocked preventing any over-sale or under-sale. An industry that has evolved and seen innovation with the online market entering the space is the courier service companies. Many have upgraded their platform, transforming it to a more reliable, efficient and fast means of service. A recent value added feature in their services is the ability to track reverse delivery along with the existing normal delivery tracking. So basically the online industry though has revolutionized the market and also has forced other industries to evolve but the fact remains that this is just the beginning and still there is a long way to go. With the competition in the market being so fierce, there is a need for new innovations to be brought in frequently and constantly onto this platform. A majority of innovation obviously revolves around customers since the core of any business will always remain the same: Customer is the King! The mother of a Perth woman who allegedly fatally stabbed her de facto during a fight sparked by loud music says he had attacked everyone in the room and she thought he would kill them all. Tracey Bridgewater, 41, is on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court, charged with the manslaughter of Nicholas Josephs, 44, at their Hamilton Hill home in September 2018. Mr Josephs became violent after Bridgewater threatened to call police over heavy metal he refused to turn down, assaulting his much-smaller girlfriend before turning on her parents. Tracey Bridgewater, 41, (pictured right) is on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court, charged with the manslaughter of Nicholas Josephs, 44, (pictured left) at their Hamilton Hill home in September 2018 Bridgewater (right) allegedly killed her partner after he turned violent toward both her and her parents That's accepted by the prosecution, but it argues Bridgewater's actions were not authorised, justified or excused by law, saying she should have sought help instead of escalating an already tense situation. Diane Bridgewater, 60, who was visiting from England with her husband John to celebrate the accused's 40th birthday and meet Mr Josephs, testified he looked angry when they returned home from a beachfront bar. When her daughter complained about the music, he jumped up from his seat, pushed her backwards into a corner and grabbed at her as she tearfully tried to get free, while Mr Bridgewater pulled at Mr Josephs' shirt, saying he should leave and cool down. The couple were meeting Ms Bridgewater's parents for the first time, the court heard 'I said 'what's going on?' Nick said 'you're a fat slag' and grabbed my hair ... I went straight to the ground,' Ms Bridgewater said on Wednesday, adding his eyes were 'horrible' and 'his face had changed'. She said she was terrified as Mr Josephs then put her husband, who has had heart problems, in a headlock, and then pushed him onto a sofa, repeatedly punched him and tried to strangle him. 'John was still. I thought he was dead. 'I thought he (Mr Josephs) was going to kill us.' Josephs (pictured) allegedly put Bridgewater's father in a headlock and tried to strangle him During the attack on her husband, she grabbed Mr Josephs 'by the goolies ... his private parts' but that didn't stop him so she told her daughter to leave. The accused replied: 'I can't mum - he's biting my finger'. Mr Bridgewater said she then recalled seeing Mr Josephs - who threw his partner across the room and at one stage and shouted 'I'm going to kill all of you' many times - with a red dot on his shirt. 'I walk over but my legs are buckling from underneath,' Ms Bridgewater said. 'I say 'sit down' ... and he told me to f*** off.' Tracey Elizabeth Diane Bridgewater is facing manslaughter charges over the stabbing death of her partner at their Hamilton Hill home in September 2018 He slid down the wall, she said, and she dropped to the floor too. The deceased's family wept from the public gallery as she testified, while Bridgewater sobbed as photos of her injured, bleeding father were shown. He suffered a fractured eye socket and a bite mark, while his wife sustained a possible fractured rib, and both were left bruised. A doctor who examined Mr Bridgewater said tests showed no vascular irregularities from attempted strangulation. Ms Bridgewater said she recalled her daughter going to the neighbours for help after the stabbing, and the court previously heard she phoned triple zero. LAS VEGAS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2019, the Gaming Standards Association (GSA) established a strong presence in Japan by establishing GSA Japan. GSA Japan joins the other GSA regional offices in Europe, Macau and North America. To this effect, GSA will now operate under the name and branding of the "International Gaming Standards Association" or "IGSA" with the new website address: igsa.org. GSA Japan will guide existing Japanese gaming business entities, manufacturers, suppliers and those that wish to enter the gaming industry, with up to date, accepted practices and standards. By providing locally relevant gaming industry expertise, GSA Japan will act as a conduit offering unbiased gaming industry information and education on the technical aspects of gaming and regulation to the appropriate authorities. As part of its ongoing mission, GSA Japan will hold a gaming educational seminar for invited guests on January 28 in Tokyo. Joining Takeshi Kaji, GSA Japan's Managing Director, will be Peter DeRaedt, IGSA President, and Mark Pace, GSA Europe Managing Director, who will provide insight into the work that IGSA has been doing for the gaming industry on behalf of its members for the past 22 years. DeRaedt and Pace will share the association's history, the importance of industry standards, and how and why they were created. In addition, they will explain the various relevant domains within the industry and their interactions and provide a high-level overview of generic system architecture. At the same time, they will provide an update on the latest work IGSA is undertaking. Takeshi will speak on how GSA Japan will leverage that knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the Japanese gaming industry. "For 22 years, IGSA members have been working together to create standards that provide business value for them," DeRaedt said. "IGSA seeks to educate the industry on experiences gained and reasons that our members opted to create a set of standards. IGSA's mission is to provide unbiased information to the benefit of all parties - regulators, suppliers and operators." Takeshi said, "GSA Japan strives to become a valuable partner to the budding Japanese IR and gaming industries. Working as a guide to all entities, we will support the optimal development of a unique and sustainable Japanese market." There is a level of membership for every type of company. Is your organization interested in working with IGSA on the creation of future standards? Please join us visit www.igsa.org to learn more, and follow IGSA on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. IGSA Platinum members include: Aristocrat Technologies Inc.; International Game Technology (IGT); Microgaming Software Systems, LTD.; NOVOMATIC AG; Playtech, (PTEC.L) & Scientific Games International (SGMS). Other members include: ABARIS INC.; Adlink Technology Inc.; Ainsworth Game Technology Inc.; Alphaslot; Amatic Industries GmbH; AmTote International; APEX pro gaming; Ares Way; Aruze Gaming America, Inc.; Atlantic Lottery Corporation; AxesNetwork Solutions Inc.; BMM Testlabs; Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited; Canadian Gaming Association; Casinos Austria; ComTrade Gaming; Crane Payment Innovations (CPI); European Casino Association; Everi; Fortunet; Foxwoods Resort Casino; Gaming Laboratories International, LLC. (GLI); Gaming Consultants International; Gaming Technologies Association; Gauselman GmbH; Genlot Game Technology Co., Ltd.; Grand Vision Gaming; Grover Gaming; House Advantage; Incredible Technologies; Intralot S.A. (INLr.AT); Inspired Gaming Group Ltd.; Interblock USA; JCM Global; Konami Gaming Inc.; M3 Technology Solutions, LLC; Macao Polytechnic Institute; Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association; Maxgaming; Mobile Gaming Monitoring On GmbH; Multi-State Lottery Association; Nidec Sankyo Corporation; Oregon Lottery; Paltronics Australasia Pty. Ltd.; PSM TECH; PVS Australia Pty, Ltd.; Quixant; Radical Blue Gaming; Random Consulting; Sega Sammy Creation, Inc.; Seminole Tribe of Florida; Seoul National University of Science & Technology; Smernax Holdings Ltd.; Synergy Blue; U1 Gaming; Universal de Desarrollos Electronicos, S.A.; UNLV International Gaming Institute; Utopia Gaming Systems, Pty. Ltd.; VEIKKAUS; Western Canada Lottery Corporation. SOURCE International Gaming Standards Association Related Links http://www.igsa.org/ It started with a text. Mom this man looks suspicious and rude, wrote Laura Karen Espindola, a thirty-year-old resident of Mexico City, in a WhatsApp message. It was close to nine oclock on a night last December. Half an hour earlier, Espindola had texted her mother to say shed boarded a cab and was on her way home. Her mother replied immediately: Get out my love and take another taxi. Espindola didnt answer. When her silence lingered into the night, her brother logged in to Facebook and asked for help finding his sister. He closed his post with #TeBuscamosKaren (#WereLookingForYouKaren). Within hours, the hashtag was trending throughout Mexico. Local and national press picked up the story, beseeching the public to keep an eye out for the missing young mother of three. Outlets published an attractive selfie of Espindola in which she wears a flowery blouse and bright red lipstick, her long blond hair combed out. The hunt was on. The following morning, nearly eleven hours after Espindola sent her final text, Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced that she was personally looking into the case and that a police investigation was already underwayan unprecedented move in a country where women disappear every day and law enforcement is notoriously unresponsive. ICYMI: NPR parts ways with freelancer after Tucker Carlson targets her Sign up for CJR 's daily email Of the more than sixty-one thousand disappeared people in Mexico, a quarter are women. Their faces appear in public service announcements, on flyers, and on billboards. In the wake of Mexicos #MeToo movement, which saw women take to the streets en masse throughout 2019 to protest gender violence, particular attention has been paid to disappeared women, many of whom are sold into human-trafficking rings or murdered. (According to the United Nations, Mexico has the second highest number of gender-based murders in Latin America, after Brazil.) In the past few years, abductions by taxi and Uber drivers have headlined the news, with some publications compiling what are essentially listicles of famous cab disappearances. Just two days before Espindola went missing, Cintya Gabriela Moreno Hernandez, a twenty-five-year-old woman, was found dead in the trunk of a taxi. But Espindola hadnt been taken. Fourteen hours after her brothers Facebook post, she came home. CCTV footage leaked to the press showed she had spent the evening with friends. The WhatsApp message, which she sent from a bar, was a pretext to have a night out. The press turned on her. Karen sent the whole country into a panic from a bar, one headline stated derisively; Karen mobilized society, social networks, and Mexico City while she was out partying, read another. Many outlets published footage from the CCTV tapelooped video of her dancing with a man. Instead of the attractive selfie, the updates to the story included a still from a video capturing her arrival home the morning after her supposed disappearance, looking a bit haggard and noticeably less filtered. Espindolas story dominated the national news for nearly forty-eight hours, with popular, mainstream outlets like El Universal and Milenio publishing more than a dozen articles each on the subject. The abrupt change in tonefrom casting her as a martyred Madonna to condemning her as a girl gone wildprompted womens groups to denounce Espindolas treatment in the press as a public lynching. Her story reads like a funhouse mirror version of the disappeared-woman narrative. Its the kind of mocking press coverage that plays into false and sexist tropes about women and bolsters inaction from law enforcement. Very often, the first thing authorities say when a young woman disappears is, She ran off with her boyfriend, says Mely Arellano, cofounder of Lado B, an independent publication based in Puebla that covers human rights and corruption. If the media echoes the boyfriend argument, says Arellano, authorities feel less social pressure to search for womeneven though minors are frequently lured into trafficking rings by men posing as their boyfriends online. For this reason, when Arellano reports on missing women she omits details of romantic liaisons. Getting authorities to act quickly is a fraught process already. The most important window of time to find a missing person is within the first seventy-two hours. In Mexico, national protocol establishes specific actions authorities must take within the first twenty-four hours, then the next forty-eight, and finally, after seventy-two. Despite this, says Viridiana Valganon, a litigator with feminist human rights organization Equis, the Public Ministry tends to tell families that a missing persons report cant be filed until seventy-two hours have passed. Add to that the problems of excessive bureaucracy, shoddy training, and lack of personnel, and even those with the will to enact proper protocols are likely to fail. If the media acts as a loudspeaker for stereotype-heavy public opinion, says Valganon, it not only can delay authorities from taking action, but can also tacitly justify their inaction after the fact. The press constructs a profile of the victim that makes so that the public believes that the victim deserved to get killed. They blame womens disappearances on their particular lifestyle, because of their line of work, their habits. Honestly, we feel that sometimes journalists dont support us, because instead of putting a spotlight on the disappeared, they discredit our cause, says Diana Gutierrez, the coordinator of Buscandote con Amor (Searching for You with Love), a grassroots collective made up of relatives of disappeared persons who, in the absence of government action, conduct searches themselves. They tarnish us by creating this image that we, women, lie. Beyond the mainstream papers, however, a robust network of feminist publications and reporters endeavor to provide a gendered perspective to their work. Celia Guerrero, a feminist columnist at Pie de Pagina, an independent digital publication, explains that such coverage first became widespread in the early 2000s, during a femicide epidemic in Ciudad Juarez. But as violence spread throughout the rest of Mexico, and as disappearances related to the war on drugs skyrocketed in the mid-2000s, gendered readings of the violence fell away. Journalists like Guerrero and Arellano are working on bringing it back. The journalists I interviewed agreed that characterizing womens disappearances as gender violence, as most news outlets do, is an important step forward. Blurbs accompanying the Espindola articles in El Universal, for instance, defined sexual violence and described potentially threatening behavior to watch out for in taxi or Uber drivers. But these well-intentioned warnings can easily slip into victim blaming: one article, also in El Universal, titled Twenty-something, alone, and going to trendy clubs: rapist taxi drivers target, warns that victims are generally fun and attractive, as if a womans good looks were a prerequisite for gender violence. Attaching a red flag to fun also creates a strange sort of cognitive dissonance: wanting to have fun is what discredited Espindola. In an agonizing twenty-minute television interview conducted the day after Espindola returned home, a Foro TV journalist prodded her for a play-by-play of the night. Espindola, looking deeply uncomfortable and occasionally on the verge of tears, repeatedly apologized for her actions, saying she never imagined her text would spin out of control. She insisted shed spent her evening with a group of friends of both sexes. They only showed the bits when Im with a man, she says of the CCTV footage, looking away from her interviewer and into the camera. Why would Espindola feign an abduction rather than tell her mother she was going out with friends? For Guerrero, the question is as worthy of exploration as the rest of the story. Were missing coverage that is conscious of structural machismo, she says. We, the media, are not able to read events properly. We havent been able to talk about why women hide or lie about going to a party because we live in a society where women dont have permission to have fun. ICYMI: A NYT article about Twitter got lots of pushback from journalists Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Meaghan Beatley is a journalist based in Barcelona who writes about feminism and politics. Follow her on Twitter @mbeatley. Confirmation of a new coronavirus has hit world markets, hurting travel companies but boosting makers of face masks and other medical equipment. Six people have died from the virus, which has no cure, with more than 290 cases confirmed in China, Thailand, Japan and South Korea. China, where most of the victims are, has also confirmed the first person-to-person transmission of the virus. The Shanghai Composite Index lost more than 1.4%, hitting its lowest point this year, while its currency fell from six-month highs. China Eastern Airlines lost 2.9% but Shanghai Dragon Medical, which makes medical disposable and healthcare products, and Tianjin Teda, a conglomerate whose products include medicines, were both up by 10%. The Chinese government says the virus belongs to the same family of coronaviruses that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), news that prompted a number of airports around the world to announce they would temperature screen passengers. The SARS outbreak in 2002-03 started in China and killed nearly 800 people around the world. In Japan, the Nikkei share average fell 0.91% after reaching a 15-month high on Monday, with ANA Holdings losing 2.2% and Japan Airlines dropping 3%. Japan Airport Terminal, which operates Tokyo's Haneda Airport, fell 4.5%. Meanwhile, Azearth, which supplies protective clothing, jumped 16.2%; Airtech Japan, which makes air showers and other air-purifying products, gained 8%. Shikibo, which produces anti-virus masks, was up 10.8%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index lost 2.7%, with shares in airlines, cinemas and casino operators falling but shares in pharmaceutical companies gaining. Alex Wong, managing director at Ample Finance in Hong Kong, said: "It is all about the fear. "The selling originated in travel-related stocks and is now spreading out. The ultimate fear is that this may spread with the tremendous human flow during the (Chinese Lunar New Year) holiday." Story continues Margaret Yang, an analyst at brokerage CMC Markets in Singapore, said: "The sell-off is just the beginning, we will see more in days to come." In China, however, some analysts were playing down virus fears. Zhang Qi, a Shanghai-based analyst at Haitong Securities, said: "We have more experience in dealing with diseases. "We will need to watch whether it spreads further, but so far the scale is not that big." Markets in South Korea, Australia and India were also down, with Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist for IHS Markit, saying the virus was "developing into a major potential economic risk to the Asia-Pacific region now that there is medical evidence of human-to-human transmission. He added: "Since the 2003 SARS crisis, China's international tourism has boomed, so the risks of a global SARS-like virus epidemic spreading globally have become even more severe." In London, the FTSE 100 was heading for its worst day since early December, shedding more than 1% as virus fears hit luxury and travel stocks. Asia-exposed Burberry lost 3.3%, British Airways owner IAG lost 2.3% and InterContinental Hotels fell 1.7%. Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson said: "We don't know how bad this will be, but with authorities confirming the disease can spread between humans, it's wise to be on guard for this outbreak to get worse before it gets better." The pan-European STOXX 600 lost 0.7% with Air France down 1.8% and Lufthansa down 2.1%. Luxury brands that are focused on China's consumers were also hit: LVMH (Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton) was down 2.7%, Kering was down 3.8% and Hermes lost 2.2%. Flash The impeachment trial against U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off Tuesday in the Senate as the chamber debated, and would later vote on, a resolution stipulating rules guiding the process. With Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the session and the Senate clerk finishing reading the draft resolution proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the two opposing sides - House managers as prosecutors and Trump's legal defense team - debated the trial rules. Speaking on the Senate floor on behalf of the lawyers representing Trump in the trial, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone defended McConnell's draft resolution. "We support this resolution. It is a fair way to proceed with this trial," he said. In a last-minute change to his original resolution, McConnell extended the duration of the 24-hour time slot granted to each of the two opposing sides in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial for their opening statements from two days to three days. The resolution was firmly opposed by Democrats. "We believe that once you hear the initial presentations, the only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong, and that these articles of impeachment do not begin to approach the standard required by the Constitution," said Cipollone. Trump was impeached in December by the Democratic-controlled House, which passed two articles of impeachment accusing him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has led the House impeachment inquiry and who now heads the team of House managers, denounced McConnell's proposal, saying "the resolution should allow the House managers to call their witnesses, and then the President should be allowed to do the same and any rebuttal witnesses." "Why should this trial be different than any other trial? The short answer is it shouldn't. But leader McConnell's resolution would turn the trial process on its head," Schiff, a California Democrat, said, adding that "the president places himself beyond accountability, above the law." McConnell's four-page resolution does not require additional witnesses to be subpoenaed and does not allow House prosecutors to admit evidence into the Senate trial record until after the opening arguments are heard. Instead, the resolution allows for a motion to be introduced to dismiss the impeachment charges by a simple majority vote in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. Democrats had demanded that whether to subpoena new witnesses or request additional documents be decided before the start of the trial. In a statement Monday bashing McConnell's resolution, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would be "offering amendments to address the many flaws in this deeply unfair proposal and to subpoena the witnesses and documents we have requested." McConnell in a floor speech Tuesday ahead of the debate vowed to block early votes on witnesses. "If a senator moves to amend the resolution in order to subpoena specific witnesses or documents, I will move to table such motions because the Senate will decide those questions later in the trial," said the Kentucky Republican. Schumer seized the opportunity of McConnell changing his resolution to press for calling witnesses and producing documents. "The public is understanding how unfair Senator McConnell's trial rules are and Republican Senators are beginning to tell him to change them," the New York senator said in a statement. "The real test will be if they pressure Senator McConnell to allow witnesses and documents." Later during the trial, Schumer offered up his first amendment to the resolution, saying that it requested to "subpoena certain documents and records from the White House." The amendment was subsequently debated in the chamber. "I just took the floor to demand a vote to subpoena the witnesses and documents needed for a fair trial," Schumer tweeted in the meantime. "Will Senate Republicans vote for a fair trial? Or will they enable a cover-up?" Abruzzo, known as the greenest region in Europe, lies 80 kilometres from Rome in central Italy. Abruzzo has set aside almost half of its land to green space and is renowned for its lush national parks and nature reserves. Immersed among the greenery are hidden gems. The ruins of mediaeval castles and military fortresses have become a must-see for historians, scholars and now, tourists. Rocca Calascio Atop the rocky cliffs of the LAquila province sits the 13th-century fort, Rocca Calascio . Once used for military purposes, the decaying fortress stands at an elevation of 1,460 metres. From this vantage point, Rocca Calascio provides a panoramic view of the Navelli Plain and Tirino Valley. The all-consuming beauty has made this a hotspot for the filming of medieval movies; including Lady Hawke, The Name of the Rose and The Journey of the Bride. From the village of Calascio, drive up or follow the twists and turns of the narrow footpath up to the fort. After exploring Rocca Calascio, return to the village to relax in several of the bars scattered around town. Also Read: Castello Roccascalegna Castello Caldora Civitella del Tronto Castello Cantelmo Stationed between the Rio Secco and Sangro Valleys, in the Chieti province of Abruzzo, is the mediaeval village of Roccascalegna. Towering above the town, in its domineering position, sits the Castello Roccascalegna. The fifth-century castle once belonged to the Lombards, who then passed their ownership of the massive fortress to the Swabians. After several years and several different owners, Castello Roccascalegna slowly acquired a more extravagant look. However, that changed. When the fortress was abandoned in the 18th century, it lay deserted for three centuries. Without protection from the elements and thieves, the castles structure began to deteriorate. A recent restoration in 1996 brought Castello Roccascalegna back to its former glory. Built into the hillsides of the LAquila province is the oldest castle in the Abruzzo region. With three dignified towers overlooking the Peligna Valley, Castello Caldora was once part of an extensive military defense system. A system that included six other castles, including Anversa and Roccascale. After a recent restoration, different parts of the castle have been opened up for tours. Plans to open up one of the three turrets to the public are being discussed. Once accessible, the turret will offer visitors a view of the town and surrounding valley. Only a short distance from the Pacentro town square, this historic site sits next to the several hotels and shops. Set on top of the rolling hills in the Teramo province lies Civitella del Tronto. Once belong to Philip II of Habsburg, King of Spain, this fort is considered the most strategic use of military engineering and positioning in Europe. Civitella del Tronto looks over the Kingdom of the Holy See, as well as the Kingdom of Naples. Tours of the fortress take visitors along three covered pathways deep inside of the massive 25,000-sqm structure. Accessible areas of the fort include the arms square, the soldiers barracks, the Church of San Giacomo, what remains of the Governors palace and one of the many cisterns. After the tour, enjoy a taste testing of Sassi dAbruzzo. A product that can only be found in this region of Abruzzo, and in all of Italy. Positioned at the bottom of the Peligna Valley in the LAquila province of Abruzzo is Castello Cantelmo. Located in the mediaeval town of Pettorano sul Gizio, the military fort was built on an irregular layout with four towers looming over the compounds walls. After decades of lying in abandonment, the once bolstered military fortress was left to ruins. Recent renovations made in the 1990s have allowed Castello Cantelmo to open to the public. The former home to military troops now houses several exhibitions, including The Men and the Mountain, Exhibition of Charcoal Burners and Archaeological Finds from the Roman Age. Jeff Bezos, president and CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, speaks at the Economic Club of Washington DC's "Milestone Celebration Dinner" in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo United Nations human rights experts have called for an investigation into allegations that the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince was involved in the hacking of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos' phone. A report by The Guardian has claimed that a malicious video file sent in a WhatsApp message from a personal number linked to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was used to infiltrate Mr Bezos's device. The UN said it was "gravely concerned" by the allegations and called on the United States and others to launch an investigation into the case. The hacking is alleged to have taken place in May 2018, five months before the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi royal family and a journalist with The Washington Post, which is also owned by Mr Bezos. In a statement, UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said: "The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia. "The allegations reinforce other reporting pointing to a pattern of targeted surveillance of perceived opponents and those of broader strategic importance to the Saudi authorities, including nationals and non-nationals. "These allegations are relevant as well to ongoing evaluation of claims about the Crown Prince's involvement in the 2018 murder of Saudi and Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. "The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the Crown Prince in efforts to target perceived opponents. "The circumstances and timing of the hacking and surveillance of Bezos also strengthen support for further investigation by US and other relevant authorities of the allegations that the Crown Prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for but failed to stop the mission that fatally targeted Mr Khashoggi in Istanbul." According to the initial report, a digital forensic investigation by experts hired by Mr Bezos found it was highly likely the video file was the source of the hack, which is said to have captured large amounts of data from Mr Bezos's phone. That analysis of the Amazon boss's phone first began in early 2019 following the publication of revelations about Mr Bezos's private life in the US tabloid National Enquirer, which included private text messages. Mr Bezos had asked the experts to find out how the private data had been leaked. In response, Saudi Arabia has called the allegations "absurd". "Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out," the kingdom's US embassy said in a post on Twitter early on Wednesday. Downing Street would not comment on the security of UK ministerial communications. But the British Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "All ministers and MPs are routinely given advice by the National Cyber Security Centre." Legends of Tomorrow is back and ready to delight superhero fans once again. In season 5 episode 2, Meet the Legends, Sara Lance is dealing with the aftermath of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Unfortunately, she doesnt have much time to process her feelings as new problems crop up for the Legends. This episode also leaves us with interesting questions to consider, so keep reading to explore those. Warning: there are spoilers ahead for season 5 episode 2 of Legends of Tomorrow. So for those of you who dont want to know what happened, stop reading now. If youve already seen the episode, or want to know what happened anyway, keep reading! New problems for the heroes of Legends of Tomorrow season 5 episode 2 Caity Lotz of Legends of Tomorrow on the #IMDboat at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 | Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb Season 4 ended with the Legends defeating the demon Neron. Unfortunately, as is often the case in Legends of Tomorrow, while solving one problem the Legends create another. Due to how public their defeat of Neron at Heyworld was, the Legends are famous. While many of the Legends are enjoying their newfound fame, they are dealing with some issues. Namely that the Time Bureau has been closed by Congress and therefore the Legends are dealing with funding problems. Senator Wellington isnt sure that they can be trusted to protect history and so in the interest of transparency, former Time Bureau director Ava Sharpe and most of the Legends invite a film crew to follow their adventures. However, they invite this film crew without telling Sara, Ray Palmer, and Mick Rory, who were away dealing with the Crisis on Infinite Earths. After dealing with so many problems, and losing a friend in Oliver Queen, the last thing Sara wants is cameras in her face. Unfortunately, theres not much time to talk about it as a time quake happens and the Legends then have to act. Season 5 Episode 2 of Legends of Tomorrow takes the Legends and the film crew to 1917 Russia, where they attend Rasputins funeral. Theres just one tiny problem: hes not actually dead, and bounds out of his coffins as the Legends watch. The wacky superheroes then have to deal with him being back and they all have different ideas. Nate Heywood and Ray want to talk him out of hurting anyone. Ava and Mick want to try to kill him and Mona Wu wants to send him a love letter from the czarina. Meet the heroes of Legends of Tomorrowor not. Nate and Ray and Ava and Micks plans dont work out too well. And they end up leaving the director of the documentary and his camera behind with Rasputin, who invites the czar and czarina and their family for dinner. Sara and Behrad Tarazi go to fix things, with later backup from Ava and the rest of the Legends. Though Rasputin technically cannot be killed since a chit of his soul is in Hell, the Legends manage to deal with the problem by sending a tiny Ray into Rasputins mouth and telling him to enlarge himself while in there. Rasputin explodes and the Legends separate his body and put it into containers. But that isnt the end of Legends of Tomorrow season 5 episode 2. The Legends go to do an interview about their documentary, where they say that it was all fake. Their missions will now be financed by a trinket that Mick stole while in 1917 Russia. Two different possible searches in Legends of Tomorrow John Constantine later comes in and drinks part of Rasputin, hoping to solve the problem of how he emerged from Hell in the first place. At the end of season 4, Astra Logue unleashed some evil souls from Hell. Rasputin is only the first of those souls to come back. And John wants to visit Astra and hopefully find out how to stop her. The episode ends with Nate and Behrad fixing Gideon, the Waveriders artificial intelligence system. While doing so, Nate sees when Behrad took his sister Zari Tomazs place and a message from Zari asking him to find her. Unfortunately for Zari, Nate has no idea where to start or even who Zari is. Burning questions about Legends of Tomorrow season 5 episode 2 Legends of Tomorrow season 5 episode 2 leaves its viewers with some questions. What will John Constantine find in Hell? Will Nate remember Zari and find her? There are many possible answers to these questions. John might find Astra and figure out how to stop her. Or in that crazy Legends way, he may cause more problems while attempting to solve one. Nate might remember Zari eventually, especially with her brother Behrad on the ship. And Nate might end up finding Zari or hell meet her again through Behrad. Either way, it will be interesting to see these storylines play out. Knowing Legends of Tomorrow, there will be a lot of fun had and a lot of emotions felt along the way. Rachel Henry PHOENIX The 22-year-old mother accused of killing her three children in Phoenix sang to her children as she smothered them to death, according to court records. Rachel Henry was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder Monday after she admitted to killing her three children under the age of 4, police said. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner identified the children as 3-year-old Zane Ezri Henry, 1-year-old Mireya Henry and 6-month-old Catalaya Kyeana Rios. Police initially said the daughters were 2 years old and 7 months old, but the medical examiners office said the girls were age 1 and six months. It's not clear if they were all Henry's biological children. Court records recounted how Henry allegedly smothered the three children one by one before lining up their bodies. However, the records don't provide a possible motive for the brutal killing. One family member told police they last saw the children alive at the Phoenix home Monday, according to the police report. Henry, who police said lived with the children's 30-year-old father and a 49-year-old woman identified as an "aunt," told them she would put the children down for a nap while they were gone. Smothering the kids one by one Henry allegedly told police she smothered her 1-year-old daughter first. She wrestled with the child before placing her hand over the child's mouth while she continued to kick in protest. Henry's 3-year-old son yelled at his mother to stop and tried to punch her in the face. Henry continued to smother the baby until she stopped breathing, according to the report. She left the body in the back bedroom. "Rachel knew she killed the 1-year-old female when she stopped kicking," a Phoenix police investigator wrote. Henry then chased her 3-year-old son but told police she was stopped when her aunt and the father of the children returned home. One of the family members played with one of the two children for a bit before Henry took the older boy into a back bedroom to change his underpants. She placed her son on the floor, straddled him with her legs and proceeded to smother him using her weight and by covering his mouth and nose with her hands until he died. Story continues "Rachel described singing to the 3-year-old as he scratched her chest and pinched her," the report detailed. Brutal killing: Arizona mother admits killing her 3 children, police say The probable cause statement says Henry next fed the 6-month-old female a bottle in her bedroom until she fell asleep. She sang her a song while again smothering the child with her hand as the child's father and the unidentified woman were in the next room. Henry placed the bodies of the three children on the living room floor as though they were taking a nap, the report says. She didn't tell the father or her aunt what happened. A female called 911 to report the three children were found dead at around 7:20 p.m., according to the probable cause statement. It's not clear whether that was Henry or the other female in the home. Both Henry and the father of the children were transported to the Phoenix police station to be interviewed. At some point, police said Henry admitted to killing the children. Family members told police Henry, who has a history of methamphetamine addiction, had been acting strange the past several days. Court documents indicate she was not under the influence of drugs. A memorial for three children allegedly killed by their mother, Rachel Henry, is pictured on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 in Phoenix. At the home where police say Henry killed her three children, balloons, stuffed animals and pictures lined the yard Wednesday as teary-eyed motorists stopped to pay their respects. Those who got out of their cars to add to the memorial did not know the family, but they said they were horrified by the details of the deaths. Cuca Aguilar brought three balloons and three stuffed animals and laid them on the ground next to the other pictures, candles and flowers. Aguilar said she has three children the same ages as the ones who died. She said that hearing the details Tuesday "hurt." "I hugged my babies so tight and tried not to cry," Aguilar said. Henry made her initial appearance in court Tuesday evening. She was clad in the baggy orange jail uniform provided by the Maricopa County jail, with her hair in a loose knot. Her face remained emotionless as the judge read her charges of three counts of first-degree homicide. A representative from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office argued that Henry should be held on a $3 million cash-only bail given the nature of the charges, the fact that she's unemployed and concerns that she might flee the area if released. Henry recently moved to Arizona from Oklahoma in 2019. He also noted Henry apparently admitted to having a history of addiction to methamphetamine and that her children were previously removed from her care. This likely occurred in Oklahoma as the Arizona Department of Child Safety told The Arizona Republic it had no previous contacts with Henry. The judge ultimately gave a secured bond of $3 million, meaning she could bail out of prison by providing a collateral of 10%. Henry softly mumbles to judge When asked if she wanted to make a statement in her defense, she only asked a question: "I'm not getting released?" She sighed deeply and quietly asked for access to a bail bondsman. The judge told her a phone and the necessary numbers would be available to her in jail. She quietly mumbled another statement, prompting the judge to ask her to repeat whatever she said. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to get any money," she said. "I don't have a job or anything." The judge told her that if she does provide the necessary bond, she won't be allowed to possess any weapons or drugs and will be required to attend all future court proceedings. Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 28. Contributing: Christopher Roth and Alyssa Stoney of The Republic. Follow Bree Burkitt on Twitter: @breeburkitt. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rachel Henry, accused of killing 3 kids, smothered them while singing According to observers, the hitting of the Ukrainian plane is reminiscent of the Chernobyl incident that occurred on the eve of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The hitting of the plane was the last piece in the chain that began with the death of Qassem Suleimani, which increased the bad situation of the regime, which got worse with the uprising of people in various cities in the country. A situation in which the representatives of the Velayat-e Faqih (Supreme Leader) inevitably exhibited aspects of it in their Friday prayers shows. Lotf-Allah Dezhkam, Friday prayers leader in Shiraz: In this case, the enemies of Islam wanted to question one of our pillars of national power and protest against the armed forces and the Missile Forces and the Revolutionary Guards. (Fars News Agency, 17 January) But he did not mention how the authority of the system and the armed forces have been called into question. As one government expert answered this: The video that a man who went up the light pole and disdain to the portray of Haj Qassem (Qassem Soleimani) was at least one of the key images that the enemies wanted (TV News Network, 17 January). Taking down the image of Qassem Soleimani and setting it on fire is a symbol of bringing down the sovereignty of the regime. Such acts by anti-government protesters in Iran have shaken the spirits of the regimes agents, and the Friday prayers leaders were forced to come to the stage and console them. In the Friday prayers sermon in Mashhad, the cleric Mogheri said: What you see is chaos Some people were thrown into the street You should not be afraid If this did not happen in the sedition of 2009; in the imposed war in the MEK/PMOI case, we would not have known the enemy. The same terrible thing can happen in the community by someone who shoots down a Ukrainian plane to the one who made riot on Ashura and tears down Imams (Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Iranian regime) image and kicks the poster of Soleimani. (Astan Quds TV, 17 January) Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Expediency Council, also failed to hide his fear and cried: These have come in the last two years since 2018, November 2019; and in the last few days because of the plane issue. They came through the cyberspace, and they tried to take advantage of the peoples protests. (Channel 3 state-TV, 17 January) The horror of the current explosive situation is a reality that has not been kept hidden by international media and analysts. In this regard, the Los Angeles Times wrote: Despite defiance and fiery rhetoric during a rare Friday sermon, Irans supreme leader is facing multiplying dangers: Protesters again in the streets, Europes threat of new economic sanctions and President Trumps drone strike on a top general have shaken a regime that for decades has stayed in power by repressing its people and sowing intrigue across the Middle East. (The Los Angeles Times, 17 January) The Los Angeles Times summarized the coordinates of the regime quoting an Iran specialist: Corruption is very high, and the government is not able to meet the basic needs of its people. The division between nation and government is increasing very fast. It has turned away people from the government. That lack of public trust is the most important thing. (The Los Angeles Times, 17 January) As can be seen from the statements made by the authorities and the above mentioned, the sighs and vexations of these days of the rulers and their agents over the events of the last two weeks that were too bitter for the ruler and Ali Khamenei to bitterly admit in his sermon this week. Kurdish, because of the fear of the uprising and the fear of the mullahs being overthrown by the uprising people, especially the rebel youth. Their apprehension about the explosive conditions of society is similar to that of the uprisings of 2018 and of November 2019. The uprisings have shaken the rotten pillars of the government, and yet every time regime officials and figures point to these uprisings. But the reality is that the situation of this regime has gone beyond all these concerns, and these worries about the situation are not useful and will not solve anything. Because the explosive conditions of society are such that the uprisings will continue. Concerning the objective conditions of the uprising and the regimes deadlock, Bahram Parsai, a member of the Iranian parliament, says: The present state of our country and the gaps in it are not hidden. The depth of these gaps is so deep that it cannot be ignored by the usual slogans and propaganda and attributed to some conspiracies. Approaching the timeframes of public protests in the country in a timely manner, involving more people in these protests, widening the scope of the protests to a wider variety of issues and covering more areas is a clear sign for any observer to know that the Iranian community is not under normal circumstances. (Iran state-run newspaper, 18 January) [January 21, 2020] Jacobs Ranked on Fortune's 2020 World's Most Admired Companies List and Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2020 DALLAS, Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For the twelfth consecutive year, Jacobs (NYSE: J) has been ranked on Fortune's 2020 World's Most Admired Companies list in its sector, securing the No. 1 spot this year for the second year in a row. The annual survey, conducted by Fortune and Korn Ferry, is given to top executives, directors and financial analysts for identifying companies with the strongest reputations within and across industries. Additionally, Jacobs ranked on Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2020 list for the first time, and for the second year in a row, Jacobs has received a score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). "At Jacobs, one of our core values is 'We Live Inclusion,' where we believe in creating an environment where people can bring their best, whole selves to work where they can thrive," said Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou. "These accolades are a tremendous tribute to our employees recognizing their leadership and focus in driving excellence in every aspect of our business, while bringing innovative solutions to our clients." Fortune's 2020 World's Most Admired Companies list is the definitive report card on corporate reputation. To compile the rankings, corporate reputation and performance are measured against nine key attributes: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products and services and global competitiveness. Jacobs secured its ranking through their collective performance in each key attribute of reputation within the industry. "Jacobs is committed to high performance and leveraging our core value of inclusion to attract, inspireand develop talent," said Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President Shelie Gustafson. "Our values underpin our Culture of Caring and encourage those at Jacobs to use our differences for innovative solutions, while creating a workplace that values safety, positive mental health, and inclusion and belonging of all employees." The Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2020 were chosen based on an independent survey from a representative sample of 60,000 employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. Respondents were asked questions regarding the topics of age, gender equality, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQA+ and general diversity concerning their own employer. The 2020 Corporate Equality Index rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria falling under five broad categories: non-discrimination policies, employment benefits, demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBTQ diversity and inclusion, public commitment to LGBTQ equality and responsible citizenship. Jacobs joins the ranks of major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year, helping advance the cause of LGBTQ inclusion in workplaces abroad. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jacobs-ranked-on-fortunes-2020-worlds-most-admired-companies-list-and-forbes-best-employers-for-diversity-2020-300990782.html SOURCE Jacobs [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Erin Zilka, 35, of Plainfield, faces a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence and driving too fast for conditions, according to the Illinois State Police. Zilka was the driver of a Dodge Durango that collided with the rear of a 2008 Hino box truck that had been stopped in the two right lanes because of an earlier crash with a pickup truck, according to a news release. The statement issued by the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's governing party, each January to mark the anniversary of its launch in 1912, is many things to many people. It is a multipurpose vehicle to celebrate the party's milestones as well as to mobilise and lure followers. It is both a sermon and a show to keep the faithful close. It also provides a rare window into the state of the organisation. The statement meshes into ANC election campaigns. The messages and slogans reflect what the organisation believes is necessary and useful to say. It plasters over cracks and is the stage for birthday praise songs and public relations exercises, rather than a frank assessment of the party's performance and its government. Yet, year after year the statement also reveals the soul of a former liberation movement that has been enduring in government. Come Saturday 11 January 2020, when the party celebrates its 108th birthday, the statement will be big on popular mobilisation and keeping the poor and the young close. It will reflect on 108 years of the party's existence and 25 years in power, and prepare for going into a fourth set of local government elections in 2021. Expectations This time around the prevailing political, economic and government crises add layers of expectations to the January 8 anniversary statement. It will be interpreted as a test for the presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa and his command of the fractious governing party. It will also be watched for signs of the president's and his party's ability to remain faithful to their 2019 election promises of ethical and effective governance, rooting out corruption, and for iterations on already agreed policy directions for the party and its government. Given that the January 8 statement is not a state-of-the-nation address or a national budget statement, the most that may be hoped for is for it to provide evidence of a president who is confident, clear and courageous. That means a leader who can lead the governing party and the state to give effect to the 2019 statement, which confirms government policy and cleanup priorities for the year. Ramaphosa has allowed himself to be held back, so far, by the tenuous scale of his victory as party leader at the ANC's national conference in 2017, and the internal threats to his authority. His leadership came to be seen as weak and wavering. Even if the January 8 statement is a collective document by the ANC's national executive committee, its highest decision-making body in between its five-yearly elective conferences, Ramaphosa's tone and choice of words in his delivery will give clues as to the state of the organisation. This at a time of debilitating disunity and internal proxy-policy contests for position and influence over the state and its patronage networks. The ANC's policy directions to government are by now agreed and confirmed. They have already been announced in the January 8 statements he delivered in 2018 and 2019, even if they are continuously used as weapons in factional party warfare against him. For example, he is accused of failing to implement agreed party resolutions regarding the expropriation of land without compensation, and to nationalise the country's Reserve Bank. The processes to change land policy are unfolding in conformity with the policy resolutions, even if incrementally. The Reserve Bank resolution is tame enough to follow. These policy directions have been transferred into government processes, and have been aligned with dire socio-economic needs and requirements for stable government. The questions that remain are the speed and determination of implementation. Ramaphosa's delivery of the address could go a long way to confirming his ownership of contested policies, and his command of the ANC. Other watermarks that will define the 2020 statement will be improved public service and administration, as promised in January 2019. And so will the trapeze act to restructure and rescue state-owned enterprises. Such a restructuring has to be done without alienating labour, in particular the ANC's governing alliance partners the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party. Tough task The ANC's task of positioning the 2020 statement will be complicated. There is hardly an angle, spin or tactic that has not yet been offered in the January 8 statements to date, especially in the 25 years since it assumed power. The increasingly cynical citizens have heard it all before. With only minor exceptions, each statement has had an overarching theme, pertinent to the times, to help mobilise for organisational unity and people's support of the ANC. These two frequent past themes also reflect problems in today's ANC. Electioneering The 2020 January 8 statement will also be a typical pre-election-year statement. Expect emphasis on mobilisation and unity, and reassurances that the ANC remains on the side of the poor. All this despite lacklustre government performance, corruption and squandering of state resources. A foretaste of the 2021 local elections could already be seen in ANC top officials saying that the statement will aim at instilling and reviving hope. The core ANC anniversary theme will be to bring the people back into its fold, even if this task is progressively difficult. It will find the statistics to persuade South Africans that progress has been definitive, that the state can still turn the corner just needing the ongoing endorsement of a former liberation movement that is valiantly challenging the monster of past injustices. The electorate has become increasingly cynical and distrusting of the ANC government's ability to give substance to its aspirational statements. But when it comes to elections and voter choices, the party remains largely unchallenged. This confidence is likely to be tangible in the January 8 statement. Towards a real New Dawn? The task for the ANC is to show that the arrogance of wielding such enormous power, despite its fractiousness and fragility as an organisation, does not further contaminate government. That every ounce of time and resources is expended working for the people of South Africa. Only if and when that happens can the now cliched New Dawn promised by President Ramaphosa become reality. Susan Booysen is affiliated with Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA). By Susan Booysen, Research director at Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra), Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand The Ministry in an official communique to the chiefs of all security agencies, including paramilitary forces and Special Protection Group (SPG), has warned of taking extra measures to keep an eye on each suspicious activity. New Delhi: Ahead of Republic Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs, after considering an intelligence alert, has issued a warning to all security agencies to be on alert, saying "derogatory contents" posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi may pose threat, sources said. It is learnt that the Ministry letter, issued last week, refers to the spurt in posting of "derogatory contents and visuals" on various social media platforms against the Prime Minister and other high-risk dignitaries. The Ministry's concern is based on the intelligence report shared with it in the beginning of this month regarding the possibility of "desperate individuals resorting to some extreme measures". Officials in the know of things, requesting anonymity, said that the government has been taking more precautionary measures to avert any untoward incident as intelligence inputs suspect terror attacks ahead of Republic Day. "We are extras cautious this time. Each and every input is being taken care of," an official said. The government's recent decision to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act and conduct the National Population Register (NPR) as well as talks about a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) are among the reasons for high alert mentioned in the report as various violent protests have broken out across the country over the issues. "Social media has been abuzz with activity since these decisions were taken by the government. As protests are still going on at several places, the possibility of threat cannot be ruled out," another security official said. The intelligence report has also warned of terror plots backed by Pakistan-based terror groups to avenge the government's last year's decision to abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one. It has been learnt that the deployment of paramilitary forces and police personnel on Republic Day will be much more than what was done in previous years to avoid and deal with any type of attacks. "Aerial to ground level security will be covered by over 3,000 snipers in the periphery of 3 km on Rajpath where the Republic Day function will be held. Around 70,000 force deployment is expected during the celebrations this time. All borders have already been put on high alert," an official said. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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Despite a recent CNN poll showing 51 per cent of respondents were in favour of the US Senate ousting Mr Trump, the requirements for removal skew heavily in the presidents favour. How could Trump be removed? Two-thirds of the Senate (67 members) must vote in favour of removing the president from office at the end of the impeachment trial. Currently, the Senate is comprised of 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats, which means at least 20 Republican senators would have to vote in favour of removing Mr Trump. The two remaining senators are both independents, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Maine Senator Angus S King Jr, and both caucus with the Democratic party. Will that happen? No Republican members of the Senate have given any indication they intend to vote in favour of Mr Trumps removal from office, so regardless of the information brought to light during the trial, Mr Trumps role is almost assured. All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters Aside from Mr Trump, only two other US presidents have faced possible removal from office as a result of impeachment; Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Neither were removed from office. Mr Johnson narrowly avoided removal thanks to Kansas Senator Edmond Rosss vote against his party. Mr Clinton was spared from removal by more than 20 votes on both articles of impeachment brought against him. With the question of removal mostly a non-issue, what remains to be seen is whether the Senate trial will be quick or be dragged out. Although a longer trial would allow for more detailed witness testimony and give senators more time to consider evidence presented by the House impeachment managers which is something Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants a drawn out trial could hurt the presidential campaigns of the four Democratic senators competing to run against Mr Trump in the 2020 general election. Mr Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Colorado Senator Michael Bennett and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar will have to suspend their campaign events for the duration of the trial. Historic Allen Fieldhouse erupted in pandemonium Tuesday night as No. 3 Kansas was putting the finishing touches on a walloping of rival Kansas State. The bedlam centered around a dust-up-turned-brawl, and players from both teams spilled into the stands. Punches were thrown. Benches were cleared. DZ BANK AG Frankfurt am Main - Pre Stabilisation RNS Number: residue number system Frankfurt am Main, 21. January 2020 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Pre-Stabilisation Notice Belfius Bank SA/NV DZ BANK AG (contact: Ralph Ockert; telephone: +49 69 7447 7051) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014). The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Belfius Bank Guarantor (if any): Aggregate nominal amount: 500m EUR benchmark Description: fixed rate of 0.125%, due 28th January 2030 Offer price: 99.604% Other offer terms: Payment, 28. January 2020 denoms 100k/100k, soft bullet Stabilisation: DZ BANK AG Stabilisation Coordinator: Stabilising Managers: DZ BANK AG Belfius, Citi, DZ BANK, LBBW and Natixis Stabilisation period expected to start on: 21th of January 2020 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Euronext Brussels (Regulated Market) In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilisation Manager(s) will take any stabilisation action and any stabilisation action, if begun, may be ended at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive") before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:18:12|Editor: ZD Video Player Close ROME, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The flows of Chinese travelers to Italy were on the rise, showed data unveiled during opening celebrations for China-Italy year of culture and tourism on Tuesday. The provisional trend of airport arrivals from China in the first 11 months of 2019 grew by 16 percent on an annual basis, according to a short report by the Italian Tourism Observatory. All figures were based on estimates provided by Italy's National Tourist Board (ENIT) and on data by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). According to the observatory, Chinese visitors to the country registered 5.3 million overnight stays in 2018, an increase of 5.2 percent compared with the previous year. The increase was "considerably higher than the growth (2.8 percent) generated by the totality of foreign tourists," it noted. Chinese tourists' spending in Italy also grew considerably, exceeding 650 million euros (721 million U.S. dollars), an increase of 40.8 percent year-on-year. Analyzing other data provided by the Bank of Italy, ENIT also estimated Chinese tourists to Italy spent at least 353 million euros specifically for cultural holidays in 2018, which represented over half of their total annual expenditure in the country. And the data also showed interesting trends among the the younger Chinese visitors. Chinese visitors aged 15-24 spent 9.1 million euros for studying activities in Italy in 2018, and those aged 25 to 34 spent 23.3 million euros, which accounted for 44.5 percent and 12.3 percent of their overall spending in the country, respectively, ENIT estimated on the Bank of Italy data. The year of 2020 has been designated the China-Italy year of culture and tourism, as the year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic ties. An official opening ceremony was held at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, a multicultural complex, in the Italian capital on Tuesday, at the presence of Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini and Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang. It is expected to offer a wide range of cross-cultural activities, tourism events and exchanges between the two countries. (1 euro = 1.11 U.S. dollars) Right Wing Watch reports that in the 1990s anti-gay Christian crypt keeper Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network placed Donald Trump impeachment team lawyer Jay Sekulow to run Robertsons newly founded American Center for Law and Justice. Robertson created the ACLJ as an anti-ACLU type group. Sekulow and the ACLJ opposed to laws protecting the rights of LGBT people in the U.S. and abroad. The ACLJ argued on behalf of state laws criminalizing gay sex that were overturned by the Supreme Court in 2003. Sekulow has said that the state has a compelling interest to ban the act of homosexuality. In Africa, ACLJ worked to shape constitutional language in Zimbabwe, where it has fought to maintain criminalization of homosexuality. Mother Jones report: Sekulow and his son Jordan opened affiliated offices of the ACLJ in Africa to lobby politicians to take the Christians views into consideration as they draft legislation and policies, according to ACLJs website. ACLJs Zimbabwe office has pushed an agenda that backs outlawing same-sex marriage and making sure that homosexuality remain[s] a criminal activity. (Zimbabwe had outlawed homosexuality in 2006.) Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe is among the most ruthless dictators in the worldbut in 2010 ACLJ-Zimbabwes chairman, pastor Alex Chisango, led Mugabe and others in prayer to kick off Zimbabwes constitutional reform drive. ACLJ wanted to ensure that, whatever else changed in the countrys constitution, homosexuality remained illegal and same-sex marriage was banned. Sekulow also has a long history of grifting money from the poor in the name of God as reported by the Guardian: Documents obtained by the Guardian show Sekulow approved plans to push poor and jobless people to donate money to his Christian nonprofit, which since 2000 has steered more than $60 million to Sekulow, his family and their businesses. Telemarketers for the nonprofit, Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (Case), were instructed in contracts signed by Sekulow to urge people who pleaded poverty or said they were out of work to dig deep for a sacrificial gift. I can certainly understand how that would make it difficult for you to share a gift like that right now, they told retirees who said they were on fixed incomes and had no extra money before asking if they could spare even $20 within the next three weeks. Other scripts that Sekulow contact representatives used to raise money siad that money was needed for Cases massive campaign to repeal and replace Obamacare and that the Christian US was under siege from both Muslim terrorists and a liberal political elite led by President Obama supposedly desperate to increase the national abortion rate. If you indulge in truffles, or porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, you have enjoyed a product of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Forming symbiotic relationships with plants - including pine, birch, oak and willow tree species - these fungi have existed for millions of years, their sprawling filaments supporting ecosystems throughout their reach. According to research from Stanford University, published Jan. 21 in the Journal of Biogeography, by the year 2070, climate change could cause the local loss of over a quarter of ectomycorrhizal fungal species from 3.5 million square kilometers of North American pine forests - an area twice the size of Alaska. "These are critical organisms for the functioning and the health of forests," said Kabir Peay, associate professor of biology in Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences and senior author of the study. "We have evidence to suggest that these fungi are as susceptible to climate change as other kinds of organisms and their response may be even more important." Previously, the Peay lab had mapped the global distributions of forests where trees associate with different types of symbiotic fungi, finding that over 60 percent of all trees on Earth currently associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Now, by learning more about the communities these fungi form in different climates, the researchers projected how climate change might affect them in the future. Microbial maps Over several years, the Peay lab has gathered about 1,500 soil samples from 68 pine forests, which represent a swath of North America from Florida to Alaska. In past work, they sequenced DNA in each sample to understand what fungal species live in that soil, and in what abundance. Their results, published previously, suggested that fungi were different in each region, contradicting a common assumption that those communities would look similar in most places in the world. They followed that up by mapping the associations between trees and symbiotic microbes around the world. For their latest paper, Brian Steidinger, a postdoctoral scholar in the Peay lab, explored the relationship between these geographical fungi patterns and historical climate data. "We took soil from the cores and climatic data unique to each site," said Steidinger, who was lead author of the study. "We found that climate was by far the most important predictor of contemporary fungal diversity patterns across North America." Steidinger also found that different regions of North America had unique optimal temperatures for fungal diversity. For example, cold boreal forests had a diversity peak around 5 C mean annual temperature, while Eastern temperate forests peaked in diversity near 20 C. The researchers then applied these data to predict future diversity, given projections of climate change produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Because of the regional differences in optimal climate for fungal diversity, some forests, particularly those in the North and Northwest, could experience major decreases in fungal diversity. "According to our models, climate change over the next 50 years could eliminate more than a quarter of ectomycorrhizal species inside 3.5 million square kilometers of North American pine forests," said Steidinger. "That's an area twice the size of Alaska." Other regions, such as the Eastern temperate forests, could experience gains of 30 to 50 percent - assuming it is as easy to develop new species as to lose them. "One of the things that's kind of shocking and a little bit scary is that we predict there will be some pretty significant decreases in diversity in western North America, well known culturally for fungal diversity and for people who are interested in collecting edible mushrooms," Peay said. Buffering against climate change Ectomycorrhizal fungi form a sheath around their hosts' roots, which can help prevent erosion and protect roots from damage and disease. The fungi seem to boost carbon storage in soil by slowing down decomposition and encouraging the buildup of soil. They also help their host trees grow more quickly - and therefore take in more carbon - by improving their ability to take in nitrogen, which they need in order to grow. "In terms of ecosystem function, particularly buffering the atmosphere against climate change, ectomycorrhizal fungi are among the last microbes you want to lose," said Steidinger. "We're expecting to lose the species that seem to be the most functionally intense - the ones with the greatest enzyme activity, the ones that forage out the farthest." Building on this work, the researchers are considering studying forests with low diversity of fungi and conducting experiments to better understand how these altered fungal communities might function in the future. "For microbiome work, I feel like we're in a new era of discovery," said Peay. "Like Darwin and Wallace getting on ships and going to new places and seeing new things and changing the way they view the world, that is what is happening in this field." ### Co-authors of this paper include researchers from Boston University, Duke University and University of California, Berkeley. Peay is also an associate professor of photon science in the Photon Science Directorate, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and a member of Stanford Bio-X. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation. FILE PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore SINGAPORE Despite the outbreak of a new coronavirus from Wuhan with some 440 cases reported in China as of Wednesday (22 January) local airline Scoot has not cancelled any of its flights to China. In a statement to Yahoo News Singapore, the low-cost carrier which has daily trips to Wuhan added that the health advisory measures that it has implemented since the start of the month for passengers arriving from the city have been expanded to include all China flights from Wednesday. Scoots announcement comes on the back of the Ministry of Healths (MOH) direction to expand temperature screening to all inbound flights from China from Wednesday. Scoot has been closely monitoring the situation in Wuhan, as the health and safety of our passengers and employees are our highest priority, the statement said. Announcements to passengers Since the start of the month, the airline has been making inflight announcements to passengers on Wuhan flights to remind them that, upon arrival in China, they should inform customs officials of symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath. The announcements also state that passengers who return to Singapore should see a doctor if they become unwell within two weeks of their return. Such announcements will be applied to all of Scoots China flights from Wednesday. Scoot has also been keeping employees informed of the situation in Wuhan, including latest advisories from the MOH. The Straits Times had earlier reported that there are two local Scoot staff based in Wuhan to support its operations. The airline has also stocked hand sanitisers and surgical masks on Wuhan flights for the crew as well as passengers who need them. It added that similar precautions will be taken for all China flights. Scoot also has an aircraft disinfection protocol in place for flights where there have been suspected cases reported, the airline added, without further elaboration. Nine people in China died from virus Story continues The coronavirus, which is similar to SARS and pneumonia, emerged last year, with the World Health Organization alerted to its presence by Chinese authorities on 31 December. As of Wednesday, nine people have died from the virus in China. On 2 January, the MOH said that it was aware of the outbreak and monitoring the situation. Temperature screening was implemented for all travellers arriving at Changi Airport from Wuhan the next day. Cases of the virus have been confirmed in South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Macau, Taiwan and the United States. In Singapore, seven people have been suspected of having the coronavirus, but all were tested negative. Related stories Wuhan virus outbreak: Singapore female resident, 44, is 7th suspected case here Wuhan virus outbreak: MOH to expand temperature screening at Changi Airport to all flights from China Persons with pneumonia and have travelled to China to be isolated in S'pore Cashaa's mission is to help crypto businesses get access to banking who have always struggled with traditional banks. Finally, in 2019, it started its operations in partnership with an FCA regulated entity intending to become the go-to banking services provider for underbanked industries worldwide. "We launched our business banking services in 2019, but onboarding crypto businesses was a huge challenge, mostly due to changing compliance rules, sometimes unclear KYC and AML policies of the business or sometimes just loose behavior of founders. The Fifth Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) became compulsory for European states from 10th Jan 2020, resulting in the FCA to become the AML and CTF supervisor for crypto businesses. Based on my experience, the situation will get worse for many crypto companies out there who do not understand the implications. Our product is developed to adopt these new laws with reliable banking services to protect crypto entrepreneurs." -- Archit Aggarwal, CPO Cashaa More than 1000 crypto companies have applied to Cashaa, mostly looking for a bank account and credit/debit card processing facility. Cashaa had turned down 80% of the applications because the businesses did not understand AML and CFT rules. Based on the experience of dealing with over a thousand crypto companies, Cashaa realized that most of the founders working in the blockchain or DLT space are are young, dynamic entrepreneurs, full of innovative ideas who mainly focus on engineering, but are lacking specialized compliance knowledge. Cashaa's "Crypto Business/Broker" account has coded policies and systems to mitigate the risk of the business being used for money laundering or terrorist financing. Cashaa has integrated the KYC system for individual and corporate entities within the account for due diligence of each sender/receiver when doing transactions. Three levels of the KYC system will do intrusive due diligence, known as enhanced due diligence when dealing with customers who may present a higher money laundering/terrorist finance risk, also including PEP (Politically Exposed Person) checks. Cashaa's systems, together with its reliable banking partners, will be doing the ongoing monitoring of all the transactions happening to make sure they are consistent with the business' knowledge of the customer and the customer's business and risk profile. "We have put our experience of dealing with hundreds of crypto businesses and extended our capabilities through technology to our customers to give them the freedom to innovate with minimum worrying about the new FCA rules or 5AMLD." -- Kumar Gaurav, CEO Cashaa From 22nd January onwards, businesses are able to get a crypto broker account for Pound Sterling (GBP) and Euro (EUR). Great Britain and Lithuania IBAN (International Bank Account Number) accounts with a unique reference number will enable FPS (Faster Payments Service), CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System), SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) and SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) payments, allowing 3rd party payments up to 200 Million GBP. There is no monthly fee to make sure small innovative crypto companies can use the product. The KYC checks and ongoing transaction monitoring will be done automatically in the account, to make sure each transaction is following the European 5AMLD. To make sure only serious companies are applying for the account, a small application fee of 100,000 CAS will be required. Interested businesses can acquire CAS from Binance DEX. For further details, visit https://www.cashaa.com/uk-euro-broker-account . Contact: Janina Lowisz, Email: [email protected], Number: +447482670036 SOURCE Cashaa Related Links https://www.cashaa.com Indias right-wing rulers are riding the proverbial tiger, and they know it in their bones. Losing control of the reins would unleash dreadful prospects for them, potentially harsher than the commission of inquiry that Indira Gandhi faced for her emergency excesses followed by a day in jail and eviction from parliament. The government appears to have exhausted its quota of tricks to keep people distracted, and now they have taken to the streets. The RSS is not only severely allergic to Indian democracy, but represents an entrenched war of attrition against enlightened and syncretic Hinduism of Indian reformers since Ram Mohan Roy, Tagore, Gokhale and Ranade, of Periyar and Tukaram, of Gauri Lankesh and Kalburgi. Its members rejoiced in the murder of Gandhi and Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, and it encourages scurrilous propaganda against Indias Nehruvian heritage of liberal ideals. Sikhs, Muslims, Dalit Buddhists and Christians have been in its cross hairs, an article of faith in a nefariously upper-caste worldview. Facing the formidable combination of state and street power is an even more powerful array of forces though they seem not to be aware of their prowess. Opponents of the Modi regime happen to be politically varied as varied as India is. But they are handicapped also by a legacy of mutual suspicion. Let us consider real examples of the powerful forces arraigned against the Modi-Shah duo. The leading dramatis personae include students of a range of leftist hue, different kinds of Ambedkarites, a muscular clutch of Sikhs and vocal Christians, a variety of Muslim groups, including Jamaat-i-Islami, mostly led by women, and other minorities as well as a generous number of upper-caste Hindus. In the political realm the opposition has the Congress, ruling Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India (CPI), named as separate for a particular reason. They are in power in Kerala. Opposition groups also include the Aam Aadmi Party, ruling Delhi, the Trinamool Congress, ruling West Bengal, the DMK, a powerful Tamil force, the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, ruling Maharashtra in alliance with Congress as junior partner, Lalu Yadav is still a pre-eminent force of peasants in Bihar. Akhilesh Yadav and Ajit Singh represent strong peasant groups and Mayawati spearheads the Dalit opposition in Uttar Pradesh. Add to the mix the rallying voices from Gujarat of Hardik Patels potent Patidar Movement, and Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti from Kashmir, albeit they are in jail. Many of these leaders represent caste and regional groups that form the spine of the armed forces, the police and a substantial chunk of bureaucracy. Given a nudge they also have enormous street power. It is the peasants be they Sikhs or Marathas or any other that have always shored up Indias monsoon-fed economy and its security too, not the business clubs that conspire to elect rulers with money power. So what ails the opposition with its enormous power matrix? Its the habit of lusting for power, primarily. But then that is all one has to coalesce into a credible opposition, no small deal by any reckoning. The AAP supported the dissolution of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Critics say it keeps a low profile on the campaign against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which is probably not true. We have heard Christian and Muslim leaders talking of the AAP as betraying their interests. Assume that is so. Should the people help the BJP defeat AAP and come to power in Delhi? If so, what about the rest? Mamata Banerjee is leading the most frontal fight against the communal citizenship law, but she was once a member of the Vajpayee-led ruling alliance as the left insists on reminding. She also had a meeting with Prime Minister Modi during his recent visit to Kolkata. The late CPI journalist Zia ul Hasan had a thing or two to say about E.M.S. Namboodiripads excessive interest against Rajiv Gandhis ill-advised reversal of the Supreme Courts ruling that protected a Muslim widow. E.M.S., Hasan wrote, was fishing for Hindu votes in Kerala, as was recently evident when a Ganapati procession organised by Keralas communist youths, with the back of the vehicle carrying the idol, projecting a picture of Che Guevara! The CPI can be accused of supporting Indira Gandhis emergency. The Congress was in power in 1992-93 in Maharashtra when the Shiv Sena in tandem with the police staged the anti-Muslim violence in Mumbai. Should we discard the Congress and Shiv Sena as a potent force against the Modi-Shah government? It is a suicidal thought. The DMK was suspected in Rajiv Gandhis assassination. Hardik was a supporter of Modi, and Kejriwal funds Hindu pilgrims. Anybody can target anybody in the opposition. But that is all one has in the arsenal for the fight that needs to be won. A victory should lead to an imminent reconciliation of secularist forces to rebuild the ruptured country and its frayed democracy. By arrangement with Dawn The Republican-controlled US Senate rejected a second Democratic bid yesterday to obtain documents and evidence in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, an early sign the trial could proceed along lines favourable to Mr Trump. The Republican-controlled US Senate rejected a second Democratic bid yesterday to obtain documents and evidence in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, an early sign the trial could proceed along lines favourable to Mr Trump. As the third impeachment trial in US history began in earnest, senators voted 53-47 along party lines to block a motion from Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to subpoena State Department records and documents related to Mr Trump's dealings with Ukraine. The Senate earlier voted by the same margin to block a subpoena for documents and evidence from the White House on the matter. Democrats have called on the Senate to remove Mr Trump from office for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden, a political rival, and then impeding the inquiry into the matter. Mr Trump, who was impeached last month by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress, denies any wrongdoing and describes his impeachment as a partisan hoax to derail his 2020 re-election. During early debate, Mr Trump's chief legal defender attacked the case as baseless and a top Democratic lawmaker said there was "overwhelming" evidence of wrongdoing. With the television cameras rolling, US Chief Justice John Roberts convened the proceedings and the two sides began squabbling over Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's proposed rules for the trial. White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who is leading Mr Trump's defence, attacked the foundation of the charges against the Republican president and said Democrats had not come close to meeting the US constitution's standard for impeachment. "The only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong," Mr Cipollone said as he argued in favour of Mr McConnell's proposal to decide on whether to allow further witnesses or documents later in the trial. "There is absolutely no case." Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who helped spearhead the House impeachment inquiry, summarised the charges against Mr Trump and said the president had committed "constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment." Mr Schiff said that although the evidence against Mr Trump was "already overwhelming", further witness testimony was necessary to show the full scope of the misconduct by the president and those around him. Democrats want a number of current and former Trump administration officials, including Mr Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, to testify. "For all of the name-calling and fingerpointing from the president's counsel, we did not hear a single argument on the merits about why there should not be the documents and witnesses we requested in this trial," Mr Schumer said. Mr McConnell unveiled a plan on Monday for what would be a potentially quick trial without new testimony or evidence. It would have given Democratic prosecutors and Mr Trump's lawyers 48 hours, evenly split, to present their arguments over four days. That plan was changed to give each side three days to give up to 24 hours of opening arguments. The rules also will allow the House's record of the impeachment probe admitted as evidence in the trial, as Democrats had demanded. "We discussed it at lunch. It was pretty much a (Republican) conference consensus that made a lot more sense," Republican Senator Ron Johnson said. Democrats had accused Mr McConnell of trying to rig a trial with proposed rules they said would prevent witnesses from testifying and bar evidence gathered by investigators. Mr McConnell has repeatedly said the rules would mirror those the Senate used in the 1999 impeachment of then-president Bill Clinton. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia and Prime Minister of Estonia Juri Ratas discussed the possibility of establishing a joint Economic Commission to further intensify the economic links between the countries, Trend reports referring to the press service of the government of Georgia. Gakharia met Ratas on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The parties stressed the friendly relations existing between Georgia and Republic of Estonia, discussed positive trends in the trade relations between the countries and noted the increasing inflow of Estonian visitors to Georgia. Bilateral cooperation in various directions including defense and security was also discussed. Head of Government of Georgia expressed gratitude to his Estonian counterpart for the assistance in the process of Georgia's integration into European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia. The performance of the European and Euro-Atlantic integration process and the significant contribution of Georgia in the overall Euro-Atlantic security was underlined. The prime ministers also touched upon the Summit of Eastern Partnership to be held in Brussels in June 2020. In conclusion, Giorgi Gakharia invited Juri Ratas to Georgia. The countries have very close relations; 20 international agreements on cooperation in various fields have been signed, and the priority areas are defense, security, economics, tourism, environmental protection, education and culture. The trade turnover between the countries in 2018 exceeded $12 million. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 WASHINGTON The Trump administration plans to introduce an updated version of a long-disputed travel ban enacted shortly after President Trumps inauguration in 2017, expanding the list to include countries the White House has suggested have fallen out of compliance with United States security measures. Mr. Trump told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday in Davos, Switzerland, that he planned to expand the current travel ban, although he did not specify which countries would be added. An extended list which includes Belarus, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania was confirmed by a senior administration official, who also stressed that it may change. Different versions of the proposed list have been circulating for weeks. Another person familiar with discussions about the ban said the new countries would not necessarily be in the same region as those on the 2017 list, which includes Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Chad, Venezuela and North Korea. Visitors from Iraq and Sudan were banned under previous versions, but are now allowed. British apparel brand Burberry has updated its guidance for the year after it experienced a small rise in retail revenue last quarter. Sales at the 164-year old fashion house rose by 8million to 719million in the third quarter of the financial year with comparable store sales growth increasing by 3 per cent. Revenues are predicted to rise by a low single-digit percentage for the year, compared to previous guidance which forecasted 'broadly stable sales.' Burberry recorded significant growth in mainland China of over 10 per cent, where Burberry signed a social retail partnership with the conglomerate Tencent The firm says the low sales increase was partly a result of disruptions in Hong Kong, which have arisen due to protests over the Hong Kong Executive's plan to introduce a controversial extradition bill. Revenues plummeted by half in the city. This was offset by significant growth of between 10 and 20 per cent in mainland China though, where Burberry signed a social retail partnership with the conglomerate Tencent. The pair are now planning to open a social retail store in Shenzhen late this year. CEO Marco Gobbetti said: 'This was another good quarter as new collections delivered strong growth and we continued to shift consumer perceptions of our brand and align the network to our new creative vision. 'While mindful of the uncertain macro-economic environment, we remain confident in our strategy and the outlook for FY 2020.' Tourism spending helped boost Burberry in its EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India, Africa) market, while growth in the Americas market was 'stable' and the US market had a small expansion. New collections designed by Riccardo Tisci continued their strong popularity with double-digit growth posted in the third quarter. Worries over the coronavirus in China have unnerved some investors, who believe Burberry's sales in China could be severely damaged by the outbreak The London brand has said the response to its festive campaign and new year activities was very positive and that its new products are selling well. Annualised cost savings have also come in 5million ahead of previous guidance at 125million. Worries over the coronavirus in China have unnerved some investors though, who believe it may damage its Asian sales numbers in the near future. CMC Markets' analyst David Madden says 'the Asian division is likely to suffer in the coming months' as a result of fears arising from the outbreak. However, he believes that the high-end nature of the Burberry brand makes it less likely to be affected by the slowdown in high street retail spending that has impacted middle-ground shops like Supergroup. He stated: 'It would appear the so-called 'squeezed middle' are seeking out bargains, hence why goods in the middle of the price range are feeling the pinch. 'The very wealthy, who purchase high-end brands like Burberry are not feeling the pain, which is why the fashion house is holding up well. 'The domestic market in the UK and the US might not be overly lucrative, but wealthy tourists, typically from Asia are often picking up the slack.' Shares in Burberry fell 2.9 per cent this morning in early trading to 2,197.5p. Samsungs Good Lock lets you customize the look and feel of your phones UI. The service has been around since 2016 and has since received regular updates, providing even more customization and tweak options. Each new Android OS update requires a complete rework to the app and with a growing list of Samsung devices now running on Android 10, it was only a matter of time before we got an update to bring Good Lock compatibility for it. According to a new post in Samsungs South Korean community forum the date is set for February 3. The 2020 version of Good Lock will bring support for Samsungs system-wide dark mode alongside several new features. Among these is the ability to automatically arrange elements to match the background, a new detailed notification view and a lock screen auto-off time setting. The task changer will now support a vertical app switching style and there is a multitude of improvements to other elements like One Hand Operation, ThemePark and Sound Assistant. Good Lock is still region-locked to South Korea, Singapore, the US, UK, Australia and Canada. Other regions have Samsungs Nice Lock which serves the same purpose. As usual, South Korean users will be first in line for the new version of Good Lock while the international rollout should take place in the weeks after that. Source (in Korean) | Via Official data shows that 35,588 people were murdered in Mexico in 2019, making it the deadliest year since the security ministry started keeping track of homicides numbers in 1997. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged that crime and violence are the toughest challenges he faces as statistics indicated a rise in murders. The Mexican leader blamed corruption for the country's main problem during his daily presidential press briefing Tuesday. Lopez Obrador said white-collar criminals have done more damage to Mexico than the drug cartels responsible for many of the killings. 'We are giving the almost the same weight to (fighting) white-collar crime as we do to drug cartels,' Lopez Obrador said. 'I maintain that the greatest damage to Mexico has been done by white-collar criminals,' he said, adding that it was a distraction to focus on drug lords like Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman as past administrations did, because Guzman stole far less than corrupt businessmen and politicians. 'I think it was a way to distract attention from the looting that was going on,' said Lopez Obrador, who entered office in December 2018. Mexico government data showed 35,588 people were murdered in 2019, making it the deadliest year ever since the security ministry started keeping track of homicides numbers in 1997 There were 933 more homicides in Mexico in 2019 than in 2018. The government did not pinpoint how many murders are caused by drug gang violence. Pictured above are two of the six members of the Tropa del Infierno [Hell Troop], an armed wing of the Cartel del Noreste, or the Northeast Cartel, who were killed during a gun fight with Mexican security forces in November On November 4, 2019, Rhonita Maria Miller LeBaron, her four children, Titus, Tiana, Krystal and Howard were killed alongside Dawna Ray Langford and her two sons, Trevor and Rogan, and Christina Marie Langford Johnson by a group of suspected cartel gunmen in Bavispe, Sonora. The victims were all U.S.-Mexico dual citizens There were 933 more homicides in Mexico in 2019 than in 2018. The 2.7 percent increase was below the double-digit growth in killings in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. In those years, homicides increased by annual rates of 27 percent, 28 percent and 17 percent, respectively. The panorama of violence in 2019 was uneven nationwide. Some states that previously saw dizzying levels of violence calmed a bit. That was the case in the northern border state of Baja California, the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo and the southern state of Guerrero. But other states saw homicides spike in 2019, like the northern border state of Sonora, where homicides rose 57 percent compared to 2018. Homicides were up 15 percent in the northern border state of Chihuahua and 11 percent in the western state of Jalisco. Security experts say that while the government offensive against white-collar crime is good, authorities also have to get a handle on violent crime as well. While it is not clear what percentage of homicides are related to drug gang violence, the fact that gangs have expanded into extortion and kidnapping makes them Mexico's main single source of violence. 'Go ahead, fight money laundering all you want, but if the government does not have territorial control in significant part of the country, how are we going to solve this?' said security analyst Alejandro Hope. In October, Mexican military was met by a large convoy of armed men tied to the Sinaloa Cartel in the city of Culiacan in that sparked a war-like battle and left 13 people dead, eventually forcing the release of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of convicted kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Hope referred to a recent attack in Maderas, Chihuahua, where a convoy of about 150 cartel gunmen in as many as 50 vehicles burned 22 houses, seven vehicles and abducted residents. 'They drove around on streets and highways and nobody stopped them,' Hope said. 'They can fight money laundering all they want, but that is not going to prevent 150 cartel hit men from driving around armed to the teeth.' Mexico has been embroiled in a wave of violence since the government launched an all-out offensive to root out organized criminal organizations in 2006 under former President Felipe Calderon. Despite the arrest or killing of leading kingpins, the campaign has not succeeded in reducing drug violence and has led to more than 200,000 murders as criminal groups fight among themselves. To tackle the problem, Mexican officials last week presented lawmakers a proposal to overhaul the criminal justice system, paving the way for the Senate to take up the plan next month that could ease security cooperation with the United States. Concern has grown over the president's strategy, which he says still needs time, after two major crises in recent months. Critics blasted the government as weak in October when it ordered security forces to release Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the captured son of convicted kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's, under pressure from marauding cartel henchmen in the northern city of Culiacan. Another October clash between Mexico's most dangerous criminal faction, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and the police, left 14 cops dead during a two days of violence in the central Mexican state of Michoacan. Then, in early November, three mothers and six children were massacred by suspected cartel gunmen in a remote road in Bavispe, a city in the northern state of Sonora. The assassination of the U.S.-Mexican Mormon family sparked outrage and revulsion at home and abroad with President Donald Trump suggesting military force as the best option to combat criminal organizations. US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (Evan Vucci/AP) President Donald Trump is leaving the World Economic Forum in Switzerland with bullish talk on the US economy and lashing out at his Senate impeachment trial back in Washington. Mr Trump called a surprise news conference Wednesday to mark a tremendous two days at the glitzy summit of world leaders and financiers in Davos, which has served as a respite from the trial underway in Washington. Its such a hoax, Mr Trump said of the impeachment case against him. I think its so bad for our country. pic.twitter.com/6PXtFe1yPm The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) January 22, 2020 Mr Trump gave his legal team high marks after more than 12 hours of arguments on procedural motions in which Republicans blocked Democratic efforts to immediately call witnesses and subpoena documents. But Mr Trump said he wanted to see his aides, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, give evidence in the Senate. Personally, Id rather go the long route, he said, referring to calling witnesses in the Senate trial, before suggesting that there were national security concerns to allowing their evidence. A resolution passed early Wednesday by a party line vote allows the Senate to consider calling witnesses only after both sides in the impeachment trial present their cases. I thought our team did a very good job, Mr Trump said, saying he watched some of the proceedings. Expand Close US President Donald Trump makes statements to the media (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump makes statements to the media (Evan Vucci/AP) He praised White House Counsel Pat Cipollones emotion on the Senate floor, adding: I was very proud of the job he did. Mr Trump repeated his attacks on Democratic House managers serving as prosecutors in the trial, saying that hed like to sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces on the Senate floor during the trial but that his lawyers might have a problem with it. Democrats say Mr Trump abused his power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstructed Congress in its investigation. Mr Trump denies doing anything wrong. Mr Trump opened his news conference with triumphant talk on the American economy and said he is pushing for very dramatic changes to the World Trade Organisation. Mr Trump had announced the unexpected availability during a meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih. Mr Trump arrived in Davos on Tuesday. He addressed the forum and over two days has held meetings with leaders from the European Union, Iraq and Pakistan, among others. The Republican president said in most of his meetings that trade was on the agenda. A mid-ranking Revolutionary Guard officer has been killed by unknown assailants at his home in southwestern Iran. Local media reported the murder early Wednesday, January 22 and hours later, Fars news agency close to the Revolutionary Guard quoted the local reports, indirectly confirming the news. The officer, Abdol-Hossein Majdami was stationed in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan in the Darkhoein in the township of Shadegan, between the provincial capital Ahvaz and the oil-refining city of Abadan. He was the commander of local Basij militia, the para-military wing of the Revolutionary Guard. The published reports say Majdami was killed at his home by masked assailants who fired shots at him and fled. It is not clear if the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) officer was murdered for personal or political reasons. No official has commented on the incident. Khuzestan was the scene of widespread and angry protests in the past three months, especially in November. In the city of Mahshahr, a petrochemical industry center more than 100 protesters were killed by the IRGC in mid-November. Khuzestan is a restive province partly due to its large Arab-speaking population and partly because people are angry at what they say is government inattention to their social and economic needs, while they produce almost all the oil that sustains the countrys economy. After TLCs 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 3 ended, the relationship status of divorced dad Benjamin Taylor from Arizona and Akinyi Obala from Kenya was still unknown. The couple said they were technically married in Gods eyes after Benjamin paid her family a bride price during his visit to Kenya, but many viewers were unclear about what, exactly, that meant for their future. On Jan. 21, Benjamin took to Instagram to answer a few fan questions about his relationship with Akinyi. But 90 Day Fiance viewers were still left stumped about various aspects of the couples life together. Akinyi Obala | Benjamin Taylor via Instagram Benjamin and Akinyi reunited in her home country of Kenya Although Benjamin and Akinyi connected online and bonded quickly over their shared Christian faith, the 90 Day Fiance couple struggled with cultural differences when they finally met in person. Akinyi claimed Benjamin wasnt an alpha male, which disappointed her family. Whats more, he could barely afford her bride price, leaving him to make ongoing payments to her brother and father in the future. And Benjamins strict devotion to his faith left him frustrated with her after she drank a single margarita during a night out. Still, it seems that Benjamin and Akinyi are together, at least geographically. On Jan. 21, he shared a sweet selfie of the couple, captioning it simply, Look who I found and adding the hashtags #love and #benjaminandakinyi. The selfie was taken at the Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi, Kenya, meaning that Benjamin took a trip to Akinyis home country. The divorced dad shared that he and Akinyi were still together Benjamin and Akinyi have been quiet on social media about one another since the 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Tell-All. Benjamin shared some throwback pictures of the couple and spent the holidays with his son and the rest of his family in Phoenix without his fiancee (or wife). Meanwhile, Akinyi seemed to hint at one point that they werent together, and posted plenty of snapshots of herself with her family in Kenya. If that was true at one point, it doesnt look like it is anymore. On his Instagram stories, Benjamin answered a 90 Day Fiance fans question by affirming that he and Akinyi were still together. Are you single? the fan asked. No, I am not single, Ben responded. Still, Benjamin stayed mum about the details of his future with Akinyi. When a fan asked him on Instagram when he would be bringing Akinyi to the U.S. to live with him, the 90 Day Fiance star responded noncommittally, writing: Wish I could give you an answer, but I cant He told another fan that he still lived in Phoenix and didnt know when Akinyi would be moving, causing even more confusion about why he and his Kenyan love were living apart. Fans were confused about the 90 Day Fiance couples status As 90 Day Fiance fans asked more questions, things got even more confusing with respect to Benjamin and Akinyis relationship. After telling one Instagram user that he and Akinyi were still together, another replied, She had posted a while back they were no longer together, to which Benjamin responded only with a shifty eyes emoji. To another fan, he wrote, Yes we are in a relationship, prompting a flood of fan inquiries about what appeared to have been their onscreen wedding. I thought you both were married, one fan questioned him, as plenty of others chimed in to wonder the same. Another replied, On the tell-all he said that they were married in the eyes of God. Make of that what you will. Some 90 Day Fiance viewers wondered if the couple had broken up and gotten back together, while others speculated they had never really been married to begin with. Still others thought that Benjamins silence had to do with his contractual obligations with TLC or a future appearance on a 90 Day Fiance spinoff. Why do people still ask this?? one Instagram user wrote. HE CANNOT COMMENT!! IN A CONTRACT!! A 48-year-old farm labourer was killed after he got electrocuted on early Wednesday while rescuing a wild boar trapped in a live wire in Mangali village in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, a Forest official said. A cow and the wild boar were also killed due to the electric shock in the incident. The deceased, Rama Kharkar, used to lay live wires to protect the farm from wild animals, the official said. "On Wednesday morning, Kharkar was trying to rescue a wild boar which got entangled into the power cable when he was electrocuted," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eminent Bengali poet and acclaimed critic Sankha Ghosh, who is in hospital, is stable and his health condition has improved, doctors attending him said on Wednesday. 87-year-old Ghosh suffers from Parkinsons disease but the primary issue currently is his chest infection. He was hospitalised on Tuesday with infection in his lower respiratory tract. "Mr Ghosh's condition is stable. He is suffering from old age ailments and it will take him around two to three weeks to recover fully," his supervising physician and internal and geriatric medicine specialist C K Maity said. "In the past 24 hours, Mr Ghosh has responded well to our treatment and his parameters have improved to a great extent," he said adding that a medical board has been formed to supervise the health condition of the writer. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar paid a visit to the ailing litterateur at the hospital. "I wish him long life so that he directs us more for the welfare of the people of the state of West Bengal," Dhankhar said after meeting the poet. Considered to be an authority on Rabindranath Tagore, Ghosh was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2011 and the Jnanpith Award in 2016. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977 and is the author of literary works like 'Babarer Prarthana', 'Murkho Boro, Samajik Nyay' and 'Adim Lata -Gulmomay'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Enhanced screening in place from Taiwan to Singapore as countries trigger responses honed by SARS experience. Countries around the Asia-Pacific and beyond are stepping up their defences against a new coronavirus that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December and is now known to have infected at least 440 people on the mainland as well as a handful of others overseas. Cases of what is currently being called 2019-nCOV have now been confirmed in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Macau and the United States. Given travel patterns and increased testing, more cases of 2019-nCOV should be expected in other parts of China and possibly other countries in coming days, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) told Al Jazeera in a statement. WHO encourages all countries to continue preparedness activities. In Asia, which was hit hard in the 2002-03 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which also started in China, authorities are taking no chances. Measures, including thermal screening, have been introduced at airports in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, with checks targeted at passengers coming from Wuhan. Its a matter for each country to look at the frequency of travel from Wuhan and adjust to that, Raina Macintyre, who heads the Biosecurity Programme at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales, told Al Jazeera. Direct flights between China and the rest of the world have expanded rapidly over the past 20 years, with Wuhans 11 million people now able to fly direct to destinations in Europe and the US as well as cities closer to home, like Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. SARS lessons The southeast Asian city-state was hit hard after an unassuming traveller from Hong Kong brought the SARS virus to the island in 2003. The threat caused widespread public panic, prompting school closures and inflicting economic damage to business and tourism. People rushed to buy face masks or remained indoors. Some 238 people were infected and 33 died. The WHO says SARS killed about 800 people globally. Singapore has close ties with mainland China and Changi Airport is one of the worlds busiest for international traffic. Wuhan is just four and a half hours away on a daily direct flight. After initially screening only passengers from Wuhan, Singaporean health authorities this week began screening all inbound passengers from China, issuing them health advisory notices. The Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases are also distributing clinical guidance about the disease to infectious disease specialists, doctors in hospital emergency departments and hospital laboratories. Hsu Li Yang, an associate professor at the National University of Singapores Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, told Al Jazeera that while Singapore was vulnerable to such outbreaks, the country was better prepared than it was during SARS. The healthcare system and hospitals are far better prepared today, with improved surveillance systems, medication and equipment [including masks] stockpiles, and a state-of-the-art 330-bed facility in the National Centre for Infectious Diseases that was built precisely to avoid a repeat of the SARS debacle, he said. A whole of government approach to crisis management has also been developed post-SARS. Airports across the region, including Kuala Lumpur, have introduced thermal screening for international arrivals [Ahmad Yusni/EPA] The coming Lunar New Year holiday looms large in the minds of many decision-makers. It is one of the biggest holidays in the region, not only in China and nations with large populations of ethnic Chinese, but also in countries such as Koreas and Vietnam. Many people take the chance to meet up with family and go on holiday. Curbing infections The WHO has already advised people to ensure they wash their hands thoroughly and regularly, cover their nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing and avoid people who appear to have a cold or flu. In many parts of Asia, people have begun wearing surgical masks. Taiwan, a self-governing territory, imposed checks on passengers arriving from Wuhan when the outbreak was first announced on December 31, and reported its first confirmed case on January 21 when a Taiwanese woman in her 50s was placed in quarantine after she arrived by plane from Wuhan showing symptoms of the virus, the Taiwan Center for Disease Control (CDC) said. So far, the CDC says more than 4,300 passengers have been screened, but it expects the risks to rise as tens of thousands of Taiwanese travel abroad during the Lunar New Year, and mainland Chinese head around the country or overseas. Dual Taiwanese-Australian national Kathy Cheng told Al Jazeera that while she thought Taiwan was taking the Wuhan virus seriously, she was still concerned about travelling with her two-year-old daughter next week. I feel pretty confident the Center for Disease Control at the airport is pretty thorough and efficient, but since we are travelling to Australia after Lunar New Year, I am a little bit worried because in a big international airport you never know who you come in contact with, she said. Taiwan was also badly affected during the SARS outbreak, recording more than 300 cases. Government figures show there were at least 73 SARS-linked deaths in 2003. WHO to meet Another complication for Taiwan is that while it follows all WHO protocols, the island has not been a member of the global health agency since the 1970s when the territory was replaced by the Peoples Republic of China at the United Nations. People wear face masks at a Taipei Metro station as the island confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan in December [David Chang/EPA] The WHO is due to hold an emergency session on the virus on Wednesday as scientists work to try and identify the virus and where it came from. Much remains to be understood about 2019-nCoV, the spokesman said. Not enough is known to draw definitive conclusions about how it is transmitted, clinical features of the disease, its severity, the extent to which it has spread or its source. China has already shared the genetic code of the Wuhan virus, and promised to take all measures necessary to prevent its further spread. Whatever it turns out to be, people beyond its borders are not taking any chances. Reporting by Manar al-Adam in Kuala Lumpur, Tom Benner in Singapore and Erin Hale in Taipei. KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI Two inmates remain in critical condition the day after a prison transport van they were riding in crashed on Interstate 94, the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs office reports. The crash happened at 1:53 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, on westbound I-94 in Kalamazoo County, between Galesburg and Battle Creek. The Kalamazoo County Sheriffs office and other agencies responded after receiving 911 calls, the sheriffs office said in a news release. A van is owned by U.S. Corrections, a privately owned inmate transport company, and was taking inmates to a correctional facility in Illinois when it crashed with another vehicle on I-94, the sheriffs office said. Some occupants of the vehicle, including staff and inmates, were treated for minor injuries, while others were taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital with more serious injuries. Inmates being transported in the van were being held for, or stood accused of, a variety of different things ranging from fraud to homicide, Kalamazoo County Undersheriff James Van Dyken said. The inmates were contained the entire time during the crash response and there was no threat to the public, Van Dyken said. The van was outfitted with individual holding areas for each inmate, he said, and all the inmates were accounted for following the crash. There was no possibility of their escape, Van Dyken said. Deputies were initially sent to the hospital to stand by while the inmates were there, Van Dyken said. Two inmates remain in critical condition at the hospital, Van Dyken said Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 22. The company sent people to relieve the deputies standing by at the hospital, Van Dyken said, and the sheriffs office expects to be reimbursed by the company for expenses related to the incident. Five of the seven inmates have been treated and released, Van Dyken said. Those five inmates are being held temporarily at the Kalamazoo County Jail, Van Dyken said. Were simply holding them until theyre picked up," he said. Additionally, two staff members, the driver and another employee of the private transport company, were also treated and released, he said. The van driver was banged up, Van Dyken said. The response from various agencies was very well coordinated, the undersheriff said. The crash remains under investigation and, once complete, the case will be turned over to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutors office for review, Van Dyken said. A possible charge of civil infraction causing serious injury will be reviewed if the driver of the van is determined to be at fault, he said. The charge can result whenever a traffic law violation results in a serious injury, he said. Members of the Galesburg-Charleston Fire Department and sheriffs deputies were first on scene and began to give treatment to the injured people, the sheriffs office said. Battle Creek Fire Department, Battle Creek City Police, Calhoun County Sheriffs Office, and Michigan State Police also responded. He deferred additional questions about the transportation of the inmates to U.S. Corrections. A representative for the company could not immediately be reached for comment. Also on MLive: Prison van loaded with inmates crashes on I-94 Stamp Farms owners may be headed for trial after judge rejects plea agreement Ice jam triggers flood warning on Kalamazoo River NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenhill & Co., Inc. (NYSE: GHL), a leading independent investment bank, announced today that Pierre Mongin has joined the Firm as a Senior Advisor focused on France. He will be based in Greenhill's Paris office. Mr. Mongin has had a distinguished career encompassing leadership positions in multiple major French companies, as well as in French government. He has particular expertise in the infrastructure and transport industries. Most recently, from 2015 until late last year, he was Executive Vice President and General Secretary of Engie (a leading French multinational electric utility) in charge of non-regulated French activities, Benelux and Africa. Previously, he served as Chairman and CEO of the urban mobility group RATP, from 2006-2015. Earlier in his career he served in several important governmental positions in France. Scott L. Bok, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Greenhill, said, "We are pleased to bring a leading French industrialist on board as a Senior Advisor to work with Amelie Negrier-Oyarzabal, who recently joined Greenhill to open a Paris office and lead our advisory activities in France. His knowledge of key industry sectors, as well as his broad relationships across French businesses and government, will be invaluable as we seek to accelerate the development of our business in France. Paris is our fifth office in the European market, which we first entered 22 years ago, and we believe we are well positioned to advise major French companies on domestic as well as cross border transactions." Greenhill & Co., Inc. is a leading independent investment bank entirely focused on providing financial advice on significant mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, financings and capital raising to corporations, partnerships, institutions and governments globally. It acts for clients located throughout the world from its offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Madrid, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. As previously announced, the Firm expects to open a Paris office shortly, subject to regulatory approval. Contact: Patrick J. Suehnholz Director of Investor Relations Greenhill & Co., Inc. (212) 389-1800 SOURCE Greenhill & Co., Inc. Related Links www.greenhill.com VANCOUVERVancouver and Toronto are the lightning rod cities likeliest to get hit by a mysterious virus that has killed at least nine people in China, one expert said Tuesday, hours after the first North American case was confirmed in Washington state, not far from the border with B.C. Still, Eleanor Fish, an immunology professor at the University of Toronto, said Canadas SARS-era screening and quarantine strategies are the best bet to catch and contain the virus should it arrive in this country. As of Monday, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control had posted a notice to its website calling risk to Canadians low, but saying that airports in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver would tell passengers travelling from China they must tell a border agent if they felt unwell. The BC Centre for Disease Control has developed a diagnostic test for the new coronavirus, which is different from the SARS outbreak when there was no similar test. Public health teams have also implemented screening for early detection of infections for travellers arriving in airports. In Wuhan one of Chinas largest cities and a hub for industry and technology the yet-to-be-officially-named coronavirus caused an outbreak of severe pneumonia among people who frequented a seafood market there late last month. Health authorities have reported 198 cases in the city, and the virus has also spread to Thailand, Japan and South Korea. Authorities announced this week that human-to-human transmission has been confirmed in the outbreak, raising fears the illness could spread more quickly and widely. Fish, who studied the SARS outbreak in 2003, said its possible the mysterious virus will appear in Canada, because of the large amount of international flights that arrive here. Ive always said there are two places in Canada that are lightning rods: Vancouver and Toronto, she said. Because there are diverse populations there from all over the world. But, she said, Canadas history with SARS should reassure the public that if the coronavirus arrives in this country, it can be contained. After the SARS outbreak, Canada became a leader in our ability to put protocols in place, Fish said, pointing out that the people who got sick from SARS in Canada were health-care workers in contact with patients who had picked up the virus abroad. People from around the world came to Canada to find out how we had done this. The patient in the confirmed coronavirus case in the U.S. returned to the Seattle area in the middle of last week after travelling to the Wuhan area. The man is in his 30s and is in good condition at a hospital in Everett, outside Seattle. A statement on Canadas Public Health Agency website said this countrys chief public health officer is working with provincial chief medical officers to make sure the virus is identified and managed if it shows up in Canada. Fish, whose research centres on antiviral drugs that could target a broad spectrum of viruses, from Ebola to bird flu, said the spread of the coronavirus should serve as a wakeup call for Canada on how to prepare for new and unknown viruses of the future. Maybe its time that, globally, we sat down and said, OK, stop focusing on the specific virus, but look at the host, humans, she said. We could dedicate some funds toward establishing an armory of antivirals that we could actually treat people with. The Public Health Agency of Canada issued a notice warning travellers to China, expected to increase this week for lunar New Year, to avoid contact with animals and sick people. With files from Ilya Banares, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press Read more about: Close There's no doubt that online therapy has become progressively more popular in recent years. Online therapy has been proven to be an effective option for helping people work through a variety of different mental health conditions. Celebrities, professionals, and everyday people are advocating the use of this interesting new therapeutic option. However, online therapy is not perfect and cannot be considered viable for every form of mental illness, even though there have been articles about how it can help. Online therapy is better suited for people who have mild-to-moderate mental illnesses - ones which could be managed by simply seeing a therapist. People with more serious mental health problems, such as those considering suicide, shouldn't rely on online therapy as a safety measure. In many cases, therapists are not equipped to deal with these problems, and either way, an online therapist won't be able to protect you if you're thinking about hurting yourself. In this article we're going to talk about some situations in which it's not a good idea to use online therapy. What Online Therapy Is Good For Don't get it wrong - online therapy is a very useful and powerful tool for treating certain mental illnesses. However, there is a limit to what can be accomplished by online therapy. Generally, online therapy should only be used to help you work through problems that could be dealt with by an everyday therapist. After all, these are the people that you'll be connected with through your online therapy service. This means that online therapy can be great for treating things like: Mild-to-moderate depression, sadness, and problems with motivation Mild-to-moderate social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder Conditions related to trauma, such as PTSD Other mental health conditions or mood imbalances that don't require hospitalization or serious medication (although people who are already on medication may find it useful to seek help from an online therapist while continuing to take their medication). Online therapy can be great for helping people through these problems. However, it has its limitations. What Online Therapy Is Not Good For Therapists are not emergency workers, and are only equipped to deal with mental, emotional, and psychological problems up to a certain degree of intensity. Unfortunately, they cannot help people with every problem - especially when the problem involves the risk of an individual hurting themselves or other people. Some of the problems that you should not be dealt with by using online therapy. Some of these issues include: Having suicidal thoughts. Suicidal thoughts can spiral out of control very quickly, and it's important to be in a safe environment when you're struggling with suicidal thoughts. Serious personality disorders. If you're struggling with a depersonalization disorder or a condition like bipolar, then an online therapist probably won't be equipped enough to help you with these problems. Thoughts of violence or hurting yourself or other people. If you are thinking about seriously hurting yourself or someone else then it's probably not a good idea to simply seek the help of an online therapist. Conclusion There are a lot of things that online therapy can be helpful for. However, online therapy has its limitations, and should only be used to help treat conditions that are mild to moderate. Serious mental health problems that could result in the harm of yourself or another individual should not be dealt with using online therapy. These problems could seriously affect - or endanger - the lives of other people, and should be approached in a more serious manner. If you are having suicidal thoughts or thinking about hurting yourself or other people, then don't hesitate to seek help from a hospital or a qualified professional. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare [January 22, 2020] Babel Street Partners with SFA Seguridad & Proteccion Ltda. to Bring Cutting Edge PAI Platform to South America WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Babel Street, Inc. , the world's data-to-knowledge company, today announced a partnership with SFA Seguridad & Proteccion Ltda. to represent its cutting edge Babel X platform in the South American region, with localized support, to bolster the regions use of publicly available information (PAI) to make informed decisions. Babel Street solutions include its flagship platform, Babel X, which helps clients identify, organize and analyze PAI from hundreds of thousands of data sources, regardless of language. Babel Streets cross-lingual search and text analytics technology deciphers data in more than 200 languages and emojis into actionable insights. For classified information, Babel BOX applies the same persistent search technology to clients proprietary data within the security of the customers own networks. Babel Channels is an expert-curated streaming collection of PAI from vetted hyper-local sources around the globe that is available as a standalone offering and as part of Babel X subscriptions. Babel Streets best-in-class technology was a natural addition to our portfolio, said Alvaro Penaloza, general manager of SFA Seguridad & Proteccion. Our Spanish speaking team is able to service this region in our native tongue while ensuring that customers enjoy the gold standard in training and customer service tha Babel Street values and offers. Based in Chile, SFA Seguridad & Proteccion Ltda. delivers specialized physical, cybersecurity and protection solutions for relevant customers across industries in the South American market. Its offerings help clients improve their analytical and operational capabilities. South America is a key area of economic growth and we are excited to enter the market with a strong partner, said Scott Hansen, senior vice president of international business development at Babel Street. Not only does SFA Seguridad & Proteccion bring more than 20 years of industry knowledge to this partnership, but the entire management team is dedicated to educating the market on PAI to ensure this relationship is successful. To learn more about working with Babel Street in South America, please contact Alvaro Penaloza . About Babel Street Babel Street is the world's data-to-knowledge company. The technology enables clients to identify, organize and analyze data, regardless of its location or language. Babel Street products streamline the process of turning data into knowledge by automatically converting client-selected data from over 200 languages to their native language. All publicly available or private data sources can be rapidly deciphered by Babel Street software and utilized to maximize the effectiveness of clients' decision-making processes. With the aid of Babel Street tools, analysts are able to easily filter information to be used in an endless number of ways; everything from deriving large consumer and social trends to identifying threats to a public location or a singular person's life. The company provides organizations with the ability to activate relevant data and act on it faster than ever before. Babel Street is privately held and is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, with offices in London and Canberra. For more information, visit www.babelstreet.com . About SFA Seguridad & Proteccion Ltda. SFA Seguridad & Proteccion Ltda. is a Chilean company that specializes in solutions for the defense industry, working alongside leading manufacturers and developers worldwide. Its core business is to supply and support its clients with equipment and solutions that will increase their analytical and operational capabilities. Media Contacts Lacy Talton Blast PR on behalf of Babel Street [email protected] 252-467-5220 Alvaro Penaloza Sacco SFA Seguridad & Proteccion Ltda [email protected] 56 9 9324 6824 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices after witnessing a downward trend for six consecutive days remained unchanged on Wednesday, January 22. According to the Indian Oil website, the petrol rates are Rs 74.82 per litre in Delhi, Rs 80.42 per litre in Mumbai, Rs 77.42 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 77.72 per litre in Chennai, respectively. On the other hand, the diesel prices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai remained at Rs 68.05, Rs 71.35, Rs 70.41, and Rs 72.90 per litre, respectively. In Noida, petrol is retailing at Rs 76.10 a litre, while diesel price is Rs 68.32 a litre. The price of petrol in Gurugram is Rs 74.31 a litre while diesel was selling at Rs 67.02 a litre. India is 84 per cent dependant on imports to meet its oil needs and any spike in global prices has a direct bearing on its economy. Not just imports but even domestic crude oilwhich forms the raw material for making petrol, diesel and other petroleum productsis priced according to international benchmarks. Middle East accounts for more than two-thirds of the countrys oil imports, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the top suppliers. Why Petrol, Diesel Prices Change Every Day? The fuel prices are in India are revised daily. Petrol and diesel prices are revised every day at 06:00 am to sync it with the variation in global oil prices. Oil marketing companies (OMC) review the global fuel prices and decide petrol and diesel daily. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum release the new rates at 6 am every morning. Generally, when international crude oil prices gain, prices in India move higher. Other factors also impact the price of fuel like rupee to US dollar exchange rate, cost of crude oil, global cues, demand for fuel, and so on. Why Fuel Prices Differ In Every City? The price of fuel includes excise duty, value-added tax (VAT), and dealer commission. As VAT varies from state to state, the price of fuel is different in every city. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. EnWave unterzeichnet Technologielizenz und gemeinsame Entwicklungsvereinbarung mit GEA Lyophil GmbH zur Weiterentwicklung REV? Technologie fur pharmazeutische Anwendungen Posted by Publisher Internet EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (?EnWave,? or the \Company? -? https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/enwave-moon-cheese-highly-profitable-selling-more-rev-machines-in-2019/ ) today announced signing a technology license and joint development agreement (the ?JDA?) with GEA Lyophil GmbH (?GEA Lyophil?), a global manufacturer and marketer of freeze-dry units for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, to accelerate the potential commercialization of EnWave?s Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) technology in the pharmaceutical industry.? The Company signed a collaboration and license option agreement with GEA Lyophil in July 2018 and the two parties have been working closely with EnWave?s existing pharmaceutical partner since that time to discuss and strategize the next steps of development towards prospective commercialization. Under the JDA, EnWave will formally collaborate with GEA Lyophil to scale-up and refine GMP-pharma REV? machinery, leveraging GEA Lyophil?s deep expertise and intellectual property in GMP-pharma equipment manufacturing. The JDA will allow for the integration of EnWave?s proprietary freezeREV? pharmaceutical drying technology into GEA Lyophil?s industry-leading equipment design and manufacturing capabilities for the pharmaceutical industry. If successful, GEA Lyophil will leverage its robust pharmaceutical industry network to manufacture, market and sell REV? machinery for use on a global basis for pharmaceutical applications. Under the terms of the JDA, GEA Lyophil will pay EnWave an undisclosed royalty on the sale of any future GMP-pharma REV? machinery. This collaboration between EnWave and GEA Lyophil, including the design and manufacture of next generation scaled-up REV? machinery that uses the proprietary intellectual property of both parties, aims to allow EnWave?s current pharmaceutical partner to conduct clinical trials for several vaccines. If successful, GEA Lyophil will solicit the purchase of commercial-scale GMP-pharma REV? equipment from this partner and from other pharmaceutical companies. EnWave would be entitled to a royalty in the form of a percentage of all equipment manufactured and sold as part of commercialization of the technology under the JDA. The JDA also allows EnWave to focus on its current core competencies in the global food and cannabis industries, reduces the resources necessary to pursue meaningful monetization of its REV? technology in the pharmaceutical industry and leverages an industry technical and commercial leader in GEA Lyophil. About GEA Lyophil GmbH GEA Lyophil GmbH is part of the GEA group of companies. GEA is one of the largest technology suppliers for food and pharmaceutical processing, and a wide range of other industries. The global group specializes in machinery, plants, as well as process technology and components. GEA provides sustainable solutions for sophisticated production processes in diverse end-user markets and offers a comprehensive service portfolio. For more information about GEA, please visit www.gea.com. ? About EnWave EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) ? an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patent-pending methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV? technology, shortening the time from harvest to marketable cannabis products.? REV? technology?s commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors, including legal cannabis. EnWave?s strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with innovative, disruptive companies in multiple verticals for the use of REV? technology. The company has signed over thirty royalty-bearing licenses to date. In addition to these licenses, EnWave established a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to manufacture, market and sell all-natural dairy snack products in the United States, including the Moon Cheese? brand.? EnWave has introduced REV? as a disruptive dehydration platform in the food and cannabis sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently offers two distinct commercial REV? platforms: 1. nutraREV? which is a drum-based system that dehydrates organic materials quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; and, 2. quantaREV? which is a tray-based system used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying. More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net. EnWave Corporation Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA President and CEO In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG www.resource-capital.ch Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management\-\-s expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company\-\-s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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. SHANGHAI, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) ("Acorn" or the "Company"), a leading marketing and branding company in China, today announced that the special committee of independent directors of the Company's board of directors, consisting of Urs P. Zimmerman, Jenny Hseau-Jean Wang and Eric Haibing Wu (the "Special Committee"), has retained Duff & Phelps, LLC and Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC as its independent financial advisor and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP as its legal counsel. The Special Committee was formed to consider the preliminary non-binding "going private" proposal set out in a November 4, 2019 letter from Mr. Robert W. Roche, Executive Chairman of the Company (the "Proposal"). The Board cautions the Company's shareholders and others considering trading in its securities that no decisions have been made with respect to the Company's response to the Proposal. There can be no assurance that any definitive offer will be made, that any agreement will be reached or executed, or that this or any other transaction will be approved or consummated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, except as required under applicable law. About Acorn International, Inc. Acorn International is a leading marketing and branding company in China, leveraging a twenty-year direct marketing history to monetize brand IP, content creation and distribution, and product sales, through digital media in China. For more information visit www.acorninternationalgroup.com. Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "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 "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "future," "going forward," "intends," "outlook," "plans," "target," "will," "potential," and similar statements. Such statements are based on 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 control, which may cause actual results, performance, actions, 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 by law. Investor Contacts: SOURCE Acorn International, Inc. Related Links www.acorninternationalgroup.com BRIDGEPORT A former Sacred Heart University student has been charged with two felonies for allegedly disseminating nude photographs of a young woman on social media. Nicholas Otto-Bernstein, 20, of New York City, turned himself in to detectives on Jan. 10 and was charged with disseminating intimate images, voyeurism and disseminating voyeurism images. Voyeurism and disseminating voyeuristic material are Class D felonies punishable by up to five years in prison. The other charge is a misdemeanor. Otto-Bernstein is free on a promise to appear in court on Feb. 28. His lawyer, former federal prosecutor Felice Duffy, did not return calls for comment. A Sacred Heart University official said Otto-Bernstein withdrew from the Fairfield university in October following the womans complaint. Sacred Heart Universitys primary goal is always the protection of our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus, Deb Noack, a spokesperson for SHU, said Monday. To that end, we have been investigating this incident since it came to our attention. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, on Oct. 6, a 20-year-old woman and SHU student went to the Bridgeport Police Department and reported that she had been sexually assaulted. The woman told police she had gone to a Sacred Heart house party, on Reservoir Avenue with some girlfriends on Oct. 5. At the party, she recalled drinking two alcoholic beverages before midnight, the affidavit states. The woman said she did not remember anything after she finished her second drink, including how she made it home nor who accompanied her back to her residence in Bridgeport, the affidavit continues. The affidavit states that the next thing the woman remembers was 1:14 a.m. on Oct. 6 and looking at a text message from a friend sent at 12:46 a.m. telling her that a nude photo of her had been digitally shared. The woman then realized that there was a white man with dirty-blond hair in her bedroom, the affidavit states. She told the man to leave her apartment at which time he referenced having sexual intercourse with her, according to the affidavit. The woman told police she did not remember having sex with the man, but she believed it did occur. She also told police she did not know the mans name but recognized him as an SHU student who took part in one of the universitys fraternities, the affidavit states. On Oct. 7, the universitys Investigative Supervisor Peter Bravo, a former Fairfield police detective, sent Bridgeport Police Detective Albert Palatiello an email identifying the suspect as Otto-Bernstein with his New York address, the affidavit states. The woman viewed a suspect photo lineup and picked out a photograph of Otto-Bernstein taken from his Facebook page. She said she was 100 percent sure of her selection, the affidavit states. The affidavit states police viewed campus security camera footage that is believed to show the woman and Otto-Bernstein get out of a vehicle and walk toward the womans dormitory at 12:32 a.m. Oct. 6. The woman enters her room followed by Otto-Bernstein. At 2:20 a.m., Otto-Bernstein is seen on camera leaving the womans room, the affidavit states. The affidavit states the woman showed police a screenshot of the nude photograph that was sent to her friend from Otto-Bernstein via the mobile messaging app Snapchat. The affidavit states the photograph showed the woman lying naked on a bed with white sheets. The woman appeared to be awake in the photo but was not looking into the camera. The woman said she did not consent to the photograph or for anybody to transmit it. The woman stated she believes the photograph was sent to 30 or 40 members of the fraternity Omega Phi Kappa, the affidavit states. On Oct. 13, another person provided police with the same image, which had been shared with the Snapchat group OPK 19-20. The photo had been sent from Otto-Bernsteins account, the affidavit states. Bridgeport Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said investigators were able to determine that Otto-Bernstein took the nude photograph of the victim and disseminated it online to other students. Detectives did not have probable cause to charge Otto-Bernstein with sexually assaulting the victim, Fitzgerald said in a statement. The SHU fraternity Omega Phi Kappa issued a statement Tuesday, after information about the incident was made public. Otto-Bernsteins behavior does not reflect the morals and values of Omega Phi Kappa. As a result of our own investigation, we have suspended his involvement indefinitely, said Omega Phi Kappa Grand Viceroy Justin Carde, a SHU alum who serves as an adviser to the fraternity. While Otto-Bernstein completed Omega Phi Kappas new member education process, Carde said, he was never officially inducted into the fraternity. In 1954, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy were pastors at a pair of Baptist churches in Montgomery, Alabama. In the years that followed, King and Abernathy were known as determined champions for racial equality first in Montgomery but eventually across America and the world. In 1968, King called Abernathy the best friend that I have in the world during his final public address on April 3rd. It was that friend who cradled King in his arms after Kings assassination the following day. In Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota Monday morning, the iconic civil rights leaders were simply Daddy and Uncle Martin in an hour-long talk by Donzaleigh Abernathy. Theyre the reason Im free today, Abernathy told the large crowd of Gustavus students, staff and community members. Without the wisdom, eloquence, dedication and sacrifice of civil rights leaders and those who joined the cause, African Americans would still be living as second-class Americans, according to Abernathy, Ralph Abernathys daughter. We would have been sweeping the steps, she said. We would have come in the back door ... . Abernathy, who was born in 1957 in Montgomery, described the reality of living as an African American in the South. After more than 200 years of slavery, another century of segregation continued unchecked into the 1950s. They were required to ride in the back of the bus, they were denied entry to restaurants, they had to get their clothing altered after purchase because department stores prohibited them from using a dressing room. Ralph Abernathy, who had enlisted in the Army and fought in Europe during World War II in defense of American ideals, realized he had another fight on his hands if he wanted those ideals to apply to himself, his family, his congregation. What became a large and sophisticated campaign of civil disobedience and protest began with a boycott of segregated city buses a boycott instigated by the Montgomery Improvement Association, created by Abernathy and King. King was by no means eager for the fight but Ralph Abernathy wanted the face of the organization to be someone with an advanced degree, and Dr. King brought that. Even more, Abernathy recognized Kings eloquence and ability to inspire from a podium. He was a reluctant hero. He didnt want to lead a movement. He was kind of shy, and he was gentle. He was a gentle spirit, Donzaleigh Abernathy said of King. ... My Daddy said, Well do this together. You wont be alone. It was a pledge that held true until Kings last breath. Even the mens families were regularly together sharing Sunday dinners, holding strategy sessions in the Abernathy home, attending demonstrations and marches. After both families moved to Atlanta, the King and Abernathy children were the first to integrate any elementary school in Atlanta. There was one evening back in Montgomery after the long bus boycott had ended in victory and the movement was expanding when the two families werent together. Ralph Abernathy had joined the King family and other civil rights leaders at a meeting to discuss nonviolent integration strategies. Juanita Abernathy, pregnant with Donzaleigh and with a toddler to care for, decided to stay home. Mother said she fell asleep watching the (Jack Paar) show and said an angel awakened her. She checked on her child in the crib and went to bed in the back of the house. Minutes later, the front of the home exploded, the chimney collapsing. Juanita reached her husband by telephone and during the conversation came another explosion. This one was at Abernathys church. They bombed five places that night, Donzaleigh Abernathy said. More violence was regularly threatened in the years that followed. When their mother slammed down the phone, the children knew it had been another death threat. And the threats became real over and over again for others in the movement. In 1961, an event at Abernathys church hosted by King drew a huge crowd, but the church was soon surrounded by a mob of white segregationists who began throwing rocks through windows. The siege continued until King reached Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who called in National Guard troops to escort the people from the church to their homes. Just three years old at the time, Abernathy remembered her home being filled with northern civil rights activists who had been at the church and needed a safe place to stay. It was one of her first memories made indelible not because of the drama at the church and not because the living room floor was covered with sleeping activists. Instead, her older sister decided that the chaos made it a good opportunity to lop off Donzaleighs braid the first time her hair had ever been cut. I was traumatized, she said. And thats why I will always remember that day. It was one of a few laugh-lines in her talk Monday, a talk which often left Christ Chapel in complete silence as she described in sometimes graphic terms the violence inflicted on college students who joined the civil rights movement, inflicted on children she knew who had died in a church bombing, and, ultimately inflicted on Uncle Martin. But she also talked of the triumphs, including being on the Washington Mall at the age of six for Kings most renowned speech. I was there, sitting on the steps. I dont remember what my Daddy said that day when he spoke. But I remember what Uncle Martin said. He said, I have a dream ... . She was particularly struck when King spoke of that future day when all of Gods children would be truly free. My sister and I jumped up and down because we thought he was speaking about us, she said. In 1968, the threats against King unabated, Coretta Scott King begged him to take a vacation, and Martin suggested the Abernathys home. They would end up spending a week with us before they went to Memphis, Donzaleigh Abernathy said. King didnt want to return to Memphis, she said, but Ralph Abernathy told him of large crowds on hand who were hoping to hear from him. He went, gave the speech and returned to the Lorraine Motel where he was shot the next day. Abernathy was the first to reach King on the motel balcony and he followed him to the hospital, where the doctor told him there was no hope for a recovery. So Daddy went over and picked him up in his arms and cradled him. And then he stopped breathing. Donzaleigh Abernathy now an actress, author and speaker living in Beverly Hills, California said the opportunity to be a personal witness of the civil rights movement was the greatest gift God has given me in my entire life. Along with her appearance at Gustavus, she was scheduled to be the keynote speaker Monday night at the 36th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at Minnesota State University. Written by The Free Press (Mankato, Minn.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Jan. 22, Trend reports. The Armenian armed forces were using large caliber machine guns. 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, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Imagine being unable to bury a loved one, with no idea of where their body is, 15 years after their murder. For dozens of Ghanaian families whose fathers were murdered in The Gambia under Yahya Jammeh's regime, the tragedy is revisited with a generation of victims seeking answers in Ghanaian documentary, I Cannot Bury My Father, released in January. "These families have not moved on. Their families suffered back then and continue to suffer, but they also feel completely forgotten, said Nana-Jo Ndow, the documentary filmmaker who made I Cannot Bury My Father. Her documentary shows a new generation of victims families who are trying to find answers after the tragedy of their loved ones were murdered 15 years ago. According to a number of investigations, including a joint effort by Human Rights Watch and Trial International, an NGO supporting victims in their quest for justice, 56 West Africans embarked from Senegal on 22 July, 2005, trying to reach a ship that would take them to Europe. Among the victims were reportedly between 41 and 44 Ghanaians, seven Nigerians, two Senegalese, two Ivorians, two Togolese and one Gambian. The migrants landed in Barra, Gambia, where they were arrested once they had disembarked. The unarmed West Africans were taken to Banjul, the capital, and then transferred to different areas by security forces. One group of eight people was reportedly beaten to death by the Junglers, then-President Yahya Jammehs paramilitary death squad. Jammeh reportedly thought the migrants were mercenaries. The bodies of the eight bludgeoned were left on a beach, while the others were killed by the Junglers near the Senegal-Gambia border. One Ghanaian man escaped. With the exception of six bodies that were repatriated to Ghana, the remains of the other victims were never found. With this storythe tragedy of how one person being forcibly disappeared has completely affected an entire family, said Ndow. It affects an entire community, and we really wanted to give this emotional dimension to this story, to try and reflect the emotional trauma that this family has gone through and is still going through, she added. Story continues The documentary focuses on Isaac Mensah, who was 12 years old when his father, Peter, disappeared, one of the murders allegedly carried out by the Junglers in 2005. Peters death took a toll Mensah, like the families of the other victims, have had to deal with their fathers loss on a daily basis. Although his brothers were young when their father died, they have also had a hard life, along with his mother and their grandfather, who helped raise the family. He also speaks of the damaging cultural effect that being unable to bury a family member takes on, specifically in Ghanaian culture. In Ghana specifically, we cherish funerals. And if you lose someone you really cherish, you have to show it during funerals, said Mensah. And weve not been able to do a befitting burial for my father, he added. A funeral has special significance, and the absence of one leaves the family in limbo, says Mensah, especially his mother. Is she a widow, or is she married to someone? he asks. His fathers death still touches every aspect of his mothers life. She had been a seamstress, said Mensah, but she couldnt deal with all the questions clients would ask, about where he was. She quit to avoid those questions, he said. Reports made, but no information given The brutal killings of 55 people did not go by unnoticed the Ghanaian Commission of Inquiry visited Gambia on a fact-finding mission in March 2006. In August 2008, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), conducted a joint mission with the UN to Gambia. The families received nothing. No report, no findings, no change in status. There was a lack of transparency. There was a lack of empathy. They received a phone call one day to go to Accra for a funeral. I mean, can you just imagine that they probably were thinking okay, does this mean that you know, they've got the remains? said Ndow. The families came to the funeral, where they found closed caskets for the six remains that were repatriated to Ghana. They were buried in one massive grave with a marker noting that they died under tragic circumstances. What were the circumstances? What about you list their names? said Ndow. Some 27 victims families were given a small amount of money that they were photographed with, but no information, no report findings were given to them. It was the way that this entire case was handled that Ndow finds most upsetting. They're not even being treated as equals, as human beings, they don't matter. And the sense that you get as well as that it was just this idea of, they're just migrants so, oh well, said Ndow. It's a question of human rights, its a question of dignity and what happened to these people could have happened to anyone else, she added. During the course of the documentary, Mensah travelled from Akomadan, in the Ashanti region in the centre of the country, to Accra, to find more answers. In 2005, DNA testing was widely used in forensic examinations, but no DNA was taken from the victims, no bloodwork as taken from the victims families. Those who disembarked and died had come from five other West African countries in addition to Ghana. Mensah has a lot of questions for the Ghanaian authorities. How can you say these people are Ghanaians? How can you say these people are our fathers? Why are you not sharing the report with us? What do you have to hide? Who are you hiding it from? A revelation While in Accra, Mensah realised that Gambia is in the midst of conducting its own investigation and public hearing into the scores of human rights abuses former dictator Yahya Jammeh committed during his 22 years in power. The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) has logged hours of testimony of victims, as well as statements of a number of Junglers who reportedly carried out the killings of the group of West Africans. In the documentary, Mensah watches the official testimony of Jungler Corporal Omar A. Jallow who discusses the day he was with one of the West Africans, remembering that one man gave him a 100 euro banknote before he was killed. After 15 years of longing for some closure, Mensah believes that the man described is his father. For Mensah and the other families and communities affected by these deaths, part of the anger is directed at the fact there is information out there that has never been transmitted to them. In 2019, Ghanas Right to Information Act (RTI), passed by lawmakers, was put into law. Ghanaians can access and receive information from public institutions. Mensah applied for documents and reports related to the murders he has not yet had a response. The new generation of victims from the 2005 Gambia murders hopes that there will be closure. For Mensah, the fact that Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo was foreign minister at the time could work in their favour to gain access to the answers the families have been seeking for 15 years. I would tell him, Nana, we want you to fight for justice. You are a human rights activist. So please. Ghanaians were murdered in 2005 and the case was closed just like that. We want you to try the person involved in this case. Thats Yahya Jammeh and his accomplices, he said. The film is slated to be viewed on streaming sites and within the country in order to raise awareness of the killings, said filmmaker Ndow. Former Interpol head sentenced to imprisonment for accepting bribery Global Times By Yang Sheng Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/21 21:08:41 The former Chinese public security vice minister and former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, detained in 2018, has been sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison for accepting bribes. Foreign media was trying to indicate the case was driven by political reasons, but Chinese experts noted that no matter how many facts China released, the politically biased foreign media stuck to "conspiracy theories" rather than neutrally reporting the case. The First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin pronounced in a statement that Meng had confessed to all the criminal charges and would not appeal, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday. Meng was also fined 2 million yuan ($289,900). Meng was elected president of Interpol, based in Lyon, France, in 2016, becoming the first Chinese official to take the post. Meng, also former head of China Coast Guard, pleaded guilty on June 20 to accepting 14.46 million yuan in bribes from 2005 to 2017 in an open trial in Tianjin, the People's Daily reported. Meng was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office for serious violations of Party discipline and laws, China's top anti-graft body, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, said in a statement on March 27, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Meng's wife was granted political asylum by France in 2019 after she claimed that she feared for herself and her two children as potential targets of kidnapping attempts. When foreign media report about Chinese officials, they will suggest the officials are corrupt in general, Shen Yi, a professor at Shanghai-based Fudan University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. When China launches an anti-corruption campaign, Western media changed their angle and began to question so-called political motives. "It's not something that we can change by releasing more details and facts about the case," Shen said, "because neutrality is not their priority while reporting on China." It was obvious Meng's wife was trying to hype the case by telling stories to those media outlets that have a strong anti-China political stance, such as Radio France Internationale, experts said. She benefited from bribery and in the meantime could stay in France to avoid investigation, they concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address AMARILLO, Texas Patrick Maboko came to the Texas Panhandle from the Democratic Republic of Congo 10 years ago as a refugee. He still speaks Swahili, but often makes his way around town these days in boots and a cowboy hat. During the day, he operates a saw at the Tyson meat-processing plant in Amarillo. On weekends, he takes his family downtown to cheer the minor league Amarillo Sod Poodles. Maboko, 45, never thought he would feel at home in a place like the Panhandle, where cattle outnumber people by a significant margin in some counties. But Amarillo, a city whose residents at first raised questions about welcoming so many foreigners, has seen thousands of refugees like Maboko arrive over the years, from Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and elsewhere. Sixty languages are spoken in Amarillos schools. I feel like Im a Texan, Maboko said. I have a vision of life so I can see now I am fitting in here. This month, Gov. Greg Abbott became the first governor in the country to announce that Texas no longer wanted to resettle new refugees, saying that a state that also was the epicenter of recent mass migration from Central America had done more than its share. Abbott faced immediate criticism from big-city mayors across Texas, the states two biggest newspapers and all 16 of its Catholic bishops but not from the statewide Republican leadership that has been a reliable ally in President Donald Trumps attempts to curb immigration. Long before Trump was elected, Abbott and other Republican leaders in Texas built their political careers on talking tough about immigration. They sent National Guard troops to the border, adopted a law banning sanctuary cities and led a lawsuit to end the federal program that protects many young immigrants living in the country illegally from deportation. In his announcement, Abbott, whose wife is the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, was taking the states anti-refugee policies to the next level. In 2016, Texas withdrew from the federal refugee resettlement program in a dispute with the Obama administration over the states refusal to accept Syrian refugees. But that earlier withdrawal was largely a symbolic move; the latest announcement took advantage of an executive order, issued by Trump last year, that gives states and local governments the power to opt out of accepting refugees. For now, Abbotts decree is without force a federal judge last week issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trumps executive order, but the administration is expected to appeal the ruling. Here in Amarillo, which for a time took in more refugees per capita than any other Texas city, few share the governors alarm over refugees, and those who do have a far more nuanced view. They have long lived with refugees, not as abstract political talking points, but as neighbors. Many conservatives in Amarillo express support for Abbotts stance on refugees but have no harsh words for the people who have joined their city, some of whom they have invited into their homes and tried to help with donations of time and money. Two nonprofit groups Refugee Services of Texas and Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle resettled and assisted nearly 7,000 refugees in Amarillo and nearby cities from 2007 through 2017. Refugee admissions have dropped sharply since Trump took office; only about 200 have come in since then. Amarillo a flat, wind-battered and majority-white city of 200,000 has become the Queens of the Texas High Plains. In many ways, the city is the same place it has been for decades. Cowboy culture and Texas kitsch dominate. It is home to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. Tourists still take up the gut-busting challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch: Its 72-ounce steak dinner is free if you can eat it all in one hour. In 2016, both Randall and Potter counties voted for Trump. But thousands of refugees now work in the meat-processing and food-processing plants across the Panhandle. They earn wages starting at $15 an hour, pay taxes, buy cars, start small businesses and enroll their children in the public schools. A 2017 report by New American Economy, an immigration advocacy group, estimated the spending power of refugees in Texas at $4.6 billion. Inevitably, culture clashes among longtime white and Hispanic residents and refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Asia are an almost daily occurrence. City Hall staff members have fielded angry phone calls from residents claiming that refugees were barbecuing dogs in their front yards. Newcomers unfamiliar with local laws have hunted ranchers cattle for food. But the citys rapid-fire globalization has worked more often than it has broken down. The mayor of Amarillo, Ginger Nelson, said she could imagine a time when the first refugee is elected to the City Council. Yes, theyve changed us, but its good to expand your horizons and to embrace different ways of thinking, Nelson said. The more ideas you have at the table, the stronger you are as a community. Early on, the Amarillo Tea Party Patriots invited Jeff Gulde, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle, to meet with them. The members peppered him with questions someone asked what the refugees religions were but that, ultimately, was all. The local Tea Party made no push to stop the influx. One Tea Party member, Tim Revell, a retired doctor, said he had met with refugees at his home and provided some with free medical assistance. You can only take politics and things so far, said Revell, 74, who is the chairman of the Randall County Republican Party. When youre looking at people suffering, its another deal. Ray Herrera, 67, a Vietnam veteran, befriended the Congolese family who moved in across from him at the Palo Duro Place Apartments, inviting them to his church. These people are not doing wrong, he said. Who am I, and who is the governor and who is the president, to say were going to stop this? But steps from Herreras door, a neighbor, Sonia Rios, 45, said she planned on moving out in a few months. The refugees unsupervised children and teenagers, she said, have caused too many problems. Some of the young refugees broke into her car, she said, and on another occasion threw an object at her wifes vehicle, blowing out one of the windows. Were done, Rios said. If theyre getting treated bad in their country, well, by God, come over, but dont come over here thinking you can do whatever you want. Dont come over thinking this is your trash can. Daniel L. Rogers, 57, the chairman of the Republican Party in Potter County, which also takes in part of Amarillo, makes it clear that his willingness to accept new refugees depends on their willingness to meet him halfway. A real estate broker, Rogers wears a black cowboy hat and a knife on his belt. His office is decorated with red Trump MAGA hats and filled with the bittersweet scent of pipe smoke. Amarillo, he said, is ready to welcome any refugees who are willing to become citizens and stay out of trouble. Bring us 10 million of those a year, if they want to be productive members and make America great, and be American, not a hyphenated American, he said. Nobody cares what color somebody is or where they came from. Nobody cares. Maboko, the Congolese refugee, has embraced his Texas identity, but said he was shocked and saddened that Abbott wanted to refuse more refugees. He has relatives urgently waiting for resettlement in the United States, he said, and pulled out his phone. He wanted the governor to see the pictures he received about a month ago from relatives in his village. The pictures included gruesome images of murdered and sexually mutilated young Congolese women. Were people facing such dangers not entitled to a Texas welcome? I wish you can take me to the governor and I can show him, he said. People are dying. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. A Russian woman was allegedly unable to leave her kitchen for two days after her pet cat started behaving aggressively and tried to attack her whenever she tried to exit the room. This is the kind of news story that sounds so crazy, it has to be fake! At least thats what I thought when I first read the title, but then I noticed that it had originally been reported on the official website of the Rescue Service in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk, which actually rescued the woman from her own home. On Sunday, January 19, a local resident noticed a woman signaling for help in the window of a third floor apartment, at 9/6 Suvorov street. After catching the attention of the passer-by, the woman explained that her pet cat had started acting crazy two days before, and would try to attack her whenever she tried leaving the kitchen. Sick of waiting for the feline to calm down, she finally decided to ask for help. Photo: Erik-Jan Leusink/Unsplash According to a press release from the Arkhangelsk Regional Rescue Service, an emergency call about this incident was received on January 19, at about noon, and its rescuers arrived at the specified location shortly after. Because the front door of the apartment was locked from the inside, they had to access the womans home via the window, using an extension ladder. Once inside, they managed to catch the aggressive feline in a blanket, to evacuate its owner. The woman was reportedly unharmed, as was her feline, but the short press release mentions nothing about what the owner did when she had to use the bathroom during the two days she was held captive by her pet The cat was placed in a cage and handed over to the woman, with the recommendation that she see a veterinarian about its bizarre behavior. B ritain and America were at loggerheads today over a new digital services tax as Sajid Javid insisted the Government would go ahead with the levy in April. The Chancellor defended the move as a proportionate tax and stressed that it was designed to be temporary and so would fall away once an international agreement could be reached, which he believes could be struck this year. However, US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin made clear Washington is still seeking to persuade the UK Government to ditch its unilateral tax on companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, many of which are based in America. Speaking on a panel alongside Mr Javid at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said: Well be having some conversations about that. Im sure the President and Boris will be speaking as well, as he did with [Emmanuel] Macron. French President Emmanuel Macron / POOL/AFP via Getty Images The French president agreed earlier this week to delay collecting a new tax on multinational technology firms until the end of the year. The Trump administration has been threatening retaliatory tariffs against countries who impose the new tax, arguing it should be an internationally agreed levy and that current proposals by other nations would discriminate against US firms. Britain is proposing a two per cent levy on revenues from UK users which is expected to raise around 500 million a year. The levy was the subject of intense discussion among political and business leaders at the Swiss gathering. Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, urged the UK to hold fire on the new tax, warning that without an international pact there could be a mess of dozens of countries introducing different systems. * Khamenei's first Friday prayer sermon since 2012 * Rulers face pressure over plane disaster, nuclear work * Sermon follows U.S, Iran tit-for-tat military strikes By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will deliver a Friday prayers sermon when he is expected to throw his support behind the elite Revolutionary Guards after their belated admission that they had downed an airliner in error sparked days of rage on the streets. Making the main weekly sermon in Tehran for the first time since 2012, with Iran and its clerical rulers under pressure at home and abroad, Khamenei is also expected to blame "enemies", usually a jibe directed at Washington, for causing the public fury, a source familiar with decision-making in Iran told Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump, who pulled Washington out of a nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and started the latest escalation that briefly resulted in open conflict this month, had tweeted support for protesters in both English and Farsi. State television showed queues of buses that were taking people to attend the ceremony in central Tehran. The prayers usually take place around midday on Friday in Iran. The Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down on Jan. 8 in the tense hours after Iran launched missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq in response to a U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3 that killed a powerful Iranian general, who was close to Khamenei. After days of denying a role in the plane crash, the Guards, a parallel military force answering directly to Khamenei that acts as guardian of the clerical system, finally admitted one of its air defence operators mistakenly shot down Ukraine Airlines International flight 752. Vigils for the 176 victims swiftly turned into protests against Iran's rulers. "Death to Khamenei" was chanted at protests and also spray painted on walls of Tehran and other cities. Such public criticism can result in a jail term in Iran. The demonstrations, mainly led by students, were quelled by a violent police crackdown and the deployment in force of riot police outside universities. Protesters were beaten and video footage recorded gunshots, teargas and blood on the streets. Iran's police denied firing at protesters and said officers had been ordered to show restraint. Police had launched a bloody crackdown two months ago on demonstrations that were sparked by a fuel price hike. Story continues Unrest at home has added to international pressure on Iran over the plane disaster and its nuclear programme, which is at the heart of a long-running row between Tehran and the West. Under Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for sanctions relief. Washington reimposed sanctions after it withdrew from the pact, plunging Iran's oil-dependent economy into crisis. Since then, Tehran has scaled back on its commitments, including saying it would stop observing limits on uranium enrichment. Britain, France and Germany have subsequently launched a dispute mechanism in the deal, triggering a diplomatic process that could lead to the reimposition of U.N. sanctions. Iran's government has sought to galvanise loyalists at home. A state-sponsored body has called for rallies on Friday to show support for the leadership and to commemorate "martyrs" of the plane disaster, Iranian media has reported. The authorities have also sought to refocus public attention on the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander killed in the U.S. drone strike. Soleimani had built up proxy militias abroad, creating an arc of Iranian influence across the Middle East. President Hassan Rouhani's adviser Hesameddin Ashena said on Twitter that: "All those who were chanting 'I am Qassem Soleimani' come and fill his empty space on Friday." Soleimani's funeral had drawn huge crowds onto the streets of Iranian cities, which the authorities said showed support for Iran's leadership despite U.S. attacks, although those scenes were swiftly overshadowed by protests on the streets. (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Edmund Blair) Formal charges have been filed against the suspect in a deadly shooting during an apparent drug deal in Leeds. Leeds police on Tuesday obtained a murder warrant against 19-year-old Anthony Widner. He is charged in the slaying Monday-night slaying of James Brody Sargent, also 19. Officers responded just before 10 p.m. to a report of shots fired at a residence on Kings Forest Drive. A neighbor had called to report hearing the gunfire. When they arrived on the scene, they learned the victim had been taken to the hospital by others who were at the residence at the time of the shooting. Sargent was driven to Grandview Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:42 p.m. Leeds Police Chief Jim Atkinson said the victim, who was from Moody, went to the home with several others to buy weed from Widner. Sargent got out of the vehicle and dispute erupted between Widner and Sargent. Though the shooting happened in Jefferson County, Widner is being held in the St. Clair County Jail without bond. A big national Greek flag was hung on the facade of the municipal theater of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, with a banner reading "We want our islands back, we want our lives back".. (Photo: AFP/Aris Messinis) The islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios staged a general strike, shutting down shops and public services and rallying in central squares, many protesters waving Greek flags. "We want our islands back, we want our lives back," was the main slogan. Asylum-seekers "should be shared out across Greece," 72-year-old Lesbos pensioner Efstratios Peppas told AFP. "And Europe must assume its responsibilities. It too must take migrants," he said. The largest camp of Moria on Lesbos island, with a capacity for 2,840 people, hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. "You can't walk alone outside after dark, people get stabbed," Peppas said. The overcrowding is equally severe on other islands, and rights groups and medical charities have repeatedly criticised the living conditions at the camps. The government announced plans in November to build larger camps on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, which currently host a total of nearly 42,000 migrants and refugees and where outbreaks of violence are frequent. Two young asylum-seekers have been fatally stabbed in brawls at the Moria camp this month. An 18-year-old Afghan girl was also seriously injured in a knife attack this week and remains in hospital. And three asylum-seekers in Greek custody have committed suicide in recent weeks. "We demand the immediate shutdown of Moria," read a banner carried in the Lesbos demonstration. But the new camp plans have been strongly opposed by local officials, who want smaller facilities after hosting thousands of asylum seekers for the past five years. Greece last year again became the main entry into Europe for migrants and refugees, many fleeing war or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Syria. The UN refugee agency in 2019 recorded more than 59,000 arrivals by sea and more than 14,000 via the land border with Turkey. Already more than 3,000 have arrived so far this year. Only a fraction are allowed passage to the Greek mainland while the rest spend months in the camps, waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. On Tuesday, 17 human rights organisations warned of a rising "climate of discrimination and xenophobia" towards asylum-seekers, who also faced "serious consequences to their well-being and public health". Charlie Browns Fresh Grill in Old Tappan closed earlier this month, according to a report on NorthJersey.com. The report said the restaurant shuttered due to a lack of business, and affected employees would be transferred to other Charlie Browns locations. The closing leaves just 13 Charlie Browns in New Jersey, according to the restaurants website, a number that has dwindled quite a bit since the business filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Most recently, the Millburn restaurant shuttered in 2018 after 39 years of business, and the Tenafly spot closed a few years prior. Charlie Browns is known for its array of steaks but also offers other dishes such as seafood, chicken, burgers and sandwiches. The closing is another in a long list of restaurants to shutter throughout the past year. Formerly known as Charlie Browns Steakhouse, the first location opened in Westfield in 1966. Nicolette Accardi can be reached at naccardi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @N_Accardi. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips MORE RETAIL AND SHOPPING COVERAGE: Spring break 2020 travel deals: Flights, hotels, cruises, trains, vacations Amazon joins the wireless earbud craze with Echo Buds Pier 1 Imports will close 450 stores. Heres the status of each N.J. location. The Prince of Wales is to meet Greta Thunberg (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Prince of Wales is to meet teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg for the first time, Clarence House has announced. Charles will be introduced to the 17-year-old immediately following his speech in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. The prince, who has long been known for his environmental campaigning, will use his keynote address at the World Economic Forum to describe 2020 as the super year, kick-starting a decade of action for people and planet. He will add: I intend to do my utmost to ensure that the message of urgency, systemic change, collaboration and integration is heard. Charles arrived in Switzerland, travelling from St Gallen to Davos in a fully electric Jaguar I-Pace, rather than using a helicopter. The Prince of Wales has arrived in Switzerland where HRH will attend the World Economic Forum. The Prince travels from St Gallen to Davos, where the event is held, in a fully electric @Jaguar I-Pace. #wef20 pic.twitter.com/rSTWR76s1y The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) January 22, 2020 US President Donald Trump and Greta have clashed at the Forum over their views on the key theme of climate change. The American leader used his speech at the forum to attack climate prophets of doom and snubbed their predictions of the apocalypse in favour of optimism for the future. Soon after he spoke, Greta introduced a talk on Averting a Climate Apocalypse, in which she scolded the elites for not doing enough to deal with the climate crisis. Charles will use his speech to highlight his ambitious project to help financial markets become more sustainable. He hopes the Sustainable Markets Council will bring together leading individuals from the public and private sectors, charitable organisations and investors to identify ways to rapidly de-carbonise the global economy and make the transition to sustainable markets. The prince will stress that being socially and environmentally responsible should be the cheapest option available to all. We cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices if these choices are not clearly laid before them, he will say. Expand Close The Prince of Wales is to deliver a keynote address in Davos (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Prince of Wales is to deliver a keynote address in Davos (Victoria Jones/PA) As consumers increasingly demand sustainable products, they deserve to be told more about product lifecycles, supply chains and production methods. For a transition to take place, being socially and environmentally conscious cannot only be for those who can afford it. If all the true costs are taken into account, being socially and environmentally responsible should be the least expensive option because it leaves the smallest footprint behind. His trip to Davos will be followed by his first official tour of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The ministerial jet Voyager is believed to be undergoing scheduled maintenance and the prince will be travelling to Switzerland and the Holy Land on a chartered plane. World leaders and leading business figures have faced criticism in the past for flying to Davos by private jet. Scott Furssedonn-Wood, Charless deputy private secretary, has said: We always look at a range of options. We take a number of factors into account when we decide how to travel, we weigh up things like cost, of course, with environmental impact, as youd expect, but also efficiency of time, size of delegation and, crucially, safety and security. He highlighted a number of trips, including the princes official visits to Japan and India, when he flew by commercial airlines, but for this tour, he said, scheduled flights did not satisfy all of their considerations. The princes tour the highest-level visit by a member of the royal family to Israel and Palestinian areas will mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Expand Close The Duke of Cambridge during his visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalems Old City in 2018 (Tim Rooke/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke of Cambridge during his visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalems Old City in 2018 (Tim Rooke/PA) Charles will deliver a speech at the World Holocaust Forum being staged at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, on Thursday, joining around 40 world leaders and other dignitaries. He has been invited to the major event by Israel President Reuven Rivlin and will meet the statesman during his two-day visit, as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has invited the prince to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories. While in the Middle East, Charles will also visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 12:21:43|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Cheng Lu and Lu Yifan BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mickey and Minnie, perhaps the most popular and beloved mice in the world, are expected to have the busiest year of their career in China. At Shanghai Disney Resort, the iconic American duo will meet the public by putting on costumes in red and gold, the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year's colors, to celebrate the Year of the Rat, which comes around once every 12 years. Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on Jan. 25 this year. The lunar calendar has a 12-year cycle, with each year assigned an animal symbol: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Rat is the first among the 12 animals of the ancient Chinese zodiac. In Chinese culture, they are a symbol of intelligence, fertility, affluence and agility. Despite numerous legends, Luo Shuwei, a historian and researcher with the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, has his own understanding of why the rat comes first. "Rats are most active between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., which marks the beginning of a new day. Ancient Chinese had good reason to put them in the first place of the cycle," Luo said. LOVE AND HATE Chinese people generally belong to one of two camps: rat haters and rat lovers. Quick-witted and agile rats have beset Yang Zaixue, a rat control expert in southwest China's Guizhou Province, for more than 30 years. The "rat killer" has caught nearly 10,000 rats over the years by analyzing their types, habits and reproductive cycle and enhancing new control technologies. Rats found themselves on the list of the "Four Harms" in China in the 1950s, as they damaged buildings and crops, and rat bites could lead to fatal contagious diseases. Even today, some places in China are still troubled by rats. Thanks to population control efforts, the rat density in Guizhou decreased from 15 percent in the 1980s to 3 to 5 percent by the end of 2018, according to Yang. While Yang is fighting rats in mountainous Guizhou, 24-year-old Wang Yuan is keeping a white hamster as a pet. "For my parents who hate rats and hamsters, it's a jaw-dropping hobby. But I think they are lovely and quick-witted, and I hope my pet will be healthy and strong in the new year," said Wang, a Shanghai-based internet company employee. Wang is among a growing number of young Chinese who are delving into the hobby of raising non-traditional pets. Among the more than 73.55 million pet owners in China, around 17.3 percent are raising rodents, such as rats and hamsters. Behind the booming pet market is China's fast-growing spending power, with per capita disposable income having increased nearly 60 times to 28,228 yuan (around 4,096 U.S. dollars) in 2018 from that in 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded. Although many people still dislike rats which they consider shortsighted, cruel and selfish, Zhong Fulan, a folklore expert with East China Normal University, pointed out that people's attitudes have been gradually changing due to reasons such as improved sanitation in urban and rural areas and the impact of pop culture. In the 1980s, the animated TV program "Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck" debuted in China. With its adorable look, playful character and optimistic attitude, the cute cartoon mouse has won the hearts of Chinese people across generations. In the 2000s, a Chinese pop song "mice love rice" became a smash hit in China and other Asian countries thanks to its catchy lyrics, Zhong said. RATS' HEYDAY 2020 is the last year for China to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, according to its ambitious plans. And rats, from the East and West alike, are also enjoying their heyday. In the Disney store on Alibaba's Tmall shopping platform, a variety of goods including clothes, toys, backpacks and mugs featuring mice have gained popularity ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. China's central bank has issued a series of commemorative coins for the Year of the Rat, with each set containing 10 gold and seven silver coins. Reservation orders were snapped up by customers immediately after the launch. Beijing is rebranding itself with traditional festive items. Rat-themed red lanterns illuminate the city's nightscape. Paper-cut mice crafts, couplets and paintings featuring the Chinese Lunar New Year on the shelves of supermarkets dazzle customers. In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, an exhibition shows more than 90 rat-themed cultural relics. Highlights include rat-shaped jade accessories and clothes made of rat fur from years past. Spring Festival is a time of delectable meals, celebrations and family gatherings. As lanterns and rat-shaped decorations adorn the city streets, Chinese will embrace a brand new Year of the Rat featuring jubilation and vitality. (Xinhua correspondents Huang Yan, Xu Xiaoqing and Zhou Runjian contribute to the story.) Sergeant Byun Hee-soo, the country's first transgender soldier, salutes at a press conference criticizing her involuntary discharge from service at the Military Human Rights Center in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Lee Suh-yoon The nation's first transgender soldier was involuntarily discharged from the army, Wednesday, in a decision that once again set back LGBT rights in the country's armed forces. The army's special review committee discharged Byun Hee-soo, a sergeant who undertook a sex change operation in November, saying her new "physical disability" the loss of male genitalia from the operation disqualified her from military service. "According to the Military Personnel Management Act and relevant laws, the soldier's case warrants a discontinuation of military service," the army said in a statement. "The committee's decision was based on (the soldier's) results for the mandatory physical check-up and proper legal procedure. The decision has nothing to do with (the soldier's) application to switch gender or other personal reasons." Transgender people are banned from serving in the armed forces here but there are no specific regulations governing active-duty soldiers who undergo sex reassignment surgery. Losing one's male genitalia, however, is included in the list of "physical and mental disabilities" specified by the Military Personnel Management Act. This allowed military officials to refer the soldier for a discharge evaluation based on the army's disability standard. Sergeant Byun wanted to continue serving as a female NCO. She plans to appeal the decision and take legal steps as needed. "It was my childhood dream to become a soldier who can protect her country," she said in a tearful press conference in Seoul where she revealed her identity to the public. The army headquarters has ordered her to leave by Thursday. "They did not even give me time to say a last goodbye to my unit members and leaders." Byun started taking hormone therapy in April 2018 after being hospitalized for depression caused by her gender dysphoria. She came out to her unit superiors just before being discharged from the military hospital last August where she had been treated. Her unit members and superiors were supportive about her transition, Byun said. Her condition and plans to undertake the sex change operation were reported all the way up the chain of command. She never got an official notice from the headquarters informing her she would have to trade her military uniform for the sex change operation. The army also authorized her trip to Thailand for "medical purposes," according to an official travel consent form Byun showed reporters. The Seoul-based Military Human Rights Center, the NGO that has been advising Byun through her transition, also condemned the decision. "Byun is being chased out of the army just because she no longer has male genitalia," Im Tae-hoon, head of the center, said. "We are mortified by how the military (administration) is preaching regulations while classifying the lack of male genitalia on a male-to-female transgender person as a 'physical disability.'" Im also accused some military officials of leaking "unverified information" alleging female soldiers were uncomfortable with accepting a male-to-female transgender person into their ranks. Earlier this week, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) called on military officials to delay the panel decision, suspecting it was likely the soldier would be discharged under current regulations. Sexual minorities have long been shunned or discriminated against in the Korean army. Sex between gay partners in the army is a punishable crime under Article 92-6 of the Army Criminal Act. This led to alleged witch hunts against gay soldiers by military prosecutors a few years ago, according to testimonies collected by the Military Human Rights Center. "I would like all LGBT soldiers, including myself, to be able to perform their duties in an environment free of discrimination," Byun said. "And I want to be the first great example of that." Dismissal comes after report says billionaires phone was hacked after getting message apparently sent by MBSs account. The Saudi embassy in Washington, DC has dismissed a media report suggesting that the kingdom was behind the hacking of the mobile phone of the Washington Post owner and Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos. Citing unnamed sources, British daily The Guardian reported on Tuesday that the billionaires phone was hacked in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message that was apparently sent from the personal account of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Recent media reports that suggest the kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr Jeff Bezos phone are absurd, Saudi Arabias embassy said on its Twitter account. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Saudi Embassy (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) January 22, 2020 Separately, the Washington Post reported that a United Nations investigation will report on Wednesday that Bezoss phone was hacked after he got the WhatsApp message from an account purportedly belonging to MBS, the kingdoms de facto ruler. 191212164600769 Soon after the message was sent, a significant amount of data was extracted from Bezoss phone, the Post said investigators concluded citing a person with direct knowledge with the matter. The report is set to worsen relations between the worlds richest man and the kingdom which had soured following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was also a columnist for The Washington Post, inside Riyadhs consulate in Istanbul. Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and David Kaye, special rapporteur for free expression, said in Twitter posts on Tuesday that they would be releasing a statement on Wednesday addressing the report by The Guardian. Tomorrow January 22 at 2:00 pm GMT, 9:00 am Eastern Time, watch this space for more information. @davidakaye #JusticeforJamal https://t.co/vmV6nL1s0M Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) January 21, 2020 A report by Callamard in June found credible evidence warranting further investigation that the crown prince and other senior officials are liable for Khashoggis murder. Prince Mohammed has said that as de facto Saudi leader he ultimately bore full responsibility for the killing but he denied ordering it. In December, a Saudi court exonerated Prince Mohammeds top aides over the murder of the journalist, a verdict condemned globally as a travesty of justice but backed by Washington. Private investigation The relationship between Bezos and the Saudi government had soured early last year after he alluded to Saudi Arabias displeasure at the Washington Posts coverage of the murder of Khashoggi. Bezoss security chief said in March last year that the kingdom had access to his phone and gained private information from it involving text messages between him and a former television anchor, who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said Bezos was dating. Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone, and gained private information, Gavin De Becker wrote on The Daily Beast website at the time. But de Becker did not specify which part of the Saudi government he was blaming for the hack, and gave few details about the investigation that led him to the conclusion that the kingdom was responsible. Saudi Arabia had said it had nothing to do with the reporting. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the giant in IT Services, Consulting, Technology and Digital Solutions, is expecting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to come up with a business-friendly Budget 2020-21. TCS Chief Operating Officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam spoke to Zee Business on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on a range of issues from Union Budget 2020 to technology for the creation of a greener world and even the current geopolitical tensions. "I hope that this will be a business-friendly budget. The way the government has been taking inputs and promoting foreign investments as well as, questions related to what each industry needs have been asked and we have been very explicit about what we want. The government has been very receptive. So, we are hoping the Finance Minister will pull something great for all of us," hoped Subramaniam. The TCS COO pointed out that India has a huge young population which is a positive sign when the Indian economy is in a slowdown and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and manufacturing numbers are not very strong. Lauding the younger generation for their positivity and initiative, he said, "All these numbers are one thing but we have to bank on the young population of India. I think that they all believe that tomorrow will be better than today. I went and met youngsters on college campuses or the people who joined TCS and they are extremely optimistic with a belief that the future is going to be much better. Interestingly, they asked me a question that NSG you spent 30 years to reach where you are, if I join TCS can I reach your position in half the time that you took for to get that. Such is the aspiration and energy level that they display. Thus, this is the big hope and strength that India has. I think we need to enable them and be meaningful to them unconditionally." Finance Minister Sitharaman will present Budget 2020 on February 1. With the economy in a slowdown over the last few quarters, Sitharaman is expected to come up with budgetary proposals to revive growth and energise the different sectors. The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed an election petition challenging the election of AIADMK candidate and Tamil Nadu minister V Saroja from Rasipuram constituency in the 2016 assembly elections. The petition was filed by losing DMK candidate V P Duraiswamy who challenged Saroja's election, alleging she indulged in corrupt practices. Justice V Bharathidasan in his order said the candidate's election cannot be set aside on the allegations of corrupt practice as the petitioner has miserably failed to prove it. "To prove the charges of corrupt practice in an election petition, the proof of commission of corrupt practices must be clear, cogent, specific and reliable as the charge of corrupt practice is almost like a criminal charge.." "... unless the allegation of corrupt practices are satisfactorily proved, election of the returned candidate cannot be set aside," the judge said and dismissed the petition finding no merit in it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JACKSON, MI -- About 80 people gathered in St. John Catholic Cemetery on Wednesday, Jan. 22, to mourn the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. The event, organized by Jackson Right to Life, started with a motorcade from New Covenant Living Church, 2405 W. Washington Ave., to the cemetery, 403 E. South St. The route traveled mostly on Michigan Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive through the heart of Jackson. At the cemetery, speakers included U.S. Rep Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, and local clergy. A wreath laying ceremony and singing of Battle Hymn of the Republic were also part of the program. The event was planned to mourn the loss of the unborn babies, but also provide support for mothers, said Jackson Right to Life Executive Director Kathy Potts. Jackson-area abortion-rights leaders didnt plan anything to counter Wednesdays event, but community activist Terri McKinnon said events like this are meant to shame and intimidate patients seeking health care services and information. If these protesters were truly committed to reducing the need for abortion, they would work with existing organizations to increase access to affordable birth control and comprehensive sex education, McKinnon said in a message earlier this week. MORE: Jackson Right to Life hosts motorcade mourning anniversary of Roe v. Wade An American woman has disappeared while on vacation with her boyfriend in Belize. Alison MacKenzie, 43, was on a three-day catamaran tour set with Paige Rote, 58, when she went missing Friday night, according to The Daily Courier. The mom of two was camping on an island called Rendezvous Caye with 14 other tourists and three tour guides from Raggamuffin Tours when she vanished, news station Channel 5 Belize reports. Rote reported his girlfriend missing when he woke up on Saturday morning and MacKenzie was nowhere to be found, Hilberto Romero, the deputy head of National Crimes Investigation Branch, told Channel 5. MacKenzie was last seen on the island around 10 p.m., authorities said. RELATED VIDEO: Missing Newlyweds Found Suffering Severe Burns Following Desperate Search After Volcano Eruption The police currently do not consider Rote to be a suspect, according to Channel 5 Belize. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed to PEOPLE that it is aware of reports of a missing U.S. citizen in Belize. The representative told PEOPLE that the department works closely with local authorities in their search efforts whenever a U.S. citizen is reported missing. Raggamuffin Tours, the company who had set up the catamaran tour, told PEOPLE in a statement that they are cooperating fully with law enforcement officers in their investigation into this incident. We have given the Belize Police Department comprehensive details of all passengers and met with our crew. We are aware that extensive interviews have been conducted by the Police at Rendezvous Caye and in Caye Caulker, the company said. Ragamuffin Tours Limited is operated by a Caye Caulker family and as a family, we are deeply distressed and concerned as to the whereabouts and well being of Alison Mackenzie. In a Facebook post, MacKenzies mother wrote that their family is beyond devastated by news of her disappearance. Story continues RELATED: N.Y. Couple Goes Missing on Vacation in the Dominican Republic: Something Strange Has Happened We have received 3 different stories about what happened that morning. None of them consistent with the others, Cherie MacKenzie wrote. We are getting nowhere finding out where she is. It has been 48 hours now, and not only missing, but feared no longer alive. MacKenzies sister told Channel 5 Belize that she and her mother do not believe Rote was involved in the disappearance and that he is just as distraught as the rest of the family. She said MacKenzie had been in Belize since December following a death in the family. She was just coming there because our father passed away last year and then our step-father passed away two months ago, MacKenzies sister told the outlet. So, she was just going there to try to get a break from life here. Just take a little break from things and regroup and find some peace for a little while. OTTAWAAir Canada and WestJet have removed the Boeing 737 Max from their schedules into the summer busy season and passengers could be left paying the price, one expert says. The two airlines made the announcement after Boeing conceded Tuesday that the jets likely wont be cleared to resume commercial operations until mid-year, further disrupting flight schedules. The reduced capacity WestJet, Air Canada and Sunwing have a total of 41 of Max jets in their fleets means the likelihood of higher fares and less choice for passengers looking to travel this summer, said Fred Lazar, associate professor of economics at York Universitys Schulich School of Business. For airlines, that means juggling their fleets and extending the contingency plans that have been in place for almost a year to preserve their schedules. Theyre going to now start moving around some planes, defer some maintenance, squeeze as much flying from the existing fleet as possible to come as close to their summer schedule as possible, Lazar said in an interview. Not having the 737 Max available will hit the bottom line for carriers, Lazar said, but thats offset by the fact that the aircraft is grounded worldwide, meaning that global capacity is reduced, which in turn has increased the pricing power of the airlines, he said. That is bad news for passengers looking for deals. The planes are all going to be full. If you try to look for a bargain, theyre not going to be there, he said. Lazar said hes not surprised by this latest delay, saying that regulators are going to put Boeing through the hoop to make sure the 737 Max is ready to fly. Theyre not going to want another incident ... theyre taking every precaution imaginable, he said, predicting that it could be September before the 737 Max jets are flying again in Canada. Air Canada said it removed the 737 Max from its schedule through to June 30 to minimize disruptions for travellers as it waits decisions by Canadian and international regulators on returning the 737 Max safely into service. Customers affected by the changes will get notice of their new itineraries and offered suitable travel options, the airline said. WestJet, which has 13 Boeing 737 Max jets, said it would be updating its schedule to remove the aircraft from use until June 24. We thank our guests for their patience and our WestJetters for their commitment to keeping our airline moving safely and on time as we continue to adjust our schedule, said Ed Sims, WestJet president and CEO said in a written statement. We remain confident in the regulatory process undertaken by the Federal Aviation (Administration) and Transport Canada to ensure the safe return of the aircraft. On Tuesday, Boeing said that its not likely the 737 Max will be cleared to resume flights until mid-year. The twin-engine jets were grounded by Transport Canada and other regulators in March 2019 following two fatal crashes. In both accidents, investigators have centred on a design flaw in a system thats meant to prevent the jet from entering an aerodynamic stall. Early indications are that the system put the jets into dives from which their pilots were unable to recover. Boeing has been working on a fix to that system, along with revamped training for pilots to handle such emergencies. That training may now require simulator sessions for 737 Max pilots, which could further delay the return to service. In its statement, Air Canada said decisions about returning the jet to service would be based on its own safety assessment following approvals by the FAA and Transport Canada. Air Canada has 24 of the jets in its fleet. But the potential disruption actually extends further since the airline which has 61 of the jets on order was supposed to have taken delivery of an additional 12 jets by now. Spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline is still refining its summer schedule but suggested that there would be minimal disruption for passengers. In the past we have been very successful in mitigating the impact of the grounding, he said. The Montreal-based airline got some relief last week when it launched flights with the new Airbus A220-300. Read more about: School girls are being given two different versions of the cancer-fighting HPV jab, with one group getting more protection than the other, it was confirmed yesterday. The HPV vaccine is offered to girls and boys in first year of secondary school to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer and some other forms of cancer when adults. Boys were added to the vaccine programme last September following a recommendation by the health watchdog, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa). The Gardasil 9 vaccine used on this first year school group is the most modern version protecting against nine strains of HPV. However, the HSE is continuing to use an earlier version, Gardasil 4 - which only protects against four strains of HPV - in its catch-up programme for older schoolgirls. This catch-up scheme for girls, also recommended by Hiqa, offers them the vaccine by making an appointment in a "mop-up clinic" if they missed out on it in the earlier classes or did not avail of it at the time. A spokeswoman for the HSE said: "Gardasil 9 protects against nine types of HPV that cause 90pc of cervical cancers and types 6 and 11 that cause 90pc of genital warts." Gardasil 4 protects against four types of HPV that cause 70pc of cervical cancers and types 6 and 11 that cause 90pc of genital warts. She said: "Any girls who are older than first year and are still in school, but who missed out on receiving the vaccine, are still currently eligible for the girls only HPV4 vaccine programme. They can contact their local school health team to arrange an appointment." Asked why they were still offering the Gardasil 4 version when Gardasil 9 is available, the spokeswoman said: "These girls are offered Gardasil 4 as this was the vaccine offered as part of the HSE girls-only vaccination programme from 2010-2017 to 2018-2019." If parents want to purchase the vaccine offering protection against nine strains they face a bill of up to 600 as three jabs are needed for older teens. The HSE does not make clear in its website that it is using two different strengths of the vaccine. Meanwhile, children and adults between the ages of 11 and 30 years who have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine, or who are unsure if they got the jab, are to be offered free vaccination. The HSE said 11-18-year-olds and adults aged up to 30 have been particularly affected by the mumps outbreak. So far this year 253 cases have been reported. They are advised to speak to their GP or student health service and get the vaccine free of charge. One million new P2 masks are on their way to replenish the smoke-depleted national medical stockpile as authorities respond to the Chinese coronavirus, which has killed 17 people and infected hundreds. NSW Health director of health protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said on Wednesday that there had been "no cases in Australia at this point", but urged travellers arriving in Australia to "be cautious" and report any symptoms to their GP. A traveller wears a face mask as she sits in a waiting room at a Beijing railway station. Cases of the virus have been confirmed in Beijing. Credit:AP Deaths from China's new virus rose overnight from nine to 17 with more than 540 cases confirmed, increasing fears of contagion from an infection suspected to have originated from illegally traded wildlife. Several people in NSW have so far tested negative for the novel coronavirus, Dr McAnulty said, while Queensland Health confirmed a man in Brisbane who was quarantined in his home as a precaution has also tested negative. When a school bus reached the site, one could see protesters making way for its safe passage. NEW DELHI: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday met an eight-member delegation of protesters from Shaheen Bagh and appealed to them to call off their agitation as it has been causing inconvenience to schoolchildren, patients and general public. The delegation submitted a memorandum of their demands, including withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, to the L-G, which, he assured, would be conveyed to the appropriate authorities. Since December 15, when the Delhi Police entered the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia university and beat up students who were protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, the local residents of Shaheen Bagh and other areas have been staging a peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The sit-in protest, where women have taken the lead and have been sitting day and night, entered its 37th day on Tuesday. Met the delegation of protestors from Shaheen Bagh. Assured them to convey their concerns to appropriate authorities. Appealed to call off their agitation in view of continued inconvenience to school children, patients, daily commuters, local residents, etc. due to blockade of road, Mr Baijal tweeted. Contrary to claims made by a section of BJP leaders that the protesters had not been allowing school buses and other emergency vehicles to pass through the area, a visit to Shaheen Bagh revealed that no such restrictions had been imposed by the protesters. The protesters have been allowing both school buses and emergency vehicles like ambulances to pass through the area. When a school bus reached the site, one could see protesters making way for its safe passage. CETINJE, Montenegro -- A planned protest in the Montenegrin town of Cetinje against a controversial new law on religion has been canceled after locals voiced their disapproval of the rally. The Serbian Orthodox Church announced it had put off the march scheduled for January 23, saying police had warned that "serious disturbance" of public order could occur during the event. The church's announcement on January 22 came after several thousand people opposed to the march took to the streets of Cetinje and warned they would block the protesters' access to the town. Cetinje is a stronghold of Montenegrin national feeling but also the seat of Bishop Amfilohije, the head of Montenegro's Serbian Orthodox Church, which is vehemently opposed to the recently adopted legislation on religion. The passage of the law last month has led to frequent protests organized by the church across Montenegro, as well as in neighboring Kosovo and Serbia. It also triggered the cancellation of a planned visit to Montenegro by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The Serbian Orthodox Church, its supporters, and pro-Serbian opposition parties fear the law will enable the Montenegrin government to impound church property, though officials deny they intend to. Earlier on January 22, Prime Minister Dusko Markovic told Montenegrin television he was willing to continue discussions on the Freedom of Religion Act with Amfilohije. But he also said that the only option for the church would be to challenge it at the Constitutional Court. Under the law, religious communities must prove property ownership from before 1918, otherwise assets will be considered state property. Predominantly Orthodox Christian Montenegro joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church was subsumed by the Serbian Orthodox Church, losing all of its property in the process. Commenting on the protests against the law, Markovic said that the events had turned into a showdown with the Montenegrin state's institutions and its right to self-determination. "This attack and unprecedented propaganda was carried out not only by actors within the country, but also by the most drastic and brutal actors from neighboring Serbia," he said. Serbia and Montenegro were part of a federation until 2006, when Montenegro declared its independence. Relations between the two countries were at their worst since the restoration of Montenegrin independence, according to Markovic. However, he insisted that Montenegro regards Serbia as a friend and a neighbor with whom it has shared values. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Lithuania is a close friend and ally of Georgia, said Gitanas Nauseda, President of the Lithuania, Trend reports citing the press service of the government of Georgia. He made the remark at a meeting with Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, which was held within the World Economic Forum in Davos. Minister of Finance of Georgia Ivane Matchavariani and Adviser to the Prime Minister of Georgia on Foreign Affairs Irakli Chikovani also participated in the meeting. "We particularly value Georgia's solid support towards our European and Euro-Atlantic integration," Nauseda said. Parties discussed the Eastern Partnership Summit, which will be held in Brussels in June 2020. Parties positively assessed high-level political dialogue between the two countries and discussed sectorial cooperation, people-to-people relations and cultural links. It was noted that Lithuania is a very significant trade and economic partner of Georgia. Prime Minister noted that the government of Georgia welcomes the growing number visitors from Lithuania to Georgia, which has increased with opening the direct air flights between the two countries. Georgia and Lithuania established diplomatic relations on September 16, 1994. Countries cooperate in the fields of economics, culture, education, agriculture, and healthcare. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 Mumbai Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to Mumbai 24 hours policy, allowing malls, multiplexes and shops to function day and night from the next Monday. Identified locations in non-residential areas like Nariman Point, Bandra Kurla Complex, Ballard Estate will now be open even during the night. Endorsing the idea, Aaditya Thackeray made a formal presentation to the Cabinet on Wednesday. Thackeray clarified that the rules of the state excise department will continue to apply to discotheques, beer bars and permit rooms that serve liquor and those will continue to operate till 1.30 am. We have decided to roll out the policy in identified areas after a discussion with the municipal and police commissioner of Mumbai, Thackeray said. He said the concept will help the state government in improving revenue and job generation. We have 5 lakh people working in the service sector. With the Mumbai 24 Hours concept requiring that establishments run in three shifts, we can expect a generation of five lakh jobs. The night life in London is a 5 billion economy and we too can expect a sizeable contribution to the revenue generation and boost to the GDP, he said. Home minister Anil Deshmukh said since Mumbai 24 Hours was being implemented in limited areas as a pilot project, the police force will not be burdened. We have supported the proposal, he added. Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed the government for keeping the shops open during night and linked it with the Kamala Mills floor space index (FSI) scam. The proposal passed by the Cabinet has the backdrop of the Kamala Mills fire that killed 14 people two years ago. There was a massive violation of the FSI in the mills and a minister in the incumbent government had visited the premises just a few days before the fire. By rolling out the idea of keeping the shops and establishments open round the clock, the government is safeguarding violations, BJP leader Ashish Shelar said. Thackeray said that the government was only safeguarding the interest of the common people. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Duck-billed platypus are close to extinction (Picture: SWNS) The duck-billed platypus is close to being wiped out permanently partly due to climate change, scientists have warned. Increasing numbers of the unique animal are becoming stranded as rivers dry up, according to new research. Australia's devastating drought is currently having a critical impact on the venomous egg-laying mammal, which is listed as endangered in the country. Lead author of the research Dr Gilad Bino, of New South Wales University (UNSW), says action must be taken to save the platypus. The platypus is being threatened by climate change (Picture: SWNS) The conservation biologist said: "There is an urgent need for a national risk assessment for the platypus to assess its conservation status, evaluate risks and impacts and prioritise management in order to minimise any risk of extinction." Despite being secretive and nocturnal, platypuses were once considered widespread across eastern Australia and Tasmania. Now the most extensive analysis to date has found for the first time they are close to extinction. The species faces several threats including water resource development, land clearing, global warming and increasingly severe droughts. The duck-billed platypus is listed as endangered in Australia (Picture: Reuters) Numbers have almost halved due to current climate conditions, land clearing and fragmentation by dams. This has led to local populations completely vanishing across about 40% of their range reflecting ongoing declines since European colonisation. Losses will be far greater under predicted climate change models because of more frequent and longer extreme droughts, according to the report. Dr Bino added: "These dangers further expose the platypus to even worse local extinctions with no capacity to repopulate areas." The study published in Biological Conservation shows the platypus will decline by around three quarters in the next 50 years. It is already listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Co-author Professor Richard Kingsford, director of the UNSW Centre for Ecosystem Science, said it was unfortunate that platypuses live in areas undergoing extensive human development threatening their lives and long-term viability. Story continues READ MORE YAHOO UK NEWS HERE: Government urged to help fund house demolitions to protect people living in coastal homes British tourist with severe flu virus in Thailand sent mum text saying Im dying here Hunt for missing British man 'swept out to sea' in Ibiza as Storm Gloria batters Balearic Islands He said: "These include dams that stop their movements, agriculture which can destroy their burrows, fishing gear and yabby (crayfish) traps which can drown them and invasive foxes which can kill them." Co-author Prof Brendan Wintle, of Melbourne University, added it was important that preventative measures were taken now. Dr Binos team is continuing to research the ecology and conservation of this enigmatic animal, collaborating with the Taronga Conservation Society, to ensure its future by providing information for effective policy and management. The first quadruplets ever born in Cork celebrated their 18th birthday with a visit to the medical team who delivered them. Kellie, Katie, Shauna, and Amy Murphy met with some of the original team of 45 expert staff, led by Professor John R Higgins, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, at Cork UniversityMaternity Hospital. The quadruplets were born by caesarean section,13 weeks premature, in the Erinville Hospital on January 22, 2002. Maternity services in the Erinville transferred to CUMH, along with the St Finbarrs Maternity Hospital and Bon Secours Maternity Hospital, in 2007. Prof Higgins said: Its fantastic to see them so full of life and articulate. They are all completely different with lots of their own ambitions. I havent seen them in 18 years. I remember every bit of that day. They were just over 13 weeks early when their mum went into labour. We had just 45 minutes to get all the staff in and the equipment ready. It required the whole hospital working together to have them delivered safely. You want every delivery to turn out as they have theyre perfect. The Murphys were the first set of quadruplets born in Cork, but Prof Higgins had delivered two sets while working in Australia, which gave some comfort to parents Patrick and Brenda. Brenda said: Its great to remember all the faces and to meet Prof Higgins again. At 9.30am that morning I had pains and by 11am Kellie was born. Then Katie, Shauna, and Amy came quickly. They were tiny. Katie was just 1lb14oz. The hospital saved them. They were taken to the neo-natal unit and hooked up to machines. We took Kellie home after eight weeks, and Katie was the last home at 10 weeks. Professor John R. Higgins, Consultant Gynaecologist CUMH with Katie, Shauna , Amy and Kellie Murphy from Riverstick on their 18th birthday. Picture: Gerard McCarthy. Now theyre starting a new dimension of life. Shaunas driving and theyre doing their Leaving Cert. We want to say thank you to the hospital. It has been fantastic to come up after all these years and see the staff and Prof Higgins. The girls were celebrating their milestone birthday with family after their trip to CUMH but have to defer a bigger party with friends until after their pre-Leaving Certificate exams which start next week. Budding cyber security specialist Shauna said that their bond has grown stronger over the years while the fights they had as children over toys have changed to rows over clothes. Professor John R. Higgins, Consultant Gynaecologist CUMH with Katie, Kellie, Amy and Shauna Murphy from Riverstick on their 18th birthday.Pictures Gerard McCarthy. Amy said: People single us out as being special because were quads, but its just normal to us. Despite wanting to pursue very different career paths hoping to study arts, teach in a secondary school, groom dogs, and work in cybersecurity all four of them said theyre happy to remain in Cork for their studies before travel lures them away after graduation. Katie said: If its not broke dont fix it. The police also sought cancellation of his bail for wilfully violating its conditions. NEW DELHI: A Delhi court Tuesday allowed Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, accused of delivering inflammatory speeches during an anti-CAA protest at Jama Masjid last month, to visit Delhi for medical reasons and election purposes, while modifying the conditions imposed on him when it granted him bail last week. Passing the order on a plea filed by the Bhim Army chief that he had an office in the national capital where he held weekly meetings for his social cause and needed to visit Delhi for medical treatment, additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said: Election is the biggest festival in a democracy. Everybody has the right to participate in it and in fact we call for maximum participation. But while participating in election, the same time the rights of others should not be violated. Democracy cannot be a farce. If the (bail) conditions come in the way of Azads participation in the elections, then conditions imposed on him shall be modified. The court also slammed the police for opposing Mr Azads plea on the basis of apprehensions, and not material evidence that he posed a threat to law and order situation in the state. The court, which had earlier restrained Mr Azad from visiting Delhi for four weeks and had directed him to not hold any dharna till elections in the national capital were over, on Tuesday directed him to register his presence with the SHO of Fatehpur police station in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, every Saturday for four weeks and on the last Saturday of every month. If he is in Delhi, he should inform about his schedule to the DCP of Crime Branch, New Delhi, and mark his presence there. If he is anywhere else, he should inform the DCP of Crime Branch, New Delhi, about his whereabouts. He can visit Delhi for treatment of his medical condition and election purposes or any other purpose, but he should inform the DCP of Crime Branch about his schedule. He can stay in Delhi at his friends place at the address given to the court, the court said. It passed the directions on a plea filed by Mr Azad seeking modification of the conditions imposed on him when the court had granted him bail in a case related to violent protests in old Delhis Daryaganj area on December 20. The judge asked the DCP if the police had found any material evidence which confirmed that his visit to Delhi might create a law and order problem. You (police) are seeking cancellation of his bail on the basis of apprehensions. One week has passed. Do you have any material to show Azads visits to Delhi was prejudicial to law and order, public order and national security? Was there any problem in the past one week. Do not submit apprehensions. Give only material evidence in the court, the judge said. If he has a place in Delhi and wants to participate in elections, you cannot deny an electorate from doing so, said the judge. The additional public prosecutor, appearing for the police, said there have been no adverse incidents in Delhi due to Mr Azads visit in the past one week and the police has found no material against him. He, however, added that the police has apprehensions that Mr Azad will repeat the offences committed by him before but failed to specify them. When the judge pressed to know what the offences were, the counsel said he had given hate speeches before. To this the judge pointed out that the Bhim Army chief was not booked for the offence of giving hate speeches in any of the FIRs registered against him till date. The additional public prosecutor told the court that Mr Azad was not the owner of the property that he claimed to be his office in Delhi and its owner was one Bahadur Abbas who had rented the property to some other person. The police also sought cancellation of his bail for wilfully violating its conditions. Azad has scant respect for the law of the land. The court had in its order dated January 15, 2019, permitted him to visit Jama Masjid, Jor Bagh and Guru Ravidas Temple to pay his obeisance. However, he wilfully disobeyed the courts order. Apart from visiting the three places, he also visited Shri Valmiki Temple and addressed a press conference at Windsor Place. Moreover, at Jama Masjid, from where he was arrested, he apart from paying obeisance, addressed the public and interacted with media persons in violation of the courts orders, the police said in its reply. The public prosecutor said Mr Azad had claimed in his plea that he held weekly meetings at Ambedkar Bhavan, but a member of the committee and the cashier have confirmed no such meeting has been held and the Bhim Army chief has not visited the place for the past four-five months. The counsels appearing for Mr Azad, advocates Mehmood Pracha and O.P. Bharti, told the court the Delhi address was not the address of a political party. Abbas is the registered owner of the property and he was a friend of Azad. There is no rent agreement in Azads name. It is a mutual understanding that Azad stays there whenever he is in Delhi. Azad is the only person whose presence poses a problem for the police. This is violative of his fundamental rights. Why cant he visit Delhi during the elections? If he is not here, how will he address his followers? the counsel said. Mr Pracha added that Mr Azad had just read the Preamble to the Constitution at Jama Masjid, to which the judge said, Everybody should read it every day. Priyanka Chopra recently attended the annual meeting of World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The actress who is a Global Citizen ambassador sat down for a fireside chat with renowned figures where she discussed the role of women in a changing world, eradicating extreme poverty and the importance of technology. The star began the conversation by saying, "Growing up in a country like India, you see wealth and poverty live together in such a symbiotic way...seeing that you become desensitised to it," further adding that as she started becoming a familiar public figure, she "understood the power of influence" and the need for keeping the conversation going on important topics. Priyanka spoke about how climate change, lack of education and extreme poverty are all interconnected and that things are changing for better on some fronts. Speaking about why she wants to be part of the change, The Sky Is Pink star said, "I want my kids to grow up in a world where the world leaders have listened to Greta's (Thunberg) generation, where the climate crisis is contained if not averted, where a woman's ability to succeed is a basic human right and not based on geography and chance." Further when asked about the role of women in a rapidly moving society, the actress replied, "Women aligning with women is the biggest reason our voices are being heard. And technology really helps because we finally have a direct way to talk to each other without men mediating in between and editing our voices." PeeCee even indirectly hinted at the student protests against campus violence and the Citizenship Amendment Act and said, "We have this incredible young generation and you can see that with everything that is happening in India right now. One of the youngest countries in the world, about 60 per cent of the population being under the age of 35, coming on to the streets and demanding a change and that comes from empowering our own girls. I am inspired by those girls." Post the event, Priyanka took to her Instagram page to share a picture with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who is the board chairperson at Gavi and captioned it as, "Dr. Ngozi on behalf of Gavi has vaccinated 86% of the world's children and has saved over 13 million lives since 2000. She is truly doing God's work. Dr. Ngozi is an economist, international development expert and the Chair of @gavialliance - an incredible organization that has helped immunize more than 760 million children and saved 13 million lives. The proof is in the numbers, and it's evident that with organizations like Gavi and its amazing partners like @unicef and @who, we can eradicate extreme poverty. #Davos2020." Umang 2020: Priyanka Chopra Brings Back Desi Girl In Blue Saree Priyanka Chopra Was Told That People Will Consider Her A 'Vamp' When She Did Aitraaz Lesotho police summoned 80-year-old Prime Minister Thomas Thabane for questioning over alleged links to the murder of his estranged wife. Lipolelo Thabane was gunned down outside her home in the country's capital Maseru in June 2017, two days before the inauguration of her husband. The pair had been embroiled in bitter divorce proceedings. Thabane married his third wife Maesiah Ramoholi, 42, who became the country's first lady a few months later. The brutal assassination sent shock waves through the tiny mountainous kingdom, which is entirely surrounded by South Africa. The case was brought back into the spotlight this month by a letter from Lesotho's police chief, which claimed that communication records from the day of the crime picked up Thabane's mobile phone number. Lesotho prime Minister Thomas Thabane (left), his wife 'Maesaiah Ramoholi Thabane and Zambian President Edgar Lungu (right) at Thabane's inauguration on June 16, 2017 Lipolelo Thabane was gunned down outside her home in the country's capital Maseru two days before the inauguration of her husband Dated December 23, 2019, it became public in court documents filed over a separate matter. Thomas Thabane has been under pressure to explain why a call was made to his mobile phone from the scene after the killing. Police commissioner Holomo Molibeli wrote to Mr Thabane demanding to know the caller's identity and the 'subject matter' of the call from the murder scene. He wrote: 'The investigations reveal that there was a telephonic communication at the scene of the crime in question ... with another cell phone. The cell phone number belongs to you.' On Monday, police summoned the prime minister to their office to 'cast a light' on the 58-year old's murder. 'This case does not only attract the attention of Basotho nation (Lesotho) but it is of international concern,' deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete said in a statement. Thabane said last week he planned to resign after senior members of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) party accused him of hampering investigations into the killing. He gave no timetable for when he would be stepping down. Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane (centre) was summoned by police for questioning over alleged links to the 2017 murder of his estranged wife Lesotho's PM Thomas Thabane kisses third wife Maesiah at their wedding in September 2017 He is expected to report to the police today after he vowed to cooperate with the justice system. 'As the prime minister I have undertaken an oath to respect and protect the constitution and all other laws of Lesotho,' he told reporters in Maseru, promising to 'get to the bottom of this matter'. Several high-profile figures have also been summoned to provide information on the case, including Thabane's current wife Maesaiah Thabane. But police have been unable to trace her whereabouts since she failed to turn up for questioning on January 10. A court has since issued a warrant for her arrest. The murder of Lipolelo, Mr Thabane's second wife, in June 2017 was originally blamed on a wave of political violence that had blighted the former British colony since an attempted coup in 2014. Mr Thabane pictured being interviewed during the 2017 election campaign Prince Harry worked in Lesotho during his gap year in 2004 where he set up a charity. He is pictured here in 2014 with a three-year-old blind girl called Karabo during a visit to a children's home The couple had married in 1987 and had one daughter but they split in 2012 when Mr Thabane filed for divorce. But Lipolelo refused to go quietly and the couple were still legally married at the time of her murder as the courts had not yet granted a divorce. In 2015 she went to the high court and won the right to retain the benefits of being the country's first lady - including having a bodyguard and a chauffeur-driven car. In his inaugural speech, Mr Thabane described his wife's murder as a 'senseless killing'. Mr Thabane and his third wife Maesiah held a short moment of silence at their wedding ceremony in memory of his first wife Yayi Thabane who had died aged 79 earlier that morning. There was no mention of Lipolelo or her murder three months earlier. Mr Thabane was welcomed to London by then PM Theresa May for the Executive Session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in April, 2018 Mr Thabane is said to have met Maesiah in 2012 when she went to his office seeking some assistance. She initially rebuffed his advances but finally agreed to go on a date with him after pestering her several times. He said at their wedding that he was determined to get the 'woman of his dreams' and that he still felt 'young and fresh.' Troubled Lesotho has seen several military coups since it gained independence from Britain in 1966. Prince Harry raised the profile of the tiny nation - which is entirely surrounded by South Africa - when he did voluntary work there during his gap year in 2004. He later set up the Sentebale charity - which means Forget Me Not in the local Sesotho language - to provide healthcare and education to vulnerable children in the country. Chinese boy, 10, lands in Phuket suspected of carrying Wuhan flu PHUKET: A 10-year-old boy from China suspected of being infected with the Wuhan coronavirus is in isolation at Vachira Phuket Hospital after he landed in Phuket on a direct flight from Wuhan with his parents last night (Jan 21). ChinesehealthtourismimmigrationCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Tanyaluk Sakoot Wednesday 22 January 2020, 03:40PM Officials at Phuket International Airport receive face masks to protect themselves from infection. Photo: Phuket Airport Health Control Division Health Control Division officials check arrivals on direct flights from Wuhan on landing at Phuket International Airport. Photo: Phuket Airport Health Control Division A Health Control Division official checks a Chinese woman arriving in Phuket on a direct flight from Wuhan at Phuket International Airport. Photo: Phuket Airport Health Control Division Health Control Division officials check arrivals on direct flights from Wuhan on landing at Phuket International Airport. Photo: Phuket Airport Health Control Division Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Thanit Sermkaew said that the boy had an elevated body temperature and exhibited likely symptoms of being infected with some form of influenza or pneumonia. His condition was discovered by officers checking at Phuket International Airport, Chief Thanit told The Phuket News. Officers at the airports Health Control Division immediately took the boy to hospital by ambulance. He is in isolation and we are monitoring his condition closely. We had a blood sample taken that has now been sent to the Health Control Division in Bangkok to test for the virus. We will know the result tonight, Mr Thanit added. The boys parents and other people known to have been in close proximity to the boy have not been found to be exhibiting any signs of infection, Chief Thanit noted. Health Control Division officers at the airport and PPHO medical staff have checked them, and they are not showing any signs of illness, he said. However, we instructed the tour guide for their group and the hotel where these people are staying to report to us immediately if any of them start showing signs of becoming ill, especially this boys parents, Chief Thanit explained. Although leading medical experts so far have not been able to confirm the incubation period for the Wuhan virus, which has so far killed nine people, Mr Thanit assured that he was not worried about the severe disease being spread by those on the same tour group, free to mingle among the population of Phuket. I am not worried about this case. We are are strictly adhering to protocols to watch over the parents and close relatives, he said. Regardless, Mr Thanit urged people to remain vigilant and to report themselves immediately if they suspect they have been infected. Please call the PPHO Disease Control Division at 076-211330 ext 1330 and 1331 for Thai and English. Alternatively, people can call the national Department of Disease Control (DDC) hotline 1422. We will keep working with the Health Control Division at Phuket airport and other relevant officials to prevent the virus from spreading to Phuket, Mr Thanit said. Job Title: NFI Assistant (Clerks) Organization: Lutheran World Federation Duty Station: Uganda Reports To: Community Service Officer About US: Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is part of the Lutheran World Federation Department for World Service (LWF-DWS), an international humanitarian and development agency. LWF Uganda works to reduce peoples vulnerability, supporting them to realize their potential, to build on their assets, and to respond to their own problems and needs. Job Summary: Under the guidance of the Community Service, the NFI clerk is responsible for the CRIs release from warehouse for distribution to POCs, do stock reconciliation after each distribution and distribute NFI in compliance with LWF NFI standards and established guidelines. . Key Duties and Responsibilities: Work hand in hand with project officer/partners to initiate the planning of distribution. Request of relief items for giving population (POCs). lnspect and check, the right quantity of items reach in field. Supervise the distribution team. Ensure distribution, material are in place Ensure stock reconciliation is done after the distribution. Support data entry for items distributed Ensure that all CRIs items are fully accounted for through maintaining a proper and fully signed distribution list. Ensure casual Laborers have fully signed engagement contract before any field activities. Ensures that all soft copy of items distributed is generated properly filed and with a backup and hard copies are well filed for easy future reference Prepare and submit, distribution report to concerned department Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal applicant must hold a Degree/Diploma in Bachelor of Business Administration, Economics, Statistic, supplies management, Store Management and any other related Field. Excellent computer Skills (MS Word, Excel and other store related software. Ability to work under pressure. Knowledge of proper record keeping and inventory management Analytical mind with ability to make accurate mathematical computations. Excellent written and global communication skills. Competencies in data entry, analysis, and management. Keen attention to detail and ability to effectively manage time. Ability to safely and legally operate a forklift. Skills to operate common office equipment. 2+ years of experience in distribution, inventory control, or record keeping Problem Solving and decision-Making skills Ability to inspire and build capacity of national staff Good interpersonal skills and excellent negotiation skills Excellent English Language (both written and spoken) information Technology, (MS Office, internet) Ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines Good team worker with good communication skills How to Apply: Applications and detailed CV must include email address and telephone contacts of 3 referees. Hard copies should be submitted during working days, Monday to Friday (8:00am to 5:00pm) addressed to the Administrive/HR Officer, LWF Lamwo Sub Program Please deliver at our Subprogram office in Lamwo-Palabek Kal. LWF/DWS is an equal opportunity employer, irrespective of gender, or religious affiliation. Female candidates possessing the above requirements are encouraged to apply. LWF/DWS is a signatory to the Code of Conduct for humanitarian agencies. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect the organizations commitment to the prevention of abuse and exploitation of beneficiaries, Knowledge of the local Language is a MUST and a VALID Ridding permit for all the Project Assistant position and valid driver permit for Driver Position. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted Deadline: 25th January 2020 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Australian TV star Carrie Bickmore enjoyed a weekend getaway to Byron Bay ahead of her return to The Project desk on Monday night, and fans couldn't get enough of her stylish holiday attire. The award-winning presenter, 39, turned heads in a stylish long-sleeved swimsuit from surf label Rip Curl as she frolicked on the beach with her partner Chris Walker and adorable children Oliver, 12 Evie, four and one-year-old Adelaide. Fashionistas have been rushing to get their hands on the $120 AUD 'Saffron Skies UV' one-piece, a flattering take on a classic wetsuit designed to complement all body types, since Carrie shared photos in the style on Instagram. Fashion forward but functional, the bohemian printed swimsuit is rated UPF50+ on the sun-safety scale, which means it offers 'excellent' protection against harmful UV rays. Australian TV star Carrie Bickmore enjoyed a family getaway to Byron Bay over the weekend, and fans couldn't get enough of her fashionable but flattering one-piece from Rip Curl Fashionistas have been rushing to get their hands on the $120 AUD 'Saffron Skies UV' one-piece, a fashionable and flattering take on a classic wetsuit designed to complement all body types (pictured with daughters Evie, 4, and Adelaide, one) Fans flooded Carrie's photos with praise for her chic choice of beach attire. WHERE TO BUY CARRIE'S STYLISH SWIMSUIT - Rip Curl Australia's official website - Australian surf store Ozmosis - Fashion store Surf Stitch Advertisement 'Check out those togs!' one woman said under the post. 'Love the bathers, Carrie!' said another. Even Rip Curl complimented the look, writing beneath a photo showing Carrie cartwheeling: 'Loving our Saffron Skies Surf Suit on you! And of course your "wheelie" good form!' Carrie isn't the first Australian celebrity to prompt a surge in demand for Rip Curl's equally functional and flattering designs. The bohemian printed swimsuit is rated UPF50+ on the sun-safety scale, which means it offers 'excellent' protection against harmful UV rays Even Rip Curl complimented her look, writing beneath a photo series showing Carrie cartwheeling: 'Loving our Saffron Skies Surf Suit on you! And of course your "wheelie" good form!' Radio host Jackie O Henderson made headlines when she wore a floral long-sleeved one-piece from the popular surf label on a family holiday in Fiji in December 2018. The 44-year-old presenter showcased her incredible physique in Rip Curl's G Bomb one-piece, which is made from a thick, durable poly-elastane blend, ensuring a perfect fit against the body. Fashion insiders with their fingers on the pulse predicted a revival of sporty swimsuits and practical 'tankinis' as early as January 2019. 'I see the 1990s trend staying strong, but evolving into '90s-does-'70s in a big way,' Solid & Striped swimwear design director Amelia Lindquist told Who What Wear. Radio host Jackie O Henderson made headlines when she wore this floral Rip Curl one-piece on a family holiday in Fiji in December 2018 'This can be seen in sweet peasant silhouettes, sporty tankini moments and retro textured swimsuits.' Marysia Swimwear founder Marysia Dobrzanska Reeves agreed, forecasting a resurgence of 'action-oriented' pieces. 'I love to surf, swim and play with my two girls on the beach, so I need a bathing suit that can move easily with me. I choose materials based on their quality and wearability,' she said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, will not be revoked, Union home minister Amit Shah said at a rally in Lucknow on Tuesday, while challenging opposition leaders to a debate on the legislation he piloted in both houses of Parliament. The CAA fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from three neighbouring nations who entered India before 2015. Protests against the law are continuing across the country, and it has also been legally challenged in the Supreme Court by several petitioners, including the state of Kerala. The southern state and Punjab have also moved resolutions against CAA. Shah also met Hindu and other minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who were attending his rally. That included a group of Sikhs whom Shah greeted with Jo bole so nihaal, Sat Sri akaal, the traditional greeting of the community, evoking an enthusiastic response from them. In the course of his speech, Shah said a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya would be a reality within three months, a reference to the fact that the trust in charge of building the temple will be in place by then. On November 9, the Supreme Court ended a decades-long dispute by ruling in favour of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Much of the home ministers speech was devoted to attacking opponents of the CAA. He accused opposition parties of working against the interests of India, singling out Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati and the Congress Rahul Gandhi. Interestingly, the language of our opposition leaders is similar to one by [Pakistan Prime Minister] Imran Khan. Now, they are opposing Citizenship Law. Tell me are you behind Modi ji and CAA? he asked, and when the audience answered overwhelmingly in the affirmative, he urged it to give a missed call on 8866288662. This is the number the BJP has circulated for people to give a missed call to express support for CAA. The crowd responded, and Shah said, Now your act has strengthened Modi ji. The protests against CAA do not worry the government, Shah said. We are not afraid of protests. In fact we were born amid protests, raised amid protests. We had said the same thing in opposition and we are now saying same thing while in power, he added. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief ministers, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, along with UP ministers and BJP functionaries, were also present at the rally. Reacting to Shahs speech, SPs Akhilesh Yadav said in a statement: Samajwadi Party has an advice for the BJP leadership that they should not become shameless and should listen to the public voice. Those who go against people, get swept away. The Opposition is not going to get intimidated by threats and arrogance. Representative Image The Maharashtra Cabinet, on January 22, approved the proposal to keep mall, shops and eateries in Mumbai open round-the-clock, Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said. The rule will come into effect from January 27 in Mumbai's non-residential areas such as Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point. "However, we won't impose this on anyone," Thackeray said, as quoted by ANI. Noting that London's 'night economy' was five billion pounds, Thackeray told reporters here after the Cabinet meeting that the government's decision could help generate more revenue and jobs, in addition to the existing five lakh people working in the service sector. "Only those who feel they can do good business can keep their establishments open throughout the night," he said. Also read: There will be thousands of Nirbhaya cases: BJP leader on 24x7 malls, eateries in Mumbai In the first phase, shops, eateries and theatres in malls and mill compounds situated in non-residential areas will be allowed to remain open. "In the Bandra-Kurla Complex and Nariman Point near NCPA, a lane will be opened for food trucks. Food inspectors will keep a watch on them. If rules on solid waste management, decibel limits and law and order are violated, there is a provision of a lifetime ban," the Shiv Sena leader said. He said the police force will not be under stress because after 1.30 am, their job till now was to check if shops and establishments were shut down. "But, now they will be able to focus on law and order only," said the minister, who is the son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He also said that while taking the decision, Excise rules have not been touched and pubs and bars will close as usual at 1.30 am. "People can eat food, shop and watch movies even during the night," he said. He said Mumbai is a "24x7 functional city". "There are people who work in night shifts. There are tourists, too, in transit. Where do they go if they are hungry after 10 pm?" he asked. Thackeray also said there are provisions for security and CCTVs in malls and mill compounds and they have all the licenses. If these establishments need additional police security, they will have to pay for it, he added. (With inputs from PTI.) A company in the Domino's Pizza franchise which has been told in a High Court appeal to treat its delivery drivers as PAYE workers rather than self-employed will not have to pay all costs of the case. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said he would make no order as to costs, meaning both parties pay their own costs, because his judgment last month would be of assistance to both the Revenue Commissioners and others in interpreting the law. The judge rejected an appeal by Karshan (Midlands) Ltd, trading as Domino's Pizza, against the Tax Appeals Commissioner's findings that drivers working in 2010/11 under contracts "of" services were taxable workers paying PAYE and national insurance. Karshan claimed they operated under contracts "for" services, and were therefore self-employed and so responsible for their own tax deductions. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor dismissed the company's appeal brought against an October 2018 Appeals Commissioner's finding. He found the Appeals Commissioner, in relying on English law on mutual obligations between worker and employer, did not go against Irish law but "rather recognised the necessity to adapt to modern means of engaging workers." Karshan had not discharged the burden to establish that the Commissioner had misapplied the law in Ireland concerning the concept of mutual obligations, he said. When the case returned on Tuesday, the judge made formal orders in relation to his findings. Conor Power SC, for Karshan, urged the judge to make no order on costs given it was the first judgment in this jurisdiction on the so-called "gig economy" (prevalence of short term or temporary contracts) although his client did not necessarily see it that way and saw the workers as being self-employed. His side lost the case but this was the first Irish decision to engage with similar decisions in the UK on the Uber and Weight Watchers gig economy-type businesses. The normal rule of costs being paid by the loser does not necessarily apply where new issues are raised, he said. Anthony Aston SC, seeking costs for the Revenue Commissioners, said this was "not a public interest case in any way shape or form" but a case involving a commercial organisation looking out for its own interests. Mr Justice O'Connor said it was a case in which a number of issues including mutuality of obligations and terms of contract had been brought together. "I hope, and say this with modesty, this will the assist the defendant, Revenue Commissioners, in interpreting the law," he said. Mr Justice O'Connor also gave Karshan liberty to apply to the court in the event it gives instructions to its lawyers to appeal his decision. Independent UN rights experts said Wednesday they had received information that Amazon owner Jeff Bezos's phone was hacked through a WhatsApp account belonging to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Riyadh has rejected the allegations, its embassy in Washington branding them "absurd". "The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities," UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement in Geneva. Any investigation into the alleged incident in May 2018 should also look at the "continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the Crown Prince in efforts to target perceived opponents", they added. Callamard, the UN expert on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and Kaye, the expert on freedom of expression, said they were "gravely concerned". "The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia," they wrote. Bezos owns The Washington Post, which employed as a contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist murdered in October 2018 at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. "Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd," the Saudi Arabian embassy said on its Twitter account. "We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out." The UN Special Rapporteurs said the circumstances and timing of the hacking also gave grounds for further investigation into "allegations that the Crown Prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for" the operation to kill Khashoggi. Callamard last year led an independent probe that found "credible evidence" linking the crown prince to Khashoggi's killing -- a charge the kingdom vehemently denies. The two experts said they had become aware of a 2019 examination of Bezos's iPhone that found it may have been hacked on May 1, 2018 with an MP4 video file sent from an account used by the Saudi Crown Prince. The two had exchanged numbers a month before, they said. The analysis reportedly found that within hours of receiving the video file, there was an "unprecedented exfiltration" of 126 MB of data from Bezos's phone. This continued undetected over a period of "some months" with rates of as much as 4.6 GB higher than the baseline. The forensic analysis cited by the UN experts showed that the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, sent WhatsApp messages to Bezos in November 2018 and February 2019 in which he revealed information about Bezos's personal life not available from public sources. The analysis also suggested that the hackers may have used a type of spyware used in other Saudi surveillance cases, such as the NSO Group's Pegasus-3 malware. Bezos's personal life was thrust into the spotlight with the announcement in January 2019 that he and his wife were divorcing after 25 years of marriage, and the revelation by the National Enquirer that he had been having an affair with a former anchor, Lauren Sanchez. Bezos, the world's richest man, and his wife MacKenzie finalised their divorce in July 2019 to the tune of a $38-billion (34-billion-euro) settlement, according to Bloomberg Following the scandal, Bezos hired Gavin de Becker & Associates, a security firm, to find out how his intimate text messages and photos made their way into the hands of the National Enquirer. In March last year de Becker said he had concluded that Saudi Arabian authorities hacked the Amazon chief's phone to access his personal data. But de Becker did not specify which part of the Saudi government he was blaming for the hack, and gave few details about how he had concluded that the kingdom was responsible. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nigeria has placed its port health service units on alert following the outbreak of Coronavirus, a flu-like disease that has so far killed nine people in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China. Since the first case of the Coronavirus was detected last December, at least 471 cases had been confirmed across China mainland, according to Chinese authorities. Cases have also been reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and suspected cases detected in Australia. On Tuesday, the United States confirmed its first case, sparking fears of a possible pandemic. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control called for calm and urged travellers to submit themselves to routine health checks upon entry into the West African country. The health agency said screening measures have been heightened at various points of entry into the country. A statement posted Wednesday on the NCDC website said top officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) will convene for an emergency meeting in Geneva Wednesday, to decide whether the quickly developing outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made regarding it, including potential cross-border screening, greater surveillance and rolling out treatment programs. The recent emergence of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China and its spread to other countries within weeks reminds us of the threat infectious diseases pose to all countries, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Chief Executive Officer of NCDC wrote on his tweeter handle @Chikwe_I. Though the risk of spread to Nigeria is moderate according to WHO, we remain at alert and continue to strengthen preparedness, he tweeted. Read the Full Health Advisory by the NCDC on the Coronavirus PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY TO NIGERIANS ON NOVEL CORONAVIRUS This is a public health advisory on a new virus; the novel coronavirus (nCoV), by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. As this is a new virus, and new information is emerging every day, this advisory will be updated as new information and research on the virus and its impact on populations become available. The first case of a novel (new) coronavirus strain (2019nCoV) was confirmed in China on the 7th of January, 2020. According to preliminary investigations, most patients either visited or worked in the Huanan Seafood wholesale market, Wuhan city. As at the 20th of January, 2020, 278 laboratory-confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV infection including six deaths have been reported to WHO globally since the first case was reported on the 31st of December 2019. Many of the initial cases were thought to have contracted the virus through animal-to-human transmission from the market, but human-to-human transmission has also been established. Global surveillance is being established and it is expected that more cases will be reported over the next weeks. Wuhan city is a major transport hub in China. Beyond Wuhan, cases have been confirmed in other cities in China; Guangdong, Beijing and Shanghai. As at the 21st of January, five cases have been confirmed in four other countries: Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States of America, all with a travel history to China. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are normally transmitted between animals and people. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain of the virus that has not been previously identified in humans. Some coronaviruses can be transmitted from person to person, usually after close contact with an infected patient, for example, in a household or health care setting. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened its Emergency Committee today (22/01/20) to determine whether this outbreak should be declared a Public Health Event of International Concern (PHEIC). Symptoms This new coronavirus, 2019nCoV, appears to cause mild to severe respiratory symptoms like cough and breathing difficulties. From current evidence, it appears that death is a rare outcome, and occurs mostly in patients with underlying illness. Treatment There is no specific treatment for disease caused by the novel coronavirus yet. However, many of the symptoms can be treated. Therefore, treatment is based on the patients clinical condition. In addition, supportive care for infected persons can be highly effective. Nigerias preparedness and response The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is currently coordinating a multisectoral technical group that is assessing and managing the risk of importation to Nigeria. NCDC is in close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) who is closely monitoring the situation globally. WHO is in direct communication with the Government of China and other affected countries, and has released technical and travel guidance. The Port Health Services unit of the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria has been placed on alert and has heightened screening measures at the points of entry. In China, exit screening measures have been enhanced for travellers from Wuhan city at the Points of Entry (PoE) (airports and ground transport stations) since the 14th of January, 2020. This includes temperature checks combined with provision of information and masks to passengers with fever, as well as directing symptomatic passengers to health facilities for follow up. Nigerians are advised to remain calm. Travelers from Nigeria to Wuhan, China, are advised to avoid contact with sick people, animals (alive or dead), and animal markets. Travelers from Wuhan to Nigeria, may be asked questions upon arrival by the Port Health Services unit at points of entry about symptoms of illness and travel history, and are advised to report immediately to NCDC if they feel ill after a trip to Wuhan. The Federal Ministry of Health through NCDC and its partners are fully committed to strengthening our preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks. Information will be shared with the public as it becomes available. How to protect yourself To reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus, members of the public are advised to adhere to the following measures: Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water. Cover your mouth and nose properly with handkerchief or tissue paper when sneezing and/or coughing. You may also cough into your elbow if a handkerchief is not available. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. Avoid self-medication, report to the nearest health facility when you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms. Healthcare workers are always advised to observe standard infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients and take a travel history. As the situation is evolving, this advisory will be updated as more information becomes available. (Bloomberg) -- Russian authorities strengthened controls at border crossings with China to prevent a deadly strain of coronavirus from being brought into the country, the state-run RIA Novosti news service reported, citing acting Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. The mysterious virus has caused at least six deaths and infected a number of medical workers in China, a sign the illness can be passed from person to person. China raised the number of confirmed cases to 291 on Tuesday and its National Health Commission has warned theres a risk of the virus spreading further. Russias Federal Agency for Tourism warned travelers to avoid the Chinese city of Wuhan in relation to the outbreak until the situation stabilizes, RIA reported. Russia shares its second-longest border with China, after the demarcation line with Kazakhstan, stretching for 4,209 kilometers (2,615 miles). Growing numbers of Chinese tourists and business people are visiting Russia as relations between the two countries have grown closer in recent years. To contact the reporter on this story: Jake Rudnitsky in Moscow at jrudnitsky@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Torrey Clark at tclark8@bloomberg.net, Tony Halpin, Gregory L. White For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. A loan servicing company that once promised more than 1,600 Oregon jobs in exchange for a $900,000 public subsidy now says it will close its Beaverton site and lay off the remaining workers. State documents indicate the company never hit hiring commitments established in 2010 and that state and local governments recovered only a portion of the public funding used to lure the business. Texas-based Mr. Cooper Group acknowledged the pending closure Tuesday in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive, drawing on a well of corporate doublespeak to explain its decision. Mr. Cooper Group continuously looks for ways to further increase efficiencies that best meet the needs of our team members, customers and shareholders and ensures the long term success of the business, the company wrote. After careful consideration of all our options and strategic priorities, we made the decision to close the Beaverton, Oregon location. Cooper Group didnt say how many employees remain at the site and did not respond to a question seeking additional information. The company said it will offer a stipend to employees who relocate to one of Cooper Groups sites in Texas. The Beaverton operation has operated under several names. Wilshire Credit Corp. sold its loan servicing business to IBM, which later renamed that portion of company Seterus. Cooper Group purchased the Seterus business from IBM last year. A Seterus call center in Salem closed in 2018. Its 200 employees were given the option to move to the Beaverton site that will now also close, according to a Salem Statesman Journal report. In the throes of the Great Recession, Oregon economic development officials worked in 2010 to persuade the business to expand here rather than move the jobs to North Carolina or Oklahoma. Sites in Beaverton and Salem employed 710 at the time but IBM indicated they could grow to 1,600 in exchange for state support. So Oregon offered a nearly $900,000 package through four funding sources: $550,000 from Salem Workforce Partners $49,500 from the City of Beaverton $200,000 from the governors Strategic Training Fund $100,000 from a state Strategic Reserve Fund The $100,000 in state money was tied to a promise that IBM would add 600 Oregon jobs by the summer of 2014. After a pair of layoffs at the Beaverton site, state officials told The Oregonian/OregonLive in 2015 they could not tell if the site had met the 2014 job creation target required by its subsidies. The following year, in 2016, officials concluded IBM had hired just 351 of the 600 required employees. So Business Oregon, the states economic development agency, reclaimed $41,500 from the original subsidy, plus $13,700 in interest, according to documents provided by the agency. Its not clear whether the other subsidies had clawback provisions and officials in Salem and Beaverton said Wednesday they were not immediately able to ascertain what rules applied to the incentives when IBM collected the money in 2010. The IBM/Seterus subsidy was relatively small by Oregon standards. Local governments provide hundreds of millions of dollars annually in tax exemptions to large companies, primarily Intel, Amazon, Google and Apple. Most of those dollars dont come with job guarantees but they also dont take money directly from public coffers. Instead, they exempt a company from property taxes on new projects or capital investment. That means companies dont save anything unless they spend money on a project that would otherwise be taxable. The funding for the IBM/Seterus deal, by contrast, were straight-up government subsidies. Tax watchdogs have campaigned for more oversight of Oregon tax breaks, seeking a cap on the value of incentives per job created, limits on the number of tax breaks a project can receive, and a regular review of all incentive programs. The proposals have made no headway in recent legislative sessions. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A supply teacher who was arrested for sexually abusing a pupil was able to find a new job at a primary school where he committed a string of similar offences against young girls, a court has been told. Jonathan Clayton's new employers had no idea of previous claims made against him when they allowed him to take over a class as a supply teacher. The headteacher was 'shocked and horrified' when she was told of the previous allegations at an emergency safeguarding meeting called after disclosures against Clayton by six girls at her school. Police were told that at his first school Clayton 'fixated' on certain girls, engineering excuses to touch and cuddle them and bouncing them on his knee like toddlers. One eight-year-old disclosed how he put his hand up her skirt whilst sitting at his desk - but her evidence was not deemed strong enough to pursue a prosecution when the case came to crown court. Supply Teacher Jonathan Clayton pictured arriving at Teesside Crown Court this morning As a supply teacher, checks on Clayton, 27, were the responsibility of Visions for Education, the agency who put him forward for the post. But jurors at Teesside Crown Court were told that the worrying details leading to his arrest two years earlier were not received by the second school when he landed the supply job. He was taken on two years after he'd been charged for offences almost identical to the ones he is currently on trial for. But the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the first case, asking the judge to order he be found not guilty at Durham Crown Court. The decision followed a statement from the girl's mother saying she sometimes made up stories for attention. In police interview Clayton described his young accuser as 'scheming' and dismissed her claims as 'absolute bulls***.' Even though the case against him was not pursued his future employers should have been informed of the accusations, the court was told. The two schools are in separate local authority areas in the north of England, but neither can be named to protect the identity of the alleged victims. Clayton, of Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees, denies 13 charges of sexually assaulting six girls aged between seven and 11 during a six week period in April and May last year. Clayton, 27, from Stockton-on-Tees was accompanied to court this morning by a woman Jurors at Teesside Crown Court (pictured) were told that the worrying details leading to his arrest two years earlier were not received by the second school when he landed the supply job He claims he was a victim of 'Chinese whispers' among pupils and staff. The original case, which was dropped by the CPS on March 1st 2018, alleged that between September 2016 and June 2017 Clayton had touched a girl in his class in the presence of a teaching assistant and other pupils. The charges in his current trial cover similar alleged offences and Judge Howard Crowson allowed the previous allegations to be heard in his current trial. He told jurors they could not make findings on the original accusations because Clayton had been cleared of them. He added: 'It is evidence that may only be capable of supporting the prosecution case.' The original complainant said she told teachers at her school that Clayton was picking girls up and carrying them. In police interview she said her female class teacher told her: 'If you don't like it just say 'excuse me, I am fine' or something.' The girl told specially trained detectives that Clayton would put his hand up her skirt on a regular basis and that he inappropriately touched other girls. She said in the recorded interview played to the court: 'It actually makes me feel really uncomfortable.' A teaching assistant gave evidence to say she informed her safeguarding lead at the first school and made a statement to police because she was so concerned by Clayton's behaviour. She told the court: 'He would stroke his hand down a child's back like you would with a partner. 'One girl had long hair and he stroked her from the top of her head all the way down her back. It made me really uncomfortable. 'It was always the girls. There were a few girls he fixated, if that is the right word, more on. 'He sat one girl on his knee. She had her back to him and he was bouncing her like a toddler. She was seven or eight.' Although the police had a complete record and the school was fully aware of all the allegations none of this information reached his new school, leaving him free to continue abusing children, it is alleged. The court heard that Clayton was considered 'charismatic' by his new colleagues and at first was popular with his young pupils until one after the other they began making alarming disclosures about him. The girls said he would touch them whilst helping them dress after PE, even though they had not asked for or needed help. He touched girls as they stood at his desk, leaving one alleged victim 'feeling disgusting.' The head of the second school was asked by prosecutor Richard Bennett: 'When you have an agency employing teachers what do you know about that teacher?' She replied: 'Very little. The agency do lots of checks and references beforehand. We are told what they are able to teach, what their expertise is and whether they're best suited to early years or perhaps years 5 and 6. The vetting is the responsibility of the supply agency.' In May last year, girls began telling parents and teaching assistants what Clayton was doing. The headteacher said: 'I was called to a meeting at County Hall on May 16th. I was present together with representatives of the police, the council and a child safety team manager to discuss the allegations made in school.' It was there that she learned of the past accusations against him. Mr Bennett asked how she felt on being told and she answered: 'I was horrified .... I was shocked.' The head told of the effect Clayton's alleged offending had on staff at her school. She said one teaching assistant had been haunted by nightmares about Clayton, telling the court: 'She told me she'd had a really vivid dream that she came downstairs and Mr Clayton was sitting in her living room. 'I told her, this is not your fault, he has form. I did not go into any details.' Once allegations began to be made the head contacted the local authority safeguarding officer who gave her approval to tell Visions for Education that Clayton's services were no longer needed. As children began to be taken out of his class to be spoken to, the teacher became agitated, hovering outside the head's office, running his fingers through his hair, the court heard. He did not return but more and more children began to make allegations in the days that followed. The trial continues. A South Dakota jury convicted a man of killing his girlfriend and dumping her dismembered body in Michigans Upper Peninsula in 2019. Jurors found 45-year-old Stephen R. Falkenberg, of Yankton, guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter on Tuesday in the March 1, 2019 death of 46-year old Tamara LaFramboise, according to the Associated Press. South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg announced the jury decision. The charges against Falkenberg carry punishments of mandatory life imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2 at 2 p.m. in Yankton. Falkenberg killed LaFramboise in South Dakota before he dismembered her body, transported it nearly 650 miles away to Michigans Menominee County and dumped it in Little River. Two boys walking a dog spotted the womans torso on March 16, 2019. Her head and hands had been removed and are still missing, the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors said in court documents that Falkenberg told his sister he argued with LaFramboise, pushed her and she hit her head and died. The victim's mother, who reported LaFramboise missing March 5, told investigators her daughter had a turbulent, "on-again, off-again" relationship with Falkenberg. The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Yankton County Sheriffs Office, Yankton Police Department, FBI and Michigan authorities. Libya's Haftar must choose political over military solution: Turkey Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2020 3:10 PM Turkey says Khalifa Haftar, the commander of rebel militia in Libya, must submit to international calls for a political solution to the persisting armed conflict in the North African country. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the remark during an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, two days after a multinational peace summit was held on the Libyan conflict in the German capital, Berlin. Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya: the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's militia. The rebels launched an offensive to capture the capital, Tripoli, in April last year, interrupting peace negotiations underway at the time. Despite intense fighting, Haftar has so far failed to achieve his objective and his offensive has stalled outside the capital. On Sunday, leaders from Turkey, Russia, Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, and the United States, as well as Sarraj and Haftar, attended a United Nations (UN)-backed summit in Berlin to help establish a "permanent" ceasefire between the warring sides. The final communique of the day-long summit, the first such event since 2018, called on all the parties concerned in the conflict "to redouble their efforts for a sustained suspension of hostilities, de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire." Participants also pledged not to interfere in Libya's internal affairs and its conflict. They also agreed to "fully respect" the arms embargo imposed on the North African country by the UN in 2011. However, Haftar refused to sign the joint communique produced in Berlin. Cavusoglu further said on Tuesday that Haftar's refusal to sign the communique raised questions about his intent. "Does Haftar want a political or military solution? Until now, his stance has shown he wants a military one," the Turkish foreign minister said. "Haftar must immediately fall back to the political solution line and take concrete and positive steps in line with calls of the international community for calm on the ground." Turkey reached a military agreement with the Libyan government recently and, on a request from Sarraj, pledged to send troops to the North African country to help his government defend itself against Haftar's attacks. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Ankara had not yet sent troops to war-torn Libya, stressing that his country had so far only deployed military advisers and trainers there. The apparent retreat was due to the general agreement in Berlin to refrain from interfering in Libyan affairs. Pointing to that agreement, Cavusoglu said, "There were calls for no one to send additional forces or weapons there. All participants pledged to abide by this as long as the ceasefire continues." He was referring to a ceasefire that has been shakily holding around the capital since January 11. Two days later, Turkey and Russia mediated peace talks between Sarraj and Haftar to shore up that ceasefire; but the talks ended without result when Haftar walked away. Libya plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his execution by unruly fighters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) speaks to The Epoch Times in an interview in March 2019. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Congressman Introduces Bill to Block Intelligence Sharing With Countries Using Huawei A Republican congressman introduced a bill on Tuesday that would prohibit the United States from sharing intelligence with countries that allow Huawei to operate their 5G networks. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who introduced the bill, said in a statement: Our allies must choose: Adopt Huawei and lose access to U.S. intelligence, or remain our trusted partner. Banks called Huawei a Trojan Horse for the Chinese Communist Party to spy on and infiltrate other nations. If China doesnt respect the human rights of [its] own people, why would we think that they would respect the human rights or the privacy of Americans or any European country that would choose to operate using technologies from companies like Huawei or ZTE? Banks told The Epoch Times in March 2019. The proposed bill on Huawei comes ahead of a decision expected later this month by the United Kingdom about how to deploy Huawei equipment in its future 5G networks. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who serves as chair of the House Republican Conference and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is supporting the legislation. In a statement largely directed at the UK, Cheney noted that Huaweis efforts to infiltrate 5G are nefarious at their core, and that allowing the telecommunications company to operate the UKs networks would pose a national security threat that could not be mitigated or contained. Such a decision would necessarily have negative consequences for the U.S./U.K. relationship in many areas, including trade and intelligence cooperation, she added. I hope that the U.K. unites with the U.S. and other allies against the threat from Huawei. However, the U.S. must always be prepared to protect its national security interests. Banks also expressed his hope that the UK will choose to unite with the US and our allies against the threat of Huawei in a Twitter post thanking the congresswoman for her support. The logo of Huawei Technologies is pictured in front of the German headquarters of the Chinese telecommunications giant in Duesseldorf, Germany on Feb. 18, 2019. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters) The bill is the companion version to legislation that Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced earlier this month. The United States shouldnt be sharing valuable intelligence information with countries that allow an intelligence-gathering arm of the Chinese Communist Party to operate freely within their borders, Cotton said at the time in a statement. I urge our allies around the world to carefully consider the consequences of dealing with Huawei to their national interests. In May 2019, the U.S. Commerce Department added Huawei and its affiliates to a list that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval. In June 2019, President Donald Trump said he would ease the ban and allow U.S. companies to sell certain non-sensitive products to Huawei. U.S. officials and experts have previously sounded the alarm over Huawei, saying its products could be used by the Chinese regime for spying or to disrupt communication networks due to its close ties with the Chinese military. Critics have also raised the point that Chinese laws compel Chinese companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked. Huawei maintains that it has no ties with the Chinese regime. However, the companys founder, Ren Zhengfei, was an officer at Chinas Ministry of Security, the countrys top espionage agency. Sun Yafang, who served as Huaweis CEO from 1998 to 2018, also worked for the same agency. Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei adjusts his headphones as he hosts a panel discussion in Shenzhen, China, on June 17, 2019. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) A July 2019 study by Christopher Balding, an associate professor at Fulbright University Vietnam, analyzed the leaked CVs of thousands of Huawei employees and found that about 100 staff members had links to Chinese military or intelligence agencies. The state-run publication Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press published a biography saying that the Chinese military was Huaweis main customer during the 1990s. The China Development Bank, a financial institution under the cabinet-like State Council, has closely worked with Huawei since 1998 and signed a cooperation agreement with Huawei in 2009 to supply it with $30 billion in low-interest loans, according to a 2009 report by state media Xinhua. Eva Fu contributed to this report. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) announced today (1/21) an agreement to sell three marine terminals to Buckeye Partners, L.P. for $250 million. The terminals are located in New Haven, Connecticut, Wilmington, Delaware and Marrero, Louisiana. "Magellan remains focused on capital discipline and managing our business for the long term," said Michael Mears, chief executive officer. "Optimization of our asset portfolio, including divestiture of facilities outside our strategic footprint, is an important element to maximize unitholder value and our strong financial position." Mears continued, "I would also like to personally and on behalf of the organization express our gratitude for the contributions from all employees supporting these facilities through the years and during this time of transition." The sale is expected to close by late first quarter or early second quarter 2020, subject to regulatory approvals. The partnership intends to provide 2020 financial guidance as part of its fourth-quarter 2019 earnings release on Jan. 30 but does not expect the terminals sale to have a material impact on its future financial results. Jefferies served as financial advisor and GableGotwals served as legal counsel to Magellan in connection with the transaction. Unit repurchase program The partnership also announced that its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $750 million of common units through 2022. Magellan intends to purchase its common units from time-to-time through a variety of methods, including open market purchases and negotiated transactions, all in compliance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. "Magellan remains committed to our long-standing disciplined approach to financing our business and pursuing attractive projects," confirmed Mears. "In addition, we intend to opportunistically utilize additional tools, including the unit repurchase program announced today as well as potential special distributions, to accomplish our core goal of maximizing value for our investors." The timing, price and actual number of common units repurchased will depend on a number of factors including the partnership's expected expansion capital spending needs, alternative investment opportunities, excess cash available, legal and regulatory requirements, market conditions and the trading price of its common units. The repurchase program does not obligate the partnership to acquire any particular amount of common units, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the partnership's discretion. About Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) is a publicly traded partnership that primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil. The partnership owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nation's refining capacity, and can store more than 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil. More information is available at www.magellanlp.com. Except for statements of historical fact, this news release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Although management of Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. believes such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to be materially different. Among the key risk factors that may have a direct impact on the partnership's results of operations, financial condition and transactions described in this news release are: its ability to obtain all required regulatory approvals; its ability to complete the contemplated divestiture; its ability to identify growth projects with acceptable expected returns and to complete projects on time and at expected costs; changes in price or demand for refined petroleum products, crude oil and natural gas liquids, or for transportation, storage, blending or processing of those commodities through its existing or planned facilities; changes in the partnership's tariff rates or other terms as required by state or federal regulatory authorities; the occurrence of operational hazards or unforeseen interruptions; disruption in the debt and equity markets that negatively impacts the partnership's ability to finance its capital spending; its capital needs, cash flows and availability of cash to fund unit repurchases or special distributions; and failure of customers to meet or continue contractual obligations to the partnership. Additional factors that could lead to material changes in performance are described in the partnership's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2018 and subsequent reports on Forms 8-K and 10-Q. You are urged to carefully review and consider the cautionary statements and other disclosures made in those filings, especially under the heading "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements." Forward-looking statements made by the partnership in this release are based only on information currently known, and the partnership undertakes no obligation to revise its forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances. Press Release January 22, 2020 DICT gets P6.2 billion hike in its 2020 budget to make the government more digital and interconnected To better equip the government for a world that is fast becoming more digital and interconnected, the budget of the Department of Information and Communications (DICT) was granted an increase of P6.2 billion under the 2020 General Appropriations Act, Senator Sonny Angara said today. From the P3.7 billion in the National Expenditure Program that was submitted by Malacanang to Congress last year, the DICT's 2020 budget was hiked to close to P10 billion in the P4.1 trillion GAA. Angara, the chairman of the Committee on Finance, noted how the budget of the DICT has been increasing over the years--from P2.9 billion in 2017, it increased to P4.7 billion in 2018 and to P6.2 billion in 2019. "The world is quickly moving towards the digital age. The government has to keep up with the demands brought about by this shift. Tech-savvy Filipinos demand this, which is why the DICT, as the agency in charge of all things related to IT, was granted a bigger budget to undertake the programs needed to make this happen," Angara said. The DICT will be tasked to make classrooms, workforces, workplaces and communities digital, meaning they have access to the Internet and mobile forms of communication. Funding for the establishment of infrastructure for a national government data center will also be made available. The national government data center will serve as the launching point for many government services such as cloud computing, web hosting, server colocation and other operations. "When agencies and offices are able to communicate with each other real time, more work can be accomplished at a faster pace and all of this will mean better service for the public and the taxpayers in particular," Angara said. The budget will also support the implementation of the Government Emergency Communications System (GECS). The GECS is intended to provide emergency communication systems in disaster-stricken areas because when earthquakes, typhoons or even volcanic eruptions strike, one of the biggest problems faced by aid responders is that the lines of communication are down. "One of the most important things that we need when disaster strikes is constant communication with the affected areas. The responders need to know the situation on the ground and what is needed by the communities," Angara said. As part of the efforts to streamline government procedures, the DICT budget will also contain funding for the development of the National Government Portal (NGP). The NGP will serve as a one-stop gateway for all web-based government content so that citizens and businesses in particular will be able to have access to information useful to them without having to navigate through different and often unintuitive web pages. Implementation of the Free Wi-Fi in public places and in the state universities and colleges will continue and will cover more areas. Connectivity will not be possible though without a fast and reliable internet connection in all parts of the country, which is why funding was also provided for the DICT to implement the national broadband program. The National Telecommunications Commission, which is under the DICT, was also granted an additional P3.321 billion for its general administration and support, the implementation of its National Emergency Communication Resiliency Program, and ICT modernization program. Prince Harry and Meghan Markles announcement about taking a step back from their royal duties was a shock to many, but Queen Elizabeth signed off on the move, sharing in a statement that she was supportive of their decision. Taking a closer look at the queens statements about the matter, one royal expert noticed that she offered subtle clues that shes in control. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth called a special meeting After Prince Harry and Markles bombshell announcement that theyd be leaving the royal family, Queen Elizabeth met with Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles to discuss Harry and Markles future, after which she issued a statement in support of their exit plan. In the statement, she noted: My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghans desire to create a new life as a young family. She added: Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family. Once things were finalized with the Sussexes exit, Queen Elizabeth revealed the details of their plan, with some brief remarks about the outcomes of their discussions, including a note that shes proud of Meghan. In her statement, the queen noted: Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family. I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life. The statement continued: I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole familys hope that todays agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life. Her statement shows who is in control The queens statement was brief and supportive but certainly shows whos in charge, according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams. Fitzwilliams told Express: In this statement, the queen shows who is in control. It also underlines the fact that there is no half-way house when you are a working royal. Fitzwilliams added: Harry and Meghan wont use their titles or perform royal duties but over and above the line drawn here, the queen is showing her displeasure at the way they have behaved despite her emollient words which are so supportive. The expert further noted how taking Harrys military appointments away from someone who has served in Afghanistan twice emphasizes that the queen feels he has let down the monarchy. The royal family was already reeling from the crisis with Andrew, when Harry released a statement without telling senior royals who had, apparently, been involved in discussions on this for months. The Queen has shown dedication to duty her whole life and clearly feels let down, he added. (Natural News) As has been long reported by the independent media, so-called white supremacist groups are actually run by the FBI, and it was the FBI that masterminded the actions of a group called The Base, which provided a pretext for the authoritarian actions of Democrats. In particular, Virginia Gov. Northam invoked the fake threat of this white supremacist group to nullify the Second Amendment during yesterdays pro-2A rally in Richmond, underscoring how the treasonous FBI conspires with treasonous Democrats like Northam to both run the terror groups and then use the existence of those very groups as a justification to outlaw guns from law-abiding citizens. As Big League Politics reports: [S]tartling details have emerged showing that The Base may in fact be a group run by the feds. Another Base member Yousef O. Barasneh, 22, was arrested and charged on Friday with vandalizing a Racine, WI synagogue last year. Court records show that a federal informant had been giving orders to members of the hate group to commit acts of anti-Semitic terror. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last week that a key leader within The Base was a federal informant responsible ordering anti-Semitic terror attacks: One of the groups ringleaders became an informant and gave investigators details over the past several months. The documents in Barasnehs case do not name the person but note he has been federally charged in another state for his role. The man admitted he directed the group to vandalize minority-owned properties, calling it Operation Kristallnacht, a reference to Nazi Germany and the night Jewish homes, hospitals and other properties were ransacked and destroyed. The man told investigators he said: If theres a window that wants to be broken, dont be shy. This would not be the first time that the federal government has infiltrated extremist right-wing groups and made domestic terrorists into intelligence assets. The FBI infamously paid off Ku Klux Klan leader George Dorsett of Greensboro, NC for years while he was still burning crosses and fomenting the hatred of minorities. So sure, hed made some fiery speeches, theres no question about it. But if he hadnt, he would have been worthless, said FBI agent Dargan Frierson, who served as Dorsetts handler, essentially laughing off Dorsetts role in the terror group while working for the FBI. The FBI, in other words, IS the terror group that threatens America. No organization in America has run more terror plots than the FBI itself, which routinely engage in faking 302 interview documents, fabricating evidence, and flat-out murdering patriots at their convenience (Bundy Ranch incident, anyone?). No American is safe while the FBI remains active, free to carry out its treason (James Comey), fraud (Robert Mueller) and ongoing crimes (Christopher Wray) against America. (Read FBIcorruption.news to stay informed.) Watch armed government snipers on rooftops in Richmond, overlooking the kill zone of unarmed, peaceful citizens The video channel on Brighteon known as Watchmen Incorporated has posted this eye-opening video, showing the armed government snipers in rooftop positions, ready to fire upon the kill zone cage that was set up by Gov. Northam on the grounds below. Its clear from multiple sources and a vast array of evidence that Democrats were planning to carry out a mass slaughter of innocents, but their plans were derailed by the overwhelming number of law-abiding citizens who showed up and began filming everything in sight. Watch this video to fully understand the plan that gun-grabbing Democrats have for America. Yes, they want to put you in a kill box and mass murder you from rooftop overwatch positions. Brighteon.com/292dc44a-2e26-4119-a7be-54111cf66939 In effect, Gov. Northam deployed snipers in a Las Vegas-style tactical position to fire upon the crowd, and he made sure the crowd was entirely unarmed and unable to fire back once the shooting began. Gov. Ralph Northam is a criminal traitor and should face arrest by the DOJ for his actions in Virginia. And that doesnt even count his complicity in baby murder, for which he will be judged by God if not the people of Virginia much sooner. Stay informed. Read NewsTarget.com and watch more videos at Brighteon.com. And remember that Democrats and the deep state are waging WAR on the American people. They cant wait to have the opportunity to kill all patriots, Trump supporters, gun owners and Christians. Make sure you dont give them that chance, or they will take it. Stay armed. Stay informed. Stay vigilant. On the morning of 15 January, five bullet holes were discovered in the window of Karamba Diabys constituency office in Halle, Germany. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) member of parliament says he receives threats of violence and death almost every day. His portrait is shown on the window that was fired at. Diaby, a graduate chemist and father of three children, is originally from Senegal. The attack clearly points to racist, right-wing extremist perpetrators. The attack and threats against the politician are not an isolated case. Again and again, it has been confirmed, most recently with the terrorist killings by the neo-Nazi National Socialist Underground (NSU) and the murder of Kassels district president Walter Lubcke, that Germany has a growing fascism problem. Especially in Halle, there is a well-organized, violent right-wing scene. In the city on October 9, 2019on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur of all daysan armed right-wing extremist attacked the synagogue and killed two people. Only a coincidence prevented the worst anti-Semitic massacre in Europe since the end of Nazi rule. Last year, the mosque in Halle-Neustadt was shot at; one man was slightly injured. The Halle victim advisory service lists 39 politically right-wing acts of violence in 2018. The Identitarian Movement has maintained the city as a centre of far-right activity for at least three years. Diaby is also by no means the only politician to receive right-wing extremist death threats. More than 1,200 death threats and attacks on elected representatives and office holders were officially registered last year alone. One of them is the mayor of Kamp-Lintfort, Christoph Landscheidt (SPD), who recently applied for a gun license for himself. During the European election campaign in May 2019, he had Die Rechte (The Right) party posters removed from the cityscape for incitement. As a result, he was not only overwhelmed with anonymous death threats, but at the same time, the judiciary investigated him for damage to property and election fraud. Several hundred residents of Kamp-Lintfort took to the streets to support the mayor on January 11. Diaby has also been experiencing a wave of solidarity since the shooting of his constituency office. Many have come to offer their help, and one woman put flowers in the holes in the window. The overwhelming majority of people want a society based on openness and solidarity, Diaby noted. He also received nominal support from the highest level when Chancellor Merkel, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and other politicians in the Bundestag (federal parliament) addressed what had happened to him. However, their remarks were extremely hypocritical. In fact, the right-wing danger comes primarily from the ruling elite. Right-wing extremist networks have spread within the state apparatus, its authorities, the secret services, the police and the military. Not only since Christian Social Union (CSU) Interior Minister Horst Seehofers statement that immigration was the mother of all problems, have they been systematically covered up for, protected and encouraged by official policy. Right-wing ideas are being propagated from the Bundestag, in the media and at universities. Recently Hans-Georg Maassen, the former president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, as the German secret service is called, was allowed to denigrate refugees in the worst possible way and trivialize right-wing terrorism on television. The right of far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) founder Bernd Lucke to lecture at Hamburg University was enforced with police violence, and a nationwide campaign for freedom of opinion was launched to silence his critics. Although it has been known for months that right-wing networks and preppers are setting up entire arms depots, these are not being dug up, and people on their death lists are not systematically warned. In Hesse, it has emerged how the secret service, the Interior Ministry and the state government cover up for right-wing extremist employees in the civil service. It has also come out that the murder of Walter Lubcke could be connected to the NSU murders. A key figure is Andreas Temme, who has been a public service employee for twenty years. As early as 2006, he was strongly suspected of being involved in the NSU murder of Halit Yozgat while he was controlling undercover Confidential Informants in the right-wing extremist scene, as an employee of the Hesse state branch of the secret service. Hesses state premier Volker Bouffier, formerly Hesses state Interior Minister and his successor Peter Rhein (both CDU) still maintain their protective hand over Temme to this day. They have ensured that files of the Hesse secret service on the right-wing terrorist scene must remain under lock and key for another 40 years. It is indeed conceivable that Lubcke would still be alive today without this state policy of concealment. Another case shows particularly vividly how racism and right-wing extremist violence are practised and protected within the state apparatus. Only 50 kilometres from Halle is Dessau, where Oury Jalloh died in a police cell fifteen years ago. The young man from Sierra Leone was picked up by a patrol, dragged to the police station and locked up in the cellar with his hands and feet tied. A few hours later he was dead, burned to death in a police cell. To this day, the authorities maintain the official version that he himself set fire to the mattress on which he lay tied up. It is thanks to the initiative In Memory of Oury Jalloh and its supporters that this version is still being challenged today. Most recently, a new forensic-radiological expert report commissioned by this initiative has revealed substantial injuries from exposure to violence. Jallohs body showed broken bones in the nasal bone, the nasal septum, fractures of the anterior skull and a fractured rib. These injuries must have been inflicted on him in the period shortly before his death. Thus, everything points to the fact, as Jallohs brothers lawyer explained, that the police officers had not only unlawfully detained the murdered man, but had also severely abused and burned him in cell 5 to cover up the abuse. Nevertheless, the courts refuse to reopen the case. Right-wing violence, which has already left a bloody trail for several years, is covered up by official government policy. Since 2014, the grand coalition government of the CDU/CSU and SPD has been actively preparing for war, and since then it has also been preparing to take violent action against social resistance at home. Since September 2017, the AfD has officially been the largest opposition party in the Bundestag, while the government has been implementing AfD policies in war preparations, refugee policy and the establishment of a police state. At the same time, the government attacks critics of its right-wing course and AfD policy. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has classified the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) as left-wing extremist and designated it as an object of surveillance. Its only crime is that it stands up for a socialist and international programme which, according to the secret service, is directed against the existing state and social order, which is sweepingly denigrated as capitalism, against the EU, against supposed nationalism, imperialism and militarism. The SGP has filed a legal complaint challenging its listing by the BfV. "Sex Education" star Asa Butterfield is happy that their show, a one of its kind young-adult high school series that explores the matters of the body, has normalised the discussion around the word "sex". Butterfield plays the show's lead protagonist Otis Milburn, an awkward teenager who ends up becoming somewhat a sex therapist to his peers. His partners-in-crime are his best friends Eric Effiong and Maeve Wiley, portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey, respectively. The British show, now in its second season, was a path-breaking success for Netflix with critics hailing it for its exploration of a number of issues such as sexual performance anxiety, impotency, abortion and social-media shaming among others. With the sophomore installment, showrunner Laurie Nunn has taken the discussion ahead by including topics like sexual harassment and importance of consent. Butterfield said whatever inhibitions he may have had in the beginning, working on the show turned out to be a refreshing experience. "We knew what we getting into when she started shooting and we have only become more comfortable with the story and the themes that it tackles," the actor told PTI in an interview. Though the show is set in the sex comedy genre, Butterfield said it explores everything that teenagers go through. "Everyone has these issues and what we're saying is, it's normal. What teenagers know about sex? I hope it takes the pressure off from people a little. But it's not just about sex. It's a coming-of-age story, a love story, a friendship story... It's very funny, but it's got a lot of heart." The 22-year-old actor, who has featured in films such as "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas", "X+Y" and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo", is particularly happy the series has struck a chord with the global audiences. "The word sex is still a taboo for so many people around the world. Our show deals with it on so many levels. It makes me feel great that it has been able to resonate with the audiences, not just in the UK but all over. "I knew it would be a risky issue to deal with but what I liked was that the script was venturing into an uncharted territory. I hoped it would be talked about a bit but the reaction it has got from everywhere has blown me over. I didn't expect it to connect so instantly with so many people." For Mackey, it was important that the story addressed sexual harassment. "There are so many women in the UK and all over the world that don't report such incidents. People say these cases do not fall into sexual violence but they do. It is harassment and sexual assault. We need to call a spade a spade. "I think it is important to acknowledge that these cases are indeed referred to as sexual assault incidents. It made me proud that my show calls it." Mackey, 24, said she wouldn't have known to report sexual assault herself, but having seen a character in the show go through such an ordeal has changed her thoughts about it. "It made me happy that my character was rightly able to say that this was a sexual assault and Aimee (Gibbs) needs to report it. She goes to the police with her and comforts her. That was something I really admired about my role." "I believe it was also eye-opening for young boys as they get to see things and are sensitised by what women go through on a regular basis," Butterfield added. Gatwa, who plays Eric, an openly gay teenager hailing from a religious Ghanaian-Nigerian family, said the best thing about the show was its gender-neutral gaze. "We see in the show what happens from a gender-neutral lens. We try to show the good and bad. It's real and raw, and the emotions are on the table. Our show tries to empower people, giving voice to people who thought they didn't have a voice before. "It's about openness and having difficult conversations, facing things that don't make you that comfortable, and I've learnt a lot from Eric in that way. It's what the world needs - a very inclusive, diverse show," the 27-year-old actor said. The second season of "Sex Education" is currently streaming on Netflix. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW CANAAN, Connecticut, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- J.H. Whitney Capital Partners, LLC, a leading private equity investment firm, is pleased to announce the sale of its portfolio company Accupac, Inc. ("Accupac" or the "Company") to Palladium Equity Partners. Accupac is a leading U.S. provider of outsourced manufacturing and packaging solutions to the world's largest personal care product, pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter (OTC) drug manufacturers. The Company is a specialist in liquid topical and oral care products, including skin creams, toothpastes, moisturizing lotions, mouthwash and other personal care products, many of which require FDA approval. All Accupac manufacturing facilities are FDA registered and cGMP compliant. Through J.H. Whitney's partnership with Accupac's leadership team, the Company made significant improvements in both operations and sales. During J.H. Whitney's investment period, Accupac implemented facility improvements to substantially increase and expand manufacturing capacity. Furthermore, the Company has driven significant organic growth with new and existing customers given Accupac's unique ability to manufacture specialty products. Bruce Wright, Accupac's CEO, said, "We are proud of what we accomplished during our partnership with J.H. Whitney and we are excited to continue Accupac's growth trajectory with our new partner Palladium Equity Partners. We believe that this transaction is the right step for Accupac to continue offering our customers superior quality products." "We have had a great partnership with the Accupac management team and we are proud of the changes made to further position the Company for success," commented Bob Williams, a Senior Managing Director at J.H. Whitney. "Through substantial investment in people and facilities, with a constant focus on customers, Accupac has developed into a market leader. We look forward to seeing Accupac continue its successful growth with Palladium." Bob Williams and Aaron Pomeroy led the transaction for J.H. Whitney. Lincoln International, LLC served as financial advisor to Accupac on the transaction. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as the Company's legal advisors. Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor for Palladium. Greenberg Traurig, LLP served as the legal advisors for Palladium. The transaction terms were not disclosed. About Accupac: Accupac, Inc., headquartered in Mainland, PA, is a U.S. provider of outsourced manufacturing and packaging solutions to pharmaceutical and over-the-counter (OTC) personal care product manufacturers. Founded in 1974, the Company is a specialist in liquid topical and oral care products, including skin creams, toothpastes, moisturizing lotions, mouthwash and other personal care products, many of which require FDA approval. The Company has differentiated production and testing capabilities that lead to industry-best quality assurance. Accupac is uniquely positioned in the $26 billion U.S. beauty and personal care manufacturing market, of which approximately $7 billion is within the Company's topical and oral care product categories. The company operates two manufacturing facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region. Accupac employs more than 400 employees in Pennsylvania and nearly 200 in New Jersey. The company generated more than $200 million of revenue in 2019. Visit: https://www.accupac.com. About J.H. Whitney: J.H. Whitney, established in 1946 by industrialist and philanthropist, John Hay "Jock" Whitney, was one of the first U.S. private equity firms and is often credited with pioneering the development of the private equity industry. Today, J.H. Whitney remains a leader in the private equity industry, having invested in over 400 companies since formation, and currently manages approximately $1.0 billion in private capital. J.H. Whitney remains privately owned by its investing professionals and its main activity is to provide private equity capital to small and middle market companies with strong growth prospects in a number of industries including consumer, healthcare, and specialty manufacturing. Visit: http://www.whitney.com. SOURCE J.H. Whitney Capital Partners Related Links http://www.whitney.com General view of the excavation of Shum Lakas rockshelter (Grassfields region of Cameroon). This site was home to a human population that lived in the region for at least five millennia and bore little genetic relatedness to the people who live in the region today. Analysis of whole genome ancient DNA data from the people who lived at this site provided insights into the existence of several never-before-appreciated, early-branching African human lineages (photo by Pierre de Maret, January 1994). A team of international researchers, which includes a Saint Louis University Madrid anthropologist, dug deep to find some of the oldest African DNA on record, in a new study published in Nature. Africa is the homeland of our species and harbors greater human genetic diversity than any other part of the planet. Studies of ancient DNA from African archaeological sites can shed important light on the deep origins of humankind. The research team sequenced DNA from four children buried 8,000 and 3,000 years ago at Shum Laka in Cameroon, a site excavated by a Belgian and Cameroonian team 30 years ago. The findings, "Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history," published Jan. 22 in Nature, represent the first ancient DNA from West or Central Africa, and some of the oldest DNA recovered from an African tropical context. They enable a new understanding of the deep ancestral relationships among early Homo sapiens in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was the product of collaboration among geneticists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists and museum curators based in North America (including Harvard Medical School and the Universite de Montreal); Europe (Royal Belgian Museum of Natural Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Universite Libre de Bruxelles and Saint Louis University's Madrid campus); Cameroon (University of Yaounde, University of Buea); and China (Duke Kunshan University). A unique archaeological site with exceptional preservation Shum Laka is a rock shelter located in the 'Grassfields' region of Cameroon, a place long pinpointed by linguists as the probable cradle of Bantu languages, a widespread and diverse group of languages spoken by more than a third of Africans today. "Linguists, archaeologists and geneticists have been studying the origin and spread of Bantu languages for decades, and the Grassfields region is key to this question," said Mary Prendergast, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology and chair of humanities at Saint Louis University's campus in Madrid, and a co-supervising author of the study. "The consensus is that the Bantu language group originated in west-central Africa, before spreading across the southern half of the continent after about 4,000 years ago." This expansion is thought to be the reason why most people from central, eastern and southern Africa are genetically closely related to each other and to West Africans. "Shum Laka is a reference point for understanding the deep history of west-central Africa," said Isabelle Ribot, Ph.D., a University of Montreal anthropologist who excavated and studied the burials, and is a key author of the study. The Shum Laka rockshelter was excavated in the 1980s and 1990s by archaeologists from Belgium and Cameroon. It boasts an impressive and well-dated archaeological record, with radiocarbon dates spanning the past 30,000 years. Stone tools, plant and animal remains, and eventually pottery collectively indicate long-term forest-based hunting and gathering and an eventual transition to intensive tree fruit exploitation. Shum Laka is emblematic of the 'Stone to Metal Age,' a critical era in west-central African history that ultimately gave rise to Iron Age metallurgy and farming. During this era, the site repeatedly served as a burial ground for families, with 18 individuals (mainly children) buried in two major phases at about 8,000 and 3,000 years ago. "Such burials are unique for West and Central Africa because human skeletons are exceedingly rare here prior to the Iron Age," said Ribot. "Tropical environments and acidic soils are not kind to bone preservation, so the results from our study are really remarkable." Scientists at Harvard Medical School sampled petrous (inner-ear) bones from six individuals buried at Shum Laka. Four of these samples produced ancient DNA, and were directly dated at the Pennsylvania State University Radiocarbon Laboratory. The molecular preservation was impressive given the burial conditions, and enabled whole-genome ancient DNA analysis. A newly documented population of hunter-gatherers Surprisingly, the ancient DNA sequenced from the four childrenone pair buried 8,000 years ago, the other 3,000 years agoreveals ancestry very different from that of most Bantu-speakers today. Instead, they are closer to central African hunter-gatherers. "This result suggests that Bantu-speakers living in Cameroon and across Africa today do not descend from the population to which the Shum Laka children belonged," said Mark Lipson, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, lead author of the study. "This underscores the ancient genetic diversity in this region and points to a previously unknown population that contributed only small proportions of DNA to present-day African groups." The spreads of farming and herding in Africaas in other parts of the worldwere accompanied by many movements of people. "If you go back 5,000 years ago, virtually everyone living south of the Sahara was a hunter-gatherer," said Prendergast. "But look at a map of Africa showing foraging groups today, and you'll see they are very few and far between." This study contributes to a growing body of ancient DNA research demonstrating ancient genetic diversity and population structure that has since been erased by the demographic changes that accompanied the spread of food production. Excavation of a double burial at the Shum Laka rock shelter (Grassfields region of Cameroon) containing the remains of two boys who lived ~8,000 years ago and who were genetically from the same family. Ancient DNA reveals that these two individuals and another pair of children buried five millennia later at Shum Laka were from a stable population that was then almost completely displaced by the very different populations living in Cameroon today (photo by Isabelle Ribot, January 1994). A rare paternally inherited lineage with deep roots One of the sampled individualsan adolescent malecarried a rare Y chromosome haplogroup (A00) found almost nowhere outside western Cameroon today. A00 is best documented among the Mbo and Bangwa ethnic groups living not far from Shum Laka, and this is the first time it has been seen in ancient DNA. A00 is a deeply divergent haplogroup, having split from all other known human lineages about 300,000-200,000 years ago. This shows that this oldest known lineage of modern human males has been present in west-central Africa for more than 8,000 years, and perhaps much longer. New light on human origins While the findings do not speak directly to Bantu language origins, they do shed new light on multiple phases of the deep history of Homo sapiens. The researchers examined the DNA of the Shum Laka children alongside published DNA from ancient hunter-gatherers from eastern and southern Africa, as well as DNA from many present-day African groups. Combining these datasets, they could construct a model of diverging lineages over the course of the human past. "Our analysis indicates the existence of at least four major deep human lineages that contributed to people living today, and which diverged from each other between about 250,000 and 200,000 years ago," said David Reich, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, senior author of the study. These lineages are ancestral to present-day central African hunter-gatherers, southern African hunter-gatherers, and all other modern humans, with a fourth lineage being a previously unknown 'ghost population' that contributed a small amount of ancestry to both western and eastern Africans. "This quadruple radiationincluding the position of a deeply-splitting 'ghost' modern human lineagehad not been identified before from DNA," Reich said. Previous models for human origins suggested that present-day southern African hunter-gatherers, who split from other populations about 250,000-200,000 years ago, represent the deepest known branch of modern human variation. However, Lipson said, "the new analysis suggests that the lineage contributing to central African hunter-gatherers is similarly ancient and diverged from other African populations around the same time." This finding adds to a growing consensus among archaeologists and geneticists that human origins in Africa may have involved deeply divergent, geographically separated populations. Analysis also revealed another set of four human lineages branching between 80,000 and 60,000 years ago, including the lineages contributing most the ancestry in present-day eastern and western Africans and all non-Africans. Considering this new model of human population relationships, the authors could show that about one third of the ancestry of the Shum Laka children derived from a lineage closely related to central African hunter-gatherers, and about two thirds of their ancestry came from a distinctive lineage distantly related to a majority of present-day West Africans. "These results highlight how the human landscape in Africa just a few thousand years ago was profoundly different from what it is today, and emphasize the power of ancient DNA to lift the veil over the human past that has been cast by recent population movements," Reich said. The international research team plans to return to Shum Laka this year, in part to help communicate findings to the Cameroonian academic and broader communities. "Interdisciplinary collaborations like this one are an essential part of ancient DNA research," says Reich. Key Take-Aways The study examines DNA from four people buried in the Shum Laka rockshelter in Cameroon, about 8,000 years ago and 3,000 years ago, at the transition from the Stone to Iron Ages. This study reports the first ancient DNA recovered from West or Central Africa, and includes some of the oldest DNA recovered from the African tropics. This part of west-central Africathe 'Grassfields' region of Cameroonhas been identified as the probable cradle of Bantu languages, the most widespread and diverse group of languages in Africa today. For decades, linguists, archaeologists, and geneticists have investigated the origin of Bantu languages and their spread. None of the sampled individuals from Shum Laka are closely related to most present-day Bantu-speakers. Instead, they were part of a separate population that lived in the region for at least five millennia, and was later almost completely replaced by very different populations whose descendants comprise most people living in Cameroon today. The Shum Laka individuals harbored about two-thirds of their ancestry from a previously unknown lineage distantly related to present-day West Africans and about one-third of their ancestry from a lineage related to present-day central African hunter-gatherers. This finding reveals previously unknown genetic diversity prior to the spread of food production. Analysis of whole-genome ancient DNA data from these individuals provided insights into the relationships among several early-branching African human lineages. Results suggest that lineages leading to today's central African hunter-gatherers, southern African hunter-gatherers, and all other modern humans diverged in close succession about 250,000-200,000 years ago. Another set of genetic divergences was identified dating to about 80,000-60,000 years ago, including the lineage leading to all present-day non-Africans. These findings strengthen arguments recently made by archaeologists and geneticists that human origins in Africa may have involved deeply divergent, geographically separated populations. Explore further Genes shed light on pygmy history More information: Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history, Nature (2020). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1929-1 Journal information: Nature Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1929-1 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Georgia and Croatia noted the potential for development of bilateral economic relations, Trend reports with reference to the press service of the Georgian government. Georgian Prime Minister Georgi Gakharia met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovich within the scope of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. At the meeting, attention was focused on the Summit of Eastern Partnership, which will be held in Brussels in June 2020. Vision of Eastern Partnership will be developed at the referred event on the agenda ahead. The parties also discussed the preparatory process for the Eastern Partnership Summit. Also at the meeting, the parties emphasized the great potential for the bilateral development of economic relations. Georgia and Croatia established diplomatic relations in 1993. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 The New York Times Britain unveiled sweeping new online protections for children Tuesday, issuing expansive rules despite widespread objections from a number of tech companies and trade groups. The rules will require social networks, gaming apps, connected toys and other online services that are likely to be used by people under 18 to overhaul how they handle those users personal information. In particular, they will require platforms like YouTube and Instagram to turn on the highest possible privacy settings by default for minors, and turn off by default data-mining practices like targeted advertising and location tracking for children in the country. The new rules are the most comprehensive protections to arise from heightened global concern that popular online services exploit childrens information, suggest inappropriate content to them and fail to protect them from sexual predators. The British childrens protections far outstrip narrower rules in the United States, which apply only to online services aimed at children under 13. The new rules will soon be submitted to Parliament, which called for online standards for children as part of a 2018 data protection law and is unlikely to change them. The code should go into effect eight to 10 weeks after it is sent to the lawmakers. This is a significant shift in the landscape, said Elizabeth Denham, Britains information commissioner, an independent regulator who drafted the new rules. The code is a set of principles and standards that require companies to think about, to focus on and to be accountable for the way they are serving children. The tech industry lobbied Denham to weaken the rules, arguing that they were too onerous, vague and broad. In particular, some industry experts said that the code would cause online services to collect even more personal data in order to distinguish their child users and treat them differently. While we support the codes ambition, we do have real reservations, Antony Walker, the deputy chief executive of techUK, an industry group that represents Amazon, Facebook, Google and other companies, said in a statement. He added that his group was particularly concerned that the code could lead to some unnecessary age-gating of online services. Trade groups also say that smaller companies may have to curtail free services for children because it could be more difficult to make money from advertising to them. Some people may see this as a victory for children, but well actually see a restriction in the services that startups can build for kids, said Dom Hallas, executive director of Coalition for a Digital Economy, an advocacy group for startups that has received funding from Google, Intuit and Stripe. Denham did not weaken the rules in response to the industry pressure, but she did clarify and amend some provisions. For instance, the final code suggests that instead of trying to determine a users age, online services could just apply the standards for children to all users. The new rules, called the Age-Appropriate Design Code, are intended to give minors in Britain special rights and protections online much like in the real world where children generally have the right to attend school and are prohibited from going to bars. We already treat children differently in the offline or analog world than we do adults, Denham said. So why shouldnt we also treat them differently in the virtual world? The code lays out 15 principles that sites, apps and other online services likely to have users under 18 in Britain must follow. Among other things, it prohibits such services from influencing minors to share unnecessary personal information or select weaker privacy options. It also requires sites and apps to collect as little personal information from minors as possible. And it prohibits online services from using childrens personal data in ways that could be detrimental to them, such as by automatically recommending sexual or violent content based on their searches. That is of particular concern in Britain, where a teenager, Molly Russell, committed suicide, which her family said was influenced by her seeing images of self-harm on Instagram. Instagram subsequently banned images of graphic self-harm. The new British childrens rules may require online services to make cultural changes as well as practical ones. The code requires online services to put the best interests of children first, above their bottom lines. Companies with major violations of the code could face fines of 4 percent of their annual worldwide revenue. The rules underscore a growing movement by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to rein in tech industry data-mining practices. In September, Google agreed to pay a $170 million fine and make changes to settle charges that its YouTube service violated the childrens online privacy law in the United States. Were going to see the spread of significant data protection laws for children in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa, said Baroness Beeban Kidron, a childrens digital rights advocate who is a member of the House of Lords. I would like to suggest that the vast majority of American parents would want this for their children as well, if only they knew this was something they could have. Natasha Singer c.2020 The New York Times Company The government will adopt a set of emergency ordinances to prepare the legislative groundwork for the "judicious spending of European funds," Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan told a press conference delivered on Wednesday alongside European Funds Minister Marcel Bolos at the Victoria Palace. "As you well know, the Minister of European Funds and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban have presented today to the business environment and associative structures the business support opportunities for the next financial period, a period Romania intends to enter well prepared with mature, completed projects, the financing axes have already been conceived for, so that we start spending each available euro right from the onset of 2021. Virtually, the priority of the Orban Government is to have an inflow of funds to Romania right as of early 2021, directed towards our three major partners: public institutions, the business environment with associative structures and, of course, the citizens, who are the direct beneficiaries of European funds," Turcan said. The Deputy PM explained that the government is waiting for the business milieu and public authorities to submit concrete proposals, and will subsequently adopt the institutional architecture for the next financial period, and based thereon, a set of emergency ordinances that will prepare the legislative groundwork for the judicious spending of European funds. In preparing for the next financial period Romania will also follow the fundamental principles of the EU - decentralization and subsidiarity, Raluca Turcan said. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani that there cannot be meaningful negotiations until the Taliban significantly reduces its violence, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday. "Trump reiterated the need for a significant and lasting reduction in violence by the Taliban that would facilitate meaningful negotiations on Afghanistan's future," the White House said. Trump had been in Davos attending the World Economic Forum. (Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) The Chinese and U.S. national flags on display during a promotional event in Beijing on Jun. 30, 2017. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images) A Breakdown of Chinas Total Competition Strategy News Analysis WASHINGTONAlthough China is undeniably and universally acknowledged by U.S. policymakers as Americas biggest strategic threat, the United States cannot say it wants to contain that threat. That was one of the messages from Patrick Cronin, who holds the Asia-Pacific Security chair at the Hudson Institute in Washington, at the Westminster Institute on Jan. 18. Cronin explained the rationale for this seeming paradox. Suggesting that America wants to contain China is a term used by Americas enemies, such as Russia. Therefore, the argument goes, the United States doesnt want to play into the language of our adversaries. Thus, despite defining a litany of Chinese aggressive abuses against the United States, its allies, and Chinese neighbors in the South Chinese Sea, rhetoric wins the day in defining what the U.S. strategy should be to counter the Chinese threat. Total Competition Cronin said the threat is a whole of society effort on Chinas part to achieve dominance over the United States. The military threat focuses on the South China Sea, Cronin explained, because thats where China has the most running room. The difference with the East China Sea is that there, Japan stands in their way. Cronin suggested a nuanced approach by the Chinese. They want to change the status quo without triggering a major response. Thats no different from the other revisionist states on the National Defense Strategy list, which, in addition, to China, are Iran, North Korea, and Russia. But all want several of the same outcomes. Each wishes to eclipse U.S. power. Chinas total competition strategy includes several dimensions, as Cronin and other analysts in Washingtons policy world identify, although not all agree which areas are the most important to China in the long run. Cronin says that competition encompasses, in order of importance, the economic, legal, psychological, military, and information spheres. Listing the military as fourth in importance is intentional. Its not how they want to win, Cronin said. Total competition doesnt equate to total warfare, Cronin said. But Chinas military posture still remains a major dimension of its outward-facing posture. Thats because the United States isnt Chinas only roadblock to its ambitions. Every neighbor wants independence from China. None want to be Chinas stooge. They all want autonomy, Cronin said. Key Chinese Military Capabilities Apart from the general threats that China poses, which now form a common currency of thought among policymakers and influencers in the United States and beyond, Cronin also outlined a number of specific military tools that China uses to create an advantage. First, in its efforts to push us out of Southeast Asia altogether, China uses anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) technology. A2/AD is a series of interrelated missile, sensor, guidance, and other technologies designed to deny freedom of movement to the United States or any potential adversary from intervening in a conflict off of Chinas coast or from attacking the Chinese mainland, according to international security scholars Stephen Biddle and Ivan Oelrich. DF-26 Second, it also has the DF-26, which is meant to strike hard targets such as Guam, Cronin says. The DF-26 (Dong Feng-26) is a Chinese intermediate-range ballistic missile, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Missile Defense Project. Not only is Guam in the DF-26s sights, with a range of 3,0004,000 kilometers (1,8752,500 miles), the DF-26 is also capable of ranging most U.S. military bases in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The missile can be armed with a conventional or nuclear warhead, and an anti-ship variant may also be in development, CSIS adds. Cabbage Strategy Third, Chinas coast guard is the biggest and best-armed coast guard in the world, Cronin said. Combined with the armed fishing boats that make up Chinas maritime militia, and the relative might of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), Chinas coast guard makes up the middle layer of what is known as cabbage strategy. Like the overlapping leaves of the cabbage plant, so common in Chinese households, the naval tactic encloses islands within successive layers of concentric circles, eventually compromising and essentially capturing them completely. The Reed Bank incident in the Philippines in June 2019 is an example of the Chinese use of the maneuver. A Chinese boat rammed a Philippine fishing vessel anchored at Reed Bank in the South China Sea. Left in the water by the Chinese, the 22 crew members were ultimately rescued by a Vietnamese vessel. It was later proven that the Philippine boat was within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines, according to the official report of the incident. Cyber and Space Finally, of even greater concern are the new domains of cyber and space, Cronin said. To that end, at the end of 2015, China created a Strategic Support Force (SSF) as part of its overall military reforms. RAND, a nonprofit global policy think tank, describes the main function of the SSFs space component as the launch and operation of satellites to provide the PLA with command and control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. They are tools of strategic deterrence, critical to enabling the PLA to fight informatized local wars and counter U.S. military intervention in the region and essential for supporting operations aimed at protecting Chinas emerging interests in more-distant parts of the world, RAND states. These systems are designed to employ cutting-edge technologies of artificial intelligence and secure space-based quantum communications, in which China is already a leader, and they plan to do it by 2025. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in a fresh privacy dispute over photographs taken of Meghan in Vancouver Island. In the images, which have been published by some UK outlets, Meghan is pictured walking her two dogs and carrying her son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Given that Meghan is smiling in the photographs, reports circulated that she had consented to the images. But the couple issued a legal warning to the media insisting the Duchess did not consent to having her photograph taken and that the paparazzi had been spying on her. The lawyers added that they were prepared to take legal action. World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Show all 24 1 /24 World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Canada World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Italy World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Canada World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Argentina World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Belgiam World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down US World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Brazil World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Chile World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Belgiam World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down Canada World reacts to Prince Harry and Meghan stepping down UK According to British Columbia law, Meghan could have grounds to file a legal complaint if she is able to prove a violation of her privacy. The new legal warning comes after it was revealed that Meghan would be taking legal action against a UK newspaper for publishing one of her private letters to her father, Thomas Markle. Meghan has accused the Mail on Sunday of breaching copyright and selective edition, in addition to misuse of her private information. However, the Mail on Sunday argued there was huge and legitimate public interest in publishing the letter. In October, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry had taken separate legal action against the owners of The Daily Mirror, The Sun and the now defunct News of the World over phone hacking. Harry and Meghan have had a strained relationship with the press since the early days of their relationship. In November 2016, Harry released a statement calling out the racial undertones of newspaper comment pieces and outright sexism that had been exhibited on social media with regards to Meghan, his then-girlfriend. Prince Harry arrives in Canada on Monday night to join wife Meghan and son Archie On 8 January, Meghan and Harry announced their decision to step back from their royal roles in order to become financially independent. They also plan to pay back the 2.4 million that was spent refurbishing their UK home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. The couple have said they intend to split their time between the UK and North America, though they are currently residing in Vancouver Island. On their website, they said that, as part of their new life, they would be overhauling their relationship with the press. Meghan and Harry said they would be pulling out of the royal rota system, which gives newspapers and broadcasters access to pooled resources with which to report their activities, they said, and will favour grassroots media organisations and young, up-and-coming journalists. Now, their media strategy is even less likely to conform to convention, given the pair have relinquished their HRH titles and are no longer considered working members of the royal family, a decision reached following a crisis summit with the Queen at her Sandringham estate. Speaking about his future at a private dinner in London for his charity Sentebale, Prince Harry described his and Meghans choices as a leap of faith, adding: There really was no other option. Tests have found a man suspected of contracting a SARS-like disease while visiting China does not have the new coronavirus, Australian health officials said Wednesday. The man was temporarily held in isolation at his Brisbane home after returning from the central Chinese city of Wuhan suffering a respiratory illness. A Queensland Health spokesperson said laboratory tests showed the man had not been infected with the new virus. Wuhan is the epicentre of an outbreak of the disease, which has spread to more than 400 people and killed nine. The pathogen has caused alarm because it is from the same family as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. 2020 AFP CARBONDALE Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced the release of $8.3 million to begin renovation and expansion of the Communications Building at Southern Illinois Univeresity Carbondale. The funding will begin the design phase for the estimated $83 million project, part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan approved last year. TOKYO - The number of Thai and Indonesians remaining in Japan illegally has doubled since the government exempted visitors from these countries from obtaining visas for short-term stays, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. A total of 9,649 people had overstayed as of July last year. Among them are people who came to Japan under the guise of being tourists, but then began working illegally at a farm near Narita Airport in the Kanto region. As it is difficult to determine on arrival who is entering the country to work, the number of such cases is expected to increase going forward. In July 2013, the government exempted Thai citizens with IC passports from obtaining visas for stays of 15 days or less, and in December 2014 provided roughly the same conditions for Indonesians. The government has been expanding the number of countries subject to visa exemptions in the hope of attracting tourists from Asian countries that are experiencing economic growth. According to the Immigration Services Agency, the number of new arrivals from Thailand on short-term stays grew from 633,471 in 2014 to 1,095,497 in 2018, a 72% increase. For Indonesian arrivals, the growth has been 156% from 137,725 to 353,455 people. As the number of people entering the country from both nations has increased, so has the number of people staying in the country illegally. Overstays from Thailand rose from 3,821 as of January 2014 to 7,557 as of July last year, a 97% increase. Indonesian overstays have increased 258%, from 583 to 2,092 people. Farmers near Narita Airport prize these "fake tourists" who can be used to cheaply resolve labor shortages when necessary. Brokers apparently play a role in making the connections. "They're illegal so they're cheap to use and there are no annoying checks. It's kind of convenient," said a 70-year-old farmer who grows green onions in Asahi, Chiba Prefecture. In November last year, the man was arrested by the Chiba prefectural police for violating the provision against assisting illegal employment in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law. He was fined 500,000 yen ($4,550 U.S.) for illegally employing people from Thailand who had entered the country "for tourism." The man had been using foreign technical interns for about 20 years until about three years ago. A total of nine Chinese and Filipinos had been working for him, but they became embroiled in a dispute about overtime during the busy season and some suddenly disappeared. The man also said it was troublesome to prepare documents to submit to the organization that oversaw the trainees, and to deal with the monthly visits by the organization to check on what the trainees were doing. It was around that time when he was approached by a Thai woman, 49, who was married to a Japanese local. "I can introduce you to people you can use freely," he quoted her as saying. She introduced him to three Thai who had entered the country as tourists. He knew it was illegal, but was willing to hire them because "the other farmers around me were doing the same," he said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. They were cheaper than paying trainees the minimum wage. He paid them 850 per hour for 10 hours a day. During the busy season some worked 310 hours a month. "They were happy to work as much as they could and didn't complain about the low pay. It was much better than having the trainees," he said. In the case involving the prefectural police, a Thai woman who acted as an intermediary was also arrested and fined 500,000. According to the police, the woman received about 300,000 per person as a "referral fee," and instructed people to come to Japan as couples to make them appear more like tourists. The 10,086 illegal workers caught in 2018 included 1,868 Thai and 594 Indonesians. Of these, 75% of the Thai and 52% of the Indonesians were working in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures. The Immigration Services Agency believes that brokers with connections to both farmers and people in their home countries are recruiting many interested people from their home countries. Nepal on Tuesday subtly prodded India to move fast to resolve the boundary dispute between the two neighbouring nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli had a video-conference to jointly inaugurate the second Integrated Check Post built on India-Nepal border. New Delhi funded the construction of the new ICP at Jogbani-Biratnagar border between India and Nepal. Oli used the opportunity to once again ask for an early solution to the boundary dispute between India and Nepal, albeit without directly referring to it. The time has come to resolve all pending issues through dialogue in the lasting interest of our two countries and peoples, Nepalese Prime Minister said during the video-conference on Tuesday. Modi did not touch upon the issue and rather reaffirmed the commitment of his government in New Delhi to the Neighbourhood First policy of India and said that improving cross-border connectivity with the neighbouring nations was an important aspect of the policy. India has been playing the role of a trusted partner in Nepals all-round development, said Prime Minister. Nepal recently raised its pitch on its boundary dispute with India, asking New Delhi to withdraw Indian Army and paramilitary troops from Kalapani a disputed territory on India-Nepal border near Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. Nepal objected to the new maps of India. The new maps were issued after the state of Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist and the two new Union Territories J&K and Ladakh came into existence on October 31. The Nepalese Government alleged that the maps showed Kalapani on Nepal-India border as part of India. New Delhi and Kathmandu have been trying to narrow differences in perception on the boundary alignment in Kalapani in the western sector of India-Nepal border. Both sides accept the 1815 Sugauli Treaty, which identifies the Kali River as the India-Nepal border in the region, but they are yet to resolve differences in perception over the source of the river. India-Nepal Boundary Working Group already had five rounds of meetings and the last one was held in September 2018, when the two sides had agreed to use satellite images to survey the area along the disputed border. New Delhi suspects that China and Pakistan had nudged Nepal to raise the pitch on its boundary dispute with India. Pakistan has been running a diplomatic blitzkrieg against India, opposing Modi Government's decision to strip J&K of its special status and to reorganize the state into two Union Territories. China too has been echoing its iron brother Pakistan. Modi, however, tried to reach out to Nepal underlining India's historical and geographical bonds with its northern neighbour. The issue of better connectivity becomes all the more important if it concerns India and Nepal because we are not only neighbours, but also two nations bound together by history and geography with many threads like culture, nature, language and development, said Modi. Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): A wreath-laying ceremony of SPO (Special Police Officer) Shahbaz Ahmad of J&K Police who lost his life in an encounter in Awantipora town of Pulwama district was performed in Srinagar on Wednesday. Many senior police officials paid their respects to Ahmad. Among them were the Jammu & Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh and others. "Army, CRPF and Jammu & Kashmir Police conducted a joint operation following information about two terrorists being hidden in a house in Khrew of Awantipora. In the operation, an Army jawan and SPO Shahbaz Ahmad of Jammu & Kashmir Police were martyred," DGP Dilbagh Singh said. "Operation has been started in Khrew. There is no confirmation about the killing of militant yet," he said. Singh said the sacrifice of our jawans will not go in vain. "We have tightened the security in South Kashmir for Republic Day. Police reviewed the security measures in Srinagar," he added. (ANI). Tripura royal scion Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman Tuesday said he will not withdraw his petition in the apex court for implementation of NRC in the state or return to the Congress, of which he was the state president. His assertions follow the acting Tripura PCC president Pijush Biswas' comment on Tuesday that the party had made considerable progress when Deb Barman was the PCC chief and expected that he will not do anything that will harm Congress and benefit BJP. Deb Barman had resigned as TPCC president in September 2019 and had accused the Congress high command of pressuring him to accommodate "corrupt people". The Tripura royal family was always associated with Congress party. I always maintain dignity in public life and have never commented against Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi but I will not return to the party," he told PTI. "The Congress asked me to withdraw the litigation that I have filed in the Supreme Court for the introduction of National Register of Citizens in Tripura but I did not agree to that too," he said. Deb Barman said that he demanded implementation of NRC in Tripura for maintaining a National Citizenship Registry but that should not be based on cast, creed or community. I am not in favour of throwing out any person, but an NRC should be maintained. I do not want detention of any person, I want a national refugee policy, he said. Deb Barman said a new apolitical organization, the Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance, had been launched by him on December 25, 2019 for protecting the rights of tribal communities in Tripura. We think the indigenous people of the state will be badly affected if the amended Citizenship Act is implemented he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-23 06:38:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHICAGO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures settled mixed on Wednesday, with soybean futures falling for the second straight session amid a lack of fresh market news. The most active soybean contract for March delivery slipped 2.25 cents, or 0.25 percent, to close at 9.1375 U.S. dollars per bushel. March wheat decreased 3.75 cents, or 0.64 percent, to 5.7775 dollars per bushel. March corn added 1.25 cents, or 0.32 percent, to 3.8875 dollars per bushel. China and the United States signed their phase-one economic and trade agreement last week. Market participants hope the deal will increase U.S. crop sales to China. However, there is a lack of fresh export news, as trades were awaiting fresh Chinese purchases. CBOT wheat futures fell slightly although foreign markets showed robust demand for U.S. wheat. Corn futures rose as investors turned to technical buying. Enditem Digital transactions are estimated to have grown by 338 percent from 2018 to 2019, according to the Razorpay report New Delhi: Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad ranked as the top three cities in terms of peer-to-merchant digital payments in the country and cumulatively accounted for over 40 percent of such transactions in 2019, a report by Razorpay said on Tuesday. According to the Razorpay report, digital transactions are estimated to have grown by 338 percent from 2018 to 2019. Bengaluru accounted for 23.31 percent of the peer-to-mechant transactions, while Delhi contributed 10.44 percent and Hyderabad 7.61 percent of such transactions in 2019, as per the fourth edition of 'The Era of Rising Fintech' report. Karnataka saw the highest adoption of digital payments (26.64 percent), followed by Maharashtra (15.92 percent) and Delhi NCR (13.01 percent), it added. Interestingly, the usage of cards declined to 46 percent in 2019 from 56 percent in 2018, and net banking to 11 percent from 23 percent in 2018. UPI, on the other hand, grew to 38 per cent in 2019 from 17 per cent in the previous year. Among UPI, Google Pay contributed 59 percent, PhonePe contributed 26 per cent, followed by Paytm (7 percent) and BHIM (6 percent) in digital transactions in 2019. Amazon Pay was the most preferred wallet among consumers (33 per cent), followed by Ola Money (17 percent) in 2019. Owing to the growth of UPI, the share of wallets continues to decline despite the increase in the number of transactions, the report said. The top three sectors in digital payment adoption for 2019 were food and beverage (26 percent), financial services (12.5 percent) and Transportation (8 percent), the report said. "The year 2019 was buzzing for the fintech sector with the adoption of new digital payment modes and bringing the digital currency to the mainstream. And the last six months saw a tremendous shift in the consumption patterns of businesses and consumer preferences of digital payments," Harshil Mathur, CEO and co-founder of Razorpay, said. Jars of marijuana Last year was painful for cannabis investors. Most of the major pot stocks plunged, as the cannabis bubble popped because of fears that many will struggle to become profitable in an undetermined market. Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) reported a slew of losses, which, coupled with regulatory investigations and the increased likelihood of marijuana being removed as a U.S. federal schedule one substance, weighed on the outlook for Canadian cannabis stocks. Even Canadas legalization of cannabis beverages and other derivatives in October 2019 did little to lift the industrys prospects. Marijuana stocks have been decimated, causing the largest industry exchange-traded fund and indicator of industry health, ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF, to lose 44% over the last year. The ETF is a credible indicator for the industrys health, because its holdings cover all of the cannabis supply chain, including cultivation, processing and distribution. Its largest holding is Canopy, with other leading Canadian cannabis stocks, including Cronos, Aurora Cannabis, and Aphria (TSX:APHA)(NYSE:APHA) rounding out its top 10 stocks. Growing uncertainty Most legal cannabis cultivators have struggled with profitability in what is an uncertain market, where predictions concerning the value of sales constantly change. In 2018, Canopy founder and former co-CEO Bruce Linton claimed the legal cannabis industry could be worth an eye-popping US$500 billion. Industry consultancies have been throwing around a variety of figures, including Meticulous Research, which in 2019 claimed it would be worth almost US$76 billion by 2025. What is increasingly clear is that the variable forecasts regarding the size of the global legal cannabis market are declining in value. In a 2019 consultancy, Arcview estimated spending on legal marijuana globally would reach almost US$32 billion by 2022, whereas other analysts have taken a more conservative approach estimating US$50 billion by 2026. Those numbers highlight the considerable uncertainty surrounding what sales will be worth in the legal cannabis market. Story continues This weighs heavily on the outlook for cannabis stocks, because many are still trading at nosebleed valuations, despite declining sharply in value. Canopy, even after losing 46% over the last year, is still trading at an incredible 32 times sales in a highly uncertain operating environment where true market size is unknown. That, along with Canopys mounting losses, including a first-half 2020 net loss of a whopping $1.7 billion, will weigh on its stock. It is difficult to see how Canopy can ever rebound, and there is likely further downside ahead. There is significant speculation that cornerstone investor Constellation Brands, which pumped around $5 billion into Canopy and has seen that investment decline by around a third, will take control of Canadas largest legal cannabis cultivator. That doesnt bode well for many smaller investors who bought Canopy stock at the height of the cannabis bubble. However, Aphria has only lost 29% and is trading at around a realistic four times sales, which, when coupled with a first-half 2020 net profit $8.5 million, indicates that it is fairly valued. Aphrias price-to-sales ratio is commensurate with similar industries, including packaged liquor, where Constellation is trading at just over four times sales, and tobacco giant Altria, which has a ratio of almost five times. Aphria finished its fiscal first half of 2020 with $498 million in cash, indicating that there is enough capital to fund its planned expansion, including the multifaceted strategy to become a market leader in medical cannabis products in Germany. The company has also established a solid presence in Latin America, where Colombia is its regional hub. The equatorial nation legalized medical cannabis in April 2017 and possesses the potential to become a leading jurisdiction for cultivating legal marijuana. Aphrias Colombian subsidiary Colcanna reached an agreement with the Colombian Medical Federation to develop an education curriculum on the medical uses of cannabis. In a controversial 2018 deal, Aphria acquired 50 hectares of land in Colombia, which could potentially produce 30,000 kilograms of cannabis annually. Foolish takeaway Despite recent glimmers of hope, there is a difficult path ahead for cannabis stocks. Growing uncertainty regarding the true size of the global legal marijuana market combined with many like Canopy struggling to become profitable is weighing on their outlook. Nonetheless, Aphria, with its low price-to-sales ratio, proven profitability, and growing global distribution and cultivation network, is among the most promising plays in an uncertain industry. More reading Fool contributor Matt Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Constellation Brands. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 After a few years in which it may have seemed to the casual observer as if the era of brewery acquisitions had passed us by, buyouts seem to be back on the menu. Following several years of focusing internally, both AB InBev (Ohios Platform Beer Co. ) and Molson Coors have made some moves, with the latter announcing today its acquisition of the Detroit-based Atwater Brewery. Not to be forgotten in the hubbub is the recent acquisition of Ballast Point as well by the upstart (but well-moneyed) ownership of small Illinois brewery Kings & Convicts, which we highlighted as further obscuring the value of the Brewers Association label of craft brewer. Today, however, its Molson Coors making the headlines, via its craft division Tenth and Blake Beer Co. Their acquisition of Atwater hands them the fourth-largest (former) craft brewery in the beer-rich state of Michigan, which produced more than 23,000 barrels in 2019. That would be down precipitously from the brands high of more than 48,000 barrels in 2015, suggesting that perhaps Tenth and Blake saw an opportunity to pounce on a flagging brand. Naturally, though, thats not the way you spin the reasoning behind an acquisition, as Tenth and Blake leadership point to the hole it helps them fill in the Eastern Great Lakes region. Atwater has been a staple and a leader in the Michigan craft community for more than two decades, and were thrilled to have them join Tenth and Blake, said Paul Verdu, vice president of Tenth and Blake in a statement. Our priority is to make sure their beer is enjoyed by consumers throughout their core markets and eventually across other core Great Lakes states. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, as has become increasingly common in brewery acquisitions. Atwater, meanwhile, was originally founded in Detroits Rivertown district in 1997 as the Atwater Block Brewery, located directly across the street from the non-operational Strohs brewery in Detroit. Molson Coors says its known for modern ales such as wheat ale Dirty Blonde and the Vanilla Java Porter, but many beer fans will recall the brewery for its many German-style lagers over the years. The company also recently launched a hard seltzer brand, which one cant help but wonder was a major driving force for Molson Coors, which could be eyeing a national expansion for that brand. Atwater is currently owned by Mark Rieth, who became an investor in 2002 and purchased the rest of the company in 2005, and operates three taprooms in Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park and Grand Rapids. Today is a great day. Its a big day for me personally and for our employees and our brand, said Rieth in a statement. Were really excited to partner with Tenth and Blake and Molson Coors, which will help us take Atwater to the next level. For Atwater to continue to grow, it will require both capital and brewing expertise. Tenth and Blake brings both, which makes them the ideal strategic partner to help us continue to live our mantra Born in Detroit. Raised Everywhere. Tenth and Blake has not acquired a U.S. craft brewery since it went on a spending spree in 2016, acquiring Revolver Brewing, Hop Valley Brewing Co. and Terrapin Beer Co. The company also owns Saint Archer Brewing, AC Golden Brewing and Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in its overall portfolio. President of Islamabad Bar Association, Mr Zafar M. Khokar denied that such an affidavit is to harass Ahmadis and prohibit them from practice. New Delhi: Amid oft-erupting incidents of persecution of minorities in Pakistan, a fresh case of alleged harassment of the Ahmadiya community has surfaced triggering sharp responses from its civil society that wants Prime Minister Imran Khan to first improve things in his own country before talking about the rights of minorities in India. The Sunni-dominated Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) had decided to prohibit Ahmadiyas from practicing the legal profession unless they file an affidavit swearing allegiance to Prophet Mohammad. The mandatory affidavit declaration also needs lawyers to say that they do not belong to Ahmadi community as they express their Aqidah (faith) regarding Prophet Muhammad and say Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani was an apostate, liar and hypocrite. Majoritarian fascism is on the rise in Pakistan. You have no place to complain against India on minority rights, wrote Neil Ahmad, who declares himself as an Ahmadi Muslim. Unlike Sunnis of Pakistan, who consider Prophet Mohammad as the last messenger of God, Ahmadis claim to be Muslims in all ways, they consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the sect in 1889, as their messiah and believe he lived after Prophet Mohammad as the subordinate prophet. The Ahmadiyas have limited rights in Sunni dominated Pakistan, and even to register themselves as voters they need to either renounce their faith or accept their status as non-Muslim. President of Islamabad Bar Association, Mr Zafar M. Khokar denied that such an affidavit is to harass Ahmadis and prohibit them from practice. We had got a resolution signed by about 400-500 bar members seeking such an affidavit. We were duty-bound to put it at the general body meeting where it was discussed and not a single member opposed it. In the end, all voted in favour of this affidavit and since GBM decision is binding on us we have decided to seek such an affidavit with one change that non-Muslims like the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians will not need to furnish such affidavit and only have to make a declaration that they are non-Muslims. We respect non-Muslims and they can be members of our bar associations and even contest elections. As far as Ahmadis, Lahori group or Qadiani are concerned, our affidavit simply asks them to declare if you believe in Prophet Mohammad, Mr Khokar told this newspaper. He claimed that no member of IBA has so far raised the issue of harassment or opposed this. However, the move has generated a lot of anguish among a large section of the Pakistani society including the Ahmadis. If they (lawyers) choose Islam, they will have to sign the declaration that they are not Ahmadis. The persecution of Ahmadiya community continues in Pakistan, tweeted Pakistani journalist Bilal Farooqi. Lawyer Yassif Latif Hamdani, in an article for Pakistans Nayadaur TV website, argued that IBAs move violates the Constitution as it is a deliberate attempt to insult religious beliefs of the Ahmadi community. Really what moral high ground can we take against India if we allow such blatant bigotry to prevail? he wrote. The search for a missing Albany woman has been reclassified as a homicide investigation. Albany police said Tuesday that Albany resident Craig Lazon, 42, had been arrested on a murder charge after his estranged wife, Tiffany Lazon, 37, was reported missing on Jan. 8. According to a statement from the Albany Police Department, detectives learned in the course of their investigation that Craig Lazon had borrowed a battery-powered circular saw from a friend, returning it a few days later. The owner of the saw then turned it over to detectives. The Oregon State Police Crime Lab confirmed that blood and tissue found on the saw matched Tiffany Lazon's DNA. Craig Lazon was named a person of interest in the case last week after no credible sighting of Tiffany Lazon had been reported, despite a widespread investigation. "Numerous search warrants have been served during the past five days providing further evidence and support that Tiffany Lazon is deceased," the Albany Police Department said in a news release on Tuesday. Capt. Brad Liles said the investigation is still ongoing. Tiffany Lazon was last seen on Nov. 11 and was last heard from on or around Christmas Day. She reportedly missed the Thanksgiving holiday with her family and, when Lazon's mother sent her a text on Christmas, she received only a short text in return without further communication. Tiffany Lazon's family requested a welfare check on her residence on Jan. 8. The following day, police questioned Craig Lazon, who told officials his estranged wife had plans to move to Washington. Her family family said she never mentioned a move to Washington and left behind her car, clothes, money and pet cat. Albany police are asking anyone with information regarding the case to call detectives at 541-917-7686. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 22 Angry 85 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Japanese fashion brands are swooping into Vietnam as local consumers become more brand-sensitive as they grow prosperous. Vietnams rapid development across the board is something foreign fashion brands can tap into According to industry insiders, Vietnams fashion industry will enjoy the fastest growth rate in Asia, presenting more opportunities than Japan. In light of this, apparel retailers are eyeing Vietnam as a key consumption hub in Southeast Asia. Japanese brand UNIQLO officially launched its flagship store, UNIQLO Dong Khoi, in Ho Chi Minh City last month and will open the second store in Hanoi this spring. Tadashi Yanai, founder and chairman as well as president of Fast Retailing Group, has been bullish about the companys prospects in Vietnam. I think Vietnam has massive potential and will be one of the biggest consumer markets in the world, he said prior to the Ho Chi Minh City branch opening. Fast Retailing is a global company that operates multiple fashion brands including UNIQLO, GU, and Theory. The group has to explore new markets in the likes of Vietnam, Italy, and India as Japans ageing population slows down the prospects of rapid growth in the sector. An ongoing trade dispute between Japan and South Korea, as well as other regional factors, means firms like UNIQLO may pay even more attention to the opportunities available in Vietnam and other similar markets in the coming time. Vietnam is also an important country in Asia for such groups in the digital age. While UNIQLO can implement some unique business strategies in Vietnam, which it could not carry out in other markets, it can also expect to contribute to the countrys rapid growth. The company and its partners are producing an annual output of $3 billion for export markets in Vietnam, and the retailer hopes to increase both output and local consumption here. In addition to UNIQLO, other Japanese apparel manufacturers have ramped up operations in Vietnam. Matsuoka Corporation plans to build a new factory to reduce its reliance on the Chinese market. Its subsidiary, Annam Matsuoka May Garment Company, will develop the factory in the central province of Nghe An. Meanwhile, Japanese trading house Itochu currently exports over 60 billion worth of garments from Vietnam, equivalent to $547.5 million a year. Itochu aims to increase outsourcing and exports to 100 billion ($912.5 million) by 2021. The company currently holds ties with more than 100 Vietnamese textile and apparel businesses. The trends have been on the rise for several years. Stripe International, a Japanese apparel manufacturing mainstay, acquired NEM Groups apparel brand in 2017. The NEM fashion brand has since doubled the number of its stores to 90 as well as scaled up its presence nationwide. After the deal, Stripe International continued its buying spree by taking over Vietnamese womens footwear brand Vascara in September. The move reflects Stripe Internationals ambition to foray deeper into the Vietnamese fashion industry. Last February, Japanese investment fund Advantage Partners also wrapped up its acquisition of Vietnamese fashion brand Elise. In the next five years, Elise will continue to focus on the womens fashion segment, which is predicted to reach $2 billion in 2022 with an annual growth rate of about 30 per cent. With fresh capital from Japanese investment, Elise is set to double its outlets and quadruple its revenue. As of present, the brand has 95 stores nationwide with three factories and 30 exclusive outsourcing companies, supplying 3 million products per year. Ralf Matthaes, managing director of Infocus Mekong, said that as Southeast Asias third-most populous country, with an average age of 30 and the fastest-growing middle class in the region, fast fashion is taking a hold in Vietnam. Along with Japan, Europe and North Americas populations are ageing too, while the Vietnamese youth are now more likely to express their individuality through fashion, making the country a key potential market for these brands. Besides reasonable price, fashion brands need to understand the cross-over of the functionality of fabrics for Vietnams hot climate, while providing the latest fashion styles, cuts, and colours, said Matthaes. Gone are the days of conformity and fitting in. Many Vietnamese now want to stand out from the crowd, look elegant, successful, sexy, and fashionable, while not emptying their bank accounts to do so. He pointed out some indicators of opportunity including population, age, and GDP growth, as well as lifestyle, youth trends, and overall cultural trends. The continuing emergence of Japanese fashion brands will intensify the competition in a market where international brands like Zara and H&M and home-grown brands such as Canifa, Hnoss, and IVY Moda are actively expanding their presence. In this context, many Vietnamese brands have been struggling to keep their market share, such as Ninomaxx, N&M, Blue Exchange, and PT 2000. Hnoss, meanwhile, even sold out its business to Vietnamese retail-management company Seedcom in 2018 due to fierce competition. Several mid-range fashion brands are facing many difficulties in terms of premium, sales channels, operation, and management, and these factors mean opportunities for big foreign brands from the likes of Japan this year and beyond. VIR Thanh Van Students of 9 universities have called for the protest. (File Photo) (Photo Credit: PTI) Guwahati: Students unions of nine universities across the Northeastern region have called for a total shutdown of all varsities and colleges on Wednesday in view of the Supreme Court hearing on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas seeking to examine the constitutional validity of the contentious CAA. We, the students fraternity of North Eastern universities, declare total shutdown of all the universities and colleges in the region on the occasion of hearing of the unconstitutional and contentious Citizenship Amendment Act in the Supreme Court, a joint appeal said on Tuesday. Students of six universities of Assam and one each of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have called for the protest. Simultaneously, the Cotton University Students Union has called for a mass protest from 10 AM to 5 PM inside the campus and appealed the general public to join them. Supreme Court to hear 132 pleas on CAA A bench, comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, which had issued notice to the Centre on various pleas, is likely to hear 132 petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and All Assam Students Union (AASU) on Wednesday. The apex court had on January 9 refused to entertain an appeal praying that the CAA be declared unconstitutional, saying the country is going through difficult times and there is so much violence that endeavour should be for peace. The CAA seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after five years of residence here. Meanwhile, protests against the Act continued across various places in Assam on Tuesday. Thousands of people came out to protest against the Act in Tinsukia, Borguri, Behali, Narayanpur, Doom Dooma, Jorhat, Morigaon, Nagaon, Tezpur, Silapathar and Dhemaji. A 58-year-old real estate developer was rescued by the police on Wednesday morning, 18 hours after he was allegedly kidnapped from the MIDC area of Maharashtra's Jalna city, an official said. The police arrested Zaker YaseenRathod (45), who owns a fabrication unit, for allegedly kidnapping Saklecha Nagar resident Shankarlal Sharma on Tuesday over a financial dispute, Sadar Bazar police chief Sanjay Deshmukh said. When Sharma went missing from the MIDC area on Tuesday and could not be contacted, his son Kunwal lodged a complaint with the Sadar Bazar police station, he said. On examining the CCTV footage from the area, the police found that Sharma was last seen with Rathod, the official said. Sharma was later found in a semi-unconscious state inside a car at MIDC Shendra in Aurangabad and was admitted to a hospital, he said. Rathod had allegedly called Sharma to the MIDC area and offered him coffee laced with sedative and held him captive for 18 hours, the official said. There was some financial dispute between the accused and the victim, the official said, adding that a case has been registered against Rathod under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore rebutted a report on Wednesday alleging illegal execution practices in the city-state and ordered Yahoo and others to attach fake news notices on posts and articles that shared the allegations. The report by Malaysian rights group Lawyers for Liberty last week said that Singapore prison officers were instructed to snap prisoners' necks by kicking them in the event the rope breaks during hangings. It said the report was based on information from an unnamed prison officer in Singapore. The wealthy city-state carried out 13 hangings in 2018, the latest official data shows, 11 of which were for drug offences for which it has some of the strictest laws in the world. Amnesty International said it was the first year since 2003 that the number of hangings reached double-digits. "The statement...contains untrue, baseless and preposterous allegations about the use of unlawful methods in judicial executions," Singapore's ministry of home affairs said, adding that no such methods were taught or approved, and that the rope used for executions has never broken. The ministry instructed the rights group to carry a correction notice on the article under its new fake news law. It sent similar instructions to an activist and media commentator, a blog and the local news site of U.S. web services firm Yahoo. Lawyers for Liberty founder N.Surendran said he stood by the statement and would not comply with the correction order. "Singapore has no jurisdiction to interfere with the rights of Malaysian citizens to freedom of expression... Their attempt to extend their jurisdiction upon Malaysians across the causeway is provocative and absurd," N. Surendran said. Yahoo, owned by Verizon Communications, said in response to an emailed request for comment that it "was looking into the matter and will respond in due course". The fake news law, seen as one of the most far-reaching of its kind, came into effect in October amid concern among rights groups and opposition politicians it could be used to silence criticism of the government. The government has denied such suggestions saying the law, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), only tackles falsehoods and that legitimate criticism and free speech would not be affected. Since the law was first invoked in late November, most of the cases have involved political opposition figures and an opposition party. Singapore's communications minister has said it was a coincidence that the first few cases brought under the law were against political figures and parties. Union commerce and industry minister on Wednesday discussed issues relating to bilateral trade and investment with South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hi, as he met a number of industry leaders and foreign ministers here at WEF 2020. Goyal, who also holds the railways portfolio, discussed ways for accelerating investments in Indian Railways during a roundtable session with industry leaders here on the sidelines of WEF. Goyal highlighted the focus on innovation and modernisation in Railways, paving the way for new and higher investment opportunities. Separately, the minister held a number of bilateral meetings including with Carlos Brito, Global CEO of Anheuser Busch InBev, and discussed the various initiatives taken by the Indian Government to enhance Ease of Doing Business. He also met Alfred F Kelly Jr, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Visa, and Alan Hope, CEO of Unilever. With the South Korean minister, Goyal had a discussion on India's concerns to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment between the two nations, he tweeted. Five killed by boiling water after pipe bursts at Russian hotel Five killed by boiling water after pipe bursts at Russian hotel A heating pipe burst Monday in a small Russian hotel, flooding rooms with boiling water that killed five people and left six others injured in the central city of Perm, emergency officials said. The nine-room hotel was in the basement of a residential building in the city of 1 million people near Russia's Ural Mountains. All of the victims who included a child were staying at the hotel, authorities said. Three of the injured were hospitalized with burns. Russian police have opened an inquiry into the tragedy. The plumbing explosion left 20 buildings, including a hospital, a school and a kindergarten, without heat or hot water in the middle of winter, local authorities said. T wo senior UN officials have backed a full investigation into allegations that Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezoss phone was hacked after he opened a WhatsApp message sent from the account of Saudi Arabias Crown Prince. They released a statement suggesting there is evidence to support claims that the phone of the worlds richest man was targeted via an infected video message from Prince Mohammed bin Salmans personal account. The officials Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur for extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, special rapporteur for free expression had been reviewing a report commissioned by Mr Bezos from business advisory firm FTI Consulting. It concluded that his phone was hacked by a file sent from a WhatsApp account belonging to the Crown Prince. The forensic analysis, led by cyber expert Anthony J Ferrante, suggested that within hours of a video file being sent in May 2018 a massive and unauthorised exfiltration of data from Bezoss phone began, continuing and escalating for months. Jeff Bezos, president and CEO of Amazon / REUTERS Mr Bezos and the Crown Prince had exchanged numbers at a dinner in Los Angeles during a visit by Prince Mohammed to drum up US investment to Saudi Arabia, according to the report. But their relations soured after the October 2018 murder in Istanbul of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who had used a column in the Washington Post owned by Mr Bezos to criticise Prince Mohammed. In February last year, US tabloid National Enquirer published details of an affair Mr Bezos had been conducting, including private images and texts. At the time, his security consultant Gavin de Becker blamed the Saudi government for the hack. The FTI report said: It is believed that the compromise was likely facilitated by malicious tools procured by [Saud] al-Qahtani, a former adviser to Prince Mohammed who was dismissed following Khashoggis murder. "The Saudi government has denied the allegations. An official said: Saudi Arabia does not conduct illicit activities of this nature, nor does it condone them We request the presentation of any supposed evidence and the disclosure of any company that examined any forensic evidence so that we can show it is demonstrably false. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman / REUTERS In a tweet today the Saudis US embassy dismissed the absurd claims, which were first reported by The Guardian and Financial Times, and called for an investigation so that we can have all the facts out. Mr Bezos would not comment, but a lawyer for him said that he is co-operating with the investigation. The report said analysis of Mr Bezoss phone began early last year after he asked his security team to uncover how his messages had been accessed. In March 2019, an investigator said they had found evidence that Saudi Arabia had been involved in hacking the phone. Police in Kwale detained a school teacher who is accused of caning one of her students to death. The deceased, 14-year-old Aisha Awadhi, had complained of a severe headache from the alleged beating by her teacher Lydia Munyori. The Standard Seven teacher had reportedly caned the entire class. The girl was admitted to the Msambweni Referral Hospital but succumbed two days after the assault. The deceaseds mother, Memsa Adbadallah, said she had presented a medical history of her daughter to the school showing she suffered from sickle cell anemia and thus should not be subjected to corporal punishment and strenuous work. I gave the school the medical report of my daughter where the doctor had indicated that Aisha should not be beaten or given any tough task that can pose a threat to her life, she said. Lungalunga Subcounty police boss, Peter Nzimbi, said an autopsy revealed that the schoolgirl died from a blood clot caused by a head injury, Citizen reports. But the school principal, Nassir Mwabweko, said the caning could not have caused the learners death. Aisha was laid to rest on Monday while the teacher is in police custody awaiting to be arraigned in court. EDWARDSVILLE Joes Pizza & Pasta in Edwardsville is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with a few expansion projects. Corey McMahan, owner of the pizza shop, said expansion is underway for the business. We recently just finished our newest expansion at this [Edwardsville] location, Corey McMahan, owner of Joes Pizza, said. We are also closing in on two new locations with one ready to open next month and the next in the summer. The Edwardsville location was the first that McMahan and his wife, Kayla, opened after he moved to the area to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2002. In February of 2010, Joes first opened up shop just down the street from its current location before moving to the larger space, 4 Club Centre Ct., just three years later. Over the years, Joes has gained a strong following and has many regulars that come in on an almost daily basis, one of the servers at Joes claimed. The customers and the owners really make this a great place to work, Candy Buie, a six-year server at Joes, said. We have so many regulars and many of them come three to five times a week, that is unheard of. With the number of regulars that are present daily, Buie said the expansion was much needed to accommodate new customers or large groups. The expansion doubles their seating capacity and can be rented for private events such as parties or business meetings. A second bar was also added to the space. Joes will offer 10-year anniversary specials next month to help celebrate the Edwardsville expansion. Besides the Edwardsville expansion, McMahan is keeping himself busy as he prepares to open two new locations in Brighton and Mascoutah. The Brighton store is slated to open in the middle of next month and will be order-in and carry-out only. The Mascoutah location is expected to open sometime this summer of 2020 and will be a full-size restaurant. McMahan also owns and operates Joes Pizza in Godfrey. The four locations amount to a total of 100 jobs, McMahan said. To learn more about what Joes Pizza & Pasta carries or how to rent their newly added party room, visit www.orderjoes.com/ or call the Edwardsville location at (618)655-9400. Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday postponed the release of film 'Zindagi Tamasha' across the country following a religious uproar, reported Dawn. The movie by Pakistani filmmaker and actor Sarmad Khoosat prompted protests by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party for drawing light on the misuse of the blasphemy law, following which the Sindh and Punjab governments demanded a stall on the release of the film in their provinces. Earlier on Sunday, Khoosat shared an open letter on his social media account and said that he might stall the release of the film as he was receiving "dozens of threat calls". The film - 'Zindagi Tamasha' (Circus of Life) - which became the first Pakistani feature film to receive an award at the Busan Film Festival in South Korea, might not be able to see the light of the day in its own country, owing to protests and a complaint against the producer, writer and director (Sarmad Khoosat) of the film. In the open letter that he posted on Twitter, Khoosat said that there are attempts to prevent the film's release and he did not make the film with an intention of hurting, offending or maligning anyone. The film narrates the story of a Pakistani Muslim cleric and the backlash he faces due to his poetry about the Prophet Muhammad. The bilingual movie received nods from all three censor boards of Pakistan. "It is a story about a 'good enough Muslim' - there was/is no mention of a sect/party or faction of any sort. Neither in the uncensored or the censored version," Khoosat explained in the letter. Further adding that he does not want the film to be banned, Khoosat wrote, "I don't want anyone to have the pleasure of BANNING my film because legally, officially and morally, no one can." After describing the hardships that he is facing in Pakistan due to the movie, the 'Manto' actor wrote in all capital letters, "SHALL I RELEASE MY FILM UNDER THESE CONDITIONS? I THINK I MUST NOT." Khoosat ended the letter with a quote, "Apnay Allah ko na batao kay tumhari mushkil kitni bari hai, apni muskil ko batao kay tumhara Allah kitna bara hai (Don't tell your almighty how huge your problem is, instead tell your problem how great your almighty is)." Soon after Khoosat shared the letter on Twitter, Pakistani actor Mahira Khan came out in support of the filmmaker and shared his post. "Time and again we are made to realise our power and our influence. A film ( that people haven't seen) can make some this scared. Mushkil ko bata ke tera Allah kitna bara hai @KhoosatSarmad," Khan tweeted. Earlier on January 16, Khoosat posted another open letter to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, President, Chief Justice, Chief of Army Staff, and Minister of Information, informing them that he and his team members are "being bullied and pressurised." The film has been tangling up in chain of trouble ever since the release of its first trailer in October 2019. The trailer which was later taken down from YouTube drew light towards the misuse of the blasphemy law in Pakistan. It was re-uploaded on YouTube later with certain changes. The bilingual film 'Zindagi Tamasha', stars Eman Suleman, Arif Hasan, Samiya Mumtaz, and Ali Qureshi in pivotal roles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior US diplomat Alice Wells has renewed the criticism of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), emphasising that there is no transparency in the projects and it will increase cash-strapped Pakistan's debt burden. Speaking at an event here on Tuesday during her four-day visit to Pakistan, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia also said that companies blacklisted by the World Bank have got contracts under the The is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. Wells had in November last year urged Pakistanis to ask "tough questions" to China on the CPEC, saying the project is going to take a toll on the country's The was launched in 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan and it now envisages investment of over $60 billion in different projects of development in Pakistan. Wells said that there was no transparency in the CPEC projects and Pakistan's debt burden was growing due to the Chinese financing, a report in the Dawn newspaper said. Criticising the CPEC, she urged Pakistan to rethink its involvement in it. The US diplomat also questioned the immunity from prosecution for the newly formed CPEC Authority that served as the focal body working to identify new areas of cooperation and projects, besides facilitation, coordination and monitoring of ongoing projects. Talking about Pakistan's debt issue, Wells insisted that Chinese money was not an assistance. By getting Chinese financing for the projects, Pakistan was buying expensive loans and as a buyer it needed to be aware that what it was doing would take a heavy toll on its already struggling Previously, Wells had said, "We hope Pakistanis will ask Beijing tough questions on debt, accountability, fairness and transparency... Ask the Chinese government why it is pursuing a development model in Pakistan, that significantly deviates from what brought China its own economic success." Wells' recent remarks were made after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi sought closer engagement and a robust trade and investment relationship between Pakistan and the US during his recent visit to Washington. Qureshi had also sought help from the US to get the country off the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey list. The US has been critical of the CPEC. Some of the projects had already been completed but others were facing delays as Pakistan and China are working on operational and funding details. The diplomat also touched on the cost escalation in a railways project linking Karachi with Peshawar. She urged the government to be transparent about the mega project. WASHINGTON (AP) Chief Justice John Roberts drew little attention to himself in the beginning 12 hours of his first impeachment trial. But it was just before 1 a.m., as tempers on the floor had started to wear thin, that he reminded senators, House impeachment managers and President Donald Trumps defense team who was in charge. "I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the president's counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body," Roberts said, after a particularly tense exchange between House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and the president's lawyers. Roberts asked them to "avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse." Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., arrives for a House Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)AP He did not say what prompted his comments, but they came after Nadler told senators that voting to deny certain witnesses in the trial, as many GOP senators had, was a "treacherous vote" and a vote against the United States. Trump's defense team then said Nadler should be embarrassed and should apologize to the president and the American people. Roberts' new role presiding over the trial is one of two jobs he is juggling as the impeachment session gets underway. On Tuesday morning, he donned his black robe and oversaw two arguments at the Supreme Court before heading across the street to the U.S. Capitol where he is presiding over the trial in the Senate chamber. His busy schedule meant he didn't have time to join his fellow justices for a group lunch, a high court custom following arguments. And he was scheduled to be back again in the Court on Wednesday morning just hours after the first day of the trial adjourned at 2 a.m. Just before the day ended, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thanked Roberts for his service. "I want to say on behalf of all of us, thank you for your patience," McConnell told him, as senators clapped. In this image from video, presiding officer Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP)AP Over the past 14 years, Roberts has gotten comfortable in the role of chief justice of the United States, but presiding over Trump's trial is a new, public role for Roberts, who is used to proceedings that aren't televised as they are in the Senate. It is only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, coming just weeks before the first primaries of the 2020 election season and as voters are assessing Trump's first term and weighing the candidates who want to challenge him in the fall. House Democrats impeached the president last month on two charges: abuse of power by withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as he pressed the country to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, and obstruction of Congress by refusing to comply with their investigation. Trump's legal team has argued that the Republican president did "absolutely nothing wrong" and urged the Senate to swiftly reject the "flawed'' case against him. Roberts' added responsibilities shouldn't affect the work of the court. That's because the justices generally finish their joint business in the mornings, giving Roberts time to preside over oral arguments and lead the justices' regularly scheduled private conferences before beginning his Senate duties in the afternoon. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in written responses to questions from reporters that it's expected to be "business as usual" at the court during the trial. And if there's a good time in Roberts' schedule to take on added responsibility, this is it, since it's a relatively quiet time at the court. After one more oral argument scheduled for Wednesday, the court is taking its standard break from oral arguments until late February. Trump's trial could be over by the time oral arguments resume at the Supreme Court on Feb. 24 but maybe not. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing for a quick conclusion, though there could be delays. If the trial stretches into five weeks, Roberts would be expected to be with his fellow justices in the morning and lawmakers in the afternoon. At the Capitol, the chief justice is using the ceremonial President's Room as an office. It's the same space used by Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 1999 during former President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. One of Roberts' four law clerks, Megan Braun, will join him every day when he travels to the Senate, Arberg said. By JESSICA GRESKO, The Associated Press Health authorities should stay vigilant for prevention Health authorities have confirmed the country's first case of a new coronavirus strain sweeping through China. A Chinese woman who entered Korea on a flight from Wuhan, Hubei Province, tested positive for the virus Monday. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the patient, a 35-year-old resident of Wuhan, is being treated at a hospital in Incheon. An epidemiological investigation showed that 44 people had contact with the patient and 35 of them are under medical observation. The KCDC raised its alert level from "attention" to "caution" following the confirmed case. The new coronavirus strain, first discovered in Wuhan, is spreading across China. So far, more than 470 people have been diagnosed with the virus, which is also called "Wuhan pneumonia," in China and 17 of them have died. The Chinese government confirmed the coronavirus is transmittable from person to person, fueling fears that it could spread more rapidly and widely. The Lunar New Year holiday that begins later this week is expected to mark a watershed in the spread of the virus as hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel to their hometowns or go on overseas trips, including 100,000 bound for Korea. Given that direct flights between Incheon and Wuhan number eight per week, the health authorities should step up inspections on travelers from the Chinese city. China should stay vigilant, especially from late January until the Lunar New Year holiday falls in early February, to contain the disease early. China is allegedly being uncooperative in sharing information about the virus. The government should do its utmost to boost cooperation with Beijing so that preventive measures can be taken. China denies the connection between the virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that killed 650 people in China and Hong Kong from 2002 to 2003. Yet this is surely no time for complacency, given the potential danger of the coronavirus. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament session kicked off on January 22. During todays session the MPs will debate a number of bills and legislative packages at the first and second hearings. The lawmakers will also vote on the bills discussed during the January 21 session. Q&A session is also expected today with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Cabinet members. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan The global fixed-base operators market is poised to grow by USD 8.87 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005351/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global fixed-base operators market 2019-2023. (Graphic: Business Wire) Read the 108-page research report with TOC on "Fixed-base Operators Market Analysis Report by Application (PAGH and CAGH), by Geography (Americas, APAC, and EMEA), and Segment Forecasts, 2019 2023". https://www.technavio.com/report/global-fixed-base-operators-market-industry-analysis The growth in the global airport infrastructure and increased use of aircraft ground handling systems are factors anticipated to boost the growth of the market. The number of operational aircrafts and congestion in airports is increasing due to a significant rise in the number of air travelers. The number of air travelers around the globe is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 3%-4% during the forecast period. This is driving the need to modernize and upgrade airport infrastructure to facilitate the increased movement of aircraft. For instance, an investment of more than USD 36 billion was made in 2018 to construct the new Istanbul airport. This airport is said to have the capacity to handle up to 150 million passengers by the end of the forecast period. Such developments in the aviation industry are propelling the demand for fixed-base operators (FBOs) to streamline various operations such as aircraft maintenance, fueling, parking, and hangaring. Thus, the growth in the global airport infrastructure is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Fixed-base Operators Market Companies: BBA Aviation BBA Aviation is headquartered in the UK and operates the business under various segments such as Flight support and Aftermarket service. The company provides premium and full-service flight support to operators and owners of private and business aircraft worldwide. dnata dnata is headquartered in UAE and offers products through the following business units: International airport operations, Travel services, UAE airport operations, Catering services, and Other services. The company offers arrival services, departure services, pilot and crew services, and airport services. Jetex Jetex is headquartered in UAE and operates under various business segments, namely Trip planning, Fuel service, Experience, and Hondajet. The company offers a wide range of FBO services such as fueling, planning, private plane charters, and other ground handling services. Swissport International Swissport International is headquartered in Switzerland and offers products through the following business segments: Group handling, Cargo services, Fueling service, Execution aviation, Aircraft maintenance, GSE and ULD management, and Aviation security. The company offers services such as personalized service delivery 24/7, passenger and crew assistance, and more. TAG Aviation TAG Aviation is headquartered in the UK and offers products through the following business segments: Charter services, Aircraft management, Maintenance services, and FBO handling service. The company offers passenger services and pilot and crew services. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Fixed-base Operators Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2023) PAGH CAGH Fixed-base Operators Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2023) Americas APAC EMEA Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Related Reports on Industrials include: Commercial Aircraft Avionic Systems Market Global Commercial Aircraft Avionic Systems Market by geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America), application (FCS, CN&S, FMS, and AHMS) and distribution channel (line fit and aftermarket). About Technavio Technavio is 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 17,000 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005351/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: https://www.technavio.com Chinese people around the world prepare for the year of the mouse People in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province pick hangings with Chinese character "Fu (fortune)" at a market on Monday. Photo: cnsphoto The Chinese Lunar New Year will arrive on Saturday. Chinese people across the country and around the world are preparing to welcome the year of mouse with various traditions. Chinese people value celebrating the New Year with families. As of Monday, the national railway has served 12.24 million trips within 11 days since the peak travel season started, a 19.8 percent year-on-year increase. A total of 1,370 temporary trains have been added, China National Radio reported Tuesday. Traditional conventions in Spring Festival vary across China. In Chaozhou, South China's Guangdong Province, people march with god sculptures from temples. "The gong and drum band would follow the firecrackers in the march," Chen Aijing, a Chaozhou resident, told the Global Times. "Each village would have different dates to celebrate. There would be performance for Chaozhou operas and traditional puppet play," she said. Several days before the New Year day, people in Guangzhou, Guangdong's capital city go shopping in "Flower Street" where one can buy almost anything. On December 28 of the Lunar Calendar, families clean their houses. On the New Year Day, they make rice cakes, according to Zhao Shi, a local resident. In Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, there used to be dragon and lion dances, but the convention has been replaced by a lighting show. "Dried fish, meat and sausages are a must for Spring Festival," a local university student Wu Han said. Wu interns in Chongli, North China's Hebei Province. Due to the spread of pneumonia in his home city, Wu hesitated whether he would return home. In the northeastern provinces, people usually stay indoors during the festival due to cold temperatures. "Watching the Spring Festival gala is a must for us," Lun Yu, a resident from Da- qing, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Her big family gathers together on the New Year eve and makes dumplings with fillings of sauerkraut and pork. The dumplings are served on the table right at midnight. For Chinese living overseas, it is often difficult for them to go home at Spring Festival. Tina Ma, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, decided to visit a friend in Brisbane. "We plan to have a big meal and watch the gala on the internet," she told the Global Times. Sajid Javid has been handed a major boost ahead of his first Budget as Chancellor as a flurry of reports suggested the UK economy is rude health. As the Chancellor clashed with the Americans over trade and taxes in Davos, a survey found the mood among British manufacturers picked up by the most in more than 60 years following the election. At the same time, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed borrowing fell by more than expected at the end of last year, giving him extra leeway in the Budget in March. Fightback: Sajid Javid has been handed a major boost ahead of his first Budget as Chancellor And the ONS also said exports of services rose by 3.9 billion to 82.1 billion in the third quarter of last year, with 33 billion going to the European Union and a far greater 49.1 billion to the rest of the world. With Britain finally leaving the EU next week, the report underlined just how much business Britain does with the rest of the world. The triple-whammy of good news came a day after official figures showed employment in the UK hit a record high of 32.9m. Unemployment is just 3.8 per cent, the lowest since 1974 and around half the jobless rate of 7.5 per cent seen in the eurozone. 'It looks promising,' said Howard Archer, chief economist at the Ernst & Young Item Club. 'This is all good news for the Chancellor. The economy certainly seems to be picking up.' In a closely watched survey of British manufacturers, the CBI said that optimism in factories hit its highest level since early 2014 following Boris Johnson's election victory last month. The group added that the improvement in sentiment compared with three months ago was the largest it has seen since it started collecting the data in 1958. Manufacturers are also far more willing to invest in new plant and machinery than they were before the election, the CBI said. The survey of 300 firms was carried out between December 16 and January 13 in the immediate aftermath of the Tory victory over hard-Left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Thomas Pugh, UK economist at Capital Economics, said: 'All this gives a clear indication that companies are feeling much more upbeat.' Anna Leach, CBI deputy chief economist, said: 'It's clear manufacturers are entering the new year with a spring in their step. Firms are now planning to invest more in plants and machinery, which will ultimately help increase capacity and output.' In a further boost to the Chancellor, the ONS said that the Government borrowed 4.8bn in December. That was less than the 5.3 billion expected by analysts and 200m lower than in December 2018. Borrowing in the financial year to date, April to December, stood at 54.6 billion. This was 4 billion higher than in the same period the previous fiscal year, but still lower than had been expected by the Government's fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Struggle: Britain's biggest car maker plans to change the working pattern from three shifts per day to 'two plus' ...BUT JAGUAR LAND ROVER AXES 500 JOBS Britain's car industry has been dealt another blow as Jaguar Land Rover axes 500 jobs more than 10 per cent of its 4,000 workforce at the Halewood factory on Merseyside where it makes the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque. Britain's biggest car maker plans to change the working pattern from three shifts per day to 'two plus'. It comes as JLR is undertaking a wider restructuring to cut costs by 2.5 billion. Staff will be offered redundancy packages. Union Unite blasted the move as 'a further blow to the UK car industry and to Halewood'. The British car marque, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata, cut around 1,000 jobs in Solihull in 2018. Sales fell by 5.9 per cent to 557,706 in 2019, and in the year to March 2019, it made a staggering 3.6 billion loss. Analysts said that the Chancellor was now on course to borrow 41 billion in 2019-20, which is some 6.6 billion less than pencilled in by the OBR. PwC chief economist John Hawksworth said: 'If current trends continue, the Chancellor should have some room for manoeuvre in his Budget in March, particularly in terms of increasing planned infrastructure spending.' But with the national debt at 1.82trillion or more than 70,000 per household the Government is under pressure to make every penny of extra spending count. Archer added that he believed Javid would have increased spending even had the borrowing figures been disappointing. 'The Budget on March 11 looks likely to further loosen the fiscal strings as the Conservative party looks to cement support in the traditionally Labour seats it gained in the election,' he said. 'In particular, the Government has pledged to spend big on infrastructure to take advantage of record low borrowing costs, and it looks primed to boost investment in infrastructure in traditionally Labour regions, pledging to 'level up' economic performance in struggling towns.' Jan 22, 2020 KRR Actor Hrithik Roshan has shot many car chase and action sequences in his career, but the actor is yet to play a police officer on screen. He now wants filmmakers to write a police officers role for him. He said he has essayed all kinds of roles, but he hasnt got a chance to play the character of a policeman. The actor urged the filmmakers to write a police officers role for him as that will be the most challenging role of his life. Hrithiks last release was War in 2019. Click the Movie button below for more info: War Hrithik Roshan Pictures Close (Photo : Key to Healthier Mouth: Vick Handa Burlington Dentist On Best Oral Health Practices) According to an article published in 2018 in the New York Post, a study that evaluated the oral health habits of 2,000 millennials discovered that many of them don't keep their mouths as clean as they could. The study reported that three out of 10 millennials brush their teeth once a day, and that the average millennial participating in the survey has gone more than two days in a row without brushing their teeth even once. Yet, the survey says, more than half of those polled indicated that they're worried about losing their teeth as a result of poor oral health. To a dentist, this is disconcerting. "Many people can maintain excellent oral health over the course of their lifetimes if they develop good habits while they're young and continue to practice them consistently during the decades that follow," says Dr. Vick Handa, a Burlington, Ontario dentist who treats patients of all ages. "It really isn't that time-consuming to take care of your mouth and teeth," he says. "It literally takes only a few minutes each day. Consider it an insurance policy for the ongoing and future health of your mouth. Dr Vivek Handa offers the following suggestions for not only millennials, but everyone. Brush daily Take the time to brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Be thorough when you do this, cleaning the surface of the teeth from all angles -- outside, inside and on top. Also, for a more effective cleaning, use a brush that has soft bristles and is the right size, as the important thing is to reach everything that needs to be clean. Dr. Handa suggests replacing your brush with a new one every few months. "You'll notice when you need to do this because the bristles will become misshapen or frayed," he says. Floss daily, too Flossing once a day is important because it helps remove the food particles that collect between the teeth and at the gumline. Flossing can taste good, too, if you use a flavored floss. That choice is up to you. "What you want to do," says Dr. Vick Handa, "is break off a piece of floss that's about a foot and a half long, wind the ends around the middle fingers of each hand, then use your thumbs to gently guide it between your teeth. At the gumline, hold it against the tooth as you gently slide the floss into the area between the tooth and gum, rubbing it up and down against the tooth." Drink plenty of water Everyone knows you need to stay hydrated, but drinking plenty of water also contributes to good oral health. If you're like many people, you probably eat sugary snacks or drink beverages that contain sugar. Dr. Handa says that drinking water helps wash away the remaining bits of food that can attract bacteria. In addition, a dry mouth can be a cause of tooth decay. In a healthy mouth, saliva, which contains minerals like calcium and phosphate, helps defend against decay. Drinking water helps you create more saliva, preventing dry mouth. Get regular dental checkups If you haven't visited your dentist in some time, make an appointment today. In the study referenced above, a number of millennials said they didn't like going to the dentist because they didn't like the taste of the products used by the dentist during a visit. Unfortunately, if you don't visit your dentist at least once a year, a problem could occur without you realizing it. And if you aren't regularly practicing good oral hygiene, the problems could be even more severe. "Most people would rather have their dentist give them a clean bill of oral health than learning that they have a cavity that needs to be filled," says Dr. Handa. Your dentist will evaluate your teeth, gums and mouth, possibly take X-rays, then let you know what next steps are needed -- or, if you should just continue doing what you're doing to maintain good oral health. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenia demonstrates counter-productive and destructive policy with regard to Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, Azerbaijani presidential aide, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said in an interview with EURACTIV on January 21. Hajiyev emphasized that Baku cant see any particular progress with regard to the conflict resolution. He reiterated President Aliyevs recent statement that 2019 was a lost year for the negotiating process on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "On the contrary, we have seen counter-productive, destructive policy by Armenia. Armenian side tries to change the format of the negotiation process. Nevertheless, we have already established the format of the negotiation process," Hajiyev stated. He recalled that Armenia and Azerbaijan are conflicting parties and OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are mediators. "Armenian side has at a very high level claimed new territories, new wars, no inch of territory back and finally, Armenian Prime Minister in occupied Khankendi city of Azerbaijan said that Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia. It is a pure annexation of the territory of a sovereign state at the level of leadership of one country against other country. It is totally unacceptable. It was an element of not just undermining, but destroying the entire negotiation process." he stressed. Touching upon EUs approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, Hajiyev said Azerbaijan has taken a positive note about the EUs principled and firm position with regard to territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Particularly, he added, it has been reaffirmed in the partnership priorities document that has been signed between Azerbaijan and the EU. "We also see continuation of this policy, especially, in the implementation of the Common foreign policy and security document of the EU that has been endorsed in the European Parliament. It is a bounding principle that says that EU supports territorial integrity of all Eastern Partnership countries. For us it is critically important and we appreciate that position," he underlined. Hajiyev considers these core fundamental principles that are deriving from the Helsinki Final Act and international law should in non-selective manner be applied to all countries and with respect to all Eastern Partnership countries. "We would also like to see further continuation of this policy and see it also reflected in EU positions," he concluded. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijans breakaway region that along with seven surrounding regions was occupied by Armenian armed forces during the war in the early 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands of people. Around one million Azerbaijanis were displaced as a result of the occupation. Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Unfortunately, peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. within the OSCE Minsk Group have produced no tangible results so far due to Armenia's unconstructive position on the issue. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would prefer a longer impeachment trial so that current and former top administration officials could testify, but that having them appear would present national security concerns. Trump, speaking to reporters as he prepared to leave the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, also said he would love to go appear at the Senate trial in his own defense but that his lawyers would likely object. "I'd love to go," he said during a roughly 40-minute-long news conference. "I'd love to do it." The Republican president said it was up to the Senate to decide how to handle the trial, but that he would like to have former national security adviser John Bolton and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testify. "The problem with John (Bolton) is that it's a national security problem," Trump said before returning to Washington, where opening arguments were set to begin in the historic proceedings. "He knows some of my thoughts, he knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and it's not very positive?" he said, adding that Pompeo testifying would also be a risk. "You could call it presidential prerogative," Trump said. "The way I look at it, I call it national security, for national security reasons. Executive privilege." Senators must decide whether to remove Trump from office after he was impeached last month by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival, and impeding the inquiry into the matter. Trump also said he would want to have his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney testify but that he would not have much more to add to his public comments in television interviews. He also said he would want Rick Perry, adding that the former U.S. Energy Secretary had asked him if he could testify. Story continues "I would rather go the long way," he said. But, he added, "I'll leave that to the Senate," adding that he would watch the proceedings after leaving the summit. Trump also said that he would like to have his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, whose efforts on behalf of the president in Ukraine are at the center of the impeachment, serve on his legal team in the Senate but that there could be a conflict. "He could be a witness at some point," he said. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Chizu Nomiyama) The Adamawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested four alleged notorious kidnappers who terrorise Mubi and its environs. Parading the suspects, the NSCDC Commander in the state, Nuruddeen Abdullahi, said the command made the arrest last Friday in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and local Hunters Union of Mubi. According to him, this was following a tip-off by patriotic citizens from the area. Today we are parading four suspected notorious kidnappers that, for a long time, have been terrorising people in Mubi and its environs. All the four suspects confessed to (having) been involved in several kidnapping activities around Maiha and Mubi South local government areas respectively. The suspects are now with the Intelligence and Investigation Department for further interrogation, after which their case would be forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution for appropriate action, Mr Abdullahi said. Everyone now a kidnapper The upsurge in kidnappings in recent times have forced many residents to desert their houses in the night, out of fear of the unknown. Lamenting on this ugly scenario, a former speaker in the states House of Assembly, Sadik Ibrahim Dasin, said he regrets that, in a spectacular manner similar to what one may call foreign enemy occupation, Fufore local government area has been taken over by kidnappers. In fact, it has reached a situation today that people have not only become used to it, but they have resigned to fate. We are hopeless, as a result of helplessness. Not only that the government has failed but our people have become a total failure themselves because everyone is now a kidnapper or an accessory to it. It is now a big local business. Mr Dasin, who was the immediate member House of representative representing Fufore, Song Federal constituency at the National Assembly further that stated that, It is longer news and as a result, people no longer care who is kidnapped, where he or she is kidnapped, how much ransom was paid and by who or to whom is it paid. It is (an) everyday occurrence, and nobody seems to care. They devised different methods. Since most men do not sleep at night in our villages, once the kidnappers come and the man runs away into the bush, his wife or wives would be taken away. You have to pay. The current method trending now is kidnap of family members of absentee well to do members of our community. Today, most people that have N50,000 or so capital for doing business have moved to towns, for fear of being kidnapped. The trend now is to kidnap the relatives they left behind. If the victim says he or she is poor, the kidnappers would say min andi ai and then say na waine ma mo woni Jimeta don na? (Yes of course, we know it, but your well-to-do brother (even mentioning his or her name) is in Jimeta, and must come and pay for your ransom). You then have to pay. Proxy kidnap one would say. The former lawmaker warned that the more residents continue to flee, the more the danger it poses to the prevailing insecurity. He called for concerted efforts to fight the monster by joining hands with relevant security operatives in fishing out bad eggs in the society. Also commenting, a public affairs commentator, Mohammed Ismail, said the spiraling rate of kidnap for ransom has become a major security threat to the lives and properties of innocent citizens who have been at the receiving end of the scourge. Many families who are already facing rough times occasioned by economic downturn in the country have been further thrown into economic woes, having been forced to pay millions of naira as ransom in order to secure lives of relatives of their loved ones, who were taken to the kidnappers den. The spate and manner at which kidnapping is taking place almost on a daily basis has begun to cause uneasy calm between the people, the security agencies and even the judiciary who are constitutionally mandated to punish defaulters, he lamented. We are on top of the situation Police The state police command, however, disagreed with the insulation that the situation is beyond its power. READ ALSO: The command said in 2019 alone, over 300 suspected kidnappers were arrested, paraded and charged to courts for prosecution, but what happens in the courts is not within their purview. The command spokesperson, Suleiman Nguroje, said, The command would not relent in keeping Adamawa State free of kidnapping and other crimes. Mr Nguroje stated that because of the deployment and employed tactics by the command, kidnappers have abandoned the state capital and relocated to the interior. Security strategies are being put in place. We would not tell you our strategies, but within the shortest possible time, kidnapping will be a thing of the past in Adamawa State, he assured. There is a collaboration with the sister security agencies fully supported by the state government and the moment that force becomes operational, we would see where the kidnappers would hide. Advertisements Mr Nguroje further said that a new security outpost code-named Operation Farauta is now in place intended to flush out all the criminal hideouts and black spots, either on top of the mountains, in the forest or elsewhere in the state. Commenting on the recent protests over alleged release of kidnap suspects, especially that of Girei, he said, All the suspects were charged before Magistrate Court 4 in Yola and are currently in prison, awaiting trial. But, simply because the people were denied applying jungle justice on the suspects, they decided to go to the streets to protest, he explained. In the last few months, dozens have been kidnapped by the armed assailants including a serving Divisional Police Officer (DPO) making the families of the victims to cough out several millions of naira in order to secure freedom for their loved ones. Some of the families were compelled to sell priced items including landed properties and households utensils, in order to offset the ransom demanded by the kidnappers. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov, have an agreement to meet in the near future, ARMENPRESS reports FM Mnatsakanyan said during Cabinet-parliament Q&A session. We are ready to meet. We have some agreements and now we are trying to clarify with the Co-chairs and the other side how we will work during this year, Mnatsakanyan said, adding that there is an agreement to meet. We have expressed our position that irrespective of anything, we are ready to negotiate at any moment, he said. The Foreign Minister emphasized that Artsakhs participation in the peace talks is of key importance. The Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs last met on December 4, 2019 in Bratislava. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Alex Band joined Partners Capital's Boston office in 2013 from Bain Capital. He oversees the firm's Global Equities investment program and is the lead Portfolio Manager for Partners Capital's specialist equities and public co-investment vehicles. With his promotion to Partner, he will join the Global Investment Committee. Will Jagger joined Partners Capital's London office in 2010 from L.E.K. Consulting. He is the lead client CIO for a number of key ultra-high net worth individuals and charitable foundations, including the UK's Canal and River Trust and the Ditchley Foundation. Alex and Will's promotions bring the Partnership to a total of 16 across offices in Europe, North America and Asia. Stan Miranda, Founder and CEO of Partners Capital, said "I am pleased to welcome Alex and Will to the Partnership. Under Alex's leadership, the Equities asset class, one of the hardest to generate alpha, has delivered significant outperformance over full market cycles. Will has played a critical role in enhancing our client portfolio management tool-kit that has enabled us to deliver outstanding investment performance across client portfolio around the globe". Partners Capital also announced the following promotions from Senior Principal to Managing Director: Edmondo Barletta, Head of Continental Europe, joined the firm's London office in 2013 and is a client CIO for many of Partners Capital's largest private investors. He relocated to Paris in March 2019 to set up and head the Continental Europe office. Previously, Edmondo worked at Bain Capital Private Equity in London and was a consultant at Bain & Company in Paris. Jessica Drapkin, based in the London office, is client CIO to a number of the firm's largest UK institutional clients as well as investment advisor to Partners Capital's hedged equities pooled investment vehicle. She joined the firm in 2007 as an investment associate from Cambridge Associates. Murtaza Sunderji, Global Head of Technology, joined Partners Capital in London in 2011 from Goldman Sachs. Since joining he has grown the global technology team five-fold and implemented numerous strategic IT initiatives to better enhance investment processes and mitigate operational risk, as well as upscaling the firm's cyber security technology. Zhenying Wu, based in Boston, joined the firm in 2015. He is a senior member of the Partners Capital Private Markets team leading manager due diligence in venture capital, private equity and private debt. Previously, Zhenying worked at BC Partners and Bain & Company. Arjun Raghavan, who will succeed Stan Miranda as CEO of Partners Capital in 2020, said "With these well-deserved promotions, we have enlarged the extraordinary group of people who will lead the firm into the future. I look forward to working closely with each of them to continue to deliver exceptional investment performance to our clients". Following the promotions, Partners Capital's senior management team now comprises 16 Partners and 8 Managing Directors who oversee a global team of 180 people. *subject to regulatory approvals About Partners Capital Founded in 2001, Partners Capital is a wholly independent Outsourced Investment Office (OCIO) primarily serving sophisticated institutions and senior investment professionals in Europe, North America and Asia. With offices in Boston, New York, London, San Francisco, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong, the firm is one of the few truly global OCIOs, employing 180 people worldwide and covering all major asset classes. The firm oversees assets of $27 billion. Its institutional clients include Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, Eton College, INSEAD Business School, the Research Foundation for the State University of New York, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Royal Academy of Arts, Milton Academy, the Hong Kong Cancer Fund and the Cancer Research Institute. Additional information on Partners Capital may be found at http://www.partners-cap.com. SOURCE Partners Capital Moldova's President Igor Dodon said on Wednesday that he has left for a working visit to Israel to take part in the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2020) Moldova's President Igor Dodon said on Wednesday that he has left for a working visit to Israel to take part in the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem. "I went on a working visit to Israel at the invitation of the country's president, Reuven Rivlin. As part of the visit, I will participate in the World Holocaust Forum," Dodon wrote on Facebook. The fifth World Holocaust Forum, organized by the World Holocaust Forum Foundation to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, will be held on Thursday and will be attended by about 50 heads of state, members of royal families and heads of government. Rivlin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK's Charles, Prince of Wales and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are expected to address the gathering. Auschwitz-Birkenau was opened by Nazis in 1940 and remained operational until the end of World War II. It was the largest concentration camp where around 1.4 million people were killed there before it was liberated by the Soviet Army in January 1945. The site of the former camp was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. It is now a symbol of the Holocaust. The nurse call systems market is anticipated to showcase notable growth owing to the reduction in the number of patient to nurse ratio. According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, titled, Global Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Technology (Wired, Wireless), By Product (Basic Button Based Systems, Mobile Integrated Systems, IP Based Systems, Others), By End-user (Hospitals and Clinics, Assisted Living and Nursing Centres, Home Care Setting, Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026, the market size was valued at USD 1.18 Billion in 2018. However, the global market is projected to reach USD 2.79 Billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 11.5% during the forecast period. Increasing Incidence of Chronic Disorders to Aid in the Growth of Hospital Segment In terms of end user, the global market is grouped into home care settings, assisted living and nursing centres, hospitals and clinics, and others. The report mentions that hospitals are expected to generate the highest nurse call systems market revenue in the forthcoming years. It would occur as the nurses in hospitals depend upon nurse call systems for workforce management, emergency management, and monitoring of patients health. Also, hospitals possess high patient pool who are in persistent need for general healthcare. Additionally, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases are leading to hospitalizations. It will contribute to the global nurse call systems market growth in the coming years. The other healthcare facilities like a nursing home and assisted living centers are also estimated to experience considerable growth during the forecast period owing to the rising geriatric population combined with rising prevalence of neurological disorders in this patient population. In recent years there is a growing trend in elderly population preferring home care treatment. However, the home care setting in global nurse call system market held a lower market share. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/nurse-call-systems-market-100274 Leading Players operating in the nurse call systems market are: Key players are involved in mergers and acquisition to strengthen their market position. Owing to increasing competition frequent innovations are taking place in the market. Some of the companies operating the industry are: Hill-Rom Services Inc. Inc. Ascom Honeywell International Inc. Azure Healthcare Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc. Intercall Systems, Inc. Siemens AG Johnson Controls Schrack Seconet Ag. Ascom and Rauland-Borg Launch Advanced Nurse Call Systems to Increase Efficiency Ascom, a global solutions provider, headquartered in Switzerland, announced the launch of its Telligence in North America in February 2019. Telligence is considered to be the worlds first patient response system. It is a scalable and modular patient response system that upgrades nurse call service for unique patient-centric care. With the guidance of Telligence, caregivers can get access to appropriate information throughout the care process as well as at the point of care. Rauland-Borg Corporation, manufacturing company based in Illinois, announced the launch of its new software interface in February 2015. The interface is called Responder All Touch. It is present in the companys Rauland Responder nurse call system. Market Segmentation: By Technology Wired Wireless By Product Basic Button Based Systems Mobile Integrated System IP based Systems Others By End-user Hospitals and Clinics Assisted Living & Nursing Centers Home Care Settings Others By Geography North America (U.S. and Canada) Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific) Rest of World Reasons to Purchase this Report: Comprehensive analysis of the nurse call systems market growth drivers, obstacles, opportunities, and other related challenges. market growth drivers, obstacles, opportunities, and other related challenges. Tracks the developments, such as new product launches, agreements, mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansions, and joint ventures. Identifies market restraints and boosters. Identifies all the possible segments present in the market to aid organizations in strategic business planning. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts:https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/nurse-call-systems-market-100274 KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED: What are the key technological and nurse call systems market trends shaping the market? What are the key opportunities in the market? What are the key companies operating in the market? Which company accounted for the highest market share? Why Choose Fortune Business Insights? What is the market size and growth rate of the global and regional market by various segments? What is the market size and growth rate of the market for selective countries? Which region or sub-segment is expected to drive the market in the forecast period? What Factors are estimated to drive and restrain the nurse call systems market growth? About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email:sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Linkedin | Twitter | BLogs Perth Airport will increase screening for passengers returning from China to help prevent the coronavirus outbreak from spreading to Western Australia. Department of Health chief health officer Dr Andrew Robertson said the department was considering several measures to quarantine the novel coronavirus, which emerged in the capital of China's central Hubei province, Wuhan, in December last year. Perth Airport. The illness, which causes pneumonia-like symptoms, can be passed from person to person and has so far killed six people and infected about 300, mostly in China. The World Health Organisation has since held an emergency meeting to consider how big a threat the outbreak poses, and while no cases have been confirmed in Australia, Dr Robertson warned West Australians to remain vigilant. New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): BJP leader Sambit Patra on Wednesday said the opposition parties and Congress, in particular, have made it a practice to abuse Hindus in the name of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "We are observing how the environment is being vitiated by the opposition parties in the name of protests against CAA and NPR. To protest is a democratic right but taking the cover of protests, Congress and other opposition parties are abusing Hindus," Patra told reporters here at a press conference in the BJP office. The BJP leader cited some statements made by various opposition leaders to back his claim. "Two days back former Maharashtra CM and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that a coalition government was formed in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena as Muslims had said that BJP is their biggest enemy. This means that Congress party forms the government only by asking Muslims but not consulting Hindus," he said. "NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said a few days back in a public meeting that Muslims can say where their ancestors' graves are but Hindus cannot say where their ancestors' last rites took place. AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said a few days back that Muslims have ruled the country for 800 years and constructed many monuments and questioned what is it that the Hindus have done," he added. Patra further said: "I will say what the Hindus have done. The Hindus have made this country tolerant and a great civilisation." He took a jibe at Congress and said that Congress is not Indian National Congress but MLC which is Muslim League Congress because of their long history of appeasement politics from independence till today. (ANI) The leaders of Patriots of Awutu Senya West reiterate Hon. George Nenyi Andah and President Nana Addo have failed the good people of Awutu Senya West. The performances of the MP for Awutu Senya West and President Nana Dankwa Akuffo Addo are abysmal and the district is retrogressing instead of progressing. Recently, the political Science Department of the University of Ghana conducted a survey, our MP scored 12%(88% of the respondents who are his constituents do not want to see his face on the ballot paper come 2020) which we advised him to up his game (12% is equivalent to F). Our MP, Hon. George Nenyi Andah who promised us to do more than the former MP, Hon. Hanna Tetteh has scored 38.225%(Equivalent to F) in the survey conducted by Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) which means maintaining him means the constituency will not move forward as planned by the erstwhile Mahama administration. Today, the office of the Local Government Service led by their own NPP former MP for KEA, in the person of Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, ranked Awutu Senya District as 18th in the central region out of 22 districts and 174th out of 244 districts nationwide. This affirms the fact that Hon. George Andah is a reverse gear MP and a failed MP. The unapproachable MP has demonstrated to be all time arrogant leaving the people of Awutu Senya to their fate with their problems. Patriots of Awutu Senya West is ready to support a hardworking person who is ready to assist the youth in terms of employment and welcome everyone not only his or her party members only. We, therefore, state again that, Patriots of Awutu Senya West will not support a candidate or a leader who does not bring glory to Awutu Senya West but always bringing disgrace to constituents and the district. Hon. Andah should not turn the district into a laughing stock. Last but not least, the question we will like to ask is simple, when will our MP, Hon. George Andah bring us glory? Defaming the constituency has become his hallmark and we are no more proud to call him our MP. Thank you Long live Ghana! Long live Awutu Senya West! Long live Patriots of Awutu Senya West! Bismark Abbey (President) 0249785405 Eric Appiah (Secretary) 0544452892 Kofi Alla (PRO) 0541235243 Isaac Larbie (Organizer) Esi Cole (Treasurer) Kwesi Menu (Financial Secretary) Abigail Quaye (Executive member) The Supreme Court has reinstated in service a former woman employee who had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against previous Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, highly placed sources said. According to the sources, the woman has joined the duty and proceeded on leave. All her arrears too have been cleared, the sources added. The apex court's three-member In-House Inquiry Committee, headed by Justice S A Bobde (now CJI), had in May this year given a clean chit to the then CJI as it "found no substance" in the allegations levelled against him by the woman. A Delhi court had in September last year closed a cheating and criminal intimidation case against the woman employee, accepting the closure report filed by the city police after the complainant in the case, Naveen Kumar, a resident of Jhajjar in Haryana, said he had no opposition to the plea and that he did not want to pursue the case. An FIR for the alleged offences of cheating, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy was lodged against the woman on March 3 last year after a complaint was filed by Kumar at the Tilak Marg Police Station here. Kumar has alleged that the woman had defrauded him of Rs 50,000, which he claimed she took as part of a bribe, promising him a job at the Supreme Court. The woman was arrested by the police on March 10 last year and sent to judicial custody by a court here the next day. She was granted bail on March 12. The woman had in April last year sent a sworn affidavit to the residences of 22 apex court judges levelling allegations against CJI Gogoi. She claimed she was transferred and then terminated from service. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rama also expressed strong support to the efforts of the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, on Tuesday concluded a two-day visit to Ukraine, during which he called for strengthened efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis in and around Ukraine, which he cited as the most pressing challenge to the security and stability in Europe today. "Contributing to a peaceful resolution is an utmost priority of the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship in 2020. That is why I wanted to start my official visits with Ukraine, within my first month in the role," he said, the OSCE said in a press release. In Kyiv, on January 20, the Chairperson-in-Office met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko and Speaker of Parliament Dmytro Razumkov. Rama welcomed the decisive action undertaken by the Ukrainian leadership towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He committed to actively strive to ensure respect for OSCE principles and commitments and full implementation of the Minsk agreements by the sides. "Despite successive recommitments to the ceasefire, there are still frequent civilian casualties. This must stop. Our aim first and foremost - must be to ensure a full and sustainable ceasefire. In 2020, we will endeavour to improve the security situation and the daily lives of the people living in conflict-affected areas," he added. Read alsoDonbas war update: enemy employs proscribed weapons on Jan 21 After meetings in Kyiv, the Chairperson-in-Office visited eastern Ukraine on January 21, to gain first-hand experience of the security and humanitarian situation in the conflict-affected areas, and to observe the practical impact of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) on the ground. Visiting the repaired and reopened bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska, Rama called it "an excellent illustration of what political goodwill can achieve, and how improved security and the easing of people's hardship go hand in hand." Chairperson Rama added that "making a difference on the ground" will be a priority of the Albanian Chairmanship. "The SMM is also a standout example of how a difference is made, with hard work, day after day, by dedicated staff. We do not forget for an instant that the SMM staff are deployed in a volatile and unpredictable environment. We will, therefore, work to encourage safer and more secure access for the Mission throughout Ukraine," he said. Rama also expressed strong support to the efforts of the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG). "The resumption of dialogue and the outcomes of the Normandy summit are steps in the right direction. Nevertheless, there is much more to be done. It is a long road ahead to lasting peace. My Special Representative in Ukraine and in the TCG, Ambassador Heidi Grau, will be exploring how best to move the process forward," he said. The virus can cause coughing, fever, breathing difficulty and pneumonia (Michael Sohn/AP) The US has reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China. The Washington state resident, who returned last week from the outbreaks epicentre, was taken to hospital in good condition near Seattle. The man, identified only as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was not considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials said. The virus has infected about 300 people, all of whom had been in China, and killed six. The newly discovered virus can cause coughing, fever, breathing difficulty and pneumonia. Airports in the US and other countries have stepped up monitoring, checking passengers from China for signs of illness. Expand Close Airports are displaying notices explaining precautions to be taken by people traveling to Wuhan, China (Gregorio Borgia/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Airports are displaying notices explaining precautions to be taken by people traveling to Wuhan, China (Gregorio Borgia/AP) The US is the fifth country to report seeing the illness, following China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. Late last week, US health officials began screening passengers from Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak began, at three US airports New York Citys Kennedy airport and the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. On Tuesday, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it will add Chicagos OHare airport and Atlantas airport to the mix later this week. Officials will also begin forcing all passengers that originate in Wuhan to go to one of those five airports if they wish to enter the US. Officials around the world have implemented similar airport screenings in hopes of containing the virus during the busy Lunar New Year travel season. The US resident had no symptoms when he arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport last Wednesday, but he contacted doctors on Sunday when he started feeling ill, officials said. Expand Close A traveller passes through a health screening checkpoint at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (Emily Wang/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A traveller passes through a health screening checkpoint at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (Emily Wang/AP) Last month, doctors began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a food market in Wuhan. More than 275 cases of the newly identified coronavirus have been confirmed in China, most of them in Wuhan, according to the World Health Organisation. The count includes six deaths all in China, most of them age 60 or older, including at least some who had a previous medical condition. Officials have said it probably spread from animals to people, but this week Chinese officials said they have concluded it also can spread from person to person. Health authorities this month identified the germ behind the outbreak as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold; others found in bats, camels and other animals have evolved into more severe illnesses. Sars, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, belongs to the coronavirus family, but Chinese state media say the illness in Wuhan is different from coronaviruses that have been identified in the past. Earlier laboratory tests ruled out Sars and Mers Middle East respiratory syndrome as well as influenza, bird flu, adenovirus and other common lung-infecting germs. The new virus so far does not appear to be as deadly as Sars and Mers, but viruses can sometimes mutate to become more dangerous. University of Washington coronavirus researcher David Veesler said the public should not be panicking right now. The response has been very efficient, he said. In a couple of weeks, China was able to identify the virus, isolate it, sequence it and share that information. He added: We dont have enough data to judge how severe the disease is. The CDCs Dr Nancy Messonnier said health officials expected to see more cases in the US and around the world in the coming days. University of Chicago scientist Chuan He found evidence that RNA itself modulates how DNA is transcribedusing a chemical process that is increasingly apparent to be vital to biology. Credit: Shutterstock A group of University of Chicago scientists has uncovered a previously unknown way that our genes are made into reality. Rather than directions going one-way from DNA to RNA to proteins, the latest study shows that RNA itself modulates how DNA is transcribedusing a chemical process that is increasingly apparent to be vital to biology. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of human disease and drug design. "It appears to be a fundamental pathway we didn't know about. Anytime that happens, it holds promise to open up completely new directions of research and inquiry," said Prof. Chuan He, a world-renowned chemist. The human body is among the most complex pieces of machinery to exist. Every time you so much as scratch your nose, you're using more intricate engineering than any rocket ship or supercomputer ever designed. It's taken us centuries to deconstruct how this works, and each time someone discovers a new mechanism, a few more mysteries of human health make senseand new treatments become available. For example, in 2011, He opened a new avenue of research with his discovery of a particular process called reversible RNA methylation, which plays a critical role in how genes are expressed. The picture many of us remember learning in school is an orderly progression: DNA is transcribed into RNA, which then makes proteins that carry out the actual work of living cells. But it turns out there are a lot of wrinkles. He's team found that the molecules called messenger RNA, previously known as simple couriers that carry instructions from DNA to proteins, were actually making their own impacts on protein production. This is done by a reversible chemical reaction called methylation; He's key breakthrough was showing that this methylation was reversible. It wasn't a one-time, one-way transaction; it could be erased and reversed. "That discovery launched us into a modern era of RNA modification research, which has really exploded in the last few years," said He. "This is how so much of gene expression is critically affected. It impacts a wide range of biological processeslearning and memory, circadian rhythms, even something so fundamental as how a cell differentiates itself into, say, a blood cell versus a neuron." He's team also identified and characterized a number of "reader" proteins that recognize methylated mRNA and impact target mRNA stability and translation. But as He's lab worked with mice to understand the mechanisms, they began to see that messenger RNA methylation could not fully explain everything they observed. This was mirrored in other experiments. "The data coming out of the community was saying there's something else out there, something extremely important that we're missingthat critically impacts many early development events, as well as human diseases such as cancer," he said. He's team discovered that a group of RNAs called chromosome-associated regulatory RNAs, or carRNAs, was using the same methylation process, but these RNAs do not code proteins and are not directly involved in protein translation. Instead, they controlled how DNA itself was stored and transcribed. "This has major implications in basic biology," He said. "It directly affects gene transcriptions, and not just a few of them. It could induce global chromatin change and affects transcription of 6,000 genes in the cell line we studied." He sees major implications in biology, especially in human healtheverything from identifying the genetic basis of disease to better treating patients. "There are several biotech companies actively developing small molecule inhibitors of RNA methylation, but right now, even if we successfully develop therapies, we don't have a full mechanical picture for what's going on," he said. "This provides an enormous opportunity to help guide disease indication for testing inhibitors and suggest new opportunities for pharmaceuticals." Their breakthrough is only the beginning, He said. "I believe this represents a conceptual change," he said. "Barriers like these are hard to crack, but once you do, everything flows from there." Explore further Discovery enables clear identification of diseased beta cells in type 2 diabetes More information: Jun Liu et al, N6-methyladenosine of chromosome-associated regulatory RNA regulates chromatin state and transcription, Science (2020). Journal information: Science Jun Liu et al, N6-methyladenosine of chromosome-associated regulatory RNA regulates chromatin state and transcription,(2020). DOI: 10.1126/science.aay6018 Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:06:43|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Visitors pose for pictures with a greeting sign to celebrate the Year of the Rat in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 21, 2020. Israeli Ministry of Tourism announced on Monday that it has placed greeting signs in main tourist sites in honor of the coming Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that he has cleared his stand on the CAA-NRC while asserting that the assembly elections should not be fought on national issues. "We have always opposed the CAA-NRC issue, and voted against it in the Parliament as well, but I believe the Delhi elections will be fought on issues which affect the national capital," he said. He also urged people of Delhi, 'especially the workers of BJP and Congress to vote in favour of AAP in the upcoming Assembly elections'. "I want to appeal to the people of Delhi, especially those who belong to BJP, Congress and other parties, to vote in favour of AAP. This needs to be done because we have made the schools and hospitals efficient with much hard work, all that work should not be undone. Do not leave your parties but vote for AAP," Kejriwal told ANI here. He also said that his government has worked on different sectors during the last five years and are contesting these elections on the basis of that work. "Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contesting this election on the basis of the work we have done in the last five years. We worked really hard with honesty and dedication. I have worked like the eldest son of every family in Delhi," Kejriwal said. "Just like the eldest son of the family, I have taken care of all the needs of a family, be it education, health, electricity, or pilgrimage for the senior citizens," he added. Delhi, which has 70 seats, is slated to go to polls on February 8. The counting of votes will take place on February 11. (ANI) New Delhi: Vehicle registrations in the country declined 15 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 16.06 lakh units after two months of positive growth, data from Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) showed on Tuesday. FADA's statement said that it looks forward to demand spurring initiatives in the Union Budget 2020 and specific initiatives for the auto industry based on its feedback for the faster revival of much-needed sustainable growth. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present Budget 2020-21 in Parliament on February 1, 2020. A total of 16,06,002 vehicles were registered in December 2019, compared to 18,80,995 units during the same period of 2018. Registration of personal vehicles fell 9 per cent to 2,15,716 units last month, and that of commercial vehicles plunged 21 per cent to 67,793 units. In the two-wheeler segment, 12,64,169 vehicles were registered, which was 16 per cent lower than the 15,00,545 units registered a year ago, the FADA data showed. Commenting on the performance last month, FADA President Ashish Harsharaj Kale said: "December sales de-growth was not on expected lines as the inquiry levels all through the month were quite robust. Consumer sentiment continues to be very weak as customers did not conclude on the purchase even after taking the effort of inquiring and despite the best offers being available." "The sharp decline in growth has denied the dealer community an opportunity to reduce its BS-IV inventory, making the transition to BS-VI trickier", he said, adding that with such a weak consumer sentiment, FADA recommends a very cautious approach to its members with serious focus on BS-IV inventory liquidation. The FADA President also said that liquidity still remains a concern for the dealer community as well as for the retail customer as banking and finance industry continues to be in cautious mode despite sufficient liquidity being available. Russian airports have stepped up screening of travelers arriving from China to try to identify people infected with the new coronavirus, Trend reports citing Reuters. The World Health Organisation has said that the coronavirus outbreak, which the mayor of the Chinese city of Wuhan says has killed six people, was likely to spread. In Russia, at least four airports - Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo in Moscow, as well as airports in Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk - have introduced screening measures to try to identify infected passengers, Russian airport officials said. The virus was a threat to Russia, Deputy Health Minister Sergei Kraevoi was cited as saying by the RIA news agency. Russias consumer health regulator, Rospotrebnadzor, advised Russian tourists who planned to go to China to refrain from visiting Wuhan and to steer clear of zoos and of markets selling animals and seafood. The regulator said it could not rule out the possibility of the infection spreading to Russia, but evaluated the risk of a widespread outbreak in Russia as low, the Interfax news agency reported. It was also cited as saying that a testing system to diagnose the new coronavirus had been developed in Russia and that laboratories would start receiving it by the end of the week. San Francisco, Cairo: Two UN officials will report on Wednesday that there is enough evidence suggesting that Saudi Arabia had hacked Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos phone and both the kingdom and the United States should investigate, a person familiar with the matter said. The United Nations officials plan a public statement asserting that they found credible a forensic report commissioned by Bezos security team which concluded that his phone probably had been hacked with a tainted video sent from a WhatsApp account belonging to Saudis crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The report by FTI Consulting concluded that massive amounts of data began leaving Bezos phone about a month after the video was shared in mid-2018, the person said, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject. Outside experts consulted by the UN agreed that while the case was not airtight, the evidence was strong enough to warrant a fuller investigation. The report is set to worsen relations between the worlds richest man and the kingdom which had soured following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, who was also a columnist for the Bezos owned Washington Post. The Guardian first reported here the crown prince's alleged involvement. It said the encrypted message from the number used by the crown prince is believed to have included a malicious file that infiltrated the phone Bezos had used and extracted large amounts of data. Saudi Arabias US embassy dismissed the report. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out, it said in a message posted on Twitter. The UN statement will come from Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur for extra-judicial killings, and David Kaye, special rapporteur for free expression. They are building toward a fuller report they expect to give to the UN in June, the person said. They said in Twitter posts that they will be releasing a statement on Wednesday addressing the Guardian report. Amazon declined to comment. The relationship between the Amazon chief executive and the Saudi government had soured since early last year after he alluded to Saudi Arabias displeasure at the Washington Posts coverage of the murder of Khashoggi. Bezos security chief said at the time that Saudi had access to his phone and gained private information from it involving text messages between him and a former television anchor, who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said Bezos was dating. Saudi had said it had nothing to do with the reporting. Gritty poses for a picture with Brandon Greenwell (left) and his father, Chris, during a Nov. 19 event at the Wells Fargo Center. Chris Greenwell claims Gritty punched Brandon in the back after the picture was taken, though Comcast Spectacor says there is no video footage of the incident. Read more Chris Greenwell took his boy Brandon to the Wells Fargo Center one night in November to meet the most famous person on the Philadelphia Flyers payroll: Gritty. The Flyers had invited Greenwell and his 13-year-old son to get a photo and some face time with the fuzzy, googly-eyed mascot, all part of an exclusive event for season ticket-holders. But after waiting in line for about an hour behind dozens of fans to get to Gritty, something shocking happened, according to Greenwell. Gritty punched Brandon in the back, Greenwell claims. In Greenwells telling, Brandon playfully patted the mascot on the head after the photo was taken. As Brandon walked away, Gritty got out of his chair, took a running start," and punched my son as hard as he could," Greenwell said Wednesday. Officials at Comcast Spectacor, the company that owns the Flyers, told Greenwell there is no video footage of the incident because the cameras in that area of the center are focused on other locations, according to emails between Greenwell and officials. The company declined to identify who was playing Gritty that day. It said it conducted an investigation that included interviews with that person and couldnt verify Greenwells account. We took Mr. Greenwells allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim, a Flyers spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Greenwell said he took his son to see a chiropractor about a week after the incident. The chiropractor noted that Brandon suffered from mild pain, and diagnosed him with a back bruise, or a contusion to lower thoracic spine with subluxation, according to documents from the chiropractor, provided by Greenwell. The dispute has crossed from he-said, Gritty-said into the realm of law enforcement. About a month after the alleged punch, as Comcast Spectacor and Greenwell couldnt come to an agreement, Greenwell reported the incident to Philadelphia police. The matter is being investigated by South Detectives Division. A police spokesperson on Tuesday described the case as an alleged "physical assault that occurred during a photo shoot with 13 year old white male and Flyers mascot Gritty. The investigation is active and on-going, police said. For the Flyers, the Nov. 19 photo shoot was a chance to reward their loyal fans who pay thousands of dollars a year to support a team that hasnt won a playoff series since 2012. For Greenwell, it was an opportunity for his son to meet Gritty, who was introduced in 2018 and described by the Flyers as someone with bully tendencies. Instead, Greenwell, 46, of Newark, Del., said hes dumping his season tickets after 22 years. After the alleged punch, Greenwell emailed officials at Comcast Spectacor, first complaining of the lousy picture with the mascot who didnt look at the camera. Then he raised the more serious and disappointing concern. I know it was not correct for my son to harmlessly tap him on his head but for a Flyers employee to get [sic] throw a full punch at someone with his back turned and hurt a 13 year old boy is assault, unprofessional and unacceptable for your organization, he wrote. Comcast Spectacor officials said there was no proof that Gritty hit the boy, but offered special perks to make up for the bad experience. Greenwell suggested the Flyers show his son on the giant scoreboard or let him into the locker room to meet players and get autographs. The company offered to sit Brandon on the players bench during warm-ups before a future game. I have investigated your allegations and cannot identify anyone who witnessed the incident as you described it, wrote Laurie Kleinman, vice president of risk management at Comcast Spectacor, in a Dec. 5 email to Greenwell. It is unfortunate that you and your son had a bad experience at our Gritty Photo Event. Therefore, we are offering an opportunity to discuss a creative way to restore your sons love of the Philadelphia Flyers. The email exchange soured when Greenwell and Kleinman disagreed on what was said during a December phone call. Greenwell claimed Kleinman told him that Gritty admitted he hit Brandon. Kleinman denied saying that. At no time did I state that one of my colleagues hit your son," Kleinman replied in a Dec. 23 email. Gritty, however, recalls being hit on the head repeatedly by someone during one of the earlier photo shoots. Weeks before speaking to the Inquirer, Greenwell wrote about the incident in Flyers fan Facebook groups. Philadelphia mascots are no strangers to allegations of physical attacks. The Phillie Phanatic was dubbed the most-sued mascot in the majors in a 2002 study published in Cardozo Law Review. Claims against the Phanatic have ranged from injuring a womans knees while climbing through the stands to hugging someone too hard, The Inquirer has reported. Greenwell said he hasnt hired a lawyer, adding that all he wanted was an apology and something special for his son. He filed the complaint with police Dec. 21. A police spokesperson said there are no other open, or closed, investigations into alleged assaults by Gritty. (Newser) The discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ children is now banned in Utah, making it the 19th state and one of the most conservative to prohibit it. Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity, and many people who have been through it say it deepened feelings of depression and increased thoughts of suicide. The change in Utah comes after the state hammered out a regulatory rule that had the support of the influential Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leaders got on board with it after supporters included assurances that church leaders and members who are therapists would be allowed to provide spiritual counseling for parishioners or families, reports the AP. story continues below The original sponsor of the proposal, GOP Utah Rep. Craig Hall, applauded the rule going into effect, saying in a statement that "this measure will truly save lives." Still, the ban has drawn pushback in Utah. Opponents argued it would prevent parents from getting help for children with "unwanted" gay feelings and keep therapists from even talking about sexuality with their kids. The rule could become an issue during the 2020 legislative session. Supporters navigated a winding path to passage and some dissent remains, but barring it in Utah could give a boost to similar efforts in other right-leaning states, said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Virginia is considering a ban, and the issue could also come up in this year in Texas and Kentucky, he said. (Also in Utah this week: BYU lifted one very specific ban on same-sex couples.) Fairway Market, the nearly century-old supermarket chain that is a New York institution, is known for its hard-to-find global offerings, low prices and no-frills demeanor. It has also been regularly dogged by speculation of its financial health. On Thursday, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection just under four years after declaring bankruptcy and receiving financing from Blackstone, the private equity firm. The company filed papers saying that it had accepted an initial bid from Village Super Market to buy as many as five Fairway stores in New York and its distribution center for about $70 million. But the deal was described as a stalking horse agreement, meaning other businesses may bid for the properties. Village Super Market runs about 30 stores in the northeastern United States, including ShopRite supermarkets and Gourmet Garage outlets. The trustees are just doing their job to try to make sure that the taxpayers in Dixmoor are not taken advantage of and, as a result of them doing their job and being ethical, our complaint alleges that they were retaliated against and intimidated into not doing their jobs, said Richard Dvorak, an attorney for the two trustees. The China-Italy year of culture and tourism kicked off with an official ceremony at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, a multicultural complex, in the Italian capital on Tuesday, gathering high-level officials and operators from both countries, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The year-long initiative marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between Rome and Beijing. Speaking at the opening forum on international tourism cooperation, Italian Minister for Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini stressed that for both Italy and China, culture and tourism were "deeply interlaced." "Our cultural heritage is so immense, in fact, that it is clearly hard for both of us to separate what we do in one sector from what we do in the other," said the Italian minister. Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang recalled the historical ties between the two countries centuries ago, when western travelers -- such as Marco Polo and priest Matteo Ricci -- travelled through Asia along the ancient Silk Road to China. "We represent two different civilizations that have relations since ancient times, and, in this historic framework, the Silk Road has provided us a hint that is still valid today," the Chinese minister told the forum. A wide range of cross-cultural events are expected to be held in both countries during the China-Italy year of culture and tourism, according to a statement by Italy's Culture Ministry. Italian authorities also said in the statement that the bilateral cooperation would stretch out to co-productions in cinema, opera, and theatre after 2020. A photo exhibition showing some of the best UNESCO sites in both countries was also held at the Auditorium Parco della Musica on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: Rohingya refugees gather to mark the second anniversary of the exodus at the Kutupalong camp in Coxs Bazar By Thu Thu Aung and Poppy McPherson YANGON/21 (Reuters) - A government-appointed panel established in Myanmar to probe allegations of abuses in Rakhine state in 2017 that drew global outrage said on Monday they had found no evidence of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine state during weeks of brutal violence, during which the United Nations says gang rapes and mass killings were carried out with "genocidal intent". Hundreds of villages were burned to the ground and later razed and scraped. Although the panel acknowledged "war crimes" had taken place, rights groups and Rohingya leaders dismissed the report as a "whitewash" days ahead of an expected ruling by the U.N's highest court on a genocide case against the country. The commission of inquiry said there were "reasonable grounds" to conclude members of the security forces among "multiple actors" were responsible for possible war crimes and serious human rights violations during a military-led crackdown against the group in 2017. These included the "killing of innocent villagers and destruction of their homes", it said. But in its statement, issued to mark the finalization of a full report based on interviews with villagers and members of the security forces, the panel blamed Rohingya militants for attacking 30 police posts and "provoking" the crackdown and described the situation as an "internal armed conflict". "The ICOE has not found any evidence suggesting that these killings or acts of displacement were committed pursuant to an intent or plan to destroy the Muslim or any other community in northern Rakhine State," the panels statement read. "There is insufficient evidence to argue, much less conclude, that the crimes committed were undertaken with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, or with any other requisite mental state for the international crime of genocide." Story continues Myanmar President Win Myint said in a statement on Tuesday the government "concurred" with the findings of the commission and vowed to pursue further investigations, specifically into alleged crimes by civilians and Rohingya militants. He said he had given the report to the army chief, so that the military might extend ongoing investigations, he said, adding that the executive summary would be made public. The army began a rare trial in November of soldiers and officers from a regiment deployed to Gu Dar Pyin village, the site of an alleged massacre of Rohingya. Two spokesmen for the military could not be reached for comment by Reuters. In Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who fled Myanmar have taken refuge, a Rohingya leader, Dil Mohammed, described the report as a whitewash. "We have been persecuted for decades. So many of our people were killed, our women were raped, our children were thrown into fire and our homes were torched. If it is not genocide, what is it?" he said. The International Court of Justice, the highest U.N. court, will this week issue a decision on a request for emergency measures in a genocide case against the country. Gambia filed the suit in November alleging Myanmar was committing "an ongoing genocide" against the Rohingya. The commission of enquiry was formed in 2018 as the country faced growing calls for accountability. The government appointed two local and two international members Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo and Kenzo Oshima, a former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations. Myanmar says the international efforts violate its sovereignty and has vowed to carry out its own investigations into the allegations. But few have been punished so far. Seven soldiers jailed for 10 years for killing 10 Rohingya men and boys in the village of Inn Din were granted early release last November, after serving less than a year in prison. "The problem is, according to Myanmar's constitution, the military is the only institution that can investigate its own members for breaches of military discipline," Maung Maung Soe, a political analyst based in the commercial capital of Yangon, told Reuters. "We will be able to solve this problem only if a court martial seriously engages and takes specific actions on those who committed war crimes." (Reporting by Poppy Elena McPherson and Thu Thu Aung, Additional reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Editing by William Maclean & Simon Cameron-Moore) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys export of steel and cement to Georgia from January through December 2019 amounted to $178.4 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 21. During this period, Turkeys export of steel to Georgia dropped by 1.6 percent compared to the same period of 2018, and amounted to $125.7 million. Turkeys export of cement to Georgia increased by 17.2 percent, reaching $52.6 million. In December 2019, Turkeys export of steel to Georgia increased by 8.4 percent, compared to December 2018, amounting to $10.7 million. In this month, Turkeys export of cement to Georgia increased by 80.6 percent compared to the same month of 2018, and reached $5.8 million. Export of steel from Turkey dropped by 10.6 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, amounting to $13.8 billion. Meanwhile, Turkeys export of cement increased by 17.8 percent, exceeding $3.5 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell demonstrated his hold over his flock as the amendments were swiftly voted down along party lines, with all the 53 Republicans voting against the amendments and for the rules he proposed, while the votes of the 45 Democrats and the two independents were the reverse. At the trial that began on Tuesday afternoon under the presidency of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, the acrimonious partisanship was on full display as the Senate tried to set the stage for the trial Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump was 6,500 kilometres away in Davos hobnobbing with the world's elite at the World Economic Forum when in Washington he became only the third of the 45 presidents in the nation's 243-year history to go on trial before the Senate after an impeachment by the House of Representatives. There he repeated his denunciation of the impeachment as a "joke" and a "hoax", and turned attention to the economic successes of his presidency that he said made the American dream "bigger better and stronger." The Senators, who are the jurors in the trial, sat through the eleven-and-a-half-hour session with a dinner break, virtually chained to their desks deprived of their mobile phones, tablets and computers and ordered to stay silent like jurors in a courtroom. After the prosecutors and the Trump defence team complete the 24 hours of arguments for each side spread over three days each, the Senators have 16 hours to question them - but they can't do it directly and have to route them through the Chief Justice. They will vote at the end of the trial to either convict or acquit Trump. A two-thirds vote is required to convict and remove him from office - which makes his conviction unlikely and reduces the trial and the three months of the secret and public impeachment hearings and investigations to a catharsis for the Democrats smarting from the party's defeat by Trump in 2016. They also see the impeachment and the trial as an opportunity to publicly shame Trump and turn voters against him in the November election. Trump and the Republicans want a quick trial that would end before the February 3 State of the Union address he is scheduled to deliver. The trial is already taking a toll on the three serious contenders for the Democratic Party presidential nomination - Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, who are trapped in the trial while rivals campaign in Iowa, the first state where the party members will select their candidate on February 3. McConnell and Trump's lawyers clashed with the Democratic prosecutors from the House of Representatives throughout the sitting that went on for about eleven-and-a-half hours, bringing a reprimand from Roberts at one point. After one of the prosecutors, House Judicial Committee chair Jerry Nadler accused the Republicans of helping Trump cover up his wrongdoings, Trump's lawyer Pat Cippilone retorted that he should be embarrassed by the way he spoke to Senators. Roberts told them sternly that they should avoid "language that is not conducive to civil discourse" in the "world's deliberative body." The Democrats had wanted the Senate resolution laying down the rules to say that witnesses should be called and new evidence requisitioned. The series of defeated amendments listed some of the witnesses like former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Trump's acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney as well as documents. They may still get to call witnesses as the procedures leave room for it - if a majority of Senators agree - after the initial arguments and questioning are over. Some Republican Senators have shown an inclination to agreeing to calling witnesses and under pressure from them, McConnell agreed to allow three days instead of two days for each side to mount their arguments and to allow evidence from the House proceedings to be admitted at the trial. Trump wants former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who are at the root of the charges against Trump to testify. House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff, who is acting as the lead prosecutor, acknowledged that Hunter Biden may get called in a Republican attempt to smear his father and to try to forestall it moved the last of the failed amendments that would have empowered Roberts to veto such a request. The charges against Trump stem from a request he made during a phone call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelentsky to investigate the Bidens' activities in that country. Democrats allege that Trump abused his power by making the request and delaying nearly half-a-million dollars in military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelentsky and it amounted to inviting foreign interference in US elections because Joe Biden is a leading candidate for the Democratic Party nomination to run against Trump in the November election. Zelentsky has said that he did not face any pressure and Trump and the Republicans say that there has been no probe and the aid has been released after ascertaining that the new government was against corruption. Hunter Biden with no energy business experience was made director of an Ukrainian gas company with monthly payments of $83,000 and the former vice president had the prosecutor looking into that company removed alleging he was corrupt. The Senate had acquitted the two presidents it had tried after the House impeachment, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. The trial of Trump is a payback by the Democrats for the humiliation of Clinton and there were frequent references to it during the arguments over the trial rules. The Republicans often cited the precedents from the Clinton trial on procedural matters, especially against the calling of witnesses. Senate Democratic Party leader Chuck Schumer said the rules proposed by McConnell to bar witnesses and new evidence "will result in a rushed trial with little evidence in the dark of night." McConnell pointed out that the Republicans were not allowed to call their witnesses during the impeachment proceedings in the House. The prosecutors used the arguments on the procedures and witnesses to rehash their allegations about Trump endangering the Constitution and the nation made during the impeachment process and in public forums. Cipollone questioned the motives of the Democrats in launching the impeachment. He said, "A partisan impeachment is like stealing an election....They want to remove Trump from the ballot, but they don't have the guts to tell you that." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) The family of a London teenager found dead after she disappeared from a Malaysian nature resort last year is suing the site's owner for alleged negligence and has urged the government to hold an inquest to determine what happened to her. Nora Anne Quoirin's disappearance from her family's cottage at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 last year sparked a massive search operation. Her naked body was discovered on August 13 beside a small stream about 1.6 miles from the resort. Police have said there was no sign the 15-year-old had been abducted or raped, with a preliminary post-mortem investigation showing that she succumbed to intestinal bleeding due to starvation and stress. Nora Anne Quoirin's disappearance from her family's cottage at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 last year sparked a massive search operation Sankara Nair, a lawyer for Nora's parents Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin, said the family strongly believed Nora was abducted as she has mental and physical disabilities and could not have wandered off on her own. The lawsuit says a cottage window was found ajar, with its latch broken, on the morning she disappeared. The resort gate was left open at all times without any security and there was no surveillance camera except for the reception area, the legal papers said. Nora had poor motor skills and needed help to walk, and her mental age was about five or six years old, her parents said in the claim. PRESS RELEASE - NORA QUOIRIN FRENCH DEPUTIES CALL FOR ACTION pic.twitter.com/W8zy5dvzLV LBT Global (@LBT_Global) January 15, 2020 Mr Sankara said outside a court in Negeri Sembilan after a procedural session on the case: 'The place was not safe for the child because of the negligence anybody could have come in and taken the child.' Nora's French-Irish parents are seeking more than 180,000 ringgit (34,000) over losses, bereavement costs and damages for pain and suffering from the resort owner, Helen Marion Todd. Ms Todd's lawyers were not immediately available for comment. Mr Sankara said the family has asked Malaysia's attorney-general to launch an inquest because the post-mortem inquiry would not include what happened to Nora before her death. Police have said a complete post-mortem report will be released soon. Noras mother, Meabh Quoirin. The family are now suing the nature resort's owner Nora's parents previously said they were shocked when Malaysian prosecutors classified Nora's death as requiring 'no further action' based on the preliminary coroner's report, essentially ruling out any inquest. They said the move could prevent justice being done. In a statement issued by the Lucie Blackman Trust, a charity which helps British families in crisis overseas, the parents said: 'It is crucial to understand how Nora came to be found where she was. As a vulnerable child, with significant physical and mental challenges, we strongly refute any conclusion that Nora was alone for the entire duration of her disappearance. 'We have repeatedly asked the police to clarify answers to our questions in this regard and we have been repeatedly ignored.' French President Emmanuel Macron met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday, ahead of a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The main ceremony is at the World Holocaust Forum on Thursday, in which dozens of world leaders will arrive in Jerusalem for the largest-ever gathering focused on commemorating the genocide and combating modern-day anti-Semitism. Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UK's Prince Charles and the presidents of Germany, Italy and Austria are among the more than 40 dignitaries who will be attending the event. The HSE is advising anyone born after 1979 to get the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) to combat the sharp rise in mumps cases. Dr Suzanne Cotter, public health specialist at the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre told Newstalk Breakfast that while a free dose of the MMR vaccine is being offered to anyone between the ages of 11 and 30 as part of a HSE initiative to counter the sharp rise in mumps cases, people of any age can contract the illness. Following a decline in vaccinations in the early 2000s there has been an increase in mumps cases in two age groups, she said. Those aged 15-19 and 20-24. Most of those who recently contracted mumps are aged 19 and have just started third level education. Part of the problem is that many do not know their vaccination record. Many parents stopped vaccinating their children following an unfounded scare in the early 2000s, explained Dr Cotter. If you have #mumps symptoms you should stay at home, not go to school or work and phone your GP and explain that you may have mumps. pic.twitter.com/7yfa2kcSTo HSE Ireland (@HSELive) January 19, 2020 She urged people, especially students, to go to their GP or student health centre to get a free vaccination. On being asked about incidents where people contracted mumps even though they had taken the vaccine, Dr Cotter acknowledged that it is not 100 per cent effective. If you have the two doses, it is 88 per cent effective. Some may still get mumps, but the majority will not get the mumps. "The international evidence is that you are less likely to get a serious disease if you are vaccinated. Cases of the mumps are not confined to the 11-30 age group, said Dr Cotter. There have been incidents of people in their 80s with mumps. Anyone born since 1979 who was not vaccinated should consider getting the MMR vaccine now, she said. [January 22, 2020] Butler/Till Announces New President and Chief Executive Officer; Focuses on Explosive Growth to Meet Digital Marketing Demands ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Butler/Till , a women-owned, employee-owned, results-driven media and communications agency and one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States, today announced the appointment of Kimberly Jones as President and CEO. The appointment reflects Butler/Till's continued commitment to sustaining impressive growth amidst a rapidly changing and uber competitive marketing industry. "Kimberly's passion and proven track record make her the ideal candidate to guide Butler/Till through its evolution as a modern marketing agency well poised to solve its clients' most vexing problems," said Tracy Till, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Butler/Till. "Today's businesses demand specialized marketing expertise and technology know-how and their success depends on agile business practices that can keep up with the lightning fast speed of change. Under Kimberly's leadership, Butler/Till will continue to meet those needs, delivering game-changing results." "I am honored to lead Butler/Till into a new decade of marketing services, and I am fully committed to this organization's team of creative, entrepreneurial professionals," said Jones. "We have an exciting year ahead, as we break ground on our new headquarters in Rochester, New York, and expand our national reach, continuing to embrace innovation and leverage our unique skill sets to create award-winning work." Kimberly Jones, Butler/Till's New President and CEO Jones has worked with Butler/Till for the past 10 years, serving as president since 2015 and prior to that as vice president of client services. As a member of Butler/Till's leadership team and one of its first employees, Jones has layed a significant role in the company's growth. The progressive agency offers marketing services across digital, social, traditional, and experiential platforms and is one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States, earning placement on the Inc. 5000 for seven consecutive years. Under Jones' leadership, Butler/Till has reached impressive milestones, including: A diverse supplier as a women-owned enterprise, and a certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) Explosive growth to more than 170 employees more than 65 percent femaledespite a highly competitive talent market. Butler/Till is headquartered in Rochester, New York with an office in New York City with an office in Key partnerships with Google, MediaMath, Healthline, and WebMD Transition to a 100 percent employee-owned, certified B Corporation with humanitarian efforts, including community volunteer time-off, a company matching gifts program, annual humanitarian trips, and a commitment to environmental stewardship Twenty percent revenue increase year-over-year Significant infrastructure investment and business shift to revamp workflows and embrace data to reveal new opportunities Passionate ownership culture that reduces turnover, increases productivity, and maximizes results Looking Ahead: New Headquarters and More This year, construction will begin on Butler/Till's new headquarters in downtown Rochester. The agency also plans to double the number of employees at its New York City location to accommodate continued growth in the healthcare industry, specifically in what has become known as the Pharma Corridor in nearby New Jersey. It will also continue to build its distributed workforce, eradicating geographical barriers as part of its commitment to securing top talent. Under Jones' leadership, Butler/Till will continue to build its expertise to keep pace with changing platforms, leverage new technologies, and strengthen its client roster that includes companies in healthcare/pharmaceuticals, finance, energy, and retail. It will also continue to build its strategic partnerships with Google, MediaMath, Healthline, and WebMD. About Butler/Till Established by marketing entrepreneurs Sue Butler and Tracy Till in 1998, Butler/Till is a women-owned, 100% employee-owned, results-driven media and communications agency. It's built on a passionate, collaborative ownership culture that reduces turnover, increases productivity, and greatly improves results. A Certified B Corporation, Butler/Till meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Specialties include media planning and buying; online, consumer, B2B, non-traditional, social, and conversational media; media audits; media research; digital marketing; branding; SEO; content marketing; video production; and media strategy. For more information, visit https://www.butlertill.com/ . Media Contact Shannon Wojcik 585-831-6267 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/butlertill-announces-new-president-and-chief-executive-officer-focuses-on-explosive-growth-to-meet-digital-marketing-demands-300990992.html SOURCE Butler/Till [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Customers' choice: People should buy the cars that meet their needs Toyota is accused of being 'disingenuous' in what it is saying about hybrid vehicles. The charge is made by keen rival Hyundai in a no-holds-barred public row. In an interview with Independent Motors, Hyundai's chief executive claims Toyota is stretching credulity by calling its cars 'self-charging'. Hyundai Ireland boss Stephen Gleeson reacted strongly to a number of claims made by Toyota CEO Steve Tormey in an interview in these pages last week. Mr Gleeson took serious issue with the claim that electric cars (EVs) - which Toyota does not stock - are responsible for accumulated emissions of 70g/km due to the fossil-fuel nature of their power. I understood that to mean that their batteries are charged with electricity derived from coal etc. Mr Gleeson pointed to the fact that petrol engines - for hybrid vehicles - also create emissions in their manufacture and transport to market. "Their argument is completely disingenuous. "The point about emissions is very misleading," he said. Clearly riled, he went on: "A hybrid Toyota is a petrol car with an electric motor. "This 'self-charging' stuff is technically true but the implication is almost that it doesn't need an engine. "If it's self-charging why does it need an engine? "You don't have to plug in a diesel or petrol. So saying so (that it is self-charging) is disingenuous." And he claimed that many people are coming back with their hybrids to trade back in against diesel or petrol cars because they are not getting the fuel consumption they expected. He emphasised that he believed people are disappointed with the sort of return they are getting in real-world driving. He said Hyundai's Kona hybrid models, for example, are selling well "but we will definitely be selling plenty of diesel and petrol cars too". "I just think people believe hybrids are the answer and they are not," Mr Gleeson said. "Let's not forget Toyota only have hybrids to sell." He claimed it was a "very good idea" for the Government to take away the 1,500 grant from hybrids in the last Budget. "The Government took away 1,500 in grants. The price remained the same. "Removing the grants was a very good idea," he added. On the other side, the Budget loss of the 3,800 grant for business EVs has hit sales hard, he claimed, and it is hurting sales of EVs to companies in particular. But he kept coming back to the debate around hybrids. "The thing is that hybrids are just as bad on emissions. Go out on the open road with them (and consumption suffers)," he said. "Hybrids will not get the figures down to 50g (a pending target for automakers' average emissions). "Their (hybrids) consumption is only 15pc to 20ps better than your petrol car based on combined usage." He said customers need to be given a choice of what car suits them best. "We'll (Hyundai) sell you anything you want: petrol, diesels," he continued. "But we should remember that (any vehicles using) petrol and diesel have emissions and only EVs have zero." He agreed that hybrids are one of the solutions, but stressed: "Electric vehicles are the solution (to zero emissions)." Mr Gleeson said last week's interview was favourable towards Toyota and was part of a 'PR offensive' to push hybrids. This was not the case. I interviewed Mr Tormey and put context to his answers. I reported his claims and arguments. I did so in the same way I have just reported Mr Gleeson's claims and arguments as part of a public debate. Most people agree there is a lot of confusion in the marketplace about what fuel type suits particular drivers, something to which Mr Tormey alluded in the course of last week's interview. Let us know what you think? Email: ecunningham@independent.ie Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz would not rule out deploying Chinese technology group Huawei's equipment in building his country's future 5G networks, but said that Austria would work with its European Union (EU) partners on a decision. "We want to be technology-neutral while guaranteeing maximum security," he said when asked about his government's attitude towards Huawei on Monday. "We are acting in close coordination with our European partners and also with the European Commission." The expansion of the particularly powerful 5G network is making further progress in Austria. After mobile network providers Magenta and 3, A1 Telekom Austria has also started to operate its 5G network. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with CEO of Qatar Investment Authority Mansoor Bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The sides discussed the recent effective visits of the Armenian President to the State of Qatar and the agreements reached, stating that the opening of Armenias Embassy in Qatar, the abolishment of visa regime, as well as the presence of direct air communication are good preconditions for boosting the business ties between the two countries. They talked about the cooperation directions and implementation opportunities of investment programs, in particular considering healthcare, science, education, technologies, food safety, tourism as prospective fields. The QIA is implementing investment programs both inside and outside the country. The volume of assets managed by the QIA amounts to nearly 335 billion USD. The QIA CEO said they are interested in developing the economic ties with Armenia and are ready to cooperate with the countrys respective structures. The QIA was founded by the State of Qatar in 2005 to strengthen the country's economy by diversifying into new asset classes. Headquartered in Doha, the QIA is structured to operate at the very highest levels of global investing. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has decried the refusal of the United Kingdom (UK), to extradite former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, to face trial for alleged money laundering in Nigeria. Magu stated this on Monday, January 20, 2020, while receiving the Institution of the Decade award on behalf of the EFCC at the awards ceremony organised by Thisday Newspaper to mark its 25th anniversary at the Eko Hotels and Suits, Victoria Island, Lagos. The EFCC boss disclosed that the Commission had sufficient evidence to prosecute Allison-Madueke for the alleged financial malfeasance she committed while in office. The looted funds, traced to Allison-Madueke and others, he noted, could be used to keep the wheel of the nations economy rolling if recovered. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Digital de-ageing: from The Irishmans Robert De Niro to Samuel L Jackson in Captain Marvel, how the tech is reaching new levels SCMP. I watched The Irishman on Netflix recently, and can recommend it. But it was disconcerting to watch a blue-eyed Robert DeNiro. Mexico butterfly conservationists disappearance sparks alarm BBC (david l) Theres been a huge spike in one of the worlds most potent greenhouse gases MIT Technology Review (UserFriendly) Netflix, Iran and the Documentary as Geopolitical Weapon FAIR (UserFriendly) Report: Bezos phone uploaded GBs of personal data after getting Saudi princes WhatsApp message Ars Technica. Not a good week for Jeff Bezos. First the India diss, and now this. And see Bezos hack: UN to address alleged Saudi hacking of Amazon bosss phone Guardian Claws out! Why cats are causing chaos and controversy across Britain. Guardian Im not a cat person hard to be when Im violently allergic to them. But I know many readers love cats. So I guess Im posting this links at my peril. Class Warfare Greenwald Syraqistan Waste Watch India China? 2020 New Cold War Impeachment Health Care Davos Architect of C.I.A. Interrogation Program Testifies at Guantanamo Bay NYT Trump Transition Antidote du Jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Charles "Chase" Merritt, who was convicted of murdering the McStay family of four of Fallbrook, Calif., speaks to the judge before his sentencing at San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino on Jan. 21, 2020. (Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) California Man Sentenced to Death for Killing Family of 4 LOS ANGELES A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert. Charles Chase Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStays wife, Summer, and their 4-year-old and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. Their bodies were not found until 2013 when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert. Merritt was arrested the following year. Tracy Russell, sister of Summer McStay, center, gets emotional as she reads her victim-impact statement during the sentencing hearing of Charles Chase Merritt, who was convicted of murdering the McStay family of four of Fallbrook, at San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino, Calif., on Jan. 21, 2020. (Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith upheld the jurys recommendation of death following a two-day sentencing hearing that included a flurry of last-minute motions from Merritt and his lawyer, who accused prosecutors of misconduct, Merritts earlier attorneys of incompetence and, on Tuesday, tried to remove the judge himself from the case. All of the motions were denied. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStays mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who continued to maintain his innocence, I loved Joseph, he said, his voice shaking a times. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. I would never have hurt him in any way. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. I did not do this thing. Merritt lashed out at prosecutors he said framed him, some witnesses he accused of lying and the judge he said allowed it to happen. The victims family members, meanwhile, dismissed Merritt as, in the words of McStays mother, Susan Blake, a despicable, evil monster. How could you beat two precious little babies? How scared were they, Chase? Crying for Mommy and Daddy? Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. Prosecutors told jurors Merritt killed the family after learning McStay was cutting him out of his business making and selling custom water fountains. Charles Chase Merritt, who was convicted of murdering the McStay family of four wipes tears away after reading a statement during his sentencing hearing at San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino, Calif., on Jan. 21, 2020. (Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) They said McStay told friends Merritt was doing shoddy work and pilfering money from him. Prosecutors eventually discovered that about the time the family vanished thousands of dollars in checks allegedly from McStay to Merritt had been written and cashed. Investigators said they also traced Merritts cellphone to the area where the bodies were buried in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStays online bookkeeping account. Smith ordered Merritt transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Gov. Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while hes in office. By John Rogers Kansas City Snow Planning KCMO.gov - City of Kansas City, MO Last Updated 1/21/2020 at 3:00 p.m. Forecast: Light snow Wednesday morning transitioning into intermittent rain until Thursday evening. High temperatures should result in minimal accumulation on pavement. Thursday night into Friday morning may see a refreeze or a transition to light snow. Kansas City Mass Shooting Hero Cared For Victims At Scene Man carries 2 nightclub shooting victims to safety GRANDVIEW, Mo. - As many as six victims remain hospitalized following the shooting Sunday at 9ine Ultra Lounge in Kansas City, Missouri. And the man who tended to two women who were shot that night hopes to reconnect with them. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/man-carries-2-nightclub-shooting-victims-to-safety KCPS Granted Cash For Trauma KCPS receives $2.59 million grant to expand trauma-informed school model Elizabeth Orosco Northeast News To meet the growing need of addressing childhood trauma in the classroom, Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) received a $2.59 million grant to provide trauma-specific support and resources to students. The grant, provided through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), is the largest grant the district has received under the leadership of KCPS Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell. Meth Town Debates Future Independence council candidates spar over industrial development, direction of City Hall City budget priorities, business retention and development in the Little Blue Valley netted plenty of questions and answers during Tuesday's Independence City Council District 3 candidate forum. Ken Love, Celeste Matthys, Dan O'Neill and Michael Steinmeyer are vying for the seat held by Scott Roberson, who elected not to run for re-election after six years representing the southeast portion of the city. Reprting Hotness Why You Need To Look Out For Alexis Ren In 2020 The new decade is basically here and Alexis Ren is the dynamic star to know. Social media may have been how she got her big break in modeling, but since then, she's worked hard to make the most out of her career. Impeachment Push Back Schiff, on floor at Senate impeachment trial, quietly fumes at Trump lawyers' allegations President Trump's lawyers invoked Rep. Adam Schiff's name over and over again on Tuesday, accusing him of hiding documents, conducting an unfair impeachment inquiry and fabricating the text of the July 25 phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine. Mexicans Save USA From Another Immigrant Caravan Mexico halts migrant caravan, deports hundreds to Honduras MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's government said on Tuesday that it largely halted a caravan of undocumented Central Americans migrants who waded across a river into Mexico, and says others who attempt to enter the country illegally will face the same consequences. Prez Trump Vs. Doom Trump decries climate 'prophets of doom' US President Donald Trump has decried climate "prophets of doom" in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where sustainability is the main theme. He called for a rejection of "predictions of the apocalypse" and said America would defend its economy. Kansas City Dancing Classy KC Ballet To Perform SWAN LAKE Next Month The 2019-2020 Season continues with the highly anticipated return of record-breaking and critically acclaimed Swan Lake. It features choreography by Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director Devon Carney after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Super Bowl Mistakes Abound Blue Springs couple, two diehard Chiefs fans, getting married on Super Bowl Sunday BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. -- The stage is set for one metro couple's wedding, which happens to be on Super Bowl Sunday. "I've had a lot of people asking me if there's a crash list," Robert Walkowiak said laughing. Their wedding has been a year in the making. Big Game Fashion Debut Chiefs to wear home uniforms in Super Bowl LIV When the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers go on the field for Super Bowl LIV in Miami on February 2nd, they will be wearing home uniforms - just as they did when they won Super Bowl IV 50 years ago. Kansas City Ice Storm Starts Your StormTrack5 Daily Forecast Skies will quickly become overcast this evening while a steady and at times brisk south to southeast wind blows in. A few flurries or light snow will develop late in the evening but if you are back inside by midnight you will likely avoid any impact from the snow. We start the morning inspired byalong with community news, pop culture and a few more interesting items we've found along with way . . . Mac Miller - Circles is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . Flash At the invitation of Guy Parmelin, vice president of the Swiss Confederation, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng visited Switzerland from Monday to Tuesday. Han met with Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation, and held talks with Parmelin. He also took part in the China-Switzerland "Belt and Road" capacity building forum. During his visit, Han recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Swiss leaders agreed in 2016 on forging an innovative strategic partnership between the two countries, which has charted the course for the development of bilateral relations. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Han noted, adding that the Chinese side is willing to take it as an opportunity to consolidate their traditional friendship and deepen practical cooperation so as to push for a steady development of the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership. Han said that the content of the innovative strategic partnership has been increasingly enriched and the two sides have continuously made new and positive progress in their bilateral cooperation in investment, finance, technology as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China is willing to work with the Swiss side in strengthening trade and financial cooperation, stimulating new vitality of technology and innovation cooperation, and pushing for more results in practical cooperation in various areas, so as to better benefit the two peoples, Han said. Noting that China is pushing forward reform and opening up to a higher level, Han said it welcomes Swiss companies to grasp the opportunities and invest in China. Han said there is a bright future for Chinese and Swiss companies to deepen their cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), adding that China supports enterprises of both sides to undertake third-market cooperation and build more model cooperation projects. The Swiss side said that in terms of Western countries' relations with China, bilateral relations between Switzerland and China have always been in the lead, with good prospects for economic and trade cooperation, adding that Switzerland is a natural partner with China regarding the BRI cooperation, and is ready to actively promote third-market cooperation between the two countries' firms. The Swiss side said that the country admires China's achievements in its reform and opening up, and stands ready to take the anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties as an opportunity to take bilateral relations to higher levels. It said that Switzerland welcomes Chinese investment and will provide a fair environment, adding that Switzerland highly appreciates China's active steps in further opening up, and will encourage more Swiss companies to do businesses in China for mutual benefits. Police in North Carolina are investigating the death of a mother of two after her body was found outside an abandoned home. On Thursday afternoon, Statesville police discovered the body of 25-year-old Shana Nichole Harmon, according to a police news release obtained by PEOPLE. Her body was found outside an abandoned home sometimes used by people trying to avoid authorities, according to WSCOC-TV. As authorities investigate Harmons suspicious death, her family is left with more questions than answers. She deserves justice. The family deserves to know what happened. We dont know anything. We just want answers, Harmons mother Christi told WSOC-TV. Police are asking anyone who was in contact with Harmon in the 24 hours leading up to her death to come forward. We believe people in the community have information about the senseless death of Ms. Harmon, the news release states. We need the communitys assistance. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLEs free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Foul play is suspected in Harmons death, according to police. No additional information has be released. If anybody out there knows something, were just asking them to come forward and to let us bring our child home and let her rest, her father, Sammy Harmon, said, WSOC-TV reports. The 25-year-olds family says Harmon had her demons but she loved her two young children. Anyone with information is urged to contact police at (704) 878-3406 or Iredell Crime Stoppers at (704) 662-1340. A transgender South Korean soldier who enlisted as a man and underwent a sex change last year pleaded tearfully to be allowed to stay in uniform Wednesday after the military decided to discharge her. The country remains deeply conservative about matters of sexual identity and is less tolerant of LGBT rights than some other parts of Asia, with many gay and transgender Koreans living largely under the radar. Byun Hee-soo, a staff sergeant in her 20s, enlisted voluntarily in 2017, and went on to have gender-reassignment surgery in November in Thailand. She had expressed her desire to remain in the army but a military panel ruled on Wednesday that she will be compulsorily discharged. Byun waived her previous anonymity to appear at a press conference, wearing her fatigues and saluting the gathered journalists and cameras. "I'm a soldier of the Republic of Korea," she said, her voice breaking. Serving in the military had always been her childhood dream, she said, but she had suffered from depression due to gender dysphoria, prompting her to undergo the sex-change surgery. "Putting aside my sexual identity, I want to show everyone that I can be one of the great soldiers defending this country," said Byun, fighting back tears. "Please give me that chance." South Korea has a conscript army to defend itself against the nuclear-armed North, with all able-bodied male citizens obliged to serve for nearly two years. A defence ministry spokesman said Byun had undergone tests at a military hospital, which classified the loss of male genitals as a mental or physical handicap, prompting the panel review. Her case "corresponded to one of the reasons for being unable to continue service", the army said in a statement, without giving specifics and saying it sought to avoid "unfair discrimination and treatment". The Military Human Rights Center for Korea, an advocacy group in Seoul, said the army had ordered Byun to be effectively discharged when she leaves hospital on Thursday. "It shows the military's determination to not allow a transgender in the army even for one second," said the organisation's head Lim Tae-hoon. "It is truly cruel." It is the first case of its kind in the South. International rights groups have expressed concern about the way the country treats gay soldiers, who are banned from engaging in same-sex acts and can face up to two years in prison if caught -- even though such actions are legal in civilian life. Revenue and Industries Minister M O H F Shah Jahan on Wednesday said the century-old Anglo-French Textile Mill, a government of Puducherry undertaking, would never be closed at any cost. He told PTI in the wake of a proposal issued on January 21 by the managing director of the Pondicherry Textiles Corporation P Priyatarshny running the AFT Mill, popularly known as Rodier Mill, since it was taken over in 1985 from the private sector. The proposal was that 'the government is totally in favour of implementing VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) and does not want to close the now-defunct mill, he said. The cabinet headed by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy decided recently that the mill should make VRS facility available for the workers opting for the scheme, Shah Jahan said. "We never intended to close the mill," he said and added that the cabinet decision was sent to the Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi for approval. The Minister said the Lt Governor had, however, disapproved of the cabinet decision. "The Lieutenant Governor took the stand that the mill should be closed on the ground that the mill is in the red," the Minister said. With the difference of opinion between the cabinet and the Lt Governor on the future of the mill the issue was referred to the Central government. "Normally, when differences arise between the government and the Lt Governor the issue concerned should be sent to the Centre for its decision as is envisaged in the Business Rules of Puducherry government', he said. The issue relating to the AFT Mill was thus now pending clearance from the Centre and hence no decision had been taken by the cabinet to close the mill, Shah Jahan said. Shah Jahan said he would again write to Bedi informing her of the stand of the government that the VRS scheme alone should be introduced and any decision to close the mill should be scrapped. Earlier, the opposition AIADMK legislature wing leader A Anbalagan released at a press conference a copy of the notice issued on January 21 by the managing director of the mill P Priyatarshny under the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 proposing the closure of the millwith effect from April 30. The notice said the services of 619 workers of the mill, which is only partially functioning, would be terminated on account of closure of the mill. The managing director had sent the proposal to the Secretary (Labour) of Puducherry government and stated in the notice that in the event of the approval for the closure "every workman in the undertaking would be paid compensation as specified in the Act." It was also stated that there were no funds available with the undertaking 'even to meet the day-to-day expenses.' Anbalagan said the Congress government here was allegedly causing hardship to the workers by feigning to be champions of the working class while simultaneously letting closure of the major undertaking. He said the government should adopt VRS scheme and withdraw its present proposal to shut the mill. A special session of the Assembly should be convened to discuss this important issue and solutions to ensure functioning of the mill without room for closure should also be evolved, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Farmers and landowners are being warned of the hidden risks and responsibilities associated with having telecommunications masts on their land. The warning relates to the issue of radiation exclusion zones stemming from having telecoms masts on land. The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) is now urging landowners to request any information about the zones from mast operators. Though non-ionising, significant levels of exposure to the radio waves emitted by base stations on telecoms masts can affect health, requiring exclusion zones to protect people, the group says. With the roll out of 5G, these exclusion zones will be expanded significantly as the range of potentially dangerous radio waves is far greater than for 4G, it adds. Although guidelines for these exclusion zones, set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation (ICNIRP), are mandatory in the UK, mast operators are only required to self-certificate compliance when they make a planning application. The government does not require operators to give details of zones to those they affect, as guidelines state that exclusion zones for workers and the public should be mapped by the operator. Exclusion zones are typically governed by the direction of the mast and the power being used, and are usually above ground level, with height exclusion depending on the height of the antennae. However, there is no requirement for operators to notify owners, site neighbours or the public of these areas. Jeremy Moody, of the CAAV, explains: Usually, that means that nobody but the operator knows the areas in which people might be at risk and so cannot manage liabilities. Ofcom, the industry regulator, has no duties related to exposure to electromagnetic field emissions. When applying for planning permission for a larger mast, operators are only required to confirm the mast will comply with ICNIRP guidelines and do not have to disclose the exclusion boundaries; meaning that neither the owner nor the planning authority is able to assess the effect of the mast on buildings, land or other activities. Furthermore, not even this declaration is required where the mast is within permitted development rights. Similarly, where a mast is upgraded from 4G to 5G, the operator does not have to make this declaration or even highlight the increased size of exclusion zones. For landowners, this means there can be unforeseen issues with buildings, which could be within the exclusion zone unbeknown to the site owner, potentially putting workers or visitors at risk, CAAV says. It can limit the construction of new buildings both on the site owners land and on neighbouring sites, as an exclusion zone can extend beyond a sites boundaries, it adds. However, the landowner and the planning office are unlikely to be aware of the extent of the exclusion zone. Landowners may also find themselves in a difficult situation whereby existing buildings are made redundant by exclusion zones, says Mr Moody. As landowners are not permitted to request the removal of apparatus from their land on these grounds, this could potentially cause costly issues whether sterilising the use of land or carrying liability In addition, providing a safe working environment for employees is a legal requirement of any employer, so any landowner with employees needs to take account of potential hazards for those working, he adds. CAAV says it is therefore important to obtain full ICNIRP drawings and site-specific radio frequency plans so that the exclusion zone can be understood and to comply with legal obligations. Its also important to ask for information on any upgrades to the mast, such as from 4G to 5G, Mr Moody says. Should an operator refuse to supply this information to the site provider, this should be cause for concern. Many older agreements passed responsibilities to the landowner, often without their knowledge, so its vital if negotiating a new agreement that landowners are aware of the issues, he adds. Terms should hold the operator fully liable for losses and claims arising from the mast. Additionally, site owners may wish to stipulate contractual terms restricting the expansion of exclusion zones, require the site to be switched off for the landowner or others to carry out work within the exclusion zone and make operators liable for any necessary staff training. Landowners may be entirely unaware of the situations they are in, which could lead to all sorts of issues down the line, warns Mr Moody. It may be a shocking revelation to a lot of people and I would suggest getting advice and taking action if you are affected. LUSAKA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Mining company Eurasian Resources Group plans to put its Chambishi Metals copper and cobalt refinery in Zambia under care and maintenance and cut 229 jobs at the end of January, the president of the Mineworkers' Union of Zambia said on Wednesday. Union president Joseph Chewe told Reuters the company informed them of the layoffs, and said it was halting production temporarily due to difficulties sourcing raw materials for the refinery. Zambia's mines minister Richard Musukwa also confirmed the layoffs. The Chambishi Metals refinery has a capacity of 6.8 kilo-tonnes per annum of cobalt metal and 55 kilo-tonnes per annum of copper metal. ERG did not immediately reply to a request for comment. (Reporting by Chris Mfula, Writing by Helen Reid, Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) Over 180 Colorado Christian University (CCU) students are traveling from Colorado to Washington, D.C., this week as CCU prepares for its role as the official university-leader of the 2020 National March for Life, Friday, Jan. 24. CCU is no stranger to Washington, D.C., given the extensive reach of the university's public policy think tank The Centennial Institute. Participating alongside the students is the university President Donald W. Sweeting, various members of the university faculty, trustees, alumni, and friends of The Centennial Institute. Delegates among the student representatives are available to meet with leaders throughout the nation's capital, including with members of the press. "The record number of young people from CCU, and all over the country, attending this year's March for Life will clearly demonstrate what many of us have been saying for a long time - that the younger generations are more pro-life," says Jeff Hunt, Executive Director of The Centennial Institute. "Young people are leading the pro-life movement, and rejecting the lies of the past that a child in a mother's womb is simply a clump of cells that can be discarded. These students are caring for mothers, demonstrating alternatives to abortion, and may very well be the generation to overturn Roe vs. Wade." CCU has an "overwhelming pro-life culture," according to campus leaders who point toward a robust campus ministry, CCU for Life, which routinely serves women facing the decision to abort their baby or not and works within and outside of the State of Colorado to reform abortion policies. Throughout the course of their time in Washington, students will attend the annual March for Life conference, meet U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, members of media, tour Washington, D.C., and join hundreds of thousands of Americans in the March for Life on Friday. The students will also participate in the annual CCU President's Dinner to be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Museum of the Bible, and the March for Life's Rose Dinner on Friday, January 24. Tags : 180 Colorado Christian University (CCU) students march for life 2020 pro-life rally Businesses are continually looking for new and innovative solutions to create their ideal datacenter. With constant competition in the marketplace, organizations need to keep up with the latest technology if theyre going to be successful. When looking closely at different vendors for new technology, businesses need to be critical and look for the right provider to meet their needs. One of the latest, popular technologies is Microsoft Azure Stack Hub. Since taking the market by storm, competing vendors offer a variety of Microsoft Azure Stack Hub capabilities, features, and services. Before organizations jump into deciding the right vendor for their Microsoft Azure Stack Hub, they need to consider five key pieces of information: 1. Configuration flexibility Flexibility is important because organizations want their solution to fit seamlessly into their existing IT environment. People looking to purchase a Microsoft Azure Stack Hub solution should make sure their vendor can match their current IT requirements and grow with their business needs. Businesses wanting a fully customizable solution should look for: The exact size to meet application requirements The processor type thats right for their workloads A choice of memory Scalable storage capacity Support for third-party networking switches, power supplies, and rack options 2. 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Also look for a team able to deliver professional services that will meet the organizations use case, design, and implementation needs. Select a vendor that can provide an innovation center. These centers get businesses up to speed on the Azure Stack Hub solution prior to purchase, giving them the information needed to make the right decisions. At an innovation center, businesses can: Access the latest Azure Stack Hub software and hardware Implement a proof-of-concept Test cases for their hybrid cloud 5. Partnerships with other independent software vendors Microsoft Azure Stack Hub can be partnered with validated independent software vendors to bring additional benefits to hybrid cloud to customers in four key areas: Data protection High availability Monitoring/optimization Security How HPEs Offering for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub Stacks Up Released in 2017, HPE ProLiant for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub gives customers a truly consistent hybrid cloud solution. This solution increases agility, enhances innovation, and controls costs with a seamless mixture of private and public cloud. And HPE ProLiant for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub is the only solution available that meets the five key capabilities listed above. It is the most customizable solution available, providing the greatest number of configuration options. HPE is the only infrastructure provider that gives customers true, consumption-based IT for their Microsoft Azure Stack Hub solution, making pay-as-you-consume pricing with HPE GreenLake an attractive option. Over 4,000 HPE experts are trained on Microsoft Azure and hybrid cloud, ready to help businesses deploy with confidence. The HPE-Microsoft Azure Stack Hub Innovation Centers, run jointly by HPE and Microsoft, let customers try before they buy, while working with hybrid cloud and Microsoft Azure experts. HPE is working with validated ISVs to bring customers the capabilities in four key areas: data protection, high availability, monitoring/optimization, and security for their Microsoft Azure Stack Hub. Co-engineered by HPE and Microsoft and based on a 30-year partnership, this joint solution provides the five key capabilities customers want in their Microsoft Azure Stack Hub solution. To learn more, visit the HPE ProLiant for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub website or listen to the newest webinar, 5 Reasons Why HPE ProLiant for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub Wont Steer You Wrong! ___________________________________ About Mat Mathews Mat Mathews is the Vice President and General Manager for Microsoft Azure Stack at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Mat has spent 20 years in the networking industry observing, experimenting, and ultimately honing his technology vision. Prior to his current role at HPE, Mat was co-founder and VP Product Management at Plexxi. He began his career as a software engineer and holds a Bachelors of Science in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. To read more articles from Mat, visit the HPE Shifting to Software-Defined blogsite. Booker was told to get out of the car but instead climbed over the center console into the drivers seat and drove away with the womans 1-year-old daughter in the vehicle, police said. The trooper tried to break the passenger side window but was unable to stop the car. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: EU-Azerbaijan new partnership agreement should meet requirements of both sides, Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told EURACTIV, Trend reports. The negotiation process is still going on between EU and Azerbaijan. There are certain fundamental areas, on which we have a little bit different views, but both sides with constructive engagement are working together to narrow this gap. Almost 90 percent of the text of the agreement has been finalized. But there are energy issues, but also trade issues, we are looking for more engagement from the EU side. They shouldnt take preferential position, or in other words, offensive trade approach with regard to the agreement. Based on that understanding, we do believe that we can move forward. Because for Azerbaijan, it is also strategically important that we have own internal reform process and own economic priorities and initiatives. The agreement should meet the requirements of both sides and in the meantime, there should be mutually beneficial approach, he said. Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijans relations with the European Union are one of the important directions of Azerbaijans foreign policy. Azerbaijan and the EU are cooperating in many different spheres. Azerbaijan is also an important partner of the EU in terms of trade. Biggest investors in Azerbaijan are mainly EU countries. The EU and Azerbaijan are closely cooperating in security, transport and energy fields. Especially, in the energy field the EU and Azerbaijan are strategic partners. This year is particularly important, as we will finalize the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Azerbaijani gas will physically be on the territory of Europe, he added. As for the Eastern Partnership program, he noted it should be tailor-made. As regards the Eastern Partnership, my president has once again mentioned that in general, it is a framework that brings together different countries and we are also a part of this process to be engaged. We are participating in the Eastern Partnership program. Currently, there are some talks and discussions about further development of Eastern Partnership. But for us inclusiveness in this process, and also not to rank the partners are extremely important. Eastern Partnership should be designed in a sense that particularly, needs and requirements of the partner countries should be met and it also should be tailor-made. Because from Azerbaijani perspective, we see the Eastern Partnership as a general framework and we are not asking for any kind of donor support or any kind of financial support within the Eastern Partnership. We want to build up further cooperation with the European Union by using the wider framework, noted Hajiyev. Moreover, he talked about Azerbaijans role in improving the connectivity between the East and West. In general, the Silk Road concept resonates with Azerbaijans own perception, because Azerbaijan was historically located on the ancient Silk Road. Therefore, along this road, along the Caspian Sea, we are building different connectivity mechanisms with our Central Asian partners. It is not only about transportation, it is also about information and communication technologies. Along the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan with our Central Asian partners, with China and some other partnering countries involved, is building a new fiber-optic line as well. We are working on maritime and air component of the Silk Road. Simply, things are going well. There is a big potential for trade turnover between China and EU and as a mid-corridor, Azerbaijan can play its role. Especially, with Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway system we see that we can do a lot with our EU partners. Azerbaijans railway system is well integrated and connected with Russian railway system. Now we are working with our Iranian partners, so that we can bring goods from wider Indian ocean to the northern part of Europe within a short range of time, added Hajiyev. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global tomato seed market has been estimated to be valued around USD 829.8 million in 2016. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period (2018 - 2023). United States emerges as the most mature market, in terms of adoption of fresh tomato seeds, where innovative strategies, including development of new varieties with better tastes, are required to sustain the growth. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05778156/?utm_source=PRN Intensification of Hybrid Seed Usage Across Emerging Economics Rising awareness, among farmers about the benefits associated with the adoption of hybrids, especially in emerging economics, through government supports, is accelerating the market. More than 40% of the area, cultivated with crops, such as tomatoes and cabbage, adopts high-tech seeds and the share is constantly increasing. Locally developed tomato hybrid like Arka Rakshak is resistant to ToLCV+BW+EB with the yield potential of 75-80 t/ha and has the scope for wider adoption in India. A large adoption rate for hybrid seed is being witnessed among smallholder farmers in the African region, due to government programs. For instance, in Zambia, 800,000 smallholders adopted hybrid vegetable seeds during 2016-17, while in 2015-16 it was 300,000. Rising Interest for New Varieties, like Grape Tomatoes, in Matured / Developed Markets Markets in US, Canada and EU are mature, in terms of adoption of hybrid and high yielding seeds. These markets experience a growing demand for new and improved varieties such as mini plum/snack tomatoes. The interest toward improved plum varieties of tomatoes with better flesh qualities is growing. These varieties are used in food processing industries for canning. Asia Pacific is the Fastest Growing Market Asia-Pacific is expected to grow faster, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.7%. Expanding cultivation in the region, especially in China and India, along with the adoption of hybrid varieties with better disease and drought resistance traits, emerges as a major growth driver. In 2016, China recorded a 2.7% increase from the previous year, and it is expected to register a growth of 1.3% in 2017. Due to intensification of hybrids and HYVs, the yield is consistently increasing as well. In fact, the tomato yield per hectare in China was 54% larger than the global average in 2014. Key Developments in the Market - March 2018: On March 6, 2018, a new seed breeding station of Hazera Seeds will open on the Machinestraat in Warmenhuizen. - September 2017: Vilmorin and Mikado Kyowa Seed have merged to become one business unit Vilmorin- Mikado. This acquisition will further strengthen its position in the world market. - August 2017: De Ruiter has been getting new demos constructed for tomatoes in Bleiswijk, which has been a relatively new concept of growing vegetables in greenhouses, especially in the Netherlands. Major Key Players: Group Limagrain, Monsanto, Syngenta, Rijk Zwaan, Bayer CropScience, East-West Seeds Reasons to Purchase this Report - To understand the growth trends of the tomato seed market in key producing countries. Growth forecast is provided for 2018 - 2023. This information is crucial in identifying prospective markets with greater growth potential. - Analyzing various perspectives of the market with the help of Porter's five forces analysis. - To understand the regions that are expected to witness fastest growth during the forecast period. - Identify the latest developments, market shares and strategies employed by the major market players. - 3-month analyst support, along with the Market Estimate sheet in excel. Customization of the Report This report can be customized to meet your requirements. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05778156/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com Lebanon's new government held its first meeting on Wednesday, a day after it was formed following a three-month-long political vacuum. But even as the government convened, protesters briefly closed off major roads in and around Beirut, denouncing it as a rubber stamp for the same political parties they blame for widespread corruption. The new Cabinet, which has the support of the powerful militant Hezbollah group and its allies, has a monumental task ahead including getting Lebanon out of its worst economic and financial crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. The crisis worsened since mass protests against the political elite started in mid-October, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government two weeks later. Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the ministers held the first meeting at the presidential palace; President Michel Aoun attended the session. The 20-member Cabinet is made up mostly of specialists and includes six women a record number for Lebanon holding key ministries, including those of defense, justice and labour. Analysts say the new government, being politically aligned with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, would likely have difficulty drumming up international and regional support needed to avoid economic collapse. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US and oil-rich gulf countries whose support is badly needed for debt-ridden Lebanon. The European Union considers the military wing of Hezbollah a terrorist organization. BOSTON Two former drug company executives were sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in federal prison in a bribery and kickbacks scheme that prosecutors say helped fuel the opioid crisis. Richard Simon, a Seal Beach, California, resident and the former national sales director at Insys Therapeutics, was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 33 months in prison. Joseph Rowan, a Panama City, Florida, resident and former regional sales director for the Chandler, Arizona-based company, was sentenced to 27 months. Each was also ordered to serve three years of probation after prison time, forfeit more than $2 million and pay restitution, which will be determined later. Prosecutors had sought more than 10 years in prison for each, while lawyers for the two had argued for a year or less. Simons attorney declined to comment. Rowans attorney didnt respond to an email seeking comment. The two are among seven former company leaders being sentenced this month in the scheme. Prosecutors say Insys employees paid millions of dollars in bribes to doctors nationwide to overprescribe Subsys, a powerful, addictive fentanyl-based painkiller for cancer patients. Michael Gurry, a former vice president, was sentenced this month to 33 months and ordered to forfeit $3.6 million. Former company CEO Michael Babich is slated to be sentenced Wednesday along with former regional sales director Sunrise Lee. Company founder John Kapoor will be sentenced Thursday along with Alec Burlakoff, the companys former vice president of sales. The case was considered the first to hold an opioid maker and its executives criminally liable for a drug crisis that has claimed nearly 400,000 lives over two decades. Since then, a handful of other pharmaceutical companies have faced criminal charges over the national epidemic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Lima, Peru Wed, January 22, 2020 16:06 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206082c82 2 News Peru,machu-picchu,tourism,Tourist,archeology,travel Free Peru is installing security cameras at its world renowned Machu Picchu site after it was damaged earlier this month by foreign tourists, authorities said Tuesday. "We are going to strengthen security at Machu Picchu by installing high-tech cameras," Jose Bastante, head of the archeological park, told AFP. Bastante said 18 cameras will be located at three strategic points of the citadel as well as access points from surrounding mountains. "This will allow us to better control visitors and avoid any action or infraction to the regulations, also any type of risk," he said, adding that drones were also being used for security. Five tourists accused of damaging the iconic site were deported to Bolivia last week and barred from returning to the country for 15 years. A sixth, from Argentina, was fined $360 and must pay $1,500 to the culture ministry for repairs after he admitted to damaging the Temple of the Sun at the ancient Inca sanctuary. Read also: Machu Picchu damage tourists deported, banned for 15 years The Argentine, 28-year-old Nahuel Gomez, also received a suspended sentenced of three years and four months, but can leave the country once the fines are paid. Gomez admitted to causing a stone slab to fall from a temple wall. It was chipped when it fell, causing a crack in the floor. "The damaged caused is significant. The integrity of Machu Picchu has been broken," Bastante said. Members of the group were also suspected of defecating inside the 600-year-old temple. The Machu Picchu complex -- which includes three distinct areas for agriculture, housing and religious ceremonies -- is the most iconic site from the Inca empire, which ruled over a large swath of western South America for 100 years before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Machu Picchu, which means "old mountain" in the Quechua language indigenous to the area, is at the top of a lush mountain and was built during the reign of the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438-1471). French President Emmanuel Macron has lost his temper with Israeli security agents during a visit to a French church in Jerusalem and angrily ordered one of them to leave the premises. The incident occurred during a spat between Israeli forces and Mr Macrons own security as he entered the Church of St Anne. The church, located in Jerusalems Old City, is French state property and Macron did not want the Israeli guards leading him inside. Expand Close Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands (Ronen Zvulun/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands (Ronen Zvulun/AP) Everybody knows the rules, Mr Macron said in English as he raised his voice toward an Israeli security official. I dont like what you did in front of me. Go outside. He then turned to another Israeli official and thanked him for his work. But he then asked the police around him to please respect the rules as they are for centuries. They will not change with me. Mr Macron later described the incident as a moment of irritation between security forces, noting that Israeli security stops at the door of the church and French security takes over. Israel has deployed thousands of police as dozens of world leaders, including Mr Macron, descend upon the city for a commemoration ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The scene was reminiscent of a 1996 visit by then French president Jacques Chirac, who also got angry at Israeli security accompanying him in Jerusalem. What do you want, me to go back to my plane and go back to France? Mr Chirac screamed at the time. In a joint statement, Israeli police and the Shin Bet security agency said that when Mr Macron arrived, there was a discussion between Israeli and French security about entering the church with him. It said Israeli guards escorted him inside based on the terms agreed upon ahead of time. When the president and the delegation finished the visit, he apologised about the incident and shook hands with the security personnel and continued his scheduled visit in the old city with security guards, it said. A 29-year-old Indian-origin man has been charged by Scotland Yard in connection with the killing of three compatriots originally from Punjab in a street fight in east London over the weekend. Gurjeet Singh was charged on Tuesday evening with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place to appear before Redbridge Magistrates Court in London on Wednesday. He remains under investigation in connection with the murders, while a second man aged 39 remains in police custody. Enquiries around motive for this incident continue, however we do not believe it to be gang related. Officers at this stage are not seeking to make any further arrests for murder, the Metropolitan Police said in its update. The three murdered men, originally from Punjab, are yet to be formally identified by police but have been locally named as builders Narinder a.k.a. Nik Singh, Harinder a.k.a. Honey Kumar, and Baljit Singh. Earlier, the Met Police had said that their investigation revealed that the attack was the result of an ongoing dispute involving men from the local Sikh and Hindu communities who were known to each other. An altercation at a wedding reception a day before is believed to be linked to the fatal incident on Sunday night when three men, aged in their late 20s and 30s, were found with serious stab wounds by emergency services and pronounced dead at the scene in Seven Kings area of Redbridge. Scotland Yards Specialist Crime Command launched a murder investigation and arrested two men on suspicion of the murders. We now believe all those involved were known to each other and from the Sikh and Hindu community, however we are still in the process of identifying the men and working to inform their next of kin, said Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine, who is leading the investigation. At this early stage, I do not believe this was gang or race-related. But, I believe there may have been an ongoing dispute between those involved. We believe the five men were involved in an altercation the previous evening (Saturday) at Krystel Banqueting that spilled out onto the High Road, he said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited the scene of the stabbings on Monday and called for more government funding to tackle knife crime in the city. The horrific triple stabbing in Seven Kings in Redbridge last night is a tragic reminder of the evil scourge of knife crime that continues to plague our entire country, he said. Jas Athwal, the British Sikh leader of the local Redbridge Council of the area, who joined him at the site, said he believed the triple stabbings were an isolated incident involving the local Indian migrant community. I made it clear to the Mayor that things like this do not happen here. More must be done. We need more police now, he said. New Delhi: CGPSC State Public Services 2018 Final Result has been declared. Candidates who appeared for the Chhattisgarh State Public Services 2018 exam need to visit the official website, i.e. psc.cg.gov.in to check the State Services 2018 result. Earlier, the CGPSC State Public Services Exam 2018 was conducted on July 23, July 24, July 24 and July 25. The Mains result was released last year. Apart from this, the CGPSC State Services 2018 Interview was held from December 30, 2019 to January 21, 2020. CGPSC State Public Services 2018 Final Result In order to check and download the CGPSC State Public Services 2018 Final Result, candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps: First, candidates need to visit the official website of Chhattisgarh Public State Services Then, click on the CGPSC State Services Final Result link that is available on the homepage Download the Result in the PDF format Take a printout of the CGPSC State Services Exam Final Result for future reference Alternatively, candidates can click on the below mentioned direct link of the official website of CGPSC and CGPSC State Public Services 2018 Final Result. The overall marks is calculated on the basis of CGPSC State Services Main Written Exam Marks and Interview marks. For more details, candidates need to visit the official website of Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission, i.e. psc.cg.gov.in. CGPSC Official Website Direct Link CGPSC State Services Final Result Direct Link Credit: CC0 Public Domain Promotional vaping Instagram posts outnumber anti-vaping content 10,000 to 1, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Communication. Despite "The Real Cost" awareness campaign launched by the FDA in 2018, nearly one third of American teenagers are estimated to use e-cigarettes. The current study highlights the limited impact of the FDA campaign, while also using deep learningan artificial intelligence methodto better understand the marketing tactics used by vaping companies. "U.S. public health officials have been calling vaping among youth an epidemic and have been putting a lot of effort into trying to stop this epidemic by introducing #TheRealCost anti-vaping campaign," says Julia Vassey of the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States. "But this stark imbalance in the volume of posts has caused the FDA message to be overwhelmed by marketing from the vaping brands." Many teenagers continue to view e-cigarettes as healthier than conventional cigarettes, but vaping is associated with inflammation, reduced immune responses and breathing troubles. To further understand how vaping is perceived on social media, Vassey and her collaborators at the UC Berkeley Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE) collected 245,894 Instagram posts spanning from before and after the #TheRealCost campaign launch. The team also conducted interviews with five vaping influencers and eight college-age social media users. "We focused on Instagram because the vaping influencers we interviewed for this study identified Instagram as their most important social media marketing platform," explains Vassey. "Based on the results, the FDA anti-vaping campaign is not very popular and we saw Instagram user comments disputing the FDA claims of damaging health effects from nicotine and calling the campaign propaganda." In contrast to the FDA's intentions, Vassey and her colleagues found that vaping posts received nearly three times more "likes" after the campaign launch. They also found that there were six times as many posts that had greater than 100 likes. Importantly, participants in the focus groups additionally suggested that the anti-vaping campaign promoted scare tactics rather than offering guidance on how to quit vaping. By analyzing common themes across the Instagram images, the researchers found that over 70% contained e-juices and devices, which contain higher nicotine concentrations and are often popular among e-cigarette novices. The analytics data shared by the vaping influencers also showed that many of their followers were underage (13 to 17 years old). The results of this study were limited to Instagram content (as opposed to other social media outlets) and the researchers plan to investigate how content translates to actual vaping use next. "We're hoping the findings will inform public health regulators about the most popular channels used by vaping influencers to promote vaping content among underage population in order to help counter e-cigarette marketing and slow vaping proliferation among youth," says Vassey. "This study could also contribute to providing direction for future federal and local public health anti-vaping intervention campaigns." Explore further Vaping industry seeks to block New York ban on e-cig flavors More information: Julia Vassey et al, #Vape: Measuring E-Cigarette Influence on Instagram With Deep Learning and Text Analysis, Frontiers in Communication (2020). Julia Vassey et al, #Vape: Measuring E-Cigarette Influence on Instagram With Deep Learning and Text Analysis,(2020). DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2019.00075 Steve Horyl has joined AmeriCU Investments as a financial advisor. The company said in a news release that Horyl comes to AmeriCU Investments with 10 years of prior financial experience. He was previously an advisor with M&T Securities. He will be based out of AmeriCU Investments Liverpool office and will serve the greater Syracuse area as well as Auburn. Steve has been helping Upstate New York individuals and businesses with their investment needs for over a decade and we are excited to have him join our team, said Ron Belle, Chief Experience Officer for AmeriCU, in a news release. Horyl can be contacted at (800) 352-9699. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Chrissy Teigen is one of today's most cherished social media sensations. Aside from being an accomplished television host who else loves her on "Lip Sync Battle?" and her husband John Legend's biggest fan and critic, Teigen has carved a lane for herself as an approachable and relatable celebrity home cook her impressive food blog speaks for itself. With the waves of support she's received through social media, she's launched her Cravings cookbook and cookware line both of which have been sold out across major retailers for months. Now, they're both finally in stock, with the latter even being on sale at Macy's for $120 off! Shop: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen 14-Piece Nonstick Aluminum Cookware Set, $279.99 with code 'SAVE' (Orig. $399.99) Cravings by Chrissy Teigen cookware set Teigen's widely popular 14-piece cookware set includes two more pieces than the standard collection offered at Target. Described as "combining fashion and function into food prep," this full set of nonstick cookware includes a 5.5-qt. Dutch oven, a 3.5-qt. saute pan, a 2.5-qt. saucepan, a 1-qt. saucepan all included with lids a 10.25-inch frying pan, an 8-inch frying pan, a 15-inch by 10-inch steel baking sheet, a 14-inch by 11-inch wood cutting board and two serving/cooking utensils (serving spoon and slotted turner). Each piece (with the exception of the lids, cutting board and utensils) is made of three-layer non-stick Teflon and boasts a gorgeous enamel finish that resists stains. The handles on each piece are also made of silicone to ensure safety and the best grip while cooking. These cookware pieces are compatible with gas, electric, glass, ceramic and halogen cooktops and are oven safe up to 400F. This particular collection is also offered in two color options: grey and blue. Cook like Chrissy in style with this popular cookware set! Crave on, folks! Crave on! The visit is part of efforts to "strengthen Egyptian-US relations and joint cooperation between the two countries in various fields" A delegation of US Congressmen aides visited North Sinai to follow up on economic development efforts in the border region, the Egyptian military said in a statement on Wednesday. The visit is part of efforts to "strengthen Egyptian-US relations and joint cooperation between the two countries in various fields and consolidate security and stability," army spokesman Tamer El-Refaai said. The six-member delegation of Republican and Democratic congressional aides underscored the importance of "coordination and consultation between the two countries at all levels in light of Egypt's counter-terrorism efforts," the statement added. The delegation met with the governor of North Sinai and visited a number of ongoing economic development projects, including the water desalination plant project in Al-Arish city, the capital of North Sinai. The statement quoted the Congressmen praising "efforts made by the Egyptian army to achieve security and stability and return life to normal in North Sinai," which was the epicentre of Islamists militants in recent years. Egypt's security forces have been combating an Islamist terrorist insurgency based in North Sinai, which intensified in 2013 following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Eliminating terrorists, who have mainly targeted police and army personnel, has been a key priority of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi since his election as president in 2014. In February 2018, Egyptian security forces launched an extensive security operation to eliminate the militants and restore security, killing hundreds of them in raids ever since. During a meeting with President El-Sisi in September in New York, US President Donald Trump hailed Egypt's successful counter-terrorist efforts, asserting that Cairo is a key partner in the fight against terrorism. Search Keywords: Short link: A Canadian guide died and five French tourists were missing after their snowmobiles plunged through ice into freezing water in northern Quebec, police said on Wednesday. The group were riding near where a river exits the Saint-Jean lake, and were outside the approved area for snowmobiles, police spokesman Hugues Beaulieu told AFP. Nine people, including the excursion guide, were on the trip when the ice broke underneath them in the dark on Tuesday evening. Police said they were alerted by two of the tourists who had rescued a third tourist from the water. The 42-year-old guide was pulled out by emergency response teams and taken to hospital, but he died overnight, Beaulieu said, adding "five French tourists are still missing." Officials said that details of the accident remained unclear. Survivors were hospitalized in the nearby town of Alma and treated for minor injuries and hypothermia. Ice on the lake is often very thick, but it is thinner where the lake funnels into the Saguenay River. The tourists had hired snowmobiles in the village of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, nearly 300 kilometers (185 miles) away by trails, according to Canadian media. Powerful snowmobiles on skis, which can reach the speed of 140 kilometers per hour, are popular with Quebecers and foreign tourists, but cause numerous accidents each year. Divers and two helicopters searched the area on Wednesday, alongside the police and army. "This sector was not part of a marked trail, they were off-piste," said the police spokesman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She has found herself caught up in Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood's divorce battle with estranged wife Alex last year. But Summer Monteys-Fullam proved she wasn't letting her ex-boyfriend's drama get her down as she posted a very saucy photo from the Pig Hotel in Canterbury on Tuesday. The former barmaid, 24, flashed her ample cleavage as she lay down on her front to accentuate her peachy bottom in the snap taken in her hotel room. Cheeky: Summer Monteys-Fullam proved she wasn't letting her ex-boyfriend's drama get her down as she posted a saucy photo from the Pig Hotel in Canterbury on Tuesday Summer, who dumped Paul in August after he asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement about their romance, sported a blue thong swimsuit with white detailing and a very sparkly pair of heels. She cheekily stuck her tongue out as she posed for the camera. 'Self love is the greatest middle finger of all time,' she captioned the post to followers on Instagram. Summer has been enjoying her down time of late, going on nights out with friends and tending to her horses. Time to shine: Summer found herself caught up in Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood's divorce to his estranged wife Alex last year. Alex has recent declared that she's ready to forge her own path to success. Pictured in January 2015 Her fun-loving antics come as Paul Hollywood's estranged wife Alex declared that she's ready to forge her own path to success, after helping her ex rise to TV stardom. The 56-year-old cookery writer whose marriage to Bake Off star Paul crumbled in 2017, four years after his affair with Marcela Valladolid insists she played an instrumental role in his rise to fame, and now hopes to achieve the same for herself. She told OK!: 'When Paul and I first came back from Cyprus [where they met], we literally had 1,000 and a suitcase. We worked hard together and as a result of that, Paul got The Great British Bake Off and did really well. 'Me and my boys': Summer has been enjoying her down time of late, going on nights out with friends and tending to her horses 'Through hard graft from both of us, he got to the point where he was so big with Bake Off and now it's my time to shine. I'm not saying I don't wish him well, I really hope that he will find happiness.' Alex, who shares 18-year-old son Joshua with Paul, 53, says she has moved on from her marriage but she's ruling out romance until their divorce is finalised. When asked if she's dated since the split, she responded: 'I'm not properly divorced yet so I want to get that over with first... I have divorce fatigue. I just want it over with so I can reassess how I'm going to live my life and find out who I want to be.' Waiting: The cookery writer, who shares 18-year-old son Joshua with Paul, 53, says she has moved on from her marriage but she's ruling out romance until their divorce is finalised Paul and Alex's marriage came close to ending in 2013, when it was revealed that he'd had an affair with his The American Baking Competition co-star Marcela, 42. He told The Mirror in July of that year 'Its my fault. I am very sad about what has happened. I do feel very sad about it and what it brought on the family.' However, Alex took him back three months later for the sake of their son, only for the pair to announce in November 2017 that things were officially coming to an end. Announcing the end of their union, the pair said in a statement: 'It is with sadness that we have decided to separate. Affair: Her marriage to Bake Off star Paul crumbled in 2017, four years after his affair with The American Baking Competition co-star Marcela Valladolid 'Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son, and we would ask the press and public to allow us privacy as a family during this very difficult time.' That same year, Kent barmaid Summer Monteys-Fulham, 24, sparked headlines when she revealed that she'd embarked on a romantic relationship with Paul. Her revelation sparked outrage from Alex, who filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery soon afterwards, with sources saying she believed he'd been having an affair with Summer before their split. Their romance attracted an avalanche of headlines as Paul treated Summer to countless lavish gifts and even purchased a 1million house in Kent for them to share back in February of last year. Cooking up a success: TV personality Paul has found huge success with the Great British Bake Off and is now estimated to be worth 10million However, things came crashing down in the summer, when Paul asked Summer to sign a non-disclosure agreement drafted up by his lawyers, which she refused to do. She also recently revealed that she is taking her former flame to court for 4,000 over her two horse shelters, built at his 800,000 Kent farmhouse last year. Summer claimed she'd been left with 'no alternative' but to take legal action against the Bake Off judge four months after they ended their two-year relationship. She told MailOnline: 'All I have ever wanted was to get back what is rightfully mine - stuff I bought with my own savings... he's punishing my horses with his spite.' Ex factor: The same year his split from his wife was revealed, Paul embarked on a romance with former barmaid Summer Monteys-Fullam. Their relationship ended over the summer The social media influencer purchased the first stable when she moved her horses to his Grade II listed home in January, and built the second in March for her mare who was pregnant. 'I'm incredibly disappointed that I've had to choose this course of action against Paul', she said. 'Dealing with Paul is a nightmare - everything is done through his lawyers.' Paul, who is estimated to be worth 10million, appears to have found love over a pint once again, as he recently confirmed he is dating the landlady of his local pub. The TV judge has repeatedly denied that he was enjoying a romance with Melissa Spalding, 36, since their friendship was revealed in August after his split from former barmaid Summer. Love: It was recently confirmed that he is now enjoying a romance with Melissa Spalding, 36 However, after the couple spent Christmas Day at the Chequers Inn in Smarden, Kent, a spokesman for Paul said: 'They are very happily together.' It is now understood that they are on a mini-break. A source close to the couple said: Melissa was pulling pints and cleaning tables on Christmas Day so they didnt get to spend much time together, but they are away now. In November, the pair were spotted holding hands by the pool at the five-star Annabelle hotel in Paphos, Cyprus, where he also met and married his estranged wife Alex. Onlookers saw them looking 'very happy together'. The most important event in the Middle East passed completely unnoticed during the past week, as it happens in a distorted and completely manipulated information space On January 15, 2020, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in the presence of representatives of foreign delegations, in particular the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, opened the Berenice military base. By some estimates, it is the largest military facility in the Middle East and Africa and the largest military base in the Red Sea. The new base is located near the city of Aswan, Egypts largest port on the Nile River in the border with Sudan. The area of the object is 150 thousand acres, and it is compared in size with the State of Qatar (this is hyperbolization, since in reality Qatar is 2 859 million acres, but the message of Egyptian propaganda in favor of the UAE is clear here). According to Janes agency, on the territory of the ARE Armed Forces new facility, there is a naval base, an air base with 18 warehouse-hangars for fighter aircraft, a military hospital, ground combat and administrative units, training ranges for firing all types of weapons available in the arsenals of the Egyptian army. It has its own desalination plant with a capacity of 34 thousand cubic meters / day. There is also a civilian airport nearby (capacity - 600 passengers / hour). All bases are connected by access roads with a length of 40 km. Strategically, the military point will perform a number of tasks: 1. Defense of the southern borders of Egypt from any threats. In this context, we are talking about containing Ethiopia, which is building the Great Dam of the Renaissance in the upper Nile. Although Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, through Washingtons mediation, reached preliminary agreements on the Khedashi reservoir on the Blue Nile on January 17 this year, tensions remain between Egypt and Ethiopia. In particular, Cairo is completely unwilling to establish an Ethiopian military base in the Red Sea, which may appear in Djibouti. 2. Cairo clearly sends a signal to Turkey that it does not like the excessive military activity in the Horn of Africa. Especially the deployment or plans for the deployment of Turkish military in Somalia and Sudan. 3. After Iranian provocations with ships in Persian Gulf in 2019, Egypt will protect the safety of shipping in the Red Sea, especially the Suez Canal. The base is an important element in containing Irans expansion in the region. A military force will from it will be directed on Yemen to restrain the activities of pro-Iranian forces. Also, the Berenice base can deploy part of the US troops (which will be gradually withdrawn from Iraq) so that they do not leave the region and have the ability to quickly reach the desired borders. 4. The Berenice base will strengthen the coordination of the UAE and Egypt in the Red Sea region, because the emirates already have a number of new military bases in Eritrea and Somaliland, as well as on the Yemeni island of Socotra. Ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly election, more than Rs 1 crore worth of alcohol, about 40 thousand litres, and Rs 10 crore in cash was recovered in connection with violation of the model of code conduct. The major operation was led by a joint team of the Delhi Police Election Cell and Delhi Election Commission, days after the poll code came into force on January 6. The team, that is headed by DCP Bharat Sinha, is investigating the source and purpose of this cash. In Delhi, at least 231 people have been arrested from whom 417 illegal weapons have been retrieved. The police have kept more than 4,500 legitimate weapons in view of the election. Drugs, including heroin, cocaine, cannabis and tablets, worth over four crores have been recovered from different areas of the national capital. Live TV More than two thousand vehicles were challaned for putting illegal posters on the vehicles. A total of 227 cases have been registered for banners, posters on the walls, 209 FIR is non-political, 11 have been filed against AAP, three each against Congress and Independents. Two cases have been registered for rallies and meetings held without permission, one is against the AAP and the other is non-political. Keeping in view the law and order in Delhi, as a precautionary measure, action has been taken on more than three thousand people under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) and on more than seven thousand people under the Delhi Police Act. To maintain law and order, the Delhi Police has issued a non-bailable warrant for more than three thousand criminals by pleading with the court. Change is afoot at BP. Incoming chief executive Bernard Looney plans to expand the company's climate targets and is considering overhauling the structure of the oil and gas major in one of the biggest shake-ups in its 111-year history. The 49-year-old Irishman plans to adopt broader carbon emissions reduction goals that will likely include emissions from fuels and products sold to customers rather than just the far lower emissions from BP's own operations, according to four sources with knowledge of internal discussions with the new CEO. The aim is to catch up with, and possibly outdo, rivals such as Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol as investor pressure over climate change mounts, said the sources who declined to be named as the plans have not yet been made public. More stringent climate targets could lead to London-based BP selling its most carbon-intensive businesses such as oil and gas fields in Angola and Canada, they added. As part of the climate push, Looney is also looking at a broad reorganisation of the company aimed at cutting costs, with one idea being explored to merge parts of the upstream oil and gas production division with refining and petrochemical operations, said five sources. The new CEO and his team of close advisers have held an intensive series of closed-door meetings in recent weeks to outline the new strategy, according to three of the sources. They said he would outline his "ambitions" for the company in a speech on February 12, a week after he takes over from Bob Dudley. It is unclear if Looney has decided to adopt any structural changes at this stage. A BP spokesman declined to comment. Any new strategy will require a fine balancing act though, and is not without risk for a company whose pioneering efforts in the early 2000s to build a large renewables business, branded "Beyond Petroleum", ended with huge losses. BP will have to rely on revenue from an expanding oil and gas business to fund its green ambitions while maintaining the generous dividends that keep investors on board. Some industry experts say that business model may not be sustainable in a low-carbon future. They also point out that BP's emissions are rising, as its oil and gas exploration and production activity expands, while it spends just a fraction of its investment pot on renewables and low-carbon technologies. "Looney is coming in at a crucial moment for the oil sector," said Morgan Stanley's global oil analyst Martijn Rats. "Over the next decade, companies like BP will need to maintain supply of oil and gas, for which demand is continuing to grow. That will require ongoing investment. At the same time, they will need to prepare for a decarbonised future." "All the while, their investors will ask them to keep up these large dividend payments. Balancing these three demands will be the key challenge." BEYOND CARBON? Looney, who is known for his energetic management style, wants to go beyond the carbon reduction targets that were set by Dudley in 2019 and limited to emissions from BP's own operations. The new targets will likely encompass, for the first time, emissions from the fuels and products sold, known as Scope 3, which account for nearly 90pc of BP's total emissions, according to the sources. BP's current targets are to reduce emissions from its own operations to net zero by 2025, equivalent to cutting 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 compared with 2016. It also agreed in a resolution adopted by shareholders to align its business with the 2015 Paris climate agreement goals. It is not clear what reduction targets the company could set for its Scope 3 emissions. The goals are however expected to be detailed at a strategy day later this year, the sources said. Dudley, who became CEO almost a decade ago following the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that drove BP to the brink of bankruptcy, had long resisted setting Scope 3 targets, arguing the company could not control how its fuels were being used. While Looney receives a financially solid company, he faces fierce pressure from shareholders and activists to do more to meet UN-backed goals to limit global warming. In Britain in particular, BP faces regular protests and calls for boycotts. Europe's top oil firms have all set carbon reduction goals of various breadth. Scope 3 targets could align BP with its most climate-progressive rivals: Repsol, which aims become a net zero-carbon company by 2050; Shell which has set out an "ambition" to halve Scope 3 emissions by 2050; and Total . US majors have lagged their European rivals, with Chevron setting limited reduction targets and ExxonMobil having no targets. STRUCTURAL OVERHAUL Looney, who joined BP in 1991 as a drilling engineer before rising through the ranks, is also considering overhauling the company's traditional structure, aiming to reduce costs as the outlook for oil and gas prices and consumption remains uncertain. The idea being explored of merging parts of its upstream and downstream operations is driven by the fact that they share similar management objectives such as safety, cost efficiency and reduction of carbon emissions, according to the sources. Under the proposed changes, BP would also form a unit focused on its rapidly growing retail, marketing and power businesses. These businesses are expected to be central in the energy transition as customers switch to electric vehicles and global demand for electricity is set to soar in coming decades. Rival Shell has already carried out a major shake-up, in 2016, establishing its integrated gas division as a separate segment following the acquisition of BG Group which sharply expanded its liquefied natural gas business (LNG). France's Total created a gas, renewables and power division in 2016 as it prepared to expand it LNG and low-carbon operations, spinning off parts of its upstream operations. Energy companies see natural gas as key for the energy transition, replacing more polluting coal in power generation. 'BALANCED BY REALITY' Since being announced as Dudley's successor in October, Looney has shuttled around the world, visiting staff, partners and governments in BP's main hubs, from India and Azerbaijan to Senegal. He has also met investors, consultants, bankers and environmental groups. "BP needs to be a willing and enthusiastic participant in the energy transition," said Alasdair McKinnon, manager at The Scottish Investment Trust, which holds shares in the oil major. "But this needs to be balanced by the current reality of the economics of the low-carbon technologies" that are generally less profitable than oil and gas, he added. The numbers underline the challenge Looney could face in meeting more ambitious emissions goals. As things stand, BP's upstream emissions are set to grow by 4pc between 2018 and 2025 due to higher oil and gas production in the wake of the 2018 acquisition of BHP Billiton's US shale assets, HSBC said in a report, citing Wood Mackenzie data. However, of the roughly $16bn per year the company invests in its business, only about $500m goes to renewables and low-carbon technologies. BP, which made a profit of $7.4bn in the first nine months of 2019, is also set to pay over $9bn in dividend and share repurchases for the year. "Bernard knows that doing more of the same won't win the day," said a senior BP official. "He believes in oil and gas but is not blind to the consequences of using it and that it cannot last forever." Senate Republicans, by and large, have reached an unspoken consensus about President Trump and Ukraine. He should not have put a temporary freeze on congressionally authorized aid to Ukraine, should not have dabbled with using the aid to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden or a nutty theory about Ukrainian hacking during the 2016 election, and should not have kept defending his perfect call as such. At the same time, his conduct does not merit his removal from office especially since voters will get to pass judgment on that conduct in a few months. Its a reasonable position, and its the case that Republicans ought to make in public. They are inhibited from doing so by the presidents obstinacy. Instead of sticking to the most defensible case for a Senate acquittal of Trump, Republicans from the president on down are making arguments that range from the implausible to the embarrassing. Hence the claim now being advanced half-heartedly by Republicans that presidents cannot be impeached for any abuse of power unless that abuse took the form of a criminal violation of a statute. The consensus of those who have studied this question is to the contrary. Jonathan Turley, the Republicans star witness in the House hearings about the constitutional issues raised by impeachment, has repudiated this view. Attorney General William Barr has in the past denied it. The Founding-era debates about impeachment are clear that Congress was to be able to remove a president from office if he had exercised his legal powers in an abusive way. One example that came up during those debates: What if the president tacitly encouraged a crime and then pardoned the perpetrator? The pardon power is arguably unreviewable, and certainly very nearly so. It was left to the judgment of a majority of the House and a supermajority of the Senate, as always under the supervision of the voters, whether a presidents conduct had rendered his continuation in office intolerable. Story continues Attempts to impeach presidents have thus frequently combined charges of crimes with charges of non-criminal abuses. A categorical denial of the latter class of charge would do violence to the Constitution and one of its checks on presidential misconduct. Republicans would be better off arguing that in this case the presidents behavior, while objectionable, should be left, as scheduled, to the judgment of the voters directly an argument that already has the support of most voters in polls and accords with Senate Republicans actual beliefs. There is no need for constitutional contortions. More from National Review "The successive disasters have overwhelmed local resources. Episcopal Relief & Development is accompanying E-CARE as they continue to respond to the needs of impacted communities, said Nagulan Nessiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Risk Reduction for Episcopal Relief & Development. Episcopal Relief & Development is providing emergency assistance through the Episcopal CARE Foundation (E-CARE), the relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, to communities impacted by several recent natural disasters in the Southern Tagalog provinces of the Philippines. Since October 2019, the Philippines has been struck by a succession of natural disasters. The Province of Cotabato was hit with multiple magnitude 6 and higher earthquakes which affected more than 300,000 people, causing many to evacuate to temporary shelters. The municipalities of Tulunan and Makilala were particularly hard hit by the quakes and aftershocks. The earthquakes were followed by Typhoon Phanfone on Christmas Day which passed through the central islands of the Philippines with 125 mph winds and damaging rainfall. Most recently, the eruption of the Taal volcano caused the evacuation of more than 53,000 people, according to the United Nations. E-CARE has responded to these emergencies through their local networks and contacts, focusing on taking advantage of existing assets in the communities. The agency is also working to purchase land to help relocate individuals and families that are unable to return to their homes as the areas have been declared uninhabitable by the local government. With the support of Episcopal Relief & Development, E-CARE is also providing disaster risk reduction training and assistance in rebuilding farms, crops and other sustainable sources of income. E-CARE typically responds to emergencies within the country by mobilizing local assets and resources, said Nagulan Nessiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Risk Reduction for Episcopal Relief & Development. In this case, the successive disasters have overwhelmed local resources. Episcopal Relief & Development is accompanying E-CARE as they continue to respond to the needs of impacted communities. Please pray for all those affected by this crisis. Donations to the Disaster Response Fund will help Episcopal Relief & Development continue to provide emergency assistance to individuals and families affected by the earthquakes, typhoon and volcano eruption, as well as the earthquakes in Puerto Rico and the fires in Australia. ABOUT EPISCOPAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT: For over 75 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate. Police funding plans for the coming financial year has been announced (Joe Giddens/PA) The Government has promised the biggest cash boost for police in a decade as it announced its funding plans for the coming financial year. Funding for police forces will increase by more than 1.1 billion in 2020/21, the Home Office said. The total amount of funding available for the year could reach 15.2 billion if police and crime commissioners ask council tax payers again to stump up extra cash to pay for services, known as a precept. According to the announcement, the money includes: It will mean more officers tackling the crime blighting our streets, so people can feel safe in their communitiesHome Secretary Priti Patel 700 million to recruit 6,000 officers the first phase of the 20,000 pledged over the next three years. 150 million made available to fight organised crime and crack down on online child abuse. 39 million allocated to tackling serious violence including 20 million to target county lines drug dealing. 906 million for counter-terrorism policing, which was announced earlier in the week. But in a written ministerial statement to Parliament, Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said the 153 million allocated to cover pension costs was held flat compared to the previous year and the figure would be reconsidered at the next spending review. Mr Malthouse said it is only right that in return the Government holds the police to account on delivering for the public, adding that the police are expected to achieve measurable improvements including addressing efficiency and productivity. The 1.1 billion rise is made up of 667 million grants and an anticipated 248 million from precept, with the remainder made up of funding for national priorities and funding for counter terrorism police which does not go directly to forces, the Home Office said. The total of 15.2 billion includes 8.702 billion in government grants and an anticipated 4.397 billion in precept, according to the department. John Apter, the national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales which represents rank-and-file officers, said this was clearly a better financial settlement for policing than previous years, adding: The Government has listened and started to invest in policing but once again the buck has been passed to police and crime commissioners and local taxpayers. This is simply unfair. Last week Mr Apter told the PA news agency it would be unforgivable if politicians failed to act on desperately needed long-term funding for policing, He called on ministers to rewrite the rules on funding by introducing at least a 10-year strategy for budgets to allow forces to properly plan for the future instead of sticking to the current annual review. Reiterating this call on Wednesday, he added: Boom-and-bust, short-term, one-year financial settlements do not work, and forces shouldnt have to operate on a hand-to-mouth basis. The Government has admitted the funding formula is outdated and must urgently address this. The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: At last the Government have recognised the damage they have done with 10 years of cuts to policing. This must be the first step in addressing the chronic funding problems that still exist. I am pleased that after years of campaigning we have had some success in changing the Governments direction. There is much more for them to do though. But Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned the announcement did not even make up for the number of police officers lost since 2010, even though our population has grown adding: Both the Met Commissioner and I will push the Government to give us the 6,000 extra police officers our city needs, and a proper long-term funding commitment in order to recruit and support them. Expand Close Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says the city needs more police officers (Rick Findler/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says the city needs more police officers (Rick Findler/PA) He said funding to tackle the root causes of crime were also needed, adding: Sadly, there is little sign that the Government will reverse their huge cuts to youth services, schools, councils and community facilities that caused crime to rise in the first place. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the announcement showed the Government was delivering on the peoples priorities and would mean more officers tackling the crime blighting our streets, so people can feel safe in their communities, adding: The police must now make full use of this significant investment to deliver for the public. Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, said it was a positive settlement for policing overall. Roger Hirst, who leads on finance for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), said the news was extremely welcome while his deputy Paddy Tipping added: This is a first step in building police numbers again. We need to recognise that it will take three years to get back to the level of officer numbers that existed in 2010. Many of the cost pressures we face, including cost of inflation and pay awards, will have to be met locally through the precept. Once again, it needs to be acknowledged that with different levels of precept and share of budget accounted for by council tax, the level to which forces benefit will vary from the precept increase. Mumbai, Jan 22 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated probe into four more separate cases registered by the Mumbai police against gangster Chhota Rajan, including those lodged between 1995 and 1998. The CBI took over the matter and registered the separate FIRs on Tuesday in the cases which were registered in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 at separate police stations. In October last year, the CBI had also begun probe into five cases against Rajan, including those related to his initial days when he was working as an alleged bootlegger with his mentor Rajan Nair alias Bada Rajan over three decades ago. Those cases were registered by the Mumbai police in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. With four new FIRs, the number of cases against Rajan Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, being probed by the agency, has increased to 80. All the cases registered by the Mumbai police against Chhota Rajan were transferred to the CBI following an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel in November 2015 after his arrest. The first case was registered in July 28, 1995 at L.T. Marg police station by Devang Bipin Parikh, a businessman, against one Suresh (full named not known), Guru Satam and Chhota Rajan accusing them of calling him to seek Rs 20 lakh extortion and threatening to kill him and his father if the amount is not paid. Another case was registered at Khar police station on June 7, 1996 by Shabbir N. Patel, a builder against one Bhau and Chhota Rajan among others accusing them of threatening him and his son to kill them. Third case was registered by the Mumbai police on June 12, 1997 at Antop Hill Police station by Baljit Shersingh Parmar, a journalist. In his complaint, Parmar alleged that two unidentified bike borne assailants shot bullets to kill him leading to serious injuries. Mumbai CID was handed over the case and it named Chhota Rajan and one Rohit Verma in the charge sheet after completion of the investigation. Another case was registered on November 6, 1998 at L.T. Marg police station by Ghisula Jain, a businessman, against one Hemant Krishna Varthadkar accusing him of calling at his shop and residence between June 10, 1998 and November 6, 1998 demanding Rs 25 lakh extortion money. As per the case diary, after completion of investigation, Mumbai Police filed charge sheet against Varthadkar, Suresh Baburao Kurhe, Santram Govind Thakur and two other accused namely Chhota Rajan and Manoj Kotiyan shown as wanted accused. Soon after the arrest of Chhota Rajan on October 25, 2015, and his deportation from Indonesia, following an Interpol Red Corner Notice, the Maharashtra government had handed over 71 cases to the CBI. Chhota Rajan is currently lodged in Tihar Jail's Super High Security Jail no. 2. He is a former member of D-Company, who split with Dawood on communal lines after the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. The Gray Lady sowed some confusion over the weekend. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images In the wake of the New York Times rather confusing dual endorsement of Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, I spoke with business columnist Josh Barro and political columnist Eric Levitz about whether the grand old tradition of news organizations selecting their preferred candidates makes much sense. Ben: The New York Times had the politics world buzzing well, mostly just complaining about its presidential endorsement, which it rolled out over the weekend. Not only was its choice announced at the end of an hour-long TV spectacle that had the feeling of a reality show, but the paper couldnt settle on one candidate, instead picking both Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. The whole tortuous process also had some questioning the wisdom of newspaper endorsements in the first place. Journalist Peter Hamby, for instance, recently opined that readers have a hard time differentiating between news and opinion sides of a paper, and do not need guidance for such a highly visible contest. So, do these things still make any sense in 2020? Josh: No, and Im not sure they ever made sense. Im not sure that unsigned editorials on any topic make sense. Someone commented to me when I was in college that writing unsigned editorials is like pissing in a dark suit it gives you a nice, warm feeling and nobody notices. I dont know what the particular expertise of the New York Times editorial board is supposed to be that gives these endorsements weight. Theyre a bunch of well-informed liberals. But the people to whom this endorsement is directed largely are also well-informed liberals. Theyre positioned to draw their own conclusions. Eric: I think the Times endorsements are a useful institution in the context of state and local races/ballot referenda low salience, low visibility elections where a significant segment of the (low turnout) electorate might both want and heed the guidance of well-informed liberals. Josh: Yeah. I think these sorts of editorials can be useful when they are about obscure offices where the readers are genuinely much less informed than the writers. A voter might want guidance about how to vote in elections for water boards or port authorities and the like, where theyre unlikely to have actually taken the time to understand the differences between the candidates. Eric: Yep. Josh: But thats the Times role as a local paper, not as a national paper. Eric: And on those things, the subject-area expertise of certain board members is helpful. Josh: But with the presidential endorsement, they just seemed to be hashing out the same questions that everyone has been for months. And I think the choice to not even pick a single candidate underscores how silly the process is. What we learned here is that the Times editorial board consists of people who have diverse preferences, like the electorate itself. Eric: Right. Maybe in the Bad Old Days when these editorial boards were more uniformly white, male, and Ivy League or what have you, they collectively represented a coherent ideology, worldview, or ethos. But todays Times board is a semi-random assortment of left-of-center journalists and experts who have no reason to share a consensus take on the 2020 presidential race, and manifestly dont. Josh: But they manage to be diverse and still unrepresentative of the electorate. If they are progressives, they prefer Warrens technocratic approach to progressive change and are deeply skeptical of Bernie Sanderss tone and style. If they are moderates, theyre put off by Bidens age and dont really get why hes so popular. (Mr. Biden maintains a lead in national polls, but that may be a measure of familiarity as much as voter intention.) Eric: Yeah, well, by its nature, the board cant not be a collection of extremely high-information, professional class voters, and the Democratic primary electorate is not uniformly those things. Josh: Obviously the Times doesnt have an obligation to endorse the winner, but the editorial gives the sense that they havent even processed why Biden is leading and Sanders is second. Ben: To that point the video of an NYT security guard who was thrilled to meet Biden, and which was included in the endorsement broadcast, got quite a bit of attention for, in some peoples eyes, being representative of the papers out-of-touchness vis-a-vis why Biden is winning. Regardless of whether it should exist, do you think the Times endorsement actually matters? Eric: Im not sure. But it seems like whatever effect it could have had is diluted by the papers indecision. I could maybe see an emphatic Warren endorsement moving some undecided liberals away from Pete or Amy and toward her. Josh: I think the endorsement would have been unimportant even if it had gone to just one candidate and its even less important since it is split, and split among two candidates who are, generously, No. 3 and No. 5 in odds of winning the nomination Eric: Seems right. Josh: A Warren endorsement also would have mattered little because it is to type: The Times is the sort of paper that would endorse Warren, it doesnt have the surprise factor that an endorsement of Biden or Sanders (or a sole endorsement of Klobuchar) would have had, maybe getting some people who think of themselves as in line with the NYT to rethink their choice. To be clear, I still think it would have mattered little if they had done that, but it would have been more likely to matter. Eric: A Trump endorsement might have been #impactful. Josh: Lol. Ben: Do you see any chance or hope that this practice will die out soon? Or is the practice too ingrained for it to go anywhere anytime in the near future? Eric: I think the latter. Whatever you want to say about this years Times endorsement, it was a genuinely impressive marketing and PR achievement. They demonstrated that its still possible to make a newspaper endorsement in a hotly contested presidential election a bona fide thing/news event. Josh: I am skeptical that unsigned editorials are a profitable business practice. They dont drive traffic like op-ed columns can. I think they tend to be a vanity outlet for newspaper publishers and owners it makes them feel like they are a powerful voice that needs to be courted. I think its the illusion of influence that keeps papers doing this, though Id note The Wall Street Journal has a long tradition of not endorsing presidential candidates, which I think is and has been wise. If they werent doing an endorsement, would all the presidential candidates come meet with the Times ed board? Maybe that is the value it helps them develop deeper relationships with the candidates that improves their other editorial writing on the race. But Im still skeptical. OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau has refused to say who will cover security costs for Prince Harry and his family while they are in Canada. Trudeau said Tuesday in Winnipeg that discussions on the matter were ongoing, adding he had not spoken to the Queen about it. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, the cabinet member responsible for the RCMP, said Tuesday an assessment of the security needs for the family was underway, but that has not yet been resolved. Video from Sky News showed Harry landing at Victorias airport late Monday. The prince, his wife Meghan and their eight-month-old son Archie are reportedly staying at a mansion north of the B.C. capital. Buckingham Palace announced Saturday that the prince and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will give up public funding and try to become financially independent. They spent the holiday season on Vancouver Island, but its unclear where in Canada they will settle. Read more about: A 35-year-old woman was arrested by the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police and drugs worth Rs 5.5 lakh were seized from her possession, an official said on Wednesday. Saba Abid Shaikh, resident of Sion-Koliwada area, was nabbed in Byculla in central Mumbai on Tuesday evening. ANC sleuths had got a tip-off that she was going to be in the Sant Savata Marg area, carrying drugs with her, the police official said. A trap was laid and Shaikh was arrested. She was allegedly found to be carrying 110 grams of MD drug, popularly called 'Ecstasy', in a polythene bag. The seized contraband was worth Rs 5.5 lakh in illicit markets, the official added. Shaikh was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Alliance News) - Gulf Investment Fund PLC on Wednesday said its assets grew in the final quarter of 2019 but were not able to match the performance of its benchmark. In the three months to December 31, the Gulf Cooperation Council-focused investment company's net asset value grew by 2.4% compared to the S&P GCC index, which added 4.4%. Over all of 2019, however, Gulf Investment's NAV was up 21%, whilst the benchmark added just 8.3%. Including dividend payments, Gulf Investment said its NAV grew by 4.7% in the three-month period. At June 30, the fund reported a NAV per share of USD1.3504. Shares in Gulf Investment Fund were 1.5% higher in London on Wednesday at USD1.33 each. "Global equity markets ended the year near record highs. GCC markets rose, with the S&P GCC index up 8.3% in 2019. Kuwait outperformed the others, ending the year up 23.7%. Bahrain performed similarly closing the year up 20.4%. Dubai and Saudi Arabia posted rises of 9.3% and 7.2% respectively. Qatar rose 1.2%, while Oman closed the year down 7.9," GIF explained. Saudi Arabia raised USD25.6 billion by listing just 1.5% of state-owned oil company Aramco's shares on the Riyadh exchange. This translates to a USD2 trillion valuation. Compared to the benchmark, GIF continued to be overweight Qatar. GIF's weightings in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait are 26%, 23% and 17%, respectively. The benchmark is weighted 54% towards Saudi Arabia. "Military action by US and Iran has heightened tensions in the region, but it has not, at the time of writing, caused any of the GCC governments to change their economic outlooks. Nor do we expect it to, given that these sorts of events have occurred in the past," GIF added. Looking ahead, the investment company said: "The IMF expects growth in the region rise to 2.5% in 2020, up from 0.7% in 2019. Gradual recovery in oil prices and continued infrastructure spending will likely boost economic activity in the medium term. Rising oil output in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and gas output in Qatar and Oman, should support growth in the hydrocarbon sector." "With large investments anticipated over the next few years, the Investment Adviser expects to see increasing opportunities in banking, infrastructure and industrials. The oil price remains a key risk," GIF added. By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The new program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could contain relief of administrative pressure on the energy markets, as well as supporting independence of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and traditional anti-corruption bloc, Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has said. "I'm not sure I can divulge details of the program before it is announced, but my ideas of the contents is that it might contain relief of administrative pressure on the energy markets, hence we can expect a continued liberalization in this field," he said in an interview with the Report Company in cooperation with Newsweek. He said that supporting the independence of this institution could be an important part of the IMF program, as well as good corporate governance in state-run banks and continuation of the reform of fiscal and customs services. "Another very important bloc is the anti-corruption bloc. Some anti-corruption bodies created in the last five years now function properly and have had some achievements. The law re-criminalizing illicit enrichment has just been adopted, and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention is being relaunched," he said. A deadly shooting at an east Birmingham gas station Sunday evening has been ruled justifiable. The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Wednesday identified the victim as Troy Allen Underhill. He was 48 and lived in the Birmingham area. Officers responded at 5:25 p.m. Sunday to the Shell station at 3901 Pinson Valley Parkway on a report of a person shot. When they arrived on the scene, they found a person suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to UAB Hospital by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service. His condition was not made available. Authorities said the investigation showed there was an altercation at the store between the two men and gunfire was exchanged. Underhill ran into a wooded area. The police departments K9 unit responded and found a him in that wooded area. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Birmingham police on Wednesday said they presented their evidence in the investigation to the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office and the case was justified as defense. Police did not elaborate. So far this year, there have been seven homicides in Birmingham, and eight countywide, including the seven in Birmingham. Underhills death is the second this year to be ruled justifiable. Last week, police said the death of David Lee at Show Stoppers motorcycle club was also deemed justified as defense. Dan Elam, VP, Enterprise Partners Having worked with Active Navigation several times in the past, I was always impressed by how they exceeded customer expectations, especially within highly-regulated enterprises," said Dan Elam, VP, Enterprise Partners. Active Navigation, the data privacy and governance software provider, today announced it has welcomed Dan Elam as VP, Enterprise Partners. In his new role Dan will be focused on fostering and growing new partnerships and driving joint business development opportunities. A well-known thought-leader and industry speaker, Dan is an AIIM Fellow, former US Technical Expert to the International Standards Organization (ISO) and co-author of the CDIA+ exam. Dan has founded and exited multiple management consulting companies and held leadership positions with organizations including Contoural and Gimmal. Dan has also consulted for several highly recognized brands such as American Express, Intel and AT&T. Active Navigations unique product suite, leadership team and strong culture attracted me to the organization, said Dan Elam, VP, Enterprise Partners. Having worked with Active Navigation several times in the past, I was always impressed by how they exceeded customer expectations, especially within highly-regulated enterprises. Im excited to join the team and look forward to working with new partners and customers in 2020. Dans combination of in-depth technical knowledge and deep domain expertise in information governance is exactly what we were looking for when we set out to fill this role, said Dean Gonsowski, Chief Revenue Officer. Dan brings invaluable experience to the team at this pivotal time of rapid growth. Were delighted to welcome him onboard. Active Navigation works with top data privacy consultancies and technology providers. If youre interested in becoming a partner, please visit Active Navigations partner page. About Active Navigation Active Navigation is a data privacy and governance software company. Its product suite enables enterprises and government entities to map, clean, classify, quarantine and delete redundant, obsolete and trivial data. Hundreds of companies and government agencies trust Active Navigation to help them control sensitive data and support compliance with various data privacy regulations such as CCPA and GDPR. Active Navigation Inc. is headquartered in the D.C. Metro area and has offices in Europe and Australia. For more information, please visit ActiveNavigation.com or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn. In what may well be a dress rehearsal for his forthcoming ascension to the throne, Prince Charles will be making Britain's first official royal visit to Israel to attend an event at Yad Vashem, "Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism," on January 23. He will be joining the presidents of Russia, France, Germany, Italy, and Austria, as well as the kings of Spain and Belgium. These are all nations where anti-Semitism has a vigorous past and present presence. Charles himself, his brother Edward, and his father, the duke of Edinburgh, have all traveled to Israel, but never in an official capacity. In 1994, the duke attended a ceremony at Yad Vashem honoring his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who had been awarded the title for saving many Jewish lives during the Holocaust. She is buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem at her own dying request, a fact omitted in the Netflix series The Crown. Charles also represented the queen privately at the funerals of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 and Shimon Peres in 2016. The no longer "bonnie" prince carries a historic burden. Great Britain has a sordid history with respect to the Holocaust and Israel. After a betrayal of the promise of the Balfour Declaration, in 1922, eighty percent of the Palestine Mandate was deeded to the Hashemites with no historical or religious ties to ancient Palestine. This was followed by a series of "White Papers" that severely limited Jewish immigration to Palestine. At the Evian conference of 1938, the British slammed the door of Palestine against any sizable admissions of Jewish refugees, effectively trapping millions of hapless Jews in Europe. While British callousness to Jewish suffering in slamming shut the gates of Palestine is well known, less widely known is how indifferent the royals were. King George, father of the present Queen Elizabeth, was stalwart during the Blitz but no friend of the Jews. The king not only supported the White Paper, but also stated that he was "glad to think that steps are being taken to prevent these people [read: Jews] leaving their country of origin." Halifax's office telegraphed Britain's ambassador in Berlin asking him to encourage the German government "to check the unauthorized emigration of Jews." The king and queen, who visited veterans and orphans in displays of solidarity with ordinary people, were silent on the Holocaust. After the war, British planes bombed and forcibly rerouted ships bound for Palestine carrying the wretched survivors of the Holocaust, and in the immediate aftermath of the 1948 war, they, with Pakistan, were the only nations to recognize Jordan's illegal occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank. One could be heartened by Prince Charles's recent statement issued to guests at the palace: In my own small way, I have sought to recognize the contribution of the Jewish community by various means, whether in attending or hosting receptions for the Kindertransport Association, or for Holocaust survivors, or attending events for the National Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, of which I am Patron, or helping to build a Jewish community center in Krakow where I was privileged to affix a mezuzah to the doorpost" or in agreeing without a moment's hesitation to become patron of World Jewish Relief, of which he said, "I see this as the least I can do to try to repay, in some small way, the immense blessings the Jewish people have brought to this land and, indeed, to humanity. He also has a soft spot for Islam: for many years, he has been a patron of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies and has shown great interest in its history and standing in the world. His royal feathers are unruffled by sharia family tribunals that operate openly in England, setting binding rulings on civil matters. In a 2018 book, Charles At Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes and Dreams, written with the cooperation of Clarence House, author Robert Jobson highlights the prince's thoughts: He opposed the Iraq war; disagrees with bans on burkas and niqabs; believes that the Israel-Palestine conflict is "the fundamental reason for the hostility and all the 'pent-up poison' throughout the Islamic world"; thinks that Christianity can learn from Islam. Ecumenical, isn't he? Finally, and most discouraging, is the fact that according to a statement issued by his office, his trip will include a "program of engagements" in the "occupied Palestinian Territories" with Mahmoud Abbas and other adherents of a covenant that seeks to visit a Holocaust on the Jewish citizens of Israel. Thus, his participation in the Holocaust Memorial renders it another episode of caterwauling street theater by European hypocrites. Photo credit: Northern Ireland Office. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear. Low near 40F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Aizawl will get cable car services as the Centre has approved a proposal of the Mizoram government to revamp public transport system of the hill town, sources said on Wednesday. The city, which is known for its notorious traffic jams, will get two overhead cable car corridors, they said. The north-south corridor will be from Durtlang to Kulikawn, while the east-west one will be between Thuampui and Solomon's Temple, they said. Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who is currently in New Delhi, met NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday. During the meeting, he was told that the proposal for setting up of cable car services in Aizawl has been approved after studying the feasibility report, the sources said. The chief minister was told that financial allocation has also been made for the project, they said, without disclosing the details. Experts from Delhi will be visiting Aizawl next week to start initial works for the project. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Martinsville man charged with shooting a Martinsville Police officer on New Years Day will be arraigned Wednesday morning on charges that include attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer. Thomas Joe Braxton III, 37, of Martinsville, who was arrested by Virginia State Police upon his release from Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Jan. 4, will appear in Henry County General District Court also to face charges of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony (second offense), possessing or transporting a weapon by a violent felon and eluding or disregarding police. Braxton has been jailed in the Henry County jail since his arrest. According to a VSP investigation report, at approximately 9:38 p.m. on Jan. 1 a Martinsville police officer attempted to stop Braxtons 2002 Toyota pickup truck for a traffic violation on Memorial Boulevard at Askin Street. Braxton ignored the officer after emergency equipment was activated, and a vehicle pursuit began. Braxton jumped out of his moving vehicle on Theatre Street in Henry County and fled on foot. The pickup rolled down an embankment, crossed over the Joseph Martin Highway and crashed into an embankment. When Martinsville Police located Braxton behind a nearby apartment building, Braxton is alleged to have begun firing, and MPD officer Michael Panos was shot once in the left arm, Martinsville Deputy Chief Rob Fincher said in a release. He said Officer Jason Griffith also was involved in the shootout. The officers returned fire, and Braxton was taken into custody. His gun was recovered at the scene, a VSP release said. Braxton was flown to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital where he was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening sustained in the shooting. Panos was flown to Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was released from the hospital Thursday and remains under a physicians care, Fincher said after Braxtons arrest. Police have not revealed the name of the officer attempting to pull Braxton over at 9:38 p.m. Jan. 1, but the occurrence was not an uncommon one for Braxton. He has a long list of violations dating back to 2007. It is unknown what traffic violation Braxton was suspected of committing on the night the shooting occurred. It is expected at the arraignment Braxton will be formally advised of the charges against him and will be asked to enter a plea to the charges. Although the court may also decide whether Braxton will be released pending trial, the nature of the charges will make the discussion unlikely. Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-638-8801, Ext. 236. Follow him @billdwyatt Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-638-8801, Ext. 236. Follow him @billdwyatt Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bombardier Inc., the embattled Canadian train and plane maker, is exploring a combination of its rail business with French rival Alstom SA, according to people familiar with the matter. The two companies have held preliminary talks about a rail deal in the past few months, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Representatives for Alstom and Bombardier declined to comment. The latest considerations between Bombardier and Alstom could face antitrust scrutiny, and theres no certainty they will lead to a transaction, the people said. A rail deal is among several options the Canadian company is exploring to stabilize its portfolio, which also includes business jets, they said. The deliberations started before Bombardier shocked the market last week by warning of disappointing fourth-quarter sales, according to the people. Bombardier also said at the time that it may exit a joint venture with Airbus SE that makes the A220 jetliner and potentially take a major writedown. Bombardier shares dropped as much as 39 per cent on the news, a record decline, and its market value has now fallen to about $3 billion. A takeover of Bombardiers rail business by Alstom would mark the latest attempt by some of the worlds biggest trainmakers to counter growing competition from China. Bombardier in 2017 held talks to combine its rail operations with competitor Siemens AG until the German company suddenly opted to pursue a deal with Alstom. The European Union then in February 2019 blocked the Franco-German merger, which would have created a European rail champion, after regulators refused to cave in to warnings about the looming threat of Chinese competition. While historically best known as a manufacturer of metro, commuter and regional trains, Bombardier has collaborated in high-speed projects including Alstoms high-speed TGV. The potential end of Bombardiers involvement in A220 manufacturing, combined with new stumbles in the companys rail business, have undermined a once-great name in manufacturing just when investors thought they were poised to reap the rewards of a difficult turnaround effort. Walking away from the A220 would close the book on Bombardiers work on an aircraft program in which the company invested more than $6 billion. The negative earnings announcement could hamper efforts to reach a deal with Alstom, weighing on the estimated value of the Canadian companys rail operations or spurring both firms to focus on their own separate businesses, the people said. Bombardier in 2015 sold a 30 per cent stake in its Berlin-based train business to pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, valuing the unit at $5 billion at the time and helping the firm raise capital as it faced a cash drain from delays for its new jets. Before that, it had considered an IPO of the rail unit. Read more about: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou on Tuesday jointly inaugurated the first convention centre established in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. The establishment of the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) is a landmark for India-Niger friendship, as also a symbol of India's firm commitment towards Africa, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. It is the first centre to be established in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi whose 150th birth anniversary was observed in 2019, it said. The convention centre has been designed as a spacious, modern and eco-friendly facility, including a 2,000 capacity Plenary Hall, to witness high-level and wide-ranging participation from African Union (AU) member states and other high level conventions. Jaishankar, the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit the West African country, arrived in Niamey on Monday on the first leg of his three-day two-nation trip to Niger and Tunisia. The tour is his first outreach to the African continent after becoming Foreign Minister last year. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met Prime Minister Brigi Rafini during which the two leaders discussed bilateral ties. He also met his Nigerien counterpart Kalla Ankourao and held discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues. India and Niger enjoy close relations. Bilateral relations have expanded significantly in the recent years. India has provided Lines of Credit to Niger for projects in transport, electrification, solar energy and potable drinking water. India has also extended assistance to Niger in support of organising the AU summit held in Niamey in July last year. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 21, 2020 The Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place a ruling that allows Illinois residents to proceed with a lawsuit accusing Facebook of violating a state biometric privacy law by compiling a database of faceprints. As is customary, the justices didn't give a reason for refusing to hear Facebook's appeal of the lower court ruling. Facebook declined to comment. The justices' refusal to weigh in means Facebook must now face a class-action alleging that it violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. That 10-year-old statute -- considered one of the strongest privacy laws in the country -- requires companies to obtain written releases from people before collecting face geometry and other biometric data. The law provides for damages of up to $5,000 per violation. The battle dates to 2015, when Illinois residents Carlo Licata, Adam Pezen and Nimesh Patel claimed in a class-action complaint that Facebook's photo-tagging feature violates the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act. advertisement advertisement Facebook's photo-tagging function allegedly draws on a vast trove of photos to recognize users' faces and suggest their names when they appear in photos uploaded by their friends. Facebook unsuccessfully argued to a district court judge and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the lawsuit should be dismissed before trial. Among other arguments, Facebook contended that the Illinois residents weren't injured by the alleged practices, and therefore had no standing to proceed in federal court. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that reasoning last year. "The development of a face template using facial-recognition technology without consent (as alleged here) invades an individual's private affairs and concrete interests," Circuit Judge Sandra Ikuta wrote in an opinion joined by Judges Ronald Gould and Benita Pearson. The judges added that creating facial templates could have far-reaching consequences. Once a face template of an individual is created, Facebook can use it to identify that individual in any of the other hundreds of millions of photos uploaded to Facebook each day, as well as determine when the individual was present at a specific location, the appellate judges wrote. Taking into account the future development of such technology ... it seems likely that a face-mapped individual could be identified from a surveillance photo taken on the streets or in an office building. Or a biometric face template could be used to unlock the face recognition lock on that individuals cell phone. Facebook then asked the Supreme Court to intervene. The company's request was backed by outside groups including the libertarian think tank TechFreedom, which argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that people shouldn't be able to sue in federal court over speculative, insubstantial harms. Gerry Stegmaier, the lawyer who represented TechFreedom, says the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case is likely to lead to more court battles. The Supreme Court has chosen not to intervene, Stegmaier says, adding that the refusal will probably result in new cases against tech companies. We're likely to see a proliferation of gotcha lawsuits as states continue to fill the federal void and pass new privacy legislation, says Stegmaier, a partner at the law firm Reed Smith. Facebook isn't the only company to face litigation over facial-recognition software. Google was also sued for allegedly violating the Illinois law by deploying facial recognition technology on photos uploaded by users. So far, that matter has had a different outcome than the lawsuit against Facebook. U.S. District Court Judge Edmond Chang in Illinois dismissed the complaint against Google, ruling that the people who sued didn't suffer any concrete injury from the company's alleged faceprint practices. Chang said in his ruling that Google's alleged practices didn't cause an injury because people's faces are public information. Stegmaier says the Supreme Court's refusal to hear Facebook's appeal and set a national standard suggests that outcomes of privacy lawsuits will continue to vary based on where the cases are brought. Greenies fighting to save baby birds blocked vital hazard reduction burns in a tiny Victorian town two months before residents had to be evacuated as a deadly bushfire closed in. Holding placards that read 'be firefighters not firelighters' and 'spring burns kill baby birds', the protesters refused to leave the planned burn area in Nowa Nowa, Victoria in September. Firefighters were forced to abandon what they considered a necessary step in bushfire mitigation before the government reduced the planned burn area by more than 97 per cent to appease activists. The backdown has played out in similar scenes across the country with devastating consequences as hazard reduction burning drops to dangerous levels. 'Burning in spring is the worst time because the animals are breeding and trees are flowering and it is still so dry,' Mary from Nowa Nowa told her local ABC outlet during the protest. 'The Department of Environment, Land and Water and Planning (DELWP) is dividing the community because they are telling us this has to be done to save our lives but in fact they're just destroying the environment.' Scroll down for video Hazard reduction burns had to be abandoned because of protests about the damage done to wildlife (pictured), despite authorities insisting it is a necessary tool in limiting bushfires Protesters (pictured) in the tiny Victorian town of Nowa Nowa saw a planned hazard reduction burn reduced from 370ha to nine hectares last September. Two months later the town had to be evacuated when the East Gippsland mega blaze closed in The department scaled back the planned burn from 370 hectares to just nine in what would prove a disastrous move as Australia entered a summer of disaster. Just two months later, the town's 200 residents would have to be urgently evacuated as the East Gippsland bushfire - which killed four people, destroyed 340 homes and burnt 1 million hectares - raged. The insurance bill from the Gippsland area alone is expected to surpass $100 million. It was that burn and lower fuels allowed firefighters to stop the spread of that fire RFS incident commander Greg Wardle The ABC has since blurred the faces of the activists to protect their identities, having become a target for trolls in the wake of the East Gippsland fires. But also coming under fire online was the Victorian government and its agencies for bowing to the wishes of Greens and reducing its planned burns in the Nowa Nowa area by roughly 97.5 per cent. A Royal Commission into the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires found that 385,000 hectares of hazard reduction needed to be carried out annually across the state. But DELWP's annual reports reveal only one-third of that goal was accomplished in 2018/19, with 130,000ha burned. Pictured are the East Gippsland fires shortly after they erupted on December 31, 2019, burning 1million hectares and destroying hundreds of homes Homes were burnt to the ground this bus completely gutted (pictured) when fire tore through Clifton Creek, in East Gippsland, in early January Temperatures soared into the 40s across Victoria as fires closed in on properties in East Gippsland In the wake of the Black Saturday recommendations backburning peaked in 2012/13 with a total of 225,227ha of hazard reduction completed. But by 2017 that had dropped off to pre-Black Saturday levels, with just 77,728ha of the burning goal completed. While fire chiefs have been quick to point out that a lack of hazard reduction burning is not to blame for a record bushfire season, they admit it is a crucial tool in limiting fire impact and protecting rural communities. The Rural Fire Service of New South Wales has also faced difficulties in hitting their hazard reduction targets. Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons claimed earlier this month that he received a bevvy of complaints from locals after every back burning effort. 'Lighting a hazard reduction burn is complicated, it's resource hungry, it's risky,' Mr Fitzsimmons told the ABC on January 8. 'And the minute we see a burn lit, I end up getting inundated with claims from people wanting us to pay for their shade cloth on their greenhouse or the sun tough on their back pergola (which has) now got embers that have landed on it.' Mr Fitzsimmons described back burning as a 'valuable tool', but admitted it was in no way a 'panacea' that would completely eradicate the threat of bushfires. The enormous bushfire that raged across East Gippsland on December 30 and 31st saw Nowa Nowa residents evacuated, while further east Navy ships were called in (pictured) to ferry out 4,000 residents and tourists at Mallacoota - which became isolated as fire rapidly closed in Backburning efforts across NSW in 2018 (pictured) were directly responsible for reducing the impact of fires in the Blue Mountains, RFS bosses claim A mega blaze in the Blue Mountains (pictured) could have destroyed more towns if not for the backburning efforts of the RFS and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service The Blue Mountains, a popular tourist attraction and natural wonder on the western outskirts of Sydney, was one of the first areas hit by bushfires this summer. Fires in that area began in September, at least four months before the usual summer danger period. They're telling us this has to be done to save our lives... but in fact they're just destroying the environment Mary from Nowa Nowa The Blue Mountains blazes tore through 40,000 hectares of bush but were relatively small compared with fires elsewhere in the country. But for firefighters on the ground backburning is widely seen as a crucial element in making their job easier. RFS incident controller Greg Wardle told a recent community meeting that hazard reduction burns 18 months earlier had minimised the severity of the blaze. Mr Wardle claimed that without burns at Mount Solitary in mid-2018, several towns in the mountains would have been devastated by the raging fires, the Blue Mountains Gazette reports. A stream of fire flows down a cliff face in the Blue Mountains, a sign of the incredible force of the fires in that area 'I just want to make a point that without that burn this (Ruined Castle) fire would have been... in the back of townships from Wentworth Falls to Springwood,' he said. 'It was that burn and lower fuels allowed firefighters to stop the spread of that fire.' And he's not alone, with long-time firefighting captain Bruce Richardson demanding that experienced members of the RFS and CFA be listened to. 'It disgusts me that people in offices think they can make decisions affecting people on the fire front and have the local experience,' Mr Richardson - who spent 76 days fighting fires this summer - told the AFR. 'If the weather is changing in our life, climate change or whatever, they need to get serious about land management and fuel loads. 'It's really simple. If there is no or little fuel, then there is very little fire.' A total of 668,191 hectares of hazard reduction has been carried out in the past 10 years across New South Wales. This is a significant increase on the 279,039 done between 1999 and 2009, but is substantially below the annual recommended level for Victoria - a smaller state. 3 1 of 3 Courtesy of the Katy Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy of the Katy Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Katy Police Department is investigating a brazen daylight robbery at the Jared Vault Jewelry outlet in Katy Mills Mall. According to police chief Noe Diaz, on Jan. 19 at approximately 12:52 p.m., two males entered the store and used a hammer to smash open a glass display case. The thieves made off with several thousands of dollars in merchandise, specifically watches. Multiple store employees witnessed the incident and reported that the thieves were in and out of the store in under a minute. Teacher celebrates becoming US citizen with her students by her side originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Annmarie Small was working as a teacher and raising her 5-year-old son in Kingston, Jamaica, when she decided in 2007 to move to America to make a better life for her family. She moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where she knew no one, and was hired as a teacher at Cornerstone Learning Community, a small private school that teaches pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Small remembers being met by Cornerstone students, parents and faculty when she arrived at the airport. (MORE: Teacher cuts her own hair to match kindergartner's, plus more inspiring stories where teachers took their jobs beyond the classroom) Last week, Small was cheered on by current and former students as she took the oath to become a U.S. citizen. PHOTO: Annmarie Small poses with her students and a judge at Leon County Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. (Jason Flom/Cornerstone Learning Community) "I use the term 'bag of emotions' because that's exactly what it was," Small, 42, said of her reaction. "When everything was quiet after the ceremony and I went home, I cried, and it was tears of joy." "I'm so happy the process is over now because it's been a long process," she said. "And there were tears of joy because I've had the support of Cornerstone since day one." "It's so special to me because it's not just one particular group," Small added. "Every year, I've had students and teachers and parents rooting for me." PHOTO: Annmarie Small, second from right, poses with friends and co-workers at her U.S. citizenship ceremony.citizen. (Jason Flom/Cornerstone Learning Community) Attending the ceremony with Small at Leon County Federal Courthouse was her current fourth grade class, as well as the school's fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, most of whom had Small as a teacher. (MORE: Teacher's 'summer packet' is all things kids can't learn on a worksheet) When the courtroom could not fit all the students, the middle schoolers stood outside. They waved American flags and cheered as the courthouse emptied, with more than 70 people who became citizens exiting alongside Small. Story continues PHOTO: Annmarie Small hugs some of her students after becoming a U.S. citizen. (Jason Flom/Cornerstone Learning Community) "There was a feeling that this is what we should be doing as a nation, welcoming our new citizens, that we are a nation of immigrants and this process is essential to our national identity, and being able to share that with students and to humanize it was amazing," said Jason Flom, Cornerstone's director. Flom was part of the committee that hired Small as a teacher 13 years ago. He described knowing right away that she would be a good fit for Cornerstone and said her becoming a U.S. citizen called for a school-wide celebration. "She's been a fixture of our school for a long time, and she's been a teacher leader, and coordinates our after school program and coordinates our summer camp program," he said. "She really works hard as a professional and as a human to connect with kids." PHOTO: Cornerstone Learning Community sudents watch as their teacher Annmarie Small becomes a U.S. citizen. (Jason Flom/Cornerstone Learning Community) Small, whose son, now 18, attended Cornerstone, remembers being welcomed instantly at the school despite her concerns coming in as someone with an accent from a different culture. "I'm forever grateful," she said. "Even working with a master's degree in Jamaica I couldn't make ends meet, but here I'm better able to support my family back home and myself and my son." After the ceremony Small was surprised with an "American party" at the school that featured apple pie, ice cream and an all-American playlist created by a student. She said she hopes she's an inspiration to her students and to anyone who reads her story, saying, "The road may be long and rugged and tough, but just don't give up -- keep going." Noted actor Shabana Azmi, who was injured in an accident last week, is "recovering well", her husband and veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar said on Wednesday. Azmi suffered head injuries when her car met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on January 18. Akhtar was also there in the vehicle but escaped unhurt. The 69-year-old actor and her driver Kamlesh Kamath were taken to the MGM hospital in Navi Mumbai and later shifted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in suburban Andheri the same day. Akhtar said Azmi is expected to be shifted to a normal room on Thursday. He expressed gratitude to his wife's well-wishers for praying for her good health. "Our family would like to thank all the friends and well wishers for their concern and messages for Shabana. This is to let everyone know that she is recovering well and most probably will be shifted to a normal room tomorrow," the 75-year-old screenwriter said in a statement. There was no word about when she will be discharged from hospital. Kamath has been booked for rash driving and negligence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Fianna Fail and Fine Gael public and private positions on coalition with Sinn Fein are not necessarily the same, Brian Stanley told his election launch in the Midlands Park Hotel on Tuesday night. Answering a question from the floor on the prospect of coalition, the Sinn Fein candidate told the crowd that some Fianna Fail and Fine Gael members had indicated privately that they would look at coalition, including one Fianna Fail front bench member. However, Deputy Stanley qualified Sinn Fein's position on the question of coalition. "We are not scamping around the place or going mad to get into bed with them," he stated. "We have a clear programme and we are looking for the mainstay of our programme to be implemented," he stated. "Fianna Fail propped up Fine Gael and passed budgets that did not nothing for health and housing." In his launch speech, Deputy Stanley outlined Sinn Fein policy across a raft of areas. He prefaced his speech with the observation that successive governments "had failed to tackle inequality" making Ireland "one of the most unequal societies" in the world. "We will bring the pension age back to 65, and lower fuel bills. We want a three year rent freeze across both counties. We will also lower childcare costs by 100 a month. "Portlaoise hospital will not be downgraded under a Sinn Fein government," he vowed. On climate issues he said that Sinn Fein would invest in renewable energy and create jobs. "We need a renewable energy hub in the midlands and Mount Lucas should be a national training centre for people transitioning from the peat industry." A carbon tax increase was not the answer in his view. "It places a huge burden on families and we want to give families a break." "On agriculture, we want to support sustainable farming to plant trees and maintain hedgerows." Speaking on Brexit and related issues, he noted that it was an economic imperative to start planning for a united Ireland. "We want a 32-county republic of equals. As the only republican party this is our opportunity to move a 32-county country ever closer. Let's use this opportunity, hold our seat here and rebuild where we have to." Cllr Aidan Mullins extolled party members to do their best for the canvass. "It's two weeks of a hard campaign," he stated. Asked if he was saying that some businesses were pushing the narrative because they benefited financially under the old way of assessing properties, Kaegi said: That sure seems like what it would be to me. If we can stipulate that there are folks out there who profit from a system thats inefficient and that can be gamed, it only stands to reason that some people will try to muddy the waters enough to prevent any change in reform thats happening. Donald Trumps impeachment trial has begun with Republicans abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two late-night sessions and Democrats wanting more witnesses to expose the presidents alleged treble of offences. The turn of events was a setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the presidents legal team, exposing a crack in GOP ranks and the growing political unease over the historic impeachment proceedings unfolding in an election year. Chief Justice John Roberts opened the session, with House prosecutors on one side of the Senate and Mr Trumps team on the other as senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to conduct impartial justice. No cellphones or other electronics were allowed. Opening day stretched deep into night. Senators remained as the clock passed 10:30pm as Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony. However, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department, Defence Department and budget office, with more votes expected rejecting key witnesses with a front-row seat to Mr Trumps actions. By the same 53-47 party-line, senators turned aside the Democrats request to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. As the hours mounted, Mr McConnell offered Democrats a deal to stack the votes more quickly, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer countered that voting could resume on Wednesday, and no deal was reached. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at the start of the impeachment trial (Senate Television via AP) Its not our job to make it easy for you, Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told the Senate. Our job is to make it hard to deprive the American people of a fair trial. Earlier, Mr McConnell stunned senators and delayed the start of proceedings with his decision to back off some of his proposed rules. Republicans were said to be concerned over the political optics of dark of night sessions. Story continues Instead, 24 hours of opening arguments for each side will be spread over three days, temporarily swelling the Democrats momentum as they push to break the standoff over calling new witnesses. As the visitors gallery filled with guests, actress-and-activist Alyssa Milano among them, and Mr Trumps most ardent House allies lining the back rows, the day quickly took on the cadence of a trial over whether the presidents actions toward Ukraine warranted removal from office. Its time to start with this trial, said White House counsel Pat Cipollone, the presidents lead lawyer, voicing impatience as the proceedings opened in public after weeks of delay. The White House legal team did not dispute Mr Trumps actions, when he called Ukraine and asked for a favour which was to investigate Democrat Joe Biden as the US was withholding military aid its ally desperately needed as it faced off with hostile Russia on its border. But Mr Cipollone scoffed that the House charges against Mr Trump were ridiculous, insisting the president had done absolutely nothing wrong. Mr Schiff, a California Democrat, opened for the prosecution saying Americas founders had added the remedy of impeachment in the Constitution with precisely this type of conduct in mind conduct that abuses the power of office for a personal benefit, that undermines our national security, and that invites foreign interference in the democratic process of an election. He added: It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment. The other lead lawyer on Mr Trumps team, Jay Sekulow, retorted by outlining complaints over the House Democrats impeachment inquiry process. The impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, will test whether Mr Trumps actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House. An artists sketch depicting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking in the trial (Dana Verkouteren/AP) All four senators who are presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. My focus is going to be on impeachment, Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told reporters. The day began as a debate over rules, and it was only when the clerk started reading the dry language of the resolution that the hand-written changes became apparent. Mr McConnell made the adjustment after encountering resistance from Republicans during a closed-door lunch meeting. Senators expressed concern about the public reaction to cramming the 24 hours of opening arguments from each side into just two days. Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska, along with a substantial number of other Republicans, wanted to make the changes, according to people familiar with the situation. Some senators argued that the two-day limit would have helped Democrats cast Republicans as having rushed testimony through in the dead of night. The turnaround was a swift lesson as White House wishes run into the reality of the Senate. The White House wanted a session kept to a shorter period to both expedite the trial and shift more of the proceedings into late night, according to a person familiar with the matter but unauthorised to discuss it in public. READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! the president tweeted from overseas, at a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland. He referred to the transcript of his phone call, in which he asked new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a favour. The Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Mr Trump, though he has repeatedly described it as perfect. Mr Schumer said Republican senators felt the heat and it shows that they can make other changes, and that we can get documents and witnesses. Mr Schumer offered the first of several amendments to the rules to issue a subpoena for to the White House for all documents, communications and other records relating to the Ukraine matter. It was rejected on a party-line vote, as were the others. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. With its 53-47 Republican majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds vote needed for conviction. ST PAUL -- Thousands of Minnesotans previously left in the dark will now be plugged into the internet thanks to $23 million in grants from the state. Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, Jan. 21, announced that nearly 11,000 homes, businesses and institutions in 30 communities across Minnesota will receive state and local funds to build broadband infrastructure, thanks to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development. "We all know that (broadband access) is far more than just a nice thing to have," Walz said at Tuesday's news conference in St. Paul. "This is an economic development tool. It's absolutely critical to equity in education and opportunity across Minnesota." DEED Commissioner Steve Grove on Tuesday said that in this age, broadband access is a "right," not a luxury, like running water and electricity. But telecommunications companies are unwilling to shoulder the substantial cost of building rural broadband infrastructure alone, he said. That's where state dollars can help. "These grants help us reach that last mile of service in Minnesota and our goal to be a model state where you don't have to move to a metro to participate in the 21st century economy," Grove said in a Tuesday news release. ADVERTISEMENT Each of the 30 state grants are being matched with local dollars, as well. The program is part of a bill Walz signed in 2019 appropriating $40 million in one-time funds for broadband development over the course of two years. The next $20 million round of grants will come in 2021. DEED says they have received a total of 80 applications for broadband grants, totaling $70 million. The project sites range from Faribult County in the south, to Kittson County in the north and in between. Three tribal reservations -- Bois Forte, Fond du Lac and Leech Lake -- are receiving grants, as well. US military claims to have disrupted the online propaganda activity of the Islamic State (ISIS) in a hacking operation dating back at least to 2016. In 2016, the US Cyber Command carried out successful operations against the online propaganda of the Islamic State (ISIS), this is what emerged from declassified national security top-secret documents released on Tuesday. The documents have been release under a Freedom of Information Act request. According to the documents, the US Cyber Command successfully contested ISIS in the information domain, its operations had a significant impact on online radicalization and recruitment of the terrorist organization. The first offensive hacking operation dated back 2016 and dubbed Operation Glowing Symphony was detailed in the documents released by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Today the National Security Archive is releasing 6 USCYBERCOM documents obtained through FOIA which shed new light on the campaign to counter ISIS in cyberspace. reads a post published by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. These documents, ranging from a discussion of assessment frameworks to the 120-day assessment of Operation GLOWING SYMPHONY, reveal the unprecedented complexity of the operation, resulting challenges in coordination and deconfliction, and assessments of effectiveness. The offensive Operation Glowing Symphony was carried out in November 2016 by Joint Task Force Ares (JTF-Ares), it mainly aimed at disrupting ISIS propaganda efforts by hacking or hijacking online social media accounts, and taking down websites used by the terrorist organization to spread propaganda. The documents reveal the result of a 120-day assessment US Cyber Command conducted after the completion of Operation Glowing Symphony . The assessment pointed out problems faced by the US cyber units, including the challenges of storing a huge amount of data contained in the hacked ISIS servers and accounts and the difficulty in coordination with other coalition members and US government agencies. The Operation Glowing Symphony was approved in 2016 by president Barack Obama. It was initially approved for a 30-day period in late 2016, but it was later extended. Operation GLOWING SYMPHONY is considered an important mileston in the counter-terrorism efforts and demonstrates the efficiency of the US offensive cyber capability against online propaganda of the Islamic State (ISIS). Operation GLOWING SYMPHONY was originally approved for a 30-day window, but the a July 2017 General Administrative Message reported the operations extension to an unknown date. Whether the operation is currently ongoing or not, it is public knowledge that JTF-ARES continues to operate. continues the post. It is also increasingly apparent that the counter-ISIS mission, JTF-ARES, and Operation GLOWING SYMPHONY are viewed within the US militarys cyber- warfighting community as not just a chapter in counter-terrorism and low-intensity conflict, but as demonstrations of the nations offensive cyber capability and a model for conducting an American way of cyber warfare. Pierluigi Paganini ( SecurityAffairs OP Glowing Symphony, ISIS) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said Parliament may "seriously consider" amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies as an arbiter of disputes concerning disqualification and suggested a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.The judgment of the apex court while deciding the plea relating to the disqualification case of Forest and Environment Minister Th Shyamkumar of Manipur.The apex court has asked the Speaker of Legislative Assembly of Manipur to take a decision on Shyamkumar's disqualification within four weeks."It is time for the Parliament to rethink on whether disqualification petitions ought to be entrusted to a Speaker as a quasi-judicial authority when such Speaker continues to belong to a particular political party either de jure or de facto," the top court said."Parliament may seriously consider amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies as arbiter of disputes concerning disqualification which arise under the Tenth Schedule with a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court, or some other outside independent mechanism to ensure that such disputes are decided both swiftly and impartially, thus giving real teeth to the provisions contained in the Tenth Schedule, which are so vital in the proper functioning of our democracy," the verdict added.The court was hearing the petition filed by Congress MLA Keisham Meghachandra seeking disqualification of Shyamkumar after similar petitions filed at the High Court of Manipur were disposed of citing jurisdictional issue.Shyamkumar was elected to 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly from Andro AC on a Congress ticket in 2017 and later joined the BJP without resigning from Congress and helped BJP form a coalition government. He was sworn in as a Minister in the BJP-led coalition government.Congress MLAs had filed applications for the disqualification of Shyamkumar before the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly but no action was taken.The apex court deciding the issue said it can't quash the appointment of Shyamkumar as a minister of a cabinet led by a BJP government, as disqualification under the Tenth Schedule from being an MLA and consequently minister must first be decided by the exclusive authority (the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly).It also said the disqualification petition can't be decided by this Court in these appeals given the inaction of the Speaker."The only relief that can be given in these appeals is that the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly be directed to decide the disqualification petitions pending before him within a period of four weeks from the date on which this judgment is intimated to him. In case no decision is forthcoming even after a period of four weeks, it will be open to any party to the proceedings to apply to this Court for further directions/reliefs in the matter," the apex court said. (ANI) Lenin is sometimes said to have predicted that capitalists would sell Russia the rope with which they would be hanged. Yet not even Lenin could have imagined Vladimir Putins success in getting some of the largest Western companies to subsidize his disinformation efforts by advertising on his government-run news websites. The top programmatic advertiser on Mr. Putins Sputnik News site? The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, through ads bought on behalf of Berkshire Hathaways Geico insurance. Sputnik News peddles Kremlin propaganda on topics such as Syria and straightfacedly reports Mr. Putins denials of interfering in other countries elections. Geico is hardly alone in financing propaganda through whats called programmatic advertising, ads that are placed automatically by algorithms, without judgment based on the content or journalistic standards of the websites. Mr. Putins leading disinformation arm, RT.com, attracted programmatic advertising from 477 companies and brands over a recent six-month period, according to data collected by Moat, an advertising technology service. Among RT.coms top 20 programmatic advertisers: Amazon, PayPal, Walmart and Kroger. For Sputnik, its 196 programmatic advertisers in addition to Geico included Best Buy, ETrade and Progressive Insurance. These all-American brands dont intend to subsidize the Kremlin. The problem is that with programmatic advertising brands can target the kinds of audiences they want to reach online, rather than specifying, as they once did, on which websites their ads should appear. As a result, these ads inadvertently end up on all kinds of inappropriate sites. Bloomberg / Associated Press A WhatsApp account belonging to Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to have been used to hack into the cell phone of Jeff Bezos in an effort to influence, if not silence reporting on the kingdom by the Washington Post, two U.N.human rights experts said Wednesday. Bezos, the billionaire chief executive officer of Amazon, who also owns the Washington Post, received an encrypted video from the crown prince loaded with digital spyware that enabled surveillance of his cell phone starting in May 2018, the U.N. experts said in a statement. At the time, the government of Saudi Arabia had grown critical of the Posts coverage of the kingdom, and particularly the work of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for the paper, whose writing criticized the crown prince. The past two decades have seen big changes in the way states and interest groups handle education policyand some of those shifts defy the growing homogeneity of national politics. Thats one big conclusion from a new working paper that uses 145,000 campaign contributions over 57,000 state elections in all 50 states to analyze the impact of new laws promoting private school choice and right-to-work lawswhich ban individuals from being compelled to pay for union representationon state political coalitions. Shifting Alliances in State Political Parties: The Case of Education Interest Groups also finds that education politics in U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos home state of Michigan, for example, have become highly polarized along party lines as measured by new policies impacting K-12 and how political donations have shifted from 2000 to 2017. But thats not the same neat and tidy story everywhere. The working paper, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, was written by Leslie K. Finger, a lecturer on government and social studies at Harvard University, and Sarah Reckhow, an associate professor of political science at Michigan State University. Sorting Donations It breaks down the source of donations into two basic camps: teachers unions and education reform groups that advocate school choice of different kinds and accountability-oriented policies. (The authors note that not all these reform groups champion all the same policies.) The paper then tracks whether those donations went to Democrats or Republicans. It also highlights more-detailed data from Michigan, Tennessee, and Washington state. Their analysis found, for example, that from 2000 to 2016, teachers unions at the state level became much more likely to contribute to Democratic candidates, while so-called reform groups became much more closely aligned with Republican candidates. In Washington state, by contrast, reform groups maintained a more bipartisan stance when it came to campaign contributions. The number of candidates for state office getting donations from teachers unions also has dropped significantly in recent years, the paper shows. In 2000, for example, 25 percent of those candidates got donations from teachers unions, but in 2016, that figure dropped to 20 percent. The paper doesnt look at whether the total amount of those contributions has risen or fallen. You dont need to go far to find an example of Michigans polarized environment, at least when it comes to public, rather than private, school choice. Charter School Flashpoint Late last year, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who took office in 2019, vetoed a funding increase for charter schools as part of a broad budget fight with Republicans, who control the state legislature. She did not hold up a separate spending boost for traditional public schools. Whitmer eventually signed off on the increase for charters but not before recriminations from the states school choice community. But the picture is more complex elsewhere. In Washington state, for example, the study looked at 12 Democratic candidates whove had long careers in office. It found that eight of them shifted from getting only teachers union donations but no education reform donations in 2000, to getting only education-reform-group donations and no teachers union donations in 2016. I thought we were going to see this polarization story everywhere through the whole time period. Thats really not the case. Theres variation across states, said Finger in an interview. Another part of the story is the simple growth in education reform groups as a countervailing force in education politics, since they were a very small presence in 2000 compared with their position now, Finger noted. And teachers unions still contribute to Republicans at the state level, despite how things have changed over the past two decades, defying what many who focus on national politics might think. Elsewhere, the passage of right-to-work laws correlates with a subsequently higher number of donations from teachers unions to candidates, suggesting a defensive response where teachers unions are doubling down and rallying in the wake of these laws, Finger said, adding that the finding surprised her. And those laws are associated with a lower number of donations from education reform groups. Private school choice policies do the opposite, however. The paper finds that they lead to a higher number of donations from reform groups and a lower number of donations from teachers unions. DAVOS, Switzerland - President Donald Trump held court in the snow-capped Alps for two days, showcasing the American economy to world leaders and global elites. But he kept one eye firmly fixed on the impeachment drama back home. As he hobnobbed with the bold-faced names at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump interrupted his economic cheerleading to unleash scathing attacks on the process unfolding half a world away in Washington. He denounced the U.S. Senate trial, mocked his Democratic rivals and entertained legal strategies that ran contrary to White House plans. West Wing aides had hoped to keep the president centred on the economy at the forum in this resort town that has become synonymous with a brand of globalism that Trump rejects. For the first day, Trump largely complied, spending most of Tuesday talking up a solid economy that advisers believe is the presidents best argument for reelection in November. But on Wednesday, just before he was scheduled to head for home, Trump called for an impromptu news conference. At first, he stayed on message and on the economy. Then, less so. He turned his anger on two major players in the impeachment trial. He called U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a sleazebag and asserted that U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was a con job and a corrupt politician. The news conference soon morphed to an in-person version of the presidents Twitter feed, which features regular broadsides against the process that led to Trumps impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress as it investigated Trumps push for Ukraine to probe one of his political rivals, former Vice-President Joe Biden. As many of his top economic advisers silently stood by, Trump declared that he would love to attend his own trial by the Senate to sit right in the front row and stare into their corrupt faces. But he acknowledged that his lawyers would almost certainly counsel against it. He also offered mixed messages about the potential for witnesses to be called before the Senate. Trump has previously expressed an interest in having witnesses, including Bidens son Hunter and the whistleblower who first brought attention to Trumps July call with his Ukrainian counterpart. Hes expressed interest in a showy trial that would lead to public exoneration. But Trumps allies in the Republican-controlled Senate have counselled that witnesses be skipped and that the president should not try to prolong a trial that seems to have a foregone conclusion in his acquittal. Trump on Wednesday claimed he would be content with testimony from administration officials, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. The White House blocked all of them from appearing before the U.S. House last year. Even as Trump raised the idea of witness testimony, he seemed to knock it down, saying that allowing the officials to testify would create a national security problem. In particular, he was skeptical of an appearance by Bolton, who was ousted in September. You dont like people testifying when they didnt leave on good terms, the president said. As is his custom, Trump mixed in charm with his bluster. Moments before declaring that the corrupt press was one of Americas most pressing problems, he congratulated an NBC correspondent on her new show. He effusively praised some of the nations CEOs and foreign rivals, including President Xi Jinping of China, with whom Trump just reached phase one of a trade deal. And while he had once used Davos chic as shorthand for a style of globalism that hurt Americas independence, Trump made a point of noting in his news conference that Davos has treated us beautifully. Soon thereafter he was gone, returning to a capital city consumed with the third impeachment trial in U.S. history, and one that could affect both the presidents legacy and his reelection chances. But heavy fog scuttled Trumps planned helicopter departure above the picturesque mountains. Instead, he was forced to take a winding two-hour motorcade ride back to Air Force One. His return to Washington was delayed, his uncertain political future waiting. ___ Lemire reported from New York. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Superville at http://twitter.com/@dsupervilleap Appointment 22 January 2020 Jennifer Gribble will be responsible for global performance of some of the industry's most iconic and loved brands including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites and EVEN Hotels and two of the company's newest brands, avid hotels and Atwell Suites. She will lead development and delivery of overall brand performance, brand design and experience, food and beverage and the effective launch of new brands across IHG's mainstream portfolio. In her over 16-year tenure at IHG, Gribble previously served as Vice President, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels and Atwell Suites, where she led significant improvements to the Holiday Inn Express brand and worked alongside Heather Balsley to launch avid hotels and Atwell Suites. She also served in Crowne Plaza brand management and portfolio-wide marketing services roles in the Americas region. [January 22, 2020] LoRa Alliance to Share Expertise at The Things Conference on How to Scale with LoRaWAN FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The LoRa Alliance , the global association of companies backing the open LoRaWAN standard for the Internet of Things (IoT) low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs), today announced its detailed program of activities during The Things Conference 2020 , taking place Jan. 30-31 in Amsterdam. LoRa Alliance CEO and Chairwoman Donna Moore will deliver a keynote titled LoRaWAN: The Right Choice, The Right Time. Whats Next? at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 30 on the main stage. She will address how LoRaWANs success over the past five years is a predictor of future achievement, how the LoRa Alliance is driving LoRaWAN business around the world, and whats next for LoRaWAN and the alliance. The Things Conference offers an opportunity to meet with the global LoRaWAN community and share the value of the LoRa Alliance, membership and certification, said Moore. Were committed to supporting and promoting businsses deploying LoRaWAN to enable massive IoT. In addition to Moores keynote, LoRa Alliance members will deliver the following presentations on Jan. 30: 1:30 pm: Evolution of the LoRaWAN Specification, Alper Yegin, Vice Chairman of the LoRa Alliance and Chair of the Technical Committee from member company Actility 3:00 pm: Regional Parameters and Global Regulation, Dave Kjendal, Chair of the LoRa Alliance Regional Parameters Working Group from member company Senet 3:30 pm: LoRaWAN Certification, Derek Hunt, LoRa Alliance, Director of Certification Additionally, the LoRa Alliance will host Ask the Experts sessions inside the LoRa Alliance Lounge. Stop by to get answers to a wide range of LoRaWAN topics, from how to get to market quickly, how to get over the development hurdle, what is the fastest and least expensive way to certify products, how to enter new geographical and vertical markets, and many more from the following LoRaWAN Ambassadors: Byron BeMiller Semtech Derek Hunt LoRa Alliance Pierre Gelpi Semtech Ram Ganesh CyberEye Charles Paumelle Microshare Jon Pearce Everynet Boris Stoeckermann Minol ZENNER Group Derek Wallace LoRa Alliance The Things Conference will take place Jan. 30-31, 2020 at Gedempt Hamerkanaal 231, 1021 KP Amsterdam. Interested in attending? Additional information and registration can be found here . About LoRa Alliance The LoRa Alliance is an open, nonprofit association that has become one of the largest and fastest-growing alliances in the technology sector since its inception in 2015. Its members closely collaborate and share expertise to develop and promote the LoRaWAN standard, which is the de facto global standard for secure, carrier-grade IoT LPWAN connectivity. LoRaWAN has the technical flexibility to address a broad range of IoT applications, both static and mobile, and a robust LoRaWAN Certification program to guarantee that devices perform as specified. The LoRaWAN standard has been deployed by more than 120 major mobile network operators globally, and connectivity is available in more than 140 countries, with continual expansion. More information: lora-alliance.org LoRa Alliance, LoRaWAN, and LoRaWAN CertifiedCM are registered trademarks. MEDIA CONTACTS Kiterocket Eric Lawson LoRa Alliance PR [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Talk about an awkward moment. After the controversial Megxit, Camilla Parker-Bowles made a public appearance on Monday as the royal family negotiates with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their decision to step back from official duties. The Duchess of Cornwall was visiting Prospect Hospice in Swindon, England, to celebrate the charity's 40th anniversary. Then an ITV journalist, Chris Ship, asked Prince Charles' wife whether she would miss Prince Harry and Meghan. Interestingly, however, Camilla had a rather amusing an cryptic answer. "Hmm," Camilla said, as if she was really pondering whether the absence of the two will impact her. After waiting for a bit, she responded with a smile and said "Course" before exiting through the doors. It may be a very nice and appropriate response. But a lot of people took to Twitter to say that the Duchess of Cornwall is being really "snarky and shady." "When the engagement was announced, she had MUCH more than a one-word response," one Twitter user said. Another one tweeted out, "Either say, 'no comment,' or something that indicates she really would." "Just saw a clip of that Camilla being shady when asked about Harry and Meghan. I know nothing about the royals except that after Princess Di's documentary, I hate Camilla," one other person tweeted. Prince Harry, Meghan Starting New Life On Monday evening, Prince Harry arrived in Canada to begin his new life away from the royal family. It has been a busy few weeks for him in the U.K. where he and his wife announced their wish to step back from their roles. Prince Harry was seen on Vancouver Island days after reaching an agreement with Queen Elizabeth II and other senior members of the royal family. Prince Harry's departure came after one of his last -- if not the last -- official royal appearances on Monday, attending a summit for leaders of 21 African countries in London hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Already in Trouble But moving to Canada, the couple thought they would escape the paparazzi. The 35-year-old Prince and his wife already issued a warning over harassment by paparazzi photographers in Canada after agreeing to give up their royal duties. It comes after the Duchess of Sussex was photographed on Monday in North Hill Regional Park on Vancouver Island, carrying their eight-month-old Archie Harrison in a baby sling while walking their two dogs, Oz and Guy. According to BBC, the pictures were taken by photographers hiding in the bushes who did not even ask for consent. Sky News also said that the Duke and Duchess have paparazzi permanently camped outside their home with long lenses. To make their new home more secure, they made a few changes to their area. The property sits at the end of a private road, behind a private gate. But since the royals moved, they added a white tarp behind it to provide added privacy to the couple and their son. There has also been a security camera installed and a metal fence erected at the edge of the property that leads down to a public beach. A dog is also reportedly camping there to keep watch. READ MORE: Royal Disappointment? Prince Charles 'Suffered' The Most Because of Meghan Markle's Behavior Michigan environmental investigators will search this year for sources of PFAS contamination in the Saginaw River, after two separate rounds of tests in the waterway showed conflicting results. Measurements of the toxic chemicals in the Saginaw River already a federal Area of Concern since 1987, due to industrial contamination were below enforcement action last fall when initial results of state tests were received. But subsequent tests at the Bay City Wastewater Treatment Plant showed much higher levels and raised questions about their origin. The answer for city officials points back to the waterway itself, which is uses for flushing its 5 tanks.. We think we found our source we believe our source is the Saginaw River, said Carol Injasoulian, a manager at the citys wastewater plant. The testing of the Saginaw River is among multiple efforts at Michigans Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to pinpoint how per- and poly-fluorinated compounds affect a watershed. The team is using this very integrated approach to look for more subtle, less obvious sources and find ways to drive down how much is found there, said Scott Dean, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, said in 2019 as the first watershed study was done on the River Raisin. With watersheds that ultimately drain into the Great Lakes, the value goes beyond local ecological impact. The Saginaw River, for example, flows into Saginaw Bay before it reaches Lake Huron, which is a source of drinking water for millions of state residents. The search for sources of PFAS in the Saginaw River comes as the state enters its third year of making the threat from the chemicals an environmental and public health priority. The chemicals are found in industry, consumer products and fire-fighting foam. Two long-used versions, PFOA and PFOS, have been discontinued in the U.S. due to links to cancer, kidney disease, endocrine disorders and developmental delays, among other adverse health effects. Scientists are raising concerns about human health effects from still more types of the chemicals as many push for making them a class of hazardous chemicals. Across Michigan, at least 1.9 million residents have some PFAS in their drinking water. The state filed a lawsuit in mid-January against 17 chemical companies, seeking to recover costs of cleaning the states waterways and public drinking water. The Saginaw River watershed study hones in on the area of the state roughly between Flint and Saginaw Bay. The river is in Bay, Saginaw, and Tuscola counties, while the Cass, Flint, Shiawassee, Tittabawassee, and Chippewa rivers are the major tributaries. But results from more than 30 surface water tests indicate a need for more work on the waterway, staff said. The watershed received significant rainfall two days prior to sampling, according to a report by EGLE from October 2019 that was made public this month. Very high river discharge conditions at the time of sample collection likely resulted in low concentrations due to dilution. Despite that, two new areas were pinpointed as possible source locations for the contaminants: Dutch Creek, located between I-75 and the southern edge of Bay City; and Birch Run. Thats in addition to efforts under way by the Bay City Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was found in 2019 to be discharging treated wastewater containing PFAS above state limits into the river. So far, 10 PFAS sites have been identified within the broad area that drains into the Saginaw River system, each of which resulted in groundwater samples exceeding cleanup criteria for groundwater used as drinking water, which is 70 parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA. Some also are the result of direct discharges to surface water, which has a lower threshold of 12-ppt for PFOS. The sites are: 1. Isabella County Landfill, Deerfield Township, Pine River watershed 2. Roosevelt Refinery, Mt. Pleasant, Pine River watershed 3. MRP (Former Total Petroleum Refinery), Alma, Pine River watershed 4. Diamond Chrome Plating, Howell, Shiawassee River watershed 5. Partz Corporation, Owosso, Shiawassee River watershed 6. Flint Bishop International Airport Landfill, Flint, Flint River watershed 7. RACER Buick City, Flint, Flint River watershed 8. Coldwater Road Landfill, Flint, Flint River watershed 9. Lapeer Plating & Plastics, Lapeer, Flint River watershed 10. Richfield Landfill, Davison, Flint River watershed Several of those sites were identified through the states Industrial Pretreatment Program, which in 2018 started to measure how much PFAS was moving to the states waterways through wastewater discharges. Bay Citys treatment plant was asked to look for industrial sources in early 2019, according to the state, when its effluent, or treated wastewater, recorded above 12 parts-per-trillion (ppt) of PFOS with an average of about 17-ppt. By year-end, it had noted non-detectable levels or extremely low amounts at some existing industrial sites, including the former General Motors facility now run by RACER Trust. More of the chemical 66-ppt of PFOS was found at the Middleground landfill. But despite the low levels found in the Saginaw River after the rain, two tests taken by the wastewater plant at year-end showed higher levels in the river: 86-ppt at the Veterans fishing site south of the airport and 130-ppt at the Uptown redevelopment near downtown. Still north of that, they said, is the site of the Jupiter oil tanker fire in 1990, when thousands of gallons of special foam was shot into the flames, according to an anniversary report. That foam is believed to be aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF, which also contained PFAS. Injasoulian said one of the treatment plants retention basins is across the river from that fire, and the city now believes that the so-called forever chemical has been in the equipment since the Jupiter fire. Because these chemicals do not go away, once theyre in theyre in, she said. We can make the argument that we believe our source is historical. Bay Citys wastewater staff is asking the state for more help in confirming that is where its PFAS is originating. At the same time, its going through historical records including a 1948 business directory to determine which closed industrial sites could have left legacy contamination that remains in the waterway. It appears that historical use of these chemicals has created a very high background in the Saginaw River, according to an email sent from Injasoulian to EGLE. Thats visible in some of the do not eat warnings for fish caught in the river and its tributaries. Nine fish warnings exist for the Saginaw River itself, including three types - carp, catfish and silver bass - that should not be consumed at all due to the chemicals in their meat. PFOS has joined PCBs, dioxin and mercury as the dangerous substances found. But if the source is historical from closed businesses or a fire 30 years ago, Injasoulian said that limits what a treatment plant can do, both based on its legal parameters and its funding base from user fees. If this is historic contamination and from closed industries, then its no longer a (wastewater plant) issue, Injasoulian said. "It becomes a brownfield challenge." Read more on PFAS: Substantial drops seen in PFAS entering Michigan waterways from businesses 1.9 million Michigan residents drink some PFAS as evidence mounts about its dangers The hunt for PFAS turns to Michigan farms using human waste as fertilizer VANCOUVER - Lawyers representing the Canadian attorney general say the fraud case against Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is not complicated and a judge should commit the woman for extradition to the United States. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is out on bail and remains under partial house arrest after she was detained last year at the behest of American authorities, arrives at B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver, on Tuesday January 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER - Lawyers representing the Canadian attorney general say the fraud case against Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is not complicated and a judge should commit the woman for extradition to the United States. The Crown delivered arguments Wednesday at a British Columbia Supreme Court hearing focusing on the legal test of double criminality, or whether the allegations against Meng are also a crime in Canada. The United States has charged her with fraud over accusations she lied to an HSBC executive about Huawei's relationship with Iran-based subsidiary Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating American sanctions. The defence has argued that the alleged conduct doesn't amount to fraud in Canada because the country has no such sanctions and the bank wouldn't have faced any financial risk. However, Crown counsel Robert Frater said the judge does not necessarily need to consider American sanctions law to understand why Meng's alleged misrepresentations put HSBC in peril. "Ours is not a complex theory of this case. Lying to a bank in order to get banking services, (creating) a risk of economic prejudice, is fraud," Frater said. "Fraud, not sanctions violations, is at the heart of this case." Frater said HSBC contacted Huawei in 2013 because it was concerned about news reports that Skycom was doing business in Iran, and Meng offered false assurances that Huawei no longer held a shareholding interest in the company. HSBC faced significant reputational risk for processing Iran-related transactions because it was already operating under a deferred prosecution agreement for doing business in Libya, Sudan and Myanmar, he said. The defence has noted that Canada withdrew sanctions against Iran in 2016, prior to Meng's arrest in 2018, and that the federal government has since encouraged business with the country. But Frater said what the Canadian government wants is of no interest to a bank. "The bank has to ask: Is doing this business going to cause us to lose other business?" he said. "The bank is entitled to honesty in being able to assess whether it is going to be at risk." At the same time, Frater argued that the case law does allow the judge to apply American sanctions law in a limited way as part of the relevant context, in order to understand the risk faced by HSBC. The defence's position that Justice Heather Holmes must completely ignore the foreign context is an "absolutist" one, and previous cases instead indicate she can use common sense, he said. "In law, facts are only comprehensible if they're considered in relation to the legal context they arise," he said. Meng's lawyers have argued that the principle of double criminality is meant to uphold Canadian independence and values, ensuring that no one is surrendered for conduct that is not criminal locally. But Frater countered that the judge's job is not to stand up for Canadian sovereignty such matters are a concern for the federal government. Justice Minister David Lametti will make the final decision on whether to surrender Meng to the United States. "Your job is to determine whether there is evidence before you capable of amounting to some evidence of ... fraud," Frater told the judge. Meng denies the allegations and is free on bail, living at one of her two homes in Vancouver. She has been listening to the hearing with the help of a translator. The case has fractured Canada-China relations. Following Meng's arrest at Vancouver's airport in December 2018, China detained two Canadian citizens and restricted some imports, actions widely seen as retaliation. The defence will reply to the Crown's double-criminality arguments on Thursday. If the judge finds the legal test has been met, the hearing will proceed to a second phase in June that will consider defence allegations that Meng's rights were violated during her arrest at the airport. But if the judge finds double criminality has not been proven, Meng will be free to leave Canada, although she'll still have to stay away from the United States to avoid the charges. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. Spencer Platt/Getty Images As former Vice President Joe Biden prepares for his and his familys reputation to be dragged across the floor of the Senate, the chamber where he spent the bulk of his career, his campaign has made only minor tweaks to the plan to defend him. While the stage is bigger given the smears from the White House will be part of only the third impeachment trial in U.S. history, most of the campaigns disinformation infrastructure and messaging is already in place, with a few exceptions. On Tuesday, Bidens campaign is rolling out a new digital video, first obtained by The Daily Beast, seeking to synthesize factual information into a conversational clip, titled, What Really Happened in Ukraine. For months, Team Trump and Hill Republicans have sought to cast Bidens son, Hunter Biden, as an unscrupulous individual engaging in nefarious activity in Ukraine. The nearly four-and-a-half minute slot, narrated by the Biden campaigns rapid response director, Andrew Bates, walks through a historical timeline dating back to 2014, when Russia invaded the country and the U.S. joined in protecting Ukraine against aggression. Thirty seconds into the video, Bates plainly outlines the case they have long used against Trumps claims on Hunter. So here was this guy, Viktor Shokin. He was the Prosecutor General of Ukraine--which is like the Attorney General in the United States. He became the embodiment of the corruption that has been hurting Ukraines government for a very long time, Bates says. Everyone--from the EU to the IMF, Republican senators, the entire anti-corruption activist community in Ukraine, desperately wanted him fired. He was being protested in the streets, he continues, before turning to the pitch: And Joe Biden was the person who got him out of office. Then, the video outlines other facts in numerical order, including that Biden was following official U.S. policy when he worked to get Shokin removed, and that Skokins investigation of Burisma, the natural gas company of which Hunter Biden was a board member, was dormant. He wasnt investigating, the clips text reads. Story continues The truth of this is the exact opposite of what Donald Trump has been telling you, Bates says. The video, which talks up three Republicans support of Bidens effort at the time, Rob Portman (R-OH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Mark Kirk (R-IL), will be posted on the campaign website and coincides with other public-facing efforts the campaign has introduced leading up to the moment that has consumed Washingtons attention. And as some of Bidens top rivalsDemocratic Senators acting as jurors in the trialare taken off the campaign trail just two weeks before the Iowa caucus, the former vice president is hoping to make his case directly to voters, with help from his communications shop steering the conversation from the inside. Part of the campaigns digital strategy includes revamping a website they launched in November, thefactsfolks.com, to provide voters with a tidy place to check verified information against inflammatory rhetoric. The campaign updated the site on Tuesday to feature dozens of relevant news articles debunking various Republican claims. There's a lot of misinformation and lies out there, so welcome to the one stop shop for the facts about Joe Biden. Stay informed about the truth Trump and his special interests are trying to distract from, the site reads. Bidens campaign has also expanded its messaging beyond voters to caution the media to remain skeptical of the presidents claims over the next several days. On Monday, two senior campaign officials took an unusual step sending a memo to reporters and editors saying, Trump has been spreading a malicious and conclusively debunked conspiracy theory that Biden engaged in wrongdoing when he executed official United States policy to remove a corrupt prosecutor from office. Then, in bold, the authors make a request: It is not sufficient to say the allegations are unsubstantiated or that no evidence has emerged to support them, the memo, sent by Bidens Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield, and a Senior Adviser Tony Blinken, reads. Not only is there no evidence for Republicans main argument against the Vice President--there is a mountain of evidence that actively debunks it. And it is malpractice to ignore that truth. The recent communications efforts come from Team Bidens official HQ, but on the surrogate trail, the talking points are a bit looser. Ambassadors to news organizations have said theres no wrongdoing on the part of the vice president, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Bidens campaign co-chair told The Daily Beast. My firm belief is you cant engage in a debate with a person who doesnt care about the facts. Put another way, Richmond added, I dont see an upside in wallowing in the mud with the president. So far, Biden hasnt had that chance. The eventual Democratic nominee in 2020, for which the former vice president remains a leading contender, will face off in televised debates with Trump. Leading up to that, much of Bidens presidential campaign has been based around the premise, backed by some polls, that he is best suited to take Trump head on, giving a nod to a vague electability argument that has irked several of his closest rivals for months. I dont want to overthink this, one senior official on Bidens campaign said when asked about impeachment strategy. Everyone has rapid response. Were going to be prepared for changing dynamics. We are the campaign that does not want changing dynamics. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a longtime Biden ally and one of his most prominent surrogates, shrugged off any coordinated effort to combat the smears, saying sticking to the campaigns already vetted facts is the best course of action. For this you just say, no big deal, Rendell told The Daily Beast. I dont think weve ever been told we should make this response, it just makes sense. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. A pizza delivery driver was carjacked late Tuesday in east Houston by an armed man who also had a child with him, police said. The worker was carjacked shortly before 11 p.m., police told media. The attacker held a shotgun at the driver during the heist, although it is unclear what the gunman had planned after getting in the delivery drivers car. The death toll from a powerful storm that swept through parts of Spain earlier this week has risen to nine. On Wednesday authorities reported five more fatalities as a result of Storm Gloria, which began battering the north and east of the country on Sunday. Three of the victims died in the Valencia region and two in the southeastern Andalusian province of Almeria. Spanish rescue services are also searching for four missing people, including a British national. Image of the C-35 road cut between Hostalric and Fogars de la Selva. The storm has badly damaged the road network. Be very prudent, don't do anything risky! The countrys eastern Mediterranean region has borne the brunt of Storm Gloria, where a combination of heavy rains, gusting winds and pounding waves have destroyed seafront promenades, toppled trees, flooded roads and brought down bridges, walls and even entire buildings. The low temperatures also brought snowfall to northern and eastern Spain beginning on Sunday, when the national weather agency Aemet declared a red alert in 10 provinces. Although Storm Gloria had moved north by Wednesday afternoon, a weather alert remained in place in parts of Aragon, where 3,600 people are still without electricity due to downed power lines. And in Girona, the Onyar river was close to bursting its banks. Girona is on alert due to the risk of the Onyar river bursting its banks. EUROPA PRESS Travel was affected as the dangerous weather conditions forced Alicante airport to halt hundreds of flights. Numerous roads were partially closed off, including the busy AP-7 highway linking eastern Spain with France. The storm also lefts thousands without power and shut down schools. Catalonia, the Valencia region and the Balearic Islands have been particularly affected by the unusual weather system, which was still bringing heavy rain to parts of Catalonia on Wednesday as it moved towards southern France. Parts of Alicante province had rainfall of up to 600mm on Monday, and winds gusted up to more than 100km/h. A business damaged by Storm Gloria in Javea, in Alicante province. Juan Carlos Cardenas (EFE) Five more deaths In the Valencia region, authorities on Wednesday reported that a homeless man died during the night in Carcaixent (Valencia), while a woman was crushed in Alcoy when her house collapsed this morning; and police have found the body of a man who went missing after trying to cross a flooded spot in his car on his way from Benidorm to Callosa den Sarria (Alicante). In Almeria province, in Andalusia, the death on Monday of a man who was sleeping in a park has been officially attributed to the stormy conditions, as the victim died of hypothermia. And a grower from Nijar (Almeria) died after getting trapped inside his greenhouse during a hailstorm, the local police reported. A man shoveling snow in Morella, in the Valencia region. Juan Medina (REUTERS) Four missing The Catalan firefighting service on Wednesday morning reported that a man in his eighties who went missing in Begues, in Barcelona province, has been found in a wooded area, conscious but disoriented. Another man is still missing after reportedly falling into the sea in the port of Palamos (Girona) as he attempted to moor a boat. Rescue services are searching for another individual who was last seen canyoneering in Soller, Mallorca. Two more people, including a British citizen, are unaccounted for in Ibiza. A sea of foam The storm dragged boats moored at sea all the way to the port of Pollenca in Mallorca. Atienza (EFE) Some coastal towns have been covered by white foam, creating unusual scenes that the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) said are due to the presence of surfactants derived from the breakdown of organic matter found naturally in the sea. The combination of strong waves and these foaming agents have covered the streets of Tossa de Mar (Girona) and Javea (Alicante) with white bubbles. Even the older residents I have talked to say they had never seen anything like it, said Tossa mayor Imma Colom. The city of Valencia had the highest wave on record at 8.44 meters, amply surpassing the previous mark of 6.45 meters set during the storm of January 2017. In Alicante province, the sea level rose by 1.5 meters, ravaging beaches and seafront promenades in Javea, Calpe, Denia, Benidorm and other popular tourist destinations. Ruined rice fields In Malgrat (Barcelona), two bridges were swept away by the rising waters of the Tordera river, while in Alcoy (Alicante), a third home collapsed on Wednesday morning as a result of the damage, according to the regional daily Informacion. And local authorities in the Ebro river delta said that seawater has affected thousands of hectares of rice fields. In September of last year, the Mediterranean region experienced another major storm that flooded large areas in southern Alicante and caused heavy material damage. English version by Susana Urra. UTICA - The bail reform laws passed in the state budget are causing concern in communities across New York State. Sen. Joe Griffo is spearheading efforts for change. "Were seeing some Democratic legislators now calling for bail reform, particularly in the Senate, and this is in my opinion just lip service because these individuals voted for this, and had an opportunity. They could have joined us two weeks ago, or a week ago, to change this, but refused when they had the opportunity." The law was passed without any input from law enforcement, district attorneys, or judicial representatives. Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke briefly about bail reform in Tuesday's state budget address. "You make a change in a system. It has consequences, and you have to understand those consequences. We need to respond to the facts, but not the politics." The issue may sound purely political, but the victims are starting to stack up, and theres no justice in sight. Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara talked about the problems surrounding discovery. "Nobody cooperates because of the discovery laws that require us to turn in their name, their address, their grand jury testimony, and their statements over to the defendants 15 days after arrest. No ones cooperating. Big surprise." Griffo, a Republican, thinks changes to discovery should also be addressed in the law. "There are issues in discovery that are problematic where youre letting criminals actually have more rights than victims, and youre not going to have victims come forward because theyre going to say: I dont want to engage in this process, and thats not going to be good for trying to hold people accountable for the actions that perpetrate crime." Utica now has three unsolved homicides, and a very frustrated police chief. Chief Mark Williams explained what his officers are encountering. "From a local perspective, what were seeing my officers are seeing on the street, which is very discouraging is that a lot of the gun offenders that we are arresting theyre being released shortly thereafter, and their names are reappearing in other shootings." Griffo believes a realistic goal is to pass a Senate bill that allows courts to make an appropriate risk assessment based upon an individuals previous criminal history. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 23 2020 Pandemic fears: A Port Health Office worker monitors the body temperature of passengers through a thermal scanner in the arrival hall of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Wednesday. Thermal scanners have been installed at airports and seaports to detect a new coronavirus, which has killed nine people in Wuhan, China. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono) Amid a rising death toll and reports of human-to-human transmissions of the Wuhan coronavirus worldwide, the government has said it has increased surveillance at air and water ports and taken other measures aimed at containing the virus. Were currently waiting for the results of the WHO [World Health Organization] meeting, the government will take further steps if a public health emergency is declared, the Health Ministrys contagious disease prevention and monitoring director, Wiendra Waworuntu, said at a press conference on Wednesday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the custody of UAE-based NRI businessman and Robert Vadra's close aide CC Thampi by three days. Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar extended his custody at the hands of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case against Vadra, son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He was arrested by the ED on January 20 in relation to the ongoing investigation involving Vadra's assets in the UK. Also Read:ED arrests NRI businessman CC Thampi over FEMA violations in property deals ED's advocate Amit Mahajan said the probe was incomplete and Thampi's further custody was required to confront him with various documents and persons. The probe agency, however, did not disclose the names of the persons who will be called to join the probe. Thampi was produced before the court on expiry of his 3-day ED custody granted earlier. Seeking his further custody, ED told the court that his interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy. Also Watch: Controversies that have hounded Priyanka's husband, Robert Vadra "We (ED) were not able to complete the probe in the last three days. There are a lot of documents which are very essential. In the coming days, we want to summon more people which we don't want to disclose," the agency, also represented by advocates N K Matta and Atul Tripathi, told the court. The ED also told the court that the pre arrest bail of the co-accsued -- Vadra and his close aide Manoj Arora -- has been challenged. The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra. Disturbing footage has emerged of a man repeatedly punching a helpless kangaroo as his mate laughs in the background. The video, which was posted to Snapchat, begins with a man in green shorts pulling the marsupial's head back and repeatedly smacking it in the face. As the man punches the kangaroo it raises a paw in a desperate bid to defend itself, but tragically collapses on the ground. Some social media users claimed the kangaroo already had a broken back. The footage appears to have been filmed in regional New South Wales, but the exact location is unknown. The video quickly went viral after circulating on social media, with dozens of people calling the kangaroo attackers 'dead mutts' and 'absolute scum of the earth'. A separate post shared to Facebook names and shames the alleged perpetrators as two teenagers from New South Wales. Disturbing footage has emerged of a man repeatedly punching a helpless kangaroo with a broken back as his mate laughs in the background The post suggests the two hit the kangaroo with their car, which caused it to break its back. The person who shared the video claimed to do so because the 'animals deserve justice'. A spokesperson for RSPCA NSW told the Daily Mail Australia it has received a report in relation to alleged acts of cruelty committed towards kangaroos in a town in southern NSW. As the man punches the kangaroo it raises a paw as though it's trying to defend itself 'We take all allegations of animal cruelty very seriously and this matter is currently under investigation,' the spokesperson said. 'Everything that RSPCA NSW can do, which is appropriate and in accordance with the law, is being done. 'Privacy and legal considerations do not allow us to provide further information at this time. Anyone who has any further information to provide should contact RSPCA NSW on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589) or online via rspcansw.org/reportcruelty.' NSW Police told the Daily Mail Australia they are investigating the footage. 'Police are aware of videos circulating on social media regarding possible acts of animal cruelty,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'Police will not tolerate violence against animals in any capacity. 'The public are reminded not to report crime via social media.' Screenshots of the WhatsApp message Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman sent Jeff Bezos including the video file which 'hacked' his phone have emerged. Vice Motherboard published the images on Wednesday after obtaining them from the cyber security firm report into Bezos' phone. The firm - FTI Consulting - had been asked to look at the Amazon founder's devices after a National Enquirer expose about his relationship with Lauren Sanchez. They discovered the messages from bin Salman including one which they say likely led to a trove of data being taken from his phone. It was sent in May 2018 and showed a Saudi flag and a Swedish flag with Arabic writing across it. They also found a message from bin Salman to Bezos of a photograph of a woman who the firm said resembled Sanchez. He sent it along with the joke: 'Arguing with a woman is like reading the software license agreement. In the end you have to ignore everything and click I agree.' The firm noted in its report that this was pertinent because anyone with access to Bezos' phone would have known about his then secret romance with Lauren and looming divorce from his wife. The first messages between Jeff Bezos, in green, and the Saudi prince were in April after they met at a dinner in Hollywood This is the message that Mohammed bin Salman sent Jeff Bezos on May 1 which is thought to have been the 'hack' that harvested data from his phone In November, he sent this one - a forwarded meme showing a woman with the words 'Arguing with a woman is like reading the software license agreement. In the end you have to ignore everything and click I agree.' The cyber firm Bezos hired to look into his phone and whether or not it had been hacked say this suggested bin Salman knew he was getting a divorce - something that was not public at the time. The experts say she 'resembled' Lauren Sanchez A final WhatsApp mesage sent to Bezos by bin Salman within hours of Bezos being told via phone call that Saudi Arabia had launched an online campaign against him. The cyber security experts say the timing of the message was suspicious given Bezos and Salman had not spoken for more than three months and he had just been told over the phone about the campaign 'Our investigation learned of at least 2 instances in which texts sent to Bezos from MBS' WhatsApp account may reveal awareness of private information that was not known publicly at the time. 'The first such text was sent on November 8 2018 and contained a single photograph of a woman resembling Lauren Sanchez, with whom Bezos was having a then-secret personal relationship. 'For context, this was after the relationship would have been obvious to persons with access to private texts, calls, and images on Bezos' phone, but months before the relationship was known or reported publicly. 'The photo and cryptic caption were sent precisely during the period Bezos and his wife were exploring divorce,' the report reads. They also found it suspicious that in February 2019, after more than three months during which the pair did not speak, Bezos received an unsolicited WhatsApp message from the prince within hours of receiving a briefing from someone about an online campaign by Saudi Arabia against him. 'The second text that demonstrates an awareness of non-publication information that could have been gained via surveillance of Bezos' phone was sent after more than three months of no communication. 'Bezos was provided a detailed briefing about the extent of the Saudi online campaign against him. The briefing was provided in 2 calls on his phone. 'This text evinces an awareness of what Bezos had just been told.' Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jeff Bezos in November 2016 a message in November 2018 with a photo of a woman who resembled his then mistress, Lauren Sanchez along with a joke about arguing with women. It was months after Bezos' phone had been 'hacked' by a WhatsApp video file sent to him by bin Salman and was while he was contemplating divorce from his wife Sanchez and Bezos in India this week. The pair were in a relationship for months before it was exposed by The National Enquirer in January 2019 along with some of their private messages and photos of Bezos The message contained a photograph of a woman who closely resembled Sanchez, the Times reports. HOW THE 'HACK' UNFOLDED September 2017: David Pecker, the publisher of AMI, reportedly meets Mohammed bin Salman April 2018: The crown prince attends a dinner in Hollywood hosted by producer Brian Grazer where he meets Jeff Bezos May 1: The video is sent from the prince's phone to Bezos' via WhatsApp October 2018: Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is murdered by Saudi regime November 2018: Bin Salman sends Bezos a text with the photo of the woman resembling Sanchez January 2019: The National Enquirer publishes its expose on Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez February 2019: Bezos receives a report that Saudi Arabia has been conducting an online campaign against him. Within hours of getting that phone call, bin Salman - who he has not spoken to for three months - WhatsApped him out of the blue to say there was no attack against him. March 2019: Bezos' private investigator Gavin De Becker says he has proof Saudi Arabia hacked Bezos' phone - Saudi Arabia denies it January 2020: The Guardian reports that the prince's message was the source of the hack. A UN report comes to the same conclusion Advertisement Along with it, the prince included a joke: It is unclear if Bezos replied. At the time, the National Enquirer had been trailing him and Lauren and were aware of their romance. Bezos' team has suggested in the past that the Saudi government and The Enquirer's publisher, David Pecker, were in cahoots to take him down - a claim both the Saudis and Pecker vehemently deny. Saudi Arabian dissident Jamal Khashoggi - a columnist for Bezos' newspaper, The Washington Post - had also been murdered at the hands of the country's regime. After the text with the joke, bin Salman sent Bezos one more WhatsApp message, according to The New York Times. That text was in February last year and was after Bezos' divorce and affair with Sanchez made global news. It said: 'There is nothing against you or Amazon from me or Saudi Arabia.' Again, it not known if Bezos replied. Saudi Arabia has called the allegations that it hacked the billionaire's phone 'absurd' and 'silly'. American Media Inc, the Enquirer's publisher, has also denied any wrongdoing in its reporting of the Bezos/Sanchez affair. Bezos issued strongly worded statements after the story emerged alleging blackmail by AMI to quash the story. In the end, he and his wife MacKenzie settled their divorce for a record-setting $36billion. Bezos and his wife MacKenzie divorced with the world's most expensive settlement - $36billion - after his affair with Sanchez was exposed His net worth is now an estimated $115.6 billion. UN investigators David Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, said that he and Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on extrajudicial murders, were preparing a statement due to be released on Wednesday over the 'very serious hacking allegations'. The January 2019 National Enquirer expose which Bezos' team have suggested was an orchestrated take down by AMI and the Saudi Arabian government 'The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities,' UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement. The FBI is now said to also be investigating the hack at the behest of the UN Kaye and Callamard say they are 'gravely concerned' about 'the possible involvement of the crown prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, the Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia.' They added: 'The allegations reinforce other reporting pointing to a pattern of targeted surveillance of perceived opponents and those of broader strategic importance to the Saudi authorities, including nationals and non-nationals. 'These allegations are relevant as well to ongoing evaluation of claims about the crown princes involvement in the 2018 murder of Saudi and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 'The alleged hacking of Mr Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents.' The 2019-nCoV virus does not yet require the adoption of broad public measures in Armenia, said health minister Arsen Torosyan at the parliament on Wednesday. According to him, health ministry continues to monitor the situation both within the country and at the border points. The World Health Organization has held an extraordinary meeting and will make a statement tonight, he said adding that they are ready to follow the provisions of their statement. As reported earlier, the death toll from the dangerous Chinese coronavirus 2019-nCoV has increased. The fourth person has become a victim of this virus, the Municipal Health Committee of Wuhan, Hubei Province reported. The Conversation An interpretive sign stands at the edge of the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area, a 1,500-acre state conservation property in central Massachusetts. It explains the sites open land vegetation has been shaped by millennia of fire and that the recent exclusion of fire has led to declines in this habitat and the species that call it home. It goes on to explain that fire is being reintroduced to the site through controlled burns to reinvigorate fire-adapted species. The prescribed burning at Montague Plains and dozens of other conservation areas across New England is based on the belief that, for thousands of years, Native Americans cleared forests and used fire to improve habitat for the plants and animals they relied upon. The use of fire as a management tool is just one example of a broader shift in how ecologists and conservationists have come to think about the impacts of ancient humans. Increasingly, researchers believe Native people controlled ecosystems across much of the globe, from boreal regions to the Amazon, including many areas formerly deemed pristine. Our new research, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, tests this human-centric view of the past using interdisciplinary, retrospective science. The data we collected suggest, in New England, this assumption is erroneous. Paleo-ecologist Bryan Shuman collecting a sediment core from Green Pond, central Massachusetts. Photo by Wyatt Oswald (CC BY-ND 4.0) Sediment tells the story In the field of paleo-ecology, researchers take advantage of the fact that, over time, the bottoms of lakes and ponds fill up with mud. Using a hand-driven device, scientists can collect a cylindrical core of the sediment and then use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the mud at different depths. Over the last century, scientists have collected sediment cores from hundreds of lakes around the world, enabling them to reconstruct past environments and ecosystems. Our team of paleo-ecologists and archaeologists collected sediment cores from 23 ponds across southern New England. We analyzed ancient pollen grains, fragments of charcoal and clues about past water depth, all preserved in the mud, allowing us to create a record of vegetation, fire and climate over thousands of years. We then compared this ecological and environmental history with data from more than 1,800 archaeological sites along the coast from Cape Cod to Long Island, including the islands of Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands. These areas historically supported the greatest densities of Native people in New England and today are home to the highest concentrations of endangered species and rare open land habitats in the region. Our study contradicts the theory that people had significant ecological impacts in southern New England before European arrival. Instead, it reveals that old forests, shaped by climate change and natural processes, prevailed across the region for thousands of years. Native populations in southern New England peaked at two times during the last several millennia: 5,000-3,000 years ago, during what archaeologists call the Late Archaic Period, and 1,500-500 years ago, a period known as the Middle-Late Woodland. During those times when Native populations were relatively high, we found no evidence for forest clearance, elevated use of fire, or widespread agriculture. Interestingly, fire activity was high only 10,000-8,000 years ago, a period that was substantially drier than today, with low human populations. Of course, the indigenous people of New England utilized and relied on a wide variety of natural resources: they hunted, fished, foraged, and cultivated some edible plants. Pre-Colonial societies were complex, widespread and large, with populations in the tens of thousands. But the evidence suggests they didnt use fire to open large swaths of the landscape for agriculture. Rather, over more than 10,000 years, these highly adaptable people shifted activities seasonally across the landscape, taking advantage of a wide range of resources and exerting limited, and most likely very localized, ecological impacts overall. Sheep grazing on Marthas Vineyard. Photo by David Foster (CC BY-ND 4.0) From dense forests to more open land So, if Native Americans didnt clear forests and create open lands across southern New England, how and when did the grasslands, shrub lands and open forests in existence today originate? When we analyzed the mud in our study ponds, we found the obvious signature of forest clearance by 17th-century European colonists. Pollen from forest species declined, while pollen from agricultural and weedy species, like ragweed, increased abruptly. This evidence clearly shows New Englands open land habitats owe their existence to Colonial European deforestation and agriculture, especially sheep and cattle grazing, hay production, and orchard and vegetable cultivation in the 18th and 19th centuries. This retrospective research should cause some conservationists to reconsider both their rationale and tools for land management. If the goal is to emulate the conditions that existed prior to the arrival of Europeans, land managers should allow New England forests to mature with minimal human disturbance. If the goal is also to maintain biodiverse open land habitats, like Montague Plains, within the largely forested landscape, managers should apply the Colonial-era agricultural approaches that created them nearly 400 years ago. Those tools would include mowing, grazing and cutting woody vegetation but not burning. [ Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can get our highlights each weekend. ] Wyatt Oswald is a Professor of Environmental Science at Emerson College. He has received funding from the US National Science Foundation. David R. Foster is the Director at Harvard Forest at Harvard University. Elizabeth Chilton is the Dean of the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University, State University of New York. The authors previously received National Science Foundation support for the research discussed in this article. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Join the Conversation Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping away from the royal family after they released their bombshell announcement. However, their departure did not stop the media from chasing them. Prince Harry said that his biggest fear is when history repeats itself, referencing the death of his mother Princess Diana. It caused the two to take a break away from the public until they decided to wholly get away from the royal family by announcing their departure from the monarchy. Ever since Princess Diana died, the Duke of Sussex never became a fan of tabloids and media. He once said that he could not allow his wife to fall victim to the "same powerful forces" that led to his mother's death. Moreover, what his mother has lived through is something that he is currently protecting Markle from. However, despite finally receiving permission from Queen Elizabeth II to start their lives as a family-of-three, the media appeared to be unstoppable that they still followed them at their new base. Legal Action Again Since the two got married, U.K. tabloids became the center of their attention. In fact, the two took legal action after The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday published their interview with Markle's father and parts of the letters written by Markle herself before her wedding. Prince Harry quickly took action and filed a lawsuit against the tabloids for breaching the Data Privacy Act of 2018 (or the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe). This 2020, as soon as they stepped down from the monarchy and jetted back to Canada, the royal couple warned the media about their plans on filing another lawsuit against them. Through a letter their lawyers sent last Tuesday, Prince Harry and Meghan let multiple British media outlets know that they are about to take another step. According to their claim, photographers were caught hiding in bushes and spying on Meghan while she was out with their son, Archie, and two puppies while having a walk on Vancouver Island. Moreover, the said photographers crossed the line when they even set a camp outside their home and used telephoto lenses to get exclusive photos of the family. "There are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose," the two stated in the letter. Later on the same letter, they revealed that they are going to file cases of harassment as the photographers failed to have "consent" in taking photographs -- even getting the shots secretly. Under Canadian Law, Meghan can sue those paparazzi who snapped their pictures since they invaded her privacy, although the freedom of the press is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The law is way looser than of the British Columbia's though, as Meghan needs to prove if her privacy has been violated. Not The First Warning Before their break in 2019, Byline -- through its independent journalism site "Byline Investigates" -- exclusively circulated excerpts from the filed court papers by Markle's camp. It pointed out that the U.K-based publications Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday misused the letter she sent to her father and did not give the "full" content to mislead the readers and paint the Duchess of Sussex in a bad light. The document also explained that Markle did not ignore her father after the wedding, far from the defamatory articles published by "Associated Newspapers." Moreover, the document tackled several derogatory statements by Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday, including the exploitation of Markle's father Thomas and tracking him down in Mexico, the baby shower issue, her relationship with Doria Ragland, and made up issues about Prince Harry. Among the false stories which involved Prince Harry's name stated that the expenses made on the renovations of their home, Frogmore Cottage, was charged to the taxpayers. The new issue is still as damaging as those they faced before, but Prince Harry and Meghan will surely show no mercy this time. [January 22, 2020] HighView Launches in Partnership with Leading Denver Tech Companies to Empower Students from Underserved and Underrepresented Communities DENVER, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HighView, the next generation of after school empowerment and career development, has launched today in partnership with five of Denver's fastest-growing tech companies to address significant opportunity gaps in the area. HighView pairs high-potential high school students from low-income, underserved and underrepresented communities with successful companies in their local areas. As part of the program, PaySimple, Guild Education, Evolve Vacation Rental, Xactly and GoSpotCheck will each host a cohort of students in their modern offices after school every week. In addition to providing a quiet and inspirational homework space, these companies will offer valuable exposure to well-paying career paths in high growth industries like tech. In collaboration with company employees, HighView will also provide students with one-on-one mentorship, college preparation guidance and professional development workshops that will help set them up for lifelong success. "With the achievement gap between students from lower-income and higher-income families widening by 40% in the last 30 years, I wanted to help level the playing field. I wanted to open doors for motivated students from historically disenfranchised backgrounds and ensure that they have the same educational and professional opportunities as their more affluent peers," said Nicole Sherman, Founder & CEO of HighView. To make a real impact, the model has to be scalable and has to go beyond academic support and college guidance. "Long-term success for these students is contingent upon learning skills for navigating the professional world and connections to professionals in high-growth industries that they may not have received through their existing networks. This is why I created HighView in partnership with some of the most forward-thinking companies who re stepping up to make a change. I am truly inspired by each of these companies' commitments to their communities and to ensuring equity in the tech industry," said Nicole Sherman. "We are honored to be a part of the HighView launch and to do our part to help close the achievement gap for students in our local area," said David Sharp, President of PaySimple. "Corporate social responsibility should not just be a buzzword, but rather a practice to be embedded into a company's fabric that can make a tangible, positive change in our society." Guild Education, education-as-a-benefit pioneer and Denver's newest billion-dollar "unicorn," takes corporate social responsibility seriously as well. "HighView's mission aligns with our broader goal of unlocking opportunities for America's workforce, so we are excited to support this program and give underrepresented students a first-hand look at promising careers in business and tech," said Rachel Carlson, CEO and Co-Founder of Guild Education. Many of HighView's participants are students of color, from communities that have been historically underrepresented in Denver's fastest growing sectors (including tech, in which LatinX and Black individuals make up less than 10% of the workforce). According to Kelly Stevens, Chief Impact Officer of the Colorado Technology Association, "Cultivating a more diverse talent pipeline is an important part of our mission to advance Colorado's tech ecosystem, and we recognize that this effort starts with getting more students interested in these fields early on. HighView's innovative approach bolsters these efforts and we're excited to open up more opportunities for underrepresented students in our local area to take advantage of Colorado's thriving economic growth." According to McKinsey research entitled Why Diversity Matters, companies in the top quartile for racial & ethnic workforce diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above respective national industry medians. With this positive bottom-line benefit and growing social activism among young workforces, the message is clear: today's companies must take real steps to promote diversity and enrich the communities in which they operate. The most powerful Fortune 500 CEOs have just redefined the purpose of a corporationto foster diversity & inclusion among employees and to serve all stakeholders, including the communities in which they work. HighView plans to leverage the power of corporations to scale nationwide, which will make a transformative impact on closing opportunity gaps in communities across the country. HighView has already solidified its cohort of Partner Companies and students for the launch but will be accepting applications for the next cohort of forward-thinking companies and highly driven students for Fall 2020. Please visit gohighview.com to learn more. Contact: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highview-launches-in-partnership-with-leading-denver-tech-companies-to-empower-students-from-underserved-and-underrepresented-communities-300991458.html SOURCE HighView [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] China Issues Biosafety Certificates to Domestic GM Soybean, Corn Varieties By Zhou Tailai and Denise Jia / Jan 23, 2020 05:58 AM / Economy Chinas Agriculture Ministry issued biosafety certificates for three new genetically modified (GM) crops, the first batch of such crops to win safety clearance in 10 years. The three are an insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant corn developed by Beijing Dabeinong Biotechnology Co. Ltd., another corn developed by Hangzhou Ruifeng Biotechnology Ltd., and a herbicide-tolerant soybean developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The safety certificates are valid for five years. The approval means the GM crops have been found safe to use, but they still need to get administrative clearance to start production and commercialization. China granted biosafety certificates to its first GM corn varieties and two GM rice varieties in 2009, but it has never moved to commercialize the crops. The commercialization of the first GM corn was hindered by the lack of a GM variety verification method, said Chen Rumei, a researcher with the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and a member of the team that developed the first GM corn. The two GM rice varieties have also been caught up in the verification process for similar reasons. A person close to the Agriculture Ministry told Caixin that the ministry is studying a verification method for GM crops, but its unknown how long it will take. Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Tuesday it will recall 2.4 million older U.S. vehicles for potentially defective air bag inflators. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co <7267.T> said on Tuesday it will recall 2.4 million older U.S. vehicles for potentially defective air bag inflators. The defect involves a different type of Takata inflator than those that have prompted the largest-ever auto safety recalls worldwide covering more than 42 million U.S. vehicles by 19 automakers with Takata air bag inflators. The new recall covers Honda and Acura automobiles from the 1996 through 2003 model years. Honda said it is aware of one field rupture of a inflator in the new recall campaign. (Reporting by David Shepardson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. FILE PHOTO: Court hearings in case against Myanmar on alleged genocide of Rohingya, at the ICJ in The Hague THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest court, will issue a decision on a request for emergency measures in a genocide case against Myanmar on Jan. 23, the Gambian Ministry of Justice said on Twitter on Monday. The mainly Muslim west African country filed the suit in November, alleging Myanmar was committing "an ongoing genocide" against its minority Muslim Rohingya population. The ICJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gambia has accused Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention in a military campaign that expelled more than 730,000 Rohingya from the country. It asked the International Court of Justice to order "provisional measures" to prevent more harm, a first step in a legal case that is expected to go on for years. Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, travelled to The Hague last month to defend her country against the charges. She denied that genocide was taking place and said the court has no jurisdiction to hear the case. Suu Kyi, once championed in the West for her decades-long fight for democracy for Myanmar, said Myanmar did investigate and prosecute soldiers and officers accused of crimes. She said that under those circumstances, the court should not intervene. Gambia lodged its lawsuit after winning the support of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has 57 member states. Only a state can file a case against another state at the ICJ. Gambia has said Myanmar cannot be trusted to bring alleged military perpetrators of crimes against the Rohingya to justice. It has asked the court to order provisional measures for Myanmar to stop its forces committing "all acts that amount to or contribute to the crime of genocide" against the Rohingya including killing, rape and destruction of homes and villages. Gambia also asked judges to order Myanmar to ensure any evidence of atrocities is preserved. The International Court of Justice's decisions are binding and not subject to appeal, though the court has no means of enforcement and countries have occasionally ignored them or failed to adhere fully. (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Alison Williams and Timothy Heritage) Houston liquefied natural gas company Annova LNG has signed a 20-year supply deal with Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline company that owns a 10.5 percent stake in Annova's proposed export terminal. Under the deal, Annova LNG's proposed plant at the Port of Brownsville will get all of its natural gas from Enbridge's Valley Crossing Pipeline, which begins at the Agua Dulce Hub near Corpus Christi and goes through the port before heading to the U.S.-Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission officials issued a permit to Annova LNG in November giving the company permission to build a plant that can make up to 6.5 million metric tons of LNG per year. The Great LNG Debate: Growing industry faces stiff opposition in the Valley Annova LNG has yet to seal contracts with overseas customers, but if the export terminal obtains financing and is built, the Houston company and Enbridge will build a 9-mile lateral connecting the Valley Crossing Pipeline to the facility. In addition to setting aside more than 1,400 acres of land for wildlife, the LNG plant has pledged to use electric turbines that reduce noise and pollution, and to get all of its power from renewable sources such as wind and solar. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox Launched in 2013 and headquartered in Houston, Annova LNG is owned by a consortium of four companies. Chicago utility company Exelon owns 80.55 percent while Enbridge, the Canadian pipeline company, holds a 10.5 percent stake. Nebraska engineering, procurement and construction firm Kiewit and Kansas energy technology firm Black & Veatch each own 4.475 percent. Annova LNG, Rio Grande LNG and a third project named Texas LNG face stiff opposition from a coalition of Rio Grande Valley shrimpers, fishermen, environmentalists, neighbors and communities working under the banner Save RGV from LNG. Federal officials granted permits to all three exports projects in November but they remain contested by opponents seeking a second hearing. We already know this is a dirty, dangerous fracked gas project, and having Enbridge company involved just makes it worse," Sierra Club organizer Rebekah Hinojosa said. "Enbridge has a notorious track record of leaks and explosions, and we know we cant trust them to safely build a polluting pipeline through our communities. Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com Beautiful views of Sydney Harbour(photo provided by BridgeClimb) SYDNEY, Jan. 22 (People's Daily Online)From Jan. 18 to Feb. 2, a two-week Karaoke Climb with a Chinese New Year theme is welcoming Mandarin-speaking visitors to climb to the top of Harbour Bridge to sing in the Year of the Rat. Climbers can find themselves standing at 134 meters above sea level, nestled in the heart of Sydney Harbour, to enjoy the panorama of Sydney city and its surroundings. While at the top, climbers can take center stage and enjoy an unforgettable karaoke experience surrounded by a spectacular view. BridgeClimb Public Relations Manager, Jessica White, said this year that BridgeClimb tailored lanterns, special red handkerchiefs, tickets wrapped in red envelopes and Happy New Year decorations on the left side of photos of Chinese climbers to mark Chinese New Year. BridgeClimb Sales Manager, Elizabeth Li, said BridgeClimb is an activity for any age, from 8-year-old children to elderly people in their eighties, and that as long as they are generally fit and healthy, they are welcome to climb. 87-year-old Lloyd Poulton, the most frequent ascender, has climbed 115 times. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Protein Alternatives Market The market accounted for USD 8.26 billion in 2017 witnessing a CAGR of 7.4% during 2018-2023 (forecast period). As a major shift in the consumer behavior of the global market, there is an increased interest in alternative protein sources, such as quinoa-, chia- and chickpeas-based protein. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05778151/?utm_source=PRN "HIGHER THE FLEXITARIAN POPULATION GROWTH = HIGHER THE ALTERNATIVE PROTEIN DEMAND" Growing Significance about Nutrition Awareness, Health Concern, And Weight Management The growing health concern, nutritional awareness, and weight management are leading the market demand for alternative protein. The obesity level has doubled since 1980, globally. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight, and about 600 million were obese. Hence, the European and North American markets observed a steep decline in meat consumption and other traditional proteins. Many food processing companies are adding protein substitutes in their product portfolio. For example, soy-based schnitzels have been introduced in many developed markets, which have registered around 20% higher sales in comparison to regular sales. In addition, few companies are producing alternative protein products, which are clean and GMO-free. Developing Economies Are the Future Of The Alternative Protein Industry By 2023, the global demand for alternative protein is expected to be 20 to 25% higher than the current levels. Asia-Pacific and the African region, along with Eastern Europe, are increasingly consuming alternative protein. These alternative protein products are derived from various sources, such as seeds, pulses, nuts, bacteria or mycoprotein, microalgae, and insect-based protein. Notable Market Developments In the North America alternative protein market, few meat producers are developing plant-based meats, as consumers' concern is shifting from regular to protein alternatives. For example, Tyson Foods launched plant-based meat protein for food manufacturers, which has a 5% share of its total sales. Other players, such as Rugenwalder Muhle and Maple Leaf Foods, are launching plant-based meat from soy, peas and algae proteins. Understanding Our report on global alternative protein market covers the following: - Alternative protein market, trends & dynamics - Latest News & Developments - Porter's five forces analysis - Investment Scope - Deep-dive insights Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05778151/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com Professor Helen Marshall from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute. Professor Marshall is the leader of the B Part of It meningococcal B study. Credit: University of Adelaide. The results of the B Part of It studythe largest meningococcal B herd immunity study ever conductedare published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results have implications for all meningococcal B vaccine programs globally. Led by Professor Helen Marshall from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute, the B Part of It study involved almost 35,000 senior school students in South Australia, aged 15 to 18 years, during 2017 and 2018. "Our study has shown good protection was provided by the meningococcal B vaccine against meningococcal disease in those vaccinated but did not show an overall reduction in the proportion of adolescents carrying the bacteria, including the B strain," Professor Marshall says. Adolescents can harmlessly carry the meningococcus bacteria in the back of the throat with only a very small proportion developing the disease. Meningococcal B is one of the most common strains that causes meningococcal disease, an acute bacterial infection that kills approximately 10% of those infected, and causes permanent disabilities in about 20% of cases. Those most at risk are babies and children up to the age of five years, and teenagers and young adults from ages 15 to 24 years. "We are pleased to report not a single case of meningococcal disease among our study participants to date, over the three years since the study began, compared to 12 cases in the same age group in the two years prior to the study. "Potentially this means a life or lives were saved, as, on average, one in every 10 children with meningococcal disease dies from it," Professor Marshall says. "These results highlight the importance of individual vaccination for adequate protection, as the vaccine is unlikely to be able to stop spread of the bacteria between individuals," Professor Marshall says. "The study has identified the critical finding that individuals need to be vaccinated to protect themselves against meningococcal B disease, rather than expecting community protection through reduced transmission of the bacteria," she says. The study also identified a number of high-risk behaviours associated with carriage of meningococcal strains in young people, including: smoking cigarettes, attending bars or clubs, and intimate kissing. Older school students, school boarders, and those who had recently had a cold or sore throat were also more likely to carry the meningococcus in their throat. The outcomes of the B Part of It study are now being used in Australia and globally, to assess the cost-effectiveness of meningococcal B immunization programs for children and young people. Gill and Oren Klemich, who lost their 18-year-old son, Jack, to meningococcal B in 2009, have supported the B Part of It program as ambassadors and followed the results closely. "We are extremely proud of the impact this study has had in informing both local and global policy around meningococcal B, as well as the impact the study and South Australian Government funded program have had in vaccinating and protecting over 60,000 young people against this horrible disease," says Oren. Explore further AAP updates recommendations for meningococcal vaccines The disciple of Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Secretary of Ramalya Trust Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Tuesday presented a model of a Ram temple proposed to be built in Ayodhya Allahabad: The disciple of Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Secretary of Ramalya Trust Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Tuesday presented a model of a Ram temple proposed to be built in Ayodhya. He said the people of the country want a unique Ram temple built in Ayodhya not only conforming to the principles of the 'Vastu Shastra' but also to the 21st century construction standards. The Ram temple must be built keeping in mind the requirements of the large number of devotees who will visit it in future, Saraswati added. Ramalya Trust is committed to building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, the secretary said. "The first model submitted to us is by Aditya Gupta which is now being presented before the public," he said. Saraswati said other such models will also be presented before the public in the future and the best one will be chosen for construction. Sharing the details of the model, he said it proposes 10,008 feet high structure which will be the tallest temple in the world. Its Garba graha (sanctum sanctorum) is over 216 square feet area. It includes facility to feed 1,08,000 people daily, a parking space for 1,008 buses, 10,800 cars and 21,000 motorcycles. It also includes an indoor and outdoor auditorium, Saraswati said. The talc in talcum powder may be mined from asbestos-infested areas. [Photo: Getty] New research throws the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer up in the air. Pharma giant Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $4.7bn (3.5bn) in damages to 22 women last year after they alleged its talc products caused them to develop the disease, the BBC reported. J&J denied the claims, insisting its products were safe. READ MORE: What you need to know about talc To better understand the potential risks of talcum powder, scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina asked more than 252,000 women if they applied it to their genitals. Compared to those who never used talcum powder, those who did so frequently were 9% more likely to develop ovarian cancer over the next 11 years. This was not statistically significant, which the scientists claim may be due to the study being too small to find an effect. Other experts, however, state this outcome could be evidence of talcum powders safety. Talcum powder has been used by women for decades to absorb unpleasant odours and excess moisture down there. It typically contains the mineral talc, which is often mined in asbestos-infested areas. This is what initially triggered cancer concerns, the scientists wrote in the journal JAMA. Despite US talc manufacturers agreeing to ban asbestos from their products in 1976, the International Agency for Research on Cancer maintained they still possibly cause malignant tumours. Ovarian cancer affected around 7,470 new women between 2014 and 2016 in the UK, Cancer Research UK statistics show. In the US, some 2,530 women are thought to have been diagnosed last year, according to the American Cancer Society. READ MORE: Concerns over talcum powder causing ovarian cancer Studies investigating the link between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer have thrown up mixed results. To learn more, the North Carolina scientists analysed four studies with a total of 252,745 women. The participants were asked whether, and how often, they applied talcum powder down there. Story continues Thirty eight per cent reported use of powder in the genital area, of which 22% claimed frequent use and 10% admitted to using it long term. Years later, cancer diagnoses were confirmed via medical records. While the studys main finding did not reach statistical significance, others did. Among women who had not had a hysterectomy, ever users were 13% more likely to develop the disease than non-users. Frequent users with intact reproductive tracts were 19% more at risk than their counterparts who never used talc, the results show. Ovarian cancer affected around 7,470 new women between 2014 and 2016 in the UK. [Photo: Getty] How could talcum powder cause ovarian cancer? Despite asbestos being banned from talc, some products may have contained the cancer-causing substance after 1976, the scientists wrote. It is thought to be taken up into the vagina, through the cervix and womb, and then into the ovaries. Removal of the womb in a hysterectomy may prevent the powder reaching ovarian tissue, the scientists wrote. Asbestos aside, talcum powder itself may irritate ovarian tissue, triggering inflammation that could end up being cancerous. Inflammation-causing conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease and chlamydia have previously been linked to ovarian tumours. READ MORE: Johnson & Johnson Wins New Trial In Talc Case Writing in a linked editorial, Dr Dana Gossett - from the University of California, San Fransisco - called for larger, longer studies investigating the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. Yet, with the products use on the decline, she adds this may not be feasible. Nonetheless, the rigorously conducted study contributes important and timely data about the potential link between use of powder in the genital area and risk of ovarian cancer, Dr Gossett added. Not all experts are convinced, however. This research is robust, analysing data from 250,000 women followed for an average of over 11 years, and concluded there is no statistically significant relationship between talc use and the development of ovarian cancer, Professor Iain McNeish, from Imperial College London, said. Professor Justin Stebbing, also from Imperial, added: A very well conducted rigorous investigation pooled results from four studies in over 250,000 women, to show talcum powder didn't cause ovarian cancer. There weren't many cases of ovarian cancer in the group so it's possible a small effect has been missed, but it doesn't look like talc is a carcinogen which is an important and reassuring finding, especially as they also looked at duration and frequency of use, again finding no causative effects. He was arrested on February 23 last year in a sting operation. An expat, whose bid to smuggle a large quantity of drugs to a neighbouring country was foiled by UAE anti-narcotics officers, has gone on trial at the Court of First Instance. The 30-year-old man, a Pakistani vendor, denied in court the charge of possessing more than 3kg of crystal meth for selling. He was arrested on February 23 last year in a sting operation. A task force comprising federal and Dubai narcotics officers, Omani anti-narcotics officers and Saudi authorities arrested the defendant who was about to smuggle the drugs from Dubai to Saudi Arabia. Others involved in the racket were also apprehended. A case was registered with Al Rashidiya police station. The vendor remains in detention. A captain with the federal anti-narcotics police said they were tipped-off by the Omani authorities about some plan to smuggle a large quantity of crystal meth from Dubai to Saudi Arabia. On February 20 last year, the captain was with Omani officers and a police informant when a Pakistani man called the informant from Pakistan. "The informant talked to him and put him on speaker. The latter sent him the pickup location (of 4kg of crystal meth) which was the Dragon Mart. The plan was to smuggle the drugs to Saudi Arabia later," the captain told the prosecutor. Officers from the Dubai police anti-narcotics department were also present with their counterparts on the ground. "A suspect was then spotted delivering a bag to the informant. He was not arrested then but was tracked down. "We coordinated with the Saudi authorities to arrest the gang members. On February 23 last year, the Pakistani man, who delivered the drugs to the informant, was arrested. He confessed he was working for someone in his home country," the captain said during the public prosecution investigation. Persons involved in picking up the drugs in Jeddah, after it was smuggled (during the sting operation) through Al Ghuwaifat border passage, were also apprehended. The defendant's urine sample tested negative for any narcotics as shown in the crime lab report results. The trial has been adjourned to January 30. A running theme on Bravos Below Deck is rank. For instance, when bosun Joao Franco from Below Deck Mediterranean questioned Captain Sandy Yawns recommendations on how to fix a jet ski, she lost it on him when he seemed to disregard her rank (and knowledge) over him. Captain Lee Rosbach and Kate Chastain | Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images During the current season of Below Deck, chef Kevin Dobson tried to muscle his way into delivering orders to the interior team. Plus, bosun Ashton Pienaar demanded complete compliance from lower deckhands. While some crew members have clearly overreached their ranks authority, why does the topic come up so often? Chief stew Kate Chastain offered insight on why rank is such a priority when she dished on the Mouthing Off with Olivia Caridi podcast. Rank keeps everyone safe, Kate Chastain says Chastain shared that when she first got into yachting, she didnt understand what the big deal was with rank on yachts. In real jobs, I would never be, like, so rank-obsessed, Chastain said. But it took me a while when I started working on yachts in real life to understand why rank was important. I kinda thought that anybody who had a higher rank in life and used it was such a jerk. Eventually Chastain understood the value of rank. Its why the military has rank, its similar for yachting, she said. Because were out in the ocean, and its for safety, its for order. And once that clicked in my head, why organization, in general, is so important, it really helped me in my real life. Chastain said everyone needs to learn order at some point in their life. The boat has to be organized, everything is labeled, everything is put where it goes, she continued. Everything has a place, and thats not how I used to live my life at all. Bottom line: Without rank on boats, Chastain said itd be chaos. Chastain explains the order on the boat On the podcast, Chastain explained how the rank system worked. Captain is the highest rank, and then theres a first mate. And we have those on the boat on the show, but theyre not on camera, Chastain said. And then chief stew is kind of up there. And the chef is actually pretty high up on the ranking but not really because they dont have anybody below them. Theyre in their own solar system. Chastain shared that she had to work her way up and was a horrible yachtie at first. During a recent episode, Chastain spotted the first yacht she worked on while in Thailand. Oh my God if thats my first boat, Im going to cry and sh*t myself, Chastain said to deckhand Rhylee Gerber. Indeed, it was Chastains first yacht. I had sex on that boat and all of my stewardess mess-ups on that boat, she said. She shared that the boat, which she hadnt seen in 10 years, was the reason she fell in love with yachting. The last time I saw this boat I was being fired in Freeport, Bahamas, Chastain said. Its like seeing your long lost love by accident out of town. The group will assess CBDC use cases; economic, functional and technical design choices, including cross-border interoperability; and the sharing of knowledge on emerging technologies. It will closely coordinate with the relevant institutions and forums - in particular, the Financial Stability Board and the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI). The group will be co-chaired by Benoit Coeure, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub, and Jon Cunliffe, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and Chair of the CPMI. It will include senior representatives of the participating institutions. A Rochester man charged with attempted first-degree murder in an August shooting that left a man paralyzed pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Abdirahman Abdukadir Abdullahi, 27, pleaded not guilty in Olmsted County District Court to felony charges of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault. At the hearing Tuesday, Abdullahi also made a demand for a jury trial. A date has not been set. Iman Abucar-Hagi Iman, 26, and Abdullahi are accused of being involved in an Aug. 7 shooting that left a 24-year-old man paralyzed. Police were called shortly after 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 7 to the Meadow Park Apartments complex, 1430 4th Ave. SE, for a report of a shooting. Iman is charged with attempted first-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, possession of ammo/any firearm-conviction or adjudicated delinquent for crime of violence and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. His next court appearance on the matter is scheduled for Feb. 18. ADVERTISEMENT Both men are being held on $5 million unconditional bail. Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce the appointment of John Desmond and Scott Knapp as Co-Division Directors for the firms Litigation practice. John P. Desmond is a member in the firms Reno office. 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He has successfully defended insurance clients in putative national class actions involving fraud and breach of contract. He has also represented Fortune 500 companies in trademark infringement, breach of fiduciary duty and non-compete matters. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers. Mr. Knapp received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Temple University. About Dickinson Wright PLLC Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 475 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has 18 offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and 11 other domestic offices in Austin and El Paso, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canadian office is located in Toronto. Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that the coronavirus originating in China is not of any particular risk to Turkey. He said that Turkish authorities will quarantine infected patients from China should they arrive in Turkey. "We have in particular quarantine rooms and inspection centers at the airport. Our team at the airports follow closely all the passengers coming from China especially those who have difficulty in coughing, breathing," Anadolu Agency cited him as saying. On December 31, Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization about an outbreak of an unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan. Coronavirus 2019-nCoV can be transmitted people-to-people. The virus which causes pneumonia-like symptoms has jostled health authorities in China and other regions amid fears of a possible outbreak. Beyond China, the virus has affected people in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. So far, the National Health Commission reported 440 cases and nine deaths. On January 22, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian will leave for Israel, at the invitation of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, to participate in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum. Heads of state from more than 40 countries and other top officials will gather at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. In Jerusalem, the Armenian President will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of several participating countries. Sarkissian will also meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and some and other officials, and will visit the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Armenian President will also visit several Israeli scientific-education institutions. By PTI LONDON: Indian-origin MP Lisa Nandy on Wednesday clinched the requisite support from unions and affiliate bodies to make it to the final round of the race to become the new leader of the UK's Opposition Labour Party. The 40-year-old MP for Wigan in Greater Manchester is now confirmed as the second name on the ballot paper alongside frontrunner Sir Kier Starmer, ahead of a postal vote set to open on February 21 with the new leader taking charge on April 4. An endorsement from the Chinese for Labour group meant that Nandy has the required backing of three groups alongside the GMB union and the National Union of Mineworkers. "As someone of mixed heritage, I'm incredibly proud that it is Chinese for Labour who have secured my place on the ballot paper," Nandy said in a Twitter statement. "They do incredibly important work to ensure we are a representative and inclusive party that can truly speak for modern Britain," she said. ALSO READ: Indian-origin MP Lisa Nandy in race to replace Jeremy Corbyn after Labour Party's 'shattering' poll defeat Nandy, the daughter of India-born academic Dipak Nandy and a British mother, has previously called on the Labour Party to be "brave" and elect her. Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary, has maintained a strong lead throughout the race, with two other contenders - Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and Rebecca Long-Bailey, a loyalist of current leader Jeremy Corbyn, yet to clinch the required union backing. A fourth female candidate, Birmingham MP Jess Phillips, on Tuesday backed out of the race, throwing her vote behind Nandy. "Only in power can Labour make the radical changes that are so desperately needed for our towns and communities. We believe that Lisa is the right candidate to take us there," said Luton North Labour MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the Chinese for Labour group. In a major speech earlier on Wednesday, Nandy said she would give people a bigger role in designing an "empowering" welfare system as she laid out her vision for the Labour Party under her leadership. The current system lacked "human empathy" and was too complicated for people to understand, she said, promising to reverse cuts by ditching planned reductions in national insurance. "Labour is at a crossroads. To win again we will have to up our game, recover our ambition, and inspire a movement, she said. Nandy has also been outspoken on the treatment of Meghan Markle by sections of the UK media since she married Prince Harry and became Duchess of Sussex. "I think Britain is a much more decent country than some sections of the media would have us believe. The way Meghan Markle was treated, I didn't like it at all," she told ITV News on Wednesday morning, in reaction to the couple's recent step back as senior royals. She clashed with 'Good Morning Britain' host Piers Morgan over his denial of any harsh treatment meted out to Markle. "If you don't mind me saying, how on earth would you know? As someone who's never had to deal with ingrained prejudice, you're not in a position to understand people who have. And I think there were a lot of people who signed that letter who have," she said, in reference to a cross-party letter of solidarity she had signed alongside other female MPs last year in support of the actress turned royal bride, which had condemned the "colonial undertones" in the coverage of stories related to the Duchess of Sussex. Nandy has served as a former Shadow Energy Secretary in Corbyn's top team before stepping down after the Brexit referendum in 2016 in protest at the party's unclear stance on the UK's EU membership. She now faces a postal ballot of party members to vote for a leader to replace Corbyn from a final shortlist will run from February 21 to April 2. The deadline for new members to join the party in order to vote in the postal ballot has now expired. The woman, a Worli resident was on her way to Katni in Madhya Pradesh and had come to Kurla by a local train. A 32-year-old woman who was scouting to reach the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) late on Monday was allegedly gang-raped by group of four men near the railway tracks along the harbour line in Kurlas Sable Nagar. The Nehru Nagar police have arrested four persons in connection with the brutal sexual assault. (Photo: PTI/Representational) Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman who was scouting to reach the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) late on Monday was allegedly gang-raped by group of four men near the railway tracks along the harbour line in Kurlas Sable Nagar. The Nehru Nagar police have arrested four persons in connection with the brutal sexual assault. The accused, identified as Sonu Tiwari, Siddharth Wagh, Nilesh Bharaskar and Shrikant Bhogale were arrested from Kurla and Vikhroli in connection with the incident. The woman, a Worli resident was on her way to Katni in Madhya Pradesh and had come to Kurla by a local train. On reaching the Kurla bridge, she asked a passerby for directions to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and followed him on the Harbour Line route While she was on her way, she went to relieve herself in the bushes, where two accused persons were consuming drugs. They dragged her inside the bushes and raped her along with two others, said an officer of Nehru Nagar police station. The other two accused, who were passing by on a two-wheeler, stopped at the spot and also allegedly raped the woman. The gang also robbed her of `3,000 cash and snatched her gold chain worth `25,000 before fleeing from the spot. The officials said that the survivor walked some distance and sought help from a local woman. The police was alerted soon after. The first break through came after the helping local identified one of the accused, who was following the victim after she was freed. The police apprehended him from the locality and was questioned about the identities of others who were apprehended subsequently. Police said that the victim is a widow and has two children and stays at Worli. The four have been booked under sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 354 (outraging modesty) as per the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and have been remanded to police custody for further investigation in the case. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has seized on last Decembers general election result to push for a second referendum on Scottish independence. This puts the party on a collision course with Boris Johnsons Conservative government. Last week, Johnson wrote to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon rejecting her December 19 request for the transfer of powers to the Holyrood parliament necessary to hold a second referendum on independence (Indyref2)under section 30 of the 1998 Scotland Act. Sturgeon also called for the Scottish parliament to be given permanent powers to hold subsequent referendums on independence. The Scottish people voted decisively to keep our United Kingdom together, a result which both the Scottish and UK Governments committed to respect, Johnson wrote, prompting Sturgeon to declare Johnsons position self-defeating The Westminster union cannot be sustained without consent. Democracy will prevail. Sturgeon has promised a considered response for next month. The invocations of democracy by both sides seek to conceal a row between rival bourgeois factions whose interests, aims and nationalist agendas are hostile to the working class on both sides of the border. The SNPs main political advantage in seeking an independence referendum is that widespread hatred of the Tory government coincides with the collapse of the Labour Party in what was once an historic stronghold. Labour was reduced to a single Scottish seat, polling just 18.5 percent. By comparison, as late as 2001, Labour dominated Scottish parliamentary politics, holding 56 of the then 72 Westminster seats on 47 percent of the vote. Even the temporary revival in support for the Labour Party following Jeremy Corbyns rise to leadership was far less marked than in England and Wales. Instead, significant sections of workers shifted their allegiance to the SNPwhich shed its former reputation as the Tartan Tories and successfully rebranded itself as a nominally left party. As a result, in December the SNP won 48 of the 59 seats available in Scotland, an increase of 13, on 45 percent of the vote. Moreover, in contrast to its gains in England at Labours expense, Johnsons Tories lost 7 seats, leaving them with only 6 on 25 percent of the vote. The SNP seeks to exploit these gains to reverse the result of the 2014 referendum on independence, which returned a 55 to 45 percent majority against. They do so based on claims that this is now the only way of insulating Scotland from rule by the most right-wing government in post-war British history. Such claims are belied by the SNPs own record in office in cutting social spending. But it argues that these cuts have been made necessary by rule from Westminster, even as it has used additional tax revenues for Scotland under the Barnett formula to fund high-profile concessions such as no university fees for Scottish students. However, by far the most important spur for a renewed independence push by the SNP is Brexit, given that Scotland backed membership of the European Union (EU) in the 2016 Brexit referendum by a large majority of 62 to 38 percent. The pro-NATO SNP has long specialised in advocating for the EU, while saying nothing about the European blocs record of imposing austerity, anti-migrant measures and a sharp turn to state repression and militarism. The SNP only made the most pro-forma criticism of the state repression levelled against Catalonia by Spainfor fear of compromising its aspirations to EU membership. One of the arguments used against the SNP in 2014 was that an independent Scotland would not be granted EU membership because Spain and other countries such as Belgium, facing their own national separatist movements, would block it. Sturgeon hopes that this opposition will now be side-lined by concern at the economic impact of Brexit on the EU, given that Johnson intends to slash corporation tax and impose other measures designed to siphon overseas investment and productive capacity from the continent. Under such circumstances Scotland might now be considered an important pro-EU counterweight to Brexit Britain. This is by no means certain, given that Spain is still involved in efforts to crush the Catalan independence drive. But tying independence to the issue of maintaining EU membership will no doubt broaden its appeal in Scotland post-Brexit. To this end, the Scottish government intends to convene a number of round table meetings to build a coalition for independence among civic society, trade unions and the business community, religious and minority groups and our partners in local government. Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard looks set to join the initiative in the light of Labours election debacle, stressing that the party will develop its own clear, constitutional offer. Graham Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, maintained, The democratic wishes of the people of Scotland need to be acknowledged. The Scottish Labour movement should support indyref2. Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Neil Findlay stated, We cannot deny the people of Scotland a second referendum where the majority is calling for it, while Alison Evison, president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said on Twitter that a decision to back indyref2 was straight-forward. Calls have also re-emerged for Scottish Labour to sever links with the party in England and Wales. MSP Monica Lennon, a supporter of Leonard, complained, We either continue at the mercy of the UK partys distant structures or we become a party in our own right. But the most enthusiastic advocates of Scottish nationalism as a supposed alternative to Tory rule and austerity are the pseudo-left groups. In the front-ranks stands the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), whose co-leader Colin Fox wrote three days after the general election, Faced with five years of Tory minority rule the case for independence is now more urgent than ever, pledging that the SSP will work with others as part of our determination to Get independence done as soon as possible. The others are led by the SNP, of which Fox writes, The result places heavy responsibilities on the SNP as the bearer of the case for independence. The SSP claims independence is an essential democratic route to a Scotland ending poverty, tackling the housing shortage and introducing free public transport as part of real action to tackle the climate emergency. It is nothing of the sort. Like Brexit, support for Scottish independence expresses the rise of inter-imperialist, national and regional tensions within the bourgeoisie provoked by the escalating conflict for control of global markets and resources. Johnson wants to leave the EU so that he can deepen the Thatcher revolution of deregulation, privatisation and corporate tax cutting at the expense of the working class. He seeks a closer economic, political and military alliance with the US to strengthen the hand of British imperialism against its main European rivals. The SNP, for all its efforts to pose as progressive, is seeking a greater share of Scotlands assets for the regional bourgeoisie and its middle-class hangers-on, including North Sea oil and gas tax revenues, and to secure relations with the major corporations by offering low business taxes and stepped-up exploitation of the working class. The party boasts of its great record in attracting firms to come to Scotland, before promising that with independence we can do more. To conceal its own pro-business agenda, the SNP and its apologists focus all attention on what they term the democratic deficit. This refers to the fact that Scotland consistently voted against the Tories and for progressive left policies but saw both these aspirations thwarted by results in the UK. However, this is not a Scottish question, but an issue facing the entire British working class. It means above all confronting the historic failure of Labours now abandoned perspective of national reformism. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as industry after industry and millions of jobs were destroyed by successive Tory governments, it was the Labour Party and the trade unions who betrayed every struggle mounted by workers. When Labour came to power after 18 years in 1997, it continued and even deepened Thatchers anti-working-class offensivereaching its nadir when Tony Blair took Britain into the illegal war with Iraq in 2003. This record also includes one of Blairs earliest decisions, the 1997 referendum to set up a Scottish parliament, which Labour led for eight years, with a mandate for encouraging regional competition and a mission to sow divisions by promoting national identity against class unity. The Labour Party never truly recovered from these betrayals. But the price paid by the working class in Scotland was the ascendancy of the SNP. The pseudo-left forces, who historically worked to subordinate workers to the Labour Party and still do so in England, have played the crucial role in offering a left apologia for this regressive turn to nationalism. When the SSP was first formed in 1998, we explained, For Marxists, socialism is the product of the independent political action of the working class. This necessitates workers understanding that their social and political interests cannot be reconciled with those of the bourgeoisie. Ever since the publication of the Communist Manifesto in 1848, internationalism has been the cornerstone of the struggle for socialism. Nationalism is the ideology of the bourgeoisie, because its rule developed through and led to the consolidation of the nation state. Socialism, by its very nature, can only be a world system realised through the unification of workers across all borders. Its aim is to end the division of the global economy into antagonistic nations by liberating production from the fetters of private ownership, placing it at the service of the worlds people. This requires the development of a consistent internationalist outlook amongst workers. The perspective of Scottish separatisma struggle against Britain and for Scotland ties the working class politically to the bourgeoisie, while pitting Scottish workers against those in other countries. The SEP insisted that the extraordinary integration of the world economy under globalisation was the most graphic confirmation of the necessity for workers to base their struggles on an internationalist perspective and break from the reformist perspective developed at the turn of the century by the British Fabians and once championed by the Labour Party and similar parties throughout the world. In contrast, the pseudo-left groups portray socialism as the product of a gradual process of reforms implemented through the Scottish Parliament. As the SEP wrote, they never examine the reasons for the failure of these organisations and their transformation into open agents of global capitalism. Nor do they seek to account for the collapse of the Soviet Union, the most graphic example of the tragic consequences of a repudiation of socialist internationalism, embodied in the Stalinist perspective of socialism in one country Neither do they address the bitter experience made by workers with separatist movements around the world, such as in the former Yugoslavia. The SEP explained, Today, the world economy predominates over all national economies. Massive transnational corporations transfer production to wherever they can achieve a higher rate of return on their capital. To attract inward investment and remain competitive in the world market, every country, and even competing regions within countries, is engaged in a frantic scrabble to demolish welfare provisions and slash the living standards of working people. The movement for Scottish independence is rooted in these developments. Based on its internationalist and revolutionary perspective, the SEP called on workers to vote no in the September 18, 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. We insisted, The unity and independence of the working class is the criterion against which every political party and every political initiative must be judged. This is essential under conditions in which the planet is being befouled with nationalist poison. Scotland is not an oppressed nation, but part of an imperialist state. Its ruling elite has committed countless crimes and shared in the brutal exploitation of millions the world over. Waving the Saltire in peoples faces is meant to conceal the basic fact that workers in Scotland are not oppressed because of their nationality, but because of their class position within capitalist society. This is just as reactionary as the waving of the Union Flag by their opponents The advocacy of Scottish independence is a reactionary response to the bankruptcy of the nation-state system, which no longer corresponds to the global organisation of economic life. In the last century, this fundamental contradiction gave rise to two of the most devastating wars in human history as the leading capitalist powers fought for world hegemony. Today, with the advent of global production, in which every countrys economy is integrated into a greater whole dominated by huge transnational corporations and banks, inter-imperialist and national antagonisms have reached a new peak of intensity. The SEP insisted, The only progressive response to the crisis of the nation-state system is to bring an end to all national divisions by adopting the perspective of socialist internationalism. The SEP is for the overthrow of British imperialism and its state apparatus, not a negotiated settlement to set up a new repressive state. The SEP calls for the creation of a workers government committed to socialist policies. We stand for the formation of the United Socialist States of Europe, not the Balkan-style carve-up of the continent led by grasping regional elites who will use a yes vote in Scotland as a green light for their own separatist agendas. During that campaign, we noted that the SSPs Colin Fox made this anti-working-class, anti-socialist agenda of Scottish nationalism explicit, when he declared, [T]he classic left argument that Scottish independence would undermine the unity of the British working class is for us, an out-of-date formulation. We countered that if national identity outweighs class unity in Britain, then it outweighs it everywhere. This is a recipe for political reaction all along the line, urging once again, No one should forget the tragic experience of Yugoslavia, whose breakup in the 1990s triggered a decade of bloody civil wars and a catastrophic collapse in living standards. This remains a prescient warning. The pseudo-left groups are so enamoured as to the possible rewards for themselvespositions in central and local government, trade unions, academia and various Scottish cultural institutionsand so hostile to any form of independent political struggle by the working class that they appear blind to the reactionary implications of the policies they advocate. All of them hail Catalan nationalism as their inspirationbecause this too is the nationalism of a relatively prosperous region seeking greater control of tax revenues. They do so with no reference to how nationalism is employed to sanction a major strengthening of the state apparatus for use against the entire Spanish working class. The Socialist Party Scotland (SPS), which continues relations with the Socialist Party of England and Wales from which the SSP split, pledged to demand that the Scottish government organise the referendum in defiance of Johnson and the Tories. The former British ambassador turned SNP advocate Craig Murray goes further still, demanding, We organise a referendum When we win we declare Independence. That is it. If they want to repeat the Yugoslav invasion of Slovenia in 1992, we fight them off like the Slovenes did. The general election made clear that the Labour Party never truly recovered from its long history of betrayals and the collapse of its national reformist perspective, not just in Scotland but anywhere in the UK. Corbyns bogus leftism could not long conceal his refusal to wage any struggle against the Blairites and adaptation to their every policy demand. Yet everywhere the call of the pseudo-left is for them to turn sharply to nationalismin England also where the same parties advocating for Scottish independence, and EU membership, are insisting that a policy of left Brexit and embrace of the progressive patriotism now championed by the Corbynite left is the way forward. Neither Scottish nor English workers have anything in common with those urging a contemporary re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn. Rather they must wage a unified class struggle for socialism against the bourgeoisie, no matter what flag they wave, and build the internationalist leadership necessary to do so. He appeared to pit the citys long-running problems of affordability, gentrification and inequality against the citys long-running tradition of welcoming newcomers and outsiders of all stripes. [Mr. Adams sparked a conversation on what makes someone a New Yorker.] But Mr. Adams is hardly the first person in New York to tread down this path. In June, City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo renamed a street corner in Brooklyn after Christopher Wallace, the rapper better known as Notorious B.I.G., who died in 1997. Why this street co-naming is important is because while everybody is coming to Brooklyn, New York, they want to erase the history, she said at the time. They want to put up new cafes and boutiques and to push us out of our community. In 2018, protesters said gentrifiers in Crown Heights were partly to blame for the fatal police shooting of a man with mental illness. You are visitors in our communities, Hortencia Peterson, a protester, told a crowd at one demonstration. Stop calling 911. Blood is on your hands. Mr. Adams, a retired police captain and a former state senator, was elected borough president in 2013 and has talked openly about wanting to run for mayor in 2021. His comments on Monday might help him gain support from residents who are frustrated over the cost of living in New York City. Inside Hook Ozzy Osbourne and his family including his wife Sharon, daughter Kelly and son Jack stopped by Good Morning America on Tuesday (Jan. 21) to discuss his recent health setbacks and reveal that he has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. The rock star received the diagnosis last February after experiencing a fall in his home and needing neck surgery. Its been terribly challenging for us all, he said. I did my last show New Years Eve at The Forum. Then I had a bad fall. I had to have surgery on my neck, which screwed all my nerves. Authorities are concerned lives and homes could be lost if a viral TikTok trend takes off in Australia. A video shared on the app, which garnered one million likes, shows a teen drop a coin onto the prongs of a partially inserted plug at a wall socket, sending sparks flying and leaving burn marks on the wall. While the video has since been pulled by TikTok, it has sparked dozens of copycat videos, leading to two fires in the US state of Massachusetts as a result of the trend. One fire was at a school, with the alleged teenage perpetrator now facing charges. A teen drops a coin onto the prongs of the plug, creating a large spark. Source: TikTok A NSW Fire and Rescue spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia TikTok users here should avoid trying the online trend. This activity is incredibly dangerous and should not be attempted, they said. It is a fire hazard and puts lives and property at risk. The spokesperson said it was vital to only use electrical leads and appliances as they were intended and homeowners should ensure smoke alarms are functioning. In a version of the video on YouTube, several people revealed relatives had attempted the challenge, causing outlets to blow up and cutting the power supply to some homes. Some reported smoke coming from the socket. The aftermath of someone attempting the TikTok challenge. Source: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Engagement on video sharing app TikTok is fuelled by a series of current video trends which involves other users attempting to replicate viral videos on the app such as dance routines to particular songs. With 1.4 million active users in Australia and New Zealand as of 2019 and the number rapidly growing, such popularity in trying to mimic other videos for fame within the app has sparked a wave of content from teens copying viral international videos. This video is a concern and similar to past viral videos that encourage unsafe behaviour, Massachusetts Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said. He said it was vital teens understood the dangers of fire play and children were educated by parents and schools on electrical safety. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Looking for a new city to call home? Consider Denver. According to Apartment Lists latest renter migration report, this mountain city is the top metro where renters are moving right now. Apartment List came to this finding by analyzing millions of searches for apartments on its site from June 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019. And, since searching for an apartment and actually moving are different things, the report also factored in which cities were retaining and losing their population, too. So why did Denver top the list? You can thank the area's tech boom, for starters. Denver's economy has been booming for a number of years now, with significant growth in its tech industry specifically, Chris Salviati, housing economist at Apartment List, told realtor.com. The metro has added a significant number of jobs for highly educated workers, which generally pay high salaries. Along with Denvers booming economy, renters are drawn to the city for its mountain views, abundant outdoor activities, and (last but not least) legalized cannabis. We attribute the citys appeal to its strong job growth, great climate, appeal to outdoors enthusiasts, and ease of transportation to other national and international destinations, says Ryan Belinak, creator and team lead of Denver-based Live Urban Real Estates leasing division. The rental costs in Denver, revealed While Denver has a lot to offer, don't expect cheap rent to come easy. Rents are relatively high in Denver, averaging $1,352 for a two-bedroom as of December 2019, according to Apartment List. Median rent nationally for a two-bedroom is $1,192. Because of this, Belinak says, We find that renters who can afford to rent here only do so for their initial lease term, and then they are on the hunt to purchase properties in the metro area. Despite its high housing costs, Denver remains more affordable than coastal tech hubs like San Francisco or Boston, Salviati says, adding that theres also an outflow of renters to smaller, more affordable nearby metros like Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Fort Collins. Here are the top 10 metros attracting renters: Denver, CO Baltimore, MD San Diego, CA Tampa, FL San Francisco, CA Boston, MA Seattle, WA Charlotte, NC Houston, TX St. Louis, MO Top cities renters are leaving As for cities that people are leaving behind, Orlando, FL, topped the list, according to Apartment List's survey. Home to Walt Disney World and several other theme parks, Orlando is mobbed with tourists, which could be a turnoff to local renters. Plus the job market here is largely tourist-related, with low wages that don't exactly inspire people to stick around. The nature of that job growth is very different than what were seeing in Denver, Salviati says. Orlando's economy is dominated by the tourism industry, which is highly cyclical, and workers generally earn lower salaries. Workers tend to be less attached to low-wage jobs, which may explain the high share of renters who are looking to leave the area. Making matters worse, Orlando's housing costs aren't even that low, either, with the average rent on a two-bedroom apartment being $1,295. Even though renters are looking to get out of Orlando, many want to stay in Florida, with Miami and Tampa as top destinations they're flocking to next. Salviati says these metros are larger with more diversified economies. Although many people want to leave Orlando, the city's also attracting a fresh crop of people who want to move there, too. We also see a relatively robust share of renters looking to move to Orlando from elsewhere, indicating turnover in the metro's renter population, rather than an exodus from it, Salviati says. Here are the top 10 metros renters are planning to leave: Orlando, FL Riverside, CA Detroit, MI Chicago, IL Charlotte, NC Washington, DC San Francisco, CA Los Angeles, CA Portland, OR Baltimore, MD The post The Top City Where America's Renters Are Movingand the Ones They're Fleeing in Droves appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Around 45 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups are opposed to the government's right to seek anonymised data of their customers and suppliers under the Personal Data Protection Bill, according to a survey by LocalCircles. New Delhi: Around 45 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups are opposed to the government's right to seek anonymised data of their customers and suppliers under the Personal Data Protection Bill, according to a survey by LocalCircles. The Data Protection Bill defines a framework for handling of personal data including its processing by various public and private companies and gives the Indian government the right to seek anonymised data of citizens from any business or company at any time. The survey by the community social media platform showed 45 per cent said they were against it, 45 per cent said they were okay with it, while 10 per cent of respondents were unsure. On the subject of the government's rights over the aggregate data of businesses, startups opposing the rights say it should only be permitted in the event of a law-order, investigation or enforcement situations. For routine matters, government should have access to neither the aggregate data nor the algorithms used by a business as such an access can be easily misused or compromised, they said. On the data sharing front, many startups operate in new areas and bring about an innovation in product, technology intervention or service and many of the cutting-edge technologies are still developed overseas. The survey showed that many startups need access to overseas resources, expertise, tools and capital because not all of them are available in India and therefore, Indian startups may need to open offices overseas and hire resources there to develop their product or service and, in many cases, will have a need to share aggregate data between resources and legal entities. It becomes imperative, therefore, that aggregate data of Indian startups be permitted to be shared with atleast their entities and group companies they have overseas. "Similarly, if a foreign company acquires an Indian startup, they may have plans to take the product/service developed by the startup and scale it further globally and hence would require access to aggregate data of the startup." the LocalCircles' report said. The survey received 4,923 responses from various startups, SMEs and entrepreneurs. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 07:46:14|Editor: zh Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on the international community to stand firm against hatred of all kinds. "We will stand firm every day and everywhere against antisemitism, bigotry and hatred of all kinds," the secretary-general said at the opening of an exhibit marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, held at the UN headquarters in New York. "The past few years have seen a frightening upsurge in antisemitic attacks both in Europe and the United States, part of a troubling increase in xenophobia, homophobia, discrimination and hatred of all kinds. Even Nazism itself is threatening to reemerge -- sometimes openly, sometimes in disguise," said the UN chief. "Remembrance and education are an essential part of our prevention efforts, because ignorance creates fertile ground for false narratives and lies," Guterres said. "'Never again' means telling the story again and again." "Understanding our history connects us to the essential human values of truth, respect, justice and compassion ... As these values come under attack from all sides, we must reaffirm them more strongly than ever," Guterres added. The Germans established the Auschwitz camp in 1940, initially for the imprisonment of Poles. Auschwitz II-Birkenau was established two years later. At least 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz, including Poles, Romanians, Soviet captives and others. The camp was liberated on Jan. 27, 1945 and declared a national memorial site in 1947. A high court judge has called for family court judges to receive training on the 'appropriate' way to deal with allegations of serious assault. Ms Justice Russell indicated in a ruling that her colleagues needed the training after a mother complained that it was Judge Robin Tolson's 'outdated views' that led to her losing a custody battle of her four-year-old son after she accused a former partner of rape. The woman, who has now won an appeal, said that Judge Tolson had concluded that 'because' she had 'taken no physical steps' to stop the man, 'this did not constitute rape'. However Ms Justice Russell, who oversaw the woman's appeal, has described Judge Tolson's approach towards the 'issue of consent' as 'manifestly at odds' with 'what is currently acceptable socio-sexual conduct'. High court judge Ms Justice Russell indicated in a written ruling that her colleagues needed to receive training on the 'appropriate' way to deal with allegations of serious assault The couple had separated more than three years ago and the boy remained with his mother, judges heard. Family court litigation began after the man asked to be allowed to spend time with his son. The woman objected and said the man had been controlling and had raped her. Judge Tolson, who was asked to make findings of fact relating to the woman's domestic violence allegations, ruled against her after a private hearing at the Central Family Court in London in August. After the woman appealed the decision, Ms Justice Russell analysed her argument at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London in December. She granted the appeal, at the end of that hearing, and indicated a fresh fact-finding trial would be overseen by a different judge, but did not explain the reasoning behind her decision. Her reasoning for allowing the appeal was outlined in a written ruling published on Wednesday. Barrister Catherine Piskolti, who led the woman's legal team, had told Ms Justice Russell that Judge Tolson had refused to make six 'findings of domestic violence' sought by her client. Comes after a mother complained that it was Judge Robin Tolson's 'outdated views' that led to her losing a fight after she accused a former partner of rape Ms Piskolti said the judge had found the woman's allegations were 'untrue' and she was 'not raped' and not 'subject to a controlling relationship'. She raised a number of concerns about Judge Tolson's ruling. One concern raised was that Judge Tolson had 'outdated views' and had been 'significantly exercised' by the fact that the woman 'took no physical steps' to stop the man. 'The learned judge was wrong in impermissibly allowing his outdated views on sexual assault, and likely victim responses to this, to influence his findings and conclusions,' said Ms Piskolti. 'The learned judge found that because the appellant had taken no physical steps to stop (him) from raping her this did not constitute rape, or non-consensual sexual intercourse, or that because she did not take physical steps to stop him her evidence is not credible and therefore it did not happen.' She added: 'Either way, the learned judge's approach was wrong.' Ms Justice Russell said passages in Judge Tolson's judgment made 'concerning reading'. She said in her ruling: 'It is clear that the judge's approach towards the issue of consent is manifestly at odds with current jurisprudence, concomitant sexual behaviour, and what is currently acceptable socio-sexual conduct. 'This judgment is flawed.' The High Court (pictured above) allowed the woman to appeal the decision made by Judge Tolson She also added that Judge Tolson was a senior judge and a 'leadership' judge who had expressed it was 'permissible' and 'acceptable' for penetration to continue after the complainant had said no. 'This is a senior judge, a designated family judge, a leadership judge in the Family Court, expressing a view that, in his judgment, it is not only permissible but also acceptable for penetration to continue after the complainant has said no (by asking the perpetrator to stop) but also that a complainant must and should physically resist penetration, in order to establish a lack of consent,' said Ms Justice Russell. 'This would place the responsibility for establishing consent or lack thereof firmly and solely with the complainant or potential victim.' She said Judge Tolson should have been 'fully aware' the 'issue of consent' was one which had 'developed jurisprudentially' over the past 15 years. Ms Justice Russell said Judge Tolson had 'apparently concluded' it was 'necessary' for victims of sexual assault to report the assault or make a contemporaneous report. She said it was now 'explicitly accepted' that many victims would not do so, out of 'fear or embarrassment'. Ms Justice Russell added: 'The logical conclusion of this judge's approach is that it is both lawful and acceptable for a man to have sex with his partner regardless of their enjoyment or willingness to participate. 'The judgment was so flawed as to require a retrial; his decision was unjust because of serious procedural irregularity and multiple errors of law.' Ms Justice Russell said she had made a recommendation about training for family court judges and had a discussion with Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court and the most senior family court judge in England and Wales. She said: 'Judges in the family courts are regularly required to make decisions and find facts in cases where there is domestic abuse; this will include cases where serious sexual assault is alleged to have taken place. 'Judges who sit in the family courts are not, however, required to undergo training on the appropriate approach to take when considering allegations of serious sexual assault where issues of consent are raised. 'Such training is provided to judges who are likely to try serious sexual allegations in the criminal courts. 'In principle the approach taken in family proceedings should be congruent with the principles applied in the criminal jurisdiction. 'I have discussed this with the President of the Family Division, and he is going to make a formal request to the Judicial College for those judges who may hear cases involving allegations of serious sexual assault in family proceedings to be given training based on that which is already provided to criminal judges.' Ms Justice Russell said the family at the centre of the case could not be identified in media reports. Judge Tolson analysed the initial family court hearing in private and his judgment was not made public. Technological advancements in cardiac rhythm devices are driving the global cardiac rhythm management devices market. Fortune Business Insights in a report, titled Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market: Global Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2019-2026 projects the global market to register a CAGR of 4.4% between 2019 and 2026. In 2019, the global market was worth US$ 13,883.7 Mn and is anticipated to be worth US$ 19,938.3.1 Mn by 2026. The rising prevalence of cardiovascular disorders across the world is the chief factor responsible for positively impacting the growth of the market. Highlights of the Report: In-depth analysis of various insights, namely, Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market trends, growth drivers, opportunities, and other related challenges. Comprehensive details of key market players, their core competencies, and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market share. The potency of suppliers and buyers to make better business decisions. Lists out the market size in terms of volume. For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/cardiac-rhythm-management-crm-devices-market-100679 Key Players Operating in The Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Include: Key players are involved in mergers and acquisition to strengthen their market position. Owing to increasing competition frequent innovations are taking place in the market. Some of the companies operating the industry are: Physio Control Cardiac Science Medtronic Stryker CU Medical Systems Inc. Defibtech, LLC. Abbott Boston Scientific Corporation MicroPort BIOTRONIK LivaNova PLC Defibrillators Register Strong Growth Than Other Products Among different products, the market will witness strong demand for defibrillators in the global market during the forecast period. In 2018, they covered a share of 49.0% in the global cardiac rhythm management devices market. These are generally used to treat out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and arrhythmia. Under defibrillators, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are preferred over external defibrillators. Moreover, physicians also recommend this type of defibrillator as they have the ability to effectively deliver electric shocks for the restoration of a heartbeat. On the other hand, the installation of the external defibrillator is increasing in developed and developing nations with the growing incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Governments in some countries have passed a mandate to install external defibrillators at public places. The objective is to have easy access to cardiac patients. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/cardiac-rhythm-management-crm-devices-market-100679 North America Dominates Owing to Favorable Healthcare Reimbursement Policies From a geographical standpoint, North America is anticipated to dominate the global cardiac rhythm management devices market in the forecast years. Well-established healthcare infrastructure and favourable healthcare reimbursement policies are contributing to the growth of the market. The market in this region was valued at US$ 5,914.1 Mn in the year 2018. Cardiac patients have shifted their focus to preventive care. This rising shift is fueling demand for cardiac rhythm management devices. In addition to this, governments have made strict guidelines to install external defibrillators, especially in public places. Against this backdrop, the demand for cardiac rhythm management devices is increasing, which will in due course, drive the market. Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Technological Advancements in Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices New Product Launches by Key Players Regulatory Scenario for Key Countries Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product Cardiac Pacemakers Single Chamber Cardiac Pacemaker Dual Chmaber Cardiac Pacemaker Defibrillators Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD) Single Chmaber ICD Dual Chamber ICD External Defibrillators Automated External Defibrillators Manual & Semi-Automatic External Defibrillators Wearable Defibrillators Cardiac Re-synchronization Therapy (CRT) Devices CRT- Pacemakers CRT-Defibrillators Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End User Hospitals & Clinics Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia pacific Rest of the World Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/cardiac-rhythm-management-crm-devices-market-100679 Report Focus: Extensive product offerings Customer research services Robust research methodology Comprehensive reports Latest technological developments Value chain analysis Potential Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market opportunities Growth dynamics Quality assurance Post-sales support Regular report updates Reasons to Purchase this Report: Comprehensive analysis of the Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market growth drivers, obstacles, opportunities, and other related challenges. Tracks the developments, such as new product launches, agreements, mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansions, and joint ventures. Identifies market restraints and boosters. Identifies all the possible segments present in the market to aid organizations in strategic business planning. KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED: What is the market size and growth rate of the global and regional market by various segments? What is the market size and growth rate of the market for selective countries? Which region or sub-segment is expected to drive the market in the forecast period? What Factors are estimated to drive and restrain the Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market growth? What are the key technological and market trends shaping the market? What are the key opportunities in the market? What are the key companies operating in the market? Which company accounted for the highest market share? 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Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email:sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Linkedin | Twitter | BLogs New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an extension of six months in the tenure of a commission set up to examine the issue of sub-categorisation within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List. Now the term of the panel will be till July 31 2020. This is the 8th extension given to the commission, whose term would otherwise have expired on January 31, 2020. Approval was also granted to adding more Terms of Reference for the Commission to study various entries in the "Central List of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription." Union Minister Prakash Javadekar made an announcement to this effect after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Communities that are included in the existing OBC list but unable to get major benefits of OBC reservation for appointment in Central government posts and admissions in Central educational institutions are expected to benefit once the Commission's recommendations are implemented, Javadekar said. "The Commission is likely to make recommendations for the benefit of such marginalized communities in the Central List of OBCs. The expenditure involved is related to the establishment and administration costs of the Commission, which would continue to be borne by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment," he said. The orders for the term extension and addition of Terms of Reference will be notified in the official gazette in the form of a presidential order after receipt of approval from the President. The Commission was constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution after the approval of the President on October 2, 2017. The Commission headed by Justice G. Rohini (retd) commenced functioning in October 2017 and has since interacted with all the states/UTs which have subcategorized OBCs, and the State Backward Classes Commissions. The Commission had sought extension in term and more Terms of Reference as it required more time to submit its report since repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription etc appearing in the existing Central List of OBCs needed to be cleared. It is clear that China is now the new great colonial power; albeit mostly via economic colonialism, rather than necessarily some late Victorian model. Whether it is its virtual vulture capitalist snatching up of numerous European corporations during the crisis of the Great Recession, or the more subtle method of gaining ground via real estate or business investments in countries like Australia, Canada, and, to perhaps a lesser extent, the USA, or its growing influence over Hollywoods movie industry, China has moved into a position of increased dominance throughout the world. Yet, it is its growing influence in Africa that concerns us here. Again, unlike much of the earlier European iteration of colonialism, China has deftly used economics as its primary tool so far, but this might be about to change as well. For well over a decade now, China has been becoming the dominant non-African player in multiple nations on that continent. Ostensibly offering help in the form of credit to beleaguered corporations and whole industries, in relatively short order, the specific Africans receiving this purported aid find themselves in financial dire straits. Once they realize they are unable to meet their obligations, the Chinese government (whether it happens to be specifically by them or some government-owned or regulated corporation) swoop in like a gallant white knight offering to save the day by offering to forgive the existing loan in exchange for full control of said industry by the Chinese in place of whichever African company or government previously had it. In time, the Chinese begin to mostly, if not fully, replace the top management with their people and, to an increasing extent, other personnel; to improve efficiencies and profitability. Sadly, whether one likes it or not, the level of competence and work ethic among a very high percentage of these African nations is well below that of what soon becomes their Chinese masters. As mentioned above, the issue of competency and work ethic becomes a dominant concern for the new Chinese colonial leadership, to the point that they become exasperated by their African underlings. This may be seen in the documentary Empire of Dust, where the particular Chinese boss is found to be both frustrated to the point that he takes over from his subordinates to the striking moment where he rather acerbically critiques the downfall of postcolonial Africa in comparison to both its colonial status under European nations and Chinas inferior position during that period. With the chronic difficulties regarding so many African nations' oversight of their industries resulting in practical bankruptcy and subsequent takeover by the Chinese, we are seeing a new economic era there that will result in greater resource control for this rising world superpower. Yet, this is already hinting at another phase of colonial involvement that may be closer to (or even eclipse) whatever happened under European nations from the Scramble for Africa era; with greater realization that the Chinese cannot trust African work ethic or competency, they are importing more of their people to act as various levels of management and, even, lower-tiered workers. This inevitably brings to rise what this most likely entails for the future; full-on colonization via immigration. If this truly is the next stage of China's colonial influence, it is more likely to transform Africa's status as a backwater into a potential powerhouse; though one that primarily benefits its Chinese masters. Finally, this colonial transformation will almost assuredly have positive economic spinoffs for the indigenous people of the African nations affected, as well as helping (if only by a more coercive policy) of enhancing their work ethic and societal order. Included in this mix is an interesting colonized-to-colonizer transference of the Christian faith. Although Christianity is growing at a significant rate in China, it is more likely most Chinese colonizers will not be Christian; whereas Christianity is more prevalent in many of these same African lands, which may see many colonizers converted (but also many of the local population persecuted for their faith; a position Islam would likely have to an even greater degree as well). The great irony of all of this colonial activity is, if any of this was done (and much of it was done in the past colonial era) by people of European heritage, it would have already been roundly denounced by a cacophony of outrage for such cardinal sins against humanity, a sign of racist bigotry and oppression. Instead, expect deafening silence from the liberal intelligentsia, the mainstream media, and most other members of the woke Progressive crowd; as such normally opprobrious behavior to the leftist is becomes problematic when done by ostensibly Marxist people of color. New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead the Indian delegation to the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland. Accordingly, the Minister who also holds the railways portfolio, will hold bilateral meetings with ministers of Australia, South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Korea and Singapore. "He will also meet Director General of World Trade Organization and Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)," the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement. "Apart from this Commerce and Industry Minister will hold bilateral meetings with CEOs of companies, attend WEF sessions and round tables on accelerating investments in Indian Railways and attracting Global Institutional Investments in India." Besides, he will participate in an informal WTO ministerial gathering being held in Davos. The WEF annual meeting in Davos engages the world's top leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of the year. The WEF at Davos will be held from January 20-24, 2020. Former promoters of Religare Enterprises Malvinder and Shivinder Mohan Singh embezzled public money from group's lending arm Religare Finvest (RFL) to settle their personal liabilities, according Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing's (EOW) chargesheet against the brothers. The Singh brothers had diverted the (public) money to 19 shell companies and used it to "square off their personal liabilities," the EOW said in its complaint. The chargesheet in the funds-misappropriation case was filed by RFL. Also Read: Singh brothers gave Rs 47,968 crore worth of loans to private entities over 10-year period RFL executives had sanctioned unsecured loans worth hundreds of crores to the said shell companies within two hours of receiving the proposals for the same. The officers approved the loans even when the (shell) companies (themselves) had not made any request for the same, the EOW said in the chargesheet, filed last week in a local court. It further alleged that the Singh brothers joined Religare Finvest's board in 2016 with the intent of diverting money to these shell companies. Even the method of scrutinising documents for approving loans was all a "paper formality", according to the chargesheet. Meanwhile, the Singh brothers denied any misconduct on their part. RFL is a group firm of REL, which was earlier promoted by Malvinder and his brother Shivinder Singh. Also Read: Delhi Police books Godhwani brothers in Rs 18.8 crore Religare fraud complaint by Malvinder Singh Singh brothers and Sunil Godhwani, the former CMD of Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL), along with two others were taken into custody last December in a case filed by the EOW of Delhi Police. The ED alleged that both the brothers, along with others, transferred an amount of about Rs 1,000 crore to various persons from entities linked to the corporate loan book and finally, the money was siphoned off. The agency started its investigation in the matter on the basis of a case lodged by the Delhi Police. Malvinder (46), Shivinder (44), Godhwani (58), Arora (48) and Saxena were arrested by EOW for allegedly diverting the money and investing in other companies. The EOW registered an FIR in March last year after it received a complaint from RFL's Manpreet Suri against Shivinder, Godhwani and others, alleging that loans were taken by them while managing the firm but the money was invested in other companies. Also Read: Religare Finvest money laundering case: Judicial custody of Malvinder, co-accused extended till Jan 6 A judge in Utah refused to side with a woman who went topless in front of her stepchildren, increasing the chances she will be forced to register as a sex offender. Tilli Buchanan, 27, is fighting against three counts of lewdness toward a child after taking of her top in her own home in West Valley City in front of her three stepchildren, aged between nine and 13. The charges could result in jail time or in Buchanan being forced to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Tilli Buchanan, (left), sits in court with Randy Richards, (right), her attorney, during deliberations. She faces criminal charges after her stepchildren saw her topless at home. Tilli Buchanan, (left), sits with Randy Richards, (right), her attorney, during deliberations in a case where Buchanan was charged with criminal lewdness involving a child. A judge refused to overturn part of Utahs lewdness law Tuesday, siding with prosecutors who argued that lewdness is commonly understood to include womens breasts in American society, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Judges should not second-guess what lawmakers have decided is lewd conduct, wrote Judge Kara Pettit. Buchanan claims she and her husband Jared removed their tops while installing insulation in their garage to rinse the itchy material off their skin. She says the three stepchildren, two boys aged 13 and nine and a ten-year-old girl, then appeared 'embarrassed.' Tilli Buchanan and her husband Jared. The 27-year-old claims that Utah's lewdness law is unconstitutional as because it discriminates against women only going topless. Tilli Buchanan, her husband Jared and their three stepchildren in costume. The children's mother is believed to have reported the incident to police who claim Buchanan was drunk. The 27-year-old claims she explained to them not to be embarrassed as it was the same as their father being topless. When her husbands three children walked in, she 'explained she considers herself a feminist and wanted to make a point that everybody should be fine with walking around their house or elsewhere with skin showing,' her lawyers said in court documents. Police claim that Buchanan was drunk, however, and had stripped to prove a point to the children, refusing to put her top back on before her husband exposed his penis. The children's mother informed police of the incident. Child Protective Services Child Protective Services was already investigating the family for an unrelated matter when the incident was discussed. Buchanan's husband Jared has not been charged. It was not immediately clear whether Buchanan would appeal Tuesday's ruling. If she does not, her misdemeanor charges would move toward trial. If convicted, she could face jail time and be forced to register as a sex offender for ten years. Buchanan and the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah had pointed to a court ruling that overturned a topless ban in Colorado and helped fuel a movement. They said Utahs law on lewdness involving a child is unfair because it treats men and women differently for baring their chests. Judge Kara Pettit, center, speaks in court in November last year during earlier deliberations. Tilli Buchanan, her husband Jared and their three stepchildren in costume. Buchanan is charged with three counts of lewdness toward a child. If charged, she could face jail time. Buchanan insists she did nothing wrong and was only trying to teach the children about feminism. 'I was devastated. Because the moment I took to teach the kids, it was kind of smashed. Like you cant teach kids this,' she told the the Salt Lake Tribune. 'In fact, youre going to be charged for even bringing this up. 'Its not like at the forefront of my brain. Im not going to go sign up for the "Free the Nipple" cause. I just thought, "This is cool, this is really awesome and natural." Its not a thing to me. Its never been a thing.' A global movement advocating for the rights of women to go topless, called the Free the Nipple campaign, has seen mixed success fighting similar ordinances in other parts of the country. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling that blocked a ban in Fort Collins, Colorado, on women going topless in public. But the U.S. Supreme Court this month left in place the conviction of three members of the Free the Nipple campaign who were arrested for going topless on a New Hampshire beach in 2016. PML-Q an ally of PTI: Firdous Ashiq ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was an ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) both in the Centre and in Punjab, and the oppositions dreams of a rift between the two parties would not become a reality. Addressing a press conference flanked by Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Zubair Gilani here, she said the PML-Q leadership knew that those, who had ruined the national economy and gone abroad leaving their voters in problems, had no support of the people. She said Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari himself was a puppet whose strings were being pulled by the corrupt leadership. Bilawal blamed the Federal Government for the inefficiency of Sindh Government irrespective the fact that the PPP did not resolve the peoples problems in the province despite ruling it for the last 11 years, she added. To a question about alleged dual nationality of Federal Minister Faisal Vawda, she said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did not give verdicts on the wishes of people. If someone had proofs against Vawda, he should knock the doors of ECP and if proven guilty, the government would stand by the law and not by its legislator. To another question, she said flour was available in Punjab but a section of the media was projecting only one-sided news. Stern action was being taken against the hoarders and anybody involved in the crime would not be spared. The prices of both flour and sugar would come down in next few days as the government has taken steps in that regard, she added. The SAPM said the unanimous approval of the names of Chief Election Commissioner and ECP members manifested that the parliament was playing its due role as a true democratic institution. Both the government and the opposition showed responsibility and with consultation named the new CEC in the larger national interest. The CECs unanimous nomination reflected the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to empower the national institutions so that they could perform their duties freely under the ambit of law and the Constitution, she added. The opposition would hopefully continue its cooperation in the parliament for pro-people legislation, Dr Firdous said. Earlier at the outset, the SAPM said the government had taken steps to remove hurdles in the way of setting up small businesses as no past regime had paid heed to the problems faced by the small traders. On Monday the prime minister chaired a high-level meeting on the issue, where 74 licenses for setting up small businesses were removed for which the small investors were used to be at the mercy of bureaucracy. The credit for the step went to the BoI team, which prepared a comprehensive road-map for the prime ministers approval, she added. Dr Firdous said the prime minister left for Davos where he would hold meetings with world leaders and inform them about the economic progress in Pakistan and the steps taken by his government for ease of doing business. Cloutier will present Engaging the Workforce in Early Stages of Next-Gen/Disruptive Innovation, on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 8:45 a.m. He will address how and why organizations today are rapidly diving into new technologies, business models, and markets that disrupt and challenge the resilience of their businesses. He will discuss the importance of defining your workforce to create support capabilities that enable risk opportunities. Cloutier will outline success factors and unique approaches to successful transformation enablement. Key takeaways will include: Pointers for developing a plan to engage and lead your workforce to business success Strategies to enable risk-based opportunities that empower your company and lead to more positive outcomes Insight into how to identify key success factors and approaches that help talent create and foster organizational change Cloutier brings an unprecedented understanding and knowledge of global protection and security leadership to one of the world's largest providers of human capital management solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the military, law enforcement, and the commercial sector, he is one of today's leading experts in corporate and enterprise security, cyber defense program development, and business operations protection. Also at the 14th Annual New Product Innovation & Development: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange, Allyson Jacobsen, Global Marketing Director of Artificial Intelligence and Analytics Solutions, GE Healthcare, will lead an interactive session, Innovation Boardroom Zone 1: Women In Innovation, on Wednesday, March 25 at 11:30 a.m. She will describe how, in the past 20-plus years, women have had more opportunities to innovate products and solutions across industries that are changing the world. She will provide insights on how to excel in science-, technology-, engineering-, and mathematics-based careers. While walking participants through her journey as a woman in technology, she will provide a framework for supervisors to diversify their teams and highlight case studies on women successfully innovating and transforming everyday lives. Key takeaways will include: Proven ways to identify your path and ensure your own success Blueprint for setting up the right processes, mentors, and resources to achieve success across multiple industries Framework for thinking forward, networking, and expanding your career, even when you aren't trying In her current role at GE Healthcare, Jacobsen is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of all global marketing functions. As a highly adaptable marketing executive with over 15 years' experience, she has worked internationally with several highly recognizable global brands, including IBM. During her tenure at IBM, she directed globally influential teams, and designed and implemented integrated marketing programs and strategies to increase awareness and revenue. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion Contact: Francesca Valente Corporate Communications P: +1 210 348 1012 E: [email protected] http://www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links http://www.frost.com By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A Kenyan citizen of Indian origin, who had fled India three years ago after failing to deposit his employees' PF amount in their account, was arrested by the Hyderabad police. The offender, Pranaw Tiwari, the CEO of M/s Waterbucks Technologies Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based software firm, has been accused of cheating his employees to the tune of Rs 3.5 crore. Also, he failed to pay them salary for several months. He relinquished his Indian citizenship and left the country in 2016. The fraud was reported to the police by over 60 employees after the company shut down. But by then, the accused had fled to Nairobi in Kenya. Sources said that Pranaw and his family members relinquished their Indian citizenship and obtained Kenyan citizenship. According to the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act of 2011, the country permits dual citizenship, whereas the the Constitution of India does not allow the same. Since his citizenship was no longer valid in India, he had to apply for the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). "In 2016, we had issued a Look Out Circular (LOC). Recently, we received information that Pranaw would be reaching Hyderabad on Monday. We deployed special teams at the airport and arrested him," said Ch Kushalkar, ACP (Central Crime Station). He added that the accused was eyeing other business opportunities in India being an OCI-holder. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 9 PM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. No one can touch you: Rajnath Singh assures Muslims at pro-CAA rally Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday sought to allay the fears of Muslims about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and accused opposition parties of raising a bogey over the law. Read more No role for a third party, says govt on Donald Trumps 7th Kashmir mediation offer The government on Wednesday pushed back against US president Donald Trumps latest offer to help in resolving the Kashmir issue, with people familiar with developments saying there was no role for a third party in the matter. Read more To Amit Shahs debate challenge, Akhilesh Yadav says will be there. Then a twist A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged Opposition leaders to debate over Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA at a rally in Lucknow, Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday retorted by saying he was ready to debate with the BJP but the issue, he added, would be development. Read more Sony Walkman makes a comeback in India: It runs on Android and offers these features Sony Walkman is one iconic gadget. Although technology evolved so did Sony as it introduced modern versions of the Walkman. The company has now added a new Walkman with a touch screen display and Android. Read more Anupam Kher on Naseeruddin Shahs clown comment: The substances youve taken have clouded your judgement Actor Anupam Kher has released a video in response to actor Naseeruddin Shahs comments against him. Shah in an interview to The Wire had called Kher a clown and a sycophant, who should not be taken seriously. Read more Fact Check: Truth about posts claiming man wore burka at anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh Posts associating an image of a burka-clad man with anti-CAA protests are going viral online. The posts claim that the man disguised himself as a woman to join the anti-CAA female protestors at Shaheen Bagh all so he could collect remuneration of 500 and biryani. Read more He did not have to do that...: Steve Smith ends silence on Virat Kohlis lovely gesture during 2019 World Cup Australia top-order batsman Steve Smith has broken silence on India captain Virat Kohlis gesture during the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales last year. During the India-Australia World Cup clash, the Men in Blue supporters tried to rile up Smith by mentioning the sandpaper scandal. Read more French writer Ariane Fornia was found guilty of defamation on Wednesday after she accused a former government minister of sexually assaulting her at an opera performance 10 years ago. Fornia, 30, was fined a symbolic one euro (USD 1.10) in damages and ordered to withdraw the claim against Pierre Joxe, which had been published on her blog. She was also ordered to pay 3,000 euros towards Joxe's legal fees. Joxe, now 85, was a top Socialist Party politician who served as defence and interior minister in the government of ex-president Francois Mitterrand. In 2017, as the #MeToo movement was spurring hundreds of women to denounce abusive behaviour, Fornia accused him of assault while attending the Opera Bastille in Paris in 2010. She said Joxe touched her leg several times while trying to get under her dress during the performance. Joxe denied the allegation and demanded a public apology, launching his libel case last November after Fornia refused. The alleged assault is beyond France's statute of limitations, so no inquiry was opened into the claim. The ruling follows a similar case lodged last year against Sandra Muller, the founder of France's own MeToo movement. Muller was convicted in September of defaming a French TV executive she accused of sex harassment in a viral Twitter post. She was ordered to pay 15,000 euros (USD 16,600) as well as legal fees to the man she said made sexually lewd remarks at a party, a case that drew widespread scorn from women's rights activists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former Maoist leader accused of ordering a mans death during Nepals civil war is set to become the speaker of the parliament, officials confirmed Wednesday, sparking criticism from rights activists. Agni Sapkota, a senior member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, has faced several hearings in the Supreme Court after a case was lodged against him over the death of Arjun Bahadur Lama. Sapkota denies any involvement and has not been charged. Witnesses say Lama was abducted from his village in 2005 by Maoist insurgents and later killed. More than 17,000 people were killed, 1,300 disappeared and thousands were displaced during the war which ended with a peace deal between Maoist insurgents and government forces in 2006. Many former rebels now fill the political ranks of Nepals ruling party. Sapkota was the only candidate to put his name forward for the position of speaker after an agreement among senior party leaders. The house meeting on Sunday will formally announce his election to the speaker post because he is unopposed, Parliament Secretariat spokesman Rojnath Pandey told AFP Wednesday. The speakers post has been vacant since October after then-speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, also a senior member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party and a former Maoist rebel, stepped down over attempted rape allegations. Lamas wife Purnimaya Tamang said Sapkota should be punished for her husbands death. How can someone responsible for the murder of my husband be elected speaker? Tamang told Republica newspaper. How can they appoint a criminal to such a prestigious position? Civil and human rights activists on Tuesday issued a statement saying they opposed his candidacy. The case has made mockery of (the) rule of law and undermined human rights obligations, and disrespected Purnimaya Lama and other victims struggling for justice, the statement said. Despites thousands of complaints, two war crime commissions set up in 2015 have been unable to make progress on a single case, stymied by a lack of funding and political will. Just two convictions related to civil war-era crimes have been handed down in civilian courts, one linked to the murder of a teenage girl and the other concerning the killing of a journalist. The north entrance of the Philadelphia Art Museum after Wednesday's staff meeting. Read more Philadelphia Museum of Art CEO Timothy Rub offered an apology to the museums rank-and-file Wednesday morning during a town hall in the museums Great Stair Hall that was his first all-staff meeting since allegations surfaced involving the behavior of a former manager. Rub called for the meeting after a Jan. 10 New York Times article that detailed complaints of several women who worked with Joshua R. Helmer while he was employed at the Art Museum as its assistant director for interpretation. Rub indicated that his apology, directed to museum staff and to the women who spoke to the New York Times, was for the confidence he had put in Helmer, according to employees who attended the hour-plus meeting held inside the main Art Museum building before it opened to the public. The Art Museum had declined a request for reporters to go to the meeting which was attended by about 200 of the museums more than 500 employees but several staffers said Rub offered an address they found short on details. I hoped for strong policy statements that empower staff, like, This is how we will respond consistently to reports of harassment, said Sarah Shaw, a museum educator who attended Wednesdays meeting. "But I didnt hear that. Instead, she said, museum leadership offered staffers apologies and admissions of failure, which seem like the bare-minimum first step." There was lots of talk about moving forward, but it wasnt substantive, she said. Museum educator Adam Rizzo echoed Shaws sentiments. Specific actions by the museum, like instating an anonymous harassment reporting line, or requiring mandatory antiharassment training, would instill more faith in the institution, he said. I would love to believe the apology, Rizzo said. But its hard to do the work when you believe the institution isnt holding up their end of things. Rub offered this statement Wednesday evening through a spokesperson: I know that actions speak louder than words. It is my firm commitment to do all that is necessary to address our issues head on. READ MORE: Pennsylvania officials want the Philadelphia Museum of Art to revamp harassment policies after scandal involving former manager During Wednesdays meeting, employees were allowed to ask questions at microphones. I think people felt a little braver as each person spoke, said one junior-level employee who asked not to be named. It was still very vague." One of the topics that came up was the cultural assessment by an outside third party that Rub promised to the staff prior to Wednesdays town hall event. "People were asking, What is this cultural assessment? " the junior-level employee said. "Even Timothy said he didnt know what it was or what it would look like. He told us to be patient. Rub said the museum will provide more details on the assessment at an all-staff meeting Monday, employees said. After Wednesdays meeting, Rizzo commended colleagues from across the institution from visitor services to curatorial departments who expressed their concerns during the town hall. They asked questions that were really challenging of [Rub], he said. I think that takes a degree of bravery. After the Times report published, Rizzo and some colleagues drafted a statement of solidarity with the women who spoke out, calling for structural change within the institution. The statement has been signed by nearly 400 current and former museum staff. READ MORE: Philadelphia Museum of Art staffers say complaints about former exec barely scratch the surface I think people are just angry, Rizzo said, adding that staffers questions at the town hall made it clear that this isnt just about Josh. Rub has been meeting with individual departments in recent days, but this was the first all-staff meeting since the Times article in which several women alleged that Helmer pursued relationships with them while holding out possibilities for professional opportunities. Helmer has not addressed the allegations. He declined to talk with the Times about his relationships, attributing the allegations against him as a function of office politics. You make enemies, he told the newspaper. Helmer left the museum in 2018, and then took the top job at the Erie Art Museum a post from which he was separated a few days after the Times story appeared and circulation began of online petitions supporting the women quoted in the article. On Friday, Art Museum board chair Leslie Anne Miller told staff in an email that she would be taking the reins of an assessment that would bring in an independent third party to understand what brought us here and most importantly what we need to change to be sure it never happens again." To ensure transparency and objectivity, I have agreed to lead this process, her note said. The goal of the process is to understand and remedy issues brought forward by the staff, Rub wrote in a separate Friday email to employees. Nothing is more important to all of us than ensuring that the museum is a safe, welcoming, productive place, free from misconduct of any kind, where all voices are heard, and where there is no fear of coming forward to report any type of concern," Rub wrote. After the museum opened to the public following Wednesdays meeting, museum staff could be seen once again wearing red buttons reading, We Believe Women. Some said they felt the meeting conveyed leadership was trying to do better, while others felt the apology and town hall felt like too little, too late. READ MORE: Student on former Philadelphia Museum of Art exec: 'Nobody in the world treated me this way Shaw said she still didnt have clarity on what a cultural assessment is, how the assessment can be independent if its conducted under the board chair, or how the Philadelphia museums leadership will be held accountable. She also said she didnt feel confident that institutional policies were adequate. I still dont know how were going to address the systemic inequities that allowed a Josh Helmer to happen. Philippine police (L) advise citizens of restricted access implemented in a community affected by ash deposits after an eruption of Taal Volcano, in Agoncillo town, Batangas province, south of Manila, Philippines 14 January 2020. EPA-EFE/ROLEX DELA PENA MANILA, Philippines Police officers deployed within the 14-kilometer permanent danger zone around the restive Taal Volcano will be pulled out, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday. PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the directive was based on the advisory of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) due to the persisting danger it presents despite weakening volcanic activities. Ilalabas na natin ang mga pulis beyond the circumferential line, meron tayong mga risk control point na itatalaga at doon lamang mananatili ang mga pulis natin para na rin sa safety ng mga pulis, he said. Banac assured that policemen will continue to secure evacuation centers and areas on lockdown amid the Taal Volcano unrest. The PNP official also urged remaining holdouts to flee their homes for their own safety following reports of residents ignoring the risks and government advisory to try to go home to fetch their belongings. Taal Volcano remains under alert level 4, which means that a hazardous eruption may occur within hours or days. RRD (with details from Correspondent Lea Ylagan) The post PNP to pull out cops deployed in Taal 14-km danger zone appeared first on UNTV News. They have no green space, but it hasn't stopped Principal Barbara Hanamy and her pupils creating a garden. Using waste tractor tyres as planters, "it means the children get a chance to plant, weed and to watch the changes throughout the year", says Hanamy. It is an example of the imaginative thinking and effort that goes into nurturing wellbeing at the 144-pupil Mercy Primary School, Birr, Co Offaly - one of the schools in the Department of Education's Action Research Project to help guide national practice. The school is in the Department of Education's DEIS scheme, with a pupil community that includes refugees and Travellers and, according to Hanamy, "life is very difficult for a lot of people". She says nowadays a lot of children present with anxiety and they are constantly trying to find ways to help them. Apart from the negative impact of any socio-economic disadvantage, like in every other school community, social media is bringing new stresses for today's children. "Everything we do is mindful of the children, mindful of their background and what they might or might not be experiencing," she adds. Expand Close Principal Barbara Hanamy. Photo: Kevin McNulty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Principal Barbara Hanamy. Photo: Kevin McNulty Other initiatives at the school include a sensory room, which is open to all children who need some quiet time, an annual International Day to celebrate diversity and a Friendship Week. Striving to look after the need of every child means never deciding that they are doing enough, and constantly refreshing the programmes and the supports in place, as well as finding something they haven't tried before. "It doesn't stop. If you stop, you become complacent, things might deteriorate and you might miss it. We just make sure we try to keep up," says Hanamy. "You have to keep going; something will come up, some child will present with a problem, and it is different all the time." A leader of the U.S. effort to deliver faster-than-sound missiles to American troops said in Alabama Tuesday that a long-range hypersonic weapon will be fielded in the near future. Were protecting some of our dates and numbers, and I hope you appreciate that. Were under a lot of scrutiny, Marcia Holmes, deputy director of the Armys hypersonics push, told the Huntsville chapter of the National Space Club. That Army effort is led by the office of Hypersonics, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Acquisition headquartered at Huntsvilles Redstone Arsenal. Its mission is to research, develop and build prototype missiles that can be field tested and then put into production. Holmes said missiles that can fly five times the speed of sound will provide the warfighter the ability to strike targets hundreds, even thousands of miles away, in just minutes. China and Russia both said in late 2019 that they had fielded hypersonic missiles. Called gliders because of their low-to-Earth flight path, these missiles cannot be detected by radar until they are almost on their targets. Russia and China are also believed to be pursuing hypersonic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The U.S. is not building that kind of hypersonic weapon at this point, relying instead on the sheer force delivered by a metal warhead at such speeds. Its a decision that means the American version must be much more accurate. Its a very changing world were living in today, Holmes said. America has been focused on the war on terrorism for the last 20 years, while adversaries have been spending large portions of their nations wealth on building advanced technology like hypersonic weapons and directed energy systems (lasers). The U.S. has always been a leader in hypersonics research, Holmes said, but we made the conscious decision not to weaponize our hypersonic (missiles). Our adversaries decided to do otherwise. The result is a war-fighting imbalance we have to address and we have to address quickly, Holmes said. That means a shift from the war on terrorism to a period of great power competition. The Defense Department wants land-based, air-based and sea-based hypersonic missiles and is doing everything it possibly can to accelerate the development of hypersonics on all three fronts, Holmes said. She called the effort historic. The Huntsville audience hearing Holmes remarks included representatives of companies that either are bidding or will be bidding for hypersonic missile development contracts. Holmes said there is work to do, and at least one major defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, has already announced plans to build a plant in Courtland, Ala., to produce and test hypersonics. The decision will mean 50 jobs in Courtland and 200 in Huntsville. Theres an industrial base that has to be developed, Holmes said. Hypersonic missiles require unique materials because of the altitude and environments they will navigate. Personio, the Germany-founded HR platform for SMEs, has raised $75 million in Series C funding in a round led by Accel. I understand the investment values the company at around $500 million. Also joining is Lightspeed Venture Partners, alongside Lars Dalgaard (the founder and former CEO of SuccessFactors). Existing investors Index Ventures, Northzone, Rocket Internet's Global Founders Capital, and Picus Capital followed on. The Series C brings Personios total funding to $130 million since launching in 2015. The additional capital will help support the company's expansion into the U.K. and Ireland, which is also being announced today. This will see Personio establish a new office in London to better serve clients in the U.K. and Ireland. Combining human resources, recruiting and payroll into a single platform, Personio bills itself as an HR operating system for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) ranging from 10 to 2,000 employees. The cloud-based software is designed to power all of a companys people processes via the products own growing functionality or through its ability to integrate with third-party software. To that end, Personio says its customer base has tripled in the past 12 months, and says it now serves almost 2,000 customers in more than 40 countries. In the same period, the number of employees at Personio has more than doubled to more than 350. That figure is set to reach 700 employees by the end of 2020. Along with traditional SMEs, Personio has naturally found a home amongst startups. "The strong growth of the last four years in German-speaking countries has shown that there is a great demand for HR software in SMEs," Personio co-founder and CEO Hanno Renner tells me. "Forty-two percent of their time is currently spent on administrative tasks, according to a recent, as yet unpublished, study from Germany. Personio automates repetitive tasks and thus gives HR staff time for value-adding tasks. This is an invaluable advantage that has already convinced several U.K. customers such as Raisin and millimetric. The US is trying to break down all barriers to trade, Trade Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday as he asserted that a trade deal with the UK is now in the works while negotiations continue with China. Speaking at a session at the WEF 2020 here, Mnuchin said the US will maintain tariffs on China as it negotiates the next phase of a trade agreement. "There's no question that the president's tariffs have been a big incentive with all these trade agreements," Mnuchin said. He also noted that the US is looking forward to forging a trade agreement with the UK. "What we're trying to do is break down barriers to trade," Mnuchin said. The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said the UK and US "are working closely together" on a free trade deal and that is a "huge priority". However, he noted that the UK's first priority is exiting the European Union. On the issue of a digital tax, Mnuchin pushed back against the UK's plans to impose unilateral taxes on US technology companies. In the same session, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said governments do have to have the revenues so they can create a level playing field for everyone and the digital sector has to be a "source" for this in society. However, it should be done in a "multilateral context", she argued. Javid replied: "We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April." He added it is "deliberately designed as a temporary tax" that "will fall away once there is an international solution." On the issues of climate change and sustainability, Mnuchin said, "There is a misinterpretation as to what our view is...the US administration very clearly believes in clean air and clean water."But it should be done in a way that should also be pro-business, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A sweeping review of the telecommunications industry will examine its disaster resilience, with a high-powered meeting of executives and government officials agreeing to better protect phone and internet networks in the wake of the unprecedented bushfire season. Thousands of Australians were cut off from communications and some couldn't get money out of their accounts when mobile towers were damaged in the recent fires. Chief executives from Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and other industry representatives met Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and government officials in Sydney on Wednesday to discuss the sector's response to the crisis. The participants agreed the Australian Communications and Media Authority would launch an "industry-wide review into the impact of the bushfires on telecommunications networks, and how the operators responded", according to a statement from Mr Fletcher. The delegation which was on a three-day 'Innovation Discovery' tour to Israel from January 19-21 on Tuesday said that India and Israel can collaborate in several vital areas such as agriculture and mobility Jerusalem: India needs to imbibe best practices and policies from countries like Israel in order to accelerate innovation, a high-level delegation of India's apex software industry lobby NASSCOM has said. The delegation which was on a three-day "Innovation Discovery" tour to Israel from January 19-21 on Tuesday said that India and Israel can collaborate in several vital areas such as agriculture and mobility. "Innovation and Israel are synonymous. During the three days, we have met with key stakeholders across Israel and believe there are numerous opportunities for collaboration between India and Israel such as cybersecurity, health, agriculture and mobility among others," Debjani Ghosh, the president of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), told PTI. Ghosh said NASSCOM will continue to build innovation partnerships between companies in both markets. Keshav Murugesh, the Chairman of NASSCOM Group & CEO, WNS Global Services, said that he is impressed by the right ecosystem for startups in Israel. "Ecosystems are key for startups to scale and innovate. The visit to Israel has helped us to understand and appreciate the interconnected ecosystem that the country offers across government, VCs, accelerators, and startups," Murugesh told PTI. He said India should imbibe the best practices and policies from Israel to boost innovation. "To accelerate innovation in India we need to imbibe best practices and policies from countries like Israel," he added. Murugesh also said that the NASSCOM delegation after returning to India will make relevant recommendations from the visit to the policymakers and other stakeholders. The eight-member high-level delegation held extensive discussions with researchers at leading institutes, Israeli CEOs and entrepreneurs, VCs, hi-tech industry leaders, non-profit organisations, officials at Israel Innovation Authority and Israel's Chief Scientist, Alexander Bligh. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Azerbaijans Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) has addressed a letter to the Secretary-General of the organization regarding the illegal arrest of Azerbaijani civilians Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev by Armenia back in 2014. The letter was circulated as a document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council. The document underlines that the international community has consistently reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which includes the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the surrounding areas occupied by Armenia; condemned the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan; and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Armenian forces from those territories. It is also stated in the document that in its leading judgment of 16 June 2015 in the case of Chiragov and others v. Armenia, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights established that Armenia exercises effective control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. It is stated in the letter that in July 2014, the Armenian armed forces brutally killed an Azerbaijani civilian, Hassan Hassanov, and captured Asgarov and Guliyev, while they were attempting to visit the graves of their parents and relatives in Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region occupied by Armenia. The Armenian side not only did not release those civilians but also fabricated charges against them and unlawfully sentenced Asgarov to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in jail, while the body of Hassanov was returned to Azerbaijan, with the facilitation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, after almost three months, on 2 October 2014, the message reads. The document recalled that in his statement at the 26th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, held in Bratislava on 5 and 6 December 2019, Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov specifically referred to the case of Asgarov and Guliyev and noted that Armenia stubbornly rejected releasing them, even on the basis of the all for all principle. Asgarov and Guliyev were unlawfully arrested, detained, subjected to an ostensible trial and convicted to lengthy terms of imprisonment under fabricated charges by an illegal and incompetent agency of the puppet regime that Armenia has established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. They were not told of the reasons for their arrest or informed of the charges against them and were detained incommunicado for at least several days, the UN's document reads. It is stated in the letter that the Azerbaijani hostages were not presumed innocent, as Armenian officials made public statements in which they were called hired criminals, saboteurs and murderers before and during the trial. They were not informed of the charges against them in a language they understood and were not given adequate assistance through interpretation, according to the document. They are presently kept in complete isolation in prison, without contact with other inmates and without mail, news and except for visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross contact with the outside world." It was also mentioned that Asgarov and Guliyev were subjected to discriminatory treatment because of their ethnicity and national origin, adding that the humiliating arrest and arbitrary detention of the Azerbaijani hostages and the sentence had no legal basis or legitimacy, and the violation of their rights is now the subject of a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights. "The Republic of Azerbaijan expects that the United Nations, including its relevant human rights mechanisms and procedures, will not remain indifferent to the fate of Asgarov and Guliyev and will spare no efforts to ensure their immediate and unconditional release and reunification with their families, the document concludes. In 2014, two IDPs from Azerbaijan's occupied Kalbajar region - Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev - were detained by Armenian forces while visiting their native places and graves of loved ones in Kalbajar. A third Azerbaijani who was with them, Hasan Hasanov, was killed in the same operation. Asgarov and Guliyev were later persecuted by the courts in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh regime and sentenced to life imprisonment and to 22 years in jail respectively. Azerbaijans State Committee on Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and other agencies have repeatedly urged international organizations, including the ICRC, to assist in release of Guliyev and Asgarov. In November 2018, Baku suggested the idea of exchanging prisoners according to the all for all scheme, proposing to exchange Armenian citizens Arsen Bagdasaryan, Karen Ghazaryan and Zaven Karapetyan for Russian citizen Dilgam Asgarov and Azerbaijani citizen Shahbaz Guliyev illegally convicted in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Taipei: Taiwan on Tuesday reported its first confirmed case of the new SARS-like coronavirus as the government warned the public against travelling to Chinese city where it emerged. The patient is a Taiwanese woman in her fifties, living in Wuhan, who returned to the island on Monday with symptoms including fever, coughing and a sore throat. Asian countries have ramped up measures to block the spread of the new virus as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300 since it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The Taiwan patient reported her symptoms to quarantine officials on arrival at Taoyuan airport and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, said the island's Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The woman told officials that she had not visited any local markets or had contact with birds or wild animals while in Wuhan. Authorities are monitoring some 46 passengers and crew from the same flight, the agency said. The CDC raised its alert on Wuhan to the highest level, urging the public against travelling to the city unless necessary. We ask the public not to panic as the individual was taken to hospital directly from the airport and did not step into the community, it said in a statement, adding that it reported the case to the World Health Organization and China authorities. The coronavirus has spread to Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Denmark on suspicion of murdering a Swedish national who was killed in front of his family on Christmas Eve. Flamur Beqiri was gunned down in Battersea, south-west London, at around 9pm as he returned home with his wife and young child. He was the brother of former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri. Detective Inspector Jamie Stevenson said the 36-year-old was shot multiple times in Battersea Church Road by a lone attacker who fled on foot. The Metropolitan Police said a 22-year-old man was arrested at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark on January 20 on suspicion of Mr Beqiri's murder. Flamur Beqiri was gunned down in Battersea after an evening out with his family "He remains in custody in Denmark pending extradition proceedings back to the UK," a spokeswoman said. Scotland Yard said Mr Beqiri, a Swedish national who had Albanian heritage, had been living in London for four or five years. Shortly after the attack, Mr Stevenson said: "We believe Flamur may possibly have been involved in some criminality in Sweden, and are in liaison with our Swedish counterparts to try to understand what, if any, incidents there may have been that might have led to someone seeking retribution against Flamur in the UK." According to reports, Mr Beqiri married his wife, Debora Krasniqi, in Cernobbio, by Lake Como in Italy, in October 2018. An article in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine, which published photos of the occasion, revealed that the couple met through Facebook. Ms Krasniqi told the magazine that the pair, initially just friends, "fell deeply in love" at his sister's wedding after speaking for "endless hours over the phone". "There was always something special about our connection and bond," she said. In a statement released through Scotland Yard shortly after his death, Mr Beqiri's family said: "Our family are in a state of shock and are grieving. To have so much sadness at this time of the year is heartbreaking." Neighbours living near the scene of the shooting described hearing multiple gunshots followed by a woman screaming "desperately" for help. Vittoria Amati, 60, said she heard "eight to 10" gunshots fired in quick succession. She said: "I then heard the screams of the wife. I came out and realised it was one of my neighbours. "He was lying in front of his doorway in a pool of blood. He was still alive. We were really hoping he would make it. "You have no idea how desperate she (his wife) sounded." It has been 30 years since the end of the Cold War, yet, on average, Americans still perceive that the odds of a nuclear weapon detonating on U.S. soil is as likely as a coin toss, according to new research from Stevens Institute of Technology. "That's exceptionally high," said Kristyn Karl, a political scientist at Stevens who co-led the work with psychologist Ashley Lytle. "People don't generally believe that highly rare events are slightly less likely than a 50/50 tossup." The finding, reported in the January 2020 issue of International Journal of Communication, represents the end of a decades long gap in the research literature on Americans' perceptions on nuclear weapons threat. It also provides an initial look at how younger generations, namely Millennials and Gen Z (18-37 years old), think about the topic and what influences their behavior in an era of evolving nuclear threat. Using their combined expertise in political science and psychology, Karl and Lytle fielded two nationally diverse online surveys totaling more than 3,500 Americans to measure individual characteristics and attitudes, such as perceptions of nuclear risk, apathy toward nuclear topics, media use, and interest in following current events. They also analyzed how these characteristics and attitudes such as perceptions of nuclear risk influence behaviors, including the likelihood of seeking information and initiating conversations about nuclear topics, as well as preparing emergency kits in the event that the worst were to happen. The ultimate goal of the work, which is part of the larger Reinventing Civil Defense project supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, is to learn more about how to best develop new communication tools to increase awareness among Americans about topics related to nuclear weapons, particularly what to do in the event of a nuclear detonation. advertisement "The overarching narrative from the Reinventing Civil Defense project is that younger Americans just don't hear anything about nuclear weapons risk," said Karl. "Unlike older Americans, Millennials and Gen Z didn't grow up during the Cold War, so what they know about nuclear risk is what's in the media, and what's in the media isn't necessarily reflective of the true state of affairs." And media use matters. Karl and Lytle find that consuming media has a striking effect on how younger and older adults think about topics related to nuclear weapons, especially as it relates to apathy. Specifically, as younger generations report using more media, they are increasingly likely to report being apathetic about nuclear topics. But this pattern is different for older adults, as there is no association between their media use and their willingness to think about nuclear threats or how to survive them. In terms of behavior, apathy about nuclear topics is associated with a decrease in seeking information on the issue. Interestingly, as Americans age, the lower they estimate the likelihood of a nuclear detonation in their lifetime. "Among lots of possibilities, they may be thinking if it didn't happen during the Cold War, it won't happen now; or perhaps I have fewer years to live, so it probably won't happen in my lifetime," said Lytle. However, older adults and those who tend to more closely follow the news tend to seek more information about nuclear topics. advertisement Broadly, perceptions of nuclear weapons risk prove powerful as they lead Americans and take various actions to prepare in the event of a nuclear attack. On average, city dwellers estimate the risk as 5-7% higher than their rural or suburban peers whereas women estimate nuclear risk as 3-5% higher than men. Since men report significantly higher levels of media use and more closely following current events, this research presents several opportunities for targeting messages based on these varying perceptions. One pattern is clear: as perception of nuclear weapons risk increases, so too does Americans' intent to take action and that's true across multiple measures, whether it putting forward effort to think and plan for it, seeking information about it, communicating with others on the topic, or taking steps to prepare for an attack. Karl and Lytle explain that many people are fatalistic: if a nuclear weapon were to go off in New York City, then we would all be dead, 'so why should I put any effort forward in thinking about it?' Karl explains that the size of the weapon, the location, and even the weather, are important. In cities, for example, many nuclear weapons detonations would be funneled upward by tall buildings and modeling suggests that many people could survive. The most important thing people could do is get inside a building and stay there for three days. "Our gut reaction is that everybody would die. But not everybody," said Lytle. "We are trying to figure out how to educate people that this is not always true so that people feel like they have some sort of agency in a situation like this. Many people could survive the initial blast and then their subsequent behavior would determine what happens from there." While Lytle and Karl emphasize that they don't wish to make claims about the actual degree of nuclear weapons risk, they maintain that perceptions of this risk are crucially important. Even if we assume the risk is low in the real world, it could be life-saving for Americans to know just a small amount about what you should do. Bernies negative attacks wont change the truth: Joe Biden is still the strongest Democrat to beat Donald Trump, says the video that Mr. Biden tweeted on Tuesday evening. The video is a social media spot with no money behind it, according to Mr. Bidens campaign. In an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Wednesday morning, Mr. Biden demurred when asked if the attacks from the Sanders campaign were dishonest. But he also invoked Mr. Sanderss record on guns, drawing attention to a potential vulnerability for Mr. Sanders. In recent weeks, the Sanders campaign has indeed been intensely critical of Mr. Biden: over his vote to authorize the war in Iraq, a record Mr. Biden has repeatedly mischaracterized; over Mr. Bidens long record on Social Security, issuing at least one false attack, according to the fact-checking outlet PolitiFact; and over his reliance on high-dollar donors, with a prominent Sanders surrogate claiming in an op-ed article on Monday that Mr. Biden had a big corruption problem. Mr. Sanderss campaign circulated the article. But by the end of the day, Mr. Sanders had told CBS News that it is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And Im sorry that that op-ed appeared. Mr. Biden, who has also been critical of the Sanders campaign and claimed without evidence on Saturday that Mr. Sanderss team was promoting a doctored video about his Social Security position, tweeted his thanks. Yet by Tuesday afternoon, the Biden campaign was fund-raising off the candidates clashes, repeating a tactic from over the weekend. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. On 54 pages, the then 14-year-old Sheindi documented the horror of the Holocaust. She was deported by the Nazis in the spring of 1944. Her family was murdered. At danger to her life, the girl recorded her traumatic experiences during the abduction, her time in the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, and her time as a forced labourer. After 14 months, Sheindi and her older sister were liberated. Sheindi Miller-Ehrenwald (90) in her Jerusalem apartment. Here she kept her diary that she had only shown to a few confidants over the past decades Foto: Andreas Thelen Sheindis suffering, and that of her family and hundreds of thousands of other Jews, begins on 19 March 1944 with the invasion of the Wehrmacht in Hungary (Operation Margarethe). With this occupation, the Nazis wish to prevent Hungary from joining the Allies. Among the eight divisions (120 000 soldiers) is a special unit of 200 men, led by SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Adolf Eichmann (38). Lesen Sie auch Commentary In her bravery, the truth lives on The Germans we Germans kept quiet about the Holocaust, twice. Once when this crime, singular in human history, was committed. Hitler told Eichmann to sort out the Jewish question in Hungary. The head of the Reich Main Security Offices Office of Jewish Affairs is tasked with the deportation of almost 800 000 Hungarian Jews. At that time, Sheindi (14) and her family live in Galanta, back then Hungarian, but part of Slovakia today. A small town (4400 inhabitants) near the Austrian border. It has a big Jewish community of 1200 members, which includes Sheindis family. Her father Leopold Ehrenwald (54) has a wine shop, her mother Cecilia (50) helps out in the shop. Sheindis childhood Sheindi is the Ehrenwalds second-youngest child. Her sisters Jitti (20) and Dori (12), as well as the brothers Ruvi (25) and Beri (17) also live in the family home. Two older brothers are fighting at the eastern front. They will never return from the war, but Sheindi doesnt suspect that at this point. She also doesnt know that, in one years time, she and her sister Jitti will be the only survivors of her family. So far, her life has been carefree. Sheindi goes to seventh grade and dreams of becoming a teacher. She loves to write and regularly keeps a diary. In her home town, everything is peaceful and harmonious. So far, Galanta has been spared from the war and the German soldiers. Invasion of the SS But on 20 April 1944, SS troops on trucks roll through the streets of Galanta. Eichmanns henchmen pillage Jewish shops, dispossess their owners and drive people onto the streets. All Jews must now wear a yellow star. A few days later, Hungarian police officers also stand in front of the Ehrenwalds door. By order of the SS, they must leave their home. The parents, children, and Sheindis grandparents are only allowed to take a few belongings with them. 14-year-old Sheindi documents in her diary how the family was driven out of their home: Were packing. Everybody is holding something in their hands. Hurry up, hurry up. Everything is already removed from the apartment. I quickly run inside again and look around. I cannot bear it and leave the apartment again. The door slams shut. I dont see it, because Im not looking, but I can hear the keys in the lock. A piece of paper is glued against it and stamped. I turn around, and the door is locked forever. It is locked, and we are chased away. From the place that my father has bought. A piece of my heart was broken. Today, Sheindi says: Maybe our parents knew back then where they wanted to bring us. But of course we did not suspect that they wanted to kill us. The deportation SS soldiers and Hungarian police direct the Jewish population to the Galanta train station. Thousands of people from the nearby towns and villages are already waiting there. Chaos, fear, and terror reign. Soldiers shout names and write down lists. The desperate people are told to stand in a line. The soldiers are greedy for jewelry and money. They search the bags of the frightened women. Sheindi is also forced to join the line. In her diary, she describes what she experienced: The women had to go the right, the men to the left for the body check in a small cabin. A part of the luggage came into the wagon, the rest was thrown away. I reclaimed the things, and as an answer, they threw them at my face. However, we didnt get them back. It didnt hurt. We were done. We carried the things into our wagon. Sheindi, her parents, grandparents, sisters, and brothers are driven into the cattle wagons. The beginning of an unbearable ordeal. Sheindi sits on the ground and writes in her diary, which she hides under her dress. Forty-five. That is our number. We get in. We have prepared water in the bucket for the journey. Quarter past five the wagons are closed. Light only comes in through four small windows. Inside, it already looks like a prison with inmates. In the evening, the trains leave Galanta. Their first destination is the interim camp of Ersekujvar (Hungary). It is a collecting point for the further transport to the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is approximately 350 kilometres away. Read tomorrow: The death train to Auschwitz. Only now am I able to tell the world my story Sheindi Miller-Ehrenwald (90) sits at the dining table in her apartment in Jerusalem. Her passport states 1928 as the year of her birth. She thinks that she was born in 1930. Her official documents were lost in the chaos of the Second World War, or were destroyed. On the table in front of her are 54 yellowed pages. Some are half-torn, others are as big as postcards, all of them narrowly filled in girlish handwriting. They are Sheindis legacy. They are 54 pages of unimaginable terror. Sheindi carefully picks up one of the pages and quietly says: Im just surprised by how I could write all of this. It shouldnt have been possible. It was so dangerous there. And still I wrote. First on paper pages, later, as a forced labourer in an arms factory, she transferred her notes secretly and at risk of her life onto dockets. Auch Interessant Sheindi wrote down her dramatic experiences on 52 of these dockets of the Karl Diehl arms company and on two slips of paper Foto: Andreas Thelen Only now, 75 years later, does Sheindi make her diary available to the public. Only now am I ready to tell the story of my diary to the world. I will soon die, and I dont want the people to be forgotten who have been murdered. On this paper, Sheindi described her experiences in the extermination camp Auschwitz Foto: Andreas Thelen The son of a friend established the contact between Sheindi and BILD reporters Peter Hell and Christin Wahl. Soon after, the journalists visited the 90-year-old in Jerusalem for the first time and were allowed to see the records. They visited her two more times. About one year after their first meeting, a 35-minute moving video documentary about Sheindis diary was made. BILD reporters Peter Hell (left) and Christin Wahl (right) visited the Holocaust survivor in Israel Foto: Andreas Thelen For one year, the team carried out research in Israel and at the diarys locations in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. In the archives of Holocaust victims, they collected further details about the fate of Sheindi and her family. BILD was able to engage three distinguished actors for the documentations voiceover. Iris Berben (69) voices Sheindi. Young Sheindi is voiced by Lea van Acken (20, The Diary of Anne Frank). Christian Berkel (62) leads the documentary as narrator. Iris Berben on the diary: It is a piece of history that can be perceived particularly intensely, because it is still with us through Sheindi. We see someone who has experienced this horror as a young girl, and has put it into words. This makes it so tangibly painful. Eichmann had more than 435 000 Hungarian Jews murdered He is considered the main organizer of the Holocaust and is one of the people primarily responsible for the murder of more than six million Jews: SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Adolf Eichmann (1906-1962). Eichmann was head of the so-called Office of Jewish Affairs in the Reich Main Security Office and organized the deportation and killing of millions of people. Eichmann was an ice-cold calculator. He has been described as the bookkeeper of death. At the Wannsee Conference, where in the Villa Marlier the so-called final solution to the Jewish question was decided on 20 January 1942, Eichmann kept the minutes. The extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. More than 1.2 million people were murdered here Foto: AP After the Wehrmacht had invaded Hungary, the Obersturmbannfuhrer organized the deportation of 800 000 Hungarian Jews. More than 435 000 of them were murdered within a few months. After the end of the war, Eichmann managed to flee from US war captivity and hid under the name Otto Henninger. In 1950, the SS man moved to Argentina with the help of Catholic priests and lived near Buenos Aires under the name Ricardo Clement. There he was discovered by the Israeli secret service Mossad, who abducted the leading Nazi to Israel. On 15 December 1961, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced Eichmann to death. He was hanged in Ramla prison on the eve of 1 June 1962. Up to the end of the trial, Adolf Eichmann insisted on being innocent in a legal sense. Exhibition at Deutsches Historisches Museum Sheindis diary can be seen in the Deutsches Historisches Museum from this Thursday on. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau (27 January 1945), the museum shows the exhibition Deported to Auschwitz Sheindi Ehrenwalds Notes in cooperation with BILD. Besides the original diary pages and their translations, the film Sheindis Diary, produced by BILD, can also be seen. More information can be found under www.dhm.de. Gunmen kill Iranian militia commander: state media Tehran, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 A commander of Iran's Basij militia was shot dead by unidentified assailants Wednesday in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, state news agency IRNA reported. Abdolhossein Mojadami was killed by "two motorcyclists armed with a Kalashnikov and shotgun" outside his home in Darkhovin, about 70 kilometres (44 miles) south of provincial capital Ahvaz, Fars news agency said. Fars, which is close to ultraconservatives, said Mojadami was a member of the Basij, a militia loyal to Iran's establishment. It published a picture of him in a uniform of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with the rank of captain. IRNA said Mojadami was among the "volunteers" who had been involved in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria or Iraq. It said there was no claim of responsibility for the "terrorist act" that killed him. One of Iran's poorest oil-producing provinces, Khuzestan was one of the main centres of violent protests that swept across around 100 cities and towns in mid-November in response to fuel price hikes. The London-based rights group Amnesty International said more than 300 people were killed in a crackdown on the unrest, including about 40 in Khuzestan. Iran has rejected as "utter lies" unofficial death tolls given abroad. Scammers swindled almost 190,000 in six different incidents across a month, police have revealed. The victims lost sums of money ranging from 8,000 to 64,000 in the scams between November 18 and December 16. The reports received by the PSNI included a woman from Belfast who was targeted by someone claiming to be from a telecoms provider who said her account had been hacked and access was needed to her laptop to resolve the problem. Scammers swindled Northern Ireland residents out of close to 190,000https://t.co/65Hiolhvfd Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 22, 2020 She spent five hours on the phone with the scammer and later discovered 10,000 missing. In another incident a woman from Co Antrim reported she had been contacted by a person claiming to represent a global online retailer, who then tricked her into giving out her account details which led him to take 10,000 from her account. A Co Tyrone man was contacted via Facebook messenger by a person masquerading as his friend and asked for a loan of 8,000 in total. The victim subsequently discovered his friends account had been hacked and he had been scammed. A woman from Co Antrim lost 61,000 in an online romance scam while a Co Down man was duped out of approximately 36,000 in an online scam in which a person said he would invest his money. The final and largest sum of money of the period was lost by a woman from Co Antrim who was persuaded by a person claiming to represent a UK-wide law enforcement agency to download an app to keep money in another account safe. Expand Close PSNI Chief Superintendent Simon Walls has urged members of the public to never give out their bank details over the phone or by email. (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PSNI Chief Superintendent Simon Walls has urged members of the public to never give out their bank details over the phone or by email. (PA) PSNI Chief Superintendent Simon Walls described the scams as really distressing for each of the victims. Theyve each lost serious amounts of money ranging from 8,000 to 64,000 which will have a significant impact, he said. He urged members of the public to stay on their guard. Scammers have one aim to take peoples money and they dont care if its Christmas, New Year or summer time. Scammers operate all year round, which is why I cant stress enough just how important it is to be vigilant at all times. Please, be aware of a phone call, or a dodgy email, where something just doesnt feel quite right. Stay on your guard, every day, and do not let yourself be scammed. I would also urge people to have a conversation with loved ones about scams, especially if you know someone who is vulnerable. Mr Walls added: Never disclose your personal or banking details to anyone over the phone or online, no matter how convincing they may seem, and never allow an unauthorised person to have access to such details via your computer. If you have any concerns about unsolicited calls, emails or letters then please report it to Action Fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040. You can also call police on the non-emergency number 101. For further advice and information visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni. The number of fatal heroin and fentanyl overdoses in San Francisco more than doubled in 2019, according to preliminary statistics from the citys medical examiners office that were obtained by The Chronicle. There were 234 deaths that are estimated to have involved fentanyl, compared with 90 in 2018. The number of deaths where heroin appears to have played a role reached 100 last year, officials with the citys chief medical examiners office estimate. In all, officials estimate that 290 deaths were attributable to fentanyl, heroin or a combination of the two. Thats up from 134 in 2018. The growth of the scourge is even starker when 2019s preliminary figures are compared with those of a decade ago: In 2009, 17 deaths were linked to heroin and eight to fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller that can be as much as 100 times more potent than morphine. Todd Trumbull We had a feeling through the year that we were seeing more and more deaths, but this is really quite staggering, Dr. Luke Rodda, chief forensic toxicologist for the medical examiners office, told The Chronicle. Thats a big reason the preliminary figures are being released so soon, rather than after a more thorough examination of the cases. Its important to be accurate and timely, Rodda said. We didnt want to wait six months. Thats good for reports, but not public awareness. The official tally of overdoses is released each year by the citys Department of Public Health. The department declined to comment. Supervisor Matt Haney, who represents ground zero of the citys opioid epidemic in the Tenderloin and South of Market, has been fighting to get the city to release overdose statistics more frequently. He recently introduced an ordinance thats set to be heard at an upcoming Board of Supervisors hearing that would require the release of statistics every month. When theres these sort of increased overdose trends, we need to know immediately so we can respond and prevent loss of life, Haney said. Its devastating. Its awful. Its the most deadly epidemic that weve seen in our city since the HIV/AIDS crisis was killing thousands of people. It is painful that this is not something being talked about every day at City Hall. Even if the 2019 count by the Department of Public Health, which submits official figures to the state, differs from this weeks estimate, the danger posed by fentanyl is clear. According to the figures Rodda provided to The Chronicle, deaths attributed solely to fentanyl in San Francisco only reached double digits in 2015, when there were 10. Since then the growth has been exponential. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. So has the increase in confirmed overdoses where the victim had used both heroin and fentanyl. That number went from 1 in 2015 to the estimate of 44 such deaths for 2019. One medical expert suggested theyre in line with what is being witnessed daily on the streets. Its discouraging to see this happen, and alarming given the efforts by the city and social agencies to find treatment for addicts, or at least encourage them to use drugs in relatively safe circumstances, said Daniel Ciccarone, a UCSF professor who specializes in drug use policy. Fentanyls not going away. We have to learn to adapt to it, Ciccarone said. In other cities, its being used to adulterate heroin. Here, for some people, its a drug of choice. Evan Sernoffsky and John King are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com; jking@sfchronicle.com State parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee made the announcement on Tuesday. Kolkata: The Trinamul Congress will bring the resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the West Bengal Assem-bly on January 27. State parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee made the announcement on Tuesday. He also reached out to the Congress and Left parties to lend their support to the Trinamuls resolution which chief minister Mamata Banerjee declared a day before. Mr Chatterjee said, On Monday we submitted the resolution opposing the CAA under rule 169 to Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee. A session will be called at 2 pm on January 27. The resolution will be tabled by the government then. I call upon all other parties to agree to it with us so that it would be adopted and passed unanimously. He added, I called up Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan informing him about the resolution. Our aim is to protect dem-ocracy and not to do any politics over it. Mr Chatterjee urged Mr Man-nan, also the leader of the Congress Legislature Pa-rty, during their conversation to ensure all the opposition MLAs support to the governments resolution in House. The Trinamul secretary general noted, I have seen many people making comments about our mo-vement. But we do not need lessons from others. Asked if the state government would move the Supreme Court like Kerala against the CAA, he said, Our party and government will fight it out on the streets before making any such move. The Congress and the Left parties jointly demanded on January 9 for an anti-CAA resolution to be passed in the House ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis two-day official visit to the state. The Roadshow, beginning February, will expand on Falcon.io's recently released Digital Marketing Trends Handbook CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Falcon.io, a Cision company, today announced the dates for its inaugural Digital Marketing Trends Roadshow. The 2020 Roadshow meetups will take place in selected cities in North America, Europe and Australia, beginning this February and ending in April. The Roadshow is based on Falcon.io's recently released 2020 Digital Marketing Trends Handbook, an annual report by Falcon.io now in its fourth edition. The handbook lists the 15 digital trends most likely to affect marketers in 2020. The trends were compiled based on industry research, Falcon.io's expertise, as well as input from customers, partners and influencers. At each meetup, an expert panel will discuss the key trends and the consumer behavior driving them, as well as strategies for how marketers can turn these trends to their advantage in 2020 and beyond. Some of the topics explored in the handbook include: How private messaging apps are taking over customer service The latest evolution of social media advertising How the demand for authenticity is changing influencer marketing "Falcon.io's Digital Marketing Trends Handbook has become such a popular piece of content, that we were excited to launch the roadshow to get the opportunity to dive deeper into the trends impacting our industry," explained Dino Kuckovic, Community Marketing Lead at Falcon.io. "We can't wait to see what topics arise in each city, and get the chance to further explore insights and questions with our peers face-to-face." The 2020 Roadshow dates and locations are: Vancouver , February 5 , London , February 12 , Miami , February 27 , Amsterdam , March 5 , Zurich, March 11 Melbourne , March 18 , Hamburg , March 26 , New York City , April 1 , Austin , April 7 , Chicago , April 28 For more details and to register, visit Falcon.io's Events Hub at www.falcon.io/events. Falcon.io will also be hosting a webinar on January 23rd addressing the social media trends covered in the report. The webinar will be co-hosted by social media consultant and influencer Matt Navarra, and will be available on-demand afterwards. To download and read the full 2020 Digital Marketing Trends Handbook, click here. About Falcon.io Falcon.io offers an integrated SaaS platform for social media listening, engaging, publishing, advertising, analytics and benchmarking. The company enables its clients to explore the full potential of digital marketing by managing multiple customer touchpoints from one platform. Its client portfolio includes Carlsberg, Toyota, William Grant & Sons, momondo, Panasonic and Coca-Cola. For more information, visit www.falcon.io. About Cision Cision Ltd (NYSE: CISN) is a leading global provider of earned media software and services to public relations and marketing communications professionals. Cision's software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Cision has over 4,800 employees with offices in 22 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information about its award-winning products and services, including the Cision Communications Cloud, visit www.cision.com and follow Cision on Twitter @Cision. Media Contact: Rebecca Dersh PR Manager, Cision [email protected] SOURCE Falcon.io Related Links https://www.falcon.io A predator who posed as a charity collector to sexually assault a string of female victims including a stroke victim, 80, and a dementia sufferer, 92, has been jailed for nearly four years. Vaseli Baicu, 26, a Romanian national, attacked several women in their homes after pretending to be collecting for a charity which assisted the blind and the deaf. On one occasion, he approached an 18-year-old woman from behind before groping her breasts, grabbing her bottom and trying to kiss her on the lips and following her when she tried to escape. He also targeted elderly victims after tricking his way into their homes and groping them, while asking: 'You no want sex?' Baicu committed eight offences against seven women, with five being sexual, in less than three weeks and used a clipboard and bogus charity collection form to aid his deception. Police traced Baicu to his address in Radford, Coventry as a result of CCTV recordings and forensic evidence where his partner informed them he was travelling to Italy. Vaseli Baicu, 26, would pose as a charity worker collecting donations to try and gain access to several women He was stopped and arrested as he entered Denmark from Sweden after a European arrest warrant was obtained. Baicu pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault, two of burglary, one of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and one of fraud. He was jailed for three years and nine months at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday and will only be released when the Parole Board consider it safe to do so. Sentencing, Judge Peter Cooke told him through a Romanian interpreter: 'I have to deal with you for eight offences. 'Five of them were sexual in nature, perpetrated against seven different women in the space of less than three weeks. 'I can only agree with the author of the pre-sentence report that you meet the criteria to be regarded as a dangerous offender. 'You present a danger to members of the public, and particularly to lone females. 'If anyone is in any doubt that that is the position, they can only contemplate that over a period of less than three weeks you committed eight offences, five of them of a sexual nature against seven women. 'Of course you are a danger.' The bogus charity collection form used by Baicu to aid his deception and trick lone women Prosecutor Richard McConaghy said Baicu operated across Coventry pretending to be a charity worker throughout July 2018. He added: 'He approached women and either sexually touched them or took or attempted to take property from them, and on occasions this involved him entering their homes.' The court heard Baicu approached an 18-year-old woman in Foster Road, Radford, with a clipboard on July 2. Mr McConaghy added: 'He walked straight up to her and kissed her on the cheek and tried to kiss her on the lips, but she moved her head and told him to get off. 'He tried five or six times to kiss her lips.' In the hope he would leave her alone, she put her name on the clipboard and walked away, but he followed her and grabbed her from behind, cupping her breasts with his hands. She managed to push him away, but he spun her round, grabbed hold of her and pulled her towards him before putting his arm round her and squeezing her bottom. Mr McConaghy said the young woman broke free again, but her persisted in following her and tried to kiss her again before she finally managed to get away. Baicu then turned up on the doorstep of a 52-year-old woman in Radford and pointed at the clipboard, pretending he could not speak, indicating that he wanted a donation. He then grabbed her arm and began to kiss it before leaving, and she saw him going to the nearby home of an 81-year-old woman, so took a picture of him on her phone. At the pensioner's home he again presented the clipboard before kissing her arm from her hand up to her neck and then asking for a drink of water. But, concerned that he was trying to get into the house, she said she did not have a tap - and shut the door in his face. Then on July 13 an 80-year-old woman who was recuperating from a stroke was at her home in Coundon, Coventry. Baicu knocked the door, holding the clipboard and claimed to be collecting for the blind. She went to get her purse, but he followed her into the lounge and kissed her on the cheek - after he left she realised he had taken her 700 mobile phone. A week later a 63-year-old woman was at her home in the Whoberley area of Coventry when Baicu turned up and indicated he was deaf and dumb and collecting for charity. She agreed to make a donation and told him to stay at the door while she went to get some money. Mr McConaghy added: 'But when she was in the dining room she felt something touch her and turned and saw the defendant immediately behind her, and he briefly touched her bottom. 'She was freaked out and decided to make a donation to get him to go away. She had to squeeze past him to get her purse, and she realised he had an erection.' Baicu kept asking her 'You no want sex?' She repeatedly told him she did not, and gestured that her husband was upstairs, although in fact she lived alone. After grabbing her bottom and forcing his hand between her legs, he eventually left. His final victim was a 92-year-old dementia sufferer, and after he had gone she phoned her daughter to say a man had been to her house and had taken some of her things. Her daughter went round and found the old lady's purse, which contained about 600, had been taken from a drawer. Neil Davies, defending, said: 'Clearly we cannot argue that the victims were not vulnerable. 'But the defendant's version is that he was knocking on doors in a random fashion, attempting to obtain money by deception.' Baicu was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Television journalists are seen outside the premises of the Supreme Court in New Delhi By Sankalp Phartiyal and Suchitra Mohanty NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court declined calls to suspend the implementation of a new citizenship law on Wednesday, deciding that a constitutional bench of five judges was needed to hear all the challenges to legislation that critics say discriminates against Muslims. The court gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government four weeks to respond to 144 petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law which has ignited protests across the country. The law, which came into effect on Jan.10 after being passed by parliament in December, lays out a path for citizenship for six religious minorities in neighbouring mostly-Muslim countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Critics say that the omission of Muslims is discriminatory, and that basing the right to citizenship on religion violates the secular principles of India's constitution. Opposition leaders, Muslim organisations and student groups had petitioned the court to hold off implementation of the law until the challenges to the legislation were settled. But Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde heading a three-bench panel told a packed courtroom that only a constitutional bench of five judges could rule on the matter and in the meantime gave the government more time to explain its stance. "We will give you four weeks to file reply to all petitions," Bobde told the government's top lawyer, indicating that the next hearing will be held in late February. The government says the law is for the benefit of religious minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs and Christians who face persecution in India's Muslim majority neighbours. The biggest student organisation in the northeastern state of Assam, where some of the worst violence was seen last month during widespread protests against the law, said it would keep up its opposition. "Non-violent and democratic protests will continue alongside the legal battle," All Assam Students Union general secretary Lorinjyoti Gogoi told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Zarir Hussain in GUWAHATI;Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani & Simon Cameron-Moore) TOWN OF DRYDEN, N.Y. -- A blaze destroyed an auto repair shop and an apartment early Wednesday morning in Tompkins County. Firefighters rushed to Cuttings Garage at 3:27 a.m. after a caller reported smoke was filling the building, said Dryden Fire Chief Mike Hall in a news release. The building -- located at 1834 Dryden Road (State Route 13) in the town of Dryden -- housed an auto repair shop and an apartment. When the Dryden Fire Department and Dryden Ambulance arrived, the shop was engulfed in flames, Hall said. It wasnt an easy fire to fight, Hall said: Temperatures hovered around a bitterly cold 7 degrees as firefighters from ten different departments worked to put out the blaze. And with no water supply nearby, firefighters had to shuttle water to the scene from 3 miles away. By 5:20 a.m., the fire was under control, Hall said. The building was completely destroyed, the chief said. The residents living inside the apartment safely escaped, Hall said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Dryden firefighters were assisted at the scene by multiple departments: Freeville Fire Department McLean Fire and Rescue Etna Fire Department Varna Volunteer Fire Department Groton Fire Department Lansing Fire Department Cayuga Heights Fire Department Harford Volunteer Fire Co Slaterville Volunteer Fire & Ambulance Company Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response Department of Transportation Dryden Highway Department Tompkins County Sheriffs Office New York State Electric and Gas Dryden Code Enforcement Department of Environmental Conservation Brechts Towing The Cortlandville Fire Department and the Virgil Fire Department covered for the departments fighting the fire. A stretch of Dryden Road/Route 13 was closed for over three hours between Johnson Road and Route 366. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Monday, Jan. 13 2120 Two suspicious women were knocking on the door of a house on Wallis Court. 2346 Following a traffic stop on Main Street, police arrested a 28-year-old American Canyon man on suspicion of DUI. Tuesday, Jan. 14 1004 Report of a car parked on Spring Mountain Road for more than 72 hours. 1031 A bulldog found near Main/Crinella was picked up and reunited with its owner. 1152 Report of a van parked on Main Street for more than 72 hours, obstructing views from a cross street. Police checked the area and didnt see any vans. 1426 Two men were selling something on Main Street. Police told them they couldnt solicit without a permit. They left town. 1825 Report of a suspicious car on Meadowcreek Circle. 1855 A woman passed a fraudulent check at a downtown store. She was described as a Hispanic woman in her mid to late 20s with dark curly hair and brown eyes, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 160 pounds. She was wearing a white sweatshirt and jeans. She left in a dark Nissan four-door. Wednesday, Jan. 15 0257 Report of a suspicious cyclist riding up and down Charter Oak Avenue. Police checked the area. 0912 Medical aid for a sick man at a Main Street restaurant. 1604 A caller asked police to check on the resident of a Spring Street home where the garbage hadnt been put out in a few weeks and the mail hadnt been picked up. 1742 Non-injury accident on Hunt Avenue. 1928 Napa dispatch asked why Highway 29 might be closed north of Deer Park Road. An officer said Caltrans was doing road work. Thursday, Jan. 16 1002 Report of a parked car sticking out of a parking space near Crane Avenue. 1225 Report of a parked car blocking a mailbox and partially blocking a driveway on Vineyard Avenue. 1906 A dog was reported missing from Kearney Street. Friday, Jan. 17 1835 Medical aid for a sick man on Main Street. 1929 Report of a generator running 24 hours a day for two weeks on Allyn Avenue. The matter was referred to code enforcement at City Hall. Saturday, Jan. 18 1417 Report of a reckless driver at Main/Charter Oak. 1628 Two pocketknives, valued at $380 in total, were stolen from an indoor display at a Main Street business. They were taken sometime between 1 and 4 p.m. Officers later contacted a suspect by phone. 1936 A teenager who was home along with a friend on Allyn Avenue was worried someone was trying to get in the front door. Police made sure everything was OK. Sunday, Jan. 19 0306 Report of an injured person near Pratt/Silverado. Police arrested the 37-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of public intoxication and violation of probation. He was cited and released. 0632 A Hunt Avenue resident had been hearing loud bass music for 15-20 minutes. 1553 Shots were heard from Spring/Sylvaner. Police checked the area. 1853 Report of someone using flashlights inside a Crinella Drive home, even though the homeowner is out of town. 2226 Monte Vista residents returned home and found their front door open. There was no forced entry, and nothing appeared to be missing or disturbed. Monday, Jan. 20 1114 Non-injury accident at Adams/Oak. 1351 Report of someone using a leaf blower on Spring Street. OTTAWA - Former Quebec premier Jean Charest's decision to bow out of the Conservative leadership race is a turning point in a contest expected to heat up throughout the week as the party prepares for the return of the House of Commons. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Former member of parliament and former Quebec premier Jean Charest stands as he is recognized by the Speaker of the House of Commons following Question Period, Monday, April 1, 2019 in Ottawa. Charest's decision to bow out of the Conservative leadership race marks a turning point in a contest expected to heat up throughout the week as the party prepares for the return of the House of Commons.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Former Quebec premier Jean Charest's decision to bow out of the Conservative leadership race is a turning point in a contest expected to heat up throughout the week as the party prepares for the return of the House of Commons. Charest was a high-profile potential contender and his announcement Tuesday that he won't seek leadership of the party changes the playing field for those seeking to run and those mulling which candidate to support. While some continue to wait to see if former interim party leader Rona Ambrose chooses to enter, others have already made up their minds. Endorsements for Peter MacKay, who will launch his campaign at an event in his former riding of Central Nova on Saturday, have begun rolling in from current members of Parliament. Charest had been reaching out to MPs and testing the waters for a leadership attempt since current leader Andrew Scheer announced his intention to resign last December. But late last week, previously sealed police warrants were released, reviving allegations of illegal fundraising in the Quebec Liberal party during Charest's tenure as leader. Charest has not been charged but his name surfaces in the documents. Through his lawyer, he has denied any knowledge of illegal donations. His role with the Quebec Liberals, and his previous political life as leader of the federal Progressive Conservative party, had already seen some conservatives campaigning against him. Among them, the National Citizens Coalition, a conservative lobby group, which sent out an essay warning against Charest's candidacy before he said he wouldn't run. "Charest has the same kind of elitist sensibilities as Justin Trudeau, and is now completely out of touch with the base of the Conservative party," it said. Richard Decarie, a social conservative and longtime party organizer, had previously said that if Charest ran he would mount his own leadership campaign partially in a bid to stop him. Through a spokesman on Tuesday, he said he still intends to run. Quebec movie-theatre mogul Vincent Guzzo had also been waiting to see what Charest decided to do as the two shared similar connections. On Tuesday, he said he is still thinking it over. In his statement Tuesday, Charest said the party had changed a lot since his days in federal politics, and his decision not to run was based on that, as well as the tight timelines attached to the contest. The deadline to meet the first set of requirements to register as a candidate a payment of $25,000 and 1,000 signatures from Conservatives from 30 ridings across seven provinces and territories is Feb. 27. Another looming deadline is the return of the House of Commons on Monday, which will rein in the campaigns of some contenders. At least three current Conservative MPs are expected to run. Marilyn Gladu, now in her second term representing the Ontario riding of Sarnia-Lambton, has declared she will enter. Pierre Poilievre and Erin O'Toole, both former cabinet ministers and current Ontario MPs, are also planning to run, though neither has explicitly announced. O'Toole spent the weekend filming videos for his campaign launch, and was doing in meet-and-greets in the Toronto area Tuesday. Poilievre continues to make the rounds of party meetings to drum up support. O'Toole, Poilievre and Gladu will no longer serve as critics in the House of Commons, and Scheer is likely to lay out other rules for how they'll need to balance their campaigns against the demands of the House. Operating outside those restrictions is MacKay. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The former Conservative cabinet minister will begin to lay out his vision for the Conservative leadership later this week and then start a national tour. Several current MPs have announced they support him, including some who backed O'Toole when he ran against Scheer in 2017. Others are newer recruits. Ontario MP Ben Lobb, who endorsed Kellie Leitch in the 2017 race, said he's now throwing his support behind MacKay. He cited MacKay's experience and leadership, both within the party and externally. Lobb said he's not concerned, however, that the race will see a breakdown of caucus unity as MPs line up behind rivals. "At the end of the day, it's a desire to defeat Justin Trudeau that unites us," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020. Abdul-Razak Lukman 21.01.2020 LISTEN The impact of godfathers in Ghanas political space; ranging from the national to local level, poses unprecedented levels in the way leaders are elected/appointed to man various political and apolitical portfolios. The godsons are now expected to raise huge sums of money towards the cause of a godfather you so affiliated with during a contest so as to be promised and assured inclusion when elected or appointed. That is, in part, the current political enigma of the youth menace despite your contribution in kind, is never valued. These godsons most often than not, only have their brains as an offer towards the larger picture of contribution towards the course. Godfathers are those who wield enormous financial holdings, extended local links, having security connections (both formal and informal settings) in a bid to determine the successful operation of a power seeker at any level of competitive politics. This feature of godfatherism is now seen as an institution worth belonging to by serious future political holders. Studies have it that Europe as well as the US were not left out in the tsunami of godfatherism. That is not to say that the system is bad but the angle with which one uses it to impact on the lives of society is what matters. In France, we had what was called fathers of industry which consists of pure corporate titans, that is business tycoons with the most following who were seen as the driving force of the economy. The people manipulate the system either to further their selfish interests or to advance the cause of the poor. Nwanna notes in his 2006 research work, page 3, which he euphemistically referred godfatherism to, in the American political science literature as party machine politics. He notes that it was this system of political godfatherism that produced one of the best presidents in American history, Harry S Truman. With the full backing of a godfather, Thomas J. Pendergast, widely known for bossing notorious political machines, Truman not only emerged as vice-president in 1944 against the wishes of President Franklin Roosevelt, but went ahead to become president. In Africa and Nigeria to be specific, clear and visionary godfatherism exhibited by Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano, who built a loyal and dedicated following there, partly built through a free education programme implemented during his tenure. Whichever candidate gets his blessing is guaranteed a lot of voters. Mind you, some of the godfathers are not really out to get money, they just want respect, they want to be respected if they come into the state; they want to be recognized as the most important person in the society. I see nothing wrong with Rabius political maneuvers as he blends expanding his brand and goodwill with clear case of human resource development of his people. Godfatherism in Ghanaian Politics. The Ghanaian mode of exhibition of the above term is something not to be proud of despite very few politicians are making a mark in mentoring their followers to equally be seen as role models in society. The term godfatherism is likened to mentorship and whoever does it well would have his name inscribed in the book of unerasable records. In this piece, analyses would be made of this political enigma, its manifestations, form and character, implications and possible solutions relative to the Ghanaian political environment. In this modern day politics in Ghana, most godfathers want to be seen at the top forever for their entire life. He/she does not envision stepping back at old age and guide the youth population whom he has help nurtured to bring to bear, and even beyond what he wasnt able to achieve. These are leaders who want to be active leaders for life. For such political leaders, they are the grandsons and daughters of former President of Cote dIvoire who ruled twenty-nine years in office. Felix Houphouet -Boigny considered himself as a small god in the country. He is quoted to have said in 1988 , There is no number two, three of four. In Cote dIvoire there is only a number one: thats me and I dont share my decisions. That is an exact replica of most African politician who promises heaven and delivers absolute hell. Mentorship of the Ghanaian politician is highly limited to the mentee being a walking stick in both day and night towards reshaping the political future of his/her godfather whiles the godfather gives orders from his comfortably luxurious home. To The Godfather, such errands are the benefits of a godfather to the godson. Another political dogma which most Ghanaian godfathers hold high esteem is to continue frustrating the system to allow their children and unborn ones to be worshipped just like he/she is being worshipped. The godfathers see building the human resource of the people as a detriment to amassing huge following forever. They would always want godsons and mentees to remain as such and would not do anything that would spark a generation of sustainable work and financial freedom for them. These are the godfathers who would always stifle the growth and development of godsons so as to keep their clout high as always. Their motor is: Keep them hungry and they shall remain yours forever. A disturbing factor that is visibly seen in todays politics relative to the association of godfather and son is to always advance the selfish interests of your boss no matter where it might lead you into. The godson is promised of cover up and protection whenever he or she does the unthinkable, all in the name of supporting the ills committed by his/her godfather. However, in an event where the acts by the godson is far beyond human imagination, the godfather distances himself/herself from it, as he/she is supposed to be perfectly right all the time. So, only those willing to advance the selfish interests of the existing structures of power gain access to power. This means that only the highest bidders, measured in terms of willingness to do the unthinkable no matter what, and as well swear an oath of eternal gratitude and loyalty to the godfather are considered loyal funs. The Ghanaian system is in a mess because no matter how productive you are towards national productivity, personal interests of godfathers comes first. Godsons are seen as people who must continue lubricating his/her godfather on the various social media platforms either for political office or to be seen as someone doing perfectly well in giving back to society. This is the system that politicians are asking us to help build and sustain. As Nnamani (2003) puts it...an impervious guardian figure who provided the lifeline and direction to the godson, perceived to live a life of total submission, subservience and protection of the oracular personality located in the large, material frame of opulence, affluence and decisiveness, that is, if not ruthless... strictly, The godfather is simply a self-seeking individual out there to use the government for his own purposes. The Ghanaian model of godfatherism is seeing the godson as and always giving credit to the big boss. In this model, godsons are seen as people who are created to accept all kinds of blames on behalf of godfathers who are semi-gods and thus, perfection is for none but them. This is the system we are told to help harness and build for future bearers. Your position as godson has a high percentage of being passed down to your own children who would also worship children of your godfather. As Louis XIV (1643-1715) of France was quoted as saying I am the state, meaning his opinion and view, no matter how chauvinistic and narrow-minded, remains the opinion of the people he ruled. This is what godsons are supposed to act in the discharge of their duties to selfish godfathers. To them (selfish godfathers) you have no taste to anything that is soft, succulent and financially worth having. Manifestation of Godfatherism in Politics. One of the biggest disservice that these clout pushers does to our national development is putting square pegs in round holes to further advance their selfish cause. A case in point is that the most qualified person who should be in charge of procurement and other related activities is denied for the simple reason that his/her adherents to laws governing the procurement processes would disadvantaged the gains of godfather(s). So you see a democratic government governed by a few invisible crop of selfish business titans who wants nothing for the country but creating loot and share.It also cuts across promotion, deployment and posting exercises. Godfatherism in recruitment process as variously described by many scholars such as Okoro (2010), Chukwuemeka, (2010) and Ude (2008) involves the interference of the godfather in recruitment process to ensure that his godson is recruited whether qualified or not. This derails national development and a loss to the state financially. Another worrying features are nepotism, party affiliation and bribery. Normally an organization should strive to make sure that it recruits the right caliber of personnel by maintaining a partial free recruitment policy. Solutions The system of godfatherism is not something new to us as Ghanaians. We have the hereditary godfathers who are inherently born into such class where they assume the position of godfathers by nature. With such people, godsons work for them without being asked to. The founding fathers of Ghana who led the struggle for independence, commonly known as The Big Six, comprised of Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori Atta. Those people, tried, in the best possible means to uphold this tradition. These people have produced the current President of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, Ken Ofori-Atta (Finance Minister), Samia Nkrumah (Former Jomoro MP and Chairperson of CPP), just to mention a few. The Rawlings cannot be left out in a bid to relinquish same trait to Zanetor who is also doing marvelously well in parliament. I consider the above leaders as originators of godfatherism in Ghanaian politics. The ensuing text will proffer solutions to the canker posed by godfathers. 1. To ensure that this works, there should be strict supervision of each ministry/agency/institution by high powered independent body to be set by the State. 2. Less emphasis should be placed on money for those seeking political office, rather emphasis should be placed on the credibility of the candidate seeking political office. 3. Political awareness campaigns should be embarked upon by National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) civil societies, mass media etc. on the harmful effects of using Ghanaian youths by some unscrupulous politicians to achieve their selfish goals. In conclusion, there is no doubt that this feature has been played wrongly to the detriment of the poor and thus derails the fortunes of our struggling democracy. Political parties play a huge role in this bias godfatherism canker and this, no doubt has crippled our independent institutions to now serve as remote controllers to politicians in power. Columnist: Abdul-Razak Lukman Freelance Writer Email: [email protected] Phone: +233.24.244.3937 UPDATE: 4:25 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 - The Shasta County District Attorney's Office has announced that the woman charged in a little league embezzlement, now has new charges for "defrauding two elderly women." Michele Abrams was arraigned on Thursday morning and is in custody on two charges of theft from an elder, grand theft, and identity theft, which are all felonies, the DA said. On top of those charges, Abrams is charged with one count of misdemeanor petty theft. Originally, police said Abrams bail was $50,000. However, the DA's office is now saying her bail is set to a combined total of $100,000 for all her cases. A preliminary hearing has been set for Feb. 5, according to the DA's office. --- REDDING, Calif. - Redding police have arrested a woman who scammed two elderly women in connection with embezzling over $12,000 from a local little league team, according to investigators. Adult Protective Services shared information with the Redding Police Department Investigation Division of an elder abuse case, the suspect was identified as Michele Luanne Abrams, On Dec. 23. Abrams was known to have been previously arrested and charged in November 2019 for embezzling over $12,000 from a local little league team. RELATED: Redding woman arrested for embezzling over $12,000 from west Redding little league, DA announces After this, authorities said Abrams fraudulently used a 90-year-old womans credit card while she was working as her caretaker. The fraudulent activities amounted to $6,400 over a two month period, police said. Some of the charges appeared to have included a personal trip for Abrams to Ontario, California. This included her flight and purchases at the Lego Store, the Disney Store, Mr. J, Dave and Busters, Back Angus, and a few more. There were also charges from a nail salon for over $200, police said. Investigators said Abrams admitted to the 90-year-old womans family that she was fraudulently using the victims credit card, and claimed she would pay the money back. Shortly after that agreement, a family member of the elderly woman noticed a payment from Abrams through a Cash App. The family member had seen news coverage indicating Abrams had embezzled from the little league team. Police said that family member thought the money coming from Abram's cash app may have come from the little leagues account. Authorities said the investigation revealed that Abrams also scammed a 77-year-old elderly woman, who was friends with the 90-year-old woman that Abrams was working for. An arrest warrant was obtained for Abrams on Jan. 21, for the charges of felony elder abuse, grand theft, and identity theft. Investigators said they found Abrams and arrested her on Tuesday, Jan. 22. She is currently being held in the Shasta County Jail on $50,000 bail. Deon Lendore's journey to the top has been nothing short of inspirational. Apart from his ex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been in the news more than ever (likely the opposite of what they were hoping for) since they announced that they are leaving the royal family. Harry and Meghan are officially in North America after being apart for a while, and so begins a new chapter for not only the Sussexes but also every member of the royal family. Despite the big news, Prince William and Kate Middleton have proven through their Instagram account that they are doing just fine without their brother- and sister-in-law. Prince William and Kate Middleton | Ben Stansall/WPA Pool / Getty Images Harry and Meghans news wasnt as shocking as it seemed Prior to the couples big announcement, they took a six-week hiatus from royal life to enjoy a bit of privacy. But clearly, they were actually exploring the place they would soon call home. Harry and Meghan had been berated by the press for almost three years by the time they announced their departure from the family, and many assumed it was only a matter of time until something changed. From the moment Meghan and Harry wed, they had been breaking royal tradition. The constant negativity, plus their desire for a more normal life, created the perfect storm for their departure. Harry had previously revealed a rift between him and his brother When Harry and Meghan took a tour of Southern Africa, they decided to create a documentary about their royal lives in the process. In the documentary, Harry revealed something that everyone had suspected for quite a while: He and William were no longer as close as they used to be. Of course, people get married and start families, which creates some natural separation. But Harry danced around the subject so as to suggest that he didnt want to fully admit there were real problems between him and his brother. William and Kates Instagram account proves theyre doing just fine Ever since Harry and Meghans official departure, William and Kate have been posting to Instagram more than ever. Last year, there were often stretches of two or three days where the Kensington Royal account was silent. But lately the Cambridges have been posting every day often more than once per day. Between January 15 and January 22, the couple posted to Instagram 10 times. Comparatively, between December 15 and December 22, there were only seven posts. The two have been increasing their Instagram presence, likely because they want to further define themselves as the next generation of working royals and prove they dont need Harry and Meghan. William and Kate seem prepared to step up William and Kate never mentioned Harry and Meghans departure on their Instagram account, likely because they dont want the Sussexs exit to have an impact on the work theyve been doing. The two are now carving out an even more meaningful role for themselves, as they are the only members of their generation who are working royals. (Williams cousins technically have royal titles but are not working royals). Its clear that William and Kate are stepping up and taking their role even more seriously than before. A Chinese city ravaged by a new deadly virus has ordered all residents to wear face masks in public places. The government of Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, has demanded all of its 11 million residents to don the protective medical product while going out after the new strain of coronavirus - which can pass between humans - left at least 17 dead in the province. One doctor and 13 nurses in the metropolis have been infected while looking after one patient because the hospital neglected the patient's symptoms, the city's mayor has revealed. The Chinese authorities have urged its people not to travel in and out of Wuhan for the upcoming Lunar New Year, and strengthened the health screening in transport hubs across the nation. The government of Wuhan, where the new strain of coronavirus originated, has ordered all of its 11 million residents to wear face masks in public places amid an outbreak. The virus, which can pass between humans, left at least 17 dead and 444 people sickened in the province The Wuhan government has required the locals to wear masks in a list of public places, which include hotels, cafes, cinemas, parks, museums, shops and all means of public transport The Wuhan government today required the locals to wear masks in a list of public places, which include hotels, cafes, cinemas, parks, museums, shops and all means of public transport. The directive was released by the authority through its official account on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter. The city has also vowed to give severe punishment to the vendors and shops which hike the price of face masks. The killer Chinese coronavirus that is sweeping across Asia and has now killed 17 people may already be in Britain, health experts have admitted today - as they warn humans have 'no immunity' to the deadly disease. It comes as Heathrow Airport announced it will take the extraordinary measure of separating all passengers flying into the UK from Wuhan - the Chinese city at the heart of the outbreak - to try to stop the infection reaching British soil. The virus is spreading as millions of people travel every day in China amid the country's Lunar New Year travel rush, which will see about three billion trips made in the space of 40 days The Chinese authorities have urged its people not to travel in and out of Wuhan for the festivities, and strengthened the health screening in transport hubs across the nation Health chiefs have now raised the threat level in the UK and one said this morning the outbreak currently has a death rate similar to the global Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, which went on to kill more than 50million people. Leading scientists have also today warned up to 10,000 patients may have caught the SARS-like virus in Wuhan - more than double the previous estimate. Officially, 526 people have been diagnosed and the Hubei Provincial Government has now confirmed the death toll has almost doubled, from nine to 17. It emerged last night that the coronavirus had reached the US. A man in his 30s from Washington State, who had travelled back from Wuhan, was confirmed to be the first American case. Patients have already been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and one man in Australia is being tested for the virus. This picture released by the Central Hospital of Wuhan shows a medic donning full-body hazardous material suit looking after one patient who has been infected by a new deadly virus Another medic in hazmat suit is seen checking the medical equipment inside the hospital's intensive care units. Nine people have been killed by the virus since it emerged last month Doctors at the Central Hospital of Wuhan clench their fists to show their determination to fight the virus. 'Salute to the medical workers who fight on the front line!' the hospital said in a post The never-before-seen pictures were taken inside the intensive care units of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak US President Donald Trump today said America 'has a plan' to contain the spread of the virus, which officials have confirmed can spread between humans. But British experts who fear there could already be a case of the never-before-seen virus in the UK have warned screening in the UK 'is not foolproof'. Face masks are flying off the shelves across China as the country's citizens try to ward off the deadly SARS-like virus which has sickened more than 520 people in the country. Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media purport to show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. An expert from China's National Health Commission suggested that the life-threatening coronavirus could be passed through saliva as 20 medical workers in the country were confirmed to be infected. Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media purport to show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. A total of 317 people in Asia have now tested positive for the unnamed virus after it first emerged in Wuhan city last month Reports claim some vendors have hiked the price from 11 to 110 per box amid an alleged mask shortage. On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item An expert from China's National Health Commission today suggested that the life-threatening virus could be passed through saliva as 20 medical workers in the country are now confirmed to have been infected. The virus has spread to Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item. Prices for face masks have surged, according a report from Beijing Evening News. Some vendors on the country's e-commerce site have increased the price of the N95 masks - which is made by US company 3M and particularly popular in China - from 99 yuan (11) a box to nearly 1,000 yuan (110) a box, the report said. A topic page titled 'the main force of buying face masks' on Weibo have attracted around 570 million clicks as the Chinese netizens discuss the apparent nationwide buying spree A topic page titled 'the main force of buying face masks' on Weibo have attracted around 570 million clicks as the Chinese netizens discuss the apparent nationwide buying spree. One typical comment said: 'A few of my good friends said face masks were out of stock and nowhere to be found.' Another user urged the public to wear face masks in public places in an advice post: 'Wear face masks if you are to go outside! Don't go to crowded places. [I] really want to tell the older generations like my uncles and aunties the seriousness of this new coronavirus!' RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- All seven attorneys from the Raleigh-based law firm of Edwards Kirby have been named to the latest edition of North Carolina Super Lawyers an achievement which speaks to both their talent as individual attorneys, and the success they've earned as a team. Super Lawyers magazine distinguishes the top performing legal professionals in each state. Because it relies on a rigorous peer-review selection process, consumers seeking proven representation in a range of practice areas have come to trust the publication as a leader in attorney rating services. For attorneys, too, the distinction is a significant accomplishment. Selection among the Super Lawyers or Super Lawyers Rising Stars listings speaks volumes about the reputation attorneys have cultivated among their peers, as well as their professional achievements and exemplary ethical conduct. Raleigh Civil Trial Lawyers Named Among North Carolina's Top Attorneys Though recognition from Super Lawyers is an impressive distinction for any individual legal practitioner, having an entire legal team named to the Super Lawyers or Super Lawyers List of Rising Stars is a rare and remarkable accomplishment. It's an indication that fellow lawyers, members of the judiciary, and other legal professionals know Edwards Kirby and its work, and hold the firm in high regard. Edwards Kirby attorneys named to this year's North Carolina Super Lawyers include: John Edwards : Former U.S. Senator and Edwards Kirby Founding Partner John Edwards is known for a political career spent advocating for civil rights, environmental protections, and progressive social policies. In the courtroom, Edwards has recovered millions in compensation for clients with complex and contested malpractice, birth injury, and civil injury claims. This is the third year he has been named to the North Carolina Super Lawyers list. Former U.S. Senator and Edwards Kirby Founding Partner John Edwards is known for a political career spent advocating for civil rights, environmental protections, and progressive social policies. In the courtroom, Edwards has recovered millions in compensation for clients with complex and contested malpractice, birth injury, and civil injury claims. This is the third year he has been named to the list. David F. Kirby : Founding Partner David Kirby has been named to North Carolina Super Lawyers every year since 2006, a testament to his well-earned reputation as one of the state's most respected civil trial lawyers. Kirby is known nationally for multi-million dollar verdicts and settlement in complex catastrophic injury, product liability, and malpractice cases, many of which have been featured on national media outlets such as CNN, 20/20, and Dateline NBC. Founding Partner David Kirby has been named to every year since 2006, a testament to his well-earned reputation as one of the state's most respected civil trial lawyers. Kirby is known nationally for multi-million dollar verdicts and settlement in complex catastrophic injury, product liability, and malpractice cases, many of which have been featured on national media outlets such as CNN, 20/20, and Dateline NBC. Bill Bystrynski : Firm Partner Bill Bystrynski has been recognized by Super Lawyers for 15 consecutive years, most recently in medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability law. Bystrynski has handled two cases that went before the U.S. Supreme Court one of which resulted in securing an $8.2M wrongful death verdict with fellow Partner David Kirby, and another which found North Carolina Medicaid's practice of taking large portions of low-income victims' settlements unconstitutional, setting a precedent for victims nationwide. Firm Partner Bill Bystrynski has been recognized by for 15 consecutive years, most recently in medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability law. Bystrynski has handled two cases that went before the U.S. Supreme Court one of which resulted in securing an wrongful death verdict with fellow Partner David Kirby, and another which found North Carolina Medicaid's practice of taking large portions of low-income victims' settlements unconstitutional, setting a precedent for victims nationwide. Kristen Beightol : Attorney Kristen Beightol earns her first selection to the North Carolina Super Lawyers list, an accomplishment earned by just 5% of all active lawyers in the state. Beightol has secured a number of multi-million dollar recoveries for clients in matters involving medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries, and other complex claims, and has also been named to North Carolina Business Magazine's list for Litigation, and The Best Lawyers in America 2020 for Insurance Litigation. Attorney earns her first selection to the list, an accomplishment earned by just 5% of all active lawyers in the state. Beightol has secured a number of multi-million dollar recoveries for clients in matters involving medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries, and other complex claims, and has also been named to North Carolina Business Magazine's list for Litigation, and 2020 for Insurance Litigation. Cate Edwards: Partner Cate Edwards earns her first Super Lawyers selection among its list of Rising Stars, an accolade reserved for the state's top young attorneys. A passionate advocate for clients, the Harvard Law Alum has dedicated her practice to civil rights cases, whistleblower actions, serious injury claims, and the rights of working-class Americans. She is the Founder and Current President of the nonprofit Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, and has been named among the National Trial Lawyers' Top 40 Under 40. Partner Cate Edwards earns her first selection among its list of Rising Stars, an accolade reserved for the state's top young attorneys. A passionate advocate for clients, the Harvard Law Alum has dedicated her practice to civil rights cases, whistleblower actions, serious injury claims, and the rights of working-class Americans. She is the Founder and Current President of the nonprofit Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, and has been named among the National Trial Lawyers' Top 40 Under 40. Winston S. Kirby : A fellow National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 honoree, Winston S. Kirby was named to the 2020 North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for his work in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability. In addition to representing clients harmed by injustice and civil rights abuses, and his work with the Campbell Innocence Project exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals, Kirby has helped secure millions of dollars for injured victims and families. A fellow National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 honoree, was named to the 2020 North Carolina Rising Stars list for his work in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability. In addition to representing clients harmed by injustice and civil rights abuses, and his work with the Campbell Innocence Project exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals, Kirby has helped secure millions of dollars for injured victims and families. Mary Kathryn Kurth Attorney Mary Kathryn Kurth's selection to the 2020 North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, an achievement held by just 2.5% of attorneys in the state, is her first year of recognition by the prestigious publication. A tireless advocate, Kurth has secured notable million and multi-million recoveries for families in cases involving medical malpractice, serious child injury, wrongful death, and premises liability. Kurth has also been named among the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, and is an active member and leader in various community and professional legal associations. In addition to the firm's seven attorneys being included in this year's edition of North Carolina Super Lawyers, Chuck Lollar, Sr. who serves Of Counsel to Edwards Kirby earned his fourth selection to the Virginia Super Lawyers list. Edwards Kirby, LLP is a nationally renowned Civil Trial Practice that's earned a reputation for helping victims and families prevail in complex and high-profile cases involving negligence, wrongful death, civil rights abuses, and serious injuries. In addition to its numerous accolades, the firm has secured record-setting results, including the largest personal injury verdict, personal injury settlement, and medical malpractice verdict in North Carolina, and the largest workplace violence verdict in the country. To learn more about the firm, visit www.EdwardsKirby.com. SOURCE Edwards Kirby, LLP Related Links http://www.edwardskirby.com By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The Regional Transport Authority, Kukatpally, has suspended the driving licence of software engineer, Abhilash Pedakotla, one of the accused in Biodiversity scooter crash case, which claimed the lives of two persons. The Cyberabad Traffic police, after the incident had referred the matter to RTA, and urged them to cancel Abhilashs driving licence. The RTA has now taken action and suspended the license for the accused, for a period of one year, with effect from November 15, 2019 to November 15, 2020. They will further take up the proposal to permanently cancel Abhilashs driving license. The accused was driving an i20 car in a rash and drunk condition and rammed a parked bike on the flyover leading to the death of two persons on it. The police wrote to the RTA recommending the cancellation of Abhilashs licence. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all involved, particularly friends and family of Mr. Neemeyer. We would like to thank the York County Sheriffs Office and the Nebraska State Patrol for their assistance, as well as local motorists and media for their patience, Chief Tjaden concluded. In the following hours, however, a series of accidents happened throughout the county mostly on Interstate 80 which were attributed to hazardous driving conditions. Lt. Josh Gillespie with the York County Sheriffs Department said there were between 12 and 15 calls regarding accidents along the interstate inside York Countys boundaries. All were without injuries, with the exception of one crash near the Henderson exit in that case, several people were transported but fortunately their injuries were not life threatening. Lt. Gillespie said the weather-related accidents were caused by weather just coming in so fast, it was really a skating rink out there. Most of the accidents were slide-offs and we had vehicles in ditches all over. Zhou Xiaoli spends her 2019 Spring Festival holiday in Thailand. She takes the annual holiday as a rare opportunity to travel on her own to relax after a year's hard work.[Photo provided to China Daily] As an ancient Chinese poem says: "On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away." And this is especially true during chunyunthe Spring Festival travel period. This traditionally busy season sees millions of Chinese travel across the country amid congested traffic to attend family reunions during the holiday, which runs from Jan 24 to 30 this year. However, for some young people like Zhou Xiaoli, the weeklong holiday is a rare opportunity to take a long trip on her own to relax after a year's hard work. "While traveling on my own, I enjoy the freedom to arrange my itinerary as I like. I often stay in hostels and chat with young people from all over the world," says the 30-year-old office worker from Beijing. Since February 2016, she has traveled to Japan on several occasions and plans to visit Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region later this year. She takes her annual leave over the Spring Festival holiday so she can enjoy a two-week vacation, her only long break of the year since she works during the National Day holidays. As a gourmet, she often visits food markets to observe the local dining habits and finds tips on where to sample the most authentic dishes. "It's important to rub shoulders with other people, locals and tourists alike. It helps to break stereotypes about each other's countries and cultures," she says. "The people I meet are part of my travel experience. I like to make friends and keep in touch with them on social media." She once joined a matcha (powdered green tea) ceremony in Japan, where she made friends with a young local man who spoke Chinese. The two met up the next time she traveled to Japan and visited Uji, a city famous for matcha, and visited local matcha masters to learn about the industry. "For me, the most essential ritual is to eat dumplings during Lunar New Year when I'm traveling. I also send greetings to my family and video chat with them," Zhou says. People like Zhou tend to travel alone since it's not easy to find a travel companion during Spring Festival holiday. Most of her friends still spend the holiday with their families. Following two fatal crashes that claimed 346 lives, the Boeing 737 Max has already been grounded for over 10 months. And now the aircraft manufacturer has conceded the plane will not be flying commercially for at least another six months. Safety regulators around the world closed their skies to the Boeing 737 Max in mid-March 2019, following the second accident involving Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, in which all 157 people on board died. Like the first crash, which killed 189 on a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max departure from Jakarta in October 2018, flight control software forced the nose of the plane down. Boeing has been working to fix the problem and convince the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its counterparts around the world that the updated software is safe. Originally the firm predicted the 737 Max would be flying in the final quarter of 2018. Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Show all 6 1 /6 Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Boeing 737 aeroplanes are parked in the employee car park of Boeing's Seattle factory King 5 Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Seen above the car park is the full storage area for planes at Boeing's Seattle factory D. Permadi Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Six 737s are currently being stored in the car park as they have not been delivered from the factory due to the model being grounded following two major crashes Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Boeing has incurred first quarter losses of around $1 billion following the crashes and ensuing controversy King 5 Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures The company grounded their 737 model in March following their second deadly crash in months King 5 Boeing parks grounded 737 planes in employee car park: In pictures Seen above the car park is the full storage area for planes at Boeing's Seattle factory Just a week ago American Airlines said it planned to resume Max operations on 4 June 2020. But now Boeing estimates that the ungrounding of the plane will not begin until mid-2020. Recommended Boeing orders slump to lowest level in over a decade amid Max crisis The plane manufacturer said the announcement was to help airlines plan their operations, and added: This updated estimate is informed by our experience to date with the certification process. It is subject to our ongoing attempts to address known schedule risks and further developments that may arise in connection with the certification process. It also accounts for the rigorous scrutiny that regulatory authorities are rightly applying at every step of their review of the 737 Max's flight control system. We acknowledge and regret the continued difficulties that the grounding of the 737 Max has presented to our customers, our regulators, our suppliers, and the flying public. Once the FAA and others agree to allow flights, it will typically take one month or more before the plane is flying passengers around. There must be mandatory simulator training for pilots and test flights for the grounded planes most of which will not have flown for well over a year. So a return to service before August seems most unlikely. Even then airlines will be averse to removing pilots from normal operations at the busiest time of the year for training. The biggest users of the Max including Southwest, Air Canada and American Airlines will be dismayed that they cannot operate their peak. It is thought that Ryanair, which has the largest order book for the Boeing 737 Max in Europe but has not yet received any of the planes, may now defer deliveries until 2021. The Irish carrier typically grounds some planes during the quiet winter season from October to March, and will have no need for extra capacity until operations ramp up for summer 2021. One piece of good news for the troubled planemaker: the much-delayed maiden flight of the Boeing 777X wide-bodied jet is now expected to take place on Thursday 23 January. The firm says it will be the worlds largest and most efficient twin-engine jet. WARSAW, Poland - Over the next several days, world leaders will gather twice to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of Nazi Germanys death camps. That there will be two competing ceremonies one in Jerusalem on Thursday and the other at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland on Monday underlines how politically charged World War II remains as nationalist governments in Russia and Poland seek to use their own interpretation of the past for contemporary political gain. Leaders at both sites, joined by elderly survivors, will pay tribute to the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. Yet the commemorations risk being overshadowed by a bitter dispute between Poland where Nazi German occupiers operated Auschwitz and other infamous camps and Russia, the successor state to the Soviet Union. I am afraid this will not help the commemoration of the Holocaust, said Dariusz Stola, a Polish historian and former director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Such commemorations, he said, should ideally be a moment for the present to serve the past. Now the past is serving the aims of current politics, he told The Associated Press. Ahead of Thursdays ceremony in Jerusalem, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin implored world leaders assembled for a dinner at his official residence to leave history for the historians. The role of political leaders, of all of us, is to shape the future, he said. Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945. But the country had also signed a nonaggression accord with the Nazis shortly before the war began in 1939, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. It contained a secret protocol in which the totalitarian powers agreed to carve up Eastern Europe. Two years later, Germany turned on Kremlin leader Josef Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union, bringing the Soviets into the war on the side of the Allies. Millions of Red Army soldiers lost their lives in the eventual defeat of Adolf Hitlers Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to shift wartime blame to Poland over anger that historical memory in the West has begun to focus more on the Soviet role in triggering the war and less on its role in defeating Germany. The Russian historical moves have outraged the Polish government, which believes Putins main motive is to weaken Polish influence in the European Union. Warsaw is one of the strongest supporters of maintaining sanctions on Moscow for its annexation of Crimea and has also been fighting a planned Russian gas pipeline. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused Putin of lying deliberately to deflect from his own failures, including a ban on Russian athletes over doping. At the same time, Poland has come under criticism for allegedly minimizing the role its own people played in helping Nazi occupiers kill Jews. Putin and other Russian officials have been claiming that Poland which was invaded in 1939 by German and Soviet forces actually bears blame for starting the war. Western historians see those allegations as a cynical ploy to minimize Soviet responsibility as Moscow today seeks to glorify what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War and more generally a Stalinist era that included mass killings of domestic opponents and suffering imposed on Eastern Europe during decades of communist rule. In recent days, Polands government has defended the nations record, recalling how its wartime government-in-exile sought to save Jews, and listing cultural and economic damage that Poland suffered after Soviet troops took control of its territory at the end of World War II. In drawing dozens of world leaders to the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, Israel had hoped to present a united front in commemorating the genocide of European Jewry and warning against the perils of modern-day anti-Semitism. Instead, Polish President Andrzej Duda is boycotting the event at the Yad Vashem memorial because, unlike Putin, he was not invited to speak and wouldnt be able to defend his nations historical record. Duda will preside at the Auschwitz ceremony, which Putin will not attend. In an apparently related development, Israels Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Lithuanias president, Gitanas Nauseda, had unfortunately cancelled. Nausedas office said he was busy at the Davos economic forum and that Lithuanias parliament chairman would represent the government in Jerusalem. But the Lithuanian government last week voiced its solidarity with Poland and said it would work with Warsaw to resist Russian lies. Nauseda is attending next weeks ceremony at Auschwitz led by Duda. Israel has said it didnt offer Duda a speaking role because his country, while its soldiers fought the Germans at home and on other fronts, was not among World War IIs liberating nations. It said the German president was also being allowed to speak to take responsibility for the perpetrators. The deeper explanation appears to be rooted in Israels sensitive relationship with Russia. The Jerusalem event is being orchestrated by Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress and a billionaire oligarch who is close to Putin. In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs Putin on his side due to Russias involvement in the war in neighbouring Syria, where Israel is deeply concerned about the presence of Iranian forces. He also is hoping the Russian leader will free a young Israeli woman imprisoned on drug charges in Russia a development that would give Netanyahu a welcome boost before March 2 elections. During Putins visit, Netanyahu will dedicate a monument honouring the the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad. The city, now known as St. Petersburg, is Putins hometown. Israeli-Polish relations are still reeling over the Polish governments controversial Holocaust speech law in 2018 that sought to criminalize blaming the Polish nation for the Holocaust. It was part of its wider efforts to portray Poles primarily as rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust while seeking to play down the fact that there were also Poles who abetted the Germans in hunting down and killing Jews. Jan Grabowski, a Polish-Canadian historian at the University of Ottawa, argued recently that Putin was engaging in a cynical falsification of history, but added that Polish authorities, discredited by years of twisting the history of the Holocaust, have lost any credibility and moral legitimacy to enter into a dispute in this field. The insertion of politics into such a solemn event clearly has been unsettling for historians and Holocaust survivors. But Yad Vashem historian Robert Rozett said he hoped the image of more than 45 world leaders coming together to remember the Holocaust would help it rise above what he described as unfortunate background noise. Using history for all kinds of things is very much a part of our world today and we as historians rail against it, he told the AP. But if if we were waiting for all the stars to line up and for everyone to be on the same page, we would never have an event like this. ___ Heller reported from Jerusalem. ___ See all of APs coverage of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz at https://apnews.com/Auschwitz United Nations: Warning that the world is facing looming threats of epic geopolitical tensions, climate crisis, global mistrust and downsides of technology, the UN chief on Wednesday said the "four horsemen" endanger the 21st-century progress and can jeopardise every aspect of a shared future. Addressing an informal briefing of the General Assembly, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, "We must continue to make the United Nations fit for the challenges of our new age." This is the reason, the UN chief said, he has pursued wide-ranging reforms rooted in flexibility, transparency and accountability in the world body. "I see four horsemen in our midst four looming threats that endanger 21st-century progress and imperil 21st-century possibilities," he said. Guterres said the first horseman comes in the form of the highest global geo-strategic tensions the world has witnessed in years. "Devastating conflicts continue to cause widespread misery. Terrorist attacks take a merciless toll. The nuclear menace is growing. More people have been forced from their homes by war and persecution than at any time since the Second World War. Tensions over trade and technology remain unresolved. The risk of a Great Fracture is real," he said. Guterres warned that the world faces an existential climate crisis as rising temperatures continue to melt records. "The past decade was the hottest on record. Scientists tell us that ocean temperatures are now rising at the equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs a second," he said, adding that one million species are in near-term danger of extinction. "Our planet is burning," he said. Guterres said the third horseman is deep and growing global mistrust as disquiet and discontent are churning societies from north to south. "More and more people are convinced globalisation is not working for them. With inequality growing, confidence in political establishments is going down and young people are rising up. "Women are rightly demanding equality and freedom from violence and discrimination. At the same time, fears and anxieties are spreading. Hostility against refugees and migrants is building. Hatred is growing," the Secretary-General said. Guterres termed the dark side of the digital world as the fourth horseman. "Technological advances are moving faster than our ability to respond to or even comprehend them. Despite enormous benefits, new technologies are being abused to commit crimes, incite hate, fake information, oppress and exploit people and invade privacy," he said. Interestingly, his comment on the dangers of digital technology came the same day UN human rights experts expressed grave concern that a WhatsApp account belonging to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "deployed digital spyware enabling surveillance" of The Washington Post owner and Amazon CEO Jeffery Bezos. Guterres said the world is not prepared for the profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the labour market and the very structure of society. "Artificial intelligence is generating breathtaking capacities and alarming possibilities. Lethal autonomous weapons machines with the power to kill on their own, without human judgement and accountability are bringing us into unacceptable moral and political territory," he said. He said the four horsemen can jeopardise every aspect of the world's shared future. With the UN set to mark its 75th anniversary, Guterres said there is a need of not nice speeches but 21st-century solutions. The UN Chief called on the international community to make the 2020s the Decade of Action and the year 2020 the year of urgency. "I make a special appeal to all Member States: Listen to people. Open new channels for all to be heard and find common ground. Respect freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Protect civic space and freedom of the press," he said. Guterres said to address the dark side of digital world, technology must be steered for positive change. With automation threatening to displace tens of millions of jobs by 2030, there is need to redesign education systems. David Cook, a recently retired Argonne meteorologist, performs maintenance on an eddy correlation flux measurement tower, operated by the DOE-funded Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, in Utqiavik, Alaska. The tower exemplifies one of several types of instrumentation used to generate the data in this study. Credit: Argonne National Laboratory/Ryan Sullivan Permafrost, the perennially frozen subsoil in Earth's northernmost regions, has been collecting and storing plant and animal matter since long before the last Ice Age. The decomposition of some of this organic matter naturally releases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the atmosphere year-round, where it is absorbed by plant growth during the warmer months. This region, called the northern permafrost region, is difficult to study, and experiments there are few and far between compared with those in warmer and less remote locations. However, a new synthesis that incorporates datasets gathered from more than 100 Arctic study sites by dozens of institutions, including the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, suggests that as global temperatures rise, the decomposition of organic matter in permafrost soil during the winter months can be substantially greater than previously thought. The new numbers indicate a release of CO 2 that far exceeds the corresponding summer uptake. Even more importantly, when modeling the carbon balance using the large collection of data, the scientists found that the CO 2 released by permafrost soil in the winter could increase 41 percent by 2100 if human-caused greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate. The study, published in Nature Climate Change this past October, is the most comprehensive study on this phenomenon to date. It highlights the need for more research on the permafrost region's net CO 2 emissions, and it demonstrates the significant impact these emissions could have on the greenhouse effect and global warming. The study brings together a combination of in-field measurements and laboratory-based studiesor soil incubationslike those performed at Argonne. To better understand how future warming might affect CO 2 emissions in permafrost regions, the Argonne scientists sampled a variety of permafrost soils and monitored CO 2 release at a range of laboratory-controlled temperatures above and below freezing that mimic typical Arctic conditions. The researchers wanted to identify how different soil properties or other factors influence the rate of decomposition and CO 2 release from frozen and thawing soilsinformation that could help improve climate and Earth system models. "Climate and Earth system models often treat these winter permafrost CO 2 emissions as insignificant or even non-existent," said Roser Matamala, a scientist in Argonne's Environmental Science division and a contributor to the study. "But this study, with its large volume of data extending over multiple seasons, shows that winter respiration is substantial and significant. The study should convince modelers that this flux of winter-time carbon to the atmosphere can no longer be overlooked. It is not small, and it needs to be taken into account." The northern permafrost region covers approximately 15 percent of the Earth's land area, extending from the Arctic Ocean's coastline through much of Alaska, northern Canada and northern Eurasia. The ever-frozen soil in these regions contains more carbon than humans have ever released, and roughly a third of the carbon stored in all of Earth's soil exists in this region. During the summer, plants whose roots grow in thawed soil above the perennially frozen subsoil absorb CO 2 as they photosynthesize. At the same time, microbes release CO 2 into the atmosphere as they actively decompose soil organic matter. In the winter, when the surface soil and underlying permafrost are both frozen, the rate of decay and the amount of CO 2 returned to to the atmosphere drops significantly. Yet, a small amount of microbial activity continues to decompose some of the organic matter contained in thin, unfrozen water films surrounding soil particles, releasing smaller amounts of CO 2 . For years, this balance was tipped toward greater absorption rather than release of CO 2 , but this study indicates that the loss of CO 2 from permafrost soils to the atmosphere over the entire year is now greater than its uptake during the summer. "Arctic soils have retained disproportionately large amounts of organic matter because frozen conditions greatly slow microbial decay of dead plant roots and leaves," said Argonne soil scientist and study contributor Julie Jastrow. "But just as food in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator will spoil faster than it would in a chest freezer, the temperature of seasonally frozen soils and permafrost affects the amount of microbial activity and decomposition." According to the Argonne scientists, microbial activity can increase exponentially as rising global temperatures warm the permafrost to levels just below freezing. Even before permafrost thaws, the acceleration in microbial activity in permafrost soil causes acceleration of its CO 2 emissions. Based on these results and upscaling across the Arctic, the authors estimate that about 1.7 billion metric tons of CO 2 are released during current winter seasons, but that only 1 billion metric tons would be taken up by photosynthesizers in the summer months. Computer models also showed that if humans were to mitigate their own emissions even minimally, winter CO 2 emissions in the permafrost region would still increase 17 percent by 2100. Explore further Rising emissions are turning arctic permafrost into a carbon source, research shows More information: Susan M. Natali et al, Large loss of CO 2 in winter observed across the northern permafrost region, Nature Climate Change (2019). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Susan M. Natali et al, Large loss of COin winter observed across the northern permafrost region,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-019-0592-8 NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This report covers passenger car and light commercial vehicle filter aftermarket, in terms of volume (in million units) and value ( million) across the EU 28.It discusses unit shipment, revenue, average price, and distribution channels of the four product types: cabin air filter, air intake filter, oil filter, and fuel filter. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05841321/?utm_source=PRN The base year is 2018 and the forecast period is from 2019 to 2025. The EU28 filters aftermarket is set to see growth in unit shipment, in line with VIO growth. The growing penetration of alternative powertrains, electric-based powertrains in particular, limits overall growth. Higher demand for higher-spec filters allows for marginal improvement in some filter types. This causes revenues growth to outperform unit shipment growth.Higher growth is forecast to take place in the premium cabin air filter segment, a sweet spot for revenue and unit shipment growth. With the growing penetration of electric vehicles and cabin air filters being powertrain independent, the demand patterns for cabin air filters will be more stable than for internal-combustion-dependent filters. The uptake of in-tank fuel filters has an negative effect on the demand for inline and cartridge filter types over the forecast period but offers portfolio opportunities for manufacturers of in-tank fuel filters.Market consolidation is reflected in the competitive landscape with limited changes in the top 3 performer line up. Only inorganic growth has the potential to shuffle rankings. As for developments in the distribution landscape, manufacturers must watch the development of WD's own brand filter product offerings. Those filters are price-aggressively placed and can replace traditional products, in line with the growing dominance of WDs within the distribution chain. This is of particular importance, as WDs are the main channel of filter distribution in the aftermarket. The price-aggressive strategy works best for highly commoditized filter types, like air intake filters. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05841321/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Overview The global micro-irrigation systems market was valued at USD 4,443.9 million in 2017, and it is projected to reach USD 10134.6 million by 2024, witnessing a CAGR of 13.1% over the forecast period. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05778155/?utm_source=PRN Global water scarcity for agriculture, coupled with rapid technological innovations and increasing area under greenhouse vegetable cultivation are driving the global micro-irrigation systems market, while the lack of consumer awareness and the need for high initial investments and continuous maintenance are factors that are restraining the market Scope of the Report The report defines the micro-irrigation systems market in terms of end-users. Irrigation equipment which is used in agricultural practices is only considered. Industrial applications are not a part of this report. The component segment of the report does not include the after-sales market. Key Market Trends Agricultural Water Scarcity Pushing Farmers towards Adoption of Micro Irrigation The micro-irrigation systems market is primarily driven by factors, such as the need for increasing crop productivity while addressing the issues of water scarcity. Thus, governments are focusing on formulating initiatives, to increase the usage of micro-irrigation systems, while limiting water shortage. With water increasingly becoming a scarce commodity, farmers have been seeking novel ideas to grow more crops with the same quantity of water. Micro-irrigation systems, including sprinklers, and drippers, are witnessing high demand. This is expected to augment the growth of the market studied. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) established design of micro-irrigation system (DOMIS), a web-based application system that helps in designing customized micro-irrigation systems for efficient water utilization, under several agro-climatic conditions. Furthermore, the institute is planning to develop devices that utilize low amounts of water, in order to help farms. The global population has been increasing significantly over the past few years, along with the demand for food. Sprinkler and drip irrigation systems provide limited quantities of water to farms, with minimal wastage, as compared to conventional gravity flow irrigation. Asia Pacific dominating the global market China is one of the leading manufacturers of micro-irrigation system components. China exports micro-irrigation system components to many nations and its exports are further expected to grow in the future. The exports of equipment grew to 21.7% from the year 2004-2015. The Asian Development Bank is encouraging small farmers in China to use micro-irrigation. India is largely dependent on rainfed agriculture and the use of micro irrigation system will help the Indian agriculture sector in reducing the dependence on rain and also can help in increasing productivity. The most popular technologies being used in India are drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation. Drip irrigation has the highest market share in India. Adoption rates of micro-irrigation Apart from China and India, countries such as Vietnam, Korea, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, continue to have a large market share. Competitive Landscape Nelson Irrigation Corporation, Chinadrip Irrigation Equipment Co. Ltd, Deere & Company, Lindsay Corporation, Jain Irrigation Systems Limited, and Netafim Ltd are the most active players in the global micro irrigation systems market. The market share analysis indicates that the market studied is consolidated, with major companies accounting for about 60.4% of the market share. With the governments' thrust on augmenting the penetration of water conservation and efficiency driven by micro-irrigation system, the market is expected to witness a double-digit growth in the near future. This is expected to benefit companies, such as Jain Irrigation Systems Limited, EPC Industries Ltd, and Netafim Ltd, among others. Reasons to Purchase this report: - The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format - Report customization as per the client's requirements - 3 months of analyst support Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05778155/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com There are people in this city who have never seen a community that has less than 25% unemployment, who everyone that they know relies upon government assistance for their daily bread and where families are literally struggling every single day to determine which bill they can pay, whether or not theyll will be able to eat, whether or not their children will have clothes and shelter, she said. The Congress on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led government over the 'bank default and cheating case of Frost International Ltd' alleging that the 'industry of loot and scoot' was flourishing but industries were 'sinking' due to the Centre's 'manufactured economic crisis.' Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill alleged that the probe agencies have not been able to trace the location of 10 company directors and officials of Frost International Ltd and alleged that funds to the tune of Rs 3,592 crore had been "siphoned off and diverted". He accused the BJP government of following the policy of giving "pain to the common man and gain to con-man." "The BJP government plays the role of either a facilitator or mute-spectator whenever fraudsters fleece and fly to foreign shores. The scam of Frost International Ltd (FIL) involving a consortium of 14 banks led by BOI re-affirms the BJP policy of giving pain to the common man and gain to con-man," he alleged. The Congress leader said that the lending banks noted default in payments of FIL starting January 2018 and asked why the complaint was filed after a gap of two years on January 19 this year. He said the Home Ministry issued a lookout circular (LOC) after a gap of eight days in January last year after the request was made by the BOI, the lead bank. "Why and on whose directions did the investigating agencies not register a case for a year against the offenders who remain untraceable till date?" he asked, noting that the look-out circular was issued on January 18 last year. Shergill said the consortium of lending banks had authorized registration of complaint in June last year. "Why did it take the lead bank for more than six months to register a complaint. The fleece-and-fly case of directors/officials of Frost is the outcome of BJP govt's intentional scheme of 'Rising frauds and flying fraudsters," he said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday booked Frost International Limited and its directors Uday Desai and Sujay Desai for allegedly cheating 14 banks. Shergill said the Modi government assumed office with the promise of recovering black money within the first 100 days but alleged that it has overseen "siphoning off" of over two lakh crore rupees of public money from India and red carpet exit to over 31 fugitives and willful defaulters." He alleged the BJP-led government was "giving loans to willful defaulters using public money and writing off loans arbitrarily without any rational or justification". "Instead of building a USD 5 trillion economy, the BJP has waived off bad loans and emptied public savings to the tune of Rs 5 lakh crore," he alleged. Shergill alleged that there is a pattern of "give loan, allow loot and let scoot" under the BJP government." "What action has been taken to recover Rs 2.7 lakh crores public money siphoned through bank frauds," he asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) H.I.G. Capital, LLC ("H.I.G."), a leading global private equity investment firm with over $35 billion of equity capital under management, announced today that one of its affiliates has recently provided debt and equity financing to Dimand SA, a leading Athens based property and development company. Funds will predominantly be used to finalise office and hotel developments in Athens. Terms were not disclosed. H.I.G. continues to add to its sizeable holdings of real estate assets across Europe, consisting of both equity as well as debt investments, with a focus on its target market of value-add small and midcap opportunities. Riccardo Dallolio, Managing Director and Head of H.I.G. Europe Realty, commented: "We believe Greece presents good niche opportunities in a recovering real estate market. In this instance, we have invested in a high quality company with a strong asset base, and our preferred equity position provides significant downside protection." Stelios Theodosiou, Principal at H.I.G. Europe Realty in London, added: "This transaction demonstrates our strong sourcing capabilities in Greece and our ability to structure complex transactions suitable for the needs of the local market." About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with over $35 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Bogota, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005378/en/ Contacts: Riccardo Dallolio Managing Director rdallolio@higrealty.com H.I.G. Capital P +44 (0) 207 318 5700 F +44 (0) 207 318 5749 www.higcapital.com On Mathewss computer, agents found several videos of Mathews espousing violent, anti-Semitic, and racist language, according to the court motions. Many of the videos discuss killing people in furtherance of the movement. Lemley and the third man, William G. Bilbrough IV, also used gun parts to make a functioning assault rifle and had been practicing shooting at gun ranges before their arrests, authorities said. OFW SPOUSES MUST ENJOY SOLO PARENTS' BENEFITS - HONTIVEROS Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros wants to extend the benefits of solo parents to spouses of overseas Filipino workers or OFWs. In a statement on Wednesday, Hontiveros said that her Expanded Solo Parents' Welfare Bill, if passed into law, will expand solo parents' benefits to OFW spouses. "Parang mga solo parents na rin ang ilan sa mga asawa ng OFWs natin," she remarked. Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 164 to expand benefits of solo parents in the country. Once enacted into law, spouses of semi-skilled OFWs, along with all solo parents in the country, will enjoy seven (7) additional days of parental leave annually, 20% discount on tuition fees, and discounts on medical and other basic needs, as well as discounts on recreational activities. The bill covers spouses whose OFW partners have been abroad for at least a year without interruption. "Minsan, mahigit isang taon nang nasa abroad ang OFW na asawa. Mag-isa na rin minsang nagpapalaki ng anak. We need to extend the solo parents' benefits to them too," she urged. "Malaki ang sakripisyo ng mga magulang na OFW. Kung wala man ang isa sa kanila, dapat may sapat na suporta mula sa gobyerno," Hontiveros said. The Akbayan Senator also said that her bill is a way of giving back to overseas Filipinos for their sacrifice. "Malaki ang kontribusyon ng mga bayaning OFW sa ating ekonomiya. Sapat lang na bigyang-suporta natin ang mga pamilya nilang nandito sa bansa," she urged. "Kapag mapasa ang Expanded Solo Parents' Welfare Act, mas magiging panatag siguro ang loob ng ating mga kababayang OFW," concluded Hontiveros. SALINA, N.Y. -- A state trooper was injured Wednesday morning while investigating a crash on the Onondaga Lake Parkway, according to the New York State Police. The troopers patrol car appears to have been rear-ended on the parkway, according to photos the state police shared in a tweet. This is why you move over, the state police tweeted. The trooper suffered minor injuries, police said. Police said more information would be released later today. The original accident that the trooper was investigating was reported on the side of the parkway near Interstate 81 at 7:48 a.m., Onondaga County 911 dispatch logs show. The crash involving the officers patrol car was reported at 8:20 a.m. The left, westbound lane was closed until 11:20 a.m. This is why you move over. Our Trooper suffered minor injuries Wednesday morning when investigating an accident on State Route 370 in Salina. No injury to other driver. Press release to follow. pic.twitter.com/FjFGklwjGO NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) January 22, 2020 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Press Release January 22, 2020 Revilla pushes a measure banning bullying in workplaces Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla is pushing for an early passsage of a measure prohibiting bullying in all establishments and offices, whether in government or in private. Revilla filed Senate Bill 1217, to be known as as "Anti-Office Bullying Act of 2019," which seeks to require all government and non-government offices and establishments to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in places of work. The senator noted that while Congress has already banned bullying in schools, it has yet to enact a similar law covering private and government offices. "These kinds of acts hamper peace and tranquility in a professional environment and disrupt the delivery of services to the public," Revilla said. Republic Act No. 10627 of 2013, or "An Act Requiring all Elementary and Secondary Schools to Adopt Policies to Prevent and Address the Acts of Bullying in their Institutions," defined bullying as "any severe or repeated use ... of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another... that has the effect of actually causing or placing the person in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his/her property." Acts of bullying include actual physical harm, foul language, name-calling, harassment on the internet, commenting negatively on one's looks, clothes or body, spreading rumors, preventing access to the workplace and abusive behavior. In pushing for his proposal, Revilla said bullying not only affects the physical, mental and emotional health but could also cause long-term career problems to a person. "Bullying in the workplace is often ignored and overlooked by both employers and co-employees, but its consequences are not only on the victim's emotional health but on his productivity and morale," he explained. Under the bill, all government and non-government offices, and business establishments, shall adopt policies to address bullying in their respective institutions. The policies should include prohibition on abusive behavior, slanderous statements or accusations, cyberbullying, and similar acts; and clear procedures and strategies to report and penalize such acts. If signed into law, the offices shall formulate and submit to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) their anti-bullying policies. The DOLE and the CSC shall prescribe administrative sanctions for non-compliance with the measure. In addition, erring non-government offices and business establishments may also suffer the penalty of suspension of their permits to operate. "This bill seeks to achieve a more peaceful and harmonious professional environment towards a more productive economy," Revilla said. Once passed into law, the measure tasked the Department of Labor and Employment and the Civil Service Commission to prescribe the appropriate sanctions for noncompliance with the provisions of this Act. Last year, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard said the United States should move to legalize marijuana and decriminalize illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin. This, she told Reason, was her strategy to end Americas war on drugs. In a campaign stop in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Gabbard expanded on that position; she endorsed legalizing all illegal drugs so that addicts can receive proper treatment instead of entering the criminal justice system. New Delhi, Jan 23 : Ahead of Republic Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs, after considering an intelligence alert, has issued a warning to all security agencies to be on alert, saying "derogatory contents" posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi may pose threat, sources said. The Ministry in an official communique to the chiefs of all security agencies, including paramilitary forces and Special Protection Group (SPG), has warned of taking extra measures to keep an eye on each suspicious activity. It is learnt that the Ministry letter, issued last week, refers to the spurt in posting of "derogatory contents and visuals" on various social media platforms against the Prime Minister and other high-risk dignitaries. The Ministry's concern is based on the intelligence report shared with it in the beginning of this month regarding the possibility of "desperate individuals resorting to some extreme measures". Officials in the know of things, requesting anonymity, said that the government has been taking more precautionary measures to avert any untoward incident as intelligence inputs suspect terror attacks ahead of Republic Day. "We are extras cautious this time. Each and every input is being taken care of," an official said. The government's recent decision to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act and conduct the National Population Register (NPR) as well as talks about a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) are among the reasons for high alert mentioned in the report as various violent protests have broken out across the country over the issues. "Social media has been abuzz with activity since these decisions were taken by the government. As protests are still going on at several places, the possibility of threat cannot be ruled out," another security official said. The intelligence report has also warned of terror plots backed by Pakistan-based terror groups to avenge the government's last year's decision to abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one. It has been learnt that the deployment of paramilitary forces and police personnel on Republic Day will be much more than what was done in previous years to avoid and deal with any type of attacks. "Aerial to ground level security will be covered by over 3,000 snipers in the periphery of 3 km on Rajpath where the Republic Day function will be held. Around 70,000 force deployment is expected during the celebrations this time. All borders have already been put on high alert," an official said. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) HIGHLIGHTS Updated Idaho Cobalt Operations ("ICO") Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE"), to improve geological certainty ahead of project financing and mine development, has increased the contained Measured cobalt resource by 22%. Total tonnage of Measured and Indicated resources (available for conversion under JORC into Reserves) also rose by 22%. Jervois bankable feasible study ("BFS") team has revisited and substantially modified stope design and mine plan execution versus the approach taken by prior ICO owners. This will increase mined cobalt grade and reduce dilution versus published historical studies. Updated ICO MRE audited by CSA Global (an ERM Group Company) ahead of appointment of lender Independent Engineer associated with project financing. BFS mine design is underway with an updated ICO Reserve estimate to be released in conjunction with BFS. ICO BFS remains on track for completion by the end of March 2020, with first concentrate production scheduled in Q4 2021. Melbourne, January 21, 2020 - Jervois Mining Ltd. (ASX: JRV) (TSXV: JRV) (OTCQB: JRVMF) (FSE: IHS) ("Jervois" or the "Company") is pleased to announce updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") modelling at its Idaho Cobalt Operations ("ICO") in the United States. Jervois updated the ICO MRE after completing 3,125m (19 holes) of diamond drilling to support its bankable feasibility study ("BFS"). The updated model uses modified methodology to improve estimation using industry standard applications for narrow orebodies, with Jervois also adopting a more appropriate approach to stope and mine plan design. This has involved block rotation and adoption of a smaller cell size than previously used, as the previous MRE released by eCobalt Solutions on 7 February 2018 was unrotated and used cell sizes not conducive to the narrow high-grade interzone intercepts found in the Main Ram zone. The updated MRE is outlined below at an adjusted updated cut-off of 0.15% Co. The broader mineralized envelope at ICO is significant; this represents potential upside to Jervois in the event that future cobalt prices are higher than prevail today. Battery demand for cobalt is expected to rise sharply, and ethical, non-DRC, low capital sources of supply outside of ICO are essentially non-existent. A grade-tonnage sensitivity table is also presented at 0.2% Co cut off to enable comparison with previously published models. Table 1 below details the updated MRE for January 2020 at a 0.15% Co cut-off. Table 2 details the January 2020 updated grade-tonnage sensitivity table at a 0.2% Co cut-off. Table 3 details the previous February 2018 MRE also at a 0.2% Co cut-off. Table 1: 2020 Updated MRE for ICO using 0.15% Co cut-off Category Resource (M Tons) Resource (M tonnes) Co (%) Co (M lbs) Cu (%) Cu (M lbs) Au (oz/Ton) Au (g/tonne) Au (oz) Measured(1) 2.92 2.65 0.45 26.2 0.59 34.4 0.013 0.45 38,000 Indicated(1) 2.85 2.59 0.42 23.8 0.80 45.7 0.018 0.62 51,000 M+I 5.77 5.24 0.44 50.1 0.69 80.1 0.015 0.53 89,000 Inferred(2) 1.73 1.57 0.35 12.0 0.44 15.2 0.013 0.45 23,000 1. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and by definition do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Mineral Resources in this news release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council (2014). 2. This MRE includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. 3. The Cobalt cut-off grade for inclusion in the resource is 0.15%, no consideration of copper or gold content was used in determination of cut-off grade. 4. Contained metal values and totals may differ due to rounding of figures. 5. The MRE was prepared by Scott Zelligan, P.Geo., who is an independent resource geologist. 6. The effective date of the MRE is January 20, 2020. 7. The MRE was based on the results of 111 drill holes completed at the Ram Property. 8. The model was domained using newly modelled constraining wireframes. These were prepared based on a new compilation of all available data and a thorough review of the geological interpretation, including new structural modelling. This included 9 "zone" wireframes as well as multiple offsetting "fault surface" wireframes. 9. The block model used to estimate the MRE has a block size of 12 ft x 12 ft x 4 ft and was rotated -14 around the Z-axis and -58 around the Y axis. These parameters were chosen in order to better represent the deposit with regards to potential mining methods. 10. Drill hole data was composited to 2 ft lengths based on the statistical review of sample lengths. 11. In the main zone Co grades were capped at 4% and Cu grades were capped at 4%. In surrounding zones, Co grades were capped at 0.7% and Cu grades were capped at 2%. 12. Inverse-distance-squared was chosen as the estimation method after a thorough statistical and iterative review of different methods, as it reproduced the grade distribution of the input data best. 13. Maximum search distances in the main zone were 320 ft, and 240 ft in the surrounding zones. Three search passes were used in order to best honour the grade distribution of input data. 14. Resource categorization has been made in consideration of drill spacing, statistical continuity, deposit type, and consideration of the CIM definition standards. To facilitate benchmarking versus prior MRE's, a comparison between the 2020 and 2018 MRE at the prior 2018 cut-off of 0.2% Co is outlined below in Tables 2 and 3: Table 2: January 2020 Updated Grade -Tonnage Sensitivity Table for ICO using 0.20% Co cut-off Category Resource (M short Tons) Co (%) Co (M lbs) Cu (%) Cu (M lbs) Au (oz/Ton) Au (oz) Measured(1) 2.34 0.52 24.2 0.63 29.5 0.015 35,000 Indicated(1) 2.36 0.47 22.1 0.86 40.7 0.020 47,000 M+I 4.70 0.49 46.3 0.74 70.2 0.017 82,000 Inferred(2) 1.22 0.42 10.3 0.50 12.2 0.016 20,000 Table 3: February 2018 MRE for ICO using 0.20% Co cut-off Category Resource (M short Tons) Co (%) Co (M lbs) Cu (%) Cu (M lbs) Au (oz/Ton) Au (oz) Measured(1) 1.50 0.66 19.9 0.78 23.6 0.017 26,000 Indicated(1) 2.37 0.54 25.8 0.89 42.2 0.018 42,000 M+I 3.87 0.59 45.7 0.85 65.8 0.017 68,000 Inferred(2) 1.82 0.46 16.7 0.81 29.4 0.015 27,000 1. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and by definition do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Mineral Resources in this news release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council (2014). 2. This MRE includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. 3. The Cobalt cut-off grade for inclusion in the resource is 0.20%, no consideration of copper or gold content was used in determination of cut-off grade. 4. Contained metal values and totals may differ due to rounding of figures 5. The Mineral Resources reported by eCobalt set out in Table 3 has been prepared in accordance with the NI 43-101 standards of disclosure for Mineral Projects published by the Canadian Security Administrators and estimated using the CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines. NI 43-101 is different from the reporting standard ordinarily applicable to Australian publicly listed companies, the JORC Code. Please refer to the ASX announcement dated 21 June 2019 "Notice of General Meeting/Proxy form", section 8.2. Discussion of Results The updated 2020 MRE increases the resource tonnage available for Reserve conversion (Measured and Indicated classifications), by over 20%. It has also increased the Measured contained cobalt resource by 22% over the previous 2018 model at the same cut-off grade. This has been achieved via additional drilling undertaken in 2019 and the modified block modelling methodology. By rotating the model cells to orientate with the main Ram zone and changing to an inverse distance estimation method, the model now more accurately reflects the nature of the narrow high-grade within the mineralized zones, minimizing grade smearing both into and out of the zones. By minimizing grade smearing, it will now be easier to capture high grades into the mine design stopes. Thus, despite the lower headline MRE grades (at higher tonnages), mined cobalt grades are expected to be higher than in studies published by prior ICO owners. Figure 1 below shows the distribution of grade ranges in long section of the Main Ram zone at the ICO. Figure 2 below shows the distribution of Resource classifications, Measured, Indicated and Inferred in long section of the Main Ram zone and hanging-wall zones at the ICO. Figure 1: Long Section of 2020 ICO MRE - Grade Ranges To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_001full.jpg Figure 2: Long Section of 2020 ICO MRE - Resource Classifications To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_002full.jpg Figure 3: Plan View of 2020 Resource Model showing distribution of Grade Ranges To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_003full.jpg Figure 4: Cross Section of 2020 Resource Model showing distribution of Grade Ranges To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_004full.jpg Figure 3 shows the distribution of grade ranges in plan view of all mineralized zones at the ICO. Figure 4 shows the distribution of grade ranges in cross section. Of note is the higher grades (>0.6% Co) within the Main Ram zone which is flanked by lower grade ranges, displaying a reduction in grade smearing across the orebody. This level of "in zone" grade definition will allow more accurate stope design and grade recovery in the mining process. As the deposit is developed, closer spaced underground drilling will add further definition to the grade ranges and further improve Resource classification. Jervois' confidence in the economic potential of the ICO resource continues to grow as more information is generated for the updated BFS. Mine design and scheduling are progressing, as is plant design. An updated Reserve is expected to be released with completion of the BFS by the end of March 2020. CSA Global (an ERM Group Company) were appointed to audit the updated ICO MRE ahead of this publication and release of the geological model to lenders as part of the project financing process currently underway. Jervois continues to believe there is significant potential to operate at higher production rates than currently formalised under existing feasibility studies in an environmentally responsible manner, with the rotation of block cells part of this. This will require no modification to the existing ICO operating permits which currently cap ore production at 1,200 short tons per day. Similar to the audit role of CSA Global on the MRE, the Wood Group (who are also undertaking the ICO refinery scoping study) were appointed in Q4 2019 to undertake an audit of ICO environmental compliance and operating permits ahead of the appointment of lender Independent Engineers. 2020 drill programme planning will be undertaken in Q1 to further prove up and expand the MRE once the summer drilling season commences. Wood's scoping study on a domestic cobalt refinery within the United States continues, with the production design scope rising to reflect the positive impact of a mining operation delivering higher volumes of cobalt concentrate. Quality Assurance Core samples are sent to ALS Elko Nevada, an independent and fully accredited laboratory in the USA for analysis for gold & multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy. Core samples from the main Ram zone were also sent to SGS Lakefield, Canada for analysis as per ALS Elko and for further metallurgical testing. Jervois also has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control program where at least 10% duplicates, standards and blanks are inserted into each sample shipment. On behalf of Jervois Mining Ltd., Bryce Crocker, CEO For further information, please contact: Investors and analysts: Simon Clarke EGM Corporate Affairs sclarke@jervoismining.com Cell: +1 604 551 9665 Media: Nathan Ryan NWR Communications nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Mob: +61 420 582 887 Competent Person's Statement The information in this release that relates to Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Jervois's Geological consultants, Orix Geoscience, and analysed by Scott Zelligan, P.Geol who is an independent consultant to Jervois. The information has been reviewed by David Selfe who is full time employee of the company and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. David Selfe has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. David Selfe consents to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. Disclosure required for TSX-V Regulations Qualified Person's Statement The technical content of this news release has been compiled and approved by Scott Zelligan, P.Geol a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the Mineral Resource Estimate, exploration work to be undertaken in Idaho, the reliability of third party information, and certain other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1 report Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralization that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverized to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases, more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralization types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. The data used for Resource estimation is based on the logging and sampling of DD completed over several campaigns since 1997. The Competent Person believes the data used for the estimate has been done to a reasonable standard. A nominal 2 to 3 ft sample interval was used throughout most campaigns. Historic samples were typically sent to Chemex labs and ALS laboratories in Nevada USA. For the 2019 drill program, ALS and SGS were used (Reno, Nevada and Lakefield, Ontario, respectively) for analysis using aqua regia digest with an AAS or ICP-AES finish. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). All drilling used in the estimate consisted of inclined DD holes drilled to a wide range of depths, but not exceeding 512m (~1600 ft). Drill core size intended for exploration varied in size between NQ and PQ, whilst metallurgical testing holes were drilled at PQ size. The average hole depth is ~210 m (~690 ft). Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Little and sparse sample recovery information exists in the historical, pre-2019 data. Some of it, exists in the form of handwritten notes in pdfs. However, the 2019 drilling program has recorded core recovery and RQD details. At this time, it is not possible to assess whether a significant relationship between sample recovery and grade exists. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Geological logging of drillhole samples was done with enough detail to meet the requirements of resource estimation and mining studies. Core is photographed and core trays retained, with the only exception being a small fraction of material consumed completely for metallurgical tests. No geotechnical logging has been sighted by the Competent Person. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. DD samples meant for analysis were typically cut in half using a diamond blade core saw. One half was to remain in the core tray/box and the other half to be collected in plastic bags, labeled and submitted to the lab. In the case of metallurgical testing, half core was sent for metallurgy, quarter core sent for lab analysis, and the remaining quarter kept in the box/tray. Samples are received at the laboratory: Bar codes are scanned and logged; samples are weighed and dried; samples are crushed to 70% less than 2mm, riffle split off 250g, pulverize split to better than 85% passing 75 microns; all samples are analyzed for 35 elements using ICP-AES and gold using 30 gram Fire assay for core, both with an AA finish. Any samples with over-limits specific to base metals or gold are re-analyzed. For core sampling the same side is consistently sampled, half-core is retained in the tray for HQ for PQ quarter core is retained and half core is reserved for metallurgical test sample. The assay sub- sample is placed into sample bags labelled with the assigned sample number. One in 20 samples is duplicated where the core is quartered and a quarter cut sample is analysed as a duplicate. The remaining quarter samples is retained in the tray. Sample sizes of 2-3 kg are appropriate for the grain size of material. The sample preparation technique and sample sizes are considered appropriate to the material being sampled. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Orix and Scott Zelligan's analysis of the QC data based on historical reports, as well as the 2019 QC samples, determined that any identified issue has been addressed and corrected therefore the data is suitable for resource estimation purposes. Handheld XRF was only used for mineral identification. No handheld XRF analysis were used in the drilling database. Three different Standard samples (Low, medium and high Co%) were inserted in the sequence in approximately (1 in every 20 sample numbers). Blanks made of brick material were inserted in approximately (1 in every 40 sample numbers) and specifically after the end of any given interval were visible strong Co mineralization was present. Orix and Scott Zelligan recommended the use of brick to be discontinued and to be replaced by a certified quartz blank. QAQC samples (standards, blanks and duplicates) represent 7.8% of all samples collected during the 2019 program. Duplicates, repeats and blanks generally fall within an acceptable level of accuracy for key economic elements. Excursions are re-assayed by the lab and confirmed. Laboratory QAQC included the use of CRMs, blanks, splits and duplicates. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Scott Zelligan reviewed the drilling data and visited site in late 2019 to review and approve standard of procedures applied during the 2019 drill program. The historic drilling database was supplied by Jervois as a Microsoft Access database created by MDA in 2010. The database was reviewed, corrected, and completed by Orix Geoscience prior to the start of the 2019 drilling campaign. The new compiled drillhole database exists as an excel sheet with multiple tabs. The new database was validated by Scott Zelligan prior to the Resource estimation. No adjustments to assay data were performed. Adjustments to the database included for the most part, corrections to discrepancies in lithology between detailed logs and quick logs, as well as adding missing drillholes from later campaigns. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Drillhole collars were surveyed by Wade Surveying, a group of licensed surveyors in Idaho. Downhole surveying predominantly used reflex EZ shot for all campaigns, however, the 2019 drill program used a TN14 unit for azimuth and dip line up of the rig in addition to the downhole reflex surveys. The drilling and topography survey coordinates are recorded in both the local mine grid in feet, as well as UTM NAD83 Z11N in metric units. An aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) survey was performed in 2018. This data was used to create a surface digital terrain model (DTM). Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. The drilling was completed along a set of northeast-southwest trending sections perpendicular to the strike of the mineralization. Drill spacing ranges from ~15-20 m (~50-70 ft) near the center of the deposit to an average of ~75-90 m (~250-300 ft) along strike. The section spacing is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity necessary to support the resource classifications that were applied. All samples were composited to 2 ft, as the majority of samples were 2 or 3 feet. Rather than force samples to exactly 2 feet, the compositing process approximated as closely to 2 feet as possible within each drillhole interval without excluding any samples. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. The location and orientation of the drilling is appropriate, given the strike and morphology of the mineralization. The location and orientation of the drilling is unlikely to introduce any material sample bias Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Samples are cut and bagged on the ICO site by Jervois staff. The samples are placed in plastic bags with a uniquely numbered sample tag. The sample number is also written on the outside of the bag. Two or more samples up to a weight of approximately 20kg are placed in a larger plastic bag which is then zip tied. The corresponding sample numbers are also written on this bag. The combined samples are then transported by Jervois staff to the Salmon warehouse. Sample bags are then loaded onto pallets for transfer to a courier by Jervois office/warehouse staff. Sample number details and weights are recorded along with dispatch dates. Corresponding sample submission forms are completed and sent to the analytical lab. The courier provides consignment notes and dispatch documentation to Jervois office/warehouse staff. Upon arrival at the analytical lab the consignment details are notified to Jervois and online tracking of the assaying process begins. Results are delivered under electronic encryption. All pulps and rejects are returned to Jervois' warehouse in Salmon and stored for future reference. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. The most recent audit was by CSA Global Consultants Canada (CSA Global) in December 2019/January 2020 which reviewed the procedures, methodology and geology data. The audit did not include a site visit. The audit identified some areas for future improvement including the capture of bulk density data, drill logging consistency and domaining. All recommendations are being or have been adopted for future work programs and MRE generation. Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results (Where relevant to reporting Mineral Resources) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. Idaho Cobalt Operations consists of 243 unpatented mineral claims totalling 5990 acres. The claims are 100% owned by Jervois subsidiary Formation Capital LLC and are in good standing. Unpatented Mineral Claims: Ownership of unpatented mining claims in the U.S. is in the name of the holder, with ownership of the minerals belonging to the United States of America, under the administration of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Under the Mining Law of 1872, which governs the location of unpatented mining claims on federal lands, the locator has the right to explore, develop and mine minerals on unpatented mining claims without payments of production royalties to the federal government. Annual claim maintenance and filing fees paid before September 1st each year are the only federal encumbrances to unpatented mining claims. Exploration plans are permitted and administered by the Unites States Forestry Service. The United States Department of Agriculture Salmon Challis National Forest (the Forest Service) issued a revised Record of Decision (the ROD) for the ICO in January 2009. The ROD described the decision to approve a Mine Plan of Operations (MPO) for mining, milling and concentrating mineralized material from the ICO. The ROD was subsequently affirmed by the Forest Service in April 2009. The Plan of Operations at the ICO mine and mill remained unchanged and the ROD remains in place. In December 2009, the Forest Service approved the MPO allowing for the commencement of ICO construction. There are no known encumbrances. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. The ICO came under Jervois management following the merger with eCobalt in 2019. Prior to this merger, the area has a long history of copper and cobalt exploration and mining. Copper mineralization in the Blackbird Creek area was discovered in 1892, and the area was soon explored as both a copper and gold prospect. The area was first mined by Union Carbide at the Haynes-Stellite Mine located south of the present ICO claim block, during World War I. Union Carbide mined approximately 4,000 tons of cobalt-bearing ore before ceasing operations. From 1938 to 1941, the Uncle Sam Mining and Milling Company operated a mine at the south end of the present Blackbird mine and reportedly mined about 3,600 tons of ore. Calera Mining Company, a division of Howe Sound Company, developed and mined the Blackbird deposit between 1943 and 1959 under a contract to supply cobalt to the U.S. government. Calera stopped mining when the government contract was terminated in 1960. Machinery Center Inc. mined from the district between 1963 and 1966, when Idaho Mining Company (owned by Hanna Mining Company) purchased the property. Noranda optioned the property from Hanna in 1977 and carried out extensive exploration, mine rehabilitation and metallurgical testing. In 1979 Noranda and Hanna formed the Blackbird Mining Company (BMC) to develop the property. BMC completed an internal feasibility study of their property at the time, including material from the Sunshine deposit in 1982. BMC allowed perimeter claims to lapse in 1994, and eCobalt restaked much of that ground. From 1995 to the present, eCobalt completed surface geochemical sampling and drilled 158 diamond drill holes on the ICO ground. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralization. The Ram deposit is a metasedimentary stratabound Co-Cu deposit, of the lehmni sub basin of the Mesoproterozoic Belt-Purcell basin. Although still under some debate, this deposit has been previously interpreted as a variation of a Beshi VMS as well as an IOCG deposit type more recently. Mineralization occurs in hydrothermally biotized/chloritized lenses in a metamorphic succession of siltite, greywacke, and argillites. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. No Exploration data is being reported in this release. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. In previous reports weighted averaging has been used in reported composite intervals and individual results are also listed, no grade truncations etc. has been used. Aggregate intercepts are reported using a grade metre calculation. For example: ((assay x meter interval sampled) + (assay x meter interval sampled) + (assay x meter interval sampled) / divided by total number of meters in the interval). Individual sample intercepts are also shown. No metal equivalent values have been reported. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg 'down hole length, true width not known'). Downhole lengths are reported. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Refer to figures and tables in the body of the text. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. No exploration results are stated in this report. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. There is no other substantive exploration data. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Jervois plans to undertake infill drilling to upgrade resource categories as well as to test the footwall horizons discovered during the 2019 drill program. An updated Feasibility Study is currently underway incorporating the updated Mineral Resource Estimate, mining studies, metallurgical studies, mine design, scheduling and Plant design. This Feasibility Study is expected to be completed in March 2020. Section 3 Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources (Criteria listed in section 1, and where relevant in section 2, also apply to this section.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Database integrity Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by, for example, transcription or keying errors, between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes. Data validation procedures used. The data has been compiled and collated by Orix Geoscience. Extensive data validation was undertaken as part of that process, including a complete review of all original data sources (where available) to eliminate any and all transcription and keying errors. That validation has been reviewed by the author. The author used standard 3D modeling software procedures to check the database for any overlaps or contradictory lithological or assay intervals. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits. If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. Scott Zelligan visited site during the period of October 4-6 2019. Scott Zelligan viewed the logging and sampling facilities and drilled areas while drilling and sampling was being undertaken at the time of the visit. David Selfe visited site twice during the drilling program of 2019 for periods longer than 3 weeks at a time and viewed the logging and sampling facilities and drilled areas while drilling and sampling was being undertaken at the time of the visit. Geological interpretation Confidence in (or conversely, the uncertainty of ) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit. Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made. The effect, if any, of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation. The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation. The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology. It is the author's opinion that the local geology and style of mineralization is well understood as a result of work undertaken by Jervois. The interpretation used in this estimate is based entirely on a first principles geological approach (no grade data used to develop domains). This was undertaken using a new lithological database compiled by geologists who have logged core at site. The interpretation used in this estimation was very different from the previous resource estimation, which employed a grade-based domain approach. The results are not materially different. Continuity appears to be largely controlled by stratification, minor alteration/remobilization, and by structure (both offset faulting and soft-sediment deformation). These factors were all accounted for during the modeling process. Dimensions The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise), plan width, and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource. The Ram deposit extends over 4200 ft along strike and over 2100 ft across strike, with mineralization present approximately from surface to a maximum vertical depth of 2100 ft. The main zone has a "true" thickness that varies from 10 to 100 ft. The deposit consists of the main zone ("mmh" zone) and eight other sub-zones, six in the hanging-wall and two in the footwall. Estimation and modelling techniques The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme grade values, domaining, interpolation parameters and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parameters used. The availability of check estimates, previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data. The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products. Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (eg sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation). In the case of block model interpolation, the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed. Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units. Any assumptions about correlation between variables. Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates. Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping. The process of validation, the checking process used, the comparison of model data to drill hole data, and use of reconciliation data if available. The mineralization has been estimated using Inverse-Distance-Squared. Block modelling and grade estimation was undertaken using Surpac software. The deposit was last estimated in 2017 and 2018 by Micon. Consideration was made for these results, however the domaining method was reconsidered in favor of a lithology-based approach. No assumptions were made in terms of potential by-products. Regional faulting was recorded in the block model, as well as As and S values. A parent block size of 12 x 12 x 4 ft was used in a rotated model (-14 around the Z axis and -58 around the Y axis). Block size was chosen in consideration of the potential SMU size. Drill spacing in the best-informed areas varies from 80-200 ft, with wider spacing around the edges. Variography downhole indicated a very short distance of correlation in Co samples perpendicular to the zone, but a distance of 160 ft to the sill in parallel directions. For this reason, a primary search ellipse of 160 x 160 x 8 was used for Co in the main zone (240x240x24 in other zones). Variography downhole indicated a longer distance of correlation in Cu and Au samples perpendicular to the zone, but a distance of 160 ft to the sill in parallel directions. For this reason, in the main zone a primary search ellipse of 160 x 160 x 40 was used for Cu and 160 x 160 x 20 for Au (in other zones 240x240x24 for both). Co and Cu were both capped at 4 % in the main zone, in consideration of grade histograms and log probability plots. Au is generally low grade and it was not necessary to cap it. Where necessary, differing search ellipse dips were employed to account for fault blocks that had been rotated relative to the dominant trend. The estimates were validated using a visual and statistical comparison of the block grade estimates to the input drillhole composite data. Moisture Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture, and the method of determination of the moisture content. All tonnages have been estimated as dry tonnages. Cut-off parameters The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parameters applied. The mineralization was reported using a 0.15% Co grade. This was chosen in consideration of metallurgical and mining factors, as well as forecast Co prices and reporting of similar projects. Mining factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods, minimum mining dimensions and internal (or, if applicable, external) mining dilution. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods, but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parameters when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made. It is assumed the deposit will be mined underground using cut and fill, back slash stoping methods based on previously completed mining studies. Metallurgical factors or assumptions The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods, but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parameters made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made. It is assumed that one or more cobalt and copper concentrates will be produced by conventional sulphide flotation methods based on previously completed metallurgical studies. Environmental factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts, particularly for a greenfields project, may not always be well advanced, the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported. Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made. It is assumed that most tailings residue and waste rock is returned underground as stope and void fill. Minor amounts will be stored in a small tailings facility on site at the ICO. Bulk density Whether assumed or determined. If assumed, the basis for the assumptions. If determined, the method used, whether wet or dry, the frequency of the measurements, the nature, size and representativeness of the samples. The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs, porosity, etc), moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit. Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials. There are two generations of SG results. Both use the wet-weight/dry-weight method. The first generation was measured on-site by core-logging geologists. The second generation was sent to SGS Lakefield laboratory in Ontario, Canada for measurement. The on-site measurements total 729. The off-site lab measurements total 99. Consideration was taken to have measurements of varying grades of both Co and Cu. As would be expected, SG correlated roughly with the Co and Cu assays (~0.3 for Co, Cu, and Co+Cu). A scatterplot was generated of Co+Cu vs SG, and from this a linear formula was derived to populate the model with density (y = 0.065x + 2.8861) Classification The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories. Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (ie relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations, reliability of input data, confidence in continuity of geology and metal values, quality, quantity and distribution of the data). Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit. The resources have been classified based on drill spacing and search distance/number of composites. The author is confident in the results, with the current estimation representing a "back-to-basics" approach of completely rebuilding the dataset and remodeling the estimation domains based solely on geology. The numbers generated hew closely to those generated in the last two estimates which employed a grade-based domain method, meaning two different approaches produced very similar results, which demonstrates the deposits robustness. The classification considers views and concerns raised by a number of previous workers. Jervois believes the estimate appropriately reflects the view of the competent person. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates. The model has been internally reviewed by Jervois and Orix Geoscience. CSA Global, has been involved as a reviewer through the calculating/modelling process, and conducted an audit of the MRE and associated inputs. Their findings did not identify any fatal flaws or major issues that would materially impact the MRE. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person. For example, the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the resource within stated confidence limits, or, if such an approach is not deemed appropriate, a qualitative discussion of the factors that could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate. The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates, and, if local, state the relevant tonnages, which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation. Documentation should include assumptions made and the procedures used. These statements of relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate should be compared with production data, where available. It is the competent persons view that this Mineral Resource Estimate is accurate and reflects a conservative approach to the deposit. The results have been compared to the 2 prior Resource models for 2017 and 2018 and compare favorably in the context of additional drilling conducted in 2019 and estimation methodology. This statement relates to the global estimate of the Ram zone and hangingwall and footwall zones. It does not include any other mineralization within the ICO, such as the Sunshine and Sunshine East deposits which are at an insufficient stage of exploration to determine a Resource. No statistical assessment of estimation error (e.g. using conditional simulation tools) has been undertaken. There has been no historical mining of the deposit. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51707 The HMD-built Nokia 2.3 is now available for pre-sale in the US at at least one retailer, with another sales site reportedly planned soon. Set at near the bottom of the price bracket for Nokia handsets, the device is a clearly-defined budget handset. But the Nokia 2.3 is also a more well-rounded handset than many in its market segment. Not only does it feature a respectable battery. The cameras, hardware features, and design also fall into a range closer to the mid-range bracket. That makes it one of the better handsets around when it comes to the sub-$200 segment of the Android market. Advertisement What kind of device is the Nokia 2.3? As noted above, the HMD-built Nokia 2.3 is a decidedly budget-friendly smartphone. But that isnt necessarily a bad thing. Not only is Android continuously adapting to serve budget devices better with each iteration. The gap between budget, mid-range, and top tier handsets is slowly but surely shrinking. The 6.2-inch Nokia 2.3 ships with an HD+ display panel that takes up most of the front thanks to a minuscule waterdrop notch. The notch houses a 5MP selfie camera and the overall handset format comes in a taller-than-average ratio. Under the hood, a sizeable 4000mAh battery powers a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset. HMD Global backs that up with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. On the back half of the handset, Nokia includes a 12-megapixel primary snapper with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. That comes complete with portrait mode features and a Google Top Shot-like feature driven by AI. That latter feature could either be great here or not. It was not well-received when it first launched on Googles Pixel in 2018. Advertisement Here, buyers are getting an Android One program handset, aligning with the Nokia 2.3s predecessor. That means it will see at least two years of firmware updates and three years of security-specific updates. It also means, thanks in part to how quickly Nokia updates its handsets, that the updates will arrive faster than usual. But there may actually be a caveat to that here. While the timeframe means that the Nokia 2.3 should eventually see, tentatively, Android 12, it still doesnt have Android 10. Its possible thats going to count against it, depending on when the twelfth version of Android arrives and how quickly it can be ported over to this specific handset. Regardless, this handset should see three years of security. So it will still be usable for at least a year longer than many handsets. Face unlocking and a dedicated Google Assistant hardware key are part of the overall package too. Advertisement Pre-sales and pricing In the US, the HMD Global-built Nokia 2.3 is available at a starting cost of just $129. Thats a bargain for the styling and internals but there is also at least one caveat. Namely, HMD Global is not bringing its less commonly seen Cyan Green hue stateside. Instead, buyers can only pick up the device in Sand or Charcoal colorations. Pre-sales are opening up this week at Best Buy first. Amazon is slated to begin next week, giving consumers in the region two places to pick one of these Nokia-branded budget phones up. She's one of the world's most in-demand catwalk supermodels. But Karlie Kloss proved she can command attention both on and off the runway as she made a stylish appearance during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Wednesday. The cover girl, 27, wrapped up warm in a chic cream teddy coat, teamed with high-waist jeans, a black tank top and a cherry red blazer for her outing in the City of Light. Casual chic: Karlie Kloss proved she can command attention both on and off the runway as she made a stylish appearance during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Wednesday The supermodel sheltered her eyes from the Parisian sun with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, while keeping comfortable in black leather ballet pumps. The runway queen accessorised with chunky gold hoop earrings, a matching necklace and a black handbag with stud detailing. Karlie opted for natural hair and makeup as she headed out and about in the fashion capital. The model was fresh from an appearance at the star-studded $6.5million wedding of Dasha Zhukova, 38, the ex-wife of Chelsea owner Roman Abrahamovic, and billionaire Stavros Niarchos, 34, over the weekend. Radiant: The cover girl, 27, wrapped up warm in a chic cream teddy coat, teamed with high-waist jeans, a black tank top and a cherry red blazer for her outing in the City of Light All in the details: The supermodel sheltered her eyes from the Parisian sun with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, while keeping comfortable in black leather ballet pumps Turning the streets into her own catwalk: Karlie opted for natural hair and makeup as she headed out and about in the fashion capital Karlie and her husband Joshua Kushner, 34, joined an A-list crowd in descending upon the ritzy Swiss ski resort of St. Moritz for the wild nuptials. The wedding ceremony took place in the St Moritz town hall building, before the couple celebrated the marriage at five-star hotel Kulm St. Moritz Hotel, which is perched on the slopes and owned by the Niarchos family, with a glitzy party. Dasha was married to Chelsea owner Roman, 53, for nearly 10 years before ending their relationship with a multi-million pound divorce in 2017. They share son Aaron Alexander, 10, and daughter Leah Lou, six. Smitten: The model was fresh from an appearance at the star-studded $6.5million wedding of Dasha Zhukova, 38, and billionaire Stavros Niarchos, 34, over the weekend (pictured on Friday) Stavros' most high-profile romance to date was with socialite Paris, 38, who he dated from late 2005 until March 2007. The businessman, who is part of the Greek shipping Niarchos dynasty, was also in relationships with actresses Lindsay Lohan and Mary-Kate Olsen, and model Jessica Hart. Stavros's father Stavros Jr and uncle Spyros are the largest private landowners in St. Moritz. Members of the royal family are avoiding questions about Prince Harry and Meghan Markles royal exit like the plague, which is why Camilla Parker Bowles recent reaction to Megxit is so interesting. Camilla was asked about the couples stunning exit during a recent royal engagement, and while she was clearly not expecting the question, her reaction has sparked questions about how she really feels about the situation. So what did Camilla have to say about Harry and Meghan stepping down as senior members of the royal family? Camilla Parker Bowles and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images Camilla Parker Bowles surprised by Megxit questions A journalist named Chris Ship surprised Camilla outside a royal engagement at Buckingham Palace. According to Marie Claire, Ship asked Camilla if she was going to miss Harry and Meghan now that they are not senior members of the royal family. In response, Camilla hesitated before saying, Hmmmm, Course. Camilla then walked on and did her best to not react to any further questioning. Camilla Parker Bowles was obviously surprised by the question, and her answer was brief due to the fact that she was already walking away when it was asked. Even still, the fact that she hesitated is interesting and offers an insight into what she really thinks about the drama. I hope that in my twilight years, I'll still have my sardonic faculties to be able to deliver high level shade at a Camilla Parker Bowles level https://t.co/ppwMFewhzc Carmelita B (@CarmelitaBouie) January 21, 2020 It might also indicate that the royals are still rather shocked by Harry and Meghans decision, which reportedly blindsided everyone in the royal family. Another point of intrigue is how Camilla did not mention how she is still going to see Harry and Meghan. The two have stepped down from their posts, but its not like they are permanently moving away and will never see his side of the family anymore. Did Camilla help determine Harry and Meghans fate? While royal watchers continue to pick apart Camillas response, there is a chance that Camilla played a part in determining Harry and Meghans fate. In the days following their stunning announcement, Harry met with senior members of the royal family to further discuss his decision. Although Camilla Parker Bowles is a Privy Councillor, she did not make the meetings, which included Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William. For those that are not aware, the Privy Council is a group of advisors that guide Queen Elizabeth. We do not know if Queen Elizabeth sought the advice of the Privy Council before stripping Harry and Meghan of their formal titles. Moving forward, Harry and Meghan will no longer be referred to as his or her royal highness. They will, however, keep their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as the name of their charity, Sussex Royal. While the royals are still dealing with the aftermath of their exit, Harry and Meghan are currently in Canada. Inside Camilla Parker Bowles struggles Harry and Meghan ultimately stepped down as senior members of the royal family because of all the drama they have faced in the media since tying the knot in 2018. While some royal watchers have sympathized with their plight, they are hardly the first royals who have faced intense scrutiny by the press. In fact, Camilla is one of the few members of the royal family who understands exactly what Harry and Meghan are going through. The only difference is that Camilla weathered the storm and remained a senior member of the royal family through it all. As fans will recall, Camilla Parker Bowles faced a lot of negative reports after she rekindled her romance with Charles, who was also put through the wringer after his affair with Camilla ruined his marriage to Princess Diana. So Camilla Parker-Bowles (@clarencehouse) is working with The Sun, who trashed the #DuchessofSussex. Wow. No more words are needed. That collaboration speaks volumes about the complicity of @royalfamily in smearing Meghan. pic.twitter.com/zoxgDNDQWY modern_sussex (@ModernSussex) January 17, 2020 But instead of quitting the royal family, Camilla and Charles stuck to their guns and slowly repaired their public image. Charles is a man who, after the death of Diana and his marriage to Camilla, suffered more adverse publicity than any member of the Royal Family in modern times, Arthur Edwards, a royal photographer, shared. He didnt run away. He didnt hide. He didnt criticize. He didnt ban anybody from the Rota. Whats next for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? In their official statement, Harry and Meghan revealed that they want to become financially independent from the crown and spend part of their time in Canada each year. The two recently reunited on Vancouver Island and are reportedly looking to purchase a home in the area. They are also no longer relying on public funding and are expected to pay back the money that was used to renovate their home in Windsor, Frogmore Cottage. Camilla Parker Bowles, along with other senior members of the royal family, have returned to their busy schedules as Meghan and Harry are setting up a hopefully quieter life in Canada. Journalist Golunov demands apology from authorities for illegal prosecution RIA Novosti, Vladimir Pesnya 15:41 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) - Journalist Ivan Golunov has filed a complaint to a new Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov asking for official apology from the state for illegal prosecution, according to his attorney Sergey Badamshin. He also demands to recognize failure of the officials of the Prosecutor Generals Office to issue a formal apology on behalf of the state as illegal, Badamshin told RAPSI on Wednesday. The lawyer noted that a prosecutor must issue a formal apology in a written form in a month after a case was closed on exonerative grounds. As of today, Golunov received no apologies, he added. In late December, investigators opened the case over arrest of Golunov. The journalist was recognized as an injured party. There are five defendants in the case; all of them have been dismissed from police. Golunov was arrested in Moscow on June 6. On June 8, the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow placed him under house arrest for 2 months. According to the Interior Ministrys official statement, police seized nearly 4 grams of methylmethedrone from Golunov. The journalist pleaded not guilty, insisted that the drugs were planted on him during the arrest and claimed that his prosecution is related to his journalistic investigations. According to his defense, an examination showed no drugs in his biomaterial. On June 11, charges against Golunov were dropped because of a lack of evidence that he participated in the crime, and the journalist was released. On June 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed two generals of police on the back of the arrest of Golunov. Economic growth in the Gulf will pick up this year and next, helped by Saudi Arabia's investment programme and Expo 2020 in Dubai, although the region will continue to feel the impact of oil output cuts, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday. OPEC and non-OPEC allies agreed in December to deepen output cuts, coming in addition to previously agreed curbs of 1.2 million bpd, and will represent about 1.7% of global oil output. Saudi Arabia's economy grew 0.3% in 2019, and is expected to grow 2.0% in 2020 and 2.2% in 2021, the poll of 26 economists, conducted Jan. 7-21, projected. A similar poll three months ago, gave the same forecasts for 2020 and 2021 but estimated 0.7% growth in 2019. "Saudi Arabia's third quarter GDP data, showing a fall of 0.5% year-on-year, was broadly as expected, with OPEC+ cuts constraining the contribution of the oil sector to economic growth," Oxford Economics wrote in a research note. But diversification efforts "show signs of feedthrough", it said. Monica Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, said a stronger non-oil sector would help Saudi Arabia. "Real GDP growth in Saudi should benefit from stronger non-oil activity as the investment programme gains momentum. The drag from the oil sector should moderate in 2020 following a sharp reduction in oil output in 2019," she said. Median forecasts for growth in Oman, a relatively small Gulf crude producer, were significantly slashed. Analysts saw 1.0% growth in 2019, 1.7% in 2020 and 2.3% in 2021. Three months ago, Oman's GDP was seen growing 1.3% in 2019, 3.2% in 2020 and 3.0% in 2021. Oman's ruler of 50 years, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, died earlier this month. Maya Senussi, senior economist at Oxford Economics, said deeper oil production cuts agreed by OPEC and allies in December, and prospects for non-oil activity remaining weak, have weighed on Oman's outlook. Analysts forecast growth of 1.7% in 2019 for the United Arab Emirates, down from 2.2% in the poll three months ago. Its 2020 and 2021 estimates were unchanged. The governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the country's two main emirates, have boosted spending to provide stimulus to their economies. Dubai, which will host Expo 2020 this year, announced a record budget of around $18 billion this year, a 17% increase year on year, while Abu Dhabi announced in 2018 a three-year package of $13.6 billion. Kuwait, which said last week it expects a budget deficit of 9.2 billion dinars ($30.3 billion) in the fiscal year starting on April 1, was forecast to see 0.5% economic growth in 2019, down from the 1% expected three months ago. Kuwait's GDP growth was revised down to 1.9% in 2020 from 2.2% three months earlier. Expectations for its 2021 growth, however, have risen to 2.6% from 2.3%. GDP growth for Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, was revised down to 0.9% in 2019 from 2.0% three months ago. Its 2020 forecast was cut to 2.1% from 2.4%, while its 2021 estimate was lifted to 2.5% from 2.3%. GOP senators who raised questions about the evidence issue were concerned that it would give Democrats easy ammunition to portray Republicans as being unfair, according to two of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the senators sentiments. Many Republicans were also upset that pushing 24 hours of opening arguments into two days for each side a restriction that was not included in the rules for President Bill Clintons trial in 1999 would give the appearance that the GOP was rushing the trial. YORK, Pa., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PeoplesBank, A Codorus Valley Company, will be launching a refreshed brand, including a new logo, colors, and brand messaging to the market in March 2020. Our newly refreshed brand communicates the heart of who weve always been at PeoplesBank, an independent and local community bank with a commitment to helping our clients achieve their dreams and live confidently, stated Kristen Heisey, VP, Director of Marketing and Client Experience. The objective of the refresh is to ensure we continue to stay relevant to the changing needs of our current and future clients while keeping several elements of the brand the same. The new logo reveals a new mark, while the name, font, and general color scheme remain. Our new logo represents our commitment to helping our clients move forward. Our clients are represented by the cranberry diamond, exemplifying that they are the center of everything we do. The element to the left represents PeoplesBank embracing and supporting our clients, while the arrow to the far right signifies how we help our clients move forward toward accomplishing their goals and dreams, remarked Heisey. Considerable analysis and client research was conducted in 2019 on how the PeoplesBank brand is perceived and recognized across all markets. The findings from this research, along with client feedback, laid the ground work for the new visual identity, as well as new client experience concepts that will be implemented into the new Lancaster City Connections Center and across PeoplesBanks footprint in 2020. The Lancaster City Connections Center is expected to open in March 2020 and will focus on enhancing the client conversation by creating vision boards through an interactive touch screen. While we may have a refreshed look, we are still the same bank with the same commitment to delivering a distinct client experience, building lifetime clients, and serving as trusted financial mentors, remarked Craig L. Kauffman, President and CEO. Our focus is to serve as community builders, dedicated to investing our time, talent, and resources into the communities we serve by living out our mission, vision, and values every day. A phased rollout of the refreshed brand will begin in February with the new Lancaster City Connections Center and signage transitions will continue to occur over several months in the communities we serve. The official launch will take place in March, which will include a new brand campaign, refreshed website, and updated marketing materials. To learn more about the brand refresh, visit. With assets in excess of $1.8 billion, PeoplesBank, A Codorus Valley Company, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Codorus Valley Bancorp, Inc., the largest independent financial institution headquartered in York County, Pennsylvania. PeoplesBank offers a full range of consumer, business, wealth management, and mortgage services at financial centers located in communities throughout South Central Pennsylvania and Central Maryland. The Defense Department needs to do more to track whether its physician and dentist retention and recruitment programs are working, a government watchdog report states. Released last week, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report also found that DoD wages for all physician specialties -- excluding non-monetary benefits such as housing and retirement pensions -- are below median private-sector wages. The report concludes that the DoD is not "consistently" tracking what civilians in the same fields earn. And it's not collecting data on retention bonus acceptance rates or determining how much it costs to train a replacement when a physician leaves. "By collecting and using this information to help inform its decision-making," GAO staff wrote, "DoD would be better positioned to assess the effectiveness of its incentives to recruit and retain military physicians and dentists and make sound investment decisions for the future." Related: Military Medical Merger Should Lead to Faster Hospital Admission, Officials Say Knowing replacement costs would help the DoD decide whether it's more cost effective to push to retain medical personnel rather than training new ones, the report states. It would also help determine the effectiveness of incentives and bonuses, which haven't changed much in the last decade. Meanwhile, the Defense Department is exploring other ways to address its personnel shortage, including extending service obligations for students receiving DoD assistance for physician or dentist education. Students in the DoD's scholarship program have a two-year minimum service obligation, with six months of active-duty service obligations for each six months of benefits received. Medical students attending the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences -- a free, DoD-sponsored medical school -- accrue a seven-year active-duty service obligation. GAO staff held several round tables with students enrolled at USUHS and others receiving DoD scholarships. It found 68% and 46%, respectively, would be willing to accept one more year of obligation. But few were interested in two additional years of obligation. "Specifically, participants in five out of eight of our focus groups with medical residents and DoD officials ... expressed concern that lengthening service obligations would delay physicians' eligibility for retention bonuses, resulting in a reduction of cash compensation over the course of a career," the report states. It also found that a longer obligation would make students decide to separate and train in a civilian residency program after serving one or more tours as General Medical Officers to complete their active-duty service obligation; decline further medical training and a specialization via a military fellowship program; or separate from the military sooner than planned. The report raises old concerns about the DoD's challenges filling medical specialty positions, but the GAO acknowledged that there are national shortages and the department is competing with the private sector. "Specifically, we found that DoD's use of its recruitment and retention programs was not fully addressing military physician gaps in certain critical specialties, in part because DoD did not have targeted and coordinated strategies for reducing such gaps," the GAO report states. DoD officials said there's a group working on a plan to recruit and retain critical specialties, which will be released by June 2020. They concurred with the other GAO recommendations, saying changes will be made within two years. -- Dorothy Mills-Gregg can be reached at dorothy.mills-gregg@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DMillsGregg. Read More: 'An Embarrassment to the Navy:' Modly Censures Chief Accused of Taking $10K in Gifts The Senate will convene Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET for opening statements in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, though arguments may not begin right away. Like Tuesday, news networks will cover the event with special reports and it will stream online via C-SPAN2, as well as on that TV channel. Watch above via PBS NewsHour. The House impeachment managers and defense lawyers will each able to make any motion except one seeking documents and witnesses. From there, oral arguments can begin. The Senate debated an organizing resolution Tuesday after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells office sent it to Senate offices on Monday. The resolution outlined his plan to allow House impeachment managers and Trumps legal team to each have 24 hours split over two days for their opening arguments. CNN, which obtained the organizing resolution, pointed out that the 24 hours will be split over a four-day period in President Bill Clintons impeachment trial. Also Read: GOP Sen Martha McSally Calls CNN Reporter 'Liberal Hack,' Shuts Down Impeachment Trial Question In December, the House impeached Trump on charges that he abused the power of his office and obstructed Congress. The House voted on two articles of impeachment, drafted by the House Judiciary Committee, which charged the president with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. For abuse of power, the House voted 230-197; for obstruction of Congress, the House voted 229-198. The votes concluded a months-long impeachment inquiry process into Trumps dealings with Ukraine, which sought to determine whether he solicited foreign power for his own political gain. And as the inquiry unfolded, the White Houses refusal to cooperate and attempts to block witnesses from testifying amounted to obstruction of Congress, according to the articles of impeachment. Trump revealed his legal team for the trial last Friday, which includes Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr, who first came to fame during the Clinton impeachment trial in the late 90s. Trump is the third president to be impeached in the nations history and the first since Clinton was impeached in 1998 on charges of lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstruction of justice. Read original story How to Watch Day 2 of Trumps Senate Impeachment Trial At TheWrap This is important, compelling programming that tells the stories of our global community, focusing on what makes us different and what brings us together. We look forward to growing this exciting alliance, said Andrew Russell, President and CEO of the Public Media Group of Southern California. WORLD Channel, a national public media broadcast and web-based platform that shares news and documentaries humanizing complex issues from across the globe, and Link TV, the independent non-commercial satellite TV network that connects U.S. viewers to the world, today announced a content-sharing partnership beginning in February. With a shared commitment to bringing the best in news, documentaries and fact-based information programming from around the world, the collaboration will launch with several titles including WORLDs multicultural storytelling show Stories from the Stage, the duPont-Columbia Award-winning documentary series America ReFramed, Link TVs acclaimed original environmental program Earth Focus co-produced with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the award-winning series The Migrant Kitchen co-produced with Life & Thyme, and daily international newscasts from France 24. The content sharing will allow viewers of both networks to better understand perspectives and cultures around the globe while examining issues too often ignored by mainstream media. WORLD is a growing public media broadcast channel carried by 165 partner public media stations in markets representing more than 66% of US TV households and also is available via http://www.worldchannel.org/ and on social media platforms. Link TV reaches 30 million U.S. satellite households nationally on DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410, and many of its programs are available for streaming on linktv.org as well as on Apple TV, YouTube and Roku platforms. This new relationship with Link TV allows us to bring new and acclaimed content to our audience who is hungry for daily international news as well as an outside perspective on events in the U.S., said Liz Cheng, general manager of WGBH Television and WORLD Channel. As our relationship evolves, we look forward to adding more exceptional content from Link TV, which closely aligns with our public media mission to inform, educate and engage our audiences with stories about difference. When you combine WORLDs local broadcast coverage of 79 million households with Link TVs availability via satellite in 30 million U.S. homes, this content-sharing partnership will bring these programs to the vast majority of the American viewers, said Andrew Russell, President and CEO of the Public Media Group of Southern California, formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. This is important, compelling programming that tells the stories of our global community, focusing on what makes us different and what brings us together. We look forward to growing this exciting alliance. Starting in early February, Link TV will be adding Stories from the Stage to the satellite broadcasters primetime lineup. The award-winning WORLD-original weekly series showcases the extraordinary stories of ordinary people, illuminating many different facets of the human condition. Hosted by Theresa Okokon and Wes Hazard, each episode features multicultural storytellers who step onto the stage to fascinate audiences with stories that range from tales of joy and disaster to illustrating the challenging issues of the day. The WORLD Channel will add Link TVs award-winning series Earth Focus later this winter. The longest-running investigative environmental news program on U.S. television, the series provides audiences with urgent local and global environmental coverage that spotlights issues such as endangered species, climate change, environmental health and sustainable practices. Produced in partnership with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the series features investigative reports and in-depth stories about our changing environment and how it affects people around the world. Later this spring, Link TV will start broadcasting America ReFramed, a WORLD-original social-issues documentary series that presents personal voices and experiences on topics from health care, immigration and the environment to violence, injustice and LGBTQ issues that depict a transforming America. This series has won a Peabody award, a duPont-Columbia award and many other honors in recognition of the diversity of both its subject matter and filmmakers. Later this spring, Link TV viewers can look forward to the debut of another WORLD-original series when LOCAL, USA is added to the lineup. The series is curated from local public media markets around a single theme as told from people from every walk of life. Joining Earth Focus on WORLD will be the Emmy-winning series The Migrant Kitchen, dedicated to documenting global food culture by spotlighting chefs who are combining traditional and ethnic cuisines with new ideas, flavors and fresh techniques that are transforming the culinary landscape of America. Produced in partnership with award-winning culinary publication Life & Thyme, the series explores the booming food scene through the eyes of a new generation of chefs and culinary artisans whose cuisine is inspired by the immigrant experience. WORLD Channel will kick off the alliance in February by adding the leading 24/7 international news channel France 24 to its existing line-up of international daily news. Long a mainstay of Link TVs afternoon global news block, France 24 joins a two-hour block of respected daily international newscasts on WORLD that includes BBC World News America, NHK Newsline from Japan and DW News from German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Additional programs in the content-sharing partnership are expected to be announced later this year. About WORLD Channel WORLD shares the best of public media in news, documentaries, and fact-based informational programming that helps us understand conflicts, movements and cultures that may be distinct from our own. WORLD's original content examines issues too often ignored by mainstream media by telling stories for and with a diversity of voices. WORLD has won a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, a National News and Documentary Emmy Award and numerous national honorsincluding 1st and 2nd place Native Media Awards, an RTNDA Kaleidoscope Award, a Media for a Just Society Award, two Lesbian & Gay Journalist Awards, a Gracie, and an Asian American Journalists Award. WORLD is a growing platform carried by 165 partner stations in markets representing more than 66% of US TV households. It is also available on https://worldchannel.org/ and social media platforms. Funding for World Channel is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. WORLD Channel is produced by WGBH with the support of WNET and is distributed by American Public Television (APT). About Link TV Founded in 1999, Link TV is an independent viewer-supported media organization dedicated to providing programs that engage and inform its audiences with unique perspectives, and empowers them to become involved in the world. Reaching 30 million U.S. satellite households nationally (on DirecTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410) with a unique mix of documentaries, current affairs and drama series, international newscasts and diverse cultural programs, Link TV connects American viewers with people at the heart of breaking events, organizations at the forefront of social change and the vibrant cultures of an increasingly global community. The channel has received a Peabody Award for its unique international news programs. Select programming from Link TV is also available for streaming on Apple TV, YouTube and Roku platforms. For additional information about Link TV productions, web-exclusive content and program schedules, visit http://www.linktv.org/. Funding for Link TV is provided by viewer contributions and generous grants from the NoVo Foundation, the Orange County Community Foundation, the Farvue Foundation, and by Explore.org, a division of the Annenberg Foundation. About Public Media Group of Southern California The Public Media Group of Southern California (PMGSC) tells stories that matter through original programs that reflect the diversity of our region, and through the full schedule of trusted PBS programs. Our Southern California content channels PBS SoCal and KCET are available for free on internet-connected screens via the PBS Video App, and seen on seven local broadcast channels. Our Link TV channel is available nationally via satellite on DirecTV and DISH Network. A donor-supported community institution, PMGSC sparks the sharing of ideas at in-person cultural events and community conversations and delivers social impact through a variety of services including those that prepare our most vulnerable children for school. About WGBH WGBH Boston is Americas preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur and more than a dozen other primetime, lifestyle and childrens series. WGBHs television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the regions diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black and High School Quiz Show. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Bostons Local NPR; 99.5 WCRB Classical Radio Boston; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR Station. WGBH also is a major source of digital content and programs for public radio through PRX, including The World and Innovation Hub, a leader in educational multimedia with PBS LearningMedia, providing the nations educators with free, curriculum-based digital content, and a pioneer in services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at https://www.wgbh.org/hispanic-heritage-month. Research into the economic impact of Dublin Airport has found that it supports or facilitates 130,000 jobs and contributes nearly 10bn to the economy. The study, which was undertaken by economic consultants InterVISTAS, found that Dublin Airport's Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy is 9.8bn - or 3% of the national economy. Kolkata, Jan 22 : A video footage of a huge overhead water tank collapsing like a pack of cards in West Bengal's Bankura district went viral on social media on Wednesday, prompting the authorities to order a probe. The tank in Fatedanga under Sarenga police station gave way at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The incident was captured on mobile phones by some locals. Later, local television channels repeatedly telecast the footage which went viral. Officials said the tank was constructed only two years back. She is seldom seen in a covered-up ensemble. And Demi Rose stuck to her tried-and-tested style when she attended Burning Man Festival last year - in a series of incredibly racy looks. The model, 24, donned showgirl-inspired styles with a diamante bralet flashing her assets while she also donned a shimmering gold style. Golden girl: Demi Rose stuck to her tried-and-tested style when she attended Burning Man Festival last year - in a series of incredibly racy looks Demi was feeling nostalgic as she looked back on the trendy week-long festival. Burning Man is annually held at Black Rock City, a temporary city erected in the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada, and is know for its wild style. Proving herself to have slotted in perfectly with the style, she wore a dazzling gold armour style ensemble with belts draped around herself. The Instagram sensation has garnered the attention of 12.2million followers since she was propelled to fame after being romantically linked to Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga. Woah mama! The model, 24, donned showgirl-inspired styles with a diamante bralet flashing her assets while she also donned a shimmering gold style However recently she has been travelling the world following her split from DJ Chris Martinez. As well as visiting Bali, Demi has seen LA, Mexico, Jordan, and Las Vegas. Despite the envy-inducing travels, 2019 was also a testing year for the beauty, with her reflecting on the highs and lows in a candid Instagram post. She penned: 'Wow what a year. It definitely has been the hardest year of my life but the also the best year of my life. Sizzling: Demi made the most of her frame as she strutted through the desert 'Im proud of myself for getting through the hurdles Ive faced and the growth that Ive experienced. Im ready to say goodbye to 2019 and Im SO excited for whats to come in this new year. 'I wish you all an amazing 2020 filled with lots of blessings and love. Thank you for all your support, always. Love you guys!' Demi saw her career surge in 2019 as she booked several high profile modelling gigs, and launched a swimwear collection with Oh Polly. However, Demi also struggled with an intense loss last year, announcing the death of her mother Christine Mawby who passed away aged 64 in July. The tragedy came just eight months after her beloved father Barrie died in October 2018. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivers a speech titled "Work Together for an Open World Economy and Sustainable Global Development" at the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng here on Tuesday called on the international community to build an inclusive and open world economy and uphold multilateralism in support of economic globalization. Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivered a speech titled "Work Together for an Open World Economy and Sustainable Global Development" at the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). At the 2017 WEF annual meeting in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a historic speech and expressed firm support for economic globalization, a message that resonated far and wide, Han said. Han noted that economic globalization is "a trend of history, an essential condition for productivity growth, and a natural result of the advance in science and technology," adding that it is also "a strong driving force behind economic growth across the globe." To resolve the difficulties and problems in economic globalization, the fundamental solution lies in building an inclusive and open world economy together, and the key lies in upholding multilateralism, Han said. "Unilateral and protectionist practices, which run counter to the global trend, will lead to nowhere ... and end up hurting everyone's interests," the vice premier said. Han called on all countries to demonstrate greater courage, stay committed to equal-footed consultation and tide over difficulties together. "We should make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all" so that "people of all countries will be able to share in the benefits of economic globalization and global growth," he said. He said the global community should "keep to the goal of safeguarding peace, promoting development, upholding equity and justice, and pursuing mutual benefit and win-win outcomes," calling for joint efforts "to tackle global challenges such as poverty reduction, climate change and environmental protection." "We should abide by the international law and widely recognized norms of international relations ... and advance the improvement and transformation of the global governance system," he said. China has embraced economic globalization, pursued development with its door open, and succeeded in transforming a closed and semi-closed economy into a fully open economy, Han noted, adding that "openness has become a trademark of today's China." China has developed itself through opening-up and participation in economic globalization, and the world has also benefited from this process, he said. The vice premier pledged that his country will open its door still wider to the world. "Despite the protectionist and unilateral moves by some countries, China will not stop pursuing higher-quality opening-up, and will not follow their footsteps to move in the opposite direction of globalization," he said. Han stressed that China will further widen market access for foreign investors and cut negative list for foreign investment, import more goods and services to promote balanced trade, and further improve China's business environment to let all types of businesses registered in China be treated equally. China will also foster new drivers of opening-up, allowing free trade zones to initiate more reforms and speeding up the building of the Hainan Free Trade Port, he said, adding that China will further deepen multilateral and bilateral cooperation and work with other countries to build an open world economy. Standing at a new historical starting point, China will, as always, actively shoulder its due international responsibilities and obligations, Han noted. He pledged that China "will maintain stability and pursue development while contributing to peace and prosperity in the world," and "work with people of all countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity" so as to make greater contribution to building a community with a shared future for mankind. During his stay in Davos, Han also attended a luncheon hosted by WEF Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, and exchanged views with business leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Siemens AG President Joe Kaeser. The industry and business leaders said they are full of expectations for China's deepening reform and further opening-up, and are willing to expand trade and technological cooperation with China for mutual benefit. Alessandra Ambrosio is already gearing up for the summer as she promotes her swimwear line GAL Floripa. The model was recently back home in Brazil to photograph her latest collection on the beach. She was spotted Saturday strolling through the sand in Florianopolis with her friend and partner Gisele Coria. Beach babes: Alessandra Ambrosio was spotted Saturday strolling on the beach in Florianopolis, Brazil with her friend and partner Gisele Coria The 38-year-old showed off her taut bod in a red two-piece bikini, which she covered with a thin cream wrap. She completed the look with a red scrunchy and gold-framed Oliver Peoples sunglasses, as they sipped from coconuts. Ambrosio has since returned to Los Angeles, where she was spotted out running errands in a chic look. She stepped out in a thin white thermal sweater with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into faded mom jeans. Lady in red: The 38-year-old showed off her taut bod in a red two-piece bikini, which she covered with a thin cream wrap Tropical vibes: She completed the look with a red scrunchy and gold-framed Oliver Peoples sunglasses, as they sipped from coconuts The jeans were cuffed at the bottom and belted at the waist with a caramel leather belt. She donned a pair of western chic tan suede boots as she strutted through a parking lot. The Brazilian beauty completed the look with round gold-framed sunglasses, silver earrings, a thin gold necklace and some gold bracelets. Out and about: Ambrosio has since returned to Los Angeles, where she was spotted out running errands in a chic look White hot: She stepped out in a thin white thermal sweater with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into faded mom jeans Mom jeans: The jeans were cuffed at the bottom and belted at the waist with a caramel leather belt. She donned a pair of western chic tan suede boots as she strutted through a parking lot Stay gold: The Brazilian beauty completed the look with round gold-framed sunglasses, silver earrings, a thin gold necklace and some gold bracelets In the bag: She carried a caramel leather handbag over her shoulder and her phone on a shimmering strap Homesick: Although Ambrosio is back in Los Angeles, she's continued posting some envy-inducing photos from her trip to Brazil She carried a caramel leather handbag over her shoulder and her phone on a shimmering strap. Although Ambrosio is back in Los Angeles, she's continued posting some envy-inducing photos from her trip to Brazil. She shared some snaps to the GAL Floripa Instagram of her, Coria and two other models lounging in bikinis. The Supreme Court on Wednesday began hearing of around 144 petitions related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). A bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna is hearing the matter. Before the hearing began, Attorney General KK Venugopal complained about the crowd in the court for the hearing, and said: "Atmosphere has to be peaceful and calm, especially in the Supreme Court." The Attorney General told CJI Bobde that this court has to issue some direction on who can come to the court, some rules are to be framed. He also said that the Supreme Courts of the United States and Pakistan have regulations for visitors inside the courtroom. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new poll finds women in Michigan are less likely to support President Donald Trump than women from three other Midwest states that were key to Trumps 2016 victory. Results from an early election-year poll of likely voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio found Trump may face an uphill climb to win a majority of voters in these states again, especially women. Only 27% of Michigan women would vote for Trump if the election were held today, according to polling released to MLive by Baldwin Wallace University, while 53% prefer whoever becomes the Democratic Party nominee. I think a lot of this has to do with a variety of factors, said Tom Sutton, director of Baldwin Wallaces Community Research Institute. One would be what we saw in 2018 elections, where suburban women voted in strong numbers for Democratic candidates in Congress. Thats carrying over into this election. The poll found 29% of Michigan voters overall are almost certain they will vote for Trump, but about one in 10 said their vote hinges on who Democrats nominate. Trumps approval rating is underwater in each of the four states, with 53% of Michigan voters disapproving of the way hes handled the presidency. These findings come from the first of four polls planned by Baldwin Wallace University, Oakland University and Ohio Northern University. The surveys compare voter sentiment in states that sent Trump to the White House and are expected to make the difference again in 2020. Trump narrowly won Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in 2016, flipping reliably Democratic-voting states composing part of the blue wall." He won each state by less than 1 percentage point after they voted for President Barack Obama in 2012 and 2008. In Michigan, Trump won in 2016 by 10,704 votes out of nearly 4.8 million cast in 2016. His 0.23% margin of victory was the narrowest in Michigans presidential election history, which researchers said makes the state more likely to turn blue again in 2020. The tight victories in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania leave Democrats hopeful that Trumps success wont be repeated if the party can bring out voters who either stayed home or voted for a third-party candidate last time. Trump also flipped Ohio by 8 points, making it harder to argue the state will swing back for Democrats in 2020. Ohio had a reputation as a national bellwether in presidential elections, but its expected to stay red this November. I think Pennsylvania is a toss-up, but I question the extent to which Ohio is a battleground state, said Lauren Copelan, associate director of BWs Community Research Institute. I see Michigan and Wisconsin standing out and possibly helping a Democrat win the White House. Women who gathered near the stops of Michigans Capitol last weekend for a rally commemorating the 2017 Womens March on Washington said female voters will drive Trump out of office in 2020. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, urged attendees to build on the same energy which elected her and other Democratic women to every top statewide office and two formerly Republican House seats in 2018. The reality is, we know that what weve done is just getting started because we have to have change in 2020, Stabenow said. It starts by changing the man that is in the White House. Cheryl Collins, a 59-year-old Okemos resident who attended the Womens March in Lansing, said she feels womens rights are under assault. Shes become more active in organizing other female voters and attending political events in response to Trumps ascent to the White House. Women are going to stick up for us and for other people, Collins said. I will vote for whomever the Democratic nominee is, no matter what. Across all four states, women were more likely to say they are almost certain to vote against Trump, while men consistently had larger support for Trump. What we saw happening in 2018 is as much a vote against Trump as it is a vote in favor of the Democrats, Sutton said. That trend is continuing into 2020. Michigan had the largest gap in Trump support among men and women, according to the poll. Forty-two percent of men would vote for Trump again, compared to 27% of women, the poll found. The poll found Michigan women preferred any Democratic nominee to Trump by the largest margin of the four states surveyed. The data did not compare results from men and women within the same political party, so its not known how Republican women plan to vote. However, Copeland expects to see them support the president again. We have a tendency to treat women as a homogenous group, Copeland said. To be sure, women tend to be more liberal than men on social issues, but there are strong differences along party lines and by race/ethnicity After the 2016 presidential election, for instance, we learned that political party was a much stronger predictor of vote choice ... The difference-maker will be turnout by Democratic women and the ability for the Democratic candidate to court women who identify as independents. Trump campaign National Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany traveled across Iowa last week with the campaigns Women for Trump coalition. In a statement, McEnany said the rise in the female workforce is one reason women will vote to re-elect the president this year. There has never been a more pro-America, pro-women, and pro-family president in modern history, McEnany said in a statement. A majority of Michigan voters said their minds are made up regardless of who Democrats nominate to challenge Trump. Fifty-three percent of Michigan women and 45% of independents also said they will vote against Trump no matter who opposes him in November. Self-identified Democrats listed former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. as their top choices in the presidential primary, followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Sutton said its not surprising that women voters possible disdain for Trump hasnt necessarily translated to more support for the female Democratic candidates. I think the most important question for these voters is whos going to beat Donald Trump? Sutton said. "That, to me, is the overriding driving point for a lot of these voters. I think its true across the board, but for women in particular. The poll found Democrats and Republicans are nearly equally motivated to vote in 2020. Michiganders said their top issues include the economy, health care and security. Sutton said Trump would be wise to focus on the continued economic growth under his administration, which would conventionally be a slam dunk for an incumbent presidents re-election hopes. The way he needs to win re-election in these states is to run completely and only on what hes done with the economy, Sutton said. Voters gave Trump high marks for his handling of the economy but disapprove of his moves on healthcare, the environment, immigration, and foreign affairs. Trump could face a tough bid for re-election if the economy begins to decline, Copeland said. These are also four states that have been shedding jobs in the manufacturing industry, Id imagine if the economy turns south we would see a lot of those undecided voters and independents swinging toward the Democrats, Copeland said. The poll also found U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, with a 10 point lead over likely GOP challenger John James. Peters had a larger margin among women voters (18 points) and independents (12 points), though 46% of independents have yet to make up their minds. The BW poll contradicts four polls taken in 2019 that found Peters and James were essentially tied. Voters in all four states reported both political parties are moving further apart. Nearly half of Michigan voters said the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left," including 53% of independents and 27% of Democrats. Half of Michigan voters also said the Republican Party has moved too far to the right, including 46% of independents and 29% of Republicans. Methodology Responses were collected from Jan. 8 to Jan. 20 from 1,023 self-identified registered voters in Michigan through email using Qualtrics, an online sample aggregator. The survey included quotas for age, education, and gender for each state based on data from the 2010 U.S. Census and the 2017 American Community Survey. It also included quotas for central metro areas and fringe metro areas at the county level using based on data from the U.S. Census, as well as the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. The survey results for all states are weighted by gender, education, race/ethnicity, and annual household income to be representative of each states population. The overall margins of error were (+/-) 3.1% for Michigan, 3.1% for Ohio, 3.2% for Pennsylvania and 3.3% for Wisconsin. Read more on MLive: Democrats and Trump supporters fight for womens votes in Michigan suburbs Trump criticizes Flints use of water crisis emergency funds Who is running for Congress in 2020? Michigans top races to watch Michigan Republicans believe John James is their best shot at U.S. Senate in decades Bernie Sanders says hed set federal standards for PFAS in drinking water January Democratic debate 2020 recap COLUMBUS, Ohio Women in four key states Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin could decide who occupies the White House next year. And they may be turning away from President Donald Trump, according to a newly released poll. Yet, many women voters in these states remain undecided. And women at this point are a little less motivated than men to vote in Novembers presidential election, according to the poll from Baldwin Wallace, Ohio Northern and Michigans Oakland universities. (View all of cleveland.coms coverage of the Great Lakes state polling here. ) In the Great Lakes states, more women voters said they would support the Democratic Partys yet unnamed candidate over Trump if the election were held today. There was a clear gender divide in the results: In Ohio, 45.6% of women would vote for the Democrat and 34.4% for Trump. On the other hand, 44.9% of men would vote for Trump and 42.4% would vote for the Democrat. In Pennsylvania, 49.2% of women would go for the Democrat and 34.7% would go for Trump. In comparison, 44.7% of men would go for the Democrat and 40.3% would vote for Trump. In Michigan, 53% of women would back the Democratic nominee, while only 26.9% would back Trump. Among men, 41.5% would back Trump and 39.6% would back the Democratic nominee. Among Wisconsin women, 51.9% would vote for the Democrat and 28% would vote for Trump. Among Wisconsin men, 42.1% would vote for the Democrat and 41% would vote for Trump. In all four states, the Democrat came out ahead in the poll overall, with womens support for the Democrat overtaking the mens support for Trump. I think theres a strong chance women will decide the election," said Lauren Copeland, a BW political science professor who is associate director of the schools Community Research Institute. "The question is, which way they decide the election? We know Republicans are much better at turning out to vote than Democrats are. So who the Democratic Party nominates has to get women to turn out. I think it will all hinge on turnout. Women voters in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin oppose Donald Trump by wide margins, Baldwin Wallace University's Great Lakes poll found.Rich Exner, cleveland.com In 2016, Trump won by narrow margins in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, reinforcing the importance of turnout. He won Ohio by 8 points. Many women dislike Trump because hes made numerous comments about womens physical appearance. Hes bragged about groping womens bodies. His administrations policies have separated immigrant children from their mothers and fathers. Yet many Republicans are able to set aside Trumps tweets and public outbursts in favor of his policies or his nomination of conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court, Copeland said. The universities polled more than 1,000 registered voters in each state from Jan. 8-20. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 to 3.3 percentage points for the statewide results in each state, higher for sub groups. The survey was conducted online among self-identified registered voters in Michigan (1,023), Ohio (1,031), Pennsylvania (1,037) and Wisconsin (1,038) using Qualtrics, a firm that aggregates samples for surveys. BW said the survey included quotas for age, education, and gender for each state based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Women respondents were slightly less motivated than men to vote in the presidential election, the poll found: In Ohio, 88.6% of women were very or somewhat motivated, compared to 95.8% of men. In Pennsylvania, 92.8% of women were very or somewhat motivated, compared 95.9% of men. In Michigan, 89.6% of women were motivated, compared to 91.6% of men. In Wisconsin, 91% of women were motivated, compared to 94.1% of men. Copeland said mens motivation may have to do with Trump supporters hoping to keep him in office. I wonder when we field this question in April and will likely know who the Democratic nominee is, if that (answer) will change," she said. I think what were seeing right now is a lot of uncertainty with the Democratic Party. In all the states, women disapproved of Trumps handling of the economy at higher numbers than they approved of it. They also disapproved at higher numbers than men, an indication that more women may be losing their jobs, experiencing a reduction in hours or being forced to work as consultants without benefits: Among Ohio women, 42.1% somewhat or strongly disapproved of Trumps handling of the economy, compared to 36.6% of men who disapproved. Only 38.1% of women approved, while 48.9% of men approved of the presidents handling of the economy. Among Pennsylvania women, 44.9% disapproved, compared to 37.9% of men. Among approval, women were at 39.2% and men were at 49.3% Among Michigan women, 50.7% disapproved, compared to 37.9% of men. Women were at 29.5% approval and men were at 43.4%. Among Wisconsin women, 50.1% disapproved and 41.6% of men disapproved. Among approval women were 30.1% and men were at 45.8%. Those numbers about women and the economy are surprising, Copeland said, because economic data such as unemployment numbers are strong. One of Trumps campaign slogans is Jobs! Jobs! Jobs." But that message may be resonating more with men, she said. Men are more likely to think the economy is strong, she said. This is one in a series of cleveland.com stories about the Great Lakes Poll, conducted by Baldwin Wallace University in partnership with Ohio Northern University in Ada and Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan. You can find links to all of the stories here. Read more: Donald Trump has ground to make up in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin See cleveland.coms comprehensive coverage of the 2020 Great Lakes Poll Poll of Great Lakes voters shows good news for Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders Its the economy, voters in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania say about the 2020 election: BW poll Should popular vote replace electoral college? Voters solidly in favor of move Immigration was a key issue in 2016: What do voters think about it today? Voters distrust social media as source of campaign news, worry about foreign interference Two people have been injured after a teenage gunman opened fire at a Las Vegas mall before fleeing the scene. Las Vegas Metro Police Department said that the shooting occurred at Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip at Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain on Tuesday evening. The mall is still on lockdown and police are searching for the gunman. It happened after a group of young people got into an argument and one person pulled out a gun before firing it into a crowd, local police told 8 News Now. A witness who spoke to the outlet said she saw two people with gunshot wounds, including an elderly man. The shooting happened at Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas on Tuesday after group of young people reportedly got into an argument and one person pulled out a gun before firing it into a crowd It's unclear how many people have been injured, but the mall has been put on lockdown and cordoned off by police Local police stand outside Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas after a teen allegedly fired a gun into a crowd of people Old longing for each other seems to have prevailed over societal norms for Gujarat residents Himmat Patel and Shobhna Raval when they apparently decided to rekindle their young love and 'eloped', shattering the marriage plans of their respective son and daughter. While Patel is a resident of Katargam area of Surat, Raval hails from Vejalpore in Navsari district. Patel (43) and Raval (42) have been "missing" since January 10 and a police complaint has been lodged to trace them, a family relative has said. The relative claimed that both Patel and Raval knew each other since their childhood. Both of them used to live in the same society in Katargam earlier before Raval shifted to Navsari after her marriage. "Since they knew each other, it is possible that they might have decided to rekindle their old love and eventually eloped together. They came into contact once again after Patel sought the hand of Raval's daughter for his son. When both the families were busy in the preparations for the marriage, which was scheduled for the second week of February, both of them eloped on January 10," he claimed. Raval's husband said the family was put in an embarrassing situation due to her act. "The wedding, which was supposed to be held in the second week of February, has been called off now," he said. Both the families have informed local police stations about the disappearance. "Since Navsari police is also investigating the case, we are also kept in the loop. Both of them are yet to be traced," said police inspector, Katargam, B D Gohil. Gohil said the investigation revealed that the duo had visited Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. "We are trying to talk to them," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MADRID Spains new government declared a national climate emergency on Tuesday, taking a formal first step toward enacting ambitious measures to fight climate change. The declaration approved by the Cabinet says the left-of-center Socialist government will send to parliament within 100 days its proposed climate legislation. The targets coincide with those of the European Union, including a reduction of net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Spain's coalition government wants up to 95% of the Mediterranean countrys electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040. The plan also foresees eliminating pollution by buses and trucks and making farming carbon neutral. Details of the plan are to be made public when the proposed legislation is sent to parliament for approval. More than two dozen countries and scores of local and regional authorities have declared a climate emergency in recent years. Scientists say the decade that just ended was by far the hottest ever measured on Earth, capped off by the second-warmest year on record. Also Tuesday, young climate activists including Greta Thunberg told the elites gathered at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland they are not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency and warned them that time was running out. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Ukrainian PM Honcharuk promises "good news" after Davos Forum 22:50, 21.01.20 5093 He plans to meet with EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti. Erin Barnett was voted out of the I'm A Celebrity jungle on Wednesday night. And during her exit interview with hosts Dr Chris Brown and Julia Morris, the former Love Island star revealed her 'top three' picks for taking out the series. Listing Rhonda Burchmore, Miguel Maestre and Charlotte Crosby, the 24-year-old said she would love Rhonda, 59, to win as she 'would look great with a crown'. 'She would look great with a crown!' I'm A Celebrity's Erin Barnett, 24, (pictured) predicted who will win the series on Wednesday night, after she became the latest star to be eliminated 'My top three are Rhonda, Miguel, Charlotte,' Erin said. 'But Rhonda, she would look great with a crown on her head. She would. It would just suit her really well.' The musical theatre veteran is a favourite to win, with fellow evictee Nikki Osborne predicting she will be crowned queen. During her exit interview, Erin also revealed why she chose to raise money and funds for charity Endometriosis Australia while in the South African jungle. 'It's the greatest charity in the world,' she said. 'They raise awareness, raise money. I also suffer from endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. Top pick: Listing Rhonda Burchmore (back, second right), Miguel Maestre and Charlotte Crosby, Erin said she would love Rhonda, 59, to win as she 'would look great with a crown' 'Even if you don't know what it is, Google it. Start the topic and just start talking.' Endometriosis is a disorder where tissue that is similar to the tissue that lines one's uterus, grows outside of the uterus. When the ovaries are involved, cysts may form. Endometriosis can cause pain and even lead to infertility. Praise: 'She would look great with a crown on her head. She would. It would just suit her really well,' Erin said of the musical theatre veteran Earlier this month, Erin spoke to her I'm A Celebrity campmates about her infertility in an honest discussion. 'I had a two kilo cyst, they thought I was pregnant at 14,' she said. 'It was a blood cyst that popped inside of me. Having a cyst pop inside of you is the most horrific pain I've ever felt. I got my left ovary removed before I came onto the show. I had five surgeries last year.' Erin also told NW magazine last year that she 'can't give birth naturally' due to the fact that she has 'a small pelvic area'. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal A pipe manufacturing company is set to open a new manufacturing center in Las Cruces, New Mexico Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Alicia Keyes announced Tuesday. Big Tuna USA manufactures an exclusive high-density pipe product the company plans to use to target water management systems before expanding into the oil and gas industries, according to Bruce Krasnow, spokesman for the New Mexico Economic Development Department. The company plans to hire 30 workers over the next three years. The jobs will pay an average of $15.70 an hour, Krasnow wrote in a news release. We looked at Colorado, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, and were pretty excited about this location in Las Cruces, said Mike Watters, director of operations for Big Tuna USA, according to the release. The company plans to invest $7.5 million into the new site, and will also be receiving around $275,000 in Local Economic Development Act funds from New Mexico and Las Cruces. Fracking is also known as hydraulic fracturing, and it is a technique used to extract oil or gas from subterranean rock. The process involves injecting a mixture of chemicals (fracturing fluid), water, and sand at high pressure into boreholes made through a combination of vertical and horizontal drilling. The water mixture opens up fractures or cracks in the rock, and the sand then lodges into the spaces created to keep them open, and this allows oil and gas to flow out. The fracturing fluid and contaminated water flow back to the surface over the wells lifetime. The technique is typically used to exploit oil and gas that may remain in the mother rock (the lower part of the geology that has decomposed over millions of years leading to the formation of gas or oil) in microscopic pores once conventional gas and oil reserves are exhausted. Most of the global fracking activity is centered in the United States, particularly in Oklahoma, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The discovery of unconventional shale gas and shale oil deposits around the world in countries like China, the UK, Australia, Argentina, and Mexico has led to increased interest in the technique. Arguments In Favor Of A Global Ban Hydraulic fracturing requires a huge volume of water to extract the oil or gas out of the ground compared to conventional oil and gas extraction. Fracking operations lead to the generation of two types of industrially contaminated water. Flow-back water, which is extracted in the first 30 days or so after the well is subjected to pressure, and production water, which flows from the well over the entire life of the well. The companies carrying out hydraulic fracturing contaminate water resources and produce toxic industrial effluent that contains chemicals, sand, fuels, and water. The production water is typically dirtier than flow-back water as it has a higher TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and TSS (Total Suspended Solids) concentration. The effluent contains large amounts of toxic metals, brine, organic hydrocarbons, and naturally occurring radioactive materials. Most oil and gas companies discard the wastewater into deep wells and leave it there, a cheaper alternative that is not environmentally friendly. Some companies also choose to treat toxic effluent. In some instances, municipal facilities that lack adequate equipment and capacity also handle the poisonous effluent. Hydraulic fracturing also requires wellbores that traverse drinking water aquifers, which poses a considerable health risk to those using the water. Atmospheric Contamination Fracking leads to a significant amount of air pollution, which is a threat to human health and environmental sustainability. Air pollution could also contribute to global warming and climate change. Hydraulic fracturing activities contribute to air pollution in every stage of the production process. Processes include drilling, pressurization of geology, handling of chemicals, compression, extraction, transportation, decomposition of effluents, and generation of power needed for the pressurization process. Local communities living close to the areas where fracking operations are carried out or workers at fracking sites are oftentimes the first to get exposed to the impact of such activity. A recent study by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), commissioned by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, found that benzene concentrations at a distance of 625-feet from the fracking site (beyond the safe reach provided in many states), were above levels that the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers to be of minimal risk to human health. In Colorado, the NRDC discovered many hydrocarbon pollutants including, aliphatic, hydrocarbons, trimethylbenzenes, and xylene, which are associated with adverse neurological and respiratory effects. In Utah concentrations of toluene, benzene, xylene, and aliphatic hydrocarbon were observed to increase with an increase in proximity to the fracking site. Researchers estimate the mass flux of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) was equivalent to the emissions made by 100 million cars. The study also found that the benzene levels exceeded standards set to protect the immune system, blood, and developing fetuses from harm. Water Depletion Hydraulic fracturing consumes large amounts of water and could reduce the flow of rivers and streams hence diminishing ecosystem services and water available for other uses. Scientists estimate that about 2.8 million gallons of water are used per well. Since a single fracking platform could have up to 12 wells, over 23 million gallons of water are required for fracking purposes. In arid and semi-arid areas, groundwater aquifers have been a significant source of water for fracking. Some of the aquifers used are non-renewable resources, which may be depleted, causing increased water insecurity. Effects On Land And Land Use Complimentary access roads to platforms require an additional 2.4 acres of land for transportation from pad to pad. Fracking leads to the fragmenting of land by roads to the sites, which can have a devastating effect on wildlife and their habitat. The land that is used by oil and gas companies is often left abandoned after use and is never restored. Fracking can also affect other commercial activities in the area, such as farming. Farming near the sites is likely to compromise the safety and quality of agricultural products. Since the technique allows companies to tap fossil fuels beneath a vast area, they could increase the risk of seepage over a large area surrounding a single pad. The fracking process also competes for water resources that were previously allocated to households and other commercial ventures. Earthquakes And Tremors Scientific research has confirmed a link between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes and/or tremors. In Oklahoma, which was a previously earthquake inactive state, has experienced large clusters of earthquakes, which are linked to fracking activity. In countries such as the Philippines, China, Spain, and other earthquake-prone areas, deadly earthquakes have also been recorded that are linked to fracking. In 2015, the state of Oklahoma embraced scientific findings that correlated earthquakes experienced in the state to oil and gas operations where large volumes of industrial effluent were injected into underground wells. Arguments Against A Global Ban On Fracking Aggressive expansion of hydraulic fracturing in the US has enabled the country to become the second-largest producer of natural gas after Russia. Fracking has led to the creation of thousands of jobs in various states, including North Dakota and Pennsylvania. In 2014, North Dakota had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 2.8%. Between 2012 and 2013, there was a 5.9% increase in construction jobs, a 23.1% increase in mining jobs, a 7.7% increase in financial service jobs, a 5.6% increase in business service jobs, and a 4.7% increase in warehousing, utilities, and manufacture jobs. More jobs and increased pay lead to more disposable income and improvement in other sectors of the economy. For example, car dealers in North Dakota have had record sales in the last couple of years, coinciding with the fracking boom. In2013, North Dakotas GDP grew by 9.7%, with 3.61% of the growth being attributed to mining, particularly fracking operations. The states per capita real GDP was also seen to rise to 40% above the national average, making it the second-highest per capita real GDP in the country at $68,804, second only to the District of Columbia. Total tax collection in the state also increased from $1.8 billion in 2007 to $5.3 billion in 2013 Reduction In Carbon Dioxide Emissions The US is currently the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses after China. It also has the highest per capita emission in the world. With climate change becoming an increasing threat to human well-being, governments are coming under increased pressure to tackle climate change. Fracking leads to an abundant supply of shale gas, which is a cleaner fuel compared to other fossil fuels such as coal. Experts observed that during a significant part of the fracking boom, the US economy grew while emissions declined. Shale gas from fracking is gradually replacing coal in energy production. Decreased Vulnerability To Supply Disruptions Periods of high gas and oil prices have often led to concerns of potential national security externalities associated with energy imports, particularly disruptions in supply by unstable trading partners. Rising natural gas prices at the start of the decade had prompted the government to support the idea of a new pipeline to augment supplies from Alaska to support future US energy demands. The country would have also had to rely increasingly on natural gas imports from Canada and Liquid natural gas imports from less friendly nations such as Russia, which would have carried significant energy security risks. Europe, for example, is heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, and in the last two decades, supply disruptions and price increase have been linked to political motivations. The proliferation of fracking technology has allowed the US to ensure its energy security and allowed it to extend more energy options to Europe. Cost-benefit Analysis Hydraulic fracturing has been touted by some as one of the most important energy discoveries in the last half-century. The technique has allowed the US to boost its oil and gas production significantly, which has led to several benefits. Experts have argued that whether or not a society continues to benefit from fracking will be dependent on local communities living in areas close to drilling sites or potential drilling sites. The local communities need to establish whether local benefits outweigh local costs and vice versa. To do that, authorities should provide adequate information to the community so that all the stakeholders are aware of the benefits and adverse effects of such activities on their well-being and that of the environment. DENVER, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Covius Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of technology-enabled solutions to the financial services industry, announced today it has acquired Clayton Services, LLC, a leader in loan due diligence and credit risk management surveillance services, from Radian Group Inc. (NYSE: RDN.) The transaction does not include Five Bridges Advisors, Green River Capital, Red Bell Real Estate, Radian Title Insurance (fka Entitle Direct) or Radian Settlement Services Inc. (fka ValuAmerica.) These businesses will be remaining with Radian. Founded in 1989, Clayton pioneered the concepts of due diligence and surveillance. To date, it has reviewed more than 17 million loans and currently monitors the performance of more than $2 trillion in loans, securities and mortgage servicing rights. Clayton clients include leading mortgage originators, securities issuers and investors, government lending agencies and warehouse lenders. Clayton's primary services include: Loan reviews for whole loan sales and private-label securitization Compliance and valuation reviews Loan-level and transaction surveillance Non-performing asset review services for mortgage and asset backed securities Approximately 550 Clayton associates, primarily in the company's Tampa and Denver locations, will be joining Covius, as will Clayton's senior due diligence and surveillance management teams. Rob Clements, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Covius Holdings, said: "Clayton is one of the most recognized brands in capital markets and mortgage securitization. This transaction will significantly expand the offerings and presence of Covius in those sectors. Clayton will be a core business for Covius. We intend to invest the capital and resources to grow Clayton's market share and build the technology required by the increasingly digital processes of the origination and secondary markets." John Surface, President and Chief Operating Officer of Covius Holdings, added: "This acquisition aligns well with what we have been building at Covius over the past two years. Our current due diligence capabilities, our expanded solutions set and our deep experience in review valuations, title curative services and compliance will all support and enhance Clayton engagements. This significantly increases our scale, scope and operational capacity to serve new and existing clients. We are pleased to welcome Clayton clients and associates." Alston & Bird LLP acted as legal counsel to Covius in connection with the transaction. About Covius Covius is a trusted provider of services, insight and technology to leading financial companies. Covius' technology-enabled solutions deliver operational efficiencies, mitigate risk and empower compliant decisions and borrower interactions. Covius businesses are recognized leaders in credit and verification services, HOA and tax tracking, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, compliant document services, comprehensive settlement services, lien and title curative solutions, REO asset management and auction services as well as rapid-development, customizable cloud-based business process solutions. The company was named a 2019 HousingWire Tech100 winner. For more information about the company and its services, visit www.covius.com. SOURCE Covius Holdings By IANS AMBEDKAR NAGAR: A wooden almirah fell on a class 2 student in the government primary school in Salauddinpur village in Ambedkar Nagar district on Tuesday afternoon. The child died on the spot after which angry villagers held the teachers hostage. The principal of the school and three teachers have been suspended after the incident. According to reports, seven-year-old Payal was a student of class 2. After the school was over, a teacher sent Payal to fetch glasses kept in the almirah. Payal tried to open the almirah and as she pushed it, the almirah fell on her, killing her on the spot. The teachers removed Payal's body and wiped off the blood on the floor. The district magistrate and other officials reached the school and pacified the parents and villagers. A day after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government ousted Ashwini Bhide as the managing director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), Mumbaikars used the hashtag #GetAshwiniBhideBack on Twitter to express their disappointment over the decision. MMRC is executing the fully-underground Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) project in Mumbai. Bhide has been at the helm of the project since 2015 and had become the face of the project. Noted television actor Sumeet Raghavan tweeted, All metro projects are extremely important for Mumbai and mumbaikars but @MumbaiMetro3 is the spine of Mumbai and this transfer was the last thing to we wanted. Instead of boosting the morale of officers this is what they get..#GetAshwiniBhideBack. Raghavan tagged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray. All metro projects are extremely important for mumbai and mumbaikars but @MumbaiMetro3 is the spine of mumbai and this transfer was the last thing to we wanted. Instead of boosting the morale of officers this is what they get..#GetAshwiniBhideBack @AUThackeray @OfficeofUT Sumeet (@sumrag) January 21, 2020 Noted music composer Kaushal Inamdar tweeted, Time to give up hopes about metro I guess. Even if Mr Deol is efficient, Ashwini Bhide knew the project by the back of her hand. Never break up a winning combination (sic). Time to give up hopes about #metro I guess. Even if Mr. Deol is efficient, @AshwiniBhide knew the project from the back of her hand. Never break up a winning combination. @sumrag https://t.co/XVRDPfmLOv Kaushal S Inamdar| (@ksinamdar) January 21, 2020 Many users also thanked Bhide for her work. An IAS officer of 1988 batch, Bhide was very active on social media and used to post progress of the 33-km metro corridor. On Tuesday, the government appointed Ranjit Singh Deol as the new managing director of MMRC. Deol was serving as the vice chairman and MD of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. The reshuffle comes just a week after the Maharashtra government transferred 22 IAS officers. Last week, Bhide was elevated to the post of principal secretary. However, during the reshuffle, she has not been given any other charge. MMRCs decision to cut more than 2000 trees in the middle of the night in October 2019 for the metro car-shed had outraged many activists, who had sought Bhides transfer. Even Aaditya Thackeray had demanded her ouster then. Thackeray governments first major decision after taking office was to stop the car-shed work in Aarey. A release from MMRC recently mentioned that 100 per cent tunneling work of the project will be completed by September this year. Apart from this, the Corporation hopes to complete 70 per cent of civil work and get the first rolling stock by December 2020, MMRC said in a statement. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Picking up the gauntlet thrown down by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both the regional satraps Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed their readiness to have a debate on the issue here on Wednesday. While Mayawati said her party was ready to accept the challenge handed out by Shah over CAA, Akhilesh Yadav modified it by saying that he wanted to have a discussion over development. Union Hime Minister Amit Shah, at a rally in Lucknow on Tuesday, had challenged Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and other opposition leaders to have an open debate over CAA. In fact, the BSP chief was the first one to react to Shahs challenge by taking to Twitter on Wednesday. In one of her posts, the BSP chief said her party accepts the challenge and was ready for the public discussion over CAA/NRC/NPA at any forum and at any place. - CAA/NRC/NPR BSP Mayawati (@Mayawati) January 22, 2020 The government, disturbed by protests against the controversial CAA/NRC /NPR, in the entire country, especially the youth and women, has challenged the Opposition to debate on the matter. The BSP accepts the challenge to debate on it at any forum and at any place, Mayawati tweeted. Meanwhile, SP president and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadavs retort to Shah came on Wednesday when he said that he was ready to debate with the BJP but the issue, he added, would be development. READ | 'Debate on CAA with bearded man': Asaduddin Owaisi dares Amit Shah Talking to media persons after offering tributes to the SP icon and socialist Janeshwar Mishra on his 10th death anniversary, Akhilesh said: Let the BJP decide the place and the time for the debate and I will reach there. But the topic of debate will be development, employment, youth, farmers etc, he stressed. Akhilesh charged the BJP of digressing from real issue plaguing the country at present by throwing up divisive issues to divert countrys attention from its failures. Referring to Shahs remark on the CAA, the former CM said the kind of language being used by the BJP leaders was unbecoming of a politician. He pointed out the SP was not the only party to oppose the CAA but even common citizens, including women and children, were on roads against the discriminatory law. How long will the BJP continue to discriminate against citizens on the basis of religion? he questioned. They cant suppress peoples voice by riding high on the brute majority which they have, maintained the SP chief. In the same vein, Akhilesh reiterated his demand for a caste census in the country. He claimed that saffron party was not ready for this because a caste census would put an end to Hindu-Muslim conflict. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. It does not include Muslims. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target the Muslim community in India. However, the central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries and not to take away anyone's citizenship. A new consumer privacy law in California was supposed to push companies toward greater transparency around the reams of data they collect every day. But weeks after the landmark law went into effect, the early results are not yet bringing consumers much clarity. The California Consumer Privacy Act, which took effect Jan. 1 after being adopted in 2018, was hailed by privacy advocates as a great leap forward in holding companies accountable for how they handle personal data, one that would give U.S. consumers their first real glimpse at how they are being monitored and profited from online. The law gives residents of the state the right to review the information companies collect about them online, allowing them to tell the companies to stop selling it and even to delete it. The CCPA is considered the nation's most far-reaching online privacy law and a potential model for other states. Some companies are extending the disclosure privileges outside California, in part because of the difficulty of having a patchwork of policies. But disclosure in the first few weeks under the law has run the gamut. Some companies have incorrect information on their websites about how the law affects them and consumers. Most companies acknowledge requests with emails or text messages, while other requests seem to disappear once filed. And once obtained, the volumes of data create a new burden for consumers - how to manage it. Take Uber and Lyft, for instance. They collect detailed data on all their customers, including their ratings and the ratings they give drivers, what type of credit card they use, where they are when they request rides and where the rides actually begin, according to the companies. But requests under the new law reveal huge variance in the data the companies disclose. Uber reveals a customer's rating, but doesn't disclose some customer service calls, users' ratings of drivers or any inferences about its users that help shape its business decisions. The company also maintains other data undisclosed in CCPA requests, according to people familiar with the matter, such as whether a credit card is corporate or personal. And nine days after the law went into effect, the privacy section of Uber's website for requesting data failed to recognize some customers' account information though it was properly plugged in, which spokeswoman Melanie Ensign called "a bug." It was later corrected after an inquiry by The Washington Post. "Not every company is interpreting CCPA the same," she said. Not included in some Lyft files were any ratings data and several customer service calls. Lyft declined to comment on why it does not include that data. Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin said "our privacy policy and the tools and options we provide regarding data reflect our respect for customer data and privacy." Adam Schwartz, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that "companies are required to disclose all the individual pieces of data they collect on consumers, and if they are not releasing that, that's a violation of the law." Companies including retailers, news organizations, manufacturers, streaming-video sites, apps, data brokers and phone providers all collect data on consumers, creating a huge data footprint from millions of people. For many corporations, data harvesting is effectively the secret sauce for staying ahead of competitors and developing new products. Plus, some of that data can be monetized and sold. But many companies aggressively lobbied the California legislature to soften the bill to preserve their data collection practices. Any company that collects personal information on 50,000 people or more or brings in at least $25 million in sales per year is subject to the CCPA. Some of the compliance rules are still being worked out, leading to the current confusion. "Compliance is all over the map and will be until the rules are clear and there are actual penalties for noncompliance," said Mary Stone Ross, who helped design the legislation and is now associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Questions remain about the outlines of the law, such as whether providing user data to other companies free constitutes a "sale," what the standards should be for identity verification and, critically, how much or how little data companies ultimately need to disclose to avoid censure or possible fines. In addition, enforcement will not start for months and is likely to be underfunded. "Companies are viewing the effective date as July," Ross said. "There are many things we are just not going to know right now, particularly the inferences companies make about you based on your data." The office of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, D, will have only about two dozen agents assigned to enforcement in a state with 40 million people. At an April state Senate hearing, the state's supervising deputy attorney general on consumer protection said she will probably be able to prosecute just three cases per year. Legislators in Sacramento who passed the law viewed it as an opportunity for constituents to better manage their own data, to see with whom it is shared and to opt out of allowing companies to sell it. The law survived fierce lobbying by the tech-backed Internet Association and the California Chamber of Commerce. An August report commissioned by Becerra's office estimated compliance with the CCPA could cost companies $55 billion initially and as much as an additional $16 billion over the course of the next 10 years. For some tech giants, the California law will not mean much of a change. Some of the largest companies, such as Facebook and Google, already gave customers the option to download their data, in massive files full of every change to their accounts, such as new profile photos or friends, as well as information such as ad preferences. Facebook has maintained it does not need to alter its practices to be in compliance with the CCPA, noting in a December blog post that many online activities do not constitute the sale of consumer data. Other tech companies appear to be counting on a grace period to figure out compliance. The law also gives companies 45 days to respond to requests and the right to an extension beyond that, which appears to be helping Amazon, Groupon and others that had no prior disclosure policy to compile voluminous customer files. (Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Personal-finance site PayPal directed users to a phone number that was inoperable, an error corrected after The Post contacted the company. A request filed with PayPal had to be made to a general customer-service inbox, and it remained unclear when PayPal may respond. Twitter is sending users a file in a JavaScript format that is difficult for non-techies to open. Spokeswoman Katie Rosborough said the social media site is "working on ways to improve the download experience." And in some cases there is general confusion about the law. Restaurant reservation platform Resy says on its website that it will comply with the CCPA beginning next year. Resy, which was acquired by American Express last year, said it is exempt this year under a 1999 law known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which provides privacy protections for financial services firms that provide loans, investment advice or insurance. But American Express's own privacy policy states that it must comply with the CCPA as of this year. Epic's Ross said she believed the exemption would not apply to Resy and has written to the company herself to correct the error on its website. After requesting his information from streaming-music service Spotify, Colin Szechy, a hardware engineer in San Francisco, said he was sent a file to download but was unable to access it, because the email said he did not "have permission to see its contents." A day later, after sending a complaint, he was able to access it. He said the 4.7-megabyte file "seems rather light considering I've been a subscriber since 2011." Spotify did not respond to a request for comment. Mark Rabins, a data scientist in Los Angeles, spent several hours recently trying to collect personal information about himself from a variety of corporations and data brokers. "Either they give you a fire hose of information that is almost impossible to interpret," he said, "or they give you practically nothing." He said he requested Whitepages delete his information, but the company had not yet done so nearly two weeks later. "Everyone seems to be putting their toe into the water to see what they can get away with," Rabins said. "I hate to say it, but I think the companies are going to win." Brazilian federal prosecutors have charged Glenn Greenwald with violating the country's cybersecurity laws, reports The New York Times. According to a 95-page complaint, Greenwald was part of the "criminal organization" that hacked into the phones of several public officials and prosecutors in 2019. The charges come after Greenwald's website, The Intercept Brasil, published multiple reports last year that exposed unethical behavior from some of Brazil's highest public officials, including current Justice Minister Sergio Moro. At the center of the case is the allegation that Greenwald did more than merely receive and publish the private messages that were sent to The Intercept. The prosecutors allege he played a "clear role" in "facilitating" the original hacking. They also claim that he told the hackers to cover their tracks by deleting the archives that they had already sent to The Intercept Brasil. In July, prosecutors arrested four individuals who were allegedly involved in the hacking. Greenwald told The New York Times the charges are "an obvious attempt to attack a free press in retaliation for the revelations we reported about Minister Moro and the Bolsonaro government." The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist has been a frequent critic of Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro. This isn't the first time Greenwald has drawn the attention of a country's prosecutors. Back in 2013, when he worked with Edward Snowden to publish details about the NSA's Prism program, at least one US lawmaker called for his arrest. LYNDHURST, Ohio Domestic violence: Lynd Avenue At 1:25 a.m. Jan. 16, a woman reported that the man with whom she lives had hit her in the face and bloodied her mouth. The two were outside when the incident occurred. The man then went inside the house. Also in the house was the womans 12-year-old child. When police arrived, the man ran out the back door. Police in Richmond Heights and Highland Heights were called to help look for the suspect, 32. Lyndhurst police eventually apprehended the man as he ran on Anderson Road. A Taser was used during the arrest. Police charged the man with felony domestic violence. Theft: Cedar Road At 6:35 p.m. Jan. 19, a North Bloomfield, Ohio, man, 30, reported that his wallet had been stolen while he was at Chipotle Mexican Grill, 24651 Cedar Road. The wallet contained $300 cash, credit cards, gift cards and the mans drivers license. The man had mistakenly left his wallet on the restaurants counter. Police are waiting to receive the stores surveillance video. Counterfeit money: Mayfield Road At 3:45 p.m. Jan. 18, the manager at Pet Supplies Plus reported that the store had received a fake $100 bill. The suspect was no longer in the store when police were called. Police will look at the stores surveillance video. Theft: Mayfield Road At 10:40 p.m. Jan. 17, management at Don Ramon Mexican Restaurant, 5708 Mayfield Road, reported that a man had left the eatery without paying his $42.98 bill. The man was seen getting into a car and leaving the restaurant parking lot, but not before his license plate number was recorded. It was learned that the plates belong to an East Cleveland man. No arrest has been made, as police are awaiting surveillance video. Concern for patient: Mayfield Road At 9:50 p.m. Jan. 17, a representative of Family Urgent Care, 5195 Mayfield Road, reported that a woman, 41, may have been drunk or under the influence of drugs while seeing a doctor. The nurse was concerned that the woman would try to drive home. Police drove the woman to her South Euclid home, then drove her mother, 72, to the medical facility to drive the womans car home. The woman was not charged. Warrant arrest: Shawnee Road At 8:35 p.m. Jan. 17, a woman called police to report that her mothers boyfriend, 40, was causing a disturbance at her mothers house and wouldnt leave. In addition, the callers boyfriend, who was also in the house, was trying to fight the mothers boyfriend because of his refusal to leave the home. Police questioned the man causing the disturbance and learned that he was wanted on a Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Office warrant. Lyndhurst police did not charge the man with a crime, but took him to the Euclid Jail after arresting him on the warrant. Warrant arrest: Mayfield Road At 3:55 p.m. Jan. 16, a Cleveland man, 49, became upset with sales representatives at Tesla Motors, 5180 Mayfield Road, because they would not discuss with him a credit loan for his wife. The man yelled at employees, who called police. Police learned that the man was wanted on Gates Mills and Brook Park police warrants. Gates Mills police picked up the man on the warrant. Warrant arrest: South Sedgewick Road At 12:05 p.m. Jan. 15, a man reported that a woman, 22, had stolen his cell phone and rental car. Police learned that the incident occurred in Cleveland and told the man to call police in that city. In addition, the man was found to be wanted on a police warrant and was arrested. At 9:20 a.m. Jan. 16, the woman, who lives in Lyndhurst with her mother when permitted to do so, went to her mothers house, where she banged on the door. At this time, the woman was not allowed to be at her mothers house. Police were called. In the womans possession, police found methamphetamine. A drug charge is pending. Property damage: Mayfield Road At 11:20 p.m. Jan. 14, a South Euclid man, 27, reported that his former girlfriend, 24, had smashed the window of his car while it was parked at Buffalo Wild Wings, 5433 Mayfield Road. The two had had an argument earlier in the day. Police are investigating. Theft from auto: Cedar Road At 10:30 p.m. Jan. 14, a woman reported that someone had broken the window of her mothers car while it was parked in the lot of LA Fitness, 25145 Cedar Road in Legacy Village. The vehicle was entered and items were stolen. As police investigated, it was found that a second car in the lot had experienced similar damage. Read more from the Sun Messenger. FORT WASHAKIE A longtime judge officially became the sixth member of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council at a swearing-in ceremony Tuesday afternoon. John St. Clair narrowly won last weeks special election against four other candidates. He is a licensed attorney in Wyoming who previously served on the council for one term in the mid-1970s and, until a few years ago, served as the Wind River Tribal Courts chief judge for more than 30 years. The special election was called after Vice Chairman Leslie Shakespeare resigned in November to take a new job. St. Clair will serve the approximately nine months left of Shakespeares term. He said he will decide whether to run again after evaluating how his first term goes, adding that after he resigned a tribal judge position in Utah, he became restless. And with his experience and the help the tribe has provided him throughout the years, especially when he was in college he said he thought he could be a good fit. This came up, and since its a short term, it was very appealing, he said. I just want to help our tribe in any way I can. St. Clairs years of experience in law and tribal affairs will be a positive addition to the Business Council, Vice Chairwoman Karen Snyder said. We very much look forward to your expertise and your law background, she said at the swearing-in ceremony. I think it will help us immensely. About 50 community members attended the swearing-in to witness him take his oath of office before shaking hands with council members and eating cake afterwards. Business Council Chairman Vernon Hill was unable to attend. The tribes Business Council is its elected governing body, while the General Council which is made up of all adult tribal members has oversight over the Business Council and ultimate authority in tribal matters. During the swearing-in ceremony, St. Clair thanked his family for always supporting him throughout his career and during college, while adding that its an honor to have been selected. St. Clair, who is also a farmer and rancher and has Arapaho heritage as well, said he will prioritize working together as a tribe and working well with other tribes, as well as protecting tribal sovereignty and treaty rights. We need to dedicate ourselves to working together toward the goal of protecting our rights and sovereignty so our future generations can have a place to live and enjoy the special lands that we have under our treaties, he said Tuesday. Im dedicating myself to protecting our rights, protecting our land and protecting our people for our future generations. St. Clair said one issue hed like to tackle during his term is working with the state to draft regulations it can support for the tribe to begin off-reservation hunting. He added that hed like to address land use and water rights issues, also. Last October, the tribe announced that it planned to begin exercising its treaty rights to hunt off the reservation. Another objective, St. Clair said, would be to work on regulations addressing hemp production on the Wind River Reservation. General councils for both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes are set to consider resolutions in the near future to allow hemp production and the legalization of medical marijuana on the reservation. Thats kind of a new thing throughout the country, he said. We just need to look at that and see whats there. If both tribes agree to it, we need to go forward and try that. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. She has come a long way since her stint on Big Brother Australia back in 2014, becoming a social media sensation and new mother. And on Wednesday, Skye Wheatley shared a hilarious Google search result on her rumoured net worth. Taking to Instagram, the 25-year-old uploaded a screenshot that showed she's worth a whopping $74million. How much?! Big Brother's Skye Wheatley shared hilarious Google search results on her rumoured net worth on Wednesday, which is estimated to be a whopping $74million Seeing the funny side, Skye captioned the post: 'Hahahahaha I wish hun,' adding crying with laughter emojis. Former barista Skye appeared on Big Brother in 2014 alongside the likes of Cat Law and Aisha McKinnon, and has since gone on to become a successful social media influencer. The blonde bombshell boasts 615,000 followers and even has her own YouTube channel with 241,000 subscribers. Not true then! Seeing the funny side, Skye captioned the post: 'Hahahahaha I wish hun,' adding crying with laughter emojis On the rise: Former barista Skye appeared on Big Brother in 2014 alongside the likes of Cat Law and Aisha McKinnon, and has since gone on to become a social media influencer In 2016, Skye was temporarily unable to access her Instagram account. She told Daily Mail Australia at the time she panicked because that is how she makes a living. 'When I realised I couldn't log in I bawled my eyes out, literally it makes me so scared. It's my life,' Skye explained. 'I know it seems stupid but I tried to get a normal job. Instagram is my income, people think I'm so rich but I'm not.' Skye admitted she was worried about how being offline for so long would affect her work, given her main source of income comes from sponsored Instagram posts. 'Instagram is my income': In 2016, Skye was temporarily unable to access her Instagram account. She told Daily Mail Australia at the time she panicked because that is how she makes a living The busty blonde said that she would upload around two and four promotional posts a week, but generally will only get paid for one post. She remained vague about how much she charges for a post and said that she supplements the income by doing a 'a little bit of make up.' Skye - who is mother to son Forest, one - has been busily renovating her 'abandoned' Gold Coast mansion, which she bought with boyfriend Lachlan Waugh for $975,000. Doing well: Skye - who is mother to son Forest, one - has been busily renovating her 'abandoned' Gold Coast mansion, which she bought with boyfriend Lachlan Waugh for $975,000 (the family are pictured) So far, they have even managed to keep the cost of the lengthy project down, with Skye's status as an Instagram influencer scoring them some free labour. Skye thanked Coastline Removals and Storage on Instagram for helping the family move into the home recently, later bragging the company 'reached out' to her and did this for free. She and Lachlan sold their old Gold Coast property in November for $605,000. Bam, a province Burkina Faso, was once a migration source due to land degradation. This is changing thanks to soil and water conservation projects. Credit: flickr/ Ollivier Girard/ CIFOR In the Sahel of West Africawhich covers Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chadland degradation has led to migration towards less densely populated and more fertile areas. The land has been made less fertile by demographic pressure, fragmenting agricultural units and rainfall variability. We did research in Burkina Faso to understand the link between land degradation and migration. The area has seen a high number of Mossi farmers living in the densely populated central plateau and northern regions migrate to the south of the country. Poor resource management and reduced rainfall have exacerbated land degradation. A rapidly growing population, coupled with high rates of internal rural migration and thirty years of desiccation, have resulted in profound land use and land cover change throughout the country. In the central plateau and northern regions of Burkina Faso, land degradation has historically stimulated large-scale migration toward more fertile areas in the south. While some northern provinces are being rehabilitated by soil and water conservation projects southern provinces, considered more "pristine," were neglected. Our research compared the dynamics between migration and environmental degradation trends in the country. We did this by examining migration trends over several decades as well as land use and land cover data in the Bam and Sissili provinces. Bam is in the center-north of the country close to Mali while Sissili is in the south, bordering on Ghana. Strong correlation The Bam province is located in the SudanoSahelian zone of West Africa which is an intermediary zone between the semi-arid Sahel to the north and the wetter Sudanian zone to the south. The province receives between 500 and 900mm of rainfall annually. It's covered with thorny scrub and savanna grassland on soils that are poor in organic matter and nutrients. Bam is home to the Mossi, the country's major ethnic group. The Mossi are farmers who grow millet, sorghum, maize for their subsistence and cash crops such as cotton. The Sissili province is located in the humid Sudanian climatic zone, one of the wettest zones in the country. The province receives between 800-1000mm of annual rainfall and is covered with shrubby and wooded savannas. Sissili is home to Nuni autochtonous farmers, migrant Mossi farmers and Fulani agro-pastoralists. Some of the subsistence and cash crops grown in the area include yam, sweet potatoes, cowpea, groundnuts, maize, millet sorghum, black eyed peas and cotton. We found a strong correlation between land degradation and migration trends. Degradation was greater in areas like Sissili which attracted migrants and much less severed in areas such as Bam which people migrated from. On the one hand we found that land degradation stimulated intensive out-migration from a province. On the other, that soil rehabilitation helped decrease out-migration or increased in-migration toward a province. Our hope is that by shedding light on the association between migration patterns, land rehabilitation and improved food security, our study will inform policy decisions. In particular, we hope it will encourage donors and government to invest in local initiatives that can courage positive trends. This could include soil and water conservation initiatives led by farmers. An illustration of the massive conversion of savanna into agricultural land in Sissili which corresponds to period of intensive migration inflows. Credit: Ilboudo Nebie and West 2019 Historical trends In the 1970s, land degradation in central and northern Burkina Faso led to large numbers of people leaving. In the 1980s the introduction of the soil and water conservation projects stabilized land degradation in this region. In the Bam Province, in the north, this transformed the province's migration patterns to the point there weremarginallymore people moving in than leaving. These migration trends confirm the success of long-term investments in soil and water conservation. They also reflect dwindling opportunities elsewhere. Our fieldwork data suggests that Bam's population is increasing again. Although some households still remain vulnerable to food insecurity due to skyrocketing global market prices, farmers argue that famines are "a thing of the past". They attribute this to their investment in improved agricultural techniques such as soil and water conservation initiatives. This pattern can be seen elsewhere in the country. In the most degraded parts of Burkina Faso's central plateau, soil and water conservation initiatives have helped to rehabilitate more than 200,000 hectares of land and to produce an extra 80,000 tons of food per year. In contrast, the picture in southern Burkina Faso is bleak. It used to be one of the preferred destinations for migrants in the 1970s and 1980s. But intensive in-migration has increased human and livestock population, agricultural land, deforestation, and reduced land availability and the development of commercial agriculture. These changes have degraded the land cover and strained social relationships. The result has been that fewer people have migrated to the area since 1996. Today, migration toward southern provinces such as Sissili has declined. There are brewing land tenure conflicts between migrants and communities made up of the province's original inhabitants. Sissili needs to control land use and conservation programs where the situation now resembles that of the Bam province back in the 1970s. What can be done Migration is often perceived as a distinct problem that needs to be stopped even though it's a natural process that helps reorganize populations and regulate economic and health inequalities. While planned and voluntary migrations can help improve the well-being of individual migrants and their households, unplanned and involuntary movements often overwhelm local support systems in destination areas. Thus, the drivers of migration must be anticipated and understood so that countries can manage better or direct them. Explore further Beyond borders: Understanding migration requires understanding changing land systems This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Supreme first entry into the Italian market. The brand chose the city of Milan for its launch in the country, planned for next July. The store will be situated on Corso Garibaldi Street at Via Palermo, occupying a space of 450 square meters. The company adds Milans shop to its line of other stores that already operate worldwide: New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tokyo. The arrival of Supreme in Italy had been rumored for some time, however, it has not yet disclosed in which premises itll be situated. Supreme lands in the market which saw the birth of one of its most successful counterfeit. The imitations spread to several countries such as Spain, which already has five copy stores. The New-York-born brand was founded in 1994 by James Jebbia. The logo was based on the propaganda of Barbara Kruger, and American conceptual artist. Houston Rapper, Z-Ro celebrated his 43rd birthday in spectacular fashion Sunday night with luminaries of Houston's rap royalty at Houstons House of Blues. Joining him to kick off the H-town fete were Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Johnny Dang, Judge George Powell, J. Prince and Big Angry Charles Adams. Paul Wall and Slim Thug helped host the bash which drew some of Houstons most notable celebs. Tokopedia, Indonesias largest e-commerce marketplace, is said to be involved in a major fundraising effort targeting up to $1.5bn. Investors for the fundraising are said to include Singaporean investment company Temasek, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Japans SoftBank. According to the UKs Financial Times the next round of fundraising could come before the middle of the year and could value Tokopedia at between $8bn and $9bn. The additional capital would give Tokopedia a boost in its efforts to dominate the e-commerce market in Indonesia. Tokopedia is already the market leader in Indonesia ahead of rivals Shopee, Lazada and Bukalapak. Alibaba has a controlling stake in Lazada. Tokopedias success to date is partly down to first mover advantage and local roots. Also its business model connecting buyers with sellers is said to be less capital-intensive than that of other e-commerce companies because it does not require extensive logistics. However, a shake-up may be on the way when and if the worlds biggest e-commerce name Amazon joins the fray, which some investors are expecting to happen before the mid-year point. Nevertheless, the FT notes that Indonesia is proving to be a popular target for Chinese investors in particular. Not only is it southeast Asias biggest economy and offers them the chance to diversify their holdings away from China, but many are said to be put off by high valuations for start-ups in markets such as India. A BSF jawan, said to be an expert in handling explosives, was arrested in connection with the delivery of a parcel bomb at his camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district early this month, official sources said on Wednesday. Samarpal, a native of Kolkata, was detained from his residence in Hubli area on January 10 and later arrested, they said. "The jawan has been arrested for questioning and further investigation is on," Senior Superintendent of Police, Samba, Shakti Pathik, told PTI. He refused to divulge any further details. A parcel containing an improvised explosive device (IED) was delivered to the 173rd battalion headquarters of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Samba on January 5, the police had said. It was addressed to the second-in-command Gurvinder Singh, who got suspicious about it and informed the bomb disposal squad, they had said. According to the sources, a case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act and an investigation launched, which led to the detention of Samarpal. The sources said Samarpal is an expert in handling explosive substances and is believed to have prepared the IED as he wanted to take revenge from his assistant commandant over some issue. He had left the parcel bomb at the main gate of the camp before leaving for home, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Toyota and Honda, two Japanese multinational automobile firms, are set to recall about 6.1 million of sold-out vehicles over unrelated ... Toyota and Honda, two Japanese multinational automobile firms, are set to recall about 6.1 million of sold-out vehicles over unrelated security defects. On Tuesday, both automobile giants released official statements detailing the range of vehicles that would be affected by the recall as well as the safety-related issues they hope to address. Toyota said it would recall about 3.4 million cars, 2.9 million of which are situated in the US over potentially defective equipment meant to protect passengers in event of a crash. It is believed that the affected models in North, Central, and South America include Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Avalon, and the Avalon HV lines that were produced between 2010 and 2019. The recall, Toyota said, comes on the back of indications that the vehicles could have been equipped with defective ECUs meant to trigger airbags and pretensioners amid road mishaps. In a similar development, Honda, in a press statement, said that it would recall 2.7 million cars, 2.4 million of which are in the US while 300,000 are situated in Canada. According to the firm, some Acuras produced between 1996 and 2003 might have dysfunctional airbag inflators produced without appropriate seals needed for proper deployment. While Toyota plans to notify affected users in the US by March 2020, Honda has called on car owners to sign up for inspections although it might not be able to help anytime soon. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Republic of India and Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas. The MoU will enhance cooperation between the two sides in oil and natural gas sector. Under the MoU, both sides will work towards establishing cooperation in the E&P initiatives in Brazil and India, research & development in this sector, explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Brazil, India and third countries, and also encourage collaboration in oil energy and environmental issues, including energy policies such as energy efficiency, energy research development and expansion of the regional energy infrastructure networks. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Infiniti Research, a leading market intelligence solutions provider, has recently announced the completion of its latest success story on market opportunity analysis. This success story highlights how the experts at Infiniti Research helped a surgical consumables manufacturer based out of the US address key business challenges including expanding business operations across 5 countries in the EMEA region, identifying risk factors involved in the manufacturing of surgical consumables, and understanding unmet opportunities in the market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005380/en/ Developing an Actionable Market Expansion Strategy for a Surgical Consumable Manufacturer (Graphic: Business Wire) The surgical consumables market is expected to witness substantial growth over the coming years, triggered by the rising use of advanced consumables and robot-assisted surgeries. Also, technological advancements and increasing sophistication in medical procedures are expected to open up new opportunities for companies in the surgical consumables market. However, the rising concerns regarding hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are impelling governments to encourage the use of disposable hospital consumables in the US. As such, companies in the surgical consumables market will need to focus on developing reusable or disposable surgical consumables. Rising use of advanced consumables and services provided in hospitals are projected to drive the global surgical consumables market growth. Our experts can help you to keep pace with all the market changes and industry developments. Request a FREE proposal today! Our integrated approach and solutions offered To help the client tackle the above-mentioned challenges and devise a robust market expansion plan, the experts at Infiniti Research used a combination of market trend analysis, risk assessment, market access, and market forecast study. The engagement also involved the validation of gathered data through an additional set of open-ended discussions with industry experts to ensure accuracy. Having a comprehensive understanding of the market opportunities, customer needs, and industry challenges can help businesses to efficiently adapt to the market demands and succeed in the long-run. Our market opportunity analysis services can help you to achieve these objectives. Contact us today! Results obtained By leveraging Infiniti's market opportunity analysis, the client in the surgical consumables market gained a better understanding of the target market and growth opportunities. They were also able to adopt new/innovative manufacturing processes, develop actionable strategies for targeted advertising, assess competitors' offerings, and realize profits of over 23%. Want to know other benefits that the client achieved by leveraging our market opportunity analysis solution? Request more info and our experts will get in touch with you with detailed insights. Read the complete success story for comprehensive insights: A Surgical Consumable Manufacturing Company Successfully Expanded its Business Operations Across 5 Countries in the EMEA Region About Infiniti Research Established in 2003, Infiniti Research, is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. To know more, visit: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/about-us View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005380/en/ Contacts: Infiniti Research Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 844 778 0600 UK: +44 203 893 3400 https://www.infinitiresearch.com/contact-us Secretary at the Union Health Ministry, Preeti Sudan, on Wednesday informed that a total number of 43 flights and 9156 passengers arriving from China have been screened for novel coronavirus illness at seven different airports across the country so far. However, no case has been detected through these screening efforts. The Civil Aviation Ministry, from Tuesday, initiated the thermal health screening of passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong at seven Indian airports, under the directions of the Union Health Ministry. These airports include Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata respectively. This is being done as a preventive measure against the outbreak of deadly Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province of China. All seven identified airports have airports signage displayed boldly at the strategic locations. According to Sudan, the Embassy in China has informed that till January 22, a total of 440 cases of pneumonia with nCoV were confirmed in China and a total of 9 people have died. Cases have been reported in 14 provinces (including Taiwan) and municipalities as well. The Health Ministry has directed travellers to China, in particular, Wuhan city to monitor their health closely. Travellers have been asked to follow simple public health measures and a good standard of hygiene. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had directed to make all logistics support and arrangement immediately with regard to screening of passengers arriving in India from China amidst Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) outbreak in China. "Provision of space at the pre-immigration area with logistics to install the thermal cameras will be made at the airports. Airlines staff are supposed to bring the passengers to the health counters before the immigration check," the official said. According to WHO, the situation is still evolving and preliminary investigations suggest a link to the seafood market. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, which cause illnesses to people and also circulate in animals including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can also evolve and infect people. An advisory has been issued for strict implementation at seven identified airports on 'Novel Corona Virus Disease.' "In order to facilitate early isolation, in-flight announcements are being by the airlines (which are directly coming from any airport in China including Hong Kong) requesting passengers with history of fever and cough and history of travel to Wuhan City in last 14 days to self-declare at port of arrival or to State Health Authorities," said the official. "Airlines staff has been directed guide the passengers in filling up the self-reporting forms before disembarkation so that the filled up format can be checked by APHO staff on arrival," said the official adding that operational procedures recommended by International Air Transport Association (IATA) to manage suspected communicable disease on board an aircraft. Meanwhile, the union health ministry has issued a health advisory for travellers against the threat of 'Novel Corona Virus Disease (nCoV) in the neighbouring country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Issa SI Tafridj (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 23 2020 Housing crisis: Houses and apartments sprawl across Thamrin in Central Jakarta. Because of overpriced housing in the downtown area, millions of middle class people are forced to live in the suburbs or rent a house or apartment close to their workplaces. (JP/Donny Fernando) For a group of people who have been dubbed the driving force of Indonesias economy, it is deeply ironic that the middle class in Indonesia have not been able to fulfil their own basic need for proper housing. Too poor to own commercial housing yet too wealthy to apply for government subsidies, the middle class are left in limbo. President Joko Jokowi Widodo suggested during the 2019 national meeting of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi) last September that the nations middle class would double in number by 2020, reaching approximately 140 million people. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login By Trend As many as 2,431 people have applied for participation in the early parliamentary elections scheduled for February 9 in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said. Panahov made the remark at the CEC meeting in Baku on Jan. 21, Trend reports. During the CEC meeting the candidacies of 2,358 people were approved, Panahov said. Panahov said 2,247 people obtained signature lists and 1,774 of them have returned the lists. About 1,542 people have already been registered. Early parliamentary elections will be held in Azerbaijan on Feb. 9. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Apple has dropped plans to let iPhone users fully encrypt back-ups of their devices in the company's iCloud service, after the FBI complained the move would harm investigations, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The tech giant's reversal, about two years ago, has not previously been reported. It shows how much Apple has been willing to help US law enforcement and intelligence agencies, despite taking a harder line in high-profile legal disputes with the government. The long-running tug of war between investigators' concerns about security and tech companies' desire for user privacy moved back into the public spotlight last week. US attorney general William Barr took the rare step of publicly calling on Apple to unlock two iPhones used by a Saudi air force officer who shot dead three Americans at a Pensacola, Florida naval base last month. US president Donald Trump accused Apple on Twitter of refusing to unlock phones used by "killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements". Republican and Democratic senators sounded a similar theme in a December hearing, threatening legislation against end-to-end encryption, citing unrecoverable evidence of crimes against children. Apple did, in fact, turn over the shooter's iCloud back-ups in the Pensacola case, and said it rejected the characterisation that it "has not provided substantive assistance". Behind the scenes, Apple has provided the US Federal Bureau of Investigation with more sweeping help, not related to any specific probe. An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the company's handling of the encryption issue or any discussions it has had with the FBI. The FBI did not respond to requests for comment on any discussions with Apple. Reuters P assengers arriving at Heathrow from the part of China at the centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak are to be screened, the Government announced today. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said additional measures such as health checks would be placed on flights from Wuhan after more than 440 cases and nine deaths were reported abroad. Passengers will be separated from other arrivals at the airport. Hong Kong reported its first case today, after the US revealed a traveller arriving in Seattle from the Wuhan region had been found carrying the virus. UK-bound passengers will be observed by air crew for signs of illness, be handed medical advice leaflets and will have their temperature checked by health workers if necessary. Commuters wearing face masks arriving the Yichang East Railway Station / AFP via Getty Images Public Health England and the Department of Healths chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, were set to upgrade the UKs coronavirus risk level from very low to low. There have been no confirmed cases in the UK. The World Health Organisation was today expected to classify the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. There is no vaccine and efforts are being accelerated to develop treatments. The virus can cause pneumonia, meaning people with underlying lung disease are vulnerable. Symptoms include fever, coughing and difficulty breathing. Mr Shapps told Sky News: At the moment PHE have moved this from very low to low but we are keeping a close eye on it. Initially this is to ensure that when flights come into Heathrow there is a separate area for people to arrive in. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said additional measures will be put in place at Heathrow Airport / Getty Images A China Southern flight from Wuhan was due to arrive today at 6pm. UK experts say it is likely that the virus will spread to Britain and Europe in the coming weeks. Person-to-person infection has occurred, including from patients to healthcare workers, of whom 15 have been infected in China, but it is not yet clear how infectious the strand is. It is not yet thought to be as serious an outbreak as the SARS coronavirus in China in 2002-03, when there were 774 deaths in 37 countries. Dr Nathalie MacDermott, of Kings College London, said: Given our increasingly inter-connected world, the potential for the virus to spread to different continents is high. Passengers wear face masks at Hong Kong's international airport / AFP via Getty Images Chinese authorities have admitted the country is now at the most critical stage of prevention and control amid fears the virus may be mutating. Experts say a key indicator of the spread of the disease is whether it is transmitted between people outside China. SARS spread through the air, making it highly infectious, while the current coronavirus is thought to be spread via person-to-person contact. The virus, which has been linked to a food market in Wuhan, has already spread to Beijing and Shanghai while cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Officials have advised people to stop travelling in and out of Wuhan. Doctors are concerned that many patients are infectious while suffering mild or no symptoms. By Leif-Eric Easley With Donald Trump facing an impeachment trial in the Senate and a tough re-election battle, some U.S. rivals see the president as politically weakened, risk-averse in exerting military pressure, and incapable of delivering on diplomatic commitments. The American drone strike killing General Qassem Soleimani, Iran's proxy warrior-in-chief, may prompt recalculations in Tehran and as far away as Pyongyang. Trump's supporters will say the targeted strike re-establishes the credibility of U.S. security diplomacy. But it would be unwise to underestimate how nationalism can short-circuit the fear that drives deterrence. The Iranian and North Korean regimes both maintain superiority narratives sensitive to national humiliation and derive domestic support by exaggerating external threats. They care much more about holding on to power than preventing economic suffering or even mass casualties among their populations. At the same time, interactive effects between Tehran and Pyongyang are difficult to predict. The Kim Jong-un regime may be too preoccupied with geopolitics in Asia and its own troubled economic situation to be closely eyeing developments in the Middle East. But one can imagine that rising tensions between Iran and the U.S. might encourage North Korean restraint on the one hand, and discourage denuclearization on the other. Some analysts have argued that Kim has Trump's number and no longer fears "madman-style" brinkmanship as during the "fire and fury" days of 2017, but the U.S. taking out a top Iranian leader may cause Pyongyang to rethink the scale of its next provocation. Since Trump pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran, North Koreans probably see redoubled U.S. sanctions on Tehran through the prism of regime change. Pyongyang may now point to Iran's case to justify resisting denuclearization and enhancing its self-avowed strategic deterrent for regime survival. It would be jumping to conclusions to say that the challenges posed by Iran and North Korea are closely linked, but unintended interactions and negative consequences can't be ruled out. American and allied lives and resources are at stake, as is Washington's long-term influence in the Middle East and Asia. U.S. foreign policy is not simply driven by tweet or by reacting to images on television, but allies and partners are expressing growing concern about strategy and implementation. For a "maximum pressure" strategy to work, concessions should be won using coercive diplomacy, and then off-ramps should be credibly communicated before the outbreak of an unwanted war. Trump appears to have done the latter too early with North Korea, as the Singapore summit reduced pressure before Kim made a strategic decision to denuclearize. But if one were to misapply that lesson to Iran, there is a real danger that diplomatic off-ramps will come too late. Withdrawing from the JCPOA without a good strategy for coordinating pressure and off-ramps has brought the U.S. into the domain of deteriorating options with Iran. This is where policymakers take risky actions out of a belief that not acting will result in even worse outcomes. Trump argues that taking Soleimani off the battlefield was intended to prevent rather than start a war, while Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley asserted "the risk of inaction exceeded the risk of action." The current situation with North Korea looks more like a stalemate, but could also spiral downward. The Kim regime refuses to be ignored and is likely planning its next provocation for which the type, timing, and U.S. reaction are uncertain. The Iranian and North Korean challenges are complex and different, but in each case, Washington urgently needs to supplement maximum pressure with maximum coordination. Such coordination would entail compromising with international partners to realize a more unified approach to economic statecraft, reinforcing deterrence and intelligence sharing with allies, and developing diplomatic off-ramps for rivals. Alternative approaches such as strategic patience or pursuing regime change are dangerously prone to failure because the Iranian and North Korean regimes continue to upgrade their threatening capabilities and are doggedly determined to stay in power. Economically pressuring Iran and North Korea is sound policy, but continued lack of international coordination on military escalation and diplomatic de-escalation will be as costly to the United States and its partners as Tehran and Pyongyang are unpredictable. Leif-Eric Easley (Ph.D. in government, Harvard University) is an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. His research focuses on trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the United States on engaging China, Myanmar and North Korea. A version of this article originally appeared in the Interpreter, which is published by the Lowy Institute, an independent, nonpartisan think tank based in Sydney. The difficulties encountered by tillage farmers in getting winter crops in the ground last autumn have been well documented but this opens the door to include spring beans into the farm crop mix. The recently published Teagasc eProfit monitor report for 2018 has shown that only fodder beet is delivering a higher margin for tillage farmers than winter wheat and barley so not achieving the planned area of winter cereals last autumn will have financial implications for farmers in 2020. Cropping choice this spring is dependent on a number of factors such as soil type, the availability of local markets and most importantly financial returns. The fodder market can be profitable but only where a suitable cropping arrangement is in place with agreements on final price and payment structure. Spring wheat and sowing of winter wheat varieties will be an option for some if a favourable dry spell occurs between now and mid-February. However, spring barley is often the default option for tillage farmers in the past. The last time we had a comparable situation was autumn 2012 where the area of spring barley increased by 32,000ha the following spring. The area of spring beans in 2013 was 4,000ha which was only a marginal increase on the previous year, but there are a number of key differences now compared to 2013. Firstly an increasing demand for an indigenous source of protein for animal feed has resulted in a number of feed mills modifying their mills to process beans. There are now a number of feed mills offering 100pc natively produced animal rations to farmers where the source of protein comes from traceable native beans rather than imported non-traceable sources. Many of these feed merchants are now offering attractive forward prices to farmers which can provide security for the farmer once target yields are achieved. Secondly there is support from the Department of Agriculture in the form of a coupled support for eligible protein crops. The total fund under the protein aid scheme is 3m and is allocated by dividing the total eligible area into the fund. In 2019 farmers received 365/ha. The scheme is expected to continue in 2020. The ability of beans to fix their own nitrogen and subsequent reduction in nitrogen demand for the succeeding cereal crop has financial benefits for the farmer and in addition benefits the environment. As a completely different crop type to cereals, beans act as a useful break in many disease and pest cycles, benefiting yield and cost reduction in the following crop. Growing a non-cereal like beans offers opportunities for alternative weed control strategies. Herbicides This is especially relevant where grass weeds are becoming an increasing problem and resistance to commonly used cereal herbicides is developing. The main reason for farmer reluctance to grow beans in the past has been the potential of a late harvest. Harvesting capacity is important as beans can run late in some seasons particularly if planted late. Teagasc research carried out in 2015 and 2016 indicates that planting in late February to mid-March will give the best chance of achieving a high yield and a reasonable harvest date. Crucially, beans must be profitable for the farmer. The recently published Teagasc Costs and Returns 2020 examines crop margins based on expected costs and predicted returns at target yields and estimated prices. At a target yield of 8t/ha spring feed barley (140/t) returns are 354/ha compared to 426/ha for spring feed beans (205/t) at a target yield of 5.5t/ha. The protein payment is included at 250/ha but may be higher depending on the area planted. Grain price and demand for straw are critical factors in the financial calculation. A 10 per increase in grain price and an increased demand for straw will tilt the scales in favour of spring barley. But the long term benefits of a break crop in terms of succeeding crop yields and soil improvements should also be considered. Sources in the seed trade estimate that native seed stocks could sow a similar area to last year, but if there is an increased demand this could be supplemented by imported seed. Inevitably, this would be at an increased cost so order early if you are planning to grow beans this season. The Republic of Azerbaijan wants to invest USD 1.5 billion in Ukraine in 2020. Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Ukraine Azer Khudiyev said this during a joint meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Ukraine Samat Ordabaev and Chairman of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleksiy Kucher on January 21, the press service of Kharkiv Regional State Administration reported. Last year alone, we invested USD 1 billion. We want to invest another USD 1.5 billion in Ukraine, Khudiyev said. During the visit to Kharkiv region, a delegation led by the ambassadors will hold a series of meetings with business representatives of the region. The ambassadors noted that the creation of a favorable investment and business climate in the country, in particular in Kharkiv region, was an important factor for deepening economic cooperation. Among the promising areas of cooperation are the IT industry, manufacturing, agriculture and the implementation of infrastructure projects, in particular road construction. ish As a titan of Silicon Valley, Jeff Bezos should probably have known the first rule of internet security never click on anything sent to you by someone you don't know. And yet the Amazon boss thought he knew Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The two 'kings' one the world's richest man and creator of the online retail giant, and the other the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and heir to his family's $100billion fortune had been introduced to each other in April 2018 at a glittering Hollywood dinner. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos was interested in opening data centres in Saudi Arabia and had exchanged numbers with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (pictured together) The crown prince was on a charm-offensive tour of America, not only to find possible investors for his desert kingdom but also to clean up his tarnished brand and particularly his controversial track record as his family's merciless 'enforcer'. Pressing the flesh of everyone from Oprah Winfrey to film star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 'MBS' had received a warm welcome everywhere he went, even getting an invitation to the White House. Amazon founder Mr Bezos, today worth $116billion (87billion) and a man who rarely misses a business opportunity, was interested in opening data centres in Saudi Arabia. The two men swapped phone numbers naturally which led to them striking up a chummy relationship on the online and supposedly encrypted messaging service WhatsApp. But that apparently innocuous encounter, revealed in a jaw-dropping United Nations report yesterday, would have seismic consequences. The crown prince wasn't trying to befriend Mr Bezos, it is alleged. Instead, spyware had apparently been sent from an account of the Saudi heir to the throne to Mr Bezos's phone to steal its secrets. According to the UN, Mr Bezos received an encrypted video file sent from Mr bin Salman's WhatsApp account during a friendly exchange before spyware took control of his phone. Pictured: A single photograph was later texted to Mr Bezos along with a 'sardonic caption' The Saudi government yesterday said it was 'absurd' to suggest it was behind the hacking of Mr Bezos's phone. Its embassy in Washington called for an investigation. The UN, too, has demanded an immediate inquiry into the findings of two independent human rights experts who compiled its report, who call the alleged cyber-spying an 'effort to influence, if not silence' reporting on Saudi Arabia by the Washington Post. The newspaper, which Mr Bezos owns, has been highly critical of Saudi Arabia, chiefly over its coverage of the horrific murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 (the crime at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was reportedly filmed and the victim's body afterwards cut into pieces). Mr Khashoggi, whose slaying was allegedly ordered by Mr bin Salman something he has always denied was a Washington Post columnist who regularly attacked repression in Saudi Arabia. According to the UN, a few weeks after Mr Bezos and MBS met in Los Angeles (several months before Mr Khashoggi's murder), Mr Bezos received and opened an encrypted video file sent from Mr bin Salman's WhatsApp account during a friendly exchange. Investigators now believe the video purportedly an Arabic-language promotional film about telecommunications was anything but helpful. According to the UN report, it was 'later established, with reasonable certainty, that the video's downloader infected Mr Bezos's phone with malicious code'. Within hours, this spyware had taken control of Mr Bezos's phone and reportedly extracted 'massive' amounts of data from it. Some of the information was of a very intimate nature. The image sent to Mr Bezos was of a young woman, apparently a model, who strongly resembled former TV presenter Lauren Sanchez, 49. Pictured: Bezos and Sanchez at the Amazon Prime Video celebration in 2020 Exactly how intimate, says the UN report, was revealed in November 2018 when a single photograph was texted to Mr Bezos apparently from the crown prince's WhatsApp account along with a 'sardonic caption'. The image was of a young woman, apparently a model, who strongly resembled Lauren Sanchez, 49, the busty wife of a friend of Mr Bezos. The sexist photo caption read: 'Arguing with a woman is like reading the software license agreement. In the end you have to ignore everything and click I agree.' Mr Bezos and his wife would then have been discussing their divorce as anyone secretly reading his text messages would have learnt. The photo may have been a crude attempt at blackmail, for Miss Sanchez's significance, evidently known to the sender, wouldn't become general knowledge for two more months. In January 2019 the sensational news broke that, although married for 25 years to MacKenzie Tuttle and the father of four children with her (three biological sons and one adopted daughter), Mr Bezos had been having a torrid affair with Miss Sanchez, a pneumatic former TV presenter and married mother of two. America's gossip tabloid the National Enquirer broke the story, revealing lurid details of how it had reportedly spent four months trailing the couple 'across five states and 40,000 miles, tailing them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and 'quality time' in hidden love nests'. The Enquirer piled on the embarrassment, revealing raunchy text messages and 'erotic' selfie photos that had been exchanged by the lovers. It was all not only personally humiliating for Mr Bezos who almost simultaneously announced he and his wife were getting divorced but also risked devastating his business affairs. Why? Because the couple had been married before he started Amazon from the garage of their rented home in 1994. Under the laws of Washington state (where they lived) all assets of a divorcing couple have to be divided equally and fairly. Analysts warned that Mr Bezos, 56, might even lose control of Amazon if he had to pay too much to his wife. In the event, she took $35billion (26billion) worth of Amazon shares in the divorce settlement, temporarily dethroning Mr Bezos as the world's richest person but not breaking his grip on the retail behemoth. So, his denials notwithstanding, is it possible that Mr bin Salman or his underlings actually put 'spyware' on Mr Bezos's phone, effectively gaining access to all its information, from his text messages to its location? It certainly is. The UN report notes meaningfully that in November 2017 the elite Saudi Royal Guard, which protects the country's monarchy, bought from a controversial Israeli technology firm, NSO Group, sophisticated secret software designed to enable the remote surveillance of smartphones. Analysts say such a decision must have been approved by the crown prince, who has been leading the campaign against political opponents. Within the next few months around the time Mr Bezos's phone was reportedly hacked a string of outspoken critics of the Saudi regime had their phones infected by malicious code via a texted link on WhatsApp, says the UN report. They included human rights activists, Saudi dissidents and even an Amnesty International official. Fiendish mystery at a glance September 2017 - The Bezos-owned Washington Post recruits exiled Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi. A series of columns highly critical of the Saudi regime follow November 2017 - The Saudi Royal Guard buys Pegagus-3 spyware, specifically designed to infect phones through WhatsApp, from secretive Israeli firm NSO April 2018 - At a dinner in Los Angeles, Jeff Bezos and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, swap phone numbers to communicate through WhatsApp May 2018 - An encrypted video file is sent from the MBS number to Mr Bezos via WhatsApp. Within hours, Mr Bezos' iPhone begins sending out gigabytes of data which it previously had not October 2018 - Mr Khashoggi is murdered by Saudi officials in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. (He is pictured, left, entering the building.) The Washington Post publishes ever-expanding revelations linking the crown prince to the killing. The UN has now concluded that Khashoggi was 'the victim of a deliberate, execution which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible' November 2018 - Unbeknown to the world, Mr Bezos has begun an affair with TV star Lauren Sanchez and is in early divorce negotiations with his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie. A single photo is sent from the MBS number to Bezos, hinting that the crown prince knows of the new relationship. Mrs Bezos' settlement left her with 27billion, making her the third richest woman in the world January 2019 - The National Enquirer, run by a Donald Trump and Saudi ally, make the Bezos/Sanchez relationship public, including intimate details March 2019 - Investigators for Mr Bezos say they are sure Saudi Arabia had access to his phone and leaked the affair story January 2020 - New evidence that a video sent from the MBS number contained spyware Advertisement A common link was that they were in contact with the soon-to-be-murdered journalist Mr Khashoggi. Last year, WhatsApp admitted a major cybersecurity breach had allowed spyware allegedly made by NSO Group to be installed on phones. It said the malicious code could be transmitted even by a voice call that wasn't answered. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has since sued NSO Group in America. Added to which, this week's UN report also notes that Facebook has confirmed that sending a video file to a WhatsApp user precisely as the Saudis are accused of having sent to Mr Bezos was a method for installing malicious spyware. Appalled that the Enquirer got hold of his text messages and selfie photos, Mr Bezos (who has declined to comment on the UN report) was determined to trace the leak. He brought in an external team of investigators. Speculation initially focused on Miss Sanchez's brother, Michael, who denied selling them to the magazine. But it soon emerged that Mr Bezos was convinced this was about far more than money. In February 2019, he published an article in which he suggested he had been targeted because of the political coverage of the Washington Post, becoming an enemy of Saudi Arabia chiefly over its coverage of the murder of Mr Khashoggi. Mr Bezos, who attended a memorial service for the journalist outside the consulate in Turkey where he was killed, became a target for endless online criticism from Saudi trolls who also called for a boycott of Amazon. Mr Bezos's security chief, Gavin de Becker, later directly accused the government in Riyadh of hacking the Amazon chief's phone. 'Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone and gained private information,' wrote Mr de Becker. However, he was vague about details. Where did this all fit in with the National Enquirer? Mr Bezos has claimed that the Enquirer's owner, David Pecker, has strong ties to Mr bin Salman, having reportedly met the crown prince in Saudi Arabia in 2017. When MBS flew to America the following year, Mr Pecker's company obligingly published a glossy magazine, The New Kingdom, promoting the future Saudi king on the front page as a great leader who would transform the world. (Pecker is also close to Donald Trump, who loathes Mr Bezos due to the Washington Post's attacks on his presidency. The US Justice Department has accused Mr Pecker of helping the Trump campaign 'kill' damaging stories about the President's alleged extramarital affairs by paying to silence the accusers and never publishing their stories.) In his online article from February 2019, Mr Bezos accused the Enquirer and its owner of 'extortion and blackmail', claiming the company had threatened to publish graphic photos of him including what he memorably called a 'below-the-belt selfie' if he didn't affirm publicly that political considerations had nothing to do with its reporting of his affair. For its part, the Enquirer insists that Miss Sanchez's brother Michael had been its source for stories about Mr Bezos's affair. (Michael Sanchez has admitted he helped the tabloid but also insists that it had seen private text exchanges between Mr Bezos and Miss Sanchez's sister before he became involved.) A spokesman for American Media, which owns the Enquirer, said it 'does not have, nor have we ever had, any editorial or financial ties to Saudi Arabia'. The company has previously insisted that the source for its expose on Mr Bezos's affair was 'not Saudi Arabia'. The UN report makes clear that Mr Bezos was hardly the only victim of Saudi cyber-hacking, which one US senator has described as a 'growing trend'. Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's son-in-law and a key White House foreign policy aide, reportedly chats regularly with Mr bin Salman on WhatsApp, prompting speculation that his phone might also have been hacked, if these allegations are true. The new bombshell claims present a conundrum for President Trump and Mr Kushner, who both have close ties to the crown prince even though US intelligence says with 'medium-to-high' certainty that he ordered Mr Khashoggi's murder. It would be astonishing if the heir to the ruling dynasty of one of the Middle East's most powerful countries personally tried to twist the arm of the world's richest man over unflattering coverage in his newspaper. However, Saudi experts alleged yesterday that is precisely how the kingdom's leaders do things personally. Saudi denials notwithstanding, the move has backfired spectacularly. MBS already faced intense criticism over his backing for a devastating civil war in Yemen, the alleged torture of rich Saudis in a Riyadh hotel and the supposed kidnapping of the Lebanese prime minister during a visit to Saudi Arabia. That ugly charge sheet now includes calls for an investigation into his possible involvement in the rather more mundane alleged offence of phone hacking albeit of one of the world's richest men. Supreme Court has refused to grant any stay (interim or otherwise) on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register for Citizens or the National Population Register saying that the Centre is free to implement these laws. The apex court, however, gave the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre four weeks to respond to at least 140 writ petitions which challenge the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act. The Supreme Court has refused to grant any stay (interim or otherwise) on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register for Citizens or the National Population Register saying that the Centre is free to implement these laws. The apex court, however, gave the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre four weeks to respond to at least 140 writ petitions which challenge the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice A Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna has also issued notices on all petitions. The matter will be listed after five weeks, reports have said. Most of these 140 petitions challenged the validity of the Act with a handful in support of the Act. The bench, however, issued notice to the Centre and restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on the CAA till it decides on the pleas. The court also said that it will look at the Assam issue differently, however, it clarified that the same is for court's benefit. All the matters will be heard together. Key takeaways from Supreme Court hearing The Supreme Court has refused to grant an interim stay on CAA or NRC or NPR and the government is free to implement those laws SC will consider hearing pleas related to Assam and Tripura separately after Centre files its reply within two weeks The Centre will have to file replies on all other CAA-related pleas (except those about Assam and Tripura) within four weeks The SC has not referred the matter to a Constitution Bench as of now. However, it showed a strong inclination to do that. It said a five-judge Constitution Bench will be set up to hear the matter The Supreme Court has also asked the high courts not to entertain any pleas on CAA until the apex court decides the matter. The Supreme Court made it amply clear that it will not pass any ex-parte order without hearing the Centre on staying the operation of the CAA and exercise of the NPR. The petitions concerning Tripura and Assam, as well as, the matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately, the bench further added. The bench said it will decide in-chamber the modalities of hearing the batch of petitions on the CAA and may fix them for day-to-day hearing after four weeks. What happened in Supreme Court Attorney-General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to all the pleas. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of the CAA and postpone the NPR exercise for the moment. The court said it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. "Will pass order on granting any interim relief to petitioner opposing CAA after four weeks," it said. Sibal pointed out that the process of NPR was scheduled to start in April and added that this process should probably be rescheduled for later. Senior counsel Vikas Singh urged the Supreme Court bench for interim order today and raised the issue of the situation in Assam. Bobde asked him to serve a copy of the petition to the Centre if he wants to argue on the question. " We are not going to pass an ex parte order without the copy being served to the Centre," Bobde said. Singh said that there is a "unique situation in Assam." When the cut-off date was extended from 1948 to 1971, it was challenged before the court and the same is pending to be considered by a Constitution Bench. He further added that there was an understanding that prior to 1971, there was persecution and the persecuted persons have come. "But there is no justification for people coming after 1971." The bench said the earlier cut off date for citizenship in Assam was 24 March, 1971 and noted that it had been extended till 31 December, 2014 under the CAA. Rajeev Dhavan at this point made a suggestion: petitioners be heard on two questions: One, whether the matter needs to be heard by a Constitution Bench; and two, would there be an irreversible situation? The CJI reminded the lawyers that the court also has to hear the Sabarimala case, to which senior counsel Indira Jaising intervened and said, "Priorities will have to be set, My Lord." Everyone has a right to exercise judicial remedy, says Bobde. If orders are passed on a batch of petitions, others may say they have been left out, the CJI added and mulled over waiting till 99 petitions of the petitions have come in and the service is complete. Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi suggests that the matter be referred to a Constitution Bench and in the meantime, the service and other process may be complete. Sibal, meanwhile, suggested that the NPR process may be postponed by a few months. Appearing for the Centre, Venugopal opposed the suggestion of "stay". Sibal said they are not seeking a stay on the Act, but merely a postponement of a process under the Act. Bobde tells Sibal, "You are asking for a stay without using the express words of stay." According to reports, KV Viswanathan stepped in to highlight the urgency and the need for the process of NPR to be postponed on the grounds that the exercise provides for "doubtful" status on one's citizenship. A batch of petitioners raising the Assam issue seek to be heard and for notice to be issued. Singhvi brings up the issue of "doubtful citizen" raised by KV Viswanathan, and tells the court that in Uttar Pradesh, several households have already been marked out to hint at doubtful status. Sibal adds that these people may lose voting rights. What the bench said Bobde identified that the challenge to CAA will have to be bifurcated in two sections one, concerning Tripura and Assam and another one concerning CAA generally. The CJI further added that notice will be issued on all petitions. Attorney General sought a period of six weeks to file counters on the grounds that about 80 more petitions have been filed. Petitioners, at this point, oppose his request for granting six weeks. Bobde said some small matters may be heard in chamber by the court and for this, one or two persons on each side may be deputed by the leading counsel. The court also hinted at setting up a five-judge bench to hear the case. The matter will be listed after five weeks for interim orders. The top 10 most valuable bottles sold on WineBid in 2019 were all from world-renowned Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Single bottle lots from 1995, 2002 and 2006 were all won between $10,000 to over $14,000 per bottle. Full cases of DRC, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, and Chateau Mouton Rothschild were competitively bid as high as $26,765. Many 1.5L magnums were auctioned and won with vintages from a 1988 to 2014 and labels such as DRC La Tache, Petrus, Le Pin, Haut-Brion and even a 1974 Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. These top magnums went for between $3,500-$7,500. Many exciting and unique Imperials/Methuselahs were competitive, such as a 1984 Opus One, 1988 Chateau d'Yquem, 1983 Mouton and 1997 Lafite, all ranging between $2,040 and $4,335 per lot. Other rarities included multiple vintages from Jacky Truchot, Bizot, Henri Jayer, Domaines d'Auvenay and Leroy, Cecile Tremblay, Gentaz-Dervieux, Pierre Overnoy, Edmond Vatan, and a rare 19 th century 1-liter bottling of Isaias W. Hellman Angelica, Cucamonga Vineyard in San Bernardino County, California. "2019 was a dynamic year for the wine industry, with a major US Supreme Court case on wine shipping decided earlier in the year, wildfires and outages happening across Napa and Northern California in the fall, and a global trade war with China and France during the winter months. Many outlets described a softening in the price of high-end Burgundies, and a glut of grapes and lower-end wines," said Russ Mann, CEO of WineBid. "With the WineBid weekly auctions, we have the most up-to-date market trends and pricing on over 500,000 labels. While we saw some softening in Grand Cru Burgundies, we also saw a slight uptick in First Growth Bordeaux demand and pricing, as well as in high end California Cabs. We experienced continued strong demand from our buyers across Asia, and increasing interest from large consignors in moving toward our web-only weekly auction model." The WineBid data set is considered to be such an industry standard that The Economist magazine requested to use a sample for an historical wine price by region analysis. The Economist article deduces that over the 16-year period analyzed, Burgundy wine as an investment beat the S&P 500 by nearly 200% (excluding storage and transaction costs). While WineBid believes that wine is best collected, consumed, and shared with friends, the analysis provided great insight for debate and discussion. Finally, in late 2019, WineBid launched its innovative new 360Bottleshot(TM) technology. 360Bottleshot allows auction bidders to rotate and zoom bottles in high resolution in both web and mobile app formats, without the need for downloads or plugins. No other online wine auction house or retailer offers this level of photography or inspection notes, representing the ultimate in authentication and provenance in the industry. "2019 was a significant year of transition for WineBid and for the wine industry. We're proud of the great collections we were entrusted to bring to market, and the innovations we've been able to introduce as well. We expect 2020 to be an even more exciting year for WineBid and wine collectors," said Mann. About WineBid: Established in 1996, WineBid is the largest online auction for fine and rare wines with more than 100,000 registered bidders worldwide. New Winebid LLC is based in Seattle, WA, with operations in Napa, CA. For more information, contact Tess Roche by email at [email protected], or call (888) 638 8968. Contact: Tess Roche, [email protected], (888) 638 8968. SOURCE WineBid Equinix, Inc. EQIX recently entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Packet, the leading bare metal automation platform. The transaction is expected to close in the ongoing quarter. Packet offers bare metal cloud platform dedicated servers which can be used by developers with cloud-like ease, scale and speed. The companys proprietary technology enables the automation of complex infrastructure without using virtualization or multitenancy. Equinix will integrate this innovative and developer-oriented bare metal service offering with its network of colocation data centers and inter-connection technology. This will create a world-class, enterprise-level bare metal offering across Platform Equinix, allowing customers to accelerate digital infrastructure deployment on demand. Further, by leveraging bare metal services at Equinix, the integration will provide a single platform to users and equip them to interconnect anywhere on a global scale. This will enhance the development and delivery of its inter-connected edge services, and help companies benefit from its rich ecosystems and globally-interconnected platform. In addition, by acquiring Packet, the company will have access to its developer-friendly product, and enable enterprises and service providers to build and deploy low-latency services at the edge. Equinix has been actively expanding its infrastructure footprint and enhancing capabilities through acquisitions and strategic tie-ups. Recently, it wrapped up the acquisition of three data centers from Axtel S.A.B. de C.V., which cater to Mexico City and Monterrey metro areas of Mexico. The company shelled out $175 million for this buyout, making it one of the largest network-neutral data-center operators in Mexico. While such moves are in line with the growing demand for colocation and inter-connection services, the same requires huge capital outlays. Over the past six months, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 16.3%, outperforming real estate markets growth of 6.5%. Story continues Stocks to Consider Boston Properties, Inc. BXP currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and has gained 16.2% in the past year. The companys funds from operation (FFO) per share estimate for 2020 has been revised marginally upward to $7.53 in two months time. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SL Green Realty Corporations SLG current-year FFO per share has been revised marginally upward to $7.18 in the past week. It carries a Zacks Rank of 2, at present. The stock has rallied 4.9% over the trailing 12-month period. The consensus estimate for Lamar Advertising Companys LAMR ongoing years FFO per share has remained unchanged at $6.15 over the past 30 days. Currently, it carries a Zacks Rank of 2. Also, it has appreciated 27.5% in the past year. (We are reissuing this article to correct a mistake. The original article, issued on January 15, 2020, should no longer be relied upon.) Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lamar Advertising Company (LAMR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Boston Properties, Inc. (BXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report SL Green Realty Corporation (SLG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A sessions court in Gurugram on Wednesday sentenced four men, including a dreaded gangster, to life imprisonment for murdering a 43-year-old cloth merchant in Roshanpura in Old Gurugram on July 16, 2016, the police said. Holding them guilty of murdering Sanjeev Jindal from close range and, in an attempt to colour the incident as a robbery, fleeing with his bag, which is believed to have contained cash, additional sessions judge Sanjay Kumar Sharma pronounced life term sentences for 44-year-old Surjeet Kataria alias Ballu, his son Gaurav alias Sonu Kataria, Devender alias Dev from Jhajjar and Deepak Sharma of Jacumpura in Gurugram. The court also imposed a fine of 2.5 lakh on each for the murder. All the convicts will remain in the jail till their last breath, stated the order. The police said Kataria has been booked in 28 cases, including murder, attempt to murder and extortion bids. He was awarded a life sentence by the same court in another murder case in May and June in 2017. They shall not be entitled to any remission, parole and the life imprisonment in their case would be till their last breath, the court order said. The court also imposed a penalty of 2.5 lakh on each of them. Public prosecutor Sandeep Lamba said that on July 16, 2016, Jindal was hit by 3-4 bullets by the assailants near his home in the Sadar Bazaar area. According to the police, around 10pm, Jindal, who owns a garments showroom in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, was returning home from his shop. He got off the Metro at MG Road and boarded a bus to Sadar Bazar. The police said the CCTV camera footage had shown two men trailing Jindal, who got off the bus and was walking home with a backpack and a white polythene bag in his right hand. As he reached the gates to his house, the men fired at him from close range, killing him on the spot. The road was deserted at the time and the trio fled on a motorcycle after snatching the victims bag. Hearing the gunshots, locals came out of their houses. Jindals family also rushed to the spot. Jindal was shot in the forehead, neck, and shoulder, the police said. The order stated that the CCTV camera footage clearly shows that assailants had planned the murder as they were waiting for him on a motorcycle near his house in Roshanpura Colony. The murder had angered the traders of Sadar Bazaar and they had protested by shutting their shops. An FIR had been registered at City Police Station under sections 392 (robbery), 302 (murder), 34 (common intention) of IPC and sections 25-54-59 of Arms Act. The police had recovered four countrymade pistols, three dozen cartridges, 18 mobile phones, three police uniforms, some fake driving licences and fake registration cards of vehicles, and a Hyundai Verna from their possession in August 2016. At the time Kataria was arrested, he was wanted in 28 cases of murder and robbery and had confessed to killing three persons, including Jindal and one of his former aides, in 2016. He had been evading arrest for the last year. The conviction of a dreaded gangster is the result of police investigation and hard work in collecting evidence, Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said. Jindal is survived by two childrena daughter and sonand a wife. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON TAIPEI, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has written to Pope Francis to complain about Chinese pressure on the island Beijing claims as its own, saying China seeks to threaten its democracy and freedom. The Vatican is one of just 15 countries that has diplomatic ties with Taiwan and the only one in Europe. But Taiwan has been concerned by the Vatican's moves to normalise ties with China, especially after a landmark 2018 pact on appointing bishops. China, which believes Tsai wants formal independence for Taiwan, has heaped pressure on the president, who won re-election by a landslide this month on a platform of standing up to Beijing. Tsai says Taiwan is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. Taiwan hopes for a peaceful resolution of its differences with China, Tsai wrote in her letter, released by the presidential office on Tuesday, in response to a message from Pope Francis for the World Day of Peace on Jan. 1. "However, at present dialogue across the Taiwan Strait is filled with difficulties," she wrote. "The main sticking point is that China has so far been unwilling to let go of its desire to control Taiwan." She added, "It continues to threaten Taiwan's democratic freedoms and human rights by threatening to use force against Taiwan, fake news, cyber attacks, and diplomatic means." But despite China's "severe suppression", Taiwan is moving forward, cooperating with friendly and similar-minded countries, so that other democracies recognise it as the best partner for maintaining peace and stability, she added. China's recent military operations and exercises in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas have caused regional unrest and increased international distrust of it, Tsai said. China has stepped up military activities near Taiwan since Tsai first won office in 2016, flying bomber patrols around the island and sending its latest aircraft carrier, the Shandong, through the sensitive Taiwan Strait in the election run-up. Beijing cut diplomatic ties with the Vatican in 1951 and remains concerned an independent church in China could threaten its authority. The 2018 deal, in the making for more than 10 years, gives the Vatican a long-sought say in the choice of bishops in China, previously solely appointed by Communist authorities. Critics, particularly conservative Catholics, have labelled it a sellout. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) TICKERS: ML; MLNLF Source: Peter Epstein for Streetwise Reports (1/22/20) With initial production at its Argentina project expected in 2022, Peter Epstein of Epstein Research believes the company could be an "excellent" bet when lithium prices rebound. Earlier this month, the mining court of Salta, Argentina, granted Millennial Lithium Corp.'s (ML:TSX.V; MLNLF:OTCMKTS) Argentine subsidiary four mining licenses on its 100%-owned Pastos Grandes project in Salta province. Readers may recall that Millennial recently delivered a bank feasibility study (BFS) and expects to reach initial production in 2022 (subject to funding and permits), ramping up to nameplate capacity of 24,000 tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE)/year by mid-decade. Farhad Abasov, president & CEO, commented: "Millennial is pleased to have received four mining licenses which comprise ~97% of the property area at Pastos Grandes. Millennial expects the final license to be granted in the near future. The company continues to actively advance its three-tonne-per-month lithium carbonate plant and pilot evaporation ponds. Millennial is moving forward with financing, off-take and other key strategic initiatives with large industry players." This news comes on the heels of the October announcement that the national mining secretary of Argentina granted a federal fiscal stability certificate (FFSC) for Pastos Grandes. The certificate outlines the tax regime, plus additional benefits bestowed on the project, and officially confirms a reduction in the corporate income tax rate from 30% to 25%. CEO Abasov commented, "The granting of the FFSC assures the tax and additional benefit terms under which we can operate a lithium carbonate production operation. Receipt of the FFSC confirms our confidence that mining projects in Salta have the support of all levels of government." This means that, like Australia-listed Galaxy Lithium's (GXY:ASX) Sal de Vida and Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC:TSX; LAC:NYSE)/Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd.'s (002460:CH) 50/50 joint venture (JV) (Cauchari-Olaroz) brine projects in Argentina, Millennial's Pastos Grandes has both a BFS and fiscal stability package. At a time when many lithium brine projects in Chile and Argentina are moving very slowlyor are stalledit's clear that Millennial's management team is working closely with all stakeholders to successfully advance Pastos Grandes. Unlike most peers, Millennial has been blessed with ample cash liquidity. Even today it's sitting on ~$23 million, enough to last well into 2021 if necessary. Exciting times ahead Next is the lining up of strategic/financial partners, signing offtake agreements, raising construction capital, construction of ponds and plant, and first productionexpected in 2022. That's about 1218 months behind Lithium Americas' JV project. Importantly, Millennial will greatly benefit from valuable lessons learned from Lithium Americas' and Galaxy's development progress, as well as expansions underway at Livent Corp. (LTHM:NYSE) and Orocobre Ltd. (ORL:TSX; ORE:ASX). Chile's Albemarle Corp. (ALB:NYSE) and SQM (SQM:NYSE), and Argentina's Livent, Orocobre, Galaxy and Lithium Americas are public companies. Problems with ponds or processing facilities at those companies will become known to Millennial's technical team. Therefore, there's a decent chance that mishaps at other projects can be avoided. Sometimes there are benefits to not being a first mover. In addition to benefiting from the learning curve others are ascending, Millennial will enjoy regional infrastructure that is being built and/or expanded: roads, rail, power lines, natural gas pipelines, etc. Mining equipment and service providers are setting up offices to serve companies including Lithium Americas/Ganfeng, Livent, Orocobre, Galaxy, POSCO (PKX:NYSE), Neo Lithium Corp. (NLC:TSX.V), Argosy Minerals Ltd. (AGY:ASX), Advantage Lithium Corp. (AAL:TSX.V; AVLIF:OTCQX) and Millennial. Readers should not take for granted the fact that Millennial owns 100% of its project. By contrast, Advantage Lithium owns 75% of its flagship project, Argosy Minerals owns 77.5%, Lithium Americas owns 50%, and Orocobre owns 66.5% of their respective projects. Owning 100% of Pastos Grandes, with a BFS and fiscal stability pact in place, greatly enhances management's ability to fund construction. Selling a meaningful portion of the project could raise a substantial amount of capital. That, combined with debt financing and (possible) advance payments from offtake agreements, would minimize the need for excessive equity capital. Important derisking events to continue in H1 2020 In speaking with CEO Farhad Abasov, he and his board believe that news on one or more parts of a funding package could come within three to six months. Management is speaking with global industrial companies, some of which have already done substantial due diligence. A few interested parties would like to see a staged ramp-up to minimize capex, so instead of moving to 24,000 tonnes LCE/year by 202526, [the company would get] to 10,000 tonnes and remain at that level, only expanding if/when market conditions warrant. In that scenario, capex could be reduced from US$448.2 million to under US$300 million. Then, operating cash flow could be deployed to partially fund an expansion from 10,000 to 24,000 tonnes at a later date. Also, a few prospective partners have lithium extraction/processing technologies, or access to technologies, that (if they work at commercial scale) could further optimize Millennial's operating flow sheet, potentially enhancing project economics. In some cases, the need for evaporation ponds would be eliminated. Giant auto and battery manufacturers can very comfortably afford to fund projects like Millennial's, with capex requirements of around half a billion US dollars. Although we haven't seen much of that yet, it's coming. Look no further than Benchmark Mineral Intelligence's running tally of lithium-ion battery mega-factories. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has been tracking the number of global mega-factories for years. The number has soared, currently standing at 115. Ranked by size, the top 10 global automakersVolkswagen, Daimler, Toyota, Ford, BMW, GM, Hyundai, Tesla, Honda and Ferrarihave an average enterprise value (EV) of about US$135 billion. Any of these companies could fund even the largest lithium projects in the world. Yet, I estimate that fewer than ten new projects, brine, hard rock or clay-hosted, (>20,000 tonnes LCE/year) are likely coming online by 2025. Lithium prices below US$10,000/tonne unlikely to last One of the main reasons for such negative sentiment in the lithium junior space has been the decline in lithium prices from unsustainably high levels above US$20,000/tonne. However, now below US$10,000/tonne, prices may have overshot to the downside. Many analysts and pundits believe that 2020 or 2021 will mark a bottom in the three-year slide in prices. In the chart below, Roskill demonstrates why prices are likely to improve. At current spot levels, all advanced-stage hard rock and brine projects in the pipeline come in at under a 16% internal rate of return (IRR). Some projects have negative IRRs; the average is closer to 5% than 10%. Millennial is poised for a great decade, and the 2030s could be even better. Management expects Pastos Grandes to be next in line in Argentina after Lithium Americas/Ganfeng. Any project, anywhere in the world, that comes to market and ramps up over the next five years should enjoy strong demand for its lithium offerings. A major global supply source (about 1/3 of the market) is experiencing unexpected bottlenecks, uncertainty and delays. In Chile's Atacama salar, both Albemarle and SQM had planned massive expansions to lithium carbonate production, upward of a tripling, from 2018 to 2021. Two years into these expansions, annual production has hardly budged. More uncertainty and caution is expected as local communities have convinced a Chilean environmental court to uphold claims of excessive water use by SQM and Albemarle, seriously threatening their expansion plans. Therefore, this news should be supportive of lithium prices in the mid-to-longer term. Conclusion Millennial Lithium has an excellent asset, more advanced (BFS-stage) than all but two or three global brine projects, with relatively low upfront capex compared to other mining and metals projects, producing a metal with expected annual demand growth of 15% (or more) over the next 10 years. Millennial has over $20 million in cash on its balance sheet. Not many significant projects could possibly commence production by 2022not many at all, besides Lithium Americas and Galaxy. No new operations are coming in Chile in the next three to five years, and only a small handful in North America (Bacanora Minerals Ltd., Standard Lithium Ltd. [SLL:TSX.V; STLHF:OTCQX]). If lithium demand really takes off, few companies on the planet are better positioned to capture that need than Millennial Lithium. Adjusted for ownership interests in their respective flagship projects, all but Lithium Americas trade at similar valuations. Any of these companies that successfully advance toward production (secure cornerstone investor[s], offtake agreement[s], commencement of construction, etc.) offer the potential for significant share price gains. Notice that Lithium Americas' valuation is about four times that of the others. Millennial is trading at just one-fourth the valuation, but could be only 1218 months behind Lithium Americas. Is this 75% discount warranted? Lithium Americas is fully funded on its 50% JV project and construction is well underway. Millennial owns 100% of its project, has ample cash liquidity, no debt, a BFS, four of five mining licenses have been granted, and has secured a signed federal fiscal stability certificate. If one believes, like I do, that lithium prices will rebound, Millennial Lithium could be an excellent way to benefit from the rebound. Peter Epstein is the founder of Epstein Research. His background is in company and financial analysis. He holds an MBA degree in financial analysis from New York University's Stern School of Business. [NLINSERT] Streetwise Reports Disclosure: 1) Peter Epstein's disclosures are listed below. 2) The following companies mentioned in the article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Author's Disclosures: The content of this interview is for information only. Readers fully understand and agree that nothing contained herein, written by Peter Epstein of Epstein Research [ER], (together, [ER]) about Millennial Lithium., including but not limited to, commentary, opinions, views, assumptions, reported facts, calculations, etc. is not to be considered implicit or explicit investment advice. Nothing contained herein is a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security. [ER] is not responsible under any circumstances for investment actions taken by the reader. [ER] has never been, and is not currently, a registered or licensed financial advisor or broker/dealer, investment advisor, stockbroker, trader, money manager, compliance or legal officer, and does not perform market making activities. [ER] is not directly employed by any company, group, organization, party or person. The shares of Millennial Lithium are highly speculative, not suitable for all investors. Readers understand and agree that investments in small cap stocks can result in a 100% loss of invested funds. It is assumed and agreed upon by readers that they will consult with their own licensed or registered financial advisors before making any investment decisions. AX1 Capital Corp. retained Epstein Research for a six-month advertising campaign. AX1 Capital is closely affiliated with Millennial Lithium. It is 100%-owned by a single individual who has a contract for services with Millennial Lithium. This individual owns 150,000 restricted share units and a similarly modest number of warrants in the company. Therefore, readers should consider Epstein Research [ER] to be biased in favor of Millennial Lithium. Peter Epstein of [ER] does not own any shares, warrants, options or restricted share units of Millennial Lithium. Readers understand and agree that they must conduct their own due diligence above and beyond reading this article. While the author believes he's diligent in screening out companies that, for any reasons whatsoever, are unattractive investment opportunities, he cannot guarantee that his efforts will (or have been) successful. [ER] is not responsible for any perceived, or actual, errors including, but not limited to, commentary, opinions, views, assumptions, reported facts & financial calculations, or for the completeness of this article or future content. [ER] is not expected or required to subsequently follow or cover events & news, or write about any particular company or topic. [ER] is not an expert in any company, industry sector or investment topic. A group of social activists wrote to 19 non-BJP chief ministers on Wednesday, asking them to clearly state that they will not implement the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register. "Many citizens have declared that they will boycott NPR and NRC: that they will not show their documents. But the people need the support of state governments such as yours, in this critical hour," they wrote in the letter addressed to CMs of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu among others. "This is why governments of states/union territories must clearly state they will not implement NPR. Only if enough number of non-BJP state governments who agree to do this, will we be able to stop the proceedings of a highly divisive agenda," the letter read. The social activists, including Rajmohan Gandhi, Romila Thapar, Shabnam Hashmi, Yogendra Yadav, Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy, and Prashant Bhushan, said the Union government may try to implement and impose CAA directly through its own bureaucracy, but it cannot implement NRC or NPR unless the state governments make available their staff for the massive operation which involves house-to-house collection of information and detailed collation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Researchers have successfully treated age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in mice after finding an unexpected link between the two main forms of the blinding eye disease, the leading cause of vision loss in people 60 and older. Researcher Brad Gelfand, PhD, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the UVA School of Engineering, cautions that his team is far from being able to use the approach in patients with AMD, but he is excited about the potential it holds. "It's not as if this is the final answer to the problem, but it's certainly a big step along the way, hopefully," he said. 'Equal Parts Excitement and Disbelief' The new discovery links the "dry" and "wet" forms of macular degeneration in a surprising way. Gelfand has focused primarily on the more common, and currently untreatable, dry form. But after making a discovery about dry AMD, he went on to determine that the finding held true for wet AMD as well. "It was almost chance - we were like, 'Why don't we just go ahead and look for wet?' When we first saw the results, I was very surprised," he said. "Initially, it was equal parts excitement and disbelief." Gelfand, of UVA's Center for Advanced Vision Science, found that the absence of a particular enzyme could drive both forms of AMD. The enzyme, called Dicer, is lost with age, and that loss leads to an overgrowth of blood vessels in the retina and other damage, he and his team determined. The discovery was so unexpected he wanted to confirm. "We weren't really satisfied with just one system," he said. "We actually got a different model that had originated from a totally different lab, in Japan, and found the same exact thing. Then we went back to some of our old models where we had gotten rid of Dicer and found the same exact thing." An Enzyme to Stop Macular Degeneration Gelfand was able to restore the enzyme in mice by adapting a form of gene therapy already used to treat other eye diseases in people. His work suggests that a similar approach could treat both forms of AMD, but much more testing will need to be done to determine a potential treatment's safety and effectiveness. If successful, though, it would be the first treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration and could significantly improve treatment for wet AMD. "As it stands, patients with [wet] AMD have to undergo frequent injections into their eye, which can be painful and comes with some risks. They have to come to the eye doctor once a month or every other month. A lot of these people can't drive. So it's a huge burden," he said. "The idea behind using gene therapy like the one we propose is that one treatment would last for a very long time. It's a sustained therapy. So we can improve their vision and reduce the number of doctor's visits they have to make." Developing a Dicer-based treatment will likely take several years if all goes well. For now, though, Gelfand's discovery has shed important light on the poorly understood relationship between the two forms of AMD. "It certainly solidifies the idea that wet and dry AMD share a lot of mechanisms," he said. "It's something that researchers today are still trying to grapple with - why might one person have wet AMD and one person have dry. Sometimes it's the case that the same person has wet in one eye and the other eye has dry. Sometimes the same eye has both. This adds another important piece of evidence that the underlying mechanisms of these two processes are really tightly linked." AMD Findings Published The researchers have described their findings in an article in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research team consisted of Charles B. Wright, Hironori Uehara, Younghee Kim, Tetsuhiro Yasuma, Reo Yasuma, Shuichiro Hirahara, Ryan D. Makin, Ivana Apicella, Felipe Pereira, Yosuke Nagasaka, Siddharth Narendran, Shinichi Fukuda, Romulo Albuquerque, Benjamin J. Fowler, Ana Bastos-Carvalho, Philippe Georgel, Izuho Hatada, Bo Chang, Nagaraj Kerur, Balamurali K. Ambati, Jayakrishna Ambati and Gelfand. ### The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01EY028027, DP1GM114862, R01EY022238, R01EY024068, R01EY028027, R01EY029799, K99EY024336, R00EY024336, T32 HL007284, R01EY017950 and R01EY017182; American Heart Association grant 13SDG16770008; John Templeton Foundation grant 60763 and the DuPont Guerry III Professorship. Gelfand, of UVA's Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and several of his collaborators are seeking patents related to their discovery. A full list of disclosures from the research team is available in the PNAS paper or by request. To keep up with the latest medical research news from UVA, subscribe to the Making of Medicine blog at http://makingofmedicine.virginia.edu. After Supreme Court giving four weeks time to the Centre to reply to 140 pleas challenging the amended Citizenship Act (CAA), Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav, on Wednesday, called the apex court 'reluctant warrior in the battle for the soul of the constitution'. Taking to Twitter, the former AAP leader stated that there was nothing wrong with the Supreme Courts order but wss not what was expected from the Court. Yadav has been a vocal critic of the CAA and NRC and has taken part in the protests against the violence on JNU students. Yogendra Yadav targets SC Nothing wrong with the order. Nothing wrong in giving time to file reply. Nothing wrong in forming a constitutional bench or taking up interim relief after 4 weeks. But is this what you expect of a court tasked with defending the constitution in the face of this onslaught? Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) January 22, 2020 SC to hear Assam-Tripura CAA pleas separately, Centre says 'No Assam NRC till final list' Yogendra Yadav manhandled at JNU In the wake of the 'masked mob attack' which injured 34 JNU students on January 5, Yadav alleged that the police are protecting the goons attacking students inside the campus while blocking the entry of media and activists. Yadav was also seen manhandled by the Delhi Police outside the main entrance gate of JNU. The police have identified nine students - seven belonging to the Left party including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and two ABVP students. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) now in force; January 10 Gazette notification accessed SC gives Centre 4 weeks on CAA Supreme Court has granted the Centre four weeks time to respond to the pleas while denying a temporary stay on the Act. The pleas were heard by a Supreme Court bench consisting of CJI SA Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, which said that it will deal with all matters related to Assam and Tripura clubbed together. Moreover, the Court has indicated setting up of Constitution Bench to hear the petitions challenging CAA and will take up the cases after 5 weeks to pass interim orders. The apex court has also directed High Courts too not proceed with any cases pending before it on CAA. SC refuses to pass interim stay order on CAA; gives 4-week time to Centre for reply What is the Citizenship Amendment Act? The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, the Bill exempts the inner line permit areas in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh and areas falling under the Sixth Schedule in the regions. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12 and the Act came into force on January 10. Supreme Court's CAA hearing LIVE: Top court hears petitions challenging Citizenship Act For every rupee in govt kitty, 64 paise come from taxes, borrowings contribute 20 paise Explained: The Budget proposal to increase the insurance cover on bank deposits Sorry for the long budget speech says Nirmala Sitharaman Budget 2020: FinMin likely to push for Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 cr interim dividend from RBI, says report India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 22: The Finance Ministry is likely to push for Rs 25,000-30,000 crore interim dividend from central bank RBI, for the third time in a row,, according to an NDTV report quoting IANS. The report noted that with the interim dividend from the RBI, the Centre aims to put a check to the 3.3 percent fiscal deficit target slippage. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will meet RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das at the post-Budget Vision customary meeting and may take up this issue. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in last year's July Budget, had lowered the fiscal deficit target to 3.3 percent of the GDP for FY20. Budget 2020: Modi govt plans to restrict purchase of Duty-free liquor to one bottle, cigarettes In the past RBI has paid a total Rs 38,000 crore as an interim dividend (Rs 28,000 crore in FY19 and Rs 10,000 crore in FY18). The government has a Budget estimate of Rs 90,000 crore dividend from RBI in FY20. RBI follows a fiscal of July-June. The Reserve Bank follows July-June financial year and usually distributes the dividend in August after annual accounts are finalised and interim dividends if any, they are given around February to the government. For 2018-19 (July-June), the RBI transferred a total of Rs 1.76 trillion to the central government, including a one-time transfer of Rs 52,637 crore which was deemed as excess reserves and comprising Rs 1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-19. SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News The government is fighting a six-year low growth, subdued demand, and consumption leading to projections of 5 percent growth in current fiscal which is an 11-year drop. On Monday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed India's FY20 growth forecast to 4.8 percent, besides trimming global outlook and said India's slow growth is dragging down the world economy. Explained: What is the 'halwa ceremony ahead of Budget 2020 The Finance Ministry might seek the interim dividend from the RBI to meet some of the financial pressure due to the low revenue generation from taxes and disinvestment and slowdown, said the sources. The Union Budget 2019-20 had pegged dividends or surplus of the RBI, nationalised banks and financial institutions at Rs 1.06 lakh crore up from Rs 74,140.37 crore realised in the previous fiscal. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 9:38 [IST] Two men who cloned ATM cards by rigging card-swiping machines and withdrew money from card-holders' accounts have been arrested by the police here, an official said on Wednesday. Abid Ansari (34), resident of Uttar Pradesh, and Kartikeyan (32), resident of Bhopal who is an engineer by training, were arrested from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh last week. Superintendent of Police (SP) Shivdayal Singh said that Ansari sold handloom products in different cities. The Point Of Sale (POS) machine which he used to receive payments through debit or credit cards was allegedly fitted with a 'skimming device' which recorded card details. Kartikeyan allegedly cloned the cards using these stolen details and used them to withdraw money from card- holders' accounts. The two had prepared around 1,000 cloned cards in the last three years, the SP said, adding that 65 cloned ATM cards, skimming devices, a laptop and other equipment were recovered from their possession. So far eight victims of the fraud have filed complaints with the police in Khandwa, he said. Further probe is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A strong band of moisture from the subtropics will bring nothing but rain Wednesday to Portland. The system will travel northeast through the metro area and end up in northern Washington by evening. Portland is expected to be wet all day with a high of 50, a few degrees above average. Snow levels will rise from about 4,000 feet in the morning to 5,500 by afternoon. No snow is expected on the northwest Oregon mountain passes after Wednesday morning until the end of the week. Radar image showing rain moving into the Pacific Northwest 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. NOAA Breaks in the rain are unlikely through the evening, and Thursday will be soggy, too, as bands of precipitation travel through the metro area through the end of the week. The high will be 54. Forecasters with the National Weather Service say localized flooding is possible, but heavy rain wont stay in any one area for long. Showers follow the cold front that moves out Thursday night. Friday will feature rain showers throughout the day and a high of 55, seven degrees warmer than the average high for the date. And if you were wondering about a break for the weekend unlikely. Rain is forecast through Sunday. The Oregon coast experienced a small tornado Tuesday morning. Read more about that here: PITTSBURG (BCN) A Pittsburg steel plant will pay $825,000 for mismanaging hazardous waste and illegally storing lead dust in a dilapidated building, which resulted in the release of harmful materials outside the building, the state Department of Toxic Substances Control said Tuesday. The fine, approved in December, penalizes USS-POSCO Industries, a joint venture company of U.S. Steel and the Korean steelmaker POSCO which produces cold-rolled steel sheet, galvanized steel and tin mill products used in manufacturing motor vehicles, home appliances and other goods. The Pittsburg plant employs about 700 people. The state agency claims UPI allowed lead- and zinc-contaminated dust and debris to accumulate in a run-down storage area and to be dispersed by wind and rain into the environment. The company also failed to use waste containers, labels, inspections, and other forms of proper waste management, state officials said. The state's inspection in 2017 apparently uncovered a run-down, walled-off portion of the building where lead- and zinc-contaminated dust and debris collected on the floor and were dispersed through the air and into the outdoors. Inside, state inspectors noted broken windows, open ceilings, and bird feathers and droppings, state officials said. DTSC took samples from the soil immediately surrounding the building that apparently showed hazardous levels of lead and zinc, indicating that contaminated dust from the building entered the environment. "We are deeply concerned that UPI knowingly mismanaged hazardous waste and failed to prevent its release into the environment," Meredith Williams, director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control, said in a statement. "UPI compounded the dangers to its staff, the public and the environment each day it put off compliance with hazardous waste management requirements. This settlement makes clear that ignoring environmental laws carries heavy consequences." UPI didn't immediately return a request for a comment on Tuesday. The Department of Toxic Substances Control asserts that the managers of the steel plant instructed their employees to wear protective equipment prior to entering the contaminated area of the building, indicating that the company was aware of the unsafe conditions and the dangers they posed to public health and the environment. A follow-up inspection by DTSC in early 2018 found that UPI was allegedly using tanks formerly used for acid wash baths to illegally store liquid and solid hazardous waste. As part of the settlement, UPI agreed to perform corrective action to stop the alleged hazardous waste releases at its facility, including the lead and zinc-contaminated dust and soil. The complaint against UPI and settlement documents were filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court by the California Attorney General's Office on behalf of the state agency. The court approved the settlement on Dec. 12. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Police are investigating after shots were fired at a Perth home overnight. The Cloverdale incident happened on Finnan Street about 11pm on Tuesday, with neighbours reporting up to six shots fired. It is the second home to be shot at in Perth this week, with police called to a Thornlie home in the early hours of Monday morning after a shot was fired through the window of a property, narrowly missing a young woman tending to her baby. Nobody was injured in either incident, and police are urging anyone with information on who is behind the shootings to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. In recent weeks, Mr. McCarthy has called House impeachment a national nightmare, rigged and a last attempt to stop the Trump presidency. He claimed the F.B.I. broke into Mr. Trumps campaign in a modern-day Watergate. He suggested that former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. should suspend campaigning while many of his top rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, sit as captive jurors in the impeachment trial. His delivery lacks the razor edge of his fellow House Republican leader Liz Cheney, who announced on Thursday that she would forgo a campaign for Wyomings open Senate seat to remain in the House, a veiled threat to challenge Mr. McCarthy for the speakership if Republicans regain the majority. He never attains the volume of Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who has challenged him for Republican leadership posts, or the umbrage of Representative Devin Nunes, a Republican from the California district next door. Hes a nice guy, said Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, with a verbal shrug. Five minutes later, Mr. Massie texted an additional thought: I can say this about Kevin, hes been far more helpful to the president than Paul Ryan would have ever been during this impeachment sham. For now, that may be his main job: making the president happy. Where is Kevin McCarthy, the great Kevin McCarthy? Mr. Trump demanded last week at a China trade event at the White House. When it was clear the minority leader was in the House, preparing for the vote to send articles of impeachment to the Senate, the president added: Kevin McCarthy, as you know, left for the hoax. Well, we have to do that; otherwise, it becomes a more serious hoax. It is no small thing to the president that Mr. McCarthy kept House Republicans unified in their opposition to Mr. Trumps impeachment. House Republicans include former prosecutors who probably dont love the president, moderates who are retiring and thinking, Im going to vote to impeach the president because I want my grandchildren to talk to me again, said John Feehery, a Republican strategist. That they didnt is a significant victory for the president, and a significant victory for Kevin McCarthy. WASHINGTON - A handful of House Democrats who helped retake the majority in 2018 are uniting to fundraise for a slate of candidates running to capture Republican-leaning House districts in November. The "Second Service Coalition" is the brainchild of New Politics, an organization dedicated to recruiting candidates with military and national security backgrounds, and will announce on Wednesday that it is endorsing seven House candidates around the country. During the 2018 cycle, New Politics raised over $7 million for their breakout class, pulling off some of the biggest wins of the cycle. The group's class of candidates this time around is part of the broader push to grow the community of former military veterans and intelligence officers serving in Congress -- making them an increasingly robust force in electoral politics. Reps. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Max Rose, D-N.Y., will co-chair the collective fundraising effort that will also include policy discussions, strategic advising, campaign support and mentorship between the candidates and incumbents. Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., Elaine Luria, D-Va., and Seth Moulton, D-Mass., have also joined the group. Cisneros, Crow, Houlahan, Luria, Sherrill, Slotkin, and Spanberger were among some of the most influential and politically vulnerable voices who called for President Donald Trump's impeachment this past September. Crow, an Army veteran who served in two wars, was tapped as one of the seven House Democrats impeachment managers in the Senate trial of Trump. Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot who was in her New Jersey district on Tuesday, had no problem defending her votes to impeach Trump and said her constituents, whether or not they agree with her on the issue, "are looking for a public servant who acts with integrity." "I don't think any of us who have been in national security and have served for many years all over the world with friends and allies - I don't think any of us have a hard time talking about this or explaining our decision" to impeach Trump, Sherrill said in an interview. "As long as we are putting the needs and interests of the country first, we are very confident in how we talk about that and we're confident about voting on that as well." But, Sherill noted, her advice to the candidates endorsed by the coalition is to "be focused on whatever your district needs . . . and whatever it is in your district that keeps people up at night." The group is now backing candidates running in some of the most competitive House races in the country: Army veteran Dan Feehan is again bidding to flip a seat in southern Minnesota after narrowly losing to GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn in 2018. Gina Ortiz Jones, who was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican Will Hurd in 2018, has also thrown her hat back in the ring to flip Texas's 23rd district now that Hurd is retiring. Kim Olson, an Air Force veteran, is running for Texas's 24th district; Zahra Karinshak is running to flip Georgia's 7th Congressional District; Jackie Gordon wants to pick up the seat of retiring Rep. Peter T. King, R-N.Y.; and Nikki Foster is aiming to unseat Republican Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio's 1st district. The coalition's collective support for impeaching Trump, a potential liability for Democrats in swing districts where Trump remains relatively popular with GOP voters, has not dissuaded Democrats from embracing their would-be colleagues. "Our country needs public servants who know exactly what it means to serve something larger than themselves -- leaders who know that our values and our country's promise are worth fighting for, and that doing so means putting people over partisan politics," Ortiz Jones said in a statement. "I'm thrilled to earn the Second Service Coalition's endorsement, and to join this incredible group of leaders who fight every day for our shared values." Some of these incumbents, however, face tough reelection contests themselves in the wake of supporting two articles of impeachment accusing the president of abusing the power of his office to pressure Ukraine's government to announce investigations into Trump's political rivals - and then obstructing Congress's investigation of the matter. Out of the group, Slotkin, Rose, and Luria are the most endangered, per the Cook Political Report, and are facing challengers highly critical of their decision to impeach Trump. The coalition will kick off its joint fundraising endeavor in New York City in February followed by events featuring candidates and incumbents leading up to November. An existing joint fundraising initiative between Houlahan, Luria, Sherrill, Slotkin, and Spanberger - the Service First Women's Victory Fund - has raised over $650,000 since announcing the unique agreement last year. This joint fundraising effort is part of a separate agreement. Emily Cherniack, the founder and executive director of New Politics, said in a statement that perhaps more important than fundraising is growing the group of military and intelligence leaders in Washington. "This is a movement of remarkable servant leaders who have the core values and courage to rebuild trust in our government and redefine what public service is all about," said Cherniack. "At a time when so many politicians are just focused on themselves, these leaders understand that they're stronger when they work together and lift others up." State Rep. Mike Tobash, whose Schuylkill County-based district includes the far northern end of Dauphin County, announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election to a sixth term this year. Tobash, a local insurance agent by profession, said he was honoring his long-held belief that public officials should not make a career in the same office, and that 10 years is enough in the state House. He had briefly considered making a race for the Republican nomination for state Auditor General this year, but ultimately decided against that as well. In the House, Tobash is probably best known for his work on efforts to reform Pennsylvanias major public employee pension systems. Those efforts culminated in 2017, with the passage of a bill that puts most state workers and school teachers hired after 2019 in a hybrid plan that combined elements of a 401(k) savings plan with a smaller defined benefit. In what remains of his current term, Tobash said he will remain fully engaged in supporting constituents and community leaders, as well as working with House leaders on a number of bills, including" a Tobash-drafted plan to consolidates the investment management functions of those same retirement plans. The 125th is anchored in the western end of Schuylkill County but Dauphin County communities in the district include the boroughs of Berrysburg, Elizabethville, Gratz, Lykens, Pillow and Williamstown, and Lykens, Mifflin, Washington, Wiconisco, and WIlliams townships. Lebanese demonstrators take part in a rally outside the Mohammad al-Amin mosque in the capital Beirut's downtown district on October 20, 2019. Lebanon formed a new government on Tuesday, the presidency announced after Shi'ite Hezbollah and its allies clinched a deal on a cabinet that must tackle the country's worst economic crisis in decades. Heavily indebted Lebanon has been without effective government since Saad al-Hariri resigned as premier in October under pressure from protests against state corruption and waste - root causes of the crisis. Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) today released its regular weekly Net Asset Value ("NAV") and performance returns on its website, https://www.pershingsquareholdings.com/company-reports/weekly-navs/. The NAV and returns were computed as of the close of business on Tuesday, 21 January 2020. PSH NAV per share as of close of business on 21 January 2020 was 27.53 USD 21.11 GBP and year-to-date performance was 2.2%. Weekly net asset value ("NAV") is calculated as of the close of business on each Tuesday and posted on the following business day. In the event that Tuesday is not a business day, the Company will calculate the close-of-business NAV as of the business day immediately preceding that Tuesday. The end-of-month NAV is calculated as of the close of business on the last day of the month and posted on the following business day. For weeks that include a month-end NAV report, PSH will provide only the month-end NAV and not report the Tuesday NAV. Monthly NAVs are published in accordance with the Decree on Conduct of Business Supervision of Financial Undertakings under the Wft (Besluit Gedragstoezicht financiele ondernemingen Wft). Performance is presented on a net-of-fees basis and reflects the deduction of, among other expenses: management fees, brokerage commissions, administrative fees and accrued performance fees, if any. The performance figure includes the reinvestment of all dividends, interest and capital gains. Depending on the timing of a specific investment, net performance for an individual investor may vary from the net performance as stated herein. Net performance is a geometrically linked time weighted calculation. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. All investments involve risk including the loss of principal. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005814/en/ Contacts: Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk The fraudulent overseas call center boss who tricked thousands of people out of millions of dollars pleaded guilty in a Houston federal court earlier this month. Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 43, of Ahmedabad, India, admitted to operating a call center for years that used fraudulent tactics to swindle up to $65 million from thousands of unsuspecting victims. The call center operators would often impersonate U.S. government officials attempting to collect a debt, sometimes specifically targeting South Asian immigrants and elderly people. Close to 300 fishermen were caught for illegal shrimping since the ban came in place in 2018, it is learnt. The statistics revealed by Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf, during the parliament session yesterday, showed that 297 illegal shrimpers have been arrested since the implementation of ban. Lawmakers urged strong action against those who are engaged in this illegal activity. They also shared complaints of Bahraini fishermen, who claim many Asian fishermen have been found engaging in this illegal activity. A video was screened before the session, showing Asian fishermen flouting rules and illegally catching shrimp. Bahrains fish stock has declined almost 90 per cent when compared to that of a little over a decade ago, a study said last year. The study has warned that the remaining 10pc will as well soon decline if urgent steps are not taken to preserve the marine resources. The study conducted by the Marine Resources Directorate within the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, has attributed the sharp decline in fisheries wealth to a number of factors. Among them the prominent one is the Karaaf method, which is heavy fishing near the seabed, especially to catch shrimp. The process kills many other marine species and small fish. According to the study, the second reason is overfishing. More than 6,400 expatriate fishermen work under 1,700 professional fishing licences obtained by the Bahraini fishermen. This excessive fishing is dangerously affecting the Kingdoms fish stocks. The experts have predicted many varieties of fish will soon vanish from Bahraini waters and the existing fish stocks will no longer be able to fulfil the consumption requirements of the market. The study revealed that the number of fish species seen in Bahraini waters has declined from 80 to four in the past few decades. The Karaaf fishing method destroys the marine environment as it catches all species at once, not allowing the smaller ones to grow and reproduce. If this method isnt stopped, the four species of fish that are marked safe will be reduced and Bahrain will become an importer of fish from its existing status of an exporter, the study warned. The study recommended the Government to encourage fish farms while implementing the regulatory procedures mentioned in Law Decree 20 of 2002 to protect marine resources. What required is a strict regulation while implementing law and inspections to enforce it. The delay in taking these procedures means that the tackling this issue will be more difficult and costly in the future, the experts said. The Marine Resources Directorate warned that fishing using the Karaaf method endangers the growth of small fish that are caught during heavy fishing near the seabed. The directorate said that 60-70 per cent of Karaaf catch is small fish, which are usually disposed of by the fishermen. It also revealed that more than 46,000 metric tonnes of shrimp were caught using the Karaaf method in the last ten years. The latest official statistics showed that there are around 1,400 non-Bahraini fishermen working under 276 licences meant for shrimping alone. It means 22 per cent of total expatriate fishermen working in Bahrain are employed in shrimping. The Kingdom has been implementing a ban on shrimping during the breeding time during the past few years. Strict punishments for violating the ban include imprisonment, fines and seizure of boats. [January 22, 2020] Guidepost Solutions Enhances CFIUS Compliance Capabilities, Appoints Kenneth Mendelson as Senior Managing Director Guidepost Solutions, a global leader in compliance, investigations and security consulting, today announced the hiring of Kenneth Mendelson, CISSP, CIPP, PCIP as a senior managing director. Mendelson is an experienced consulting executive working for more than 25 years at the intersection of law, information technology and public policy. He specializes in compliance matters related to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and Team Telecom. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005520/en/ Kenneth Mendelson, CISSP, CIPP, PCIP, Senior Managing Director, Guidepost Solutions (Photo: Business Wire) "With the expansion of CFIUS and government regulators' increasing scrutiny of international transactions, Ken will be a valued resource to help our clients mitigate potential risks and successfully navigate regulatory challenges," said Julie Myers Wood, CEO, Guidepost Solutions. "His strong background in cybersecurity and data privacy, as bothan attorney and investigator, make him an ideal fit for the Guidepost Solutions team and we are thrilled to have him working with us." Prior to joining Guidepost Solutions, Mendelson operated his own consulting firm, where he provided specialized services related to cybersecurity/incident response, electronic discovery, digital forensics and investigations with an emphasis on transactions coming before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and Team Telecom. Mendelson spent much of his career at a specialized risk management firm, where he began as a deputy general counsel and later became managing director. He originated and managed consulting engagements involving incident response, cybersecurity assessment, digital forensics, electronic discovery, investigations, and intellectual-property-related services. He also initiated and established a practice group that focused on CFIUS and Team Telecom compliance, mitigation, monitoring and auditing matters. Earlier in his career, Mendelson served as counsel on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, where he conducted an intensive private sector-oversight investigation into matters relating to POW/MIA organizations, including the dissemination of false and misleading information, and fraudulent fundraising. He was also counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, where he advised Chairman Jack Brooks on a wide range of legal and policy issues, including digital telephony, computer security, encryption, and new technology. Mendelson is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, a Certified Information Privacy Professional, and is certified as a Payment Card Industry Professional. He also holds two patents for computer program products that detect access to a memory device. Mendelson received his Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law, a Master of Science in Broadcast Administration from Boston University, and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania About Guidepost Solutions LLC In a world where change is certain, experience is the best protection. Guidepost Solutions offers global investigations, compliance and monitoring, and security and technology consulting solutions in a wide range of industries. With headquarters in New York, Guidepost Solutions maintains offices in key markets including Bogota; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Honolulu; London; Los Angeles; Miami, Oakland; Palm Beach; Phoenix; Sacramento; San Francisco; Seattle; Singapore; and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.guidepostsolutions.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005520/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons found that non-medical cannabis use--including frequent or problematic use--is significantly more common in adults with pain than in those without pain. The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Since 1996, 34 states have passed medical marijuana laws and 11 states have legalized recreational cannabis use. Studies indicate that heavy cannabis use increases the risk of vehicle accidents, respiratory and psychiatric symptoms, and cannabis use disorder. "Despite this evidence, many people view cannabis use as harmless, and non-medical use of cannabis on a daily or near-daily basis has increased," says Deborah Hasin, PhD, a professor of epidemiology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons who led the current study. "In our study, we hoped to identify factors--such as pain--that may increase the risk of cannabis use disorder." Hasin and colleagues analyzed data on marijuana use from the National Epidemiologic Surveys on Alcohol and Related Conditions in 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. The researchers compared non-medical cannabis use patterns in adults with and without pain (approximately 20% of participants in both surveys had moderate to severe pain). Overall, non-medical marijuana use increased from about 4% in 2002 to 9.5% in 2013. In addition, in the most recent survey, those with pain were significantly more likely to engage in frequent non-medical cannabis use than those without pain (5.0% vs. 3.5%). The risk of cannabis use disorder was also significantly higher in those with pain (4.2% vs. 2.7%). "Although meta-analyses of cannabis for treating pain show only mixed efficacy, particularly for plant marijuana, 66% of adults now view marijuana as beneficial for pain management. Given that about 20% of the adult population experienced moderate to severe pain, this puts a large group of U.S. adults at risk for frequent non-medical use and cannabis use disorder. Greater balance is needed in media reporting of marijuana issues, including messages that convey credible information about the nature and magnitude of health risks from non-medical cannabis use, including among the large group of US adults with pain," says Hasin. "Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals treating patients with pain should monitor their patients for signs and symptoms of cannabis use disorder." The paper is titled "US adults with pain, an increasingly vulnerable group for non-medical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder: 2001-2002 and 2012-2013." ### Additional authors are Dvora Shmulewitz, PhD (Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY) Magdalena Cerda, DrPH (New York University, New York, NY); Katherine M. Keyes, PhD (CUIMC); Mark Olfson, MD, MPH (CUIMC); Aaron L. Sarvet, MPH. (Harvard University, Boston, MA); Melanie M. Wall, PhD (CUIMC). The study is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA034244 and R01DA048860, Hasin; R01DA019606, Wall and Olfson; T32 MH017119, Sarvet) and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Hasin reports funding from Campbell Alliance for unrelated projects on the validation and use of a measure of opioid addiction among patients with chronic pain. All other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests. The Columbia University Department of Psychiatry is among the top ranked psychiatry departments in the nation and has contributed greatly to the understanding and treatment of brain disorders. Co-located at the New York State Psychiatric Institute on the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus in Washington Heights, the department enjoys a rich and productive collaborative relationship with physicians in various disciplines at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Columbia Psychiatry is home to distinguished clinicians and researchers noted for their clinical and research advances in the diagnosis and treatment of depression, suicide, schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and childhood psychiatric disorders. Columbia University Irving Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cuimc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org. An Oregon mother is encouraging fellow parents to think outside the box when it comes to possible safety hazards after her young son took an 8-foot tumble down an open heating vent. Saydie Reedy was doing dishes at home in Coburg near her sons Jackson, 3, and Kolson, 10 months, when Jackson pulled the gate off a heating vent thanks to a loose screw, she wrote in a Facebook comment. My 10-month-old fell into it and fell 8 feet under the house, Reedy wrote. It was a team effort by Coburg Fire Department and Coburg Police, but this is the man that pulled my little chubbs out of the vent. The relieved mom then shared a photo of a smiling Officer Kevin Wilson holding her rescued son in his arms. Reedy told Good Morning America that she was alerted to the scary moment after Jackson came over to her as she washed dishes and repeatedly said, Baby in, as he pointed to the vent. I didnt think I had to worry about the vents, she told the outlet. Theres other dangers in the world to worry about, I thought, than heating vents. Still, it turned out that the vent hadnt been properly screwed in, as the 1920s-era home was undergoing renovations, making it easily accessible for her young sons to fiddle with. RELATED: Baby Stroller Sold at Target and Amazon Recalled Over Fall Risk How to Check Your Model Number I couldnt even fathom that my baby was down a vent. I never even thought of that, she said. Reedy quickly called police to help rescue her son, who was eventually found in a crawl space underneath the home. RELATED VIDEO: Baby Falls Asleep at High Chair I crawled about 15 to 20 feet back to where the heat register was and I could hear him crying. I cut the strap that was holding the heat tube and kind of accordioned it all the way to him and grabbed his arm, Wilson told GMA. As soon as I grabbed his arm he stopped crying and then he just looked at me like, What are you doing here? Luckily, little Kolson emerged unfazed, according to Reedy, who wrote in a Facebook comment that her son was totally unharmed after the incident, save for a few minor scratches. Story continues RELATED: Family of Toddler Who Died from Fall Off Cruise Ship Speaks Out: We Have to Go on for Her To make clear her thanks to Wilson and his fellow officers, Reedy brought Kolson in to the Coburg Police Department for a visit, a reunion Wilson said was really emotional. I think afterwards you look back and think, Was it really that bad? and then you think it through and it was bad and could have been way worse. The reality of what you did kind of hits you, Wilson told GMA. The very thing youre thinking a kid would never do, theyll do. You have to think the way theyd be thinking and think of the things their fingers can get on. AN INNOCENT student was struck up to 80 times when he was attacked while walking home following a night out in the city centre, a court has heard. Jimmy McCarthy, 19, of Stradavoher Court, Thurles, Tipperary, has pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery relating to an incident at Roxboro Road shortly before midnight on January 5, 2019. During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Pat Whelan told Limerick Circuit Court the victim, who was 19 at the time, was walking near the Bus Eireann depot when he encountered Mr McCarthy and another teenager. They asked him if he was another named individual and despite his insistence that he was not that person they proceeded to attack him. Read also: Man accused of murdering Limerick pensioner Rose Hanrahan remanded in custody Detective Garda Whelan said he was struck multiple times during the incident which lasted for more than three minutes. Blows rained on him. It was a sustained attack, he told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, adding that it is estimated from CCTV footage that up to 80 blows were inflicted. Judge Martina Baxter was told the victim, who managed to stay on his feet, sustained a black eye and some bruising and was lucky not to have sustained more serious injuries. A wallet, containing 15 in cash, was taken from the student who made a formal complaint the following day. Judge Baxter was told while the victim has declined to make a formal victim impact statement, he is still nervous when out at night time. She was told the defendant, who was not the main instigator, comes from a difficult family background and that he apologised when arrested and questioned by gardai. A probation report and a hand-written letter from Mr McCarthy were submitted to the court for its consideration along with a report from Merchants Quay Ireland. Judge Baxter said the contents of the reports were very impressive and she adjourned the matter for sentence on February 5, next. She directed that the defendant submit to urine analysis in the meantime and asked that the results be available to the court on the next date. A juvenile was also charged and brought before the courts in relation to the same incident. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On January 14, registered capital of Shenzhen DENZA New Energy Automotive Co.,Ltd (DENZA), a joint venture between BYD and Daimler, was increased by RMB700 million to RMB5.76 billion, according to an update record from corporate data platform Tianyancha. Founded in 2011 with an initial registered capital of RMB2.36 billion, Denza is 50/50 held by BYD Auto Industry Company Limited, a subsidiary of BYD, and Daimler Greater China Ltd. (DGRC). Prior to the latest capital increase, both parent companies had together pumped RMB1 billion, RMB800 million, RMB400 million and RMB300 in May 2017, May 2018, February 2019 and May 2019 respectively. Photo source: DENZA) The BYD-Daimler joint venture launched the all-new Denza X at the Auto Guangzhou 2019. The 7-seater SUV is available as a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric version. Interestingly, it is engineered by the China-based Denza, but styled by Mercedes-Benz. The PHEV version does 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.3 seconds, and the full-electric version offered up to 520km/h of NEDC-rated range. Pricing starts at RMB289,000 after the green-car subsidy. Currently, the all-new Denza X SUVs have been available for scale delivery to consumers. Mercedes-Benz's China sales company is to-day accountable for the sale, marketing, branding, after-sale service, and sales network development of Denza's products. From the time being, a total of 88 auto dealers in 44 cities have engaged in selling Denza's vehicles. (Photo source: Daimler) Like all other foreign automakers, Daimler also has joint ventures in China to produce and sell at the world's largest auto market. Apart from Beijing Benz and DENZA, the German carmaker recently announced the establishment of a new joint venture smart Automobile Co., Ltd. with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for the smart brand after receiving the regulatory approvals. According to the announcement, the new generation of smart vehicles will be designed by the worldwide Mercedes-Benz Design network and developed by the Geely global engineering network. Future production will be located in China. As part of the vehicle-development program, the smart product portfolio will be extended into the fast-growing B-segment that are in line with smart's brand positioning with a focus on pure premium electric and connected vehicles. 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Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with the British Foreign Secretary and discussed a wide range of regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Office said in a statement. The foreign minister briefed Raab on the evolving security situation of the region and "shared Pakistan's concern over the latest developments in the Middle East/Gulf region, which carried serious implications for the peace and security as well as world economy", it said. Qureshi underlined the importance of "maximum restraint" and steps for de-escalation of tensions by all sides. He also apprised the UK foreign secretary of Pakistan's efforts to defuse tensions in the region through active diplomatic engagement with relevant parties. Raab appreciated Pakistan's efforts to defuse tensions and secure peace and security in the region. Earlier this month, Qureshi had embarked on a two-day visit to Iran and Saudi Arabia on Prime Minister Imran Khan's direction as part of Pakistan's efforts to defuse the tensions in the Gulf region following the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike. The unexpected US strike, ordered by President Donald Trump, that killed Iran's most powerful military commander Soleimani on January 3 brought the entire Gulf region closer to a full-blown conflict. Regional tensions remain high after Iran on January 8 fired missiles at two bases in Iraq used by US forces in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. The ongoing crisis turned a tragic toll when Iran, just after attacking the Iraqi bases, accidentally shot down an Ukraine International Airlines plane, killing all 176 people aboard. After days of denial, Tehran on January 11 admitted to "human error" in bringing down the Boeing 737. The Guards' aerospace commander General Amirali Hajizadeh also accepted full responsibility for the tragedy. Qureshi also briefed Raab on Pakistan's efforts in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. He also raised the Kashmir issue and "highlighted the human rights and humanitarian situation in the region and urged UK to play its role in peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute", the Foreign Office statement said. The two sides agreed to continue to work together to strengthen bilateral cooperation and to ensure peace and security in the region, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:31:29|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close ACCRA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Ghana has introduced an enhanced health screening procedure for passengers coming into the country, Minister for Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has announced. These measures were being introduced to prevent the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has been noticed in other parts of the world. In a statement, the minister said an alert had been sent to 16 regions on the disease, as well as guidance information on the disease. The country has also enhanced surveillance at all of its entry points including the Kotoka International Airport. "In addition, there is in-country capacity to diagnose the 2019-nCoV through laboratory testing of the appropriate samples by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research," the statement assured. The Ministry of Health has also alerted all medical facilities in the country to be prepared to manage cases, in case of an outbreak. It also urged citizens and residents of Ghana to observe strict basic hygiene rules including washing of hands thoroughly with clean water and soap at the appropriate times. De Lima pushes for training of family members caring for PDDs Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged her colleagues in the Senate to consider the passage of a bill creating a national council tasked to ensure the welfare of persons with developmental disabilities (PDDs), especially in times of natural disasters. De Lima made the appeal as she thanked the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for rescuing two individuals with developmental disabilities residing in Agoncillo, Batangas after they were left behind by their families locked inside a house. "Lubos po tayong humahanga at nagpapasalamat sa ating Philippine Coast Guard sa pagsagip sa dalawa nating kababayan na PDD na naiwan at napabayaan nang ilang araw sa kanilang lugar dahil sa pagsabog ng Bulkang Taal," she said. "Ang insidenteng ito ay patunay na kailangan ng marami sa ating mga kababayan ang tamang pagsasanay at payo para pangalagaan ang mga kamag-anak nilang may developmental disabilities," she added. Last Jan. 19, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of Batangas alerted the PCG after receiving reports that two PDDs were left behind during the evacuation of those affected by the Taal volcano's eruption. Local rescuers reportedly found these two PDDs starving after not eating for days. Authorities immediately responded and provided them with food and water. "Lalo na sa mga panahong ito ng pagsubok at trahedya, higit sa anupaman, ang kailangan ng ating mga kababayan na may kapansanan ay gabay, pang-unawa at pag-aaruga ng pamilya at kapwa," De Lima, who chairs the Senate Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development Committee, said. "This is why I humbly urge my colleagues to consider the passage of Senate Bill No. 855, which, among others, will empower family members and guardians of those with developmental disabilities with proper training and assistance," she added. SB 855, which De Lima filed last August, calls for the establishment of a Developmental Disability Council that will be tasked, among others, to provide psycho-social training to family members of those with developmental disabilities. It also calls for the continuing education, information and training programs and lectures on the proper handling of persons with developmental disabilities of family members, guardians and public servants concerned in their own communities. "Nananawagan po ako sa bawat isa: nawa'y manatili tayong nakatutok sa mga kababayan nating may kapansanan, the Senator from Bicol said. Once approved into law, the De Lima measure also mandates a databank and information and monitoring system (IMS) on the demographic, socio-economic and incidence, type and prevalence of persons with development disabilities in the country. At present, the government does not have a national data tracking system that caters to the state of developmental disabilities in the country. Hyundai Lays Out Steps To Hydrogen Power Society Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung identified three key steps to accelerate the transition to a hydrogen society during the Hydrogen Council CEO Meeting in Paris: Reduce cost through technological innovation Create a comprehensive safety management system for hydrogen Foster broad acceptance of hydrogen EVC Chung praised the hard work and dedication of council members, recognizing their collective effort to move the coalition forward EVC Chung attended Choose France summit following CEO Meeting SEOUL, January 21, 2019 Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Hydrogen Council Co-chair Euisun Chung has identified three key steps to accelerate the transition to a hydrogen society during the Hydrogen Councils third annual CEO Meeting in Paris, France. EVC Chung opened the meeting stressing that there is no shortcut to creating a future hydrogen society, emphasizing that it is essential to establish detailed implementation plans for respective sectors and different stages of the industrys development. To achieve this, the EVC recommended three key action items: reduce cost through technological innovation, create a comprehensive safety management system and foster broad acceptance of hydrogen. As a first step, EVC Chung recommended achieving cost reductions through technological innovation in all sectors of the hydrogen industry. In order to fully tap hydrogens potential as the ultimate alternative to fossil fuel, new creative ways of lowering cost in a shorter time span must be sought across the entire value chain including production, storage, distribution and application. EVC Chung also stressed the need to establish a comprehensive safety management system throughout the entire hydrogen value chain in order to convince the general public that hydrogen is completely reliable in terms of safety. To further foster a broad acceptance of hydrogen, EVC Chung underlined the need for governments and policymakers to advocate the inclusive benefits of hydrogen and promote the vision of a hydrogen society and the opportunities it will create. This is in line with the co-chairs message as conveyed in a recent interview with Hydrogen Council, where he said the council will continue collaborating with regional and national hydrogen associations to analyze the current status of government policies, regulations and technologies, in turn providing viable technological solutions and policy suggestions. Also, in his welcome address, EVC Chung praised the hard work and dedication of all members and recognized their collective efforts to move the coalition forward. In particular, he thanked the members commitment in working toward the councils mission by contributing their respective expertise. We deserve to be proud of our achievements so far, only three years after Hydrogen Council was born, EVC Chung said. Today, well take stock of our progress, and reflect on our assessments to forge our strategy for this year and beyond. New Report: Hydrogen Cost Projected to Fall Sharply and Sooner than Expected Yesterday, the Hydrogen Council published a new report, Path to Hydrogen Competitiveness: A Cost Perspective, demonstrating that the cost of hydrogen solutions will fall sharply within the next decade, sooner than previously expected. As scale up of production, distribution and equipment manufacturing continues, cost is projected to decrease by up to 50 percent by 2030 for a wide range of applications, making hydrogen financially competitive with other low-carbon alternatives and, in some cases, even conventional options. Commissioned by the Hydrogen Council and delivered by McKinsey & Company in partnership with E4tech, the report used a rigorous methodology to collect and analyse an unprecedented 25,000 data points from 30 companies representing the entire hydrogen value chain across four key geographies (US, Europe, Japan/Korea and China). An independent advisory group comprised of industry experts also reviewed the data. The report shows significant cost reductions expected across more than 20 different hydrogen applications, such as long-distance and heavy-duty transportation, industrial heating, and balancing of the power system, comprising roughly 15 percent of global energy consumption a material opportunity. According to the report, this cost trajectory can be attributed mainly to: Dramatically falling costs of renewable electricity generation Growing utilisation of distribution system infrastructure Scaling up of manufacturing To deliver on this opportunity, supporting policies will be required in key geographies, together with investment support of around $70 billion in the lead up to 2030. While this figure is sizable, it accounts for less than 5 percent of annual global spending on energy. For comparison, support provided to renewables in Germany totalled roughly $30 billion in 2019. A clean energy future with hydrogen is closer than we think, because the industry has been working hard on addressing remaining challenges. This report shows what remains to be done and defines a clear path forward, said Benoit Potier, chairman and CEO of Air Liquide and co-chair of the Hydrogen Council. 2020 marks the beginning of a new era for energy: As the potential for hydrogen to become part of our global energy system becomes a reality, we can expect fewer emissions and improved security and flexibility. This announces the decade of hydrogen. The Hydrogen Council hopes that the reports findings will not only increase public awareness about the potential of hydrogen to power everyday lives, but also debunk the myth that a hydrogen economy is unattainable due to cost, EVC Chung said. If we are to reach our global climate goals by mid-century and reap the benefits of hydrogen, now is the time to act. Todays report was launched in the presence of more than 80 CEOs and other senior executives at the Hydrogen Councils annual meeting, taking place alongside the President of France, Emmanuel Macrons Choose France! Summit and the World Economic Forum in Davos. The CEO event brought these industry leaders together to reiterate their commitment to hydrogen and set the path for scale up of infrastructure and usage in the coming years. EVC Chung at Choose France Summit and World Economic Forum Following the Hydrogen Council Third Annual CEO Meeting on Monday, EVC Chung attended the annual Choose France summit held at Versailles Palace on the same day. Choose France is an initiative led by the French government to attract foreign investments. Held at Chateau de Versailles, Choose France invited more than 190 global business leaders this year and was attended by President Emmanuel Macron and several members of the French Government, including the prime minister, major ministers and regional representatives. Today, EVC Chung will attend the 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, to be held on 21-24 January under the theme Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World. The EVC has also been invited to this years International Business Council (IBC) Winter Meeting. - End - About the Hydrogen Council Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2017, the Hydrogen Council is a first-of-its-kind global CEO initiative to foster the role of hydrogen technologies in the global energy transition. The coalition of 60 members from across industry sectors and key markets collectively represents total revenues of over 2.6 trillion and close to 4.2 million jobs around the world. The Hydrogen Council helps to facilitate collaboration between key stakeholders, hosts events geared toward international advocacy, and educates the public about the power of hydrogen. To date, the Council has published three studies exploring the role of hydrogen in the energy transition and detailing a comprehensive vision of the long-term potential of hydrogen and a roadmap for deployment. To find out more visit http://www.hydrogencouncil.com and follow on Twitter @HydrogenCouncil. About Hyundai Motor Group Hyundai Motor Group is a global corporation that has created a value chain based on automobiles, steel, and construction and includes logistics, finance, IT and service. With about 250,000 employees worldwide, the groups automobile brands include Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. Armed with creative thinking, cooperative communication and the will to take on all challenges, we are working to create a better future for all. Scientists are one step closer to creating a phone that sweats when it gets too hot in order to cool itself down. Many mammals, including humans, perspire liquid which cools the surface down when it evaporates. A metal-based coating just three times the thickness of a human hair has been created which keep the running temperature of electronics down by releasing water. As this turns to gas and evaporates, it takes with it the excess heat produced by the electronics. Scientists in China who developed the innovative method say it is currently too expensive for widespread use but shows promise for future application. It could be applied to all technology, including handheld electronic devices such as tablets and phones, and help avoid overheating. Scroll down for video To investigate the cooling effect of MIL-101(Cr) on actual devices, the researchers lathered their sweaty material on a computer chip. Compared to an uncoated chip, the coated one reduced the chip temperature by up to 7C when the device was run for 15 minutes (pictured) Senior author Ruzhu Wang, who studies refrigeration engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said: ''The development of microelectronics puts great demands on efficient thermal management techniques, because all the components are tightly packed and chips can get really hot. 'For example, without an effective cooling system, our phones could have a system breakdown and burn our hands if we run them for a long time or load a big application.' Mammals sweat to regulate body temperature, and researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China were inspired by this mechanism. Current methods to keep electronics cool include using fans or phase change materials (PCMs), such as waxes and fatty acids, that melt when the heat increases soaking up the excess thermal energy. But transients claim this approach is relatively inefficient, and the transition of water from liquid to gas has the ability to dissipate ten times that amount of energy. A metal-based material (pictured coated in a layer just three times the thickness of a human hair helps keep the running temperature of electronics cooler for longer, according to Chinese scientists Researchers say the current expense makes it It could be applied to all technology, including handheld electronic devices such as tablets and phones, and help avoid overheating (file photo) In a study published today in the journal Joule, the authors publish their results which used less than 0.3 grams of material and achieved 'significant' results. They coated three 16-square-centimetre aluminium sheets with a metal-based coating designed to sweat. Called MIL-101(Cr), it was applied to three chips, each with different thicknesses 198, 313 and 516 micrometers and heated them on a hot plate. The average width of a human hair is 75micrometres. An uncoated sheet reached 60C after 5.2 minutes, where as a chip with the thinnest coating took twice this amount of time and didn't reach 60C until 11.7 minutes had elapsed. The sheet with the thickest coating reached the 60C mark after 19.35 minutes of heating. 'In addition to effective cooling, MIL-101(Cr) can quickly recover by absorbing moisture again once the heat source is removed, just like how mammals rehydrate and ready to sweat again,' Wang says. 'So, this method is really suitable for devices that aren't running all the time, like phones, charging batteries and telecommunications base stations, which can get overloaded sometimes.' To investigate the cooling effect of MIL-101(Cr) on actual devices, the researchers lathered their sweaty material on a computer chip. Compared to an uncoated chip, the coated one reduced the chip temperature by up to 7C when the device was run at heavy workloads for 15 minutes. - Infosys Digital Radar 2020 finds that few companies have progressed to the most advanced stages of digital transformation this year - Companies that centre their transformation initiatives around employees achieve the highest levels of digital maturity - Top performers also approach transformation as series of rapid-feedback loops, rather than a long, linear process Businesses globally face a digital ceiling when it comes to digital transformation, according to new research from Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), the thought leadership and research arm of Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. The study reveals that businesses must change their mindsets to achieve sophisticated levels of digital maturity. Infosys Digital Radar 2020 assessed the digital transformation efforts of companies on a Digital Maturity Index and found year-over-year progress in basic areas, such as digital initiatives to improve a companys efficiency. However, most companies come up against a digital ceiling when trying to achieve the most advanced levels of maturity. The report, which surveyed over 1,000 executives globally, ranked the most digitally advanced companies as Visionaries, followed by Explorers and then Watchers. Companies know how to achieve moderate transformation success, with an 18 per cent increase in companies progressing this year from the lowest tier of Watchers to the middle Explorer tier. However, Explorers struggled to move into the top Visionary cluster, with the top tier remaining the same, indicating a digital ceiling to transformation efforts. The Visionary cluster remains unchanged despite companies reporting fewer barriers to digital transformation than last year. Human, rather than technological, barriers are now the most persistent, with the two of the top hurdles being the lack of talent or skills (34 per cent) and a risk-averse corporate culture (35 per cent). How to break through the digital ceiling? The research demonstrates that top performers break through the digital ceiling because they think differently. Firstly, successful companies focus strongly on people, using digital transformation to make improvements centred on customers and employees. Most companies (68 per cent) across the spectrum stated operational efficiency and increased productivity as a main transformation objective. But successful companies in the Visionary cluster are particularly motivated to make improvements for their employees. Nearly half of Visionaries describe empowering employees as a major business objective for transformation, compared with less than one third of Explorers and less than one fifth of Watchers. Likewise, Visionaries have an increased focus on customer centred initiatives, being significantly more likely than other clusters to undertake transformation to improve customer experiences and engagement and in order to respond more quickly to customer needs. Secondly, successful companies have a different mindset when it comes to transformation processes. Traditional linear transformations result in long transformation timelines, meaning a companys improvements are out of date by the time the process is complete. Instead, top performers demonstrate a cyclical mindset, implementing recurring rapid feedback loops to accelerate transformation and keep updates relevant. The Visionary cluster is far ahead of others in digital initiatives tied to quick cycles: 75 per cent operate at scale in Agile and DevOps, compared with an overall average of 34 per cent for the entire survey group. Businesses overestimate tech barriers and underestimate the importance of a companys mindset The importance of culture and a cyclical transformation mindset to breaking through the digital ceiling were underestimated by businesses last year. In the 2019 Digital Radar report, companies were asked to predict the biggest barriers to their transformation progress for the following year. This years Infosys Digital Radar 2020 compares these predictions to the actual challenges businesses faced in 2019. Businesses reported dramatic declines in the impact that technological barriers have on their transformation progress, including: Inability to experiment quickly (down 49 per cent); Insufficient budget (down 40 per cent); Cybersecurity challenges (down 40 per cent). However, businesses made much less progress against cultural barriers, including lack of change management capabilities (down 7 per cent) and lack of talent (down 6 per cent). Progress across industries and geographies The technology and telecom industries continue to rank highest on the Digital Maturity Index this year. Consumer packaged goods, logistics, and healthcare achieved strong year-on-year improvements. The reports anecdotes from executive interviews suggest that the adoption of telematics, the Internet of Things and smart medical devices contributed to these increases. Likewise, the automotive industry placed fourth by digital maturity and featured the second highest percentage of Visionaries (30 per cent of those surveyed). The insurance industry lags significantly behind other sectors, featuring the highest percentage of Watchers (17 per cent). The digital ceiling was most dramatic in China, where 23 per cent of companies moved from Watcher to Explorer (which rose from 64 per cent to 87 per cent), but the percentage in the Visionary category (8 per cent) remained the same. Salil Parekh, CEO and MD at Infosys, commented: Weve seen enterprises successfully employ emerging technologies to optimise productivity and efficiency, but struggle at the next stage of digital maturity. Faster, better, and cheaper technology alone will not provide the improvements enterprises need. Our research has shown that companies which can keep pace with digital transformation are those that design digital initiatives to improve customer experiences and empower their employees, differentiating themselves and propelling their business to the most advanced levels of progress. Jeff Kavanaugh, VP and Global Head at Infosys Knowledge Institute, commented: This years Digital Radar research revealed significant progress across transformation initiatives however, traditional programme models are not keeping up with the rapid pace of market change and companies face a distinct barrier in reaching top levels of digital maturity. The most successful businesses in our survey have an employee focus and a circular transformation mindset, which enable top performers to kick off a virtuous cycle in the company. The result is a living enterprise that is constantly sensing, improving, and attuned to its customers and employees. This living enterprise is suited to serving a larger circle of stakeholders employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, and larger society not just shareholders. For a full copy of the Infosys Digital Radar 2020, please visit: https://www.infosys.com/navigate-your-next/research/digital-radar-report.html Notes to Editors Survey Methodology From November 12 to 30, 2019, Infosys used a blind format to conduct an online survey that attracted responses from more than 1,000 CXO and other senior-level respondents from companies with revenue greater than US$1 Billion. Respondents represented multiple industries and hailed from Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, U.K. and the U.S. To gain additional qualitative insights, phone interviews were also conducted with a few practitioners and subject matter experts. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements mentioned in this presentation concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Media contacts: For more information, please contact: PR_Global@infosys.com Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus son, Yair, popped up on Twitter Jan. 18 with the following tweet: OK, its been two days now, and they [Yamina party leaders] havent denied it yet. You call this a party to the right of the Likud? Even when they wont deny that they might join up with Blue and White, Meretz and the [Arab] Joint List? Beneath this tweet, he linked another tweet of his from one day earlier. Intended as a warning to supporters of the right, it called on them to pay close attention to the fact that the leaders of Yamina have not denied reports that they would join the Blue and White party after the election. Between those two tweets, the younger Netanyahu spent his weekend firing off a barrage of other posts and messages targeting the leaders of Yamina. He was trying to cast aspersions on them by claiming that they plan to cross the lines after the election and join the Blue and White party. This multi-stage attack wasnt just a reflection of Yair Netanyahus private feelings. Rather, it echoed what had been coming out of the prime ministers office throughout that entire time. Over the past few days, quite a few senior members of the Likud have heard Prime Minister Netanyahu express his distrust of what Yamina leaders Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked really want. The enormous pressure that he exerted to bring about a major consolidation of the right-wing parties continued until Jan. 15, the last deadline for the parties to submit their lists of candidates for the election. And yet, despite all his efforts, he ran up against a veto from Bennett. In the end, far-right Otzma Yehudit Chairman Itamar Ben Gvir and the legacy of Rabbi Meir Kahane were left out of the newly united list on the right (Yamina), and Netanyahus dream of winning the 61 seats he needs to gain immunity seemed more distant than ever. What Netanyahu really wants to see is that not a single vote for the right goes to waste. He has managed to consolidate three out of the four parties to the right of the Likud: the New Right, HaBayit HaYehudi and the National Union. To do this, however, he has left a trail of scorched earth, parties torn to shreds and infighting unlike anyone on the right has ever seen. The bottom line is, this may have reduced the risk, but it is still not enough. And he left Bennett and Shaked with a bad taste in their mouths. Though the leaders of Yamina have issued explicit statements that they will recommend Netanyahu and only Netanyahu to form the next government, that is not enough for the prime minister or the people surrounding him. We are an integral part of the right, and we support Netanyahu. I want the public to understand that there are just two possibilities: There will either be a government of the left and the Arabs, or a government of the right. They need to decide which it will be, Shaked declared during an interview with Channel 13 on Jan. 19. From this perspective, once the lists were sealed, Netanyahus game on the right hit reset. He has a clear and brutal strategy now, and his victims will be those parties to the right of the Likud. After all, he has nowhere else to find new voters to support the Likud. What this means is that if he really is to grow his own party, he will have to do it at their expense. Of course, it is more complicated than that, and more sophisticated, too. Netanyahu wants to force the leaders of the right, with emphasis on Bennett and Shaked, to swear loyalty to the bloc and to promise that they would only recommend him to the president to form the next government, no matter the cost. That is why Netanyahu will make sure that the possibility of the Yamina leadership using right-wing votes to form a leftw-ing government with the Arabs always hangs ominously over the election. To achieve this end, he will pull out testimonies and half-truths about how Bennett and Shaked met with two senior members of the right-wing branch of the Blue and White party, Knesset members Zvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel. While no one denies that this meeting took place, it is not clear what happened there. Bennett and Shaked claim they tried to recruit these two Knesset members to their party, but there is also another version of events, in which Hauser and Hendel tried to convince Bennett and Shaked to switch sides and throw their support behind Blue and Whites leader, Benny Gantz. What is true and what isnt? None of that really matters in this age of fake news. The meeting did take place, and Netanyahu will exhaust that fact in his efforts to harm the leadership of Yamina and cast aspersions on their right-wing credentials. He is also expected to exploit Bennetts refusal to bring Otzma Yehudit into the merger of right-wing parties, even after its leader, Itamar Ben Gvir, promised to remove a portrait of mass murderer Dr. Baruch Goldstein from his living-room wall. Goldstein, it will be recalled, killed 29 Muslim worshippers in 1994 in cold blood. As far as Netanyahu is concerned, however, Bennetts refusal to join forces with Ben Gvir is sufficient grounds to accuse him of wasting precious votes from the right. On Jan. 20, Ben Gvir told a press conference that despite the pressure on him to resign and dire warnings that he would be the one to cause the right to fall from power, his Otzma Yehudit party would still run for the 23rd Knesset. He claimed that over the past few days, he received several tempting offers, including promises that he would be appointed a minister or ambassador, on the condition that he drop out of the race. Of course, people surrounding Netanyahu deny he was promised anything. Regardless, Ben Gvir did not drop out, even though his party wasted two seats for the right-wing bloc after the September 2019 election by failing to pass the electoral threshold. This was yet another blow to Netanyahu and his race to win 61 seats. It is now thought that Netanyahu will attempt to hurt Ben Gvir by leaving him with as few voters as possible. To do this, he will present all sorts of devastating polls showing that Ben Gvir is responsible for the defeat of continued right-wing rule. Netanyahu believes that the chairman of the National Union, Minister of Transportation Bezalel Smotrich, and the chairman of HaBayit HaYehudi, Minister of Education Rabbi Rafi Peretz, both of whom are subject to the ruling of their rabbis, would never dare cross the lines to join a Blue and White coalition, no matter what position is offered to them. Nor would they ever recommend Gantz to form a government. The weak links, as far Netanyahu is concerned, are Bennett and Shaked. Could this be little more than some paranoid scenario on the part of Netanyahu? That is quite possible. Given his situation, however, he must do whatever he can to impede any threats, big or small. And deep inside, he doesnt trust Bennett or Shaked. If Bennett and Shaked want to switch sides after the election, they will likely have to split Yamina into its separate factions. Under those circumstances, the smaller Yamina is, the lower its value in the political marketplace. If Yamina wins just six seats, Bennett and Shakeds New Right party would hold just three of those seats (together with Knesset member Matan Kahana). It is unlikely that this would be enough to shift the balance of power. Once again, Bennett and Shaked have stepped into Netanyahus trap. Even when they manage to thwart his plans, as happened more than once in the past, they can expect a painful, humiliating blow in response. Both of them see themselves leading the right at some point in the future. This is especially true of Bennett, now that he has been appointed minister of defense. If they join a government headed by Gantz, they would forever bear the stain of having removed the right from power, even if it is absolutely clear that Netanyahu doesnt have the 61 seats needed to form a new government. Photo: Matthias Wagner/Unsplash From a neo-soul jazz night to Led Zeppelin tribute experience, there's plenty to enjoy in Plano this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Las Vegas Urban Jazz Society Presents Neo-Soul Jazz Night From the event description: The Las Vegas Urban Jazz Society presents a Neo-Soul Jazz Night, featuring Toscha Comeaux. When: Thursday, Jan. 23, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Where: 172 Live Music, 3700 W. Flamingo Road Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Bring It On From the event description: "Bring It On" the musical, with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lyrics by Amanda Green. Recently crowned Cheer Captain, Campbell is suddenly uprooted from the place she feels comfortable and redistricted to a school across town. A school with no cheer team. As she gets to know the school and the students, she gets to know a lot more about herself. Come enjoy a pop musical based on the all-star movies! It's a fun night for all! When: Friday, Jan. 24, 7-10 p.m. Where: Plano East Senior High School, 3000 Los Rios Blvd. Admission: $10 (Student Ticket); $15 (Adult Ticket); $20 (Premium Ticket) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Battle of Evermore (Led Zeppelin Tribute) From the event description: Rock out to a live performance by Battle of Evermore, the ultimate Led Zeppelin tribute. When: Friday, Jan. 24, 9-10:30 p.m. Where: Legacy Hall, 7800 Windrose Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eight Keralites, including four children, holidaying in Nepal met with a tragic end due to suspected asphyxiation after the heater in their suite room at a hill resort in Daman, located 80km from capital Kathmandu, reportedly leaked carbon monoxide on Monday night. The eight victims belonging to two families, one from Chenkottukonam in Thiruvananthapuram and the other from Thalikunnu near Kunnamangalam in Kozhikode, were part of a 15-member group that had stopped over at the hill station on the way back to Kathmandu after visiting Pokhara, a famous Himalayan tourist destination. The two families stayed in a large suite room, while the rest of the group members were staying in adjacent rooms. The resort staff called police on Tuesday morning after they found the tourists lying unconscious in the room. The eight were airlifted to Hams Hospital in Kathmandu, where the doctors declared them brought dead. The deceased have been identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair, 39, of Chenkottukonam, wife Saranya, 34 and their children Sreebhadra, 9, Aarcha, 8, and Abhinav, 3, and Praveens friend Ranjith Kumar T B, 39, of Thalikunnu, wife Indu, 34 and their younger son Vaishnav, 2. Ranjiths elder son Madhav stayed in another room overnight and was the lone survivor in the family. Nepals Makwanpur district police Superintendent Sushil Singh Rathaur said the use of heater in the room could have led to suffocation. The resort manager said the tourists had booked four rooms, but eight of them chose to stay in a room. Since it was chilly, the tourists had turned on a gas heater. The windows and door of the room were bolted from inside, a resort official said. Bodies to be flown in tomorrow Praveen worked as an engineer in Dubai, while his wife was doing postgraduation in a paramedical subject in Ernakulam. The family was currently staying in Ernakulam. Ranjith was employed with an IT firm in Technopark here. Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in a statement said they have deployed their official doctor in the hospital. The doctor will monitor the autopsy and other medical procedures to be held on Wednesday. The bodies will be flown to Kerala on Thursdays Air India flight. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requested the intervention of Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to render all possible assistance to the families of the deceased. On his instruction, Norka officials are liaising with the Indian Embassy officials in Kathmandu. State Police Chief Loknath Behera also got in touch with the Nepal police to expedite medical and police formalities. Tragedy leaves 7-year-old Madhav an orphan: When parents Ranjith Kumar and Indu and two-year old brother Vaishnav suffocated to death at the resort, Madhav, 7, became the lone member in the family of four to survive. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: The signing ceremony of the "Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in statistics between the Azerbaijani State Statistical Committee and the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics" was held in Baku on January 22, Trend reports. The document was signed during the conference held in Baku dedicated to the results of the technical assistance project entitled "EU support to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan to reach European standards", which was implemented within the cooperation with the EU. The memorandum was signed by Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Statistical Committee Tahir Budagov and Director General of the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi. Budagov said that the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics today is one of the most advanced structures in the field of statistics. "Our specialists are expected to visit the Netherlands within the memorandum to study statistical methodologies, apply classification, as well as to conduct the work to improve various spheres of statistics during the visit of Dutch specialists to Azerbaijan to learn from their experience," Budagov said. The technical assistance project entitled "EU support to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan to reach European standards" is the third one after two twinning projects implemented by the Azerbaijani State Statistical Committee together with the EU. The visits of the delegations of specialists from partner-countries were organized within this project, which made a great contribution to the improvement of the Azerbaijani statistical system. The employees of the Azerbaijani State Statistical Committee were sent to the Netherlands, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Portugal and Romania to learn from international experience in the application of statistical classification, producer price index management systems and qualitative statistics. Revelations since the December impeachment vote are prompting more calls for the Senate to hear witnesses. Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate are wrangling over whether to call new witnesses and introduce additional evidence in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. With Trumps allies in control of a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Democrats are framing the issue before senators as a question of whether Republicans will cover up Trumps actions by refusing witnesses. Republicans are posturing that the House of Representatives impeachment investigators rushed through an unfair process and failed to lock up sufficient proof of their case. Meanwhile, new revelations in the still-unfolding scandal are raising new questions and prompting calls for the Senate to hear more witnesses. The House impeachment inquiry produced 35 hours of public hearings with 12 witnesses and assembled hundreds of pages of documents for referral to the Senate. Here is a roundup of the new evidence that has come out since the House voted to approve articles of impeachment on December 18: Lev Parnas breaks silence Lev Parnas, a Ukranian-American businessman, said in recent media interviews that Trump had full knowledge of the pressure campaign on Ukraine and directed it through his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and top US officials. Mr Parnass public interviews in the last 24 hours shed additional insights into the origins of the scheme, the work he and Rudy Giuliani were doing on the presidents behalf, and other members of the administration who were knowledgeable, Adam Schiff, the lead House manager prosecuting the case against Trump, said earlier this month. In news interviews, including ones with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, Parnas named Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Attorney General William Barr and former Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Lev Parnas says Trump directed a pressure campaign against Ukraine [File: Seth Wenig/The Associated Press] Parnas is under federal indictment by US prosecutors in New York for campaign finance violations. He is cooperating with prosecutors. Trump says he doesnt know Parnas, but Parnass private Instagram feed featured pictures of Parnas with Trump, Giuliani, and members of the Trump family. Parnas provided emails and text messages with Giuliani and Ukrainian officials to House investigators communications that appear to broadly corroborate his story. Parnass documents will be included in the Houses referral of evidence to the Senate, and Schiff said the House may seek to call Parnas as a witness. Parnas also alleged that Trump threatened to withhold more than just military aid. The message was it wasnt just military aid. It was all aid, Parnas told MSNBC. Basically, the relationship would be sour. We would stop giving them any kind of aid. John Bolton offers to testify Former National Security Advisor John Bolton issued a statement on January 6 saying he would comply with a subpoena from the Senate. His lawyers said he has relevant new information. Bolton left the White House in September after a falling-out with Trump, who suggested in a tweet that Bolton was fired, saying his services are no longer needed. Bolton said he quit. Former national security adviser John Bolton has said he is prepared to testify if subpoenaed [File: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/The Associated Press] Fiona Hill, the White Houses former top Russia expert who worked for Bolton on the National Security Council, told the House that Bolton called the pressure campaign on Ukraine a drug deal that he didnt want to be part of. Bolton declined an invitation to testify in the House impeachment inquiry. He could provide a first-hand account of Trumps actions. Watchdog says White House broke law On January 16, the US Government Accountability Office, a non-partisan accounting agency that reports to Congress, issued a legal finding that the Trump administration broke key federal budget laws by unilaterally withholding $391m in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine. Faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law, the eight-page GAO opinion said. Two White House budget officials resigned from their jobs over concerns that withholding the Ukraine aid was illegal, according to testimony in the House. Democrats said the GAO opinion further bolsters their demand that the Senate call acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney as a witness. Emails show hold on Ukraine aid A series of public releases of government emails shed new light on how the White House moved to block military aid to Ukraine while Trump was pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to open political investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Pentagon emails published by the Just Security website on January 2 showed that Trump directed the hold on Ukraine aid even as US defence officials raised serious concerns about the legality of the hold. Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney [File: Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press] On December 29, The New York Times newspaper published a report based on interviews and previously undisclosed emails and documents on the alarm within the Trump administration over the delay of aid to Ukraine. The report included new information on Mulvaneys role and efforts by White House lawyers to justify the delay after the fact. The Pentagon released emails on December 22 showing that 90 minutes after Trumps July 25 phone call with Zelenskyy in which Trump asked Zelenskyy to open investigations of the Bidens a top White House aide instructed the US Department of Defense to hold off on sending military aid to Ukraine. (Photo : Screenshot From Teknoblog Facebook Page) Facebook political ad policies differ from their competitors. (Photo : Screenshot From Mark Zuckerberg Official Facebook Page) It does not seem like Facebook is going anywhere which is why the FEC feels like adjustments have to be made to their political ad policies. Facebook political ad policies is a hot topic today because allowing political ads on social media has a great impact during elections. This is true because of how many people those ads reach. Back in the day, advertisement used to be complex, aside from billboards and posters, you would have to make public appearances all over and personally extend a huge amount of effort just to be visible. Nowadays, Advertisements can be done online through various platforms and Facebook, although the largest, is still one of them. Imagine how many people are on Facebook? According to statistics, there are about 220 million people using Facebook from 2017 onwards in the United States lone and that number is slowly increasing every day. There are only 327 million people in the United States which means that about two-thirds of the population uses Facebook. Comments on Facebook Political Ad Policies Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub has vocally stated her criticism towards Facebook political ad policies stating that "weak plan suggests the company has no idea how serious it is hurting democracy." Another statement by Weintraub through the use of twitter has also stated "I am not willing to bet the 2020 elections on the proposition that Facebook has solved its problems with a solution whose chief feature appears to be that it doesn't seriously impact the company's profit margins." Additional Comments Following this, there was an announcement made by Facebook's very own director of product management, Rob Leathern stating "people should be able to hear from those who wish to lead them, warts and all, and that what they say should be scrutinized and debated in public." Later on through the conversation, The Federal Election Commissioner made clear the effects on democracy leading Leathern to give his final statement so far according to the matter. "We recognize this is an issue that has provoked much public discussion - including much criticism of Facebook's position," Leathern wrote. "We are not deaf to that and will continue to work with regulators and policymakers in our ongoing efforts to help protect elections." Competition on Facebook Political Ad Policies Facebook competitors and other tech giants have a different view when it comes to political ad policies. Google has limited the ability of political ads to target their audiences while Twitter has banned them all together. Facebook seems to be having a huge share of the responsibility when it comes to hosting political ads which raises an alarm not just because of its effectivity but also because of the ethical matters surrounding it. Facebook is a tool for a lot of things and advertisement is definitely one of them. Transforming from a social network towards a platform where multiple ideas, transactions, advertisements can be hosted, Facebook has come a long way from being a hobby to an actual part of getting connected with others. Facebook has garnered quite a huge amount of criticism because of this issue but in the end has agreed to work on the Facebook political ad policies to best benefit each parties. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Natural News) By now, you may have seen the latest undercover video from Project Veritas featuring Kyle Jurek, an angry, confused, and historically challenged campaign staffer for 2020 Democratic presidential contender Commie Bernie Sanders. The video features a foul-mouthed revolutionary wannabe who obviously thinks way too much of himself and his ability to overthrow the system that the vast majority of Americans may find frustrating at times but nonetheless better than what he advocates: Marxist authoritarianism. But the really interesting thing about his plans for Merica should Sanders not capture the Democratic presidential nomination which is exactly what party leaders want, by the way, anyone but Bernie is to destroy the very base of support he and other radicals like him need in order to carry oout their revolution. If Bernie doesnt get the nomination or it goes to a second round at the DNC Convention, f*cking Milwaukee will burn. Itll start in Milwaukee and when police push back on that, then other cities will just f*cking (hand explosion), he told the undercover Project Veritas journalist. The cops are gonna be the ones that are getting f*cking beaten in Milwaukee. Theyre gonna call up the National Guard for that sh*t. I promise you that, he added. Im ready to throw down now. I dont want to wait and have to wait for f*cking DNCThe billionaire class. The f*cking media, pundits. Walk into that MSNBC studios, drag those motherf*ckers out by their hair and light them on fire in the streets. And if President Trump should win again (as expected) in November? F*cking cities burn, Jurek threatened. Whatever it takes. And thats why theyre like oh, Anti-Fascists are violent its because were willing to go above and beyond what the law says is acceptable. Like oh free speech, yeah, they try to be like oh youre against free speech and no, were not against free speech, were against hate speech, he added. And if your free speech is something that these people shouldnt exist, then I dont give a f*ck if its free speech or not, you dont need free speech has repercussions. This jerk has no idea what kind of disgusting human being he really is Well, then, Jurek really doesnt have any allies except a few others who, like him, would rather destroy the system than work within it to effect their preferred political outcomes. So while he rails against imagined fascists who support President Trump, he actually sounds and threatens like a fascist would/does. (Related: The Lefts descent to fascism.) Fascism is what destroyed World War II Italy. Fascism is authoritarianism. Fascism is tyranny. Fascism is intolerant. Fascism is incapable of compromise. And patriotism isnt fascist nationalism. In other words, the reality is, President Trump and his supporters are the real anti-fascists. We support freedom, liberty, justice and peace. We support dissent. We believe in giving voice to those who do not agree with us, as the First Amendment prescribes. We believe in working within our processes to effect changes. And we dont believe in attacking our political opponents and burning down their homes. But this schmuck does. And again, since most Leftists live in urban centers, hed essentially be burning down the existence of what allies he could muster. So really, what Jurek is and wants to become is an anarchist no rules but his rules, which amount to nothing more than fascist tyranny. Dont agree with him? Off to the gulag with you! Too much opposition? Off to the brick wall with you to be shot! Heres a final thought, by the way. This guy feels comfortable working for Bernie Sanders the candidate who honeymooned in Moscow during the Cold War, when Russia was still Communist. Jureks anarchy and anger says a lot about him and the Commie who would be president, doesnt it? Sources include: ProjectVeritas.com NaturalNews.com My Invention Testimony: a resounding reminder to everyone to always go back to the Lord no matter how busy they are doing their daily stuff. My Invention Testimony is the creation of published author Linda T.C., a woman who always thought church time was getting money from her parents, going to the store, buying candy for a penny or ten cents for a bar, attending Sunday school, then Sunday service, which was the time for eating the candy she bought. She has been surrounded by a church environment but wasnt introduced to the salvation of Jesus Christ until the summer of 1981. Linda T.C. writes, The title My Invention Testimony came from the journal I kept as I worked on my invention called Food Separators. As I was being introduced to the world of inventions, I persevered through a lot of frustrations and hostile ordeals during my learning experiences. Ive heard in several sermons from various pastors, including my own, that when one commits themselves to carry out an assignment for God, one would most likely experience an aloofness of family and friends. What a true statement. I did lose closeness with my family, biological and Christian alike. I became like a plague to them because I no longer did the things I use to do. I wanted, as well as needed, to spend as much time with the Lord as possible. My desire to spend more time with Him brought about undesirable situations with people of whom I used to have a closeness to. Not only did I have personal attacks, but in terms of business, it has been a long and tough journey with my endeavors to get prototypes of my invention, as well as making decisions to manufacture license or self-distribute. As I stated before, I had no thoughts of writing a book, but I was obedient to God. This book is an actual testimony of almost everything that Ive gone through to get this far with my invention. I say almost, because Im not finished with publicizing my invention, and it is not yet fully on the market. Ive done two illustrations with self-made prototypes, and they were a big hit. Everyone liked them, but I still have a long way to go. I thank God for His vision and for allowing me to partner with Him in sharing the experience of this venture. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Linda T.C.s new book is a contemporary narrative that urges the readers to trust Gods process, plan, and perfect timing. This book exhibits how God guides everyone in decision making and makes everything right in accordance with His will. View a synopsis of My Invention Testimony on YouTube. Consumers can purchase My Invention Testimony at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about My Invention Testimony, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. The Midland Daily News is partnering with WCMU Public Media to host a community conversation on news literacy featuring Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Wesley Lowery. This free event is open to the public and set to begin at noon Friday, at Creative 360, located at 1517 Bayliss St. in Midland. Lowery is a journalist at The Washington Post. He was a lead on the Post's "Fatal Force" project that won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2016 as well as the author of They Can't Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement. In 2017, he became a CNN political contributor. Lowery will discuss news literacy during this community conversation. In this age of disinformation, news literacy is an incredibly important topic, and we are beyond thrilled to host this event with WCMU Public Media, said Daily News Editor Kate Hessling. Midland is extremely lucky to have a speaker of this caliber coming to our area to discuss news literacy. We hope the community takes advantage of this free event. Though the event is free, attendees need to register so organizers have an estimated head count. You can register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pulitzer-prize-winning-journalist-wesley-lowery-on-news-literacy-tickets-86003734485?utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_event_email&utm_term=viewmyevent_button For more information, call Kate Hessling at 989-839-4240 or email khessling@hearstnp.com. The number of deaths from terrorism has fallen in Europe, but fear of it is being used to justify for more intrusive security measures, writes Robert Skidelsky. There was, all too predictably, no shortage of political profiteering in the wake of Novembers London Bridge terror attack, in which Usman Khan fatally stabbed two people before being shot dead by police. In particular, the Britains prime minister, Boris Johnson, swiftly called for longer prison sentences and an end to automatic early release for convicted terrorists. In the two decades since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the US, terrorism has become the archetypal moral panic in the Western world. The fear that terrorists lurk behind every corner, plotting the wholesale destruction of Western civilisation, has been used by successive British and US governments to introduce stricter sentencing laws and much broader surveillance powers and, of course, to wage war. In fact, terrorism in Western Europe has been waning since the late 1970s. According to the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), there were 996 deaths from terrorism in Western Europe between 2000 and 2017, compared to 1,833 deaths in the 17-year period from 1987-2004, and 4,351 between 1970 (when the GTD dataset begins) and 1987. Historical amnesia has increasingly blotted out the memory of Europes homegrown terrorism: Sectarian terrorism in the North, the Baader-Meinhof gang in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, Basque and Catalan terrorism in Spain, and Kosovar terrorism in the former Yugoslavia. The situation is clearly different in the US not least because the data are massively skewed by the 9/11 attacks, in which 2,996 people died. But even if we ignore this anomaly, it is clear that, since 2012, deaths from terrorism in America have been rising steadily, reversing the previous trend. Much of this terrorism, however, is simply a consequence of having so many guns in civilian circulation. To be sure, Islamist terrorism is a real threat, chiefly in the Middle East. But three points need to be emphasised. First, Islamist terrorism like the refugee crisis was largely a result of the Wests efforts, whether hidden or overt, to achieve regime change. Second, Europe is in fact much safer than it used to be, partly because of the influence of the EU on governments behaviour, and partly because of improved anti-terrorist technology. Thirdly, and according to the Government Accountability Office of the United States, 73% of violent extremist incidents that resulted in deaths after September 11, 2001 were caused by right-wing, white extremist groups Yet, as the number of deaths from terrorism declines (at least in Europe), alarm about it grows, offering governments a justification for introducing more security measures. This phenomenon, whereby our collective reaction to a social problem intensifies as the problem itself diminishes, is known as the Tocqueville effect. In his 1840 book, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville noted that, it is natural that the love of equality should constantly increase together with equality itself, and that it should grow by what it feeds on. Moreover, there is a related phenomenon that we can call the Baader-Meinhof effect: Once your attention is drawn to something, you begin to see it all the time. These two effects explain how our subjective estimates of risk have come to diverge so sharply from the actual risks we face. In fact, the West has become the most risk-averse civilisation in history. Modern humanity acts upon and controls the natural world, and therefore calculates the degree of danger it poses. As a result, tragedy need no longer be a normal feature of life. German sociologist Niklas Luhmann argued that once individual actions came to be seen to have calculable, predictable, and avoidable consequences, there was no hope of returning to that pre-modern state of blissful ignorance, wherein the course of future events was left to the fates. As Luhmann cryptically put it: The gate to paradise remains sealed by the term risk. Economists, too, believe that all risk is measurable, and therefore controllable. In that respect, they are bedfellows with those who tell us security risks can be minimised by extending surveillance powers and enhancing the techniques by which we gather information about potential threats. A risk, after all, is the degree to which future events are uncertain, and, as Claude Shannon, the founder of information theory, wrote, information is the resolution of uncertainty. There is a clear benefit to being safer, but it comes at the price of an unprecedented intrusion into our private lives. Our right to information privacy, now guaranteed by the EUs General Data Protection Regulation, is increasingly in direct conflict with our demand for security. Omnipresent devices that see, hear, read, and record our behaviour produce a glut of data from which inferences, predictions, and recommendations can be made about past, present, and future actions. In the face of the adage knowledge is power, the right to privacy withers. Furthermore, there is a conflict between safety and well-being. To be perfectly safe is to eliminate the cardinal human virtues of resilience and prudence. The perfectly safe human is therefore a diminished person. For both these reasons, we should stick to the facts and not give governments the tools they increasingly demand to win the battle against terrorism, crime, or any other technically avoidable misfortune that life throws up. A measured response is needed. And when it comes to the chaos and mess of human history, we should recall Heraclituss observation that a thunderbolt steers the course of all things. Robert Skidelsky, a member of the British House of Lords, is Professor Emeritus of Political Economy at Warwick University. The iconic landmark to light in green and gold and donate to the bushfire crisis in honour of the holiday NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Empire State Building (ESB) has announced that this year the building will light in Australia's national colours of green and gold to celebrate Australia Day. Celebrated annually on January 26, the national holiday commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in New South Wales. Additionally, as the world continues to follow the national bushfire crisis that has devastated the country, ESB's restaurant STATE Grill and Bar will add FOSTER'S beer and a special Pavlova dessert to its menu on January 25 and 27, with all profits made from these limited-availability items donated directly to the NSW Rural Fire Service. Patina Restaurant Group, the restaurant's managing company, has also pledged to match this donation. "The Empire State Building is a popular destination for Australian travellers and our thoughts are very much with the country during the current crisis," said Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. "We want to take this opportunity to extend our support through our world-famous tower lights and with a donation in support of bushfire relief." Complimentary Tim Tams made in-house by STATE's pastry chef Andrea Jarosh will also be available with purchase of a beer or dessert. For more information about the Empire State Building and STATE Grill and Bar, please visit http://www.esbnyc.com, and https://www.patinagroup.com/state-grill-and-bar. About the Empire State Building Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna top), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the "World's Most Famous Building." With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The Empire State Building was named the world's most popular travel destination in a study conducted by Uber and was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg, www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, http://weibo.com/empirestatebuilding, www.youtube.com/esbnyc, or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg. About Empire State Realty Trust Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the "World's Most Famous Building." Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of September 30, 2019, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 700,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio. About STATE Grill and Bar STATE Grill and Bar is the Empire State Building's flagship restaurant that fuses classic New York cuisine with modern culinary style. Its chefs draw inspiration from the Empire State itself, its bounty of market ingredients and the farmers and producers who provide for the world's most iconic metropolis. The restaurant's design pays homage to the Empire State Building's rich history and 1930's Art Deco design with each finish thoughtfully sourced. SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. Related Links http://www.esbnyc.com Scammers have swindled nearly 190,000 from six victims in Northern Ireland in recent months, police have warned. The PSNI said it received six reports from people who had been defrauded out of large amounts of money in November and December last year. The victims lost between 8,000 and 64,000 each. In one incident a fraudster spent five hours on the phone with one victim taking 10,000 from their bank account. Chief Superintendent Simon Walls warned the public to be "vigilant at all times" with scammers increasingly targeting vulnerable people in Northern Ireland. "Please, be aware of a phone call, or a dodgy email, where something just doesn't feel quite right. Stay on your guard, every day, and do not let yourself be scammed," he said. "I would also urge people to have a conversation with loved ones about scams, especially if you know someone who is vulnerable. The first report to police was made on Wednesday December 18 when a woman from Belfast had been contacted in the morning by someone claiming to be from a telecoms provider who said her account had been hacked and access was needed to her laptop to fix the issue. The victim did not suspect the scam as she had recently signed up with a new provider. After five hours on the phone with the scammer, during which two software programmes were downloaded, the victim found herself 10,000 out of pocket. Attempts had been made to take money from other accounts, but the transactions were stopped before any more money was lost. Another report made on the same day, a woman from Co Antrim was contacted by someone claiming to represent a global online retailer. The scammer kept the woman on the phone for nearly three hours. During this time the fraudster was able to cajole the woman into giving him her account details which led to 10,000 being taken. A third report of fraud was received on the same day where money was swindled from a person in Co Tyrone. A man was contacted by someone claiming to be a close friend via Facebook messenger. The person masquerading as his friend asked for the loan of money, which he agreed to - 8,000 in total. The victim subsequently discovered his friend's account had been hacked and he had been scammed. In a fourth report, again on the same day, a woman from Co Antrim lost 61,000 in an online romance scam. The victim began contact with the scammer via a dating website, and they continued to keep in touch to the point where she transferred him the funds. On Thursday December 19, a man from Co Down had been duped out of around 36,000 in an online scam after he was contacted by an individual via email in late October who said he would invest his money. The victim took the scammer at his word and allowed him contact to his computer, and subsequently his bank details. The sixth report involved a woman from the Co Antrim area who had been in touch with a person on November 17 whom she believed represented a major online retailer. She was transferred to another person claiming to be from a UK wide law enforcement agency. She was persuaded to download an app that would keep money in another account safe, which she did. However, multiple transactions were made resulting in a total loss of 64,000. Chief Superintendent Walls added: "Scams come in all shapes and sizes, from mandate fraud to old fashioned telephone scams to classic romance scams, and they all have one thing in common. They are orchestrated and executed by people who will go to whatever lengths necessary to take peoples money. Scammers are callous, unscrupulous individuals who dont care about the impact of their actions, which can be devastating and life changing. In each of these scams, the victims genuinely believed what they doing was for real, and the people who they were dealing with were genuine. Its devastating for them to realise that, not only have they been conned, but they have also lost their money. He added: "Never disclose your personal or banking details to anyone over the phone or online, no matter how convincing they may seem, and never allow an unauthorised person to have access to such details via your computer. If you have any concerns about unsolicited calls, emails or letters then please report it to Action Fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040. You can also call police on the non-emergency number 101. Further advice and information can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni London: The estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has sought to defend his reputation in a new documentary but says he fears he will never speak to his daughter or her husband, Britain's Prince Harry, again. Thomas Markle, 75, has already accused his daughter of "cheapening" the British royal family in part of an interview released on Sunday, a day after Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry and his wife would no longer be working members of the monarchy. Harry and Meghan's decision to cut down on official engagements has sparked turmoil in the royal family, and the couple will now give up royal duties entirely in order to pursue an independent future as a result of Buckingham Palace's announcement. Thomas Markle says he is "not all the trashy things being said" about him. Credit:BBC Channel 5 Aside from Sunday's clip, the rest of Thomas Markle: My Story was recorded for Channel 5 in October 2019 over six days at his home in Mexico, before that decision. It's due to be broadcast on Wednesday. FILE PHOTO: Malaysia's Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng speaks during an interview with Reuters in Putrajaya KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will start a program on Wednesday to hand out a total of 450 million ringgit ($110 million) to nearly half of its citizens, the government said, in a drive to increase digital transactions that will be a big boost for e-wallet companies. The money will be distributed through Southeast Asian e-wallet operators Grab, backed by SoftBank Group <9984.T>; telecom company Axiata's Boost; and Touch n Go, which is backed by banking group CIMB and China's Ant Financial. Every Malaysian aged 18 years and above and earning less than 100,000 ringgit a year will be eligible to receive a one-time shopping handout of 30 ringgit through one of the e-wallets, the finance minister said in a statement. Up to 15 million Malaysians will benefit from the program, which was flagged in the country's 2020 budget in October. The 30 ringgit must be spent between Jan. 15 and March 14. The "initiative is designed to widen digital payments adoption among Malaysian consumers and merchants, particularly among small retail businesses," Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng said. Total digital payments in Malaysia are expected to grow 10.8% annually, reaching about $17 billion by 2023, according to data portal Statista. The handout may also help the government deflect concerns over the cost of living, which late last year led the ruling coalition to lose a by-election by a bigger than expected margin. "This is part of the governments commitment to fulfil the shared prosperity agenda by reducing barriers to digitalization and improving financial inclusivity in the country," Lim said. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Josph Sipalan; Editing by Mark Potter) A free, non-technical and illustrated talk on black holes will be given Wednesday at Foothill College in Los Altos, a professor emeritus of the college announced. The talk will be given at 7 p.m. in the college's Smithwick Theatre by Eliot Quataert, a University of California at Berkeley professor of astronomy and physics. Quataert is also the director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Center. Last spring, the Event Horizon Telescope released the first image of gas surrounding a black hole and the gas's shadow as it swirls into the hole. Quataert will talk about what this has taught scientists about black holes and how the images were captured. A large crowd is expected at the event, so visitors are encouraged to get to the theatre early. A man shot early Tuesday morning in Palo Alto died later in the day of his wounds, police said. The sole victim, described by officers as a man in his 50s, was shot in the abdomen. The shooting was reported to police at about 3 a.m. in the 700 block of San Antonio Road near the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School. The man suffered a single gunshot wound, underwent surgery and died later. Police have offered $20,000 for information leading to a suspect's arrest. The reward is being offered through a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, Mothers Against Murder. Police plan to seek murder charges against the suspect. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teri Jackson was unanimously confirmed to a post on the California Court of Appeal by a state commission on Tuesday. Jackson, 63, of San Mateo, will be the first female African-American justice on the San Francisco-based First District Court of Appeal. She was nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom in November. The 20 justices of the First District hear appeals of civil and criminal cases from the superior courts of 12 counties in the Bay Area and northern coastal California. Jackson served on the San Francisco Superior Court from 2002 through 2019. She previously worked in the San Mateo County and San Francisco district attorneys' offices and in private practice. A State Bar of California committee rated her as "exceptionally well-qualified" for the appeals court, citing her leadership ability, legal knowledge and work ethic. Newly released crime data show that violent crime in San Francisco dropped by 6 percent last year compared to the previous year, police said Tuesday. According to the data, homicides in San Francisco dropped by 11 percent in 2019 from 2018. Forty-one people died last year in homicides-the lowest rate in nearly 60 years. In addition, the data show rapes were down by 15 percent while sex trafficking fell by 57 percent. Both robberies and aggravated assaults were down by 4 percent last year. Police Chief William Scott shared the results during a news conference Tuesday at police headquarters alongside Mayor London Breed. A person in critical condition is expected to live after they were shot Monday evening in Walnut Creek, police said Tuesday. A 911 call was made to police at 5:54 p.m. about the sound of gunshots in the area of Riviera Avenue and Parkside Drive. Police responded and arrived to find bullet casings on the sidewalk near that intersection. Then officers found that the victim of a shooting was at a nearby hospital. Officers confirmed that the patient had been shot near Riviera Avenue and Parkside Drive. Police believe the shooting was an isolated event and no threat exists to the community. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office arrested a Petaluma teen on suspicion of beating a Santa Rosa man late Monday night, sheriff's officials said Tuesday. Two people called the sheriff's office dispatch center around 11:30 p.m. to report a man who was beaten and bleeding in the 400 block of Hunter Lane in unincorporated Sonoma County south of Santa Rosa, Sgt. Juan Valencia said. The victim told sheriff's deputies he agreed to meet the suspect on Hunter Lane, and when he got into a car people pulled him out of the vehicle and began beating and kicking him in the head and face. Valencia said the victim escaped and the vehicle left toward Mountain View Avenue. The victim was taken to a hospital. Petaluma police heard about the fight on the police radio and found and detained the suspect in Petaluma. The officers knew the suspect because he was involved in a fight involving five people, most with gang affiliations, and the same victim on Hunter Lane on Jan. 13. Fire crews contained a 2-alarm blaze that left a dry-cleaning business in Santa Rosa a total loss early Wednesday morning, according to fire officials. The blaze was first reported at 12:20 a.m. at ProClean Services Inc., located at 2076 Armory Dr., Battalion Chief Matt Gloeckner said. A motion-burglar alarm detection was reported to police, and when officers arrived, found smoke coming from the front of the business and asked for a fire department response. According to Gloeckner, fire crews soon arrived and started an aggressive interior attack, with help from ladder crews that cut holes in the roof to ventilate the blaze. It was extinguished in about 30 minutes. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is believed to have started sometime after the business closed Tuesday and the call time, going unchecked for some time. Gloeckner said it doesn't appear suspicions. An early damage estimate was placed at $400,000, as the business and its contests were deemed a total loss. An adjacent business was unoccupied. Nobody was injured, and a total of six engines and two ladder trucks responded to the fire. Wednesday will be partly cloudy in the morning, then becoming sunny. Highs will be in the upper 50s. Northeast winds will be 5 to 10 mph, before becoming northwest winds in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Lows will be in the mid 40s to lower 50s. North winds will be 5 to 10 mph, before becoming east winds after midnight. Thursday will be mostly cloudy. Highs will be in the upper 50s. North winds will be 5 to 10 mph. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City who entered the Democratic presidential primary contest in November pledging to spend a chunk of his fortune to oust President Donald Trump, has risen to fourth place in a pair of national polls. Bloomberg still trails the consistent frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden, by about 20 points, but the billionaires late entry to the race appears to be one of the only things thats shaken up a primary season thats seen Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, consistently atop national polls. Morning Consult showed Bloomberg eclipsing double digits with 10% of support from likely Democratic primary voters, according to a poll released Wednesday. His net favorability, the percentage of voters who have a favorable view of him, jumped 8 points to 31%. Bloombergs fourth-place showing comes just a few weeks before Iowa and New Hampshire voters cast the first ballots of the 2020 primary, and as Warren and Sanders have been sparring with each other behind the scenes and on the debate stage in Iowa last week. Bloomberg, whos spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money on political ads, also rose to fourth place with 9% of support from Democratic voters in a Monmouth University poll released Wednesday. His support had risen four points since the previous poll by the university. With the exception of Bloombergs entry, this race looks pretty much like it did six months ago. But that stability masks the potential for sizable swings once the first contests are held. Iowa and New Hampshire will play a major role in shaping national voter preferences, Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement. The poll showed Bloombergs favorability rating jump from 26% in December to 33% in January, showing the ads may be having a positive impact. Bloomberg tweeted at Trump on Wednesday afternoon, saying, I know youve been watching our ads. Weve been watching yours, too. .@realDonaldTrump I know youve been watching our ads. Weve been watching yours, too. pic.twitter.com/58wYTMHAdb Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) January 22, 2020 Buttigieg, who at one point rose to hold a lead in Iowa polling, slipped two points to 6%, just one point ahead of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose support rose one point over the last month. A CNN poll released Wednesday, however, showed Sanders atop the field, at 27% support compared to Bidens 24%. The CNN poll still has Warren and Buttigieg with double digits, while Bloomberg saw 5% support over 4% each for Klobuchar and businessman Andrew Yang. The CNN poll contrasts Morning Consults recent poll that showed Sanders favorability dipping by six points after the recent Iowa debate. But the progressive senator, who won the 2016 primary in New Hampshire, still maintains the highest favorability among all Democrats at 73%. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Angies Soul Cafe is trying out a new business model in the name of safety. The restaurant, which recently opened its new location at 7815 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, will not accept cash payments. Most forms of online payment (excluding bitcoin) are accepted at Angies. All major credit cards work, along with mobile phone apps like Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The restaurant even takes electronic transfers from payment service systems like Venmo and Zelle. Owner Akin Affrica said the model would keep his customers, his employees and himself from being targets of robbery. The decision came after Affrica was shot multiple times in a 2017 incident outside of Affricas former restaurant, Zanzibar. I was trying to figure out how to make sure this never happens to any of my team members or my staff, Affrica said. When youre dealing with something like that, money is not importantI just wanted to make sure to keep my staff safe and my customers safe. And the only 100% guarantee of that, is to take cash out of the equation. According to Affrica, the shift to a cashless restaurant hasnt affected business negatively. In Angies first week of business on Carnegie, he said that of the 1,500 customers that were served, only 10 were turned away because of the cashless model -- and five said theyd be back with non-cash payments in the future. The soul-food restaurant was previously located at 3400 St. Clair Ave., but relocated to the Carnegie spot on Jan. 8. The move followed years of renovation on both the interior and exterior of the building -- formerly, a Hot Sauce Williams restaurant. Angies interior design includes sliding barn doors and farm-style furniture in the airy, sun-filled space. Designed by Affrica himself, the space is meant to recall 1940s South Carolina, homebase of Affricas family. Family is, and always has been, a part of Angies Soul Cafe. Family photos featuring the restaurants namesake -- Angie Jeter, Affricas mother -- dot the walls around the room. Its cozy, inviting and typically packed with diners around lunch time. Affrica said business has been stronger than ever at Angies new location. Popular menu items have been smothered pork chops, fried chicken, catfish and what Affrica calls the soul food trinity: macaroni and cheese, collared greens and candied yams. (Two out of those three are on the majority of peoples plates when they leave, Affrica said.) Interestingly, interest in Angies Soul Cafe spiked from word-of-mouth and a couple of news articles published ahead of the opening, he said. The restaurateur, whose credits include Zanzibar, Stonetown, Sunshine Cafe and Jezebls Bayou, didnt launch a marketing plan for Angies on Carnegie. All it took was a Coming Soon sign in the window. It made me want to do it with every business I open -- stay closed for a year and just put a coming soon sign out, Affrica said with a laugh. The only reason [some people] came is because they rode by and saw the beauty of the building. They thought that if I put that kind of work into the building, it had to be something special. You can find more information about Angies Soul Cafe at angiessoulcafe.com. For photos and videos on the extraordinary food and drinking scenes in Northeast Ohio, follow @DineDrinkCLE on Instagram. Read more recent entertainment stories: Haverford Township residents fill the Manoa Fire Company in Haverford for a town meeting Jan. 14, 2020 as the township prepared to return to court in their 10-year battle against the placement of billboards. Read more Haverford Township and a billboard developer began sparring Wednesday in Delaware County Court, opening a trial over a controversial billboard proposal that has dragged on for more than a decade. Ordered by Commonwealth Court to reconsider a narrow part of the case after an earlier appeal, Judge Spiros E. Angelos will consider whether Haverford should allow a modified proposal for slightly smaller billboards at the sites on Lancaster Avenue and West Chester Pike and whether they still would pose safety hazards. In opening statements, an attorney for Bartkowski Investment Group, which wants to erect four billboards on the two roads, said the firm was entitled to some type of approval for the sites based on the earlier court decision. READ MORE: Inside Haverfords decade-long battle to keep billboards off Lancaster Avenue and West Chester Pike The Haverford Township solicitor countered that the company was not automatically guaranteed anything, citing the Commonwealth Courts opinion, and argued the new proposal for slightly smaller billboards would still jeopardize safety and welfare in the township. The saga began in 2009, when Newtown Square-based Bartkowski Investment Group first proposed to build the billboards. In 2014, Commonwealth Court upheld the townships original rejection of the proposal, but ruled unconstitutional its ordinance banning billboards in the entire municipality. It sent the case back to Delaware County for a judge to decide whether a modified proposal might be allowed. Officials and residents in Haverford and Lower Merion Townships, where the billboards would be visible from the road and residences, have argued the signs would cause traffic safety issues, light pollution, decreased home values, and blight. The firm, run by president Thaddeus Bartkowski, says the billboards wont cause any problems and will offer advertising opportunities in a populous area. The trial had been set to start in Media on Tuesday but was postponed because the courtroom was too small to accommodate all the spectators who showed up. Angelos was unable to get a larger courtroom Wednesday but started the trial anyway, and more than 55 people squeezed into the room to watch. . Bartkowski Investment Groups new proposal for the billboards, located at 2040 and 1157 West Chester Pike in the townships Havertown section and at 658 and 600 West Lancaster Ave. in the Bryn Mawr section, lowered their heights by five to eight feet. The highest of the four would be nearly 73 feet in the air and the lowest just above 46 feet. The largest signage area would be almost 554 square feet and the smallest would be 432 square feet, according to a statement from the township solicitor, James Byrne. Robert Gundlach, attorney for Bartkowski, argued for approval for the proposal, saying there should be a reward for this successful litigant who proved the townships ordinance banning billboards was unconstitutional. Municipalities have to be responsible for keeping unconstitutional ordinances on the books, Gundlach said. He asked the judge to find that none of these billboard signs, as they have been reduced in size and height, will be injurious to the public health, safety, and welfare. Haverford officials disagree. Byrne said the sites chosen for the signs remain inappropriate and said Bartkowskis firm had brought in experts in previous court proceedings to argue that the billboards needed to be at least 672 square feet to be safe. With the real people here that are involved, its inappropriate to put these I-95-size billboards looming over the backyards, said Michael G. Crotty, lawyer for a group of opposed residents. Testifying on Wednesday, Bartkowski said he chose the sites because of their zoning and proximity to businesses; he said the sites get between 34,000 and 71,000 people driving by per day. He has nearly 30-year leases on all four properties. We very much are a local business, Bartkowski told the judge, appearing in a suit and orange tie. Theres not a single sign we construct where I dont have input into the size, shape, and ultimate placement and design, he said. His company has mounted more than 80 signs, in about three dozen municipalities, mostly in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Bartkowski said. A second day of testimony was scheduled for Thursday; the trial will then resume at a date yet to be determined, likely in February, township officials said. Michelle Collier, one of the Haverford residents represented by Crotty and whose home is behind one proposed billboard site, said she was nervous for the trial because the issue greatly affects the township. I feel that BIG has played games and tried to delay things so that residents forget about this," she said Tuesday, gesturing to the crowd awaiting the opening of the trial. "But clearly, we havent. WHITE CITY, Ore. -- The investigation into a reported hostage situation that was posted on the 'Jackson County Scanner' Facebook group found no evidence that a crime occurred, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. Shortly after 1 a.m. on Tuesday, someone called dispatch to report a post on the Scanner page. A 49-year-old man posted that he was "being held hostage" at his home and needed help. He gave an address in the 2500-block of Carr Street in White City. Deputies arrived at the reported address and quickly surrounded the house. According to the Sheriff's Office, the homeowner was able to open the door and yell for help. Deputies went into the house and detained four people. Deputies ultimately arrested three people. 25-year-old Hector Orozco, 29-year-old Martin Rodriguez Banuelos, and 22-year-old James Powers were booked into the Jackson County Jail on Tuesday. They were all arrested based on previous warrants and parole violations. The Sheriff's Office said that a 59-year-old woman was released at the scene. Despite the three arrests, the Sheriff's Office later concluded following an investigation into the incident that there was "no probable cause to believe a crime occurred" related to the reported hostage situation. The agency did not provide any further information on the case or how investigators reached that conclusion. While searching the house, deputies say that they found a stolen gun. That part of the case will remain under investigation, according to the Sheriff's Office. VATICAN CITY - ''All over the world migrant men and women face risky voyages to escape violence, to escape war, to escape poverty,'' Pope Francis noted Wednesday in his weekly General Audience. Then, he noted, they experience indifference and hostility with countries refusing to allow them to disembark in ports when they arrive. He noted that migrants are exploited by criminal traffickers, treated simply like numbers instead of humans and as a threat by some leaders. Lack of hospitality, he said, sometimes pushes them like a wave back towards the poverty or dangers they had fled. Pope Francis said that Christians should work together to show migrants the love of God and that they are obliged to prove that there is more in the world than a lack of hospitality and indifference. Dedicating his Catechesis to "hospitality" - the theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Pope Francis urged the faithful to be like the people of Malta, who welcomed and accepted St Paul and his companions in their moment of difficulty, when they were shipwrecked on the island. He noted that St Paul and his companions had in that situation experience something new in contrast with the brutality of the sea, as they were shown ''rare humanity'' by the island's inhabitants who were attentive to their needs despite their being foreigners. They gave them food and made fires to warm them, he noted, calling on all Christians to treat other humans like their brothers and sisters in Christ. Turkey will never recognize the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and will continue to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said this at the Geopolitical Outlook: The Middle East and North Africa panel within the World Economic Forum in Davos, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Whether I agree with Russia on the issues of Crimea, Ukraine or Georgia - no. We will never recognize the illegal occupation and annexation [of Crimea]," he said. According to Cavusoglu, Ankara will continue to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Georgia. As reported, on January 22-23, Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk will pay a two-day working visit to Davos, Switzerland, on the days of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. Today, January 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will deliver a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos. ish Police arrested a 35-year-old Lincoln woman on suspicion of burglary Tuesday after she drove a man to the hospital after he slipped on ice and injured his leg, allegedly as they were taking off with a womans belongings. Officer Erin Spilker said just after 1 p.m., an 18-year-old woman was at her home at the Waterbrook Apartment Complex near 27th Street and North Hill Road when she discovered that two people she knew had taken off with $2,200 worth of her property, including TVs, a phone, her wallet with $100 bills in it, shoes, a DVD player, a hat and a debit card. Spilker said the teenager told police she looked out her window to see a man she knows, holding her TV, on the ground yelling that he had broken his leg and a woman wearing her hat. Spilker said they got into a truck and left, but police found them later at a Lincoln hospital, where the man had gone to be treated. They arrested the woman after allegedly finding the property in the truck and the $100 bills on her. Spilker said the man, who was hospitalized, was expected to be cited later. Today's jail mugshots Love 0 Funny 7 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In the case, the meeting takes place, the president of Ukraine plans to discuss only issues of further release of prisoners Zelensky and Putin Open source President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has no scheduled meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin in Israel as Interfax-Ukraine reported citing the Presidents Office. The meeting with the president of Russia, who will also participate in the Holocaust Forum, is not planned yet. If the communication within the sidelines takes place, the president of Ukraine plans to discuss only issues of further release of prisoners, the message said. Earlier, Editor-In-Chief of Echo of Moscow radio station Aleksei Venediktov reported that the presidents of Ukraine and Russia would hold a meeting in Israel on January 23. On January 23-24, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will pay a working visit to the State of Israel in order to participate in commemorative events at the Holocaust World Forum dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. As we reported, Volodymyr Zelensky has started the working visit to Switzerland, where he will participate in the annual session of the World Economic Forum. Advertisement The Duchess of Cambridge spoke about her experience of being 'isolated' as a first-time mother as she continued her 24-hour tour of Britain today. Mother-of-three Kate, 38, pulled faces and smiled at babies in the Welsh capital this morning as she attended a sensory class at the Ely and Careau Children's Centre and heard about the support that parents receive; her second visit of a three-part trip to launch a landmark survey on early childhood development. Today was the third day in a row that Kate or her husband Prince William took the spotlight as the Royal Family carries on with life after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior royals and left for Canada. Kate wore a 349 Massimo Dutti camel coat for today's engagement, teaming it with a polo neck jumper and 30 leopard print skirt from Zara. She also opted for a gold medallion pendant and Accessorise drop earrings. While there, she recalled living in Anglesey in North Wales when Prince George was a 'tiny baby' and William was a RAF Search and Rescue helicopter pilot. While visiting the children's centre, Kate told a group: 'I had a tiny, tiny baby in the middle of Anglesey it was so isolated, so cut off. I didn't have any family around and he was doing night shifts.' The Duchess of Cambridge chats with mother Estell Courlenr and her daughter India Courlen Mayvow in Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge chats with a father and baby on her visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff today Kate chats with mothers and babies during her visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge chats with mothers and their children during a visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre today The Duchess of Cambridge is in Cardiff today as she launches a UK-wide survey to help improve early childhood Kate chats with mothers and babies during her visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff today Kate chats with young children during her visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff today Kate laugh as she chats with mothers and babies during her visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge receives a posy of flowers from four year-old Erin during her visit to Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge chats with a mother and her child during her royal visit to the centre in Cardiff today Kate chats with mothers and babies while in Cardiff today to promote her UK-wide survey to help improve early childhood The Duchess of Cambridge chats with mothers and their children as a boy looks at the camera in Cardiff today Kate laughs as she plays with India Courlen Mayvow and her mother Estell Courlenr during a visit to Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge plays a game with a young girl at a baby sensory class at the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre today The Duchess of Cambridge plays with a group of children during her visit to the Ely and Caerau Children's Centre today The Duchess of Cambridge walks out of 'Cath's Cottage' at Ely and Careau Children's Centre in Cardiff today Mother-of-three Kate, 38, pulls faces and smiles at babies in the Welsh capital this morning during her visit Her visit comes as the Duchess of Sussex's aides revealed in an Instagram post that she made a secret visit to The Mayhew animal welfare charity in Kensal Green, North West London, while in the capital two weeks ago. The centre provides support services to children and their families and helps youngsters with special needs in addition to offering adult education, parenting support and community education teams. Wild thing! Kate sports a 30 Zara leopard print skirt and a 349 Massimo Dutti coat paired with a new medallion necklace Kate Middleton in Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge looked chic in a 349 Massimo Dutti camel coat as she arrived in Cardiff today. Kate Middleton, 38, is in the Welsh Capital for her second visit during her 24 hour three-leg trip around Britain to launch a landmark survey on early childhood development. Cutting a stylish figure, the-mother-of three proved her love for tailored shapes as she stepped out in the buttoned wool and cashmere coat, teaming it with a poloneck jumper and 30 leopard print skirt from Zara. Adding an unusual accessory, Kate opted for a gold medallion pendant and Accessorise drop earrings. Kate completed the look with black knee high Ralph Lauren boots, previously worn in December 2018 and wore her hair in loose curls around her face. The Duchess' leopard print skirt is currently on sale for 10, while the limited edition coat has dropped to 149. Advertisement After hearing about the support parents receive from the centre, Kate said: 'It's nice to be back in Wales. I was chatting to some of the mums, I had just had George and William was still working with search and rescue, so we came up here when George was a tiny, tiny little baby, in the middle of Anglesey. 'It was so isolated, so cut off, I didn't have my family around me, he was doing night shifts, so if only I'd had a centre like this at a certain time ...' Head of the centre, Carolyn Asante, told Kate: 'That's the thing, we all need it (support). It's not about social status. When you're a parent, you take home this little baby and I don't know about you but I didn't know which way was up or down.' After the visit, Mrs Asante praised Kate for being 'so genuine and down to earth', and said she was happy that there would be a focus on the development of younger children thanks to the Duchess's survey. Mrs Asante said: 'She was genuinely interested in what the children had to say, and you can't fake that. 'It's great to have the spotlight shone on the early years because everyone here recognises its importance and that it's such a crucial stage of development, so if we can get it right at this stage we've given children the best possible start. 'I think it's brilliant she's chosen this to be her focus.' Mrs Asante said there should be more access to centres like hers for parents who could benefit from support, saying: 'It doesn't matter where you come from, as a parent you will benefit from this kind of approach. 'This non-judgmental group you can go to when you've had a rubbish morning at home and you're not feeling as though anything's going right or you're doing a good job. 'The plan was to roll out this kind of model more widely, but there has never been the money.' Earlier, as she arrived at the centre in Ely, an economically deprived area of the city, she told her hosts: 'I will have to remember my Welsh!' She also mentioned her children, adding, 'We will be taking a trip down to Anglesey at some point.' Her first stop was in the baby sensory room, where babies were playing with spaghetti, jelly and musical instruments. Crouching down, Kate was in her element as she cooed over the little ones and chatted to their parents about the centre. She smiled at 11-month-old Eleanor Logue, who was happily covering herself in cooked spaghetti as mum Rhi, 29, talked about how she felt supported by other parents there. Kate is animated at the Ely and Careau Children's Centre in Cardiff today as she speaks to babies and their mothers The Duchess of Cambridge leaves the Ely and Careau Childrens Centre in Cardiff today during her 24-hour tour of the country After hearing about the support parents receive from the centre, Kate said: 'It's nice to be back in Wales. I was chatting to some of the mums, I had just had George and William was still working with search and rescue, so we came up here when George was a tiny, tiny little baby, in the middle of Anglesey' 'You can come here and tell people, 'I haven't slept',' said Rhi. 'And everyone else is like, 'I haven't either!' laughed Kate. 'It normalises it. No one is going to judge you for it. And it's a social thing for you.' 'So many families now are so spread out,' the Duchess continued. 'It's much harder to rely on other generations for support.' She asked several parents about the survey, Five Big Questions on the Under Fives, saying: 'Have you heard about the survey we are doing? What do you think? There is so much pressure on parents, but actually they need the community too.' Afterwards Rhi said: 'We talked about post-natal depression and how hard it is to have a kid and how important centres like this are. I would have been in such a dark place without it. 'It's lovely to see her in a place like Ely. It's such a deprived area and there have been so many funding cuts. Sometimes you are scared to walk the streets, but coming here you feel safe. You don't feel like you are going to get mugged.' In another room, Kate was charmed by 14-month-old Indie Corten-Maynard and one of her two mums Estelle Corten. 'Are you going to push me over?' laughed the Duchess as the toddler pushed a large spiky inflated ball into her. 'She was asking me what it was like coming here as a same-sex couple and I told her how welcoming the centre has been' said Estelle. 'It was amazing to have the future Queen here in Ely!' The Duchess of Cambridge meets mothers and young children at the Ely and Careau Children's Centre in Cardiff today The Duchess of Cambridge is in Cardiff today to help promote her new UK-wide survey of early development in children In the English language part of the centre's bilingual nursery, Kate sat down with older children who were playing with dough and joined them in making doughballs as she was told how the children spend lots of time outdoors. One little girl was keen to ask what was going on and the Duchess told her: 'We are talking about your nursery! It's so cool I would love to come here. What's your favourite thing about it? Do you like playing outside?' She then took the little girl by the hand and asked her to show her the outdoor area, stopping to meet the resident guinea pigs Willow and Bella in a wooden hut, appropriately bearing the sign 'Cath's Cottage'. She crouched down to stroke the black-and-white pet, Willow, telling the children: 'I had guinea pigs when I was little. I think your nursery is the best. She's so soft, isn't she?' Watching as the children fed them carrots and sprouts, she joked: 'I did not know that guinea pigs liked Brussels Sprouts!' She then introduced herself to another group of youngsters who were drawing, saying 'Nice to meet you, I'm Catherine. These guinea pigs are a lot quieter than the ones I had at home!' As she emerged, she told Head of Centre Carolyn Asante: 'They are so happy in there! It's like their own little world.' In the centre's Welsh medium nursery, Kate was presented with flowers and a drawing of herself by four-year-old Erin Jones, who briefly hesitated when prompted to hand them over. 'Are you shy?' asked Naomi Asante Chambers, a senior teaching assistant. 'Don't worry, I am too,' the Duchess told the little girl. 'Is this my dress?' she asked, pointing at the drawing. 'I love your hair, I should have done mine like that today. I love the drawing too, thank you! Thank you so much, what a special morning I have had.' She also joined three-year-old River Roson, who was playing with pretend food. 'Are you cooking too? Are you making a stir fry?' 'You're my friend!' the little boy told her, to which the Duchess replied: 'You're my friend too!' As she made her way back through the building, Kate was stopped by another little girl who asked her to help clean her hands. She agreed and began wiping the child's hands, prompting Carolyn to tell her: 'You've got the job! When can you start!' Kate also spent time chatting to staff about their work, telling them: 'I see amazing work like what you are doing here in so many areas and you know, you are doing an incredible job and it's just bringing it to light really. 'And this impact the critical work that you are doing with families at this early age really has a massive social and economic impact later down the line billions of pounds are spent on later intervention.' The Duchess of Cambridge leaves following a visit to Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff this afternoon Kate shakes hands with Morfudd Meredith, Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, as she leaves the centre in Cardiff today Talking about the 5 Big Questions for the Under Fives, she added: 'It's raising the profile of the importance of the early years, without adding pressure to parents who already feel they have lots to do and there is lots of pressure on them. That's why it takes a community, like what you are doing here, to really support families to do the best they can. 'Well done, you are doing an amazing job. If only there was a centre like this in every community!' Speaking afterwards, Head of the Centre Carolyn Asante said: 'It's lovely to have someone who understands children and child development. She really made the parents and children feel at ease which was lovely.' Describing how the Duchess had helped clean a child's hand which was covered in sand, she added: 'I said 'you've got the job,' and she said 'I wish!' Our children quickly gauge people who are genuinely interested in them and if they're not they just won't bother with them.' Carolyn praised the 5 Questions survey for shining a spotlight 'on the early years and said of the royal visit: 'I was really pleased with how chilled the parents were about it. They weren't overawed. Because she was so genuine and down to earth they just immediately responded to that. 'She got down on the floor with the parents and baby group. They were immediately at ease and it was more a parent-to-parent discussion. They were relating to her as a parent rather than this very important person.' The Duchess of Cambridge opted for a gold medallion pendant for her visit to Cardiff, where she was pictured today The Duchess of Cambridge smiles and waves following a visit to Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff today 'She does have that high profile and if she shines the light on something, it has weight, it has impetus. It's brilliant that she has chosen this to be her focus.' And she was impressed by the Duchess's approach, saying: 'She could really talk to children in a way they understood and could respond to. It was lovely to see. My job was to chaperone her and I thought my role would be with her all the time and I'd be doing a lot more talking. But she just got stuck in straight away. And, in fact, I just felt I had to keep backing off completely because she was having these gorgeous conversations with children. And they were really responding to that. 'If she hadn't been asked to move on she'd still be here. She was genuinely interested in them and you can't fake that. Children know when you're faking. She was talking to them as important, valuable people albeit smaller than us. It was so obvious she had that experience. I would give her a job if she needed one!' Open access play, breakfast, after-school activities and holiday clubs are also housed in the centre, as well as health visitors, speech and language therapists and partners such as Sure Start and Language and Play. The centre also works with community partners such as the Salvation Army and Barnardo's. Kate, who will also visit Surrey this afternoon, hopes her new initiative will trigger 'lasting change for generations'. She kicked off her solo tour in Birmingham yesterday, but there was a minor hiccup in a children's play cafe when the door of a cupboard under a sink came off in her hands. Kate joked: 'I think we've broken the cafe.' Kate was raising awareness of the poll Five Big Questions on the Under Fives. She was also due to make a visit to promote the survey in London today, but this was cancelled due to weather conditions affecting her travel plans. Speaking at Birmingham's science museum yesterday, she said: 'As a parent, I know how much we cherish the future health and happiness of our children. 'I want to hear the key issues affecting families and communities so I can focus my work on where it is needed most. My ambition is to provide lasting change for generations to come.' Kate got a tour of an interactive, child-sized mini-city at the Thinktank museum by 'mini mayor' Poppy Jordan, eight. Children showed her their workshop before popping into the launderette, a shop and a mini-museum. The duchess said: 'Parents, carers and families are at the heart of caring for children in the formative years, so that is why I really want to listen to them. The early years are more crucial for future health and happiness than any other moment in our lifetime.' Kate wore a new gold bracelet yesterday from a company with three royal warrants. She flashed an elegant gold bangle on her right wrist as she visited Birmingham, which was identified as a product by UK brand Halcyon Days. The Duchess of Cambridge leaves this afternoon after visiting Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff The Duchess of Cambridge leaves Cardiff this afternoon as she takes part in a 24-hour tour of the country Kate is in Cardiff today to promote a survey which aims to spark the biggest ever conversation on early childhood in Britain Mother-of-three Kate visits the Welsh capital today to attend a baby sensory class at the Ely and Careau Children's Centre The Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Cardiff to visit the Ely and Careau Children's Centre during her 24-hour tour of Britain The Duchess of Cambridge arrives for a visit to Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff this morning Kate speaks with Morfudd Meredith, Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan as she arrives at the centre in Cardiff today Kate, pictured in Cardiff today, described early years development as life's most 'crucial' moment for 'future health' The Duchess of Cambridge is in Cardiff today during her nationwide tour, which provides high quality early years education Kate visits the centre in Cardiff today which houses open access play, breakfast, after-school activities and holiday clubs The label is stocked by luxury retailers including Harrods and boasts royal warrants from the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles. Kate was wearing a 110 Gold Plated Maya Torque Bangle. Five Big Questions on the Under Fives: Kate's poll Question 1: What do you believe is most important for children growing up in the UK today to be able to live a happy adult life? Good physical and mental health Good friendships and relationships Access to opportunities Access to a good education Question 2: Which of these statements is closest to your opinion? It is primarily the responsibility of parents to give children aged up to five the best chance of health and happiness It is primarily the responsibility of others in society It is the shared responsibility of parents and others in society Don't know Question 3: How much do you agree or disagree with this statement: The mental health and well-being of parents and carers has a great impact on the development of their child(ren)? Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Question 4: Which of the following is closest to your opinion of what influences how children develop from the start of pregnancy to age five? Mostly the traits a child is born with Mostly the experiences of a child in the early years Both nature and nurture equally Don't know Question 5: Which period of a child and young person's life do you think is the most important for fostering health and happiness in adulthood? Start of pregnancy to five years 5-11 years 11-16 years 16-18 years 18-24 years Don't know All equally important Extra question: Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about your views on the early years of childhood? Advertisement Meanwhile, at St James's Palace, her husband William called for help to end the 'abhorrent' illegal wildlife trade at a meeting of the United For Wildlife taskforces. The Duke of Cambridge said it had been an 'encouraging' year of seizures and investigations. But he warned: 'There are still too many criminals who know they can find a market and believe they can act with impunity.' The Duchess described the early years development of children as life's most 'crucial' moment for 'future health and happiness' as she launched the landmark national survey about the issue. Kate has made the subject one of the main pillars of her public work and has travelled around Britain to highlight her ambitious project to ask 'five big questions on the under fives' which will guide her future work. The online poll, conducted by Ipsos Mori on behalf of the Royal Foundation, is thought to be the biggest survey of its kind and aims to encourage a nationwide conversation on early childhood. Kate has established a steering group of experts, which first met in May 2018, to look at early years - and they have been considering how the duchess and her Royal Foundation can help improve the outcomes for youngsters. The duchess's survey will run for a month, from January 21 to February 21, and will ask those taking the poll five questions to gauge their views about early years. During the visit, Kate also met Giovanna Fletcher, behind the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, who has also written about being a mother to three children with husband Tom Fletcher, a member of the band McFly. Jasmine Norris, assistant nursery manager at St Paul's Nursery in the Balsall Heath area of Birmingham, brought eight of her children to the event and chatted to the duchess. She said: 'I think early years is vital, incredibly important. I think we help the children to move on into their future education, and their lives. We want them to be the best they can be - we want to prepare them for life.' David Holmes, chief executive of Family Action, which helps families in need and has Kate as its royal patron, joined the duchess at her launch event. He said: 'Every parent, carer and family wants the best for their child, and raising the profile of the vital early years in a child's life is work of national importance. 'The insight from this survey will give the early years sector valuable direction in designing and delivering services and support which reflect what matters most to people. Kate's brother-in-law Prince Harry joined Meghan and Archie in Canada on Monday night after arriving on a WestJet plane on Vancouver Island as they prepare to live a more private life. The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Ely and Careau Children's Centre in Cardiff today during her 24-hour tour of the country Kate is on a 24-hour tour of the UK which is seeing her visit Cardiff today (pictured) following a trip to Birmingham yesterday Adult education, play, breakfast and after-school clubs and holiday clubs are all housed in the centre in Cardiff Kate visits the centre in Cardiff today which also works with community partners such as the Salvation Army and Barnardo's The Duchess of Cambridge visits Ely and Careau Children's Centre in Cardiff today during her 24-hour UK tour The centre in Cardiff provides support services to children and their families and helps youngsters with special needs Kate, pictured in Cardiff today, has established a steering group of experts to look at the issue of early years development The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Ely and Careau Childrens Centre in Cardiff today during her 24-hour UK tour The centre in Cardiff being visited by Kate today has health visitors as well as speech and language therapists The Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Cardiff today as she carries out a 24-hour tour of the country to launch her new survey Kate, who is visiting the centre in Cardiff this morning, hopes her new initiative will trigger 'lasting change for generations' The Duchess of Cambridge stops off in Cardiff today for her second visit on a three-leg trip around Britain over 24 hours The Duchess of Sussex's aides revealed today that she visited The Mayhew centre in North West London two weeks ago The Sussex Royal Instagram account posted two pictures of Meghan on a visit to the centre in Kensal Green two weeks ago The post on @SussexRoyal today mentioned the 'incredible progress made throughout the festive period' at the centre The Duchess of Cambridge (left) on a visit to Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt, in May 2019 and Kate (pictured right) attending the Ring of Fire marathon at Breakwater country park in Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales, in August 2013 Meghan's aides revealed today that she visited The Mayhew centre in Kensal Green, North West London, two weeks ago to hear about the 'incredible progress made throughout the festive period'. Birthday gift from Wills? Kate Middleton flashes new 110 gold bracelet The Duchess of Cambridge wore a new gold bracelet yesterday from a company with three royal warrants. Kate Middleton, 38, flashed an elegant gold bangle on her right wrist as she visited the Birmingham science museum to launch a survey of early childhood. Kate flashed a gold bangle (left) in Birmingham yesterday The piece of jewellery was identified by royal fashion fan account Middleton Maven as the 110 Gold Plated Maya Torque Bangle by British brand Halcyon Days. The label is stocked by luxury retailers including Harrods and boasts royal warrants from the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles. The understated piece of jewellery was identified as the 110 Gold Plated Maya Torque Bangle, by British brand Halcyon Days As Kate celebrated her 38th birthday earlier this month, it is possible the bangle is a gift from her husband, Prince William, 37. The Duchess cut a stylish figure at the engagement yesterday, wearing a jazzy electric blue 295 blouse by British designer Tabitha Ward, which she paired with 130 high-waisted Jigsaw trousers. Advertisement The Sussex Royal Instagram account posted two photographs this morning of her during a visit to the centre, where she has been a patron for a year. The timing of the post was noted by several people commenting on the post, with Liyana Ali saying: 'Someone is so insecure that every time the Cambridges or Kate is out for an important engagement they've posted on the exact same day. Coincidence?' Another, @xmaurxx, said: 'So you had these pictures for almost a month but released them during the release of Kate's project? Interesting.' And a third, @p_hello123, posted: 'Hmm. The timing of this post, even though the visit has passed already, is very interesting.' Harry arrived in Canada hours after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson and world leaders at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in South East London, in one of his few remaining official royal engagements. The duke gave an emotional speech in London on Sunday night, saying he had 'no other option' but to give up his official royal duties and forge a new life in Canada. In the speech in London, Harry told invited guests: 'What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you. 'Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.' The Sussexes had wanted to remain as working royals, although not prominent members, and drop their public funding to become financially independent. However, critics have accused the couple of turning their backs on the monarchy to enjoy the freedom of being able to take on commercial ventures. Meanwhile in Switzerland today, Prince Charles will launch a project to help financial markets become more sustainable during a visit to the World Economic Forum. Charles will highlight his Sustainable Markets Council during a brief visit to the Swiss resort town of Davos. He will then travel on to Israel and Palestine for an official trip. The Duchess of Cambridge launches a major UK-wide survey on early childhood at Birmingham Science Museum yesterday Police caught a crossbow killer using tracking data from a stolen Land Rover after he shot a retired lecturer in the stomach with a high-powered bolt, a murder trial has hear. Gerald Corrigan, 74, was shot as he adjusted his satellite dish at his remote farmhouse Gof Du, near Holyhead, Anglesey, on Good Friday last year. Mr Corrigan never recovered from his horrific injuries and died three weeks later. Terence Whall, 39, has gone on trial at Mold Crown Court accused of his murder. Gerald Corrigan (left) died when a crossbow bolt hit him while he was adjusting his satellite dish. Terence Whall (right) has denied his murder Peter Rouch QC, for the prosecution, told the court that on the night Mr Corrigan was shot he'd watched TV in the living room after his 64-year-old partner Marie Bailey, whom he cared for, had gone to bed. According to Sky data, sometime between 12.08am and 12.28am the signal on the satellite dish was 'interrupted'. Mr Corrigan went outside to investigate and while he was bent over the dish he felt a 'terrible pain' to his body and believed he'd been electrocuted, leaving his arm 'bleeding and broken.' But the injuries were caused by a high-powered crossbow, said Mr Rouch, probably fired by someone who 'hiding behind a wall' in an adjacent field. The bolt from the crossbow had passed through Mr Corrigan's body lacerating his spleen and penetrating his large intestine and stomach, causing damage to his gastric artery, also penetrating his liver, colon and diaphragm and entering the pericardium - the heart sac - causing bruising to his heart. The bolt then passed through Mr Corrigan's forearm before hitting the wall of the house. Pictured: Martin Roberts , 34, who denies conspiring to pervert the course of justice, is led into Mold Crown Court today Mr Corrigan 'had no idea what happened to him' but managed to go back inside the house and raise the alarm. Paramedics were called to the house at 1am and one of them noticed that a gate to an adjoining field had been left open as when he went to close it he found a bloodied crossbow bolt on the grass, which he later handed to police. Mr Corrigan was taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor and underwent emergency surgery to remove his spleen and repair damage to his colon and stomach. Darren Jones (left) and Gavin Jones (right) are both charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice He was also given a massive blood transfusion and placed into an induced coma. Due to the extent of his injuries he was later transferred to the Royal Stoke Hospital for further surgery. By the end of April Mr Corrigan then developed sepsis and his kidneys were failing. His condition continued to deteriorate while he remained in a coma and he died - on 11 May, 2018, from multi-organ failure. Police later recovered further pieces of the crossbow bolt at Mr Corrigan's address and launched an investigation into his death. Mr Rouch said the case against Whall was like a 'jigsaw puzzle'. Police enquiries with a company called Outdoorhobbies Ltd, the UK's largest supplier of crossbows, revealed that Whall has purchased a Excalibur Micro 355 crossbow from them in April 2018. The crossbow had been delivered to Whall after Mr Corrigan had been shot, so it couldn't have been used in his killing. But when Whall was interviewed by detectives he told them he'd owned another crossbow, which he'd then sold to another man for 180, an explanation 'that could be looked at with a degree of scepticism', said Mr Rouch. He said that a Land Rover Discovery, owned by Whall's partner was found burnt out in a disused quarry in Bangor on 3 June. Whall told police the vehicle had been stolen but investigations into the car's movements, recored by its Telematic system and sent to Jaguar Landrover, found it had been driven to Mr Corrigan's house the day before he was shot. Mr Rouch said that the purpose of the trip was to 'scope out' and carry out a 'recce' of the house and the surroundings. The Land Rover was also driven to the house on the night of the shooting, he said, with CCTV cameras also picking up its movements. Telematics data revealed the boot had been open and closed during this time, which, Mr Rouch said, indicated the crossbow used in the killing being placed inside the car. Information from mobile phone masts also connected Whall's iPhone to the Porthdafarch Beach area, near to Mr Corrigan's home. Mr Rouch said: 'We say that Terrence Whall drove to the beach in the Land Rover Discovery, with his crossbow in the boot. 'Having taken it out, he walked the coastal path to Gof Du. Once at Gof Du he prepared himself to shoot and kill Gerald Corrigan. 'He interrupted the satellite signal, maybe by just interfering with the Sky dish, and, hiding behind the wall, waited for Gerald Corrigan to exit his house. When he did so, he callously shot him.' Mr Rouch said that the police had also discovered that Whall had purchased crossbow bolts on Amazon - two months after claiming to have sold his first crossbow - which were exactly the same type as the one that killed Mr Corrigan. Whall, of Garddefa, Bryngwran, Anglesey, and co-defendants Darren Jones, 41, his brother Gavin Jones, 36, and Martin Roberts , 34, also deny conspiring to pervert the course of justice. All four men are accused accused of conspiring to set fire to the Land Rover Discovery that was found burnt out following Mr Corrigan's murder while Roberts and Darren Jones are charged with arson. They deny these charges. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) -Canada Rare Earth Corp. (TSXV: LL) ("Canada Rare Earth" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that pursuant to the multi-faceted agreement (the "Agreement") announced on December 19, 2019 the Company and its partners have paid the first instalment of US$600,000 towards the US$11 million contract price for purchase of mineral sands in South America. The balance is payable in monthly instalments of US$100,000 starting September 2020. Canada Rare Earth and its partners own 20% and 80%, respectively, of CREC South American Holdings Corp. ("CREC SAH") which in turn owns 100% of CanBras Minerals Ltda. ("CanBras"). In December 2019 CanBras entered the Agreement which in part includes (i) purchasing existing mineral sands tailings situated on 590 hectares accumulated over 25 years of mining, (ii) leasing for 26 years a 9,960 hectare property which includes the 590 hectares and (iii) purchasing all future tailings derived from mining activities conducted on the 9,960 hectare property. The Agreement also authorizes CanBras to utilize existing permits and licenses necessary to process the tailings and provides CanBras with the right of first refusal to purchase the mineral rights underlying the 9,960 hectares. Chris Goodman, head of Canada Rare Earth's South American operations, stated, "CanBras has been working with a number of prospective operators at site during the past 6 months and we are now excited to finalize the selection process. Our clients are committed to purchasing all of our resultant enhanced concentrate." Tracy A. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of Canada Rare Earth, explained, "We are looking at these tailings as an integral component of the proprietary source of concentrate we are securing for our integrated rare earth and complementary products supply chain. Through concentrate enhancement and processing our business will add value to the products thereby enhancing value to our shareholders and stakeholders." On behalf of the Board Tracy A. Moore, CEO and Peter Shearing, COO ABOUT CANADA RARE EARTH CORP. Canada Rare Earth is developing an international supply network business based on our commodity-trading platform and existing, developing and planned processing facilities. We are generating revenues and gross profits as we develop our network based on the rare earth industry and with increasing attention directed to valuable by-products. Our business involves sourcing, adding value and selling rare earths and other mineral products in all stages and forms utilizing proprietary, affiliated and third-party sources and facilities. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. For more information on the Company, interested parties should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51713 COLUMBIA A former Columbia police officer said he was pushed out of a 22-year career after he blew the whistle on concerns that the department, run by one of the capital countys most powerful lawmen, tried to bury a domestic violence complaint lodged against a prominent pastor. The Richland County Sheriff's Department arrested Columbia pastor Michael Baker, who was also the sheriff offices chaplain, on a domestic violence charge in 2017. But former Columbia police officer Jason Roberts said in a lawsuit filed late last year that deputies stepped in only after he leaked his concerns about previous incidents involving Baker to the media. After the arrest spilled into public view, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott demanded Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook identify the whistleblower and make it right, Roberts alleges in the lawsuit, filed in Columbia. Baker also was a chaplain for Columbia police. Holbrook did take swift action against Roberts. Within a month of the leak, Roberts was suspended for five days. An internal investigation concluded the leak was conduct unbecoming of an officer and that Roberts used his position to interject him into a matter that was not for him to do so." Holbrook also reassigned Roberts from a specialized crime-prevention unit and placed him on street patrol, Roberts alleges in the lawsuit. Roberts "no longer felt like a valued or respected member" of his department and quit. His lawsuit alleges his First Amendment rights were violated and seeks damages for being out of a job. Now, Roberts has announced a run against Lott in this years race for Richland sheriff. Through department officials, Holbrook and Lott both declined comment, citing the pending litigation. In court papers, Richland County denied Roberts' allegations on behalf of Lott and the Sheriffs department. The city of Columbia has not filed a response. And in Columbia polices disciplinary action against Roberts, a supervisor wrote the officer's actions were violations of documented policies covering officer conduct, dissemination of information and abuse of position. Baker, still pastor at Columbias Greater St. Luke Baptist Church, denies being violent with his wife, with whom he is now divorced. Court records do not show any domestic violence actions against him. Baker said the charge against him was dropped. He did plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of injury to personal property after his wife told deputies he used a heavy-duty flashlight to bust her phone during the March 2017 incident. Baker suggested Roberts was falsifying the allegations to drum up support for his political run. Jason was trying to make a name for himself and colluded with my wife, Baker, 57, said. I guess at that time, unbeknownst to me, he had aspirations of being the sheriff. Roberts insists he was just trying to do the right thing. This wasnt something I had planned, said Roberts, who worked for Columbia police from 2012 to 2017 after spending more than 10 years as a Richland deputy. When this happened, I realized that the only way you can change the system is from the inside. Deputies showed up at the Baker home just before 10 p.m. on March 16, 2017, an incident report shows. Darlene Hunter told a deputy that Baker shoved her to the floor and she hit her head on the wall. After fleeing to a neighbors house, she also told a deputy the scuffle left her with a bleeding hand. Hunter said she did not want Baker to go to jail, Deputy Douglas Rooks wrote in his two-page incident report. But in an interview with The Post and Courier on Tuesday, Hunter said she was convinced that law enforcement wouldnt punish Baker because of his position with the Sheriffs Department. Hunter said that while officers were at the house, Baker phoned a top Richland deputy, identified in an incident report as Chief Deputy Wash James. Baker told a responding deputy that he had just gotten off the phone with Chief James, according to the incident report. Baker also flashed a deputy his Sheriffs Department credentials. Baker denied the allegation that he asked anyone to intervene. None of that is true, he said. Hunter called deputies to the house twice more over the next three days, incident reports show first after Baker changed the locks to their house. Then after she tried leaving and Baker sat in her car, refusing to move. Mr. Baker stated that he wanted a report showing that Ms. Baker was leaving the residence and that he didnt force her to leave, Rooks wrote in his March 20, 2017, report. I knew nothing was going to happen, Hunter told The Post and Courier on Tuesday. I just knew. Those concerns prompted Roberts to step in, he alleges in his lawsuit, after Hunter confided to his wife about marital problems. Roberts was associate pastor at Bakers church. Concerned the incidents would be buried, Roberts obtained the reports from a colleague at the Sheriffs Department and leaked the information to a Columbia TV reporter. My wife and I both agreed that because I felt this womans life or safety was in jeopardy, I made a decision to contact a neutral party that could investigate this matter, Roberts later wrote in a statement submitted as part of his disciplinary case. The next day, deputies arrested Baker on the third-degree domestic violence charge that Baker said was later dropped. When the charge was reported by local media, Columbia police and the Richland County Sheriff's Department said Baker would no longer serve as chaplain. Roberts faced an internal probe from Columbia police almost immediately. The monthlong investigation concluded Roberts interjected himself into the judicial process and disseminated information without having any part of an investigation. Roberts challenged the findings, but a grievance panel upheld the investigation, which was initially prompted by a three-page handwritten citizens complaint. The citizen was Baker, who submitted it the day after his arrest. The headquarters of China Central Television (CCTV), a propaganda mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing, China on Feb. 26, 2011. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Census Bureau Advertises Through Beijings Official Mouth Piece, Rejects Media Outlets Critical of Chinese Regime The U.S. Census Bureau will publicize the upcoming 2020 Census to the U.S. Chinese community mostly through media outlets under the influence of the Chinese regime, including CCTV, Beijings official mouth piece. It also has chosen not to use two independent Chinese-language outlets that have been critical of the Chinese regime, despite these outlets having a greater digital reach than those the bureau has chosen. CCTV (China Central Television) is state run, well known as Beijings official propaganda voice in television broadcasting. CCTV has a total of 50 channels, Channel 4 (CCTV4) was chosen by the Census Bureau as its media outreach partner. In the past few years, the Chinese regime has increased its effort to influence American society. CCTV 9, another channel of CCTV, was rebranded as China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Dec. 31, 2016. CGTN, which broadcasts in English, was ordered by the Department of Justice to register as a foreign agent in September 2018, under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires organizations identified as agents of a foreign government to register and file periodic updates with the department. Meanwhile, the Census Bureau declined the applications of the Chinese-language Epoch Times (also known as Dajiyuan) and Chinese-language NTDTV to participate in the 2020 Census media outreach efforts. Based in New York, The Epoch Times and NTDTV are two of the most outspoken independent Chinese-language media outlets and have long covered the Chinese regimes human rights abuses. According to a Feb. 3 report on U.S. media rankings by web traffic analysis company Alexa, the Chinese-language Epoch Times was ranked No. 897 and NTDTV was ranked No. 1,293, while CCTV was ranked No. 30,744. The Alexa rankings indicate the size of the audience delivered by a media outlet. While CCTV has a significant presence on U.S. cable networks, in the digital space, The Epoch Times and NTDTV deliver far larger audiences than CCTV.. Influencing Chinese-Language Media The Chinese regime has long sought to influence global media, particularly overseas Chinese-language media, and to suppress any reporting critical of the regime. A March 2019 report by Reporters Without Borders states that the Chinese regime has waged a war against global media under the guise of combatting hostile Western forces. Within China, state TV channels have broadcast at least 29 forced confessions involving journalists or bloggers since 2013. In November 2018, Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution published a report documenting the extent of Chinas influence operations inside the United States. The report states that SinoVision and the China Presstwo other outlets chosen to promote the 2020 Censusare subsidiaries of Chinese state-owned media outlets. According to the report, SinoVision and the China Press are both subsidiaries of Asian Culture and Media Group, which is controlled by The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. The China Press is the flagship pro-PRC newspaper published in the United States, and SinoVisions reporting hews closely to Chinas official media, states the report. Phoenix TV, Sing Tao, and several other Chinese-language media outlets selected as 2020 Census media partners also have close ties to the Chinese regime. Quasi-official Phoenix TV, a global TV network with links to the PRCs Ministry of State Security and headquartered in Hong Kong with branches around the world, including the United States, also has a substantial presence on all the major social media platforms in the United States, states the Hoover report. Sing Tao Newspaper Group was established in Hong Kong in 1938. In 2001, it was purchased by a pro-Beijing businessman. Meanwhile, The Epoch Times and NTDTV remain independent of PRC control. An exception among the bureaus chosen media partners is Hong Kongs Apple Daily, which has reported critically on Beijings handling of the recent protests in Hong Kong. All of the regime-influenced media partners chosen by the 2020 Census are ranked much lower than The Epoch Times and NTDTV in the Alexa report. The Epoch Times and NTDTV have provided numerous reports on Chinas human rights abuses since 2001. They provided some of the earliest reports on Chinas SARS outbreak in 2003 and broke the story of the Chinese regimes two-decade-long forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience. Both of them were media partners for the 2010 Census. No Response A major effort mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Census has a $6.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2020. According to the Census Integrated Communications Plan issued on June 2, 2017, the census effort is to engage people of all ages, socioeconomic statuses, backgrounds, and language preferences. The plan states that the Census Bureau will work to identify and engage a diverse group of stakeholders to solicit feedback and help raise awareness of the 2020 Census, ensuring open and effective lines of communication throughout the campaign development and execution phase. Following the guidelines from the bureau, The Epoch Times and NTDTV submitted their proposals for participation in the 2020 outreach effort in May 2019. Both media outlets received rejection notices on Jan. 2 from TDW+Co., a member of the 2020 Census media team that is responsible for recruiting media partners. After receiving the notices, both media outlets reached out to the Census Bureaus New York Regional Office about the selection process for media partners. On Jan. 9, TDW+Co. sent a second email to both The Epoch Times and NTDTV, stating that it didnt anticipate any changes will be made in the 2020 Census paid media campaign. The Epoch Times sent requests for comment to both the Census Bureau and TDW+Co., but had received no response by press time. Correction: On Feb. 3 this article was revised, and the headline changed, to reflect that CCTV Channel 4, not CGTN, was chosen as the Census Bureas media partner. The Epoch Times regrets the error. New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said its BS-VI compliant vehicles have reached cumulative sales of 5 lakh units ahead of the implementation of stricter emission norms from April 1. The company is now offering ten models with BS-VI compliant petrol engines, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) said in a statement. "This achievement reaffirms the growth potential of new engines and technologies in India," MSIL Managing Director & CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said. He further said,"Early introduction of the BS-VI compliant engine in our popular models represents our commitment to the government's vision for clean and green environment." MSIL introduced its first BS-VI compliant petrol car in April 2019, a full year in advance from the mandatory deadline. The company's range of BS-VI compliant petrol models includes Alto, Eeco, S-Presso, Celerio, WagonR, Swift, Baleno, Dzire, Ertiga and XL6. "These contribute nearly 75 per cent of the company's petrol volumes," MSIL said. Upgrading from the current BS-IV, from April 1, 2020 BS-VI will be mandatory and automakers will be able to sell only those vehicles complying with the stricter emission norms in India. South Africa's ruling party on Wednesday said its cash-strapped national airline would remain in state hands, after about a dozen flights were scrubbed this week. South African Airways (SAA) almost collapsed last year after thousands of workers staged a week-long strike over low pay. The debt-ridden airline received an emergency state-approved rescue plan in December and has been waiting for a two-billion-rand ($138-million) payout from the Treasury. Like most South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs), it has run a deficit for years and survives thanks to government bailouts. "SAA should be retained as a national airline, which will require substantial restructuring," the African National Congress (ANC) said in statement. On Tuesday, SAA said it would drop 10 domestic and one international flight to "conserve cash". The carrier also warned there might be further flight schedule changes in the coming days. SAA is Africa's second largest airline after Ethiopian Airlines. It employs more than 5,000 workers and operates a fleet of more than 50 aircraft. "SOEs need to be stabilized and restructured in order to be able to effectively contribute towards economic growth," the ANC said. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni nonetheless told journalists last week the government was still seeking a financial solution for the airline. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MANZINI - A warrant of arrest has been issued against gospel musician and producer Mzwakhe Myeni. The warrant of arrest was issued by Magistrate Dumisa Mazibuko yesterday and this was after the gospel artist failed to appear in court for a remand appearance. According to the warrant of apprehension, from information taken on oath, there were reasonable grounds of suspicion against Myeni of Madonsa that he had allegedly committed a crime of contempt of court. The warrant says this was because he was duly summoned to appear before the court of the magistrate at 11:30am yesterday on charges of assault common and crimen injuria, but failed to do so. Immediately Furthermore, in the warrant of arrest, the magistrate said; These are, therefore, in His Majestys name, to command you (police) that immediately upon sight hereof you arrest and bring the accused person or cause him to be arrested and brought before the court to be dealt with according to law. In his charges, it is alleged that Myeni assaulted a businessman, Nhlanhla Macingwane, and allegedly hurled insults at a popular SABC 1 soapie, Uzalo former actor, Simphiwe Melusi Nxumalo, who is famously known Bob 90. It is alleged that the incident allegedly took place on December 26, 2018 at Manzini Police Station. However, it is worth noting that in December 2018, the complainants in this matter were charged with assault common. Offence According to their charge sheet, the duo allegedly committed the offence on December 26, 2018 at Madonsa. The charge sheet said the accused person(s), each or both of them acting jointly in furtherance of a common purpose, allegedly wrongfully, unlawfully and intentionally assaulted Myeni. Furthermore, in the charge sheet, it was alleged that they assaulted the musician by man-handling, strangulating him and further pocked him in the eyes with a finger. Afterwards, the charge sheet said they also allegedly bumped him with a motor vehicle. Authorities will suspend on Thursday flights and trains out of the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, and say residents should not leave without a special reason, state media said. The move, effective at 10:00 am (0200 GMT), is meant to "resolutely contain the momentum of the epidemic spreading" and protect lives, the central city's special command centre against the virus said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DeWitt, N.Y. The Pier 1 store in DeWitt will not be among the locations the chain plans to close in the coming months. Staff at the store confirmed this week it would stay open. Its located at 5788 Bridge St. Pier 1 also has a store on Route 31 in Clay, across from Great Northern Mall, but its fate is not clear. Staff there wouldn't comment on whether the location is among those closing and referred questions to Pier 1's corporate communications staff. Calls to Pier 1's corporate offices were not returned. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were no store closing signs up at the Clay location and the store was open for business as usual. Pier 1, a home furnishings and decor chain, announced earlier this month that it would close up to 450 stores. The brand has over 900 locations nationwide. It was the first national chain to announce major store closings this year, according to The New York Times. The company announced the possible closings while reporting a quarterly sales decline of 13 percent and a loss of $59 million, the Times said. Pier 1 has struggled to attract shoppers and boost sales, despite recent efforts to overhaul marketing and merchandise, according to the Times. Elsewhere in Upstate New York, Pier 1 is closing stores in Greece and Henrietta, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. A store in Ithaca will also close, according to The Ithaca Voice. January is typically a busy month for retail store closings. Destiny USA has been hit with several as chains including Motherhood Maternity, True Religion, Bare Minerals and Papyrus have all moved to shut stores there. The Papyrus store closing is part of the chains decision to close all 254 of its North American stores. Locations near Rochester and Buffalo are shutting down as well. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Irish teenagers are part of a worrying global trend of young people ignoring 21st century careers in favour of traditional occupations. Huge changes to the world of work over the past two decades have made little impact on the career expectations of 15-year-olds, according to a report from the international think-tank, OECD. In fact, since 2000, there has been an increase in the number of teens who see their dream job within a small list of traditional careers, such as doctor, teacher and lawyer. OECD Education Director Andreas Schleicher says it shows that too many teenagers were ignoring or were unaware of new types of jobs that are emerging, particularly as a result of digitalisation. He said it was clear that, overwhelmingly, jobs with origins in the 20th century or earlier were more attractive to young people, and that accessible, well-paying jobs with a future did not seem to capture their imagination. Among 15-year-old girls in Ireland, a job as an information and communications technology professional (ICT) did not feature among top 10 careers. The Dream jobs: Teenagers career aspirations and the future of work report is based on data collected in the periodical OECD PISA surveys on educational attainment of 15-year-olds in more than countries. The findings were discussed by educationists, business leaders, teachers and school students at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In 2018, 53pc of girls and 47pc boys expected to work in one of just 10 popular jobs by the age of 30, up from 38pc and 49pc, respectively, since 2000. The 10 dream occupations most commonly cited by 15-year-old girls were doctor, teacher, business manager, lawyer, nurse, psychologist, designer, vet, police officer and architect. There was much overlap in interest between the genders, although the boys list was topped by engineer, which did not feature for the girls, and also included ICT professional, sportsperson and motor mechanic, but not psychologist, designer, vet or nurse. Ireland is one of the countries where the clustering of interest in a narrow range of careers is highest, with 60pc girls and 49pc of boys expecting to work in one of the 10 most commonly cited jobs. However, while Irish boys have broadened their career interests since 2000 - when the figure was 53pc career expectations among girls have become more concentrated, with an increase from 55pc in those expecting to work in one of the top 10 career areas. The report found a broader range of career aspirations in countries with strong, established vocational training, such as apprenticeships, for teenagers, and therefore greater exposure to a variety of occupations. In Germany and Switzerland, for instance, less than 40pc young people expressed an interest in only 10 jobs. The report says the narrowing of job choices is driven by young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds and by those who were weaker performers in the PISA tests in reading, mathematics and science. However, it also points to a frequent mismatch between career aspirations and the education and qualifications required to achieve them. According to the OECD, addressing this challenge requires ensuring effective systems of career guidance combined with a close engagement with the working world. The nation faces persistent challenges amid marginal progress when it comes to assuring that school systems and socioeconomic factors provide all children with bright prospects over the course of a lifetime, the latest analysis of federal data by the EdWeek Research Center shows. Based on 13 cradle-to-career indicators that make up Education Weeks annual Chance-for-Success Index, the nation receives a grade of C-plus on this years tally, with a score of 79.2 out of 100 possible points, up 0.2 points over last years result. Its the 13th straight year of C-level grades when all indicators are factored together. Massachusetts (91.3) leads the nation, with the only A-minus. Its followed by five states at B-plus: New Jersey (89.1), Connecticut (88.0), Vermont (87.7), Minnesota (87.5), and New Hampshire (87.1). New Mexico (67.2) is at the bottom of the rankings, with a D-plus. And consistency is the exception, not the rule: Most states earn higher scores on some measures and lower ratings on others. Roughly half the states finish with grades between C-minus and C-plus. Unpacking the Box The 13 indicators that make up the index capture opportunities for children to get off to a good start early in their lives, move smoothly through pre-K to postsecondary education, and ultimately achieve positive educational and workforce outcomes as adults. Results can be broken down to show education-related opportunities in three categories: early foundations, the school years, and adult outcomes. The early-foundations category includes family income, parental education levels, and other factors that influence whether children start school ready to learn. In the school years category, the index measures school participation and performance, incorporating indicators from preschool to the postsecondary level. Educational attainment, steady employment, and income make up the key benchmarks of adult success. Scores on the index reflect the research centers analysis of the most recent available federal data. These include 2018 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2019 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and the 2016-17 adjusted cohort graduation rates published by the U.S. Department of Education. The index uses a best-in-class scoring system in which states are measured against the top state on each metric. The nations leader on an indicator earns 100 points with all other states receiving points based on their distance from the top-scoring state. Each states point totals across all the indicators are averaged and converted into A-F letter grades on a 100-point scale. Here are five key takeaways from this years analysis: 1. Not an A in sight on overall scores. Every state has room to improve on the index. No state earns an A grade, overall. Although Massachusetts leads the nation with an A-minus, it still ranks 45th for steady employment and 42nd for linguistic integration, defined as the percent of dependent children whose parents are fluent English speakers, a factor in the early-foundations category. The top-scoring states post relatively strong results in all three categories of the index, but most are substantially weaker on at least one component than on the other two. For instance, New Jersey ranks second for the school years and fifth for adult outcomes but 17th in early foundations. Vermont, which finishes second in early foundations and fourth in the school years, falls to 13th for adult outcomes. There isnt a single state that ranks in the top five for all the categories. 2. Young children generally start off with fairly strong foundations. Opportunities decline as they progress through the educational pipeline. The nation earns its best grade in the early-foundations category where it posts a B (83.0). It gets a C-plus for both the school years (77.6) and adult outcomes (77.2). Sixteen states garner grades of A or A-minus for building blocks in early life. By contrast, just two statesMassachusetts and New Jerseyearn A or A-minus grades for pre-K through postsecondary education. The District of Columbiawhere government-related jobs often draw highly educated workers from across the nationposts the only A for opportunities in adulthood. 3. The District of Columbia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee have made the biggest opportunity gains since 2008. Delaware and Maryland have lost the most ground. Changes on the index over time can reflect both academic and socioeconomic trends. The District of Columbia made the largest strides when comparing 2020 results with 2008s, the year the indexs current scoring system made its debut. Its score increased by 9.3 points, boosting its letter grade from a C to a B. As a result, the Districts ranking climbed from 33rd to seventh, nationally. Those gains were propelled by improvements in family income, parent education, and 4th grade reading and 8th grade math NAEP scores. Mississippi gained 6.2 points, catapulting its grade from a D-plus in 2008 to a C in 2020. Like the District of Columbia, the state made progress on test scores and the early supports that can contribute to academic success. It made key advances in family income, parental education levels, parental employment, 4th grade reading, and 8th grade math. Tennessee and Louisiana both elevated their overall scores by more than 3 points over this time span. They similarly made gains in parental education and employment, along with 4th grade reading and 8th grade math. By contrast, Delawares overall score fell by 4.8 points, with declines in family and personal income, parental education, linguistic integration, kindergarten enrollment, and postsecondary participation. Maryland lost 3.7 points on the index, which can be attributed to falloffs in linguistic integration, preschool enrollment, 8th grade math, and personal income. 4. Geography, income, and opportunity are correlated. But some states buck regional and poverty-based patterns on specific performance indicators. Residents of Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states tend to have greater chances for academic and economic success than their peers in other regions, particularly the South and Southwest. To visit the four top states on the index (Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont), start in New Jersey and head north on I-95. A trip to the four lowest-rankings states (Louisiana, West Virginia, Nevada, and New Mexico) wouldnt require traveling any farther north than Nevada. Although geography and opportunity are closely linked, some states perform better than their neighbors on particular metrics. For instance, several Southern states crack the top tier for preschool enrollment. Louisiana is 8th, while Florida and Mississippi are 10th and 11th, respectively. Nearby states dont fare as well on that same indicator: Alabama (36th), Texas (39th), North Carolina (40th), Kentucky (42nd), and Tennessee (47th) fall toward the bottom of the rankings. The lowest-ranked states on the overall index tend to struggle with both poverty and student achievement. New Mexico, for example, finishes last for family income, 4th grade reading, 8th grade math, and high school graduation. A handful of lower-tier states, though, stand out by diverging from this pattern. Florida ranks 40th for early foundations but 20th in the school years. Its students face early challenges related to poverty (39th in family income) and language barriers (45th in linguistic integration) but rank fairly high (11th) in 4th grade reading. Similarly, Kentucky ranks 40th for family income but 26th for 4th grade reading. Tennessee, which is 46th for family income, reaches 27th for 4th grade reading. 5. The 24 points separating Massachusetts from New Mexico on the index illustrate substantial differences in economic and educational conditions between the top- and bottom-ranked states. The comprehensive data provide a nuanced picture of just how widely education-related opportunities can vary. Massachusetts finishes in the top 10 in eight of the 13 index indicators, while New Mexico is in the bottom 10 for 11 of the metrics. Similar disparities between other high- and low-performing states also indicate that where a person lives matters. New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Lawyer Aparna Bhat, who represented acid attack survivor Lakshmi during her legal battle, moved the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking contempt proceedings against filmmakers of "Chhapaak" for not complying with the court order related to giving her credit in international screenings of the film. In her plea, Bhat has sought to initiate proceedings against the filmmakers -- Fox Star studios, Meghna Gulzar and actor Deepika Padukone. Bhat told the court that the filmmakers have not complied with the court order dated January 11. Bhat said that she has not been given credits in the film screened internationally, however, she is getting credits in the film screened within the country. On January 11, the Delhi High Court had directed that credit be given to Bhat, who represented Lakshmi in her legal battle, for her contribution at the beginning of the movie. Earlier the Patiala House Court had passed a favourable order for Bhat. (ANI) WASHINGTON House Democrats want the Senate to haul Rick Perry back from Texas for President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, or at least force him to turn over documents hes so far refused to share. The former Texas governor, who served as Trumps secretary of energy until last month, has emerged as a key figure in the Ukraine scandal at the center of the impeachment effort. Perry was one of the so-called three amigos who Trump put in charge of dealing with Ukraine, witnesses including U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland, another of the amigos told the House. Now Perrys a target in Democrats efforts to get the Senate to subpoena fresh documents and call in witnesses for Trumps impeachment trial, which is underway. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox What about the third amigo? U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee that oversaw the impeachment inquiry, said on the Senate floor during the first full day of the trial. We know from amigo Sondlands testimony that he was certainly in the loop, knew all about this scheme. As much as Perry has tried to stay out of the scandal, denying all wrongdoing and saying the American people wont buy into impeachment, he has remained a central figure. It cant be the ending Perry envisioned for his long, strange trip with Trump, a former political opponent he trashed as unfit for office in 2015. Then Perry joined Trumps cabinet to lead an agency he had proposed to eliminate if he won the presidency the same agency that prompted his famous oops moment during a 2011 presidential debate when he could not recall the Energy Department as he ticked off his list of three unnecessary bureaucracies. But Perry served longer than many of his fellow cabinet members, avoiding the missteps and controversy that plagued others. He was eyeing a clear exit just months ago. Now hes found himself entangled in the Ukraine scandal, with a role in only the third impeachment trial in the nations history. Like other administration officials, Perry refused to comply with subpoenas during the impeachment inquiry, part of the reason Democrats impeached Trump for obstructing Congress. Republicans in the Senate so far arent playing ball. They shot down multiple attempts on Tuesday to amend the trial rules to call in witnesses and subpoena documents. Republican senators, including Texans Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, say Democrats should have gathered that evidence during the House inquiry. Dont be fooled by Democrats last-minute fishing attempt to bring in yet more witnesses into the Senate, Cruz said. Democrats had months of one-sided partisan hearings in the House, and they explicitly chose to withdraw their subpoena when a witness challenged it in court. The Senate will determine whether or not we need to hear more witnesses from both sides after we have heard opening arguments from both sides the very same approach that received unanimous bipartisan support from the Senate during the Clinton impeachment trial. Lev Parnas, the indicted former associate of Trumps personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, last week said in an MSNBC interview that Perry was sent to the Ukrainian presidents inauguration last year in place of Vice President Mike Pence to deliver the message that the new president needed to publicly announce an investigation into Joe Biden. For subscribers: Giuliani associate describes Rick Perrys Ukraine involvement Sondland, meanwhile, testified during the House inquiry that Perry and others in the administration knew about the quid pro quo at the heart of the Ukraine scandal. He told the House Intelligence Committee that the president directed them to work with Giuliani on the matter. And he testified that there were email threads about the scheme that included Perry. Those emails were never turned over, however, and Democrats now want the Senate to subpoena them. Democrats also played an old TV clip of Trump telling reporters I would love to have Mike Pompeo, Id love to have Mitch, Id love to have Rick Perry and many other people testify. The Senate has an opportunity to take the president up on his offer to make his senior aides available, including Mr. Mulvaney and secretaries Perry and Pompeo, Schiff said. But now the president is changing his tune. The bluster of wanting these witnesses to testify is over. Dont you think the American people have a right to know what the third amigo knew about this scheme? Schiff said. ben.wermund@chron.com Brunswick, Georgia, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data from the OCEARCH Tracker (www.ocearch.org) shows our tagged white sharks ranging from adult to juvenile ages are converging right now in a region off the U.S. Southeast Coast, which OCEARCH and collaborating scientists refer to as the Northwest Atlantic Shared Foraging Area (NASFA). OCEARCH is returning to the heart of this region, which extends from Cape Canaveral, Florida to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, for its 37th expedition to conduct our most advanced research yet of white sharks behavior, biology, health, and habitat usage. The expedition starts in Brunswick, Georgia on January 23 and concludes in Savannah, Georgia on February 14. Throughout the expedition, OCEARCH and collaborating scientists will collect biological samples to support 18 separate research projects led by 31 scientists from 22 institutions. This is going to be a very collaborative effort, says Expedition NASFA 2020 Chief Scientist Dr. Kim Ritchie who is an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort. Were going to have scientists with a diverse range of expertise on this ship together. Well be able to combine expertise so that we can start answering more complex questions than ever before about these important predators. Its really exciting. This research expedition is so important because we suspect nearly all white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic utilize this NASFA region during the winter and early spring months, says OCEARCH Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader Chris Fischer. Last years expedition to the NASFA region resulted in four tagged white sharks including Brunswick, who became the first shark on the OCEARCH Tracker to travel to northern New Brunswick, Canada. White sharks Lydia and Hilton were both tagged on earlier expeditions in the NASFA region and were instrumental in revealing Nova Scotia as an important white shark aggregation site during the fall. Additionally, new data analysis shows inflammatory markers in some white shark blood samples taken in the NASFA region that are not present in sharks tagged farther north. Researchers will look for additional clues about what could be causing these stress indicators. Each time we come to this part of the world, the scientific discoveries we make are remarkable. We wouldnt be able to make breakthroughs such as learning to look for white sharks in Canada if we didnt work here first or if we focused all of our work in just one small area, added Fischer. White sharks tagged on this expedition will be added to OCEARCHs brand new Shark Tracker App, which allows audiences to follow tagged sharks and other marine animals in near real-time. The new app is now available for free in both the Apple Store and Google Play for all mobile devices. Additionally, OCEARCH will keep audiences up to date on the latest expedition developments both on the new app and across all of its social media channels. Everyone is encouraged to follow along! from the OCEARCH Tracker (www.ocearch.org) shows our tagged white sharks ranging from adult to juvenile ages are converging right now in a region off the U.S. Southeast Coast, which OCEARCH and collaborating scientists refer to as the Northwest Atlantic Shared Foraging Area (NASFA). OCEARCH is returning to the heart of this region, which extends from Cape Canaveral, Florida to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, for its 37th expedition to conduct our most advanced research yet of white sharks behavior, biology, health, and habitat usage. The expedition starts in Brunswick, Georgia on January 23 and concludes in Savannah, Georgia on February 14. Throughout the expedition, OCEARCH and collaborating scientists will collect biological samples to support 18 separate research projects led by 31 scientists from 22 institutions. This is going to be a very collaborative effort, says Expedition NASFA 2020 Chief Scientist Dr. Kim Ritchie who is an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort. Were going to have scientists with a diverse range of expertise on this ship together. Well be able to combine expertise so that we can start answering more complex questions than ever before about these important predators. Its really exciting. This research expedition is so important because we suspect nearly all white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic utilize this NASFA region during the winter and early spring months, says OCEARCH Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader Chris Fischer. Last years expedition to the NASFA region resulted in four tagged white sharks including Brunswick, who became the first shark on the OCEARCH Tracker to travel to northern New Brunswick, Canada. White sharks Lydia and Hilton were both tagged on earlier expeditions in the NASFA region and were instrumental in revealing Nova Scotia as an important white shark aggregation site during the fall. Additionally, new data analysis shows inflammatory markers in some white shark blood samples taken in the NASFA region that are not present in sharks tagged farther north. Researchers will look for additional clues about what could be causing these stress indicators. Each time we come to this part of the world, the scientific discoveries we make are remarkable. We wouldnt be able to make breakthroughs such as learning to look for white sharks in Canada if we didnt work here first or if we focused all of our work in just one small area, added Fischer. White sharks tagged on this expedition will be added to OCEARCHs brand new Shark Tracker App, which allows audiences to follow tagged sharks and other marine animals in near real-time. The new app is now available for free in both the Apple Store and Google Play for all mobile devices. Additionally, OCEARCH will keep audiences up to date on the latest expedition developments both on the new app and across all of its social media channels. Everyone is encouraged to follow along! GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Unprovoked shark attacks around the world decreased last year, although they rose in the United States, according to researchers. There were 64 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks worldwide last year, compared to the most recent five-year-average of 82 unprovoked attacks, according to researchers with the International Shark Attack File. The research is administered by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the American Elasmobranch Society. The shark trackers said Tuesday in a news release that they dont give much significance to short-term trends since annual fluctuations in shark-human interactions are common. Unprovoked attacks occur when there is no human provocation. Provoked attacks are defined as when humans initiate contact, such as divers trying to touch a shark or fishermen removing a shark from a fishing net, according to the International Shark Attack File. The shark trackers said there were another 41 provoked attacks around the world that they were able to confirm. Five of the attacks were fatal last year, which is in line with the global average of four attacks a year, the shark trackers said. Two of the fatalities were from unprovoked attacks. The United States had almost two-thirds of the unprovoked attacks, or 41 cases, an increase from 32 incidents in 2018, according to the International Shark Attack File. Australia had 11 unprovoked shark attacks last year, lower than the most recent five-year-average of 16 cases. The Bahamas had two unprovoked attacks, and there was one case each in the Canary Islands, the Caribbean islands, Cuba, French Polynesia, Guam, Israel, Mexico, New Caledonia, South Africa and Reunion Island. Guam is a U.S. territory but it is counted separately by the shark trackers. He handed over copies of his credentials to Ukraine's deputy foreign minister. New Ambassador of Serbia to Ukraine Aca Jovanovic has arrived in Kyiv. "Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar has accepted copies of the credentials from Serbian Ambassador Aca Jovanovic," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter on January 21. "The Deputy Minister expressed the hope for stepping up Ukrainian-Serbian dialogue and for Serbia's more active position in support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," it said. Read alsoSerbian Foreign Ministry comments on Crimean occupation administration envoys' visit to Serbia As UNIAN reported earlier, a delegation from Russian-occupied Crimea met with deputies of the Serbian parliament during their visit to Belgrade on December 4-7. The envoys of the so-called "Crimean authorities" also took part in a conference titled "The Belgrade Dialogue: for Constructive Relations with Russia and the Recognition of the Crimean People's Will." Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deep concern about the recent visit of representatives of the occupying administration in Crimea to Belgrade and their participation in official events. A mazon boss Jeff Bezoss phone may have been hacked after he received a WhatsApp message from the crown prince of Saudi Arabia in 2018, it has been reported. The billionaire, who owns the Washington Post, received a video file from Mohammed Bin Salmans personal account that is believed to have contained malicious code, anonymous sources told the Guardian newspaper. Large amounts of data was exfiltrated from Bezoss phone within hours, the newspaper was told, but it was not clear what exactly was taken from the phone or how it was used. Digital forensic analysis is said to have suggested it was highly probable the hack was triggered by the file sent to Bezos, whose lawyers did not comment on the report but said he was cooperating with investigations. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly sent Jeff Bezos a video file containing malicious code / REUTERS Bezoss phone was being examined following the publication last year by the National Enquirer of intimate details about the billionaires private life, including an affair with Lauren Sanchez. The story sparked a probe to uncover how private messages were obtained by tabloid the National Enquirer, which was owned by American Media Inc (AMI). Gavin de Becker, Bezoss head of security, publicly claimed last March that he had discovered proof Saudi Arabia hacked the Amazon chiefs phone. But this was denied by Saudi Arabia. And both Saudi Arabia and AMI has said Saudi Arabia had nothing to do with the publication of the story about Bezos' affair. At the time of the alleged hack, Bezos and bin Salman had reportedly been exchanging messages after meeting at a dinner weeks earlier. Bezoss phone was targeted five months before the murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist for the billionaires newspaper the Washington Post who was killed in October 2018, the Guardian reported. When the Legislature failed to pass a bill mandating vaccine compliance in public schools and day care centers last week, trepidation spread among our states pediatricians like, well, a virus. Parents who refuse or deliberately delay their childrens vaccinations pose a growing challenge for pediatricians, some of whom even choose to dismiss such families from their practices. But the New Jersey chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is back to work, educating resistant parents, refuting misinformation, advising lawmakers, and speaking out against all non-medical exemptions for vaccinations. We spoke with the president of the NJAAP, Alan Weller, and the president-elect, Jeanne Craft, to get a better understanding of how New Jerseys 1,700 pediatric health professionals are dealing with a non-compliant population that has grown to 14,000 children. Q. How many unvaccinated kids do you see each year? Craft: Im a pediatric intensivist, working in an ICU. But even there, the number is high enough to be concerning. Its a question we typically ask about, because their care may change depending on whether theyve been immunized. Q. What does your typical encounter with vaccine-hesitant parents sound like? Do they cite adverse events or fears? Craft: Every parent cares deeply and wants to protect their child any way they can. I dont think its a bad thing for parents to question recommendations. The challenge is when they are convinced of information that is false. And some of that information is the belief that vaccine-preventable diseases are not that bad; that all vaccine-preventable diseases can be treated. There is a belief that there is an antibiotic for everything, which is certainly not the case. And there is a belief that some children are just lucky and not at risk. These conversations happen every day -- in pediatric offices, in hospitals, and at bedsides about the dangers of vaccine preventable diseases and the value and safety of vaccines. Q. How do you deal with the misinformation, such as I read that this vaccine causes autism? Craft: Well, there are some very misleading, untruthful, inflammatory resources on social media and the internet, and one thing we try to do is steer them toward resources that are recognized as truthful. The World Health Organization identifies one in our backyard: The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia has a vaccine education center that is full of reliable data for both medical professionals and parents. And it addresses a lot of concerns that families have. The Centers for Disease Control has great resources as well. Q. When you see that the number of vaccine exemptions in New Jersey has grown six-fold in the last decade, what are you thinking? Craft: Its worrisome. The bacterial viruses have evolved to spread, and any time that the vaccine safety net gets a hole poked into it, its an avenue for diseases to enter. If one looks at US measles cases five or 10 years ago, the vast majority were a person who went outside the country and contracted it there and brought it back. But the safety net was so strong, it did not spread. Now, the scariest thing this year was that the vaccine rate was low enough that we actually saw a lot of person-to-person spread within this country. In fact, it spread from a community in New York to a community in New Jersey. That ability to spread increases when the vaccination rates have dropped. Sometimes the difference between 97 percent and 94 percent compliance is enough. Weller: Even if our state is at 95 percent, youll have some counties close to 100, and some lower. So youre creating pockets, or areas with a rate that is below the herd immunity threshold, and it can cascade into an epidemic. Think about what that means: In 2018, 140,000 people died of measles worldwide, the vast majority under age 5. But as horrific as that number is, it understates the severity of the illness. It doesnt even include the number of people who suffered brain damage, blindness, or hearing loss from measles. So were playing with fire right now, and its extraordinarily vital to get herd community up because there are certain kids who just cannot be vaccinated. Q. During the recent debate in Trenton, was there a failure in messaging on the part of lawmakers or by those who favored compulsory compliance? Craft: Well, Im not a politician, so most of the messaging I deal with is with families, and sometimes groups. But I do know that its very difficult for a physician when youre speaking to someone who has a belief that they are passionate about that is not founded on good medical science and poses a risk to themselves or others. But we persist in providing the best information we have in the most compassionate way we can, to help children grow into healthy adults. Thats really our only goal. Weller: What needs more study is the role of social media in perpetuating anti-vaccination propaganda. There was a Kaiser Foundation study that looked at social media on the islands of Samoa. And they believed that Facebook was main source of information, a good chunk of it being negative, and they felt that was the reason why the vaccination rate fell from 58 to 31 percent. Social media has extraordinary power in this debate, and in their case it was tragic. Q. The American Journal of Health Behavior says that only 2.6 percent of parents are truly vaccine-hesitant, with only 13 percent considered fence-sitters. Whats the risk? Craft: If they dont acknowledge good medical science, one fear is that well need a painful reminder of how tragic these diseases can be. Its important that we act before we slide back. In Samoa, thats exactly what happened: 6,000 people were infected with measles, and 83 people died (on an island of 200,000), mostly children. Thats when they were able to institute an aggressive vaccine program, and thats too late. Weve been warned by our own measles outbreak that were heading into a risky area, and my hope is that we dont wait until theres a more tragic event. Weller: In terms of a policy, we should allow only medical exemptions for schools and children, because we must absolutely protect kids in schools. No one has a right to expose other children to vaccine-preventable diseases. Q. The Trenton protests also seemed to muffle fears concerning the bigger picture: Last year, the US had 1,282 measles cases in 10 states, with 90 percent of the infected unvaccinated. Do you foresee a crisis? Craft: Again, we have the opportunity to make a change to protect the children of New Jersey before it becomes tragic. Weller: This is not a personal belief issue or a religious issue. Its a public health issue. And we have to ensure that our kids are safe wherever they are and protect the kids who cannot be vaccinated. And remember, even the kids who are vaccinated are at risk if the community herd drops off too much. So it is a major concern of ours, these trends. At some point you come to a tipping point, and you dont want to get to the point where you are hurting children. Facts: Vaccines do not injure children. Unvaccinated children at risk for serious infections as in NY last yr when #antivax lobby landed 52 in hospital,16 in ICU from #measles. Hundreds more sustained damaged immune systems. Antiscience movements threaten child health in America https://t.co/h62ArdrsKn Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) January 14, 2020 Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Tubi, a free ad-supported video on demand service, will enter the Mexican market this year. It has aligned itself with TV Azteca, one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world. TV Azteca will handle Tubi's ad sales in Mexico. TV Aztecas shows, such as "MasterChef" and "Lo que La Gente Cuente," will also be available to Tubi customers in Mexico. Tubi will also be pre-loaded on Hisense TVs and its Vidaa platform as its exclusive connected TV partner in Mexico. The streamer will be featured on the Vidaa TV homepage. Farhad Massoudi, CEO of Tubi, stated our expansion into Latin America is just beginning." The streamer has just announced a UK launch this year. It's already available in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Guy Edri, executive vice president, business development for Hisenses Vidaa platform, cited Tubi's "vast library of amazing content" as a plus for customers. He also noted programs would be completely free, which is a unique proposition not only in Mexico, but also globally. advertisement advertisement The streamer claims over 20,000 titles, almost four-times the library of Netflix, Massoudi told CES earlier this month. It runs everything from horror to reality TV to Oscar winners. Tubi has partnered with over 250 media companies. Users streamed over 132 million hours of Tubi content in September 2019, per the company. The service is easily accessed on mobile and OTT devises, as well as www.tubi.tv. A big attraction for advertisers is Tubi's demographics it reaches much younger audiences, 30somethings, versus traditional TV. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Trilokpuri, the nondescript Delhi neighbourhood of East Delhi, could be a congested resettlement colony with basic needs and aspirations, like clean water, proper sewage and uncluttered roads. But as it readies to vote in the February 8 Delhi Assembly elections, its intermittent communal past weighs. Since 1984, the area has witnessed communal tensions on a regular basis. In 1984, the area witnessed large-scale riots with scores of Sikhs burnt to death. As many as 350 people were killed in one block during the anti-Sikh riots, allegedly instigated by then Congress leadership. In 2014, a minor fist-fight during a 'Maata ki chowki' on the kind of music to be played turned into a communal clash, thanks to a fake news getting viral on WhatsApp. It turned that year's Diwali into a silent and sombre affair. Two years after that -- in 2016 -- a squabble over gambling triggered communal tension with Hindu and Muslim groups hurling stones at each other. However, a quick police action salvaged the situation. In this elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has replaced the two-time sitting MLA Raju Dhingan with Rohit Kumar Mehraulia, a fresh face. However, the BJP has again fielded Vaidya, alleged to have played a key role in rumour mongering during 2014 riots. In 2015, Dhingan received 74,907 votes against 45,153 votes garnered by BJP's Kiran Vaidya. The Congress was no where in the fight with its candidate getting only 4,149 votes. The reserved seat has 1,99,356 voters and maintenance of communal peace must be paramount in their mind. A federal judge has granted The Hershey Company a victory by default against a Ukrainian chocolate maker Hershey accused of cybersquatting on its famed KISSES trademark. The target of the suit, AnyKiss, never replied to the trademark-infringement lawsuit Hershey filed in April 2018, so U.S. Middle District Senior Judge Yvette Kane gave the midstate-based firm the win in the dispute. KISSES has been Hershey's intellectual property since 1907, 13 years after Milton Hershey founded the firm. Hershey claimed AnyKiss began cybersquatting three years ago by using the domain name kisschocalaterie.com. Cybersquatting occurs when one business tries to capitalize on the good name of another by using a domain name is so close to that of the victim that customers are confused. That is prohibited under the federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act. Hershey contended that AnyKiss tried unsuccessfully to register its KISS Chocolaterie mark with the U.S. Patent Office in 2016, and that the filing was rejected "based on confusion with the KISSES marks." Kane awarded Hershey more than $141,000 in damages and legal fees. She ordered AnyKiss to stop imitating Hershey trademarks or products in any way and to remove infringing social media posts. The kisschocalaterie.com domain name must be transferred to Hershey as well, the judge ruled. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed poised to rule that states may not exclude religious schools from state programs that provide scholarships to students attending private schools. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., looking none the worse for wear after a late night presiding over the impeachment trial of President Trump, seemed to be searching for a limiting principle, one that would allow the scholarships but stop short of requiring state support for religious education in other contexts. I wonder, the chief justice said, if theres a difference between general funding of the public schools and the decision to provide aid to private schools, except not religious schools. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, a member of the courts liberal wing, asked questions along the same lines. Successful testing on Kymeta u7 antenna confirms immediate viability of seamless, integrated, multi-service offering across multiple networks and beams REDMOND, Wash. and LAKE GENEVA, Wis., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Isotropic, the trusted provider of global internet services offering unrivalled certainty, and Kymeta, the communications company that is completing the connectivity fabric for everything, everywhere, have partnered to conduct over-the-air testing on Kymeta's u7 antenna and next generation antennas. Testing took place last week in the Seattle area on Isotropic's E115 network. Previous testing took place on the AM2 and G28 satellites on the east coast. The Kymeta u7 antenna was paired with an iDirect X7 satellite router and iQ 200LTE modem, which are optimized for mobility. These successful tests demonstrate the ability of the antenna to operate across multiple satellite networks and beams, and they mark the first time Isotropic's commercial service offering has been delivered immediately following conception. The Kymeta u7 Ku-band satellite terminal addresses the need for lightweight, low-profile, and high-throughput communication systems on-the-move. The u7 terminal makes connecting to nearly any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform easier and more reliable than ever before. "The testing we completed with Kymeta has been a revelation to me," said Hank Zbierski, Chief Catalyst and Co-Founder, Isotropic. "I had been waiting for the promises of holographic beamforming and was skeptical about metamaterial technology. These tests have proven, beyond any doubt, that metamaterial science is not something that's in the future-it's deliverable now." As part of the antenna innovator's development and testing of its next generation antenna, Kymeta will be using bandwidth provided by Isotropic at the Lake Geneva Earth Station and Isotropic's world class network operations center. "We are very pleased to have partnered with Isotropic to conduct these tests. Isotropic's network is proven to enable robust service delivery on our u7 antenna," said Walter Berger, President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Kymeta. "This exercise has proven the seamless connectivity of our revolutionary flat panel antenna technology, and we look forward to our continued work with Isotropic to shape the course of satellite communications in the future." The Kymeta u7 terminal, with seamless connectivity, is available on Isotropic's network today. About Isotropic Networks Isotropic Networks, Inc. (Isotropic) is a global provider of satellite internet services and network management solutions. With the best uptime in the satellite industry, we deliver unrivalled certainty for leaders in high-risk, high-pressure industries including oil and gas, maritime, and enterprise solutions. Isotropic is built on high standards for troubleshooting and solving technically complex problems with the latest technologies. Our team of highly-trained hardware and software engineers delivers personalized services and solutions that support our clients when and where they need it most-now and into the future. Isotropic is connecting the planet and continually raising the bar for what satellite connectivity can be. www.isotropic.network About Kymeta Kymeta is unlocking the potential of satellite connectivity, combined with cellular networks, to satisfy the overwhelming demand for global ubiquitous mobile connectivity. The company's flat-panel satellite antenna, the first of its kind, the Kymeta connected platform, and Kymeta connectivity services provide revolutionary mobile connectivity on satellite and hybrid satellite-cellular networks to customers around the world. Backed by U.S. and international patents and licenses, the Kymeta terminal addresses the need for lightweight, slim, and high-throughput communication systems that do not require mechanical components to steer toward a satellite. Kymeta makes connecting easy - for any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform. Kymeta is a privately held company based in Redmond, Washington. www.kymetacorp.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080573/KymetaU7.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/952870/Isotropic_Networks_Logo.jpg Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be the only one to accompany Putin during his trip to Jerusalem Russian President Vladimir Putin will not have bilateral meetings with heads of other countries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite the fact that similar proposals came from Zelensky and others, Putin denied plans for such meetings, as Strana.ua reports. "Putin does not plan any bilateral meetings in Jerusalem with leaders of other states (and there will be more than 40 there). The program of the visit is so eventful that there is no time for this. Requests for communication were received, including from Zelensky. "Due to the busy schedule, long-term contacts are hardly possible", reads the story. At the same time, Russian presidential advisor Yuriy Ushakov specified that no one refused Zelenskys request. It also became known that Putins trip to Israel will be accompanied only by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as representatives of other ministries, but not on the level of heads of departments. As we reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky turned to fellow citizens on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the National Unity Day, first marked in 1918. COLUMBIA The S.C. House has unanimously approved a resolution calling for state-owned utility Santee Cooper to completely transition to clean energy by 2050. Whatever happens to Santee Cooper this spring, we can all agree this utility should be leading the way on clean energy, not lagging behind. Clean energy creates thousands of new jobs and lowers power bills across this state, Rep. Russell Ott said. The St. Matthews Democrat is co-chair of the S.C. Energy Caucus. The resolution also calls for a fair and equitable transition to a clean energy future for energy workers and presses for more transparency and accountability in all energy decisions, according to a release from caucus Co-Chair Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Chapin. House members pointed to a 2019 study that shows Santee Cooper can transition to 85 percent clean energy by 2030 and save ratepayers $360 million over business-as-usual practices. They also noted that a solar business predicted creating over 10,000 jobs from solar development in the state and has invested in a workforce development program at Greenville Tech to fill these roles. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said, South Carolinians deserve nothing less than to live in pollution-free communities fueled by a 100 percent clean energy economy. We must reduce air and water pollution from the dirty fossil fuel plants, create jobs across our state and improve public health and quality of life. This is the direction Santee Cooper should head in. Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, said, Advancing the economy and protecting the environment are keys to South Carolinas continued success. A 100 percent clean energy Santee Cooper will supercharge creation of clean energy jobs and protect our environment by eliminating dirty and dangerous emissions. I call on more of my Senate colleagues to join me in committing to advance this goal. The future of Santee Cooper will be discussed in the 2020 legislative session. State officials will release a report detailing private bids to buy or manage Santee Cooper sometime between mid-January and mid-March, according to the Associated Press. Santee Cooper officials spent much of last year working on a plan to show they can improve without being sold. The S.C. Energy Caucus was founded by members of the S.C. General Assembly after the shutdown of the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant in August 2017. It is a bicameral caucus made up of Republicans and Democrats who support clean energy alternatives. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The US has threatened to hike taxes on car companies if Boris Johnson presses ahead with plans for a levy on tech giants such as Google and Facebook. In an escalation of tensions, Steven Mnuchin, Donald Trumps treasury secretary, said the US considered the UKs proposed digital services tax to be discriminatory and warned that Washington could impose retaliatory taxes on the automobile industry. But chancellor Sajid Javid said the 2 per cent levy would be introduced in April as a temporary measure until an international agreement is in place on how to deal with online giants. Speaking alongside Mr Javid at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Mnuchin said Donald Trump would lobby the prime minister over the proposed tax and claimed the pair had an excellent relationship. The US and France have sealed a truce over Emmanuel Macrons plans to introduce a similar measure after Washington responded with a threat to slap punitive tariffs on French cheese and wine. Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes Show all 8 1 /8 Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes Conservative party leader Boris Johnson drives a JCB through a fake wall POOL/AFP via Getty Images Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes PA Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes AFP via Getty Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes PA Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes REUTERS Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes PA Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes AFP via Getty Bizarre: Boris Johnson drives 'Brexit' digger through boxes AFP via Getty Mr Mnuchin told the audience: We have been pretty clear that we think the digital tax is discriminatory in nature, theres an OECD process that we are participating in. International tax issues are very complicated, they take long times to look at and if people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we will consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies. The UK has been urged to hold back on the tax by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which called for time to allow the international approach to succeed. Several governments are considering levies to ensure the worlds largest digital firms pay tax where they are used, rather than just where there headquarters are based. Google has come under fire previously for shifting profits to Bermuda to reduce its foreign tax bill. Mr Javid told an audience at the Swiss ski resort: We plan to go ahead with out digital services tax in April. It is important as we said at the time when we first introduced it to parliament and legislated for it it is a proportionate tax. Recommended Boris Johnson orders Trump trade talks to begin the day after Brexit It is a tax that is deliberately designed as a temporary tax so it will fall away once there is an international solution. The row comes as the UK was poised to begin post-Brexit trade talks with the US and the EU at the same time once it officially leaves the bloc on 31 January. Mr Javid insisted that an EU trade deal could absolutely can be done by the end of 2020 on goods and services, despite alarm from Brussels that the 11-month timetable is too tight to hammer out such a complex agreement. At Davos, Mr Mnuchin joked to Mr Javid that he was disappointed the UK will negotiate parallel trade deals with the US and EU. I thought wed go first, he said. Brexiteers have long touted the prospect of a lucrative US trade deal as one of the major benefits of leaving the EU You are here: Business China's MA700 regional turboprop aircraft will highlight its performance in the short- and medium-haul market, with an aim to serve the country's booming air traffic demand, according to its developer Tuesday. The MA700 aircraft will provide optimized solutions for airline operators in markets with various and complicated operating environments, said the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The MA700 project has entered the final assembly phase. Assembly work for both the maiden flight and static tests are underway. The first MA700 aircraft is scheduled to roll off the production line in mid-2020, and the maiden flight is expected to take place within the year. The 70-seat new turboprop aircraft model adopts an efficient aerodynamic design. It will be installed with the PW150C turboprop engine, integrated avionics system and fly-by-wire flight control system. The efficient aerodynamic design and new propulsion system enable the MA700 to strike a balance between speed and efficiency, according to the AVIC. The MA700 is the third member of China's domestically developed "Modern Ark" regional turboprop airplane family, which is developed by AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The "Modern Ark" family now has two members, the MA60 and MA600. To date, a total of 109 MA60 and MA600 airplanes have been delivered to customers. As an upgraded version, the MA700 is designed to reach a maximum speed of 637 km per hour, a single-engine ceiling of 5,400 meters, and a take-off field length of 1,400 meters. These design features make the MA700 more flexible and adaptable to complicated operating environments such the high temperatures, plateaus, airports with short runways and mountainous regions. In November 2018, AVIC XAC and China Express Airlines signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly tap the market and carry out the demonstration operation of the MA700. To date, the MA700 has received 285 intended orders from 11 customers at home and abroad, according to AVIC XAC. The Modern Ark regional turboprop airplane series are part of China's commitment to boost its capacity in developing civil airplanes through major projects of the "two trunk and two regional" aircraft. China is now the world's second-largest civil aviation market with sustained air traffic demand and an expanding market size. The International Air Transport Association forecast that China is expected to become the world's largest market by the mid-2020s. Three people were injured in a shooting at a Las Vegas mall on Tuesday night. KSNV reports the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is investigating after gunshots were reported at the Fashion Show Mall on the Vegas Strip around 6:15 p.m. Three individuals suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Lt. Dori Koren told KSNV that the shooting began following an altercation and that the suspect(s) fled following the incident. Details of what led up to to the shooting are still under investigation; some social media reports suggested an argument between two groups of people escalated. The victims and potential suspects have not been named. No arrests have been made as of Wednesday morning KVVU reports employees in the mall were notified of the shooting by text and ordered to stay in place. Luis Cazares, who was working at a store in the mall at the time of the shooting, said he and his coworkers grabbed customers after hearing the first shot and pulled them into the back room. After that, I heard another one go off and then everybody just starts running and screaming," Cazares told KVVU. WWE superstar Asuka said she was in the mall during the incident, but was uninjured. I just escaped! There was a scream in front of me at #FashionShowMall. It was like shooting. #GUESS near the shooting range protected me, Asuka wrote on Twitter. The mall was evacuated shortly after the shooting. The entrances to the mall on Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road were closed off for approximately two hours. The shooting is believed to be an isolated incident with no further threat, Koren said. The investigation is ongoing. I just escaped! There was a scream in front of me at #FashionShowMall. It was like shooting. #GUESS near the shooting range protected me. ASUKA / (@WWEAsuka) January 22, 2020 BREAKING NEWS: Shooting at Fashion Show Mall has shutdown all traffic on and around Las Vegas Blvd. Avoid the Area. @News3LV pic.twitter.com/KDdF0Qzq3W Gabby Hart (@GabbyNews3LV) January 22, 2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 15:55:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The prosecution office of the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais said Tuesday it has filed charges against mining giant Vale and consulting company TUV SUD for intentional murder over the collapse of a tailings dam in 2019. The collapse of the tailings dam occurred in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, on Jan. 25, 2019, leaving 270 people dead and more than 10 missing. The prosecution office also filed charges against 16 individuals, including former Chief Executive officer of Vale Fabio Schvartsman. Prosecutors said both Vale and TUV SUD were aware that an unacceptable degree of risk existed in the dam before it collapsed. But the two companies did not inform the authorities. Instead, TUV SUD, which was supposed to make an independent audit of Vale's activities, colluded with Vale to make fake reports, authorities said. Besides a murder accusation, Vale and the TUV SUD were accused of environmental crimes. In early 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Switzerland and delivered two speeches at the opening session of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting and the United Nations Office at Geneva. The two historic speeches, titled Jointly Shoulder Responsibility of Our Times, Promote Global Growth, and Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, triggered sustained and wide response from the international society, and have been frequently cited by heads of international organizations and ambassadors to the United Nations. Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the WEF said on multiple occasions that President Xis speeches have demonstrated Chinese wisdom and responsibility, and represented a major highlight that is unforgettable in WEF history. In the past three years, as economic globalization and polarization are forging ahead against headwinds, and a new round of technological and industrial revolution is gaining momentum, global countries are increasingly becoming a community with a shared future in which they see intertwined interests. Meanwhile, the fierce gambling between major countries, the rising instability and uncertainties of the international situation, as well as the severe impacts on global governance made by unilateralism and protectionism are posing serious threats for global countries. As a result, the world needs to rethink about how countries and civilizations should get along with each other. At the critical moment of history, Xis speeches made three years ago are shining with charm and carry practical significance. Faced with complicated international situation in the past three years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at the core, Chinese diplomacy has promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind with concrete actions, and injected positive energy to stabilizing the general situation of the world, remaining true to its original aspiration of seeking revitalization for the nation and peace for the world. China follows the path of peaceful development, an independent foreign policy of peace and a win-win strategy of opening-up. By promoting the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, it is sharing development opportunities with the world. It upholds the international system with the UN at its core and the international order anchored upon international law. It actively participates in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and is a major force protecting multilateralism. China will continue upholding the important vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and keep acting as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and an upholder of the international order. Geneva is where Chinese multilateral diplomacy started, and also one of the most active centers for multilateral diplomacy. In the past three years, faced with new situation, new missions and new tasks, we have firmly safeguarded national sovereignty, security and development interests, actively joined the making of international rules on human rights, strategic security and arms control, public health, intellectual property, trade development, telecommunication and labor protection, and enhanced friendly cooperation with international organizations and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations. By making Chinese voices, raising Chinese schemes and contributing Chinese wisdom, we demonstrated Chinas importance, and have promoted the joint efforts for enhancing multilateral cooperation and improving global governance. Building a community with a shared future is an exciting goal, and it requires efforts from generation after generation. China is ready to work with all the other UN member states as well as international organizations and agencies to advance the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind. As the WEF Annual Meeting 2020 has kicked off, Xis remarks made three years ago are still resounding today. Taking this strong spiritual power, we will carry the noble character of not claiming credit but always making sure to contribute a share to the success of the cause, and seize the day and live it to the full, so as to make constant success of multilateral diplomacy in Geneva. (Chen Xu is the Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland.) The Supreme Court January 22 said it will refer the Article 370 issue to a larger 7-judge Constitution bench only if satisfied that there is a direct conflict in two earlier verdicts of the apex court which dealt with the matter. Unless the petitioners are able to show a direct conflict between the two judgements -- Prem Nath Kaul versus Jammu and Kashmir in 1959 and Sampat Prakash versus Jammu and Kashmir in 1970 -- which dealt with the issue of Article 370, it is not going to refer the matter to a larger bench, the top court said. Both the verdicts were given by 5-judge benches. Hearing the point of reference on Wednesday, a 5-judge Constitution bench, headed by Justices N V Ramana, was told by Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association that the Centre's August 5 move last year to abrogate Article 370 was illegal and needed to be read down. The bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant, said: "You have to show us that their was direct conflict in two verdicts of apex court. Only then we will refer it to larger bench. You have to show us that their was direct conflict." Senior Advocate Zafar Ahmed Shah, appearing for the lawyers body said the Constitution of India and that of Jammu and Kashmir are parallel to each other and Article 370 was continuing. He said that Sampat Prakash judgment of the apex court had specifically stated that in light of the continuance of the circumstances, Article 370 has to stay. Shah said both the constitutions have been working hand in hand and sub clause (2) of Article 370 was there so that there is no conflict between them. He said that in Jammu and Kashmir there was only Instrument of Accession and no standstill agreement or merger arguments. "If any law had to be made in Jammu and Kashmir, it could only be done in consultation or concurrence with the state. Article 370 provided for concurrence and consultation. Doing away with Article 370, you have snapped ties with the state," Shah said. He sought reference of the issue to a larger bench of seven judges. Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for the NGO, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), also sought reference to a larger constitution bench of seven-judges. The bench asked both Shah and Parikh to furnish by Thursday their submissions with regard to reference of the issue in view of the direct conflict between two verdicts of apex court. The hearing remained inconclusive and would continue on Thursday. The top court was on Tuesday told by senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi that Article 370 of the Constitution was the only "tunnel of light" which maintained the relationship between the Centre and the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Petitioners challenging the Centre's decision taken on August 5 last year to abrogate provisions of Article 370 contended that the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be repealed in exercise of powers under the Article, which gave special status to erstwhile state. Dwivedi, appearing for an intervenor, Prem Shankar Jha, had said that the issue needs to be referred to a larger bench as there is a dispute between two judgements of a five-judge bench which dealt with provisions of Article 370. The top court had said that before going into the matter it would first hear the submissions on reference. Dealing with the Presidential orders of August 5, last year, Dwivedi had said due to these orders issued under Article 370 (1) and (3), all provisions of the Indian Constitution have been applied to Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was not created under the Constitution of India or Article 370 and therefore J&K constitution cannot be repealed in exercise of powers under Article 370. Earlier, senior advocate Raju Ramachandaran, appearing for bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal, Shehla Rashid and other petitioners, had argued that in the scheme of Article 370 while the democratic power is with the State, the executive power is with the Union government. The top court had earlier raised a query as to who could be the competent authority to reconstitute the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly to take a call on altering the special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 of the Constitution. The petitioners have referred to the provision and said that only the Constituent Assembly, which represents the will of the people, is empowered to make recommendation to the President on any changes in the special status of J&K. A number of petitions have been filed in the matter including those of private individuals, lawyers, activists and political parties and they have also challenged the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits J&K into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Showing a grim picture of ground realities in terms of air quality in the region, Noida city turned out to be the third most polluted city of the country, with Ghaziabad following closely at the fourth position and Delhi at the tenth position out of a total 287 cities monitored, according to the Airpocalypse report by Greenpeace. Jharkhands Jharia and Dhanbad two coal producing hubs have turned out to be the top-most polluted cities, while six out of ten and 12 out of the 20 most polluted cities of the country are from Uttar Pradesh. Mizorams Lunglei turned out to be the city with the healthiest air across 287 cities which were mapped. According to the report, which takes 2018 as the base year and takes particle pollutant 10 (PM10) as the source of pollution, the concentration in Noida has been increasing since 2015. The PM10, which leads to cardiovascular ailments, is mostly caused by emissions from industrial and construction, as well as stubble or garbage burning. According to the report, Noidas average PM10 emissions in 2018 were 264 microgrammes per cubic metres (Ug/m3) (245 Ug/m3 in Ghaziabad and 225 Ug/m3 in Delhi), against 216 Ug/m3 in 2017 and 176 Ug/m3 in 2016. Jharias net PM10 emissions for 2018 were 322 Ug/m3 while for Dhanbad they were 264 Ug/m3, same as Noida. Other cities of Uttar Pradesh in the top ten are Bareilly, Allahabad, Moradabad and Firozabad. Expert stated that unabated emissions, especially from permanent sources such as power plants across NCR, are one of the base causes of increasing pollution levels, especially in Noida and Ghaziabad. Avinash Chanchal, one of the authors of the report and Greenpeace Indias senior campaigner, pointed out that the reason behind these levels is the slow process of upgrading emission norms by power plants across NCR, stating that they have a direct effect on Noida and Ghaziabad. The situation in Noida asserts that authorities have to shift their focus towards air pollution and need to ensure that apart from permanent sources like industrial, stubble or waste burning emissions, sources such as construction dust, etc., have to be checked regularly. The environment ministry is 2015 gave a two-year deadline to 11 power plants having 33 power producing units to upgrade their emission standards and install a fuel gas desulfurization (FGD) devices to cut emissions, however only two units in Jhajjhar have complied, said Chanchal. Activists and residents of Ghaziabad and Noida blame lack of detailed studies and representation in agencies like the Environment and Pollution Control Authority (EPCA). There is no permanent representative from Gautam Budh Nagar or Ghaziabad in implementation agencies like EPCA. The officials from Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board do attend the meetings but that is not enough to bring attention here. Also, there is a dearth of studies, especially how wind patterns are changing in the region bringing excessive pollutants here. How can we tackle an issue if we are not even aware of the root causes, said Akash Vashishtha, Ghaziabad-based environment activist and advocate. Residents also said that by emerging as one of the most polluted cities, Noida is failing its purpose of providing a quality life to its people. Despite so many years of existence, the air quality of Noida is among the worst in the country and it seems that all the tall promises made by the officials are hollow. It is the result of utter negligence and reports like these expose it. We hear of massive plantation drives, but no one knows how much of it survives, said Rajiva Singh, president, Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association. When Terry Jones went to work, he wore the robes of a Spanish inquisitor, the jacket of a French waiter and the business attire of a man selling crunchy frogs. And long after he and the other members of Monty Python set off on separate paths, he took on new roles as a director and historian, among others. After his death on Tuesday, many prominent admirers recalled how he had touched their lives. Farewell, Terry Jones. The great foot has come down to stamp on you, wrote the actor Stephen Fry on Twitter, alluding to the cartoon foot that crashed through many Monty Python sketches. My god what pleasure you gave, what untrammelled joy and delight. The director Edgar Wright began to list some of Mr. Joness most famous characters, like one of the Hells Grannies and Nigel Incubator-Jones. President Donald Trumps impeachment trial begins in the U.S. Senate this week, kicking off what could be a weeks-long process to determine whether Trump will be the first president to ever be removed from office. Trump became the third president impeached by the U.S. House at the end of 2019, making it the Senates responsibility to determine Trumps fate. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate, where Republicans have the majority, to convict Trump and remove him from the White House. Read the articles of impeachment here. Read the White Houses counter-argument here. Heres what you need to know. Whats happened so far? The House, where Democrats have the majority, opened an inquiry last fall to determine whether the president committed offenses that would warrant his impeachment. The House voted last December, largely along party lines, to charge Trump with two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstructing Congress. The charges accuse Trump of suspending foreign aid to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation of Trumps political rival, then obstructing Congress effort to determine what happened. Trump categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation in his response submitted to the Senate. Its been more than a month since Trump read the results of the vote on stage at a campaign rally in Battle Creek. Last week, Pelosi sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate and unveiled a committee of representatives called impeachment managers" who will act as prosecutors during the trial. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in the next day to preside over the trial. He swore in senators, who signed an oath to give impartial justice" as the trial plays out. The Senate established the ground rules for Trumps trial early Wednesday morning after a long day of heated debate, the Associated Press reported. The GOP majority rebuffed efforts to subpoena documents and Trump administration officials who did not testify during the House proceeding. Democrats argued they were seeking information that is critical to the trial. What happens next? Yeah, thats a great question. We dont have a crystal ball, but here are a few things that are known. Senators will meet six days a week, Monday through Saturday, throughout the trial. Each side will have 24 hours to make their arguments. House impeachment managers are expected to begin their opening arguments after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Watch a live stream on C-Span here. Impeachment managers on the prosecution team will give an uninterrupted speech making the case for why Trump should be convicted. Lawyers representing the president will deliver their defense next, which could take place days from now. It appears unlikely that the Republican-majority Senate will vote to convict Trump, considering GOP senators have largely stayed in his corner. What is impeachment? Impeachment is a mechanism provided by the Constitution to remove officials found to have engaged in treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Impeachable conduct is not limited to criminal behavior. According to the Congressional Research Service, Congress has identified three types of conduct that can constitute grounds for impeachment: exceeding or abusing the powers of the office, behavior incompatible with the purpose of the office and misusing the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain. Only three presidents have been formally impeached by Congress, and its never resulted in a president being removed from office. Trump is the first president to seek re-election after being impeached. A conviction on any one of the articles of impeachment requires the support of a two-thirds majority of the Senators present. There is no appeal, and in some cases, the Senate has also disqualified officials from holding political positions in the future. China targets distant-water criminals with new fisheries law by Zhang Chun January 22,2020 | Source: China Dialogue As Chinas distant-water fishing fleet has grown considerably over the past 20 years, so too has the challenge of overseeing its operations. While the majority of distant-water vessels do not break the law, the remoteness of their operations nonetheless enables IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing to persist, robbing coastal nations of resources and hampering efforts to make the fishing industry sustainable. The introduction of new tools like blacklisting in 2020 will likely be key to managing Chinese distant-water fishing. Two years ago, the Ministry of Agriculture added several fishing company officials and boat captains to its blacklist. Resulting sanctions for the firms included the removal of subsidies and bans on distant-water operations. Some captains were banned entirely from the fishing industry. One such was the skipper of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999, apprehended in the Galapagos marine reserve carrying thousands of illegally caught sharks. A revision of the Fisheries Law the top document regulating Chinas fishing industry will now include the blacklist system. Experts believe the law will come into force later this year. The law, which governs fishing in Chinese waters and by Chinese vessels further afield, is enforced by the Ministry of Agricultures Fisheries Bureau. It started life in 1986, and has been revised four times, between 2000 and 2013. Official notes on the upcoming revision make clear the law has not kept up with rapid changes to the industry. For example, tougher action is needed on new practices like electrofishing. chinadialogue Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. A California man is being charged with attempting to defraud his insurer of $43,000 while his $1 million property claim from one of the massive wildfires that struck the state in 2018 appears to be legitimate. Stephen Cortopassi, 64, of Redding, Calif., self-surrendered on Jan. 17 after being charged with nine felony counts of insurance fraud for allegedly attempting to obtain an unearned insurance payout of over $43,000 following the Carr Fire despite the validity of his $1 million for his properly insured property. On July 27, 2018, while Cortopassi was evacuated, he was notified his residence and vehicles in Redding were all destroyed in the Carr Fire. The Carr fire was among three massive and costly wildfires in California in 2018, including the Camp Fire, and the Woosely Fire. The Carr Fire destroyed 1,263 single family homes. In addition to his home, Cortopassi had four vehicles and a detached garage on the property during the fire. His four vehicles were estimated to have a total value of $43,060. The following day, on July 28, while the fire was still burning, Cortopassi reportedly spoke with his insurance broker and purchased a new policy on one of the vehicles even though that vehicle had been destroyed in the fire. He also added comprehensive coverage to the three other vehicles, which had also been destroyed and previously had only liability coverage. These new policies took effect on July 29, two days after his property was destroyed by the fire. Cortopassi reportedly waited three weeks to file a claim on the new automobile policies with his insurer, and stated the vehicles were destroyed Aug. 9, 2018, two weeks after the actual loss. Cortopassi received over $1 million for his properly insured property. However, his insurer notified the California Department of Insurance of the suspected fraud before paying out the additional $43,060 that Cortopassi allegedly attempted to collect. Cortopassi self-surrendered to the Shasta County Jail. The Shasta County District Attorneys Office is prosecuting this case. Cortopassi is scheduled to appear in court on March 2. Topics California Fraud Property PARIS - In her first comments about her imprisoned husbands sentence in China, the wife of former Interpol president Meng Hongwei dismissed his bribery conviction as a lie, a fake case and said he is being punished for using his senior position in the ruling Communist Party to push for reform from within. Grace Meng said during in an exclusive interview Wednesday with The Associated Press that her husband, a long-serving vice minister of public security, had been part of a reformist faction of Chinas secretive ruling party. In response to worsening corruption, Meng Hongwei and others argued, out of the public eye and at the highest circles of power for a modern constitutional and election-based political system, she said. About four or five years ago, at the centre of the upper echelons of the CCP (Communist Party), everyone discussed the problem. Everyone knew corruption was rampant, touching all officials, every department, Grace Meng said. Everyone was worried about the situation. So what should be done? There were two opposing points of view, she told the AP in France, where she lives. One was that power needed to be concentrated even further, which is the method adopted now. The other view was that the system should be fundamentally changed, she added. Grace Meng said her husband is now being persecuted for pushing that view. She offered no written or other documentary proof of what she said were Meng Hongweis reformist views. She previously called the case against him politically motivated but until Wednesday had never before discussed the political background in such detail. China said this week that Meng, 66, was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison on charges of accepting more than $2 million in bribes. A statement issued Tuesday by the No. 1 Intermediary Court in the northern city of Tianjin said Meng accepted the verdict and would not appeal. In addition to his prison sentence, he was fined 2 million yuan ($290.000.) The statement said Meng admitted he abused his position to accept 14.4 million yuan ($2.1 million) in bribes while serving in various offices, including vice minister of public security and as a maritime police chief, often in exchange for favours and using his influence with other officials. His wife described the charges as trumped-up and said no admissions or statements attributed to him by Chinas state-run media should be believed. Its all lies, she said. He has no right to speak. Meng was elected Interpol president in 2016 but vanished into custody while visiting China in 2018. It later emerged that the long-time Communist Party insider with decades of experience in Chinas security apparatus was detained as part of a sweeping purge against allegedly corrupt or disloyal officials under President Xi Jinpings authoritarian administration. Chinas beleaguered rights activists point out that as someone with a seat atop the countrys powerful public security apparatus, Meng helped build the opaque system of largely unchecked power to which hes now fallen victim. His wife, who has been granted asylum in France, said the corruption purge has been used as an excuse to quash reformers and she thinks her husbands sentence is intended to scare others into silence. But she said there are still reformers within the Communist Party. She appealed to them to bravely stand up and to draw inspiration from the protest movement in Hong Kong that has been challenging Chinas rulers for months. An unfair trial is not a trial, Grace Meng said in a separate written statement. This sentence is not the end but the starting point for great change in China. Military chief Graziano urges EU unity on Operation Sophia 'Port issue is secondary to security' (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, JANUARY 22 - The Chairman of the European Union Military Committee and assistant of High Representative Josep Borrell, General Claudio Graziano, told ANSA Wednesday that it is important to work on a mission already in place to monitor weapons in Libya. Like Operation Sophia, he noted. ''Creating a new one would require time and resources. On this the EU must speak in unison,'' he said. Graziano said that the issue of ports wherein to disembark migrants must be resolved but that this ''is a secondary issue to that of security''.(ANSAmed). The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. when two men entered Gotcha Faded, looked around and walked back out. At least one turned and started firing into the shop and one appeared to laugh, according to police. After the shooting, police said other young children, including an infant, were inside the shop, but escaped injury. A police source later described all five victims as unintended victims. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- You can vote for your favorite name for NASAs next Mars rover. Nine finalists were chosen in NASAs Name the Rover essay contest, which invited students in kindergarten through 12th grade from across the United States to come up with a name for the Mars 2020 Rover, and write a short essay. More than 28,000 essays were submitted after the contest began on Aug. 28, 2019. A panel of nearly 4,700 judge volunteers -- composed of educators, professionals and space enthusiasts from all around the country -- narrowed the pool down to 155 semifinalists from every state and territory in the United States. Thousands of students have shared their ideas for a name that will do our rover and the team proud, said Lori Glaze, director of NASAs Planetary Science Division in Washington, D.C. Thousands more volunteered time to be part of the judging process. Now it is the publics opportunity to become involved and express their excitement for their favorites of the final nine. Here are the nine finalists: Endurance, from Oliver Jacobs of Virginia in the kindergarten to fourth grade level. Tenacity, from Eamon Reilly of Pennsylvania in the kindergarten to fourth grade level. Promise, from Amira Shanshiry of Massachusetts in the kindergarten to fourth grade level. Perseverance, from Alexander Mather of Virginia in the fifth grade to eighth grade level. Vision, from Hadley Green of Mississippi in the fifth grade to eighth grade level. Clarity, from Nora Benitez of California in the fifth grade to eighth grade level. Ingenuity, from Vaneeza Rupani of Alabama in the ninth to 12th grade level. Fortitude, from Anthony Yoon of Oklahoma in the ninth to 12th grade level. Courage, from Tori Gray of Louisiana in the ninth to 12th grade level. You can vote for your favorite name in NASAs poll at Go.nasa.gov/name2020. The poll will remain open through Monday, Jan. 27. The results of the poll will be a consideration in the final naming selection. The grand prize winner is expected to be announced on Feb. 18 -- exactly one year before the rover is expected to land on the surface of Mars. The grand prize winner will be invited to see the spacecraft launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Mars 2020 Rover is a 2,300-pound robotics scientist that will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize Mars climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth and pave the way for human exploration of Mars. Its scheduled to land in the Jezero Crater on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. The Mars 2020 Rover could possibly launch as soon as July 17 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida -- but has a launch window through Aug. 5. Mars 2020 is part of a larger program that includes missions to the moon as a way to prepare for exploration of Mars. NASA, charged with returning astronauts to the moon by 2024, will establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon by 2028 through NASAs Artemis lunar exploration plans. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. The Syrian Defense Minister has implicitly admitted that the Islamic Republic of Iran's military was closely involved in stopping the uprising against the Assad regime, long before the emergence of jihadists fronts such as ISIS and al-Nusra. A video circulated on social media shows Syrian Minister of Defense, General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, paying homage to the Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Qods Force, Major General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike on January 3, outside Baghdad international airport. In the video, the former Chief of the General Staff of the Army and Armed Forces (July 2012- January 2018), and current Minister of Defense of Syria, Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, praising Soleimani for helping to design a plan for the forces loyal to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to retake Baba Amr, a suburb of the country's third-largest city, Homs, in March 2012. "I initially met Qassem Soleimani in 2011, and the 1st battle we planned and carried out was in Homs, Baba Amr," Ayyoub disclosed on January 13, while visiting Tehran. Military analysts immediately branded the victory as a watershed in Syria's civil war at the time. The insurgents, the Free Syrian Army retreated from Baba Amr, the district of the city of Homs under siege by government forces since February 2012 and allowed the Syrian Army to enter and reconquer it in house-to-house "mopping up" operations. General Ayyoub's comments on Soleimani's vital role refers to the fact that, contrary to the Islamic Republic's claims, the IRGC's extraterritorial arm, Qods Force, had been engaged in the Syrian conflict long before the emergence of ISIS, and Al-Nusra in the war-torn country. The forces loyal to Assad killed and wounded thousands of civilians to retake the strategic suburb of Homs. The Islamic Republic has always claimed that its involvement in Syria was to stop extremist Sunni groups from taking over the country, but this account shows it assisted Assad against Syrian opposition. Speaking to Radio Farda's Elahe Ravanshad, a Germany-based Middle East analyst, Habib Hosseinifard, says that General Ayyoub's remarks are not surprising, "What the Syrian Defense Minister says is not much different from the information we already had from inside Iran. We know that the IRGC General Hossein Hamadani was directly appointed by the IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani to be his lead person in Syrian affairs. Hamadani was initially sent to Syria in December 2011, years before the emergence of ISIS, al-Nusra, and other extremists. Citing an interview by Soleimanis hand-picked general, Hosseinifard quotes him as saying, "The Qods Force Chief Commander Major General Soleimani personally took me to Damascus and introduced me to Syrian officials." Major General Hamadani died at 64, on October 7. 2015, in battles over Syria's larges-city, Aleppo. Hamadani had earlier helped to suppress the 2009 election protests in Iran. He was the most senior IRGC commander killed in war-torn Syria, so far. While in Tehran, General Ayyoub awarded Syria's highest medal of honor, "Hero of the Syrian Arab Republic," on behalf of Bashar al-Assad, to Qassem Soleimani, asking his host, the Iranian Defense Minister, General Amir Hatami, to present it to the family of the fallen commander. An unsettling body camera video has emerged showing deputies discovering a police officer's eight-year-old daughter sitting naked and alone in the backseat of his car outside a North Carolina bar last fall. Lt Matthew Malone, with the Wilmington Police Department, had been suspended from duty earlier this month following an internal investigation into the incident that took place in October 2019, but he returned to work on Tuesday. The incident, which was first covered by the station WECT, began unfolding on October 19, 2019, when a man called 911 saying a child was locked inside a car screaming for help. A North Carolina police lieutenant's eight-year-old daughter (pictured with her face obscured) was found naked and wrapped in a blanket inside his car last October Bystanders called 911 to report seeing the girl relieving herself in the nude in the middle of a parking lot outside the Ogden Tap Room bar Lt Matthew Malone (pictured) and his wife were at the bar enjoying an Oktoberfest celebration while their daughter was in the backseat of their car New Hanover County Sheriffs spokesman Lt. Jerry Brewer said at the time the eight-year-old girl was completely naked and wrapped in a blanket, while Malone, who was off duty, and his wife were inside the Ogden Tap Room bar enjoying an Oktoberfest celebration. WECT took the City of Wilmington to court demanding the release of the body camera footage that shows sheriff's deputies responding to the 911 call and finding Malone's daughter nude in his car. A judge sided with the station after ruling that the video's release was in the public interest. However, large portions of the video featuring children's faces and voices have been redacted to protect their privacy. Malone told deputies his child's clothes got wet from going down a slide in the rain, so she asked to take them off in the car. The off-duty cop said he wrapped the girl in a blanket and let her sleep at her request In the recording clocking in at just over 31 minutes, a bystander tells responding sheriff's deputies that he saw the child 20 minutes prior emerge naked from the vehicle to relieve herself in the parking lot and asking passersby for help before returning to the car. A few minutes later, the father, Matthew Malone, emerges from the bar and approaches the deputies, who greet him in a friendly manner suggesting familiarity. 'Is she not sleeping anymore?' Malone asks a deputy, referring to his daughter. The father goes on to explain that his daughter's clothes got wet from going down a slide in the rain, so she asked to take them off in the car. Malone says he wrapped the child in a blanket, and at her request allowed her to take a nap in the backseat. No charges were ever brought against Malone, seen above walking with his daughter, but he had been suspended without pay for two weeks in early January 'I said, "No problem, go to sleep,"' he tells the deputies, before casually adding, 'sorry about that.' The case was later referred to the Department of Social Services, but in the end no charges were brought against Malone or his wife after the sheriff's office and prosecutors concluded that the incident did not rise to the level of child neglect or abuse. District attorney Ben David stressed that the prosecutor who reviewed the case did not know Malone was a police lieutenant, arguing that his profession played no role in the decision to not file charges against him. The Wilmington Police Department completed its internal investigation earlier this month and suspended Malone without pay for two weeks. - Atheist group gave Kabianga Boys' High School seven days to revoke the suspension - Group president Mumia observed the constitution recognises freedom of worship - The learners were sent home after allegedly refused to take exams on Saturday Atheists in Kenya Society boss has given Kabianga Boys' High School seven days to revoke suspension of 17 students who refused to sit exams on Sabbath day. Through its president Harrison Mumia, the society said it was unfair to punish the boys for observing and respecting their culture of worship in line with SDA Church doctrines. READ ALSO: I have no option but to return to exile - Miguna gives up on return trip to Kenya Suspended students mill around the gate after being asked to leave the institution. Photo: Emmanuel Lemiso Sato. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Murkomen awafokea wanaodai hamheshimu Rais Uhuru Kenyatta "We demand that you revoke their suspension with immediate effect. We are giving the school seven days to have the boys back to school or we seek legal redress on this matter," he threatened. Mumia further noted the constitution recognises freedom of worship that must to be respected and the cultural majority must not deny others this very basic right. The affected students have given the school a sevenday ultimatum to lift the suspension. Photo: Kipkoech Bravinn. Source: Facebook According to the school principal, Joash Oloo, the exams were slated to begin from 5am and 7am on Saturday. "The Seventh Day Adventist students dont do anything on Saturdays from 8am to 6pm. Where then is the problem for them to sit for their examination between 5am and 7:30am? Why do they want to remain in the dorms sleeping whereas Muslims and Protestants didn't sleep on Friday and Sunday respectively? he posed. In 2013, the church lost a petition seeking to stop Saturday classes. High Court judge Isaac Lenaola dismissed the case noting it would be a bad precedent should SDA students be exempted from attending classes. However, the church through lawyer Jackson Awele appealed the judgment and a three-judge bench later ruled in Adventist' favour in 2017. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. I have lived without lungs for 7 years because of smoking | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations has attended a ceremony with Saudi Arabias Minister of State, who called for a restoration of relations writes Al-Watan. Al-Watan has learned from Western diplomatic sources in New York that Syrias permanent representative to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, took part in a special ceremony held in honor of Saudi Minister of State Fahad bin Abdullah al-Mubarak, ahead of Saudi Arabia assuming the presidency for the upcoming G20 meeting. Al-Watans sources said that Jaafari attended the ceremony in response to a special invitation he had received from Saudi delegate to the United Nations, Abdullah bin Yahya al-Muallami. Muallami and Mubarak intended to meet with Jaafari during the ceremony, which attracted the interest of attendees and was a pleasant surprise for them. Saudi officials expressed their conviction that what had happened between the two countries needed to pass, stressing that brotherly relations that have long joined Syria and Saudi Arabia together. Websites reported that during their celebration Saudi officials expressed their love for Syria and said that it remained in their hearts, adding that what had occurred between the two countries was nothing but a summer cloud that will inevitably pass. Jaafaris attendance at the ceremony, according to those sites, drew the interest of attendees, who were surprised by his presence and the warm Saudi reception. Al-Watans sourceswho declined to be namedconfirmed this, saying that the news was worthy of attention. The Saudi move was preceded by a similar Emirati move, as the Charge dAffairs of the United Arab Emirates in Damascus, Advisor Abdul Hakim Ibrahim al-Nuaimi, said that relations between his country and Syria were solid, distinct and strong. During a reception for the UAEs National Day at its embassy in Damascus, Nuaimi expressed hope that, security and stability prevails throughout the Syrian Arab Republic under the wise leadership of President Bashar al-Assad. Nuaimi also thanked the Syrian government for the warm welcome and for the support of the Foreign Ministry in overcoming the difficulties faced by the UAE embassy in implementing its duties, with the aim of deepening relations between the two brotherly countries. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Former Vice President Joe Biden (L) greets Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) before the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University on January 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. Top Democratic presidential candidates all want to boost Social Security benefits. But two of the candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former vice president Joe Biden have come to figurative blows over this very issue. The crux of the argument: whether Biden has fought to protect or previously backed cuts to the program. On Wednesday, Biden denied he would cut Social Security benefits if he wins the White House, in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." But Sanders' campaign has questioned Biden's record because he has called for cuts to the program in the past. In response, Biden and his campaign have accused Sanders' team of misrepresenting recent comments and even doctoring a recent video. Tweet Both Biden and Sanders have outlined measures to expand, not cut, benefits as part of their 2020 presidential campaign platforms. Both candidates also call for raising Social Security payroll taxes from their current $137,700 cap in order to get more money into the program. That would pave the way for benefit increases, which both candidates back. Their plans, however, differ. Biden calls for increasing benefits for those who have been receiving retirement checks for at least 20 years, as well as for widows and widowers. His plan also would set a new minimum benefit, so that workers who have paid into the system for at least 30 years would get a benefit equal to at least 125% of the federal poverty level. Tweet Meanwhile, Sanders calls for giving $1,300 more per year to seniors with incomes of $16,000 or less. His plan also calls for raising benefits for low-income workers as well as higher annual cost-of-living adjustments. Despite those seemingly compatible goals, the two candidates are at odds. Stan Gundry has spent much of his professional life at Zondervan Academic where he is currently senior v-p and publisher. As he begins his 41st year with the company, PW caught up with Gundry as he looks back on his multifaceted career to discuss the changes he has seen in the market. Also a theologian, professor, and author, Gundry got his start in publishing after having served as a pastor for five years in Washington State and teaching at both the Moody Bible Institute and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois for 12 years. I often like to tell people I didnt think Id end up as a publisher, but everything in my background led to it, he tells PW. In 1979, Gundrys wife, author Patricia Gundry, had a two-book contract with Zondervan and was preparing to attend a meeting to present her work. The publisher also invited Stan to its Grand Rapids, Mich. headquarters to hear about a role at the company. Basically they wanted me to build an academic program they had started several years earlier, but that no one person mandated, Gundry says. He began working at the press in January 1980, acquiring and editing textbooks, Bible commentaries, and other resources for Christian scholarship. It was a one-man show, but by the late 80s, we had 20-30 academic titles a year. While responsible for some of the contract and sub-rights negotiations, Gundry was tasked with meeting a Southern Baptist mega-church pastor and a potential author: Rick Warren. He came to my attention in the early 1990s, and my boss said You need to go after him, but I had the hardest time getting an audience, Gundry recalls. After flying to Warrens Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., Gundry and Warren spoke for hours. He said, What can Zondervan give to me that I cant do on my own, Gundry tells PW. I said, Well Rick, if you start your own publishing operation and publish your books under your own imprint, it will be subject to suspicion that the books were only published because you were the boss. If you sign with Zondervan, we bring to you the credibility we have from decades of publishing. Warrens first book, The Purpose Driven Church, was published under Zondervan Academic in 1995 as a church resource, and it has sold 1.5 million copies to date, according to the publisher. The second book, The Purpose Driven Life, published in 2002 and became an instant bestseller that was voted one of the most influential Christian books of the 20th century by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. In English alone, The Purpose Driven Life has sold over 30 million copies. Today, Zondervan Academic publishes 50-60 titles a year, including this springs lead title, The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam by Gordon Nickel (April 28). Im excited about its contribution to this area and I think it will be around for a long time, Gundry says. Current trends in academic religious publishing include books on Christian apologetics and the philosophy of religion, according to Gundry. Those books do very well for us and I dont see that diminishing, he says. With the challenges of religious pluralism and fact that people of faith encounter non-Christian religions such as popular atheismtheyre very interested in seeing the Christian faith as intellectually credible. Gundry, who experienced Harper & Rows acquisition of Zondervan in 1988 as well as the 2012 purchase of Thomas Nelson, says there has been all kinds of change in Christian publishing in recent years. He cites the demise of CBA, the decline of bricks-and-mortar stores including Family Christian and LifeWay, and more books being sold online as major challenges to the business. But perhaps the biggest driver of change of all has been the rise of digital technology. Early on, Zondervan Academic embraced e-books and Bible study software, and now the publisher offers online learning courses based on textbooks. Further, audio sales continue to rise across the Christian publishing industry. Nevertheless, Audiobooks arent replacing print books, and it remains to be seen if and to what extent e-books will replace print booksthey havent yet, says Gundry. Referring to himself as both an idealist and a realist as a result of his career, 82-year-old Gundry remains optimistic about the future of the books business. My philosophy is that well-researched, quality content that is well-edited and attractively designed in both physical and digital formats will be successful, he says. Quality wins out in the end. Correction: A previous version of this article misstated that Zondervan Reflective was housed within Zondervan Academic. It is a standalone imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. We are honored to be nominated for so many awards, especially knowing there are so many great Acumatica partners out there! says John Gabrys (Crestwood Associates, COO). Never being satisfied, we will never stop improving and innovating on behalf of our clients and our partner, Acumatica." Crestwood Associates has been nominated by Acumatica for four of their major awards, to be presented at the upcoming Acumatica Summit 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The four awards are the Customer for Life Excellence Award, the Manufacturing Excellence Award, the Acumatica Innovation Award, and (most notably) Partner of the Year. Crestwood also expects their staff to win one or more Acumatica MVP awards after winning four last year. The Partner of the Year Award rewards the partner with the highest combination of new customer additions, customer satisfaction scores, customer renewals, and revenue contribution to Acumatica. Crestwood has won Acumatica Partner of the Year twice before (2016 and 2017). The Customer for Life Excellence Award recognizes the partner with the highest percentage of up-sell revenue and highest retention rates. The Manufacturing Excellence Award recognizes the partner who sold the most manufacturing deals in 2019 while achieving a high customer satisfaction score. The Acumatica Innovation Award recognizes a partner whose solution(s) gathered the most votes for being unique and innovative. Crestwood currently has two Acumatica-Certified Applications, with several others in the works. We are honored to be nominated for so many awards, especially knowing there are so many great Acumatica partners out there! says John Gabrys (Crestwood Associates, COO). Never being satisfied, we will never stop improving and innovating on behalf of our clients and our partner, Acumatica." Acumatica Summit is a yearly event held around the country, during which there are training sessions, keynote speeches, networking events, and an award ceremony. VAR partners, customers, and prospects are invited to attend and contribute. About Crestwood Associates, LLC Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Mount Prospect, Illinois, Crestwood Associates is a premier Cloud Service Provider (CSP), Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner, 10-time Presidents Club Award Winner, and 2017 Inner Circle recipient. In addition, Crestwood was honored to be chosen as Acumatica's US Partner of the Year in 2016 and 2017, as well as being inducted into the inaugural class of Acumaticas Presidents Club for 2018. Crestwood delivers a variety of business solutions, including: Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics CRM (now called Dynamics 365 for Sales), Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Acumatica Cloud ERP, and Greentree applications. From accounting and financial reporting, to CRM, manufacturing, distribution, payroll and human resources, Crestwood Associates provides the tools and services that help businesses perform above and beyond the competition. In a cloud-first world, you can rely on Crestwood to provide the right tools to run your business. The Crestwood team is comprised of over 45 certified professionals who provide in-depth industry experience and functional expertise. About Acumatica Acumatica is a leading provider of cloud business management software that empowers small and mid-size businesses to unlock their potential and drive growth. Built on the worlds best cloud and mobile technology and a unique customer-centric licensing model, Acumatica delivers a suite of fully integrated business management applications such as Financials, Distribution, CRM, and Project Accounting, powered by a robust and flexible platform. SMITHS FALLS, ON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Canopy Growth Corporation ("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) is pleased to announce that Judy Schmeling has been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors and Jim Sabia has been appointed in principle as a member of the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Sabia will act as an observer to the Board as he and Canopy complete the standard Health Canada processes associated with the appointment. "It is my pleasure to welcome Judy Schmeling as our Chair of the Board of Directors and to welcome Jim to the Board," said David Klein, CEO, Canopy Growth. "Judy's leadership experience in highly competitive industries will be instrumental as we focus the business on its core priorities. Both Judy and Jim's contributions will be extremely valuable as we continue the journey of building iconic brands." Ms. Schmeling has been serving on the Canopy Growth Board of Directors since November 2018 and is chair of the Audit Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Constellation Brands, Inc. as well as Casey's General Stores, both Fortune 500 companies. She is the former Chief Operating Officer of HSN Inc., an interactive multichannel retailer, and the former President of HSN's Cornerstone Brands. Ms. Schmeling brings to her new role proven leadership acumen, valuable operations experience and extensive accounting and financial expertise. "I'm honored to be named the new Board Chair at Canopy Growth," Schmeling said. "During my time as a board member of Canopy Growth, I personally witnessed the unfolding of one of the most exciting market opportunities of our lifetime. I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the entire Canopy Growth leadership team to help guide the company to lead the global cannabis industry." Mr. Sabia is a world class marketer of iconic consumer brands, currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Constellation Brands, and a member of Constellation's executive management committee. Mr. Sabia is responsible for leading the marketing strategy across Constellation's diversified portfolio of wine, beer and spirit brands. As an industry veteran, Mr. Sabia brings a vast knowledge of building a portfolio of high-performing brands and developing a winning marketing strategy. Prior to joining Constellation in 2007, he served as Vice President of Marketing and Media at Molson Coors Brewing Company. "I'm excited to join Canopy's Board" said Sabia. "There is no company better positioned in the emerging global cannabis market and I look forward to working with Canopy Growth's very talented leadership team to ensure that we continue achieving success and remain a global leader in the years ahead." Judy's full bio is available at www.canopygrowth.com Here's to Future Growth About Canopy Growth Corporation Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED,NYSE:CGC) is a world-leading diversified cannabis, hemp and cannabis device company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms, as well as medical devices through Canopy Growth's subsidiary, Storz & Bickel GMbH & Co. KG. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time. Canopy Growth has operations in over a dozen countries across five continents. Canopy Growth's medical division, Spectrum Therapeutics is proudly dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding of cannabis, and has devoted millions of dollars toward cutting edge, commercializable research and IP development. Spectrum Therapeutics sells a range of full-spectrum products using its colour-coded classification Spectrum system as well as single cannabinoid Dronabinol under the brand Bionorica Ethics. Canopy Growth operates retail stores across Canada under its award-winning Tweed and Tokyo Smoke banners. Tweed is a globally recognized cannabis brand which has built a large and loyal following by focusing on quality products and meaningful customer relationships. From our historic public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange to our continued international expansion, pride in advancing shareholder value through leadership is engrained in all we do at Canopy Growth. Canopy Growth has established partnerships with leading sector names including cannabis icons Snoop Dogg and Seth Rogen, breeding legends DNA Genetics and Green House Seeds, and Fortune 500 alcohol leader Constellation Brands, to name but a few. Canopy Growth operates eleven licensed cannabis production sites with over 10.5 million square feet of production capacity, including over one million square feet of GMP certified production space. For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Canopy Growth or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the Company's ability to satisfy provincial sales contracts or provinces purchasing all cannabis allocated to them, and such risks contained in the Company's annual information form dated June 25, 2019 and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation Related Links canopygrowth.com There's plenty of reason to believe 2020 is going to be the year of the female entrepreneur. The workforce is becoming increasingly diverse as more women, including women of color, seek to make their visions a reality and capitalize on it. A study commissioned by American Express reported that, as of January 2017, an estimated 11.6 million female-owned businesses generated more than $1.7 trillion collectively in revenue. However, it's worth noting that while startup life is obviously never easy, tackling it head-on as a female entrepreneur presents its own unique set of challenges. Thankfully, we are at the cusp of a shift, and these obstacles should soon be a thing of the past. But until then, here are three hurdles worth looking out for, and how to leap over them. Related: Challenges of Being a Woman Entrepreneur Concerns Over Inclusion Discourse on social identity has taken the internet by storm. Its no secret that women in the workforce often fall victim to gender discrimination, thinly veiled or otherwise. Whether during the hiring process or when it comes to payroll, equality is often an uphill battle. Female entrepreneurs, particularly novices, are faced with additional pressures, like being judged as "too bossy" when exhibiting confident traits more commonly -- and admiringly -- associated with male leadership. With concerns over inclusion in mind, female entrepreneurs typically operate with a heightened sense of social responsibility, as they create a culture that invites people from all walks of life. Without social responsibility at the forefront of her decision making, the female entrepreneur could face undesired consequences, such as backlash on social media. Lack of a Support Network Just as it takes a whole village to raise a child, it also takes a strong network to build a successful company. It's important for female entrepreneurs to build a professional network that consists of other female entrepreneurs, all of whom will cheer each other on. Oftentimes, they are left out in the wilderness, without much of a network or resources they can turn to. Having resources to count on obviously plays a key role in the growth of a startup. Whether its drafting a strong strategy, looking for actionable advice or making sense of legal paperwork, businesspeople need a wide net of connections. Having seen the importance of such elements, Stephanie Burns, founder of Chic CEO, made it her mission to empower women with the knowledge they need to hit the ground running. As Burns writes on Chic's website, I just figured if 15 of my super smart, totally rad girlfriends were confused by the startup process, more women probably were too. She went onto create a series of how-to guides to help novice entrepreneurs get in-depth strategy insights on all sorts of business topics, full of actionable content to help other entrepreneurs achieve success far sooner. Fostering this sense of camaraderie is important, as it allows female business owners to lean on each other to reach new heights. It can also knock out plenty of hurdles, including low self-confidence, ideas on execution and coping with failure. Work-Life Balance and Time Management Its impossible to discuss entrepreneurial success without bringing up the topic of time management. Working women seeking to start a business often have other immediate needs to tend to, thereby putting their professional dreams on hold. A mother looking to spend more time meeting company goals may first have to worry about child care. University students may find themselves stretched thin between studying and working on their product. When starting a business, budgeting ones time is as crucial as budgeting finances. Some of the simplest time-management strategies -- and quickest to execute -- would be sleep management, task management and health management. It's only natural for novice female entrepreneurs to worry about the things that can't be controlled. However, success can come easier by meeting new people, building strong connections and managing time efficiently. All along the entrepreneurial journey, its important to pay it forward and help other female entrepreneurs who are on the same path. Related: Top 3 Obstacles Entrepreneurial Women Must Overcome 3 Alternatives to Traditional Work Trousers for the Female Entrepreneur 8 Podcasting Tips From the Hit 'Girls Gotta Eat' Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved An argument is brewing between the U.K. and U.S. over whether the British government should press ahead with plans to introduce a digital sales tax in April. Global tech giants including Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon are set to face a new 2% tax on money made from their search engines, social media platforms and online marketplaces serving people in Britain. The U.K. has argued that current tax rules do not fairly match where digital profits are taxed, to the region where the income is derived. Speaking during the World Economic in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned that countries who introduced a digital tax could "find themselves faced with President Trump's tariffs." Speaking at a CNBC-moderated panel during Davos on Wednesday, Mnuchin doubled down on the threat. "If people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we will consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies," said Mnuchin, as U.K. Finance Minister Sajid Javid sat next to him. Mnuchin added that the U.S. would talk again with the U.K. over its plans, adding: "I'm sure the president and Boris (Johnson) will be speaking on it as well." Prince Harry and his wife Meghan started their new life in Canada on Tuesday by launching a legal warning to media over photographs of the duchess near their seaside bolthole. Following their shock exit from life as working royals, Harry jetted out from Britain to join Meghan late Monday at a luxury house outside Victoria on Vancouver Island. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have temporarily set up base at the wooded home, having spent six weeks there over Christmas with their baby son Archie. Their bombshell announcement on January 8 that they wished to step back from their royal duties rocked the monarchy. The couple, who married in May 2018, admitted last year that they were struggling with media scrutiny and have regularly hit out at the press in statements and in the courts. Their lawyers issued a legal warning after various outlets on Tuesday published photographs of a smiling Meghan out walking her dogs with Archie. In Britain, the pictures were used by The Sun and the Daily Mail newspapers. Lawyers claimed the images were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on the US former television actress, the BBC reported, and that she did not consent to the photos. The couple were prepared to take legal action, according to the BBC. The lawyers claim there had been attempts to photograph inside their new home using long lenses, and say paparazzi are camped outside the property. A freelance photojournalist working in the area, who said he was from California but wanted to remain anonymous, said the potential legal issues are kind of tough, but that he does not let them affect his work. Canada has freedom of the press laws, he said, sitting in the drivers seat of a white SUV with his photography gear on the passengers side. From what I understand, as long as you are not following them, harassing them, breaking the law, as long as its a matter of public interest -- and the monarchy always is -- then the press is free to cover it. No other option Harry, 35, and 38-year-old Meghan are bowing out entirely from representing the monarchy, in a crisis that has shaken the centuries-old institution. Harry said Sunday that they did not want to quit their royal duties but reluctantly accepted there was no other option if they wanted to cut loose from public funding and seek their own income in pursuit of a more independent life. Under their new arrangement, the Sussexes are free to earn their own commercial income -- though at a greater cost than they first envisaged. They can no longer represent Harrys grandmother Queen Elizabeth II or be referred to as their royal highnesses, and must repay taxpayers money spent on their UK home. They will no longer receive public money -- though 95 percent of their annual funding comes from his father Prince Charles, via the heir to the thrones hereditary land and property estate. To what extent that will continue, and who will cover their security bill -- currently met by the British police -- remains to be seen. Questions over funding Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday denied having spoken directly with Queen Elizabeth about the security costs, after British media reports that the country had offered to foot the bill. Discussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment, Trudeau told a news conference. Canadian media have estimated the cost of protecting the couple and their eight-month-old son Archie at about Can$1.7 million (US$1.3 million) a year. Other estimates run higher. Britains Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said there must be a line of delineation over who pays the security costs. Asked whether British taxpayers should fund the Sussexes while they are in Canada, he told Sky News television: I dont have an easy answer to that. The couple intend to raise their own income streams. They have launched their new Sussex Royal website and trademarked the name. However, the queens senior advisor on heraldry suggested they should not be allowed to use the royal moniker, having relinquished their public duties. I dont think its satisfactory. One cannot be two things at once. You either are (royal) or youre not, Thomas Woodcock, the Garter King of Arms, told The Times newspaper. In a role that dates back to the 15th century, he is involved in making sure that royal symbols are not used illegitimately for commercial purposes. Woodcock, who was giving his personal opinion, said the final decision would rest with the sovereign. Leave them in peace Like Britain, Canada is a Commonwealth realm, meaning Queen Elizabeth is the head of state. Residents walking dogs on a path near the Sussexes new home told AFP that they opposed intrusion into their new Canadian set-up, and were proud of the local instinct to give them space. We dont like it. Leave them in peace, said Anne Girling, adding she had met Meghan jogging on a trail nearby and they wished one another good morning. Sue Starkey, another dog walker, described the area as a really friendly community. Our neighborhood has been so respectful and giving them space, she said. Im really happy theyre here and I hope they can find some peace. KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures slid for the third straight session on Wednesday, hampered by lower purchases from top importers India and China, amid uncertainties over January production. The benchmark palm oil contract for April delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange eased 11 ringgit, or 0.3%, to 2,879 ringgit during early trade. FUNDAMENTALS * Malaysia's Jan. 1-20 palm oil exports fell between 7.4% and 9.9% from the month before, according to cargo surveyors. * Exports to China, the second-largest importer, have been low ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays. * Concerns over lower exports to India after the world's biggest buyer of edible oils restricted imports of refined palm oil on Jan. 8 also hit market sentiment. * India's palm imports could fall as much as 11% in 2019/20 amid a diplomatic row with Malaysia, Indian industry officials said last week. * Concerns over the spread of a new strain of coronavirus from China kept global markets on the edge and also weighed on the Malaysian bourse. * Average palm oil prices will surge 17.9% this year, a Reuters poll of industry participants showed, as reduced output in the first half of the year and higher biodiesel consumption in top producers Indonesia and Malaysia tighten the market. * Dalian's most-active soyoil contract traded 1% lower, while its palm oil contract fell 0.8%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were also trading 0.2% lower. * Palm oil is affected by price movements in related oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market. MARKET NEWS * Asian share markets steadied on Wednesday as investors weighed the possible consequences of a global pandemic from the spread of the virus strain from China. DATA/EVENTS 0745 France Business Climate Mfg Jan 1500 US Existing Home Sales Dec (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) New Delhi, Jan 22 : Projected as an example for their seniors, united Left parties in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) successfully defeated one of the biggest threats in their fortress, the ABVP. The team later went on to trigger a nationwide students' roar against fee hike in many universities. However, cracks are surfacing in the Left front. Two of the 'Left United' -- as the combined four students' unions call themselves -- have been at loggerheads for a very long time now. The tussle came out in the open when a senior Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) activist took to social media to attack All India Students Association (AISA). In her Facebook post that was also shared as a status on Whatsaap, Swati Singh, a two-time councillor, alleged that the AISA was falsely accusing the DSF of "betraying" the students' movement against fee hike. She later also alleged that AISA's accusation stemmed from the fact that it was not given presidential post. "Bhai itta pyaar kyu hai humse? President post nahi milega to yehi sab kroge? (why so much of love for us? If you are denied presidential post will you do all this?") Swati Singh said in her FB post. Swati in her post had attached a screenshot of Whtasaap status where her contact was saved as Vivek JNU, wrote: "If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm." "Dedicated to D.S.F," the screenshot read. The rift appeared sharper as a senior AISA leader, who was also a former JNUSU member, told IANS: "They (DSF) had always tried to kill the protest -- they opposed our call for academic activity boycott and they opposed our call for registration boycott." The student leader added, "You ask any student he/she will tell you, it was us who forced them to call for a meeting with students and in the meeting they had to accept the decision for a boycott of academic activities and registration." However, the DSF stuck to its ground as DSF's Saket Moon denied commenting on the situation and told IANS to contact Sarika Chaudhary, DSF secretary. Sarika also denied commenting on the issue, but maintained that unity among Left organisations was foremost and that they would never do anything to weaken it. "We won't comment on any allegations until the person comes on record. These allegations are all false propaganda," Sarika said. The Left united front was formed by all Left-aligned students' organisations in JNU, after ABVP (RSS' students' wing) started gaining momentum on the campus. The move was to thwart splitting of votes among Left organisations, which could have benefited the ABVP. Four Left organisations became part of the front which included, Students Federation of India (SFI), AISA, DSF and All India Students Federation (AISF). Every year each organisation gets one of four posts to contest. This year SFI's Aishe Ghosh was selected as Left united's presidential candidate, while Saket Moon of DSF was chosen as vice-presidential candidate, AISA's Satish Chandra Yadav had contested for General Secretary's post and AISF's Danish Ali fought for Joint Secretary's post. All four candidates of 'Left United' had won in the JNUSU elections held last year in August. (Rohan Agarwal can be contacted at rohan.a@ians.in) Canadian Ministers of Defence and Veterans Affairs to Host New Zealands Minister of Defence Media advisory Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan and Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay will host Minister Ron Mark, New Zealands Minister of Defence, in separate meetings in Ottawa, on January 22, 2020. January 21, 2020 Ottawa National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan and Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay will host Minister Ron Mark, New Zealands Minister of Defence, in separate meetings in Ottawa, on January 22, 2020. During their meetings, the Ministers will discuss a number of shared interests, including their joint efforts to support global defence and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific and sharing information on the transition process for serving members and Veterans. -30- Contacts Todd Lane Press Secretary Office of the Minister of National Defence Phone: 613-996-3100 Email: todd.lane@forces.gc.ca Media Relations Department of National Defence Phone: 613-904-3333 Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca Alex Wellstead Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Email: alex.wellstead@canada.ca Media Relations Veterans Affairs Canada Phone: 613-992-7468 Email: vac.media-medias.acc@vac-acc.gc.ca LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Mint marks the start of a new Lunar cycle in 2020 with the first sign of the calendar - the Rat. Since 2014, The Royal Mint have celebrated this ancient Chinese custom by marking each Zodiac symbol on a coin as part of The Shengxiao Collection. The Shengxiao Collection has grown to become an eagerly anticipated annual event amongst coin collectors across the globe. The series is a celebration of the UK's diverse multi-cultural society, lending a unique British angle to this ancient custom. During Chinese New Year it is common to exchange tokens and gifts of money in red envelopes symbolising good wishes for the recipient's health, wealth and prosperity. If you were born in the Year of the Rat, you are in good company. William Shakespeare, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bono all share this sign, which is associated with intelligence and optimism. The rat is thought of as a godly creature in Chinese culture, and people born in the Year of the Rat are considered to be optimistic and great at building relationships. Known to be generous and resourceful, the curiosity and intelligence of people born in the Year of the Rat leads them to seek out knowledge. Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, said: "The Shengxiao Collection combines centuries of The Royal Mint's craftsmanship and artistic skills with a centuries-old Chinese tradition. We have been marking each Chinese zodiac symbol since 2014 and are thrilled to celebrate the start of a new Lunar cycle with the Lunar Year of the Rat commemorative coin - a beautiful fusion of British and Chinese tradition." The Lunar Year of the Rat commemorative coins are available in a range of precious metal and for the first time in a Brilliant Uncirculated finish to purchase from www.royalmint.com/lunar. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1076574/Royal_Mint_2020_Lunar_Year_Rat_Coin.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1076575/The_Royal_Mint_Logo.jpg Over and over Tuesday, their first full day of making arguments before the Senate, the managers met defeat. All 53 Republicans voted to block their requests for revisions to the resolution that will govern the rest of the trial, and by nearly 10:30 p.m., after GOP requests to get the Democrats to pare down the amendment volley, Schiff made clear they would keep charging into the night. Stassi Schroeder screamed at Tom Sandoval and called him 'egotistical' during her book signing at his TomTom Bar on Tuesday's episode of Vanderpump Rules. The 31-year-old reality star after receiving a nasty 2am text from Sandoval, 36, unloaded on him at her book signing for Next Level Basic: The Definitive Basic B**** Handbook. 'Is there a freaking issue? What is not okay about having a bunch of customers in here, buying drinks from your bar?,' Stassi asked after marching to the host stand to confront Sandoval. Book signing: Stassi Schroeder unleashed a tirade on Tom Sandoval on Tuesday's episode of Vanderpump Rules during her book signing at his TomTom Bar 'I have not gotten a single text message,' Sandoval started to answer before Stassi interjected. 'Is it that I didn't come to you and kiss your ring? This is about you. I talked to Lisa,' Stassi said referencing Lisa Vanderpump, 59, who owns the majority interest in the bar named after Sandoval and business partner Tom Schwartz, 37. 'Does Lisa make the schedule here?,' Tom countered. 'Lisa owns most of this bar! I did a walk-through with Schwartz while you were having a boys' night. How dare you come in here right now and do this! How dare you! How dare you!,' Stassi yelled at Sandoval as customers looked on. Nasty text: Sandoval was confronted by Stassi at his bar after sending her a nasty 2am text message threatening to scuttle her book signing event 'You selfish, egotistical, piece of s***! How dare you!,' Stassi continued screaming in his face as Tom said, 'Wow'. 'How dare you!,' Stassi continued. 'And to text me those things. How dare you! You know what? You're just f***ing sad that this isn't about you. It's not good enough to have your f***ing name in lights across Santa Monica Boulevard! I did nothing wrong!,' Stassi screamed with Schwartz and her boyfriend Beau Clark standing nearby. 'That was extremely out of line,' Sandoval told Schwartz as Stassi walked away. Called: Stassi screamed that Sandoval was a 'selfish, egotistical, piece of s***' for daring to ruin her event Best seller: The reality star invited friends, family and dozens of book buyers to the book signing for Next Level Basic: The Definitive Basic B**** Handbook that made the New York Times Best Seller List at number three Stassi was upset earlier that morning after getting a 2am text from Sandoval threatening to scuttle her event. Sandoval texted that he just found out that day about her book party at TomTom and said they had no bartenders. 'I'm not bartending and neither is Schwartz,' he wrote. He then warned Stassi not to blame him because 'I will literally kick u the f*** out of tomtom' along with her book buyers seeking an autograph at the intimate reading. Aggressive message: Sandoval in his 2am text rant told Stassi that he and business partner Tom Schwartz were not bartending her event and threatened to kick her out of TomTom Beau noted that Sandoval was out with James Kennedy, 27, before sending the text and suggested Stassi screeshot the message and sent it to Schwartz. 'If he causes a scene, I am going to lose it,' Stassi told Beau foreshadowing her clash with Sandoval. Schwartz acknowledged that Sandoval 'rage texted Stassi as if it was her fault', but scrambled to get her event staffed. Morning message: Stassi was upset after reading the early morning message from Sandoval Sage advice: Beau Clark suggested to Stassi that she screenshot the message and send it to Schwartz Stassi invited close friends, family and dozens of book buyers to the book signing event. Her mother Dayna and younger brother Nikolai were in attendance, while Sandoval was in the emergency room after getting bit by a spider. Stassi imagined Sandoval and James as comic book characters conspiring against her before dubbing the bar owner as 'Sandyman, the most annoying superhero'. Family affair: Stassi's younger brother Nikolai and her mother Dayna came to town for the event Comics characters: Sandoval and James Kennedy were imagined as comic book characters by Stassi Annoying superhero: Stassi dubbed bar owner Sandoval as 'Sandyman, the most annoying superhero' Schwartz was relieved that the book signing worked out after the 'rocky' morning. 'If Stassi is happy, I'm happy,' Schwartz said before Sandoval arrived with girlfiend Ariana Madix, 34, in tow. Stassi after screaming at Sandoval composed herself in a bathroom with Beau and Schwartz's wife Katie Maloney supporting her. Happy guy: Schwartz was relieved that the book signing worked out after the 'rocky' morning and noted that if Stassi was happy, he was happy Sandoval meanwhile claimed he didn't know details about the event, but Schwartz reminded him about their prior discussion and video showed Sandoval reacting to the expected attendance of 50 to 60 people. 'Oh, that's a crowd,' Sandoval said. Schwartz took offense after he felt that his business partner was belittling him and Sandoval left the event. Video evidence: Sandoval claimed he didn't know details about the book signing, but video showed Schwartz telling him about the expected crowd size Taking off: Bar owner Sandoval walked out of his own place after Stassi went off on him Sandoval later called Vanderpump's husband Ken Tood at their Villa Rosa estate to complain about Stassi screaming at him. Ken relayed to Lisa that Sandoval was 'spitting blood' over Stassi yelling at him in front of customers. 'In front of the customers?,' Lisa asked. 'At her own event? That's not okay, absolutely not okay'. Spitting blood: Ken Todd told Lisa Vanderpump that Sandoval was 'splitting blood' over being yelled at by Stassi in front of customers Lisa promised to get to the bottom of it and speak to all parties involved. The British restaurateur ahead of a trip to Boston read part of Stassi's book detailing the loss of her virginity and also caught up with longtime server Scheana Shay, 34. Scheana updated Lisa on new TomTom general manager Max Boyens telling fellow show newcomer Brett Caprioni that she was 'boy crazy'. New book: Lisa read some of Stassi's book ahead of a trip to Boston Catching up: Scheana Shay told Lisa about new TomTom general manager Max Boyens telling fellow show newcomer Brett Caprioni that she was 'boy crazy' 'No, he didn't,' Lisa said. Scheana admitted that she was in a 'weird place in my life right now' and then texted Max who was out with the guys. Max said he needed some 'breathing room' after Scheana brought up freezing her eggs and going off birth control. No way: Lisa couldn't believe that Max called Scheana 'boy crazy' 'I love this,' said Jax Taylor, 40, who was experiencing strong schadenfreude while preparing to marry his fiancee Brittany Cartwright, 30. Scheana then surprisingly showed up and asked to borrow Max for a second. She confronted him over the 'boy crazy' remark and said she deserved more respect. Guys only: Brett, Sandoval and Jax Taylor were enjoying a guys only outing with Max Surprise visit: Scheana then surprisingly showed up and asked to borrow Max for a second. Scheana then read out multiple gushing texts from Max to remind him they had more than a fling. Max admitted that he had since become a 'f*** boy' and apologized to Scheana for calling her 'boy crazy'. He also denied to Scheana that he and show newcomer Dayna Kathan were dating. Text messages: Multiple texts from Max to Scheana were read out loud to prove they had more than a fling Scheana and her new mini-me SUR server Charli Burnett and TomTom assistant manager Danica Dow also met up with friend Janet to alter their SUR outfits for a better fit. Dayna who was training with Brett learned that Scheana had been 'super nice' to him while being curt with her while assigning low-level chores. Brett also revealed that he put Scheana in the 'friend zone', while Dayna griped about 'unstable' Scheana putting a spin on everyone about her. The trainees:Brett and Dayna compared notes on their training at SUR with Scheana Dayna later spoke with Scheana to clear the air regarding their relationships with Max. 'Guard your heart and vagina,' Scheana advised her. The episode ended with Schwartz at Katie's urging talking to Sandoval at his new house with Ariana about the book signing fiasco. On guard: Scheana later advised Dayna to guard her heart and vagina Post fiasco: Schwartz at the urging of his wife Katie Maloney talked to Schwartz about the book signing fiasco Sandoval said that Stassi 'humiliated me in front of my restaurant', but Schwartz said she was fighting 'fire with fire'. 'Fire with atomic bomb,' Sandoval replied while declaring that Stassi was 'literally banned' from TomTom and would be thrown out immediately if she came in. Vanderpump Rules will return next week on Bravo. Arctic Basecamp is hosting six global youth climate delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2020. In addition, two youth volunteers joined the Arctic Basecamp crew to help with with logistics. DAVOS, Switzerland Youth climate delegates from around the world are taking part in a "collaborative protest" against the rich and powerful by camping in subzero temperatures at the World Economic Forum. The annual January get-together which is often criticized for being out of touch with the real world is set to welcome more than 3,000 participants this week, with those in attendance poised to focus on the intensifying climate crisis. It follows the hottest year on record for the world's oceans, the second-hottest year for global average temperatures and wildfires from the U.S. to the Amazon to Australia. Many policymakers and business leaders are expected to travel in and out of Davos via private jets this year, but others have decided to camp in the Swiss Alpine town. "We are just trying to show them that we are doing the right thing despite the fact that we are not sleeping or staying in the best conditions. And, as they are enjoying their first class (flights), they should know that there are people who are actually living in worse conditions," Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist from Uganda, told CNBC on Tuesday. "So, we are practically representing those people who are already facing the impact of the climate crisis. It is time to get out of our comfort zones," Nakate said. The true level of coverage provided by "business disruption" insurance will be tested in coming months amid warnings many small business operators will find their policies offer limited coverage for lost customers due to bushfires. "Many people actually have no idea what they are covered for," director of insurance claims consultancy Solve My Claim David Keane said. Tourists at the Three Sisters lookout in Katoomba last November as fire conditions continued. Credit: Mr Keane said it was not yet clear just how many small businesses would find gaps in their cover due to bushfires interruption, though he did predict many operators would face disputes throughout this year due to not understanding what their policies covered. Even if they were covered for loss of business as an indirect consequence of weather conditions, many policies only cover profits and not overall lost revenue, he warned. A Chinese restaurant is at risk of closure after complaints from a top judge living nearby over cooking smells wafting over to their home. The Summer Palace, which is set in a picturesque location overlooking the historic grounds of Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, has been open for more than 30 years. But its future is in doubt due to a long-running dispute with nearby residents Lord Justice Sir Gary Hickinbottom and Lady Georgina Caroline Hickinbottom. The couple were left shocked by the noise and smells emanating from the kitchen after moving into a 525,000 home in 2016. The couple reported their concerns to Cardiff Council and enforcement officers upheld their complaint. The Summer Palace (pictured), which is set in a picturesque location overlooking the historic grounds of Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, has been open for more than 30 years The much loved restaurant is at risk of closure after complaints from a top judge living nearby over cooking smells wafting over to their home The restaurant, which has a five-star food hygiene rating, installed a new extractor fan but failed to get proper permission for it and now faces prosecution. Restaurant manager Wai Chim is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Thursday over alleged breaches of environmental health law. Lord Justice Hickinbottom, 64, was appointed to the Privy Council in 2017 following his appointment as Lord Justice of Appeal and has sat on many high profile cases including the challenge to the third runway at Heathrow Airport. The couple, who also own a property in South West London, bought their grade-II listed home in the conservation area of Llandaff in 2016. But since then they have lodged complaints to Cardiff city council about the Cantonese restaurant and nearby private members club the Llandaff Institute. Other residents in historic Llandaff - where children's author Roald Dahl grew up - have pledged to save the restaurant. Lord Justice Sir Gary Hickinbottom (pictured) Conservative Councillor Sean Driscoll said: 'It's a bit like buying a house near a train station then complaining about the noise from the trains. Or near to a farmyard then complain about the smell from animals. 'What is next, are they going to complain to the Cathedral about the sound of the church bells? 'This situation is absolutely unbelievable. The Summer Palace have bent over backwards to mitigate against this issue. 'We are happy to work with the parties to find a solution so hopefully common sense will prevail.' Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: 'If you come to live near to a Chinese restaurant it's ridiculous that you should not expect smells. 'Mr Chim has spent 19,857 on trying to placate them and apparently it still isn't enough. He wants time to investigate in what way the extractor could be improved and time to install it. He is very sympathetic. 'We get noise and smells too but it is transitory - it's there for a small while then blows away in the wind. 'There is a general sense of outrage in the community that they could cause so much pain for everyone.' In a letter to the court, Mr Driscoll and fellow Conservative councillor Philippa Hill John said: 'We recognise everyone has the right to the quiet peaceful enjoyment of their home, whether it is their main home or second home. Restaurant manager Wai Chim is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Thursday over alleged breaches of environmental health law 'If a compliant is made it is also right that these complaints are investigated as the council are duty bound to do so. 'Mr Chim has already spent tens of thousands of pound to mitigate the problem. His concern is will spending additional funds to be compliant ever satisfy the complainant. 'We have already lost three banks and some good businesses, so the threat of losing Summer Palace in this way is unwelcome but also devastating for Mr Chim and his family. 'Mr Chim and his family have worked hard for decades to establish their business in Llandaff. 'It is a vibrant High Street and the Summer Palace is a vital part of its continued success. The local support for Mr Chim from the community has been incredible. Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford took to Twitter to share a letter of support for the restaurant backed by himself and and Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan Meanwhile former Welsh rugby player Jonathan Davies OBE said if the restaurant were to shut down it would be a 'travesty' 'There is a solution to this and we intend to work with Mr Chim to find an outcome that is acceptable to all.' The councillors requested Thursday's hearing be adjourned so the case could be resolved outside of court. Marian Tylk, stewardess of Llandaff Institute, said it would be 'absolutely devastating' if the restaurant lost its case. She said: 'It would be devastating, absolutely devastating. It would be a real shame, I'm getting quite upset about it, they're a family too - it's awful. 'The village is dying. What's happening with the Chinese is heartbreaking, devastating. Even if you go past there now at lunch time you can see how busy it is, everyone loves it.' Among those backing the restaurant on social media was Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford, Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan and the former Welsh rugby player Jonathan Davies OBE. Mr Drakeford took to Twitter share a letter of support for the restaurant alongside the caption: 'The Summer Palace should not be closed down. @KevinBrennan and I have jointly written to the Local Authority to express our support.' Meanwhile Mr Davies wrote on social media: 'Yes and I support summer palace 100% if @cardiffcouncil close it down it would be a travesty. Come on support your local business and lets have a bit of common sense in these mad times.' Federal health officials announced they will start screening passengers for Coronavirus at three U.S. airports in response to the illness that has sickened hundreds of people in China and has already been detected in Japan, Thailand and South Korea. World Health Officials are worried the virus could spread as the Chinese prepare to celebrate the Lunar New Year Jan. 25, now that its been confirmed that the virus can spread human to human. Emily Toth Martin, assistant professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, is an infectious disease epidemiologist with a focus on virus epidemiology and the use of vaccines and therapies to prevent and treat infection. Her research includes optimizing the use of diagnostics for viral diseases. We know this virus is a coronavirus, she said. Other coronaviruses have caused very serious infections, like during the SARS outbreak, but some cause mild symptoms like the common cold. Its too soon to know how efficiently this virus is spreading between humans, or whether it is likely to die out on its own. There is a lot yet to learn about this virus, so public health officials are being cautious. Contact: 734-647-4723, etmartin@umich.edu Theodore Standiford is a professor of medicine and interim chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Based on disease modeling, it is quite likely that the number of cases has been considerably underestimated and could be more than one thousand, he said. In contrast to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, there has been no documented cases of individuals being infected outside of Wuhan, China, and no documented infections in health care workers caring for infected patients. Also, the risk for pandemic spread of the virus has been minimized by the early actions of the Chinese health authorities, WHO and CDC, including prompt closure of the site where the infection originated (fish and animal market in Wuhan City), systematic screening and quarantining of travelers departing from Wuhan and in destination cities nationally and internationally, and earlier and better adherence to contact and respiratory isolation precautions of infected subjects. Fortunately, the illness caused by 2019-nCoV appears to be less severe than that caused by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, coronaviruses which were associated with mortality rates of approximately 10% and 35%, respectively. Contact: 734-764-4554, tstandif@umich.edu Michael Imperiale, professor of microbiology and immunology at Michigan Medicine, studies virus replication, virus-host cell interactions and science policy. He serves as U-Ms associate vice president of research-policy and compliance and has served on the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, a presidentially commissioned advisory board, and on various policy-related committees of the National Research Council and the National Academies. Contact: 734-763-9162, imperial@umich.edu Adam Lauring is associate professor of microbiology and immunology, and infectious diseases, at Michigan Medicine. He studies RNA viruses, which include coronaviruses, evaluating their rapid mutation rate and implications for human disease. He collaborates with researchers at the School of Public Health to study how the influenza virus changes in home and clinical settings. Contact: 734-764-7731, alauring@umich.edu Peter Jacobson, professor of health management and policy at the School of Public Health, can discuss the legal issues involving the spread of infectious diseases, including quarantine. His research focuses on the relationship between law and health care delivery, law and public health systems, and health equity. He has looked at previous cases including the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when several states imposed quarantines exceeding guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As long as the screening is conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner and is limited in duration and scope, CDC appears to be acting appropriately under the circumstances, he said. University of Michigan [January 22, 2020] Covr Financial Technologies Announces New Head of Sales HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Covr Financial Technologies announced that Jim Gothers has been appointed as Head National Sales for its financial institution business, supporting banks, brokerage firms, wealth management firms and RIA partner firms. Reporting to Jim will be Covr's insurance sales consultant team, advanced insurance division, policy analytics team, and key account directors. Jim brings unquestioned innovation, insurance, financial planning and sales leadership experience to the role. He spent fourteen years with Merrill Lynch and Bank of America leading insurance distribution nationally. Jim led thirty specialists from the insurance, trust, long-term care, and annuity areas as National Sales Manager for Merrill's insurance group. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Jim was one of Hartford Life's leading account executives supporting brokerage firms, banks, independent broker dealers, and independent agents. He began his career with Cigna's life insurance group. Jim is a sought-after presenter and is passionate about engaging advisors and clients in making insurance part of their financial planning and wellness efforts. "Jim brings an amazing breadth of skills to the role. He has a track record of driving innovation through strategic sales leadership," said Mike Kalen, CEO of Covr Financial Technologies. "We are excited to have Jim in this role as Covr continues to innovate and simplify insurance for financial advisors. Adding Jim's experience to Covr's leadership team will accelerate our growth." Covr's three products offer a full suiteof digital life insurance platforms, tools and planning services for financial institutions, including: Covr Advisor for financial advisors, Covr Consumer for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions offering insurance products directly to their customers, and Covr Insights for inforce policy management. About Covr Financial Technologies Inc. Covr partners with financial institutions to provide life insurance solutions to their customers in an efficient, easy way that streamlines the process of selling and buying policies. Covr offers a choice of trusted life insurance products from leading insurance carriers, advanced insurance planning solutions, an easy way to compare rates, and the ability to purchase policies within minutes. Through its white-label solutions, Covr helps financial institutions deliver a great experience under an existing brand their customers already trust. Covr currently serves over 24,000 financial advisors and 10 million customers across 30 financial institutions. Covr's investors include seven leading venture capital firms: Nyca Partners, Commerce Ventures, Allianz Life Ventures, Connectivity Capital Partners, Contour Venture Partners, Connecticut Innovations and Fairview Capital. Covr's Advisory Board includes financial services leaders, including Chairman Brian Finn, former president of Credit Suisse First Boston; Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of Ellevest as well as senior executive roles at Bank of America, Citigroup and Smith Barney; Hans Morris, managing partner, Nyca Partners, chairman of Lending Club, formerly president of Visa; Brady Dougan, former CEO of Credit Suisse; Gregg Fleming of Rockefeller Capital and Bob Kerzner, formerly CEO of LIMRA. For more information, please visit www.covrtech.com and follow @covrtech View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/covr-financial-technologies-announces-new-head-of-sales-300991664.html SOURCE Covr Financial Technologies [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Appointment 22 January 2020 Alila Villas Koh Russey welcomes its new Executive Chef, German-born Bjoern van den Oever, a veteran of Rosette and Michelin-starred kitchens who brings a wealth of creativity, passion and five-star experience to the resort's peaceful Cambodian shores. Bjoern's culinary journey has spanned the globe, taking him from kitchens in Germany, Ireland, Portugal and Switzerland, to UAE, Qatar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turks & Caicos Islands, the Maldives and Africa. In the role of Executive Chef, he has created unique and world-class dining experiences for Avani Bentota and Avani Kalutara in Sri Lanka; Sevens Stars Resort in Turks & Caicos; and Hurawalhi Island Resort in the Maldives, where he made a splash with his imaginative cuisine at the undersea 5.8, the largest all-glass underwater restaurant in the world. Prior to joining Alila Villas Koh Russey, Bjoern could be found working his magic at the exclusive resorts of Diamonds la Gemma dell'Est and Diamonds Star of the East on the Spice Island of Zanzibar on Africa's east coast. Trading one exotic island for another, Bjoern now looks forward to indulging guests at this luxury eco-resort in new gastronomic adventures, as he puts a fresh spin of imagination on the Beach Shack's authentically Khmer and Caribbean-inspired comfort food, and French-focused cuisine at Horizon. Bhuta puja in Hindu religion refers to the worship of the bhutas (spirits). It is prevalent among different section of Hindus and is performed in various parts of India and Nepal. The modalities of performing the puja vary from region to region. This kind of worship in Hinduism is described as Bhutaradhana. The bhutas represented by village deities, dead warriors, and even dead local leaders, are propitiated to effect cures and ensure benefits. Bhuta Puja is performed by one belonging to a traditional family initiated into bhuta puja and is generally conducted during the night time. Besides being performed on specific occasions, the puja and rituals are more often held at the request of the affected individuals. Thus, when a villager is affected, he approaches the village chief or a deputed priest (pujari or tantric) arranges for the worship of the bhuta which is supposed to have caused the calamity. Questions are put to the priest in whom the bhuta is supposed to have entered and the answers are acted upon. Quite often, the priest prescribes rituals for appeasement. Washington today raised the prospect of starting a trade war with the UK if the British government goes ahead with plans to impose a tax on US tech giants. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Donald Trump will personally heap pressure on Boris Johnson to drop the proposed levy as Sajid Javid insisted it will go ahead. Mr Javid said the digital services tax will be introduced from April but will only be a temporary measure until an international agreement is in place on how to deal with big online companies like Google and Facebook. But Mr Mnuchin was clear the White House remains ardently against the move as he hinted retaliatory tariffs could be imposed on the UK's car industry if the tax is rolled out. The US and France have announced a truce over President Emmanuel Macron's plans to introduce a similar measure after Washington responded with a threat to slap punitive tariffs on products including French cheese and wine. Mr Javid said the tax - a two per cent levy on the revenues of search engines, social media platforms and online marketplaces which derive value from UK users - will be introduced. Donald Trump, pictured in Davos today, will put pressure on Boris Johnson to ditch plans to impose a tax on tech giants Sajid Javid today told the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort that the digital services levy will go ahead in April Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Chancellor said: 'We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April. 'It's important - as we said at the time when we first introduced it to Parliament and legislated for it - it is a proportionate tax. 'It is a tax that is deliberately designed as a temporary tax, it will fall away once there is an international solution.' The UK has been urged to hold back on pressing ahead with the levy by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which called for time to allow the push for an international approach to succeed. Asked whether a post-Brexit US-UK trade deal will be possible if Mr Javid presses ahead with the tax, Mr Mnuchin said 'we will be having some private conversations about that', adding: 'I'm sure this will be worked out.' Appearing alongside Mr Javid on a panel at the Swiss ski resort, Mr Mnuchin said: 'I'm sure the president and Boris will be speaking on it as well, as the president did with Macron.' He argued a digital tax is 'discriminatory in nature' and the US is participating in the OECD process to find a solution. 'If people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we will consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies,' he warned. The US believes the tax is fundamentally unfair because most of the companies which it would apply to are based in North America. But Mr Javid said there has been a growing disconnect between where customers of online firms are based and where they are taxed. US Treasury Secretary warned Mr Javid that imposing the tax would likely result in tariffs on UK car imports being hiked up Mr Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today, has enjoyed a friendly relationship with Mr Trump since taking office but the digital services tax could sour relations 'This does require an international solution and that is something I think we all agree on,' he said. While there is not an international agreement yet, 'this could be the year of change', the Chancellor added. The prospect of a trade war with the US is likely to spark major concerns in the UK's manufacturing sector. Mr Trump has previously not hesitated in taking action against countries he believes are treating the US unfairly on trade. A dispute with China now appears to be cooling but Mr Trump is still displeased with US relations with the EU. He said today he believed the bloc would agree to more favourable trading terms because if it did not then he would impose 'very high tariffs' on European products. 'They are going to make a deal because they have to,' he said. 'They have to. They have no choice.' A rescue dog with a unique face has finally found a loving home after hundreds of people asked to adopt him. Brodie the German Shepherd Border Collie cross was born in a rescue shelter, but was attacked by his mum when he was only 13 days old. She bit his head, leaving him with severe cranial and facial injuries - but the resilient pooch survived with a permanently slanted face. Wonky-faced Brodie the German Shepherd Border Collie has found a new home (SWNS) Brodie was left with a slanted face after his mother attacked him as a pup (SWNS) Brodie's jaw fused together as he grew but one side of his face got stunted (SWNS) Brodies jaw fused together as he grew but one side of his face got stunted, which left him partially blind in one eye. He had been adopted as a puppy but was returned to the rescue shelter after just five months as the owner complained he was too hyper. But Amanda Richter, 30, and boyfriend Brad Ames, 23, spotted Brodie on a posting online and despite his unusual looks, said it was love at first sight. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Keir Starmer urged to quit Labour leadership race so a woman can win Lisa Nandy criticises BBC journalist for asking 'daft question Thomas Markle says Meghan and Harry won't see him again The pair travelled to the Old MacDonald Kennels in Alberta, Canada in September last year and brought him home the very same day. The shelter said they received hundreds of adoption requests for the "wonky" dog but ultimately Ms Richter and Mr Ames were the perfect fit. Amanda said she cried a few times after seeing his picture online but hopes the energetic pup can now help people with disabilities after training as a therapy dog. The pooch is blind in one eye and may suffer more complications as he grows (SWNS) She said: I looked at his photos every day and even cried a few times. We felt drawn to him for some reason. We met him, took him for a walk and hung out with him for a few hours and ended up bringing him home the same day because the rescue really felt we were a great fit. Hes definitely hyper but he is so intelligent. His brain is perfectly fine and he learns tricks within 10 minutes usually which tells me he is a smart boy. Brodie now loves nothing more than running and playing in the park (SWNS) He just needed patience and someone to be consistent. He gets better every week. Brodie may suffer more complications as he grows but Amanda said all he wants to do now is play and run in the park. She added: Dogs are resilient and he has no idea he looks different so he enjoys his life just the same as any other pup. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Boeing's new CEO, Dave Calhoun, said Wednesday that he wants the company to resume production of the 737 Max months before regulators sign off on the planes and airlines prepare to return them to service. Boeing suspended production of the planes this month because a worldwide grounding of the jetliners after two fatal crashes lasted months longer than expected. Boeing shares fell more than 3% on Tuesday after the company pushed back its estimate of when regulators would sign off on the planes by months to the middle of 2020. The 737 Max production shutdown has already cost thousands of jobs and raised concerns about the crisis' impact on the broader economy. But Calhoun's comments indicate the company does not expect the production pause to last more than a few months. "We got to get that line started up again," he said on a conference call with reporters. "And the supply chain will be reinvigorated even before that." Boeing shares fell 1.4% Wednesday, bringing their weekly losses to nearly 5%. The 737 Max crisis has rippled through Boeing's supply chain, which includes General Electric and Spirit AeroSystems. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin earlier this month estimated that the issues stemming from the plane's grounding could shave half a percentage point off U.S. economic growth this year. Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems on Jan. 10 announced it would cut an initial 2,800 jobs because of the Max grounding. Calhoun said Wednesday that Boeing is not planning to lay off or furlough any of its employees because of the production pause, even with Boeing's new estimate that regulators will approve the planes again midyear. Calhoun, a decadelong Boeing board member who took the helm of the manufacturer last week, is tasked with steadying the company, shaken by the 737 Max upheaval. Internal emails that were recently made public revealed employees boasted about bullying regulators into accepting less time-consuming pilot training before officials allowed Boeing to deliver the planes to airlines. In other messages, Boeing employees expressed safety concerns about the plane. In the wide-ranging call with reporters, Calhoun said he intended to improve the company's culture and lift employee morale. A flight-control system Boeing included in the jets was implicated in the two Max crashes a Lion Air flight in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight less than five months later which killed all 346 people on board. Boeing is now scrambling to get regulators to sign off on changes to that software and other fixes to the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration has said several times that it doesn't have a firm timeline to recertify the planes. The distressing moment a five tonne minke whale is slaughtered with a grenade and a harpoon before being carved up for meat on a trawler is captured in a new Stacey Dooley documentary. The BBC Three programme sees the journalist visit Norway and the Faroe Islands to learn more about the controversial tradition of whaling. Norway has the biggest commercial whaling industry in the world; it is part of their livelihood and whale meat is a traditional dish. Stacey travels to the Lofoten Islands in the northern part of the country and joins skipper Bjorn and his crew on a week-long commercial whaling trip to the Arctic Circle. Scroll down for video Stacey Dooley (pictured) visits Norway and the Faroe Islands to learn more about the controversial tradition of whaling Norway has the biggest commercial whaling industry in the world; it is part of their livelihood and whale meat is a traditional dish. Here a harpooned whale is shot with a rifle before it is pulled onto the boat On day two, she witnesses the men catch a seven metre-long minke whale, a species which is not under threat from extinction, meaning it's lawful to hunt in Norway. The whale is shot with a 'cannon' with an in-built grenade, to kill the whale instantly on impact, and harpoon to reel it into the boat. Before it is pulled aboard, Bjorn shoots it with a rifle to make sure it's dead. It takes three men to haul the male whale onto the cooling palettes, where it is then stripped of its blubber, gutted and carved up for meat, with unwanted parts discarded back into the sea. Visibly uncomfortable by the brutal sight, Stacey says: 'I've seen people hunt before, but.. I've never even seen a whale this close up. I don't really know how I'm feeling. F*** this is mad.' Stacey witnesses the men catch a seven metre-long minke whale, a species which is not under threat from extinction, meaning it's lawful to hunt in Norway It takes three men to haul the male whale onto the cooling palettes, where it is then prepared by the crew for meat The seven metre-long, five tonne minke whale is stripped of its blubber, gutted and carved up for meat When asked by Stacey how they feel as they're cutting up the whale, a crew member replies: 'Ordinary' Each minke whale is worth around 7,000, and for the whalers it's straightforward - the whale provides food and enables them to earn a living. When asked by Stacey how they feel as they're cutting up the whale, a crew member replies: 'Ordinary,' admitting they did feel 'a little bit strange' the first time they did it but 'got used to it'. Bjorn suggests critics of the tradition are urban people who don't understand the laws of nature - and argues it's no different to the meat industry in other countries. 'They haven't been where this is normal. They have been misled, everybody thinks that we are doing this against international laws but that's not true. We have an international right to do it, whale hunting,' he tells Stacey. Visibly uncomfortable by the brutal sight, Stacey says: 'I've seen people hunt before, but.. I've never even seen a whale this close up. I don't really know how I'm feeling' Each minke whale is worth around 7,000, and for the whalers it's straightforward - the whale provides food and enables them to earn a living 'Those who are most enemy of this catch is countries that produce a lot of meat themselves... urban people who don't understand this. Nature is based on that you should eat each other.' Stacey also travels to the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic during the documentary to learn about the 1,000 year-old tradition of the grind - where pilot whales, white-sided dolphins and bottle-nosed dolphins are beached and slaughtered. The kills are recorded and the meat is free to the people involved in the hunt, which is viewed as a tradition. Grind Foreman Magnus, who leads the whale hunts, tells Stacey he objects to outsiders telling them how to live, while Armgar, a 24 year-old student, says she is desperate to get her licence to kill. Whaler Bjorn suggests critics of the tradition are urban people who don't understand the laws of nature Both maintain that the killing of the animals is instant and that they are not in any distress or pain during the grind - but a local conservation group begs to differ. Sarah and Wayne, members of Sea Shepherds, share footage they recorded of the grind in a cove known as 'Killing Bay'. They argue that driving a pod of pilot whales to shore during a grind can take four or five hours, so being chased by boats can leave the animals confused and disorientated. They also believe the killing is inhumane and unregulated, meaning the mammals often suffer before they die. Stacey also travels to the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic during the documentary to learn about the 1,000 year-old tradition of the grind The harrowing footage they collected, which was live-streamed by Sarah and brought her to tears, show pilot whales and dolphins being laboriously killed on the shore using knives and an instrument known as a spinal lance. Fifty seconds into the clip, a dolphin being slaughtered by a member of the grind is still alive and thrashing, despite being cut at the neck. Sarah claims the animals were not killed instantly and left in the water in spasm. 'My mind couldn't process what my eyes were seeing, afterwards I was really upset,' Sarah says. 'These pilot whales should be left alone and live a free life, they don't need to be killed. They don't need to be driven for hours and slaughtered on beaches.' Fifty seconds into the upsetting clip of the grind, a dolphin being slaughtered by a member of the grind is still alive and thrashing, despite being cut at the neck (pictured) Stacey questions a government official about the method of killing the whales and dolphins, who admits slaughter in the wild is 'never going to be completely clinical'. 'It's not a sport,' she adds. 'It's a way of getting food for the family.' According to a Norwegian report, 82 per cent of whales are killed instantly, but for a fifth, it takes an average of six minutes to die. A spokesperson for the Faroese government told the BBC production: 'The spinal lance is not as effective on white-sided dolphins as they are smaller in size than pilot whales. 'The plan is to design a smaller spinal lance for dolphins and this work has begun.' Watch Stacey Dooley Investigates: The Whale Hunters on the BBC iPlayer now. On 8 November 2018, amid the storm of accusations and recriminations over the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi just five weeks earlier, Jeff Bezos, the owner of the newspaper, received a bizarre message on his personal phone. It was a photograph sent via WhatsApp of a woman who resembled the TV journalist with whom Mr Bezos was having an illicit affair, months before the matter became public. Even stranger was who had sent the photo, according to reports: Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. It was the first clue that the richest man in the world had had his most private communications hacked, very possibly by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, a pair of United Nations experts called for an immediate investigation by the United States into information suggesting that Mr Bezoss phone was hacked after he received a file sent months earlier by Prince Mohammed, or from his phone. Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on enforced disappearances, and David Kaye, a UN envoy on freedom of expression issues, say information they have collected over the months suggested that Mr Bezos and others have been the targets of a sophisticated campaign of cyber-espionage by Saudi Arabia. Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Show all 7 1 /7 Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi Washington Post journalist who was critical of the Saudi regime and the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he was murdered on 2 October in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul AFP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Heir to the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman has been implicated in the murder, with US officials claiming that he must have known of the plot AFP/Getty Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures 15 man hit squad Turkish police suspect these 15 men of being involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, issued 10 October, 8 days after the journalist disappeared EPA Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saud al-Qahtani Aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saud al-Qahtani is claimed to have ordered Khashoggi's murder Saud Al-Qahtani/Twitter Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb A former diplomat who often travelled with the Crown Prince, Mutreb was initially claimed to be the leader of the hit squad and is pictured here entering the Saudi consulate on the day of the murder AP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Mustafa al-Madani First implicated in the 15 CCTV photos released by the Turkish police, al-Madani was later found to have been used as a body double for Khashoggi, leaving the Saudi consulate dressed in his clothes on the day the journalist was killed CNN Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi (L) Son of the murdered journalist met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 23 October EPA The alleged hacking of Mr Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by the US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents, said a statement by the two. The circumstances and timing of the hacking and surveillance of Bezos also strengthen support for further investigation by the US and other relevant authorities of the allegations that the crown prince ordered, incited, or, at a minimum, was aware of planning for but failed to stop the mission that fatally targeted Mr Khashoggi in Istanbul. In an interview, Ms Callamard urged US law enforcement to engage on a matter that she said breached the rights of a prominent US citizen and set a precedent in which anyone could be targeted by the powerful. The allegations demand on the part of American institutions that they investigate the breach of Bezoss phone by a foreign power it can be done by the FBI or the US congress, she told The Independent. This should be a wake-up call that one of the richest men on earth with a great deal of protection was hacked, she said. It should be wake-up call to the political elite. Their phones are not safe. It remains unclear whether Prince Mohammed himself was in on the scheme to hack Mr Bezoss phone, obtaining information that was later used to blackmail him. But circumstantial evidence amassed by the UN investigators strongly suggests he or those around him had the means and motive to do so. Ms Callamard said that either Prince Mohammed or one of his deputies was behind the surveillance. Mr Bezos and Prince Mohammed struck up a connection in the months before the Khashoggi killing, when Saudi Arabia was being celebrated as a bastion of change under the new crown prince and Amazon was considering an expansion to the kingdom. But Khashoggi was also already penning a highly critical articles for The Washington Post at the time. According to the UN report, Mr Bezos received a video from Prince Salmans personal account on 1 May 2018 via WhatsApp that was reportedly infected with Pegasus, a cyber-espionage tool developed by the Israeli firm NSO. Just two weeks earlier, Khashoggi had written a piece urging greater democracy in the kingdom. Around the same, the phones of several other prominent Saudi dissidents close to Khashoggi were infected with Pegasus. Once Khashoggi was murdered and the kingdom came under pressure to come clean, Saudi officials and Prince Mohammeds army of online trolls vehemently attacked Mr Bezos and The Washington Post for its aggressive coverage of the kidnapping, torture, murder, dismemberment and disappearance of the dissident writer in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Thats when the photo of the woman resembling Lauren Sanchez, Mr Bezoss mistress, appeared. The National Enquirer, a US gossip tabloid which appeared to have ties to the kingdom, threatened to expose the affair with Ms Sanchez unless he backed down on accusations that the magazine was doing the bidding of Saudi Arabia. (A spokesperson for the publisher of The National Enquirer claims it has no editorial or financial ties to Saudi Arabia.) Mr Bezos instead went public, exposing the entire matter in February 2019, after hiring private investigators to find out how his communications were breached. If in my position I cant stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can? Mr Bezos wrote. An annex to Wednesdays report cites a dozen or so in-depth, forensic level tests Mr Bezoss phone underwent by a team of digital forensic experts to locate the source of the invasion. Experts advised that the most likely explanation for the anomalous data was use of mobile spyware such as NSO Groups Pegasus, said the report. MBS speaks about his role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi Cybersecurity sleuths have repeatedly claimed NSO provided Pegasus to the kingdom. But others said it was possible that Prince Mohammed or someone else may have inadvertently passed along the malware. We dont know for a fact whether or not anybody was conscious of sending any type of malware, and this malware been going around for quite a while, said Theodore Karasik, of Gulf State Analytics, a research consultancy. Ms Callamard and Mr Kaye have been pushing international powers for months to take up a more aggressive stance towards Prince Mohammed. But both the UN, which receives significant funding from the kingdom, and the US, where President Donald Trump remains chummy with the Saudi royal family, have resisted. Allegations that the crown prince, or MBS, as he is often described in shorthand, may have personally taken part in the hacking of Mr Bezoss phone stunned many. I was going to say this is f***ing insane, wrote Karen Attiyah, Khashoggis editor at The Washington Post, on Twitter. But its not. This is MBS being drunk and high on impunity. Hes never been held accountable for any single f***ing thing, ever. In a message posted on Twitter, the Saudi embassy in Washington said: Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr Jeff Bezoss phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. The Asean secretariat hopes the meet may be able to iron out existing wrinkles raised by India. Since there had been no significant progress on the matter over the past two years on most issues, New Delhi is yet to decide on the invite. India has been extended an invitation to join talks on the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) next month, but is still on the fence about participation, say sources. The 10-member Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc has invited India to Bali, Indonesia, for RCEP talks on February 3-4. The Asean secretariat hopes the meet may be able to iron out existing wrinkles raised by India. Since there had been no significant progress on the matter over the past two years on most issues, New Delhi is yet to decide on the invite, an official said. The RCEP is a proposed pact between 10 Asean economies and six others (New Zealand, Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea) with which the grouping currently has free-trade agreements. In November last year, the Narendra Modi government had announced it was pulling back from RCEP talks, arguing doing so would adversely affect national interest. Modi had informed the other leaders that the deal in its latest form does not fully reflect the basic spirit and the agreed guiding principles of the RCEP. This was a nod by the government to concerns raised by domestic industry and farmers, most of whom had opposed the pact, fearing it would lead to uncontrolled dumping by China. But the RCEP nations had left the door open for India - the largest untapped consumer and industrial market - in the bloc. All nations, apart from India, went ahead with the deal after the conclusion of the summit in Bangkok. Participating countries have concluded text-based negotiations for all 20 chapters and essentially all their market-access issues, said the joint statement issued after a meeting of RCEP leaders. All RCEP countries will work together to resolve these outstanding issues in a mutually satisfactory way. "Indias final decision will depend on satisfactory resolution of these issues, the joint statement had said. Negotiations, started in 2012, are currently expected to culminate in a final deal being signed by end-2020. The deal is now being scrubbed for legal issues. The RCEP issue had divided the domestic industry, with various sectors like retail, dairy, and electronics vehemently opposing the deal, fearing an onslaught on imports from China and other nations. But other sectors, such as textiles and pharma, had supported Indias participation, citing the deal provides access to the huge Chinese consumer market. NITI Aayog had pointed out that existing trade agreements with Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea are grossly unfavourable to India and have led to a widening trade deficit with these nations. India has repeatedly maintained that if other RCEP nations come up with better offers, it will be open to discussion. Currently, India is exploring trade agreements with the US and the European Union to allow the manufacturing and services sectors to benefit from access to large developed markets. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday unveiled the female humanoid to be placed in the first unmanned mission under the Gaganyaan mission. Gaganyaan is India's first human space mission. Named Vyommitra, the robot is a prototype of humanoid and will go as a trial before the Gaganyaan goes up with the astronauts. 'Vyommitra' will simulate most of the human body functions and report back to ISRO. Live TV ISRO scientist Sam Dayal said, "It will try to simulate a human and report back to us. We are doing this as an experiment." Earlier, ISRO had announced that four astronauts have been identified for the Gaganyaan mission. Sources told Zee Media that all the four astronauts selected for the mission are men but their identity cannot be revealed. The training of the astronauts will start in Russia in January. The shortlisted astronauts will receive training for 11 months. After receiving training in Russia, the astronauts will receive module-specific training in India. In this training, the astronauts will be trained in crew and service module designed by ISRO, learn to operate it, work around it and do simulations. On January 1, 2020, ISRO chief had said that the Gaganyaan project is currently the top priority of the scientists at Bengaluru-based ISRO. As per the ISRO sources, India's heaviest launch vehicle Bahubali GSLV Mark-III will the carry astronauts to space. Notably, the Union Cabinet has already sanctioned Rs10,000 crore for the Gaganyaan project. This followed the announcement made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day last year, stating that the Gaganyaan launch in 2022 will coincide with the 75th year of Indias Independence. Though the first Indian to go into space was Rakesh Sharma in 1984 but the spacecraft in which he went was not Indian. Therefore, Gaganyaan will be the first-ever human space mission conceived and developed in India, as a distinct illustration of the Prime Ministers 'Make in India' vision. On September 21, 2019, ISRO chief Dr K Sivan had said that the Gaganyaan mission is extremely important for India because it will boost the science and technology capability of the country. Subscriber content preview Washington man is 1st in US to catch new virus from China Health officials stressed that they believe the virus' overall risk to the American public remained low. By CARLA K. JOHNSON and MIKE STOBBE Associated Press SEATTLE The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. The man, identified only as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was in good condition and wasn't considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials said. . . . login or purchase a To read this story in fullor purchase a subscription. Monty Python star Terry Jones directed some of the comedy troupe's most loved and famous works, including the Life of Brian. Following his death last night at the age of 77, after a battle with a rare form of dementia, tributes have poured in from his legions of fans, as well as his co-stars. Jones co-directed Monty Python And The Holy Grail with fellow Python Terry Gilliam, and he was the sole director on Life Of Brian and The Meaning Of Life. He was responsible for some of the most iconic lines in British comedy, ones that would go on to make a huge impact on society. That includes his most quoted line, from his role as Brian's mother in Monty Python's Life Of Brian, where he says: 'Now, you listen here! He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!' Here, you can relive some of his most famous - and hilarious - moments. Terry Jones' most-quoted line from his role as Brian's mother in Monty Python's Life Of Brian, where he says: 'Now, you listen here! He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!' Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete and Utter History of Britain - Pt 1 - 1969 The Complete and Utter History of Britain aired in 1969 and was created and written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones It was the last series any of the Pythons made before getting together to make Monty Python's Flying Circus in 1969. Jones and Palin played several roles in the show, which replayed key moments in history and imagined how they would have played out if TV had been around at the time. Monty Python's Hell's Grannies - 1971 The Hell's Grannies sketch is from the eight episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Full Frontal Nudity. Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Graham Chapman play a gang of old ladies attacking young men and causing general mayhem. Meanwhile, John Cleese, Idle, Chapman, Jones and Palin play a gang of baby snatchers, men dressed as babies, who steal a woman's husband. Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus - 1972 Monty Python's popularity soared in the 1970s, reaching Europe after a compliation of sketches won a second place prize at the Montreux Festival in 1971. This prompted Alfred Biolek, a producer from Bavaria Films, contacted Ian MacNaughton to propose a Python show for German television, leading to 'Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus.' The Pythons ended up filming two 45-minute shows for Bavarian television, very close in style to the BBC series, with the first shot in German. Jones later said they soon realised they'd bitten off more than they could chew by doing the show in German. The Holy Grail Monty Python and the Holy Grail trailer - 1975 Released in 1975, Monty Python and the Holy Grail saw the group tackle the Arthurian legend. It was written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and directed by Gilliam and Jones. It was conceived during the hiatus between the third and fourth series of their BBC series Monty Python's Flying Circus. The film, parodying King Arthur's search for the holy grail, is widely hailed as one of the greatest comedy movies of all time. 40th anniversary trailer In 2015, the iconic movie received a special 40th anniversary screening to celebrate its success. Monty Python and the Holy Grail was shown in UK cinemas nationwide for one night only in a special sing-along version. The screening was preceded by a special introduction from actors John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Eric Idle. Constitutional peasants in Holy Grail A popular scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it shows King Arthur speaking to two peasants. He tries to get the man, Dennis, and an unnamed peasant woman to tell him who lives in the nearby castle. To his irritation, the peasants refuse to recognise his authority over them, with Dennis saying: 'Oh, king eh? Very nice. And how'd you get that, eh? By exploiting the workers. By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society.' King Arthur insists he is the King, to which the peasant woman, quips: 'Well, I didn't vote for you.' LIFE OF BRIAN CLIPS Monty Python's Life of Brian trailer- 1979 Monty Python's Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, was released in 1989 and directed by Jones. It starred and was written by Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Michael Palin. The film tells the story of Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man who is born on the same day asand next door toJesus Christ, and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. 'He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!' Perhaps the most iconic scene in British comedy, here Terry Jones utters his famous 'He's not the Messiah' line. Playing Brian's mother in the Life of Brian, he angrily tells a huge group of worshippers to 'shove off', insisting her son is not a diving figure and is instead a 'very naughty boy'. Unfortunately, the crowd refuse to heed her desires. The iconic line is perhaps Jones' most-quoted and fondly referenced by fans frequently. Blessed are the big noses This clip, also from the Life of Brian, shows a crowd of worshippers gathered around Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, however, none can quite make out what he is saying as he addresses the masses. This triggers an argument among some members of the crowd, while a woman tells her husband not to pick his nose. Others tell the couple to shut up, with one member of the crowd dubbing the man 'Big Nose'. A brawl ensues. Are there any women here? In this clip, John Cleese plays a Jewish official and asks if any women are present at the stoning of Mathias. Hilariously, they all shake their heads, huddling together to avoid any scrutiny. Women were banned from the stoning. OTHER CLIPS Monty Python's Meaning of Life - 1983 Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, also known simply as The Meaning of Life wasw released in 1983 and directed by Terry Jones. It was the last film to feature all six Python members before Graham Chapman's death in 1989. Unlike Holy Grail and Life of Brian, the film's that came before the Meaning of Life, this one saw the troup return to a sketch format instead of a coherent story. Terry Jones introducing outtakes from The Holy Grail A 35th-anniversary edition of the Holy Grail was released on Blu-ray was released in the US in March 2012. The edition included outtakes and extended scenes with Python member and the movie's co-director Terry Jones. The Meaning of Life LIVE trailer Monty Python - The Meaning of Live was a feature length documentary directed by Roger Graef and James Rogen which offered unprecedented access to the preparations and staging of 'Monty Python Live (mostly) - One Down Five to Go' reunion shows. The show, from, took place at The O2, London. People protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act were allegedly lathicharged by police in a Muslim-dominated area in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district Etawah: People protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act were allegedly lathicharged by police in a Muslim-dominated area in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district. A video of the incident, where policemen can be seen using batons and chasing away protesters in the area on late Tuesday night, has also gone viral on social media. Violence broke out when police tried to disperse the protesters who were on a sit-in since Tuesday morning in Pachraha area, defying prohibitory orders imposed there. "The police indulged in force against us while we were holding a peaceful protest. Our brothers and cousins were beaten up and we were abused. We were physically tortured. We have a right to protest," one of the women protesters said. Responding to the allegations, police said the protesters had staged dharna defying prohibitory order imposed in the area and were pelting stones. Police said they had to use mild force to chase the protesters away. In the video, policemen can be seen entering houses and shops. The sit-in was organised in solidarity with women protesting at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi against the new legislation. "Police are citing prohibitory orders to end out protest. What about the large public meetings being held by ministers," another protester said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga in Davos. The sides exchanged views on the deepening of relations between Azerbaijan and Mongolia even further. They noted that there were wide opportunities for cooperation in the field of agriculture, especially in the livestock sector. The investment opportunities in the copper and gold mining industry were discussed. During the conversation, it was noted that Mongolian students were currently studying in Azerbaijani universities. Haftar's militias bomb airport in Tripoli Forces loyal to Haftar once again violated the fragile cease-fire with the UN-recognized government, firing mortar shells on southern areas of the capital. Libyan government forces announced on Wednesday that the militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar bombed the Mitiga International Airport in the capital Tripoli, in a new breach of the Jan. 12 cease-fire. GRAD MISSILES HIT THE MITIGA AIRPORT Mohamed Qanounu, spokesman for the forces of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), said in a statement that the militias bombed the airport with six Grad missiles. Qanounu did not give further details on human or material losses. "The bombing is a flagrant threat to the air navigation movement, and a new and repeated breach of the ceasefire by Haftar's militias," he added. On Jan. 12, the conflict parties announced a cease-fire in response to a joint call by the Turkish and Russian leaders. But the talks for a permanent cease-fire deal ended without an agreement after Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal. On Sunday, Haftar accepted in Berlin to designate members to a UN-proposed military commission with five members from each side to monitor implementation of the cease-fire. But reports said on Tuesday that forces loyal to Haftar once again violated the fragile cease-fire with the UN-recognized government, firing mortar shells on southern areas of the capital. Inside Hook For many believers, a church can be a place of community and solace, the kind of space where profound connections can be made and where lives can improve. But an article in The Wall Street Journal explores the ironic flip side of that namely, that church pastors and other employees struggling with depression and other mental-health issues might not find such a healing response. In fact, pastors who admit to a diagnosis of depression might lose their job as a result. You might think that dismissing someone over a health issue is illegal. It is, just not for religious institutions. While the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits such behavior, a 2012 Supreme Court ruling argued that it did not apply to religious leaders. The Journal explains: Democratic hopes that a moderate bloc of Senate Republicans would join their demand for witnesses and testimony at Donald Trumps impeachment trial were temporarily disappointed, if not dashed, as arguments on the first proper day of the trial extended past midnight into Wednesday morning. Related: Mitch McConnell: ruthless operator determined to triumph for Trump In seven consecutive votes split precisely along party lines, the Senate voted down Democratic proposals to subpoena testimony from four potential witnesses and documents from multiple government agencies. Four additional votes defeated proposals to ease the admission of documents and testimony and to relax related time restrictions. I know its late, but it doesnt have to be late, Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment manager, or prosecutor in the case, said as the proceedings entered their 12th hour. We dont control the schedule. There is a reason why we are still here at five minutes till midnight, and thats because they dont want the American people to see whats going on here. Democrats fruitlessly called for testimony and documents from the former national security adviser John Bolton; the acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney; Mulvaneys aide Robert Blair; the budget official Michael Duffey; the White House; the state department; the defense department; and the budget office relevant to an alleged scheme by Trump to twist the powers of the presidency to extract personal political favors from Ukraine. Each of the proposed subpoenas was defeated by a 53-47 vote. Only one procedural amendment garnered a single Republican vote, from Susan Collins of Maine. The 13-hour session came to an end just before 2am local time, with yet another straight party-line vote to approve guidelines for the trial unveiled by the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, just a day earlier. Democrats accused Republicans of failing to commit to a fair impeachment trial and of engaging in a cover-up of misconduct by the president. Story continues The president is engaged in this cover-up because he is guilty, and he knows it, said Representative Val Demings of Florida, one of the impeachment managers. A further opportunity for the senators to demand documents or witnesses was anticipated in the weeks ahead. But Schiff urged the senators to issue subpoenas before an allotted period for senators to question the legal teams. You should want to see these documents, said Schiff. You should want to know what these private emails and text messages have to say. The American people want a fair trial, Schiff said. But a great many Americans dont believe that will happen. Lets prove them wrong. Trumps defense team struck a combative posture, expressing outrage at what they said was unfair treatment of the president and accusing the House of an attack on democracy. Theyre not here to steal one election, theyre here to steal two elections, said Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel. They wont tell you that. They dont have the guts to say it directly. But thats exactly what theyre here to do. John Roberts, the chief justice of the US supreme court, presides during opening arguments. Photograph: Reuters The trial was scheduled to continue with late-night sessions starting on Wednesday afternoon and running into the weekend. A long-shot two-thirds majority of senators present would be required to remove Trump from office. The supreme courts chief justice, John Roberts, gaveled the trial to order shortly after 1pm. The Senate will convene as a court of impeachment, Roberts said, proceeding to swear in one senator, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, who missed the group swearing-in last week. Over the next 12 hours, Roberts stepped out of a strictly procedural role only once, after the manager Jerry Nadler accused any senator who voted against hearing from Bolton of casting a treacherous vote and Cipollone demanded that Nadler apologize to Trump and his family. Admonishing both sides, Roberts noted that Senate rules and tradition required civil discourse. I do think that those addressing the Senate should remember where they are, he said. The opposing legal teams, seated in a cramped arrangement at tables stacked with paper at the base of the Senate rostrum, struck an immediate contrast in style and substance. While Trumps team attacked the conduct of the impeachment process in the House and resuscitated a call for more information about the whistleblower whose complaint launched the process, the Democrats appealed to the 100 senators before them. They talk about how bad the House is I dont agree with that at all, the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, told reporters during a break in the trial, referring to Trumps defense team. They dont make a single argument why there shouldnt be witnesses or documents. As the hours wore on, certain rhythms and incongruities in the trial emerged. While the House managers used almost all of their allotted debate time, liberally deploying video clips drawn from public hearings last month, Trumps defense team used only a fraction of its time, repeating a blanket defense of the presidents conduct and rarely referring to previous testimony in the case. To debate various proposed subpoenas, Schiff deployed one of the other seven managers to make a scripted case and then, after Trumps team had spoken, rose to deliver impromptu rebuttals. After the deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin said the Democratic request for new witnesses amounted to an admission that they were unprepared for trial, Schiff pounced, calling on Trumps former national security adviser and current acting chief of staff to appear. Donald Trumps personal attorney Jay Sekulow speaks during the trial. Photograph: AP Were ready, Schiff said. The House calls John Bolton. The House calls Mick Mulvaney. Lets get this trial started, shall we. We are ready to present our case. We are ready to call witnesses. The question is, will you let us? Pounding the lectern, Jay Sekulow, a personal lawyer for Trump and talk-radio host, blazed through a series of conservative talking points and conspiracy theories ranging in focus from the special counsel Robert Mueller to the former attorney general Eric Holder. This isnt a legal defense, tweeted Kate Brannen, editorial director of the Just Security website. Its the equivalent of impeachment jazz hands. After Cipollone delivered a terse statement declaring: The president has done absolutely nothing wrong, Schiff took the lectern to reprise his description of Trumps alleged misconduct and to underscore the gravity of the moment. You have all now sworn an oath, Schiff told the senators. To do impartial justice. That oath binds you. That oath supersedes all else. Nothing matters now but the oath to do impartial justice. And that oath requires a fair trial. Trump is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in connection with his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. In the hours before the trial began, Democrats escalated their criticism, lambasting what they called a cover-up and a rigged process designed to push key moments of the trial into the dark of night. Related: John Roberts: justice once labelled a 'disaster' by Trump to oversee impeachment trial If Democrats are to secure additional witnesses, they will need at least four Republicans to back them. A handful of moderates, including Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah, have indicated that they could support an effort to call witnesses but only on the timeline outlined in a proposal advanced by McConnell. With the trial under way, Democrats continued to press Republicans to refuse McConnells terms and work with them to reach a bipartisan solution. No jury would be asked to operate on McConnells absurdly compressed schedule, said Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. It is obvious that no senator who votes for it is intending to truly weigh the damning evidence of the presidents attacks on our constitution. In their legal brief submitted to the Senate on Sunday, the House managers outlined their case, alleging Trump corruptly sought foreign interference in the 2020 election by pressuring Ukraine to launch investigations into his political opponents while withholding nearly $400m in military aid and dangling a coveted White House meeting with Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Apple CEO Tim Cook laughs with President Donald Trump during a meeting in the White House, Washington, March 6, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump will attend a breakfast meeting on Wednesday with Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook and other business leaders on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to sources familiar with the situation. On Tuesday, Trump had dinner with executives from 25 multinational companies and organizations. Attendees discussed their business relationship with the United States, with several executives, including the chief executives of Nokia and Ericsson, focusing on the rollout of next-generation 5G telecommunications networks in the United States. Among other attendees of the Tuesday dinner were various Cabinet members and White House advisers, including acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Other scheduled attendees included SoftBank's chief executive, Masayoshi Son, and LVMH Moet Hennessy Chairman Bernard Arnault. The dinner was organized with the help of Trump's adviser and daughter Ivanka Trump, the source familiar with the situation said. Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, attended the event. The current most senior executive at French carmaker Renault has played down suggestions that an almost two-decade partnership with Japan's Nissan is set to end. Ties between the two firms have been strained since Japanese authorities arrested former Nissan chair Carlos Ghosn in 2018 on charges related to misuse of company funds and underreporting of his personal salary. In late October, Renault's Thierry Bollore was dismissed from his chief executive role in an attempt to save relations with Nissan's top bosses. A replacement is expected to be announced in the coming days. Media reports have suggested that Nissan's board is figuring out how a split from its alliance with Renault could work and what other firms it could look to work with. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, chairman of Renault, Jean-Dominique Senard, dismissed the claim, saying the spirit between the two firms was already "totally changed" from a few months ago. "Questions about the alliance; 'What are the new challenges? How we can get out of the situation?' were in every mind, so I can understand that," said Senard, before claiming that the relationship was back to being as healthy as it was 20 years ago. Bullishly describing the relationship as "extraordinarily positive," Senard added that the two management teams were talking every day and there was the kind of relationship not enjoyed for at least a year. "We are now shaping up the whole thing in a way that we can only have positive news in the near future," he added. The Renault-Nissan partnership has the French firm as the dominant player as it holds a much greater stake in Nissan than the other way around. Voting rights in the boardroom therefore favor the French firm, to the annoyance of some Japanese executives. Renault shares have dipped more that 30% over the past 12 months and the firm's debt ratio currently stands at 1.01 meaning the firm's total enterprise value only just eclipses what it owes. When asked if Renault could improve relations with Nissan and lower debt in one stroke by selling down its stake, Senard claimed that was not a topic for immediate discussion. "Nothing is fixed for eternity, but the priority today is to make sure that things are working well on the industrial part, that's the key," Senard said. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Tuesday it will recall 2.7 million older U.S. vehicles in North America for potentially defective air bag inflators. The defect involves a different type of Takata inflator than those that have prompted the largest-ever auto safety recalls worldwide covering more than 42 million U.S By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co <7267.T> said on Tuesday it will recall 2.7 million older U.S. vehicles in North America for potentially defective air bag inflators. The defect involves a different type of Takata inflator than those that have prompted the largest-ever auto safety recalls worldwide covering more than 42 million U.S. vehicles by 19 automakers with Takata air bag inflators. The new recall covers Honda and Acura automobiles from the 1996 through 2003 model years. Honda said it is aware of one field rupture of a inflator in the new recall campaign - a 2012 crash in Texas that resulted in an injury - and two in junkyards in Japan. The campaign covers 2.4 million U.S. vehicles and 300,000 in Canada, Honda said, adding that it has not determined recall numbers for other countries. Takata issued a new defect notice in November for inflators from four automakers, including Honda. Honda said all three vehicles "potentially were exposed to unusually high amounts of moisture prior to the rupture events." Honda said the recalls cover driver front airbag inflators manufactured with non-azide propellant and said "all inspections and repairs will begin in approximately one year, as replacement parts from alternative suppliers are not yet available." Honda said it "regrets any inconvenience or distress that this situation may cause to our customers as we seek to resolve this situation. Honda believes that the risk of improper airbag deployment in its vehicles remains very low at this time, but we cannot absolutely guarantee the performance of any recalled part." (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Disney (NYSE:DIS) announced Tuesday that it has moved up the date for the introduction of Disney+ to customers in Western Europe. The company said in a press release that the streaming service will launch for customers in the United Kingdom (U.K.), Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland on March 24. The rollout will continue with other European markets, including Belgium, the Nordic countries, and Portugal, this summer. The company also confirmed the pricing for its European customers, at a monthly cost of 5.99 pounds in the U.K. and 6.99 euros in the other countries, or about $7.82 and $7.76, respectively at current exchange rates. An annual subscription will cost 59.99 pounds or 69.99 euros, or $78.33 and $77.67, respectively. This compares to $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year in the U.S. This move advances the company's schedule, as it originally planned to introduce Disney+ to Western Europe on March 31. Building on its early success Disney+ officially debuted to much fanfare in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands on Nov. 12; Disney announced the following day that it had already "reached a major milestone, achieving a remarkable 10 million signups since launching." Management indicated it won't provide additional subscriber updates outside of its regularly scheduled quarterly earnings reports, but third-party analytics suggest that its impressive early growth has continued. The Disney+ app has been downloaded nearly 41 million times, according to data released last week by marketing intelligence provider Sensor Tower. This includes each of the five countries where Disney+ is currently available, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. Measures reported by other sources seem to confirm the ongoing popularity of Disney+. The app was downloaded 22 million times within four weeks of its debut, according to market intelligence provider Apptopia. It isn't clear how many of those downloads actually initiated a seven-day free trial and how many actually stuck around beyond the initial offer. During its investor day back in April 2019, Disney forecast total subscribers in a range of 60 million to 90 million by the end of fiscal 2024, with about one-third coming from its domestic market and two-thirds from international locations. Reaching those subscriber goals will help get the streaming unit to profitability. If its initial signup numbers are any indication of how many subs Disney+ has at this point, the company is well on its way to achieving its preliminary goals and on track to reach profitability earlier than originally forecast. Investors will ultimately benefit Investor enthusiasm has been palpable since Disney detailed plans for Disney+ last April, helping the consumer discretionary stock outperform the broader market. Since the day of the announcement, Disney stock has gained more than 23%, compared to 15% for the S&P 500. It's still too early to expect the streaming service to move the needle for Disney, which generated more than $19 billion in revenue during its most recent quarter. Looking ahead, however, the stakes will be much higher. The company could book between $4 billion and $7 billion annually by 2024 if it reaches its subscriber goals and, with an original content investment of about $2.5 billion a year by then, Disney+ could begin to significantly impact the bottom line. Force Motors, the market leader in the inter-city commuter vans space, on Wednesday unveiled an all new premium model of its popular van Traveller with BS-VI diesel powertrain and electric engine options, developed over the past four years with a project investment of over Rs 1,000 crore. The yet-to-be named 18-seater van will begin commercial production towards the end of the year and will be showcased at the forthcoming Auto Expo in Delhi, the company said. Presently christened T1N, the van will be export-focused and the Firodias, who were the pioneers of three-wheeler autorickshaws in the 1950s, will begin shipping the van, which boasts of 25 industry-first features, to the Gulf markets where it is already present, Prasan Firodia, managing director at Force Motors and the son of company chairman Abhay Firodia, told PTI. The other focus market will be North Africa, South Africa, Asean, South America and the Saarc region, he said, adding from a regulatory compliance perspective it can be sold in Europe, the Far East and the US. Firodia refused the reveal the price or the battery range saying the vehicle in not ready for commercial production. Its present 18-seater Traveller is priced at around Rs 15 lakh. Whether a higher pricing will be detrimental in a falling market like the present one, he said, "their primary focus will be exports as we want to use this van to be our springboard to become a global automotive company". He also ruled out cannibalisation of the existing models saying there is market for every model as has been their experience with Trax and Traveller so far which offer 9-seaters to 26-seaters now. The Pune-based company is the largest van maker in the country with 68 per cent market share and nets almost 50 per cent of its income from its engine supply business with Mercedes and BMW now. In the quarter to September, Force Motors reported a 5.6 per cent drop on revenue at Rs 818 crore while its net income plunged 84 per cent to Rs 4.2 crore. "The T1N was triggered about four years ago with the objective to develop a truly world-class shared mobility platform that would be ahead of current offerings and raise the bar in terms of passenger comfort, convenience and safety to international standards," the senior Firodia said while unveiling the project. The junior Firodia said the company has invested more than Rs 1,000 crore in developing the new van, which will be built at its Pithampur near Indore plant where it is building an entirely new body shop with robotic and laser welding facilities with an installed capacity of 35,000 units. "We are the first domestic auto company to develop an all grounds-up next generation monocoque panel van platform, which will host many more models going ahead," the chairman said. The managing director later told PTI that over the next two years, the new platform will come out with two new models in the shared mobility space and those will be unveiled at the forthcoming Auto Expo in Delhi. On the capex plan, he said they have lined up around Rs 600 crore for the next two years to develop these models. The van is the first in this category offering crash and rollover compliance with air bags for driver and co-driver even though current laws does not mandate them. The van boasts of many more features developed in consultation with leading technology specialists and domain experts from Italy, Spain, Britain, Germany, Japan and the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) You have more power than you might realize, but you have to use it. You can change our local and state political leadership or make sure it stays the same if you like it. There isnt much of a catch. You have to be registered to vote, and then you have to actually vote on Election Day. The next election is the Republican and Democratic primaries on March 3, and its an important one. That election will determine which candidates face off against each other in the November general election. But before you think about March or November, you need to do something by February. Feb. 3 is the last day to register to vote for the March 3 primaries if you are not already signed up. If youve recently moved into Texas or changed Texas counties lately, youll want to be ready to vote in the March primaries. You do that by going to your county clerks office in your county courthouse, or by picking up or printing out and returning an application form, or by registering during some of the drives being held by various advocacy groups. If youre not sure that youre registered correctly, you can check online at votetexas.gov The good news is that voter registration is increasingly noticeably in Texas. Since 2012, our state has added over 3 million voters. Texas recently crossed the 16 million threshold of registered voters, and the numbers are still going up. We added nearly a million voters last year when Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto ORourke galvanized the state and came within 219,000 votes of beating U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. But Republicans are realizing they need to do this, too, and they are getting behind high-profile voter registration drives instead of just assuming their supporters will take care of this duty. We hope both parties continue to compete enthusiastically on this issue for the benefit of the entire state. Voting starts with registering, and now is the time to get this done if you havent already. If youre registered but know a friend or family member who isnt, urge them to do the right thing and sign up. Our country will pick a president later this year, and Texans will decide many important county and statewide positions. These contests affect your life, from how much in taxes you pay to what kinds of laws and regulations protect you or annoy you. You decide who makes those decisions when you vote, and you cant vote if you arent registered. Get this done by Feb. 3, and use the power that has been entrusted to you. The Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Barbara Oteng Gyasi has encouraged Ghanaians to consider patronising and giving out 'Made In Ghana' chocolates as gifts to special people during occasions. According to her, this move will not put money in the pockets of the sellers but also boosts the country's economy. Speaking on the theme; My Chocolate Experience: My Holistic Well-Being" at the launch of the 2020 National Chocolate Day in Accra, the Minister said "Patronising Made in Ghana Chocolate will help position our cocoa and chocolate experience as a strong element in Ghana's tourism experience" The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts in 2005, coined the National Chocolate Day which occurred at the same time with Valentines Day with the aim of promoting the purchase and eating of Made-in-Ghana chocolate and other cocoa products. She added that Digital Campaign Competition will be held where participants will be asked to upload a picture of themselves having a bite at a chocolate and post on social media with the hashtags; #MyChocolateExperience #ChocolnteDey2020 #lEatGhana. She mentioned that some pictures selected will be shortlisted with the winners being rewarded on Chocolate Day. Marketing Manager for Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), Nana Agyemang Ansong said "Since the start of the Chocolate Day, it had grown to become an important celebration on the National Calendar" He also mentioned that over the years the Golden Tree brand has distinguished played itself as the finest product in the country. He used the occasion to assure the general public that the product will not run out of stock. Today, the National Chocolate day has become so attractive and prestigious that it has become a major tourist attraction in the country to contribute positively to tourism in Ghana" he indicated. The Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts used the occasion to officially launch the 2020 Chocolate Day celebration. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: Negotiations on signing a new partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan are at the final stage, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas said, Trend reports Jan. 22. Jankauskas made the remark at a conference dedicated to the results of the EU technical assistance project entitled Support to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SSC) to reach European Standards in National Accounts, on observed economy, business statistics and producer price index. Jankauskas said that after the conclusion of this agreement, relations between Azerbaijan and the EU will move to a new stage. Noting that Azerbaijan's economics is developing, the head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan added that the EU is Azerbaijans biggest trading partner. EU member states are the countries that invest most of all in Azerbaijan, Jankauskas added. The EU also supports the implementation of international transport projects passing through the territory of Azerbaijan. A tree surgeon has said "climate change anxiety" was one of the reasons he scaled up Big Ben in London. Ben Atkinson climbed up the clock tower dressed as Boris Johnson before unfurling two large Extinction Rebellion flags on October 18 last year. The 43-year-old appeared barefoot at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with trespassing on a protected site, namely Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster. It is alleged he ignored warning signs about entering the premises. Tree surgeon Benjamin Atkinson, 43, arrives at Westminster Magistrates' Court / PA Atkinson pleaded not guilty to the charge, but said after the hearing that he climbed up the clock tower out of "environmental, political and personal necessity". Asked what his defence to the charge would be at trial, the father-of-two said: "Necessity is the defence. An Extinction Rebellion climate change activist is seen on the scaffolding of the Big Ben tower / REUTERS "The environmental and political necessity in that we are in a climate crisis, accelerated by anthropomorphic climate change. "The second part is the personal necessity, insofar my day-to-day mental state is very uncomfortable. Finding purpose in my day-to-day actions while faced with this cliff edge looming in the future." Benjamin Atkinson, 43, leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court / PA He said he was motivated to climb the clock tower out of "climate change anxiety". Atkinson, of The Hermitage, Rydal, in Cumbria, was filmed scaling the structure wearing a blonde wig, suit jacket and tie in October. He said he chose to wear a "lurid green" outfit and a "Boris Johnson wig" as he "didn't want to be shot". "I had to make sure it was obvious that this was not a terrorist incident," he said. Atkinson, who also runs a glamping business, said he remained up the tower for about three hours. The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on Wednesday said it has extended USD 35.80 million (about Rs 250 crore) line of credit to Suriname government to fund the country's rural electrification programme. The line of credit (LOC) is meant for financing rural electrification through solar DG hybrid PV systems in 50 remote villages of Suriname, the bank said in a statement. With the latest round of funding, the Indian government has till date extended nine LOCs to Suriname, totalling USD 124.98 million (about Rs 890 crore). The projects covered under LOCs extended to Suriname include power, water supply, purchase of helicopters, and rehabilitation and upgradation of milk processing plant. With this agreement, Exim Bank has now in place 258 LOCs covering 64 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the CIS, with credit commitments of around USD 25.48 billion available for financing exports from India. Besides promoting India's exports, the bank's LOCs enable demonstration of Indian expertise and project execution capabilities in emerging markets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 13-year-old schoolboy appeared before Ballymena Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged in connection with the stabbing of a fellow pupil at Larne Grammar School. The defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, is accused of unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm to a boy with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. The defendant is also charged with possessing an offensive weapon - a knife - with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. The charges relate to an incident at Larne Grammar School on January 7. The defendant, who was wearing a shirt and tie was sitting beside his father in court. The boy told the court: "I understand the charges". A prosecution lawyer said the case file was at a "very early stage". A detective constable said he was aware of the facts and circumstances of the case and believed he could connect the defendant to the charges. The police officer said they were still collating statements and added: "As you can imagine a lot of the children are very upset". The officer said medical evidence in the case is still awaited. A defence lawyer said psychologist and medical reports were required regarding the defendant. The lawyer said the school had held a "disciplinary meeting" and the defendant, who had not been in classes since the incident, was to be suspended for a week. The lawyer said she would write to the Education Authority to get clarity on the situation. She said if the school was content to have the defendant back he should be allowed to attend "if he is fit to go back". The lawyer said the boy's wish was to return to his education "in the long term". The police officer said he would have "concerns" as the victim also attends the school. No details were given in court about the specifics of the alleged incident. The defendant was given his own bail of 25 along with a 500 surety from his father. As part of bail the defendant is not to enter the grounds of Larne Grammar School; he is not to contact witnesses or the complainant and has to engage with his GP. The case was adjourned to Ballymena Youth Court on a date to be fixed. Expand Close Principal Jonathan Wylie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Principal Jonathan Wylie At the time of the January 7 incident press reports said an ambulance was called to the school and a boy - referred to as a Year 10 pupil - was taken to hospital where he was said to be in a stable condition on that date. The school contacted parents and guardians through a text message to inform them that there had been an incident. The message said the incident was over and school would continue as normal. In a later statement, Larne Grammar School's principal Jonathan Wylie said: "The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is always our primary concern and the authorities, including the PSNI, were contacted immediately. "Parents have also been contacted and we are working with the Education Authority to ensure that pastoral support is available for those who require it. "This is the first time that an incident of this nature has occurred in school and the thoughts of the entire school community are with the injured pupil and his family." The New York Times Greta Thunberg on Tuesday punched a hole in the promises emerging from a forum of the global political and business elite and offered instead an ultimatum: Stop investing in fossil fuels immediately, or explain to your children why you did not protect them from the climate chaos you created. I wonder, what will you tell your children was the reason to fail and leave them facing the climate chaos you knowingly brought upon them? Thunberg, 17, said at the annual gathering of the worlds rich and powerful in Davos, a village on the icy reaches of the Swiss Alps. Her remarks opened a panel discussion hosted by The New York Times and the World Economic Forum. Our house is still on fire, she added, reprising her most famous line from an address last year at the forum. Your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour. I know you dont want to report about this. I know you dont want to talk about this. But I assure you I will continue to repeat these numbers until you do. https://t.co/IfyIVd7AZv Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 21, 2020 Her remarks came at a time when climate change and environmental sustainability rose to the top of the talking points of many of the executives and government leaders assembled at Davos. Thunberg, a climate activist known for speaking bluntly to power, rebuked the crowd for promises that she said would do too little: reducing planet-warming gases to net zero by 2050, offsetting emissions by planting one trillion trees, transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Lets be clear. We dont need a low carbon economy. We dont need to lower emissions, she said. Our emissions have to stop. Only that, she said, would enable the world to keep temperatures from rising past 1.5 degrees from preindustrial levels, which scientists say is necessary to avert the worst effects of climate change. She and a group of young climate activists have called on private investors and governments to immediately halt exploration for fossil fuels, to stop funding their production, to end taxpayer subsidies for the industry and to fully divest their existing stakes in the sector. Scientists have said emissions must be reduced by half in the next decade to reach the 1.5-degree target. The opposite is happening. Global emissions continued to rise, hitting a record high in 2019, according to research published in December. Her address began barely an hour after President Donald Trumps speech at the forum, which barely mentioned climate change, except to describe climate activists as heirs of yesterdays foolish fortune tellers. Thunberg did not address him directly, except to remind the audience that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement by the end of this year. Thunberg took pains to distance herself from politics. This is not about right or left. We couldnt care less about your party politics, she said. From a sustainability perspective, the right, the left as well as the centre have all failed. No political ideology or economic structure has been able to tackle the climate and environmental emergency. Somini Sengupta c.2020 The New York Times Company Kathmandu, January 22 India says it is positive about removing existing hurdles that have barred liquefied petroleum gas bullets owned by Nepali traders from going to India to fetch fuel here. Though the Nepali traders have been putting pressure on the authorities to take initiatives in this regard, little progress has been made so far. Dhruva Ghimire, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, says the Indian side has told the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi to go ahead with the obstructed process and resolve the issue. The Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said Nepal to coordinate with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. During a meeting of the Nepal-India Petroleum Joint Working Ground held in New Delhi last week, the Nepali delegation had raised concerns over the issue. Ghimire assures that the embassy would move ahead in coordination with the traders, hoping the issue would be resolved in the next two months. A psychologist who led the CIA's brutal interrogation program after the 9/11 attacks says he wouldn't hesitate to waterboard the self-proclaimed terrorist mastermind again. James Mitchell defended the CIA and its practices on Tuesday during a pre-trial hearing at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for the five men charged in the 2001 terror plot. Mitchell, who was contracted by the CIA to develop the interrogation program after the 2001 terror attacks, said the techniques he used helped save American lives and insists they were necessary because authorities feared 'another catastrophic attack'. The psychologist was personally responsible for waterboarding the self-proclaimed mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, at a secret location in Poland after the 9/11 attacks. 'Let me tell you just so you know... If it were today, I would do it again,' Mitchell told the hearing on Tuesday. James Mitchell (above in 2016) defended the CIA and its practices on Tuesday during a pre-trial hearing at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for the five men charged in the 2001 terror plot His techniques - including waterboarding and other methods now widely regarded as torture - have become the focus of an effort to dismiss key evidence against the five men charged in the plot ahead of their 2021 trial. The five men - Mohammed, Ammar Baluchi, Ramzi bin Shibh, Mustafa Hawsawi and Walid bin Attash - are accused of conspiring to murder almost 3,000 people in the terror plot. They were all arrested between 2002 and 2003 and have been in U.S. custody ever since. Mitchell came face-to-face with the five men for the first time since as they listened to his testimony on Tuesday. He is facing questions now because lawyers for the five men are seeking to prevent the government from using statements the men gave to the FBI as evidence against them in the war crimes trial. Defense lawyers for the five men called Mitchell and other CIA contractors, who observed and took part in interrogations at clandestine CIA facilities, as witnesses in an effort to disqualify statements they made after they were transferred to Guantanamo in September 2006. Mitchell and another psychologist, Bruce Jessen, were contracted by the CIA to develop the interrogation program, which also included waterboarding, intense sleep deprivation, confinement in a small box, prolonged shackling in 'stress positions' and being doused with cold water. Mitchell was personally responsible for waterboarding the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (above), at a secret location in Poland after the terror attacks Mitchell, who was contracted by the CIA to develop the interrogation program after the 2001 terror attacks, said the techniques he used helped save American lives and insists they were necessary because authorities feared 'another catastrophic attack'. Pictured above are prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Mitchell spent the first day of his testimony providing details about the interrogation program, as well as what he said was the 'context' necessary to understand it. The since retired Air Force psychologist told the court that the CIA was the 'tip of the spear' in the months after the terror attacks and they were urgently trying to gather vital intelligence using techniques that had been authorized by the U.S. government. 'We were trying to save American lives,' Mitchell said. Mitchell and another psychologist, Bruce Jessen (above), were contracted by the CIA to develop the interrogation program, which also included waterboarding, intense sleep deprivation, confinement in a small box, prolonged shackling in 'stress positions' and being doused with cold water Mitchell insisted the CIA feared 'another catastrophic attack,' possibly involving nuclear weapons, and they were trying to stop it. 'My sole focus was stopping the next attack,' he said. Mitchell agreed to come to Guantanamo to testify without a subpoena to give his version of events, which he also detailed in a book, called 'Enhanced Interrogation,' that he co-wrote with a CIA spokesman. 'I'm happy to talk about my role in the program and what the program did,' he told the court. At times, however, Mitchell appeared to bristle at the questioning on Tuesday. When defense lawyer James Connell thanked him for coming to court, he replied, 'I did it for the victims and families not for you.' Mitchell is expected to be followed on the stand by Jessen. Their testimony will likely take up much of a pretrial hearing scheduled to last two weeks. A Senate investigation in 2014 found that the interrogation program designed by Mitchell and Jessen was used on 39 detainees and produced no useful intelligence. They were paid up to $1,800 a day and received $81 million for their work, according to the Senate report. Walid bin Attash, Ammar Baluchi, Ramzi bin Shibh and Mustafa Hawsawi (left to right) were all arrested between 2002 and 2003 and have been in U.S. custody ever since Mitchell and Jessen previously worked at the Air Force survival school at Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane, Washington, where they trained pilots to avoid capture and resist interrogation and torture. The CIA hired them to reverse-engineer that training to break terrorism suspects. Mitchell and Jessen gave depositions in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of three former prisoners, including one who died in custody. The case was settled for undisclosed terms in August 2017 and the two former contractors did not testify in court. They defended their work when the lawsuit was settled, arguing that neither contractor condoned or conducted any mistreatment of prisoners and that the overall program was authorized by the government. Under a 2006 law set up the military commission, any statements must be voluntary to be admitted into evidence and the government is not seeking to use at the trial anything the men said while in CIA custody. But the prisoners also gave what prosecutors have called 'clean' statements to the FBI after they arrived at Guantanamo. Lawyers for the five defendants argue that everything the men have said in custody was tainted by the torture they were subjected to while in CIA confinement. The testimony in Guantanamo is an important milestone in the 9/11 war crimes proceedings, which have been bogged down in the pretrial phase since the May 2012 arraignment. All five men face the death penalty if convicted of charges that include terrorism and nearly 3,000 counts of murder for their alleged roles planning and providing logistical support to the hijacking plot. LAFAYETTE, Colo., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- urban-gro, Inc. (OTCQX: UGRO) (urban-gro or the Company), a leading engineering, design, and product solutions company that creates high performance cannabis cultivation facilities around the world, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Desert Aire to be a provider of GrowAire systems to the indoor cannabis cultivation market. urban-gro is being regarded as a Systems Integration National Account for Desert Aire within the indoor agriculture market. Brian Zimmerman, PE, Executive Vice President of Engineering for urban-gro, notes, over the past few years, I have personally provided MEP design services for over a dozen cultivation projects utilizing GrowAires integrated temperature, humidity and airflow solution. GrowAires integrated systems have created predictable, stable environments with increased energy efficiency. I am excited that urban-gro will now have the ability to provide this alternative to its growing customer base. Conventional air conditioners are neither designed nor capable of consistently and efficiently controlling environments with high temperature and humidity load demands. Dehumidification is often an afterthought, and portable dehumidifiers do not deliver the cross-functional benefits of environmental control. Desert Aire has designed GrowAire specifically for meeting the sensible and latent needs of indoor growing climates, said Paul Stewart, Vice President of Sales for Desert Aire LLC. It is a natural fit to work with a design and systems integration leader such as urban-gro to ensure cultivators efficiently manage and optimize their cultivation operations. Bradley Nattrass, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of urban-gro, commented, Subsequent to our acquisition of the MEP firm Impact Engineering in Q1 2019, and inline with our ongoing focus of integrating complex environmental equipment systems into our customers facilities, it is a natural step for urban-gro to partner with purpose-built HVAC solutions providers such as GrowAire. By doing so, we are providing our North America customers with solutions that assist them in maintaining a competitive advantage both today and into the future. About urban-gro, Inc. urban-gro, Inc. (OTCQX: UGRO) is a leading engineering, design, and product solutions company that creates high performance cannabis cultivation facilities around the world. Our highly tailored, plant-centric approach to the design, procurement, and integration of complex equipment systems provides a single point of accountability throughout the project lifecycle. urban-gro ensures operational efficiency and economic advantage for commercial cultivators through a full spectrum of professional services focused on facility optimization, and compliant integrated pest management programs promoting environmental health. In every engagement, our unwavering focus is on solutions that ensure success. Visit www.urban-gro.com to learn more. Follow urban-gro on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. About Desert Aire LLC Desert Aire LLC is a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of commercial and industrial humidity and climate control systems. Desert Aire systems provide healthy and comfortable indoor environments while saving energy in a variety of settings including indoor pool facilities, cultivation facilities, commercial greenhouses, indoor water parks, ice rinks, schools and universities, rec and fitness centers, office and retail buildings, and water treatment plants. Visit www.Desert-Aire.com for more information. Safe Harbor Statement This press release may contain forward looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues and any payment of dividends related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by us with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among other matters, we not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including, but not limited to, general market conditions. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in our most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our expansion of our existing and new service lines, noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations where we will be providing services, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time. Customer Contact: Jonathan Nassar, Executive Vice President of Sales urban-gro, Inc. Email: jonathan.nassar@urban-gro.com Phone: 720-530-5018 Investor Relations Contact: Phil Carlson KCSA Strategic Communications Email: pcarlson@kcsa.com Phone: 212-896-1233 Media Contact: Anne Graf KCSA Strategic Communications Email: agraf@kcsa.com Phone: 786-390-2644 Traffic passes by a vacant lot (rear) that developer Bart Blatstein hopes to turn into a Wawa gas station at South Christopher Columbus Boulevard and Tasker Street in South Philadelphia. Read more Arguments concluded before Philadelphias zoning board on developer Bart Blatsteins proposal for a Wawa gas station along the Delaware River waterfront that opponents say would set back efforts to make the area more inviting to residents and pedestrians. Tuesdays Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing mostly featured witnesses seeking to derail the filling-station plan for part of the South Philadelphia property along Columbus Boulevard, between Reed and Tasker Streets, where a Foxwoods casino had once been planned. Katherine DeAngelis, a 35-year resident of the surrounding neighborhood of Pennsport, said the proposal was only a detriment to her community, where gas pumps are plentiful. One filling station already shares a strip mall with a newly remodeled Wawa directly across Columbus Boulevard from where Blatstein wants to build his, she noted. This already busy intersection does not need more traffic, DeAngelis said. Also speaking out against the proposal were a city Planning Commission official; leaders of groups representing Pennsport and a broader coalition of waterfront communities; and lawyers for Philadelphias government and the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. The DRWC, a city-affiliated nonprofit that manages development along central Philadelphias Delaware River waterfront, also produced what it said were 1,200 letters opposing the plan. Blatsteins lawyers and consultants made their case for the project at a previous hearing in November. On Tuesday, lawyer Carl Primavera sought during his closing arguments to minimize the proposals potential impact on the area, calling it a minor development." Board chairman Frank DiCicco said that the panel would vote on the proposal after members who had missed the November hearing had a chance to review transcripts from that session. The transcripts may not be available for 30 days or so, he said. Wawa did not respond to an email seeking comment on the days arguments. When Blatstein first sought permits for the project in 2017 on the southwest quadrant of the South Philadelphia parcel, the plan was rejected by the Department of Licenses and Inspections because filling stations may not front on Columbus Boulevard under area land-use rules. Those rules emerged from the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, which was drawn up in the mid-2000s to encourage development that enables pedestrian access to the river. Rather than appeal L&Is decision at that time by asking the zoning board for special permission known as a variance, Blatstein suspended his efforts the following spring. Last year, though, L&I accepted a nearly identical plan after Blatstein had a street-facing strip of land declared a separate parcel so that the filling station legally speaking faces the strip of land, not the road. A driveway across the buffer, however, would let drivers get to the pumps directly from Columbus Boulevard. Inspectors accepted the parcel-splitting strategy but instructed Blatstein that the pumps themselves would require him to obtain a special exception, another type of permission granted by the zoning board with more lenient standards than a variance. On Tuesday, lawyers for Philadelphias government and the DRWC argued that Blatsteins request should be denied, saying it does not qualify for a special exception because it runs counter to adopted plans for the area and would negatively affect surrounding communities. The DRWCs lawyer, Michael Mattioni, also argued that L&I officials had erred in accepting Blatsteins zoning conceit that the gas station no longer faces Columbus Boulevard. Peter Angelides, a principal with Econsult Solutions Inc., meanwhile, summarized a report that the Philadelphia economics-and-planning consultancy completed on the proposal. It locks in for a very long time a very undesirable land use," he said. NEW DELHI: A police complaint has been filled in Delhi on Wednesday against actor Soni Razdan for her controversial remark on Afzal Guru. Advocate Rajeev Kumar Shrivastav, practicing at Supreme Court, filed a complaint at Tilak Marg police station in Delhi against Razdans provocative tweet that the executed Kashmiri terrorist Mohammad Afzal Guru was made a scapegoat for the attack on Parliament. Soni Razdan has been playing with the sentiments of Indian citizens for cheap publicity and it is really condemnable, Kumar said in his letter to the police seeking her apology. This is a travesty of justice. Who is going to bring back a man from the dead if he is innocent? This is why the death penalty is not to be used lightly. And this is why there also needs to be a solid enquiry into why Afzal Guru was made the scapegoat, Razdan had tweeted. Afzal Guru was given capital punishment for his role in the attack on Parliament. Five armed terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba tried to gain access to the Parliament House and gunned down nine security personnel in December 2001. The terrorists were also shot down by security personnel. BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met here Tuesday with Lana Nusseibeh and Joanna Wronecka, co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the United Nations Security Council Reform of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said the purpose of the UN Security Council's reform is to enhance its authority and effectiveness, enable developing countries and medium- and small-sized countries to have a greater representation and say, and reflect the international trends of democracy and multi-polarization. Yang said China will actively support the co-chairs to make sure that the reform will be carried out in line with the UN Charter and member countries' shared interests. Nusseibeh and Wronecka, who are permanent representatives of the United Arab Emirates and Poland, respectively, to the UN, said they attach great importance to China's position on and role in the UN Security Council reform and are willing to maintain the momentum of communication and consultation between different sides. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Nusseibeh and Wronecka on Tuesday. Wang said that the UN Security Council's reform should uphold extensive and democratic consultations and reflect the Member State-driven character. The Irish Heart Foundation today launched its Go Red for Women campaign, in support of women in Kilkenny and across Ireland one-quarter of whom will die from cardiovascular disease. The campaign was launched by two women who live with heart conditions and are ambassadors for the campaign Karen Ward from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, and Lizzy Honan from Dublin and Today FM radio presenter Ed Smith, who suffered a heart attack last year. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in Ireland; women are almost six times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer. However, 80% of premature death from cardiovascular disease is preventable. By Going Red for Women, you can support the Irish Heart Foundations work in communities across Ireland, raising awareness of and helping to prevent deaths from cardiovascular disease. Lizzy Honan from Dublin was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a very rare form of heart failure, shortly after giving birth to twins in 2016. Speaking at the launch, she said: I was told at the time of my diagnosis not to have any more children. I was also told you might get better or you might not, you might need a heart transplant, you might get to a certain level and not get any better or you might continue to recover. That was a lot to get your head around particularly as a brand-new mum to twins. Karen Ward from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan had open-heart surgery last November because of a congenital heart condition. She spoke at the launch about her experience of living with a visible scar: It is very visible; I dont hide it. I have had a few funny comments about it. I overheard someone say I had to wear a necklace to cover it and one man told me You are a good-looking girl it shouldnt take away from you. For me it is important to show it off, it doesnt bother me one little bit. In fact, I am very proud of my scar. It is because of my scar that I am still here. Speaking at the launch, Judith Gilsenan, Commercial Director, Irish Heart Foundation said: Our Go Red for Women campaign is championed by five women from around Ireland, each of whom has been affected by cardiovascular disease: from heart attack to open-heart surgery and from heart failure to Long QT syndrome. Through their stories and support from the public, we can continue to empower women to live longer, healthier lives. This February we are calling on the people of Kilkenny to show their support for the women they love by Going Red for Women. There are lots of ways to get involved hold a walk in your local community or a coffee morning at home or work, or try your hand at volunteering at our national bag pack collection. Each year, almost 9,000 people in Ireland die from heart disease and stroke, leaving behind devastated families and communities. Support the Go Red for Women campaign today by organising a red event in February, volunteering on February 14th or donating to the Irish Heart Foundation. For more information and to sign up, visit www.GoRed.ie. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Paul Handley (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Wed, January 22, 2020 09:51 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206071a24 2 World US,politics,impeachment,Donald-Trump,trial,senate Free Republicans and Democrats clashed over calling witnesses and demanding White House documents on the first full day Tuesday of the historic impeachment trial of United States President Donald Trump. House impeachment managers led by veteran prosecutor Adam Schiff used the opening debate over trial procedures to lay out on national television their case against the US leader, underscoring why they want the Senate to immediately issue subpoenas for new evidence and Trump aides to testify. "We are ready. The House calls John Bolton. The House calls Mick Mulvaney. Let's get this trial started, shall we?" Schiff challenged Republicans. "We are ready to present our case. We are ready to call our witnesses. The question is, will you let us?" he said. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell bared his own political muscle, mobilizing his side's 53-47 majority in the body to slap down one after another Democratic efforts to change the trial procedures he reportedly crafted together with the White House to protect Trump. "The basic structure we're proposing is just as eminently fair and even-handed," McConnell said. But Schiff said that order of procedure "makes no sense" and was designed instead to ensure evidence is never heard and Trump is exculpated. "It's completely backwards, trial before evidence," he said. "Most Americans don't believe there will be a fair trial." Trump was impeached on Dec. 18 by the House of Representatives, and formally charged on the floor of the Senate last week with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Only the third president in history to face trial for removal, he is accused of illicitly pressuring Ukraine to aid his 2020 reelection campaign, by asking Kiev to investigate his potential election rival Joe Biden. The first day of debate focused on rules mapped out by McConnell for the trial: three eight-hour days of arguments by the Democratic impeachment managers, and three days again for Trump's legal defense team. After that would be one day of questions from the 100 senators, who serve as the jury. Only then, according to McConnell's rules, would the body consider proposals to call witnesses and seek internal documents from the Trump administration. Democrats, who want to hear from current and former top Trump aides, including White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security advisor John Bolton, were hoping that at least four Republicans would break with their party at that time to support subpoenas. But they fear that McConnell will use his solid majority to reject witness subpoenas and quickly move for a final verdict on the two articles of impeachment. "McConnell continues his iron grip on the Republican majority," said Democratic Senator Chris Coons outside the hearing. "The Republican majority is still going to try to tear through this case in 10 days." Even without control of the Senate, Schiff's prosecution team took advantage of the rules debate Tuesday to detail their case against Trump to the American public. They played videos of US diplomats testifying late last year that Trump oversaw the months-long scheme to pressure Ukraine to help him politically damage Biden and the Democrats. They also played a video of Trump himself saying last December that he would "love to have" witnesses like Mulvaney appear. "I want them to testify, but I want them to testify in the Senate," he said at the time. Trump's lawyers, led by Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, appeared to struggle to rebut the Democrat charge, ceding much of their opportunity to defend Trump on television and arguing mostly that the House investigation had been unfair to the president. Cipollone accused the Democrats of "phony political investigations," against Trump. "They are trying to remove President Trump's name from the ballot and they can't prove their case," he said, with Trump seeking re-election in November. Trump was in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, where he repeated his longstanding characterization of impeachment as a "witch hunt" and "hoax." Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News that Democrats "have no case." "The burden of proof always rests on the prosecutors' table... you prove the case," she said. "They want us all to focus on witnesses... they don't want you to focus on substance." Albuquerque and nearby communities recently joined the growing list of American localities left with exorbitant costs arising from a Trump campaign rally. Last October, city officials sent the Trump campaign an invoice to recover approximately $211,000 in expenses from a September 2019 Trump rally. Unsurprisingly, the Trump campaign disputed these figures. As a private citizen, Donald Trump was known for stiffing contractors, reasoning that the cost of litigation would deter them from taking action. While President Trumps unscrupulous behavior has real costs for local governments, these debts also create potential legal problems for Trump and his campaign. Its unclear whether or how the Trump campaign or cities like Albuquerque will resolve the outstanding bills that follow his political rallies. While litigation remains an option to recoup payments from the Trump campaign, this course is not without risk. President Trump is notoriously litigious, and his campaign has previously threatened to sue entities that claim to have been owed money, intimidating them into withdrawing the request. The presidents legal team can drag a city through painful litigation that might prove more costly than the funds at issue. The president is also not above attacking local officials for even requesting reimbursement of taxpayer dollars. However local Albuquerque officials proceed regarding these bills, the Trump campaign will have work to do. Under federal election law, a forgiven debt can be considered a political contribution, requiring disclosure to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). A debt isnt converted to a contribution unless (1) the campaign acknowledges it owes the debt, or at least has no legitimate reason to dispute it, or (2) the creditor forgives the debt without attempting to collect. The rules are different when there is a bona fide dispute about the debt the rules treat resolution of that dispute not as a contribution, but as a correction. It is likely that if Albuquerque maintains its current posture, the bills would fall into the disputed category. Therefore, the presidents campaign is still required to report the amount the creditor claims is owed. Failure to do so is a violation of election law that could be subject to an FEC complaint. Last October, Congressman Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., requested an FEC investigation of the Trump campaigns failure to pay localities for security costs associated with campaign rallies. Unfortunately, President Trump has left the FEC without enough commissioners to act on the complaint. Failure to properly disclose gifts and debts continues to create legal challenges for the president. For example, in 2018, my organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics and Washington (CREW), filed a complaint with the Department of Justice to investigate the presidents failure to report on his personal financial disclosure a $130,000 loan from his personal lawyer Michael Cohen for payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. In 2019, President Trump failed to report Rudy Giulianis unpaid legal work on an annual financial disclosure despite reporting requirements. The legal work was part of the presidents efforts to push the Ukranian president to announce investigations into Trumps political rival, conduct which led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. President Trump is hardly alone in getting scrutinized for unpaid campaign debts. For example, former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich struggled to pay back millions in campaign debt to vendors. Likewise, after public criticism, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders quietly settled bills from city governments following his 2016 run for the White House. According to public reports, the presidents campaign has unresolved bills to local governments totaling more than $1 million. People often ask how the presidents ethically dubious behavior impacts their communities. While military aid to Ukraine or emoluments clause violations may seem abstract, $211,000 in taxpayer money is very real. Pushing to ensure that taxpayers are reimbursed for securing President Trumps campaign rally could mean additional costs for local governments. It also could prove costly for the president, whether he pays or not. London came in at number two in the ranking of top cities for global talent. Photo: Getty The UK has fallen three places to number 12 in an annual global talent ranking covering 132 countries. The Global Talent Competitiveness Index measures the ability to attract, retain, train, and educate skilled workers according to an annual ranking by the Adecco Group, international business school INSEAD, and Google (GOOG). The drop is mainly due to the countrys uninspiring performances in its ability to attract and retain talent with lack of political stability and poor tolerance of minorities to blame. This is reflected in its low score in the area of Internal Openness which would be improved through greater tolerance of minorities, a category for which the UK fell to 78th place this year from from 54th last year. The report also draws attention to the area of Vocational and Technical Skills, and suggests that the UK could do more to improve secondary education by making it more relevant for the labour market. However, the UK ranked among the top countries in growing talent, coming in at number five, and in having a strong pool of Global Knowledge Skills, in which it came third. Switzerland takes the top spot, followed by the US, Singapore, Sweden, and Denmark. Some individual cities are also cementing their role as talent hubs, with Londons efforts to attract and retain top talent paying off. The capital leapt into the number two spot from number 14 last year. The report puts this down to Londons ability to be flexible and open to new trends and patterns, and provide capacity for future readiness in developing areas such as artificial intelligence or advanced technologies, such as fintech and medtech. Three other British cities also feature in the ranking Edinburgh (45th), Birmingham (76th), and Cardiff (77th). New York comes in as the top city for global talent. Following London are Singapore, San Francisco, and Boston. Global Talent Competitiveness Index top 20 countries: Switzerland United States Singapore Sweden Denmark Netherlands Finland Luxembourg Norway Australia Germany United Kingdom Canada Iceland Ireland New Zealand Austria Belgium Japan Israel Global Talent Competitiveness Index top 10 cities: BEIJING The Chinese city of Wuhan shut down outbound flights and trains as the worlds most populous country battled the spread of a virus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17, Chinese state media said Thursday. The state-owned Peoples Daily newspaper said no one would be allowed to leave the city of several million people. The official Xinhua News Agency said no one would be permitted to leave without a specific reason. Train stations and the airport were to shut down at 10 a.m. Buses, subways, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses would also be temporarily closed. Most of the cases are in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province, but dozens of infections have popped up this week around the country as millions travel for the Lunar New Year holiday, one of the worlds largest annual migrations of people. A handful of infected people who came from Wuhan have also been found overseas. The number of new cases has risen sharply in China, the center of the outbreak which spread to Hong Kong on Thursday. The 17 deaths announced Wednesday night were all in Hubei province, where the outbreak emerged in the provincial capital of Wuhan late last month. Wuhan authorities said the province has confirmed 444 cases, which would bring the national total to more than 500. The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus, a family of viruses that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 and killed about 800 people. Some experts have drawn parallels between the new coronavirus and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, another coronavirus that does not spread very easily among humans and is thought to be carried by camels. But WHOs Asia office tweeted this week that there may now be sustained human-to-human transmission, which raises the possibility that the epidemic is spreading more easily and may no longer require an animal source to spark infections, as officials initially reported. Authorities in Thailand on Wednesday confirmed four cases a Thai national and three Chinese visitors. Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and Taiwan all have reported one case each. All of the illnesses were of people from Wuhan or who recently traveled there. Some experts believe the threshold for the outbreak to be declared an international emergency has been reached. Ken Moritsugu is an Associated Press writer. Designed as a carrier-based torpedo bomber, the Fieseler Fi-167 ended up hunting Yugoslav Partisans when its ship never materialized. As the only carrier airplane of original design produced by Germany, the Fieseler Fi-167 was unique among World War II combat aircraft. Its intended stablemates, the Messerschmitt Me-109T and Junkers Ju-87C, were adaptations of existing land-based aircraft. Although only 14 were built, the Fi-167 can be legitimately said to have achieved limited production. The story of this unlikely airplane began in 1936 when construction commenced on the German navys first and only aircraft carrier, Graf Zeppelin. Since no German aircraft existed that could be operated from the ship, in 1937 the Air Ministry issued a specification for a new carrier-based torpedo bomber/reconnaissance plane, somewhat in the same category as Britains Fairey Albacore. The Fieseler and Arado companies offered competing designs, of which Fieselers was selected. First flown in 1938, the Fi-167 was a large, two-bay, two-seat, single-engine biplane with folding wings and a tail hook. The preproduction Fi-167A-0 had tall, talon-like fixed landing gear; a beak-like cowling surrounding its 1,100-hp Junkers Jumo engine; and a slightly humpback-shaped fuselage that endowed it with a peculiar bird of prey appearance. That form actually followed function, however: The humped configuration was intended to improve visibility, while the tall landing gear was designed to increase the angle of attack, improving lift and drag during takeoff and landing. The main landing gear legs could be jettisoned if the biplane had to ditch in the water, and the lower wings were equipped with bladders to keep it afloat for a limited time. The Fi-167 was designed by the same team that created the Fi-156 Storch, one of the worlds first short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft. Like its more famous predecessor, the Fi-167 had excellent low-speed flying characteristics, a valuable asset for a carrier plane. All it lacked was a ship from which to fly. Launched from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in December 1938, Graf Zeppelin was 85 percent complete by the time war broke out. The carriers air group, Tragergruppe 186, was to be operated by the Luftwaffe rather than the Kriegsmarine, leading to some interservice conflict. Graf Zeppelin was designed to carry only 42 aircraft, and the Luftwaffe initially envisioned that complement to consist of 10 Me-109T fighters (T signified Trager, or carrier), 12 Ju-87C dive bombers and 20 Fi-167As. After 1939 the Luftwaffe altered that arrangement, limiting the air groups strength to 12 Me-109Ts and 30 Ju-87Cs modified to serve in both the dive and torpedo bomber roles and eliminating the Fi-167 entirely. The issue was largely rendered moot, however, when work on Graf Zeppelin slowed and then was suspended in 1940 as Nazi Germany diverted its resources to other projects. Shown here under construction, Graf Zeppelin was never completed. (Bundesarchiv Bild RM 25 Bild-62, Photo: O. Ang) Shown here under construction, Graf Zeppelin was never completed. (Bundesarchiv Bild RM 25 Bild-62, Photo: O. Ang) In May 1942 Adolf Hitler, impressed by the successes of British, Japanese and American carriers over the past two years, authorized work to resume on Graf Zeppelin and a group of more modern carrier aircraft. But by then Germany was locked in a death struggle with the Soviet Union and Western Allies. Given the consequent priorities placed on Luftwaffe war production, its chief, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring, insisted that German industry could not design, test and manufacture new carrier aircraft before 1946. Although construction was never officially canceled, Graf Zeppelin would remain incomplete until it was finally scuttled in April 1945. Meanwhile, during the spring of 1942 nine Fi-167s were organized into an experimental squadron and sent to the Netherlands. At least part of their time was spent testing different prospective camouflage color schemes for aircraft operating over the sea. They did no operational flying and in the summer of 1943 were returned to Germany. Three of the Fi-167s were then used to test landing gear components, some with the outer panels of their lower wings removed in order to increase their landing sink rate. In September 1944 a dozen Fi-167s were transferred to the Croatian air force. One was used by a pair of Croatians to defect to the Yugoslav Partisans. It was subsequently shot down by an Allied fighter. The remaining Croatian aircraft proved useful for supplying Ustase troops operating in the mountains of Yugoslavia. On October 10, 1944, an Fi-167 flown by eight-victory Croatian ace Sergeant Bozidar Bartulovic was attacked and shot down by five North American Mustang Mark IIIs from No. 213 Squadron, Royal Air Force. But before they bailed out his observer, Captain Mate Jurkovic, scored hits on one of the Mustangs, forcing Sergeant W.E. Mould to crash-land near Martinska Ves. It is said to have been the last occasion in which a biplane shot down a monoplane. The Fi-167 was among the least-known aircraft of WWII, but it was Germanys only specifically designed carrier plane. For that reason alone, it deserves a niche in aviation history. This article originally appeared in the March 2020 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here! California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants nearly half a million dollars per year to fund the Native American council he created in June, according to public documents detailing the governors state budget plans. Newsom established the Native American Truth and Healing Council last summer through an executive order that formally apologized for California governments slaughter of native people, family separations and forced servitude. The council will include representatives from California tribes who will compile stories from native people clarify the historical record of government violence against them. Its called a genocide, Newsom said at an event announcing the apology in June. No other way to describe it... Im sorry on behalf of the state of California. A budget request prepared by Newsoms tribal adviser Christina Snider outlines uses for $450,000 per year for four years, then $225,000 in the 2024-25 budget year for the councils work. The money would come from the states Environmental License Plate Fund. The money would fund stipends and travel for the 12 council members and a researcher to compile documents from the California State Library and Archives. It would also fund psychological support services for people who attend the councils meetings because of the traumatic history being discussed. California governments history of violence against native people dates back to the year California became a state in 1850, when the state passed a law to remove indigenous people from their traditional lands. It continued a history of oppression institutionalized by Spanish settlers through Californias mission system in the late 1700s, which forced indigenous people to convert to Christianity and perform labor. The Truth and Healing Council is tasked with finishing its work and creating a report on native history for the governor by 2025. The funding would also cover Sniders travel to Californias 171 tribes over four years as part of her work with the council. In addition to advising Newsom on native issues and proposed legislation, Snider also oversees the states Tribal Nation Grant Fund, which distributes money raised from gaming to tribes. She also leads the states effort to incorporate feedback from native people as it builds a new California Indian Heritage Center to replace the State Indian Museum in Sacramento. The Newsom administration is also requesting separate funding to hire an assistant secretary for tribal affairs in the California Natural Resources Agency to help native Californians access state parks and assist with the development of the Indian Heritage Center. The administration is requesting $360,000 per year for that position and another assistant secretary for environmental justice who would also work on expanding park access for marginalized groups. Newsoms budget proposals must be approved by lawmakers. The governor and the Legislature must agree to a budget deal by June, in time for the 2020-21 fiscal year to start in July. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. US President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration was preparing to add a "couple of countries" to the controversial list of states whose citizens are subject to travel bans or severe restrictions on entry to the United States. "We are adding a couple of countries to it. We have to be safe. Our country has to be safe," he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, adding that the names of the new countries would be announced "very shortly". The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the administration planned to add seven countries including Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, and others in Africa and Asia. It said the other nations being considered for new rules were Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sudan and Tanzania. These countries would not necessarily face blanket bans on US travel but could see certain types of visas curtailed, the paper said, quoting administration officials. Some of these countries could see their nationals barred from participating in a visa lottery programme, which Trump has repeatedly railed against, saying he would prefer a skilled immigration policy along the lines of the systems in Canada or Australia. Unlike the nations covered by the current ban, most of these new additions do not have Muslim-majority populations. The paper added that administration officials were still debating whether to include one or two of the countries, and the new list would be announced on Monday. - Broad powers - Trump repeatedly promised during his election campaign to implement a complete ban on Muslims entering the US, and announced his first package of travel bans and restrictions shortly after taking office in January 2017. The move outraged critics and was struck down by a federal court which ruled it amounted to religious discrimination. The administration moved a second version of the policy in March 2017, which was struck down again for similar reasons. But the third version of the policy was upheld by the US Supreme Court in June 2018 in a 5-4 ruling that affirmed the president had broad power to set immigration policy based on national security justifications. The countries currently covered are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and North Korea, and political officials from Venezuela. The administration argued the inclusion of non-Muslim majority countries proved the policy was not driven by religious animus. Speaking to reporters in Jamaica, where he is on a regional tour, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was the administrations policy "to make sure that we are getting security right, to make sure that we work with every country to have processes in place" that ensured the security of the US. The Journal's reporting, including the naming of seven new countries, ties in with earlier reporting by US media, including BuzzFeed News which said earlier this month it had obtained a draft presidential proclamation about the expansion, but names of the countries were left blank. Jerusalem: Israeli troops on Tuesday shot and killed three Palestinians who threw an explosive towards them after attempting to cross the border from neighbouring Gaza, Israel's military said. Family members of Hamouda Abu Amra gather around campfire to get warm in the winter's cold outside their destroyed house in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Credit:AP The military said troops had cordoned off an area near the southern end of the Palestinian coastal enclave after spotting "three suspects" crossing the frontier. "(They) searched the area towards the suspects who hurled a grenade or explosive device at the troops," who then opened fire on the three Palestinians, the military said in a statement. A military spokeswoman confirmed they were killed. Two of the Palestinians killed were aged 18 and the third aged 17, a police source in Gaza said. The source said they were civilians without militant affiliations in Gaza. He questioned Israel's account that they threw explosives towards troops. CHARLESTON, W.Va., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of students, educators, and parents will celebrate West Virginia's increasing education options with a student showcase at the Charleston Civic Center's Little Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The upbeat event will be the largest celebration of School Choice Week in West Virginia and will feature student performances and a presentation of school choice awards. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. Students from Christian Faith Academy will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and national anthem, which will be followed by a series of performances and short speeches by homeschool students, private school students, educators, and legislators. The school choice awards presentation will take place at 10:35 a.m. and the event will wrap up with a group photo opportunity at 11 a.m. This event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2020, which will feature more than 50,000 school choice events across all 50 states. "We are excited to build on 2019's record-breaking celebration," said Garrett Ballengee, executive director of the Cardinal Institute for WV Policy. "The West Virginia National School Week event in Charleston is about celebrating all forms of educational choice, showcasing student talent, and demonstrating the power of parental empowerment. The statewide conversation on education has been far too negative recently, and we hope that this celebration will be a healthy dose of positivity and fellowship for West Virginia." The "West Virginia Voices for Education Choices" coalition is organizing and promoting the event. The Charleston Civic Center is located at 200 Civic Center Dr. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/west-virginia. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com (Newser) It is not the typical image that comes to mind in regard to bucolic Amish communities. But a story by Type Investigations and Cosmopolitan reports that sexual abuse, including incest, is an "open secret spanning generations" among the Amish. The investigation cites a slew of factors that lead to the abuse, beginning with a "patriarchal and isolated lifestyle" that prevents victims from having much contact with outsiders, including police or authority figures. That isolation extends to technology. What's more, education typically ends at eighth grade, and it does not give students any knowledge of sex or their bodies. And generally speaking, the Amish culture puts an emphasis on repentance and forgiveness when abusers are outed within the community. Any punishment is usually handled internally. story continues below Were told that its not Christlike to report, says one Amish woman who was abused by a brother and neighbor boy at age 9. Its so ingrained. There are so many people who go to church and just endure. (About three dozen Amish people were interviewed for the investigation.) The news is not all bleak, however. Sarah McClure writes that Amish women are slowly changing their culture. "I have seen a real uptick over the past 10 years in Amish women coming forward," says Linda Crockett of Safe Communities, which works to prevent child sexual abuse. "They hear about each othernot on Twitter or Facebook, but theres a strong communication system within these communities. They draw courage and strength from each other. The investigation explores that trend and looks at individual abuse stories, often within families. (Read the full story.) The attorney general of Washington D.C. has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trumps inaugural committee, alleging an abuse of non-profit funds that ultimately benefited the first familys private business. Attorney General Karl Racine said in the lawsuit that the committee was made to grossly overpay for event space at the Trump International Hotel in Washington during the presidents inauguration, while failing to seek out cheaper options. Mr Trumps inaugural committee funding has been steeped in controversy ever since it was reported to have spent over $100m (76m) on lavish events far more than past inaugural budgets and more than $1m (761,300) at the Trump hotel. "District law requires non-profits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies, the attorney general said when announcing the lawsuit on Wednesday. In this case, we are seeking to recover the nonprofit funds that were improperly funnelled directly to the Trump family business. Mr Trump's inaugural committee has maintained that its finances were independently audited, and that all money was spent in accordance with the law. Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters The suit alleges that the committee knew it was overpaying, but didnt consider less expensive alternatives. Prosecutors found that Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign aide who flipped on the president during the special counsels Russia investigation, personally managed discussions with the hotel about using the space, including ballrooms and meeting rooms. Recommended Washington attorney general subpoenas Trump inauguration committee One of the events planners raised concerns about pricing with Mr Trump, Mr Gates and Ivanka Trump, according to the lawsuit. Ms Trump is the presidents daughter and a senior White House adviser. Those concerns included a written warning that the price proposal was at least twice the market rate. But Gates went through with it anyway, at a cost of $1.03m (763,448), the suit says. Mr Gates pleaded guilty to charges tied to his lucrative political consulting work in Ukraine and was sentenced last month to 45 days in prison, a punishment that a judge said reflected the extensive cooperation Mr Gates had provided to the Justice Department. A lawyer who represented Mr Gates for the criminal proceedings didnt immediately return a message seeking comment. The White House didnt immediately return a message, nor did the Trump Organisation. The suit contends that the hotel went against industry practice and refused to discount the space, and double-booked its largest ballroom with a different organisation that was still affiliated with the inauguration, the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast. Both organisations were nonprofits, but the breakfast paid $5,000 (3,806) for the ballroom. The committee, however, paid $175,000 (133,214), the suit claims. Prosecutors say the committee also used nonprofit funds to throw a private party on Jan. 17, 2017, the night off the inauguration, for Mr Trumps family a $300,000 (228,000) affair. The reception was for three of Trumps children Donald, Jr, Ivanka, and Eric. Additional reporting by Associated Press PRESCOTT, Ariz. - A Prescott woman has been reported missing while vacationing with her boyfriend on the northeastern coast of Central America. Cherie MacKenzie tells The Daily Courier newspaper in Prescott that her 43-year-old daughter Alison MacKenzie was on a catamaran tour off the coast of Belize when she disappeared last Saturday morning. The woman says she was told that her daughter was last seen Friday night by her boyfriend, 58-year-old Paige Rote. The couple was camping with a group of other tourists on a small island called Rendezvous Caye, located 21 miles east of Belize. Cherie MacKenzie says the American Embassy is assisting with the investigation. U.S. State Department officials said in a statement that they are aware of reports of a U.S. citizen missing in Belize and are working closely with local authorities in the search efforts. Alison MacKenzie has lived in Prescott since 1998 and is the mother of two grown children. The majority of public servants will not be affected by the increase in the state pension age, it has emerged. As the backlash grows over the age rise, it has been confirmed that many public service employees can retire early and receive a supplemental payment until the state pension kicks in. In contrast, private sector workers who are legally obliged to retire at 65 cannot claim the state pension until they are 66. Scramble The state (PRSI) pension age is due to rise to 67 next year, prompting a scramble by politicians to promise to row back on the plans as the issue comes up on the doorsteps during general election canvassing. Thousands of workers who are compelled to leave work aged 65 have to claim Jobseekers' Benefit and receive 45 a week less than they would from their pension. However, many public servants sidestep this change in the rules. This is because large numbers of them qualify for a "supplementary pension" before they can qualify for the state contributory pension at 66. The supplementary pension can be claimed years earlier. The Department of Public Expenditure confirmed that the supplementary pension exists. Pension experts said it means public servants have insulated themselves from the rise in the state pension age. The latest version of the protection for public sector workers came when then minister for public expenditure Brendan Howlin signed a statutory instrument in 2014 when the new, higher state pension age was introduced. The supplementary pension deal was struck with the public service unions as part of the deal to integrate their pensions with the state pension. It applies to public servants who joined after April 1995. Pensions expert Tony Gilhawley, of Technical Guidance, said: "Public servants who joined after April 6, 1995 - the majority of the current public service workforce - and who are en- titled to the state pension can be paid a 'supplementary pension' by the State if they retire before the state pension age to make up for not getting the state pension until later." He said it was unfair that a public service employee who retires at, say, 63 can get a top up or supplementary pension from the state equal to the state pension between 63 and 67 if they do not work. Inequitable "It's a case of inequitable treatment. One sector of the workforce gets insulated from the increase in the state pension age at the taxpayer's expense, but the other - the private sector - doesn't," Mr Gilhawley said. Asked why public servants had protected themselves from the state pension changes, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform made no comment. Los Angeles, Jan 22 : "Arrow" star Stephen Amell suffered a panic attack while recording a podcast in which he was discussing the end of his hit television series. Amell was a guest on a podcast hosted by Michael Rosenbaum, popular as Lex Luthor on the show "Smallville", reports dailymail.co.uk. Amell tweeted about the two-part episode, writing: "I did Rosey's podcast after 'Arrow' ended. We had to cut it short because I had a full on panic attack. It wasn't pretty. I came back a few weeks ago to chat about it. I was in a really bad spot and I'm happy to report that I'm doing much better. Listen please." During the first part of their interview, the actors discussed the responsibilities associated with headlining a superhero series. When Rosenbaum asked Amell when it was the last time he cried, the actor said: "I've cried twice today. I've really really been struggling with the end of the show (which wrapped on November 15, 2019). I'm mentally exhausted." "My wife forced me to go to the doctor's today because she was worried that something was actually wrong with me," said Amell, who took up the title role in 2012. He said he's "gone down a couple times over the past few weeks", referring to moments when he "can't even get myself off the ground", and opened up about what ending the "Arrow" series has meant for him. "I'm in a state of mourning, and it's really tough," Amell admitted, mentioning that his lengthy stint on "Arrow" had become such a huge part of his life, it had gotten in the way of other responsibilities. "I want to be a dad, I want to be a husband. I just need a break," he added. Later in the podcast, Rosenbaum asked if Amell was planning to see someone to get help, Amell then asked: "Is it hot in here, or am I sweating?" Soon, he got up and left the recording session unannounced, saying, "honestly, I think I might be sick. I have to go, I need fresh air." A few weeks later, Amell was back to finish the interview, and was ready to be transparent about his mental health. By Trend The price of Brent crude oil has been increasing at energy exchanges, and as long as the price remains above $65 per barrel, the rate can rise up to $68 per barrel, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani InvestAz investment companys weekly report. It is expected that the price dynamics will be affected by important fundamental data on oil and gasoline reserves in the US, which will be released on Jan. 23, at 20:00 (GMT +4). The growth of geopolitical risks in the Middle East and the signing of a trade agreement between the US and China also strongly affect prices. InvestAZ analysts also presented data on the situation in international financial markets and short-term forecasts. Euro At international currency exchanges, the euro to USD rate continues to decline. The analysis gives reason to predict that the depreciation of the euro will continue to the level of 1.1 euros per USD. Among the main reasons are the soft monetary policy of the European Central Bank and the announced negative fundamental indicators. In addition, after signing an agreement with China, the US government began to tighten requirements for Europe. British pound The GBP - USD rate is also under pressure for the same reasons, and if the British pound passes the minimum of the past week ($1.30), then it may fall in price to $1.29. The data on the labor market in connection with retail sales and business activity of the country's production and services sectors was disclosed at 13:30 (GMT +4) on Jan. 21. Turkish lira There is an increase in the rate of the Turkish lira, while it is forecasted that the rise in price can continue to the level of 5.78 lira per USD. Gold The presence of political and economic risks in the world leads to the fact that the demand for gold in the markets of non-ferrous metals remains at the current level. So, the price per ounce last week began to rise again, although before that it had fallen in price to $1,540 ($49.5 per gram). According to the analysis, as long as the price remains above this level, the rise in price may continue up to $1,584 ($50.9 per gram). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): ISRO chief K Sivan on Wednesday said that four astronauts have been short-listed for the Gaganyaan mission who will go to Russia for training by the end of this month. "Four astronauts have been short-listed and they will go to Russia for training by this month-end. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma flew in a Russian module, but this time the Indian astronauts will fly in an Indian module from India," he told reporters here. Earlier today, speaking at an event here, Sivan said, "We all know that scientific discoveries, economic development, education, technological development, and inspiring youth are coming goals for all nations. Human space flight provides a perfect platform to meet all these objectives." The Gaganyaan mission is aimed at sending astronauts to space in an orbital spacecraft. The four astronauts will receive training for 11 months. All the four astronauts selected for the mission are men but their identity cannot be revealed, Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh had said earlier. After 11 months of training in Russia, the astronauts will receive module-specific training in India. They will be trained in crew and service module designed by ISRO, learn to operate it, work around it and do simulations. As per the ISRO sources, India's heaviest launch vehicle "Bahubali" GSLV Mark-III will the carry astronauts to space. The Narendra Modi government has sanctioned Rs 10,000 crores for the Gaganyaan project. The launch will coincide with the 75th year of India's independence in 2022. (ANI) The Garda who shot Mark Hennessy said he believed Jastine Valdez was in the car and her abductor was about to slit her throat with a knife. Giving evidence at Dublin Coroners Court, the detective known as Garda A, said he discharged his weapon to stop Mark Hennessy. Garda A, a detective for the past 18 years, was off-duty on May 20, 2018, when he joined the search for the missing 24-year-old Filipino student, Jastine Valdez, who had been violently abducted from Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, the previous day. Garda A was conducting searches around Shankill and Dun Laoghaire for the 17D NIssan Qashqai Mark Hennessy was driving. The detective said he got a call on his radio and was told a female member of the public had spotted the NIssan and was following it and there was a second occupant in the car. The vehicle was in the Cherrywood Business Park. Garda A drove into the car park and stopped directly in front of the Nissan Qashqai Mark Hennessy was driving. He was in the driver seat, he was moving from side to side. He looked uneasy and agitated, Garda A told the court. I blocked the Nissan to the front and another unmarked car blocked it to the rear. I put out an urgent assistance request. Mark Hennessy was moving around in the front of the vehicle in a very agitated state. He was struggling with something in the front passenger step-well area. I shouted at him Armed police, drop the fucking knife, I shouted this a number of times, he said. I took up position and began drawing my weapon from the holster because of the seriousness of the situation. I was concentrated on the blade exposed. Garda A said he was satisfied Jastine Valdez was in the car given the information received and his assessment of the situation. Yesterday, the resumed inquest into Mark Hennessy's death heard evidence from two other gardai and three Civil Defence volunteers at the scene of the shooting in the Cherrywood Business Park. The inquest continues before Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane Brussels is planning to offer the UK a worse trade deal than the bloc has with Japan and Canada if it insists on moving away from EU standards, it was reported today. Boris Johnson's government has insisted that Britain's economy will 'diverge' from the bloc's standards and working practices, and wants a trade deal done by the end of the year. But in a hardline response, the EU is planning to take steps to take away the UK's ability to get a 'competitive edge' over continental firms if it insists on taking a different path. It includes not allowing British trade bodies to certify that UK-made goods adhere to EU standards under Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs). These allow the smooth trade of goods across borders with other trade partners like Japan and Canada. Not allowing the UK to have MRAs could seriously hamper the ability of British firms to trade across the Channel, especially car-makers and pharmaceuticals. A European Commission source told the Telegraph: 'Why would we rush into providing the UK a competitive edge to have the UK as an authorised testing lab on our shores?' Sajid Javid (pictured in Brussels yesterday) has insisted Britain will not be a 'rule taker' and align with EU regulations after January 31. Not allowing the UK to have MRAs could seriously hamper the ability of British firms to trade across the Channel, especially car-makers and pharmaceuticals. Sajid Javid has insisted Britain will not be a 'rule taker' and will not align with EU regulations after January 31. The Chancellor said this week manufacturers have had more than three years to prepare for Britain's transition and urged businesses to 'adjust'. In an interview with the Financial Times, he said: 'There will not be alignment, we will not be a rule taker, we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union - and we will do this by the end of the year.' It prompted a host of warnings from trade organisations The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said alignment supports jobs and competitiveness for many firms. Its director general Dame Carolyn Fairbairn said: 'Business welcomes the Chancellor's ambitious vision for the economy and recognises there are areas where the UK can benefit from its future right to diverge from EU regulation. 'However we urge Government not to treat this right as an obligation to diverge. 'For some firms, divergence brings value, but for many others, alignment supports jobs and competitiveness - particularly in some of the most deprived regions of the UK.' The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said its priority was to avoid 'expensive tariffs and other behind-the-border barriers' between the UK and EU that limit market access. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Its an election year, so Democratic Rep. Max Rose and his GOP opponent, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, are sparring. Their most heated argument of the moment: Split tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The lawmakers have published dueling op-eds on the topic on SILive.com this week. Malliotakis said it was laughable or an outright lie to claim that split tolling will improve morning commutes. Rose shot back that split tolling would decrease morning rush hour traffic and save drivers time. Do either of them have it right? With split tolling implemented, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority report estimated a reduction of 4,325 eastbound vehicles per day on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with 4,361 additional westbound vehicles per day. This according to an Advance story on the report. But the highest changes, the report said, would occur during off-peak hours. As for vehicle speeds, the report said, Speeds may increase eastbound or decrease westbound up to about 0.1 mph during any hour of the day, with most hours experiencing no change in speed. If occurring at the right time, this slight increase could marginally improve traffic flow during the morning commute, the report said. So, can stressed-out commuters expect monumental changes thanks to split tolling? Doesnt sound like it. But is even the slightest help for motorists a good thing? Sure. Ill let Rose and Malliotakis battle the rest of this one out. How the MTA collects its tolls matters less to me than the fact that the tolls keep increasing. The mass transit fares too. Lets hear more talk about that, be it from Washington or Albany. Speaking of money, the MTA is expected to net an additional $12.3 million per year as a result of split tolling. Thats good news, as the money can be used for transit improvements. But its only truly good if those are Staten Island projects. Like the long-gestating North Shore Bus Rapid Transit system. Or funding the concept of free express buses that Borough President James Oddo is talking about. Or purchasing some new rolling stock for the Staten Island Railway. All of which could encourage more use of mass transit and less use of cars. Actually lowering the tolls would be nice too, but Im not holding my breath. No matter what, weve seen enough of our Verrazzano toll money go to support the Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road. Lets bring it back home. No lawmaker or candidate can argue with that. The question is, how do we guarantee it? If lawmakers truly want us out of our cars, they have to provide real mass transit options. They have to eliminate transit deserts on Staten Island and in the other boroughs. It has to be convenient and reliable. Or at least reliable. There are other concerns for borough commuters more pressing than whether the Verrazzano toll is collected all at once or in two bites. How about doing something about the traffic agony that Staten Islanders face every time theres an accident on the Verrazzano, the Gowanus Expressway or the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway? That causes problems for drivers all over the Island. And when exactly are we going to get our promised city fast ferry? Or are virtue-signaling city lawmakers going to kill the program before it even happens for us? And when are we going to be told the exact shape of the congestion pricing program, under which well be expected to pay for the pleasure of entering Midtown Manhattan? Will there be carve-outs for some drivers? Credits? Is anybody ever going to speak again about the possibility of tolling the currently free East River Bridges? Whatever happened to toll equity? It would be great if split tolling makes a real difference in commute times for Staten Islanders. Every little bit counts. Drivers will let us know how its working. But lets not agonize over it. Weve got plenty of other things to talk about. Former People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo answers reporters after paying tribute to late former presidents at the Seoul National Cemetery, Monday, officially resuming his political activities. Ahn arrived in Korea a day before after spending about 16 months studying abroad in Germany and the U.S. Yonhap By Jung Da-min Former People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo has returned to politics, declaring that he will pursue his own way as a "pragmatic centrist." Although he was once a strong presidential candidate, expectations are mixed over whether he will be able to gain as much public attention and political power as before, especially because he has failed in almost all major events. He lost the presidential race; lost the Seoul mayoral election in 2018; and the merger of his liberal People's Party and conservative Bareun Party to create the Bareunmirae Party (BMP) has resulted in internal feuds and breakaways. Ahn returned to Korea, Sunday, after 16 months studying abroad. "I will create a party that will realize pragmatic and centrist ideologies free of the logic of polarized political camps," Ahn told reporters at Incheon International Airport. He said he himself would not run in the April 15 general election but instead help those who can bring about positive change to the country. He officially kicked off his political activities the next day by paying tribute to late former presidents at the Seoul National Cemetery. Ahn said he was not interested in joining the integration move among certain conservative groups the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the minor New Conservative Party and some independent lawmakers. The New Conservative Party is a breakaway group from the BMP, which he co-founded. "There are many questions regarding the meeting and parting of political parties ahead of the general election, but what matters more is the direction," Ahn said. "I will first tell people about the direction in which our country needs to move, as I have been watching closely." Political watchers, however, doubt if Ahn's rhetoric of pragmatic centrism will appeal to voters. They say Ahn will need to join a side as there is such a polarized, confrontational structure between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)-led liberals and the LKP-led conservatives. Kim Meen-geon, a professor of Kyung Hee University's multi-major Humanitas College, questioned the viability of Ahn's plan to launch a "third way" party. "It is unlikely that Ahn can keep the ruling DPK in check if he chooses to make a three-way structure," the professor said. Another political watcher Kim Haing, CEO of Wikitree, an interactive online news provider, said that it is not easy for those in the gray zone to get votes in any country. "The most urgent task for Ahn is to choose a certain political color," Kim Haing said. She also said that it is contradictory that Ahn would lead the election strategies when he himself does not run in the election. After creating the BMP in February 2018 shortly before the local elections that year, Ahn pursued "center-right" political ideas. But he left the party in September that year after his defeat in the Seoul mayoral election earlier in June. He spent about 16 months studying in Germany and the U.S. It has yet to be seen whether he will join the Bareunmirae party again. Barenmirae leader Sohn Hak-kyu welcomed Ahn's return but Ahn has taken a cautious stance, saying he would meet Sohn to consult on many issues but first needs to show the people which direction he wants to take. "I will give Ahn an enthusiastic welcome under the name of our party and do my best to help Ahn make a new way in the politics of Korea together with the Bareunmirae Party," Sohn said during a party meeting. Meanwhile, Ahn also visited the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, Monday, which is dedicated to those killed in the pro-democracy uprising in 1980. He said he went to the Gwangju and Jeolla regions, where the People's Party was based, saying he failed to meet the expectations of people there when merging the party with the conservative Bareun Party. Rep. Park Jie-won of minor opposition the New Alternatives, which had been a part of the People's Party, said people in the Jeolla region would not support Ahn again. "He is not a new politician anymore; he is an old one," Park said in a radio interview, Monday. "Gwangju people who were fooled before will not be fooled again." Researchers at Yokohama City University and colleagues have developed a new compound that could help doctors detect epileptic foci in the living human brain as well as further the understanding of psychiatric disease YOKOHAMA, Japan, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A radiotracer specifically binds to a major class of brain receptors when injected into living rats and humans, lighting them up in PET scans. The compound, called [11C]K-2, was designed and tested by a large team of scientists in Japan, led by Professor Takuya Takahashi of the department of physiology at Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine. It shows promise for diagnosing and treating epilepsy and for improving understanding of psychiatric diseases. Details of the team's findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine. "We have successfully developed a tracer compound for positron emission tomography that visualizes the most important molecule in the living human brain: the AMPA receptor," says Takahashi. Nerve cells in the brain communicate via neurotransmitters, which are detected by receptors. AMPA receptors are among the most widely distributed nerve cell receptors in the central nervous system. Much of the insight about these receptors has been gained through animal studies. Receptor dysfunction leads to a variety of mental and neurological diseases, like depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's. Being able to visualize these receptors in the live human brain could further research into the biological basis, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Takahashi, the study's lead author Tomoyuki Miyazaki, and their colleagues developed [11C]K-2 based on a compound that is known for its ability to bind with AMPA receptors. When injected in rats and healthy human volunteers, it rapidly crossed the blood brain barrier and was converted into a metabolite that specifically binds to AMPA receptors. The metabolite, and thus the AMPA receptors, were readily detected by PET scans. The team next tested [11C]K-2 on six patients who were scheduled to undergo a lobectomy to remove the localized, active epileptic brain lesion causing their epileptic seizures. [11C]K-2 bound to the AMPA receptors in the patients' brains, highlighting them during a PET scan. Studies on brain tissue following the lobectomy confirmed that the [11C]K-2 image reflects the density of the AMPA receptors. "The PET scans revealed an increased number of AMPA receptors in epileptic lesions in the brains of patients," says Takahashi. Takahashi and his colleagues say the findings suggest that PET imaging with [11C]K-2 could provide an additional non-invasive technique for identifying epileptogenic foci in human brains, as current approaches have their limitations. This could help doctors better identify patients who are eligible for surgical removal of these foci. It could also help scientists re-categorize psychiatric disorders based on greater insight into the distribution of AMPA receptors. The research team is currently conducting a clinical trial using the [11C]K-2 PET tracer with the aim of obtaining Japanese regulatory approval for its use as a diagnostic agent for epileptic foci. About Yokohama City University Located in the international city of Yokohama, Yokohama City University has four campuses, five faculties, five graduate schools, two affiliated research centres, and two affiliated hospitals that serve as the bases for education, research, and medical care. Additional information about Yokohama City University is available through its website at: https://www.yokohama-cu.ac.jp/en/ Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0723-9 For further information contact: Yokohama City University Japan E-mail: kenkyupr@yokohama-cu.ac.jp Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080545/YCU_AMPA.jpg Patna: JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Wednesday challenged Union home minister Amit Shah to implement the CAA and NRC in the chronology that was announced to the nation. Prashant Kishors tweet is significant as Amit Shah, during a public meeting in Lucknow on Tuesday said that the CAA would be implemented despite ongoing nationwide protests. Being dismissive of citizens dissent couldnt be the sign of the strength of any government. If you dont care for those protesting against CAA-NPR, why dont you go ahead and try implementing the CAA and NPR in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation, JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor said in a strongly worded tweet on Wednesday. Reports also suggest that Kishor in his tweet was referring to Amit Shahs earlier statement in which he had claimed that CAA would be implemented first followed by the NRC. In a hard-hitting reply to Prashant Kishors tweet BJP state unit spokesperson Nikhil Anand Said, He has all the right to disagree but selective propaganda on religious lines to suit the Congress-style politics of Muslim appeasement must not be encouraged. The Gazette notification to start the process of NPR and implement CAA is published and wont be taken back. Prashant Kishor and Pavan Varma, two prominent JD(U) leaders, have been raising questions on the CAA-NPR-NRC. On Tuesday Pavan K. Varma sought ideological clarity from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over partys alliance with BJP in Delhi. JD(U) leaders in Patna told this newspaper that regular tweets and statements by both the leaders may cause a dent to the NDA during Assembly elections which is scheduled to be held in October- November this year. The state unit leaders also hinted that the party may initiate stern action against such leaders who have been defying partys official stand on issues like supporting the CAA in the parliament and forming an alliance with the BJP in Delhi. Both Prashant Kishor and Pavan Varma have already been dropped from the list of campaigners for the Delhi assembly elections which is scheduled in February. Gus, a 4-year-old tri Pembroke Welsh Corgi, has been going to school since he was a puppy in an unofficial capacity. He's well known to the students who attend Winona ISD's elementary campus. On Thursday, the Winona ISD Board of Trustees officially approved Gus to be employed at the school as its emotional support animal. Advocates for expanded LGBT rights have long been stymied by the General Assembly, where Republicans have controlled at least one chamber for the past quarter-century. A few Senate Republicans were willing in recent years to team up with the Democratic minority on measures such as banning discrimination against LGBT people in housing and public employment. But those bills never got to the floor of the House of Delegates, where Republicans were also in charge. Hearts are heavy at the Richmond Police Department after loyal K-9 officer, Jackie, was laid to rest Monday. Jackie, a German Shepherd Dog, was euthanized after a 16-month-long battle with cancer. She was 9-years-old. According to Lieutenant Lowell Neinast, Jackie was a narcotics officer that was responsible for the seizure of several million dollars worth of drug cartel money that was being transported to and from Mexico. She also located several thousands of pounds of illegal narcotics. She was one of the best K-9 officers weve ever had, Neinast said. In Charleston County schools, "Code Red" is officially out for describing an emergency. Instead, the district is ditching its color-coded emergency system for a set of plain language cues designed to minimize confusion and ambiguity. The old method, used since 2006 and based on red, green and yellow alerts, would sometimes lead to more questions than answers from concerned parents. The new labeling uses clear, precise language and action items that schools can put into place, said Michael Reidenbach, the districts director of security and emergency management. Hopefully, this system is more intuitive," he said, adding it is more easily understandable for anyone who could be on a school campus. The system went into practice Tuesday. The five different responses in the new Standard Response Protocol are: lockout, lockdown, evacuate, shelter and hold. The categories cover: Lockout: Get inside. Lock outside doors. (Called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building.) Lockdown: Locks, lights, out of sight. (Called when there is a serious threat inside or immediately outside the building.) Evacuate: To the announced location. (This is used when there is a need to move students from one location to another, away from danger.) Shelter: Hazard and safety strategy. (Called when the need for personal protection is necessary, such as during a tornado or earthquake.) Hold: In your classroom, clear the halls. (There may be situations which require students to stay in their classroom.) Each has its own set of instructions for students and teachers to follow, but the actual response procedures have not been changed, district spokesman Andy Pruitt said. It simplifies things a lot better, so there's less of an anxiety and concern from the parents in the community about what's happening to school if they can better understand how we're putting out our response, Pruitt said. Reidenbach agreed. Having the five options definitely gives us the ability to be more deliberate about the response and what's needed for that particular situation, he said. The new program was made available by The I Love U Guys Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at improving school safety and security. It was founded in the wake of a deadly 2006 Colorado high school shooting in which a gunman took hostages, killed a student and shot himself in a standoff. You see districts right now having their own systems, kind of homegrown systems that are put into place to meet the needs of that particular district, and there is no national standard, Reidenbach said. So this protocol fills one of those needs in that it does create a national standard that has been implemented at tens of thousands of schools across the country. The program is offered at no cost to school districts. District employees have been trained on the new protocol over the past several weeks, but Reidenbachs team has been working for more than a year to officially implement the new system. Since the new standard uses plain language and clear instructions, it will be easier to understand for those who have not been through security training, such as campus visitors, Reidenbach said. Patrick Martin, the co-founder of The Safe School Project, commended the district's decision to update its emergency response program. "We applaud all these efforts that the district is putting into place to make our safety systems more practical, more common sense and more accessible," Martin said. The change has also been endorsed by Board Member Todd Garrett. "Youve got so many things that can go on inside a school," he said. "(The program) is simpler and says clearly what we're doing and what people need to do, and the intent is just to find the best, quickest way to keep people safe." More information about the new program can be found at www.ccsdschools.com/srp. The firefighters battling the massive fires that ravaged Australia this year are volunteers, and more are signing up. Wallan, Australia Their faces and uniforms blackened by soot and ash, the Wallan volunteer firefighting team thought they had the blaze they were battling in Australias Victoria state under control, aside from a few spot fires started by the floating embers that dotted the sky. But then the wind changed. Suddenly, Braydan Fletcher and his team found themselves facing a 150-kilometre-wide wall of flames. Thats where your training and your reliance on the team around you kicks in, the 30-year-old, whose full-time job is a transport operations manager, told Al Jazeera. The team made a narrow escape, but for Fletcher, it is all part of being one of Victorias 59,000 Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers. Its all about being able to protect people, he said, admitting that while the job can be thrilling at times it can also be scary. This has taught me so much about giving rather than taking, he said back at the Wallan fire station surrounded by his second family a diverse team of men and women ranging from students to tradesmen and academics. While the waves, toots and thank yous they receive from the locals as they drive towards a job give a warm feeling of satisfaction, Fletcher said it was appreciation from his CFA family that meant the most. Australias fire season started earlier than usual and has destroyed vast swathes of bushland in the countrys south and east [File: Saeed Khan/AFP] You know that youve got them looking out for you just as youre looking out for them. Unprecedented fire season This year, an unprecedented number of fires that are still burning throughout Australia have scorched more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) of land and claimed 28 lives including five volunteer firefighters. The damage and the death toll would undoubtedly be much higher if not for the courage of Australias volunteer brigades who make up the vast majority of the countrys fire crews. In neighbouring New South Wales, more than 72,000 volunteers have made the states Rural Fire Service the largest volunteer firefighting organisation in the world. But the scale of the fires that have been blazing across the state since September, means they have had to call on crews from Victoria, including the Wallan brigade. Bec Lyons, an 11-year CFA volunteer, was called across the border after she had already been fighting another fire in Victoria. She ended up spending 22 hours on the front line. It was exhausting. And then you stink, youre covered in ash, so you still gotta have a shower before you go to bed, she told Al Jazeera. For Lyons, who also works as a nurse and an ambulance medic, the work is all about being part of the community. Its very rewarding, she said. Being able to be there for people in their time of need. Spike in volunteers Cooler weather and rain has brought some respite to ravaged landscapes, and Fletcher has begun training new volunteers at the Wallan fire station. Volunteer firefighters are required to undertake regular training and this seasons catastrophic fires have prompted even more people to sign up [Tracey Shelton/Al Jazeera] As they carried out fire hose preparation drills, the bright uniforms of the new recruits stood in stark contrast to the soot-stained, faded jackets of the senior fighters. Fletcher joined the CFA 11 years ago when he was 19. He said he was driving down the highway with friends when they saw a fire truck coming the other way. It was the time of the Black Saturday bushfires that tore through parts of Victoria killing 173 people. I was looking up at the firefighter who was driving, Fletcher said. He was covered in soot and ash and you could tell theyd had a big fight that day. He gave me the thumbs up and I thought, I wanna be like him.' The same week, Fletcher signed up for training. Eleven years later, he is now one of those soot-covered fighters inspiring the next generation. In the past month, the brigade has received more volunteer applications than they would normally get over a 12-month period. They have just trained 20 new recruits, boosting their numbers to 104, including 20 juniors, 15 support crew and more than 60 operational firefighters who man the teams four fire trucks. Eagerly running the drills led by Fletcher was 16-year-old Bodhi Edmonds who first signed up as a junior when he was 11. CFA members came to my primary school and they did a smoke demonstration, Edmonds said, explaining the various fire survival techniques they were taught. He was so excited he went home and told his Mum. That weekend, I came down to the station and I signed up. As a junior, Edmonds learned basic skills and participated in community events and competitions, but he had to wait until he was 16 to complete his final operational firefighting course. Im very anxious waiting to go out and Im very excited, Edmonds told Al Jazeera, adding the intensity of this years fire season has not dampened his ambitions. Wallans brigade captain says his team went out on 280 calls last year, compared with 110 when he started [Tracey Shelton/AL Jazeera] It really just makes me want to go out there and help. Flames as high as the truck Sitting nearby, 19-year-old Jacob Angelino recalled his first assignment after training as a junior. You train and practise, but its nothing like when you actually get out there and see the flames. You know what youre doing, but you get a bit thrown back, the university student told Al Jazeera. Now, I just rock up. I know where everything is, I know what Im doing and its just bang, bang, bang. While the volunteers receive calls year-round for everything from house fires to gas leaks and car accidents, Angelino said the larger blazes do not normally come until February. This years fire season came early with a new intensity, and crews from Victoria have been helping in NSW since November. The flames, he said, were as high as the truck. The time commitments can take a heavy toll, especially for people who already have studies, jobs and families. But the workload is steadily growing. Last calendar year, we did 280 jobs, said 37-year-old Nathan Anderson who has been a CFA volunteer for 26 years and is the Wallan brigade captain. When I first began, we were doing about 110. The battle against the mega fire in northeast Victoria has been going for three weeks, and on top of the workload, training is mandatory. Its a second full-time unpaid job, said Anderson, whose wife and children are also CFA volunteers. Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said volunteer firefighters in New South Wales who are self-employed or working for small businesses could this year apply for a payment of up to 300 Australian dollars ($205) a day with a maximum of 6,000 Australian dollars ($4,102) in total. But firefighters in other states were not included in the offer. Australias fires have been fought mainly by volunteers and crews from Victoria have been sent to New South Wales to help [Tracey Shelton/Al Jazeera] But none of the volunteers in Wallan care about financial compensation. University student Carly Ficheroux, a volunteer of seven years, said she passed up an opportunity to live and work in Spain because of the mateship and comradery among the crew. The other day one of the farmers, who was fighting with his own vehicle beside us, just waved to say thanks, she said. It was the most meaningful waves Ive ever gotten. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 09:17:21|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tourists are warned of road safety in New Zealand after a bus rolled on Tuesday in South Island, which caused multiple injuries, the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand said on Wednesday. The Chinese Embassy published the message on its website, warning Chinese citizens in New Zealand to raise safety awareness and be cautious so as to avoid road accidents. "Safety notices for Chinese citizens travelling in New Zealand during Chinese New Year holidays have been published both online and via social media WeChat. Chinese citizens, regardless of tourists, students or workers who reside in New Zealand should be cautious about road safety and avoid road accidents," the statement read. The warning message came at the Chinese New Year occasion when an increasing number of Chinese tourists travel to New Zealand. "Remember to stay focused while driving, keep in mind to drive by the left, abide by the local traffic rules, wear seatbelts and install baby seats for under aged children," warned the Chinese Embassy in the statement. Consulate protection contact numbers were also provided in the warning message. On Tuesday, a bus rolled on a scenic road between Glenorchy and Queenstown, in South Island. About 20 Chinese tourists were injured, among whom two were under serious conditions. The two seriously injured people have been sent to hospital. Ambulance, rescue helicopters and police cars rushed to the scene and the road was blocked. By Cumberland County Judge Edward E. Guidos tally, Corey Adams was standing before him Tuesday for sentencing on his fifth drunken driving conviction. The judge found it even more appalling that when he was arrested by Carlisle police Adams had posted a blood-alcohol level of 0.315 percent. Thats nearly four times the legal limit and is flirting with lethality. So, Guido lamented that by law and by the terms of Adams plea agreement he couldnt send Adams to prison for longer than the maximum 9-month sentence he imposed. Youre drinking yourself to death, the judge said. I want to make sure you dont take somebody with you. He called Adams a dangerous serial drunk driver. Adams, 40, didnt help his case by claiming he wasnt actually driving before the cops arrested him for the latest time in December 2018. He claimed a buddy was driving. Adams was under a DUI-related drivers license suspension at the time. He pleaded no contest DUI charges in October. This man is incredibly dangerous, Guido repeated as he sent Adams to jail. He should not be on the street. He ordered that Adams not be considered for parole until he has an alcohol abuse treatment plan in place. The conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell on five of six charges of recruiting and grooming teenage girls for sexual encounters with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is not and should not be the end of the story. While Maxwell has been held accountable for her actions, the men who engaged in th BAREILLY Bareilly clerics have urged Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to follow the example of Kerala and Punjab and get a resolution passed in the assembly rejecting the new citizenship law. We would like Maharashtra to follow suit and pass a resolution saying that the state government rejects CAA and would not implement NRC, stated the letter written by Salman Hasan Khan, vice-president of Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa (JRM), to the Maharashtra chief minister. The JRM is a 101-year-old organisation headed by Mufti Muhammad Asjad Raza Khan Qadri who hails from the family of Dargah Aala-Hazrat, the shrine of renowned Islamic scholar whose followers are spread all over the world. Khan said a delegation of JRMs Mumbai unit would soon meet the Maharashtra CM and make a request in this regard. We appreciate the initiative taken by the Kerala and Punjab government on CAA and NRC and would request other states also to take a similar stand in rejecting the citizenship law, he said. Meanwhile, buckling under pressure, the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) shelved its plan to hold an anti-CAA demonstration at Islamia College Ground in Bareilly on January 25. We will now organise a mushaira on January 25 at the same venue. It would be inaugurated by DIG (Bareilly) Rajesh Pandey, said Maulana Tauqir Raza, IMC chief. While calling off his agitation mid-way at the Islamia College Ground on the plea that some anti-social elements were trying to vitiate the atmosphere, he had challenged the administration to try stopping him from resuming the protest on January 25. I will resume the protest on January 25 at Islamia College Ground. I challenge the administration to try to stop this. We will hold a flag-hoisting ceremony the next day (January 26) and will not stop our agitation till the citizenship law is withdrawn, he had said. The Bareilly administration had registered an FIR against the cleric for violation of Section 144 and allegedly giving an inflammatory speech during a similar anti-CAA demonstration organized by him on December 13. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Toronto, Canada and Carlsbad, California, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cority, the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software provider, today announced the acquisition of Enviance. Based in Carlsbad, California, Enviance is a leader in environmental, chemical management, sustainability and ergonomics software leveraging a SaaS approach to deliver its EHS platform anywhere, anytime, and enterprise-wide. Enviances software is used by over 400 organizations across 30 industries. Cority is a recognized best-in-class EHSQ SaaS platform with a growing global customer base. Enviances SaaS solution brings additional breadth and depth of complementary capabilities to Cority, further strengthening the offering for the shared portfolio of clients. In the 2019 EHS Green Quadrant report by independent analyst firm Verdantix, the combined solutions garnered the highest score, out-ranking all other vendors, in several key functional areas including Air Emissions, Water and Waste Water, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, Audit and Inspections Management, as well as key technology measures such as User Interface and Security. Further, the combined SaaS solutions of the two companies scored above average for 38 of the 39 total categories assessed. In todays EHSQ market, firms are searching for a one-platform solution to manage the bevy of safety, environment and quality requirements that are expected of workers and regulators, said Bill Pennington, Senior Analyst, Verdantix. Coritys acquisition of Enviance merges two leaders in the EHSQ market providing users a comprehensive solution combining Coritys strong capabilities in IH/OH and worker safety with Enviances leading environmental and sustainability capabilities, such as air, water, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Combining Cority and Enviance clearly sets us apart as the leader in the EHSQ software industry, said Amy Stelling, President and CEO of Enviance, which was backed by investment firm Battery Ventures. Joining forces with Cority with the backing of leading software-focused private equity firm Thoma Bravo affords our clients broader and deeper EHSQ capabilities through exceptionally strong product and customer success investments. We are delighted to welcome the valued clients and talented employees of Enviance to the Cority family, said Mark Wallace, President and CEO, Cority. The functional strengths of Enviance and Cority are highly complementary. Moreover, both our companies stand for technology innovation and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction. Our SaaS solutions currently serve global organizations across EHS and Quality and now, our clients will benefit from even more industry-leading capabilities. This strategic acquisition follows the recent private equity growth investment in Cority by Thoma Bravo and the recent acquisition by Cority of Axion Health. About Enviance Based in Carlsbad, California, Enviance is a leader in Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) software leveraging a SaaS approach to deliver its EHS platform anywhere, anytime, and enterprise-wide. Enviance software is in use with over 400 organizations across 30 industries with over 800,000 active profiles. In addition, Enviance has over a million users of its behavior-based office ergonomics software (RSI Guard) to improve employee health and wellness. The Enviance EHS platform simplifies integrating EHS into operations to better measure, manage, and report mission critical EHS results. About Cority Cority is the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software for assuring client success. Cority enables organizations to utilize EHSQ software to advance their journey to sustainability and operational excellence by combining the deepest domain expertise with the most comprehensive and secure true SaaS solutions. With 30+ years of innovation and experience, Coritys team of close to 500 experts serve more than 1200 clients across 30 industries in 100 countries, supporting millions of end users. The company enjoys the industrys highest levels of client satisfaction and has received many awards for its strong employee culture and outstanding business performance. The fate of Amtraks return into Mobile could boil down to a crucial vote next Tuesday by the City Council on whether future financial commitments for the passenger rail service are possible. Early indications for passenger rail supporters are not encouraging. A three-member council finance committee failed Tuesday to recommend support for a resolution that expresses a commitment toward Amtraks return to the Gulf Coast. That resolution, described as a letter of intent, sets out contingencies that would absolve Mobile from obligating tax money for the Amtrak project if certain capital expenditures along the rail line werent completed. Without the councils endorsement, its likely that Amtraks return to the Gulf Coast will stop in Pascagoula and not venture on to Mobile as envisioned by the 21-member Southern Rail Commission. The SRC has long supported reviving service between New Orleans and Mobile with four stops along coastal Mississippi. There is a lot that needs to be explained before I can support it, said Councilman Joel Daves, chairman of the committee. At least five council members must support the resolution in order for it to pass. Aside from Daves, Councilman John Williams also did not vote in support of the resolution during Tuesdays committee meeting. He said he was waiting on more public direction from Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpsons administration. It doesnt mean I wont vote for it, or against, said Williams It is my belief the CEO of our city, Mayor Stimpson and his very capable staff, needs to weigh in heavily on this issue. Stimpson wasnt at the meeting, and none of his executive staff offered views about resolution. In recent months, Stimpson has expressed concerns about Amtraks possible impact on freight trains flowing in and out of the Port of Mobile. George Talbot, the mayors spokesman, later said that Stimpson recently met with SRC and Amtrak officials as well as with industry groups such as the powerful Alabama State Port Authority, a major economic driver for the coastal Alabama region. Said Talbot, We are continuing to gather input on the proposal and remain optimistic that an agreement can be reached that returns passenger rail service to Mobile. Commitments Mobile is being asked to commit up to $3 million over three years in city funds to pay for Amtrak service starting in 2023. That is the year that passenger rail runs between New Orleans and Mobile are expected to begin. Timing is an issue. Theres a Feb. 5 deadline for matching funds to be dedicated toward a Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) grant awarded through the Federal Railroad Administration. That grant is paying for the lion share of the Amtrak operational costs. The commitment doesnt include potential capital costs to upgrade the existing rail line. An additional $2.2 million is needed from an Alabama-based source to finance those improvements. Thus far, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has opted not to back the project. Her spokeswoman said on Tuesday that the governors team is continuing to study the potential impacts of Amtraks return into coastal Alabama, and that her prior positions on the issue remain the same. Alabama is the lone holdout among three coastal states that make up the coastal route that has been defunct since Hurricane Katrina devastated the rail line in 2005. Mississippi has dedicated $15 million, Louisiana $10 million and Amtrak $6 million toward capital improvements along the rail line. Those commitments have been made since last summer, when the FRA pledged $33 million to improve the rail line for Amtraks return. Wiley Blankenship, president and CEO of the Coastal Alabama Partnership and who currently serves on the SRC, said that it sends a bad message to federal transportation authorities to turn down a grant when other states have OKd it. I think you need to really look at that and how it will reflect on future opportunities for federal dollars, said Blankenship. Weve seen that its a challenge to (get) federal transportation dollars for our region. Why would you turn down $33 million is my question. CSX and port concerns Jimmy Lyons, CEO of the Alabama State Port Authority, speaks during a Mobile City Council finance committee meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, at Government Plaza in Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). The crux of the concerns about Amtraks return is with the port authority and its longtime president and CEO Jimmy Lyons. On Tuesday, said he was scared to death about what Amtrak service might mean for port business. He said that 65% of our business is via freight rail operated by CSX. In a statement to AL.com after the meeting, Lyon said he was encouraged that the council was proceeding with caution. Meanwhile, Patrick Cagle, president of the Alabama Coal Association, said that coal generates 50% of the ports annual revenue and that he was also worried about Amtrak trains interfering with that business. A study involving Amtrak, CSX and Norfolk Southern is expected to be underway soon to determine the level of specific needs along the Gulf Coast line, and how Amtraks return might affect freight business. In our opinion, youre being asked to commit taxpayer dollars without an understanding of how much this will cost, said Jane Covington, vice president of governmental affairs for CSX in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. Lyons said the freight study was crucial. Such a study is expected to take six months to complete. Currently, we missing a big piece to the puzzle that only a transit and freight analysis can provide," Lyons said. "A freight study is critical to defining impacts to the port and the true infrastructure needs. Rail advocates say that the impact would be minimal. The proposed route includes two daily round-trips from Mobile to New Orleans. Also, the proposed train station in Mobile would not be near the Port of Mobile, but instead would be constructed off the main rail line at a location within the Brookley Aeroplex. Blankenship also said that CSX and the Port Authority are trying scare tactics to get the project defeated in Mobile The port is the driving force within Coastal Alabama and in all fairness, we have a strong and vibrant port that will continue to grow, said Blankenship. Will (the return of passenger rail) devastate it? In my opinion, it will not. (Amtrak) operates passenger rail in ports five-times the size of our port and they are doing fine. Are these scare tactics being put out there by certain freight railroads? It could be. He added, CSX is not a successful freight hauler by making bad decisions. They have people who can schedule and who can deal with a couple of passenger trains heading through our region. They deal with a lot bigger issues than this. Michael Karkoc, a retired Minnesota carpenter who was exposed as a former commander of a Nazi-led unit that was accused of atrocities in World War II, died on Dec. 14, public and cemetery records show. He was 100. Mr. Karkoc, whose family maintained that he had never been a Nazi or committed any war crimes, lived quietly in a heavily Eastern European neighborhood of Minneapolis for decades until a review of American and Ukrainian records by The Associated Press in 2013 uncovered his past and prompted investigations in Germany and Poland. His son, Andriy Karkoc, hung up on an A.P. reporter without confirming his fathers death. Officials at the Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapel, which was listed on one website as having handled the funeral arrangements, declined to comment. But records at Hillside Cemetery in Minneapolis show that he was buried there on Dec. 19, next to his wife, Nadia Karkoc, who died in 2018. And Minnesota Department of Health records show that a Michael Karkoc, with a birth date matching that of the Michael Karkoc listed in Nazi wartime documents, died five days earlier. Harris County Constable Precinct 1 Alan Rosens office has followed for years an unwritten policy of allowing deputies to wear religious articles of faith while serving in uniform, but now the policy is official. The announcement came in conjunction with a ceremony on Tuesday, Jan 21, that swore in and pinned Deputy Amrit Singh as Harris Countys first Sikh deputy constable. Bobby Singh, a longtime Houston-area advocate for Sikhs, said as the only Jewish law enforcement leader in Texas, Rosen has always been inclusive of people of different faiths and his deputies wearing their religious articles, like a Sikh turban or a Jewish yarmulke. Rosen and Bobby Singh have known each other for more than two decades now. I really have appreciated his friendship for many years now, said Bobby Singh. Not only his friendship but I think his leadership that he is leading by example, by being inclusive, (by) being diverse and always fighting for equity and equality for one and all. So I personally want to acknowledge and recognize Constable Alan Rosen. Rosen said Martin Luther King Jr., honored across the nation just the day before, would have been 91 years old. Rosen added that the departments actions that day were right in line with what King stood for. On this day after Martin Luther King, we believe his legacy continues, said Rosen. His words manifest themselves in our efforts here in Harris County every single day. At Precinct 1, we strive to every day to treat people by the content of the character, not by the color of their skin. The same goes for religion. He said the Articles of Faith policy had been a part of Precinct 1 by default since his start in 2012 and that he was glad something had been finally put in writing. From day one, we have worked to make sure that we are an employer of inclusion. As a man of the Jewish faith, I know too well how it feels to be religiously targeted and how important it is to teach inclusion, understanding and tolerance. Now though, that policy is official, with all but one constable having signed off on it, which Rosen said is because she needed some more time to consider it. Moving into the initiation ceremony for Deputy Amrit Singh, Rosen said, May the fiber interwoven in this turban symbolize the unity displayed here today. Amrit Singh stood proudly as Rosen led him through his oath. At its end, some of his fellow Sikh community members shouted out in a brief celebratory song. Amrit Singh thanked those in the room that had supported him and helped him get where he was. As a child, he always knew he wanted to become a deputy but was not really sure how that would happen. Later, he started making calls to agencies. Rosen, he said, was the first to return his call and opened this agency with open arms for me and didnt make feel like an outsider. He took me in, and now Im a part of his family. Rosen welcomed the deputy, calling him very dedicated to law enforcement and incredibly motivated to get on the job, serve people well and make communities safer. We are so fortunate to have him, and we hope that the greater Sikh community seeks a career in law enforcement, Rosen said. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud and Jeff Bezos pose for a photo during his visit in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 9, 2016. Bandar Algaloud | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Today, the U.N. called for an investigation into allegations that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia personally facilitated a hack on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' mobile phone. The report, which is based on research Bezos commissioned, alleges that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have personally been involved in a complex hacking campaign against Bezos, which started with a friendly dinner and exchange of phone numbers between the two in 2018. The report shows how outsiders can monitor seemingly private phone messages. However, while tools like those described in the report exist, they are costly and rarely used against normal citizens. Moreover, it's worth keeping in mind that Bezos himself commissioned the report and there may be alternative explanations for how information about his personal life leaked. What happened? According to the allegations, Bezos' phone was hacked using malicious software delivered in a WhatsApp message that came directly from Crown Prince Mohammed's phone in November 2018. The two of them had met and exchanged phone numbers in the spring of that year. In November of 2018, Bezos allegedly received a text from Crown Prince Mohammed's WhatsApp number again, this time with a picture of a woman resembling Sanchez "months before the Bezos affair was known publicly," according to the report. Bezos would later preempt a National Enquirer story on the affair in a post on Medium, which also was the first time he mentioned a possible connection between the hack and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis apparently targeted Bezos because he owns The Washington Post, which published work from Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident. Saudi agents murdered Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 at the direction of the crown prince, according to the CIA. After initial denials, the Saudis have acknowledged the murder and sentenced several people to death for it, but denied that Crown Prince Mohammed knew about it. The report says the hack used the software of an Israeli company called NSO Group, which sells a software platform known as Pegasus. This platform allows governments to access internet-connected devices. The company says it only sells its products to government agencies pursuing information from the devices of criminals and terrorists. Human rights activists, however, have said the software is used much more widely and to target attorneys, journalists and dissidents who oppose various governments that have contracted with NSO Group, an allegation put forth in the report today. NSO Group has denied its software was involved. "As we stated unequivocally in April 2019 to the same false assertion, our technology was not used in this instance. We know this because of how our software works and our technology cannot be used on U.S. phone numbers. Our products are only used to investigate terror and serious crime. Any suggestion that NSO is involved is defamatory and the company will take legal counsel to address this." Saudi Arabia has called the allegations "absurd" and has also characterized the killing of Khashoggi as a "rogue operation." Tweet Not a worry for most of us NSO Group isn't the only company that makes this type of software. There are numerous other companies that have used differing versions of malicious code, delivered via text or call. These programs let outsiders compromise mobile devices by sending errant information through loopholes in these communication programs. In some cases, respondents don't even need to answer the call or text in order for the phone to be compromised. Once the phone is compromised, the attackers can download a wide array of information from it. This seems to be what happened in the case of Bezos' phone, as subsequent messages suggested that Crown Prince Mohammed was aware of Bezos' affair and impending divorce, according to the U.N. report. While real, these types of hacks are exceedingly rare. The software required to carry them out is extremely costly, and companies such as Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, and Apple are usually quick to patch the holes that these programs exploit. These types of hacks have targeted attorneys and other professionals representing controversial figures, however. Anyone in a position connected to politically controversial figures including bankers, accountants, political advisors, speechwriters and so on should be concerned about having their communications monitored in this way. If you're in this boat, make sure you routinely update your phone and all its software, especially with all security-related updates, and consider consulting with a cybersecurity expert who can help you tailor a security plan. Share your phone number very selectively only with people who absolutely need it, and consider conducting private or sensitive business on a device that's separate from your day-to-day phone. But for most of us, these types of hacks are a very remote concern and easily remedied by updating messaging software on a regular schedule. Skepticism warranted A lieutenant to Carlos Ghosn who is facing charges in Japan for underreporting his salary at Nissan Motor Co stands a very high chance of being acquitted, as would Ghosn had he remained in Japan to face trial, a former prosecutor said. Lawyer Nobuo Gohara, a vocal critic of what he describes as Japan's "hostage" justice system, met Ghosn in Japan on a number of occasions late last year before the former Nissan chairman's dramatic escape to Lebanon last month. Ghosn, whose escape to his childhood homeland breached his strict bail terms, has criticised the Japanese justice system and vowed to clear his name following the downfall one of the world's most powerful automobile industry executives. Both Ghosn and former Nissan director Greg Kelly face charges of financial misconduct over allegedly failing to report more than $109 million in salary, while Ghosn has also been charged with aggravated breach of trust for using company funds for personal purposes. Both deny wrongdoing. Kelly remains in Japan awaiting trial. It was not obvious that the additional salary due to Ghosn after retirement constituted a crime under Japanese law as it had yet to be paid out, said Gohara, who does not represent Ghosn or Kelly, who is accused of arranging the payments. "Personally I believe that there was a very high chance for Mr Ghosn to be acquitted based on the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act," he told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday. "Likewise for Mr Kelly, there is a high likelihood that he will be acquitted as well." The trial of the two men and Nissan, which is also facing the same charge, is due to begin in 2021 or 2022. It was unclear whether the schedule would be updated after Ghosn's escape. Japan's Ministry of Justice has said it will try to find a way to bring Ghosn back from Lebanon, even though the two countries do not have an extradition treaty. Gohara said a separate trial over aggravated breach of trust would likely drag on for years as prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to prove Ghosn was guilty of crimes including temporarily shifting a personal loss-making currency transaction onto Nissan's books. The lawyer said he had conducted about 10 hours of interviews with Ghosn in November and December for a book he had written about the case. The project has since been placed on hold, for reasons Gohara said were unrelated to his subject's escape. Two motorcycle-borne assailants shot a mobile phone store manager near his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district, police said on Wednesday. Hemant Kaushik was returning home from work when he was shot in the stomach around 11 pm near in Sangam Vihar colony on Tuesday, Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani told PTI. The victim was rushed to a hospital and is stated to be in a critical condition, he said. An FIR against unidentified persons was registered by Kaushik's father Som Dutt at Sihani Gate police station, the SSP said. He said Kaushik may have been shot over an old enmity. Police are scrutinizing CCTV footage from the area near the crime scene and a search for the attackers is on, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Fern Siegel , January 22, 2020 Hola! magazine is shifting its U.S. strategy ending its print run and solely producing a digital-only publication geared to upscale millennial U.S. Latinas. Its site, with both English and Spanish editions, focuses on seven verticals: celebrities (from Selma Hayek to Selena Gomez), health/beauty, fashion, lifestyle, food, royals and videos. Alex Traverzo, marketing director, HOLA! and HOLA.com USA, credits authentic, in-culture conversations for the sites success. Cultural relevance also improves ad effectiveness and positively impacts the branded content we create for our clients. Its top digital advertisers include Estee Lauder Companies, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, MARS, Unilever, Target, Toyota, Porcelanosa, and Childrensalon. Hola! U.S. editionclaims 2.5M unique visitors across HOLA.com sites, and over 3.4M followers across its social-media channels. advertisement advertisement 2020 marks the year of clear Latinx influence as a growing electoral force and as one of the nation's leading economic growth engines with buying power set to reach well over $2.3 trillion, stated Sylvia Banderas Coffinet, publisher/Chief Brand-Revenue Officer, HOLA! and HOLA.com USA. Coffinet told Fipp, Connecting Global Media: Hola! USA has been able to establish its brand firmly in the minds and lifestyles of the U.S. Latino target market, because the brand has been focused on breaking stereotypes. In the case of the U.S. version, the greatest challenge for us, is to create a Hola! that is authentic to the core of brand values and an authentic U.S. Latino experience for this consumer, Coffinet said. Which is a very tall order because it's one of the most complicated markets in the world. As Hola! USAs audience grows, so do Hispanics media impact. U.S. Hispanics are 38% more likely to stream music, 37% more likely to watch or download movies, 11% more likely to watch video clips on their mobile devices, per Nielsen. U.S. Hispanics account for 9% of monthly podcast listeners, notes Edison Research. There are an estimated 55.4 million Hispanics in the U.S., and that number is projected to double in size by 2060. The Hola! Group publishes 30 international editions in 10 languages across five continents. The 75-year-old international brand is in 120 countries and is the largest global Spanish publisher in the world. Researchers who questioned children for a major Department of Health study on everything from their teeth to smoking cannabis didnt ask them about Class A drugs. The study, which involved more than 15,000 school children, is supposed to be the most authoritative insight into the health and wellbeing of the countrys children. The Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2018 report contains responses to questions about alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use. It even carries responses to questions about how often children brush their teeth or eat sweets. But there is not one single mention in the report about the exposure to or use of Class A Drugs among schoolchildren. Researchers have told the Irish Examiner that they didnt ask them about drugs like cocaine, heroin or ecstasy. They said this was because of a different study which covers the use of drugs by 16-year-olds, which was last carried out in 2014. A leading addiction therapist has criticised the lack of any mention of Class A drugs in the HBSC report, which was commissioned by the Department of Health. Michael Guerin of addiction charity Cuan Mhuire said the fact that children werent asked seriously undermines the report. It shows that the whole issue of drug use by children is not being treated with the seriousness it deserves, he said. There is a bit of a blase attitude in this country about the issue. But not only is it not going away but it will only get worse. The fact that children werent asked about Class As detracts from the credibility of this study. Its absolutely ridiculous to ignore the elephant of teenage drug use in the room. "They really need to ask about this problem the next time round. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 13:15 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607ce51 1 World Indonesia,Palestine,Israel,politics,diplomacy,conflict,UN-Security-Council,Two-State-Solution Free Indonesia and other countries expressed clear frustration over Israels apparent dismissal of peace efforts in its conflict with Palestine, after an Israeli envoy blatantly ignored the issue when it was raised during a United Nations Security Council briefing session on Tuesday. At the Security Councils open debate meeting on the situation in the Middle East, UN Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Assistant Secretary-General Ursula Mueller briefed member states about the extent to which Israeli actions have hampered the peace process. They said that various actions by Israel had violated international law, including construction of illegal settlements and blockades of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the Indonesian Mission to the UN. The unprecedented rate of expansion of illegal Israeli settlements last year led to housing demolitions and violence against Palestinians in Gaza, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said at the briefing. As many as 5,500 Palestinians including women and children were arrested last year as a result of the expansion, he said. Speaking directly after Mansour, Israels representative to the UN Danny Danon used his time to instead focus on Iran and its regional ambitions. US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft sided with Israel, pointing out that Israelis had won 13 Nobel prizes while drumming up Irans destabilizing role in the Middle East. The shameful snub riled other council members including Indonesian Ambassador to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani, who said he found it would be difficult to find peace if Israel continued to cold-shoulder the Palestinian delegation and not answer to any of their bereavements. Not even once was the word Palestine mentioned, thus showing that there is no intention whatsoever to have dialogue of finding a peaceful resolution. I find it bewildering, shameful and does not serve the purpose of peace, Triansyah said in the meeting. Israels reluctance to address the conflict was best described, Triansyah said, by its most recent action in Al Jaba village, Bethlehem, where Israeli authorities forcibly uprooted 147 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers on New Years day 2020. For Palestinians and many communities, the olive tree represents peace and resilience. In the current context, the olive tree may also represent the two-state vision, a vision of peace in the Middle East, he said. Triansyah then called on the Security Council to honor its obligations to safeguard this vision for the sake of stability in the region. As a staunch supporter of Palestinian statehood, Indonesia has vowed to promote the Palestinian agenda as part of its 4+1 list of priorities at the Security Council. It has been actively lobbying its partner countries and has used its strategic position as a nonpermanent member of the council to canvas support for Palestine as it continues to face a decades-long dispute in the Middle East. Other countries on the Council, including Belgium, Estonia, South Africa, Norway and Peru, expressed their support for a two-state solution as a viable and sustainable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, while calling on Israel to end its illegal settlement policy in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that violates UN resolution 2334 (2016). Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion curated for you at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. In Ram Vilas Paswans pitch to amend NPR form, a message to ally BJP Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswans suggestion to amend the National Population Register (NPR) forms is not only an attempt to assuage concerns of his vote bank, a sizeable section of whom are the socially and economically deprived Dalits, but is also a message to its ally, the BJP that the partys suggestions on key issues should be taken on board. Read More Supreme Court refuses to defer CAA implementation, hearing after 4 weeks The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted four-week time to the Centre to reply to the 144-odd petitions challenging the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA. While most of the petitions challenge the constitutional validity of CAA, some of them seek a declaration that the act is constitutional. Read More After Amit Shahs firm message on CAA, a challenge from Prashant Kishor Janata Dal (United) vice president Prashant Kishor has challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to try and implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). The challenge came in a tweet by Kishor on Wedneday morning. Read More US commander-in-chief isnt reading New Delhis memos on Kashmir | HT Analysis US President Donald Trumps latest comments on Kashmir have come at an inopportune moment, because he is expected to visit India next month and they were made against the backdrop of Indias efforts to negate any attempt by Pakistan to internationalise the Kashmir issue. Read More India vs NZ: Why Prithvi Shaw and why not Mayank Agarwal? List A numbers tell a different story With the injury to Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw could be in line for an ODI debut in New Zealand having replaced the injured left-hander. There were reports that along with Shaw, Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill were also in the fray to replace Dhawan. However, the selectors went ahead with Shaw who has been in fine form against New Zealand A in the ongoing series. What was the reason for choosing Shaw over others? Read More Saif Ali Khan opens up on divorce with Amrita Singh, breaking it to his kids Actor Saif Ali Khan recently spoke at length about his three children Sara Ali Khan, Ibrahim Ali Khan and the youngest of the three, Taimur. He also spoke about how his divorce with Amrita Singh affected the overall scenario and how he still felt uncomfortable about how it happened. Read More Sabyasachi goes global with H&M collaboration Fashion brand H&M on Tuesday announced its first global collaboration with the iconic Indian label Sabyasachi, which launches April 16. The Sabyasachi x H&M collaboration themed Wanderlust will present hand-crafted, eclectic travel pieces that will resonate with the modern global nomad wanting to add that extra to their wardrobe. Read More A 36-year-old man, who is suspected to have planted the explosive at the Mangaluru Intentional Airport, surrendered before the police in Bengaluru on Wednesday, officials said. The man turned up at the DGP and IGP office in Bengaluru, where he has been detained for inquiry and medical tests. The suspect has been identified as Adithya Rao, a native of Manipal, they said, adding he resembled the one captured on CCTV footage at Mangaluru airport. The suspect confessed to having planted the bomb at the airport, sources said. Meanwhile, a team of police officials from Mangaluru have arrived in the city to question the suspect. Mangaluru city police commissioner P S Harsha tweeted that the investigation team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action. Police sources said, Rao, who was taken to Halsoor Gate police station in Bengaluru for questioning, is an engineering graduate and an MBA holder. He had earlier been arrested for making a hoax bomb call to Bengaluru airport in 2018 and was jailed for six months. This was an act of revenge as he was denied the job of a security guard at the Bengaluru International Airport which he had applied for due to lack of certain documents, they said. Rao had come to Bengaluru in 2012 seeking a job and landed one in a private bank, which he resigned. He then returned to Mangaluru, where he worked as a security guard for six months and then as a cook in Puthige Mutt in Udupi. Later, he went back to the state capital and joined an insurance company, which he left and tried to become a security staff at the airport, the sources said. A 'live' explosive device was found in an unattended bag near a ticket counter of the departure gate of the international airport in Mangaluru on Monday and later defused at a nearby open ground. Photo: The Canadian Press Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi leaves court during Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, Tuesday. Harvey Weinstein spawned the #MeToo movement. Now, the former film titan is starring in the biggest trial of its era a landmark moment in a global reckoning that has empowered women while shining a light on power dynamics in workplaces from Hollywood Boulevard to Main Street. Opening statements and the first witness testimony are expected Wednesday in Weinsteins New York City rape trial, where the possibility of life in prison looms for the once-celebrated Pulp Fiction producer now vilified as a predator by scores of women. Weinsteins accusers include some well-known actresses who plan to testify or attend the trial and others who are looking to the New York case for a form of justice because their allegations haven't resulted in criminal charges. This trial is so important because the enormity of Harvey Weinsteins international power and fame offers an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the rampant abuse of power that permeates our culture on a global level," actress Jessica Barth said Tuesday. Not only the outcome of this trial, but the trial as a whole, is precedent setting," said Barth, a star of the Ted films who says Weinstein once invited her to his hotel suite and demanded a naked massage. Weinsteins trial could take more than a month, Judge James Burke said. Judging from an arduous two-week jury selection that netted a panel of seven men and five women, it could be a hotbed of protests and intense media coverage. Extra court officers have been lining the front of the Manhattan courthouse where Weinstein, 67, has been ambling in and out with a walker that his lawyers say was necessitated by a summer car crash and subsequent back surgery. In a failed last-minute push to get the trial moved, Weinsteins lawyers said a flash mobs chanting the rapist is you! at street level could be heard in the courtroom, 15 floors above. Adding to the drama, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is due at the same courthouse Wednesday for a hearing in a case in which several women have accused him of groping. Hes denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Though dozens of women have accused Weinstein of sexually harassing or assaulting them over the years, his New York trial involves just a pair of allegations: that he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and sexually assaulted a different woman in 2006. Backed by expected testimony from four other accusers, prosecutors will attempt to portray Weinstein as a monster who used his power to ingratiate himself with women, sometimes promising a film role or other career advancement, before sexually assaulting or raping them. One of them, actress Annabella Sciorra will testify that Weinstein forced himself inside her Manhattan apartment and raped her in 1993 or 1994 after she starred in a film for his movie studio. While Sciorras allegations are outside the statute of limitations for criminal charges, the judge has said her testimony can be used to prove predatory sexual assault charges, which carries a maximum life sentence and requires prosecutors to show a pattern of misconduct. Weinsteins lawyers say any encounters were consensual. They plan to go on the offensive, pointing to dozens and dozens and dozens of loving emails to Mr. Weinstein they say show he and some of his accusers were in consenting relationships. Defence lawyer Damon Cheronis said some of the women also bragged about being in a sexual relationship with him. The European Union offered a pointedly warm welcome Wednesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is seeking to broaden international support for elections to vote President Nicolas Maduro out of power. Guaido is recognised as Venezuela's interim president by the United States and 50 other countries, though not by the European Commission, which describes him instead as the "legitimate" speaker of Venezuela's opposition-run parliament. Still, the convivial handshake extended by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and meetings with other top officials from the Commission and Parliament underlined the bloc's broad support. Guaido's message, relayed in an interview with BBC radio, was that he was seeking "support to achieve the free and fair elections, support to fight against dictatorship" in Venezuela. In a statement, Borrell's office said he had stressed the EU's willingness to back "a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis" during his talks with Guaido. "They both underlined the urgent need for a concerted approach both amongst the actors in Venezuela and within the international community for a meaningful political process," the statement said. The Brussels stop was part of an international campaign Guaido is waging to shore up backing in his bid to succeed Maduro. He defied a travel ban issued by Maduro's administration to go to Colombia and Britain before Belgium, and was to continue on to take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos and then to Spain at the end of the week. In Bogota, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed President Donald Trump's full-throated diplomatic support for Guaido. That was echoed in Britain, which is among the majority of EU countries that have joined the US in recognising Guaido's claim made early last year as Venezuela's temporary leader. While there was no unanimous EU position on recognising Guaido, a European source said "the meeting (between him and Borrell) is a message in itself". - Raid on Caracas offices - Meanwhile, with Guaido out of the country, hooded Venezuelan intelligence agents raided his Caracas offices, underlining the crucial support Maduro continues to enjoy from his security services. Concerned by the unprecedented outflow of Venezuelans fleeing economic hardship, the EU has seen its efforts to help solve the crisis in the South American country go nowhere. The bloc already imposed sanctions on Venezuela, including an arms embargo and the targeting of 25 of Maduro's officials for "human rights violations and undermining of democracy and the rule of law". It has resisted US pressure to ramp up the sanctions. Guaido's status as Venezuelan president for many key countries but not the entire international community has contributed to a political deadlock that has dragged on. "If Guaido wants to break the impasse he needs to count on other allies beyond the traditional support given by the United States and the Lima Group" made up of a dozen Latin American nations and Canada, said Carlos Malamud, an analyst at the Madrid-based Elcano Institute for International and Strategic Studies. Watchdog: Russia 'Trying To Silence' Information Flow From Occupied Crimea By RFE/RL January 21, 2020 Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russia of "trying to silence" the flow of information from Ukraine's Russian-occupied region of Crimea by banning Ukrainian journalists from traveling there. "Critical reporting from Crimea is a major irritant to Russian authorities," Tanya Lokshina, associate Europe and Central Asia director at the New York-based watchdog, said in a statement on January 21, days after Russian authorities barred journalist Taras Ibragimov from entering the peninsula and issued him a 34-year-ban. "Barring independent journalists from the peninsula helps to choke the flow of information about their crackdown on Crimean Tatar activists and other abuses," she added. Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they describe as a campaign of repression by the Russian-imposed authorities against Crimean Tatars and others who have spoken out against Moscow's military seizure and occupation of Crimea in 2014. On January 18, Ibragimov told RFE/RL that Russia's Border Guard Service, a branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB), banned him from entering Russia and Crimea until the middle of 2054. Ibragimov, who works with the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, said he believed the travel ban was "connected with my journalism and my work for publications that actively cover the cases of Crimean Tatars in Crimea and in Russia." OSCE Representative for Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir on January 21 said he deplored Russia's decision and called on "those responsible to respect the role of media actors and to allow journalists to travel without restrictions to carry out their work." Since 2018, Russian authorities banned a Ukrainian photographer and a Ukrainian journalist who also worked with the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service from entering Crimea and Russia until 2028. Another Ukrainian reporter was issued a four-year-ban in 2016. With reporting by the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/osce-calls-on- russia-to-respect-media-allow-journalists-to- travel-freely/30389545.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address You've got to fill the deficit and then keep up with population growth. We simply don't build enough houses when population growth is high or low - we persistently underbuild. Because there is still a lot of pent-up demand from that pent-up shortage people are still willing to pay a lot of money to find that place to call a home, Eaqub said, as reported by Stuff.co.nz. Read more: Housing consents hit 45-year high Liz Kendall, economist at ANZ, said something must be done about the high price of land before prices actually dropped emphasising the importance of having fundamental changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA). [High building] will keep house prices in check relevant to the counterfactual where they are not being built. But when you see more land being released and the price of land coming down, that's when the market will fundamentally change, Kendall said. Ian Cassels, veteran property developer in Wellington, aired the same sentiments, saying: I think the electorate isn't demanding enough of its politicians. Somehow or another they are just getting let off one decade to the next. (CNN) A man has been arrested in Japan after allegedly abandoning his father's cremated remains in a subway station restroom. When Hiroaki Hishijima's divorced father passed away in September last year, officials in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward handled the cremation of his body. According to a report on CNN affiliate TV Asahi, Hishijima went to pick up his father's remains in November for a proper burial ceremony -- but feared his mother would get angry if he brought the ashes home. Tokyo police told CNN on Tuesday that Hishijima allegedly left the remains in a cubicle inside a men's room on Tokyo station's Marunouchi Line. He was arrested on January 17. Abandoning bones in a public place other than a cemetery is punishable by a fine or up to three years in prison. And while abandoning remains is rare, the issue of what to do with a deceased loved one or relative is a growing sore point for many Japanese amid a steadily aging population and skyrocketing prices for cemetery plots. Changing burial practices Deaths in Japan hit a postwar record high of 1.376 million in 2019, with a natural population decline of 512,000 -- the highest ever. While public cemeteries often have long waiting lists, tombstones at private ones can cost from 500,000 yen ($4,000) to multiple millions, with the location and type of tombstone bumping up prices, according to former funeral director Yusuke Wada. "A plot in Kamakura cemetery will cost you the same as buying a luxurious car such as the Lexus," he said. Traditionally, cremated remains were stored in burial urns placed in inherited family graves, with relatives paying for maintenance and visiting as often as possible. But as demands and lifestyles shifted, burial practices also evolved. With single households on the rise in Japan, reliance on an inherited burial sites became less practical. According to Wada, usually people in search of more cost-effective burials opt to hire a boat and pay for their relative's bones to be ground down and scattered into the ocean. This story was first published on CNN.com, "A Tokyo man deliberately left his father's ashes in a subway station restroom, police say." Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has been questioned by police over the murder of his estranged wife, a police chief said. Thabane, 80, whose former wife Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was killed outside her home in Maseru in June 2017, was interviewed at his office rather than at a police station, following a request by his party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC). The police interview comes just two weeks after the leader's new wife, Maesaiah Thabane, 42, failed to turn up for questioning over the same murder. Speaking about the leader being questioned at his office rather than a police station deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete explained: 'We did not see a problem with that (request). It was not imposed on us.' Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has been interviewed at his office by police over the murder of his former wife Lipolelo Thabane Lipolelo Thabane, whose death sent shockwaves through the country, was assassinated outside her home in Maseru in June 2017 Thabane and his estranged wife had been had been embroiled in bitter divorce proceedings when she was brutally assassinated, sending shockwaves through the tiny mountain kingdom, which has a long history of political turmoil. The accusations against the prime minister came after investigations revealed that communication records from the day of the murder picked up Thabane's mobile phone number. The prime minister was asked to explain why a call was made to his phone from the scene after the killing of his estranged wife. In a letter to Thabane police commissioner Holomo Molibeli wrote: 'The investigations reveal that there was a telephonic communication at the scene of the crime in question ... with another cell phone. The cell phone number belongs to you.' Police then summoned the leader to their office on Monday in a bid to 'cast a light' on Lipolelo's murder. Thabane's third wife Maesaiah Thabane, 43, failed to turn up for questioning over the same murder The prime minister and Maesaiah married a few months after Lipolelo's murder in 2017 Deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete said in a statement: 'This case does not only attract the attention of Basotho nation (Lesotho) but it is of international concern.' While Thabane was being quizzed, about 600 mainly opposition supporters staged a protest on the streets of the capital Maseru, demanding that he quit immediately. Carrying placards written 'Thabane must go today' and clad in party colours, they chanted 'Thabane and his wife must go' and 'We want justice for Lipolelo'. Following calls from his own party, who accused him of hampering investigations into the killing, Thabane last week said he would leave office on the grounds of old age but gave no time frame for his departure. Thabane and Lipolelo, who shared one daughter, married in 1987 before filing for divorce in 2012. A few months after Lipolelo's murder in 2017, Thabane married his long-term partner Maesiah Ramoholi in an lavish ceremony attended by thousands in the capital's Setsoto Stadium. Thabane (pictured being interviewed during the 2017 election campaign) married Lipolelo, in 1987 before filing for divorce in 2012 The prime minister (pictured being welcomed to London by then PM Theresa May in 2018) last week said he would leave office on the grounds of old age Two men charged with police investigator murder go on trial Fotolia/ Africa Studio 11:25 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) Two defendants in a case over the murder of the Interior Ministry Transport Departments major case investigator, police lieutenant colonel Yevgeniya Shishkina, will stand trial, the Investigative Committees press service reports. The probe has been completed. An alleged killer is Abdulaziz Abdulazizov, born 2000. He and his accomplice are charged with organized murder and illegal ammunition trafficking. The murder was allegedly organized by Yaroslav Sumbayev, a defendant in a case against members of a hacking group engaged in fictious return of train and air tickets, who had illegally received over 17 million rubles (about $300,000), the statement reads. Shishkina was shot dead near her place of living in the Moscow Region on October 10, 2018. According to Yelena Syropyatova, the lawyer for the victims son, the defendants pled guilty. The defendants communicated alleged instigators of the crime through the Internet, the attorney told RAPSI earlier. There is evidence that they have received 1 million rubles ($15,500) for the murder, she has added. They were arrested in St. Petersburg in early March and transported to Moscow, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 19:42 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20608f0e8 1 National press-freedom-in-Indonesia,environmental-issues,immigration,Mongabay,Philip-Jacobson Free The Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI), the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) are denouncing the arrest of American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson, who has been detained in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, for allegedly violating visa restrictions. Jacobson, who works for environmental science and conservation news portal Mongabay, had been detained since Jan. 21. According to a letter from immigration officials, he was arrested under Article 122 of the 2011 Immigration Law because of misuse of his residency permit. Jacobson could be subjected to a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp 500 million (US$36,556) if convicted of the charges. Arresting a journalist under an administration excuse is over the top, said AJI chairman Abdul Manan as quoted by tempo.co on Wednesday. On Dec. 16, Jacobson attended a hearing between the Central Kalimantan Regional Legislative Council and the local chapter of the AMAN. "[On Dec. 17,] Jacobson was scheduled on a flight out of Palangkaraya, but before he could leave for the airport, immigration officers went to his guesthouse and confiscated his passport," Mongabay said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the immigration officers then asked Jacobson to remain in the city while they continued their investigation. "On Jan. 21, more than a month later, Jacobson was formally arrested and taken into custody." Although the immigration office stated that Jacobson was arrested because of visa problems, Manan said he believes that his arrest has something to do with his journalistic activities, since Jacobson planned to write a story on an agrarian dispute between a local indigenous community and a corporation. The immigration authority's action could give a bad signal concerning Indonesias image abroad for treating a journalist harshly under an administrative excuse, Manan said. Palangkaraya Legal Aid Instutute (LBH Palangkaraya) head Aryo Nugroho Waluyo said that the immigration officers detained Jacobson in the Palangkaraya Class II Detention Center. According to Aryo, Jacobson has been in Central Kalimantan since mid-December. At that time, Jacobson was coordinating with Mongabay journalists in Palangkaraya regarding his plan to write an article about the agrarian dispute. Similar to AJI, AMAN also criticized the authority for arresting Jacobson. Philip Jacobsons detention, when the former was performing his duties as a journalist, is a serious threat against press freedom, democracy and human rights. Therefore, AMAN is voicing our solidarity with Phil Jacobson to defend press freedom, democracy and human rights, said AMANs secretary-general Rukka Sombolinggi in a written statement on Wednesday. Walhi said even though the stated reason for Jacobsons arrest was administrative, they also believed it had something to do with his journalism work. "Violence and attempts to hamper journalism are violations of Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution and the Press Law, which guarantees freedom of the press," Walhi said in a statement on Wednesday. A Human Rights Watch researcher, Andreas Harsono, urged the Palangkaraya Immigration Office to immediately release Jacobson. "Journalism is not a crime. What happened was just an administrative matter regarding a visa," said Andreas on Wednesday. Forcing him to remain in Palangkaraya for five weeks and later detaining him in a jail, said Andreas, were over-the-top actions. Responding to Jacobsons arrest, the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club said they were aware of his case. He had come to the city after entering Indonesia on a business visa for a series of meetings, but the day he was due to leave immigration authorities seized his passport, interrogated him and ordered him to remain in the city pending an investigation, the clubs executive committee wrote in a statement on Wednesday. However, the committee also said it believes his activities should not be the cause for punitive actions. While we of course urge all foreign journalists visiting Indonesia to ensure they follow immigration rules, if a journalist is simply attending meetings or happens to be present during a news event this should not be cause for punitive action or detention, the club added. (evi) The city is getting another monumental sculpture by Sebastian, the Mexican artist behind the iconic Torch of Friendship downtown. The new piece, The Door of Equality/La Puerta de la Igualdad, is slated to be installed in the roundabout near the Central Library this summer. Its a gift to the city from the artist and Siempre Mexico, a foundation that coordinates his international donations. The gift was announced Wednesday by Debbie Racca-Sittre, director of the citys Department of Arts & Culture. The Door of Equality/La Puerta de la Igualdad consists of two 30-foot-tall royal blue columns standing side by side. One represents peace, tranquility and wisdom; the other represents loyalty, strength and trust. The sculpture symbolizes the infinite struggle for justice, Racca-Sittre said. The sculpture will be lit from within, making it the first time the artist has incorporated light into his work, giving off a perpetual glow that speaks to the fire and energy surrounding the citys tenacious history. On ExpressNews.com: River Walk Public Art Garden debuts with Sebastian works It is set as a gateway between downtown and other areas of the city. The sculpture symbolizes that San Antonios door is always open. City Councilman Roberto Trevino said that the roundabout and the artwork in it has been gestating throughout the five years that he has represented District 1, which includes downtown. It is a gateway, and thats why this art piece is so important, said Trevino. I had always hoped that wed pay tribute to civil rights, to equality, here in the city. There is more to come for that spot, he said. Plans are being developed for additional touches that will pay tribute to specific people involved in the fight for civil rights. He envisions landscaping, lighting and an area where people can gather. He would also like to see artistic crosswalks, similar to the pride-themed crosswalks painted in the citys LGBTQ district in 2018. That would complete the entire goal of what the roundabout would be, as a gateway and a tribute to civil rights, he said. He would like to see the project completed this year. The James Surls piece currently in the roundabout is on loan to the city by Surls and will be returned to him. The roundabout is a good location for the new work, Racca-Sittre said, because the nearby Central Librarys enchilada red exterior will complement the royal blue of the sculpture, and because architect Ricardo Legoretta, who designed the building, was good friends with Sebastian. Sebastians The Torch of Friendship stands in a roundabout near the Convention Center. It was donated to the city in 2002 by the Asociacion de Empresarios Mexicanos, a local group of Mexican business professionals, to mark the deep bonds between San Antonio and Mexico. Sebastian is known for massive steel and concrete sculptures playing off geometric forms including works in Mexico City, Paris and Jerusalem though he also creates smaller pieces. Sebastian in San Antonio: 50+ Years / 20+ Sites / 100+ Works, a citywide exhibit of Sebastians work, is on display through May. The city has just released a hard-bound catalog for the show. Copies will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis during a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza de Armas. On ExpressNews.com: Sebastians work displayed around the city Sebastian will be on hand at the reception. The artist lives in Mexico City but also has a home in San Antonio. The city has always been dear to him, he said during a press conference last year announcing the exhibit. Since my childhood, Ive had a very close relationship with San Antonio, because Im from Chihuahua and because I designed the Torch of Friendship, he said. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN New Delhi: Actor Saif Ali Khan, who is currently basking in the success of his latest release 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior', recently spoke to Pinkvilla about his divorce with ex-wife Amrita Singh and how he broke the news to their children Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan. The 49-year-old actor said that it is the "worst thing" in the world and he "wishes things were different." Saif married Amrita in 1991 when he was 21 and she was 33. The couple was married for 13 years. Both Sara and Ibrahim were very young when Saif and Amrita divorced in 2004. "It's the worst thing in the world. That is something I still feel could have been different. I think I will never really be okay with that. I mean one needs to understand that certain things can't be out. I try my best to make peace with that and with myself saying that 'I was 20 and I was quite young and so much changes', but you feel bad but it is a strange thing," Saif said in the interview. "Sometimes you can't really imagine. Parents is a strange thing, you can't really imagine of them as together and individuals, as two units as well. Everyone can be okay with a modern relationship also. I don't think any child should be deprived of a warm home," he added. Sara, in her interviews, has also gone on record to say that she is happy with the way both her parents have lead their lives and took the right decision at the right time. Two homes are better than an unhappy one, she said during her maiden appearance on 'Koffee With Karan' with Saif. Saif is now happily married to actress Kareena Kapoor and they are parents to a three-year-old son named Taimur. Sara and Ibrahim share a cordial relationship with Kareena and are often photographed at their home on festivals and parties. On the work front, Saif will be next seen in January release 'Jawaani Jaaneman'. Mansion where they are thought to be staying. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry has arrived in Canada to rejoin his wife Meghan and son Archie. Photo: PA Prince Harry has been reunited with his wife Meghan in Canada as he steps back from royal duties. Video from Sky News showed him landing at Victoria Airport on Vancouver Island late on Monday. It comes as lawyers for Meghan and Harry have issued a legal warning to UK media over the use of paparazzi photos. A photographer spotted a smiling Meghan on a hike with Archie and her two dogs, trailed by her security detail, on Vancouver Island on Monday. The BBC and Sky News reported that the images were taken by photographers hiding in the bushes and spying on her. Private The prince, Meghan and eight-month-old Archie were reportedly staying at a mansion on the island off Canada's Pacific coast. The video of Harry shows him stepping off a small passenger plane and getting into an SUV waiting by the runway. Buckingham Palace said yesterday it would not comment on private matters. The palace announced on Saturday that the prince and his wife will give up public funding and try to become financially independent. The couple, who were named the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day, are expected to spend most of their time in Canada while maintaining a home in England near Windsor Castle in an attempt to build a more peaceful life. The couple spent the holiday season on the island, but it is unclear where in Canada they will settle. It is also unclear who will pay for their personal security and what the immigration and tax status would be for the couple. Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, is technically head of state in Canada. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has spoken warmly about the couple, but has said there are questions to be addressed. "Discussions are continuing and I have no update at this time," Mr Trudeau said. One of the country's leading newspapers, The Globe and Mail, wrote in an editorial last week that senior royals were welcome to visit Canada but should not stay because a royal living in Canada does not accord with the long-standing nature of the relationship between Canada and Britain. Taboo The paper said it would break an "unspoken constitutional taboo". However, it published another editorial on Monday saying that while a senior member of the royals setting up shop in Canada "doesn't accord with what Canada has become", Harry is no longer a royal so the problem is solved. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstans Ministry of Energy reduced the volume of oil deliveries to Kazakh refineries and other countries, Trend reports with reference to the press office of KazTransOil. On Jan. 16, 2020, KazTransOil detected an excess of organochlorine compounds in the fractions during crude oil receiving into the trunk pipeline system from CNPC-Aktobemunauygas. KazTransOil suspended crude oil receiving from CNPC-Aktobemunaygas on the same day until the oil quality issue is resolved. As of Jan. 22, 2020, the acceptance of crude oil from CNPC-Aktobemunaygas was not restarted. Kazakhstans Ministry of Energy, given the decline in volume of oil delivery for transportation through trunk oil pipelines system, adjusted the schedule for oil transportation to the refineries of Kazakhstan and for export for Jan. 2020. In particular, the scheduled volume of export to China was reduced, the report said. Exempt volume of crude oil is redirected to supply Shymkent Refinery. The schedule of crude oil supply to Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant has also been changed. Currently, the transportation of crude oil by trunk oil pipelines' system is carried out in accordance with the adjusted schedule. KazTransOil is Kazakhstan's National Main Oil Pipeline Operator. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh In the light of recent news from Boeing on the ongoing process in cooperation with international aviation authorities of returning the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft safely back to service, Icelandair does not expect the MAX in operation within its route network during the high season of next summer. This will have a minimal impact on Icelandairs flight schedule 2020 as it was set up with the aim to minimize the impact of a possible further delay in the lifting of the MAX suspension. In addition, the Company has already entered into leasing agreements regarding three Boeing 737-800 aircraft and a decision has been made to keep more Boeing 757 aircraft in operation in 2020 than originally planned. The financial impact of this further suspension will be considerably less this year than in 2019. In addition to the above-mentioned mitigating measures the current leasing agreements were made further in advance than in the year 2019 and are therefore on better terms. The additional aircraft will also be operated with Icelandair crews instead of external crews last year that were leased with a short notice. The Company has therefore been able to organise its operations in 2020 with this possible scenario in mind. In 2020, Icelandairs emphasis will continue to be on the tourism market to Iceland and the Company expects to transport at least as many passengers to Iceland this year as in 2019. As previously reported, Icelandair Group has reached two interim agreements with Boeing regarding compensation for the Companys financial loss resulting from the MAX suspension. Continued discussions with Boeing regarding further compensation are ongoing. Information Wednesday mornings colder temperatures are expected to rise as milder weather moves into Massachusetts on Thursday. Worcester and Springfield were reporting temperatures of roughly 10 degrees at 7 a.m., while Boston was seeing 15-degree weather. Highs are expected to reach about 35 degrees in all three communities by late afternoon. Moderating low and mid level temps will result in a nice temp recovery after a cold start to the day, the National Weather Service said. Highs will reach the mid/upper 30s across much of the region with light winds. Warmer weather will move in Thursday and remain through Sunday. Temperatures will climb to the mid 40s for much of the state by Friday afternoon. A coastal storm is expected over the weekend as well, with snow and rain probable overnight Saturday through Sunday morning. The National Weather Service is currently estimating a more than 80% chance of precipitation on Saturday. A storm is expected to impact the region Saturday into Sunday with rain near the coast and snow over the high elevation interior," the National Weather Service said. Some light snow is possible Sunday night into early Monday as the storm exits, then mainly dry and seasonable conditions into Tuesday." Strong winds are also likely this weekend. Boston, Worcester and Springfield will see surface winds reach around 10 miles per hour Saturday, and gusts as high as 28 miles per hour are expected in Boston at night. More than 72 hours out, the forecast is subject to change. A former Lancaster County principal will take the helm at Harrisburg High Schools John Harris Campus, serving in an interim role until a nationwide search for a long-term replacement concludes. The appointment of Jay V. Butterfield to the interim principal role came only a week after former John Harris Principal Jaimie Foster was removed from the leadership position. Foster will now serve as an assistant principal at Camp Curtin Middle School. On Tuesday, Harrisburg School District receiver Janet Samuels approved an agreement for Butterfield to provide onsite leadership support to the Academic Services Team and the John Harris Campus. The contract stipulates that Butterfield will be paid $500 per day and working for as many as 90 days, meaning he could earn a maximum of $45,000 during that timeframe. The cost will be paid for out of the districts general fund. We are very excited to have Dr. Butterfield join the district in the short-term capacity, said Chris Celmer, the districts acting superintendent. Butterfield previously served as the director of secondary education at the School District of Lancaster, where he supervised all of the districts secondary principals, according to a Harrisburg news release, which included a list of Butterfields other former leadership roles. The School District of Lancaster is similar to Harrisburg School District, and I am confident that we will be able to make great strides together. I expect a safe and orderly environment, where students are in class, learning each and every period of each school day, Butterfield said in a statement. I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with this community to help make John Harris Campus a center of learning and a beacon of hope for the future of Harrisburg, Butterfields statement continued. Butterfields appointment comes a week after Fosters removal from the role. Foster was moved from her previous position as chief academic officer into the John Harris principal role last summer, shortly after Samuels was appointed receiver. Foster kept her $113,850 salary at that time. Jaimie Foster, at left, is no longer principal of Harrisburg High School's main campus. She's seen in this file photo conferring with Lance Freeman, who was serving as acting Human Resources Director. Sean Simmers photo As an assistant principal at Camp Curtin, Foster will make $85,750. District officials have not officially announced a reason for the leadership change. At a public meeting Tuesday, Celmer said Butterfield will remain in the John Harris leadership position only until a search for a long-term principal concludes. Celmer said the job has been widely advertised, not only in the Harrisburg region but also throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. He compared it to a typical search for a superintendent. Once a candidate pool is selected, candidates will be subject to close scrutiny through a tiered interview process, Celmer said, hinting that members of the public will have a role in that process. Im very optimistic we are going to have a very strong candidate pool for this position, Celmer said. Finding the next principal of John Harris is critical to the recovery and how we move the school district forward. Samuels also approved a second contract to hire Wanda Suarez, another former Lancaster principal, to provide leadership support at Harrisburgs Rowland Academy middle school. Rowlands current principals and leadership team will remain in place, Harrisburg Chief Academic Officer Susan Sneath said. We do have very competent principals at Rowland Academy, she said. However, Sneath said Rowland students drastically underperform when compared to those who attend other Pennsylvania middle schools. The contract with Suarez $60 per hour up to a maximum cost of $6,800 is intended to provide support as district leaders attempt to make improvements to instruction, school climate and student behavior at Rowland, Sneath said. On Tuesday, district officials also announced that an in-school suspension program will be implemented at John Harris. Melissa McClain was hired as an in-school suspension teacher with a salary of $48,212 per year. District officials said they could not answer questions about the in-school suspension program Tuesday but agreed to do so later this week. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. READ MORE: Democratic frontrunners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are trading barbs, each accusing the other of lying and having a smaller chance of defeating Donald Trump in November, as the race for the party's nomination tightens. Biden holds the lead in national polling averages, but Sanders has been on the rise since December. A new CNN/SSRS poll puts Sanders in first place with 27 percent, within the margin of error but slipping ahead of Biden, who came in at 24 percent. Results from another survey Wednesday by Morning Consult were virtually the inverse: Barack Obama's former vice president scored 29 percent to 24 percent for the US senator from Vermont. As the race has narrowed, the two septuagenarians -- Biden the moderate, Sanders a self-described "Democratic socialist" -- have grown testy, accusing each other of dishonesty. The change in tone recalls the bitter 2016 primary battle between Sanders and Hillary Clinton, who in the end won the Democratic nomination but lost the election to Trump. "I find it amazing that we go back and look at statements, many of them, most of them, taken out of context of 10, 20, 30, 35 years ago," Biden said on MSNBC Wednesday. The day before, Sanders had accused Biden in a tweet accompanied by a video of having long wanted to cut funding for Social Security, the US public pension system. "Let's be honest, Joe. One of us fought for decades to cut Social Security, and one of us didn't. But don't take it from me. Take it from you," he wrote. A Sanders spokeswoman, Briahna Joy Gray, piled on, posting a long video comparing the two candidates' positions, and concluding that Biden's record on foreign or trade policy would crumble under Trump's attacks if the two were to face off one-on-one. Then she called on the former vice president to "Tell the truth Joe," invoking a hashtag popular with Sanders supporters. In an ad posted on Twitter by his account, Biden had previously taken a shot at Sanders. "Bernie's negative attacks won't change the truth," a narrator says. "Joe Biden is still the strongest Democrat to beat Donald Trump. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LONDON - Social media sites, games and other online services wont be allowed to nudge British kids into revealing personal details or lowering their privacy settings, under tough new rules drawn up by the countrys privacy regulator. The set of standards aimed at protecting childrens online privacy were released Wednesday by the Information Commissioners Office for Parliaments approval. There are laws to protect children in the real world - film ratings, car seats, age restrictions on drinking and smoking. We need our laws to protect children in the digital world too, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said. In a generation from now, we will look back and find it astonishing that online services werent always designed with children in mind. Tech companies wont be able to use nudge techniques, such as making one option appear easier than the alternative, to encourage kids to provide unnecessary personal data or weaken or turn off their privacy protections. Theyll also have to verify a users age or instead apply the codes standards to all users. Sharing or broadcasting a childs location should be off by default, so should profiling kids for so-called behavioural advertising, the new rules say. Other requirements include collecting and holding a minimum amount of personal data and making high privacy settings the default. Online services should take childrens best interests into account and shouldnt use their data to auto-recommend harmful content like videos advocating suicide or anorexia. The age appropriate design code has 15 standards in all that must be met by apps, connected toys, social media platforms, online games, educational websites and streaming services. They apply to any online service likely to be used by a child and to any companies offering their services in the U.K. Violators face punishment including, in serious cases, fines worth 4% of a companys global revenue, which for the Silicon Valley giants like Facebook would equal billions of dollars. Once Parliament gives its approval, companies will get a 12-month transition period to adapt to the new rules. Theyre expected to come into full effect by autumn 2021. Tech companies are coming under increasing pressure to tighten up online protection for young people, with authorities in the U.S., Ireland and elsewhere also working on updating their rulebooks. 'Negative developments' undermining two-State solution in Middle East 21 January 2020 - Recent heightened tensions in the Middle East underscore the critical need for dialogue and diplomacy in the region, the UN's Political Affairs chief told the Security Council on Tuesday. Rosemary DiCarlo was briefing ambassadors on developments related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as recent protests in Lebanon, against the backdrop of the crisis sparked by the killing of a top Iranian general by the United States earlier this month. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not immune to the tensions in the region", she said. "At the same time, the effects of its persistence are felt far beyond Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory." Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the UN's position that there can be no sustainable peace in the Middle East without resolving the decades-long dispute. However, with the political process deadlocked, she said "negative developments" continue to undermine prospects for a two-State solution, including Israel's expansion of settlement activity and threats to annex parts of the West Bank. "In the absence of progress towards an agreement that will resolve all final status issues based on the 1967 lines, the United Nations continues to focus its efforts on establishing an environment conducive to the return to the negotiations", she said. "Recent regional events have once again brought to the fore the crucial necessity of dialogue and diplomacy in the region." Humanitarian needs The UN deputy humanitarian coordinator informed the Council that $348 million will be needed this year to provide food, protection, health care and other services to some 1.5 million vulnerable Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. Ursula Mueller was fresh from a six-day visit to the region, where she witnessed Gazans trapped in a cycle of deepening poverty and insecurity due to a decline in external aid, high unemployment and economic recession. "UNICEF reports rising rates of school dropout, child labour, and child marriage, and an estimated 270,000 children suffer from some form of mental disorder. Similarly, I have seen how the lives and wellbeing of residents in Israeli communities around Gaza are disrupted by rocket fire from Palestinian armed groups, with mental health impacts particularly among children", she said. Ms. Mueller also pointed to signs of "cautious optimism", such as an increase in the number of people allowed to leave Gaza, and the creation of 37,000 jobs by the UN agency that assists Palestinians, UNRWA, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. "Ultimately, the solution for the occupied Palestinian territory is neither humanitarian nor development action, but lies in political discourse and agreement", she stated. Election hopes The UN remains hopeful that the Palestinian Authority will hold legislative and presidential elections this year. The last vote was held in 2006. Ms. DiCarlo reported that political parties have confirmed they would include more women candidates than the law requires. There is also discussion over amending the law to raise the quota of listed women candidates from 20 to 30 per cent. "Despite broad internal political agreement and a series of compromises by all factions, to date President Abbas has not issued the decree needed to schedule elections. In the past month, he has stated that he would not set dates until Israel agrees that elections can take place in East Jerusalem. Plans to organize the vote are now grinding to a halt", she said, noting that UN engagement continues in the interim. Turning to Lebanon, Ms. DiCarlo expressed serious concern over violent protests in the capital, Beirut, this past weekend. Since October, people have been taking to the streets in mostly peaceful demonstrations over corruption and economic collapse as stalemate over forming a new Government continues. She said senior UN officials in the country have encouraged parties to protect against any potential spill-over and to urge for calm. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Luke Baker DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The world needs to prepare for millions of people being driven from their homes by the impact of climate change, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday. Speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum, Filippo Grandi said a U.N. ruling this week meant those fleeing as a result of climate change deserved international protection, and that it had broad implications for governments. The U.N. Human Rights Committee made the landmark ruling on Monday in relation to Ioane Teitiota, from the Pacific nation of Kiribati, who brought a case against New Zealand after authorities denied his claim of asylum. "The ruling says if you have an immediate threat to your life due to climate change, due to the climate emergency, and if you cross the border and go to another country, you should not be sent back, because you would be at risk of your life, just like in a war or in a situation of persecution," Grandi said. "We must be prepared for a large surge of people moving against their will," he said. "I wouldn't venture to talk about specific numbers, it's too speculative, but certainly we're talking about millions here." Potential drivers include wildfires like those seen in Australia, rising sea levels affecting low-lying islands, the destruction of crops and livestock in sub-Saharan Africa and floods worldwide, not least in parts of the developed world. Whereas for most of its 70 years UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, has worked to assist those fleeing poorer countries as a result of conflict, climate change is more indiscriminate. "It is further proof that refugee movements and the broader issue of migration of populations ... is a global challenge that cannot be confined to a few countries," said Grandi. 70 MILLION DISPLACED Yet the convention relating to the status of refugees, signed in 1951, made no provision for climate change as a reason for people to flee their country and seek asylum elsewhere. As climate impacts grow, legal questions become more complicated. Story continues UNHCR, whose budget has risen from $1 billion a year in the early 1990s to $8.6 billion in 2019 as conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria have forced civilians to flee, now assists more than 70 million forcibly displaced people. Turkey is the largest recipient, with more than 4 million refugees and asylum seekers, the vast majority from Syria. That has strained Turkey's public finances and led President Tayyip Erdogan to demand more assistance from Europe. Last November, Erdogan threatened to open the door for Syrian refugees to head to Europe unless the European Union stepped up, and he is now calling for the "resettlement" of up to 1 million Syrians in the north of their homeland. Grandi said European governments needed to think hard about solutions to the migrant crisis, which has affected them since 2015, but also show more understanding of Turkey's situation. "We must recognise that, for the past several years (Turkey)has been hosting the largest refugee population in the world," he said. "There's a lot of political talk. I concentrate on the substance of this, which is 'let's strengthen Turkey's ability to host refugees until they can go back safely, voluntarily to their countries'." (Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Alex Richardson and Kevin Liffey) Long queue of 66 candidates on last day of filing nomination for Assembly polls. Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his parents, arrives at Jamnagar House to file his nomination papers in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI) NEW DELHI: Carrying Token No. 45, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal waited for more than six hours at an election office before he could file his nomination papers on Tuesday, the last day to submit documents to contest elections to Delhi Assembly. The Aam Aadmi Party chief arrived with his mother, father and wife at the sub-divisional magistrates office in Jamnagar House in the afternoon and left when it was dark because of a long queue of 66 candidates who had suddenly surfaced on the last day. Most of them were Independents. Mr Kejriwal had missed filing his papers on Monday as he got held up by his own massive roadshow. He is contesting from the prestigious New Delhi Assembly constituency. Mr Kejriwal, who has twice won the constituency, will be facing first-timers from the BJP and the Congress in the February 8 elections. The BJP has fielded its Delhi unit Yuva Morcha president Sunil Yadav, and the Congress has pitched its former student leader, Romesh Sabharwal. Soon after the BJP named Mr Yadav as its candidate from the New Delhi seat, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that the saffron party had surrendered before the polls. He tweeted, Going by this list and BJP candidate against CM Kejriwal, it seems, BJP has surrendered. In 2013 Assembly polls, Mr Kejriwal had defeated Congress veteran and former chief minister Sheila Dikshit by 25,864 votes from this seat. Again in 2015, the AAP supremo won the seat by defeating BJPs Nupur Sharma by over 31,500 votes. The Congress, which had fielded Dikshits former Cabinet colleague Kiran Walia in 2015, could not secure even 5,000 votes. On Tuesday, 66 candidates showed up to file their nomination at the SDMs office in Jamnagar House. Holding token no. 45, Mr Kejriwal tweeted: Waiting to file my nomination. My token no is 45. There are many people here to file nomination papers. Am so glad so many people participating in democracy. However, the chief ministers deputy Manish Sisodia tweeted, BJP planted 45 people in the line before Arvind Kejriwal. The Election Commission is deliberately giving each candidate half-an-hour or one hour... even those whose papers are not complete or those who dont have proposers. Mr Sisodia added, BJP people, do whatever you want, you cannot stop Kejriwal from filing his nomination or from becoming chief minister for the third time. Your conspiracy will not succeed. One of the aspiring candidates, who claimed he had been betrayed by the AAP leader when he was part of the Anna Hazare anti-corruption campaign, said: Kejriwal has no option but to stand in the queue like all of us. Let him also see what aam aadmi has to undergo in his day-to-day life in any government office. Just before filing his nomination, Mr Kejriwal said the journey for the next five years starts now and his aim is to beat corruption and take Delhi forward. The journey for the next five years starts from here. Like the good work that has happened in Delhi, I hope in the next five years also there will be good work. BJP, Congress and many other parties have come together... LJP, JJP, JD(U) and RJD. For the time there is such a coalition in Delhi. All these parties only have one aim, Defeat Kejriwal. And I have only one aim, how to end corruption and take Delhi forward, the AAP leader said. MANILA, Philippines Some 330 cartridges of liquid marijuana were seized from various warehouses at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said. In a statement issued Wednesday, the BOC said the drug cartridges, which were confiscated from air cargo parcels, were estimated to worth P700,000. Customs personnel examining the air parcels initially discovered a total of 11 packages containing liquid marijuana. The bureau said it coordinated the seizure of drugs with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group. The cartridges of liquid marijuana were then turned over to PDEA for further investigation of its consignees and senders. The BOC stressed that the importation of hempseed and Cannabidiol is still considered illegal and may be subject to seizure pursuant to the provisions of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The post Liquid marijuana worth P700k seized from warehouses at NAIA BOC appeared first on UNTV News. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 22 January 2020: The Report ERP Software Market Analysis By Deployment (On-premise, Cloud), By Functions (Finance, Human Resource (HR), Supply Chain), By Verticals (Manufacturing & Services, BFSI, Health Care, Retail, Government Utilities, Aerospace & Defense, Telecom), by End-User (Large Enterprises, Medium Enterprises, Small Enterprises) And Segment Forecasts To 2022 Global ERP software market is anticipated to witness tremendous gains over the next seven years on account of its increasing application in defense & aerospace, retail, and government utility sectors. The software enables organizations to function with transparency, increases productivity, and enables decision making. The industry is expected to be worth USD 48.22 billion in 2022. ERP software as a finance function facilitates management of different financial activities including cash flow management, asset management, accounting, and investment. Finance was the largest segment of the market contributing to over 22.0% of the share in 2014 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR exceeding 7.0% from 2015 to 2022. Human resource is likely to be the fastest growing functional segment owing to rapid organizational development and expansion. Automated HR processes are also expected to drive growth. Access Research Report of ERP Software Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/erp-software-market On-premise ERP software deployment model accounted for over 60.0% of the total revenue in 2014, owing to the various benefits offered including high data security and continuous control in the organizations, thereby reducing the dependency on third party vendors. The market was valued at USD 17.01 billion in 2014. Cloud deployment was the second largest segment in 2014 owing to the introduction of mobile devices coupled with lower infrastructure requirements. Manufacturing & services were valued at USD 5.11 billion in 2014, capturing over 15.0% of the revenue share in 2014. This segment utilizes ERP software for a broad range of business activities including customer services, inventory management, production scheduling, day-to-day performance management, daily operations monitoring and inter-departmental collaboration. Government utilities are expected to capture a significant share due to rising adoption of IT infrastructure. Medium-enterprises were the largest end-users, accounting for over 40.0% of the global share in 2014, owing to the factors including minimized production costs, increased operational efficiency, and timely product delivery. Stringent government regulations and compliances in organizations have augmented market demand thereby, achieving high productivity and reduced complexity. North America contributed to over 40.0% of the revenues in the global industry and was valued at USD 11.33 billion in 2014. Increasing technological advancements and rising adoption of ERP software in the finance function by the enterprises in the region to achieve transparency in financial transactions is expected to augment the market demand. Europe and Asia Pacific are projected to register a speedy growth in the ERP software market owing to the mounting number of enterprises and booming manufacturing industry. Government initiatives, particularly in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific for implementing IT infrastructure are expected to augment the market demand over the forecast period. Key players present in the industry includes IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Sage Group Plc, Syspro, Unit4, Microsoft Corporation and NetSuite Inc. Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/communication-services Grand View Research has segmented the global ERP software market on the basis of deployment, functions, verticals, end-user and region: Global ERP Software Deployment Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) On-premise Cloud Global ERP Software Functions Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Finance Human resource (HR) Supply chain Others Global ERP Software Verticals Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Manufacturing & services BFSI Healthcare Retail Government utilities Aerospace & defense Telecom Others Global ERP Software End-User Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Large enterprises Medium enterprises Small enterprises Global ERP Software regions Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of World Access Press Release of ERP Software Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-erp-software-market About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. For More Information: www.grandviewresearch.com Separatists continue to enforce school boycott BBC Armed separatists seeking to make of Cameroons North West and South West regions an independent country christened Ambazonia have reportedly killed a seven-year-old pupil in the North West Region in a fresh attempt to shutdown schools in the area. Otherwise referred to as Amba Boys, the armed men are said to have stormed Mbot Village, Donga Mantung Division of Cameroons North West Region and brutally killed 7-year-old Blaise Afanyu and cut off his mothers hand. Blaise Afanyu, a young boy of at least 7 years, who began school two weeks ago, has been brutally and mercilessly murdered, and the hand of the mother Belinda Afanyu chopped off by terrorists "Ambazonian" fighters, this Tuesday January 21, 2020 in Mbot village Donga Mantung Division, Ngala Gerard Ndombang, CPDM Section President for Donga Mantung I CPDM said in a post on Facebook. Ngala furthered that: His (the pupils) lone crime, being his decision to go back to school after being forced to stay off school for years. In an inhuman and shameless manner, a terrorist leader, Mark Bareta has gone on social media with his usual fake news to claim that his gang assassinated three member of the Mbot village vigilante group, just to cover up the murder of the 7-year old school kid. The helpless family is in pains. Separatist activist Mark Bareta had from his base in Ghent, Belgium announced that those killed by the Amba Boys were locals who stood against their independence quest. While celebrating the killings, Mark Bareta took to Facebook with the following words: 3 members of [the] vigilante group in Mbot, Donga Mantung have been wasted. This group has engaged in terrorising the population. Just as their master, immediately any is fished out, the wasting process is immediately initiated. Reacting to Mark Bareta, a local, Collette Ringnyu said: Big lies! Schools are now opened in almost all of Nkambe Central Subdivision and any attempts of amba fools to stop school or institute ghost town will be dealt with accordingly. Elections shall also take place in all tranquillity. Separatists have since sworn to shut down schools and disrupt local elections planned for February 9, 2020 in Cameroon. Xinjiang gets border patrol drones for better missions Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/21 20:38:42 The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command are using modified drones to conduct border patrol missions, as military experts said on Tuesday the drone technology is being popularized across Chinese military services. One surveillance camera report said unidentified personnel were attempting to cross through border wire fences, and a fast-reaction team immediately set out, with a hexacopter drone leading the way for the troops, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday. Outfitted with a loudspeaker, the drone can be used to send warnings and expel the suspects. Ignoring the warnings, the suspects continued to destroy the fences, but ground troops soon arrived, thanks to the drone's guidance and took the offenders in custody, CCTV reported. Since the Xinjiang Military Command began to operate drones, border defense troops have received a significant boost in their combat capability and border security, Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the PLA in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Troops in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region need to defend the borders, whose width make it unrealistic to humanly cover, Li said, noting that drones can easily cover a large area and are much more efficient than people. China is popularizing drone uses at basic level units, not only in the PLA, but also in the Armed Police, Li said. Military observers suggested that China deploy larger armed reconnaissance drones in Xinjiang to boost its counter-terrorism efforts. They said this tactic has been proven useful by the US in its counter-terrorism missions in the Middle East, as this type of drones can patrol, look for and launch precision attacks on terrorists without risking the lives of frontline troops. The PLA operates GJ series armed reconnaissance drones, including the standard GJ-1, the more powerful GJ-2 and the stealth GJ-11, reports said. Li said the number of terrorists in China is now very limited compared with what the US had to face then, and terrorism has been declining in recent years, so the Chinese drones' main mission remains border patrol. But it is still necessary to provide more troops with drones to help them with their missions, Li said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two thousand eight was supposed to be Hillary's year except that she was overtaken by a charismatic, young black man unburdened by her decades of scandals. Hillary swallowed her resentment and made nice with Obama. By 2016, her time had come. She'd earned it. This time, though, an open socialist who looked like a crazy uncle, but appealed to hard-left young voters, threatened to end her inevitable coronation. Hillary and the DNC, however, worked together to rig the system so Bernie didn't have a chance. Fortunately for America, it turned out Hillary didn't have a chance, either. What may have helped Hillary's defeat was that passionate Bernie-supporters the "Bernie Bros" weren't good sports. With Bernie gone, they didn't throw their support to Hillary. Instead, they sat out the election. To conservatives, Hillary lost because she was an arrogant, tin-eared, corrupt candidate. Hillary, though, thinks she lost in part because of Bernie and misogyny. These themes emerged in a lengthy interview Hillary gave to the Hollywood Reporter while shilling a new documentary about herself. Hillary was plain mean about Bernie: In the doc, you're brutally honest on Sanders: "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it." That assessment still hold? Yes, it does. If he gets the nomination, will you endorse and campaign for him? [snip] I will say, however, that it's not only him, it's the culture around him. It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it. And I don't think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it, but you either don't know what your campaign and supporters are doing or you're just giving them a wink and you want them to go after Kamala [Harris] or after Elizabeth [Warren]. It takes chutzpah for Hillary, who called half the American population "deplorables," to castigate Bernie for being insulting. Hillary also had to embellish the misogyny card and throw in some Orange Man Bad: Speaking of, he allegedly told Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2018 that he didn't think a woman could win, a statement he vigorously denies. How did you digest that? [snip] I think that both the press and the public have to really hold everybody running accountable for what they say and what their campaign says and does. That's particularly true with what's going on right now with the Bernie campaign having gone after Elizabeth with a very personal attack on her. Then this argument about whether or not or when he did or didn't say that a woman couldn't be elected, it's part of a pattern. If it were a one-off, you might say, "OK, fine." But he said I was unqualified. I had a lot more experience than he did, and got a lot more done than he had, but that was his attack on me. I just think people need to pay attention because we want, hopefully, to elect a president who's going to try to bring us together, and not either turn a blind eye, or actually reward the kind of insulting, attacking, demeaning, degrading behavior that we've seen from this current administration. To be fair to Hillary, when she says Bernie is unpleasant, she's not alone. Back in 2015, those who worked for Bernie agreed: According to some who have worked closely with Sanders over the years, "grumpy grandpa" doesn't even begin to describe it. They characterize the senator as rude, short-tempered and, occasionally, downright hostile. [snip] "As a supervisor, he was unbelievably abusive," says one former campaign staffer, who claims to have endured frequent verbal assaults. The double standard was clear: "He did things that, if he found out that another supervisor was doing in a workplace, he would go after them. You can't treat employees that way." [snip] "Bernie was an a," says a Democratic insider who worked with Sanders on the campaign trail. "Just unnecessarily an a." Hillary may not have political heft anymore, but with everyone else going after Bernie, too, those words may hurt. One door opens, another closes. Such is life in England these days. After several years trying to execute Brexit, the U.K. is finally leaving the European Union. But now, another imminent departure is rocking the country, and indeed the world. This time its Megxit the looming separation of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle from their senior roles as Royals. It is an unprecedented move, creating quite the row not just for what they are doing, but how they are doing it. This issue extends far beyond the royal family, as its implications affect even those with no interest in the British Monarchy. Heres a look: 1) There are at least 34 monarchies, but the Crown is the only one that commands the attention of the world, especially America. It is proof that the United States special relationship with Britain extends far beyond political and military alliances, illustrated by the thousands of American flags waved by Britons to honor Duchess Markles country during her wedding. 2) Pity to those Americans who so cavalierly shrug off the royals with a Why should I care? attitude. Yes, we defeated England in our war. Yes, we rejected a monarchy for ourselves. And yes, our system of government is arguably the best in history. But so what? This isnt a contest about comparative governments or win-loss war records (though we fought alongside the Brits much more than against them). All are completely irrelevant to the royal family and the pride that it inspires. With so many incredible aspects to Englands royals, the real question is, How can one NOT be enthralled? There is its complicated history; the grandeur of its celebrations; traditions with stricter protocols than nuclear launch codes; bloodlines and heraldry of mind-boggling complexities; grandiose castles; juicy scandals; extreme generosity; and yes, sadly, tragedies. But above all, who, child and adult alike, hasnt dreamed of being king or queen? And what regular girl doesnt fantasize about marrying a prince and riding off into the sunset, while her subjects shower her with unbridled love? Its no coincidence that the most iconic feature of Disney is its towering fairy tale castle. The fact that such a fairy tale occurred for Harry and Meghan (and for an American, no less), breathed new life into that most important lesson for our children: anything is possible. As an actress, Meghan Markle pretended to be other people. But now, in real life, she is living the ultimate dream not just as Englands newest princess, but the worlds. But because of Meghan and Harrys actions, that pristine image is now in jeopardy. 3) The royal couple publicly stated their intent to step back from their senior positions, become financially independent, and split their time between Canada and the U.K. ostensibly because they dont like the constant media coverage that surrounds their lives. The politically correct answer is to say, Well, whatever makes them happy, so if thats what they want, great. Sorry, but no. That doesnt come close to cutting it. Truth is, Harry and Meghan are acting like entitled, spoiled brats who have their cake and want to eat it, too. Throughout this entire process, they have been self-serving and rude, lacking even the class to tell Queen Elizabeth of their plans. Instead, they blindsided her and the family to the point where they discovered Megxit through the press. They blatantly disregarded the rules and protocols by which they had agreed to abide. And they showed no consideration for how their actions would negatively affect family members and the crown itself. It truly pains this author to say it, but Harry and Meghan have become the poster children for everything wrong with our society: they are acting like the ultimate millennials. 4) Lets be clear: the prince and duchess are intelligent people. Their life together prior to marriage was always covered by a hounding media, and their wedding was a worldwide spectacle. So how exactly didnt they know that such media attention would continue, especially upon having a child? Of course they knew! So to announce, out of the blue, that their new arrangement is the result of Meghan remember, she chose to be an actress not liking media coverage is disingenuous at best, and an outright lie at worst. Admittedly, some in the British media have exhibited an anti-American attitude toward Meghan, and, inexcusably, a few crossed the line with not-so-veiled racist sentiments. Both are unfortunate, but with one of the worlds biggest platforms, you have a responsibility to fight back against such things not cut and run. Instead, it appears that this move had been planned for some time, and the media is being used as a scapegoat. But if thats the case, and they knew they were going to bolt, they shouldnt have had the most expensive, and most-watched (via the dreaded media) wedding in the history of the world. Billions caught a glimpse of Meghan being wheeled through the streets of London as one of the worlds two most beloved princesses. In exchange for that loyalty and love, there was the justifiable expectation that the newest royal couple would always be there, fulfilling their duties and shining the spotlight on some of the worlds most pressing problems, from suicide to poverty. People were counting on Harry and Meghan to stay the course to be themselves so that admirers could emulate them, look up to them, and be inspired by them. Athletes and movie stars can enthrall, but nothing compares to the panache of real-life royals, who have the unparalleled ability to instill pride in Britain and abroad. In the end, its not about royals being lucky, or better than others, but about their capacity to generate hope that the world can be a better place. If Harry and Meghan werent up to that task, they never should have said yes to an extravagant wedding and all the privileges of royal life. Doing so raised expectations for the young power couple, so their walking away is akin to a below-the-belt gut punch. 5) Like the royals or not, the fact is that what they do matters for good or ill. Harry and Meghans actions have mainstreamed the horrible example that we can do whatever we, whenever we want -repercussions be damned so long as it makes us feel good. They have condoned rudeness and selfishness, and, perhaps worst of all, shown the benefits of hypocrisy. By abandoning the very things that made them wealthy (yet keeping the rewards of that wealth), and remaining among the top 10 most famous people on the planet, they have become takers, but no longer makers. They will reportedly be kept on Prince Charles dole (take), still get some form of royal security (take), use the media whenever it benefits them (take), and still retain their Duke and Duchess titles and privileges (take). But they will no longer make good on prior promises and royal responsibilities. Sadly, Harry and Meghan broke their word, and slapped the face of those who gave them everything. Just shows that money and title cant buy class. 6) Once again we have an American divorcee (Meghan) seen as responsible for ripping apart the royal family, in the mold of Wallis Simpson, after King Edward VIII abdicated to marry her. Thats not entirely fair, as Harry is his own person and is responsible for going along with this plan. But it certainly doesnt put Americans in the best light. Talk about history repeating itself. The Royal Family is strong, and will weather this challenge. The greater damage is reinforcing the notion of entitlement, where its acceptable to take that which is given to you, but jettison all responsibilities and promises that were previously agreed upon. Harry and Meghan would be wise to remember that its not so much what you do, but how you do it. Hopefully, as time goes on, they will realize their errors and make amends with the family that made them who they are. The world is a better place with the British Monarchy. It will be a royal shame if Harry and Meghan dont remain an integral part of that. Long live the Queen! Mumbai, Jan 22 : The CBI has initiated probe into four separate cases registered by Mumbai Police against gangster Chhota Rajan, including those lodged between 1995 and 1998. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the matter and registered the separate FIRs on Tuesday in these cases which were registered in the 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 in separate police stations. In October last year, the CBI had also began probe into five cases against Rajan, including those related to his initial days when he was working as an alleged bootlegger with his mentor Rajan Nair alias Bada Rajan over three decades ago. Those cases were registered by Mumbai Police in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. With the four new First Information Reports (FIRs), the number of cases against Rajan Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, being probed by the agency has increased to 80. Soon after the arrest of Chhota Rajan on October 25, 2015, after his deportation from Indonesia, following an Interpol Red Corner Notice, the Maharashtra government had handed over 71 cases to the CBI. Chhota Rajan is currently lodged in Tihar Jail's Super High Security Jail no.2. He is a former member of D-Company, who split with Dawood on communal lines after the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. The RCEP, comprising 10-member ASEAN bloc and six other countries India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, is engaged in negotiations for a free-trade pact. New Delhi: The ASEAN Secretariat has invited India to participate in a meeting called in Bali on 3 and 4 February on RCEP agreement to sort out concerns of New Delhi, an official said. India at a meeting in November last year in Bangkok decided to withdraw from this mega free-trade agreement as its concerns were not addressed adequately by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). "India has received the invitation for the meeting but it has not yet taken any decision on this," the official said. The meeting in Bali will be held at a chief negotiator level. The RCEP, comprising 10-member ASEAN bloc and six other countries India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, is engaged in negotiations for a free-trade pact. Meanwhile, speaking at a WEF session in Davos, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, "We believe if RCEP nations provide adequate protection against circumvention of product origin rules, adequate transparency is brought in the trading practices, if non-tariff barriers can be addressed, there is scope for discussion". Japan had earlier indicated that efforts were on to make India join the ambitious RCEP, saying all member countries of the grouping were committed to address New Delhi's concerns. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue earlier in the month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India had not closed its doors on the RCEP and would carry out a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate its merit. "Where RCEP is concerned, we have to look at cost and benefit. We will evaluate RCEP on its economic and trade merit. We have not closed our mind to it," the minister had said. The presence of China in the RCEP grouping had raised concerns as the Indian industry fears that the free-trade pact would result in flooding of Chinese goods in the domestic market. Several sectors such as IT and pharma have time and again flagged the issue of trade barriers which had prevented entry of domestic players in the Chinese market. India has pitched for an auto-trigger mechanism in the RCEP agreement as a remedy against sudden and significant import surge from countries such as China to protect domestic players. India registered a trade deficit in 2018-19 with as many as 11 RCEP member countries including China, South Korea and Australia. The agreement has aimed to cover issues related to goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights. In such trade agreements, trading partners reduce or eliminate customs duties on maximum number of goods traded among themselves. They also relax norms like visa regime to promote trade in services and attract investments. Chechnya's head Ramzan Kadyrov has said he hopes that the new Russian government will achieve the goals set by President Vladimir Putin in close cooperation with regions. "It is known that the government has colossal tasks outlined in Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly," he wrote on his Telegram account. "I am confident that they will be fulfilled with close cooperation with regions. Today, every official, no matter his position, should work three times as hard," Ramzan Kadyrov added. On January 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed the new cabinet of ministers, led by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Mark Volpe, the chief executive who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra into the 21st century, strengthening both its robust finances and its artistic reputation, announced on Wednesday that he planned to step down in early 2021, after 23 years in the position. In an era when many of his peers have been buffeted by economic challenges, Mr. Volpe, 62, has kept the orchestra on firm footing by capitalizing on what he has referred to as its multiple brand strategy: In addition to being one of the finest symphonic ensembles in the world, it also has a lighter alter ego, the Boston Pops, and runs the successful Tanglewood music festival each summer in the Berkshires. During his tenure Bostons endowment, the largest in the classical field, has more than tripled, to $456 million. Mr. Volpe also served at a moment of artistic evolution including through challenging times. When he began at the orchestra, in 1997, Seiji Ozawa was nearing the end of a 29-year reign as music director, and some critics were calling for change. Mr. Volpe oversaw the appointment of his successor, James Levine, whose tenure began promisingly, in 2004, but ended early after his health problems led to frequent cancellations. In 2013, the orchestra announced that the young Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, then just 34, would be its next music director a gamble that has paid off as Mr. Nelsons has won critical praise in Boston and seen his international stature quickly rise. The union representing public school teachers in Philadelphia is suing the district over its handling of asbestos contamination in schools, the union said Monday. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers suit comes after the city school district was forced to close a north Philadelphia elementary school for a second time Friday after tests demanded by teachers and union leaders showed elevated levels of asbestos, a known carcinogen, in the air. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that district leaders had assured teachers a day earlier that McClure Elementary School was safe to enter. Time and again, the School District has claimed that their actions are out of an abundance of caution, union president Jerry Jordan said in a statement. What weve seen time and again is the Districts willingness to throw caution to the wind and as a result put children and educators at risk. The school district said in a statement Monday that it would thoroughly review the legal filings while remaining focused on improve environmental conditions in schools. All of our students and staff members deserve that we stay 100 percent focused on our efforts to improve environmental conditions in schools. We will do just that, the district said. The district said earlier that it had been working with the union since November on a document outlining processes and protocols but had not heard back on suggested edits and final approval. The statement Monday said officials hoped to focus on finalizing the document and genuinely working together without distractions to address environmental issues effectively and with the urgency our students and staff deserve. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Pollution An apparent "PR disaster has struck once again" for Samsung, after a report of a Galaxy S7 Edge handset exploding. While the owner claims that the device was unplugged from the mains at the time, Samsung denies any responsibility. A PR disaster because of one damaged three-year-old phone? Come on now. Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here Exploding smartphones are nothing new, especially when it comes to Samsung. Infamously, the South Korean company recalled all Galaxy Note 7 units because of a battery-related overheating issue, although it later went onto to sell a modified version called the Galaxy Note Fan Edition. Since then, no widescale overheating issue has affected Samsung handsets, although there have been a few isolated cases. More recently, Bangalore Mirror reported of the woes of one Galaxy S7 Edge, which reportedly exploded while not in use. According to the account given by the owner of the three-year-old handset, which was purchased in December 2016, the device caught fire after becoming hot to the touch. Apparently, the device was not connected to the mains at the time. Samsung since responded by denying any responsibility for the incident, blaming "an external fire / heat source" for the damage incurred. The family are reported to be considering legal action against the company, who claim that the device had only ever been charged with a first-party charger and USB cable. Jakarta: Indonesian authorities have arrested a US journalist and detained him for more than a month for travelling on the wrong visa. Phil Jacobson was detained on December 17 as he was preparing to leave Palangkaraya, a city in Central Kalimantan province, a day after attending a meeting with an indigenous rights advocacy group. Mongabay editor Phil Jacobson was detained on December 17 after preparing to leave a city in Central Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Credit:Twitter The 30-year-old works as an editor for Mongabay, a respected online environmental news outlet with offices around the world which is published in nine languages. He was detained by immigration officials at the airport for travelling on a business visa rather than a journalist's visa. Indonesia maintains strict laws for foreign journalists who wish to work in the country. YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Healthcare Minister of Armenia Arsen Torosyan doesnt see a need to close the border or restrict the passenger flow to prevent the possible penetration of a new coronavirus detected in China. We are deeply aware of the cases recorded in China. As of this moment I can state that intensive discussions and research are underway at an international level. The discussion at a WHO special regime has been completed hours ago during which it was decided how the world is going to tackle this new challenge. At 22:00 a special statement will be released. In our part I can state that passengers arriving in Armenia are being screened for fever. No cases were detected as of now. There is no need yet to close the borders or restrict the passenger flows, the minister said during a Q&A session in Parliament. The minister urged to wait for the official statements of the ministry. The death toll in the outbreak of a new coronavirus 2019-nCoV in China has reached nine. Earlier reports said that the number of confirmed cases in 14 Chinese regions reached 324, and six people have died from the new coronavirus. On December 31, the Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a new type of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan in central China. On January 7, Chinese specialists determined the virus behind the infection coronavirus 2019-nCoV. Doctors say that the symptoms of the new coronavirus include running nose, cough, sore throat and chest tightness. Migraines and fever are also possible, and they can last for several days. The risk group includes people with a compromised immune system, such as seniors and children. They present with symptoms similar to those of penumonia and bronchitis. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Travel stocks tanked as an outbreak of the deadly new coronavirus spread from China to the United States. The World Health Organization was trying to determine on Wednesday whether the fast-spreading strain that killed nine people and sickened about 470 in China constitutes a global emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reported the first U.S. case of the mysterious virus, which many have likened to the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. U.S. stocks broadly fell on Tuesday from their record levels in response to the developments. Chinese securities also sank as investors grew concerned that the country's Lunar New Year holiday, which begins Saturday, could worsen the spread as millions of Chinese nationals travel domestically and abroad. Stocks in travel-based industries, including those of online booking facilitators Booking Holdings, Expedia and TripAdvisor, hotel operators Wynn Resorts, Hyatt and Hilton Worldwide, cruise line giants Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival, and airlines Delta, United and American, felt the brunt of the pain in Tuesday's trading session. Based on the historical impact of illness outbreaks on U.S. stocks, two market professionals Ari Wald, head of technical analysis at Oppenheimer, and Nancy Tengler, chief investment strategist at Laffer Tengler Investments agreed that while now was not the moment for investors to pile into travel plays, the space offered some selective opportunities. "For needed exposure," Wald suggested the stock of Hilton Worldwide, which fell nearly 3% on Tuesday. The $31 billion hotel and resort operator gets 3.7% of its total revenue from mainland China, according to FactSet. "[Why Hilton's stock is] a standout is because it's coming off a new relative high versus the S&P 500," Wald said, pointing to a chart. "If you look back at the strength last year, this stock broke through very big resistance in May of 2019, came back, tested that breakout in October [and] has since inflected from there," Wald said. "It's consolidated this year, but the more important point is that trend of leadership is still intact and I think it can continue to work over the long term." The reason Wald thinks Hilton could resume its longer-term run stems from stocks' response to the 2014 spread of the Ebola virus. While he emphasized that investors shouldn't "take these outbreaks too lightly," Wald reminded viewers that in the end, Ebola fears "caused market volatility that did ultimately provide an opportunity. So, it did not derail what was a strong advance at the time and what I still think is a strong advance for the broader market." Tengler agreed that investors may want to wait before buying travel stocks in earnest. "I would wait a little bit, but I think this may be an opportunity for midterm investors," she said, adding that she didn't "mean that cynically because ... people are ill and dying." Tengler also recalled how stock behaved after another outbreak the 2009 swine flu pandemic. "The airlines [had] double-digit pullbacks and they've been quite resilient on and off since then, and that's what we expect here," she said. "We're looking at Wynn [Resorts]. It was a stock that cut its dividend in 2015 and is now yielding 2.8% and has a great management team and some diversification, so I would argue that you let it settle, and then we're probably going to step in and pick up some shares in that particular name." Wynn Resorts shares sank by more than 6% on Tuesday. According to FactSet, the hotel and casino operator gets over 75% of its total revenues from Macau, an autonomous region off the coast of China that doubles as a gambling mecca. Tengler's lingering worry was tied to China's overall economic health. "China was starting to turn," Tengler said. "I'm hopeful that they can get this contained and that it won't spread, the disease and the economic slowdown, through the rest of the globe. Because we were starting to see all the signs of an uptick in global growth. So, I'm hopeful that this will get contained and the damage will be mitigated." Disclaimer Former Irish rugby captain Rory Best has admitted that he regrets appearing at the Belfast rape trial two years ago, where he was called to act as Paddy Jacksons character witness. While Best did not act as a character witness in the end, he was photographed at court days before Ireland's Six Nations match against France, prompting a social media backlash. Former Ulster Rugby stars Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were acquitted of rape after a nine-week trial in 2018. Speaking on Off The Ball on Newstalk, Best said that he felt used by Mr Jacksons defence team. Expand Close Ulster Rugby's Iain Henderson and Rory Best pictured at Laganside Magistrates court Picture: Pacemaker. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ulster Rugby's Iain Henderson and Rory Best pictured at Laganside Magistrates court Picture: Pacemaker. The rugby player said that he is a trusting person in nature and that he felt used. I look back now and I do think I was used, I didnt ever think that that would be the case. It suited the defence to have me there. And that is the bit that in hindsight, it was bad advice for me to be there. I was naive enough to think that I could go as a friend, he added. He said that he was advised by Mr Jacksons legal team to appear as a character witness but failed to seek independent legal advice. That was more mistakes because when you are a reasonably trusting person you think that, oh well look if theyre saying this then it must be for my benefit, when it turned out it wasnt, he explained. It turned it into a circus and it put a lot more pressure on something that was very sensitive. And that is the thing that I definitely regret the most, to turn a magnifying glass on it like that. You live and learn and that was a big thing to live and learn, he added. Even though the judge had informed the jury that Mr Best was at court after the advice from senior counsel, he added: While I was directed, ultimately I should have at least gotten independent advice and thats my mistake and I hold my hands up to that. In the end, Mr Best did not act as a character witness. I think for those reasons, that, because it turned into something that they didnt want, it turned into about rugby and about the pressure being applied from the rugby fraternity and they said that it kind of took the decision out of my hands, Mr Best said. Gold has suffered a 3.5% decline over the past four days following its impressive rally to a seven-year high last week. It rallied on the back of a United States airstrike that killed Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani, which caused tensions to mount between the two nations. However, since then, there has been a de-escalation in hostilities and the prospect of full-scale warfare has thankfully reduced, with Donald Trump leaning towards a diplomatic negotiation with Iran despite the Middle Eastern countrys promise of retaliation. As a result, gold which is a common hedge to the traditional financial system has begun to stutter, with price falling back towards the $1,530 level of support. From a technical perspective, it is still trading above the 50 EMA on the daily chart, which could become an immediate level of support until a long-term solution is found between the US and Iran. Bitcoin is often touted as digital gold as it is also a common hedge away from traditional currencies and capital markets. This has been reiterated by the correlation between both charts in light of last weeks events. The worlds largest cryptocurrency also rallied significantly as the prospect of warfare became increasingly likely, with the digital asset suffering a 5% slump as tensions waned. With Iran admitting responsibility for the Ukrainian commercial aircraft that was shot down last week, killing all 176 passengers, there remains a chance of potential escalation over the coming weeks, which in turn could spur the likes of Bitcoin and gold. For more news, guides, and cryptocurrency analysis, click here. The post Gold falls 3.5% as tensions cool between USA and Iran appeared first on Coin Rivet. UN investigators have demanded that the US 'immediately' launch an investigation into evidence that Jeff Bezos's cell phone was hacked by Mohammed bin Salman. David Kaye and Agnes Callamard, two special rapporteurs for the UN, say they have seen forensic evidence which suggests Bezos was hacked after being sent a video file over WhatsApp in May 2018 from the account of the Saudi Crown Prince. Saudi Arabia has strenuously denied that Bin Salman was involved in the hack, with Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud calling the claims 'absurd.' The analysis that Kaye and Callamard refer to is thought to have been carried out by tech firm FTI consulting that Bezos hired to trace the source of a data leak after the National Enquirer broke news of his affair with Lauren Sanchez in January 2019. UN investigators have called for an immediate US investigation into evidence that Mohammed bin Salman was involved in a hack on Jeff Bezos's phone (pictured together in 2016) Bezos's phone was hacked just months before the National Enquirer revealed the Amazon founder's affair with Lauren Sanchez, leading to the collapse of his marriage Investigators traced the leak back to a video of a Swedish flag overlaid on a Saudi flag with Arabic text on it that Bin Salman sent to Bezos out of the blue on May 1, 2018, the New York Times reported. It is not clear whether Bezos opened the file, but data being transferred from his phone immediately went up three hundred-fold, investigators said. It is also not clear whether Bin Salman sent the message himself, or was used as a way to get to Bezos because he would not suspect messages from the Saudi royal. Then, in November 2018 ahead of the release of the National Enquirer story, Bin Salman's account is thought to have sent Bezos a photo of a woman who looked like his then-mistress Sanchez, along with a taunting caption. HOW THE 'HACK' UNFOLDED September 2017: David Pecker, the publisher of AMI, reportedly meets Mohammed bin Salman April 2018: The crown prince attends a dinner in Hollywood hosted by producer Brian Grazer where he meets Jeff Bezos May 1: The video is sent from the prince's phone to Bezos' via WhatsApp October 2018: Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is murdered by Saudi regime January 2019: The National Enquirer publishes its expose on Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez March 2019: Bezos' private investigator Gavin De Becker says he has proof Saudi Arabia hacked Bezos' phone - Saudi Arabia denies it January 2020: The Guardian reports that the prince's message was the source of the hack. A UN report comes to the same conclusion Advertisement 'Arguing with a woman is like reading the software license agreement. In the end you have to ignore everything and click I agree,' the caption said. According to the Times, Bezos and his wife were discussing a divorce at the time - which was not public knowledge but would have been obvious to someone reading his private messages. Kaye and Callamard say they are 'gravely concerned' about 'the possible involvement of the crown prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, the Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia.' They added: 'The allegations reinforce other reporting pointing to a pattern of targeted surveillance of perceived opponents and those of broader strategic importance to the Saudi authorities, including nationals and non-nationals. 'These allegations are relevant as well to ongoing evaluation of claims about the crown princes involvement in the 2018 murder of Saudi and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 'The alleged hacking of Mr Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents.' The first person to publicly point the finger at Saudi Arabia over the hack was Gavin de Becker, Bezos's long-term security contractor, in a column in the The Daily Beast in March last year. However, Becker did not reveal what evidence drew him to that conclusion nor precisely who was responsible. Then, on Tuesday, The Guardian reported that evidence had been uncovered directly linking Bin Salman to the hack. According to two sources, Bezos was sent spyware during a WhatsApp conversation with the Saudi Crown Prince - known as MBS - on May 1, 2018. The sources said the pair - who first met in Riyadh in 2016 and had dinner just weeks before the alleged hack - had been having a good-natured conversation before a corrupt video file was sent from MBS to Bezos. The video file is thought to have contained a powerful piece of spyware known as Pegasus, which was developed by Israeli tech firm NSO Group. Pegasus is capable of accessing messages on an infected phone, tracking calls, collecting passwords, tracing the location of the phone, accessing the phone's microphone and video camera, and scalping data from apps. Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were photographed in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India on Tuesday Saudi Arabia was furious over the Washington Posts coverage of the death of Jamal Khashoggi (left) at the hands of a Saudi hit squad. David Pecker (right), the publisher of AMI which owns the National Enquirer, met the crown prince in September 2017 Within hours of Bezos receiving the message, a large amount of data was transferred off the phone, it is alleged. Five months after the data transfer journalist Jamal Khashoggi - a columnist who worked for the Washington Post which Bezos owned - was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Post led criticism of Saudi Arabia over the attack - including stories which implicated a Saudi hit squad and MBS personally in the killing. Three months after the killing - and as world and business leaders turned their backs on MBS and his plans to modernise Saudi's economy - the National Enquirer released its story about Bezos's affair. The magazine claimed to know of the affair from texts 'obtained' from Bezos's phone, and to have naked photos of Bezos and Sanchez that they sent to one-another. David Pecker, the publisher of AMI which owns the National Enquirer met the crown prince in September 2017. Both have strenuously denied working together in the past to attack Bezos. In April 2018, AMI published a 97-page glossy magazine praising Saudi Arabia and bin Salman, which mysteriously appeared on newsstands in Walmarts and rural supermarkets across the nation with no explanation. Bezos and Bin Salman had a good relationship for a time after they first met, with the Amazon founder pitching the ruler-in-waiting on a $1billion plan to build three data centers in the kingdom. Agnes Callamard and David Kaye described a campaign against Bezos in an attempt to 'silence' the Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia, and said it must be investigated But their friendship soured after the Post hired Khashoggi, a member of the Saudi elite and critic of Bin Salman, as a columnist in 2017. The pair are thought to have swapped personal phone numbers in April 2018 after meeting at a Hollywood party, shortly before the hack. That was followed by the taunting message, after which Bin Salman and Bezos stopped all contact. One further message is thought to have been sent in February 2019, which said: 'All what you hear or told to its not true and its matter of time will tell [sic] you know the truth, there is nothing against you or Amazon from me or Saudi Arabia.' As reports of the hack began to circulate, the Saudi embassy in Washington tweeted: 'Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. 'We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out.' Investigators at the UN are now considering a formal approach to Saudi Arabia to ask for an explanation, their unnamed sources say. Both Saudi Arabia and AMI has said Saudi Arabia had nothing to do with the publication of the story about Bezos' affair with Sanchez. A lawyer for Bezos told The Guardian: 'I have no comment on this except to say that Mr Bezos is cooperating with investigations.' De Becker had been tasked with investigating any weak links in Bezos' operation after the public exposure of his months-long fling with his now girlfriend Lauren Sanchez was revealed in excruciating detail by The National Enquirer. De Becker noted that David Pecker, the AMI executive behind the Enquirer, and the crown prince have a friendly relationship. Before his death, Khashoggi had been critical of the Saudi Arabian government in his columns for The Post. In December a Saudi court exonerated Prince Mohammed's top aides over the murder of Khashoggi, a verdict condemned globally as a travesty of justice but backed by Washington. Five others were sentenced to death over the murder in a closed-door trial. Both the CIA and United Nations special envoy Agnes Callamard have directly linked Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies. Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly texted Jeff Bezos a photo of a woman who resembled his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez in November 2018 with a sexist joke about negotiating with women, months after 'hacking' his phone with a WhatsApp video file. The Saudi crown prince and Bezos exchanged phone numbers at a Hollywood dinner in April 2018. On May 1, bin Salman reportedly sent him a WhatsApp video file which reportedly contained imagery of a Swedish flag and Saudi Arabian flag draped over one another with Arabic lettering written across them. That video was the Trojan horse Bezos' team say hacked the billionaire's phone. Within hours, a huge dump of data was taken from the device and the hack is now being investigated by the UN. It happened eight months before Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez - now his girlfriend - was published in a National Enquirer expose which also included lewd photographs and texts from his phone. But it was not the only message bin Salman sent Bezos. According to The New York Times on Wednesday morning, in November 2018 - while Bezos and Sanchez were still keeping their relationship quiet and while he was contemplating his divorce from his wife MacKenzie - bin Salman sent him another message. Scroll down for video Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jeff Bezos in November 2016 a message in November 2018 with a photo of a woman who resembled his then mistress, Lauren Sanchez along with a joke about arguing with women. It was months after Bezos' phone had been 'hacked' by a WhatsApp video file sent to him by bin Salman and was while he was contemplating divorce from his wife Sanchez and Bezos in India this week. The pair were in a relationship for months before it was exposed by The National Enquirer in January 2019 along with some of their private messages and photos of Bezos The message contained a photograph of a woman who closely resembled Sanchez, the Times reports. HOW THE 'HACK' UNFOLDED September 2017: David Pecker, the publisher of AMI, reportedly meets Mohammed bin Salman April 2018: The crown prince attends a dinner in Hollywood hosted by producer Brian Grazer where he meets Jeff Bezos May 1: The video is sent from the prince's phone to Bezos' via WhatsApp October 2018: Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is murdered by Saudi regime November 2018: Bin Salman sends Bezos a text with the photo of the woman resembling Sanchez January 2019: The National Enquirer publishes its expose on Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez March 2019: Bezos' private investigator Gavin De Becker says he has proof Saudi Arabia hacked Bezos' phone - Saudi Arabia denies it January 2020: The Guardian reports that the prince's message was the source of the hack. A UN report comes to the same conclusion Advertisement Along with it, the prince included a joke: 'Arguing with a woman is like reading the software license agreement. In the end you have to ignore everything and click I agree.' It is unclear if Bezos replied. At the time, the National Enquirer had been trailing him and Lauren and were aware of their romance. Bezos' team has suggested in the past that the Saudi government and The Enquirer's publisher, David Pecker, were in cahoots to take him down - a claim both the Saudis and Pecker vehemently deny. Saudi Arabian dissident Jamal Khashoggi - a columnist for Bezos' newspaper, The Washington Post - had also been murdered at the hands of the country's regime. After the text with the joke, bin Salman sent Bezos one more WhatsApp message, according to The New York Times. That text was in February last year and was after Bezos' divorce and affair with Sanchez made global news. It said: 'There is nothing against you or Amazon from me or Saudi Arabia.' Again, it not known if Bezos replied. Saudi Arabia has called the allegations that it hacked the billionaire's phone 'absurd' and 'silly'. Bezos and his wife MacKenzie divorced with the world's most expensive settlement - $36billion - after his affair with Sanchez was exposed American Media Inc, the Enquirer's publisher, has also denied any wrongdoing in its reporting of the Bezos/Sanchez affair. The January 2019 National Enquirer expose which Bezos' team have suggested was an orchestrated take down by AMI and the Saudi Arabian government Bezos issued strongly worded statements after the story emerged alleging blackmail by AMI to quash the story. In the end, he and his wife MacKenzie settled their divorce for a record-setting $36billion. His net worth is now an estimated $115.6 billion. UN investigators David Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, said that he and Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on extrajudicial murders, were preparing a statement due to be released on Wednesday over the 'very serious hacking allegations'. 'The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities,' UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement. They are demanding a US investigation into it. Kaye and Callamard say they are 'gravely concerned' about 'the possible involvement of the crown prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, the Washington Posts reporting on Saudi Arabia.' They added: 'The allegations reinforce other reporting pointing to a pattern of targeted surveillance of perceived opponents and those of broader strategic importance to the Saudi authorities, including nationals and non-nationals. 'These allegations are relevant as well to ongoing evaluation of claims about the crown princes involvement in the 2018 murder of Saudi and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 'The alleged hacking of Mr Bezoss phone, and those of others, demands immediate investigation by US and other relevant authorities, including investigation of the continuous, multi-year, direct and personal involvement of the crown prince in efforts to target perceived opponents.' Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., seen here at a 1967 press conference for the U.S. Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory program, was the first African American to be selected as an astronaut. Lawrence died in December 1967 in an F-104 jet crash. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force) The first African American to be selected as an astronaut is being remembered with the naming of a space station cargo capsule set to launch during Black History Month. The 13th Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft has been christened for Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., who in 1967 was chosen for the U.S. Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program. The "S.S. Robert H. Lawrence" is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station atop a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Feb. 9. "Northrop Grumman is proud to name the NG-13 Cygnus spacecraft after former astronaut Robert Henry Lawrence Jr.," Northrop Grumman announced on its website on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 20). "Major Lawrence was selected in honor of his prominent place in history as the first African-American astronaut." Related: Private Antares rocket & Cygnus spacecraft explained (infographic) Northrop Grumman's 13th Cygnus cargo resupply ship, christened the "S.S. Robert H. Lawrence" in honor of the first African American astronaut, is prepared for mating to a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (Image credit: Northrop Grumman) An experienced pilot with a doctorate in physical chemistry, Lawrence flew test flights that later helped to inform the landing performance of NASA's space shuttle orbiters. On June 30, 1967, he was chosen as a member of the third group of Air Force aerospace research pilots in preparation for the Manned Orbiting Lab (MOL), which was then planned as a crew-tended, reconnaissance platform in Earth orbit. Six months later, on Dec. 8, 1967, Lawrence, 32, was tragically killed in the crash of an F-104 Starfighter supersonic jet. Had Lawrence lived, he may have transferred with other MOL candidates to NASA's astronaut corps after the Air Force program was canceled two years later. The move could have led to him being the first African American to fly into space, a distinction that fell to Guion "Guy" Bluford in 1983, launching aboard the eighth flight of the space shuttle. "Lawrence made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the space program," Northrop Grumman described on its website. "Although his career was cut short, he paved the way for future generations of aerospace pioneers of all races highlighting the need for diversity and inclusion across the industry." In 1997, Lawrence was honored by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation with the addition of his name to the Space Mirror Memorial at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In 2018, artist Tavares Strachan and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art strove to raise awareness about Lawrence's life by launching ENOCH, a small sculpture-satellite that featured a gold bust of the late MOL candidate. Flying the second of at least five missions under Northrop Grumman's Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS) contract with NASA, the S.S. Robert Lawrence will deliver science, supplies and equipment for the space station's Expedition 61 and 62 crews. Among the payloads launching on the NG-13 Cygnus will be a tissue and cell culture facility and the seeds needed to cultivate radishes in the station's Advanced Plant Habitat facility. The S.S. Robert Lawrence will also support combustion experiments after being unloaded of its cargo and departing the station, prior to its own fiery demise during its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The christening of the S.S. Robert Lawrence carries forward a custom that began in 2013. "It is the company's tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal part in the legacy of human spaceflight," Northrop Grumman explained. Other astronaut namesakes have been David Low, Gordon Fullerton, Janice Voss, Deke Slayton, Rick Husband, Alan Poindexter, John Glenn, Gene Cernan, John Young and Roger Chaffee. The most recent Cygnus, which launched in November and is scheduled to depart the space station on Jan. 31, was named the S.S. Alan Bean after the Apollo 12 moonwalker and Skylab commander. An additional Cygnus was named the S.S. J.R. Thompson after a former company executive. Click through to collectSPACE to see Northrop Grumman's mission patch for the S.S. Robert H. Lawrence's NG-13 flight to the space station. Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. You wont find Jose Cha Cha Jimenezs name in any history book. The same goes for Hy Thurman. They were central figures in a groundbreaking movement, an alliance that had the potential to upend the political order in this country. But their story has gone untold for 50 years. That changes next Monday, when PBS airs The First Rainbow Coalition, an incisive 56-minute documentary from San Antonio filmmaker Ray Santisteban. For many of us, the term Rainbow Coalition immediately conjures memories of Jesse Jacksons two presidential campaigns in the 1980s, when the civil-rights leader tried to build a following that brought together African-Americans, Latinos and working-class Anglos. In fact, however, Jacksons effort had taken inspiration from an earlier Rainbow Coalition, one that developed at the grassroots level in Chicago in 1969. Santisteban found out about this alliance 14 years ago when he attended a Chicago conference that brought together a lot of the key players in that movement. He quickly decided that it would make a great subject for a film. He was right, but it took 14 years to bring that film to completion. Santisteban grappled with a common problem for independent filmmakers lack of funding as well as a challenge that was unique to this venture: a shortage of archival material on his subjects. Normally, the historians lead in these kinds of fields. For documentarians, what we normally do is just read all the books about a topic, and then we make a film, but there was no book about this history, Santisteban said. For the first four years, I literally could not find anything written that said Rainbow Coalition. We were the primary source. Thats part of what makes The First Rainbow Coalition exciting: the sense that youre watching someone unearth a vital piece of buried history. The film chronicles the emergence of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, whose charismatic young leader, Fred Hampton, saw the economic segregation in Chicago and concluded his cause cut across racial and cultural lines. It was about housing, education, economic opportunity, police brutality. It was a class struggle. In early 1969, Panther member Bob Lee formed connections with Jimenez and the Young Lords a Latino collective based in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and Thurman and the Young Patriots a community of southern Anglos who had migrated to Chicagos Uptown neighborhood. This alliance gained strength over the rest of that year, but was shattered Dec. 4, 1969, when police raided Hamptons apartment and killed him. As I watched the film last Saturday night at a Presa House Gallery screening, I found myself thinking about an early Bob Dylan classic called Only a Pawn in their Game. Dylans song told the story of the 1963 assassination of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers, not by extolling Evers virtues or condemning his hate-filled killer, but by examining the systemic conditions that compelled the killer to pull the trigger. Dylan pointed out that Evers assassin, a poor Anglo Mississippian, had been manipulated by southern politicians to fear and resent African-Americans, to believe that they were the cause of his economic struggles. The 1969 Rainbow Coalition broke through all those old manipulations, all that misdirected resentment, and saw the potential for solidarity. Santisteban said when he began work on the film, he encountered doubts about the relevance of a short-lived, little-known political alliance that had faded away by the early 1970s. The funders, Santisteban recalled, would literally tell me, Yeah, this is an interesting project, but what does it have to do with today? But the last four years, with the rise of the alt-right, the neo-Confederates, the Confederate statues coming down, and all the divisive language that spread across the country, people started saying, Man, this is very important. This is a timely film. And it was the same film! Santistebans drive to finish the documentary only intensified when Lee, one of its key subjects, died in 2017. I really believed in this story, Santisteban said. I thought it was important. I thought, You know what, we need to finish this, because who else is going to tell this story? Theres no time. While its easy to see the 1969 coalition as a failure, a bold venture that didnt last long enough to achieve its aims, the film offers an alternative narrative. The impact of the Rainbow Coalition can be felt in the 1983 election of Harold Washington, Chicagos first black mayor; the 1992 election of Bobby Rush, a former Panther, to Congress; and in the decision by Barack Obama, a young African-American from Hawaii who had been inspired by Washingtons mayoral win, to move to Chicago and become a community organizer. Just as Santisteban learned over his 14-year battle to make the film, nothing important happens without patience and commitment. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron squared off against Israeli security forces on Wednesday, the first day of his official visit to Jerusalem for the World Holocaust Forum, which marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The incident occurred outside the medieval Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem's historic Old City, a Catholic church and that has belonged to the French government since the mid-19th century. Macron tore into Israeli security forces in front of the church when they tried to enter the church along with him. "I don't like what you did in front of me," the French president said in English, clearly exasperated, his face irate. "Go out. Outside! I'm sorry, but we know the rules. Nobody has to provoke! Nobody!" "Please respect the rules," he said, "they are for centuries. They will not change with me." According to a spokesperson for the Elysee Palace, the official seat of the French presidency, Macron was reacting to an apparent "altercation" between Israeli security forces and French security forces when he tried to enter the building. As the property of the French government, the Church of St. Anne is already managed by France, the Elysee said. "It is the role of France in this city to protect this place," according to the spokesperson. "The Israeli security forces wanted to enter it while security was assured by French security forces." The scene was almost a perfect reenactment of France's then-President Jacques Chirac's visit to the same church in October 1996, which similarly ended with a verbal spat - en anglais - between the French president and Israeli security forces. In a heated exchange that elicited an outpouring of support across the Arab world at the time, Chirac, with a formidable French frostiness, refused to enter the church until all gun-wielding Israeli soldiers exited the building. "I don't want people with arms in France," Chirac said, with a dramatic wave of the hands to signify that he was standing on French territory. After an Israeli official protested, Chirac - who as a young man briefly worked at an Anheuser-Busch factory in St. Louis - dug in deeper. "No, I'll wait," he said. Minutes later, Israeli soldiers came streaming out of the church, one by one. On the Via Dolorosa nearby, Chirac, who died in 2018 and who was also the first French president to acknowledge the French government's complicity in the Holocaust, had likewise squared off against another Israeli security official. "What do you want? Me to go back to my plane and go back to France? Is that what you want?" "This is not a method," he said. "This is provocation." After the 1996 incident, Chirac then went to meet Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in his first term as Israel's prime minister, at Jerusalem's King David Hotel. Netanyahu apparently apologized, writing off the incident as a testament to the perfectionism of Israeli security forces a year after the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995. On Wednesday, the Elysee spokesperson said that the incident was "nothing serious" and that Macron's visit continues as planned. "Everything is going well." The $4.2bn deal that will see Boeing take an 80pc stake in a joint venture with Embraers commercial aircraft wing is mission-critical for the Brazilian plane maker if its to withstand pressure from Airbus, according to John Slattery, the chief executive of Embraers commercial division. He said that without it, its difficult to see where Embraer would be within five or 10 years. The joint venture has received regulatory approval in countries such as Japan, China and the United States, but the European Commission is still carefully analysing the proposed tie-up, which will also give Embraer the financial muscle to develop a new challenger turboprop aircraft. The European Commission is expected to make a decision on the deal by the end of April. Mr Slattery, a native of Co Clare, will head the new joint venture. Were a public company, were not state-funded, and were now fighting against the might of Airbus, he said. Airbus owns a 50pc stake in ATR, the aircraft maker that controls about 80pc of the commercial turboprop market. The other half of ATR is owned by Italys Leonardo. Lets not exaggerate: thats not a sustainable situation for us to find ourselves in, he told the Airfinance Journal conference in Dublin. If we were to fast-forward five or 10 years, its almost impossible to compete with the might, the breadth, the depth of the capability of Airbus. This for us is a mission-critical transaction, but I believe [it is] also for Boeing. Now we want to convince the balance of the regulators that this is good for the marketplace. Mr Slattery said the airlines are uniformly and without exception saying that they want a profoundly competitive environment. This deal is pro-competitive, he said. Embraer focuses on developing smaller capacity, regional aircraft and has already undertaken a significant amount of work on its plans for a new turboprop aircraft. If Embraer brings a state-of-the-art, disruptive technology, reducing fuel burn, reducing noise, reducing cash operating cost aircraft to the marketplace, thats good for the owners and shareholders, thats good for the climate, said Mr Slattery, whose brother Domhnal is chief executive of Dublin-based aircraft leasing giant Avolon. Without the JV [joint venture with Boeing], I will not be able to do this, he added of the planned turboprop. He said he would not put a timeline on the expected timeline for a decision from the European Commission on the Boeing joint venture. I would say that there are transactions that are being delayed, he said of Embraers own business. Customers want to make decisions, but they understand were fighting with one hand tied behind our back. Operators are feeling the pain. They want the transaction to close. He added: If we got the green light, were ready to go straight away. "This is exactly the type of program Saint Joseph's envisioned when announcing the School of Health Studies and Education a year and a half ago," said Angela McDonald, Ph.D., LPCS, NCC, dean of the School of Health Studies and Education at Saint Joseph's University. "This program leverages our unique strength in preparing autism professionals of tomorrow, forged by our Kinney Center , while providing our students with early assurance to one of the nation's premiere medical schools." Through this program, Saint Joseph's students majoring or minoring in autism behavioral studies will apply to the Sidney Kimmel Medical College Scholars program in the fall semester of their junior year. Students must achieve an ACT score of 30 or a minimum composite SAT score (critical reading and mathematics) of 1350 with no score in either section lower than 650. Students must also maintain 3.5 overall and science grade point averages and complete all Scholar program requirements including 500 hours working directly with individuals with autism. Once program requirements are completed, the participating scholars are admitted to Sidney Kimmel Medical College without submitting MCAT scores. If they are not accepted into or do not complete the Scholar program, they still have the opportunity to study for the MCATs and apply through the traditional pathway. "America's health care system remains woefully underprepared to deal with this unique, growing population in medical settings outside of autism-specific interventions. By preparing future physicians, we will fundamentally change medical care for individuals with autism," said Mark Tykocinski, M.D., provost of Thomas Jefferson University and The Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Dean of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College. Program participants will attend a six-week, funded summer experience at Jefferson after their junior year, where they will engage in case-based learning and scholarly research. Students will also have the opportunity to pursue research at Saint Joseph's University under the direction of autism researcher Joseph McCleery, Ph.D., executive director of academic programs at the Kinney Center, as well as at Thomas Jefferson University's autism programs. Integral to the Scholars program, students will spend at least 500 hours working with individuals with autism during their undergraduate studies at Saint Joseph's. This builds on the Kinney Center's unique, national-model SCHOLARS (Students Committed to Helping Others Learn about Autism Research and Support) program, whereby current undergraduate students work part-time to support Kinney's autism programming. SCHOLARS are highly sought-after autism professionals after graduation and outpace peers on behavioral analysis certification exams. The Scholar program also furthers strong academic ties between the two universities, which already include 3+2 and 4+1 programs for nursing and guaranteed interview programs for physical therapy, medical laboratory sciences, medical imaging and occupational therapy. Sidney Kimmel Medical College offers similar scholarly inquiry programs with Haverford, Swarthmore, Princeton, Yale, Washington and Jefferson, and University of Rochester. Each provides early assurance to students who then spend less time studying for the MCAT and more time diving deep into areas of critical need including population health, design thinking, humanities, computational science, and, now, autism studies. Each is designed to prepare leaders to fundamentally change the healthcare system for the better. SOURCE Saint Joseph's University Related Links http://www.sju.edu Over the next several days, scholars and researchers from the University of Miami, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Columbia University, Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and other institutions will share their insights into the phenomena of extreme weather and explore ways to predict, respond to, and adapt to our changing climate. News@TheU will provide continuous coverage. Check frequently for the latest news, photos, and more. Friday morning: Researchers discuss wildfires in Florida and California With temperatures rising across the planet due to global warming, wildfires will become more common in the future. At Fridays final day of the Miami Climate Symposium, two scientists presented on the phenomenon of wildfires in two very divergent locationsFlorida and California. Chris Holmes, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at Florida State University, has studied wildfires extensively and determined that most of the fires throughout the nation happen in the southeastern United States. However, most of the fires that occur are prescribed burns, done as a preventative forestry measure to protect land and wildlife, he said. In Florida alone, there are 25,000 fires burning each year, Holmes added, yet only 8 percent of them are wildfires. This has helped the state to prevent more wildfires for many years. Holmes Overall, weve got 7 percent of land burning in Florida each year, but it appears that this strategy [of prescribed burns] reduces the risk of wildfires in Florida each year, he said. With climate change bringing more rain and hotter temperatures, Florida forestry officials will need to find enough days with safe conditions for doing controlled burns. The key climate challenge for fire managers will be gathering a greater amount of resources with a greater capacity for a longer season to manage prescribed fires, he said. California experiences only about 8,000 wildfires a year, but those fires are much larger in scope and therefore require lots of planning so that people are no longer in danger, said Rebecca Miller, a Ph.D. student at Stanford University. An outbreak of wildfires in 2017 and 2018 burned 3 percent of the state and were the most devastating fires on record for California, she added. There were more structures destroyed and lives lost as a result of fire than in the 17 years before. Thats why for her research, Miller decided to interview 140 first responders and local officials involved in those fires. She learned that some communities, such as Sonoma County and the City of Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco, have developed disaster response plans in recent years that will protect their residents and property for the inevitable future emergencies. Every phase of disaster cycle is an opportunity for policy intervention, and adaptation, she said. Sonoma County had a catastrophic series of fires, and its exciting to see these changes happening now. Miller said just weeks after the area had undergone flood response training, Sonoma County had their first flood in years, and in 2019, when the area had another wildfire, evacuations went smoother. Today, when theres a red flag warning [that fire conditions are present], people know what that is, she said. And when the Kincade fire of October 2019 happened, firefighters said it was night and day192,000 people were evacuated in five hourseven though it was largest fire in Sonomas history. Its an indication of what can happen when you put money, power and action behind resiliency planning. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Friday morning: Florida Power & Light investing in a smarter, stronger grid system After a blitz of hurricanes struck Florida in 2004 and 2005, Florida Power & Light instituted a storm secure program to update its systems, strengthen infrastructure, and take a proactive approach in other areas to protect the utilitys assets and grids, said Michael Jarro, vice president for transmission and substation for FPL. Workers installed stronger utility poles, and added more poles to shorten the span of wires. Flood monitoring devices were installed in more than 225 substations, giving workers advance notice when a substation may be threatened by rising waters. More than 15,000 miles of power lines are trimmed of vegetation yearly, and the company is inspecting 150,000 utility poles annually. FPL operates in 35 counties in Florida, boasts 1.2 million poles and structures in its system, operates 75,000 miles of power lines, and serves 5 million customersa majority of whom live within 20 miles of coastlines. The company must protect its assets from thunderstorms, flood risks, extreme temperatures, salt spray, and motorists crashing into poles and causing isolated outages, Jarro said. But the biggest threat, Jarro noted, is hurricanes. Florida, he added, has experienced 140 hurricane landfalls from 1851 to 2018. The company, he said, finds itself constantly either preparing for a storm, or in the midst of [cleaning up and restoring power] after a storm. In addition to protecting its assets and grids, the company is also using drones to inspect the grids and improve preventative maintenance. We have made a significant level of investment in technology, said Jarro, an alumnus of the University of Miami. FPL is a sponsor of the Miami Climate Symposium 2020, presented by the University of Miami. --- Peter E. Howard Friday morning: Winter forecasts are hard to predict due to competing atmospheric factors Polar vortex. Before the winter of 2013 and 2014, that was not a common term. But the frigid temperatures and snowstorms of that winter resulted in meteorologists and journalists having to repeat the word over and over. It also prompted meteorologists to scratch their heads because it was unexpected, at least according to forecast models. Because that winter was so severe it attracted a lot of attention from the research community, said Peitao Peng, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Climate Prediction Center in Maryland. He believes that anomaly of a winter, and U.S. models inability to forecast it, lies in the difficulty of predicting tropical sea surface temperatures, which are often a precursor to strong winters. That extreme 2013 winter, he said, was likely an oceanic response to a pattern that arrived in the atmosphere in December, called a wave train that stuck around until March of 2014. It is difficult to offer a nuanced forecast of the winter because this atmospheric pattern depends on the sea level pressure in the North Pacific and is highly variable, Peng pointed out. In order to better predict winter conditions, he added, we need to be able to forecast tropical sea surface temperatures better. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Friday morning: Can a multi-model ensemble predict extreme seasonal temperatures? With extreme heat and cold events now part of the new normal of Earths climate present and future, forecasters increasingly want to know if the current suite of climate models is effective at predicting seasonal temperatures. Thats the topic Emily Becker, an associate scientist at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, addressed in her presentation at the Miami Climate Symposium, as the final day of the summit continued with discussions primarily centering around heat waves, cold spells, and fires. Becker, who specializes in sub-seasonal and seasonal climate prediction and predictability, specifically focused on whether the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) can effectively predict extreme seasonal temperatures.NMME is a seasonal forecasting system that consists of several different models from a conglomerate of North American modeling centers, such as NOAA, NASA, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and others. Ben Kirtman, Rosenstiel School professor of atmospheric sciences, helped develop the model. What we have found through extensive experimentation is that when you take a few different models and combine them, you get better results, said Becker. And thats because all models arent perfect; they have biases. But when you combine them, those biases are eliminated. So just how good is the system at predicting seasonal temperature extremes? Heres some of what she found: The system has proved effective at predicting warm extremes in some locations and predicting cooler extremes in other areas. Predictions of seasonal temperature extremes are improving. In real time NMME, cold anomalies have been more difficult to forecast than warm. Becker called the NMME an unprecedented system, noting that it follows strict protocols and produces data that are available to the public. Several groups, including the U.S. Air Force, now use the NMME, which went operational in 2011. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Friday morning: Scientist analyzes heat waves in the US Hosmay Lopez, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, spends much of his time analyzing data that helps him predict and understand how heat waves form, and where they will hit in the United States. He and his team of scientists zeroed in on four regions in the U.S.the Great Lakes, western U.S., Great Plains, and southern regionsshowing that climate change will have an impact on patterns and intensity during the next several decades. Heat waves, he said, are responsible for the most weather-related deaths in the U.S. The two most recent severe events occurred in the Great Plains in 2011, when 206 people died, and in 2012, with 155 deaths. During 2011, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, recorded 40 days with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. In 2012, Dodge City, Kansas, recorded a record 111-degree day during the heat wave. Lopez, who earned his doctoral degree in meteorology and physical oceanography at the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, opened the final day of the Miami Climate Symposium, which is being presented by the University of Miami. He said the goal of his team's research is to develop a prediction system for heat waves and droughts. One of their findings show that the East Asian Monsoon, which grabs its moisture from the Indian and Pacific oceans, can be a predictor of the occurrence and frequency of heat waves in the Great Plains area. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. and Peter E. Howard THURSDAY, JAN. 23 Thursday afternoon: Miami-Dade County focused on preparing for sea level rise A recent headline in the Miami Herald read: As seas rise, your coastal home in Florida could lose value. One report says 15 percent by 2030. We wake up to these headlines everyday. These are the ones that scare fiscal managers, Jim Murley, Miami-Dade Countys chief resilience officer, said Thursday at the Miami Climate Symposium. But as alarming as such headlines are, Murley has found solace in knowing that the county he servesan area about the size of Rhode Island that is inhabited by some 2.8 million peopleis preparing for the effects of climate change, most notably sea level rise. He outlined some of those preparation measures during his presentation Integrating Regional and Local Actions to Address Short and Long-Term Coastal Flooding. Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is critical, he said. As such, the county is partnering with the corps on a new study that examines storm surge, evaluating the tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water from different angles, including the installation of floodwalls and how they could be effective in protecting urban areas. He touted the countys relationship with the federal government in addressing the issue and noted that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed the states first chief resilience officer, Julia Nesheiwat. So were getting attention in that area, Murley said. Water, and the management of it, will always be an issue, he explained, noting that some areas in the county are now faced with the problem of not being able to drain water after heavy rainfalls. He detailed Miami-Dades working relationship with other counties on the regional level, from Broward and Palm Beach to Monroe, saying such partnerships will help increase knowledge and observations of sea level rise. He said Miami-Dade is looking at transects across the entire county. It starts out in the ocean where the reefs are because theyre part of our coastal management system. And he asked the auditorium full of researchers to continue using their qualitative knowledge to help Miami-Dade move forward over the next five years. We have to continue to push ourselves on mitigation, not just adaptation, Murley said. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Thursday afternoon: Climate adaptation is a hyper-local issue A round of lightning talks concluded with Gina Maranto, co-director of the undergraduate program in ecosystem science and policy at the University of Miamis Abess Center, presenting on her team's U-LINK Hyper-localism: Transforming the Paradigm for Climate Adaptation project. Recognizing that the impact of climate change will differ from neighborhood to neighborhood, members of the team are exploring hyper-local, rather than regional, adaptations that will allow neighborhoods and communities to tailor effective climate action plans for their unique circumstances. Their goal is to move the conversation about climate change to a people-first perspective and, to that end, members are developing an Integrated Climate Risk Assessment protocol with community partners, including the CLEO Institute, Catalyst Miami, and The Nature Conservancy, to close the gap between top-down policies and neighborhood interests. The researchers recently received a $50,000 grant from AT&T that will help them advance their work. Other Hy-Lo team members include Joanna Lombard, professor in the School of Architecture and Department of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine; Tyler Harrison, professor in the School of Communication; Sam Purkis, professor and chair of marine geosciences at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science; and Angela Clark-Hughes, director of the Rosenstiel School library. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Thursday afternoon: Law students advocate for legislation to protect renters from flood risks Whether due to sea level rise, king tides, or torrential summer thunderstorms, many areas in South Florida battle flooding time and again. While home buyers are told about a propertys flood risk, there is no Florida law that requires a propertys owner to notify renters that the house or apartment they want to lease is prone to flooding. That means renters often face unfortunate surprises, according to University of Miami law students Bethany Blakeman and Gabriela Falla. Under Florida law, landlords are not required to disclose a propertys flood risk, Falla said. But we believe homeowners and renters should make an informed decision about where they want to live. As part of their work with the Environmental Justice Clinic at the School of Law, Blakeman and Falla are comparing Florida laws about the issue with legislation in other states. Both students said they were surprised to learn that Florida law lags behind many of its coastal neighbor states that experience some of the same climate-related risks. The students are advocating for state and local officials to pass laws that will provide potential renters and home buyers with more information about flooding. After Hurricane Harvey dumped a record 60 inches of rain on the Houston area, Texas passed strict laws about flood risks. In Florida, we dont want to implement something as a reactionary policy, we should instead take proactive steps to protect people before the inevitable Category 5 storm puts people in harms way, Blakeman said. The time is now for Florida to enact common-sense policy by passing mandatory flood response disclosures. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Thursday afternoon: Abess Center honors three resiliency officers A trio of local resiliency officers received the University of Miami Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policys Reitmeister Award at the Miami Climate Symposium on Thursday. The award, named for Louis Aaron Reitmeister, a 20th century American writer whose dedication to both humanism and the environment was a life-long commitment, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to conservation in Florida. The recipient of the award were: Jane Gilbert, the City of Miamis first chief resilience officer, who leads Miamis resilience strategy development and works in partnership with the City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County to develop the regions first comprehensive Resilience Strategy Plan for Greater Miami and the Beaches. Additionally, as director of the citys Office of Resilience and Sustainability, Gilbert is charged with leading the citys response to the impacts of climate hazards. Jim Murley serves has chief resilience officer for Miami-Dade County. In this role he leads the seventh-largest county in the United States in sustainability and resilience issues. He heads the Office of Resilience, which focuses on energy efficiency and conservation actions, and addresses the impacts of sea level rise. Miami-Dade County joined with the cities of Miami and Miami Beach to form the Greater Miami and the Beaches Partnership as a part of 100 Resilient Cities, a program funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Susy Torriente joined the City of Miami Beach in September 2015 as assistant city manager and chief resiliency officer. Her sustainability and resiliency portfolio includes planning, building, code compliance, green space, and environmental management. As chief resiliency officer she is building a foundation to develop an action-oriented citywide strategic resiliency plan for all city operations. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Thursday afternoon: Researcher lists the pros and cons of managed retreat due to climate In some cases it has been unavoidable, the result of a disaster like a cyclone. In others, it has been voluntary. But whichever the case, managed retreatmoving people and property out of harms way from climate-related consequences such as sea level risecan be efficient and effective if the people being relocated are going to a safer place. That was one of the statements made by Katharine Mach, an associate professor of marine ecosystems and society at the University of Miami, during her presentation on Managed Retreat as an Adaptive Response to Climate Change at the Miami Climate Symposium on Thursday. Mach has been on the front lines of the climate emergency issue even before she came to the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in August. As a researcher at Stanford University and also as co-director of scientific activities for Working Group II of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), she has focused on the risks of a changing climate, how society is managing those risks, and the role of academic research in that landscape. At the IPCC, her work culminated in the panel's Fifth Assessment Report as well as its Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation. Mach's scientific group has analyzed more than two-dozen cases of managed retreat across different countries. Over 1 million people have moved globally because of the risks of climate change, she said. In most managed retreat cases in the U.S., this takes the form of local and state governments buying residents out of their property, which is typically located in a flood zone. Although this can be unpopular, Mach said, it is happening across the world today from Alaska to the Netherlands to Staten Island, N.Y. Her research on managed retreat in the U.S. garnered national headlines this past summer. In one studywhich was published in the journal Sciences Advances and for which Mach served as the lead investigatorshe discovered that a government buyout program designed to help U.S. residents move out of at-risk areas actually benefits more wealthy municipalities. Specifically, she and her team of researchers found that local governments are using FEMA funds to purchase flood-prone homes more often in affluent counties than in poorer ones. This is most likely because buyouts that require enormous resources to administer, higher-capacity locationsas measured by incomehave been more likely to get FEMA funding to do buyouts. Since 1989, Mach said buyouts have occurred in more than 1,000 counties in 49 states. The government started buying homes along the Mississippi River with an uptick in recent years across coastal areas of the U.S. Despite its sometimes-controversial nature, there are benefits to managed retreat, Mach added. From a cost perspective, its beneficial, she explained. Its also a safer measure because youre not exposing people to flooding anymore. And, if done well, retreat can help maintain biodiversity, too. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen and Robert C. Jones Jr. Thursday morning: Symposium helps students delve further into their research Kraan Carolien Kraan, a Ph.D. candidate in the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and policy at the University of Miami, is working on a dissertation about coastal flooding and how society keeps residents safe from rising sea levels. Kraan said she has listened eagerly and attentively throughout the symposium and is fascinated by what she has learned about the effects of global warming. I have enjoyed learning about the physical science of climate change and how hard it is to predict future tropical cyclones, and the floods of the future, she said. I'm excited to learn more about resilience during this afternoons sessions. Lamis Amer, a Ph.D. candidate studying industrial engineering at the University, is interested in doing her dissertation on a climate change topic. Amer said she enjoyed the presentations by Key Biscayne officials yesterday, as well as Jen Posner's session this morning on housing resiliency, because they covered the actions that cities are taking to address rising sea levels. The Miami Housing Solutions lab [at the University of Miami] showed what housing should look like in the future, Amer said. That was helpful because I will be looking into planning and risk management, and what needs to be done and in what order [to protect cities from the impacts of climate change]. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Thursday morning: Housing resiliency and a sustainable South Florida With recent studies labeling Miami as one of the least-affordable places in the world to live, the impact of sea level rise and climate change on the citys housing market has further compounded a problem for a segment of the population struggling to pay. Weve slowly been seeing the impact of climate change and how it can exacerbate housing affordability, said Jen Posner of the University of Miamis Office of Civic and Community Engagement (CCE), which, since its start in 2011, has addressed the issue of affordable housing head oncreating a suite of publicly assessable mapping tools that address the issue. During her lightning talk at the Miami Climate Symposium, Posner detailed many of those tools for climate researchers, including the interactive Land Access for Neighborhood Development, or LAND, mapping tool. It provides a snapshot of the location, size, and ownership of publicly- or institutionally-owned lots that could be assembled across jurisdictions and along transportation hubs to house low- and middle-income residents. Noting that the Miami metropolitan area is high on the list of residents who are spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing and transportation, Posner said her office is now studying climate change and resiliency indicators in relation to Miamis affordable housing stock. CCE, she said, has plans to expand its Miami housing policy toolkit to look at best practices and regulatory policy changes, helping area advocates and leaders who want to make housing more affordable. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Thursday morning: Reynolds is committed to meeting the challenge of a generation Delaney Reynolds speaks with all the passion of environmentalist Greta Thunberg, telling people whenever she can that climate change is the most significant challenge her generation will ever face. What we do to solve it will define our time on Earth, said the 20-year-old, a marine science and coastal geology major at the University of Miami. During her 10-minute lightning talk at the Miami Climate Symposium, Reynolds, using powerful vignettes, outlined the challenge her generation faces.Young people are concerned and value the science and what youve been doing, she said to an audience of climate researchers. Thats what Ive seen and heard with my own eyes and ears. Reynolds grew up near Matheson Hammock Park on Old Cutler Road in Miami, learning how to swim at the 630-acre site. But, a roadway near that park has been wiped out by sea level rise and Hurricane Irma.Were seeing about six to eight days of sunny-day flooding, she lamented. And by the year 2030, she added, Miami could be experiencing more than 300 flooding events a year. Having published three childrens books on climate change, Reynolds now is writing a fourth on sea level rise. Shes interviewed scientists, learning from them how theyve been impacted by climate change and what theyre doing about the problem. One of those scientists is Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science researcher Ben Kirtman, one of the organizers of the three-day symposium. He provided me with inspiration, said Reynolds, who said Kirtman told her that climate change poses a grave threat to polar bears in the Arctic. That statement stuck with her, inspiring her to produce a comic book, Where Did the Polar Bears Go. She founded the Sink or Swim initiative to educate people and raise awareness about climate change. My goal is to educate as many people as possible, especially children, Reynolds said. She wants to see a deeper commitment to curtailing the use of fossil fuels, and more use of alternatives such as solar power are needed. Were running out of time and have to do everything possible instead of watching our planet burn and die, said Reynolds. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Thursday morning: Measuring sea level rise in your backyard University of Miami senior research associate Brian McNoldy, who is also a tropical cyclone expert, shared sea level data collected at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science over the past three decades. "Sea level has risen 5.7 inches in the past 26 years, which is fairly significant, he said. We used to only see these types of water events from hurricanes or king tides. McNoldy said that sea level is affected by tides as well, and this morning's 8 a.m. reading was the highest tide recorded for Jan. 23 at the University's marine campus, which is located on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Thursday morning: Professor focused on improving flooding forecast models In the not-so-distant future, the local news forecast may look very different in Miami, said Ben Kirtman, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Instead of hearing about the weather, it may turn into a future flood outlook. Every single time I go to give a talk, people ask me 'how many times is it going to flood on my street?' said Kirtman, who is also director of the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies. But making that forecast is very tricky, he said. That is why he is working to create a more reliable model. One of Kirtmans graduate students has been able to nail down some of the main factors affecting sea level rise, which is accelerating at a faster rate than scientists predicted. Vertical land movement, ocean circulation, the oceans melting and thermal expansionalso known as a warming planetall affect sea levels, he said. One thing the public must understand about these factors is that sea level rise is caused by humans, he added. Data shows that sea levels remained stable until 1900, when industrialization began.Sea level has definitively risen due to human activity, he noted. However, incorporating all those factors into an accurate forecast model is complicated, he said. Kirtman and his team of graduate students continue to work on a new model and are getting closer all the time. Their hope is to eventually provide a detailed street-by-street forecast, although, he admits that this is still a lofty goal. I can dig in and start to take sea level pressure, winds, sea surface height, and start to make a prediction about flooding risk, he said. This problem is hard, and expensive to do computationally, but it will make my forecast credible and better. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Thursday morning: Marine scientist uses intricate graphs and statistics to prove the sea level rise phenomenon Gary Mitchum has no patience for the naysayers: people who refuse to believe that climate change is real and that sea levels are rising. Those doubters need only examine evidencedata and intricate graphs and statisticsthat Mitchum, a professor of marine science at the University of South Florida, has compiled over the years showing the undeniable truth that sea levels are, in fact, increasing. On Thursday, as the Miami Climate Symposium entered its second day at the University of Miami, Mitchum presented a powerful case to bolster what he and other scientists have long known. Where I live in Tampa Bay, weve been tiptoeing around the idea of mitigation, Mitchum said during his presentationSea Level Rise, Climate Sensitivity, and Ocean-Atmosphere Variability: An Evolving Landscape. But thats all we need to be talking about now. Mitchum presented a series of graphs and charts showing a steady rise of sea levels in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area on Floridas west coast. The key point is we know what we need to know about flooding events and how to predict them, he said. But the challenge we face is that everything that goes into this is evolving. The marine scientist and a former graduate assistant have used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to construct a graph showing intermediate lows and highs for sea level rise projections. Theyve also analyzed satellite data, refuting one model, what he called a North Carolina curve, that showed hardly any increase in seal level rise. If you look at long sea level rise projections, we see a constant rate of rise and then it jumps, Mitchum said. One challenge that remains: Getting people to accept the hard truth. When youre talking to the public and a lot of elected officials, theres a disconnect that happens, said Mitchum, explaining that he always shows people the curve that shows a marked increase in rising sea levels.That disconnect is something were not doing a good job in communicating, he said. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22 Wednesday afternoon: Predicting atmospheric rivers and precipitation Her primary research interests focus on the variability of the atmosphere to better interpret and predict its behavior over a range of timescales and climates. Libby Barnes, associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, uses a range of tools to perform that task, looking at everything from precipitation patterns to hail and even tornado activity. If Im in Seattle, can I expect more storms and atmospheric rivers, she said during her Miami Climate Symposium presentation, Empirical Models for Predicting Atmospheric Rivers and Precipitation. Barnes noted that some models are going beyond what our weather models can do, typically by two to three weeks. But sometimes data can be flawed. The solution? Lets learn from imperfect data, refine it with observation, and output a prediction model thats better, she said. She left the audience with one particular question to ponder for the future: While modelers may have the skill now, will those models be as effective in making predictions decades from now? --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday afternoon: Using climate models to predict extreme rainfall Record rains in Fort Lauderdale in December? Can it be? If youre a resident of Broward County or caught any part of a South Florida local television weather report that aired on Dec. 23, youd know that the answer is yes. Thats the date on which the National Weather Service confirmed that rainfall, as measured at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, broke a near 80-year-old record by more than five inches. So it seemed only fitting that extreme rainfall was a hot topic of discussion at an afternoon session of the Miami Climate Symposium. Can we predict how much extreme rainfall will change, and can we use it for resiliency planning purposes? Jayantha Obeysekera, director and research professor in the Sea Level Solutions Center at Florida International University, asked the audience when opening his talk, Challenges in Predicting Extreme Rainfall Using Statistical and Dynamical Downscaling. Obeysekera, who is the chief modeler at the South Florida Water Management District, said the impacts of climate change, storm surge, and sea level rise seem worse in Florida, and emergency managers continually want to know if well see more extreme rainfall events in the Sunshine State in the future. The problem is, he said, we dont have a good handle on rainfall patterns of the future. But here is what is known about the current state of modeling for extreme rainfall: While they are not generally designed for extreme rainfall, dynamical downscaled data performs better in such predictions. Hybrid downscaling using high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting models appears to be promising. Existing regional climate models may not have the resolution necessary to predict effects local meso-scale phenomena and teleconnections. A more reliable tool is necessary to explore simulation experiments to answer key answers that would influence resiliency planning. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday afternoon: The role corals play in wave mitigation, coastal protection The battle to protect Floridas coastline from decay triggered by climate extremes has started in a research lab at the University of Miami. There, coral reef expert Diego Lirman and his colleagues are building hybrid structuresnursery-grown coralsthat will eventually be transplanted off the coasts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where coral colonies have suffered significant losses. These natural ecosystems [coral reefs] are the first defenses against climate extremes, Lirman, a professor at the University's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, said Wednesday afternoon during one of the Miami Climate Symposiums Lightning Talks in which researchers address a critical issue in 10 minutes or less. But tragically, these natural defenses are under assault as climate change has reduced their effectiveness from 40 percent stony coral cover to less than 5 percent. Weve lost a tremendous amount of structure that protects our shoreline, he said. And its not just corals. Mangroves and seagrasses are only a fraction of what they once were, he said, adding, "when we lose structure, we lose protection. More people get displaced, more areas flood, and resources are depleted, Lirman warned. This is where an innovative project in which Lirman is a team member comes to light. He and a group of researchers are investigating how corals, and their hybrid stand-ins, can protect the coastline of the Sunshine State as part of a University Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge (U-LINK) project at the University of Miami. Professors Andrew Baker and Brian Haus from the Rosenstiel School, along with professor Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos from the Universitys College of Engineering are the other team members. The group recently received a $3 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundations coastal resilience fund, and the University, along with numerous local, state, and corporate partners, are matching the funding, for a total of $6 million devoted to the project. The team, Lirman told the audience at the symposium, has already tested the hybrid structures in the Rosenstiel School SUSTAIN lab, and they are set to deploy the first test structures off the coast of Miami Beach, going from the tank to the shoreline to see if these hybrids can do what theyre supposed to do, he said. Lirman said the team has already had very promising results in the lab. We want these coral protecting our shoreline, he said. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday afternoon: Power grids at risk and sea wall alternatives Udayan Singh, a doctoral student researching engineering systems and the environment from the University of Virginia, explained his research about how to prepare U.S. electrical grids for future effects of climate change. Singh said that coastal states such as California, Florida, Virginia, and Texas are most at risk. He stressed the need for diversity, redundance, flexibility, and a decentralization of power plants in order to overcome the inevitable impacts of sea level rise, storms, and other extreme weather events that may occur due to climate change. It makes economic sense to build large power plants, but at the same time theres economic value to having resilience in our system and thats what we should try to do now, he said. The power plant of the future would be able to use different sources of electricity. Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, professor in the University of Miami College of Engineering, discussed his environmentally-friendly design to replace traditional seawalls, which are unable to withstand rising sea levels and are deteriorating across the coast. The number of disasters has been increasing in last 40 years, so now we have more disasters creating more damage, he said. The southeastern U.S. is more prone to these disasters, so we want to make our coastal communities less prone to coastal damage. To combat this and offer a manmade gray solution, Rhode-Barbarigos developed the SEAHIVE, a hexagonal, perforated column that will allow wave energy to pass through it, but will also slow wave energy and work to protect the coastline like coral reefs do. You can use the SEAHIVE horizontally or vertically, and it can be cost-effective, said Rhode-Barbarigos, who is also part of a University Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge (U-LINK) team on coastal resilience. You can use traditional pipemaking equipment to create the SEAHIVE and can use concrete made of seawater, and noncorrosive rebars. He currently is testing his innovation at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science with the help of professor Brian Haus, a coastal engineer who is also chair of the Department of Ocean Sciences. Soon, Rhode-Barbarigos will be testing his design in North Bay Village, a city built at sea level in the middle of Biscayne Bay. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Wednesday morning: A lightning round of comments on climate and weather Nick Shay, professor of oceanography in the Ocean Sciences Department at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, has developed the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, a nonprofit organization that works to track data on the oceans. As a result of the organizations funding, Shay has put in place a network of 13 ocean radars off the Florida coastline to track data on the ocean and the Florida currents. By putting the sensors 1.1 kilometers apart from Key Largo north to Dania Beach, Shay said, and by collecting data every 30 minutes for the past 10 years, Shay said he is noticing trends. He has been able to track the rise in sea levelabout 1.1 centimeters per yearas well as water the temperature of the ocean, which will be useful in evaluating the risk of tropical cyclones, he said. We want to learn about the role of the ocean in moderating intensity of storms, Shay said. In addition, he said they are now able to measure the strength of the Florida current, and can notice correlations between the strength of the current, as well as sea level rise. Weve noticed a decrease in the speed of the Florida current during highest king tides in the fall, he added. Maria Caballero Espejo, a student from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Peru, described her research about the impacts of massive rainfall in Peru during strong El Nino weather events. In the past 30 years, Perus economy has faltered each time the strong rainfall event hit the South American country, and widespread mudslides and flooding created dangerous conditions, Espejo said. Therefore, she created a solutiona soil bioengineering and planting strategy to decrease the susceptibility of mass movement by 10 to 15 percent. Dr. Armen Henderson, a University of Miami physician specializing in internal medicine, explained how he is working to combat the effects of climate change on poor and minority populations in South Florida. Henderson founded Dade County Street Response Disaster Relief with medical student Lena Carleton after he noticed the disparity in response to Hurricane Irma. Through this organization, physicians from South Florida visit shelters. After Hurricane Irma, I thought that in the U.S. we would have things to keep people safe, but I noticed a very disparate response, and resource allocations were different depending on the area, Henderson said. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Wednesday morning: From disaster risk to resilience Throughout his career, Roger Pulwarty, senior scientist with the NOAA Physical Sciences Divisions Earth Systems Research Laboratory, has helped design and lead programs focused on climate, impacts, and services. During a presentation at the Miami Climate Symposium, he shared some alarming data as well as his insights on disaster risk and resilience: Adaptation requires science that assesses dynamic risks, analyzes decisions, identifies vulnerabilities, improves foresight, and develops practical options. From 2013 to 2016, the Caribbean multiyear drought was the most severe and extensive period of dry conditions in the Caribbean and Central America since at least 1950with the drought appearing to be related not only to El Nino-driven precipitation deficits, but also to temperature-driven increases in potential evapotranspiration. More than $123 million in total payouts were given to 12 CARICOM (the Caribbean Community) member nations impacted by storms since 2007. An increase in 2.0 degrees centigrade will result in even additional significant changes in regional climate, taking the region closer to climates it has never experienced to date. Every community must decide what level of risk they are willing to endure, said Pulwarty. Our fundamental question is not just that it makes for a hard choice, [but] we must show how it makes money by planning up front. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday morning: Columbia University researcher talks present and future hurricane activity Look at the climate models They will ultimately tell us if our climate will continue to warm at what seems like a breakneck pace. Data from NASA, for example, recently showed that 2019 was the second hottest year on record. But what are the models telling us about global warmings impact on present and future hurricane activity? Adam Sobel, professor of applied physics and applied mathematics, and of earth and environmental sciences at Columbia University, tackled that question during a half-hour presentation. With an auditorium filled with researchers and scientists looking on, Sobel opened his talk with data showing that the answer to that question is not always clear. He noted that while an early consensus a few years ago concluded that tropical cyclone activity would decrease, more recent and credible models predict frequency increases. Sobelwho directs Columbias Initiative on Extreme Weather and Climate and will deliver the keynote address at the symposium's public forum on Friday at the Watsco Center on the University of Miamis Coral Gables campusdetailed some of his own research, which found aerosol cooling reduces tropical cyclone potential intensity more strongly than greenhouse gas (GHG) warming increases it. It's that tug of war between aerosols and GHGs that intrigued the audience. Sobel left the audience with something to ponder: While expected tropical cyclone intensity increases have likely been muted by aerosol cooling, which is about two times as effective as greenhouse gas warming in increasing potential intensity, GHGs will increasingly win out in the future when it comes to storm intensification. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday morning: Students studying climate change monitoring the symposium The next generation is ready for change. Several students who are studying at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, listened intently at the symposium on extreme weather and climate change. Kelsey Malloy, an atmospheric science doctoral student, is proud that her school is leading the conversation. I think this is a one-of-a-kind symposium that the U has put together. Scientists are addressing extremes and how that relates to Miami at the local level, but also at the national level as well, which I think is really unique. Im excited to see the range of topics that they have put together, she said. Kayla Besong, a doctoral student also studying atmospheric sciences, believes that these types of events are important in spreading the message on the research that is going on in climate science. South Florida is extremely vulnerable. It is important to bring together not only scientists but everyone that makes up a community to figure out how to be more sustainable. It increases our resiliency, said Besong. Gavin Madakumbura Students from across the country traveled to South Florida to learn more from the symposium. Many, including Gavin Madakumbura, who is a University of California, Los Angeles, student studying atmospheric science, finds the symposium an important learning experience. The speakers are the top researchers in their field. I came here in a group to learn more about climate change from the eastern perspective, he said. Its interesting to learn more about atmospheric phenomenon, because on the West Coast we suffer from wildfires and droughts, whereas here people are prone to cyclones and flooding. --- Amanda M. Perez Wednesday morning: Key Biscaynes unique positioning From keeping the island's shoreline intact to stopping property values from decreasing, dealing with the problems of sea level rise are immense for Key Biscayne, a Miami-Dade municipality that is front and center on the issue of climate change. Mayor Mike Davey and Village Manager Andrea Agha discussed the Key Biscaynes efforts, including millions of dollars in beach restoration projects, as well as a strategy to update aging infrastructure that is now falling victim to rising sea levels. We are losing five feet of beach each year, Agha said. And right after we finished a sand restoration project, Irma came and washed everything away. Their current strategy: Apply to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for help. The federal agency is doing coastal restoration projects across the country; however, Key Biscayne currently is not included in their protection plan. We need a guarantee of federal assistance and we need it in the long term, Agha said. Thanking the scientists for their work, she appealed to the audience for guidance and future assistance so that Key Biscayne, and its approximately 13,000 residents, can remain a viable part of Miami-Dade County. We need to implement solutions now, but they are bigger than what we can handle as a small municipality, she said. Our residents have real fears, they are facing real risks. They see it every day and therefore, we are looking to the community of engineers and scientists to help us make the best decisions we can make. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen and Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday morning: Tropical cyclones expected to increase in strength Although it is difficult to make a direct link between tropical cyclones and human-created climate change, two top meteorologists said that as the earth continues to warm, the world can expect more rainfall and hurricanes of a greater intensity. Research meteorologist Tom Knutson, of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administrations geophysical fluid dynamics laboratory, shared models and weather observations he has studied from all over the world. Knutson said that although models provide strong evidence for humans effect on the global mean temperature, there is no evidence to offer a clear relationship between climate change and storms. However, Knutson did report that there is evidence that as time goes on there will likely be more rainfall than the models predict. With rising sea levels, this will compound flooding issues, he said. The thing we are most confident about is sea level rise will increase the risk of higher storm inundation levels, Knutson said, adding that there is a very strong moistening trend and theres evidence for human influence [with that]. Knutson and Christina Patricola, a meteorologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, also indicated that although forecasters are predicting fewer tropical cyclones in the future, those that do form will likely be more menacing. There may be fewer storms; but of those that happen, they will be more intense. Thats the type of change we would expect, Knutson said. His lab predicts a 34 percent increase in category 4 or category 5 storms globally. --- Janette Neuwahl Tannen Wednesday morning: Provost Jeffrey Duerk delivers opening remarks With drought affecting parts of Africa, Australia suffering some of the worse bushfires in its history, and the Bahamas still reeling from the effects of a powerful cyclone that was one of the most intense storms in Atlantic Hurricane season history, a landmark summit examining the impact of climate change on extreme weather got underway at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science early Wednesday. The conference helps meet the institutions goals of investigating not only how to beat climate change but how to mitigate it, said Jeffrey Duerk, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Pointing out that the University has long recognized the compelling challenge of climate change, Duerk noted the University of Miami Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge (U-LINK), which supports innovative interdisciplinary research, is addressing climate change with two specific projectsone that will transplant some 150,000 corals in an effort to combat rising sea levels and another that will improve the process to communicate the effects of hurricanes as they approach U.S. coastlines. The symposium began with Miami temperatures in the low 40s, similar to weather conditions 10 years ago, when the Rosenstiel School hosted another climate conference on its Virginia Key campus. Back then, we couldnt figure out how to turn the air conditioner off, said Ben Kirtman, a professor of atmospheric sciences who, along with climatologist Amy Clement, organized this year's conference. So at least were a little bit warmerin here today. Kirtman said he hopes the symposium will serve "as an open dialogue on how the best available science is being used to guide decisions. He sentiments were echoed by Roni Avissar, dean of the Rosenstiel School and a climatologist who studies the way Amazon deforestation affects precipitation patterns around the world, who described Miami as a city at the epicenter of climate change. No matter what happens, Miami will always be one of he most sensitive cities to suffer the consequences of changing climate, especially sea level rise, Avissar said. He noted that a significant portion of faculty and students at the University are studying climate, adding that the topic is a central activity" of the Rosenstiel School. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Wednesday morning: Sea captain has seen all types of extreme weather Today it is docked, but ordinarily the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science catamaran R/V F. G. Walton Smith plies ocean waters anywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean, transporting scientists and technicians as they conduct research that can range from the flow of crude oil in the sea to the migration habits of pelagic fish. And during some of those voyages, the vessel undoubtedly encounters extreme weather that a growing chorus of scientists believes is only worsening due to the effects of climate change. Shawn Lake, captain of the F.G. Walton Smith, has seen his fair share of extreme weather while piloting the vessel. But we usually run away from it, he said early Wednesday just before the start of the University of Miamis three-day summit, the Miami Climate Symposium 2020, which is examining how global climatic conditions are impacting weather events such as tropical cyclones, drought, and extreme flooding. We have two satellite systems onboard that give us constant weather information, Lake said. Those systems, along with others, came in handy three years ago when the vessel spent several weeks in Caribbean waters near the U.S. Virgin Islands, as scientists investigated Hurricane Irmas impact on coral reefs in the region. Lake, who was overseeing routine maintenance on the ship early Wednesday, believes the conference is vital. People have to get together to talk about problems, and this [climate changes impact on weather] is a big one. --- Robert C. Jones Jr. Miami Climate Symposium 2020 sponsors: Florida Power & Light Company, University of Miami NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, National Science Foundation, William J. Gallwey, III Esquire, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Key Biscayne Community Foundation, The Village of Key Biscayne, University of Miami Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, Atlantic Council Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, Miami Dade County, Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, The Florida Climate Institute and Diane Davis-Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, along with media partners NBC6 Miami and CNN. * European shares open higher; DAX hits new record peak * Worries over spreading Coronavirus ease * Asian shares up, investors welcome China virus response Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Danilo Masoni. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: danilo.masoni.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net OPENING SNAPSHOT: NEW PEAK FOR THE DAX - CONFIRMED (0842 GMT) Spreadbetters and early indications from index futures all pointed in the direction of the DAX hitting a new record high at the open. And here you go here's the trade-sensitive index's new all-time peak: The easing fears over the Chinese virus are indeed helping with all major European benchmarks trading up around 0.2-0.5%. Expectations tech could get support from IBM results and the update from ASML didn't prove fully true however. The index is up just 0.2%, weighed down by a 2% slide in Prosus after e-commerce group Naspers sold a stake in its subsidiary, while ASML is also down as its Q1 2020 sales guidance disappointed. Autos have staged a big turnaround in the first minutes of trading. The export heavy sector is now up 1.5% to lead sectoral gainers, completely reversing opening losses that took it to its lowest level since mid-October. Burberry which was indicated up sharply after it edged up its forecast for full-year sales is now down 3%, as opening gains quickly fizzled out. (Danilo Masoni) ***** ON OUR RADAR: DAX RECORD, EARNINGS, TRADE, ITALY (0750 GMT) Easing fears over the new Chinese virus are set to lift European shares at the open with DAX futures pointing to a new record high for the trade-sensitive index as the focus turns towards the earnings season. Tech stocks such as DAX-listed Infineon and SAP could find support after IBM beat expectations and semiconductor equipment maker ASML forecast double digit sales and earnings growth for 2020. A conciliatory tone on trade from Trump could also help. The U.S. President said at Davos he had "very good" talks with the European Union, but added if a deal was not struck, Washington would strongly consider auto tariffs Back to earnings, luxury label Burberry edged up its forecast for full-year sales with traders expecting a jump of as much of 5% at the open while elsewhere updates look more mixed. A big slide in store for Ted Baker after the fashion retailer said its inventory on its balance sheet was overstated by 58 million pounds, more than double its preliminary estimates. Traders see its shares down 20-25%. In M&A, Alstom is seen opening up 2% after a report said Bombardier is in talks to combine rail unit with the French group. Political turbulence in Italy that has widened the country's government bond yield spread versus Germany could put pressure on Italian banks, which have large holdings of sovereign bonds. (Danilo Masoni) ***** QUICK RECOVERY (0634 GMT) Markets have quickly recovered from the scare of possible economic damage from the spreading Coronavirus. It looks that China's response has eased some fears about a global pandemic and after gains in Asian stocks overnight, Europe too is seen on the up this morning. "Given the similarity of the Wuhan pneumonia and SARS in 2003, China and the rest of the world have learned a lesson from SARS," notes Stephen Innes chief market strategist at AxiCorp. "Health agencies are now working much more proactively and transparently to contain the Wuhan pneumonia than SARS," he adds. Financial spreadbetters expect London's FTSE to open 19 points higher at 7,630, Frankfurt's DAX to open 57 points higher at 13,613 and Paris' CAC to open 24 points higher at 6,070. (Danilo Masoni) ***** (Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Joice Alves, Julien Ponthus and Thyagaraju Adinarayan) The 70 km- (43.5-mile) diameter Yarrabubba impact structure in Western Australia is approximately 2.23 billion years old, according to new research led by Curtin University scientists. To determine the exact age of Yarrabubba, Dr. Timmons Erickson of Curtin University and NASAs Johnson Space Center and colleagues analyzed the minerals zircon and monazite that were shock recrystallized by the asteroid strike. The researchers inferred that the impact may have occurred into an ice-covered landscape, vaporized a large volume of ice into the atmosphere, and produced a huge crater in the rocks beneath. The timing raised the possibility that the Earths oldest asteroid impact may have helped lift the planet out of a deep freeze, said Curtin Universitys Professor Chris Kirkland. Yarrabubba, which sits between Sandstone and Meekatharra in central Western Australia, had been recognized as an impact structure for many years, but its age wasnt well determined. Now we know the Yarrabubba crater was made right at the end of whats commonly referred to as the early Snowball Earth a time when the atmosphere and oceans were evolving and becoming more oxygenated and when rocks deposited on many continents recorded glacial conditions. The study authors noted the precise coincidence between the Yarrabubba impact and the disappearance of glacial deposits. The age of the Yarrabubba impact matches the demise of a series of ancient glaciations, Dr. Erickson said. After the impact, glacial deposits are absent in the rock record for 400 million years. This twist of fate suggests that the large meteorite impact may have influenced global climate. Numerical modeling further supports the connection between the effects of large impacts into ice and global climate change. Calculations indicated that an impact into an ice-covered continent could have sent half a trillion tons of water vapor into the atmosphere. This finding raises the question whether this impact may have tipped the scales enough to end glacial conditions. This study may have potentially significant implications for future impact crater discoveries, said Dr. Aaron Cavosie, also from Curtin University. Our findings highlight that acquiring precise ages of known craters is important this one sat in plain sight for nearly two decades before its significance was realized. Yarrabubba is about half the age of the Earth and it raises the question of whether all older impact craters have been eroded or if they are still out there waiting to be discovered. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications. _____ T.M. Erickson et al. 2020. Precise radiometric age establishes Yarrabubba, Western Australia, as Earths oldest recognised meteorite impact structure. Nat Commun 11, 300; doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13985-7 by Ray Schultz , January 21, 2020 Mine, an Israeli startup that allows consumers to own and control their own data, has launched in the UK and is planning to enter the U.S. market next, according to media reports. Founded last year, Mine offers consumers a real choice about who gets to keep their data and how its used, states Gal Ringel, co-founder and CEO of Mine, who is relocating to the UK Ringel says, we are kick-starting the future of data ownership. The company had raised 2.7 million in seed funding in 2018. That round was backed by Battery Ventures and Saban Ventures. According to reports, Mine uses algorithms to uncover digital traces in consumers email inboxes. It helps users exercise the right to be forgotten under the GDPR by sending a reclaim request asking each firm to delete the users data. The firm says it does not collect personal data or email content. EU-Startups reports that Mine has analyzed four million digital services to date to determine which data is being stored on individuals. Ringel told Silicon Canals that the company expects to launch in the U.S. in mid-2020 and that it anticipates another funding round sometime this year. The company now has 11 people on staff. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg launched a new impeachment-focused television ad Tuesday urging the Senate to remove President Donald Trump from office. The ad will run in 27 states, including states represented by vulnerable Republican senators, and be Bloomberg's only ad on television in the next few days. It comes as the Senate begins its impeachment trial against Trump based on charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress. 'It's time for the Senate to act and remove Trump from office, and if they won't do their jobs this November, you and I will,' Bloomberg says in the ad, which appears to use footage from a recent campaign stop. Attack focus: Mike Bloomberg became the first 2020 Democratic candidate to call for removal so explicitly, with an ad running initially in 19 states Enemy: Mike Bloomberg has turned his massive fortune to attacks on Donald Trump Bloomberg has focused his campaign more on Trump than his Democratic primary rivals have. The billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor has promised to continue spending his own money to defeat Trump even if he loses the Democratic nomination. Forbes on Tuesday increased Bloomberg's estimated net worth to $60 billion, up from $50 billion previously and making him the nation's eighth richest person. He's already spent more than $200 million of his own money on his primary campaign, by hiring staff and running television ads in several dozen states. Bloomberg's impeachment-focused ad will run in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas, as well as 19 other states. It's designed to reach voters in states with Republican senators who could be defeated in November. Five of those key states also vote on March 3, known as Super Tuesday, where Bloomberg is focusing his attention in the primary contest. The ad also highlights Bloomberg's spending to boost Democratic candidates in key U.S. House races in 2018, when the party took back control of the lower chamber. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli designated Saturday, January 25, a national holiday to mark the ninth anniversary of the 2011 revolution and Egypt's Police Day. The day will be a paid vacation for employees of the public sector. Search Keywords: Short link: The death has occurred of Gerard Crawley of 7 McSwiney Street, Dundalk Suddenly but peacefully at home. Beloved son of Lily and the late Mick. Gerard will be sadly missed and remembered with love by his loving daughters Caoimhe and Callie, heartbroken mother, brother Michael, sisters Marian and Lesa, sister-in-law Phil, brothers-in-law Paddy and Brian, uncle, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours, friends and by all who knew and loved him. May He Rest In Peace Reposing at his home on Wednesday between 4pm and 9pm. Removal on Thursday morning at 10.30am walking to St. Nicholas' Church, Dundalk arriving for Funeral Mass at 11am, thereafter driving to St. Patrick's Cemetery for burial. House Private on Thursday Morning Please. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Niall E. Kehoe Dixons Funeral Home T0429334240. The death has occurred of Ambrose (Jnr.) Doyle of Church View, Dromiskin, Louth Tragically. Predeceased by his brother Vincent. Sadly missed by his loving family, mother Ann, father Ambrose, sister Mary, son Caillum, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends. May He Rest In Peace Reposing at his parents home, 28 Church View, Dromiskin tomorrow, Wednesday, from 2.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Removal on Thursday morning at 10.30 am to St. Peter's Church, Dromiskin, arriving for Funeral Mass at 11.00 am. Burial afterwards in Reaghstown Cemetery. Family flowers only, please. Donations, if desired, to Boyne Fisherman's River Rescue. The death has occurred of Mairead Kiernan of Mary Street South, Dundalk and Ballybay, Monaghan Suddenly. Mairead, predeceased by her parents Tom and Maureen. Deeply regretted and sadly missed by her loving family, brother Paul (Carrickmacross), sisters Mary Lennon (Cootehill), Bernadette Fitzpatrick (Latton) and Fionnuala, (Ballybay), sister-in-law Marita, brothers-in-law Malachi and Ivan, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, extended family, relatives and many friends. May Maireads Gentle Soul Rest In Eternal Peace Reposing at the family home, No 3 Pearse Place, Ballybay, tomorrow, Wednesday, from 10am, until removal at 6:30pm, proceeding on foot to arrive at St. Patricks Church, Ballybay for 7pm. Funeral Mass on Thursday morning at 12 noon, followed by burial in adjoining cemetery. The death has occurred of Goretti Watters (nee Rooney) of Avondale Park, Avenue Road, Dundalk Peacefully, in the love and tender care of Moorehall Lodge Nursing Home, Ardee. Beloved wife of Brendan and loving mum of Elaine and Kelly. Predeceased by her parents Johnny and Bebe (late of Balbriggan), brother Joseph, sister Patricia, She will be sadly missed by her loving husband, daughters, brother Kevin, sisters Tina, Ann, Jean and Buttons, sons-in-law Paul Gorham and Gary Rogers, grandchildren Luke, Ellie, Liam Robin and Erin, brothers and sisters in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family, relatives, wonderful friends and neighbours. May Her Soul Rest In Peace Reposing at her rersidence, Avondale Park, from Wednesday afternoon 2pm to 8pm. Removal on Thursday morning at 10.40am, proceeding on foot to the Avenue Road entrance, then driving to Saint Joseph's Redemptorist Church, arriving for Funeral Mass at 11am followed by burial in Saint Patrick's Cemetery, Dundalk. Family flowers only, donations, please, to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. First they come for the journalists Glenn Greenwald Charged With Cybercrimes in Brazil Mr. Greenwald is accused of being part of a criminal organization that hacked into the cellphones of prosecutors and public officials. By Ernesto Londono January 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - RIO DE JANEIRO Federal prosecutors in Brazil on Tuesday charged the American journalist Glenn Greenwald with cybercrimes for his role in the spreading of cellphone messages that have embarrassed prosecutors and tarnished the image of an anti-corruption task force. In a criminal complaint made public on Tuesday, prosecutors in the capital, Brasilia, accused Mr. Greenwald of being part of a criminal organization that hacked into the cellphones of several prosecutors and other public officials last year. Mr. Greenwald, an ardent critic of Brazils far right president, Jair Bolsonaro, is a deeply polarizing figure in Brazils bitter political divide. This perception was fueled when the organization he co-founded, The Intercept Brasil, published articles last year based on the leaked cellphone messages that raised questions about the integrity and the motives of key members of Brazils justice system. The articles cast doubt on the impartiality of a former judge, Sergio Moro, and of some of the prosecutors who worked on a corruption investigation that landed several powerful political and business figures in prison. Among them was a former president, a popular leftist whose conviction paved the way for Brazils radical rightward shift and the election of Mr. Bolsonaro. Mr. Moro is now Mr. Bolsonaros minister of justice. A study involving researchers from King's College London, has developed a predictive tool that can recognise adolescents who are at high or low risk of depression in young adulthood. Using data from over 2,000 Brazilian adolescents, the researchers developed the tool that can help identify which young people will go on to experience a major depressive disorder when they reach 18 years. Published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the study also evaluated the performance of the tool in samples of adolescents from New Zealand and the UK, demonstrating differences in its ability to predict depression across these countries and highlighting the need to consider local variations when developing predictive tools. The research is part of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence (IDEA) project funded by mental health research charity MQ. King's College London is the lead institution on the IDEA project. Valeria Mondelli, IDEA project lead and author on the study, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) King's College London said : 'This research marks an important first step in developing an accessible tool that could help screen adolescents for depression and improve mental health worldwide. Depression can have debilitating lifelong impacts and adolescents are especially vulnerable to its onset. Identification of those at high risk of developing depression in later adolescence could be valuable in devising effective early-intervention strategies to help prevent this illness.' Predictive tools have already been developed for psychosis and many physical health conditions, but little has been done for depression, despite its prevalence. Current methods for assessing the risk of depression are based on family history and subthreshold symptoms which do not reach the criteria for depression. Based on existing research and clinical expertise the researchers identified 11 sociodemographic variables that could be combined into a single score to recognise those adolescents at risk of developing depression. In addition to a strong association with depression the variables were chosen because they were also easy to collect and simple to evaluate (see notes to editors for a list of variables). Christian Kieling, lead author on the study from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil said: 'In our study we tried to go beyond more traditional ways of identifying youths at high risk of depression and learn from other medical specialties that combine multiple variables to generate composite risk scores, such as the Framingham cardiovascular risk score. This is relatively new in the field of mental health.' Using data on these 11 variables from 2,192 Brazilian 15-year-old adolescents and mental health assessments of the same adolescents at 18 years old, the researchers developed the tool to assess the risk of development of a major depressive disorder. The study compared the ability of this tool to predict depression in a sample of 1,144 British 12 year olds (no data was available at age of 15) from the E-Risk Study and 739 New Zealand 15 year olds from the Dunedin study. The predictive ability of the score was not as strong in the UK and New Zealand samples. According to researchers this was to some extent expected as not all the information used from the Brazilian sample was available in the other datasets and different diagnostic measures were used to assess mental health at 18 years old. Dr Kieling said: 'The existence of these discrepancies does not discount the value of our tool but provides important insight into adapting the score according to where it will be used. Adaptation is necessary for most predictive tools; for instance, tools used to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease developed in the US require adjustments when used in other countries. As part of the IDEA project, we are also working to further improve the precision of the tool by studying biomarkers of risk for depression in adolescents.' Dr Mondelli added: 'When developing any new risk assessment tool it is important to consider how it will work in the real world. As part of the IDEA project we are interviewing adolescents, parents and other stakeholders to understand their perceptions of this tool and the ethical implications of using it to stratify young people in terms of risk for developing depression. By doing this we hope that we can ensure that it can help improve the mental health of adolescents worldwide.' ### The research was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and funded by an MQ Brighter Futures grant, the UK Medical Research Council, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Brazilian public funding agency Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientitico e Tecnologico. GALVESTON, Texas - The owner of a chemical tanker ship has denied any liability for a collision with a fishing boat off the coast of Texas that killed one crew member and left two more missing and presumed dead. Norway-based Odfjell SE filed a motion Friday in response to a federal lawsuit brought by relatives of one of the fishermen who was killed. The family accuses Odfjell SE of failing to safely operate its 600-foot tanker, the Bow Fortune. The ship collided with the 81-foot Paddys Pride on Jan. 14 near the entrance to Galveston Bay. The lone survivor, who had been aboard the smaller boat, suffered a broken leg and was rescued from the water. Authorities recovered the body of Constantino Corona, a 59-year-old from Palacios. The Galveston County Medical Examiners Office determined that he drowned, said John D.J. Florence, a spokesman for the office. The Coast Guard and other first responders searched for two days, but the two other fishermen were still missing as of Monday, Petty Officer 2nd Class Johanna Strickland told the Galveston County Daily News. Officials have not revealed the identities of the two crew members who are missing and presumed dead, but Raymond Herrera Jr. and Tabitha Herrera say their father, Raymond Anthony Herrera, is one of them. In their lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the Herreras say their father was killed because Odfjell SE neglected to properly inspect and maintain the tanker, and that the company didnt adequately supervise or train its crew. The company says it is not at fault for any damages caused by the crash, that it maintains the tanker and ensured it was seaworthy at the time of the collision, court documents show. The newspaper could not reach the attorneys representing Odfjell SE or the Herreras for comment on Monday. Arnold & Itkin LLP, the firm representing the Herreras, said in a statement that Odfjell SE is relying on a 150-year-old law that was intended to protect vessel owners from risky voyages. While the law served its purpose in 1851, its now used by negligent companies to avoid accountability, the law firm said in an online statement. The Herreras lawsuit requests a jury trial and calls for the Bow Fortune to be sold and condemned. The crash remains under investigation. Scientists have discovered that a non-invasive technique which could one day be used to treat Parkinson's disease, can successfully target a highly specific group of brain cells which play a key role in development of the condition. In 2015, scientists demonstrated that a form of gene therapy could target and stimulate a group of nerve cells affected by the disease, called cholinergic neurons. These cells degenerate as the disease progresses. Now, thanks to brain imaging technology, they have discovered that their method, which targets cells that produce specific brain chemicals, can also successfully stimulate another type of neuron through cell-to-cell interactions. In a study published in the journal Neurotherapeutics, Dr Ilse Pienaar, Lecturer in Pharmacology at the University of Sussex, along with colleagues at Imperial College London and Invicro, a precision medicine company, reveal a clear communication pathway between cholinergic neurons and dopaminergic neurons, two major neurotransmitter systems found in the brain. Dopaminergic neurons produce dopamine, but in Parkinson's disease, these levels are reduced as neurons deactivate and eventually die. This can cause a number of symptoms, including impaired movement. Using a type of gene therapy in a rat model of Parkinson's, Dr Pienaar and her colleagues targeted cholinergic neurons, only to realise that a therapeutic knock-on effect was also felt by dopaminergic neurons. The originally stimulated cell was able to evoke a positive reaction in the receptive cell type, restoring dopaminergic functions. With both groups of nerve cells stimulated, test subjects were seen to make a complete recovery including showing no more signs of movement and postural impairment. Dr Ilse Pienaar, senior author of the study funded by the Medical Research Council, said: "When we used brain imaging, we found that as we activated cholinergic neurons, they then interacted directly with dopaminergic neurons. "This seems to be a knock-on effect so by targeting this one set of neurons, we now know that we are able to also stimulate dopaminergic neurons, effectively restarting the production of dopamine and reducing symptoms. "This is really important as it reveals more about how nerve systems in the brain interact, but also that we can successfully target two major systems which are affected by Parkinson's disease, in a more precise manner." In the gene therapy technique, the team used a harmless virus to deliver a genetic modification to cholinergic neurons in rats rendered Parkinsonian. They then administered a drug designed to act as a 'switch' and stimulate target neurons. The technique could, in future, provide a less invasive and more effective way to treat Parkinson's patients. While the disease can currently be managed by drugs, these tend to become ineffective after five years and present a number of side effects. An alternative is an invasive surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) which uses electrodes to send pulses into the brain. However, this treatment produces mixed results and researchers believe this is because it stimulates every cell type rather than just the specific cells affected by Parkinson's disease. Dr Pienaar said: "For the highest chance of recovery, treatments need to be focused and targeted but that requires a lot more research and understanding of exactly how Parkinson's operates and how our nerve systems work. "Discovering that both cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons can be successfully targeted together is a big step forward. "While this sort of gene therapy still needs to be tested on humans, our work can provide a solid platform for future bioengineering projects." Lisa Wells, Head of CNS Discovery Applications at Invicro and co-author of this study commented: "It has been an exciting journey working with Dr Pienaar's team to combine the two technologies to offer us a powerful molecular approach to modify neuronal signaling and measure neurotransmitter release. We can support the clinical translation of this "molecular switch" into clinical utility through live imaging technology." According to Parkinson's UK, around 145,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with the disease, which has three main symptoms -shaking, slowness of movement and muscle stiffness. ### Another attempt to interrupt BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta was made at the Kolkata Literary Meet on Wednesday evening but it was foiled after protesting activists were removed from the venue by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) even as a few dozen protesters demonstrated outside the venue. Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, who along with Swapan Dasgupta was locked down at the Vishva Bharati University campus in Birbhum district around two weeks ago, was also targeted by protestors on the inaugural day of the five-day festival at Victoria Memorial Hall. The Revolutionary Students Front (RSF) students protested against the very topic of the session on Wednesday, titled Awakening Bharat Mata, along with Dasgupta and Chakraborty. The session, however, went on uninterrupted, despite protestors continuing to raise slogans outside the compound. We wanted to mark our protest against Dasguptas role in spreading misconception about CAA and NRC and against Chakrabortys role in aiding Dasgupta to serve his purpose, said Nirban, one of the four members of RSF, who were removed from inside the venue. Earlier this month, student activists had virtually locked up Dasgupta and Chakraborty inside an auditorium on the Vishva Bharati University campus for several hours to register their opposition to Dasgupta holding a session on the Citizenship Amendment Act in the varsity. Dasgupta could not be contacted on Wednesday evening as he was taking part in the live sessions. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, to promote indigenisation, accorded approval for procurement of equipment worth over Rs 5,100 crore from indigenous sources. These include sophisticated Electronic Warfare Systems for the Army designed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured locally by the Indian industry. These systems will be used in deserts and plains and will provide comprehensive Electronic Support and Counter Measure capabilities to the field formations in both communication and other aspects of Electronic Warfare. The DAC also approved prototype testing of trawl assemblies designed by DRDO for T-72 and T-90 tanks providing an important indigenous de-mining capability to the Army. In another significant step, the DAC approved shortlisting of Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that would collaborate with SPs to construct six conventional submarines in India. This programme is being progressed under the 'Strategic Partnership Model', promulgated in 2017 to give a major boost to 'Make in India' in Defence Sector. The Strategic partner is expected to play a transformational role in building an eco-system in the country, comprising development entities, specialised vendors and suppliers; especially those from the MSME sector. SP Model also aims at promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment, in addition to establishing an industrial and R&D eco-system capable of meeting the future requirements of the Armed Forces besides giving boost to exports. The DAC also accorded approval for inclusion of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in Defence Procurement Procedure. This would provide avenues in capital procurement for the Armed Forces to startups and innovators working for iDEX and provide huge fillip to their budding efforts. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mother of slain Alabama college student Aniah Blanchard stood with state lawmakers today in support of legislation to give judges more discretion in denying bail to defendants they consider a risk to the public. Angela Harris spoke at a news conference at the Alabama State House about a proposed constitutional amendment that would add exceptions to the right to bail under Alabamas constitution. Under current law, defendants have a right to bail unless they are charged with capital murder, according to Rep. Chip Brown, R-Mobile, the sponsor of the legislation. I know Aniah is looking down and shes very proud right now that people are fighting and theyre going to continue to fight for her, Harris said. "And through this law, she can fight. So, Im just asking everybody to get on board with this. Help this bill be passed. Blanchard was abducted from an Auburn convenience store in October. More than a month later, authorities identified her body, found in woods by a county road in Macon County. She died from a gunshot wound, authorities said. Ibraheem Yazeed, who has been charged with Blanchards murder, had been released on $280,000 bond on two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery and one count of attempted murder in a January 2019 incident in Montgomery at the time he was arrested in the Blanchard case. Brown sponsored the same bill last year. It passed the House but did not get through the Senate. If at least three-fifths of the members of the House and Senate pass the bill, it would go on the ballot for voters to have the final say on whether to change the state Constitution. Brown said it would be on the ballot for the general election in November. Brown said the bill would be called Aniahs Law. Im honored that the family has requested that, Brown said. And we ask for support from the public to get behind this and hopefully save lives. Section 16 of the Alabama Constitution affirms the right to bail except for those charged with capital offenses. Browns amendment would expand the exception to cover Class A felonies involving danger to the victim, such as first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, murder charges that are not capital offenses, and others. Brown said district attorneys could request a hearing to present evidence to a judge that an offender is too dangerous to be released on bail or is a flight risk. The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits "excessive bail." Brown said he was confident that his proposal, if it becomes law in Alabama, would withstand any constitutional challenge in federal court. He said the law is modeled after one in Florida. Im very, very confident this will pass any Eighth Amendment challenge, Brown said. Brown said Sen. David Sessions, R-Mobile, was sponsoring a companion bill in the Senate. Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, has also announced he would sponsor a bail reform bill. Harris said she would be willing to continue to speak out for the bill and talk to other legislators after the session begins on Feb. 4. Ill talk to anybody, Harris said. This is my fight. My fight for Aniah and fight for everybody that nothing like this happens to anybody else again. PHOTO: Li Shengwu Facebook page SINGAPORE Li Shengwu, the nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said he will no longer take part in contempt of court proceedings against him. In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening (22 January), the assistant professor of economics at Harvard University blasted what he calls the Attorney-Generals Chambers (AGC) persistently unusual conduct in its two-and-a-half-year-long case against him. For example, Li said, the AGC had applied to strike out parts of his defence affidavit, with the result that they will not be considered at the trial. He added that the AGC subsequently demanded that these parts be sealed in the court record. The public does not have access to sealed court records. And, Li said, when arguing jurisdiction in the Court of Appeal, the AGC argued that a new piece of legislation should be retroactively applied against him. The court saw it as unfair for the new legislation to apply retrospectively, Li said. Given the AGCs actions, the 34-year-old concluded that he would no longer participate in the legal proceedings, adding, I will not dignify the AGCs conduct by my participation. Background to the case Li had published a private Facebook post on 15 July 2017 with comments blasting the government and questioning the independence of the judicial system. In a letter sent six days after the post, Senior State Counsel Francis Ng called it an egregious and baseless attack on the Singapore legal system and asked Li to sign a declaration that he had made false allegations, was in contempt of the judiciary, and to apologise unreservedly. Li later explained that his post was intended as a criticism of the Singapore governments effect on press freedom and that the AGC chose to escalate the dispute. Later in the same month, the AGC applied for and was subsequently granted permission in the High Court to commence proceedings against Li for contempt of court. This prosecution has continued for years, and during that time the AGC has submitted thousands of pages of legal documents over one paragraph on social media, said Li on Wednesday. Story continues He added, I will continue to be active on Facebook, and will continue to regard my friends-only Facebook posts as private. However, I have removed my cousin Li Hongyi from my Facebook friends list. Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to Providence Law Asia, the legal firm representing Li, and the AGC for comment. If found guilty, Li could face a fine up to $100,000 or a jail term of up to three years, or both. He is the eldest son of Lee Hsien Yang and the nephew of Lee Wei Ling, Hsien Yangs older sister. Hsien Yang and Wei Ling are embroiled in a long-running family feud against their older brother PM Lee over the fate of their old family home at 38 Oxley Road. Related stories: Li Shengwu files defence in contempt of court case, engages top UK lawyer Li Shengwu's appeal against serving of court papers in contempt case dismissed Inherent difficulties in AGCs case against Li Shengwu: Chief Justice Li Shengwu challenges order that let AGC serve papers on him in the US Deaths from China's new virus rose to 17 on Wednesday with more than 540 cases confirmed. Two individuals have been hospitalized in Russia with suspected symptoms of the new China coronavirus. One man was sent to a hospital in Moscow, the Mash channel said on Telegram. He arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on board the plane from Bangkok, Thailand. He felt bad being inside the plane. At the exit, all passengers who travelled with him went through body temperature checks, and the potential patient was taken away by the doctors. Read alsoThe New York Times: First Wuhan coronavirus patient identified in the United States Later, Sheremetyevo Airport's administration reported that he was a Canadian citizen who was diagnosed with food poisoning. The other man, a citizen of Russia, was hospitalized after arriving at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport from Shanghai, The Moscow Times said. According to media reports, the man had a fever. The Russian was taken out through the staff entrance to the left of the terminal. However, there is no report on his confirmed diagnosis yet. Russian airports stepped up screenings of travelers from China after hundreds of people were infected in an outbreak of the virus. Deaths from China's new virus rose to 17 on Wednesday with more than 540 cases confirmed, increasing fears of contagion from an infection suspected to originate from illegally-traded wildlife, Reuters reported on January 22. The previously unknown coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from an animal market in central city of Wuhan, with cases now detected as far away as the United States. Three-peat. But, for most, this isn't something to cheer about. For the third consecutive Friday into Saturday, Midland, as well as the rest of the state, will be hit with a winter storm. This weekend's storm isn't expected to be the heavy snowmaker of last weekend or the ice event of the first weekend. Instead, an AccuWeather forecast calls for 1 to 3 inches of snow in most of Michigan over the weekend, with periods of wintry mix mostly downstate. The National Weather Service in Pontiac calls for rain and snow likely Friday night, becoming all snow after 3 a.m. Saturday. Snow is expected to continue until 11 a.m. Saturday, and then become snow and rain, says the NWS. Saturday's high will be 36. Bouts of rain and snow will likely continue to persist across Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, but because temperatures will hover in the lower to middle 30s, accumulations may mainly be on non-paved surfaces, according to AccuWeather. "The entire Midwest and western Great Lakes region will finally say goodbye to the storm system by Sunday, and unlike previous storms to track across the region this January, slightly above-average temperatures are expected in the wake of the system," according to an AccuWeather forecast statement. Highs Sunday through Tuesday will reach 37, according to the NWS. CBS blinked first. After less than three hours of live coverage on Tuesday, the network of Walter Cronkite cut away from the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, yielding to daytime fare like Dr. Phil and Judge Judy. NBC held out longer, but by 5 p.m., ABC was the last traditional broadcast network still in breaking-news mode. Die-hards could turn to cable news for their fix. In television terms, the opening hours of Mr. Trumps trial only the third in American history, and the second of the mass-media era did not exactly make for visually compelling viewing. For Republican Senate leadership, that was by design. Senate officials rejected repeated requests to allow outside cameras into the chamber to record the trial meaning that what viewers see and hear will be dictated by cameras and microphones controlled by Senate staff members, rather than an independent news organization. (Even C-SPAN was not allowed access.) BEACHWOOD, Ohio Fraud: Park East Drive At 10:10 a.m. Jan. 15, a man reported fraudulent activity taking place on his business checking account. The mans total loss was $31,650. Police are investigating an East Liverpool, Ohio, woman, 63, to whom a check was written. Identity theft: Fairmount Boulevard At 12:35 p.m. Jan. 15, a Fairmount Boulevard man, 71, reported that he had found fraudulent activity on his bank account that resulted in him losing $220,000. Police noted that a computer hacker is responsible. Drug paraphernalia possession: Chagrin Boulevard At 1:50 p.m. Jan. 15, an officer stopped a car that had an improperly displayed license plate. It was then found that the driver, a Bedford Heights woman, 22, was in possession of drug paraphernalia. Police cited the woman for both offenses. Theft: Cedar Road At 6:55 p.m. Jan. 15, security at Beachwood Place mall, 26300 Cedar Road, detained three youths for suspected theft from the store Pink. One of the juveniles, a Cleveland girl, 17, was charged with theft for stealing merchandise valued at $10.50. Theft: Cedar Road At 3:15 p.m. Jan. 16, a man reported that his wallet and its contents had been stolen while he was at Beachwood Place. The following day, mall security notified police that a mall cleaner had been seen on surveillance video with the wallet. The suspect, a Shaker Heights man, 48, was arrested and charged with theft. Robbery: Interstate 271 At 10:30 p.m. Jan. 17, a passerby on I-271 reported seeing a man and a woman standing outside a car and witnessing the woman hit the man in the face. Police investigated and found that the woman, 21, of East Cleveland, had hit the man, 33, and taken his credit cards. Police charged the woman with robbery and criminal damage. Theft: Cedar Road At 4:45 p.m. Jan. 17, police arrested a Maple Heights man, 24, for stealing merchandise valued at $39 from Dillards at Beachwood Place. Fraud: Park East Drive At 11:15 a.m. Jan. 18, a Beachwood man, 34, reported that he had been the victim of a telephone scam. The man told police that he had wired $35,000 to a caller. Police are investigating. Theft: Chagrin Boulevard At 12:25 p.m. Jan. 19, police arrested a Cleveland woman, 23, for stealing goods worth $46.11 from Giant Eagle, 24601 Chagrin Blvd. Property damage: Chagrin Boulevard At 6 p.m. Jan. 19, a man reported that his ex-girlfriend had attempted to break his apartment door at The Vue, 23220 Chagrin Blvd., then ran from the property. An officer found the woman across the street, in the parking lot of the Beachwood Apartments, 23511 Chagrin Blvd. The woman, 35, denied trying to break the door. Police did not charge the woman. Apartment management replaced the door at a cost of $1,794. Read more from the Sun Press. Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure and Deutsche Bahn sign MoU on the cooperation and development of Ukrzaliznytsia DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On day three of Ukraine House Davos, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the House to congratulate the Organizing Committee on the success of this year's event. Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk also chaired an invitation-only meeting of the National Investment Council of Ukraine, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure and Deutsche Bahn on the cooperation and development of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways). "Deutsche Bahn is Germany's largest railway operator. This contract is not about concession, it is a strategic partnership aimed to develop Ukraine's infrastructure," said Oleksiy Honcharuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine. "I believe that German operational efficiency and zero tolerance for corruption will inspire changes in Ukrzaliznytsia. Ukraine retains full control over Ukrzaliznytsia - German experts will focus on reforming the enterprise management mechanisms." Also attending the National Investment Council meeting was Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the EBRD, who said, "EBRD remains the largest single investor in Ukraine, and 2019 was a standout year. We have doubled the scale of investments with over 1 billion invested during the year, two-thirds of which has been in the green economy. The new government has a mandate to implement genuine reforms, especially concession laws, as well as legislative and taxation procedures." The day was packed with exciting discussions from globally recognized speakers. During the morning panel sponsored by EBS, "More from Less: Imagining the Future of Work", guests enjoyed a conversation on trends in the future of work with a globally renowned panel. The afternoon sessions got underway with a talk on, "Untapped Potential: Ukraine As Europe's Next Industrial Powerhouse" featuring top officials and industry experts. The panel was sponsored by Hillmont Partners and moderated by James Hart, Partner of Hillmont Partners. Speakers discussed new opportunities for privatization and the country's industrial sector. Dmytro Sennychenko, Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, said: "Our goal is to purge inefficiency and monopolistic behavior in the economy so that assets can finally begin to contribute to the economy rather than harming it. In 2020, the State Property Fund will offer an investment menu consisting of more than 500 assets with unprecedented levels of transparency with the possibility of 20 times the return on investment". Later in the day, Victor Pinchuk Foundation hosted a talk with Oleg Sentsov, liberated political prisoner, Ukrainian filmmaker, writer and activist from Crimea. The Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee expressed their gratitude to Mr. Sentsov for his invaluable role in the fight for Ukraine's freedom. When asked about how the world understands the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Sentsov said: "Putin is a very dangerous, powerful and cruel enemy; he would rather give up the Kremlin than give up Crimea. It is crucial for the Ukrainian authorities and world leaders to understand that." The MHP-sponsored panel titled, "The $50-Billion Challenge: How Business and Government Can Create a Win-Win Investment Climate in the New Ukraine" gave a platform for speakers to discuss current and future investment opportunities in Ukraine. Yuriy Kosyuk, CEO and Founder of MHP said that for the first time in his more than 20 years of doing business in Ukraine, the government is open for dialogue and supporting Ukrainian businesses. Follow the event via social media on ukrainehousedavos and at: Twitter: @UAHouseDavos Facebook: @ukrainehousedavos Instagram: @Ukraine.House.Davos LinkedIN: UkraineHouseDavos YouTube: ukrainehousedavos About Ukraine House Davos Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee is led by five women who volunteer their efforts to launch this event: Olga Afanasyeva , Executive Director of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) , Executive Director of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) Jaroslawa Johnson , President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) , President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) Svitlana Grytsenko of Victor Pinchuk Foundation of Victor Pinchuk Foundation Lenna Koszarny , Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, and, , Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, and, Alexa Chopivsky , Executive Director of Ukraine House Davos Ukraine House Davos is made possible by the generous commitment of its sponsors. Ukraine House Davos is supported by the National Investment Council of Ukraine, UkraineInvest, Ukrainian World Congress, Atlantic Council, Reputation Institute. Media Partners include NV, Liga.net, Ekonomichna Pravda, Ukraine Business News www.ukrainehousedavos.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1080820/Ukraine_House_Davos.jpg The Amazon original series which has been directed by Kabir Khan talks about the chronicles of the journey of INAs foot soldiers. The story talks about their quest as they march from Singapore to New Delhi to free India from British rule. Sunny Kaushal along with Rohit Choudhary, Karanvir Malhotra, M.K Raina, R. Badree, TJ Bhanu and Shruti Seth will be seen in pivotal roles. Also Read | Vicky Kaushal's Brother Sunny Kaushal Joins The Relay Of Patriotism With Upcoming Series Vicky Kaushal joins brother Sunny Kaushal to deliver A powerful message on patriotism Also Read | Vicky Kaushal's Brother Sunny Kaushal Had A Crush On His Rumored Girlfriend Source: Sunny Kaushal Instagram Recently the makers of the series uploaded a video showing the two sides of the army, where the Kaushal brothers appear in the video. The two parts the video talks about the times when the army are lauded for their brave act and another where they are labelled inappropriately for the slightest inconvenience faced by the common man. The Forgotten Army: Azaadi ke Liye is based on the true story of the fleet of soldiers who marched towards Delhi to liberate India. Also Read | Sunny Singh And Sonnalli Seygall's All Songs From Their Movie 'Jai Mummy Di' These soldiers marched onto Delhi with cries of Challo Dilli to free India from the unjust and cruel reign of the British empire. This troupe of soldiers was led by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose who also paved the way to the first-ever woman infantry regiment in the world. The soldiers fought against all odds to free India from the clutches of British Raj, despite that their struggle somehow got lost and they became 'the forgotten army'. The story if the series has been told through the lenses of a love story between two soldiers and their discussion upon the concept of freedom and often one takes it for granted. Also Read | Season 14 Of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' Now Streaming On Netflix Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. used car lot bumper to bumper stock photo depth of field Budget-conscious shoppers often look to pre-owned vehicles to make sure they get a decent car without spending as much as they would normally spend on a new vehicle. Pre-owned vehicles may seem like a gamble at times, but when it comes to Volkswagen vehicles, most regard their build quality as a step above the competition, leading to more trust in pre-owned cars from the German automaker. At McMinnville Volkswagen, car shoppers can find five different pre-owned vehicles at special prices. Of those five, two are Nissan vehicles, and the other three are Volkswagen models. Fortunately, each of the five specially priced vehicles are less than five years old. Decent mileage, low prices and great fuel efficiency make these cars great options for a new set of wheels for commuting or daily errand running. The two Nissan Vehicles currently available are different versions of the Versa model. Both are from the 2018 model year and have little more than 20,000 miles on them. The two cars even share the same SV trim level. The biggest difference between them is that one is the hatchback version of the Versa, called the Versa Note. Among the three pre-owned Volkswagen vehicles available, there is a lot more variety. Although each of the three Volkswagens are non-hatchback sedans, two are Passat models, and one is a Jetta. From the model year 2015 comes a Passat TDI of the SE trim. It has over 36,000 miles on it, which makes sense considering its age. A 2017 Passat S has a light 10,000 miles on it and like the other Passat, has black exterior paint. The odd one out is a Jetta S from 2018 with over 13,000 miles on it. Other low-price pre-owned vehicles available now at McMinnville Volkswagen include cars below $15,000. In this category, shoppers can find even more variety including a 2013 Beetle TDI Convertible that may not stay on the lot for long. Car shoppers interested in the stock of pre-owned vehicles at McMinnville Volkswagen can call the dealership at 887-721-5794 or talk with a salesperson at 1920 NE Hwy 99W McMinnville, Oregon, 97128. Shoppers may also send the dealership a message through the website. [January 22, 2020] HomeServe Cares Foundation Announces Winners of Third Round of "Caring for Community" Grant Program HomeServe USA, a leading provider of home repair solutions, has selected non-profits in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Louisville, Kentucky as the next winners of a HomeServe "Caring for Community" grant. The third round of funding through the HomeServe Cares Foundation was focused on programs and projects dedicated to improving the quality of life for veterans. The first winner is Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin (VOW) in Milwaukee, an organization serving as many as 300 veterans every night and recognized nationally as a model program for addressing veteran homelessness. The group's latest project is the construction of a new village of 42 tiny homes that will be provided at no cost to veterans experiencing homelessness for up to two years. HomeServe's grant will cover construction materials for one of the new houses, which, when coupled with donated volunteer labor, will complete the build of one of the homes within the village. "While veterans are a vital part of the community, they often do not receive the support they need to transition from military to civilian life. In Milwaukee, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin (VOW) is doing an exceptional job moving homeless veterans into self-sufficiency," said HomeServe CEO John Kitzie. "VOW's tiny house project provides a creative solution to a challenging problem, and HomeServe is proud to be able to contribute to its success." The second grant winner is St. Vincent de Paul Louisville (SVDPL) in Louisville, Kentucky. SVDPL's Intensive Transitional Housing project moves homeless veterans in need of supportive services into affordable permanent housing to help them achieve self-sufficiency. HomeServe's grant will help fund a new project called "A Place to Lay Your Head" that will provide complete be sets - mattress, box spring, linens and pillows - to an estimated 40 veterans as they move into their new permanent housing. "Veterans are an integral part of our community and culture and St. Vincent de Paul Louisville (SVDPL) is providing these heroes with the support and services they need to succeed in the next phase of their lives," said HomeServe CEO John Kitzie. "Working together, HomeServe and SVDPL will be able to provide many veterans in the city with the comfort of a good night's sleep, which can make a world of difference during difficult times." In 2019, the HomeServe Cares Foundation awarded a total of six grants to non-profits located in Denver, CO; Kansas City, KS; Columbus, OH; Boulder, CO; Tampa, FL; and Rochester, NY. The grants focused on projects around aging in place for senior citizens, improving facilities for developmentally disabled adults, and providing ADA compliant beach access. Details about the HomeServe Cares Foundation are available on www.HomeServeCaresFoundation.com. About HomeServe HomeServe USA Corp. (HomeServe) is a leading provider of home repair solutions serving more than 4.2 million customers across the US and Canada under the HomeServe, Home Emergency Insurance Solutions, Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) and Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) names. Since 2003, HomeServe has been protecting homeowners against the expense and inconvenience of water, sewer, electrical, HVAC and other home repair emergencies by providing affordable repair coverage, installations and quality local service. As an A+ rated Better Business Bureau Accredited Business, HomeServe is dedicated to being a customer-focused company supplying best-in-class repair plans and other services to consumers directly and through over 750 leading municipal, utility and association partners. HomeServe is teamed up with television personality and author Mike Rowe, best known as the creator and host of the series "Dirty Jobs," and is a sponsor of This Old House on PBS, working together to provide homeowners expert advice on maintaining, enhancing and protecting their homes. For more information about HomeServe, a Connecticut Top Workplace winner and recipient of thirty-three 2019 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, or to learn more about HomeServe's affordable repair plans, please go to www.homeserve.com. Connect with HomeServe on Facebook and Twitter (News - Alert) @HomeServeUSA. For news and information follow on Twitter @HomeServeUSNews. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005471/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Finnish Company Patria has been awarded a contract for the design and delivery of new Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Sonars by Saab, the Squadron 2020 Combat System Contractor. This new state-of-the-art ASW product strengthens Patria's product portfolio and improves company's competitiveness and position in the international naval markets. The employment effect of the contract in Finland is approximately 50 man-years. Finnish Company Patria has been awarded a contract for the design and delivery of new Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Sonars by Saab, the Squadron 2020 Combat System Contractor. This new state-of-the-art ASW product strengthens Patria's product portfolio and improves company's competitiveness and position in the international naval markets. The employment effect of the contract in Finland is approximately 50 man-years. Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvette. (Picture source Finnish MoD) The new lightweight dual-tow Sonac DTS system consists of both an active variable depth sonar and a passive towed thin-line receiving array that can be used together or independently. The system has been designed to meet the demanding acoustic underwater environmental conditions of the Baltic Sea to ensure the best possible performance. The future collaboration covers also combat system engineering and integration, software development and the underwater sensor domain, including sonars. The contract further enables Patria to contribute to the software development of the 9LV Combat Management System (CMS) for the global market and Saab to contribute to the productization and marketing of Patria's underwater sensor portfolio. The collaboration will also strengthen the domestic defense industry and technology base, as well as improve the security of supply for the Squadron 2020 project. "We are proud to provide the new Pohjanmaa class corvettes with one of their main sensors representing critical technology from the national security of supply point of view. The development of the Sonac DTS system is based on Patria's over 30-year experience in the design and delivery of underwater acoustic sensor systems", says Jonas Geust, President of Patria's Systems Business Unit. The Pohjanmaa-class is a multi-role corvette manufactured by Rauma Marine Constructions shipyard that will enter in service with the Finnish navy in 2023. It has been designed to perform anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and mine-laying missions. The corvettes will be armed with Bofors 57 mm guns, ESSM surface-to-air missiles, Gabriel surface-to-surface missiles, Torped 47 anti-submarine torpedoes, as well as sea mines. An emergency grassfire has been brought under control on Wednesday night, after it was earlier fanned by damaging wind gusts about 25 minutes north of Ballarat. Residents in Broomfield, Allendale and Kingston were told to leave about 6.45pm, but the emergency fire was downgraded to the advice level at 8pm. A grassfire in northern Victoria in November. Credit:Nine News A fire in Buldah in East Gippsland was still burning out of control at the watch and act level at 10pm. The warning said aircraft would work on the fire when conditions permitted on Thursday. WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Existing-home sales grew in December, bouncing back after a slight fall in November, according to the National Association of Realtors. Although the Midwest saw sales decline, the other three major U.S. regions reported meaningful growth last month. December 2019 Existing Home Sales Snapshot NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun (PRNewsfoto/National Association of Realtors) Total existing-home sales,1 https://www.nar.realtor/existing-home-sales , completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 3.6% from November to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million in December. Additionally, overall sales took a significant bounce, up 10.8% from a year ago (5.00 million in December 2019). On a full-year basis, total existing-home sales ended at 5.34 million, the same level as in 2018, as sales in the South region (+2.2%) offset declines in the West (-1.8%) and Midwest (-1.6%), as the Northeast remained unchanged. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, said home sales fluctuated a great deal last year. "I view 2019 as a neutral year for housing in terms of sales," Yun said. "Home sellers are positioned well, but prospective buyers aren't as fortunate. Low inventory remains a problem, with first-time buyers affected the most." The median existing-home price2 for all housing types in December was $274,500, up 7.8% from December 2018 ($254,700), as prices rose in every region. November's price increase marks 94 straight months of year-over-year gains. "Price appreciation has rapidly accelerated, and areas that are relatively unaffordable or declining in affordability are starting to experience slower job growth," Yun said. "The hope is for price appreciation to slow in line with wage growth, which is about 3%." NAR's Home Affordability Index Ranking and Payroll Job Growth report found that affordability rankings declined in 81 metro areas, 34 of which saw non-farm job growth fall faster in 2019 Q3 than the national rate over the previous five years. Total housing inventory3 at the end of December totaled 1.40 million units, down 14.6% from November and 8.5% from one year ago (1.53 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.0-month supply at the current sales pace, down from the 3.7-month figure recorded in both November and December 2018. Unsold inventory totals have dropped for seven consecutive months from year-ago levels, taking a toll on home sales. Properties typically remained on the market for 41 days in December, seasonally up from 38 days in November, but down from 46 days in December 2018. Forty-three percent of homes sold in December 2019 were on the market for less than a month. First-time buyers were responsible for 31% of sales in December, moderately down from the 32% seen in both November and in December 2018. NAR's 2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers released in late 20194 revealed that the annual share of first-time buyers was 33%. Individual investors or second-home buyers, who account for many cash sales, purchased 17% of homes in December 2019, up from both 16% in November and 15% in December 2018. All-cash sales accounted for 20% of transactions in December, unchanged from November and down slightly from 22% in December 2018. Distressed sales5 foreclosures and short sales represented 2% of sales in December, unchanged from both November 2019 and December 2018. Yun said conditions for buying are favorable and will likely continue in 2020. "We saw the year come to a close with the economy churning out 2.3 million jobs, mortgage rates below 4% and housing starts ramp up to 1.6 million on an annual basis," he said. "If these factors are sustained in 2020, we will see a notable pickup in home sales in 2020." According to Freddie Mac, the average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage increased to 3.72% in December, up from 3.70% in November. The average commitment rate across all of 2019 was 3.94%. "NAR is expecting 2020 to be a great year for housing," said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, California. "Our leadership team is hard at work to secure policies that will keep our housing market moving in the right direction, like promoting infrastructure reform, strengthening fair housing protections and ensuring mortgage capital remains available to responsible, mortgage-ready Americans. Single-family and Condo/Co-op Sales Single-family home sales sat at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million in December, up from 4.79 million in November, and up 10.6% from a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $276,900 in December 2019, up 8.0% from December 2018. Existing condominium and co-op sales were recorded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 620,000 units in December, up 10.7% from November and 12.7% higher than a year ago. The median existing condo price was $255,400 in December, which is an increase of 6.0% from a year ago. Regional Breakdown Compared to last month, December sales increased in the Northeast, South and West regions, while year-over-year sales are up in each of the four regions. Median home prices in all regions increased from one year ago, with the Midwest region showing the strongest price gain. December 2019 existing-home sales in the Northeast grew 5.7% to an annual rate of 740,000, up 8.8% from a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $304,400, up 7.4% from December 2018. Existing-home sales decreased 1.5% in the Midwest to an annual rate of 1.30 million, which is up 9.2% from a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $208,500, a 9.2% jump from last December. Existing-home sales in the South grew 5.4% to an annual rate of 2.36 million in December, up 12.4% from a year ago. The median price in the South was $240,500, a 6.7% increase from this time last year. Existing-home sales in the West rose 4.6% to an annual rate of 1.14 million in December, a 10.7% increase from a year ago. The median price in the West was $411,800, up 8.1% from December 2018. The National Association of Realtors is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For local information, please contact the local association of Realtors for data from local multiple listing services (MLS). Local MLS data is the most accurate source of sales and price information in specific areas, although there may be differences in reporting methodology. NOTE: NAR's Pending Home Sales Index for December is scheduled for release on January 29, and Existing-Home Sales for January will be released February 21; release times are 10:00 a.m. ET. Information about NAR is available at www.nar.realtor . This and other news releases are posted on the NAR Newsroom at www.nar.realtor/newsroom. Statistical data in this release, as well as other tables and surveys, are posted in the "Research and Statistics" tab. 1 Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services. Changes in sales trends outside of MLSs are not captured in the monthly series. NAR rebenchmarks home sales periodically using other sources to assess overall home sales trends, including sales not reported by MLSs. Existing-home sales, based on closings, differ from the U.S. Census Bureau's series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which account for more than 90% of total home sales, are based on a much larger data sample about 40% of multiple listing service data each month and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions. The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns. Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos. 2 The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical of market conditions than average prices, which are skewed higher by a relatively small share of upper-end transactions. The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if additional data is received. The national median condo/co-op price often is higher than the median single-family home price because condos are concentrated in higher-cost housing markets. However, in a given area, single-family homes typically sell for more than condos as seen in NAR's quarterly metro area price reports. 3 Total inventory and month's supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month's supply are available back to 1982 (prior to 1999, single-family sales accounted for more than 90% of transactions and condos were measured only on a quarterly basis). 4 Survey results represent owner-occupants and differ from separately reported monthly findings from NAR's Realtors Confidence Index , which include all types of buyers. Investors are under-represented in the annual study because survey questionnaires are mailed to the addresses of the property purchased and generally are not returned by absentee owners. Results include both new and existing homes. 5 Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), days on market, first-time buyers, all-cash transactions and investors are from a monthly survey for the NAR's Realtors Confidence Index, posted at nar.realtor. SOURCE National Association of Realtors Related Links http://www.nar.realtor BEREA, Ohio - President Donald Trump trails in four key Great Lakes states he won in 2016, indicating the extent to which hell have to entice wavering voters - especially women - to swing his way before November, January polling across Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin found. Support for a still-to-be-determined Democratic candidate was within a few points of reaching a majority in each state, including leads of more than a dozen points over Trump in Wisconsin and Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Poll, released Wednesday by Baldwin Wallace Universitys Community Research Institute. Democratic support was softest in Ohio, where the generic Democrat led Trump just 44.3% to 39.4%, with the rest undecided. BW, in partnership with Ohio Northern and Oakland universities, polled more than 1,000 registered voters in each state from Jan. 8-20. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 to 3.3 percentage points for the statewide results in each state, higher for sub groups. Among the findings: Women could decide the election, as their support for a Democrat over Trump ranged from 11.2 percentage points in Ohio to 26.1 points in Michigan. The preference among men was within the margin of error in three states and 4.4 points in the Democrats favor in Pennsylvania. The economy is the No. 1 issue in Ohio and two other states, identified so by 31.4% in Ohio, 29.2% in Pennsylvania and 26.7% in Michigan. Health care issues lead concerns in Wisconsin (30.6%), the lone Midwest or Northeast state that did not expand Medicaid under Obamacare BW, experienced in Ohio polling, chose to concentrate on the four states for their new Great Lakes Poll to learn more about voters in states regionally that voted for Democrat Barack Obama in 2012 and then flipped to the Republican Trump in 2016. Trump scored narrow victories of less than a percentage point each in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but won Ohio by 8.1 percentage points. Tom Sutton, a professor of political science and director of BWs Community Research Institute, said the views of women were particularly interesting. The difference in womens lack of support for Donald Trump will be critical to the chances of a Democratic nominee winning these states. This follows the trend of women supporting Democratic candidates in the 2018 congressional midterms that resulted in a Democratic majority being elected to the House, Sutton said in releasing the results. This was the first of four Great Lakes polls that will be conducted this year. Throughout Wednesday, cleveland.com will be publishing a series of stories focusing on these key issues and others. You can find links to all of the stories here. Women voters in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin oppose Donald Trump by wide margins, Baldwin Wallace University's Great Lakes poll found.Rich Exner, cleveland.com State-by-state polling The polling shows Trumps support has slipped, at least at this early stage of the election year and before it is known who the Democratic nominee will be. Asked if the election were held today," the unknown Democratic candidate led Trump: 47.5% to 34.1% in Wisconsin, with 18.4% undecided. 46.8% to 33.9% in Michigan, with 19.3% undecided. 47.1% to 37.3% in Pennsylvania, with 15.6% undecided. 44.3% to 39.4% in Ohio, with 16.3% undecided. Yet large numbers of undecided leave ample room for Trumps support to grow, said Lauren Copeland, associate director of the Community Research Institute at Baldwin Wallace University. It looks like the Democrats have this huge lead in all the states, including Ohio, but if you take into account the people who are undecided, the race is a tossup in all four states, Copeland said. A BW Ohio poll a month before the 2016 election showed Hillary Clinton leading Trump, 43.2% to 34.4% with a substantial number undecided at the time. In the election, Clinton received almost exactly that support (43.6%), but Trump did much better (51.7%) in the state. The pollsters with this years Great Lakes Poll attempted to identify how committed the voters were to their vote. For instance, ranges from 44.7% in Ohio to 49.1% in Michigan responded: I am almost certain to vote against Donald Trump no matter whom the Democrats nominate for president." Yet far fewer - ranging from 29% in Michigan to 34.6% in Ohio - said they were almost certain to vote for Donald Trump." Better than 70% of registered voters in each state said they were very motivated to vote in November. Those not motivated at all ranged from 2.7% to 5.5% in the four states. The economy is the top issue among voters in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while health care is the No. 1 issue in Wisconsin, according to Baldwin Wallace University's Great Lakes poll.Rich Exner, cleveland.com The Democratic field In the Democratic field, former Vice President Joe Biden leads in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders topping the field in Wisconsin, the polling said. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is third in each state behind Biden and Sanders. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has campaigned little and has not been part of the debates but has begun a high-profile, high-dollar advertising campaign, is running fourth in each state. Here are the top four in each state, including thoughts of self-identified Democrats and independents who said they lean Democratic: Ohio: Biden (32.1%), Sanders (20.8%), Warren (10.7%) and Bloomberg (10.1%). Michigan: Biden (27.0%), Sanders (21.6%), Warren (13.6%) and Bloomberg (9.1%). Pennsylvania: Biden (31.3%), Sanders (20.5%), Warren (11.5%) and Bloomberg (9.1%). Wisconsin: Sanders (28.4%), Biden (21.8%), Warren (14.7%), Bloomberg (8.4%). Joe Biden leads polling in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while Bernie Sanders leads in Wisconsin, according to the Great Lakes poll released by Baldwin Wallace University.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Too left or right? Most people polled said the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left. But, illustrating strong opinions about the political divide in the country, nearly as many respondents said the Republican Party has moved too far to the right. Heres how the responses broke down: Saying that the Democratic Party is now too far left: Ohio (54.3%), Pennsylvania (53.2%), Wisconsin (51.1%) and Michigan (49.8%). Saying that the Republican Party is now too far right: Wisconsin (51.1%), Michigan (49.1%), Pennsylvania (48.3%) and Ohio (47.6%). Most of the distaste toward Republicans is by Democrats, and vice-versa, but sizable shares of independents (close to 50% in each state) voiced such opinions about one party or the other. For example, among Ohio independents, 48.6% said they agreed that the Democratic Party was too far left, and on a separate question 47.9% said the Republican Party was too far right. Other findings Among other results: More people disapprove of Trumps handling of immigration issues than approve by margins of just 2.3 points in Ohio (48.8% to 46.5%) and 4.5 points in Pennsylvania (49.1% to 44.6%) to wider margins of 11.7 points in Wisconsin (54% to 42.3%) and 12.4 points in Michigan (52.6% to 40.2%). Majorities in each state favor deciding the presidential elections by popular vote instead of through the Electoral College: 53.6% to 30.5% in Ohio, 53.8% to 31.2% in Wisconsin, 53.7% to 28% in Pennsylvania, and 54.1% to 28.3% in Michigan. And majorities distrust social media as a news source. Saying they trust social media news not too much or not at all were 59.5% in Ohio, 59.8% in Pennsylvania, 61.1% in Michigan and 66.2% in Wisconsin. There is a general distrust in the news found on social media, according Baldwin Wallace University's Great Lakes Poll.Rich Exner, cleveland.com How the poll was conducted The survey was conducted online among self-identified registered voters in Michigan (1,023), Ohio (1,031), Pennsylvania (1,037) and Wisconsin (1,038) using Qualtrics, a firm that aggregates samples for scientific surveys. BW said the poll included quotas for age, education, and gender for each state based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, plus a mix of urban and rural voters to make sure groups were properly represented. There will be a second poll in the spring. BW hopes to time that poll to when the Democratic nominee becomes clear. Plus additional Great Lakes polls are planned for September and October. BW, which has been doing polling in Ohio for several years, is expanding to the other states with financial help and academic input from Ohio Northern University in Ada and Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. Find data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral. Read more: See cleveland.coms comprehensive coverage of the 2020 Great Lakes Poll Women breaking away from President Trump, could be deciding factor in 2020 presidential race Poll of Great Lakes voters shows good news for Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders Its the economy, voters in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania say about the 2020 election: BW poll Should popular vote replace electoral college? Voters solidly in favor of move Immigration was a key issue in 2016: What do voters think about it today? Voters distrust social media as source of campaign news, worry about foreign interference Standard Chartered Bank Uganda in partnership with Uganda Bankers Association (UBA) on Wednesday spearheaded industry discussions on Information and Cyber Security (ICS) as a principal risk arising from the digital and technology revolution that aims at boosting service delivery to clients of banks. The session held at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala was attended by local banks heads of operations, heads of information technology, and heads of compliance, heads of risk management and audit departments as well as the media. The session also attended by government representatives was held to make banking industry players understand the global and local trends in ICS, discuss the emerging regulations and learn how to build a Cyber Secure culture within the local banking industry which of recent has seen rising cases hacking into ATMs and banks systems, with hundreds of millions of shillings lost. Stories Continues after ad Speaking to participants at half-day session, Standard Chartered Uganda CEO, Albert Saltson, said his institution takes ICS as a key risk and has put in place dedicated initiatives to identify, respond to and protect the bank from the Cyber security risks. Saltson said Cybercrime w is a growing threat to everyone and corporations and they have created dedicated forums and resources to discuss the ICS risk and find ways to mitigate it. We have taken this step to spearhead industry discussions in partnership with Uganda Bankers Association and other stakeholders on this important topic as part of our commitment to share our knowledge, expertise and best practice within the Ugandan market, he said. He said Stanbic Bank Uganda team have the advantage of learnings from the banks network and believes adds value to the Uganda Banking sector. We will continue to premise our services proposition to our clients on the provision of high-quality service to remain trusted and reliable business partners to them. He said they would continue to study and understand the local operating environment, manage any emerging risks and support the sector. UBA CEO Wilbrod Owor, while addressing participants, said investment in digital solutions comes with risks associated with electronic connections to clients and others. ICS risks have never been greater and the consequences of failure more impactful for our clients and our firms. We are therefore pleased to partner with Standards Chartered Bank to share knowledge and experience of Information and Cyber Security with us, he said. Owor said over 90 per cent of Ugandans are Cyber insecure, which he said calls for information sharing to combat Cybercrime, which he said is growing in complexity. I appeal to financial services sector to understand the risk environment, be security cautious and vigilant around cyber risk events, he said. John Jonathan Kwofie, Regional Head Business ICS at Standard Chartered Bank said emerging ICS threats present themselves in different ways such as: Denial-of-service attacks, data espionage, natural threats, sabotage, computer frauds, malicious attacks, message falsification or injection, vandalism and copyright violations, among others. It is also envisaged that as technologies advance, a resultant proliferation of cyber threats will be witnessed. The recent ATM frauds and system hacking attacks that we have witnessed in the Ugandan market are a clear indication that Cyber risk is already here with us so we nee3d to move ahead of the culprits. Leah Kimata, the Country ICS Officer at Standard Charted Bank Kenya said the annual cost of cybercrime damage is estimated at US $6 trillion by 2021 and beyond. I therefore appeal to all stakeholders including, government, financial and non-financial institution and other organisations to strategically plan and implement structures and technologies to help in combating cyber threats, she said, urging banks to build a security culture conscious amounts their staff and that the role of security cannot be left to concerned heads of department. Head of Legal and Compliance department at National Information Technology Authority (NITA), Caroline Akello Mugisha, said Cybercrime is real in Uganda and urged banks and other institutions to read and understand related laws and policies such as the Computer Misuse Act, 2011, National Information Security Framework, though he said penalties in Computer Misuse Act are not deterrent enough. Edward Mugerwa, Bank of Uganda IT Director said Cybercrime in Uganda needs collaboration amongst stakeholders at the bank together with UBA are working to have a Security Operations Centre (SOC) where banks can share information related to cyber-attacks. Dr. Dorothy Okello, a member of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda board of directors appreciated the bank and UBA for coming with the imitative to fight cyber threats within the banking industry. Standard Chartered Bank has organised stakeholder engagements from January 20-23, 2020 for regulators, the industry, clients and senior management. Police have busted a gang of vehicle thieves active in the city as well as parts of Punjab with the arrest of six men all aged between 19 and 22 and also recovered 34 motorcycles. The accused were arrested on Monday while they were allegedly conspiring to loot a petrol pump in Sector 39, said UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nilambari Jagadale here on Wednesday. They have been identified as Kavi Singh, 21; Hardeep Singh, 22 and Baljinder Singh, 21, besides Balihar Singh, Sharanjit Singh, and Shanty Kumar, all 19. Kavi, who formed the gang, is an auto-rickshaw driver and police informer. One of the other accused, Baljinder, was booked in a theft case in Sector 17 last year. All of them are hooked to drugs and started stealing two-wheelers to fund their addiction, said Jagadale. Now, they were planning a dacoity at a petrol pump in Sector 39, and were conducting recce, when the area police arrested them. At the time of making the arrests, Sector 39 station house officer (SHO) inspector Amanjot Singh recovered six Royal Enfield motorcycles from them. On being interrogated, they reportedly confessed to have stolen 70 bikes, some of which were later sold to people in various villages in Mohali, Patiala, Khanna, Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib. However, police managed to recover 28 bikes that were not disposed of yet. Seven were found abandoned near the power grid in Sector 56 and 13 in a forest area in Sector 40. Investigating officials said Kavi, who was an auto-rickshaw driver operating between Chandigarhs southern sectors and Kharar, was first rounded up by police on a complaint of his woman friend and her father. Though the two parties reached a compromise, Kavi turned into a police informer. He would stand outside liquor shops and provide the tip-offs to police about liquor smugglers, in lieu of incentives, said Jagadale. After getting to know about police functioning and loopholes, he formed the gang of vehicle thieves. LONDON, U.K.In a time when traditional Chinese culture is not as prevalent as it used to be and is suppressed by the Chinese Communist regime, Shen Yun Performing Arts is turning the tide through classical Chinese dance and music. After watching New York-based Shen Yun at Eventim Apollo, private investment company owner Nicholas Frankopan admired the New York-based performing arts company for its reviving of Chinas traditional culture. I think its absolutely superb. Its incredibly beautiful and shows the huge tradition that exists, subsists, from Chinese culture, said Frankopan, who enjoyed the beauty of the performance and the mirroring of nature. Spanning across 5,000 years, Chinas traditional culture was comprised of customs, values, and beliefs that were passed down over the generations which helped preserve the character of the Chinese people and their understanding of the universe. These concepts included compassion, integrity, and veneration for the divine. That all came to an end in the middle of the 20th century. The ideology known as communism made its way into China from the Soviet Union and eventually took control. From that moment forward, many campaigns and movements were launched by the Chinese Communist Party to eradicate anything even remotely close to traditional Chinese culture. People were attacked for following their spiritual beliefs, history books were rewritten, and China became a shell of what it once was. Chinas true sense of identity and place of origin was on the verge of disappearing forever. But in 2006, a group of classical Chinese artists in New York united under one mission: to revive traditional Chinese culture and share it with the rest of the world. They thus founded Shen Yun. Shen Yun now has seven companies touring around the globe simultaneously and is touching the hearts of many people. Frankopan said, Well, the tradition is what makes us what we are, and everyone should be proud of their traditions and its nice to see some Chinese traditions preserved for posterity. Well, modern society is looking for answers that they actually already have from the past. Nicholas Frankopan Well, modern society is looking for answers that they actually already have from the past, Frankopan added. Not just Chinese culture, but all, Western culture needs to look within for answers that they already have to solutions for questions theyre posing today. Shen Yun Artists Uphold Self-Cultivation An important aspect of Shen Yun Performing Arts is that the artists not only showcase traditional Chinese culture, but they also live by it every day, in all areas of their life. One prominent traditional Chinese principle that they observe is the principle of self-cultivation or the improvement of oneself. According to the companys website, Shen Yun performers cultivate their hearts by adhering to principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and they believe that this is the way to create art that is beautiful and sublime. Frankopan said, I think its really impressive the commitment theyve made to both their art and to their dancing, but also to the values that underpin that. Thats clearly under threat in their home country and its nice that they are making a stand by standing up for whats right and clearly for freedom of expression and their traditions. The results of their cultivating virtue were evident on stage. It was amazing. It was totally fluid and calming as well as you saw, an inner grace which is unlike anything else Ive seen, Frankopan said. With reporting by NTD Television and Don Tran. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. Delhis former Lt Governor Najeeb Jung is back in action. He has addressed protesters outside Jamia Millia Islamia, backed the women of Shaheen Bagh, declared that the anti-CAA movement will continue till the tarmeem (amendment) is withdrawn and has advised the central government that it cant afford to be seen as anti-minority. Jung has even diametrically changed his views on chief minister Arvind Kejriwal with whom he was locked in a bitter power struggle that spilled into the courts. As Delhi heads to polls in this politically charged mood, the former L-G and ex-vice chancellor of Jamia University speaks to News18.com about the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, his new opinion of Kejriwal and the vacuum in Muslim leadership. Edited excerpts: Jamia Millia Islamia recently witnessed a violent night where the Delhi Police was seen as a brutal and aggressive force. How do you see that particular incident when the police barged into the library? The incident at Jamia Millia Islamia is extremely painful because such an instance has never happened in the university before. In fact, barring the JNU incident that happened a few weeks later, such incidents do not happen in Delhi. I am completely astonished at what happened because the Delhi Police does not behave in such a manner even when pushed to the corner. I think senior echelons of the police have let their men down and did not supervise the operation. The attack in the library was unprecedented. I met the students who were injured around 250 of them and some 15 were severely injured. One of them lost his eye. I dont know what the future holds for him. Some students are suffering from trauma; it is affecting their minds. I am surprised at the level of this attack. Delhi Polices response was seen to be far more aggressive at Jamia Jamia is a secular university. It is a complete myth to think its a Muslim university. I would imagine 40% students are non-Muslim. They live in hostels together, play the same games. This atmosphere to give an impression that they were singled out is adversely impacting them. They come from small towns to make a future for themselves. It is not a communal question at all. These students are the youth of India, and authorities must help in resurrecting their confidence. Since the Delhi Police is under the L-G and the Union home ministry, how would you have handled this situation differently? Look, I cant say. Situations change, circumstances change. I believe the police could have been more circumspect and I dont think the L-G was informed that the police are taking such an action. I know that Anil Baijal is a seasoned civil servant. He would not have allowed the brutality that took place. Shaheen Bagh has become a symbol for Muslim protests across the country. While the strength of these protests has been ordinary masses, one feels a sense of vacuum in Muslim leadership There is a vacuum not just in Shaheen Bagh, but an enormous vacuum in Muslim leadership overall. They need literate and educated Muslim leadership. They do not need muftis as their leaders. This agitation is stemming from the Act Muslims perceive to be unfair to them. But others are also joining in. While there is no single leader here, there seems to be a collective leadership. There are groups of people getting together, giving a sense of how to take the movement forward. This movement is not an ordinary one. I dont think the 21st century has seen a movement like this anywhere in the world. The only comparison is Hong Kong, but that is a violent one. This is peaceful one. And please remember, Hong Kong is a city. Here we have the agitation and the movement transgressing the whole of India from the north east to the west coast, and from the south up to Kashmir. I heard on the radio that Faizs Hum Dekhenge has been translated into Tamil and Kannada. Now thats a sure sign of the movements strength. It is not just a protest or an agitation. It is a movement by the people of India. It has participation from all sections of people across religions. There are around 160 of us former civil servants called the Constitutional Conduct Group. We take up issues with different authorities on matters that we feel adversely impact Indians. Recently, we wrote an open letter addressed to the general public on how wrong the CAA, NRC and NPR are. This group I think has only four Muslims. Likewise, the movement does not belong just to Muslims. It is also wrong to say that opposition parties are leading it. If the opposition in India had any strength, then perhaps this Act would not have been enacted. I did not see any politician in Jamia yesterday. In the past few weeks, India has seen negative press across the world, including in countries that have been our friends for decades. Do you think CAA and NRC have hurt Indias image as a liberal, progressive democracy globally? At a recent press conference, former foreign secretary and NSA Shiv Shankar Menon put it brilliantly. Unfortunately, after many years, India and Pakistan have got hyphenated. People are saying India has become like Pakistan. Around 10 years ago, we used to hyphenate Pakistan with Afghanistan, it was called Af-Pak. Now it is unfortunate that we hyphenate India with Pakistan, which has never been a full democracy. This is, of course, impacting the image of India internationally. This is happening when the PM has worked very hard to build our image internationally. This is now impacting all his hard work of five years. Unfortunately, the world is getting an impression that perhaps the Narendra Modi government is not adequately sympathetic to its minorities. And you cant give that impression in todays world. Once you give this impression, you are hurting yourself. Please remember the words of Swami Vivekananda when he said: "I am proud to belong to a religion that sees all religions as true. Swami Vivekananda said that "my motherland is a junction of two great systems, Hinduism and Islam, Vedanta brain and Islam body is the only hope". He was thinking of modern Islam, a religion of equality. As Allama Iqbal said: "Ek hi saf me khade hue Mahmud our Ayaaz, na koi banda raha na koi banda nawaz (Sultan and slave stand in the same line side-by-side, no longer are they servant and master). However, one thing is sure. The CAA, NRC and NPR have made Indians aware of the Constitution. Today, everyone is talking of the Constitution. Arvind Kejriwals rise as a politician has been an interesting phenomena in Indian politics. Some love him, others hate him. How do you think he has evolved as politician in the past six years? I think as a chief minister, Arvind has his heart in the right place. I have had differences with him, but those were on the issues of interpretation of the Constitution. We looked at things differently. I respect him for that because politicians often see things differently as opposed to trained civil servants like me. He would have been far more successful than he has been had he carried the civil servant in him. But his initial enthusiasm of getting 67 seats at such a young age, made him pick a path of aggression. I think that was not necessary. But leaving that aside his performance has been very good. I have enormous respect for Manish Sisodia and the way he conducted himself, worked in education. I also respect Arvind for his work in the health sector. I think he would have done better if he had a willing bureaucracy. That was an impediment for him only because his relations with civil servants were never the best. He had the desire to work quickly; systems should work quickly, but systems have their own momentum. You cant short-cut procedures. We can develop systems to hurry them up, but at that time civil servants were not ready to work the way Arvind wanted them to. This adversely impacted his own administration. He has learnt in six years I think. In last one year, he has become much, much better. I have good personal relations with him. Acrimony is a myth. Various news reports suggest that CAA-NRC has caused massive fear among minorities across India. How do you read these developments and what should the Centre be doing to the address the fears? I think over the last six years, there is a growing fear among Muslims and Christians. Having said that, I also believe that the state and central governments should have taken steps to allay these fears. The Prime Minister has spoken that fringe elements behave in this manner. We need to see action on the ground that fringe elements can be handled with an iron hand. The fear is stemming from a series of actions that are perceived to be leading towards action against minorities. For instance, look at Kashmir, which was a Muslim-majority state. I am not talking about Article 370 being good or bad here. Look at Triple Talaq, I am not saying it is good or bad, but it is perceived by Muslims as interference. And now, CAA-NRC. The perception is that it becomes harsher on the Muslim community. This has led to fear and the reaction to this fear is now visible on the streets of India. What you are seeing in Shaheen Bagh is a reaction to all this; cumulative fear over the last five years, the fear that has now come out. And thats what you are seeing today in various protests. India combines all religions, you cant single out two and say I will take care of them. We will live and die together in this country. The political representation of Muslims has declined in Parliament and in state assemblies. There is so much being said on their political irrelevance, and how their votes do not matter for the BJP to win. Its a phase in history when the number of Muslims in Parliament and assemblies goes up or down. I think it went up substantially during Rajiv Gandhi and VP Singhs time. But see the recent Maharashtra elections. The Shiv Sena gave Muslims tickets and the candidates won. Its a similar story with the NCP. So there is increase in Muslim representation in Maharashtra now. This works cyclically, I dont want to blame political parties for this. The parties select candidates who they think have better chance of winning elections. The current situation shows that less than adequate number of Muslims are there in elected bodies, but it will be remedied over time. Also, I cannot absolve Muslims from this. I have heard Muslims say we will make our votes matter. Well, it doesnt matter if you do not have numbers in that constituency. Its a myth that has been busted that Muslims can adversely impact a large number of elections. Minorities cannot absolve themselves of their own rigid attitudes. Dont forget Shah Bano. Clearly, Muslims took up a blatantly unfair and unjust issue. They did unparalleled damage to themselves. The call for La Ilaha Illallah at the CAA protests is exclusionary or necessary? Thats just an emotional call. I dont think its a communal one. The main thing is that protestors read out the Preamble, today they chant Vande Mataram. The greatest improvement, because of the CAA agitation, is that Muslims understand there is nothing in wrong in singing Vande Mataram. There is pride to bowing to your mother. And this country is our mother. Lets also never forget that India is a secular country because 85% are Hindu. Lamonica Langston, 44, was charged with one count of neglecting a child when she allegedly didn't notice a kid was still sleeping on the bus and drove it home, locking the girl alone inside the bus for about an hour A Wisconsin school bus driver has been charged with child neglect after allegedly leaving a four-year-old girl alone on a locked bus in near freezing temperatures after the morning school run. Lamonica Langston, 44, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was charged with one count of neglecting a child after the incident which occurred on January 6. According to the criminal complaint filed January 10 and obtained by Fox 6, Langston was supposed to drop off the child at Milwaukee's Spanish Immersion School that day. The child - who has since been identified as London Cooks - fell asleep during the one-mile bus ride from her home and did not get off the bus with the rest of the kids. Langston allegedly didn't notice that Cooks was still on the bus and drove home, parking the vehicle outside in 36 degree weather. The complaint said that when Cooks woke up, she was alone on the bus and that she cried and banging on the windows until a passerby saw her. London Cooks, then four years old, fell asleep on the one-mile ride to school in January and woke up to find that she was alone on the bus in near-freezing weather A passerby heard Cooks (in pink) crying and banging on the window and called 911. Prosecutors said Cooks was 'crying and praying' while she waited to be rescued The Good Samaritan tried and failed to open the bus door and wound up calling 911. Firefighters then arrived at the scene and had to pry open the doors. According to the complaint, Cooks was 'crying and praying' during the ordeal. All told, Cooks was locked in the bus, about five miles her home, for about an hour, WISN reported. Prosecutors said that Langston failed to comply with former employer Specialized Care Transport's policy and do a walk-through of the bus to make sure it was empty. Prosecutors said that Langston admitted that she was responsible for the children she drove on the bus and that she had failed to check the bus before she parked and left it. When Cooks didn't show up at Milwaukee's Spanish Immersion School (pictured) that morning, officials called her relatives to say that the girl was absent Cooks' grandmother, Mara Wade (pictured), thought that the child had been kidnapped Cooks (in pink) told WISN she was scared, but she was 'pretty brave' and 'didn't cry that much'' Prosecutors said that Langston admitted she was responsible for the children on her bus and that she hadn't checked the bus before driving it home and locking it up When Cooks didn't show up at school that morning, officials called the now-five year old's mother to tell her that her daughter was absent that day, prompting her family to think that she had gone missing. Cooks' grandmother, Mara Wade, told WISN that she was 'panicking, thinking somebody took her.' Cooks told the news station that she 'was stuck on the bus, and then nobody came to get me.' She added that she 'was scared' but that she was 'pretty brave' and 'didn't cry that much.' Langston made her first court appearance on January 10, where a cash bond was set at $250. Her plea and sentencing hearing is set for February 12. If convicted on the child neglect charge, Langston faces up to nine months in jail. Langston told Fox 6 she no longer works for the bus company. DailyMail.com has reached out to Specialized Care Transport for comment. BEIJING - Chinese health authorities sought to impose a quasi-quarantine Tuesday around the hotspot of a mystery pneumonialike virus that has claimed at least ninelives in China and was confirmed in the United States for the first time. The U.S. case - a man in his 30s under observation in Washington state - had links to the area of most concern in China: the commercial center of Wuhan about halfway between Beijing and Hong Kong. In an attempt to contain the virus, Chinese authorities advised people in the city of 11 million people not to leave. But the U.S. case showed how far it has already moved beyond the Wuhan region. U.S. officials said the man, a resident of Snohomish County, Wash., returned Jan. 15 from a trip to the region around Wuhan. Shortly after arriving at Seattle's international airport, he began feeling ill and reached out to his health-care provider on Sunday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Monday the man had the coronavirus - which has sickened more than 400 people in China and others in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. The man was in stable condition at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Wash. Officials said they are monitoring him there out of an abundance of caution, not because he is seriously ill. CDC officials said they were expanding screenings to international airports in Atlanta and Chicago. Measures were already in place in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York's John F. Kennedy international airports, the first such effort since the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Federal officials said travelers arriving in the United States on direct and indirect flights from Wuhan would be directed to one of those five airports so they can be screened. For example, a passenger on a Wuhan-Shanghai-Boston route would likely be sent first to JFK for screening, and then Boston, CDC officials said. But the Washington state man arrived before the airport screenings began. "This is an evolving situation and again, we do expect additional cases in the United States and globally," said Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease. In China - with hundreds of millions of Chinese packing onto public transport to make their annual pilgrimages home for the Lunar New Year - a new sense of panic set in after confirmation that the coronavirus could be transmitted person to person. Long lines formed at pharmacies and convenience stores around the country as people rushed to buy surgical masks, with unlucky customers posting photos on social media of bare shelves. People around the country canceled their trips home for the Spring Festival, as new year celebrations are known, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. "I don't really dare to go to the airport right now, or even to the movie theater," said Xie Jing, 33, who works in advertising in Shanghai, where there have been two confirmed cases of coronavirus. She canceled her planned trip home to Sichuan, where two cases are suspected. "Everyone is being very careful at the moment in Shanghai. Everyone is wearing masks on the streets," Xie said. The Geneva-based World Health Organization said it would call an emergency meeting Wednesday to decide whether to designate the outbreak as an international public health emergency. Australia and the Philippines are the latest countries with suspected cases of the infection, and Taiwan also confirmed one person there had caught it. The virus was first detected on Dec. 31 and was linked to a dirty food market in Wuhan, not far from one of the city's main train stations, where wild animals including wolf pups and civet cats had been on sale for consumption. The number of people who have died of the virus rose from six to nine and the number of confirmed cases in China stood at 440 as of Wednesday morning, an increase of more than 200 from Monday, according to Li Bin, vice director of the National Health Commission. The vast majority of cases are in Wuhan, where Mayor Zhou Xianwang said six people with the virus have died. Wuhan's three major hospitals have 800 beds, but authorities said they would add 1,200 beds to deal with the rising number of pneumonia cases. They also said they would foot the hospital bills for those infected. Initially, doctors thought that the virus was not communicable between humans, but cases of infection across the country, including among people who have not been to Wuhan, proved that it can be passed on. Some 60 people across 15 provinces are being monitored for possible infection,with cases found as far afield as Dalian in the northeast and Chongqing in the southwest, as well as in the metropolises of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Specialists are urging travelers not to move in and out of the central Chinese city. "We hope people can avoid going to Wuhan if possible and that people in Wuhan can stay there," said Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the leader of a government team of experts responding to the outbreak. "This is not a call from the officials but a suggestion from us in the expert team," he said. Still, he said it was "inevitable" that the virus would continue to spread as people moved around the country for the turning of the Lunar New Year on Saturday. The Ministry of Transport estimates that 400 million people will be on the move, making a total of 3 billion trips during this period. Health authorities added more infrared thermometers to Wuhan airport and train stations to check passengers for fever, while some hotels in the central Chinese city also began requiring temperatures to be taken before customers could check in. Outbound group tours have been restricted. Traffic police began conducting random checks on vehicles traveling in and out of the city to make sure they were not transporting live birds or wild animals. Some airlines and travel agencies began to offer refunds to people traveling out of Wuhan or people with the virus, and some hotels have allowed people to cancel their reservations without penalty. At least two airlines flying to Wuhan have stocked their planes with masks. The measures come after criticism that Wuhan authorities have been too lax in stopping the spread of the virus. On Saturday, as the virus exploded in Wuhan, the city held potluck banquets to celebrate the looming holiday, attended by more than 40,000 families. News and photos of the event appeared Sunday on the front page of the state-run newspaper in Wuhan, but they were deleted from the Internet by Tuesday amid criticism about the lack of precautions. The city had still planned to go ahead with 41 large-scale events for holiday celebrations, advertising them on Monday, but it announced Tuesday that they have been "postponed." Schools and universities are on break for Spring Festival, but more than 100 extracurricular "cram" schools in Wuhan have canceled classes. Quarantine was the most effective way to stop the virus from being transmitted, since it spreads by droplets from the nose and mouth, said Zhong Nanshan, leader of a group of experts at China's National Health Commission. "Now our big concern is if a super spreader emerges," Zhong said Tuesday at a news conference in the southern province of Guangdong, using the term for a carrier who infects a disproportionately high number of people. A "super spreader" is thought to have passed the virus on to 15 medical staff members at a Wuhan hospital. Although some hospitals have been stockpiling antibiotics, they are not effective against viruses. "There's no specific drug to treat the infection at the moment," Zhong said. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said it was the seventh type of coronavirus known to affect human beings. The previously known six viruses include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which are linked to animals. Chinese health authorities have added this new type of pneumonia to the Class B list of infectious diseases, in the same category as SARS and HIV. But they said they would enforce the strictest controls, usually used for the most dangerous class A diseases such as cholera and the plague, to try to contain the coronavirus. That meant authorities could forcibly quarantine people afflicted with or suspected to have the coronavirus, and would update the public on every single new case nationwide. Immigration authorities have also listed the new pneumonia on a list of certifiable infectious diseases. "The Wuhan government has already taken measures to control the flow of people leaving Wuhan," said Geng Shuang, a spokesman at the ministry. "I understand when they are leaving or when they are entering, there will be checks, but there's not a complete ban of all people leaving." The government was sharply criticized for downplaying or covering up the extent of the SARS virus, but experts said that Chinese authorities have learned many lessons in the 17 years since then. "The new pneumonia in Wuhan reminds many people of the SARS epidemic in 2003," said a social media account run by the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, vowing not to repeat those mistakes. "Self-deception will only make the epidemic worse and turn a natural disaster that was controllable into a man-made disaster at great cost," said the post, which was later deleted. "Only openness can minimize panic to the greatest extent." Fortuitously, Wuhan is home to the highest biosafety level laboratory in China, a level-four facility that opened only two years ago and is designed for work on the most dangerous microbes, such as Ebola and Lassa fever. When it opened, the lab was hailed as a "significant breakthrough" in building China's public health defense system, with state media calling it an "aircraft carrier" for virus research and a facility that put up "firewall virus protection" for the country of 1.4 billion people. - - - Sun and Bernstein reported from Washington. The Washington Post's Lyric Li, Liu Yang and Wang Yuan contributed to this report. James Marion Peterson talks to customers at his kava bar, BarBula. Photo: Mark Abramson Three Russian models played Chinese poker, perched at one end of the train-car-size bar on East 10th Street. At the other end, a retired billionaire and a United Nations ambassador sat next to some East Village teens. I was there, too, four sips into my kava. My tongue tingled, and the roof of my mouth was a tinge numb. Peaceful and content, I watched the trippy stoner video of surfers that played above the bar. It was a recent Wednesday, and happy hour at Kavasutra, the tiki-themed kava chain headquartered in Florida, which until this month offered the only kava bars in Manhattan. I grabbed my shell, mouth still numb, and sat next to Odo Tevi, the Vanuatu ambassador to the U.N. and United States, who told me that in Vanuatu, it used to be just the elders who drank kava, while the younger members of the community were expected to work. I first drank it when I was a teenager, he said. I thought it was the worst taste but the best feeling in the world. He added, We werent supposed to drink it because it makes you so relaxed. Id been introduced to the New York kava scene by James Marion Peterson, a longtime East Village resident who has just opened BarBula, the newest addition to a growing collection of kava bars that includes Kavasutras second East Village location, Ritual Kava on the Lower East Side, and Kava Social in Williamsburg; Ka-Va and Brooklyn Kava have been long-standing in Kings County as well. A crop of the Pacific Islands, kava has been used for hundreds of years for its low-key and slightly intoxicating effects. The root of the kava plant is crushed into powder, emulsified in warm water, strained, then chilled. The liquid kava, resembling an English-breakfast tea with milk, is served cold in a shell and garnished with a fruit wedge, usually a pineapple, to cut through the earthy taste and sometimes chalky texture. Some folks liken kava to wine because, depending on the elevation, region, and soil, the final drink can have different nuances. From one island to the next, it changes, while some kava roots can take three to seven years to mature. (At Kava Social in Brooklyn, they offer one root from a volcanic island in Fiji, which has a darker soil and is harder to procure, lending the kava a deep, rich, full flavor.) Of course, the biggest difference between wine and kava is that only the first option contains alcohol. Peterson, and drinks, at BarBula. Mark Abramson. Peterson, and drinks, at BarBula. Mark Abramson. I stopped drinking four years ago, while on sabbatical from downtown New York City, when I moved to Savannah, Georgia. Had I known about this earthy antidote when I was quitting booze, it would have helped ease the cravings. Now that Ive moved back to New York, some of the people I meet at kava bars are recovering, but this isnt the focus at the bars. For me, the kava itself isnt so much the focus either. Instead, its the mix-and-match quality of the crowds. New York bars can be predictable, usually attracting folks from the same socioeconomic background, ethnicity, or sexual preference. Whats most appealing about the kava bar is that its always a mixed bag the witches summit hangs with the Wall Street guys, the billionaire chats up the local teens (you need to be 18 to enter a kava bar). At kava bars, Ive found rappers, tech guys, and dancers. The Saturday night after New Years, I went to East Houston to check out BarBula, Petersons new place that had just opened to friends and family. BarBula, like Kavasutra, is skinny and intimate. But in marked contrast to Kavasutras tropical theme (borrowed from its Florida headquarters), BarBula feels like old-school East Village. The skinny space glowed with candles, crystals, and phosphorescent bulbs; Season of the Witch by Al Kooper played over the speakers. Local artwork and a guitar were hanging on the walls. I slid onto a seat at the bar, and Peterson handed me a shell of his kava, which he makes himself. It was smoother, and less earthy, than some other kavas Ive had. Youre supposed to shoot it, but I drank it slowly. Soon, I had a warm head, and I was feeling more chatty than usual, though I was still completely alert, which is a different feeling than alcohol. I swayed with the music. An 18-year-old named Jack Miller came in. He told me he had recently moved from Palm Beach to Clinton Hill. Miller said hes trying to get his brother, David, who prefers alcohol, into the kava community. I like weed, kombucha, and kava David thinks Im more natural. Not long after, a Marine and his date walked in. The Marine, 23, said the old local bars are still the hidden gems of New York, tranquil places that allow you to talk to your friends, locals, and strangers. Gentrified bars blast music and dont give you a chance to think, but, the Marine smiled, This kava bar gives you the chance to explore both worlds. Peterson took a sip of his own kava. I want to create a friendly space where people can hang out, be peaceful, talk, play games that doesnt involve alcohol, he explained. When people arent drinking, and are still coming together in a social context, amazing things can happen. New Delhi, Jan 22 : With crowd at Shaheen Bagh cheering him on Wednesday, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad sharpened his attack on the Prime Minister, saying "if the PM can do 'Mann ki baat,' then why is he not listening to the 'mann ki baat' of women of Shaheen Bagh who are sitting in protest for the last 38 days for a cause?" Azad said he would not betray the people's cause and that his struggle to oppose the new citizenship law (CAA), National Population Register and National Register of Citizens would continue. "To succeed, we need at least 1 lakh 'Shaheen Baghs' across the country as the government is making attempts to derail the movement," he said. He also criticised those trying to sabotage the agitation. "I have been told by the court to respect the Prime Minister and the Constitution, but the Prime Minister should also listen to the voice of people," said the Dalit leader. With him was Azad's lawyer Mehmood Pracha, who told IANS that "vested interests in connived with BJP" were trying to sabotage the agitation. One of the protesting women, Afreen, said the agitation would intensify with support of the Bhim Army. "This has now become a people's movement. The government must listen to us," she said. Convicted participant of illegal Moscow rally to stay in detention until June RIA Novosti, Ilya Pitalev 17:04 22/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 22 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld detention of a convicted participant of the unauthorized rally held in Moscow on July 27 Sergey Surovtsev, RAPSI reported from the courtroom. He will remain in detention until June 10. In late December, Surovtsev got a 2.5-year prison sentence for using force against a National Guard officer. The court found that on July 27, Surovtsev beat an officer of the National Guard with a metal guardrail and attempted to block moving of other law enforcement officers in central Moscow. Later, he was lost in the crowd. The defendant pleaded not guilty. Unauthorized rallies in support of candidates seeking to become lawmakers of the Moscow State Duma but refused registration by the Election Commission were held on July 27 and August 3 in central Moscow. Over 1,000 people were arrested for various violations as a result. Following the 27 July rally, the Investigative Committee criminal cases were opened. Investigators believe that the protest action was held with the use of force against representatives of authority. Several activists have been already convicted and sentenced. Prosecution of five defendants has been dropped. B afta nominee Kaitlyn Dever says she wants to take the roles in Hollywood more often given to men. The American actress has been nominated for the Bafta EE Rising Star award for her powerful performances in teen comedy Booksmart, directed by Olivia Wilde, and Netflix show Unbelievable, about a teenager who is forced to withdraw a rape allegation under police pressure. Dever, 23, said she intended to play similar roles in the future. She told ES Magazine: I want to continue to play really strong, complex women who seem like women I know and find the roles that are more often given to men. I want to find the really rich characters for women. "Booksmart has been so fulfilling, thats all I want to do now stories that really matter and mean something. I cant go backwards now. I dont want to. Booksmart - In pictures 1 /13 Booksmart - In pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Pictures In Booksmart, Wildes directorial debut, Dever stars as academic overachiever Amy. She and her best friend Molly played by Beanie Feldstein decide to have an adventure on the eve of graduation to make up for experiences they missed while studying. Dever, who grew up in Texas, said she first read the script when it was written in 2009 and pushed to be involved for five years because it was the love of her life. She said society had to catch up with it before it was made. It is that time of year again when South Africans celebrate National Senior Certificate results, ushering a generation of youth out of the school system and into the world. Of the 788,717 who successfully completed these exams, 186,058 achieved passes that potentially open the doors of university study. As we read about the results, we take delight in the success stories, like the student from a poorer background scoring multiple distinctions despite having no properly qualified maths or science teacher. Or the rural student who earned a university entrance despite walking long distances to school each day. These achievements should be celebrated, as they are truly exceptional. But the problem with these stories, uplifting as they may be, is that they often carry a subtext. If he can do it, why can't the rest of them? The presumption that hard work alone leads to success and that laziness leads to failure follows the student into the university. Here, despite a wealth of careful research that proclaims otherwise, most people believe that success emerges from the intelligence and work ethic of the individual. In a recent journal article, we have argued that academics often ignore the research on student failure that shows it emerges from a number of factors. Many of these factors are beyond the attributes inherent in the student. Instead, most hold on to the simplistic common sense assumption that success comes to those who deserve it. Academics who hold this view are prone to assume that students are successful because of what an individual student does or does not do. But the reality is a far more complex interplay of individual attributes with social structures which unfairly affect some more than others. The lure of meritocratic explanations There is a widely held view that education is a meritocracy, where success is determined by the merit of the individual. The term was coined in British sociologist Michael Young's 1958 book The Rise of the Meritocracy. In it, he described a dystopian society stratified by educational level and intelligence. The term has been appropriated to suggest that those who do well at university do so on the basis of personal effort and acumen rather than as a result of their privileged background. University academics have access to research looking at the complex mechanisms of higher education. Despite this, many are likely to believe that the university is a meritocracy. Believing that students succeed or fail on their own merits sits more comfortably than scrutinising the role universities play in reinforcing divisions in society. In every country around the world, higher education success most strongly correlates to social class. Parental education levels, wealth, social influence and status are the strongest indicator of university success. But class does not work in isolation from other forces. Social class intersects in varying ways with race, gender, language, and so on. In some countries, for example, race is used as a means of dividing society and assigning social class. In many countries, gender too plays a role in who gets access to the powerful knowledge offered by the academy. All of these factors and more have a role to play. But it is social class that most consistently tracks higher education success across geographical contexts. If you did well at university, chances are that you worked hard and you're bright. But those two characteristics probably account for a much smaller part of your success than most of us would care to admit. What class privilege looks like Entering university from a middle-class family doesn't only confer financial, health, educational, emotional and nutritional benefits. It also provides less visible privileges. A middle-class student probably had role models like relatives who went to university, possibly even the same university, who could explain the university system. It's likely that they took part in everyday conversations about professional identities, and they could probably draw on social networks to assist them in adapting to university life and then entering the workplace. The late French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu argued that underprivileged students fail not because they are less intelligent than middle-class students but because the curriculum is biased towards what middle-class students are already accustomed to. It is this that reinforces the relationship between social class and success in higher education around the world. Many of the privileges that middle-class students enjoy are so arcane as to be invisible, even to themselves. These students often bring with them a sense that their role at university is to engage not just with facts but with the disciplinary rules for how knowledge gets made. Typically they are willing to challenge what is presented to them and to seek flaws in the evidence provided in the texts they encounter. They also have a stronger confidence in their right to be there and to participate fully. These, and many other ways, aid middle-class students to enter the academy primed for success. What needs to happen? Academics who are committed to social justice often have to grapple with the fact that the university does not reward students on the basis of merit so much as on privilege. This calls for teaching in ways that constantly seek to make the expectations of the classroom transparent and the disciplinary norms and values explicit. Teachers need to make these practices clear to students and, in the process, harness students' agency to craft their own place in the world and their own contribution to knowledge. Regular feedback on student work, for example, allows students to begin to see what counts as knowledge in the particular discipline. It is also important to expose academic practices to scrutiny. Increasingly the academy is being challenged to consider forms of knowledge long omitted by the colonial order. The university promises society that it will produce both powerful knowledge and competent graduates adept at using such knowledge to tackle societal and environmental problems. But not all university practices are inherently powerful and much powerful knowledge remains outside its walls. If some students enter the university with easier access to the practices needed for success, nobody can pretend that institutions are a meritocracy rewarding attributes inherent in the individual. Understanding the complex relationship between social class and educational success requires that educators reconsider almost all aspects of their teaching. Simpiwe Sobuwa is the Vice-Chariperson of the Professional Board for Emergency Care and a Council Member of the Health Professions Council of South Africa. I however write this article in my academic capacity. Sioux McKenna does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Sioux McKenna, Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University (TNS) Electric vehicle (EV) owners in Hawaii could soon see more publicly available stations to charge their vehicles thanks to a new law that just went into effect.Act 142, signed by Gov. David Ige at the end of the 2019 legislative session and made effective on Jan. 1, established a rebate program for applicants looking to install new or upgrade existing EV charging stations.Hawaii Energy, which is contracted by the states Public Utilities Commission (PUC), will administer the program.There are not enough public electric vehicle charging systems readily available for Hawaii drivers to encourage higher use of EVs, said Brian Kealoha, executive director of Hawaii Energy, in a news release. Having more charging stations conveniently available for drivers is one way to help promote wider adoption of EV usage while also helping the state reduce carbon emissions and achieve its clean energy goal.The state-funded Electric Vehicle Charging Station Incentive Program will provide larger rebates for new installations, but sizable ones are available for upgrades to existing charging stations.Applicants can receive $4,500 for the installation of a new charging station with an output of at least 3 kilowatts, and $3,000 for upgrading an existing one.A much larger rebate is available for applicants who install or upgrade to charging stations with an output of at least 40 kilowatts. New installations are worth $35,000, while upgrades are worth $28,000.The faster charger can fill an EVs battery about 80% in under 30 minutes, although not all EVs are equipped to use them, according to the Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO). The PUC said the slower chargers could take hours to fill up an EV.Rep. Nicole Lowen (D, Holualoa-Kailua-Kona-Honokohau-Kalaoa) said the program could help lower income residents transition from vehicles with a combustion engine to EVs.Its a big first step in getting a transition in light-duty vehicles that regular residents are using, Lowen said. Incentivizing more accessible charging stations is helping create an incentive to allow renters and low-income and moderate-income individuals and people who live in condos to be able to participate.Lowen said owning an EV is more feasible for those who have a charging station at home. But it can be more challenging for renters.Jay Griffin, chairman of the PUC, said in a written statement, This program will help increase EV charging options for consumers, including residents living in apartment buildings and employees who can charge their vehicles during the work day.The rebate program prioritizes charging stations that will be publicly accessible.As of December, there were just over 9,400 passenger EVs in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The U.S. Department of Energy reported 279 public EV stations with 622 total outlets in Hawaii.A major hurdle for Hawaii as it looks to generate 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2045 is figuring out how to wean its transportation sector from non-renewable sources of energy.Our transportation sector is a much larger contributor to greenhouse gas emissions than the power generation sector, and were not just talking about ground transportation, Lowen said.The HSEO reported that in 2017, more than 60% of the petroleum Hawaii used was for transportation: 30% for air, 28% for ground and 4% for marine.Less than 25% went toward electric power.Electricity production appears to be further along the path to being completely renewable than transportation is. Hawaiian Electric, the electric utility on Oahu, Hawaii island and Maui County, reported that 27% of the energy produced in those counties in 2018 came from renewable sources.The number of passenger EVs in Hawaii, on the other hand, represents about 1% of the nearly 1.1 million passenger vehicles in the state.However, the growth of EVs is promising, as the number of EVs grew over fourfold since 2014, when there were just over 2,000 in Hawaii, according to HSEO.There are also a variety of incentives for EV owners, including free parking at government parking lots and metered stalls, exclusive stalls in large parking lots and exemptions from High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane restrictions.Lowen also noted the importance of Act 144, which passed the state Legislature as House Bill 401 HD1 SD2 CD1. It aims to make Hawaiis transportation sector cleaner by allowing public agencies to procure EV fleets via agreements with private companies.Incorporating renewable energy in transportation could be an important issue tackled during this years legislative session.This will definitely be a topic of conversation again at the Legislature, because theres a lot more that we need to do going forward, Lowen said. (Releads, adds links, fresh quotes) By Alexandra Alper DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump touted the success of the U.S. economy in Davos on Tuesday, dismissing "perennial prophets of doom" on climate change to an audience that included Greta Thunberg. With his impeachment trial set to begin in Washington, Trump largely shied away from environmental issues, which are top of the agenda at the gathering in a Swiss ski resort of business leaders for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Trump did not refer directly to teenage Swedish activist Thunberg, who responded to his speech by referring to "empty words and promises" from world leaders. "You say children shouldn't worry ... don't be so pessimistic and then, nothing, silence," star act Thunberg said in her latest high-profile tit-for-tat with the U.S. president. Trump said the U.S. would join an initiative to plant a trillion trees, but spent several minutes of his speech hailing the economic importance of the oil and gas industries. After days of uncertainty over whether Trump would actually attend the meeting in Davos, especially considering his impeachment trial in the U.S. is underway, the U.S. president landed in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday. It was the second time Trump has taken the stage at the WEF meeting. Two years ago, he urged companies to invest in America after passing the first tax cuts to encourage business spending. This year, he stuck to the theme. In a wide-ranging address pitched to appeal to the Davos crowd, touting the achievements of his administration despite his unorthodox approach, Trump picked up on some of the themes he voiced in 2018. He thanked overseas companies for investing in the United States and said the U.S. was on far better economic standing than he had imagined when he took office three years ago. "The time for scepticism is over," Trump said as he invited more foreign money. "To every business looking for a place to succeed...there is no better place than the U.S.," he added. Story continues He told a packed auditorium that trade deals struck this month with China and Mexico represented a model and took his biggest swipe yet at the Federal Reserve, whose policies he says are holding back the U.S. economy. "The Fed raised rates too quickly and has lowered them too slowly," Trump said of the Federal Reserve, taking aim at the central bank's policy decisions. A TRILLION TREES Thunberg, one of many young people speaking at Davos this year, left Trump's address flanked by security and pursued by camera crews and reporters. Trump later told reporters: "I'm a very big believer in the environment. I want the cleanest water and the cleanest air". However, Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz criticized the president's swipe at climate activists. "As if what we are seeing with our eyes are not there. It's astounding," Stiglitz said. In Washington, the impeachment trial begins in earnest in the U.S. Senate after the Republican president was formally charged by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives in December with "high crimes and misdemeanors". Trump, who is expected to be acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate, says he is innocent of the charges. (Additional reporting by Anne Marie Roantree, Alessandra Galloni, Simon Robinson and Leela de Kretser; Editing by Alexander Smith) Davos [Switzerland], Jan 22 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that his country's potential for trade will increase exponentially once bilateral relations are normalised with India and Iran. "We are hoping that peace with Iran will also open up as a market. Even with India in the region, the moment our relations become normal, the trade potential for the region will grow exponentially," Prime Minister Khan said while speaking at an event of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meet here. Khan's remarks come almost five months after Pakistan downgraded trade relations with India in the wake of New Delhi's decision to scrap Article 370 that provided special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan also stressed that if the governance in the country gets on the right track, then it may help in resolving a lot of issues. "The way our governance deteriorated, in the past, is one of the main reasons why we have not been able to realise our potential," he said. "With our strategic location and a young population, if we improve our governance and our institutions, nothing can stop us from realising our potential," he added. Showing signs of progress in trade and connectivity projects, the Prime Minister talked about focusing on skill development, empowering the youth, encouraging young startups and entrepreneurship programmes. "We've got help from China under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). We have got China to help us in developing the productivity of our agricultural sector. This is one area where Pakistan can make strides quickly," Khan said. "On one side there is China, one of the world's biggest markets. On the other side Central Asia with its resources and markets to open up once there is peace in Afghanistan," he told the forum. The United States, last November, had warned Pakistan that it faced long-term economic damage with little return if China keeps pursuing its giant infrastructure push. Top US diplomat for South Asia Alice Wells has said the CPEC has heralded as a game-changer by both Asian countries but this would profit only Beijing. She has said the corridor is going to take a growing toll on the Pakistan economy, especially when the bulk of payments are to be paid during the next four to six years, according to media reports. (ANI) 22 Jan 2020, 12:03 PM WEF 2020: India Inc. urges reforms, rallying together to overcome economic gloom A day after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that sharp decline in the Indian economy pulled down the global growth forecasts for 2020, India Inc representatives at Davos said that it was important to look at medium and long term outlook and rally together as a country. In conversation with India Today News Director Rahul Kanwal at the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), leading industrialists including Tech Mahindra's CEO CP Gurnani, CII's Director General Chandrajit Banerjee, Kirloskar Systems' Chairman and Managing Director Vikram Kirloskar and Serum's CEO Adar Poonawalla reacted to the IMF claim that falling Indian growth was bringing down global growth. India grappling with huge trade deficit, particularly with China, says Piyush Goyal Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal Tuesday said that India is struggling with a massive trade deficit, particularly with China and other countries in the region. Goyal added that the Indian government is exploring ways to ensure just and more equitable terms in terms of its trade relations with several countries. WEF 2020: Trump says phase two of trade deal with China to start soon US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hailed trade relations with China, saying negotiations with Beijing on phase two of the trade deal will start shortly. Last week, the world's two biggest economies signed the long-awaited phase one agreement, marking a truce after nearly two years of tensions. "Our relationship with China has probably never been better. We went through a rough patch," Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Young climate activist Greta Thunberg slams global leaders on climate crisis Once again 17-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg lashed out at the global elite for their inaction towards the climate crisis. She warned that while planting trees was good, it was insufficient to avert the climate crisis looming over the world. She urged for a world with zero carbon emissions. Also read: Saudi Crown Prince hacked Jeff Bezos' phone, says report Also watch: WEF 2020: India Inc reacts to IMF's growth forecast cut Manitoba is keeping a close eye on a new virus that has already killed six people in China and infected nearly 300 others, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen said Tuesday in Brandon. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen. (File) Manitoba is keeping a close eye on a new virus that has already killed six people in China and infected nearly 300 others, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen said Tuesday in Brandon. Friesen, who attended Manitoba Ag Days, said he has been in touch with public health officials, including the chief provincial public health officer, regarding the coronovirus outbreak that has so far not reached Canada. "We all know the seriousness, going back a few years to the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in Canada," he said. That coronavirus spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-03. In Toronto, it infected 438 people and killed 44. "We are monitoring, of course, at a federal level, to understand more the impact to Canada," Friesen said. Airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are screening passengers who have flu-like symptoms after travelling from Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak originated. Friesen said Manitoba does not have any direct flights into the province from the infected area. "That does not mean we are not concerned," he said, "but it does mean that our most significant efforts in terms of surveillance must take place at those ports of entry. "Nevertheless, we are concerned," Friesen added. "We are co-ordinating our effort. We must be vigilant, and I continue to receive ongoing updates as we follow this emerging virus in China." The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreaks epicentre was hospitalized near Seattle. In addition to 258 cases in Wuhan, more than 20 people have been diagnosed in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong province in the south and Zhejiang in the east. Four cases have been confirmed overseas among Chinese travellers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand. Anxiety grew both at home and abroad after Chinese government expert Zhong Nanshan confirmed fears on state television late Monday that the new type of coronavirus can spread from human to human. brobertson@brandonsun.com, with files from The Associated Press Airlines are scrambling to book time in 737 Max training facilities as far afield as Fiji, Iceland, and Panama, operators said, after Boeing recommended pilots be trained in one of the few simulators replicating the latest model. That means thousands of pilots from more than 54 airlines need to squeeze into about three dozen 737 Max simulators around the world before they can fly the plane. Boeing is recommending that all 737 Max pilots undergo training in a 737 MAX simulator prior to flying the aircraft in commercial service, the company said, the first confirmation of its new policy. The 737 Max has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes and cannot return to service until regulators approve software changes and training plans. Boeings bill for the grounding could balloon to more than $25bn (22.5bn), analysts estimated, a day after the US planemaker warned of further delay in returning its once best-selling jet to service. The company has already booked $9bn in costs related to the grounding, including $5.6bn as compensation for airline customers and $3.6bn in charges to cover additional production costs. Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu said Boeing may now need to boost its compensation package for customers by another $10bn and revise its cost estimate related to the 737 Maxs production by an additional $5.4bn. Our estimates assume 737 Max deliveries restart in Q3 2020, Ms Kahyaoglu said, lowering the brokerages price target on the shares. Boeing said it did not expect to win approval for the return of the 737 Max to service until mid-year due to further potential developments in the certification process and regulatory scrutiny on its flight control system. But the shortage of simulators for pilots is a further problem. The estimated 34 737 Max simulators in service, produced separately by CAE and Textrons simulator and training division TRU, are less than a quarter of the number of older 737 NG simulators certified by US and European regulators. I think that what a shortage of simulators will mean is the fleet of Maxes will start flying more slowly than what the airlines would like, said Gudmundur Orn Gunnarsson, managing director of TRU Flight Training Iceland, a joint venture between Icelandair and Textrons simulator and training division. In the beginning it was said that simulator training would not be needed, he said. This changes it totally. Mr Gunnarsson said TRU Flight Training Iceland had more inquiries than usual from potential airline customers about the use of its 737 Max simulator since Boeings January 7 announcement. Many airlines did not order 737 Max simulators, assuming they could rely on the older 737 NG simulators because the types were so similar. Simulators can cost between 9m and 18m each, with the 737 Max at the upper end, CAE said. Hourly rates for simulator training can cost 450 and 900, it said. High demand for 737 Max simulators has led the Montreal-company and its rival TRU to produce simulators for customers they have yet to line up. Customers are making increasing inquiries from all over the globe, a TRU spokeswoman said. Added to the delay, weak Chinese demand for its widebody 787 Dreamliners as well as production problems with its new 777X jetliner have also made investors jittery. We are expecting Boeings up-coming results to be an absolute disaster, and that looks guaranteed, Robert Stallard at Vertical Research said. -Reuters Reuters Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou returned to a Vancouver court on Tuesday, where her lawyers argued for a second straight day that Meng violated no Canadian laws and should not be extradited to the United States on charges she violated its sanctions. Meng, 47, arrived in a Vancouver courtroom on Monday for the first phase of a hearing that will last at least four days, during which her legal team argued that "double criminality" was at the heart of the case, as China repeated its call for Canada to release her. The United States has charged Meng with bank fraud, and accused her of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's business in Iran. Meng sat beside her translator at a desk, behind her legal team. (Also read: Timeline: Key events in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's extradition case) Tuesday's hearing began with a nearly half-hour long back-and-forth between defence lawyer Eric Gottardi and the British Columbia Supreme Court Judge Heather Holmes. Gottardi attempted to answer a question that Holmes had asked Monday, about whether Meng's alleged bank fraud against HSBC could be construed as a fraud if it had happened Canada. In Gottardi's written argument submitted to the judge on Tuesday, and which he explained verbally to the court room, he said 'no.' "The bank would face no risk of legal liability in Canada under Canadian law as there are no legal consequences in Canada for engaging in dollar transactions related to Iran and the bank is an innocent victim," he wrote. During the morning recess, Meng, wearing a long black wool coat and stiletto heeled shoes, laughed and chatted in the hallway with members of her more than 20-person team of associates. The hearing will continue on Wednesday morning with prosecutors expected to make statements. Court proceedings show the United States issued the arrest warrant, which Canada acted on in December 2018, because it believes Meng covered up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran, breaking US sanctions against the country. "Double criminality" Meng, the daughter of Huawei's billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, remains free on bail in Canada, and has been living in a mansion in Vancouver's exclusive Shaughnessy neighbourhood. She has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition in part because her alleged conduct was not illegal in Canada, an argument commonly called "double criminality." Unlike the United States, Canada did not have sanctions against Iran at the time Canadian officials authorized the start of the extradition process, her lawyers have said. Defence lawyer Scott Fenton argued that for the court to say Meng committed fraud it would "have to import US sanctions laws (against Iran) to Canada to supply the risk." Fenton also argued against the alleged fraud by saying that if evidence were to show that the banks knew about Huaweis dealings with Iran, and were willfully engaging in risk, then "they're not innocent victims." (Also read: US stopped former Justice Department official from representing Huawei) "Then there's no materiality, there's no causation element between the misrepresentation and the willful conduct, it disappears," he said. Meng's legal team is currently only scheduled to call evidence in the last week of April, and a second phase of the extradition hearing, focusing on abuse of process and whether Canadian officials followed the law while arresting Meng, is set to begin in June. Closing arguments are expected in the last week of September and first week of October. Legal experts have said it could be years before a final decision is reached in the case, since Canada's justice system allows many decisions to be appealed. The case has had a chilling effect on relations between Ottawa and Beijing. China has called Meng's arrest politically motivated. Lawyer Richard Kurland, who is not directly involved with the case, said this hearing has tremendous implications for Canadian extradition law. "The public interest here is to examine whether Canada can possibly become a sanctuary for people who violated foreign law outside of Canada," Kurland added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel has filed a resolution on Wednesday seeking to declare Angeline Xiwen Tham, founder and Chief Executive Officer of motorcycle taxi firm Angkas, as a persona non grata for violating ownership law and bullying the government. Pimentels Senate Resolution 287 sought to probe Tham and her high-handed, arrogant and irresponsible acts as a foreign national doing business in the country. The senator mentioned Tham, a Singaporean, and her 99.996% share of Angkas, calling it a blatant transgression of the law which states that Filipinos must own 60 percent of public transport companies. However, on January 8, Angkas announced that Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca now owns 60 percent of the company. Royeca earlier explained that Angkas stakes were divided among six owners, with his stake fulfilling the laws requirement, but the Department of Transportations (DOTr) technical working group (TWG) took it as a "blatant display of defiance and arrogance. 'Arrogant acts Pimentel also mentioned Angkas indignation rally in December, wherein thousands of riders participated to paralyze traffic in Metro Manila. He also noted the social media campaign that aimed to shame government agencies with misleading information. The topic #SaveAngkas, which the firm spearheaded, trended on Twitter late December in an effort to call for action against the DOTr's order for a 39,000-cap on motorcycle taxis in the country. The limit meant the three available motorcycle taxi firms were only allowed to have 10,000 riders in Metro Manila and 3,000 in Cebu. Angkas said the order would result to 17,000 of its riders losing their jobs. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board later denounced the online campaign, calling it false, explaining that the cap will still allow riders to join other motorcycle ride-hailing firms such as JoyRide and Move It. Angkas also held the indignation rally at the EDSA Kalayaan Shrine the same week. The senator stressed that such moves by Angkas had Thams tacit approval. Tham is merely a guest in our country, yet she is already acting like an oligarch which seems hell-bent on becoming at our expense, the resolution stated. CNN Philippines has reached out to Angkas for comment. This development comes after authorities revised the motorcycle taxi cap to 63,000 which now also covers Cagayan De Oro. The firms accepted the new limit. The DOTr earlier said the pilot study of motorcycle taxis in the country would continue until March, despite earlier saying it would have to terminate the test and declare the taxis illegal due to insufficient data on the services safety. Transportation Assistant Secretary Alberto Suansing later admitted its order to stop the pilot test was because Angkas filed a suit against them regarding restrictions during the test period. No political influence? Pimentel, an ally of President Rodrigo Dutertes administration, admitted in early December to endorsing Angkas competitor JoyRide to authorities. He explained then that the endorsement was an effort to dissolve Angkas monopoly on motorcycle ride-hailing services. JoyRide denied that its entry to the governments pilot study was due to the endorsement of Pimentel, who is also the president of ruling political party PDP-Laban. Suansing also maintained there was no political influencein the decision to include the two new firms to rival Angkas. Senator Bong Go, another political ally, also denied stakes in JoyRide after allegations of his ties to the company surfaced online. On January 21, Go, in a statement, urged Angkas to follow the law, also raising the issue of foreign ownership. Guatemala City As thousands of migrants tried to pass the Guatemala-Mexico border in the latest Central American caravan, a prominent migrant rights advocate in Guatemala said his shelter received numerous threats against those who run the facility. They started seriously bothering us by phone, threatening all our work, said Mauro Verzeletti, a priest who runs the Casa del Migrante migrant shelter in Guatemala City, told Al Jazeera. They said the first target of the action of the group they had organised was the Casa del Migrante, my person, and the personnel, he told Al Jazeera, adding that he filed a report with public prosecutors on Tuesday over the phone calls. Casa del Migrante is part of an international network of shelters run by the Scalabrinians, a Catholic order devoted to the welfare of migrants. The shelter is a key waypoint for migrants and asylum seekers on their journey through Central America to Mexico or the US, whether they are alone or in the visible large caravan groups that have been transiting Guatemala since 2018. More than 4,000 predominantly Honduran migrants and asylum seekers entered the country last week. As they made their north, the Casa del Migrante in Guatemala City hosted roughly 2,300 caravan participants, according to Verzeletti. Verzeletti and the shelter have occasionally been threatened before, he said, noting a series of serious threats in 2003 and another episode years ago, before the shelter moved to its current location. Now, with these caravans that we have attended to, there have once again been direct threats by telephone, he said. Honduran migrants rest at Casa del Migrante shelter, after arriving to Guatemala City [File: Moises Castillo/AP Photo] During one of the threatening calls, an individual implied they were connected to the Guatemalan Immigration Institute. The government agency dispelled the notion. Casa del Migrante has been a strategic partner in the attention to and protection of the fundamental rights of national and foreign migrants, the institute said in a statement Tuesday, explicitly expressing solidarity with Verzeletti and support for his request for security. The threats against Verzeletti and the shelter were concerning, said Jordan Rodas, Guatemalas human rights ombudsman. He accompanied Verzeletti on Tuesday to file the formal report and hopes an investigation will lead to those responsible. Casa del Migrante is the entity of most solidarity with migrants in Guatemala and its work is recognised at the national and international levels, Rodas told Al Jazeera. Many other Guatemalan human rights advocates also condemned the threats and expressed their support Tuesday for Verzeletti and the Casa del Migrante, as did representatives from the Guatemalan offices of United Nations agencies and others. Rodas also noted there have also been positive signs from the new government of President Alejandro Giammattei, who took office last week. It is necessary to positively assess the humanitarian focus the new governments Ministry of Public Health is giving to our migrant brothers and sisters during their stay in the country, said Rodas. A difference from the previous government is already apparent, he said. The new health minister and two vice ministers, all doctors, visited the crowded Casa del Migrante shelter on Friday. They personally provided some medical attention to migrants and asylum seekers and later sent a donation of medical supplies. Health authorities also set up and staffed a mobile clinic in Ayutla, at the Tecun Uman border crossing with Mexico. Public health workers have also provided medical attention at El Ceibo, another border crossing with Mexico, and at the Casa del Migrante in Esquipulas, near the Honduran border. The objective is to reduce, via preventive actions and medical attention, the impact of phenomena or incidents with adverse health effects for those participating in the migrant caravan, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance said in a statement on Saturday. Guatemala-US asylum deal The fact that health officials from the new government reached out to the Casa del Migrante is a departure from the previous administration, but Verzeletti is hesitant to read too much into it yet. At least they approached us. They came here and saw what we were experiencing, he said. We will see if they keep it up throughout this term. A decade ago, some basic operational support funds for Casa del Migrante were written into the national budget. But two years ago, when the shelter network was more overwhelmed than ever with Honduran and Salvadoran caravans, the roughly $195,000 in annual funding was cut completely. Migrants from Honduras and El Salvador wait at Casa del Migrante shelter in Guatemala City after being sent back to Guatemala from the United States [Luis Echeverria/Reuters] Verzeletti attributes the cut to his own statements to media, speaking out on immigration policy, human rights violations, and the failure of governments to address factors spurring migration and implement policies in favour of the most excluded and marginalised sectors of the population. He has also been a fierce critic of the controversial asylum cooperation agreement signed by Guatemala and the United States last year. The US has sent more than 230 Honduran and Salvadoran asylum seekers to Guatemala since implementation began in late November. The future of the asylum deal was in limbo when Giammattei took office, but it will continue under his administration. Guatemalan officials will meet with a team of US specialists to review capacities and implementation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. Tokyo, Jan 22 : Surface water on early Mars may have been habitable for microbial life, suggests new research which found that the Red Planet's water was mineral-rich and salty. Salinity (how much salt was present), pH (a measure of how acidic the water was), and redox state (roughly a measure of the abundance of gases such as hydrogen or oxygen) are fundamental properties of natural waters. For the study, Yasuhito Sekine from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan and other members in the research team reconstructed water chemistry at Gale Crater on Mars. NASA's Curiosity has analysed the phase and chemical composition of fluvial-lacustrine sediments deposited in long-lived lakes within Gale Crater. For the research, two drill core samples of lacustrine sediments were obtained from Yellowknife Bay Formation which was probably deposited by flow deceleration as water streams encountered a lake in Gale Crater. The properties of pore water within sediments apparently deposited in lakes in Gale Crater suggest these sediments formed in the presence of liquid water which was of a pH close to that of Earth's modern oceans, said the study published in the journal Nature Communications. Earth's oceans are of course host to myriad forms of life, thus it seems compelling that Mars' early surface environment was a place contemporary Earth life could have lived. Presently, Earth is the only known location where life exists in the Universe. But scientists are examining various sites where life could have probably existed. Mars is at the top of this list for two reasons. First, it is relatively close to Earth compared to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter (which are also considered good candidates for discovering life beyond Earth in the solar system, and are targeted for exploration in the coming decade). Second, Mars is extremely observable because it lacks a thick atmosphere like Venus, and so far, there is pretty good evidence that Mars' surface temperature and pressure hovers around the point liquid water--considered essential for life--can exist. Further, there is good evidence in the form of observable river deltas, and more recent measurements made on Mars' surface suggest that liquid water did in fact flow on Mars billions of years ago. Scientists are becoming increasingly convinced that billions of years ago Mars was habitable. The phone of the Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos was hacked in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message from the personal account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. In April 2019, Gavin de Becker, the investigator hired by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos to investigate into the release of his intimate images revealed that Saudi Arabian authorities hacked the Bezoss phone to access his personal data. Gavin de Becker explained that the hack wa s linked to the coverage by The Washington Post newspaper, that is owned by Bezos, of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Gavin De Becker investigated the publication in January of leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said Bezos was dating. Jeff Bezos hired Gavin de Becker & Associates to find out how his intimate text messages and photos were obtained by the Enquirer. Jeff Bezos blamed the Enquirer publisher American Media Inc of blackmail for threatening to publish the private photos if he did not stop the investigation. Jeff Bezos refused and decided to publicly disclose copies of emails from AMI. In an article for The Daily Beast website, De Becker wrote that the parent company of the National Enquirer, American Media Inc., had demanded that De Becker deny finding any evidence of electronic eavesdropping or hacking in their newsgathering process. Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos phone, and gained private leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said Bezos was dating. , de Becker wrote on The Daily Beast website. Now The Guardian provides additional details on the spying asserting that the intimate pictures were obtained through a sophisticated hacking operation directed by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman . According to anonymous source s of The Guardian, Bezos phone was hacked using a WhatsApp message from the personal account of bin Salman himself. The Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos had his mobile phone hacked in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message that had apparently been sent from the personal account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, sources have told the Guardian. reads the article published by The Guardian. The encrypted message from the number used by Mohammed bin Salman is believed to have included a malicious file that infiltrated the phone of the worlds richest man, according to the results of a digital forensic analysis. According to the sources, Bezos received a bait video file sent on May 1, 2018, that allowed it to infect its mobile device. The malicious code was used to spy on Bezos siphoning large amounts of data from his phone. The paper pointed out that at the time, the relationship between Bezos and the prince was good and the two were exchanging friendly messages. The revelation could have severe repercussions, first of all it will complicate the position of Mohammad bin Salman and his alleged involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2018. Saudi Arabia has previously denied its involvement in the murder of Khashoggi that was attributed to a rogue operation. In December, a Saudi court convicted eight people of involvement in the murder after a secret trial that was criticised as a sham by human rights experts. The revelation will have a significant impact on the business relationships of the Saudi MBS with western investors in Saudi Arabia. Another aspect to evaluate is the impact on the personal relationship between Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner with the crown prince. US President always ignored the warning of the US intelligence and publicly expressed dislike of Jeff Bezos. The Guardian asked the Saudi embassy in Washington about the claims, and later a message on Twitter refused any accusation and labeled them as absurd. Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos' phone are absurd. We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out. Saudi Embassy (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) January 22, 2020 The UN a s announced the imminent release of an investigation. NEW: Saudi crown prince implicated in hack of Jeff Bezoss phone, U.N. report will say @mffisher @zeitchikWaPo https://t.co/kiyXxSncfJ Ellen Nakashima (@nakashimae) January 22, 2020 Pierluigi Paganini [January 22, 2020] Marvel Marketers Partners with Ulster University to Bring Cutting-Edge Digital Marketing Coursework to Students and Staff BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvel Marketers, an award-winning marketing agency with offices in San Mateo, CA, Austin, TX, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, is continuing to expand its footprint in EMEA with a new strategic partnership with Ulster University. The agency will use the framework from its training arm, Professor M's Academy, to bring hands-on marketing automation training to Ulster's undergraduate and graduate marketing students and staff. With coursework in Marketo, Pardot, Eloqua, and HubSpot, along with the digital marketing best practices and insights that have made Marvel Marketers an industry leader, Ulster University will be able to provide education that's the first of its kind in academia. The partnership also includes the development of a new Executive Digital Marketing Program at Ulster University. "While we are very excited as an organization for our new partnership with Ulster University, I am personally honored to bring the success of Marvel Marketers back into the academic sphere, where I spent 10+ Years as a Professor of Economics myself," said Marvel Marketers CEO Maneeza Aminy. Ulster University's students will get hands-on access to knowledge and skills that are in high-demand in today's job market. They'll receive an official certification from Marvel Marketers and expertise that puts them in a much better position to go out and get a job in their chosen field. For Marvel Marketers, this is also a special opportunity to carry out one of the agency's core valuesMake an Impact. "The best impact you can make is to arm individuals with knowledge and skills. Our strategic partnership with Ulster University will do that and more," said Wasif Khan, COO of Marvel Marketers. "Together, we make an impact by sharing the proven digital marketing framework of Professor M's Academy to undergrad, graduate students, and marketing executives alike." That aligns with Ulster University's mission, too. "We at Ulster University believe in expanding knowledge throughout the communities we serve and makinga positive contribution to the economic, social, and cultural development of Northern Ireland. This partnership helps us do exactly that," said Dr. Darryl Cummins, Head of Department of Management, Leadership and Marketing, Ulster University Business School. "Our partnership with Ulster University will provide Marvel Marketers the strategic edge to permeate into the EMEA region with a trusted and credible institution," said Jules Capriglione, Marvel Marketers' Senior Manager of Emerging Markets. "We'll be working together to challenge the 'norm' and educate the next generation of marketing experts and supplying them with the digital tools to advance in their careers." Marvel Marketers' courses at Ulster University will start in the first quarter of 2020. For more information about Marvel Marketers, log on to www.marvelmarketers.com . For media and PR inquiries, contact Nicole Pytel at [email protected] or call 650-727-4950. For more information about Ulster University, visit www.ulster.ac.uk/ About Marvel Marketers: Marvel Marketers LLC is an award-winning marketing agency that dedicates itself to setting the standards for industry excellence and forming long-term partnerships with both enterprise and SMB organizations. With an original focus on marketing automation, Marvel Marketers' team has grown to include strategic experts in creative content, technology solutions, account-based marketing, events marketing, and data analysis. Professor M's Academy, Marvel Marketers' training arm, was the first of its kind in the industry and continues to lead the way with new offerings. Since 2013, nearly 3,000 clients have trusted Marvel Marketers to create and implement cutting-edge marketing strategies, including Fortune 100 companies and global brands. About Ulster University Business School: Ulster University Business School (UUBS) is the 6th largest business school in the UK. With over 5,000 students and 150 staff we deliver undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes of study across Northern Ireland through our Belfast, Jordanstown, Coleraine and Londonderry campuses and into London and Birmingham through our campus presences there. Our Vision is to be the leading centre for entrepreneurial education in the UK and Ireland by 2021. Entrepreneurial thinking is focused on the pursuit of opportunity. In practical terms what this means is that we seek to be entrepreneurial through the content of the programmes we deliver, the on- and off-line channels and partners we use in facilitating that delivery and the behaviours we display to each other and to our students. We are in the business of creating possibility and to that end we are focused on shaping the futures of our students and building opportunity into the businesses they will join. We have 60,000 alumni working across 120 countries as drivers of economic growth globally. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marvel-marketers-partners-with-ulster-university-to-bring-cutting-edge-digital-marketing-coursework-to-students-and-staff-300990708.html SOURCE Marvel Marketers [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Huntover Dr., 1300 block, 11:50 p.m. Jan. 9. A 33-year-old man assaulted a man and a woman with an ax. The injured woman and man gained control of the weapon and struck the man with it. All three were taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The 33-year-old man will be charged when he is released from the hospital. Chin state lawmaker Whay Tin (C) greets well-wishers after he is released by the Arakan Army and returns to western Myanmar's Chin state, Jan. 21, 2020. The rebel Arakan Army has released a local ruling party lawmaker it abducted nearly three months ago, saying it freed him as a goodwill gesture amid ongoing fighting between the ethnic army and government forces in northern Rakhine state, a spokesman for the group said Tuesday. Chin state lawmaker Whay Tin, a member of Myanmars ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, was detained on Nov. 3 because the AA believed he was a Myanmar military informant who had helped soldiers arrest ethnic Rakhines in Chins Paletwa township. AA spokesman Khine Thukha explained why the ethnic armed organization freed Whay Tin. We have released Whay Tin because we want to build mutual trust and understanding between the Rakhine and Khami people, which is also one of Rakhines ethnic groups, he said. We want to strengthen brotherly relationships and friendships between the two ethnic groups, he added. The AA, a mostly ethnic Rakhine Buddhist force, has engaged in intensified hostilities with the Myanmar military in northern Rakhine for over a year, as the rebel soldiers fight for greater autonomy in the state. The clashes also have spilled over into Paletwa township in neighboring Chin state. Both the AA and Myanmar military routinely detain and interrogate civilians and local government employees whom they believe may be assisting the enemy. Former Chin state minister Salai Issac Khin confirmed that Whay Tin had returned to his family on Tuesday morning and is in good condition. NLD spokesman Monywa Aung Shin welcomed Whay Tins release and encouraged the AA to free other detainees. If this is true, it is very good news for all of us, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. I am very glad and welcome this news. Id like to appeal [to the AA] to release other detainees too. Salai Taya, spokesman for the Chin Human Rights Organization, said he also was pleased about the lawmakers release. We gladly welcome his release, he said. We are also grateful to the AA for releasing him unharmed. Because Chin people and Rakhine people are neighbors, when we have problems, we should work together to resolve them without ruining our friendship, he added. RFA could not reach Whay Tin, members of his family, or a Myanmar military spokesman for comment. The AA has offered a prisoner-of-war swap with Myanmar forces in exchange for the release of people detained by the military for alleged ties to the AA, but the government army has declined. Reported by Nay Myo Htun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. PREMIUM TIMES has obtained more details of the Boko Haram attack in Borno State on Tuesday that led to the death of seven soldiers and an army officer. This newspaper reported the attack which occurred at about 1:00 p.m. in Mainok, about 60 kilometres west of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The attack is believed to have been carried out by the ISWAP faction of Boko Haram. The insurgents camouflaged in a police vehicle and approached a military base, a military source in Maiduguri said. They then opened fire on unsuspecting soldiers near their trench outside Mainok village. Our security sources said the attack lasted about 30 minutes. The soldiers were behind the new trench that has been dug outside Mainok when the insurgents arrived in an APC (armoured personnel carrier) that was recently snatched from the police, another security official who said he witnessed the attack said. Everyone was deceived by Boko Haram who used the police vehicle. It was a terrible attack that killed seven soldiers and left many injured. As I am talking to you, some soldiers are yet to be accounted for since the attack yesterday. Another military source earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that two soldiers were still missing after the attack. The soldiers had recovered the bodies of their fallen colleagues and moved the wounded to a medical facility for treatment. Two gun trucks and three anti-aircraft equipment could not be accounted for following the attack, although it was not immediately clear whether they were carted away by the insurgents or temporarily misplaced during exchange of fire. Sagir Musa, a spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, did not return requests for comments on the attack Wednesday morning. Mainok is one of the three notorious communities along the Kano-Maiduguri highway where Boko Haram has been staging daily attacks since the beginning of this year. About two weeks ago, the military command in Maiduguri moved to evacuate residents of the communities near Mainok to an IDP camp following a deadly attack on the convoy of the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Olusegun Adeniyi. Mr Adeniyi, a major-general, came under heavy Boko Haram fire on January 6 at a location between Mainok and Jakana, which reportedly led to the death of his driver. The Borno State government halted the proposed evacuation and instead provided 70 brand new patrol vehicles for the security agencies to man the plagued highway. The attacks on the highway, however, have continued. The army has not issued any statement on Tuesdays attack. The police will not act against the woman who displayed a 'Free Kashmir' poster at a protest here if her intention was to demand freeing the Valley from the current situation as doing so is not an "anti-India" view, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday. The woman, Mehak Prabhu, while taking part in an anti- JNU violence protest at the Gateway of India here earlier this month, had held aloft the 'Free Kashmir' placard, drawing a lot of public attention and a police case. Though Prabhu had later apologised for her act, the Colaba police had booked her under IPC section 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration). Asked about it, Deshmukh said, "We saw her WhatsApp messages. In that she had said there was no Internet, mobile services, opposition leaders were arrested there (J&K). Whether she wanted freedom from such a situation? It could also be her intention." Deshmukh said initially the home department felt Prabhu may have held an "anti-India" view. "But we are also probing whether she had the other intention. If she felt that she wanted Kashmir to be freed from the present situation then there is nothing wrong in it and it is not anti-national. "There is no question of acting against her if her intention is not anti-national," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 20:32:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's national legislature and political advisory body invite journalists at home and abroad to report their annual sessions to be held in March, an official statement said Wednesday. The 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, will start its third annual session on March 5, and the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's national political advisory body, will begin its third annual session on March 3. A press center for the two sessions will open on Feb. 27, said the statement jointly issued by the general offices of the NPC Standing Committee and the CPPCC National Committee. Chinese reporters and foreign journalists in China should submit applications for passes to the press center, while foreign reporters temporarily in China for the two sessions should apply to Chinese embassies or visa organizations authorized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Reporters from Hong Kong and Macao should apply at the central government's liaison offices in the two special administrative regions, and reporters from Taiwan should apply to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. The deadline for applications is Feb. 15, and more information is available on the NPC and CPPCC websites. The global economy has grown over the last decade at 3.2% per annum to $86 trillion in nominal terms. What has been markedly different in the last 10 years has been the dominant contribution of China to global growth. Chinas contribution to global growth at 37.6% has, in fact, exceeded the contribution of the United States (US) at 30%. The size of the Chinese economy at $14 trillion is today 66% the size of the US economy. It is worth recounting that in 2000, Chinese GDP at $ 1.2 trillion was just 10% of US GDP. The full impact of the rise of China has begun to deeply influence not just the global economy and trade but also geopolitics, technology standards, sustainability and climate change, and the shift in consumption away from developed markets. The immediate positive development is the emergence of new consumption demand by the four billion new emerging markets consumers, many of whom are in China but also in India and Southeast Asia. By 2025, $30 trillion of demand will come from the consumers of emerging markets. These consumers have a middle-class mindset with high aspirations, and demand global quality in line with their newfound increase in wealth. However, their per capita income is lower than that of their counterparts in the West, and so companies need to re-craft their business models to be able to serve them effectively at a lower price point. In other ways, Chinas rise comes with its challenges. Back in 450 BC, when the Greek historian Thucydides wrote that it was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable, he could have been writing about China and the US today. Dominant countries are always insecure about another rising power that could challenge them. The fast growth of China in the first decade of the 21 century was welcome, as it provided cheaper manufacturing locations and efficiently integrated global supply chains. The last decade has changed all that. Its continued dramatic rise has made it an economic giant. Its massive investments in technology and the manner in which it extracted intellectual property from foreign companies has made other countries resentful. Whatever the misgivings, China today is like a superpower in economic, military, nuclear, and most importantly, in its technological strength. With Donald Trumps presidency, the underlying hostility in the US has been given expression. There is direct conflict in trade, contested geopolitical spheres of influence, and in deciding the underlying standards in modern technology. Trump has forcefully taken on the adverse terms of trade by imposing tariffs on China, and, more broadly, heralded a new nationalism with his America First policy. China, on its part, has always objected to its insignificance in the post-World War II institutional structure. To correct this, China has created new institutions that it can dominate Asia Infrastructure & Investment Bank and New Development Bank to challenge the US and European control of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It has also asserted its newfound status in developing a more muscular foreign policy, with its best expression being the Belt and Road initiative. It is working hard to create its own sphere of influence. This clash is most apparent in the area of technology Artificial Intelligence (data), quantum computing and cyber standards. What is making a compromise more difficult is the differing underlying beliefs and values underpinning this superpower rivalry. A clash between individual enterprise and public good, between privacy and State rights, and between checks and balances and authoritarian rule. This is making a search for acceptable global standards for data and its storage and use very difficult. The race in quantum computing, 5G and cyber is on, and is creating a fundamental challenge to rule-based institutions because of the disparate starting position of the two superpowers on underlying values. Splitting the world into two technology standards will be unfortunate, but the current path is headed that way. Global warming is another deep area of global concern. Chinas rapid rise, which brought with it great improvements in its per capita income, taking millions out of poverty, was accompanied by accelerated CO2 emissions, making it one of the worlds worst polluters. Most developing countries had long argued that on their journey out of poverty, tight global environment standards should not be imposed as these did not exist when the current developed countries exited poverty. The problem is that with the US withdrawal from the Paris accord and Trumps denial of the seriousness of climate change, the world is faced with a collective crisis. Our planet is already one degree hotter. On its current path, it will become three to four degrees hotter by 2100. That will seriously challenge how future generations live. It is clear that the world has lost its first battle against global warming and needs to adapt to living on a hotter planet, but if serious and urgent actions are not taken today, we may have an unlivable planet. In this new world order, what has caused most countries the greatest consternation is the desire of the US, under Trump, to vacate the global stage. Trumps foreign policy has been unpredictable and shaken its former allies like South Korea and Europe when he has favoured deal making with North Korea and Russia over them. Trump believes that being a global superpower on a continuing basis does not serve the US well it costs too much, the recipients do not appreciate the US, and it is not politically popular to send US troops abroad. He also believes bilateral deals serve US better than a multilateral system which can constrain it. Geopolitics has become both more important and more difficult between the assertive Chinese and the unpredictability and global retreat of the US. For most countries, including India, as Singapores PM Lee Hsien Loong says, Choosing between the US and China will be painful. Janmejaya Sinha is chairman, BCG India The views expressed are personal - Luis Manzano once again saw an intense and intriguing comment against him on social media - He did not hesitate to air his response to the basher who called him bitter several times - The negative comment was in relation to the relief efforts of Angel Locsin to the victims of Taal eruption - The actor clarified that he is not invalidating any help from prominent or ordinary individuals PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Luis Manzano did not hesitate to respond to a social media user who claimed that he is bitter of the help that Angel Locsin is giving to the victims of Taal eruption. KAMI learned that the gorgeous actress made headlines a few days ago when she decided to lend a hand to those who are affected by the said calamity in Batangas. Because of her relief efforts, many netizens have bravely lambasted other showbiz personalities for not initiating any help to the people in need. Luis already took to social media his frank reaction when people in the online world started bashing several celebrities in the Philippines. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Just recently, he was once again figured in a heated exchange of arguments with a netizen who called him bitter several times. The handsome celebrity pointed out that he never invalidated someones help whether it was posted on social media or not. He also stressed that there was never a time when he said that a person or a celebrity should not post his or her relief efforts. Napaka-bitter niyo po. Bakit ka ba nangingialam kay Angel? Alam mo, siguro madami kang nakain na ampalaya kasi sobrang napaka-bitter mo. Pati ba naman tulong ni Angel pakikialaman mo the basher wrote. Ate, naiintindihan mo ba ang nakasulat sa headline o nag react ka lang? 1.) May sinabi ba ako na hindi dapat makita ang tulong? Check mo posts ko. 2.) Bakit ako mag i-invalidate ng tulong may post man o wala? Tulong yun the actor replied. In a previous article by , Luis aired his reaction when Billy Crawford teased Jessy Mendiola about getting married. Luis Manzano is one of the most popular and sought-after television hosts in the Philippines. He currently serves as the host of I Can See Your Voice. POPULAR: Read more news about Luis Manzano! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh T en households who lived in Grenfell Tower have not yet moved into permanent accommodation almost three years after the devastating fire. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told MPs one of those households was in a hotel, while the other nine were in high quality temporary accommodation. He said: They are complex cases and theres a range of individual circumstances behind them. But were hopeful that many of those will move into accommodation which they feel comfortable in as soon as possible. He was speaking in a debate on the Grenfell Tower Inquirys phase one report, days before the second part begins on Monday. The 2nd Anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire - In pictures 1 /73 The 2nd Anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire - In pictures Family and friends of the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower block during a wreath laying ceremony outside the building PA Family and friends of the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower block fire gather outside the west London building PA Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn lays a wreath outside Grenfell Tower PA Survivors march through the streets of London in memory of the victims of the Grenfell Fire REUTERS Balloons are released in memory of those who died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images Women look at a hoarding covered in messages of condolence REUTERS People gather before a vigil during commemorations to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire REUTERS A woman carries a sign before a vigil for victims REUTERS Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn arrives outside Grenfell Tower to meet survivors PA Members of the public at a service of remembrance AFP/Getty Images People gather as doves are released outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA People mourn at the Grenfell tower to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire AP Members of the public release balloons at a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire, at St Helen's Church in west London AFP/Getty Images A hoarding covered in messages of condolence is seen at the base of Grenfell tower two years after the fire Reuters Family and friends of the victims of those who died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire attend a memorial service at St. Helens Church in North Kensington Getty Images Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (left) and Housing Secretary James Brokenshire (right) attend a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A vicar passes out candles at a memorial service for those who those who died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire at St. Helens Church in North Kensington Getty Images Clarrie Mendy-Solomon, who lost two family members in the disaster reacts as she attends a memorial service marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire at St. Helen's Church Reuters Women looks at a hoarding covered in messages of condolence at the base of Grenfell tower two years after the fire Reuters Doves are released after a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire, at St Helen's Church AFP/Getty Images Participants attend a march marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire Reuters People look at a hoarding covered in messages of condolence at the base of Grenfell tower two years after the fire Reuters White doves are released during a memorial service marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire at St. Helen's Churc Reuters AFP/Getty Images People gather as balloons are released outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA People gather outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Members of the public arrive for a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire at St Helen's church in west London AFP/Getty Images A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire People gather outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Members of the public arrive for a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire at St Helen's church in west London AFP/Getty Images Members of the congregation during a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks at a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Housing Secretary James Brokenshire (left)attends a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks at a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Tributes in memory of the Grenfell Tower tragedy Getty Images Grenfell Tower is seen near Latimer Road, Kensington Getty Images Tributes in memory of the Grenfell Tower tragedy are seen in the streets Getty Images A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire Alex Lentati Mayor of London Sadiq Khan attends a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire Alex Lentati A vigil is held close to the Grenfell Tower to mark the second anniversary of the tragedy Nigel Howard People obersve a memorial during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images A woman wipes her eye during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images Downing Street glows green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire EPA Second Anniversary vigil held close to Grenfell Tower Nigel Howard People release balloons in front of Grenfell Tower during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the fir Getty Images Downing Street is lit up green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images Kensington Palace is lit up green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images Kensington Palace is lit up green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images A a message demanding change projected onto a building in Newcastle PA A man stands next to a memorial for Grenfell Tower at last night's vigill Getty Images Second Anniversary vigil held close to Grenfell Tower. Nigel Howard Grenfell Tower is seen illuminated in green to mark the second anniversary of the fire Getty Images This will investigate the refurbishment of the block, including its cladding, with Kensington & Chelsea councils legal team making its opening statement on Wednesday. The Prince of Wales has pledged to do his utmost to spread a message of sustainability and will call for consumers to be given clear information to help them make environmentally-friendly choices. Charles is due to launch an ambitious project to help financial markets become more sustainable. He will highlight his Sustainable Markets Council during a brief visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, before travelling to the Middle East for his first official tour of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The prince hopes the project will bring together leading individuals from the public and private sectors, charitable organisations and investors to identify ways to rapidly de-carbonise the global economy and make the transition to sustainable markets. Today, The Prince of Wales will deliver a keynote address at Davos and launch the Sustainable Markets Council. #WEF20 Read an extract from HRH's speech https://t.co/scrWPaeBOM Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) January 22, 2020 In a speech in the Swiss resort later on Wednesday, he is expected to say that being socially and environmentally responsible should be the cheapest option available to all. We cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices if these choices are not clearly laid before them, he will say. As consumers increasingly demand sustainable products, they deserve to be told more about product lifecycles, supply chains and production methods. For a transition to take place, being socially and environmentally conscious cannot only be for those who can afford it. If all the true costs are taken into account, being socially and environmentally responsible should be the least expensive option because it leaves the smallest footprint behind. Story continues Charles has vowed to use his platform to get the message out. With 2020 being seen as the super year, kick-starting a decade of action for people and planet, I intend to do my utmost to ensure that the message of urgency, systemic change, collaboration and integration is heard, he will say. The ministerial jet Voyager is believed to be undergoing scheduled maintenance and the prince will be travelling to Switzerland and the Holy Land on a chartered plane. World leaders and leading business figures have faced criticism in the past for flying to Davos by private jet. Scott Furssedonn-Wood, Charless deputy private secretary, has said: We always look at a range of options. We take a number of factors into account when we decide how to travel, we weigh up things like cost, of course, with environmental impact, as youd expect, but also efficiency of time, size of delegation and, crucially, safety and security. He highlighted a number of trips, including the princes official visits to Japan and India, when he flew by commercial airlines, but for this tour, he said, scheduled flights did not satisfy all of their considerations. Charles will make the two-hour car journey from the airport to Davos by electric vehicle, rather than helicopter, a Clarence House spokesman said. The princes tour the highest-level visit by a member of the royal family to Israel and Palestinian areas will mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Charles will deliver a speech at the World Holocaust Forum being staged at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, on Thursday, joining around 40 world leaders and other dignitaries. He has been invited to the major event by Israel President Reuven Rivlin and will meet the statesman during his two-day visit, as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has invited the prince to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories. While in the Middle East, Charles will also visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. This is the moment an SNP MP angrily calls Boris Johnson a desperate liar in another heated House of Commons clash between the Scottish party and prime minister. Mr Johnson, speaking during Prime Ministers Questions, made a dig at the SNP, claiming school pupils performance in maths and science are at a record low in Scotland under their governance. The PM asked why SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford was so obsessed with breaking up our union rather than delivering for the children and pupils of Scotland. As Mr Blackford was called to speak, one of his colleagues next to him repeated desperate liar three times in remarks caught by Commons microphones. Boris Johnson shortly before he was called a 'desperate liar' on Wednesday (Parliamentlive.tv) Official parliamentary rules say that calling another member a liar is unparliamentary language, meaning the speaker would normally call on the MP using the language to withdraw what they have said. The MP in question was not called up - possibly because speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle didnt hear the remarks. Mr Blackford then accused Mr Johnson of having no respect for the people of Scotland and complained of the PMs decision last week not to grant powers for Scotland to hold a second independence referendum. The SNP and the Tories have a recent history of bad-tempered clashes in the chamber. Read more from Yahoo News UK Nigel Farage says Brexit Party could go down in history as 'most successful ever' Jeremy Corbyn is Labour members' favourite leader of the past century Anti-Brexit MEP raises 11k to hang huge 'we still love EU' banner on White Cliffs of Dover Earlier this month, Tory MPs drowned out Brendan OHara with cheers after he name-checked Margaret Thatcher while trying to argue for independence. Last month, Mr Blackford also called out Mr Johnson for playing on his phone rather than listening to his calls for independence. Mr Johnson, after putting his phone away, could be heard jibing back: Say something more interesting. Reference is made to the stock exchange notification published by Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA ("EMGS" or the "Company") on 4 June 2019, wherein the Company informed that it had signed a two-year acquisition contract with PEMEX with a total value of approx. USD 73.3 million and a minimum value of approx. USD 29.3 million. The Company is currently in the process of finishing all acquisition work initially ordered by PEMEX. Additional acquisition operations will thus be subject to issuance of new call-offs. EMGS is pleased to announce that it has received a call-off for additional acquisition work. The call-off consists of deep-water acquisition work and has a total value of approx. USD 3.4 million, excluding associated processing. Furthermore, the Company has also received a call-off covering modelling work in preparation for other potential acquisition operations. CEO of EMGS, Bjrn Petter Lindhom, comments: I am very proud of the outstanding operational efficiency and first-class product EMGS is delivering to PEMEX under this contract. The additional acquisition work now ordered by PEMEX is an important confirmation that we are meeting PEMEXs expectations. Based on modelling work already ordered and completed, on-going discussions with PEMEX and the new modelling call-off received, the Company has reason to believe that additional acquisition work is likely to be forthcoming. Contact Anders Eimstad, EMGS Interim Chief Financial Officer, +47 948 25 836 About EMGS EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel. EMGS operates on a worldwide basis with offices in Trondheim, Oslo, Houston, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Kuala Lumpur. This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. General Motors, Ford and other U.S. companies have started restricting employee travel to Wuhan, China, as an outbreak of a flu-like coronavirus that has killed at least 17 people spreads throughout Asia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Homeland Security started screening passengers flying to major U.S. airports from China for the disease over the weekend. The World Health Organization convened an emergency meeting in Geneva on Wednesday to assess the severity of the illness and issue recommendations to control the outbreak. Fears that the coronavirus could disrupt travel and commerce and slow economic growth sent a chill through global risk markets, hitting Asian stocks hard, depressing copper and oil prices, and sending investors into safe havens, such as U.S. Treasurys and German bunds. Business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, privately expressed concerns this week about the virus, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Some even raised the issue directly with President Donald Trump at a private breakfast Wednesday morning, according to an executive who attended the meeting. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents about 50,000 cabin crew members at 20 airlines including United, said Tuesday it was contacting airlines to put in place precautions for crew members, while the Air Line Pilots Association distributed information from U.S. and international health officials on the virus. General Motors has placed a temporary restriction on travel to the Chinese city where the outbreak emerged over the holidays, "out of an abundance of caution," the company said in a statement. "Employees are also reminded to take necessary protection measures suggested by medical authorities." Ford Motor "has suspended all business travel to Wuhan, specifically, and is monitoring the situation very closely," a company spokesman said, adding that the Detroit automaker hasn't suspended travel to other parts of China. Fiat Chrysler hasn't imposed any travel restrictions "at this time," but it's advising employees to travel to China only for "essential business." It's also implemented a travel advisory for all people who need to get around in the region, a company spokesman said. Norwegian Cruise Line is beginning to screen passengers departing from Chinese ports, according to a company spokesperson. The Miami-based cruise line won't let anyone who's traveling from Wuhan, China, or who has been in the city over the last 30 days to board. It's also denying boarding for guests with a body temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more. This story is developing. Please check back for updates. CNBC's Leslie Josephs, Brian Schwartz and Michael Wayland and Reuters contributed to this article. The weather in Iceland changes frequently and each time we set up shooting, the state of the ice was different-either freezing or melting. Vi Anand has done four films, and most of them, including the upcoming Disco Raja are based on science fiction. I loved science fiction from my childhood, says Anand, adding that Disco Raja is not only a modern science fiction but also has a period backdrop. Anand, who was cagey about the story, said that he got his inspiration from a research laboratory and a failed project. He had written the story with Ravi Teja in mind, and when he narrated the story to the actor, he too was excited about it, Anand revealed. Ravi Teja had added some spontaneous one-liners while shooting and these are sure to appeal to the audience, he said. Disco Raja is important for him and also for Ravi Teja too. I am confident about the film because I believe in the content. I need good content or a concept to do a film and I can add commercial ingredients to it, said Anand. The difficult part of the film was the portion shot in Iceland. We risked a lot and it was challenging for us. The weather in Iceland changes frequently, and each time we set up for shooting, the state of the ice was different either freezing or melting so it was a tough shoot, he explained. But the sequences shot there would thrill the audiences, he felt. The directors earlier film Okka Kshanam was critically acclaimed but did not do well commercially. I didnt fail as a director, because I got a lot of appreciation and also good critical reviews. One reason (for the poor commercial performance) is the release date, he said. This gold medallist in architecture says, In the final year of the course, everyone had to do a thesis. Generally. students choose hospitals or railway stations as their subjects, but I choose Film City because I also like films. Though he is a Tamilian hailing from Erode, Vi Anand makes films in Telugu. When I came to Hyderabad for my thesis, I got in touch with filmmakers here and I havent looked back. I worked with Murugudoss on Stalin and with a few other directors too, he says. Anand also confesses that, When I did my first Telugu film Tiger, I didnt know the language much. He speaks Telugu fluently now! Media outlets who touted Robert Muellers fizzled Russiagate investigation daily for three years is warning that Russia is planning to do the same thing in 2020, The Japan Times writes in the article U.S. has long been a master at meddling in Russia. Be slightly afraid. Very slightly afraid. Our adversaries want to undermine our democratic institutions, influence public sentiment and affect government policies, read a statement from top Trump administration security officials issued in November. Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign malicious actors all will seek to interfere in the voting process or influence voter perceptions. Setting aside the question of whether its smart to take the U.S. government at its word it isnt if Russia were to meddle in our domestic politics, we would have it coming. To say the least. Throughout its history the United States repeatedly attacked, sabotaged and undermined the Soviet Union. U.S. interference was one of the major contributors to the collapse of that country in 1991. During World War II the U.S. and the Soviet Union were allies against Nazi Germany but even after promising to jump in the feckless Americans dragged their feet for three years before getting into the war, content to stand down as tens of millions of Soviet citizens died. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt deliberately made the Soviet people shoulder the hardships of war and hoped to see the Soviet Union bled white, a wartime commander named Ivan Kuzovkov told Tass news service in 1984. In 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy took the world to the brink of World War III because the Soviet Union had placed missiles in Cuba. Yet two years earlier the Soviets shot down American spy pilot Gary Powers in what became known as the U-2 incident. Theres no question that the plane was over Soviet airspace. It was an act of war. But even at the height of the Cold War the Soviets chose to look the other way. Can you imagine what would happen if Russia had done the same thing to us? In 1982 President Ronald Reagan approved an ingenious CIA operation to blow up a huge natural gas pipeline running across Siberia. In order to disrupt the Soviet gas supply, its hard currency earnings from the West, and the internal Russian economy, the pipeline software that was to run the pumps, turbines and valves was programmed to go haywire after a decent interval, to reset pump speeds and valve settings to produce pressures far beyond those acceptable to pipeline joints and welds, recalled a former member of Reagans national security council. The result was economic disruption, environmental catastrophe and the most monumental non-nuclear explosion and fire ever seen from space. In 1983 Korean Airlines flight 007 gotta love the subtlety of the number was shot down over northeastern Russia after its pilot turned off the planes transponder and ignored orders to withdraw from militarily-sensitive Soviet airspace. KAL flight 007 had penetrated 587 km into the Soviet Union, a world record for off course aerial navigation. Its impossible to know for sure but given the close ties between South Korea and the U.S. at the time its likely that the airline allowed the CIA to affix high-resolution spy cameras to the plane. They gambled the lives of the passengers on the assumption that the Russians wouldnt fire on a civilian airliner. Another Reagan-era project involved economic sabotage. Because oil and gas were major Soviet exports, the U.S. convinced Saudi Arabia to ramp up production of its own energy reserves. Oil and gas prices fell globally, the Soviet economy went into a tailspin and U.S. taxpayer compensated the Saudis for doing them a favor. If Russia had purposefully caused the 2008-2009 financial meltdown just to mess with us we would view it as an act of war. In 1991 the U.S. got its way, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Russia transitioned to free-market capitalism. Youd think that the Americans would reach out to help. They did send money: bribes for the tiny clique of corrupt former bureaucrats, from whom soon emerged a new class of violent oligarchs. Ordinary Russians got nothing. The Americans worked hard to destroy the Soviet Union. After they succeeded, when interference would have been welcome and appropriate, they left Russia to die. When the U.S. worries about Russia messing with its internal politics it sounds a lot like psychological projection. Or just desserts. Oksana Markarova hopes that the new cooperation program will be the last one Open source Ukraine may stop cooperation with the International Monetary Fund after the fulfillment of new three-year program, which is currently discussed as Finance Minister of Ukraine Oksana Markarova reported on Facebook. The IMF program, upon which we have already reached the agreements at the management level, is obligatory for three years. But after its complete fulfillment, we may leave the IMF, the message said. She also noted the importance of the program, which is not decided by the Council of Directors. Earlier, Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund discussed the terms of approval of a new cooperation program. As we reported, the EU can provide a tranche of 500 million euros to Ukraine as early as February 2020. Earlier, Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Ukraine Gosta Ljungman stated that money transfers to Ukraine from labor migrants, record harvests, as well as increased demand for national bonds could be the main reasons for strengthening of the hryvnia. The sky is ablaze with explosive, invisible gamma-rays (shown here in yellow and red). According to a new study, some of those rays may be the products of dark matter. Gamma-rays the brightest, most powerful light in the universe sail across the sky invisible to human eyes. These exceptionally energetic bursts of radiation flash out of supernova explosions, spark off of colliding neutron stars , and spew forth from the hungriest black holes. When astronomers can catch them with gamma-ray telescopes, these invisible fireworks point toward some of the universe's most explosive structures. Now, an international team of researchers hopes that those all-powerful rays could also lead to something far stranger and more elusive the invisible substance known as dark matter . In a new study accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters, and detailed on the preprint database arXiv , the researchers looked at what they call the "unresolved gamma-ray background" that is, all of the faint and mysterious gamma-ray signals that are left over after known sources like black holes and supernovas are accounted for. When the team compared a map of unresolved gamma-rays with a map of matter density in the same section of the universe, they found that the rays aligned precisely with gravitationally massive areas where dark matter was predicted to hide out. Related: The 11 Biggest unanswered questions about dark matter According to study co-author Daniel Gruen, this correlation suggests that dark matter may be largely responsible for the universe's faint gamma-ray background. If that's the case, it could give astronomers some vital clues about the mysterious substance's properties. "Dark matter could decay like a radioactive nucleus, producing gamma rays as it does," Gruen, an astrophysicist at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University in California, told Live Science. "Or perhaps multiple dark matter particles are colliding, producing gamma-rays as they interact." Ripples in the dark Dark matter is thought to make up about 85% of the universe's mass, though researchers still aren't positive what or where it is. Totally invisible to modern scientific instruments, the stuff has never been successfully detected. "We do know some of dark matter's properties though," Gruen said. "We know that it's very common, and we know that it has mass that interacts gravitationally with other mass." In other words, even though dark matter is invisible, it makes a visible impact on the universe through its powerful gravity . One of those impacts is known as gravitational lensing essentially, how light from distant galaxies is warped by the gravity of the massive objects it passes on its way toward Earth. Here are the team's two maps aligned. Dark matter density (red) overlaps astonishingly well with regions of high gamma-ray activity (yellow). (Image credit: Daniel Gruen/SLAC/Stanford, Chihway Chang/University of Chicago, Alex Drlica-Wagner/Fermilab) For the new study, the researchers looked at a map of gravitational lensing in a particular chunk of the universe, compiled by a project called the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Mounted on a giant telescope in Chile, the survey's dedicated camera spent a year snapping high-definition images of hundreds of millions of galaxies, focusing on where distant light is most misshapen by pockets of intense gravity. While some of the most massive regions on the resulting map correspond to known galaxies, other hefty pockets likely show the hidden influence of dark matter at work, Gruen said. To better understand what that influence might look like, the researchers compared this mass map with a map of gamma-ray emissions detected in the same region by NASA's Fermi gamma-ray telescope over the past nine years. Using a mathematical model, the team removed all radiation that could be definitively tied to "mundane" sources like black holes and supernovas, based on their energy output, distance and various other factors. Now, left with only the mysterious "unresolved" gamma-ray sources, the team compared both maps. They saw a clear overlap between regions of high gamma-ray radiation and regions with lots of mass. "This is the first study where we've been sure that, where there are a lot of gamma rays, there's also a lot of dark matter," Gruen said. If dark matter truly is emitting gamma rays, that could seriously narrow down how it's detected and what it's actually made of. However, it's still possible that the faint gamma-ray background on the Fermi map has nothing to do with dark matter, Gruen said. The mathematical model that the researchers used to weed out those "mundane" sources of gamma-ray emissions (such as black holes) is based on some assumptions about those objects' properties.If those assumptions are wrong, distant black holes could be responsible for much more of the mysterious gamma-ray background than the researchers accounted for. "Maybe that model is incomplete, and maybe we're actually learning something about these gamma-ray-emitting black holes," Gruen said. "Perhaps, these black holes are living in more massive galaxies than we thought." More data on both gamma rays and gravitational lensing will help the team hone their model and better interpret their maps of the universe. Since the study's conclusion, the DES has collected six times more information on the universe's mass distribution, and the FERMI satellite remains one of many telescopes tracking gamma-ray explosions. A follow-up study showing even clearer results should follow in the next few years, Gruen said. Originally published on Live Science. NAFCU Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel Carrie Hunt, Chief Economist and Vice President of Research Curt Long, and Senior Counsel for Research and Policy Andrew Morris met Friday with NCUA Office of Examinations and Supervision Director Scott Hunt to discuss the agencys exam modernization efforts and 2020 supervisory priorities. The NCUA earlier this month released its 2020 supervisory priorities, which include Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance, current expected credit loss (CECL) standard implementation reviews, credit risk, cybersecurity, the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) transition, liquidity risk, and consumer financial protection regulations. In addition, the priorities included an update on its exam modernization efforts, noting that its pilot user portal, NCUA Connect, will become available to all credit unions and state regulators this year. In the second half of 2020, the agency will also release the Modern Examination and Risk Identification Tool (MERIT) to all examination staff. A recent NAFCU Compliance Blog post further explains the NCUAs supervisory priorities and what credit unions can expect during examinations this year. Meeting of ministers from Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, Mali and Niger follows world leaders summit on shoring up truce. Algeria will host foreign affairs ministers from six northern and sub-Saharan African countries on Thursday to discuss the conflict in Libya. The Algiers meeting of ministers from Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, Mali and Niger follows a summit in Germanys capital, Berlin, aimed at shoring up a ceasefire. Algeria, which has a 1,000-km (620-mile) border with Libya, is working to build consensus to secure the maximum chance for a peace deal at a proposed future meeting in Algiers, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency. Algeria maintains good contacts with all sides in Libya. Several other foreign leaders and foreign ministers from Arab and European states and Turkey have all visited Algeria in recent weeks to discuss the crisis. Already facing its own internal political problems after nearly a year of mass protests that have led to changes in its leadership, Algeria is worried about new security threats arising from any escalation in Libya. The conflict represents the first major international test for President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was elected last month. Algeria fears attempts by armed groups to enter its territory from Libya to attack its oil and gas facilities. Rival administrations Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and has become a battleground for rival proxy forces. The deeply divided country currently has two rival administrations: the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli, and another allied with renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar in the east. The countrys embattled Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj enjoys UN recognition and a Turkish military presence, but has struggled to assert his authority beyond Tripoli. 190615094756240 Haftar has the support of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia. His Libyan National Army controls vast swaths of territory in the oil-rich North African country. In April, Haftars forces launched an offensive to seize Tripoli, with clashes so far killing more than 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters while displacing tens of thousands of people. On January 12, a fragile ceasefire backed by both Turkey and Russia was put into place. On Sunday, world leaders agreed at a conference in Berlin to set up a so-called International Follow-Up Committee, which seeks to implement the goals of the summit, namely to secure a lasting ceasefire and implement a UN arms embargo that has been largely ignored for almost a decade. A number of European figures further suggested the possibility of deploying peacekeeping troops to Libya if a permanent ceasefire were agreed, though this was not part of the discussions. The committee is scheduled to meet for the first time in Berlin in mid-February. WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The impeachment trial against U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off Tuesday in the Senate as the chamber debated, and would later vote on, a resolution stipulating rules guiding the process. With Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the session and the Senate clerk finishing reading the draft resolution proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the two opposing sides - House managers as prosecutors and Trump's legal defense team - debated the trial rules. Speaking on the Senate floor on behalf of the lawyers representing Trump in the trial, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone defended McConnell's draft resolution. "We support this resolution. It is a fair way to proceed with this trial," he said. In a last-minute change to his original resolution, McConnell extended the duration of the 24-hour time slot granted to each of the two opposing sides in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial for their opening statements from two days to three days. The resolution was firmly opposed by Democrats. "We believe that once you hear the initial presentations, the only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong, and that these articles of impeachment do not begin to approach the standard required by the Constitution," said Cipollone. Trump was impeached in December by the Democratic-controlled House, which passed two articles of impeachment accusing him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has led the House impeachment inquiry and who now heads the team of House managers, denounced McConnell's proposal, saying "the resolution should allow the House managers to call their witnesses, and then the President should be allowed to do the same and any rebuttal witnesses." "Why should this trial be different than any other trial? The short answer is it shouldn't. But leader McConnell's resolution would turn the trial process on its head," Schiff, a California Democrat, said, adding that "the president places himself beyond accountability, above the law." McConnell's four-page resolution does not require additional witnesses to be subpoenaed and does not allow House prosecutors to admit evidence into the Senate trial record until after the opening arguments are heard. Instead, the resolution allows for a motion to be introduced to dismiss the impeachment charges by a simple majority vote in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. Democrats had demanded that whether to subpoena new witnesses or request additional documents be decided before the start of the trial. In a statement Monday bashing McConnell's resolution, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would be "offering amendments to address the many flaws in this deeply unfair proposal and to subpoena the witnesses and documents we have requested." McConnell in a floor speech Tuesday ahead of the debate vowed to block early votes on witnesses. "If a senator moves to amend the resolution in order to subpoena specific witnesses or documents, I will move to table such motions because the Senate will decide those questions later in the trial," said the Kentucky Republican. Schumer seized the opportunity of McConnell changing his resolution to press for calling witnesses and producing documents. "The public is understanding how unfair Senator McConnell's trial rules are and Republican Senators are beginning to tell him to change them," the New York senator said in a statement. "The real test will be if they pressure Senator McConnell to allow witnesses and documents." Later during the trial, Schumer offered up his first amendment to the resolution, saying that it requested to "subpoena certain documents and records from the White House." The amendment was subsequently debated in the chamber. "I just took the floor to demand a vote to subpoena the witnesses and documents needed for a fair trial," Schumer tweeted in the meantime. "Will Senate Republicans vote for a fair trial? Or will they enable a cover-up?" The International Court of Justice is set to decide on emergency measures to stop alleged genocide of the Rohingya. The highest court of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, will on Thursday be issuing its much-anticipated decision on a request for emergency measures in a landmark genocide case against Myanmar. The case against Myanmar was filed by The Gambia in November, alleging that Myanmar was committing an ongoing genocide against its minority Muslim Rohingya population. Myanmar denies those allegations. The appearance of Myanmars political leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, at the ICJ also known as the World Court in The Hague in December brought the case into the international spotlight. Experts describe the case as an historic legal challenge but have expressed concerns about whether Myanmar will comply with whatever the court orders. The worlds most authoritative court is about to rule on one of the worst mass atrocities of our time while those crimes are still going on, said Reed Brody, commissioner at the International Commission of Jurists, who was instrumental in the prosecution of Hissene Habre, among others. It doesnt get more dramatic than that. Gleider Hernandez, professor of international law at the Catholic University of Leuven, agreed. The very nature of the case matters, he told Al Jazeera. Its one of the first cases brought where every state of the international community has a legal interest in the claimed violation, namely the crime of genocide. International scrutiny The gravity of the crimes of which Myanmar is accused adds to the urgency, and places the case under greater international scrutiny, says Mike Becker, adjunct lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and a former legal officer at the ICJ. But he cautions against overestimating the importance of the provisional order: This is a preliminary decision that is without prejudice to the merits of the case. 191213090832880 Sergey Vasiliev, assistant professor of law at the University of Amsterdam, adds: By every measure, this is a landmark case concerning not only its gruesome subject matter and urgency. There have only been a handful of comparable cases dealing with allegations of human rights violations of comparable gravity and scale. Hernandez told Al Jazeera the ICJ judges could order any measure it sees fit to ensure no further acts of genocide take place. The court could indicate more specific measures such as access to humanitarian relief or to UN inspectors, he said. To date, the ICJ has ruled on only one other genocide case. In 2007 the court ruled that there had been a genocide in the Srebrenica enclave of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that Serbia violated its duty to prevent genocide. Becker describes the provisional measures ordered in that case as ineffective. At least in the sense they did not prevent Serb forces from continuing to wage an armed conflict that amounted to a campaign of genocide against the Bosnian Muslims, he told Al Jazeera. The apparent ineffectiveness of the courts provisional measures in the Bosnia case does not mean that they were a failure on all counts, however. It would be important to consider how the requests for provisional measures and the courts willingness to grant them may have had a wider influence, whether in terms of giving further publicity to the situation of the Bosnian Muslims or influencing other governments. Becker also points out the two situations are somewhat different, and that an ICJ ruling against Myanmar may be more effective than it was in Bosnia. The provisional measures in the Bosnia case were granted in the context of a large-scale armed conflict that had both internal and international dimensions. This is quite different from the situation in Myanmar It seems likely that provisional measures in the context of wide-scale armed conflict have a much lower prospect of halting violence than provisional measures in situations of peace or low-level violence. The Gambias application Among the provisional measures that The Gambia requested were an order that as a matter of extreme urgency, Myanmar should immediately take all measures to prevent all genocidal acts. Myanmar should also ensure that that the military does not commit any genocidal acts; and Myanmar should not destroy or render inaccessible any events related to the underlying application. The Gambia further asked that Myanmar cooperate with UN investigators. The Gambia alleges that Myanmars actions in its campaign against the Rohingya include killing, causing serious bodily and mental harm, inflicting conditions that are calculated to bring about physical destruction, [and that] imposing measures to prevent births are intended to destroy the Rohingya group in whole or in part. 191212200536459 Enforcement Although an order on provisional measures is binding, the ICJ has no means of enforcing its judgements. Many are asking whether Myanmar will implement the decision, should provisional measures be ordered. Brody says Suu Kyis presence in the court is relevant: By sending Aung San Suu Kyi to The Hague, Myanmar bought into these proceedings in a big way. Its going to be really hard now for the government to deny the courts legitimacy. In case of non-compliance, The Gambia can refer the case to the UN Security Council which will then decide whether it will use its powers to induce Myanmar to comply. Myanmar might incur responsibility if it is subsequently proven that it failed to comply with the order. Brody adds: The more precise the courts order is, the easier it will be to identify whether there have been any breaches. Vasiliev says: My expectation is that the court will side with The Gambia and grant the majority of the measures it requested. The stakes are very high for Myanmar. It can by no means be excluded that Myanmar will not immediately halt its policies in respect of Rohingya and refrain from destroying evidence, but instead will double down its effort to play down and cover up the crimes in Rakhine. A Delhi court has acquitted a man of rape charge saying the offence cannot be made out as the complainant was married to him when he forcibly established physical relations with her. Additional Sessions Judge Umed Singh Grewal observed that the woman accused the man of allegedly raping her on July 5, 2016, but it could not be considered a case of rape as she was "wife of the accused on that day". "It becomes clear that the victim had married with the accused on or before 02.11.2015. As per her own cross-examination... she was raped by the accused after July 5, 2016 but she was wife of the accused on that day," the court observed, while acquitting the man. The complainant was living with the man in Punjab when she came to know that he was convicted and jailed for committing theft. Thereafter, she moved to Delhi without informing him. The man who later followed her to Delhi convinced her that he will mend his ways and the couple started living together, whereafter he stole Rs 2 lakh from her. The wife then refused to reside with him. He was arrested by the police on her complaint but he kept visiting her house and established physical relationship repeatedly, the woman alleged. The court observed that physical relationship between the couple was with her consent when they were in Punjab and for some period in Delhi and it was only after the theft of Rs 2 lakh, that the accused had established physical relation with her forcibly. "When the accused established physical relation with the victim forcibly, she was his wife and hence, rape case is not made out," the court said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-22 22:26:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 942 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 22, 2020 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. ("Gabriel" or the "Company") announces that it has granted an aggregate of 5,850,000 incentive stock options under the Company's stock option plan (the "Option Plan") to certain officers and employees of the Gabriel group of companies in relation to 2019 compensation awards. All incentive stock options so granted are exercisable for a period of ten years at $0.46 per share and vest as to 50% immediately from the date of grant and 50% on the first anniversary of the date of grant.The Option Plan allows for the issuance of up to 10% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the Company in the form of incentive stock options. As of the date hereof, a total of 31,485,711 common shares of the Company are reserved for issuance under the Option Plan, representing approximately 5.5% of the issued and outstanding share capital.For information on this press release, please contact:Dragos TanasePresident & CEOPhone: +1 425 414 9256dt@ gabrielresources.com Richard BrownChief Financial OfficerPhone: +44 7748 760276Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Further InformationAbout GabrielGabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Rosia Montana gold and silver project in Romania ("Rosia Montana Project"). The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license ("License") for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Rosia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company.Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group (as defined below) focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Company's current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com Forward-looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Company's actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Company's ability to fund its operations (including but not limited to the completion of further funding noted above) or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information.Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "is of the view", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements.Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:delay or extension to the duration of the ICSID Arbitration;required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration against Romania;changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and the group of companies of which it is directly or indirectly parent ("Group");access to funding to support the Group's continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future;equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of new or existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares;the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the TSX Venture Exc The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is launching a local campaign to raise money and awareness for the Australia bushfires that are decimating wildlife throughout the massive island nation, the zoo announced today. The Aid for Australia campaign, spearheaded by the zoos chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK), will include sales of T-shirts and hoodies, special events at the zoo and social media posts with the hashtag #AidforAUS. The campaign kicks off this weekend, with AAZK selling the shirts and hoodies at the zoo and holding special activities both Saturday and Sunday, January 25 and 26. Activities include special keeper chats featuring animals native to Austrialia as well as a scavenger hunt, coloring stations and an informational area where visitors can ask questions about the bushfires crisis. All proceeds will benefit the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund created by Zoos Victoria, one of the zoos partner institutions in Australia. Many of us feel helpless as we see images of burned koalas and kangaroos and hear numbers like 28 million acres destroyed and over a billion animals lost, said Rosamond Gifford Zoo Director Ted Fox. We felt the need to respond by assisting our partner zoo in Australia working on the ground to save animals injured in these fires. As one of 238 accredited members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is in close collaboration with other zoos working to save species around the globe. One of our partners, Zoos Victoria, has created a Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund that is 100 percent dedicated to saving wildlife from this disaster, Fox said. Zoos Victoria has deployed veterinary teams to the fire areas and set up triage facilities for injured animals. Even animals that can be saved will face a long recovery, and it will be a huge challenge to rehabilitate habitats before animals can be reintroduced. Our animal care team wanted to set up something to help out for the long haul, Fox said. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon endorsed the zoos #AidforAUS campaign and encouraged residents to support the effort. As an AZA institution, our zoos responsibility for saving species is far-reaching, McMahon said. The situation in Australia is incredibly concerning and Im proud that our zoo team has provided a way that we can all pitch in to help. Shirts for sale to benefit Australian wildfire restoration efforts. Photo courtesy of Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The #AidforAUS campaign will include: A sale of T-shirts and hoodies with 100 percent of proceeds to benefit the Zoos Victoria Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund. Campaign sponsor The Print Hub is printing shirts and hoodies at cost and will take online orders at www.themerchspot.com/collections/aid-for-australia . The shirts and hoodies are available in adult and childrens sizes as well as womens fit. Dedicated zoo events with keeper chats and information stations on the long-term impact of the bushfires and the many species unique to Australia. The first will be held this coming weekend, January 25 and 26. Stay tuned to the zoos Facebook for future events. An ongoing effort to address the topic of the Australia fires and climate change in zoo education programs and events like the Party for the Planet on Saturday, April 25. Meanwhile, anyone who would like to donate directly to the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund may do so at www.zoo.org.au/fire-fund. Here is the schedule for the zoos #AidforAUS Kickoff Weekend Animal Activities: Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26 10:30 a.m. Amur tiger enrichment and keeper chat 11 a.m. Australian species keeper chat -- Kimberley rock monitor 11:30 a.m. Cora the rescue dog meet and greet Noon Australian species keeper chat -- Blue-tongue skink/bearded dragon 1 p.m. Small mammal keeper chat (TBA) 1:30 p.m. Australian species keeper chat Kookaburra 2 p.m. Australian species keeper chat Blue-tongue skink/bearded dragon 2:30 p.m. Bactrian camel keeper chat 3 p.m. Hamilton the San Clemente Island goat meet and greet HCL Technologies (HCL) announced the launch of a dedicated HCL Microsoft Business Unit focused on Microsoft technologies. This will extend Microsofts offerings of Business Applications, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, IoT, and AI/Machine Learning, as well as help employees accomplish more in the modern workplace with Microsoft 365 and Windows 10. The HCL Microsoft Business Unit will create intellectual property extending the Microsoft platform for customer-specific scenarios and will also provide additional support to clients in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, retail, and travel industries. The business unit integrates one of the largest award-winning Microsoft Dynamics practices in the world with PowerObjects, an HCL company, and will bring together more than 5500 professionals, reaching more than 2000 customers. Kalyan Kumar, Corporate Vice President and CTO for IT Services of HCL Technologies, said, The HCL Microsoft Business Unit is the next phase to bolster HCLs successful and long-standing relationship with Microsoft. Increasingly, customers are making bold strides, incorporating IoT solutions with machine learning for analytics, running this solution in the public cloud and supported by CRM. This business unit combines HCLs specialized services and global reach with Microsofts powerful cloud and business technologies, making a strong and unique offering for clients. These offerings are coming at a critical time when enterprises are aggressively implementing digital technologies for competitive advantage. Spearheading the HCL Microsoft Business Unit is Don Jones, who brings 20+ years of Microsoft experience, having created numerous successful solutions and go-to-market campaigns with Microsoft, and were confident in his ability to successfully lead this initiative. Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President at Microsoft said, By establishing a Microsoft Business Unit, HCL is taking an important step forward in the long-standing partnership between our two companies. As a result, companies will benefit from unique products and services tailored to their digital journey while fostering modern work and collaboration. Together, we will be able to offer our joint customers a rich experience. HIGHLIGHTS Updated Idaho Cobalt Operations ("ICO") Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE"), to improve geological certainty ahead of project financing and mine development, has increased the contained Measured cobalt resource by 22%. Total tonnage of Measured and Indicated resources (available for conversion under JORC into Reserves) also rose by 22%. Jervois bankable feasible study ("BFS") team has revisited and substantially modified stope design and mine plan execution versus the approach taken by prior ICO owners. This will increase mined cobalt grade and reduce dilution versus published historical studies. Updated ICO MRE audited by CSA Global (an ERM Group Company) ahead of appointment of lender Independent Engineer associated with project financing. BFS mine design is underway with an updated ICO Reserve estimate to be released in conjunction with BFS. ICO BFS remains on track for completion by the end of March 2020, with first concentrate production scheduled in Q4 2021. Melbourne, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2020) - Jervois Mining Limited (ASX: JRV) (TSXV: JRV) (OTCQB: JRVMF) (FSE: IHS) ("Jervois" or the "Company") is pleased to announce updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") modelling at its Idaho Cobalt Operations ("ICO") in the United States. Jervois updated the ICO MRE after completing 3,125m (19 holes) of diamond drilling to support its bankable feasibility study ("BFS"). The updated model uses modified methodology to improve estimation using industry standard applications for narrow orebodies, with Jervois also adopting a more appropriate approach to stope and mine plan design. This has involved block rotation and adoption of a smaller cell size than previously used, as the previous MRE released by eCobalt Solutions on 7 February 2018 was unrotated and used cell sizes not conducive to the narrow high-grade interzone intercepts found in the Main Ram zone. The updated MRE is outlined below at an adjusted updated cut-off of 0.15% Co. The broader mineralized envelope at ICO is significant; this represents potential upside to Jervois in the event that future cobalt prices are higher than prevail today. Battery demand for cobalt is expected to rise sharply, and ethical, non-DRC, low capital sources of supply outside of ICO are essentially non-existent. A grade-tonnage sensitivity table is also presented at 0.2% Co cut off to enable comparison with previously published models. Table 1 below details the updated MRE for January 2020 at a 0.15% Co cut-off. Table 2 details the January 2020 updated grade-tonnage sensitivity table at a 0.2% Co cut-off. Table 3 details the previous February 2018 MRE also at a 0.2% Co cut-off. Table 1: 2020 Updated MRE for ICO using 0.15% Co cut-off Category Resource (M Tons) Resource (M tonnes) Co (%) Co (M lbs) Cu (%) Cu (M lbs) Au (oz/Ton) Au (g/tonne) Au (oz) Measured(1) 2.92 2.65 0.45 26.2 0.59 34.4 0.013 0.45 38,000 Indicated(1) 2.85 2.59 0.42 23.8 0.80 45.7 0.018 0.62 51,000 M+I 5.77 5.24 0.44 50.1 0.69 80.1 0.015 0.53 89,000 Inferred(2) 1.73 1.57 0.35 12.0 0.44 15.2 0.013 0.45 23,000 1. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and by definition do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Mineral Resources in this news release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council (2014). 2. This MRE includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. 3. The Cobalt cut-off grade for inclusion in the resource is 0.15%, no consideration of copper or gold content was used in determination of cut-off grade. 4. Contained metal values and totals may differ due to rounding of figures. 5. The MRE was prepared by Scott Zelligan, P.Geo., who is an independent resource geologist. 6. The effective date of the MRE is January 20, 2020. 7. The MRE was based on the results of 111 drill holes completed at the Ram Property. 8. The model was domained using newly modelled constraining wireframes. These were prepared based on a new compilation of all available data and a thorough review of the geological interpretation, including new structural modelling. This included 9 "zone" wireframes as well as multiple offsetting "fault surface" wireframes. 9. The block model used to estimate the MRE has a block size of 12 ft x 12 ft x 4 ft and was rotated -14 around the Z-axis and -58 around the Y axis. These parameters were chosen in order to better represent the deposit with regards to potential mining methods. 10. Drill hole data was composited to 2 ft lengths based on the statistical review of sample lengths. 11. In the main zone Co grades were capped at 4% and Cu grades were capped at 4%. In surrounding zones, Co grades were capped at 0.7% and Cu grades were capped at 2%. 12. Inverse-distance-squared was chosen as the estimation method after a thorough statistical and iterative review of different methods, as it reproduced the grade distribution of the input data best. 13. Maximum search distances in the main zone were 320 ft, and 240 ft in the surrounding zones. Three search passes were used in order to best honour the grade distribution of input data. 14. Resource categorization has been made in consideration of drill spacing, statistical continuity, deposit type, and consideration of the CIM definition standards. To facilitate benchmarking versus prior MRE's, a comparison between the 2020 and 2018 MRE at the prior 2018 cut-off of 0.2% Co is outlined below in Tables 2 and 3: Table 2: January 2020 Updated Grade -Tonnage Sensitivity Table for ICO using 0.20% Co cut-off Category Resource (M short Tons) Co (%) Co (M lbs) Cu (%) Cu (M lbs) Au (oz/Ton) Au (oz) Measured(1) 2.34 0.52 24.2 0.63 29.5 0.015 35,000 Indicated(1) 2.36 0.47 22.1 0.86 40.7 0.020 47,000 M+I 4.70 0.49 46.3 0.74 70.2 0.017 82,000 Inferred(2) 1.22 0.42 10.3 0.50 12.2 0.016 20,000 Table 3: February 2018 MRE for ICO using 0.20% Co cut-off Category Resource (M short Tons) Co (%) Co (M lbs) Cu (%) Cu (M lbs) Au (oz/Ton) Au (oz) Measured(1) 1.50 0.66 19.9 0.78 23.6 0.017 26,000 Indicated(1) 2.37 0.54 25.8 0.89 42.2 0.018 42,000 M+I 3.87 0.59 45.7 0.85 65.8 0.017 68,000 Inferred(2) 1.82 0.46 16.7 0.81 29.4 0.015 27,000 1. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and by definition do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Mineral Resources in this news release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council (2014). 2. This MRE includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. 3. The Cobalt cut-off grade for inclusion in the resource is 0.20%, no consideration of copper or gold content was used in determination of cut-off grade. 4. Contained metal values and totals may differ due to rounding of figures 5. The Mineral Resources reported by eCobalt set out in Table 3 has been prepared in accordance with the NI 43-101 standards of disclosure for Mineral Projects published by the Canadian Security Administrators and estimated using the CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines. NI 43-101 is different from the reporting standard ordinarily applicable to Australian publicly listed companies, the JORC Code. Please refer to the ASX announcement dated 21 June 2019 "Notice of General Meeting/Proxy form", section 8.2. Discussion of Results The updated 2020 MRE increases the resource tonnage available for Reserve conversion (Measured and Indicated classifications), by over 20%. It has also increased the Measured contained cobalt resource by 22% over the previous 2018 model at the same cut-off grade. This has been achieved via additional drilling undertaken in 2019 and the modified block modelling methodology. By rotating the model cells to orientate with the main Ram zone and changing to an inverse distance estimation method, the model now more accurately reflects the nature of the narrow high-grade within the mineralized zones, minimizing grade smearing both into and out of the zones. By minimizing grade smearing, it will now be easier to capture high grades into the mine design stopes. Thus, despite the lower headline MRE grades (at higher tonnages), mined cobalt grades are expected to be higher than in studies published by prior ICO owners. Figure 1 below shows the distribution of grade ranges in long section of the Main Ram zone at the ICO. Figure 2 below shows the distribution of Resource classifications, Measured, Indicated and Inferred in long section of the Main Ram zone and hanging-wall zones at the ICO. Figure 1: Long Section of 2020 ICO MRE - Grade Ranges To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_001full.jpg Figure 2: Long Section of 2020 ICO MRE - Resource Classifications To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_002full.jpg Figure 3: Plan View of 2020 Resource Model showing distribution of Grade Ranges To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_003full.jpg Figure 4: Cross Section of 2020 Resource Model showing distribution of Grade Ranges To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5508/51707_2d6c2674644b288c_004full.jpg Figure 3 shows the distribution of grade ranges in plan view of all mineralized zones at the ICO. Figure 4 shows the distribution of grade ranges in cross section. Of note is the higher grades (>0.6% Co) within the Main Ram zone which is flanked by lower grade ranges, displaying a reduction in grade smearing across the orebody. This level of "in zone" grade definition will allow more accurate stope design and grade recovery in the mining process. As the deposit is developed, closer spaced underground drilling will add further definition to the grade ranges and further improve Resource classification. Jervois' confidence in the economic potential of the ICO resource continues to grow as more information is generated for the updated BFS. Mine design and scheduling are progressing, as is plant design. An updated Reserve is expected to be released with completion of the BFS by the end of March 2020. CSA Global (an ERM Group Company) were appointed to audit the updated ICO MRE ahead of this publication and release of the geological model to lenders as part of the project financing process currently underway. Jervois continues to believe there is significant potential to operate at higher production rates than currently formalised under existing feasibility studies in an environmentally responsible manner, with the rotation of block cells part of this. This will require no modification to the existing ICO operating permits which currently cap ore production at 1,200 short tons per day. Similar to the audit role of CSA Global on the MRE, the Wood Group (who are also undertaking the ICO refinery scoping study) were appointed in Q4 2019 to undertake an audit of ICO environmental compliance and operating permits ahead of the appointment of lender Independent Engineers. 2020 drill programme planning will be undertaken in Q1 to further prove up and expand the MRE once the summer drilling season commences. Wood's scoping study on a domestic cobalt refinery within the United States continues, with the production design scope rising to reflect the positive impact of a mining operation delivering higher volumes of cobalt concentrate. Quality Assurance Core samples are sent to ALS Elko Nevada, an independent and fully accredited laboratory in the USA for analysis for gold & multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy. Core samples from the main Ram zone were also sent to SGS Lakefield, Canada for analysis as per ALS Elko and for further metallurgical testing. Jervois also has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control program where at least 10% duplicates, standards and blanks are inserted into each sample shipment. On behalf of Jervois Mining Limited, Bryce Crocker, CEO For further information, please contact: Investors and analysts: Simon Clarke EGM Corporate Affairs sclarke@jervoismining.com Cell: +1 604 551 9665 Media: Nathan Ryan NWR Communications nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Mob: +61 420 582 887 Competent Person's Statement The information in this release that relates to Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Jervois's Geological consultants, Orix Geoscience, and analysed by Scott Zelligan, P.Geol who is an independent consultant to Jervois. The information has been reviewed by David Selfe who is full time employee of the company and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. David Selfe has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. David Selfe consents to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. Disclosure required for TSX-V Regulations Qualified Person's Statement The technical content of this news release has been compiled and approved by Scott Zelligan, P.Geol a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the Mineral Resource Estimate, exploration work to be undertaken in Idaho, the reliability of third party information, and certain other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1 report Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralization that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverized to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases, more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralization types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. The data used for Resource estimation is based on the logging and sampling of DD completed over several campaigns since 1997. The Competent Person believes the data used for the estimate has been done to a reasonable standard. A nominal 2 to 3 ft sample interval was used throughout most campaigns. Historic samples were typically sent to Chemex labs and ALS laboratories in Nevada USA. For the 2019 drill program, ALS and SGS were used (Reno, Nevada and Lakefield, Ontario, respectively) for analysis using aqua regia digest with an AAS or ICP-AES finish. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). All drilling used in the estimate consisted of inclined DD holes drilled to a wide range of depths, but not exceeding 512m (~1600 ft). Drill core size intended for exploration varied in size between NQ and PQ, whilst metallurgical testing holes were drilled at PQ size. The average hole depth is ~210 m (~690 ft). Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Little and sparse sample recovery information exists in the historical, pre-2019 data. Some of it, exists in the form of handwritten notes in pdfs. However, the 2019 drilling program has recorded core recovery and RQD details. At this time, it is not possible to assess whether a significant relationship between sample recovery and grade exists. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Geological logging of drillhole samples was done with enough detail to meet the requirements of resource estimation and mining studies. Core is photographed and core trays retained, with the only exception being a small fraction of material consumed completely for metallurgical tests. No geotechnical logging has been sighted by the Competent Person. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. DD samples meant for analysis were typically cut in half using a diamond blade core saw. One half was to remain in the core tray/box and the other half to be collected in plastic bags, labeled and submitted to the lab. In the case of metallurgical testing, half core was sent for metallurgy, quarter core sent for lab analysis, and the remaining quarter kept in the box/tray. Samples are received at the laboratory: Bar codes are scanned and logged; samples are weighed and dried; samples are crushed to 70% less than 2mm, riffle split off 250g, pulverize split to better than 85% passing 75 microns; all samples are analyzed for 35 elements using ICP-AES and gold using 30 gram Fire assay for core, both with an AA finish. Any samples with over-limits specific to base metals or gold are re-analyzed. For core sampling the same side is consistently sampled, half-core is retained in the tray for HQ for PQ quarter core is retained and half core is reserved for metallurgical test sample. The assay sub- sample is placed into sample bags labelled with the assigned sample number. One in 20 samples is duplicated where the core is quartered and a quarter cut sample is analysed as a duplicate. The remaining quarter samples is retained in the tray. Sample sizes of 2-3 kg are appropriate for the grain size of material. The sample preparation technique and sample sizes are considered appropriate to the material being sampled. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Orix and Scott Zelligan's analysis of the QC data based on historical reports, as well as the 2019 QC samples, determined that any identified issue has been addressed and corrected therefore the data is suitable for resource estimation purposes. Handheld XRF was only used for mineral identification. No handheld XRF analysis were used in the drilling database. Three different Standard samples (Low, medium and high Co%) were inserted in the sequence in approximately (1 in every 20 sample numbers). Blanks made of brick material were inserted in approximately (1 in every 40 sample numbers) and specifically after the end of any given interval were visible strong Co mineralization was present. Orix and Scott Zelligan recommended the use of brick to be discontinued and to be replaced by a certified quartz blank. QAQC samples (standards, blanks and duplicates) represent 7.8% of all samples collected during the 2019 program. Duplicates, repeats and blanks generally fall within an acceptable level of accuracy for key economic elements. Excursions are re-assayed by the lab and confirmed. Laboratory QAQC included the use of CRMs, blanks, splits and duplicates. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Scott Zelligan reviewed the drilling data and visited site in late 2019 to review and approve standard of procedures applied during the 2019 drill program. The historic drilling database was supplied by Jervois as a Microsoft Access database created by MDA in 2010. The database was reviewed, corrected, and completed by Orix Geoscience prior to the start of the 2019 drilling campaign. The new compiled drillhole database exists as an excel sheet with multiple tabs. The new database was validated by Scott Zelligan prior to the Resource estimation. No adjustments to assay data were performed. Adjustments to the database included for the most part, corrections to discrepancies in lithology between detailed logs and quick logs, as well as adding missing drillholes from later campaigns. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Drillhole collars were surveyed by Wade Surveying, a group of licensed surveyors in Idaho. Downhole surveying predominantly used reflex EZ shot for all campaigns, however, the 2019 drill program used a TN14 unit for azimuth and dip line up of the rig in addition to the downhole reflex surveys. The drilling and topography survey coordinates are recorded in both the local mine grid in feet, as well as UTM NAD83 Z11N in metric units. An aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) survey was performed in 2018. This data was used to create a surface digital terrain model (DTM). Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. The drilling was completed along a set of northeast-southwest trending sections perpendicular to the strike of the mineralization. Drill spacing ranges from ~15-20 m (~50-70 ft) near the center of the deposit to an average of ~75-90 m (~250-300 ft) along strike. The section spacing is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity necessary to support the resource classifications that were applied. All samples were composited to 2 ft, as the majority of samples were 2 or 3 feet. Rather than force samples to exactly 2 feet, the compositing process approximated as closely to 2 feet as possible within each drillhole interval without excluding any samples. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. The location and orientation of the drilling is appropriate, given the strike and morphology of the mineralization. The location and orientation of the drilling is unlikely to introduce any material sample bias Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Samples are cut and bagged on the ICO site by Jervois staff. The samples are placed in plastic bags with a uniquely numbered sample tag. The sample number is also written on the outside of the bag. Two or more samples up to a weight of approximately 20kg are placed in a larger plastic bag which is then zip tied. The corresponding sample numbers are also written on this bag. The combined samples are then transported by Jervois staff to the Salmon warehouse. Sample bags are then loaded onto pallets for transfer to a courier by Jervois office/warehouse staff. Sample number details and weights are recorded along with dispatch dates. Corresponding sample submission forms are completed and sent to the analytical lab. The courier provides consignment notes and dispatch documentation to Jervois office/warehouse staff. Upon arrival at the analytical lab the consignment details are notified to Jervois and online tracking of the assaying process begins. Results are delivered under electronic encryption. All pulps and rejects are returned to Jervois' warehouse in Salmon and stored for future reference. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. The most recent audit was by CSA Global Consultants Canada (CSA Global) in December 2019/January 2020 which reviewed the procedures, methodology and geology data. The audit did not include a site visit. The audit identified some areas for future improvement including the capture of bulk density data, drill logging consistency and domaining. All recommendations are being or have been adopted for future work programs and MRE generation. Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results (Where relevant to reporting Mineral Resources) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. Idaho Cobalt Operations consists of 243 unpatented mineral claims totalling 5990 acres. The claims are 100% owned by Jervois subsidiary Formation Capital LLC and are in good standing. Unpatented Mineral Claims: Ownership of unpatented mining claims in the U.S. is in the name of the holder, with ownership of the minerals belonging to the United States of America, under the administration of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Under the Mining Law of 1872, which governs the location of unpatented mining claims on federal lands, the locator has the right to explore, develop and mine minerals on unpatented mining claims without payments of production royalties to the federal government. Annual claim maintenance and filing fees paid before September 1st each year are the only federal encumbrances to unpatented mining claims. Exploration plans are permitted and administered by the Unites States Forestry Service. The United States Department of Agriculture Salmon Challis National Forest (the Forest Service) issued a revised Record of Decision (the ROD) for the ICO in January 2009. The ROD described the decision to approve a Mine Plan of Operations (MPO) for mining, milling and concentrating mineralized material from the ICO. The ROD was subsequently affirmed by the Forest Service in April 2009. The Plan of Operations at the ICO mine and mill remained unchanged and the ROD remains in place. In December 2009, the Forest Service approved the MPO allowing for the commencement of ICO construction. There are no known encumbrances. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. The ICO came under Jervois management following the merger with eCobalt in 2019. Prior to this merger, the area has a long history of copper and cobalt exploration and mining. Copper mineralization in the Blackbird Creek area was discovered in 1892, and the area was soon explored as both a copper and gold prospect. The area was first mined by Union Carbide at the Haynes-Stellite Mine located south of the present ICO claim block, during World War I. Union Carbide mined approximately 4,000 tons of cobalt-bearing ore before ceasing operations. From 1938 to 1941, the Uncle Sam Mining and Milling Company operated a mine at the south end of the present Blackbird mine and reportedly mined about 3,600 tons of ore. Calera Mining Company, a division of Howe Sound Company, developed and mined the Blackbird deposit between 1943 and 1959 under a contract to supply cobalt to the U.S. government. Calera stopped mining when the government contract was terminated in 1960. Machinery Center Inc. mined from the district between 1963 and 1966, when Idaho Mining Company (owned by Hanna Mining Company) purchased the property. Noranda optioned the property from Hanna in 1977 and carried out extensive exploration, mine rehabilitation and metallurgical testing. In 1979 Noranda and Hanna formed the Blackbird Mining Company (BMC) to develop the property. BMC completed an internal feasibility study of their property at the time, including material from the Sunshine deposit in 1982. BMC allowed perimeter claims to lapse in 1994, and eCobalt restaked much of that ground. From 1995 to the present, eCobalt completed surface geochemical sampling and drilled 158 diamond drill holes on the ICO ground. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralization. The Ram deposit is a metasedimentary stratabound Co-Cu deposit, of the lehmni sub basin of the Mesoproterozoic Belt-Purcell basin. Although still under some debate, this deposit has been previously interpreted as a variation of a Beshi VMS as well as an IOCG deposit type more recently. Mineralization occurs in hydrothermally biotized/chloritized lenses in a metamorphic succession of siltite, greywacke, and argillites. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. No Exploration data is being reported in this release. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. In previous reports weighted averaging has been used in reported composite intervals and individual results are also listed, no grade truncations etc. has been used. Aggregate intercepts are reported using a grade metre calculation. For example: ((assay x meter interval sampled) + (assay x meter interval sampled) + (assay x meter interval sampled) / divided by total number of meters in the interval). Individual sample intercepts are also shown. No metal equivalent values have been reported. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg 'down hole length, true width not known'). Downhole lengths are reported. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Refer to figures and tables in the body of the text. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. No exploration results are stated in this report. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. There is no other substantive exploration data. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Jervois plans to undertake infill drilling to upgrade resource categories as well as to test the footwall horizons discovered during the 2019 drill program. An updated Feasibility Study is currently underway incorporating the updated Mineral Resource Estimate, mining studies, metallurgical studies, mine design, scheduling and Plant design. This Feasibility Study is expected to be completed in March 2020. Section 3 Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources (Criteria listed in section 1, and where relevant in section 2, also apply to this section.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Database integrity Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by, for example, transcription or keying errors, between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes. Data validation procedures used. The data has been compiled and collated by Orix Geoscience. Extensive data validation was undertaken as part of that process, including a complete review of all original data sources (where available) to eliminate any and all transcription and keying errors. That validation has been reviewed by the author. The author used standard 3D modeling software procedures to check the database for any overlaps or contradictory lithological or assay intervals. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits. If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. Scott Zelligan visited site during the period of October 4-6 2019. Scott Zelligan viewed the logging and sampling facilities and drilled areas while drilling and sampling was being undertaken at the time of the visit. David Selfe visited site twice during the drilling program of 2019 for periods longer than 3 weeks at a time and viewed the logging and sampling facilities and drilled areas while drilling and sampling was being undertaken at the time of the visit. Geological interpretation Confidence in (or conversely, the uncertainty of ) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit. Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made. The effect, if any, of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation. The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation. The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology. It is the author's opinion that the local geology and style of mineralization is well understood as a result of work undertaken by Jervois. The interpretation used in this estimate is based entirely on a first principles geological approach (no grade data used to develop domains). This was undertaken using a new lithological database compiled by geologists who have logged core at site. The interpretation used in this estimation was very different from the previous resource estimation, which employed a grade-based domain approach. The results are not materially different. Continuity appears to be largely controlled by stratification, minor alteration/remobilization, and by structure (both offset faulting and soft-sediment deformation). These factors were all accounted for during the modeling process. Dimensions The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise), plan width, and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource. The Ram deposit extends over 4200 ft along strike and over 2100 ft across strike, with mineralization present approximately from surface to a maximum vertical depth of 2100 ft. The main zone has a "true" thickness that varies from 10 to 100 ft. The deposit consists of the main zone ("mmh" zone) and eight other sub-zones, six in the hanging-wall and two in the footwall. Estimation and modelling techniques The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme grade values, domaining, interpolation parameters and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parameters used. The availability of check estimates, previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data. The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products. Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (eg sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation). In the case of block model interpolation, the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed. Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units. Any assumptions about correlation between variables. Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates. Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping. The process of validation, the checking process used, the comparison of model data to drill hole data, and use of reconciliation data if available. The mineralization has been estimated using Inverse-Distance-Squared. Block modelling and grade estimation was undertaken using Surpac software. The deposit was last estimated in 2017 and 2018 by Micon. Consideration was made for these results, however the domaining method was reconsidered in favor of a lithology-based approach. No assumptions were made in terms of potential by-products. Regional faulting was recorded in the block model, as well as As and S values. A parent block size of 12 x 12 x 4 ft was used in a rotated model (-14 around the Z axis and -58 around the Y axis). Block size was chosen in consideration of the potential SMU size. Drill spacing in the best-informed areas varies from 80-200 ft, with wider spacing around the edges. Variography downhole indicated a very short distance of correlation in Co samples perpendicular to the zone, but a distance of 160 ft to the sill in parallel directions. For this reason, a primary search ellipse of 160 x 160 x 8 was used for Co in the main zone (240x240x24 in other zones). Variography downhole indicated a longer distance of correlation in Cu and Au samples perpendicular to the zone, but a distance of 160 ft to the sill in parallel directions. For this reason, in the main zone a primary search ellipse of 160 x 160 x 40 was used for Cu and 160 x 160 x 20 for Au (in other zones 240x240x24 for both). Co and Cu were both capped at 4 % in the main zone, in consideration of grade histograms and log probability plots. Au is generally low grade and it was not necessary to cap it. Where necessary, differing search ellipse dips were employed to account for fault blocks that had been rotated relative to the dominant trend. The estimates were validated using a visual and statistical comparison of the block grade estimates to the input drillhole composite data. Moisture Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture, and the method of determination of the moisture content. All tonnages have been estimated as dry tonnages. Cut-off parameters The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parameters applied. The mineralization was reported using a 0.15% Co grade. This was chosen in consideration of metallurgical and mining factors, as well as forecast Co prices and reporting of similar projects. Mining factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods, minimum mining dimensions and internal (or, if applicable, external) mining dilution. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods, but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parameters when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made. It is assumed the deposit will be mined underground using cut and fill, back slash stoping methods based on previously completed mining studies. Metallurgical factors or assumptions The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods, but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parameters made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made. It is assumed that one or more cobalt and copper concentrates will be produced by conventional sulphide flotation methods based on previously completed metallurgical studies. Environmental factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts, particularly for a greenfields project, may not always be well advanced, the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported. Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made. It is assumed that most tailings residue and waste rock is returned underground as stope and void fill. Minor amounts will be stored in a small tailings facility on site at the ICO. Bulk density Whether assumed or determined. If assumed, the basis for the assumptions. If determined, the method used, whether wet or dry, the frequency of the measurements, the nature, size and representativeness of the samples. The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs, porosity, etc), moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit. Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials. There are two generations of SG results. Both use the wet-weight/dry-weight method. The first generation was measured on-site by core-logging geologists. The second generation was sent to SGS Lakefield laboratory in Ontario, Canada for measurement. The on-site measurements total 729. The off-site lab measurements total 99. Consideration was taken to have measurements of varying grades of both Co and Cu. As would be expected, SG correlated roughly with the Co and Cu assays (~0.3 for Co, Cu, and Co+Cu). A scatterplot was generated of Co+Cu vs SG, and from this a linear formula was derived to populate the model with density (y = 0.065x + 2.8861) Classification The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories. Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (ie relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations, reliability of input data, confidence in continuity of geology and metal values, quality, quantity and distribution of the data). Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit. The resources have been classified based on drill spacing and search distance/number of composites. The author is confident in the results, with the current estimation representing a "back-to-basics" approach of completely rebuilding the dataset and remodeling the estimation domains based solely on geology. The numbers generated hew closely to those generated in the last two estimates which employed a grade-based domain method, meaning two different approaches produced very similar results, which demonstrates the deposits robustness. The classification considers views and concerns raised by a number of previous workers. Jervois believes the estimate appropriately reflects the view of the competent person. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates. The model has been internally reviewed by Jervois and Orix Geoscience. CSA Global, has been involved as a reviewer through the calculating/modelling process, and conducted an audit of the MRE and associated inputs. Their findings did not identify any fatal flaws or major issues that would materially impact the MRE. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person. For example, the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the resource within stated confidence limits, or, if such an approach is not deemed appropriate, a qualitative discussion of the factors that could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate. The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates, and, if local, state the relevant tonnages, which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation. Documentation should include assumptions made and the procedures used. These statements of relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate should be compared with production data, where available. It is the competent persons view that this Mineral Resource Estimate is accurate and reflects a conservative approach to the deposit. The results have been compared to the 2 prior Resource models for 2017 and 2018 and compare favorably in the context of additional drilling conducted in 2019 and estimation methodology. This statement relates to the global estimate of the Ram zone and hangingwall and footwall zones. It does not include any other mineralization within the ICO, such as the Sunshine and Sunshine East deposits which are at an insufficient stage of exploration to determine a Resource. No statistical assessment of estimation error (e.g. using conditional simulation tools) has been undertaken. There has been no historical mining of the deposit. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51707 Blow out the pink candles and make a wish-in 2020, Mary Kay Inc. will celebrate milestone anniversaries in some of its most important markets around the globe. The iconic Mary Kay Ash, with humble roots in small town, Texas, founded her namesake brand in 1963. The brand quickly developed into a worldwide phenomenon with millions of independent beauty consultants in nearly 40 countries. While beauty trends come and go, Mary Kay owes its staying power to something that never goes out of style: female empowerment and a greater purpose to do good. "While our innovative skin care, on-trend color cosmetics, fragrances and body care products have been loved for more than 56 years by millions of consumers around the world, our company was founded with much more than lipstick in mind," said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay. "Our founder, Mary Kay Ash, built her dream company with two goals: create economic independence for women through entrepreneurship, and make the world a better place." Like a freshly waxed pink Cadillac, Mary Kay Ash's original vision continues to shine. Her proven business model has helped countless women develop or refine their entrepreneurship acumen through a values-based company with staying power. And Mary Kay is committed to supporting women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, encouraging children to follow their dreams and much more. In 2020, the below markets will celebrate their milestone anniversaries with festivities, volunteer opportunities and special events with their employees and independent sales force: 5 Years Colombia 10 Years Armenia 15 Years Moldova 20 Years Kazakhstan Malaysia Philippines Slovakia 25 Years China Portugal 40 Years Argentina About Mary Kay One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 56 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash's original vision continues to shine-one lipstick at a time. Learn more at MaryKay.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005069/en/ Contacts: Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications marykay.com/newsroom 972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com Some Democratic senators are privately discussing what would happen if they told Republicans that former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden should testify in President Trump's impeachment trial so long as former National Security Adviser John Bolton does, too. Multiple Democratic officials told The Washington Post that lawmakers are discussing trading Bolton for Biden, as they feel having Bolton testify in the trial is that important. The impeachment charges allege that Trump froze approved military aid and withheld a meeting from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a way to pressure Zelensky into announcing an investigation into the Bidens. Hunter Biden once served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, and Trump allies like Rudy Giuliani have pushed unfounded allegations that Joe Biden protected his son from a corruption probe. Hunter Biden was never accused of any wrongdoing during his time at Burisma. Democrats want Bolton and other witnesses who potentially have firsthand knowledge about Trump's Ukraine decisions to testify in the trial. Although Democrats believe Hunter Biden is irrelevant to the trial, Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have said he should testify, and the Democrats see this as an opening to get Bolton in as well, the Post reports. Some Democrats worry this takes the spotlight off of Trump, who is actually the one on trial, but others think having Hunter or Joe Biden testify would backfire against Trump. "If you want to give Joe Biden an opportunity to sit in the well of the Senate and answer the question, 'Do you think the president acted appropriately?' go right ahead," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told the Post. "I can't imagine a person more comfortable in the well of the Senate than a man who spent 36 years here as a United States senator." Read more at The Washington Post. More stories from theweek.com Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow says he'd advise the president not to attend his impeachment trial Several senators left the chamber in the middle of Adam Schiff's impeachment remarks The White House is arguing the impeachment articles don't include allegations of a quid pro quo because the exact words don't appear Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - World Health Organization (WHO) Africa regional director, Matshidiso Moeti, says the Zimbabwe government must make compromises over the ongoing dispute with doctors who are demanding better remunerations A merica will go to the polls in November to vote for the next president of the United States. In the US, there are only two parties considered by most voters - the Democrats (the liberal, left-of-centre party) and the Republicans (the conservative, right-of-centre party). The current president, Donald Trump, is standing again as the Republican candidate, and hopes to serve a second term as the 45th president in the White House. Democrats have not yet chosen a candidate and members have been campaigning for the chance to be their partys nominee. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks during a town hall event in Iowa / Getty Images What are primary elections? Democrat presidential hopefuls are battling for their party's nomination in primary elections otherwise known as primaries - across different states in the US. State governments run primary elections, not the parties, and individual state laws determine if the primaries are closed (meaning only registered members can vote) or open (where unaffiliated voters can also participate). Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University in Iowa / Getty Images If a candidate wins a primary election, they either win all or part of the states delegates. These delegates will then vote for them at the party convention where the nominee is officially named. This system was first widely used in the 1970s previously, party members made the decision at the convention. What are superdelegates? In the Democratic primaries there are 3,979 delegates available and if any one candidate wins more than 50 percent of those delegates during a primary season they become nominee in a vote at the convention. But if it gets to the Democratic convention and no-one has more than half of the delegates, it becomes a contested convention. In this situation a second vote would follow. All 3,979 delegates would vote again but would be joined by roughly 771 superdelegates. These are senior party officials including senators, members of Congress, and governors who are free to vote for whomever they wish. If a candidate then gets 50 percent in the second round then they become nominee. It is the first time that superdelegates are joining the vote at the second stage and prior to 2020, they could vote at the start of the convention. This amendment was introduced after Bernie Sanders (see more on him later) campaigned to change the process after he lost out to Hillary Clinton in 2016. What are caucuses? A few states have caucuses instead of primaries. Caucuses are run by parties in regions across the state. Members of the media work during a primary debate in Iowa / AFP via Getty Images As they are not state government-run, they are more flexible than primaries especially when it comes down to who can take part. At Democratic caucuses, votes are determined by standing in groups around the room and no ballots are cast. Loading.... Who are the main Democratic contenders? Voters will be choosing between moderate liberals such as former Vice-President Joe Biden and mayor Pete Buttigieg and progressive candidates such as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. - Joe Bidden is an American politician who severed as the 47th vice president between 2009 and 2017. He also represented Delaware in the Senate between 1973 and 2009. - Michael Bloomberg is an American politician who served as the Mayor of New York for three consecutive terms between 2002 and 2013. - Pete Buttigieg is an American politician who served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020. Before running for office he worked on political campaigns for other Democrats. - Amy Klobuchar has been a Senator for Minnesota since 2007. She previously worked as a corporate lawyer and was a partner at a law firm. - Bernie Sanders is a Senator for Vermont and has represented the region since 2007. His previous 16 years in the House of Representatives makes him the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. - Elizabeth Warren has been a Senator for Massachusetts since 2013. Before that she was a professor specialising in bankruptcy law. TODO: define component type apester Why are Iowa and New Hampshire so important? Iowa, along with New Hampshire, are very important states as they hold both primaries and caucuses. The last four eventual Democratic nominees all won Iowa. The race for the White House has begun / AFP via Getty Images Since 1976, five out of eight have won New Hampshire. The two states are not necessarily good predictors of the general election but can help candidates gain momentum. Who won Iowa 2020? The Iowa Democratic party announced that Buttigieg had won by about 0.09per cent, with Sanders in second place. This narrow call came after a raft of issues with the count including delayed results due to technical problems. The chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez called for a recanvass of the results from the Monday February 3 count. Both Buttigieg and Sanders have called for a re count. Who won New Hampshire 2020? Sanders narrowly won the Democrats presidential primaries in New Hampshire on Tuesday, February 11. He beat Buttigieg who took second place. Klobuchar finished a strong third, giving her campaign an unexpected boost, while Warren and Biden posted disappointing fourth and fifth place finishes respectively and were on track to finish with zero delegates from the state. Two candidates dropped out in the wake of weak finishes. Moderate Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and political newcomer Andrew Yang, who attracted a small but loyal following over the past year. Loading.... What is Super Tuesday? This year Super Tuesday falls on March 3. It's the day when most states and territories hold their primary elections or caucuses. Some of the more popular states will hold their elections on Super Tuesday, including California and Texas. The general election will take place in November / REUTERS How long do primaries go on for? Primaries and caucuses run between February and June. However, it is likely the Democrat candidate will be known before as they gather delegates. When will the Democrat candidate be announced? The Democratic candidate will be announced at its national convention between July 13 and 16. Tesla's market value hit $100 billion for the first time Wednesday, triggering a payout plan that could be worth billions for Elon Musk, founder and chief of the electric carmaker. Shares in Tesla rose some six percent in early trade to lift the value of the fast-growing maker of electric vehicles to around $105 billion. Under a compensation plan approved by Telsa's board in 2018, Musk is to be paid in stock awards based on the performance of the company -- a payout which could be worth as much as $50 billion if Tesla's value reaches $650 billion. Musk agreed to the plan, which would pay him nothing until Tesla's value reached $100 billion. The package, using shares which "vest" based on certain criteria, gives Musk stock worth around one percent of the company for each of 12 milestones over a 10-year period. For achieving the first milestone, Musk will get shares worth $346 million if Tesla shares hold above $100 billion over six months, based on the formula. In announcing the plan in March 2018, the company said Musk "would receive no guaranteed compensation of any kind -- no salary, no cash bonuses, and no equity that vests simply by the passage of time" without the rise in value. - Betting on growth - In 2019, Tesla sold some 367,000 vehicles, a rise of 50 percent from the prior year. That is a fraction of the 10 million sold by leading global automakers Toyota and Volkswagen, but investors have pushed up Tesla's value in the expectation that it is changing the industry, and its market value is greater than that of General Motors and Ford, combined. Tesla has begun manufacturing in China and has announced a new plant in Germany that could start production by 2021. The Tesla Model 3 electric car is designed to be more affordable than its earlier models -- around half the cost of the $70,000 models -- and is fueling expectations of stronger growth. Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities offered an upbeat view of Tesla in a research note Wednesday. "In our opinion, the company has the most impressive product roadmap out of any technology/auto vendor around (which the market cap reflects vs. its traditional auto competitors) and will be a 'game changing' driving force for the EV (electric vehicle) transformation over the next decade with Model 3 front and center," Ives said. South African-born Musk, already among the world's wealthiest individuals with an estimate net worth around $30 billion, is the driving force behind Tesla as well as the private space exploration firm SpaceX. He has also launched a tunneling firm called the Boring Company designed for fast-tracked systems that could replace trains, and Neuralink, which is developing a brain-computer interface. US President Donald Trump offered praise for Musk in a CNBC television interview aired on Wednesday. "You have to give him credit," Trump said. "He's one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius. You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison and we have to protect all of these people that -- came up with originally the light bulb and -- the wheel and all of these things. And he's one of our very smart people." Tesla chief Elon Musk, during the delivery ceremony for the firm's China-made Model 3 in Shanghai in January 2020 Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's all-electric battery-powered Cybertruck in November 2019 The Delhi CEO Office on Tuesday rejected allegations that the nomination process of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was being deliberately delayed, saying a set procedure has been followed. The Returning Officer took such a long time due to the rush of candidates on the last day of filing nomination papers, they said. The response from the Delhi CEO Office, in the form of a statement, came in the evening, hours after a number of AAP leaders alleged that around 35 candidates with incomplete set of papers were insisting that they would not allow the chief minister to file his nomination unless their nominations were filed. According to the statement, the CEO Office has received some information through social media that nomination process of the chief minister for New Delhi constituency was being deliberately delayed by the Returning Officer and was taking 30-35 minutes to check the nomination of one candidate just to delay the process and make the chief minister wait unnecessarily. It is hereby clarified that the information is misleading and there was no deliberate delay on the part of the election machinery, the statement read. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had earlier in a tweet tagging the BJP, said, No matter how much you conspire, you will not be able to stop Kejriwal from filing his nomination or from becoming the chief minister for the third time. Your conspiracies will not yield any result, he said earlier in the day as Kejriwal waited to file his nomination. He is the sitting MLA of New Delhi seat -- Assembly Constituency - 40. The CEO office responded, saying, As far as nomination process in AC-40, New Delhi, is concerned, it is stated that today was the last date, till 3 PM, for receiving the nomination forms, and there was a huge rush of aspiring candidates (total 66) who presented before the RO today to file their nomination. In view of the huge rush on the last day, the nomination process has taken time, beyond 3 pm and the same is allowed as per the law, it added. There is a set procedure to be adopted and followed by the returning officer while receiving nominations from candidates. There is a provision in Section 33 of the Representation of the People Act that one candidate can file four sets of nomination papers, and there are certain supporting documents including affidavit in Form-26 which have to be scrupulously checked as per the provisions of the election laws and rules, the CEO Office said. A returning officer must follow all the prescribed procedures as per the law without compromising with the accuracy because any mistake in a hurried manner may vitiate the election process, it said. On the last day of filing of nomination papers, a large number of candidates including Kejriwal filed their papers. With a long queue Jamnagar House the officer of the New Delhi returning officer, Kejriwal had to wait for over six hours for his turn. Scrutiny of papers will take place on Wednesday and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 24. Elections are due on February 8 and counting of votes will be done on February 11. According to the final electoral roll, over 1.46 crore people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the upcoming polls. [January 22, 2020] Trusted Media Brands' Taste of Home Closes 2019 Strong With Record-Setting December Performance MILWAUKEE, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Taste of Home , among the most popular U.S. food brands and the number one food magazine in the United States, finished 2019 strong with a record traffic performance on digital for the month of December. According to comScore, Tasteofhome.com had its best month ever, reaching 31.7 unique visitors, a 26.6 percent increase year-over-year, continuing its streak of 28 consecutive months of year-over-year increases. The 12-month average traffic for 2019, at 21,110 unique visitors, was also the highest recorded yearly average, with a 23% year-over-year increase. Tasteofhome.com also recorded its highest page views ever with 267 million views in December and an average 6.5 minutes spent per visitor, leading major food sites in both traffic and engagement. "The spikes in traffic right at the holidays tells us that people are finding our recipes just in time to get them on the table for their friends and family," said Beth Tomkiw, Chief Content Officer of Taste of Home. "We know there is no time for mistakes, so the fact that our recipes are put through the paces in our professional Test Kitchen gives home cooks confidence." Taste of Home's strong digital performance in 2019 reflects the company's commitment to creating highly engaging and informative content for today's digitally driven consumers. Taste of Home's growth strategy includes a consistent emphasis on SEO optimization to surface the brand's award-winning content. The brand is also doubling down on video content embedded with its top-performing recipes to give home cooks a visual instructional guide. Additionally, dataanalysis is helping to drive decision making around content. The audience and editorial teams work closely to analyze audience engagement to create and program content in all of Taste of Home's digital channels to provide targeted content that will resonate with the audience. For example, audience insights showed Taste of Home's social audience responded positively to recipes involving winter and snow. Consequently, Creamy Coconut Snowballs was one of the highest performing recipes for the period. "The recipes that rose to the top tell the story so well," Tomkiw said. "People want comforting, home-cooked classics at the holidays, foods that bring people together and make memories, and that's our sweet spot." Categories that performed the best during the holidays included party appetizers, pies, potato side dishes, breakfast bakes, soup, and desserts, including popular Christmas cookies. Some of the recipes with high performance that attributed to Taste of Home's record growth included Buffalo Chicken Dip , The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup , Pecan Meltaways , Simple Au Gratin Potatoes , and Basic Homemade Bread . About Taste of Home Taste of Home is America's most popular destination for food, cooking and entertaining. Each year they publish more than 5,000 of the best recipes from an extensive community of home cooks, each tested by the culinary team in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen to ensure reliability and availability of ingredients. From smart grocery shopping tips to timesaving weeknight meals to creative party planning, Taste of Home offers inspiring ways to bring people together over a love of delicious foods. About Trusted Media Brands Trusted Media Brands, comprises a network of engaged, active readers who genuinely connect with its blend of uplifting and expertly-curated family, food, health, home improvement, finance and humor content digitally, via magazines and books, social media, events and experiences. Founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace as Reader's Digest Association, one of the first user-generated content publishers, the company now contains a variety of well-known brands including Reader's Digest, Taste of Home, and Family Handyman. Press Contacts Paul Chronister High10 Media for Trusted Media Brands [email protected] 212-918-2025 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trusted-media-brands-taste-of-home-closes-2019-strong-with-record-setting-december-performance-300991608.html SOURCE Trusted Media Brands, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] City Councilmember Bobby Henon will chair two committees in the next four-year term. Read more Two weeks after losing a City Council leadership position, Councilmember Bobby Henon has secured two important committee chairmanships, regaining political clout while fighting a federal indictment. Henon will replace Councilmember Maria Quinones-Sanchez as chair of the Committee on Licenses and Inspections, an important role for his political base in the building trades unions. He will also retain his chairmanship of the Committee on Public Property and Public Works. That made him one of the winners when Council President Darrell L. Clarke on Tuesday announced committee assignments for the next four-year term. After being introduced, bills are referred to committees, which take testimony on the proposals and must approve them before they can return to the Council floor for final passage. Much of the behind-the-scenes work that shapes legislation, including most amendments, occurs in committees. With the committee assignments, Henon is arguably poised to become more powerful in the next four years than he was in the previous term. Although the majority leader position Henon lost is a largely symbolic role, the committee assignments he won Wednesday carry direct power over significant legislation. Henons good fortune came as a surprise to many, because Clarke was seen as a backer of Councilmember Cherelle L. Parker in the race for majority leader. Parker unseated Henon in a tight race this month amid discomfort from other members about voting for a colleague who has been charged in a case centering on alleged corruption within the local Electricians union. Henon, the unions former political director, and other officials with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 have pleaded not guilty in the case, which is expected to go to trial in the fall. Quinones-Sanchez, a Local 98 foe who is the only Council member to have called on Henon to resign from the body after the indictment, will retain her gavel in the powerful Committee on Appropriations and will also become chair of the Committee on Education. Councilmembers Derek Green, who will take over the Finance Committee, and Kenyatta Johnson, who now leads the Committee on Rules, are also poised to see their influence rise over the next four years. Among those less lucky in the committee selections were Helen Gym and Kendra Brooks, who are expected to be the two progressive stalwarts of the next session. During Clarkes tenure as president, each of the 17 Council members has been guaranteed to chair at least one committee. Gym and Brooks, who have both said they have no problem playing the roles of outsiders in Council, will lead two of the less influential panels. Brooks, a freshman from the Working Families Party who fought the GOP and Democratic establishments alike to win her seat, will chair the Committee on Intergenerational Affairs and Aging. Gym, the only Council member who endorsed Brooks in last years election, will retain her chair on the Committee on Children and Youth. Gym will be one of only two non-freshman Democrats to lead only one panel. The other, Mark Squilla, picked up the chairmanship of the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development after losing the top role on the Committee of Streets and Services to freshman Isaiah Thomas. Council will hold its first working meeting of the new session on Thursday. Here is the full list of committee chairs for the next four years, excluding panels that include all members of Council: Pipeline 22 January 2020 IHG's colourful voco brand is coming to New Zealand in mid-2021, following the signing of a franchise agreement between IHG and Pro-invest. voco Auckland City Centre will incorporate all the elements of the voco life, including 200 guest rooms that are designed around the 'Me Time' concept with premium beds for a quality sleep experience, superior showers, innovative lighting and user-friendly technology. Beyond guest rooms, the hotel will feature an all-day restaurant and bar, and guest gym. Located in the very heart of Auckland's centre, at the corner of Albert and Wyndham Street, voco Auckland City Centre will not only look different, but will also have a distinctive vibe. It will feature fresh, natural and modern design; bringing the outdoors inside and offering playful and energising workspaces, dining and social areas, natural outdoor spaces. It will also feature design and technology elements to enable guests to maintain the balance they desire every day. The property was originally announced as an EVEN Hotel in 2017, however following IHG's launch of voco in 2018 it became clear that the new brand would not only resonate with the colourful, unstuffy and laid-back Kiwi spirit, but also that its 'tread light' philosophy made it a perfect fit with Pro-invest's culture of environmental governance, which includes a commitment to targeting high energy efficiency ratings across its portfolio. The property will be dual-branded, sharing its site with an IHG-branded cousin, the 294-room Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre. The two hotels will have separate branding and guest entrances, but will share facilities to provide a better guest experience. Pro-invest recently opened Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank in December 2019, adding to its existing Holiday Inn Express properties in Sydney Macquarie Park, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle. This year they will open Holiday Inn Express Sydney Airport and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown, followed by Melbourne Little Collins and Sunshine Coast in the coming years. The signing of voco Auckland City Centre continues the rapid growth of the brand since it launched in June 2018, complementing voco hotels in Australia's Gold Coast, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley, Melbourne and Sydney. Its sustainability milestones at existing voco hotels in Australia include more than half a million plastic bottles recycled so far to make voco bedding, locally-sourced food, more than 300,000 bees producing honey and honeycomb for the restaurants, and paperless check-out. The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and Routes have signed their first formal agreement in history. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sees AFRAA, the leading trade Association for African airlines and Routes, the organiser of the leading route development events for the industry, work together to stimulate new air services and champion the African aviation industry. Projections have indicated that, within the next 20 years, the African continent will be one of the fastest-growing aviation markets - accounting for 334 million passengers by 2037. Under this partnership which demonstrates the growing importance of African aviation industry, AFRAA and Routes will work jointly on sharing of data and analytics, promotion of key issues that are affecting airlines and airports within Africa, access to media opportunities among other mutually beneficial actions. This MoU is beneficial to support the development of aviation in Africa which is growing at above global average rates but accounts for less that 3% of global traffic. Strong partnerships among industry stakeholders are instrumental to the realisation of African aviations potential which will result to economic and social benefits for the continent. said Mr. Abderahmane Berthe, AFRAA Secretary General. Berthe added: Among our new strategic objectives is to become a hub for data intelligence and expertise on the African Aviation Industry. African airlines have to keep up with the developments through proper information management and data intelligence. We count on the data and analytics support from this partnership to back this objective. Mr. Steven Small, brand director for Routes, said: We are delighted to have established a formalised agreement with AFRAA, following many years of working closely together. The synergies in values between our organisations, regarding driving a sustainable air transport industry for the African region, makes this a powerful partnership that we are excited to develop. Small added; For over a decade, Routes has recognised the importance of enhancing intra-Africa connectivity. We are delighted that senior leaders from AFRAA will continue to support and join us at our future events. GREENBELT, Md. - A former Canadian army reservist and his two American cohorts, all of them tied to a white-supremacy group with growing notoriety in the United States, remained behind bars Wednesday over a thwarted plot to allegedly kill blacks and Jews, derail trains and trigger a race war in the name of creating a white "ethno-state." Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/1/2020 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. GREENBELT, Md. - A former Canadian army reservist and his two American cohorts, all of them tied to a white-supremacy group with growing notoriety in the United States, remained behind bars Wednesday over a thwarted plot to allegedly kill blacks and Jews, derail trains and trigger a race war in the name of creating a white "ethno-state." Patrik Mathews sat stone-faced throughout his detention hearing in a Maryland courtroom, where U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Sullivan spent the morning contemplating the balance between the safety of the American public and the accused's right to freedom of expression. Master Cpl. Patrik Mathews, shown in this undated RCMP handout photo was reported missing to police on Monday. Former Canadian army reservist and accused white supremacist Patrik Mathews was denied bail following an appearance this morning in a U.S. court.CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP "You can't get more serious than murder," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom, who described the plot as nothing less than a plan to commit acts of domestic terrorism. "You can't get more serious than inciting civil disobedience. That's exactly what Mr. Mathews was planning to do." Sullivan ultimately ordered Mathews, 27, held until a preliminary hearing can be held for the trio, scheduled for Jan. 30. "I don't need to go any further than he's a serious risk of flight," Sullivan said. "This is a very dangerous person, he espouses very dangerous beliefs I don't think I have to say much more." Mathews, a former combat engineer in the Canadian Forces reserves, was arrested last week along with Brian Lemley Jr., 33, and William Bilbrough, 19. Last year he vanished from Beausejour, Man., amid allegations he was a recruiter for The Base, a white-supremacist group. He faces two weapons charges, each of which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of probation and a $250,000 fine. Prosecutors allege in documents filed in court that Mathews videotaped himself advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains. They have also alleged that Mathews and Lemley had been planning to violently disrupt Monday's gun-rights rally in Richmond, Va., in hopes of inciting civil war. "Defendant Lemley fantasized about killing law-enforcement officers, while defendant Mathews expressed regret that he had failed to set explosives in anticipation of the search of his home by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police," said David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware the chief federal prosecutor in the state where two of the men had been living. "These defendants, who were self-proclaimed members of the white-supremacist group The Base, were dedicated to the idea of doing harm to African Americans, Jewish Americans and others the defendants viewed as a threat to their twisted idea of a white ethno-state." Lemley waived his right to seek bail; Sullivan ordered Bilbrough back into custody during a separate hearing later Wednesday. Mathews, meanwhile, was being held more on the basis of his "odious" and "repugnant" beliefs than on the merits of the two weapons charges, which "would not, by themselves, support a detention order," argued his lawyer, Joseph Balter. "One man's domestic terrorism can be another man's exercising of his First Amendment rights." Mathews was silent throughout the hearing until Windom mentioned in passing that he'd been unable to tell investigators the address of the farm where he lived in Manitoba. "I just couldn't remember the street address, sir," Mathews interjected, earning a stern rebuke from the judge. The prosecution's "detention memo" filed Tuesday detailed how investigators used a closed-circuit television camera and microphone, hidden in a home in Delaware, to record Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a "boundless" opportunity. "All you gotta do is start making things go wrong and if Virginia can spiral out to (expletive) full-blown civil war," the documents quote Mathews as saying. Mathews and Lemley discussed the planning of violence at the Richmond rally, according to prosecutors. They said Lemley talked about using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to ambush unsuspecting civilians and police officers. "I need to claim my first victim," Lemley said on Dec. 23, according to the memo. "We could essentially like be literally hunting people," Mathews said, according to prosecutors. "You could provide overwatch while I get close to do what needs to be done to certain things." FBI agents arrested the trio last Thursday as part of a broader investigation of The Base. Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men linked to the group, which has been attracting more scrutiny from law enforcement in recent months. Sullivan made it clear from the outset that he was disinclined to release Mathews, given that he was in the U.S. illegally as it was. He sounded an entirely different note in the afternoon, however, when it came time to contemplate Bilbrough, who took steps to distance himself from the group, according to lawyer Robert Bonsib. Windom, however, managed to convince the judge that Bilbrough isn't the disillusioned and confused young follower he might seem to be, portraying him instead as a self-proclaimed white supremacist and "leader" one whose cellphone photos featured Base propaganda material, including images of him killing and beheading a goat. "I came in thinking it had to be that Mr. Bilbrough was just a pawn for Mr. Lemley and Mr. Mathews," Sullivan said, saying he needed to determine whether he could establish conditions that would guarantee the accused would show up on Jan. 30 if released. "The answer to that is no, right now." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2020. With files from The Associated Press; follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle By Mark Weinraub AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - With China poised to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods this year as part of a Phase 1 China trade deal, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary said on Monday there is no need for a third year of trade-related aid for farmers. Farmers have increasingly relied on aid from the U.S. government to survive during the past two years as exports have lagged throughout the U.S.-China trade war. But USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said China will soon begin buying U.S. farm goods to meet the $40 billion in agricultural purchase agreements it made, alleviating growers' need for more aid. China, which typically buys the bulk of its U.S. agriculture products during the fall and early winter, will likely change the timing of its purchases, Perdue said. "If China is going to achieve that, and we believe they are, we think they have to buy earlier than the traditional export season from the United States," said Perdue, speaking at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention. His remarks came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the convention, promising farmers that the deal will be good for them. Washington and Beijing signed the pact on Jan. 15, though tariffs on major U.S. farm exports have not been removed and structural economic differences were not addressed. Perdue said the third tranche of a $16 billion aid package announced in May will be paid to farmers "imminently," but that they should not expect a 2020 aid package. China bought roughly 60% of U.S. soybean exports before the trade war and also was a major buyer of sorghum, dairy and pork. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said Chinese firms will buy American products, "based on market conditions," raising doubts that the country will meet its commitments under the pact. Growers are used to dealing with seasonality in the export program and could afford to wait without fresh trade aid, said Lane Osswald, 44, a farmer from Eldorado, Ohio. Story continues "Everyone is prepared for the South American harvest to hit the market every year," Osswald said.Soybean futures have dropped 1.3% since the trade deal was signed. The China deal, and the recent passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, will allow farmers to prosper, Perdue said. Trump gained support among American farm families at the end of 2019, Reuters/Ipsos poll data showed, as Trump touted the trade deal ahead of its signing. Farmers broadly voted for Trump in 2016. (Reporting by Mark Weinraub; Editing by Bill Berkrot) President Duterte continues to enjoy high approval ratings. The latest poll shows 82 percent approval, which is up from 78 percent in September 2019. These are all high for a president in office for more than three years. Duterte promised to make people safer while also reducing corruption. He did so and continues to concentrate on what he got elected to do. The latest poll found that only 52 percent of voters expected Duterte to deliver on all or nearly all of his campaign promises while 43 percent expected him to only deliver on a few. Duterte has delivered on more campaign promises than any previous president. Yet his approval ratings have declined as they do for every president, but then they rise again as yet another campaign promise is addressed. In late 2018 his approval was 78 percent. That was down from 84 percent shortly after he took office in 2016. Approval peaked at 85 percent in late 2016 and fell to 75 percent in early 2018 before reaching a low of 68 percent in mid-2019. There are many foreign critics of the Duterte war on drugs but for the people most affected by it there is approval. Filipinos feel safer and more confident about their future. The national crime rate is 3.3 percent less than a year ago and is apparently continuing to decline. Meanwhile, corruption arrests and prosecutions continue to increase and many of those prosecuted are senior officials, often from previous governments. Duterte has also gone after quality-of-life problems like electric and water supplies. The economy is growing and the Chinese threat is being addressed without getting the country into a war. Unrest among the Moslem minority in the south is much reduced and the communist NPA rebels, who have been a problem for over fifty years, are fading fast. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) efforts to establish itself have failed as the group suffered heavy losses in the Philippines during the last two years. In short, there is a lot less rural violence and urban Islamic terrorism. Duterte is often rude, crude, outspoken and effective as a politician. He has always been like that and those who vote for him seem to appreciate the blunt honesty and doing what he was elected to do. All these changes are noticed by the average Filipino and that shows up in the opinion polls. January 21, 2020: In the south (Tawi-Tawi province), marines clashed with Abu Sayyaf gunmen twice over the weekend and killed five of the Islamic terrorists. Tawi-Tawi is adjacent to Sulu where most surviving Abu Sayyaf members are based. January 19, 2020: The new commander of the national police, who replaced a predecessor dismissed for corruption, pledged to concentrate on police misbehavior and the continuing effort to reduce crime in general. The crime rate has gone down along with the number of people involved in the illegal drug business. With fewer corrupt cops around criminals resort to intimidation and assassination of police commanders to regain their freedom of action. In many rural areas, this murder and intimidation extend to local mayors and other officials. With less cooperation from local police, many criminal gangs are much less active and losing money and members. Pity the poor criminal. January 18, 2020: In the south (Sulu province), soldiers clashed with a group of Abu Sayyaf gunmen, killing one of them and capturing their speedboat. That boat was later identified by a recently freed Abu Sayyaf captive as the boat used to attack his fishing ship and kidnap him and two other Indonesians. January 17, 2020: The government revealed that 8,900 MILF fighters had been demobilized, most of them during the last four months of 2019. The rest of the original 12,000 MILF gunmen will be demobilized in early 2020. The army was able to carry this demobilization out because it got a lot of cooperation from local militias, mainly those belonging to the MILF as well as MILF itself. Another factor is BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) gaining voter approval earlier in 2019. This led to the disarmament, demobilization and retraining of MILF militias, a process that will not be complete until 2022 because this process includes over 25,000 local militias and private armies. Many of the former MILF and militia fighters will become part of the 40,000 strong Bangsamoro security forces. In the meantime, these MILF and local militia forces are expected to help deal with organized crime and Islamic terrorists operating near them. Most of the MILF militias began as local defense forces and now that is their primary function until they are demobilized, with many members ending up as local police. Since February 2019, armed members of MILF have been responsible for local security although the Filipino armed forces still handles most of the counter-terrorism operations, especially against ISIL, Abu Sayyaf and BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters). BARMM consists of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces, as well as the cities of Marawi, Lamitan, Cotabato and 63 villages of North Cotabato province. The city of Cotabato will be the BARMM capital. The Islamic terror groups down south, particularly ISIL, are battered and depleted but still active. ISIL rebuilding efforts are hampered by the continued military patrols seeking the dwindling number of camps these groups use for training and building bombs and other devices. Diehard anti-BARMM groups like BIFF have been ISIL associates since 2014 and still finding recruits among young Moslem men looking for some violent excitement. Many Moslem clerics still preach that this sort of violence is justified when Moslems feel they are under attack. Within ISIL the Philippines is no longer a prime destination of ISIL specialists seeking refuge. The areas where Islamic terrorists could set up camps are now part of BARMM and increasingly monitored by former MILF members waiting to become local policemen. Abu Sayyaf is no longer very active as pirates or kidnappers because avoiding the security forces has become a full time job. The leftist NPA is still present and active in the south (less so in the north) but these rebels are operating more like gangsters than political operatives. This has led to fewer new recruits and more of the younger, idealistic, members to either surrender to the government or simply walk away. January 16, 2020: In the south, across the Sulu Sea off nearby Malaysia (Sabah) Abu Sayyaf pirates attacked an Indonesian fishing boat and kidnapped the eight Indonesian crewmen. The pirates later released three of their captives in Sabah. These Indonesians sought out the police and reported the attack. The military is now searching for these pirates and their captives. Currently, Abu Sayyaf only has about 400 active members and is short of cash, local support and new recruits. Kidnapping used to be a good source of cash, especially if a foreigner could be taken. That has become more difficult and risky because the military has increased the number and effectiveness of its land and naval patrols. Thats one reason most of the recent pirate attacks have occurred in Malaysian waters. January 12, 2020: The navy has tracked a Chinese coast guard ship spending a lot of time circling a Filipino base on Second Thomas Reef. Although this reef is 200 kilometers from Palawan (indisputably part of the Philippines) and thus recognized by international law as Filipino, China also claims ownership. This was going on while Chinese coast guard officials were making a goodwill visit to the Filipino capital. China still claims that Second Thomas Reef is Chinese and that Filipinos are trespassing. Back in early 2018 China moved a lot more ships, plus aircraft overhead, to this area in a failed effort to prevent resupply of the detachment of Filipino marines stationed there on a World War II era landing ship (the BRP Sierra Madre) since 1999. The Filipino navy deliberately grounded the LST on Second Thomas Reef to provide a place for this observation team. In 2013 Chinese patrol ships came within nine kilometers of the LST, which China insists is there illegally. The Philippines warned China that it would resist any attempts to use force against the grounded ship and while the Chinese still tries to interfere with supply ships, they have stayed away. In 2015 China protested the Filipino effort to make repairs on the LST. The Philippines protested the Chinese moves but only after a two week delay because of disagreements within the Filipino government about how to deal with the situation. China is buying a lot of influence in the Philippines but at the same time most Filipinos fear being conquered by an increasingly aggressive China. The Philippines also decided to proceed with upgrades to its other disputed islands in the Spratly Islands. Since late 2019 China and the Philippines have been negotiating, unsuccessfully so far, to create a COC (Code of Conduct) for operations in contested areas. January 8, 2020: The army is resuming its offensive operation against the leftist NPA rebels because the NPA has violated the holiday ceasefire it proposed and implemented. The 16 day truce began on December 23. While the security forces observed the truce, a number of NPA factions did not and there were two NPA violations on the first day. For the rest of the truce period, there was frequent violence against civilians, as part of the NPA effort to intimidate civilians into supporting them or at least not cooperating with the security forces. During 2019 the security forces inflicted major damage on the NPA by eliminating 10,918 NPA members or supporters via surrender, arrest or killed in combat. The government continues to hold peace talks with the NPA leadership but those leaders appear to have lost control of many NPA factions. January 1, 2020: In the north (Manila), police arrested a known BIFF member who, it turned out, was on vacation and not working on carrying out a terror attack in the capital. December 23, 2019: Today is the first day of the 16 day holiday truce the NPA proposed and the government agreed to. Despite that, in the north (Camarines Norte province) NPA gunmen ambushed some soldiers, killing one of them and wounding six. In the south (Iloilo province), police were ambushed by NPA gunmen, leaving two policemen wounded. December 22, 2019: In the south (North Cotabato province), BIFF was blamed for three explosions that left 23 wounded (nine of them soldiers). BIFF is down to less than a hundred active members spending most of its time trying to avoid the security forces. These three attacks, two of them involving hand grenades, are apparently the best BIFF can do right now. BIFF denied responsibility but they are the most prominent Islamic terrorist group in the province. WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps defense hinges largely on arguments made in the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson more than 150 years ago: that impeachment requires a crime. But most legal scholars disagree, including Jonathan Turley, the law professor called by Republicans in the House investigation to argue against impeaching Trump. A lawyer for Johnson argued in his opening statement to the Senate that Johnson could not be removed from office because he was not guilty of a crime. Johnson was acquitted by a single vote. One of Trumps lawyers, Alan Dershowitz says that same argument that impeachment requires criminal-like conduct will be central to the constitutional defense he will make on the presidents behalf. The idea may be attractive to Republicans seeking a legal basis to acquit Trump of having abused his power and obstructing Congress. But legal scholars dispute the idea that the Founding Fathers ever intended for impeachable offenses to require proof of a crime. Historians are equally dubious that the argument from Johnsons lawyer, Benjamin Robbins Curtis, can be credited with securing Johnsons narrow acquittal. This is a way in which history is weaponized and distorted in order to give these kinds of arguments heft, said Rachel Shelden, a Penn State University history professor and Civil War-era expert. Its a way of trying to promote an understanding of the Johnson impeachment that is false, based on what historians now believe. At issue is the Constitutions standard for impeachment: treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Over the centuries, the threshold has been understood to encompass actual crimes judges have been impeached for soliciting bribes and sex abuse, among other offenses but also noncriminal misconduct such as being drunk on the bench or favoritism in the appointment of bankruptcy receivers. Johnson was impeached in part over accusations that he violated the Tenure of Office Act, which barred presidents from firing Senate-confirmed officials without Senate approval, over his removal of his War Secretary Edwin Stanton. Johnsons defense team questioned the constitutionality of that now-extinct law, and at his 1868 trial, one of his lawyers asserted that an impeachable offense refers to, and includes only, high criminal offenses against the United States. There can be no crime, there can be no misdemeanor without a law, written or unwritten express or implied, said Curtis, a former Supreme Court Justice who served as Johnsons principal attorney. There must be some law; otherwise there is no crime. My interpretation of it is that the language high crimes and misdemeanors means offenses against the laws of the United States.' Dershowitz, who is expected to make a constitutional presentation to the Senate within days, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that he would paraphrase Curtiss argument that the framers intended for impeachable conduct only to be criminal-like conduct or conduct that is prohibited by the criminal law. That argument prevailed. I will be making that argument as a lawyer on behalf of the presidents defense team against impeachment. Thats my role. Its very clear. I have done it before, he said. But legal scholars and Democrats are decrying the claim that an impeachable offense must be an indictable crime. A former student of Dershowitzs at Harvard Law School described it as rubbish. Turley, a George Washington University law professor, wrote in The Washington Post that such an argument was politically unwise and constitutionally shortsighted. They had to go outside the realm of constitutional lawyers and scholars to a criminal defense lawyer to make that argument because no reputable constitutional law expert would do that, said California Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He is one of the seven Democratic managers prosecuting the impeachment case. Even Trumps attorney general, William Barr, wrote in a June 2018 memo before he was nominated for the Cabinet post that Congress could impeach presidents who abused their power. Democrats contend that Trumps abuse of power pressing Ukraine for an investigation into a Trump Democratic rival, Joe Biden, at the same time Trumps administration withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid is a quintessential impeachable offense. They say the Founding Fathers intentionally created a flexible standard of bad acts that could result in impeachment, and that Trumps acts in this instance are the framers worst nightmare. Historians also point to multiple reasons for Johnsons acquittal and question whether senators found Curtis arguments persuasive. Had Johnson been removed from office, he would have been succeeded by Benjamin Wade, the Senate president and a radical Republican disliked by more conservative Republicans. Behind the scenes, Johnson and his allies worked to assure senators that if they voted to acquit him, he would stop interfering in Reconstruction. That was the very concern that led to Johnsons impeachment in the first place. And theres some agreement among historians that the senator who made the deciding vote against impeachment was bribed. I dont think you can place any weight on that argument for explaining Andrew Johnsons acquittal, said Jeffrey Engel, president of Southern Methodist Universitys Center for Presidential History and co-author of Impeachment: An American History. The Constitutions framers seemed more preoccupied by the notion of a presidents faithfulness to the office than on the precise acts that would merit impeachment, said Kent Greenfield, a Boston College constitutional law professor. What that means is faithful as opposed to corrupt, faithful as opposed to self-interested, Greenfield said. Theres something like a fiduciary duty to the nation. That duty is really more than just, Dont break the law.' Greenfield said it is about putting the interests of the country above personal interests. Even if the argument isnt the best, it may nonetheless be worth making to senators, who are not judges and may be persuaded by arguments that arent terribly good law, said David Stewart, a historian who has written a book about Johnsons impeachment. Ill be blunt: If I was the presidents lawyer, Id probably make the argument too, Stewart said. But I dont think its very strong. _____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP Pavitra Rishta fame actor Anurag Sharma is all set to tie the knot with long-time girlfriend and actress Nandini Gupta on January 31. The wedding is all set to take place in Nandinis hometown in Delhi. The baraat will travel all the way from Anurags hometown. The wedding reception will be held in Prayagraj, Allahabad. Anurag first shared the happy news on social media with his fans and well-wishers. Anurag wrote, "KISMAT CONNECTION I loved her @starnandini since the first time I saw her... Me and Nandini #ANUDINI are ready to take up the big leap and start the adventure called "marriage". We are truly blessed with such amazing family, friends and fans please continue to pour your love and blessings as we begin this journey #newbeginnings @7thskyproduction" (sic) Speaking about his relationship and the upcoming wedding, the Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actor said, Nandini and I have been living together since four years, after I proposed to her in February 2016. A few months ago, we felt that it was the right time to tie the knot and decided on the date. I think its a good idea to have a live-in relationship before getting married because that helps two people to know each other better. He went on to add, I am a quiet person. She is vivacious and completely opposite to me. I guess thats what attracted me to her. We lived in the same area and used to bump into each other, and one day, I asked if she would come along with me to Siddhivinayak temple. So, thats how it all began. ALSO READ: Kapil Sharma's 'Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon' Co-Star Simran Kaur Mundi To Tie The Knot On January 31 ALSO READ: Mona Singh Weds Boyfriend Shyam: Actress Looks Gorgeous In Red Bridal Attire (Inside Pictures) Inspector Marc Riddell, Chief Inspector William Calderwood, PJ McAvoy, Chair of Ballymena North, Mayor Maureen Morrow, Jackie Patton of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, and Inspector Rory Bradley at the launch of the #Here2Help roadshow A smartphone app is set to be launched by Mid and East Antrim Council as part of a major new mental health and well-being campaign following a spate of tragedies in the area. The app has been developed to help local residents quickly access contact details for a range of support services available to them within the borough. It will also provide support to anyone suffering from the misuse of drugs and alcohol. The council teamed up with the PSNI, Public Health Agency and local community groups to produce the app which will be launched as part of their #Here2Help campaign, and will include a roadshow which is set to travel to schools in the area. The area has suffered a number of tragic sudden deaths in recent months and in response a series of council motions were raised by elected members in order to try and help. Earlier this month a Presbyterian minister in Co Antrim spoke of the "tangible wave of despair" that has hit Ballymena after a series of suicides and drug-related deaths. Dr Martin McNeely from Ballykeel Church presided over the funeral of popular barman Christian Grey who took his own life last month, hours after a heartbreaking post about his mental health struggles on social media. Within days the minister had buried another young man, also aged under 30, who died following a drug overdose. It comes amid a mental health crisis in Northern Ireland, prompting Health Minister Robin Swann to say that he intends to hold a ministerial working group on suicide prevention "as soon as possible". The council's app aims to provide helplines for users to get support instantly while also providing a wide range of links to reading materials that can help people in their time of need. As part of the #Here2Help campaign, the council is aiming to promote the initiative on social media, as well as bus advertising and digital media to encourage people to download the app. It will be launched at the #Here2Help roadshow which will take place on Wednesday, February 12 at 10am in Ballymena North Business and Recreation Centre on the Cushendall Road. The event is free and open to everyone. Speakers will include those directly affected by mental health and drug and alcohol issues in their families. The event will also hear from those who found a way to turn their life around using the support services available on the app. A reduced form of the roadshow will travel to all schools within the borough over the coming months, beginning in Carrickfergus on Thursday, February 13. Mayor, Councillor Maureen Morrow, said the council want to highlight the "vast amount of support" available to the community. She said: "The Here2Help roadshow is an opportunity for us as a council to demonstrate to all our communities our commitment to helping and supporting them. "We are listening and want to help in whatever way possible those who are affected by issues such as mental health and well-being and the very real dangers of drug and alcohol misuse." PSNI Vulnerability Inspector Chief Inspector William Calderwood said: "This roadshow is extremely important as we continue to address the seriousness of these issues and we remain committed to working together to ensuring the most vulnerable in our society get the help and support they need. "Recent figures released by NISRA on the number of deaths within this borough as a result of mental health issues and drugs and alcohol are staggering and we as a Police Service want to demonstrate that we are here to support the most vulnerable in our community," added CI Calderwood To register to attend the free roadshow or if you would like to have the roadshow visit your school or community group, please contact lisa.thompson@midandeastantrim.gov.uk for further information. Notorious Sydney rap group OneFour have revealed how they first bonded over their love of music while singing in a Mormon church choir as young kids. The drill rap group, which originated out of Mount Druitt in Sydney's west, has been dogged by violence at its concerts and criminal activity undertaken by some of its members. OneFour rappers Salec 'Lekks' Sua, Pio 'YP' Misa and Dahcell 'Celly' Ramos are all behind bars for their involvement in a brutal bashing in a pokies room. But in a rare interview with GQ Australia, the two other members J-Emz and Spenny have revealed how religion brought the group together in their youth. Members of OneFour are pictured posing inside a church in a photo they shared to Instagram in October 'It was fun. I barely went to school. Spenny's school was two-three minutes away from ours but we grew up knowing each other through church,' J-Emz said. 'Nothing wrong with a bit of faith. Even the biggest criminals believe in something. 'We grew up with our parents, our aunties, uncles and cousins in the choir. Sometimes we were forced to sing in the choir too - but we hated it getting dragged to choir practice.' The group's religious background has formed a key role in their brand identity - and they shared a photo of their members posing inside a church on Instagram in October alongside the caption 'forgive me Lord'. Spenny meanwhile looked back on his childhood as a split between firm family values and a lack of discipline when out with his friends. In a wide-ranging interview, Pio Misa said their underprivileged background had impacted the nature of their music, while saying the group's relationship with law enforcement had never been this strained. OneFour have had to cancel their national tour of Australia as police clamp down on gang-related violence Earlier this month Spenny, J-Emz and their entourage made a surprise appearance at the City Loves Country event in Sydney during hip hop duo Hermitude's set. 'If you thought that was big, make some motherf**king noise for OneFour,' Hermitude frontman Angus Stuart announced to the crowd before the rap group took to the stage. After finishing up an energetic five-minute performance, Spenny, J-Emz and a dozen of their group addressed the audience and walked backstage. 'We f**king love you Sydney,' J-Emz told the crowd. 'Listen up, listen up, listen up. All bulls**t aside, this show was for a good cause, you know what I mean? For the f**king bushfires. The shock performance follows two members and one on-again off-again member of the Mount Druitt rap group - who sing about stabbing people and putting them in coffins - being jailed in December over a July 2018 violent pub melee. Dahcell 'Celly' Ramos, Salec 'Lekks' Sua, 26, and Pio 'YP' Misa, 19, had been at a house party before deciding to kick on to Rooty Hill's Carousel Inn, in western Sydney, just before midnight. Sua - who was described as the instigator of the brutal attack - had been drinking heavily. About the same time, the two victims, Troy and his best friend Anthony, were at the poker machines in the outdoor gaming room, sitting next to one another. The bloody melee, captured on CCTV, began after one of the victims asked Sua: 'Why are you looking at my f***ing machine?' Spenny (pictured in front) and J-Emz took to the stage along with their entourage at the City Loves Country charity event at Concrete Playground in Sydney earlier this month Yelling abuse, the OneFour rapper was then kicked out by security - only to storm back in with four of his mates. Misa and Ramos unleashed on the two gamblers. Misa smashed a chair leg into the back of one's head, while Ramos repeatedly pounded the other man's head with a hammer. OneFour members Lekks (left) and YP (second from left) were jailed over a brutal pub bashing in July 2018. The rest of the group's four official members, Spenny (third) and J-Emz, remain in the group and were not involved in the melee Dahcell 'Celly' Ramos, Salec 'Lekks' Sua, 26, and Pio 'YP' Misa, 19, were jailed last year after a violent fight at Rooty Hill's Carousel Inn, in western Sydney, in July 2018 The court heard Sua was being held back by a security guard, until one of the men fell unconscious and was left 'lying in a pool of his own blood, unconscious on the ground'. Sua was released by the guard and then grabbed the victim's hair and shook the man's head back and forth while he was sprawled on the ground. He suffered skull, nasal, septum, sinus wall and eye socket fractures, lacerations to his cheek, eyebrow and eyelid and 'significant' facial swelling. Both of his ears were wounded - from his earrings being tugged from his ears, court documents said. Lekks was jailed for at least four-and-a-half years, Celly - the hammer attacker - received a 10 year sentence, and YP will serve four years behind bars. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said religious minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are living a "life of misery" and India has fulfilled its "moral duty" towards them by enacting the CAA. Addressing a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Shatabdi Nagar here, he also questioned those opposing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and said the government has not discussed it. Dismissing allegations that the Centre is pursuing a "divisive agenda" through the CAA, Singh said the BJP doesn't do politics on religious lines for selfish gains. "In Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, religious minorities are living a life of misery. India has fulfilled its moral duty (by enacting the CAA)," he said. "The entire world is accepting India's power. We don't do politics on the lines of religion for selfish reasons," he said. The citizenship law is being viewed from a Hindu-Muslim perspective, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks of justice, he added. Singh said the NDA had prepared the citizenship legislation in its first tenure, but it could not be enacted. On the NRC, Singh said, "The government has had no discussion on the NRC. And suppose it has, then what is the problem with having a register of citizens." "Shouldn't there be a register of citizens? Shouldn't there be a document for people to seek benefits of government schemes," he asked the crowd at the rally. Singh said the BJP wants to do politics by winning people's hearts and asserted that the party is working to fulfil all its promises. "Whenever a political party contests elections, it makes various kinds of promises. I was given the responsibility to prepare the BJP's manifesto for the 2019 (Lok Sabha) elections. Within seven months of being elected, the BJP has been rapidly fulfilling its promises," he said. "I want to assure the people of India that our party will deliver on whatever it promises. We do not want to cheat the people," he said. "By the end of 2022, every house will have a pucca roof. Tap water will reach every household by the end of 2024. PM Modi put Rs 6,000 each in the bank accounts of farmers," he added. The minister said the the BJP had also taken steps for farmers' welfare. "Farmer brothers need not worry, we will pay you every single penny for your hardwork," he said. The CAA allows easier citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains who came to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before 2015 to escape religious persecution there. Muslim migrants don't figure on this list. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the NRC is intended to target the Muslim community in India. However, the central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries and not to take away anyone's citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: Superstar Deepika Padukone made yet another stylish appearance in Davos, Switzerland, where she was recently felicitated with the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum for her contribution to mental health awareness. In the latest pictures shared by her stylist Shaleena Nathani, Deepika spreads her charm in a black overcoat and pencil pants. The actress paired her OOTD with a sparkling necklace, matching earrings, Louboutin heels and a statement bag. What adds more to the beauty of the pictures is the snow-capped mountains behind Deepika. Meet boss lady Deepika Padukone in the Swiss Alps. For the main event, Deepika turned heads turn in a violet Alex Perry gown. While accepting the award, she opened up about her own experience with mental illness and how it drove her to start The Live Love Laugh Foundation. Deepika shared, "Through my journey to recovery from depression, I began to understand the stigma and lack of awareness associated with mental illness, I felt a deep need to save at least one life." "And it is this very need that motivated me to go public with my illness and set up the Live Love Laugh Foundation," she added. Watch her now-viral speech here: She also expressed gratitude like this: On the work front, Deepika's latest film is 'Chhapaak', directed by Meghna Gulzar. It is based on acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. She will be next seen in '83, along with husband Ranveer Singh. by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, January 22, 2020 Yesterday, Facebooks head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, published an editorial in the Des Moines Register making a case that the company has made large investments in teams and technologies to better secure our elections since its widely criticized roles in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Facebook has, of course, also been widely criticized for its decisions not to attempt to screen for or ban false political ads, or limit microtargeting, in relation to this years presidential elections as well for insufficient safeguarding of users information within and outside of the elections context. All of which is a backdrop as Facebook and the other big tech companies face government antitrust scrutiny and calls from critics for their breakup. advertisement advertisement When Iowans go to caucus [next month for the Democratic presidential nomination], they should do so knowing that Facebook has made wholesale improvements to how we approach election security, writes Gleicher. But you should also know that were not resting on any progress and continue to find ways to improve. We remain committed to fighting election interference, increasing transparency, and giving more people more information about what they see online. What happened in 2016, Gleicher argues, was a [sic] wake up call. Facebook and our country was caught off guard by Russias attack on our elections using social media, fake accounts, forged documents and other forms of manipulation. It forced wholesale changes in how we, as a company and as a nation, approach these issues. Critics have pointed out that Facebooks screening of ads and content leading up to the 2016 election was irresponsibly inept, including its failure to scrutinize ad orders placed in Russian. The editorials list of Facebooks changes include tripling the size of its safety and security staff, to 35,000; creating rapid response centers to identify and remove content that violates its behavior policies, which will operate during all caucuses and primaries; and working in much closer partnership with law enforcement agencies, state officials and other tech companies to combat potential interference. Since 2016, the company has helped fight disinformation campaigns in more than 200 elections around the world, according to Gleicher. In the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, it dismantled more than 100 accounts likely linked to the Russian-backed Internet Research Agency from Facebook and Instagram, and removed more than 45,000 pieces of misleading content aimed at suppressing voting. On the political ad front, he points out the companys increased requirements to verify that those wanting to run ads are actually located in the countries in which they want to run them, and its new public disclosure of who paid for such ads, where they ran and some information about who they reached. The editorial reiterates that Facebook policies prohibiting hate speech, real-world harm, voter suppression, and election interference are enforced in regard to ads, as well as user posts. Facebook has also partnered with 56 independent fact-checking organizations, in 44 languages, to give people more information about what theyre seeing, Gleicher writes. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals rose 0.80% to Rs 353.60 after the company said it has sold its gynaecology business to private equity firm True North backed Integrace Pharma. Private equity firm True North has agreed to acquire Glenmark Pharmaceuticals' gynaecology business in India and Nepal for Rs 115 crore in cash. The business accounts for less than 1% of Glenmark's total revenue. True North is making the acquisition through portfolio company Integrace, Glenmark said in a stock-exchange filing. The transaction is likely to be completed by the end of March 2020. On a consolidated basis, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals' net profit fell 17.2% to Rs 255.50 crore on 8.8% rise in net sales to Rs 2,763.73 crore in Q2 September 2019 over Q2 September 2018. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals is a global innovative pharmaceutical company with operations in more than 50 countries primarily focused in the areas of oncology, respiratory and dermatology. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAY CITY, MI - A Columbus Avenue area neighborhood will see a bit of blight cleanup this year thanks to a new project. The Bay City Commission on Tuesday, Jan. 21, approved a neighborhood revitalization agreement between the Bay City Housing Commission, City of Bay City and the Bay County Treasurer. The Commission approved a recommendation by City Manager Dana Muscott to accept the agreement after the Bay City Housing Commission approached the city and the Bay County Treasurer to work in a collaborative project to acquire, demolish, and rehabilitate properties in a target area. The seven properties are visibly blighted and two houses are owned by the Bay City through tax foreclosure while four others are owned by Bay County. One property is a vacant lot that sits adjacent to one of the city owned blighted homes. The homes that will be purchased as a part of the project are located at the following addresses in Bay City: - 108 N. Monroe, county owned - 109 S. Madison, county owned - 115 N. Grant, county owned - 206 N. Jefferson, county owned - 234 N. Jefferson, city owned - 232 N. Jefferson (vacant lot), city owned - 406 10th Street, city owned The terms of the agreement state that the Housing Commission offered to fund up to $120,000 for the acquisition, environmental testing, abatement and demotion cost of the city and county owned properties. The Housing Commission will then be able to acquire the properties after the sites have been environmentally tested at a cost of $100. As for Bay Citys responsibilities, Bay City is expected to aid in coordination of asbestos and environmental testing, handle request for bids, and oversee demolition. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2020) - Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) ("Steppe Gold" or the "Company") is extremely pleased and proud to be the first company to receive funding from the Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV. The fund has subscribed for a 12% two-year secured convertible debenture of the Company in the principal amount of US$3 million (the "Debenture"). The Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV aims to finance high return projects that increase economic growth and provide a positive contribution to the social and economic development of the country. The Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV is managed by DBM Asset Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Government-owned Development Bank of Mongolia. The Debenture will bear interest from the date of closing at 12% per annum, calculated and payable semi-annually in arrears, and will mature two years from the date of issuance. The Debenture will be convertible at the option of the holder into common shares of the Company at any time prior to the close of business on the maturity date at a conversion price of US$0.68 (Approx. C$0.90) per common share. The Debenture will be a secured obligation of the Company, secured through a pledge by the Company of the shares of its subsidiary, Steppe West LLC, which indirectly owns an 80% interest in the Company's Uudam Khundii project. The gross proceeds from the Debenture will be used for exploration and development of the Company's properties in Mongolia, and to accelerate the production process. Matthew Wood, Chairman, commented, "This historic partnership with the Mongolian National Investment Fund is another important milestone for Steppe Gold. As we build the premier precious metals company in Mongolia, we are especially pleased to see the continued strong support from local institutions, who share our passion for developing the substantial mineral wealth of the country. In our recent capital raising activity, over 70% has come from Mongolian institutions." The offering is expected to close on or about January 27, 2020 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. About National Strategic Investment Fund PIF SPV The Mongolian National Investment Fund PIF SPV is managed by DBM Asset Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Government-owned Development Bank of Mongolia. http://www.dbmamc.mn/ About Steppe Gold Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company and is projected to produce 60,000 ounces of gold from its ATO Gold Mine in 2020. The Company is also completing a feasibility study into the expansion of the ATO Mine to approximately 150,000 ounces of gold per annum. Steppe Gold has been selected as "The Company of the Year" by the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industries of Mongolia and "The Investment of the Year" by the Mineral and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia in 2019, respectively. For Further information, please contact: Matthew Wood, Executive Chairman Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic street 19A, Sukhbaatar District 1, Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia Tel: +976 7732 1914 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: The above contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among other things, statements regarding the trading of the Common Shares and business, economic, and political conditions in Mongolia. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51735 PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 22, 2020) - Daron G. Ferris, MD, the Founder of CerviCusco, will receive the 2020 Penn Nursing Renfield Foundation Award for Global Women's Health for his dedication to cervical cancer prevention among the indigenous women in Cusco, Peru. Ferris created CerviCusco, a non-profit organization that ensures all women, including those with limited economic resources, have access to high quality and affordable health education and care, including screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer. Ferris will receive the award - which comes with a $100,000 cash prize - during an event at the University of Pennsylvania on April 23, 2020. "Dr. Ferris is a leading clinician, educator, and researcher whose focus on cervical cancer treatment and prevention has improved the lives of countless women, and their families," said Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel, PhD, FAAN. "His innovative approach to establishing health care access for underserved women, establishing international partnerships with nurses and other interdisciplinary colleagues, and building community capacity to improve the lives of women - make him - and CerviCusco - exemplary recipients of the Penn Nursing Renfield Foundation Award winner." The Need for CerviCusco Peru has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world. The country of 32 million people has a large rural and poor population. The Andes region of Peru (including Cusco) is disproportionately impacted by cervical cancer, in particular. There are multiple barriers to prevention programs: physical distance to healthcare services; a lack of culture of preventative medicine; poor literacy skills; language barriers; and fear and stigma associated with gynecological issues. As a result, the disease is often not identified until it is at an advanced stage and symptoms are present. At this stage, treatment options are severely limited. Caught early, pre-cancerous cells can be removed or treated. However, a late-stage diagnosis requires chemotherapy or radiation therapy - which is not available. This makes it prohibitively expensive for most of the population. Without treatment, many die painfully from this preventable disease. In resource-poor regions, the death of a mother places an important burden on the family. Children's health and education suffer, prolonging the socio-economic deprivation of the next generation. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer among women in Peru, with an estimated 4,000 new cases annually. About 1,800 of those women will die from the disease, making it the second most common cause of cancer deaths among women. The incidence of cervical cancer in Peru is over 50 percent more than the South American average and the mortality rate over a third higher. Taking note of these numbers, in 2008 Dr. Ferris set about changing the plight of women in the Cusco region through the creation of CerviCusco. What CerviCusco Does The non-profit CerviCusco is dedicated to cervical cancer prevention in this region of Peru. The organization delivers cervical cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and other women's health services. It ensures that all women, including those with limited economic resources, have access to high quality and affordable health education and care. "CerviCusco was founded on the principles of compassionate care and medical excellence, and these remain of utmost importance to us today," said Ferris. "We are dedicated to the people of Cusco and use advanced screening and medical technology -- not available in many parts of this region - ensuring all of our patients, regardless of their ability to pay, receive the care and treatment they deserve. This award will ensure that our services will reach an even greater number of people, and for this, we are thankful." CerviCusco maintains a regional medical clinic in Cusco to deliver high quality and affordable medical care to women. It conducts outreach campaigns to disadvantaged indigenous women to provide critical preventative care and educates healthcare providers and the public about cervical cancer and screening. CerviCusco is advancing scientific discovery in the area through clinical research studies that normally would not be performed there. To ensure it has a presence for many years to come, CerviCusco develops strategic partnerships to gain further access to advanced medical and laboratory technology that will bring another level of access to much needed health care. CerviCusco's Impact Since its founding, CerviCusco has crossed a significant number of thresholds including: 25,000+ people vaccinated against HPV 65,000+ Liquid-based Pap tests 10,000+ diagnostic examinations and cervical pre-cancer surgical treatments 1,000+ cancer prevention and screening out-reach campaigns Cancer prevention health care in all 13 rural districts of Cusco and other departments 2,000+ medical and helping hands volunteers 17 Medical Research studies conducted About Dr. Ferris Daron Ferris, MD is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Augusta University. A graduate of Davidson College, he received his medical degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and completed an internship and a residency in Family Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Ferris is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar. He is the inventor of the Ferris Cervical Biopsy Model, the Ferris Cryosurgical Iceball Gauge, various anatomical teaching models, an anal Pap test device and software for digital imaging colposcopy. He is involved in numerous clinical research trials, including industry- and NIH-funded trials. Ferris' research interests include women's health; lower anogenital tract neoplasias; colposcopy; human papillomavirus (HPV); cervical and anal cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment; prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines; vaginitis; and translational and clinical research. He has published numerous articles on colposcopy, HPV, HPV vaccines, and other women's health subjects in such peer-reviewed journals as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, The Lancet, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease. Ferris is a past president of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and was the former director of the ASCCP Comprehensive Colposcopy course. About the Renfield Award The Penn Nursing Renfield Foundation Award for Global Women's Health was established in 2012 by the Beatrice Renfield Foundation. This award is presented biennially to a leader, or leaders, in the field of global women's health. The goals of the Award include raising awareness of global women's health issues, supporting multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing global women's health issues, and rewarding innovative strategies designed to deal with pressing issues for women. The Beatrice Renfield Foundation is led by Jean Renfield-Miller, PAR'15. The Foundation is named after Jean's sister, who devoted years of service and resources as an advocate for the nursing profession. Past winners include: Vandana Gopikumar, PhD, Co-Founder of The Banyan, India (2018); Denis Mukwege, MD, Founder of the Panzi Hospital and Panzi Foundation, Democratic Republic of Congo (2016); and Edna Adan Ismail, Founder and Administrator of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital, Somaliland (2014). ### Editor's Note: For high-resolution images of Dr. Ferris, or to arrange advanced interviews, please contact Ed Federico in Penn Nursing's Office of Marketing & Communications. About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is one of the world's leading schools of nursing. For the fourth year in a row, it is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS University and is consistently ranked highly in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of best graduate schools. Penn Nursing is currently ranked # 1 in funding from the National Institutes of Health, among other schools of nursing, for the second consecutive year. Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists and nurse leaders to meet the health needs of a global society through innovation in research, education, and practice. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Instagram. UK Lays Out Tough Child Data Privacy Rules Social media sites, games, and other online services wont be allowed to nudge British kids into revealing personal details or lowering their privacy settings, under tough new rules drawn up by the countrys privacy regulator. The set of standards aimed at protecting childrens online privacy were released on Jan. 22 by the Information Commissioners Office for Parliaments approval. There are laws to protect children in the real worldfilm ratings, car seats, age restrictions on drinking and smoking. We need our laws to protect children in the digital world too, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said. In a generation from now, we will look back and find it astonishing that online services werent always designed with children in mind. Tech companies wont be able to use nudge techniques, such as making one option appear easier than the alternative, to encourage kids to provide unnecessary personal data or weaken or turn off their privacy protections. Theyll also have to verify a users age or instead apply the codes standards to all users. Smartphone apps are shown in Miami on Oct. 29, 2019. (Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo) Sharing or broadcasting a childs location should be off by default, so should profiling kids for so-called behavioral advertising, the new rules say. Other requirements include collecting and holding a minimum amount of personal data and making high privacy settings the default. Online services should take childrens best interests into account and shouldnt use their data to auto-recommend harmful content like videos advocating suicide or anorexia. The age appropriate design code has 15 standards in all that must be met by apps, connected toys, social media platforms, online games, educational websites, and streaming services. They apply to any online service likely to be used by a child and to any companies offering their services in the UK. Violators face punishment including, in serious cases, fines worth 4 percent of a companys global revenue, which for the Silicon Valley giants like Facebook would equal billions of dollars. Once Parliament gives its approval, companies will get a 12-month transition period to adapt to the new rules. Theyre expected to come into full effect by autumn 2021. Tech companies are coming under increasing pressure to tighten up online protection for young people, with authorities in the United States, Ireland, and elsewhere also working on updating their rulebooks. By Kelvin Chan VIENNA, Va., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), announced that Steve Miller will join the organization as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO, Miller will lead AOPO in its mission to work with the 58 federally-designated member Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) across the United States to maximize the availability of organs and tissues for transplantation, and enhance the quality, effectiveness and integrity of the donation process. "Under his leadership, Steve has an impressive and proven record of accomplishments. As a Certified Association Executive with decades of experience in healthcare, government relations, strategic planning and public relations, his history of accomplishments and success speaks for itself. We are excited to have him lead AOPO in this new decade," stated Kelly Ranum, AOPO President and CEO of the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency. "I am thrilled to be joining this critical, lifesaving community," Miller said. "The simple truth is that organ donation provides tens of thousands of people with a second chance at life, and I look forward to working with the AOPO board and staff to tackle the challenges facing the community as we chart a dynamic path forward," Miller added. Miller most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Prior to serving as COO, Miller was their Director of Government and Public Affairs. Miller's career includes positions at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Health Care Association, the Office of Representative James Bilbray and the Office of Senator Harry Reid. Miller's first day at AOPO will be February 17. The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) represents the nation's 58 federally designated organ procurement organizations. Learn more at www.aopo.org. SOURCE Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) Contact: Michael Frohlich, (703) 556-4242, [email protected] Related Links https://www.aopo.org Amsterdam NL, January 22, 2020 - Progress in research and technology is giving rise to an optimistic future for compensation and restoration of low vision, according to research in a special issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, published by IOS Press. Seven studies explore different aspects of vision loss after damage to the retina, optic nerve or brain due to diseases such as glaucoma or optic neuropathy. Remarkable progress is being made to treat conditions of partial blindness that have previously been considered irreversible. "The findings in this special issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience showcase how basic science, clinical care and innovation including drugs and devices are being used to stop cell death and induce regeneration to restore vision," explained Guest Editor Andrea Antal, PhD, Group Leader at the Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany. In this issue behavioral training and electrical/sensory devices that strengthen residual visual capacities through brain plasticity and restore some vision are also presented and the application possibilities are discussed. "If the retina and/or the optic nerve are completely damaged, then the recovery is not possible. However, with partial damage where there is even a small amount of residual vision still present, almost all patients can achieve some degree of improvement," Prof. Dr. Antal added. Neurons in the visual system can become silent because they are either anatomically or physiologically damaged, inhibited by toxic substances or lack of oxygen and glucose supply. From the clinical point of view, damaged cells in the visual system are not always dead, but may be inactive, in a hibernation-like mode, or in a hypometabolic stage. It may be possible to reactivate them through medication, training and/or electrical stimulation. Contributions to this issue demonstrate that uncovering the mechanisms of action of vision recovery and repair is paving the way for a better understanding of neuroplasticity in the visual sciences. Mechanisms currently under study include the replacement (augmentation) of the lost nervous tissue itself, in particular the retina or optic nerve, by means of axonal regeneration, stem cell transplantation and retinal chip implants ("bionic eye"). Another approach aims to make more efficient use of the remaining brain tissue by "reprogramming" or "reorganizing" nerve cell activities and their connections with the goal of activating residual vision using training and electrical stimulation. These advances impact different visual disorders including typical eye-related diseases such as glaucoma and optic neuropathy, and also more brain-related disorders, such as stroke or brain trauma. "The topic of low vision is gaining scientific momentum. However, despite remarkable progress in the last few years, this subject deserves more attention. Publication of this dedicated issue is timely and will significantly advance the field, providing a source of inspiration as the basis of progress," noted Prof. Dr. Antal and Bernhard Sabel, PhD, Professor of Medical Psychology, Otto-v.-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany. The special issue grew out of a series of conferences on "Low Vision and the Brain" (http://www.4r-vision.com). These conferences addressed the eye-brain interaction in an interdisciplinary manner that touched on ophthalmology, neurology, neuropsychology, rehabilitation medicine, engineering and pharmacology. While many animal experiments have been successful, the results have not been directly transferrable to human studies. The investigators point to the need to further explore other factors related to vision loss. This research has the potential to greatly influence patient care in the future. ### This year hasnt had a very positive start. Australian bushfires are wreaking havoc while China is affected with the Wuhan coronavirus that is affecting not just its citizens but also other countries including South Korea, Japan, Thailand and even the United States -- alarming authorities everywhere. Reuters However, what exactly is this Wuhan virus and how can one detect it or fight it in time? What is Wuhan Virus? Wuhan Virus is a kind of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are normally contracted from animals (like civet cats caused SARS in China). Even the Wuhan Virus originated from the seafood market in the city -- with most of the initial victims being either vendors or buyers at the fish market. Researchers were able to find the virus similar to the ones found in bats, and even though it belongs to the same family as SARS, it isnt as dangerous. Reuters How does the Wuhan Virus spread As mentioned earlier, coronaviruses originate from certain animals and it spreads in humans when they have a physical contact with the infected animal. Yesterday, Chinese authorities also confirmed that Wuhan Virus can spread from human contact, thus warning people to stay covered at all times. What does Wuhan Virus do to your body Coronaviruses generally can cause something as simple as the common flu to something as severe as pneumonia. And people suffering from Wuhan virus have been showing exact same symptoms. People with stronger immunity have better chances of recovering from this disease instantly whereas people with poorer immunity -- young and old -- can cause serious respiratory diseases. How many people are affected by the Wuhan Virus Wuhan virus after breaking out in the city of Wuhan spread in Chinese cities of Beijing and Shenzen. The disease has made its way out of the country affecting people in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and even the US. China has already announced Class A prevention and control measures for Wuhan Virus. The virus has over 400 cases registered with it claiming more than 9 lives, as of now. Airports across the world are checking people in flights landed from China for fever and other Wuhan Virus-like symptoms to curb it from spreading in their territory. AFP Protection/Treatment for Wuhan Virus To stay safe, try being away from people who are sick. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, mouth. Keep washing/sanitising hands when you touch common surfaces. Keeping face and mouth covered while commuting and walking through public spaces can also come in handy. There is no particular vaccine or medicine that can save you from contracting Wuhan Virus (or any coronavirus for that matter). In most cases, the symptoms disappear on their own. Symptoms can be eased a little by doctors prescribing fever or pain medication. Earlier this week more than twenty thousand people, many of them armed, converged on Richmond, Virginia, to protest legislative efforts meant to reduce gun violence. Those efforts include a one-per-month cap on handgun purchases; universal background checks; and limits on firearm possession in public spaces, to be determined by local governments. The Virginia General Assembly is expected to pass those measures, which polls suggest are popular with Virginia residents. In Richmond, the state capital, the number of shootings reported last year rose by 65 percent; the number of homicides, most of which were gun-related, rose, too. That Monday was a lobby day, during which state residents were encouraged to petition their elected officials. But for many Virginians it was supplanted by the gun-rights rally, whose cheerleaders included anti-government and white-supremacist organizations. Citing credible threats, Virginia governor Ralph Northam temporarily banned firearms from the capitol. In the days ahead of the rally, the FBI arrested men who belong to white-supremacist organizations, and who, according to one FBI spokesman, might potentially conduct violent acts down in Richmond. The specter of violence shaped the day. One Democratic lawmaker declined to attend the scheduled lobbying day at the capitol. He had received multiple threats after proposing a bill that would enable state and local government employees to strike. Some opponents of the bill had incorrectly claimed it would be used to fire law enforcement officers in Second Amendment sanctuary counties who decline to enforce new gun laws, according to the Prince William Times, a local newspaper. (Coverage of the bill, including a December op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, lacked necessary context, the Times noted; law enforcement have been banned from striking in Virginia for over 50 years.) Another Democratic representative disguised herself in order to travel safely to the capitol; a Richmond reporter said the legislator was afraid of being recognized and shot. A group of students who also planned to lobby lawmakers spent the night before in the offices of two state representatives. The Virginia Center for Public Safety, a nonprofit that works to reduce gun violence, canceled its annual memorial vigil for victims of gun violence. The day came and went; there was no Civil War, no second Charlottesville. In the absence of actual physical violence, however, many national news outlets ultimately proclaimed the day to be one of peace. Pro-gun rally by thousands in Virginia ends peacefully, read the headline of a twelve-hundred-word Associated Press story, which ran on the front pages of several local newspapers throughout the state. Numerous national outlets echoed the sentiment. The rally, according to Vice, was ultimately peaceful and went off without a hitch. One CNN story, headlined Virginia gun-rights rally concludes peacefully despite earlier fears of extremist violence, provided a tidy formula for interpreting the day: an absence of reported physical violence means a tranquil event. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Such proclamations were ripe for selective use by conservative media. Even the liberal hacks over at CNN reported that the rally concluded peacefully, wrote a Media Research Center contributor who then attributed a lack of physical violence to the presence of guns. At Fox News, Dan Gainor, another MRC contributor, painted an idyllic scene, sullied only by what he called media lunacy. Superficial coverage obscured many of the rallys effects, including its potential to chill civic engagement. Everyones been saying, Dont go outsideits not worth it, a local college student told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Virginia journalists better acquainted with the states laws spotted numerous violations. National outlets hardly took the time to mention the local rise in shootings, or the pre-legislation surge in firearm purchases. With the streets largely cleared of contrary viewpoints, reporters sopped up simplistic talking points from pro-gun ralliers, then effectively congratulated them for not killing anyone. They then constructed a vague notion of peaceone uncomplicated by trauma or intimidationand gawked at it. The rally, wrote Virginia-based journalist Jonathan Katz, was not so much about guns as a signal of who has, and who can be entrusted to wield, power. He continued: The absence of overt white-supremacist symbolsand media-bait reminders of term-limited Virginia Gov. Northams own racist scandalwas a victory of messaging. The carnival-like atmosphere, punctuated by friendly militias greeting each other in the streets (Youre all kings. Youre all fucking kings, one armed group yelled at the other shorts-wearing militia pictured up top), was to be read as proof of the protesters law-abiding natures. But it was all wrapped in a muffled threat. It went really smoothly, one demonstrator told The Trace. I think its going to look really great for our movement. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Brendan Fitzgerald is a senior editor at CJR. [January 22, 2020] TBD Media Launches Brand New Video Hub for Davos 2020 LONDON, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TBD Media Group is delighted to announce the launch of its brand new video hub, www.davosinterviews.com . The hub will showcase a series of issue-led video interviews with business leaders from around the world. TBD Media's world-renowned production team travelled to Davos, Switzerland, to meet with prominent business leaders, conducting interviews on the ideas and innovations at the top of global agendas at this year's forum. Following the success of 2019's smaller-scale campaign, TBD Media is expanding this year's edition to feature dozens more of the world's most prominent corporate and public figures. Every year, leaders from the public and private sectors gather in Davos to debate the challenges faced today by society and business alike, and to begin to draw up a roadmap to overcoming those challenges. This year, TBD Media has struck up an exclusive video campaign to bring the insight of Davos to the world, and the newly-launched hub is the platform for that debate. The Davos 2020 Interviews hub is the latest in a clutch of bespoke video campaigns produced by TBD Media Group, which travels the world to tell the stories shaping the world of tomorrow. Amongst the topics featured on this year's hub are: ecology, finance, economy, technology, society, geopolitics and industry. The world is facing unprecedented change and challenge. Adaptability, agility, innovation and fluidity are no longer optional buzzwords to append to an 'About Us' page they must become vital aspects of any business structure. Open debate fosters these characteristics by sharing ideas and connecting with stakeholders around the world. This is the full list of organisations participating in the Davos 2020 initiative: Planetway Prometheum Cayman Islands Jumptuit Arrival Brown Advisory BetterUp Inc Jacobs Levy Equity Management Argentum Asset Management LEKOIL SMS Group GmBH The Estee Lauder Companies Nobel Environmental Technologies Bayer AG L.E.K. Consulting Luminator Technology Group Resilient/City Terra Firma Lakeside Env Cons Brummer & Partners Ecolog International Henkel Risk Management Solutions Japan Airlines Dartmouth College Katjesgreenfood GEA Group AG Driven by a vision to inspire pragmatic debate and idea-sharing, TBD Media Group has offices in London, Berlin, New York, Frankfurt, San Diego and Cyprus, and its content is distributed via top-tier, international news titles. To follow updates from the Davos 2020 campaign hub, visit the website here: https://davosinterviews.com/ Contact: Alexander Williams, Tel: + 44(0)20-3553-3664 Email: [email protected], [email protected], View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tbd-media-launches-brand-new-video-hub-for-davos-2020-300991525.html SOURCE TBD Media Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Two days after 25-year-old Badar Ram of Pali district in Rajasthan was arrested with 734 gm brown sugar in Rewari, police on Wednesday arrested his two accomplices from Bharatpur in Rajasthan for their involvement in smuggling the contraband, police said. The two accusedRajesh and his uncle Ajay Palboth are residents of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan district. Badar Ram was sent to judicial custody after being kept in remand for two days, while the other two were sent to remand by the local court. Rewari CIAin charge Vidya Sagar said that during questioning it came to the fore that Badar Ram met Rajesh when preparing for Rajasthan administrative services nearly a year ago in Jaipur. Rajesh introduced Badar Ram to his uncle Ajay Pal, who had lost huge money in the arhtiya business. After Badar Ram told them of his financial problems, Ajay asked him to smuggle the drug. He agreed as he was under a debt of Rs 15 lakh which he had given to a middleman for getting a class 4 job in Rajasthan. The middle man was caught by the police for defrauding people on the pretext of securing them a job and is currently lodged in a Rajasthan jail, he added. A cop pleading anonymity said Ajay had been convincing Badar Ram to sell 734 gm brown sugar (valued at nearly Rs35 lakh). On Sunday, Ajay Pal talked to a buyer in Rewari. When Badar Ram came by train the next day, we nabbed him with the contraband. The key accused is still at large and we are searching for him Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, he added. Badar Ram cracked RAS pre-exam CIAin charge Sagar said that during investigation it came to light that Badar Ram had cracked the prelims of Rajasthan administrative services (RAS) and was preparing for the main exam. He had failed to make it as sub-inspector by three marks only. After the middleman did not pay him back Rs15 lakh, which he took from a financier, he said it was the first time he agreed to smuggle drugs to come out from debt, he added. The federal government has announced the launch of a pioneering think-tank aimed at formulating effective, long-ranging solutions that can best respond to Canadas Indigenous social and housing needs. Earlier this week, Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller hailed 24 Indigenous innovators as the latest additions to the Accelerator period of Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative, which is intended to develop these ground-breaking ideas. The Accelerator will provide the innovators with mentoring support from Indigenous architects and other professionals to refine their ideas into implementable projects, the announcement noted. A staff member checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus that originated from Wuhan in China, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) US Has Plan to Contain Coronavirus: Trump The United States has a plan to contain the coronavirus, which has infected hundreds of people, President Donald Trump said on Jan. 22. Disease experts in the United States, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have already handled things well, Trump said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. We do have a plan and we think it is going to be handled very well. Weve already handled it very well, he said. The CDC is terrific. Very professional. Satish Pillai, medical officer in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, talks about a confirmed case of coronavirus in a Snohomish County, Washington resident during a press conference in Shoreline, Washington, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) The virus has infected scores of people, and killed over a dozen in China. The first case in the United States was confirmed on Tuesday. The virus has also spread to Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Health authorities around the world are keeping an eye on developments. Trump said China and the United States are on top of things. Were in great shape and I think China is in very good shape also, he told reporters later in Davos. Speaking to CNBC on the sidelines, Trump also said that we have it totally under control and that there were no concerns about a pandemic. Its one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. Its going to be just fine, he added. Trump said he trusts how Chinese leader Xi Jinping has responded to the outbreak. Chinas National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin told reporters that the virus, which can cause pneumonia, was being spread via breathing. Symptoms include fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing. About 2,200 people in contact with infected people were in isolation. There is no vaccine for the virus. I believe the government for sure, but I still feel fearful. Because theres no cure for the virus, said Fu Ning, a 36-year-old woman in Beijing. You have to rely on your immunity if you get an infection. It sounds very scary. Airports around the world have stepped up screening of people coming in from China. The World Health Organization (WHO) also began an emergency meeting to rule if the outbreak was a global health emergency, with a verdict expected later Wednesday. WHO said this week that information from newly reported infections suggests there may now be sustained human-to-human transmission. But more information and analysis are needed on this new virus to understand the full extent of human-to-human transmission and other important details, it added. Reuters contributed to this report. A new sun-studying spacecraft is set to get off the ground soon. Solar Orbiter , a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) with NASA participation, is scheduled to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Feb. 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The liftoff will come just 18 months after NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP) took to the skies, kicking off its historic sun-kissing mission . PSP has set the all-time spacecraft speed record and gotten nearer to our star about 15 million miles (24 million kilometers) than any other mission in history. Related: NASA's Parker Solar Probe Mission to the Sun in Pictures And PSP will continue to break these records; it will get closer and closer to the sun over its seven-year scientific life, ultimately zooming within a mere 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the solar surface. Solar Orbiter won't try to match those superlatives; on the closest-approach phases of its highly elliptical orbit, the probe will still be about 26 million miles (42 million km) from the sun . But the ESA-NASA spacecraft will do some special things of its own. For starters, Solar Orbiter will look directly at the sun, something that PSP doesn't do ( and you shouldn't, either ). In addition, the ESA-NASA probe will zoom through space substantially out of the ecliptic, the plane in which the solar system's big planets circle. This unique perspective will allow Solar Orbiter to get good looks at our star's polar regions, said Holly Gilbert, NASA deputy project scientist for Solar Orbiter. "We've never been able to image the poles of the sun," Gilbert said last month during a news conference at the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco. "That is extremely important for helioseismology, but also for looking at the global magnetic field of the sun. In order to model space weather activity and activity in general on the sun, we need that full global picture of the magnetic field." Solar Orbiter should flesh out our understanding of the sun in multiple ways. The 3,970-lb. (1,800 kilograms) spacecraft is outfitted with 10 different science instruments, which it will use "to examine how the sun creates and controls the heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind into the interstellar medium," ESA officials wrote in a mission description . "The spacecraft will combine in situ and remote sensing observations to gain new information about the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, solar energetic particles, transient interplanetary disturbances and the sun's magnetic field," they added. There are numerous parallels between the PSP and Solar Orbiter missions. Like PSP, for example, the ESA-led probe will use a series of Venus flybys (plus one of Earth) to reach its operational orbit, which will range from inside Mercury's path to beyond the orbit of Earth. Solar Orbiter will gather most of its data during its close-approach "perihelion passes," as PSP does, and the primary missions of both craft are scheduled to last seven years. The data gathered by the two probes should mesh well, members of both mission teams have stressed. For example, PSP and Solar Orbiter will enable researchers to study the same solar plasma in detail at two very different points in space close to the sun's surface and much farther out, in Earth's neighborhood. "And the fact that [Solar] Orbiter can also measure composition will allow us to determine where on the sun the events happened that created the solar wind that we will be seeing," Marco Velli of UCLA, the PSP observatory scientist, said during the AGU news conference. Similarly, measurements by the two probes should result in a better understanding of the solar magnetic field, Velli added. "So, we're really facing a decade, I think, with these two missions and, of course, the new ground-based instrumentation, the high-resolution solar telescopes that are about to be operated by the NSF [the U.S. National Science Foundation] and, a little bit further in time, in Europe that we will really unravel solar magnetism in itself," Velli said. "Magnetism is fundamental to all of astrophysics and the universe itself," he added. "And therefore, I think we can safely say that, with the accomplishment of these two missions, our understanding of what's called the basic astrophysical plasma of the solar system and the universe will have changed entirely." Solar Orbiter is a medium-class mission, which means that ESA's contribution will be about 500 million euros ($554 million at current exchange rates). PSP's total price tag is around $1.5 billion. Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate ), is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook . By Yi Whan-woo Jasmine Lee, after serving as then-conservative ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker from 2012 to 2016, will seek a National Assembly seat again this time as a proportional representative of the minor progressive Justice Party. Justice Party officials said Wednesday Lee signed up for its screening of proportional representation candidates for the April 15 general election. She joined the party last November after leaving the Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the rebranded Saenuri Party following the impeachment of its leader and then president, Park Geun-hye. "We've been told Lee is very likely to pass the screening and secure a slot in the candidate lineup," a party official said on condition of anonymity. The high chance of Lee's passing the screening comes from the fact that party Chairwoman Sim Sang-jeung herself recruited Lee, a Philippine-born naturalized Korean, last year to woo voters with multicultural backgrounds for the election. She has been serving as head of the party's Special Committee on Human Rights for Immigrants. Lee cited a need to create a favorable environment for immigrants, including manual laborers and migrant wives, to allow them to express their political opinions. She noted, under the Justice Party's current registration system, even naturalized Koreans find it difficult to join because of "immigrant-unfriendly" enrollment procedures. "They eventually give up joining the party and disappointedly say they are not still socially accepted as Korean citizens," Lee said. The number of naturalized Koreans aged 18 or order and eligible to vote is increasing, so garnering their support will be increasingly important, she noted. Lee was the first naturalized Korean to earn a seat in the country's Assembly in 2012 when she was elected as a proportional representative for the Saenuri Party. But she quit the LKP in November 2019 and moved to the Justice Party, fueling speculation whether the former had mistreated her. Lee said she sensed the Saenuri Party's attitude toward social minorities had "vastly change" since it renamed itself the LKP. Alabamas students dont have to choose between college and career, a top state education official told business and industry leaders on Tuesday. The Alabama state department of educations director of workforce development Dr. Brock Kelley the group of 150 gathered during Tuesdays quarterly meeting of East AlabamaWorks in Gadsden the perspective that students have to choose between a career or college is outdated. Were trying to say you can do both, he said. All students will need some type of training and education after high school, he added, and in many cases, a persons post-secondary training can be paid for by their employer. Career and technical education is a pathway, he said. Kelley shared an illustration of multiple pathways connected at various junctions and said this is how education and workforce preparation is conducted. There are multiple entry and exit points. The commitment by K-12 education to the workforce is very high, Kelley said. The group met at Gadsden City High School and is part of a network of seven regional councils that operate as a part of the Alabama Workforce Council, which focuses on workforce development. The connection between K-12 education and workforce development has been driven home by Gov. Kay Ivey since she first announced her Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative soon after she became governor in 2017. That initiative focuses state education and work-related resources along the continuum from pre-K through high school and college and into the workforce. Related: Birmingham should align education, workforce development for regional strength, report says Kelley said state K-12 education officials are helping local school officials develop career tech programs to promote three primary activities: awareness, exploration, and preparation. Students need exposure to what types of careers are out there, a chance to explore what skills are needed for careers they are interested in, and how to get prepared to work in their chosen career. Work-based learning programs, which include traditional co-op programs as well as apprenticeships and internships, were worth more than $3.5 million in wages, earned and unearned, last year, Kelley said. Dispelling myths about the workforce is part of his job, he said. When you think about manufacturing, Kelley said, the perspective is that its dirty, greasy, and (involves) hard labor. But when you go into a manufacturing business, you see you can eat off the floor. Its clean, great benefits, upward mobility within that industry or business. Once our students and teachers see that, it opens up their minds to hey, that might be a possibility. Related: Are Alabamas high school graduates ready for the next step? Rep. Gil Isbell, R-Gadsden, attended the meeting and said connecting education and the workforce is essential. How will we be able to meet the demands (of local employers), Isbell asked, if students dont know what jobs are available and schools dont have the resources to prepare them. Good-paying jobs dont all require a four-year college degree, Isbell said. Teachers, parents and students need to know what their options are. School districts across the state vary as to how connected they are to business and industry in their communities, Kelley said. While most career tech programs are concentrated at the high school level, plans are being made to spread awareness of career choices all the way down to the fifth-grade level. If parents want to learn more, he said, they should contact their high school principal or other district administrators and ask what types of career preparation programs are available in their local schools. And if local employers have jobs to offer students in local schools, Kelley hopes theyll reach out to partner with local schools, even if those jobs are entry-level positions. Even if (students) are just learning soft skills, he said, those skills will help a student get a job and hold a job. Teachers and schools have a role in helping students explore those career pathways, Kelley said. Every teacher out there is a workforce developer, Kelley said. We are developing a student from day one to the day they graduate to ultimately be employed. Related: From last place in math to more charter schools, the top Alabama education stories in 2019 SEATTLE A forensic analysis of Jeff Bezos cellphone found with medium to high confidence that the Amazon chiefs device was hacked after he received a video from a WhatsApp account reportedly belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. After Mr. Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, got the video over the WhatsApp messaging platform in 2018, his phone began sending unusually large volumes of data, according to a report summing up investigators findings, which was reviewed by The New York Times. The investigators believed Prince Mohammed was used as a conduit because the message would not raise suspicions if it came from him, said a person familiar with the investigation, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. According to the report, Mr. Bezos received a message from the crown princes account in late 2018 that suggested that the prince had intimate knowledge of Mr. Bezos private life. JSC Ukrtransgaz (UTG), which after January 1, 2020 fulfills the function of the operator of underground gas storage (UGS) facilities, has said that all its assets and funds on its accounts have been frozen in pursuance of the decision of Kyiv's arbitration court dated 2007 in the case on supply of gas to consumers of CJSC Ukrenergozbut, the press service of the operator has reported. "At present, all assets and funds on the accounts of Ukrtransgaz have been frozen," the company said. UTG considers this decision to be unlawful, and the actions of CJSC Ukrenergozbut and Fin-Invest Financial Company LLC to recover funds as those that have signs of fraud. In this connection, UTG appealed to the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Ukrtransgaz appeals to the investigating authorities to protect its interests, since the blocking of funds and their illegal embezzlement can negatively affect the stability of work to ensure the passage of the heating season," the company said in the statement. Ukrtransgaz said that the court by its decision (No. 17/32) dated July 12, 2000 ordered the company to deliver 305 million cubic meters of natural gas to consumers of Ukrenergozbut. At the same time, the cost of natural gas was not given in the decision. Since that time, the company has not been involved in foreclosure for many years. In 2018, PJSC Ukrenergozbut received a duplicate of the order of the Arbitration Court dated March 21, 2007 in case No. 17/32, after which it sold the right to demand the implementation of UTG obligations to supply gas to Fin-Invest Financial Company LLC. Fin-Invest, in turn, received a decision from Kyiv's business court on January 9, 2020, which changed the method and procedure for executing the decision of the Arbitration Court dated July 12, 2000. "That is, instead of supplying natural gas in favor of third parties, it is the recovery of funds in the amount of UAH 2.3 billion. Moreover, the indicated amount was determined by Ukrenergozbut at its own discretion and has no grounds," the UTG said. Mark Hennessy "looked like a man possessed" in the moments before he was fatally shot by a Garda. The detective who shot Mark Hennessy told an inquest into his death that he believed Jastine Valdez was in the car with Hennessy and he was about to slit her throat. The detective, known as Garda A said he discharged his weapon to stop Mark Hennessy. I could see movement and struggle it was rapidly evolving. I believed he was about to slit her throat and in that split second I had no other option, there was absolutely nothing else I could have done. He was non-compliant to all of our demands, she was at imminent risk of death, he said. Garda A, a detective for the past 18 years, said he had no other option but to discharge his firearm. The behaviour, he looked like a person possessed, his eyes, I will never forget it, he said. Garda A was off-duty on May 20 2018 but joined the search for the missing 24-year-old Filipino student, Jastine Valdez, who had been violently abducted from Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, the previous day. From a radio call Garda A was informed a member of the public was following Mark Hennessy and there was a second occupant in the car. Hennessy drove into Cherrywood Business Park. Garda A drove into the car park and stopped directly in front of the Nissan Qashqai Mark Hennessy was driving. He was in the driver seat, he was moving from side to side. He looked uneasy and agitated. He looked straight at me. He looked like a man possessed, he held the knife at the window and pointed it at me. "I was aware hed used violence in the abduction and I was concerned for Jastine Valdezs safety, Garda A said. I blocked the Nissan to the front and another unmarked car blocked it to the rear. I put out an urgent assistance request. Mark Hennessy was moving around in the front of the vehicle in a very agitated state. He was struggling with something in the front passenger stepwell area, Garda A told the court. I shouted at him Armed police, drop the fucking knife, I shouted this a number of times, he said. I took up position and began drawing my weapon from the holster, Garda A said he was satisfied Jastine Valdez was in the car given the information received and his assessment of the situation. I observed the knife moving from a higher position and saw it was being lowered into skin. I thought he was slitting Jastine Valdezs throat. I had to take decisive action. I was not prepared to take any risk. I shouted Hes going to slit her throat. In that split second I thought the threat to her life was imminent. I took aim at Mark Hennessy and discharged the firearm, there was no other option open to me. Answering questions from Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane, Garda A said Mr Hennessy was extremely agitated. His movements were indicative of somebody else in the car with him. It was like a struggle performed inside the vehicle. I could see movement inside the vehicle. I could see the knife with the blade exposed. I was focused on Mark Hennessy and the actions within the vehicle. I was in great fear that Jastine Valdez was in the vehicle and she was in imminent danger." Asked by the coroner about his firearm training, Garda A said that lethal force is the last option. The threat has to be unlawful. This was a false imprisonment case where Mark Hennessy was in possession of a knife, he said. Hennessy was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.38pm. The inquest heard pathology evidence from Acting State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan, who gave the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the right upper arm and chest. A 21.3cm long incise wound on Hennessys left forearm was a contributory factor, the court heard. Hennessy was deemed to have been mildly intoxicated at the time of his death and there was evidence of recent cocaine use, according to the autopsy. The inquest continues tomorrow. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:04:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday urged Britain, France, and Germany (E3) to "exert" what he called their "sovereignty" in the face of U.S. economic pressures. Zarif tweeted on Wednesday that "when E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid Trump tariffs last week, I warned that it would only whet his appetite." The remarks followed the U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat to impose 25-percent tariffs on European cars from Germany, France and Britain "if they refuse to condemn Tehran's actions." The Trump administration also threatened last week to impose tariffs on the three European countries, just before they officially accused Iran of breaching the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Last week, France, Britain and Germany announced their decision to trigger the dispute mechanism in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a step that could lead to the restoration of UN sanctions against Iran. Late last week, a clip of an interview from the New York Times with Sen. Elizabeth Warren made the rounds on social media. In it, Warren spelled out her position against the death penalty, citing the evidence of wrongful convictions and racism associated with capital punishment. Then she added: I think that people who have committed truly heinous crimes should die in prison. I think that is how we give them the maximum, maximum punishment that we can: keep them in prison for all their days. Advertisement Warrens answer echoes a similar response by Bernie Sanders, who thinks those who commit horrific crimes should spend the rest of their days in prison. This position is widely accepted as the progressive stance on the death penalty: Nearly every person vying to be the Democratic presidential nominee agrees that life without parole should replace the death penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But answers like Warrens and Sanders represent a continuation of the same punishment-focused mindset that has fueled our incarceration addiction over the past several decades and will stand in the way of ever achieving a truly fair criminal legal system. Despite a recognition across the political spectrum of the need to end failed tough-on-crime policies that have exploded prisons and budgets, we will solve nothing if we think the answer is to substitute one cruel punishment with another. We have to end our culture of believing maximum, maximum punishment is the solution. Advertisement Advertisement Similar to the death penalty, life without parole is prohibitively costly, does not effectively deter crime, and can be replaced without risking public safety. More than 100 people sentenced to life without parole have been exonerated since just 2013. Yet, as even Justice Antonin Scalia recognized, an innocent person is infinitely better off challenging a death sentence than a life sentence. Scalia explained that the same risk of wrongful convictions exists if horrendous death-penalty cases were converted into equally horrendous life-without-parole cases, but because a person will obtain more legal assistance and court attention with a death sentence, an innocent person sentenced to life without parole is more likely to languish unnoticed behind bars. Advertisement As Warren did, nearly every Democratic candidate has spoken about the racism inherent in the death penalty. They are of course correct: Black people account for 40 percent of the death row population. But none addressed the fact that racial imbalances are actually more stark in the life-without-parole context. Of those serving life without parole, 56 percent are Black. As Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, recently wrote, many who sincerely think they are trying to address the real harms in our criminal legal system tend to underestimate the inherent bias and racism rampant throughout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And life without parole is cruel. One man who served more than 36 years in prison before his life-without-parole sentence was overturned described it as the sense of being dead while youre still alive, the feeling of being dumped into a deep well struggling to tread water until, some 40 or 50 years later, you drown. Canada, Mexico, France, Italy, and Germany do not have life sentences without the possibility of parole. England has one seven-hundredth the number of people serving life without parole as does the United States. In 2017, by a 161 decision, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that denying a person the chance for parole is inhumane and degrading treatment in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. It defies reason to believe our society is made better by keeping thousands of people, as they grow elderly and infirm, in prison until they die. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some may still see no problem with life without parole for people who commit truly heinous crimes. But it is a fallacy that this country has ever proven willing or capable of reserving the most severe punishments for only the worst offenders. If draconian punishments are an option, whether the death penalty or life without parole, they will be disproportionately used against people of color and wielded in an arbitrary, unfair manner. Currently, with over 53,000 people serving a life-without-parole sentence and another 2,600 on death row, there are likely hundreds, if not thousands, of people serving these sentences who would not meet any reasonable definition of the worst of the worst. One-fourth of life-without-parole sentences are for a crime other than murder, and 43 percent of people on death row are in need of mental health treatment, 25 percent have an active mental health disorder, and 14 percent are intellectually disabled. Advertisement Advertisement According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 40 percent of all murders are committed by people 24 years old or younger, and over 60 percent are by people not even 30 years old. In her book, Until We Reckon, Danielle Sered spells out that while young adults are the age group most prone to violence, they are also the age group most capable of change. But life without parole strips these young people of any hope of release no matter how they change. A life-without-parole sentence sends an unmistakable message: A person is irredeemable and beyond rehabilitation no matter what happens over the next 25, 30, 40 years in prison. Advertisement Allowing people sentenced to life in prison to have the opportunitynot the guarantee but the hopefor parole is not soft on crime and will not create an unreasonable risk to the public. Instead, a chance for release recognizes that our criminal legal system is supposed to rehabilitate people, and it gives people in prison a reason to reform. Most people have that capacity to grow and change. Life without parole, like the death penalty, ignores that truth while defining thousands of people for life as no more than the worst thing they ever did. Advertisement And people age out of crime, no matter the original offense. Studies have determined that whether a person is over the age of 50 is the most important predictor of lower recidivism rates. Only 7 percent of those ages 50 to 64 and 4 percent of those over 65 are returned to prison for new convictionsthe lowest rates among all incarcerated demographics. For example, after a 2012 change in the law led to nearly 200 people who had been convicted of murder in Maryland being released after more than 30 years in prison, less than 3 percent have been rearrested and none for a serious crime of violence. Warren and Sanders deserve praise for their criminal justice reform platforms, recognized as the most decarceral criminal justice platforms to enter presidential politics. So does every candidate who has taken a stance against the death penalty, a position not taken by Hillary* Clinton in 2016 or even by Barack Obama during his presidency. But their willingness to default to life without parole as a solution is evidence of the work that still must be done. As the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump prepares to kick off in full force later Wednesday, a slim plurality of registered voters favor the presidents conviction and removal from office, though overall support has dipped, according to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. The survey conducted beginning Friday, one day after senators were sworn in for the trial, through Sunday found 47 percent of voters in favor of Trumps removal, with 45 percent opposed. The results follow a trend of incrementally weakening support since the House voted to impeach Trump late last month. A POLITICO/Morning Consult flash poll in the immediate aftermath of the vote found that voters backed removal 52 percent to 43 percent. But a later poll, conducted earlier this month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delayed sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate, found that support for removal had dropped 3 points, to 49 percent, with the percentage of voters opposed to removal remaining the same. Voter sentiment registered in the latest poll has remained consistent in that it breaks sharply along party lines. Independents split evenly on the question of removal, which would require votes from two-thirds of the Republican-controlled Senate. The month since the presidents impeachment has resulted in some partisan shifts: While opposition to removal among Democrats remained the same, support for removal among Democrats dropped 2 points, to 84 percent. But Republicans have coalesced in their opposition to removal. In this image from video, the Senate votes on an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Republican opposition to impeachment is on the rise as the Senate trial begins, said Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consults vice president. This week, nearly nine in 10 Republicans (88 percent) disapprove of the Senate removing President Trump from office, compared with only 10 percent who approve. This compares with 80 percent disapproval and 17 percent approval following the House vote last month. The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found more agreement on whether the Senate should allow witnesses to testify in the trial, the subject of sharp disagreement between Republicans and Democrats and the cause for Pelosis delay in transmitting the articles. Story continues Nearly 6 in 10 voters, 57 percent, said the Senate should call additional witnesses to testify, including 37 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of independents. The chamber on Tuesday debated a rules package that does not commit to calling witnesses but leaves the issue up to a majority vote after House managers and Trumps legal team conclude their opening arguments. Interest in the proceedings, which are set to unfold over the next several weeks, remains high, the poll found, with 62 percent of voters saying they planned to watch at least some of the trial. That compares with 58 percent of voters who said they were very or somewhat likely to watch the first public impeachment hearings held by the House before those began last November. The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll was conducted Jan. 17-19 online among a national sample of 1,997 registered voters. Results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Morning Consult is a nonpartisan media and technology company that provides data-driven research and insights on politics, policy and business strategy. More details on the poll and its methodology can be found in these two documents: Toplines | Crosstabs Members of the Yoruba Worldwide Congress, hunters union, Oodua Peoples Congress, the National Association of Nigerian Students as well as other groups in the South-west region, on Tuesday, protested the opposition of the federal government to the regional security outfit tagged Amotekun. The groups marched through the streets of the capitals of the states, demanding that the federal government retrace its steps, and that the regional governors remain resolute in pursuing the actualisation of Amotekun. In Ado-Ekiti, besides NANS and OPC, other groups such as Vigillante Group of Nigeria, Yoruba Koya, Man O War, Oodua Union, Ekiti Council of Elders and Agbekoya were also at the solidarity rally. The police and operatives of the State Security Services provided security for the participants, who trekked from the popular Fajuyi park through Okesa junction, Ojumose to the popular Erekesan market and Ijigbo area of Ado Ekiti. The groups, in their respective submissions, held that the Amotekun initiative had berthed permanently in the region and that it was not formed to fight Fulani herders but only the unruly and destructive ones. Submissions Speaking at the rally, a student leader and coordinator of the peace protest, Praise Ayodele, said Amotekun had come to stay in the South-west. We are not fighting anybody. The security of our people is very important. We are to do this to support our governors that we are happy with Amotekun, he said. It is sad that our people were being killed and kidnapped and many of these carnages were without arrests. We are daily in fear of being killed and these and many more are the reasons for the formation of Amotekun. On the proscription of Amotekun by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, we are of the opinion that the minister only expressed himself as a private citizen who is entitled to his own opinion. We charge our governors to remain focused, we advise our leaders to desist from politicising Amotekun and that our security should be of priority. Also, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Internal Security, who is a former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi, said Amotekun was for easy identification of all visitors to Ekiti and South-west. It is sad that Malami made a pronouncement over an issue he knew nothing about. He spoke as if he didnt know the level of insecurity in this zone, he said. Some of these evil doers besieged even our towns, killed the people and destroyed everything in the farm. Amotekun will work in their localities and it is not about fighting anybody. Making his contributions, the Coordinator of Oodua Union, Femi Robinson, said the security architecture in the country had collapsed and local security had become imperative. AMOTEKUN SOLIDARITY RALLY RECORDS POOR TURN OUT IN OGUN If Amotekun disarm armed robbers, are they not helping the police? he asked. The leaders of Agbekoya and Vigillante Group of Nigeria, Sunday Omoyajowo and Suwebat Aliu respectively, said Yoruba people would maintain a united front on Amotekun and that nothing would change that. The leader of the delegation of Ekiti Council of Elders, Niyi Ajubulu, regretted that people could no longer move around as a result of increased insecurity . We have to be vigilant in this zone. Amotekun has landed and we must cooperate with them. Whoever that is averse to the formation of this outfit is satanic, he said. Akure In Akure, the Ondo State capital, the NANS, Zone D, comprising Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states, during the protest, denounced the AGFs declaration of Amotekun as Illegal. The students body said it was giving the AGF two weeks ultimatum to retract his statement noting that his failure to do so will lead to the shut down of all campuses across the South-west region. The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions and marched through FIWASAYE girls college to A Division Police Station, in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, chanting solidarity songs in support of Amotekun. Advertisements The South-west NANS Coordinator, Kowe Odunayo, who led the protest, described the declaration by Mr Malami as embarrassing and political. Amotekun is an idea whose time has come to stay for the betterment of the people, it was initiated to complement the efforts of the conventional internal security agencies that appear to have been hampered by the absence of local intelligence gathering; there is no doubt, we are lacking security in the South-west region, hence the need to support Amotekun, Mr Odunayo said. Another student leader from Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ebiniyi Goodwin, in his remarks, described Amotekun as a timely intervention that would do the nation good. Abeokuta In Abeokuta in Ogun State, the Amotekun solidarity witnessed a low turnout. But the police and civil defence corps were also seen stationed in strategic locations of the venue, at Rally Square in Panseke area of the town. The protesters marched with placards of various inscriptions to support the security initiative, insisting that the regional security network will work. The Ogun State Coordinator of Amotekun Solidarity rally, Jimoh Taofeek, while addressing the rally, urged the federal government to reconsider its position on the controversial issue, explaining that Amotekun is not established to witch-hunt anybody but rather to complement efforts of other security agencies in the country. We are here to reach out to the larger public. We want to tell the federal government and the entire Nigerian populace that we want Amotekun in South-west, he said. If Hisbah can be in the Northern States, if there can be Azaru, there can be Civilian JTF, if there can be vigilante groups, some of them even carry arms, arresting even legitimate police officers and being prosecuted, so there is no reason why we should not consider Amotekun in South-west. Besides, I want to make it very clear that Amotekun is not to witch-hunt anybody whatsoever. I think one of the major responsibilities is to protect the masses, the safety of lives and properties is the major responsibility of the government. Similarly, the Secretary-General of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Olayinka Folarin, said Amotekun was a reality that had manifested, declaring further that it had come to stay. If we dont secure ourselves, nobody will secure us. This outfit is to complement the efforts of other security outfits. All people living in South-west must support Amotekun. Ametokun security vans Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, who came earlier to monitor the security arrangements at the venue, assured that the command would always ensure the protection of lives and properties of the people residing in the state. I am on routine visit, everyday, I go round the metro to ensure that everywhere is calm but I got intelligence reports that some groups yet unidentified are trying to protest or do rally and I just came around to talk to my men and place them on alert to ensure that there is no breach of peace. Ibadan In Ibadan, Oyo State, the Yoruba Worldwide Congress (YWC) led the protest in support of Amotekun and declared it will not allow anyone to rape women or kill farmers in the six South-west states henceforth. The group also reacted to the reported blockage of the rally in Lagos State by some security agents and maintained that no amount of intimidation from Nigeria Police Force, could stop the existence of Western Nigeria Security Network also known as Amotekun. The Oyo State Coordinator of YWC, Kunle Adesokan, while speaking with journalists during the rally, said there was no going back on Amotekun, adding that Yoruba people would not allow foreigners to come and kill their people unnecessary. Some of the groups present at the rally include, Hunters Group of Nigeria, Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association (YYSA), Agbekoya group, Atayese, Yoruba Reconciliation Groups, Kaaro Ojiire group, Oodua People Congress , Majiyagbe Group Vigilante group, United Self Determination People, Oodua Liberation Movement, Oodua Sovereignty Defence Agenda, Ojulowo Omo Oodua Group, Soludero group, among others. Osogbo In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, protesters under the aegies of Yoruba World Congress, trooped to the major streets of the city to protest. The groups converged on the Freedom Park and marched through major streets in Osogbo, carrying placard with various inscription to express their grievances. They called on the governors not to back down on the implementation of the security outfit despite pressure from the federal government. Coordinator of the protest, Akin Adejuwon, called on the people of the region to give their total support to the governors in ensuring the success of Amotekun. The solidarity rallies were held following the stance of the federal government that Amotekun is illegal. Some South-west governors including Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Seyi Makinde of Oyo have, however, insisted that the region would go ahead with the outfit despite the controversy. Migrants clash with Mexican troops at the Guatemala border (CNN) Tensions flared on Mexico's southern border Monday as troops tried to intercept a large group of migrants who'd crossed into the country. Video and photographs taken at the Mexico-Guatemala border showed Mexican National Guard troops chasing migrants who'd rushed across the Suchiate River. Some images showed migrants scrambling to evade authorities. Others showed a migrant pinned to the ground, surrounded by men in camouflage. The migrants -- largely from Honduras -- are part of a new caravan that's been trekking north for days. It's the first migrant caravan to form since the Trump administration hashed out a series of deals with Mexico and several Central American countries aimed at stemming migration. And its arrival in Mexico is already testing authorities on both sides of the border. For months Mexican authorities, facing mounting pressure from US officials, have stepped up their show of force at the country's northern and southern borders. Dramatic visuals -- like troops running after mothers and children or blocking large groups of migrants walking along a highway -- have prompted many to say that Mexico, in effect, has already built Trump's border wall by increasingly cracking down on immigrants. Mexico says it welcomes migrants to stay Mexico's foreign minister defended the National Guard's actions and downplayed Monday's standoff in a press conference Tuesday, telling reporters that no one had been injured, that troops had handled the situation appropriately and that more than 2,000 other migrants traveling in large groups had followed migration laws, crossing peacefully and without incident in recent days. "Yesterday there was a group of some 1,000 who tried to enter the country by force. A tragedy was avoided, because there can always be a lot of problems, above all when there are children and women," Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said. Mexican officials earlier said migrants in the group had hurled projectiles at troops as they tried to enter the country "in an irregular manner." More than 400 of them were intercepted and taken to migration stations. "Despite the stones they were hit with, and a very tense situation, we can say that yesterday, if someone had the intention to provoke, they did not achieve that," Ebrard said. "If someone is looking for violence in Mexico, they are not going to find it on the part of authorities." Asked by a reporter whether he would characterize the situation as a crisis or an emergency, Ebrard said he would not. "It isn't an emergency because it happens every year. The same thing happened last year," he said. But photos of the clashes at the border dominated the front pages of many Mexican newspapers on Tuesday. It was another notable sign that Mexico's approach to caravans, and to migrants in general, has changed over the past year. Roadblocks on the journey north to the US Officials are no longer giving migrants transit passes that would allow them to legally travel through Mexico on the way to the US border. Instead, they're encouraging them to seek asylum in Mexico or temporary work permits. Those who don't want to pursue the options available to remain in Mexico -- or who don't qualify -- are given the option of "assisted return" to their home countries, Ebrard said. Some 1,000 Honduran migrants, he said, have asked to be returned to their home country. Others are still being processed at different migration stations, Ebrard said. "The instructions of the president have been categorical, to respect the human rights of migrants," Mexican Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero said Tuesday. "Mexico is a place of asylum, of refuge," she said. US officials have said they're monitoring the latest migrant caravan. As migrants trekked through Guatemala last week, acting US Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said he saw the group as notably different. "I will say that this caravan is not anything even remotely similar to what we saw in '18 and a little bit in '19," Wolf told Fox. "A few folks here and a few folks there." Wolf said that agreements the US has made with Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras have changed the equation when it comes to large groups of migrants. "We have CBP agents, tactical agents, in Guatemala. And of course the government of Mexico at President Trump's urging has deployed national guard to both their southern and northern border," Wolf said. "So, should individuals make it through all of that, when they reach the Southwest border, they're going to run into a number of programs that we put in place that will not allow them into the country without any legal reason to be there." The Duchess of Sussex looked polished in a shirt and navy coat on her visit to an animal rescue centre two weeks ago, new photos released today reveal. Meghan Markle, 38, wore a 269 navy Massimo Dutti coat when she 'popped in' to London's Mayhew animal welfare charity, of which she is patron, shortly before she and Prince Harry, 35, announced they were stepping down as senior royals. Meghan wore the same chic navy wool coat draped over her shoulders as she left the National Theatre, another of her patronages, following a private visit on 8 January - making it likely that both visits took place on the same day. Meghan Markle, 38, looked polished in a blue shirt and 269 navy coat on a private visit Mayhew animal charity animal welfare charity, of which she is patron, on 8 January, pictured Meghan wore the same chic navy wool coat draped over her shoulders as she left the National Theatre, another of her patronages, following a private visit that same day, pictured A photo of the Duchess arriving at Mayhew, shared this morning on the Sussex Royal Instagram account, shows Meghan with her navy coat tied tightly around her waist. The arms of the coat are pushed up, suggesting the Duchess, known for her love of dogs, was ready to get her hands dirty with the animals. Only the slightest glimpse of her shirt can be seen underneath but it appears to be the same tailored pale blue one she wore to the National Theatre. It is not known where the shirt is from but Meghan has previously bought tailored separate from British brand With Nothing Underneath and Misha Nonoo. The royal also wore a pair of wide leg navy trousers. The Duchess finished the ensemble with a pendant necklace and a slim gold bangle. The Duchess had her hair swept back in a smart updo for her trip to the theatre but left her hair down at Mayhew. Photos, pictured, show the Duchess also wore a slim gold bangle In another sign of how comfortable she feels at Mayhew, Meghan wore her brunette locks relaxed around her shoulders - they were swept up into an updo at the National Theatre - and scooped her hair behind her collar when she was meeting the dogs. The caption shared with the Mayhew photos reads: 'Earlier this month, The Duchess of Sussex popped in to see the amazing people at Mayhew to hear about the incredible progress made throughout the festive period. 'The Duchess of Sussex, having been proud patron of Mayhew since January 2019 and long understanding the connection between animal and community welfare, applauds the people at Mayhew for the vital work that they do every day. 'From cats and dogs who have found new homes to animal welfare cases handled in the community - @TheMayhew believes in the power of togetherness and the special bond between humans and animals.' It marked the second Massimo Dutti outfit in as many days for the Duchess after she stepped out in a jumper and skirt from the high street retailer on the visit to Canada House on 7 January It marked the second Massimo Dutti outfit in as many days for the Duchess after she stepped out in a jumper and skirt from the high street retailer on the visit to Canada House on 7 January. Meghan's visits to the National Theatre and Mayhew were her last official outings in the UK before she jetted back to Canada to be with Archie. Harry remained in the UK to thrash out the conditions of their new roles but flew out on Monday night to reunite with his wife and son at their Vancouver Island bolthole. In their new roles, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer represent the Queen but will be able to continue their private patronages and associations. Adopt Missouri Plan Re: Overhauling how judges are selected long overdue, Jan. 15: If Texas is thinking of changing how judges are elected or appointed, I recommend the Missouri Plan, which has been successfully adopted by a number of states. I believe this can provide good judges in a process that is as nonpartisan as possible. When a vacancy occurs on the bench, the governor is sent a list of candidates who have been vetted and deemed qualified by a nonpartisan commission of the state bar association. The governor then appoints one of those candidates. If the governor does not make a decision within 60 days, the commission decides. Sitting judges must stand for election from time to time but not in competition with other candidates or as part of a partisan ticket. The ballot question is: Shall Judge (whomever) be retained in office? Yea or Nay. If a judge is kicked out, the bar association sends the governor a new list. Rinse and repeat. Wayne Haymes Good care (for rich) I am 80 years old and retired from the military. I have both Medicare and Tricare supplement, which puts me in an enviable position. Nevertheless, I am acutely aware of the precarious position of most Americans, especially the 99 percent. My clinic seems to be putting pressure on the staff to adopt the concierge program. The people who can afford it will get special treatment and the rest will end up in emergency rooms or hospitals in a bag. Everyone is getting squeezed in the system except the rich and famous. How in the world can anyone envision Medicare for all under these conditions? Jim Nagle Rethink street name Re: Short downtown street could revert to its original name, Metro, Thursday: Scott Huddlestons article noted, The Historic and Design Review Commission supported the renaming of Savings Street ... to its original name: Rodriguez Street. It appears that Ambrosio Rodriguez helped capture Gen. Santa Anna in the Battle of Jacinto in 1836. Rodriguez, a city alderman had personal wealth that included ownership of enslaved people. Huh? This commission wants to honor a slave owner? Is that not the same thing as having a statue of a Confederate soldier in a city park? Was not the Confederacy about, among other things, the ownership of slaves? Let the demonstrations begin. Travis Park would be a good place to start. C.R. White, Seguin On ExpressNews.com: Short San Antonio street could revert to its historic name We have long maintained that the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, on April 7 2018 was faked by Jihadists shortly before they were evicted from that Damascus suburb. By the end of last year leaked documents and a whistle blower from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had proven that the OPCW managers had manipulated the report their staff had written about the incident. The OPCW inspectors who had investigated the case on the ground in Douma found that there was evidence that a chemical attack had happened. The murdered people seem in videos from the alleged attack must have died of other causes. The yellow canisters found at the locations of the alleged attack were not dropped from helicopters but clearly manually placed. Using the Arria-formula, a procedure to have witnesses testify to the UN Security Council, Russia and China invited other UN members to listen to the testimony of OPCW inspector Ian Henderson. He denounced the false final report the OPCW management had published. Henderson, a South African engineer, was a team leader at the OPCW where he had worked for more than twelve years. Henderson's testimony can be watched here. Philip Watson transcribed Henderson's speech: I need to point out from the outset, I am not a whistleblower. I dont like that term. I am a former OPCW specialist who has concerns in many areas and I consider this a legitimate and appropriate forum to explain again these concerns.Secondly, I must point out that I hold the OPCW in the highest regard. As well as the professionalism of the staff members who work there. However the concern I have does relate to some specific management practices in certain sensitive missions. The concern, of course, relates to the [Fact Finding Mission] investigation into the alleged chemical attack on the 7th April in Douma in Syria. My concern, which is shared by a number of other inspectors, relates to the subsequent management lock-down and the practices in the later analysis and compilation of the final report. There were two teams deployed. One team which I joined shortly after the start of field deployments was to Douma in Syria, the other team deployed to Country X. The main concern relates to the announcement in July 18, of a new concept, the so-called FFM Core Team which essentially resulted in the dismissal of all the inspectors who had been on the team deployed to locations in Douma and had been following up with their findings and analysis. The findings of the final FFM report were contradictory, were a complete turn-around, with what the team had understood collectively. During and after the Douma deployments and by the time of release of the interim report in July 2018 our understanding was that we had serious misgivings that a chemical attack had occurred. What the final FFM report does not make clear and thus does not reflect the views of the team members who deployed to Douma. (In which case I can really only speak for myself at this stage). The report did not make clear what new findings, facts, information, data or analysis in the fields of witness testimony, toxicology studies, chemical analysis, engineering and or ballistics studies had resulted in a complete turn-around in the situation from what was understood by the majority of the team and the entire Douma team in July 2018. In my case I had followed with a further six months of engineering and ballistics studies into the cylinders. The results of which had provided further support for the view there had not been a chemical attack. This needs to be properly resolved, we believe (Douma FFM Team), through the rigours of science and engineering. In my situation it is not a political debate. I am very aware that there is a political debate surrounding this. Perhaps a closing comment from my side, is that I was also the inspection team leader who developed and launched the inspections, the highly intrusive inspections, of the Barzah [Scientific Studies and Research Center] facility outside of Damascus. And I did the inspections and wrote the reports for the 2 inspections prior to and the inspection after the chemical facility, or the laboratory complex at Barzah SSRC, had been destroyed by the missile strike. That however is another story altogether and I shall now close. The Barzah SSRC was destroyed in a large scale U.S. missile attack shortly after the Douma incident. It had been a civil institution concerned with agricultural and medical research. No prohibited substances were found there during intrusive OPCW inspections before and after the U.S. strike. Barzeh Research center before and after - bigger In his closing remarks at the UNSC Russia's Permanent Representative at the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said: Todays discussions reveal one thing clearly that something fishy is cooking in the OPCW. When we point at it, our colleagues tell us every time that OPCW, the 2013 Nobel peace prize laureate, is the gold standard of professionalism, integrity and impartiality. We would like it to be such and we adopted a PRST in November 2019 exactly aiming at this. Unfortunately, the impartiality and integrity of the OPCW TS is seriously questioned, and not just by us and other member states, as todays presentation demonstrated. Members of the Courage Foundation can hardly be labeled as Russian agents. They are reputable personalities and include such figures as Jose Bustani, first OPCW DG, respectable members of academic community, former senior officials of the US and UK intelligence community, and such names as Noam Chomsky and Oliver Stone to name a few. (You were provided with a copy of their letter and related materials). Why do some of our colleagues so vehemently defend the reports by the OPCW FFM, which some are believed were fabricated? Because any seed of doubt about chemical episodes conclusions would lead to challenging the expediency and legitimacy of already illegitimate missile attacks against a sovereign UN member state. In that light the Douma incident plays a key role. Because if it transpires that the FFM report was made up, it would lead to questioning earlier episodes like Khan-Shaykhun and others, which resulted in the termination of [Joint Investigation Mechanism]. ... Our colleague from Viet Nam asked what to do next, what are the nest steps. I think that this issue must be discussed at the OPCW. Legitimate questions and issues that member states face should be addressed and discussed. The question why the first report of the OPCW FFM was shelled initially, and then disappeared and destroyed should be answered. So far we are denied we and other member states are denied such an opportunity. Videos from Douma at the time of the incident showed some 30 bodies of dead persons. Most were children. It is up to day unknown who they were and who had murdered them. The OPCW manipulation of the original reports of its inspectors' findings is a cover up for that huge crime. The manipulation of the investigation of the Douma attack by the OPCW management also raises doubt about other issues, like the Skripal affair in Britain, in which the OPCW was involved. The OPCW needs to come clean. It must fire the managers who were involved in the manipulation of the Douma reports. Other cases the OPCW was involved in need to be re-investigated. --- Previous Moon of Alabama coverage of the Douma incident and its aftermath: TOKSOOK BAY, Alaska The 2020 census officially began on Tuesday in Toksook Bay, an Alaskan village on the edge of the frozen Bering Sea where census takers hoped to show they can overcome language barriers, isolation and government distrust to develop an accurate tally for minority groups who have long suffered from undercounts. Visitors traveling to the village of about 650 must fly 500 miles from Anchorage, and then scoot into town on the back of a snow machine or four-wheeled A.T.V. the same ones that deliver the mail to a post office the size of a small backyard shed. On Tuesday, a small advance team spent much of the day anxiously waiting to see whether a planeload of senior Census Bureau officials, flying in for a ceremonial early start of the once-a-decade national tally, would make it through the thick winter fog. Counting those who are in hard-to-reach villages has been a challenge for the Census Bureau every decade since 1870, said Steven Dillingham, the bureaus director, ahead of his trip to Toksook Bay. Here in Alaska, we have these very special challenges. The geography is so vast. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Republican leaders in the House of Representatives are flexing their collective majority muscles in both substance and style. The most significant change resulting from gaining the electoral majority in the House, of course, is that direction of all committees has shifted to Republican hands. But other significant changes are under way. Last week, House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) reorganized a lawmaker group dealing with technology issues. Boehner changed the name of the House Republican High Tech Working Group to the House Republican Technology Working Group, indicating a broader scope of activity for the organization. Boehner also expanded the leadership of the group, which is chaired by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (Va.), to include two additional vice chairpersons: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) and Rep. Michael McCaul (Texas). They will join Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas), the incumbent vice-chair. The appointments could add some firepower to the group. Rep. Smith chairs the House Judiciary Committee and has had an interest in technology issues, especially patent reform. Rep. McMorris Rodgers has shown an interest in healthcare information technology and in January co-hosted a visit of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer with a group of Republican House leaders. Microsoft is based in her home state. Forming Tech Policy It appears that Boehner wants the working group to have a significant role in shaping technology policy. The technology sector is a prime source of innovation and job creation in America, he said. As is the case for many industries, however, tech companies face significant challenges in the form of excessive government regulations that stifle their potential and hurt their competitiveness. This working group will play a critical role in promoting policies that help keep America at the forefront of innovation and unleash the drive and entrepreneurship of our people, Boehner added. While legislation is offered through various committees, such as the Judiciary and Commerce panels, it appears that the working group will be the guiding force in the House for all proposals affecting the information technology sector. The House Republican Technology Working Group is planning to officially roll out its agenda in the coming weeks.That agenda will likely include such important issues as cybersecurity, patent reform, free and fair trade, and protecting intellectual property, Rep. Goodlatte told the E-Commerce Times. For the tech sector, it is likely that no legislation in the House will go forward until the Working Group has taken a position on it. That could slow the momentum on major issues. For example, the Senate recently passed a patent reform bill after some strong debate, with members of both parties keen to see a bill enacted into law this year. But House action will have to wait until the Working Group has made its position clear. The group was originally formed in 1998 by then-Speaker Newt Gingrich and is composed of more than 40 Republicans. The Federal Buzz: Notes on Government IT FSA Seeks Security Vendors: The U.S. Department of Education is seeking vendor assistance in fashioning a major security upgrade of the information collected and processed in its higher education student aid program. The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has asked vendors to respond by March 31 to a request for information. The issuance of an actual contract solicitation will be determined after FSA reviews the responses from vendors. This is simply to look at industry best practices in an effort to gain an understanding of what types of technologies are available, William Taggert, chief operating officer at FSA, told the E-Commerce Times. A D V E R T I S E M E N T As part of its 2011-1015 agency strategy, FSA determined that maintaining the security of its IT assets and infrastructure was a high priority. Accordingly, FSA is assessing the capabilities of industry partners in provisioning security services to support the extension of its information security and privacy capabilities, integrate continuous process improvement, expand the use of best practices and supporting tools and technologies, maximize costs savings, and proactively address the changing security and privacy landscape, FSA says in the RFI notice. The agency listed four major goals: ensure a secure operational cyberenvironment; maintain mission critical cyberdefenses; advance FSAs cybersituational awareness and intelligence analysis capabilities, and mature and evolve the agencys capability to secure its IT assets. Among FSAs more detailed objectives: 1) end-to-end protection of personally identifiable information (PII); 2) mitigation against keyloggers and other malware designed to disclose PII; 3) firewall management; and 4) cloud security services. FSA asked vendors to provide statements of capability, including any examples of providing similar solutions to other federal agencies, as well as descriptions of the approaches they would take to addressing agency objectives. While FSA could not provide an estimate of the value of potential contracts, its scope of operations gives some idea of its IT requirements. FSA supports 13 million students and their families through 30 million aid awards and maintains a US$622 billion loan portfolio. FSA employs 1,000 people and utilizes 10,000 contractors who provide outsourced assistance for customer service, loan serving and collections, which account for 85 percent of the agencys $1 billion annual administrative budget. NIST Data Security: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released two updated publications that help organizations find and manage data security vulnerabilities more effectively by standardizing the way breaches are identified, prioritized and reported. NIST said that the intended audience for the documents not only included government agencies but also commercial firms, especially software developers, systems integrators and product developers. One document, The Technical Specifications for the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) Version 1.1, refines the requirements from the SCAP 1.0 version. SCAP is a suite of specifications for standardizing the format and nomenclature by which security software communicates to assess software flaws, security configurations and software inventories. The update tightens the requirements of the individual specifications in the suite to support SCAPs functionality and to ensure interoperability. It also adds a new specification the Open Checklist Interactive Language (OCIL) that allows security experts to gather information that is not accessible by automated means. The second document, Guide to Using Vulnerability Naming Schemes, provides recommendations for SCAP users. Before these naming schemes were standardized, different organizations referred to vulnerabilities in different ways, which created confusion. These schemes enable better synthesis of information about software vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, said co-author David Waltermire. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States has a plan in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump said: "We do have a plan and we think it is going to be handled very well. We've already handled it very well. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) is terrific. Very professional..." Retired Inquirer editor and executive William K. Marimow on Wednesday joined the Philadelphia marketing and public relations firm Brian Communications, headed by Brian P. Tierney, a former owner of the newspaper. Joining us as senior advisers will be David Demarest, most recently the head of communications at Stanford University ... and head of White House communications for President George H.W. Bush, as well as our mutual friend and colleague Bill Marimow, Tierney said in an email. Tierney, who was publisher of the paper from 2006 to 2010, recruited Marimow to be editor-in-chief. Marimow won two Pulitzer Prizes as a reporter at The Inquirer, one for public service in 1978 and the other for investigative reporting in 1985. What I will be doing is working with Brians clients on marketing strategies, communications, and how to forge relationships with journalists that will benefit both the media and the clients, Marimow said Wednesday. We will help companies be more effective in their communications. Tierney said public relations is less than 20% of our business. Branding, advertising, and social media make up the bulk of the firms work. Marimow, who also has been a top editor at the Baltimore Sun and NPR, led The Inquirers newsroom for a total of eight years between 2006 and 2017. He first ran the newsroom starting in 2006. The newspaper then began to go through a series of ownership changes, and Marimow was fired in 2010 after hedge funds took control from local investors. Marimow returned to reporting, left the paper in 2011 to teach journalism at Arizona State University, and returned in 2012 as editor. He was fired again briefly in 2013, a consequence of a dispute among the newspapers then-owners. Two of them, Lewis Katz and H.F. Gerry Lenfest, filed suit and soon brought Marimow back to run the newsroom a third time. Marimow stepped down as editor in October 2017, and most recently was vice president of corporate strategy for The Inquirer, which is a public benefit corporation owned by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Tierney is a member of The Inquirers board of directors. Bill Marimow retired from his role as a valued employee of The Inquirer on Dec. 31, 2019, and we wish him well, said Lauren Kauffman, The Inquirers vice president for people and culture. To fulfill the strategic need of national drug innovation and scientific regulatory, LABWorld China will set up an efficient and high-quality laboratory equipment trading platform and show the pharmaceutical quality detection and R&D innovation solutions. LABWorld China, organized by Informa Markets and CCCMHPIE and co-organized by Sinoexpo Informa Markets, has undergone the laboratory quality systems upgrading and witnessed innovative technologies development, together with R&D, inspection and analysis professionals from pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnology industry. The exhibition will return at SNIEC from June 22-24 2020 and continue to join hands with CPhI & bioLIVE China 2020. Global resources for laboratory innovation and construction With the expanded overseas resources and the advantage of the whole pharmaceutical industry chain, LABWorld China has received growing attention from Chinese and overseas enterprises. It will gather over 300 domestic and international suppliers, displaying popular products, such as advanced laboratory equipment, analytical instrument, life science instrument, laboratory construction and furniture, laboratory consumables, and measuring (metering) instruments. LABWorld China 2020, co-located with CPhI & bioLIVE China 2020, is expected to attract 75,000+ visits of professional buyers from pharmaceutical, chemical and life science industry, including 25,000 visits of international buyers. Comprehensive solutions and products are provided on this integrated one-stop business platform, while boosting the high-quality development of the pharma, life science and health industry. High-end meetings & activities providing knowledge & networking What's more, LABWorld China continues to build up an effective platform of a high value-added exchange place integrating knowledge learning and social networking, gathering government agencies, industry associations, pharmaceutical enterprises, medical and R&D. It also provides a platform for brand exposure and precision promotion. InnoLAB forum, one of the high-end meetings, has been upgraded to Intelligent Laboratory Innovation and Development Forum with an eye to the latest information and popular products in the pharmaceutical laboratory area. The forum will pay attention to the laboratory development after the implementation of Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Consistency Evaluation and new Pharmaceutical Administration Law, etc., serve pharmaceutical laboratory facility and technology upgrading, and focus on the R&D, inspection and analysis in the pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnology areas. Other onsite events, such as Lean Lab Management Training, Pharmaceutical Microbiological Test and Control Forum, and Intelligent Laboratory Innovation and Development Forum will again be organized. Besides, the organizer enriches the activities in 2020, adding online and offline Matchmaking and Innovation Tour of guide visiting focus on chromatographic instruments, microbiology equipment, and laboratory engineering furniture. The new activities aim to connect a close relationship between the manufacturers of laboratory equipment and analytical instrument and the pharmaceutical enterprises. Visitor pre-registration is now on. Register now to save RMB100 onsite and join the grand industry gala. For more information, visit official website: https://www.pmecchina.com/labworld/en Media contact: Jennifer Yang, +86-21-3339-2533, [email protected] SOURCE LABWorld China Bolton Testifying Is a National Security Issue: Trump Former National Security Adviser John Bolton testifying in the Senate impeachment trial would be a national security issue, President Donald Trump said on Jan. 22. Speaking to reporters in Davos, Trump said that Bolton knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and its not very positive and then I have to deal on behalf of the country? Its going to be very hard. Its going to make the job very hard, Trump said. He knows other things. And I dont know if we left on the best of terms. I would say probably not, you know. So you dont like people testifying when they didnt leave on good terms. And that was due to me, not due to him. Trump said the reasons he doesnt want Bolton to testify involve national security and executive privilege. Ive always gotten along with John Bolton. He didnt get along with other people, Trump added. But when he knows my thoughts on certain people and other governments and were talking about massive trade deals and war and peace and all these different things that we talk about, thats really a very important national security problem. President Donald Trump talks during a bilateral meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih (not pictured) at the 50th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) The Senate opened the impeachment trial against Trump this week in Washington as the president attended the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. After a series of proposed amendments to subpoena documents and witnessesincluding Boltonwere voted down by the Republican majority, the body approved a resolution allowing the House to submit evidence but pushing back the matter of documents and witnesses until later in the trial. One proposed amendment, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), would have subpoenaed Bolton to testify. The amendment said Bolton was involved in meetings at the White House about the U.S. relationship with Ukraine and that he should be called to testify on his knowledge of events pertaining to the two impeachment articles, obstruction of Congress and abuse of office. Witnesses with direct knowledge or involvement should be heard, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the lead House impeachment manager, told senators during Tuesdays hearing. That includes the presidents acting Chief of Staff and Mick Mulvaney, his former national security adviser, John Bolton, who has publicly offered to testify. Robert Blair, an adviser to Mulvaney, and Michael Duffey, a senior official at the White House of Office of Management and Budget, also have relevant testimony, Schiff said, adding: Why not hear it? The House didnt issue a subpoena for Bolton, who was fired in September during the House impeachment inquiry. Bolton declined to appear to testify without a subpoena in November 2019. Democrats said they were rushing to impeach Trump because he represents a danger to the country, but were criticized by Republicans for withholding the impeachment articles from the Senate for about three weeks after impeaching Trump on Dec. 18, 2019, delaying the start of the Senate trial. President Donald Trump is flanked by then-national security adviser John Bolton as he speaks in Washington in 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Democrats now say they want Bolton, Mulvaney, and two others to testify in the trial. Republicans have rejected calls for witnesses, saying theyll hear from both sides before deciding whether any are needed. The way the Senate decides to handle mid-trial questions such as witnesses could have institutional consequences that go far beyond this trial and this presidency. We are not going to rush into these questions without even hearing opening arguments, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said from the Senate floor on Tuesday. Bolton said earlier this month that he was prepared to testify if called in the Senate trial. His statement came after a federal judge declined to rule on whether a former Bolton aide, Charles Kupperman, should be compelled to testify after House Democrats withdrew a subpoena for his testimony. Trump said this month that hed invoke executive privilege to block Bolton from testifying. No problem other than one thing, Trump said in an interview with Fox News. You cant be in the White House as presidentfuture, Im talking about future, any future presidentsand have a security adviser, anybody having to do with security, and legal and other things testify. ST. PAUL An internal audit by the Minnesota Department of Human Services has confirmed a number of complaints made by whistleblowers about problems within its division that distributes taxpayer funds for mental health and drug programs. The report, released Tuesday, Jan. 21, didnt find that any funds were actually misspent. But that could have happened, it concluded. The report focused on the departments Behavioral Health Division, which has been at the center of several high-profile problems at the department. Its the same division responsible for some $77 million in overpayments of federal funds to Native American tribes and counties revealed last year. Among Tuesdays findings: Conflicts of interest: Employees didnt follow laws and policies designed to guard against potential conflicts of interest between employees and potential grant recipients. The report did not determine that any public funds were misspent as a result, but one case of a potential conflict of interest is being investigated by human resources. ADVERTISEMENT Opioid grant: Employees failed to properly justify why it awarded a $500,000 opioid treatment grant to the Red Lake Nation instead of several other applicants for the same money that scored higher under the divisions own vetting process. The report didnt find any wrongdoing; the grant was awarded, despite the scores, because opioid addiction rates are higher in isolated American Indian communities like Red Lake. But that was never documented, and "the lack of documentation clouded the transparency" of the process, the report states. Premature payments: In 14 of 19 cases examined, auditors found that DHS improperly paid money to grant recipients ahead of schedule with a "lack of diligence and scrutiny," exposing taxpayers to the risk of lost funds if the grant recipients, usually nonprofits, were to go belly-up. In no cases, however, did that actually happen. Lax vetting: The audit discovered that the Behavioral Health Division awarded a grant to an organization that was dissolved by the secretary of state in 2018, and employees never actually checked secretary of state records. Technically, it mostly worked out because the owner of the organization appears to have completed the work, but, the report states, "The failure by the grantee to have an active registration with the Secretary of State is a violation of the grant contract, and should have been discovered." In an interview, DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead said all the recommendations of the internal auditors are being implemented "immediately." Harpstead said some of the complaints came anonymously via an internal hotline that the department established last year in the wake of public allegations made by DHS employee Faye Bernstein, who has alleged she was retaliated against for blowing the whistle on contract and grant compliance. Some of the allegations that were substantiated by the audit are consistent with alarms Bernstein was raising. She was placed on leave and has since been reassigned to other duties, although Tuesdays report appears to at least partially vindicate her. Bernstein declined to comment on the specifics of the report Tuesday. "Were proud of this report," Harpstead said, emphasizing that the thrust of it doesnt amount to new revelations of misspending. Instead, she said, the report amounts to a technical vetting of allegations. In all, nine specific allegations were investigated. Five were substantiated; four were not. "The reason were making it public today is to show that we did have this setup to get to the root of those problems," Harpstead said. "Were grateful to all the employees who came forward." President Donald Trump put European leaders on notice, renewing a threat to hurt the economies of transatlantic allies if they arent willing to compromise on a trade deal before the U.S. elections. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump departed from the more conciliatory tone he struck earlier in the week, repeating a threat to impose tariffs on imports of cars and parts from Europe and claiming that he targeted China first in his trade war because an unfair EU is harder to deal with. They have trade barriers where you cant trade, they have tariffs all over the place, they make it impossible, Trump said Wednesday. They are frankly more difficult to do business with than China. The move marked a doubling-down on a strategy built on tariff threats that has yet to work for Trump with European officials who have consistently resisted what they see as efforts to bully them into a deal. Trump agreed to hold fire on auto tariffs in July 2018 after the EU and U.S. agreed to work toward a limited deal on industrial tariffs. But progress stalled after what EU officials say was an agreement by Trump not to include agriculture in the talks ran into opposition from the U.S. Congress. Trump has already hit $7.5 billion (U.S.) of EU exports with levies over an airline dispute. He also threatened tariffs against France over a new digital services tax, although a truce was announced Wednesday to give more time for negotiations. Trumps push illustrates his desire to move quickly on talks with the EU and the U.K. now that the U.S. has signed a partial agreement with China. But the processes for those discussions are on slower tracks, making the U.S. presidents call for deals to be done this year more challenging to meet, even if some progress is possible on less-controversial issues. Find solutions European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who heads the EUs executive arm, has said she would work on a broad, new agreement with the U.S. that would cover not only trade, but also technology and energy. The escalation comes at an awkward time for the bloc, as it prepares to begin trade negotiations with the U.K., which will leave the EU later this month. Trump has also been intervening in those talks but urging the U.K. to work with him on a deal first. We dont think its a good idea to have a trade disputes over months but that we sit down together, we negotiate and find solutions, we exchange some numbers and views on fairness, von der Leyen told reporters in Davos. And were expecting in a few weeks to have an agreement that we can sign together. Perhaps the most brazen American warning of the day came from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. On a Davos panel with U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid, Mnuchin dangled the prospect of using retaliatory tariffs on automobile imports against countries that institute their own taxes on technology companies. Such a move would devastate Germanys already sluggish manufacturing sector, and would likely result in EU retaliatory tariffs aimed at the American economy. If people want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we will consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies, Mnuchin said. We think the digital tax is discriminatory in nature. The Trump administration may run into difficulty introducing car tariffs arbitrarily, as Mnuchin said, because the law it has invoked for justification confines the decision to national security. The Trump administration has so far refused to release a report justifying the possible tariffs despite demands from Congress, where opposition to them is bipartisan. Javid responded by saying the U.K. government plans will go ahead its digital tax in April, telling the panel that the levy is designed to be temporary and will go away when theres an international agreement. Last year, France introduced a 3 per cent levy on the digital revenue of companies that make their sales primarily in cyberspace, such as Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. The U.S. threatened tariffs as high as 100 per cent on $2.4 billion of French goods, saying the measure discriminates against American businesses. The U.S. and France temporarily resolved the issue Wednesday, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said. At a meeting with Mnuchin on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Le Maire agreed to delay collecting the digital tax until the end of 2020. In exchange, the U.S. will refrain from imposing the punitive tariffs on French goods it had threatened as retaliation. With assistance from Francine Lacqua, Alex Wayne, Saleha Mohsin and Zoe Schneeweiss. Read more about: The Philadelphia skyline is seen from the South Street Bridge over the Schuylkill on September 26, 2017. Read more New York, Washington, and Cincinnati top the list of places Philadelphia renters looking to leave the city are eyeing, according to a new housing tracker report. The nationwide study from Apartment List, which analyzed search queries, also found that more than 30% of users searching from Philadelphia were looking to leave the city. The study looked at searches from more than a million users registered on Apartment List, but did not say how many of them were based in Philadelphia. At the same time, the report found that Apartment List users who lived in D.C. and New York were considering moving to Philadelphia at respective rates of around 31% and 13%. Those wanting to move to Philadelphia, which the report says is one of the most affordable cities in the Northeast, were largely searching from D.C., New York, and Cleveland. It would be my sense that people coming from D.C. and New York, I expect, are the ones who are higher-paid workers I imagine a mid- to high-income bracket where theyre doing well but not enough to be comfortable with housing prices where they are," said Christopher Salviati, a housing economist for San Francisco-based Apartment List. Of the 25 biggest cities across the country, the most people are looking to relocate to tech job-heavy Denver at 48%, according to the report, followed by Baltimore touting a competitive job market with relatively less expensive housing compared with nearby D.C. and Northern Virginia at 47%. San Diego and Tampa each clocked in at 44%, and San Francisco at 42%. Philadelphia, with a population of about 1.5 million, ranked in 16th place in relocation choices. Though the bulk of prospective residents searched from nearby metropolitan areas, according to the report, 1.2% searched from Miami, 1% from Los Angeles, 0.7% from Atlanta, 0.6% from Portland, and 0.5% from San Francisco. Apartment List had conducted research showing that a larger number of employers in D.C. and New York were allowing employees to work remotely to spare them long commutes, Salviati said, giving some workers the opportunity to move to less costly cities while keeping their jobs. Both cities have strong job opportunities, and employers are becoming more flexible, he said. With newcomers to Philadelphia some of whom are able to afford pricier housing in the citys rapidly evolving neighborhoods analysts found existing residents were moving elsewhere in Pennsylvania, such as Allentown, Scranton, and Reading. Various industry reports have pointed out that some of the strongest sectors driving the job market in and around Philadelphia are in energy, information-technology, life sciences, manufacturing, and financial services. The five cities that round out the reports desired cities list are New York at 24%, Minneapolis at 23%, Miami and Chicago each at 20%, and Detroit at 18%. Salviati noted that the results do not indicate that users will actually move. Some people may browse only out of curiosity. But folks that are on our platform searching for places to live its a relatively high-intent action to take," he said. Weve got a large enough sample where we are capturing a pretty good numbers of users who are actually going to make this move." A soldier from Burkina Faso stands guard in a village in the Sahel area of the country Scores of civilians were killed in Burkina Faso this week in what the government has called a terrorist attack on a market in a north central province. The Pope and the Catholic bishops of the West African nation have appealed repeatedly for dialogue and peace. By Linda Bordoni Thirty-six civilians were murdered on Monday in Burkina Fasos Sanmatenga province when armed militants reportedly forced their way into the market of the village of Alamou. A government statement said that first they attacked the people, and then burnt the market structure to the ground. The bloodshed is part of a surge in violence in the West African country that has killed hundreds, forced nearly a million from their homes and made much of the north ungovernable over the past two years. Appeals by Pope and bishops Pope Francis and the Catholic Bishops of Burkina Faso have called for the promotion of interreligious dialogue in an attempt to protect the people and find solutions to the violence. The government in Ouagadougou released a statement saying "These repeated attacks on innocent civilians call for real cooperation between defence and security forces." President Roch Marc Kabore called for two days of national mourning in response to the attack. Links to al Quaeda and IS Although it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the massacre, Islamist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State have carried out increasingly brazen attacks against civilian and military targets in Burkina Faso in recent months, including an attack on a mining convoy in November that killed nearly 40 people. The country was once a pocket of relative calm in the Sahel region, but the recent local insurgency has been amplified by a spillover of jihadist violence and criminality from Mali on Burkina Fasos northern border. FRANCE 24 commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with "The Last Ones", a series of portraits of the camp's last survivors by documentary film-maker Sophie Nahum. This week marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. From the 22th to the 26th of January, FRANCE 24 will be airing survivors' stories in Nahum's series "The Last Ones". Those who returned from the death camps recount their experiences there and their life afterwards - between the pain that is impossible to forget, the guilt of surviving and the need to remember the past. "The Last Ones" presents five 8-minute portraits that provide a comprehensive picture of the horrors of deportation and its destination of Auschwitz. Henri, arrested with 13 family members Henri was a child of Polish migrants and arrested in western France when he was fifteen years old for being a Jew. He was one of 878 people shipped on convoy "73" to Kaunas, Lithuania. Only 22 would come back alive. Seventy-five years later, the only remaining survivor of that convoy, he speaks of the guilt he feels of having been one of the few to escape. Lucette, sent to Auschwitz on the last train from France Lucette, 93 years old, had never left her Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre until she was deported. Seventy-five years on, the pain remains, particularly as she recounts the story of her father being sent away. Now, she fears the rise of anti-Semitism in France, once again. Nicolas, deported at 16 years old Born in Hungary, Nicolas sought refuge in France following the liberation. Alongside his son, he evokes the transgenerational trauma of the Holocaust. Can we recount everything? How much can we relate? Nicolas decided to tell everything, and recounted his experiences in his book, 'Being 16 in Auschwitz'. Esther, sent to Auschwitz at 15 years old Though born in Poland, Esther grew up in Paris and was arrested during the infamous "Vel d'Hiv roundup" before being sent to Auschwitz at 15 years old. Her sole aim there was to survive. She speaks of having to face suspicion upon her return to France, and years of living with severe depression. Armand, from the Polish ghetto to Buchenwald Armand encountered the Nazis at a very young age. First, at 10, in the Polish ghetto of Piotrkow, the country's first, and later, when deported to the concentration camp of Buchenwald. Haunted by the nightmares, he spends his life collecting memories so that the horror of what happened shall not be forgotten. Led by ENEC CEO H.E. Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi, the delegation met with U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes, Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, and Assistant Secretary for the Office of International Affairs Theodore Garrish at the Department of Energy. The meetings were also attended by UAE Ambassador to the United States HE Yousef Al Otaiba . In separate meetings, H.E. Eng. Al Hammadi and the senior U.S. officials discussed the U.S. and UAE's shared commitment to driving advances in sustainability and clean energy technologies. The officials also commemorated the ten year anniversary of the signing of the bilateral 123 Agreement that established the legal framework required for the transfer of civilian nuclear energy technology between the UAE and U.S. During their trip, the delegation participated in an industry luncheon co-hosted by the U.S.-UAE Business Council and the Nuclear Energy Institute. Delegation members had the chance to meet with existing and prospective U.S. suppliers and stakeholders from the nuclear energy sector. H.E. Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC CEO, said: "The overarching principles of the UAE's 2008 policy on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy are founded on the Nation's commitments to the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, transparency and non-proliferation. These same principles are reflected in the 123 Agreement, and we have delivered on these commitments continuously throughout the development of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, as we work to realize our mission to generate clean, safe and reliable electricity. "The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will transform the UAE's energy mix, delivering baseload electricity to power the future growth of the Nation while producing virtually zero-carbon emissions and providing high-value jobs for decades to come. The progress of the Barakah plant and the wider UAE Program has been supported by the valuable exchange of experience enabled by the U.S.-UAE 123 Agreement, which has delivered significant benefits to both parties. This includes the 175 U.S. suppliers who have been awarded more than $2.75 billion in contracts since the establishment of the UAE program," added H.E. Eng. Al Hammadi. "The launch of our peaceful, safe, and clean civilian nuclear energy program is a powerful statement and an affirmation of the UAE's strong relationship with the U.S," said Ambassador Al Otaiba. "Together, we made the strongest possible commitment to nonproliferation, and created economic prosperity for both countries. While in Washington, members of the UAE delegation also participated in roundtable events at the Atlantic Council, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, meeting with experts to discuss the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program and the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. Chairman of the Board of Lightbridge, Member of the former International Advisory Board for the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program and former senior U.S. diplomat commented: "Nuclear energy is essential for mitigating the risks of climate change resulting from increasing carbon emissions. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is one of the most significant clean energy projects globally, and is being delivered to the highest international standards. It is fitting that we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 123 Agreement, which reinforces the clear commitments made by the UAE in 2008 to achieving the highest standards of safety, security, transparency and non-proliferation. The UAE has consistently demonstrated these commitments throughout the development of the Barakah plant, and has set a new standard for peaceful nuclear energy projects globally." Located in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is the first constructed nuclear energy plant in the Arab World and is being developed by ENEC as the cornerstone of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. The UAE is an advocate of clean energy around the world and a leader in the region. As part of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, 50 percent of the national energy supply will be generated by clean sources, including nuclear, by midcentury, with a 70% reduction in carbon emissions. The Barakah plant consists of four APR1400 nuclear reactors, with a total generating capacity of up to 5,600MW. When the four units are fully operational, they will produce up to 25% of the UAE's electricity demand, while preventing the release of 21 million tons of carbon emissions annually. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Embassy of the United Arab Emirates Related Links http://www.uae-embassy.org DETROIT -- General Motors Wednesday agreed to a tax deal with the state of Michigan that will require the automaker to spend $3.5 billion in the state over the next 10 years, according to the Associated Press. Under the terms of the deal, GM receives a tax credit of up to $2.28 billion through 2029. However, the amount of tax credits GM can receive each year will be capped and the maximum of $2.28 billion is actually $325 million less than the potential credits received under a previous deal. GM will not only be required to spend $3.5 billion in the Michigan in the next 10 years, but is also required to maintain at least 4,750 Michigan jobs that pay on average $1,300 a week, the AP reports. Currently, GM employs approximately 45,000 people in Michigan. Overall, this will solidify the companys continued commitment to growing in our state as well as Michigans uncontested leadership in automotive design and manufacturing, said Jeff Mason, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. As part of the spending deal, GM will build electric pickup trucks in Detroit. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant will cease operations in February after the last round of production of the Chevrolet Impala is complete. The plant will then be renovated in order to produce electric vehicles. That plant currently has 800 people working there, but when renovations are complete, GM expects up to 2,000 people will be able to work in the facility. We appreciate our long-standing, productive collaboration with the state of Michigan and look forward to building on this important relationship, said GM spokesperson Dan Flores. World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden speaks at the World Food Program USA's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony at Organization of American States on April 12, 2016 in Washington, DC. A judge ordered former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter to appear next week in an Arkansas court for a hearing on whether he should be held in contempt for failing to disclose financial information to a woman who says she bore his child. "Our expectation is that he's going to appear," Clint Lancaster, an attorney for the Arkansas woman, Lunden Alexis Roberts, told CNBC on Wednesday. But Lancaster, who has accused Hunter Biden in legal filings of having "no respect" for the court, noted that he had not seen him at court proceedings for months. The order comes as the Senate conducts an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in connection with Trump asking Ukraine's new president to announce investigations of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden while withholding almost $400 million congressionally appropriated military aid to that country. Joe Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Republicans have suggested that they might call Hunter Biden, a lawyer who had served on the board of a Ukraine gas company, as a witness in the impeachment trial. Trump earlier this month said, "I'd like to hear from Hunter Biden and Joe Biden." Roberts' lawyers have said in Arkansas court filings that Hunter Biden failed to meet a court-ordered deadline of last Thursday to turn over documents dating back five years as part of her request for child-support payments from him for her 16-month-old child. Those documents include "a list of all sources of income," copies of tax returns, and a list of companies in which he has an ownership interest, as well as the addresses where he lives and his telephone number, according to court records. Lancaster told CNBC that those documents are needed to correctly calculate how much Biden should pay Roberts in support. Biden, 49, is no longer contesting Roberts' claim of paternity after originally saying he never had sex with the 28-year-old woman. "The defendant's conduct is willful and contemptuous," Lancaster wrote in a motion Monday asking a judge to hold Biden in contempt of court. "The defendant continues to act as though he has no respect for this Court, its orders, the legal process in this state, or the needs of his child for support," Lancaster wrote. "This court should sanction the defendant as it deems appropriate and just." Judge Holly Meyer, in an order made public Tuesday, said Biden must appear Jan. 29 in Independence County Circuit Court and "show cause, if any exists, as to why he should not be held in contempt for any of the alleged violations of this Court's orders." Attorneys for Biden did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. The trade war hit the trucking industry at a vulnerable moment, said Aaron Terrazas, director of economic research at Convoy, a shipping-focused technology company. Trucking companies expanded aggressively in recent years, adding trucks and drivers more quickly than demand was growing. The resulting glut pushed down prices, just as the slowdown in trade began eating into demand. There was almost this one-two punch where we were having this normal supply correction in the market and subsequently we got hit by the trade war, Mr. Terrazas said. Mr. Trump and his allies have said the trade deals will deliver a jolt to the economy and lead to faster growth this year. But economists are skeptical. Wall Street analysts expect growth, which is already cooling, to slow further in early 2020, and few have marked up their estimates in response to the trade announcements. I think were seeing the bottom, but were going to bounce around for a period of time before we really see any noticeable growth, said Eric Starks, chief executive of FTR, a freight research firm. That is assuming that there are no outside shocks and it seems like every other day a new shock keeps happening. Economists said the agreements should help shore up the struggling manufacturing sector and prevent further damage to the economy. But they wont necessarily heal the damage that has already been done. Companies that shifted supply chains away from China in response to the trade war wont necessarily move them back now that tensions have cooled, for example. And companies may be hesitant to commit to long-term investments until they see evidence that the trade deals will last. How much can we really go back to the way things were before this tiff? Mr. Terrazas asked rhetorically. Are they going to go back quickly to the way things were before, or are companies going to say this new uncertainty is going to be a feature of the global trade picture for the years ahead? Manufacturing is a relatively small part of the American economy, and there is little risk that even a sustained slump in manufacturing could, on its own, push the country into a recession. Consumer spending remains robust, and the fears of a downturn that gripped financial markets over the summer have eased. PA Media: Video Dark western The Power Of The Dog and HBOs Succession have triumphed at the 79th Golden Globes following a bizarrely muted online event with no celebrity guests. The film and the critically acclaimed series both earned three awards at the ceremony, which has faced heavy criticism over the past year for diversity issues within its organising body. The typically star-studded and joke-filled event was replaced by periodic updates from the Golden Globes website and official social media accounts. Advertisement Haunting pictures of Auschwitz have been released to mark the 75th anniversary of the Nazi death camp's liberation. Images made available by the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum show the unloading ramp and 'Gate of Death' at the camp in occupied Poland as well as emaciated prisoners and piles of clothes. The Nazi's largest death camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on January 27, 1945, and the day is commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day worldwide. Over the next week, world leaders will gather twice to mark the anniversary. KL Auschwitz-Birkenau was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by the Third Reich near Oswiecim in occupied Poland during World War II, and a central site in the Nazis' planned Holocaust, sometimes referred to as Shoa. Auschwitz is in fact not one camp, but two: Auschwitz I, built in an abandoned Polish military base, and Auschwitz II, or Birkenau, a much bigger complex that went up later about two miles away to expedite the Nazis' 'Final Solution'. It is estimated that 1.3 million people were sent to Auschwitz, and 1.1 million died there including 960,000 Jews, 74,000 non-Jewish Poles, 21,000 Roma people, 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war, and up to 15,000 other Europeans. Prisoners who were not gassed in chambers died of starvation, exhaustion, disease, individual executions, beatings or were killed during medical experiments. Since 1947, the site houses a memorial and museum that also offers guided tours and an education centre to deepen the peoples' knowledge about the mass atrocities committed at the Nazi camps. The unloading ramp and the main gate called the 'Gate of Death' at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Brzezinka, Poland, February or March 1945 Prisoners of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp after the liberation of the former Nazi Germany concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz I in Oswiecim, Poland, in January 1945 Piles of shoes and clothes pictured in 1945 that belonged to people brought to Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, for extermination during the Holocaust carried out during WWII Child prisoners who were held in Auschwitz are pictured in January 1945 showing their tattooed numbers on their arms after the death camp's liberation. More than 1.1 million people were murdered by the Nazis and their henchmen in Auschwitz Crematory number one made by former prisoner Zbigniew Klawender at the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz I in Oswiecim, Poland, pictured sometime in 1946. Most who were killed at the camp were Jews, but the victims also included Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and others Glasses that belonged to people brought to Auschwitz for extermination pictured in 1945. At the infamous ramp at the entrance to Auschwitz, the Nazis selected those they could use as forced labourers. The others - old people, many women and especially children and babies, were gassed to death soon after their arrival That there will be two competing ceremonies - one in Jerusalem on Thursday and the other at the Auschwitz site in southern Poland on January 27 - underlines how politically charged World War II remains as nationalist governments in Russia and Poland seek to use their own interpretation of the past for contemporary political gain. Leaders at both sites, joined by elderly survivors, will pay tribute to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, wiping out a third of world Jewry. Commemorations say the memorials risk being overshadowed by a bitter dispute between Poland - where Nazi German occupiers operated Auschwitz and other infamous camps - and Russia, the successor state to the Soviet Union. Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz in 1945, but the country had also signed a nonaggression accord with the Nazis shortly before the war began in 1939, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. It contained a secret protocol in which the totalitarian powers agreed to carve up Eastern Europe. Two years later, Germany turned on Kremlin leader Josef Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union, bringing the Soviets into the war on the side of the Allies. Millions of Red Army soldiers lost their lives in the eventual defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany. When the Soviet Red Army liberated the Auschwitz death camp in German-occupied Poland, the Germans had already fled westward, leaving behind the bodies of prisoners who had been shot and thousands of sick and starving survivors. The Soviet troops also found gas chambers and crematoria that the Germans had blown up before fleeing in an attempt to hide evidence of their mass killings. But the genocide was too massive to hide. Today, the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau endures as the leading symbol of the terror of the Holocaust. A baby of one of the prisoners at Auschwitz liberated by the Soviet Army in January 1945 pictured in images released by the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum to mark the 75th anniversary of liberation. Prisoners arrived at the camp in cramped, windowless cattle trains The ruins of a crematory and gas chamber number II with the women's camp BIb seen in the background at Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Brzezinka, Poland, pictured in 1945 Piles of brushes that belonged to people brought to Auschwitz for extermination pictured in 1945. In all, about six million European Jews died during the Holocaust. When the Soviets liberated the camp, they found about 7,000 survivors Prisoners and nurses at the hospital for liberated prisoners after the liberation of KL Auschwitz I in Oswiecim, Poland, in 1945. As the Soviet troops searched the camp, they discovered 648 corpses, 600 prisoners in the slave labour camp and about 7,000 in the main camp The inside of the wooden barrack at KL Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Brzezinka, Poland, pictured in 1945. As the war progressed Birkenau was created for the mass killing of Jews and others who were transported there from across Europe Piles of belongings left behind by the camp's victims are preserved by the Auschwitz-Birkenau foundation. The inventory comprises 3,800 suitcases, more than 88 pounds of eyeglasses, 379 striped uniforms, 246 prayer shawls and more than 12,000 pots and pans brought to the camp by victims who believed they would eventually be resettled. Its iconic status is such that every year it registers a record number of visitors - 2.3 million last year alone. In 1942, SS authorities established a compound in Auschwitz-Birkenau, also known as Auschwitz II, to incarcerate female prisoners. Among the first inmates were prisoners whom the SS transferred from Ravensbruck in northern Germany, which was opened in 1939. During the early period of the existence of the women's camp, children born there were put to death, regardless of their ethnicity, without being entered in the camp records. From mid-1943, non-Jewish newborns were allowed to live and several days after birth, they were noted in the records and they were assigned camp numbers. Children born to Jewish women were put to death until November 1944, when the mass extermination of the Jews was halted. Available documents indicate that at least 700 children were born in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The ruins of the crematory III camp at Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Brzezinka, Poland, pictured in around February or March 1945. Today crematoria lie in rubble but still intact are the rail tracks and watchtowers and some of the barracks where prisoners slept in cold, cramped conditions Piles of combs and brushes that belonged to people brought to Auschwitz for extermination at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, pictured in 1945 A still image from the 'Chronic of liberation on KL Auschwitz' film made by Soviet army cameramen showing an aerial view of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Brzezinka, Poland, in January 1945 Personal belongings left after mass exterminations pictured in 1945 at KL Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland. Today, visitors to the memorial can also see the suitcases, eyeglasses and other items prisoners brought on their journeys to the camp A panorama of Buna-Werke factory which belonged to IG Farben at the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz III-Monowitz in Monowice near Oswiecim, Poland, pictured in 1945 Today, the survivors are mostly their 80s and 90s, some now living in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Russia, the United States and Israel. Auschwitz was the most notorious in a system of concentration and extermination camps that Nazi Germany built across Europe. It was operated in occupied Poland, home to Europe's largest Jewish population, and at the heart of a railway network that allowed the Nazis to easily transport Jews there from elsewhere across the continent. During the Holocaust the old and infirm were quickly shuttled to their death, often through the iconic watchtower entrance to Birkenau, while those still deemed well enough to serve the Nazi war machine were shepherded through the pathway to the main gate with the message 'Arbeit macht Frei' ('Work sets free' in English) written across the top. They were tattooed, hosed down, sheared of their hair and put to slave labour. Provided little clothing or food, prisoners were rammed into cramped barracks locked in behind barbed wire fences. Most withered away before ending up in the crematoria or marched off to their deaths elsewhere as the allies closed in and liberated the camp. Piles of suitcases that belonged to Holocaust victims brought to Auschwitz-Birkenau for extermination are pictured in 1945 in Oswiecim in occupied Poland. Especially haunting are the prosthetic limbs also piled up by the Nazis. Many of the Jews who were murdered at the camp had fought for their homelands, including Germany, in World War I The KL Auschwitz I camp after liberation by the Soviet Army in Oswiecim, Poland, pictured around February or March 1945. Auschwitz contained five crematoria, made and patented by German engineering company Topf and Sons, who had worked out they could dispose of 4,756 corpses a day. The crematoria contained gas chambers, mortuaries and changing rooms Piles of clothes that belonged to people brought to Auschwitz-Birkenau for extermination. It is Birkenau that shocks visitors today more profoundly - a flat, vast space still ringed by the silver birch trees (or Birken in German) that gave the place its name Auschwitz I camp premises pictured in around 1946 after liberation. Early on, Auschwitz I operated as a camp for Polish prisoners, including Catholic priests and members of the nation's underground resistance again the German occupation Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to shift wartime blame to Poland over anger that historical memory in the West has begun to focus more on the Soviet role in triggering the war and less on its role in defeating Germany. The Russian historical moves have outraged the Polish government, which believes Putin's main motive is to weaken Polish influence in the European Union. In drawing dozens of world leaders to the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, Israel had hoped to present a united front in commemorating the genocide of European Jewry and warning against the perils of modern-day anti-Semitism. Instead, Polish President Andrzej Duda is boycotting the event at the Yad Vashem memorial because, unlike Putin, he was not invited to speak and wouldn't be able to defend his nation's historical record. Duda will preside at the Auschwitz ceremony, which Putin will not attend. Israel has said it didn't offer Duda a speaking role because his country was not among World War II's liberating nations. It said the German president was also being allowed to speak to take responsibility for the perpetrators. The KL Auschwitz I camp in Oswiecim, Poland, pictured in 1945 after liberation by the Soviet Army. Auschwitz today is seen as an emblem of evil, a site of historical remembrance and a vast cemetery. It is a place where Jews make pilgrimages to pay tribute to ancestors whose ashes and bones remain part of the earth Pans and pots that belonged to people brought to Auschwitz-Birkenau for extermination pictured in 1945. At some parts of Auschwitz-Birkenau only dozens of brick chimneys remain on a vast field where once the barracks for detainees stood Block 10, where prisoners were used as experimental subjects for German doctors, pictured in 1945 after liberation at Auschwitz I in Oswiecim, Poland - The Executive Director for Nuclear Power Ghana, has revealed that Ghana is on course to meet the generation of power from nuclear sources by 2030. - According to Ing. Theo Nii Okai, this will help reduce the cost of electricity over a long time Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Executive Director for Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), Ing. Theo Nii Okai, has revealed that Ghana is on course to meet the generation of power from nuclear sources by 2030. According to him, it is part of efforts to complete the first phase of the implementation plan by the end of 2020. Speaking with Citi Business news, during an interaction with a review mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said it will among other things identify some areas to be improved in Ghanas document and implementing strategy for adopting nuclear power to meet its energy demand needs. READ ALSO: MTN Ghana finally compensates customers over data issues We should be able to switch on the nuclear power plant by 2030, he emphasized. Commenting on the progress made so far, Ing. Theo Nii Okai was confident his outfit would be granted the needed support to help in achieving the set objective. The initial cost of nuclear is very high just like hydro; but because the plants can last for a very long time, it means over that period, you will be able to recover and therefore sell the electricity very cheap because over the lifespan of the plant, you would have recouped your investment, he noted. READ ALSO: Doctor drops serious warning about gari soakings; says it can cause cancer In other news, a Ghana Air Force plane with registration number GHF552 on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 overrun the apron of the Air Force base in Accra. Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in According to a statement signed by the director of public affairs of the Military, Col. Aggrey Quarshie, the incident did not record any casualties. He said there were no passengers on board the plane and the crew are all safe and doing well. READ ALSO: Ghana Air Force plane overruns apron during routine engine run Curvy Ghanaian woman steals the show at Kente Party 2019 with her wild dance moves| #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Liv Tyler gets 'embarrassed' watching her dad Steven Tyler perform. The 42-year-old actress is very proud of the Aerosmith frontman and enjoys watching his gigs but can't help cringing at some of the 71-year-old rocker's raunchier moves. Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday, she said: 'I mean...he's pretty amazing. 'I'm like, "Dad"...' Liv Tyler revealed she can get 'embarrassed' watching her dad Steven Tyler perform (pictured 2015) 'But as a performer, he doesn't half-ass anything. Like, he really is singing his heart out. So, I'm usually pretty impressed that he's still...but he does things that embarrass me. Like, humping his mic stand. I'm like, "Dad..."' And with Aerosmith currently well into their Las Vegas residency, the 9-1-1: Lone Star actress has seen a lot of performance footage online that she'd rather not have done. She said: 'They're in Vegas right now, so there's, like, clips all the time...and he, like, licks people's faces sometimes.' Liv and her fiance Dave Garner live in the UK with their blended family - her son Milo, 15, his son Grey, 12, and their two kids Sailor, four, and Lula, three - and the actress admitted she's constantly trying to correct her younger children's use of British words. Giving it his all! Speaking of her father's performances, Tyler said he 'doesn't half-ass anything' (pictured 2018) Awkward! Tyler said it can be embarrassing watching her father 'humping his mic stand' Having a chat: The actress opened up about her family on Jimmy Kimmel Live She said: 'Milo is...he's a real New Yorker. He's got an American accent. But the babies have complete British accents...It's very sweet. 'But I'm always reminding them, 'cause they say the English words for everything. So, they'll say, like, the stroller, they call it a buggy. And the trash can's a bin...like chips and I'll say, 'You mean you want some French fries.' ' Liv can next be seen playing a paramedic in 9-1-1: Lone Star and she admitted her first day on set was daunting because she had no medical knowledge before filming began. 'He's pretty amazing': Tyler had high praise for her famous father (pictured 2019) She admitted: 'It was really scary. I had to walk in and be like, 'I know what I'm talking about.' I don't know anything about being a paramedic. I'm learning...I had to come in and cut somebody open.' Liv stars opposite Rob Lowe in 9-1-1: Lone Star, which follows a New York firefighter who relocates to Austin, Texas. 9-1-1: Lone Star airs Monday 8/7c on Fox. Amazon chief Jeff Bezos' mobile phone was reportedly "hacked" by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in 2018. Bezos phone's security was compromised after he opened a malicious video file sent from the crown prince's number on his WhatsApp. Citing anonymous sources in the know of an international probe into the (hacking) matter, The Guardian reported that the two (Bezos and Saudi Crown Prince) had exchanged friendly messages on WhatsApp on May 1, 2018, after which the unsolicited video was sent from bin Salman's number. The daily has cited digital forensic analysis and said the hacking targeted unknown contents of Bezos' personal cellphone during a WhatsApp conversation with bin Salman. However, Saudi Arabia said the allegation was "absurd". Last year, Bezos' private investigator Gavin de Becker also claimed that Saudi Arabia had hacked his phone and accessed data. Becker linked the hack to the Washington Post's coverage of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Khashoggi was killed in October 2018 - five months after the alleged "hacking" of Bezos' phone. Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. The Washington Post had done a relentless coverage on Khashoggi's murder. Later, the CIA eventually determined the murder was personally ordered by the crown prince himself, despite the numerous trial. Reports say that hacking Bezos' phone may have been a way to gain leverage over the Amazon CEO due to the Post's critical coverage of the Saudi Kingdom, which included columns from Khashoggi himself before his death. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed that the governors of South West have passed a vote of no confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari with the establishment of the security outfit, Amotekun. This was made known by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan. According to the statement, PDP arrived at that conclusion after a wide consultation and extensive meeting on the security situation in the country. Also Read: Nigerians Knock Tinubu Over Comment On Amotekun The opposition party also condemned the fedetal government over the killing of CAN Chairman of Adamawa South Local Government, Reverend Lawan Andimi by Boko Haram. See the lengthy statement below: The Supreme Court bench on Wednesday stated that there will be no stay on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) until the Centre is heard on the matter. The three-judge bench was hearing 144 petitions challenging the amended Citizenship act after a jam-packed room delayed the proceedings. The scores of petition challenging and supporting the revamped citizenship law was heard by the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna. While most of the petitions challenge the constitutional validity of CAA, some of them seek a declaration that the act is constitutional. Follow are the highlights from the big hearing: Hearing begins after a delay due to jam-packed room. Attorney General Venugopal says there are 140 odd petitions but only 60 petitions have been served on union. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal says matter might have to be heard by Constitution Bench. Sibal further states that the process to grant citizenship should be postponed for two or three months while the court hears the case. To which, the Attorney General opposes grant of any interim relief saying centre should be heard before any interim order is passed. Also Watch l Wont withdraw CAA; challenge opposition leaders for a debate: Amit Shah Sibal says postpone process under the Act but the Attorney General argued that postponing CAA is as good as a stay. Fix a date and we will argue it, AG said. Senior advocate KV Viswanathan says postponing implementation of process is not same as stay. If in NPR anybody is marked as doubtful, then that person could be disenfranchised and that is the concern. It is not a concern of minority alone but of majority as well, says Vishwanathan. AG Venugopal says there should be no more petitions allowed. SG Tushar Mehta says the way out is to allow filing of intervention applications in writ petitions which have already been filed. Court asks Centre when they will file response to the petitions relating to Assam to which Centre asks for two weeks.Then we will list the matter after two weeks, says CJI Bobde. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for petitions challenging the act says in 19 districts in UP, people have been marked as doubtful. If the process could wait for 70 years, can it not wait for 2 more months, Singhvi. Taking into consideration the situation in Assam, the court directs that the petitions from Assam to be segragated from rest. Kapil Sibal to submits list of Assam petitions to court. Senior advocate Shyam Divan says court should at least stay issuance of final registration certificates. CJI Bobde says wont pass any orders now and will list the matter after four weeks. Centre has been given four weeks time to file its response. Top Gun: Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer has revealed that all the cast had flight training so they could 'get used to the G-forces' to stop them from vomiting in the air. The 76-year-old filmmaker acted as a producer on the original 1986 action movie which focused on American Navy fighter pilot LT Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, who was played by Tom Cruise. Bruckheimer admits that he and the team on the hotly-anticipated sequel learned from a major mistake that was made on the first film which was to ensure that any cast member that had to go into the cockpit of an F-18 jet had specialist training because on 'Top Gun' all the actors were sick when they were in the sky. Top star: Tom Cruise was the only actor who could handle the G-force from a F-14 in original Top Gun, producer Jerry Bruckheimer told The Hollywood Reporter; Tom seen with co-star Kelly McGillis He's back! Cruise is the star of this year's most anticipated movie Top Gun: Maverick 'We trained our actors for three months so they could get used to the g-forces because we put them in the real F-18s,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 'On the first movie, we were using F-14s. We put all the actors in there and every one of them threw up,' 'he added. 'We spent a fortune on filming them in a cockpit and the only stuff we could use was the stuff we had from Tom. He could handle the g-forces. Back in the pilot's seat: The star is again piloting a plane, only this time it is an F-18 A must see: Top Gun: Maverick hits cinemas this June, 34 years after the original was released 'The rest of them, their eyes were rolling in the back of their heads.' The rest of them included Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards and Rick Rossovich. Top Gun: Maverick hits cinemas this June, 34 years after the original was released. A pretty face: Top Gun: Maverickwill also star Jennifer Connelly The newbie: Also in the cast is Miles Teller (pictured), Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro and Kilmer reprising his role as as Admiral Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, Maverick's friend and one-time rival Bruckheimer was blown away by 57-year-old Cruise's passion for the project and attention to detail. The Bad Boys for Life producer - who also worked with the action legend on 1990 NASCAR drama Days of Thunder'- said: 'He's into every single detail. And I love it. 'He'll call me up and say, "Jerry, you know that mix? That door [closing] - it's too loud." It's great.' Top Gun: Maverick'will also star Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro and Kilmer reprising his role as as Admiral Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, Maverick's friend and one-time rival. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa held discussions with Lakshmi Mittal, CEO of the world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal during the dinner session hosted by CII at Davos. Yediyurappa is in Davos to attend the Economic Forum (WEF). "Chief Minister Shri @BSYBJP held discussions with Lakshmi Mittal, CEO, Arcelor Mittal, during the dinner session hosted by CII last night at #Davos," the Karnataka Chief Minister Office (CMO) tweeted. On January 21, it was reported that the Chief Minister made a fervent appeal to investors at the Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos to base their investments and industries in Karnataka keeping in view the interest of farmers and to create more jobs. Chief Minister had expressed his keen interest to boost the farmers' economy suggesting investors look at the economic development of farmers and rural masses along with their growth. "Definitely we want new projects and investments, our purpose is to boost the state's economy and provide jobs for the youth to make them self sustainable," he had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ivanka Trump looks on while her father speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos: AFP via Getty Images First daughter and White House senior special adviser Ivanka Trump ignored a reporters questions concerning her fathers impeachment. Video from the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, shows CNN reporter Jim Acosta asking for comment as Ms Trump descends a staircase. Mr Acosta can be heard asking: Any comment on your fathers impeachment trial? Any thoughts? Ms Trump briefly glances towards him, before looking away with a fixed smile. Walking on past Mr Acosta, she does not say a word. An aide then excuses them and ushers Ms Trump through the crowd. Trying again, Mr Acosta repeats his question, adding: Do you think there should be witnesses? Ms Trump's awkward silence continues. The video was posted on Twitter by Matt Hoye, CNN supervising producer covering the Trump White House. Earlier in the day Mr Acosta tweeted: As his Senate trial begins, Trump has arrived at Davos forum and once again referred to impeachment as a witch hunt... a hoax... and a disgrace. The Scottish National Party is making a last-ditch bid to block the bill taking the UK out of the European Union from becoming law, on the final day of its passage through parliament. SNP leader in Westminster Ian Blackford has demanded the right to attend a meeting of the Privy Council to argue the case to the Queen, or a representative of the palace, that Boris Johnsons Withdrawal Agreement Act should not be given Royal Assent without the consent of devolved legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Royal Assent is the final step which the bill must complete to pass into law, paving the way for the UK to depart the EU on 31 January. After a historic parliamentary battle which saw Theresa Mays withdrawal plans rejected three times over the course of 2019, eventually leading to her resignation as PM last July, legislation to pass Mr Johnsons similar plan has enjoyed a much smoother passage onto the statute book. MPs thwarted his attempt to force it through in time for the scheduled Brexit date of 31 October last year by rejecting his truncated timetable for scrutiny. Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Show all 76 1 /76 Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Crowds march through central London Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters gather in Parliament Square Led By Donkeys Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins protesters PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator marches EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters react after the result of the vote on the deal delay was announced at the House of Commons REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator carries his dog draped in EU flag AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters use their flags to shelter from the rain Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit demonstrators carry placards and EU flags AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Oliver Letwin MP in Parliament Square, London, during an an anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard rally, after it was announced that the Letwin amendment, which seeks to avoid a no-deal Brexit on October 31, has been accepted PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march UK BROADCASTERS POOL/AFP via Get Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A protester with "Bollocks to Brexit" stickers on his head Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Britain's main opposition Labour Party shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Keir Starmer, shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott, shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell, shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry speaks on stage in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A EU supporter waves flags REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant demanding a final say Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Police look towards protesters Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Pro-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march head to Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march in Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march past Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Cory (7) sits on his father's shoulders as protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People attend the 'Together for the Final Say' march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks on stage PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A woman in EU costume EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters hold an Independent banner Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters hold an anti-Brexit placard by The Independent stall during the Final Say Brexit march in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London, PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators hold placards and EU flags AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester joins in the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march in London REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Patrick Stewart and Paul McGann join in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator shouts into a megaphone as she marches AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A dog dressed in an anti-Brexit placard is walked in the Final Say Brexit march in London EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A morris dancer takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Whippets are dressed in EU flag clothing during the Final Say Brexit march in London AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit demonstrator takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters call on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate in London during the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament from Park Lane in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Marchers visit The Independent stall during the Final Say March in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester holds a sign calling for a Final Say during a march in London EPA But after he secured a landslide 80-seat majority for Conservatives in Decembers general election, a revised bill was tabled within a week and has passed through both houses with a total of 11 days scrutiny. Mr Johnson is expected to be able to use his domination of the Commons to strike out four House of Lords amendments, including on the protection of unaccompanied child refugees and the status of EU expats, with minimal resistance on Wednesday. This will leave only Royal Assent and ratification in the European Parliament to be completed before Brexit day. Now Mr Blackford is attempting to disrupt the final steps in the process by writing to Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg to warn him that granting assent without the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Sennedd and Northern Ireland Assembly would represent a serious breach of the so-called Sewel Convention, which underpins the devolution settlement. "By dragging Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland out of the EU against the expressed wishes of the Scottish Parliament, Sennedd, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Tory government is breaching the devolution settlement and trampling over democracy, said Mr Blackford. "Scotland has voted against Brexit at every opportunity - yet the UK government is determined to ignore our views, terminate our EU membership, and deny us any choice over our future. "The SNP won a landslide victory at the general election - winning 80 per cent of seats in Scotland on a cast-iron mandate to hold an independence referendum. The people of Scotland must have a choice over our future - so we can remain at the heart of Europe as an equal and independent country." Ian Blackford (BBC) In his letter, Mr Blackford told Mr Rees-Mogg that a majority of MPs representing Scottish seats supported an unsuccessful amendment to the Queens Speech arguing that Royal Assent should not be given without the consent of the three devolved legislatures. As a member of Her Majestys Privy Council, I am formally requesting the right to attend any meeting of the Council convened for the purpose of granting Royal Assent to the bill, he wrote. I will wish to object in the strongest possible terms at the meeting to assent being given to a bill without consent from the devolved legislatures, and which enacts a decision to leave the European Union overwhelmingly rejected by voters in Scotland in the 2016 referendum. A French publishing company said Tuesday that it bitterly regrets allowing one of its history books to state that the C.I.A. orchestrated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and that the misinformation echoed conspiracy theories devoid of any factual basis. The book, History of the 20th Century in Cards, which covers French, European and world history in the 20th century, was published by Editions Ellipses in November. It was intended for high school students and those preparing for university entrance exams. In a chapter about Middle East conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries, a sentence about the attacks reads: This world event probably orchestrated by the C.I.A. (secret services) to impose American influence on the Middle East? The line was initially discovered by a history teachers child, and it was widely discussed this week in a closed Facebook group for members of Les Clionautes, an association for history and geography teachers, Bruno Modica, a spokesman for the association, said on Tuesday. This company article has been removed. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As I said in a BreakPoint commentary last month, gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR and whats being called Prime Editing are existential threats. We have no idea what our attempts to play god with the human genome will unleash on humanity. Yet, we insist on charging ahead despite our imperfect knowledge with an unbounded confidence in our abilities. Coming from a concerned non-scientist like me, these concerns can be easily dismissed as alarmist, but what if the concern comes from the Director of the National Institutes of Health? It turns out that Francis Collins is also concerned. In a recent article in Discover Magazine entitled We Must Never Allow Our Technology to Eclipse Our Humanity, Collins called for a moratorium of at least five years on heritable human gene editing. Heritable gene editing technologies, like Prime Editing, aim to edit genes that can be passed on to future generations, along with any unintended and dangerous mutations. This differs from non-heritable gene editing, which can be used to treat people with life-threatening disorders, such as sickle cell disease, HIV infection, cancer and muscular dystrophy. Proponents of Prime Editing talk about the possibility of making any kind of DNA change that anyone wants at just about any site in the human genome. Thus, according to Collins, scientists and leaders around the globe have an obligation to consider the appropriate use if any of heritable human gene editing. This involves scrutinizing the safety of such experiments, including the risk of unintended mutations, as well as a clear-eyed analysis of actual medical need. Anticipating some objections, the NIH Director added that the current arguments that the benefits outweigh the risks are surprisingly uncompelling. Finally, Collins insisted that We must weigh the profound social, ethical and moral issues associated with modifying the germline in ways that could change the human species forever. Its good to hear someone as prominent as the director of the National Institutes of Health voice many of the same concerns we have at BreakPoint. But, as Wesley J. Smith pointed out at National Review, its probably not enough. As Smith notes, when it comes to the rapid development of the most powerful technologies ever invented CRISPR germline gene editing, artificial life, 3-parent embryos, cloning, the Trump Administration has been, and I am quoting Smith here, derelict. For the most part, while NIH Director Collins statement should be applauded, it is an exception. As Smith states, unless leaders higher up the food chain engage the question in more amplified media venues than Discover, Collins proposed moratorium will never happen. In some ways, as I recently pointed out, the Communist Party of China, by sentencing Dr. He Jiankui to three years imprisonment for experimenting on fetuses using CRISPR, has demonstrated more commitment to reining in scientific hubris than our own government. Of course, given their track record, it would be silly to think that Beijing cares at all about humanity dignity and the sanctity of human life. Their reaction was almost certainly because Dr. Hes transgressions portrayed that country in an especially bad light. In our country, scientists differ from Dr. He in only one respect: Theyre a lot more subtle about what they are doing than Dr. He was. We need much more evidence that those higher up the food chain in this administration care about the issue and are willing to make it a priority. For that to happen, we have let them know that its a priority for us. Gene editing, what Smith has called biotech anarchy, is among the greatest threats to the sanctity and dignity of human life that we currently face. I will say it again: It is an existential threat. Its time for Christians, and through them our leaders, to treat it like one. OAS Canciller @GMeza_Cuadra en reunion con Eladio Loizaga, excanciller de Paraguay y Jefe de Mision de Observacion Electoral OEA en #EleccionesCongresales2020, destaco la importancia que da el Peru al rol de la OEA en el fortalecimiento de las instituciones democraticas en la region. pic.twitter.com/IzysyJCtqD In brief: Stadia hasn't quite taken the gaming industry by storm, but Google isn't giving up on its latest project just yet. Last Friday, we reported on the tech behemoth's decision to partner up with home internet service provider BT to bundle Stadia into some of the latter's service plans. Now, Google has reached a similar agreement with Verizon. Starting on January 29, new Verizon Fios Gigabit subscribers will get a free Stadia Premiere Edition unit to enjoy. The Premiere Edition ships with a Stadia controller, three months of Stadia Pro, and a free Google Chromecast Ultra. If you're interested in the concept of cloud gaming and were already planning to hop on board the Fios train, that's far from a terrible deal. Granted, Stadia isn't the most compelling gaming platform on the market thanks to its extremely-limited, 42-game-strong content library, but that could change soon. According to Google, Stadia's library will expand by over 120 games this year, plus 10 new Stadia Pro-exclusive titles. At any rate, if this announcement does entice you, Verizon's Fios Gigabit plan will run you $79.99 per month, not counting any applicable taxes. In addition to the Stadia perks mentioned above, this plan will give you access to a router at no additional cost, a $100 prepaid Visa card (if you stay subscribed for around two months), and a free 12-month subscription to Disney+. The Gigabit plan promises upload and download speeds of "up to" 940Mbps and 880Mbps, respectively. Whether or not you'll be able to maintain those speeds on a day-to-day basis is another story -- ISPs, Verizon included, aren't exactly known for the reliability of their claims. However, it is a big step up from the maximum of 300Mbps offered in the UK by BT for its Stadia/internet bundle we reported on last week. Details added (first version posted on 09:09) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan in Davos. The sides discussed issues of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan supports Azerbaijan's fair stance on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and his country has never established diplomatic relations with the occupant Armenia. Hailing the rapid growth of tourism in Azerbaijan, the significant increase in the number of visitors especially arriving from the Muslim countries, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his countrys interest in taking advantage of Azerbaijans experience in this field. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has always supported Pakistan on Kashmir issue. The head of state emphasized that Azerbaijan also supports Pakistan within the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Nicola Sturgeon: wellbeing is as fundamental as GDP Sturgeon's speech came on the same day as an independent economic report in Scotland was released, finding that Scotland slipped to the bottom third of OECD countries in terms of wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon has said that the goal of Scotlands economy should be peoples collective wellbeing. The First Minister has argued that wellbeing is as fundamental as GDP when measuring success and that a change of approach is needed to meet challenges involved in decarbonising the economy. Sturgeon was speaking at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance conference in Edinburgh on the same day as an independent economic report in Scotland was released, finding that Scotland slipped to the bottom third of OECD countries in terms of wellbeing. The report by economist John McLaren placed Scotland 21st out of 32 countries, finding it had slipped five places between 2006 and 2018. It looked at range of measures including income, education, longevity and inclusivity. Scotlands very poor life expectancy performance remains its weakest area. But relatively poor Scottish performance in education and GDP over that period is what is responsible for the drop in ranking. The Scottish Government has made commitments to investigating how a wellbeing economy in Scotland could be created. It established a Wellbeing Economy Governments Group last year along with the governments of Iceland and New Zealand. The group is expected to grow in membership this year. The proposals set out in Sturgeons speech include hosting a meeting of the group at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November. Sturgeon said: Scotland is redefining what it means to be a successful nation by focusing on the broader wellbeing of the population as well as the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the country. The goal and objective of all economic policy should be collective wellbeing. This broader approach is at the very heart of our economic strategy which gives equal importance to tackling inequality as economic competitiveness. It is why we are so committed to fair work and making sure that work is fulfilling and well paid and why we are acting to ensure a just transition to a carbon zero economy where no one is left behind. Putting wellbeing at the heart of our approach means we can focus on a wider set of measures which reflect on things like the health and happiness of citizens as well as economic wealth to create a world that considers the quality of a persons life to be as precious an asset as financial success. Jeanine Cummins, the author of American Dirt, which is being celebrated by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, who selected it for her book club, while at the same time receiving negative reviews in The New York Times and other media outlets, and is being criticized on social media, this morning made her first public appearance since the controversy reached its peak this past week. Bookseller Javier Ramirez, a veteran in the industry who has worked at almost every indie in the Chicago area, and who is on the verge of opening Madison Street Books in the Windy City, conducted a Q&A with Cummins that drew a standing-room-only audience of about 120 people at Winter Institute in Baltimore. While most of the audience was clearly supportive of Cummins, there were booksellers present who were, and remain, critical of American Dirt and its author. The session was billed as Events: Creating Conversations Around American Dirt, but the questions posed by Ramirez primarily revolved around Cummins background and the research and writing processes for the tale of a Mexican bookseller who is forced to flee Acapulco with her young son for Los Estados Unidos, with a drug cartel in pursuit. The novel received a starred review from PW. Cummins noted that she spent seven years working on American Dirt from start to finish, which included five years of research and writing, discarding two complete previous drafts. Besides watching documentaries and films, and reading books by contemporary Mexican and Mexican-American authors, she said she visited Mexico several times, with stops at migrant shelters and orphanages and other places to interview people, to listen to their stories. She also interviewed people who were assisting migrants and asylum-seekers including a woman in her 70s who drives into the desert to leave water there for people. But of course, Cummins had to address the controversy at some point and did so indirectly initially by speaking of her love for the magic of fiction, which puts readers in the skin of another person including people who have to leave their homes and endure precarious conditions in the hope of finding a new home. The whole point is that this could be anyone, she said, These are uncertain times. Any one of us could fall out of our middle class lives. Cummins also spoke of the impact of an experience in her past that she had written about in her 2004 memoir, A Rip in Heaven, when two cousins were raped and murdered on a bridge in St. Louis, while her brother survived, though traumatized. I wanted to take that story back from the violent men who seemed to dominate that story, she said, And I wanted to write a love letter to my cousins. Comparing that real-life trauma to her tale of the immigrant experience, Cummins explained there are stereotypes in this country about immigrants, and she wanted tell another side of that story, and to get at the truth of the humanity of the people involved. Disclosing that the death of her father and the subsequent grief played more of a role in the books development than did U.S. immigration policies, Cummins noted that the inhumane way we treat people at the border predates this administration. Cummins described the essence of the novel as a story of the love of a parent for their child, and that she wrote my grief [for her father] on the page. Ramirezs last question finally directly addressed the controversy, when he asked what gave Cummins the right to tell this story? Insisting that she had resisted writing such a book, Cummins said that she has lived in fear for this moment, being called to account. Cummins defended herself by noting that many indie booksellers have endorsed the book, as has Barnes & Noble, which selected it for its latest book club pick. A number of prominent Latinx authors have also provided her with positive feedback, including Julia Alvarez and Sandra Cisneros, she said. I know this book is going to engender a lot of conversations about who has the right to tell whose story, she said, I wrote fiction that I hoped would be a bridge, because screaming into the abyss wasnt working. The tenor of the conversation has been untenable at times, but Im glad to be part of it. While several of the questions and comments from the audience were supportive and encouraging, made by booksellers who obviously intend to handsell American Dirt, some booksellers asked pointed questions, including a young bookseller from North Carolina who did not want to be identified, later telling PW that her employer is a big fan of American Dirt. This bookseller noted that Cummins received a seven-figure sum from Flatiron Books for it, and asked if the money could have been put to better use, including being donated to organizations serving migrants. Can you tell us the names of any organizations that some of this money has been directed to? the woman asked, prompting Cummins to respond, Im not going to turn down money someone wants to pay me for a book that took me seven years to write. Noting that she could indeed provide a list of organizations she gleefully wrote checks to with her first large advance, Cummins added, to applause, But I dont think I should have to do that. Another bookseller asked Cummins how she responds to the charges leveled against her, including by Mexican writers, that her portrayal of Mexico and Mexicans is hurtful, harmful, and dangerous, that it is a celebration of trauma porn. Cummins answered that it is for the readers to decide, not everyone needs to love my book. She expressed the hope that people would judge American Dirt on its own merits rather than on what its detractors say about it. Stephanie Rose Csaszar, a bookseller at Books Around the Corner in Gresham, Ore., who is reading American Dirt now told PW afterwards that she is really upset that there is so much hate towards an author who is being vulnerable and has done extensive research for a fictional book. "Shes Puerto Rican and she has done five years of research, Csaszar said, She was riveting, emotional, and real. Shes a strong woman and an inspiration. A group of four booksellers from different bookstores talked to PW afterwards, asking not to be identified; one noted that the marketing push and hype for this book has been so intense. A lot of us feel frustrated at the amount of resources allocated to it. Another said, while American Dirt is a good story, she wondered if someone who has lived the immigrant experience could be found by publishers to write about it. "Why cant resources go towards authentic voices who could tell the same story?," she asked. A third bookseller, who said she is in her 20s, said that she is not shading the older folks, but theres also some resistance [on their part] in seeing that everything America does is not always good. I think we younger folks are way more aware of this. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:39:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close East China's Zhejiang Province unveils China's first provincial-level regulations to further promote the vigorous development of the private economy. Two men were stabbed in front of rush hour commuters in north London this afternoon. The incident happened on Seven Sisters Road, N4, at 4.55pm outside a Costa coffee shop. London Ambulance service and the Metropolitan Police raced to the scene. The two men have been taken away by ambulance for treatment. The Metropolitan Police has sealed off an area outside a Costa coffee shop on Seven Sisters Road in north London after two men were stabbed on the street shortly before 5pm. The victims were treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into the double stabbing, although there have not yet been any arrests. Both men were treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to hospital. Scotland Yard said they were awaiting an update on the men's condition. The incident caused significant traffic delays in the area. One woman who witnessed the aftermath of the attack told the Islington Gazette: 'It's a big shock, I have just been throwing up. 'I was walking home from work and saw the ambulance pulling up and I heard a woman - she was an off duty nurse - saying: "Open your eyes", to a victim in a bad way. 'I looked on the floor, there was a pool of blood. I turned around and saw paramedics pulling his top up, he had a stab wound to the chest. I saw him bleeding through his clothes. The second guy was just standing there, and not even the paramedics realised he was stabbed at first. He was in shock, probably seeing his friend down there [on the pavement]. 'He opened his top up and there was blood pouring out of his left side. I told a paramedic trying to get a stretcher: "You need to help the other guy, he has been stabbed". The guys were young, probably in their late teens or early twenties.' The brief but violent mid-January mutiny by intelligence and security agents severely tested the governing transitional Sovereign National Council (SNC) which oversees Sudans transitional government. The mutiny sent Sudans civilian leader, prime minister Abdallah Hamdok, once again into full-scale domestic diplomacy mode designed to ease tension and suspicion between the SNCs civilians from the FFC (Forces for Freedom and Change) coalition and military members. The mutiny caught the government by surprise. Disgruntled current and former General Intelligence Service (GIS) agents participated in what they called a protest of their severance pay packages. However, the protestors had weapons, they seized control of GIS offices in the capital and refused orders to surrender. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, president of the SNC, called the action an insurgency and later claimed the agents intended to launch a coup against the transitional government. Though former agents and security troops seized buildings in the capital and in a town in North Darfur state, the revolt was not well organized. Violent mutiny designed to cause chaos and test the militarys loyalty to the SNC may be the best description. In the wake of the clash in the capital, Hamdok is emphasizing the need for national unity in order to successfully move from the transitional government to free national elections which democratically select a civilian government. The prime minister argues accurately-- that the Sudanese revolution that toppled dictator Omar al Bashir succeeded because an alliance developed between pro-democracy civilians and the military. Thats true an alliance developed as relentless pro-democracy protests continued despite bloodshed in the streets. The alliance was initially strained and the truth is it remains strained. Civilian leaders' distrust is sustained by the continuing presence on the SNC of senior military officers who once supported Bashir. Civilians throughout Sudan are suspicious of the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) militia. The fact the Sudanese Army and RSF militiamen put down the mutiny may ease suspicions. For the record, the GIS is the new name for the NISS (National Intelligence and Security Service) which Bashir used as secret police to suppress and intimidate its political opponents. NISS agents committed murder and torture on behalf of Bashir himself, his senior subordinates and Bashirs ruling National Congress Party (NCP). (Austin Bay) January 20, 2020: Foreign media are criticizing the Sudan governments January 8 decision to suspend the operations of four media outlets (two newspapers and two television channels) that supported former dictator Omar al Bashirs regime. The foreign critics argue the closure violates freedom of the press. Some pro-democracy Sudanese agree with the foreign critics. However, the transitional government argued it is following the recommendations of its Anti-Corruption Committee., which contends the media outlets in question received money, political support and political favors from Bashirs NCP (National Congress Party). The four outlets were not independent operations but corrupt entities that functioned as NCP assets. Public funds stolen by the NCP and money-laundering schemes run by the Bashir regime financed the newspapers and TV channels. The committee recommended they should be closed, their assets sold and the proceeds of the sales returned to the Sudanese government. (Austin Bay) In Sudan, a bomb went off in the capital, Khartoum. The explosion killed seven and wounded 25. It is unclear who, or what was responsible. January 19, 2020: Over the past 30 days Sudan has continued to withdraw its military forces from Yemen. As of January 15 only 657 Sudanese soldiers remained in Yemen. On December 1, 2019, Sudan had around 5,000 soldiers in Yemen serving with the Saudi-led coalition. In 2015 former president (dictator) Omar al-Bashir ordered the Sudanese military to send 15,000 troops and a small air force detachment to Yemen to serve with the Saudi-led anti-Iran coalition. In April 2019, the month Bashir was removed from power, Sudan still deployed 15,000 military personnel in Yemen. In late 2019 civilian Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok vowed to end Sudans military engagement in Yemen. January 17, 2020: In South Sudan, the SPLM-IO rebel leaders rejected a South African proposal that an international panel help South Sudans government and the SPLM-IO resolve their differences on the number of South Sudanese states and their political boundaries. President Kiirs government split up the ten old states and created 32 new states. The SPLM-IO argues Kiir did it for his own political benefit. Kiir has accepted the new South African offer. East African diplomats mediating government and rebel negotiations say that before a South Sudan transitional government can be formed per the peace agreement, internal security arrangements must be guaranteed and the states and states boundaries issues must be settled. The Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) said it has concluded the majority of South Sudanese favor the old ten state structure. However, the boundaries of the ten states are not firmly demarcated. January 16, 2020: Sudans SNC appointed General Jamal Abdul Majeed as the new head of the GIS (General Intelligence Service). Meanwhile, negotiations resumed in Juba, South Sudan, between the Sudanese government and representatives of rebels in the Two Areas (South Kordofan and Blue Nile states). January 15, 2020: In Sudan, general Abdel Fattah al Burhan, who heads Sudans SNC, reported that the Sudanese Army now had full control of all General Intelligence Service buildings in the capital. Burhan called the intelligence agents mutiny a coup attempt. The government also confirmed that the military had regained control of two small oilfields protesting intelligence agents seized on January 14. The two small fields produce 5,000 barrels a day. The seizure temporarily halted production but has resumed. The military reported said two soldiers were killed and four wounded in violence that began late on January 14. Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia and Sudan announced that they expect to sign a deal governing the operations of Ethiopias GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) and the filling of the dams reservoir. The agreement will be signed either in late January or early February. Ethiopia agreed to only fill the reservoir during the rainy season, which occurs in July and August. If rain continues into September, Ethiopia can also fill the reservoir during September. Once the reservoir level reaches 595 meters (1,900 feet) above sea level, filling will continue based on agreement by all three countries. January 14, 2020: In Sudan fighting erupted in the capital, Khartoum, as armed intelligence agents and GIS security troops loyal to former president Bashir refused to evacuate buildings they had occupied in various places in the city and in two suburbs. The government shut down Sudans national air space, although it was quickly reopened. The Sudanese Army and RSF militiamen responded to the building occupation and demanded the rebels (mutineers) hand over their weapons. The agents refused to leave the building and drop their weapons. The military then assaulted the buildings and gunfire erupted. The agents and troops were protesting the financial compensation and severance pay packages the government provided after the SNC dissolved the GIS operational security units. The government said a similar incident occurred in El-Obaid, the capital of North Darfur state. It is believed the mutineers in North Darfur were members of a disbanded security service unit. Subsequently, general Daglo accused former NISS commander Salah Abdallah (aka "Salah Gosh) of being responsible for the anti-government violence. The U.S. government has told Sudan that if it wants to be removed from the SST (State Sponsors of Terrorism) list it needs to pay financial compensation to the families of people killed or injured in terror attacks that are tied to Sudan. The message follows the U.S. Supreme Courts January 13 decision to decline to rule on Sudans appeal to avoid paying $3.8 billion in compensation to the families of people killed or injured in Al Qaedas 1998 terror bomb attacks on the American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. January 12, 2020: South Sudans government and the SSOMA (South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance) signed a peace declaration. The SSOMA is an umbrella group of political opposition groups. Meanwhile, the SPLM-IO rebels accused the South Sudan government of organizing political protests in favor of keeping the 32 states the Kiir government established. The rebel SPLM-IO says the protests are a clear breach of the peace agreement. January 11, 2020: In Sudan, the SLM-AW rebels said they would participate in a national conference for peace within Sudan. So far the SLM-AW has refused to participate in the peace negotiations between Sudan and its regional rebel groups that are sponsored by South Sudan. January 9, 2020: In central Sudan (South Kordofan state), prime minister Hamdok visited the headquarters of the rebel SPLM-N al-Hilu rebel faction. Hamdok said he was seeking peace within Sudan. He is the first senior Sudanese leader to visit this area since the war in South Kordofan began in June 2011. The SPLM-N al-Hilu has asked Khartoum to resolve the fighting between the Nuba and Beni Amer tribes which is occurring in the Port Sudan area of Red Sea state. January 8, 2020: In South Sudan, the U.S. imposed individual sanctions on First Vice President Taban Deng Gai. He had been involved in murdering anti-South Sudan government political workers. January 7, 2020: In Sudan, the FFC pro-democracy coalition produced a list of 14 nominees for state governorships in Sudan. Prime minister Hamdok is tasked with appointing 18 transitional governors. The FFC is discussing the other four state governorships with various rebel groups. January 5, 2020: In Sudan, it was announced that tribes in West Darfur State had committed themselves to end violence in the region. Recent inter-communal fighting between the Massalit and Arab tribes killed over 50 people. January 3, 2020: In western Sudan, the UN-AU (African Union) peacekeeping operation in Darfur reported that a series of violent tribal clashes between the Massalit and Arab tribes recently took place. The murder of a member of the Arab tribe near a refugee camp apparently sparked the violence. The fighting ended January 1 with 65 people dead and 54 injured. The fighting also displaced over 40,000 people. This included 32,000 of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were forced to flee from refugee camps in the area. Most of the IDPs are now in temporary shelters near the state capital. In northwestern South Sudan, peacekeepers confirmed that over a thousand soldiers and SPLM-IO rebel fighters have entered cantonment/training centers. The goal of the retraining program is to create a unified South Sudanese army. December 31, 2019: In western Sudan (South Darfur) local officials demanded an investigation into the looting and damaging of a former peacekeeper headquarters. Sudanese security forces were accused of failing to intervene to protect the site which was to be given to the University of Nyala. The demand has national implications. With the establishment of the Sovereign Council, the Sudanese military promised to protect and serve the Sudanese people. Peacekeepers protested the failure of Sudanese security forces to stop the looting of the peacekeeper's former headquarters facility. According to observers, the looting was systematic. Assets in the buildings were stolen, some dismantled. Building materials and equipment were put on trucks and driven away. The UN gave the property to a local university in November 2019. Sudanese officials estimated the property and equipment was worth $100 million. Two days ago several hundred people. described as civilians, broke into and looted the site, popularly known as Super Camp. The gift required the site and its assets (buildings and equipment) to be used for civilian purposes. December 30, 2019: In Sudan, a court has sentenced to death 29 members of the former NISS security service. The intelligence officers were convicted of torturing and murdering a political prisoner, Ahmed Khair, who was arrested in January 2019 and died in detention in early February. Khairs murder inspired Sudanese resistance to the Bashir government. December 26, 2019: The UN awarded service medals to 850 Indian peacekeepers serving in South Sudan. The UN commended the Indian soldiers' commitment to supporting local South Sudanese communities. December 25, 2019: In Sudan, the SRF accused supporters of the toppled Bashir government of inciting tribal clashes in Red Sea State, with the city of Port Sudan the focal point. Since June 2019, several deadly clashes involving Nuba, Beni Amer, Hadandawah and Alamrar tribesmen have occurred in Port Sudan. The SRF contends Bashirs supporters use the tribal fighting to maintain their influence in Red Sea State. December 23, 2019: In Sudan, the government confirmed that the GIS will not have operational security units. The old NISS organization fielded heavily armed paramilitary units. December 22, 2019: In South Sudan, the U.S. imposed individual sanctioned on the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs for engaging in actions that undermine South Sudanese peace efforts. The Defense Minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk, is a major political figure in South Sudan. Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday arrived here on a maiden two-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir to review the prevailing security situation, an army officer said. Gen Naravane, who took charge of Chief of the Army Staff on January 1, is likely to meet the Lt Governor G C Murmu and visit the forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) during his two stay in Jammu region, the officer said. "The COAS has reached this evening and is scheduled to review the security situation at a high level meeting at Northern Command in Udhampur tomorrow (Thursday)," he said. After the meeting, the officer said the army chief will visit the forward areas along the LoC in Rajouri district and interact with the soldiers before returning back to Jammu where he is likely to meet the Lt Governor besides paying a visit to the army base at Nagrota. On January 9, the COAS paid a visit to the forward posts in Siachen sector in the Union Territory of Ladakh and was briefed on the operational readiness being maintained in the sector by commander, Siachen Brigade. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah was full of praise for Deepika Padukone's courage for visiting the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus after the violence on January 5th. He was also critical of Anupam Kher for never questioning the ruling party, calling him a clown who doesn't need to be taken seriously. In an interview with The Wire, Naseeruddin was asked if speaking out against the government could cause harm to the actor and the film that they are associated with. Naseeruddin expressed that actors only think of themselves, otherwise there would be parity. Praising Deepika for visiting the JNU campus after students and faculty were assaulted by a masked mob, Naseeruddin said, "You have to laud the courage of a girl like Deepika who is in the top firmament and yet takes a step like this. Even if she has a lot to lose," adding, "Let us see how she takes it. She'll lose a few endorsement, sure. Will that impoverish her? Will that lessen her popularity? Will that make her less beautiful than she is? They're gonna come around sooner or later. The only god that film industry worships is money." Being critical of his A Wednesday co-star Anupam Kher who never questions the government, Nasseruddin said, "Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously. He's a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it." In the recent few weeks, Bollywood has been divided over key political issues, the Citizenship Amendment Act and the violence that erupted in universities like Jamia Millia Millia and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Some, like Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Taapsee Pannu, and Deepika Padukone have been compelled to take a stand against what they think is an unacceptable crackdown by the central government. Others like Anupam Kher, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, and Kangana Ranaut have simply been critical of those protesting. ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone Finds Support In Raghuram Rajan: She Inspires Us To Take Stock Of What Is At Stake ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Swara Bhaskar Educates Anupam Kher On What Democracy Is All About Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 23 2020 The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) are denouncing the arrest of American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson, who has been detained in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, for allegedly violating visa restrictions. Jacobson, who works for environmental science and conservation news portal Mongabay, had been detained since Tuesday. According to a letter from immigration officials, he was arrested under Article 122 of the 2011 Immigration Law because of misuse of his residency permit. Jacobson could be subjected to a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp 500 million (US$36,556) if convicted of the charges. Arresting a journalist under an administration excuse is over the top, said AJI chairman Abdul Manan on Wednesday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login S.African army drops charges against hijab-wearing officer Cape Town, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 The South African army on Wednesday dropped charges against an officer who had been indicted for wearing a Muslim headscarf under her military beret, lawyers said. Major Fatima Isaacs was criminally charged in June 2018 with wilful defiance and failing to obey a lawful instruction after her superior asked her to remove the hijab when wearing her uniform. But at a military court at the Castle of Good Hope near Cape Town, the army withdrew all charges. It said it would allow her to wear a hijab provided it is "a tight headscarf that does not cover her ears, and must be plain in colour." "The withdrawal of charges is subject to her compliance with certain restrictions relating to the wearing of the headscarf," the officer's lawyer, Amy-Leigh Payne, of the Legal Resource Centre told AFP. However, Isaacs is planning to mount a challenge in the equality court over regulations restricting religious wear. Isaacs has served in the army for the past 10 years where she works as a clinical forensic pathologist. "While there is some relief that the criminal charges have been withdrawn, this withdrawal does not address the unconstitutional religious dress policy," said Payne. "In fact, the policy remains in force". The army's spokesman in Western Cape province, Colonel Louis Kirstein, said the armed forces had held talks with the Muslim Judicial Council, a group of Islamic clerics, over the dress code. The group's deputy president Abdul Khaliq Ebrahim Allie said the council is calling for the "recognition of the wearing of the scarf by Muslim women" in the military. Youth Hub allows for a deeper cross-campus, and even statewide, dialogue about precollege programs and using the data we now have access to... We can make more confident strategic decisions regarding program growth..." -- Marissa Taylor, University of Michigan InfoReady Corporation, a leading provider of workflow software to higher education, today announced a new solution for reaching out to K-12 students and families. The company's Engagement Hub platform now promotes youth outreach programs and then enrolls K-12 students in them, a valuable solution for parents, institutions, and statewide K-12 educators. The solution can be used for summer camps and for programs ongoing during the school year. Following a two-year implementation branded as the University of Michigans Youth Hub, part of its Center for Educational Outreach (CEO), Engagement Hubs graphic tiles allow site visitors to immediately see the full range of opportunities, click on learn more buttons, and instantly take action via registration and enrollment. Marissa Rivas Taylor, MSI, CEOs Program Manager of Communication & Technology and Youth Hub Lead, relates that community organizations have responded to the Youth Hub as a game changer, and shes particularly impressed with its ability to engage and attract diverse and underserved students to relevant University programs. CEO also encourages their students to attend college at any institution, and Youth Hub supports that mission by introducing students to possibilities outside of their awareness. Taylor has been further impressed with how the Engagement Hub has dramatically enhanced the efforts of educational outreach opportunities on the part of Michigans faculty, staff, and students leading to both more involvement among individuals and programs and more internal financial support. For Marissa, the bottom line is that Youth Hub allows for a deeper cross-campus, and even statewide, dialogue about precollege programs and using the data we now have access to (i.e. regional student impact, cross-discipline interests, user behavioral interactions) we can make more confident strategic decisions regarding program growth, development, and marketing. To learn more about Engagement Hub for K-12 outreach, or in other college and university applications, please visit http://www.inforeadycorp.com or call (734) 929-0010. About InfoReady Corporation InfoReady helps universities to be cohesive, vibrant, competitive and engaging communities. It achieves this through a software platform transforming higher education. Its interface, embedded in any university's website, allows faculty, staff, students and alumni to slide tiles to explore opportunities. Behind the scenes, it is a flexible, easy and powerful workflow engine automating laborious processes all over campus. It helps administration to accept, review and select research grant proposals. It signs up undergrads for classes and experiences matching their interests, helping them to stay in school. It reaches out to underserved youth populations, ensuring a diverse student body in the future. Used by over a hundred leading universities worldwide, InfoReady is unlocking a vibrant future for higher education. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed a vow to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank as the embattled leader kicked off a third election campaign in under a year Tuesday. Addressing Likud Party supporters at a campaign launch event in Jerusalem, Netanyahu promised to "impose Israeli sovereignty on the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea," then pledged to annex all Israeli West Bank settlements "without exception." Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians seek those territories as part of a future state. Most of the international community considers Israel's West Bank settlements illegal under international law. Netanyahu had previously called for the annexation of the Jordan Valley ahead of September's repeat parliamentary elections. He and other Israeli officials contend the region is crucial to defending the country's eastern flank. Annexation of the Jordan Valley, which makes up around a quarter of the West Bank and is the territory's agricultural heartland, would make a future Palestinian state unviable and would draw condemnation from the Palestinians and much of the international community. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's office said in a statement that the calls to annex areas of the West Bank "undermine the foundations of the peace process" and regional stability. In her 2019 annual report, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her office was following Israel's proposed annexation of West Bank areas "with concern." The U.S. has not commented on Israel's stated intentions to annex the region. Both the prime minister and his main rival, Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz, have tried to pander to hard-line nationalist voters as the election approaches. Israel faces an unprecedented third parliamentary election in under a year on March 2 after Netanyahu twice failed to form a governing coalition after April and September's votes. Earlier on Tuesday, Gantz said his party would "work toward establishing sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and we will do so based on national agreement and in coordination with the international community." Most political analysts see the March election as a referendum on Netanyahu's ability to lead following his indictment on a series of corruption charges in November. Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving prime minister, has denied any wrongdoing. (Sharecast News) - Real estate investment trust NewRiver maintained its third quarter dividend on Wednesday following a "resilient" operational performance during the period. Over the three months ended 31 December, NewRiver saw continued stability in its operational metrics - with an increase in retail occupancy to 96.1%, footfall outperforming the UK benchmark by 60 basis points and a healthy demand for the group's retail space after signing deals across 152,000 square feet, with long-term deals on terms ahead of previous passing rent and ERVs. Over at the group's pub unit Hawthorn Leisure, NewRiver said like-for-like earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation had risen 4.9% year-to-date, while pub occupancy inched forward to 97.9% from 96.9% at the end of the previous quarter. As a result of the group's solid performance, NewRiver maintained its quarterly dividend of 5.4p per share, in line with the year before. Chief executive Allan Lockhart said: "We were pleased with the robust Christmas trading performance of a number of our top 15 tenants, including Sainsbury's, B&M, Primark, Next and Iceland. "With a clear strategy and a portfolio focused around occupiers providing convenience, value and services, we feel well-positioned to navigate our way through these challenging market conditions." As of 0840 GMT, NewRiver shares were up 2.88% at 193p. Conservative Home Secretary Priti Patel intends to rush through a further raft of anti-terror legislation, with a bill to be brought before Parliament by mid-March. The counter-terrorism bill would introduce minimum 14-year prison terms for those convicted of preparing acts of terrorism or directing a terrorist organisation and lie-detector tests for those on or seeking probation. Annual spending on counter-terror policing will be increased by 90 million next year, to nearly a billion pounds (906 million). Also under consideration are plans to criminalise the simple possession of terrorist propaganda, i.e., anything deemed to glorify or encourage extremism. Currently, only the distribution of such material, or possession of material considered useful to the commissioning of a terrorist act, are criminal. These announcements spearhead a law-and-order campaign with grave consequences for democratic rights. Long minimum sentences will do nothing to address the complex roots of terrorist atrocities, not least in the foreign policy of the UK government. They will be used to pave the way for harsher sentencing in all other areas. The lie detector proposals were criticised as untested and knee-jerk by civil rights group Liberty. Lie detectors are currently only used by probation officers in England and Wales on convicted sex offenders and domestic abuse perpetrators. Given their unreliability, with an accuracy rate as low as 60 percent according to some critics, their results cannot be used as evidence in a UK court. This proposal may signal a broader change. Their introduction will be used to provide excuses to ignore rehabilitation work and justifications for further attacks on individual rights. In defending these measures and their rush into law, ministers have invoked the November 2019 London Bridge terror attack, which saw Usman Khan, formerly convicted of terrorism offences and recently released early from prison, murder two young Cambridge graduates. One of these victims, Jack Merritt, had worked extensively in prisoner rehabilitation. His father stated publicly after the tragedy, Jack lived his principles; he believed in redemption and rehabilitation, not revenge, and he always took the side of the underdog. We know Jack would not want this terrible, isolated incident to be used as a pretext by the government for introducing even more draconian sentences on prisoners, or for detaining people in prison for longer than necessary. When Justice Secretary Robert Buckland was asked about these concerns in an interview with Sky News, he responded bullishly, I make no apology for putting public protection at the top of the agenda. Merritts father has also called the governments lie detector proposals a cynical, headline-grabbing gimmick and criticised plans for long minimum sentences: Keeping terrorists in prison longer will not per se keep people safe, particularly if they are exposed to radicalisation inside. Responding to the threats to make possession of extremist material a criminal offence, Liberty officer Rosalind Comyn said, The UK already has oppressive counter-terror laws which put our freedom to think, debate and learn in jeopardy. Making the law even more heavy handed would undermine our freedom of thought and our right to free expression, without making us any safer. David Gottlieb, a defence lawyer in many major terrorism trials, raised the dangerous implications of this proposal given the UKs broad and far-reaching definition of terrorism. Both comments point to the huge range of powers now accrued by the state under anti-terror legislation. Individuals can be detained without charge for 28 days, held and searched at ports, airports and international railways stations, placed under indefinite house arrest and have their electronic devices, browsing history and bank details accessed by the authoritiesall solely on the suspicions of the intelligence services. The recent 2019 Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act made it an offence to stream or in any way view online material deemed likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorismeven in the absence of any demonstrable criminal intent. It also criminalised travelling to or remaining in certain designated overseas areas and outlawed reckless expressions of support for a proscribed organizationan extension of the already dangerously broad offence of inviting support for such organisations. In 2018, the Stansted 15 were found guilty of terrorism offences for blocking the departure of a deportation flight from London Stansted Airport. In 2013, terror legislation was used to detain and seize the journalistic materials of David Miranda, the partner of former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, at Heathrow Airport. Greenwald had been working with US whistleblower Edward Snowden on his revelations of global and industrial-scale state surveillance. Patels latest announcements come just days after it was revealed that dozens of left-wing and environmental protest groups are included in a guidance document for the Prevent counter-terrorism programme, an initiative which already violates the right to privacy and free expression. The governments dictatorial intentions are now so far exposed that its chief adviser on extremism, Sara Khan, felt obliged to call for a rethink on the use of the extremist designation. Khan said, It is right that CTPSE (Counter Terrorism Policing South East) have recalled their guidance on Extinction Rebellion. Our police, security and statutory bodies have a duty to assess complex risks every day to protect the young and vulnerable from extremism which can present itself from a diverse range of ideologies as our work has shown. I believe it is in our countrys interest that we have a clearer description and consensus of extremism which can be used by the police, government and public bodies to help them carry out their roles. A clearer description will also help build a whole society response by providing a better understanding. Khans words make clear that she is a trusted instrument of the establishment. She welcomed Lord Carliles appointment to lead an independent review of Prevent last August, four months before he was forced to step down after a legal challenge by Rights Watch UK over questions of his impartiality. The fact that she is voicing concerns is a mark of just how far and fast Patel and the Tory party intend to go. While even the governments own mandarins are balking at the speed of the turn to authoritarianism, the Labour Party is attacking the government from the right. Beating the law-and-order drum as loudly as possible, the left Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott commented, After 10 years in government, a major overhaul now is actually an admission of failure. Major terrorist outrages have occurred all too frequently, including attacks by perpetrators who were known to the security services. The fight against terrorism has been undermined by cuts to policing, including community policing, a lack of effective coordination between police and security services as well as the flawed Prevent programme. All of these need to change if we are going to improve the safety of our citizens. In testimony before the United Nations Security Council, former OPCW inspection team leader and engineering expert Ian Henderson stated that their investigation had suggested no chemical attack took place in Douma, Syria, but their findings were suppressed. His appearance punched a gaping hole in the narrative the US and UK used to justify military action. By Ben Norton Video and a transcript of former OPCW engineer and dissenter Ian Hendersons UN testimony appears at the end of this report. A former lead investigator from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has spoken out at the United Nations, stating in no uncertain terms that the scientific evidence suggests there was no gas attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018. The dissenter, Ian Henderson, worked for 12 years at the international watchdog organization, serving as an inspection team leader and engineering expert. Among his most consequential jobs was assisting the international bodys fact-finding mission (FFM) on the ground in Douma. He told a UN Security Council session convened on January 20 by Russias delegation that OPCW management had rejected his groups scientific research, dismissed the team, and produced another report that totally contradicted their initial findings. We had serious misgivings that a chemical attack had occurred, Henderson said, referring to the FFM team in Douma. The former OPCW inspector added that he had compiled evidence through months of research that provided further support for the view that there had not been a chemical attack. Western airstrikes based on unsubstantiated allegations by foreign-backed jihadists Foreign-backed Islamist militants and the Western government-funded regime-change influence operation known as the White Helmets accused the Syrian government of dropping gas cylinders and killing dozens of people in the city of Douma on April 7, 2018. Damascus rejected the accusation, claiming the incident was staged by the insurgents. At the time, Douma was controlled by the extremist Salafi-jihadist militia Jaysh al-Islam, which was created and funded by Saudi Arabia and formerly allied with Syrias powerful al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. The governments of the United States, Britain, and France responded to the allegations of a chemical attack by launching airstrikes against the Syrian government on April 14. The military assault was illegal under international law, as the countries did not have UN authorization. Numerous OPCW whistleblowers and leaks challenge Western government claims In May 2019, an internal OPCW engineering assessment was leaked to the public. The document, authored by Ian Henderson, said the dimensions, characteristics and appearance of the cylinders in Douma were inconsistent with what would have been expected in the case of either cylinder having been delivered from an aircraft, adding that there is a higher probability that both cylinders were manually placed at those two locations rather than being delivered from aircraft. After reviewing the leaked report, MIT professor emeritus of Science, Technology and International Security Theodore Postol told The Grayzone, The evidence is overwhelming that the gas attacks were staged. Postol also accused OPCW leadership of overseeing compromised reporting and ignoring scientific evidence. In November, a second OPCW whistleblower came forward and accused the organizations leadership of suppressing countervailing evidence, under pressure by three US government officials. WikiLeaks has published numerous internal emails from the OPCW that reveal allegations that the bodys management staff doctored the Douma report. As the evidence of internal suppression grew, the OPCWs first director-general, Jose Bustani, decided to speak out. The convincing evidence of irregular behavior in the OPCW investigation of the alleged Douma chemical attack confirms doubts and suspicions I already had, Bustani stated. I could make no sense of what I was reading in the international press. Even official reports of investigations seemed incoherent at best. The picture is certainly clearer now, although very disturbing, the former OPCW head concluded. OPCW whistleblower testimony at UN Security Council meeting on Douma On January 20, 2020, Ian Henderson delivered his first in-person testimony, alleging suppression by OPCW leadership. He spoke at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on the fact-finding mission report on Douma. (Video of the session follows at the bottom of this article, along with a full transcript of Hendersons testimony.) Chinas mission to the UN invited Ian Henderson to testify in person at the Security Council session. Henderson said in his testimony that he had planned to attend, but was unable to get a visa waiver from the US government. (The Trump administration has repeatedly blocked access to the UN for representatives from countries that do not kowtow to its interests, turning UN visas into a political weapon in blatant violation of the international bodys headquarters agreement.) Henderson told the Security Council in a pre-recorded video message that he was not the only OPCW inspector to question the leaderships treatment of the Douma investigation. My concern, which was shared by a number of other inspectors, relates to the subsequent management lockdown and the practices in the later analysis and compilation of a final report, Henderson explained. Soon after the alleged incident in Douma in April 2018, the OPCW FFM team had deployed to the ground to carry out an investigation, which it noted included environmental samples, interviews with witnesses, and data collection. In July 2018, the FFM published its interim report, stating that it found no evidence of chemical weapons use in Douma. (The results show that no organophosphorous nerve agents or their degradation products were detected in the environmental samples or in the plasma samples taken from alleged casualties, the report indicated.) By the time of release of the interim report in July 2018, our understanding was that we had serious misgivings that a chemical attack had occurred, Henderson told the Security Council. After this inspection that led to the interim report, however, Henderson said the OPCW leadership decided to create a new team, the so-called FFM core team, which essentially resulted in the dismissal of all of the inspectors who had been on the team deployed to locations in Douma and had been following up with their findings and analysis. Then in March 2019, this new OPCW team released a final report, in which it claimed that chemical weapons had been used in Douma. The findings in the final FFM report were contradictory, were a complete turnaround with what the team had understood collectively during and after the Douma deployments, Henderson remarked at the UN session. The report did not make clear what new findings, facts, information, data, or analysis in the fields of witness testimony, toxicology studies, chemical analysis, and engineering, and/or ballistic studies had resulted in the complete turn-around in the situation from what was understood by the majority of the team, and the entire Douma [FFM] team, in July 2018, Henderson stated. The former OPCW expert added, I had followed up with a further six months of engineering and ballistic studies into these cylinders, the result of which had provided further support for the view that there had not been a chemical attack. US government pressure on the OPCW The US government responded to this historic testimony at the UN session by attacking Russia, which sponsored the Arria-Formula meeting. Acting US representative Cherith Norman Chalet praised the OPCW, aggressively condemned the Assad regime, and told the UN that the United States is proud to support the vital, life-saving work of the White Helmets a US and UK-backed organization that collaborated extensively with ISIS and al-Qaeda and have been involved in numerous executions in Syrian territory occupied by Islamist extremists. The US government has a long history of pressuring and manipulating the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, the George W. Bush administration threatened Jose Bustani, the first director of the OPCW, and pressured him to resign. In 2002, as the Bush White House was preparing to wage a war on Iraq, Bustani made an agreement with the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein that would have permitted OPCW inspectors to come to the country unannounced for weapons investigations. This infuriated the US government. Then-Under Secretary of State John Bolton told Bustani in 2002 that US Vice President Dick Cheney wants you out. Bolton threatened the OPCW director-general, stating, You have 24 hours to leave the organization, and if you dont comply with this decision by Washington, we have ways to retaliate against you We know where your kids live. Attacking the credibility of Ian Henderson While OPCW managers have kept curiously silent amid the scandal over their Douma report, an interventionist media outlet called Bellingcat has functioned as an outsourced press shop, aggressively defending the official narrative and attacking its most prominent critics, including Ian Henderson. Bellingcat is funded by the US governments regime-change arm, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and is part of an initiative bankrolled by the British Foreign Office. Following Hendersons testimony, Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins tried to besmirch the former OPCW engineers credibility by implying he was being used by Russia. Until 2019, Higgins worked at the Atlantic Council, a pro-war think tank financed by the American and British governments, as well as by NATO. Supporters of the OPCWs apparently doctored final report have relied heavily on Bellingcat to try to discredit the whistleblowers and growing leaks. Scientific expert Theodor Postol, who debated Higgins, has noted that Bellingcat have no scientific credibility at any level. Postol says he even suspects that OPCW management may have relied on Bellingcats highly dubious claims in its own compromised reporting. Higgins has no expertise or scientific credentials, and even The New York Times acknowledged in a highly sympathetic piece that Higgins attributed his skill not to any special knowledge of international conflicts or digital data, but to the hours he had spent playing video games, which, he said, gave him the idea that any mystery can be cracked. In his testimony before the UN Security Council, Ian Henderson stressed that he was speaking out in line with his duties as a scientific expert. Henderson said he does not even like the term whistleblower and would not use it to describe himself, because, Im a former OPCW specialist who has concerns in an area, and I consider this a legitimate and appropriate forum to explain again these concerns. Russias UN representative added that Moscow had also invited the OPCW director-general and representatives of the organizations Technical Secretariat, but they chose not to participate in the session. Video of the UN Security Council session on the OPCWs Douma report Testimony by OPCW whistleblower Ian Henderson at the UN Security Council My name is Ian Henderson. Im a former OPCW inspection team leader, having served for about 12 years. I heard about this meeting and I was invited by the minister, councilor of the Chinese mission to the UN. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances around my ESTA visa waiver status, I was not able to travel. I thus submitted a written statement, to which I will now add a short introduction. I need to point out at the outset that Im not a whistleblower; I dont like that term. Im a former OPCW specialist who has concerns in an area, and I consider this a legitimate and appropriate forum to explain again these concerns. Secondly, I must point out that I hold the OPCW in the highest regard, as well as the professionalism of the staff members who work there. The organization is not broken; I must stress that. However the concern I have does relate to some specific management practices in certain sensitive missions. The concern of course relates to the FFM investigation into the alleged chemical attack on the 7th of April in Douma, in Syria. My concern, which was shared by a number of other inspectors, relates to the subsequent management lockdown and the practices in the later analysis and compilation of a final report. There were two teams deployed; one team, which I joined shortly after the start of field deployments, was to Douma in Syria; the other team deployed to country X. The main concern relates to the announcement in July 2018 of a new concept, the so-called FFM core team, which essentially resulted in the dismissal of all of the inspectors who had been on the team deployed to locations in Douma and had been following up with their findings and analysis. The findings in the final FFM report were contradictory, were a complete turnaround with what the team had understood collectively during and after the Douma deployments. And by the time of release of the interim report in July 2018, our understanding was that we had serious misgivings that a chemical attack had occurred. What the final FFM report does not make clear, and thus does not reflect the views of the team members who deployed to Douma in which case I really can only speak for myself at this stage the report did not make clear what new findings, facts, information, data, or analysis in the fields of witness testimony, toxicology studies, chemical analysis, and engineering, and/or ballistic studies had resulted in the complete turn-around in the situation from what was understood by the majority of the team, and the entire Douma team, in July 2018. In my case, I had followed up with a further six months of engineering and ballistic studies into these cylinders, the result of which had provided further support for the view that there had not been a chemical attack. This needs to be properly resolved, we believe through the rigors of science and engineering. In my situation, its not a political debate. Im very aware that there is a political debate surrounding this. Perhaps a closing comment from my side is that I was also the inspection team leader who developed and launched the inspections, the highly intrusive inspections, of the Barzah SSRC facility, just outside Damascus. And I did the inspections and wrote the reports for the two inspections prior to, and the inspection after the chemical facility, or the laboratory complex at Barzah SSRC, had been destroyed by the missile strike. That, however, is another story altogether, and I shall now close. Thank you. The region has always been governed by the left, also governed well, said Claudio Casari, a 64-year-old carpenter who cheered Mr. Salvini as his captain outside a marine museum in Cesenatico. But he said that a general Italian malaise had led young people to leave the country and the region, and that Italy needed a strong leader like Mr. Salvini to restore faith. He brings hope to Italy, Mr. Casari said. Mr. Salvinis many detractors argued that he used his time in government to draw attention to himself and increase his political support with publicity stunts rather than help get Italy out of its slump. On Tuesday, Mr. Salvini streamed video of himself buzzing the doorbell of a Tunisian family in a working class section of Bologna and asking the person who answered the intercom if their son dealt drugs, as locals asserted. The Tunisian ambassador protested that the incident was a deplorable provocation that stigmatized the whole Tunisian community in Italy. But national leaders of the Democratic Party are loath to make their case on the ground in Emilia-Romagna, and have largely steered clear of the region to keep the race local and play down the consequences if they lose. Enthusiasm there has largely come from the Sardines, a liberal grass-roots movement created to stop Mr. Salvini. The Sardines packed Bolognas main square with tens of thousands of people on Sunday night and plan to close out the race with a rally in the beach club where Mr. Salvini spent most of the summer. They have repeatedly taken credit for infusing the candidacy of the regions incumbent governor, Stefano Bonaccini, with life. SC seeks Centres response in 4 weeks on challenge to the Act. New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it would not stay the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre and added that a five-judge Constitution bench would decide the validity of the new law. Seeking the Central governments response in four weeks on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue. The matter is uppermost in everybodys mind. We will form a five-judge bench and then list the case, a bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjeev Khanna said while turning down the plea for interim stay on CAA for a couple of months as grant of citizenship to religiously persecuted migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh would be irreversible. Wondering how any exercise was irreversible, CJI Bobde said, I dont think anything is irreversible, with attorney general K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Central government, adding, There are provisions in the law itself to revoke the citizenship. The bench said the court would hear some of the petitions in-chambers for deciding the modalities and thereafter a five-judge bench would be constituted after four weeks for day-to-day hearing on a batch of 143 petitions. The court also made it clear the matter relating to Assam and Tripura would be heard separately as the issues relating to CAA in these two states were different from the rest of the country. Senior counsel Vikas Singh, appearing for petitioners challenging the process of grant of citizenship under the CAA to 40 lakhs Bengali Hindus, who had migrated from Bangladesh to Assam and Tripura, said that the Act will create a peculiar situation and huge agitations are going on in these states. He said that the operation of CAA be stayed as it violated Assam Accord of 1985, which fixes cut-off date for grant of citizenship as March 24, 1971. Assam is facing a peculiar situation due to the migrants coming from Bangladesh as earlier cut off date for grant of citizenship was 1950, then cut of date was extended to March 24, 1971. This extension has been challenged before the apex court and the matter is pending, he said. Another senior counsel, K.V. Vishwanasthan, said that marking people as doubtful citizens was creating a huge problem as there are apprehensions of them being disfranchised. There was insecurity, amongst the minorities and anguish amongst the Hindus, Mr Vishwanathan told the bench. On the larger issue, senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for one the petitioners opposing the CAA, told the bench that they were not asking for stay of the law under challenge but were only asking for the postponement of its implementation. Mr Sibal was joined by senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi who told the court that if this process has not started for last 70 years it can sure wait for another two months. Referring to Uttar Pradesh, Mr Singhvi said that even without framing of the rules for the implementation of the amended citizenship law, in 19 districts over 40,000 people have been tick-marked for verification and this is creating anxiety amongst the people. Opposing their plea, Mr Venugopal said postponement was as good as staying the law itself. The top court is flooded with the petitions challenging the amended Citizenship Act that provides for grant of Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians facing religious persecution in three neighbouring countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It has been contended by the petitioners that besides being violative of the secular principles an spirit a component of the basic structure of the Constitution the amended law is in breach of Articles 14, 21 and 25. Starting with Indian Union Muslim League, the controversial law has been challenged by the Kerala government, Communist Party of India, TMC Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra, Congress law maker in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh, former high commissioner Deb Mukherjee, All Assam Students Union and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, among others. They have contended that religion based citizenship is a negation of secularism and its discriminatory. Uttar Pradesh-based Peace Party, Rihai Manch, Citizens Against Hate, Ehtesham Hashmi, Pradyot Deb Barman, Jan Adhikaar Party, advocate M.L. Sharma and students from Symbiosis Law School too have challenged the amended citizenship law. The petition by the leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, says that the amended citizenship law violated the Assam Accord. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has contended in his PIL that the amended citizenship law is a brazen attack on the core fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution (and) ex facie violates the fundamental guarantees under Article 14 as also Article 21 of the Constitution. He has said that the citizenship law under challenge has been enacted disregarding the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee dated 07.01.2019 as also the terms of the accord between AASU, AAGSP and the Central government on the Foreign National Issue signed on 15.08.1985 (Assam Accord). President Moon greets officers after a briefing by the Ministry of National Defense on Jan. 21. Yonhap By Do Je-hae One of the trickiest diplomatic challenges Cheong Wa Dae has faced in recent months is how it would respond to the U.S. request last year to join its naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz. During his Jan. 14 New Year press conference, President Moon Jae-in said the government was looking into the complex factors surrounding the request, such as its alliance with the U.S. and relations with Iran, before coming up with a "realistic solution." On Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense announced that Seoul will conduct an independent mission in the Strait to safeguard Korean residents in the region and vessels there by expanding the operational area of the Cheonghae anti-piracy unit, instead of participating in the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) naval coalition. Analysts say the decision was a compromise that reflected the need for Korea to consider both the U.S. position as well as any possible backlash from Iran. "This is a reasonable approach to a tricky issue for the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae). It gets to signal willingness to work with the U.S. on an issue for which it has been under pressure by the U.S., while also remaining sensitive to both domestic politics in Korea and international perceptions, notably from countries in the Middle East," said Mason Richey, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The U.S. departments of defense and state welcomed Seoul's decision. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki talked about the decision with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Mark Milley, who said he understood and appreciated it. But the Iranian government has shown concern about the deployment, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On Tuesday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi criticized the South Korean defense ministry's reference to the Persian Gulf as the Arab-Persian Gulf in its statement. "If Korea does not even know the historical name of the Persian Gulf, what knowledge and justification does Korea have in sending its troops to the region? Mutual respect is the very basis of relations between two civilized countries," the spokesman said in a tweet. Although such a negative reaction from Iran could have been foreseen, experts say Seoul was left with little option but to make a decision that tilted more toward the U.S, given that additional difficulties bilateral relations have suffered over some key issues, such as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations to determine Korea's share of costs for the upkeep of U.S. troops here. Seoul and Washington have also been at odds over Moon's plan for various inter-Korean projects this year. Impact on future Korea-US negotiations "It's also good to get this issue off the table in light of recent spats between Seoul and Washington on the SMA agreement and Seoul's desire to find out ways to increase tourism to North Korea, a concept that has met with push back from the U.S.," Richey said. "Surely Korea's decision to join in defending the Straits of Hormuz will help in future negotiations. Korean negotiators will note this decision as showing their desire to cooperate on defense costs and also on inter-Korean projects," Donald Kirk, a veteran correspondent and author on the Korean Peninsula said. "The Americans may be more willing to relax in their demands on defense costs and adopt a more flexible attitude on dealing with North Korea as a result. At the same time, U.S. negotiators may also say the issues are quite different and Korea is cooperating on Hormuz largely because most of its oil comes from that region." But some observers said that Seoul's Hormuz decision will not have much impact on future negotiations with the U.S. or other pending issues, such as the SMA or inter-Korean projects. Rather, some experts noted that the decision was made in the context of international cooperation to ensure freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway. "Similar to Japan's decision on the issue, South Korea's planned deployment to the Strait of Hormuz is calibrated to meet Washington's request for maritime security cooperation without offending economic partners in the Middle East. Some analysts consider the deployment 'alliance dues' that can offset other defense cost-sharing categories. But Japan and South Korea have shared interests in freedom of navigation, especially related to energy security, so these deployments are better understood as contributions to the international public goods," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University. Some also raise concerns that the U.S. could request Korea's official participation in the IMSC if the clash between the U.S. and Iran aggravates in coming months. Cheong Wa Dae said that it could not comment on such a possibility at this point. "We are not able to speak about negotiations regarding such a request. There have been some precedents regarding the expansion of the operational area. In this case, we have determined that it is not necessary to seek National Assembly approval," a senior presidential aide said in a briefing. As the World Economic Forum launched a global initiative to grow, restore and conserve 1 trillion trees around the world, motivational speaker JV Sadhguru said on Wednesday fighting illegal logging is equally important as planting trees. Speaking here at the WEF 2020, the Isha Foundation founder said it takes 10-20 years to grow a tree but just an afternoon to cut it down. Ivan Duque, President of Colombia, said the big challenge of our time is climate change and we will not be successful on climate change if we do not defeat deforestation. Colombia aims to plant 180 million trees by August 2022, he said. "We're certainly at a time of planetary emergency," said Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, referring to the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions. "We need to get a big eye on our forests so we can use (forests) to sequester this carbon." US President Donald Trump here on Tuesday extended his support to the WEF initiative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'It is my duty to tell them about the brave soldiers who gave their lives for our land.' 'The free air of freedom that we breathe is because of men like them.' IMAGE: Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav, Param Vir Chakra. Photograph: AGDPI Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav, Param Vir Chakra, is among India's bravest of the brave who has featured in the Republic Day parade every year, for 20 years. He is among the handful of living soldiers who have received the nation's highest honour for gallantry in war or in peace. Subedar Major Yadav was just 19 when he was awarded the Param Vir Charkra -- he took 15 bullets fighting in the Kargil War -- and is the youngest soldier to ever win the nation's highest honour for gallantry. The Param Vir Chakra is ranked second after the Bharat Ratna in India's official protocol. When the jeeps carrying the three living Param Vir Chakra winners go past Rajpath at the beginning of the Republic Day parade, you can sense the respect and pride that their presence evokes. Photograph: Wikipedia Commons IMAGE: Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav, Honorary Captain Bana Singh and Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar, the three living winners of the Param Vir Chakra. "It is an honour and privilege that I have been in the parade for 20 years. When our names are announced, I can see people's eyes turn to our faces and then to our medals," Subedar Major Yadav tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. "I see respect and affection for us warriors," he says humbly and politely over the phone. "This nation has great love and regard for the sainik (soldier). I feel I survived the war so that I could tell the men and women of my country about the bravery of the men who sacrificed their lives fighting alongside me." Rediff.com Photograph: IMAGE: Param Vir Chakra awardees then Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, left, and then Grenadier Yoginder Yadav, centre, with Mahavir Chakra awardee then Lieutenant Balwan Singh, right. Grenadier Yadav and Lieutenant Balwan Singh were in the commando platoon that led the final assault on Tiger Hill. Their bravery that night is the stuff of legend. Subedar Major Yadav fought in two of the pivotal battles of the Kargil War -- the battles of Tololing and Tiger Hill -- which turned the tide of the war and brought victory for India. The soldier was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his exceptional and extraordinary bravery in the capture of Tiger Hill. His platoon scaled the heights for four days and launched a bitter attack against the Pakistani soldiers. Indian soldiers paid in blood to secure the feature. Twenty-two highly trained men approached the Pakistan-occupied peak via a vertical cliff at an altitude of 16,500 feet. His commander had divided the men into small sections -- every soldier in his team of seven was killed in action. Then Sepoy Yogendra Yadav was the lone survivor from his team. He was grievously injured and crawled his way down where the other men from his battalion were positioned. He gave a detailed account of that battle to Rediff in 2012. "Every soldier has a role in a battle plan. He has to implicitly trust his commander and his men. What a soldier does is for his commander, his fellow soldiers, his country," he says, relating snatches of what happened that day, an account he has told and retold many times. His commander, Lieutenant Balwan Singh (now a colonel), was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. "There is a legion of soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for their country. That day on Tiger Hill, I witnessed that myself -- soldiers sacrificing their lives in the service of their country, without thinking about families or loved one they were leaving behind. It was an extraordinary example of selfless sacrifice and valour." He was evacuated for treatment and spent one-and-a-half years in hospital. Twenty years later, he says he is physically fine, but the arm occasionally swells up on lifting heavy things. "The nature of life is one of constant struggle, but the Almighty has been kind and I am extremely fortunate." IMAGE: Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav, Param Vir Chakra, addresses a gathering at India Gate on Kargil Vijay Diwas, July 26, 2018. Photograph: Wikipedia Commons Every year he meets brothers-in-arms of the 18 Grenadiers and they share memories of lost friends. He meets the families of soldiers who did not return from the battlefront. Last year, he met the daughter of his senior soldier Rajendra Yadav whose wife was three months pregnant when he was killed in action. "She asked me, 'uncle mere papa kaise the (tell me about my father)', it is one question that I have found most heart wrenching to answer," he says. "I tell the children of my martyred friends that their fathers were India's bravest sons. We owe our life and freedom to men like them." Subedar Major Yogendra Yadav is currently posted at an Indian Army training institute. He trains young jawans about aspects of soldiering and leadership in battle. A role model, young jawans want to hear accounts of the valour of Tololing and Tiger Hill from him. "It is my duty to tell them about the brave soldiers who gave their lives for our land. The free air of freedom that we breathe is because of men like them." A budding photographer who snapped a couple getting engaged over 35-years-ago on a beach has appealed for them to come forward so he can give them the photograph as an anniversary gift. Newlywed Leo Morelli had been walking along a promenade in Kent in 1985 with his wife when he spotted another couple on the sand beneath them. The adorable pair had been on Viking Beach in Broadstairs and the man had written 'ROSALYN WILL YOU MARRY ME' on the sand at the beach and they were captured kissing after she presumably said yes. Now, Leo wants to see if he can trace the pair, who, if they remained married, would be celebrating 35 years since the romantic proposal. Photographer Leo Morelli is appearing for a mystery couple to come forward after he captured their marriage proposal on Broadstairs beach, Kent (couple above) Leo lived in south London at the time but was born in Ramsgate. He was visiting Broadstairs with his first wife as he wanted to show her his home town. He said: 'I'm fairly sure it was 1985 but can't be more precise than that. 'I took the pic when my first wife and I were visiting Broadstairs - we were not long wed ourselves and were walking along the promenade above the beach when I spotted the proposal. 'I had not long taken up photography and had recently purchased a 300mm lens so was pleased to have a valid reason to use it. Leo (pictured above) hadn't been married long himself when he saw the couple and couldn't resist taking a photo 'I have seen the photo a few times over the years and wondered what might or might not have become of the two of them.' Leo's father owned a small coffee shop - Reno's - on Victoria Parade in Broadstairs while his uncle owned the famous Morelli's ice cream parlour in the seaside resort. He now lives in Devizes, Wiltshire, and is no longer in contact with his Kent family. He posted on Facebook: 'I took this photo with a long lens in the early 1980s at Viking Bay in Broadstairs. 'Does anyone know who the fella or 'Rosalyn' is. She looks like she said yes. 'Are they still married? Happy to send the original picture to one or both of them. Please help!' Locals flocked to say how sweet the photo is. Karen Pattison said: 'That's going to be a super Valentine's Day gift.' Janine Brown said: 'Hope you find out who the mystery couple are, that's a lovely gesture.' Do you know the couple in the photo? Email Joe. Middleton@Mailonline.co.uk or call 02036151762 Advertisement Lainey Farrant joked: 'Plot twist - she didn't say yes, and is actually strangling him.' Julie Gayle Balliu replied: 'Or Roslyn said yes, they got married, had 12 kids, but she ran off with the milkman*.she now lives in a cul-de-sac in Thornton Heath. 'He raised the 12 kids single handedly, seeking help with his gambling and now runs a door to door service selling pegs. His kids are now in a commune in Hythe.' Ruth Maria said: 'What a lovely photo!!' Gemma Hollands added: 'OMG please find them.' Lisa Butcher said: 'Aw they would love that I reckon it was a yes hope they see this - they could of moved away too.' And Jill Parker said: 'What a lovely photo, I do hope they are happily married.... does anyone know the outcome to this story?' ***Do you know the couple in the photo? Email Joe.Middleton@Mailonline.co.uk or call 02036151762*** Jose Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Photo: Reuters. The intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has asked Britain to hold fire on a digital tax that would hit the worlds biggest tech companies. The planned levy is a 2% tax on the UK sales of search engines, social media companies, and online marketplaces from April this year. It would likely hit US tech firms the hardest due their size and scale. The OECDs Secretary General Angel Gurria told press at the World Economic Forum (WEF) that there needs to be a global agreement otherwise it could spark countries implementing their own version of the tax as and when they want in a non-standardised way. READ MORE: What is the digital services tax? How it impacts big tech companies and the US The OECD, which is tasked with brokering a global compromise on how tech companies get taxed, is trying to prevent a transatlantic trade war and further warned that without a global agreement, it could risk "a cacophony" with countries doing their own thing amid "tensions rising all over the place. The UK Treasury said in a statement: We've committed to introduce our Digital Services Tax from April 2020. It will be repealed once a global solution is in place. In mid-December last year, UK prime minister Boris Johnson declared that he would stick to his Conservative partys pledge to further tax tech giants to ensure they pay their "fair share" of tax. "On the digital services tax, I do think we need to look at the operation of the big digital companies and the huge revenues they have in this country and the amount of tax that they pay, he said. "We need to sort that out. They need to make a fairer contribution." In the same week, , a report accused the big six tech firms Amazon (AMZN), Facebook (FB), Google (GOOG), Netflix (NFLX), Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) of aggressively avoiding $100bn of global tax over the past 10 years by moving sales and profits through low-tax countries and tax havens such as Bermuda, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Story continues READ MORE: PayPal CEO: 'Ethical and moral' duty put staff ahead of shareholders The UKs move followed in line with France which imposed the new law in the same month. It was set to retroactively go into effect from early 2019 and would apply to any digital company with sales of more than 750m (670m, $850m), in which 30 companies are expected to be affected. However, at the WEF conference in Davos, Switzerland this week, reports surfaced that the French Government will delay its tech tax to until the end of the year. This has yet to be confirmed. Since the spate of countries looking to implement a digital services tax, the US government has hit out several times at the move and has caused concerns over a trade war. Initially in response to France taking the first step towards a digital services tax, the US government claimed that it unfairly affects US companies and, in retaliation, the Office of US Trade Representative released a list of the French items that face tariffs at rates up to 100% which include make-up, cheese, and handbags. This week, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told The Wall Street Journal that countries, like the UK will "find themselves faced with President Trump's tariffs. We'll be having similar conversations with them. READ MORE: Billionaire Salesforce founder: 'Capitalism as we know it is dead' Bravo favorite Jerry O'Connell put in an appearance on Andy Cohen's late-night show Watch What Happens Live on Monday, where he made a rather surprising admission. The 45-year-old actor was asked by a caller if he and his wife of 12 years, Rebecca Romijn, ever role played as a Bravo couple in the bedroom. O'Connell joked that he and his wife roleplayed as the recently-deported Joe Giudice, with his wife and Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice responding on social media. Admission: Bravo favorite Jerry O'Connell put in an appearance on Andy Cohen's late-night show Watch What Happens Live on Monday, where he made a rather surprising admission Roleplay: O'Connell joked that he and his wife roleplayed as the recently-deported Joe Giudice, with his wife and Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice responding on social media Cohen himself mentioned that the fan asked, 'a good question' as O'Connell began by saying, 'I don't want to name any names.' 'I don't want to put anybody on blast but let's just say I like to play a husband who's maybe been deported,' O'Connell said, clearly referencing Giudice, who was deported back to Italy in October. 'And he comes back maybe for a quick visit, you know what I'm talking about? We only got a couple of minutes before ICE is in here, come on let's do this!' he added. No names: Cohen himself mentioned that the fan asked, 'a good question' as O'Connell began by saying, 'I don't want to name any names' Laughs: 'I don't want to put anybody on blast but let's just say I like to play a husband who's maybe been deported,' O'Connell said, clearly referencing Giudice, who was deported back to Italy in October The clip was posted to the Watch What Happens Live Instagram, with the caption, '@MrJerryOC keeps things JUICY in the bedroom #RHONJ #WWHL.' A few hours later, Teresa Giudice herself responded in a comment, simply stating, 'I am dying lol' with the face with tears of joy emoji. O'Connell's joke comes just a month after Teresa and Joe split up after more than 20 years of marriage. Juicy: The clip was posted to the Watch What Happens Live Instagram, with the caption, '@MrJerryOC keeps things JUICY in the bedroom #RHONJ #WWHL' Dying: A few hours later, Teresa Giudice herself responded in a comment, simply stating, 'I am dying lol' with the face with tears of joy emoji Joe was deported to Italy after serving 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to 41 counts of mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud. Teresa, who married Joe in 1999, and their four children, Gia, 17, Gabriella, 14, Milania, 12, and Audriana, 9, visited Joe in Italy in November. It was confirmed in December that Teresa and Joe have decided to split up, but US Weekly's source said they have, 'no plans to divorce yet.' Visit: Teresa, who married Joe in 1999, and their four children, Gia, 17, Gabriella, 14, Milania, 12, and Audriana, 9, visited Joe in Italy in November No divorce plans: It was confirmed in December that Teresa and Joe have decided to split up, but US Weekly 's source said they have, 'no plans to divorce yet' O'Connell recently starred on the WGN series Carter, which has aired for two seasons but a third has yet to be confirmed. He'll next be seen in The Secret: Dare to Dream, an adaptation of the self-help book The Secret with Katie Holmes, in theaters April 17. He also stars in the upcoming series Star Trek: Lower Decks, an animated series slated to debut on the CBS All Access streaming service in 2020. Jerry's work: O'Connell recently starred on the WGN series Carter, which has aired for two seasons but a third has yet to be confirmed Every year, around 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported in the UK. Despite approximately 99.8 per cent of cases being preventable, there are still many misconceptions surrounding cervical cancer. Cervical Screening Awareness Week, an annual campaign led by Jos Cervical Cancer Trust, runs from 15 to 21 June 2021. Although cervical cancer can affect anyone with a cervix the term 'women' will be used here for brevity. This article was originally published in 2020. When the letter arrived through her front door, Marianne Nicholson did not open it. The 43-year-old from Northern Ireland knew what the envelope contained and had already decided that after a previous smear test when the nurse chastised her for bleeding, she wouldnt be responding to future invitations. Nicholson had tried to explain it wasnt her period but spotting caused by her contraceptive pill, but the nurse had already terminated the procedure. She [the nurse] was annoyed and I was really embarrassed. After that I disliked smears so much, she tells me. I put it off for years, over the three year mark, Nicholson continues. Then she started bleeding more heavily between periods. I just assumed it was my pill [again] but it was bright red which is a huge warning sign, she says. It wasnt until her best friend at work intervened and said it wasnt normal to be bleeding so much, forcing her to attend an appointment together. Following the examination Nicholson was diagnosed with cervical cancer. I never thought for one minute I had cervical cancer. My friend actually saved my life. Nicholson says her naivety (and belief cancer was something that only happened to other people) stopped her from attending an appointment. But she isnt alone. Eleven years after the death of TV celebrity Jade Goody from cervical cancer in 2009, aged 27 a high profile case that caused a rise in 500,000 extra people attending cervical screenings and was dubbed the Jade Goody effect attendance has dwindled to a 20-year-low. 'How Jade Goody helped me beat cancer' Show all 2 1 /2 'How Jade Goody helped me beat cancer' 'How Jade Goody helped me beat cancer' 337518.bin JEAN GOLDSMITH 'How Jade Goody helped me beat cancer' 337519.bin Rex Features The overall decline in numbers may seem small: in 2018-2019 the percentage of women deemed to have been screened adequately was at 71.9 per cent, which fell from 72 per cent in 2017 and 72.7 per cent in 2016. But data released by Cancer Research UK showed rates of cervical cancer have risen sharply. Among 25 to 29-year-olds there has been a 54 per cent rise in cervical cancer rates since 2004. Athena Lamnisos, CEO of the Eve Appeal, a gynaecological cancer charity, says: Although last year saw a small increase for the first time in 21 years in attendance for cervical screening appointments, 1 in 4 are still not booking their appointment when called. Cervical screening, commonly referred to as a smear test, helps to pick up early signs of cell changes in the cervix that can turn into cancer. The tests are free on the NHS for all people with a cervix between the ages of 25 to 64. At your appointment, a nurse will take a sample of cells from your cervix using a small, soft brush. It should take no longer than 15 minutes. Jos Trust, a cervical cancer charity, say early detection and treatment through cervical screening can prevent up to 75 per cent of cervical cancers from developing. So why are so many still shunning the appointments or putting the letters straight in the bin? Recommended What happens when you go for a smear test Jo Varsani, 39, from Chadwell Heath in Essex didnt go for a smear test for 18 years after her first one as a teenager because the first experience was so traumatic for her. It was painful, I was a virgin and I was really anxious, she says. I was also very conscious of someone judging me and how I looked. After her appointment things were made worse as she was told she would need to return for another test as they hadnt been able to collect a sufficient sample. I ignored the letters and any subsequent requests for an appointment, she says. Varsani, who has two children and one step-child and runs a daycare centre, says that not only did her bad experience stop her from attending the smear test but she found it hard to make the time. When my daughter was young, I was a single parent and so prioritised making a living over and above my health, she says. (Now she offers other mothers free childcare for an hour when they need to go for smear tests). I have a 16-year-old daughter so I want her to go and have her own smear test when the time comes, and I can only say to her to do it, if Ive done it too. Jo Varsani It was only when her mother-in-law died of cancer at the age of 61 that she finally decided to bite the bullet and book a second appointment. Obviously, I have a 16-year-old daughter so I want her to go and have her own smear test when the time comes, and I can only say to her to do it, if Ive done it too. In my whole life Ive only had two smear tests and Ill be 40 this year. Carrie Eddins, 44, from the West Midlands, also had a bad experience at her first appointment which has stopped her from going again. The cold metal speculum, it was excruciating and not remotely something I ever wanted to repeat. It was extremely painful and I bled because of it, the nurse was not remotely compassionate. Unlike Varsani, Eddins has not yet come to terms with going back ignoring the stream of letters and texts from her local trust. Clearly some women have bad personal experiences of smear tests which then informs their decision not to go back, but this isn't the case with everyone. The most highly-cited reason for not scheduling smear tests, referenced by all of the women The Independent spoke to was that of misinformation. The narrative around smear tests continues to be that they are universally a painful and embarrassing experience. This, understandably, puts women off. Nicolson says: You hear through Chinese whispers that it hurts or is embarrassing and then this filters down through the generations. Recommended Six biggest misconceptions about cervical cancer screenings Even women who have already been themselves are susceptible to the myths. Lindsay Davies, 35, from Mansfield, didnt have a smear test for six years and says she would always make silly excuses not to go because things she had heard from friends terrified her. She eventually decided to go but gave herself an escape. I said to myself that if the nurse wasnt very nice I was going to just leave. But the nurse was lovely and really put me at ease, she even gave me a tissue to cover my face. It took ten minutes and there was no pain. Far too many people massively exaggerate the discomfort or how long it takes. Basically every part of the smear test is exaggerated to this scary bad thing and in reality its five minutes that could genuinely save your life. Ms Davies was eventually diagnosed with cervical cancer when she attended at 29 and had to have a hysterectomy to treat it. I went through hell, the implications of not going for your smear test are far reaching. Lamnisos from the Eve Appeal agrees that misinformation has persisted. There is still quite a lot of misinformation and fear out there around both HPV and cervical screening. She says that there needs to be a better understanding of what is going to happen before women arrive at the appointment. Cervical screening is not a cancer test, it is a preventative test. This means cervical screening, and if needed, follow up treatment can stop cancer before it starts. The speculum and the way in which it is used has been believed to strip women of their agency for some time (Shutterstock) Misinformation was deemed to be so prevalent in 2019 the government started the first ever nationwide TV campaign in England and Wales to encourage women to attend smear tests. Another reason why people may not attend, which has not been addressed by existing campaigns, Lamnisos says is bigger barriers beyond their control. For example if they are disabled and hoist dependant and there isnt access to a hoist in the GP, or [if they are] a trans man or non-binary and fall through gaps in the system or are not invited for the screening appointment to start with. Another big barrier might be that they are a survivor of sexual abuse or FGM [female genital mutilation] and have other issues around this specific screening test. For these groups of people that face extra personal, physical or psychological hurdles, extra time, information and support can help make the procedure a bit easier and encourage more people to go when they are due. Rebecca Shoosmith, head of support at Jo's Trust, agrees: "For some groups of women, including survivors of sexual violence, those with conditions such as vaginismus, and women with a physical disability it can be particularly hard, even impossible." Whatever the reason for not going doctors want the numbers of women attending to be increasing not dropping. Ms Nicholson says she believes the key to targeting everyone regardless of their motivations is to share stories like her own. Girls need to know what could happen, you could end up like me needing major surgery, chemotherapy, or even worse, dying. They are a vital part of our health and we need to have them done. If I had understood how important smears are it would have made me go sooner. We all need to get involved to help bring the message home to young girls and hopefully help eradicate this silent killer. You can contact the Jos Cervical Cancer Trust free helpline on 0808 802 8000. Click here to check the helpline opening times. CAMEROON, Cameroon - More than 70% of the worlds people live in countries where inequality has grown since 1990, including China and India, and growing inequalities are benefiting the wealthiest, a U.N. report said Tuesday. But increasing inequality is not a universal trend, the World Social Report 2020 added, saying there has been a decline in income inequality over the last two decades in most countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and in many African countries. Despite this progress, the report said, the share of income going to the richest 1% of the global population increased in 46 out of 57 countries and areas for which data is available for 1990 to 2015. In both developed and developing countries, tax rates declined, with the top income tax rates in developed countries dropping from 66% in 1981 to 43% in 2018, said the report by the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The income differences among some countries and regions also is dramatic. For example, the report said the average income of people living in North America is 16 times that of people living in sub-Saharan Africa. At a time when the consequences of our deeply unequal world play out in daily headlines, this report shows that the inequality challenge is a global one, U.N. chief economist Elliott Harris told reporters. In the forward to the report, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote, In North and South alike, mass protests have flared up, fueled by a combination of economic woes, growing inequalities and job insecurity. Income disparities and a lack of opportunities are creating a vicious cycle of inequality, frustration and discontent across generations, he said. The report, titled Inequality in a Rapidly Changing World, examines the effect of four trends on inequality: technological innovation, climate change, urbanization and international migration. It said rapid technological breakthroughs in recent decades tend to create winners and losers, with highly skilled workers benefiting most and mainly low-skilled workers facing job disruption and, at times, destruction. Digital innovation and artificial intelligence are opening vast new employment opportunities in areas such as education, health and agriculture, but these can only be realized if everyone has access, the report said. This isnt happening, so new digital divides are being created, it said. The report cited one striking divide: about 87% of people in developed countries have Internet access, compared to just 19% in developing countries. As for climate change, poorer countries in the tropics are among the most adversely affected and people there who are already living in poverty are being made even poorer, the report said. If left unaddressed, it warned, climate change could cause millions of people to fall into poverty during the next 10 years. On the other side, it said, actions to combat climate change and transition to green economies can reduce poverty and inequality. In a rapidly urbanizing world, the report said, the rural-urban divide is closing in some areas but widening in others. Cities are catalysts for economic growth, innovation and employment, it said. However, urban areas are more unequal than rural areas. While income is higher in cities compared to rural areas in most developed and developing countries, one in four urban residents, or over one billion people, lived in slums in 2016, it said. The report called international migration a powerful symbol of global inequality, whether in terms of wages, opportunities or lifestyles. It said the movement of millions of people across countries and continents every year generally benefits most migrants and their countries of origin and destination, though not evenly across countries or within countries. Guterres said the reports message is that these challenges are not irreversible. They can be harnessed for a more equitable and sustainable world, he said, or they can be left to further divide us. LEHI, Utah, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Dsco, a leading distributed inventory network, announced their ranking of the top 444 drop shipping brands of 2019. Rankings on Dscos 444 List are categorized by performance both in virtual communication and physical fulfillment. White Mark, Fuzion, Elite, and Melissa & Doug were recognized as top four drop shippers, each with perfect fulfillment on hundreds of thousands of orders. Many of the other brands on the 444 List maintained rates of 98% or higher. "We prioritize drop ship orders every day and its a huge team effort to maintain such a high fulfillment rate, said Larisa Mikhaylov, VP of IT for BCI Brands. Drop shipping has been in the news recently with REI launching its own program last October and Lowes CEO Marvin Ellison stating that Lowes is improving our systems and processes to allow us to quickly add SKUs and drop ship vendors to more rapidly expand our online assortment. Last May, Kohls also signed an exclusive drop ship partnership with Fanatics to significantly broaden the fan gear assortment for Kohls online customers. With many drop shippers now surpassing industry fulfillment benchmarks of 95%, distributed fulfillment models such as drop shipping appear poised to take up a larger and larger portion of ecommerce. "Drop shipping has been a key initiative and major source of growth for our company, said Tiffany Bowe, Karen Kanes Vice President of Sales. Whats fascinating about this years list is the number of brands able to process tens of thousands of orders while maintaining a 99.5% or better fulfilment rate, said Jeremy Hanks, CEO of Dsco. Brands can now fulfill orders faster, cheaper, and better through drop shipping than traditional fulfillment models. For the complete Dsco 444, please visit: https://www.dsco.io/the-dsco-444/ About Dsco Headquartered in greater Salt Lake City, Utah, Dsco is the worlds most powerful distributed inventory network, simplifying the way companies connect and exchange retail data. Leading enterprise retailers including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Luxottica, and Finish Lineas well as thousands of their brand partnersuse Dsco to sell more perfectly. For more information, please visit http://www.dsco.io/ . Media Contact media@dsco.io The latest protests in Iran by people angry over the Iranian militarys missile launch that unintentionally downed a Ukrainian jetliner killing many Iranians, Canadians and others is different from past protests over rigged elections, rising gas prices and what Americans like to call voter suppression. This time, the protests are over a much wider area of the country. This time, there were no death to America or death to Israel chants. Video showed demonstrators refusing to walk on U.S. and Israeli flags. This time, anger was directed at the theocratic regimes handling of the missile strike. This time, a president of the United States tweeted his support for the protesters in English and in Farsi and warned the world is watching. Thats something President Obama failed to do when demonstrations over a rigged election broke out in the summer of 2009 and the regime began killing and imprisoning protesters. Obama, opting at first for a wait-and-see approach, once violence reached its zenith was finally forced to declare, The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the last few days, and strongly condemned these unjust actions. Of course, his statement was too late to have much, if any, effect on the regimes actions. Democrats were nearly silent about the latest protests. Democrats once boldly voiced opposition to totalitarian regimes. When Democrats do comment it is often without substance or meaning. Interviewed on ABCs This Week last Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to minimize the significance of the demonstrations. Host George Stephanopoulos asked her if she supported the demonstrations and whether it would be good for the regime to collapse. She replied: The protesters are protesting as I understand it, this brand of protesters about the fact that that plane went down. And many students were on that plane and these are largely students in the street. Come again? The lunatic left, which increasingly dominates the Democratic Party, predictably took Irans side against their own country. Actress Rose McGowan tweeted: Dear #Iran. The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, your people. 52 percent of us humbly apologize. We want peace with your nation. We are being held hostage by a terrorist regime. We do not know how to escape. Please do not kill us. #Soleimani. A.J. Caschetta responded to McGowan and many others on the far left in National Review magazine: While it may be tempting to dismiss McGowans attempts at wit, her line of reasoning, however faulty, is echoed by nearly all the Democrats on the campaign trail and by virtually every Middle East specialist in the media and in academia. Her apologetic plea for peace and her moral equivalency between Trumps terrorist regime and #Soleimani differ from tweets of her erudite allies only in the number of polysyllabic words and historical references. Otherwise they are quite similar, in some cases practically identical. Why arent the Democratic presidential candidates asked if they share such views? Perhaps it is because those asking the questions dont want to do anything that would harm the chances of one of the Democrat presidential candidates beating President Trump in the November election. Does that sound too harsh? Consider that 92% of media coverage of the president has been negative, according to a study by the Media Research Center, a politically conservative content analysis group based in Reston, Va. Could the protests in Iran follow the pattern of other freedom movements, like Solidarity in Poland, or demonstrations that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union? Or, could they end in a stalemate with increasingly brutal repression, as in Venezuela? Its too early to say, but the least that should be expected is that people who enjoy the blessings of liberty, including the right to say very foolish things, support the efforts of others who want to free themselves from totalitarian oppression. If they wont, perhaps they should pick what they think is a better country and live there. A peek inside the newly opened Little Prairie Girl in Grundy Center. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OAKLAND (BCN) An 18-year-old felon was charged with murder on Tuesday for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy in East Oakland last week. Jacobi Julius Gaines of Union City was arraigned Tuesday for the shooting death of Hasan Semaj Humphries in the 1400 block of 48th Avenue at 4:44 p.m. on Jan. 13 and is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday to be assigned an attorney and possibly enter a plea. In addition to murder, Gaines is charged with two counts of unlawful firearm activity and one count of carrying a loaded firearm on his person in the city. Prosecutors also allege that Gaines committed the crime while he was on felony probation for his conviction on Sept. 17, 2018, for second-degree robbery and the enhancement of the intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury. Gaines was identified as the suspect in the shooting through witness statements and video surveillance, Oakland police Officer Michael Jaeger wrote in a probable cause statement. A warrant was issued for Gaines and he was arrested at an apartment in the 2600 block of 74th Avenue in Oakland at 7:30 p.m. last Thursday, according to Jaeger. Officers who served a search warrant at the apartment found clothing that may have been worn during the shooting and found a pistol matching the caliber of the gun that fired in the shooting, Jaeger wrote. A GoFundMe website to raise money to pay for Humphries' burial had raised $1,947 of its $20,000 goal as of late Wednesday morning. Humphries' brother Kejwine Patts, who is organizing the fundraiser, wrote, "He got his life took to soon and he was only seventeen." Patts said, "Me and my family will try our best to make this situation better as it will never get easier. Hasan was loved by many and such a kindred spirit to be around so please remember my brother and keep his spirit alive!" The website is at https://www.gofundme.com/f/innocent-17-year-old-killed-in-oakland. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Governor Mike Sonko was granted his wish after Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi recused herself from handling a case in which the Nairobi boss is challenging orders barring him from accessing his office. Last month, Sonko had moved to the High Court seeking Mumbis disqualification alongside her colleagues Grace Ngenye and John Onyiego from participating in the proceedings. Through Lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, Sonko argued that the three Judges would be biased against him seeing as they barred Governors Moses Lenolkulaal (Samburu) and Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) from office. The embattled governor claimed that Justice John Onyiego, being the head of the Appellate Court, would tilt his judgement in favor of the previous ruling. All the cited judges in the division by their stated pronouncements and conduct have created in my mind the irresistible impression that they have taken the position of and in defense of the state organs so far as the scope of section 62 is concerned, Sonko said. Following her recusal from the Sonko case, Lady Justice Ngugi referred the case to the Principal Judge. The matter will be mentioned on January 29. At the same time, Sonko can breathe easy after the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew assault charges against him. The complainant, Coast Regional Police Commander Rashid Yakub, filed an application saying he was no longer interested in pursuing the matter. Senior resident magistrate Fredrick Nyakundi is expected to make a ruling on the matter today, Wednesday 22, at 9 am at the Voi law courts. The positive start to 2020 for sheep farmers continues this week with lamb prices now well and truly breaking through the 5/kg mark. The strength of the market can be seen by Kepak Athleague, boosting their quote for hoggets by 25c since last week to a base of 525c/kg. Kildare Chilling, however, continue to be out in front quoting 5.30/kg, with the ICMs remaining at the bottom of the table. Processor demand has been a key driver of the trade over the past month with prices now on the rise since November, rewarding farmers who held on to lambs during the very wet autumn. The first lamb throughput figures of 2020 were published last week with 56,934 lambs killed over the week ending January 11. In the UK, lamb prices are also soaring - up 17.1p on the same week last year and 43p above the five-year average. The positive vibes in the sheep trade come as a delegation from the IFA National Sheep Committee met with Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and the main sheep processing factories, including Irish Country Meats (ICM), Kepak, Kildare Chilling and Dawn Meats in Dublin last week. Chairman Sean Dennehy said he made it very clear to the factories that incomes on sheep farmers were under severe pressure and lamb price needed to continue to rise in order to provide a viable income for farmers. He said: "IFA was very strong in the argument that carcase weight limits were way too restrictive at the factories and new season lamb needed to open at a minimum carcase weight of 21kg." The IFA has also put a strong case to the factories to increase the Quality Assurance bonus to 30c/kg. He added that some plants had increased the bonus from 10c to 15c/kg, but a lot more needs to be done to reward farmers for Quality Assurance properly. Meanwhile, ICSA sheep chair Sean McNamara has called on all political parties to commit to a new a significantly improved Sheep Welfare Scheme that would see a doubling of the financial benefit of the scheme to sheep farmers. Live exports down to just 7,500 head The sheep industry's live export trade is continuing to steeply decline. Live exports now represent a tiny element of the market and this reduced even further in 2019. Numbers exported at 7,500 head were just a third of 2018 levels according to Bord Bia. France absorbed the majority (67pc) of exports. This is a long way from the heady days of 2009 when over 100,000 lambs were exported, adding valuable competition, particularly at the marts. Efforts to reignite the trade in recent years seem to have fallen by the wayside, much to farmers' disappointment. It now is almost a century and a quarter since the USS Maine exploded in Havana. With the media and the U.S. government promoting the likely erroneous proposition that Spain was responsible for the sinking, "Remember the Maine!" helped lead us into the Spanish-American War. Our government officials wouldn't try, in this modern day and age, to mislead us into war. Right? Well, there was the Gulf of Tonkin incident, misrepresented by government leaders, that helped propel the U.S. into the Vietnam War. That, though, was a half century or so ago. Oh, there was the "weapons of mass destruction" insistence, without valid supporting evidence, that got us into battle in Iraq. That was less than two decades ago, and we still are there. Democratic presidential hopeful US Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district Tulsi Gabbard (L) and former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sued former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday for allegedly defaming her by suggesting the Hawaii congresswoman is a "Russian asset." "Clinton's false assertions were made in a deliberate attempt to derail Tulsi's campaign," said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The suit claims that Gabbard has suffered "actual damages" of "$50 million and counting" from Clinton's comments. But the suit does not cite a specific amount of damages it is seeking. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee who previously was a senator from New York, said in an October interview that an unnamed Democratic presidential candidate was "the favorite of the Russians." Clinton did not mention Gabbard, a four-term congresswoman, by name in that interview with the podcast "Campaign HQ With David Plouffe." But Clinton's spokesman, Nick Merrill, said after the interview that "If the nesting doll fits," when asked if she had been referring to Gabbard, who is also a major in the Army National Guard and a combat veteran of Iraq. Merrill later said in a tweet that Clinton was referring to the Republican Party grooming Gabbard. But it is Russians, not the GOP, who are known for making nesting, or Matryoshka dolls. Clinton, wife of President Bill Clinton, lost the 2016 election to Republican nominee Donald Trump. The report by special counsel Robert Mueller as well as a probe by the Senate Intelligence Committee have both found that Russian agents tried to damage Clinton's candidacy, and that they tried to promote the third-party candidacy of Green Party nominee Jill Stein in order to harm Clinton's chances of winning the White House. Photo: @Liftandco BLK MKT is making quite a name for itself in the legal market. The Kelowna cannabis brand has fast become known for: Producing some of the most premium bud Producing the most controversial tagline Love them or hate them, everyone is talking about them. At a Vancouver cannabis conference earlier this month attended by thousands, they ran with the slogan, Once you go BLK The reaction online was swift. This is disgusting and appalling, tweeted Rachel Colic, of Boss Ladies of Cannabis. The name was bad enough, but these headlines are racist, not edgy. Others, however, cite the old saying that no press is bad press. GTEC Holdings, which owns BLK MKT under the Alberta Craft Cannabis banner, says it will drop the tagline. Still, they defended themselves, saying detractors were outliers, and the reaction it received to the Once you go BLK tagline was overwhelmingly positive. The BLK MKT brand was conceptualized and built by three individuals, two of which were people of colour, says a company statement. The brand was considered relevant, interesting and edgy in that it references the legacy cannabis market. ... Moreover, while it should be obvious, we would highlight that this brand has absolutely nothing to do with race. The company also cited its own diversity in the statement their CEO is Chinese, CFO is female, and Head of Marketing is of East African descent. *** When do we get our weed bevvies? Long available in the legal U.S. market, more and more people are wondering when cannabis drinks will be sold here in Canada. The countrys biggest cannabis company, Canopy Growth, has delayed its line of cannabis drinks. Initially announced to launch this month, its now uncertain when Tweed fridges across Canada will be filled with weed bevvies. Canopy says its made meaningful progress towards production on a commercial scale, adding they remain confident in the underlying beverage science. But theyre not there yet. Late last year, Canopy created buzz by releasing images of their 'imminent' drink offerings, including two Houseplant-brand drinks; as well as a maximum allowable 10-mg THC offering, called Deep Space. Canopy has had seven weeks to work with THC in the brand new beverage facility to scale processes and IP it has developed in the R&D environment, says David Klein, CEO, Canopy Growth, in a statement. In order to deliver products that meet our customers high standards we are electing to revise the launch date while we work through the final details. Alcoholic beverage giant Constellation Brands has a big stake in Canopy. Big cannabis producers Hexo and Tilray also plan pot drinks, and have partnered up with big alcohol to do it. *** Kelowna is big into Cannabis 2.0 Here are three Kelowna companies playing their own unique roles in Cannabis 2.0: Vitalis Extraction Tech has many of their machines operating in the wild. One of the latest to be installed is at WeedMD site in Aylmer, Ont. This is the second Vitalis Q-90 cannabis extractor there. The LP, which owns Color Cannabis, will be using it to make Cannabis 2.0 products. The Valens Company has numerous agreements in play to use their extraction products in beverages and other products. Last year they purchased a cider company in Ontario. THC BioMed has its own beverage in the works, called THC Kiss. Email questions or tips to [email protected]. [January 22, 2020] ITCC: Be an IT Certification Innovator It's time to submit your work for the Information Technology Certification Council's (ITCC) Innovation Award. This annual award recognizes initiatives that have positively impacted your company or the IT certification industry. If you or someone you know has added value to a product, service, or initiative within the industry, share your story by submitting your nomination before the January 31 deadline. "The ITCC believes innovation is a critical component to improving certification programs," said Kristin Gibson, ITCC Chair. "We want to recognize and celebrate organizations that are innovating the industry and therefore moving us forward." Qualifications & Submission Process Implementation of an innovative test, process, or service within the past two years. The product, service, or initiativ must add value for one or more stakeholders within the IT certification industry, such as, but not limited to, increased security of a test, a new method for evaluating competencies, improved convenience or market access to your certification program, or enhanced the respect and demand for certified professionals. Open to companies and individuals in the IT certification industry. Note: ITCC membership is not required. Review the judging criteria and submit your initiative on our website. Learn More For more information about the ITCC Innovation Award, including past award winners like SAP and IBM (News - Alert), visit the Innovation Award page on our website. About ITCC The ITCC is a council of IT industry leaders focused on promoting IT certifications and committed to growing professional certifications, while recognizing the need for a qualified workforce to support the world's technology needs. The ITCC is a resource for employers, government officials, academia, and individuals seeking information about the many benefits of IT certification. The council establishes industry best practices, markets the value of certification, enhances exam security, and works on other certification issues the council identifies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005661/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Food, Wine, & Dining By Ls Cohen Published: January 22 2020 Pizza and burgers compliment grilled kebabs and tikka flavored menu items. Opened just over a month ago in Franklin Square, Fire Stone Grill and Pizza is offering a place to get everything from a personal pizza and burgers to kebabs and grilled chicken spiced with tikka, a Pakistani seasoning. The small shop (they only have seating for about 12 patrons) is delivering a variety of food items from its kitchen, mostly for those looking for a lunch or after work meal that they can take out or quickly eat-in before heading back to the office. Photo: Shutterstock. The menu includes person (10) and medium (16) sized pizzas with styles like philly cheese, vegetable, buffalo chicken and margarita. You can also get pasta dishes and salads. The sandwich choices include philly chicken, double cheeseburger and their chapli burger, which is akin to a kebab with Pakistani spices. The menu deftly combines typical American fare and Pakistani, especially with its grilled offerings. They offer kebabs, tikka seasoning and achari tikka, which was described by someone who works at the shop as adding a little more flavor (and spiciness) to the meat. Everything made fresh to order, even their chicken wings, which they say are never frozen and are marinated, breaded, and fried to order. Location: 380 B Franklin Avenue, Franklin Square, (516) 326-1214. YEREVAN. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hopes that the death of ex-head of the National Security Service Georgi Kutoyan would be fully investigated. The Prime Minister also recalled that the criminal case was opened on charges of incitement to suicide. Pashinyan noted that Kutoyans family is most concerned party, and urged them to actively cooperate with the investigation so that the truth would be revealed. I guarantee that the government will use all possible levers to solve the case, Pashinyan emphasized. The body of Georgi Kutoyan was discovered on January 17 in his apartment in Yerevan. According to investigators, George Kutoyan shot himself from his pistol. - The Head Pastor of Life Assembly Worship Center, Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu, has stated that he does not joke with consultation fees - Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu labelled critics of pastors who charge consultation fees as ignorant of the teachings of the Bible - The flagbearer of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) reiterated that there's nothing wrong with charging consultation fees Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Amid the public scorn towards preachers who monetise consultations, the Head Pastor of Life Assembly Worship Center, Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu, has emphasized he does not joke with consultation fees. Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu aka Osofo Kyiriabosom, who is also the flagbearer of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) reiterated that there's absolutely nothing wrong with him as a preacher charging his members and other people who consult him on matters regarding their live. The man of God noted that the charges differs depending on the personalities involved, noting theres a different price list for politician, entrepreneurs and ordinary people. Reverend Dr Christian Kwabena Adu made reference to doctors who charge consultation fees to fund their lavish lifestyles and wondered why pastors cannot do same. READ ALSO: Akolobila: 100-year-old man suffering from asthma released from jail Speaking on Accra 100.5FMs Ayekoo Ayekoo with Nana Romeo, Osofo Kyiriabosom described critics as ignorant of the teachings of the Bible. He added that he uses consultations to fund his church operations, foot the churchs utility bills, TV programmes as well as other projects. Osofo Kyiriabosom also said there is no way he will stop collecting fees on consultation because the offertory alone cannot solve the churchs problems. ''I dont joke with my consultation fees. I cant afford to go hungry when Im working. Doctors charge for consultation, so why cant we pastors do same when people come to us,'' the man of God stressed. ''Those who criticise me and other pastors are just ignorant of the teachings of the Bible.'' In other stories, YEN.com.gh reported the past decades have seen a generation of super-wealthy pastors surfacing and they have become an inspiration to others who aspire to greater similar heights. Despite the economic hardships some of these pastors have no cause to fear due to their massive wealth. These fabulously rich Ghanaians have been spotted on countless occasions in their expensive luxury cars. YEN.com.gh throws the spotlight on some rich Ghanaian pastors chiefs with luxury cars. READ ALSO: 59 inmates of Nsawam Prison matriculated to study at UCC (video) Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Former vice president Joe Biden speaks to guests at the United Food and Commercial Workers' (UFCW) 2020 presidential candidate forum on October 13, 2019 in Altoona, Iowa. Another national labor union came off the sidelines Wednesday and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary. The International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers backed Biden in the 12-person race for the presidential nomination. In a statement announcing its pick, the 130,000-member union cited Biden's passage of an infrastructure bill in Congress and commitment to ending so-called right to work laws. "Vice President Biden has proven again and again that he is a friend to union ironworkers," union General President Eric Dean said in a statement. "We need a president who will defend rights and jobs of American workers, and Joe Biden will be that president." Most U.S. unions have withheld their support in the primary race as candidates hope a push from the key constituency can help them gain ground in a jammed field. The roughly 300,000-member International Association of Firefighters endorsed Biden last year. The more than 150,000-member National Nurses United backed Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has made labor rights a central plank of his campaign. The Iron Workers union endorsement of Biden comes after two key state organizations threw their support behind Sanders this month. A Communications Workers of America local union that represents nearly 17,000 people in the delegate-rich primary state of California backed the senator on Tuesday. He also got the backing of SEA/SEIU Local 1984, which represents more than 10,000 people in early primary state New Hampshire. Biden, Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have broadly been considered the top contenders for U.S. union endorsements in the race. The national organizations largely lined up behind Hillary Clinton in her 2016 primary against Sanders. In the 2016 election, President Donald Trump performed better with rank-and-file union members than recent GOP presidential nominees have, according to exit polling data. The president has criticized what he calls "dues sucking" unions and expressed support in the past for right to work laws which say workers cannot be compelled to join a union as a condition of employment. The leading 2020 Democratic candidates have promised to fight those laws and make it easier for workers to strike and bargain collectively. Biden has tried to create distance from Sanders and Warren by arguing the two supporters of a single-payer "Medicare for All" insurance system will jeopardize the health benefits for which unions lobbied. Sanders' labor plan includes a provision requiring companies to pass along savings they get from his system to workers in the form of wages and other benefits. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. During the National Security Council meeting at the presidential palace Jan. 7, Tunisian President Kais Saied stressed the need for major security and humanitarian preparations to receive refugees from Libya in light of the escalation of fighting in its neighboring country. During his speech, Saied also emphasized the possibility of terrorist groups infiltrating along with the refugees. The Tunisian president urged concerned countries and organizations such as the European Union and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide financial aid so that Tunisia could rise up to this challenge, stressing the need to monitor the land, sea and air borders and provide health care in the event of any emergency. The forces of military commander Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who is supported by foreign powers such as the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France, have been launching attacks since February against the forces of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj. The GNA is backed by Turkey and seeks to take control of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. On Jan. 6, the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Hifters forces for bombing the Military Academy, south of Tripoli, which resulted in the death of 30 students. Tunisia called on all Libyan, regional and international parties to work for the immediate cessation of military operations and to abide by international legitimacy and the outputs of the Libyan Political Agreement. Munia al-Naimi, director of Social Defense in the Ministry of Social Affairs and the ministrys representative in the National Emergency Committee, said during a Jan. 8 press conference that she expects about 25,000 refugees to flock to Tunisia in the event of an escalating military operation in neighboring Libya. She noted that the ministry would provide social and psychological support for refugees arriving through the border crossings of Ras Ajdir and Dehiba in southern Tunisia, Tunisian IFM radio reported. The head of the Tunisian Red Crescent in Medenine governorate on the border with Libya, Manji Salim, told Al-Monitor his organization is applying the emergency plan for refugee relief in coordination with the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in anticipation of the influx of Libyan refugees. He explained that this plan was first set up during the outbreak of the Libyan revolution on Feb. 15, 2011. At the time, Tunisia hosted more than 1.2 million Libyans and Africans, some of whom settled in Shousha camp in Medenine. This camp was closed by the Tunisian authorities in 2013. Salim said that initially food, medical supplies and mattresses, woolen blankets and winter clothes for no less than 2,000 refugees are provided. He noted that in the event of an influx of refugees from Libya, a specific location in Remada in southern Tunisia was set to establish a new refugee camp, namely in Bir el-Fatnasia. On Jan. 8, the secretary of state for foreign affairs in charge of running the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sabri Bash Tabaji, held a working session with UN Resident Coordinator Diego Zorrilla and UNHCR representatives, IOM, UNICEF and the World Health Organization to discuss field preparations related to the joint emergency plan, in anticipation of a refugee influx from Libya in the event of an escalation in the fighting. During his meeting with security and military cadres on Jan. 7, caretaker Prime Minister Youssef Chahed affirmed that Tunisian security and military units stationed along the Tunisian-Libyan border were on high alert. He said that all forces were on standby in anticipation of an influx of refugees across Tunisias land borders. In the same context, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior Khaled al-Hayouni told Al-Monitor that the security forces are in a constant state of alert along the land and sea borders with Libya, stressing that the regular border crossings should be fully secured in anticipation of illegal infiltration of persons or smuggling of weapons. Hayouni noted the absence of an exceptional rise in the frequency of people infiltrating from the land border crossings from Libya toward Tunisia so far. Vigilance is applied in anticipation of the infiltration of suspicious or armed persons, he added. On Dec. 25, 2019, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Saied on an unannounced visit to Tunisia. During a joint press conference after their meeting, the two presidents noted that discussions focused on the Libyan file and the issue of the refugee influx. Tunisian political and human rights quarters are wary of the repercussions of the deteriorating security situation in Libya as Hifter's forces get closer to Tripoli. They fear the direct security, economic and social impact this deterioration could have on Tunisia, which has yet to form a new government and battles a fragile economic situation. New Delhi, 22 Jan : Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy will be launching various developmental works during his 3-day visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The minister left for Srinagar on Wednesday morning, his first visit to the union territory, after assuming office. During the trip, Reddy will be visiting Srinagar and other rural areas of the Kashmir Valley. He will also be reviewing various developmental works in the areas of visit and will also review several centrally sponsored schemes. PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Rhode Island public pension fund will stop investing in companies that either operate private for-profit prisons or make assault-style weapons that are sold to civilians, General Treasurer Seth Magaziner announced Wednesday. We dont want to be associated with businesses that we think are fundamentally immoral, Magaziner, a Democrat, said at a news conference attended by representatives of several gun control groups including Moms Demand Action and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence. Several state lawmakers working on stricter guns laws, including Democratic Sens. Cynthia Coyne and Josh Miller, also attended, as did Erica Keuter, an East Greenwich woman who survived the October 2017 shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas that killed 58 people. The state public pension system has less than $250,000 invested in two gun companies and two prison companies, he said. That represents 0.003% of the states $8.7 billion pension fund. This move will not have a material impact on our financial performance, he said. After the shares of the four companies are sold, the proceeds will be reinvested across the broader market. He acknowledged that the move, already approved by the State Investment Commission he chairs, is largely symbolic but said symbolic gestures are important. Rhode Island is the fourth state pension system to drop its investments in private for-profit prisons, and also the fourth state to end its investments in the manufacture of certain firearms for civilian use, Magaziners office said in a statement. DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pet Insurance Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Pet Insurance Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% during the period 2019-2025. Key Market Insights The analysis of the pet insurance market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the forecast period 2020-2025. Offers market sizing and growth prospects for the forecast period 2020-2025. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. The global pet insurance market is catching pace in several developed as well as developing countries. The rise in pet ownership has paved the way for several developments in the industry in recent times. Issued under the property insurance category, pet insurance is in the introductory growth stage in most countries. The rapid growth in the number of animal owners in the past decade across the globe, especially in the US, Canada, the UK, and Sweden, where dogs and cats are treated as a family members is expected to influence the market significantly. The increasing popularity of pet humanization concept is increasing the demand for pet grooming and care products. Owners, especially millennials, are willing to spend more on their animals to ensure a healthy and secure life. The US household spent more than $72 billion in 2018 on pet medical insurance care, which is 4.5% higher than in 2017. Pet food and related products earned a revenue of more than $45 billion in Europe in 2018. Hence, the increased interest of European animal owners to spend is likely to opt for animal protection cover. Europe constituted the largest market for pet health insurance in 2018, which is expected to grow during the forecast period. The accident and illness policies segment is expected to witness an incremental growth of over $8 billion by 2025. With more than four million cats as pets, Australia has one of the highest vendors' presence, which is likely to drive the country as the forerunner in the pet insurance market in APAC. The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the pet insurance market during the forecast period: Increased Awareness of Pet Insurance High Interest of Millennials in Pets Popularity of Pet Humanization Concept Pet Insurance Market: Segmentation The research report includes detailed segmentation by insurance type, animal type, distribution, and geography. In terms of coverage, the accident and illness segment is the most significant contributor to the global pet insurance market. This segment covers the reimbursement for accidents as well as illness, including hereditary conditions and behavioral challenges among them. While a majority of insurers offer this policy, most plans, ranging from premium to advanced, depend on the age and breed of the animal. Since the owners are willing to spend on pet welfare and prevent expensive veterinary bills, the segment is expected to increase its reach during the forecast period. The increased willingness to adopt additional coverages for a lifetime by animal owners in North America and Europe is likely to boost the segment further. Although the accident and illness plans cover a majority of the market share, the increasing premium with the rise in the age of the pet is a hindrance to the segment growth. Hence, the cost-effectiveness offered by accident only plans is a significant factor for the acceptance of this segment. Also, several owners in developing economies such as APAC are likely to opt for accident-only plans due to low awareness of other insurances. While the pet insurance concept is in the nascent stage world over, the policies are most commonly adopted for dogs and cats. The popularity of the humanization concept is increasingly affecting the adoption of dogs, thereby leading to wellness concerns. With more than 26% of UK adults adopting a dog, it is the largest market for dog insurance. The European region is expected to the largest growing market during the forecast period. Insurers are increasing their efforts to reach customers as the conversion ratio of potential customers to loyal ones could be a challenge. Moreover, low awareness of insurance adds to the burden. Effective distribution channels can be a vital enhancer in terms of reach and scope. Agencies are the most preferred medium, as most insurance sales are expected to take place during the forecast period. Since agencies have a direct relationship with animal owners, pre and post-sale services remain intact. Brokers are one of the efficient indirect distribution systems. They specifically target middle class and upper-class animal owners. The share of this segment is growing significantly due to the increased efforts put by brokers. Bancassurance is expected to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period due to the low distribution and maintenance costs. With the growing number of pets in the regions of North America and Europe, brokers and direct writers have relatively low penetration, which can be increased in the coming years. Agency is the most successful and prominent mode that should be executed in the same way with the capitalization of markets in growing economies of Latin and MEA countries. Market Segmentation by Insurance Type Accidents and Illness Accident Only Market Segmentation by Animal Type Dogs Cats Others Market Segmentation by Distribution Agency Bancassurance Brokers Direct Writing Insights by Geography The global pet insurance market is concentrated in North America and Europe, with a large number of vendors. With the growing awareness and perception of the benefits acquired from the policies, there is a huge possibility of animal owners getting involved with the concept of insurance in the under-penetrated and developing nations of APAC, MEA, and Latin regions. Europe was the largest market, with over 53% share of the global market in 2019. With more than 102 million cats, 85 million dogs, and around 50 million birds as pets, the region is expected to contribute significantly toward the adoption of protection cover policies. The concept of humanization and the growing preference toward the pet industry are vital drivers for the market. APAC is estimated to be the third-largest market, with the growing animal ownership, changing demographics, socio-economic conditions, and trending humanization concept driving the market growth. The market in Latin America is dominated by Brazil and Mexico, which are also one of the largest markets for pet-related products in the world. Brazil is one of the largest pet populated countries across the globe, which is filled with abundant dogs of large breeds for guarding purposes too. South Africa is the largest market in the MEA region. Middle to high-income consumers are particularly driving the premium pet insurance market in South Africa. Key Vendor Analysis The pet insurance market is in the growing stage, and it has been penetrating European countries such as Sweden, the UK, and the US. The market consists of a high number of concentrated players, making it highly fragmented with intense competition. In countries such as the US, there are 4-5 major players, which are comprising more than 75% of the total market. However, there are no major players in the UAE and Saudi, where there are immense opportunities for vendors to expand their business. The US region is under-penetrated with large potential to be addressed. Since the market is dominated by major players such as Nationwide, Trupanion, ASPCA, and Petplan, competitors and new entrants can differentiate their products by low-cost policies, strengthening through partnerships with veterinary clinics and low waiting periods. Since the globalization is limited, foreign-owned agencies are lower than dominant domestic providers. This can open opportunities for emerging vendors. Mergers and acquisitions can help companies to expand the penetration level and expansion strategies, which are key to the insurance industry. Key Vendors Nationwide Trupanion Healthy Paws Pet Insurance PetPlan Agria Other Prominent Vendors Crum & Forster Hartville Pet Insurance Embrace Pet Insurance Pet Secure RSA Pet Plan ( North America ) ) Directline Anicom Holding Ipet Insurance Japan Animal Club Pet Insurance Bow Wow Meow 1300 Insurance Petsy Kogan Prime Pet Insurance Pet Secure Pets Best Bupa Sainsbury Allstate Figo ASPCA Mapfre HKT Financial Services Oriental Dot Sure Pet Sure Medipet One Plan Hollard Pet Assure Dog Sure Paw Paw Geico LV Liberty Santalucia Inov Expat Caser Protectapet New India Assurance Waggel Understand Insurance Pets Plus Us 24 Pet Watch Animal Friends Cat Sure Kido Rogz Solver 365 Pet Insurance Barmenia Direkt Gunn & Partner Helvetia Reaal Dier & Zorg Ohra Hema April Bulle Bleue ECA My French House Picc Meritz Samsung Fire & Marine Lotte Non-Life Insurance Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance United India HappyTails AIA CIMB 4 Paws Toto If FWD MSIG For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/epcj3f Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Recently, there's been much talk about repatriation in Armenia. Usually repatriation is more profitable than ordinary migration, since repatriates are close-minded people with common historical archetypes of thinking. But in Armenia, the implementation of the idea may encounter significant difficulties. According to head of the Department of Armenian communities of Europe at the High Commissioner's Office Karen Avanesyan, on July 1, a pilot project will be launched to "reverse brain drain" and use the diaspora's potential in managing Armenia. The program is scheduled for a year, during which the authorities plan to test projects that in the future should become the basis for the repatriation of compatriots, many of whom left Armenia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. When developing national programs to return compatriots, the Armenian authorities are faced with a multi-level problem of creating the conditions for their adaptation. It is about access to citizenship, access to land and employment. These problems have never been resolved systematically in Armenia, especially at the regional level, therefore, the similar programs for the return of compatriots proposed earlier did not actually work. There is no scheme to come to the republic and immediately obtain Armenian citizenship. It seems that a country with the outflow of the population turning into a global problem should have implemented such a scheme a long time ago, but the Armenian bureaucracy has created an infinite number of constantly changing documents. Housing and land issues are associated with moral and ethical problems. No one will give the returnee family the best land or the best apartment. They have to be content with what housing and land resources they are given. The allocation of land issue can be resolved much faster if the repatriate expresses a desire to settle in the occupied territories in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, this program is not in demand, since few people are ready to move to territories with the high threat of escalation of the military conflict, and the problem of employment is even more acute than in Armenia. Issues related to the education system are also difficult. It is symbolic that the proposed program aims to "reverse brain drain", since the republic's political elite admits that many talented people left the republic over the past quarter century - people could not realize their potential within Armenia. The level of higher education in Armenia is low, the programs are weak, students are poorly motivated and focused on study and work abroad. The leadership of the republic makes efforts to support the development of interstate programs and bilateral agreements with more than 30 countries, including to implement scholarship programs. There are such programs with Russia, the Czech Republic, Iran, Slovenia, China, the U.S., France, Belgium and other countries. But the question before repatriates is why come back and look for a future in a country whose educational system is inferior to foreign peers, and students who have studied for one or two years will look for the opportunity to study at more prestigious universities abroad. As for entrepreneurs, they are also very skeptical of repatriation, since there is still a high degree of clan ownership and corruption in a semi-blockade country. Doing business means being under high control at all stages of the production, transportation and sale of goods and services. Most of the areas are monopolized, and those starting a business are forced to compete with large companies. Due to the economic and transport blockade, shipment costs are very high. Opening a business in Armenia requires a trusted team, since it is problematic to find experienced and competent specialists there - most qualified personnel leave for other countries. Due to the difficult economic situation in the country, the crime rate is still high, and those starting a business are forced to pay attention to the problem of their own security. Finally, the unstable political situation in the region and the high risk of escalation due to the unresolved conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh adversely affect Armenian repatriation as a whole. The largest outflow of the population was recorded in the first years of independence, during the years of fierce armed confrontation and the first years after the signing of the truce. According to the official data of the National Statistical Service, 586,800 people left Armenia back then. Fears for their future and the future of their children still force the Armenian population to live in constant readiness to migrate. In such conditions, the idea of repatriation seems unattractive. During the April 2016 escalation, the unresolved conflict drew attention to itself again, as a result of which Armenia learned once again that loud words of politicians and diplomats do not guarantee peace. President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili met with President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin. The meeting was held within the framework of the working visit being paid by the President of Georgia to Jerusalem to participate in the 5th World Israeli Holocaust Forum, InterPressNews reports. According to the Administration of the President, Salome Zourabichvili asked the Israeli President to speed up the signing of a circular migration agreement and noted that the agreement, which will give Georgian citizens an opportunity to be legally employed in Israel, will promote reduction of the illegal flow from Georgia. According to Lasha Zhvania, Georgia's Ambassador to the State of Israel, the draft agreement on circular migration is practically ready, but its signing was hampered by the parliamentary election process. The agreement will also help Israel regulate the situation at the border and at the airports, as in recent years there have been a lot of cases of deportation of citizens of Georgia and other countries. According to him, the President of Israel promised the President of Georgia to speed up the process of signing of the agreement. Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer said that President Trumps insulting him was a sign of panic as the Senate impeachment trial got underway. On Wednesday morning, Trump retweeted a comment mocking Steyer over a clip of the candidate attempting to converse with Sen. Bernie Sanders following a campaign event in South Carolina, calling the billionaire a major loser who just doesnt get it. Steyer replied a half hour later, tweeting, Donald, you're just jealous nobody wants to say hi to you. Impeachment is forever bye. This has to hurt. He was interviewed on Yahoo News Hot Mic With Brittany Shepherd. I think I basically tweeted at him to remind him hes the one whos been impeached and is on trial, said Steyer. So maybe he should be paying a little more attention to that. I dont listen to what Donald Trump has to say, he continued, and in fact I think hes obviously scared. He only reacts out of panic and fear, so as long as hes tweeting at me, that means hes scared of me, so as far as Im concerned, Bring it on, Donald. Tom Steyer and President Donald Trump. (Photos: Screengrab via BUILD/Yahoo News, Evan Vucci/AP) Steyer urged Trumps impeachment long before the process began in the House last fall, spending heavily on his Need to Impeach campaign, along the way building an email list he eventually leveraged in his presidential run. While Steyer remains in low single digits in national polling, he has reached the top three in surveys of both Nevada and South Carolina, where he has vastly outspent his competitors on television advertising. He also weighed in on 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons dismissive comments about Sanders, published Tuesday, in which she said nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him. Steyer said disagreements about policy were fair game, but he distanced himself from personal attacks such as Clintons, and others that have surfaced in the campaign. I do like Bernie, said Steyer, and I thought I dont think this is the time people should be sniping at each other within the Democratic Party about personalities, about wine caves, about old videos or private conversations that took place over a year ago. This is the time we need to get together to beat Donald Trump, and thats what Im trying to focus on. Story continues Steyer was referring to attacks on former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg over holding a fundraiser in a Napa Valley wine cave and a disputed conversation between Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: In early December, the International Court of Justice heard arguments filed by the Gambia against Myanmar for violations of the Genocide Convention. This included a request for provisional measures, asking that the UN court immediately order Myanmar to cease genocidal activities and to report to it within four months. Under the 1948 Genocide Convention any member state can bring a claim against any other and be heard by the International Court of Justice. This is in keeping with the principle that the act of genocide harms all of humanity, not just those directly involved in it. Yet the case against Myanmar is only the third invocation of the Genocide Convention before the UN court. It is the first case ever to consider acts and actors of non-contiguous, non-warring countries. But even a successful judgement on provisional measures may still not bring relief to the minority Rohingya community in Myanmar or Bangladesh. Provisional measures against genocidal acts have an unfortunate history. The International Court of Justice issued them in 1993 against Serbia, for example, and this did not prevent the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Moreover, even though legally binding, enforcement of provisional measures will prove difficult. In the meantime the Rohingya are still being persecuted and killed in Myanmar. They are also increasingly unwelcome in Bangladesh. Yet the Gambia's invocation of the Genocide Convention remains politically and legally significant, not least for the potential it signals about the application of international law by actors in the global south. Why the Gambia? The Gambia emerged from 22 years of dictatorship in 2016. President Adama Barrow came to power on a human rights and anti-corruption platform. He has embraced the case, which has been vigorously pursued by his justice minister, Abubacarr Tambadou. In 2018 Barrow told the UN General Assembly that his government would champion an accountability mechanism for crimes against the Rohingya. Tambadou worked for 13 years in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 2017, he travelled to Bangladesh for the annual meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. This is an international organisation open to countries with a Muslim majority and which the Gambia currently chairs. Meeting refugees in the settlement of Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh convinced Tambadou of the need for his country to use our voice to assist the Rohingya. The arguments Two central points emerged from the December hearing on provisional measures. First, the hearing reiterated how Myanmar, in the person of the once-celebrated human rights advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, categorically denies the atrocities for which there is overwhelming evidence. The Gambia, led by Tambadou, relied almost exclusively on evidence collected by UN fact-finding missions, which are officially constituted and rigorously vetted. Yet Aung San Suu Kyi rejected these findings in favour of Myanmar's internal investigations, and concluded: It would not be helpful for the international legal order if the impression takes hold that only resource-rich countries can conduct adequate domestic investigations and prosecutions, and that the domestic justice of countries still striving to cope with the burden of unhappy legacies and present challenges cannot be made good enough. The Gambia will also understand this challenge with which they too are confronted. In this way, Aung San Suu Kyi borrowed from both neocolonialism and fake news populism in constructing her argument. Second, the hearing emphasised how narrowly the International Court of Justice has previously drawn the definition of genocide. In the two previous cases invoking the Genocide Convention, the court declined to find state-sponsored genocide, due to its interpretation of the Convention's intent element. As the court stated in its 2007 judgment Bosnia-Herzegovina v Serbia: It is not enough that the members of the group are targeted because they belong to that group, that is because the perpetrator has a discriminatory intent. Something more is required. The acts listed must be done with intent to destroy the group as such in whole or in part. Aung San Suu Kyi specifically invoked this judicial history throughout her address to the court. The prominent international law scholar appearing on behalf of Myanmar, William Schabas, pushed this definition even further. He argued that the International Court of Justice's jurisprudence suggested that the correct understanding for genocidal intent was necessarily the absence of any other explanation for a state's conduct. Myanmar submits that the information in the application and in the materials invoked in its support provide ample evidence to indicate alternative inferences. Should the Court agree that there is ample support for an alternative explanation, then it cannot but conclude that the application has no reasonable chance of success on the merits. Not a 50 per cent chance. Not a 25 per cent chance. No chance. Schabas went on to cite the International Criminal Court's investigation into deportation of the Rohingya as a demonstration of the kinds of alternate inferences that would disallow the court to find the requisite genocidal intent. Schabas developed this definition through an analogy of how domestic criminal law categorises crime. This interpretation would destroy the possibility of finding states responsible for genocide, however. This is because it is impossible to intentionally destroy a group in whole or in part, which is the core of the legal definition of genocide, without committing other international crimes along the way. This distortion of the Genocide Convention perverts both its purpose as well as the International Court of Justice's past jurisprudence, and seems unlikely to be adopted by the court. Promising new direction? The Gambia and Myanmar are a world away from one another. Nevertheless, in bringing a case against Myanmar, the Gambia represents humanity rather than Africa or world Islam. The curiosity and surprise that have met the Gambia's bold step remind us that this universal mantle is rarely worn by African countries. The Gambia's initiative signals a promising new direction. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Kerstin Carlson, Associate Professor International Law, University of Southern Denmark Covid surge: PM Modi to chair virtual meet with chief ministers on Thursday In Pics: PM Modi to inaugurate new campus of Classical Tamil institute in Chennai today Covid vaccination pace in children shows youth's sense of responsibility, says PM Modi PM Modis security breach: SC to announce name of judge to head probe panel today PM Modi to chair 32nd Pragati review meeting today India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jan 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday review the progress of various projects in the 32nd meeting of 'Pragati', a multi-modal platform for proactive governance and timely implementation. In previous interactions of Pragati, an ICT-based initiative, projects worth over Rs 12 lakh crore have been reviewed by the prime minister, according to an official statement. In 2019, nine projects worth over Rs 61,000 crore related to 16 states and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were taken up for discussion. Modi should do 'Naukri Par Charcha', listen to people: Sitaram Yechury SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News Discussions were also held on various topics like grievances of Indian citizens working abroad, national agriculture market, aspirational district programme and infrastructure development programmes and initiatives. Modi had launched the multi-purpose and multi-modal governance platform in March 2015. Pragati helps in simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the central and state governments. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 10:54 [IST] [January 22, 2020] Juniper Networks Announces Date and Webcast Information for Upcoming Investor Events in February 2020 SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced the Company will present at the following investor conference and host a Tech Talk in February: Ken Miller, Chief Financial Officer at Juniper Networks, will present at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference, Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 10:20am PT in San Francisco, CA. Chris Spain, Vice President Product Management at Juniper Networks, will host a Tech Talk on Secure SD-WAN, Thursday, February 13, 2020 at 11:00am PT. The participant dial-in numbers for the Tech Talk are +1-877-407-8033 (toll free) or +1-201-689-8033. These events will be available live via webcast on the Juniper Networks website: http://investor.juniper.net/ . About Juniper etworks Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, and Junos are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Investor Relations: Jess Lubert Media Relations: Leslie Moore Juniper Networks Juniper Networks (408) 936-3734 (408) 936-5767 [email protected] [email protected] Abigail Banerji Update: This article was originally published on 22nd January but has been updated to show the correct number of deaths, people infected and the results of the WHO meeting. The Coronavirus is a new virus that started in China and now threatens to become a global epidemic. While the immediate risk of contamination is low, the situation can change at any moment. The virus was first made known in December and has racked up a death toll of 25 people till now and around 830 people have been infected. However, the number of people infected is constantly rising with each passing day. About the virus and its origin The coronavirus is a family of viruses that can cause a lot of mild to life-threatening diseases. It is the cousin of the more popular Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus. Mostly these viruses affect animals and do not spread to human beings. However, there are seven strains of this virus that can affect humans. The symptoms include cough, fever, shortness of breath, and difficulty in breathing. In severe cases, the condition can progress to pneumonia, kidney failure and even death. For now, there is no vaccine for the new virus. What is a #coronavirus ? Where do they come from? How can I protect myself? Watch this Q&A from @WHO for the answers. pic.twitter.com/Kal2PA6Vvj WHO Jordan (@WHOJordan) January 22, 2020 The virus is supposed to have originated in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan province in China as many of the infected individuals either worked or visited this area. The WHO and Gao Fu, head of the Chinese Centre for Disease and Control have said that an animal is most likely the primary source of the outbreak but they have not found the animal in question. Around 62 cases of the coronavirus have been identified in the city of Wuhan. All the six coronaviruses known to humans, including the one that caused severe acute respiratory disease, originated from wild mammals, Gao said in a report in China Daily. After the connection between the epidemic and the market was made, the authorities shut down the market to contain the spread. A new coronavirus in China that has killed nine people is adapting and mutating, underscoring the challenges for health authorities in controlling the outbreak https://t.co/0dZLq8R433 pic.twitter.com/fXjaMvpLU0 Reuters (@Reuters) January 22, 2020 Gao said that the virus is constantly adapting and mutating which makes controlling the outbreak a challenge for the authorities. Some of the infected patients, who denied visiting the market, contracted the disease from other people who had visited ground-zero. The virus can spread via human-to-human contact and can also spread via respiratory transmission. Wuhan municipal authorities have released information about a married couple that contracted the virus. The husband, who got sick first, worked at the market but the wife denied any exposure to the place. Some medical professionals like the nurse and doctors, treating the patients have also reported that they have been infected. Till now, fifteen medical personnel have been infected. Also read: Everything there is to know about the new coronavirus, the mystery virus from Wuhan, China What is China doing to contain the outbreak? The Chinese government does not want to have a repeat performance of the SARS epidemic that happened in 2002-2003. It started in mainland China and spread throughout the world, killing around 774 people and infecting around 8,098 people in 37 countries. Later on, the source of the virus was traced to cave-dwelling horseshoe bats in the Yunnan province in South China. This time around, China is doing its best to nip it in the bud and contain the spread of the virus especially since there is an increase in travel, both domestic and overseas as it is the Lunar New Year holidays. With over 440 cases of pneumonia reported (at the time of publishing this article), a report in China Daily tells us that the country is sticking to the strategy of early discovery, diagnosis, treatment and quarantine, to control the outbreak. The countrys CDC says that the outbreak can be reversed if the right measures are taken to control it now. "We identified the new Coronavirus just two weeks after the outbreak was reported, and we have very good virus monitoring and quarantine measures," said Zhong Nanshan, head of a team organised by the National Health Commission and a respiratory disease expert, in an interview with China Daily. "I believe the outbreak will not have an impact on society and the economy that SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) did 17 years ago." China has a three-tier system that classified the seriousness of the epidemic. Currently, Coronavirus is classified as a class B. However, the death of a fourth person in China had intensified the preventive measures in the country to category A. Public gathering, in the Hubei province, is being discouraged to prevent further spread. China has suspended bus and subway services in the city and close outbound travel at train stations and airports from 23 January. People gathering in public places such as hotels, restaurants, cinemas, parks, shopping centres and public transports have been asked to wear masks in order to stop the virus from spreading. Chinese airlines are offering passengers prevented from leaving Wuhan, Hubei provinces full refunds for their tickets. The airline crew of Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific Airways are being told to wear masks while operating in mainland China to protect themselves from contracting the virus. They too are allowing passengers to change or cancel their flights, without charge, till 15 February. The demand for face masks has increased tenfold in China due to the outbreak of the virus. Online vendors, like Taobao and JD, have been swiped clean of their inventories for the masks. Other medical delivery services have seen a spike as well. Also read: The new coronavirus spreads to Japan, Thailand; causes another death in China Indias response to the virus With uncertainty surrounding the virus and caution being the go-to, Indias Union Health secretary has asked the states and union territories to review their preparedness, identify gaps and strengthen core capacities in the area of surveillance, laboratory support and in particular, hospital preparedness in terms of isolation and ventilator management of patients with severe respiratory illness. The Airport Health Organisations in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have put up signs at prominent locations informing the public about self-reporting of illness. Hospitals attached to these airports have been reviewed for provision of isolation and critical care facilities, the statement said. According to PTI, the National Institute of Virology in Pune, ready to test samples of the virus and 10 other laboratories under the Indian Council of Medical Research's Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories network are also equipped for the testing. The Health Ministry has asked for the details of those people who have applied for Indian visas since 31 December. "The Ministry of Health has also written to Ministry of External Affairs to provide details of travellers from Wuhan city who have sought visa to travel to India, since 31 December and to counsel the applicants while issuing visa. They have also been requested to provide daily details. As for E-visa issue, the Ministry of Home Affairs is being approached," the statement stated. India has issued a travel warning to its citizens who are visiting China after a second person died from the virus. The statement said, "An infection with a novel coronavirus has been reported from China. As on 11 January 2020, 41 confirmed cases have been reported so far. The Indian embassy in Beijing has also decided to call off the Republic Day celebrations in keeping with China's decision to cancel all public gathering and celebrations of their Lunar New Year, due to the fear of the coronavirus. We take this occasion to wish all the Indian expatriate community in China a very happy Republic Day. India in China (@EOIBeijing) January 24, 2020 International response to the outbreak Cases of people infected with the virus are popping up in countries outside of China. They all have one thing in common which is they have recently visited the country. South Koreas Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said that they have identified a 35-year-old lady with the virus. She flew out from Wuhan, China to South Koreas Incheon International airport on Sunday, 19 January and was isolated on arrival. On 8 January, a traveller from the Wuhan was identified by Thailands authorities to have contracted the disease and was hospitalised. The person was hospitalised and is currently recovering from the illness. Japan has also reported a case of the virus. A person travelling to the Wuhan Province contracted a fever on 3 January. While he did not visit any of the ground-zero areas of the virus, he was in contact with a person who had pneumonia. He has been discharged after being treated for the virus. An Indian teacher, residing in China, has also contracted the virus. She is being treated in the intensive care unit and is currently on a ventilator. Doctors have said she could take a long time to recover. On 18 January, officials from the USs Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that they will begin screening travellers who come from Chinas Wuhan city. They will take temperatures and ask about symptoms of the passengers at five airports New York Citys Kennedy airport, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco airports. On 20 January, a man from Washington State was diagnosed with the virus after he travelled to China, his hometown. He is the first American victim to have contracted the disease and it is reported that he is in a satisfactory condition according to Reuters. CDC officials are also tracking down anyone that came in contact with the man, to check for symptoms. However, they have not found any additional patients. According to AP, the CDCs Dr Martin Cetron said, So far, the risk to the American public is deemed to be low, but the CDC wants to be prepared and is taking precautions. Other Asian countries are also starting to screen travellers, for the virus, coming in from China. WHOs response The World Health Organisation tweeted that it has called for an emergency meeting. A panel of experts, the Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus and representatives of the countries that are affected by the virus will meet on Wednesday, 22 January to determine whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and how it should be managed. The Emergency Committee on the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) will ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it pic.twitter.com/dFpOkM0CSN World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 20, 2020 A public health crisis is usually declared for epidemics that are very severe and can cross international borders, they usually need international cooperation. On previous occasions, global emergencies have been declared for crises including the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo, the emergence of Zika virus in the Americas in 2016 and the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014. Geng Shuang, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that the Chinese will share information about pneumonia caused by the virus, according to a report in China Daily. In the meeting on Wednesday, the WHO hailed the measures taken by China to rein in the outbreak and said that these measures will "minimise" the risk of further spread. However, they failed to find a consensus on the issue declaring it a global emergency. The panel will reconvene on Thursday to further debate the issue and decide on the way ahead. The WHO has published a guide for all countries to follow on how they can prepare in the case of an outbreak and how to monitor, care, and control the spread of this virus. The health organisation has also stated that there is no need to restrict the travel, as yet, since the risk of the virus spreading is low. More information will be made available after the meeting. The legislator noted the ongoing debate over gender issues. The prospects for ratification of the Istanbul Convention the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence remain very low, says head of the Servant of the People Party, MP Oleksandr Kornienko. "We understand that the church is an institution enjoying high confidence, including among deputies. The prospects for adopting the Istanbul Convention in its current form are very low. But we have obligations, and we need to move through mediation," Kornienko said, according to LB.ua. It is noted that the Council of Churches has repeatedly expressed concern about possible ratification of said convention as its members claim the document allegedly imposes gender ideology, which replaces the "familiar concept of biological gender." Read alsoUkraine police investigating 1,500 criminal cases related to domestic violence Clergymen believe this is a path to popularizing same-sex relations, which they oppose. Ukraine signed this convention in 2011, but the country's Parliament is yet to ratify it. In 2016, ratification failed over the debate on the concepts of gender and sexual orientation. The EU and the Council of Europe have already called for legislators in Ukraine to ratify the document. The killer Chinese coronavirus which has killed nine people and struck down at least 473 has reached the US, it has been confirmed today. Health officials said the unidentified man in his 30s, from Washington, has been hospitalised but is in 'good' condition and is being closely monitored. The man had travelled back from the Chinese city of Wuhan which is at the centre of the outbreak. The disease is said to have originated from a seafood market that 'conducted illegal transactions of wild animals', but the US patient is not believed to have visited the stalls. The SARS-like outbreak has already spread to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand. Australia has reported an as yet unconfirmed case. An American man with the new coronavirus has been identified in Washington state, CDC officials said on Wednesday, bringing the total number of countries with cases of the deadly virus to five outside of China, including the US, Thailand, Japan South Korea and Taiwan Thai medical staff wear protective suits transfer a 70-year-old patient, who is suspected of having coronavirus infected after traveling back from Wuhan A child wears a face mask at Hong Kong's international airport Travellers wear masks in the arrival hall of the Hong Kong International Airport amid fears the coronavirus outbreak will spread A Thai nurse works next to a campaign poster alerting patients of the coronavirus at a hospital in Bangkok. Four cases have been confirmed in Thailand Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated Malaysian officials use thermal imaging scanners and cameras to check passengers for fevers upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS OUTBREAK SO FAR? A total of 456 people are confirmed to have caught the unnamed coronavirus, which has never been seen before. Six patients have died. Most of the cases have occurred in Wuhan, a city in Hubei province home to 11million people. But patients have been diagnosed across China, including in Beijing and Shanghai. The coronavirus, which is from the same family as SARS, has also spread to South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Chinese officials yesterday confirmed the virus has spread between humans, suggesting it can be passed through coughs and sneezes. The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, which has since been shut. China is entering its busiest travel period due to the Lunar New Year, which sees many people travelling back to their home town or village. Virologists fear the increased travel that will happen over the holidays will cause a surge in cases. So where have cases been recorded? IN CHINA Hubei province, 375 cases, 9 deaths Guangdong province, 26 cases Chongqing province, 5 cases Zhejiang province, 5 cases Hainan province, 4 cases Jiangxi, 2 cases Henan province, 1 case Hunan province, 1 case Yunnan province, 1 case Sichuan province, 2 cases Shandong province, 1 case Fujian province, 1 case Shanxi province, 1 case Shanghai, 9 cases Beijing, 10 cases Tianjin, 2 cases Macau, 1 case Hong Kong, 1 case --- ABROAD Thailand, 4 cases South Korea, 1 case Japan, 1 case Taiwan, 1 case US, 1 case Advertisement Scientists are desperately trying to contain the outbreak, which officials have confirmed has passed between humans. It can cause a fever and lead to pneumonia. It comes as: US President Donald Trump has said America has a plan in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak The World Health Organisation (WHO) is poised to declare the outbreak a public health emergency in a meeting in Geneva this afternoon Travellers from the area of China at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will be separated from other passengers on arrival at Heathrow China's National Health Commission has urged travellers to not visit Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak Football and boxing qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be moved from Wuhan to another location China has been accused of under-reporting cases, with experts saying it has a 'track record' and warning the 'true picture may be completely different' Cases have risen nine-fold in the space of a few days, with just 48 confirmed cases on January 17. At least 20 healthcare workers have since been infected, including one doctor investigating the outbreak. Australia and the Philippines are investigating suspected cases of the coronavirus. The virus outbreak has coincided with China's Lunar New Year celebrations this weekend, when millions travel at home and abroad for holidays and family reunions. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first American case yesterday. Following the case, President Donald Trump today said that the US has a plan in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said: 'We do have a plan and we think it is going to be handled very well. 'We've already handled it very well. The CDC is terrific. Very professional...' The unidentified man, from north of Seattle, is currently hospitalised and in 'good' condition but is being closely monitored in isolation. He traveled from Wuhan, but did not visit any of the markets at the epicentre of the outbreak, according to state health officials. The man arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport but not directly from Wuhan on January 15, the day before screening was in place, and before he developed symptoms. But he reportedly recognised his own symptoms which typically include cough, fever and runny nose after seeing online coverage of the virus. The patient reached out to doctors on January 16, was tested on the 17th and his diagnosis was confirmed Monday, health officials said. The patient is a resident of Snahomish County in Washington State and is currently at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. On the heels of the identification of this first US patient, all flights from Wuhan into the US are being rerouted to the three airports set up last week for screening - LAX, San Francisco and JFK - as well as an additional two locations: Chicago O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Vaccine experts at Baylor University are working on modifying a vaccine they designed to prevent SARS to protect against the new, related coronavirus. But the school's Dean of Tropical Medicine, which is developing the shot, Dr Peter Hotez, told DailyMail.com that it's likely years away from deployment. Travellers from the area of China at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will be separated from other passengers on arrival at Heathrow Airport as UK health chiefs step up their response, it was announced today. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said Public Health England is putting in place new precautions in relation to travellers to the UK from the region. FOOTBALL AND BOXING QUALIFIERS ARE MOVED FROM WUHAN Officials have today announced football and boxing qualifying matches held in Wuhan for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be moved from Wuhan. Wuhan is at the centre of the ever-growing outbreak, which has sickened at least 450 people across Asia and spread to US. The Asian Football Confederation today said the women's qualifiers being held at Wuhan will be moved to the eastern city of Nanjing. Wuhan was supposed to host China, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia for the Group B qualifiers between February 3-9. The football confederation said the change was proposed by the Chinese Football Association. Taiwan's football association had warned earlier that it would withdraw from the qualifiers if they were held in Wuhan. Before news of the cancellation, the Australian women's soccer team said it was still preparing for its trip to Wuhan. Japan's Kyodo news agency today also announced a boxing qualifier held in Wuhan for the same Olympics would be cancelled. Citing organisers, Kyodo said the qualifiers would be rescheduled and moved from Wuhan. There was no independent confirmation from the organisers, and Japan's boxing federation said it was waiting to hear from the International Olympic Committee on the reported cancellation. Kyodo said the IOC was expected to announce a new host and schedule for the qualifiers. Advertisement Despite the outbreak, the Australian women's soccer team is still preparing for a trip to Wuhan early next month for the Olympic qualifiers CHINESE RESIDENTS TURN TO PLAYING A PLAGUE SIMULATOR GAME AMID OUTBREAK Scores of Chinese residents have been turning to an online plague simulation game and a disaster movie called 'The Flu' amid the coronavirus outbreak. Plague Inc, a strategy simulation app by UK-based Ndemic creations, was today the top-paid game on the iOS operating system on China's Apple Store. It allows users to create and evolve a pathogen to destroy the world. 'The best way to conquer fear is to confront fear,' said one commentator on China's Twitter-like Weibo. 'Isn't this actually joining the evil force if you cannot beat the evil force?' joked another. South Korean disaster flick 'The Flu' was also the most searched-for movie on Chinese media review and social networking site Douban. A documentary on the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak topped TV searches. Furthermore, 11 out of 14 top-ranked articles on content platform Toutiao were related to pneumonia, as were over half of the 50 most-read topics on China's Twitter-like Weibo. Advertisement 'There have been some announcements this morning about flights that come direct from the affected region to Heathrow with some additional measures there,' he told Sky News. 'At the moment Public Health England have moved this from 'very low' to 'low' but obviously we want to stay ahead of the issue so we are keeping a very close eye on it. 'Initially this is to ensure that when flights come in directly into Heathrow there is a separate area for people to arrive in.' Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 5 Live Health Secretary Matt Hancock will announce a package of precautionary measures later. Though not confirmed, a Government source has reportedly told the BBC the measures will include: Medics meeting each direct flight landing at Heathrow from Wuhan Aircraft announcements telling passengers to report if they are ill before landing Planes landing in an isolated area of Heathrow Terminal 4 Chinese officials have today urged travellers to stop visiting Wuhan, a city home to 11million people. Residents have even been urged to avoid getting into crowds to try and stop the spread of the virus. China's National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin said: 'Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city.' In the same public briefing, he also warned there is a possibility the virus which has yet to be officially named will mutate, warning it could mean a further spread of the disease. People wearing face masks at a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan recorded its first case of the coronavirus this morning WHAT ARE THE ONLY OUTBREAKS TO HAVE BEEN DEEMED AN EMERGENCY? 2009 Swine flu epidemic In 2009 'Swine flu' was identified for the first time in Mexico and was named because it is a similar virus to one which affects pigs. The outbreak is believed to have killed as many as 575,400 people the H1N1 strain is now just accepted as normal seasonal flu. 2014 Poliovirus resurgence Poliovirus began to resurface in countries where it had once been eradicated, and the WHO called for a widespread vaccination programme to stop it spreading. Cameroon, Pakistan and Syria were most at risk of spreading the illness internationally. 2014 Ebola outbreak Ebola killed at least 11,000 people across the world after it spread like wildfire through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014, 2015 and 2016. More than 28,000 people were infected in what was the worst ever outbreak of the disease. 2016 Zika outbreak Zika, a tropical disease which can cause serious birth defects if it infects pregnant women, was the subject of an outbreak in Brazil's capital, Rio de Janeiro, in 2016. There were fears that year's Olympic Games would have to be cancelled after more than 200 academics wrote to the World Health Organization warning about it. 2019 Ebola outbreak Almost 4,000 people were struck down with the killer virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year. More than 2,000 patients died. WHO officials refused to declare it an emergency three times before making a U-turn. Advertisement Li said: 'There has already been human-to-human transmission and infection of medical workers. Evidence has shown that the disease has been transmitted through the respiratory tract and there is the possibility of viral mutation.' The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to declare the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in a meeting held in Geneva today. If the UN body declares it an emergency, it will be just the sixth time in history that it has happened. The only other outbreaks to have been granted such a status include the 2009 Swine flu epidemic, the resurgence of Polio in 2014, the worldwide spread of Zika in 2016 and the two most recent Ebola outbreaks in 2014 and last year. Infectious disease scientists across Asia are concerned China could be covering up the true amount of cases of the coronavirus. Piotr Chlebicki, at Mount Alvernia Hospital in Singapore, told South China Morning Post it was 'hard to believe [the official number of] cases'. He added: 'China has a track record of under-reporting cases, so the true picture may be completely different.' The newspaper reported experts are concerned about the number of bureaucratic steps put in place after the 2003 SARS outbreak before a case can be confirmed. The virus has caused alarm because it is from the same family of viruses as SARS, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen today urged China to release all information about the outbreak of a new virus and work with Taiwan on curbing its spread. At China's insistence, Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organisation and is not allowed to participate in any of its meetings. However, large numbers of Taiwanese travel to and live in China. Passengers leaving for Wuhan, waiting at the Leonardo Da Vinci airport in Fiumicino, Rome Malaysia is one of many countries that have stepped up their passenger screening, with airport workers screening travellers for symptoms of the virus TRAVELLERS FROM WUHAN TO BE SEPARATED FROM OTHER PASSENGERS AT HEATHROW Travellers from the area of China at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will be separated from other passengers on arrival at Heathrow Airport as UK health chiefs step up their response. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said Public Health England is putting in place new precautions in relation to travellers to the UK from the region. 'There have been some announcements this morning about flights that come direct from the affected region to Heathrow with some additional measures there,' he told Sky News. 'At the moment Public Health England have moved this from 'very low' to 'low' but obviously we want to stay ahead of the issue so we are keeping a very close eye on it. 'Initially this is to ensure that when flights come in directly into Heathrow there is a separate area for people to arrive in.' Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 5 Live Health Secretary Matt Hancock will announce a package of precautionary measures later. Though not confirmed, a Government source has reportedly told the BBC the measures will include: Medics meeting each direct flight landing at Heathrow from Wuhan Aircraft announcements telling passengers to report if they are ill before landing Planes landing in an isolated area of Heathrow Terminal 4 Advertisement Tsai said: 'I especially want to urge China, being a member of international society, that it should fulfil its responsibilities to make the situation of the outbreak transparent, and to share accurate information on the outbreak with Taiwan.' One case of the coronavirus has been confirmed in Taiwan, which is home to 23million people. Sharing information is also important for the health of the Chinese population and Beijing 'should not put political concerns above the protection of its own people,' Tsai said. China regards Taiwan as its own territory and says it is not entitled to representation in most international bodies. Taiwan, where one case of the coronavirus has been detected, has called on people not to visit Wuhan unless they absolutely have to. Scores of Chinese residents have been turning to an online plague simulation game and a disaster movie called 'The Flu' amid the coronavirus outbreak, it can be revealed. Plague Inc, a strategy simulation app by UK-based Ndemic creations, was today the top-paid game on the iOS operating system on China's Apple Store. It allows users to create and evolve a pathogen to destroy the world. 'The best way to conquer fear is to confront fear,' said one commentator on China's Twitter-like Weibo. 'Isn't this actually joining the evil force if you cannot beat the evil force?' joked another. South Korean disaster flick 'The Flu' was also the most searched-for movie on Chinese media review and social networking site Douban. A documentary on the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak topped TV searches. Pictured: A close-up of travellers on the thermal imaging camera at Kuala Lumpur International Airport South Korean cleaners prepare to disinfect the facilities at the customs, immigration and quarantine area at Incheon International Airport CHINESE COMPANIES HANDING OUT FREE FACE MASKS TO STAFF Companies across China were today handing out masks and warning staff to avoid the central Chinese city of Wuhan. At Foxconn's Lunar New Year party on Wednesday, founder Terry Gou advised Taiwan-based employees not to visit mainland China during the week-long holiday period. 'Colleagues and their families who have come back from Wuhan are all in isolation at home. The infection is spreading very fast,' Mr Gou added. Company workers in Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, have been wearing facemasks and getting their temperature checked, the Apple supplier also said. Huawei Technologies has asked staff to reduce travel to Wuhan and avoid contact with animals, adding that it had set up an outbreak prevention and control team in the city to carry out disinfecting activities. Citic Securities and investment bank China International Capital Corp have asked employees to avoid trips to Wuhan and Hubei province, where the city is located, if they can. Citic has also asked staff to voluntarily quarantine themselves if they do travel to Hubei. HSBC said it had advised employees that travel to Wuhan could continue but has asked them to be extra vigilant. Didi Chuxing, China's largest ride-hailing company, said this week it would issue masks and disinfectant to its drivers and would allow passengers and drivers in Wuhan to cancel trips for free in the days up to January 31. Advertisement Furthermore, 11 out of 14 top-ranked articles on content platform Toutiao were related to pneumonia, as were over half of the 50 most-read topics on China's Twitter-like Weibo. Companies across China were today handing out masks and warning staff to avoid the central Chinese city of Wuhan. At Foxconn's Lunar New Year party on Wednesday, founder Terry Gou advised Taiwan-based employees not to visit mainland China during the week-long holiday period. 'Colleagues and their families who have come back from Wuhan are all in isolation at home. The infection is spreading very fast,' Mr Gou added. Company workers in Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, have been wearing facemasks and getting their temperature checked, the Apple supplier also said. Huawei Technologies has asked staff to reduce travel to Wuhan and avoid contact with animals, adding that it had set up an outbreak prevention and control team in the city to carry out disinfecting activities. Citic Securities and investment bank China International Capital Corp have asked employees to avoid trips to Wuhan and Hubei province, where the city is located, if they can. Citic has also asked staff to voluntarily quarantine themselves if they do travel to Hubei. HSBC said it had advised employees that travel to Wuhan could continue but has asked them to be extra vigilant. Didi Chuxing, China's largest ride-hailing company, said this week it would issue masks and disinfectant to its drivers and would allow passengers and drivers in Wuhan to cancel trips for free in the days up to January 31. Thai officials today confirmed a fourth case, a 73-year-old woman who developed a fever after returning from Wuhan. Officials at Taiwan's Centre for Disease Control use thermal scanners to screen passengers arriving on a flight from China's Wuhan province A child wears a facemask at Daxing international airport in Beijing as he heads home for the Lunar New Year DOCTOR INVESTIGATING OUTBREAK ADMITS HE HAS CAUGHT THE VIRUS A leading Chinese doctor investigating the killer coronavirus yesterday admitted he has caught the SARS-like infection. Wang Guangfa, who heads the department of pulmonary medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital, was part of a team of experts that earlier this month visited Wuhan, where the virus first emerged. 'I was diagnosed and my condition is fine,' Dr Wang told Kong's Cable TV. He said he is receiving treatment and will have an 'injection' soon. Dr Guangfa is one of the national experts that previously said the pneumonia-causing virus, which has never been seen before, was under control. Wang Guangfa has been infected with the new virus in China after being part of a team of doctors investigating it in Wuhan, where the virus emerged Advertisement She was being monitored in an isolated ward in a hospital in Nakhon Pathom, 37 miles (60km) west of Bangkok. In a message to the country, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said: 'We can control the situation. 'There have not been cases of human-to-human transmission in Thailand because we detected the patients as soon as they arrived.' Saying there are no reports of the infection spreading to others, he added: 'We checked all of them: taxi drivers, people who wheeled the wheelchairs for the patients, doctors and nurses who worked around them.' Two other Chinese patients in Thailand have recovered and been sent home, while a third will return once tests show he is clear of the virus. One of the four patients was a Thai national. Thai officials have stepped up screening at airports to look for passengers with high body temperatures, coughs, headaches and trouble breathing. The Chinese-ruled gambling hub of Macau today confirmed its first case of the coronavirus A 52-year-old Wuhan businesswoman. She took a high-speed train to the Chinese city of Zhuhai on January 19, then a shuttlebus to Macau. She had dinner with two friends, then went to the hotel and spent a long time in casinos. She was in a stable condition in an isolation ward. Her two friends were also being monitored and were in isolation. Officials quickly moved to tighten temperature screening measures in casinos and around the city. A total of 405 guest entrances and 47 staff entrances have been provided with portable screening devices and all casino staff have to wear surgical masks. The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, where all six fatalities have happened Chinese quarantine workers wearing protective suits and masks are posted at an entrance to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan DONALD TRUMP SAYS AMERICA HAS A PLAN TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS Donald Trump says America has a plan to contain the spread of a deadly new virus from China after the first case was confirmed in the states. The President, speaking at Davos in Switzerland where he is attending the World Economic Forum, praised the Centers for Disease Control and said the situation was being handled 'very well'. The first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Washington state on Tuesday when an unnamed man in his 30s was hospitalized after returning home from China. Advertisement All performers and staff at the events hosted across Macau will be screened. Entry points into Macau will also have temperature checks and visitors will be asked to fill in a health declaration form. The tourist-magnet casino industry in Macau, which returned to Chinese rule in 1999, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the revenue in the city of 600,000 people. Macau is a popular Lunar New Year destination for mainland Chinese. Officials have today announced football and boxing qualifying matches held in Wuhan for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be moved from Wuhan. Wuhan is at the centre of the ever-growing outbreak, which has sickened at least 450 people across Asia and spread to US. The Asian Football Confederation today said the women's qualifiers being held at Wuhan will be moved to the eastern city of Nanjing. An official uses an infrared thermometer on a traveler at a health screening checkpoint at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. Wuhan is at the centre of the outbreak Staff in biohazard suits hold a metal stretcher by the in-patient department of Wuhan Medical Treatment Centre, where patients are being treated for the new coronavirus Inside the epicentre of the deadly Chinese virus: First pictures show Wuhan doctors in hazmat suits treating patients who are struck down with the life-threatening infection A Chinese hospital has released first pictures of doctors treating patients who have been struck down by a new deadly virus. Images shared by the Central Hospital of Wuhan, where the virus originated, show medics donning hazmat suits attending to the sufferers at the hospital's intensive care units. The never-before-seen pictures were taken inside the intensive care units of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the hospital in Wuhan. This picture released by the Central Hospital of Wuhan shows a medic donning full-body hazardous material suit looking after one patient who has been infected by a new deadly virus Another medic in hazmat suit is seen checking the medical equipment inside the hospital's intensive care units. Nine people have been killed by the virus since it emerged last month Doctors at the Central Hospital of Wuhan clench their fists to show their determination to fight the virus. 'Salute to the medical workers who fight on the front line!' the hospital said in a post The never-before-seen pictures were taken inside the intensive care units of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak Advertisement THE KILLER VIRUS MAY HAVE COME FROM BATS, SCIENTISTS SAY The killer coronavirus sweeping across the world may have come from bats, scientists have said. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the People's Liberation Army and Institut Pasteur of Shanghai came to the conclusion. In a statement, the team said: 'The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate. Tests of the virus, which has yet to be named, have revealed it targets a protein called ACE2 just like its cousin SARS, the South China Morning Post reported. Tracing the evolution of the virus, the team of experts found it belonged to betacoronavirus, making it structurally similar to SARS. Authorities have pointed the blame on food markets in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak that scientists are scrambling to contain. Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets', which tourists flock to see the 'real' side of the country. Viruses including ones carried by animals are constantly changing and may over time become strong enough to infect humans. Advertisement Wuhan was supposed to host China, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia for the Group B qualifiers between February 3-9. The football confederation said the change was proposed by the Chinese Football Association. Taiwan's football association had warned earlier that it would withdraw from the qualifiers if they were held in Wuhan. Before news of the cancellation, the Australian women's soccer team said it was still preparing for its trip to Wuhan. Japan's Kyodo news agency today also announced a boxing qualifier held in Wuhan for the same Olympics would be cancelled. Citing organisers, Kyodo said the qualifiers would be rescheduled and moved from Wuhan. There was no independent confirmation from the organisers, and Japan's boxing federation said it was waiting to hear from the International Olympic Committee on the reported cancellation. Kyodo said the IOC was expected to announce a new host and schedule for the qualifiers. The killer coronavirus sweeping across the world may have come from bats, scientists have said. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the People's Liberation Army and Institut Pasteur of Shanghai came to the conclusion. In a statement, the team said: 'The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate. Tests of the virus, which has yet to be named, have revealed it targets a protein called ACE2 just like its cousin SARS, the South China Morning Post reported. Tracing the evolution of the virus, the team of experts found it belonged to betacoronavirus, making it structurally similar to SARS. Authorities have pointed the blame on food markets in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak that scientists are scrambling to contain. Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets', which tourists flock to see the 'real' side of the country. Viruses including ones carried by animals are constantly changing and may over time become strong enough to infect humans. Quarantine workers spray disinfect at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. South Korea confirmed its first case on January 20 after a 35-year-old woman arriving at Seoul's Incheon airport tested positive for the virus WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEW CHINESE VIRUS? What is this virus? The virus has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold. But coronaviruses can also be deadly. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus and killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s. Why hasnt it been named yet? The virus has not been named, although it commonly goes by nCoV2019, which stands for novel (new) coronavirus 2019. When a virus emerges slowly, as this one has, scientists have to work quickly to understand its severity, how it is spread and how deadly it is. Jeremy Farrar, a specialist in infectious disease epidemics and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said he thinks the virus will be named over the coming weeks and months because it is the least important decision at the moment. He added that it was unlikely to be named after Wuhan because it would suggest blame. He told MailOnline: 'Ebola was named after the Ebola river in the Congo. Weve moved on from that because people didnt want to associate them with cities and towns for the sense of blame.' What symptoms does it cause? Its symptoms are typically a fever, cough and trouble breathing, but some patients have developed pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the small air sacs in the lungs. People carrying the novel coronavirus may only have mild symptoms, such as a sore throat. They may assume they have a common cold and not seek medical attention, experts fear. How is it detected? When the outbreak started in December 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said hospitals across the city had treated a 'successive series of patients with unexplained pneumonia'. After investigations, a never-before-seen strain of coronavirus was identified and reported on January 9. The virus's genetic sequencing was released by scientists in China to the rest of the world to enable other countries to quickly diagnose potential new cases. This helps other countries respond quickly to disease outbreaks. To contain the virus, airports are detecting infected people with temperature checks. But as with every virus, it has an incubation period, meaning detection is not always possible because symptoms have not appeared yet. The incubation period of nCov2019 is not known. Research by Imperial College London suggested there is a 10-day window between someone being infected and showing symptoms, based on the evidence so far. Can it kill? Six people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. The first two patients who died suffered other health problems, so it is possible the virus is more lethal in vulnerable people. The first patient, a 61-year-old-man, had abdominal tumours and chronic liver disease. The second, who was 69, had severe cardiomyopathy a heart condition, abnormal kidney function, and seriously damaged organs. How is it spread? Investigations have focused on animals as the source because the majority of the first infected patients in Wuhan were traced to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market. On January 14, the World Health Organization said there is some 'limited' human-to-human transmission of the virus. Professor Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at Chinas National Health Commission, said human-to-human transmission is 'affirmative', in a press conference on January 20. Two patients in southern China caught the virus from infected family members, according to local media. They had not visited Wuhan. Why has a seafood market been closed? Authorities also closed Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan city since January 1 because the majority of the first infected patients had worked or visited there. 'Environmental samples' taken from the market tested positive for the virus, Wuhan health authorities said. The first patient diagnosed with the novel strain, who was also the first death, was a regular customer at the seafood market on Wuhan's outskirts. What are countries doing to prevent the spread? China has rapidly strengthened its capacity to prepare for and respond to public health threats, Dr Takeshi Kasai, the WHOs regional director for the Western Pacific wrote in an Nikkei Asian Review article. Countries in Asia that have stepped up airport surveillance include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. Australia and the US are also screening patients for a high temperature, but the UK is not yet. Is it similar to anything weve ever seen before? Memories remain strong of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The 2002-2003 SARS epidemic started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. But no cases have been recorded in the world since 2004. Scientists first thought that only animals transmitted SARS to humans. But it soon became apparent that SARS could spread between humans much like the new coronavirus. The WHO criticised China for under-reporting the number of cases following the outbreak, which infected four people in the UK. Similarly, it took 'a while' for scientists to spot that MERS - could be spread between people. Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) is believed to be transmitted to humans from dromedary camels, but the original host may have been bats. MERS killed around 35 per cent of about 2,500 people who have been infected. Advertisement Yesterday, it was announced that: Professor Zhong Nanshan, leader of the National Health Commission's expert team, revealed the virus is likely to be spread by saliva in a press conference today. He told the meeting: 'As of now, it is affirmative that the new strain of coronavirus can be passed between humans. 'The virus is spread through respiratory system and distance of impact is not long, but it is possible that the virus was passed after being stuck to saliva.' Professor Zhong said officials must 'quarantine the patients and stop them from contacting others'. Antibiotics will not tackle the virus because the drugs only work on bacterial infections. And he added that the outbreak will not spread like SARS, so long as patients are quarantined immediately and their contacts are traced. A Chinese physician who was investigating the outbreak of a mysterious new virus in central China says he has himself been infected, it was revealed this evening. Wang Guangfa, who heads the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital, was part of a team of experts that earlier this month visited Wuhan. 'I was diagnosed and my condition is fine,' Wang told Kong's Cable TV on Tuesday, thanking people for their concern. He is receiving treatment in hospital. A leading expert yesterday told MailOnline the new Chinese coronavirus may have been lurking in animals for decades. Sir Jeremy Farrar, a renowned specialist in infectious disease epidemics, said the virus isn't new but has likely adapted to infect humans. Reports also state face masks are flying off the shelves across China as the country's citizens prepare themselves for the potential spread of the outbreak, which has already swept the nation. Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item. Prices for face masks have surged, according a report from Beijing Evening News. Some vendors on the country's e-commerce site have increased the price of the N95 masks - which is made by US company 3M and particularly popular in China - from 99 yuan (11) a box to nearly 1,000 yuan (110) a box, the report said. A topic page titled 'the main force of buying face masks' on Weibo has attracted around 570million clicks as the Chinese netizens discuss the apparent nationwide buying spree. Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary College, yesterday admitted he was 'quaking in my shoes' over the potential spread of the virus that could happen over the Chinese New Year. He told LBC: 'None of us have faced a new virus faced with so many people in a community travelling around. 'That's what's going to happen in China at the end of the week. Once they are close together in taxis or small rooms, then there may be a problem.' And Professor Oxford added: 'The only way to stop it is physical cleaning and social distance - keeping away from people.' Locals have made more than four million trips by train, road and air since January 10 in the annual travel rush for the most important holiday in the country. The transport peak season will last until February 18 and see three billion trips made within China, according to official statistics. People in China have been urged not to panic and to try and enjoy the festive season. A piece in Chinese newspaper the Global Times said on Sunday: 'The entire Chinese society should be vigilant but should not be in panic. 'We should make the upcoming Spring Festival happy and peaceful, and also pay close attention to every link where the pneumonia may increase transmission.' Families of sicked loved who have died of mystery respiratory diseases in recent weeks believe the true number of cases and deaths is far higher than what China has admitted, The Guardian reported yesterday. On the microblog Weibo, Wuhan residents have shared stories of family members who had shown symptoms of the virus, but not been tested for it at hospital. One posted images of her mother's diagnosis of viral pneumonia and described long queues of patients with similar symptoms late on Monday night, none of whom appeared to have been tested for coronavirus. 'Could all these people suddenly have viral pneumonia?' she said. Australian officials yesterday announced a traveller had been placed in quarantine with symptoms of the virus after returning home from a trip to China. The man is being kept at his home in Brisbane as he awaits test results for the virus. Earlier tests were inconclusive, Queensland health chiefs said. The suspected case prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison to warn Australians travelling to China to 'exercise a high degree of caution' in China's Wuhan area. The Philippines also announced that it was investigating its first potential case of the coronavirus. A five-year-old child arrived in the country on January 12 from Wuhan and has since been hospitalised with flu symptoms. While the child tested positive for a virus, authorities in Manila said they were not sure if it was the same one that has killed six people in China. Pictures and videos circulating on the country's social media purport to show residents in various cities queuing to stock up on the medical products. A total of 317 people in Asia have now tested positive for the unnamed virus after it first emerged in Wuhan city last month Reports claim some vendors have hiked the price from 11 to 110 per box amid an alleged mask shortage. On Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, web users reported to have seen huge lines of customers in and outside pharmacies in hope of buying the sought-after item Two patients in southern China have caught the virus from infected family members, according to local media. Pictured, Chinese residents wear masks in Wuhan China reported on January 20 the mysterious virus had spread across the country from Wuhan. Pictured, medical staff at Jinyintan hospital, Wuhan Over the weekend, 136 fresh infections were reported in Wuhan, bringing the total number of cases China has confirmed to more than 200 Over the weekend, 136 fresh infections were reported in Wuhan, bringing the total number of cases China has confirmed to more than 200 The majority of patients have been traced to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market (pictured) Ash Shorley, 32, is fighting for his life in Thailand and is feared to be the first Western victim of the coronavirus sweeping across China Within the efforts exerted by the organizing committee of the Bahrain International Aviation Exhibition headed by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty the King, may God protect him, Chairman of the Supreme Committee organizing the Bahrain International Aviation Exhibition, and his directives in engaging national banks and companies and activating Their role and presence in the global events hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain; His Excellency Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of Communications and Communications and Vice Chairman of the Higher Committee organizing the exhibition, signed a sponsorship contract with Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain as a bronze sponsor of the Bahrain Exhibition Aviation 2020 to be held at the Sakhir Air Force Base from 18-20 November 2020, under the patronage of the Royal Highness of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the country, His Majesty, may God protect and preserve him, and with the organization of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Bahraini Royal Air Force and in cooperation with Farnborough International . In a statement, Eng. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed stressed: "We celebrate this year with ten years since the first edition of the Bahrain International Airshow was launched in 2010. We are fully confident that this version of the exhibition will provide an appropriate platform to prepare the business for the participants in terms of forming relations and exchanging The ideas and fruitful cooperation between the participating companies, which supports the Kingdom of Bahrain's directions towards attracting investments and developing non-oil economic sectors, hoping that we will strengthen the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf as a vital economic center. " He also pointed out that the diversity of the companies participating in the exhibition is evidence of the growth witnessed by the exhibition since its establishment in 2010. For his part, Mr. Abdul Hakim Al Khayyat, Managing Director and CEO of Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain said: The Bahrain International Airshow is distinguished as a major event in the Kingdoms events calendar, and adds more sparkle to the Kingdom of Bahrain at the global level. Our sponsorship comes at Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain For this distinguished event out of our commitment to support national initiatives that contribute to the advancement of the national economy in line with the economic vision of the Kingdom 2030. " New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Hindu mahasabha has demanded sedition cases be slapped against the Shaheen Bagh protestors in Delhi. The outfit which has been upping the ante against the Shaheen Bagh protest, even alleging that government should probe possible Pakistan hand behind the agitation, on Wednesday took it further. "They are so inconsiderate. They are Indians but are demanding citizenship for Pakistani Muslims. And the government and the administration are standing as a mute spectator in their support," said Swami Chakrapani, the all India president of the outfit. He demanded the government to slap sedition cases against all protestors. The protestors of Shaheen Bagh, a minority-dominated area, have been sitting on roads, blocking traffic for more than a month now against the Citizenship Amendment Act and nationwide NRC. This is not the first time that Hindu Mahasabha has demanded action against the protestors. On January 18, Chakrapani called Shaheen Bagh, the anti-national version of Jallianwala Bagh". Speaking to IANS, Swami Chakrapani had alleged, "Jallianwala Bagh was a congregation for a nationalist cause where patriotic slogans were raised. In constrast, in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, protesters are raising anti-India slogans and Hindu-phobic posters. No wonder, this is the anti-national version of Jallianwala Bagh." The Delhi High Court has already told the authorities to do whatever they deem fit in the "larger public interest". But so far Delhi Police have been restrained in their approach and issued appeals to end the stir. Recap: On January 14, Microsoft ended its extended support for Windows 7, meaning businesses and education customers sticking with the aging OS have to pay for extended security updates (ESUs). One of these users is the German government, which must pay Microsoft at least $886,000 after failing to upgrade to Windows 10. According to German media, the countrys federal government still has 33,000 workstations running Windows 7. To keep receiving ESUs, it must pay Microsoft a fee for every deviceand its not cheap. The price is dependent on what version of Windows 7 is being used. During the first year, those using Windows 7 Enterprise will pay $25 per machine. This doubles to $50 in the second year and goes up to $100 for the third year. Staying on Windows 7 Pro is going to cost even more. ESUs start at $50 before going up to $100 in year two and $200 during year three. German newspaper Handelsblatt reports that the government started the process of moving to Windows 10 back in 2018, but hasnt been able to upgrade every workstation in time. It adds that 20,000 of the 85,000 machines in Berlin government offices are running Windows 7. The German government isnt the only organization behind schedule when it comes to migrating to Windows 10. A report from last year revealed that many industries were taking too long to upgrade. According to NetMarketShare, 32 percent of Windows users are still on Windows 7, which works out at over 100 million machines. And this is despite Microsoft recently rolling out full-screen prompts advising people to upgrade to Windows 10. While the US has pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Union is stepping up its efforts to meet the terms of the accord. The EU has set climate targets in order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keep the average global temperature increase below two degree Celsius by 2100. Increasing the share of renewable energy sources, decarbonising energy-intensive industries and reforming the energy sector are just a few of the various ways that the EU intends to invest in its future. A Green Deal for Europe would help set ambitious standards and establish an investment programme in future markets while strengthening the European economy and energy security. This commitment will require efficient processes, innovative thinking and policy reforms. Our Forum demonstrates how climate protection and a sustainable energy transition create economic opportunities and environmental benefits for Europe and beyond. The Company's NAV increased by 4.5% during the month of December (in Sterling terms). Global equity markets continued to rise in December with the MSCI World Index returning 3.0%. Geopolitical risk moderated somewhat as the US and China tentatively reached a phase one trade deal, which continued to support equity markets into year end. In terms of economic data, consumer confidence indicators and services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data remained supportive, whilst manufacturing PMI data in December was broadly weaker across the major economic blocs. It was a strong end to the year for the mining sector on the back of the improved equity market sentiment as well as rising mined commodity prices. Mined commodity prices were up almost across the board, with copper, gold and iron ore prices up 5.2%, 4.0% and 4.5% respectively (figures in US Dollars). Within the energy sector, The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) agreed to remove 500,000 barrels per day from the oil market in their December meeting, which is in addition to the previously agreed reduction of 1.2 million barrels per day announced in December 2018. Voluntary cuts in addition to these by Saudi Arabia will also continue. Against this backdrop, oil prices increased over the month, with the Brent and West Texas Intermediate indices returning +5.1% and +10.7%, to end the period at prices of $67/bbl and $61/bbl respectively. This positive return reflected the improving macroeconomic sentiment, the OPEC+ commitment to constraining production combined with a lower oil rig count suggesting US shale growth continues to decline. Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) prices also continued to weaken during the month, due to an oversupplied market. All data points in US Dollar terms unless otherwise specified. Commodity price moves sourced from Thomson Reuters Datastream. Latinos can, of course, also be white. But a dissection of the Latino identity is not needed to see the point that Gurba and others are making by distinguishing Cummins, whose grandmother was Puerto Rican, from the Mexican migrants she writes about. At the core of the criticism is the issue of authenticity. It is about life experiences and whether authors, when writing from a perspective outside of their own, are stepping into a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, fit almost right or, without a lot of work, will make them walk awkwardly. Cummins critics see her as wobbling. A hero New Hampshire father suffocated a coyote with his bare hands after the beast attacked his child, police said. Ian OReilly was walking with his wife and three kids on a trail near Judes Pond in Kensington around 11 a.m. when the wild animal jumped out of the woods and grabbed the 2-year-old child by the jacket, cops said. Thats when the dad went into protection mode, kicking the coyote before choking it, said Kensington Police Chief Scott Cain. OReilly told local outlet WFXT that he was running on instinct and adrenaline when he wrestled the beast to the ground, eventually killing it after a 10-minute skirmish. There was no interest in it going away so ultimately I had to make the decision to become the aggressor and jumped on it, attacked it and was able to get it to the ground, OReilly said. When I was able to get on top of it, I put my hand around its snout so it wasnt able to attack me anymore, he recalled. From there I shoved [its] head into the snow and then eventually was able to expire it through suffocation, he said. Ultimately one hand on its windpipe and one hand on its snout did the trick. The dad was bitten in the arm and chest and is being treated for rabies as a precaution. The animal didnt break the toddlers skin thanks to his heavy-duty snowsuit. Earlier Monday, around 9 a.m., the same beast is believed to have pounced on a moving car on a road in Hampton Falls. About 15 minutes later, it attacked a 62-year-old woman and her three dogs on a porch in Kensington, attempting to get into the house. Pat Lee was bitten as she fought to keep the critter out of her house. She is also being treated for rabies. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Jeff Bezos Getty Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had his phone hacked in May 2018, and the primary suspect is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A UN report published Wednesday said a forensic analysis concluded that Bezos' iPhone was likely hacked using a notorious tool named Pegasus created by the NSO Group, a secretive firm from Israel that bills itself as a leader in cyberwarfare. Saudi officials have been repeatedly connected to Pegasus hacks, according to the report. Pegasus enables hackers to remotely access everything in an infected smartphone, from text messages to location data and it's next to impossible to know without a professional analysis whether your phone was infected. In the case of Bezos, the analysis found that hackers had access to his phone for months, according to the UN report. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had his phone hacked for months and gigabytes of his private data stolen, according to a forensic analysis cited in a UN report published on Wednesday. The primary suspect in the hacking: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who he was exchanging WhatsApp messages with. The how of the hack, according to the report, is maybe the wildest detail: A 2019 forensic analysis of Bezos' iPhone "assessed with 'medium to high confidence' that his phone was infiltrated on 1 May 2018 via an MP4 video file sent from a WhatsApp account utilized personally by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." The analysis found that Bezos' phone was likely hacked using a notorious tool named Pegasus created by the NSO Group, a secretive firm from Israel that bills itself as a leader in cyberwarfare. So how does Pegasus work? And how did it get inside the phone of the richest man in the world? What is Pegasus? Jeff Bezos REUTERS/Joshua Roberts What Pegasus does is relatively simple: The tool provides full access to an infected smartphone, remotely and discreetly. Story continues That includes text messages, as well as your smartphone's camera and microphone. The spyware was created by an Israeli company, the NSO Group, and it's nothing new. Pegasus was discovered in 2016 when a man in the United Arab Emirates named Ahmed Mansoor was targeted with "suspicious text messages," John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto's Munk School, told Business Insider in an interview last May. The Citizen Lab is an academic research group credited with being the first to identify Pegasus. "Those text messages actually came bearing some suspicious links," he said. "We thought they looked pretty dicey, so my colleague Bill [Marczak] borrowed a colleague's iPhone, clicked on the links, and was able to successfully get the phone infected with what was then a mystery piece of spyware." That "mystery" spyware was Pegasus, and Mansoor was being targeted most likely because of his work as a human-rights advocate. Mansoor is serving a 10-year prison sentence in the UAE for publicly criticizing the government. Here's a photo of the smartphone-hacking hardware that NSO Group sells. NSO group hacking device Becky Peterson/Business Insider Business Insider's Becky Peterson snapped a photo of the hacking hardware sold by NSO Group at a security conference in Paris. Read more about the photo here. How was Bezos' phone hacked? 2x1 Jeff Bezos Mohammed bin Salman phone hack Joshua Roberts/Reuters and Alexander Zemlianichenko/Reuters The UN report said the analysis of Bezos' iPhone found that Bezos and Crown Prince Mohammed "exchanged phone/WhatsApp numbers the month before the alleged hack." It's through this connection, the analysis found, that the hack was performed. The analysis "assessed with 'medium to high confidence' that his phone was infiltrated on 1 May 2018 via an MP4 video file sent from a WhatsApp account utilized personally by Mohammed bin Salman," the report said. In short: The analysis contends that Crown Prince Mohammed sent Bezos a video file that, regardless of him clicking on the file, enabled Pegasus to infiltrate Bezos' iPhone. The report said the analysis found that "within hours of receipt of the MP4 video file from the Crown Prince's account, massive and (for Bezos' phone) unprecedented exfiltration of data from the phone began." The content of the video wasn't made clear in the report, but The New York Times described it as having "an image of Saudi and Swedish flags overlaid with Arabic text." How do you know whether your phone is infected with spyware like Pegasus? If the hackers are doing their job right, it's extremely difficult to find out. whatsapp phones Reuters If your phone is infected with spyware like Pegasus, it's extremely difficult to know even if you're Jeff Bezos. The phone probably won't start suddenly overheating or ripping through battery life. If that were the case, "then the people who did it have not done their jobs right," Scott-Railton said. In fact, if you're not a cybersecurity researcher, it's nearly impossible to know. "It's quite tricky, because the software is, of course, designed to be hard to find," Scott-Railton said. "What we did in the first instance was we actually captured the network traffic going into the phone after the [link] was clicked, and that gave us the infection." Unless you're monitoring the network traffic going into your smartphone and are savvy enough to know what type of network traffic could demonstrate malicious behavior, it's unlikely that you'd catch spyware like Pegasus running on your device. That's exactly how investigators identified that Bezos phone was hacked. The forensic analysis found that "massive and (for Bezos' phone) unprecedented exfiltration of data from the phone began, increasing data egress suddenly by 29,156 per cent to 126 MB," the UN report said. "Data spiking then continued undetected over some months and at rates as much as 106,032,045 per cent (4.6 GB) higher than the pre-video data egress baseline for Mr. Bezos' phone of 430KB." Who makes Pegasus? And how is it used? NSO Group CEO and founder Shalev Hulio CBS News/60 Minutes Pegasus is intended as a cyberweapon for use by international governments. An Israeli company named NSO Group operates it, and the Israeli Ministry of Defense is said to regulate sales of the software outside Israel. "We are selling Pegasus in order to prevent crime and terror," NSO Group CEO Shalev Hulio told "60 Minutes" in an interview last year. Hulio added: "Intelligence agencies came to us and say, 'We do have a problem. With the new smartphones, we can't get valuable intelligence.'" An unnamed European security official confirmed to "60 Minutes" that NSO Group software had been used to thwart terrorist attacks in Europe. "It wouldn't surprise me to know that some of NSO's claims about being used to go after criminals are correct," Scott-Railton told Business Insider last May. "The issue is that the fact that it's used lawfully doesn't falsify all these abuse cases." What are some alleged Pegasus "abuse cases"? mexico city Flickr/LWY Pegasus has been linked to the death of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and it was reportedly used to track a student in Canada who was critical of the Saudi government. "His name is Omar Abdulaziz," Scott-Railton said. "He's a Saudi critic going to college in Montreal. We found that his infected phone was bouncing back and forth between his home network and his university gym over last summer." A similar story played out in Mexico in 2017, according to Scott-Railton: "We had this crazy case that I found in Mexico back in 2017 where three people a nutrition activist, a public-health researcher, and a consumer advocate were all targeted with Pegasus in Mexico. "The only thing that holds them in common is that they were all advocating to slightly increase the tax on soda beverages. So the most reasonable implication is that somebody from a private interest directed somebody from the government in order to target these people because they were pushing against the soda lobby in Mexico. State-grade malware it'd be like targeting somebody with Stuxnet because they had suggested there be a $0.10 bottling fee on Coca-Cola." In the case of Bezos, the UN report linked his ownership of The Washington Post to being targeted by the Saudi crown prince: "This was part of a massive, clandestine online campaign against Mr. Bezos and Amazon, apparently targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post." For its part, NSO Group has flatly denied that Pegasus software was used to hack Bezos. "We can say unequivocally that our technology was not used in this instance," a statement on its website said. Read the original article on Business Insider Children drink water from the Sobat River in the Greater Upper Nile region of northeastern South Sudan (Julien Behal/PA) Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan started US-monitored talks in the Sudanese capital to try hammer out a draft deal to resolve their dispute over a Nile dam that Ethiopia is constructing, an Egyptian spokesman said. The 4.6 billion US dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile, which promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopias 100 million people, has been a contentious point among the three main Nile Basin countries. The issue is critical for Cairo as Egypt seeks to protect its main source of freshwater for its large and growing population, also about 100 million. The Blue Nile flows from Ethiopia into Sudan where it joins the White Nile near Khartoum, to form the Nile River. Expand Close Sayed Ahmed Abdoh poles his boat to check his fish traps in the Nile River, near Abu al-Nasr village, about 480 miles south of Cairo, in Egypt (Hiro Komae/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sayed Ahmed Abdoh poles his boat to check his fish traps in the Nile River, near Abu al-Nasr village, about 480 miles south of Cairo, in Egypt (Hiro Komae/AP) Eighty-five percent of Nile waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile, which is one of the Niles two main tributaries. According to Muhamed el-Sebai, a spokesman for Egypts irrigation ministry, technical and legal teams from the three countries are to prepare a draft deal on how the dams reservoir would be filled and how the dam itself would operate. The meeting in Khartoum would last two days, he said. There was no immediate indication on whether it would succeed after several previous rounds of talks failed. But at the talks in Washington last week, the three countries said they had reached a preliminary agreement. The US and World Bank are acting as observers at the Khartoum talks after Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi last year pleaded with Washington and the international community to mediate a solution for the years-long dispute. Egypt claims that filling the dams reservoir too quickly could significantly reduce its share of the Nile water. Expand Close The Blue Nile river flows near the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia (Elias Asmare/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Blue Nile river flows near the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia (Elias Asmare/AP) A joint statement after the Washington meeting said the filling should occur in stages during the rainy season, which generally runs from July to August, thought it did not give details on how long it would take to be completed. Another two-day meeting in Khartoum is planned for next week, with the goal of reaching a final agreement. The mega-dam, now about 70% complete, will generate about 6,400 megawatts once it is finished, more than doubling Ethiopias current production of 4,000 megawatts. Ethiopia said the dam will not be completed until 2022, more than four years behind schedule, because of faulty parts in the hydro-electrical plants equipment. Tensions between Turkey and Cyprus that have been simmering for decades flared up again this month after Cyprus called Turkey a pirate state following the Turkish Presidents renewed vow to start drilling for natural gas off the coast of the disputed island. "Turkey is turning into a pirate state in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey insists on going down the path of international illegality," a statement by the Cypriot president issued Sunday said, as quoted by AFP. Turkeys president, Recept Tayyip Erdogan last year angered Cyprus when he staked a claim to some of the natural gas wealth that is being discovered in the waters around the island. Turkey will continue exploring for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean waters around disputed Cyprus, and No project can be realised if Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are not involved, Erdogan said in August. Since then, Ankara has been moving forward with its drilling plans despite criticism from not just Cyprus but also Greece and the European Union. Just this week the EU warned Turkey to reconsider its drilling plans after Erdogan said drilling would start as soon as possible. The EU also called these exploration plans illegal. But why is Erdogan so intent on drilling for gas offshore Cyprus, where Turkey controls about a third of the territory after two consecutive invasions in 1974? Because Cyprus is part of the new hot spot in natural gas: the Eastern Mediterranean. The area began attracting attention after a couple of major finds off the coast of Israel made headlines and after Italys Eni discovered the Zohr gas field offshore Egypt. Two discoveries were made offshore Cyprus as well. One is the Aphrodite field, just 30 km from the giant Leviathan gas field in Israeli waters. The field is part of Block 12, which is estimated to contain some 3.6-6 trillion cu ft of natural gas. The other is Glaucus-1, which was made by Exxon and Qatar Petroleum earlier this year and is ranked the third-largest gas discovery off the Cypriot coast. It contains an estimated 682 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which about 90 percent is natural gas. A large consumer of natural gas, Turkey is understandably interested in boosting its supplies from its own production rather than imports. At the moment, Turkey is almost entirely dependent on gas imports, most of which come from Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan, although the country also buys LNG from a dozen exporters. Last years consumption is seen at some 44-44.5 billion cu m, down on 2018 because of unusually warm weather but still a consumption rate sizeable enough to prompt efforts to secure its own supply. Download our free ''A New War In The Middle East'' report and read about the top risks for oil markets in 2020 But for Turkey its not only a question of securing natural gas supply. The access to natural gas goes hand in hand with Ankaras geopolitical expansion in the Eastern Mediterranean. Earlier this month, President Erdogan announced a cooperation deal with the Libyan government that will see the opening of a maritime corridor between the two countries across the Eastern Mediterranean. The deal also included stipulations about joint oil and gas exploration. The EU and Cyprus slammed the deal. Turkeys expansion in the region has also got on Israels nerves. Earlier this month, Israel, Cyprus, and Greece signed a deal that would see natural gas from the Israeli offshore deposits flow to Europe. The EastMed pipeline will boost Israels role as energy supplier to Europe but also enhance the importance of Greece and Cyprus as key links in Europes energy supply chain, AFP and the Times of Israel reported at the time. This is at odds with Turkeys expansionist policies and the traditional, historically determined mutual hostility between Ankara, Athens, and Nicosia. Taken together, Erdogans vision of a new Ottoman empire and the need to secure the long-term supply of natural gas will likely continue to keep tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean high despite the EUs threats of more sanctions against Turkey. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A second New Jersey congressman has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden now that U.S. Sen. Cory Booker has ended his White House run. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-10th Dist., one of two African-American representatives from New Jersey, endorsed Biden on Tuesday. He follows Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist., who announced his support for Biden on Jan. 14, . Malinowski was an assistant secretary of state under President Barack Obama when Biden was vice president. Having served under Obama, the first African-American president, Biden has strong support among black voters, which Booker was unable to win over during his unsuccessful campaign. Three other Democratic members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Reps. Frederica Wilson and Alcee Hastings of Florida and Sanford Bishop of Georgia, also endorsed Biden on Tuesday. Payne said Biden represented the continuation of the work began by his father, the late Rep. Donald Payne Sr., who was the first black congressman from New Jersey. To continue the work that my father championed, we need a president that prioritizes the issues that working families care about," Payne said. Hes always been there for our communities. There is too much at stake in this election and we need someone like Joe Biden, who from day one will make the needs of working families the centerpiece of his administration. Biden also has the support of former New Jersey Govs. Jim Florio and Richard Codey. The current governor, Phil Murphy, has said he has no current plans to endorse anyone. Biden headlined a rally for Murphy before the 2017 Democratic gubernatorial primary and returned that fall to stump for him again. And he campaigned for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist., the following year. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Regulatory News: For its third participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)*, Mercialys (Paris:MERY) was once again included in the A List, confirming its position as one of the top 2% of companies worldwide with the strongest commitments and best performances in terms of the fight against climate change. This result highlights the credibility of the Company's "2C roadmap", whose targets were certified in September 2019 by the international Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)**. In 2019, more than 8,400 companies completed the CDP questionnaire, submitting their "carbon disclosures" to this organization for an independent assessment. This number is up +20% from 2018, with over 50% of the global market capitalization now covered by this initiative. By maintaining its A List ranking in 2019, Mercialys is one of the 179 most advanced companies worldwide for the fight against global warming. This achievement follows the recognition, also in 2019, from the international Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) that its greenhouse gas reduction targets are consistent with limiting the increase in global temperatures to 2C, confirming the Company's leadership for sustainable development. Carbon Disclosure Project: international not-for-profit organization that researches the impacts of leading listed companies each year in terms of CO2 emissions and climate change. The CDP issues an annual questionnaire on specific climate issues, which companies volunteer to take part in, and publishes its findings. ** The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a non-profit organization that assesses, based on criteria defined by scientific experts, the alignment between the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by companies and the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in order to ensure that these targets effectively limit the increase in global temperatures to 2C by 2050 compared with 1990. The SBTi is a collaboration between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). This press release is available on www.mercialys.com About Mercialys Mercialys is one of France's leading real estate companies, focused exclusively on retail property. At June 30, 2019, Mercialys had a portfolio of 2,123 leases, representing a rental value of Euro 184.3 million on an annualized basis. It owns assets with an estimated value of Euro 3.8 billion (including transfer taxes) at June 30, 2019. Mercialys has had "SIIC" real estate investment trust (REIT) tax status since November 1, 2005 and has been listed on Euronext Paris Compartment A (ticker: MERY) since its initial public offering on October 12, 2005. At June 30, 2019, there were 92,049,169 shares outstanding. IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding future events, trends, projects or targets. These forward-looking statements are subject to identified and unidentified risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Mercialys registration document available at www.mercialys.com for the year ended December 31, 2018 for more details regarding certain factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect Mercialys' business. Mercialys makes no undertaking in any form to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, nor to report new information, new future events or any other circumstances that might cause these statements to be revised. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005645/en/ Contacts: Analysts investors media contact: Alexandre Leroy Tel: +33(0)1 53 65 24 39 Email: aleroy@mercialys.com Indian tax authorities raised about $8 million in an auction conducted last year by Saffronart of rare oil paintings that were seized from Modi. Mumbai: The seized assets of Indian diamond magnate Nirav Modi, arrested in Britain last year over fraud allegations, will be auctioned within the next two months, the Mumbai-based Saffronart auctioneers said on Tuesday. The auction, sanctioned by a court order, is part of efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government to sell assets confiscated in criminal cases with the proceeds used to shore up banks struggling with piles of bad debt. Modi, a billionaire jeweller in his late forties whose diamonds have adorned Hollywood stars such as Kate Winslet and Dakota Johnson, was arrested over allegations of his involvement in a $2 billion fraud at state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB). He has denied the charges and is opposing efforts to extradite him from Britain to India. Highlighting Saffronarts auction of Modis assets - seized by Indias financial crime-fighting agency, will be Boy with Lemon by pioneering Hungarian-Indian modernist artist Amrita Sher-Gil valued at Rs 12-18 crore ($1.69-$2.53 million). Other paintings to be sold will include an oil on canvas by Indias best-known painter MF Husain of similar value, and a work worth Rs 7-9 crore by modernist VS Gaitonde. Also on the block will be luxury wristwatches from Jaeger Lecoultre and Gerrard Perregaux, several Birkin and Kelly luxury handbags from Hermes and two cars - a Porsche Panamera and a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Saffronart statement said. It said it was assessing the value of some assets and would say next week how much it expected to raise from the auction. Indian tax authorities raised about $8 million in an auction conducted last year by Saffronart of rare oil paintings that were seized from Modi. The pending auction, however, will be the first time Indias financial crimes agency has appointed a professional auction house to sell off seized assets, according to Saffronart. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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The fire was reported before 4 a.m. Wednesday. Route 13 was closed between Johnson Road and Route 366 until 7:05 a.m. when the northbound lane was reopened, according to the state DOT. The southbound lane remained closed. We will update this report when more information becomes available. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A former Department of Veterans Affairs employee has been sentenced to six months in prison for leaking the medical records of Richard Ojeda as the former Army major was running for Congress in West Virginia. Jeffrey Miller of Huntington was sentenced Tuesday in federal court. Miller, 40, had pleaded guilty to accessing the medical records of six veterans when he was working for the VAs benefits administration. Miller admitting taking a picture of Ojedas records, then sending the image to an unnamed acquaintance. Ojeda has said the records were distributed among high-ranking Republicans to derail his campaign for West Virginias 3rd Congressional District in 2018. He sued the VA for documents related to the agencys investigation of Miller, saying the records would prove a concerted effort to undermine his candidacy and forever damage his reputation. Ojeda lost to current Rep. Carol Miller. Her spokeswoman has said the congresswoman isnt related to Jeffrey Miller and that she has never seen the medical records. Just days after losing to Miller, Ojeda announced he was running for president in 2020. He stepped down from his state Senate seat so he could campaign but then abandoned his presidential bid after about two months as a candidate, saying he wasnt getting enough money or attention. Millers sentencing comes as Ojeda mounts another bid for public office, filing last week to run for U.S. Senate in West Virginia as a Democrat. He appeared to address the leak in a campaign video posted to his Twitter account, saying his veterans status had been smeared during his congressional race. A Worcester woman accused of stealing two wallets and attacking workers inside a nursing home last week will remain in custody after being found in violation of probation in a prior larceny case. Elanna Williams, 25, is facing assault, larceny, vandalism and other charges in connection with the assault and theft inside the Christopher House at 10 Mary Scano Drive in Worcester on Jan. 14. Williams was allowed to hide behind the door while she was arraigned in Worcester District Court on Tuesday. She is currently on probation for a separate larceny case. She was ordered held on Tuesday after a judge found her in violation of that case. Authorities said there was a warrant out for Williams arrest in connection with a third larceny case from November. Williams was arrested Monday in connection with the Christopher House case. A statement of facts on file in court said police were called to the nursing home on Jan. 14 for a report of a robbery and assault. Witnesses told police a woman was caught stealing from one of the administrative offices, according to the report. Several employees caught her and attempted to keep her from leaving, police wrote. Two of the people allegedly attacked by Williams were over the age of 60. Those workers suffered several injuries. One of them had a head injury and a concussion, according to authorities. Another victim had a broken finger and back and neck injuries, police said. According to court records, an employee checked her desk at the nursing home and noticed credit cards were missing. The lock to her desk had been broken and her wallet containing $280 was gone. Her sisters pocketbook was also in her desk, court records said. Her sisters wallet was also stolen. The second wallet had $45 inside. During the scuffle with Williams, the employees were able to grab her coat. Inside her coat pocket were several credit cards that belonged to an employee, police said. The entire incident was caught on video. Police distributed the video to officers and to news outlets. Four officers identified Williams as the suspect. Anonymous callers also identified Williams as the suspect, according to police. Police said they are familiar with Williams and noted a similar incident at a nursing home last year. In the November larceny case, Williams was also accused of stealing a friends backpack. The backpack had her friends medication, wallet and identifications, according to police. Bail was set at $20,000 for the nursing home case and $5,000 for the November larceny case. A prosecutor noted Williams has a history of larceny charges in Massachusetts and New Jersey. A mother of four, Williams lives alone with them and was looking for a job at the time of her arrest, according to defense lawyer Hillary Fenton. The defense lawyer said the video does not clearly show Williams as the suspect. Fenton also noted that one witness identified Williams with 75 percent certainty while viewing a photo array. Williams is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 19. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) The state-run firm that signed a 50-year lease deal with Chevron Philippines will be dissolved to allow government to take back the land which the oil giant occupies under a lopsided deal, the Finance chief said. A day after exposing Chevron's supposedly onerous rental agreement with the Batangas Land Co. Inc., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III revealed that the board of directors of the National Development Co. decided to shut down the state-run corporation by 2021 "so the government can finally take back its sprawling 120-hectare property in Batangas." NDC is the government institution overseeing BLCI. The NDC board decided in December 2019 to terminate BLCI's corporate life by next year. Dominguez said on Tuesday that Chevron, which runs Caltex gas stations nationwide, has been paying a "miniscule" rent of 0.74 per square meter every month for the spacious land used as its main depot in San Pascual. The DOF said the current fair market value in the industrial park where Chevron's oil import terminal sits should be around 17.90 per sqm. However, it found that Chevron paid a measly 146.51 million in rental fees for the past 44 years, or an average of 3 million annually. "Shortening BLCIs corporate life will finally allow the government to exercise 'full ownership, control, and rights over' this prime lot and other real estate properties occupied by Chevron, which are strategically located for the countrys future energy projects," Dominguez added. Dissolving BLCI would effectively shorten Chevron's contract by five years. American firms were given the chance to own land here through parity rights granted by the Philippine government until 1974. When that ended, then-President Ferdinand Marcos authorized "preferential" deals for land leases. "These companies were given sufficient time to transition and pass on full ownership to the government. It is now high time for the government to exercise its rights," Dominguez added. The DOF estimates that the Batangas property is now worth between 4.9 billion to 5.3 billion, and should be yielding 257.76 million per year in rental fees. All contracts between government and the private sector are under review following President Rodrigo Duterte's order last year, hastened by his anger over water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water as their agreements allowed them to demand payment for losses worth over 10 billion. Chevron Philippines runs nearly 700 Caltex gas stations in the country and also provides jet fuels for airlines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and thinking youll get a different result is a quote often attributed, apparently improperly, to Albert Einstein. There are some skeptics who are applying this observation to the current advocates of Staten Islands secession from the City of New York. Before we check to see if we can get a group rate at Happy Dale Sanitarium for these advocates, where they can join the Brewster Sisters and Teddy, we should review why the 1993 referendum ended-up on the garbage heap of history with the north shore subway linking Staten Island and Brooklyn, the statue honoring the American Indian at Ft. Wadsworth, and the South Richmond Planned Development. In 1993, 65% of Islanders voted in favor of seceding from the other four boroughs. Yet, it never happened. It was thwarted by then-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who required a Home Rule Message from the City. Before we go down this road again and wind-up with the same results, it should be fully investigated as to why no one realized secession could be blocked in this way back then. Advocates should know the final outcome in advance. As a retired judge, I would suggest that there are lessons we can learn from experienced trial lawyers. For instance, never ask a question unless you know the answer. Good trial lawyers are always well prepared. They know in advance what motions will be made during the proceeding, when it will be made, and have briefs prepared on the issue for the judge to consider. They generally know what issues they will win because they have done their homework. In other words, secession advocates shouldnt start down this path unless there is some certainty the will of the people will be followed and not the tyranny of an individual. Heres a question: Is another referendum necessary? Did the effectiveness of the 1993 vote have an expiration date like a carton of milk or is it still good? (I was going to use a loaf of bread in this analogy, but I just found a package of hot-dog rolls from the 4th of July that still wasnt stale or moldy.) If it is, then a substantial amount of money could be saved investigating the issue anew and eliminating another ballot initiative. Regardless, we can build off the prior study. One issue is whether its better to become a city or revert to an independent county? There may be pluses and minuses to each position. When Richmond County voted to join the City of New York in 1898, was consent of the state legislature and the city council or its equivalent needed? If not, why do we need permission to leave? Apparently joining New York City is the governmental equivalent of the Eagles song Hotel California: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. There is a major difference, of course: There are no tolls to get out of the hotel. Remember our nation is founded on a contract or compact system of government, that is, it is the people who create a government, and not vice versa. Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, set forth this contract theory in its most articulate manner when he wrote: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. This concept was carried forward into the United States Constitution where the Preamble begins, we the People of the United States. Of course, harkening back to the founding documents of our country probably will have the risk of being labeled an originalist which in some quarters is the equivalent of being called a leper in Biblical times. The New York State Constitutions Preamble also refers to the government as created by we the people. As a side note, if you have nothing else to do, compare the lengths of the US Constitution and that of New York State. You will realize Momma Rose in Gypsy was correct to opine New York is the center of New York. Another example from history is when West Virginia was created from the state of Virginia without the Virginia legislatures consent. It was accomplished because Virginia had seceded from the Union obviating the consent of the Virginia legislature which was required in the US Constitution. Any new study for Staten Islands independence should be able to build on 1993s findings. The population hasnt increased that much in the last 25 years. If I remember correctly, the biggest issue back then was whether Staten Island had the tax-base to support its own government and the necessary services. It was concluded it could. With the expansion of the Staten Island Mall, the rebuilding of the shopping center in New Dorp, the opening of the Empire Outlets, the Matrix Global Logistics Center on the West Shore, Bricktown Centre Mall, and the office parks and hotels developed by Richard and Lois Nicotra, along with the number of new housing units being squeezed onto lots, it wouldnt be too far-fetched to conclude that the real property tax-base has substantially increased. Likewise income from the sales tax should have escalated. This should improve the viability of independence. Perhaps we would have been successful in 1993 if one of the member of the secession commission had grown a long beard, donned a flowing robe, acquired a walking staff that would turn into a serpent and was willing to stand in front of Sheldon Silver and proclaim Let My People Go! At least in 2020 we have a jump on this strategy because Councilperson Joe Borelli already has a beard. President Kennedy should be looked to for guidance. He once said, Dont ask Why, ask instead Why not. So lets do that: Secession. Why Not? Philip Straniere is retired supervising judge of the Civil Court of Staten Island. Saudi Arabia on Wednesday called on the US to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a meeting with a visiting envoy. The US last month lifted fast-changing Sudan from a blacklist for religious freedom violations, but Khartoum awaits the bigger prize of removal from the terror list. The designation has severely impeded investment in the country, which is emerging from decades of military rule and conflict. Saudi media said the kingdom's state minister for African affairs, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Kattan, met in Riyadh with the US envoy to Sudan, Donald Booth, and "stressed to Washington the necessity of lifting Sudan from the terrorism list". According to state broadcaster Al-Ekhbaria, the minister emphasised "Saudi Arabia's support for Sudan's security and stability". Washington has included Khartoum on its list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1993 on charges of collaborating with Islamic extremist groups, notably Al-Qaeda. In 2017, the United States lifted trade sanctions imposed on Sudan a decade before but kept Khartoum on its terrorism blacklist alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria. Last October, Saudi Arabia's King Salman met with Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in Riyadh to discuss the lifting of the US measures. Sudan has sided with Riyadh against Shiite Iran and provided troops to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen's war against Tehran-backed Huthi rebels. Sudan's long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was pushed out by the military during months-long protests last year. After his downfall, Saudi Arabia and the UAE promised to inject USD 500 million into Sudan's central bank and $2.5 billion to help provide food, medicine and petroleum products. They did not specify if the money was a gift or a loan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trumps lawyers and Democrats arguing for his removal from office clashed on Tuesday over the powers of his office, as the presidents legal team echoed his allegations about the House investigation that led to his impeachment. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff used his lengthy opening statement to warn senators to resist transforming Mr Trump into a monarch by allowing him to set the terms of a trial that will determine whether he is ousted from the Oval Office. But White House counsel Pat Cipollone responded on the first day of Mr Trumps impeachment trial by alleging that House Democrats put forth fraudulent evidence and have no case. The president and his legal team spent the historic day he is only the third sitting US chief executive to face a Senate impeachment trial trying to discredit the evidence gathered by House Democrats during the investigation late last year that ended with a mostly party line vote to impeach him on counts of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. For months, Mr Trump described the House probe as a shady hoax held in the bottom floor of the Capitol, eager to plant seeds of doubts in the minds of the few voting blocs that will determine whether he wins a second term in November. Mr Cipollone, for instance, hit House Democrats for holding their investigation in secret." Both sides used ample parts of their opening statements to debate whether witnesses should be called during the upper chambers proceeding. Mr Trump has said he would invoke executive privilege to block the testimony of current and former White House aides, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Mr Bolton has said he would testify if issued a subpoena. One of his former aides, Fiona Hill, told House lawmakers during a public impeachment hearing last year that Mr Bolton once referred to what Mr Mulvaney and US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland wanted from the Ukraine government as a drug deal. All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters Jay Sekulow, one of the presidents attorneys, continued team Trumps argument that the House Democratic impeachment managers, if senators side with them and oust the 45th president, would essentially be eroding the constitution. He said that was because the office of the presidents assertion of privilege is backed by decades of precedent. Mr Sekulow sounded a lot like Mr Trump when he contended that House Democrats opted to impeach the president because they remain offended that he was elected three years ago. Why are we here? Are we here because of a phone call or are we here before this great body because since the president was sworn into office there was a desire to see him removed? Mr Sekulow said, calling the impeachment probe re-insurance and an umbrella policy after the Russia election meddling probe led by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller failed to bring down Mr Trumps presidency. Using executive privilege has been utilised by presidents since the founding of the country, Mr Sekulow said, adding it exists to protect the constitution and the separation of powers. Trump's lawyer Pat Cipollone tells Senate trial that president has done nothing wrong But in no way did Mr Trump's attorneys parrot their boss more than in the top White House lawyers contention about Novembers presidential election. Theyre not here to steal one election, theyre here to steal two elections, said Mr Cipollone in one of his first public statements since becoming the White Houses top attorney. But Mr Schiff argued the opposite, saying the presidents conduct would have alarmed the founders. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has said he is working in lock step with the White Houses legal team. Mr Schiff alluded to Mr Trumps influence over the chambers rules for the proceeding, saying it would mean any commander in chief cannot be indicted, cannot be impeached. Adam Schiff throws Trump's own words back at him It makes him a monarch, the California Democrat said as senators sat silent in accordance with the chambers guidelines for an impeachment trial. Earlier, Mr McConnell, under pressure, made several changes to the trial rules he penned and Democrats had sharply criticised. Opening arguments will still span 48 hours 24 for each side but ould now last up to three days rather than being jammed into just two. The Kentucky Republican also changed course by altering his rules resolution to automatically include the entire package of evidence the House used to impeach Mr Trump into his chamber's trial. Minority leader Chuck Schumer had said initial rules drawn up by Mr McConnell "seem to be designed by Trump, for Trump" and would have forced "presentations to take place at two or three in the morning so the American public can't see them." In the evening the chamber rejected, on party line votes, a pair of amendments offered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for subpoenas of White House and State Department documents. A third Schumer amendment on the same matter was also expected to be defeated on Tuesday night. For his part, White House aides with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said he is receiving regular briefings about the goings-on on the Senate floor. Shortly after leaving a working dinner at that forum, the president sounded a now-familiar refrain. READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! he tweeted, referring to a White House-prepared summary of his July 25 telephone call with Ukraines president in which Democrats say he linked investigations of US Democrats to a massive military aide package Kiev expected in its continued standoff with Russia and its larger and more sophisticated military. The line is part of the Trump sides argument that he broke no laws and did nothing wrong. Robert Bauer, a New York University School of Law professor and a former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, calls that contention mistaken. The federal campaign finance law bars soliciting anything of value from a foreign national to influence a federal, state and local election, he wrote on the Lawfare blog. Whether the solicitation was made and value received depends on the facts facts with which Alan Dershowitz claims he has no intention of engaging. The Senate is expected to vote on Democratic amendments aimed at forcing the White House to clear witnesses and submit documents Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Senators are expected to vote those down, while approving Mr McConnells rules for the trial. WASHINGTON House Democrats launched into marathon arguments in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial Wednesday, appealing to skeptical Republican senators to join them in voting to oust Trump from office to protect our democracy. Trumps lawyers sat by, waiting their turn, as the president blasted the proceedings from afar, threatening jokingly to face off with the Democrats by coming to sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces. The challenge before the House managers is clear. Democrats have 24 hours over three days to prosecute the charges against Trump, trying to win over not just fidgety senators sitting silently in the chamber but an American public, deeply divided over the president and his impeachment in an election year. Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, outlined what the Democrats contend was the presidents corrupt scheme to abuse his presidential power and then obstruct Congress investigation. He then called on senators not to be cynical about politics, but to draw on the intent of the nations Founding Fathers who provided the remedy of impeachment. Over the coming days, we will present to you and to the American people the extensive evidence collected during the Houses impeachment inquiry into the presidents abuse of power, said Schiff standing before the Senate. You will hear their testimony at the same time as the American people. That is, if you will allow it. After a dinner break, Schiff returned to the well of the Senate to detail the administrations hold on military aid to Ukraine. He played several clips of testimony from Ambassador William Taylor, who said the assistance was held back as Trump pushed the country to announce investigations of Democrats. Most senators sat at their desks throughout, as the rules stipulate, though some stretched their legs, standing behind the desks or against the back wall of the chamber, passing the time. Visitors watched from the galleries, one briefly interrupting in protest. The Democrats wrapped up the first day of their presentation shortly before 10 p.m. ET. The proceedings are unfolding at the start of an election year, and there are few signs that Republicans are interested in calling more witnesses or going beyond a fast-track assessment that is likely to bring a quick vote on charges related to Trumps dealings with Ukraine. Several GOP senators said Wednesday theyd seen no evidence to support the allegations against Trump even though, just 24 hours earlier, they had rejected subpoenas for witnesses and documents. Democrats, meanwhile, described the evidence against the president as overwhelming but said senators have a duty to gather more. The trial marks just the third time the Senate has weighed whether an American president should be removed from office. Democrats argue Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden while withholding crucial military aid, and also obstructed Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe. Republicans have defended Trumps actions and cast the process as a politically motivated effort to weaken the president in the midst of his reelection campaign. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows the public is slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not, 45% to 40%. But a sizable percentage, 14%, say they dont know enough to have an opinion. One question theres wide agreement on: Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About 7 in 10 said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats, according to the poll. The strategy of more witnesses, though, seems all but settled. Wrangling over rules for the trial stretched past midnight Tuesday night, with Republicans shooting down one-by-one Democratic efforts to get Trump aides including former national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, to testify. Senators are likely to repeat those rejections next week, shutting out any chance of new testimony. One longshot idea to pair one of Trumps preferred witnesses Bidens son Hunter Biden with Bolton or another that Democrats want was swiftly rejected. Thats off the table, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open Wednesdays session as senators settled in for the long days ahead. Trump, who was in Davos, Switzerland, attending a global economic forum, praised his legal team, and suggested he would be open to his advisers testifying, though that seems unlikely. He said here were national security concerns that would stand in the way. After the House prosecutors present their case, the presidents lawyers will follow with another 24 hours over three days. They are expected to take only Sunday off. Theres a lot of things Id like to rebut, said Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow at the Capitol, and we will rebut. Then there will be 16 hours for senators, who must sit quietly at their desks, no speeches or cellphones, to ask written questions, and another four hours for deliberations. The impeachment trial is set against the backdrop of the 2020 election. All four senators who are Democratic presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. Campaigning at stops in Iowa, Joe Biden also rejected having his son testify, or even appearing himself. I want no part of that, he said. People ask the question, isnt the president going to be stronger and harder to beat if he survives this? Yes, probably. But Congress has no choice, he said. Senators must cast their votes and live with that in history. Some Republicans expressed disdain for it all. Joni Ernst of Iowa spoke sarcastically about how excited she was to hear the overwhelming evidence the House Democrats promised against Trump. And once weve heard that overwhelming evidence, she added, raising her voice mockingly, I dont know that well need to see additional witnesses, but lets hear about that overwhelming evidence. The trial began with a setback Tuesday for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who backed off his plans to limit each sides arguments to two days, as the White House had preferred. But the GOP leader has been skilled at keeping even the most wayward Republicans, those with some concerns about Trump, united in batting back Democratic requests for witnesses and testimony. They ultimately approved a rules package that pushes off a final decision on whether or not to seek additional testimony until late in the trial. Schumer bemoaned the remaining limitations, saying Wednesday the impeachment trial begins with a cloud hanging over it, a cloud of unfairness. Republicans are eager for a swift trial. Yet Trumps legal team passed on an opportunity to file a motion to dismiss the case Wednesday, an acknowledgement that there were not enough Republican votes to support it. The White House legal team, in its court filings and presentations, has not disputed Trumps actions. But the lawyers insist the president did nothing wrong. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Laurie Kellman, Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama in Washington and Bill Barrow in Osage, Iowa, contributed to this report. No one hurt when truck hits overpass A railroad overpass sustained more than $1,500 damage Tuesday when it was hit by a semi-trailer truck, according to police. The driver reported hitting the Kansas City Southern Railway overpass on East Superior Avenue about 8:55 a.m. The truck sustained more than $1,500 damage, police said. No one was cited. Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS David E. Courier, 44, of 262 Froghill Road, Franklin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:24 p.m. Tuesday on a domestic battery charge. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Brandon L. Capps, 32, homeless, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:09 p.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespass to a vehicle and an out-of-county warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a contempt of court charge. ACCIDENTS Christin A. Sanders, 24, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of improper lane use after the vehicle she was driving left the road and hit a fire hydrant and utility pole at 9:19 p.m. Monday in the 600 block of East State Street. Sanders was also in an accident at 8:36 p.m. Monday at East Morton Avenue and South Main Street in which her vehicle and one being driven by Sonia L. Wild, 45, of Jacksonville collided, police said. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Kalab M. Capps, 30, of Barry was arrested at 12:15 p.m. Sunday on charges of domestic battery, unlawful restraint and obstructing justice. Kenneth J. Batchelor, 33, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 10:28 p.m. Sunday on a domestic battery charge. Daniel R. Dilorio, 54, of Barrington was arrested at 1:08 p.m. Friday on charges of driving under the influence, improper lane use and unlawful use of a weapon. Stacey M. Elliott, 33, of Detroit was arrested at 10:54 a.m. Thursday on a petition to revoke. Stephanie A. Grimsley, 31, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 4:57 p.m. Thursday o a charge of possession of cannabis by a passenger. Matthew D. Briggs, 19, of Industry was arrested at 12:13 a.m. Jan. 15 on charges of possession of cannabis and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Brian A. French, 30, of Hannibal, Missouri, was arrested at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 15 on an objection of justice charge. Sckid A. Hodges, 28, of Marion, Louisiana, was arrested at 12:13 a.m. Jan. 15 on a charge of possession of a weapon by a felon. Zoey R. Cannam, 29, of Barry was arrested at 2:28 p.m. Jan. 14 on charges of domestic battery and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. Compiled by Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree, David C.L. Bauer and Marco Cartolano Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung answers questions from reporters at the Seoul Eastern District Court, Wednesday, after being sentenced to a half year in prison suspended for two years for his alleged cronyism. / Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk Shinhan Financial Group has been able to avoid facing a leadership vacuum as the court handed down a suspended jail term to Chairman Cho Yong-byoung, Wednesday, following proven allegations of cronyism. Having been cleared of management risk and uncertainties about its governance structure, the banking group is expected to speed up efforts to expand its presence in the financial markets here and overseas. The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced Cho to six months in prison suspended for two years. He was indicted without detention in October 2018 on charges of manipulating the scores of 101 applicants to ensure the hiring of those with ties to influential politicians, the children of executives and more male workers, when he was serving as the Shinhan Bank CEO between 2015 and 2016. In December 2019, the prosecutors sought a three year prison sentence for the chairman with a 5 million won ($4,300) in fine. "Even if the accused did not order the personnel department to hire the underqualified applicants, it can be seen as improper enough if the CEO informed the personnel department of the fact that particular applicants had applied for the jobs," the court said. The chairman, however, was acquitted of his alleged violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. The court said the evidence presented by the prosecutors could not prove that the bank discriminated against female applicants in its hiring process. Shinhan Bank was also acquitted of the charge. The bank was indicted along with the chairman according to the "joint penal provision" in the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which allows punishment against both the offender and the corporate body the offender belongs to. Cho said he will appeal to the court above to prove his complete innocence. He also apologized to his colleagues who stood on trial along with him. "I will try to be impartially judged by the law through an appeal," he told reporters after the sentence. As it will take a long time until the higher courts make their judgments, the chairman will likely serve his second three-year term until 2023 without much difficulty. Shinhan decided last month to put him forward as the sole candidate for the group's next chairman, and the reappointment of the incumbent chief will be subject to a general meeting of shareholders in March. If the shareholders agree with his reappointment, Cho will try to solidify the financial group's status as the nation's leading banking group and will pursue aggressive M&As here and overseas, according to Shinhan. WASHINGTON The attorney general for the District of Columbia on Wednesday sued President Donald Trump's official inaugural committee, as well as the Trump Organization and the Trump International Hotel in Washington, alleging they worked together to illegally enrich the Trump family business. The suit claims that the nonprofit inaugural committee violated laws barring the use of charitable funds to enrich private individuals when it agreed to pay Trump's hotel more than $1 million for the use of ballroom space during the January 2017 inaugural festivities. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump inaugural committee knowingly misused its funds when it paid $175,000 per day to reserve the ballroom of the Trump hotel for four days during the president's inauguration week but held only two events there, one of which was only for Trump's adult children and their guests. "District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies," said District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine in a statement Wednesday. "In this case, we are seeking to recover the nonprofit funds that were improperly funneled directly to the Trump family business." According to the legal complaint, the contract the Presidential Inaugural Committee, or PIC, had with the Trump Hotel for event space "violated the PIC's articles of incorporation by causing the PIC to pay amounts to the Trump Hotel that were unfair, unreasonable and unjustified and that acted ultimately to confer improper private benefit on the Trump Entities." "District nonprofit law required the PIC to seek out and pay reasonable fair market value for services rendered. The PIC did not do so, instead choosing to host its events at the Trump Hotel and pay far more than market value, ultimately for the private benefit of the Trump Entities," the lawsuit alleged. The inaugural committee responded by calling the allegations "baseless." "The facts will show that the PIC operated in compliance with the law and this suit is without merit," a spokesman for the committee told CNBC on Wednesday. He also noted that the committee had received no communications from the attorney general's office since the summer of last year, and questioned whether or not the lawsuit's timing was linked to the current impeachment trial in the Senate. A spokeswoman for Trump Hotels defended the pricing, saying in a statement that "the rates charged by the hotel were completely in line with what anyone else would have been charged for an unprecedented event of this enormous magnitude." Much of the lawsuit appears to hinge on the question of whether the Trump inaugural committee agreed to book a block of rooms at the Trump hotel. According to the lawsuit, "it was the Trump Hotel's usual policy to provide event space for free or at reduced rates when a group agreed to rent out a large block of rooms." This policy is consistent with hotel industry practices, and with the terms of contracts that Trump's inaugural committee inked with other luxury hotels during the inauguration. According to emails contained in the legal filings, the inaugural committee's director, Rick Gates, verbally agreed in meetings with the Trump hotel's manager that the committee would be responsible for filling up 80% of the guest rooms in the hotel during the days when they were renting event space. Yet despite Gates' agreement to fill a block of rooms, the Trump Hotel still charged, and the inaugural committee paid, event space fees of $175,000 per day for ballroom space. A spokeswoman for Trump Hotels defended the pricing, saying in a statement that "the rates charged by the hotel were completely in line with what anyone else would have been charged for an unprecedented event of this enormous magnitude." The lawsuit also contained two contracts that the inaugural committee had signed with comparable Washington hotels during the same week in early 2017. They showed that the inaugural committee had reserved blocks of rooms, and in exchange, the hotels had either waved event rental fees altogether, or charged only $20,000 for an event space. The Trump Hotel's final contract with the inaugural committee, however, contained no mention of the room block that the Gates had agreed to reserve, even though it was referred to in emails. The lawsuit is merely the latest in a series of controversies surrounding how the Trump inaugural committee raised and spent its funds in late 2016 and early 2017. Trump's inaugural committee raised more private money for inaugural events than any president in modern history, around $107 million. But it put on significantly fewer official events than Trump's predecessor. In 2008, Barack Obama raised and spent just over $50 million on 10 official inaugural balls. Eight years later, Trump's committee raised more than $100 million, and spent it on just three official inaugural balls. Questions about the cost overruns have dogged the Trump inaugural committee for years, although aides who worked on the events say the money was spent in good faith, and everything was just very expensive. Emails contained in Wednesday's lawsuit support these claims and show that inaugural event planners strenuously objected to how much the Trump hotel was charging for space. In one email from Gates to Ivanka Trump in mid-December, he told the president's eldest daughter, who was an executive at the Trump Organization, that both he and the chief event planner had "concerns" about the price the Trump hotel had quoted for the event space. "First, the cost itself seems quite high compared to other property. Second, I am a bit worried about the optics of PIC paying Trump Hotel a high fee and the media making a big story out of it," Gates wrote. Now, three years later, the inaugural committee has been disbanded, and its last remaining funds have been donated to charity. In place of funds from the committee, the District of Columbia is asking the judge to make the Trump Organization and its Washington hotel turn over the amount that the inaugural committee spent on event space, $1,033,757, and that it be given to charity. CNBC's Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report. Obstruction has been President Trumps signature response to investigations dating not only to the beginnings of the impeachment inquiry but also to the FBI investigation that became Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe. So its fitting that stonewalling will be the chief defense Trump and his allies mount as his administrations corruption culminates in a historic Senate trial. Trump has an able accomplice in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a consummate cynic willing to violate principles and precedents in the name of partisan victories. McConnell opened the heart of the trial Tuesday by proposing rules designed to keep evidence, testimony and even arguments to a bare minimum, with the goal of quickly acquitting the president of attempting to bully Ukraines government into smearing his political enemies. The majority leaders resolution leaves the question of testimony unresolved until House impeachment managers and the presidents lawyers make arguments and field senators questions. That means the proceeding could be the first impeachment trial of a president or any other official that eschews witnesses altogether. Moreover, even as McConnell defended the rules as aligned with those of Bill Clintons impeachment trial, he attempted to impose constraints with no such parallels to the 1999 proceeding. While each side was given 24 hours to make its opening argument, as in the Clinton trial, the Republican leader sought to impose a novel limit of two working days for each case, potentially pushing the proceedings into the wee hours. And rather than automatically incorporate the sworn testimony and other evidence collected by the House as part of the Senate record, as was done two decades ago, McConnell proposed putting the question to a vote. Fortunately, McConnell relented on both issues, revising his resolution to admit the House evidence and extend opening arguments to three days apiece. He did so under duress. Moderate Republicans such as Susan Collins of Maine and Rob Portman of Ohio reportedly objected to the departures from the Clinton rules, threatening McConnells narrow majority. It will take a similar outbreak of conscience or fear of political repercussions among Collins and company to force the Senate to hear from witnesses or acquire other additional evidence. That hadnt happened as of Tuesday, when the Senate systematically rejected Democratic efforts to expand the record in a series of party-line votes. To maintain that position, Republicans will have to defy the clear will of voters, including a substantial share of their own. A recent CNN poll found that 69% of respondents want the trial to include new witnesses, an opinion shared by a narrow plurality of Republicans. They will also have to ignore all the information that has emerged since Trumps impeachment. That includes White House emails crediting Trump with the decision to withhold Ukraines security aid, a Government Accountability Office report finding that move illegal, and an offer of testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton. Hes willing to come and testify and tell you what he knows, House impeachment manager Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, told senators Tuesday. The question is: Do you want to hear it? Tuesdays modest retreat from McConnells most egregious efforts to rig the trial suggested a few members of his majority retain some attachment to the appearance of impartiality. At minimum, that requires them to hear from firsthand witnesses to the presidents abuse of power. 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. Finsterwalder prefers just enough snow so that the sled is not dragging, but not so much that the dogs have to force their way through it. Ideally, he said, the weather should be cold enough to keep the dogs cool. He warns against dog sledding on snow that is covering ice, just like a jogger doesnt want to go out on ice and run. He had mentioned his mother, brother and sister as members of the organisation in the letter. Bhopal: The Maharashtra doctor who sent a threat letter to BJPs Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur had sought to implicate his own family members in terrorism case by resorting to such trick, a probe by police here has revealed. The anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh police which arrested Sayyed Abdul Rehman Khan from his village in Nanded district in Maharashtra last week in connection with the incident has finally cracked the case. It was a well thought out plan by the accused to frame his mother, brother and sister in a cooked up terrorism case, MP ATS chief Rajesh Gupta told reporters here. The accused had no plan to harm Thakur, police said. According to the police, the accused had created a fictitious terrorist organisation, Ansar Ul Musalmeen, and sent the threat letter to the BJP MP in the name of the fictitious organisation. He had mentioned his mother, brother and sister as members of the organisation in the letter. The Udupi Catholic Sabha has lodged a complaint with the district superintendent of police seeking action against a person who allegedly published derogatory comments against Udupi bishop Gerald Issac Lobo in the social media. The complaint filed on Tuesday said Mohan Salian had made the comments on the bishops speech during the diocese- level conference of Catholics held on Santekatte Mount Rosary Church premises on January 19. "Bishop Lobo is the supreme head of the Catholic community in Udupi and any insult to him amounts to insulting the entire Catholic community, the complaint said. The Facebook post by Salian was going viral and would destroy communal harmony, it said. The Catholic community had always lived peacefully in Udupi and it was unfortunate that certain elements were trying to spoil the harmony between communities, the Sabha said in the complaint. The Sabha requested the police to take appropriate legal action against the person who insulted the bishop in the social media. Cases have been registered against Mohan Salian, police sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian man who was the subject of a three-year diplomatic scuffle between Russia, Israel, and the United States was set to plead guilty to U.S. charges related to the massive cybertheft of credit cards. Documents filed in a U.S. federal court indicated that Aleksei Burkov, 29, will change his plea from not guilty when he makes his next court appearance on January 23. Burkovs U.S. defense lawyer did not immediately respond to a query from RFE/RL. Burkov, who was extradited to the United States from Israel in November, was the latest in a series of alleged Russian hackers whom U.S. authorities have targeted for arrest while they were traveling outside of Russia. The arrests have prompted angry denunciations from Moscow, which accused the United States of "hunting" Russian citizens. He was initially arrested by Israel in 2015, on a U.S. arrest warrant. Indictments unsealed later charged him in connection with allegedly operating two Russian-language chat forums where, according to U.S. officials, members traded stolen credit card numbers and other information worth millions of dollars. Diplomatic Scandal After his arrest, Moscow pressed the Israeli government to send Burkov to Russia and not to the United States. According to court documents filed last week, Burkov oversaw two forums in the early 2010s: Cardplanet and Direct Connection. On Cardplanet, Burkov allegedly advertised more than 150,000 hacked credit cards, many of which came from U.S. banks. Direct Connection, meanwhile, was a Russian-language members-only forum where users could trade stolen credit cards, but also tips, malware, and other cyberscams, according to U.S. officials. The newest filings omit mention of another forum that Burkov had been linked to earlier: a forum where a massive database containing the records of 191 million U.S. voters had been offered for sale in November 2015. The fight for custody of Burkov grew into a public diplomatic scandal last year, when an Israeli woman was arrested at a Moscow airport in April as she was flying through, en route to another country. Bargaining Chip? Police said they found a small amount of marijuana in Naama Issachars luggage and charged her with drug smuggling. Issachar, who also holds U.S. citizenship, has denied the charges. In October, a Russian court sentenced her to 7 1/2 years in prison. Many Israelis were outraged by the sentence which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized as being disproportionate. Issachers relatives, meanwhile, publicly accused Russian authorities of holding the 27-year-old Issachar as a bargaining chip to persuade Netanyahu to turn Burkov over to Russia. Netanyahu, who has cultivated good relations with Putin, will meet the Russian leader when Putin travels to Jerusalem on January 23, to participate in a private forum connected to the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. The forum is being hosted and paid for by Russian-Israeli oligarch Moshe Kantor, who has been identified by the United States as having close Kremlin connections. On January 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Netanyahu were likely to discuss Issachar's case. A 36-year-old man, Ikeckuwu Ibeh, who was rescued in Lagos from a suicide attempt at Lekki-Link Bridge on Tuesday, has said that frustration, rejection and financial hardships were the reasons he wanted to end his life. Mr Ibeh told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that the negative turnaround in his life got him totally frustrated to the extent of nursing the thought of suicide. I was a businessman, but when things changed, what else will I do? It is a long story, Mr Ibeh said. A father of three, Mr Ibeh said he noticed a regressive pattern in his life since 2019, to the extent of taking his wife and children to his hometown in Imo State. The man, who was rescued alive by the marine unit of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), was handed over to the Maroko Police Station on the same day. Mr Ibeh lives at Owode Egba in Ogun State but works at Lekki and its environs. Ofem Bassey, the police officer in charge of the case, said the victim told the police that he was tired of life, hence, he decided to jump into the water. Before his suicide attempt, it was gathered that Mr Ibeh went to a construction company close to the Lekki-Link bridge where he was rejected, which compounded his frustration. There is no work I cannot do, I can carry sand, mould blocks, break gravel or any kind of work they bring. Everybody knows it is Jama Jama, any kind of work they have on the site and is within my capacity, I do it, the man said. According to him, he earns a daily wage of N3,000 upwards, and sometimes when the job is much and the bargain friendly, he earns N10,000 or more. Mr Ibeh explained how he suffered rejection from his friends and his employers. Sometimes, when Im walking on the street to look for where I can work, people look at me with disgust. When I get to where I can work too, they keep telling me to come back the next day or that they dont want me, he said. That yesterday, if God wasnt with me, I would be dead by now, but because God said my son, you wont die, no matter the frustration, thats why Im still here, Mr Ibeh said, adding that being rescue is a sign that he is not meant to die yet. The emergency agency has however taken Mr Ibeh in for counselling and rehabilitation. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 22 (ANI): The Congress Party is planning to launch a movement in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP government on the issue of farmers. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, is in Rae Bareli today for a two-day tour where the training of State Congress Committee and District Congress Committee heads is going on. During this stay, Priyanka will give directions to the leaders and workers of the party regarding the farmers' movement. According to sources, Congress will organise "Kisan Jan Jagran Abhiyan" at the village level every month highlighting farmers' problems in the state. After this, a big rally of farmers will be held in the districts of UP. The strategy for the movement has been chalked out and the program will be announced in the coming week. This is going to be the first major movement under the leadership of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, the source added. The Congress party will take on UP government on issues like stray cattle, payment of dues to sugarcane farmers, irregularities in the procurement of paddy, and suicide of farmers in Bundelkhand. During the program, party workers will reach out to the farmers to fill a form in which they can write about their problems. According to a source involved in the planning of this movement, the form collected from the farmers will be handed over to the Tehsildar/District Magistrate at the district level. Along with this, Congress workers will also distribute leaflets in which the situation of farmers will be compared during the UPA and NDA governments. Congress will also ask for a loan waiver for farmers, waiver of half the electricity bill, cowshed, and watchdog allowance in every village. (ANI) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti in Davos. The improvement of the investment climate in Azerbaijan in recent times was praised at the meeting. The successful reforms in tax and customs areas, ease of administration, activities of ASAN xidmet and DOST agency, process of digitization of public services were emphasized. They exchanged views on the EBRD projects in the country and the determination of priority areas. The bank`s great potential for expanding its activities by taking advantage of the favorable investment climate in Azerbaijan was highlighted. SC Hearing on CAA Live Updates: The Supreme Court today made it clear that it will not grant any stay on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) without hearing the Centre. It has given the Centre four weeks to reply to all the generic petitions regarding CAA, while Assam and Tripura specific matters should be responded to within two weeks. Auto refresh feeds CAA seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before 31 December, 2014. A bench, comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, which had issued notice to the Centre on various pleas is likely to hear 132 petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas seeking to examine the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Students of six universities of Assam and one each of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have called for the protest. Simultaneously, the Cotton University Students Union has called for a mass protest from 10 am to 5 pm inside the campus and appealed the general public to join them. Students unions of nine universities across the North East have called for a "total shutdown" of all varsities and colleges on Wednesday in view of the Supreme Court hearing on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Students of universities in North East call for shutdown of educational institutes in view of SC hearing on CAA today Around 20 women along with children gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday night to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act ahead of the hearing on the contentious law in the apex court. The protesters squatted at the front gate of the Supreme Court, following which police dispersed them from the area, a police official said. Latest news reports from Shaheen Bagh suggest that the protesters, who have been occupying a two-kilometre road stretch since about a month, have refused to budge from their spot amid requests that traffic should be allowed to pass. Delhi L-G Anil Baijal spoke to a delegation of protesters last night and asked them to stop their protests. However, the protesters did say that they will try to ensure that school buses and ambulances are not thwarted because of the protests. Meanwhile, Shaheen Bagh protesters refuse to budge despite L-G's bid to dissolve stand-off; say, will allow school buses, ambulances Fauzia and Sumaiya, daughters of Rana, have been named in one of the FIRs, he said. The district administration has booked 160 women, including two daughters of Rana, for defying the orders on Monday night. Daughters of renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana are among the 160 women booked by police for allegedly defying prohibitory orders and taking part in the protests against the CAA and NRC here, officials said on Tuesday. The protests at the historic Clock Tower in the old Lucknow area against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) started on Friday and have continued with hundreds of women braving the chill to take part in it. Daughters of renowned poet Munawwar rana among 160 women booked for protesting against CAA, NRC in UP Individual citizens like Tehseen Poonawalla, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization like United against Hate, student group like AASU are among peitioners in the case. The petitioners who have combinedly filed over 140 pleas in the Supreme Court alone, form a diverse group of individuals, social organisations and political parties. The list of petitioners includes several political parties -- the chief of them being the Congress, the DMK, CPI, CPM, Indian Union Muslim League or IUML, Asaduddin Owasi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Kamal Hassan's Makkal Needhi Maiam. Let it be very loud and clear to our opponents that the citizenship law wont be rolled back at any cost, irrespective of the protests, Shah said of the amended law which will enable the government to give citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. I have introduced this bill in the Lok Sabha. I want to tell the opposition that you should discuss this bill publicly. If it can take citizenship of any person, then prove it and show it, he said. Even as protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act continues unabated across various parts of the country, Home Minister Amit Shah has squarely told the citizens opposing the law that their agitation will not bear fruits, as he is unwilling to change his mind on the matter, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal have also said that they will not implement the amended law. State parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said the TMC had submitted a resolution under rule 169 to the Assembly Speaker on 20 January, which will come up in the House on 27 January. Adoption of the resolution in the house would not be a difficult task considering the fact that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party on its own enjoys an overwhelming majority in the 295-member Bengal Assembly. Trinamool Congress announced on Tuesday that it will bring a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on 27 January, becoming the third state after the Kerala and Punjab to oppose the contentious law. Centre opposed passing of any interim order. The Supreme Court clarifies it will not issue an ex-parte order unless a copy of the petition is served to the Centre. Senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the process of NPR is scheduled to start in April, adding that this process should be rescheduled for later. Meanwhile, senior counsel Vikas Singh urges for interim order today itself and raises the issue of the situation in Assam. Senior Advocate AM Singhvi mentions that many states have started the NPR process. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh presses for an interim order, saying that the law violates Assam Accord. Singh pointed out that people from Bangladesh were allowed to come in till 1971 because they faced persecution, but when the cut off date was revised, it violated the Assam Accord. The Supreme Court is currently hearing 143 petitions concerning the Citizenship Amendment Act. However, a batch of petitioners raising the Assam issue sought to be heard separately. They proposed that the general matter of the CAA and the matter concerning CAA in Assam should be treated differently for the purpose of interim orders as the law presents a unique situation in Assam. CJI SA Bobde agreed that the challenge to Citizenship Assam Act will have to be bifurcated in two sections - one concerning Tripura and Assam and another one concerning CAA generally. He granted the government two weeks to respond in the Assam-related matters and four weeks to answer the other matters related to CAA. Reacting to the Supreme Court hearing on CAA, the women protestors at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi told News18, " Next SC hearing is 4 weeks later. We have at least another month of protests ahead of us. One month, one year... protests will continue. We have faith in judiciary." Have another month to carry on protests: Shaheen Bagh protesters react to SC giving Centre more time to respond on CAA pleas "Nothing wrong with the order. Nothing wrong in giving time to file reply. Nothing wrong in forming a constitutional bench or taking up interim relief after 4 weeks. But is this what you expect of a court tasked with defending the constitution in the face of this onslaught?" he tweeted. "Routine hearing, another 4 weeks. No stay or even postponement of CAA. This SC is at best a reluctant warrior in the battle to defend letter, spirit & soul of the constitution. We the People of India must continue the movement to save the Constitution that we gave to ourselves." Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court order on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act today. Calling the Supreme Court a reluctant warrior in battle to defend Constitution, he urged the citizens to continue their movement against the law. Centre opposed passing of any interim order. The Supreme Court clarifies it will not issue an ex-parte order unless a copy of the petition is served to the Centre. Senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the process of NPR is scheduled to start in April, adding that this process should be rescheduled for later. Meanwhile, senior counsel Vikas Singh urges for interim order today itself and raises the issue of the situation in Assam. Senior Advocate AM Singhvi mentions that many states have started the NPR process. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh presses for an interim order, saying that the law violates Assam Accord. Singh pointed out that people from Bangladesh were allowed to come in till 1971 because they faced persecution, but when the cut off date was revised, it violated the Assam Accord. The Supreme Court is currently hearing 143 petitions concerning the Citizenship Amendment Act. However, a batch of petitioners raising the Assam issue sought to be heard separately. They proposed that the general matter of the CAA and the matter concerning CAA in Assam should be treated differently for the purpose of interim orders as the law presents a unique situation in Assam. CJI SA Bobde agreed that the challenge to Citizenship Assam Act will have to be bifurcated in two sections - one concerning Tripura and Assam and another one concerning CAA generally. He granted the government two weeks to respond in the Assam-related matters and four weeks to answer the other matters related to CAA. CJI SA Bobde agreed that the challenge to Citizenship Assam Act will have to be bifurcated in two sections - one concerning Tripura and Assam and another one concerning CAA generally. He granted the government two weeks to respond in the Assam-related matters and four weeks to answer the other matters related to CAA. The Supreme Court has reportedly wrapped up the hearing on the case for now. The key takeaways were: However, journalist Muralikrishnan and Press Trust of India reported that the court might hear these peitions separately. However, there seems to be some confusion over whether or not these pleas will be heard separately from the rest of the petitions. According to Bar and Bench , the Supreme Court has segregated these pleas for its own benefit and all the matters will be heard together. The Supreme Court clubbed together all pleas concerning the states of Assam and Tripura together as both these states have separate agreements with the Centre regarding the preservation of native people. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal has been asked by the court to assist in segragating these please. Reacting to the Supreme Court hearing on CAA, the women protestors at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi told News18, " Next SC hearing is 4 weeks later. We have at least another month of protests ahead of us. One month, one year... protests will continue. We have faith in judiciary." Have another month to carry on protests: Shaheen Bagh protesters react to SC giving Centre more time to respond on CAA pleas "Nothing wrong with the order. Nothing wrong in giving time to file reply. Nothing wrong in forming a constitutional bench or taking up interim relief after 4 weeks. But is this what you expect of a court tasked with defending the constitution in the face of this onslaught?" he tweeted. "Routine hearing, another 4 weeks. No stay or even postponement of CAA. This SC is at best a reluctant warrior in the battle to defend letter, spirit & soul of the constitution. We the People of India must continue the movement to save the Constitution that we gave to ourselves." Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court order on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act today. Calling the Supreme Court a reluctant warrior in battle to defend Constitution, he urged the citizens to continue their movement against the law. And hence, the revolt shall go on... #ShaheenBagh #SupremeCourt #inquilabzindabad https://t.co/Yd63DKuJNL SC Hearing on CAA Latest Updates: The Supreme Court today made it clear that it will not grant any stay on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) without hearing the Centre. It has given the Centre four weeks to reply to all the generic petitions regarding CAA, while Assam and Tripura specific matters should be responded to within two weeks. The Supreme Court started hearing around 143 pleas, both for and against CAA in a packed courtroom. With representatives of all 143 petitioners apparently present in the Chief Justice's court, the room remained packed to the brim. However, this seem to have annoyed CJI SA Bobde, who said that the noise is such that he is unable to hear a thing. Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that notwithstanding the protest, he is not willing to reconsider the Citizenship Amendment Act or to modify it in an way. This prompted an acerbic tweet from Congress leader Sanjay Jha, who said that 'arrogance' always backfires in politics. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas seeking to examine the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at 11.30 am, news reports said. A batch of at least 143 petitions is to come up before the apex court as the case list enlists all related petitions at number four. A bench, comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, which had issued notice to the Centre on various pleas is likely to hear 132 petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. CAA seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before 31 December, 2014. Some of the petitions filed later have also sought a stay on the operation of the legislation which came into force on 10 January. The apex court had on 9 January refused to entertain a plea seeking that the CAA be declared constitutional, saying the country is going through difficult times and there is so much violence that endeavour should be for peace. IUML said in its plea that CAA violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion on the basis of religion. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on 12 December, turning it into an Act. IUML seeks an interim stay on the operation of CAA and the Foreigner Amendment (Order), 2015 and Passport (Entry Into Rules), Amendment Rules, 2015. The petition had alleged that the government's CAA was against the basic structure of the Constitution and intended to explicitly discriminate against Muslims as the Act extended benefits only to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The plea filed by Ramesh, said the Act is a "brazen attack" on core fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution and treats "equals as unequal". Ramesh said the substantial questions of law, including whether religion can be a factor to either acquire or deny citizenship in India, arises for consideration of the court as it is a "patently unconstitutional" amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955. "The impugned Act creates two classifications, viz, classification on basis of religion and the classification on the basis of geography and both the classifications are completely unreasonable and share no rational nexus to the object of the impugned Act i.e., to provide shelter, safety and citizenship to communities who in their native country are facing persecution on grounds of religion," the plea said. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA, including by RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Several other petitioners include Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGOs 'Rihai Manch' and Citizens Against Hate, advocate ML Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act. COUNCILLOR Michael Collins has been added to the Fianna Fail general election ticket for Limerick County. The surprise move comes just hours after another councillor, Cllr Eddie Ryan had withdrawn his name from the contest. I am surprised but I am absolutely delighted, Cllr Collins said this Wednesday lunchtime, after he had lodged his nomination papers. He had been ratified as a candidate to join Deputy Niall Collins on the ticket by a special meeting of the National Constituencies Committee at 9am this morning. Cllr Collins was deeply honoured to be standing, he said, because we have a very proud tradition of Fianna Fail in West Limerick. We should be contesting these elections, he said. I think the government party is not popular and we have a good chance of taking a second seat. I am going into this with a positive attitude. This is an exciting time for the party as we put forward a real alternative to this uncaring Fine Gael government, he added. There are very real issues facing people living in Limerick. After nine years of Fine Gael bad decisions, its time for a change. We need to see real investment in Co Limerick in terms of employment and infrastructure and the rising cost of living needs to be brought under control. Families are under severe pressure in the face of spiralling rents, childcare fees and insurance costs. This simply cannot continue, he said. I am looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail and putting my partys policies to the people. Alongside Niall Collins I believe Fianna Fail has the strongest ticket possible to deliver for people in Limerick. Cllr Collns brings to ten the number of candidates now going forward in Limerick County. They are: Fine Gael, Patrick ODonovan TD and Tom Neville; Fianna Fail, Niall Collins TD and Cllr Michael Collins; Independents Cllr Richard ODonoghue and Con Cremin; Sinn Fein, Seighin OCeallaigh; Green Party, Claire Keating; RENUA, John Dalton; National Party, Cristin Ni Mhaoldhomhnaigh. Carnela Hill, President-Elect of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Greater Raleigh Chapter, a local avenue for women entrepreneurs of large and small businesses to connect with their peers, and Wendy Coulter, Founder of the NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame and Immediate Past President of NAWBO Greater Raleigh, have announced that nominations are open for the 2020 NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame. Founded in 2018, the NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame honors North Carolinas most successful female entrepreneurs and advocates who have made significant and enduring contributions for womens entrepreneurial development in North Carolina. Nominations are now open and run through March 15, 2020 at http://ncwbohalloffame.org/. This initiative is in coordination with NAWBO Greater Raleigh, NAWBO Charlotte, the Small Business Administration (SBA), National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), Bank of America and many other North Carolina organizations. Inductees to the NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame must meet the criteria stated on the website. Consideration of potential inductees requires that their efforts, accomplishments and impact be documented and widely honored. A gala to announce the 2020 inductees will be held in Raleigh, NC in June, and will be hosted by NAWBO Greater Raleigh. The past inductees to the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame include: Ann Bailey, Cindy Eckert, Andrea Harris, Nancy McFarlane, Fabi Preslar, Ashley Thomas, Leah Brown, Mary Cantando, Linda Craft, Barksdale "Dale" Halton, Elizabeth Nisbet Miller, Sheila Hale Ogle, Gloria Shealey, Janice Bryant Howroyd, Sara Garces Roselli, Mildred Council (Mama Dip), and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. For more information or to nominate a deserving woman to the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame, visit http://ncwbohalloffame.org/. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, contact Wendy Coulter at 919-812-0284 or by email to wendy@hummingbird-creative.com. About NAWBO - Greater Raleigh Chapter Founded in 1978, NAWBO-Greater Raleigh has championed women business owners for 40 years with purposeful connectionsconnections to education, mentoring, networking, authentic relationships, strategic partners, and so much more. As a local chapter of a national organization, NAWBO-Greater Raleigh is a powerful resource for connecting and building long-term relationships with other women entrepreneurs, with businesses of all sizes and from all demographics and business sectors, share resources and best practices, and more. NAWBO-Greater Raleighs vision is to propel women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. For more information, visit http://nawbo-raleigh.org About NAWBO - Charlotte Chapter In 1999, the Charlotte-based womens organization WBO joined the National Association of Women Business Owners to become NAWBO Charlotte. Today, NAWBO Charlotte is the only organization specially designed to serve, support, and strengthen the 42,000 women-owned businesses in the greater Charlotte, NC metropolitan area. For more information, visit https://www.nawbocharlotte.org. A Florida woman has been arrested after she was caught on bodycam footage taking a bite out of a police officer's leg and refusing to let go. Sheriff's deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office responded to 58 Brookside Lane in Palm Coast last Friday due to a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, deputies attempted to speak with 38-year-old Cherie Saunders, who had allegedly slapped a male resident of the home. In bodycam footage, Saunders is heard screaming at the officers while standing in the driveway of her residence 'with her make-up smeared, no shoes, slurred speech, and a heavy scent of alcohol'. 'Get the f**k off my goddamn property right now!' she is heard yelling. Saunders (right) was arrested and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, domestic battery and resisting an officer with violence. She was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond. Also pictured is the gash she allegedly left on the deputy's leg Florida woman, Cherie Saunders (pictured in her garage), 38, has been arrested after she was caught on bodycam footage taking a bite out of a police officer's leg and refusing to let go Officers are heard trying to speak with Saunders (pictured) who continued to launch expletives at them. 'Bye bye Felicias,' she is heard saying before walking over to the deputies in a threatening manner Officers are heard trying to speak with Saunders who continued to launch expletives at them. 'Bye bye Felicias,' she is heard saying before walking over to the deputies in a threatening manner. The video then dives into chaos with Saunders kicking and screaming as deputies attempted to secure her in handcuffs. At one point during the struggle, one of the deputies was bitten by Saunders on his right calf. She appears to refuse to release her bite hold until another deputy was able to free her grip on his leg. The bite resulted in a two-inch mark which immediately showed broken skin, swelling, and bruising. The video then dives into chaos with Saunders kicking and screaming as deputies attempted to secure her in handcuffs. At one point during the struggle, one of the deputies was bitten by Saunders on his right calf 'Moments later, the deputy who was bitten began to feel ill and lost consciousness momentarily,' according to a press statement. The deputy was then transported to the hospital for a medical evaluation. 'Rather than let us handle the investigation in a civil manner, this woman actively fought our deputies and bit one deputy resulting in a trip to the hospital,' Sheriff Rick Staly said. 'If you attack my deputies you will not win and you will go to the Green Roof Inn facing serious charges. This is a prime example of how dangerous domestic violence calls are for our deputies to handle. Thankfully the deputy was not seriously injured by her actions,' Staly added. Saunders was arrested and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, domestic battery and resisting an officer with violence. On the way to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility for booking, Saunders vomited in the patrol vehicle. It was determined that she would need to be medically cleared by the hospital prior to booking due to her level of intoxication. She was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond. Saunders was arrested previously in 2018 for resisting an officer without violence. NEW YORK - Harvey Weinstein went on trial Wednesday in a landmark moment for the # MeToo movement, with prosecutors painting him as a sexual predator who used his Hollywood clout to abuse women for decades, while his lawyers sought to portray his accusers as willing participants. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/1/2020 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi leaves court during Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) NEW YORK - Harvey Weinstein went on trial Wednesday in a landmark moment for the # MeToo movement, with prosecutors painting him as a sexual predator who used his Hollywood clout to abuse women for decades, while his lawyers sought to portray his accusers as willing participants. Prosecutor Meghan Hast told the jury of seven men and five women that the former studio boss was not just a titan in Hollywood he was a rapist" who screamed at one victim that she owed him sex, used injections to induce an erection before an assault and pushed his way into the apartment of another woman and attacked her. It is for his complete lack of empathy that he must be held accountable," Hast said. Weinstein lawyer Damon Cheronis countered by laying out plans to use friendly-sounding emails, calendar entries and other evidence to call into question the accusers' accounts of being attacked. Harvey Weinstein, followed by his attorney Donna Rotunno, leaves court during his rape trial, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The opening of the rape trial more than two years after a barrage of allegations against Weinstein gave rise to the #MeToo movement was seen by activists as a milestone in the global reckoning over sexual misconduct by powerful men. Weinsteins lawyers have portrayed the case as the result of a climate of accusation run amok. Weinstein has insisted any sexual encounters were consensual. He could get life in prison if convicted. Weinstein, 67, told reporters he felt very confident about the case as he left court: I got great lawyers. While he entered the courthouse without the walker he has been using lately because of back problems, he was leaning on it again as he left. The once-powerful and feared executive brought to the screen such Oscar-winning movies as Pulp Fiction," The King's Speech, Shakespeare in Love" and Chicago and hobnobbed with the elite in Hollywood and beyond, a point prosecutors made by showing jurors a photo of Weinstein with former President Bill Clinton. A prosecutor also told the judge that Weinstein had taken calls from Clinton while Weinstein was with one of his accusers. Harvey Weinstein, center, accompanied by attorney Arthur Aidala, right, arrives at court for his rape trial, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Weinstein's lawyers later cited the photo in asking for a mistrial, saying the image was irrelevant and accusing prosecutors of improperly trying to influence the jury. Judge James Burke denied the request. Scores of women have accused Weinstein of exploiting his position as a career-maker to sexually harass or assault them over the years. But the New York charges centre on two allegations: that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on former Project Runway production assistant Mimi Haleyi in his apartment in 2006 and raped an aspiring actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault, unless they come forward publicly. The rape accuser found a needle in the hotel room bathroom after the alleged assault and realized Weinstein had injected himself to get an erection, Hast said. Another time, after the woman told him she had a new boyfriend, Weinstein dragged her into a bedroom, all the while screaming at her that he owed her one more time, Hast said. He ripped her jeans off so forcefully that it left scratch marks. Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi , right, arrives for Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The prosecutor said Weinstein later told the woman, I just want to apologize for what happened earlier. I just find you so attractive, I couldnt resist you. In addition to the two women he is charged with attacking, prosecutors plan to call to the stand four other accusers -- including actress Annabella Sciorra in a bid to show a pattern of predatory behaviour by Weinstein. They will each describe their fear, their shame and their humiliation the struggle each went through to push their trauma down and show a brave face to the world, Hast said. With Sciorra expected to take the stand Thursday, Hast detailed allegations that Weinstein sexually assaulted the Sopranos actress around 1993 after giving her a ride home to her Manhattan apartment and forcing his way inside. She told him to get out. She told him no. But Harvey Weinstein was undeterred, Hast said. She said the actress eventually stopped fighting Weinstein, hoping it would end," and was left "emotionally and physically destroyed, passed out on the floor. Weinsteins lawyers made clear they intend to go on the offensive. Cheronis said the 2013 rape accuser sent Weinstein a request that year asking for time privately with him and another message letting him know, I got a new number. I just wanted you to have it. Always good to hear your voice." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Cherinos said: These arent our words. Theyre hers. It is not a relationship based on fear. You are going to see that. Later Wednesday, testimony got underway with prosecutors calling to the stand former Weinstein Co. board member Lance Maerov, who described the ex-producer as "an extremely influential, powerful person" who could be charming in public and aggressive in private. I would say his public personality was diametrically opposed to who he was in private, Maerov said. The movie company went bankrupt after Weinstein's fall. While Weinstein's trial got rolling, another judge in the same courthouse set an April 21 date for Cuba Gooding Jr.'s trial on charges of groping three women without their consent at New York City bars. The Oscar-winning Jerry Maguire" actor has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyer has argued it's a case of #MeToo-minded overreach. ___ Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report. S outh Korea's first known transgender soldier has urged the military to allow her to continue serving. The staff sargent, who identified herself as a tank driver named Byun Hui-su, made her plea after the country's armed forces decided to discharge her for undergoing gender reassignment surgery. It was the first time in South Korea that an active-duty member has been referred to a military panel to determine whether his or her service should be ended due to a sex reassignment operation. South Korea prohibits transgender people from joining the military but has no specific laws on what to do with those who have sex reassignment operations during their time in service. South Korean Army staff sergeant Byun Hui-su, who voluntarily enlisted before having gender-reassignment surgery in November / YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images The army said in a statement that it concluded the soldier's operation can be considered a reason for discharge. It said the decision went through due process and was based on a related military law on personnel changes. Army officials cited a provision of the law allowing the military to discharge personnel with physical or mental disabilities if those problems weren't a result of combat or in the line of duty. After the ruling, Ms Byun Hui-su held a news conference to ask military leaders to reconsider their decision and let her serve as a female soldier. Byun Hui-su leaves after a press conference at the Center for Military Human Right Korea in Seoul / AP She said becoming a soldier was her childhood dream and that she now wants to serve at the tense border with rival North Korea. "Regardless of my sexual identity, I'd like to show everyone that I can become one of the great soldiers who protect this country," Ms Byun said, holding back tears. "Please give me that chance." Ms Byun said she had sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in November after suffering depression over her sexual identity for an extended period. She said in early 2019 she had the top score in an official assessment of tank driving skills among her battalion staff sergeants. South Korean army Sergeant Byun Hui-su weeps during a press conference / AP Speaking at the same news conference, rights activist Lim Tae-hoon said he will fight alongside Ms Byun and others to transform what he called "our savage military". Mr Lim, the leader of the Seoul-based Centre for Military Human Rights, took issue with the army's legal justification for discharging Ms Byun. "I can't resist feeling wretched at the military's vulgar mindset as they determined that the lack of a male genital is a physical disability," he said. South Korea's state-run human rights watchdog recommended Tuesday that the army postpone its decision. The National Human Rights Commission said in a statement that referring the soldier to the military panel would be an act of discrimination over sexual identity and affect the soldier's basic human rights. Public views on gender issues in South Korea have gradually changed in recent years. Several gay-themed movies and TV dramas have become hits and some transgender entertainers have risen to stardom. However, a strong bias against sexual minorities still runs deep in South Korean society. In a preview for his domestic battles to come, Trump extolled the supposed success of his "pro-worker, pro-citizen, pro-family" agenda and his efforts to slash regulations. He told his counterparts in Davos to "liberate your citizens from the crushing weight of bureaucracy." And what about climate? Trump didn't directly attack the forum or some of the outspoken climate activists in attendance. But the contempt behind his message was unmistakable. "We must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse," he said, then likened those campaigning on the climate to "the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune tellers." He told European partners that they should consider purchasing U.S. energy - never mind the serious measures being attempted on Europe to wean it off fossil fuels. It was a conspicuous stance for Trump to take. The herald of "American carnage" and an incessant anti-immigrant rabble-rouser now insisted that "fear and doubt was not a good thought process" and cast himself as an agent of "optimism." The package of bills on making amendments and supplements to the laws on criminal procedure and banking secrecy, which the Parliament of Armenia is considering and which envisages disclosure of banking information, will have the opposite effect and contribute to the outflow of capital from the country. This is what former deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia, economist Vardan Bostanjyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am today. The existing legislation allows to fight against corruption and the illicit circulation of financial resources and capital, and for this reason, the authorities arguments supporting the need for amendments are not justified, the analyst added. The authorities present the increase of effectiveness of the fight against corruption as an argument for the amendments. In its turn, the opposition is concerned that this may destabilize the operation of registered banks in Armenia and reduce investor confidence. SPRINGFIELD Miguel Rodriguez twice refused to meet with a clinician for a psychological evaluation after he was charged with the kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl on Jan. 15. Rodriguez appeared in court Wednesday for a brief dangerousness hearing, theoretically designed to vet whether the defendant was fit to be released on bail. Instead, Rodriguez will be held for a 20-day psychological assessment at Bridgewater State Hospital. He is accused of snatching a Springfield girl off the street as she walked home from school that afternoon. After witnesses reported the incident, it tripped an intense hunt for Rodriguezs blue Honda Civic. State police issued an Amber Alert and Rodriguez was stopped on the Massachusetts Turnpike hours later. she was in the back seat. He had threatened her with a knife if she attempted to escape, police said. Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to aggravated kidnapping, witness intimidation and assault with a dangerous weapon. While the manhunt was ongoing, family members told a reporter with MassLive Rodriguez suffers from schizophrenia. He is due back in court on Feb. 11. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said the psychological evaluation with not change the trajectory of the prosecution. We will pursue this case as aggressively as possible, as aggressively as the law allows, he said after the hearing. Medicare appears to be overpaying surgeons for many medical procedures, according to a new RAND Corporation analysis. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Andrew Mulcahy and colleagues suggest that federal officials should incorporate ways to more objectively measure the amount of postoperative care surgeons provide to patients -- the patient care item that is at the center of the dispute. Information that Medicare began collecting in 2017 from a sample of the nation's surgeons suggests that they provide only a small share of the postoperative care that is built into the payments they receive from Medicare. Modeling done by Mulcahy and his colleagues suggests that if Medicare payments were adjusted to remove the money allocated for the undelivered postoperative care, reimbursements for the procedures in question would be reduced by 28% or about $2.6 billion in 2018. "There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that Medicare pays surgeons for postoperative care they mostly do not provide," said Mulcahy, lead author of the perspective and a senior policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Medicare should adjust payments to reflect the care actually provided." Because Medicare caps how much it spends on physicians and related care each year, overpayments to surgeons for procedures results in lower payment rates for other services like office visits. Mulcahy and his colleagues modeled that lower payments for procedures would result in a net increase in payments to primary care providers. For most surgical procedures, Medicare and most private insurers provide physicians a single bundled payment that covers both the procedure and related postoperative care over a period of up to 90 days. About 25% of Medicare payments for procedures is for bundled postoperative care. In 2015, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed removing postoperative visits from bundled payments in response to chart reviews by auditors that suggested far fewer postoperative visits were provided by surgeons than the agency has assumed when setting Medicare payment rates. Surgeons would have billed Medicare for each individual postoperative visit. Surgical physician groups opposed the changes and the U.S. Congress passed legislation preventing any payment changes until CMS collected more information about the number and level of postoperative visits provided by surgeons. Estimates about the number of postoperative visits performed by surgeons have come from industry groups, such as surgical societies, that survey surgeons to ask them to estimate the number and level of postoperative visits required to care for typical patients undergoing different procedures. That information has been used to help set the bundled reimbursement rates, and CMS has no mechanism to confirm that the allotted amount of postoperative care is actually provided by the surgeons being paid for procedures. RAND research has found that while Medicare pays for a postoperative visit following nearly all minor surgical procedures, just 4% of minor procedures reviewed had a visit. For major surgical procedures, only 39% of the postoperative visits paid for by Medicare were provided. Mulcahy and his colleagues suggest that federal officials should move to a system for setting reimbursement rates that does not depend solely on physician surveys. Other inputs that should be considered include billing claims, quality-improvement databases and electronic health records, which all provide some information about the number of postoperative visits actually provided. "Such a system would permit more-direct adjustments to valuations made on the basis of new, more objective information," Mulcahy said. "Ultimately, patients bear the cost of distortions in payment rates, which result in reduced access to underpaid services and an inflated cost-sharing burden for overpaid services." ### Other authors of the perspective are Katie Merrell of Actuarial Research and Dr. Ateev Mehrotra of RAND and the Harvard Medical School. RAND Health Care promotes healthier societies by improving health care systems in the United States and other countries. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: The Iranian government has not discussed the decision about Irans withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), head of the Iranian Presidential Administration Mahmoud Vaezi told reporters. Vaezi made the remark following the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports referring to IRNA. Of course, this issue is in the Iranian governments competence but other structure must make a corresponding decision, head of the Iranian Presidential Administration added. In a letter to the heads of the 4 + 1 group (Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) in May of last Iranian year, the Iranian president announced that Iran wants to remain in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and fulfill its commitments on the condition that other parties of the nuclear agreement fulfill their commitments, Vaezi said. The Iranian president said that if the US or any party tries to send Iran's nuclear program to the UN Security Council, then Iran will make tougher decisions and one of them will be withdrawal from NPT, Vaezi said. The UK, France and Germany issued a statement regarding Iran's suspension of its obligations within JCPOA and announced that they launched a process to resolve nuclear disputes. If problems are not solved in this process, the matter will be discussed at the UN Security Councils meeting. In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions against Iran in November of the same year. In order to preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal stated in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed. On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories having not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal. On Sept. 5, Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA. On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA. Iran no longer faces any restrictions on its nuclear program. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) A total of 63,000 motorcycle taxi riders may now serve commuters in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and this time, Cagayan de Oro. House Transportation Committee Chair Edgar Mary Sarmiento of Samar made this announcement Wednesday, after an executive session with the Transportation Departments technical working group and motorcycle taxis seeking to continue plying their usual routes. From the previous 30,000 total cap for Metro Manila riders, ride-hailing firms Angkas, JoyRide and Move It may have an additional 5,000 bikers each for a total of 45,000. That means each ride-hailing company can operate 15,000 motorcycle taxis in Metro Manila. For Metro Cebu, the 3,000-rider cap for each firm will be maintained, which is equivalent to 9,000 riders for the three companies. Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro City will also be allowed to have the 3,000-rider cap for each firm for a total of 9,000, after the technical working group head Antonio Gardiola confirmed that it will now be included in the governments study for motorcycle taxis. To add it all, magkakaroon na po tayo ng 63,000-cap all in all, (we will have a 63,000-cap all in all) Gardiola said in a chance interview with the media. We are considering all sentiments, recommendations, thats why we came up with all this, [including] raising the cap, he added, noting that more transportation experts will take part in the study. This means that the study now covers Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao on the safety and efficiency of motorcycle taxis as a mode of public transportation. In a statement released by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said should any of the players fail to fill up the slots allotted to them, these could be claimed by other companies. Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca also confirmed that they have agreed to drop their cases against the technical working group, making room for the study to resume unhampered. Angkas riders earlier filed a petition against the new Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) guidelines on the motorcycle pilot run, including its previous cap implementation which would leave 17,000 of their drivers unemployed, after Joy Ride and Move It entered the market. The casesnagkausap na kami [ng TWG] doon. We are now in collaboration. Excited po kami sa pilot at makipagtulungan sa gobyerno, Angkas chief advocate George Royeca said. [Translation: Regarding the cases, we have already talked about it with the TWG. We are now in collaboration. We are excited for the pilot and in cooperating with the government.] With the cooperation that we have at hand, palagay ko kayang tapusin ito (I think we can finish it in time), Gardiola added. Gardiola earlier told the media that they will have to terminate their study and declare the three ride-hailing firms as "illegal," as they have not gathered sufficient data on their safety despite the three-month extension given to conduct the study. Senators were not convinced by this claim, noting that both chambers of Congress cannot be pressured into passing a measure just because of the technical working group's "inability to get data." READ: Motorcycle taxis not yet banned as pilot run continues DOTr The Inter-agency TWG first conducted its study from June to December 2019. This was extended to three more months until March this year. Etawah : , Jan 22 (IANS) The police in Etawah district chased and caned women protesters who had started a dharna against the citizenship law. A video clip that has gone viral on the social media on Wednesday, shows policemen chasing women, caning them and also barging into shops to force their closure. The clip shows cops chasing women into the narrow lane of Pachraha area. In a 17-second clip, the women can be heard shouting and asking the police why they are being assaulted. The police is also seen lathi-charging men who had gathered in the area. In another video, cops are seen entering a roadside eatery and hitting the employees inside and forcing its closure. Cops are further seen hitting a roadside vendor and asking him to shut shop. A cop is also heard abusing protesters. According to reports, the protest had taken place in Pachraha on Tuesday with about 150 women sitting on dharna. The numbers swelled by evening and more than 500 women were present when the police crackdown began. Meanwhile, the Etawah police said in a tweet that the protesters had first pelted stones at the cops. Protests are going on in various parts of the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which the government says will help minorities from Muslim-dominated Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to get citizenship if they have fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics of the law, among whom are students, activists, politicians, women and a number of celebrities, say the CAA, along with the National Register of Citizens, the other controversial process meant to flush out illegal migrants, would be used to target Muslims. Lucknow has been the epicentre of protests in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a pro-CAA rally on Tuesday in Lucknow, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the citizenship law would not be withdrawn come what may. New Delhi/Islamabad, Jan 22 : The Sikh leader who deactivated his Twitter account and moved to Lahore from Peshawar after he was assaulted by "unidentified" armed men a few weeks ago, has fled Pakistan, fearing threats to his life. Sources in Islamabad said that Radesh Singh Tony, a minority rights activist and Sikh leader along with his family from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa left Pakistan due to threats and is likely to take asylum in India. Tony has been target of Islamist extremists and has received threats several times. He has also been critical of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and complaining about the deteriorating law and order situation in Pakistan. Sikh community, a miniscule minority in Pakistan have been, facing severe insecurity since the recent attack on their holy shrine at Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak. One Sikh youth was also killed by unidentified men following the attack. Radesh Singh Tony was the only minority politician from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to have contested last year's election as an independent candidate. He had earlier contested local government elections for a minority general councillor seat and was elected with a majority. He resigned from his seat to contest the last general election for an assembly seat. However, he lost the election. Recently, Tony suspended his social media accounts and moved to Lahore after he received threats by Islamist extremists on phone and was assaulted by a group of young men, sources said. He attributed threats to his rising popularity as a leader in Peshawar. The opposition leader Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar recently slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan over his criticism of India's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which grants citizenship to persecuted minorities of three neighbouring countries. "We should also take care of our own minorities when we criticize rights violations in other countries," she had remarked. Yesterday was the first full day of President Trump's impeachment trial, the third in American history. It also marked the third anniversary of Trump's first full day as president. That day, then-press secretary Sean Spicer told the Trump administration's first lie by claiming Trump had "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period. In honor of the occasion, President Trumps lawyers began this impeachment trial by essentially telling the Senate and American people not to believe their eyes and ears. You may have seen some coverage depicting the start of this trial as a bitter circus with "both sides" going into their partisan corners. That is falsely equivalent framing. The dishonest and undignified behavior was far from equal. House Democrats represented the interests of the US Constitution. Senate Republicans represented the interests of the president. And President Trump's impeachment lawyers represented a false reality upheld by a foundation of Fox News-enabled disinformation. Day one was focused on debating the rules of the trial proceedings. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was forced to make two key changes due to pressure from more moderate Republicans. Rather than 24 hours and two days of debate allocated to each side, the debate will now be spread across three days and the House impeachment evidence will be automatically entered into the Senate record. But there will be no witnesses sought at the onset of the trial, even though a majority of Americans want them. Senate Republicans claimed this is the Clinton impeachment precedent, but during that trial, there wasn't a White House that stonewalled all witnesses and documents from the House impeachment inquiry. What followed was more than 12 hours of debate on McConnell's resolution starting shortly after 1 pm. It ended at about 2am this morning, with all 53 Senate Republicans voting against every amendment presented by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) seeking witnesses and documents. The end result is, of course, important, as Senate Republicans definitively proved they do not want to guarantee the American people a fair trial. But what happened during those 12 hours of debate must not be ignored or accepted as normal. Led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the House impeachment managers made compelling arguments outlining the evidence their House impeachment inquiry uncovered while making the case for the inclusion of new witnesses and documentary evidence. They argued that every impeachment trial the Senate has ever held heard witnesses, with the average number of witnesses heard in each trial being 33. In opposition to those proposed amendments, President Trump's impeachment lawyers made weak arguments that mostly fall apart under scrutiny, at times outright lying. Early in the day, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone claimed, "Not even Mr Schiff's Republican colleagues were allowed into the SCIF." That is a blatant lie. Cipollone was talking about the House impeachment inquiry's closed-door depositions that did, in fact, include Republicans. Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee where the depositions were held, struck back, joking: "With respect to those secret hearings that counsel keeps referring to, those secret depositions in the House were so secret that only 100 members of Congress were able to be there and participate. Only 100. That's how secret that chamber was." That exchange was a microcosm of how the day went: House impeachment managers made a compelling argument for why a particular witness or trove of documents should be sought. Trump's impeachment lawyers then made false or misleading arguments which blasted the House impeachment process and distorted the evidence. This was then followed by strong rebuttals from Schiff. That cycle repeated for most of the 12 hours. All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters Many of the assertions made by Trump's impeachment lawyers were undercut by the Trump administrations own actions. Schiff pointed out that while Trump's impeachment lawyers are arguing the House should let the court decide on witnesses, the DOJ is simultaneously arguing the opposite. Trump's lawyers claimed that House Democrats didn't accumulate enough evidence when it's the White House who blocked all documents and firsthand witnesses in the first place. Trump's lawyers said House Democrats held a one-sided process and prevented the president from participating when it was the White House who refused House invitations to participate. Trump's lawyers went on to recite the same false four impeachment defenses Republicans pushed during the House proceedings. In spite of these arguments, which were patently made in bad faith, Senate Republicans still approved McConnell's resolution. Now, we embark on three days of arguments from the House impeachment managers. It's clear this isn't just about President Trump. American democracy, the Constitution, and truth itself are on trial. We will see if Senate Republicans continue to put their loyalty to Trump over their loyalty to their country and we can hold out hope that they might wake up. Making clear it will not stay the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the government four weeks to respond to petitions challenging the CAA and said a five-judge Constitution bench will hear the matter. Hearing a batch of 143 petitions, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre and restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on the CAA till it decides on the pleas. The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, said it will hear the petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura separately as the problem with the CAA in these two states is different from rest of the country. "The matter is uppermost in everybody's mind. We will form a five-judge bench and then list the case," the court said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for some petitioners, said the issue be referred to a Constitution bench and the NPR exercise be postponed by a couple of months. He also urged the bench to put on hold the operationalisation of the CAA. The bench said, "Even we think that the matter should be heard by a Constitution bench." Asserting that it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter, it said, "Will pass order on granting any interim relief to petitioner opposing CAA after four weeks." The court also made it clear it will not pass any ex-parte order without hearing the Centre on staying the operation of the CAA and exercise of the National Population Register (NPR). It said the earlier cut off date for citizenship in Assam was March 24, 1971 and noted that it has been extended till December 31, 2014 under the CAA. The petitions concerning Tripura and Assam as well as the matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately, the bench said. The bench said it will decide in-chamber the modalities of hearing the batch of petitions on the CAA and may fix them for day-to-day hearing after four weeks. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to all the pleas. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA. Among those who have filed pleas are the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. The IUML said in its plea that the CAA violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion on the basis of religion. The petition had alleged that the government's CAA was against the basic structure of the Constitution and intended to explicitly discriminate against Muslims as the Act extended benefits only to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The plea filed by Ramesh said the Act is a "brazen attack" on core fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution and treats "equals as unequal". The other petitioners include the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the All Assam Students Union (AASU), the Peace Party, the CPI, NGOs Rihai Manch and Citizens Against Hate, advocate M L Sharma, and law students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mallorca has been smashed by huge waves and another town filled with foam as a storm continues to lash Spain, leaving eight dead and 200,000 without power. Videos yesterday showed waves crashing over the seafront walls and sending water cascading down the street towards buildings in Cala Ratjada on Mallorca. While in the Costa Brava holiday resort of Tossa de Mar, locals woke up to the surreal sight of sea foam which had invaded part of the old town. One woman was filmed trying to get into her house in the resort up to her waist in the foam. Storm Gloria is expected to bring heavy rains to Catalonia today, increasing the risk rivers in areas like Girona could overflow. The Interior Minister has described the storm as 'exceptional'. Nine provinces are still on orange or yellow alert because of high winds and waves, snow and the risk from ice and avalanches. A woman tries to enter her home in the Costa Brava holiday resort of Tossa de Mar with sea foam filling the street up to her waist on Tuesday Mallorca is smashed by huge waves Tuesday with water seen rushing through the street towards buildings Storm Gloria has killed at least eight people, one a 63-year-old man killed by a roof tile near Avila. Waves have battered the coast in Valencia, Javea, Mallorca and Menorca. Meanwhile heavy rains have caused flooding in Girona and left thousands without power The Foreign Office has issued an 'extreme risk' warning to British tourists after the storm battered many parts of the country since Sunday, claiming eight lives. Earlier today the death toll was four, but that jumped to eight this afternoon. Those include a 43-year-old engineer killed on Sunday in front of his wife and two children by an out-of-control van as he tried to put snow chains on his tyres near a ski resort in the northern province of Leon. The four new victims included a Spanish pensioner who had been reported missing after his empty car was found in a flood area near the Costa Blanca. Police divers discovered his body in the River Guadalest near the town of Polop a 20-minute drive north of Benidorm. A farmer died in Nijar near Almeria in south east Spain after becoming trapped inside his greenhouse during a hailstorm. Footage taken from within an entrance to a building showed an apocalyptic wall of water heading straight towards apartments Footage shows the sea water lashing the apartments and falling heavily down onto the street Storm Gloria is expected to bring heavy rains to Catalonia today, increasing the risk rivers in areas like Girona could overflow (pictured: a woman enters her home yesterday in Tossa de Mar as foam fills the streets) Firefighters found the body of a 75-year-old under the remains of a building in Alcoy in the province of Alicante which collapsed because of the bad weather. And authorities confirmed a homeless man had died of hypothermia in a park in the neighbouring province of Almeria. He became the third person killed by hypothermia since the start of Storm Gloria. The other two dead included a Romanian woman who was sleeping rough in a park in the Costa Blanca resort of Gandia, found dead on Monday morning, and a 71-year-old Spaniard who died after going out for a walk in Moixent in the province of Valencia. Another four people are missing, including a 25-year-old British man in Ibiza. In Catalonia, one of the worst affected areas of Spain at present, 64 people have so far been treated for injuries caused by the bad weather. A flooded house is pictured in Malgrat de Mar, near Girona on Wednesday. The region is expected to be hit with more heavy rains today A man takes a picture of flooded fields in Malgrat de Mar, near Girona on Wednesday. The Interior Minister has described the weather as 'exceptional' A flooded garden is pictured in Malgrat de Mar, near Girona on Wednesday as Storm Gloria continues to lash the country A tree is partially submerged in floodwater after heavy rains struck in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region Isabel Ferrer, Civil Protection Director for Catalonia, warned more rain due this afternoon would increase the risk of flooding and rivers overflowing their banks. Urging people in the region to avoid all unnecessary journeys, she said: 'We are facing an emergency situation which is still not over.' Catalonia's Interior Minister Miguel Buch predicted the next few hours would be 'very difficult'. Overnight it emerged search and rescue teams are looking for two people missing in the Costa Brava town of Palamos and a small town near Barcelona called Begues. The man missing in Palamos is understood to have fallen into the water as he tried to berth a boat. The man who vanished in Begues disappeared after failing to return from a walk. He is believed to be aged around 80. Waves crash into the sea wall in Mallorca on Tuesday and lash into apartment buildings on the coast Water crashes against the top of an apartment building sending water high into the air yesterday Waves lashing the coast in Mallorca on Tuesday and crash into apartment buildings Three other people reported missing on Tuesday included a 27-year-old abseiler who became separated from friends in Majorca and a Spanish pensioner whose car was carried away in a flood area as he drove from Benidorm to nearby Callosa d'En Sarria. Two have yet to be found. The OAP's vehicle was empty when it was located and searched by firefighters and the search for the abseiler was suspended late yesterday because of bad weather. Fears another man who went missing in the eastern province of Castellon could become a Storm Gloria victim, were dispelled overnight after it emerged he had been found safe and well in a rural shelter. He is understood to have vanished after going to check on his cows. The Costa Blanca, Costa Brava and the Balearic Islands have been among the worst affected areas by the latest storm, which has been battering many parts of Spain in the form of high winds, torrential rain and snow since Sunday. Alicante Airport, closed last week by a roof fire, had to be shut again for a day and a half from Sunday as a precaution. Foam is thrown up into the air by the wind lashing the Costa Brava holiday resort of Tossa de Mar on Tuesday Foam fills an alley in Tossa de Mar as Storm Gloria continues to lash Spain with further warnings issued for today Strong winds blow thick sea foam through the streets of Tossa De Mar, Catalonia, Spain January 20, 2020 in this still image taken from social media video Waves hit the breakwater during a storm in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday A wave nearly 50ft high and described as record-high for the Balearic Islands was recorded off the holiday island of Menorca at 1pm local time yesterday. Some supermarkets in Mallorca said Tuesday they were running short of certain products because sea conditions had affected shipping from the mainland. The engineer killed on Sunday has been named as Misael Garcia, from Oviedo in Asturias, northern Spain. The second victim of Storm Gloria was a 54-year-old homeless Romanian woman who died overnight on Sunday from hypothermia. She was found dead in a park on Monday morning in the Costa Blanca resort of Gandia. Local reports said the unnamed woman and her husband had refused a social services' offer of a bed for the night ahead of the storm and had only accepted blankets and food. Two woman walk along the promenade of Barcelona where the 'Gloria' storm has left strong gusts of wind and rain on January 21, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain Barceloneta beach during the 'Gloria' storm which has left strong gusts of wind and rain on Wednesday The third victim was a man who died after being hit by tiles from a roof in the village of Pedro Bernardo near the cathedral city of Avila. The 63-year-old was found dead by a neighbour asked to check on him by worried relatives. A 71-year-old man died from hypothermia in Moixent in the province of Valencia. Ports on the nearby island of Menorca have been closed for two days, the La Vanguardia newspaper said. Another video showed the swollen Onyar River in the northeastern city of Gerona gushing past buildings and almost touching the bottom of some bridges. Authorities warned there was a risk it could break its banks. A view of the beach yesterday in Barcelona as Spain continues to be rocked by Storm Gloria A man walks along the promenade of Barcelona where the 'Gloria' storm has left strong gusts of wind and rain Much of Gerona province was without electricity for several hours Tuesday because of a fault in the power connection with France, emergency services said on Twitter. Many schools remained closed in the northeastern region of Catalonia as well as the Valencia region further south and the inland region of Aragon, Spanish media said. Traffic authorities said dozens of roads remained impassable because of the snow, including the A7 highway between the northeastern town of Figueres and the French border. The storm, which whipped up Sunday, initially claimed lives of three men and one woman before the death toll then doubled. As kick off of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Autumn Winter 2020, Mercedes-Benz invited four fashion designers from South Africa to present their new collections in Berlin: Clive Rundle, Floyd Avenue, Rich Mnisi and Viviers. Worth of mentioning is the fact Mercedes- Benz celebrated its 25th anniversary of its global fashion engagement this season in Berlin. On top of that, Mercedes-Benz had a very special surprise for all the supermodel fans among you: South African supermodel Candice Swanepoel, who is estimated to be one of the best- earning models worldwide and has gained large popularity by working as a Victorias Secret Angel for more than ten years, attended the show. Thus, she showed her support to her homecounty and its rising fashion talents. Considering the fact her list of references is sheer endless and simply fantastic, we were more than excited to welcome her in Berlin. The South African fashion market is, by the way, certainly worth watching and one to rise. With their group show, the four upcoming talents used the chance to introduce the large variety of South African design, art, craftmanship and tradition to a wider public. At the same time they interpreted these inspiring influences in an incredibly innovative way. You may even say the circle closes as the whole design talent promotion programme started in South Africa in 2009. Furthermore Mercedes- Benz underlined its dedication to the international fashion scene anew, but also to the promotion of upcoming design talents. But now let us have a closer look at the four South African designers and what they presented in Berlin: Clive Rundle As one of the most renowned fashion designers in South Africa, Clive Rundle is creating womenswear with a rather avantgardistic approach. The ten complex looks he introduced in Berlin depicted figures that described the German capital city of his visions. Creative layering played a central role. Silhouettes were extremely flattering the female silhouette, some of the cuts were kept rather loose and therefore the feelgood factor of these creations was simply amazing. Gender lines were creatively blurred, for instance a male model was wearing a pleated A- line skirt with golden ornaments on it: Why not? If we dont start being courageous in the golden 20s, when will we start it? Various nuances were vividly mixed and matched together. However, you can always mix and match all pieces of these line together. Quite a clever idea, dont you think so? Fabric remnants and vintage textiles, one of his preferred materials, were used in this collection as well. They were collected for many years in his shop in Johannesburg- some of them getting ready for the big stage in Berlin Floyd Avenue Menswear designer Floyd Avenue presented eight looks of his Autumn/ Winter 2020 collection Within Your Ken. This range focused on precisely cut jackets and coats, but also utility trousers in navy blue and olive green. Therefore this line is the perfect addition for your everyday adventures. The rather restrained, timeless color palette contributed to the very wearable character of these compelling outfits. Worth of mentioning was also the very special detail- awareness of this collection: eye- catching zippers, buttons or orange cords underlined the very unique approach of these creations. The whole collection was, by the way, mainly made of cotton. The outfits appeared in a rather robustly way and are therefore the perfect addition for wearing them in Europe. Lezanne Viviers Lezanne Viviers showed with her label Viviers her latest line titled OR/ BITING AURABOROS. The use of contrary materials played a central role: for example silk, viscose, cotton, nylon and industrial fibres in rich colours were used in a bunch of different ways. Exclusively in Berlin, Viviers introduced some special creations, such as the so-called Orbiting dress. This creation symbolized the infinite connection with the precious metal gold. Being significant for this line was the use of remnants. That way you can avoid waste product and care for the environment. Simply smooth! Rich Mnisi Rich Mnisi presented his collection Alkebulan and with this line, some looks he created exclusively for the audience in Berlin. In this line, influences from Africa clearly shone through: the beauty and diverse tradition of Africa was depicted in bold, vibrant, eye- popping colours. They were, on top of that, vividly mixed and matched together. Menswear suits were kept in bright nuances and provided with eye- catching pattern. Interesting fact: the outfits were produced by a group of local tailors, remnants were often used. Incredibly inspiring! We like the fact every line of these four upcoming design talents had its very own character. It was certainly an enrichment for Berlin to have them here and we will keep an eye on their development. Review by Sussan Zeck for DSCENE Magazine MPs rebuffed attempts by the House of Lords to alter Boris Johnson's Brexit deal at the last minute today, voting down rebel amendments designed to soften the law ahead of departure. Peers had handed several vote defeats to Mr Johnson earlier this week, including a demand that the UK take in child refugees who already have family in the UK. But in a series of votes in the Commons this afternoon, Boris Johnson used his 80-seat majority to over-rule the changes and get the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) back on track. All five amendments, including one tabled by Labour peer Lord Dubs designed to safeguard the child refugees, went down to hefty defeats - his lost by 88 votes. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: 'The government is attempting to shirk its moral and legal obligation to child refugees and their families. 'The Tory manifesto just a month ago claimed they would continue to support refugees, and even that they would increase that support. 'This is a shameful betrayal of those promises.' In a series of votes in the Commons this afternoon, Boris Johnson used his 80-seat majority to over-rule changes made by peers and get the legislation back on track Peers handed several vote defeats to Mr Johnson earlier this week, including a demand that the UK take in child refugees who already have family in the UK, led by former child refugee Lord Dubs (centre) Peers had defeated the Government on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings. They also backed a proposal underlining the commitment to the so-called Sewel Convention, which states that the UK Parliament 'will not normally' legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature affected. But all five amendments were comfortably reversed by MPs, with majorities ranging from 86 to 103. During the debate on Wednesday, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the Government could not accept the Lords amendment on citizens' rights as it would make the EU Settlement Scheme 'null and void'. Mr Barclay said: 'This amendment would mean the successful EU Settlement Scheme in its current form would need to be abandoned. This is because there would be no need to register if people could later rely on a declaration that they were already in the UK. 'This would make null and void the 2.8 million applications and the 2.5 million grants of status which have already been completed.' Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott (right) said: 'The government is attempting to shirk its moral and legal obligation to child refugees and their families' Mr Barclay said the amendment would also mean the Government would be unable to issue 'more secure' digital documentation without physical documentation, adding: 'This would increase the risk of fraud and raises the issue of cost to the Government and citizens.' On child refugees, Mr Barclay defended the Government's record before claiming: 'Primary legislation cannot deliver the best outcomes for these children as it cannot guarantee that we reach an agreement and that is why this is ultimately a matter which must be negotiated with the EU and the Government is committed to seeking the best possible outcome in those negotiations.' Lord Dubs received a promise from former Prime Minister Theresa May 2018 that his plan would be in the WAB but the step was removed from the Brexit legislation after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives won his majority in the election last month. The government says it intends to continue resettling child migrants in Britain after the country leaves the EU but argues that the issue does not belong in the withdrawal bill. Lord Dubs, who came from Nazi-occupied Europe to Britain as a child refugee, had earlier said the government was sending a 'very negative' signal. He implored it not to use migrant children as 'bargaining chips' in the negotiations on future relations between the European Union and the UK. Labour, Liberal Democrat and independent crossbench peers had ignored repeated ministerial warnings not to amend the Bill, insisting their objection was not to stop Brexit but to ensure the legislation was better drafted. The House of Commons has already approved the legislation and has the power to overturn decisions by the non-elected Lords. The Lords can now seek to again briefly delay its passage into law with more so-called 'parliamentary ping-pong' or accept that they cannot win and stand aside. Their rebellion has already held up passage of the WAB to getting Royal Assent from the Queen. This afternoon sources suggested they would back down, offering a clear path for the bill to become law. The trial to decide whether to remove U.S. President Donald Trump from office began this week. Trump is charged with abusing his power as president, and with obstructing or blocking Congress during its investigation. Lawmakers in the Senate will hear arguments both for and against removal. Abuse of power Seven lawmakers from the House of Representatives are making the argument for removing Trump from office. They are all Democrats; Trump is a Republican. Those Democrats say Trump abused the power of his office by urging the president of Ukraine to investigate a political rival. During that time, Trump was withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine. The Democrats say Trump was inviting a foreign country to interfere in American politics. And, they say, his request served his own political interests instead of the national security interests of the country. Lawyers for Trump will defend the president. They say there is no direct evidence that the president was connecting the release of aid to Ukraine to agreeing to an investigation. They point out that, in time, the aid money was released without any investigation. In addition, Trumps lawyers say it is not unusual for foreign aid to be slowed or stopped. And, they say, presidents have the power to make decisions without political opponents questioning their reasons. Obstruction of justice Democrats from the House of Representatives are also charging Trump with blocking Congresss investigation into the presidents phone call with Ukraine. They note that one of the jobs of the House of Representatives is to investigate possible wrongdoing by the president. However, they point out that Trumps office directed witnesses not to testify or give related documents to Congressional investigators. They say that witnesses who chose to come forward suffered public statements from the president that seemed to urge them not to give information. In addition, several government agencies followed the example of the White House and refused to provide documents. Trumps lawyers answer that a president refusing to take part in an investigation is not unusual. They say government lawyers and past decisions have found that the president is protected from congressional testimony. Their position is that when officials blocked Trumps advisers from speaking or giving information, they were protecting the rights and powers of the president not blocking an investigation. An impeachable offense In addition to the two charges, lawyers from both sides are arguing over a third point: whether a president needs to carry out a crime in order to be removed from office. Democrats say no. They say the U.S. Constitution permits a president to be removed for a number of wrong actions. Those include, in the words of the Constitution, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Trumps lawyers argue that the action must be so bad that it threatens the constitutional order or violates the law. They say nothing that Trump has been accused of meets that level. They warn that if Trump is removed, future presidents risk being attacked by opposition lawmakers who guess what they are thinking or feeling. In the end, the senators will decide whether or not to convict the president. A two-thirds vote on either charge is required to remove Trump from office. Im Kelly Jean Kelly. Eric Tucker reported this story for the Associated Press. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story rival - n. a person or thing that tries to defeat or be more successful than another testify - v. to talk and answer questions about something especially in a court of law while formally promising that what you are saying is true convict - v. to prove that someone is guilty of a crime in a court of law From the alligators that just stroll into your home, to the giant cat-eating lizards, your average Floridian has every reason to develop a healthy fear of their reptilian neighbors. Iguanas falling out of the sky must barely register in comparison, which is good, because that is what is happening. One of the reasons the fearless flock to Florida is because of its warm climate, and that applies to reptiles as well. When it gets cold, they react pretty much the same way that we do: They retreat into cozy quarters and enter a dormant state, although instead of Netflix and herbal tea, all they have are tree branches and sweet oblivion. As anyone who's ever passed out on a precarious ledge can tell you, it's not always a guarantee that you'll wake up at the same elevation as where you fell asleep. Hence, the Miami National Weather Service issuing a warning on Tuesday that Floridians may see iguanas falling out of the sky, and further assuring residents that, against all instinct to the contrary, this is normal. Experts have explained that the lizards may look dead, but they're perfectly fine. We pity the poor folks who missed the news this morning, then walked outside to find streets full of what appeared to be dead lizards heralding a bizarre new apocalypse. There's a moderate safety concern that some of the falling iguanas, which can grow up to seven feet long, could damage the property or people they fall on, but "seven-foot lizards" seems like a pretty big safety hazard all on its own. In reality, the only collateral damage is a bunch of videos of the iguanas comically plopping out of trees, and people dragging them around like unconscious drunks. She is known for her passion for yoga, veganism and holistic health, and her similarly age-defying looks. And Sadie Frost showed off her incredible figure as she celebrated her friend's birthday with a relaxing spa day in London on Tuesday. The actress, 54, donned a blue swimsuit for the fun outing, which saw her swim in a pool and meditate underneath a makeshift waterfall. Stunning: Sadie Frost, 54, showed off her enviable figure in a blue swimsuit as she enjoyed a spa day with friends in London on Tuesday... as star detailed the secrets to her youthful looks Sadie's ensemble helped to accentuate her slender legs as she posed against a wall with her arms raised behind her head. The fashion designer wore her brunette locks in a slicked back style, and she accessorised with a gold pendant necklace. In a separate post, Sadie beamed while posing inside the spa's pool, while she also shared a sweet selfie with her pals. Gushing about the day out on Instagram, she wrote: '2020- 'When a spa day is the new get together with your mates instead of a knees up in a pub' thank you @bulgarihotels for treating us to a lovely birthday spa day.' Wow! Sadie's ensemble helped to accentuate her slender legs as she posed on a chair Simple yet stylish: The fashion designer wore her brunette locks in a slicked back style, and she accessorised with a gold pendant necklace On Wednesday, Sadie detailed her beauty secrets to Grazia as she discussed how she keeps her skin looking so fresh. Sadie explained that she likes 'to decompress' after a busy work day by using CBD oil, after going to meetings and travelling around London on public transport. She said: 'I'll have some CBD oil, chill out with my crystals and candals, and start feeling human again. 'My skin's feeling better, my hair's smelling delicious. I do yoga and meditation and, even though I'll follow up on emails about meetings, I do try to put things aside and watch a movie.' Tips: On Wednesday, Sadie detailed her beauty secrets as she discussed how she keeps her skin looking so fresh, and said using CBD oil helps her to 'decompress' after a busy day The actress also works in new wellness centre, the Khera-Griggs Cleanse Clinic, where she holds one-on-one sessions with appealing titles such as Body Love and Happier In My Own Skin. Speaking to MailOnline, Sadie shared her excitement about the new clinic. 'I like the fact that cleansing is not done just by the elite any more, and having a place to do it all under one roof is brilliant,' she says. 'I've practised yoga since I was 15 my mum introduced me to it. For core strength and body alignment, there is nothing like it, so I have brought in yogi masters Howard Napper, Maya Fiennes and Hortense Suleyman. 'They all have different specialities: Howard can put together a plan for fidgety people; Maya specialises in Kundalini yoga and meditation; Hortense is all about body positivity and is great for anyone who's had eating issues.' ORLANDO, Florida A man is facing a first-degree murder charge after authorities say he killed his boss because of a political dispute. Orange County Sheriffs Office deputies tell Fox 6 that Mason Toney, 28, is accused of using a trowel, a tool for bricklaying, to stab William Knight, 28, to death on Monday at a job site. After the stabbing, authorities say Toney placed a new American flag next to Knight. Toney left the scene in a pickup truck but was arrested later and is being held in jail without bond. Deputies tell WESH Channel 2 that witnesses say Toney has anti-government views while Knight was a supporter of President Donald Trump. But witnesses said the two men were friends despite their political differences. Monday morning, Knight picked up Toney as usual to give hime a ride to the work site, deputies tell WESH. It was during the trip that a political argument occurred, WESH reports. At the work site, workers heard Knight yell for help. At least two witnessed the stabbing, deputies tell WESH. According to WTSP Channel 10, Julia Knight, the mother of the victim, says she doesnt believe the incident was spurred by politics. Mason and him grew up together, they had Halloween parties together, they hung out together, our families knew each other, Julia Knight tells WTSP. "This wasnt about politics. There was something wrong with Mason. If youd like to comment on this story, visit Tuesdays crime and courts comments section. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Man, boy arrested in armed Garfield Heights bank robbery, police say Three teens arrested after man knocked unconscious, robbed in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood Dog shot to death in Clevelands Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood Shoplifter knocked out Cleveland gas station owner during theft, police say Cleveland cop who urinated on girl as she waited for bus gets 4 1/2 years in prison Cleveland Heights gun owners say someone stole guns from their unlocked cars Popular human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju has hailed the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu on his commitment in ensuring the Amotekun security outfit becomes functional. Recall that the governor of Ondo State has expressed his undying support for the Amotekun outfit as he pointed out that he doesnt mind losing his second term bid. Also Read: God Didnt Speak To Father Mbaka: Deji Adeyanju His statement came after the minister of justice, Malami Abubakar proscribed the security outfit. Reacting to the governors statement, the popular activist hailed him as the new hero of the South-Western region. See his tweet below: Australian non-bank lender Pepper Money has announced Raj Suman as its new business development manager in New Zealand. He joins the team of three currently based in Auckland. Suman has held various sales roles across the UK and New Zealand, and was most recently a BDM at Bluestone Mortgages, another major alternative lender in the New Zealand market. He also worked as a BDM at estate planning firm Perpetual Guardian, was a sales manager at OnePath, and spent four years as a senior personal banking manager at Lloyds Banking Group in the UK. Pepper Money national sales manager Michelle Sargeant welcomed the addition of an experienced industry salesperson to the team. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 19:14:27|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump will pay a visit to Pakistan soon, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday, hours after Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan met in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. "Trump has assured us that he would soon pay a visit to Pakistan," said Qureshi in a statement without giving the exact date. Qureshi said Khan took up several important issues with Trump and also urged him to improve the U.S. travel advisories for Pakistan. The United States kept issuing advisories to its nationals about Pakistan, usually asking them to avoid travelling to the country in view of the security situation. On Jan. 3, the U.S. embassy in Islamabad restricted travel by U.S. government employees in Pakistan, considering "possible reactions to recent events in Iraq" after a targeted drone attack by the United States near Baghdad International Airport which killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. Qureshi said the prime minister also raised the issue about the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and apprised him of Pakistan's efforts and sought his support. Pakistan was placed on the grey list by the FATF in June 2018 due to what was claimed "strategic deficiencies" in anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism. The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said that Khan and Trump agreed to further strengthen the bilateral relationship especially with respect to enhancing trade and investments. The two sides exchanged views regarding the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, a statement issued late Tuesday said. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee held a roadshow in Darjeeling where she questioned the rationale behind implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA in the hill region when it is not applicable in Northeastern states. Why this discrimination? Why did you (the Centre) leave out one lakh Gorkhas from the National Register of Citizens in Assam? Why did you leave out 13 lakh Hindus? Indians are now asking whether they have to fight for their freedom 70 years after Independence, said Banerjee. This was her first rally against CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) in Darjeeling. I want to tell the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that bad-mouthing me all the time will not work. Tell us whether you will withdraw CAA or not. If it is not dubious why have you left out Assam and Tripura? Why are these BJP-ruled states out of the purview of CAA? asked Banerjee. NRC, CAA and NPR are the same thing, she added. Influencing the people of Darjeeling is a challenge for Banerjee since the TMC has virtually lost control of hill town and adjoining areas ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Lok Sabha and the Assembly seats. The assembly seat was won by former Gorkha National Liberation Front spokesperson Niraj Zimba, who contested on a BJP ticket. Zimba continues to work for the hill party. BJPs Raju Bista won the Lok Sabha seat vacated by the partys former MP and union minister SS Ahluwalia. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP wrested all the Lok Sabha seats in the north Bengal region. The TMC has influence only on the local municipality since its ally, the Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), controls it. Gorkhas are genuine citizens of India. Nobody can snatch their rights. All ethnic groups in the hills are Indians, no matter which dialect they speak. BJP leaders visit the hills before elections and promise to create Gorkhaland. They flee the hills once polls are over. Do they think people of the hills are fools? Dont they have self-respect? said Banerjee. In the election, I did not get votes but today I felt that people of Darjeeling need to protect their rights. I will not allow a single Gorkha to be driven out of the hills. If someone visits your home and asks for information or documents do not give it. Use whatever proof of address or identity you use to include your name in voter list. We will not allow any detention camp in Bengal, said the chief minister. Yesterday, I heard Indias home minister making tall speeches. BJP says we are liars. Tell me whether certain conditions are there in the NPR or not. Tell me whether people applying for citizenship will have to live as aliens for five years or not. This means people will lose jobs because aliens cannot work in India. Children will lose their school certificates. Citizens will lose the right to the property they own, said Banerjee. They (the Centre) are asking for the date of birth of your parents. Do you have it? They say something in the morning and something different in the evening. They say it (date of birth) is not mandatory. If it is not mandatory, why is it there? she added. More than a thousand people took part in the colourful procession from Bhanu Bhakta Bhawan to Chowk Bazar in the heart Darjeeling town. People thronged the roadside all along the four kilometre route. Banerjee donned an ethnic shawl over a white jacket and played a traditional brass gong and a one-string musical instrument used by minstrels. Women in traditional garments and holding placards, with No NRC and No CAA written on them, took part in the roadshow. Banerjee spoke in Hindi and English and even said in the local dialect that people in the hills do not want CAA and NRC. Dont be afraid. People are scared that if CAA and NRC are implemented they will be uprooted. I want to tell the hill people not allow NCC and CAA, said Banerjee in Nepali as she read out from a note made a few errors in pronunciation. See I am trying to read Nepali. I will catch up slowly, she said. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh also led back-to-back rallies in support of CAA at Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts in north Bengal on Wednesday afternoon where large crowds gathered to listen to him. Interestingly, on Tuesday, GNLF, which carried out the most violent agitation in the 1980s and 90s in demand for a separate state for Gorkhas in Darjeeling district offered to support Banerjees agitation against the amended citizenship law if the region was granted special status under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Only regions where tribal people are in majority are accorded special status under the Sixth Schedule. In the Darjeeling hills, the population of 8.75 lakh comprise only 32 per cent scheduled tribes. It may be noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has clarified that CAA will not be applicable to states where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is in force and the tribal areas in Northeastern states that are notified under the Sixth Schedule. Look at the state of the country. Why dont you provide jobs for people and set up industries? Why dont you help farmers and give women the respect they deserve. Ordnance factories are being shut down, Air India will be sold. They are dividing people. They are out to sell the country, said Banerjee. They assault students and teachers. They deploy (probe) agency against those who protest. In future you may not be able to withdraw your own money from banks. They are doing everything stealthily. When we protest they say we are Pakistanis. Why do you talk of Pakistan all the time? In Lucknow, where women were protesting, they stole their blankets and their water. People were left in cold. In Uttar Pradesh, 23 people have died. In West Bengal, 30 people have committed suicide out of fear of NRC, claimed Banerjee. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) The national dengue epidemic is "over," Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III declared on Wednesday. Duque said that cases of as well as deaths due to the vaccine-preventable disease decreased in the last few months. The health chief attributed the drop in the mortality rate of the mosquito-borne viral infection to how hospitals dealt with serious cases of the mosquito-borne viral infection. There is progress in the particular regard, which means it is a reflection of case management of severe dengue cases of hospitals so there is a much lower case fatality rate, Duque said in Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum. He said that last year, over 400,000 cases were recorded across the country. We had a bad dengue year in 2019, he pointed out. On August 6 of last year, the DOH declared a national dengue epidemic. The health departments epidemiology unit reported more than 402,694 dengue cases from January 1 to November 16, an increase of 92 percent from the same period in 2018. The number of deaths also increased to 1,705 from 1,502 over that period. Dengvaxia set aside When asked if the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, which was said to have aggravated the rate of immunization in the country, would be set aside, Duque said yes. He defended his reply, saying the vaccine manufacturers failed to submit the requirements to make a comeback. Our decision to sustain the revocation of their certificate of product registration is on the basis of their non-compliance with the requirements such as the submission of the case management plan, Duque said. He earlier said its manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur did not submit the third and fourth versions of risk management plans, which include its report on what has been done since the Dengvaxia scare in 2017 where more than 830,000 individuals from Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila had been given Dengvaxia at least once through the countrys mass immunization program under then-Health Secretary Janette Garins watch. Reports of alleged deaths from the dengue vaccine caused fear of vaccines in general, which led to a dramatic drop in the country's vaccination coverage. The Dengvaxia scare is being blamed by some for the outbreaks of measles and polio, as parents refuse to get their children immunized. He said there is only one vaccine that they are only considering, a dengue vaccine being developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. But Duque said that once it becomes available, the vaccine will have to comply with the stringent requirements of Food and Drug Administration before the firm can be allowed to sell and distribute in the Philippines. On August 22 last year, the DOH upheld the Food and Drug Administration's decision to the cancel Dengvaxia's CPR due to Sanofi Pasteur's failure to submit post-approval requirements. Duque said French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur has appealed the revocation of its certificate of product registration before the Office of the President. This means that Malacanang will have the final say on whether or not controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia could return to the shelves, he added. BIR a Balikumbat FOMLSC Armed elements of the Military Intelligence Service, Tuesday, January 14, swooped on the Fon of Balikumbat, Fon Bah Gah Nyamnyin III, and remanded him into custody, The Post reported. The Post learnt that the men in uniform stormed the traditional rulers Yaounde residence at about 1.00am to arrest the Fon. The armed soldiers reportedly rough handled the Fon before whisking him away like a mere hoodlum. According to palace sources, the Fon was accused of being among those bankrolling Amba activities in Balikumbat. After long hours of grilling, The Post learnt that the soldiers later released the young Fon, for lack of incriminating evidence. It was reported that the accusation was false and could amount to a kind of set up. The Post learnt that someone simply lied to the military that the young Fon was sponsoring their activities in Balikumbat. But the Fon was later released from the Gendarmerie headquarters after intense grilling. Observers hold that the arrest was a big paradox given that the Fon has never relented in his efforts in fighting against the armed Separatists in his Fondom. It was in Balikumbat that some young people mobilised themselves to storm Amba camps, chasing the fighters away. According to a source, it was the separatist fighters who reportedly claimed that the Fon was financing their activities. The source said the boys made such a claim after failing to blackmail him to be their supporter. Vilification of some Anglophone elite as informants to the military or separatists is one of the most deadly fallouts of the Anglophone Crisis. There are many people in jail or in their graves because some people simply claimed to the military that they were agents of the separatist fighters. Such set ups are now used in the two Regions by enemies to settle scores. Thus, the case of the Fon of Balikumbat was not an isolated issue. Many observers take exception to the fact that the soldiers brutally arrested and humiliated the Fon before releasing him. To them, they could arrest him without being brutal, especially because he is a traditional authority. Northwest elites who know how sacred the authority of the Fon is were embarrassed that a Fon of that prominence could easily be whisked-off and shoved into detention by hearsay. B oris Johnsons Brexit deal will today return to the Commons as MPs consider amendments after the Government suffered five defeats in the Lords. Peers backed two more amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill - or WAB - in the latest mauling for ministers on Tuesday. The Prime Minister looks certain to overturn all the defeats using his 80-strong majority that was gained after the landslide general election. Tuesdays votes followed another three defeats on Monday on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings. Brexit: Government suffers fourth defeat in the Lords In the latest reverses, the Government was heavily defeated as peers backed a move to ensure the rights of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK post-Brexit. Voting was 300 to 220, majority 80, in a fourth defeat for the Prime Minister in just 24 hours. Later, the Government suffered a fifth as peers narrowly backed a move underlining the commitment to the so-called Sewel Convention, which states that the UK Parliament "will not normally" legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature affected. Voting on this Opposition-led amendment was 239 to 235, majority four. After more scrutiny of the bill in the Commons on Wednesday, it will then be up to peers to decide whether to prolong the bout of parliamentary ping-pong or bow to the will of the elected House, which seems the most likely. Future of manufacturing showcased at the launch of HP-NTU's new corporate lab At the official opening of the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab on January 21, researchers from the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab showcased how the future of manufacturing looks like. From intelligent design software that automate advanced customisation, t0 supply chain models that enable faster time to market while lowering carbon footprint, these digital manufacturing technologies are set to make manufacturing and supply chain operations more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable. (Left to right) The HP-NTU Corporate Lab was officially opened today by NRF Singapore Executive Director Lim Tuang Liang, NTU Senior Vice President (Research) Prof Lam Khin Yong; HP Inc CTO Shane Wall; HP Inc Chief Technologist, Print, Glen Hopkins. At the opening, Prof Lam also presented token of appreciation to Wall. Photo courtesy: HP Inc. The research partnership between NTU Singapore, HP Inc. and the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), was first announced in October 2018. It is HPs first university laboratory collaboration in Asia and its largest university collaboration worldwide. A team of more than 60 scientists, researchers and engineers work together to some of the key challenges in the world of digital manufacturing, from 3D printing, cybersecurity and new applications to the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The advanced technologies and automation solutions jointly developed by NTU and HP are expected to impact businesses in Singapore and beyond, as these innovations are geared towards efficiency, productivity and most importantly, sustainability," said NTU Senior Vice President (Research) Professor Lam Khin Yong. Co-directors of the HP-NTU Corporate Lab, NTU Associate Professor Tan Ming Jen (right) and Mike Reagan (left) holding up 3D-printed products from HP Jet Fusion printers which can include colour as well as print in complex shapes and with different material properties. Photo courtesy: HP Inc. The opening of the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab was held in conjunction with HPs 50th Anniversary celebration of its presence in Singapore. From a small assembly factory in Singapore in 1970, HPs Singapore footprint has expanded to include its Greater Asia region headquarters, global supply chain control towers, print R&D centres of excellence, as well as manufacturing facilities. The lab also unveiled a new skills development programme aimed at helping Singapore train and upskill its talents in additive manufacturing and digital design. Courses ranging from fundamentals of additive manufacturing and digital product designs to data management and automation are offered under the SkillsFuture programme. Examples of 3D printed products from the HP Multi Jet Fusion printer, which allows for flexible designs with both soft and hard plastic in a single print. Photo courtesy: HP Inc. The Corporate Lab aims to train some 120 working professionals per year through this new programme, which are payable with SkillsFuture credits and are open for registration. Professor Lam said, "The new SkillsFuture courses developed jointly with HP bring valuable industrial perspectives to help upskill and train a critical talent pool for Singapore. This will support the countrys drive towards becoming a smart nation as it faces the challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution. HPs passion for innovation, together with NTUs world-class research capabilities, allow us to achieve new breakthroughs and unlock new solutions for both business and society, added Shane Wall, Chief Technology Officer and Head of HP Labs, HP Inc. NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, HONG KONG OR JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement by PGS ASA (PGS or the Company) on 21 January 2020 regarding a contemplated private placement (the "Private Placement") of new shares. The bookbuilding for the Private Placement has been successfully completed, raising gross proceeds of NOK 849,999,960 (corresponding to approximately USD 95 million based on a currency exchange rate of USD/NOK 8.9477), through the allocation of 48,627,000 new shares in the Company (the New Shares), each at a subscription price of NOK 17.48 per New Share. The Private Placement was substantially oversubscribed. Completion of the Private Placement is subject to all necessary corporate resolutions being in place, including but not limited to the approval of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company expected to be held on or about 13 February 2020 (the EGM) and the New Shares being validly issued and fully paid. Investors being allocated shares in the Private Placement and who hold shares in the Company as of the date of the EGM have undertaken to vote in favour of the Private Placement and any Subsequent Offering (as defined below) at the EGM. A separate notice of the EGM is expected to be announced and distributed on or about 22 January 2020. Notices of conditional allocation of New Shares are expected to be distributed to the investors on 22 January 2020. The Managers expect to issue notifications with payment instructions for the Private Placement immediately after the EGM with payment date expected to be on or about 17 February 2020. The Private Placement is expected to be settled on a delivery versus payment basis. The shares delivered to the subscribers are thus expected to be tradable upon delivery. The New Shares are expected to be issued shortly after the EGM, subject to timely payment by the investors who have been allocated New Shares in the Private Placement. Following registration of the share capital increase pertaining to New Shares, the issued share capital of the Company is expected to be NOK 1,161,620,988 comprising 387,206,996 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 3.00. The Private Placement involves the setting aside of the shareholders preferential rights to subscribe for the New Shares. The Board is of the opinion that the Private Placement complies with the equal treatment obligations under the Norwegian Securities Trading Act, in particular due to the fact that the Private Placement structure will be required to secure the minimum equity raise condition relating of the refinancing as described in the Companys announcement on 21 January 2020, reduce execution and completion risk, allow for the Company to raise capital more quickly, raise capital at a lower discount compared to a rights issue and without the underwriting commissions normally seen with rights offerings. Furthermore, the Board of Directors has put significant emphasis on existing shareholding as an allocation criteria in the Private Placement. The Subsequent Offering Subject to inter alia (i) completion of the Private Placement, (ii) relevant corporate resolutions including approval by the Board and the EGM, (iii) prevailing market price of PGS shares being higher than the Subscription Price, and (iv) approval of a prospectus by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (the Prospectus), PGS shall carry out a subsequent offering (the Subsequent Offering) of up to 5,120,000 new shares in the Company. A Subsequent Offering will be, if made, and on the basis of the Prospectus, be directed towards eligible shareholders in PGS who (i) are shareholders in the Company as of the day of the expiry of the bookbuilding period for the Private Placement, as registered as shareholders in PGS register of shareholders with the Norwegian Central Securities Depositary (Nw. Verdipapirsentralen) (the VPS) as of 23 January 2020, (ii) are not allocated New Shares in the Private Placement, and (iii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful or, for jurisdictions other than Norway, would require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action (the Eligible Shareholders). The Eligible Shareholders are expected to be granted non-tradable allocation rights. The subscription period in the Subsequent Offering is expected to commence shortly after publication of the Prospectus, expected in H1 2020, and the subscription price in the Subsequent Offering will be the same as in the Private Placement. PGS will issue a separate stock exchange notice with further details on the Subsequent Offering if and when finally resolved. PGS has retained Nordea Bank Abp, filial i Norge, J.P. Morgan Securities PLC, Pareto Securities AS, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Barclays Bank PLC and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA as Joint Bookrunners in the Private Placement (collectively, the "Managers"). Advokatfirmaet BAHR AS acts as legal advisor in connection with the Private Placement. Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS acts as legal advisor to the Managers in connection with the Private Placement. Contacts: Bard Stenberg, SVP IR & Corporate Communication Mobile: +47 99 24 52 35 *** IMPORTANT NOTICE This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of PGS. The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering or their securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this announcement will be made solely to "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act. In any EEA Member State, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. The expression "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation 2017/1129 as amended together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State. This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only for relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "strategy", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Actual events may differ significantly from any anticipated development due to a number of factors, including without limitation, changes in public sector investment levels, changes in the general economic, political and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operate, the Companys ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, changes in the Companys ability to engage in commercially acceptable acquisitions and strategic investments, and changes in laws and regulation and the potential impact of legal proceedings and actions. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not provide any guarantees that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this announcement are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this announcement or any obligation to update or revise the statements in this announcement to reflect subsequent events. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this document. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement. Neither the Managers nor any of their respective affiliates makes any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this announcement and none of them accepts any responsibility for the contents of this announcement or any matters referred to herein. This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities in the Company. Neither the Managers nor any of their respective affiliates accepts any liability arising from the use of this announcement. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The Kolkata Police is investigating a woman's complaint that a man, posing as a woman on a social networking site, befriended her and was blackmailing her with some of her purported photographs, a senior officer said on Wednesday. The woman, a resident of Anandapur in southern Kolkata, has lodged a complaint with the local police station as well as with the cyber team, alleging she was being blackmailed by the man, he said. The accused allegedly sent her a request to become her friend on her social networking profile posing as a woman, the officer said. After they became friends, the accused allegedly downloaded the complainant's photos and then superimposed them on the photographs of naked women and started blackmailing her, he added. "We have written to the authorities of the social networking site and asked them to block the account of the accused. We are also looking for the person. We have assured the woman that there's nothing to be scared about as our officers are alert," the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Julia Suryakusuma (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 A few years ago in Aceh, a poster was put up by the Islamic Sharia Department in Banda Aceh of the communications and information agency office, stating: A woman whose strand of hair is seen deliberately by a man who is not her husband will be punished by 70,000 years in hell. One day in the afterlife is equivalent to 1,000 years in this world. A woman who enters hell will draw in with her two of her menfolk: her father, her brothers, her husband or her son. This is how terrible the punishment is! I received a photo of the poster through one of my WhatsApp groups and shared it with friends. One friend, Harry (not his real name), hilariously pointed out the absurdity of it all. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 Trend: Azerbaijan is a country open for reforms, the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development Ali Ahmadov said at a conference dedicated to the results of the EU technical assistance project entitled "Support to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SSC) to reach European Standards in National Accounts, on observed economy, business statistics and producer price index", Trend reports. Currently, Azerbaijan is among the countries accelerating large-scale reforms, Ahmadov noted. The deputy PM added that during 29 years after the restoration of independence, Azerbaijan, a relatively young state, has achieved significant success. "However, there were problems in Azerbaijan in the first years of independence. There was the need to make great efforts to solve problems, address social issues and ensure economic development after the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories," Ahmadov said. The deputy PM noted that due to the right strategy, Azerbaijan has gone through a stage of great development. Over the past 15-16 years, the country's economy grew 3.4 times, the country's budget revenues increased by up to 20 times, the nominal wage of the population rose by up to 10 times and the funds invested in lending to the Azerbaijani economy grew 23 times. "All this indicates that in a short period of time, Azerbaijan has come a long way in development. During this time, the appearance of not only Baku, but also of all regions of the country, has changed and modernized. Azerbaijan has done a great job in building a modern state. And one of the very important factors for ensuring the sustainability of the economy is the commitment to constantly develop and implement reforms," Ahmadov added. Ahmadov noted that the social and economic indicators of Azerbaijan will continue to improve. Numerous measures were taken in 2019 to improve the living standards of the population, the deputy PM noted adding that about one million people of Azerbaijan's 10 million population are refugees and IDPs, and they need the support of the Azerbaijani state. Former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Kojo Allotey Jacobs has said he his disappointed in Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Bossman Asare for his recent comments towards the compilation of new voters register. Dr. Bossman Asare is reported to have said the EC wants to create new voters register because we want to add an enhanced feature called facial recognition. He called the bluff of the opposition National Democratic Congress over their decision to kick against the new voters register. But reacting to the deputy EC Boss, Allotey Jacobs said, the Deputy EC Boss is not on top of issues and I suggest that it will be appropriate to allow Mr. Samuel Tettey who is currently the Director of Elections at the Electoral Commission to speak on issues concerning elections, Bernard Allotey Jacobs told Lawyer Ohene Gyan on Pae Mu Ka on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7 The main opposition NDC has rejected the proposal by the Electoral Commission to compile new voters register for the 2020 elections. However, they have indicated that they will resist any attempt by the EC to push the idea of a new register since there are not enough grounds for the creation of a new one. The Electoral Commission has served notice a new voters register will be compiled ahead of the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. ---KingdomfmOnline Meanwhile, tenants also benefit from the product, because it allows them to skip the deposit by purchasing an insurance policy at a cost that is merely a fraction of their monthly rent, reducing the upfront cash burden and removing the worry of how much they will get back at the end of the lease. The policy provides landlords with up to SG$50,000 coverage for interior renovations, up to SG$20,000 coverage for furniture owned by the landlord, and up to six months coverage for loss of rent. This collaboration with SRX is the latest in AIG Singapores drive to develop differentiated value for customers, said Christian Sandric, president and CEO of AIG Singapore. AIG Landlord Insurance provides a win-win for both tenants and landlords, with tenants no longer having to pay large upfront security deposits and landlords receiving peace of mind with more comprehensive coverage. This product demonstrates AIGs commitment to delivering more relevant solutions for customers. Weve all heard stories of tension between landlords and tenants over the security deposit and its about time this pain point was eliminated, said Jason Barakat-Brown, CEO of StreetSine Technology Group, parent firm of SRX. Partnering with AIG Singapore to solve this is perfectly aligned with SRXs goal to make home seeking and property ownership a pleasure. People can find their ideal rental property with SRXs top quality listings, get an instant estimate of the rent they should be paying using SRX X-Value, and now, have peace of mind when they move into their new home with AIG Landlord Insurance. Post arresting the parents of the newborn twins found abandoned near Pashan lake, the Chatuhshrungi police have unearthed fresh information. The father in question has been named as an accused in a murder case registered at Warje police station, while the mother has three children, prior to giving birth to the twins. The couple were in a live-in-relationship for the past two years. The man, a resident of Dhaval chawl, Ghulenagar in Wadgaon Budruk, originally hails from Tuljapur, district Osmanabad. He moved to Pune for work. The woman, in her mid 20s is a widow and has three daughters from her previous marriage. Her husband passed away four years ago. The girls in question are currently studying in a boarding school. Anil Shewale, senior police inspector, Chatuhshrungi police station said, The murder case has been lodged against the man in 2008. The proceedings of the case is still being heard in court. The woman, a widow was staying on her own when she met the man. She works as a maid while the man works as an auto rickshaw driver. The two have been living together since the past two years. During interrogation it was revealed that the duo abandoned the twins as they were unable to take care of them, financially. In order to keep the womans pregnancy a secret, they have been constantly changing residence for the past six to seven months. The woman did not undergo any sort of medical checkup or treatment during her pregnancy. On January 13 she gave birth to the twins at a hospital in Karvenagar, added Shewale. ALBANY, Ore. -- The estranged husband of a missing Albany woman was arrested for murder on Tuesday after police say they recovered a circular saw contaminated with her blood and other "bodily tissue." Craig Lazon was charged with murder in the death of Tiffany Lazon, 37. Tiffany was last seen around Christmas 2019. Police started considering the case a death investigation in January. Lazon has been a person of interest in the case from the start. He was initially in jail facing charges of second-degree animal neglect and animal abandonment, involving Tiffany's cat. On Tuesday, investigators learned Lazon had borrowed a battery-operated circular saw from a friend and returned it days later. The owner reached out to police and turned over the saw. Upon examination, the Oregon State Crime Lab found bodily tissue and blood on the saw. They performed a DNA test on the tissue and matched it to Tiffany's DNA, police said. Lazon was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact detectives at 541-917-7686. The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt By Ambar Warrick and Susan Mathew (Reuters) - European shares dipped on Tuesday amid concerns over a new coronavirus outbreak originating in China, although positive news on business morale and easing cross-Atlantic trade tensions saw markets ending off session lows. The increased threat of infection, as millions travel for the Lunar New Year holidays, reminded investors of the economic fallout from the SARS crisis in 2003 that killed nearly 800 people, and led to a recession in Hong Kong. The pan-European STOXX 600 <.STOXX> dropped 0.1%, having fallen up to 1 percent earlier in the session before positive German business sentiment data and trade dialogue between the U.S. and French leaders helped ease some of the losses. "The reaction in markets suggests that the virus fears aren't necessarily going to be the main story... not enough that good news wouldn't break through and help them reduce losses," said Connor Campbell, analyst at British financial spread better Spreadex. The STOXX 600 index had touched a record high last week as easing U.S.-China trade tensions and improving economic indicators raised hopes of faster global growth. The shares of long-haul flight operators Air France , Lufthansa and British Airways-owner IAG retreated, as news of the contagion raised concerns over disruptions to travel during a coming Chinese holiday. China-exposed luxury goods makers including LVMH , Kering , Hermes and Burberry also fell. The basic resources sector <.SXPP>, which consists of several heavyweight China-exposed miners, was the worst performing sector for the day. Offering some relief to investors, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had a "great discussion" with U.S. President Donald Trump over a digital tax planned by Paris and that their two countries would work together to avoid a rise in tariffs. Story continues Also, a survey showed German investors were at their most optimistic since mid-2015, following the U.S.-China trade truce. The reading comes as growth in the EU bloc's largest economy marked its slowest pace since 2013. "Optimism is growing that the bottom is firmly in place for Germany and that an industrial rebound is right around the corner," said Edward Moya, senior market analyst, OANDA, New York. Swiss drug developer Lonza Group was the top gainer on the STOXX 600 after it said it is seeking a drug industry veteran as its new chief executive. German fashion house Hugo Boss gained 6.8% after reporting a better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales growth. Markets will now be focusing on the European Central Bank's first policy meeting for the year on Thursday, as well as the euro zone's Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) data on Friday. (Reporting by Ambar Warrick and Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr, Shailesh Kuber and Timothy Heritage) This one, among the fortunate, would get a stay at the local recovery center on the island. A day earlier, the team found an adult kangaroo lying on its side, unmoving but alive. The team called for a veterinarian. The burns on the legs and bottoms of the kangaroos feet were too severe to heal, and, still on his side, he was euthanized. OLATHE, Kan. -- A woman has pleaded guilty to charges that she sexually abused, neglected and starved her boyfriend's 5-year-old child. Elizabeth Marie Francis pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of aggravated criminal sodomy and one count of child abuse. In June 2019, the victim's adoptive father, John Alvin Carter, and Francis, were charged in Johnson County court. Crescent Capital Group LP, a leading alternative credit investment firm, announced today that its European Specialty Lending strategy has provided unitranche financing to support the acquisition of Highcare by Bencis. Crescent has also provided an acquisition facility to support Highcare's ongoing buy and build strategy. Terms of the financing were not disclosed. Founded in 2000, Highcare is a specialised staffing and education company and Dutch market leader in the provision of (temporary) health professionals to both the public and private healthcare sector. Highcare connects healthcare professionals across a wide range of specialisms including nurses, doctors and ambulance staff with institutions such as hospitals, ambulance service providers, care homes and mental care institutions. Highcare provides its services to approximately 70% of all Dutch hospitals for which it increasingly acts as a strategic partner. "We see this investment in Highcare as an exciting opportunity to support the growth of a leading provider of staffing solutions in the healthcare sector, where we expect continued stable demand," said Christine Vanden Beukel, Managing Director and head of Crescent's European Specialty Lending strategy. "We also appreciate being able to work with Bencis again, following our investment in the Medsen-Ceban group last year. We look forward to continuing to provide flexible capital solutions to sponsors and high-quality companies with strong growth prospects." About Crescent Capital Group Crescent Capital Group is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Boston, London, and New York. With more than 80 investment professionals and approximately 175 employees, the firm invests at all levels of the capital structure, with a significant focus on below investment grade credit through strategies that invest in senior bank loans, high yield debt, mezzanine debt, and other private debt securities. As of September 30, 2019, Crescent Capital Group managed more than $26 billion, with a relatively equal split between marketable securities and privately originated debt investments. For more information about Crescent Capital Group, visit www.crescentcap.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005033/en/ Contacts: Crescent Capital Group Mendel Communications Bill Mendel, +1-212-397-1030 bill@mendelcommunications.com Thrive Center for Innovation, Louisville, KY Its a huge honor to have our Theora Care family selected to be in the Thrive Center, alongside other technology leaders in this space that are dedicated to maximizing quality of life for older adults Clairvoyant Networks, LLC, award winning provider of technology for caregiving, announced today that its Theora Care GPS remote monitoring and communications technology was selected for demonstration in the Thrive Center for Innovation in Louisville, Kentucky. The Thrive Center showcases the latest technology and services for consumers and businesses needing solutions that support an older population. The Centers goal is to forge collaboration between technology leaders to bring transformative product advancements to market. The stylish Theora Connect wearable for care recipients, used in conjunction with the Theora Link smartphone app for family members and caregivers, enables family and professional caregivers to remotely monitor care recipients, enabling older persons to thrive in place longer. Theora Connect unobtrusively tracks non-clinical activity and behavior patterns, monitors GPS locations, sets up Safe Zones with automatic wandering notifications, and provides hands free two-way voice communicationall important aspects of connecting families with their older relatives and friends. All Theora Care solutions are condition-specific for those with memory loss, Alzheimers, dementia and Autism. The wearable uses 4G/LTE cellular, with forward compatibility with future cellular networks. Our mission at Thrive is to accelerate innovation in aging care. We are bringing the best technology for older adults together, in an immersive experience, and sharing it with the world. People can come here and actually see and touch what is available to support common and specialized problems that we may encounter as we grow older. remarked Sheri Rose, CEO and Executive Director of Thrive Center. Clairvoyant Networks Theora Care line of caregiving and communications solutions is a natural fit for the Center, and were excited to have them onboard. Reports and data emphasize the need for more technology for an aging population, as people are living longer, and want to continue to enjoy an active lifestyle. In the U.S., 10,000 people will reach retirement age every day for the next two decades. In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that by 2030, 1 in every 5 residents will be retirement age, and by 2034 there will be more people aged 65 and older than those under the age of 18. Considering we are already in a care crisis situation - not enough caregivers to provide services to those who need it the need for technology to fill the gap will continue to increase. This is supported by a rising technology adoption rate among adults aged 65 and older. Its a huge honor to have our Theora Care family selected to be in the Thrive Center, alongside other technology leaders in this space that are dedicated to maximizing quality of life for older adults, commented Stephen Popovich, CEO of Clairvoyant Networks, LLC. Louisville is corporate headquarters to Signature HealthCARE, Kindred Healthcare and several other industry giants. The Center provides an environment where visitors can learn about what is new and helpful for active aging, while creating a think tank to stimulate discussion and cooperation between all types of care organizations in the area committed to serving the rapidly increasing older adult population. The Theora Care family of remote monitoring and communication products are available now at theoracare.com. About Thrive Center Thrive Center, Inc. is a non-profit dedicated to transforming the quality of life and aging care for older adults. Thrive is a physical hub of innovation showcase built from a collaborative intersection of caregivers, entrepreneurs, researchers, healthcare providers, investors and consumers driving innovative solutions in aging. Thrive provides a place where older adults can experience and immerse themselves in technology and innovations. The center is unique in the United States and the world, and as such, convenes international stakeholders as well as leaders in the U.S. aging care environment. Visitors have come from across the globe to visit Thrive Center, learn more at http://www.thrivecenterky.org. About Clairvoyant Networks, LLC Clairvoyant Networks, LLC, with offices in Austin, TX and Raleigh, NC, has developed the Theora Care remote monitoring suite of IoT devices, SaaS platforms and applications to provide family and/or professional caregivers and care teams with current and historical status information, communications, and location services for care recipients. Recognized by Caregiver.com and Austin Inno for innovative technology, our products are being used in pioneering research projects at Emory University, Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of North Texas. For further information and to see how we can help you, please reach us at http://www.theoracare.com, info@theoracare.com or follow us on Twitter @Theora_Care and @ClairvoyantUWB, Instagram clairvoyant_networks, Facebook.com/theoracare, Youtube.com/theoracare and LinkedIn Clairvoyant Networks. Contact: Clairvoyant Networks, LLC Melanie Guthrie melanie.guthrie@clairvoyantnetworks.com 512-371-6164 Contact: Thrive Center Sheri Rose srose@thriveinnovationcenter.com 502-631-9422 2020 Clairvoyant Networks, LLC. Theora, Theora Connect and Theora Link are all registered or trademarks of Clairvoyant Networks, LLC. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. A three-year-old boy has become the youngest person to ever join Britain's high IQ club. Little Muhammad Haryz Nazim got 142 on the Stanford-Binet IQ test, placing him in the 99.7th percentile of UK IQ scores. The youngster is now a fully-fledged member of Mensa UK - a society for people with exceptionally high IQs. His parents Anira and Mohd are originally from Malaysia but live in County Durham where they work as engineers. Little Muhammad Haryz Nazim got 142 on the Stanford-Binet IQ test, placing him in the 99.7th percentile of UK IQ scores Haryz (pictured with certificates for some of his other accolades), three, of County Durham, is now a fully-fledged member of Mensa UK - a society for people with exceptionally high IQs They knew he had a good chance of being bright, but had no idea he would be among the cleverest in the country before he even started school. What is Mensa UK and how do you get in? Mensa UK is a club for people across Britain who have exceptionally high IQs. People join for intellectual debates, social meet-ups or to visit places and listen to speakers who are not usually available to the general public. To join Mensa you have to prove you have an IQ in the top two per cent. This can involve taking Mensa's preferred IQ test or by submitting evidence you are already in the 98th percentile for another IQ test. Anyone under the age of 10 cannot be tested by Mensa and will have to submit evidence of a verified IQ test they have already done. One example is the Stanford-Binet IQ test that uses the BinetSimon scale and was developed by Stanford University psychologist Lewis M. Terman. It is most often used to diagnose learning difficulties in young children. The five sections are knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing and fluid reasoning. Source: Mensa UK Advertisement He spoke his first word at seven months old, but by the time he was two, he was reading himself bedtime stories and able to recite them off the top of his head. His mother Anira told CNN that their little genius is very humble, adding: 'He's very much your typical three-year-old. 'He really loves painting and reading books, really anything arts and crafts. He loves playing with Legos and Play-Doh.' 'He's not only good at academics, but he's just like other children who loves playing and growing up. 'We know he will give so much back to society in the future.' John Stevenage, chief executive of British Mensa offered his congratulations, saying: 'He is obviously a very bright young man and we are delighted to welcome him to Mensa.' Haryz had to be checked out by a psychologist before he was allowed to join, but passed his assessment with flying colours. Usually Mensa members, known as 'Mensans' have to complete the society's IQ test. But any candidates under 10-years-old cannot be tested by Mensa and have to instead submit evidence they have already passed a verified IQ test. The Stanford-Binet test was developed by a Stanford University psychologist and is most often use to detect developmental or intellectual deficiencies in young children. The test itself combines maths, reading, memory tests and critical thinking questions. Haryz is the youngest current member of Mensa UK, a society of people with exceptionally high IQs Haryz's handwriting is shown off in a AUSTIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Accruent, the leading provider of solutions to manage the built environment, announced that its partner network grew by more than 16% in 2019 at its global partner conference, Synergy, held January 12-15, 2020 in Sevilla, Spain. In addition, Accruent used the event to recognize the growing impact of its partner network and present its annual partner awards. The British Institute of Facilities Management most recently estimated that global facilities management spending exceeds $1.2 trillion annually. This massive investment is driven by trends such as the use of flexible workspaces, strategic management of energy consumption, and a transition from preventive to predictive maintenance. As these trends are embraced by organizations around the world, facilities management software providers like Accruent need a strong network of partners capable of supporting customer needs. A critical element of such a partner network is ongoing communication between the vendor and its partners to assure that they remain aligned as the market evolves. Each year, Accruent partners from around the world gather at the Synergy conference for sessions on Accruent product news and industry trends, and to share best practices. This annual event reflects the diversity and energy of Accruent's partner network that spans more than 40 countries. This year's conference theme, "Accelerate Together," was chosen to reflect how the event helps partners uncover trends in the marketplace, discuss collaboration and leverage the Accruent portfolio of solutions and services. The conference also provided partners an opportunity to share insights with Accruent and focus on identifying growth opportunities that complement partner business strategies. The award ceremony at Synergy 2020 recognized the success of Accruent partners, including: Partner of the Year for 2019 Mensch und Machine was recognized for their consistent success, growth and ability to exceed customer expectations Largest New Customer Project in 2019 Hagerman and Company was recognized for its support of a major US competitive energy provider Most Promising Partner for 2019 Synchronoss was recognized for their initial plan development and commitment to jointly market Accruent's IoT solutions into the Smart Buildings market Most Consistent Partner Symetri was recognized for demonstrated leadership, technical expertise and business development skills over a long period of years Full Portfolio Award Cushman & Wakefield was recognized for delivering results across multiple Accruent product lines "Our partner awards not only recognize outstanding effort and performance by our partners, but also represent the value that our partners deliver to the customers that they serve," said Hans de Groot, SVP Channels and Partnerships, Accruent. "Organizations around the world need intelligence that drives management of the built environment, and our partner network is a key component of our ability to deliver them the tools to gather that intelligence." Accruent serves more than 10,000 companies, universities and government entities worldwide, providing solutions that help its customers plan, manage and assure compliance for their facilities, assets and the work required to support them. Acquired by Fortive Corporation in 2018, Accruent has more than twenty offices worldwide. "Both geographically and through the diversity of our product portfolio, we have seen a rapidly expanding global partner base, and together we aim for a high level of service, professionalism, and flexibility for our customers," added Andy Ruse, President, Accruent. "In this new wave of technology, we must form strong alliances with other companies that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers." About Accruent accruent.com, @accruentllc Accruent is the world's leading provider of intelligent solutions for the built environment spanning real estate, physical and digital assets, and the integrated technology systems that connect and control them. Accruent continues to set new expectations for how organizations can use data to transform the way they manage their facilities and assets. With major office locations in Austin, New Orleans, London and Amsterdam, Accruent serves more than 10,000 customers in a wide range of industries in more than 150 countries around the world. SOURCE Accruent Related Links https://www.accruent.com/ Paris fashion fortnight began last week with an apocalyptic warning. "Our Mother Earth will not be able to support life, we will not be able to breathe... If we don't open our hearts and our minds, it's the End," a disembodied voice intoned as hot Hollywood label Rhude made its Paris debut. The very next show, Phipps' "Treehugger, Tales of the Forest", was teased on Instagram with pictures of rescued koalas from the Australian wildfires. It was another sign that fashion now sees itself on the climate change frontline. But when AFP questioned Rhude designer Rhuigi Villasenor backstage, he admitted there was nothing sustainable about his collection. He had found the stirring speech on the internet the day before, and didn't know who had made it. But he insisted his clothes were "timeless" and would "live through ages and trends". Campaigners say such "greenwashing" is typical of an industry "that is talking the talk but not walking the walk" on sustainability. While Rhude is a young brand, it has a starry roster of clients from Justin Bieber to rapper ASAP Rocky and Ellen DeGeneres. Yet some of the most fabled luxury houses in fashion -- even some whose designers are activists for change -- have found themselves caught short. - Luxury labels in dock - Dior's last women's show played hard on its eco-credentials. Set amid trees that were later used to create urban parks, it went heavy on eco-friendly hemp and raffia with models in Greta Thunberg plaits. Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri told AFP that nature and "humans need to live together if humanity is to survive." "It is not just about image but action," she added. Weeks later a damning report by the Changing Markets Foundation on toxic pollution caused by viscose production put Dior and a swathe of other luxury labels including Prada, Versace, Fendi, Armani, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs in the dock. Dolce & Gabbana came in for particular criticism. The much-vaunted biodegradable fabric -- which often is used like silk, has been seen as a silver bullet for fashion's eco woes, a way to wean it off synthetic fibres that come from the petrochemical industry. While some fast fashion groups like H&M, C&A and ASOS -- which luxury labels blame for fashion's pollution and runaway overproduction -- were praised for making progress in the in-depth "Dirty Fashion Disrupted" study, designer labels were excoriated. "Three quarters of the luxury brands we looked at were failing to take any meaningful action to clean up their viscose supply chain," its author Urska Trunk told AFP. Viscose, which comes from wood pulp, is now the third most used fibre in the world and "genuinely has the potential to be a sustainable", Trunk added. "Unfortunately most of it is still produced in a very dirty process," causing water pollution and an alarming array of mental illnesses, strokes and cancer close to factories in India, China and Indonesia. While she lauded British designer Stella McCartney for her transparency and ambition, "with most of the other luxury brands it is lip service, mostly hollow words... And that is a major concern." - Spin but little change - The report is the foundation's second tracking whether brands were cleaning up their act. With only a handful of firms producing almost all of the world's viscose, Trunk said pressure from brand could make "a massive difference". For Christie Miedema, of the Dutch-based Clean Clothes Campaign, brands have become expert as "eco messaging" with "one-off collections or clever initiatives to make it looking like they are doing something" without actually changing the way they operate. Versace, which came bottom only to Walmart in the Changing Markets table, made the front pages by sending Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen to New York's Meet Gala in a "100 percent green eco-dress" while Prada -- which is also deep in its "red zone" -- got admiring media coverage for their Re-Nylon "eco handbag". Dior is part of LVMH, the world's biggest luxury group. Unlike its main rival Kering and 24 other major clothing companies, LVMH pointedly refused to sign up to "The Fashion Pact" on fighting climate change at the G7 summit last year. - 'They will be found out' - Owner Bernard Arnault -- the world's richest man -- later criticised teenage activist Greta Thunberg for "surrendering to total catastrophism" even as he appointed McCartney his personal advisor on sustainability in September. Kering -- which controls Gucci and Saint Laurent -- has since said it has gone carbon neutral and has vowed to half greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain within five years. Joel Hazan, luxury goods analyst at the Boston Consulting Group, said the industry "had passed a tipping point", and warned those who pretend to embrace sustainability would be found out. "The demographics will make the difference," he told AFP. "Eight out of 10 millennials expect labels to play a strong part socially and environmentally." Since almost all growth in luxury goods in the next five years "is predicted to come from millennials, brands have no choice" but to change, Hazan argued. Indeed Vetements, the hot youthful rebel brand which has shaken Paris fashion in recent years, used its men's show to pour scorn on its elders with slogans such as "Cutting down the bullshit", "Fully sustainable show" and "It costs $0 to be a nice person". Photo: The Canadian Press U.S. President Donald Trump The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trumps impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting for now Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trumps trifecta of offences. Trump himself said Wednesday he wants top aides to testify, but qualified that by suggesting there were national security concerns to allowing their testimony. We have a great case, Trump said at a global economic forum in Davos, Switzerland. In a press conference before returning to Washington, Trump said his legal team was doing a "very good job." He appeared to break with Republicans efforts to block Democratic motions to immediately call witnesses and subpoena documents. Instead, Trump said he'd like to see aides, including former national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, testify as witnesses Trump said he'd leave the "national security concerns about allowing their testimony to the Senate. Tuesday's daylong session started with the setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the president's legal team, but it ended near 2 a.m. Wednesday with Republicans easily approving the rest of the trial rules largely on their terms. With the rules settled, the trial is now on a fast-track. At issue is whether Trump should be removed from office for abuse of power stemming from his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter as Trump was withhold aid to the country, and for obstructing Congress' ensuing probe. Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open the session, with House prosecutors on one side, Trump's team on the other, in the well of the Senate, as senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to do impartial justice. No cellphones or other electronics were allowed. As the day stretched deep into the night, lawyerly arguments gave way to more pointedly political ones. Tempers flared and senators paced the chamber. Democrats pursued what may be their only chance to force senators to vote on hearing new testimony. After one particularly bitter post-midnight exchange, Roberts intervened, taking the rare step of admonishing both the Democratic House managers prosecuting the case and the White House counsel to remember where they are. I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the president's counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body," the usually reserved Roberts said. He told them that description of the Senate stemmed from a 1905 trial when a senator objected to the word pettifogging, because members should "avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse. New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya to pay homage to Lord Ram, on the completion of 100 days of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut here on Wednesday. He also said that the ministers of alliance partners -- Congress and NCP -- can also accompany Chief Minister Thackeray. "We have a relation with Ayodhya. The relation is of devotion and trust. We have our government with Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister thanks to the blessings of Lord Ram," said Raut. "Our duty is to pay obeisance to Lord Ram on the completion of 100 days of our government. Chief Minister Thackeray will go there and bow to the feet of Lord Ram. Ministers from our alliance partners can also accompany him," he said. "It is a matter of faith. Rahul Gandhi also goes to temples. He went to Somnath and other temples. The government runs on social justice, employment and other welfare measures," he added. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP was formed in November last year after the BJP failed to prove his majority in the State assembly. (ANI) The White House has live-streamed a church service which saw the US vice-president speak and a bishop claim the devil causes homosexuality. After Mike Pence addressed the congregation in Tennessee, the preacher took to the pulpit to talk about same-sex relations in a sermon still available on the administrations Youtube channel. It is a demonic spirit that causes a woman to want to live with another woman, he said. It is a demonic spirit that causes a man to be attracted to another man. The preacher, who has been named as the bishop Jerry Wayne Taylor, claimed the devil is trying to destroy the foundation of marriage and cut off the reproduction process. Two men cant have a baby. Two women cant have a baby, he told the congregation at the Holy City Church of God in Christ. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Show all 13 1 /13 Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities ASOS x GLAAD ASOS and GLAAD - an organisation devoted to countering discrimination against the LGBT+ community - have launched their third exclusive collaboration for Pride 2019. The collection includes 50 pieces such as T-shirts, Co-ord sets and tote bags with 100 per cent of all net profits being donated to the LGBT+ charity. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Converse Converse honours the origins of Pride with this years collection of footwear and apparel, specifically, the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The capsule includes the Chuck Taylor and the Chuck 70 which are emblazoned with rainbow hues and a lightening bolt design. For 2019, proceeds from the Converse Pride Collection will support the brands longstanding local and global LGBTQ partners, including It Gets Better Project and OUT MetroWest. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities DKNY DKNY have launched a capsule collection celebrating Pride in partnership with NY based charity Hetrick-Martin Institute. The collection consists of clothing, accessories, footwear, eyewear, intimates, and jewellery, all with the pride flag incorporated into the design. A donation has been made by DKNY to HMI to support its pioneering mission and empowering results. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Pride Gin, 36 For 2019, Pride in London has launched Pride Gin: a crisp and refreshing tipple with an added bonus - each bottle sold helps keep Pride free for everyone to attend. Pride Gin will launch at Harvey Nichols and Gerrys Wine & Spirits on Old Compton Street for 36 from mid-June, as well as being available by the glass at various bars in Soho. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Harry's Shave with Pride Set, 28 Popular mens grooming company, Harrys, has launched a Shave With Pride set, which includes their signature razor customized with a unique iridescent handle. The set also includes three blade cartridges and a bottle of Harrys shave gel. The limited-edition set comes in an art-inspired box designed by Spanish illustrator, Jose Antonio Roda. Harrys says 100 per cent of profits from the sale of this set will go to The Trevor Project, which will help the non-profit group serve more than 80,000 LGBTQ youth in crisis this year. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Marc Jacobs, Enamoured (with Pride) Dazzling Gloss Lip Lacquer, 22 Marc Jacobs Beauty is adding six shades of Pride-themed lip gloss to its best-selling Enamored Lip Lacquer collection. Available in June, the lip gloss will be sold in limited-edition rainbow packaging and 10 per cent of sales will be donated to Sage, an organization that supports older members of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Boohoo Online retailer Boohoo has launched the LoveWithoutLimits collection to celebrate Pride 2019. 10 per cent from each sale will be donated between two amazing pride charities - OutRight Action International & LGBT Foundation. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities House of Holland For 2019, House of Holland is celebrating Pride and supporting the work of the Albert Kennedy Trust - charity that serves the LGBT+ youth community in the UK. A fresh new suiting capsule of 3 piece satin tuxedos in the colours of the Transgender Pride Flag will launch alongside the brand's Resort 20 collection. The four colour-blocked suits include a fitted blazer with large scalloped lapel, fitted waistcoat and a flared tailored trouser. 25 per cent of the profit generated from the sales of the range will be donated to the AKT. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities H&M H&M continues its support of LGBT+ equality with a capsule collection for women, men and non-binary individuals. Featuring a range of slogan t-shirts, sportswear-inspired garments and fun accessories, 10 per cent of the sales price will be donated to the UN Free & Equal campaign. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Hunter is celebrating Pride by reimagining its Play boot with a rainbow sole and pull tab. The British boot brand has teamed up with five ambassadors on the launch including ShayShay, Tia Simon-Campbell, Jay Espinosa, Glyn Fussell and Lucy Fizz. Each of the partners has chosen a charity for the brand to donate proceeds to, such as The Outside Project, NAZ, Albert Kennedy Trust, MindOut and Mermaids. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Morphe Morphe has teamed up with The Trevor Project, a charity that helps fund 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for LGBT+ youth. One-hundred percent of net proceeds from the Live in Color Artistry Palette (20) and the Live in Color Brush Set 7 Piece Eye Brush Collection (26) will be donated to the organisation. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities UGG Uggs new limited-edition capsule for Pride Month will benefit LGTBQ youths through the Born This Way Foundation, a crisis support and suicide prevention program. The Fluff Yeah Pride slides retail at 100 each with 25 per cent of the proceeds going to the Born This Way Foundation. Pride Month 2019: All the brands giving back to LGBT+ charities Ikea Ikea US has released a rainbow version of its classic blue bag for Pride 2019 to help raise money for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF). All proceeds from the bags will go directly to the HRCF. The White House has been condemned on social media for having streamed the sermon on its Youtube channel, with users calling it outrageous. One person tweeted: Did I misunderstand the part about separation of church and state? The vice-president known for his religious conservatism said he visited the Memphis church to celebrate its anniversary and Martin Luther King, the day before a national holiday commemorated the civil rights leader. Sharing a picture of himself at the pulpit, Mr Pence said: We honour [King] by continuing the work he so nobly advanced of forming a more perfect Union with liberty and justice for all. After Mr Pence spoke, the bishop told the crowd that homosexuality goes against human nature. You never see two male animals coming together, he falsely claimed. Research has found that over 1,500 species engage in homosexual behaviour, and two lions were pictured having gay sex in Kenya several years ago. Weve got to expose what the devil is doing, the bishop added after his incorrect comment about the animal kingdom. I might get beat up out in the wild but thats alright. The Trump administration defended the religious Mr Pence from accusations of homophobia last year by claiming the fact he met the Irish taoiseach and his same-sex partner showed he is not anti-gay. The religious vice-president, whose wife teaches at a Christian school banning gay and transgender staff and students, has voted against policies supporting LGBT+ and abortion rights in the past. Donald Trump, the US president, reportedly once joked Mr Pence wanted to hang all gay people. Speaking to Christian university graduates last year, he said people can be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible in the current climate and defended the US administrations anti-abortion stance. The vice-president thanked the Tennessee church for its warm welcome after his visit over the weekend. In these divided times, he tweeted, let us remember Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr as he challenged the conscience of a nation and touched the hearts of millions of Americans. COLLINSVILLE Ameren Illinois on Wednesday announced a two-year $18.4 million electric grid project to enhance service reliability for customers in Jersey and Macoupin counties. Ameren officials said the company is fortifying power lines and power poles to withstand high winds during storms, as well as making enhancements at substations in Jerseyville, Piasa and Brighton. The upgrades are part of our overall statewide plan to build a cleaner, greener, more resilient grid, said Richard Mark, Chairman and President, Ameren Illinois. With these enhancements, Ameren Illinois is taking proactive steps to prepare for the future needs of our electric customers, he said. Were excited to bring these enhancements to our customers in Jersey and Macoupin counties. During Phase 1, scheduled to start this month, crews will upgrade 13.5 miles of power lines and replace more than 300 power poles from Jerseyville to Brighton. Part of the project includes installing a new three-mile circuit to connect the Piasa Junction and Brighton substations. This will improve the resiliency of the grid and allow for power to be re-routed between the two substations in the event of a service outage. More than 50 composite fiberglass poles will be erected at strategic points along the 13.5-mile route to strengthen the lines and prevent poles from breaking during sustained high winds. Composite poles are flexible and able to help the entire power line to better withstand the impacts of severe weather, said Chad Cloninger, Division Director for Ameren Illinois. We anticipate that this enhancement will improve electric service reliability for more than 4,200 customers in Jersey and Macoupin counties. The project represents an estimated investment of $10.5 million, according to Ameren. During Phase 2, in 2021, electricians will begin making upgrades to the Jerseyville, Piasa Junction and Brighton substations to add more resiliency to the local grid. New equipment will be added at each substation to meet future electric load increases and to assist in re-routing power to the other substations in the event of an outage. The project represents an estimated investment of $7.9 million, according to Ameren. The enhancements are part of Ameren Illinois multi-year initiative to modernize its energy delivery system. Since 2012, the company has implemented hundreds of projects, added new technology and strengthened poles, wires and distribution equipment. As a result, reliability has improved by an average of 17 percent and the time of an outage has been reduced by 19 percent. Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers throughout central and southern Illinois. The service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more details, visit AmerenIllinois.com or follow Ameren on Twitter @AmerenIllinois and Facebook. A new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons found that non-medical cannabis use--including frequent or problematic use--is significantly more common in adults with pain than in those without pain. The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Since 1996, 34 states have passed medical marijuana laws and 11 states have legalized recreational cannabis use. Studies indicate that heavy cannabis use increases the risk of vehicle accidents, respiratory and psychiatric symptoms, and cannabis use disorder. Despite this evidence, many people view cannabis use as harmless, and non-medical use of cannabis on a daily or near-daily basis has increased. In our study, we hoped to identify factors--such as pain--that may increase the risk of cannabis use disorder." Deborah Hasin, PhD, Study Lead and Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Hasin and colleagues analyzed data on marijuana use from the National Epidemiologic Surveys on Alcohol and Related Conditions in 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. The researchers compared non-medical cannabis use patterns in adults with and without pain (approximately 20% of participants in both surveys had moderate to severe pain). Overall, non-medical marijuana use increased from about 4% in 2002 to 9.5% in 2013. In addition, in the most recent survey, those with pain were significantly more likely to engage in frequent non-medical cannabis use than those without pain (5.0% vs. 3.5%). The risk of cannabis use disorder was also significantly higher in those with pain (4.2% vs. 2.7%). "Although meta-analyses of cannabis for treating pain show only mixed efficacy, particularly for plant marijuana, 66% of adults now view marijuana as beneficial for pain management. Given that about 20% of the adult population experienced moderate to severe pain, this puts a large group of U.S. adults at risk for frequent non-medical use and cannabis use disorder. "Greater balance is needed in media reporting of marijuana issues, including messages that convey credible information about the nature and magnitude of health risks from non-medical cannabis use, including among the large group of US adults with pain," says Hasin. "Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals treating patients with pain should monitor their patients for signs and symptoms of cannabis use disorder." The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that Assam's problem is different from rest of the country as the earlier cut off date for citizenship was March 24, 1971, which under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) has been extended to December 31, 2014. The top court agreed to hear the petitions concerning issues of Assam and Tripura separately from the batch of petitions challenging constitutional validity of the CAA. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna said, "The petitions concerning Assam and Tripura as well as the matters related to Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately". It observed that "Assam's problem is different from rest of the country as the earlier cut off date for citizenship was March 24, 1971, which under the CAA has been extended to December 31, 2014". During the hearing of total 143 petitions which had challenged constitutional validity of CAA, senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for petitioners challenging the process of grant of citizenship under the CAA to 40 lakhs Bengali Hindus who had migrated from Bangladesh to Assam and Tripura, said the Act will create a peculiar situation as huge agitations are going on in these states. He said the operation of CAA be stayed as it even violated Assam Accord of 1985, which fixes cut of date for grant of citizenship as March 24, 1971. "Assam is facing a peculiar situation due to the migrants coming from Bangladesh as earlier cut off date for grant of citizenship was 1950, then cut of date was extended to March 24, 1971. This extension has been challenged before the apex court and the matter is pending," he said. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, intervened and urged the Court to hear petitions relating to Assam separately from a batch of anti-CAA petitions and assured the court that the exercise of Assam National Register of Citizenship (NRC) will not be complete until the national list is published by the Registrar General of India. He said the recently concluded Assam NRC exercise, which was monitored by the apex court, will not be complete unless the final list is published. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man who fell ill in Mexico on Monday following a December trip to Wuhan, China, is under observation as a potential case of the coronavirus, the respiratory virus that has killed at least 17 people worldwide. The 57-year-old molecular biology professor works for the Instituto Politecnico Nacional university in the city of Reynosa, which borders with the U.S. The man returned to Mexico on Jan. 10 through a Mexico City airport and then flew to the state of Tamaulipas, Mexican authorities said. Tamaulipas State Health Minister Gloria Molina said in a radio interview that the man immediately reported his situation to authorities after feeling sick. He is now in his home under monitoring to prevent any potential spread. Molina said the man also had layovers at the border city of Tijuana when he left and returned to Mexico, according to journalist Joaquin Lopez Doriga's news site. Link: China Seeks to Contain Virus as Death Toll Jumps to 17 Earlier on Wednesday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that a second possible case in Mexico had been ruled out. "The coronavirus is being looked into. If we have more information we will release it later today," he said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Mexico City airport authorities said late Tuesday that they were expecting recommendations from international and local health authorities on how to deal with passengers showing potential symptoms. Separately, Colombian authorities are also evaluating whether a Chinese man with a respiratory illness, who traveled to Colombia from Turkey, has the same virus, according to Blu, a Bogota-based radio station. The country's health ministry declined to comment. The World Health Organization is expected to announce later Wednesday whether the outbreak counts as a global public health emergency, a declaration that can come with recommendations for restricting travel and trade to stop the spread of disease. Since his election campaign in 2018, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has often lashed out at reporters or outlets (AFP Photo/Sergio LIMA) Sao Paulo (AFP) - A frequent and fiery critic of Brazil's media, President Jair Bolsonaro declared Wednesday he would no longer speak to journalists. Bolsonaro made the remarks outside his official residence in Brasilia where most mornings for the past year he has fielded questions from reporters and greeted fans. "I want to speak with you, but the national journalism association says that when I speak, I attack them," Bolsonaro told reporters. "As I am a person of peace, I will not give more interviews." The move comes after the National Federation of Journalists said last week Bolsonaro's presidency had "significantly affected the freedom of the press in Brazil." It registered 208 attacks -- including physical and verbal -- against the media or journalists in 2019, an increase of 54 percent compared with the previous year. Bolsonaro was responsible for more than half of the incidents, it said. He mostly used public statements such as speeches, interviews or tweets to attack the media. Since his election campaign in 2018, Bolsonaro has often lashed out at reporters or outlets. Bolsonaro said in July that US journalist Glenn Greenwald -- who was charged with cybercrimes on Tuesday -- could "do jail time" over the publication of leaked chats that threatened to undermine a massive corruption probe. In a speech to the UN General Assembly in September, Bolsonaro accused the media of "lying" about the extent of fires raging in the Amazon. The following month Bolsonaro announced he had cancelled his subscription to the respected daily Folha de S. Paulo. He also threatened to cancel TV Globo's broadcasting license over a report linking him to a person accused of murdering a Rio de Janeiro councilwoman. Fully vaccinating children against influenza reduces their risk of hospitalisation by over 50 per cent, according to a study published on Wednesday. The research, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Disease, is one of the few studies worldwide that has tested the effectiveness of childhood vaccination against flu, and risk of hospitalisation due to influenza complications. Researchers noted that in Israel, as in the US, government guidelines recommend that children 8 or younger who have never been vaccinated, or who have only gotten one dose of flu vaccine previously, should receive two doses of vaccine. Children vaccinated according to government guidelines are much better protected from influenza than those who only receive one vaccine, said Hannah Segaloff, a research fellow at the University of Michigan in the US. "Over half of our study population had underlying conditions that may put them at high risk for severe influenza-related complications, so preventing influenza in this group is critically important," she said. The study also showed that the vaccine was effective in three seasons with different circulating viruses, reinforcing the importance of getting an influenza vaccine every year no matter what virus is circulating. It reviewed the vaccination data of 3,746 hospitalisations of children 6 months to 8 years old at six hospitals in Israel. They were tested for influenza over three winter seasons, from 2015 to 2018. The findings reveal that the flu vaccine reduced hospitalisations associated with the flu by 54 per cent. The researchers said giving two vaccine doses to children up to age 8, who have never been vaccinated or only received one dose previously, is more effective than administering one dose. "Young children are at high risk of hospitalisation due to influenza complications," said Mark Katz, an adjunct associate clinical professor at the Ben-Gurion University in Israel. "Children with underlying illnesses such as asthma and heart disease have an even greater risk of getting the complications. It is important to prevent influenza infections in these populations," Katz said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service MANGALURU: Aditya Rao, a middle aged man who hails from Manipal in Udupi district has surrendered before police claiming that he planted the bomb at Mangaluru International Airport on Monday. Sources in the police department said that Rao surrendered at DGP office in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning. A police team from Mangaluru has left for Bangaluru to bring the accused for investigation. Mangaluru city police investigation team is flying into Bengaluru shortly to investigate the developments in connection with MIA case.. the team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action.. Harsha IPS CP Mangaluru City (@compolmlr) January 22, 2020 Police commissioner PS Harsha tweeted saying the investigation team will fly to the state capital to investigate the developments with regard to MIA incident and the team will questiin the suspect and initiate legal action. Meanwhile, sources said that Rao was previously arrested by Bengaluru city police for making bomb threat calls to KIA. On Tuesday, the city police had stepped up the investigation in the incident and grilled several suspects including the auto driver who took the suspect to the airport. ALSO READ| Mangaluru bomb scare: Alleged suspect has record of hoax threats ATS and SPG teams had also arrived in city for investigation in the incident and visited the airport and Kenjar where the explisve was destroyed. They also collected details from the MIA and police authorities with regard to the incident. The three special teams formed by Mangaluru city police to investigate the incident also visited several places in the region looking for clues about the motive behind the incident and the suspects. Police commissioner PS Harsha had maintained that the investigating teams have so far made 'enough progress' into the inquiry and questioned 'several' suspects. "The interrogation of the auto driver who took the suspect to the airport is underway and several places were visited in search of the accused," he said. Further, he said that they are trying to find out whether there is any link between those behind the planting of explosive devise in the airport in the morning and the one who made a threat call stating that there is a bomb in Bengaluru-bound Indigo flight in the afternoon. It is also being looked into whether there is link between the latest threat call and similar threat calls made to the airport and other airports in the past. ALSO READ| Mangaluru cops zero in on man who planted airport bomb Stating that the public have shared many videos and pictures resembling the suspect, the top cop said they are going through it. Stating that they are investigating the case from all angles, he expressed confidence of cracking the case soon with the arrest of the accused. Megastar Rajinikanth who has courted controversy for his comments on noted social activist and politician E V Ramasamy Periyar has refused to apologise for his comments, even as protests have broken out in Chennai against the actor's remarks demanding an apology from him. The controversy is on Rajini's comment at the 50th-anniversary event of the weekly magazine Thuglak, where the 69-year-old actor lauded the magazine's founder late Cho Ramaswamy for carrying a story from 1971 rally in Salem, that was led by Periyar himself. Rajini stated that in the rally pictures of Lord Ram were garlanded with slippers and that Thuglak was the only magazine to carry the story. Who was Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, commonly known as Periyar which means elder, was born on September 17, 1879 in Erode then a part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency, he died on December 24, 1973 at the age of 94. He is considered to be the 'Father of the Dravidian Movement'. He worked against the Brahminical dominance, caste prevalence, and women oppression in Tamil Nadu. He is credited to have started the Self-Respect Movement and is the founder of Dravidar Kazhagam. He promoted the principles of rationalism, self-respect, womens rights and eradication of caste. As hugely revered as Periyar is, he was an extremely controversial figure even when he was alive. He had joined the Congress party in 1919 but decided to quit the party in 1925 accusing it of being dominated by Brahmins. He floated his own party by the name Justice Party which was later renamed Dravidar Kazhagam. All the Dravidian political offshoots which exist today including AIADMK, DMK, DK, PMK, MDMK are based on his anti-Brahminism and anti-Hindi ideology that he pioneered. Periyar led several agitations to abolish caste, tell people to take pride in Tamil language and fought against the imposition of Hindi. Periyar propagated the realisation that everyone is a created as equal and the differences on the basis of caste and creed were man-made to keep the innocent and ignorant as underdogs in the society. His speeches were targeted towards the illiterate masses but scores of educated people were also swayed by his ideology. It was a video that landed Adel al-Mashwakhi in jail and another video that got him out. The comedian and former policeman from the Gaza Strip is known for his videos critical of a wide range of political issues. Mashwakhi first gained media notoriety in 2017, when he posted a video mocking the electricity cuts. The clip, titled "Hamas, that's enough," was viewed a quarter-million times. Hamas arrested all-Mashwakhi but released him two weeks later, on the condition that he make no more politically flavored videos. Shortly after his release, the comedian left the Gaza Strip. He returned in October 2018, with promises from Hamas that he could get his policeman job back and retire early. Instead, in December 2019, a Gaza Military Court sentenced Mashwakhi to 18 months in prison for insulting religion, opposing public policy and "defective behavior." After the ruling, Mashwakhi fought back with a new video. He posted a five-minute video on his Facebook page Jan. 11 to tell his story, describing how Hamas had deceived him, luring him back to the country with the promise of returning his job and freedom from prosecution. Then they sentenced me to 18 months, he said, promising to go on a hunger strike until death. His video rekindled a wave of support for the acid-tongued comedian, both online and in the street. In the face of this public pressure, the Hamas government released him Jan. 14, after several key Hamas figures intervened. Human rights groups also acted on his behalf, according to his uncle, Tawfiq al-Mashwakhi, who said his nephew's release was once again on the condition that he stop making political videos. Should he be charged again, he would be imprisoned the full 18 months. In his Facebook video, Mashwakhi said Hamas had wronged him and deprived him of his job as a police officer because he spoke on behalf of the hard-working citizens oppressed in the Gaza Strip who endure harsh living conditions. He said the Hamas government had dredged up the charges from his January 2017 video, though he had been released on bail at the time due to health reasons. After his release in 2017, Mashwakhi traveled to Egypt and Jordan for treatment, then moved to Malaysia. Just when his life was getting back on track, he heard from the Hamas government. He returned to settle in the Gaza Strip in October 2018, Tawfiq al-Mashwakhi told Al-Monitor. We tried to warn him, but he insisted on returning to his beloved hometown [of Rafah] in the Gaza Strip. Tawfiq al-Mashwakhi said the Hamas government wanted his nephew to return to the Gaza Strip so they could use him to support their policies. When he refused to do so, they reopened his previous judicial cases and got him behind bars once more," he said. "Anyone who knows Adel knows very well that it is difficult to tame him or turn him into a mouthpiece. Sarhan Abu al-Saeed, Mashwakhis manager of five months, agreed. Mashwakhi performs gigs at weddings and other celebrations. He is also shooting a film, The Refugee, with funding from local institutions, Saeed said. The sentence against Mashwakhi came as a surprise to him and those around him. During the four hearings that were held, the judge showed him sympathy, Saeed said. He suffered great injustice, especially after the assurances he obtained that all of his previous cases would be closed. Mashkhawi said that within a year of his return he asked the Ministry of the Interior about his salary, which had not been disbursed to him, and the promises of early retirement. Instead, he was notified that he would again be put on trial. Hamas came under heavy criticism on social media when the verdict was issued against him, but these criticism doubled after the video went viral, Saeed said. Mashwakhi's latest video gained more than 4,000 likes, 450 shares and 2,000 comments, most of them supportive of Mashwakhi and expressing anger toward Hamas. Others were critical of Mashwakhi and called him shallow. Saeed said that many in the Gaza Strip do not accept Mashwakhi's brand of satire. I am sure if he lived outside Gaza, he would have had greater success chances, he said. Tawfiq al-Mashwakhi said, He was helping his followers cope with the harsh reality through humor and art. I really dont see how he is tried and imprisoned for merely trying to make people happy." Federal prosecutors in Brazil on Tuesday charged American journalist Glenn Greenwald with cybercrimes for his role in bringing to light cellphone messages that have embarrassed prosecutors and tarnished the image of an anti-corruption task force Rio de Janeiro: Federal prosecutors in Brazil on Tuesday charged American journalist Glenn Greenwald with cybercrimes for his role in bringing to light cellphone messages that have embarrassed prosecutors and tarnished the image of an anti-corruption task force. In a criminal complaint made public Tuesday, prosecutors in the capital, Brasilia, accused Greenwald of being part of a criminal organisation that hacked into the cellphones of several prosecutors and other public officials last year. Greenwald, an ardent critic of Brazils far right president, Jair Bolsonaro, is a deeply polarising figure in Brazil, where his work is lionised by leftists and condemned as partisan and heavy-handed by officials in the Bolsonaro administration. The news organisation Greenwald co-founded, The Intercept Brasil, published articles last year based on the leaked cellphone messages that raised questions about the integrity and the motives of key members of Brazils justice system. The articles cast doubt on the impartiality of a former judge, Sergio Moro, and of some of the prosecutors who worked on a corruption investigation that landed several powerful political and business figures in prison. Among those charged in connection with the corruption investigation was a former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a popular leftist whose conviction paved the way for the election of Bolsonaro. Moro was the judge who handled that case, and he is now Bolsonaros minister of justice. The case raises concerns among journalists and advocates for a free press because journalists often rely on confidential or leaked information, sometimes obtained by whistleblowers or hackers. In fact, Greenwald has been part of a team that won some of the most important prizes in journalism the George Polk Award and the Pulitzer Prize for public service for his role in reporting on documents describing government surveillance that were passed on to him by Edward Snowden, a former contractor with the US National Security Agency who later faced espionage charges in connection with the leak. In a statement, Greenwald called the charges an obvious attempt to attack a free press in retaliation for the revelations we reported about Moro and the Bolsonaro government. Greenwald, who has not been detained, said he intended to continue publishing and cast the case against him as a test of Brazils democracy. We will not be intimidated by these tyrannical attempts to silence journalists, he said. In a 95-page criminal complaint, prosecutors say that The Intercept Brasil did more than merely receive the hacked messages and oversee the publication of newsworthy information. Citing intercepted messages between Greenwald and the hackers, prosecutors say the journalist played a clear role in facilitating the commission of a crime. For instance, prosecutors contend that Greenwald encouraged the hackers to delete archives that had already been shared with The Intercept Brasil, in order to cover their tracks. Prosecutors also say that Greenwald was communicating with the hackers while they were actively monitoring private chats on Telegram, a messaging app. The complaint charged six other individuals, including four who were detained last year in connection with the cellphone hacking. Legal experts and leftist politicians criticized the decision to charge Greenwald, calling the evidence outlined against him thin. Thiago Bottino, a legal expert at Fundacao Getulio Vargas University in Rio de Janeiro, said prosecutors have not described evidence that suggests Greenwald broke the law. Theres nothing in the complaint showing that he helped or guided the hackers, he said. Bottino said Brazils case law gives journalists broad protections. You cant punish a journalist for divulging a document that was obtained through criminal means, he said. Gleisi Hoffman, the president of the Workers Party, the largest Opposition party, called the charge an abuse of power. They want a police state, with more farces, illegalities and arbitrary acts, she wrote in a message on Twitter. Greenwald moved to Brazil in 2005 after meeting David Miranda, a Brazilian man he later married and who became a federal congressman last year. Greenwald first became widely known for his role in the release of classified national security documents leaked by Snowden in 2013. He co-founded The Intercept Brasil in 2016. Greenwald expressed concern last year that the authorities might charge him criminally as a reprisal for The Intercept Brasils reporting based on the leaked messages. Bolsonaro left little doubt that hed relish seeing the journalist punished. In late July, the president used a derisive term to refer to Greenwald and said the journalist might wind up in jail. Greenwalds concerns were partly based on reports that federal officials were investigating his finances. Those reports led a Supreme Court justice, Gilmar Mendes, to issue an extraordinary order barring the federal police from investigating Greenwalds role in the dissemination of the hacked messages. Prosecutors said Tuesday that they abided by that order until they found audio messages which, they argued, implicated Greenwald in criminal activity. The charges came as a huge surprise, Greenwald said in an interview Tuesday, because the Federal Police issued a report in December that cleared him of having engaged in criminal conduct related to the phone hacks. Greenwald said he had been methodical in his dealings with the source who gave him the leaked chats, mindful of the lessons he had learned in the Snowden case. The one thing I could not do is give direction, Greenwald said. Thats crossing a line. I was very careful. The prosecutor who filed the case, Wellington Oliveira, last month charged the president of Brazils bar association with libel for making disparaging remarks about Moro. A federal judge recently dismissed the case, ruling that Oliveiras argument lacked a solid legal base. The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed alarm over the case against Greenwald. Charging journalists with criminal activity based on interactions with sources sends a chilling message to reporters working on sensitive stories at a time when the Brazilian media is increasingly under attack from officials in its own government, said Natalie Southwick, the programme coordinator at the committee that monitors press freedom in Latin America. Ernesto Londono and Leticia Casado c.2020 The New York Times Company One witness said that Mr. Giuliani was representing Mr. Trumps desires when he demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma. Mr. Trump instructed officials to work with his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani on Ukraine matters. A new set of documents shows that Mr. Giuliani expressed to Mr. Zelensky that he was working with the presidents knowledge and consent. In a July phone call , immediately after a discussion of military aid, Mr. Trump asked President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to do us a favor and pursue investigations that could give him personal political benefits. It is widely accepted among scholars that an official does not need to commit an ordinary crime to be impeached. Even if Mr. Trump did coerce the Ukrainians for his personal gain, his actions were not impeachable because the House did not accuse him of any violation of the law. The White House blocked key witnesses who interacted directly with Mr. Trump from testifying to the House and refused to turn over internal documents. Democrats have relied on the testimony of officials who largely do not have firsthand knowledge of what Mr. Trump himself was privately saying about the withholding of a White House meeting and military aid. One witness testified that Mr. Sondland had told him the president had said that they would be at a stalemate if Mr. Zelensky did not make a public announcement. Mr. Trump told Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union working on his behalf in Ukraine, that he wanted no quid pro quo from Mr. Zelensky. While Mr. Trump did not mention any consequences for not fulfilling his request, officials testified that they came to believe that a foreign aid freeze and a delayed White House meeting were being tied to an announcement of investigations. There was no explicit quid pro quo in the reconstructed transcript of the phone call, and Mr. Zelensky has said that he did not feel pressured by Mr. Trump. While Mr. Trump did not mention any consequences for not fulfilling his request, officials testified that they came to believe that a foreign aid freeze and a delayed White House meeting were being tied to an announcement of investigations. One witness testified that Mr. Sondland had told him the president had said that they would be at a stalemate if Mr. Zelensky did not make a public announcement. The White House blocked key witnesses who interacted directly with Mr. Trump from testifying to the House and refused to turn over internal documents. It is widely accepted among scholars that an official does not need to commit an ordinary crime to be impeached. While global oil supplies in 2019 were vulnerable, the fluctuations have not affected long-term petrol prices, yet business plans for some in the market in 2020 remain complicated. Rising petrol prices can harm consumers at the pumps as well as losses for businesses As per the West Texas Intermediate oil pricing benchmark, the price per barrel decreased by 4.6 per cent to $59.70, the lowest price since December 16. Previously, shortly after skirmishes between Iran and the United States, the price peaked in April at $65.60 per barrel. While a spiralling rise in the worlds oil price is benefiting Vietnams own crude oil exports, it brings more woes to the business community, especially logistics companies. Other affected areas include accommodation, fisheries, water supply, and warehousing services. Many businesses may fall in a dilemma due to the pressure of the rising petrol prices as transport fees increase proportionally and might cause losses for them. According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association, petrol currently accounts for about 35 per cent of the transport cost structure. Pham Dinh Thang, director of Decam Transportation and Services Co., Ltd., said that the freight charge calculations will change by 3-4 per cent if the petrol price increases or decreases by 10 per cent. A representative from Singapore-invested Indo Trans Logistics Corporation said that each month, the company has to spend about VND3 billion ($130,000) on petrol to fuel its container trucks. Maruichi Sun Steel JSC (SUNSCO), the first steel company in Vietnam that was fully invested by the Japanese, is also using logistics services as the company imports steel from their partners JFE from Japan and Posco from South Korea. Hoang Manh Hung, SUNSCO chief accountant told VIR, the company has to set aside $540,000 for the ups and downs of petrol prices. Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC (BSR) set a plan of reaching after-tax profit of VND1.3 trillion ($56 million) in 2020, a decrease of 41.4 per cent compared to 2019, which is mainly caused by the strong changes of the price of petrol. Bui Minh Tien, BSR general director, told VIR, The global oil market has a significant impact on the production and business activities of BSR. The price of crude oil and products fluctuated abnormally in 2019. In 2020, BSRs parent group PetroVietnam assigned BSR to focus on ensuring the operation of Dung Quat Oil Refinery in the central province of Quang Ngai and to shorten the overall maintenance time to increase the operational efficiency of the plant. In addition, BSR will prioritise the upgrading and expansion of the refinery. In 2019 BSR imported 7.45 million barrels of crude oil, three million barrels of which came from the US. The conflict brewing with Iran poses a high possibility of global oil prices mounting, and with Vietnams high reliance on imports especially from the US will affect the domestic oil market. According to the assessment of PetroVietnam, the price of oil will remain high after the OPEC and its allies curtailed its output by 1.2-1.7 million barrels a day until March. In this context, the stable operation of both Dung Quat and the Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the central province of Thanh Hoa will provide motivation for businesses. VIR Tan Duong A premium light beer needs to be defined not only by what it isnt (lots of calories and carbs), but by what it is (crisp and refreshing). Saint Archer Gold trumps Michelob Ultra by offering bright, clean refreshment and vaguely interesting yeast character that veers toward mild fruitiness. Its a finely tuned beer with nary a wasted note. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-22 17:00:11|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close by Li Hao, Ali Jaswal, Jiang Chao ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Pakistani workers together carrying construction materials like steel beams seems to be the most natural scene at the construction site of Karot Hydropower Plant, a major pilot project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Though less educated, the builders of the two countries have found their way to overcome the language barriers. "I do not know much about English or the local workers' language. Sometimes we use Chinese, English and their language in only one sentence. After working together for a long time, that is enough for us to understand each other," said Chen Bo, a 48-year-old Chinese construction worker who has been working at the plant for nearly one year. With about 70 percent of the overall construction completed, the 720-megawatt hydropower plant, located some 70 km east of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, is expected to be put into commercial operation by the end of 2021, according to Karot Power Company, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd responsible for executing the project. Once it gets functional, the CPEC project will annually generate some 3.2 billion units of clean electricity, meeting the electricity demand of around 5 million local people and optimizing the energy consumption structure in the country, Li Zhili, deputy general manager of Karot Power Company said. To finish the plant building as soon as possible and solve the power supply bottleneck in Pakistan, the Chinese and Pakistani workers have learned professional skills from each other. Talking to Xinhua, the 25-year-old Pakistani worker Mohammad Awais who joined the project around two years ago, said the workers of the two countries lived and worked at the plant like a family and he had learned a lot from the Chinese workers. "They are hard-working workers and very punctual. The things that we didn't know, we got to learn from them," Awais said, adding that he has learned load management, load lifting and strictly following the safety rules from his Chinese partners. Chen said they had also learned from their Pakistani counterparts, with whom they enjoyed a cordial working relationship. During the construction period, the project has provided tremendous job opportunities to local people, with nearly 5,000 Pakistani employees while the total number of the Chinese staff is just around one-fourth of that of the locals, the deputy general manager told Xinhua. Like hundreds of his Chinese colleagues in Pakistan, Chen will celebrate the forthcoming Chinese New Year, a festival for family reunion. But at the hydropower plant, the celebration is not exclusive for the Chinese community. Sami Ullah Niazi, a 27-year-old Pakistani civil engineer who had studied in China for five years, was looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year with his Chinese friends for the seventh consecutive time. "In this project, we are working like brothers. And when they have some special events like their birthday or something, we will celebrate together," Niazi said. Niazi joined the project in 2018, not long after he returned from China. He also worked as an interpreter because of his fluency in Mandarin Chinese. Niazi told Xinhua that he will take some special food like Pakistan-style mutton and fruits to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his Chinese colleagues. "Our Chinese brothers left their country, their hometown, their family. They are here for CPEC, especially the Karot project," he said. "We should let them feel we are all in our home." An Australian tradie accused of headbutting a taxi driver in Bali has celebrated his release from jail surrounded by family on his mother's birthday. Tore Gerard Vincenzo Bempasciuto, 23, was freed from a holding cell at Kuta police station after eight days behind bars over the alleged assault. His mother Patricia was emotional as her son presented her with a cake and told reporters her birthday wish had come true. ore Gerard Vincenzo Bempasciuto (centre hugging his mother Patricia) is pictured with his father (right) and his cousin (left) 'I was praying and wishing for the last week so I am just very happy right now,' she told 7 News. 'I am just very happy, very happy to have my son back with us. We are happy that he is OK and appreciative of everything that the lawyers have done for us.' The mechanical fitter faced up to two years and eight months behind bars if he was found guilty of assaulting Saiful Nurokhim at a taxi rank outside the LXXY Bar in Kuta at 4.15am on Tuesday last week. But the Perth man signed a peace agreement with Mr Nurokhim for an undisclosed amount of money on Tuesday. Bempasciuto's release came on his mother Patricia's birthday who flew to Bali to help her son Mr Nurokhim did not accept the deal until he met with Bempasciuto to make sure 'he is really remorseful for his act'. 'As a human being, we should forgive each other,' Mr Nurokhim told the publication. 'I hope that I can meet him first and talk, to make sure that he is really remorseful for his act.' Bempasciuto publicly apologised at a press conference on Tuesday and said he is a 'changed man'. 'I would just like to apologise to the Indonesian Government and police. I have realised my actions were wrong, I have learned the hard way and never again, that's for sure.' The police report said the 23-year-old allegedly 'hit the victim's mouth and eye, causing the victim to fall down onto the pedestrian strip' He described his time behind bars as 'pretty rough' and said he is thankful to live in Australia. On the night of the alleged attack, Bempasciuto was partying at Bounty nightclub when he lost his iPhone 11, he told officers. He apparently thought the taxi driver looked like someone who was following him. Bempasciuto apparently thought the taxi driver looked like someone who was following him According to a police report, he headbutted the taxi driver and snatched his Samsung phone. The taxi driver gave chase before a scuffle allegedly broke out. The police report says: 'The victim tried to chase the perpetrator who grabbed his mobile phone. 'However, the perpetrator doesn't give the mobile phone back. 'He suddenly, it is alleged, hit the victim's mouth and eye, causing the victim to fall down onto the pedestrian strip.' Bempasciuto then allegedly ran away, fearing the taxi driver's friends would retaliate, before he was detained. Mr Nurokhim was allegedly left with a bloody nose and mouth and pain at the back of his head from hitting the ground. There have been a string of assault cases in Bali recently involving Australians, where the alleged attacker has been freed after paying compensation and signing a peace treaty. Aluminium smelter ALRO Slatina will receive about 40 million euros annually through the aid scheme for the support of industrial consumers through greenhouse gas emission allowances; other industrial units in the country will also benefit from this aid scheme, Environment Minister Costel Alexe announced on Wednesday in Slatina, after a visit to the aluminum production plant. The minister said that without this support ALRO was at risk to shut down, and that the said aid scheme will support 15 industrial branches and seven industrial sub-branches. "Concretely, this support [for ALRO Slatina] means about 40 million euros every year, for electric power. (...) I am happy that the Liberal government I am a member of has pledged right in its early months at rule to correct all the slippages, all the gaps and obviously, to support the private initiative and the Romanian economy," said the minister. Costel Alexe pointed out that, in terms of environmental protection, with investments of about 100 million euros in 10 years for re-engineering and environmental protection, ALRO is an example of best practice. The Environment Minister said that the greenhouse gas emission allowance aid scheme benefits the economy and is being used in other European countries as well. In December 2019 the government approved a draft emergency ordinance establishing a state aid scheme to support industrial consumers in 15 sectors through greenhouse gas emission allowances. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Wireless Healthcare Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Wireless Healthcare Market was valued at USD 73.97 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 316 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 27.38% over the forecast period 2020-2025. According to the Center for Disease Control, hospital-acquired infections cause approximately 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. That is why improving hand hygiene is a significant focus for the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. Sensors in soap and hand sanitizer dispensers that communicate with RFID tags in staff identification badges can now determine if and when staff sanitize their hands, which is a key trend for the market. Penetration of internet and wireless communication technology is driving the market. In a connected hospital, caregivers use wireless medical equipment to provide the best quality of care to patients, rather than being preoccupied by time-consuming administrative tasks. Doctors and nurses can easily access up-to-date patient information, enabling treatment decisions supported by real-time medical information and resulting in improved outcomes for the patient. Wearable devices for continuous monitoring is driving the market. The proliferation of smartphones and the acceptance of wearable devices have made medical device and diagnostic center to experiment with body-worn sensors that can monitor vital signs and transmit them in real time to an online platform that can be remotely accessed. However, cybersecurity and privacy issues are restraining the market growth as vast amounts of health data are generated in the process of treatment in medical centers such as hospitals and clinics and the theft of the data can degrade the privacy of the data. Key Market Trends IoT in Medical to Increase the Market Share The evolution of the healthcare IT has been augmented by the intervention of internet of things (IoT) in the industry, which called for a connected hospital environment. The wireless network solutions is helping the healthcare industry by allowing practitioners to access files remotely to direct diagnosis in case of unavailability. At the moment, biosensors are among the most important elements of the healthcare digital transformation. It can help users by collecting data about all their physical activities, sleep, and overall health in hospitals. Some of these devices record indicators with high sensitivity and specificity, which makes them very useful for health management, especially for treating elderly patients with several chronic diseases at once. Blockchain initiatives are being widely implemented in the healthcare sector. For instance, Estonian eHealth Foundation and Guardtime company entered into a partnership for integrating a Blockchain-based system to secure millions of medical records. As the heart disease rate is going faster, the IoT system utilizes algorithms for continuous ECG monitoring in patient in hospital. In electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, the system keeps track of the heart rate and the basic rhythm by recording the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG monitor consists of a wireless transmitter and a receiver. An automated application can identify an abnormal heart activity and the data is transferred in real time to mobile phones and the doctors clinic via a network. Europe to Hold a Significant Share Europe is a big market for wireless healthcare systems because of the increasing aging problem in this region. The proportion of Europeans aged 65 years and older will grow from 16% in 2000 to 24% by 2030. This will put an enormous pressure on the present healthcare system so, technologies like wireless healthcare system will help ease the system of providing treatment to the growing senior or elderly population. is a big market for wireless healthcare systems because of the increasing aging problem in this region. The proportion of Europeans aged 65 years and older will grow from 16% in 2000 to 24% by 2030. This will put an enormous pressure on the present healthcare system so, technologies like wireless healthcare system will help ease the system of providing treatment to the growing senior or elderly population. Healthcare in Europe is increasingly becoming digitised and there is growing need to develop and deploy sophisticated information systems. They are already being deployed for non-intrusive patient monitoring and for keeping track of the vital metrics. This information can be relayed back to caregivers and doctors in order to increase the efficiency of the medical treatment. is increasingly becoming digitised and there is growing need to develop and deploy sophisticated information systems. They are already being deployed for non-intrusive patient monitoring and for keeping track of the vital metrics. This information can be relayed back to caregivers and doctors in order to increase the efficiency of the medical treatment. For instance, the UK government has been welcoming the technology revolution in the country and has been willing to allow the implementation of the automation solutions. The pharmaceutical industry has also entered the technology domain with 63% of the major companies investing in developing mobile applications for automatically resetting the prescription deadlines and automatically reminding the patients regarding refilling the prescriptions. Competitive Landscape The wireless healthcare market is fragmented as the players are striving to increase their market share through strategies such as improvements in existing solutions and software platforms, development of new platforms, and strategic alliances with other market players. Therefore, several players account for significant individual shares in the market. Key players include AT&T Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Motorola Solutions Inc., etc. Recent Industry Development June 2019 - Aerohive Networks, a leader in cloud-managed networking was announced as second largest vendor in the Enterprise-class Cloud-managed Wireless LAN (WLAN) market in the Cloud Managed Wireless LAN Services White Paper. There are many advantages to using Aerohive's Cloud-managed WLAN services and over time, small to large enterprises will take complete advantage of these services to further simplify their business models and gain operational efficiencies that come from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in healthcare sector. Key Topics Covered 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Deliverables 1.2 Study Assumptions 1.3 Scope of the Study 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Introduction to Market Drivers & Restraints 4.3 Market Drivers 4.3.1 Penetration of Internet & Wireless Communication Technology 4.3.2 Wearable Devices for Continuous Monitoring 4.4 Market Restraints 4.4.1 Cybersecurity & Privacy Issues 4.5 Industry Value Chain Analysis 4.6 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Force Analysis 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION 5.1 By Technology 5.1.1 Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) 5.1.2 Wi-Fi 5.1.3 Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) 5.1.4 Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) 5.2 By Component 5.2.1 Hardware 5.2.2 Software 5.2.3 Services 5.3 By Application 5.3.1 Hospitals and Nursing Homes 5.3.2 Home Care 5.3.3 Pharmaceuticals 5.3.4 Other Applications 5.4 Geography 5.4.1 North America 5.4.2 Europe 5.4.3 Asia-Pacific 5.4.4 Latin America 5.4.5 Middle East & Africa 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Company Profiles 6.1.1 AT&T Inc. 6.1.2 Cisco Systems Inc. 6.1.3 Motorola Solutions Inc. 6.1.4 Philips Healthcare 6.1.5 Qualcomm 6.1.6 Samsung Group 6.1.7 Verizon Communication Inc. 6.1.8 Apple Inc. 6.1.9 Aerohive Networks Inc. 6.1.10 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. 7 INVESTMENT ANALYSIS 8 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yo9ch1 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 15:58 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206081fbc 1 National Bali-Police,crime,accident,suicide Free A British national identified as Ryan Roth was reported missing near the cliffs of Selonding Temple in Pecatu Village, South Kuta district, Bali, on Monday. Authorities began to suspect he had fallen off the cliff after local residents reported they found a motorbike parked at Jl. Pura Selonding on Sunday afternoon. The police found Roth's belongings on top of the cliff on Monday. Bali Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) head Hari Adi Purnomo said a team had been searching for Roth since Monday at sea and at the bottom of the cliff. The bottom of the cliff is covered with bushes, and according to the team at the location, its height reaches 170 meters, Hadi said as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday. South Kuta Police chief Adj. Comr. Yusak Agustinus Sooai said the police could not confirm whether Roth had fallen off the cliff or whether it was by accident. The police found a letter inside Roth's bag on top of the cliff. In the letter, he mentioned his love for his former girlfriend, Alice, a woman from Hong Kong who lived in Ubud, Gianyar. Alice, who had spoken to the police following Roths disappearance, said that there had not been any problems with Roth lately. We are still searching. We cannot yet be sure whether it was a suicide or an accident, Yusak said. (gis) Help India! By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter San Francisco: In December of last year, support for Hindu nationalism from a largely upper- caste Indian diaspora in the United States was on full display at the Howdy Modi Event at Houstons NRG Stadium. The event saw a crowd of over 50,000 Indian Americans cheering for a Prime Minister whom American lawmakers had even previously banned from entering the country for years, citing a well-documented history of severe violations of religious freedom while he was the chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. The event was hosted by the Texas India Forum, which has direct links to the Hindu nationalist groups associated with the Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh (RSS) in India. And it was active advocacy by groups such as these that helped revoke the ban. Support TwoCircles While there has been a lot of coverage in the media, both in India and the US, on the support that these leaders enjoy from the members of the Indian diaspora, what has remained unreported is the growing discontentment among many. Hundreds of Americans, in the wake of the current passing of laws such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as well as the National Registry of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), have been coming out on the streets demanding accountability from the Indian Government and to roll back these discriminatory laws and policies. As part of their protest, on the 19th of January, 2020, many in the Indian American diaspora organised a first-of-its-kind National Day of Action in around Indian-American districts around the United States. These protests, spearheaded by Equality Labs, a Dalit-feminist organisation based in the US, are declared to be in response to the Indian government passing the Citizenship Amendment Act that bars Muslim immigrants from becoming Indian nationals and lays the legal foundation to force the countrys 200 million Muslims into a registry to be placed into a series of detention camps, as stated in a press note released by them. Many of these Indian-American heavy neighborhoods have rarely seen protests against Hindu nationalism. Among the locations where different organizers are organising there are Artesia Boulevard in Los Angeles, Devon Street in Chicago, Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts, Patel Plaza in Decatur, Illinois, and Newark Street in Jersey City to name a few. With respect to genocide, the UN states that The vastness of number and the targeting of one particular community with the clear intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious groupIn this case it is Muslims, and there is enough evidence to say that India is in a pre-genocidal stage. said Tara Brown, a student of International law, who was part of the protest. Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Executive Director of Equality labs says that it is with the financial and other support from many upper caste Hindu networks in the diaspora, that the present government is able to achieve its fascist ideologies. Were mobilizing a National Day of Action with South Asian American grassroots groups across the U.S. to uplift the demand that these networks immediately cease their support and divest from the spread of Hindu fascism. We are drawing a line in the sand: the diaspora will not be complicit with genocide, she adds. Many Indian-Americans are stepping forward and rejecting this perceived politics of complicity. Organisations like Equality Labs and South Asian Solidarity Initiative (SASI), Indian American Muslim Council and API Chaya have been at the forefront of fighting against this right wing nationalist agenda whether it is their efforts to ensure that advocacy by them to erase caste from history textbooks in California schools is not successful,or addressing Indias Islamophobic anti-minority policies through organised protests such as these. Bilal Hussain who has been leading the mobilisation in Artesia, New Mexico mobilisation was among the first to join the call. I have not slept since the CAA passed. I am Muslim, I am queer. And I am of Indian descent. The CAA has genocidal implications for all of my communities and we will not be silent, he says. Hundreds of protesters organised in Atlanta, Chicago, Bay Area, New York, New Jersey, Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston and Los Angeles on the 19th, could be seen registering their absolute rejection of the CAA, NRC and NPR. In fact, across the world, Indian diasporas, students in universities and others have been organising against these policies, openly calling them unconstitutional and discriminatory In addition, this particular series of protests, also aimed to question support of Hindu right wing groups in the United States towards what the protestors have been calling funding genocide. A young protestor in the Bay Area was heard saying, You cannot expect us to be silent when our Muslim and Dalit brothers and sisters are being segregated to be put in detention centers for not being able to prove their citizenship. We will fight till the end, their struggle is our struggle. President Donald Trump may expand his travel ban list, Politico reported referring to its sources. The list includes Belarus, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania. An official announcement expected as early as Monday. According to the source, instead of a complete ban on entering the country, restrictions may apply to certain government officials or a certain type of visa. Nonetheless, any new restrictions are likely to strain ties with the affected countries, some of which assist the U.S. on issues like fighting terrorism, and some of which Washington has been trying to court for strategic reasons, the source noted. The first such bans appeared after a week of Donald Trumps presidency on January 27, 2017. The list of countries included Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, Venezuela and North Korea. Odisha government on Tuesday wrote to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) expressing its willingness to procure an old Dakota DC3 (VT-AUI) aircraft and bring it to Bhubaneswar from Kolkata. Premanada Khuntia, Additional Secretary to Government of Odisha (Commerce and Transport) Department has written to the Chairman of Airport Authority of India, in this regard. "Government of Odisha is pleased to take over Dakota DC3 (VT-AUI) Aircraft belonging to the Erstwhile Kalinga Airlines, which was founded by Ex-Chief Minister of Odisha (late) Biju Patnaik," Khuntia said in his letter dated January 21. "It is has been decided to bring back the Dakota Aircraft from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar and to be displayed at Biju Patnaik International (PBI) Airport Bhubaneswar, as a befitting tribute to the legend," he added in his letter. Khuntia also requested to the AAI to assist the state government and accord the necessary permission in this regard. Presently, this aircraft is parked in an abandoned state at Netaji Subash Chandra Boss International Airport Kolkata. Biju Patnaik has used this Dakota Aircraft to rescue former Indonesian Vice-President and then Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir from Dutch Military back in 1947. This Aircraft was a part of the fleet of 18 Dakota Planes of Kalinga Airlines used in the Kashmir operation in 1947-48 for ferrying troops to Srinagar and carrying medical assistant and other supplies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A car carrying four passengers rammed into a truck in the early hours of Wednesday due to dense fog here, killing three people and injuring one, officials said. Vimal Berry (60), Vinodini Gupta (80) and car driver Ansar (40) died on the spot, police said. Hari Prasad Gupta, 60, who sustained head injuries, was admitted to a hospital here. Vimal Berry and his friend Gupta were returning from a marriage in Lucknow when the accident occurred under the Ataria police station. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, the police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Specialty international reinsurance company Chaucer has announced the promotion of James Wright (pictured above) to chief risk officer, effective April 01. In his new role, Wright will be responsible for the direction, performance and management of Chaucers enterprise-wide risk management framework, including underwriting risk management and exposure management. Wright has been with Chaucer for 13 years. He joined the companys capital modeling team in 2006. In 2013, Wright was promoted to head of capital modelling, before becoming head of risk and capital in 2019. Wright is responsible for Chaucers Solvency II internal model and its strategic deployment across the business, along with implementation of the companys risk management framework. I would like to congratulate James on his well-earned promotion, and I am delighted that he has accepted this new challenge, said Chaucer CEO John Fowle. James deep understanding of our business and risk appetite will be critical to our ongoing development as a leading global underwriting group. Wright succeeds Penny Shaw, who will step down as chief risk officer on March 31 after completing her role in Chaucers transition to its new parent company, China Re. Shaw joined Chaucer in 2014 as board risk director, and in 2016 was promoted to group chief risk officer for Chaucer and The Hanover Insurance Group, Chaucers previous owner. During her time at Chaucer, Penny has brought great insight, an invaluable strategic clarity, functional excellence and results-driven focus to Chaucer, while also being approachable, collaborative, and an invaluable mentor to many here. Fowle said. We will miss her contribution. Penny leaves with our sincere thanks and best wishes for the future. Once bitter rivals, Russia and Turkey have seen their relationship rebound over the past few years Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin Reuters While the United States and Iran edged to the brink of war in Iraq, Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on January 8 to launch the long-awaited TurkStream gas pipeline and announce a new Libya ceasefire deal. Two days later, Moscow and Ankara announced that they had reached another ceasefire agreement for Idlib, the last rebel bastion in Syria which had been facing an offensive from pro-Assad ground forces and Russian air support. This latest meeting between Putin and Erdogan comes amidst rising tensions between Ankara and Washington, two longtime NATO allies. The United States has angrily protested Turkeys decision to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia and its military operation in northeastern Syria. For its part, the Erdogan administration has threatened to close two major American military bases in Turkey if Congress adopts a much-anticipated sanctions package targeting Ankara. What does the growing rift between the United States and Turkey mean for Russia? Can Moscow and Ankara transform their burgeoning cooperation into a fully-fledged-partnership or will their disagreements over Syria and Libya prove to be too much? The National Interest spoke to Turkish and Russian experts to get their perspectives on these questions. At the opening ceremony for the pipeline, Putin depicted Russia and Turkey as forces for stability in the Middle East, which is still reeling from the assassination of Irans Maj. Gen. Qassim Sulemani by the United States. We live in a complicated world, and unfortunately in the region where we are located, we are seeing more indications that the situation is being further aggravated, he said. But Turkey and Russia are modeling completely different behavioran example of interaction and cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and the peoples of Europe, and the whole world. The TurkStream pipeline is part of Russias effort to step up its gas exports to Europe. The pipeline will transport up to 31.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually to Turkey and Southern Europe through the Black Sea. The United States has threatened to sanction Turkish companies involved in the TurkStream project, contending that the pipeline strengthens Europes energy dependence on Russia. Putin and Erdogan also offered to broker a ceasefire between the warring sides of the Libyan civil war that went into effect at midnight on January 12. Russia and Turkey have in recent months emerged as major players in the eight-year-long conflict. Ankara supports the UN-recognized government of Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli, with the Turkish parliament voting earlier this month to send troops to aid Sarraj. Although Moscow does not formally back the eastern Libyan government of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, reports have emerged of Russian mercenaries fighting alongside Haftars troops. Although Haftar initially spurned the ceasefire deal, he eventually relented a few days later. On Monday, Haftar and Sarraj arrived in Moscow for peace talks. Once bitter rivals, Russia and Turkey have seen their relationship rebound over the past few years. Turkey concluded a deal to acquire Russias elite S-400 air defense system, with the first shipment arriving this past summer. In October, Putin and Erdogan signed an agreement to clear northeastern Syria of Kurdish militias and establish a joint patrol zone. The emerging partnership between Moscow and Ankara has caused alarm in Washington. On December 11, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper accused Turkey of withdrawing from NATOs orbit in favor of cooperating with Russia. On the very same day, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in favor of a bill to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400s and its military operation in northeastern Syria. Some of the major provisions of the legislation include sanctions against senior Turkish officials, sanctions against a major Turkish bank, restrictions on arms sales to Turkey, and a report on the net worth of Erdogan and his family. Erdogan reacted angrily to the potential sanctions. He warned that if the bill were signed into law, then Turkey would evict American forces from Incirlik Airbase, which houses around FIFTY U.S. nuclear missiles, and Kurecik base, the site of a NATO radar station. The Turkish presidents threats are not empty bluster, said Mesut Casn, a professor of international relations at Yeditepe University in Istanbul. He told me that sanctions could have an earthquake effect on the decades-long U.S.-Turkish alliance. If you give us these sanctions, Turkey may decide to close the Incirlik and Kurecik bases. This is the reality, Casn said. But Ankaras response is not likely to stop there. Casn explained that Turkey would respond to growing pressure from the United States by drawing closer to Moscow and Tehran. According to him, some immediate options for Turkey would be to sign a deal to acquire Russian Su-35 fighter jets and buy more aircraft engines from Russia. Even if Turkey loses, the United States will suffer the most damage [from sanctions], Casn argued. In Moscow, however, there is broad skepticism about Ankaras willingness to break with the West. I don't think anyone in Russia seriously expects Turkey to abandon its obligations before NATO and break off its alliance with the United States. I have not heard anyone who thought this was possible, said Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine. Lukyanov argued Erdogans rift with Washington over the S-400 was less about his desire to align with Russia, and more about demonstrating Turkeys foreign policy independence. Nevertheless, he admits that Ankaras recent moves offer an opportunity for Moscow to draw closer to the longtime American ally. There are absolutely no illusions about Turkey becoming an ally of Russia. But that Turkey is changing and that it feels constrained within NATO, that is obvious," Lukyanov said. Despite their long-standing and sometimes heated differences over the Syrian Civil War, Russia and Turkey have recently stepped up their cooperation in managing the conflict. According to Lukyanov, this new partnership is a marriage of necessity. The reason [for increased cooperation] is not shared interests or mutual trust between the two sides. In my view, there is neither, he said. But Moscow and Ankara understand that without some joint action and compromise, neither Russia nor Turkey will be able to achieve what they want in Syria. While the stakes are smaller in Libya for both countries, Putin and Erdogan are likewise eager to avoid confrontation over the North African nation, explained Kirill Semenov, a Middle East expert at the Russian International Affairs Council. Russia supports to Haftar, but it does not support him so much as to provide him victory. Furthermore, Moscow understands that it can't grant him victory, Semenov said. Libya is not a major problem for Russia and Turkey. On the contrary, there is an opportunity for both Russia and Turkey to take a more active role in the Libya process. It is even possible that they hope to push other countries out of the process by playing to one another. Read the original article here. The term cold war is curious because it connotes all the tensions of warfare, but without its concrete consequences. Since World War II, battles in which not a single bullet was fired epitomised relations between the USSR and the US: the two sides brandished all sorts of weapons but knew just how far they could go. Today, it looks like the end of the cold war in the British royal house between Queen Elizabeth and her grandson Harry and his wife Meghan has heralded the wane of other cold wars. When Prince Harry and his wife decided to relinquish certain royal duties, they effectively declared war against the outworn traditions of Buckingham Palace. They did not want to endure the experiences of Princess Diana. Their decision to take their baby, Archie, with them to Canada seemed like a form of calculated escalation in their campaign. The queen responded not with a counter-escalation but by summoning her grandson to a private meeting the substance of which remained private but the evident consequence of which was a solution all could live with. The royal family had no desire to relive the abdication crisis of the 1930s when King Edward VIII married an American divorcee, or the 1960s crisis of Princess Margaret and her photographer husband, or the experience of the Peoples Princess that was Lady Diana. So, the latest crisis, a kind of cold war that threatened to shake the status and prestige of the British monarchy when the queen would no longer be able to wear the crown, had to be resolved quickly and in a way that would bring a happy ending. As no international power wanted to revive the crisis ridden decades of cold war between Moscow and Washington, the cold trade war between Washington and Beijing lasted less than four years. Not surprisingly, therefore, the crisis between the queen and her grandson lasted less than four weeks. Something of this sort has occurred in the Middle East. The latest US-Iran storm ended after the two sides tacitly agreed to close off the avenues to mutual strikes. Almost simultaneously, the military confrontation between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the militias fighting for the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) came to a halt. In both the Gulf and Libya, tensions subsided, allowing the key players to reassess their calculations free from the pressures of looming conflict or forthcoming negotiations. Moreover, on the very day that Washington signed the first stage trade agreement with Beijing, bringing that cold war to a close, it was announced that Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa had reached an agreement over the essential points in their negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and that the final text of the agreement will be announced 28 January. Thanks to the foregoing developments, by the midpoint of the first month of 2020, the world could finally breathe a bit easier. The parties that had drawn so close to the precipice had receded from the brink, and the clouds of war, both cold and hot, receded. The world is better off than it was when the year started and the British royal family has once again merrily settled into the ways of life commensurate to the age we live. The most complicated of the foregoing developments was the US-China agreement which marked a breakthrough in a trade war that was fraught with much of the trepidation that preceded World War II when international powers entered a fierce race of protectionist customs tax hikes which historians believe was one of the causes of the war. In the aftermath, therefore, the international community not only created the United Nations but, along with it, institutions designed to sustain the economic health of its member states in order to allay aggressive tendencies. Following the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the US worked to bring all other countries under its umbrella, especially China and Russia. The idea was that this would generate a degree of mutual dependency that would stave off the evils of war and conflict. Oddly, this did not keep President Donald Trump from heaping curses on the WTO and mutual dependency. This was not because he felt the US could not compete commercially with China but rather because China took advantage of the benefits granted to developing countries and fiddled with its currency rates in order to acquire an edge in world markets and attract international firms. This triggered a trade war and, as mutual accusations and recriminations escalated, a political cold war which, in turn, was translated into a series of tit-for-tat targeted customs duties and tax hikes. Naturally, such a development between the two largest world markets and in their bilateral trade can send tremors across international trade and global economic growth. So, when these two economic giants removed their coats and prepared to tangle, all other countries in the world caught a cold. It is hard to know what happened in the trade war or how it evolved into a cold war, but what appears certain is that the mutual dependency between the two economies was of a sufficient magnitude to furnish the necessary antibiotics. These involved sorting their mutual differences into stages, making possible to handle them clearly and frankly, to compensate the injured party, and to defer the more complicated and intractable problems to a later stage. The first stage agreement that was signed 15 January provided that China would purchase $200 billion in US products, including $50 billion worth of agricultural products. Trump wanted to kill two birds with one stone: to reduce the US trade deficit with China and to make a come on to US farmers in the form of a major bribe a few months ahead of the presidential elections. Trump was not going to leave anything to chance, even if all the signs and stars point to a second term as president, and even if the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate making the result of his impeachment trial a foregone conclusion. True, there remain many pending issues to be resolved between Beijing and Washington. Among them are the questions of intellectual property rights, the role of state-owned companies in China and the benefits they receive from the state all thorny issues that are best handled slowly and with care and by a president who no longer has to deal with the problem of re-election. But what we know already is that the agreement has yielded immediate positive results worldwide, to which testify the rise in international stock markets, including the US stock exchange. With this, plus the state of the US economy and Washingtons handling of the crises in the Middle East, Trumps rivals wont stand a chance in the next election. *The writer is chairman of the board, CEO and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies. **A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Juventus beat Parma 2-1 thanks to a providential Ronaldo, who scored both goals. After the 2nd he went to celebrate with the player that set him up, Paulo Dybala, but their effusiveness led to an accidental kiss that went viral. Ronaldo was a real whirlwind. He scored both goals. With him, Juventus smiled. In the 2nd goal, Ronaldo made his connection with Dybala clear, his battle companion. The Argentine was the one that set Ronaldo up for the 2nd goal. After scoring, Ronaldo ran to the stands. Alongside him, Dybala. The pair chose the same time to hug each other and they ended up kissing. The image didnt take too long in going viral. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Tanya Reynolds must feel she is talking about sex a lot these days. Just like Sex Education, in which she has made her name on TV, Scenes with Girls is pretty frank about the subject. But Miriam Battye's sparkling new play is pretty direct about a lot of things. Its theme, essentially, is female friendship and just how difficult it is for women, growing up and carving their space and lives in the world, to change a narrative that determines that their happy ever afters are to be found with men and the conventional trajectory of home and family. In 22 sharp, fresh, thrilling scenes we follow Tosh (Reynolds) and Lou (Rebekah Murrell), 24 year-old flatmates, as they try to break free of those expectations. They are doing so in slightly different ways; both have forsworn love and romance, but Tosh has fallen into an incel nihilism while Lou is excitedly attempting to have a rich sensual existence, free of commitment, but full of physical encounters. Neither is finding their route particularly easy. The action is punctuated by what Battye calls "hooptedoodles" short snapshots of the girls' lives that stand outside the narrative. In one of these, Lou collapses as if wounded and is comforted by Tosh. "Maybe I should just date girls.. but I already feel such a f**king responsibility to my gender the idea of dating one of my ownI meanI'd just forgive them for everything," she says. Their experiment in self-sufficient, loving friendship is further disrupted by the return of Fran (Letty Thomas), a former flatmate who is now about to get married. "She is sort of the human equivalent of lasagne isn't she?" says Lou, unkindly, faced with Fran's uncomplicated brightness and traditional beliefs. Performed in a stylised blue swimming pool-like depression, with steps rising from the sides (design by Naomi Dawson) and directed with nuance and sensitivity by Lucy Morrison, there are two things that mark Scenes with Girls out as special. The first is its language; this is a play with articulate, language-obsessed heroines, who are always looking up words on their computers to check they are using them correctly. Its own dialogue is engineered with the same precision, both naturalistic and highly refined, each word landing exactly where it should. The second is the performances, all of which are perfectly calibrated to reflect the characters portrayed. Reynolds brings wonderful timing to Tosh, but also constantly suggests the darkness lurking behind her sarcasm, the need hiding in her apparent independence. Murrell is equally convincing as Lou, full of bright swagger but with sorrow always beneath the surface, while Thomas makes the gentle Fran a picture of slightly frumpy incomprehension, pierced by shafts of understanding and pain. It has the odd dip, but I've given it four stars because last year, around this time and at this venue, I decided to give Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner three, on the grounds that better new writing might come along. It didn't and I regretted it all year. Like that play, this feels like a breath of bracing air, a real insight into the lives of the girls it depicts. It's terrific. Australia's wildfires have consumed million acres of brushland, rainforests, and national parks. More than 30 people have died and according to some estimates, one billion animals have been killed. The area that has burned is roughly the size of England. As CT reported earlier this month, the fires have forced some Christian missions teams to evacuate. Hillsong announced several weeks ago that it had raised more than one million Australian dollars to support those affected by the fire. And the board of directors of A Rocha Australia, part of an international Christian conservation group, said it was building partnerships with Christian and non-Christian conservationists to aid with the recovery. As an aboriginal Christian, Brooke Prentis hopes the tragedy causes Christians and the country at large to commit to listening to the voices of Australias indigenous people, communities which have lived on the land for thousands of years. My deep prayer and hope is that while this is a tragic situation for us. ...maybe it's through tragedy that finally Aboriginal peoples are included as part of the fabric of our political, social, moral, and religious systems in Australia, said Prentis, the incoming CEO of Common Grace, a Australian organization that organizes ecumenically around justice issues. Prentis joined digital media producer Morgan Lee and CEO and president Tim Dalrymple to discuss why shes passionate about unity in the church, the tragic significance of January 26 for the aboriginal community, and how to pray for Australia during this time. What is Quick to Listen? Read more Subscribe to Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow our hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and ... 1 O ne of the worlds leading electronics companies has sparked outrage over cutting support for some of its high-end products. Sonos will drop a number of older items from its update cycle from May onwards and some may stop working entirely, the company warned. In a statement on Tuesday, the California-based firm said customers could trade in their old speakers and devices, classified as legacy items, in exchange for 30 per cent off new or modern ones. But users have been less than impressed by the move, with some warning it could spell the death of the company. One shocked customer tweeted: This move by @Sonos should have every customer thinking their continued and future investments. I, for one, (am) seriously considering quitting @Sonos altogether." Another fumed: Wait a minute, Sonos. I can either let you Brick my 400 speaker and send it to landfill in exchange for 30 per cent off a new one or keep it and I'll stop receiving updates to my entire house full of your products. Are you having a laugh? Another added: Another lost customer here. Pity, as I *would* have upgraded my c.1,500 worth of kit, gradually, over the next few years, as things wore out. But I wont be forced to work to your greedy wasteful timetable. While one man warned: Oh @Sonos youve got about 24 hours to make a huge apology and reverse this decision. Im not being overly dramatic to say that any other action is the death of your company. Sonos listed the affected items as: original Zone Players, Connect, and Connect:Amp (versions launched between 2006 and 2015), first-generation Play:5, CR200, and Bridge. It said these legacy products will no longer receive software updates or new features from May and warned users they may stop working properly as new updates arrive. "Without new software updates, access to services and overall functionality of your sound system will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their technology," it added in its announcement. The firm said it made the decision because "some of the oldest products have been stretched to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power". Sonos's One Gen speaker will continue to work normally In a bid to assuage customers outrage, Sonos stressed that 92 per cent of its speakers were still in use. We are extremely proud of the fact that we build products that last a long time, and that listeners continue to enjoy them, the company added. "Ideally all our products would last forever, but for now were limited by the existing technology," it said. Beaufort County, Blessed and Cursed Among the medium to small populated counties in North Carolina, Beaufort County is blessed to have a huge, valuable, unique and un movable asset. It 's true value is in the billions and it is fully taxable as real property. Many counties have valuable assets that are much more risky because they can be moved to other locations or divided into parts. Minerals are where you find them. There is nothing discretionary about deciding where to mine any mineral. We do not have gold, copper, nickel, iron or silver mines in Beaufort County because there are none of these metals present except in minor and trace amounts. These are all found at other locations on the earth. What we do have is phosphate. Phosphate is necessary to grow crops and for healthy bones in all mammals. Our phosphate mine distinguishes us from all of the other non ocean front counties in eastern North Carolina. During 2019 it paid us $6,797,647 dollars in taxes in addition to providing about 1,000 jobs. We collected a total of about 35 million in property taxes. One in every 7 dollars came from the phosphate mine. This gives Beaufort County a distinct advantage. Without the phosphate mine our taxes would increase by 11 cents per 100 dollars or 14 percent. What a blessing. Beaufort County has mismanaged this blessing and continues to do so. During the past 15 years the "progressive Republicans" have not only wasted the phosphate tax but have imposed additional sales sales taxes and raised property taxes almost every year. We pour money into economic development every year, with little benefit. More companies would look at us if we had a lower tax rate and demonstrated .the good management of the phosphate tax money. Our curse is that we have frittered away this abundance and now have a 41 million dollar school building program that is only half used. We built a bypass on the west side of Washington that did not create a single new developable intersection. A bypass east of Washington would have tied the south side of the Pamlico River to the north side and spurred economic development, helped the community college and public safety (EMS and Sheriff) immensely. Liberal RINO commissioners supported the destruction of the Belhaven hospital. They gutted the hospital trust fund and wasted the money on what? All of these mistakes were made from the position of financial comfort brought on by having the huge tax payment from the phosphate mines. If we were as financially strapped as any other county in eastern North Carolina we could not have afforded to be this wasteful. My argument is that we have wasted the abundance given us by the phosphate mine taxes. Because of the bad decisions and waste we as a county are no better off than any other county in eastern North Carolina. To put it another way "Show me the advantage of the taxes collected from the phosphate mines". Do we have significantly lower taxes than other counties? Do we have better and more infrastructure that is paid for? The last 15 years of taxes from the phosphate mines comes to about sixty million dollars. What did we buy with it? Then there is all that high sales tax collected to say nothing of our increased property taxes. We have a primary election for county commissioners coming up on March 3 of 2020. It is time to change the direction of government. Conservative Republicans have steadfastly fought against the big spenders and bad decision makers we have been electing. Give conservative Republicans a chance. What do you have to lose? There is a conservative Republican slate of commissioner candidates who want to lower taxes, do away with unnecessary overtime that is enriching a few people, and make the EMS efficient. Jerry Evans, a liberal RINO, who has voted for tax increases every year he has been in office, and John Rebholz, an untried new comer, who describes himself as a Buzzeo Republican. Ron Buzzeo was a liberal who helped destroy the Belhaven Hospital and gut the Beaufort County Hospital Trust fund. We do not need more of Evans, Rebholz or Buzzeo. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet and its Google subsidiary, said on Wednesday that health care offers the biggest potential over the next five to 10 years for using artificial intelligence to improve outcomes, and vowed that the technology giant will heed privacy concerns. U.S. lawmakers have raised questions about Google's access to the health records of tens of millions of Americans. Ascension, which operates 150 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities across the United States, is Google's biggest cloud computing customer in health care. "When we work with hospitals, the data belongs to the hospitals," Pichai told a conference panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "But look at the potential here. Cancer if often missed and the difference in outcome is profound. In lung cancer, for example, five experts agree this way and five agree the other way. We know we can use artificial intelligence to make it better," Pichai added. Google has spent several years developing artificial intelligence to automatically analyze MRI scans and other patient data to identify diseases and make predictions aimed at improving outcomes and reducing cost. The U.S. lawmakers asked the company in November to provide information about other health systems that provide information to Google, whether Ascension clients will be allowed to opt-out of the project, and whether the data be used for advertising. Pichai said there was already strong privacy-protecting regulations in place that provide a framework for Google to operate. Google clinched a deal in November to acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion, aiming to enter the wearables segment and invest in digital health. The acquisition is expected to be scrutinized closely by regulators before it is allowed to close. A screening of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Youll Have the Sky will be held at the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2:30 p.m. Written, directed and produced by Susan Wallner, the award-winning documentary explores the life of author and pilot Anne Morrow Lindbergh. After the 30-minute film, Wallner will facilitate a discussion, taking questions and comments from the audience on Annes life and career. Anne and her husband, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, had an emotional connection to Flemington. Capturing the worlds attention in 1934-1935, the Hunterdon County Courthouse was the site of a media frenzy previously unseen in the United States. Anne and Charles both gave testimony recounting details concerning the kidnap and murder of their firstborn child. Although naturally reserved, Anne was the focus of media attention following her marriage to Charles Lindbergh, at the time the most famous man in the world. She earned her pilots license, and became the first American woman to earn a first-class glider pilots license. She travelled widely and often accompanied Charles on trips including to Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, where they charted air routes for the commercial aviation industry. In 1930, she was co-pilot and navigator on a trip that broke the transatlantic speed record. She received numerous awards for her achievements as a pilot, including the U.S. Flag Association Cross of Honor and the Hubbard Medal, awarded in 1934 in recognition of Annes 40,000 miles of exploratory flying on five continents. Anne was also an accomplished author; after graduating from Smith College in 1928, she wrote more than two dozen books, including five volumes of diaries. Her most successful book was the 1955 inspirational novel Gift from the Sea which sold more than three million copies. Despite her career successes, Anne will always be remembered for the events surrounding the kidnapping and murder of her first-born child, Charles Jr., who was taken from his bed at home on March 1, 1932, in East Amwell. The investigation and trial put the already famous couple in an even brighter spotlight. During the trial, Flemington became the epicenter of a media frenzy. Unlike Charles, Anne did not attend every session, but she did take the witness stand to identify a flannel shirt that belonged to her child. After the trial, Anne and Charles moved their growing family out of the United States to escape media scrutiny. In addition to her work on Youll Have the Sky, Wallner has produced other national documentaries including Toshiko Takaezu: Portrait of an Artist, Michael Graves: The Warehouse, and New Glass for Wheaton. She is a principal at PCK Media, where she produces State of the Arts as well as a wide range of other projects, including It Happened Here: New Jersey, a history series produced in conjunction with New Jerseys 350th birthday. Anne Morrow Lindberg: Youll Have the Sky aired nationally on PBS and won the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Writer. It examines Anne Morrow Lindberghs life through archival footage, pictures, as well as interviews with biographers and relatives. Tony Award-winning actress Judith Light provides the narration, with selections from Annes work ready by Lily Rabe (American Horror Story). A limited number of DVD copies of the film will be available for purchase following the screening and discussion. Those interested in attending should email cultural@co.hunterdon.nj.us. The mission of the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission is to promote and support Hunterdon Countys arts, culture and history by nurturing a sense of place, a culture of creativity, and an enthusiasm to preserve and maintain its history. Submitted by the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission T he Democrats have lost a series of battles on the first day of Donald Trumps impeachment trial, with Republicans voting down attempts to subpoena a cache of documents and witness evidence. As the third impeachment trial in US history began on Tuesday, senators voted along party lines, 53-47, to block a series of motions from Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The dramatic showdown saw his bid to subpoena records and documents from the White House, the State Department and the Office of Management and Budget related to Mr Trump's dealings with Ukraine, fail in the Senate. Senators also rejected by the same tally a request for a subpoena seeking the testimony of acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to members of the media during a break in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump / Getty Images Democrats have called on the Senate to remove President Trump from office for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival, and then impeding the inquiry into the matter. Mr Trump, who was impeached last month by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress, denies any wrongdoing and describes his impeachment as a partisan hoax to derail his 2020 re-election effort. During early debate, Mr Trump's chief legal defender attacked the case as baseless and a top Democratic lawmaker said there was "overwhelming" evidence of wrongdoing. President Donald Trump leaves after attending a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as his impeachment trial in the US got under way / AP With the television cameras rolling, US Chief Justice John Roberts convened the proceedings and the two sides began squabbling over Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's proposed rules for the trial. White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who is leading Trump's defence, attacked the foundation of the charges against the Republican president and said Democrats had not come close to meeting the US Constitution's standard for impeachment. "The only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong," Cipollone said as he argued in favour of McConnell's proposal to decide on whether to allow further witnesses or documents later in the trial. "There is absolutely no case," he said. The Senate in session as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins on Tuesday / AP Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who helped spearhead the House impeachment inquiry, summarised the charges against Mr Trump and said the president had committed "constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment." Schiff said that although the evidence against Mr Trump was "already overwhelming," further witness testimony was necessary to show the full scope of the misconduct by the president and those around him. Republican senators have not ruled out the possibility of further testimony and evidence at some point in the trial after days of opening arguments and senators' questions. But Democrats said they forced Tuesday's repeated votes on evidence and witnesses to get Republicans on the record on the issue. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington / AP "This may be our only chance, tonight, to make this a fair trial. And it's just increasingly clear that the White House has no answers for why these documents and these witnesses shouldn't be produced," US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters. Mr McConnell unveiled a plan on Tuesday to give Democratic prosecutors and Mr Trump's lawyers 24 hours each over three days for opening arguments, easing off an earlier plan to keep them to two days and also allowing the House's record of the probe to be admitted as evidence.. Under Mr McConnell's plan, lawyers for Mr Trump could move early in the proceedings to ask senators to dismiss all charges, according to a senior Republican leadership aide, a motion that would likely fall short of the support needed to succeed. Even if such a motion fails, Mr Trump is almost certain to be acquitted by the 100-member chamber, where a two-thirds majority is needed to remove him from office. But the impact of the trial on his re-election bid in November is far from clear. "The deceased's neighbours, after noticing a foul smell, had called the police control room on Tuesday. After reaching the spot, police broke open the flat and found the dead bodies of the victims," a Jahangirpuri police official told IANS. Pooja, whose husband died about two years ago, was an employee at a private company. The deceased have been identified as Pooja (36) and her son Harsh (12). The incident happened at their flat in Jahangirpuri's K-block. "The victims' neighbours reported that their house had been locked for last two-three days," he added. According to police, the flat had no signs of forced entry. This suggests that the crime was committed by someone known to them. Police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the killings. Pooja's mother, who lives in the same locality, was clueless about the perpetrators of the crime, police said. Police suspect that the killers first stabbed the woman to death and then her son, who, it seems, had witnessed the crime. Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the case. The dead bodies have been sent to Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital for autopsy. (Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be reached at sanjeev.c@ians.in) facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published Jan. 22, 2020 University of Louisiana Monroe Professor of Music Sandra Lunte is celebrating her 25th year at ULM by hosting a flute quartet recital with three of her former students. Joining Lunte are ULM alumni Larry Lashley, Mallory Sanchez, and John Rea. Photo: University of Louisiana Monroe Professor of Music Sandra Lunte, second from left, will be joined by former students and ULM alumni for a performance at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 20, to celebrate her 25th year at ULM. The quartet members are, from left, Larry Lashley, Lunte, Mallory Sanchez and John Rea. The performance will be at Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall. Photo courtesy of John Rea An Evening of Flute Quartet Music is 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, at Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall. Admission is free. Lashley, (B.M.E., 2003) is band director at East Ouachita Middle School, is married and has two sons. Sanchez (B.M., 2012) is the physician liaison and director of marketing for Louisiana Pain Care and is in her fourth year at Gracie Jui Jitsu. Rea (B.M., 2011) is the photographer at John Rea Realty and an instructor at Blue Sky Yoga. I have known these three flutists since they were each 15 years old. I am very fortunate to have wonderful relationships with many of my former students. It is one of my greatest joys, said Lunte. Lashley, Sanchez, and Rea are all involved with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. Lashley is a piccoloist. Sanchez and Rea play second flute while Sanchez is also substitute principal flute. For more information, contact Sandra Lunte at 318-342-1578 or lunte@ulm.edu. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has declared assets worth Rs 3.4 crore in his election affidavit an increase of Rs 1.3 crore from 2015. Kejriwal's total assets were worth Rs 2.1 crore in 2015. The cash and fixed deposits of Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, increased from Rs 15 lakh in 2015 to Rs 57 lakh in 2020. A party functionary said Rs 32 lakh worth cash and fixed deposits have been received by Sunita Kejriwal as voluntary retirement benefits while the rest are savings. The chief ministers cash and fixed deposits increased from Rs 2.2 lakh in 2015 to Rs 9.6 lakh in 2020. There was no change in the value of immovable assets of his wife while Kejriwal's immovable assets' worth increased from Rs 92 lakh to Rs 1.7 crore. Party functionaries have said that the increase in Kejriwal's immovable assets' worth is due to the increased valuation of the same asset as in 2015. Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is aiming to retain power in Delhi which is heading for Legislative Assembly elections. He is contesting from the New Delhi assembly constituency which he had won in 2013 and 2015. Voting for all 70 Assembly seats will happen on February 8. Counting of votes will happen on February 11. (With inputs from PTI) JACKSON, MI Emails between LGTBQ rights activist Nikki Joly and his attorney wont be allowed as evidence in the arson case against him, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled. Joly, 55, is accused of intentionally starting the Aug. 10, 2017 fire that destroyed his home in the 1800 block of Pringle Avenue and killed his two German shepherd dogs and three cats. During the investigation, the Jackson Police Department seized Jolys electronic devices. An email from Joly to his defense counsel referenced where a gas can and lawnmower from Jolys house could be found. Police then talked to the people referenced in the email and, with a search warrant, took the gas can and lawnmower into evidence. That email was protected under attorney-client privilege and is not allowed in the court proceedings, the appeals court ruled on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain should not have allowed the email into evidence, the ruling said. Its what we expected, Jolys defense attorney Andrew Abood said. Its unfortunate that weve had to fight this hard and extend this much in resources in order to do something thats patently obvious. But you know, thats the way justice works sometimes. The Jackson County Prosecutors Office will not appeal the ruling, Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka said. While it gave a ruling on the emails, the appeals court declined to rule on whether the evidence collected as a result of those emails can be allowed in court. That will be decided in Jackson County Circuit Court. A motion hearing is scheduled for March 27, according to court records. The prosecution will argue against suppressing the evidence, Jarzynka said. But, if the gas can and lawnmower are allowed as evidence, Abood said he will appeal. We still believe that the evidence shouldnt be used when they violated our clients constitutional rights, Abood said. Traces of gasoline were detected in five places in Jolys home and a Michigan State Police fire investigator said the fire was arson. Joly is out on a $25,000 bond. First-degree arson is punishable by up to life in prison and a fine of $20,000, or three times the value of the property destroyed. Killing or torturing an animal is punishable by up to four years in prison. READ MORE JACKSON NEWS: I think its about time that I take my leave, Jackson city manager says in accepting Ohio job 2 from Jackson injured in Ingham County crash More than 19,000 gifts from Jackson area donated to Operation Christmas Child Burma Myanmar Election Commission Warns of Fake News Ahead of 2020 Election A workshop is held by the Union Election Commission and the United States Institute of Peace on preventing hate speech, fake news and misinformation in Naypyitaw on Jan. 21-23. / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAWThe Union Election Commission (UEC) has warned that fake and false information pose a threat to the 2020 general election. If there is misinformation, it can hamper the success of the 2020 poll, said UEC spokesperson U Myint Naing on Tuesday at a workshop in Naypyitaw to raise awareness about hate speech and fake and false information ahead of the election. The UEC says it will organize the election based on five norms of holding free, fair, transparent and credible polls that reflect the will of the people. Hate speech and fabrication can negatively affect the five norms of the poll, said U Myint Naing. The UEC is holding the workshop jointly with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) from Tuesday through Thursday. The UEC also plans to work with Facebook, the most popular social media site in Myanmar, to prevent hate speech and fabricated or false information during the election period. The election authority has also drafted a social media handbook for voters. The number of internet users in Myanmar has tripled from nearly 7 million at the time of the 2015 election to 22 million in 2020. According to civil society election monitors, fake and false information on social media had little impact on voters during the 2015 election period because there were fewer voters on social media. However, there is greater risk surrounding the upcoming election due to the greater influence of social media on citizens, social network researcher Ko Myat Thu told The Irrawaddy at the workshop. It is fair to say that false and fake news can create problems. They can have repercussions, he said. Ma Zarchi Oo, the USIPs social harmony technical adviser, said that everyone must participate in order to hold a successful election, which is critical to the democratic transition. To ensure people are informed, the commission publishes its activities, announcements and instructions through the state-run newspapers, TV channels, the UEC website and Facebook, said UEC chairman U Hla Thein. The commission has also been holding press conferences once per week in Naypyitaw to update voters on its activities. According to the UEC, over 37 million people in Myanmar will be eligible to vote in the 2020 general election. However, the UECs list of voters does not include residents of five townships of the Wa Self-Administered Division. Under the previous Union government, the UEC was not able to compile voter lists in these townships and residents were unable to vote in 2015. The upcoming general election is slated for November but the UEC has yet to announce a precise date. The 2010 election was held on Nov. 7 and the 2015 election was held on Nov. 8. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: NLD Expands Ethnic Affairs Committee Ahead of Myanmar Election Myanmar UEC Warns Opposition Parties of Dissolution Nine people drowned and another was missing after a bridge collapsed on Indonesias Sumatra island, the disaster agency said yesterday. Some 30 people, mostly students, were on the bridge Sunday afternoon in the town of Kaur when the newly built crossing suddenly collapsed, hurtling some teens into the water below while others clutched on to the railing. The water level in the river below the bridge was higher than usual with strong currents after torrential downpours pounded the Bengkulu region at the southern end of Sumatra. Some managed to save themselves but 10 others could not fight against the current and drowned, they were swept away Ujang Syafiri, head of the disaster mitigation agency, told AFP, adding that the bridge may have collapsed due to excessive weight. A search and rescue team scoured a 20-kilometre radius to find a teenager who is still missing, he said. Another victim was rescued after falling into the river but is seriously injured and has been taken to hospital. Parts of the Southeast Asian archipelago have received torrential downpours as the rainy season kicks into high gear. In and around the capital Jakarta, some 67 people were killed this month as record rains triggered flooding and landslides. Lax construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building and construction safety in Indonesia. Journal Staff REPORT The New Mexico State Film Office said this week it is accepting grant applications for projects under the newly established Senator John Pinto Filmmakers Fund, NMFO Director Todd Christensen said. In last years legislative session, Pinto, who died last year, shepherded the Native American filmmakers grant fund, securing $100,000 in funding through Senate Bill 649. The senator would be proud to see the funding put to work, and I know New Mexico will be made proud by the writing, acting, and directorial talents of the recipients of these awards, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement. Registered members of one of the tribes or pueblos of New Mexico can apply. They include Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia, Zuni, Jicarilla Apache, Mescalero Apache and the Navajo Nation, according to a news release. The available money can go to individual Native filmmakers toward any aspect of production. We want this grant to be an ongoing partnership with tribal communities, Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes said in a statement. We hope to develop the talent of Native filmmakers so they can work in a growing industry and tell their own stories. The grant program is considered a lasting legacy to Pinto, who understood that to change stereotypes of Native Americans, it is necessary to support students interested in filmmaking as well as educational institutions working with Native students, according to the release. His legacy will be felt for generations to come, said Sen. Shannon D. Pinto, D-Tohatchi, John Pintos granddaughter. This Memorial Fund program will help to guarantee that our Native American filmmakers are supported and receiving the tools they need in order to prepare our nations, tribes, and pueblos for jobs within the film industry. The money will be initially allotted in $5,000 increments. All projects must be completed within two years of funding. A board of scholars and film professionals will make the grant decisions. To apply, go to nmfilm.com, click on education, and choose Senator John Pinto Memorial Filmmakers Fund, or call the NMFO 505-476-5600. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. Legislature established fund to support Native American filmmakers By Camillus Eboh ABUJA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Nigeria's financial crimes watchdog charged a former attorney general suspected of taking bribes to facilitate a $1.3 billion oil block sale, the agency said on Tuesday, in the latest twist in one of the industry's biggest alleged corruption scandals. An international investigation into the 2011 sale of the offshore oilfield known as OPL 245 by Malabu Oil and Gas has entangled two of the industry's biggest players, Shell and Eni, as well as an array of powerful figures from the previous Nigerian government. Mohammed Adoke, Nigeria's ex-attorney general, was charged with receiving the U.S. dollar equivalent of 300 million naira in 2013 to facilitate the OPL 245 deal and help waive taxes for Shell and Eni, according to a charge sheet filed in an Abuja high court last week. Reuters was unable to reach Adoke or his lawyer for immediate comment. The lawyer had previously said the former attorney general was confident he will be vindicated in court. Shell's and Eni's local subsidiaries were also charged with illegally assisting Adoke in waiving the taxes, according to the sheet. Malabu was owned by former petroleum minister Dan Etete. Shell and Eni, and their executives, have denied any wrongdoing. Etete has also denied wrongdoing. Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission detained Adoke, who served as attorney general from 2010 to 2015, in December, after Interpol arrested him in Dubai in November. (Reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by Paul Carsten, Editing by William Maclean) Facebook Chief Operation Officer Shreyl Sandberg on Tuesday announced the social networking giant would hire 1000 more people in Lond this year, taking to total to more than 4,000. Sandberg, during a visit here, said that more than half the jobs would be high-skilled tech roles in software engineering, product design, data science and product development, reports standard.co.uk. The UK is a world leader in both innovation and creativity. Thats why Im excited that we plan to hire an additional 1,000 people in London this year alone, she said during an event in London for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Some of the openings will be in Facebooks community integrity team, she informed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it is great news that Facebook plans to create a thousand more jobs in London. We are committed to making the UK the safest place in the world to be online, alongside being one of the best places for technology companies to be based, Johnson was quoted as saying. Earlier, in a blog post, Facebook said that apps on its platform have helped businesses in the European Union generate sales corresponding to an estimated 208 billion euros last year - resulting in nearly 3.1 million jobs. According to Facebook, around 25 million businesses in the European Union, mostly small businesses, are using its services each month. Cozumel island visitor dies while passenger seriously injured in motorbike crash Cozumel, Q.R. One man believed to be a tourist to Cozumel has reportedly been killed after crashing a motorcycle at high speed. The accident was reported to Emergency 911 in the Hotel Zone of the island Tuesday evening. Reports say witnesses called in the accident around 5:00 p.m. after seeing a motorcycle being driven at a high rate of speed, hit a sidewalk. The impact from the hit sent the driver of the bike onto the sidewalk where he died from head injuries. His passenger, identified only as John N, was rushed to hospital in serious condition. Witnesses said the bike was going fast when the driver lost control on a curve at Puerto de Abrigo and made front tire contact with the sidewalk. That contact caused the bike and two passengers to skid. Municipal Police and the Sub-Directorate of Traffic attended the accident scene along with paramedics. The driver of the bike is believed to be an American man around 30-years-old. The identity of the men has not officially been released. United Airlines passengers wait in the boarding area for their flights at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Two passengers flying from Shanghai into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport were examined by U.S. health officials after appearing to show symptoms of the coronavirus, United Airlines said Tuesday. However, it was a false alarm and the passengers were released by health officials, the airline said. "We continue to follow CDC guidelines and remain in close contact with authorities in the United States and Asia to further ensure the safety of our customers and employees," a United spokesperson said. Earlier Tuesday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said they were expanding screenings for the virus to both Chicago's and Atlanta's airports after health officials confirmed the first U.S. case of the illness. The patient, a 30-something male from Washington state, was diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus after returning from a trip to China, according to the CDC. Officials said the man is "very healthy." He is currently being isolated at a medical center in the state "out of caution" and "poses little risk" to the public, they said. At least six people have died from the illness. Public health officials have confirmed more than 300 cases of the illness, which has evoked memories of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in China. Health officials have also confirmed cases in Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Fears that the coronavirus could disrupt travel and commerce and slow economic growth sent a chill through global risk markets on Tuesday, including hitting airline stocks. The World Health Organization is expected to convene a panel of experts in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday to consider whether the illness should be a global health emergency. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey's trade with Kyrgyzstan increased by $18.3 million in November 2019 compared to the same month of 2018, exceeding $248.5 million, Turkey's Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 16. This month, Turkey's export to Kyrgyzstan amounted to $43.5 million, and import from Kyrgyzstan to $5 million, a source in the ministry said. Trade between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan increased by $30.1 million from January through November 2019 compared to the same period of 2018, reaching $426 million, the source said. Turkeys foreign trade amounted to $33.2 billion in November 2019. In this month, Turkeys export increased by 0.1 percent compared to November 2018, amounting to $15.5 billion. Import to Turkey increased by 9.7 percent in November 2019 compared with the same month of 2018, and reached $17.7 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu HARRISBURG, Pa. A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday accuses a former central Pennsylvania detective who served on a drug task force of having traded official actions for sexual favors. Federal prosecutors said a grand jury indicted former Carlisle police officer Christopher Collare, 52, of Blythewood, South Carolina, on charges of bribery, heroin distribution, fraud and lying to federal agents. The 27-page indictment issued Jan. 16 said Collare worked as a Carlisle police officer from 1996 to late 2018, and served on the Cumberland County Drug Task Force as well as an FBI task force in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. did not appear to have a listed phone number, and online court records do not indicate whether he is represented by a defense attorney. Carlisle Mayor Tim Scott said he was disappointed by news of the charges. Its important to note that the alleged conduct occurred years ago, Scott wrote in an email, noting it was before the current chief was hired. I do however want to see if we can learn anything from this but, again, I know our officers are doing a great job. Scott said Collare resigned in 2018. Starting in 2011, the grand jury alleges, Collare lied about the amount of drugs purchased by informants and gave informants drugs that had been seized. He is also accused of having allowed confidential informants to keep drugs they obtained during controlled purchases made during investigations. Authorities also allege that hired a prostitute from an online ad in December 2011 and gave that unnamed person money and heroin for sex acts between 2011 and August 2014, according to the indictment. He is also accused of having agreed to skip a hearing in 2015 that resulted in dismissal of drug charges against the boyfriend of someone with whom he had sex, according to the indictment. Timed for the World Economic Forums opening day, Swiss police have revealed an alleged Russian spy and infiltration plot, per a breaking report: Five months before world leaders began their pilgrimage to the annual World Economic Forum this week among them US president Donald Trump Swiss police interrupted what reports on Tuesday claimed were the beginnings of a Russian spying operation in the secluded Alpine town. Alerted to their unusually long stay in the high-end resort, police picked up two Russian men in Davos in August, the Graubunden cantonal police department confirmed to the Financial Times. Adding to the strangeness of the story, the two Russians who apparently overstayed their welcome in the town were posing as plumbers. Authorities believe thats how they planned to access facilities and rooms where world leaders and global elites would discuss sensitive policies and planning. President Trump is in attendance, and on the opening day gave a public speech to attendees emphasizing his "America First" approach to global crises. Zurichs Tages-Anzeiger newspaper first broke the story, after Swiss police concluded the men were part of a Kremlin covert effort to wiretap conversations at the high security and notoriously secretive elite event. Russia slammed the accusations as one more attempt to undermine Swiss-Russian relations, according to a statement issued by the Russian Embassy in Switzerland. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Police in San Francisco are asking for witnesses who may have seen a New Year's Day fight outside a South of Market neighborhood nightclub to come forward. According to police, on Jan. 1 around 1:40 a.m., two groups got into an altercation outside of a club in the 500 block of Howard Street. During the melee, a 25-year-old man and a 24-year-old both suffered stab wounds. The 25-year-old victim suffered life-threatening injuries, and the 24-year-old victim was later released from hospital, police said. Officers were able to arrest one suspect, 26-year-old Philip Nguyen of Oakland, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators are asking that anyone who may have witnessed the fight, or who may have cellphone pictures or video, to contact SFPD Sgt. Stephen Benzinger at (415) 553-1201 or at stephen.benzinger@sfgov.org. Witnesses can also call SFPD's anonymous 24-hour tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 with SFPD at the beginning of the message. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Apple is gearing up to release a new, cheaper and smaller iPhone, according to a new report. The new handset sometimes referred to as the iPhone SE 2, or iPhone 9 will go into production in February ahead of a potential launch in March, according to a new Bloomberg report. That is in line with the launch of the original iPhone SE. That was released in March 2016 and was a breakout success, but Apple hasn't updated it or offered a cheaper or smaller phone since. The new handset is set to be the successor to that phone. Just like that model, it will pack newer technology into the body of 2017's iPhone 8. Though it will include some hardware features that have now been largely dropped across Apple's line-up including the bezel around the display, and the home button at the bottom it will have the processing power of the iPhone 11, with the same A13 chip, numerous rumours have suggested. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Apple still sells the iPhone 8, at the bottom end of its price range. But the new phone will presumably replace that model in its line-up. The launch comes ahead of a more major revision of Apple's iPhone line-up in September. At that annual event, it is rumoured to be launching four entirely new iPhones, at least some of which are expected to bring support for 5G and other newer technologies. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo have suggested the phone will be focused on owners of the older iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which stopped receiving iOS updates this year. Woodbrook NS is a unique two teacher national school nestled in the countryside, only 3.5 miles from Carrick-on-Shannon. The school enjoys spectacular views of the majestic river Shannon and on clear days several counties can be seen from this stunning rural location. Built in 1857 by Major James Kirkwood, the then owner of Woodbrook House and Estate, the school would be instrumental in educating 200 children of the tenants working on his estate. In 1977 attempts were made at amalgamation and through the hard work of the community, our historic school remained open one day short of closure and remains in the heart of this community over 40 years later. Over the years, Woodbrook NS and its past pupils have achieved great success in life and will continue to provide the perfect environment for children to develop, grow and learn in a beautiful rural area and be provided with the education, skills and the confidence required to become future innovators, entrepreneurs and educators. Percy French On January 24, 2020 the school welcomes the nationally acclaimed County Leitrim Percy French Society to The Bush Hotel Carrick-on-Shannon at 8pm sharp. Doors open at 7.15pm. Together they celebrate the life and works of Percy French 100 years to the day of his death. Tish Dunleavy and Frank Cadam founded the County Leitrim Percy French Society to raise a greater awareness of his musical brilliance. This group have performed in all the major theatres throughout the country as well as performing with Michael Portillo on BBC Two. The show is performed by eleven members of the County Leitrim Percy French Society in period costume, with Frank Cadam taking the role of the great man himself. It promises to be a delightful evening with music and songs from one of the most accomplished composers this country has ever produced. Woodbrook NS is currently taking enrolments for September 2020. To come and view the school and meet the teachers please call (08) 68207571 or email woodbrookns@gmail.com Tickets for the Percy French 100th Anniversary show in The Bush Hotel this Friday, January 24 are 15. You can buy tickets at The Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon; Mulligan's Shop, Cortober or Lunneys Carryout, Cortober. You can book tickets through Liz on (087) 79 49021 or Angela (087) 2621042. Tickets will be available at the door on the night from 7.15pm. Show starts at 8pm. Also read: The congs and prose still live on: 100th anniversary of Percy French Contributed Photo / City of Bridgeport BRIDGEPORT The Bridgeport Islamic Community Center is opening its door those shelter those from the cold overnight Wednesday into Thursday. The center, at 877 Park Ave. in Bridgeport, will be open for shelter from 8:45 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, according to city officials. The Phillies have reached agreement on a deal with veteran lefty Francisco Liriano, per Robert Murray (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of MLB Network had tweeted that a deal was close. Its said to be a minor-league pact and will obviously include an invitation to MLB camp. Liriano can earn $1.5MM in the majors and double that through incentives. The 36-year-old Liriano spent last year working exclusively as a reliever, but had previously functioned primarily as a starter. Odds are hell be looked at primarily as a pen candidate by the Philadelphia organization, but his wealth of experience in multi-inning situations surely doesnt hurt. While he pitched to a 3.47 ERA over seventy frames in 2019, its not hard to see why Liriano was forced to settle for a minor-league arrangement. He posted 8.1 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 along with a 50.3% groundball rate. Fielding-independent pitching metrics werent overly enthused (4.52 FIP; 4.92 xFIP; 4.76 SIERA) and Statcast indicates that Liriano gave up loads of hard contact. Then again, it wouldnt be much of a surprise to see Liriano in the picture with the Phils. He was able to generate a 13.5% swinging-strike rate last year, his loftiest mark since 2015. And lefties that can handle right-handed batters are perhaps more in demand than ever before, given the onset of the 3-batter minimum rule. Tsai could consider meeting with Xi on equal basis ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2020 05:12 PM Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () said Monday she could consider meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping () as long as the two met on an equal footing. In an interview with SET News, Tsai reiterated she would be willing to meet with Xi based the four principles she said were needed to stabilize the relationship across the Taiwan Strait: "peace," "parity," "democracy" and "dialogue." "We hope cross-strait interactions will take place based on such a foundation (of the four principles)," Tsai said. "We will consider any form of interaction (with China)" based on the four principles. Tsai of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won a second term on Jan. 11 by nearly 20 points over her closest rival, Han Kuo-yu () of the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT). In her victory speech on election day, Tsai described her victory as an indication of the value Taiwan's people place on democracy, and she unveiled the four principles as the foundation for interaction with China. According to Tsai, "peace" means that China must abandon threats of force against Taiwan and "parity" means that neither side of the Taiwan Strait should deny the fact of the other's existence. "Democracy" means that the future of Taiwan must be decided by the country's 23 million people and "dialogue" means that the two sides must be able to sit down and discuss the future development of cross-strait relations. Beijing has responded to Tsai's four principles by reiterating its advocacy of the "1992 consensus" -- a formula China sees as advocating Taiwan belonging to "one China" that Tsai and the DPP have long rejected. It has also not hinted at any possibility of Xi meeting Tsai, but the Taiwanese media has continued to ask about Tsai's willingness to meet with China's president. During the interview, Tsai said she was hoping China will listen carefully to what people in Taiwan signaled with their votes and pay special attention to it when considering policies on Taiwan. "The election results showed that people in Taiwan said loudly they cannot accept China's 'one country, two systems' formula because Taiwan is a free and democratic society and each person is used to this lifestyle," Tsai said. In a speech in January 2019, Xi proposed the "one country, two systems" as a way for China's reunification with Taiwan and he did not rule out of the use of force to unify Taiwan. "People in Taiwan have expressed their attitude very clearly and many countries in the world have explained the election outcome in such a way," Tsai said. Tsai prioritized peace and stability as Taiwan's top agenda to deal with ties across the Taiwan Strait. She said Taiwan needs to have a sufficient self-defense capability to ensure peace and stability, which entails not only focusing on its capabilities to build weapons but also on purchasing defense equipment from the outside world. When asked whether Taiwan can protect itself if China uses forces against Taiwan, Tsai said she has faith in the country's self-defense capabilities but emphasized that further efforts are still needed to strengthen the country's defense to ensure peace across the strait. In a separate interview with ERA News on Monday, Tsai said it will be impossible for Taiwan and China to keep their ties as ambiguous as before after the latest presidential election, as people in Taiwan have expressed their attitude clearly. Since coming to power in 2016, Tsai has rejected the "1992 consensus," which the opposition KMT has described as a tacit understanding reached in 1992 between the then KMT government and the Chinese government. The consensus has been consistently interpreted by the KMT as both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledging there is only "one China" with each free to interpret what "China" means. However, Beijing has never publicly recognized the second part of the KMT interpretation. "This election had the advantage of reflecting the will of Taiwan's people so that China could clearly hear Taiwanese public opinion. "Polished rhetoric from politicians cannot tell [China] what the expectations of Taiwan's people are," Tsai said. (By Wang Yang-yu, Kuo Chien-sheng, Yeh Su-ping, Wang Cheng-chung and Frances Huang) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan convicted journalist Nasrullah Chaudhry for allegedly possessing banned literature and spreading religious hatred. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) is dismayed by the courts decision and calls for an urgent review. Chaudhry, a journalist for local Urdu-language daily Nai Baat, was arrested in Karachi on November 11, 2018, for allegedly carrying journals that could incite Jihad (revolt). He was charged under the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act. Chaudrys charge sheet also alleged he had links to al-Qaeda leader Khalid Mukshi. Judge Muneer Bhutto handed down a five-year sentence and Rs 10,000 fine (USD 64) on December 21, 2019, at the Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi. Despite the courts findings, Chaudhry continues to deny being in possession of the alleged documents or any association with terrorist groups. A concerning number of human rights activists and journalists have been imprisoned under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan cautioned lower courts not to prosecute ordinary crimes under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The PFUJ expressed its grave concern over the conviction of Nasarullah Chaudhryand believes the courts punishment of Chaudhry is yet another example of the Pakistan governments attempt to silence independent media in the country. The IFJ said: It is greatly concerning to see the courts hand down this sentence against Nasrullah Chaudhry, which follows government officials using anti-terrorism laws to criminalise journalists. The IFJ urges the Pakistan government to urgently review this case and make solid commitments to ensure court processes are not used to clamp down on press freedom and silence independent media. The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) has highlighted that overall job cuts at Telkom in 2020 could be around 6,000 a large portion of the companys 15,197 employees, and nearly double what was originally indicated by Telkom. Telkom started its consultation process with organised labour today as part of the section 189 process which will see the company retrench thousands of workers. The company initially indicated that it was planning to retrench 3,000 employees as part of a process which will take place in two phases. FEDUSA, however, highlighted that 3,000 Telkom employees are set to be retrenched in the first phase alone. It said another 1,000 Telkom employees face retrenchments in May 2020 while an estimated 2,000 staff members could lose their jobs at Telkom subsidiary BCX shortly after that. Telkom has now confirmed that it plans to cut 3,000 staff as part of the first phase, and that the number of staff cuts as part of the second phase has not been determined. Telkom blaming changes in technology Telkom said the retrenchments are partly a result of investments in new technologies and revenue streams, particularly in its mobile business, which have taken their toll on profitability. It also blamed difficult economic conditions and having to reposition itself amid fundamental changes within the telecommunications industry. Telkom has also seen a sharp decline in fixed-voice and interconnection revenues as customers shift towards new technologies, such as fibre to the home. This trend will continue, it said. Telkom spokesperson Noma Faku further complained that telecoms regulation in South Africa was set up to disadvantage Telkom and advantage mobile operators. Faku added that the planned staff cuts at Telkom are necessary to ensure the sustainability of the business going forward. Unions slating Telkom board and CEO Unions are not convinced by Telkoms arguments, and place the blame at the feet of the companys board and senior management. FEDUSA said Telkom has proven its lack of strategic direction, operational efficiency and technological innovation. It said Telkom used to be a leader in telecoms infrastructure and market share, but relinquished this lead through decisions like halting its investment in fibre. Communications Workers Union (CWU) Secretary-General Aubrey Tshabalala concurred, saying Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko and former chairperson Jabu Mabuzas corporate plan failed. Solidarity has requested a moratorium on Telkom retrenchments, arguing that they threaten the companys financial sustainability. It requested an aggressive retraining programme to be implemented to equip workers with new skills to help Telkom grow in a fast-changing environment. Telkom job cuts interview Now read: Big trouble at Telkom Agents from Venezuela's Sebin intelligence service on Tuesday raided the offices of opposition leader Juan Guaido while he was in London for talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an opposition lawmaker said. "We have just confirmed that Sebin officers are inside the office of president Guaido," lawmaker Delsa Solorzano told reporters after speaking with security guards at Caracas' Zurich Tower. National Assembly leader Guaido has been recognized as president by the United States and around 50 other countries in his power struggle with socialist President Nicolas Maduro. The tower where the offices are located had been surrounded in the afternoon by hooded and armed Sebin officers dressed in black. The offices were empty when the search began, the opposition said, adding that several lawmakers had been unable to gain access. Lawmaker Angel Torres said the agents "abruptly entered" the offices, amid opposition fears they could plant false evidence. The 36-year-old Guaido has defied a travel ban to fly to London as part of a European trip which will include a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Despite international support, efforts to oust Maduro have stalled and the socialist leader retains the support of the powerful armed forces, as well as that of allies China, Russia and Cuba. (AFP) OTTAWA, Jan. 22, 2020 - Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. (Cornerstone or the Company) (TSXV-CGP) (F-GWN) (B-GWN) (OTC-CTNXF) is pleased to provide an update on its Bramaderos gold and copper project in southern Ecuador, which it is exploring together with ASX listed Sunstone Metals Inc. under a farm-in agreement (see About Bramaderos, below). Figures related to this news release can be seen in PDF format by accessing the version of this release on the Companys website (www.cornerstoneresources.com) or by clicking on the link below: http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/i/pdf/NR20-03Figures.pdf. HIGHLIGHTS: Exploration for epithermal gold in the western portion of the Bramaderos concession in Ecuador is generating promising results Trenching over the Bramaderos Vein has returned up to 2.1g/t gold and 7.7g/t silver Rock chip samples from the El Espiritu epithermal target have returned up to 11.63 g/t gold and up to 38.62 g/t silver Exploration at the West Zone epithermal target has resulted in improved interpretation of the geology of the epithermal belt The epithermal gold belt is an extension of the producing Dynasty Goldfield located ~5km to the south-west, and within the Bramaderos concession includes multiple targets representing significant exploration potential Ten targets have been defined based on soil geochemistry, rock chip sampling, geological mapping, alteration mineral mapping and regional structural analysis, and a ground magnetic survey is in progress to further refine target definition prior to drill testing FURTHER INFORMATION: The ten targets are all located within the Bramaderos epithermal gold belt (Figures 1 and 2), which is on trend of the north-east extension of the gold producing Dynasty Goldfield located 5km to the south-west (held by TSXV listed Core Gold Inc). They include the Bramaderos Vein, where recent trenching returned results of up to 2.1g/t gold and 7.7g/t silver over 0.9m and where historical rock chip sampling returned up to 32.5g/t gold. Other areas of gold mineralization in rock chip samples include El Espiritu, where there is an extensive pathfinder element signature in soil samples. Gold values include 11.63 g/t, 3.70 g/t, 1.80 g/t and 1.615 g/t and silver values include 38.62 g/t, 26.67 g/t, 15.68 g/t and 10.84 g/t. These mineralized samples were collected from barite-bearing ferruginous quartz veins in gullies located approximately 700m northeast of Bramaderos Hill, within two of the ten defined epithermal targets along the epithermal target belt. A trenching program is being designed to test this area in a more systematic fashion. A rock chip-sampling program is also being designed to cover 5 of the epithermal targets that have strong pathfinder element signatures in soils but are yet to be surface sampled by rock-chipping. Drilling at West Zone identified anomalous epithermal gold values, but on re-interpretation did not test the revised target zones. The main target zone at West Zone is now interpreted to be limited to the North Breccia Pod area as a structurally-constrained zone plunging to the east or north-east (Figure 3). QAQC (quality assurance/quality control) review and petrography have been completed. The petrography confirms that some of the very high-grade surface gold values in trenches is due to supergene enrichment with a vertical extent of meters. Cornerstone VP Exploration, Yvan Crepeau, said: We are seeing a lot of evidence of epithermal style mineralization within the belt and we know that this area is the north-east extension of the gold producing Dynasty Goldfield." We are very bullish about the targets that have been defined to date along this trend, and we plan to move those to drilling status as soon as possible. We have developed an improved interpretation of the West Zone target. Supergene gold enrichment, demonstrated at West Zone, may represent an opportunity within the belt. Table 1: Anomalous Assays from West Zone drilling Hole ID From To Interval Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Pb (ppm) Zn (ppm) WZDD001 9.10 11.10 2.00 0.21 0.73 44.60 138.50 WZDD002 0.00 1.00 1.00 0.30 0.42 34.20 98.00 and 9.00 11.35 2.35 0.30 1.11 183.13 65.15 WZDD003 36.00 40.10 4.10 0.26 0.26 75.62 402.59 WZDD004 90.95 92.80 1.85 0.16 3.48 43.69 121.68 WZDD005 0.00 1.75 1.75 0.16 1.31 39.63 34.26 and 27.45 30.05 2.60 0.31 0.28 16.30 34.35 WZDD006 12.50 13.60 1.10 0.26 0.52 46.53 572.87 WZDD007 1.10 2.10 1.00 0.11 0.26 35.50 101.00 WZDD008 1.35 3.35 2.00 0.11 0.49 246.95 204.00 Table 2: Drill hole details for the West Zone target. Drill Hole Number Start date Completion date Dip (degrees) Azimuth (PSAD56 Grid) (degrees) EOH (m) WZDD001 9/09/2019 12/09/2019 -60 236 114.23 WZDD002 13/09/2019 15/09/2019 -45 130 105.51 WZDD003 17/09/2019 22/09/2019 -45 170 220.83 WZDD004 25/09/2019 28/09/2019 -45 66 123.21 WZDD005 1/10/2109 3/10/2019 -45 173 111.39 WZDD006 5/10/2019 9/10/2019 -60 168 183.85 WZDD007 12/10/2019 16/10/2019 -50 25 209.06 WZDD008 20/10/2019 23/10/2019 -45 75 140.81 Total meters drilled 1208.89 About Bramaderos Measuring 4,948 hectares, the Bramaderos project is located approximately 130km from the Loja provincial capital in southern Ecuador. The project is easily accessible via the Pan American Highway which crosses the property. The Bramaderos concession is owned by La Plata Minerales S.A. (PLAMIN), which in turn is owned 87.5% by Sunstone (the project operator) and 12.5% by Cornerstone. Cornerstones 12.5% interest is carried by Sunstone through to the start of commercial production and repayable at Libor plus 2% out of 90% of Cornerstones share of earnings or dividends from the Bramaderos project (see news release 20-01 dated January 7, 2020). More information about the property can be found at www.cornerstoneresources.com. Qualified Person: Yvan Crepeau, MBA, P.Geo., Cornerstones Vice President, Exploration and a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for supervising the exploration program at the Bramaderos project for Cornerstone and has reviewed and approved the information contained in this news release. Sampling and assaying PLAMIN uses a fire assay gold technique for Au assays (FAS-111) and a four acid multi element technique (IMS-230) for a suite of 48 elements. FAS-111 involves Au by Fire Assay on a 30-gram aliquot, fusion and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) at trace levels. IMS-20 is considered a near total 4 acid technique using a 20g aliquot followed by multi-element analysis by ICP-AES/MS at ultra-trace levels. This analysis technique is considered suitable for this style of mineralization. Standards, blanks and duplicates are inserted ~1/28 samples. The values of the standards range from low to high grade and are considered appropriate to monitor performance of values near cut-off and near the mean grade of the deposit. The check sampling results are monitored and performance issues are communicated to the laboratory if necessary. Sample security was managed through sealed individual samples and sealed bags of multiple samples for secure delivery to the laboratory by permanent staff of the joint-venture. MS Analytical is an internationally accredited laboratory that has all its internal procedures heavily scrutinized in order to maintain their accreditation. MS Analytical is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 2005 Accredited Methods. PLAMINs sampling techniques and data have been audited multiple times by independent mining consultants during various project assessments. These audits have concluded that the sampling techniques and data management are to industry standards. All historical data has been validated to the best degree possible and migrated into a database. Rock samples are collected by PLAMINs personnel, placed in plastic bags, labeled and sealed, and stored in a secure place until delivery by PLAMIN employees to the LAC y Asociados ISO 9001-2008 certified sample preparation facility in Cuenca, Ecuador. Rock samples are prepared crushing to 70% passing 2 mm (10 mesh), splitting 250 g and pulverizing to 85% passing 75 microns (200 mesh) (MSA code PRP-910). Prepared samples are then shipped to MS Analytical Services (MSA), an ISO 9001-2008 laboratory in Langley, BC, Canada, where samples are assayed for a multi-element suite (MSA code IMS-136, 15.0 g split, Aqua Regia digestion, ICP-AES/MS finish) and gold by Fire Assay (MSA code FAS-111, 30 g fusion, AAS finish). Over limit results for Cu (>1%) are systematically re-assayed (MSA code ICF-6Cu, 0.2 g, 4-acid digestion, ICP-AES finish). Gold is assayed using a 30 g split, Fire Assay (FA) and AAS finish (MSA code FAS 111). Over limit results for Au (>10 g/t) are systematically re-assayed (MSA code FAS-415, FA, 30g., gravimetric finish). Soil samples are dried at low temperature, screened to 80 mesh (MSA code PRP-757), a 15 grams portion is then assayed for a multi-elements suite (MSA code IMS-136, Aqua Regia digestion, ICP-AES/MS finish). Quality assurance / Quality control (QA/QC) The MSA Analytical Laboratory is a qualified assayer that performs and makes available internal assaying controls. Duplicates, certified blanks and standards are systematically used (1 control sample every 20-25 samples) as part of PLAMINs QA/QC program. Rejects, a 100 g pulp for each rock sample, are stored for future use and controls. About Cornerstone: Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ecuador and Chile, including in the Cascabel gold-enriched copper porphyry joint venture in north west Ecuador. Further information is available on Cornerstones website: www.cornerstoneresources.com and on Twitter. For investor, corporate or media inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations: Mario Drolet; Email: Mario@mi3.ca; Tel. (514) 904-1333 Due to anti-spam laws, many shareholders and others who were previously signed up to receive email updates and who are no longer receiving them may need to re-subscribe at http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/s/InformationRequest.asp Cautionary Notice: This news release may contain Forward-Looking Statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements of Cornerstones beliefs, plans, objectives, strategies, intentions and expectations. The words potential, anticipate, forecast, believe, estimate, intend, trends, indicate, expect, may, should, could, project, plan, or the negative or other variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes that its expectations reflected in these Forward-Looking Statements are reasonable, such statements may involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in our regulatory filings, viewed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets, predicting natural geological phenomena and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of an environmental, climatic, natural, political, economic, business, competitive, or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes the facts and information contained in this news release to be as correct and current as possible, Cornerstone does not warrant or make any representation as to the accuracy, validity or completeness of any facts or information contained herein and these statements should not be relied upon as representing its views after the date of this news release. While Cornerstone anticipates that subsequent events may cause its views to change, it expressly disclaims any obligation to update the Forward-Looking Statements contained herein except where outcomes have varied materially from the original statements. On Behalf of the Board, Brooke Macdonald President and CEO 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. French Cour de Cassation involving background music, a carpet store and collective management societies. In the world of music licensing, a cautionary tale was recently told by theinvolving background music, a carpet store and collective management societies. Musicmatic France (now Storever France) is a company providing "audio concepts for higher customer satisfaction", a.k.a. background music in stores. The company rents out audio equipment to stores and streams music adapted to the respective clientele. Musicmatic sources its music from musicians and other right holders under a creative commons licence agreement. is a company providing "audio concepts for higher customer satisfaction", a.k.a. background music in stores. The company rents out audio equipment to stores and streams music adapted to the respective clientele. Musicmatic sources its music from musicians and other right holders under a creative commons licence agreement. Red carpets are overrated Tapis Saint Maclou, a French carpet store, concluded an agreement with Musicmatic and used the equipment over several years in many stores. The agreement explicitly mentioned that the streamed musical works are "free of all broadcasting rights". , a French carpet store, concluded an agreement with Musicmatic and used the equipment over several years in many stores. The agreement explicitly mentioned that the streamed musical works are "free of all broadcasting rights". Art. L.214-1 of the French Code of Intellectual Property. Under this provision (which is the French equivalent of Art. 8(2) of the Rental Directive 2006/115), where a phonogram has been published for commercial purposes, neither the performer nor the producer can prevent its direct communication in a public place. However, such communication gives rise to a right to remuneration for the benefit of performers and producers. The remuneration is to be paid by the person using the phonogram for commercial purposes. In 2013, SACEM, a French collective rights management society, asked that Tapis Saint Maclou pay nearly EUR 120'000 (plus interest), corresponding to the equitable remuneration contemplated by. Under this provision (which is the French equivalent of Art. 8(2) of the), where a phonogram has been published for commercial purposes, neither the performer nor the producer can prevent its direct communication in a public place. However, such communication gives rise to a right to remuneration for the benefit of performers and producers. The remuneration is to be paid by the person using the phonogram for commercial purposes. In a judicial battle that lasted for six years, all three instances (the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance, the Paris Court of Appeal and the Cour de Cassation) ordered that: (1) Tapis Saint Maclou pay the requested equitable remuneration to the collecting society; and (2) Musimatic pay the same amount to Tapis Saint Maclou for breach of contract. [or really anything at all except for the abstract legal issues at stake] , so this Katpost is largely based on the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal (available here), now confirmed on all points by the Cour de Cassation. As often, the decision of the Cour de Cassation is too short to understand the background of the case, so this Katpost is largely based on the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal (available), now confirmed on all points by the Cour de Cassation. Obligation to Pay the Equitable Remuneration On the main issue of the dispute, neither the Court of Appeal nor the Cour de Cassation had any doubts. Tapis Saint Maclou is liable to pay appropriate remuneration, being the "person who uses the phonogram for commercial purposes". The agreement concluded between Tapis Saint Maclou and Musicmatic does not modify the scope of the statutory provision under which Tapis Saint Maclou is to make the respective payment to the collecting societies. Musicmatic argued that, on this issue, French law is not compliant with the EU Rental Directive. It contended that: (1) mandatory collective management of the equitable remuneration pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the Rental Directive is incompatible with EU law; and (2) performers who are not members of collecting societies will in fact never see any share of any such remuneration, which is also contrary to the Rental Directive. Musicmatic asked that both issues be referred to the CJEU. None of the three courts referred either of these issues to the Court of Justice. As set forth by the Court of Appeal (and confirmed by the Cour de Cassation), the Rental Directive does not contain any mandatory provisions on the implementation of equitable remuneration. Member States are thus free to use any legislative tool that ensures "equilibrium between the interests of performers and users". With regard to the allegation that only members of the collecting societies receive their share of adequate remuneration, the Court of Appeal disagreed (as did the Cour de Cassation). It is sufficient for non-members to communicate their identity and specify their claim to receive their respective share. Liability for Contractual Breach The Court of Appeal (as confirmed by the Cour de Cassation) considered that the contractual clause, providing that the streamed musical works are "free of all broadcasting rights", is misleading. It creates the impression that the licensor has granted more rights to the licensee than it actually has or is able to. Musicmatic has never been in a position to provide music "free of all broadcasting rights" and it has thus misled its licensee. Musicmatic is therefore liable to pay to Tapis Saint Maclou the full amount of the remuneration the latter was ordered to pay to the collecting society. Comment One interesting aspect of this decision is the lack of any discussion of the principle "ignorance of the law is no excuse" [nemo censetur ignorare legem for Kat readers fond of Latin] . French law apparently provides for a mandatory remuneration to be paid by the "user" of the work to the collecting society; thus the obligation to pay this remuneration cannot be overridden by contract. Can the user, therefore, assume that a contract concluded with a third party will exempt it from the obligation to pay? Or is there perhaps a specific duty on the licensor to inform the licensee that additional payments to the collecting societies will have to be made? One may assume that in business-to-business transactions, neither party has to inform the other about the existence of statutory rules. Moscow, Jan 21 (AFP) Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed a new government on Tuesday, less than a week after he announced sweeping constitutional reforms and his longtime prime minister resigned. Putin, who said there was a "demand for change" in his announcements last week, kept on key allies including the foreign, defence and energy ministers. But he replaced several officials in charge of social affairs, including the ministers of health, education, labour and economic development. Putin has said the government of new Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin should focus on boosting Russia's economy and improving living standards. "I sincerely wish you success... it is in the interests of the entire country," Putin said during a televised meeting with the new cabinet. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu -- both staunch Putin allies and key policy figures -- held on to their positions, as well as the finance and energy ministers, Anton Siluanov and Alexander Novak. The government of Putin's longtime ally Dmitry Medvedev resigned last week, a few hours after the president announced the constitutional reforms. Medvedev was replaced the next day by Mishustin, the little-known head of Russia's tax service. The reforms will transfer some authority to parliament, including the power to choose the prime minister, and beef up the role of an advisory body called the State Council, potentially headed by Putin. Critics say Putin, 67, could use that position to continue to shape domestic and foreign policy after his fourth Kremlin term expires in 2024. Mishustin promised "real changes" as he was approved by parliament last week, echoing language Putin had used in his state of the nation address announcing the reforms. Medvedev's approval rating collapsed in recent years as the economy stagnated and Russians saw a drop in their disposable income. Putin has put forward a slew of plans to reboot the economy and improve living standards, including a series of "national projects" and increased payouts to families. The national projects -- which include huge investments in infrastructure, the digital economy, education and health -- are expected to cost an estimated USD 400 billion (360 billion euros) by 2024. Mishustin, who had led Russia's Federal Tax Service since 2010, is seen as an effective and efficient administrator without his own political ambitions. Opponents have accused Putin of rushing ahead with the constitutional reform plan after he presented the amendments to parliament on Monday, only a few days after announcing them. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday insisted the Russian public will have a chance to evaluate them. "There will be a mass discussion of the proposed amendments, a mass information campaign and discussion will be happening," he told journalists. The State Duma lower house is expected to vote on the first reading of the bill on Thursday. It is not clear how the government plans to organise the national "discussion" and a promised vote on the amendments, which some reports said could happen as early as April. Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has accused Putin of trying to use the reforms to be Russia's "leader for life", but the opposition has struggled to come up with a concerted plan to oppose the reforms. As part of the shake-up among top officials, Putin also on Monday removed the powerful prosecutor general, Yury Chaika -- who took office in 2006 -- and nominated a replacement. (AFP) SCY BURNS LAKE, B.C. - A collective of First Nations who support the liquefied natural gas industry in British Columbia say human rights advocates failed to do their research when they called for a pipeline project to be halted. The First Nations LNG Alliance has issued open letters to the B.C. human rights commissioner and the United Nations Committee to End Racial Discrimination over statements they made about the Coastal GasLink project. They called for the project to be stopped in the face of opposition from Wetsuweten hereditary clan chiefs who say the project has no authority without their consent. Both said the free, prior and informed consent of all affected Indigenous groups should be granted before any project is allowed to proceed. Coastal GasLink has signed agreements with 20 elected First Nation councils along the pipelines 670-kilometre path but the Wetsuweten chiefs say within their territory, those councils only administer small reserves and its the hereditary chiefs who hold jurisdiction over a broader area covering 22,000 square kilometres. Karen Ogen-Toews, CEO of the First Nations Alliance, says in the letter to commissioner Kasari Govender that the pipeline was approved through a democratic process that Indigenous people participated in freely, and neither the committee nor commissioner consulted supportive Indigenous groups before taking a position. No one could be reached for comment at the UN committee and Govender was not available for an interview today. KATHMANDU, Nepal - Rescuers took advantage of improved weather on Nepals Mount Annapurna to press ahead with a search for four South Korean climbers and three Nepali guides and have a possible location for them, officials said Wednesday. Nine soldiers and seven civilian rescuers were digging through ice and snow on the Annapurna trekking trail and had made progress in determining their possible whereabouts, said army spokesman Bigyan Dev Pandey. Snow and bad weather on Tuesday stalled the rescue operation. Khum Bahadur Subedi of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, another agency involved in the operation, said they are hoping to have a better idea of the location by Wednesday afternoon. The trekkers and their guides are still listed as missing but mountaineering experts have said there is little chance they could have survived Fridays massive avalanche. The avalanche hit part of the trekking route after heavy snowfall earlier in the week. All other trekkers who were in the area have been flown by helicopters to safe areas. South Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the missing nationals were two women in their 30s and 50s and two men in their 50s, all teachers who were doing volunteer work in Nepal. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Wed, January 22, 2020 09:45 721 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2060715e7 2 World Canada,Britain,royals,Prince-Harry,Meghan-Markle,media Free Prince Harry and his wife Meghan started their new life in Canada on Tuesday by launching a legal warning to media over photographs of the duchess near their seaside bolthole. Following their shock exit from life as working royals, Harry jetted out from Britain to join Meghan late Monday at a luxury house outside Victoria on Vancouver Island. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have temporarily set up base at the wooded home, having spent six weeks there over Christmas with their baby son Archie. Their bombshell announcement on Jan. 8 that they wished to step back from their royal duties rocked the monarchy. The couple, who married in May 2018, admitted last year that they were struggling with media scrutiny and have regularly hit out at the press in statements and in the courts. Their lawyers issued a legal warning after various outlets on Tuesday published photographs of a smiling Meghan out walking her dogs with Archie. In Britain, the pictures were used by The Sun and the Daily Mail newspapers. Lawyers claimed the images were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on the US former television actress, the BBC reported, and that she did not consent to the photos. The couple were prepared to take legal action, according to the BBC. The lawyers claim there had been attempts to photograph inside their new home using long lenses, and say paparazzi are camped outside the property. A freelance photojournalist working in the area, who said he was from California but wanted to remain anonymous, said the potential legal issues are "kind of tough," but that he does not let them affect his work. "Canada has freedom of the press laws," he said, sitting in the driver's seat of a white SUV with his photography gear on the passenger's side. "From what I understand, as long as you are not following them, harassing them, breaking the law, as long as its a matter of public interest and the monarchy always is then the press is free to cover it." Harry, 35, and 38-year-old Meghan are bowing out entirely from representing the monarchy, in a crisis that has shaken the centuries-old institution. Harry said Sunday that they did not want to quit their royal duties but reluctantly accepted there was "no other option" if they wanted to cut loose from public funding and seek their own income in pursuit of a more independent life. Under their new arrangement, the Sussexes are free to earn their own commercial income though at a greater cost than they first envisaged. They can no longer represent Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II or be referred to as their royal highnesses, and must repay taxpayers' money spent on their UK home. They will no longer receive public money though 95 percent of their annual funding comes from his father Prince Charles, via the heir to the throne's hereditary land and property estate. To what extent that will continue, and who will cover their security bill currently met by the British police remains to be seen. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday denied having spoken "directly" with Queen Elizabeth about the security costs, after British media reports that the country had offered to foot the bill. "Discussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment," Trudeau told a news conference. Canadian media have estimated the cost of protecting the couple and their eight-month-old son Archie at about C$1.7 million (US$1.3 million) a year. Other estimates run higher. Britain's Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said there must be a "line of delineation" over who pays the security costs. Asked whether British taxpayers should fund the Sussexes while they are in Canada, he told Sky News television: "I don't have an easy answer to that." The couple intend to raise their own income streams. They have launched their new Sussex Royal website and trademarked the name. However, the queen's senior advisor on heraldry suggested they should not be allowed to use the royal moniker, having relinquished their public duties. "I don't think it's satisfactory. One cannot be two things at once. You either are [royal] or you're not," Thomas Woodcock, the Garter King of Arms, told The Times newspaper. In a role that dates back to the 15th century, he is involved in making sure that royal symbols are not used illegitimately for commercial purposes. Woodcock, who was giving his personal opinion, said the final decision would rest with the sovereign. Like Britain, Canada is a Commonwealth realm, meaning Queen Elizabeth is the head of state. Residents walking dogs on a path near the Sussexes' new home told AFP that they opposed intrusion into their new Canadian set-up, and were proud of the local instinct to give them space. "We don't like it. Leave them in peace," said Anne Girling, adding she had met Meghan jogging on a trail nearby and they wished one another "good morning." Sue Starkey, another dog walker, described the area as a "really friendly" community. "Our neighborhood has been so respectful and giving them space," she said. "I'm really happy they're here and I hope they can find some peace." EAST PROVIDENCE; BARRINGTON, R.I., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A tentative agreement was reached last night between Teamsters Local 251 and Ocean State Transit, a subsidiary of Student Transportation of America (STA). A strike vote had been taken last week. "Our coworkers will be very happy with this tentative agreement," said Ocean State Transit Bus Driver Charlene Gomes. "They were willing to strike to get a fair deal and the company knew it." "Our rank-and-file committee members were invaluable in these negotiations; they knew the business inside and out and were able to prioritize the needs of the workers," said Nick Williams, Local 251 Business Agent. The group of 105 school bus drivers voted to join the Teamsters in May 2019. Last month 95 monitors and aides also joined the union. A date will be set soon for a ratification vote. "We believe this tentative agreement recognizes the commitment the workers have to safely transporting our children every day," said Local 251 Principal Officer Matthew Taibi. "While we have a few minor details to work out, we anticipate that the workers will ratify this recommended tentative agreement, averting a strike. We appreciate the community support. We believe it was a big reason we were finally able to break through the last remaining issues and get a deal. We recently agreed on a new contract with STA/Ocean State in South Kingstown and we look forward to discussions for a new agreement in Coventry. We would like to thank the Teamsters Passenger Transportation Division for their support, especially from a national perspective. STA is the second largest school transportation company in the country, with contracts at many other Teamsters locals." Teamsters Local 251 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island. For more information, go to https://teamsterslocal251.org/ Contact: Matthew Taibi, (401) 431-0454 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 251 Related Links https://teamsterslocal251.org BETHESDA, Maryland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Women who breastfed their infants exclusively for 7 to 12 months may have a significantly lower risk of early menopause than their peers who breastfed their infants for less than a month, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study also suggests that pregnancy can reduce the risk of early menopause. The study was conducted by Christine Langton, M.S.W., M.P.H., of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and colleagues. It appears in JAMA Network Open. Funding was provided by NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Cancer Institute. "The study results provide the strongest evidence to date that exclusive breastfeeding may reduce the risk of early menopause," said Lisa Halvorson, M.D., chief of the NICHD Gynecological Health and Disease Branch, which oversaw the research. Previous studies have suggested that menopause before age 45 (early menopause) increases the risk of early death, cognitive decline, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Smaller studies have found evidence linking pregnancy and breastfeeding with later menopause, but because of their size and other limitations, the results are inconclusive. Moreover, the earlier studies focused on timing of menopause and not on the risk of early menopause. In the current study, researchers analyzed data from more than 100,000 women ages 25 to 42 years in the Nurses' Health Study II. Every two years, from 1989 to 2015, the participants responded to detailed questionnaires, providing health information and medical history, including pregnancy history. Compared to women who had never been pregnant or who had been pregnant for less than six months, women who had one full-term pregnancy had an 8% lower risk of early menopause. Those who had two pregnancies had a 16% lower risk, and those who had three pregnancies had a 22% lower risk. Women who breastfed had an even smaller risk for early menopause. Those who breastfed for a total of 25 months or more during their premenopausal years had a 26% lower risk than women who breastfed for less than a month. Similarly, women who breastfed exclusively 7 to 12 months had a 28% lower risk of early menopause, compared to those who breastfed for less than a month. The study did not determine why pregnancy and breastfeeding might lower the risk of early menopause. However, researchers theorize that because pregnancy and breastfeeding halt ovulation, the slowing of the egg loss may delay menopause. Reference Langton CR, et al. Association of Parity and Breastfeeding With Risk of Early Natural Menopause. JAMA Network Open. 2020. About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov . About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov SOURCE Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institutes of Health (NIH) Related Links http://www.nih.gov It's been 101 years since the Reunion. On January 22, Ukrainians celebrate Unity Day, marking the proclamation at Kyiv's St. Sophia Square in 1919 of the Reunification Act between the Ukrainian People's Republic and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. Unity Day became an official holiday in 1991 under the decree by former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. In December 2011, the then-President Viktor Yanukovych abolished Freedom Day celebrated on November 22 and Unity Day marked on January 22 and established Day of Unity and Freedom to be celebrated on January 22. Three years later, in November 2014, the head of state, Petro Poroshenko, established Day of Dignity and Freedom on November 21, returning the celebration of Unity Day to January 22. Read alsoSome 64% of Ukrainians support accession to EU poll The main tradition of the holiday is "human chain" formations across the country. Ukrainians formed the first "chain" on January 21, 1990, when 450,000 people symbolically "united" the cities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Kyiv. Such rallies have since been staged across the country. The health authorities in the Philippines are reportedly inquiring its potential first case of the SARS-like virus or coronavirus that has already infected hundreds in China. According to international media reports, a five-year-old child recently arrived in the Philippines from the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has been hospitalised since with flu symptoms. However, the authorities are still not sure whether it is the same one that has reportedly killed four people in China and sickened people in three other Asian countries. Philippine health secretary Francisco Duque at a press briefing said, The child is considered a person under investigation. Samples from the child were sent to a lab in Australia for further testing and authorities are awaiting the results. READ: Australian PM Issues Travel Advisory For China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak The health department further said that the child was already showing symptoms like fever, throat irritation and cough before arriving in the central of Cebu with parents. Three other travellers from China were also checked by authorities at another airport, however, they did not show any symptoms of the virus. The World Health Organisation has also issued a warning about the virus from Wuhan. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has further also announced on January 20 that it will assemble an emergency committee on the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) discovered in China under the International Health Regulations. The meeting will be headed by Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the members will meet on January 22 to decide whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, along with discussing the recommendations to manage the spread of the virus. READ: China: Authorities Confirm Human-to-human Transmission Of Coronavirus The mystery strain It was WHO which confirmed the first case of a novel coronavirus outside China, which has the same family as the deadly SARS virus. The UN health agency had said that the person travelling from Wuhan, China was hospitalised in Thailand and is recovering from the illness. According to the organisation, novel coronavirus is a new strain in the large family of coronaviruses (CoV) which was not identified in humans before. CoV can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). CoV is zoonotic which means such viruses transmit between animals and humans. (With PTI inputs) READ: WHO Calls For Emergency Meeting As Mystery Coronavirus Continues To Spread READ: China Confirms Fourth Death From Mysterious Coronavirus In Wuhan SALT LAKE CITY The discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ children is now banned in Utah, making it the 19th state and one of the most conservative to prohibit it. Supporters navigated a winding path to passage and some dissent remains, but barring it in Utah could give a boost to similar efforts in other right-leaning states, said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Its really given people a lot of hope, said Minter, whose group has pushed for bans around the U.S. Virginia is considering a ban, and the issue could also come up in this year in Texas and Kentucky, he said. The change in Utah comes after the state hammered out a regulatory rule that had the support of the influential Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leaders had opposed a previous version because it didnt have certain exceptions for clergy. This is no longer a partisan cause. We all agree on how important it is to protect children from suicide, said Cliff Rosky, a law professor who sits on the advisory council for the group Equality Utah during a news conference on Wednesday. He said hes also been contacted by advocates in Iowa and Nebraska. Ultimately, Im grateful to live in a state like Utah where we say you matter to everyone, said Nathan Dalley, a 20-year-old student who underwent so-called conversion therapy as a teenager and has said it culminated in a suicide attempt. Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity. Many people who have been through it say it deepened feelings of depression and increased thoughts of suicide. The new rule bans licensed Utah therapists from subjecting LGBTQ minors to the practice that the American Psychological Association has said is not based in science and is harmful to mental health. The Utah Psychological Association also spoke in favor of the rule. The ban has drawn pushback. Opponents argued it would prevent parents from getting help for children with unwanted feelings and even keep therapists from taking on young clients for fear of accidentally breaking the rules if kids want to discuss feelings about sexuality. Lindsay Whitehurst is an Associated Press writer. Three Muslim youth were arrested from Devipattinam in the coastal Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday for allegedly radicalising youngsters, recruiting them and raising money for terror group Islamic State, police said. Police said the three were part of a quartet which attempted to flee on sighting the police team near the Buhariya school grounds in Devipattinam. The arrested trio was identified as Purakani alias Pichaikani, Amir and Mohammed Ali. The fourth suspect who fled was Sheikh Dawood. All the four were wanted by the NIA. Jihadi literature was also seized from them, a police office said on condition of anonymity. Police have booked them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and are questioning them in the murder case of Special Police Sub-inspector Y Wilson in Kanniyakumari district. Wilson is suspected to have been shot dead by Islamic fundamentalists on January 8. According to the FIR, the police rushed to the spot after a tip off that the accused had assembled there to discuss recruiting youngsters in the area for the IS and mobilising finance for the terror outfit. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the quartet had discussed a financial transaction with Abdul Shameem, arrested on January 14 for the murder of Wilson and steps to help incarcerated Mohammed Riyas who had helped in recruiting youth. Police also claimed that their questioning revealed that they have been planning to organise the youth and train them at the Madarasas at Devipattinam, Keezhaiyenthal and other places. According to the FIR, the accused had even planned to give prizes to those who had successfully passed out of the training and to implement an action programme of the outfit. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ANN ARBOR, MI -- If you noticed an 18-foot pig rolling through downtown Ann Arbor on Wednesday, theres no new barbecue restaurant coming to town. The 800-pound hog was on tour as part of a demonstration related to term limits for Michigan lawmakers. The effort is led by Dont Touch Term Limits, a coalition of activists who supported the effort to put term limits in place in Michigan in the 1990s. Giant pig touring Michigan to support term limits The group is protesting an effort to end term limits. Everyone knows that if you get a little pig and you feed it, its going to grow, and grow, and grow, said Jeff Tillman, who drives the pig around the state. Thats the gluttonous nature of politicians that are in office. They just keep getting more government and bigger government, and theyre feeding at the public trough. In November 2019, a group of lobbyists and former legislators filed a lawsuit to overturn Michigans term limits, arguing the limits make state government less effective and prevent knowledgable politicians from holding office. Dont Touch Term Limits state coordinator Scott Tillman said the effort is proof term limits are working. When lobbyists and career politicians team up to overturn term limits, we can be certain we have something worth fighting to keep, Scott Tillman said. Jeff Tillman said the pig made with a metal frame and spray foam is a hit with kids and families across the state, but it also helps spread the groups message. Folks love our term limits in Michigan. Theyre to be envied all over the country, Jeff Tillman said. Instead of worrying about term limits, Jeff Tillman said politicians should focus on conducting government business. It seems very disingenuous for them to try to pad the job that they knew going in was going to be six years or eight years if they were lucky enough to get reelected each time, he said. They should focus on getting the business done and do their legislation, not get distracted with self-serving career perks. Before stopping in Ann Arbor, Tillman and the hog made a stop in Belleville. He planned to head to Whitmore Lake, Howell and Chelsea on Wednesday afternoon. PROMATION Celebrates 20 years (2020) Published: 22 January 2020 by Chelsey Drysdale by Chelsey Drysdale PROMATION Inc. a Wisconsin based corporation - is celebrating its 20th year anniversary serving the electronics manufacturing sectors. Gary Goldberg (Founder) began manufacturing high quality PCB handling systems with continual investments made in next generation technologies. Today the company offers a wide range of manufacturing technologies, including: Laser Marking, Label Placement, PCB Routing, and Robotic soldering systems; all of which feature a great front-end software interface. This year also marks Mike Goldbergs (Vice President) 10 year anniversary at PROMATION; whom has quickly become the companys soldering guru: co-designing soldering systems with overseas partners. Currently he is spear-heading the launch of the companys newest vision based soldering system: the panda series. For the past several years, Gary Goldberg has sharpened PROMATIONs focus on: Industry 4.0 technologies, automated guided vehicle solutions, intelligent magazine storage systems, and next generation customer satisfaction methods. As of today, all equipment offers end-users remote support capability and enhanced touch panel menus; with augmented reality remote support still in development - but quickly following suite. All of these solutions help to reduce customer support costs and expediting PROMATIONs, industry recognized, Award Winning customer support. Over the past 6 years PROMATION has been the proud recipient of five technology awards and Best in Customer Service Excellence award, with continued perseverance for more. PROMATIONs principle motto: Realizing that no company is perfect, it is what we do in those imperfect times that allow us shine above our competitors has continued to thrust PROMATION as a leading supplier and most-trusted vendor within the electronics manufacturing industry. As PROMATION enters this new decade, the company remains poised to: introduce new ground-breaking technologies, balance quality and cost, work closely with clients to best understand their automation needs & objectives, create enhanced relationships with our sales representatives and distributors - as well as our suppliers, and provide superior customer service. We want to thank all our valued customers for allowing us to work with them to create truly innovative production solutions for the manufacturing of their products and look forward to another prosperous 20 years. MBABANE Looks like it is Twenty Plenty for Snowee. This time around, the Eswatini model-turned-actress Nolwazi Snowee Simelane has conformed to the popular Twenty Plenty theme by bagging a role in an Irish series titled The Professionals. Twenty Plenty is a social media popular theme that means that this year, 2020, is a year of success and blessings. The Professionals is a 10-part series which where a part of it was shot in South Africa and Ireland. Simelanes role was discovered after she put up a post where she was being pampered by a Caucasian make-up artist in what seemed like an aeroplane. She confirmed with this journalist that she got the role in The Professionals, stating that she played a role of an air hostess and she said her scenes were part of the last shots of the series. I am at in scene that takes place at the airport, said Simelane. Her scene was shot in Johannesburg, South Africa but the scene projected to be in a French airport which needed two African air hostesses for Air France. The Professionals is set against a backdrop of international espionage and corporate sabotage in the 21st century privately-funded space race and follow Welling as a hardened former counterintelligence officer Captain Vincent Corbo. Starring is the internationally renowned Brendan James Fraser, an American-Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Rick OConnell in The Mummy trilogy, as well as for leading roles in comedy and fantasy films including Encino Man, George of the Jungle, Bedazzled, Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Simelane said being featured in an internationally renowned series was a great opportunity for her to expand her wings through networking on set. In this is way, better things will come my way with greater opportunities. Bagging such roles is becoming the norm for the liSwati model as last year, she was confirmed to be one of the casts of Seriously Single, a South African movie which will premier this year. Her roles came after she made appearances on Netflix series titled Queen Sono. ENCAC (Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture) CEO Stanley Dlamini has always said that the council was excited to learn that local artists were breaking new grounds. We are about placing artists in new spaces and audiences, ensuring that they become attractive to professional transactions, said Dlamini. Simelanes appearance date in the series has not been revealed yet. The PVA-BPA complex can be internalized into the target cancer cells through LAT-1 mediated endocytosis, enhancing cellular uptake and slowing the untoward efflux. Credit: Tokyo Tech The growing knowledge about cancer biology has enhanced the development of many therapeutic strategies that involve selective targeting and killing of cancer cells. One such therapeutic option is boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a radiotherapy process involving transferring boron into cancer cells and exposing it to neutron particles, causing it to undergo nuclear fission, which kills the cancer cells. If clinicians can ensure that boron is present only in cancer cells, they can specifically destroy only cancer cells without harming the normal cells of the body. Scientists at Tokyo Tech, Kyoto University, and Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM) have improved upon current BNCT by combining BPA with polyvinyl alcohol to produce the PVA-BPA complex, which has a longer cell retention time, enhancing the cancer-killing potential of BNCT. Scientists first discovered the way to induce this selective uptake using p-boronophenylalanine (BPA). BPA is a boron-containing compound with a phenylalanine structure. One of the factors that distinguishes cancer cells from normal cells is an overabundance of special structures called LAT1 amino acid transporters, which recognize and allow the transport of phenylalanine into the cell. So, when BPA is present outside cancer cells, these transporters on the cell surface allow it to enter cancer cells, permitting successful BNCT. BPA has long been considered the best drug available for BNCT. However, BPA has a drawback: Once BPA levels increase within the cancer cells, it is expelled back out via an "antiport" mechanism, making it challenging for BNCT to be effective in some cases. Thus, patients are required to receive a continuous infusion of BPA for 30 to 60 minutes to maintain the necessary amount in the cells for the reaction to be successful. This also leaves the door open for human errors, such as the possibility of dislodging the needle during the process. To overcome these drawbacks, scientists at Tokyo Tech, Kyoto University and iCONM led by Prof. Nobuhiro Nishiyama decided to explore other means of retaining boron inside cancer cells for longer periods. "We assumed," Prof. Nishiyama says, "that modulating the presence of BPA inside the cell will ensure that they are not sent back out via their antiport mechanism." To examine this, they mixed a compound called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and BPA together to form a PVA-BPA complex, and observed the internalization of this compound in cancer cells. They found that the addition of PVA did not affect the phenylalanine structure of BPA, allowing the LAT1 transporters to recognize the PVA-BPA complex. However, as this complex was too large to pass through the transporters, the LAT1 transporters instead engulfed the complex in organelles called endosomes and transported them into the cells. Since BPA was now safely located in endosomes, the cancer cell was not able to push it out immediately by the antiport mechanism. This ensured that boron remains in cells for a long enough time for the cancer cells to be effectively killed. This method was also tested in animal models, and anti-cancer activities of BNCT were found to be enhanced. Addition of PVA thus presents an extremely simple solution to boost the therapeutic potential of BPA. "This technique is effortless," notes Prof. Nishiyama, "and offers a novel approach for drug delivery, focusing on the metabolic elimination processes of drugs. We will advance research on the PVA-BPA complex for clinical trials in cooperation with STELLA PHARMA CORPORATION who has conducted BPA clinical trials." The study is reported in Science Advances. Explore further Simplified boron compound may treat brain tumours More information: "Poly(vinyl alcohol) boosting therapeutic potential of p-boronophenylalanine in neutron capture therapy by modulating metabolism" Science Advances (2020). advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/4/eaaz1722 Journal information: Science Advances "Poly(vinyl alcohol) boosting therapeutic potential of p-boronophenylalanine in neutron capture therapy by modulating metabolism"(2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz1722 DALLAS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas-based Strait Capital Company "STRAIT" announced the appointment of James Davis as Managing Director and Head of Business Development. With 25+ years of financial services experience in creating and executing blueprints for business growth in the fund administration space, James will broaden STRAIT's client base, increase brand awareness, and scale global operations. James will be responsible for growing STRAIT's business and delivering innovative solutions for the firm's existing and new clients. He joins STRAIT after several successful years of providing business growth and operational guidance at industry leading providers ALPS (a DST Company) and Kaufman Rossin Fund Services who was acquired by DST in 2016. Prior to being acquired by ALPS, Kaufman Rossin Fund Services administrated approximately 600 funds and $40 Billion of assets. James' prior experience also includes senior roles at prime brokerage Jefferies & Company and managing operations teams in the alternative investment industry as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. "We see great opportunity in the fund administration industry to scale our 360-degree model of outsourced compliance, fund administration, general partner and limited partner accounting and investor services. Our clients realize optimal operational efficiency, institutional-class risk reduction, and enhanced customer experiences. James will have an immediate positive impact both internally and externally for our services and brand," said Stacey J. Relton, Managing Partner. James earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University (1985), his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1988), and his Masters in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management (1989). "STRAIT is an entrepreneurial growth company that is innovative and has developed and positioned itself for accelerated growth and scalability. From this base, my approach is to provide our clients access to the STRAIT lineup of professionals that can help them manage the essential business and operational aspects of their company. I am excited to be part of the STRAIT team," said James. About STRAIT Dallas-based STRAIT is a financial services firm providing private financial oversight, fund administration, and regulatory compliance for private equity funds, hedge funds, family offices, fund of funds, SPVs, and other investment vehicles. Founded in 2006, STRAIT oversees nearly $20 Billion in assets, making the firm one of the largest minority-owned and female-led fund administration practices that is SOC I Type II certified (as audited by Grant Thornton LLP). For more information, visit www.straitcapital.com or contact us at [email protected]. SOURCE STRAIT Related Links http://www.straitcapital.com Prashant Kishor in viral video: With or without Modi, BJP will be centre of Indian polity for decades Vaccinating 80% people in poll-bound states only safe way to hold elections: Prashant Kishor 'Try implementing CAA, NRC in your chronology': Prashant Kishor to Amit Shah India oi-Deepika S Patna, Jan 22: Janata Dal (United) Vice President Prashant Kishor has challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to "try and implement" the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC). "Being dismissive of citizens' dissent couldn't be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you don't care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why don't you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation!" Kishor tweeted in reference to the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Kishor's comment comes a day after Shah at a rally in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh said that CAA will not be withdrawn, no matter who protests. On January 21, Shah said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyone's citizenship away. "A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamool Congress," he said. Prashant Kishor pens thank-you note to Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra "The CAA is a law to grant citizenship," he added. SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News "I want to say that no matter who protests, this (CAA) will not be withdrawn," he added. Shah also attacked opposition leaders for "misleading" people on CAA. Kishor, who is also a well-known political strategist, has been a vocal critic of CAA and pan-India NRC. According to the amended citizenship law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and faced religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants will be eligible for Indian citizenship. The law excludes Muslims. Those opposing the amended law say it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA, when combined with the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC), is intended to target India's Muslim community. JD(U) should fight more seats than BJP in 2020 assembly polls: Prashant Kishor However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to persecuted people from the three neighbouring countries and not take away citizenship from anyone. A mother-of-four who died from a brain hemorrhage just days after giving birth fulfilled her final wish by saving 12 lives through organ donation. Kathleen Thorson, from Medford, Oregon, delivered her fourth child, a son named Theodore, on December 29. But five days later, she was rushed into the emergency room after suffering a severe brain bleed, according to a GoFundMe page. Despite several surgeries, she couldn't be saved and was declared brain dead. But the family turned the tragedy into a blessing for a dozen others after Thorson, who was a registered organ donor, donated an unheard of 12 organs, including her heart and her lungs, to those in need. Kathleen Thorson, from Medford, Oregon, gave birth to her fourth child on December 29. Pictured, left to right: son Danny, son James, Thorson, son Theodore, daughter Grace and husband Jesse after Theodore was born Five days later, Thorson was rushed into emergency surgery after suffering an intracerebral hemorrhage. The severe brain bleeds are common in pregnant women and are highest during the third trimester and early postpartum period. Pictured: Thorson with her husband, left; and with her three eldest children, right 'Kathleen's condition deteriorated to a point that she could no longer survive,' wrote Richard Stubbs, who organized the GoFundMe. 'As was her wish, we are doing everything we can for her to be the prayed-for miracle of life for certain others in need of organ donations.' An intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious condition in which the brain tissue itself begins bleeding. The most common cause is high blood pressure but others include head trauma, use of blood thinners or the spontaneous rupture of a blood vessel. Signs of an ICH - tingling or weakness one one side of the body, severe headaches, loss of balance and slurring - aren't always obvious. About one in 100 women experience postpartum hemorrhaging, and it's more likely to occur after a Cesarean section, according to Stanford Children's Health. A 2019 study by the American Academy of Neurology found that the risk for ICH in pregnant women is highest during the third trimester and early postpartum period. It's currently unclear what caused Thorson to suffer the hemorrhage or what symptoms she experienced. Once it was determine she couldn't be saved, doctors approached the subject of organ donation with the family because Thorson was a registered donor. 'The nurse told Jesse the chances that someone is a candidate of this magnitude is less than [one] in a million,' Stubbs wrote on the GoFundMe page. 'But anyone who knew Kathleen already knew that.' Despite several surgeries, doctors told her family she was brain dead and couldn't be saved. Pictured, left to right: son James, daughter Grace, son Danny and Thorson Thorson was a registered organ donor and donated 12 organs, including her heart and lungs, to patients in need. Pictured: Thorson with Theodore shortly after he was born The incedible story reached actress Kristen Bell, who runs a line of baby products called HelloBello. Bell featured one of the family's photos on her Instagram page and awarded the Thorsons a supply of wipes and diapers for a year. 'Jesse - our thoughts are with your family during this unimaginably difficult time. Sending peace and love your way,' Bell wrote in a post. A GoFundMe page has been started to help cover the cost of medical bills, funeral expenses and lost wages. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than $111,000 has been raised out of an initial $95,000 goal. Hearst Connecticut Media / NEW HAVEN Paola Acosta, the first-term Ward 14 alder who was inaugurated on Jan. 1, apparently is not vacating her seat. The decision hasnt been made, she said Wednesday, adding that she would decide by Friday. About an hour later, the press was notified she would be sworn in on Friday. [The stream is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump is scheduled to resume on Wednesday as Democratic House managers begin laying out their case for the president's conviction and removal from office. The opening arguments follow a day of proceedings on the floor. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday rebuffed Democrats' pleas to guarantee new witnesses, setting rules that initially gave each side 24 hours over two days to present their arguments in the trial. Democrats won two key changes to the rules with the help of moderate Republicans, though their other proposed amendments were shot down. The changes will permit each side to make their arguments over three days, instead of two, as McConnell had proposed. The changes will also automatically admit into evidence the entire record of the House impeachment probe into Trump last fall. The rules do not guarantee witnesses, but Senators can still vote during the trial to admit them. The House impeachment inquiry was triggered by Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In the call, Trump pressed his counterpart to announce an investigation into Democratic rivals while withholding congressionally approved military aid. A top government watchdog said last week that the Trump administration broke the law by withholding that military aid to Ukraine last summer "for a policy reason." The report from the Government Accountability Office came a day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi authorized the transmission of the articles of impeachment to the Senate after a monthlong delay. Trump was formally impeached by the House on Dec. 18 on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys exports of chemical products to Iran increased by 13.37 percent in 2019, compared to 2018, and amounted to over $532.1 million, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Trade Ministry. Turkeys export of chemical products to Iran increased by 8.92 percent In December 2019, compared to December 2018, and exceeded $49.8 million. Export of chemical products from Turkey increased by 18.06 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, amounting to just over $26 billion or to 11.4 percent of the countrys total exports. Turkeys exports of chemical products increased by 20.5 percent in December 2019 compared to the same month of 2018, reaching $1.8 billion or to 11.8 percent countrys total export. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Congratulations, qatarbike.com got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Qatarbike.com scored 63 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 5 Mar 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. qatarbike.com is very popular in Facebook. It is liked by 87 people on Facebook, it has 1 twitter shares and it has 1 google+ shares. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the qatarbike homepage on Twitter + the total number of qatarbike followers (if qatarbike has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the qatarbike homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the qatarbike homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if qatarbike has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the qatarbike homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the qatarbike homepage on StumbleUpon. Basic Information PAGE TITLE QATARBIKE DESCRIPTION , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , KEYWORDS , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , OTHER KEYWORDS read more, am , qatarbike, motogp, qatarbike, qatarbike update, qatarbike update The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Arabic (Qatar) WINDOWS-1256Arabic (Qatar) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache (PHP/5.2.17) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Operative System running on the server. The language of qatarbike.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for qatarbike.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Im waiting to see whats going on in Oakbrook Terrace, Lalmalani said Tuesday. I plan to meet and talk with the new mayor when that gets settled and might reach out to IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation). I will try to put gentle pressure on, but I am focused on ensuring the cameras come down. PechaKucha (PK; pron: Peh-cha Koo-cha, ---) invites global citizens around the world to participate in its inaugural International PechaKucha Day, a day when thousands of participants will join in storytelling events across the globe on February 20. Participants will create PK presentations or watch one -- around the world from Tokyo to Geneva to Orlando, and more. A PK presentation is simple: 20 images X 20 seconds-of-talk-per-image format. #ipk2020 is one day only, with hundreds of global events producing thousands of 400-second presentations. International PechaKucha Day 2020 is garnering buzz -- from a variety of public events, school, and business events. Its exciting and unprecedented to have so many global participants during one 24-hour period of time, says Sean Smyth, CEO, and Co-Founder of PechaKucha. We see first hand how PechaKucha is becoming a fan-favorite show and tell presentation platform. Since its inception in 2003 in Tokyo by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, PechaKuchas community has grown tremendously. In 2019 alone, more than 50,000 people attended over 1,200 PK Nights in cities across 137 countries, watching thousands of presentations. Over 100,000 people use the pechakucha.com website and app every month to post their own PK presentation or watch 16,000+ previously-recorded PKs. Tokyo, PechaKuchas headquartered city, will be home to various #ipk2020 celebrations, including an internal office PK presentation at HQ, a lunchtime working session at a school to teach kids how to create and give a PechaKucha, an afternoon public and community workshop on PK, and a nighttime public PechaKucha Night event -- Tokyo Vol. 169 at Core Kitchen Space. Anyone can celebrate International PechaKucha Day on February 20 by: Attending a PK Night event -- from Aalen (Germany), Appleton (US), London (UK), Townsville (Australia), and more. Creating your own PK presentation for the world to see via the PechaKucha website Host a private PK Event in your business/office, or classroom Watch any of the 16,000 PechaKucha presentations at pechakucha.com -- and get inspired Follow International PK Day happenings on February 20 with the hashtag #ipk2020 About PechaKucha: PechaKucha is a fast-growing storytelling platform used by millions of people across the globe. Today, PechaKucha Nights are held in more than 1,200 cities in 137 countries. Schools, businesses and government agencies worldwide license PechaKuchas 20 images x 20 seconds brand format to easily and quickly share information and present concepts. PechaKucha, which means chit chat in Japanese, is based in Chicago and Tokyo. Visit http://www.pechakucha.com to gain inspiration from 16,000+ PechaKucha stories. The Florence Project can provide some basic legal help while an asylum seeker is in Arizona, but virtually none if their case unfolds in El Paso, Miller said. The pro bono attorneys in El Paso have been pretty overwhelmed for months as thousands of asylum seekers were returned to Ciudad Juarez, Guerra said. The confusion for asylum seekers often involves their expectations for their first hearing, Guerra said. Asylum seekers in El Paso often bring news clippings, police reports, medical records and declarations from family members explaining the reason the asylum seeker fled, Guerra said. Those documents must be translated into English by a certified interpreter and copies must be made for the judge and the governments lawyer. Many individuals think that first court hearing is going to be where their case is won or lost, so they try to bring those documents with them and they arent allowed to turn them in and they get frustrated, Guerra said. Instead, those hearings often are pretty quick and include an immigration judge telling the asylum seeker about their rights, scheduling their next court hearing, and giving them a list of pro bono attorneys. ANN ARBOR, MI Tensions over weekly anti-Israel protests outside an Ann Arbor synagogue and what some view as anti-Semitic hate speech reached a new level Tuesday night, with bickering between City Council members. At one point during a tense discussion at the Jan. 21 meeting, Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, walked out in frustration, saying, Tell me when you want to work on whats on the agenda. Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, had just criticized him for accepting a $25 campaign donation in 2018 from Henry Herskovitz, who has led weekly protests outside the Beth Israel Congregation on Washtenaw Avenue for over 16 years. Herskovitz spoke out at the meeting, taking issue with Council Member Zachary Ackerman calling him an anti-Semite at the councils last meeting. Herskovitz, who maintains hes standing up for Palestinians being oppressed and killed by Israel, said Ackerman, D-3rd Ward, hasnt countered any of his arguments. Did he counter the claim that most Jewish holidays portray Jews as victims in an alleged hostile world? Again, no, he said. What he did do is call me a racist. Herskovitz leads protests with signs carrying messages such as Resist Jewish Power, Jewish Power Corrupts, No More Holocaust Movies, Boycott Israel, Stop U.S. Aid to Israel and End the Palestinian holocaust. Ackerman, who is Jewish and grew up in the congregation Herskovitz has targeted, publicly responded Tuesday night. I think were fortunate to live in a community with an exceptionally big heart, and I think there are a lot of people who see what happens in Palestine and come to their protest from a good place and come to it honestly, he said. Unfortunately, there are other people like Mr. Herskovitz. Herskovitz is part of a group that was labeled by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2017 as a Holocaust-denying hate group, Ackerman noted. Herskovitz, who has described his group as Holocaust revisionists, considers the label unfair. Its important you know that people like Mr. Herskovitz live in our community, Ackerman told residents in the audience. And as we live in a world and an age of hate and a lot of isms that we wish didnt exist here in the United States, theyre alive and well and among us. Grand, who is also Jewish, joined Ackerman in responding, accusing Herskovitz of spreading hate and trying to intimidate people at their place of worship. Referring to Herskovitzs friendly relationship with a pro-Israel counter-protester, which Council Member Kathy Griswold mentioned, Grand said one nice action doesnt make up for a multitude of really vile actions. As Grand said she hated giving the issue more attention, anti-Israel demonstrator Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, who plans to run for council this year, stood up and yelled, Israel is murdering thousands of Palestinians! Mayor Christopher Taylor banged his gavel in attempt to restore order as Savabieasfahani spoke out. Maam, please be quiet, Taylor said. After the commotion, Grand continued, saying, Here I was trying to speak, and we see that again theres actions that are taken to intimidate. Grand accused Herskovitz of trying to portray Jews as weak. She said shes not scared of him. You can come and you can spew your hate, and well keep telling you that youre a loathsome individual and that were not happy that youre here, she said. Ramlawi took issue at that point. Can I have a call to order? I mean, this is getting ridiculous, he said. Ive been sitting here patiently listening to this. We do not need the spew to come from this body. Council Member Jeff Hayner, D-1st Ward, seconded the call to order, while saying he supports free speech. Hayner noted civil rights activist Angela Davis discussed Israel when she spoke at the University of Michigan on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 20. Davis advocated saying no to anti-Semitism and at the same time recognizing the deeply racist policies of the state of Israel," and encouraged those in attendance to work together at the local level to affect global change. Its not outrageous for people who are trying to do that to speak at council, Hayner said. Ramlawi, who is of Palestinian descent, said hes been holding back his own personal opinions, as hes heard from residents its not an issue the city should take up. And I think this body should be held to a higher level where we should be able to take attacks and move on and discuss the business that this city has elected us to discuss, he said. Council members should not be attacking residents in the audience, Ramlawi added, calling Ackerman and Grands remarks a very troubling direction that were going in. Grand defended her decision to speak out, saying city leaders should occasionally call out hate when they see it. I want to get to the business of our work, too. I really do, Grand said. But at the same time, Im not going to be attacked by my colleagues for my behavior in calling out hate. In the past, when hateful comments were made and someone on council was attacked, Grand said, other council members stood up or certainly didnt take steps to defend it. What Ive heard in the last couple weeks at the table is upsetting to me, she said. And its personal because we are hearing remarks that are clearly anti-Semitic, at a time in our country when were seeing increasing attacks on Jews for being Jews. Savabieasfahani interjected again. As you bicker about these things, theyre murdering Palestinian children! she yelled at council, causing the mayor to once again call for order. Thats when Grand, without mentioning Ramlawi by name, criticized his acceptance of a campaign donation from Herskovitz, causing Ramlawi to leave in frustration and return a short while later. Ramlawi, who has faced criticism from some community members for accepting money from Herskovitz, has said he doesn't necessarily agree with Herskovitzs views or tactics, but Herskovitz is a 5th Ward resident and he has a right to participate in the democratic process. As for exercising the right to protest Israel, thats perfectly legitimate, Ackerman said, but targeting a local synagogue for over 16 years is upsetting. And I hope that if it were a black church or a mosque that was picketed for 16 years, all of us would stand up and say something, Ackerman said. At least you can go to worship, Ramlawi responded, telling Ackerman there are Muslims who cant get into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Taylor ended the discussion by saying he thinks the synagogue protests are a local issue because they deeply impact community members. I believe that those protests are improper, he said. I believe that the protests at a house of worship are inconsistent with the values of Ann Arbor and I believe that they should end. The protests are now the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by a member of the congregation. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Ann Arbor delays seeking Superfund cleanup of Gelman plume in 8-2 vote Bitter conflict breeds unlikely friendships in Ann Arbor synagogue protests Luckys Market closing in Ann Arbor, Traverse City store remains open Arborland sign is back up and glowing after renovations How to apply for the open Ann Arbor Public Schools board seat Surgeons at Houston Methodist Hospital are stemming the tide of addiction to prescription opioids by managing patients' pain after surgery. By using long-acting local anesthetics at the site of surgery and scheduled non-narcotic pain medicine, they decreased opioid prescriptions from 87% to 10% after surgery. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people die every day from opioid overdosing, and a portion of these deaths may be due to the availability of opioids after elective surgery. Up to 10% of patients develop addictions after taking opioids following elective surgery. In a Jan. 22 paper in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Houston Methodist surgeons and researchers showed that using a pre-emptive pain management program reduced their need for narcotics prescriptions. The six-year retrospective study (2012-2018) evaluated more than 400 Houston Methodist patients. "Just a decade ago we routinely prescribed narcotics to treat pain at home after surgery." said Min Kim, M.D., corresponding author and head of the division of thoracic surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. "With the current opioid epidemic, we wanted to determine if we could manage pain at home after surgery with over-the-counter pain medication. We developed and implemented the pre-emptive pain control program, which led to excellent pain control at home without requiring prescription narcotics." The study included patients undergoing minimally invasive esophageal and GI-related procedures, such as hiatal hernia repair, reflux surgery and achalasia surgery: Enhanced recovery after surgery with pre-emptive pain management group - Patients and surgeons discussed enhanced patient education about managing pain with scheduled over-the-counter pain medication pre-emptively. Long-acting local anesthetics were also placed at each incision, and patients maintained scheduled doses of non-narcotic pain medication in the hospital and at home (e.g., Tylenol). Approximately 9.6% of these patients went home with opioid prescriptions, and this group had the lowest post-operative complications at 3.2%. Control group - This group was prior to the adoption of pre- or post-surgical pain management and had the most post-operative complications (15.1%), where 87% were discharged with opioid prescriptions. "This study provides us with a strategy to successfully manage pain after surgery using over-the-counter pain medication. This led to fewer narcotic prescriptions which proactively decreases the chance of patients becoming addicted to narcotics," Kim said. Houston Methodist Hospital will next look at the impact of the pre-emptive pain management program in pulmonary surgery patients. ### Other Houston Methodist collaborators on the paper were Carla Godoy, Duc T. Nguyen, M.D., Ph.D., Leonora M. Meisenbach, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, Ray Chihara, M.D., Ph.D., Edward Y. Chan, M.D., FACS, and Edward A. Graviss, Ph.D., MPH, FIDSA. To speak with Min Kim, M.D., contact Gale Smith, Houston Methodist, at 281.627.0439 or gsmith@houstonmethodist.org. For more information about Houston Methodist, visit houstonmethodist.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. For more information: Pre-emptive pain management program is associated with reduction of opioid prescriptions after benign minimally invasive foregut surgery. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.06.056 (Print Jan. 22, 2020). C. Godoy, D.T. Nguyen, L.M. Meisenbach, R. Chihara, E.Y. Chan, E.A. Graviss, M.P. Kim. Replying to a query filed under the Right To Information, the Ministry of Home Affairs held by Amit Shah, admitted that there is no information concerning tukde-tukde gang." In a tweet, activist Saket Gokhale has attached the response of the home ministry to his query, filed last month. His post read, "The 'tukde tukde gang' does not officially exist & is merely a figment of Amit Shah's imagination". PEOPLE - IT'S OFFICIAL The Home Ministry has responded to my RTI saying: "Ministry of Home Affairs has no information concerning tukde-tukde gang." Maanyavar is a liar. The "tukde tukde gang" does not officially exist & is merely a figment of Amit Shah's imagination. pic.twitter.com/yaUGjrqI4f Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) January 20, 2020 It took 15 mins & 10 rupees to nail the lies of Home Minister Amit Shah on the reprehensible term tukde tukde gang. I did nothing exceptional - merely used the law/system thats available to us all. The point? The system, as broken as it is, can be pushed to work. (1/2) Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) January 21, 2020 It is learnt from the Home Ministry sources that 'Tukde Tukde Gang' term was never mentioned in any report so far shared by the Intelligence Bureau and any other agencies. However, they raised suspicion over the RTI application. bccl However, the RTI reply has made it clear that their no information on the term. Many took to Twitter to express displeasure over right-wings use of the term. Modi sought help of Zakir naik an wanted by NIA in terror case If time comes he my seek help of Hafiz sayeed, al Qaeda, Taliban, or even ISIS... That's Sanghi character It's in their DNA BJP is real tukde tukde gang Make no mistakes soutweets (@soutweets) January 12, 2020 Repeat a lie often enough and make it the truth, Mr. Shah- caught out this time though! Ministry of Home Affairs has no information concerning tukde-tukde gang- reply to RTI application seeking official definition of phrase and whether SOPs had been drawn up to identify gang Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) January 21, 2020 Tukde tukde gang us an imaginary creation Just like modiji's degree in entire political science!! Dr. Uzma Razvi (@sane_indian) January 20, 2020 Over the last few years, the BJP and its leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have been using the term tukde-tukde gang to attack the Left-backed groups and their supporters. The term 'Tukde Tukde Gang' was used moments after the February 9, 2016 controversy over a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) agitation allegedly triggered by some left-leaned varsity students gathered to commemorate the hanging of Afzal Guru, who was sentenced to death for his involvement in December 13, 2001 Parliament attack. bccl A sedition case was filed against Kanhaiya Kumar, then chief of its student union, which had organised the event. Over the last years, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also used the term multiple times. "I want to say that it's time to punish the tukde-tukde gang led by the Congress. They are to be blame for the violence in the city. People in Delhi should punish them," he said at an event in Delhi last month, referring to those protesting against the contentious citizenship law. Many on social media use the term against JNU students and whoever questions the government. A Dubai initiative to boost South-South trade was launched on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The World Logistics Passport (WLP) was inaugurated in the presence of government leaders and heads of major corporations from Asia, Latin America and Africa, according to a statement released by the Government of Dubai Media Office. The WLP links the Customs World, the DP World and the Emirates Group to enhance connectivity through Dubai and through expertise sharing and process development directly between partner countries, it said. A pilot project operational since July 2019 has already increased trade by participants by 10 per cent, the statement said. The World Logistics Passport has been designed to overcome non-tariff trade barriers such as logistics inefficiency that currently limit the growth of trade between developing markets. South-South trade is worth an estimated USD 4.28 trillion annually, more than half of total developing countries' exports in 2018, according to the WTO. However, many countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa have much smaller market shares in key export products in each other's markets compared to their shares in developed countries, indicating the potential for further substantial growth, boosting prosperity. Designed as a points loyalty scheme, the initiative has been set up to incentivise companies and traders to use Dubai's world-leading logistics facilities in return for cost and time savings and enhanced customs clearances. Not only will this increase the ease of moving goods in Dubai, it will also foster more optimal direct trade routes between Latin America, Africa and Asia. Globally, the World Logistics Passport will enable partner countries to leverage the expertise of Dubai's institutions, such as DP World's existing global logistics network of ports and economic parks, Emirates Group's worldwide Dnata and SkyCargo network, and Dubai's expertise in Customs and trade governance. As a result, these partner countries will be able to improve their own processes and capability to improve security, transparency and ease of moving goods, thus transforming them into global trade hubs. Attending the WEF, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: "Through this strategy, we will offer many privileges and services that will help connect international markets by mobilising Dubai's resources and infrastructure." Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy of the UAE, said that these efforts are aimed at improving quality of service and attracting a higher share of international trade at a time when Dubai is preparing to host Expo 2020. "The World Logistics Passport marks the beginning of the implementation of the Dubai Silk Road strategy that will lead to a new phase of economic growth. We aim to further boost Dubai's position as a global economic and business hub, powered by our exceptional connectivity and logistics," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Interpol has issued a blue corner notice against self-styled godman accused of rape and kidnapping Swami Nityanand on the appeal of the Gujarat Police. The notice is to locate identify or gather information of the accused Hindu godman. Last year, Nithyananda had reportedly set up his own country 'Kailaasa' even as government agencies continue to search for him in India. He is at large since last year. He was last seen in a video claiming that he is Lord Shiva and no court can even touch him. Nityananda bought an Island and formed his own Hindu country called Kailasha, located near Ecuador, near Trinidad and Tobago, as mentioned on his website. The website - kailaasa.org - heaps praises on Nithyananda. It even has its own wikipedia page called Nithyanandapedia which mentions, "Nithyanandapedia is an effort to capture all the knowledge and expressions shared by His Divine Holiness Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam - to have a one-stop shop combining all His teachings in form of videos, audio, text, books, etc - combined with photographs that try and capture all the services He has offered and continues to offer to the world." The official languages followed in Kailaasa are English, Sanskrit and Tamil. It claims to have a population of 100 million Adi Shaivites; two billion practicing Hindus. It also claims it has 56 original Vedic nations in South Asia as well as a global Hindu Diaspora. Kailaasa has its own passport and flag. Apparently, a passport will be issued, 'by the grace of Paramashiva, the holder of this passport is allowed free entry in all eleven dimensions and fourteen lokas, including Kailaasa.' The website boasts of Kailasaa having it's own cabinet, which includes Department of Health, Department of State, Department of Technology, Department of Enlightened Civilization, Department of Education, Department of Human Services, Department of Housing, Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury. The national flower of Kailaasa is lotus. In 2010, Sun TV broadcast a sex tape of Nithyananda and two others including actress Ranjitha, who was one of his followers; the tape was subsequently shared by many top-tier television channels. He has been accused of raping a disciple over a nearly five-year period, during her stay in the ashram. In June 2018, a Karnataka trial court framed charges against Nithyananda. He faces trial under Sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 420 (cheating), 114 (criminal abetment), 201 (disappearance of evidence, giving false information), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and other charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Maria Bailey, pictured last May, has said she will not stand in the election (PA) Former Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey has confirmed she will not be standing in the election. The former Dun Laoghaire representative confirmed in a letter she published on social media on Wednesday that with great sadness, she would not run again. Ms Bailey was at the centre of a scandal last year when it emerged she had taken legal action against Dublins Dean Hotel after she fell off a swing in its cocktail bar. The action, which was initiated in 2015 before she was elected a TD for Fine Gael in Dun Laoghaire claimed she suffered painful injuries which left her unable to run properly. When the case first emerged, Ms Bailey faced heavy criticism as her own party were said to be cracking down on the insurance industry in a bid to tackle high premiums Irish businesses were suffering due to alleged fraudulent claims. It was also found Ms Bailey had run a 10km weeks after the incident, despite her claim she had been left severely injured. An internal review was ordered by the Taoiseach to investigate the circumstances of the claim, conducted by David Kennedy SC, amid further reports that fellow TD and solicitor Joespha Madigan had given legal support to Ms Bailey. She was removed from her position as chair of the Oireachtas Housing Committee, however the Taoiseach did not remove the whip from Ms Bailey due to the devastating effect this saga has had on her and her family. Ms Bailey was later removed from the party election ticket after being deselected based on a motion by Fine Gael members in her constituency asking for an urgent review of the areas possible general election candidates. There had been speculation Ms Bailey would run as an independent candidate. The past number of months have been difficult for me both publicly and privatelyMaria Bailey On Fine Gael branded paperwork, Ms Bailey said that after 16 years as a representative, she would not contest the election. This is a role I have been truly passionate, proud and humbled by, she wrote. Both myself and my late father John Bailey enjoyed working for the people of Dun Laoghaire and it was a privilege to be their voice and their representative. The past number of months have been difficult for me both publicly and privately and there are a number of people I would like to thank for their kindness and support. Ms Bailey went on to thank her office staff, whom she says never wavered in their support, the staff of the Oireachtas and the county council, and her colleagues of all parties for their unfailing courtesy throughout, her constituents and her family. Iraq activist shot dead as anti-regime protesters block roads Basra, Iraq, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 An anti-government activist was killed in Iraq's south by unidentified gunmen, amid a resurgence of rallies and road closures by protesters pressing authorities to implement long-awaited reforms. The youth-dominated movement is desperately trying to maintain momentum in the face of spiralling US-Iran tensions and a rival anti-American rally planned for Friday. But as they escalate their demonstrations, they have also faced a new wave of violence. Late Tuesday night, a female activist was killed by unidentified assailants as she was returning home from protests in the oil-rich port city of Basra. "Civil society activist Janat Madhi, 49, was shot on Tuesday night around 11:00pm (2000 GMT) by armed men in an SUV," a police source said, adding that five people including at least one other activist were wounded. A source at the city's forensics lab confirmed to AFP that Madhi suffered gunshot wounds. Activists have for months complained of an intensifying campaign of kidnappings and killings that they say is meant to scare them into halting protests. They are also worried about tensions with a competing rally this Friday organised by populist cleric Moqtada Sadr that will call for the 5,200 US troops deployed in Iraq to leave. To simultaneously head off that protest and ramp up pressure on authorities, demonstrators this week launched sit-ins in new areas and shut roads with burning tyres. - 'Wreaked havoc on Iraq' - Their main demands include early elections under a new voting law, an independent premier and accountability for corruption and killings of protesters. More than 460 protesters have been killed since the rallies first erupted in October, fuelled by anger over graft and a lack of jobs that ballooned into demands for systemic reform. On Monday, three protesters were killed in clashes with security forces in Baghdad and another demonstrator died on Tuesday after a tear gas canister punctured his skull. Rights groups accuse security forces of improperly using military-grade gas canisters -- up to 10 times heavier than those designed for use against civilians -- by firing them directly at crowds rather than into the air. Demonstrators are outraged that only a handful of security force personnel have been charged with excessive violence and no perpetrators of hit-and-run attacks have been pursued, whereas protesters have been swiftly arrested for shutting down streets. Blocking roads has been a key tactic this week, with protesters cutting streets and national highways around the capital on Wednesday. Under a winter drizzle, they erected metal barricades to block the Mohammad al-Qasim thoroughfare which cuts through eastern Baghdad. Protesters wore plastic ponchos to protect against the rain, balaclavas so they could not be identified by security forces and brightly-coloured party hats to lighten the mood. Roads were cut and government offices closed across the Shiite-majority south too, including the holy city of Najaf and the cities of Al-Hillah and Diwaniyah. In the protest flashpoint of Nasiriyah, burning tyres and a sit-in blocked highways leading into the city for the third straight day. "We'll keep shutting roads and getting protesters into the street to keep these important demonstrations going," said Aqil al-Zamili, a 50-year-old activist there. The key demand, Zamili said, was "the end of this ruling class -- which in our view has wreaked havoc on Iraq by formalising sectarian power-sharing." - Oil production hit - The road closures have left hundreds of tankers carrying oil products north towards central Baghdad stranded outside the capital. They also forced a shutdown at the main oil field northwest of Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhi Qar province, a source at the state-owned provincial oil company told AFP. "Production... was halted for the third consecutive day because transport routes leading to the field are cut," the Dhi Qar Oil Company source said. The source said the field produces up to 100,000 barrels per day. Oil-rich Iraq is OPEC's second-biggest crude producer, logging around 3.4 million bpd of exports. But public services are failing, unemployment is high and one in five people live in poverty, according to the World Bank. The current government, in power since late 2018, had pledged to address those issues but it barely served a year before the sweeping protests prompted its head, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, to step down. He submitted his resignation letter to parliament in December but has continued to run the government in a caretaker role. Political factions have failed to agree a successor and protesters have demanded a new premier untainted by prior involvement in the country's politics. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has today stated artificial intelligence (AI) will be essential in humanity's future and could even be used to fight cancer. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the 47-year-old Google chief, who is also the top boss of Alphabet, added AI will be more profound for humanity than fire and electricity. He earmarked healthcare as the specific sector where AI will have the most significant impact. Mr Pichai said today that if used properly, AI will drastically improve outcomes for gravely ill patients over the next five to 10 years. Scroll down for video Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the 47-year-old Google chief , who is also the top boss of Alphabet, added AI will be more profound for humanity than fire and electricity 'When we work with hospitals, the data belongs to the hospitals,' Pichai told a conference panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 'But look at the potential here. Cancer if often missed and the difference in outcome is profound. 'In lung cancer, for example, five experts agree this way and five agree the other way. We know we can use artificial intelligence to make it better,' Pichai added. Google has spent several years developing artificial intelligence to automatically analyse MRI scans and other patient data to identify diseases. It is also capable of making predictions designed to improve outcomes while simultaneously reducing costs. US lawmakers asked the company in November to provide information about other health systems that provide information to Google. Pichai said there was already strong privacy protecting regulations in place that provide a framework for Google to operate. Sundar Pichai (pictured) said today that if used properly, AI will drastically improve outcomes for gravely ill patients over the next five to 10 years. In addition to his comments about artificial intelligence, Mr Pichai also touched on the topic of privacy. He said it can not be viewed as a 'luxury good' and pointed to the European GDPR as a template for other parts of the world to follow. 'Users come to Google at very important moments, ask us questions, we deal with people's sensitive information in Gmail, Google Photos and so on, and so we have to earn their trust,' he said during a session at the World Economic Forum. Speaking earlier this week, Mr Pichai called for international cooperation on regulating artificial intelligence technology to ensure it is harnessed for good. Pichai said 'nefarious' uses of facial recognition and misinformation on the internet, such as deepfakes, are examples of the negative consequences of AI. These are lessons that teach us we need to be clear-eyed about what could go wrong in the development of AI-based technologies, he said. Three Democrats in Alabamas 1st congressional district race gathered for a forum Tuesday in Fairhope ahead of the March 3 primary. The candidates include longtime real estate broker Rick Collins of Mobile, longtime military police and corrections officer James Averhart of Mobile and research specialist and community college professor Kiani Gardner of Spanish Fort. The primary winner will face the winner of the Republican primary featuring five opponents: Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl, state Rep. Chris Pringle, former state Sen. Bill Hightower, restaurant owner Wes Lambert and Army veteran John Castorani. Here are six takeaways from Tuesdays forum: Democratic hopefuls are confident even in a deep red district. Alabamas 1st congressional district hasnt been represented by a Democrat in 57 years. The last one to occupy that seat was Frank Boykin, who died in 1969. But the three congressional hopefuls are confident they can win in November against whoever wins the GOP primary. Collins said he was encouraged by Democrat Robert Kennedys vote total in 2018. Kennedy received nearly 90,000 votes during the general election contest against incumbent Rep. Bradley Byrne, who rolled to an easy win (Byrne received 152,228 votes, or 63% of the total). Collins said that Democrats have to win on the issues. If this is was a Republican debate, theyd be saying that I love Donald Trump, I love him more and I love him even more. We have to win on the issues." Gardner said if shes the nominee, she doesnt anticipate debating her Republican foe. They wont debate. Its not because they dont know policy. I believe no one on the ballot can go toe-to-to with me on policy issues. They will call me a snowflake or a coastal elite or a lib-fill-in-the-blank. Bradley Byrne already called me a radical because I had the unmitigated gall to say tariffs were bad for our port economy. Shocking." Gardner said her goal is to reach voters who typically do not show up to vote during elections. Averhart said consensus building remains important. One person isnt going to go to Capital Hill to change the world, he said. But you can go across the aisle. You cannot go to Capital Hill to create enemies, but you have to go there to establish relationships and communicate. The candidates have varying priorities When asked about their priorities for the office, the candidates listed the following Averhart: criminal justice reform, agriculture and education Gardner: infrastructure, education and health care Collins: term limits for Congress, background checks on all gun sales and emphasizing congressional authority to declare war. Climate change a priority Perhaps the starkest difference between the Republicans and Democrats running in the 1st Congressional race involves climate change. Some of the GOP candidates believe its nothing more than a hoax, while all three Democrats believe its a priority that deserves addressing. Gardner said the biggest challenge is with emission standards, and she advocates for America to be 100% renewable energy" within the next 15 years. We need bold and progressive legislation from the federal government that makes us net emissions neutral, said Gardner, echoing a call by approximately 60 countries in the United Nations who have vowed to reduce carbon emissions by 2050. Finland has said it will aim for carbon neutrality by 2035. The worlds biggest emitters, including the U.S. and China, have made no such vows. Collins said that America has got to be a leader in climate change and (curbing) carbon emissions. He also said the Trump Administrations rolling back of regulations on oil production could be problematic to the Gulf Coast environment. Regarding climate change, Collins said that we need to put the scientists on both sides of the (issue) in the same room and lets get the truth out. Were tired of the spin. Averhart advocates for cleaner air and cleaner water, and he believes that government should support the non-profit entities that advocate on environmental protections. Womens rights elicits strong comments Gardner, the only woman running in the congressional race, said when it comes to womens rights, the issues that generate the most attention often focus on reproductive rights. But she said other issues -- fairness in pay and domestic violence -- warrants more attention. Women are grossly underrepresented in the state and federal (lawmaking bodies), Gardner said. The first thing Im doing to correct this imbalance is Im running. My election is a step toward parity. Averhart applauded Gardners positions and said the issue comes down to transparency and accountability. It starts with fair hiring and fair promotion, said Averhart. Collins said he would support legislation in Congress to make pay more equitable. I-10 project differences Collins and Gardner have slightly different takes on the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project. Collins said he supported the construction of a new road that would bypass Mobile and Baldwin counties altogether, and serve as an alternate route for travelers into Florida. "Look at the alternatives,' he said. No one wants tolls. Gardner said that a bypass route would be alarming for single mothers to get across Mobile Bay. She said the Bayway is the economic lifeblood for this area. She advocated for securing transportation money within climate change legislation and suggested that a newly built Bayway will be needed someday because a powerful hurricane will eventually destroy it. When it comes, the bridge is coming down, she said. Collins said his alternate roadway would not be applicable for local commuters. Diverting traffic around (Mobile) was for people traveling and going into Florida, he said. If youre going east of Pensacola, youd take (the alternate) route. Im not suggesting moms and people between Mobile and Baldwin counties would drive around (and out of the way)." Averhart, meanwhile, advocated for more federal funding for rural road projects and to help support volunteer fire departments. Biographies matter All three candidates -- political novices who are running for the first time -- utilized the forum to introduce themselves to voters. Gardner spoke up about her educational background in earning a doctorate from Duke University, her background as a scientist and working in the community college system makes her the most qualified. She said shes running because shes concerned her two young sons will grow up in a country where democracy will be a history lesson for them. Averhart said his experience in the military and working in military corrections will enable him to best serve. Collins said his calm demeanor and temperament would be a welcomed change in Congress. "Adam Schiff's basement" was back in the impeachment spotlight as senators began a trial that will decide whether Donald Trump becomes the first president to be removed from office. Mr Trump for months mocked what is known officially as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, where House Democrats and Republicans for weeks late last year heard from current and former Trump administration officials about just what the president wanted from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a 25 July phone conversation. Now the world's most famous safe space, the room on the bottom floor of the Capitol Visitors Centre designed to allow administration officials and politicians from both parties to discuss highly classified state secrets was described by the president as the House conducted its probe as a den of shady shenanigans by Mr Schiff and his House Democratic colleagues. White House officials and GOP lawmakers backed him up, describing the room built with funds approved by Democratic and Republican members alike as a "dungeon" and a "basement bunker". White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham last year called Mr Schiff nothing but a "basement blogger". But they all were taking their cues from Mr Trump. The transformation, at least in conservative circles, of a room designed to safeguard America's national security into a hotbed of partisanship and the anti-Trump movement is merely the latest example of how the president has brought his unique brand of slash-and-burn marketing to the Oval Office. White House counsel Pat Cipollone borrowed his client's strategy of trying to use the secure room's basement location to describe it as the perfect space for Democrats to continue trying to kick the New York businessman and former reality television star out of the executive mansion. Mr Cipollone lauded his boss for ordering the release of his 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, saying "how's that for transparency?" (The White House's own document, however, notes it is merely a summary of the call and not a verbatim transcript. Trump and his surrogates continue falsely calling it a transcript.) Then the White House's top lawyer went full Trump, saying Schiff oversaw his part of the Democrats' investigation "in a basement of the House of Representatives". "The president was forbidden from attending. The president was not allowed to have a lawyer present," Mr Cipollone said on the Senate floor. "In every other impeachment proceeding, the president has been given minimal due process. Nothing here. Not even Mr Schiff's Republican colleagues were allowed into the SCIF." With the latter statement, Mr Cipollone echoed his client in another way: He uttered a false statement. The Washington Post's Fact Checker staff concluded Mr Trump uttered or tweeted 16,241 false or misleading statements during the first three years of his term. Transcripts of those Intelligence Committee closed-door sessions with current and former Trump administration officials as well as hours of video footage showing them entering show some House Republicans did join Mr Schiff in the secure basement room. Huh Yoon-hong, president of New Business of GS E&C takes picture with Jacek Siwicki, the president of Enterprise Investors, after the signing ceremony for the acquisition of Danwood held at Danwood headquarters in Poland, Monday, local time./ Courtesy of GS Engineering & Construction. By Jung Hae-myoung GS Engineering & Construction is aggressively targeting global construction market by acquiring three prefabrication companies in the U.S. and in Europe. Huh Yoon-hong, the president of new business at GS E&C, signed a contract for the acquisition of Danwood at Danwood S.A. headquarters located in Biaystok, Poland, Jan. 21. The ceremony was participated in by Jacek Siwicki, the president of Enterprise Investor, and Jaroslaw Jurak, CEO of Danwood. The acquisition cost for Danwood is 180 billion won. On Jan. 16, GS E&C also took over Elements Europe Ltd., a company based in England specialized in prefabricated modular buildings, and is planning to take over another in the U.S. for which a contract will be signed next month. According to GS E&C, prefabrication companies sprung up in developed countries where manpower is limited and wages are high, but the market is also getting big in Korea, with its aging population and decreasing workforce. "Although transportation difficulties and different system made it difficult for the company to enter the global market, we plan to become proactive in targeting markets in Europe and the U.S. through these acquisitions," a GS official said. Danwood is a Polish company specialized in manufacturing timber frame houses and is fourth in modular house sales in Germany. Its main strength is cost competitiveness through automation and owning 150 different kinds of patented design blueprints. With the main market based in Germany, the U.K, Austria and Switzerland, the company will expand to Scandinavia including Sweden and Norway. Elements Europe Ltd, is a company that built various buildings in England using prefabrication and the core preceding method. According to GS E&C, the U.S. company that it will join hands with, is also specialized in prefabricated steel frames and construction through building information modeling. It is currently based around the East Coast and is building a skyscraper hotel in New York. "GS Engineering & Construction has made a strong base for its next step through change and innovation in the midst of fast changing business operating environment," President Huh said. "Through synergy between the acquired companies, we will try to enhance our position in the global prefabrication market." One person was detained by security agencies in connection with a case involving suspended Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Davinder Singh, who was caught ferrying militants, officials said here on Wednesday. Irfan Mushtaq is kin of a militant arrested along with Singh and is being questioned by a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and is likely to be arrested, they said. The NIA, which took over the investigations into the case last weekend, brought all the four -- Singh, so-called commander of banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror group Naveed Mushtaq alias Baba, his accomplice Asif and Irfan Mir -- here on a transit remand. They would be produced before a designated court on Thursday. All the four were arrested on January 18 near Qazigund on Jammu Srinagar national highway when the militants were being ferried to Jammu with a possible destination to Chandigarh to escape the winter chill in the Kashmir valley. Singh was subsequently suspended. Raids at his residence led to recovery of two pistols, one AK rifle and lot of ammunition. The NIA, after registering the case, sent a high-powered team to question Singh and others, who were lodged at Kulgam police station in South Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A New Hampshire man fought and killed a coyote on Monday, police said, bringing a spate of attacks to an end. Related: Writers and scientists celebrate UK's 67 most endangered birds Ian OReilly, from Kensington, choked the coyote to death after it attacked his two-year-old child. The same coyote is believed to have bitten a woman in the buttocks earlier in the day, and attacked a car. The coyote targeted OReillys family while they were walking on a trail near Kensington. It bit one of OReillys three children, prompting the father to kick it. OReilly then throttled the animal. There was no interest in it going away, OReilly told Boston 25 News. [I] ultimately had to make the decision to become the aggressor and jumped on it, attacked it and [got] it to the ground. When I was able to get on top of it, I put my hand on its snout so it wasnt able to attack me. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground, so I shoved the face into the snow and then eventually was able [to] put my hand on its snout and expire it through suffocation. Ultimately one hand on its windpipe and one hand on its snout did the trick. OReilly was reportedly bitten in the arm and chest. His child was wearing a bulky snowsuit and was unharmed. The coyote attacked a young child, and the childs dad went into protection mode and suffocated the coyote until it succumbed, police said. New Hampshires fish and game department was testing the coyote for rabies, according to 25 News. OReilly received shots for the virus. Related: Runner strangled mountain lion after animal attacked him, officials say Police believe the same coyote earlier attacked a car in the same vicinity, before targeting Kensington resident Pat Lee and her dogs. The coyote bit one of the dogs and bit Lee in the buttocks. Thank God the plumber was here, because the plumber was standing at the door screaming, Get in! Get in! Lee told NBC Boston. The coyote managed to get into Lees home. Story continues I was running behind the dogs to get them in, and just as I was here, literally, the coyote bit me. In the butt. Coyote attacks are rare. According to the Humane Society of the United States, more people are killed by errant golf balls and flying champagne corks each year than are bitten by coyotes. The Kensington police chief, Scott Cain, said OReilly may have saved others from being attacked by the coyote. The chances are it was sick and the pack kicked it out of the pack, Cain said. (Newser) A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert, the AP reports. Charles Chase Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. Their bodies were not found until 2013, when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert. Merritt was arrested the following year. San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith upheld the jury's recommendation of death following a two-day sentencing hearing that included a flurry of last-minute motions from Merritt and his lawyer, who accused prosecutors of misconduct, Merritt's earlier attorneys of incompetence and, on Tuesday, tried to remove the judge himself from the case. All of the motions were denied. story continues below The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStay's mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who continued to maintain his innocence and lashed out at prosecutors he said framed him, some witnesses he accused of lying, and the judge he said allowed it to happen. The victims' family members, meanwhile, dismissed Merritt as, in the words of McStay's mother, Susan Blake, a despicable, evil monster. How could you beat two precious little babies? How scared were they, Chase? Crying for Mommy and Daddy? Chase, you are a low-life baby killer," Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. Prosecutors told jurors Merritt killed the family after learning McStay was cutting him out of his business making and selling custom water fountains. Smith ordered Merritt transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. (Read more murder stories.) Landmark buildings under management include 639 5th Avenue SW, Icon Business Park, University City, The Guardian, Park Point and Parkside at Waterfront, the announcement noted. As a market, Calgarys residential segment is highly likely to even out this year, with stability expected to stem from the stronger performance of the lower-end housing sector. Overall sales activity is projected to grow by 2% annually in 2020, while the benchmark price of a home in Calgary is likely to drop by 0.5% still better than the 3.3% year-over-year decline seen in 2019, but a decline nonetheless. Indeed, with the impact of the mid-2010s petro industry crash still reverberating throughout the province, a slower local market will be the running theme for much of this year. Its not going to be like what we had prior to 2014, CREB chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie stated, as quoted by the Calgary Herald. Were moving into slower, more normal conditions. When you compare it to other markets across the country, were looking a lot more like them. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkeys export of chemical products to China dropped by 20 percent from January through December 2019 compared to the same period of 2018, and amounted to $356.9 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 20. In December 2019, Turkeys export of chemical products to China dropped by 14.6 percent compared to December 2018, and amounted to $24.4 million. Export of chemistry products from Turkey increased by 18 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, amounting to $26 billion or to 11.4 percent of countrys total export. Turkeys export of chemical products increased by 20.5 percent in December 2019 compared to the same month of 2018, reaching $1.8 billion or to 11.8 percent countrys total export. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu [January 22, 2020] OnQ Launches Robotic Process Automation Service for Healthcare OnQ, an industry-leading, healthcare RCM solutions company, is pleased to announce the successful launch of its Robotic Process Automation (RPA) products and services. OnQ's scalable RPA solutions significantly improve quality, create efficiencies, and simplify processes in medical billing. OnQ is leading the way in moving the industry forward by developing and deploying its RPA technology. "We've broken new ground in applying robotic technology to the healthcare billing industry," explains OnQ CEO Jack McBride. "OnQ's scalable RPA is an exciting development that's providing substantial benefits for both our clients and our employees. By automating repetitive tasks, we have greatly increased efficiency and freed up employees for more meaningful work. Our unique position enables us to rapidly develop, deploy, and scale RPA solutions that produce better results at a lower cost than outsourced labor." OnQ has been quick to adopt technologies to benefit its clients. Responding to positive initia automation performance and increased demand from clients, along with continued advancement in automation software, OnQ quickly boosted its development team to 15 and is executing a plan and infrastructure to add 60 more within the next 18 months. To build the new automation platform, OnQ leveraged its expertise in revenue cycle management and its acumen in technology development. OnQ has successfully deployed RPA technology within its core business operations and now offers automation as a stand-alone service complementing call center and BPO. Automated process capabilities include: reading and writing to databases; moving files and folders; scraping relevant data from the web; extracting content from documents; making calculations; and opening emails and attachments. These tasks are being applied to accounts receivable, denial management and payment posting with aggressive plans to continue automating the revenue cycle. "OnQ's new technology has been an excellent addition for our organization," said Karen Thompson, Vice President of RCM for US Radiology Specialists, Inc. "Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has reduced our costs while also improving the quality of our results. OnQ's programming team made the deployment so easy for us. It has been a long time since I have seen a technology implemented this quickly and with such a significant benefit. We're excited to rapidly expand OnQ's BOT technology throughout our revenue cycle process." OnQ's RPA technology has proven to be reliable and scalable; and the initial results have prompted OnQ to continue investing in the technology for the benefit of its existing and future customers, as well as the industry. About OnQ In addition to automation services, OnQ offers global labor outsourcing, a patient services call center and ClearView, a proprietary software that provides clients with real-time insights into their operations. One of the fastest growing companies in the healthcare billing industry, OnQ operates a patient and healthcare billing support services call center at two facilities in Santiago, Panama. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005658/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In recent days, Mexico deports more than 400 illegal migrants Villahermosa, Tabasco The National Institute of Migration (INM) has coordinated a second plane of caravan migrants who were deported from Mexico after a weekend of chaos along the Guatemalan border which, so far, has seen more than 400 deported. Since Friday, thousands of migrants have attempted to enter Mexico. Although National Guard troops were on site to prevent their illegal entry, many migrants became violent which resulted in Mexican National Guard personnel throwing tear gas at aggressors. Amid the chaos, hundreds of Central Americans managed to flee into nearby jungle in Mexican territory. Those found have been taken into custody and held for a plane that saw them deported back to their country of origin. On Tuesday, el Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM) organized a second National Guard plane of 109 Hondurans which left the Carlos Rovirosa Perez International Airport in Villahermosa, Tabasco bound for San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The previous fight saw 219 returned by air with another 144 deported by land. El Instituto Nacional de Migracion says the return is made in agreement with government authorities of Honduras, in strict adherence to respect for human rights and complying with the current immigration rules and procedures. Mexicos Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard reported that at least a thousand Central American migrants agreed to be assisted by the Government of Mexico to return to their home countries after not being able to reach the border with the United States. These two deportation flights from Mexico are the first this year, however, more deportations are expected in the coming days. Representative image Pakistan's leadership has "limited options" to respond to India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir as many analysts view that Islamabad has "little credibility" on the issue given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there, according to a US Congressional report. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its second report on Kashmir in less than six months also said that Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy. CRS is the independent research wing of the US Congress which prepares periodic reports on issues of interest for US lawmakers so that they can take informed decisions inside the Congress. Currently, two resolutions are pending in the House of Representatives, one of which is being sponsored by Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. In its report dated January 13, CRS said that post August 5, Pakistan appeared diplomatically isolated, with Turkey being the only country to offer solid and explicit support for Islamabad's position. Ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories on August 5, evoking strong reactions from Islamabad. Pakistan has been trying to rally international support against India on the issue. However, India has maintained that the move was "entirely an internal matter". The 25-page report said that Pakistan called for a UNSC session and, with China's support, the Council met on August 16 to discuss Kashmir for the first time in more than five decades, albeit in a closed-door session that produced no formal statement. Many analysts view Islamabad as having little credibility on Kashmir, given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there. Pakistan's leadership has limited options to respond to India's actions, and renewed Pakistani support for Kashmiri militancy likely would be costly internationally, it said. Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy, the CRS said. Given also that Pakistan and its primary ally, China, enjoy limited international credibility on human rights issues, Islamabad may stand by and hope that self-inflicted damage caused by New Delhi's own policies in Kashmir and, more recently, on citizenship laws, will harm India's reputation and perhaps undercut its recent diplomatic gains with Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, it said. According to CRS, the long-standing US position on Kashmir is that the issue should be settled through negotiations between India and Pakistan while taking into consideration the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The Trump Administration has called for peace and respect for human rights in the region, but its criticisms have been relatively muted, it noted. With key US diplomatic posts vacant, some observers worry that the US government's capacity to address South Asian instability is thin, and the US President's July offer to mediate on Kashmir may have contributed to the timing of New Delhi's moves, it said. The United States seeks to balance pursuit of a broad US-India partnership while upholding human rights protections, as well as maintaining cooperative relations with Pakistan, the report said. CRS said that following India's August 2019 actions, numerous Members of the US Congress went on record in support of Kashmiri human rights. H.Res. 745, introduced in December and currently with 40 co-sponsors, urges the Indian government to end the restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir, it said. An October hearing on human rights in South Asia held by the House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation included extensive discussion of developments in Jammu and Kashmir. In November, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held an event titled Jammu and Kashmir in Context. US policy, it said, seeks to prevent conflict between India and Pakistan from escalating, and the US Congress supports a US-India strategic partnership that has been underway since 2005, while also maintaining attention on issues of human rights and religious freedom. CRS in its report told lawmakers that over the past decade, Washington appears to have grown closer to India while relations with Pakistan appear to continue to be viewed as clouded by mistrust. The Trump Administration suspended security assistance to Pakistan in 2018 and has significantly reduced non-military aid while simultaneously deepening ties with New Delhi. It views India as a key anchor of its free and open Indo-Pacific strategy, which some argue is aimed at China, it said. Yet any US impulse to tilt toward India is to some extent offset by Islamabad's current, and by most accounts vital, role in facilitating Afghan reconciliation negotiations. President Trump's apparent bonhomie with Pakistan's prime minister and offer to mediate on Kashmir in July was taken by some as a new and potentially unwise strategic shift, it said. There are only a handful of companies in the world that have a reputation and rich heritage like Roush. Roush has been in performance engineering since 1976. The companys founder, Jack Roush, had a drag racing team in the early 70s, so you can be assured of the quality of work on Roush-modded trucks. Roush has been associated with Ford for decades now and has created a lot of trucks for the Blue Oval. Its latest creation is the Roush F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition. The truck is powered by the same Coyote V-8 engine, but in a different power tune and with few more add-ons to make it an absolute beast. Roush brought the truck to the 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas and announced that the production will be limited to merely 150 examples. Talk about exclusivity here! Overview Not that long ago, trucks were the most utilitarian breed of vehicles on this planet. From being barebone cargo-haulers to vehicles with posh cabins, trucks have gone through an evolution. However, fast trucks are still a niche and not many automakers make them. Electrification is bound to change this, but the current crop doesnt have a lot of fast trucks. Of the handful, the Ram Rebel TRX is one engineered to go like a bullet, thanks to the V-8 Hellcat engine under the hood that makes 707 horses. There is news of Ford coming up with the much-awaited V-8 engine for the Raptor as well. But to fulfill our cravings, aftermarket performance companies have been serving us for quite some time now. Roush is one such company that has created a beauty to feature a supercharger and churn out over 600 horses. The Roush F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition, as the name suggests, is equipped with 5.11 Tactical gear amongst a lot of other add-ons. Pretty exciting, right? Exterior Available in Agate Black and Abyss Gray shades Roush-exclusive Grille LED Accent Lighting On The Grille And Fenders Optional 10-inch Rigid SR Pro Series light bars Powerscope Mirrors Roush Logo Puddle Lamps Fantastic 20-inch Wheels Wrapped in 33-inch General Grabber All-Terrain Tires Roush will offer the F-150 Tactical Edition in two different shades; with the black shade being my personal favorite. There are a lot of new parts around the body, but the essence of the F-150 is retained. Up front, the truck features a Roush-exclusive grille that weve seen previously as well. Unlike some gaudy or loud aftermarket grilles, this one actually suits the F-150s persona and goes well with the overall feel of the truck. It is basically a black mesh grille with a plastic strip running from one end to the other with Roush embossed on it. It replaces the Blue Oval badge and there is no sighting of Fords moniker anywhere here. This custom grille comes with integrated accent lighting, which is basically three LED twinkling stars on the top border of the grille. C-shaped lights surrounding this complete how the face looks, and I must say, it is a handsome one. The bumper at the bottom comes with a lot of black plastic elements on it. Theres a lip underneath the bumper for aerodynamic purposes. The bumper retains the square fog lamps and the tow hooks as it is. Moving up, the windshield comes with a ROUSH sticker at the top. Roush is also offering a Baja-inspired chase rack with dual 10-inch Rigid SR Pro Series light bars with 7,920 lumens of output to provide a powerful light source for nighttime excursions as an option for a later date. The side profile is quite attractive as well. The flared wheel arches feature accents lights, similar to the bumper. Roush has installed puddle lamps that display the Roush logo on the ground when the doors are unlocked or the doors are opened. Theres no word on their integration, but it will most likely be in the telescopic wing mirrors or underneath the side skirting. These mirrors can be extended outwards to help you view all the action happening at the back of the truck. Ford has coined them as Powerscope Mirrors and this can be very helpful if you have a trailer hitched at the rear. The F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition rides high off the ground, which has enabled Roush to equip it with fantastic 20-inch wheels with bullet beads. These wheels are wrapped in 33-inch General Grabber A/TX LT305/55R20 all-terrain tires. There are a few decals around the body, such as the Roush branding on the front doors, some grey and white geometrical figures on the side of the truck bed, and a large Roush logo on the front fenders. Thanks to the black theme all around, Roush has thankfully not added any chrome element on the truck! The rear is rather untouched and retains all the F-150 looks as it is. The tailgate gets subtle embossments in the form of the Roush logo on the left side of the tailgate, and 5.11 badging with the Tactical Edition logo on the right-hand-side. The tailgate, otherwise, features the Blue Oval logo in the middle and the F-150 emblazoned in the middle. The F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition will be offered in Agate Black and Abyss Gray shades. Regardless of the color you choose, the truck will come standard with the special graphics package. Interior WeatherTech Floor Liners Tactical Edition Custom Gauge Cluster Serialized Interior Badging An Exclusive 5.11 Tactical Gear Kit There are quite a few special touches on the inside as well. The Roush F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition comes with a custom gauge cluster to remind you of the exclusivity every time you get behind the steering wheel. The seats are wrapped in premium leather with Roush branding and the U.S. flag. Other than this, the truck is equipped with WeatherTech floor liners, a console vault, and serialized interior badging exclusive to the 5.11 Tactical Edition. The Roush F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition also comes with an exclusive 5.11 Tactical Gear kit, which includes: A serialized certificate of authenticity Custom namesake hard case with foam insert holding An LE EMT Multi-Tool Spare ROUSH key fob Custom tactical pen Multi-tool money clip Roush tactical duffle bag 5.11 Tactical branding Range hat U.S. flag patch Drivetrain 5.0-liter, V-8 Coyote engine 2.65-liter Roush Supercharger 650 Horsepower 610 Pound-feet of Torque 10-speed Automatic Transmission Active Cat-Back Performance Exhaust System Fox 2.0 Performance Series Suspension Exhaust Notes Can Be Customized Through a Mobile App Roush has the technical expertise and know-how to turn the simple trucks into monstrous machines; after all, it has been into the performance for over five decades. Ford offers the F-150 in six different guises under the hood, but Roush has picked the 5.0-liter, V-8 Coyote engine as its bunny in here. Of course, the engine has been bumped up with a lot of vital supplements and steroids. In the stock form, this soon-to-be-extinct V-8 engine makes 395 horses and 400 pound-feet of torque. Roush, however, has equipped this truck with a 2.65-liter Roush TVS R2650 Supercharger system that pushes it to the limits. This combination churns out 650 ponies and 610 pound-feet of torque! It retains the same 10-speed automatic transmission, but Roush has not specified if power is sent to the all the wheels or just the rear wheels. For me, the biggest selling point, other than the engine, of course, would be the Active Cat-Back Performance Exhaust System. This system has an electronic valve technology that adds an aggressive note to the engine. It comes with four different modes - touring, sport, off-road, and custom. A dial mounted on the console allows the drivers to switch seamlessly between each of the exhausts open and closed valve positions. In its previous iterations, like the Roush Nitemare, the exhaust system could also be controlled through a mobile app where you can create a customized profile to make the truck sound just like you would want it to. This exhaust system comes with the same compatibility where you can customize the exhaust notes through the Roush Active Exhaust mobile app thats available on iOS only. Roush has also installed a Fox 2.0 Performance Series suspension system that raises the ride height to give the truck an intimidating stance and increasing clearance to accommodate the bigger tires. Pricing With all these add-ons, you dont expect the truck to be an inexpensive affair. If you did, youre highly mistaken. Roush is charging $31,000 for this Tactical Edition package over the cost of the truck. The truck will be based on the Lariat trim only. Ford F-150 Lariat starts at $42,500. So, that effectively prices this at $73,500 without any optional add-ons. Final Thoughts The Roush F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition is built as tough as a rock and will surely find buyers. There are mighty changes in the drivetrain and other mechanicals that send it into a different league altogether when compared to the standard Ford F-150 Lariat. Ford has partnered with many top-tier aftermarket companies like Hennessey and Tuscany, but Roush brings out some steller packages that dont push the cost of the vehicles into the six-figure mark. Although the $31,000 package is expensive, the performance and other stuff you get for the price seems worth it. To top it all, Roush is offering the F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition with a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty. Roush opened the configurator for the truck in December 2019 itself, so spec yours before all the 150 examples are sold. Things got testy in the Senate chamber early Wednesday morning, with Chief Justice John Roberts admonishing both the impeachment managers and President Trump's legal team for their sharp words. It started when Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) argued in support of an amendment seeking to subpoena former National Security Adviser John Bolton. During the House impeachment investigation, Bolton said he would fight a subpoena, but then changed his tune, saying he would testify in the Senate trial if ordered to do so. Nadler said Trump and his allies "are afraid to hear" from Bolton "because they know he knows too much," and "only guilty people try to hide the evidence." Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow loudly responded, banging the podium and accusing Nadler of attempting to "shred the Constitution on the floor of the Senate." White House Counsel Pat Cipollone told Nadler he owed Trump, his family, the Senate, and every American "an apology." When it was once again his turn to speak, Nadler scoffed at the Trump team saying he wasn't being truthful. "President's counsel has no standing to talk about lying," he said. After they were finished, Roberts said he felt it was "appropriate for me to admonish both the house managers and the president's counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body. One reason it has earned that title is because its members avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse." He then brought up a 1905 impeachment trial of a judge, where a manager objected to the term "pettifogging." Roberts said while he doesn't "think we need to aspire to that high a standard ... I think those addressing the Senate should remember where they are." The amendment to subpoena Bolton, like all others before it, was voted down along party lines, 53-47. Pettifogging, by the way, means "placing undue emphasis on petty details." More stories from theweek.com With her proud students watching, Florida teacher becomes a U.S. citizen Several senators left the chamber in the middle of Adam Schiff's impeachment remarks Watch highlights from Day 2 of Trump's impeachment trial, in which Democrats begin their prosecution New York Developers used the 2010s to reshape the New York skyline with soaring condo towers many of which will struggle to sell units well into the next decade. But what began as a period of exuberance for investors ended with a dwindling pool of high-end buyers willing to pay record prices. Apartments are still selling, especially in the resale market, but often at marked down prices. "We think of this decade as this boom of new product never seen before, but that's a distant memory," said Jonathan J. Miller, president of Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants. "The second half was a reckoning with reality." It was also a decade of tremendous change and gentrification for the boroughs beyond Manhattan, where rezoning and the pursuit of cheaper land near public transit spurred new building, much of it too expensive for local residents. At the same time, a dire need for affordable housing continues in the city, where about 79,000 people live in shelters or on the streets. To better understand what awaits in 2020, we explored some of the biggest changes of the last decade in the sales, rental and new development markets. Which neighborhoods received the most new development, experienced the highest rent increases, the highest sales price increases? The building boom made Brooklyn ascendant, with Queens not far behind, and some major residential mixed-use projects are now also underway in the South Bronx. There are already signs of the market and neighborhoods pushing back against the glut of new development and subsequent gentrification. In Manhattan, where the surplus of new luxury condos could take more than six years to sell, there is already a shift toward smaller, relatively less expensive units. Sweeping rent reforms in 2019 could also shape what gets built, and for whom, in the years to come. The rise, fall of ultra luxury Nearly half of new condo units in Manhattan that came to market after 2015, or 3,695 of 7,727 apartments, remain unsold, according to a December analysis of both closed sales and contracts by Nancy Packes Data Services, a real estate consultancy and database provider. The report looked at buildings with about 30 or more units. That is a staggering estimate and a humbling reversal from the start of the decade. Investors, many of them from overseas, in search of higher returns after the 2008 recession looked to hard assets like real estate, and bet big on residential projects. Because credit remained tight for most New Yorkers, the most lucrative demographic was the affluent all-cash buyer, and thousands of new units larger apartments, with better finishes and more amenities were built to suit the demand. Thus arose a number of skyscrapers on and around Central Park and exclusive pockets of Manhattan that set eye-watering sale records (currently: $240 million for a 24,000-square-foot pied-a-terre on Billionaire's Row in Midtown). Since 2009, 22,304 condo units were built in Manhattan, the most in any borough. But a confluence of global economic headwinds starting around 2015, as well as unfavorable changes to property and transfer taxes, cooled interest among well-heeled buyers. Luxury real estate is a sentiment-driven market, said Nancy Packes, the principal of Nancy Packes Data Services. "Someone who has $30 million has four to five homes they don't need to buy," she said. The ambitious pricing created a divide between buyers who intended to live in their apartments and investors seeking a certain return. In 2011, the average sale price of a new condo was $1.15 million, just a 9% premium over resales. By 2019, the average price of a new condo was $3.77 million, a 118% premium over resales, Packes said. That disconnect has led to a glut of unsold luxury condos. Including shadow inventory the units held off the market until conditions improve there were 7,050 new condo units available for sale in Manhattan in January, according to a Halstead Development Marketing report. That is the equivalent of more than six years of inventory at the current pace of sales, when a balanced market typically sells out in two to three years. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Brooklyn's development boom The search for affordable housing pushed both builders and new residents beyond Manhattan, and Brooklyn was by far the most changed borough of the decade. Reviewing the areas that experienced the biggest rent increases in the 2010s found that seven of the top 10 neighborhoods were in Brooklyn, according to census data collected by the New York University Furman Center. At the top of the list were the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Greenpoint in northern Brooklyn, where the median monthly rent was $1,854 in 2018, up 54% since 2010. Closer to Downtown Brooklyn, Pacific Park, formerly known as Atlantic Yards and anchored by the Barclays Center stadium, attracted major residential development nearby. "Brooklyn became a brand unto its own," said Brendan Aguayo, a managing director of Halstead Development Marketing, who oversees several luxury rental and condo projects in the borough. The seeds were sown in the mid-2000s, when parts of the mostly industrial waterfront were rezoned to allow for denser building, and developers sought out less expensive land near mass transit. Tax abatements given to certain developments encouraged more building, and residents priced out of more central neighborhoods fanned outward. "It's taken a number of years for all these dynamics to converge," he said. Critics argue that much of the new development, even when a portion of units are reserved for low- and middle-income renters, have made housing unaffordable for longtime residents. "There's this promise of affordable units, but by the time those units manifest, the people who needed them, they're long gone they've already been pushed out," said Alexandra Fennell, the group's network director. STEM Education Astronomy Club Uses Virtual Access to Telescopes to Take Students into Space Tomorrow the Tarantula Nebula, the Whirlpool Galaxy and Centaurus A will be on view. Next week, perhaps the Vesta asteroid will put on a show worth viewing as it changes position at least to viewers on earth. Those are all potential sightings of interest for students working with the Slooh Education Slooh Astronomy Club. A company originally funded by a seed grant from the National Science Foundation, Slooh provides a "turnkey space lab experience" for students, to help them gain experience in scientific reasoning while studying space via a network of telescopes available online. The program includes STEAM curricula (for grades 4 through introductory college courses), robotic telescopes with photo capture functionality and access to a private virtual clubhouse for sharing observations. Slooh's approach uses robotic telescopes around the world, including seven located at an observatory run by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands; three based in Santiago, Chili; and another five expected to go online this year in the United Arab Emirates. Students can reserve access to telescopes to set up "missions" for studying specific regions of the night sky using astronomical catalogs, coordinates and imaging filters. Once the mission is done, they automatically get access to FITS digital file images in their photo hubs. They also have access to learn activities that involve using the telescopes for specific purposes and then analyzing the resulting data. The application also provides gamification; as they complete "quests," they gain "gravity points" and move up the leaderboard. The company also hosts "live" shows during special astronomical events, run by a team of astronomers. Teachers can track student progress through the various activities via an administrative interface and integration with Google for Education. Licensing for a group of 10 students is $500 per year; a 30-pack is $1,000. An "apprentice" license is available for an individual for $100; an "astronomer" license for a lone person is $300. After the barrage project on the Ravi river is completed, not a single drop of water belonging to India will be allowed to flow into Pakistan, said Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday. "All of the water which belongs to India will be used in the country. Not even a single drop will flow into Pakistan. The barrage project will provide the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan their fair share of water," said the Union Jal Shakti Minister after his visit to the under-construction barrage project on the Ravi river. After holding a meeting with the administrative officials of the Ranjeet Sagar Dam, the Union Minister hoped the project will be completed by 2022. "The excess water, after the dam's capacity is filled, will be sent to more than 100 villages in the border areas. On this project, the Centre will provide 86 per cent funds while 14 per cent will be shared by the Punjab government," added Shekhawat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) B oris Johnson's Brexit deal has completed its passage through Parliament and is set to become law. The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill now just needs royal assent to be formally granted by the Queen, paving the way for the UK to leave the EU by the end of the month. Peers in the House of Lords decided to end their legislative tussle with the Commons today after MPs overturned all changes they made to the Brexit bill. Assent is expected to be granted in the coming days. Brexit: 9 days until Britain is scheduled to leave the EU All that is left for the UK to leave with the deal in place on January 31 is for the European Parliament to give its backing to the agreement. MPs earlier overturned amendments made by defiant peers, before the unelected House of Lords bowed to the will of the Commons. Speaking in the upper chamber, Brexit minister Lord Callanan said: "We are at the end of what seems like a very long road. The final stages of this bill represent something which many of us thought might never happen - Parliament passing the legislation necessary to implement a Brexit deal and to finally deliver on the 2016 referendum." The Commons earlier reversed five changes made by the Lords to the bill as the legislation entered the "ping-pong" phase where it moves between the two Houses until agreement is reached. Boris Johnson addresses MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday / AFP via Getty Images Among the amendments rejected by MPs was a move, championed by Lord Dubs, to ensure the right of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK post-Brexit. Peers had also put forward a proposal on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings. Another underlined the commitment to the so-called Sewel Convention, which states that the UK Parliament "will not normally" legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature affected. The five amendments were comfortably reversed by MPs, with majorities ranging from 86 to 103. Labour, Liberal Democrat and independent crossbench peers had ignored repeated ministerial warnings not to amend the Bill, insisting their objection was not to stop Brexit but to ensure the legislation was better drafted. During the debate on Wednesday, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the Government could not accept the Lords amendment on citizens' rights as it would make the EU Settlement Scheme "null and void". Mr Barclay said: "This amendment would mean the successful EU Settlement Scheme in its current form would need to be abandoned... this would make null and void the 2.8 million applications and the 2.5 million grants of status which have already been completed." On child refugees, Mr Barclay defended the Government's record before claiming: "Primary legislation cannot deliver the best outcomes for these children as it cannot guarantee that we reach an agreement and that is why this is ultimately a matter which must be negotiated with the EU and the Government is committed to seeking the best possible outcome in those negotiations." Iraq Sunni leaders spooked by possible US troop pullout Baghdad, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2020 Sunni Iraqi leaders who spearheaded a bloody insurgency against the 2003 US-led invasion are now the most nervous about a possible withdrawal of American troops, considered a counterweight to Iran. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have boiled over onto Iraqi soil this month, with the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and Iran striking back at an Iraqi base hosting American soldiers. Furious at the US hit, Iraq's parliament held a vote on January 5 to oust all foreign troops, including some 5,200 American soldiers deployed alongside local forces. All Kurdish and most Sunni MPs boycotted the session, despite threats by Shiite factions that the minorities would be considered "traitors" for backing the US presence. Before the vote, speaker of parliament Mohammed Halbusi, a Sunni from the western Anbar province, made an impassioned appeal to MPs to reconsider. "The decision we take now, we may not be able to amend in an hour's time," said Halbusi, addressing the mainly Shiite lawmakers in attendance. "The US doesn't concern me. Iran doesn't concern me. Nothing concerns me as much as Iraq does," he said. Both Iran and Iraq are Shiite-majority countries. Tehran has cultivated close ties with Baghdad's ruling elite for decades. It now exercises particularly strong sway through Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, a network of armed groups absorbed into the state security forces that has significant parliamentary representation. Iran's growing clout has come at the expense of the US, which led the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein whose dictatorial Sunni-dominated regime oppressed Shiites. That unleashed a deadly insurgency, with Sunni militias attacking US forces, before a broad Iraqi sectarian war erupted in 2006-2007 costing thousands of lives. - 'A buffer' - Iraq's Sunni leaders now find themselves on the other side of the equation: Uneasy about perceived Iranian overreach, they are cautiously lobbying for US troops to stay. Ahmad Jarba, a Sunni lawmaker from the northern province of Nineveh, told colleagues he was concerned a US withdrawal would mean an even bigger role for Tehran. "After the vote, will our neighbours become our friends instead of our rulers? Or will we hand over our nation's decision-making to neighbouring countries?" Jarba asked. The MP called on the government to rein in factions he accused of "blackmailing Sunni provinces and trying to turn them into military arenas". Iraq's Sunni areas have been left ravaged by the fight against the Islamic State group, ultra-conservative jihadists who seized around a third of Iraq in 2014. To defeat IS, the government partnered with both the Shiite-majority Hashed and a newly-formed global coalition led by Washington, which trained and assisted local troops. Thousands of US-led coalition forces are still deployed at a half-dozen Iraqi bases, all in Sunni or Kurdish areas. But the Hashed has also sought to increase its presence in those towns, which has irked Sunni residents. "Our presence acts as a buffer in these areas," a US commander deployed at one of those bases told AFP, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media. "The smaller our presence, the more defence actors could seek their own interests. Shiite, Sunni, Yazidi, different tribes -- their units would lash out against perceived threats," the commander added. - 'Clear fear' of what's to come - That distrust comes at a sensitive time. Iraq's Shiite-majority areas have been rocked by months of anti-government protests that have called out Iran. But Sunni areas have held back, afraid their own rallies would be seen in a sectarian light and would be quashed. They are also nervously watching the escalating tensions between Iran and the US, but most have kept mum. Some Sunni tribal sheikhs peeled away from the post-invasion insurgency to fight Al-Qaeda alongside the US in the so-called Sunni "awakening" of 2006. Several told AFP they had received threats from armed factions. "They warned us against siding with 'the occupier' again," one said, requesting anonymity due to security concerns. "For Iraq's Sunnis, Kurds and other minorities, America creates balance with Shiite politicians who control the government," Iraqi expert Hisham al-Hashemi said. Those minorities, he added, feared their Shiite rivals were leaning towards Iran "at the expense of the interests of the other components, and even at the expense of the Arab Shiite opposition." "They think only America can deter this," said Hashemi. But if Iraq's government forces a withdrawal, Sunnis may seek to instate an autonomous minority region, modelled after the northern region of Kurdistan, analysts said. "There's a clear fear among Sunnis of what may come, which has prompted them to reconsider a canton to protect their own areas," said Ayad al-Tufan, an independent analyst and former army officer. A man with an extensive history of violent sexual offending 'slipped through the cracks' and was released from jail early before killing outback nurse Gayle Woodford. The 56-year-old's body was found in March 2016 after she was brutally raped and murdered outside the settlement of Fregon, in South Australia's far north. Ms Woodford's body was found buried in a crude grave three days after she went missing from her home. Dudley Davey subsequently pleaded guilty to her rape and murder and is serving a minimum 32-year jail term. Gayle Woodford's body was found buried in a crude grave three days after she went missing from her Fregon home in SA's north Dudley Davey subsequently pleaded guilty to her rape and murder and is serving a minimum 32-year jail term A coronial inquest into her brutal murder heard that police knew the man who killed her was at risk of reoffending and was granted parole before committing the horrific crime. Director of the Sentence Management Unit at the Department for Correctional Services, Jane Farrin, on Tuesday told the inquest her department said Davey should not be released from parole before the murder. Ms Farrin said Davey was found to be at a high risk of sexual offending during his time in jail, ABC reported. 'There was an attempt to review him but he fell asleep during the process,' Ms Farrin said. Davey did become eligible for two rehabilitation programs for offenders but they were found to be unsuitable as he had little literary and English skills, Ms Farrin told the court. 'There were in-built deficiencies and inefficiencies in the process during that time it now responds to people with low literacy with education programs,' she said. Assessment programs for violent and sexual offenders are now performed at the start of someone's sentence - a change Ms Farrin implemented when she took over the unit in 2015, after Davey's release. The inquest heard details of a small police office being built in Fregon this year as some are concerned there is a low police presence. The 56-year-old went missing in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands (pictured) in the vicinity of Fregon and Marla in the South Australia's Far North Husband of Gayle Woodford, Keith Woodford, arrives at the Adelaide Coroners Court in Adelaide, Monday January 13, 2020 Chief Superintendent Dean Miller told the coroner placing an abundance of police would not enhance community safety. It's believed Davey tricked Ms Woodford into opening a security cage around her home and overpowered her as she walked to her ambulance. Opening an inquest into her death last week, counsel assisting Ahura Kalali said a 'catalogue of blunders' meant Davey 'slipped through the cracks' and was left unsupervised at the time of the murder. He said Davey should have qualified for the national child offender register which would have allowed police to monitor and share information about him. Other issues to be examined will be the overall safety of remote area nurses and the presence of police in such communities. An emotional Mr Woodford said his wife was 'very safety conscious', but the nurses were regularly put in situations where they went alone to visit the homes of patients. Colleague of Gayle Woodford, Belinda Schultz (right) arrives at the Adelaide Coroners Court in Adelaide, Monday January 13, 2020 The four-wheel-drive ambulance Ms Woodford used for work, which was found being driven by the 34-year-old man charged with theft and her alleged murder He rejected claims by a senior executive of Nganampa Health Council that Ms Woodford could have let herself out of the cage for a personal errand when she was attacked. 'That statement is disgusting,' he said. 'To think she was out there doing anything else but her job is absolutely woeful.' Ms Woodford's death sparked policy changes designed to protect nurses from similar violent attacks. Mr Woodford said if the laws had been in place earlier, his wife's murder would have been prevented. The court also heard from Ms Woodford's colleague in Fregon, fellow nurse Belinda Schultz. Husband of Gayle Woodford, Keith Woodford (pictured, centre) outside the Adelaide Coroners Court on Monday January 13, 2020 Ms Schultz said medical staff encountered violence almost daily during their work. 'A day without an incident was a good day,' she said. She added that it was not practical or safe for nurses to make assessments from behind the cage, and that it was sometimes opened as a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence. The inquest is expected to run for two weeks before deputy coroner Anthony Schapel. Former Mossos chief Josep Lluis Trapero on Day One of the trial. FERNANDO VILLAR This week on our podcast we take a look at the second major trial covering the Catalan independence drive of 2017, which this time puts four figures connected to the regional police force, the Mossos dEsquadra, in the dock. We also consider a plan from far-right party Vox to give parents a veto over courses given to their students covering issues such as the prevention of homophobia, sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy. Que? is a podcast that tries to explain to an English-speaking audience the curious, the under-reported and sometimes simply bizarre news stories that are often in the headlines in Spain. If you have any comments or questions about the topics we discuss, or would like to suggest issues for future podcasts, email us at englishedition@elpais.es or tweet Simon Hunter at @simoninmadrid using the hashtag #quepodcast. And if you want more information about all the podcasts available from EL PAIS, visit this website. Lisa Nandy refused to criticise Jeremy Corbyn when asked about his leadership (PA) One of the contenders to be the next Labour leader lashed out at a senior BBC journalist this morning over a question about previous party leaders. Lisa Nandy was asked by Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4s Today programme who her favourite Labour leader was. Ms Nandy remained diplomatic in her answer, telling Mr Robinson: I think there are different leaders whove done different things for the party at different times When Mr Robinson quipped that the question had been carefully avoided, Ms Nandy hit back: Well if you dont mind me saying so, it's a perfectly daft question. People are complex, and its perfectly possible to believe people can do both good and bad things. [Jeremy Corbyn] is someone Ive profoundly disagreed with about a number of things over last few years but on the issue of whether were a more compassionate society and whether Labour should be clearer about that I couldnt agree with him more. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses protesters at a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demonstration against a possible war with Iran in Trafalgar Square, central London. The interview took place the day after a poll was published showing that Labour members think Jeremy Corbyn has been the best party leader of the last century. Pressed on whether Labour members were right to think that Corbyn was a better leader than Tony Blair, Ms Nandy responded: It reflects the fact a lot of our members are quite loyal to the Labour party. I dont think that he deserves to be trashed for a minute. It doesnt help the Labour party either. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Coronavirus: Government updates advice over fears deadly disease may spread Thomas Markle says Meghan and Harry won't see him again 'Phubbing' your children could put them at risk of depression, study finds When you trash the Labour party all the public hears is that Labour is no good. Jeremy Corbyn has done a lot to move the conversation in the Labour party. Ms Nandy received a campaign boost on Tuesday after being backed by the influential GMB union, but she trails in the polls to Sir Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey. Ms Nandy quit Labour's front bench in 2016 to protest Jeremy Corbyn's leadership (PA) The backbencher, who quit her role on Labours front bench in 2016 in protest at Mr Corbyns leadership, also had a heated exchange with Piers Morgan this morning over allegation of racism against Meghan Markle. Story continues After Mr Morgan reiterated his belief that negative press coverage of the Duchess os Sussex has nothing to do with racism, Ms Nandy hit back: Well, if you don't mind me saying, how on earth would you know? As somebody who has never had to deal with ingrained prejudice you are not in a position to understand people who have. Current and previous leadership candidates (top, left to right) Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips, Keir Starmer, (bottom, left to right) Rebecca Long-Bailey, Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry (PA) Ms Nandy is one of three women standing in the Labour leadership contest, alongside Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry. Sir Keir Starmer, the only man in the contest, is the current favourite to win but has been urged to stand down by party chair Ian Lavery so that a woman can win. Watch more from Yahoo UK DETROIT, MI -- Sherry Hoover, who has late-stage cancer, filed her lawsuit on behalf of all Michigan patients struggling to obtain medical marijuana amid a shortage, her attorney says. Hoover, of Troy, who is represented by Bloomfield Hills-based attorney Michelle R.E. Donovan of the Butzel Long law firm, sued the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Agency (LARA) in federal court on June 5. U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman on Jan. 15 dismissed the lawsuit that included due process, property right claims under the Michigan Constitution and Fourteenth Amendment, as well as allegations that LARA violated the 2008 voter-passed Michigan Medical Marijuana Act by depriving Hoover reasonable access to medicinal marijuana products. She fought a courageous battle and she did this for all the patients in Michigan, said Donovan, who isnt planning to appeal. Hoovers lawsuit asked a federal court to order LARA to extend through 2019 a previously eliminated exception allowing untested marijuana to be sold to medical marijuana patients. Despite potential health risks posed by consumption of untested marijuana products, the since-disbanded Medical Marijuana Licensing Board allowed untested products into the licensed market while it worked to build a network of licensed growers, processors, testing labs, transportation companies and provisioning centers. Caregivers arent legally allowed to sell to provisioning centers, but state officials promised not take disciplinary action against businesses that bought their products. At the time Hoovers lawsuit was filed, nearly 93% of the marijuana in the licensed medical marijuana market came from caregivers, according to data obtained by MLive. As of December, that figure had decreased to 62.5%, according to Marijuana Regulatory Agency data. The defunct Medical Marijuana Licensing Board received a significant amount of criticism for the perceived slow pace at which new medical marijuana businesses were being licensed. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer disbanded the Medical Marijuana Licensing Board April 30 and replaced it with the Marijuana Regulatory Agency. On Hoovers behalf, Donovan also filed an emergency motion for a restraining order to block LARA from eliminating the caregiver exception. The federal judge denied that request on July 18. The case became steeped in ambiguity due to the contrast between Michigan law, which legalized medical marijuana in 2008 and recreational marijuana in 2018, and federal law, which designates marijuana an illegal, highly addictive, dangerous drug with no accepted medical use. Sherry Hoover. Photo courtesy of Michelle Donovan of Butzel Long. The lawsuit said Hoover should have the right to decide whether she is willing to purchase untested medical marijuana at her own risk until the supply of tested medical marijuana is sufficient for all licensed provisioning centers. Hoover claimed couldnt find certain medicinal marijuana products her doctor recommended she use to treat her illness, including CBD-THC gummy cubes; high-THC medicated pain balm; Sunshine Kush, a strain of flower; Purple Punch Rick Simpson Oil and specialty 200 mg ribbon chews, a type of edible. The number of licensed medical marijuana businesses was clearly insufficient to supply the tens of thousands of pounds of medical marijuana for the 300,000-plus Michigan medical marijuana patients per month, leaving medical marijuana patients without a means to fulfill their medicinal needs," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit noted products Hoover sought were and remain available through unlicensed, black-market marijuana businesses; however, her medical marijuana card could be revoked should she shop at them. Until May 31, dispensaries were allowed to purchase products from registered caregivers and sell it untested to registered to medical marijuana patients. The exception required customers sign waivers acknowledging the marijuana hadnt been tested for contaminants. The caregiver exception wasnt extended and expired. Current rules limit purchases from caregivers to licensed growers or processors. The purchasing business must then have the product tested before it can legally be made available for sale in the recreational or medical marijuana market. State law for both medical and recreational marijuana requires testing for a long list of heavy metals, pesticides, molds and other contaminants. Caregivers are allowed to have up to five designated patients for whom they grow 12 marijuana plants each. They are also permitted to possess up to 2.5 ounces per patient. Donovan said Hoover does not have her own designated medical marijuana caregiver. As far as Hoovers due process property claims under the 14th Amendment, Borman in his dismissal said the Supremacy Clause unambiguously provides that, if there is any conflict between federal and state law, federal law prevails. Hoover argued her Michigan medical card, which allowed her to purchase medical marijuana, was the property she was being deprived since the products she needed were unavailable, in part due to state regulations. ... Although the (Michigan Medical Marijuana Act) provides narrow exceptions for marijuana use involving qualified patients and care givers, under the federal Controlled Substances Act, it is illegal for any private person to possess marijuana for any purpose, Borman wrote. Thus, under federal law, marijuana is contraband per se, which means that no person can have a cognizable legal interest in it. -- Gus Burns is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact him with questions, tips or comments at fburns@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, @GusBurns. Read more from MLive about medical and recreational marijuana. More on MLive: Cancer patient sues for medical marijuana access Anti-marijuana ads removed from Michigan YouTube page Michigan recreational marijuana sales near $6.5 million Recreational market poised to boom in 2020 Michigan wants Weedmaps to stop advertising for unlicensed marijuana businesses Michigan not collecting personal information on customers Industry insider critiques recreational marijuana rollout New Delhi, Jan 22 : On the 70th Republic Day ceremony, Gujarat will showcase the 'Rani ki Vav: Jal Mandir' (Queen's stepwell) in its tableau, which has been recognised as the ancient engineering marvel and also features on the UNESCO's World Heritage Site list, while Meghalaya will showcase the double decker living root bridges. The work of the preparation of the Gujarat tableau is being looked after by Pankaj Modi, younger brother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pankaj Modi, who works as Deputy Director in the Information Department of Gujarat government, told IANS, "The Rani ki Vav is the best example of Gujarat's traditional means for water conservations that exhibits a unique combination of civilisation, culture, and arts along with engineering marvel." He said this tableau is going to exhibit the great heritage of Gujarat to become a central attraction for the nation at the national parade. Pankaj Modi said that Gujarat's tableau will showcase the grandeur of the 'Rani ki Vav'. "To exhibit the importance of the water resources, a large sculpture of rural Gujarat with water-filled earthen pots has been placed in the foreground of the tableau." "The sculpture of Lord Vishnu sitting on the left bed is a distinct feature of the Rani ki Vav' at Patan town; thus, a replica of this sculpture is also placed in the front portion of the tableau to enhance its decoration," he added. 'Rani ki Vav', the original seven-storeyed mausoleum monument is located on the banks of historical Sarasvati River at Patan town in Gujarat. It was built by Queen Udaymati in memory of her husband King Bheemdev of the Solanki dynasty. The water wells and reservoirs have always been the lifeline of Gujarat, among them the Rani ki Vav has remained vitally important as 'Jal Mandir' (water temple) since centuries. Pankaj Modi also said that even the handlooms of Patan, which are world famous for their 'Patolas' (Patola sarees), its various patterns and designs are placed on either side of the tableau. Modi said that besides the tableau 26 artisans will exhibit the arts and culture of Gujarat. Besides Gujarat, as many as 16 other states' tableaus and six tableaus of the various departments of the Central government like Start Up India, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been selected for the Republic Day parade. Meanwhile, Meghalaya has prepared the replica of Umshiang double decker living root bridge located in Nongriat in Cherrapunji to highlight the capacity of the Khansi and Jaintia people of Meghalaya of building bridges from secondary roots of trees. The tableau also demonstrates three girls from the three major tribes of Meghalaya -- Khasi, Jaitia and Garo. Besides Gujarat and Meghalaya, Punjab has prepared its tableau on the theme of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev to propagate his ideology. Randeep Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Director of the Information Department told IANS, "The theme of the tableau has been vividly depicted as a mark of yearlong celebrations of 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. Through our tableau we are trying to spread his message of interfaith, understanding and creation of harmonious society on the ethos of tolerance, peace, communal harmony, women empowerment and protection of natural resources." Ahluwalia said that the tableau comprises three principles -- Kirat Karo, Naam Japo and Vand Chhako, which forms the cornerstone of the Sikhism. The Chhattisgarh tableau on the other hand reflects the artistic beauty of folk life. The tableau also earmarks the art forms of tribal society as the art ranges from ornaments to idols to things used in day to day life has been showcased. Rajasthan will also showcase the glory of heritage of buildings and sites of Jaipur city. The Rajasthan tableau has been decorated with jaali jharokha, to display the city's magnetic heritage beauty that encompasses markets, monuments, grand gateways, City Palace Gateway, Tripolia Gate, and Statue Circle. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) Almost a quarter of Michigans population is now 60 or older -- 24.2% in 2018, up from 19.5% in 2010, according to the latest Census data. That makes planning and/or paying for retirement a hot topic. Its also an issue for younger adults as employers back away from traditional pension plans and government officials are raising alarms about the long-term solvency of the Social Security system. The bottom line is that its more important than ever for individuals to take responsibility of planning for retirement. Living on $738 a month: As Boomers hit retirement, Social Security more important than ever Heres eight things to consider: 1. Start early. This advice is aimed at millennials: Time is on your side, and you need to take advantage of it. Even small amounts put in an individual retirement account or a 401K can grow exponentially, thanks to the power of compounded return. As example, putting $25 a week in an IRA with 5% growth starting at age 25 will result a $153,000 nest egg at age 65. A perfect retirement savings account for many young people is a Roth IRA, which is funded with money individuals have already paid taxes on. That money grows tax free, and you take it out after age 59 1/2, it all comes out completely tax free. The great benefit of a Roth: Contributions can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. Lets say you invested $5,000 and it grows to $10,000: You can pull out the original $5,000 if and when you need it. Access to those contributions gives individuals the ability to use a Roth as their emergency fund or for major purchases, such as a down payment on a house. 2. Take full advantage of employer matches for 401K and 403(b) plans. For most workers in today, employer pension plans consist of a 401K or 403(b) in which the employer will partially match money contributed by the employee. Make it a budget priority to contribute enough to get the maximum match -- dont leave those employer dollars on the table. Even better: Contribute the maximum allowed to your 401K plan, if at all possible. 3. Take advantage of the retirement savings tax credit. Moderate and low-income taxpayers have a new tool to help them save for retirement, thanks to 2018 federal tax reform law. Couples with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less; heads of households with an income under $48,750, and single filers with an income under $32,500 qualify for a tax credit if they contribute to a retirement plan, such as a 401K or an IRA. The credit is worth 10%, 20% or 59% depending on the filers income. The maximum credit is $2,000 for couples and $1,000 for individuals. The way it works. A qualified couple who puts $4,000 into an retirement account gets between $400 to $2,000 cut from their federal tax bill. Click here for more details. 4. Stay on track. How much do you need to save? Fidelity Investments, the largest holder of defined contribution pension plans, offers these benchmarks: By age 30: Have the equivalent of your annual salary saved for retirement. By age 35: Have twice your salary saved. By age 40: Three times your annual salary. By age 45: Four times your annual salary. By age 50: Six times your annual salary. By age 55: Seven times your annual salary. By age 60: Eight times your annual salary. By age 67: Ten times your annual salary. 5. Use your 50s to catch up on retirement savings. If retirement savings havent been a priority at earlier ages, the tax system offers a multiple of opportunities for people in the 50s to catch up during their prime earning years. For instance, individuals 50 and older are allowed to put up to $7,000 this year in an traditional and Roth IRA, which is $1,000 more than younger people. Older workers also can contribute an additional $6,500 this year to the employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as a 401K, for a maximum contribution of $26,000 compared to a cap of $19,500 for younger workers. In addition, people 50 and older can contribute more to a health savings account, which could help cover medical expenses in retirement. 6. Eliminate your debts before retirement. Since household income typically drops in retirement, expenses need to be lowered, too. That means working to pay off the mortgage and any other debts before retiring. Downsizing to a smaller house also is a way to reduce expenses, and getting rid of a car can save up to $9,000 a year. 7. Delay taking Social Security. Individuals can start get Social Security at age 62, but the benefit level increases between 7% and 8% for each year of delay until age 70 when the maximum benefit is available. That means someone who qualifies for $12,000 a year in Social Security at age 62 would get $15,600 by waiting until his or her full retirement age, which is between 66 and 67 for Baby Boomers, and $19,675 by waiting until age 70. Delaying not only increases benefits for the individual but also for a spouse getting benefit on that work record. Its quite a generous annuity rate if you postpone it, said John Laitner, a University of Michigan economics professor who also heads U-Ms Retirement Research Center. Postponing doesnt necessarily mean individuals have to wait until 70 to retire: They can pull money from other sources such as 401K plans for the initial years of retirement, then dial back on those withdrawals once Social Security kicks in. Among Social Security retirement beneficiaries, the average benefit per individual is currently $1,502 a month or about $18,024 in 2020. For married couples, its $2,531 a month or $30,372. 8. Consult a financial adviser about retirement planning. You dont have to figure this out on your own. Many financial advisers specialize in working with people to help them craft strategies for retirement based on their particular circumstances. Those experts also can help turning retirement savings into a guaranteed income stream for life through purchase of an annuity. My job is making sure you dont run out of money, said Chuck Henrich, a financial adviser in Portage who runs Southwest Michigan Wealth Management. One of the 30 kidnappers arrested by operatives of Operation Puff Adder, launched by the Inspector General of Police, yesterday, in Kaduna revealed how they kidnapped the son of a woman living in their neighbourhood, who later died from a heart attack due to shock. The suspect, Saidu, said after the gang collected N6million ransom for the boys release and he was part of those that attended the burial of the late woman. He said he got N200,000 from the ransom and that the Police later arrested him and three members of the gang while two others are still at large. Another gang member, Ibrahim Suleiman, said they were arrested while planning to kidnap Modibo, the Chairman of Kagara Local Government Area of Kaduna. He said his gang was sent by Yellow, their leader, who resides in a Zamfara forest, to take a letter to Modibo to pay N40 million or risk being kidnapped. We kidnapped one Alhaji Mayake, his wife and his children. We collected N4 million ransom. But the victims, apart from Mayake are still with Yellow in the Zamfara forest. During the parade of the 61 suspects arrested for various offences, Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said a total of 31 assorted weapons were recovered from the gangs. They include 10 AK-47 rifles, nine AK-49 rifles, one unit of the latest Kalashnikov rifle known as the AK-Fatney, pump action guns, Barretts pistol, 345 live cartridges, 469 rounds of live AK-47 and AK-49 ammunition. The Force PRO also paraded a motorcycle used for smuggling arms and ammunition caught with two AK-47 rifles and 150 rounds of live ammunition hidden in it. Mba also disclosed that new Police patrol vehicles and other equipment, including mobile CCTV cameras and safer highway equipment have been distributed to Police formations across the country to enhance crime-fighting and prevention efforts. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates INVISTA's technology and licensing group, INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT) and Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co., Ltd (Hengli) announce the successful start-up of Hengli's fourth purified terephthalic acid (PTA) line. This 2.5 million tonnes per annum capacity plant, located in Changxing Island, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, utilizes INVISTA's P8 PTA technology with industry leading variable cost, capital productivity, energy usage, water usage, effluent generation and footprint, came online on January 8th, 2020. As the result of joint effort of all parties involved, the schedule of this project is significantly shorter than other PTA projects, with start-up only 22 months after the project kicked off in early March, 2018. A fifth PTA line, identical to the fourth PTA line, is currently under construction and is expected to start-up around the middle of 2020. Hengli also operates another 3 PTA lines on the same site, each with a capacity of 2.2 million tonnes per annum, using INVISTA's P7 PTA technology. This makes the Hengli site the largest PTA site in the world. Mike Pickens, IPT President, commented, "I congratulate Hengli on the successful start-up. The achievement represents yet another major milestone for Hengli, and for INVISTA, it lifts us beyond the 30 million tonnes mark in terms of successful PTA startups. I am appreciative of the collaborative efforts of the Hengli and INVISTA commissioning teams. The successful start-up of Hengli's fourth line again demonstrates INVISTA's capability in the global PTA market." INVISTA's industry-leading PTA technology, including its latest version of P8 technology, is available as a license package from IPT. For more information, please visit the IPT website at www.ipt.invista.com. About INVISTA From the fibers in your carpet to the plastic in your automobiles, INVISTA's commitment to continuous improvement has led its employees to develop some of the most durable, versatile polymers and fibers in the world. A subsidiary of Koch Industries since 2004, INVISTA brings to market the proprietary ingredients for nylon 6,6 and recognized brands including STAINMASTER, CORDURA and ANTRON. INVISTA also offers specialty chemical intermediates and process technologies. See the bigger picture at INVISTA.com. About Hengli Group: Hengli Group is an international company that owns a diversity of business: petrochemical, advanced polyester materials, textiles, trading, finance and thermal power. In 2018, Hengli's total revenue was 371.7 billion, ranking No. 181 in Fortune Global 500. Hengli has the biggest PTA plant in the world, and the biggest performance fibre textile production base as well. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006208/en/ Contacts: Shelley Zhang INVISTA +8621 6389 9202 Shelley.Zhang@INVISTA.com Heavy ashfall from stubborn Taal Volcano has worn out a bee farm in Calamba, Laguna. Bee farmer Ame Locsin, who supervises the pasture for the University of Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) Bee Program, said the field was a "miserable sight" following Taals explosion. Calamba City in the province of Laguna lies about forty kilometers from Taal Volcano in neighboring Batangas province. Ash reached Laguna almost immediately after the volcano began erupting on January 12. By Locsin's estimate, the farm misplaced approximately P200,000 in damage because of Taal's eruption, not to mention the effect on the bees that have lost their plant life. The bee pasture is one of the program's experimental farms meant to show farmers and stakeholders the benefit of insects as pollinators, especially bees, Locsin stated. "We want to bring back the pollinators to these areas and show them that it may be executed via planting and keeping a sanctuary sector inside the farm," she added. ALSO READ: Bees Are Under Threat of Extinction Within the farm's 1,500-square meter asset is a 350-square meter sanctuary zone or "yellow lane" where cosmos, marigold, copies, lagundi, and some wild plants had been planted. All of this was ruined by using the ashfall, which had became the rich brown earth gray. "Ideally, the plants should have been lightly brushed then hosed down as soon because the ashfall lessened. But, unfortunately, there has been no water nor electricity to be had for several days," Locsin said. Once the plots are cleared, the plants that could not be saved are discarded and replaced. ALSO READ: Ash-Covered Fruits, Veggies Affected by Taal Eruption Still Safe to Eat After Washing Backup plan needed Locsin remarked that "being prudent" and having "backup plans" are needed for a calamity-susceptible country just like the Philippines. She said they have additional seedlings for replanting, which are housed in another site unaffected by the ashfall. Locsin added they had a contingency plan prepared even earlier than we started their project. Relocating the bees from a new region is recommended if plant life is wiped out from an area, according to Locsin. She explained that bee colonies go back to their hive or container after sundown. To relocate these insects, the bee expert said just shut the bee's box at night and change the container to other areas. Bees can assist after disasters The farm's next step would be to assess the economic value in keeping with which of the bee flora had precise yields of honey, pollen, and propolis. Set up in 2018, the Calamba farm has also been developing "bee houses" made of local materials to trap local solitary bees to nest. Nearby bee flowers then get pollinated, even as locals earn a living with the aid of planting inside the farm. "We want bees for food security. Thirty-five percent of the world's plants are reliant on bee pollination directly. Indirectly, a number of the forage used for livestock also are dependent on pollination with the aid of bees," Locsin pointed out. Cultivating bees can also assist in recovering in the aftermath of disasters. By planting trees and plant species pleasant to endemic bee populations, the new foliage might propagate faster due to pollination via the bees. The government, according to Locsin, could assist by using changing the list of trees used in reforestation to native bee-friendly timber. She added vegetation used to beautify government buildings, and structures can be changed to bee-friendly flora. The UPLB Bee Program already did the same approach with Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors in Eastern Samar, she added. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has said that popular Kerala dishes and snacks will continue to be available on its menu as it was earlier. The Railways issued the clarification on Tuesday, stating that all the food items served earlier will be restored, after a massive online backlash by Keralites, who were angered by the IRCTC's decision to remove popular Kerala dishes and snacks like Puttu (steamed rice cake), Kadala curry (black chickpea curry), egg curry, Appam, Porotta, Pazhampori (banana fry), Bhaji, Ilayada, Kozhukatta, Unniappam, Neyyappam, and Sukhiyan from its food menu on both trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto and other Mail and Express trains and station eateries. REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE The Kerala dishes and snacks were replaced by Rajma Chawal, Chole Bhature, Pav Bhaji, Khichdi, Pongal, Kulcha, Samosa, Kachori, Aloo Bonda and Stuffed Pakoda, which are hardly eaten by Keralites. South Indian food items who were still available on the menu like rice meals, Uzhunnu vada, and parippu vada were doubled from Rs 35 to Rs 70 and Rs 8.50 to Rs 15. The changes were made in a circular issued in November 2019 but came into public view only a couple of days ago. The move, however, did not go down well with railway passengers and politicians from Kerala. Many accused the IRCTC of 'food fascism' and accused the Railways of enforcing North Indian food upon them. Foods like Appam & Egg curry, Porotta, Dosa, Puttu, Pazhampori & Bhaji have been removed from Menu at railway stations in Kerala. Instead Indian Railways has added Rajma chawal, Chhole bhature, Pav bhaji & Khichdi to the Menu. WTH is this? @PiyushGoyal https://t.co/TxHvdjoLzF Advaid (@Advaidism) January 20, 2020 Malayalis dont eat Rajma chawal, Chhole bhature, Pav bhaji & Khichdi. Even South Indians dont eat it. First they came for our Language, now they're coming for our Food. Cultural Fascism at your door steps. Advaid (@Advaidism) January 20, 2020 Cultural Fascism, yes. But who benefits? Companies in Western Europe & US made money off the Holocaust. Have IRCTC contracts been given to someone more familiar with cooking these dishes? https://t.co/h4cpEawiqT Deepu (@deepusebastian) January 21, 2020 Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden also shot off a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, asking that the local delicacies be brought back to the menu. Some dishes which are very important to Malayalees for breakfast, such as appam, egg curry, porotta, dosa, chapati, steam cake (Puttu) were excluded along with snacks such as banana fry (pazham pori), Baji ilayada, kozhukkatta, unniyappam, neyyappam, modakkam/sukhiyan etc. Soft drinks such as lime water also excluded, Hibi wrote in his letter. "Malayalis are discriminated in trains and railway refreshment rooms food, which is the right of every passenger," he added. Thanks @HibiEden for your timely intervention. Happy to know that M. P. Mall, CMD IRCTC, has agreed to look into this matter. How could @IRCTCofficial strike off Kerala delicacies from its menu! A train travel without having pazhampori?! WTH! pic.twitter.com/reWa7ge1fS Revati (@RevatiKaattil) January 21, 2020 After the outrage, IRCTC said that due to the demand from passengers and representations received, it has fully authorised its local offices in zones and regions to bring more items as per the "local taste and regional preferences within one week" as snack meals. In view of the demand from passengers and representations received, IRCTC has fully authorised it's local offices in zones and regions to bring more items as per the local taste and regional preferences within one week as snack meals. IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) January 21, 2020 I welcome @IRCTCofficial decision to withdraw earlier decision to exclude Kerala delicacies from railway menu. It was the sentiments of Kerala I echoed to Chairman Mr. MP Mall. IRCTC officials visited me today & handed over the reinstated menu. We got fish curry meals as a bonus! pic.twitter.com/3KRgmqtw2G Hibi Eden (@HibiEden) January 22, 2020 It is further informed all the food items served earlier will be restored . IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) January 21, 2020 IRCTC has also informed that all the food items served earlier will be restored. The official IRCTC handle also responded to several users saying that "all the food items served earlier will be restored". What you need to know today: Politics -- Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung hosted a reception for Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo in Hanoi on Tuesday, according to the Vietnam News Agency. -- Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An extended her Lunar New Year greetings to the authorities and people of Long An during a visit to the Mekong Delta province on Tuesday, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Society -- Gridlock occurred on many streets in Hanoi on Tuesday, as travel and transport demand surges around Tet, which is Vietnam's Lunar New Year festival. -- The security force at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City said on Tuesday that they had handed over two pickpockets to police for handling. They captured them on Monday as the two were trying to pickpocket a woman at the airport. Business -- Vietnam's carrot and cauliflower have beaten the Chinese produce to be provided for the local market amid Tet festivities, according to the managers of the Binh Dien wholesale market in Ho Chi Minh City. -- The Peoples Committee of Bac Lieu Province in southern Vietnam on Tuesday granted an investment decision to Singapores Delta Offshore Energy Pte.Ltd to build a 3,200MW liquefied natural gas-fired power plant, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Sports -- Ho Chi Minh City FC will play in the second-tier AFC Cup after losing 1-2 to Thai hosts Buriram United FC in the premiminary round of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday. World News -- U.S. President Donald Trump rejected "the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse," dismissing scientifically backed warnings that global warming is wrecking the planet, at the Davos forum on Tuesday, AFP reported, citing him as saying that "alarmists" had been wrong over the decades when predicting population crisis, mass starvation or the end of oil. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Archives Aspirants for the four National Assembly seats in Fako Division, plus those aspiring to be Mayors, Councillors and other top notches of the ruling CPDM party, have raised the sum of FCFA 22 million for campaigns for the February 9 elections. The money was raised on Tuesday, January 14, in Limbe, during a preparatory and sensitisation meeting that was chaired by the Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Emilia Monjoa Lifaka. Hon. Lifaka thanked party comrades for what she said was a good beginning for their all-out victory across the Division, come February 9. She said that with the sum at hand, and considering the difficult times the Division and the rest of the Region is going through, the party hierarchy in Yaounde will be glad to add even more. Hon Lifaka called on all CPDM aspirants and militants to endeavour to close ranks, put aside all grievances and be ready to fight as one force during the upcoming polls. According to her, it is better for them to first of all kill the elephant they are all gunning to capture, before talking on how to share it. She called on all those who are already jostling to be Mayors, or otherwise, to keep aside such tendencies for now and focus on winning the elections on February 9. The CPDM, especially in the Buea Urban Parliamentary constituency; Fako East Parliamentary constituency; the Tiko Council constituency; Limbe I and Limbe III; will have to battle it on February 9 against the SDF party as well as the UNDP in some of the constituencies such as West Coast at Idenau. Given the current socio-political crisis on the ground, the CPDM will have to fight hard if it has to win. Meantime, the issue of Separatists who have decided to stay in the bushes and are calling for a boycott of the elections across the two Anglophone Regions is an obstacle which the parties vying for elections on February 9 will have to contend with. In this regard, Hon Lifaka said she was sincerely appealing to the Separatists fighters in the bushes to leave, lay down guns, come out and cast their votes on February 9. She said that all those who are teleguiding the boys in the bushes are deceiving them, because, they are living in the comfort of the Diaspora and deceiving them. I am appealing to all the boys in the bushes that the time has come for all of you to come back to the house...Everything you are doing is rather inflicting pains on the very people you are professing to liberate. If somebody is not satanic, how can he ask you to kidnap your own mother? Lifaka asked as she went further to appeal to the boys to come out vote on February 9. However, Lifakas plea is opposed to the stance of the Separatists who have issued a call for a total boycott of the elections within the Anglophone Regions. The outgoing Mayor of the Limbe I Council, Rodanny Mbua, welcomed the militants on behalf of the Section President for Fako IA, Andrew Motanga, who was attending to other state functions. While many progressive young people snub the business of joss paper offerings, older generations maintain their respect for the afterlife. Ten days before Tet (Lunar New Year), Nguyen Duy Street in Saigon's District 8 is bustling with scores of motorbikes distributing hell notes, joss paper offered to both the deceased and deities, to dozens of Ho Chi Minh City markets, earning the area its "bank of the dead" monicker. Most joss paper producers, usually in their thirties, commence work at 6 a.m. before Tet. In Ba Dinh Block of District 8, over 15 families produce joss paper, the traditional skill passed down from generation to generation. "Ive known joss paper since childhood and used to assist my parents, who are now too old to do the work," said 34-year-old Huynh Thanh Ton, the owner of a family-run practice on Nguyen Duy. There are two main kinds of joss paper: hell notes, which are replicas of currencies like dong, dollars or euros, and inclusion of commodities like TVs, smartphones, and cars, etc. Joss paper is usually burnt during the seventh lunar month, known also as the Month of the Ghost, and Tet. For many Vietnamese, burning joss paper symbolizes the quest for luck, health, and prosperity in the new year, the belief being that, when burnt, offerings would be delivered to the deceased. While older generations try to maintain the tradition of producing inclusion of commodities manually, the young are only interested in printing hell notes because "it is easier, quicker and bring more revenue." Ton, like many others, have stuck with the profession due to the great amount of revenue on offer. "I don't know the exact numbers, but this Tet, we can make over VND200 million ($8,615)," said Tan, a 29-year-old printing and cutting operator. With 5 colleagues, he produces more than 150 kilograms of joss paper daily. According to Vietnam General Statistic Office, a local household spent VND575,000 ($24.77) on joss paper and offerings in 2012, with the number increasing to VND654,000 ($28.17) by 2016. This means the country spends about VND16 trillion ($689,249,920) burning paper. Several domestic firms make hundreds of billions of dong (VND100 billion=$4.3 million) per year thanks to the production and sale of joss paper. "Traditional joss paper features Chinese characters alongside deities representing longevity, prosperity, and health. Modern varieties resemble foreign currencies," Tan said, adding his company makes "every type of hell note on the market." His workplace, a 40-meter-square old house, is filled with machines, paper, the smell of sweat and chemicals. With no protection or safety measures in place, the topless workers partake in every process of production, from making the paper to delivery. Printing hell notes and cutting them into small pieces to sell to local distributors, Tan admits is "a simple but tough task" because of the required amount and pace of work. "This job requires strength and courage." Young makers, old buyers Though more environmentally-friendly means of worship have become popular, burning joss paper remains a familiar ritual in many households still rooted in culture. The paper is available at every market in Saigon, especially those in China Town, where shops have run for decades. At Thiec Market in District 11, one of the most popular joss paper hubs, "a store could serve up to 500 customers a day since the start of January," according to owner Kieu, boasting 40 years of experience in the trade. Among dozens of products, hell notes costs around VND20,000 ($0.86), clients having to pre-order large amounts. In recent years, the long-standing tradition has been criticized for its impact on the environment, with many young people abandoning the practice. Studies have shown burning joss paper produces harmful substances into the air, which is one of the factors causing air pollution. Authorities are not fond of joss papers either, urging people to abandon the ritual last year. A week before Tet, Kieu's 10-square-meter store in Thiec Market is filled with customers, mostly housewives. Her son, who works at the shop, maintains sales remain strong despite the cultural shift among young people. "Young folk don't believe in the afterlife, the other world, and don't want to harm the environment by burning paper, but the old generation is still here to pass down the tradition," Kieu noted. To the young men producing joss paper for Kieu, there is nothing to worry about since the business is so deeply rooted in culture. Tan hopes the dead appreciate the hell notes and offerings he made. "I want all my products turned to ashes, so the deceased can have them all." JACKSON, Wyo. - Conservationists worried that continued livestock grazing in a Wyoming forest could endanger grizzly bears are preparing to sue the U.S. government. Western Watersheds Project, Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Yellowstone to Uintas Connection allege a 2019 decision to allow grazing to continue in a large area of Bridger-Teton National Forest violates the Endangered Species Act. The groups filed notice Tuesday they intend to sue the U.S. Forest Service within 60 days. Forest officials decided in October to allow livestock grazing to continue on over 260 square miles (690 square kilometres) in the Green River headwaters. As many as 72 grizzly bears could be killed for harassing or killing livestock over a decade without causing harm to the greater Yellowstone regions grizzly population, biologists found. The groups question the finding and grazing decision. Theres simply no way to justify the killing of 72 grizzly bears due to conflict with domestic livestock on public lands, Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, said in a release. The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing the notification, Bridger-Teton spokeswoman Mary Cernicek said. Federal officials have concluded that the Yellowstone regions population of over 700 grizzlies is large enough to justify lifting the animals protection under the Endangered Species Act. A federal judge in Montana in 2018 overturned a decision to declassify Yellowstones grizzlies as a threatened species. Montana, Idaho and Wyoming officials are appealing the court ruling. Sena targets NCB: Officers trying to extort money by framing youngsters must be arrested Opposition front not possible without Congress: Shiv Sena leader Raut after meeting with Rahul Gandhi Sanjay Raut on chopper tragedy: We claim to have modernised armed forces, how could this happen? Campaign curbs should apply to all, PM Modi must lead by example: Sena's Raut Sena rejects Chavan's claim of coalition bid after 2014 polls India oi-PTI Mumbai, Jan 22: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday denied Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan's claim that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party approached the Congress after the 2014 state polls to form a coalition to keep the BJP out of power, saying such a proposal had 'no value' at that time. The Sena, however, also said that its tie-up with the Congress and NCP after the last year's Assembly elections materalised because NCP chief Sharad Pawar did not allow 'BJP's political machinations' to succeed and Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not reject the alliance proposal. Taking to PTI earlier this week, senior Congress leader Chavan claimed the Shiv Sena proposed to form a coalition with his party and the NCP after the 2014 state polls to stop the BJP from coming to power. But, the Congress then immediately rejected the proposal, he said. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Wednesday rejected the claim, saying the Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress and NCP contested the 2014 state Assembly polls separately. Will consider 'concrete' proposal from Sena: Prithviraj Chavan SC refuses to stay implementation of CAA, Centre gets 4 weeks to reply | OneIndia News 'There is no logic in what Chavan has said. The claim should have evaporated in Mumbai's mild winter breeze. The Shiv Sena and NCP didn't take the claim seriously. But, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis criticised the Shiv Sena, saying Chavan had exposed the party,' it said. Fadnavis, who is now leader of opposition in the Assembly, on Monday said Chavan's remarks were very surprising and revealed the 'true face' of the Shiv Sena, which in November last year formed government in the state along with the Congress and NCP. The Sena said in the four-cornered contest to the 288 -member state Assembly in 2014, the BJP got 122 seats, the Shiv Sena bagged 63, while the Congress and NCP 42 and 41 seats, respectively. The Congress was relegated to the third position. Under Chavan's leadership, the party had 'lost miserably and had no voice', it noted. 'There was no question of approaching the Congress for government formation. The Shiv Sena had made up its mind to be in the opposition,' it said. Notably, after the 2014 polls, BJP ran the government but later the Thackeray-led party also joined it. Sena never stopped talks, will adhere to coalition dharma: Raut The Shiv Sena in its editorial recalled that after the 2014 polls, NCP leader Praful Patel offered his party's support to the BJP. This exposed the 'real face' of the BJP which had snapped ties with the Shiv Sena before the Assembly polls, it claimed. 'Even if the three parties had come together, the tally would have been very close to the majority mark (of 145). This was dangerous and the BJP would have tried to pull down the government,' the Marathi publication said. After the last year's state polls, the BJP has to sit in the opposition despite getting 105 seats as the 'masks on its face continue to come off', the Shiv Sena claimed without elaborating. 'This time, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi took shape because Sharad Pawar did not allow BJP's political machinations to succeed and Sonia Gandhi did not reject the alliance proposal. In 2014, such a proposal had no value,' the Sena said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 11:43 [IST] A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a 17-year-old aspiring musician was stabbed to death. James Laurie, who was described as 'outgoing' and 'funny' by friends, died in hospital on Sunday after being knifed in the chest in Southampton. A boy from Andover will appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court today after police charged him last night with murder and possession of a bladed article. James Laurie, 17, described as 'outgoing' and 'funny' by friends, died in hospital on Sunday James's parents said in a statement: 'We will miss you and your cheeky smile forever. You were full of life. We will always think of you. Sleep tight now.' His friends also paid tribute to him, with Kayne Law, 18, saying: 'He was a really lovely lad, so bubbly and always making people laugh. He loved his rapping. 'We were only about 12 years old when he got me into rapping and I've never stopped since then. He was a proper good spirit to be around. It's such a shame.' Another friend, James Gunn, 18, added: 'It doesn't seem real that he has gone. He was always making everyone happy with his good vibes and banter.' Hampshire police have been investigating following the incident in Southampton on Sunday An unnamed third friend said: 'He was really funny and just nice to be around, if you went out with James you knew you would be fun. He was a really popular guy.' Following the attack on Lyndsay Road in the Thornhill area of Southampton, Hampshire Constabulary detectives launched extra patrols. Chief Inspector Phil Lamb said: 'This is a tragic incident in which a young man has lost his life. We believe at this stage that this is an isolated incident. 'But we are still keen to hear from anyone who was in the Thornhill area on Sunday prior to us being called at 6.15am. Following the attack in the Thornhill area of Southampton, police have launched extra patrols 'In addition to the specially-trained family liaison officers who are supporting James's family, a team of detectives, specialist search officers and neighbourhood officers are working on what is a broad and fast-paced investigation. 'We will be conducting extra patrols in the area over the coming days, not only to reassure the community, but also to support the investigation and the searches that we anticipate taking place.' A force spokesman said a post-mortem examination had taken place and found James died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police have asked anyone with information to submit it here or call 101 and quote 'Operation Tint'. Alternatively, people can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. After two successive polls showed them haemorrhaging support, the blame game has already started for some within Fine Gael. If they lose, it will be the fault of pinko liberals in the meeja who refuse to give Fine Gael "a fair crack of the whip". That's according to the party's director of elections in Dun Laoghaire, Paddy Hayes, who sent a tirade lambasting the media to local volunteers. Unfortunately for Mr Hayes, he appears to have problems more pressing than a vast media conspiracy - as a mole in his midst immediately leaked his incendiary comments to the journalists he had just excoriated. Shooting the messenger is one way to react to disappointing news, but it is unlikely to do much to bolster Fine Gael support. Attempting to make a convincing case for the party's continued stewardship of the country would be time better spent. After one week of campaigning, what has become apparent is the election race is wide open. Fianna Fail is in the lead, Fine Gael is on the backfoot and Sinn Fein is making gains - but the three parties were all hovering within four points of each other in the 'Irish Times'/Ipsos MRBI poll published on Monday night. With the Greens on 8pc nationally and 15pc in Dublin, they will be hopeful of being kingmakers in any future Dail. While Fianna Fail is presenting itself to voters as the natural successor to Fine Gael, voters don't yet know very much about what that alternative would entail. Fine Gael has derided the party for its delay in publishing its policy proposals in a range of key areas and there is merit to that criticism. Yesterday, when the party briefed the media on its housing policy, it failed to provide a written copy of its policy proposals before the event. How does it expect journalists to ask informed questions when it refuses to give them advance sight of its policy document? More importantly, given it has had four years to come up with its housing measures, why is it being so cagey about releasing them to the public now? Eventually, the party published a one-page summary of its housing proposals on its website. In contrast, Sinn Fein published its much more comprehensive housing policy the day before, while Fine Gael is sticking to its Rebuilding Ireland plan. Fianna Fail is not the only party keeping voters in the dark. There are just 18 days left in this campaign and not a single party has published its manifesto. Policy proposals in individual areas are being released on a piecemeal basis, often in skeletal form, with headline-grabbing promises being favoured over detailed analysis. The electorate deserves more. If parties believe they have devised policies that can truly resolve intractable problems in areas such as health and housing, then those policies need to be scrutinised before people go to the polls. As it stands, the first head-to-head debate will take place on Virgin Media One tonight between Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin before either leader has bothered to publish their manifesto. It's hard to avoid the feeling policies are being made up on the hoof as the campaign progresses, with little advance preparation having been done. This is especially the case when it comes to what has turned into a huge election issue - the rising retirement age. Revelations that measures were put in place as far back as 2014 to insulate public sector workers from the financial hardship of the reforms, while private sector workers are expected to sign on the dole between the ages of 65 and 68, will ensure it remains a potent topic. Part of Sinn Fein's seven-point bounce in Monday's poll could well be due its savvy in identifying this as an issue, along with Labour, which was bubbling under the surface with a large cohort of voters and promising to revert the retirement age back to 65 if elected. Labour, for its part, has promised to make halting any further increases in the retirement age a precondition for entering government. In contrast, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail were caught by surprise by the intensity of public anger on this issue, with the latter now promising a review before the retirement age increases to 67 next year and Fine Gael mooting a transitional payment so retirees - many of whom are contractually obliged to retire at 65 - are spared the indignity of signing on. For voters who want to make an informed choice there remains a problem. None of the parties has costed their proposals, meaning no one can credibly explain where the money for these changes will come from. This election has been framed by some as a presidential-style contest between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. But, due to our system of proportional representation, the electorate can wield enormous power if allegiances are switched. If political parties over-promise without providing the fine detail to back up their commitments, voters are unlikely to be swayed. Similarly, a reluctance to publish policy proposals should be met with suspicion and scepticism. The stakes in this election - the ability to find a home, receive appropriate healthcare, the protection of communities from criminality, to be treated with dignity in old age - could not be higher. The electorate deserve an informed debate and serious analysis of competing policy proposals before casting their votes. Apparently, there is one chink in the amazing Wanda Polissenis armour. Ask her what it means to receive this years Unsung Hero Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association, and you discover the kryptonite. Im speechless, the 80-year-old philanthropist said. I dont do well in these instances. Im blown away. I dont know what to say. After that, of course, the woman who defines class knew exactly what to say; and she said it with the dignity that has made her a beloved figure in harness racing this century. I never even think of receiving anything like this, Polisseni said. I dont go about my days doing the things I do, thinking that its going to be rewarded with recognition. I know people appreciate what I do. I know my babies (her horses) all appreciate what I do. That in itself is enough for me. Thats what its all about. Lest one think that is false humility, Wanda is honest enough to admit that while she doesnt expect awards, she does enjoy receiving them. I would say this one is probably one of my favourites, right near the top or at the top, she said. This is a great organization, a large organization. This ranks with getting a doctorate of humane letters from Keuka College. But every one of them is important. Each and every one. I dont care if its from the local boy scouts or whatever. Im appreciative of everything, although I dont strive for that. Id rather be under the radar. Polisseni was informed of her award by longtime friend Betty Holt, a former Unsung Hero Award recipient and the executive director of Wandas newest endeavour, the Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program in Oxford, NY. Their relationship dates back to 2004, when Polisseni first got into the racing game as an owner. Her two-year-old gelding, Smoky Bonz, won at Saratoga. Holt was involved in the breeding of the horse and visited the winners circle after the race. A friendship was born. Whoever called Betty (from the U.S. Harness Writers Association), said it would mean more to me coming from her, and they were right, Polisseni said. Smoky Bonz is one of my all-time favourites, I have a huge oil painting of him in my living room and she foaled him. I worked along with her with the breeders and horsemens association and I knew without a doubt when I started talking about (the adoption centre) that she would be the best one for the executive director. Shes doing a terrific job. So yes, hearing the news from her meant a lot. Wanda Polisseni Wanda Polisseni The adoption centre got underway in earnest last fall and recently placed its first two horses with new owners. There are seven more waiting for new homes in the 20-stall facility and funding has been provided by Polisseni and numerous private donations, some of which came from people I wouldnt have expected. The centre must wait between one and two years to petition for grants, but the face lift has been a typical Polisseni operation first class. I wanted to freshen it up and add stalls so wed have more babies available for adoption, she said. If I ever wanted to live on a farm again (which is where she grew up), I would love to live on this farm, its so beautiful. But thats not my aspiration. I just want a lot of babies there and a lot of babies to be adopted out. Polissenis other babies can be found in her family-owned Purple Haze Stables, which houses 100 horses. Many have been successful over the years and she feels somewhat chagrined about that but, at the same time, unashamed. I started in 2004, she said. Thats not many years compared to some of these people, these trainers and owners that have been in it for 50 years. I feel a little guilty for the success Ive had, because they are due. They are long overdue. But it is what it is. Im going to take the wins and Im going to take the losses. Im happy if my baby comes in fourth or fifth and hes done the best he can and hes safe and healthy. Tending to her babies and overseeing the adoption centre is just a fraction of what makes Polisseni special. Showing an unheard-of amount of energy for an 80-year-old, the upstate New York icon currently sits on eight different boards, including The Finger Lakes Horsemen Benevolent Protective Association, the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program, and the Harness Horse Breeders of New York. Beyond the business, she is involved with the New York State Trooper Foundation, Thompson Health, St. John Fisher College and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She refuses to be on any board in name only and makes a firm commitment to each one. Polisseni is the epitome of someone who feels blessed with what they have been given, and truly wants to give back. She is unsung, because she will never sing her own praises. That will be especially true when she receives her honour at the February 23 Dan Patch Awards banquet in Orlando, Fla., where the speech will be short and sweet. Whenever anything like this comes along with all these organizations and galas, and it has many times in my years, they dont want to sit there and listen to speeches; they dont want to be inundated with speech after speech after speech, Polisseni said. Some people in the audience cant relate to those experiences, so why make them have to listen to it? I might just say a few words. Ive always done that. I always get up and tell the audience Im going to make your night. Im only going to say thank you very much and thats it. She then added with a touch of whimsy, Thats gone over very well at many of the galas Ive attended. For more information about the Dan Patch Awards banquet, visit the U.S. Harness Writers Associations website. (USTA) The leaders of the two main parties in the Irish General Election will go head to head in a television debate on Wednesday night. The first leaders debate of the poll will take place between Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has criticised the head-to-head format and has said it is unfair that she is being excluded as the leader of the third largest party. The figures in an Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll published on Monday put support for Fianna Fail on 25%, Fine Gael on 23% and Sinn Fein on 21%. Ms McDonald has asked voters who may be unsure of supporting her party to give us a chance and has insisted she should be allowed take part in the main televised leaders debates during the campaign. Pearse Doherty says it's time for a government for the people! Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have governed for almost 100 years in the interests of the elites. It's now time for a Sinn Fein government that puts the interests of ordinary people first! #GE2020 @PearseDoherty pic.twitter.com/6y8xE8MRgw Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) January 22, 2020 Mr Martin has argued that only Fine Gael or Fianna Fail will potentially lead the next government because of the number of candidates running so her exclusion is justified. Sinn Fein is standing 42 candidates across 39 constituencies, and would need almost all of them to be elected in order to be the dominant party in a majority coalition government. The first head-to-head debate between Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin takes place on Virgin Media One on Wednesday night with the second on RTE on Tuesday February 4, some four days before polling day on February 8. Sinn Fein TD and director of elections Pearse Doherty confirmed he had written to Virgin Media objecting to the head-to-head debate. Mr Varadkar has said he would have welcomed a three-way debate but said it is ultimately the decision of television producers. He took a break from campaigning around the country to prepare for the live debate. Hes in, and it doesnt get any easier, Leo Varadkar submits nomination papers for the fourth time to run in Dublin West. pic.twitter.com/U3ZExM3nyH aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) January 22, 2020 His party has suffered a difficult start to their re-election bid with two recent opinion polls showing a drop in support for the party and his own personal rating. Mr Martin has dismissed polls putting Fianna Fail ahead of Fine Gael and insisted they will fluctuate in the weeks ahead and the gap between the two parties is close. Wednesday marks day eight of the campaign with pensions, housing and health on the agenda as candidates continue to push for votes. On the campaign trail on Wednesday morning, Mr Varadkar officially handed in his ballot papers in Dublin while his Fine Gael party colleague Simon Coveney went to Co Tipperary to set out the partys plans for rural Ireland. On Wednesday morning, businessman and former presidential candidate Peter Casey submitted his papers to contest the same constituency as Mr Varadkar in Dublin West race. Mr Casey said wanted to return the courtesy for Mr Varadkar telling people not to vote for him in the 2018 presidential election. Expand Close Fine Gael politician Maria Bailey will not be standing (Niall Carson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fine Gael politician Maria Bailey will not be standing (Niall Carson/PA) He has also submitted papers to run in Co Donegal as there is no restriction on a candidate running in multiple constituencies. Meanwhile, Independent TD Tommy Broughan who was first elected to the Irish parliament in 1992, announced that he is not running for re-election in Dublin Bay North. Outgoing Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey said she will not be contesting the upcoming election after a decision from her party in November to remove her from the General Election ticket in the constituency. Ms Bailey had been under scrutiny since her compensation case for falling off a swing at the Dean Hotel in Dublin in 2015 came to light last year. An escaped Belgian prisoner taunted his former jailers by returning his prison badge with a cheery holiday message, purportedly from Thailand. Oualid Sekkaki had sent a postcard bearing the message "Greetings from Thailand", a source speaking on condition of anonymity said on Wednesday, confirming local reports. "Yesterday the local jail authorities received a letter from Mr Sekkaki," prison service spokeswoman Kathleen Van De Vijver said, without confirming the origin or content of the letter. "There was a message for management and his badge." The 26-year-old escaped from Turnhout prison in northern Belgium with four other detainees in December. Three were quickly rounded up and one was arrested in January in the Netherlands. But Sekkaki's whereabouts remained unknown, adding to his family legend: His brother Ashraf was nicknamed the "king of escapes" after fleeing Bruges jail in 2009 in a helicopter. Oualid Sekkaki was in Turnhout after being sentenced for his role in a shooting in 2015, according to Flemish public television. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Democratic lawmakers had earlier said it was clear that the "evidence overwhelmingly establishes" that Trump is guilty of both charges in the two articles of impeachment. U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday assailed the impeachment case against him as a "dangerous perversion of the Constitution," asserting he did "absolutely nothing wrong" in pressing Ukraine to launch investigations to benefit himself politically. The lawyers for the U.S. leader said Democratic lawmakers pushing for the impeachment of the Republican president and his removal from office were not trying to find the truth about Trump's Ukraine-related actions, but rather some way to overturn his 2016 election and interfere with his 2020 reelection campaign, Voice of America reports. In a legal brief a day ahead of the first substantive session of Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate, the lawyers called the Democrats' case against him "a constitutional travesty" and said the Senate should swiftly acquit him of the two articles of impeachment he is facing. One alleges that he abused the presidency by pressing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate one of his top 2020 Democratic challengers, former Vice President Joe Biden, and the other that he obstructed Congress in its review of his Ukraine efforts. Read alsoTrump's team seeing Ukraine as easy mark "bad miscalculation" media Democratic lawmakers had earlier said it was clear that the "evidence overwhelmingly establishes" that Trump is guilty of both charges in the two articles of impeachment. The Trump lawyers, in their 110-page filing, said that Trump was conducting normal foreign policy affairs in dealing with Zelensky. They said he did not commit a crime, even though conviction of an impeached U.S. president and removal from office does not depend on a specific violation of a criminal law. Rather it is how the 100 members of the Senate, acting as jurors, interpret the standard for conviction set out in the U.S. Constitution, whether a president has committed "high crimes and misdemeanors." No matter the legal arguments for and against Trump, he almost certainly will be acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate, where a two-thirds vote against him would be required for conviction and removal from office, just months ahead of his reelection bid in November. At least 20 of the 53 Republicans in the chamber would have to join all 47 Democrats to convict Trump, and no Republican has called for his ouster. But Trump's impeachment trial is only the third such event in the nearly 2-1/2 centuries of U.S. history and the proceedings, overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts, will be fraught with uncertainty. The White House is predicting Trump's acquittal within two weeks, but the trial could last much longer if Democrats succeed in persuading four Republicans to join them in calling for testimony from key Trump aides about the president's Ukraine-related actions. "But if the wicked man turns [away] from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die." [Ezekiel 18:21] Amplified Bible Jesus Christ had to die a vicarious death for the sins of the world. His death bridged the gap between God and man. Surprisingly, some people are still in the old life's. Yet God hasn't given up on them. There is restitution for the wicked if he or she turns away from evil ways, act on God's word and live a righteousness life. It doesn't matter the magnitude of sin, therefore don't die in your sin. Pray to God through His beloved Son, Christ Jesus for forgiveness of sins from your heart. Invite Christ Jesus into your heart to henceforth direct and lead your path in all ways. Remember God is still watching over you. God bless you. Prayer O Lord, per divine grace evident through Christ Jesus forgive my sins and use me for your glory in Jesus' name, Amen. Rev. Ebenezer Zor Follow me on www.facebook.com/zorebenezer or Whatsapp me on +233246646694 for daily message or [email protected] [email protected] Skype live: zorebenezer #WordDigest2020 #Inspiringthegeneration #MRCI The meeting of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Israel is not planned. A meeting with the President of Russia, who will also participate in the World Holocaust Forum, is not planned. If there is communication on the sidelines, the President of Ukraine plans to discuss only the issue of further release of detained persons, the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine reports. As noted, Zelensky is expected to participate in the events of the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, as well as to hold meetings with the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Julius Edelestelin. On January 23-24, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will make a working visit to Israel to participate in the commemorative events at the Fifth World Holocaust Forum dedicated to the 75th anniversary of liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. ol At least nine people have died from a new coronavirus in China following an outbreak in the central city of Wuhan, and more than 470 cases have been reported globally, most of them in China where the infection has spread faster in recent days. Global health authorities and financial markets fear the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese will travel domestically and overseas during the upcoming week-long Lunar New Year holiday. Known cases China's National Health Commission has confirmed nine deaths and 440 cases by the end of January 21. Local and regional authorities on January 22 reported an additional 27 new cases. Thailand has reported four cases, and South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the United States one each. All of those cases involved people who had recently been in Wuhan. Authorities investigating origin Chinese health authorities are still trying to determine the origin of the virus, which they say came from a market in Wuhan where wildlife was traded illegally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says an animal appears most likely to be the primary source. China's National health Commission Vice Minister Li Bin told reporters during a briefing on January 22 there is evidence of respiratory transmission of the virus from patient to patient. Chinese authorities have also said 15 medical staff have been infected. Some experts say the virus may not be as deadly as some other coronaviruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people during a 2002-2003 outbreak also originating from China. Counter-measures There is no vaccine for the new virus, which China says is mutating. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. Chinese authorities have stepped up monitoring and disinfection efforts ahead of the Lunar New Year break that formally starts on January 24, when many of China's 1.4 billion people will travel domestically and overseas. They have also advised people to not travel to Wuhan and also asked Wuhan residents to remain in the city. Airport authorities in the United States as well as many Asian countries, including Japan, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea, stepped up screening of passengers from Wuhan. Singapore announced on January 21 it will quarantine individuals with pneumonia and travel history to Wuhan within 14 days before the onset of symptoms. Taiwan's government on January 22 advised people to not visit Wuhan unless they absolutely must and suspended Wuhan tourist groups from visiting the island. The WHO sent directives to hospitals around the world on infection prevention and control. It has also convened an emergency committee of experts on January 22 to assess whether the outbreak constitutes an international emergency. Advice for Irish travellers The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs are advising travellers to check with their doctor wells in advance of travelling to see if you need any vaccinations for China. The WHO and other international organisations have not advised that travellers should change their plans with regards to China. However, while the risk of contracting the disease for travellers and foreign residents in China remains low, there is a possibility that travel could be disrupted by increased quarantine and containment measures employed by the Chinese government. "Travellers and residents should be aware of potential delays and checks when entering or leaving China or large cities within China, and potential delays and disruption when travelling from China to other countries, particularly at airports," a spokesperson for the DFA said. "The Embassy of Ireland will continue to monitor the situation." The Department also strongly recommends that travellers obtain comprehensive travel insurance which will cover all overseas medical costs, including medical repatriation/evacuation, repatriation of remains and legal costs. Public, companies react While the WHO has yet to recommended trade or travel restrictions, some Chinese travel booking platforms and airlines have offered free cancellations for Wuhan trips. Beyond Wuhan, some Chinese have begun cancelling other travel plans for the Lunar New Year season and avoiding public areas like cinemas and shopping centres. Companies are handing out masks and warning staff to avoid Wuhan. Shanghai's Disneyland will waive some rescheduling fees for customers that change travel plans. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd will let passengers to Wuhan change or cancel flights without charge through February 15 and permit cabin crew to wear masks on flights to the mainland. [January 22, 2020] Global Commercial Service Robot Market Forecasts to 2025 - Key Players are Northrop Grumman, KUKA, Kongsberg Maritime, Intuitive Surgical, and Parrot DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Commercial Service Robot Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global commercial service robot market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 14% during the period 2019-2025. Key Market Insights The analysis of the commercial service robot market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the period 2019-2025. Offers market sizing and growth prospects of the commercial service robot market for the forecast period. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the commercial service robot market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. The global commercial service robot market is undergoing several transformations. The demand and utilization of commercial service robots are increasing on account of rapid urbanization, rising living standards, and high applications in military, agricultural, and commercial end-user segments. Over the past few decades, the market has witnessed the introduction of disruptive technology, along with hardware integration. Hence, the increasing emphasis on research and development, coupled with the adoption of smart techniques and automation, has expanded the scope of the robotics industry. Continuous innovations and R&D are expected to unfold several opportunities for vendors. Vendors are focusing on promoting their products via online channels to gather maximum customer coverage. The continuous focus on research and development has pushed the global commercial service robot market to develop innovative, automated products catering to the healthcare sector. The high success rate of robotic surgeries has driven vendors to develop automated surgery solutions, thereby increasing the demand for service robots. Commercial Service Robot Market: Segmentation This research report includes detailed segmentation by application, distribution, operation, and geography. The healthcare segment has witnessed significant growth in the past years. It is likely to continue during the forecast period due to the growing number of surgical robot addictions and the increasing demand for rehabilitation robots. Their services in hospitals help to minimize errors and follow prescribed regulations. Another key factor, which is likely to drive the segment, is the increased investment in healthcare automation. The increase in efficiency and productivity is a major factor in the adoption of robots in the logistics sector. The primary application is the use of mobile automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in warehouses and storage facilities to transport goods. Companies, nowadays, are emphasizing on the usage of smart and automated warehouse handling methods. Hence, major firms are focusing on these machines to boost factory and warehouse logistics. Agricultural robots have witnessed an increase in managing several agricultural processes effectively. The emergence of greater farmland in APAC is a significant driver for the growth of this segment. Surface robots are observing high adoption in the operational segment. The segment is likely to witness innovations in the coming years, which is expected to push the demand across the globe. Further, the growing emphasis on adopting these devices in the entertanment and education sector is projected to propel the market worldwide. Aerial robots are heading toward significant growth as they can be used for searching, surveillance, mapping, and inspection and maintenance services and tasks inspection, etc. The growing investment in sophisticated equipment is likely to provide numerous opportunities to vendors, thereby accelerating growth prospects. Commercial service robots are prominently sold through dealer distribution channels and retail stores. Well established retail channels have promoted the sale through indirect channels such as government agencies and distributors. In 2018, the indirect sales channel segment was the largest revenue contributor to the global commercial service robot market. The direct sales segment is facing intense competition from the retail segment. The online segment is witnessing high traction from the US and other APAC countries, particularly China and India . North America has been at the forefront of technological advancement and development. The region, which comprises the US and Canada , is expected to witness a stable growth rate in the next few years. The US is a key country with regard to the demand for commercial service robots. Considering the tech-savvy population and the highly embracing culture of technological advancements in the country, the demand can be expected to rise significantly in the times to come. In APAC, the increasing adoption of these automated machines is growing at a rapid pace due to the increasing infrastructure development, leading to the establishment of advanced commercial spaces. The major reason for the growth in Europe is due to the high adoption in new commercial sectors. In MEA, the major reason for the increase in demand is the continuous focus on compatible infrastructure development, leading to the development of advanced commercial spaces. Insights by Vendors The global commercial service robot market is currently witnessing intense competition. The rapidly changing market dynamics concerning product innovation and advancement is acting as a catalyst to intensify the competition among existing players. Consumers have several choices with respect to product availability. The present scenario is driving vendors to alter and redefine their unique value proposition to achieve a strong presence. The market showcases flexible behavior in terms of the adoption of new innovative products. The competition is expected to intensify further with an increase in product/service extensions, innovations, and M&As. Key Topics Covered 1 Research Methodology 2 Research Objectives 3 Research Process 4 Scope & Coverage 4.1 Market Definition 4.1.1 Inclusions 4.1.2 Exclusions 4.2 Base Year 4.3 Scope of the study 4.4 Market Segments 4.4.1 Market Segmentation by Application Type 4.4.2 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel 4.4.3 Market Segmentation by Operation 4.4.4 Market Segmentation by Geography 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Introduction 7.1 Overview 7.2 Macroeconomic Factors Enabling Market Growth 7.2.1 Economic Development 7.2.2 Per Capita GDP in Developing Markets 7.2.3 Dual-Income Households in Developed Markets 8 Market Dynamics 8.1 Market Growth Enablers 8.1.1 Use of Robots in Education, Research, Defense and Security 8.1.2 Rising Demand for Mobile-Robotic Solutions 8.1.3 High Demand from the Medical & Healthcare Sector 8.1.4 High Labor Cost & Lack of Skilled Human Workforce 8.2 Market Growth Restraints 8.2.1 High Initial Investment 8.2.2 Unpredictable Performance in Untested Environments 8.2.3 Concern for Human Safety 8.3 Market Opportunities & Trends 8.3.1 Demand for Robotic Products in Military & Commercial Use 8.3.2 Growth Potential Across Developing Nations 8.3.3 Persistent Innovation across Service Robots Sector 9 Value Chain 9.1 Overview 9.2 Value Chain Analysis 9.2.1 Overview 9.2.2 Raw Material Suppliers 9.2.3 Manufacturers 9.2.4 Distributors/Dealers 9.2.5 Retailers 9.2.6 End-users 10 Commercial Service Robot Market 10.1 Market Overview 10.1.1 Historical Data 20172018 10.1.2 Market Size & Forecast 10.1.3 Market by Geography - Revenue & Unit Shipment 10.2 Five Forces Analysis 11 Market by Application 11.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 11.2 Market Overview 11.3 Healthcare 11.4 Defense, Rescue, and Security 11.5 Logistics 11.6 Construction 11.7 Field 11.8 Others 12 By Operation 12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 12.2 Market Overview 12.3 Surface 12.4 Aerial 12.5 Marine 13 By Distribution Channels 13.1 Market Overview 14 By Geography 14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 14.2 Overview 15 North America 16 Europe 17 APAC 18 Middle East & Africa 19 Latin America 20 Competitive Landscape 20.1 Competition Overview 21 Key Company Profiles 21.1 Northrop Grumman Corporation 21.1.1 Business Overview 21.1.2 Business Segments 21.1.3 Northrop Grumman Corporation in Global Commercial Service Robot Market 21.1.4 Major Product Offerings 21.1.5 Key Strengths 21.1.6 Key Strategy 21.1.7 Key Opportunity 21.2 KUKA AG (Midea Group) 21.3 Kongsberg Maritime 21.4 Intuitive Surgical 21.5 Parrot 22 Other Prominent Vendors 22.1 GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. 22.1.1 Business Overview 22.1.2 Key Strengths 22.2 Honda Motor 22.3 Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies 22.4 Bluefin Robotics (General Dynamics) 22.5 ECA Group (Groupe Gorg) 22.6 Aethon 22.7 DeLaval International 22.8 Lely Holding 22.9 ABB 22.10 Yaskawa Motoma (Yaskawa Electric Corporation) 22.11 Fanuc Corporation 22.12 Panasonic Corporation 22.13 DJI 22.14 Staubli International 22.15 Nachi Robotic Systems 22.16 Robosoft Systems 22.17 ProDrone 22.18 Comau S.p.A. 22.19 Stryker Corporation 22.20 RobotLAB 22.21 Fetch 22.22 Think Surgical 22.23 Restoration Robotics For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/74f8yh Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-commercial-service-robot-market-forecasts-to-2025---key-players-are-northrop-grumman-kuka-kongsberg-maritime-intuitive-surgical-and-parrot-300991193.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] An IRA double agent was at the centre of a notorious own goal explosion that left two civilians dead. Police informant Gerry McGivern who died in exile in England can be named as a member of the Falls Road Baths bomb team that murdered Eamon Gilroy (24), Elizabeth Hamill (60) and soldier John Howard (29) in a no-warning attack. His name emerged after a survivor of the devastating 1988 blast lodged a High Court claim against the Libyan government for supplying the IRA with Semtex used in the west Belfast slaughter, when Muammar Gaddafi was in control of Libya. This is the first time that a compensation case of this nature has been pursued through the Northern Ireland courts. Victims are now questioning whether the bombing could have been avoided because of McGiverns role as a double agent. One told Sunday Life: I want to know if Special Branch had prior knowledge of this attack through its agent Gerry McGivern. Expand Close Ex-IRA gunman Gerry McGivern with his unsuspecting partner Anne Mackay. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ex-IRA gunman Gerry McGivern with his unsuspecting partner Anne Mackay. It was a massive own goal for the IRA and no one has ever been able to explain why the bomb was detonated. The IRA took over the Falls Road Baths in the hours before the bombing, waiting on an Army foot patrol to pass. However, its members inexplicably detonated the command-wire activated device after the soldiers had walked by, killing Eamon Gilroy and Elizabeth Hamill. Five other locals were also seriously injured, including a four-year-old child and her grandmother. Soldier John Howard was blown up by a second bomb hidden in the baths targeting members of the security services who the Provos knew would be sent to seal-off the scene. The IRA said in a later statement that it was an operation that went tragically wrong. Solicitor Kevin Winters, who is representing one of the survivors, has been trying to establish the role informants played in the attack. The PSNI is refusing to co-operate with his requests for assistance citing national security concerns. In an email it said: Disclosure of the identity of informants would impact on the recruitment and retention of CHIS (Covert Human Intelligence Sources) in general as this would place individuals and their families in danger. However, republican sources have been more vocal and named Gerry McGivern (right) as being among the Falls Road Baths bomb team. This comes as no surprise to the victim whose compensation case is now before the High Court in Belfast. He said: McGivern was untouchable, he led a charmed life and now people know why because he was being protected. When McGivern died from a heart attack in the south coast of England in 2014, his local Conservative Party club, of which he was an esteemed member, flew the Union flag at half mast. What they had no idea about is that the 46-year-old, known locally as Irish Gerry, was an IRA killer and convicted drug dealer. McGivern first joined the Provos in the 1980s and quickly forged a reputation as a ruthless bomber. In 1989, the year after the Falls Road Baths explosion, he blew up soldier Steve Gill with a barrel bomb. The 19-year-old squaddie, who later appeared on Big Brother, lost both legs and an eye in the blast. At the same time, McGivern was providing information to his Special Branch handlers leading to the arrest of more than a dozen IRA members from the Lower Falls. He also gave up the location of primed bombs and weapons tip-offs that saved lives. After one of these discoveries in 1991, McGivern, who was under suspicion from Provo bosses, was thrown out of the paramilitary gang. The explanation given for the expulsion by republican chiefs was his involvement in the burglary of a pensioners home. However, the real reason was the belief that he was working for Special Branch. McGivern only avoided being murdered by the IRA because of family friendships with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. Later that year he was kneecapped by the Provos for stealing 6,000 from a supermarket on the Springfield Road while holding the owner and staff at gunpoint. Fearing that it was only a matter of time before he was killed, McGivern gave himself up to police. In 1992 he pleaded guilty to IRA membership, armed robbery, criminal damage and aggravated burglary, receiving a six-year prison term. After getting out of prison, McGivern moved to Liverpool where he became a leading member of a heroin-dealing gang. In 1998, he was caged for a further three years for supplying the drug. Released in 2000, he relocated to Torquay, settling down with unsuspecting partner Anne Mackay and becoming a member of the Hele Conservative Club. When Sunday Life revealed McGiverns IRA past to shocked Tories in the seaside town, local councillor Robert Excell said: Ive no idea why the flag at Hele was flown at half mast when Gerry McGivern died, as this normally only occurs when dignitaries have passed away. I must admit, it is embarrassing. Following his funeral, partner Anne told a local newspaper: He was a charmer, well-liked by everybody and had a heart of gold. He was a colourful character in the village. Everybody knew Irish Gerry. cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk Easton Arts Academy Elementary Charter Schools operations manager is on unpaid administrative leave for violating school policies, according to the school board president. School board President Michelle Zattoni said Jacqueline Zupko was placed on unpaid administrative leave on Jan. 17, 2020. Zupko violated the schools information technology and personnel policies, Zattoni said Tuesday. Zattoni said the school is investigating whether additional policies were violated. She did not comment on specifically how Zupko allegedly violated school policies. Zattoni said the board will vote at its meeting Thursday on whether to terminate Zupko. Zupko couldnt be reached for comment. Zupko was sued in December 2018 for allegedly rigging grades at the Easton charter school. The lawsuit had no bearing on the decision to place Zupko on leave, Zattoni said. The co-defendant in the lawsuit, Shawn Ferrara, has since left the school. He formerly served as the schools chief administrative officer. A lehighvalleylive.com investigation uncovered complaints from employees and ex-employees about a toxic work environment at the school. Zupko is the one remaining administrator still working at the school since those complaints were reported. The school board fired Chief Executive Officer Joanna Hughes and solicitor Brian Leinhauser last month. The school is pursuing an unspecified complaint against Leinhausers firm, the MacMain Law Group. Principal William Wright was appointed interim CEO. Hes the fourth principal in the schools history. The school was founded in 2017. It opened in the former Express-Times offices at 30 N. Fourth St. in Easton. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run. They were authorized as an alternative to traditional public schools to improve learning and encourage innovative approaches to teaching. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Sudhir Suryavanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: From reading the Preamble of the Constitution at the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Uddhav Thackeray government has made a leap of faith by making its collective reading at all schools mandatory before prayer every day from January 26 in Maharashtra. By making the collective reading of the Preamble a central feature of the anti-CAA protests, the agitators had sought to reaffirm their faith in the Constitution and in its sovereign, secular and democratic nature. According to a circular issued by the Maharashtra government, the collective reading of the Preamble from this Republic Day in all primary and secondary will help the students imbibe the values of Sarvobhaum Sanvidhanache Janhit Sarvanche (Constitution is supreme for the welfare of all). If the Preamble is internalised at a young and tender age, then the students will cherish it in all walks of life, read the notification, a copy of which is with this newspaper. District education officers in the state have been tasked with monitoring and reviewing its implementation. Maharashtra has around 1.10 lakh primary, secondary and private schools. Ashish Shelar, former education minister and senior BJP leader, welcomed the notification. But after reading the Preamble, if someone says Bharat Mata Ki Jai or Vande Mataram, they should not be boycotted or ill-treated, he, however, said sarcastically. When the common minimum programme of the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi was drafted, the Congress had insisted on inserting the word secular in its preamble. Ravindra Waikar, a Shiv Sena legislator, said the Maharashtra governments decision will not stoke any controversy. Reading the Preamble is always good. It will help students know the Constitution at a tender age, he said. Inculcating values Values of justice, freedom, equality and fraternity form the core of our Constitution. Its directive principles, duties and rights should be taught at a young age. If students properly imbibe those values, they will grow into responsible, civilized and cultured citizens, the notification said A Nigerian lady on Twitter has lamented over what she describes a Yahoo boy stereotype The lady, identified as Bisi, hinted that the yahoo boy stereotype is not only an issue with SARS officials and the police. Bisi also shared a story that better expressed her point. READ ALSO You All Are Owing Me, I Went To Prison Because Of You All Naira Marley Tells Yahoo Boys According to Bisis story, a man was refused an apartment he had already paid for after the landlady presumed that he is a Yahoo boy. See Her Post Here: New Delhi [India], Jan 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday chair the 32nd interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for pro-active governance and timely implementation. According to a release issued by Narendra Modi website, in the previous 31 interactions of PRAGATI, projects worth over Rs 12 lakh crores have been reviewed by the Prime Minister. In the last PRAGATI meeting of the year 2019, nine projects worth over Rs. 61,000 crore related to 16 states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were taken up for discussion. There were also discussions on various topics like grievances of Indian citizens working abroad, National Agriculture Market, Aspirational District Programme and infrastructure development programmes and initiatives. The Prime Minister had launched the multi-purpose and multi-modal governance platform PRAGATI on March 25, 2015. PRAGATI - is an integrating and interactive platform, aimed at addressing the common man's grievances. PRAGATI also helps in simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India, as well as projects flagged by various state governments. (ANI) US President Donald Trump said hes disappointed in Boeing, which said on Tuesday that its 737 MAX wont be cleared to return to flight until midyear. Very disappointing company, Trump said on Wednesday in Davos, where hes attending the World Economic Forums annual conference. This is one of the great companies of the world, lets say as of a year ago, and then all of a sudden things happen. Musk one of our great geniuses In the same interview, Trump praised Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk as one of our ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Sweden Seeks to Ban All Religious Schools to Combat 'Segregation' Amid Increasing Muslim Population Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Sweden's governing party is seeking to ban all religious schools to combat "segregation" in the country, which has taken in a record number of Muslim asylum seekers in recent years. Sweden's Social Democratic Party, which leads a minority government in one of the most atheistic nation's in the western world, issued the proposal Tuesday outlining its education policy ahead of this year's general election. "We have to knock down segregation to keep Sweden together ... school segregation must therefore also be broken down," Ardalan Shekarabi, a leading member of the Social Democrats and Sweden's minister for Public Administration, said at a news conference in Stockholm, the MailOnline reports. "In our schools, teachers and principals should make the decisions, not priests or imams," he asserted. The party said in a statement that rather than religion, the school system's foundation should be knowledge, learning, equality and democratic values where each pupil "is free to form their own ideas and future." To do this, existing religious schools must be transformed into ordinary secular schools, the party said. Shekarabi said his party wants to "tear down the wall" that runs through Swedish schools and increased segregation. "We have seen cases of systematic gender segregation and opinions that do not belong in Swedish schools," he added. The proposal, which hasn't yet been backed by parliament, has been criticized by some as "a violation of the European Convention of Human Rights" and "the freedom of religion." Aida Hadzialic, the minister for Upper Secondary School, concurred that no one should be forced to engage in any religious practice at any school. Hadzialic further addressed concerns about Muslim schools where classes are separated by gender. "The schools law stipulates that school tuition must be secular, but we are receiving worrying signals that this is not the case, that girls and boys are being taught separately. We can't have it like that," said Hadzialic. "Swedish schools should be for everybody, they should break down segregation and form the basis for Sweden to stay strong." All religious schools in Sweden operate independently while receiving state funding. Currently, the country has over 70 religious schools, the majority of which are Christian, about a dozen are Islamic, and only a few are Jewish institutions. Since 2012, the country has registered around 400,000 asylum requests, according to government reports. Statistics show that most asylum seekers in 2016 came from Syria (19 percent), Afghanistan (10 percent) and Iraq (9.5 percent). The proposal comes on the heels of a report that the Swedish government actively studies religious persecution of Muslims and Jews, but are largely ignoring attacks against Christians asylum seekers and refugees from the Middle East living in the country. In the report, deputy general secretary of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance Jacob Rudenstrand and Open Doors Sweden Director Peter Paulsson said that while it's "laudable" that the country has welcomed asylum seekers, it's also "led to many violent incidents, as the hatred against religious minorities in, for example, Syria and Iraq has now migrated to Sweden." But "the reaction both in the media and from government officials have been cool" toward the hostility and violence toward Christians, they said, noting that 53 percent of Christian refugees reported they had been attacked at least once. Nearly half, 45 percent, reported that they had gotten at least one death threat. "Despite news reports of such attacks against Christians, Sweden's government has launched no serious investigation," the Christian leaders said. "The evidence shows that [Christian refugees] are not safe in Sweden, which needs to take measures to improve their security, but first it must acknowledge the seriousness of the problem they face." If you have just had knee, shoulder or hip surgery, you may want to take anti-inflammatories in the morning or at noon, but not at night. A McGill-led study shows, for the first time, that circadian clock genes are involved in healing from surgery. Indeed, the researchers demonstrated that anti-inflammatory medications are most effective in promoting post-operative healing and recovery when taken during the active periods of our biological clocks. The study, recently published in Scientific Reports, also suggests that if anti-inflammatories are taken either in the afternoon or at night, during the resting phases of the circadian rhythm, they can severely deter healing and bone repair following surgery. Thats because these are the periods when cells known as osteoblasts are rebuilding bone. Circadian clock genes involved in healing from surgery Although prior research has shown that circadian clock genes play a role in diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers, arthritis and Parkinsons, this is the first study to see the effect of the circadian rhythm in any type of surgery or injury. Faleh Tamimi Marino, the Canada Research Chair for Translational Cranofacial Research is the senior co-author on the article, along with Belinda Nicolau and Laura Stone. All are McGills Faculty of Dentistry. Inflammation, following surgery, is crucial to healing since part of the process involves both destroying any bacteria that may be in the area, and signaling to attract the cells that will rebuild the tissues. But the process is not a constant. There are periods of inflammation that are actually very destructive, and there are periods that are constructive and important for healing, said Faleh Tamimi. So many pharmaceutical companies have been trying to develop drugs that will inhibit the destructive processes during inflammation but not interfere with the helpful ones. He adds, The idea that I came up with in the shower one morning is that we could perhaps use the circadian variations in inflammation to our advantage. The destructive component of the circadian rhythm as it relates to bone healing occurs during the day, when cells known as osteoclasts break down bones. The constructive cells, known as osteoblasts that rebuild bones are active at night. By limiting the use of anti-inflammatories to the mornings and giving analgesics at night for the pain, I thought we might get better results in terms of bone healing than if anti-inflammatories are given throughout the day. Significant differences in rates of healing and in genes The researchers compared pain and bone healing in two different groups of mice with fractured tibia. One group was given constant doses of anti-inflammatories over a twenty-four hour period, while the others were given anti-inflammatories only in the morning during the active phases of the circadian rhythm and analgesics at night. The researchers found that the second group recovered from the pain of the injury, and regained bone strength more quickly and more fully. Surprisingly, they also noticed differences between the groups in the expression of over 500 genes specifically related to bone healing processes. Its almost as if morning anti-inflammatories and evening anti inflammatories were two different drugs adds Faleh Tamimi. The rhythm of the bodys own healing When I was a child, and I cut myself, my mother would say to me, dont worry, go to sleep and tomorrow you will be better, said Haider El-Waeli, the first author on the study, who wrote the paper while working on his PhD at McGill and is now a clinical resident at Dalhousie University. It turns out she was right because most of the healing happens at night. The body has a rhythm, adds Tamimi. And if you give anti-inflammatories in the morning you are working with the rhythm of the body and when you give them at night, you are working against it so you disrupt the healing. As a next step, the researchers are collecting preliminary data from a clinical trial monitoring pain and healing related to extraction of wisdom teeth, using two different drug treatments one involving exclusive use of anti-inflammatories, and the other administering anti-inflammatory medications only in the morning and at noon, and analgesics in the afternoon and evening. The preliminary results are promising. _____________________________________________ To read Chronotherapy of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs May Enhance Postoperative Recovery by H. Al-Waeli et al in Scientific Reports doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-57215-y The research was funded by: the Canada Research Chair program for Translational Cranofacial Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Alpha Omega foundation, the Quebec Network for Bone and Oral Health Research (RSBO) and the Fonds de Recherche du Quebec-Sante (FRQS). About McGill University Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, McGill University is Canadas top ranked medical doctoral university. McGill is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning two campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 40,000 students, including more than 10,200 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,800 international students making up 31% per cent of the student body. Over half of McGill students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 19% of our students who say French is their mother tongue. DAVOS, Switzerland - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who is facing multiple crises back home, has made an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to talk about the Asian financial centres future. She said the semiautonomous Chinese city had put in place a highly vigilant system to deal with the coronavirus spreading from the mainland. Lam said supporters of a months-long protest movement have failed to understand the one country, two systems blueprint under which Beijing agreed to let the city retain its freedoms and rule of law.She deflected blame for a controversial China extradition bill that sparked the protests. SAO PAULO Prosecutors accused U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald on Tuesday of involvement in hacking the phones of Brazilian officials involved in a corruption investigation, though Brazils high court had blocked investigations of the journalist or his Brazil-based news outlet in relation to the case. A federal judge would have to approve a formal charge based on allegations by prosecutor Wellington Divino Marques de Oliveira that Greenwald helped a group of six people hack into phones of hundreds of local authorities. MANZINI - There has been tension within NAPSAWU over their 2018 congress unfinished business. In April 2019, the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) had an elective congress at Esibayeni Lodge but it was unceremoniously brought to an abrupt halt before some pertinent reports and issues were not delivered and discussed respectively. This was after one of the congress delegates, Denise Mnisi collapsed and died during the congress. Sources within the public service workers union said it was agreed that the newly elected national executive committee (NCE) would call a one day congress so that they could finish off the business of the congress. The insiders alleged that after the funeral of their member, they had been allegedly calling upon the NEC to call the one day congress, but in vain. They alleged that among the issues they had planned to discuss was the elections and Constitution. They claimed the Constitution was amended and implemented without being adopted by the general membership. There are things that went wrong with the elections and we believe the NEC is not calling the one day congress because they know that they are also a subject matter, the sources alleged. However, some members of the NEC said they believe that the people, who were talking about challenging the elections and Constitution, were still aggrieved for losing during the balloting process. Death They alleged that they had explained to their members that after the congress, which was unceremoniously closed because of the death of their member, they had a busy schedule as they had to prepare for activities, which include the Workers Day and strike actions among other things. Meanwhile, NAPSAWU Secretary General Thulani Hlatshwako said they held a national general council (NGC) meeting last Friday at Caritas where the issue of the congress was addressed. He said it was agreed that the one day Congress would be held on February 13, 2020 at Divine Healing Ministries International in Manzini. Regarding the alleged move to challenge the elections and Constitution, the secretary general said these issues could only be challenged in court. In short, those who have problems with the elections and Constitution, they should go to court because the congress could not overrule its own decision, the secretary general said. He added that on Febr uary 13, 2020, they would deliver reports, have discussions and take a mandate which they would be expected to carry out going forward. A 4-year-old girl in Iowa nearly died and is now blind because of the flu, and her parents have a message: Get your child vaccinated. "If I can stop one child from getting sick, that's what I want to do," said Amanda Phillips. "It's terrible to see your child suffer like this." Jade DeLucia, who did not receive a flu shot this season, caught the flu a few days before Christmas and spent nearly two weeks in the intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. "She is lucky to be alive," said one of her physicians, Dr. Theresa Czech. "She's a little fighter. And I think she's super lucky." Her parents, who've missed work to care for Jade and face medical bills, have started a GoFundMe page. Every year, dozens of children die from the flu, and most of them had not received a flu shot, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thousands more children are hospitalized. Many of those who becomes seriously ill or died were perfectly healthy before they contracted the flu. Jade is one of them. 'It's a little bug' On December 19, Phillips noticed that Jade wasn't quite her usually bubbly self. "She'd say, 'Mom, I don't feel good,' and we'd cuddle on the couch," Phillips remembers. A few times over the next several days, Jade spiked a low-grade fever. Medicine brought it down easily, and she went back to playing with her older sister, Catalina. "She was running around, having fun, eating normally, asking for snacks," her mother remembers. "It was just -- it's a little bug, she'll get over it." Phillips thinks back to those four days, December 19 through December 23, and wracks her brain for something that might have told her what was about to happen. "There wasn't any sign that would've told me that something was seriously wrong with her," she said. 'We have to go to the emergency room' The night of December 23, while Phillips was working her shift as an assistant manager at a Dollar General store, Jade's father, Stephen DeLucia, tucked Jade into bed. The next morning, the family was ready to leave the house to spend Christmas Eve with Phillips' parents. But Jade hadn't yet woken up. When her father went to check on her, Jade was lying in bed, unresponsive. And her body was burning hot. "I yelled at him -- I was like, 'We have to go. We have to go to the emergency room. This isn't right. Something's not right with her," Phillips said. When they arrived at Covenant Medical Center, Jade's body started shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She was having a seizure. Doctors filled the room. They said Jade needed to be transferred to the children's hospital at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, about 80 miles away. There was no time for an ambulance. She would have to be flown. Her parents watched the helicopter take off. "I didn't think I was going to see her again at that point," Phillips said. "I really didn't. Just from looking at her, I really honestly didn't think I was going to see her." Bad news on Christmas Day On Christmas Day, Phillips and DeLucia found out flu had affected her brain. Called encephalopathy, it's a known complication of the flu, according to the CDC. Doctors showed Jade's parents the MRI results. Her brain was "lit up like a Christmas tree," her mother remembers. "They said she had significant brain damage. They said our child might not ever wake up, and if she did, she might not ever be the same," she said. Over the next few days, Jade remained almost completely unresponsive. Czech, a pediatric neurologist, was brought in to consult on Jade's case. On December 31, she told Jade's parents her specific diagnosis: acute necrotizing encephalopathy, or ANE, a type of encephalopathy usually caused by a viral infection. ANE is so rare there are few studies on how children fare. Czech found one study that looked at four children with ANE. Three of them died. "It's been 7 days. 7 days of it feeling like Jade was slipping away and that there was no hope. No hope of her ever coming back to us," her mother wrote on Facebook that day. "All because of the flu." Czech prescribed steroids to calm the swelling in her brain. And finally, Jade's parents received some good news. A New Year's gift CNN visited Jade's family on January 1. Her family started the new year with a prayer. "Heavenly father will you wrap your angels around Jade this morning and throughout the day and pray for healing today," the prayer went. Then, they visited Jade at the hospital -- and her mother came out beaming. What had seemed so unlikely had happened: Jade woke up. "She's got her eyes open. She's looking around. We got a couple of hand squeezes! And then we got a smile!" she said. Over the next few days, Jade kept getting better and better. Her breathing tube came out. She could sit up. She could eat -- and specifically requested chocolate pudding. "Jade said 'Hi mommy' and you guys I'm a mess," Phillips wrote on Facebook on January 5. But then Jade's parents and doctors noticed something. Flu causes blindness When her mother put Jade's favorite stuffed animal -- a white unicorn -- in front of her face, she didn't look at it. When she threw a little ball, she didn't watch it as it went up in the air. An ophthalmologist came in and examined Jade's eyes. Everything looked fine. The problem wasn't with her eyes. It was with her brain, which had suffered because of the flu. "It affected the part of her brain that perceives sight, and we don't know if she's going to get her vision back," said Czech, Jade's neurologist. "In about three to six months from now we'll know. Whatever recovery she has at six months, that's likely all she's going to get." Jade might also have cognitive or developmental problems, such as learning disabilities, Czech added. She said that would be determined in the months and years to come. But considering that Jade arrived at the hospital unresponsive on Christmas Eve, Czech is amazed at her progress. "I think she's doing fabulous," she said. Jade's homecoming Jade went home January 9. One of the first things she did was touch her sister's face and then pulled her close and cried. Relieved to have her daughter back home, Phillips wants to get a message to other families about the flu shot. Last March, when Jade's sister had her annual well visit at the pediatrician, both girls received a flu shot. Phillips says she thought that shot was good for an entire year. She didn't realize she needed to get the girls vaccinated again for the new 2019-2020 flu season. Since the flu virus changes year to year, the vaccine also changes. Flu vaccines become available at the end of the summer, and the CDC recommends getting one by the end of October to protect against flu in the upcoming winter. This year, the flu has been particularly tough on children. That's because the predominant virus has been influenza B, which affects children more than adults. So far, 32 children in the United States have died from flu this season, 21 from the influenza B strain of the virus. "We want parents to know they should get a flu shot every season," Phillips said. It's true that the flu vaccine is only about 40-60% effective at preventing the flu, according to the CDC. But that's not the point, says Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at NYU Langone Health in New York City. What parents need to know is that a vaccine is very effective at preventing children from becoming so sick from flu that there are life-threatening complications, like Jade did. A 2014 study showed that flu vaccine reduced a child's risk of being admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit by 74%. A 2017 study showed the vaccine also significantly reduced a child's risk of dying from the flu, according to the CDC. "I'm less interested in whether the vaccine prevents all cases of runny noses and feeling cruddy and having to stay home from school because of the flu," Ratner said. "That's no fun, but you get the vaccine not so much to prevent that as to prevent the chances of having a horrible complication of the flu." Back in Iowa, Phillips and DeLucia are settling into their new normal with Jade, Phillips writing on Facebook on her daughter's first night home: "My brave girl, who cannot see, but is loved by so many." Radisson Hotel Group has announced the signing of Radisson Hotel Apartments Muscat Ghala Heights in Oman. The newest addition brings the groups portfolio up to eight hotels across five brands including Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Park Inn by Radisson and Radisson and will strengthen the groups leading position within the sultanate. As the economic and commercial capital of Oman, Muscat hosts an array of international companies and institutions and boasts a rich cultural heritage along with beautiful landscapes. Located within the Ghala Heights business district, the hotel will be conveniently accessible from Muscat International Airport, making it an ideal location for both business and leisure. The heart of Muscats old town can be reached within 15 minutes of the hotel's doorstep, making it easy for visitors to discover the citys rich history. Elie Younes, executive vice president and chief development officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said: The extended stay sector is increasingly becoming a mainstream business model rather than an alternative asset class. The Radisson Hotel Apartments Muscat Ghala Heights marks the arrival of the citys second Radisson and will be our fifth hotel in Muscat. We thank our partners for their trust and look forward to an exciting and rewarding journey, creating opportunities for our guests, owners and employees. Saud Bin Hamed Bin Issa Al Tae (owning company) said: We are delighted to partner with Radisson Hotel Group on this project and to be able to contribute to the tourism sector in Muscat. Radisson Hotel Apartments Muscat Ghala Heights will be a great addition to Muscat and were looking forward to working with Radisson Hotel Group. Due to open in Q4 2022, the Radisson Hotel Apartments Muscat Ghala Heights will perfectly complement Radisson Hotel Groups array of city and leisure hotels across Oman. Guests requiring even more space or a longer stay will find exceptional accommodation in the hotels 280 serviced apartments. The new-build hotel will have a lobby bar, an all-day dining restaurant and one specialty restaurant. Guests will be able to enjoy an outdoor swimming pool as well as leisure facilities such as a ladies and mens fitness studio. The hotels conference venue will offer 850-sq-m, including two conference rooms and one large ballroom of fully equipped, state-of-the-art meeting and event facilities for the local and international business communities. - TradeArabia News Service The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre four weeks to respond to pleas challenging the validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said it will set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear the petitions. While making it clear that it will not grant any stay on the CAA without hearing the Centre, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde restrained all high courts from hearing pleas on CAA till it decides the petitions. The bench said it will hear petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura separately as the problem with CAA in these two states is different from rest ... IBM called for rules aimed at eliminating bias in artificial intelligence to ease concerns that the technology relies on data that bakes in past discriminatory practices and could harm women, minorities, the disabled, older Americans and others. As it seeks to define a growing debate in the U.S. and Europe over how to regulate the burgeoning industry, IBM urged industry and governments to jointly develop standards to measure and combat potential discrimination. The Armonk, New York-based company issued policy proposals Tuesday ahead of a Wednesday panel on AI to be led by Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The initiative is designed to find a consensus on rules that may be stricter than what industry alone might produce, but that are less stringent than what governments might impose on their own. It seems pretty clear to us that government regulation of artificial intelligence is the next frontier in tech policy regulation, said Chris Padilla, vice president of government and regulatory affairs at International Business Machines Corp. The 108-year-old company, once a world technology leader, has lagged behind the sector for years. In its fight to remain relevant, IBM has pegged its future on newer technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud services. But its yet to show significant revenue growth from those areas. The IBM recommendations call for companies to work with governments to develop standards on how to make sure, for instance, that African-Americans are guaranteed fair access to housing despite algorithms that rely on historical data such as zip codes or mortgage rates that may have been skewed by discrimination. In the U.S., that would likely occur through the National Institute of Standards and Technology within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Rometty is hosting the panel, which includes a top White House aide, Chris Liddell, OECD Secretary-General Jose Angel Gurria and Siemens AG CEO Joe Kaeser. IBM also suggests that companies appoint chief AI ethics officials, carry out assessments to determine how much harm an AI system may pose and maintain documentation about data when making determinations or recommendations with potentially significant implications for individuals so that the decisions can be explained. Spearheading the AI regulatory debate gives IBM a chance to come back into the spotlight as a leader in cutting-edge technology, a position it hasnt held for years. The AI proposals are intended to stave off potential crises that could enrage customers, lawmakers and regulators worldwide similar to what happened with Facebook Inc. in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, when the personal data of millions of Americans was transferred to the political consulting firm without their knowledge. I dont think were yet in the same place on AI, he said. So I dont think its too late to try this approach. Concerns about AI and machine learning software tools that use existing data to automate future analysis and decision-making range from identifying faces in security-camera footage to making determinations about mortgage rates. AI is central to the future of many technology companies, including IBMs, but has spurred worries that it could kill jobs and spread existing disparities in areas such as law enforcement, access to credit and hiring. IBM has been working with the Trump administration since last summer on its approach to AI regulation. Earlier this month, the White House issued guidelines for use of the technology by federal agencies, which emphasized a desire not to impose burdensome controls. Last week, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators unveiled a bill designed to boost private and public funding for AI and other industries of the future. The European Union is considering new, legally binding requirements for developers of artificial intelligence to ensure the technology is developed and used in an ethical way. IBM advised a European committee of academics, experts and executives that recommended avoiding unnecessarily prescriptive rules. The EUs executive arm is set to propose that the new rules apply to high-risk sectors, such as health care and transport. It also may suggest that the bloc update safety and liability laws, according to a draft of a so-called white paper on artificial intelligence obtained by Bloomberg. The European Commission is due to unveil the paper in mid-February and the final version is likely to change. While Rometty has touted the growth potential for new offerings in cloud services, the companys third-quarter earnings report in October missed Wall Street estimates. It was IBMs fifth-consecutive quarter of shrinking sales despite its July acquisition of open-source software provider Red Hat, designed to bolster its hybrid cloud-services strategy. The company is set to report fourth-quarter results Tuesday at the market close. Padilla said compliance with standards could become a selling-point for companies and perhaps help lower their legal liability. If we take a just-say-no approach, or we just wait, the chances are higher that governments will react to something that happens, he said. Then you will get more of a prescriptive, top-down regulation. With assistance from Natalia Drozdiak. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Legislation InsurTech USA Tech Europe Data Driven Tanzanian President John Magufuli has promised this year's general election will be "free and fair" and invited international monitors to observe proceedings amid concerns of a democratic crackdown in the East African nation. Magufuli's long-ruling CCM party won 99 percent of seats in local government polls in November that the US and Britain said lacked credibility and transparency. The strongman president, who is expected to run for a second term this year, has been accused of targeting the press and his political opponents in Tanzania, once viewed as a stable democracy in the region. Speaking before an audience including foreign diplomats and senior UN officials, Magufuli sought to assuage fears about the election, which is due to be held sometime this year although no date has yet been set. "We will ensure the general election, which is important in a democratic country, is peaceful, free and fair," the president said late Tuesday at an annual dinner for dignitaries in Dar es Salaam. "We will also invite international observers, to witness how Tanzania is matured in democracy." Magufuli came to power in 2015 as a corruption-fighting "man of the people" but has since been criticised for his authoritarian leadership style. Nicknamed "The Bulldozer", his administration has shut down newspapers, switched off live broadcasts of parliament and used far-reaching cybercrime laws to jail critics. Reporters Without Borders, a watchdog, last year labelled Magufuli a "press freedom predator" and dropped Tanzania 25 places on its annual press freedom index. Tanzania's main opposition party boycotted November's local polls, citing intimidation and harassment, paving the way for a cleansweep by Magufuli's CCM. International observers said the disqualification of opposition candidates, coupled with Tanzania's refusal to provide accreditation to respected election monitors, eroded confidence in the outcome. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GREENWICH Republican Harry Arora defeated Democrat Cheryl Moss Tuesday to become Greenwichs new representative in the 151st state House of Representatives District. Arora received 2,345 votes to Moss 1,965, giving him 54.41 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results available Tuesday night. He succeeds former state Rep. Fred Camillo, who resigned his seat last month after he was sworn in as Greenwichs first selectman. This win is about turning our state around, Arora said in his victory speech to an enthusiastic crowd at Carens Cos Cobber, in the heart of the district. This win is about taking leadership to Hartford. We are going to make sure that we go to Hartford and work with our caucus leaders to advocate and put forward a clear vision of how were going to turn Connecticut around. Arora will fill what was the remaining year of Camillos term. The seat is up for election again in November along with all other state Legislature seats. Arora has already said he will run for reelection. This is the first elected office for Arora, a father of three who has made his career in the financial services and energy trading industries. He ran once before, a 2018 challenge to U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, also a town resident. His win Tuesday continues Republican hold of the 151st District that has lasted for more than a century. He and Moss faced off in a roughly one-month special-election campaign, in which they had a short window to appeal to voters. That involved often campaigning in cold weather, including in a snowstorm. It was worth it, Republican Town Committee Chair Richard DiPreta said. It was worth it to win and hold our seat. Harry is just the guy to continue representing us in Hartford. Arora remained at his Greenwich Avenue office Tuesday night to count votes as they came in. After his victory was known, he arrived at the Cos Cobber to loud cheers from his supporters including former state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, former state Rep. Mike Bocchino and dozens of the Republican Party faithful. Republican Minority Leader state Rep. Themis Klarides was on hand for the victory party and said she was eager to get Arora on the team in Hartford. We miss Fred but were very excited to have Harry, Klarides said. Now we have Fred running the town and we have Harry representing Greenwich. Hes going to be a great addition to our caucus. Arora gave thanks to his entire campaign team, and to Camillo for his support, including by making the rounds with him knocking doors. Moss conceded the election while busy at work at the Representative Town Meeting where she is District 8 chair. I had so much support from my incredible team and my wonderful family, Moss said Tuesday night. It was an incredible experience having met so many wonderful people in this district. It was an uphill battle and we just didnt have the numbers. I was so pleased to have the support of so many people from across the board, regardless of political party. I cant thank everyone enough for all their hard work. We made a valiant effort we gave them a real challenge. Unlike general elections, in which schools are typically closed, all classes were open on Tuesday. There were eight schools that were used as polling places. No problems were reported as a result of voting Tuesday, according to Sasha Houlihan, director of communications for the Greenwich Public Schools. A Greenwich Police officer was stationed at each polling location to make sure no members of the public went beyond it and no students went into the polling area, she said. The towns Registrars of Voters did not report any issues with voting throughout the day Tuesday. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com More than 80,000 Canadians have signed a petition demanding that Prince Harry and Meghan foot the bill for their security detail while they are in the country. The petition was started by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation as Laurel Collins, the MP for Victoria where Harry and Meghan are staying, said taxpayers should not be forced to pay for the Sussexes' security. Harry and Meghan are on Vancouver Island preparing to forge a new life for themselves and their eight-month-old son, Archie, after stepping back from royal duties. It is unclear who will foot the bill for the family's security arrangements when they officially leave the monarchy in the spring. A former Home Office minister warned the British public could face an 'enormous bill' while it has also been speculated a 'cost-sharing' deal between the UK and Canada could be agreed. Laurel Collins, who is the MP for Victoria, where Harry and Meghan are staying, said that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for the Sussexes security costs A petition was started by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation which called for 'no taxpayer support' for the couple However, such an arrangement would be opposed by Ms Collins, who said: 'Yes, I hope that they're planning on covering their security costs. "When it comes to the money our government spends and taxpayer money it's important that we put this into context and think about our priorities. 'That we're prioritising making life more affordable for people, that we're prioritising protecting our environment and that we're spending our tax dollars on the things that really matter to Canadians.' A petition was started by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation which called for 'no taxpayer support' for the couple. It gained more than 80,000 signatures in just six days. Aaron Wudrick, the group's director, said: 'Canadians are pleased to welcome the Duke and Duchess to Canada, but have made it crystal clear that taxpayers should not be forced to support them while they are living here. Meghan Markle, Archie and the Sussexes two dogs were followed by two police bodyguards today - one from Scotland Yard in Britain and the other from Canada's famous armed 'Mountie' unit 'Our view is that Prime Minister Trudeau needs to respect the wishes of Canadians and make clear that while the Duke and Duchess are welcome in Canada, they must pay their own way!' Ms Collins added she wanted to focus on young families in the area, who 'might be struggling with the housing crisis or struggling with affordability'. She added: 'I want to make sure we are thinking about our priorities.' According to a poll by the Angus Reid Institute, 73 per cent of Canadians believe that the country shouldn't have to foot the couple's security bill if they end up living there permanently. Security for the royal family as a whole costs the taxpayer in excess of an estimated 100 million a year, but the actual figure is never disclosed. Harry and Meghan will earn their own money when they step back fully from royal life. They had initially hoped for a dual role, supporting the Queen, the Commonwealth and Harry's military associations. However, the idea was deemed unworkable. Harry leaves his plane at Victoria International Airport after taking a commercial flight from Vancouver flanked by two bodyguards The Prince of Wales will offer some private financial support to Harry and Meghan but it is not known if this will come from his 21 million a year Duchy of Cornwall income or other private funds. Harry joined Meghan and Archie in Canada on Monday night as they prepare to live a more private life. There appeared to be a subdued response to the new arrivals, with one local business owner saying the people of Vancouver Island are a lot more laid back than their British counterparts. Vancouver Island, an area known for its outstanding natural beauty, is off Canada's west coast and is part of the province of British Columbia. British police bodyguards are guarding Meghan, Harry and Archie in Vancouver but have been partnered with 'Mounties' as the row over who will pay the multi-million pound annual bill rumbles on, MailOnline revealed yeserday. A smiling Meghan was pictured walking through a forest with Archie and her two dogs yesterday trailed by one of her regular British security men, who was accompanied by a Canadian counterpart. The Duke of Sussex, who landed in the country on Monday, has travelled across the Atlantic by at least two Met close protection officers earning more than 100,000-a-year, not including overtime or expenses. Scotland Yard has said they 'never comment on personal protection matters' - while The Royal Canadian Mounted Police haven't commented either as experts claimed the cost of protecting the Sussexes abroad could be between 3million and 6million. A security source told MailOnline today: 'Meghan is being guarded by her long-term British police bodyguard who has been paired with a Canadian Mountie. Harry flew in with Met officers last night. This is likely to be the arrangement for the Sussexes going forward until the deal over who pays is thrashed out'. There is fury in both Britain and Canada that taxpayers could be forced to pay for the Sussexes' bodyguards despite - with a 'cost-sharing' deal between the two countries being predicted. An insider has said that the Sussexes probably have a team of six police protecting them 24/7 at their Vancouver mansion three from the UK and three from Canada. The source said: 'While British royal protection officers can carry arms in Canada they will be working closely with their Canadian colleagues to ensure the best possible security.' Mounties were stationed outside Meghan's house in Toronto when she began dating the Duke in 2016 and already protect Canada's Governor General, the Queen's representative in the country. Experts have said The Royal Canadian Mounted Police would be obliged to do the same for her grandson, his wife and great-grandson, even if the family keeps British royal protection officers with them. Despite the Megxit deal being hammered out at the Sandringham summit hosted by the Queen this month, there are still a number of unanswered questions about who will fund the couple once they settle abroad - and how they will make money. There is a row brewing because the British taxpayer could pick up the couple's estimated 3million security bill because an American private firm would be 'woefully ill-equipped' to protect the high profile couple. Dai Davies, who led the Metropolitan Police's royalty protection unit, said: 'Ultimately I think the British public will still be paying for it. 'The private security firms simply cannot cope with the professional demands that protecting Harry and Meghan would put on them. 'By moving abroad they are making it harder to set up adequate protection.' Meghan Markle took son Archie and her dogs Oz and Guy for a walk in the woods in Vancouver yesterday as her husband Harry flew in from the UK Hours later Harry landed on a BA flight to Vancouver Int (left). Harry flew on to Victoria airport on a smaller plane and smiled as he arrived having been away from his wife and son for almost two weeks Currently the Sussexes' bodyguards cost around 1million-a-year - but experts claim this could reach 3million if they spend most of their time in Canada. Some Canadians claim it could be 6million. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had intimated that his country would pick up some of the expense - but a poll of 1,154 Canadian adults found last week that 73 per cent do not want their government to pay for the couple's security costs. Canada covers royal security costs on official visits when Scotland Yard close protection teams also travel. Under the Canadian criminal code, an internationally protected person (IPP) who requires state-funded security is defined as 'a head of state' or member of their family. Meghan and Harry are expected to lose that IPP status under Canadian law now they are no longer full-time royals. But former Mountie officer, Larry Busch, who has also protected the royals, has predicted Canada would still have to agree to a 'cost-sharing' agreement with the UK even though the couple have lost their HRH. Who pays for Meghan and Harry's lifestyle, where does their cash come from and how much could they make in North America? Home Office The government department covers Harry, Meghan and Archie's 24/7 Met police security - estimated at 600,000-a-year. With overtime, travel and accommodation expenses this would likely reach 1million. However experts have said that this could reach 3million to 6million - with British taxpayers expected to pick up some or all of the bill despite the couple living in Canada. The details have not yet been agreed but sources expect the Home Office to pick up some or all of the bill when their royal duties end in the spring. Prince Charles Harry receives up to 2.3million annually from his father's royal estate, the Duchy of Cornwall. It is understood that Charles will continue to fund his son for the first year at least, either via the Duchy of Cornwall, the estate which provides him with private funding, or more likely from his own personal investments from income such as his bequest from the late Queen Mother. No public funds will be used. Personal wealth Harry inherited around 20million from his mother, Princess Diana, who died when he was 12. The Queen Mother also left him up to 7million. Much of his cash is tied up in trust funds with some of the money kept from him until his 40th birthday Meghan has a personal fortune of 4million, mainly from her acting work and property in Canada. Advertisement Mr Busch, who runs his own firm, Strategic Security, estimated that the couple would need a protection team of 24 RCMP officers at an annual cost of 1.2million. 'We don't want any of the royals injured or embarrassed while they are here so it behoves us to apply the proper level of security. 'Hollywood people get security provided by private companies. Politicians will get security provided by police officers and that would be the case here.' Scotland Yard has already had to nearly double its flight budget to cover the escalating cost of protecting the globe-trotting royals on official visits and holidays. Taxpayers faced a 4.6million bill for officers' flights in the year to March 31, 2019, almost double the 2.5million in 2016. The police already struggle to train enough specialist officers to cope with increasing royal security demands. Despite the Home Office recommending a 20 per cent rise in Scotland Yard bodyguards in 2017, the force said it had found it 'extremely difficult' to obtain the necessary training courses, adding that maintaining security has meant a 'reliance on overtime'. Asked about who would pay for their protection, Britain's justice minister Robert Buckland said there was an issue about how public money was spent. 'Quite clearly there have already been arrangements made about how that family are going to live and how they are going to be able to get private income but there clearly has to be a line of delineation,' he told Sky News. 'I think we all want a family like that to be safe, but at the same time I think what really needs to happen is they need to understand how their lifestyle is to adapt and what their needs might be.' Meanwhile, 5,000 miles away, Harry's brother Prince William chaired a meeting of an African wildlife charity he set up. The Duke of Cambridge hosted a summit of the United for Wildlife [UfW] taskforces at St James's Palace, having held his first solo engagement at Buckingham Palace, while his brother flew to meet his wife and child. UfW was set up by the Royal Foundation - a joint foundation that was founded by William, Kate and Harry six years ago before he married - but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex then broke away from the foundation last June as rumours of a rift between the couples grew. The Duke of Sussex will be focusing on his own charity commitments with Sentebale, the charity he founded in 2006, it emerged yesterday. He has already organised events across America for the organisation, which supports children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. The Duke of Cambridge today makes a speech during the meeting of the United for Wildlife Taskforces at St James's Palace Harry, who used a Sentebale dinner in London this week to claim he and Meghan 'no choice' but to quit as senior royals, has pledged to help the world beat AIDS as a legacy to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, while his close friend Sir Elton John's foundation has raised 240million [$300 Million] to fight the virus and help its victims. Sentebale chairman Johnny Hornby told the Evening Standard today: 'The duke is a global figure and HIV is a challenge for the world to try to help solve. 'We know the duke has the ability to challenge the stigma that surrounds HIV and shine a light on these issues, whichever side of the pond he finds himself on.' Yesterday the Duke of Sussex rushed through a series of meetings at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in Greenwich and is not believed to have seen William before catching a 5.30pm flight out of Heathrow to Vancouver. But he did reportedly hold a meeting with his Kensington Palace team about managing his and Meghan's affairs because they will now be in Canada for the foreseeable future. Since Monday, men and women have gathered at Mumbra at the ground opposite Mumbra fire station, protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. Various socio-political organisations came together for the sit-in protest in Mumbra. The police had given them permission for a three-day protest. The protesters are planning to move to Bhiwandis MEK grounds if they do not get further permission. On Tuesday night, activist Teesta Setalvad, Jamia Millia Islamia students Ayesha Renna and Ladeeda Farzana join the 3,000 protesters. All religions must be considered as one and citizenship should be granted without any religious bias, said Setalvad. In the name of secularism, the liberals want us to lose our identity. Its nothing but an act of political exclusion, said Ayesha Renna, who stood up to Delhi Police when their male friends were being assaulted during a protest last month. I see this as a struggle for social democracy. There should be inclusiveness in social platforms as well, said Farzana. Many youngsters and senior citizens were part of the protest. We shall not budge till the CAA is revoked, said Yusuf Hashmi, 62, a resident of Mumbra. Kim Kardashian isnt one to shy away from posting half-n.k.d.pictures of herself online. And the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 34, just reiterated that fact by sharing two more throwback bikini snaps of her luxurious Mexican getaway. After returning home from her recent getaway in stunning Cabo San Lucas, the proud mother-of-four rolled out a series of sultry swimsuit photos from the trip last week. But she didnt stop there, and instead, delighted fans with two more sultry snaps. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star simply captioned the post: More Cabo. The reality stars comment section was quickly flooded with compliments from adoring fans who praised the beauty for her envious curves. One enthusiastic fan quipped: I would sell my liver and my parents to look like that. While another commented: You are beyond hot. Those hips!!. Wow. How are you even real? I want to be you! commented a third. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The mobile phone of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was reportedly hacked by Saudi Arabian prince in 2018 when, during a friendly WhatsApp exchange, a malicious video file sent by Mohammed bin Salman infiltrated the multi-billionaire, the Guardian newspaper reported. The guardian said the encrypted file was sent to Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, on May 1, 2018, after which large amounts of data were exfiltrated from Bezoss phone within hours. In March last year, the security chief for Bezos had claimed that Saudi government had access to Bezos' phone and gained private information from it. Gavin De Becker, a longtime security consultant, said he had concluded his investigation into the publication in January of leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor who the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said Bezos was dating. Bezos had in February 2019 accused the newspaper's owner of trying to blackmail him with the threat of publishing "intimate photos" he allegedly sent to Sanchez unless he said in public that the tabloid's reporting on him was not politically motivated. In an article for The Daily Beast website, De Becker said the parent company of the National Enquirer, American Media Inc., had privately demanded that De Becker deny finding any evidence of "electronic eavesdropping or hacking in their newsgathering process." "Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information," De Becker wrote. "As of today, it is unclear to what degree, if any, AMI was aware of the details." In February 2019, the kingdom's minister of state for foreign affairs said Saudi Arabia had "absolutely nothing to do" with the National Enquirer's reporting on the affair. The Regional Training Academy is the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into the system & discover all it has to offer. By the end of the event, we consider our attendees to be ER experts who can then take the knowledge theyve gained back to the station & share it with the rest of their crew. Emergency Reporting (ER), the global leader in cloud-based reporting and records management software for Fire and EMS agencies, has announced its Regional Training Academy (RTA) dates and locations for 2020. Tickets and event details can be found on the ER Eventbrite page. An RTA is a three-day, interactive training event taught by ERs experienced regional trainers, and was created for anyone who wants to become more knowledgeable about their ER software and get the most out of the system. All ER trainers are active or recently retired public safety professionals with over 200 years of combined firefighting and EMS experience. ER holds RTAs all over the country. In 2020, RTAs will be held in the following cities: Jacksonville, FL on March 16-19 Kansas City, MO on April 7-9 Spokane, WA on May 5-7 Philadelphia, PA on June 9-11 Temecula, CA on June 23-25 (*For ER Ultra Secure users only) Austin, TX on July 7-9 Charlotte, NC on Aug. 4-6 Colorado Springs, CO on Sept. 8-10 Las Vegas, NV on Oct. 6-9 Chattanooga, TN on Nov. 3-5 Emergency Reporting is a lot more than just NFIRS reporting, and a Regional Training Academy is the perfect opportunity to take a deep dive into the system and discover all it has to offer, said ER Training Lead Mark McKleroy. By the end of the event, we consider our attendees to be ER experts who can then take the knowledge theyve gained back to the station and share it with the rest of their crew. According to RTA attendee Ronald Boensch, The most valuable aspect of this conference was the face-to-face interaction between the trainers and the conference members. I appreciate that Emergency Reporting really seems to care about the customer. During the event, ER trainers will cover a variety of lessons on the system, starting with the essentials. Theyll give a concise overview of the platform with a focus on best practices, as well as the key features in each module thats included in ERs records management software. After the essentials are covered, theyll dive further into the system. Theres also an opportunity for attendees to contribute feedback to the ER product design team, who will consider all feedback during the development process. In addition to the regular RTAs being held across the country this year, ER is introducing a new type of training event in June: an RTA specifically intended for ER Ultra Secure users only. The ER Ultra Secure product provides enhanced security within the Microsoft Azure Government environment for federal customers such as the United States Army and the Department of Defense. For RTA tickets or more information, visit ERs Eventbrite page. Emergency Reporting is invested in helping first responders stay current on changing technologies and data management needs by hosting training events and providing additional training and educational resources such as free white papers, case studies, and webinars. About Emergency Reporting At Emergency Reporting (ER) our mission is to empower first responders worldwide with fast and easy-to-use technology that provides the data needed to keep themselves and their communities safe. Our Records Management and Reporting Software acts as the centralized ecosystem that powers an agencys entire operation, from training and events, to incident reporting and compliance, to real-time analytics and performance feedback through data. As the pioneer in cloud-based EMS and fire software, ER has always been the smarter way forward for the Fire Service while also managing to be the most user-friendly solution available. Since 2003, weve proudly supported over 480,000 first responders through this mission worldwide including DoD/military installations and large entities such as NASA, nuclear power plants, and hospitals. For more information, visit http://www.emergencyreporting.com. Media Contact: David Nokes, CEO david.nokes@emergencyreporting.com 360-920-6482 # # # Telecom major Bharti Airtel has partnered with money transfer firm Western Union, wherein the former's payments bank customers can receive international remittances into their accounts, says a joint statement of the companies. The agreement is only for receiving money in Airtel Payments Bank account in India and Airtel Money account in 14 African countries from Western Union. "Collaborating with Western Union on these two flagship initiatives in both India and Africa reflects Bharti Airtel's keen commitment to transform the quality of lives of millions of people across emerging and developing markets. We are delighted to contribute to the development of a sound and inclusive payments ecosystem in emerging markets to spur financial inclusion and economic growth, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said. The partnership will enable Airtel Payments Bank customer to withdraw money from its authorised 5 lakh outlets. A Bharti Airtel official said that the service to withdraw money received through Western Union is operational at around 1 lakh outlets in India and it will become available across the country in the next few days. As of September 30, 2019, Western Union money transfer included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering services in more than 200 countries and territories. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Assessment of India's Business Jets Market 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report highlights key dynamics of the global and Indian business jets market. The growing opportunity in the sector has been investigated along with the market drivers. The initiatives and performance of key players including Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, Bombardier, Cessna Aircraft, Honeywell International, Embraer, Dassault Aviation, and Boeing have been examined. The current market scenario has also been studied. The report contains the latest opinions of industry leaders. Market Highlights In 2018, India had 138 operational business jets, making it the third-largest market in the Asia-Pacific region. In comparison to 2017, the fleet size in the country decreased by 1% due to eight pre-owned additions and 10 deductions. By size, large size business jets are the key category in India, accounting for 31% of the country's total fleet, followed by light jets (28%) and medium-sized jets (22%). The demand for charter aircraft in India has been growing consistently, boosted by the more than 6000 UHNWIs residing in the country. Key destinations for business jets used by Indians in the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Favorable changes in Indian regulations in the last two to three years have helped boost the business aviation sector. The time required for getting clearance for business aircraft coming from outside the country has reduced, along with it getting easier to get approvals for planes and spare parts. The analysts feel that the business aviation sector in India has a very positive outlook. The country is now undergoing a mindset change - while earlier it was perceived that business jets can only be owned by the rich and the famous - both businessmen and the government is now realizing that it is an important efficiency and economic booster. Key Topics Covered 1. Analyst Opinion 2. Global Business Jets Market 2.1 Overview 2.2 Market Performance & Statistics 2.3 Market Drivers 2.4 Sector Challenges 2.5 Sector Outlook 2.6 Industry Speak 3. India Business Jets Market 3.1 Overview 3.2 Market Performance & Statistics 3.3 Market Drivers 3.4 Sector Challenges 3.5 Sector Outlook 3.6 Industry Speak 4. Competitive Landscape 4.1 Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. 4.2 Bombardier Inc. 4.3 Cessna Aircraft 4.4 Honeywell International Inc. 4.5 Embraer S.A. 4.6 Dassault Aviation 4.7 Boeing 5. List of Charts & Graphs 5.1 Business Jet Deliveries Added to the Global Aircraft Fleet by Aircraft Manufacturer (2016, units) 5.2 Embraer Global Market Outlook for Business Aviation per Segment 5.3 Worldwide Shipments of Business Jets by Country till June 2016 5.4 Number of Business Jet Deliveries Added to the Global Aircraft Fleet by Aircraft Size (2010-2018E, units) 5.5 Global Leading Countries with the Highest Number of Business Aircraft (2018, units) 5.6 United States Size of the Business Aircraft Fleet Including private jets, turboprops & Executive Aircraft (2015 to 2018, in units) 5.7 India Business Aviation Fleet Size by Aircraft Type (2016, in units) 5.8 Indian Business Jets Fleet (2005-2018) 5.9 India Business Jet Fleet by OEM (2018, number of Jets) 5.10 India 20 Year Business Jets Fleet Forecast (2011-2023, number of Jets) 6. Research Methodology For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h1948j Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com The Interpol has issued a blue-corner notice against rape accused self-claimed godman Nityananda. Reports said Nityanand was hiding somewhere around Ecuador, but the embassy of Ecuador has scrapped the claims. On the request of Gujarat Police, the Interpol on Wednesday issued a blue-corner notice to locate, identify or gather information of the self-style godman Nithyananda, who has been accused of rape and financial fraud. Reports said Nityanand is on a run since last year. He was last seen in a video claiming that he is Lord Shiva and no court can even touch him. Nityanand bought an Island and formed his own Hindu country called Kailasha, located near Ecuador, as mentioned on his website. However, the Embassy of Ecuador refuted the reports of Nithyanandas presence stating it had rejected his request for asylum and he left for Haiti. Ecuador also denied reports of Nityanant buying an island. In 2010, the police had arrested him from Himachal Pradesh after filing a case of kidnapping and sexually abusing children at his Ahemdabad ashram. He was also seen with a model and actor in explicit footage. Following this, the government had canceled his passport. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told the media that all its ally and posts abroad had been instructed to help and locate Nithyananda. In a video, Nithyananda can be seen donning a maroon color silk robes with gold jewelry, which wears most of the time, saying he will show his integrity to the world. Now nobody can touch me, I can tell you the truth I am Param Shiva. Understand? No stupid court can prosecute me for revealing the truth. I am Param Shiva, Nithyananda said in the video. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A Delhi court Wednesday directed the police to file an action taken report (ATR) on the plea of Jamia Millia Islamia University seeking registration of FIR against alleged police attack on students on the campus last month during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal sought the report from Station House Officer (SHO) of Jamia Nagar Police Station by March 16 stating whether any action has been taken on the complaint by the varsity administration to lodge an FIR. "Let ATR be called from the SHO concerned in the following respect. Whether any complaint has been made by the complainant in the police station. If yes, whether any action has been taken on the said complaint. Whether any investigation or inquiry has been conducted in this regard and if yes, then what is the status of the investigation/ inquiry. If any cognizable offence is made out, whether any FIR has been registered or not," the court said. The plea, filed by the Registrar of JMI University, claimed that police officials had "illegally" entered the campus on December 15, 2019 when the students were protesting peacefully against the newly amended law and attacked students with tear gas shells, lathi charge and open firing. It has sought registration of FIR under various IPC sections including 295 (defiling place of worship), 297 (trespassing on burial places), 307 (attempt to murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). The plea also sought registration of FIR against relevant provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. JMIU students and locals had protested at Jamia Nagar in Delhi on December 15, 2019 against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The protesters torched four buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with the police in New Friends Colony. Police baton charged the protesters and used tear gas shells to disperse the mob before entering the varsity campus, detaining several persons allegedly involved in the violence. "Police officials have committed serious offences ...and state should be held accountable for such illegal and unlawful acts and excessive/unnecessary force used by the police officials against the innocent protesting students," alleged the plea, filed through advocates Asghar Khan and Tariq Nasir. The petition further claimed that despite repeated complaints to the police by the varsity administration to lodge an FIR against the alleged police attack, no action has been taken till date. "Complainant (Registrar) is constrained to approach this court against the Delhi Police officials for illegally breaking out into the campus of University, without seeking any permission from the competent authorities and unlawfully attacking innocent students of the University with tear gas shells, lathi charge and open firing and also for vandalising government property belonging to the University," it said. The plea claimed the civic society along with neighbouring localities had called for a peaceful protest outside the university area and the police allegedly "broke the gates of the campus, without any having any provocation", to clear the crowd and used "unjustified, excessive, arbitrary and brute force, in total disregard of law and order". "Police officials while entering the premises of the university attacked several guards who were on their duty at the gates and at Jama Masjid gate of the university. They were beaten very badly by the officials. "The students of the University were mercilessly beaten, hurled abuses, racial and derogatory comments were herald, tear gas shells were fired, lathi charge was done. That some of the police officials without any just cause broke open the main library gate and also the doors and windows of the library building and fired tear gas shells on peaceful studying students even inside the library," it alleged. It said that the police also allegedly broke open the Mosque of the university, vandalising it while the people were offering their prayers and also man-handled the Imam. It added the police also allegedly detained several students at various police stations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jodi Anasta (nee Gordon) has reflected on playing Elly Conway on Neighbours for nearly four years by sharing some of her favourite memories. The 34-year-old posted a gallery of nine photos to Instagram on Wednesday, while thanking the cast and crew for an 'incredible' journey. The actress also revealed she was excited to be moving back to Sydney to be closer to her five-year-old daughter, Aleeia. Scroll down for video Feeling nostalgic? Jodi Anasta has reflected on playing Elly Conway on Neighbours for nearly four years by sharing some of her favourite memories The gallery included pictures with her co-stars, behind-the-scenes photos from Neighbours and snaps from the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. 'Farewell my Neighbours family!' she wrote in the caption. 'It's been an incredible four years with you guys, everyone from crew to production, cleaners to chefs to cast... you make this show what it is and I'm incredibly grateful to have been part of it for so long!' Fun times: The 34-year-old posted a gallery of nine photos to Instagram on Wednesday, while thanking the cast and crew for an 'incredible' journey. Pictured with co-star Bonnie Anderson She added: 'I remember a few years after I finished Home and Away I had a strong desire to be part of a show like that again, you gave me this opportunity with Neighbours. 'Now it's time for me to move on to the next adventure. More importantly in the interim it's time for me to move back to Sydney to be with my beautiful daughter.' Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, Jodi said she was feeling 'better than ever' following her decision to quit the long-running soap. 'Farewell my Neighbours family!' The gallery included snaps with her co-stars and behind-the-scenes photos from Neighbours. Pictured with a hair and makeup artist She added that 'it'll be a huge change' for her after after commuting between Sydney and Melbourne for nearly four years. 'I'll get to do more school drop offs, all that kind of stuff, and just get back into auditioning again,' she said. Jodi took a three-week hiatus from filming due to 'exhaustion' in June last year, which her manager blamed on her interstate commute. Memorable moment: Jodi is pictured at the 2019 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras with castmates Jackie Woodburne and Bonnie Anderson Jodi had previously spoken about how difficult it was being away from Aleeia - whom she shares with her ex-husband, Braith Anasta - due to her filming commitments. 'It's always very difficult being away from Aleeia, but the way I see it is that I get a lot more holidays than most parents,' she told The Sunday Telegraph in December. 'There are lots of production breaks which is a luxury I know a lot of parents don't have.' After more than 12 hours of debate and several failed Democratic bids for amendments calling for documents and witnesses, the US Senate approved a resolution along party lines outlining the rules that will govern the impeachment proceedings of President Donald Trump. With Republicans banding together, the Senate early on Wednesday voted 53-47 to adopt the trial plan, which allows opening arguments from House lawmakers prosecuting the case to begin later in the day. The trial started in earnest on Tuesday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two late-night sessions for each side. Instead, managers from the House of Representatives and Trumps defence lawyers will now each have three days for 24 hours of opening arguments. McConnells handwritten, last-minute changes stunned fellow senators and delayed the start of the proceedings. He acted after protests from senators, including fellow Republicans, who were concerned about the optics of middle of the night sessions. It was a dramatic setback for the Republican leader and the presidents legal team, exposing a crack within the partys ranks and the political unease over the historic impeachment proceedings unfolding amid a watchful public in an election year. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presides over the start of the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump as the House impeachment managers sit to one side and the presidents legal team sits on the other side in the Senate Chamber [US Senate TV/Reuters] Rare event Tuesdays session marked an historic day for the deeply divided country. Trump is only the third president in the history of the United States to face an impeachment trial. Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled open Tuesdays session, with House prosecutors on one side, Trumps team on the other, in the well of the Senate. Senators sat silently at their desks, under oath to do impartial justice. No mobile phones or other electronics were allowed. The day swiftly took on the cadence of a trial proceeding over whether the presidents actions towards Ukraine warranted removal from office. With all 100 senators seated at their assigned desks in the Senate chamber and the Supreme Court chief justice presiding, most senators appeared to be listening carefully with serious looks on their faces. Some took notes. There were very few smiles. Democrats put forth 11 amendments for subpoenas for documents and witnesses. One-by-one those amendments were debated and then blocked by Senate Republicans holding the 53-47 majority. Under the rules package passed on Wednesday, evidence from the Democratic Houses impeachment hearings will be included in the record a Democratic demand. Opening arguments will be followed by 16 hours of questions and answers from senators before four hours of debate. Preview of arguments ahead Trump was impeached on December 18 for abuse of power related to his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress for refusing to participate in the impeachment investigation. House Democrats accuse the president of abusing his power in office by orchestrating a pressure campaign to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic political rival, as well as launch a probe into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 presidential elections. The House impeachment investigation centred on a whistle-blower complaint that detailed concerns about a phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. At the time of the call, the Trump administration was withholding nearly $400m in congressionally approved military assistance to Ukraine. Senate Democrats want to hear from at least four witnesses in the Senate trial a demand Republicans have criticised. For now, the question of witnesses will be discussed after opening arguments and the question-answer session. White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaks during opening arguments in the US Senate impeachment trial Trump [US Senate TV/Reuters] On Tuesday, Trumps defence team, led by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, attacked the foundation of the charges against the Republican president and said Democrats had not come close to meeting the US Constitutions standard for impeachment. The only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong, Cipollone said as he argued in favour of McConnells proposal to decide on whether to allow further witnesses or documents later in the trial. There is absolutely no case, he said. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who helped spearhead the House impeachment inquiry, summarised the charges against Trump and said the president had committed constitutional misconduct justifying impeachment. Schiff said that although the evidence against Trump was already overwhelming, further witness testimony was necessary to show the full scope of the misconduct by the president and those around him. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who helped spearhead the House impeachment inquiry, summarised the charges against Trump [US Senate TV/Reuters] For his part, Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and labelled the impeachment a hoax. READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! the president tweeted from overseas miles away, as he returned to his hotel at a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland. He was referring to the White House summary of his call with Zelenskyy. Democrats cite that transcript as solid evidence against Trump, though he repeatedly describes it as perfect. The rare impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trumps actions towards Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House. President Donald Trump delivers the opening remarks at the World Economic Forum [Evan Vucci/AP Photo] Four senators who are presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors. My focus is going to be on impeachment, Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told reporters. He said his supporters would keep working to defeat the most dangerous president in American history. With Republicans having a majority, the Senate is not expected to mount the two-thirds voted needed for conviction. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. New Delhi, Jan 22 : We talk about soil and clay. She says that working with them heals -- emotionally and physically. There is talk of childhood memories. She says all the dust had vanished and her memory is now crystal clear. She recounts the watermill back in her village in Bihar. A composition of water, sound, light, the splash on the iron sheets - the entire musicality of it. "In the evening, when you looked down the well, there were innumerable fireflies hanging there. How does one describe that?," smiles Shambhavi. It's a hectic day for the painter, printmaker, and installation artist whose non-figurative work has always dwelled upon the condition of the farming community. As she takes a break from guiding her staff for the upcoming solo exhibition Burukuwa Dwan which will be shown at Shrine Empire in the capital, as a collateral event of the India Art Fair 2020 from January 25 to February 24, the artist, whose work Cosmic Seeds Light/Beej Brahmaand Ek was acquired by the prestigious Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York, says, "You'll see the mud-and-hay textured walls of their houses, the grey mist that rises from the field on winter mornings explores various facets of interplay between man, nature and art." In fact, "Bhoomi", another solo show by her will be running simultaneously at Gallery Espace, which will have her iron sculptures and installations. Interestingly, the conversation with Shambhavi is not linear, her striking work at 2018 Kochi Biennale "Maati Ma", featuring four of her works - "Lullaby", "Water Garland", "Rippers Melody" and "Brail" takes the conversation forward and what the viewers will experience in her forthcoming exhibitions as she exhibits in the capital after a gap of six years. The artist, whose poetic work forever carries social undertones says, "Burukuwa is the last star. The moment villagers see it, they know it's 4 am and time to start the day. It is a magical hour. When you're half asleep, the kind of sound that comes with their activities of getting ready for the day is reminiscent of musicians on the stage getting ready for a performance. The sound, the light, the last musings of the night, and the farmer's first glance at the fields early morning - these are the connections I have grown up with as I would frequently go to my grandparents' place in the village. But these are also the relationships people are increasingly refusing to see -- that's where my work Braille comes in." In many ways, when Shambhavi takes the farmers' tools from their world and makes sculptures out of them, she is in fact pleading for them. This Patna College of Arts and Crafts pass-out adds, "But remember, my education is mostly from experience rather than reading." For someone who now lives in Delhi's urban landscape, there is no dichotomy. "I am clear that I don't see here. I want to say something here, about them. And maybe my art can make a bridge." Talking about her association with Takshila Foundation's programme in Bihar's countryside, the artist says, "We run long-term residencies for international and national artists and students at Siwan, so that they actually get to connect to rural landscape at all levels and understand the multiple dimensions of living that life." Back in the late 80's when she was a scholar at Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre in Luck now and painted huge canvasses, most people called them abstracts. "Believe me, at that time, I didn't even know the 'A' of abstract. I painted the riverbank and my village engulfed in darkness - when there was no electricity. The drawings were realistic, but they were covered with dark, and everyone read it as abstract art. Yes, I painted very clear dark because let's not forget, darkness is transparent, you can see through." Travelling abroad extensively for residencies and shows, and the consequent 'distance' from home allowed her to so things here more clearly. "When you travel you read your homeland much better, perceptions change. When I am in Bihar, I am not Bihari, when I am out, I am. The moment I leave India, I am more Indian. Out there, you're questioned about India and not regions. When such questions are posed, you embrace the whole country. And I cherish the fact that I got such experiences from a very young age -- a time when I was not very politically or intellectually charged. You know, I made it a point to travel to most countries without reading about them. When I came back, then read. It has always been the other way round for me. This way, it becomes a fresh experience with the land - travelling to the unknown." Insisting that art and music makes one understand a country much more effectively, she adds, "It was a huge experience to see people going to the museum as if it was a temple -- something completely absent here. That gives you a kick to keep working. In India, we may have a very small art world, but the world we live in is amazing. Connection with creativity is so well presented there which inspires you. Here we are still distant." As the conversation veers towards the need for an overhaul in art school curriculums, she asserts, "It is in such a run down state. We haven't come out of the British system yet. It's shocking to see that they don't even understand the difference between art and decoration. And not just art schools, the entire school curriculum needs to be looked at. We all study math in school and realise that everyone doesn't become a mathematician. But at least when a mathematician is sitting with me, I understand who is he. Then why is it that when an artist or musician is around, we tend to think that what he does is some kind of an 'extra-curricular' activity?" The countryside may have always inspired Shambhavi, but she also sees how it has metamorphosed over the years. "Now when I go, I can experience the emptiness there. The warmth has faded, of course my grandparent's generation is no longer there, cousins have scattered.... There is a strong isolation, a feeling of being left out. The pressure and crisis of currency is now very visible." (Sukant Deepak can be contacted at sukant.d@ians.in) Three people remain in custody over what police describe as the biggest money laundering operation ever in Northern Ireland. More than 250 million was seized over a 48-hour period in recent days. Noida, Jan 22 (UNI) HCL Technologies has announced the launch of a dedicated HCL Microsoft Business Unit focused on Microsoft technologies. This will extend Microsoft's offerings of Business Applications, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, IoT and AI/Machine Learning, as well as help employees accomplish more in the modern workplace with Microsoft 365 and Windows 10. The HCL Microsoft Business Unit will create intellectual property extending the Microsoft platform for customer-specific scenarios and will also provide additional support to clients in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, retail, and travel industries. The business unit integrates one of the largest award-winning Microsoft Dynamics practices in the world with PowerObjects, an HCL company, and will bring together more than 5500 professionals, reaching more than 2000 customers. Kalyan Kumar, Corporate Vice President and CTO for IT Services of HCL Technologies, said: 'This business unit combines HCL's specialised services and global reach with Microsofts powerful cloud and business technologies, making a strong and unique offering for clients. These offerings are coming at a critical time when enterprises are aggressively implementing digital technologies for competitive advantage.' UNI SW SV 1332 Jammu: The body of a terrorist who was involved in an ambush on a BSF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Aug 5, 2015. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Pulwama: Security personnel during search operations in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, on Sept 22, 2018. Security forces cordoned off Alaipura, Achan, Hajdarpora, Batnur, Lassipora and other villages and began a door-to-door combing exercise. Image Source: IANS News New York, Jan 22 : Pakistan's capability to intervene militarily in Kashmir has been reduced and backing militancy would be a costly alternative for a diplomatically isolated Islamabad, according to a policy analysis prepared for US Congress. "Pakistan's leadership has limited options to respond to India's actions, and renewed Pakistani support for Kashmiri militancy likely would be costly internationally," a recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said. "Pakistan's ability to alter the status quo through military action has been reduced in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy," the report said. However, it added, "Pakistan appeared diplomatically isolated in August, with Turkey being the only country to offer solid and explicit support for Islamabad's position". Surveying the latest development in Kashmir after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government abolished its special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, the CRS said: "Many analysts view Islamabad as having little credibility on Kashmir, given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there." The report was also critical of India's human rights abuses and restrictions in Kashmir which it described as "self-inflicted damage" and erode its credibility and play into the hands of Pakistan and China. "Given also that Pakistan and its primary ally, China, enjoy limited international credibility on human rights issues, Islamabad may stand by and hope that self-inflicted damage caused by New Delhi's own policies in Kashmir and, more recently, on citizenship laws, will harm India's reputation and perhaps undercut its recent diplomatic gains with Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE," the CRS said. On the policy of the administration of President Donald Trump, the CRS said: "The United States seeks to balance pursuit of a broad US-India partnership while upholding human rights protections, as well as maintaining cooperative relations with Pakistan." The report noted that while India received strong support from the US government, it is facing growing criticism in Congress, where two resolutions have been introduced on Kashmir. The report included a note of caution about the administration's backing for India. "Any US impulse to 'tilt' toward India is to some extent offset by Islamabad's current, and by most accounts vital, role in facilitating Afghan reconciliation negotiations," the CRS said. "President Trump's apparent bonhomie with Pakistan's prime minister and offer to mediate on Kashmir in July was taken by some as a new and potentially unwise strategic shift," it added. Quoting Indian and foreign sources, the CRS said: "For some analysts, the Trump Administration's broad embrace of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and its relatively mild criticisms on Kashmir embolden illiberal forces in India." The report said that the Trump administration has been seen as mostly a "bystander" in the Pulwama crisis and in the Kashmir developments. In February, a Pakistan-based terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, engineered an attack on a convoy of security forces in Pulwama, killing at least 40 security personnel. The CRS acknowledged that India opposes foreign involvement in the disputes with Pakistan and that Washington acknowledges it. But it said that US diplomacy in the region was hampered by the absence of a Congressionally-approved Assistant Secretary of State of South Asia and an Ambassador in Islamabad. Alice Wells, who is the acting Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, has, however, been ably steering US diplomacy through the crises in the region even without a Senate mandate. After Nisha Biswal quit the post after Trump's election, a Defense Intelligence Agency official, Robert Williams, was named for the post but the nomination was withdrawn in April. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Towns along the southwest coast, such as Guayanilla, Guanica and Ponce, sit near the epicenter of the earthquakes and suffered the greatest amount of harm. The quakes caused temporary power outages, but about 99 percent of the power is back on, and businesses without electricity are running on generators. A handful of attractions in the south are closed for repairs. For instance, the Museo de Arte de Ponce, which houses 4,500 artworks (the earthquake injured only three sculptures), hopes to reopen its first floor while it works on other sections that werent as lucky. Also shuttered: La Guancha, a waterside boardwalk with food, drinks and live music in Ponce, and Bosque Seco de Guanica, a U.N. International Biosphere Reserve featuring one of the worlds largest tropical dry coastal forests. Among lodgings, Costa Bahia Hotel in Guayanilla and Copamarina Beach Resort in Guanica are not accepting guests at the moment, but Copamarina plans to reopen on Feb. 11. (No one answered the phone at Costa Bahia Hotel.) The management of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) has sacked one of its part-time lecturers, Tene John, who was accused by one of his students Ms Anjola Ogunyemi, of sexually assaulting her. The victim, a National Diploma student of the institution had taken to social media a few days ago that she was sexually assaulted while alone with Mr Tene in his office. Ogunyemi said the randy lecturer who tried to forcefully have sexual intercourse with her, freed her after she promised to allow him to have his way next time. The female student narrated the incident as follows; Today is literally the worst day of my life. I had a problem in school with a lecturer that molested me, dragged up my dress and even put his filthy tongue on my vagina while holding me down real tight to the wall, trying to get his way around. A day before this had happened, rumors had it that he was very ill and a number of students had gone to visit him and wish him a safe recovery. On the day of this event, I was in school very early, it was about 7:20am. I had classes for 8am and this same lecturer that assaulted me was the one teaching the course. We bumped into each other at the entrance of the corridor leading to my class then he said, he has not been seeing me and then asked me to come with him to the office. I walked right behind him till we got to the office. I sat opposite him while we had several discussions. When I was about to leave he ran so quickly and blocked the door. Keep in mind that it was 7:20am in the morning and not so many people were in school. I was extremely earth. He started trying to kiss me but I didnt give him the chance. He tried a lot of time and then held my neck so tight that was almost out of breath. Afraid and confused. I didnt know what next to do. He took a grip of one of my arms held me so tight to the wall, dropped to his knees and tried to take up my dress. After so much struggling: he succeeded and somehow he was able to move my panties to the side. That was how he was able to lick me down. I was so irritated I gathered strength and pushed him but still he didnt stop. At that moment knew I Had to or say something. Then I said to him, Mr Tene stop! But thats what Ive been screaming the whole time and he didnt listen but this time to my surprise he actually did. Then I said to him, lets make a deal, if you let me go now and you promise to help me out with what weve discussed(about switching to part-time as I had just gotten a job offer that will literally take all my time, weekdays), Ill do. Yes thats what I said. I had to make him stop. Obviously pushing and hitting him didnt make him stop. Something had to work. That statement made had saved me. He stopped and stood up. Looked at me and let me go. I went out of his office, so devastated, run upstairs to check it anyone was around that I could talk to. No lecturers, just Martins, a student like me. I was shaking. Days later was called to the panel, explained my experience with Tene and I was dismissed. I didnt know what happened after then till I was told by the same people in the panel. We waited so long, hoping something will happen. But nothing. Im so disgusted, he left me traumatized. He denied all this today right in front of the panel and even had the guts to lie about so many other things. What can be done to stop all this? I dont know how I feel or what I feel. I just want him to be put in his rightful place that perv. Reacting to the incident, the Registrar of the institution confirmed that the lecturer has been sacked after being subjected to a probe. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the fire (Gareth Fuller/PA) The French army general in charge of rebuilding fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris says renovation work will begin in earnest later this year. General Jean-Louis Georgelin told a French parliament commission that workers are still securing the structure. Concerns persist that Notre Dames vaulted ceilings could collapse. Even if we are rather confident and even if all the indicators seem positive, it is still too early to affirm that the cathedral is saved, he said. Expand Close Firefighters assess the damage to Notre Dame Cathedral (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Firefighters assess the damage to Notre Dame Cathedral (Victoria Jones/PA) The April fire destroyed the landmarks spire and the roof that kept its twin-towered facade and ceilings stable. In mid-February, specialists plan to start taking down scaffolding that was installed before the fire for planned repair work. The process will take four months and involve professional climbers removing 40,000 pieces of scaffolding weighing a total of 200 tons, Gen Georgelin said. The cathedral also has to be cleared of lead, and only then will experts be able to make decisions about how to rebuild Notre Dame. Expand Close A tourist boat passes Notre Dame Cathedral (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A tourist boat passes Notre Dame Cathedral (Gareth Fuller/PA) Gen Georgelin said the church could reopen to the public within five years as President Emmanuel Macron has promised, even though some experts have that timetable unrealistic. Renovation teams will not form a commission to take three months to decide whether to replace one stone, but also do not plan to do a rush job on a cathedral that we are leaving for generations to come. The reconstruction of Notre Dame, whose first stone was laid in 1163, has prompted widespread debate across France, with differing views over whether it should involve new technologies and designs. [January 21, 2020] SHOPdanawa Sold 240,000 Assembled PCs in 2019, 20% Increase Year on Year SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SHOPdanawa, a PC-specialized shopping mall, announced that sales of assembled PCs in 2019 were 240,000 units, up 20% from the same period last year. SHOPdanawa said, "Since the opening in 2016, the CAGR has reached 27.8%. The company quickly absorbed PC demand in the market by providing all PC-related services such as online quotations, contents, and after-sales service. "Sales volume was higher in the second half than in the first half. Demand for broadcasting PCs surged in the second half thanks to the popularity of YouTube, and the sales of mid- and low-priced assembled PCs also increased significantl due to the launch of AMD Ryzen 3G processors." The average monthly net visitor in 2019 was 914,000, an 8% increase from the previous year, and the average residence time was increased by 2 minutes and 36 seconds to 8 minutes and 50 seconds. SHOPdanawa analyzed that increasing the attractions for prospective buyers, such as galleries and review content, seems to have had an impact on the sales. SHOPdanawa is responding to the market trend by offering product recommendation content for creators in consideration of the high demand for broadcasting PCs as PC demand is expanding from gaming PCs to various product groups. This year, the company plans to continue to strengthen its competitive services, such as quotations for assembled PCs, as well as expanding its business through new services that can create synergy with the existing services. Kang Myeong-jong, an executive director at SHOPdanawa, said, "SHOPdanawa is preparing to leap beyond the PC shopping mall to an integrated platform that is involved in the whole distribution and production process. What's more, the company plans to launch new businesses and services that are differentiated from the existing PC sales channels." * About SHOPdanawa (shopdanawa.com) SHOPdanawa is a PC specialty shopping mall operated by DANAWA. As a representative of assembled PC service in Korea, it sells gaming PCs, high-end PCs and even various PC parts. It produces various contents related to PC to provide useful information to its members. If you are purchasing an assembled PC in Korea, please check SHOPdanawa PC unconditionally. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200120/2686929-1 SOURCE Danawa [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Your Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great privilege for UNDP to be invited to this important Summit in Quito, Ecuador. I would like to commend excellent organization of the Forum and great leadership of Ecuadorian chair. Your Excellency, Ambassador Santiago Chavez Pareja, the themes of this Summit could not be timelier to take stock of the year after the affirmation of the Global Compact for Migration at the end of 2018, and to renew our commitment to sustainable development as we start the Decade of Actions for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals this year. Since the Director General of IOM Mr Vitorino ably addressed the role of the GFMD and how complementary it can be with the UN Network for Migration in implementing the Global Compact for Migration, I as a representative of the development agency, would like to focus on development and migration in an effort to find ways to aim higher to foster human development in a way that current and future generations can fulfil their potential. Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me to start my remarks from this notion: Migration is a driver of development, but also an indicator of incomplete development. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between migration and development, UNDP has launched in 2019 a report entitled Scaling Fences. This is an extensive study exploring the perspectives and experiences of nearly 2000 individuals who migrated through irregular routes from Africa to Europe. This study highlighted that migration is a reverberation of development progress across Africa. The development is, however, not fulfilling the aspirations of young Africans. What forces youths to leave the continent is not just unemployment, but other socioeconomic challenges in Africa. The study put forward some policy choices, in particular the need for transformative development, which will expand opportunities and choices in Africa, facilitating circular migration, and public engagement that defines a new discourse about the migration. Decade of Action: Ten Years to Transform Our World The Decade of Action for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for accelerating sustainable solutions to overcome inequality, poverty and climate crisis among others. Migrants represent 3.5% of the world's population but contribute nearly 10% of global gross domestic product (GDP). Achieving the SDGs means addressing almost all the key objectives of the Global Compact for Migration. The achievement of the SDGs depends, more than ever, on the ability of local and regional governments to promote integrated, inclusive and sustainable development. In this respect, integrating the Mayoral Forum process in GFMD is an important step forward. Migrants are therefore central agents in this endeavor and should be engaged as such to transform our world. So what needs to happen? I would like to share the following four insights to make migration work for sustainable development: First and foremost, Migration should be driven by choice - It is essential to address the negative drivers and structural factors that force people to leave their country of origin, in unsafe often desperate and dangerous conditions. In the Latin America and the Caribbean region for example, the factors that force people to move usually involve lack of economic opportunities, high levels of inequalities and insecurity, weak governance and civil unrest, climate-induced disasters among others. To address this, we need a prevention angle to create the social conditions that will allow for sustainable results. This means, for instance, addressing citizen security, improving rule of law, helping with institutional reforms, adequate public investment, changes in the relationship between the State and communities, targeted climate action and the adoption of more modern and effective systems of information and intervention. Multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder support is needed at all levelslocal, national, regional and globalto design and implement comprehensive public policies. We look forward to the discussion in this aspect at future GFMD. Secondly, we need to harness the positive contributions of migrants for sustainable development. Integration of migrants in a safe, orderly and regular manner is socio-economically beneficial. Integrating immigrants for example, in employment, education, housing, health, and community engagement is estimated to add between $800 billion to $1 trillion to the global economy on a yearly basis. If managed well, international migration can be socially and culturally a productive experience for diverse communities, while reducing risks and vulnerabilities, and protecting human rights. Public authorities should be supported to develop public services and infrastructure to deal with rapid population increases, and to promote civic coexistence and social cohesion. Together with IOM, UNDP is supporting 11 countries[1] on the inclusion of migrants in development plans and of their access to services such as decent work, health, education, etc.; improving institutional capacities and promoting private sector development for migration. In Ecuador, up to 2018, through the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI), we supported the Provincial Government of Pichincha with the social, economic and cultural integration of mixed migrant flows through an inclusive approach. Up to the end of 2019, more than 1.6 million Venezuelans fled their country and settled in Colombia . UNDP created the Frontera de Oportunidades (Border of Opportunities) project, which strengthened institutional and community capacities for reception and integration of migrants, and for security and peaceful coexistence and reduce xenophobia. Thirdly, more work is need to Connect youth to skills and jobs - In both, the country of origin and destination, building capacity and connecting youth to skills and jobs can create new opportunities. Introducing new digital technologies can enable and empower youth to be competitive and globally connected. This helps them have better options and choices and minimizes the possibility of undertaking hazardous jobs as unskilled migrants. An innovative platform called YouthConnekt was launched in Africa with various partners including UNDP, private sector and government that brings together young people looking for employment, skills or resources for starting-up their own business. First launched in Rwanda in 2013, this initiative is now rolled out to 14 countries throughout Africa. Likewise, in Belize, UNDP has supported youth life-skills to prepare for workplace environment and helped solve practical problems that could be barriers to employment, for example, legal identification papers. Fourthly, the power of diaspora network should be leveraged for sustainable development in their home country. Diaspora can transfer not only remittances but also new skills and knowledge invaluable for development to their home country. Estimates show that the accumulated external financing flows to especially rural areas in the form of remittances over the next five years will reach $1 trillion, which will help to address various SDGs. Here are some examples of such work. Together with the Governments of Moldova and Switzerland, UNDPs diaspora/migrants and local development programme established over 150 Hometown Associations in Moldova. Around 10,000 migrants abroad participated and, thus far, more than 300,000 local people have benefitted from improved services such as road infrastructure, street lightening, waste management, and others. In Lebanon, the Lebanese diasporas are given a structured opportunity to support community-based initiatives and people in need through donating funds or contributing time. To date, this initiative has benefitted over 1.5 million underprivileged Lebanese people through construction, irrigation, health, education, and others. Partnerships: Key Prerequisite for Success on Migration Ladies and Gentlemen, No country can do this alone. Partnerships and collective actions are a key prerequisite for success on migration. We will continue to collaborate with our partners in the UN Migration Network, which is ably coordinated by the IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino, as well as with civil society organizations and the private sector, to better support countries in fast tracking the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration, anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ensuring that Member States own the process of implementing the Compact and have the capacitythat is, the expertise, the financial and the non-financial resourcesis a key prerequisite for achieving the objectives of this agreement. For that purpose, the commitment and support to the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (Migration MPTF) should be leveraged . UNDP looks forward to a strengthened partnership with the Global Forum for Migration and Development. The clock is ticking. We have 10 years to transform our world. Its time to deliver on migration and development. Its time to deliver on safe orderly and regular migration. Muchas gracias. Anyone who has ever been pulled over for a traffic violation knows the drill. Below a certain threshold, such as driving while intoxicated or another egregious violation that impounds your car and sends you directly to jail, you are issued a traffic citation or ticket. After signing acknowledgment of receipt, but not an admission of guilt, there is usually one of three courses of action. Certain tickets make you appear in traffic court; other transgressions allow you to send in a fine along with court or processing fees, which is also an admission of guilt; and the third is to go to court. One can go to court to present reasoned, thoughtful arguments, hoping to have the judge find in his favor, or simply game the odds and hope the police officer, sheriff's deputy, or state trooper who reported the transgression is not present. If the person reporting the transgression is not present, then the judge will issue a verdict of not guilty. The judge, in doing so, is actually reaching back to the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment (facing one's accusers), which, with the genius of the Founding Fathers, is actually built out from English Common Law and even Roman law. The Sixth Amendment is one of the foundational stones upon which our entire edifice of a fair system of justice is built. The individual, the "whistleblower," reporting President Trump's transgression is not present. Also, the House impeachment charges are not built on any criminal behavior by President Trump. Combine these two, and Chief Justice Roberts should have gone on record to gavel the impeachment closed. He should have thrown the case out. The senators, according to their rules and the Constitution, could have overridden his decision, but at least he would have been on record upholding the rule of law and the Sixth Amendment. Not to push the analogy much farther, but it is as if President Trump were simply issued a traffic ticket for driving a car one day. This is not a trivial debate point. If the chief justice had immediately said "case dismissed with prejudice," then it would have sent a powerful signal that a future chief justice will have a solid precedent to also never, ever tolerate a sham political impeachment. Such a historic move would have given lightweight political hacks pause. However, by not showing a modicum of judgment, even that exhibited by a traffic court judge, let alone the moral and ethical courage to stop such a travesty, Chief Justice Roberts has allowed what will surely become a constitutional "Groundhog Day" of impeach, impeach, impeach. That is already being threatened by Democrat members and their fake news cheering section before this trial is even over. Since the chief justice choked on using an ethical and legal off ramp even before a Senate vote of not guilty is assured, there is still one last moment that can freeze such egregious, constitutionally destructive impeachment behavior, hopefully for a few generations. That moment will come on Election Day 2020. There is a simple question for voters in a House district that went for President Trump in 2016 and are now represented by a Democrat member. Do I want to continue to pay a person $174,000 to treat my vote like a piece of crap while continuing to abdicate actual legislative responsibilities? Because that is what they are doing. Countries around the world step up efforts to tackle the new coronavirus that has killed hundreds of thousands. Countries around the world are scrambling to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As of September 20, more than 957,00 people worldwide have died of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has reached more than 30.8 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 21 million people have recovered. Here is what you need to know: What is a coronavirus? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). These viruses were originally transmitted from animals to people. SARS, for instance, was transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS moved to humans from a type of camel. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under an electron microscope, the virus looks like it is surrounded by a solar corona. The novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and since named SARS-CoV-2, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. Little is known about it, although human-to-human transmission has been confirmed. What are the symptoms? According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Other signs include loss of taste or smell as well as muscle aches. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, multiple organ failure and even death. Current estimates of the incubation period the time between infection and the onset of symptoms range from one to 14 days. Most infected people show symptoms within five to six days. However, infected patients can also be asymptomatic, meaning they do not display any symptoms despite having the virus in their systems. Read more on what the coronavirus does to your body if you catch it here. How deadly is it? The number of fatalities from the new coronavirus has overwhelmingly surpassed the toll of the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, which also originated in China. SARS killed about 9 percent of those it infected nearly 800 people worldwide and more than 300 in China alone. MERS, which did not spread as widely, was more deadly, killing one-third of those infected. While the new coronavirus is more widespread than SARS in terms of case numbers, the mortality rate remains considerably lower at approximately 3.4 percent, according to the WHO. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older people are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 which may result in increased stress during a crisis. People who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes also seem to be at high risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. Where have cases been reported? Since March 16, more cases were registered outside mainland China than inside, marking a new milestone in the spread of the global pandemic. The virus has spread from China all around the world, prompting the WHO to label the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Human-to-human transmissions became evident after cases were recorded with no apparent link to China. Read about which countries have confirmed cases here. What is being done to stop it from spreading? Scientists around the globe are racing to develop a vaccine but have warned it is not likely one will be available for mass distribution before 2021. Meanwhile, a growing number of countries have introduced a series of sweeping measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including nationwide lockdowns, bans on gatherings, closure of schools, restaurants, bars and sports clubs, as well as issuing mandatory work-from-home decrees. International airlines have cancelled flights the world over. Some countries have banned non-citizens from entering their territories, and several more have evacuated their citizens from abroad. Where did the virus originate? Chinese health authorities are still trying to determine the origin of the virus, which they say likely came from a seafood market in Wuhan, China where wildlife was also traded illegally. On February 7, Chinese researchers said the virus could have spread from an infected animal species to humans through illegally-trafficked pangolins, which are prized in Asia for food and medicine. Scientists have pointed to either bats or snakes as possible sources of the virus. Is this a global emergency? Yes, this outbreak is a global health emergency, the WHO said on January 30, raising the alarm further on March 11 when it declared the crisis a pandemic. The international health alert is a call to countries around the world to coordinate their response under the guidance of the WHO. There have been five global health emergencies since 2005 when the declaration was formalised: swine flu in 2009, polio in 2014, Ebola in 2014, Zika in 2016 and Ebola again in 2019. Are smokers more likely to be at risk from coronavirus? Smoking can make people more susceptible to serious complications from a coronavirus infection, the European Union agency for disease control said. In its updated assessment of the risks caused by the coronavirus, the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) included smokers among those potentially most vulnerable to COVID-19. Smokers have also appeared to be more susceptible to breathing complications caused by the disease, and the ECDC said it was advisable to identify them as a potential vulnerable group, confirming an earlier assessment. The agency cited a study by Chinese doctors which on a sample of 99 patients affected by the coronavirus found that acute smokers were more at risk of dying than elderly people. The ECDC report also said smoking was associated with heightened activity in the lungs of an enzyme, ACE2, that could make patients more vulnerable to COVID-19, citing a study conducted by Guoshuai Cai, from the University of South Carolina. The activity of ACE2, or angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, also increases with age and with some kinds of hypertension treatment both risk factors the ECDC said. For the Capital Region, it appears to be the best of both worlds: We've seen wage growth that has pushed us ahead of other upstate cities and we're "among the least unequal places in the country," according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York titled, "Why Are Some Places So Much More Unequal Than Others? Growing income inequality has become "a critically important economic and social issue," said the report, authored by Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz. Wage growth patterns, they said, result predominantly from the growing demand for skilled workers driven by technological changes. Meanwhile, the erosion of labor unions has weakened their ability to deliver higher wages for their members. The Capital Region has benefited from its large public workforce -- Albany is, after all, the state capital -- and those government jobs "tend to be relatively stable and provide steady wage increases," the study said. And while manufacturing jobs here overall have declined, "the region's burgeoning nanotechnology cluster has helped the region add skilled manufacturing jobs." The authors use what they call the "90/10" ratio, representing the wages earned by someone in the 90th percentile of the wage distribution divided by those earned by someone in the 10th percentile. The larger the ratio, the wider the inequality. Fairfield, Conn. - consisting of wealthy suburbs surrounding poor inner cities had the highest ratio in 1980, at 5.6. From there, inequality only grew, and Fairfield, still at the top of the list, had a ratio of 8.7 in 2015, according to the study. Cities in the bottom 15 include Utica-Rome, with a ratio of 4.2. Johnstown, Pa., was at the bottom in 2015, with a ratio of 3.9. Albany and Glens Falls are at 4.7. New York City is a 7. At first glance, it would appear that a larger share of the Capital Region population shares in the income gains, especially because the growth was relatively muted once you were above the 90th percentile. "The Capital District as a whole does better than its peer regions upstate and many across the country," observed Mark Castiglione, executive director of the Capital District Regional Planning Commission. "We have a large, stable workforce in the public sector, and burgeoning clusters in technology and health care." In addition, the Capital Region is highly educated, Castiglione points out. But a commission study issued last year found racial disparities in household incomes: While white households saw median income rise from $63,586 in 1990 to $67,749 in the 2012-2016 period, African-American households saw their incomes decline over the same period, to $37,906 from $39,594. Hispanic households saw a sharp drop between 1990 ($56,757) and 2000 ($44,374), before rising slightly to $46,686 in 2012-2016. And while Asian median household incomes were the highest in the group, at $72,369 in 1990, they declined to $68,030 by 2012-2016. Digging deeper, only one of the four counties the planning commission covers saw income increasing among black households, while Hispanic households saw "significant" decreases, also in three of the four counties. And Asian household incomes fell in Saratoga and Schenectady counties, but rose in Albany and Rensselaer counties. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "We are seeing increasing disparities in races" and their incomes, Castiglione said. Local officials have highlighted the fact that not everyone is sharing in what appears to be a prospering Capital Region. Education is seen as key to narrowing the disparities. "Generally, higher levels of education correspond to higher incomes," the study concluded. The Fed study found that skills and education also played a role in rewarding those at the upper end of the income distribution. Those individuals, in turn, flocked to larger urban areas that subsequently saw growing inequality. The Capital Region continues to be attractive to many of those individuals. Companies such as Regeneron Pharmaceuticals continue to add jobs. Employment at Regeneron in Rensselaer County is approaching 4,000 people. Castiglione called Regeneron "an incredible employment generator for the region," and suggested that the nearby city of Rensselaer could capitalize on that for its residents. But the challenge will be to spread such growth to other upstate cities. While he said the Capital Region's per capita income the highest upstate illustrated its strength, Capital Region Chamber CEO Mark Eagan said in an interview last week that it would do even better if the rest of upstate shared that prosperity. A U.S. drone strike earlier this month in the western Afghan province of Herat that apparently targeted a militant group also killed at least 10 civilians, including three women and three children, an Afghan rights official and a council member said on January 22. The Afghan official said the strike took place in the district of Shindand on January 8. Five other civilians, including two children, were wounded, said the official, who is on Afghanistan's Human Rights Commission. He was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. The Afghan military and U.S.-led forces did not immediately comment. But provincial council member Wakil Ahmad Karokhi said the strike also killed 16 militants from a Taliban splinter group, including its commander, known as Mullah Nangyalia. The commander's funeral the following day was held in the Herat provincial capitals Guzargah neighborhood, and was attended by dozens of militants. Karokhi said the attack was a "huge mistake" because Mullah Nangyalia's group had been a useful buffer against the Taliban in Shindand, taking up arms with his fighters against the insurgents "when no one else would do it" and leaving the area's civilians in peace. The Taliban controls nearly half of Afghanistan, and continue to launch attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces, even as it has given U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad a document outlining an offer for a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan. With reporting by AP Wyoming is a unique state, with its wide-open spaces, small population, and vast geographical footprint. Our landscape requires us to be both practical and creative in arranging our communities, businesses, and our schools. You could say that the need for school choice is written in our states DNA. Some of our children live up to two hours away from school, and our public schools find creative solutions to respond to the challenge of distance. Some districts have switched to 4-day school weeks or have arranged for after-school care to better provide for their communities. A handful of public charter schools have opened, expanding options for Wyoming families. Our states geography makes homeschooling and virtual school options attractive as well. Many families use the states free, full-time online learning options to broach the challenge of distance and ensure their students are college, career, or military ready. In a nutshell, the landscape of our state encourages our school districts and families to adopt a variety of K-12 education options. The results of this creativity and choice in education are encouraging. For instance, Wyoming isnt only one of the top 10 states for its ratio of cattle-to-humans (2.26:1 the last time I checked). It recently ranked as seventh in the nation for quality education. Fourth- and eighth-grade students in Wyoming outperformed the national average in reading and math on the 2019 National Assessment and Educational Progresss Report Card. Innovation is prioritized in Wyoming schools, as seen in the states focus on implementing computer science education in every classroom. Of course, choice in education is about much more than either academic results or responding to geographic rurality. Its truly about allowing families to choose the education that corresponds to the unique terrain of their life experiences and their childs needs. While we are spread out as a state, its valuable to come together to discuss the K-12 choices weve tried, learn about other options, and help each parent find the school setting where their child can be fully alive and excited about learning. Thats why my co-workers and I at Wyoming Parent Magazine, an online-only magazine geared toward moms and dads, hosted an inaugural school fair last year. We welcomed dozens of Wyoming schools from every sector, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, online schools, home school organizations, and educational support organizations. Parents, educators, and legislators attended the fair and we empowered each other to consider a rich variety of education types. It was such a success that were spreading the good news about Wyoming education with an even bigger fair on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 at Cheyennes Little America Resort. Everyone is welcome to attend, enjoy student performances and other festivities, and learn more about education choices in our state. The last week of January, when our school fair takes place, is also National School Choice Week. This week will feature more than 50,000 events and activities across all 50 states, celebrating K-12 education and connecting families to education opportunities. Were excited to be participating in this national celebration in a uniquely Wyoming-esque way and encourage you to join in as well. Our state landscape is a constant reminder that education is worth thinking about carefully and creatively. Lets continue to care passionately about our kids education. And lets empower parents with conversations about all types of education and how each can serve our Wyoming communities. Melissa Denton is the managing editor of Wyoming Parent. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I took the first shot, Yang said on the tape played at her 2011 trial. I remember screaming because at that point I realize we are now at the point of no return. I just started emptying the clip. I took one last shot in the head and finished her off, and I took off. During an interview with Variety, Pennsylvania native Taylor Swift revealed that a brain tumor was uncovered during the course of her mothers breast cancer treatment. While she was going through treatment, they found a brain tumor," Swift said. "And the symptoms of what a person goes through when they have a brain tumor is nothing like what weve ever been through with her cancer before. So its just been a really hard time for us as a family. Andrea Swift is undergoing chemotherapy to treat the tumor. She was diagnosed in 2015 with breast cancer, honoring her daughter at that years Academy of Country Music Awards. Andrea Swifts breast cancer went into remission, then returned in 2019. As a result, Swift has cut down her Lover tour to just four dates in two cities in the United States this summer after hitting up several festivals in Europe. Swift said she wanted to be there for her mother. I feel like I havent done festivals, really, since early in my career theyre fun and bring people together in a really cool way. But I also wanted to be able to work as much as I can handle right now, with everything thats going on at home. And I wanted to figure out a way that I could do both those things," Swift told Variety. Swift fans around the globe showed their support for Taylor and Andrea. Originally from Wyomissing, Berks County, the Swift family moved to Tennessee in 2004. The National Archives falsified the historical record when it deleted the name Trump and other words from an exhibit of womens protest signs. The Archives employees involved might be asked to wear Winston Smith name tags, the name of the lead character in George Orwells 1984. His job was to alter historical archives so they would not offend those in power. Orwells character said it all: Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present, controls the past . . . since the Party is in full control of all records, and in equally full control of the minds of its members, it follows that the past is whatever the Party chooses to make it. KIEV, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine will press Iran to hand over the black boxes from the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane at a meeting with a visiting Iranian delegation on Monday, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told reporters. Ukraine would convey the message to visiting Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami, that returning the black boxes would show that Iran wanted an unbiased investigation of the crash, Prystaiko said. Iran had said on Sunday it was trying to analyse the black boxes from the airliner its military shot down this month, denying an earlier report it would hand them to Ukraine. All 176 aboard the flight died. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Toby Chopra) US President Donald Trumps latest comments on Kashmir have come at an inopportune moment, because he is expected to visit India next month and they were made against the backdrop of Indias efforts to negate any attempt by Pakistan to internationalise the Kashmir issue. For the foreign policy establishment in New Delhi, the optics were worse as the comments if we can help, we certainly will be helping were made ahead of his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the margins of the World Economic Forum at Davos. India has consistently pushed back every time Trump has raised Kashmir, with the external affairs ministry roundly dismissing the US presidents claim last July that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had requested him to mediate on the Kashmir issue. And yet Trump has gone on to offer to mediate on the issue, causing consternation in foreign policy circles in New Delhi and Washington. Also Watch | Donald Trump calls Imran Khan good friend, says talking about Kashmir Trumps ultimate deal-maker belief Some have contended that Trump repeatedly rakes up Kashmir because he believes he is the ultimate deal-maker and that he can broker some sort of understanding between India and Pakistan. The Indian government has bristled at all mentions of Kashmir on international platforms, including Chinas recent effort to discuss the issue at the UN Security Council, as it deals with the fallout of the controversial security lockdown, communications blackout and detentions in the erstwhile state. In the latest instance, Trump appeared to be motivated by the necessity to have Pakistan on his side for the US administrations desperate attempts to reach some sort of understanding with the Taliban to facilitate the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan before his re-election bid. Barely two years after Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing but lies and deceit in return for billions of dollars in aid, he said the US has never been closer with Pakistan than we are right now and described Imran Khan as a very good friend. The Trump administration has also resumed a military training programme for Pakistan that was snapped in 2018, though other security assistance continues to be suspended. Rajiv Dogra, a former ambassador who has served in Pakistan, described Trumps latest unsolicited offer of mediating in Kashmir as a meeting of minds and interests. This is a meeting of minds because on one hand you have Trump who thinks India and China dont share a border and on the other, you have Imran Khan who thinks Germany and Japan share a border, he said. Imran has Trump where it hurts the most Afghanistan But more importantly, this is a meeting of interests and Imran Khan knows he has Trump where it hurts him the most Afghanistan. Its a beautiful bargain for them and all the strategic theories have gone for a six ever since Trump was sworn in, Dogra said. Dogra said he believes Trump is fixated on Afghanistan, and the role Pakistan can play in shaping some sort of a deal in the war-torn country because of its leverage and control over the Taliban, in order to divert attention from his impeachment trial and other problems in the US. For the foreign policy establishment in India, it is rather obvious now that the US commander-in-chief isnt reading the memos originating from New Delhi on matters such as Kashmir. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 22, 2020 15:10 720 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20607e9a0 1 National Wardah,Cosmetics,makeup,feminist,feminism,beauty,LGBT Free A poster for an antifeminist and lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) event supposedly sponsored by Wardah Cosmetics has sparked an online backlash against the halal makeup producer. The poster was first posted on the Instagram account of a religious organization called Majelis Umat Rabbani Nur Islam (MURNI), advertising an open discussion about "The Dangers of Feminism and LGBT". The post was taken down at noon on Wednesday after Indonesian feminist website Magdalene wrote a comment objecting to the poster's use of one of its illustrations. When contacted by The Jakarta Post, Wardah Cosmetics public relations staff member Suci Hendrina said the company was looking into whether it was a sponsor of the event. A number of activists, feminist groups and other social media users have also asked whether the makeup company was sponsoring the event and threatened to boycott the brand if it did. "Bad marketing, @wardahbeauty. Do you think that there are no feminists or LGBT people among your customers?" the Indonesia Feminis community wrote in a post on Instagram. "If it's true that you are antifeminism and anti-LGBT, we will stop using Wardah." LGBT rights activist Lini Zurlia tweeted that she was considering boycotting Wardah over the issue, but was concerned that the move would affect the company's workers. Mau bikin boikot @wardahbeauty tapi boikot boikot itu yg akan terdampak paling terdepan ya buruh-buruh yg bekerja di pabrik2nya. Kalo warda ya para pekerja di PT Paragon TI Mix feeling banget akutu. Wardah kamu kok gitu sih? Lini Zurlia (@Lini_ZQ) January 22, 2020 Hartoyo, the director of Suara Kita, an NGO focusing on LGBT rights, also chimed in through a tweet. "Is it true that @wardahbeauty supports this event?" he wrote. "Aren't many of Wardah's customers women and LGBT people? Why are you being mean to your own customers? A few hours after the poster on MURNI's Instagram account was taken down, the Instagram account of the Al-Mukhlishin Mosque, where the event was supposed to take place, posted a different poster of what seems to be the same event. The poster did not have Wardah's logo and the event was now titled "Feminism and LGBT from the View of Islam." Wardah did not immediately respond to the Post's further requests for comment. Editor's note: This article has been updated. Topics : Wardah Cosmetics makeup feminist feminism beauty LGBT New Delhi, Jan 22 : An income tax (I-T) officer has conducted searches on multi-national agro-chemical manufacturer United Phosphorus Limited (UPL), acting on complaints of tax evasion. A senior Income Tax official said that searches are currently on and details would be shared once the operation is complete. "Searches are being conducted in Mumbai," the officer said. UPL shares fell 2.52 per cent on the BSE on Wednesday to close at Rs 563.10 a piece. The company led by its Global CEO Jai Shroff claims to be a leader in global food systems and one of the top five agricultural solutions companies worldwide. UPL has presence in 130 countries and a revenue of nearly $5 billion. UPL offers an integrated portfolio of both patented and post-patent agricultural solutions for various arable and specialty crops, including biological, crop protection, seed treatment and post-harvest solutions covering the entire crop value chain. Sources said some of the UPL directors, including promoters, are under investigation for suspected tax evasion. "The enquiry is in progress," the official said. This week, British Columbians have been invited to take part in public engagements on creating a central registry of company beneficial ownership, as well as modernizing mortgage broker regulation to guard against money laundering. Money laundering in our economy must end, said Carole James, Minister of Finance. These consultations are an opportunity for the public to voice concerns around how we can prevent dirty money from coming into our communities through these channels and create a better, safer British Columbia. The consultations reflect key recommendations from the Expert Panel on Money Laundering in B.C. Real Estate, which released its Combating Money Laundering report in May 2019. In its landmark report, the panel identified the disclosure of beneficial ownership as the single most important measure that can be taken to combat money laundering. The Mortgage Broker Act (MBA) is under review because, as the consultation paper reads, it has not kept pace with evolving national and international standards such as money laundering in the real estate market. As such, the purpose of the consultation is to replace the MBA with modern legislation that would establish several requirements, including: business authorization for all mortgage lenders; dedicated compliance management as well as compliance requirements for employees; licensing standards; minimum standards of conduct; and transparency and disclosure within transactions. Also on the table are enhanced disclosure and reporting requirements for complex products and reducing regulatory gaps. President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the killing of Reverend Lawan Andimi by Boko Haram terrorists. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the President described the murder of the clergyman as inhuman and vowed to ensure the insurgents pay dearly for their actions. He said, The terrorist killing of Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika, Adamawa State is cruel, inhuman and deliberately provocative. This barbarism is condemnable. We will ensure that these terrorists pay a heavy price for their evil actions. Reverend Andimi, who was abducted by Boko Haram terrorists in early January, was the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He was murdered by his captors on Monday, despite calls for his release by various groups, including the national leadership of the Christian body. In his reaction, President Buhari decried the killing of the clergyman amid indications that the insurgents were going to release him. He, however, condoled with the family of the slain reverend, the Christian community across the country, as well as the government and people of Adamawa State. I am greatly saddened by the fact that the terrorists went on to kill him even while giving signals of a willingness to set him free by releasing him to third parties. This incident has further strengthened our resolve as a government, and the resolve of our gallant Armed Forces, to comprehensively defeat all terrorist groups sowing death, violence, and destruction in our country and across West Africa, the President said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates [January 22, 2020] Banggood Reveals 2019 Bestsellers List of Made-in-China Products GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Banggood, a leading Chinese online retailer that focuses on cross-border export e-Commerce, has released its list of top 10 bestselling Made-in-China products from 2019, based on annual sales units amount from the Banggood website. In line with global consumer trends, smart home appliances and health products dominated sales last year, accounting for over half of 2019's most popular products. "From our 2019 bestsellers list, it's evident that smart products have penetrated peoples' everyday lives, and technology products from China are still the preferred choice for many consumers worldwide," said Aaron Chen, Operations Director of Banggood. "We see that a large portion of buyers originates from Europe and South America. Although these regions are geographically far, our efficient supply chain and first-class customer service enables us to challenge the traditional stereotypes of products made in China and encourage these consumers to choose Chinese products." The SONOFF Basic WIFI Wireless Smart Switch, a remote-control power socket that makes a wide range of appliances connected and helps users to build a smart home, topped the list as the bestselling item of Banggood in 2019. Germany, Italy, Brazil were the top three countries for sales. Banggood's list also reveals Xiaomi products were in high demad from shoppers, particularly those in South America and Europe. Xiaomi manufactured six of the top ten bestselling products, and the Redmi Airdots noise-cancelling headphones, generating the largest sales amount among all the ten products of the list. The remaining products were various iterations of Xiaomi's popular fitness tracker product, the Mi Band, including Xiaomi Mi band 4 Smart Watch, Xiaomi Mi band 3 Smart Wristband, and Xiaomi Mi band 3 Smart Watch. Two other Xiaomi products appeared in the Banggood's top 10 bestsellers list: the Xiaomi 10L Backpack, which ranked fourth, was also the only product outside the tech sector to feature in the top 10; and the Xiaomi ZAJIA Automatic Sense Infrared Induction Water Saving Device for kitchen and bathroom sink faucets, which ranked tenth on the list. The full list of Banggood's Top 10 Bestsellers of Made-in-China Products: Sonoff Basic WIFI Wireless Smart Switch ATmega328P Nano V3 Controller Improved Version Module Redmi Airdots Xiaomi 10L Backpack Bag ESP32 -CAM WIFI+ bluetooth dual-mode development board Xiaomi Mi band 4 Smart Watch SQ11 1080P Mini Night Vision DV Auto Video Recorder Xiaomi Mi band 3 Smart Wristband Xiaomi Mi band 3 Smart Watch Xiaomi ZAJIA Automatic Sense Infrared Induction Water Saving Device About Banggood Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Guangzhou, China, Banggood is a leading e-commerce company in China. By running its website www.banggood.com and pages on other platforms, Banggood has sold more than 500,000 types of products to the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Russia, Japan and other countries. For more information, please visit: https://www.banggood.com/aboutBanggood.html Media Contact Louis +86-131-6877-4044 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banggood-reveals-2019-bestsellers-list-of-made-in-china-products-300990891.html SOURCE Banggood [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\broadband-stimulus's Homepage ] Southern Superstar Sudeep recently wrapped the shooting of his upcoming Kannada movie, Kotigobba 3. The highly anticipated Sandalwood biggie is directed by Shiva Karthik and also stars Madonna Sebastian and Shraddha Das as the female leads. Sudeep took to social media to share the news with his fans. He wrote, Last day of #K3 today. We wrapped the shoot after months of good work and exciting shoot. Thanks to each one on set, for giving their best. It was indeed wonderful working wth u all. (sic) Kotigobba 3 in all likelihood, will release in the summer of 2020. However, an official announcement regarding the same is yet to be made by the makers. The official motion poster of the film was recently released and received a lot of love and appreciation from the audiences. Produced by Surappa Babu, the film also stars Aftab Shivdasani, Ravi Shankar and Tabla Nani in pivotal roles. The team is leaving no stone unturned to make the third installment of the Kotigobba franchise as grand as possible. The mass entertainer has been shot in international locations in Serbia, Thailand, and Malaysia. The music of the film has been composed by Arjun Janya. On the work front, Kiccha Sudeep was last seen on the silver screens in the Salman Khan starrer Dabangg 3. The actor is currently busy hosting the seventh season of Bigg Boss Kannada. The megastar was recently bestowed with the Most Promising Actor award for Dabangg 3 during the Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival. ALSO READ: Sudeep Starrer Kotigobba 3 First Look Motion Poster Released, WATCH NOW! ALSO READ: Superstar Kiccha Sudeep Reacts To The Rumours Of Playing A Cop In Rajamoulis RRR Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave up their luxurious royal lives in exchange for the freedom and independence that they always wanted. As they move on to new beginnings, they reportedly took a photo in front of their new home to start their un-royal lives. Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped their bombshell announcement regarding their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family and divide their time between the U.K. and North America. They revealed that they contemplated for "many months" to come up with the tough decision of becoming independent from the central and senior members of the royal family -- Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince William. However, royal watchers started to talk about them after a photo of the two circulated online, showing how the Sussexes gave up the Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle for a mobile home. A Mobile Home as New Base? Shortly after they stepped back from their royal duties -- having received permission from Queen Elizabeth II -- an photo of them standing in front of an RV circulated online. Netizens started to think that the it was the "new home" of the couple as they embark to live the simple life they want. As it turns out, however, the said photograph was not real. #MeghanMarkle https://t.co/LUuhhvx6Rn Snopes alleges the claim is false, but its still hilarious that there is a press headline about Meghan & Harry buying an RV camper #MEGXIT JustMyThots (@Justmythots8) January 22, 2020 Though the person who edited the photo remain unknown, multiple RV sellers used the picture of Prince Harry and Meghan to create playful advertisements for their businesses. "This nice, young couple from England certainly knows where to shop when it comes to buying a camper! It was great meeting you Meghan and Harry, enjoy your new home on wheels!" Lee's Family Trailer Sales & Service wrote on Facebook. Another business group, the Home Farm Holiday Park, also shared the photograph of the edited picture on FB and claimed that the duke and duchess were the ones who bought their first seasonal touring pitch this year. As their followers "investigated" the photograph, they found out that it was a fruit of three different images: a lone camper, a real couple who owned the picture, and the faces of the royal couple. While it has been cleared that Prince Harry and Meghan are not truly staying on a mobile home as what the picture portrayed, the two has been open even before they left Britain that they want to establish bases around the globe. Where Do They Want to Live? Before their 2020 surprise departure, the two already claimed in the ITV documentary, "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey " that they wanted to leave in the future. In fact, Prince Harry saw Cape Town as an "amazing place" where he could base his family. He immediately changed his comment and referred to Cape Town as "a very hard place to live at." Still, they hinted that they want to take a break away from the royal family -- and they did. Though they are not in Cape Town, they made their dreams come true now that they are freely living in Canada. A $56-million convention centre dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the first such structure established in Africa by India, has been inaugurated in Niger by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou. The Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) is a landmark for India-Niger friendship and a symbol of Indias firm commitment towards Africa, the external affairs ministry said. The MGICC is also the first centre to be built in Africa by India to honour the memory of Gandhi, whose 150th birth anniversary was observed last year. Jaishankar visited Niger during January 20-21 as part of his outreach to Africa. He met his counterpart Kalla Ankourao, Issoufou and Prime Minister Brigi Rafini on Tuesday and discussed a range of bilateral, regional and global issues. The visit was also a reiteration of the importance India attaches to its relations Niger and with other countries in the Sahel, the ministry said. Bilateral relations have expanded in recent years and India has provided lines of credit to Niger for projects in transportation, electrification, solar energy and potable drinking water. Several hundred officials from Niger have been trained by India under the ITEC programme and India has extended aid to Niger for organising the African Union (AU) Summit held in Niamey in 2019. The MGICC is a spacious and eco-friendly facility, including a plenary hall with a capacity of 2,000, that will be used for AU events and high level conventions. The centre was built in 13 months by Shapoorji Pallonji Private Limited. State-run NBCC was the management consultant for the project. India provided grant assistance of $35.48 million for the centre and the rest of the funding came from the Niger government. Jaishankar, the first Indian foreign minister to visit Niger, will also travel to Tunisia during his three-day trip. Shadows are cast by a new residential complex facing an apartment at Gwacheon Jugong Apartment Complex No. 8, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon Access to sun sparks legal disputes between buildings By Lee Suh-yoon For Kwon Ri-o, a 62-year-old homeowner at a state-built apartment complex in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, the real estate boom in his neighborhood is more than just a changing landscape with new high-rises. It brought an end to a public commodity he enjoyed for over 20 years from his sixth-floor apartment natural light. "The sun used to come all the way in here," Kwon said, pointing to the dark kitchen floor on the opposite side of the room during a midday visit on Monday. "Now, I have to keep the lights on at all times." Kwon Ri-o stands by the balcony of his sixth-floor flat in Gwacheon Jugong Apartment Complex No. 8. Both the view and sun are blocked by a new condominium complex. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon Kwon and other residents of the 14-floor building at the edge of Gwacheon's Jugong Apartment Complex No. 8 now live in the shadow of a concrete curtain a 32-floor condominium complex being built at the former site of another Jugong apartment complex. The new complex being built by Daewoo Engineering and Construction forms a dense screen of tall towers lining its northern side, a common arrangement used by developers to cram in as many flats as possible while making sure the buildings in its own compound do not block each other from sunlight from the south. The arrangement has set up what Kwon calls a "fortress wall" in front of his apartment, which directly faces the northern side of the new complex. About 80 of some 112 homeowners in Kwon's building have filed and won a compensation suit against the developers. Each received a settlement of between 40 million won ($34,500) and 100 million won. In its decision, the court, as in previous rulings, set the "tolerable" minimum hours of sunlight one should be guaranteed continued access to in their homes to 4 hours a day (calculated on the position of the sun in a winter solstice). According to a study submitted to the court, the new condominium complex caused the average duration of sunlight reaching the neighboring apartments to drop from 6.5 hours to 38 minutes a day. Legal battles over the right to light are becoming more common as buildings grow taller and denser in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. Though only around 10 to 20 cases reach the courtroom each year, the conflict arises anywhere a mass-scale residential complex redevelopment takes place, says Urban & Human, a law firm that specializes in these disputes. "The (shadow impact) standard in building laws for getting the construction permit in the first place are less strict than the (shadow impact) standard adopted by the courts for deciding on a damage suit," said Lee Seung-tae, head of Urban & Human. "Developers know about the court's building standards and the possibility of compensation suits but they still choose building arrangements and heights that ignore these stricter standards to maximize their profit." A dying weeping fig at resident Kwon Ri-o's flat in Gwacheon Jugong Apartment Complex. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon The headquarters unit of the Army's 10th Mountain Division will head to Afghanistan in the spring as part of a regular troop rotation, even as the U.S. prepares for a possible major withdrawal of forces, the Army announced this month. "This historic division continues to be the most deployed in the Army and we are honored to be part of the global coalition in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel," Maj. Gen. Brian Mennes, commander of the 10th Mountain, based at Fort Drum, New York, said in a statement. The headquarters unit of about 250 soldiers will follow on the arrival of about 3,500 troops from the 10th Mountain's 1st BCT. That unit is expected to move into place in late winter. In early December, the Army announced that the 1st BCT from the 10th Mountain would be replacing the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division. "We are ready at every echelon to support this mission, and we look forward to working with our international partners to help establish the conditions for long-term stability," Col. James Eldridge, commander of the 1st BCT, said in a statement at the time. The planned troop rotations are continuing even as the Pentagon considers a major troop withdrawal and the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, negotiates for a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban. Last month, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the U.S. was looking at a possible drawdown of about 4,000 of the estimated 13,000 troops in Afghanistan "with or without" a political agreement with the Taliban. Related: Afghan Officials Say Taliban Killed 6 Members of Same Family In remarks to reporters traveling with him on Dec. 17, Esper said a decision on a withdrawal of about 4,000 troops could be made "in the coming weeks" and had the backing of Army Gen. Austin Scott Miller, commander of U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. "I would like to go down to a lower number because I want to either bring those troops home [or have them] redeployed to the Indo-Pacific to face off our greatest challenge in terms of the great power competition -- that's vis-a-vis China," Esper said. Also last month, the State Department announced that Khalilzad was returning to the region to resume talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. In Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan on a range of issues including Afghanistan and the talks with the Taliban. "The main issue, of course, is Afghanistan because it concerns the U.S. and Pakistan," Khan said, according to a White House transcript of the meeting. "And, fortunately, we are on the same page. Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan with talks with the Taliban and the government." The talks centered on a possible ceasefire of seven to 10 days leading to an overall reduction in violence and an eventual peace settlement. But Kabul government officials have balked at their exclusion from the negotiations, according to reports from Afghanistan's Tolo News. Last week, John Sopko, head of the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, warned that the Trump administration should develop an "actionable plan for the day after peace is declared" to avoid the mistakes that have mired the U.S. in more than 18 years of war in Afghanistan. In testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Jan. 15, Sopko, who has a record of issuing scathing and pessimistic reports on U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, said the entire U.S. campaign to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan was marred by the "mendacity and hubris" of officials with the U.S. military, State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. "The problem is, there is a disincentive, really, to tell the truth," Sopko said. "We have created an incentive to almost require people to lie." He also sought to defend his own decision to withhold confidential interviews with senior U.S. officials on the history of policy failures in Afghanistan, some of which contrasted with more optimistic public statements. The interviews were classified, Sopko said, but they were disclosed by the Washington Post last month after Freedom of Information requests and court challenges and formed the basis for a series titled "At War With The Truth" by Craig Whitlock. "The documents, and The Post's excellent reporting, helped fill in some significant gaps in our understanding of the U.S. war in Afghanistan," said Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, the committee's chairman. "It's a damning record." Sopko said the work of his office has also been hindered by the overclassification of critical data by U.S. officials on matters ranging from the amount of territory controlled by the Taliban to the casualties of the Afghan security forces and the number of children enrolled in school. "It turns out that everything that is bad news has been classified for the last few years," Sopko said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: Navy Carrier Lincoln Back from Record-Setting 295-Day Deployment SPRINGFIELD In a stunning reversal, the U.S. attorneys office Wednesday spiked a police brutality case against former narcotics detective Steven Vigneault after the alleged victim pointed the finger at another police officer. Vigneault was charged in an excessive force indictment in 2018 along with his onetime partner, Officer Gregg Bigda. The charges were brought in connection with allegations the two kicked separate juvenile suspects in the face during an arrest after the boys stole Vigneaults undercover car in 2016. But one of the boys, labeled D.R. in court records, testified during a Dec. 30 deposition the he was 100 percent positive it was Bigda, not Vigneault, who kicked him in the face, according to court records. In light of this evidence, dismissal of Count Two of the indictment is in the interests of justice, reads a filing signed by Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling along with other attorneys with the Department of Justice. The notice of dismissal also outlined the evidence they believed supported the indictment including testimony from Officer Luke Cournoyer, who was at the scene of the arrest and said Vigneault told him I just f---ing kicked that kid in the face. Cournoyer passed an FBI polygraph, the memo notes. Both Vigneault and Cournoyer separately conceded they didnt get along. Vigneault, who has maintained his innocence since the start of the investigation, was charged with a single count of excessive force. Bigda faces four criminal counts, including one for allegedly kicking a second juvenile suspect in the face and yelling welcome to white town and another for what federal prosecutors call an abusive interrogation following the boys arrests on Feb. 27, 2016. The now-notorious Bigda videos show the veteran officer threatening to kill and maim the boys, and frame one for drug trafficking as they sat in holding cells at the Palmer Police Department. The car chase ended in that town. Though charged jointly, Bigda and Vigneault were set to stand trial separately this spring. Vigneault sat in his attorneys Holyoke office on Wednesday still absorbing the news. I was on my way to class and Shawn called me, Vigneault said, referring to defense lawyer Shawn Allyn, who last week put D.R.'s three-hour video interview in front of federal prosecutors, urging them to dismiss the case. He said, How you doing? I said OK. Then he told me they dismissed my case. It was over. Vigneault, 49, said the revelation hadnt really sunk in by the afternoon. It wont for a while. Plus, I still dont get my life back, he added. While Vigneault, a combat veteran, said he loved being a cop, his assignment to the narcotics bureau following a stint in Afghanistan seems ill-fated in retrospect. He said he found himself among a group of mostly hard-charging, hard-drinking plainclothes detectives who played fast and loose with the rules. He was forced to resign over the kicking allegation in August of 2016, but argues he was bluffed because he felt then-Commissioner John Barbieri had it out for him and pushed the issue. Vigneault said the police union failed to protect him and the deck was stacked against him, so he quit, hoping to get another job in law enforcement. After he resigned, he filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Barbieri and other members of the department. The case remains pending and includes allegations that members of the narcotics bureau routinely drank on the job, drafted bogus search warrant affidavits, treated suspects abusively and used drug seizure money to buy booze. Although his lawsuit seeks reparations including restoring his job, with back pay, he concedes it wouldnt be easy returning to a department that regards him as a traitor. Im not proud of anything I did while I was in narcotics, but I did love being a cop. I joined the military at 39 to increase my chances of becoming a cop. Who does that? Vigneault said. Allyn said city officials were awaiting the outcome of the criminal case against Vigneault to gauge how to proceed with the civil lawsuit. But his clients troubles did not end with the dismissal of the federal case. Where does he go to get his reputation back? Does he go to the FBI? Does he go to the Department of Justice? Allyn said. "Everyone rushed to judgment in this case. Everyone always thinks the government has it right if they charge someone, he must be guilty. They got this wrong from the beginning. A spokesman for the Springfield Police Department declined comment. An attorney for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An FBI spokeswoman declined comment. The U.S. attorneys office does not comment on pending cases like Bigdas. It is unclear whether Bigda will face an additional criminal charge in connection with D.R.'s disclosures. Vigneault is pursuing a bachelors degree in psychology and has struggled to make ends meet since he was charged. No one would hire him, he said. Part of Allyns most recent argument to the court was that Vigneault had become unemployable. Vigneault said he hopes to return to some sense of normalcy, though hes uncertain what that will look like. You know the phrase The elephant in the room? Ive felt like every elephant in every room for the past three years, he said. An Italian farm worker appeared in court this morning charged with the murder of a 'wonderful' animal-loving volunteer whose body was found in a bull pen. Katherine Bevan, 53, a veterinary pharmacist and author, was found on January 3 at an Arabian horse farm in a Devon beauty spot once described by Prince Charles as his 'ideal English village'. Her death was believed to have been an accident and was reported to the Health and Safety Executive. But after a post-mortem examination at the weekend, police launched a murder inquiry and arrested 26-year-old Luigi Palmas. Palmas appeared before magistrates in Exeter this morning, charged with murder. Luigi Palmas appeared before magistrates in Exeter this morning, charged with murder Katherine Bevan, 53, a veterinary pharmacist and author, was found on January 3 in a bull pen in Gittisham, Devon Ms Bevan's (pictured) death was believed to have been an accident and was reported to the Health and Safety Executive He appeared alongside a translator, and was also charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Nicolas Harris on Monday. He will appear before a judge at Exeter Crown Court on February 20 and was remanded in custody. A police spokesman said: 'Luigi Palmas, 26, of no fixed abode, has been charged with the murder of 53-year-old Katherine Bevan. 'Palmas has also been charged with a further count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in connection with an incident in Exeter on January 20.' Mrs Bevan began volunteering at Combe Farm in Gittisham five years ago, and recently released a book called Knowing Daisy: A True Story, which chronicles her relationship with calves Daisy and Dandelion, which were both rescued and taken to the farm. Mrs Bevan wrote affectionately about her time on the farm, saying: 'The farm is part of a larger estate and is set in what must be the most beautiful location I have ever found. A long track leads you to a world of old charm. 'Some 280 acres of rolling countryside surrounds the old farmhouse. Steep hills and valleys, with pockets of woodland and natural waterways are just some of the wonders to explore.' Mrs Bevan began volunteering at Combe Farm in Gittisham five years ago and recently released a book called Knowing Daisy: A True Story, which chronicles her relationship with calves Daisy and Dandelion, which were both rescued and taken to the farm After a post-mortem examination at the weekend, police launched a murder inquiry and arrested a 26-year-old man. Pictured: Ms Bevan with a cow It was feared Mrs Bevan had been crushed in a tragic accident while tending to Jumbo the bull in a stock pen. In her book, she described Jumbo as 'good natured' but with the potential to be 'deadly dangerous'. Mrs Bevan's estranged husband, Michael, said: 'She was marvellous a wonderful person. She was so dedicated to everything she did and she was loved by everyone.' Mrs Bevan worked as a veterinary pharmacist for the Vale Veterinary Group as well as volunteering on the farm. She previously had a job as a marketing manager for jewellers F Hinds. Michael Harris, who runs Combe Farm, described Mrs Bevan as a 'lovely, wonderful person'. Ms Bevan had been excited about publishing her first book just before Christmas. She worked as a veterinary pharmacist for the Vale Veterinary Group as well as volunteering on the farm He added: 'It is just awful. Kate has been a friend and helping up here for the last five years. 'And she started living here about a year ago. She was part of our family and she sat with us for dinner every night. 'She was a very special and dear person. She was the last person in the world who anyone could do this to. She was amazing and gentle. It is utterly awful. 'She helped with one bull and the cattle and the horses. She had a passion for cattle.' Mr Harris added: 'Her body was found in the bull pen. But that does not mean she died in the bull pen.' The book, 'Knowing Daisy', focuses on the relationship she shared with Daisy, a cow she met four years ago when it was just a few days old 'Jumbo was as quiet as a lamb. He has never caused any trouble to any of my workers although of course bulls can act in unpredictable ways. 'Kate knew how to handle herself around the farm. She was no fool. She was well aware of the need to follow safety procedures. There is still a lot we don't know.' Matt Foad, who runs the Vale Veterinary Group, said: 'Kate worked tirelessly to help make the Vale the place that it is, and her efforts have helped provide a better service to all of our clients. Her passing has shocked us all.' Gittisham has chocolate-box thatched stone cottages with a stream running through the centre. Yesterday the St George's Cross flew at half-mast at the village church. A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: 'This is a joint police/HSE investigation. At the moment the police have primacy of the investigation, and so we are not able to comment at this time.' The murder has rocked the village of Gittisham, in Devon (pictured)